Recent viewings

[Jack]

Cyberjack (1995) - some company has developed a computer virus that uses human though or something or other, so some bad guys break into the building and start killing everybody, trying to steal it so they can take over the world mhahahahaha. But they forgot about the janitor who's an ex-cop and before you you know it you've got a low budget Die Hard ripoff. This was moderately entertaining, sort of comic book characters and well, plot too for that matter. Got a kick out of how the John McClane guy would listen to the baseball game on the radio when he got a few spare moments between shootouts. 3/5.

[indianasmith]

Last night I watched a rather interesting horror film called DARK SUMMER.
A 17 year old named Daniel is under house arrest for the summer after cyberstalking a classmate.
His mom is out of town for the summer on business, so he has an ankle monitor to keep him from straying from his property, and all his IP addresses are flagged to make sure he doesn't go online from any device.  His parole officer warns him about the consequences of violating his terms and leaves him at home.  His mom never puts in an appearance throughout the entire movie; I guess her business took her to Siberia or something.  Anyway, Daniel's two friends, Abby and Kevin, come over and bring him a laptop that is linked to a remote server with a masked IP so he can Skype with them and his mom to keep from going stir crazy.  Later that night, he gets a Skype from Mona, the girl he was convicted of stalking.  She tells him "I want you to feel what I feel," then eats the barrel of a gun while he is watching.
   After that his summer goes downhill.  He feels he is being watched, strange things start happening, and it's evident Mona's ghost is haunting him . . . but what does she want?

A bit slow, but well acted for a zero budget film.  The ending was unexpected and worth the wait.  3.5/5

[indianasmith]

This evening I watched a very cheap ripoff film called JURASSIC PREY. It was bad as only a Polonia Brothers dinosaur movie could be.

A group of inept bank robbers kidnap a girl when their car won't start and hide out in a remote cabin where a dinosaur (they call it a T-Rex but it certainly doesn't resemble one) has been awakened/released by recent blasting in the mountains.  One by one it devours the robbers and the inept cops pursuing them . . . and, well, that's pretty much it.  The dinosaur head shots were pretty cool, the full body shots were embarrassingly bad, as was the acting, the gore effects, the plot, the screenwriting, the editing, the production quality . . . well, you get the idea.  2/5

[FatFreddysCat]

"Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II" (1987)

http://youtu.be/xPXldmad77M
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Just before the Senior Prom, a teenybopper is possessed by the vengeful spirit of the 1957 prom queen, who died tragically during her coronation - and who still wants her crown. This delightfully sleazy, gory Canadian horror cheapie borrows heavily from "Carrie" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street" - ("Mary Lou" would be the perfect girl for Freddy Krueger) - but giving us a female villain is a unique twist. The best of the "Prom Night" series by a mile.

[Jack]

"Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II" (1987)

Just before the Senior Prom, a teenybopper is possessed by the vengeful spirit of the 1957 prom queen, who died tragically during her coronation - and who still wants her crown. This delightfully sleazy, gory Canadian horror cheapie borrows heavily from "Carrie" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street" - ("Mary Lou" would be the perfect girl for Freddy Krueger) - but giving us a female villain is a unique twist. The best of the "Prom Night" series by a mile.

I saw that one ages ago and have always been meaning to pick up the DVD and check it out again.  Remember it being pretty good.

[lester1/2jr]

Chicken park > Jurassic Park

http://youtu.be/lu0v8I-0iwU
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[JaseSF]

Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008): Scientist Trevor Anderson (Brendan Fraser) has long been obsessed with carrying on his long missing brother Max's work. This eventually leads him with nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson) in tow on a trip to Iceland. There they meet up with Hannah Ásgeirsson (Anita Briem) whose father had also been long involved with work similar to Max, an obsession with Jules Verne's book A Journey to the Center of the Earth. This leads them to investigate the path the lead character in the novel took and inevitably they accidentally end up on a journey to a world within the world, a journey to the center of the Earth.

Overlooking some major plot holes and logic flaws, this is a surprisingly enjoyable escapist fantasy adventure that would probably best appeal to youth and those young at heart. Just don't spend too much time really thinking about and examining stuff in the film. The CGI I felt was also a bit disappointing as it mostly never seems truly real. Still there's fun to be found here in a cartoonish adventure sort of way. Despite its many flaws, I found myself enjoying this one regardless no doubt in part due to the likable cast. ***1/4 out of ****** stars.

Bed of Roses (1996): Lonely business woman Lisa Walker (Mary Stuart Masterson), who's never really gotten truly close to anyone, is intrigued when she receives a beautiful bouquet of flowers from a mysterious stranger. Her quest to learn who sent her the flowers leads to her meeting a shy and somewhat awkward florist named Lewis Farrell (Christian Slater).

This romance film was pretty good I felt. I liked its characters. I liked that they were flawed people. Thought Masterson and Slater both gave fine performances and the story moves along really well. There's good support here as well from Pamela Adlon as Walker's best friend Kim. The soundtrack (really like the music they choose here) and settings really add a lot to the feel of this as well and in succeeding in giving viewers the feel of escaping into a sort of romantic fantasy world that doesn't seem too implausible for reality. ***1/2 out of ***** stars.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Ghoulies II" (1988)

http://youtu.be/VFXxYpWcNzM
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After hitching a ride on a traveling carnival truck, the evil little critters take up residence in a run down fun house, which provides plenty of willing victims. Low-budget schlocky fun that's better than the original "Ghoulies" but that's not really saying much. W.A.S.P. provides the end credit song, "Scream Until You Like It."

[Jack]

Death Spa (1989) - rather strange supernatural "slasher" about a health spa where people keep getting killed in mysterious ways. At first it's blamed on the guy who programs the computer which runs every aspect of the place, but maybe someone has returned from the grave to take revenge on the lover she thinks cheated on her. Pretty entertaining in its screwiness. I love watching these old and rather obscure movies on a fantastic looking Blu ray lol.  4/5.

Iced (1988) - so two guys both like the same girl, and since they're at a ski resort, they challenge each other to a ski race. Speeds approach ten miles per hour! One guy goes over a little jump and lands on some rocks, resulting in his death. Flash forward 4 years and the guy and girl are now married, and they and some friends go to check out a cabin at a ski resort. But there's a mysterious slasher lurking about. He really only kills one guy and then you have to wait until almost the end of the movie before he gets his butt in gear and starts knocking off the rest of them. This had a bit of "so bad it's good" or maybe so stupid it's amusing going for it. Some of the dialogue was just comically bad and only one guy could really act. Oh well, I'll give it a probably way too generous 3/5.

[dean]

Chicken park > Jurassic Park

http://youtu.be/lu0v8I-0iwU

Pretty sure this is the only site where this statement can be said without complete ridicule.

[lester1/2jr]

I didn't like either. I still don't get Jurassic Park. Wow they made a park with dinosaurs. Why would I care?

On Dangerous Ground (1951) - I wasn't expecting much from this but it was really good. It was part of the Gothic summer or whatever it is TCM film noir series.

A cop in a big city is known for being a hard ass. People on the streets hate cops, their bosses hate them. Being a cop is annoying. To get rid of him before he kills somebody they send him upstate to investigate a crime of some kind in a tiny village. The pursuit of the suspect is the best part of the movie. it goes on and on way out into the middle of nowhere wherever the hell they are. You wonder how they're ever gonna get back.

Robert Ryan is the main guy. Hes good. Ida Lupino plays a blind woman. Sensitivity isn't really something I associate with her as an actress but she does surprisingly well playing against type. I liked the father of the victim though he really drove it home.

cool beans 4.5 /5

[Jack]

Superstition (1982) - some people move into a house that's owned by a church, so there's a young priest hanging around there too. Turns out the place is haunted by a witch who was put to death back in the 1600's; they drowned her in a nearby pond. And now she's looking for revenge. This wasn't bad. The investigation to figure out what is causing the strange occurrences is a pretty good time killer and during the last half hour they actually manage to generate some suspense. 3.5/5.

[indianasmith]

Last night I watched TOOKEN, a really bad spoof of the TAKEN series.
I knew it would be lowbrow and crude, but I expected it to at least make me chuckle in a few scenes.
No dice.  It was just plain stupid!
2/5 and that's generous!

[FatFreddysCat]

"Despicable Me 2" (2013)

http://youtu.be/TlbnGSMJQbQ
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The now-reformed "Gru" is recruited by a top-secret spy organization to uncover the identity of a new super-villain who, naturally, has plans to take over the world. Much Minion-fueled mayhem and destruction ensues in this sequel to the 2010 family hit. Funny stuff. 

[lester1/2jr]

Time Crimes (2007) - Did you ever see the Sea Lab 2021 where they got blown back in time and kept doing it till there were like 10 of themselves? This is kind of like that except not as ridiculous, but still pretty ridiculous.

A guy sees a beautiful girl in the woods and goes to investigate. Then he gets assaulted by a crazed lunatic from a b horror movie. "What happened to the science fiction?" you're thinking. Well don't worry there's plenty of that. The dude then goes back in time and there's "we have to do the thing right or time will be messed up and Hitler will move into your house and people will have 3 heads" sort of issues.

I would describe this as a cross between an interesting science fiction movie, a stressful dream, and an idea that I myself wouldn't have personally attempted to carry out. It was kind of awesome, but also kind of silly. kind of torn here but it was different and mostly entertaining.

3.75 /5

p.s. do NOT watch the trailer it gives away the entire thing