Recent viewings

[lester1/2jr]

Hot Dog: the Movie (1984) - I had this on my saved list then someone re issued it. thank you whoever that was. Classic ski-ploitation movie. Aguy who's really good at Ski ballet, moguls and freestyle ski jumping goes to a contest where said events are featured. He picks up an annoying girl and also hooks up with Shannon Tweed who looks amazing. David Naughton is in this. 5/5

[JaseSF]

Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971): In the small British village of Pepperidge Eye during the second World War, an apprentice witch named Elgantine Price (Angela Lansbury) reluctantly is forced to accept three orphan children Charlie, Carrie and Paul Rawlins evacuated from London during the 1940 blitz. Ms. Price needs one more spell to complete her training which she hopes to use to defend her country from possible Nazi invasion and soon she and the kids set off on a magical adventure in search of Professor Emilius Browne (David Tomlinson), the headmaster of Ms. Price's correspondence school which eventually leads them into more and more trouble.

This Disney classic which is part musical, part animated, mostly live action proved even more fun than I remembered it as a kid. I vividly recall watching this while sick as a child and that it cheered me up and helped me feel considerably better at the time. In all honesty however, overall this one is a little uneven. I'd say it's a little bit of a lesser effort than the somewhat similar Mary Poppins and the songs aren't always memorable, yet this was quite fun to re-watch all these years later too. Lansbury is quite good here and works well with Tomlinson and the children, the animated sequence is also quite funny and amusing and the songs are pretty uplifting and positive even if perhaps they sometimes go on a bit too long. The final showdown involving the Nazis is a bit of an hoot too. ***1/2 out of ***** stars.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Dr. No" (1962)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myoVLMnKw2M
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First film in the James Bond series sends 007 to Jamaica, where an evil scientist plans to sabotage an American rocket launch with a nuclear-powered beam from his private island.

More of a "straight" cloak and dagger film than many of the entries that followed it, "Dr. No" succeeds mainly on the utter coolness of Sean Connery and the bevy of Babes, particularly Ursula Andress as "Honey Ryder"



Oh, yass, pleeeease.

[lester1/2jr]

Cutting Class (1989) - This is a slight but entertaining 80's vhs horror thing that doesn't contain the talent or personality of some of the more well known examples of the genre but is generally solid and gets better and more creative towards the end. It's mainly known today for being brad pitt's first movie. The print is pretty bad for a DVD. The shortcomings are obvious: the female lead isn't all that charismatic ( Jill Schoelen, who comes off as a less interesting Shannon Doherty), the script is pretty bland till the last section, it's by the numbers,etc but all in all i'd say check it out 4/5

[alandhopewell]

     For some reason, I decided to watch this again last night....



     Actually, I've got it in my DRIVE-IN MOVIE GREATS compilation. I completely forgot what a strange little picture this is. The storyline is the standard "bump-off-the-relatives-for-the-inheritance" deal, but with a few kinky bits thrown in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHM_BymFAQI
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[Raffine]

THE FLYING SERPENT (1946) In this unofficial remake/revisioning of PRC's earlier THE DEVIL BAT.

Mad archaeologist (!) George Zucco has discovered the fabled Treasure of the Aztecs. Zucco uses the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl aka The Flying Serpent to strike down anyone he imagines threatens his treasure. The idea is Quetzalcoatl is so proud of his pretty feathers he will kill (and for good measure suck the blood from) anyone who dares carry one of them around.

Zucco simply plucks a feather from Q's butt (the beastie lets out a loud "Squaawk!" whenever that happens) and plants it on his intended victim. He then frees Q form his cage, who then sails merrily across the sky until crash diving into the feather holder.

Problem solved!  

Zucco as usual gives it the professional college try, and the Wing Serpent is a fun and unusual movie monster. Most studios - including Universal - didn't stray very far from rather traditional monsters in the 40s so PRC's combo of serpent, dragon, and goony bird is a distinctly novel and refreshing break from all the vampires, Frnakenstein monsters, werewolves, mummies, etc.

[FatFreddysCat]

Double Feature last night:

First up: "The Haunting in Connecticut" (2009)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRJA3lN0xCQ
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Supposedly "based on a true story," this is a slow burning but effective little creep show about the Campbell family and their cancer stricken teenage son, who move into a new house to be closer to his treatment center. However, the new house has a "past" and it doesn't take long before weird sh*t starts happening on a regular basis.

Next: "Mutant" aka "Forbidden World" (1982)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcHWB7GgLfM
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A bounty hunter is sent to clean up the mess at a far off space station where a genetic experiment has gone horribly wrong and started munching on the scientists. This cult Roger Corman classic is a cool low budget ripoff of "Alien," complete with a big toothy monster, plenty of gore and goop, and totally gratuitous female nudity. In other words... total Awesomeness.

[lester1/2jr]

Evil (2005)- This Greek Zombie movie is really pretty good despite it's budegtary limitations, and they are limitations. they clearly couldn't afford a very good action or special effects person and these scenes are definately sub par. it's too bad because the cast is really good, the characters are likeable and human and there is some pretty scary stuff. if you like stuff like [rec] and are charitable towards supporting new talent check it out. 3.75/5

[retrorussell]

The Big Bird Cage (1972).  Old women-in-prison flick, with Sid Haig and Pam Grier as engagingly goofy revolutionaries who go to free innocent women from a Filipino prison.  Unfortunately there is no real sex or violence.  Too tame for this type of flick.  The earlier Big Doll House was much better IMO.

[Jack]

Prom Night IV: Deliver Us from Evil (1992) - an insane priest goes on a killing spree, delivering the souls of the immoral to the lord.  The church locks him up in a basement cell for several decades, but then they get some new guy to guard him and it's not long before he escapes.  Meanwhile, some kids are having a party at a vacation home, doing all the cheesy stuff I love like running around half-dressed.  And these two storyline of course intersect, leading to a night of terror for our fun loving kids.  I really liked this, it starts out serious, gets wonderfully cheesy in the middle, and then when everything gets all scary at the end, it goes back to being serious again.  It does both things very well.  Nicole de Boer does a great job playing the last girl.  4.5/5.

[Vik]

Young Adult
Quite good. I expected it to be very much like Juno but I was glad to see it being a lot darker. However, it could have been a bit longer and I would have prefered to see Oswalt play a bigger part. 4/5

[Rev. Powell]

BOMBAY BEACH (2011): Arty documentary focusing on three subjects---a troubled and over-medicated young boy, a football-playing teen transplant fleeing gang violence in L.A., and a crusty old cigarette bootlegger---in decaying Salton Sea, CA, an impoverished desert burg. Inconclusive but impressive chronicle of the lives of outcasts in one of the last places in America where it's still possible to live as an individual. The soundtrack by Beruit and Bob Dylan helps a lot. 3.5/5.

[JaseSF]

Looking For Kitty (2004): A high school baseball coach named Abe Fiannico (David Krumholtz) comes to New York City in search of his wife who up and left him seemingly out of the blue. There he hires burned out detective Jack Stanton (Edward Burns), a man still reeling from the death of his own wife, to aid him in his search.

There's a certain element of realism to this story and it very realistically delves into people and the personal struggles and battles of many with loneliness and an inability to adapt and change for many to let others in their lives - the habit of getting set in one's ways whether for good or bad. The story here focuses on people searching for one thing and then finding perhaps they need other things in their lives- like friendships and contact with others. It doesn't always work and honestly is probably not going to really enthrall anyone but is interesting. Sadly though, for most people this story will feel rather dull and uneventful or perhaps it just might be a bit too self-reflective. *** out of ***** stars.

Ju-on: The Grudge 2 (2003): A movie crew makes the mistake of setting their latest horror feature inside the haunted house where Kayako and her son Toshio were brutally murdered.

This horror film focuses on each character's individual fate so it's timeline does seem to jump around a lot which is sure to confuse some viewers. One really has to pay close attention here to get all that's going on but there are definitely many creepy and unsettling moments. Personally I found it a bit less convincing an effort with regards to blending fiction and reality as was the first film and in this case, I actually prefer the Americanized version of the film. There are some startling gore and shock moments which may well please fans of that stuff but personally I prefer the most subtle horror moments, which somehow feel so much more creepily effective, in this one. *** out of ***** stars.

[bob]

I caught Saw 3 on SyFy...it was censored to hell as I expected but I still liked it

it inspired me  to find my copy of it and to watch it

[lester1/2jr]

The Dark Backward (1991) - I was pleasantly surpised by this unpleasant comedy. Judd Nelson and Tom Paxton are garbagemen, Nelson a meek wanna be stand up and Paxton his loud friend guy. tTey and everyone else in this movie are always dirty and sweaty, especially Nelson. The setting is  California but a dystopina sort of one and is filthy as well. The whole thing is like being in a really awful dive bar and theres one of those too. nelsons character Marty begins to develop a manitou like bump on his back which grows so they incorporate it into his horrendous stand up act and they  get a manager and stuff. if you have a taste for the off beat don't miss this, it's brilliant in places. Other than the general plot though not a ton happens. It moves alright but I had to pause it a few times. The guy was like 17 when he made it or something. Jud Nelson, not my all time favorite actor, does a really good job.  nice  4/5