Recent viewings

[FatFreddysCat]

"Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man" (1976)
Two young, studly Italian cops take on the Mob, backed by the top-secret "special force" - a squad of cops with permission to use as much brutality as possible, as long as they get their job done. Basically this Italian crime thriller feels like an ultra-violent "Starsky and Hutch" episode. Directed by Eurotrash film legend Ruggero Deodato of "Cannibal Holocaust" fame.

[lester1/2jr]

Kiss of the Tarantula - taped off TCM underground. This would have needed a lot more nudity and insanity to be on the level of, say, Don't go in the basement or look there or whatever you weren't supposed to do there. As is, it's the type of thing that gets called Grind House but was probably more drive in. It has plenty of dopey horror atmosphere though and the lead actress conveys crazy well enough. ending was so random it seemed practically improvised. not sure what it meant and it didn't have anythign to do with the tarantulas which you would think it would.

3.5/5

Sudden Fear (1953) - this is WAY better than Strait Jacket the other film people here may have seen starring Joan Crawford* (well besides the epic Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?). This is a film noir of sorts. One strength is its entirely believable casting. Crawford plays a rich older woman who gets swept off her feet by a young man who surprise really just wants her fortune.

It's not something refined classic movie fans would accept but honestly its good; campy like Strait Jacket, but way more compelling. give it a shot. Yes Crawford looks like a drag queen but one with dignity.

4/5

*duh I forgot Trog!

[JaseSF]

Holiday in Handcuffs (2007): Pushed almost over the edge with pressure from her parents, a waitress named Trudi (Melissa Joan Hart) does something truly desperate randomly kidnapping a customer (Mario Lopez) and forcing him to pretend to be the "perfect boyfriend" for her demanding parents.

Despite this holiday romcom fluff's unlikely premise, this proved more entertaining and enjoyable than I expected due to the likable leads. Sure this proves in the end almost as forgettable as most others of its type but may be a notch or two slightly above due to its wintry setting and likable cast. ***1/2 out of ***** stars.

Christmas in Boston (2005): Longtime pen/e-mail pals Seth (Patrick J. Adams) and Gina (Marla Sokoloff) seem finally destined to meet in person but both have cold feet the sparks will fly in person and much as online and there's another problem, the photos they've sent each other are actually of their more shallow, fun-loving friends Ellen (Lindy Booth) and Matt (Jonathan Cherry).

Yeah it's yet another fairly forgettable romcom fluff Christmas story, this one having some elements similar to The Shop Around the Corner and You've Got Mail not that this holds a candle to either one of those. Still it does have some fun and funny misunderstanding moments. *** out of ***** stars.

Beyond Tomorrow (1940): Three wealthy industrialists/businessmen George Melton (Harry Carey), Allan Chadwick (C. Aubrey Smith), and Michael O' Brien (Charles Winninger) make a bet on Christmas that someone will return their wallets thrown out a window. Two are returned and the three elderly gentlemen quickly befriend those who return their property namely one James Hosuton (Richard Carlson) and Jean Lawrence (Jean Parker) and romance seems to also bloom between the two. The pair are rewarded richly but in the end fame leads Houston down the wrong path and a trio of ghosts return to try and help their old friends.

This was surprisingly great. Biggest problem is that everything doesn't work out completely as one hopes and one wonders if some characters even deserve as much attention but still the acting is a notch above here and the ghostly fantasy helps keeps things interesting when the plot takes a darker turn. **** out of ***** stars.

[Rev. Powell]

RIFFTRAX: THE MAGIC CHRISTMAS TREE: First up, Mike, Kevin and Bill sit around discussing gifts for each other, and then we watch odd vintage toy commercials unriffed). Then we have a short cartoon and the main feature, about a kid who gets a magic Christmas tree (complete with sarcastic effeminate voice) from a witch after he gets her cat down off a tree. The movie is bad, with lots of padding, and it's the kind of movie for which you can't imagine who the intended audience was. Not even the quips can save it, though there are laughs to be had. If you're a Rifftrax fan, this release it's probably a 3/5, but it feels uninspired and maybe slapped together quickly as a holiday release. It would not be my first choice for Christmas viewing.

[indianasmith]

THE SHOOTIST (1976)
  This was on HBO this morning, and I set it to record and finished watching it when I got home from church.  John Wayne's last movie, it is the poignant tale of an aging gunfighter diagnosed with cancer, trying to come to terms with the end of his life.  Outstanding supporting roles from Jimmy Stewart, Ron Howard, Scatman Carruthers, and Faye Dunaway.  Very well done!

[Rev. Powell]

ROMA [FELLINI'S ROMA] (1972): Fellini's series of short sketches, sometimes realistic and sometimes fantastic, about the city of Rome. The most notorious scene---the blasphemous and hilarious Papal fashion show---makes this movie's reputation; without it, this would be a middling series of Felliniesque postcards. 3.5/5.

[JaseSF]

Snow (2004): Nick Snowden (Tom Cavanagh), about to inherit the role of Santa Claus, travels to San Ernesto, California hoping to rescue his newest reindeer Buddy who has been captured and placed in a California zoo.  There he meets a cute zookeeper named Sandy (Ashley Williams) whom he hopes to befriend in hopes of rescuing Buddy and teaching him how to fly in time for Christmas.

This Christmas style romcom fluff piece proves pretty bad. The acting is for the most part atrocious and this thing seems to drag on and on forever. Corny family friendly piece that's whole too forgettable, predictable, and bland. ** out of ***** stars.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the '70s" (2012)

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Inspired by American hits like "Dirty Harry," "The French Connection," "Death Wish" and "The Godfather," the Italian movie industry cranked out so many low budget, ultra-violent cops and robbers action flicks during the '70s that they eventually became a legitimate sub-genre of their own, known as "Eurocrime" or "Poliziotteschi" movies. This highly entertaining documentary goes behind the scenes of Italy's decade-long fascination with blood-splattered cop flicks full of square-jawed heroes, shootouts, car chases, fistfights and half naked women. Dozens of genre actors and directors are interviewed, including Franco Nero, John Saxon, Henry Silva, Fred Williamson, Chris Mitchum, Richard Harrison, Enzo Castellari, and Antonio Sabato, all with great stories to tell.
This informative doc came along at the right time for me, as I am just beginning to explore this particular film genre. By the time it was over I'd added several dozen titles to my list of films to check out!

[indianasmith]

Last night, about 3 AM, I watched KING OF THE LOST WORLD, the Asylum's ripoff of the 2005 Peter Jackson KING KONG movie.
It was moderately entertaining.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Weapons of Death" (aka "Naples Shoot," 1977)
A tough Italian cop kicks ass on a whole lotta goons on his way to capturing the head of the local Mob in this follow up to "Violent Naples." "Weapons of Death" turns into a hopeless muddle by the end, like most Italian flicks, but up till then it's fast moving and has several memorable scenes of carnage - including a castration (ouch!) and a decapitation-by-wire, making for a satisfyingly ultra violent Eurocrime entry.

[lester1/2jr]

Mr Nobody (2009) - one of those new sci fi things like Another Earth but more Wes Anderson (lots of retro hip looking white people) and Inception (long and hard to understand but compellingly deep in some places) influenced. It was confusing at first but came together as it went. It's, I guess, a guy in the future thinking about the different paths his life could have taken and the correct one becomes more and more clear. It's interesting but is it entertaining? some probably won't think it's worth it and the director doesn't make a ton of effort to sell us on the weird/ patience exhausting format. I liked it it but it definitely could have been less blase about the plot and less shots of odd looking caucasians standing there wearing bad clothes would have been appreciated.

3/5

[javakoala]

"Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the '70s" (2012)

! No longer available

Inspired by American hits like "Dirty Harry," "The French Connection," "Death Wish" and "The Godfather," the Italian movie industry cranked out so many low budget, ultra-violent cops and robbers action flicks during the '70s that they eventually became a legitimate sub-genre of their own, known as "Eurocrime" or "Poliziotteschi" movies. This highly entertaining documentary goes behind the scenes of Italy's decade-long fascination with blood-splattered cop flicks full of square-jawed heroes, shootouts, car chases, fistfights and half naked women. Dozens of genre actors and directors are interviewed, including Franco Nero, John Saxon, Henry Silva, Fred Williamson, Chris Mitchum, Richard Harrison, Enzo Castellari, and Antonio Sabato, all with great stories to tell.
This informative doc came along at the right time for me, as I am just beginning to explore this particular film genre. By the time it was over I'd added several dozen titles to my list of films to check out!

I highly recommend finding a decent copy of "Confessions of a Police Captain" with Franco Nero and Martin Balsam. Not high on violence (though there is some scattered through the story), but you get solid performances from the lead actors and an ending that left me speechless with awe. I would give it a 4/5.

Grab VideoAsia's Grindhouse Experience Vol. 1 for a good letterboxed version of the film. Just make sure it is the one with 20 films.

[javakoala]

Not to jump on FatFreddysCat's bandwagon, but digging into a different genre has given me a nice emotional boost.

Violent Naples (1976): Maurizio Merli (a Franco Nero lookalike) plays Police Commissioner Betti, who mixes it up with multiple members of the Napoli underworld. Fast moving and fairly brutal with beatings, gun fights, rapes, arson, and a bowling ball to the face. Some of the best scenes take place on a motorcycle racing through the overly crowded streets of Naples. You wait for the handheld camera to smack into one of the vehicles the motorcycle barely misses. For once, I did not doze off, and I did not even check how much time was left; that is a high recommendation coming from me these days.

Even more amazing is the fact Umberto Lenzi directed the film. A lot of his horror films have left a bad taste in my mouth, but if the rest of his Eurocrime films are this entertaining, I may have to re-evaluate the man's work.

It may be low budget, but it is solid entertainment. 4/5.

[javakoala]

Gang War in Milan (1973): Another Umberto Lenzi Eurocrime film. This one tells the story of a big time pimp in Milan who is faced with another gangster who wants to have the prostitutes deal heroin to their clients. One-upmanship becomes the rule of the day. Nowhere near as violent as "Violent Naples". It reminded me of "Scarface", but with way less violence and a LOT more talking. Still, it kept me awake. I think this was intended to be more in the vein of "The Godfather" but with scummier people.

Rates a meager 2.5/5, which means it ain't half bad. Actually, I guess it does, but it's still worth a look.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Sheba, Baby" (1975)

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In Pam Grier's final "blaxploitation" movie, she plays a tough Chicago P.I. who goes back home to Louisville to protect her family business from a gang of loan sharks. Pam looks great, of course, but otherwise this is pretty basic guns-and-gangsters stuff, with the usual funky soundtrack and hilariously dated fashions and slang. Retro fun!