Recent viewings

[lester1/2jr]

anti matter (2017) - sci fi (not syfy) movie about college students moving electrons around with unexpected results. Definitely more science than usual, though it's probably all wrong like that Scarlett Johansen movie. There's a bit of a love triangle too, as the white Dawson's Creek looking scientist piques the interest of both Iranian/ mediterranean looking babes.

I almost never watch movies all the way through these days and this one I did, so I have no choice but to give it a 5/5 even though probably aspects of it could have been a little tighter. whatever



5/5

[FatFreddysCat]

"Cheech & Chong's Up In Smoke" (1978)

In the stoner-comedy duo's first movie adventure, the unwitting "Pedro" and "Man" have to drive a van made entirely out of compressed weed across the Mexican border into the U.S., followed by the determined-but-clueless narcotics cop, Sergeant Stadenko (Stacy Keach). Loaded with cheap, lowbrow gags from beginning to end (like all of C&C's flicks), "Up In Smoke" is dumb as a box of rocks but you can't help but laugh all the way through it. Is this movie really 40 years old already? Far out, maaaan.

[lester1/2jr]

^I love up in smoke but "Cheech and Chong's next movie" is their magnum opus to me. It really has no formal plot, they just go around being stoned and making jokes.

[FatFreddysCat]

^I love up in smoke but "Cheech and Chong's next movie" is their magnum opus to me. It really has no formal plot, they just go around being stoned and making jokes.

I hadn't seen any of C&C's movies in dog years so when "Up in Smoke" randomly popped up on Amazon Prime I was like "Oh hell yes!" Haha. It was a little late for 4/20, but what the hell :D

I vaguely remember liking "Nice Dreams" best out of all the C&C flicks, but again, it's been forever since I've seen 'em. They were definitely required viewing during my college years though, haha.

[lester1/2jr]

"Earache my Eye" rewrote the rules of rock

[lester1/2jr]

twitter sized review

Phoenix forgotten (2017) - comparing every found footage movie to Blair Witch is like comparing every rap song to Rappers Delight. It's a genre now, just accept it. cute Chloe Sevigny ish actress Chelsea Lopez adds her charms to this UFO/ sci fi one. 5/5 JUST ACCEPT IT

[lester1/2jr]

The Hidden Face (2011) - this "foreign thriller" may have aspirations of high post-ness, but it's main appeal is how trashy and unbelievable it is. A conductor (? ) hooks up with a barmaid after his gf locks herself in his house's panic room OR DOES SHE? stupid ppl rejoice 2/5

[FatFreddysCat]

"Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker" (2000)
The Batman of the future faces an apparently resurrected Joker, who's hell-bent on creating a whole new 21st century of mayhem, in this cool sci-fi infused, action packed animated flick, featuring the great Mark Hamill voicing the Joker. Fun stuff for Bat-Fanboys.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell" (2018)
The Graboids are back and so is ace monster-hunter Burt Gummer (Michael "Family Ties" Gross), who is summoned to the Canadian Arctic when a research station comes under attack by the subterranean critters.
The "Tremors" series has been pumping out direct-to-video installments for a long time now, and they keep getting cheaper looking as they go along -- this one (#6, in case you're keeping score) is not quite SyFy Channel/Asylum cheap, but they're getting close. Still, it's always fun to watch Gross chew the scenery as the gun-happy "Burt" and there's enough slimy monster mayhem to keep fans happy.

[BoyScoutKevin]

England's Forgotten Queen, part 3
Again hosted by historian Helen Castor
Again my thoughts on it.

Questions Neither Asked nor Answered. Neither Here nor Elsewhere.
1st. Why was Mary, who was known to be passive-aggressive in her actions, suddenly totally aggressive?

2nd. Why was John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, who was known for his aggressive actions, suddenly so passive?

3rd. Why did Jane not flee the Tower, when all was lost? Maybe the window of opportunity was narrow, but it was there? And she was not alone, as she was there with her teen husband and her father. Though, neither seemed to have suggested she and/or they flee.

4th. And her father-in-law was not better. Waiting in Cambridge (England) to be arrested for his part in all this, when most men would have fled?

5th. Thus, how and why did her teen husband, who was known then, among his contemporaries, as being "comely, virtuous, and goodly [Godly]" become today's dissolute, cruel, and cowardly? Though that is changing, when . . .

Jane went back to Jane Dudley at the end of her life, so she obviously did not think of her husband as being dissolute, not wanting to be associated with someone who was dissolute.

When she agreed to be the godmother of the baby son of an employee of the Tower, and asked to name the baby said: "Name him Guildford. After my husband." So, she did not think him as being cruel, as she did not want her godson to be associated with someone who was cruel.

And she knew he was as much a brave martyr for their faith, as she was, so she did not think him cowardly.

6th. We know she was book learned, but how much of her learning was practical? She came from a household of 300 servants, and she'd probably go back to a household of 300 servants, and while she'd have help in managing the household, was she taught how to manage such a large household? If not, then she was not well educated but ill-educated.

Next time: miscellaneous thoughts on part 3 of England's Forgotten Queen.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Final Exam" (1981)
A below average slasher about a nutjob with a knife running around a college campus, carving up students. Yup, that's the whole plot.  Like most '80s body count movies, this flick obviously wishes it was "Halloween" - the plaintive-piano musical score is a pretty blatant steal from Carpenter's classic. 
The bodies don't really start dropping till this movie is 3/4 of the way over, and the killer isn't particularly scary or even visually interesting like a "Michael" or a "Jason" -- he's just some random a**hole in street clothes. He apparently has no connection to his co-ed victims, since he's never identified and no reason is ever given for his killing spree. 
"Final Exam" has a couple of pretty girls in it and one or two good gory kills but otherwise it's dreadfully dull. You can skip it unless you absolutely have to see every slasher film made in the '80s.

[Trevor]

Blind Revenge (2009) with Daryl Hannah: a blind critic hires a lady to type his book for him but ends up paying with his life.

Oy, what a weird film!

[Dr. Whom]

Death of Stalin (2017). Absolutely hilarious. It is a satire and not a historical evocation, but probably more accurate than many historical movies.

[Gene Worm]

I'm not sure if TV shows count for this thread, but I've been trying to marathon the "showa" Ultraman series from Ultraman (1966) to Ultraman 80 (1980). Finished the first Ultraman as well as Ultraseven (1967) and I'm a little more than half way through Return of Ultraman (1971). Also purchased Ultraman Ace (1972) and Ultraman Taro (1973), but I haven't gotten to them yet. The one after all those (Leo) will be interesting since, to my knowledge, there are still no DVD versions of it with English subtitles.

And yes, this is my first time actually watching the original Ultra Series (minus the first one). Before now, all I was ever able to see were the fight scenes on YouTube, which are great and all, but half of them have been taken down due to YouTube's copyright flag-bot/algorithm. Now some Malaysian company made subtitled versions of almost all the "showa" shows, except they do have quite a few comical errors here and there.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Dogma" (1999)
Two rogue angels trapped on Earth think they've figured out how to get back into Heaven - but if they're successful, it will destroy all of reality. Fortunately the good Lord assembles a crack team to stop them before they reach New Jersey, consisting of a lapsed Catholic, a forgotten Apostle, and two stoners. 
Kevin Smith's epic religious fantasy/comedy/road movie is certainly not for the devout (or anyone who's easily offended by crude language) but it's got a lot of laughs delivered by a great cast incl. Linda Fiorentino (whatever happened to her, anyway?), Chris Rock, Alan Rickman, Salma Hayek, Jason Lee, George Carlin (as a Catholic Cardinal!), Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.