Recent viewings

[Pilgermann]

I saw most of Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster on AMC last night.  Insanely bad, but amusing.  I liked the apparent disregard of night and day.

[asimpson2006]

Class of Nuke 'em High ** 1/2 out of ****

Decent film, but not one of my favorites.  The breasts shots were to say the least interesting.  It was nice to see how the Power Plant covered up the accident like nothing ever happened.

[JaseSF]

The Medicine Man (1930): Betty Bronson stars Mamie Goltz, a young girl hoping to, along with her baby brother Buddy (Billy Butts), escape the influence of their horribly abusive shopkeeper father (played by E. Alyn Warren). When a medicine show run by Dr. John Harvey (Jack Benny is an unlikely role) comes to town, she hopes this might provide a way of escape for them both. This film wasn't terribly good and is a pretty creaky early talkie but E. Alyn Warren's portrayal as the abusive father should prove memorable for most bad movie fans. ** out of *****

Disorder in the Court (1936): Three Stooges short. The trio were certainly at their best here. In this story, they get called as witnesses in a murder trial. Memorable chaos and hijinks are the result. Curly has a great bit on the witness stand and then later with a water hose while the "intelligent, broad-minded" jury also provides some hilarious moments as does the attorney who keeps losing his toupee. **** 1/2 out of *****

Malice in the Palace (1949): Another Three Stooges short, this one a much later one featuring Shemp. Here the comedy tends to feel a lot more forced especially the bit in the palace with the Sultan of Schmo. The best bit comes earlier with Larry as a chef who everyone mistakenly comes to believe has cooked the restaurant's cat and dog for dinner. While this scene is disturbing on some levels, it's always clear to the viewer the cat and dog are actually unharmed even if it's not to the characters in the scene. A well executed bit. ** 1/2 out *****

Brideless Groom (1947): And yet another Three Stooges short, again featuring Shemp. Of all those featuring Shemp I've seen, this is my favourite performance by him in a Stooges short. The basic plot is that Shemp must get married by 6 o'clock that very evening if he's to inherit the half a million dollars a rich uncle left him in his will. So Shemp sets out to get himself a bride but finds it a tougher road than expected, that is until they learn of his inheritance money. Best bits here involve Shemp shaving, Shemp and Moe in a telephone booth and Larry on piano as accompaniment to Shemp's voice-training session. Also the sequence where Shemp is mistaken as Cousin Basil and its outcome proves hilarious.  *** 1/2 out *****

Let's Get Tough! (1942): Propoganda pro-American war effort film that came out in 1942 has the East Side Kids getting tough against any Japanese they spot in their own neighborhood when they learn they're too young to enlist. Ultimately they learn they were mistaken in their mistrust of some individuals but also happen to stumble across a spy ring they then set out to bust. The print of this film on the Family Classics Movie Pack is missing 8 minutes or so of footage which makes one wonder what's been cut out, quite possibly some jingoistic remarks given the time. The film is harmless enough in its fashion although some may well take offense given how innocent Asians really did get singled out during the Second World War. Overall though, it's a pretty generic effort and both Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall would have better moments, the best of which tend to come here when they ad-lib. ** out *****

[HappyGilmore]

Gamera vs. Gaos- Can't go wrong with this folks.  Giant turtle fighting a giant bat.   

[JaseSF]

The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954): Elizabeth Taylor and Van Johnson star as a pair of tragic, lovestruck Americans who fall in love in Paris following the end of World War II. Johnson's character, a newspaper correspondent, is haunted by the fact he can never seem to get that first novel published while Taylor's character is youthful and wants only to live each day to the fullest. The film glosses over bits and pieces of their lives together using a flashback as the key means of accomplishing this. At times, it seems a bit too melodramatic in terms of its emotional presentation and really too much of the story is quickly brushed over and not examined in enough depth but there was a lot of ground to cover here and no doubt they wanted a tighter paced film. Overall it's a pretty good movie with some quality performances from Van Johnson, Elizabeth Taylor, Donna Reed as Taylor's sister who's disppointed Johnson didn't pick her over Taylor, Walter Pidgeon as the girls' father who also embraces the live every day as though it were your last philosophy and finally Eva Gabor and Roger Moore as infidelity temptation for the married couple. *** out of *****

Jane Eyre (1934): Stagey early version of classic Charlotte Brontë novel stars Virgina Bruce as Jane Eyre and Colin Clive (of FRANKENSTEIN fame) as Edward Rochester. While not a great adaptation of the novel, this movie focuses on select elements in the story to cover (showing us glimpses of Jane's life before the orphanage and then as a teacher in it before briskly moving along to her life as a governess assigned to care for the ward of Rochester) and in that way never fills completely whole or complete, its ending also feels somewhat abrupt and doesn't quite match the expectations it builds up in its viewing audience and no doubt will disappoint many in that regard. Also our leads prove somewhat miscast. Nevertheless, I have to admit to enjoying this one at times. I felt there was some good humor at work in some of the early scenes featuring young Jane and later when she stands up to David Torrence's Mr. Brocklehurst at the orphanage and also on her way to Thornfield Hall that serves to make Bruce's character very likable. Also there's some appeal to the way the romance is presented here even if it is somewhat fanciful. And I wouldn't be surprised if some horror/mystery fans didn't enjoy the terrible secret of the house and the way it gets presented, almost like something out of an Horror film. Actually the film does have that feel on occasion. Honestly had they not called this JANE EYRE, given it really is a terrible adaptation in terms of that novel, but changed some of the names and identities, it might be a bit more highly regarded. ** 1/2 out of *****

[JaseSF]

A Star is Born (1937): A young country girl named Ester Blodgett (Janet Gaynor) arrives in Hollywood filled with dreams of becoming a famous movie starlet. However, she gets nowhere until she's noticed by famous movie star Norman Maine (Fredric March), a performer on his way down in terms of popular appeal. The two fall in love but just as Ester's star, under the stage name Vicki Lester begins to rise, Maine's begins to fade.

The best thing about this film is the performance given by Fredric March as actor Norman Maine. He nails the inner emotional turmoil going on inside his character and makes him always sympathetic to the viewer even as Maine falls in and out of sobriety. It's Maine's character that proves most interesting to the viewer here as March completely steals the film away from star Janet Gaynor.

Gaynor doesn't prove quite as appealing or convincing in her lead role as Ester Blodgett/Vicki Lester and honestly it's hard to see why the public should favor her so. Maybe this was to symbolize the fickleness of the public in that they should prefer a pretty new face over a talented older one. Who knows? Nevertheless Gaynor just doesn't ever prove as appealing here in her role as she should. *** out **** stars.

[HappyGilmore]

Terminator 3- Not as good as Judgment Day in my opinion, but I liked it.

[Inferno]

Hellraiser I've been familiar with Pinhead and his boys for awhile, but this was the first time I've actually seen the movie.
Could have gotten a better actress as the woman who kept seducing people though. Then again, she was attracting middle aged buisnessmen so, meh.

[JaseSF]

The Racketeer (1929): A beautiful, down and out former social débutante named Rhoda Philbrooke (Carol Lombard), who fell out of favor when she left her wealthy husband for a musician, is helped by a racketeer/mob boss named Mahlon Keane (Robert Armstrong), a man who seems to find his only real happiness in helping others with his ill gotten gain. Rhoda needs help to cure her musician Tony Vaughan (Roland Drew)'s alcohol addiction.

Not surprisingly the story soon turns into something of a romantic triangle cliché as Keane falls in love with Rhoda too. As early talkies go, this movie is better done than most. It moves pretty briskly and is an interesting curio in that it shows so much sympathy to the plight of a divorced débutante and an unhappy, unsatisfied gangster boss. Overall though, it's never credible enough to be fully satisfying but still its story makes for some good melodrama. **1/2 out of ***** stars.

[RCMerchant]

Disorder in the Court (1936): Three Stooges short. The trio were certainly at their best here. In this story, they get called as witnesses in a murder trial. Memorable chaos and hijinks are the result. Curly has a great bit on the witness stand and then later with a water hose while the "intelligent, broad-minded" jury also provides some hilarious moments as does the attorney who keeps losing his toupee. **** 1/2 out of *****

If you watch the scence when Curly is playing with his gum on the Stand...he gives the jury box (and us,the audiance ) the Finger...not once,but twice!!! 

[JaseSF]

Gulliver's Travels (1939): Lemuel Gulliver, his ship wrecked in a fantastic storm, washes ashore on the island of Lilliput, inhabited by people so tiny that Gulliver is a giant in their eyes. Soon Gulliver finds himself entangled in a war between Lilliput and neighboring Blefuscu, all brought about because the two kings of these lands couldn't decide which song was to be sung at the wedding of their two beloved children, who happen to be deeply in love with one another.

The animation is often breathtaking here especially when it focuses on the fairytale like romance between Prince David and Princess Glory. Unfortunately we never fully learn their back story or get to see much of them at all except when it's absolutely necessary to advance the plot. The rotoscoping process used for Gulliver is also fascinating to watch both in terms of its historical significance and the interesting visual impression of realism it creates on screen.

However Jonathan Swift's satirical story is almost completely sacrificed here in favor of fairytale fantasy which arguably borrows more from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet than it does Gulliver's Travels. Its main focus also is on the wrong character, a town crier named Gabby who isn't particularly appealing to the viewer. Too many of the other far more interesting and fun characters get sacrificed to make room for him. Actually the best fun here comes the two kings and their interactions with one another not to mention the hijinks that goes on between Belfuscu spies Sneak, Snoop, and Snitch. Gulliver himself is reduced to friendly giant peacemaker. Prince David does get a great moment towards the end. Of course, it would have had far more impact if the viewer was actually made to care about him. **1/2 out of *****

Managed Money (1934): Mary Lou (Shirley Temple)'s older brother Sonny (Frank Coghlan Jr.) wants desperately to go to a coveted military school along with his buddy Sidney but his Dad cannot afford it. This doesn't deter Sonny however who hatches up a scheme to go prospecting for gold so his Dad will have money to pay for his education at the institute. Mary Lou, ever getting into trouble, decides to stow away in the back of Sonny's old car.

This whole short is built on and relies on the prospect of Temple's being cute enough to entertain most viewers and get a laugh because there's sure very little else here to really laugh about. Temple's meeting with the crazy "gold prospecter" in the desert is more often uncomfortable than funny and all attempts made here at comedy feel far too forced to be the least bit effective. Only required viewing if you like to see a young Shirley Temple being cute. ** out of *****

[Rev. Powell]

MASTER WITH CRACKED FINGERS [AKA TEN FINGERS OF DEATH and many others] (1971):  Evil kung fu ninjas kill Jackie Chan's father and years later... well, you know the rest.  Comic kung fu sequences include a man defeating his opponent by passing gas on his fists.  Chan's first movie: his athleticism is top-notch but he hadn't developed his on-screen charisma in this standard chop-socky that drags whenever there's no fighting on the screen.  2/5.  LESSON LEARNED: If you defeat the kung fu master who killed your father, you win a large blue flag.

THE SKYDIVERS (MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 version):  Yes, Coleman Francis (THE BEAST OF YUCCA FLATS) tried to make an exploitation film centering around skydiving.  "Seems like they forgot to have things happen in this movie,"  Mike sagely observes, but the few things that do happen are depressing---multiple affairs, joyless sex, and a murder by way of acid in the divers chutes that seems motivated by boredom as much as by badness.  This badly acted mix of boredom punctuated by senseless tragedy seems too much like real life for me; I wouldn't want to sit through Coleman's existential nightmare without the aid of wisecracking bots.  Host segments include the swing choir competition, Crow accidentally sawing himself in half, Crow hanging himself up by his jock strap, Crow being strafed by Tom.  4/5.  LESSON LEARNED: "Sex for sundries is fun!"     

[Jack]

Sleeping Dogs - Don't know how many of you are familiar with the works of Lloyd A Simandl, but he's filmed some scenes and used them in about four or five movies now.  In this one, set in the future, there's a guy who is sort of a low-rent James Bond type, except he's a jewel thief.  In the future, emeralds are used for currency.  Anyhow, the bad guy runs some sort of illegal emerald processing warehouse (?), and to process the stones he's got these girls.  They wear some sort of gag that needs an electronic key to unlock, and a matching bikini bottom.  And a really thin T-shirt.  So yeah, um...where was I?  The James Bond dude steals some emeralds and one of the girls tags along with him.  There's a big gunfight and they hide in a freight container.  The cops catch the bad guy and put him on a spaceship, headed towards a prison on the moon of some planet.  Well, wouldn't you know it, the freight container ends up on the same spaceship!  So our two protagonists fight the bad guys and run around on this ship for the rest of the movie.  It's bad, but it's one of those low budget things that at least tosses in some occasional T&A because they know full well that the "action" isn't going to make anyone buy this.   The exact same emerald girls and all the spaceship footage can also be seen in Lloyd's other movies, such as Lethal Target, Last Stand and Fatal Conflict.  One of those movies also includes every single special effect shot from one of the Xtro movies.  Apparently the guy is really into recycling, good for the environment you know.

[Rev. Powell]

Sleeping Dogs - Don't know how many of you are familiar with the works of Lloyd A Simandl, but he's filmed some scenes and used them in about four or five movies now.  In this one, set in the future, there's a guy who is sort of a low-rent James Bond type, except he's a jewel thief.  In the future, emeralds are used for currency.  Anyhow, the bad guy runs some sort of illegal emerald processing warehouse (?), and to process the stones he's got these girls.  They wear some sort of gag that needs an electronic key to unlock, and a matching bikini bottom.  And a really thin T-shirt.  So yeah, um...where was I?  The James Bond dude steals some emeralds and one of the girls tags along with him.  There's a big gunfight and they hide in a freight container.  The cops catch the bad guy and put him on a spaceship, headed towards a prison on the moon of some planet.  Well, wouldn't you know it, the freight container ends up on the same spaceship!  So our two protagonists fight the bad guys and run around on this ship for the rest of the movie.  It's bad, but it's one of those low budget things that at least tosses in some occasional T&A because they know full well that the "action" isn't going to make anyone buy this.   The exact same emerald girls and all the spaceship footage can also be seen in Lloyd's other movies, such as Lethal Target, Last Stand and Fatal Conflict.  One of those movies also includes every single special effect shot from one of the Xtro movies.  Apparently the guy is really into recycling, good for the environment you know.

Sounds like a cut-rate Andy Sidaris.  This could be promising. 

[JaseSF]

The General (1927): Buster Keaton stars in this classic silent film, which he also helped write and direct, as Johnny Gray, engineer on the General, a train that runs the railroad throughout the South. When the Civil War moves into his territory, Johnny wishes to enlist along with his main squeeze's father and brother. However finds he cannot because they consider him more valuable to the South as an engineer aboard his train. Eventually, when Union soldiers, disguised as Confederates steal his General, Johnny takes off in pursuit after them and soon finds himself one man against an army of Union soldiers!

With Buster Keaton involved in a silent era film, you know it's more than likely going to deliver the laughs and this does aplenty. Never does it fail to amuse even when it's slowly building up to its next big laugh. Plus this also has thrills, excitement, romance, and all the elements you could ever want in any action thriller all with a lead whose so funny and ingeniously entertaining that it's hard to take one's eyes off of him even when he's just sitting around doing nothing. His expressions and body language insure we always have a good idea of what's going through his mind and his heart at practically all times making this arguably one of the best films ever made. The only issue with the copy I own in the Family Classics 50 Movie Pack from Treeline is the score seems all wrong. In fact, the Blue Danube is even used at one point?! ***** out of *****