Recent viewings

[InformationGeek]

Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2:

I watched both films as a double feature when I was a sick in bed a bit ago.  I enjoy both of these movies a lot and I love all the jokes in them.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas:

I rewatched this for my Christmas in July review.  On close inspection and thinking about it, this movie was actually a lot better than I remember it.  I love the amount of detail and effort put into it, from the impressive world created down to the amusing humor.  A lot of people don't like because they think it is trashing the original short and book, but I found that it added more to it.  Good film, not for everyone.

[Rev. Powell]

Catching up:

A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971): An "ultraviolence"-loving punk in the indefinite near future volunteers for a state sanctioned aversion therapy program which leaves him unable to commit acts of violence, but helpless to defend himself against his former victims intent on revenge. Brilliantly stylish, morally complex fable full of disturbing beauty. 5/5.

CREATURE FROM THE HAUNTED SEA (1961): Opposed by incompetent spy Sparks Moran, a shady American expatriate and his gang of crooks try to cheat General Tostada and his crew out of the gold they are smuggling out of post-revolutionary Cuba by pretending a sea monster is on the loose. A surprisingly incompetent attempt at comedy from usually dependable screenwriter Charles W. Griffith that's only memorable because of the (deliberately) ridiculous looking, ping pong ball-eyed monster that shows up in the very end.  Why did I watch this again, again? 1/5.

BAD BOY BUBBY (1993): After being raised with no knowledge of the outside world in a fallout shelter by his abusive, mentally ill mother, middle-aged Bubby is suddenly released into a modern Australian society he can hardly comprehend, but must learn to fit into somehow. An interesting, relentlessly offbeat character study that, despite some disturbing incidents, emerges with a real affection for its subject. 3.5/5. 

FUNKY FOREST: THE FIRST CONTACT (2005): Essentially, a set of absurdist short films from three different directors, sharing some of the same characters, arranged into a sort of surrealist SHORT CUTS. The experiment produces exactly what you would expect: a very mixed bag, with many segments that drag on and on and go nowhere, and a sprinkling of truly delightful moments (most notably the musical numbers and the animation).  Incidentally, this is the movie that the still below (that recently appeared in the "Humorous Captions" forum) comes from:



2.5/5

[Rev. Powell]

PHANTASM (1979):  Two brothers investigate seriously strange happenings at a nearby funeral home run by the mysterious Tall Man, who also appears in the younger brother's nightmares. Highly atmospheric, with ahead of its time effects and terrific atmosphere; unfortunately, poor characterization and amateur acting hold it back from being the classic it could/should have been.  4/5. 

[lester1/2jr]

Hercules Unchained mst3k -  I still don't know wether i'm a Joel Or Mike supremacist but I do know that this was an excellent episode and a new favorite and with production by Mario bava (the film part, not he bots part!)  certainly one of the best entries visually.   

[Cthulhu]

Wolf creek: 3 college students (?) travel to a meteor crater, where their car brokes down, but a guy who happens to come by the creek helps them out. He says that he'll repair the car tomorrow morning, and they can sleep at his place. But then they wake up all chained up, and the guy who helped them out is torturing college student chick #2.

Pretty solid flick, It has a scene what doesn't go anywhere (seriously, what was about their watches stopping?), but it's worth checking out.

[Jack]

Wrong Turn 2:  Dead End - A reality show is being filmed out in the woods, and the competitors are attacked by inbred mutant hillbillys.  It's basically an assortment of scenes from other inbred mutant hillbilly movies, except the victims are reality show contestants - half are uber-obnoxious caricatures that hardly qualify as human, the other half are dull as dirt.  The only person who was slightly sympathetic gets killed very early on.  There's no suspense or sense of danger because it's impossible to take any of this junk seriously.  It makes the first movie seem like a masterpiece in comparison.  2/5.

[3mnkids]

a couple of short films

night of the hell hamsters~ its stupid, bloody and over the top but I enjoy it.

Winter of the dead~ eh, its a zombie short. Its has a couple of funny parts and the zombie makeup is hilarious, it looks like clown makeup, but its nothing special. I wouldn't watch it again.

[3mnkids]

Altered~ A group of friends hunt down and capture an alien. Apparently these aliens did something to them 15 years ago and they want revenge.

Its not the worst movie I have ever seen but its up there. The acting by most is painful and the dialogue is even worse...words like dagnabbit are used and lines like do you want me to show your woman her place are said by guys named duke and otis who are also fond of the mullet. 

The alien doesnt look that bad for a low budget flick but the stereotyped country boy dialogue ruins what could be an interesting movie.

[indianasmith]

Altered~ A group of friends hunt down and capture an alien. Apparently these aliens did something to them 15 years ago and they want revenge.

Its not the worst movie I have ever seen but its up there. The acting by most is painful and the dialogue is even worse...words like dagnabbit are used and lines like do you want me to show your woman her place are said by guys named duke and otis who are also fond of the mullet. 

The alien doesnt look that bad for a low budget flick but the stereotyped country boy dialogue ruins what could be an interesting movie.

I rather liked this one.  I even think I started a thread on it somewhere or other.

[3mnkids]

Altered~ A group of friends hunt down and capture an alien. Apparently these aliens did something to them 15 years ago and they want revenge.

Its not the worst movie I have ever seen but its up there. The acting by most is painful and the dialogue is even worse...words like dagnabbit are used and lines like do you want me to show your woman her place are said by guys named duke and otis who are also fond of the mullet. 

The alien doesnt look that bad for a low budget flick but the stereotyped country boy dialogue ruins what could be an interesting movie.

I rather liked this one.  I even think I started a thread on it somewhere or other.

If the dialogue had been better I would have liked it as well. It just bugs me when they make country or southern people sound like a bunch of inbred morons. examples..

Miami Blues~ Im pretty sure this is the one with where the girl is supposedly from Okeechobee FL but she has this really thick, stupid accent. They dont talk like that in FL, not even in Okeechobee.

There's another one where a group of people go to some restaurant in the middle of nowhere Virginia and the guy is saying I reckon, over yonder, and y'all every five seconds.. I think its carver but im not sure. sure some country people talk like that but most dont. I say y'all, not all the time though. 

If im watching the hills have eyes I expect dumb,inbred people and it doesnt really bother me but in other movies it does.

Its just very distracting and this movie would have been much better if they had toned down the im a stupid, country boy thing.

[lester1/2jr]

Deadbeat at Dawn -   It's sad that someone this dedicated and talented had such a paltry budget to work with,  but it also insures that it will be as gritty and thoroughly...gritty as he and we both want it to be.  This is a downbeat violent "Tenement" meets "the Warriors" action movie that looks like it was made in about 1980 though that could be off.  I was a little wary at first, it seemed like these guys were not in the city at all but in a suburb which didn't exactly scream "perilous wasteland" but once the whole thing of it sinks in you get into it.  not much sex,  a ton of violence.    some good 80's type karate and nunchuckery exhibited   

[metalmonster]

THE CRIPPLED MASTERS
two guys working for a crime syndacate are turned on by their boss , one has his arms cut off , and the other has his legs burned off by acid , both of these crippled men learn the art of kung fu and seek retribution against the man that crippled them

GREEN LANTERN :First Flight
An Animated Movie About an alien who crashes to earth with a powerful ring , in his dying breath le leaves it to a pilot trainee , he is reluctantly accepted by a group who wear these rings to guard the universe , but he slowly discovers corruption and conspiracy , and he must use his new powers to save the universe

[lester1/2jr]

Bone (1972) Larry Cohen -  This is kind of a sexploitation/ blaxploitation type movie but with more emphasis on the black comedy element though there is sex and some violence. and better acting.   Alot of the situations and cahracters   are a little difficult to believe and are kind of bordering on broadway type camp in places but if you don't mind that and odn't mind feeling a little dirty it's pretty fun.    I watched the low budget action classic "deadbeat by dawn"  the day before i saw this and I think as a snobby east coast sort of person I am probably a little more at home with stuff like this, but I pretend I like them both the same.  not as insane as todd solondz or "the baby" but certainly moreso than, say, "the Ice Storm".

[p1zl3]

THE CRIPPLED MASTERS
two guys working for a crime syndacate are turned on by their boss , one has his arms cut off , and the other has his legs burned off by acid , both of these crippled men learn the art of kung fu and seek retribution against the man that crippled them

This movie is so bad it's great! Clear birth-deformities are made to look like injuries, but the skills those dudes posses are pretty awesome... I'm still practicing the adam's-apple grab using only my first and second toes. It's tough. 

[RCMerchant]

Deadbeat at Dawn -   It's sad that someone this dedicated and talented had such a paltry budget to work with,  but it also insures that it will be as gritty and thoroughly...gritty as he and we both want it to be.  This is a downbeat violent "Tenement" meets "the Warriors" action movie that looks like it was made in about 1980 though that could be off.  I was a little wary at first, it seemed like these guys were not in the city at all but in a suburb which didn't exactly scream "perilous wasteland" but once the whole thing of it sinks in you get into it.  not much sex,  a ton of violence.    some good 80's type karate and nunchuckery exhibited   

The film was directed by Jim Van Beeber in 1988. I never seen it but want to! He also did the short film MY SWEET SATAN (1994) about Long Island satanist/acid head killer Ricky Kasso (I was on LI when Kasso got busted-whatta nut job!) He's probely most known for the MANSON FAMILY (2003) a very graphic film aabout the Manson clan. I have seen that one...recommended!