Recent viewings

[Rev. Powell]

Escape from Tomorrow (2013)

If the idea of a movie filmed in Disney World without Disney's permission sounds good, watch this movie. If you like movies for any other reason, stay the hell away. This is morally questionable dreck. It really is that bad.

Why "morally questionable"? You mean because they shot it without Disney's permission? (PS - I liked it, though it had its flaws).

The middle-aged protagonist lusts after two way-too-young girls. This sets off a mental break for which he's ultimately rewarded with a new fantasy life with a new fantasy wife. At least that was my unfavorable reading because I disliked the movie so much. In a better movie, this could have been social commentary. This is not that better movie.

I like the idea of the making of the movie, but hate the movie itself. This would have been ignored if it wasn't shot at Disney, but much better if made in a place where they had permission. This is The Room or Birdemic with a better marketing hook.

Gotcha. I didn't think the movie was pro-lusting-after-jailbait so it didn't bother me.

[claws]

What's the Matter with Helen? (1971)

Two women with a somewhat troubled past start a new life in Hollywood. They run a successful tap dancing school but things turn complicated when one of the women, Helen, starts acting strange.
Psycho-Shock Thriller/Drama including great cast, performances and set design (1930s). 4/5

The Vagrant (1992)

Successful young businessman buys new home and must deal with an invading creepy/filthy vagrant.
Dark comedy / Horror comedy with a few wicked twists and off beat characters. 4/5

To Wong Foo Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar (1995)

"You uptight cellulite dinosaur fossil face white honky cracker witch!"

Three drag queens on their way to Hollywood find themselves stranded over the weekend in Hicksville, USA where they are mistaken for women.
Engaging road trip comedy quite hilarious at times. John Leguizamo as the sassy Chi Chi Rodriguez steals the show while Patrick Swayze is challenging the spirit of Some Like It Hot with a impressive classy performance. Fun. 4.5/5

[Josso]

Escape from Tomorrow (2013)

If the idea of a movie filmed in Disney World without Disney's permission sounds good, watch this movie. If you like movies for any other reason, stay the hell away. This is morally questionable dreck. It really is that bad.

Why "morally questionable"? You mean because they shot it without Disney's permission? (PS - I liked it, though it had its flaws).

The middle-aged protagonist lusts after two way-too-young girls. This sets off a mental break for which he's ultimately rewarded with a new fantasy life with a new fantasy wife. At least that was my unfavorable reading because I disliked the movie so much. In a better movie, this could have been social commentary. This is not that better movie.

I like the idea of the making of the movie, but hate the movie itself. This would have been ignored if it wasn't shot at Disney, but much better if made in a place where they had permission. This is The Room or Birdemic with a better marketing hook.

Gotcha. I didn't think the movie was pro-lusting-after-jailbait so it didn't bother me.

All good points but also I feel like I need to add that I thought that there was a strong implication that the location and brainwashing were primary reasons for the inappropriate behavior, I don't think the film glorified or tried to normalise that at all, it showed it as horrific.

[JaseSF]

Bigfoot (2012): A scheming music promoter named Harley Anderson (Danny Bonaduce) plans a dismal retro 80s rock concert but the local destruction to the forest in cutting down trees and making noise wakes up a giant, completely unconvincing CGI Bigfoot monster who seems to pop up out of nowhere, is perpetually p**sed off, and wants to kill, squash, and eat anything human (or at least bite people's heads off) in sight. Yeah this Bigfoot apparently thinks it's King Kong. Environmentalist/rocker Simon Quint (Barry Williams) works to try and protect the monster which given its actions here really doesn't make any sense.

SyFy TV Movie from the Asylum is truly AWFUL! There's absolutely not one thing good I can really say about this piece of thrash. So OK maybe the sound FX were O.K. The gore FX are always seen in the distance so it doesn't even deliver in that regard. The CGI is just terrible. Not once did this creature ever look like anything other than a computer generated cartoon. The cast just embarrass themselves by being in this but given the material here, that wasn't too hard to accomplish. Also on hand for this one is Sherilynn Fenn trying to create a p**s poor Sheriff character similar to Frances McDormand in Fargo, Alice Cooper in a short appearance as himself who arguably delivers the film's best and funniest lines, Howard Hesseman as a corrupt mayor similar to the one in Jaws and Bruce Davidson as another Sheriff character. I feel I was ripped off in purchasing this and I bought it for a couple of bucks in a dollar store. So yeah, don't watch this. Truly a painful viewing experience. No, it's not even fun in a stupid way.  1/2 a * out of ***** stars.

[lester1/2jr]

"A scheming music promoter named Harley Anderson (Danny Bonaduce) " you are a brave man

[lester1/2jr]

What Have You Done To Solange - This is a really good Giallo that features cute girls, not much gore and a mystery that while it isn't mind blowing at last shows some thought was put into things. 4.5/ 5

[JaseSF]

Exit Speed (2008): Ten strangers travelling on a bus deep in Texas on Christmas Eve find themselves the unexpected target of a nomadic group of homicidal bikers. Led by AWOL soldier Meredith Cole (Julie Mond) and every-man type Sam Cutter (Desmond Harrington), the group struggles and fights to survive.

This was somewhat better than I expected. It's kind of a throwback to the 1970s biker flicks. The best thing about this is that some care and attention is put into getting us to like and care about the characters targeted by the bikers. The cast is quite good here. In addition to Mond & Harrington, we get Lea Thompson as Maudie McMinn, a woman most worried about getting home to her kids, Alice Grecyzn as role-playing artist Annabel Drake who actually possesses some archery skills, Fred Ward as Sergeant Archie Sparks who been tracking done Cole. Even some of the lesser players here get their moments to shine. That said, this isn't without some problems. The typical action contrivances happen. If you really stop and think about things, there's definitely some logic problems here, the characters are somewhat stereotypical in some ways, and it's pretty convenient that the group ends up with a McGyver type in Mr. Vargas (Everett Sifuentes) and a girl gifted in archery. The bikers are just evil and no real attention is given to giving them the slightest bit of humanity which perhaps works for the best with a group of villains in an action flick. All in all, much better though than I expected it to be. ***1/2 out of ***** stars.

[Rev. Powell]

THE ALPHA INCIDENT (1978): Five people are quarantined in a remote railway station after being exposed to an interplanetary virus that will kill them if they fall asleep. They talk. Good luck staying awake through this. 0.5/5.

[Ticonderoga 64]

Invisible Invaders(1959)
Paranoiac(1963)
Witchfinder General(1968)
King Of the Zombies(1941)
Phantom From Space(1953)
The Blood Drinkers(1965)
The Mad Monster(1942)

[alandhopewell]

THE ALPHA INCIDENT (1978): Five people are quarantined in a remote railway station after being exposed to an interplanetary virus that will kill them if they fall asleep. They talk. Good luck staying awake through this. 0.5/5.

     Just for that....

The Alpha Incident	Small | Large

[Jack]

Solomon Kane (2009) - so this guy's a bad-ass bandit and he's kickin' butt left and right, but then he finds out that his soul has been promised to Satan, so he repents and goes to a monastery to live. But they kick him out, seemingly because he's got some mission in life he needs to accomplish. He meets up with some folks who are going to emigrate to the New World, but then some bandits attack and kill most of them and kidnap their daughter. Will Solomon renounce his peace-loving ways and kick some major butt? Well it would be a pretty dull movie if he didn't  I enjoyed this, James Purefoy does a good job as the main character; not your typical macho man hero but a very respectful guy without much of an ego at all. It was kind of slow moving at times but things eventually pick up. Some cool special effects too, especially at the end. 4/5.

[Rev. Powell]

CRAVE (2012): A crime-scene photographer romances a younger woman in his apartment building, while suffering delusions and fantasies about becoming a vigilante. This movie is trying so hard to be like its big brother TAXI DRIVER that it hurts to watch at times; it has a certain grotty charm and good performances, but needed a huge wallop of subtlety. 2/5.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Maximum Overdrive" (1987) in Stephen King's cult classic turkey based on his own short story "Trucks," Emilio Estevez leads a band of truck-stop survivors against a horde of sentient, homicidal 18 wheelers. Awkward dialogue abounds and there are plot holes galore, but it's irresistible action packed cheez with a soundtrack by AC/DC!!

[FatFreddysCat]

"The Little Shop of Horrors" (1960) a dorky skid row flower shop clerk discovers a new species of plant which becomes a sensation - but also happens to be carnivorous. Roger Corman's legendary cheapie (which features a young Jack Nicholson in a small role) later became a successful off Broadway musical which was remade as a big budget 1986 film.

[claws]

Higher and Higher (1970)

A groupie named Vickie from the UK follows a rock band all over Europe. On her way she experiences drugs, with fatal consequences.
Swiss soft sexploitation with little to no plot. It's just Vickie oogling band members or having random sex. At one point she is "captured" by the Swiss Hell's Angels while riding naked on a motorcycle through town, in another scene she's running naked through Berlin high on drugs.
This was an interesting time capsule and the movie, while silly, was very entertaining. 4/5