Recent viewings

[Rev. Powell]

Sleeper (1973)- I really liked this even though it's sometimes pretty silly and self indulgent... Woody allen is funny 4.5 /5

I'd say Woody Allen was funny, up until the success of ANNIE HALL went to his head.  But all of his 1970s stuff was very funny, including SLEEPER.  A lot of people who think they hate him haven't seen his old wacky classics: BANANAS, SLEEPER, LOVE & DEATH...   

[Flick James]

May (2002):

I saw this film a few years ago for the first time, and saw it on cable last night, so I gave it another whirl. I liked it the first time and that did not change the second time around. This is one of the more truly disturbing films I have seen in the last decade. Some comments I have seen suggest that the film's buildup is too slow, but I didn't mind that. I appreciate slow development in a film, as long as it's done effectively, as was the case in the film, IMO.

Many films attempt to portray psychotic pathology, but most fail miserably. This film succeeds, however. The character of May is truly disturbed, and on a heart-wrenching level. The reason I feel this film succeeded in portraying a truly sociopathic mind is that I found myself truly interested in trying to figure out the nature of her pathology and why she was the way she was, whether genetically predisposed or conditioned, etc. When a film does this for me, then I see it as succeeding. Lucky McKee, who wrote and directed May, seems to have done his research and has some understanding of abnormal psychology.

Anyway. I thought it was an effective film and certainly gave me the creeps, as was intended.

[bob]

The Final Sacrifice (MST3K) - Rossdower!!!! 5 out of 5 stars.

[claws]

Possession (1981)

A tour-de-force into madness, obsession and insanity. Theater-like acting and hilarious (in a good way) because of that (Heinrich is a riot), while intense and disturbing at the same time. Isabelle Adjani tried committing suicide after filming, and one can easily see why. Outstanding, mind-blowing, jaw-dropping performance 5/5

Dead & Buried (1981) Blu-ray

Fave amongst genre fans. This movie is original but not perfect, and some of the f/x come off rather dated. Still a solid effort and much better than the usual 80s horror fare. The Blu-ray provides better detail and stronger colors though Dead & Buried remains mostly dark, foggy and murky. 4/5

[lester1/2jr]

rev- Take the Money and Run is funny too.  I think that's what it's called.

[Flick James]

rev- Take the Money and Run is funny too.  I think that's what it's called.

Take the Money and Run is one of my alltime favorite Woody Allen films. I think most people who don't like Woody Allen have never seen this one, and if they did and could get past seeing Woody's face and the fact that they don't like it would realize it's a damned funny movie. It was also a pretty ground-breaking film being one of the earliest examples of the comedic pseudo-documentary.

[Flick James]

rev- Take the Money and Run is funny too.  I think that's what it's called.

Take the Money and Run is one of my alltime favorite Woody Allen films. I think most people who don't like Woody Allen have never seen this one, and if they did and could get past seeing Woody's face and the fact that they don't like it would realize it's a damned funny movie. It was also a pretty ground-breaking film being one of the earliest examples of the comedic pseudo-documentary.

Interesting. It was Woody Allen's first directorial picture. I just looked it up and saw that originally, Woody Allen wanted Jerry Lewis to direct the film, but when that fell through, he decided to direct it himself.

[Rev. Powell]

MST3K: WARRIOR OF THE LOST WORLD: The underlying feature is an el-cheapo MAD MAX knockoff with an annoying talking motorcycle sidekick; plenty of action to keep your interest up.  The riffing isn't spectacular IMO but it's very solid (the best parts comes when the bots get infatuated with the bad guys' tricked-out eighteen-wheeler of destruction, "Megaweapon.")  Host segments are also solid (though some people really love the sketch where they imagine what the movie would be like if it had been filmed before the Warrior got his driver's license).  All around it's a good-not-great episode that should give fans plenty to chuckle about.  3.5/5.

[Cthulhu]

Just came back from watching Paul.
Great movie, I recommend it!

[claws]

Watched on Friday:

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)

Dumb but fun Slasher. How dumb? Just watch the opening campfire flashback with Amy Steel sitting next to the guy telling the flashback. They then show flashback footage of part 2 with Amy Steel in several scenes. How fun? Crispin Glover fun. 3.5/5

Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)

More boobs, more foul language and one big surprise. Not great but still one of my favorite F13 sequels. 3.75/5

[crackers]

A Serbian Film - enough said.

[Jack]

Delinquent School Girls (1975) - Three screwballs escape from an asylum for the criminally insane and make their way to a girl's reform school.  It's all about as silly as you can get, but it does it's job very well - that job being to show off female flesh.  Especially liked the topless catfight in the mud      4/5.

[Rev. Powell]

THE HOUSE THAT SCREAMED (1969):  Murders at a boarding school for wayward, sexually repressed girls.  Though set in France and Spanish in origin, it's very much in the Italian giallo style; slow moving but well made, with some very stylish touches.  3/5, if you're a giallo fanatic you might even go up to 4/5. 

[JaseSF]

The Lonely Guy (1984): Larry Hubbard (Steve Martin), a recent "lonely guy" learns the ups and downs of being one and decides to write a guide book for fellow lonely guys which in turn turns his life around...or does it?

Directed by Arthur Hiller, this seems to be more a statement on the painful realities and challenges of everyday life more than being a comedy although it is funny at times despite this, funny often in that so much of rings somewhat true. At other times, the comedy seems forced and well the plot is filled with a number of convenient coincidences. Still I rather liked Charles Grodin as Warren Evans in this, who acts as a friend and sort of mentor to Hubbard. This movie actually plays more to Grodin's strengths than Martin's who seems to struggle here. Still I enjoyed it more than I expected although I don't think it fully works. Brief appearances by notable celebrities like Loni Anderson, Merv Griffin and Dr. Joyce Brothers enlivens things a little at times. **1/2 out of ***** stars.

The Crucifer of Blood (1991): A young woman named Irene St. Claire (Susannah Harker) enlists Sherlock Holmes (Charlton Heston) and Dr. Watson (Richard Johnson) to uncover the mystery surrounding her father, a former army captain turned hopeless opium addict, who believes himself cursed by a stolen treasure and now a target for murder. They discover a Crucifer, an oath sworn in blood. How does this tie into events? Is this a supernatural curse or is there a more realistic explanation?

Despite Heston being arguably somewhat miscast as Holmes (he just never seems British enough), this was a surprisingly entertaining movie with great supporting performances from Johnson who is a convincing Watson and Simon Callow who's terrific as Inspector Lestrade. Also Edward Fox and John Castle, as cohorts Alistair Ross and Neville St. Claire, give fine performance as does Harker as St. Claire's daughter Irene. Clive Wood too does well in a sort of "boogeyman" role. The plot is quite involved and is loosely based on "The Sign of Four" although the outcome proves quite different here. There are several twists and turns here I wasn't expecting and well overall it is rather good although the film never lives up to its early hype about being so horrific the tale should go unpublished.  *** out of ***** stars.

[lester1/2jr]

crackers- whoah I 've heard about that one  

Southern Comfort (1981) -  I would have thought this was a little bit earlier than 1981 and it is much more akin to 70's fare such as Deliverance and Midnight Express, which it namechecks in the trailer. It's a great movie and deserves much wider recognition but I think it really, particularly wasn't very in step with where the 80's were going. That said, I'm a little baffled as to why it isn't more popular.

Right off the bat I'll say this isn't really my kind of movie. For most of this movie there are no women and it's just these weekend warrior reserve guys talking to each other. I don't watch John Wayne and Rambo and stuff like that, I'd rather see Fatal Attraction or Unfaithfull. If I want to see men talking I'll go to work. Another problem this movie has is the Waiting for Godot factor. They don't do alot besides stalk around this swamp. They discuss alot of s**t and lose their marbles and whatnot but they are always there. Sometimes it works, sometimes it's like an acting class or a play. I am nitpicking because, again, I'm trying to figure out why it isn't more popular because it's pretty much amazing. Still, parts of it reminded me alot of Tropic Thunder.


A bunch of reservists get lost in the bayou and take a bunch of boats they find to find a highway. This leads to a skirmish with the locals that gets massively out of hand. The Vietnam war and the US/ western armies being on a smaller enemies turf is the thing of it. Namely, it sucks to be the US army on enemy turf. The Geneva Conventions are not strictly adhered to.

There is alot of tension and surprises. Nowadays, you'd hope the military would be more considerate of the locals and of course now there would be cell phones and whatnot but it's not like an obsolete story. Without getting overtly political we've had some similar situations to this recently.

5/5