Recent viewings

[Rev. Powell]

SEX & LUCIA (2001): A waitress falls in love with a novelist who has a secret in his past; parts of the movie describe their real love story, and parts are dramatizations of a novel the male lead is writing, with it largely left to the audience to decide which is which. Ambitious, multi-layered story with great performances and cinematography.  At times it's too self-consciously arty (lots of "significant" shots of the moon, held for too long as if the director's in love with his own vision) but Paz Vega does look great nude and I have to say I enjoyed it in spite of its pretentiousness.  4/5.

[Joe the Destroyer]

The Stendhal Syndrome- This movie had a weak start that really came together and showed its power further on into the second and third acts.  The switcheroo at the end, plus all of the subtle nuances of the film, not to mention some of the deeper ideological aspects, I think made the movie very solid and worth a view.   

[Doggett]

SEX & LUCIA (2001): A waitress falls in love with a novelist who has a secret in his past; parts of the movie describe their real love story, and parts are dramatizations of a novel the male lead is writing, with it largely left to the audience to decide which is which. Ambitious, multi-layered story with great performances and cinematography.  At times it's too self-consciously arty (lots of "significant" shots of the moon, held for too long as if the director's in love with his own vision) but Paz Vega does look great nude and I have to say I enjoyed it in spite of its pretentiousness.  4/5.

YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

I FOUND IT REALLY PRETENTIOUS TOO.

Karma for you, Rev.

 

[JaseSF]

Protectors of the Universe (1983): pretty complicated plot (surprising amount of doublecrosses and double agents) for what should be a simple to follow robot-action animated cartoon. Still delivers in terms of robot action (although technically the main robot Mazinger 7 is a giant controlled and co-piloted robot ship ala Voltron) and weird alien hijinks. Looks like an anime film but was actually done in Korea. Lots of flashing lights and high speed action so not recommended if you're prone to seizures. Does repeat animated scenes on occasion in a way that's much too obvious. Overall the robot battles alone made this worth the $1 I spent on it. **1/2 out of *****

Space Angel (1962): well this DVD I bought at the $1 store actually combines 3 different episodes of the 1962 "Space Angel" cartoon series. I was stunned by how advanced the stories and plots were for the time and era. This cartoon it seems superimposed real life talking lips on mostly unmoving Alex Toth style drawn animated characters. I was surprised how quickly I got used to this and just how much fun overall this cartoon space opera series really was...and how advanced some of the stories were. Very enjoyable, very fun, very representative of 1950s-1960s sci-fi. Just great stuff in my opinion. **** 1/2 out of *****

[lester1/2jr]

I think Clonus has the same plot as "the island" a huge michael bay blockbuster type movie of a few years ago.  I haven't seen the island but it's a really generic sci fi plot so I doubt he took it from Clonus: the parts horror

[Rev. Powell]

I think Clonus has the same plot as "the island" a huge michael bay blockbuster type movie of a few years ago.  I haven't seen the island but it's a really generic sci fi plot so I doubt he took it from Clonus: the parts horror

Yeah, the CLONUS guys sued and got a settlement, but I kind of doubt they would have won in court.  Like you said, it's a pretty generic sci-fi plot and you really have to try hard and blatantly copy someone else's plot to win a copyright infringement suit.  I'm only aware of one case where someone ever won a suit like that (it was a JAWS ripoff rushed out soon after the Spielberg movie, and they tried to trick people into thinking it was "the real thing"). 

[JaseSF]

Captain Harlock: Vengeance of the Space Pirate (1982): this edited version of ARCADIA OF MY YOUTH was one I also found in a dollar store. It's quite an enjoyable Captain Harlock story but it is unfortunately edited down for American audiences with 30 minutes missing in total. That said, this movie still delivers all the poetic and tragic space opera dramatics I've come to expect from Captain Harlock's adventures...overall it's very good with our heroes not always succeeding the way we might like and the outcomes certainly not playing out in predictable fashion. I very much enjoyed this and now more than ever want to see the unedited version of this film. *** 1/2 out of *****

Defenders of Space (1987): This $1 buy didn't prove to be quite so good. Actually this Korean anime is pretty much a blatant rip-off of several other superior anime films not to mention "Transformers". That said, the lead villains being given names like the evil Nick and General Mike is good for a laugh or two and unfortunately the battle between the evil General Mike and Saga over the emperor Nick's daughter Medusa proves this film's best highlight along with the battles between lead heroic robot Phoenix King and the villainous pair of robots named Super Sirius and Super Scorpio. The animation in this film proves poor with lots of recylced footage and as a whole the movie's plot feels either thrown together at the last minute or shamelessly "borrowed". *1/2 out of *****

[lester1/2jr]

Transformers (2007) -  This blockbuster seemed more influenced by The Simpsons than terminator or rambo.  At least half of it was a comedy and not a bad one at that.   But the unreality in slapsticky sort of comedy made it a little hard to acept the real dramatic action when it started up mainly in the 2nd half.  and the plot, the cube thing, didn't really come off as the focus was more on the characters , and robots, personalities but it was still better than you would think a movie based on an 80's childrens toy would be.    4/5

[Doggett]

Star Trek: First Contact
The Borg go back in time to assimilate Earth so the the Federation can never happen, Picard follows and tries to stop them.
It's pretty good.
Especially for non fans.
The Borg queen is suitably menacing as she tries to seduce Data, Picard is fighting Borg on the Enterprise eveyone else is on the surface trying to launch the first warp ship and that's pretty fun too.
4/5

Kenny
A great Antipodean mockumentary about a man who runs a portaloo company.
Class.
Utter Class.
5/5

[Jack]

Night of the Werewolf (1981) - One of those Paul Naschy movies made in Spain (which does not make a very convincing substitute for Romania lol).  Many years ago a vampire, her werewolf slave, and the rest of her followers are executed.  In the present, three hot babes resurrect the vampire, while some dolts accidentally resurrect the werewolf.  We're all set up for a werewolf vs. vampire showdown!  This movie has gorgeous visuals and marvelous Gothic atmosphere.  Characters are fair, not well developed but somewhat interesting.  Plot is pretty threadbare.  It really relies on the visuals to keep the audience interested.  3.5/5.

[lester1/2jr]

Iron Man (2008) -  Unless you are robert Downey jr's mother there is more than likely PLENTY of him in this movie for you and too much for alot of people namely me.   It doesn't help that the whole nature of Iron Man's alter ego Tony Stark is that he is repellent and "not the hero type" .  Besides the too much tony effect however this is a very good movie with fantastic but believable plot movements and character motivations ( except perhaps the ladies who are taken with reptile like tony) .  Lots of razzle dazzle special effects that will leave you with that "I've been to a movie" feeling.  Much more serious , conventional, and overtly action-y than "transformers" but still wise acre ish in places . 4/5

[RCMerchant]

CITIZEN TOXIE: the TOXIC AVENGER IV (2000)-My Gawd. I hardley know where to start. This movie is so insane. Here's what you get:Crazed morons wearing diapers with machine guns gunning down a school full of retards; a Bizzaro world evil Toxie;Sgt.Kabuki NYPD and his evil twin;lotsa boobies;limb ripping,eyegouging,bloodgushing cartoonish violence;Ron Jeremy and Al Goldstein (!?!); battling in utero mutant fetuses;Lard Boy,Dolphin Man,and some other goofy-ass heros; and more insane nonsense than I can fit into one post! I like it.  Oh yeah...God is a filthy dwarf! Who'd a known?  OH-and Lemmy from MOTERHEAD! 

MISSION to MARS (2000)-This started out as an interesting space opera (in the style of DESTINATION MOON and ROBINSON CARUSOE ON MARS) and would have been fine as just that. But nooooooooo...it had to go the route of CLOSE ENCOUNTERS of the THIRD KIND with kindly Martians who enlighten Mankind of their origins. I dunno...I enjoyed it enuff,I guess...but parts were a little to shmaltzy. Still-the FX were good,and the part I liked the best-lotsa cool space gadgets,rockets and space suits. I loved the little land rover. I would have liked it better if it was just a survival in space story instead without the cutesy martian ancesters thing.

the FLESH EATERS (1964) Now HERE's a movie! two easy -on the -eyes  women and three guys ( hero,goofy beatnik,evil professor) are stranded on an island....because the water is loaded with tiny little flesh-eating critters! Which,when subjected to electric shock ,turn into BIG flesh eating critters! Lotsa hooky dialouge ('specially from the neo-hipster Omar),and Martin Kosleck as the evil doc is a real scumbag! Recommended!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tS7POSMD9c
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I watched all three of these last night! Whew!

[Rev. Powell]

THE WICKER MAN (1973): A devoutly Christian policeman flies to the isolated Scottish island of Summerisle, where he finds himself disturbed both by the islanders reluctance to assist him in his investigation and their rejection of Jesus in favor of a licentious pagan Earth religion. Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee are fantastic as diametrically opposed religious fanatics, Anthony Shaffer's script is brilliant, the suspense builds to a dreadful pitch, the ending is unforgettable (even if you guess what's coming), enough intellectual meat to chew on for months or years, and Britt Eckland's nude dance; what's not to love about this movie?  Most people like the movie, but I'm the only one I know to give it a perfect 5/5.

[Jack]

Valentine (2001) - your typical slasher:  Some girls are mean to a boy in high school, then years later the girls start turning up dead.  It's got some hot babes in it - Kathy Heigl (who gets killed in the first 10 minutes  ) and Denise Richards.  The killer wears a cherub mask, which looks retarded.  The characters are completely undeveloped and uninteresting, the death knell to any murder mystery.  Plenty of time wasted with pointless cop investigation, padding out the run time.  And it's got about as much suspense as counting the number of inches on a ruler.  Second rate script, pedestrian direction, 2.5/5.

[JaseSF]

The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952): Gregory Peck stars as a writer faced with the possibility of impending death after he gets an infected leg while on safari in Africa. Understandably, he reflects back on his life and ponders whether it had real meaning. Ava Gardner stars as the great love of the writer's life while Susan Hayward plays his current beau. This movie based on the story by Ernest Hemmingway seems fairly faithful to that writer''s work to me, especially in terms of the often poetic dialogue. It's an interesting, enjoyable ride with plenty of romance and a considerable amount of tragedy to boot. Overall though, it just feels a bit overlong and there doesn't seem to be near the attention given to Susan Hayward's character as compared to Ava Gardner's Cynthia. Love the bit with the hyena at the end though. *** out of *****

The Lady Vanishes (1938): Early Hitchcock thriller features terrific characters as played by romantic leads Michael Redgrave and Margaret Lockwood not to mention Dame May Whitty's performance as the charming old lady who suddenly goes mysteriously missing after befriending Lockwood. Lockwood and Redgrave team up to prove the little old lady really did exist despite everybody else on the train denying she ever existed and blaming it all on a bump on the head Lockwood's character recieved before leaving on her train ride with Whitty. This one proves very entertaining and engaging largely because the lead characters are very likable and easy to root on and makes it easy for one to forgive and overlook the plot seriously stretching credibility at times. There's some good comedy and romance thrown in here too not to mention quite a bit of espionage. Good stuff. ****1/2 out of *****

Rich and Strange (1931): Alfred Hitchcock directed this romantic comedy/drama about the troubles a couple face when they suddenly inherit a fortune and decide to go on a worldwide sea voyage. Honestly this is far from Hitchcock's best work. It does have its moments but they are few and far between. Mostly it focuses on a couple who suddenly both wind up having affairs at practically the same time. Really the movie doesn't seem to really come together until the very end when the couple end up facing disaster aboard a sinking ship. From this point on, the movie actually becomes much more engaging to the viewer and really for the first time makes us care about what happens to the leads. Some very disturbing stuff here though involving the Chinese and a black cat. **1/2 out of *****