Continued from http://www.badmovies.org/forum/index.php/topic,115439.msg642320/ (http://www.badmovies.org/forum/index.php/topic,115439.msg642320/)
THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE (2019): After being mugged, an accountant joins a karate dojo run by an ultra-macho instructor. As a satire, it's on-target, but a bit too obvious; I was always one step ahead of the script. 3/5.
Joker (2019)
meh. it was ok I guess... it didnt feel like a DC movie or Batman prequel at all...
however some parts were pretty good. Imo Very dark and sad movie.
Funny thing, My coworker asked me - "so did you like the reboot of Falling Down (1993)?" LOL!!!
"Terminal Force" aka "Galaxis" (1995)
A bad-ass lady space warrior (Brigitte Nielsen) comes to Earth to find a sacred crystal that can save her planet, before a Darth Vader style bad guy (Richard "Night Court" Moll) can get his hands on it.
A cheese-tastic, direct to video sci-fi/action flick bolted together out of parts borrowed from "Star Wars," "Highlander," and especially "The Terminator." Brigitte, as usual, can't act her way out of a paper bag, but that's OK because Moll over-acts enough for the two of them. It's fun to watch Nielsen beat up on bad guys for a while, but eventually the movie turns into a slog.
AVOID.
"Big Bad Mama II" (1987)
Angie Dickinson's back as lovable outlaw Wilma McClatchie, machine-gunning her way across 1930s Texas with her two daughters while a big city reporter (Robert Culp) trails behind her all the way. Cheaper looking than the first film, but T&A kingpin director Jim Wynorski makes sure there's still plenty of gun battles, car chases and cleavage. Silly, action packed fun.
Stakeout on Dope Street - a bunch of neighborhood teenagers who spend their lives in the back of one of their dad's store find a bag with heroin in it. As you can imagine, everything turns out just fine. No, its the usual moral and legal issues involved with selling heroin and the mobsters looking for their stuff.
Ostensibly a film noir, it definitely has a Something Weird feel in places, especially the cute girls. They should have been shown a lot more, points off for that. I had more than enough of the brooding 30 year old teenager getting all worked up over stuff.
As always with these things, there's a chase scene in a factory with big silos and walkways.
better and more fun to watch than some of these "rare" things TCM has. cheap looking 4.5 /5
the FIELDS (2011)
Advertised as a horror film-it's not. More a psychological thriller.
A young kid moves to his grandparent's farm when his ma and dad break up.
While their, he is warned by his foul-mouthed (but kinda sweet) gramma to "stay out of the corn!"
Of course the kid wanders out their, and at the end of the rows finds a women's dead body.
Real, slow, but real spooky too.
Set in Pennslyvania in 1973, it looks like 1973. The kid has a plastic Godzilla toy, the local dime store with penny candy and gum cards looks like one I went to!
Cloris Leachman is spot on as the Grandmother who loves to watch old horror movies and the Manson trial on TV.
Wonderland aka Birthday Wonderland (2019)
I saw this because I liked Keiichi Hara's Miss Hokusai. This one is a teenage coming of age story of a moody school girl who is transported into a steampunkish magical alternate dimension, where it turns out she is the Chosen One and has to save the world from a major ecological catastrophe. From there on, no surprises.
It is clearly inspired by the Ghibli movies, and the shadow of The Cat Returns hangs heavily over it (which is a better movie).
Plot and characters are OK, though nothing to write home about. Even considering it is aimed at a younger audience, the stoyline is pretty much par for the course. It is, however, visually stunning. The story mainly serves as a support for a series of set pieces which are incredibly beautiful. In this it continues the line of Miss Hokusai, where scenes and visual artistry were more important than actually telling a story.
As such, you mileage may vary. If you want dialogue, lively characters and plot, it is rather meh. If you want to look at marvelous imagery, this is one for you. And it has cats.
"The Evil that Men Do" (1984)
A professional assassin (Charles Bronson) is lured out of retirement to track down a notorious underworld torture specialist known as "The Doctor," who killed his friend.
This was a pretty standard Bronson butt-kicker, but the south-of-the-border settings give it some international flavor. For Chuck completists only.
Fun fact: this was the only movie Bronson made in the '80s that wasn't produced by Cannon Films.
DISAPPEARANCE AT CLIFTON HILL (2019): Returning home to Niagara Falls after her mother's death, a woman remembers a childhood incident that haunted her---witnessing a one-eyed boy being abducted in the woods---and decides to investigate. Modest but clever thriller that slowly (and purposefully) undermines its own narrative. 3/5.
SLEEPAWAY CAMP (1983)
Angela Baker, a traumatized and very shy young girl, is sent to summer camp with her cousin. Shortly after her arrival, anyone with sinister or less than honorable intentions gets their comeuppance.
An overall generic slasher movie, it almost feels like a bad copy of FRIDAY THE 13TH. That's it, until the ending strikes, and my balls shrinked. That scene alone redeemed the whole movie, otherwise it would be the mere nothingness.
I recommend it for some laughs and bad acting, but watch it until the end for some real chills. 8/10
HORSE GIRL (2020): A young woman with a family history of mental illness becomes paranoid that aliens are affecting her behavior. Allison Brie is good, though her character is hard to identify with, and the script keeps you reasonably involved, even while it misses opportunities for ambiguity and psychological debt. On Netflix. 2.5/5.
It's rare for me to actually go to the theater twice in one week, but as it happened, that's exactly what I did this week.
Tuesday I went to see 1917 for the second time and found that it held up very well - I paid more attention to the details this time and was even more impressed with the extreme care that went into making this movie such an accurate portrayal of the Great War. This is definitely one to see on the big screen if you can! 5/5
Then today our 7th and 8th grade students went to see CALL OF THE WILD, and I really enjoyed it. Not as gritty or depressing as the book, and the CGI dog is obviously fake in some scenes (and incredibly lifelike in others), but overall it was worth the cost of admission and I was thoroughly entertained. 4/5
"Kentucky Fried Movie" (1977)
The Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker team (later of "Airplane!" fame) wrote this gag-a-minute sketch comedy compilation that parodies TV news ("I'm not wearing any pants. Film at 11."), commercials, kung-fu flicks ("A Fistful of Yen"), classroom films and more. Silly fun directed by John "Animal House" Landis.
The Brides of Dracula (1960)
I enjoy anything with vampires... this movie however was a little different I didn't see the Baron as Dracula so I was kind of confused... hmmm...
Still good atmosphere, the women were very beautiful, great acting, Van Helsing is tough-as-nails and the holy water was overpowered LOL
Whatever happened to the last two Brides did they burn down in the old mill or they still alive? :question:
"The Groove Tube" (1974)
A pre-"SNL" Chevy Chase co-wrote (and makes several blink-and-you'll-miss-him appearances in) this sketch-comedy parody of '70s television that riffs on kids' shows, cooking shows, public service announcements, the evening news, and more. A young Richard Belzer also turns up in several roles.
"Kentucky Fried Movie" is still the superior '70s sketch-compilation flick in my book -- quite a few of the gags in "Groove" fall flat, but there was still enough silliness to keep me entertained for most of its short run time. I particularly enjoyed the commercials for the network sponsor, "Uranus Corporation," makers of "Brown-25." :D
THE LIGHTHOUSE - A tale of horror, madness, and paranoia featuring only two characters - played by Willem Defoe and Robert Pattinson - stranded by storms in a remote lighthouse. How much of what ensues is real, and how much is a product of isolation and paranoia (fueled by LOTS of whiskey!), is left up to the viewer. A bit overlong but still a masterful work. And, imaginary or not, the mermaid is HOT. 4.5/5
"Clinton Road" (2019)
Another cheap horror movie based on the supposedly-haunted country road in New Jersey. A group of annoying twenty-somethings pay a visit to Clinton Road hoping to find out what happened to their friend who disappeared there a year earlier. You can probably guess how well that turns out for them.
This is now the second "Clinton Road" movie I've seen (the other being the godawful "The Lake on Clinton Road") and they've both been terrible. I happen to live in the town where Clinton Road is located (West Milford, NJ) and at least this flick tried to tie some of the local legends into the story (unlike the other movie, which was just standard haunted-house crap) but it's a poorly written and acted, mostly incomprehensible mess.
You're 0 for 2 on the Clinton Road legend, Hollywood. Please don't go for 3. AVOID.
MST3K: ROBOT HOLOCAUST: A bunch of post-apocalyptic weirdos go after "the Dark One" in a feature that rips off ALIEN, STAR WARS, CONAN, MAD MAX, and probably others. This is a Season 1 episode, so it's kind of ragged (especially the forgettable sketches), but the movie is hilarious and it's one of the more watchable Season 1 episodes (in fact, it may be my favorite). One of the few MST3Ks I had yet to see. 3/5.
Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People (1963)
30th time watching, I love this movie.
(https://66.media.tumblr.com/acd77c292eb59f1ba8615876fe009802/tumblr_pencdja58k1uejrjoo4_400.gif)
"Cannibal Ferox" (aka "Make Them Die Slowly," 1981)
A New York anthropologist and her team must form an alliance with a pair of cocaine smugglers in order to escape from a tribe of p**sed-off, flesh-eating primitives deep in the Amazon jungle.
Murder, mayhem, mutilations, castrations, and (unfortunately real) scenes of animal cruelty abound in this notorious sleaze fest from Umberto "Nightmare City" Lenzi that was supposedly "Banned in 31 Countries," if the film's posters were to be believed.
I've seen my share of flicks like this yet I still felt like I needed a shower when it was over.
Quote from: VenomX73 on March 01, 2020, 08:57:15 PM
Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People (1963)
30th time watching, I love this movie.
(https://66.media.tumblr.com/acd77c292eb59f1ba8615876fe009802/tumblr_pencdja58k1uejrjoo4_400.gif)
"Open the cupboard door: there's not mush room inside!" :wink:
Quote from: Trevor on March 02, 2020, 02:04:10 PM
Quote from: VenomX73 on March 01, 2020, 08:57:15 PM
Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People (1963)
30th time watching, I love this movie.
(https://66.media.tumblr.com/acd77c292eb59f1ba8615876fe009802/tumblr_pencdja58k1uejrjoo4_400.gif)
"Open the cupboard door: there's not mush room inside!" :wink:
youre a 'funguy'! :bouncegiggle:
Quote from: VenomX73 on March 01, 2020, 08:57:15 PM
Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People (1963)
30th time watching, I love this movie.
(https://66.media.tumblr.com/acd77c292eb59f1ba8615876fe009802/tumblr_pencdja58k1uejrjoo4_400.gif)
you love this too? how cool!
Yep, I love this movie :thumbup:
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/57/9a/03/579a03bc7c6bb4f68e23f1eebf5843fb.gif)
Panic in the Streets - I liked earlier, crazier Richard Widmark a little better than he is here, playing a cop, but this suddenly apropros noir is worth seeing anyway. Some sort of vessel that sometimes brings illegal things into some exotic port somewhere is infested with rats. This leads to what we used to call The Plague. Plague is like when someone s**ts in the pool: you can't just clean it up and go about your business. Society comes to a screeching halt. Unfortunately, modern times being what they are, people are reluctant to pay it all any mind, especially if they are involved in neferious activities somewhat related to said ship.
The most memorable aspect of this film is definitely Jack Palance.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Jack_Palance_-_1954.jpg/220px-Jack_Palance_-_1954.jpg)
He plays one of the crook bosses in whatever weird universe this is. He is like Fu Manchu or something. Whenever he's on the screen you just think evil. Elia kazan directs this not amazingly great but very watcheable artifact
4/5
Quote from: VenomX73 on March 03, 2020, 05:15:42 PM
Yep, I love this movie :thumbup:
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/57/9a/03/579a03bc7c6bb4f68e23f1eebf5843fb.gif)
a favored quote in my house.." and then....I ATE THEM!!! " :cheers:
TERROR FIRMER (1999): A serial killer picks off members of a film crew making a Troma-style movie (the movie-within-the-movie stars the Toxic Avenger and is directed by a blind Lloyd Kaufman). A cavalcade of goofy costumes and blood, poop, urine, vomit, and rape jokes; like most Troma movies, it confuses being busy and offensive with being witty. I know people's opinions on Troma vary widely, but generally, I can't stand them. Your mileage may vary. 2.5/5.
YOU'RE TELLING ME! (1934): W.C. Fields is Sam Bisbee, a hard-luck inventor who gets his daughter married into a snooty high society family through the intervention of a European princess. It's not the most memorable plot, but Fields is at the height of his physical comedy here, beginning with a five-minute sequence of him returning home stumbling-drunk and ending with a virtuoso ten-minute routine where he tries to hit a golf ball. 3.5/5.
Quote from: chefzombie on March 04, 2020, 12:21:31 AM
Quote from: VenomX73 on March 03, 2020, 05:15:42 PM
Yep, I love this movie :thumbup:
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/57/9a/03/579a03bc7c6bb4f68e23f1eebf5843fb.gif)
a favored quote in my house.." and then....I ATE THEM!!! " :cheers:
Watched this for the first time last night.
GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS My wife decided to work till after 7 on what was supposed to be our night at home together, so I watched this one again. I am actually quite fond of this movie!
did you enjoy 'burning Godzilla'? :wink: :thumbup:
Quote from: VenomX73 on March 05, 2020, 10:14:07 PM
did you enjoy 'burning Godzilla'? :wink: :thumbup:
That scene was pretty cool!
Quote from: Alex on March 05, 2020, 02:34:46 PM
Quote from: chefzombie on March 04, 2020, 12:21:31 AM
Quote from: VenomX73 on March 03, 2020, 05:15:42 PM
Yep, I love this movie :thumbup:
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/57/9a/03/579a03bc7c6bb4f68e23f1eebf5843fb.gif)
a favored quote in my house.." and then....I ATE THEM!!! " :cheers:
and did you love it? of course you did.
Watched this for the first time last night.
"My Bloody Valentine" (1981)
A small town's Valentine's Day dance is threatened by a pickaxe-wielding nut job in a miner's outfit, who may have a connection to a series of murders from 20 years ago.
"MBV" makes the most of its unique setting (those mines are scary as hell) and has a bigger mean streak than most of its contemporaries, which results in one of the better holiday-themed slashers from the early 80s.
"Daybreakers" (2009)
Stylish sci-fi/horror set in the year 2019 (ha!), where a viral plague has turned most of the world's population into vampires. As the number of "real" humans dwindle, creating a global vampire-food shortage, a scientist (Ethan Hawke) discovers a cure for the bloodsuckers' condition... but he soon learns that some vamps in positions of power (headed by a wonderfully evil Sam Neill) aren't quite ready to give it up.
This is at least the 3rd or 4th time I've seen this underrated flick, and it's a cool, gory, action packed ride every time. Recommended!
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on March 07, 2020, 09:59:32 AM
"Daybreakers" (2009)
Stylish sci-fi/horror set in the year 2019 (ha!), where a viral plague has turned most of the world's population into vampires. As the number of "real" humans dwindle, creating a global vampire-food shortage, a scientist (Ethan Hawke) discovers a cure for the bloodsuckers' condition... but he soon learns that some vamps in positions of power (headed by a wonderfully evil Sam Neill) aren't quite ready to give it up.
This is at least the 3rd or 4th time I've seen this underrated flick, and it's a cool, gory, action packed ride every time. Recommended!
Just out of curiosity Freddie, have you seen Priest and if so what did you think of it?
The Firm (1993)
good movie... but I really didn't understand the ending lol
Quote from: Alex on March 07, 2020, 10:21:29 AM
Just out of curiosity Freddie, have you seen Priest and if so what did you think of it?
I did see that quite a few years ago, it was sorta like a Catholic "Blade" if memory serves.
THE VELOCIPASTOR - I finally got around to watching this one on Amazon Prime last night; cheesy silly goodness for the most part. A priest named Doug sees his parents murdered, travels to China, scratches his hand on an ancient dinosaur tooth, and then morphs into an INCREDIBLY fake dinosaur when confronted with danger or injustice. Oh, and he falls in love with a prostitute along the way. Reasonably fun, short run time, could have benefited from some nudity. 3/5
TWIXT
directed by francis ford coppola, stars val kilmer, bruce dern, elle fanning and ben chaplin.
this is a FABULOUS movie! all of the actors are incredible, but ben chaplin absolutely blew me away as edgar allan poe.
i love ghost story movies, but especially this kind, virtually no guts/gore, just a REALLY GOOD story. it drew me in within the first 5 minutes and there were some nice twists i didn't expect that just added to my enjoyment. elle fanning is already very ethereal, and the cinematography drew that out wonderfully.
and a cool thing for me, curtis had never heard " the big rock candy mountain", so i got to sing it to him because i grew up with it. he loves stuff like that, it was a real pleasure to introduce him to a song he loves that i've loved ever since i can remember .
5/5 WATCH THIS MOVIE!
Quote from: indianasmith on March 08, 2020, 10:00:13 AM
could have benefited from some nudity. 3/5
Not mine, definitely :buggedout: :wink:
Thor Ragnarok: good fun and Cate Blanchett was Hela hawt :hot:
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7a/91/14/7a9114ed58d2a32445aa951eace0f760.gif)
"Airplane II: The Sequel!" (1982)
Ted Striker and Elaine are back, and this time they've got to stop the first-ever commercial space shuttle flight from crashing into the sun. ("The sun? What is it?" "it's a large fiery ball of gases in the center of our universe, but that's not important right now.")
William Shatner almost makes up for the lack of Leslie Nielsen with his scene-stealing performance as the ultra-uptight lunar base commander, Buck Murdock.
I know it's pretty much just a retread of the first movie, but I still enjoy this one just as much as the original.
Quote from: Trevor on March 09, 2020, 07:18:34 AM
Thor Ragnarok: good fun and Cate Blanchett was Hela hawt :hot:
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7a/91/14/7a9114ed58d2a32445aa951eace0f760.gif)
yes. shes smokin! :thumbup:
Quote from: Alex on March 05, 2020, 02:34:46 PM
Quote from: chefzombie on March 04, 2020, 12:21:31 AM
Quote from: VenomX73 on March 03, 2020, 05:15:42 PM
Yep, I love this movie :thumbup:
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/57/9a/03/579a03bc7c6bb4f68e23f1eebf5843fb.gif)
a favored quote in my house.." and then....I ATE THEM!!! " :cheers:
Watched this for the first time last night.
I made a comic book once -the hero was named MATANGA!
(https://i.imgur.com/SMfiK5p.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
whoa! too dam cool RC! :thumbup:
Tonight my daughter and I went to see THE INVISIBLE MAN together. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, from start to finish. Some cool jump scares, yes, but also an engaging plot and very believable and sympathetic protagonist. I was completely sucked in!
Godzilla 2014 (yeah, that one)
Why can't Hollywood just let the Godzilla franchise be, and leave it to the Japanese? They are better at that. Not that this is a particularly bad movie. It has its moments and the concept of the monsters just wanting to make a nest and are hunting for nukes to eat them, is a nice touch. However, this is such an uninspired by the numbers monster movie that it is hard to remain interested.
Also, this is not a Godzilla movie at all, but more of a generic disaster movie, with monsters in the background. Very little is done with Godzilla, except for the occasional cameo. You are about an hour in before you catch your first glimpse of Godzilla, and I use the word 'glimpse' advisedly. Most of the monster scenes are so dark, it is hard to make out what is going on. Now, I totally get the idea of building up tension and working towards the great reveal, but that is not how Godzilla movies work. It is almost as if you were to make a Batman movie and spend an hour working towards the moment that the viewer finally is shown that yes, Bruce Wayne and Batman are the same person.
^ he is??? mind = blown
Invincible Armor - I just hooked up my roku and watched 2 kung fu movies from the wu tang collection. This one was basic but good with good fights. The plot is very typical: a power struggle between various kung fu masters, the head baddy is a master of the titled technique, where he can't be hurt except for one point in his body. it wasn't invincibly entertaining but it was good enough 3.75 /5
Shaolin v Ninja - another one with a thin plot and lots of fighting. not as ridiculous as a lot of Godfrey ho movies and the fighting is pretty good. The idea of Shaolin monks fighting monks for the Japanese (??) Shaolin temple is absurd. the Japanese guys didn't seem to use karate techniques either. 3/5
Midsommar (2019)
A traumatized young woman joins her on and off boyfriend and friends on a vacation in Sweden where they visit a cult community preparing for a midsummer festival.
Ari Aster's follow up to his much praised scary outing Hereditary is a somewhat unusual viewing experience. It is off beat and weirdly engaging but compared to Hereditary lacking a strong lead even though Florence Pugh as the traumatized has a few outstanding moments, but only in the movie's first half.
Midsommar is very bright, white and out in the open whereas Hereditary was more of a dark affair. Still, I'll rate it 4/5 and it is nothing like The Wicker Man as I first expected. Recommended.
Quote from: lester1/2jr on March 10, 2020, 11:48:24 AM
Invincible Armor
yeah did you like that ending? did it make you cringe lol?
yeah that was a great special effect. the eggs
lester, check out "fantasy tv" on roku, lots of fun old movies i love.
chef - thanks for the tip
Cam (2018) - I'm embarrassed to say I've never face timed with a cam girl. I'm too paranoid about my credit card I think, not to mention I live at home with my mom and my cat. Anyway, it doesn't look like I was missing much. Vapid girls teasing horny guys into giving them money. I shouldn't knock it till I try it, I guess.
A cam girl named Lola is doing well, slowly climbing up the charts despite attempts by catty backstabbing other camgirls to steal her thunder. One day, something really strange happens: she sees her channel going when she's not on it! The rest of the movie is figuring out what's going on.
The plot resolution is really really good but the ending, the very last scene, seems like the director doesn't quite understand what he's done. It's a great comment on the phoniness of pornography, on how the "personality" we give ourselves in person to person oriented jobs (as a rideshare driver I kind of do it too) are corny, etc
maybe I just didn't get the ending
enjoyable and different though 4.25/ 5
THE OLD FASHIONED WAY (1934): W.C. Fields is the Great McGonigle, a peripatetic theatrical flim-flam man putting on the play "The Drunkard" in a small town while his daughter is romanced by a wealthy beau. Fields doesn't booze much in this one, though he does scheme and mumble put-downs; the best parts are the over-the-top melodramatics of "The Drunkard," the play within the movie. Directed by William Beaudine, back when he cared. 3/5.
"Black Dynamite" (2009)
A tough as nails kung-fu brother from the 'hood seeks vengeance when mobsters kill his brother in this dead-on parody of /homage to the blaxploitation flicks of the '70s -- it was even filmed in 16mm rather than 35mm to give it that proper, grainy, grindhouse look. Michael Jai White is hysterical as the title hero, who's pretty much a combination of Shaft, Jim Kelly, Fred Williamson, and Dolemite as he whoops bad guy ass all the way from the ghetto to the White House. An action packed hoot.
"Things Are Tough All Over" (1982)
Cheech and Chong play dual roles in this wacky road movie --as their standard stoner characters and also as a pair of Arab mobsters. The stoners are hired to drive a car full of the Mobsters' laundered money from Chicago to Vegas. Naturally they lose the cash well before they reach their destination, and spend the rest of the movie on the run from the p**sed off bad guys. Not C&C's best flick, but it's fast moving and silly enough for a few good laughs.
"Stripped to Kill II: Live Girls" (1989)
In this extremely low-budget sequel to the '87 cult hit, someone is murdering strippers at a run down gentlemens' club. One of the dancers is having dreams about the deaths, which makes her the main suspect, but a police officer isn't convinced that she's the killer.
Nobody in this flick can act, the story is a muddle and none of the girls are particularly hot, either. The original "S.T.K." was a classic slice of entertainingly sleazy crap, unfortunately this one is just crap.
AVOID.
"Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage" (2010)
I've been meaning to revisit Sam Dunn's endlessly entertaining documentary on Canada's favorite power trio since Neil Peart's passing earlier this year. This is at least the 3rd time I've seen it, and it's still a fun trip through the band's long and mostly proud history through extensive interviews, vintage clips and photos. I think this may be my favorite "rock doc" ever at this point.
"Shock Treatment" (1981)
In this ultra-bizarre pseudo-follow up to "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," a now-unhappily-married Brad and Janet take part in a TV game show that lands Brad in a mental hospital, and leaves Janet to be groomed by a scheming fast food magnate and TV preacher to be the Next Big Celebrity Thing. All of this is played out on live TV in front of their friends and neighbors in a television station that no one seems to want to leave.
...so yeah, this flick is even weirder than its predecessor, which is really sayin' something if you've ever seen "RHPS." A few of the musical numbers are kinda cool in that early '80s new-wave-y sort of way, and if you think about it, this movie actually predicted the rise of reality TV, but overall it never quite comes together. It's watchable enough as a curiosity item, especially for "Rocky Horror" fans, but even they might find it to be a bit of a slog.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
Three friends in 1968 find a cursed book in a haunted house on Halloween. The book starts writing by itself scary stories about the kids greatest fears that become real. In order to survive they must dig in the past to break deadly happenings.
Norwegian film director André Øvredal teams with Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro for his U.S. debut after wow-ing critics and genre fans with Trollhunter (2010) and The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016). SSTTITD fits in nicely with the current trend of 'retro kids' facing horror spearheaded by Stranger Things, the It remake, Summer of 1984 and more. It took me a while to warm up to the movie as it felt rushed, a bit annoying and not scary at all. Once the kids do research in the R.E.D. room Scary Stories finally delivers the goods and becomes a solid effort thanks to André's talent and keen eye for the creepy stuff. 3.5/5
VENOM (2005) A garage owner gets bit by magic voodoo snakes and turns into a homicidal zombie, killing teenagers left and right. Seriously, that's about it, plot-wise. A by the numbers "immortal slasher". 3/5
Quote from: claws on March 13, 2020, 11:51:46 PM
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
Three friends in 1968 find a cursed book in a haunted house on Halloween. The book starts writing by itself scary stories about the kids greatest fears that become real. In order to survive they must dig in the past to break deadly happenings.
Norwegian film director André Øvredal teams with Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro for his U.S. debut after wow-ing critics and genre fans with Trollhunter (2010) and The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016). SSTTITD fits in nicely with the current trend of 'retro kids' facing horror spearheaded by Stranger Things, the It remake, Summer of 1984 and more. It took me a while to warm up to the movie as it felt rushed, a bit annoying and not scary at all. Once the kids do research in the R.E.D. room Scary Stories finally delivers the goods and becomes a solid effort thanks to André's talent and keen eye for the creepy stuff. 3.5/5
loved it. recommended it. just bought it. 4.5/5, simply because i was stupid and bought a lionsgate copy with no CC. the movie itself? 5/5 all the way.
Ma (2019)
Underaged teens befriend lonely vet assistant Sue Ann who lets the young people party at her house. Soon enough things turn sour when Sue Ann's true motivations shine through.
Silly Blumhouse horror with a weak script teasing with horrible things to come, but is ultimately not really going anywhere. Octavia Spencer as Sue Ann delivers a great performance and the only reason to watch Ma. Bonus: Juliette Lewis playing a young mother. Extra bonus: cool 1980s soundtrack. 2.5/5
mother! (2017)
i don't think i have the ability to describe how much this movie horrified me. and i don't mean that i would call it a scary movie. i'm glad my brain isn't wired to write a script like this one.
i don't deny that it's very well made, but i DO NOT recommend it.
Quote from: chefzombie on March 16, 2020, 01:27:59 PM
mother! (2017)
i don't think i have the ability to describe how much this movie horrified me. and i don't mean that i would call it a scary movie. i'm glad my brain isn't wired to write a script like this one.
i don't deny that it's very well made, but i DO NOT recommend it.
I DO recommend it... but only to a select few. :wink:
ROBOGEISHA (2009): A pair of geisha sisters are abducted by an evil arms corporation, who plays on their sisterly rivalry to turn them into cyborg killing machines. It's cheap, mildly sleazy, and often juvenile, but you can't deny that the Noboru Iguchi and his collaborators put their unique spin on B-movies: this one has deadly breast milk, eyes gouged by fried shrimp, and the most ridiculously choreographed swordfight you will ever witness. It's my favorite of Iguchi's movies I've seen (I prefer the work of his protege, Yoshihiro Nishimur). 3.5/5.
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).
I really wanted to love this one and went into it with high expectations. Afterall DC movies have been getting better.
So what did I think? Well, I liked it. Not love though. I figure with this kind of movie you can go one of two ways. Very dark and grim, underbelly of society type drama or campy high action heist movie. It sort of tries to walk a line between these, but not overly successfully. In my opinion anyway. It has its moments, but it just wasn't quite what I was looking for. At this point, I am thinking that maybe DC should just think about winding up its movie franchise. It can spin out Wonder Woman for a few more films, maybe Shazam! And then be put away quietly.
Frankenstein Created Bikers.
Well, it has plenty of boobs, bullets and bad acting along side the occasional bout of bad taste and terrible accents. Can't say much more about it than that.
THE DEAD DON'T DIE (2019)
This film had an all star cast and some great moments, but in the end, it couldn't decide if it was a quirky horror movie, or a dark comedy - and in trying to be both, it failed. Too many boring stretches, fourth wall breaks that make no sense, and completely unexplained plot twists. Still worth watching if you can catch it for free. Lots of star power - Adam Driver, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, and Rosie Perez are some of the cast. Wish they'd had a better script. 3/5
Quote from: indianasmith on March 18, 2020, 01:14:50 PM
THE DEAD DON'T DIE (2019)
This film had an all star cast and some great moments, but in the end, it couldn't decide if it was a quirky horror movie, or a dark comedy - and in trying to be both, it failed. Too many boring stretches, fourth wall breaks that make no sense, and completely unexplained plot twists. Still worth watching if you can catch it for free. Lots of star power - Adam Driver, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, and Rosie Perez are some of the cast. Wish they'd had a better script. 3/5
As I said elsewhere on this forum, somehow the sum is less than its parts.
Quote from: Dr. Whom on March 18, 2020, 01:50:19 PM
Quote from: indianasmith on March 18, 2020, 01:14:50 PM
THE DEAD DON'T DIE (2019)
This film had an all star cast and some great moments, but in the end, it couldn't decide if it was a quirky horror movie, or a dark comedy - and in trying to be both, it failed. Too many boring stretches, fourth wall breaks that make no sense, and completely unexplained plot twists. Still worth watching if you can catch it for free. Lots of star power - Adam Driver, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, and Rosie Perez are some of the cast. Wish they'd had a better script. 3/5
As I said elsewhere on this forum, somehow the sum is less than its parts.
Did anyone watch this one and find it a great movie? I know my thought on it align with both of you and anyone else I know who has seen it has said the same. Not totally terrible, but not worthy of the cast.
Ready or Not (2019)
A young woman marries the son of a wealthy family and must play a game of hide and seek on her wedding day. She's told that is part of an old family tradition. She soon realizes that the family is out to kill her once they find her.
Clever horror with moments of well made humor and plenty of red juice. Ready or Not actually flew under my radar until I saw a pic of Samara Weaving from the film, who I had mistaken for Margot Robbie. I thought it was a new film with Margot and checked out the trailer only to learn it was Samara heh. Anyway, worthy film 4/5
Quote from: Alex on March 18, 2020, 03:11:45 PM
Did anyone watch this one and find it a great movie?
I believe it was chefzombie who enjoyed it?
Leviathan: The Making of Hellraiser 1 & 2.
No great insights into the making of either film or great revelations on the movie except perhaps for the most hardcore fan. At almost three and a half hours long, it comes off as a 15 minute DVD extra that just wouldn't stop.
Quote from: Alex on March 18, 2020, 03:11:45 PM
Quote from: Dr. Whom on March 18, 2020, 01:50:19 PM
Quote from: indianasmith on March 18, 2020, 01:14:50 PM
THE DEAD DON'T DIE (2019)
This film had an all star cast and some great moments, but in the end, it couldn't decide if it was a quirky horror movie, or a dark comedy - and in trying to be both, it failed. Too many boring stretches, fourth wall breaks that make no sense, and completely unexplained plot twists. Still worth watching if you can catch it for free. Lots of star power - Adam Driver, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, and Rosie Perez are some of the cast. Wish they'd had a better script. 3/5
As I said elsewhere on this forum, somehow the sum is less than its parts.
Did anyone watch this one and find it a great movie? I know my thought on it align with both of you and anyone else I know who has seen it has said the same. Not totally terrible, but not worthy of the cast.
nuh UH!!! i stated quite clearly that we LOVED it!
the Endless - I liked the dialogue and acting in this spooky sci fi type thing a lot. A guy and his brother (friend? i can't remember) leave a weird UFO cult at a young age. They try to make it in the world but come up pretty short, so they head back if only to say hi. When they get there they get a warm welcome but something is definitely off. The rest of it is interesting but I liked the human aspect more than the sci fi part. and there needed to be more sex 4/5
Sweetheart - I enjoyed this teen desert island horror. The girl was born to play this role. something happens where some teens are washed up on shore. As the titular sweetheart attempts to survive, she keeps getting bothered by a horrible monster who comes at night. She and the others have English accents they try to hide. The ending could have been more creative and I didn't believe the two leads were romantically involved. 4/5
Girl on the Third Floor - At first, this seemed like a cringey film festival type film with too much pop culture and humor and so forth, but it takes a dark turn and evolves into a decent horror movie. The story being what it is, it wasn't going to be a masterpiece but they made the right choice having it be accessible like that. I liked the other two movies better but this was a little more mature in some ways. the more popular, less interesting "cool kid" of the three 3.75/5
"Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl" (1982)
The Pythons' 1980 live stage show is captured in a riotous concert film shot at the legendary L.A. venue. Skits include "The Argument Sketch," "Crunchy Frog," "Ministry of Silly Walks," and of course, "The Lumberjack Song." Tons of fun.
"Hot Moves" (1984)
Four dorky Southern California teens make a pact that they will all lose their virginity by the end of summer. Hilarity is supposed to ensue.
...as you might expect from such a generic plot and title, this is another low budget, by-the-numbers '80s raunchy sex comedy. It has a few chuckles here and there and features lots of pretty girls in various states of undress, therefore I was entertained.
Actually, the main reason I sat thru this flick was because there are two non-album songs by the 80s metal band Raven (one of my favorites) on the soundtrack -- "Hot Moves," which resurfaced on 1999's Raw Tracks compilation, and "Ladykiller," which I'd never heard before tonight!
My wife and I just watched READY OR NOT. This was supposed to be a horror comedy but it was a lot darker than I expected - not too dark for me, but my wife didn't like it much at all. Solid performances all the way around in this story of a family curse and the young bride who unwittingly becomes its victim, with just enough humor to relieve the grim parts. 4/5
THE DUST WALKER - An Australian sci-fi/horror film in which the residents of a remote Australian town are taken over by some sort of body-snatching alien spores that drive them to kill their fellow townspeople. A second alien shows up and begins "collecting" all the possessed townspeople - but why? Is he there to help or make things worse? This one was a bit confusing and hard to follow in places, but I still enjoyed it. Then again, any entertainment is welcome right now! 3.5/5
MST3K: THE BLACK SCORPION: The feature is a by-the-numbers giant insect flick about giant scorpions coming out of a Mexican volcano; the only memorable thing is Willis O'Brien's stop-motion work. In Deep 13, Dr. Forrester and Erhart's self-experiments have gone awry; it also ends with a very funny reader letter providing an (unflattering) psychoanalysis of Crow. Overall, this late season1 episode never gets off the ground comedically, but better things are coming soon. 2.5/5.
THANKSKILLING - OK, I have wanted to see this one for years, ever since seeing the trailer nearly a decade ago. This is one of the WORST bad movies I have seen in a long time; and by WORST I mean most awesome!!! Cheap special effects, incredibly stupid plotline, the dumbest college students in history, a topless pilgrim wench, and a radioactive killer turkey! This one was just cheep cheesy fun from start to finish. 4.5/5
GRAVE ENCOUNTERS - I love this low-budget found footage horror masterpiece; it's proof that you don't need a multimillion dollar budget to make a genuinely scary horror film. What would happen if the cynical, skeptical hosts of a GHOST HUNTERS-style reality show really did meet some malevolent undead spirits? Watch and find out! 5/5
"Pet Sematary" (2019)
Remake of Stephen King's saga of a country doctor, a dead cat, and a mystical Indian burial ground follows SK's original story pretty faithfully for a while, then unexpectedly flips the script into something quite different in the second half. As remakes go, it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't nearly as creepy as the '89 film and didn't have its emotional punch either. Overall, a pretty unnecessary exercise.
AXE MURDERING WITH HACKLEY (2018) Being homebound and not having any papers to grade (yet, we start distance learning next week), I've been watching a TON of movies this weekend. Tonight it was AXE MURDERING WITH HACKLEY - a hilarious mashup of THE OFFICE, 9 TO 5, and FRIDAY THE 13TH. Hackley had been the dominant slasher on the scene since the year 1980, but now the corporate world of serial killing, with its suffocating company policies, endless status meetings, and petty office feuds is simply too much for him. Hackley longs for the good old days when he could simply go out and axe up teenagers at will, but that's against protocol these days. This is a hilarious film with homages to many of our favorite slasher films; what they did with Jigsaw is worth the watch all by itself. This was a hilarious send up of the whole slasher genre, and it's free on Amazon Prime! 4.5/5
"Piranha" (1995)
Low rent, made for cable retread of the 1978 Joe Dante/Roger Corman killer-fish classic stars Alexandra "Baywatch" Paul, William "Greatest American Hero" Katt, an all grown up and spectacularly busty Soleil ("Punky Brewster") Moon Frye, and a pre-teen Mila Kunis (in her film debut).
Large portions of the dialogue (and many of the fish-attack FX shots) were lifted right out of the '78 film, so it felt like I was sitting through a re-run. Stick with the 1978 version.
Argoman (1967)
This one goes by a variety of titles, so I stuck with the most memorable (and easiest to google). This is essentially a European James Bond ripoff/parody, but with a Diabolik-style superhero. All very stylish and tongue in cheek. There is some influence of Adam West's Batman, but even more from British series The Avengers in the Emma Peel era. It pits the honourable gentleman-thief with superpowers Argoman against Jenabell, the Queen of the World, a classic supervillain with a spectacular wardrobe (often with gravity defying cleavage). The movie has the same approach to plot as Starcrash: let's shoot a bunch of cool scenes and hope that it somehow adds up to a movie. Great fun, if silly.
Rocketman (2019)
Elton John bio that's part musical. Taron Egerton as Elton John wasn't as captivating (but still great) as Rami Malek playing Freddie Mercury but then again they both are different in character. My only gripe - no "Little Jeannie" which is my favorite Elton song. 4.5/5
The Dark Tower (2017)
Based on Stephen King novel. Fantasy Action Adventure Western (!) with a bit of Sci-Fi and a touch of supernatural horror. Idris Elba is good but Matthew McConaughey obviously steals the show - one of the better villain performances in recent years. Anyway, I enjoyed this. 3/5
Child's Play (2019)
Remake of a classic with a few modern adjustments. I thought it worked out well. Far from perfect but not a disgrace to the original. I doubt they will make a sequel though. 3/5
THE DISASTER ARTIST (2017)
When Greg Sestero, an aspiring film actor, meets the weird and mysterious Tommy Wiseau in an acting class, they form a unique friendship and travel to Hollywood to make their dreams come true.
I think we all know THE ROOM. Personally, I don't think it's that bad, I've seen much worse. The only particularly weird thing about it is Tommy himself, who appears to be from another planet, or maybe another dimension - without him, the movie would be just another crappy drama. THE DISASTER ARTIST explores the making of the film and the inspiration behind it, in a very kind and funny way. I never felt like they were mocking the wooden duo, but rather celebrating them and their friendship. In many ways, this movie felt a lot like ED WOOD, although I prefer the latter, even when it's less accurate.
Overall, a great movie. I honestly didn't realize it was James Franco until halfway the movie, which is a testament of the transformation the actor (and director!) went through for this particular role. Recommended for both fans of THE ROOM, and for those who haven't watched it yet, because they will certainly will feel compelled to do it.
A well deserved 9/10. :thumbup:
BEASTER DAY - A giant carnivorous rabbit is wandering through a small mountain town, devouring scantily clad (and unclad) females and everyone else in its path while the stoner mayor wonder what to do about the situation, and whether or not to cancel the Easter parade. It makes absolutely no sense and the rabbit is a goofy giant puppet, and basically reeks "badness" from every pore. I loved it! 4/5
Witching & b***hing. A Spanish language horror comedy which starts off with a robbery going wrong and ends up with the robbers getting into a lot of trouble with their attempted getaway to France. A bit like From Dust Til Dawn only with witches instead of vampires. It didn't make me laugh once, but was moderately enjoyable.
Season of the Witch (1972). A bored housewife starts flirting with witchcraft in an attempt to liven up her humdrum life. This has a very similar pacing to director George Romaro's 'Martin' (what many people would call slow). I am two thirds into the films run time and she has only just picked up some stuff to learn how to be a witch. It establishes very early on that the lead is dissatisfied with her life. Then it establishes it some more (oh gods, does it keep establishing this) and keeps on going in the same vein. Anyway, she ends up a happy and confident woman.
VEROTIKA (2019): Three vignettes of "violent erotika." With lethargic acting, stupid dialogue, zero scares, and stories without any real resolution, it's just as torturous as you've heard. By the end, you're praying for the sweet release of death. 1/5.
Quote from: Rev. Powell on March 23, 2020, 08:48:05 AM
VEROTIKA (2019): Three vignettes of "violent erotika." With lethargic acting, stupid dialogue, zero scares, and stories without any real resolution, it's just as torturous as you've heard. By the end, you're praying for the sweet release of death. 1/5.
Quote2,1/10 IMDb
:buggedout:
"Vice Academy Part 2" (1990)
Ditzy rookie cops Holly (Ginger Lynn Allen) and Dee Dee (Linnea Quigley) have graduated from the academy and are given their first "real" assignment - to track down the super villainess "Spanish Fly," who plans to spike the city water supply with a lethal aphrodisiac.
...I swear, I am not making this up.
Obviously you don't watch ultra-cheap sex comedies like these for realistic plots or great performances, you watch 'em for the eye candy, which this flick delivers in spades. Casting former porn queen Ginger Lynn as the uptight, prim & proper half of the lead duo is also good for a few chuckles. Otherwise, this series is mainly for those who think the "Police Academy" flicks are too cerebral.
is that Glenn Danzig one :bouncegiggle:
OCEAN'S ELEVEN (2001)
Danny Ocean and his ten accomplices plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously.
Get ready for an unpopular opinion...
I enjoy scam movies a lot. I decided to give this one a chance, even when it's filled with actors hated by me, since it's quite famous and generally regarded as a great movie, and by many as the ultimate con movie. Boy I was disappointed.
First of all, my biggest gripe with this film: I don't care about any of the characters. I don't even know the names of most of them, the only one who has a little bit of development is Ocean himself but since he's played by George Clooney it doesn't matter because that man can't act - he's literally smiling in every single scene. The only character for whom I cared a little was Saul, but after thinking about it I realized that his job is completely unnecesary: why go through all the effort of bringing the explosives into the vault when they had a man inside? Why not just give them to the chinese fella and avoid the whole suitcase drama?
The whole movie is filled with plot holes like this one that only serve to pad the film, like the romantic interest that it's 100% useless, and full of "what if" situations. What if the EMP didn't worked? What if the tech guy got caught while lost? What if the entered the room where Ocean was getting beaten? The amount of chance this plan was based on is so ridiculous that borders in the realm of magic. I like my scam movies to be rooted in reality, that's why they're fun, because they can easily happen around us.
And what's up with the uplifting music after they commited a robbery like this? Am I supposed to feel good about these criminals? They're thiefs for f**k sake. I actually cheered the whole movie for Benedict. I waited for a nice twist at the end that salvaged this whole mess but it never came. Instead, it was filled with cliches: girlfriend goes with the bad guy but at the end she stays with the "good" guy, bad guy is bad because he has money and therefore he must be evil and do evil stuff, no one ever caughts them even when the government itself may be after them, they're all so incredibly good at what they do that not even the entire staff at the casino can even stop them, etc.
I felt like this movie was the GOODFELLAS of scam films: flashy and cocky, but with crappy plot and even crappier characters. And like GOODFELLAS, it's held like some sort of sacred piece of art. Sorry, but to me, it's more like a piece of crap.
3/10 :thumbdown:
Quote from: lester1/2jr on March 23, 2020, 12:33:31 PM
is that Glenn Danzig one :bouncegiggle:
Yeah, I'll have a brief writeup/warning on my site in a couple of days.
The Stand (1994)
A deadly virus kills most of the population except for a group of people immune to the disease. However, the survivors must take a stand and face an evil force.
I've actually never seen this even though it was omni-present in video rental stores back in the day. The Stand was released to blu-ray last year remastered and restored (they had to fix special effects since they didn't translate well to HD) and it looks quite nice. Shot on 16mm which gives it an undenial slight "cheap" amateurish look and feel but I got used to it as it went along. Acting is strong with only a few awkward moments. Entertaining time capsule and with a running time of six hours perfect for quarantine-viewing. 4.5/5
MAN ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE (1935): Having nothing to do with the title, this W.C. Fields vehicle has the Great Man as a henpecked husband who only wants to see a wrestling match, but gets himself into disaster after disaster instead. It's a patchwork collection of gags, from drunk burglars singing in the cellar to Fields getting 4 different traffic tickets in the space of five minutes, but you really have to root for a hardworking guy who only wants to watch wrestling and drink homemade applejack in his spare time. 3.5/5.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Been out for almost twenty years now and it's still a delight.
"Annabelle" (2014)
Creepy-cool spin off from "The Conjuring" set in the late 60s, with a young couple battling to keep their newborn daughter safe from a demonically possessed doll that wants her soul. A nicely done period piece that owes more to vintage flicks like "Rosemary's Baby" than the "Chucky" style killer doll schlock I'd expected.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on March 24, 2020, 09:46:12 PM
"Annabelle" (2014)
Creepy-cool spin off from "The Conjuring" set in the late 60s, with a young couple battling to keep their newborn daughter safe from a demonically possessed doll that wants her soul. A nicely done period piece that owes more to vintage flicks like "Rosemary's Baby" than the "Chucky" style killer doll schlock I'd expected.
Growing up I had a neighbor who was raised in a strict backwoods type of Bible faith in West Virginia, and she used to tell me people should not have dolls because putting human features on them violated the graven images prohibitions in the Bible. She could get creepy telling about dolls being a focal point for evil spirits who came to have a draining effect on the children who loved the dolls.
She never got into anything as hokey as the scary dolls shown in movies, them moving, talking, any of that, but she told some spooky yarns she said were true, about children coming to love their dolls more than people and the dolls influencing their minds and alienating people around them, spirits residing in the dolls and things like that.
She was a sweet lady but man when she got going she could tell me stuff in a way that'd scare me later in bed at night, lol.
ONWARD (2020): An elf quests to resurrect his father for one day in a fantasy world of centaurs and dragons, but where magic has been forgotten and suburban technology has taken over. Missing a breakthrough character, but its more Pixar magic with exciting action scenes, detailed worldbuilding, and positive messages. 3.5/5.
Missing Link (2019)
Bigfoot lures an explorer to America so he can help him travel to the Himalayas to live with his Yeti relatives.
Funny stop-motion adventure from Laika Studios ("Coraline"). Nominated for best animation feature at the Oscars, Missing Link was a box office bomb and one can only wonder why. It is pretty original, charming and beautiful to look at. Some of the jokes are aimed at adults and are really hilarious. I enjoyed this quite a bit. 4/5
"Slave to the Grind" (2018)
No, this is not a movie about the Skid Row album - it's a documentary about grindcore, the ultra-extreme offspring of hardcore punk and thrash/death metal which exploded all over the globe during the mid to late '80s. The genre's long, sometimes bizarre history is examined via vintage clips, photos and interviews with members of Napalm Death, Brutal Truth, Carcass, Agothacles, A.C., Repulsion, and many more. I'm not even a grind guy, but I enjoyed this entertaining, informative doc.
POPPY (1936): W.C. Fields is a carnival con man who schemes to get a widow's fortune, while his daughter Poppy falls in love with a rich boy. Pretty standard comedy, but it's always fun to see Fields play a scoundrel with a heart of gold. 3/5.
Planet of the Female Invaders (El planeta de las mujeres invasores) 1966
Continuing my exploration of silly 60s movies, I stumbled upon this, attracted by the title and the costumes of the titular invaders. Judging by the photos, it is a sequel of sorts to Gigantes Planetarios, which might explain some things (but not all). It would seem that someone saw Cat Women on the Moon, and thought that it would make a good movie for kids, but then without the gritty realism of the original. The result is incredibly goofy, and doesn't make any sense at all. Interestingly, the aliens land their flying saucer at an amusement park and disguise it as a carnival attraction to lure unsuspecting earthmen. Also, although this is a Mexican movie, the hero is a boxer and not a luchador.
Oddly, the basic plot is pretty bleak. The aliens abduct humans, so they can harvest their lungs, because the aliens can't breathe very long on earth. The aliens find out that children's lungs are much better suited, so they target a school with a death ray that zaps the adults, and capture a bunch of kids. This could be quite the horror movie, but these aliens are the most ineffectual and non threatening villains I have ever seen. This is silly on a Solarnauts level.
"All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records" (2015)
A bittersweet documentary (directed by Tom Hanks' son, Colin) about the iconic record store chain, tracing its long and sometimes wild history -- from humble beginnings in early '60s Southern California through its massive growth in the '70s and '80s into a globally recognized music-biz brand, before sadly ending with Tower's swift demise at the dawn of the Napster era. Interviews with longtime Tower employees (and famous customers like Dave Grohl, Elton John, and Bruce Springsteen) confirm that Tower was the coolest record store ever to exist in the known universe, as if we didn't know that already.
Dammit, I miss Tower Records. :(
Headcount - I liked the dorky quiet-ish guy in this. just an interesting and different sort of character. He and his hippie brother go for a hike and run into a group of people including girls which is always a good thing. At some point, they arouse the wrath of some sort of otherwordly beast who begins to pick them off.
Hard to describe without giving a lot of it away. Its a drunk/ stoned teenagers on a getaway thing. One problem is the monster itself isn't really revealed and we aren't told that much about it. ( spoiler : Also, if the beast can be conjured by reading something of a popular website, isn't everyone who reads it gonna die?)
The teenagers seemed more realistic than usual and there's some cool stuff. 4/5
Dave Chappelle - sticks and Stones. there needs to be a thousand more things like this. movies, shows, specials etc 5/5
Don't be Afraid of the Dark - Everyone knows the real Grimm fairy tales or whatever are darker than the ones we ended up hearing as kids. This is kind of like what someone imagining what those are like would come up with. Katie Holmes, who I for some reason feel bad for even though she has tens of millions of dollars, is the standout as the new stepmom trying to make good in a tough situation with the new fam. They moved into an old house and it has all these secrets. It looks every inch the spooky old house and is IRL probably some famous house in Scotland or something. I'm more into sordid pirahna beach movies but this worked and I especially liked the ending, which is a rarity nowadays
4.25/ 5
Quote from: lester1/2jr on March 27, 2020, 11:03:58 AM
it looks every inch the spooky old house and is IRL probably some famous house in Scotland or something.
Surprisingly, I believe the house is in Australia. I seem to remember watching a making-of documentary and hearing that.
THE PLATFORM: Prisoners are sentenced (although some perversely volunteer) to a social experiment: the live in a pit with many levels (they randomly move to a new one each month). Each day a banquet descends from the top to the bottom. If everyone eats just what they need there will be enough for everyone, but those at the top gorge themselves and all the food is always gone well before it gets to the bottom. This movie, which is both a political allegory and by the end a strange religious allegory, resembles a mix of of CUBE and SNOWPIERCER and explores every aspect of human brutality in some fairly shocking ways. On Netflix only. 3.5/5.
THE BOYS (2019) - A darkly humorous Amazon Prime series about a world where superheroes are real, have major corporate sponsorships, and are not at all nice in private! Filled with memorable characters like Homelander, Starlight, and A-Train among the "Supes" and Billy Butcher and Mother's Milk among The Boys, an informal team determined to bring down the Supes, this is a gritty, gory, enjoyable send-up of the shiny, happy Marvel Universe.
"DOA: Dead or Alive" (2006)
Four lovely female fighters receive invitations to a secret no-holds-barred martial arts tournament on a secluded island, with a $10 million dollar prize for the winner.
This cartoony kung-fu junk (apparently based on a video game series, with which I am unfamiliar) stars Jaime ("My Name is Earl") Pressly, Devon "Sin City" Aoki, Holly "Neighbours" Valance, and Sarah "Smallville" Carter as our heroines, who pretty much spend the whole movie beating the crap out of an endless stream of bad guys (and occasionally, each other) till they eventually reach the Big Boss, who's played by... (wait for it) Eric "Julia's Brother" Roberts. (His presence is *always* the sign of a quality film.)
...soooo yeah, this is basically the generic store-brand version of a "Mortal Kombat" flick, with waaay more/better T&A. Therefore I was entertained, even if it was for all the wrong reasons.
Quote from: indianasmith on March 29, 2020, 10:06:00 AM
THE BOYS (2019) - A darkly humorous Amazon Prime series about a world where superheroes are real, have major corporate sponsorships, and are not at all nice in private! Filled with memorable characters like Homelander, Starlight, and A-Train among the "Supes" and Billy Butcher and Mother's Milk among The Boys, an informal team determined to bring down the Supes, this is a gritty, gory, enjoyable send-up of the shiny, happy Marvel Universe.
i plan to start this tonight, since alex mentioned the umbrella academy as similar. LOVED the umbrella academy!
"Alice, Sweet Alice" (1976)
A tightly wound Italian-Catholic family comes apart at the seams in 1961 New Jersey, when their youngest daughter is murdered on the day of her first Communion and her weird, withdrawn older sister becomes the prime suspect.
This psychological thriller is known mainly as the film debut of a young Brooke Shields (who plays the pre-teen murder victim). The posters make it look like just another slasher flick, but it's more of a murder mystery in the vein of Hitchcock, or the Italian "giallo" thrillers of the 60s and '70s. Weird, loaded with disturbing religious imagery/symbolism, but also very atmospheric and effective. They don't make'em like this anymore.
"Looney Tunes: Back in Action" (2003)
Bugs, Daffy and two human pals (Jenna Elfman and Brendan Fraser) set out on a globe trotting adventure which takes them from the Warner Bros. movie lot in Hollywood to the Louvre in Paris and even to darkest Africa, as they try to keep a priceless treasure away from the evil head of the ACME Corporation (Steve Martin).
Joe "Gremlins" Dante directed this high energy, low brow live action/animation mix which has a lot of funny bits but overall is stuffed with way too many side gags, pointless celebrity cameos and mugging, overacting performances by its human cast (esp. Martin).
Warner Brothers had hoped that this flick would re-introduce the Looney Tunes brand to 21st century kids, but when it tanked at the box office, it sent Bugs and friends back to TV purgatory instead.
The Forest - I don't know why, but I have to work myself up to write these things, even though they are like two sentences long and just very very general thoughts on something I just saw. A woman's twin sister is missing in that forest in Japan where people go to kill themselves. Thats the hook, if you will, this forest that apparently exists. She is warned about the dangers of the forest and how it can make play tricks on your mind a la The Geto Boys "my minds playing tricks on me". Helping her out is some guy she met at a bar who she has minimal sexual tension with (she's married). This movie was "great" in the sense that it was a great example of a movie that is really good but not quite great. 4/5
BACURAU (2019): A group of killers isolate a small Brazilian village intending to massacre the residents for recreation, but find the peasants are more resourceful than they anticipated. A lot of drama up front as we get to know the many villagers; the action never gets too hot, but there are touches of Leone and Kurosawa in the third act. A bit unnerving, considering the political situation in Brazil at the moment. 3.5/5.
BLADE RUNNER (1982)
WARNING: SPOILERS AT THE END
A blade runner must pursue and terminate four replicants who stole a ship in space, and have returned to Earth to find their creator.
Since I'm not a huge sci-fi fan, I never cared too much attention to this classic. I finally watched it and I have to say, the scenery in this movie is incredible. The overall dystopian look fully takes you into this strange world, and I wasn't bored at all like a lot of people claims to be. My main grip is that the whole idea of the movie has been explored before, especially by Rod Serling in THE TWILIGHT ZONE. Honestly, I didn't understood the big deal about the plot, I actually thought it was kinda generic at that point.
Still, it's a charming movie and Harrison Ford is quite believable as a blade runner, although not as much as a replicant, as Ridley Scott confirmed years ago. To be honest, it sounded really stupid to me. I actually toyed with the idea while watching the movie, but many things disuaded me from reaching to that conclusion, mainly the fact that Deckard gets his ass handed to him easily by the antagonists. Shouldn't he be able to fight in more even terms? He was trained in combat as well.
A fun movie and a beatiful piece of art to look at. 8/10 :thumbup:
"The Avengers" (1998)
Ultra-posh gentleman secret agent Steed (Ralph Fiennes) and his foxy new partner Emma Peel (Uma Thurman) must stop a mad scientist (Sean Connery) who has figured out how to weaponize the weather, and plans to use it to hold the world for ransom.
Obviously not to be confused with the Marvel super-hero "Avengers," this is a high tech update of the cult British TV spy series from the swingin' Sixties. Former 007 Connery seems to be having fun playing a Bond-style villain, and of course Uma looks great squeezed into Mrs. Peel's trademark skin tight leather suit, but the story is a muddle, going around in circles till things finally start blowing up in the finale.
This flick was a major box office flop when it was released and legend has it that its failure hastened Sir Connery's decision to retire from acting. I can't say I blame him.
EXECUTIVE KOALA (2005): A koala in a business suit works for a Japanese pickle company, and is also accused of killing his wife and girlfriend, and can't defend himself because he's got selective amnesia. This manga come to life almost stands on its own without the anthropomorphic gimmick; it's just goofy enough to keep you entertained for a brisk 90 minutes. 3/5.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on April 02, 2020, 10:44:55 AM
"The Avengers" (1998)
Ultra-posh gentleman secret agent Steed (Ralph Fiennes) and his foxy new partner Emma Peel (Uma Thurman) must stop a mad scientist (Sean Connery) who has figured out how to weaponize the weather, and plans to use it to hold the world for ransom.
Obviously not to be confused with the Marvel super-hero "Avengers," this is a high tech update of the cult British TV spy series from the swingin' Sixties. Former 007 Connery seems to be having fun playing a Bond-style villain, and of course Uma looks great squeezed into Mrs. Peel's trademark skin tight leather suit, but the story is a muddle, going around in circles till things finally start blowing up in the finale.
This flick was a major box office flop when it was released and legend has it that its failure hastened Sir Connery's decision to retire from acting. I can't say I blame him.
I thought the one that led him to retire was
THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, which I personally loved and it's one of my guilty pleasures in the world of cinema. :twirl:
Quote from: Gabriel Knight on April 02, 2020, 12:39:11 PM
I thought the one that led him to retire was THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, which I personally loved and it's one of my guilty pleasures in the world of cinema. :twirl:
L.X.G. (which I also enjoyed) may have been the bomb that finalized his decision to step down, but "The Avengers" probably helped. :D
i liked league too, i'm glad i'm not alone! :cheers:
Yeah, I liked the League too. I believe the reason Connery retired though was because of how the director treated him on set rather than the film's lack of success. There was at least one point where the pair were reported to have been close to blows. Shame really.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on April 02, 2020, 01:12:23 PM
Quote from: Gabriel Knight on April 02, 2020, 12:39:11 PM
I thought the one that led him to retire was THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, which I personally loved and it's one of my guilty pleasures in the world of cinema. :twirl:
L.X.G. (which I also enjoyed) may have been the bomb that finalized his decision to step down, but "The Avengers" probably helped. :D
You too liked it? Man, that movie is so strange, it seems that everybody enjoyed it, yet it's somehow universally hated.
yeah, it's kind of the opposite version of citizen kane, lol!
DEADLY INSTINCTS (1997) A meteorite lands at a Boston girls' school, discharging a slimy alien and his captive human female. This bizarre mashup of HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP and INSEMINOID features plenty of violence and mayhem, occasional nudity, and a thrown-together plot that is laughable but keeps the story moving. A good way to spend a quarantined evening, especially since it was free on Amazon Prime.
MST3K: ROCKETSHIP X-M: The movie is quite dumb without really being easy to mock because it's also drab and talky. It's about mankind's first rocket to the moon that goes off course and lands on Mars instead where they have a brief encounter with some cavemen (groan). The real attraction of this episode is the introduction of TV's Frank, who steps completely into his role from the very first ("I'm the God!") and gives the series that piece it was missing in season 1. It's also the first time Mike Nelson appears on the hexfield screen. Not a great episode, but a huge leap forward from Season 1. 3.5/5.
"Vinylmania: When Life Runs at 33 Revolutions Per Minute" (2012)
A record collector and DJ travels the world visiting record stores and pressing plants, and talking to fellow vinyl junkies about why the LP format continues to thrive and survive.
This seems a bit artsier and more pretentious than usual for this sort of doc, but it's still a fun watch. Maybe it's just me, but I always get a kick out of seeing a copy of one of my favorite albums randomly hanging on the wall of a record shop in Tokyo, or wherever.
This was apparently the "Official Film of Record Store Day" in 2012, for whatever that's worth.
"You Only Live Twice" (1967)
James Bond travels to Japan, where SPECTRE is stealing U.S. and Russian space capsules out of the sky in order to kick start WWIII. Over the top, action packed fun.
"Hired Gun" (2016)
A highly entertaining and enlightening documentary about the often-unsung, anonymous rock musicians who make a living by renting out their talents to superstar artists, on tour and in the recording studio. Lots of great stories are told by longtime road warriors like Jason Newsted, Nita Strauss, Rudy Sarzo, Eric Singer, and many more. This was worth watching just to learn how badly Billy Joel screwed over the members of his '70s backing band. Not cool, Billy, not cool.
The OA - Netflix series about a girl with mysterious powers working with a group of random people from her town to try and rescue some people somewhere. Pretty vague description but its heavy on twists and turns so I don't want to give them away.
If you were a fan of Medium and/or Brit Marling's other work like Another Earth its definitely a must see. going in cold it might come of as too slow and a little girly. excellent villain
4.5 /5
"Dead Heat" (1988)
While investigating a string of bizarre robberies committed by seemingly-indestructible goons, a pair of wisecracking L.A. cops (Treat Williams and Joe Piscopo) learn that a mad scientist (Vincent Price!) has invented a way to re-animate dead criminals.
This action packed (and quite gory) buddy cop/horror spoof totally missed a bet by not calling itself "Beverly Hills Zombie."
ATTACK OF THE TATTIE-BOGLE (2017) A group of friends meet to spend the 4th of July weekend at a remote lake cabin in Wisconsin. None of them are particularly memorable; the conversation seems more like something from 2016 than 2017 - the two liberals, for example, comparing George Bush to Hitler and questioning whether the 4th is worth celebrating any more while a redneck conservative pushes them to wear flag bandanas - but all of that is forgotten when a masked stranger shows up and starts killing them. That's really it - he is killing everybody he finds, they are scrambling to survive. Minimal gore, no T&A, unlikable characters - and yet the story is entertaining by its sheer simplicity and short run time (1 hour). And you never find out what on earth a "Tattie-Bogle" is or why the name is in the movie's title. 2.5/5 - I've seen worse films on Amazon Prime, and at least this one was free.
A Tattie-Bogle is a local thing around here. It is along the lines of a scarecrow. One of the villages near by has a festival based around them where homemade versions are hung outside their houses.
https://sco.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattie-bogle (https://sco.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattie-bogle)
THE OTHER LAMB (2019): Young Selah starts having doubts about the nomadic cult she's grown up in, which is divided into "wives" and "daughters" and led by a single male "Shepherd." Well-shot and well-intentioned, but it really should have picked up the pace; it seems a lot of opportunities for drama and character development were avoided in favor of scenes of walking, or Selah staring portentously. 2.5/5.
"Warlock" (1989)
A powerful male witch (Julian Sands) escapes the gallows in the 1620's by casting a spell that launches him forwards in time to 1980s Southern California, with a witch hunter in hot pursuit.
Essentially a supernatural spin on "The Terminator," this '80s video store fave hasn't aged particularly well but Sands is an appropriately nasty bad guy and Lori "Footloose" Singer adds some comic relief as a Valley Girl who gets caught in the middle of the battle. Followed by.two sequels.
THE DOLL FACTORY - Ultra-low budget Amazon Prime movie, featuring a bunch of teenagers who decide to read some incantations from a book of witchcraft in an abandoned factory and bring a bunch of murderous dolls back to life. Stupid, bad effects, racial stereotypes, pretty much bad everything. 2/5
AGE OF SUMMER - A surprisingly good coming-of-age flick about a kid from up north who moves to California and tries to become a junior lifeguard, juggling friendship, a stolen bike, and an unrequited crush on one of his fellow lifeguards. This was better than I thought it would be. 4/5
"KISS: Beyond the Makeup" (2001)
...this VH1 documentary traces Kiss' history from their humble New York beginnings, through the '70s rise and fall, the '80s resurrection and the '90s reunion, up to the then-current "Farewell Tour" (which of course ended up being only a "Farewell" to the reunited original lineup!).
I'm pretty sure I saw this when it first aired years ago, and even though it's obviously quite out of date now, it was still a cool trip down memory lane, loaded with vintage performance clips and interviews.
the OA season two - a little more conventional and a lot more complicated than the first season. Now, the action is in two different dimensions, as the OA, reemerging as a Russian heiress, attempts to stop the evil HAP from doing whatever he's doing. The group of kids from the first season try to make sense of it all without the help of their ostensible leader and a new character is introduced: a detective investigating a mysterious house around which all the plots come together. like I said, its kind of complicated.
Netflix apparently didn't promote the show very much and it was cancelled after this. Too bad, I was riveted and could certainly have watched another season if not many more
5/5 in memoriam
AXE GIANT (2013) - A group of juvenile delinquents are sent to a boot camp style reform course in the mountains, and one of them defiles the grave of a giant ox, bringing a wrathful Paul Bunyan rampaging down on them with his huge axe. I'll be honest; this was better than I thought it was going to be - cheesy gore effects, unlikable teenagers, a whacked-out Joe Estevez, and a cameo by Dan Haggerty (AKA Grizzly Adams). Totally worth the hour and a half it took to watch it! 2/5 on a real movie scale, a solid 4/5 on the bad movie scale!
READY OR NOT (2019)
This has been on my watch list since I first saw the trailer, and then when I saw that Indy recommended it, I sought it out. This is an absolute hoot. An unsuspecting bride is falls victim to an ancient tradition, where she has to be sacrificed before dawn to avert the family curse. There is not a lot of mystery (we know the set up before the credits roll) and it is mainly played for suspense. One of the aspects I liked is that the family are not your standard Evil Cultists/Conspirators. They are often as baffled by the situation as the bride, all they know is they have to kill her to save themselves. It does get quite bloody at times
"Warlock: The Armageddon" (1993)
Julian Sands is back for another round as Satan's son, trying to bring about the end of the world (again) by collecting six sacred stones that will open a portal to Hell. Fortunately there's a pair of powerful teenagers standing in his way, who've been trained by Druids for just such an occasion.
The first "Warlock" flick had a cast of decent actors but mostly-terrible effects; this time it's the other way around. "Armageddon" is faster-paced and much gorier than the first movie, but the performances are mostly atrocious (even Sands seems to be phoning it in). The few attempts at early 90s CGI are laughable as well. Still, if you liked the first "Warlock" you'll probably dig this one.
As an added metal-nerd bonus, the end credits theme song is "Something Wicked" by Nuclear Assault!
DEVIL TIMES FIVE (1974) So I discovered this channel on Amazon Prime called POPCORN FODDER, in which the host (who would be a good fit here, BTW) plays classic bad movies and comments on them. I'd never heard of this one, but it's a hilarious 70's horror featuring a pre-teen Lief Garret as the leader of a pack of homicidal children who survive a wreck (the van was taking them to a mental hospital) and come to a mountain lodge, where they kill the group of unsuspecting adults residing there. It's a cheesy delight, and the host's commentary makes it all the more fun! 4/5
The Invitation (2015) - LA weirdos invite people over to try and make them join their cult... or are they just annoying? Why the normal seeming main guy knew all these people or goes along with it doesn't make tons of sense, but whole situation is sordidly great 5/5 the bald guy is terrifying
indy, is that a free channel on prime?
Quote from: chefzombie on April 11, 2020, 04:04:44 PM
indy, is that a free channel on prime?
The first season is free.
47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019)
Two stepsisters and two friends explore an underwater temple/cave/maze in Mexico. Soon they are trapped and must face hungry blind (!) sharks.
Dumb sequel with cliche dialogue and bland/annoying actors. They threw in a bit of teen-bullying that goes nowhere, and added mild tension between the stepsisters (one is hot, the other is not) to spice things up I guess. I was surprised they recreated the best fright bits from the first film. It just shows how lazy this sequel is. Also, nobody has a cell phone and the soundtrack consists of 1990s songs which seems well, odd. The shark design is actually creepy and the f/x are good. During the final half they managed a few well staged thrilling action scenes, and the tacky never ending ending is so over the top ridiculous that it's almost good. 2/5
had my mind seriously blown last night, by a silent movie starring mary pickford called " poor little rich girl". it's based on my all time childhood fave book of the same name, and it is BRILLIANT!
it compresses the story down to the essentials, and the effects were excellent, considering the era! i can't believe i never knew this existed, as much as i love the book.
watching it felt like reliving the dream i had after reading the book at age 8, and it felt like a good omen too. i don't quite know how to express that...it gave me hope, somehow.
"On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1969)
James Bond (played for the first and only time by previously-unknown Aussie George Lazenby) romances a Countess and foils SPECTRE's latest germ-warfare plot in the snowy Swiss Alps.
Bond fans have been split on this movie for years. Some think it's the best film in the series, while others dismiss it altogether, due to Lazenby's lack of acting experience/ability. I think it's a bit overlong and drags in the midsection, but the last 40 minutes are just one cool action sequence after another.
Lazenby (a former male model) may not have been much of an actor at this time, but but he definitely showed some promise in "OHMSS" -- if he hadn't followed the terrible advice of his manager (who said that Bond was a Sixties fad and the character would be "passe" in the '70s) and done at least one more 007 film, movie history might have been quite different.
I've always found George's story fascinating - he was a nobody who essentially walked in off the street, bulls**tted his way into the most coveted movie role in the world, and then went "OK, I'm done" after only one film. Even if you think he was crazy or stupid (or both) you gotta admit he had steel cojones!
Tales from Earthsea (2006)
This. is. SLOW. This is the movie by Miyazaki Jr. and where Hayao Miyazaki's movies are exciting and imaginative, Goro's is predictable and portentous. The simple plot is cobbled together from Ursula K. Le Guin's Earth Sea stories, and can't sustain a two hour movie. Also, while Hayao Miyazaki delights in world building, here you have a handful of characters and a few, largely empty settings. Only for Ghibli completionists.
chef zombie - I've never seen that one. when silent movies "work" it can be a really unique, enjoyable experience. I guess that can be said of any movie though!
It Comes at Night (2017) - suddenly apropos thriller about people living off the grid to avoid a corona virus like virus. The central thesis: that being super paranoid about germs and only hanging out with your family all the time isn't much fun, has largely been confirmed
4/5
i think you'd like it lester. :smile:
"The Substitute" (1996)
A mercenary (Tom Berenger of "Platoon") takes an undercover gig in a gang-infested Miami high school after his teacher girlfriend is victimized by some of the students. You can probably figure out the rest yourself.
There's nothing in this so-'90s-it-hurts mash-up of the "hood movie" and action genres that you haven't seen in dozens of other cheap shoot-em-up revenge flicks, but it's an entertainingly silly slab of ultra-violent nonsense.
Followed by three (!) direct-to-video sequels, with Treat Williams taking the place of Berenger.
Fun fact: the teenage gang leader is played by Marc Anthony, who would later marry Jennifer Lopez!
BUTT BOY (2019): I.T. specialist Chip becomes obsessed with sticking items into his rectum; years later, he becomes an Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor for a police detective who grows to suspect Chip is involved in a child's disappearance. What makes the experiment work, to the extent it does, is its dedication to remain absolutely deadpan up until act three, when it goes all the way to the end of its alimentary canal of a premise. 3/5.
"Rat Skates: Born in the Basement" (2007)
Original Overkill drummer Lee "Rat Skates" Kundrat (who left the band in 1987) compiled this entertaining documentary about the early days of his band, and of the thrash metal scene in general, loaded with vintage pix and video from his archives. Rat seems a bit full of himself (he never mentions any of the other guys' names when talking about Overkill - it's always "I," "me," etc.) and the fact that none of his former bandmates appear in it makes the narrative a bit one-sided, but it's a cool trip down memory lane anyway.
SLAY THE DRAGON (2019): This documentary follows a group of Wisconsin citizens as they propose and create a state ballot initiative to end gerrymandering by creating independent bodies to redraw congressional districts, while the Republican-dominated legislature tries to stop them. Gerrymandering is a pernicious problem in American democracy, one that is only growing worse due to modern analytics and computerized information gathering, and this documentary does a great job explaining it. Although I accept that the Republicans are the villains in this round of gerrymandering, this practice is a bipartisan evil, and the makers really needed to bend over backwards to make that clearer---as it is, "Dragon" may lose some of its effectiveness because it will be viewed as a left-slanted call to action, despite the fact that the reforms it advocates are essential to democracy. 3/5.
there's a movie called Butt Boy? what the hell? who names these movies? anyways i watched 2 of the MCU movies this week last night i watched 'Thor: The Dark World (2013) a film that is i think far far better than the 1st one even if the cast and it's director don't much care for it cause apparently they didn't have a good time in making it. i loved it 10/10
than i watched "Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014) that one is 10/10 i think it's a better film than the 1st one and i loved the first one. it's also a far better film than Thor: The Dark world as well but than Thor has never been one of my favorite heroes anyways
SAVAGES (1972): A tribe of "mud people" find a croquet ball, follow it to an abandoned mansion, put on the clothes they find, host a dinner party, then fall back into savagery. An obscure attempt at a Buñuelian allegory about civilization that's especially surprising because of who made it: the Merchant/Ivory team, who of course would go on to make Oscar-nominated realist dramas romanticizing the types of manners this movie so thoroughly savages. Too long, but an interesting experiment. 3.5/5.
As Above, So Below (2014) - the "found footage" format can be gratuitous, but really works here. One of the most nerve wracking, claustrophobic movie experiences ever. all you want is for them to get out of the freaking tunnels and be free 5/5
The Blackcoat's daughter (2015) = probably the worst horror movie I've ever seen, a least in terms of plot. The director made Legally Blonde in 2001 and should definitely go back to that sort of work.
Two girls are left over during a break at private school. At the same time, another girl who looks a lot like one of the other girls is going somewhere too. Its totally confusing. There are lots of scenes where people are doing nothing in particular but there's loud, dark incidental music playing.
The acting is decent and I like how there wasn't lots of dialogue, but actually it might have helped if they'd had more because there was nothing going on, action or tension wise. I had no motivation to care about anything that happened. Horror movies often shock you, make you examine your soul, and just do all kinds of things none of which are found here 1/5
"Diamonds Are Forever" (1971)
After an unsuccessful attempt at transplanting George Lazenby into the series, O.G. 007 Sean Connery was briefly lured back to the James Bond role (for the supposedly "last" time) in this so-'70s-it-hurts adventure.
This time out, Bond travels to Amsterdam and Las Vegas as he infiltrates a ring of diamond smugglers who are (of course) working for SPECTRE.
Connery was clearly only in this for the paycheck (he looks quite out of shape too) and the slightly campier tone foreshadows what would come later in the Roger Moore era. "Diamonds" is watchable but it's definitely not a top drawer Bond flick.
"The Rainbow" (2019)
The history of the famed Hollywood rocker hangout on the Sunset Strip, the Rainbow Bar & Grill (and its sister venue, the Whisky a Go-Go), which has been operated by the same family for three generations, is told via vintage footage and interviews with many of the stars who've called it home, including Ozzy, Slash, Lemmy, Micky Dolenz, Ron Jeremy (!), Lita Ford, and many more. A fast and fun documentary about an iconic site that should be on every rock fan's bucket list of places to visit.
santa claus and the fairy queen( found on classic movies and tv, a roku channel i found last week)
may i just say... O! M! G! i am SO grateful i didn't see this as a child, we're talking MAJORLY nightmare inducing! the brownie, snoopy, is WAY creepier than mr. B natural, and that is saying something. and santa is an obvious stoner, lol! if you can find it, watch it, but DON'T show it to kids, PLEASE! :cheers:
"Band vs. Brand" (2019)
A cheap looking documentary that examines the importance of "branding" in the current music industry, and the various methods bands use to keep their names out there. Features words of wisdom from a diverse group of performers including Dave Ellefson, Nadir D'Priest, Jean Beauvoir, Jack Russell, Marc Ferrari, Nik Turner, and many more.
This flick may possibly be of interest to those studying marketing, but for the average joe-schmoe viewer it's pretty dry stuff. Not recommended.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Still loads of fun.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on April 14, 2020, 01:06:14 PM
"The Substitute" (1996)
A mercenary (Tom Berenger of "Platoon") takes an undercover gig in a gang-infested Miami high school after his teacher girlfriend is victimized by some of the students. You can probably figure out the rest yourself.
There's nothing in this so-'90s-it-hurts mash-up of the "hood movie" and action genres that you haven't seen in dozens of other cheap shoot-em-up revenge flicks, but it's an entertainingly silly slab of ultra-violent nonsense.
http://youtu.be/NdwrDIHE4XY (http://youtu.be/NdwrDIHE4XY)
"Nightmare City" (1980)
A TV news reporter and his wife try to escape a city full of radiation-poisoned, blood-drinking, homicidal maniacs spawned by an atomic spill.
Umberto "Make Them Die Slowly" Lenzi's late-inning entry into the "Dawn of the Dead" knock off sweepstakes is a gloriously inept clusterf**k of atrocious acting, "Engrish" dialogue, awkward dubbing, and cheap gore. It sucks, but it sucks so awesomely that you can't take your eyes off of it. Essential Eurotrash!
"The Substitute 2: School's Out" (1998)
Treat Williams takes over from Tom Berenger in this direct-to-video sequel, as a special-ops mercenary badass who takes a job at a crime-ridden NYC high school to find the gangstas who killed his teacher brother. Predictable shoot-em-up mayhem follows.
...sooo, yeah, you might as well call this "The Punisher Goes Back to School." It's pretty much a retread of the first movie, with a different leading man and a new locale. Still, it's entertaining enough for a generic action flick.
PREDESTINATION (2014)
For his final assignment, a top temporal agent must pursue the one criminal that has eluded him throughout time. The chase turns into a unique, surprising and mind-bending exploration of love, fate, identity and time travel taboos.
Expecting a cool sci fi thriller, I bumped into a deep exploration of a time paradox and self identity that baffled and confused me for an hour and a half, but strangely my eyes couldn't get away from the screen. Most of the movie is made of flashbacks and talking, yet it's never boring.
You haven't heard confusion until you watched this movie, I actually spent a lot of my sleep time thinking about the ramifications of the whole paradox thingy.
Extremely recommended if you want to entertain yourself and think at the same time. 9/10 :thumbup:
I second Gabriel's recommendation of PREDESTINATION above.
Time Warp: The Greatest Cult Films of All Time – Vol. 1: Midnight Madness (2020): First volume of a three-part documentary covering cult films, with future installments examining "horror and sci-fi" (vol. 2) and "comedy and camp" (vol. 3). This documentary is purely introductory stuff, but features an impressive lineup of commentators (including critics, directors, famous actors, and of course, John Waters). Nothing revelatory here, but it is charming when you look at it as just a bunch of smart fans yakking enthusiastically about some of the wildest and weirdest movies ever made. 3/5.
"Vice Academy 3" (1991)
Ginger Lynn is back and breaking in a new partner in the 3rd round of no-budget T&A shenanigans. This time the inept vice cops grapple with a crime wave committed by the green-haired super-villainess "Malathion," who's played by super-hot adult film star Julia Parton (who is supposedly a distant cousin of Dolly's). As usual for this franchise, the plot is threadbare, the jokes are lame, the sets are cardboard, and the acting is terrible... but the eye candy is outstanding.
"Hitler Goes Kaput!" (2003)
Ooookay, I think I have officially found the weirdest movie on TUBI. This is a Russian slapstick comedy (with sub-titles), about the misadventures of a Soviet spy masquerading as a Gestapo official during the waning days of WWII. When he and his lovely code-breaker partner/girlfriend attempt to escape from Berlin back to the Motherland, they encounter a series of wacky obstacles that lead to a final "couples" showdown with Hitler and Eva Braun!
...I'm not gonna lie, I probably only understood about half of what went on in this movie due to the language barrier (and a lot of what I assume were references to Russian pop culture that would be unknown to Western viewers)... but after the opening credits, which were full of big-boobed girls and explosions (scored to a Russian rap version of Britney Spears' "Oops I Did It Again") I couldn't take my eyes off of it, either.
I bet the guys who went on to make "Iron Sky" saw this movie and said, "We can do that too." The Nazis in this movie have dance-offs, throw gang signs, and use modern conveniences like flat screen TVs and e-mail. Hitler has a "personal DJ" whose name is "50 Shillings." After a while the movie stopped making sense completely, but I kept watching cuz leading lady Anna Semenovich was astoundingly, shall we say, "gifted" in her chest area.
Obviously this was a unique viewing experience. Your mileage may vary if you understand Russian, I get a feeling that a lot of the humor is lost in the translation.
Fat Freddy - that sounds great. have you ever seen Chicken Park? the Italian Jurassic Park parody. its so unbelievably stupid
Error 404 (Not Found)!!1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu0v8I-0iwU#)
The Monster - really awful Netflix instant horror movie. A young single Mom and her daughter get stuck in on a remote road waiting for a tow truck and a demon thing menaces them. In between occasional shots of the nondescript thingy lurking around the Mom and daughter have an extended acting class. None of the backstory has anythign to do with the monster, its not like a product of their nightmares or something. We used to call stuff like this a "tax shelter" avoid
1/5
The Ritual - still more dreck from netflix (dreckflix?) . This one is a bit better. Some fairly funny British guys go on a hike in the woods in like Sweden or something and encounter a demon thing and also confront their guilt over various things and so forth. both of these movies are just glorified Syfy monster things, without the "we know this sucks" modesty and crazy guest stars. Some okay medieval talisman type imagery and color. The ending seems improvised and not very profound
2/5
PORNO (2019): Five Christian teens watch a cursed art film and unleash a sex demon who traps them in the theater overnight. Just unique enough to keep you watching; the best part is the recreation of the faux-Kenneth Anger Luciferian ritual film. Stick around through the slow start for lots of nudity and gore (particularly male genital trauma---ouch!). The teens are believable, and although the perspective is clearly secular they're not as much a target for easy mockery as they might have been. 3.5/5.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on April 21, 2020, 12:41:23 PM
"Hitler Goes Kaput!" (2003)
Ooookay, I think I have officially found the weirdest movie on TUBI. This is a Russian slapstick comedy (with sub-titles), about the misadventures of a Soviet spy masquerading as a Gestapo official during the waning days of WWII. When he and his lovely code-breaker partner/girlfriend attempt to escape from Berlin back to the Motherland, they encounter a series of wacky obstacles that lead to a final "couples" showdown with Hitler and Eva Braun!
...I'm not gonna lie, I probably only understood about half of what went on in this movie due to the language barrier (and a lot of what I assume were references to Russian pop culture that would be unknown to Western viewers)... but after the opening credits, which were full of big-boobed girls and explosions (scored to a Russian rap version of Britney Spears' "Oops I Did It Again") I couldn't take my eyes off of it, either.
I bet the guys who went on to make "Iron Sky" saw this movie and said, "We can do that too." The Nazis in this movie have dance-offs, throw gang signs, and use modern conveniences like flat screen TVs and e-mail. Hitler has a "personal DJ" whose name is "50 Shillings." After a while the movie stopped making sense completely, but I kept watching cuz leading lady Anna Semenovich was astoundingly, shall we say, "gifted" in her chest area.
Obviously this was a unique viewing experience. Your mileage may vary if you understand Russian, I get a feeling that a lot of the humor is lost in the translation.
This is amazingly silly. Apparently it is a parody of a Russian spy series, so it probably makes more sense if you have seen the original. This does make Spaceballs look serious.
SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO (2007): A lone gunslinger rides into a town where rival gangs of outlaw samurai fight over a treasure. This spaghetti western directed by Takashi Miike is exactly what you'd expect a spaghetti western directed by Takashi Miike to look like: oversaturated colors, insane gun battles, impossible to follow plot, a very thin fourth wall, goofy comic relief, stylistic changes every five minutes, etc. In another odd choice, the Japanese cast speak heavily-accented English, and Quentin Tarantino shows up as... someone or other. 3/5.
Quote from: Rev. Powell on April 23, 2020, 12:41:16 PM
SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO (2007): A lone gunslinger rides into a town where rival gangs of outlaw samurai fight over a treasure. This spaghetti western directed by Takashi Miike is exactly what you'd expect a spaghetti western directed by Takashi Miike to look like: oversaturated colors, insane gun battles, impossible to follow plot, a very thin fourth wall, goofy comic relief, stylistic changes every five minutes, etc. In another odd choice, the Japanese cast speak heavily-accented English, and Quentin Tarantino shows up as... someone or other. 3/5.
If I hadn't turned on the subtitles on my DVD, I'd never have known that some of the dialogue was actually in English
PHONE BOOTH (2002)
Publicist Stuart Shepard finds himself trapped in a phone booth, pinned down by an extortionist's sniper rifle. Unable to leave or receive outside help, Stuart's negotiation with the caller leads to a jaw-dropping climax.
From a simple premise and nothing more than a phone booth in the middle of the street, this movie managed to grab my attention for its duration. Farrel does an amazing job, although I felt a little bit disappointed by the whole motives behind the sniper - he's pretty much comparing a corrupt politician and a pedophile to a guy who lied to his wife. Seriously?
Definitely a very entertaining and engaging thriller. 8/10 :thumbup:
QUICK CHANGE (1990)
Three thieves successfully rob a New York City bank, but making the escape from the city proves to be almost impossible.
The classic bank robbing with an unusual scam involved, the first and only directed/produced/starred movie by Bill Murray is a great way to have a few chuckles, not to mention, your sarcastic dose of that man himself. The movie starts amazingly but starts to fall short as soon the whole romantic garbage shows up. Luckily, it gets salvaged by the constant bad luck of the gang, which grants tons of chuckles.
I do have to say tho that the character of Randy Quaid was absolutely annoying, and I couldn't stand it. Was he retarded or something? I really didn't get it.
Fun but forgettable, in my opinion. 7/10 :drink:
EXAM (2009)
Eight candidates for a highly desirable corporate job are locked together in an exam room and given a final test with just one seemingly simple question. However, it doesn't take long for confusion to ensue and tensions to unravel.
An interesting promise, that's for sure. I tend to enjoy those movies which happen in a single room, and this one was no exception. My main gripe with this was that the characters didn't really acted like normal human beings. Why everybody was so quick to follow White directions? Why nobody stopped Brown immediately when he started torturing a woman? Not to mention, some plot holes, like for example the fact that nobody got disqualified after soaking their papers in water.
Apart from that, the movie is really engaging and you're totally commited to find out the question like the rest. Sadly, the final answer turns out to be really disappointing, like a silly kids trick.
Good and fairly unique movie tho. 7/10 :thumbup:
Gabriel - I saw Exam. I liked it more than you but I think I was so taken with the premise that I ignored all the stuff you mentioned.
Dark Places (2015) - theres a scene in this where someone hits someone in the head to knock them out to prevent them from leaving. I got to thinking: that happens a lot in movies, definitely more than in real life. No one has ever done that to me.
Anyway, butched up Charlize theron is the grown up sole survivor of a massacre of her whole family perpetrated by her brother...or did he? She meets up with a couple of true crime/ serial killer enthusiasts and starts to question her memory of the event. Its a little longer than 90 minutes but you want it to be and it does a great job of fleshing out the case while also not being self indulgent.
The story itself bears some superficial resemblence to the Tennessee 3 or whatever it was: the kids who got convicted of murder and rape for being metalheads. you gotta love Christina Hendricks too as the Mom
5/5
In the shadow of Iris (2016) - video stores used to have a foreign section and all of them would have a review that said "sexy" or "erotic" so people would rent it. this is is one of those. a little confusing and the guys beard is distractingly bushy but overall 👍
Beyond Skyline. A follow up to a dull sci-fi movie whose best part was during the end credits. This takes the film in more a familiar direction, with a disparate group trying to survive the invasion. It is that rare thing, a sequel which is better than the first film.
"Silent Rage" (1982)
Chuck Norris is a small town Texas sheriff who must protect his lady love from a seemingly indestructible psychotic killer, created by a science experiment gone wrong.
An odd mix of the action and slasher genres, "Silent Rage" never quite finds a balance between the two sides, but the non-stop violence kept me entertained. Essentially it's Chuck Norris vs. Michael Myers (it even borrows/steals the last shots of the original "Halloween" for a climactic scene!). I loved this movie when I was 13, but it hasn't aged very well.
"Extraction" (2020)
India's biggest drug lord hires a mercenary (Chris "Thor" Hemsworth) to rescue his teenaged son, who's been kidnapped by a Bangladeshi rival. Bullets fly, people die, cars crash, stuff blows up.
There's not much plot in this Netflix original, but the action sequences and stunt work are top notch and the body count is astronomical. Not a classic but a decent enough butt-kicker for a rainy Sunday afternoon.
RABID (2019) A remake of the late 70's classic with Marilyn Chambers; less nudity and more gore than the original.
Good makeup effects, some impressive kills, a rather incoherent plot. Overall, not a bad way to spend a quarantine evening. 3.5/5
IDENTITY (2003)
Stranded at a desolate Nevada motel during a nasty rain storm, ten strangers become acquainted with each other when they realize that they're being killed off one by one.
Very entertaining movie, with a rather unusual multiple personalities plot accompanied by a nice twist at the end. The whole scenario with the neverending rain is really creepy and the overall feel of the movie is great. John Cusack, like always, kick ass.
Totally recommended for a fast paced and suspenseful watch. 8/10 :thumbup:
EXECUTIVE DECISION (1996)
When terrorists seize control of an airliner, an intelligence analyst accompanies a commando unit for a midair boarding operation.
What can you say about this movie? It screams 90's in every one if its cliche ridden scenes. The bonkers plot and incredibly slow but thrilling action will keep you in your seat to the end.
While nothing special, it is definitely an enjoyable ride! 7/10 :drink:
SOURCE CODE (2011)
A soldier wakes up in someone else's body and discovers he's part of an experimental government program to find the bomber of a commuter train within 8 minutes.
Whoa, this was a damn good movie. Right off the bat the confusion you're submited to hooks you in, and like the protagonist, you're given information piece by piece, which I think it's what makes it so appealing. Plenty of moral and metaphysics discussions can arise after watching this amazing movie.
Another hit from Duncan Jones, I need to see MOON now. 9/10 :hot:
stephen king's storm of the century
i'm guessing this was a tv miniseries? it was surprisingly good, since none of the other stuff he produced himself has impressed me. and btw, there IS the advantage with netflix DVD rental when your #1 keeps getting marked "wait" , you get an extra dvd, so we got both discs and binged the whole thing at once! i may need to read the original story.... :cheers:
"Boiled Angels: The Trial of Mike Diana" (2019)
In the early '90s, an underground cartoonist named Mike Diana was hauled into a Florida court over the disturbing images of sex and violence in his self published comic book 'zine, Boiled Angel. After a brief trial, Diana was the first (and still only) artist ever to be successfully prosecuted for obscenity in America.
This intriguing documentary (directed by Frank "Basket Case" Henenlotter and narrated by Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys) examines how Mike's right to free artistic expression clashed with local community standards, via vintage news footage of the case and interviews with legal experts and comic book historians.
I'm not gonna lie, Mike Diana seems like a weird mo-fo and his comics were indeed quite sick (the examples shown in the film are definitely not for the faint of heart), but in the end, I don't think he was guilty of anything other than bad taste, which last time I checked, was not a crime.
fat freddy - have you ever read Eletric Retard comics? similar content http://archive.is/hs2yw (http://archive.is/hs2yw)
The Gift - not the demented Perry Farrel experimental film, instead Teen Wolf too Jason Batemen plays a guy who gets harassed by a weirdo from his old high school...or does he? Could use some more sex, comic relief, color, etc and a few less red herrings but :thumbup:
Quote from: lester1/2jr on April 27, 2020, 01:52:56 PM
fat freddy - have you ever read Eletric Retard comics? similar content http://archive.is/hs2yw (http://archive.is/hs2yw)
Never heard of 'em but I love the name! Haha.
I was only vaguely familiar with the Diana case, I was a comic book fan in the 80s and 90s so I guess some info must have made its way into comic book newsletters/etc...
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on April 27, 2020, 04:57:33 PM
Quote from: lester1/2jr on April 27, 2020, 01:52:56 PM
fat freddy - have you ever read Eletric Retard comics? similar content http://archive.is/hs2yw (http://archive.is/hs2yw)
Never heard of 'em but I love the name! Haha.
I was only vaguely familiar with the Diana case, I was a comic book fan in the 80s and 90s so I guess some info must have made its way into comic book newsletters/etc...
I wrote an article about the case for my own 'zine back in the 90s. I read Diana's comics fro the assignment. It's like serial killer/child molester fanfiction. Utterly horrible, nihilistic stuff that will make you hate humanity. They have scarred me to this day. Should he have been prosecuted? No. Should anyone read the comics? No.
in the one interview he gave, the electric retard guy listed Diana as his only influence
Creep - pretty decent found footage ish horror movie thats done well enough or was thought to be good enough to garner a sequel, not that thats saying much nowadays. A broke film maker gets a lucky break: filming a guy for one day for a thousand bucks. The guy unfortunately is a total weirdo and 1000 starts to seem like peanuts relative to what he has to put up with.
I was initially put off by the by now pretty played out lo fi touch, but ultimately it works well enough.
4/5 its as good as it can be. I'm kind of burnt out on "awkward guy won't leave me alone" movies though
EXTRA ORDINARY (2019): A man who is haunted by his nagging dead wife tries to coax a medium out of retirement, but a pop star trying to summon Satan to revive his stalled career interrupts their burgeoning romance. Given the setup, the plot's surprisingly predictable, but there are a couple of chuckles to be had. I think people will like it well enough to spend 90 minutes with it, then forget it. However, personally I had to deduct 1/2 star because I kept imagining Melissa McCarthy starring in the Hollywood remake. 3/5.
Creep 2 (2017) - In this one, the creep meets his match in the form of an unflappable young filmmaker who is so desperate for youtube hits she doesn't seem to believe or even care that he's a strangling mangler :thumbup: she is one tough customer. ending wasn't quite as epic as part 1
Live and Let Die (1973)
Roger Moore's first mission as James Bond sends him to Harlem, New Orleans, and the Caribbean, where the prime minister of a small island nation is also in charge of a major heroin smuggling ring. The influence of the then-current "blaxploitation" film craze is all over this one, so it hasn't aged particularly well, but it's a fun adventure anyway.
"Comic Book Confidential" (1988)
Cool (though a bit dated now) documentary that takes viewers through the history of American comic books, via interviews with legends like Jack Kirby, William M. Gaines, Al Feldstein, Robert Crumb, Frank Miller, and many more. Neat stuff for fanboys.
MURDER DEATH KOREATOWN (2020): An unemployed man becomes obsessed with a murder that happened in a nearby apartment complex, but his investigation quickly becomes paranoid as he imagines a wide-ranging conspiracy. It's presented as "found footage" (though someone put in a soundtrack) and submitted anonymously. A laudable experiment in low budget character study, though it has some pacing issues (the protagonist goes from zero to schizo in under twenty minutes) and with zero action the interest often sags. Rating is on entertainment and artistic value alone, but if you're the type to give bonus stars to productions for overcoming low-budget obstacles, you'll want to bump this up, since the makers created something capable of keeping your interest at a budget well under $1000 (maybe under $100, not counting sweat equity). Made it to Amazon Prime and I bet they will turn a small profit. 2.5/5.
The Babysitter (2017)
Cole (Judah Lewis) is an overprotected boy, whose parents insist he still has a babysitter. Luckily for him, that is Bee (Samara Weaving) who is not only gorgeous and cool, but the only person who takes him seriously. But then Cole finds out that Bee is really the leader of a satanic cult, and the movie quickly turns into a very gory version of Home Alone.
This is good fun. The movie sets its sights low: it just wants to provide entertainment for 90 minutes and it delivers. It is by no means perfect, there are strange gimmicks and with its combination of snarky dialogue and scares it tries very hard to be Buffy, and doesn't succeed. However, Samara Weaving and Judah Lewis are excellent. They have a real chemistry and their performances make the movie more than a run of the mill horror comedy.
If you liked Samara Weaving in Ready or Not, and see her turn the tables, this is the movie for you.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on April 29, 2020, 09:57:03 PM
Live and Let Die (1973)
Roger Moore's first mission as James Bond sends him to Harlem, New Orleans, and the Caribbean, where the prime minister of a small island nation is also in charge of a major heroin smuggling ring. The influence of the then-current "blaxploitation" film craze is all over this one, so it hasn't aged particularly well, but it's a fun adventure anyway.
The dumb ass apartheid censors cut out the sex scenes between Sir Roger Moore and Gloria Hendry :tongueout:
Quote from: Trevor on May 02, 2020, 05:15:14 AM
The dumb ass apartheid censors cut out the sex scenes between Sir Roger Moore and Gloria Hendry :tongueout:
I've read that the Moore/Hendry love scene wasn't particularly well received in the Southern part of the U.S. at the time, either.
"A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman" (2012)
Highlights of the late Graham Chapman's life and career are presented via recordings of his voice (taped during the '80s, from his book of the same name) and brought to life in a series of animated sketches. It's an interesting idea, but the animation styles vary from segment to segment and the clashes between them (going from ultra-realistic to artsy/surreal, cartoony, and sometimes downright ugly) eventually becomes a distraction. Most of the surviving Python members (except Eric Idle) have voice parts in the film, which is a nice touch, but I was bored long before it ended. Even Python diehards will probably find this to be a tough slog. Disappointing.
"We Are The League" (2019)
A wildly entertaining documentary about The Anti-Nowhere League, the raunchy, obnoxious early '80s English punk legends best known for the tracks "Streets of London," "I Hate People," and of course, "So What" (later made famous by Metallica). Lead singer "Animal" (the only original member still in the band) comes off like a punk Lemmy, and he and his mates mix lots of foul-mouthed, gross and hilarious stories with a bunch of never-before-seen vintage performance footage. A cool portrait of a band that's still bad ass as ever, nearly 40 years on. Long live the League!
Hush - a deaf mute woman is under siege in her house by a guy with an ironically happy face mask. Hey, at least shes not pregnant, too. A little shorter than 90 minutes was a good idea. It was tense and entertaining enough for that amount of time.
one thing 's for sure: If I am ever straddling someones chest with the intent of finishing them off I will closely watch their hands to make sure they don't grab a wine cork or other object that happens to be within reach!
4/5
"Welcome To Your Funeral: The Story of Rigor Mortis, Part One" (2015)
A charmingly cheap documentary (narrated by Phil Anselmo) about the semi-legendary Texas speed/thrash band, who rose from the underground and achieved instant cult stardom when they became the first Texas metal band to sign a major label deal, beating their cross town rivals Pantera to the punch by a couple of years.
I was never a particularly huge Rigor Mortis fan and hadn't heard them in years, but this was a fun trip back in time. The band members tell lots of hilarious stories of their days thrashing, drinking and brawling across the Texas club scene, supported by loads of vintage photos, concert flyers, live videos, and other cool stuff.
The film is sub-titled "Part One" but considering that two of the Rigor Mortis members have passed away (guitarist Mike Scaccia and vocalist Bruce Corbitt, who directed this doc), I wonder if there will ever be a "Part Two."
DEERSKIN (2019): A middle-aged man becomes obsessed with his new deerskin jacket and enters into an unhealthy symbiotic relationship with it. The concept pushes the limits of absurdity, but DEERSKIN is actually more restrained and focused than the Quentin Dupieux's usual black comedies, an approach perhaps taken to best utilize the talents of the movie's top asset---Oscar winner Jean Dujardin, whose aging, delusional narcissist is as believable as the scenario is ridiculous. 3/5.
i bought a bunch of movies recently at drug mart for a buck and this isn't the thread to post all of those but i did watch one of them and that's (2017)'s
Wind River 10/10 a must see peeps and my folks rented it when it came out because at drug mart you still can rent movies but i dunno about now though during the virus threat... anyways they both enjoyed it and the ones i bought were ones i haven't seen And Wind River was one of them.
we had showtime for free this past weekend and i dvr'd a crap load of movies, i watched "American History X' (1998) the other night and i really loved it i had never seen it before and had always wanted to see it. 10/10. than i watched one i wish i did buy and i will this one you guys have to watch it's called
Trumbo (2015) with Bryon Cranston and it had a fantastic cast about Dalton Trumbo and him being blacklisted in hollywood during the 50's. though i could have lived without seeing Bryon Cranston's ass though. the film was simply Brilliant though 10/10
i've been meaning to watch trumbo( yes, i have a huge list of those, lol!) , good to see you enjoyed it, penny. :cheers:
"The Substitute 3: Winner Takes All" (1999)
Treat Williams is back for another round of readin', writin' and corporal punishment. This time a college-campus visit to an old war buddy's daughter leads him to uncover a mob-run, school-supported steroid manufacturing operation on campus. The usual mayhem and destruction follows. Cheap & cheesy but entertaining direct-to-video action junk.
They Shall Not Grow Old (2018)
Peter Jackson's monumental documentary using a truly massive amount of restored and colourised archive footage to accompany the stories of veterans. If I have to make a minor quibble, it largely sticks to the accepted narrative of the British experience of the Western Front, and doesn't explore other aspects. That being said, it is truly impressive and doesn't pull any punches, neither about the horrors of war, nor about the seedier aspects of front life. If you want to see the reality behind the movie 1917, this is a must see.
Also, about every ten minutes there is a mention of tea.
MOON (2009)
Astronaut Sam Bell has a quintessentially personal encounter toward the end of his three-year stint on the Moon, where he, working alongside his computer, GERTY, sends back to Earth parcels of a resource that has helped diminish our planet's power problems.
Decided to watch the first directing work from Duncan Jones, I went with high expectations and came out even more surprised. This movie is simply amazing.
Talking too much about it would break the plot, but the whole situation really makes you feel like you're in the moon with Sam Bell. The scenery is amazing and you can feel the effect of his prolongued solitude and particular situation as if you were there with him.
For fans of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY this is a must. I actually think it's better, to be honest I never really enjoyed the snobish, boring and pretentious works of Kubrick.
I do have to say that this movie needs a lot more of GERTY. HAL sucks compared to him. 10/10 :thumbup:
CONTACT (1997)
Dr. Ellie Arroway, after years of searching, finds conclusive radio proof of extraterrestrial intelligence, sending plans for a mysterious machine.
What can you say about this classic? I never had the chance to watch it fully but now that I did, whoa, what a movie. The constant struggle between science and religion is discussed in depth here, and it will make you think about it for hours, if not years to come. Jodie Foster is simply incredible.
Truly, a movie that can make you meditate about the very nature of our existence. 10/10 :thumbup:
BLADE RUNNER 2049 (2017)
Young Blade Runner K's discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former Blade Runner Rick Deckard, who's been missing for thirty years.
Not long ago I watched the original BLADE RUNNER for the first time and I liked it a lot. I mean, it was nothing original, but the scenery and effects were marvelous, as well the protagonist by Harrison Ford. The sequel is simply garbage in my opinion. What was the point of the virtual chick? What about that ridiculous threesome, and why they give it so much screen time? What? Why? What?
The main point of the plot makes no sense: why would you go through the effort of letting replicants reproduce, when it's much more time consuming and expensive? Just by answering that question you'll realize the whole "searching for the secret" it's ridiculous.
The ending doesn't solve anything, like, at all. Any question you had will remain unanswered. How do they reproduce? Did they got away? Did the rebellion worked? Good luck figuring that out.
The worst thing about this movie is the pacing. Literally, every scene seems to go in slow motion. Now, the first one had this slow pacing, but it worked because it actually server a purpose - here, it's just to pan the whole movie. I was bored out of my skull with this, and couldn't care less about anyone except Lieutenant Joshi, who sadly was nothing but a secondary character. Harrison Ford was just there for the paycheck, he looked even more bored than me. Jared Leto was the most cheesy and ridiculous villain I've seen in a while; his monologues were terrible and made no f**king sense.
Terrible movie and an insult to the original. It's silly to think that the first one looked way better and had only a fraction of its budget. 4/10 :thumbdown:
"Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" (2017)
In a high-tech update of the '90s hit, four kids boot up an old video game and suddenly find themselves trapped inside it. To return home, their "avatars" (Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan) must battle a variety of bad guys and survive numerous perils to finish the game. Fast, funny, action packed, family friendly popcorn fun. My video game crazed 12 year old loved this one.
Mayhem (2017)
Continuing my series of watching Samara Weaving kick ass, I saw Mayhem (2017). A big office building of a law firm is infected by a virus that turns people into raving maniacs. Steven Yeun and Samara Weaving are trapped inside and fight their way to the top to obtain justice.
It is a satire about corporate greed and the unscrupulous behaviour of law firms, and a very heavy handed one at that. This is the kind of movie where the director constantly worries whether he has made everything sufficiently obvious. It is also very lazy, things happen purely for plot convenience, the effects of the virus vary as and when required, there are repeated infodumps by voice off...
This is not a bad movie, it has its moments. However, it never strays from the formula.
14 Cameras - A guy films people in airbnb type houses he rents out and sells the footage on the darkweb. Why anyone would want to do that when theres free porn online is a mystery but awesome movie. The guy is so sick. plot is simple and it doesn't reach any amazing heights but timely and creepy 4.25/5
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EXlv4DOXYAM7xe2?format=jpg&name=small)
"Demolition Man" (1993)
A two-fisted, all-guns-blazing 20th century cop (Sylvester Stallone) cryogenically frozen in 1996, is thawed out in the year 2032 when his arch enemy (Wesley Snipes, clearly having the time of his life) resurfaces in the ultra-PC, docile, safe-as-milk California of the future. Bullets fly, cars crash, and things frequently explode as Sly shows the wimpy future cops (incl. a young, cute-as-hell Sandra Bullock) how real police handled crime back in the day.
This elaborate, satirical sci-fi action flick gets a lot of laughs out Stallone's attempts to adjust to the dystopian 21st century, but doesn't hold back when it comes to action sequences, which are still impressive today. One of Sly's better mid-career efforts.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on May 09, 2020, 05:59:57 PM
"Demolition Man" (1993)
A two-fisted, all-guns-blazing 20th century cop (Sylvester Stallone) cryogenically frozen in 1996, is thawed out in the year 2032 when his arch enemy (Wesley Snipes, clearly having the time of his life) resurfaces in the ultra-PC, docile, safe-as-milk California of the future. Bullets fly, cars crash, and things frequently explode as Sly shows the wimpy future cops (incl. a young, cute-as-hell Sandra Bullock) how real police handled crime back in the day.
This elaborate, satirical sci-fi action flick gets a lot of laughs out Stallone's attempts to adjust to the dystopian 21st century, but doesn't hold back when it comes to action sequences, which are still impressive today. One of Sly's better mid-career efforts.
Given the current toilet paper shortage, I just wish someone would explain to me how to use the three shells!
"The Substitute 4: Failure Is Not an Option" (2001)
Treat Williams' third and final go-round as the avenging educator sends him to an exclusive military academy, where a crazed commandant is recruiting the school's elite cadets for a white-supremacist army.
Treat and the supporting cast do their best, but the action is hampered by the movie's obvious made-for-cable budget restraints.
I guess if you've seen the other 3 "Substitutes," you might as well watch this one to run the table, but otherwise there's no real need to bother with it.
PANDORA AND THE FLYING DUTCHMAN (1951): A cruel seductress falls for a ship captain who may in fact be the Flying Dutchman, a sailor cursed to wander the seas forever until he can find a woman willing to die for him to break the curse. A bit too slow-paced and obvious, but it does have James Mason and Ava Gardner and a s**t ton of class. 3.5/5.
Quote from: indianasmith on May 09, 2020, 06:20:16 PM
Given the current toilet paper shortage, I just wish someone would explain to me how to use the three shells!
Maybe they'll explain it in the sequel that Stallone sez is supposedly in development right now... :D
13 cameras - for once, this prior installment is NOT as a good as the sequel, which avoids all the formality and just gets to the squirm. 3/5
At The Earths Core. Peter Cushing & Doug Maclure meet Caroline Munro beneath the earth. Campy but enjoyable adventure.
Tales from the Crypt. More Peter Cushing, along with Joan Collins, Ralph Richardson and Nigel Patrick is a set of portmanu stories from Amicus.
ASSASSIN 33 A.D. (2020): Muslim extremists use a time machine to go back to 33 A.D. to try to assassinate Jesus; with the encouragement of his Christian girlfriend, an agnostic genius tries to fix the time stream. I wouldn't say its impossible to make a good Christian time travel movie; but I am pretty sure it is impossible to make a good Christian time travel movie that involves strike teams with assault weapons going back to 1st century Judea to kill Jesus. 1.5/5.
Quote from: Rev. Powell on May 13, 2020, 08:56:20 AM
ASSASSIN 33 A.D. (2020): Muslim extremists use a time machine to go back to 33 A.D. to try to assassinate Jesus; with the encouragement of his Christian girlfriend, an agnostic genius tries to fix the time stream. I wouldn't say its impossible to make a good Christian time travel movie; but I am pretty sure it is impossible to make a good Christian time travel movie that involves strike teams with assault weapons going back to 1st century Judea to kill Jesus. 1.5/5.
This one sounds like a real groaner, but at the same time I'm a bit curious . . .
what would Jesus do...in that situation
Quote from: indianasmith on May 13, 2020, 11:56:13 AM
Quote from: Rev. Powell on May 13, 2020, 08:56:20 AM
ASSASSIN 33 A.D. (2020): Muslim extremists use a time machine to go back to 33 A.D. to try to assassinate Jesus; with the encouragement of his Christian girlfriend, an agnostic genius tries to fix the time stream. I wouldn't say its impossible to make a good Christian time travel movie; but I am pretty sure it is impossible to make a good Christian time travel movie that involves strike teams with assault weapons going back to 1st century Judea to kill Jesus. 1.5/5.
This one sounds like a real groaner, but at the same time I'm a bit curious . . .
There are so many problems with it my head is spinning. It's hard to make an action movie with lots of gun battles and still be a "faith based" movie about a pacifist who preached to "love your enemies." The script's solution, I guess, is that Jesus is just fine with automatic weapons as long as you only shoot Muslim terrorists.
Quote from: Rev. Powell on May 13, 2020, 08:56:20 AM
ASSASSIN 33 A.D. (2020): Muslim extremists use a time machine to go back to 33 A.D. to try to assassinate Jesus; with the encouragement of his Christian girlfriend, an agnostic genius tries to fix the time stream. I wouldn't say its impossible to make a good Christian time travel movie; but I am pretty sure it is impossible to make a good Christian time travel movie that involves strike teams with assault weapons going back to 1st century Judea to kill Jesus. 1.5/5.
I'm not qualified to comment on theological points, but given that the death and subsequent resurrection of Jesus is a central tenet of the Christian faith, how does this even make sense? The whole point is that Jesus died for our sins.
"Freejack" (1992)
A 1990s race-car driver (Emilio Estevez) is teleported out of a crash a split second before he would have been killed, and finds himself on the run in the dystopian New York City of 2009 (hah!), where rich elites routinely pluck healthy bodies out of the past to transfer their minds into.
This fast paced, dumb but fun sci-fi action thriller is worth a watch mainly for the stunt casting of Mick Jagger (!) -- he plays a bounty hunter who pursues Estevez's character, with a "What the hell am I doing in this movie? Remind me to fire my agent" look on his face the entire time. Sir Anthony Hopkins, fresh off of his triumphant turn in "Silence of the Lambs," shows up for a quick paycheck playing the film's Big Bad, and Renee "Lethal Weapon Babe" Russo, as Estevez's love interest, doesn't do much besides stand around and pout.
The "virtual reality" special effects were pretty whiz-bang for the time period, but have aged horribly, and as an added Metal Nerd Bonus, the end credit theme is the Scorpions' "Hit Between the Eyes." A time capsule of early '90s cheesiness!
MAD MAX (1979)
In a self-destructing world, a vengeful Australian policeman sets out to stop a violent motorcycle gang.
I gotta say, this movie didn't aged well in my eyes. Still, the simple premise works, and the young Mel Gibson does make a good job as the broken interceptor.
My main gripe with it is that it barely feels post apocalyptic and certainly not futuristic. There's zero background for the current state of the world, and nobody seems to have serious issues getting water, fuel, or anything else to be honest. Heck, they even go in a vacation to a beatiful place and have ice cream, wtf.
Entertaining but nowadays it's only good to serve as a trampoline for the sequel. 6/10 :lookingup:
MAD MAX II (1981)
In the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline rich community escape a horde of bandits.
This is it, now we're talking. The movie begins with a great introduction about the world and its people, setting the tone just right. Max is clearly defined as a violent but noble wanderer, and the rest of the characters are just amazing, especially the Gyro Captain. The plot is rather bland but enough to keep you entertained, and doesn't try to take itself too seriously, which works great because there's plenty of delicious cheesyness around.
Great movie, and a total classic that spawned a million copycats. 8/10 :thumbup:
MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME (1985)
After being exiled from the most advanced town in post apocalyptic Australia, a drifter travels with a group of abandoned children to rebel against the town's queen.
When this movie started I was actually really hooked. The whole idea of Bartertown, the deceiving queen, and the crazy characters was awesome. Master Blaster looked great and everything went flawlessly... until someone lost the script and had to come up with something else, and quick. So it begins Mad Max Meets Peter Pan, and it goes downhill from there, never to recover again.
If you enjoyed the violence and somber tone of the previous movies, get ready to be disappointed with this ridiculous garbage. And please, please tell me something: why would they cast Bruce Spence again for an exactly looking role than MAD MAX II, but changing the character altogether? Are you saying that you have another guy who flies, looks and dress exactly the same, but he's a completely different person? Why would they do that will always be a mystery to me.
Avoid this like the plague, it's a complete disaster. Or just watch until the Thunderdome scene is over, at least you'll enjoy that. 4/10 :thumbdown:
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)
In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in search for her homeland with the aid of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshiper, and a drifter named Max.
I try to avoid reboots but decided to give this one a chance, since, like MAD MAX II, it was made by George Miller. I gotta say, the guy did a great job, although there are some problems with this movie. First, there's no plot. Like, at all. It's not until 60 minutes in, when they meet the biker grannies, when something resembling a plot starts to show, but there's not much else that "they escape from point A, reach point B, and go back to point A". That's right: the first hour is nothing more than a big, huge, crazy car chase.
Along the way we have very little character development, enough for us to care for the characters. Max barely talks, although I think Tom Hardy did a good work trying to emulate Mel Gibson. Charlize Theron kicks ass and she's probably the best of the bunch, honestly the movie would fall apart without her commanding and empathic presence.
One thing I absolutely loved about this movie it's the looks. Every character is completely different, and it tells a story of its own; hell, you could make spinoffs of pretty much everyone involved, even the guitar guy. The rigs are pure badass and the practical effects are amazing; it's only when they use CGI that the movie starts to look like a videogame, like when they go into the thunderstorm.
You'll find plenty of nods to MAD MAX II, like the musical box, Max's broken leg, the failing shotgun, and even the Gyro Captain skull, all which show the love of its creator., and may bring you for a second viewing. A very fun movie, but you'll probably forget about it the following week. 7/10 :thumbup:
The guitar guy actually got a back story.
QuoteThere are two different back stories for Coma. George's version was Coma lived in an abandoned mine with his mother. He survived eating rodents and drinking water from the sea bed. Immortan Joe came past the mine one day and heard Coma playing guitar. He was taken in and from there rose to the position of bugler, calling everyone to war.
Iota expanded on that: he was a child musical prodigy brought up in a happy environment by his mother, who was a musician herself. Then Coma and his mother were attacked. His mother was dragged away and days later someone dropped her head in Coma's lap. Immortan Joe found Coma clinging to the head of his mother. Joe took him in. There are two different stories about the origin of his mask. The first story notes that Coma made a mask from his mother's face, which he sliced from her skull himself.[1] The second story differs, claiming that Immortan Joe made the mask for him, a battle singer, to "Enact Joe's revenge on the world with his mother's screaming face on."
Quote from: Alex on May 14, 2020, 01:36:34 PM
The guitar guy actually got a back story.
QuoteThere are two different back stories for Coma. George's version was Coma lived in an abandoned mine with his mother. He survived eating rodents and drinking water from the sea bed. Immortan Joe came past the mine one day and heard Coma playing guitar. He was taken in and from there rose to the position of bugler, calling everyone to war.
Iota expanded on that: he was a child musical prodigy brought up in a happy environment by his mother, who was a musician herself. Then Coma and his mother were attacked. His mother was dragged away and days later someone dropped her head in Coma's lap. Immortan Joe found Coma clinging to the head of his mother. Joe took him in. There are two different stories about the origin of his mask. The first story notes that Coma made a mask from his mother's face, which he sliced from her skull himself.[1] The second story differs, claiming that Immortan Joe made the mask for him, a battle singer, to "Enact Joe's revenge on the world with his mother's screaming face on."
I am the only person I know who hated the guitarist. When I mentioned hating him I found out I was apparently the only person in the world who hated him. I still think he belongs in a KISS video, not a Mad Max movie.
Quote from: Rev. Powell on May 13, 2020, 08:56:20 AM
ASSASSIN 33 A.D. (2020): Muslim extremists use a time machine to go back to 33 A.D. to try to assassinate Jesus; with the encouragement of his Christian girlfriend, an agnostic genius tries to fix the time stream. I wouldn't say its impossible to make a good Christian time travel movie; but I am pretty sure it is impossible to make a good Christian time travel movie that involves strike teams with assault weapons going back to 1st century Judea to kill Jesus. 1.5/5.
Not gonna lie, that sounds (pun intended) god-awful, but I'd watch it anyway.
Quote from: Rev. Powell on May 14, 2020, 02:49:37 PMI am the only person I know who hated the guitarist. When I mentioned hating him I found out I was apparently the only person in the world who hated him. I still think he belongs in a KISS video, not a Mad Max movie.
Well, to be fair, I don't particularly love the character, just the looks of it. I too believe electric guitars have no place in a Mad Max movie, and actually I thought about it while watching it, since the idea was very funny to me. Did Immortan Joe gathered his men and said "all right, now I want one of you to stand in front of a car and play a flaming guitar day and night! That's an order!"? I wonder if he personally selected the speakers too, lol.
Having said that, I do think the character fits the whole mood of this particular film. Honestly, for some reason the movie kept bringing the figure of Eddie from Iron Maiden to my mind, so a guy with a guitar made sense to me. And to be fair, considering there's biker grannies and super agile rastafari guys throwing bombs, the guitar guy just blends in.
Killer klowns from Outer Space - I hadn't seen this since it came out. like Elvira Mistress of the Dark and Pee Wee's Big Adventure it has that big comic book-y feel that the 80's uniquely delivered. obviously a bit of 50's/ midnight movie nostalgia is implied 5/5
Quote from: lester1/2jr on May 15, 2020, 12:30:17 PM
Killer klowns from Outer Space - I hadn't seen this since it came out. like Elvira Mistress of the Dark and Pee Wee's Big Adventure it has that big comic book-y feel that the 80's uniquely delivered. obviously a bit of 50's/ midnight movie nostalgia is implied 5/5
With a remake on the way. :question:
the Klowns will bring everyone back to their rural cabin and torture them for 5 years then stupidly let them escape
"Moving Violations" (1985)
A crew of misfit drivers must graduate from the city's traffic school to regain their licenses, but the hard-ass police officer in charge of the course has no intention of letting any of them back on the road anytime soon. Wacky hijinks and low-brow laughs ensue.
This silly but fun variant on the "Police Academy" formula (it's from the same producers) stars Bill Murray's younger brother John (in his first and only lead movie role), supported by an impressive cast that includes Jennifer Tilly, Wendy Jo Sperber, the late Fred Willard, and even Clara "Where's the Beef?" Peller. I've enjoyed this movie since it was an HBO staple back in the '80s, yet it seems like I'm one of the few who even remembers it after all these years.
The Battle of the Worlds (1961)
Another Italian production that tries to be American (Original title Il pianete degli uomini spenti - the planet of the extinct men). It has a lot in common with the War between the Planets (in fact, some of the spaceships and props look remarkably similar) in that a rogue planet comes into our solar system, and crates general mayhem. This time the planet turns out to be the last remnant of a long dead race (hence the Italian title).
While War between the Planets is all about daring adventures in space, this one takes a more 'intellectual' approach. It consists mainly of an insufferable know it all professor arguing with the authorities about what to do with the planet, and not agreeing on anything. In a curious way, the movie resembles a romantic opera: all tension is artificially created by stubborn adhesion to principles and a refusal to communicate, while the action mostly takes place off stage. Only this hasn't got any music. Instead, there is a lot of talk about Truth, and Science and Calculus, which seems to hold the key to the mysteries of the universe.
The space scenes are nothing to write home about, and acting is wooden all round, except for veteran Claude Rains as the professor, who takes it upon himself to compensate for the rest of the cast.
"Bad Channels" (1992)
Alien invaders take over a radio station and use its signal to miniaturize Earth girls in order to bring them back to their home planet. Earth's only hope lies with an intrepid DJ trapped inside with the critters and a TV news reporter (MTV's Martha Quinn!) on the outside.
Cheesy on purpose sci-fi/comedy schlock from Full Moon Studios, featuring music from Blue Oyster Cult and Ron Keel's Fair Game. Good for a few chuckles but that's about it.
moving violations WOW i just love that movie so much, i watched it all the time as a kid, no i never really got the S&M jokes back than but than i don't remember asking either. it was either that or i just wasn't thinking about it at all i think that's about it cause it was done for comedy pretty much.
it's also got Stacey Keach's Brother as well in it. i in fact own this sucker on VHS. i really need to get it on blu-ray if it's even on it that is! i honestly can't remember. Killer klowns from outer space is a favorite of mine as well, the film is utter cheese fest and i love it, ICP though i doubt any fans of their music is on here but me lol. use John Vernon saying, Sgt can i help ya? i forget his name off hand? and it's the phone call he takes to that women saying she's got a killer clown at her front door and he doesn't believe her. the end of it has always been my favorite part to be honest, i had forgotten they were doing a remake
uh WHY exactly?
the film is perfect as it is i think. Bad Channels i have seen and it's simply awful i love Charles Band's films but that one is one of his worst. anyways,
i watched some bad ones myself lately. (1981)'s Final Exam holy F... is that an awful film, than i watched "The Initiation from (1984) a really awful film with a great twist ending i did not see coming but than i really didn't think about either.
i watched on you tube in fact "Murder by Phone' and oldie from (1982) aka Bells if you watch it in Canada. a pretty good film actually and one i'm never gonna watch again but i liked it, it was different on you tube they had oh they so need to remake this, my question is WHY? not everything needs to be remade.
go after the really awful ones and remake those they need to leave the good ones alone ya know? but i good one i watched a few days ago you all should check out is (1981)'s The Burning' i had never seen it but i really loved it. 1st kill was about 40 minutes in and that surprised me but it worked because it had character development and we got to spend some time with them before they were killed off. well worth a watch for those who haven't seen it.
reading older posts Free Jack another classic from (1992) is a favorite film of mine i haven't watched it in a few years so i dunno how good or bad it's aged to
be honest. though Mick Jagger was freaking awesome in it
"Rambo: Last Blood" (2019)
Stallone's 5th (and final?) go-round as Rambo, Johnny is now living the quiet life on his family farm in Arizona, until his adopted daughter is kidnapped by human traffickers in Mexico, forcing him to head south of the border.
This one took a little while to get going but once the bodies start dropping, the violence is gloriously brutal. It's a decent butt kicker but its relatively small scope doesn't really feel like a "Rambo" movie, if that makes any sense -- it's a fairly generic revenge saga that could have starred just about anybody. Sly is looking kind of leathery nowadays so it may be time to put this franchise to rest.
LOGAN (2017)
In a future where mutants are nearly extinct, an elderly and weary Logan leads a quiet life. But when Laura, a mutant child pursued by scientists, comes to him for help, he must get her to safety.
WARNING: SOME SPOILERS AHEAD
Apart from the original trilogies of SPIDER-MAN and X-MEN, I'm not much into super heroes movies. I watched X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE and I tought it was really good, not sure why everybody trashed it. In contrast, I consider THE WOLVERINE and DAYS OF FUTURE PAST complete garbage, and made me move away from the franchise altogether. I had the disgrace of watching stuff like BATMAN V SUPERMAN and one of the AVENGERS (don't ask me which), and I regret it to this day.
I decided to give this one a shot because I heard good things about it, and they weren't wrong. The movie does have some problems tho: it's extremely bleak and depressing, it has some plot holes, some things came out of nowhere, like the Logan clone, and it doesn't follow any of the other movies, since it's a stand alone film; this may be considered a good thing because someone who is not familiar with Wolverine or the X-Men franchise can follow the plot without any issues.
But these things are minor when you face amazing roles from the main leads, especially the young Dafne Keen as Laura. Unlike the previous films the gore is ranked up high, which I think it's fitting for the role of Wolvie, although it's weird seeing the Professor saying "f**king". Speaking of him, they gave a great ending to the main character but not to one of the most important ones in the whole franchise, they could've put more effort on his death I think. Still, Logan did had a good treatment, and his farewell from the screen was a satisfying one, ending with a note of hope.
A well done and powerful movie. 8/10 :thumbup:
THE WOLF HOUSE [A CASA LOBO] (2018): Stop motion animation from Chile, telling the dark fairy tale story of a girl who flees a cult, finds an abandoned house in the woods, and raises two piglets as her children. The experimental animation traps us in a constantly shifting nightmare dollhouse; Maria merges into and out of the walls, conjures human features for her pigs, and even the religious paintings on the walls can't hold their forms for more than a second or two. 4.5/5.
THE LIVING IDOL (1957): A Mexican woman is inexplicably terrified by the sight of a stone idol; her adoptive father, an archeology professor, thinks it's a "racial memory" of an Aztec human sacrifice ritual. There's a lot of fevered nonsense in the second half of this ridiculous adventure yarn, but since the heroine starts off by falling in love with the movie's white-bread narrator, you have to sit through forty-five minutes of tepid romance before they let loose the jaguar and things heat up. 2/5.
The Heretics (2017) - Its not a masterpiece, but this movie has some really good EVIL in it, and thats high praise for a horror movie. At its best, it recalls the kind of late night devil worship movies I used to watch on Elvira and similar such programs. At its more mediocre , it's like so many of the quickly made, predictable looking and feeling movies of the current age. Hard to derive much meaning from it all, but you love to see someone who acts nice then has secret devil worship stuff in their closet. You know you do!
4/5
Terrifier - This had a bit of the classic slasher movie vibe, but the main actress is annoying and unlikeable and in retrospect it all makes very little sense. opening scene was really strong
2.5/5
Underwater (2020)
At the bottom of the ocean researchers experience an earthquake (seaquake?) and strange lifeforms attacking their damaged facilities.
Sci-fi horror that borrows from Alien (1979). With a budget of $80m Underwater looks great but Kristen Stewart looks ...weird. Underwater delivers the goods at times and has a decent cast, creepy sea creatures and dazzling special effects but the film somehow still feels uneven and rushed. It kinda needed a final polish, and one has to wonder why Underwater was shelved for three years. For a double feature it makes for an entertaining warm up paired with Life (2017) as both are similar in character. My rating: 3.5/5
JOHN WICK 3: PARABELLUM Keanu Reeves is back as the world's deadliest assassin in this third movie of the series. This time they pretty much dispensed with all pretense of a plot and simply got straight to the killing; Wick has been declared "Excommunicado" and is being hunted all over the world. Lots of blood, bullets, and bad acting. The first installment was fun and entertaining, the second one had its moments, this one was just plain tiresome by the end. 2.5/5
Byzantium (2012)
A mother and daughter vampire couple are hunted down by the other vampires because they have broken the Code of the Brotherhood (mainly by being women). This is an original take on vampire lore (including a pretty convoluted way of becoming a vampire), the effects of immortality and the attempts to escape to a better life. Well worth seeing and beautifully filmed.
"Nightwatch" (1997)
A young law student (Ewan McGregor) takes a new job as the night watchman at the city morgue. Meanwhile, a necrophiliac serial killer is carving up local prostitutes and leaving clues at the scenes that point to McGregor's character. Can he clear his name before the psycho strikes again?
A fairly "meh" horror/thriller that wishes it was "Seven," apparently based on a Danish film from a few years earlier. Skippable.
The Best Little Whore House in Texas.
Bury Reynolds is a good ol' boy Sheriff with a temper and a regular patron of The Chicken Ranch. The Chicken Ranch is local Whorehouse that's seen by the town, the sheriff, and the Mayor as providing an importan community service. It's run by strict standards by Dolly Parton as place where people can go for "good clean wholesome fun". When a TV expose reporter, played by Dom DeLuise, sets his sights on shutting it down for ratings, the sherrif has to fight to keep it open.
It's not a great movie, but it's fun. There's a few good musical numbers in it. I especially like the governor singing "sidestep."
It's a nice fun movie with a title that might put some people off, but nothing too out there.
ESCAPE FROM THE 'LIBERTY' CINEMA (1990): A Communist censor is increasingly frustrated when the characters in a movie refuse to play their parts and start talking back to the audience instead. It's Poland's glasnost version of THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO---the filmmakers steal from Woody Allen's film as literally as you could imagine, but with a political purpose in mind. Unpredictable. 4/5.
Quote from: lester1/2jr on May 23, 2020, 12:50:23 PM
Terrifier - This had a bit of the classic slasher movie vibe, but the main actress is annoying and unlikeable and in retrospect it all makes very little sense. opening scene was really strong
2.5/5
Is that the one with the clown cutting the woman in half at the start? I keep meaning to track that one down.
"The Devil's Rejects" (2005)
In the follow up to Rob Zombie's "House of 1000 Corpses," the mass murdering Firefly "family's" home base is raided by police, which sends Capt. Spaulding (Sid Haig), Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie) and Otis (Bill Mosely) on the run through the Texas badlands -- pursued by a revenge-obsessed sheriff (William Forsythe) who might be just as crazy as they are. This ultra-violent, action packed and occasionally quite funny ode to Rob's favorite grindhouse splatter flicks of the '70s is a vast improvement over the first movie.
Alex - yeah it's on Netflix instant. That was a high point for sure
Quote from: Alex on May 24, 2020, 01:56:58 PM
Quote from: lester1/2jr on May 23, 2020, 12:50:23 PM
Terrifier - This had a bit of the classic slasher movie vibe, but the main actress is annoying and unlikeable and in retrospect it all makes very little sense. opening scene was really strong
2.5/5
Is that the one with the clown cutting the woman in half at the start? I keep meaning to track that one down.
Yeah, it's the one with the black and white clown. I love the clown's design but the movie itself felt like it needed more substance to it.
The Girl Next Door - this was the 07 horror movie not the one with the girl from 24.
I got about halfway through and saw where it was going. not for me _ / 5
LINCOLN (2013) - Rewatched one of my favorite films of all time last night; Spielberg's screenplay is brilliant and highly accurate, and Daniel Day Lewis brings Abraham Lincoln back to life with eerie authenticity. Great supporting cast, especially Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens and Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln. The focus of the film is on the legal battle to get the 13th Amendment through Congress before the end of the war, to make sure slavery was abolished forever, and how Lincoln used every political trick in the book to get the votes he needed to accomplish what he called the "King's Cure" for the evil of slavery. One of my favorite films of all time, and I still tear up at the end. 5/5
Boo!
Color Out of Space (2019)
A family of hipster farmers (the mother works from home from her computer, the daughter is sort of into the occult and they have Alpacas in the barn) encounter a meteorite that lands in their front yard. Soon enough a purple, pink and blue nightmare begins.
British director Richard Stanley (Dust Devil, Hardware) returns to the big screen with his version of H.P. Lovecraft's tale of madness from outer space. It is quite trippy and Nicolas Cage certainly adds to the insanity. This is beautifully shot with amazing color f/x. The plot doesn't always run smoothly but that's just a minor issue. If anything, it proves that Richard Stanley hasn't lost his skills at making good cult movies. I'm sure Color Out of Space already has a following. 4/5
"Deadlier Than THe Male" (1967)
One of the best James Bond knock-offs to come out of the mid Sixties"Eurospy" craze, this slick flick stars Richard Johnson (whom, legend has it, was a candidate to play 007 in "Dr. No," but he turned it down) as the suave, globe trotting investigator Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond, on the trail of a pair of lovely female assassins (Elke Sommer and Sylva Koscina) who are killing off the executives of a major oil company.
"Deadlier" is a fairly lavish production that raises it above the usual cheap-o Eurospy fare, with lots of gorgeous Riviera scenery and female eye candy. Seriously fellas, just watch this one to ogle German mega-babe Elke Sommer. She was so hot back then, it's ridiculous.
Followed by a 1969 sequel, "Some Girls Do."
Phantasm - I had never seen this somehow. I had seen a prior movie made by the director which was a pretty fun kids movie. There are elements of that genre in this, in fact its a pretty strange mashup of after school special teen drama and drive in style horror with some weird the Manitou style sci fi thrown in. The director might want to check out my "Like Normal people vs Zombies" movie suggestion it would be right up his alley.
3.75 / 5
BIG MAN JAPAN (2007): A cameraman follows around Big Man Japan, who protects Japan from various kaiju attacks by growing to enormous size; far from enjoying the glamorous life of a national hero, he's paunchy and depressed, deserted by his wife and child and suffering from plummeting ratings. The main attraction here is the imaginatively cheesy monster design: the stink monster mating dance is crazy enough, but have you ever seen a giant kaiju with a combover? This was recommended to me by Mofo Rising not long after it came out and I'm just getting around to it. 3.5/5.
" i am the pretty thing in this house", or whatever the title is. this was SO BAD. not only for the acting and the film work, but IT IS SO BORING. it took me 3 days to get through it because i kept falling asleep. in the afternoon. and i DON'T nap. AVOID LIKE COVID 19!
really you never saw Phantasm? i have a fan edit of it that's l really need to look at the time but it's i think around 5 minutes longer or so cause it's got a few deleted scenes put back in. such as the Ice Cream fight that was cut, or Jodie at the bank that was extended with his Girlfriend showing up.
it's also got a bit longer of a scene between Reggie and Mike singing as well. and than the hanging scene in the dream that was cut, anyways, i watched a pretty good one from (1971) called When Eight Bells Toll (1971) it 's also Anthony Hopkins 1st Lead role apparently and what it really is a Bond Clone but a pretty good one actually and it's well worth watching at least once.
i watched it on you tube and it was the Earliest Anthony Hopkins film i had since of his the Earliest i had seen of his films before was (1978)'s Magic which i have on VHS and it's a decent film.
this one the one i watched i give it a 8/10 check it out it's not that long of a movie either.
anyways i do have a workprint of Phantasm 2 in fact and it's weird to watch because the film is pretty complete but there's no music in it at all it's just Surreal to watch without it and it's not bad but it's amazing how when you watch any movie that's got music no matter how much or little there is and you don't think about it at all, than you watch a film that's got none at all and it's the workprint it just weakens the film i think, the difference it makes is just so Surreal
anyways
and i just got to say one more thing Boooooooooooooooooooooooy!
THE GHOST OF PETER SELLERS (2020): Director Peter Medak looks back at 1973's "The Ghost in the Noonday Sun," a pirate comedy so bad that the studio refused to release it, revealing how star Peter Sellers erratic behavior--firing producers, refusing to work, demanding on-the-spot rewrites by his pal Spike Milligan---destroyed the film. The entire fiasco is kind of funny, except that it's clearly not funny to Medak, whose career was nearly destroyed, and it suggests that Sellers suffered from severe depression, or worse. An exorcism. 3.5/5.
Peter Sellers was a really talented guy but he was they say a horrible human being, a terrible husband, a worse father and a really unpleasant guy in general but when it comes to his movies.... it's just a shame that he was such a horrible human being, i hadn't realized that he even had any movies at all that didn't get released
Sadly comedians seem to be really messed up one way or another in their private lives.
Haunt (2019)
A couple of friends hook up with others for a joyride on Halloween night. They eventually come across a haunted house attraction and decide to enter. Once inside they are separated and stalked by disfigured "employees" while looking for a way out.
Well made low budget slasher with creepy scares, decent cast and a few surprise twist and turns. Haunt is pretty much doing the same Hell Fest (2018) did a year before but Haunt did it better. My rating 4/5
"Some Girls Do" (1969)
In this sequel to "Deadlier Than The Male," Richard Johnson returns as swinging investigator Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond, assigned to find out who's sabotaging the test flights of Britain's latest supersonic aircraft. The trail leads to Drummond's zillionaire arch-enemy Carl Peterson, who's holed up on his own private island surrounded by an army of scantily clad robotic females. Shag-a-delic, baby!
This one is much more tongue in cheek than the first Drummond adventure and plays more like a spoof, but it's goofy, action packed fun with plenty of lovely female eye candy.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) - take "The Road Warrior", remove all trace of character or story, and stretch the car chase scenes out to 2 hours. Except replace the exquisite brutality of the real car crashes in Road Warrior with the typical "looks pretty fake" CGI crap. And replace the bad guys with cartoon caricatures of themselves. Good grief. Plot points, and I'm being totally serious here, consist of things like "truck engine sputters and dies."
So Max...oh give me a break..."some guy" gets captured by a bunch of screwballs who I'm guessing are the 10th generation of inbred descendants of the bad guys from The Road Warrior. Meanwhile a one-armed, grease-smeared Charlize Theron takes one of the screwball's trucks and makes a run for it. A big group of screwballs follow in various vehicles, lots of crashes take place (the tornado within the sandstorm thing was actually kind of cool), and wouldn't ya know it, Max is one of only two survivors among the group of pursuers. He meets up with Theron and a half dozen girls who I'm guessing were supposed to be in the "Slave Girls From Beyond Infinity" remake that never got made. They speak two, possibly three sentences to each other. Many car chases and unimpressive crashes follow. Two or three more lines of dialogue are spoken!
Meh, I made it all the way to the end, so I'll give it a 2/5. I've liked Charlize Theron in pretty much every thing I've seen her in but she never got the opportunity to do any acting here. Tom Hardy as Max...I'm not sure he was actually in this, might have been CGI judging by the performance.
ABNORMAL ATTRACTIONS (2019) This was a funny and kind of cute film about fairy tale monsters and the humans who love them. I ran across it on Amazon Prime and found it pretty amusing; the costumes are cheap but the performances are effective and the story keeps moving.
"Killer Fish" (aka "Deadly Treasure of the Piranha," 1979)
A team of professional jewel thieves (including Lee "Six Million Dollar Man" Majors and Karen "Trilogy of Terror" Black) pull off a massive jewel heist in Rio de Janeiro, and hide the loot in a local lake till the heat dies down. When they come back to retrieve the goods, however, they discover that the lake is home to hordes of hungry flesh eating fish, which may make recovery impossible. Don'cha hate when that happens?
Don't go into this one expecting a water logged gore fest ala "Piranha," because even though the "Killer Fish" get top billing, they don't really come into play till the last third of this entertainingly schlocky Italian-French co-production, which starts out as a crime/caper/heist flick, then briefly turns into a disaster movie (when a hurricane strikes the thieves' island hideaway) before finally becoming a creature feature as promised in the title.
Lee Majors displays all the charm of a plank of wood, as usual, and just in case this movie wasn't '70s enough already, Margaux Hemingway also turns up as a fashion model to give us some eye candy.
"Killer Fish" is far from essential viewing, but Lord knows I've seen worse.
"Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981)
Harrison Ford makes his debut as whip crackin', pistol packin' archaeologist/adventurer Indiana Jones, racing around the globe to beat the Nazi regime in a search for a precious Biblical treasure. Lucas and Spielberg's ode to the serials of the 30s and 40s is still one of the best action/adventure movies ever made. I've lost count of how many times I've seen this, but I never get tired of it.
Quote from: indianasmith on June 01, 2020, 08:43:32 AM
ABNORMAL ATTRACTIONS (2019) This was a funny and kind of cute film about fairy tale monsters and the humans who love them. I ran across it on Amazon Prime and found it pretty amusing; the costumes are cheap but the performances are effective and the story keeps moving.
i tried this one, but the T&A became overwhelming in 15 minutes. being a straight female, NOT into that. BUT. because i trust you indy, i'll try again and see if i can see the storyline you say is there. *meanwhile, men here, GO FOR IT, BIG BOOBS GALORE, LOL!*
Quote from: chefzombie on June 04, 2020, 12:46:00 AM
Quote from: indianasmith on June 01, 2020, 08:43:32 AM
ABNORMAL ATTRACTIONS (2019) This was a funny and kind of cute film about fairy tale monsters and the humans who love them. I ran across it on Amazon Prime and found it pretty amusing; the costumes are cheap but the performances are effective and the story keeps moving.
i tried this one, but the T&A became overwhelming in 15 minutes. being a straight female, NOT into that. BUT. because i trust you indy, i'll try again and see if i can see the storyline you say is there. *meanwhile, men here, GO FOR IT, BIG BOOBS GALORE, LOL!*
I did look for this one on Amazon, but I'd need to pay extra to watch it, something I refuse to do since I am already paying for Amazon Prime.
Not the same film I watched - mine had no nudity. Some innuendo, but no actual nekkid people.
Quote from: Alex on June 04, 2020, 04:52:11 AM
Quote from: chefzombie on June 04, 2020, 12:46:00 AM
Quote from: indianasmith on June 01, 2020, 08:43:32 AM
ABNORMAL ATTRACTIONS (2019) This was a funny and kind of cute film about fairy tale monsters and the humans who love them. I ran across it on Amazon Prime and found it pretty amusing; the costumes are cheap but the performances are effective and the story keeps moving.
i tried this one, but the T&A became overwhelming in 15 minutes. being a straight female, NOT into that. BUT. because i trust you indy, i'll try again and see if i can see the storyline you say is there. *meanwhile, men here, GO FOR IT, BIG BOOBS GALORE, LOL!*
I did look for this one on Amazon, but I'd need to pay extra to watch it, something I refuse to do since I am already paying for Amazon Prime.
The one I saw was free with Amazon Prime. Strange.
Quote from: indianasmith on June 04, 2020, 09:15:42 AM
Quote from: Alex on June 04, 2020, 04:52:11 AM
Quote from: chefzombie on June 04, 2020, 12:46:00 AM
Quote from: indianasmith on June 01, 2020, 08:43:32 AM
ABNORMAL ATTRACTIONS (2019) This was a funny and kind of cute film about fairy tale monsters and the humans who love them. I ran across it on Amazon Prime and found it pretty amusing; the costumes are cheap but the performances are effective and the story keeps moving.
i tried this one, but the T&A became overwhelming in 15 minutes. being a straight female, NOT into that. BUT. because i trust you indy, i'll try again and see if i can see the storyline you say is there. *meanwhile, men here, GO FOR IT, BIG BOOBS GALORE, LOL!*
I did look for this one on Amazon, but I'd need to pay extra to watch it, something I refuse to do since I am already paying for Amazon Prime.
The one I saw was free with Amazon Prime. Strange.
You have an account with Amazon US, while mine will be with Amazon UK. Different licenses and so on.
Paranormal Investigation - while blandly watchable this was as boring and useless as its title would indicate. A kid gets inhabited by a spirit while playing with a Ouji board. A paranormal investigation follows! There's an exorcist and its done exactly like the movie exorcist. No character development and while it has a spooky atmosphere they don't do anything with it. file under "tax shelter"
1.5/5
"The Beastmaster" (1982)
Don "Phantasm" Coscarelli's charmingly cheesy sword and sorcery epic stars Marc "V" Singer as a swordsman who can talk to animals, on a quest to destroy the evil wizard who killed his family. Tanya Roberts' boobs and some cool creature effects helped make this '80s cable staple into a cult classic that spawned two sequels and a TV series.
PRIMAL FEAR (1996)
An altar boy is accused of murdering a priest, and the truth is buried several layers deep.
The first movie starring Edward Norton is proof of how awesome he is. The plot itself is built around cliches that you will guess as soon the film begins - maybe the twist at the ending is cool, but literally the whole thing is carried by Norton. There's absolutely no other reason to watch this except for his amazing performance.
Richard Gere SUCKS, I can't stand that guy. 7/10 :smile:
This is Not A Test (1963) - watched on youtube. this is one of those older movies that is actually pretty good, but would also make an excellent MST3K episode.
A cop starts pulling people over on street in the mountains outside of town. He wont't tell anyone why, but they figure it out: its a nuclear war. The cop, who is a jerk and an idiot, orders everyone around and for some reason they do what he says. The people are colorful enough and there is drama between them as the bomb makes its way to town.
The jealousies and breakdowns and whatnot aren't done super creatively or carefully but its a good time. Nowadays this would be done with a plot twist where the bus driver was a Stasi agent or something. pretty short I'd say check it out
4/5
Colossal (2016)
This one is a bit weird. Anne Hathaway is Gloria, who has failed to make it in New York and returns broke to her home town. There she meets her friend from school Oscar (Jason Sudeikis) and starts work at his bar. So will she stay in her hometown or return to her ex in New York and take up her life again? The twist is that for reasons that aren't quite explained, if Gloria and Oscar are at a particular spot in a particular time, they also materialise as respectively a Kaiju and a giant robot in Seoul.
If you expect a kind of kaiju movie, you'll be disappointed. It is basically a straight up drama about relationships and life choices. So does the kaiju gimmick add something? For me, well yes, sort of. It does provide a handy metaphor for the power dynamics in the couple. What weakens the movie for me, is that the main story is played absolutely straight and realistic, as a slice of life in small town US. Given the use of fantastic elements, I think the film would have been better if the director had cranked up the weird and made it pervasive, like, say Yorgos Lanthimos in The Lobster or David Robert Mitchell in Under The Silver Lake.
LUCID DREAMS (2018): Hong Kong director Teddy Robin Kwan either films four short dreams, or dreams of making four films: a gangster arranges a fake wedding, an employee deals with a sadistic boss, a children's writer returns to her family home, and a bus driver cruises a haunted route. Two of the shorts are comedies and two are like "Twilight Zone" episodes; the dream theater wraparound conceit is halfhearted, never explaining why these four competently made stories belong together. 2/5.
"Our Man Flint" (1966)
The first of two tongue-in-cheek spy spoofs starring James Coburn as super-swingin' agent Derek Flint, who's drafted by the U.S. Government to stop a cabal of mad scientists who've figured out how to weaponize the weather. One of the better James Bond knock offs of the shag-a-delic Sixties.
Primal Fear (1996) is one of my favorite movies of all time i just love that movie. if you don't like Gere why watch it? Norton is brilliant in it i 100% agree.
it's hard to believe he as so young when he did it ain't it?
anyways i just watched a favorite of mine Puppet Master (1989) 10/10 my only complaint is my blu-ray is the 88 minute version of it going by what my player says. and not the 90 minute version. well i at least have that on dvd that i Transfered from VHS years ago and that's the 90 minute version.
The Lighthouse (2019)
Two lighthouse keepers drift into insanity thanks to longer than planned "isolation" on an Island. Psychological horror that's more psychological than horror. The Lighthouse was inspired by Poe's The Light-House, with director Robert Eggers stripping away typical Poe elements.
Eggers The VVitch (2015) had a somewhat broader appeal, The Lighthouse feels like it was made for selected few. There's some great acting from Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, speaking late 19th century English which is interesting but a bit difficult to understand at times. For some reason I thought the movie had a, well, bigger message or meaning and I caught myself thinking "what was the point?" when the end credits rolled, because I had super-high expectations?
Still, I wasn't let down and enjoyed it quite a bit. 5/5
QUEEN OF PARADIS (2020): Documentary following surrealist artist Reine Paradis as she travels across the U.S. creating her latest photographic series (which almost always involves trespassing). An excellent peek at her work process if you happen to be a fan of the photographs, but you can't escape the feeling that this movie (directed by Paradis' husband and collaborator) is less a documentary and more a heavy-handed advertisement for the artist. It should be viewed in a museum setting, not on Amazon Prime. 2.5/85.
Convict's Code (1939) - another one on youtube. I just looked up the director, he did a lot of Westerns and also some obscure Chaney and Karloff stuff.
A wrongly convicted man gets out of jail and is set on clearing his name. That entails getting drunk with gangsters, keeping a gun under his bed at a boarding house, and other fun stuff. It had more substance and surprises than "This is Not a Test" which I watched the previous night. Being much earlier (1939 as opposed to 1963) it had more of that rough and tumble early Hollywood flavor. very cool. likeable well cast lead, story doesn't drag about an hour long
4.5 /5
"The Car" (1977)
A murderous, apparently demonic automobile is cruisin' around a small western town, running over random residents, and the only one who can stop it is the local sheriff (James Brolin).
The last time I saw this movie I was about 11 years old, and of course I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I was expecting it to have aged horribly of course, and it did, but in spite of (or perhaps because of) its absolutely ridiculous premise, "The Car" turned out to be a pretty fun, watchable slice of '70s supernatural cheese.
Followed by a decades-too-late sequel (!), "The Car: Road To Revenge," in 2019, which I have added to my watch list too, since I'm apparently a glutton for punishment :D
"City On Fire" (1979)
An explosion at an oil refinery creates a chain reaction of blazes that eventually threaten an entire city, which a variety of characters played by the usual assortment of Hollywood has-beens (incl. Ava Gardner, Shelley Winters, a pre-"Airplane" Leslie Nielsen, and even Henry Fonda) must struggle to survive.
This enjoyably cheap late-inning entry into the '70s disaster-movie craze (which was already on its way out by the time this was released) takes a while to get going (and of course, the silly personal dramas between characters are there just to pad out the run time), but once things started burning down and blowin' sky-high, my inner ten year old was entertained.
"The Mad Bomber" (aka "Police Connection," 1973)
Vince "Ben Casey" Edwards is a tough L.A. cop who must capture a serial rapist (Neville Brand) because he's the only one who can help I.D. a mysterious mad bomber (Chuck "The Rifleman" Connors) in this sleazy-but-fun exploitation flick from Bert I. Gordon of "Empire of the Ants" and "Food of the Gods" fame. The movie's nothing special, but the fashions, the vintage cars and the ancient police technology are outasite, man.
Patterns (1956) - Anyone ever see this? Written and directed by Rod Serling, it bears very little resemblance to Twilight Zone. Instead, its a pretty interesting if a little cliched diatribe against/ about capitalism.
An engineer gets transferred from Ohio to the Big Apple. After settling in to his huge office with sophisticated decoration that he doesn't understand, he soon realizes something is a little weird with the workplace dynamic. Briggs, who strikes him as a wise and affable guy, is at odds with the boss. Its a liberal/ conservative sort of split and you can guess which one is the sympathetic character.
On the one hand, he wants to do whats right, on the other he's been at his new job for like a minute and its a great job that he's good at. Yeah, not exactly "Nightmare at 20,000" feet.
Error 404 (Not Found)!!1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMnU4faUMUY#)
It's pretty awesome. not sure what you'd call it: "business noir"? The cinematography is nonexistent it could probably have been a play. It works up a good head of steam for its purposes. The biggest drawback is probably the opening section which is too long and meandering. Also, The whole concept which may have been novel at the time is pretty familiar now
4.75 /5
Also watched The Creeper (1948) - a horror movie featuring a cat named The Creeper who is more comic relief than anything else. some good dream seqences with a giant cat's paw and general dark atmosphere, but I wasn't watching it all that closely so can't really comment on the plot and so forth
War of the Robots (1978)
Another cheap Italian cash in off the success of Star Wars, cheap being the operative word. While a lot of these knock offs have enough script for about 30 minutes, and have to make up the runtime by needless complications and padding, this one has a lot happening. It is full of action, very ineptly filmed action, but action nevertheless. In fact, this could have been quite an enjoyable action romp, had the director known how to inject pace into the movie, and had the budget been bigger than that of an episode of Blake's Seven. They can't even keep the lettering in the opening credits steady.
The titular robots must be the least effective force in the universe, and are mainly there to be shot down in droves.
Fun fact, the ship is called the Trissi, and the crew have these jump suits with 'Trissi' marked on them. Turns out the costumes were provided by a company called Trissi Sport. That is how cheap it is.
Another notable point is that, to make it look like an American production, the cast and crew are listed under the kind of obvious pseudonyms, one usually associates with erotic productions.
BEING JOHN MALKOVICH (1999)
A puppeteer discovers a portal that leads literally into the head of movie star John Malkovich.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
Well, well... this was some hell of a ride. I wasn't sure what to expect with this movie, but certainly not this drug fueled trip. I really wanted to like this film, but sadly it has so many flaws that, at least for me, ended with a sour taste in my mouth.
First of all, the good things: I liked the concept, the acting (I recognized Cameron Diaz but I had to check it out to make sure), John Cusack is great as the loser hopelessly in love, and the puppet work is amazing - probably the best part of the movie. I loved all the comedy that had nothing to do with the main plot: the silly office, the deaf secretary, the crazy boss, Charlie Sheen cameo... basically, after the first half of the movie, it had its moments of laughs. Sadly it went downhill from there.
Now, the bad: the plot went nowhere. I was hoping for some kind of conclusion or idea behind the ego or something like that, but it never came. It basically dwelled 100% in the sexual side of the characters, and never moved away from there. For example, when Craig takes full control of John and he performs in front of Maxine, I was really hoping for him to discover that his skills with the puppets were gone, since he was using another body and his fingers weren't the same, but sadly that didn't happened. That would've been amazing to show us that, regardless of how bad our lives are, everything that makes us "us" is unique and personal, yet here it seems that if you're very strong and transport to a skinny guy, your strenght goes with you, in your mind I guess. Stupid.
The whole old-people-trying-to-live-forever thing was plain retarded. Who took control of John's body after all? Just the main guy? The rest of the people were just prisoners in his mind? What kind of eternal life is that?
While I think the actors were good, the characters sucked. Maxine is really cruel and mean, then suddenly she's nice, she hates Craig's puppets, then she asks him to perform for no reason, she doesn't like Lotte physically, then she spends her life with her. Craig only wants to perform with puppets, then he completely forgets about them because he "fell in love". Lotte is simply bizarre. At the end, I didn't cared about any of them, because they didn't cared about themselves.
The ending is just bitter, at least for me. Basically, nobody learned anything, except that the chicks are lesbians. Nobody seemed to care about John like, at all. Why not a single one of the hundreds of people going into his mind managed to take hold over it, by the way?
So, whatever. I'm pretty sure this movie doesn't get bad reviews because it's "psychological, original, and deep", therefore if you say anything bad about it it's because "you didn't get it". I'm sorry, I think it's just a mess. Great idea, but poorly executed and went nowhere. It does have its moments tho, but they're short and crammed in the beginning. 5/10 :bluesad:
WHY DON'T YOU JUST DIE! (2018): Matvey goes to Andrey's apartment with a hammer, intent on killing him, but finds the task harder than he bargained for; flashbacks explain why the young man is trying to kill this stranger. Memorable gruesome melees, a truly despicable villain or two, and a heaping helping of twists and suspense make this ultraviolent Russian thriller, mostly set in a single apartment, a noteworthy low budget debut for writer/director Kirill Sokolov. He should move on to bigger things; with the way he directs fight scenes, I wouldn't be shocked if Hollywood called. 4/5.
the 27th Day (1957) - Some high ratings on IMDB but ehhh....not quite. A pretty interesting set up: an alien abducts 5 seemingly random people and gives them the power to destroy the whole world with these little box things. The print is really nice and the acting is decent, it just doesn't go for the jugular the way you want it too and there's never any real tension. and the ending was not satisfactory.
Imagine "demon With A Glass Hand" if it ended up being an ad for Wheaties or something.
3/5
IMPOSSIBLE MONSTERS (2019): A psychiatrist sets up a (very small) sleep study for people who suffer from sleep paralysis and nightmares; one of the subjects turns up dead. The eerie music is good, if comically overused in just about every scene; the rest, right up to the eye-rolling final twist, is not so good. 1.5/5.
the Finger Man (1955) - no, its not a doc about my time in the Northeastern U dorms, instead its a really solid 1930's style flim noir made in the 50's. The reason its not more well known is the probably the basic ness of it and also the lead, while talented, is not really leading man material. It's a typical story about a guy who gets out of jail then has to turn stoolie for the cops in order to yadda yadda
The most memorable character by far is Lou, the bizarre sidekick of the main villain.
the actor, Tim Carey, is somewhat of a legend in Hollywood. He actually turned down roles in godfather and godfather 2 and Reservoir Dogs is dedicated to him. very interesting IMDB page if you have the chance. He was in that Monkees psychedelic movie
4.5 really good but the plot is extremely basic and the casting is nondescript. The lead villain reminded me of Alex Trebek more than say, Atilla the Hun
Quote from: lester1/2jr on June 12, 2020, 12:42:24 PM
the Finger Man (1955) - no, its not a doc about my time in the Northeastern U dorms
:buggedout: :bouncegiggle:
i have seen City on Fire the MSKT3000 in the KTMA episodes that's a good episode and a good flix actually
"Running Scared" (1986)
Two wise-cracking Chicago cops (Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines) want to retire and head to Florida, but first they have to take down a drug dealer (Jimmy Smits) who's still holding a long time grudge against them.
This is pretty typical for the '80s shoot-em-up buddy cop genre, but Crystal and Hines made a great team so it was fun to watch.
THEY REMAIN (2017) Two scientific researchers are occupying a mobile lab in the middle of nowhere, in an area where a cult once murdered dozens of innocent victims. They're studying the environment trying to find clues in animal behavior as to why this cult became so murderous. And they slowly go crazy. In between lengthy stretches of ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HAPPENING and brief flashbacks to cultists playing and killing in the woods. This movie put me to sleep repeatedly; it was shooting for "taut psychological thriller" and somehow achieved "deathly boring snoozefest" instead. Avoid. 2/5
wow i haven't seen Running Scared since Sh*t since the 90's i don't think. anyways, i'v e just been watching some old episodes of "The Cinema Snob' i dunno if anyone here is a fan here but i've been a massive fan since i'd say March i think or April of (2011)
BUSTER'S MAL HEART (2017): Rami Malek plays three characters: a hotel night clerk, a renegade mountain man, and a shipwreck survivor adrift on a boat in the ocean. How are they connected, and how are they all related to an apocalyptic event called "the Inversion"? Expect great performances, don't expect easy answers. 3.5/5.
Quote from: Rev. Powell on June 11, 2020, 08:47:18 AM
WHY DON'T YOU JUST DIE! (2018): Matvey goes to Andrey's apartment with a hammer, intent on killing him, but finds the task harder than he bargained for; flashbacks explain why the young man is trying to kill this stranger. Memorable gruesome melees, a truly despicable villain or two, and a heaping helping of twists and suspense make this ultraviolent Russian thriller, mostly set in a single apartment, a noteworthy low budget debut for writer/director Kirill Sokolov. He should move on to bigger things; with the way he directs fight scenes, I wouldn't be shocked if Hollywood called. 4/5.
I was planning to see that in the Brussels BIFFF festival, but the corona virus decided otherwise
"Religulous" (2008)
Stand-up comic, talk show host, and noted skeptic Bill Maher wonders why the world still clings to religion in this sarcastic pseudo-documentary, in which he travels the world and talks to a variety of people of many faiths. His conclusion: no matter if it's Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Scientology, or whatever, religion in and of itself is pretty much insane. I doubt that Maher has ever been very popular among the devout, and "Religulous" certainly won't change that, but if you've ever questioned your faith (or anyone else's), it makes for an interesting, funny (and occasionally frightening) 90 minutes.
VAMPIRE BURT'S SERENADE (2020): Burlesque stars and drag queens team up to defeat a douchey vampire, singing forgettable songs along the way. Who would have guessed that someday Kevin Richardson would be working with even weaker material than he did in the Backstreet Boys? In it's defense there are a few chuckles and the ending is exciting and gory, if you can make it that far. And it is free on Amazon Prime. 1/5
COME TO DADDY (2019): A recovering alcoholic (Elijah Wood, in a bad haircut and pornstache) receives a letter from the father who abandoned him as a child and goes to visit him at his remote beach house; of course, all is not as it seems. Begins as a drama, slowly introduces black comedy elements, and ends as a thriller; too slow to get started, but gains momentum with the third act twist. Stephen McHattie is great as the crusty alcoholic, but unfortunately not on screen enough. Also free on Amazon Prime. 3/5.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Needed a patriotic film. Capra's drama of the U.S Senate pits an idealistic young man against a corrupt political machine, which puts him in power as a stooge, then tries top break him when he finds out the truth.
Something about the soundtrack: scenes with Smith & his supporters use bits of American standards, like Yankee Doodle & My Darling Clementine; scenes focused on the Taylor Machine use more modern music.
EXPOSURE (2018) - A young couple, James and Mira, head up to his grandparents' cabin in the mountains to spend a secluded holiday and patch up their shaky marriage. Little do they realize a malignant, lurking force there will turn them against one another and transform James into a monster.
This one looked promising, but was honestly very slow in developing, and short on explanation. Was the malignant, transforming force alien in origin, or supernatural? Why did Mira come back when she had nearly escaped? Overall, not terrible, but not great, either. 2.5/5
IN FABRIC (2018): What appear to be a coven of witches working at an upscale department store sell a cursed dress first to a bank teller divorcee; the "artery red" frock later passes to a washing machine repairman and his fiancee. Enter the "prism of retail" in this strange horror/comedy/satire from Peter Strickland; the combination of dry and absurd humor mixed with stylish surreal horror may not be for everyone, but if you're in the target demographic, you won't need a hard sell. 3.5/5.
TRAIN TO BUSAN - I had heard of this movie for several years; last night I finally decided to give it a watch and I was not disappointed. Most of the movie takes place aboard the titular locomotive; as the train is leaving the station, an infected girl stumbles aboard and soon the train is crawling with bloodthirsty zombies as a handful of passengers try to survive. Well developed characters, intense survival drama, and some pretty spooky zombies of the "rage virus" variety make for an excellent viewing! 5/5
Doctor Sleep (2019)
The Shining's Danny "Doc" Torrance is all grown up but his life is a mess. Things get more complicated when he befriends a teenage girl also gifted with the shining. When the girl interferes with an evil group of energy eating "psychics" Danny must return to the Overlook hotel one more time.
Technically Doctor Sleep is great with amazing stuff going on. Whenever they recreated moments from Kubrick's The Shining with lookalike actors (Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Scatman Crothers and the creepy twins) it gave the movie a cheap feel that just didn't sit right. Besides that, the big showdown was actually pretty weak in my opinion. I will have to rewatch the theatrical version, and will watch the extended director's cut as well before I'll give Doctor Sleep a rating.
CAN'T KILL THIS [AKA f**k YOU IMMORTALITY] (2019): An old hippie couple tries to track down an old friend, who, it seems is unable to die. Sometimes amusing quirky comedy, but brought down by some weak performances, and with serious tone issues--you wouldn't normally expect this much silly gore in an elderly stoner comedy, and no one was asking for that cynical ending. 2/5.
Quote from: Rev. Powell on June 21, 2020, 03:00:56 PM
CAN'T KILL THIS [AKA f**k YOU IMMORTALITY] (2019): An old hippie couple tries to track down an old friend, who, it seems is unable to die. Sometimes amusing quirky comedy, but brought down by some weak performances, and with serious tone issues--you wouldn't normally expect this much silly gore in an elderly stoner comedy, and no one was asking for that cynical ending. 2/5.
Just that title makes me :teddyr: :teddyr:
I watched Welcome Home, Soldier Boys on Youtube the other day: weird flick indeed.
JESUS SHOWS YOU THE WAY TO THE HIGHWAY (2019): A CIA agent (who also happens to be a hunchbacked dwarf and pizza connoisseur) accepts a mission to go into "Psychobook" to combat the virus "Stalin" released by the Soviet Union. Meet the President of Ethiopia (a kung fu supervillain) and Jesus himself inside this virtual reality world inside which is itself nestled in an alternate reality where the Cold War never ended, and technology is simultaneously stuck in the 1990s and decades ahead of where we are today. You've never seen anything quite like this absurdist psychological thriller/camp comedy. 4.5/5.
"Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (1984)
Prequel to "Raiders of the Lost Ark" sends Dr. Jones, his kid sidekick, and a ditzy nightclub singer (future Mrs. Spielberg Kate Capshaw) into battle against an ancient Indian death cult. This non-stop action film is darker and has a way bigger mean streak than the first "Indy" film -- some scenes of mayhem were so over-the-top and horrific that it led to the creation of the PG-13 rating!
SEVEN STAGES TO ACHIEVE ETERNAL BLISS (2018): Claire and Paul figure out why their new L.A. apartment's rent is so low: their bathtub is a sacred site for a bizarre cult whose members break in to commit suicide there. Moderately amusing black comedy that lacks a killer instinct. 2.5/5.
"Gremlins" (1984)
A small town's quiet Christmas Eve is rudely interrupted by a horde of mysterious creatures who start out cute n' fuzzy, but don't stay that way for long. The "Gremlin" puppets and effects in Joe Dante's classic slapstick horror comedy are still quite impressive even after all these years. Tons o' fun.
KNIVES AND SKIN (2019): Jennifer Reeder's feature debut is a "Twin Peaks"-inspired study of a high school girl's disappearance, decorated with a capella versions of 80s pop hits and lots of soapy subplots. Better in its parts than in its whole--the slow, sad atmosphere is effective in small doses, but it could have used a bit more comic relief and changes of pace, and a bit less on-the-nose feminist commentary. 2.5/5.
SEA BEAST (2008) A sleepy little fishing town is terrorized by venom-spitting, amphibious monsters who can turn themselves transparent at will and have an insatiable appetite for human flesh. Relatively tame "creature feature" with a made-for-television vibe, but still has some decent acting and the creatures are cool-looking, if only the CGI was done better. 3/5
"The Car: Road To Revenge" (2019)
A bizarre pseudo-sequel to the 1977 cult hit, set in a cyberpunk near future. When a crusading D.A. is murdered by a gang of high-tech psychos, his consciousness takes over his luxury automobile, turning it into a murderous machine on a mission of vengeance.
Aside from re-using the killer-car plot, "Road to Revenge" doesn't seem to be have any connection to the '77 film aside from a brief cameo by Ronny Cox, who played a minor character in the original and plays a totally different minor character in this one.
Loaded with over the top action sequences, carnage and gore, this is certainly not a "good" movie by any means but it's enjoyably silly, ultra-violent junk.
REPO MEN (2010)
Set in the near future when artificial organs can be bought on credit, it revolves around a man who struggles to make the payments on a heart he has purchased. He must therefore go on the run before said ticker is repossessed.
While the concept sounds rather generic, the setting and overall mood of the movie is very well done. At certain points, the city has this BLADE RUNNER kinda vibe, which is great. The parallels between the plot and pharmaceutics and banks aren't very sutil, but still allows for much analysis. Perhaps if they toned down the violence and gore it could've been a more cerebral movie, but the fun factor is certainly off the roof the way it is.
Jude Law is awesome as always, and you totally believe his change of mind. I don't particularly like Forest Withaker but he does a great job portraying this unstable and mindless drone of The Union. Alice Braga sucks, she's like the token latina chick that is just there so the main character can fall in love. In fact, this whole sudden relationship thing was a complete failure, not to mention the "sexual surgery" scene, which almost killed the movie for me of how ridiculous and bad it was. Luckily, the excellent ending salvaged the whole thing, otherwise I would've ended up really p**sed.
Tons of action and cool fighting scenes, a nice plot, great lead character, and a sweet ending made this a very fine watch! 8/10 :thumbup:
"Blazing Saddles" (1974)
Mel Brooks put a fork in the Western genre with his hilairous, jaw-droppingly tasteless send up of cowboy epics. Cleavon Little stars as the first black sheriff of the racist little town of Rock Ridge, who teams up with a has-been gunfighter (Gene Wilder) to fight off some land-grabbin' railroad barons. Every time I watch this, I always think how Mel would never be able to make this movie today, which somehow makes the whole thing even funnier.
There was recently a rallying cry on Twitter saying to ban Blazing Saddles, after Gone with the Wind :buggedout:
HBO has Gone with the Wind back in program, but it comes with a 4 1/2 minute disclaimer at the beginning.
Have these people actually watching that movie? Think its the ones complaining that need a warning sign.
Our House, friend Request - netflix instant horror stuff with decent atmosphere but highly unoriginal content. so derivative its hard to even assign a number.
SLEUTH (2007)
On his sprawling country estate, an aging writer matches wits with the struggling actor who has stolen his wife's heart.
This movie felt like if I was deliberately scammed, at the end it was like some kind of s**tty play at your local theater. It started as an interesting, albeit strange, murder mystery, but then it quickly went downhill into some kind of weird homosexual... stuff. I honestly have no idea WTF I watched, it was awful. It is commendable that the entire movie is only carried by two great actors, but sadly they're wasted in two characters that never, not a single minute, behave like actual human beings.
I don't want to talk about this thing any longer. As the great reviewer Andrew said, "I cried for about an hour after watching this film, not proud about it either". 3/10 :thumbdown:
MAGIC (1978) A very young Anthony Hopkins stars alongside Anne Margaret and Burgess Meredith in this psychological thriller about an unbalanced ventriloquist whose dummy tells him what to do one time too many. Dated, yes, but still a lot of fun, and Hopkins is absolutely over the top as the ventriloquist Corky and his dummy, Fats. Watching them descend into madness and murder is eerie after the rather comic beginning of this film, and Anne Margaret is at her most lovely. 4/5
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on June 25, 2020, 10:30:42 AM
"Blazing Saddles" (1974)
Mel Brooks put a fork in the Western genre with his hilairous, jaw-droppingly tasteless send up of cowboy epics. Cleavon Little stars as the first black sheriff of the racist little town of Rock Ridge, who teams up with a has-been gunfighter (Gene Wilder) to fight off some land-grabbin' railroad barons. Every time I watch this, I always think how Mel would never be able to make this movie today, which somehow makes the whole thing even funnier.
Richard Pryor was supposed to be the original black sheriff in the movie, hence all of the n****r jokes that were written by him for the part. But Pryor couldn't do the film because of prior commitments and so they went with the other guy who was actually the better actor between the two. Thankfully, they kept Richard Pryor's jokes in the script.
"The Control Group" (2017)
Five annoying college students wake up trapped inside a creepy abandoned hospital, with no idea how they got there. As they search for a way to escape, they slowly realize they're part of a bizarre scientific experiment, and they also discover that the old building has some supernatural secrets of its own.
...this ultra-cheap horror/thriller had a promising premise, but it quickly fell apart thanks to a hopelessly muddled story, atrocious acting by everyone involved (even the usually-dependable Brad Dourif, who's playing yet another mad scientist type), and amateurish, laughable FX.
In other words...AVOID.
THE AERIAL [LA ANTENA] (2007): Silent Argentinian experimental film about a city ruled by "Mr. TV" where only one woman ("the Voice") can speak. Extreme wackiness (rat Nazi chauffeurs, eyeless boys, constant tributes to classic b&w films) counters the heavy-handed symbolism effectively, making this a fun weird film, like a lighter-hearted expedition from Guy Maddin. Showed up on Netflix for some reason. 4/5.
"Get Thrashed" (2006)
Members of Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Exodus, Dark Angel, Overkill, and many more get nostalgic about the early days of the 80s thrash metal movement, with lots of vintage clips and photos. Longtime fans of the genre aren't likely to learn anything new but this doc is a nice trip down metal memory lane.
VIVARIUM (2019): Gemma and Tom accept an invitation from an overly-friendly real estate agent to view a suburban tract home; they find themselves trapped in a labyrinth where every house looks exactly the same, and then things get strange. The horror of adulthood expressed as a "Twilight Zone" episode. User ratings on this are surprisingly low (5.8 at IMDB); not sure why, except maybe viewers thought it was slow to get started and were hoping for something more straightforward with explanations spelled out at the end. Some also might think the attack on suburban life was a little too obvious. I liked it; the "creepy little mutant" was genuinely disturbing. 3.5/5.
"Tank Girl" (1995)
Lori Petty ("A League of Their Own") stars as the butt kickin', punk-rock chick action heroine from a British comic book series. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, she leads a band of fellow mutants and misfits in a rebellion against the evil mega-corporation that controls the world's water supply.
This is one of those quirky-on-purpose, so '90s it hurts flicks that hasn't aged very well, but Petty is a hoot to watch and it's always good to see Malcolm "Clockwork Orange" McDowell in a villain role. This flick tanked (pun not intended, I swear) at the box office in '95, but it's become a bit of a cult item in the years since. Worth a look if you're in the mood for something slightly off center.
Athlete A (2020) - netflix doc about the Women's olympic scandal involving trainer Larry Nasser. it doesn't answer every question you ever had ( like why didn't they get another trainer at some point??) but it does a good job showing the oppressive atmosphere at the training camps and so forth.
Romanian coach Bela Korolyi is a jerk and a slavedriver but he gets US gymnstics what they want: medals. He first gains fame for making Nadia Comaneci totally miserable and winning a gold medal in the 70's. This was supposed to be some kind of demented rebuke of capitalism or something or it was to some people there.
The US then imports him and he starts working his black magic on increasingly younger girls who are of course more pliable and also heal faster. Larry Nasser ingratiates himself with the gymnastics people (he works for free) and with the gymnasts by playing good cop to the korolyis.
One girl who reports on him gets left off the olympic team even though she scores higher than another girl who made it. I have no idea why they did all this. The Olympics are a sideshow, the athletes are amateurs it should not be like jail or something. Winning isn't everything, but there was a lot of money and ambition involved too I guess.
4.5 /5
The Phantom Planet (1961)
Youtube seems to think I like movies about wandering planets and keeps suggesting them to me. In this one, all is not well on the moon base. Ships are disappearing and Captain Chapman is sent to investigate. Turns out the trouble is a wandering asteroid inhabited by miniature people. Conveniently, the atmosphere of the asteroid miniaturises Chapman as well, who regains his size as soon as he breathes normal air. The inhabitants of the asteroid have gained control over gravity using a technology that seems to be entirely based on theremins. They are threatened by the Solarites, who are among the silliest aliens of the era (played by a young Richard Kiel, no less). There is some tension, but when Chapman chooses the Elizabeth Taylor lookalike and leaves the blonde princess to the heir apparent of the asteroid, all ends well.
This could have been quite an entertaining adventure movie. There are some good ideas in there, and the script looks good on paper, but it is let down completely by the execution.
Quote from: Dr. Whom on June 30, 2020, 01:15:01 AM
The Phantom Planet (1961)
Youtube seems to think I like movies about wandering planets and keeps suggesting them to me. In this one, all is not well on the moon base. Ships are disappearing and Captain Chapman is sent to investigate. Turns out the trouble is a wandering asteroid inhabited by miniature people. Conveniently, the atmosphere of the asteroid miniaturises Chapman as well, who regains his size as soon as he breathes normal air. The inhabitants of the asteroid have gained control over gravity using a technology that seems to be entirely based on theremins. They are threatened by the Solarites, who are among the silliest aliens of the era (played by a young Richard Kiel, no less). There is some tension, but when Chapman chooses the Elizabeth Taylor lookalike and leaves the blonde princess to the heir apparent of the asteroid, all ends well.
This could have been quite an entertaining adventure movie. There are some good ideas in there, and the script looks good on paper, but it is let down completely by the execution.
You just have to fix your attention on the good and the beautiful--if you'll just take the time to look at it.
THE LAST MOVIE STAR (2017)
Burt Reynold's last movie, filmed shortly before his death, places him alongside teenage hottie Ariel Winter from the MODERN FAMILY TV series.
Reynolds plays Vic Edwards, an aging Hollywood legend who has fallen on hard times, who travels to Tennessee to receive a lifetime achievement award at a local film festival - which turns out to be more of an amateur fan club. The organizer's teenage sister, played by Winter, has been talked into being Edwards' "personal assistant" for the weekend. Edwards is furious he's been duped into attending such a cheap, tawdry little affair, but over the course of his film we see him remembering his life and career, revisiting his childhood home, and coming to terms with his own mortality, as the hapless Winter is forced to chauffeur him down memory lane. Touching at some moments and funny in others, I found this to be a marvelous little film. Winter is quite attractive in a tattooed teenybopper sort of way, and seeing Burt Reynolds - one of the icons of my youth - as a frail old man was just hard to watch sometimes. I highly recommend this film! 4/5
i've been wanting to see that one, ya know with Burt you look at him at some point of his life and it's hard to believe he was a star football player and nearly went bro in college. but he messed his ALC i think it's called? after that he turned to acting
you can correct me if i'm wrong i don't mind
One interesting thing in the film was the scenes where they had the elderly Vic Edwards talking to his younger self - i.e., Burt Reynolds in some of his classic roles. He was quite the physical specimen in his youth!
DREAMLAND (2019): A good-hearted hitman (a very cool Stephen McHattie) is asked to cut the pinky off a heroin-addicted jazzman (also a very cool Stephen McHattie), but chooses to save a girl from a supernatural fate instead. It tries too hard, to be sure, but as a goofy collision of cliches, it kept my interest. QAnon thinks this is a documentary. 3/5.
"Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs" (1966)
Cartoonish Sixties spy spoof starring Vincent Price as the evil Dr Goldfoot, a mad scientist who assassinates world leaders via bikini-clad female robots packed with explosives. A pair of bumbling European secret agents team up with their American counterpart (60s pop singer Fabian) to stop him before he can drop a "Girl Bomb" on Moscow and start World War III.
This Italian/American co-production (a sequel to the previous year's "Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine") wants to be a swinging, "with-it," pop-art jam ala the "Batman" TV series. There's lots of pretty girls in day-glo colors, wacky set pieces, and a hip, jazzy soundtrack...but the movie itself is a train wreck.
The utterly-unfunny Italian comedy duo of Franco and Ciccio (imagine Abbott & Costello, if they were irritating) gets WAY too much screen time, and Fabian couldn't act his way out of a wet paper bag. I'd be willing to bet that this movie was an influence on the "Austin Powers" series, but the difference is, "Austin" was actually funny.
Vincent Price would later call this flick "the most dreadful movie I've ever been in." I'm inclined to agree with him. AVOID.
International Crime (1938) - fun, hour or so mystery featuring The Shadow, a radio broadcaster who helps solve crimes. a variation on the "who knows what evil lurks in the heart of men" guy. The tone is light and comedic which can be awful, but they pull it off.
The mystery itself isn't super well put together. An attempted robbery results in a murder, but The Shadow thinks the robbery is just a cover for the murder and an attempt to pin it on a local infamous safe cracker. They don't really explain the significance of the crime very well, but the script is punchy enough that it doesn't matter. The ditzy sidekick lady is funny. A pizza flix choice on the youtube
4/5
AFTER HOURS (1985)
I had to get up early this morning, and I missed the first 10 minutes or so of this trippy 1985 dark comedy, but once I started it I couldn't turn it off.
A guy named Paul meets a girl named Marcy at a café and goes to Soho that evening to take her out on a date. One thing leads to another, and before the night is over, Marcy is dead from an overdose, a spurned waitress is circulating his sketch throughout the neighborhood, Paul winds up going home with a gay guy, then he is mistaken for the neighborhood cat burglar, gets pursued by an angry mob, and winds up being encased in papier-mache and being stolen by burglars who mistake him for a sculpture.
Like I said, trippy. 4/5
AFTER HOURS is great. :thumbup:
A SHIP OF HUMAN SKIN (2019) isn't. A rural woman kills her drug dealing pimp, then becomes a religious icon when she performs a (minor) miracle in prison. The title is the best thing about this low-budget experimental Southern Gothic with a vague and muddled philosophical/spiritual message. 1/5.
THE CLONUS HORROR (1979) - MST3K VERSIONPoliticians scheme to clone themselves, assuring immortal life.I was actually surprised by this movie. The premise is great, but sadly it's filled to the brim with bad acting, awful audio, boring scenery, and I think I saw a boom mic like ten times on screen. The weirdest part was that the plot was almost exactly like
THE ISLAND, although a lot more grim, which worked out great in this case because it ended like good sci-fi should. Strangely,
THE ISLAND claims to be a remake of
LOGAN'S RUN. After investigating a little I found out the following:
QuoteRobert S. Fiveson, director of The Clonus Horror (1979), brought a copyright infringement suit against DreamWorks and Warner Brothers. The lawsuit cited almost one hundred points of similarity between "Clonus" and this film, and the court ruled that Fiveson made a prima facie case for infringement. Before the case could go to trial, DreamWorks settled with the plaintiffs for an undisclosed seven-figure amount.
QuoteIn an interview filmed for the DVD release of the Mystery Science Theater version of the film director Robert S. Fiveson mentioned that the settlement for the lawsuit with the makers of The Island (2005) involved the official sale of remake rights, and even mentioning that fact was technically against the confidentiality agreement made as part of the settlement. Fiveson also mentions that fans of the MST3K episode provided a lot of support and encouragement as the copyright infringement case progressed.
So yeah, they ripped off
THE CLONUS HORROR. No wonder Michael Bay actually managed to make a decent movie... he stole it! :twirl:
Regarding the MST3K episode itself, the riffing was good, although the segments sucked, I miss the times when the jokes were related to the movie itself. Kevin Murphy as Bobo rocks, Observer is also very funny, even the new voice of Crow is good, capturing the snarky essence of the character to almost perfection. But this Mary Jo Pehl lady, my God... I still consider her the most unfunny person ever. Her very presence on my screen is annoying.
Flawed but still a good movie, check it out.
7/10 :thumbup:
I saw the non MST3K version and enjoyed it and agree on mary Jo piel. she had some okay things but I feel like she forced her way onto the show and is annoying
DOCTOR SLEEP (2020) This long-awaited sequel to THE SHINING worked on multiple levels for me. Ewan MacGregor was brilliantly cast as the adult Danny Torrence, working to overcome his alcoholism and past demons, who winds up helping a young black girl who also shares "the Shine" escape from a sinister band of vampire gypsies who feed on telepaths - "they eat screams and drink fear," is how the ghost of Dick Holloran puts it. Well done all the way around! 5/5
SHADOWPLAY (2019): A detective in Kuala Lumpur accepts a job searching for a missing girl, but instead finds a dreamworld reflecting his own psychology. Far too confusing a film for a character we don't really care about---but the setting is cool and I would now like to see a good film set in Kuala Lumpur. 1.5/5.
"Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989)
In Harrison Ford's third spin as the adventuring archaeologist, Indy and his estranged father (Sean Connery, perfectly cast) race against the Nazi regime to find the Ultimate prize - the Holy Grail. As usual, lots of fists are thrown, stuff blows up, and things crash into each other. Tons of action packed fun.
TONIGHT SHE COMES (2018)
This was a freebie on Amazon Prime; I went into it with no real expectations. The beginning was really rather slow and I was about to write it off as another low budget, one star piece of shlock. But then . . . the plot took a hard left turn and ramped up the gore and suspense and awfulness till the end left me literally squirming in my chair! Naked young women aren't supposed to be scary, but the killer in this gruesome tale of supernatural terror will leave you wanting to run whenever she pops onto the screen. Brilliantly done; not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach! 5/5
"Slaughter High" (1986)
A fiery high school prank gone wrong permanently scars the campus nerd "Marty," both physically and mentally. Five years later, those responsible are invited back to their now-abandoned school for a "class reunion," and soon they're being picked off one by one by a masked slasher. Gee, I wonder who the killer's gonna turn out to be?
This ultra-cheap "Friday the 13th" knockoff was filmed in the UK with a mostly-Brit cast (including one time Hammer Horror babe and Bond Girl Caroline Munro, still looking fabulous), though they're all pretending to be Americans. The set up is cartoonishly silly and it takes for-damn-ever for bodies to start dropping, but once the kill spree officially gets goin' the pace picks up and there's some pretty nasty gore, so the last half is entertaining enough.
Your mileage may vary depending on the depths of your obscure 80s slasher movie addiction.
"Mortuary" (1983)
A young girl, despondent over her father's recent suspicious death, starts poking around the mystery with her boyfriend and they discover murderous goings-on happening around the local funeral parlor.
This cheap but effective '80s teen horror flick is notable mainly for the appearance by a very young Bill Paxton (in what I believe is his film debut) as the funeral director's creepy teenage son. I didn't have very high hopes for this flick at first, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
This seemed appropriate for July 4th viewing...
"Uncle Sam" (1996)
A U.S. serviceman killed in Kuwait is shipped back to his home town, where he mysteriously re-animates and goes on a killing spree during the annual July 4th celebrations, murdering anyone who isn't "patriotic" enough. The only ones who can stop him are his annoying kid nephew and former soldier Isaac "Chef" Hayes.
This tongue-in-cheek slab of horror cheese reunites writer Larry Cohen and director William Lustig of "Maniac Cop" fame, but unfortunately it's nowhere near as good as the "MC" films. The "Uncle Sam" character looks ridiculous as hell and though the movie has a couple of good gory bits, overall it's just too goofy to take seriously.
Shadows of the Orient (1935) - first: Regis Toomey who plays the inspector has one of the longest IMDB things I've ever seen https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0867538/?ref_=tt_cl_t2 (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0867538/?ref_=tt_cl_t2) . I remembered him from a very early gangster movie called "Alibi". He said "you're a great little guy...when it comes to stabbin in the BACK" . In this one he's a cop working to stop an illegal immigrant smuggling ring. Why anyone cared about that in 1935 is beyond me, wasn't America just going crazy with the depression and bootlegging and so forth at that point? it's decently entertaining
3.75/ 5
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (2005)
A perpetually-confused Englishman is whisked off of Earth moments before it's destroyed by aliens, and joins a crew of space-faring misfits on an mission to find the answers to Life, The Universe, and Everything.
This lavish adaptation of Douglas Adams' surreal comedic sci-fi novel has a great cast, impressive visuals, and a fair share of laughs, but if you're not familiar with the source material, it may feel like you're watching an elaborate private joke that you're not "in" on.
THE SHASTA TRIANGLE (2019): A young woman and her four female friends investigate mysterious happenings in Mount Shasta, California. Low budget mumbo jumbo about magnetic fields, secret government experiments and alternate dimensions leads to ho-hum results. 1.5/5
WE ARE LITTLE ZOMBIES (2019): After meeting at a funeral parlor, four emotionless orphaned children run away and form a pop band. High-energy, carnivalesque pop-psychedelics enliven Nagahisa's genre-bending feature debut, which wrings a surprising amount of empathy from its tale of children whose defining characteristic is that they have no strong feelings. Catch it if you can. 4/5.
"The Man With the Golden Gun" (1974)
Roger Moore's second turn as 007 jumps on the then-current kung-fu movie craze, as James Bond travels to Hong Kong and Thailand on the trail of Scaramanga (Christopher Lee), the underworld's most elite assassin, in order to recover a stolen solar-energy device. There are some cool action sequences and exotic scenery, as usual (plus, Britt Ekland is one of the hottest Bond girls ever) but the comedic bits feel forced (and the unnecessary return of annoying redneck sheriff J.W. Pepper from Live and Let Die is a series low point). It's an entertaining watch, but I'd have to rank this one near the bottom of the Bond pile. The series was clearly still trying to find its groove with Roger Moore in the lead.
The Atomic Brain/Monstrosity (1963)
A rogue scientist is perfecting a method to transplant a human brain (using a cyclotron, no less). His work is financed by grumpy elderly women with immense fortune in order to put her brain in a young body. Three girls are lured into the mansion with the pretext of working there as a housemaid. Where will this all lead to?
For all its failings (and there are many), I found this oddly watchable. This is another one of those movies who don't have enough script to fill the runtime, and instead has the characters taking forever to do anything.
Curiously, the mad doctor is called Otto Frank. I'm pretty sure Anne never mentioned any brain swapping experiments in her diary.
What intrigued me was that, although it is shot in the 60s, the lighting, cinematography, pacing etc are very much that of a 1920s silent movie, except that you have a narrator instead of text panels.
well i have The Man with the Golden Gun and i've never heard anything bad about it, in fact all i hear is that it's one of the best in the series. Trivia Note though back when Christopher Lee was filming it they had i think 3 different guns for him to use and each for a different use of course and while he never regretted taking the role he hated that damn gun cause in order for him to learn how to do it he could not look at it while they were filming and that makes sense cause normally if you are gonna put together a gun in a film and it's a Villain than well he would know how to put a gun together.
and when he was promoting the film he had to carry the damn thing with him and it of course wasn't real and he hated it because each time he showed up at any airport he's have to explain to them that it's fake and who he was etc... why he was carrying it and so on and so forth. he freaking hated it and i can't say that i blame him either. anyways i watched a couple the 1st one i watched was "Bad Boys For Life (2020) a really damn good flix too for me i thought the 2nd one was far better than the first and the newest one is i think better than the last one.
anyways, than i watched "The Avengers (2012) a damn good movie 10/10 oh and the same goes for Bad Boys 10/10.
next up Ant-Man i also give that 10/10. i pretty much love all these Marvel films the only ones i didn't give a 10/10 are 'Thor" (2011) which i'd say is about a 8/10
that one is a good movie but it just wasn't one of the best ones, than you have Black Panther that i'd also give 8/10 a good movie but not among my favorites.
anyways i loved Ant-Man i watched that and Bad Boys last night in fact. The Avengers i watched the other day actually. i grabbed all my blu-rays i haven't watched yet of the ones that i have bought and haven't touched at all and put those in boxes so i can have something ya know to do. why not ya know?
BIG RIVER MAN (2009): Slovenian Martin Strel is 53, overweight, and a functional alcoholic; he's also the world's greatest endurance swimmer, and this documentary follows his attempt to set a new world record by swimming the entire length of the Amazon River. As Martin deals with parasites, high blood pressure, an amateur navigator who turns into a crazed disciple, and his own growing insanity, BIG RIVER MAN turns into a real life AGUIRRE: THE WRATH OF GOD. 4/5.
"Don't Go In The House" (1979)
After the death of his abusive mother, a repressed Mama's Boy builds a private crematorium in his house and starts taking his issues with women out on local females with the help of a flame thrower. Think "Psycho," if Norman Bates had a pyromania fetish.
This notorious late '70s grindhouse sickie isn't terribly gory, but it's certainly disturbing, with a strong performance by the guy playing the he-man woman hater. The title led me to believe this was going to be just another junky, generic slasher flick, but it turned out to be an effectively grimy psychological study of a person slowly losing his sh*t, ala "Maniac" or "Ms. 45," not for the faint of heart. They really don't make'em like this anymore.
BLUE VELVET (1986)
The discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child.
Why do I this to myself? The premise sounded really good, since I love murder mysteries, but too late I realized it was a David Lynch movie. This was my first experience with that director, and the only good thing I got from it was to dismiss my curiosity about TWIN PEAKS, because it says it was inspired by this movie, and I'd rather drink my own vomit than watch anything similar again.
Let's see... first, and most importantly, it fails as a mystery. The plot is constantly padded by the whole sexual thing between Jeffrey and Dorothy, which makes no sense at all. By the end I couldn't care less about her husband, since she clearly never gave a damn about him either (your partner is missing and you go and f**k some random guy in your home? Sure...), and the kid, well, if it wasn't because they showed him at the end, I would've believed he never existed in the first place. I waited for a cool twist at the end to salvage the whole thing but it never came, instead the corrupt cop stood there somehow dead but moving, I don't know. We never get straight answers about the main premise of the movie, instead the focus is on the "romantic" part, and I use the term very loosely because it's more twisted than anything.
Nobody acts like normal human beings. The ones who aren't completely bonkers are more robotic than the bird at the end. Who the hell talks like that? "I can't figure out if you're a detective or a pervert", "that's a human ear all right", "why are there people like Frank?", and other stupid lines that seems to come from someone who never talked to another person or had any kind of experiences in life. The decisions the characters make are completely crazy: why would you agree to sneak into someone else's apartment just like that? Why Dorothy never called the police when her family was missing? Why nobody ever tried to stop Frank and his gang going 100mph all night?
Speaking of the characters, it's like a parade of weirdos. I've read that Frank is supposed to be scary and disturbing, but I find Dennis Hopper over-the-top acting actually hilarious. Buffalo Bill would look at this guy with a confused expression. "Baby wants to f**k! Baby wants to f**k Blue Velvet!" What the hell I'm watching right now? It's this a spoof and somehow I didn't get it?
I could keep on and on ranting but it's pointless, it's David Lynch. Everyone is going to praise it as a masterpiece just for the name. To me, it's artsy fartsy garbage that failed to entertain and thrill me, and its unnecesary long running time made it worse.
To quote Andrew again: I just know that they were trying to be artsy and avant-garde. The director made this, and then he would say things like, "I just wanted the world to know how much I love my cat." WTF is that supposed to mean? 4/10 Extra points because at least it has some cool music. :bluesad:
"The Doors" (1991)
Troubled poet Jim Morrison leads his band out of the L.A. clubs to the forefront of 60s counter culture, but ultimately pays a terrible price for fame.
Oliver Stone's lavish bio-pic of the 60s rockers features an absolutely amazing performance by Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison, who completely loses himself in the role.
I've read that none of the surviving Doors members were happy with the film taking numerous dramatic liberties with their story. So it may not be totally historically accurate, but "The Doors" is still an intense, trippy, and rockin' journey back in time.
THE OUTPOST (2020): Based-on-a-true-story tale of Combat Outpost Keating, a base established by US army to attempt to forge good relations and collect intelligence from local Afghani tribes, but placed in a valley that made the soldiers sitting ducks for constant Taliban raids. Don't get too attached to any of the characters because you never know who's going to die, or when. The best modern war movie since THE HURT LOCKER. It's a real shame more people won't be able to see this on the big screen, where it belongs. Excellent use of Sensurround. 5/5 if you're a war movie connoisseur, worth checking out if you're not.
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (1008)
Twenty years after his last outing as Dr. Jones, Harrison Ford returns in an adventure set in 1957, at the dawn of the Cold War. This time out he's racing to beat some very determined Russians (led by stone-cold beeyotch Cate Blanchett) to a powerful artifact that may not be from this earth. As usual, lots of stunts, crashes, and fistfights are in order.
I've been avoiding this fourth installment for years because I've always heard how terrible it was -- but honestly, aside from some unconvincing CGI (esp. at the end) and couple of cringe worthy moments involving the annoying Shia LeBeauf (or however you spell it) as Indy's kid sidekick, I enjoyed this flick. It was good to see Indy back in the saddle again, older but just as tough as ever.
I'll agree that "Crystal Skull" is the weakest of the Indy series, but I still had fun. Maybe I'm just a fan boy. :D
MY HINDU FRIEND (2015): Semi-autobiographical story of a director's (Hector Babenco) battle with cancer, complete with morphine-induced hallucinations of death (who's a pretty regular guy just doing his job). Babenco died soon after completing this (ironically, he survived cancer but died of a heart attack), so it seems uncharitable to rate his final statement so low; but although Willem Dafoe is good and gaunt, the parts don't fit together or flow gracefully, and the film never justifies its own narcissism. 2.5/5.
"Asbury Park: Riot, Redemption, Rock N Roll" (2019)
An engrossing documentary about the long, strange history of Asbury Park, the famed Jersey Shore town whose legendary live music scene in the 50s and 60s gave birth to Bruce Springsteen, Little Steven, Southside Johnny, and many more. A 1970 race riot turned the town into a barren wasteland, but after several decades of neglect the newly-revitalized Asbury is starting to shake off the ghosts of its past and begin to heal -- thanks to its music community.
As someone who remembers going to Asbury in the '90s when it was little more than a deserted ruin aside from its rock clubs like the Stone Pony and the Fastlane, it did my heart good to see this rise-from-the-ashes saga. Jersey still rocks!
the Man Who Cheated Himself (1951) - kind of an odd title but good movie, especially if you are a fan of a particular type of tension, which I'll explain.
A detective is having an affair with a married woman. As Eddie Mueller points out in the introduction the casting is a little weird. the main guy looks like a 70's sitcom character moreso than a 50's leading man. Jane Wyatt isn't generally cast as a femme fatale and the sidekick guy seems like he'd be happier in a western.
That said, they pretty much pull it off. The hook is the detective and his sidekick get assigned to a murder case that the detective himself had a part in. It's the husband of the lady! The whole movie you know but he has to try and investigate himself and not let on.
I enjoyed it. The final scene shot in some sort of weird outdoor building is very typical film noir but cool nonethless
4.25 /5
"Winchester" (2018)
This spooky period piece is set in 1906, when a New York psychiatrist is summoned to the famed Winchester Mansion in California to.determine if the house's elderly matron, the rifle heiress Sarah Winchester (Helen Mirren), is in her right mind. At first the doc thinks the old gal is crazy -- she claims the constant construction on her massive home is to please "the spirits" of those who've been killed by her family's business... but the longer he stays, the more he suspects something sinister may actually be roaming the halls.
Not terribly "scary," but a well made, atmospheric flick based on a supposed true story. Better than I expected.
SLAUGHTER STUDIOS (2002) - Once famous for the B-movies filmed there, Slaughter Studios was shuttered after an actor was killed in a mysterious, on-set accident. 20 years later, the night before the place is set to be bulldozed, a young filmmaker inspired by the place's prolific turnout decides to film one last, epic B-movie - NAUGHTY SEX KITTENS VERSUS THE GIANT MANTIS - on the crumbling set. Of course, his actresses are all young film students who hate each other, he's filming without permission, which means they have to keep an eye out for the deaf night watchman, his lead actor keeps shouting all his lines, his girlfriend is mad that he won't put her in the film - and, of course, there's a serial killer snuffing them out one by one throughout the marathon filming session. Silly, filled with over the top ham acting and gratuitous nudity, this movie punched all the classic bad movie buttons! Free on Amazon prime, and cheap at half the price! 5/5 on the bad movie scale, 2/5 on the regular movie scale.
"The Target Shoots First" (2000)
This unique music-biz documentary was shot by Chris Wilcha, an early '90s college grad and alternative-music fan from New Jersey who brought a video camera every day to his marketing job at the Columbia House Music Club headquarters in New York. Over the course of his relatively short time there, he documented the constant class warfare between the marketing and creative departments, learned the inner secrets of how Columbia House could give away so many free CDs and still make money, and watched with amusement at how clueless the corporate suits were as they tried belatedly to jump on the alternative-music bandwagon. A fun, snarky time capsule of a particularly weird time in the music business.
"It's alive" - It's a crappy movie. A guys wife gives birth to an insane demon baby. Why? We have no idea. maybe it's because of the Dad's 7'0's method acting.
If it had been made 10 years later it might have been a cool special effects thing, like that one with the head thing in the laundry hamper. Instead its more like Chupacabra. ending was okay
2/5
12 ANGRY MEN (1957)
A jury holdout attempts to prevent a miscarriage of justice by forcing his colleagues to reconsider the evidence.
I'm not usually into black and white movies, I guess it's because I didn't grew up with them so I feel a little off. I decided to give this one a try, based on the premise itself, and boy I was glad. The entire movie happens inside the same room, which is getting hotter and smaller with each passing minute. Even when we never know the names of the twelve characters (well, that until the end, when for some reason they reveal two names, I would've cut that out), we have huge development of each one of them, and we know them enough to understand their points of views.
The main guy, Juror #8, stands against the rest, and takes a shot at the chance of convincing them of his own reasonable doubt. An amazing character study which pulled me in from the beginning to the end.
If you're into court dramas, this one is a must. 10/10 :thumbup:
RELIC (2020): A mother and granddaughter check up on the family matron, who lives alone in the family's old homestead; dementia may be the least of the old woman's problems. For the first hour, it's mostly straightforward drama with a few spooky bumps in the night, but the final act delivers some scares (and heavy symbolism). And you thought your mom put up a fight when you put her in the nursing home! 3/5 (I suspect many will find it too boring, but since my mom has dementia, I identified with it).
Quote from: Rev. Powell on July 14, 2020, 09:02:57 AM
RELIC (2020): A mother and granddaughter check up on the family matron, who lives alone in the family's old homestead; dementia may be the least of the old woman's problems. For the first hour, it's mostly straightforward drama with a few spooky bumps in the night, but the final act delivers some scares (and heavy symbolism). And you thought your mom put up a fight when you put her in the nursing home! 3/5 (I suspect many will find it too boring, but since my mom has dementia, I identified with it).
Ive kept hearing about how scary this film is (which I put down as the usual over/hyping). This is the first time I've actually heard what the film was about.
Quote from: Alex on July 14, 2020, 10:50:40 AM
Quote from: Rev. Powell on July 14, 2020, 09:02:57 AM
RELIC (2020): A mother and granddaughter check up on the family matron, who lives alone in the family's old homestead; dementia may be the least of the old woman's problems. For the first hour, it's mostly straightforward drama with a few spooky bumps in the night, but the final act delivers some scares (and heavy symbolism). And you thought your mom put up a fight when you put her in the nursing home! 3/5 (I suspect many will find it too boring, but since my mom has dementia, I identified with it).
Ive kept hearing about how scary this film is (which I put down as the usual over/hyping). This is the first time I've actually heard what the film was about.
I enjoyed it well enough, but it's not very scary. Final scene is a little weird/eerie.
THE MAD FOX [AKA LOVE, THY NAME BE SORROW] (1962): A fantasy set in medieval Japan involving prophecies, court intrigue, magic scrolls, madness, fox spirits and tragic romance. A sumptuous spectacle for the eyes, it starts slow but grows on you once Yasuna's madness hits, turning into a kind of Japanese fairy tale VERTIGO with three Madeleines. Arrow Video found and restored this forgotten minor classic and re-released it on Blu-ray this year. 4/5.
"Grindhouse Presents: Planet Terror" (2007)
When a zombie outbreak grips a small Texas town, it's up to a one-legged go-go dancer and her ex-military ex-fiancee to lead a group of survivors to safety. Bullets fly, stuff blows up, and gallons of blood splash across the scratched-up screen.
Robert Rodriguez's action packed half of the "Grindhouse" two-fer is a pitch perfect ode to the ultra-violent B-Movies of the 70s, with an excellent cast (incl. Josh "Thanos" Brolin, Michael "Terminator" Biehn, gore makeup guru Tom Savini, and Bruce Willis) somehow managing to keep a straight face through all the guts, gore, and goop. Rose "Charmed" McGowan was at her peak of hotness (even if her character is missing a leg for most of the movie) when she made this flick. Tons of gonzo, over the top, gross-out fun.
i'm Currently watching Jaws (1975) and while i do agree it's a great film it's not the greatest horror film ever made like some horror movie list it as as i've seen far far better horror films. but that sure doesn't mean i don't give it a sold 10/10.
anyways the mayor reminds me that douche bag in Florida who refuses to close Florida or any of it cause Trump don't want him to and he wants to Bone Trump.
not that much of a difference between the mayor and this mayor. but if i recall someone saying that he's doing it cause their is a mafia subplot i used to have the book and i never got around to read it but a flood in our old house ruined that for me so i never got a chance to read it. anyways, man that still p**ses me off.
anyways leaving Trump out of course this Mayor is just like is it the mayor or the governor i forget which? and the people wanting to go swimming and so on etc... reminds me of the idiots who refuse to acknowledge that this virus is freaking real and not wearing masks etc... it's funny as i said this on another site how a film shot in (1974) pretty much is made about the Covid-19 virus years and years before we got it that's what it feels like to me in both cases it's a killer shark but of course substitute the shark for a virus.
The bit about the mafia subplot in the book is right.
I never could past the first 15 minutes of that movie, way too boring and uninteresting. One day I'm going to suck it up and watch it to give an honest opinion.
"Hangar 18" (aka "Invasion Force," 1980)
A space shuttle mission encounters a UFO, which then crashes in the Arizona desert. When the shuttle crew returns to Earth and tries to tell the world what they've seen, they find out the U.S. Government has covered up the entire incident. The only way they can expose the truth is to reveal the alien craft's hiding place, at Hangar 18.
This charming, cheap little sci-fi/conspiracy thriller is well written and features a cast of dependable B-list veterans like Robert Vaughan, Darren McGavin, and Gary Collins, but it's let down slightly by the obvious budget restraints -- it may have been released theatrically, but it looks like a made-for-TV flick. I hadn't seen this since I was a kid, and it was fun revisiting it.
Of course, it also inspired a certain Megadeth song that you might know!
I'm watching Lathe of Heaven right now. the BBC taped over all their original copies of things so this is from some random affiliate in boogie on the nose snot england. mediocre qual :thumbdown: but great story
okay so this is a Monkey's paw variation featuring a ton of ugly but awesome post ww2 architecture. A guy can change fate by having dreams about things. He goes to see a psychiatrist to get some help. Unfortunately the shrink is a power hungry ideologue who wants to play God and cure all the problems in the world.
5/5 on yt I have seen a DVD version and it's exactly the same
"Evil Dead" (2013)
In this 21st century "re-imagining" of Sam Raimi's 1981 splatter classic, a group of twenty somethings gather at a secluded cabin, muck around with a spell book they find in the cellar, and awaken something evil in the forest. Hilarity, of course, does not ensue.
I usually don't have very high hopes for remakes, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one, which wastes no time getting to the nasty stuff and keeps a frenzied, grimy, balls-to-the-wall pace all the way through. Finally, a horror remake that doesn't suck! Who knew?
Jaws (1975) is a film that starts off slow there's not a doubt about that but it's a slow start and it's within 20 or 25 minutes of the film where the Mayor wants the beaches open. it's a solid movie and i can see why people love it don't get me wrong but it's not the best horror movie ever made like so many lists have it as.
i'm a bigger fan of say "Tourist Trap' (1979) or Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) which isn't the best either but it's one of my favorites Hangar 18 i have seen that one
but i saw the MSKT3000 KTMA years when they did i didn't think it was that great of a film, but actually the film has 2 versions of it and i saw one of them and they both have different endings as well if i recall. i'm willing to watch the 2nd version though i dunno which one i did watch but i hope it's better than the one i did watch. as for the Evil Dead remake (2013) that movie is 7 years old already? Damn i didn't realize it and i dunno why i just haven't seen that one yet.
oh the Jaws films is my nephews 2nd favorite film of all time he's only 8 by the way, his other is Finding Nemo (2003) but he loves the Jaws films.
i don't think he's seen that many horror films to be honest but him being only 8 it's understandable ya know? i can't see him watching Friday the 13th though well any of them for that matter not at age 8. some of you prolly did but i don't remember what age i did but i doubt i was 8 at the time
Brazil (1985).
Terry Gilliam's triumph of style over substance. Absolutely stunning vision of a bureaucratic nightmarish world, but he spends so much time setting it up that we are a full hour and a half in before the story properly speaking sets in. Even then the story kind of meanders along to take in as many visual set pieces as it can manage. Magnificent, but after a time I got indigestion. Shoutout for the Messerschmitt Kabinenroller, though.
The movie takes place at Christmas, so does that make it a Christmas movie?
HUMAN LANTERNS (1982): A lantern-maker gets revenge on his arch-enemy by turning his loved ones into lanterns. A ridiculous plot (which some may find a plus), but the Shaw Brothers spent a lot of money on this one: the sets are eye-catching, and the fight choreography is amazing. 3.5/5.
"Battle Star Wars" (2020)
Some space pirates, a couple of cute girls in tight outfits, and a mystic warrior type protect a planet of innocent refugees from a galactic bad guy and his evil forces.
In case the title didn't make it immediately obvious, this is The Asylum's attempt to ride the coat tails of the latest Star Wars trilogy and it's enjoyably bad.
On the plus side, the sets don't look like they're made of cardboard for a change, and there are even a couple of halfway decent CGI space-battle sequences... but as usual, the acting is atrocious and the costumes look like they were bought off the clearance rack at Party City the day after Halloween. (The "Darth Vader" character is just an ordinary looking guy in a long robe which looks like a smoking jacket, so I dubbed him "Space Hefner.")
Apparently this flick was shot in a mere six days (!) and there's already a sequel in the works. Lord knows I'll probably watch that too, because I'm a glutton for punishment.
"The Final Level: Escaping Rancala" (2019)
More mock-buster fun from our friends at the Asylum!
Ten years ago, a girl's brother mysteriously disappeared without a trace while playing a vintage video game at the local arcade. Now, she and two of her gal pals fire up the same game and are drawn into its virtual world, where they must battle a variety of enemies in order to rescue him and bring him home.
...Asylum pulls off a two-fer with this flick, cuz it's ripping off "Ready Player One" and the recent "Jumanji" reboots. As usual, the script is a mess, the acting is totally amateur night, and the special effects are cheap crap, but on the other hand, there's three times the cleavage (Seriously fellas, the redhead in this movie is a stone cold fox).
My video game obsessed 12 year old bailed on this before it was over, but I enjoyed this cheesy fun flick. Asylum movies are like potato chips, you can't have just one.
you Do know there are 2 versions of Brazil don't you? one is the European cut and it's i think got an unhappy ending and the US one has the happy one i don't remember which one i've seen but they are both different cuts apparently.
also Planet Terror (2007) is simply Brilliant i think. i watched last night 2 films i watched "The Matrix (1999) another great film i hadn't seen in years. and than i watched/listened to the audio Commentary to "Field of Dreams' (1989) which is one of my favorite films of all time and damn i can't believe it's over 30 years old now it just makes me feel so old as i'm sure all of you have felt like that.
LITTLE DEATHS (2011): A three-story independent British horror anthology united by a sexual deviance theme: a rich couple play games with the homeless, a recovering junkie and prostitute gets involved with a strange prescription drug, and one of the pair in a psychological S&M relationship goes too far. The first short relies on a lame and obvious twist while the third is largely pointless, but the second, which has a truly bizarre premise that's sort of similar to UPSTREAM COLOR, could make this worth a watch. 2.5/5.
Quote from: pennywise37 on July 19, 2020, 05:25:42 PM
you Do know there are 2 versions of Brazil don't you? one is the European cut and it's i think got an unhappy ending and the US one has the happy one i don't remember which one i've seen but they are both different cuts apparently.
also Planet Terror (2007) is simply Brilliant i think. i watched last night 2 films i watched "The Matrix (1999) another great film i hadn't seen in years. and than i watched/listened to the audio Commentary to "Field of Dreams' (1989) which is one of my favorite films of all time and damn i can't believe it's over 30 years old now it just makes me feel so old as i'm sure all of you have felt like that.
I saw the European version of Brazil, full length with a depressing ending. I understand there was also a theatrical cut which was much shorter.
And Planet Terror is indeed brilliant.
"Lost Heroes: The Untold Story of Canadian Superheroes" (2014)
A very cool documentary that examines the ups and downs of Canadian comic book heroes, a tradition that goes all the way back to World War II (when wartime import/export limits prohibited American comics from coming into Canada, thus sparking a short lived homegrown industry of now-mostly-forgotten Canadian comics) and has continued into the into the present day thanks to higher-profile North of the Border heroes like Captain Canuck, Wolverine (of course!) and Alpha Flight. A very cool doc that introduced me to numerous creations that I had no idea existed, even though I was a comic book nut for most of my youth. Enlightening and entertaining stuff.
PRESIDENT'S DAY (2017) A new installment from Brain Damage Films features a group of grossly stereotypical teenagers going to a cabin in the woods (of course) for the long President's Day weekend. A ritual read from an old book given to them by a creepy tollbooth operator brings the ghosts of all America's past Presidents back from the dead for one purpose: to kill them all! Cheesy one-liners and Presidential puns ensue, with enough gore to be entertaining, and some scantily clad escapades but no actual nudity except for a stoner dude's butt. The James K. Polk zombie was particularly entertaining! This was a perfect bad movie: it knew it was bad and made no attempt to be anything else, and had a LOT of humor thrown into the mix. 4/5
I did a thread once that was like "has anyone ever actually been to a cabin in the woods?" I think one guy did
First Spaceship on Venus aka Der schweigende Stern (1960)
Another boring space exploration adventure. I stuck to the end because it is an East German-Polish coproduction, and I was curious how it would play out. The basic premise is OK: an alien artefact is found in the Gobi, and from that scientists somehow deduce that the Tunguska meteor was in fact in Venusian spaceship that exploded. So an expedition is sent to Venus, to find that the Venusians were developing a super weapon, that however got out of control and turned the planet into a radioactive wasteland. It is, apparently, adapted from a story by Stanislas Lem.
However, there is not enough plot to fill even this short runtime, and when things do happen, the movie utterly fails to create any tension. It doesn't help that the script is unnecessarily wordy, with exchanges like 'I think I've discovered something interesting. - Have you? Tell me all about it' Also, potentially interesting elements are introduced like the proto-R2D2 robot Omega, or the past love story between Sumiko and Brinkmann, but nothing much is done with them.
Bluebeard - One of the few "good" movies put out by PRC. Well shot, but the VHS to DVD transfer Alpha Home Video put out had bad sound, which made it hard to follow.
A Dog of Flanders - 60's version. A sentimental family movie. Good, but I think it's too slow & sad for kids. It does have a happy ending tho, & is less weird than the 90's version.
DEAD DICKS (2019): Mentally ill and suicidal, Richard tries to off himself but finds every time he does, he's reborn though a vagina that's growing on his wall, leaving him with corpses of his last self to dispose of; his sister and a neighbor get drawn into the vortex. Cool premise, but with only three actors and a single apartment set, it gets bogged down in the middle in sibling drama; fortunately, the last act picks up the pace wit a couple of twists and salvages some entertainment value. 2/5.
"Mountaintop Motel Massacre"
(aka "Mountaintop Motel" and "Horrors At Mountaintop Motel," 1986)
Crazy ol' Evelyn is released from the mental hospital, and goes back to her old job managing the run-down family motel business. When she catches her daughter practicing witchcraft in the cellar, she snaps and takes it out on the various guests inhabiting her establishment. Yup, that's the whole plot of this cheap, cheesy, gender-swapped "Psycho" variant that has a nice dark-n-stormy-night setting but everything else - acting, story, dialogue, gore effects - is total amateur night.
"M.M.M." may not the worst slasher flick I've ever seen, but you can probably skip it unless you absolutely have to see every movie with the word "Massacre" in the title.
First Spaceship on Venus (1960) i think i did see that one i don't honestly remember what i thought of it off the top of my head.
Bluebeard (1944) a decent movie that i do have on dvd and i have watched it a few times. it's also John Carradine few leading roles i think i read somewhere he had 32 of them? or was it 27? i forget anyways it was his favorite movie of his and i believe his than wife was in it playing i think the female lead i think?
it's just going by guesswork to be honest. well Mountain top motel Massacre (1986) if i'm not mistaken Corman did this one it was shot in (1983) and put out in (1986) i saw this one a few years ago i think it was? my GOD was it awful Plan 9 from outer space is a masterpiece compared to this film it was so bad.
it was so bad that i think i'm not sure what was worse this one or "The Mutilator (1985) that was equally a great big pile of Dog Sh*t. and i went in with high hops for both of them actually.
anyways i watched 'The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Part 1 (2014) i have all these on blu-ray and it's been awhile since i last watched any of them.
but this one while watching it honestly Donald Sutherland's Character President Snow made me think of Trump to be honest.
i dunno what else to say other than that if you've seen the films regardless if you like them or not you may even agree with me.
the things that do happen in this film thankfully are fiction but these days it sure doesn't feel like it anymore
Quote from: pennywise37 on July 23, 2020, 06:29:52 AM
anyways i watched 'The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Part 1 (2014) i have all these on blu-ray and it's been awhile since i last watched any of them.
but this one while watching it honestly Donald Sutherland's Character President Snow made me think of Trump to be honest.
That is a bit unfair on President Snow.
PALM SPRINGS (2020): A man caught in "one of those infinite time loops you might have heard about" where he relives the same day over and over gets company when a female is accidentally dragged into his private vortex. A breezy GROUNDHOG DAY variant with likeable leads Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti; not incredibly original, but entertaining. If not for the virus this might have been a small hit in theaters; instead, it debuts on Hulu. 3.5/5.
"The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot" (2018)
Set in the late '80s, an unsung World War II hero (Sam Elliott, bad-ass as ever) is called back to active duty for one last mission - to find and kill the elusive Bigfoot. Yes, really.
Going strictly by the title, I thought this movie was going to be a schlocky, tongue-in-cheek genre mashup, but it's actually a great deal deeper and more dramatic. There is a bit of monster mayhem so the film lives up to its title (however briefly), but the heart of the movie is about the Elliott character's reflections on his life of service to his country and how much it's cost him personally.
It's a very well acted, very odd little movie that may not have been what I expected, but I still enjoyed it.
QuoteMountain top motel Massacre (1986) if i'm not mistaken Corman did this one it was shot in (1983) and put out in (1986) i saw this one a few years ago i think it was? my GOD was it awful Plan 9 from outer space is a masterpiece compared to this film it was so bad.
IMDb sez the film was made independently and played the drive-in circuit in the Southern U.S. under the title "Horrors at Mountaintop Motel" in 1983-84.
Corman simply purchased it, added "Massacre" to the title, and gave it a wider release under his New World Pictures banner in '86.
Quoteit was so bad that i think i'm not sure what was worse this one or "The Mutilator (1985) that was equally a great big pile of Dog Sh*t. and i went in with high hops for both of them actually.
Oh yeah, "The Mutilator" was crap too. A lot of the late-in-the-game slasher flicks had extremely thin premises, but "Mutilator" was probably the worst of the batch. It did have one of the best tag lines of the era though: "By Sword... By Pick... By Axe... Bye bye!" :D
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on July 23, 2020, 10:16:06 AM
Corman simply purchased it, added "Massacre" to the title, and gave it a wider release under his New World Pictures banner in '86.
The genius of Corman summed up in one sentence
Kristy (2014) - passably entertaining horror movie. a girl stays at school over thanksgiving break for some reason and is stalked by guys wearing masks made of tin foil led by a meth looking chick in a hooded sweatshirt. There are much better variations of this out there, but this has that bland anonymously made quality that netflix seems to like for their instant offerings.
2.5 /5
MAGGIE (2015)
Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as the father of a girl who is infected with a virus that slowly turns people into zombies. If your expecting the typical Arnold action movie-nope. A slow moving, thoughtful movie about how a father has to deal with the slow death of his daughter.
your prolly right he prolly did Distribute it he has done that to a lot of things such as 'The Story of O" (1975) one of the funniest things about that film was Christopher Lee was offered the film and he said O" NO nice eh? i haven't seen that one to be honest, there's another film Corman bought i cannot remember the name of but it was a HUGE hit in the states and it was a Foreign film that i believe it was in (1971) where he gave the director who i forget who it was
a huge release i mean he put his films in drive-ins! opening night he had a crap load of roses ordered to hand to each woman walking in the door for promotion now that's just freaking Genius. anyways. he did all this cause he's a fan of Foreign movies and he saw a market here in the states.
anyways i watched 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (2015) and i liked it far better than part 1. yeah he reminded me of trump and so did that one chick that took over from him at the end. the only difference was that Trump doesn't drop bombs on any children, tear gas yes but not bombs .
thankfully and hopefully never. anyways 10/10. i've been a Donald Sutherland since i was a kid and i'd say my favorite film of his is the masterpiece Animal House (1978) best line in the entire movie well it's my favorite one anyways. i've been working on a novel for the past 3 years, how's it coming along? it's a piece of sh*t.
i just love that line and yeah there are more but that's my favorite
The Movie Murderer (1970) - made for TV mystery/ detective type thing about an arsonist who keeps burning down film studio archives. Starring pre mustache Tom Selleck and some old guy we're probably supposed to know.
As the future Magnum and his Dad figure try and figure things out, we get a profile of the arsonist himself as he struggles with the nature of his job and tries to get into the pants of the lady owner of the hotel he's staying at. Unfortunately for him he has some stiff competition: The professor from Gilligan's Island! He's a happy go lucky bachelor also staying at the Inn. Not only does he not like the guy moving in on his territory, he thinks our villains cover as a "salesman" is full of s**t, which of course it is.
It's not amazing but I enjoyed it. 1970 was kind of an in between year culturally speaking. aspects resemble the 60's but also the 70's. duh!
4/5 great title too obviously
Russian Ark (2002)
Another triumph of style over substance. Visually stunning, but to me disappointing. Another example of the 'let's do a bunch of cool scenes and hope they somehow turn into a movie' approach. Great set pieces, but less than the sum of its parts.
TUSK (2015) What a bizarre, mind-bending film this was! An American podcaster travels to Canada to do an interview and winds up finding this old sailor who promises to regale him with tales of a lifetime of adventure. However, instead, the geezer drugs him, cuts off his legs, and tries to surgically convert him into a walrus. I remember renting this movie at Hastings the year the store closed for good; it was bizarre then and it's bizarre now. Great performances, and a trippy soundtrack. 5/5
"The Go-Go Boys: The Inside Story of Cannon Films" (2014)
Israeli-made documentary about the legendary filmmaking team Menahem Golan and his cousin Yoram Globus, who pretty much invented Israel's movie industry in the '60s, then came to America in the '70s with plans to take the '80s by storm by cranking out lots of crowd pleasing, low budget movies featuring Ninjas, Chuck Norris, and Charles Bronson.
Yoram Globus' current company produced this flick, so it's more personal and less snarky than Mark Hartley's "Electric Boogaloo" Cannon documentary, which was released the same year (and which focused mainly on the Cannon catalog's penchant for boobs, blood, and explosions).
Take note, Golan and Globus speak Hebrew during most of their interview segments in this one, but as long as you don't mind sub-titles, "Go-Go Boys" is an enjoyable look at two outsiders' adventures in the movie business.
^ I saw the other documentary. very demented story
THE ENDLESS (2017): After receiving a videotape, a pair of brothers return to the UFO cult they grew up in looking for answers, but only find the mysteries deepening. A bit ragged and obviously low-budget, but full of high stakes and thoughtful surprises (including characters from the directing team's previous movie). 3.5/5.
Weekend double feature:
SLEEPAWAY CAMP 3: TEENAGE WASTELAND Pamela Springsteen is back as Angela, the transgender serial killer who murders her way through the entire population of a summer camp for troubled teens. This is a silly, unrealistic slasher film that doesn't take itself too seriously; the campers and counselors are pretty much all overacted caricatures and Angela is her usual wisecracking, judgmental self. Not as disturbing as the first film or as gory as the second, but not a bad conclusion to the franchise. 4/5
CHRISTMAS BIKINI BLOODBATH was a freebie on Amazon Prime, and it was about as bad as it sounds. Lots of girls in bikinis, girls out of bikinis, cheesy kills, and fake gore, without much plot to get in the way. I had a hard time staying awake. 3/5
AMULET (2020): Tomas, a bright but haunted ex-soldier who's now homeless, accepts an arrangement working as a live-in handyman for a lonely woman and her mother, who is slowly and painfully dying in her attic apartment. Slow to start, though there are enough mysteries about the old woman and Tomas' past to keep you watching; sags a bit in the second act, but builds to a wicked ending. I'm shocked to see this at 4.4 on IMDB; I can see some folks thinking it's too slow, but that's a ridiculously poor score. Me, I give it 3.5/5.
I found a YouTube channel over the weekend full of those irresistibly schlocky made-for-TV thriller movies from the '70s and '80s so I'm probably gonna go down a serious rabbit hole with these over the next few weeks, haha. Started the binge with:
"Death Car on the Freeway" (1979)
A crusading TV news reporter (Shelley "Charlie's Angels" Hack) makes it her mission to stop a psycho killer who's been running women off the L.A. freeways with his souped up van. Lots of cars crash and stuff blows up along the way.
Fun junk directed by Hal "Smokey and the Bandit" Needham and featuring a supporting cast that includes such familiar faces as Frank Gorshin, Dinah Shore, George Hamilton, Peter Graves, and Sid Haig.
They don't make 'em like this anymore!
TRIANGLE (2009)
A group of friends suffer a yachting accident and take refuge on a cruise drifting on the open sea, but quickly realize they were better off on the upturned yacht.
An interesting concept, although much better explored in THE TWILIGHT ZONE like a million years ago. Basically, a group of friends get stuck in an abandoned ship and one of them discovers she's in some kind of time loop. The girl acts like she's on drugs or something, it's pretty bad, and the insane amount of plot holes made this, at least for me, a rather bad experience. Discussing these flaws would basically spoil the whole twist of the movie, which is pretty much the only reason to watch this failed attempt at horror / mystery.
I guess it's a good time killer, that's for sure. 6/10 :lookingup:
"Warrior Queen" (1987)
In ancient times, a beautiful emissary from Rome (Sybil Danning) arrives in Pompeii, where she is wined and dined by the sleazy Emperor (Donald Pleasance), watches some gladiator battles, and then helps a bunch of female slaves escape when the city is hit by a volcanic eruption.
...that's pretty much all that happens in this virtually plotless, ultra-cheap swords & sandals flick, which moves at a snail's pace despite being only around 70 minutes long. There's plenty of T&A of course, and lots of lousy acting and cheap gore.
Strangely, even though she's supposedly the "Warrior Queen," Sybil's character doesn't do very much warrior-ing. She spends most of the movie standing around, looking bored, and has about three lines of dialogue in total.
I'd also love to know how the hell they roped Donald Pleasance into this thing -- did he lose a bet? He looks like he's drunk as a skunk the entire time.
After a while, I felt like I was watching a porn movie with all the porn parts cut out. According to IMDb, director Chuck Vincent did do a fair share of adult films, so who knows, maybe that was actually the case.
Final analysis: AVOID.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on July 27, 2020, 10:25:39 AM
I found a YouTube channel over the weekend full of those irresistibly schlocky made-for-TV thriller movies from the '70s and '80s so I'm probably gonna go down a serious rabbit hole with these over the next few weeks, haha. Started the binge with:
"Death Car on the Freeway" (1979)
A crusading TV news reporter (Shelley "Charlie's Angels" Hack) makes it her mission to stop a psycho killer who's been running women off the L.A. freeways with his souped up van. Lots of cars crash and stuff blows up along the way.
Fun junk directed by Hal "Smokey and the Bandit" Needham and featuring a supporting cast that includes such familiar faces as Frank Gorshin, Dinah Shore, George Hamilton, Peter Graves, and Sid Haig.
They don't make 'em like this anymore!
I seen this back in '79!
GREEN INFERNO (2013)
I bunch of activist collage punks go to Peru to protest the ravaging of the rain forests. But thankfully they're plane crashes and the do-gooders are kidnapped , tortured, and eaten by cannibals.
It's an old '80's Italian cannibal movie updated.
Dumb as f**k, but gory.
Gimme LET THEM DIE SLOWLY any day.
Oh yeah, it's by Eli Roth. The HOSTEL guy? I hate that movie.
DEADLINE (1980): A popular Stephen King-type horror writer endures a rocky marriage and neglects his kids, while struggling to come up with shocking new ideas: we see some of his gruesome discarded sketches play out, as his family life goes to hell. The "work-in-progress" scenes allow the filmmakers to skip the setups and resolutions and just get straight to the cheesy gore; they also distract from the main story's characters, who are both unlikable and unbelievable. 2/5.
"The Bees" (1978)
In this absolutely cheese-tastic '70s eco-horror from Mexico, "Africanized Killer Bees" are smuggled into the U.S. by an unscrupulous corporation, which then breed with local bees, creating a new mutant strain that starts swarming into major cities and stinging everyone to death. Fortunately a crusading bee scientist (the late great John Saxon) and his research team are on the case, trying to stop the angry buggers before they replace humans as the dominant species on Earth (yikes!).
There's a *lot* to unpack in this movie -- it starts out as a pretty standard nature-run-amuck flick with the usual hammy acting and ultra cheap special effects (the bee swarms look like big clouds of smoke in long shots, and like Rice Krispies blown by a fan in close-ups). Then it suddenly takes a turn into totally bats**t crazy sci-fi territory when Saxon's character figures out how to communicate with the bees (!), learns why they're so p**sed, and ends up presenting their "demands" to the United Nations! Yes, really.
Fun fact: According to IMDb, the producers of Irwin Allen's big budget, all-star killer-bee movie "The Swarm," which was made the same year as this flick, paid the makers of "The Bees" a bunch of $$ to delay the release of their movie so it wouldn't damage "The Swarm's" box office potential... but if memory serves, "The Swarm" tanked anyway.
It's been a while since I've seen "The Swarm" but if I had to choose between it and "Bees," I think I'd go with this one -- it's shorter than "The Swarm" and its unintentional comedy factor is absolutely off the charts. This one's a total hoot.
SPINDRIFT'S HAUNTED WEST (2020): A visual album covering the psychedelic/western band Spindrift's "Ghost Town" tour, where they visit remote parts of the American west to play their songs. Great Monument Valley-style scenery and psychedelic imagery; if you dig the band's mix of Ennio Morricone, acid rock, traditional folk, and noisy punk (Jello Biafra guests on one number), this is quite watchable. Also would make a great background for your next peyote session. 3/5.
Death Car on the Freeway - If you like stuff like Charlies Angels and CHIPS definitely check this out. It would have made a fantastic episode of either of those shows, probably tighter and more fun than this just okay made for tv movie.
A crazy guy is running women off the road. Since this is 1979 there are no cameras anywhere. I love old movies where its super easy to do crimes and get away with it. To convey how out of control this guy is, he is repeatedly shown putting in an 8 track of what they keep calling country music but sounds like an insane free jazz freakout of some kind. (maybe they should go after whoever made that music, not the guy?) A not particularly charismatic TV reporter who must have been famous in 1979 works to find him before he kills all the women in cars in the world.
George Hamilton is awesome as her jerkwad ex husband. Some good detective type stuff toward the end and the ending itself was classic.
3.75 /5
SHE DIES TOMORROW (2020): Amy is convinced that she will die tomorrow; she spreads this irrational belief to everyone she meets. A melancholy and oddly compelling thought experiment about what life would be like if we constantly lived with consciousness of our own death; similarities to the current pandemic are accidental, but reflect the nation's darkest doubts at the moment. 4/5.
"Kingdom of the Spiders" (1977)
Before "Arachnophobia" or "Eight Legged Freaks," this was the Big Kahuna of killer-spider movies. William Shatner stars as the veterinarian of a small Arizona desert town under siege by hordes of p**sed off tarantulas, who've added humans to their menu since their usual food supplies have been killed off by pesticides. This long time drive-in fave and late night TV staple has aged surprisingly well. Creepy, crawly fun!
The Swarm (1978) tanked hard yes but if i'm not mistaken Michael Caine considers it his worst film even though it's not by far. The Bees also (1978) is a great film that's a lot of fun. John Carradine with a really good size role for a change is good in it though why he plays Russian isn't it?
i have no idea. i went in with low expectations when i first saw it and ended up loving it.
anyways i watched Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1988) i listened to the audio commentary and that's a must watch but check out the one with the director and it's cast. i haven't heard the other one yet to be fair.
i watched Jurassic Park 3 (2001) tonight and i really enjoyed it more than i thought i would to be honest, i have heard nothing but how bad the 2nd and 3rd one are and i watched the 2nd one last night i liked it but i didn't love it, i think i gave it 7/10 i think or an 8/10 i forget which that one was overlong i think and needed more work on the script but it wasn't as bad as i thought it was going to be. the 3rd was a lot better than i thought it was going to be i loved it.10/10 i don't think it's the best one though i haven't seen them all to be honest. i still need to see the last one to be fair but the hate these films get is shockingly
huge.
DEAD MEN WALK (1943)
George Zucco plays dual roles of an undead vampire and his brother who hunts him down to destroy him.
So-so PRC cheapie, with Dwight Frye as a Renfield type (of course) in one of his last roles.
"Batman: Mask of the Phantasm" (1993)
In this theatrical spin off from "Batman: The Animated Series," there's a new vigilante in Gotham, picking off the leaders of the city's underworld -- and Batman is the prime suspect. To clear his name, Batman will have to re-connect with a lost love from his past, and battle (who else?) The Joker for the millionth time. Cool, action packed stuff with the usual excellent voice work.
Cosmic Voyage 1936
This is a Stalin-era movie to spur interest in the great adventure of space flight, with Tsiolkovski himself as a scientific adviser. It is not a particularly good movie, but is has a more grounded take on space flight than many other movies of the era. In many ways I was reminded of Tintin's Objectif Lune. The story takes place in 1946, when an intrepid crew land on the Moon and rescue a cat (really). Not doing things by halves, they go straight to the far side of the Moon.
The crew consists of Professor Sedikh, his assistant Marina and bright young lad Andrej (who looks like a young Chico Marx). Marina takes no nonsense from anyone. When her fiancee Viktor, who was supposed to make the trip, gets cold feet, she is happy to replace him. When he tries to stop her, she knocks him down and enters the rocket ship. That is how you get female astronauts on the Moon!
(On a terminological note, the text panels talk of 'astronauts' and not of 'kosmonauts').
A must watch if you like historical SF
"Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics" (2010)
Documentary on the long and occasionally bumpy history of DC Comics, home of Batman, Superman, and many more. Interviews with comics pros old and new and vintage photos & films trace the company's rise from humble pre-WWII days to its current status as a publishing and multi-media powerhouse. Fanboy fun.
Bluebeard (1944)
John Carridine in a rare leading role where he plays an artist who feels compelled to murder the women he paints. Still a good watch more than three quarters of a centuary since it was made.
MY NEIGHBOR WANTS ME DEAD (2019): Menaced by the mystical neighbor outside his door, a man trapped in his apartment keeps dying over and over. It intends a narrative of sorts, but it's really more of a collage of small-scale experiments involving VHS artifacts, psychedelic green screen, and dark humor. Less than an hour long and free on Prime. I didn't hate it, but you might. 2/5.
"Joker" (2019)
A shunned loser slowly descends into madness on the mean streets of Gotham City circa 1981, and becomes the face of rebellion against the urban elites along the way.
This controversial new take on the "origin" of Batman's nemesis is essentially "Taxi Driver" set in the DC Universe with Joaquin Phoenix giving a career defining performance as the future supervillain. This is a comic book movie for people who hate comic book movies. It's the feel-bad movie of the year!
"Best Worst Movie" (2009)
In 1989, child actor Michael Stephenson landed his first major movie role, in the notorious turkey Troll 2 ... which is now considered one of the Worst Films Ever Made, and which pretty much totaled his acting career.
Nearly twenty years later, he discovered that the film had somehow developed a rabid cult following... so he directed this charming documentary in which he tracked down many of his former co-stars, visited a number of "Troll 2" retrospective screenings, and hit the convention trail with George Hardy, who played his father in the movie (and is now a small town Alabama dentist), to try and figure out why their terrible movie still resonates with so many people.
This doc was lots of fun and actually made me want to give "Troll 2" another go-round. If memory serves, I bailed out about halfway through it on HBO years ago so I've never seen the whole thing. It might be time to rectify that.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on August 02, 2020, 08:49:28 PM
"Best Worst Movie" (2009)
In 1989, child actor Michael Stephenson landed his first major movie role, in the notorious turkey Troll 2 ... which is now considered one of the Worst Films Ever Made, and which pretty much totaled his acting career.
Nearly twenty years later, he discovered that the film had somehow developed a rabid cult following... so he directed this charming documentary in which he tracked down many of his former co-stars, visited a number of "Troll 2" retrospective screenings, and hit the convention trail with George Hardy, who played his father in the movie (and is now a small town Alabama dentist), to try and figure out why their terrible movie still resonates with so many people.
This doc was lots of fun and actually made me want to give "Troll 2" another go-round. If memory serves, I bailed out about halfway through it on HBO years ago so I've never seen the whole thing. It might be time to rectify that.
I liked that documentary, although I did worry quite a lot about the woman who played the mother.
A JOURNEY TO THE BEGINNING OF TIME (1955): Czech educational fantasy spectacle. Four boys take off downriver, traveling backwards through time as they row along, first encountering woolly mammoths, then dinosaurs. At times, plays more like a trip to the natural history museum than a rousing adventure yarn; but the kid actors are surprisingly good and Karel Zeman's stop-motion animation is every bit the equal (if not better than) his American counterpart Ray Harryhausen. Also available in a dubbed English version with different wraparound sequences. I think boys today---especially ones obsessed with dinosaurs---would still enjoy this, as long as they had good attention spans. 3.5/5.
I liked Best Worst movie and also enjoyed Troll 2. what can I say? I thought it was colorful.
Invitation to Hell (1984) - It's the Stepford Wives/ Get out plot with everyone trying to get this guy to join a local (always in the suburbs isn't it?) country club. Soap opera star Susan Lucci kills it as the clubs director who tries to get everyone to join and mainly succeeds. Robert Urich isn't so sure that this is in his best interest, so he tries to find out whats going on before it's too late. Awesome made for tv movie directed by the great Wes Craven
In retrospect, the opening scene doesn't make tons of sense. Punky Brewster plays the daughter. It's on youtube and tubi but obviously the tubi version is better quality
5/5 very entertaining
(https://thetelltalemind.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/invitation-to-hell1.jpg)
MICROWAVE MASSACRE (1983)
I have seen lotsa bad movies...this has to be on the top of the list. Lame stand up comic Jackie Vernon plays a shmuck who hates his wife's cooking. So he kills her and eats her for lunch.
Some of the worst acting ever recorded to film by every one involved. I can't believe this was made.
Quote from: RCMerchant on August 03, 2020, 02:37:07 PM
MICROWAVE MASSACRE (1983)
I have seen lotsa bad movies...this has to be on the top of the list. Lame stand up comic Jackie Vernon plays a shmuck who hates his wife's cooking. So he kills her and eats her for lunch.
Some of the worst acting ever recorded to film by every one involved. I can't believe this was made.
That is one of my early favorite bad movies!!
HOBGOBLINS (1988) - MST3K VERSION
A young security guard must track down diminutive aliens who kill people even as they make their fantasies come true.
Wow, what can you say about this? It was clearly made completely aware of its own crappyness, which kinda takes away the fun for me. I mean, they deliberately made this film to be as ridiculous and cheesy as possible, so of course the result will be this incoherent mess.
The puppets are most of the times just static, and when they jump on people the actors (and I use that term very loosely) grab them and shake them as if they were attacked, it's just dreadful. The plot is beyond stupid, the whole bar scene last forever, and all the characters are a disgrace. You really can't put this movie in any genre also, because it fails in every level imaginable. I don't think a single person dies in the whole movie, not even the guy who gets completely engulfed in flames, so even the synopsis is a lie.
This movie is terrible, and honestly, I don't mean it in a so-bad-it's-good kind of way, because for me, in order for that to happen, the director has to be honest in the first place. BIRDEMIC and JACK-O are good examples of this, they really tried, but luckily for us, failed miserably. HOBGOBLINS is just a bad rip off of GREMLINS meant as a cash grab, taking advantage of the bad movies cult. The trivia even confirms that the director personally contacted the MST3K crew so they showed one of his films, but eventually sent them this one.
Avoid this crap unless it's in the MST3K format, because to be fair the episode was truly hilarious. 1/10 :thumbdown:
"Black Enforcers" (aka "The Black Gestapo" and "Ghetto Warriors," 1975)
A black "Neighborhood Watch" group in the Watts section of L.A. successfully drives out a protection racket run by local white mobsters. The group's leader then has to deal with his power-mad second in command, who breaks away from the organization, forms his own Nazi-esque army of thugs, and takes over the mob's operations.
...this jaw droppingly tasteless combo of the Blaxploitation and Nazi-sploitation genres certainly won't win any awards for political correctness, but it totally delivers on the ultra-violent sleaze front. Worth a look just to see Charles P. Robinson, who would later become known as the nice-guy court clerk "Mac" on "Night Court," as the would-be ghetto Hitler bad guy. A bizarro, yet strangely fascinating, '70s time capsule that would never get made today!
ya know it's funny my brother cracked on Troll 2 (1989) for years and years and i stood up for it cause at the time i believed it was a sequel to (1986) film which is a film that is bad but a lot of fun. but the 2nd one i tried to watch when i was in my 20's i think it was? it was so bad and the acting was so painful to watch that i looked up online to see if there was anyone at all who i like that worked on it and when i saw there wasn't i shut it off and never went back to it.
what's funny is that at a convention i hear i dunno the year the cast know it's a bad film but yet it's director doesn't think that and in fact when the cast was saying it was bad he was really p**sed about it out in the hallway. he really believes that's a good film well he's the only one i think cause it's just plain bad
and not fun bad like some movies but bad bad so bad that it belongs in the sewers where the rats can get to it and in fact the rats i don't think would even touch it, cause it's so bad.
i watched late last night 'SAW 2" (2005) that's a favorite of mine 10/10 for me cause it's my favorite one in the entire series and honestly they did get carried away with the gore in later sequels i love gore films don't get me wrong but sometimes less is more. plus i'd rather have more story sometimes it just depends on the film i guess
POOL PARTY MASSACRE (2017) A spoiled rich brat invites some of her equally spoiled friends (and the one obligatory nice, less rich one) over to her house for a pool party while her parents are out of town, and they get picked off one by one by a killer in overalls, who uses a variety of tools from the garage - hanging them back up, neatly, when he is done. Stupid screenplay, bad acting, gratuitous nudity, creative kills - this is bad movie GOLD! And it's free on Amazon Prime! 5/5
i just watched for the 2nd time "Rocket Man (2019) i'm a big Elton John fan and i have been since the 80's in fact, but though i thought the movie is great i do wish they had used the right music for the era. it drives me nuts that they aren't faithful to watch actually happened, and them having him have Border Song in (1967) or (1968) is a good example when their 1st song they ever wrote together is called Scarecrow and it's decent it's on you tube somewhere.
just like in the film they have him fighting with Bernie Taupin and he's never had an argument in over 50 years he's known him no joke. 10/10 but i'm just picky on i wish it was a straight bio that's all. but i did love that it's star sang the songs and it wasn't dubbed over with Elton's Vocals
CASINO ROYALE (1967): James Bond done as spoof: the "real" James Bond (David Niven) comes out of retirement to train other James Bonds (including Peter Sellers) to confound a ridiculously convoluted plot by SMERSH. As a comedy, CASINO ROYALE misses a lot of its comic targets, but it's still fascinating for its cast (which also includes Woody Allen, Orson Welles and Ursula Andress), its psychedelic/pop art/expressionist production design, and its general 1960s excess. You might consider it so-bad-it's-good; I just think it's carefree and fun. 3.5/5.
BLOOD CLOTS (2020) - A nice collection of seven short indie horror films bundled together in one neat package, free on Amazon Prime! I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed the whole set; the last two were probably my favorites, but all of them had some charm. From a "human statue" trying to survive the zombie apocalypse to a swarm of mutant carnivorous jellyfish, this set had me thoroughly entertained from the get-go! Highly recommended! 5/5
Aerials (2016)
I caught this on Netlix. As an alien invasion movie set in Dubai, I thought it might be silly fun. It is not. This is the most boring movie I have ever seen. I kept on watching it with the feeling that eventually something would happen, but nope. The story, such as it is, is that alien motherships arrive all over the planet (as in Independence Day) and then shut down all technology (as in The Day The Earth Stood Still) and then suddenly leave. They do seem to have fixed global warming in the meantime.
However all of this 'action' and I use the term loosely, is completely off screen. The movie mainly follows a married couple staying at home and arguing with eachother, wondering what is happening at what it all means. The movie is all dialogue and very little of it makes any sense. Also the acting is atrocious and there is so much padding. We get shots of the guy making an omelet, or carefully adjusting his headscarf before leaving. The only bright point is the insurance salesman who sells coverage for the alien apocalypse.
This makes something like The Phantom Planet look like Star Wars and 2001 rolled into one.
Night of Terror (1972) - Donna Mills and a guy who looks like Ernest Borgnine but isn't star in this made for tv movie. I've seen a bunch of these lately and they are all about as good as each other. Gangsters are looking for some sort of object that they lost. They're murdering people and terrorizing nice ladies to find it. What is it??
The first half is pretty good and tense with the gangsters, led by Chuck Connors, menacing the women and car chasing them around. The second half seems more geared to women, involving the fake Ernest Borgnine detective and Mills bonding in a jovial way. ugh. It could be worse but it's not what I wanted to see.
The ending is pretty ridiculous. 1 hour 15 minutes went by more or less smoothly
3.75 /5
"Alien Predator" (2018)
An elite black-ops team is sent to investigate the crash of an apparent extra-terrestrial craft in the wilds of Honduras. After a long slog through the jungle they finally meet the ship's occupants, who naturally are not in a very good mood. Much blasting and zapping ensues.
This was The Asylum's attempt to ride the coat tails of 2018's "The Predator," though the plot actually resembles the original "Predator" flick from '87 - without the budget, the cool special effects, or a cast with acting ability.
By the time the "aliens" were finally revealed (nearly an hour into the movie!) I was so bored that I just wanted them to kill off the remaining human characters so the film would be over. Even by Asylum standards, this one is pretty poor.
AVOID.
"Death Is Nimble, Death Is Quick" (aka "3 Golden Cats," 1966)
Two American agents are sent to the island paradise of Ceylon to protect a lovely U.S. diplomat from a mad scientist and his criminal organization of karate killers. Chop-socky, butt kickin' fun.
This stylish German/Italian James Bond knock off was the second of seven (!) "Kommissar X" films, based on a popular series of European pulp crime novels. This movie obviously had a higher budget than your average "Eurospy" cheapie. The story's a bit of a muddle (which is not unusual for these 007 wanna-bee's) but there's lots of exotic locations, elaborate stunts, and (of course) plenty of pretty girls. This was my first time seeing any of the "Kommissar" flicks, but I'm definitely interested in checking out more.
"We Summon The Darkness" (2019)
It's 1988, and three girls travel to a heavy metal concert, where they meet a couple of nice guys in the parking lot, invite them home for an after-show party... and then things take an unexpectedly sinister turn.
I can't say much more without spoiling the movie's "twist," but honestly, most viewers will probably see it coming from a mile away, anyway. Despite that, I enjoyed this B-grade horror/thriller, which captures the '80s metal/Satanic Panic vibe nicely (and the girls are cute too!).
Kill The messenger (2014) - fact based drama about the plight of journalist Gary Webb, who wrote an expose of the CIA's involvement in the cocaine trade circa the contras and all that stuff then was subject to a backlash over it.
The first part involves Webb making the trek to South America, risking his life and bribing and journalisting his way to the story. The "Kill the Messenger" happens in the second part. As he's riding high, a friend informs Webb of whats gonna happen: the CIA and other happy with the status quo people will make the story about HIM and pull out all the stops in doing so.
Its like the Gospel of Mark, everyone abandons him and its all unrequited heroism and so forth. Did the CIA really do this? I don't know. I don't doubt it. Ollie North was involved. its just the sort of thing that would happen during the wacky cold war. Logic went out the window "hey the Soviet Union is evil, lets goad them into building thousands of nukes pointed at al our major cities!"
likeble but mostly educational, wikipedia come to life movie a la "Straight Outta Compton"
4/5
"So Darling, So Deadly"
(aka "Kommissar X: In The Clutches of the Golden Dragon," 1966)
In the third installment of the "Kommissar X" Eurospy series, the "International Bureau" sends swingin' agents Walker and Rowland to Singapore to protect a scientist and his lovely daughter from a criminal gang called the Golden Dragon, who want to steal the professor's high tech laser weapon.
There's not much plot in this one, but there sure are lots of car chases, fistfights, and pretty girls. An entertaining time killer for a lazy summer afternoon
The Signal (2014) - first let me say this: in one scene in this movie there is a pay phone. Why? It wasn't vital to the plot in any way. just pointless nostalgia or something from the director that takes the audience out of the movie. There are no pay phones anymore except one in Chinatown in Boston for some reason. That aside, this was a cool movie. Hackers are having a hacker war with a guy called Nomad, who has an uncanny ability to find where people are and use their computers as cameras and so forth. Things escalate and the hackers have to use their hacker ingenuity to get out of a trap in the woods and to surpass other obstacles.
a little different than what I'm used to but enjoyable. The more or less attractive girlfriend character certainly doesn't do very much. There's even a bit of a sci fi element toward the end.
4.5 /5
INVENTION FOR DESTRUCTION (1958): In a story based on multiple Jules Verne tales, a band of pirates kidnap a scientist who has developed a super-explosive (possibly an A-bomb prototype) to use his invention for destruction. The story is slight, but the visual style mixes cutout animation with live actors on stylized sets, and the effect is like viewing a woodcut come to life---fascinating and tremendous fun. Czech, b&w. 4/5.
"Vivarium" (2019)
A house-hunting young couple (Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots) take a tour of a seemingly tranquil suburban development called "Yonder," and soon find themselves trapped and alone inside the seemingly endless labyrinth of identical houses, unable to find their way out.
...and then it gets even WEIRDER.
A strange, artsy, surreal sci-fi/horror hybrid with a heavy "Twilight Zone" feel. It's not so much scary as it is unsettling. Stuff like this is not usually my kind of meat but it kept my interest throughout. Worth a look if you're in the mood for something out of the ordinary.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on August 13, 2020, 04:57:11 PM
"Vivarium" (2019)
A house-hunting young couple (Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots) take a tour of a seemingly tranquil suburban development called "Yonder," and soon find themselves trapped and alone inside the seemingly endless labyrinth of identical houses, unable to find their way out.
...and then it gets even WEIRDER.
A strange, artsy, surreal sci-fi/horror hybrid with a heavy "Twilight Zone" feel. It's not so much scary as it is unsettling. Stuff like this is not usually my kind of meat but it kept my interest throughout. Worth a look if you're in the mood for something out of the ordinary.
I recommend it.
here's one ladies and gents that i didn't expect to ever say this too, Halloween 6 The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) but the Producers cut NOT the Theatrical cut.
i watched that late last night and freaking LOVED IT! i did not expect to and it would have been an interesting film if done right and with the right script if Loomis had been maybe a villain in the next one had he not died and had they not went with the cut they ended up using. i posted this elsewhere apparently they had kept that ended but than a bunch of 14 year old boys didn't like the ending so... i didn't like it either but it was a freaking masterpiece compared to what we did end up getting
"Parker" (2013)
A high-end thief (Jason Statham) is double crossed by his "crew" and left for dead after a big heist. He then follows them to their next score in Palm Springs to teach them the error of their ways. Needless to say, it doesnt end well for his former partners.
Statham is his dry-as-usual self and Jennifer Lopez adds some comic relief as a gal who gets caught up in the revenge scheme and becomes Statham's unwilling partner. A decent butt kicker.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on August 13, 2020, 04:57:11 PM
"Vivarium" (2019)
A house-hunting young couple (Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots) take a tour of a seemingly tranquil suburban development called "Yonder," and soon find themselves trapped and alone inside the seemingly endless labyrinth of identical houses, unable to find their way out.
...and then it gets even WEIRDER.
A strange, artsy, surreal sci-fi/horror hybrid with a heavy "Twilight Zone" feel. It's not so much scary as it is unsettling. Stuff like this is not usually my kind of meat but it kept my interest throughout. Worth a look if you're in the mood for something out of the ordinary.
Oh dear, Jesse Eisenberg. As soon I read that name I instantly think in doing anything else but watch a movie. How much I hate that guy can't be calculated by normal means. :bouncegiggle:
CAPONE (2020): Impressionistic biopic covering the last year of Al Capone's life, when he was paranoid and dying of dementia, with much of the action seen in flashbacks and hallucinations. You may have heard people talking about Tom Hardy's "interesting" performance choices, which include croaking most of his dialogue incoherently and adopting a blank death stare for most of the film. Integrated into the film's fluid and sometimes disturbing alternate realities, these choices lead to some very odd collisions of camp with genuinely startling images. 2.5/5 as a bad movie.
Super reverend Monk - I think they mean reverent but its a very cool movie at any rate. This I believe is a Mainland as opposed to HK kung fu offering which often means really excellent kung fu but so so film making. It's definitely low budget, but the strong story sees it through.
Green Dragon and White Tiger village hate each other and things come to a head one day. A plan is hatched for 2 recently born children to fight each other in 18 years and this will decide everything. Since the one kids parents are dead he goes and lives in the local Shaolin style temple. His training is kept secret for the 18 years. He is guarded by a weird monk who has incredible drunken style kung fu.
really enjoyed this. One funny thing is how people keep attacking the secret kung fu kid trying to see what they are teaching him and he just goes "buddha bless you"
5/5 would probably a good one to play the kevin bacon game with. remember stolen bible? it had the most degrees. rev powell found it I think
HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD (1982)
Typical Italian zombie flick. Pretty run of the mill until the end when our heroine gets her tounge ripped out and her eyeballs squeezed out of her head.
"Jurassic Park III" (2001)
Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) sat out the previous "JP" movie but he's back for this third go-round, in which he gets shanghaiied into helping a couple find their child who's lost on Dino Island. As usual, lots of stunts, narrow escapes, and gory dino-munchings occur.
"JP III" is usually dismissed as the worst of the series, but I actually kinda like it. It's not as bloated or pretentious as Spielberg's entries, it's just a no-frills, fast moving action adventure/creature flick. Underrated and enjoyable.
JOJO RABBIT (2019) Ten year old JoJo is finally old enough to join the Hitler Youth even as Germany is crumbling before the Allied onslaught. He may be small, skinny, cowardly, and slow, but he has the help of a powerful imaginary friend - none other than Hitler himself! However, his relationship with his BFF (Best Friend Fuhrer) becomes more complicated when JoJo discovers his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic.
Beautifully filmed, wistfully sad and silly by turns, this coming of age wartime drama was nominated for Best Picture, and deserved it! Powerful performances all around, I was completely sucked in. 5/5
Quote from: lester1/2jr on August 14, 2020, 12:03:29 PM
5/5 would probably a good one to play the kevin bacon game with. remember stolen bible? it had the most degrees. rev powell found it I think
Heh. Yeah, STOLEN BIBLE was a crazy Nollywood movie. The absolutely insane trailer went viral and then they took it down.
"Everly" (2014)
Salma Hayek has spent the past four years in forced servitude to a brutal Japanese crime lord. When her "boss" gets wind of her plans to escape, he sends wave after wave of hired killers to her apartment building. You can probably figure out how well that goes.
"Everly" may not have the most original plot, but it's a gloriously gory, ultra-violent non-stop shoot'em up that's kinda like a mash up of "Kill Bill" and "Die Hard." A more accurate title for this flick would've been "Bullets, Boobs & Lots of Blood," cuz Salma still looks hot even after she's been shot and stabbed a few times and spent half the movie covered in grime, gore, and gunpowder.
The Forgotten (2014) - more of an foreign indy than a horror movie. It succeeds well on the first score, much less so on the latter.
A dorky kid lives in what we used to call a squat with his Dad, a ne'er do well. His Mom is in a psychiatric institution and life would be pretty unbearable if he doesn't slowly befriend a hot waitress. It's an unlikely relationship to say the least, but the actress * (everyone is British btw) is definitely the high point of the thing.
There are mysterious scrapings and poundings coming from the apartment next door. What are these mystery sounds and how do they fit into the history of everyones lives??? This stuff is confusing and I didn't get the ending at all.
3.75 /5
enjoyed as a well acted, colorful indy not horror
* she was in Harry Potter and also the Blade runner remake
"Truth or Dare" (2017)
A group of twenty somethings spend Halloween night playing "Truth Or Dare" inside a supposedly haunted house. This, of course, turns out to be a spectacularly bad idea, as it awakens an evil force which then follows them all home and makes them continue the ultimately-fatal "game."
Pretty standard direct-to-video horror junk with a few decently cringy, gory bits. One of the girls is played by Cassie "Sharknado" Scerbo, who can't act worth a damn but she has absolutely spectacular cleavage, so I had no complaints.
Some brief thoughts on some recent viewings:
Flight of the Living Dead: Outbreak on a Plane (2007): A zombie outbreak occurs on a plane. Who, if anyone, will survive? An action-packed zombie flick with some clever moments here and there, this film turns somewhat predictable and repetitive before the end. There are some fun moments featuring zombies in some unexpected places inside and outside a plane though.
The Stranger (1999): Weird, somewhat boring/somewhat pretentious film about a woman who suddenly finds her deeply buried memories/dreams/nightmares awakened along with her arguably repressed sexual desire after meeting a slightly pudgy pony-tailed stranger who mostly spouts arty nonsense.
Suck (2009): A struggling rock band suddenly finds their popularity starting to surge when their female bassist gets turned into an undead vampire. Best thing about this is its soundtrack with many familiar rock star faces appearing as part of the cast. Still this thing inevitably becomes sadly predictable and forgettable fare with few real surprises. In many ways, feels like some weird dragged out, strung together series of music videos featuring vampire and horror imagery.
Closet Monster (2015):When not caring for/talking to his closest friend/pet hamster, a young teen boy comes of age struggling with sexual identity, artistic future plans, crazy dysfunctional parents, plus a desire to leave the limits of Newfoundland. Moments in this are really hard to sit through and watch. It really pushes the boundaries of discomfort into arguably the horror realm although it's never truly an horror film. At times tough to sit through but good performance by the lead.
Red: Werewolf Hunter (2010): A family of werewolf hunters comes across a new challenge - werewolves who can transform at will even without a full moon. In some ways, this feels like a TV series pilot but not quite (it is a TV movie). The leads prove somewhat more likable than I expected as did the lead villain Gabriel played by Stephen McHattie but this story seems to lack depth and the production and effects seems poorly done despite a clever concept.
Evils of the night. How this slice of 80's cheese escaped my notice until now I have no idea. Some famous actors and actresses slum it here, clearly not that interested in being in it. Plenty of naked women which sort of makes up for the death scene effects.
"Heavy Metal Road Dog" (2016)
Lower-than-low budget rock doc that follows Chris Knudsen, the road manager and guitar tech for the all-girl tribute band The Iron Maidens, as they embark on a European tour.
Behind-the-scenes stuff like this can be fun if your subject has some good stories or at least some charisma, but Knudsen has neither. He shows all the personality of a wet mop as he tunes up guitars, consumes a lot of sausages and beer, gets lost in an Amsterdam train station, and navigates airport security. Watching paint dry is more exciting.
Maybe the filmmakers should have focused on the Iron Maidens instead -- they seem like a fun bunch of gals, though they don't really get to say much. Even more puzzling, you don't even get to hear any of their performances -- all the concert scenes are dubbed over with canned, generic widdly-widdly Euro power metal music. So what's the point?
In short: this is the least interesting rock doc I've ever seen
AVOID.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on August 17, 2020, 09:00:03 PM
"Heavy Metal Road Dog" (2016)
Lower-than-low budget rock doc that follows Chris Knudsen, the road manager and guitar tech for the all-girl tribute band The Iron Maidens, as they embark on a European tour.
Behind-the-scenes stuff like this can be fun if your subject has some good stories or at least some charisma, but Knudsen has neither. He shows all the personality of a wet mop as he tunes up guitars, consumes a lot of sausages and beer, gets lost in an Amsterdam train station, and navigates airport security. Watching paint dry is more exciting.
Maybe the filmmakers should have focused on the Iron Maidens instead -- they seem like a fun bunch of gals, though they don't really get to say much. Even more puzzling, you don't even get to hear any of their performances -- all the concert scenes are dubbed over with canned, generic widdly-widdly Euro power metal music. So what's the point?
In short: this is the least interesting rock doc I've ever seen
AVOID.
I've met more than one backstage crew member who thought they were the star. Sounds like this doc is a missed opportunity.
MONSTER SEAFOOD WARS (2020): Someone steals Yuta's temple offering of a squid, an octopus, and a crab, and soon giant versions of these three creatures begin terrorizing Japan; a squad is formed to combat the menace. A few amusing moments, but even granting the spoofy nature of the project, the extreme lack of budget proves disastrous. After building the goofy rubber seafood monster suits, there's not enough money left over to destroy the scale model cities. 2.5/5.
Quote from: Alex on August 18, 2020, 01:10:55 AM
I've met more than one backstage crew member who thought they were the star. Sounds like this doc is a missed opportunity.
Seriously, the whole time I watched it I kept thinking, "who the hell decided that THIS guy should be the focus of their documentary?" :D
terror from the year 5000 - this was mis-labeled as an Outer Limits episode. it's too silly for that, but If you can imagine a cross between campier Outer Limits ( say Corpus earthling) and Astounding She monster it would look exactly like this.
Scientist make a Tardis like time traveling machine in order to get artifacts from ancient history. They are so stupid though they program it backwards and get a weird statue from the future. They try to carbon date it but the carbon shows it like doesn't exist. Not long after that, a buxom future woman comes and wreaks havoc and everyone is forced to rethink the whole thing and figure out what to do.
Apparently this was a MST3K episode. I must have missed it. I didn't catch certain details like what was the point of the calcified cat in the suitcase at the bottom of the pond, but no matter. fun for all
5/5
SHOCK WAVES (1977)
(https://i.imgur.com/aaXUz62.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
John Carradine is piloting a small cruise boat to-it never tells us where- when a WWII ship rises from the bottom of the sea and rams them. The folks on the boat get shipwrecked on an island inhabited by old Nazi Peter Cushing, and the island is overrun by Nazi zombies, and everyone dies except Brooke Addams. It's real disjointed- but the scary Nazi zombies made up for it. They live in the water- ! They surface and sink like sneaky alligators! And if you pull their tinted googles off they shrivel up and die. It's kinda like a slighter bigger budget ASTRO ZOMBIES.
Carradine and Peter are great- but don't get a lot of screen time.
http://youtu.be/XEXN4FLGtBk (http://youtu.be/XEXN4FLGtBk)
The Chase (1946) - a down on his luck guy gets a dream job as a gangsters chauffer. Soon though, he encounters the guys wife who is a hot European MILF. Thing escalate quickly from there.
Pretty decent film noir type thing which features some good shots of the ocean and what I'm guessing is a studio approximation of Havana. pretty baffling (for me) plot twist aside its solid and enjoyable crimey deal
Peter Lorre is awesome as the sidekick gangster. He's a little more tough and less weird than usual
4/5
Hurricane Strip (2007) - has it really been 15 years since Katrina?
doc about normies who turn to stripping to make ends meet in the post apocalypse. director wisely focuses on the girl with the biggest boobs, who makes a fortune while p**sing off her grandma and doomed boyfriend. Girls Gone Wild 5/5
ABSURD (1981)
Big George Eastman plays a psycho who has amazing regenerative abilities. So you can't kill him unless you bash his brains in. He never speaks and is pursued by a priest. It seems to have been inspired by HALLOWEEN (1979), but oh so much gorier. A nurse gets a surgical drill threw her brain, a man gets his head stuck in a band saw, a woman gets her head stuck in a lit oven, etc...etc.. you get the picture.
Eastman is a scary monster! I just wish he killed the whiny little brat that pollutes this movie!
Another Joe D'Amato messterpiece!
(https://i.imgur.com/94w3DbE.png) (https://lunapic.com)
APOLLO 18 - A fake documentary purporting to show footage from a final, secret mission to the moon in 1974 - in which the astronauts discover that the Russians have landed on the moon, only to meet a horrible fate at the claws of an indigenous life form that the earlier missions had missed. Slow at first, but surprisingly tense and believable by the end. Fun flick! 4/5
MURDER PARTY (2007): A group of NYC art students decide to kill a stranger on Halloween night as a performance art piece, but prove to be incompetent killers. Executes its goofy premise pretty well and is done in a brisk 80 minutes. 3/5.
I thought Murder Party was pretty good ^
Phobia 2 - I've never seen phobia 1 but this thai horror collection is way above par for netflix instant horror.
part 1 - a troubled kid gets sent to juvenile Hall: the thailand equivalent which is living with monks in the woods. Unluckily for him, its almost time for the Festival of the Hungry Ghost so he has to deal with all kinds of sinister forces. hate it when that happens. This was the strongest and most thailandish offering
2- an illegal immigrant smuggling operation goes horribly, horribly wrong. guilt seems to be a running issue in these. I like when horror movies have meaning but when its all about comeuppance it can be like a chick comic
3 - a used car dealer doesn't tell drivers when the cars have been in accidents. I think this might connect with people in thailand more than here? It's one thing to be a crook, but I don't know that you are like disrespecting the dead by fixing their cars and re selling them.
4- A Scream type horror comedy that's a breath of fresh air from all the moralizing. Enjoyable if not laugh out loud funny with some insider horror jokes
While the execution isn't great they have the right approach. I will definitely watch the first one if I can find it
4.25/ 5
BLOODEATERS (1980) aka TOXIC ZOMBIES
A group of motley hippie pot growers get sprayed with some experimental paraquat and turn into cannibalistic zombies, and start killing unlucky campers in a remote area of federal land. Judy Brown is the biggest name in this very low budget flick, along with a minor role played by John Ampalas (the Captain who screams "Choke on 'em!" as he's getting his guts ripped out in DAY OF THE DEAD!). Passable, gory stuff by director Charles McCrann, who died in the WTC collapse.
(https://i.imgur.com/mXSvqbB.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
"Kiss Kiss Kill Kill" (1966)
First film in the German "Kommissar X" series of 007 knock-offs, with suave private eye Joe Walker and his police captain buddy Tom Rowland assigned to locate a missing nuclear scientist. The trail eventually leads them to the secret island fortress of a gold-hoarding super-villain (hey that sounds familiar) called "Oberon" and his private army of brainwashed, machine-gun toting females.
Shag-a-delic, baby!
As usual for these cheap spy flicks, "Kiss Kiss" doesn't have the most coherent story, but there's lots of two-fisted action, gorgeous European scenery, and (of course) plenty of pretty girls. Joe Walker is so cool that he even has his own swingin' theme song! This is the third "Kommissar" film I've seen and I'm really enjoying them, they're silly as hell, but lots of cheesy fun.
the DEAD NEXT DOOR (1989)
Holy fvcking sh!t! Sam Raimi backed a 19 year old J.R. Bookwalker's Z budget opus about a future of a world overcome by flesh eating zombies! His only good film! Yeah- it's been done a hundred times, but this film is so low budget and so over the top gore (good F/X too!). A goverment Zombie extermination group vs. weird cultists (lead by a Rev.Jones, no less!) who use the zombies to attack our heros! Fast paced, bloody as hell. Decapitation by hand grenade, disembodied zombie heads biting people, blood squirting like a drinking fountain on meth- awesome!
Bruce Campbell dubs the main character of zombie hunter Raimi! Why? I don't know!
One of my favorite zombie movies of all time now!
http://youtu.be/l6ChpQhCnvo (http://youtu.be/l6ChpQhCnvo)
LABYRINTH OF CINEMA (2019): Japanese teenagers find themselves thrown into the movies screening at a cinema on the last night before it closes. Nobuhiko "HAUSU" Obayashi's final movie is an exuberant, monumental, poetic, and confusing ode to the power of cinema; at an epic three hours, it arguably could have used some editing, but much of the movie's ramshackle extravagance would have been lost. 4/5.
The Flesh Easters (1964) - A long time ago I gave this 5 stars. I think I was won over by the initial Tarantino ish decadence (or his various influences'). Upon second viewing, the middle part could have been punched up a bit, but it's still pretty awesome.
An "I'm not flying into that storm, are you crazy?" straight laced pilot gets offered more money and does indeed fly into that storm. Soon, they make an emergency landing on an uncharted desert isle, but without Gilligan or even the Skipper. Hampering their escape efforts are flesh eating lightning bug things in the water.
This is like a slightly later, proto grindhouse version of The Killer Shrews. The version on youtube included the "Nazi experiment" scene, which featured a swastika and vats of acid. The director definitely saw which was things were going in the exploitation movie world.
I could tolerate the beatnik but the Nazi doctor guy was annoying. The assistants ultra innocent sexuality and quality genetics made her an easy favorite, but I appreciated the bitter Judy garland ish so done with the world drunk actress too.
4.5 /5 I will no doubt watch it again
edit - This was the directors only film. He was mainly a voice actor on Speed Racer. Thank you for taking the time out of your day, dude!
^ I LOVE that movie! I just re-watched it again on Tubi! I love when the Nazi gets his face eaten!
I just watched the final episode of MYSTERY SCIENCE TEATHER 3000, which happens to be DIABOLIK, a quite bad and morally inept movie about some kind of thief who, among other incredibly feats, manages to lift a 20ton lingot with balloons. Honestly, I have no idea what they were tring to accomplish with this. Should I cheer for that murderer for some reason? Just stay away, it's generic garbage.
As I commented long time ago, I had a rough time getting into this show. The first two times I tried it stroke to me as incredibly dumb and stupid, which usually doesn't bother me but in this case it did. Yet somehow, after picking MONSTER A GO-GO, I became addicted to it. I think having watched the movie previously helped a lot.
I never recalled hearing about the show except from this very site. Back then I didn't had cable and as far as I know it never got dubbed into spanish, so it wouldn't mattered anyways (remember that the Sci-Fi channel we got in LA was different, everything was dubbed, not sure if it's still the same nowadays).
These are my final observations about the show:
* Even when I think they're both great, I prefer Joel over Mike. Somehow I think the whole premise of the show, explained in detail in the intro, was somewhat lost when they changed leads, and it felt in the segments. Most of the Mike era are terrible, and for some reason very rarely they actually made jokes about the movies or actors.
* Kevin Murphy's voice is far better than Josh Weinstein's. In fact, I think the latter isn't even funny. Like, at all. Also Kevin sings like a champ; while I don't enjoy the musical segments, I really loved his love song to Creepy Girl. Also Bobo was amazing.
* Crow was always my favorite character. When they changed his voice I thought everything was lost, but I actually barely noticed. Bill Corbett did an excellent job at capturing the witty personality of the robot. He was also great as the Observer.
* I still consider Mary Jo Pehl as a terrible comedian, and simply awful to look and hear at. Her presence in the screen was boring and completely forced. It's sad how in the episode in which she spends her time in the first segment "riffing", Crow says to her "you're funny" and she replies "you bet I am". It felt as if they were trying to remind the audience that she was supposed to make them laugh.
* My favorite episode is still MONSTER A GO-GO, followed closely by POD PEOPLE. I never considered MANOS, THE HANDS OF FATE that great of an episode, not sure why everyone raves so much about it.
* TV's Frank was stupid but lovable, and I really felt sad when he had to go. The episode SOULTAKER, in which both him and Joel make a cameo visit, was a real treat.
* I still think they handled the goodbye from Joel like crap. It felt so cold and distant, even his previously mentioned visit felt too short. I know it's just a show and I should really just relax, but come on, we get attached to those characters, make them show some emotions goddammit!
* One of the best riffings I recall was in MONSTER A GO-GO when, in the movie, they use their voice to make the telephone ring. I bet the laughs of the crew were genuine.
Welp, now to start over I guess. It's been 10 seasons, I don't remember the older episodes!
RC- he fooled them all with the tape recorder playing the beatnik screams on the raft. that was clever
Beyond the Time Barrier (1960)
During a test flight of a space plane, the pilot is hurled into the distant future of 2024! He finds a postapocalyptic world, where the few survivors are besieged by mutants. All but two of the survivors are deaf mute, and they strangely seem to have forgotten not only the use of sign language, but even that of writing. How they manage to run their city is beyond me. There is also the paranoid military commander, whose beard sticks out in way to make any pharaoh jealous, and the benign supreme leader, complete with granddaughter who falls for the pilot. With the help of some scientists who likewise got stuck there from other times, he tries to get back to 1960 to warn the earth of the impending doom.
This is another one of those scripts that would have been effective enough for a 30-40 minute episode of a TV series, but is hopelessly drawn out to movie length. Still, there is some nice footage of an F102, as the high speed space plane. Also, in the distant future of 2024, the M1 carbine is still in service.
^ The mutants!
(https://i.imgur.com/rE1qJmf.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
THE FABULOUS BARON MUNCHAUSEN [BARON PRASIL] (1962): An astronaut discovers Baron Muchausen living on the moon, and they fly back to earth on a sailing ship drawn by flying horses to rescue a woman abducted by a sultan. Karel Zeman advances his craft by taking the visual style of INVENTION FOR DESTRUCTION---a mix of cutout animation and live actors on highly artificial sets---and adding vivid color and a dashingly comic Baron. 4.5/5.
Quote from: Rev. Powell on August 27, 2020, 08:42:26 AM
THE FABULOUS BARON MUNCHAUSEN [BARON PRASIL] (1962): An astronaut discovers Baron Muchausen living on the moon, and they fly back to earth on a sailing ship drawn by flying horses to rescue a woman abducted by a sultan. Karel Zeman advances his craft by taking the visual style of INVENTION FOR DESTRUCTION---a mix of cutout animation and live actors on highly artificial sets---and adding vivid color and a dashingly comic Baron. 4.5/5.
I LOVE Zeman! He's like a latter day George Melies.
Quote from: RCMerchant on August 27, 2020, 08:46:30 AM
Quote from: Rev. Powell on August 27, 2020, 08:42:26 AM
THE FABULOUS BARON MUNCHAUSEN [BARON PRASIL] (1962): An astronaut discovers Baron Muchausen living on the moon, and they fly back to earth on a sailing ship drawn by flying horses to rescue a woman abducted by a sultan. Karel Zeman advances his craft by taking the visual style of INVENTION FOR DESTRUCTION---a mix of cutout animation and live actors on highly artificial sets---and adding vivid color and a dashingly comic Baron. 4.5/5.
I LOVE Zeman! He's like a latter day George Melies.
And you can see that Terry Gilliam stole quite a bit from him for his Monty Python animations.
Quote from: Rev. Powell on August 27, 2020, 08:49:24 AM
Quote from: RCMerchant on August 27, 2020, 08:46:30 AM
Quote from: Rev. Powell on August 27, 2020, 08:42:26 AM
THE FABULOUS BARON MUNCHAUSEN [BARON PRASIL] (1962): An astronaut discovers Baron Muchausen living on the moon, and they fly back to earth on a sailing ship drawn by flying horses to rescue a woman abducted by a sultan. Karel Zeman advances his craft by taking the visual style of INVENTION FOR DESTRUCTION---a mix of cutout animation and live actors on highly artificial sets---and adding vivid color and a dashingly comic Baron. 4.5/5.
I LOVE Zeman! He's like a latter day George Melies.
And you can see that Terry Gilliam stole quite a bit from him for his Monty Python animations.
Oh yeah! The man was a genius at his craft!
Doctor Who versus the Daleks.
Wow.
"The Unholy" (1988)
A Catholic priest (Ben Cross) with a troubled past is assigned to re-open a run-down parish in New Orleans, and proceeds to do battle with the demonic force that killed his two predecessors.
A throwback to the "devil" movies of the '70s (think "The Exorcist" or "The Omen," updated with lots of flashy '80s music-video style lighting and dry ice), featuring the always dependable Hal Holbrook and Ned Beatty in supporting roles. There's some splashy gore and some hilariously cheesy creature effects, but in the end "The Unholy" turned out to be an entertaining slab of '80s B-horror.
Quote from: ER on August 27, 2020, 10:40:57 AM
Doctor Who versus the Daleks.
Wow.
My favorite Dr.Who is Peter Cushing. :thumbup:
(https://i.imgur.com/7so9F4f.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
Quote from: RCMerchant on August 27, 2020, 06:59:40 PM
...My favorite Dr.Who is Peter Cushing. :thumbup:
(https://i.imgur.com/7so9F4f.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
I saw the end of
LAURENCE OLIVIER's
HAMLET (1949) yesterday and was delighted to see a very young
PETER CUSHING in a part there !!! I like
PETER CUSHING!!!
He was also in Laurel and Hardy's A CHUMP AT OXFORD (1939)!
(https://i.imgur.com/GboQc7o.png) (https://lunapic.com)
Quote from: RCMerchant on August 27, 2020, 08:35:42 PM
He was also in Laurel and Hardy's A CHUMP AT OXFORD (1939)!
(https://i.imgur.com/GboQc7o.png) (https://lunapic.com)
Oh cool!!!
Here he is in
HAMLET (1949) :
(https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/peter-cushing-as-osric-in-the-1948-production-of-hamlet-directed-by-picture-id3171103)
1 Br (2019) - The scenario isn't remotely believable, but luckily they made sure to not have any humor, sex, or interesting cinematography either. blandly watchable, passionless, cliched... netflix instant par excellence 1/5
CAROUSHELL (2016) I must say, this was the best movie about a carousel unicorn serial killer I have ever seen, and I think I have seen them all.
Blood! Decapitations! Unicorn sex! Bad puns! Irate pizza delivery guys! A goofy cowboy mascot! A kid named "Lunchbox!"
Throw away your Picassos, CAROUSHELL is the only art you will ever need!!!! 5/5
NINJAS VS. VAMPIRES - A group of wisecracking ninjas take on an evil vampire lord with the aid of a witch and a good vampire. A couple of local teens get sucked into the conflict and the guy decides to join forces with the ninja to protect his lady love. This was low-budget, but done with a lot of heart. The swordplay and martial arts are impressive, and the vampire effects were surprisingly goof for a movie made on a shoestring. Turns out this is the middle movie of a trilogy; I'm motivated enough now to go watch the other two. Free on Amazon Prime, but I woulda paid the $3 rental fee for this one!
SHAKESPEARE'S s**tSTORM (2020): Very loosely following the plot of Shakespeare's "The Tempest," the story involves a party ship packed with pharmaceutical executives washed up on the shores of Troma, New Jersey, after a storm of whale feces. "s**tstorm" may not be quite as surreal as "Tromeo & Juliet," but it represents a capstone Troma's transgressive punk aesthetic; it may just be their most offensive movie yet---and one of their smartest and funniest. I saw it via Fantasia Festival online; not sure when it will be widely available, but a lot of folks here should remember to look for it. 4/5.
"Friday the 13th: Vengeance" (2019)
30 years after the events of "Jason Lives," a now-grown Tommy Jarvis has gone missing in the woods around Camp Crystal Lake, prompting his teenage daughters to mount a search mission. Of course, a certain hockey masked maniac will eventually crash their party, but he's not the *only* Voorhees family member out there causing mayhem...
This elaborate feature length "fan film" (funded via Kickstarter and viewable for free on YouTube) suffers from a few scripting issues (there are enough characters and sub plots in this thing to fill three movies, so it gets a bit muddled by the three quarter mark) and the acting is amateur night at best, but otherwise this is a fairly impressive production, with lots of gory kills and an all around professional look.
Since the future of the "real" F13 franchise is currently held up in copyright court, fan films like this and "Never Hike Alone" are doing a nice job of filling the void. Apparently a sequel to "Vengeance" is already in the works. I say "bring it on."
Quote from: Rev. Powell on August 30, 2020, 01:59:06 PM
SHAKESPEARE'S s**tSTORM (2020): Very loosely following the plot of Shakespeare's "The Tempest," the story involves a party ship packed with pharmaceutical executives washed up on the shores of Troma, New Jersey, after a storm of whale feces. "s**tstorm" may not be quite as surreal as "Tromeo & Juliet," but it represents a capstone Troma's transgressive punk aesthetic; it may just be their most offensive movie yet---and one of their smartest and funniest. I saw it via Fantasia Festival online; not sure when it will be widely available, but a lot of folks here should remember to look for it. 4/5.
That sounds as good / bad as "Up Yours, Brutus": the other version of what Caesar said when Brutus stabbed him :wink:
JOKER (2019)In Gotham City, mentally troubled comedian Arthur Fleck is disregarded and mistreated by society. He then embarks on a downward spiral of revolution and bloody crime. This path brings him face-to-face with his alter-ego: the Joker.I finally made some time to watch this incredibly overhyped film, and boy was it painful. Grab a cup of coffee my friends, this is going to be a long ride. Wanna join?
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
1) First, I'm going to address the title character: it has nothing to do with the infamous villain. The movie can be called anything you like, just remove the three names from the comic, which are Joker, Gotham, and Wayne, and it has nothing, and I mean
nothing to do with it. I'm convinced that this was a movie about some crazy guy and they just slapped the title at the last minute as a marketing ploy, since it was the whole craze at the time. It clearly worked like a charm.
But it goes even further than that: by using the name Wayne to portrait a selfish rich guy, you undermine the whole story of the comic that has been built for generations, in which Thomas Wayne was always a wise and generous man, and Bruce tried to keep that legacy going in the form of Batman. So basically they not only made the movie nothing like the comic, they also took a huge dump on it. And that's coming from someone who doesn't even read comic books.
2) Now, the other constantly mentioned thing, the "cinematography". The movie is composed mostly by grey buildings, dull faces, and boring insides; you will only see some color when the main character paints himself. It's so grim to look at, and I understand that that was maybe the whole point, but it's just dreadful. I was sick of watching those mind-numbing streets filled with random people while hearing a constant and depressing chelo as a soundtrack - and by constant I mean 80% of the film. Yes, when it's not that chelo, it's some kind of inappropriate song in the background, and that's it. My ears hated me for two hours.
Other stuff placed by the director are simply hilarious, and I felt like an idiot just for watching this movie. For example, when the lead character discovers that his whole relationship was an illusion created by his mind, the simple use of the dialog already told me that. Yet for some reason the director felt the need to show me each indivual scene of him with the girl and without her, just to remind me that
OMG she wasn't there!!1. Like, could he spoonfed me more this stupid and extremely overused twist?
3) The other thing that everyone raved about: Phoenix's acting. That forced laugh he uses the entire movie is terrible, terrible bad. I actually cringed every time he did it - just try right now to laugh out loud and record yourself. Now hear it... do you feel how stupid you sound? Now make that half of the dialog in this movie. A lot of scenes are taken straight from other movies, like when he talks by himself with the gun like
TAXI DRIVER, or the relationship with the girl, very similar to
THE KING OF COMEDY. Hell, even the whole visit to the show reminded me of that movie. At no point I felt sad for the character, or any character at all for that matter, it was impossible for me to connect with anyone.
4) The character is completely unbelievable. Are you telling me that he suddenly took the courage to go and kiss the girl just because he killed some guys? Like, he could barely speak normally before that, but then he became a total stud; I understand that it only happened in his mind, but he clearly didn't knew that, since his surprise later in the movie is genuine, so in his mind, he did went and kissed her.
Not to mention... he was on seven medications, stopped taking them, and no side effects, like, at all? Hell, with seven medications you wouldn't even be able to remember where you live, imagine stopped taking them just like that. And this guy, who's clearly rather dumb because he can't do anything properly, somehow became the mastermind that is the Joker? The villain who could manage to confuse the best detective in the world? Yeah right. Not to mention, he would be pretty much an old guy by then. No wonder he dyes his hair.
5) And last, yet the most important issue to me: I felt that the whole point of the movie was not to entertain or move me, but instead just to make politics. Now, I don't want to turn this thread into a political discussion, so feel free to write me a PM if you like, I'm just sharing my feelings about this particular movie. It's a huge vehicle for socialist propaganda, which sadly I can see every day of my life, destroying my society from the core for generations to come. From the very start you'll see how the garbage pickup service is suspended because union protests, turning the city into a huge dump (you never know why they're doing that, only that it's the rich's fault somehow); you'll see constant approval of rioting, destroying of property, violence (especially against the authority), a complete disregard for human life, and a total hate for everyone who has money, who apparently are responsible for every problem anyone could have in this city. Funny how this hate machine for capitalism is brought to us thanks to capitalism, isn't it? I truly wonder if the $1,074,251,311 that this movie made worldwide was donated to some charity or country with problems much more serious than "people are mean to me!".
So, is there anything good about this? Well, there's no shaky camera, except for one scene, because it's oh so deep I guess and totally needs to shake. Other than that, it's one of the worst movies I've seen in a while. I ended up feeling bored and depressed, and not a good depression like the one you feel when a hero dies after an epic battle in which he manages to save his friends, but more the depression you get after watching a ten hours golf match. A soul crushing need to go and do
anything else to forget this mess.
Avoid this garbage like the plague!
1/10 :thumbdown:
Deepwater Horizon (2016). I avoided this movie for a few years even though I've owned it for about that long. I just can't get too crazy about Mark Wahlberg anymore since he's making a lot of forgetful films these days. He was on a roll of good movies back in the 2000s decade, but he kind of fell south after The Happening (2008); even though I 100% blame M. Night Shymalan for that hot mess, it did something to Wahlberg's career that he never seemed to be quite able to recover from. So imagine my surprise when I finally sat down and forced myself to watch Deepwater Horizon (2016) and found myself entertained by it; not necessarily Wahlberg's performance per se, but the scope of the movie itself, which had its faults to be sure but all in all it was not a bad movie. I'm normally not a big fan of dramatizations of real-life disasters, but this one was decently done. I was actually impressed with John Malkovich's portrayal as the "bad guy" of sorts, even though he was more of just an ignorant bureaucrat than an actual villain in the movie. This movie reminded me a lot of the Chernobyl (2019) HBO miniseries because of the way that the movie portrayed the response to the disaster, which both powers-that-be (Soviet Union and British Petroleum, respectively) seemed to try to cover up and downplay at first before finally admitting that they had a real problem on their hands. Some of the special effects and visuals in Deepwater Horizon (2016) seemed a bit on the cheap side and cheesy, but for the most part I thought that the movie worked.
Nightmare (1981) - unlike modern horror movies this one really seems to have a voice behind it. I wish the story itself had been a little clearer, but the elements left a strong impression for sure.
When he was a little kid, a guy sees his father tied up by a hooker and, thinking he's in danger or just generally being disturbed, attacks the woman with an axe. Years later, a psycho is let out of a mental institution and tries to survive in the NYC of that era. good luck!
Most of the action takes place in Florida or something, where the psycho guy hangs around on the beach and seemingly infects a random family with his sinister urge to kill. The atmosphere is really on point. If you are in a bad mood you will really really enjoy this.
4.5/ 5
GEMINI (1999): A successful doctor with an amnesiac wife discovers he has previously unknown twin brother, who causes him lots of problems. Based on a story by Edogawa Ranpo (the "Japanese Edgar Allan Poe) and directed by Shinya Tsakomoto in his typically surreal style, it's often confusing, but that's what gives it its psychological power. 3/5.
"One Last Time: Live in New York City" (2020)
A fan-made documentary (free on YouTube) about KISS' "End of the Road" Tour, culminating in the band's umpteenth sell out show at Madison Square Garden in NYC.
I haven't seen KISS since the '96 Reunion Tour, but from the "End of the Road" live footage on display here, it looks like their stage show is as spectacular as ever. However, it's hard not to notice how much Paul Stanley's voice (and stage moves) has deteriorated.
Since the Coronavirus pandemic put a premature stop to the tour, only time will tell if the date promised in the film for the last-ever KISS show (supposedly it will take place in July of 2021 in New York) will truly be "the end."
Lake Mungo (2008) - very interesting Australian horror movie that will probably divide viewers. It's a found footage/ documentary style for one and it also has ...well I won't give it away.
A young woman tragically drowns and film footage of her former home reveals there may be a supernatural presence. The grieving family consults a psychic and attempts to figure it all out. We're mostly left with a backstory of a young woman who faces some sort of mysterious issue in her life that may or may not be related to her tragic death.
While not perfect, its a thousand times better than most of the dreck on netflix instant ( I watched it on Tubi) though more on the "dark psychological " than slasher side
4.25/ 5
edit: in fact it does divide viewers. IMDB reviews were 3-1 either a 9 or 10 or a total "this sucks" drubbing
the St Francisville Experiment (2000) - I can appreciate the formal integrity: it very much feels like a bunch of college kids doing a project in a haunted house and it gradually works up a decent head of steam, but a LOT depended on the ending and the director just wasn't up to the task.
3/5 I enjoyed it for the most part but this was the kind of project they should have come up with the ending FIRST. It's found footage style
MARK OF THE DEVIL (1970) Udo Kier stars as the underling of Witchfinder General Herbert Lom, who is in a power stuggle with a rival witchfinder, scary looking Reggie Nadler. Lots of torture, burnings, and such grue. For it's time, it was very shocking and bloody.
Great acting between Lom and Nadler; watch for the scene when the General attacks his fellow torturer after calling him impotent. Udo is his usual brooding self, the luscious Olivera Katrina is his main squeeze! (drooling emoji here!)
(https://i.imgur.com/iRFT0f8.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
"Burial Ground" (aka "The Nights of Terror," aka "Zombie 3," 1981)
An archaeologist opens an ancient tomb, which unleashes a horde of zombies (don'cha hate when that happens?). The undead soon find their way to a country estate, where three jet setting couples have just arrived for a weekend of fun and fornication. You can probably figure out the rest.
This below-average slice of Italian zombie schlock doesn't have much plot, but it's got plenty of cheap, splattery gore, sleazy T&A, terrible acting/dubbing, and idiotic characters who deserve everything that happens to them.
"Burial Ground" is probably best remembered for the creepy child character "Michael," whose Oedipal fixation on his boob-a-licious Mom results in the movie's most memorable/disturbing scene. (The "kid" was played by a 25-year-old midget, which makes the whole thing even more bizarre!)
"Burial Ground" was not a great movie by any means, but it was certainly entertaining, in a "What the f*** did I just watch?" kind of way.
^ That's one of my favorite zombie movies of all time! OF ALL TIME.
(https://i.imgur.com/zCMpnH2.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
^ oh man I remember that one with the guy and his Mom
Slumber Party Massacre - I remember reading about how this movie had feminist overtones. There's one scene where the guy's drill is positioned so it looks like its his dick and this sort of comparison is made a couple times. That and the fact that the girls are not cheerleaders but basketball players are about it for the feminism, the rest is a pretty typical and enjoyable slasher film. I watched it before and Ill watch it again.
4/5
"The Faculty" (1998)
A group of small town high school misfits must battle against the alien parasites that have taken control of their teachers and the rest of the student body before they can conquer the world (yikes!).
... Kevin "Scream" Williamson wrote this action packed sci-fi/horror thriller that's essentially an update of "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers" set in a high school, directed by Robert "From Dusk Til Dawn" Rodriguez and featuring an impressive cast that includes Robert "Terminator 2" Patrick, Salma Hayek, Jon Stewart, Elijah Wood, and more. Lots of fun.
"Death Trip" (aka "Kommissar X: Three Green Hounds" and "Kill Me Gently," 1967)
In the fourth "Kommissar X" adventure, swingin' P.I. Joe Walker and his police captain pal Tom Rowland are in Istanbul, where a criminal cartel has stolen a large amount of LSD (!), and plans to use it as a weapon against NATO troops.
As usual for these cheap James Bond wanna-bees, the story/dubbing is mostly a mess, but the movie is campy fun anyway, thanks to its combination of exotic scenery, impressive stunt work, and hot Sixties babes.
Zombie Pirates.
You know, with a title like that I was expecting a much more fun movie. Seems to be a vague tribute to the Blind Dead movies. Not finished it so far. Amateur acting, some boobs and someone who may or may not be Colonel Sanders.
"Primal" (2019)
Nicolas Cage is a big-game hunter who's booked space on a cargo ship to transport his latest batch of dangerous critters (poisonous snakes, mean tempered monkeys, and a white jaguar) back to America, where he plans to sell them to a zoo.
Unfortunately, the same ship is being used to bring an even more dangerous federal prisoner back home for trial. Naturally, the bad guy gets loose in mid-voyage, lets all the animals out of their cages, and spends the rest of the movie playing cat-and-mouse with his FBI handlers and finally with Cage himself.
The CGI animals look like crap, but otherwise this was an enjoyably cheesy "B"grade action movie, bolted together from parts of "Under Siege," "Die Hard," and Cage's own "Con Air."
"Dead & Buried" (1981)
A sheriff (James Farentino) is puzzled by a string of random murders in his small town -- and even more concerned when the victims don't stay in their graves. I can't say much more than that without ruining the movie's twist but it was worth the wait.
This one took a little while to get going, but by the half way point I was hooked by its "Twilight Zone" vibe, the cool makeup FX by the great Stan Winston, and the performances by Farentino and Jack Albertson ("Chico and The Man"), who plays the town's kindly old coroner/funeral director, who may not be so kindly after all. Another 80s cult classic off the never ending list...
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on September 07, 2020, 02:07:08 PM
"Dead & Buried" (1981)
A sheriff (James Farentino) is puzzled by a string of random murders in his small town -- and even more concerned when the victims don't stay in their graves. I can't say much more than that without ruining the movie's twist but it was worth the wait.
This one took a little while to get going, but by the half way point I was hooked by its "Twilight Zone" vibe, the cool makeup FX by the great Stan Winston, and the performances by Farentino and Jack Albertson ("Chico and The Man"), who plays the town's kindly old coroner/funeral director, who may not be so kindly after all. Another 80s cult classic off the never ending list...
I've only seen parts of the movie on TV but I imagine all the cool parts were edited out. However, I did read the book a bunch of times when I was a little kid, and yes, that big twist at the end was hella cool and clever to a 3rd grade kid. :thumbup: :teddyr:
I'M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS (2020): A young woman goes on a trip to meet her new boyfriend's parents at their farmhouse on a night when a blizzard is brewing; the night grows increasingly strange and unsettling as it becomes unclear what is real and what is imaginary. This maze of memory and uncertain identity is Charlie Kaufman's most surreal film, with an ending that appears to throw all rational logic out the window. A lot of people on here would absolutely HATE this one, lol. Netflix exclusive. 4.5/5.
The Circle. A reasonable low budget horror. A group of archaeology students go on a field trip with a teacher to a Scottish island. Hijinks ensue as internal stresses threaten to destroy the group when faced with an external threat to their lives. There is a twist in the story, but I think most viewers will see it coming well in advance.
Sudden Fury (1975) - A guy in a Herb Tarlick suit gets in an accident with his wife, who he also hates and pretty much wants to kill. Seizing the moment, he tries to leave her there but a passerby helps her. uh oh. Now whats he gonna do?
It started off "good" but took a while to get going. Eventually I got involved though, and the twist and turns and stuff were done pretty well and naturally. In the second half things pick up and all in all its unique and worth checking out. I especially liked the wife of the farmer they run into. Her obedient sort of nature might not be PC but it brought me into the whole scenario quite well.
4.25 /5
(https://images.static-bluray.com/reviews/17826_1.jpg)
BIRDS OF PREY AND THE FANTABULOUS LIBERATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN (2020)
I finally caught this on HBO the other night, and found it fairly enjoyable. The storyline could have profited from being more linear and less dependent on flashbacks, but it was fun and Margot Robie is always cute as the adorable psychopathic supervillainess. 4/5
The Song Remains the Same, on TCM. I'd never seen it in such a beautiful format, only on VHS.
Maniac (1980) - It doesn't get much better than this. A solitary man in Pre Guliani NYC murders people, then attempts to fall in love. Is the modern age the way it is because we've abandoned tradition? or is it because we've exposed that it was a hoax based on appearances all along? I guess I'll never know, but the dystopian post 60's US city was surely a great place to be alienated and unaccountable.
Enough with the sociology, this movie rocks. It's low budget but features special effects by the great Tom Savini and a clear artistic vision from the director. HG Lewis and the general expectations of the grindhouse crowd must have been the prime influence, but so many of those types of movies are boring as Hell. This one brings it all together and is satisfying artistically and also is fun to watch.
5/5 highest recommendation
Time Lapse (2014) - I enjoyed this modestly budgeted sci fi time travel - problem sort of movie. A dorky hipster ish guy, his girlfriend and their ne'er do well roomy discover a now dead neighbor invented a machine that takes pictures 24 hours into the future. The ne'er -er of course takes the lead in making horse racing bets and the situation immediately gets out of control. Along the way, there's some Adrian Lynne eque romantic tension and turbulence, but no cinematography to speak of. Its mostly just them in the house and a few visitors.
The ending showed the proper care one should take when endeavoring to conclude a cinematic moving picture experience!
4.5 / 5
JEXI - A lovable loser's life is turned upside down when his new smartphone tries to "Make His Life Better" by helping him in the areas of self-confidence and romantic appeal - but then, when he finally manages to achieve a relationship with the girl of his dreams, JEXI, the phone's artificial intelligence, becomes jealous and tries to break them up. Cliched but funny, with some wild moments scattered throughout. 4/5
Quote from: lester1/2jr on September 13, 2020, 12:14:31 PM
Time Lapse (2014) - I enjoyed this modestly budgeted sci fi time travel - problem sort of movie. A dorky hipster ish guy, his girlfriend and their ne'er do well roomy discover a now dead neighbor invented a machine that takes pictures 24 hours into the future. The ne'er -er of course takes the lead in making horse racing bets and the situation immediately gets out of control. Along the way, there's some Adrian Lynne eque romantic tension and turbulence, but no cinematography to speak of. Its mostly just them in the house and a few visitors.
The ending showed the proper care one should take when endeavoring to conclude a cinematic moving picture experience!
4.5 / 5
I watched it recently and while the movie it's not bad, I thought the characters were awful, which eventually kinda killed it for me. Also, the plot it's nothing special, it's basically a remake of the
TWILIGHT ZONE episode A Most Unusual Camera, but not as good.
Quote from: indianasmith on September 08, 2020, 06:09:47 PM
BIRDS OF PREY AND THE FANTABULOUS LIBERATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN (2020)
I finally caught this on HBO the other night, and found it fairly enjoyable. The storyline could have profited from being more linear and less dependent on flashbacks, but it was fun and Margot Robie is always cute as the adorable psychopathic supervillainess. 4/5
The director did a fantastic and clever job with portraying all the absolutely loony parts of the movie from Harley Quinn's loony perspective. I didn't read the Birds Of Prey comics so I couldn't argue with any of the comic fanboys that dissed the movie, but the movie made me laugh and enjoy it in the movie theater back in February. I knew that I was watching a bad movie, that's why, and the filmmakers obviously had a lot of fun with it. :teddyr:
Gabriel - I liked the girl, but the guy was too big of a dork. suspenders? come on. and the painting were trash
Painted Skin: The Resurrection (2012)
A fox spirit imprisoned in the ice escapes after 500 years and needs someone to give her his heart in order to become human. At the same time a princess who is supposed to be married off to a barbarian prince but who is in love with a general guarding the border tries to escape her fate. Perhaps they can work something out, but it turns out the barbarians have plans of their own.
This is a sequel to the original Painted Skin which I haven't seen. This one is your basic par for the course Chinese action/fantasy movie. It has got everything you expect, without being exceptional. Although it is not really a low budget movie, it is a bit too ambitious for the means at its disposal, so you sometimes feel let down by the production values. Entertaining, nevertheless.
UNFORGIVEN (1992)Retired Old West gunslinger William Munny (Clint Eastwood) reluctantly takes on one last job, with the help of his old partner Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman) and a young man, The "Schofield Kid" (Jaimz Woolvett).SPOILERS ALERT
Man, this movie was a disappointment. I'm not much into westerns, but nevertheless I recently decided to watch the "dollars trilogy", and boy did I loved it. So coming into this modern take on the genre, and with a cast like that, I was expecting a great movie, but sadly it was quite the boring drama which did nothing for me.
First, the direction. I usually love Clint Eastwood's movies, but this one was rather bland. Everything was too clean and polished for such a harsh time, if you watch the Sergio Lione movies, everyone was dirty, sweaty, and had bad teeth. The shooting scenes are few, short, and nonsensical, extremely far away from the awesomeness of the movies of old - how the hell did Little Bill didn't shoot Munny after he took down the bartender, I will never know.
It has too many rainy scenes, which are dark and murky. It's cool to have action scenes in the rain (as unoriginal they are), but this one goes too far. It takes two hours to get to the last and pretty much only fight, but by that time I was almost snoring. I know there's at least two more shootouts, but they're not between two sides, more from one to another and then running away. I was expecting a cool duel like the times of old, but the movie was trying to steer away from the epicness of those scenes, because killing is bad or something about that.
Now, the script. I understand that they were trying to take on the cowboys as more real human beings, with their own problems and weights in their souls, but this one is simply lame. It's like everyone's Mother Teresa or something. Most of the characters are huge cliches: prostitutes with hearths of gold, a hot-shot kid who lie about how many men he killed to impress others, a ruthless sheriff, and so on. The town was hilarious because not only was compossed by a couple of houses, but it seemed to have more security than actual people living in it. At the end I couldn't care much about anyone, not even Munny, because his dialog was always the same: "oh woe is me, I did bad things in the past", "my wife straigthened me up", "ain't gonna drink or kill anyone else", then proceeds to get drunk and kill everyone because his friend died.
Overall, it's not a bad movie. I understand what they were trying to do, but sadly I felt bored and couldn't care about anyone. Perhaps I needed to be in a different state of mind, right now I want closeups of squinting eyes and hands reaching for guns.
6/10 :drink:
Two things:
Quote from: Gabriel Knight on September 14, 2020, 08:47:10 AM
UNFORGIVEN (1992)
It has too many rainy scenes, which are dark and murky.
If you can, buy the 4K version of the movie if you have a 4K HDR TV. The HDR clears up the dark scenes quite a bit, and the 4K detail cleans up the crap resolution that you would otherwise get on a DVD.
QuoteOverall, it's not a bad movie. I understand what they were trying to do, but sadly I felt bored and couldn't care about anyone. Perhaps I needed to be in a different state of mind, right now I want closeups of squinting eyes and hands reaching for guns.
If you had watched it in 1992 when it was first released, then you might have looked at the movie differently. We had crap for western movies in the late '80s and early '90s. The best one out of that era was
Quigley Down Under (1989). Otherwise we had bargain bin movies like
Young Guns (1988) and
Young Guns II (1990) to put up with. It wasn't until a year after
Unforgiven (1992) that we finally had an epic western film in
Tombstone (1993).
MY FRIEND DAHMER (2017)
This is disturbing. I watched about a half hour and turned the channel. Don't get me wrong- it is a very well made film. But it's real f**ked up and scary as hell.
Has anyone else seen it? Should I watch the rest?
http://youtu.be/jmnuC7tn9D4 (http://youtu.be/jmnuC7tn9D4)
FILM ADVENTURER: KAREL ZEMAN (2015): A documentary about the Czech animator consisting of clips, interviews, and scenes of film students trying to recreate some of his famous practical effects. Zeman's life wasn't particularly interesting, but his art was amazing; this doc will tell you just about everything you need to know, and make you want to hunt down some of the rarer movies. Included on the Criterion Collection Zeman set. 3/5.
"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" (2019)
The latest Star Wars trilogy comes to a close, as Rey finally unravels her mysterious past and the Resistance deals with a newly-revitalized Emperor Palpatine, who has plans to launch an all-new, even more brutal Galactic Empire. As usual, the special effects are first rate and the action zips along at a breakneck pace. Tons of fanboy fun.
"Avengers: Endgame" (2019)
It's five years after the "Thanos Snap" that eliminated half of all living things, and the surviving Avengers think they've figured out how to go back in time to un-do the damage. Naturally, ol' Thanos isn't going to let them do it without a fight. Cue the blasting, zapping, and exploding.
"Endgame's" three hour (!) running time might seem like a bit much (I had to "pause" it around the mid point for a lunch break and to take my dog for a walk), but it never bogs down or gets boring. Thanks to the non stop action and cameos by pretty much every superhero in the Marvel Universe, "Endgame" brings this "phase" of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to a mostly-satisfying conclusion.
SPREE (2020): Obsessed with collecting social media likes, rideshare driver tries to generate followers by livestreaming a murder spree. This satire's insight is almost entirely contained in the one-line synopsis, and although the plot gets wild (after a slow start), there aren't enough laughs or thrills here to recommend. 2/5.
"Spider-Man: Far From Home" (2019)
Picking up after the events of "Avengers: Endgame," Peter Parker/Spider-Man just wants to have a normal summer vacation with no super-hero action. A class trip to Europe sounds like the perfect diversion, but naturally trouble still finds him across the ocean, and he ends up tangling with the illusionist super-villain Mysterio.
Of course, the movie's got plenty of wall to wall action, but it's also quite funny, and its light hearted tone makes a nice counterpoint to the dark-n-serious Endgame.
Marvel's winning streak continues!
No Hands on the Clock (1941) - rather likeable if not super ambitious crime- mystery- comedy deal. A just married private investigator gets a case involving a missing guy and his new wife insists on coming along on all the dangerous missions. He'll do something like lock her in their room and go to a bar to do undercover work but he always drinks milk so she'll show up and see the empty glass of milk and know he was there and get mad. She's like Curly from the three stooges always fuming then getting over it quickly.
The comedy works and it moves quickly enough but I wasn't able to follow the mystery. I could never remember who the person was they were talking about so the big reveal was pretty lost on me.
4.25/ 5 I wonder what the porn adaption would be called?
SOCIETY (1989)
A 17 year old boy's rich family are not what the seem. Are the from outer space, or something far more creepier?
Being this a Brian Yunzna movie, don't expect it to all make sense.
Do expect some gruesome Screaming Mad George f/x and twisted humor!
(https://i.imgur.com/0fo4zEe.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
Quote from: RCMerchant on September 19, 2020, 12:30:01 PM
SOCIETY (1989)
A 17 year old boy's rich family are not what the seem. Are the from outer space, or something far more creepier?
Being this a Brian Yunzna movie, don't expect it to all make sense.
Do expect some gruesome Screaming Mad George f/x and twisted humor!
(https://i.imgur.com/0fo4zEe.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
The poster alone makes me want to see this movie!
Quote from: indianasmith on September 19, 2020, 02:26:58 PM
Quote from: RCMerchant on September 19, 2020, 12:30:01 PM
SOCIETY (1989)
A 17 year old boy's rich family are not what the seem. Are the from outer space, or something far more creepier?
Being this a Brian Yunzna movie, don't expect it to all make sense.
Do expect some gruesome Screaming Mad George f/x and twisted humor!
(https://i.imgur.com/0fo4zEe.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
The poster alone makes me want to see this movie!
I rented this one when it first came out on VHS. After my mum watched it she told me I was never to bring something like that into the house again.
Quote from: indianasmith on September 19, 2020, 02:26:58 PM
Quote from: RCMerchant on September 19, 2020, 12:30:01 PM
SOCIETY (1989)
A 17 year old boy's rich family are not what the seem. Are the from outer space, or something far more creepier?
Being this a Brian Yunzna movie, don't expect it to all make sense.
Do expect some gruesome Screaming Mad George f/x and twisted humor!
(https://i.imgur.com/0fo4zEe.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
The poster alone makes me want to see this movie!
It's on Tubi!
"The Babysitter: Killer Queen" (2020)
Sequel to the 2018 Netflix horror comedy hit. Two years after the events of the first "Babysitter," young Cole is having a hellish time in high school and suffering from flashbacks. The girl next door invites him for a weekend at her family's lake house to get his mind off of it, but his undead "friends" from the first film crash the party to finish the ritual they started back then.
The first "Babysitter" wasn't a classic by any means, but at least it was entertainingly dumb. This sequel is mostly just dumb. The cartoonish gore is worth a few chuckles, but otherwise this one is skippable.
"Kill, Panther, Kill!" (aka "Kommissar X: Three Blue Panthers," 1968)
An international thief escapes from police custody and heads to Canada (?), to reclaim a hoard of priceless jewels he'd stashed away before his arrest. Swingin' P.I. Joe Walker and his lunkheaded police buddy Tom Rowland just happen to be in the area for the Expo '67 World's Fair in Montreal (which provides plenty of stock location footage for padding) and they inevitably get mixed up in the shenanigans involving double-crossing gangsters and murder.
This was the fifth installment of the German/Italian "Kommissar X" series and it was clear by this time that they were running out of gas. The "Eurospy" craze was on the way out by this point so the globe-trotting spy-and-counterspy elements are mostly dropped and the result is a pretty basic slap-sticky cops & robbers action comedy.
Fortunately, there are still plenty of pretty girls to ogle while Tony "Joe Walker" Kendall and Brad "Rowland" Harris beat up an endless stream of bad guys. Below average for this series, but still an enjoyable bit of nonsense on a chilly Sunday morning.
"Halloween" (2018)
Blumhouse Productions (of "Insidious" and "Paranormal Activity" fame) reboots the Michael Myers saga (for the second time) with this 40th anniversary remix that erases everything but the 1978 original from series continuity. Laurie Strode has spent the last 40 years preparing for Michael to return to Haddonfield, and when he escapes on Halloween night she goes all Sarah Connor to protect her estranged daughter and granddaughter from the horror.
...this was my 2nd viewing of this flick and while I still feel the whole exercise was fairly unnecessary, I actually liked it better this time around. I guess if you gotta watch a "Halloween" installment this time of year, you could certainly do worse than this one.
horsehead (2014) - I like the concept here about dreams and seeing weird stuff and having it mean something, but this ran out of steam pretty early and kind of frittered away the whole concept.
2.5 /5
Quote from: lester1/2jr on September 22, 2020, 11:39:04 AM
horsehead (2014) - I like the concept here about dreams and seeing weird stuff and having it mean something, but this ran out of steam pretty early and kind of frittered away the whole concept.
2.5 /5
That one seemed tailor-made for my taste, but word-of-mouth was so bad I never got around to it.
one weird thing about it was it was French but in English.
COMA [KOMA] (2019): A man wakes up in a dreamlike world with no memory, and discovers he's in a coma and living in a shared reality with others in the same situation. An effects movie where the CGI is a notch below Hollywood quality--but closer to that standard than I've yet seen in a Russian flick---but the imaginary landscapes up INCEPTION, with entire city blocks of morphing buildings springing up at right angles to each other (and sometimes randomly growing out of pastures). Honestly, the characters were cardboard and the plot had some issues, so it wasn't perfect by a long shot, but I enjoyed it as much as TENET. 3/5
"Heart of Batman" (2018)
A behind-the-scenes documentary looking back at "Batman: The Animated Series," the early '90s show whose distinctive look and vibe picked up where Tim Burton's "Batman" films left off and became what some consider the best-ever adaptation of the character. Interviews with cast and crew members, plenty of trivia for Bat-geeks and animation nerds.
This was originally a bonus feature on the "Batman: T.A.S." Blu-Ray collection but it's now available for free viewing on Warner Bros.' YouTube channel.
TOMASSO (2019): An aging American director living in Rome goes to AA meetings and struggles to relate to his much younger Moldavian wife, with the occassional fantasy scene (a la Fellini). It's embarrassing when your self-indulgent semi-autobiographical tale is boring, which, despite Willem Dafoe's best efforts, Abel Ferrara's TOMASSO too often is. 2.5/5.
LA HABITACIÓN DE FERMAT (2007)
4 mathematicians are invited to solve an enigma. Once there, they're locked in a mechanically shrinking room and given 1 minute to solve each puzzle via cellphone while also figuring out why they're there.
This spanish movie, which translates to FERMAT'S ROOM, starts really good. The characters are clearly defined, and the mystery hooks you in really quickly. Despite its low budget, the single room trick works really well, as it quickly turns from a nice and cozy place to a death trap, and basically that's all you need.
Sadly, the resolution of the movie doesn't make much sense, and to be honest the whole plot is overly complicated, I'm not going to get into details in order to avoid spoilers. My main gripe is that the movie doesn't exploit the mathematicians enough, you barely know what the extent of their skills are and the riddles aren't all really... mathematics. Still, they get you on your toes, which it's what they're for, so they do the job.
It's a rather short movie so it's good for a quick and fun ride, check it out. 7/10 :thumbup:
DIVA (1981): A postman finds himself chased by multiple parties when his bootleg tape of an opera diva is surreptitiously switched for a tape that implicates a mob boss. Very stylish, has a great (if unlikely) chase sequence, and you'll enjoy it more if you don't think too hard about the plot machinations. A cult film in France. 3.5/5.
Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
Fun old adventure movie made by Disney, similar feel to their adaption of 20,000 Leagues under the Sea.
It's not a literal adaption of every scene from the book, but the movie still manages to capture the right feel. Also, good FX work, on par or better than a lot of stuff done today.
#Alive (2020)
Sometimes you inadvertently make a movie that comes at just the right moment. This zombie-comedy romp is entertaining and very watchable, but doesn't add that much to the genre. However the theme of the internet savvy nerd with no particular life skills being holed up in his flat while an epidemic rages outside, certainly struck a chord in these times of lockdown, making it far more popular than it would have been otherwise. Full marks for the performance of Yoo Ah-In and, as the movie is basically just him and a bunch of zombies. His character is no cool Charlton Heston in the Omega Man, but a guy who makes up in determination what he lacks in general competence. Similarly Park Shin-Hye does a great job as the level headed half of the duo.
MST3K: EARTH VS. THE SPIDER: The experiment is a very dumb, formula Bert I. Gordon giant monster movie (though the special effects are better than usual), preceded by a short about public speaking. It's a solid episode with a lot of laughs and some memorable bits in Crow's screenplay "Earth vs. Soup" and the ever-quotable line "lots of lip and tongue action." One of about 10 original run episodes I'd never seen before. 3.5/5.
"Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)" (2020)
Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn in the pseudo-follow up to "Suicide Squad." After a messy breakup with the Joker, Harley strikes out on her own, eventually teaming up with three other female badasses in an all out battle against a Gotham City crime lord.
Loud, dumb, and occasionally funny, "Birds" seems to be trying to cop the comedic ultra-violent style of the "Deadpool" flicks. Margot Robbie is clearly having tons of fun beatin 'the crap out of dozens of bad guys (and of course she looks smokin' hot while doin' it) but the movie isn't nearly as clever as it thinks it is.
Watchable, but disposable.
Sennentuntschi (2010) - ahh Switzerland: cuckoo clocks, folk dancing, and wholesome mountaineering. "not this time..." Hillbillies make a sex doll that comes to life. They forgot to read the fine print of the local legend tho. advocates for traditional marriage will find some good ammunition here 5/5
Quote from: Dr. Whom on September 26, 2020, 09:09:52 AM
#Alive (2020)
Sometimes you inadvertently make a movie that comes at just the right moment. This zombie-comedy romp is entertaining and very watchable, but doesn't add that much to the genre. However the theme of the internet savvy nerd with no particular life skills being holed up in his flat while an epidemic rages outside, certainly struck a chord in these times of lockdown, making it far more popular than it would have been otherwise. Full marks for the performance of Yoo Ah-In and, as the movie is basically just him and a bunch of zombies. His character is no cool Charlton Heston in the Omega Man, but a guy who makes up in determination what he lacks in general competence. Similarly Park Shin-Hye does a great job as the level headed half of the duo.
I just watched it. I liked it a lot! Mostly for the performances of the two leads.
"The Hunt" (2020)
Wealthy "elites" kidnap a group of "ordinary" citizens, turn them loose on the grounds of a palatial estate, and hunt them for sport. Unfortunately, one of their targets turns out to be tougher and smarter than they expected.
This ultra-violent, heavy handed social satire is part "Purge" and part "Most Dangerous Game," but it's trying too hard to be edgy and controversial. It started off promising but just got sillier as it went along. Skip it.
"Black Metal Satanica" (2008)
Billed as "The Most Haunting and Evil Documentary Ever Made" (woooo, spooky!), this cheap looking doc on the Scandinavian Black Metal scene is pretty standard stuff -- you get a quick overview of the Mayhem/Burzum saga and the early 90s series of murders and church burnings, then lots of interviews with current purveyors of "the scene" like Watain, Mordichrist (?), Shining, and Rimmfrost, all of whom ramble on endlessly about how much they hate Christianity, modern society, humanity in general, yadda yadda yadda. We get it, guys, you're all way evil 'n' brutal 'n' stuff.
I'm not a black metal fan at all but for some reason I still find docs like these interesting, in a "Why-the-f*ck-are-these-people-walking-around-loose" kind of way.
A better title for this movie would've been "Black Metallers is the Craziest Peoples."
"Ready Or Not" (2019)
On the night of her marriage into a very old fashioned, very wealthy family, a young bride (Samara Weaving) learns that her new in laws have an unusual wedding tradition - attempting to hunt and kill the newcomer, who must survive until sunrise.
A fast moving, dark-as-hell horror comedy that's kinda like an old style Agatha Christie murder mystery, but with a way bigger mean streak. Lots of sadistic fun.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on October 03, 2020, 09:53:49 PM
"Ready Or Not" (2019)
On the night of her marriage into a very old fashioned, very wealthy family, a young bride (Samara Weaving) learns that her new in laws have an unusual wedding tradition - attempting to hunt and kill the newcomer, who must survive until sunrise.
A fast moving, dark-as-hell horror comedy that's kinda like an old style Agatha Christie murder mystery, but with a way bigger mean streak. Lots of sadistic fun.
This one is a hoot!
Blues Brothers (1980)
When it came out, it was all the rage at school, but it never really appealed to me. So 40 years later, I finally gave it a go. I found it a bit disappointing. It drags along from one set piece to another, it is not particularly funny and the acting tends to be wooden. It does get a lot better in the last 40 minutes or so, when things really kick off.
"Inmate Zero" (aka "Patients of a Saint," 2020)
Death row inmates at a remote island prison off the coast of Ireland are used as medical test subjects, which of course is never a good idea. When a viral outbreak fills the place with homicidal rage-filled zombies, a small band of survivors has to fight their way out.
Think "28 Days Later" (fast zombies) crossed with "Alien 3" (prison setting, shaven-headed female badass lead character).
This British horror flick starts off strong -- there's lots of splashy gore and it makes the most of its creepy-cool setting (the movie was filmed in an actual prison) -- but it starts running out of gas about an hour in, and by the end it's just spinning its wheels.
Not terrible, but not a must-see.
I just finished watching MY FRIEND DAHMER (2017)
I tried to watch it a while back- but it was just too much. It's a very well made film.
They took something that you would see on Lifetime or ID and made a very disturbing look into the psyche of a young man going insane. If a movie is too disturbing for me, you know something is going on.
I don't know if you ever seen GUMMO (1997), but it's at that line of good or really f**ked up.
Here it is to the tune of PSYCHO KILLER
http://youtu.be/CKti7QixnJI (http://youtu.be/CKti7QixnJI)
Creepshow 2 - 80's classic remains so
THE DEAD ONES (2019): Four seniors are locked inside their high school at night; characters dressed as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse stalk them. It introduces an alternate timeline and things start to make little sense trodding a shaky line between sloppy surrealism and incoherence, but I like that it's not afraid to go full weird. Very divisive: it has a 3.1 IMDB rating (way too low), but was also named the best horror movie of 2019 by Film School Rejects. 2.5/5.
"Blue Thunder" (1983)
An L.A.P.D. helicopter pilot (Roy Scheider) is assigned to test fly a new, high tech, heavily armored chopper code-named "Blue Thunder." At first he's amazed by all of the new machine's bells and whistles, but when he discovers a plot to use it against civilians, he goes rogue and hijacks it, leading to a series of aerial battles against shady government goons (led by the delightfully evil Malcolm McDowell) in the skies over the city.
John "Wargames" Badham directed this tight action-thriller that was a favorite of mine as a teenager, when it seemed to be in a constant loop on HBO. It had been years since I'd seen "Blue Thunder" but it's held up pretty well.
Alpha
A boy falls off a cliff on his first hunt, & survives the winter with a wolf/dog he caught & tamed. Sometimes slow, but still interesting.
The Mansion.
I was going to watch a French movie tonight, but when I hit 'Advance' on my remote to skip through the adverts, it waved a white flag. So I went with a Belgian movie instead. Nothing overly original here, a bunch of friends head off to a mansion they've rented for a new years party together. Someone starts killing them off one by one. It is one of those movies where you start wanting certain characters to get killed off because they are just annoying.
OLIVIA (1983): Young Olivia saw her prostitute mom's murder and grows up with both man and mommy issues, until she meets an engineer Prince Charming who's planning on moving the London Bridge to Arizona. OLIVIA wants to be grindhouse Hitchcock, drowning ideas from PSYCHO and VERTIGO in a river of sleaze. 2.5/5
TRUTH OR DARE (2017)
A flock of 20- somethings spend the night in a haunted house which forces them to play a deadly game of 'truth or dare.'
It's kinda fun sometimes in the middle, but reverts to torture for thrills.
I don't like torture movies.
Except MARK OF THE DEVIL (1970) which has Herbert Lom and Reggie Nadler.
"Dead Ant" (2017)
A has-been '80s hair metal band are headed to a desert music festival, for what they hope will be their big comeback gig. Along the way they accidentally violate an ancient Indian curse that awakens hordes of huge, man-eating ants. Think "Spinal Tap" meets "Them!" with a bit of "Big Ass Spider!"
This tongue-firmly-in-cheek creature comedy barely scrapes the lower end of the "So-bad-it's-good" meter, thanks to the hair metal connection. I think I can guarantee that this is the only monster movie you'll ever see where the world is saved by a terribly played cover of Kix's "Blow My Fuse." Yes, really.
Your mileage may vary depending on your tolerance for cheap special effects and the acting of Tom Arnold (who plays the band's manager).
"Jumanji: The Next Level" (2019)
The kids from the last "Jumanji" return to the dangerous video-game world once again to rescue one of their own, and they bring a few new friends along for the ride. Just as much fast-paced fun as the original.
SUBURBAN BIRDS (2018): In China team of engineers investigate the appearance of sinkholes which are forcing them to condemn buildings; the story changes to follow a group of suburban elementary schoolers, with parallels developing between the two tales. Done with skill but it takes far too long in developing its enigmas, which don't seem worth the journey. Very art-house, not for folks here. 2/5.
"The Beyond" (aka "7 Doors of Death," 1981)
A woman inherits a run-down hotel in the Louisiana bayou, but her attempts to renovate and re-open the old place are marred by a series of bizarre deaths, which may be tied to a murder at the site 50 years ago.
Lucio Fulci's artsy splatter fest is lovely to look at, even if the story has more holes in it than Swiss cheese. It may not make much sense but "Beyond" totally delivers on the gross-out gore front, with plenty of eye gougings, disembowelments, exploding heads and other assorted nastiness.
"Dark Night of the Scarecrow" (1981)
A posse of small town yokels (led by the great Charles Durning) kill a local mentally-handicapped man, under the mistaken assumption that he harmed a little girl. The four men aren't found guilty of any crime, but then one by one they are picked off by a mysterious figure in a scarecrow outfit.
A spooky little Halloween treat, originally made for TV in 1981, which has gone on to become a cult classic.
HAROLD AND KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE - I had seen snippets of this movie, but never the whole thing. Two stoners experience a strange odyssey of R-rated adventures as they make their way to the legendary fast-food establishment and munch off their high. A runaway cheetah, a leprous auto mechanic with a hot wife, a horny Neil Patrick Harris, and a runaway cheetah are among the perils they face on the quest to consume junk food. This is a wonderfully bad and hilarious film! 4/5
A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD - A cynical journalist with a bitter past is sent to interview the saintly children's TV host, Fred Rogers, and experiences first hand the force of niceness incarnate. A little slow at the start, but very well done and deeply moving by the end. Tom Hanks is marvelous as Mr. Rogers! 4/5
Wavelength (1983)
This starts off SLOW. Just when you've resigned yourself that you are watching a no budget movie with lots of padding, it suddenly takes off and both the pace and the production values improve dramatically. The plot is basically ET, but with some twists and a a clever use of stock footage to make it watchable. There are even some SFX towards the end. Apart from having a washed up folk rock musician in the Canyon as its male lead, there are other links with music: the female lead is played by Cherie Currie of Runaways fame, and the score is by Tangerine Dream.
Quote from: indianasmith on October 10, 2020, 04:51:37 PM
HAROLD AND KUMAR GO TO WHITE PALACE - I had seen snippets of this movie, but never the whole thing. Two stoners experience a strange odyssey of R-rated adventures as they make their way to the legendary fast-food establishment and munch off their high. A runaway cheetah, a leprous auto mechanic with a hot wife, a horny Neil Patrick Harris, and a runaway cheetah are among the perils they face on the quest to consume junk food. This is a wonderfully bad and hilarious film! 4/5
You mean White "Castle," lol. Never seen the movie but I love White Castle! They're only in the Northeast and Midwest.
THE ANTENNA [BINA]: A building supervisor deals with strange occurrences after a satellite antenna is installed in his apartment building to broadcast new government-sponsored news bulletins. This Kafkaesque nightmare, inspired by life in Erdogan's Turkey, can be hard to follow, but contains some great spooky imagery and has a vibe dimly reminiscent of VIDEODROME. 3/5.
"Matinee" (1993)
In 1962 Florida, a producer of gimmicky low budget horror movies comes to town to premiere his latest creature feature ("MANT! Half Man, Half Ant!"). The kids can't wait to see the movie, while their parents are panicked by the ongoing Cuban Missile Crisis.
John Goodman is great as the William Castle-esque schlock mogul in this fun period piece by Joe "Gremlins" Dante. The goofy black and white movie-within-the-movie is fun too.
WITCHES IN THE WOODS - A group of college students take a shortcut over the mountain on their way to a ski cabin, and wind up stranded in a patch of woods where a group of witches were hung back in the 1600's. As the sun sets and the mercury drops, one by one they descend into madness and violence. Is it an ancient witch's curse bearing fruit once more, or are they all a bunch of crazy, unlikable paranoids? Moderately entertaining. 3/5
"Sleepaway Camp" (1983)
Foul mouthed Ricky and his strange, withdrawn cousin Angela arrive at Camp Arawak for the summer, but their fun is interrupted by a mysterious killer who starts picking off campers and counselors one by one.
...for most of its length, this cheap, cheesy slasher saga is little more than a generic, store-brand ripoff of "Friday the 13th," but it has developed a loyal cult following thanks to its infamous twist ending, which is still one of the most enduring "what the f*ck?" moments in horror film history. It's so bad, it's almost good.
Followed by numerous sequels and at least one "reboot," none of which have been seen by me.
"No. 1 of the Secret Service" (1977)
Suave British secret agent "Charles Bind" is assigned to find out who is murdering England's wealthiest financiers in this cheap, corny, hopelessly unfunny spoof of the James Bond series. Nicky Henson seems to be having fun parodying Roger Moore's take on Bond, but the TV sitcom-level production values and near-total lack of action made this an extremely tough slog. Imagine if they'd tried to make an "Austin Powers" movie in the '70s but forgot to make it funny, and you're in the ballpark.
AVOID.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on October 12, 2020, 11:25:51 AM
"Sleepaway Camp" (1983)
Foul mouthed Ricky and his strange, withdrawn cousin Angela arrive at Camp Arawak for the summer, but their fun is interrupted by a mysterious killer who starts picking off campers and counselors one by one.
...for most of its length, this cheap, cheesy slasher saga is little more than a generic, store-brand ripoff of "Friday the 13th," but it has developed a loyal cult following thanks to its infamous twist ending, which is still one of the most enduring "what the f*ck?" moments in horror film history. It's so bad, it's almost good.
Followed by numerous sequels and at least one "reboot," none of which have been seen by me.
That frozen expression at the end freaked me out for sure.
"Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers" (1988)
After four years in the looney bin, Angela's free, and working as a counselor at a new summer camp full of horny teenagers. You can probably guess how well that works out for everyone. In an odd bit of stunt casting, "Angela" is played by Bruce Springsteen's younger sister, Pamela!
Sequel to the '83 slasher shocker is much more tongue-in-cheek than the original, leaning towards horror-comedy territory, with lots of blood and boobs. It was dumb as a box of rocks, but at least it was entertaining.
I really liked Sleepaway Camp not just the ending. I didn't care for the Cropsy one whatever it was called. as far as post Friday the 13th camp movies
Man in the Orange Jacket (2014) - laid off worker sneaks into the bosses house and kills him. Too bad that house is haunted or something!
message = respect the negotiating process? or is it a warning against the intoxicating power of obscene wealth? from Latvia of all places 4.5/5
(slight spoiler: that said, I didn't need not one but TWO being-killed people reaching for a knife exactly one arms length away.)
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/BsuI0mjWbhQ/movieposter.jpg)
on Tubi
^ That looks good! I'll have to watch it!
It seems like Tubi is like the late night tv shows of yore, they buy whatevers cheapest and a lot of it is crap, but you can get a few movies that aare decent just unpopular
It's all I watch lately! :thumbup:
me too
The Woman Who Wasn't There (2012) - Def my favorite documentary I've seen in a while. A woman makes up a harrowing 9/11 escape story AND a lost her husband on 9/11 story to become involved in a victim's support group. She ultimately takes over the whole group and becomes a media star.
She cares so much about the survivors that she pits them against each other for her own advancement. unbelievable but real. She didn't technically break any laws so she's still out there somewhere 5/5
(https://elcomercio.pe/resizer/ufcHwNS7V7S16uHyCcizysSCpeU=/580x330/smart/filters:format(jpeg):quality(75)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-elcomercio.s3.amazonaws.com/public/PDYLOTSEKBDD7MDXPXB5KWHWAY.jpg)
^ I seen that one. What a dirtball.
one review made the point that nowadays she probably would be found out a lot quicker. with twitter and "doxxing" and so forth.
Maybe someday a large heavy piece of flaming concrete will fall on her head. That would be karma.
"The Funhouse" (1981)
Four teens visit a run-down carnival and get locked inside the title attraction after closing time. If that didn't suck badly enough, it turns out that there's a homicidal, deformed something-or-other in there with them. Mayhem ensues.
Tobe "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" Hooper's stylish but ultimately pretty goofy horror flick seemed a lot scarier when I was twelve. Not only is it short on plot, but it takes for-EVER to get into gear.
The old fashioned funhouse animatronics and mechanical creatures are creepier than anything that happens in the actual movie. Sorry, Tobe.
WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE (2018): The Blackwoods--an ailing uncle and his two shy daughters--live in a manor overlooking a New England town, shunned by the townsfolk for a dark scandal in the past. Solid, straightforward adaptation of the twisted Shirley Jackson novel. On Netflix. 3.5/5
"The Stepfather" (1987)
A teenage girl suspects there's something odd about her Mom's new husband, a seemingly too-perfect man who's obsessed with maintaining old fashioned "family values."
This tight low-budget suspense thriller (with a hint of slasher-flick nastiness) has a great cast that includes Terry O'Quinn ("Lost") as the psycho Dad, Shelley "Charlie's Angels" Hack as the unsuspecting Mom, and '80s scream queen Jill Schoelen as the troubled teen.
Loosely based on the real-life case of New Jersey murderer John List -- who killed his entire family in 1971, relocated to a different state under a new name, and started a new life with a new family. He was finally caught after seventeen years (!) thanks to TV's "America's Most Wanted."
Followed by two sequels (only one of which starred O'Quinn) and a 2009 remake.
Quote from: RCMerchant on October 17, 2020, 03:08:16 PM
Maybe someday a large heavy piece of flaming concrete will fall on her head. That would be karma.
:bouncegiggle: :hatred: I can't believe that made me laugh... :bouncegiggle: Whaddadumbiatch. :thumbdown:
Quote from: Rev. Powell on October 18, 2020, 09:19:57 AM
WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE (2018): The Blackwoods--an ailing uncle and his two shy daughters--live in a manor overlooking a New England town, shunned by the townsfolk for a dark scandal in the past. Solid, straightforward adaptation of the twisted Shirley Jackson novel. On Netflix. 3.5/5
We Have Always Lived In The Castle is my favorite piece of
SHIRLEY JACKSON's writing.
How many Shirley Jackson film adaptions are there?
Quote from: Allhallowsday on October 18, 2020, 02:43:03 PM
Quote from: Rev. Powell on October 18, 2020, 09:19:57 AM
WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE (2018): The Blackwoods--an ailing uncle and his two shy daughters--live in a manor overlooking a New England town, shunned by the townsfolk for a dark scandal in the past. Solid, straightforward adaptation of the twisted Shirley Jackson novel. On Netflix. 3.5/5
We Have Always Lived In The Castle is my favorite piece of SHIRLEY JACKSON's writing.
Mine is the Haunting of Hill House- because I read it when I was 10 years old. I still think this is the scariest novel I ever read in my life.
"Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland" (1989)
Pamela Springsteen is back for one more round as the perpetually dorky, gender-confused slasher Angela, running around the woods killing off a fresh batch of counselors at yet another summer camp. Pointless and silly.
Quote from: RCMerchant on October 18, 2020, 03:44:01 PM
Quote from: Allhallowsday on October 18, 2020, 02:43:03 PM
Quote from: Rev. Powell on October 18, 2020, 09:19:57 AM
WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE (2018): The Blackwoods--an ailing uncle and his two shy daughters--live in a manor overlooking a New England town, shunned by the townsfolk for a dark scandal in the past. Solid, straightforward adaptation of the twisted Shirley Jackson novel. On Netflix. 3.5/5
We Have Always Lived In The Castle is my favorite piece of SHIRLEY JACKSON's writing.
Mine is the Haunting of Hill House- because I read it when I was 10 years old. I still think this is the scariest novel I ever read in my life.
I haven't read the novel, but I'm guessing you guys wouldn't think this movie adaptation was as good as the book. My rating is for someone going in blind. You should still check it out if you can.
LIFECHANGER - A shapeshifting entity moves from one body to another, killing humans in order to assume their form, but then he falls in love with a woman and pursues her through several consecutive bodies, as his host forms are lasting less and less time with age. Cool concept, but I was so tired I didn't get much out of it. 3/5
"Terminator: Dark Fate" (2019)
Sarah Connor and a warrior woman from the future team up to protect a young Mexican girl (who as usual is Humanity's Only Hope) from the latest shape shifting Terminator model. Arnold Schwarzenegger turns up as a geriatric prior model "T," lots of things crash and explode, but in spite of all that I was still bored stiff after about an hour. This was a slog.
I think we can officially stick a fork in the Terminator franchise, it's done. Well, actually it was done at least two movies ago, but maybe they'll get the message now, cuz this one tanked at the box office and lost a metric sh*t ton of money...
(Do I need to say it?)
AVOID.
Quote from: RCMerchant on October 18, 2020, 03:42:51 PM
How many Shirley Jackson film adaptions are there?
Of course everybody knows
THE HAUNTING which is a superb adaptation of
SHIRLEY JACKSON's novel. I think there's a short story for TV adaptation of
The Lottery which was the story that made her famous...
Here it is I think :
http://youtu.be/vQQoMCaUz5Y (http://youtu.be/vQQoMCaUz5Y)
SHINING SEX (1975): A pair of swingers invite a stripper back to their apartment for a threesome, then possess her in order to... well, I never really figured that part out. Luscious starlet Lina Romay and her steamy, mostly lesbian sex scenes (which go right to the border of hardcore) are clearly the attraction here, and the wraparound story is... strange, and slow, and interruptive. I don't really know how to rate this, but I'll settle on a 2.5/5.
Quote from: Allhallowsday on October 19, 2020, 12:45:01 AM
Quote from: RCMerchant on October 18, 2020, 03:42:51 PM
How many Shirley Jackson film adaptions are there?
Of course everybody knows THE HAUNTING which is a superb adaptation of SHIRLEY JACKSON's novel. I think there's a short story for TV adaptation of The Lottery which was the story that made her famous...
Here it is I think :
http://youtu.be/vQQoMCaUz5Y (http://youtu.be/vQQoMCaUz5Y)
I looked it up...there are actually versions from 1950, '51, '60, '69, '96, '07, and '08!
Quote from: RCMerchant on October 19, 2020, 09:02:08 AM
Quote from: Allhallowsday on October 19, 2020, 12:45:01 AM
Quote from: RCMerchant on October 18, 2020, 03:42:51 PM
How many Shirley Jackson film adaptions are there?
Of course everybody knows THE HAUNTING which is a superb adaptation of SHIRLEY JACKSON's novel. I think there's a short story for TV adaptation of The Lottery which was the story that made her famous...
Here it is I think :
http://youtu.be/vQQoMCaUz5Y (http://youtu.be/vQQoMCaUz5Y)
I looked it up...there are actually versions from 1950, '51, '60, '69, '96, '07, and '08!
I think what you're seeing are episodes titled "The Lottery" from various TV shows that are not adaptations of JACKSON's story.
^ No- they ARE adaptions. It's on Shirley Jackson's imdb listings.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0414047/ (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0414047/)
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
This is basically Groundhog Day meets Starship Troopers, or perhaps more accurately the experience of playing a computer game, and getting to higher and higher levels as you gain experience, before you inevitably die. That being said, it is entertaining enough. The basic premise makes just enough sense to carry you along and the films knows its strengths and sticks to those. It is about defeating the aliens and very little else. Even the inevitable love story barely gets any screen time. Perfect if you are in the mood for a well made action/heist type movie with aliens and things exploding. The actors don't have much to do, but Tom Cruise was very convincing as a smug bastard in the beginning. He should play more bad guys.
"Never Hike in the Snow" (2020)
The search for a missing hiker leads a sheriff's deputy into a cold-weather encounter with Jason Voorhees in the wintry ruins of Camp Crystal Lake.
This cool, well made half hour fan film is a worthy follow up to 2017's impressive "Never Hike Alone." Viewable for free on YouTube.
SYNCHRONIC (2020): New Orleans paramedics discover that a series of bizarre deaths are linked to a new designer drug called "synchronic." I really liked the characters and setup, but the problem is that when the sci-fi twist arrives, it's basic and contrived, not bizarre enough to compensate for its unbelievability. 2.5/5.
Quote from: RCMerchant on October 19, 2020, 12:40:16 PM
^ No- they ARE adaptions. It's on Shirley Jackson's imdb listings.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0414047/ (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0414047/)
Right you are! I hope you can look at the 18 minute I posted; it's good!
"Stepfather 2: Make Room For Daddy!" (1989)
The psycho Dad (Terry O'Quinn) escapes from the looney bin, adopts yet another new identity, and starts over with his efforts to build the perfect All American family, in a new town with yet another lonely divorcee. Once again, it doesn't end very well.
O'Quinn is great in this entertainingly silly, ultra-violent sequel that tweaks the original's premise just enough to keep it from being a complete retread. Unfortunately, he didn't come back for the third installment, which I have yet to see.
TAMMY AND THE T-REX (1994): Mad scientists transfer Tammy's boyfriend's brain into a t-rex. This has a real "USA Up All Night" vibe. Unpretentiously self-aware monster comedy. Wow, was Denise Richards hot! Hard to defend on any filmmaking or artistic level, but it's an easy watch and kind of fun. 3/5.
Quote from: Allhallowsday on October 20, 2020, 11:47:33 AM
Quote from: RCMerchant on October 19, 2020, 12:40:16 PM
^ No- they ARE adaptions. It's on Shirley Jackson's imdb listings.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0414047/ (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0414047/)
Right you are! I hope you can look at the 18 minute I posted; it's good!
I did watch it. It is good!
WORLD OF TOMORROW EPISODE 3: THE ABSENT DESTINATIONS OF DAVID PRIME (2020): A time-traveling clone appears to David Prime and to warn him of future danger. The characters are comically simple stick figures placed into cosmic, psychedelic backgrounds; this installment is much more plot-oriented than previous episodes, forgoing much of the philosophy but keeping the social satire (David's memories are sponsored by annoying pop-up ads for, among other things, "holograms that yell at you"). Continues the story started in the Oscar-nominated WORLD OF TOMORROW, though it could probably be watched as a standalone without any additional confusion. 30 min long, available for on demand rental only. 4/5.
Viy (1967) -If you know one classic Russian horror movie its probably this one. The story is decent and concise, but the most appealing aspect is probably how different it looks from other movies of the era.
A monastery that's full of drunks and louts (is this accurate? or did they just not want to offend communist censors by showing actual Christians) lets out for some sort of vacation and one of them gets dragooned into reading the last rites for a witch. It ends up being a pretty harrowing task. You may have seen the gifs of painted gray hands and weird folktale skeletons around. In fact, I think they were posted here the other day!
If you're looking for a slick modern horror with Illuminati figures being a cabal behind major world regimes and so forth skip this. If you have a tolerance for older movies and want to see something different check it out. Tubi's print is excellent and the attractive younger version of the witch sweetens the deal.
4.5 /5
^ I seen that movie some years back. Fantastic.
I love VIY.
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/80/81/fa/8081fa729d2a5a49856a74b600521870.jpg)
"Tales of Halloween" (2015)
This cool anthology flick consists of ten short stories of Halloween terror, all of which take place in one small town. Segments include killer kids, a Jason-style slasher who meets his match, jack-o-lanterns with a taste for human flesh, and a kidnapping scheme that goes very wrong.
Not every story is a home run but overall this is a fun, goofy, gory flick that's become a Halloween season perennial for me. Lots of fun.
the EVIL (1978)
Richard Crenna (of the RAMBO movies fame) and friends rent an old creepy house for the summer.
Of course it's haunted. Some real cheesy tropes, but watching Andrew Prine cut his hand in half with a table saw, and afterwards running around like it was nothing was funny. Real cheezy. I liked it anyway.
WORLD OF TOMORROW EPISODE 2: THE BURDEN OF OTHER PEOPLE'S THOUGHTS (2017): Don Hertzfeld's independently-released animated sequel to the Oscar-nominated "World of Tomorrow" sees another time-traveling clone visiting little Emily (voiced by 6-year old Winona Mae), seeking to replace her purposeless mind with a copy of her original's. A bit more obviously sentimental than the original, but still with great moments of absurd humor ("It is very important that you don't think of a baby dinosaur later"), and Winona's babblings about Kittyland and such are as charming as ever. 4/5.
MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER: THE SAGA OF THE VIKING WOMEN AND THEIR VOYAGE TO THE WATERS OF THE GREAT SEA SERPENT: This is the episode where, for some reason, all of the host segments are about waffles. Despite the impressive title and some actual special effects, the movie itself is a barely less boring than the usual Roger Corman cheapie of the era, but the home economics short gives Joel and the bots some excellent opportunities to turn chaste 50s gals into teenage rebels ("will she smoke thin black cigarettes and reject the triune God?") 3/5.
Nightmare Castle - Barbara Steele looks very nice in this black and white horror flick, but the plot is not exactly Hitchcock level. A weird count or lives in a castle with his wife Muriel (Steele) and their maid, who is actually some sort of witch or something. That aspect isn't really explored at all. He does dastardly deeds and gaslight Muriel's sister, als0 played by Steele. It seems like the director really didn't understand what to do with the supernatural elements so you're left with a pretty bland crime story. There a shorter version I'd opt for that one
3.25/5
WASHING MACHINE (1999) - This is an Italian giallo (which, as near as I can translate, is Italian for "Boobs and bodies") about a police inspector who gets called when this girl supposedly finds a dismembered body in her washing machine - but passes out from shock, and when she wakes up, the washing machine is empty and all the blood is gone. In the course of the investigation, the inspector meets all three of her sisters, and winds up breaking up with his girlfriend and having sex with all four sisters at one time or another. Pretty much every woman in this film appears nude at some point, and the plot is a muddled mess, but the cinematography and the women are beautiful, even if the English dubbing is rather poor. Still, free on Amazon Prime, so it's worth a watch. Who puts a dismembered body in a washing machine, anyway?
4/5 on the bad movie scale, 2/5 on the "regular" movie scale.
Quote from: lester1/2jr on October 24, 2020, 07:56:50 PM
Nightmare Castle - Barbara Steele looks very nice in this black and white horror flick, but the plot is not exactly Hitchcock level. A weird count or lives in a castle with his wife Muriel (Steele) and their maid, who is actually some sort of witch or something. That aspect isn't really explored at all. He does dastardly deeds and gaslight Muriel's sister, als0 played by Steele. It seems like the director really didn't understand what to do with the supernatural elements so you're left with a pretty bland crime story. There a shorter version I'd opt for that one
3.25/5
Ah- I would disagree with that assesment. I think it's a great Italian horror film.
Finally saw Beetlejuice from the beginning, usually I catch it at the dinner table scene. Fun movie to sit through.
Beyond the Rising Moon (1987)
This is apparently also known as 'Outerworld' (which doesn't fit the movie any better). This could have been a decent SF action movie, but is completely let down by the execution. The plot is very straightforward. A derelict spaceship is discovered and sinister corporation sends Penta their synthetic superhuman assassin in to prevent another corporation from claiming the ship. However, the Penta sees this as a chance to gain her freedom, so she sets off with a Han Solo rip off to claim the derelict for herself, chased by the sinister corporation.
A lot of effort has gone into the photography, set design and scale models, which are quite good for a film of this era, especially as it is the director's debut. In fact, he likes the sets so much that there are quite a few shots of the empty sets. And of spaceships landing. Which leads into the main problem: the director can't do an action scene to save his life. Fight scenes are basically just Penta throwing one punch in the general direction of the goon, at which the goon crumples up and never moves again. Even the worst fights in Blake's 7 are more exciting. Gunfights and space battles aren't much better. As for the acting, while not painfully bad, it is not very inspiring either, and the script doesn't help. Tracy Davis (who starred in just this one and then did not much else) certainly has the visual presence for this role, but fails to make the 'robotic killer finding her humanity' aspect work.
Finally, there are some strangely dated aspects. 8000 dollars in cash will pay for instellar travel with no questions asked. And in what is now my favourite scene in cheap SF: at one point the Han Solo rip off decides to call the cops. To do this, he has to locate a pay phone, only to discover that he doesn't have any small change on him.
I generally liked Beyond the Rising Moon, but it is kinda slow. There's an interview with the director on this site! Here: http://www.badmovies.org/interviews/philcook/ (http://www.badmovies.org/interviews/philcook/)
Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald, Larry Buchanan, 1964
Docudrama Purporting to examine the evidence against Oswald in a fictional jury trial. Starts out feeling rather weighty, but drags on & becomes as fun as real jury duty. Some nice old-time shots of Dallas. At the end of the movie an attorney comes out & says Oswald was most likely going to be convicted. The evidence may have been circumstantial, but it was strong. Decent acting, tho the prosecutor was a bit hammy & some witnesses were a bit wooden. Occasional editing goofs; characters looking the wrong way after a camera angle change, etc.
Buchanan could've become a good director, but from what I've seen he got worse with each movie he made.
"Monster Dog" (1984)
A rock star (a sickly looking Alice Cooper, who was fresh outta rehab at this time) returns to his old family estate to shoot his latest music video. A pack of wild dogs has been killing people all over the area, and the video crew soon learns that it may he tied to the rocker's troubled past.
...this notorious Spanish/Italian "Howling" wanna-be was written and directed by Claudio Fragasso, later of "Troll 2" fame, which should tell you everything you need to know. The story is virtually incomprehensible, the dialogue is wooden, and the dubbing and special effects suck. (The only time you hear Alice's real voice is during his two musical numbers; the rest of the time, his lines are dubbed by another actor.)
This one's a slog, even for the most diehard Alice Cooper fans and/or B-Movie masochists.
Quote from: pacman000 on October 25, 2020, 12:25:11 PM
I generally liked Beyond the Rising Moon, but it is kinda slow. There's an interview with the director on this site! Here: http://www.badmovies.org/interviews/philcook/ (http://www.badmovies.org/interviews/philcook/)
Thanks for pointing that out. I fully agree when he says
"On the artist side, I love building these places; caverns, aircraft, spacecraft, tunnels, robots, all this stuff. "
It shows in the movie. There is a lot of miniature stuff, matte paintings and the like, lovingly filmed and remarkably good for so small a production. The internet informs me that for the DVD release under the title Outerworld, he went all George Lucas and cleaned up the original effects, adding CGI and the like. I saw the original version, which is knocking about on Youtube somewhere.
IT WAS A COLOSSAL TEENAGE MOVIE MACHINE: THE AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL PICTURES STORY (2015): If you ever wanted to know the history of the independent studio that brought the world such titles as I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF and the BEACH PARTY series and launched the career of Roger Corman, among others, this specialist documentary will scratch that itch. Although AIP movies seem cheap, campy and innocent, it's interesting to see how cynical the studio was in finding a niche (movies aimed at the new teenage demographic) and exploiting it in the most cost-effective way possible. Buried as a special feature on the VIKING WOMEN AND THE SEA SERPENT MST3K disc, where it will find a small but appreciative audience. 3/5.
"Tunnels" (aka "Criminal Act," 1989)
Tubi bamboozled me on this one. I had never heard of this movie, but I was intrigued by their capsule plot description, which said "Beneath the streets of New York, two reporters investigate sightings of giant rats in the city's sewer system." From that, I was expecting to see some cheap subterranean monster action ala C.H.U.D. or Alligator. No such luck.
Instead, this dull as dirt, no budget pseudo-thriller features two lady reporters whose pursuit of the rat legend ends up with them stumbling into a plot by a crooked land developer to kidnap the local homeless population and sell them to human traffickers ... or something like that. No giant rats, no monsters. Boooooo! Well, at least one of the reporters was played by Catherine "Daisy Duke" Bach, who still can't act her way out of a paper bag, but she wore a short skirt for the whole movie.
So unless you're still maintaining that boyhood crush on Ms. Bach (like me) there's absolutely no reason to sit through this flick, which fails at being a horror film, a suspense thriller, or even a "good" bad movie.
AVOID.
(inspired by a discussion thread on this forum)
"Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship, and Video Tape" (2010)
A documentary about the "Video Nasties" hysteria that gripped Britain during the early '80s home video boom. When certain moral guardians and government stooges decided that gory horror films like "I Spit On Your Grave" and "Evil Dead" were going to turn England's children into serial killers or criminals, they attempted to classify them as "obscene" so they could be banned. Interviews with important figures on both sides of the argument, some unintentionally hilarious vintage news clips, and lots of gory highlights from various "Nasties" illustrate this bizarre censorship saga.
I guess this could be considered the British equivalent of the PMRC controversy that was going on in America at the same time, when Tipper Gore and her bored-housewife pals were trying to keep Motley Crue records out of the nation's K-Marts. :D
Fascination (2004) - IMDB reviews are polarized: most either 1 or 9-10. They're both right. awesomely cheesy and sordid drama/ thriller with genuine suspense, strong plot and really corny dialogue and embarrassing acting. Adrianne Lynne with a lobotomy. It reminded me distantly of that movie Blue Crush anyone remember it? a tropical guilty pleasure
http://youtu.be/-32R9_PedPo?t=2764 (http://youtu.be/-32R9_PedPo?t=2764) "what does that f**king mean!" 5/5
BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM (2020): Disgraced Kazakh journalist Borat returns to the U.S., daughter in tow, to deliver a bribe to some high-ranking member of the Trump administration. Partly scripted and partly improvised with unsuspecting dupes, Sascha Baron Cohen does a good job of returning a character who's all too familiar, using new disguises and his daughter Tutar (Maria Bakalova) to put one over on unsuspecting yahoos. This one is explicitly political and, needless to say, Trump fans can give it one star without bothering to watch it. 3.5/5.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on October 28, 2020, 09:17:58 AM
(inspired by a discussion thread on this forum)
"Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship, and Video Tape" (2010)
A documentary about the "Video Nasties" hysteria that gripped Britain during the early '80s home video boom. When certain moral guardians and government stooges decided that gory horror films like "I Spit On Your Grave" and "Evil Dead" were going to turn England's children into serial killers or criminals, they attempted to classify them as "obscene" so they could be banned. Interviews with important figures on both sides of the argument, some unintentionally hilarious vintage news clips, and lots of gory highlights from various "Nasties" illustrate this bizarre censorship saga.
I guess this could be considered the British equivalent of the PMRC controversy that was going on in America at the same time, when Tipper Gore and her bored-housewife pals were trying to keep Motley Crue records out of the nation's K-Marts. :D
I just watched that: I thought the apartheid censors were bad but this lot: Eish. Graham Bright comes across as a class 1 a hole.
PSYCHOMAGIC, A HEALING ART (2019): Alejandro Jodorowsky (EL TOPO, THE HOLY MOUNTAIN) describes his own form of psychotherapy, which involves patients smashing pumpkins with family member's faces on them, covering themselves in gold paint and wandering around the town square reciting poetry, or recreating their own births. Undoubtedly engaging in rituals can help with some psychological issues---among those who don't mind looking ridiculous---but despite one impressive case (the stutterer) this doc doesn't convince that psychomagic is the psychotherapeutic revolution Jodorowsky wants us to believe in. 2.5/5.
My neighbors, doing the wild thing :wink:
This one was so memorable I forgot to write it up after I watched it last week.
WELCOME TO THE CIRCLE (2020): After a bear mauling, a man and his daughter encounter a strange cult in the woods. Some possibly interesting musings about the ways ideology might affect reality get lost in a barrage of confusing, on-the-cheap horror-surrealist twists. 1.5/5.
The Vampire Bat - Fay Wray and the insane Renfield from Dracula are the big stars in this decent enough hour long "scary" short. 3.75 /5
^ :thumbup:
(https://i.imgur.com/Jn9vTwM.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
it was pretty much the exact same role as Dracula, but he still stole the show
SLICE (2018) - A series of murders target pizza delivery personnel in the most ghost-haunted town in America.
But are the ghosts to blame? Or is it the renegade werewolf who recently returned to town?
Are witches involved?
A rather silly but mildly entertaining bit of horror/comedy. starts slow but gets better as it goes on.
3/5
CREEPSHOW 2 (1987)
Not nearly as good as the original, but good fun.
The RAFT segment was the best episode, with some teenagers stuck on a raft in a lake surrounded by a black maneating blob. The kid show type animation was neat too!
Australiens. Australia (and only Australia) is invaded by aliens, out to destroy the world. This p**ses off the rest of the world, who wonder why they haven't been invaded too and in a fit of pique refuse to help out. Low budget and badly acted, but in a fun way, this film is way more fun than it has any right to be. Oh, and f**k Tasmania!
Halloween night double feature:
"The Purge" (2013)
Set in a near-future America where all criminal activity is legal for one night a year, a wealthy family learns that their ultra-high-tech security system is not enough to stop a particularly determined gang of home invaders. This isn't exactly a "horror" movie, but it's a tight, claustrophobic suspense thriller with some primo scenes of ultra violence. The scariest thing about this movie may be how plausible it seems, given our current national situation.
"The Purge: Anarchy" (2014)
The first of several sequels to the all-crime-is-legal-for-one-night dystopian flick shows the other side of the "Purge" coin -- rather than focusing on wealthy and privileged characters, it follows some ordinary citizens who are trapped on the mean streets of L.A. during the Purge and just want to survive the night. With more characters and a whole city to play in, this is a bigger, even more mean-spirited adventure -- I think I liked it better than the first movie.
Would it be too predictable to watch "The Purge: Election Year" on Tuesday night while waiting for voting results to roll in? :teddyr:
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on November 01, 2020, 08:23:27 AM
Would it be too predictable to watch "The Purge: Election Year" on Tuesday night while waiting for voting results to roll in? :teddyr:
Go for it. What is the worst that can happen?
The Seventh Victim (1943) - don't know how I missed this one over the years. A young girl leaves boarding school to search for her missing sister in New York City. When she gets there, she realizes something very weird is going on. It seems her sister has gotten herself mixed up with a group of fifth columnists. Not Nazis, not communists, but....Satan worshippers! In 1974, that would have been a pretty phoned in idea for a plot but for 1943 it was definitely edgy.
Kim Hunter in her film debut reminded my of Patty Duke on the Patty Duke show. She has an innocence which contrasts nicely with the dark urbane subject matter of the film. Not everything works, but that seems besides the point. I can think of a bunch of things that could have gotten ironed out with more time and a bigger budget: for one all the guys kind of look the same...The titular "seventh victim" aspect isn't really explored... Eddie Mueller the TCM host noted some stuff that might have explained it better was taken out to maintain the shorter running time. I don't know if a director's cut exists.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention one very noticeable scene: one of the satan people walks into the bathroom while the younger sister is showering. She taunts her and you can see her silhouette in the shower curtain. 100% of people watching post 1962 will definitely think of Psycho. I don't know if Hitchcock was influenced by this scene but if he was it would certainly make sense. it's similarly effective
(https://filmfreedonia.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/seventhvictim02.jpg)
very cool beans 5/5
"Stepfather 3" (1992)
After a visit to a back-alley plastic surgeon (to hide the fact that he's being played by a new actor), the serial family killer moves to yet another new town and begins romancing yet another divorced Mom (Priscilla "Three's Company" Barnes). However, the psycho step-dad may have met his match with Priscilla's teen son, a disabled computer whiz whose hobby is solving crimes.
...obviously there isn't much going here that you haven't already seen in the previous two "Stepfathers." New leading man Robert Wightman (who?) does a fair job of imitating the great Terry O'Quinn and there's a few good violent bits, but overall this one's too long and too needlessly complicated for it's own good.
Quote from: Alex on November 01, 2020, 03:17:23 AM
Australiens. Australia (and only Australia) is invaded by aliens, out to destroy the world. This p**ses off the rest of the world, who wonder why they haven't been invaded too and in a fit of pique refuse to help out. Low budget and badly acted, but in a fun way, this film is way more fun than it has any right to be. Oh, and f**k Tasmania!
That sounds interesting! :buggedout:
the GORGON (1964)
It's Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee together against a Gorgon that turns people into stone by here mere gaze. Well acted, of course, and beautiful to look at...but kinda talky.
It's a late night lying in bed movie.
"Paganini Horror" (1989)
A struggling all girl rock band discovers a long lost, unpublished piece by the Italian composer Paganini - who, legend has it, sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for his talent. While shooting a music video for their version of the track, they awaken the undead spirit of Paganini himself, who doesn't appreciate these gals borrowing his work.
Luigi "StarCrash" Cozzi directed this brain-dead rock/horror mash up, which has a bad script, bad acting, bad dubbing, bad music (the girl band's "hit" is a hilariously shameless rip off of Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name")... pretty much bad everything. Even a cameo appearance by the great Donald Pleasance (whose voice is overdubbed by another actor, for some reason!) can't save this movie.
This was the 2nd time I've seen "Paganini Horror" and it certainly didn't improve with a repeat viewing. There will not be a 3rd try.
Quote from: RCMerchant on November 04, 2020, 04:51:38 PM
Quote from: Alex on November 01, 2020, 03:17:23 AM
Australiens. Australia (and only Australia) is invaded by aliens, out to destroy the world. This p**ses off the rest of the world, who wonder why they haven't been invaded too and in a fit of pique refuse to help out. Low budget and badly acted, but in a fun way, this film is way more fun than it has any right to be. Oh, and f**k Tasmania!
That sounds interesting! :buggedout:
Found it on some random Roko channel. No idea where else it would be available.
Bowery at Midnight (1942) - A psychology professor who teaches about criminal behavior has a secret: he himself is a criminal. Bela Lugosi is all too believable as a guy using a soup kitchen as a cover for murder and burglary. I'm still not entirely sold on the concept. I think maybe they could have done the classroom stuff as a flashback. He works all day and all night when does he grade the papers, etc?
Anyway, he gets in some "three's Company" style hijinks when someone from the class wants to do a study at the soup kitchen. Will his whole diabolical plan come crashing down??? Tom Neal from Detour is awesome as one of his many criminal co horts. I have a feeling something was cut somewhere because all the sudden one of the guys I thought was dead was back. or maybe its the fact that everyone dresses the same and has the same haircut. how did people tell each other apart in the old days??? I sure can't do it now
4.5 /5
"Voorhees" (2020)
After pulling off a successful bank heist, a crew of thieves (and their two hostages) hole up in the deserted ruins of Camp Crystal Lake. Of course, they soon learn that the camp's most famous resident, Jason Voorhees, doesn't take kindly to trespassers. Predictable mayhem ensues.
This is the latest F13 "fan film" to hit YouTube and though I tried to dig it, "Voorhees" lost me fairly early on. I liked the concept, the guy playing Jason looked legit, and there were plenty of gory kills, but the acting is strictly amateur night and the whole thing simply drags on for way too long.
If "Voorhees" had been an hour, it could've been a much cooler, faster moving film, but at nearly an hour and forty minutes, it becomes an endurance contest.
If you wanna see a cool F13 fan film, watch "Never Hike Alone" instead.
Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey (2020)
Well, the actual title is a bit different, but you know what I am talking about. This is a slog. Another one of those movies which can't make up its mind which direction it is going. On the one hand it tries to be an ensemble piece about a bunch of people facing injustice, finding eachother and working together to do something about it, and on the other you have the zany adventures of Harley Quinn. Not only are these two fundamentally different story arcs, the more grounded tone of the one doesn't mesh with the cartoonish world of the other. I mean, there is a reason we don't have Deadpool starring in the Avengers movies.
Also, the Harley Quinn part falls flat. In order to have a charming rogue, you've got to make your character at least likeable, and preferably smart. This Harley is neither and much more of a sidekick that a real protagonist. Margot Robbie gives it all, but she's got little to work with.
That being said, it is a very pretty movie and the final fight in the amusement park is a lot of fun. Also Ewan McGregor clearly had a blast as the villain.
Quote from: lester1/2jr on November 05, 2020, 01:13:44 PM
Bowery at Midnight (1942) - A psychology professor who teaches about criminal behavior has a secret: he himself is a criminal. Bela Lugosi is all too believable as a guy using a soup kitchen as a cover for murder and burglary. I'm still not entirely sold on the concept. I think maybe they could have done the classroom stuff as a flashback. He works all day and all night when does he grade the papers, etc?
Anyway, he gets in some "three's Company" style hijinks when someone from the class wants to do a study at the soup kitchen. Will his whole diabolical plan come crashing down??? Tom Neal from Detour is awesome as one of his many criminal co horts. I have a feeling something was cut somewhere because all the sudden one of the guys I thought was dead was back. or maybe its the fact that everyone dresses the same and has the same haircut. how did people tell each other apart in the old days??? I sure can't do it now
4.5 /5
Trying to keep track of the plot of a Monogram Lugosi movie is pointless.
I just watch it to see Bela chewing up the carpet !
And it's real morbid.
And I won't give away the ending unless someone asks! But it's a shocker for the time!
(https://i.imgur.com/waFyQiM.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
Rings - Bit late for Halloween, but hopefully not too late.
Lacks the slow build & suspense of the 1st one. Surprise antagonist was a cliche.
Wouldn't recommend it, but it was an ok way to spend the afternoon.
Cry of the Werewolf (1944) - Theres not as much werewolf stuff as there is zombies or vampires so I'm always on the lookout for stuff like this. Really good take, with plenty of gypsy lore and two very attractive actresses, one nice and one evil.
A hot gypsy matriarch is forced to take matters into her own hands and become a werewolf to solve some inter- gypsy issue or other I can't really remember. Well, the police discover somethings amiss and get hot on her trail soon enough. A doll of death is left on a historians desk and... oh wait, now I remember the guy was researching their clan and got too close to the truth that was the initial murder. Anyway, theres secret doors and magic spells and lots of shots of the pretty ladies. I might even watch it gain what the heck
5/5 tubi
^ You liked it? I thought it was one of the worst 1940's Universal horror films.
Canned Heat- A Change Is Gonna Come
http://youtu.be/3doBiU6nN0k (http://youtu.be/3doBiU6nN0k)
wrong thread genius
Quote from: lester1/2jr on November 11, 2020, 01:24:49 AM
wrong thread genius
Yer right I f**ked that all up! :thumbup: :drink:
Robo Vampire 2/Devil's Dynamite (1987)
The first title is confusing, as IMDB gives 1988 as the release date for Robo Vampire, and it is highly unusual for a sequel to predate the first installment. That being said, there are vampires (of the Chinese hopping Mandarin kind) but not really a robot, just a guy who can transform into a shiny helmeted superhero. So it is more of a ripoff of Ultraman than anything else. Nowhere near as entertaining as Robo Vampire. All characters belong in the same movie, there are no lovesick ghost girls in see through clothing, and you can even follow the plot. A gambling king gets out of prison and seeks revenge on the woman who betrayed him. She has, however, enlisted assorted thugs and a Taoist priest, who has created some vampire assassins. Luckily our main character is assisted by the ultraman knock off and another Taoist priest (and some henchmen). The movie is mainly an excuse for a series of fight scenes, and there are plenty of those. The version I saw on Youtube is quite dark, and cropped for video, so it is not always easy to see what is going on.
The Snake Woman (1961) - this was pretty similar to Cry of the Werewolf except it was British. made in 1961, it feels more like its from the 40's. At the same time, it also resembles Hammer horror movies from the 60's and 70s so it's both stale and ahead of it's time in a way.
A scientist treats his insane wife with snake venom to try and cure her. It works, but then she gives birth to a snake girl. Frankenstein style villagers trash the laboratory and wouldn't you know it, the snake baby grows up to be a hot woman. A visiting scientist from London comes to look into the crazy superstition in the town and find the real reason for the astounding number of deaths they seem to be having.
I would have liked more of the hot medieval style barmaid and Americans generally do this kind of thing better. Everyone seems just a little to normal and relaxed to be involved in this situation. hourish long
4.5 / 5 tubi
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71x2MlU+KdL._SX300_.jpg)
^ A strange film, but I kinda like this one.
"The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977)
A pair of nuclear submarines from the U.K. and Russia mysteriously disappear, and 007 is teamed up with his lovely Soviet counterpart (Barbara Bach) to find out where they've gone. The search will take them to the bottom of the ocean, where crazed billionaire Stromberg plans to use the missiles from the subs to start World War III.
...the 3rd time is definitely the charm for Roger Moore, who finally seems comfortable in the Bond role. The movie was the biggest, most elaborate 007 production since Sean Connery's heyday and is Roger's best turn as Bond in my book.
"Raw Deal" (1986)
A former FBI agent (Arnold Schwarzenegger) goes undercover as an enforcer in a Chicago mob family in order to bring their operations down from the inside. Lotsa guys get shot, stuff blows up, and things get broken in this underrated '80s butt kicker that I somehow had never seen until tonight. Arnold gives one of his better performances in this flick, which occasionally requires him to act (!) in between the bouts of ultra-violence.
Head Case (2007) - I always like when reviews are split on a movie and they certainly are here. It's "found footage" of a serial killer and his wife, who catalog their multi year killing spree as well as their ridiculous yet in many ways conventional relationship, including their two oblivious kids.
The hook here for sure is how otherwise normal they are even though they have such an abhorrent hobby. problems viewers may notice:
1. they don't show really any of the gore. it had a $5,000 budget and would be a quite a bit higher if they were going to do any service to the plot so smart I guess, but a little distracting
2. How do they manage to get away with all of it??? they seem to just casually murder people whenever they feel like it
The acting, much of it improvised, is pretty good. the wife in particular really has a brutal way of turning from nice to nasty on a dime. Having her be older than the husband and the guy clearing having mommy issues was a nice touch.
I'd say check it out 4.5 / 5 tubi
it has FIVE sequels
Quote from: Dr. Whom on November 07, 2020, 05:33:11 AM
Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey (2020)
Well, the actual title is a bit different, but you know what I am talking about. This is a slog. Another one of those movies which can't make up its mind which direction it is going. On the one hand it tries to be an ensemble piece about a bunch of people facing injustice, finding eachother and working together to do something about it, and on the other you have the zany adventures of Harley Quinn. Not only are these two fundamentally different story arcs, the more grounded tone of the one doesn't mesh with the cartoonish world of the other. I mean, there is a reason we don't have Deadpool starring in the Avengers movies.
Also, the Harley Quinn part falls flat. In order to have a charming rogue, you've got to make your character at least likeable, and preferably smart. This Harley is neither and much more of a sidekick that a real protagonist. Margot Robbie gives it all, but she's got little to work with.
That being said, it is a very pretty movie and the final fight in the amusement park is a lot of fun. Also Ewan McGregor clearly had a blast as the villain.
A production of DC Entertainment with distribution by Warner Brothers.
I won't disagree with Dr. Whom's review, as I have not seen the film, but the review does remind me of the reviews for previous films produced by DC Entertainment and distributed by Warner Brothers. Which makes me ask: "When are they going to get their act together?" Maybe they should take a hint from Marvel and Disney, who, up to this time, seem to know how to do it right.
I will say though, DC Entertainment and Warner Brothers seem to have had some success with Wonder Woman. Whose sequel, I believe was to be released earlier this year, but, whose release date has been pushed back to Christmas, 2020, or 2021.
Zontar, the Thing from Venus (1966)
Wikipedia informs me that this is 'low budget remake of Roger Corman's It Conquered the World'. Given Roger Corman's legendary thrift, I didn't know such a thing was even possible. This is your standard 'alien takeover by mind control' movie, and the whole thing is more at home in the 50s than in the 60s. I mean, making a big deal out of launching your first satellite in 1966 is pushing it a bit. The plot is perfectly serviceable, if by the numbers. However, once again, the execution is terrible. It mainly consists of people talking, and when the alien is finally confronted, defeating it is 'super easy, barely an inconvenience'. The sound editor does his best by putting extremely dramatic music over scenes of people just walking in the woods or in a cave.
Kudos to the female lead character. Instead of cowering and waiting to be rescued, she is so fed up with her husband's unwillingness to do something about Zontar, she takes her husband's 1911 and goes out to shoot Zontar herself. Perhaps she shouldn't have told Zontar she was coming, though.
Quote from: Dr. Whom on November 14, 2020, 04:10:27 AM
Zontar, the Thing from Venus (1966)
Wikipedia informs me that this is 'low budget remake of Roger Corman's It Conquered the World'. Given Roger Corman's legendary thrift, I didn't know such a thing was even possible. This is your standard 'alien takeover by mind control' movie, and the whole thing is more at home in the 50s than in the 60s. I mean, making a big deal out of launching your first satellite in 1966 is pushing it a bit. The plot is perfectly serviceable, if by the numbers. However, once again, the execution is terrible. It mainly consists of people talking, and when the alien is finally confronted, defeating it is 'super easy, barely an inconvenience'. The sound editor does his best by putting extremely dramatic music over scenes of people just walking in the woods or in a cave.
Kudos to the female lead character. Instead of cowering and waiting to be rescued, she is so fed up with her husband's unwillingness to do something about Zontar, she takes her husband's 1911 and goes out to shoot Zontar herself. Perhaps she shouldn't have told Zontar she was coming, though.
Larry Buchanan. AIP thought their earlier films were too dated for syndication, so they hired him to remake them. Looks like he used more on-location shooting, which probably helped keep the budget down. (Based on his other movies for AIP-TV; I've not seen this one yet.)
CADAVER (2020): After the apocalypse, a cloistered family accepts an invitation to attend a dinner theater performance in an abandoned hotel. Well-made, but it failed to hook me. Netflix exclusive. 2.5/5.
"Rush: The Rise of Kings" (2014)
British documentary on the legendary Canadian rock trio traces their formative years in late 60s Toronto to their mainstream breakthrough in the early 80s. Like most of these "unofficial" music docs, it's about a 50/50 mix of public-domain interview and performance footage (much of it seemingly from the archives of MuchMusic, the Canadian equivalent of MTV), and commentary by the usual group of English music journalists you always see in these things. Occasionally interesting, but the far superior "Beyond the Lighted Stage" is the better pick for a Rush doc.
"Pixels" (2015)
Aliens invade Earth by taking the form of classic video game characters (don't ask), so the President (Kevin James) reunites his old childhood gang of arcade-game experts (Adam Sandler, Josh Gad, Peter Dinklage) in order to save the world.
If memory serves, this movie racked up quite a few Razzie Awards back when it was released, but I actually enjoyed it, despite the presence of Josh Gad (who I find immensely irritating). This is a fun mash up of "Ghostbusters," "Wreck It Ralph," and "Independence Day," with impressive special effects and a lot of fun gags. Underrated.
"Chris Claremont's X-Men" (2018)
Documentary about the writer who took over the under-performing X-Men comic series in the mid 70s, when it was on the verge of being cancelled, and turned it into one of Marvel's cornerstone titles over the next fifteen years. A cheap looking, but enlightening look behind-the-scenes at a major figure in comic book history.
"Island at the Top of the World"
Fun old Disney movie, similar to "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." Lots of neat, but obvious, matte work. I think the FX in "20,000 Leagues" were better.
Last Shift - this is one of those Tubi horror movies that, while uneven, is a million times more interesting than the glossy straight to netflix dreck they put on...well netflix. would definitely put Head Case (2007) from a few nights ago in that category. Ultimately I think Netflix's instant horror offerings are not really for big horror fans.
A rather attractive female cop is given the seemingly very easy job of working the desk at the old police station while everything is now being done at the new station. Basically just to sit at the desk. too bad the building is massively haunted by the ghosts of some manson family type cult who were detained there!
Hereditary would do the "ancient cult" thing better and while competent it definitely feels like the first movie of a horror marathon not the headliner. In fact, if this HAD been on netflix horror i'd probably lament about how predictable it was so my commentary is pretty much worthless I guess.
the director did midnight Meat Train which was a little more distinct. It needed to be scarier, basically
4/5
whoever cast this lady in a walk on role as a streetwalker* knows whats up
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/84/68/c8/8468c8bd701e1c612b9e29faca4643a3.jpg)
*do they even still exist? who cares!
^ I dunno...most street walkers don't look like that. Porn stars, sure, but not working girls.
she looks different in the film
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTYwNjgxMzkxMF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMDE4NjA5NjE@._V1_.jpg)
^I have Tubi, and I almost watched HEADCASE, but I knew I would fall asleep, because I was drunk and tired and just finished eating dinner at 10:00, so I didn't.
I watch a LOT of Tubi.
It is on my watch list. :thumbup:
they have an unbelievable amount of Conan rip off movies I wouldn't even know where to begin with that stuff
Sometimes they just change a word.
PACIFIC RIM (2013) was a fantastic movie, but then you got ATLANTIC RIM (2013)!
Which is this-! :buggedout:
http://youtu.be/xUgesFrRHHE (http://youtu.be/xUgesFrRHHE)
I actually tried to watch this, except 30 minutes in I wanted to take a p**s on my TV! :hot:
EDIT: I may actually try to watch this again...I dunno why? The Play Station 1 level graphics?
I might...but that will be if I'm really high or drunk. So might be anytime today.
Blood Vessel. When a hospital ship is sunk during WW2, a small multinational group of survivors find themselves in a liferaft but with little hope of rescue, until a ship passes them. The survivors climb aboard and find themselves in the midst of a new kind of horror. I enjoyed this one, perhaps more than I would normally being a fan of WW2 and with fond memories of a comic book series from my childhood that I won't mention here as it would give major spoilers about the plot of this one. There are two major clues as to what is going on, on board the ship that let you know far in advance of the reveal on what is happening. If you watch this one, see if you can pick them up.
Creepshow: Animated Special. I'd have rated this one higher I guess if I hadn't figured out what was going to happen in the first story, and then realised very early on I'd read the second story in a collection of shorts previously. Still, I've seen worse.
Blair Witch (2016) - It was okay and state of the art and everything but I expected a little more. 3/5
arsenic and old lace, the original play version with boris karloff and tony randall .
^...and from 1962- here it is! :thumbup:
http://youtu.be/qipwzSdVi7I (http://youtu.be/qipwzSdVi7I)
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY (2019): A surreal comedy about the rise of Canadian Prime Minister W.L. Mackenzie King, who clubs seals, sniffs boots, and deals with an ejaculating cactus on the way to fulfilling his mother's prophecy that he would become Prime Minister of Canada. This fake, funny and fetishistic retro-expressionist biopic proves that Guy Maddin is not an auteur, he's a genre. 3.5/5
LOVE EXPRESS: THE DISAPPEARANCE OF WALERIAN BOROWCZYK (2018): Talking heads documentary about the rise and fall of Polish director Walerian Borowczyk, who started out as an enfant terrible of Surrealism but ended up stereotyped and dismissed as a pornographer. A fine appreciation of an overlooked talent, but probably better suited as a Blu-ray extra than a standalone feature film. 2.5/5
IL DEMONIO (1963)
I did not know there was an exorcist movie before the EXORCIST (1973)
And Daliah Lavi spider walks- 10 tears before Linda Blair!
http://youtu.be/XB25Y_EvudE (http://youtu.be/XB25Y_EvudE)
"Cut and Run" (1985)
A lady journalist and her cameraman head into the jungles of Colombia to find a missing American, and end up caught in the middle of a battle between cocaine smugglers, a Jim Jones style religious cult leader, and hordes of angry natives in this muddled action/adventure flick from Ruggero "Cannibal Holocaust" Deodato.
"Cut and Run" has a few decent action sequences and a cast full of familiar faces (incl. Michael "The Hills Have Eyes" Berryman, Richard Lynch, Karen Black, and even Willie "Bibleman" Aames!) but I was hoping for something sleazier/nastier. Apparently the European cut of this film is heavier on the ultra-violence and gore; I wish I'd seen that version instead.
Mars Needs Women (1968)
Apparently the Youtube algorithm has concluded I must like Larry Buchanan movies. Ah well.
In fairness, it has better production values and pacing than 'Zontar', although that is not saying very much. It is one of those studies in how to make a movie of 1h20, when your script only runs to 40 minutes. As for the plot, this movie falls into the 'Snakes on a Plane' category, where the title tells you all you need to know.
Some observations
Yvonne Craig thoughtfully puts on her glasses if she wants to say something smart.
Hotel rooms in the 60s were small apartments
The lead Martian has an unsettling resemblance to Pete Campbell of Mad Men
That is the most crowded conference room this side of 'Attack of the Killer Tomatoes'
"RoboCop 3" (1993)
Omni Consumer Products has been bought out by a Japanese corporation, who plan to bulldoze Old Detroit to build their gleaming new City of the Future. After RoboCop is wounded while protecting innocent citizens from OCP's mercenary "Rehab" soldiers, he joins a street level resistance movement battling against the corporate creeps.
This third go-round is noticeably cheaper looking than the first two installments and there's a new guy in the Robo-Suit, but lots of stuff still gets shot and blown up real good, in spite of the PG-13 rating.
This flick tanked at the box office and is considered the worst of the series, but I've always found it enjoyable in a cartoonish sort of way... and it's still better than the 2014 remake.
BORAT -
I had seen snippets of this film in the past, but since the sequel is now out and sparked moderate interest, I decided to give the original a watch. A fascinating mashup of biting satire, tasteless humor, social commentary, and some incredibly cringeworthy visuals (the naked wrestling match between Sasha Bora Cohen and his overweight co-star is burned into my eyeballs forever!). You have to have a pretty high bar for tastelessness and hairy naked men to appreciate this one, and I don't think I quite cleared it. But the final scene with Pamela Anderson's book signing was pretty hilarious!
3/5
SLAUGHTER OF THE VAMPIRES (1962) aka CURSE OF THE BLOOD GHOULS
Beautiful score, stunning photograpy, and sexy vampire women are a highlight of this otherwise by the numbers Italian gothic horror film.
Still worth a watch. Just for the heaving vampire girl breasts. :twirl:
http://youtu.be/LVqMj1nemxU (http://youtu.be/LVqMj1nemxU)
"Starring Adam West" (2014)
The actor looks back at the highs and lows of his long showbiz career, through "Batman" mania to the lean years afterwards to his 21st century resurgence. Meanwhile, behind the scenes his family, friends, and fans rally together to nominate him for a long overdue star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. An engrossing profile of a genuinely cool cat who's led an interesting life, loaded with tons of vintage clips, laugh-out-loud interviews, and photos. Lots of fun.
The Great Wall (2016)
You may want to switch off your brain when watching this. This one is an absolute hoot. It would seem that the production team was trying to out-Roland Emmerich Roland Emmerich with this. The story is simple. Two mercenaries travel to China in search of blackpowder. However, when they reach the Great Wall, they find it under siege by a horde of monsters. So, of necessity they team up with Medieval Major Kusanagi to defeat the monsters.
This movie knows exactly what it is doing: it is about people with improbable fighting skills battling monsters, and doing so with even more improbable tactics and weaponry. There is hardly space for a subplot, the barest bones of a love story and -thankfully- no comic relief to speak of, it is just a sequence of spectacular action scenes. Matt Damon's character does reflect upon his life choices a bit, but he can't do so for long, before there is another monster attack.
It is all silly beyond words, which makes it all the more remarkable that the movie is absolutely played straight (unless there is some form of Chinese irony I am missing). My inner 12-year old was delighted.
SPONTANEOUS (2020): When their senior classmates start spontaneously exploding, Mara and Dylan decide to take a chance on love. As a teen romantic comedy of the blacker sort, it's no HEATHERS, but it manages to deliver some harsh realities lightened by the occasional smile (and splash of gore). 3/5.
The Assistant (2015) - Do you remember Orphan? All the preposterous plot holes and over the top dramatics made it hard to tell if it was a horror movie or a soap opera. This French movie is not quite as insane as that, but it delivers the goods in a smaller dose.
A woman's son is hit by a car. the guy does the right thing and brings the teenaged boy to the hospital but he dies, unfortunately. Well, it might have been better if he'd done a hit and run because years later the Mom decides to get a job as his secretary and ingratiate herself into his life, mostly in very bad ways.
Some people just aren't very forgiving and others aren't very perceptive. The movie starts off as very normal if creepy and soon becomes ridiculous in a way I really appreciated. I think the moment it changed was when she threatens to beat the crap out of a random woman in the women's bathroom just because she didn't like her.
again, doesn't have the fireworks of Orphan and could have used the hand of a real horror producer but I liked it a lot
4.5 / 5 tubi
"Jay and Silent Bob Reboot" (2019)
Kevin Smith's iconic stoner duo take another cross-country trip to Hollywood to stop yet another movie from being made out of their "Bluntman & Chronic" characters. Along the way, of course, they meet a variety of bizarre characters and have lots of foul mouthed, wacky mis-adventures before finally confronting the filmmakers at the annual "Chronic-Con." The movie goes off the rails in the last twenty minutes, but the first hour is one rapid-fire gag after another, and I laughed a lot.
I think this flick is how Kevin Smith celebrated surviving his recent heart attack -- by taking a victory lap through his "View Askew" back catalog. Just about everybody who's ever made an appearance in one of his past films has a cameo in this one (Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Shannon Elizabeth, Matt Damon, the guy who played Dante in "Clerks," etc., etc.). There's even a sweet tribute to the late Stan Lee hidden in the end credits.
If you liked "Clerks," "Mallrats," and (obviously) "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," then you'll have a blast watching the boys ride high (cough cough) one more time.
"Dream Deceivers" (1992)
Documentary about the 1990 trial of Judas Priest, who were sued by the parents of two Nevada teens whose "suicide pact" was supposedly inspired by "backwards messaging" in JP's music. Equal parts tragic, infuriating, and eye-rollingly ridiculous. Thankfully the Priest were able to emerge from that media circus with their dignity intact.
ZOMBIE (1964) aka I EAT YOUR SKIN aka ZOMBIES aka CARIBBEAN ADVENTURE .
Silly voodoo mad doctor nonsense about science and- aw f**k it.
Just plain old stupid. I like where the hero jumps into a swamp, swims like hell face down, and then stands up in ankle deep water. Didn't he realize a foot from shore he could,ya know, stand up? :bouncegiggle:
Oh yeah- the zombies.
Ever seen that 3 Stooges short where Moe gets hit in the face by 2 eggs?
(https://i.imgur.com/TIizcyh.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
It's on Tubi, if you have zero going on in your life beyond picking funk out of your belly button hole.
I can imagine folks just leaving the theater in droves after the insane I DRINK YOUR BLOOD (1970), which it was double billed with. It was considered so bad it wasn't released until 1970.
(https://i.imgur.com/EznHo1O.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
PS: No skin is eaten by zombies, or anyone else.
Don't get me wrong! For BAD movie fans- and I am-it's gold. :thumbup:
"What part of heaven did you fly down from?"
" Oh boy. Mister Harris, I read some of your books and I only hope you're more original in person."
Standing right next to each other. :bouncegiggle:
LIGHT YEARS (2019): A man remembers a mushroom trip he took with friends when he was sixteen. A lot of creative disorientation, with animation and the star playing multiple characters (male and female), but the hinted-at plot and its message get completely lost in the heavy buzz of confusion. We're left to contemplate whether watching someone else's routine mushroom trip is entertaining. 2/5.
rc - those mid 60's almost all the way to full exploitation ones but still with a classic feel are great. like the one with the nazi guy on the beach and the glowing sea blob
Daylight (2013) - okay let me make sure I get this right: An austistic guy is in jail for life for killing his wife and baby, but something is amiss. Did he really do it? or is he a patsy for a powerful family and yadda yadda. Also, the woman ( a lawyer) looking for the truth may or may not be his lost long sister.
Okay, this was an adequate attempt at a Fincher style megamystery and actually held my attention for its full 2 hours, a real rarity these days.
One random thing that impressed me was the muted tension between the lawyer and a guy who helps her at the Institution. Sometimes love actually isn't convenient and theres other stuff going on. Not every flirtation ends with an immediate roll in the hay. for me of course it does but I mean for most people
5/5 tubitv I thought it was German but its Dutch. Instead of Nein they say Nay. kid was kind of annoying
not many reviews on IMDB but they are pretty much all positive which is unusual https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2359002/reviews?ref_=tt_urv (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2359002/reviews?ref_=tt_urv)
DARKEST HOUR (2017) - I saw this movie twice in the theaters, and I DVR'd it this week so I could watch it again.
Gary Oldman's portrayal of Winston Churchill is arguably the finest depiction of a real historical figure by an actor that I have ever seen (the only one that rivals it would be Daniel-Day Lewis in LINCOLN). And this film's focus on Churchill's first month in office, at a time when he was far better known for his failures and shortcomings than he was for his courage and tenacity, shows us the man behind the legend in a portrayal that is both humorous and poignant. One of my favorite historical films of all time! 5/5 and then some!
Quote from: lester1/2jr on November 25, 2020, 02:09:26 PM
rc - those mid 60's almost all the way to full exploitation ones but still with a classic feel are great. like the one with the nazi guy on the beach and the glowing sea blob
.
The FLESH EATERS (1964)!
Great movie!
the BERMUDA TRIANGLE (1978)
A boatload of morons go to the Bermuda Triangle in search of a lost underwater city.
Among them Hugo (CITY OF THE WALKING DEAD) Stiglitz, the guy who played PUMAMAN, and...John Huston?
While cruising to their doom, they find a cursed doll floating the seven seas of Hell, get attacked by headless parrots, see weird lights, encounter a ghost ship, and some other plot lines that meander like a homeless guy pushing a shopping cart full of garbage.
Directed by the cinema genius that is Rene Cardona Jr, who gave us NIGHT OF THE BLOODY APES, this might have been entertaining in a BAD movie way, if it wasn't almost 2 HOURS LONG.
This trailer may feature John Huston, but his total screen time amounts to maybe 5 minutes max.
http://youtu.be/fIUBft7pwHE (http://youtu.be/fIUBft7pwHE)
Oh yeah. It's on Tubi. If you feel like having a 3 day drunk fever dream come to life.
"Into the Dark: Pilgrim" (2019)
This seemed appropriate for Thanksgiving night viewing.
A privileged suburban family hires a group of Pilgrim "re-enactors" to their home on Thanksgiving to give them a truly "authentic" Turkey Day experience. Unfortunately for them, these "Pilgrims" have rather strict rules about being properly "thankful" and begin handing out stern punishments for the family's "ungrateful" ways.
This slow burning Hulu original (part of their ongoing "Into the Dark" series of seasonally-themed horror flicks) from the Blumhouse Productions factory takes a little while to get going, but cranks up the nastiness in the satisfyingly gory, ultra-violent second half. I wasn't expecting much from this one at first, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST (1958)
Ok- This is a sequel to the AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN (1957) wherin Col. Glenn Manning gets turned into a 60 foot giant after getting caught in an A-bomb blast. Of course!
Anyway- he survives that film and comes back as a 60 foot mutated, really ugly, Frankenstein grunting monster. Plus for his death, like TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN, the film breifly goes COLOR!
Plus the monster is real scary looking! :buggedout:
It also helps that you see the monster early in the film. I hate it when they take an hour to show the monster.
This is not a gothic horror film. It's a giant monster movie. Gimme the monster! :hot:
I love this movie.
(https://i.imgur.com/ctuLfyJ.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
Tau (2018)
A small time pickpocket gets kidnapped by an IT genius to serve as a guinea pig in his project develop an AI. In order to escape she has to outwit her captor and the AI running the house.
A bit of a disappointment. It is not bad as such, the plot has enough twists and turns to keep it interesting, both actors (and Gary Oldman, voicing the AI) give solid performances, but it is a bit too much by the numbers to be really interesting. More could have been made of the psychological duel between the arrogant and erudite psychopath on the one hand, and the resourceful small time hustler who had learned to survive on the streets, on the other. Ed Skrein and Maika Monroe do what they can, but they don't have all that much to work with. Also, the movie tries to be philosophical about the status of AI and the question of what constitutes a person, but is not as clever as it thinks it is. Ex Machina, it is not.
It is, however, exceedingly stylish. It takes the cyberpunk neo film noir esthetic of Blade Runner 2049, turns it into high fashion gloss and then cranks everything up to 11. You get one amazingly beautiful shot after another. Too bad that the CGI is a bit dodgy in places.
Not a waste of time, but not a must see either.
VAMPIRE DOLL (1970)
A young man returns from America to Japan to visit his fiancee, only to discover she has died.
Or has she?
Amazing photography, good acting, and a scary as hell vampire girl make this gothic horror from Toho Studios (!) worth your while.
(https://i.imgur.com/b2Xzhdy.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
1917 - I rewatched this World War I epic last night and am still very impressed with it. Beautiful cinematography, haunting soundtrack, and an engaging story make this one of my favorite war movies of all time. 5/5
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Made for a long afternoon; they probably could've made 2-3 movies from that one book!
"Anna and the Apocalypse" (2017)
Scottish teens sing, dance, and slaughter their way through their zombie infested small town as they try to reach their families during the Holiday season. Yes, this is a zombie Christmas musical... and as absurd as that concept sounds, it works. The young cast totally sells it (especially Ella Hunt, who plays "Anna") and even though I usually hate musicals, I gotta admit, some of the songs were actually pretty catchy. "Anna" is a funny, bloody, tongue-firmly-in-cheek genre mashup in the vein of the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" TV series (whose musical episode, "Once More With Feeling," was clearly a major influence on this flick).
You may love it, you may hate it, but it's worth seeing this sing-along sickie at least once.
"Cop Out" (2010)
Two NY cops (Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan) tangle with a brutal gang of Mexican drug smugglers as they try to recover a stolen, extremely valuable baseball card. Pretty typical "buddy cop" shoot'em up nonsense, but Willis and Morgan make a good team.
"Cop Out's" back story is almost more interesting than the film itself - this was Kevin "Clerks" Smith's first and only "director for hire" gig. Apparently he and Bruce Willis did not get along at all during filming, and the the experience was so unpleasant for Kevin that it put him off working for the major studios (as well as films that he didn't write himself). In spite of all the behind the scenes drama, "Cop Out" turned out to be a decent rainy day time waster.
Lisa (1990) - this is one of those movies that's interesting and even compelling, but you can see why it doesn't get talked about much.
A girl and her Mom (Cheryl Ladd who looks okay) are having typical coming of age teen/ mom fights. Somehow this results in the 14 year old girl becoming fixated on a much older man...who's also a serial killer!!
As salacious as that sounds, the director, while talented, just doesn't have the gusto to go for the Orphan like sordid disaster this needed to be. The finale doesn't have the tension it needs, Cheryl Ladd is mostly annoying, and basically it can't decide if it wants to be a lifetime movie or a horror movie. At the same time, the girl and her friend were funny and it was unique. I had to stop it a bunch of times to read my twitter feed though
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/06/Film_Poster_for_the_1990_film_Lisa.jpg)
I'll say 3.75 /5 it's well made but not super engrossing,
"LIve Free Or Die Hard" (2007)
High tech terrorists are systematically shutting down the United States via a series of cyber-attacks, and of course our only hope is good ole John McClane. As usual, lots of stuff gets shot, punched, crashed, and blown up real good. This was the first "DH" film in a dozen years and though it doesn't quite match up to its predecessors, it's an entertainingly ultra-violent butt kicker.
"Silent Night" (2012)
Small town Wisconsin cops hunt for a psycho dressed as Santa, who's killing off "naughty" citizens in extremely gory ways. Unfortunately the town happens to be full of guys in Santa suits for the annual Christmas parade, which obviously complicates the process.
This "loose remake" of the classic 1984 Santa slasher "Silent Night, Deadly Night" might have an even bigger mean streak than the original. The kills are brutal and gory, and the performances are great (esp. Malcolm McDowell as the gung-ho Sheriff and Donal "Grounded For Life" Logue as a drunken anti-capitalist street Santa). There's even a "garbage day!" reference and several nods to the original "SNDN" for sharp eyed fans.
If memory serves, I wasn't crazy about this flick the first time I saw it a few years ago, but something about it "clicked" with me the second time around. Worth a look, even if you usually hate remakes.
Mildly unsettling fun fact: the psycho Santa's weapon of choice in this movie - a flame thrower - was apparently inspired by a real Christmas Eve mass killing that happened in California in 2008. Ho ho ho, indeed.
"Crumb" (1994)
Terry Zwigoff's portrait of underground cartoonist Robert Crumb, whose psychedelic and psycho-sexual comic strips defined the late '60s counter culture movement. Robert's a weird guy who draws weird comics, but when you meet his brothers Charles and Max, you'll realize that he's the most normal one in his family... which is really sayin' something.
"Crumb" is not so much a celebration of Robert's famed artwork, but more of a disturbing study of family dystunction and its effects on each generation. Weird and fascinating in equal measure.
^ David Lynch wanted to make a movie about his brother with the weird notebook but he died
"Bad Boys For Life" (2020)
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back for a third, long delayed go-round as straight shootin', wise crackin' Miami cops Mike and Marcus. This time out, Marcus is considering retirement (again), and Mike has been marked for assassination by the seriously ticked-off lady boss of a Mexican drug cartel. Naturally, this leads to lots of stuff getting shot, blown up, and crashed into other stuff.
It's been more than fifteen years since the last "Bad Boys" movie but Smith and Lawrence fall right back into their buddy-cop groove and as usual, the stunt work and pyrotechnics are a sight to behold. Sometimes you just gotta have a big, dumb, flashy, shoot'em up action flick full of empty calories, and this franchise has always filled that bill.
BEAST CLAWING AT STRAWS (2020): A crime boss, a ruthless madam, a corrupt customs official, and a struggling sauna clerk all scheme to possess a bag stuffed with cash. An exquisitely plotted neo-noir deftly handled by first-time Korean director Kim Yong-Hoon. I could definitely see this getting a Hollywood remake. 4/5.
"Venom" (2018)
An experimental space craft crash lands on Earth, letting loose several parasitic alien life forms. One of them eventually "bonds" with a down-on-his-luck investigative reporter to stop a full scale invasion by the critters.
Loosely based on the Marvel Comics super-villain, this flick wisely opted to re-write Venom's origin story, throwing out all the Spider-Man connections so the character can stand on his own. Tom Hardy is a hoot as the guy learning to deal with his new "partner" and the visual FX are top notch. I honestly wasn't expecting much from this flick, but it turned out to be a fun, action packed sci-fi/horror ride.
LOOPER (2012)
In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent into the past, where a hired gun awaits - someone like Joe - who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by sending back Joe's future self for assassination.
What starts as an interesting time travel ordeal, it crashes into another completely different movie in less than an hour. Don't watch this expecting another PREDESTINATION, this is trash. When you try to unravel the plot it falls apart so bad that is hilarious, it literally looks as if they lost the script and had to find a new one - it reminds me a lot of what I felt with HANCOCK. See that synopsis I just put above? I kid you not, it has nothing to do with the main story.
If you can deal with the fact that in this world the mob can't get rid of a body but can travel in time to do it, even when in a scene we clearly see them killing Joe's wife without many issues, and they still go through the trouble of "disposing" him. Did they forget they have another body lying there? Oh well. If you can deal with these blunders, it's nevertheless a fun movie. Good ol' Bruce still got it, and even when it's completely unnecesary, he shoots people, because that's what he does.
If you don't have anything else to do, give it a watch, but otherwise stick to better time travel or gangster films. 6/10 :drink:
Anna (aka Mindscape) (2013) - There are a lot of movies called Anna so if you are ever looking for this one search Anna memory detective or something. and you should because its pretty good
The acting. writing etc aren't great and the story is pretty unbelievable but I enjoyed it, so much so that I stayed up till like 3:30 am watching it and got up at 1:30. luckily I drive uber and there's not much going on now so nothing really matters.
John Washington is a memory detective. via some combination pf psychic powers and technology he can enter peoples minds and see if they are telling the truth about a crime or something. Coming back from a rough period, his boss gives him an easy job: get this rich girl who is refusing to eat to eat. Well, it wouldn't be much of a movie if it didn't turn into a little more than that.
He enters her memories and sees all kinds of crazy stuff, but is she actually gifted too and changing the memories around? It had me hooked even though its totally impossible and the acting is run of the mill.
4.5 /5 shows how a strong story can over come a lot of budgetary/ talent, logic obstacles
"Detroit Rock City" (1999)
It's 1978 and a quartet of doofus teens cut school and hit the road to see KISS at Cobo Hall in Detroit, having a variety of wacky mis-adventures along the way.
A very funny, well made period piece comedy with a great cast and a rockin' soundtrack. "DRC" tanked at the box office back in the day, which is a shame -- this one deserves to become a cult classic. Enjoyable even if you're not a member of the KISS Army.
Wes Craven's Summer of Fear (1978) - I had seen this as a kid and didn't think I'd ever find it. While not quite as awesome as "Invitation to hell" Craven's other made for tv movie it is very entertaining and trashy.
A cousin from the Ozarks comes to stay at Linda Blair and her families' house. Blair has a poofy hairdo and isn't as hot as she was in her early 80's efforts. The cousin isn't bad and she soon makes moves on everybody in sight, including the Dad! Having sexual tension between ostensible family members is a little odd, but the horror element really doesn't come into play until the second half so I guess they had to keep viewers attention some way.
I remembered this as being less campy and more straight horror but it holds up as what it is. 4.5 /5
THE MARTIAN (2015)
An astronaut becomes stranded on Mars after his team assume him dead, and must rely on his ingenuity to find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.
An interesting movie, but not very original to be honest. While I cannot discuss the science behind it, although I assume it must be somewhat correct since NASA helped, they failed miserably in the psychological side of the story. At no point our hero shows us the despair of being stranded alone in a planet deadly for any form of life. In fact, it seems like he's having some kind of vacation in there. Only at the end it kinda shows some emotion, the rest of the time it's like "lol disco music". MOON captured this a million times better.
While I do appreciate the fact that everything seems to go wrong, most of the problems are solved inmediately by some conveniently placed object: duct tape, a piece of plastic, whatever. Mark is not just a botanist, but also an engineer, electrician, chemist, surgeon, and anything else the plot requires. The guy has more knowledge than Wikipedia, it's amazing.
Still, an entertaining movie, although it's longer than necessary. The Mars landscape is gorgeus! 7/10 :thumbup:
"White Christmas" (1954)
Two ex-Army song and dance men (Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye) romance a pair of singing sisters (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen) while putting on a really big Christmas show at their former commanding officer's Vermont hotel to help save his business.
This is one of those classic holiday perennials that my wife insists on watching every year and while I generally don't care for musicals, this one has an old-fashioned charm that makes it watchable. (Truthfully, I tend to spend most of the run time ogling the astoundingly leggy Vera-Ellen, who plays Kaye's love interest...)
...besides, I can't watch "Silent Night, Deadly Night" sequels all December long, y'know! :D
Fantasy Island (2020)
The individual fantasies were ok, but the overall plot & added mythology was unnecessary.
"Trancers" (1984)
23rd century cop Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson) is sent back in time to 20th century L.A. to stop a murderer whose killing spree has the potential to change the future.
Basically this is a low budget mish mash of ideas borrowed from "The Terminator" and "Blade Runner," but it's fast paced, junky fun in its own right. Thomerson is hilariously deadpan as the hard-boiled future cop and his punk-rock chick sidekick is played by future Oscar winner Helen "Mad About You" Hunt, who was quite the hottie back then!
Charles Band directed this cult classic that was followed by at least five sequels (I lost count). "Trancers" even takes place during Christmas time, so it's seasonally appropriate viewing as well!
"Trancers II" (1991)
Future Cop Jack Deth has spent the past six years coolin' his heels in the 20th century, until his old boss returns through the time stream to inform him of a new threat: a mad scientist has begun assembling an army of zombie-like "Trancers" to do his murderous bidding.
I described the first "Trancers" as "junky fun," but this one is mostly just "junk" in spite of the great cast (which includes Tim Thomerson, Helen Hunt, Richard Lynch, Geoffrey Combs, and Barbara Crampton). It's needlessly complicated and looks even cheaper than the original, which is really sayin' something.
I got a few laughs out of it but somehow I doubt I'm going to go much deeper into this franchise.
LUCKY (2004): An alcoholic writer finds inspiration when a stray dog starts telepathically dictating scripts to him---and orders him to kill. A low budget, shot-on-video affair, but with a competent script; it starts off like a twisted sitcom but descends into sleazy grindhouse territory as the bodies pile up. Not wholly successful, but the oddness keeps you watching. 2.5/5.
Irresistible (2005) - the title has nothing to do with anything but this is a pretty okay thriller starring Susan Sarandon who looks great. It's kind of hard to recommend though because its so full of cliches. Sarandon and director Ann something worked on the script together and they should have worked a little harder. It's filmed in Australia and everyone else is Australian. Emily Blunt is in it. She's hot.
Sarandon is some kind of illustrator in a way I didn't quite grasp and her husband is a really good at business guy. A sexy new secretary at work (Blunt) provides temptation, but she also seems to be ingratiating herself as people in these things often do. Or is Sarandon imagining the whole thing? This question was the best part of the movie even though you know how it's probably going to turn out.
It passed the time well enough. I had to look at wikipedia to fully understand the ending.
Well folks, it's alright and surely much better than the Jessica Simpson album of the same name
3.75 /5
"Nocturna" (1979)
Count Dracula's foxy granddaughter, bored by the lack of excitement in Transylvania, runs off to New York with a handsome musician and becomes the darling of NYC's disco scene in this hopelessly dorky supernatural comedy/musical.
...there's a lot to unpack here. Apparently this flick was a vanity project for Nai Bonet, a Vietnamese dancer and socialite who decided she wanted to be a movie star ... so she wrote and produced this movie, gave herself the starring role, and hired a couple of fading screen legends to fill out supporting parts (John Carradine as Dracula, Brother Theodore as his Renfield-ish servant, and Yvonne "Lily Munster" DeCarlo as the Count's old girlfriend). She even managed to corral disco superstars Gloria Gaynor and Vicki Sue Robinson to perform on the soundtrack!
...so I salute Ms. Bonet's hustle, but as for her movie, it's a good thing she was attractive and spent most of the film in various states of undress, cuz she sure couldn't act worth a good god damn. There are a few funny bits (mostly involving Carradine and/or DeCarlo) but overall "Nocturna" is eye rollingly silly, and of course the wall-to-wall disco soundtrack is hilariously dated. Still, I found it vaguely interesting in a cheesy, how-the-hell-did-this-get-made time-capsule sort of way.
It's on YouTube under its alternate title, "Nocturna: Granddaughter of Dracula," if you're curious.
CRIP CAMP: Follows a group of disabled teens who attended the experimental Camp Jened in the early 70s as they become disability activists later in life. If you like inspirational true stories, this may be your jam. I'm not that much into them. On Netflix. 3/5.
BOO! - a dysfunctional family receives a note on their door the day before Halloween, telling them they have been "BOO'd" and bad things will befall them if they don't pass the BOO! along. The father, a strict fundamentalist, refuses to indulge in such nonsense, and, well, bad things befall them. It's been done before, but this film didn't do it badly. 4/5
THE CABIN IN THE WOODS - I saw this when it came out in 2012, and watched it again last night. A fun horror romp that explains why so many horror films share the same tropes: the "teenagers experimenting with things best left alone" are a carefully coordinated sacrifice to keep the Great Old Ones sleeping, so that unspeakable horrors do not rise to destroy humanity. The worst thing that could happen would be for the sacrifices to become aware of the situation and refuse to die in the manner prescribed. And guess what happens? I liked this film 8 years ago, and I liked it again! 5/5
DAY OF THE ANIMALS (1977)
William (the MANITOU, GRIZZLY) Girdler directs this 'revenge of nature' flick which centers around a group of hikers in the mountains who are attacked by animals gone crazy because of a break in the ozone.
Starring the usual cast of regulars, including Christopher George, Susan Day George, Leslie Nielson (who plays a real scumbag!), and Micheal Ansara.
Not bad at all, for the man who gave us such "classics" as 3 ON A MEATHOOK and ASYLUM OF SATAN.
http://youtu.be/fipR4q3mg7s (http://youtu.be/fipR4q3mg7s)
DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD (2020): A daughter and her elderly father stage various death scenarios (some fairly bloody) as a way of psychologically preparing for the inevitable. An intimate, loving, and entertaining testament; recommended viewing for anyone who may die someday. 4/5.
Creation of the Humanoids (1962) - This improved on second viewing. The first time I saw it I simply couldn't believe how much people talked, the second time I think I followed the story a little better and appreciated the message. At the same time, it is a little ridiculous with the color scheme and people with painted faces walking around this very indoor looking set blankly delivering these robot musings. Most movies have a few minutes of examining the philosophical implications of the plot, this one it's the whole movie.
A lot of humans got wiped out in some sort of disaster so they made robots to do menial jobs. Why not just make the society smaller to fit the new population levels? who knows. Anyway, the robots, or "clickers" as humans derisively call them, are becoming more numerous and are gaining ambition to themselves be human a la a lot of science fiction movies. The humans bigotry towards them is clearly an analogy for the civil rights issues in the world at the time. When the main human guys sister starts cohabitating with a robot he loses it.
This was a favorite of the late Andy Warhol and I can see why. It's like a student production at a rest home of retired professors or something. and the colors give it a very distinct and memorable look.
4.25 /5
Continuing my trip through the James Bond series in order:
"Moonraker" (1979)
Assigned to investigate the disappearance of an experimental space shuttle, 007 travels to California, Venice, Rio, and finally to outer space, where he battles the insane industrialist Hugo Drax, who plans to commit planetary genocide from his orbiting space station and then re-populate the Earth with his chosen people.
Obviously this is the most absurd Bond adventure yet, but it's also a sentimental favorite of mine because it was the first 007 movie I saw as a kid. The outer-space theme was obviously intended to ride the coat tails of "Star Wars," and it worked -- "Moonraker" was the highest grossing film in the 007 series for many years, till it was unseated in 1995 by Pierce Brosnan's "Goldeneye."
Quote from: lester1/2jr on December 09, 2020, 02:08:49 PM
Creation of the Humanoids (1962) - This improved on second viewing. The first time I saw it I simply couldn't believe how much people talked, the second time I think I followed the story a little better and appreciated the message. At the same time, it is a little ridiculous with the color scheme and people with painted faces walking around this very indoor looking set blankly delivering these robot musings. Most movies have a few minutes of examining the philosophical implications of the plot, this one it's the whole movie.
A lot of humans got wwiped out in some sort of disaster so they made robots to do menial jobs. Why not just make the society smaller to fit the new population levels? who knows. Anyway, the robots, or "clickers" as humans derisively call them, are becoming more numerous and are gaining ambition to themselves be human a la a lot of science fiction movies. The humans bigotry towards them is clearly an analogy for the civil rights issues in the world at the time. When the main human guys sister starts cohabitating with a robot he loses it.
This was a favorite of the late Andy Warhol and I can see why. It's like a student production at a rest home of retired geniuses or something. and the colors give it a very distinct and memorable look.
4.25 /5
It also featured Dudley (PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE) Manlove as one of the robot leaders!
(https://i.imgur.com/IW1pdqE.png) (https://lunapic.com)
(https://i.imgur.com/XppqUIx.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
Bill Murray played him in ED WOOD!
EDIT! No! He did not! This here is Bunny Breckinridge! I'm a moron!
(https://i.imgur.com/R47SRJZ.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
Now Dudley Manlove- I love me some Dudley! :twirl:
http://youtu.be/InO2o5KHPiY (http://youtu.be/InO2o5KHPiY)
"Fanboys" (2009)
In 1998, five lifelong friends and massive Star Wars nerds embark on a cross country road trip, intending to crash George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch and steal a rough cut of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace so they can see the movie before everyone else. Needless to say, things don't go quite as planned.
This very funny road trip comedy lovingly sends up sci-fi nerd culture with lots of nods to the Star Wars saga, and cameos by several famous faces. This is one of those underrated comedies that deserves a cult following. This was my 3rd or 4th viewing of this flick and I still laughed out loud a lot.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on December 09, 2020, 02:31:09 PM
Continuing my trip through the James Bond series in order:
"Moonraker" (1979)
Assigned to investigate the disappearance of an experimental space shuttle, 007 travels to California, Venice, Rio, and finally to outer space, where he battles the insane industrialist Hugo Drax, who plans to commit planetary genocide from his orbiting space station and then re-populate the Earth with his chosen people.
Obviously this is the most absurd Bond adventure yet, but it's also a sentimental favorite of mine because it was the first 007 movie I saw as a kid. The outer-space theme was obviously intended to ride the coat tails of "Star Wars," and it worked -- "Moonraker" was the highest grossing film in the 007 series for many years, till it was unseated in 1995 by Pierce Brosnan's "Goldeneye."
I seen that in a theater in Liberty , NY! With my brother Mike! We bought some knishes from a Jewish deli across the street and ate them while watching it! We also bought knishes when we watched ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ.
If you never had a NY Jewish deli knish-your missing out.
Going Clear: the Scientology documentary.
HOST (2020): A group of friends hold a seance over video chat. Takes the lessons of BLAIR WITCH PROJECT and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY and applies them to Zoom. The first lockdown horror film; I think it's exclusively on Shudder. Only an hour long, in "real time." 3/5.
"Beerfest" (2006)
Two brothers, looking to restore honor to their family name, form a team of fellow power drinkers to represent the U.S.A. in a secret international beer drinking competition held in Munich during Oktoberfest. Can these rag tag losers take crown from the dreaded German team on their home turf?
This loud, funny, raunchy comedy from the Broken Lizard troupe of "Super Troopers" fame will leave you thirsty for more (or maybe just thirsty). It's a hoot.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on December 10, 2020, 09:00:51 PM
"Beerfest" (2006)
Two brothers, looking to restore honor to their family name, form a team of fellow power drinkers to represent the U.S.A. in a secret international beer drinking competition held in Munich during Oktoberfest. Can these rag tag losers take crown from the dreaded German team on their home turf?
This loud, funny, raunchy comedy from the Broken Lizard troupe of "Super Troopers" fame will leave you thirsty for more (or maybe just thirsty). It's a hoot.
Very funny movie: I love where Jurgen Prochnow talks about that "bad experience I once had in a Uboat" :bouncegiggle:
DRIVEWAYS (2019): A maladjusted boy makes friends with his next door neighbor, a retired Korean war vet. A pleasant unassuming little drama that would be quickly forgotten if not for the fact that it contains one of Brian Dennehy's final performances. 3/5.
Kalashnikov (2020)
Biopic of perhaps the most famous Russian ever. The story is pretty straightforward: Mikhail Kalashnikov gets wounded, and sets out to make a better gun for his comrades at the front. Makes a first gun, gets rejected, makes a second gun, gets rejected again, keeps at it, and comes up with a classic. That is basically it. If you like a period piece of WW II Russia or seeing men doing metalwork, this is a movie for you. As for the historical accuracy, I'm not familiar enough with the facts to judge, but this is clearly the Official Biography As Approved By The Kalashnikov Estate And The Russian Army, so I am taking it with a pinch of salt.
Interestingly, this is a subtly anti Soviet movie. It is the story of a lone inventor who has to battle the system every step of the way, succeeding only by sheer persistence. At one point he even has to knock some sense into an NKVD officer. The high point is a showdown with the great Degtyaryov himself, who then humbly acknowledges Kalashnikov's superiority. For all the overt patriotism of the movie, I don't think a story of an individual genius triumphing over short sighted officialdom would have sat well with the Soviet censors.
INVASION OF THE BLOOD FARMERS (1973)
Hot honey butter biscuits!
This movie is insane!
A group of druid cultist farmers are harvesting blood to bring their Queen back to life.
And for some obscure reason, after the local scientist (with a lab in his basement, of course), gets a sample of a victim's blood, it starts to regenerate, and floods his lab!
A couple of stand out scenes are when one of the farmers beats a dog, drinks it's blood, and hangs it outside our hapless heroine's house.
Another weird one is a guy is taking a shower (one shot director Ed Adlum) in a hotel room (shades of PSYCHO), and is stabbed to death by same blood farmer guy! And the town drunk's name is Jim Carrey! "Old Jim Carrey dropped dead Sunday!"
Stupid as hell. Bad overacting! Bright red paint blood!
I loved it!
Did that blood farmer shoot his phone with a cap gun? :bouncegiggle:
http://youtu.be/SI1D4_HcKCs (http://youtu.be/SI1D4_HcKCs)
"Top Secret!" (1984)
An American rock n roll singer (Val Kilmer, in his film debut) visiting East Germany on a goodwill tour, gets mixed up with the French resistance (?) and helps them free an imprisoned scientist.
This wacky spoof of 1940s spy flicks and Elvis movies was brought to us by the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker team of "Airplane!" fame. "Top Secret" doesn't quite reach the laugh-a-minute heights of that classic, but it's got enough goofy gags to make it watchable.
"Silent Night, Bloody Night" (aka "Deathouse," 1972)
A small New England town is rocked by a series of Christmas Eve slayings when a big city lawyer comes to close the sale of a long-empty mansion with a famously sordid past.
Possibly the first-ever Christmas slasher movie, this long time late-night TV fave is a slow burner, but it has lots of creepy atmosphere, one gloriously gory axe murder scene, and an interesting cast that includes future Roger Corman fave Mary Woronov and the legendary John Carradine.
Due to its public domain status, this flick appears in lots of cheap "Horror Classics" DVD sets, usually in terrible washed out quality. However, the fine folks at Vinegar Syndrome "remastered" it a few years ago and while that version is still occasionally scratchy and dark, it's still the only decent print of it I've ever seen.
"Silent Night Bloody Night" may not exactly be a great movie, but it's certainly a weird, interesting little seasonal oddity.
The Borrowers
A boy moves in with his great aunt & discovers a miniature family living under the floorboards.
Cool concept, but too slow, & the 60's blue screen FX haven't held up well. They should've built more giant sets, used more split screens, etc.
76 DAYS (2020): Documentary following doctors, nurses and patients in a 50-patient wing at a Wuhan hospital at the height of the coronavirus crisis in Feb-Apr 2020, during the 76 day lockdown. With no editorial commentary, human drama emerges naturally: doctors and nurses struggle to keep their spirits up, a child is born to a COVID-positive mother, an old man with dementia wanders around the halls, not understanding why he can't go home. 4/5.
Amphibian Man (1962) - USSR movie about a man in a tin foil bodysuit and goggles who lives underwater and falls in love with a land girl. Disney ish with occasional commie propaganda. enjoyable mostly for how different the actors and production look 3/5
^ I started to watch that movie. It did it's job. I feel asleep within 5 minutes. Maybe less.
ALL IN: THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY (2020): Documentary about voter suppression efforts, historically targeting minorities. Contains solid information (especially in the historical context), which unfortunately is dimmed a bit due to the fact that it too often feels like a feature-length campaign ad for executive producer/lead talking head Stacey Abrams. 3/5
Burnin' up my last vacay day of the year today, watchin' some movies and waitin' for the snow storm to roll in...
"Deadpool" (2016)
Marvel Comics' wise-ass, foul mouthed, indestructible mercenary (Ryan Reynolds) goes after the mad scientist who made him a freak in this balls-to-the-wall, ultra violent, fourth-wall-breaking riot. I've seen this once before but it definitely holds up to repeat viewing.
"Krampus" (2015)
A dystunctional family's Christmas celebration is crashed by the vengeful Yuletide demon of German folklore in this holiday horror/comedy from Michael "Trick r' Treat" Dougherty. It's hampered slightly by the PG-13 rating but it's still a load of dark, twisted holiday fun that's become a Christmas time regular for me.
"Once Upon a Time at Christmas" (2017)
A small town in Upstate New York gets a Yuletide visit from a pair of thrill killing psychos dressed as Santa and Mrs. Claus, whose murder scenes mimic the lyrics to "The 12 Days of Christmas."
This indie horror flick has a nice wintry look, an absurdly high body count, and the couple who play the killers are a hoot (the Mrs. Claus chick is essentially playing Harley Quinn in a Slutty Santa outfit), but the movie drags on for too damn long and the characters are such idiots that they deserve everything that happens to them.
Sooo, not an essential holiday horror, but entertainingly stupid enough for a single viewing.
MUCHO MUCHO AMOR: THE LEGEND OF WALTER MERCADO (2020): The story of Walter Mercado, the androgynous Puerto Rican new age astrologer who delivered horoscopes while dressed like a Hindu Liberace in drag as a Golden Girl. Walter was a huge star in the Hispanic community through the 1970s-2000s, so if you were aware of him, this will be a nostalgia trip; if, like me, you've never heard of him before, it will blow your mind to think that such a flamboyantly odd character could exist and thrive in a macho culture. Given his weird charisma, we should all be thankful he used his powers for good rather than running for political office. On Netflix. 3.5/5/.
ATHLETE A (2020): Thorough documentary covering the sex abuse scandal in USA gymnastics through the eyes of victims and reporters. Larry Nassar gets his, sure, but the documentary also blows the lid off a culture of abuse and coverups. A blood boiler on Netflix. 3.5/5.
^ I had a passenger recently who was a high level gymnast. they get all these coaches from eastern europe who make them practice with pain. He f**ked up his foot and the guy was like be a man walk it off. he went to the dr and had all these issues they gave him a boot. the coach was like either take off that boot or get out of here.
thats how Nasser was able to stay on. a child abuser himself, he was more than willing to give the okay for anyone to practice no matter how bad they were hurt. it was a quid pro quo
the Quiet - another tubi oddity, its another lifetime ish trash odyssey that tries to be something more. Elisha Cuthbert looks great, too bad she's being sexually harassed by her Dad! The only other male character is also a huge pervert almost like it was made by women for women. She has that to deal with that while also having a new "quiet" deaf mute sister the family adopted. Being a high school Mean Girl is her only salvation and now she has to befriend this dork.
Edie Falco from the sopranos plays the delusional wife who drowns her guilt in pain pills. All her scenes are her on drugs saying crazy stuff and doing bad parenting.
Cuthbert in a cheerleading outfit and the perverted storyline are why it got made and is still out there, but the fact that it doesn't really go anywhere beyond usual soap opera stuff is why its on tubi
3/5
Paranormal Activity 4 - this was a lot like the other 4 but a lot better than The Quiet!
4.5/ 5 (spoiler: love when a knife falls from the ceiling and lands blade first in the cutting board in front of the Dad, which he then TOTALLY FORGETS ABOUT)
Quote from: lester1/2jr on December 18, 2020, 04:10:25 PM
^ I had a passenger recently who was a high level gymnast. they get all these coaches from eastern europe who make them practice with pain. He f**ked up his foot and the guy was like be a man walk it off. he went to the dr and had all these issues they gave him a boot. the coach was like either take off that boot or get out of here.
thats how Nasser was able to stay on. a child abuser himself, he was more than willing to give the okay for anyone to practice no matter how bad they were hurt. it was a quid pro quo
Yes, that's something they bring up. The coaches were Romanian and super-authoritarian. Also, Nassar was nice to the girls, he would sneak food to them and tell them they weren't crazy for complaining that they were in pain, so he was like the good cop they could trust.
He ended up being the much worse cop. Aly raisman is from my town btw
MST3K: SPACE TRAVELERS: Joel and the bots take on a serious, realistic and dull "stranded in space" drama with Gene Hackman and Gregory Peck, which was even nominated for a couple of Oscars (cinematography and sound mixing). Easily the "best" movie MST3K ever mocked, which makes for a pretty "meh" experiment---there's not enough incompetence or WTFery to make fun of, and there's not much going on on the Satellite of Love either. 2.5/5.
"After the Sunset" (2004)
A suave jewel thief (Pierce Brosnan) retires to the Bahamas with his gorgeous partner/fiancee (Salma Hayek) after one last big score, but his peace and quiet is interrupted by a visit from a dorky FBI agent (Woody Harrelson), who isn't convinced that Brosnan's out of "the game" for good.
Brett "Rush Hour" Ratner directed this fun, breezy heist/caper action comedy which makes the most of its impressive cast and the beautiful Caribbean scenery.
Also, Salma Hayek is so hot it's ridiculous, as usual. :D
UNDERWATER (2020) - Kristen Stewart (in a very butch mode, with short cut, peroxide blonde hair) stars in this deep sea creature feature. A tech worker on a deep water oil drilling platform, Stewart leads a desperate escape attempt after an attack by a mysterious creature cripples the rig. She and the handful of survivors must battle a collapsing structure as well as numerous creature attacks as they attempt to make it to an undamaged auxiliary rig where they can contact the surface. Pretty well done overall; the last act lost me as I was getting really sleepy. 3.5/5
THE ABYSS (1989)
A civilian diving team is enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and faces danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
My God, what a huge letdown this movie was. It starts off pretty good, with a submarine that crashes after a strange encounter with an unidentified underwater vessel. Then, a group of ridiculous cliched divers are recruited to find it and check for survivors, with the help of cardboard cutout navy seals.
Is this movie an adventure? A romance? A mystery? A sci-fi? Well, it's none of these. It mixes every single plot you can imagine, and the result is an incoherent mess that doesn't really know what it's trying to be. I was surprised at how predictable this movie is: pretty much every single plot point is called in advance. The married couple who "hated" each other, the fat guy saying he can hit hard, the breathing underwater, the ridiculous plan of drowning but reviving because the blood is cold, etc. I could almost hear Crow's voice yelling "plot point! plot point!" every time a character made an obvious comment about something that would happen later.
So anyways, after the initial 15 minutes the movie forgets the whole "finding for survivors" thing and becomes a disaster movie, in which this gang, which is composed by people who doesn't behave like normal human beings like, at all, tries to mantain their sub working. Then, aliens show up, but they may as well never been there because they have no relevance to the plot. Seriously, take them away or replace them with whales or something and nothing changes. Meanwhile, the movie goes on an on, it's so long it feels like an eternity, I haven't been so incredibly bored in a while.
The part which disappointed me the most was the fact that the abyss is barely shown. I was always fascinated by the untold mysteries of the darkness below the depths, and I tought this movie would try and tell me more about them. Sadly, most of the action happens inside submarines, with people running in them and shouting random phrases related to, well, submarines. I guess it could be exciting if you like submarines.
At no point I felt they were below hundreds of meters of water. When they do show the outside you can barely see a couple of rocks and machines moving slowly, they may as well be in a small river. You don't see any fish, plants, anything, just a blue background and some rocks. So impressive.
The ending is more Hollywood garbage, I stopped caring like an hour and a half. The characters are all so bad I couldn't force myself to give a damn about them. As a positive point, I do have to say that the special effects are quite good for 1989, but sadly good movies are more than just special effects.
Just avoid this thing, it's overrated trash. Even the generic score sucks. 3/10 :thumbdown:
RARE EXPORTS: A CHRISTMAS TALE (2010): Near a tiny Finnish village, a crew is excavating a mountain where is believed an ancient evil---Santa Claus---is buried. RARE EXPORT successfully tightropes a dangerous line between being a serious horror movie and a ridiculous black comedy; if it had leaned too far to one side or the other, it would have fallen. 3.5/5.
"Santa's Slay" (2005)
This low budget horror comedy re-writes Santa's origin story so that he's the son of Satan, who has only been "good" for the past thousand years because he lost a bet. Now that the millennium is up he's determined to make Christmas a "Day of Slaying" again, starting with the residents of a small Midwestern town.
Wrestler Bill Goldberg is perfectly cast as the evil Santa, and the supporting cast includes quite a few familiar faces like Robert Culp, Dave "SCTV" Thomas, Saul "Warehouse 13" Rubinek, and even James Caan and Fran Drescher (in a hilariously tasteless prologue). The movie starts running out of gas in the last quarter but till then it's an over-the top, ultra-violent hoot.
Quote from: Gabriel Knight on December 20, 2020, 07:44:37 AM
THE ABYSS (1989)
A civilian diving team is enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and faces danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
My God, what a huge letdown this movie was. It starts off pretty good, with a submarine that crashes after a strange encounter with an unidentified underwater vessel. Then, a group of ridiculous cliched divers are recruited to find it and check for survivors, with the help of cardboard cutout navy seals.
Is this movie an adventure? A romance? A mystery? A sci-fi? Well, it's none of these. It mixes every single plot you can imagine, and the result is an incoherent mess that doesn't really know what it's trying to be. I was surprised at how predictable this movie is: pretty much every single plot point is called in advance. The married couple who "hated" each other, the fat guy saying he can hit hard, the breathing underwater, the ridiculous plan of drowning but reviving because the blood is cold, etc. I could almost hear Crow's voice yelling "plot point! plot point!" every time a character made an obvious comment about something that would happen later.
So anyways, after the initial 15 minutes the movie forgets the whole "finding for survivors" thing and becomes a disaster movie, in which this gang, which is composed by people who doesn't behave like normal human beings like, at all, tries to mantain their sub working. Then, aliens show up, but they may as well never been there because they have no relevance to the plot. Seriously, take them away or replace them with whales or something and nothing changes. Meanwhile, the movie goes on an on, it's so long it feels like an eternity, I haven't been so incredibly bored in a while.
The part which disappointed me the most was the fact that the abyss is barely shown. I was always fascinated by the untold mysteries of the darkness below the depths, and I tought this movie would try and tell me more about them. Sadly, most of the action happens inside submarines, with people running in them and shouting random phrases related to, well, submarines. I guess it could be exciting if you like submarines.
At no point I felt they were below hundreds of meters of water. When they do show the outside you can barely see a couple of rocks and machines moving slowly, they may as well be in a small river. You don't see any fish, plants, anything, just a blue background and some rocks. So impressive.
The ending is more Hollywood garbage, I stopped caring like an hour and a half. The characters are all so bad I couldn't force myself to give a damn about them. As a positive point, I do have to say that the special effects are quite good for 1989, but sadly good movies are more than just special effects.
Just avoid this thing, it's overrated trash. Even the generic score sucks. 3/10 :thumbdown:
The book that it is based on is quite a bit better than the movie.
Mutant Hunt (1987) - If I had this on VHS in college I would have watched it every night. didn't even notice it was supposed to be the future and the "sex crazed mutants" never materialized, it was just regular violent cyborgs and low reproduction quality. total crap but definitely has that bad movie spirit so 5/5
^Yeah. Watched it on Comet a year or so ago.
I loved it.
"The New Mutants" (2020)
Five troubled teens with unique powers are being studied by a doctor at a mysterious institution, where they think they're being trained to control their abilities -- but they soon learn that there are more sinister plans for them happening behind the scenes.
This spin-off from the "X-Men" franchise sat on the shelf for over a year due to the Disney/20th Century Fox merger and then was unceremoniously dumped into theatres during the pandemic, where it quickly tanked at the box office. That's not exactly a surprise - it has a low budget look that resembles the pilot for a TV series rather than a feature film, and though it finally starts to come alive in the last half hour, otherwise it's a slog.
"New Mutants" may not be the worst Marvel movie (because "Man-Thing" and the 2015 "Fantastic Four" reboot exist), but it definitely ranks near the bottom of the pile. Skip it.
Quote from: Gabriel Knight on December 20, 2020, 07:44:37 AM
THE ABYSS (1989)
A civilian diving team is enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and faces danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
My God, what a huge letdown this movie was. It starts off pretty good, with a submarine that crashes after a strange encounter with an unidentified underwater vessel. Then, a group of ridiculous cliched divers are recruited to find it and check for survivors, with the help of cardboard cutout navy seals.
Is this movie an adventure? A romance? A mystery? A sci-fi? Well, it's none of these. It mixes every single plot you can imagine, and the result is an incoherent mess that doesn't really know what it's trying to be. I was surprised at how predictable this movie is: pretty much every single plot point is called in advance. The married couple who "hated" each other, the fat guy saying he can hit hard, the breathing underwater, the ridiculous plan of drowning but reviving because the blood is cold, etc. I could almost hear Crow's voice yelling "plot point! plot point!" every time a character made an obvious comment about something that would happen later.
So anyways, after the initial 15 minutes the movie forgets the whole "finding for survivors" thing and becomes a disaster movie, in which this gang, which is composed by people who doesn't behave like normal human beings like, at all, tries to mantain their sub working. Then, aliens show up, but they may as well never been there because they have no relevance to the plot. Seriously, take them away or replace them with whales or something and nothing changes. Meanwhile, the movie goes on an on, it's so long it feels like an eternity, I haven't been so incredibly bored in a while.
The part which disappointed me the most was the fact that the abyss is barely shown. I was always fascinated by the untold mysteries of the darkness below the depths, and I tought this movie would try and tell me more about them. Sadly, most of the action happens inside submarines, with people running in them and shouting random phrases related to, well, submarines. I guess it could be exciting if you like submarines.
At no point I felt they were below hundreds of meters of water. When they do show the outside you can barely see a couple of rocks and machines moving slowly, they may as well be in a small river. You don't see any fish, plants, anything, just a blue background and some rocks. So impressive.
The ending is more Hollywood garbage, I stopped caring like an hour and a half. The characters are all so bad I couldn't force myself to give a damn about them. As a positive point, I do have to say that the special effects are quite good for 1989, but sadly good movies are more than just special effects.
Just avoid this thing, it's overrated trash. Even the generic score sucks. 3/10 :thumbdown:
To be fair, this is actually the movie that made a lot of those plot points cliche in countless other movies that followed it. I personally enjoyed
Deepstar Six (1989) a lot more. It was just as bad, but half as long and got to its point a hell of a lot faster. Plus it was much gorier and featured the late Miguel Ferrer (Bob Morton from
Robocop (1987)) as a kinda-sorta villain (he was a douchebag, but you felt sorry for him, especially during his prolonged death scene) and Marius Weyers from
The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980).
"Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2" (1987)
Teenage psycho "Ricky," the now-grown younger brother of the Santa Claus killer from the first "SNDN," pours out his woeful life story (thanks to generous amounts of footage from the original movie) to a jail psychiatrist before he dons a Santa suit and goes out on his own Christmas Eve killing spree to get even with the evil Mother Superior.
This unintentionally hilarious sequel to the '84 holiday sickie has achieved cult status thanks to the over-the-top, eyebrow-arching over-acting of Eric Freeman as "Ricky," who gives a scenery-chewing performance for the ages. Plus, there's so much recycled footage from the first movie in this one that you're practically getting a double feature.
Make no mistake, this movie is completely, utterly god-awful, but in a totally awesome way.
Is it wrong that it has become a holiday season perennial for me?
THE MORTICIAN -
This movie was not what I expected it to be at all - nor was it what the two sentence blurb on the DIRECTV info page made it out to be. I expected a horror/suspense story about a medical examiner gone psycho, but instead what I got was a rather sweet story about a lonely man who works as a mortician in a horrifically blighted inner city neighborhood. Without really meaning to, he gets caught up in the plight of a young boy whose mother has been murdered by a brutal local gangster, and in the process comes to terms with his own long-buried grief and isolation. Really a very well done film! 4/5
The Taking of Deborah Logan- This started out strong and relatively unique. How often is an elderly woman the star of any kind of movie, much less a straight horror one? A film crew is making a documentary about Alzheimers that turns into a movie about "lets get outta here!!!!!"
There are two kinds of horror movies: those made by a director that come from an idea like, say, The Shining and then there are movies made by people who see their job as making horror movies and to incorporate current styles in them. Art vs craft I guess. this is more the latter. The director previously made an Insidious sequel and it eventually settles into that sort of vibe. The physicality of the main character, her gaunt old woman ness, is what makes it stand out to the extent it does.
Also, the found footage aspect is really labored. In the beginning it says this movie was assembles from yadda yadda who assembled it? It doesn't make much sense. It should have just been a regular movie.
3/5 of course it sets itself up for a sequel at the end
GREATLAND (2020): Ulysses, a 15-year-old resident of the bizarrely egalitarian and despotically tolerant Greatland, escapes an arranged marriage to a birch tree and flees to Repentance Island, where he learns the truth about who is behind society's lies. Impressive trippy budget visuals---the entire country of Greatland looks like a day-glo black-light rave/non-binary pride parade on the set of "Pee Wee's Playhouse"---but under the glitz lies a plot that's almost completely incomprehensible, in service of a satire that lacks the smarts to really offend. An interesting mess that may give you a headache. Free on Amazon Prime. 2.5/5.
THE MAN FROM EARTH (2007)
An impromptu goodbye party for Professor John Oldman becomes a mysterious interrogation after the retiring scholar reveals to his colleagues he has a longer and stranger past than they can imagine.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
This movie felt like a longer TWILIGHT ZONE episode, but unlike this amazing show, it lacked a proper and surprising finale. Instead, it abruptely ended and left me empty, instead of wanting to know more about the protagonist, or think about the ramifications of his condition.
The premise is simple. A young professor is retiring and his partners throw him a goodbye party, in which he decides, for no real reason, to reveal them a huge secret: he's 14.000 years old. At first it's really engaging, and like the characters, you want to keep up with John. But as soon I realized that this guy seems to be always in the exact moment of history, managing not only to meet famous figures but also becoming one himself, I stopped believing the whole ordeal, and therefore, giving a damn about it.
I mean, not only he had the most incredibly luck ever, surviving thousands of years without getting into a fatal accident, disaster, or war, but he also stood right alongside unique people from history, just because of it - and don't even make me go to the "twist". Suspension of disbelief can only be strechted so far.
The story reminded me a lot to K-PAX (a good one, but sadly a ripoff of an argentinian movie called HOMBRE MIRANDO AL SUDESTE), but unlike that one, you don't end wondering if the story is true or not. Here, you're 100% sure: the guy is, in fact, 14.000 years old, which personally I feld it was a dumb move. I think it would've been much better if we didn't knew for sure if he was telling the truth.
Still, it's a good movie. I liked the low budget feel, the grainy look, and the acting is pretty good, even when the characters are so cliched and ridiculous (what's up with the middle aged guy carrying a student in his motorcycle btw?). 7/10, check it out. :thumbup:
BLACK BEAR (2020): Two stories involving a love triangle, set in the same remote cabin: which one (if either) is true? An experiment in narrative ambiguity that features a remarkable dramatic performance from Aubrey Plaza. Not for everyone, but it got to me. 4/5.
Who Killed Captain Alex? (2010) - epic epic stuff. remember the Stolen bible trailer? Well that's like Avatar compared to this. A Ugandan commando unit works to take out a drug kingpin Tiger Mafia Richard, but he has a few tricks up his sleeve for sure. It's in their native language, but there are English subtitles and also something called a "Video Joker" which is a combination of MST3K style wiseacre remarks combined with a sort of cheerleader. He says stuff like "Uganda Ghetto Air Force" and "movie movie movie movie!!!!"
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EqBs1otXAAABc-3?format=jpg&name=small)
It's as good as it could possibly be, but of course the movie itself stinks. They've got a long way to go to even catch Nigeria, but there is some funny stuff and even some kung fu, which is also pretty funny.
4.25 / 5
I'm def on board for the next one Bad Black also on tubitv. Can someone get ahold of Andrew to check the veracity of the military tactics? I might add a .25 star if they're good
HORROR HOSPITAL (1973)
Micheal Gough runs some kind of lab that turns hippies into mindless robots.
Robin Askwith (who looks kinda like Brian Jones of the Stones) and a girl he met on a train get imprisoned by the mad doc and his motorcycle helmeted henchmen, but escape with the help of a dwarf. I'm not sure if this movie is supposed to be intentionally funny or not. Quite bloody at times, and some nice decaps!
Micheal Gough is great as always, but Robin Askwith really steals the show. He alternates between ham and cheese. But very likable and his facial expressions are hilarious!
Goofy fun!
http://youtu.be/0Sru0261Bvw (http://youtu.be/0Sru0261Bvw)
(https://i.imgur.com/5IUGedsl.jpg)
Christmas Made to Order (2018)
A young lawyer too busy to notice enchanting details of christmas hires a young holiday decorator to decorate his home because his family is unexpectedly staying at his house for christmas. The dashing decorator gently opens the slightly ignorant lawyers eyes to the spirit of christmas while keeping his family busy with christmasy tasks and solving silly problems blown out of proportion with common sense advice.
Continuing our yearly tradition of watching corny christmas movies on Netflix, this Hallmark production was another easy target to make fun of. Some of the actors were borderline fugly, and the acting was bland, as in no one really stood out with bad acting though the funny came mostly from cliche characters spouting bland lines. Production values were surprisingly decent, the snow didn't look fake though they do go over the top with the decoratiions. We got confused with the time line as we had no clue when it was actually christmas in the movie, because it looked like they were celebrating christmas every day. Only in the end they say that the decorator has been hanging out at the lawyers house a whole two weeks before christmas. Yowza. Anyway, there's a lot of hot chocolate and cappuccino drinking in this one. There's an instrumental of Jingle Bells and carol singers dressed in old timey couture. They all go to the movie theater to watch a (fake) christmas movie ("this movie reminded me of christmas") and the lawyers niece displays her secret passion for singing by singing her heart out while christmas tree shopping. The decorator makes everyone decorate cookies, craft christmas stockings, visit a shelter for good deeds and stay at her aunts bed & breakfast lodge for an incredibly low key grand finale.
Fun / Cheese rating - 3/5
Spent Christmas Eve with 007.
"For Your Eyes Only" (1981)
James Bond is assigned to recover a missing piece of top-secret defense hardware. The mission takes him to Italy and Greece, where he crosses paths with a gorgeous heiress inteent on avenging the deaths of her parents at the hands of Greek smugglers.
As a follow up to the ridiculous "Moonraker," this is a much more "down to earth" 007 adventure, closer in tone to the early Connery spy-and-counterspy entries.
CRAWL (2019) - A college swim team competitor goes looking for her missing father as a hurricane blows into south Florida and finds him trapped under his house by two large, aggressive alligators. As flood waters rise and options shrink, they desperately try to escape. Ranks pretty high on the improbability scale, but still a fun watch. How often can this girl get gator chomped and keep on swimming? 4/5
the FLYING SAUCER (1950)
The first flying saucer movie! Sounds exciting, right? Or at least novel?
Neither.
Deadly dull story of Americans and Russians seeking proof of UFO's in Alaska. The find a scientist holed up in a shack ( played by Denver 'Uncle Jessie' Pyle of the Dukes of Hazzard) with one cheezy looking saucer.
This movie is bad. Not in a fun way, either. Lot's of nice Alaskan scenery, if you like snow.
Christmas Land (2015)
(https://i.imgur.com/rWq0iFCl.jpg)
Jules - a beautiful New York woman climbing the career ladder, inherits a christmas tree farm and risks unemployment for the people working there when she decides to sell it all. Tucker - the christmas tree farm studmuffin, and the cheerful christmas tree farm people kind of change her mind, but Jules, in a last minute decision, sells the christmas tree farm anyway and kind of p**ses the christmas tree farm community off. She has yet another change of heart and is trying to come up with $3 million to buy back the christmas tree farm. Girl, just make up your mind.
Another distorted reality Hallmark production where they take the love for the holidays to another ridiculous level of, I dunno, wishful fantasy thinking. What do all these christmas obsessed christmas tree farm people do once the holidays are over? Do they hibernate or cocoon themselves for 11 months? Anyway, this was directed by the same guy who did Christmas Made to Order (2018). For all its hilarious reality flaws, Christmas Land seems more coherent. Meaning, it kind of appears to be "better" maybe on a technical level? but it is still cheesy by default. Looking up reviews at IMDb lots of people were furious because of the ending, because it is not your typical Hallmark ending. I mean, everyone's happy in the happy ending ending but the way it went down made Hallmark fans angry. I had no problem with it and didn't even notice until I read reviews.
Fun / Cheese rating - 3.5/5
Continuing my watch-the-James-Bond-series-in-order marathon:
"Octop***y" (1983)
A rogue Soviet general and an exiled Afghan prince are smuggling priceless Russian art treasures and auctioning them to fund a Communist expansion into Western Europe. While investigating the death of a fellow double-0, Bond travels to India and East Germany and meets the third member of the smugglers' organization, a lady thief who calls herself Octop***y.
I've never been particularly crazy about this installment, it has a few cool action sequences but it's overlong and relies too much on goofy slapstick comedy (like when Bond has to defuse a nuclear weapon while wearing a clown suit). Actually the movie doesn't even really need the Octop***y character, she's mainly there to give the movie eye candy with her private army of butt kicking warrior women. Roger Moore was already looking to exit the 007 role when he made this one.
I'm not sure yet if I'm going to follow this one up with the "other" Bond film released in 1983, "Never Say Never Again," or skip directly to Moore's finale, "A View To A Kill." Not only because "Never" is not part of the "official" Bond series, but because it kinda sucks, too. :D
"She has another change of heart and is trying to come up with $3 million to buy back the christmas tree farm." sounds like a really top notch executive there
Yeah, I bit the bullet...
"Never Say Never Again" (1983)
Sean Connery returns to the 007 role, a little older and grayer but still capable of kicking butt on a bunch of SPECTRE agents who've stashed two stolen nuclear warheads in the waters around the Bahamas.
This "unofficial" Bond film was the independently-produced result of a 20+ year copyright battle between Kevin McClory, the co-writer of an aborted Bond screenplay that later became "Thunderball," and the Ian Fleming estate. Like "Octop***y," the other Bond film released in 1983, "NSNA" is too long and unnecessarily complicated. It is cool to see Connery wearing the tux again (he's in noticeably better shape than he was in "Diamonds Are Forever" a dozen years earlier) and a young, unknown Kim Basinger provides some decent eye candy but in the end this movie is not much more than a cheap rerun.
If I had to pick between the two '83 Bonds, I guess I preferred "Never," but honestly I won't be revisiting either one of them anytime soon. 1983 was not a good year for 007...
Quote from: lester1/2jr on December 24, 2020, 02:18:10 PM
Who Killed Captain Alex? (2010) - epic epic stuff. remember the Stolen bible trailer? Well that's like Avatar compared to this. A Ugandan commando unit works to take out a drug kingpin Tiger Mafia Richard, but he has a few tricks up his sleeve for sure. It's in their native language, but there are English subtitles and also something called a "Video Joker" which is a combination of MST3K style wiseacre remarks combined with a sort of cheerleader. stuff like "Uganda Ghetto Air Force" and "movie movie movie movie!!!!"
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EqBs1otXAAABc-3?format=jpg&name=small)
It's as good as it could possibly be, but of course the movie itself stinks. They've got a long way to go to even catch Nigeria, but there is some funny stuff and even some kung fu, which is also pretty funny.
4.25 / 5
I'm def on board for the next one Bad Black also on tubitv. Can someone get ahold of Andrew to check the veracity of the military tactics? I might add a .25 star if they're good
It has a good review here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbjLOY9iNEE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbjLOY9iNEE)
Dog Soldiers (2002)
A squad of British soldiers on a training mission in the Scottish Highlands are attacked by werewolves. This is basically a zombie movie with werewolves, including the turning after being bitten thing.
This is the directorial debut of Neill Marshall, who went on to do The Descent and the 2019 Hellboy. Dog Soldiers has got a following, and I can see why. It is well made and has got some solid performances, but it didn't do much to me. While it does a lot with a limited budget, it lacks an overarching character or story arc to keep things interesting. Instead it is just a bunch of scenes one after another, cool scenes admittedly, but it feels more like ticking off boxes. You even have the female scientist who inexplicably changes into a tight fitting tank top half way through. There is a twist of sorts, but not a particularly surprising one, and it again feels shoehorned in, because there has got to be twist.
Great movie if you want to learn British swear words, though. Also points for the most unexpected use of a Matrix quote.
THE BAY (2008) I saw this shortly after it released and I rented it at Hastings (MOMENT OF SILENCE for a great store chain now gone).
I saw that it was on Showtime and DVR'd it a few weeks ago and rewatched it last night. Good movie, overall, it's "sort of" a found footage film - the story of a horrific outbreak of carnivorous parasites in a small town in Maryland is reconstructed through news footage and recovered cameras from the scene. Of course the "outbreak" never happened, but the movie makes you forget that as you see the story progress from a few people with boils and lesions to a full on disintegration as hundreds fall dead, with mutated isopods crawling out of their bodies and latching onto others to infect them. A well-done, convincing little horror film! It was pleasant to revisit. 4.5/5
Quote from: lester1/2jr on December 26, 2020, 03:00:00 PM
"She has another change of heart and is trying to come up with $3 million to buy back the christmas tree farm." sounds like a really top notch executive there
Well, she sold the tree farm for $1.7 million but the guy who bought it asked for $3 million when she wanted to buy it back. So she only really needed $1.3 million. One of the tree farm people gave her $450.000.00. He said he's been saving money for bad times :buggedout: I do not remember how she got the rest of the money though.
THE BABY OF MACON (1993): Medieval spectators watch a blasphemous play about a virgin birth that takes on Grand Guignol character as lines between performance and reality blur. Far too cruel, strange, and sick for casual viewing, but there's no denying the immense (and intense) obsessive/compulsive artistry involved; director Peter Greenaway burns bridges with his audience as he takes von Trierish provocation as far as it can go. Free on Amazon Prime, but not for the faint of heart or anyone who can't stand "pretentious" movies. 4/5.
claws- she did a leveraged buyout of a local wreath farm and started a hallmark ponzi scheme with the funds from that. it saved the day
dr whom - the youtube version is the same as the one I watched on tubi
BLACK MOUNTAIN SIDE (2014)
When I first started watching this I thought "Oh. Another the THING rip-off.".
But it's really not.
A group of scientists are studying millions of years old ruins in Artic Canada.
They lose contact with the outside world and slowly go insane, chopping off thir own limbs, comitting hari kari, and killing each other. The ending is real "WTF"?! On occasion some ancient god thing mumbles crazy s**t in their heads. Or are they just going insane?
It's pretty dam good!
A quote from the mumbling demon/god thing:
Deer God: "When an animal looks up at the night sky, what does it see? Thousands and thousands of tiny points. Then a man looks up at the same points and sees millions of stars; galaxies, within which are billions of planets. Do you want to know what I see? Were you there when I created the stars?"
It has elements of the SHINING in as it's a spooky look at the effects of isolation. "What the old timer's call cabin fever." But this isn't a rip off of the THING or the SHINING. It pretty much it's own movie.
And for so disturbing and violent a film, it's real quiet-which makes it all that much more spookier.
One of the best horror movies I seen this year.
http://youtu.be/wZ0z3g1nyGE (http://youtu.be/wZ0z3g1nyGE)
PS: Did I mention the octopus bacteria?
I liked that one RC. It's on my watch again list.
Cujo - I saw parts of this when I was a kid, but I don't think netflix had it. Is it not very popular?
A family is in a rough spell as an ad guy is having problems at work and in his marriage. It doesn't help that his son is the wimpy kid from "Who's the Boss?". With all this turmoil it certainly makes sense for him to take a trip. While he's gone though, a rabid dog traps the wife and kid in a car for several days.
Seemingly the dog is a magnet for all the negative energy going on. It's kind of like "The Birds": animal attacks but for unspoken spiritual reasons.
The Who's the Boss? kid is pretty annoying and the husband is a little on the saintly side but all in all it was pretty classic. the hook is the shots of the St Bernard covered in all kinds of gooze and spittle menacing everyone in its unique lumbering fashion.
4.75 / 5
"Hayride" (2012)
A serial killer escapes from police custody and hides out in a barn that's part of a small town's Halloween "Haunted Hayride" attraction. You can probably figure out the rest.
Cheap, cheesy slasher junk with idiot characters, minimal gore, and mostly-awful acting. Followed by a sequel which I will make sure to avoid.
LA LLORONA (2019): An aging Guatemalan ex-general, accused of genocide, is haunted by those he's wronged while holed up in a mansion surrounded by protestors. It packs a punch at the end, but go into it expecting a supernatural drama; as a horror movie, it almost feels like one long first act. 3.5/5
BAD HAIR (2020): Shy Anna, who works at a BET/MTV-style cable startup at the dawn of the 1990s, gets an expensive weave at her boss' request; wouldn't you know it's haunted? It's was a good idea to explore black women's complicated relationship with their hair, but wigs ain't scary, and the satire here either misses the mark or is just too culture-specific for me to get. A Hulu/Neon co-production. 2.5/5.
"Lemmy" (2010)
Immensely entertaining documentary on the legendary Motorhead frontman, captures him on tour and at home, while an endless stream of famous fans and colleagues confirm what we all pretty much knew already - that Lemmy was the coolest rock n roll mo-fo ever to walk the Earth. This is probably my 3rd or 4th viewing of this flick, which has become one of my favorite "rock docs" in recent years.
Idaho Transfer (1973)
Directed by Peter Fonda, no less. A secret research facility trying to develop teleportation inadvertently discovers time travel. They establish a link with a point about fifty years in the future, when some catastrophe has apparently wiped out the human race. For reasons only young people can make the transfer so a group of teens are sent over to explore and perhaps repopulate. However, the project is suddenly shut down, leaving the group stranded in the post-apocalyptic future.
This could have been a good movie. It is strong on atmosphere, and cuts exposition and character introduction to its barest minimum. You just see character interacting and events happening and have to connect the dots yourself. However for this concept to work you need an intelligent script and expressive actors, and this movie has neither. For the most part, I didn't know who was who or even what they were called, and characters just wander in and out the story. This is compounded by atrocious acting. Most of the cast had no film experience before (or since). It is almost as if Peter Fonda went to a mall and asked a bunch of random kids whether they were free next Saturday to make a movie.
This needs a remake.
"Netflix vs. the World" (2019)
An engrossing documentary about the rise of Netflix, from its humble beginnings as a small mail order movie rental service, to its current status as a streaming powerhouse and major player in movie and TV content creation.
It was particularly interesting to learn that Blockbuster Video once had a chance to buy Netflix when it was in its infancy, for $50 million... and they passed. I bet the guy who made that decision spends most of his time crying in a dark room these days...
A GOOD WOMAN IS HARD TO FIND (2019) - Irish crime/drama film. A young woman with two children and a recently murdered husband has to deal with circumstances around a drug dealer squatting in her home and and the scary men after him. I don't want to say too much, it's better go in blind. This is a solid drama and thriller, really nicely shot, with a genuinely excellent lead performance from Sarah Bolger and a good supporting performance from Jane Brennan. It gets to be a bit too much in the climax, but it's well worth a watch and is free on Prime streaming right now. 8/10.
GHOUL SCOUT ZOMBIE MASSACRE (2018) - I wanted to close out this crappy year with a crappy movie, and boy did I pick a doozie! This zero budget piece of dreck is floating around on Amazon Prime for free, and it was worth every penny I paid for it! It checks off ALL the Bad Movie boxes - cheesy gore effects, copious nudity, homages to classic bad cinema (including VIDEODROME and BASKET CASE) as well as a really weird musical parody from YENTL. Basically, a mad scientist wants to administer his secret serum to a bunch of young hipsters so he can turn them into sex slaves for his gay porn films, and he enlists his sister, who runs a reform school, to bring in four of her "Bad Girls" to pose as "Ghoul Scouts" to sell the serum in the form of cookies. Yeah, it makes zero sense. But it was just the kind of good, fun train wreck that the last night of 2020 called for. 1/5 on a regular movie scale, 5/5 on the Bad Movie Scale.
Indy sez check it out!
Passion (2012) - I didn't know Brian De Palma made a Devil wears Prada meets campy murder mystery starring Rachael McAdams but he did. Why did it end up on Tubi aka the Island of Misfit Movies? Well, for just that reason: it doesn't fit in. The mystery doesn't have the Fincher like layers we've come to expect from thrillers, the fashion aspect doesn't have enough Kardashian like insipid yammering and basically it's besides the point to where movies and popular culture were at the time and now.
I liked it though. The plot is very basic but the actresses are effective in their roles. I could see this being performed in drag in an off Broadway play or something. The lesbian assistant to the assistant was the hottest one. A fashion movie thats not very fashionable. *movie exec voice* " send it to tubi"
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eqq3eteXMAImfwO?format=jpg&name=small)
4/5
Tears of the Black Tiger (2000)
Best described as a spaghetti western, set in Thailand and made by Pierre et Gilles. This is the story of star crossed lovers Dum, a country boy and Rampoey, the daughter of the governor. He becomes the hitman of the feared bandit leader Fai, while she is given in marriage to an ambitious young police officer. Their love endures however, and they decide to elope. But at the crucial moment, he is too busy killing people and misses the appointment. This sets in motion a series of unfortunate events.
This is in equal parts homage and parody of the Thai melodramas and action movies of the 50s and 60s. It is mostly high melodrama, punctuated by insane shootouts. The whole is filmed in a highly stylised uber-kitsch fashion that makes Wes Anderson look like gritty realism. Your mileage may vary.
MST3K: CITY LIMITS: This experiment is a pretty confusing post-apocalyptic biker movie; at one point, Tom says, "Can we stop to look out our scripts? Oh yeah, it does say Boy George rides in lobbing Molotov cocktails." The movie's got a lot of familiar, embarrassed faces (James Earl Jones, Kim Catrall, Robbie Benson). It also contains one of my personal favorite host segments, an extremely silly parody of pop singer Morrisey. I hadn't seen this since it played on Comedy Central, and even then I didn't see it all the way through until last night. Turns out it's a middle of the pack MST3K episode, which means it's pretty damn good. 3.5/5.
THE LOBSTER (2019) In the near future, people who cannot find a suitable mate are condemned to be turned into an animal of their own choosing. Colin Ferrell is a lonely divorcee with little emotion left; sent to the hotel where the operation is performed, he has 30 days to find a compatible mate or he will be transformed into a lobster. This bizarre premise made for a fun, quirky film, albeit a bit slow-paced and pretentious. I was really tired when I watched it, so I may have missed some of the nuances, but it did keep me awake for the most part. 3/5
RADIOACTIVE (2019): Biopic about the life of Marie Curie, two-time Nobel-prize winning discoverer of radioactivity, who's shown as arrogant but devoted to her almost-as-brilliant husband Pierre. A solid biopic, but I'm not sure visionary director Marjane Satrapi is a good match for the material--the drama can be a little too straightforward, and she tries to shoehorn in an unnecessary dream sequence or two, making me think her talents would have been better served in a less earth-bound project. 2.5/5.
Fascism On A Thread: The Strange Story Of Nazisploitation Cinema (2020)
Interesting doc on a mostly reviled film genre.
Personally, I find most most Nazisploitation revolting. I like the Ilsa movies, just because I like Dyanne Thorne. But junk like GESTAPO'S LAST ORGY (1977) is not on my list of "need to see" films.
The BEAST IN HEAT (1977) was so dam stupid and moronic that I liked parts of it.
http://youtu.be/YNhdXYh8HOM (http://youtu.be/YNhdXYh8HOM)
"Snake Eater" (1989)
Lorenzo "Falcon Crest" Lamas stars as a retired Marine special-ops badass who travels into the swamps of Louisiana to find his missing sister, who's been kidnapped by a family of psycho rednecks.
....soooo, basically this is "Rambo" meets "Deliverance," on a budget of about a hundred bucks. "Snake Eater" is a textbook example of glorious '80s direct-to-video action crap, with cardboard sets, ridiculous dialogue, and a cast with a total lack of acting ability. It's terrible, but I had a blast laughing all the way through it.
Sharp eyed viewers, watch for former NFL great Larry Csonka and Ron "Horshack" Palillo in bit parts!
Followed by two (!) sequels, which of course, I will be watching sometime soon, because I'm a masochist.
freddy- lamas' Body Rock is a very guilty pleasure of mine. Breakdancing movie but theres no rap music in it!
Nightmare Alley (1947) - Second viewing. While most film noirs are urban crime stories, this is a horse of a different color. Tyrone Power plays a hack carnival mentalist who ups his game by learning a jealously guarded (by a woman whom he charms) code which he employs with his very cute and demure wife to great success and fanfare. He eventually encounters a crooked psychiatrist who is up to the same sort of shenanigans in her line of work.
There's some crazy stuff in this. The film was a massive departure for star Power who normally played heroes. He wanted to show his range and did an okay job. There is a part of the movie where he's sort of down on and his luck, drinking and hanging around and so forth. He doesn't nail these scenes it was just too much of a stretch for him to play a total loser, but it's an epic saga. watched on youtube
(https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m268fwgALo1qat5gjo1_1280.gif)
5/5
Quote from: lester1/2jr on January 03, 2021, 10:49:16 PM
freddy- lamas' Body Rock is a very guilty pleasure of mine. Breakdancing movie but theres no rap music in it!
Hah, after watching "Snake Eater" last night I went looking for the sequels on YouTube, and now this morning "Body Rock" has turned up in my YouTube "Recommended Videos." I think it's a sign that I'll have to check that out soon :D
REWIND (2019): An adult man looks back at his father's home movies and reconstructs a history of childhood abuse. A moving and involving--and even inspiring--documentary, which will resonate strongly with survivors. 3.5/5.
"Snake Eater 2: The Drug Buster" (1989)
Rogue cop John "Soldier" Kelly (Lorenzo Lamas) is back for another low-budget shoot'em up. After a particularly violent gun battle at a Mafia-run drug lab, Kelly is suspended and sent to a hospital for a psych evaluation. Fortunately, his fellow patients show him a way to sneak out of the hospital at night so he can continue his battle with the city's drug pushers, with the help of a streetwise sidekick (Larry B. Scott, aka "Lamar" from the Revenge of the Nerds series).
This one's a slight improvement over the first "Snake Eater" but that's faint praise. Lamas and Scott make a pretty good team and seem to be having fun. Otherwise, meh.
Nightmare Code - pretty decent sci fi flick relegated to tubi probably for its low budget, which it tries to compensate for by using a 4 screen at once gimmick. A guy who's in trouble for doing assange type cyber activism (an idealist ) takes a well paying gig picking up the pieces at a startup that had issues. The issues were one of the guys went on a massive shooting spree. As it turns out, he didn't exactly go crazy.
The code he created analyzed peoples faces extremely well. You could tell who liked you and who hated you. It also could create it's own footage of what might happen ie two people who like each other are then shown having sex even though they haven't yet.
The story is strong and the performances and casting are solid. The four screen thing will turn some off but it's worth it to endure
4.5 /5
the CHILDREN (1980)
A leak at a nuclear power plant turns a school bus full of kids into zombies whose touch means being burned to death. You can tell they're zombies because they have black fingernails (?).
The only way to kill them is to chop off their little hands!
Silly, low budget obscurity, with no name actors . Fun time!
http://youtu.be/PMJsI7UgxFw (http://youtu.be/PMJsI7UgxFw)
"Riot On The Dance Floor" (2014)
Way-cool documentary about the legendary Jersey rock club City Gardens, a mecca for alternative rock, punk, and hardcore throughout the '80s and early '90s.
Lots of photos, vintage video clips and interviews with club regulars and musicians who played there (including Henry Rollins, Jello Biafra, Dave Brockie, Dean Ween, Jack Irons, Ian MacKaye, and many more) give all the props for City Gardens' success to promoter Randy Now, a young DJ and music fanatic who started booking bands into a run-down warehouse building in a particularly crappy area of Trenton (which, if you've ever been to Trenton, is really sayin' something), and built a thriving "scene" there out of nothing. Rollins' story about Black Flag opening for Venom (!) at the club is a highlight.
I never went to City Gardens (I lived at the opposite end of the state) but I remember seeing their concert schedules in the local Jersey rock rag every week and read many reviews of shows there. It looks like I missed out on quite a place.
CODED BIAS (2020): Documentary about the biases embedded in current artificial intelligence technology, and the danger of blindly relying on A.I. algorithms. A rare study of the intersection of race and technology, but it goes deeper than the acknowledged fact that facial recognition technology returns a much higher rate of false positives on blacks and women than white men: a machine's unsupervised algorithmic thinking could affect your credit score, job prospects, and even your freedom--and you'd probably never know it. The movie doesn't even feature the innocent black guy who was arrested solely based on facial recognition---must have happened after they finished shooting. 3.5/5.
Fando y Lis (1968)
The directorial debut of Jodorowsky. As full of 1960s artistically intended random weirdness as you might expect. It follows the quest of Fando and the paralysed Lis to the fabled city of Tar, whith Fando mostly acting as an abusive jerk to Lis. There may be some deep meaning behind all this, but the constant push to come up with yet another weird scene or shocking image quickly killed my interest.
"You Should Have Left" (2020)
Looking to get away from it all, a bickering couple (Kevin Bacon and Amanda Seyfried) rent a house in the Welsh countryside -- a strange place containing a maze of rooms, endless long hallways, and mysterious staircases. Of course, weird stuff quickly starts happening to them, and all of it seems to be tied to a dark incident in the Bacon character's past.
A pretty decent suspense/psychological thriller from the Blumhouse horror factory; the constant twists & turns kept my attention throughout.
freddy - "Rollins' story about Black Flag opening for Venom (!) at the club is a highlight. " that's a brutal bill. you would def want earplugs for that one
Look Away (2018) - 17% on rotten tomatoes, "83% of viewers liked this movie".
In other words, it's a decently trashy time waster that uses cliches to move the plot along and doesn't say anything about climate change or race relations.
A nerdy girl who is also impossibly beautiful (a la a lot of movies) begins to see images in the mirror of ...herself! except it's actually her alter ego who is also her twin sister who died at birth. Honestly, it started off being pretty effective. The good girl/ bad girl thing worked as a metaphor for depression and anger and so forth but they took it too far to the point where she basically becomes a pirahnaconda. Of course, part of her empowerment is coming on to her own Dad. Is there a more tired staple of trashy soap opera type movies? It was more interesting when she was just slowly coming out of her shell.
The girl's house is like the one from "Orphan" crazy modern style amid icy tundra for you architecture fans
3.75 /5 one of those movies that's not boring but not very fulfilling and later on you think of it like "Yeah that was kind of not very clever"
"A View to a Kill" (1985)
In Roger Moore's final turn as James Bond, 007 travels from Siberia to France and finally to San Francisco on the trail of Max Zorin (Christopher Walken) -- an insane industrialist who plans corner the world's microchip market by destroying Silicon Valley. The late Tanya Roberts is Bond's female sidekick this time around.
This one is generally considered the worst of Moore's era but I've always liked it. It's certainly livelier than the sluggish "Octop***y," and though Tanya couldn't act worth a damn (basically, her role in this movie is to repeatedly get into peril so she can scream "James, HELP ME!" a lot), she sure could fill out a set of satin pajamas.
As an added bonus, the theme song by Duran Duran is one of the great earworms of the mid '80s.
Roger Moore was 57 years old during filming and legend has it that his decision to leave the Bond role came when Tanya Roberts' mother visited the set one day and he realized that SHE was younger than him... ouch.
Quotefreddy - "Rollins' story about Black Flag opening for Venom (!) at the club is a highlight. " that's a brutal bill. you would def want earplugs for that one
Oh yeah, I like both bands, but I imagine there wasn't much crossover between their fan bases in 1986, haha.
Faces of Death which I've wanted to see for a while: not bad.
"Snake Eater III: His Law" (1992)
In the third and (thankfully) final installment of the cartoonish ultra-cheap action trilogy, John "Soldier" Kelly (Lorenzo Lamas, wooden as ever) has been suspended from the police department (again) for disorderly conduct, so he takes a side gig as a private eye. His first clients are an elderly couple who want him to rescue their daughter from a vicious biker gang, which leads to the usual poorly acted shoot'em up mayhem. Think "Stone Cold" on a cheese and crackers budget. Sharp eyed wrestling fans may recognize the late "Bam Bam" Bigelow as one of the biker heavies.
"Snake Eater III" is probably the most well made of the trilogy in a technical sense, but that's faint praise because all three of them are still basically crap...but at least they were fun crap.
ERREMENTARI: THE BLACKSMITH AND THE DEVIL (2017): A blacksmith keeps a demon prisoner in 19th century Basque Spain. An enthralling spell that makes medieval superstition vital for an hour and a half. My Netflix watch group picked this based on its name, knowing nothing about the story, and it lived up to its title. 3.5/5.
"Nemesis" (1992)
Set in a cyberpunk 2027 where cyborgs co-exist with humans, a former L.A. cop (French martial artist Olivier Gruner, whose accent is even more impenetrable than Jean-Claude Van Damme's) is called back to active duty to stop the machines from replacing humans altogether... or something like that.
This mish mash of bits borrowed from the "Terminator" and "Blade Runner" franchises features some cool stunt work and pyrotechnics, and the supporting cast includes some dependable B-Movie regulars like Tim Thomerson and Brion James, but the plot doesn't make a lick of sense. Eventually I gave up trying to follow it and just watched stuff explode. That's not exactly a surprise, because this was directed by Albert "Cyborg" Pyun, who has proved time and again that he can create impressive action sequences, but he can't tell a story worth a damn.
"Nemesis" was somehow followed by numerous sequels, all of which I shall be sure to avoid. Simply awful.
ANTHROPOID (2016) - I try to watch most WW2 movies that come out, and I am not sure how this film slipped under my radar. "Anthropoid" was the code name British intelligence gave to the secret mission assigned to Czech commandos in 1942 - to assassinate Reinhardt Heydrich, second in command of the SS and the chief architect of the Holocaust. The Allies considered Heydrich to be the most dangerous member of the Nazi leadership, and Josef Gabcek and Jan Kubis succeeded in killing him with a grenade in April of 1942. The assassins escaped the scene and were hidden in the crypt of a church in Prague when the Nazis found them. In a furious firefight that lasted seven hours, the seven commandos killed over sixty German soldiers and SS before taking their own lives. The murder of Heydrich sparked fierce reprisals from the Nazis, but the heroic sacrifice of the "seven men at daybreak" fanned the flames of Czech resistance for the rest of the war. The film tells nearly every detail of the story correctly, with impressive performances from all. EXCELLENT war movie! 4/5
Villmark Asylum (2015) - pretty decent haunted asylum movie, kind of like Session 9 with serious people instead of David Caruso.
Whatever this country is (norway??) it's going to bulldoze an old awesomely imposing looking asylum. Wouldn't you know it, there's a bunch of people and weird energy still inhabiting the place. You know how it's going to go and it goes that way, but it does it well. So much so that theres a sequel, not that that is any measure of quality but it kind of is. I would have liked more depth to characters and less sloshing around in the watery basement but the sloshing was well done.
My sense is this was a big movie in the country and they put a lot of effort into it
on tubi
4.5/ 5
Star Wars Ep. II & III.
II is too slow, & it looks very 90's.
III isn't bad.
We also watched Star Wars episodes 1, 2 and 3 recently, with Rifftrax.
Was tolerable that way.
Episode 1 is just badly written and it's so Jar Jar-infested and painful.
Episode 2 is long, poorly written, and the dialogue is a new level of painful. CG Yoda is obnoxious uncanny valley territory too. My 18 year old said she'd much rather a puppet than this CG.
Episode 3 has the distinction of being "the best" of the prequel trilogy, and I still think that the best way to watch it is to watch the "Star War the Third Gathers: The Backstroke of the West" (dubbed version).
In case anyone here (of all places) isn't familiar with it, it's a painful recursive translation. The dialogue was translated to Chinese, then some translator used dialogue (not written) back to English. Some other group of people then dubbed the movie with this recursive translation. It's awesome.
It's amazing how badly these movies have aged.
Here's the link for Backstroke of the West if you haven't seen it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XziLNeFm1ok (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XziLNeFm1ok)
HAPPINESS (1998): An examination of the lives of three sisters, their extended families, and their neighbors reveals an elaborate network of secrets, sickness, perversion, and chronic unhappiness. The blackest of black comedies, where the few absurd jokes are only meant to highlight the horror of the characters' existence. Not graphic or exploitative, but filled with references to rape and pedophilia, the whole movie is one big trigger warning. 4.5/5.
REVOLT OF THE ZOMBIES (1936)
The second zombie film! By the same company who gave us the Lugosi classic WHITE ZOMBIE!
Don't hold your breath. This is about as meandering as a retarded, cross-eyed, three legged dog.
Some neat Angkor Wat backscreens, and Bela Lugosi's eyes flash on screen once in a while-
but the rest is about some voodoo in Cambodia (?) with a fu-manchu guy and Dean Jagger (he played the main bad guy in Bruce Lee's GAME OF DEATH!) using zombies in the very early French/ Vietnam war.
Good for novelty viewing- but bad for anyone looking for a even near watchable movie.
http://youtu.be/4rcK-4NpUcs (http://youtu.be/4rcK-4NpUcs)
Such an exciting trailer! And the movie is slower yet!
rev - happiness is a mental Texas Chainsaw Massacre. a true milestone in film
BB - I saw Camgirl and this is another movie about camgirls. I really enjoyed it but it has one flaw: the casting of the stalker guy. he just doesn't come across as someone who would be like that and the parts with him don't have the same energy as the other parts. There are a lot of stalker guy cliches too
The girl herself is interesting and authentic and the movie has a "Kids" type energy. It's also interesting how she has a stalker but is herself quasi stalking her ex gf. The general sexual nature does a decent job of drowning out the problems. isn't that what its all about?
http://youtu.be/yeBVUwnMgzQ (http://youtu.be/yeBVUwnMgzQ)
4/5
SINISTER (2012) - Ethan Hawke stars as a true crime writer whose one best seller is ten years in the rear view mirror, followed up by two books that didn't do as well, now trying to recapture his glory and financial success by writing about a brutal crime: a family of four, hung from a tree in their own back yard, and their youngest daughter missing. But this time, he moves into the very house where the murders took place to investigate the crime and write his book. Needless to say, this proves to be a VERY bad idea . . .
One of the scariest movies of the last decade, this one held up very well on a repeat viewing. 5/5
MST3K: BEING FROM ANOTHER PLANET: This experiment is about a mummy who's actually an alien, a twist that the title stupidly gives away (the original title, TIME WALKERS, didn't). The movie feels like one of those Charles Band movies that starts off with almost-cool ideas and then half-asses it's way to the finish line; Crow says "it's like a dramatization of a movie." The invention exchange--"Tragic Moments," figurines to make Grandma cry--is the darkest segment they'd ever done up to this point, maybe the darkest in the series' run. 3/5.
"Heat" (1986)
A down-on-his-luck tough guy for hire (Burt Reynolds) gets mixed up with Las Vegas mobsters after doing a favor for a friend.
A slow moving "action" thriller that takes forever to get to the action. Burt seems to be trying his best with the thin material but this flick was not one of his better efforts. Skip it.
HEREDITARY (2019) - This was an incredibly creepy occult thriller that held up well for a repeat viewing. Some of the most genuinely disturbing moments ever captured in any horror film, as well as a terrifying, well-written plotline and brilliant casting make this one of the best horror films of the last decade. 5/5
It follows - not sure why this is on tubi. Its fairly recent and better than decent, as a rapping film critic might say. A guy has sex with a girl. Afterwards he gives her some bad news: no, he doesn't have chlamydia, but he does have an insane STD where a weird zombie doppelganger thing chases you very slowly. Why the f**k does this happen? We don't know.
Could have used some better special effects/ overt horror elements. I get "mental horror" but this isn't Happiness here come on. and what's with not using the awesome Minor Threat song of the same name?
4.5 / 5
Ice Cage - a bunch of gross polyamory type people go to a sex party only to wake up nude in the woods. They are then subject to a mystery where they have to figure out what happened to a certain woman the night before and how they themselves played a role in her apparent misfortune. It's a Thriller where everyones mostly naked which distinguishes it from a normal thriller. I liked it, but the point it ultimately made was made a little too quietly and there's nothing creepier than Masquerade costumes. Better than I thought it would be though.
4/5
sexual guilt is the theme here I guess. experienced in colorful and entertaining ways for the viewer
"Edge of the Axe" (1988)
An axe wielding nut job is hacking his way through the residents of a sleepy California mountain town, and a pair of computer genius teens try to use technology to discover the killer's identity before he can strike again.
This Spanish-American co-production came along a bit too late in the slasher craze to have much impact, but it was better than I expected -- it's got fairly decent production values, a cool looking killer, and lotsa violent & bloody death scenes. Neat stuff for fans of obscure '80s horrors.
"Cell" (2016)
Boston residents John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson hit the road looking for a rumored "safe zone" when a mysterious cell phone signal turns everyone in the city into homicidal maniacs. Based on Stephen King's novel, this flick started off pretty promising (I read the book years ago and loved the premise) but fell off a cliff pretty quickly due to obvious budget restraints (lots of crappy CGI). Cusack and Jackson make it watchable, but after awhile this turned into just another cheap zombie flick. Disappointing.
Lovely Molly - can't really review this because I watched it late at night and it didn't have CC so i missed a lot of dialogue, but it looked pretty "okay on the surface, problems underneath". Winter's bone, Paranormal activity, and weirdo spiritual thingies (hereditary etc) type stuff put in a blender. If you need to see a horror movie and this is the only one around it will do the trick but definitely does NOT take all its elements to a higher level
White Zombie (1932)
Considered to be the first feature length zombie movie, it has the original voodoo kind of zombie: people raised from the dead to become the mindless slaves of the voodoo master. A wealthy plantation owner falls in love with a girl while on the boat the Haiti. She, however, wants to marry someone else, so he calls in the help of voodoo master 'Murder' Legendre who lives in a strangely gothic part of Haiti. This goes about as well as can be expected when you entrust your fate to man named 'Murder'.
Bela Lugosi is easily the best part of this movie. While the rest of the cast tend to lose themselves in wild melodramatic overacting, he remains a figure of quiet menace. It is also very atmospherically shot, although the director of photography clearly loved some shots so much, that he used them twice over. Yet for all the menace that Bela Lugosi projects, overcoming him proves disappointingly easy: a preacher hits him over the head with a book (presumably a bible) and that, basically, takes care of things.
Quote from: Rev. Powell on January 13, 2021, 09:43:42 AM
HAPPINESS (1998): An examination of the lives of three sisters, their extended families, and their neighbors reveals an elaborate network of secrets, sickness, perversion, and chronic unhappiness. The blackest of black comedies, where the few absurd jokes are only meant to highlight the horror of the characters' existence. Not graphic or exploitative, but filled with references to rape and pedophilia, the whole movie is one big trigger warning. 4.5/5.
Saw this some time ago, think it was Showtime or Cinemax, one of them. Can't find it now on ROKU, I'm guessing Amazon Prime doesn't even want to touch this (because of the subject matter). I wonder what Todd Solondz (the director) is up to now?
Quote from: StreamingTodd45 on January 19, 2021, 04:52:09 PM
Quote from: Rev. Powell on January 13, 2021, 09:43:42 AM
HAPPINESS (1998): An examination of the lives of three sisters, their extended families, and their neighbors reveals an elaborate network of secrets, sickness, perversion, and chronic unhappiness. The blackest of black comedies, where the few absurd jokes are only meant to highlight the horror of the characters' existence. Not graphic or exploitative, but filled with references to rape and pedophilia, the whole movie is one big trigger warning. 4.5/5.
Saw this some time ago, think it was Showtime or Cinemax, one of them. Can't find it now on ROKU, I'm guessing Amazon Prime doesn't even want to touch this (because of the subject matter). I wonder what Todd Solondz (the director) is up to now?
Wikipedia says he's teaching at NYU and Cambridge. He does have a new project: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6493902/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_1 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6493902/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_1)
Happiness and Welcome to the Dollhouse are classics and I enjoyed Storytelling
DA 5 BLOODS (2020): Four Black veterans return to Vietnam 40 years later to recover the body of their squad leader, along with some lost treasure buried by their younger selves. This could have been a great movie instead of just a good one if it had focused on being a TREASURE OF SIERRA MADRE update and left the contemporary political commentary implicit. Trust your audience a little more, Spike, you don't have to spell everything out. On Netflix. 3.5/5.
Quote from: RCMerchant on January 05, 2021, 06:14:28 PM
the CHILDREN (1980)
A leak at a nuclear power plant turns a school bus full of kids into zombies whose touch means being burned to death. You can tell they're zombies because they have black fingernails (?).
The only way to kill them is to chop off their little hands!
Silly, low budget obscurity, with no name actors . Fun time!
Watched this yesterday on one of my apps (Filmrise, I think). Talk about a ridiculous movie! Bad acting, bad writing, it was just bad overall. Good thing it was free, I would never pay good money to see dreck like this.
"Split Second" (1992)
A burnt-out cop (Rutger Hauer) in the decaying, flooded London of 2008 (hah!) is on the trail of a suspected serial killer... but as the bodies keep piling up, he realizes that the murderer may not even be a human being.
This weird cyberpunk mashup of "Blade Runner" and "Predator" is certainly not a great movie by any means, but it is a fun one. Hauer is a hoot, the action sequences are cool, and the reveal of the mysterious killer is legit creepy. A decent time waster.
NOMADLAND (2020): When the only employer in her tiny Nevada town shuts down, a widow takes to living in her van and traveling across the West, joining a small tribe of like-minded people. At some point everyone has been tempted to pack it all up and take to the road; NOMADLAND is as much an instruction manual for the nomad lifestyle as it is an inspiration. 3.5/5.
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)
Did any one like this movie more than I did?
http://youtu.be/XK-KNt3efpY (http://youtu.be/XK-KNt3efpY)
Quote from: RCMerchant on January 21, 2021, 05:13:05 PM
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)
Did any one like this movie more than I did?
http://youtu.be/XK-KNt3efpY (http://youtu.be/XK-KNt3efpY)
We'd have to know how much you liked it to know that. I liked it, I have no idea if I liked it more than you!
"The Children" (1980)
A toxic waste cloud turns a school bus full of kids into atomic zombie like creatures who kill grown ups by touching them. This could've been a cool concept in the right hands, but this flick's cheap look, sluggish pacing and inept performances quickly turn it into an unintentional comedy. The first hour is a slog but the last 30 minutes, when the idiot adults finally band together to fight the killer kids, are a total hoot.
Oddly enough, I've never seen this movie before tonight but I do vividly remember the TV commercials for it absolutely scared the livin' s*** out of me when I was a kid. Obviously I was easier to spook back then, haha.
Quote from: Rev. Powell on January 21, 2021, 07:52:58 PM
Quote from: RCMerchant on January 21, 2021, 05:13:05 PM
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)
Did any one like this movie more than I did?
http://youtu.be/XK-KNt3efpY (http://youtu.be/XK-KNt3efpY)
We'd have to know how much you liked it to know that. I liked it, I have no idea if I liked it more than you!
I liked it alot! Did you like it more than alot or less than alot? I think I liked it less than alot because of the obvious cgi s**t. I'll take ROAD WARRIOR any day. But it's a fun time waster.
And I liked it alot!
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on January 21, 2021, 09:40:50 PM
"The Children" (1980)
A toxic waste cloud turns a school bus full of kids into atomic zombie like creatures who kill grown ups by touching them. This could've been a cool concept in the right hands, but this flick's cheap look, sluggish pacing and inept performances quickly turn it into an unintentional comedy. The first hour is a slog but the last 30 minutes, when the idiot adults finally band together to fight the killer kids, are a total hoot.
Oddly enough, I've never seen this movie before tonight but I do vividly remember the TV commercials for it absolutely scared the livin' s*** out of me when I was a kid. Obviously I was easier to spook back then, haha.
I love this movie. :bluesad:
Quote from: RCMerchant on January 22, 2021, 08:11:49 AM
Quote from: Rev. Powell on January 21, 2021, 07:52:58 PM
Quote from: RCMerchant on January 21, 2021, 05:13:05 PM
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)
Did any one like this movie more than I did?
http://youtu.be/XK-KNt3efpY (http://youtu.be/XK-KNt3efpY)
We'd have to know how much you liked it to know that. I liked it, I have no idea if I liked it more than you!
I liked it alot! Did you like it more than alot or less than alot? I think I liked it less than alot because of the obvious cgi s**t. I'll take ROAD WARRIOR any day. But it's a fun time waster.
And I liked it alot!
I liked it a lot and liked ROAD WARRIOR more too, but I think I didn't like it more than FURY ROAD than you liked it more. :question:
Didn't like this one a lot:
FIRST COW (2019): Dramatic Western where a cook teams up with a Chinese prospector to run a clandestine business that requires them to exploit the first and then only cow in the Oregon territory. It's tough to take such a thin story and stretch it out to 2 hours, but if anyone can do it, Kelly Reichardt can. 2.5/5.
Quote from: RCMerchant on January 22, 2021, 08:11:49 AM
Quote from: Rev. Powell on January 21, 2021, 07:52:58 PM
Quote from: RCMerchant on January 21, 2021, 05:13:05 PM
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)
Did any one like this movie more than I did?
http://youtu.be/XK-KNt3efpY (http://youtu.be/XK-KNt3efpY)
We'd have to know how much you liked it to know that. I liked it, I have no idea if I liked it more than you!
I liked it alot! Did you like it more than alot or less than alot? I think I liked it less than alot because of the obvious cgi s**t. I'll take ROAD WARRIOR any day. But it's a fun time waster.
And I liked it alot!
I watched
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD not long ago and at first I was p**sed at the amount of CGI, but then I decided to investigate a little further and I was surprised to know that a lot of the scenes which I thought was computer generated, they actually were made with models. The only part which really looked like garbage was the whole sandstorm thing.
ATTACK! (1956)
Jack Palance is intense as Lt. Joe Costa, who's platoon is ordered to do a suicidal mission from his cowardly superior officer, played to perfection by Eddie (GREEN ACRES!) Albert.
Lee Marvin is in here too-
This movie is fantastic. It doesn't spout the usual 1950's John Wayne propaganda.
It's sad, intense, and moving. There is an actual story here, beyond the usual 'lets kill krauts!' pablum.
Oh yeah- it's got Buddy (Uncle Jed!) Ebsen too! I named my son Jed!
http://youtu.be/a9Iag6SAfKI (http://youtu.be/a9Iag6SAfKI)
(https://i.imgur.com/wu1nzLC.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
Salon Kitty (1976)
The nazisploitation extravaganza of that prince of artistic erotica, Tinto Brass. It is about a brothel at the beginning of WW II, that is run by the SS in order to obtain incriminating evidence on both Nazi and visiting foreign dignitaries. In the hands of Tinto Brass, it is not difficult to imagine the result. There is a plot, of sorts, but it is mainly an excuse to film a series of shocking and bizarre scenes, because, of course, these are Nazis and that is what they were into. Also, it is done extremely stylishly, because everyone knows the Nazis had style. It is all very much camp, and at times looks like a porn version of Allo Allo, but with altogether better production values. If you can't stand nudity, stay away from this one.
"Class of Nuke'Em High" (1986)
A leaky nuclear power plant near a small town high school has disastrous effects on the student body, turning the honor society kids into a gang of murderous punks and causing a clean-cut preppie girl to give birth to a horrific mutation.
This cult schlock horror comedy from the legendary Troma Films features all of their trademarks -- fifth grade level humor and ultra-violence, shameless, bug-eyed overacting by everyone in the cast, and lots of cheap, slimy gross-out gore. This post-nuke parody of the teens-run-amuck genre is silly as hell (on purpose) but I laughed out loud a few times. Followed by numerous sequels, and rumor has it there's a remake in the works.
Fun fact: they filmed parts of this movie in my home town (Paramus, NJ) when I was in high school, and my friends and I watched them shoot the bit where the mutant bikers crash the school bake sale. For all I know, I might be in the background of that scene, but even after repeated viewings I've never been able to find myself in the crowd of extras.
A feminist double feature:
PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN (2020): Cassie's hobby is pretending to be drunk so creeps will pick her up in bars; she's planning even more elaborate deceptions stemming from a trauma in med school. Unusual, non-exploitative rape-revenge story with rom-com trappings; the story is familiar yet contains enough surprises to engage your attention. 3.5/5
NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS (2020): A 17-year old girl and her teenage cousin travel from small town Pennsylvania to New York City to get an abortion. Emotionally honest and so believable it seems like it could be an autobiography; Sidney Flanigan is excellent. 3.5/5
I can recommend PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN to anyone here; it's got thriller elements and is an easy watch. The other one is good, but a slow-paced drama that won't really have wide appeal.
"If you can't stand nudity, stay away from this one." ????
Open 24 Hours - Anyone see this? It's pretty unusual. It seems like whoever wrote it believed it would end up on tubitv, which is did, so they just did whatever the heck they wanted. reviews are very mixed but I liked it. I would even watch it again.
A young woman ( cute and very tall brunette) gets out of jail where she served a sentence for being a serial killers girlfriend and not like doing anything about it (the serial killing). She's very screwed up mentally and this introduces the major gimmick of the film: you see a grisly murder happening and then she shuts her eyes and it goes away. This massive suspense of disbelief is probably what relegated this movie to the bottom shelf, but if you can get past that it's a gory and classic slasher of the type Scream parodies in its various installments.
4.25 / 5
once you accept the chaos, it's a smooth ride. at the same time its like...uuuh how did he know where she worked does he have a gps in his brain? kind of thing
Psycho Goreman - From the creators of Man-Borg and Father's Day, this is sort of like an R-rated Power Rangers movie crossed with ET. It's creative with a lot of fun creature effects and I love the title character. The performances vary wildly in quality, and some of the characters are kind of annoying. The premise also feels stretched a bit thin. It's almost never boring though. My biggest complaint is, like a lot of these throwback styled films, it has no heart. It's missing that bit of magic and heart that a film like Turbo Kid has. Still, if the first sentence appeals to you, check it out. I'd give it a 6 or 7/10, which is probably generous.
DEATHGASM - A death metal rocker moves to a small town to live with his straight-laced American relatives, makes a few friends among his school's fellow rejects, and then they discover the pages of the "Black Hymn," a demonic song that grants power and riche to the user but also opens a portal to hell. Zombie apocalypse ensues. Not a bad way to blow an hour and a half in the middle of the night.
"The Liquidator" (1965)
A British intelligence officer hires an dim-witted American ex-soldier to work as a top secret, off-the-books assassin, code named "L." However, the new agent (Rod Taylor) would rather schmooze with the ladies (especially his boss' secretary, the smokin' hot Jill St. John) than kill bad guys. Eventually, however, his ineptitude gets him mixed up in a plot to assassinate a member of Britain's royal family, and he has to save the day.
This was a fun James Bond knock off that straddled the line between spoof and legit action thriller. Taylor is clearly having fun and Trevor Howard is great as his increasingly exasperated boss. This was obviously intended to be the start of of a new film franchise, but by the time "Liquidator" hit theaters the mid Sixties "spy" craze was already past its peak.
"Liquidator" shares several traits with the Bond franchise: it was based on a series of novels by John Gardner, who later took over writing the 007 novels in the 1980s; Shirley "Goldfinger" Bassey sings the film's theme song; and Jill St. John would later play a legit Bond girl in 1971's Diamonds Are Forever.
In a World... (2013)
Carol Solomon (Lake Bell) wants to break into the closely knit and very macho world of film trailer voiceovers. Her biggest obstacle is her own father, a legendary voiceover artist with an incredible ego. Pretty funny comedy, although it would seem that at one point, someone felt that the original premise was insufficient, and added an altogether more serious B-plot. So the movie veers between screwball comedy and family drama. Still, a pretty solid debut.
"Uptown Saturday Night" (1974)
Two workin' class dudes (Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier) B.S. their way into a party at a swanky after hours club, just before a maksed gang breaks in and robs everyone in the place. The next day, Poitier learns that the lottery ticket that was in his wallet (which was stolen) is worth $50,000... so he and Cos embark on a series of wacky adventures to find out who the bad guys were and recover the ticket before they discover its value. Richard Pryor, Harry Belafonte, and Flip Wilson turn up in supporting roles.
This funny, funky '70s flick was the first of three buddy comedies starring Cosby and Poitier (who also directed), which were intended to provide an alternative to the ultra-violent "blaxploitation" films of the era. It hasn't aged particularly well but there are a few laughs to be had and it's also kind of weird/cool to see "Cos" (with a beard!) playing an edgier, more streetwise character, instead of the straight laced family man type he became known for later.
"Tremors: Shrieker Island" (2020)
In the seventh (!) installment in the "Tremors" series, ace monster hunter Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) is summoned to the South Seas, where a deranged tech billionaire has "stocked" his own private island with genetically modified Graboids and is sponsoring a massive big game hunt... which, of course, goes horribly wrong.
So yeah, basically this is yet another cheesy-but-fun, low budget monster mash bolted together out of parts from "Predator" and "Jurassic Park," though the downer ending seems to indicate that this may be the final film in the series. Time will tell, I suppose.
House Shark. A deliberately made bad movie with cheesy acting but slightly better special effects than I was expecting (not that I am saying they were good). Enjoyable enough I guess.
FELLINI'S CASANOVA (1976): Fellini tells the episodic story of Casanova, who wanders around 18th century Europe seducing every woman who catches his eye. It's overlong, Donald Sutherland is all wrong for the lead, it never finds a confident comic tone, and everyone keeps their long underwear on while having sex; on the other hand, it's Fellini, so the sets and costumes are amazing, and there's always some carnival with a 7-foot woman attended by two dwarfs in powdered wigs waiting around the next bend. 3/5.
^ Haha! :thumbup:
I seen it. It's like watching a monkey try to f**k a football!
Fun to look at- but just self indulgent trash. it's a BAD movie.
Quote from: RCMerchant on January 27, 2021, 09:59:36 AM
^ Haha! :thumbup:
I seen it. It's like watching a monkey try to f**k a football!
Fun to look at- but just self indulgent trash. it's a BAD movie.
I wouldn't call it a bad movie, but I get what you mean. There's a reason this one wasn't released on DVD for so long even though it has Fellini's name on it. It really bothered me that everyone kept their long underwear on to have sex, though, much more than it should.
"The Return of Spinal Tap" (1992)
Spinal Tap's triumphant Break Like the Wind reunion tour is captured with a live set taped at London's Royal Albert Hall in 1992. This fun concert video features all the hits and lots of tongue-in-cheek "behind the scenes" bits in between songs, as "David," "Nigel," and "Derek" visit some old haunts and catch up with past associates like director Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner), Artie Fufkin (Paul Schaffer) and Air Force Col. Hookstratten (Fred Willard).
This isn't exactly a "sequel" to the classic mockumentary, but it's a fun watch and the live show is a hoot with lots of visual gags amidst the musical mayhem. The Spinal Tap guys may have been playing characters, but they really could play their instruments, and this video is proof.
One of my great rock n roll regrets is that I didn't see the Tap when they played in NYC on this tour (sigh).
^ I remember when they released CDs with extra long cardboard covers to " use more of mother natures wonderful resources"
Wound (2012) - this New Zealand "horror" movie would be a good initiation if you wanted to start a very small and limited group. It begins with a woman tying her Dad up and chopping his penis off.
She lives alone and poops into a toilet with tin foil floating in it and wraps up the poop and puts it in this huge freezer. It's kind of like John Waters but less campy and MUCH more depressing. There is a sub plot with a long lost daughter who's trying to find her and you want to be like "no turn back, it isn't worth it!"
???/ 5
its like taking out the garbage and tripping and falling on your face into the garbage can
"Turkey Shoot" (aka "Elimination Game," 2014)
A former Navy SEAL (Dominic "Prison Break" Purcell), falsely convicted of war crimes, is offered an alternative to death row: participating in "Turkey Shoot," a massively popular TV reality/game show in which felons are pursued by a variety of assassins. If he can survive all three levels of the game, he goes free... but of course, that's never happened before.
This cheap looking Aussie action flick is loosely based on the 1982 exploitation classic "Turkey Shoot" (known in the U.S. as "Escape 2000"). It tales some good jabs at the reality TV craze and has a fair bit of action but it's more or less a generic ripoff of "The Running Man."
Watchable, but just barely.
The Ten Commandments (1923) - The main thing to say about this is the iconic images from it are only in the first section of the movie, which depicts the Exodus. After that, there is a good but entirely different story about two brothers in love with the same girl.
It's a clever idea: lure the audience in with what at the time were no doubt amazing sets and spectacle, then have a good if fairly standard drama and work stuff about the ten commandments in at various intervals.
Having two guys be in love with the same girl isn't a revolutionary plot idea and the "moral lesson" aspect while not heavy handed, is a little predictable. Obviously, something like Citizen Kane would point the way forward more than the gimmick here, but it's still enjoyable, well made, and the principals are well cast.
4.5 /5
The Holy Mountain (1973)
An alchemist selects a group of nine people to go on a quest to the Holy Mountain, to take the place of the nine immortals living there. Compared to other Jodorowsky movies, like El Topo or Fando y Lis, this is more accessible, although admittedly that is not saying very much. The narrative structure is more straightforward and the satire on contemporary society is pretty broad. You get a lot of the grotesque craziness of Jodorowsky, and a surprising number of scenes with animals. It is all very psychedelic and one wonders how many hallucinogenic substances went into the making of this movie.
INSIDIOUS (2010): A young boy falls ill when he moves into a new house; mom is convinced the home is haunted, but when they move, the kid doesn't get better, and the apparitions get worse. A little more attention to detail (like how can a high school teacher afford such a huge home?) could have elevated this POLTERGEIST variation above just average, since it does have a couple of really good bits, like the comic relief psychic team and a terrifically terrifying use of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips." 3/5.
"The Thomas Crown Affair" (1999)
Pierce Brosnan takes a break from James Bond to play a jet-setting New York financier who also dabbles in high-end art theft. When a priceless painting by Monet disappears from the Metropolitan Museum, their insurance company puts a gorgeous lady investigator (Rene Russo) on the case, but she may not be able to resist the charming thief.
This was a remake of a late '60s flick that starred Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway (who has a minor role in this one). It starts out as a pretty cool, twisty heist/caper flick but ends up leaning too much on the romance subplot as the film goes on. Despite that it's got a nice lavish look, a great cast, and good Lord, Rene Russo was fine as hell back then.
Not my usual kind of meat, but not a waste of time, either.
"Rock N Roll High School Forever" (1991)
A dorky garage band led by Corey Feldman battles against Ronald Reagan High's rock hating yuppie student council and the ruthless Dean of Discipline, Dr. Vadar, in order to play at the senior prom.
...this belated, cheap looking pseudo-sequel to the 1979 classic is pure early 90s cheddar. Feldman was already rockin' the Michael Jackson hair at this time and the less said about his singing with his band "The Eradicators," the better.
Mojo Nixon turns up in a brief cameo as "the Spirit of Rock N Roll" and his song, "A-Bomb the School Prom," is the film's only highlight.
The original "RNRHS" is one of my favorite movies of all time. This is nothing more than a pale dollar store imitation.
AVOID.
VERSUS (2000): Two escaped convicts make their way to a spot where gangsters are supposed to pick them up; double-crosses follow, complicated by the fact that the rendezvous spot is a mystical forest where the dead quickly return to life. Nonstop dopey comic book violence choreographed by filmmakers who don't care as much about logic as they do about making sure the actors look cool while shooting zombies. 3.5/5.
Last Kind Words (2012) - mixed reviews on this one but I liked it enough to watch it a second time here. A family arrives at a farm so the father can work for the farmer. Soon enough, the kid meets a beautiful local girl and begins a backwoods romance. Unfortunately this is a horror (ish ) movie so the fun times don't last. All kinds of dark family secrets are uncovered as the son tries to find a purpose in life.
I guess some of the IMDB reviewers didn't think it was "horror" enough and in their defense the cover makes it look more like a typical Insidious type experience. The story is stronger than usual though and there are some nice shots of the farm with the extended woods and old barns and stuff.
4.25 /5 its more dark thriller than razzle dazzle horror. I probably wouldn't watch it a third time though
the PIT (1981)
A perverted creepy little basterd talks to his teddy bear, drools over his babysitter, gets bullied by everyone, and makes buddy-buddy with some 'trogs' that live in a pit out in the woods. And of course this junior Ted Bundy s**t stain lures them to the pit in various ways (some borderline slapstick, some scary) and shoves them in.
The first part is mostly about the psycho kid. The last part is pure monster movie-because the trogs get out!
Oh No! :buggedout:
And for any Canuks here (I think Newt is!)- it was made in Canada!
http://youtu.be/T-fSOX9tyoY (http://youtu.be/T-fSOX9tyoY)
I loved it!
La Mujer Murciélago/Batwoman (1968)
Someone in Mexico saw the Adam West Batman and thought, this would be so much better if we replaced the guy in tights with a hot chick in a bikini. The result is Batwoman (or the more spectacular sounding Spanish La Mujer Murciélago). Maura Monti's costume is just that: a cowl and a bikini (or when she is incognito, another bikini or baby doll nighty).
Batwoman is called by the Acapulco police to solve a series or murders on luchadores, who have their pineal gland drained. Turns out that this brain fluid is used by the nefarious Dr. Williams and his assistant Igor to create a race of fishmen to rule the oceans (insert maniacal laughter)
This plays out like an Adam West Batman, with equally believable fight scenes, but without the humour, the silliness and the gadgets. There are a lot of underwater shots though. The production team clearly wanted to show everyone that they had access to an underwater camera. It is also very slow and deliberate. The script would be OK for a 30-45 min TV episode, but is terribly drawn out to fill a 1h20 movie.
THE LEGEND OF AWESOMIST MAXIMUS (2011) - This was National Lampoon's spoof of 300, GLADIATOR, TROY, and SPARTACUS - a hilariously bad, offensive romp loaded with gay jokes, nudity, cheesy fight scenes, and bad dialogue. The Trojan Horse is replaced with a Trojan . . . . er, Weinermobile, shall we say?, and Achilles becomes Testicleez, and the mighty King Xerxes is replaced by the prissy King Erotik. Full of groaners, this movie hit my funnybone just right after a long day at work. 2/4 on the regular movie scale, but a solid 5/5 on the bad movie scale!
AQUASLASH (2019) - A graduating high school class holds their party at an aging waterpark where several murders had occurred some 35 years before; little known to them, the killer has returned and has booby-trapped the tallest, fastest water slide in the park with razor sharp saw blades about halfway down. Decapitations and massive gore ensues. Not much for plot, but an original concept, and I didn't guess who the killer was until the reveal. Plus lotsa hot girls in swimsuits. A good way to spend a Friday evening.
Stranger From Venus (1954) - British people hadn't quite figured out how to do campy sci fi yet. This is like an incredibly long and boring Outer Limits Episode that thankfully never made it to air.
An alien comes to earth and tries to order beer in a dumb British pub. Everyone soon realizes he doesn't belong, probably because he has all his teeth. Two almost okay looking brunettes are all the scenery we get. He lectures everyone about how stupid they are so logically the annoyed Earthling bar patrons plot to blow up his cheap looking spaceship. Amidst all this he/ it begins the worlds most tepid affair ever with one of the 5's
2.5 /5 If you thought Creation of the Humanoids wasn't preachy and leaden enough check this one out
Under-the-weather double feature:
"The Phantom" (1996)
Billy Zane ("Titanic") stars as the 1930's comic strip hero, who travels from his jungle home to pre-war New York City to stop a budding super-villain (Treat Williams) who's looking to steal a major source of mystical power. A fun period piece action thriller, somewhere between "Batman" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark."
"Fulci For Fake" (2019)
The life and work of notorious Italian film director Lucio Fulci, aka "The Godfather of Gore," is examined through photos, home movies, and interviews with members of his family, frequent collaborators, and film scholars. An interesting portrait of a complicated man. In Italian, with sub-titles.
Quote from: lester1/2jr on February 06, 2021, 02:56:28 PM
Stranger From Venus (1954) - British people hadn't quite figured out how to do campy sci fi yet. This is like an incredibly long and boring Outer Limits Episode that thankfully never made it to air.
An alien comes to earth and tries to order beer in a dumb British pub. Everyone soon realizes he doesn't belong, probably because he has all his teeth. Two almost okay looking brunettes are all the scenery we get. He lectures everyone about how stupid they are so logically the annoyed Earthling bar patrons plot to blow up his cheap looking spaceship. Amidst all this he/ it begins the worlds most tepid affair ever with one of the 5's
2.5 /5 If you thought Creation of the Humanoids wasn't preachy and leaden enough check this one out
You hit that nail on the head.
BLOODLINES (2018) - A high school counselor and new dad, played by Seann Scott (better known as Steve Stiffler from the AMERICAN PIE series), struggles with juggling fatherhood, a strained marriage, and the woes of the abused high school students he deals with daily, all while hiding from his wife and the world the fact that he is a Dexter-style serial killer, avenging abused youth by taking out their abusers . . . permanently. A well-done, dark film with a nice twist ending, I really enjoyed this one. 4/5
STARSHIP TROOPERS (1997) Sometimes you gotta go with the classics, and this fascist sci-fi romp starring Caspar von Diem, Neil Patrick Harris, a kazillion CGI space bugs, and Denise Richards and her eyebrows at the peak of her 90's hotness, is still a fun watch all these years later! Never mind the bleak, militaristic government that rules earth in the 23rd century, let's blow up some bugs while the military enjoys co-ed showers!
CUTTING CLASS - A classic 80's slasher starring a very young Brad Pitt, complete with improbable kills, a baffling storyline, unlikable characters, and dialogue that leaves the viewer going "Huh?" on a regular basis. The second act drags a bit, but overall this one is a fun way to kill an hour and a half while stuck late on a Saturday night waiting for your 92 year old mother in law to have to get up and use the bathroom again, or die in her sleep. So far, it's always been the former.
REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (2000)
The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep.
WARNING: SPOILERS ALERT
Perhaps I just enjoy going against the current, perhaps I just suck as a movie watcher... or perhaps, maybe perhaps, this movie is a little bit overrated? I've watched it for the first time last weekend and I hated it. It's basically TRAINSPOTTING but without the memorable scenes, the black humor, the interesting characters, and the uplifting ending.
Not only the four main cast is ridiculously boring and cliched, but I also couldn't give a damn about any of them, therefore making the whole emotion exploitation of the movie meaningless. There wasn't a single point in the whole plot in which they tried to be better by pure sacrifice and effort, all of them took the easy way out and basically blamed it all in the rest.
The portrayal of both medical and security staff is laughable, those hospitals looked like they came from a horror movie (electroshocks without anesthetics? sending away a patient with gangrene, and then arresting him without treatment first? giving amphetamines to a person who wants to lose weight, just like that?).
Plenty of scenes were totally useless, just there for the shock factor, like frontal nudity, the guy inyecting himself in the wound for no reason, the whole orgy at the ending, and many more.
The editing made me dizzy, it felt like a neverending music video. The dialog is simply awful: a lot of phrases are not only bad, but also used more than once, and in some cases, by more than one character, as if we needed to hear it over and over because they were oh-so-deep.
Honestly, I believe that the only reason this movie got popular was because the music, which is really good and appropiate for each scene. The rest is total artsy-fartsy garbage, sorry. 3/10 :thumbdown:
Break (2019) - this is better than Frozen, the similarly themed American one. I don't see many Russian movies so this was interesting for that reason too. There is no sex or nudity or innuendo I think they are lucky they get to make movies at all over there. Ironically, it is well known that Russia has the greatest whores in the world. One good quality it had was cognition of the internet and the fact that kids use it 24 hours a day.
As they get into a creaky chair lift in the middle of the night, of course no one says anything like "I hope we don't get stuck, that would be bad."
plot: Youths including a comic relief fat guy are going to party at the top of a mountain but get stuck in the trolley thing. The situation becomes more and more grim as they struggle to keep it together and personal issues rise to the surface and yadda yadda
More care than usual put into this. The thing you are pretty sure is going to happen doesn't a few times, in other words.
4.25/ 5 enjoyable if not wildly unique or original
VARIETY LIGHTS (1950): Fellini's first movie. A pretty, ambitious country girl worms her way into a fleabag traveling variety show, whose self-appointed star is immediately smitten with her. This gentle satire knows its showbiz characters inside-out, but while it's fun enough, it barely gives an inkling of what the director is capable of. 3/5.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYjc4YWIyOTAtYjRlOS00NzlkLWI3NmItZmYyZDFmNTU0NmNmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTc4MzI2NQ@@._V1_.jpg)
Carla Del Poggio is really hot.
"Hallowed Be Thy Name" (2020)
Small town Louisiana teens p**s off a legendary demon that lives in a cave outside of town. Hilarity does not ensue. Cheap, poorly acted, talky indie horror crap with no likeable characters, no decent scares and a cop-out ending.
AVOID.
THE WHITE SHEIK (1952): A young bride sneaks away on her honeymoon to see the actor who plays her favorite serial character, "The White Sheik." Fellini's first film as solo director is an Italian screwball comedy, and a funny one: Leopold Trieste's facial expressions as he tries to stall the family who's demanding to meet his missing bride are priceless, and there's a laugh-out-loud suicide attempt. 3.5/5.
The Hunt (2012) - This has some pretty high ratings on IMDB, probably due to its subject matter: a man wrongly (we think) accused of child molestation. The filmmakers deserve credit for taking on this topic, but the movie falls short in a couple ways, though it does have more depth than most of my recent viewings.
A guy is in his forties and still works as an assistant at a kindergarten. He should probably be doing something more substantial with his life. Why he has this job is not really explored. At any rate the kids like him, one kid in particular a little too much, probably due to being neglected at home. This leads to her saying that he exposed himself to her and the town is soon in an uproar and he gets beaten up when he goes to the supermarket and so forth.
The script badly needed going over. The school principal decides way too fast that he is totally guilty, the English speaking co worker who instantly falls in love with him makes no sense and we wait and wait to learn what if anything DID happen etc
At the same time the main guys performance is good and the scenes where he accepts that he is a pariah but tries to navigate life in purgatory are compelling. The focus on the families and community in this small Denmark town makes it relatable.
4/5 Some good stuff and some stuff that should have been fixed. 2 hour plus heavy drama if you're in the mood
I VITELLONI (1953): The friendship of five layabouts ("vitelloni," i.e. slackers) is tested when the womanizer of the group marries the youngest friend's sister. Well-made but rather pointless infidelity drama; the thing that stands out to me most is Nino Rota's score, and the fact that lead Franco Interlenghi looks an awful lot like Marcello Mastroianni (whose character in LA DOLCE VITA has a similar name and may well be meant to be the same character at a later stage of life). 2.5/5.
FORBIDDEN EMPIRE (2014) This was a badly dubbed Russian fantasy film set in 1701. To be honest, the plot was darned hard to follow - not sure if bad screewriting or bad translation was to blame. An English scientist comes to a remote kingdom in Eastern Europe beset by witches and beasts and tries to help the local lord solve the mystery surrounding his daughter's death. Cool special effects, complex plot, bad dubbing - I wanted to like this one, but it wound up being a slog in places. 3/5
LA STRADA (1954): The brutish Zampanò buys a simple-minded girl for 10,000 lira to be his assistant in his traveling strongman act. Anthony Quinn makes for one of the screen's all-time detestable villains, but Fellini's ruthless but empathetic script makes us feel for even him---just barely. 5/5.
"Killer Crocodile" (1989)
Environmentalists investigating pollution in a tropical swamp discover that radioactive waste has caused a local croc to grow to immense size and develop a taste for humans.
This cheap, cheesy-but-fun Italian creature feature wears its obvious "Jaws" influence like a neon sign -- even the monster's "attack music" is a thinly veiled ripoff of the Jaws theme! The giant croc puppet is good for a few laughs and there's a whole bunch of gory deaths, so at least the movie lived up to its title. Entertaining junk.
"Aenigma" (1987)
A prank on a nerdy college girl goes wrong and puts her into a coma, but she gets revenge on her tormentors from her hospital bed via telekinetic powers.
A couple of cute girls and some decent gory death scenes can't quite save this klutzy Italian flick which is bolted together from bits of "Carrie," "Phenomena," and "Patrick." A late-career swing and miss from the usually-dependable Spaghetti horror maven Lucio "Zombie" Fulci.
"Moonshine County Express" (1977)
A Southern moonshine maker is shot dead by members of a rival organization, and his three lovely daughters decide to take over Daddy's business. Obviously the bad guys are not pleased to learn of their new competition, which leads to lots of car chases, explosions, and general mayhem.
This fun, fast paced Hick-sploitation action comedy in the "Dukes of Hazzard" vein features some impressive stunt driving and a cast full of familiar faces, incl. former Playmate Claudia Jennings, Maureen "Marcia Brady" McCormick, John Saxon, and William Conrad.
"Concrete Blondes" (2013)
Three ditzy female roommates stumble into the site of a gangland slaying, and discover a giant bag full of cash. They think their financial prayers have been answered, until they have to keep that money out of the hands of the thugs, low lifes and double-crossers who are looking for it.
An uneven flick that can't quite decide if it's a dark slapstick comedy or a straight up Tarantino-style ultra violent crime flick, but it's enjoyable enough thanks to the charm of the three female leads, who work well together (and are cute too).
No connection to the similarly-titled spy movie starring Charlize Theron.
MAN UNDER TABLE (2021): A nameless screenwriter tries to write a movie (the movie we're watching), while his peers' careers seem to be taking off faster than his. Meta-movies where the screenwriter is also a (usually neurotic) character aren't totally original, but nor is the subgenre tapped out yet; although it can't exactly figure out how to end itself, MAN UNDER TABLE largely succeeds through its knowing satire of pretentious indie filmmakers working at the fringes of an industry that is itself on the fringes of Hollywood. 3/5.
DUNGEON OF HARROW (1962)
Possibly the worst horror film ever made.
This was made by mediocre comic book artist and writer Pat Boyette. He should have stuck to drawing s**t comic books.
Senseless drivel involving some morons stranded on an isolated island held captive in an old castle (why a castle is in the middle of Buttf**k, Nowhere, is never explained) by some old nutjob haunted by his dead wife?
I don't even care.
I'm amazed this was never on that Mystery Science Theater 3000- because this is s**t.
I actually have seen this 3 times. Don't ask why- because I don't know. I blame it on drug and booze abuse compounded by maniac depression. That's the only excuse I have.
http://youtu.be/1sMhMaPL9SY (http://youtu.be/1sMhMaPL9SY)
Death Fest: A teenager whose mother was murdered by a psycho grows up obsessed with horror movies and plans on attending a horror con which turns out to be a real horror story when the staff start killing the attendees.
I didn't have much in the way of high expectations going into this one, but it was somewhat better than expected. If you've got an hour and a half to spare there are worse things you could watch. The effects could be better, but the acting is mostly good enough for you to suspend disbelief and root for the heroes as they try to escape this 700-acre death trap.
Bill & Ted Face The Music. Many years after the last movie, Bill and Ted return wondering why they have still not fulfilled their destiny. Kristi enjoyed this one and thought it was fun-filled. I thought there were too many plot threads woven into the movie and none of them had enough time to develop them properly. You could have dumped the rehashed plotlines from the previous movies (collecting figures from history, visiting Hell, robot out to kill them) and just developed some of the other ones and for my money anyway, made a much better film. Not terrible, but could have been so much better.
Beauty Water (2020)
A Korean animated feature that is a not too subtle attack on South Korea's toxic obsession with beauty. Ugly duckling Yaeji gets hold of 'Beauty Water', which allows you to magically resculpt your face and body. She reinvents herself as the stunning beauty Solhye and sets out to make it in the world of media and fashion with ruthless determination. But there are dark secrets to the Beauty Water.
A pretty effective horror thriller. The animation is dodgy in places, and the characters tend to be one note, but the plots moves along briskly and the whole thing gets more and more unsettling as it goes on. There is also a fair bit of body horror. Some reviews have mentioned that it is hard to root for anyone in the movie because all characters tend to be shallow and egotistical, but I think that is kind of the point. The line between victim and predator is very blurred.
Not perfect, but an interesting take.
A FAMILY (2019): A man hires actors to portray his family in home movies, but his carefully constructed life falls apart when the new actress hired to play his sister has her own ideas. It's basically Yorgos Lanthimos fan fiction. Ukrainian, but made by an Australian director and producers. 2/5.
The Kid Detective - What happens to Encyclopedia Brown after he grows up? That's sort of what this is like, it's about a prototypical young adult "kid detective" now a man in his 30s dealing with his first "real" case. It's a dark comedy with some really deftly handled tonal shifts and a great lead performance from Adam Brody. Think it'd reward on a rewatch as well. 8/10.
NO TRACE (2021): In what appears to be the post-apocalyptic near future, a middle-aged woman smuggles a Muslim with a newborn across the border, then encounters her again in the woods after her cart is stolen. Beautifully made and acted, featuring great black and white cinematography and an excellent dark ambient soundtrack; I just wish the plot was strong enough to support the weighty atmosphere. For fans of slow cinema only. 3/5.
"Evolution" (2001)
A pair of slacker college professors (David Duchovny and Orlando Jones) and the U.S. military battle against a rapidly mutating alien life form that crashed near their small Arizona town on a meteor.
This fast, funny sci-fi comedy from director Ivan Reitman is kinda like a mash up of "Ghostbusters" and "Men in Black." Duchovny is clearly having the most fun, playing a guy who's the total opposite of his straight-laced "X-Files" persona, and there's a lot of cool/weird creatures and gooey effects. Underrated.
LINCOLN (2014) Spielberg's biopic about President Lincoln and the battle for the 13th Amendment blew me away the first time I saw it and gets better with every viewing. Daniel-Day Lewis turns out one of the finest portrayals of Lincoln ever done by any actor, and the political drama is powerful, aided by a wonderful supporting cast. 5/5
"Memory: The Origins of Alien" (2019)
A look back at the making of the landmark sci-fi/horror film "Alien," told via vintage clips and interviews with film critics, cast members, and crew. Sigourney Weaver is unfortunately absent from the proceedings, but Tom "Captain Dallas" Skerritt and Veronica "Lambert" Cartwright have some good stories and there are lots of cool behind the scenes photos and storyboards. A cool doc that fanboys will dig, despite a tendency to get a bit pretentious and high-falutin' at times.
Lazy Winter Saturday double feature:
"From Beyond" (1986)
Director Stuart Gorden re-unites his "Re-Animator" cast mates Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton in another horror tale loosely inspired by an H.P. Lovecraft story. A science experiment to stimulate a dormant sensory organ in humans goes horribly wrong, and opens up an inter-dimensional doorway that some not-so-nice life forms use to slip through. This slimy, old school gore fest is an absolute hoot, with tons of cool gross-out effects and the smokin' hot Barbara C. rockin' S&M gear. What more do you need to have a good time?
"Taffin" (1988)
Before he was Bond, Pierce Brosnan was "Taffin," a tough guy debt collector in a small Irish town. The elders hire him to drive out some crooked corporate creeps who want to build a chemical factory in their pristine village, but he soon learns he might be in over his head.
Brosnan's performance is fine (and the unfortunately-named Alison Doody, who plays his love interest, is quite the hottie) but otherwise this is very slow and talky for a supposed "action" flick, there's way more yappin' than butt kickin'. Skip this one.
"Black Sheep" (2006)
Secret genetic experiments at a New Zealand farm turn a flock of ordinary, docile sheep into blood thirsty carnivores whose bites have transformative properties.
...soooo yeah, this is basically "Night of the Living Dead," but with sheep, and with special effects by Peter "Lord of the Rings" Jackson's WETA Workshop!
Of course the premise of this goofy, gory, very funny horror comedy is completely ludicrous, but cast makes it work by playing it completely straight-faced.Arguably the best movie about man-eating sheep I've ever seen. :D
"Tread" (2019)
A documentary about the strange saga of Marvin Heemeyer, a Colorado muffler-shop owner who had numerous business-related grievances against his local town council... so one fine day in 2004 he went on a rampage through town in a heavily armored bulldozer that he built in his garage.
The TV news footage of Marv's homemade Killdozer knocking down buildings, crushing cars, etc., is a sight to behold, and interviews with witnesses and tape recordings of Marv's "manifesto" create a bizarre but fascinating portrait of a troubled guy who felt he'd been pushed too far and believed he was on a mission from God to destroy those who'd "wronged" him.
Moral of the story: don't p**s off a skilled mechanic and welder.
^ I will keep that in mind
7 Grandmasters - decent enough kung fu movie with bearded "masters" trying to figure out who is the GRAND master. The main guys daughter is cute and the plot was strong enough. I may break down and get Amazon Prime so i can watch the Celestial Shaw Brothers titles. I have a bunch of them in my basement but alas I don't have A DVD player anymore
3.5/5
"Fathom" (1967)
While prepping for a competition in Spain, foxy sky-diver "Fathom" Harvill (Raquel Welch) gets mixed up with a variety of spies, smugglers, and private eyes who are all searching for a priceless Chinese treasure.
This muddled spy spoof wasn't very good, but it's worth sitting through just to ogle Ms. Welch, who was arguably the hottest woman in the world at this time. She never could act worth a damn, but she spends the whole movie in a series of bikinis and other skimpy outfits, soooo... lame movie, but outstanding eye candy.
FELLINI: I'M A BORN LIAR (2002): Fellini documentary consisting of interviews interspersed with movie clips and a little behind-the-scenes footage, heavily focused on the latter part of his career ("Toby Dammit" and after). Nothing groundbreaking, but they do get some good quotes from Fellini (in a philosophical mood) and actors who've worked with him (most notably Donald Sutherland and Terrance Stamp). 3/5. An extra in the Criterion Fellini box set.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on February 21, 2021, 01:47:13 PM
"Tread" (2019)
A documentary about the strange saga of Marvin Heemeyer, a Colorado muffler-shop owner who had numerous business-related grievances against his local town council... so one fine day in 2004 he went on a rampage through town in a heavily armored bulldozer that he built in his garage.
The TV news footage of Marv's homemade Killdozer knocking down buildings, crushing cars, etc., is a sight to behold, and interviews with witnesses and tape recordings of Marv's "manifesto" create a bizarre but fascinating portrait of a troubled guy who felt he'd been pushed too far and believed he was on a mission from God to destroy those who'd "wronged" him.
Moral of the story: don't p**s off a skilled mechanic and welder.
I seen it the other night. Yeah- that guy was p**sed! :buggedout:
Chain Letter (2015) - laughably bad and boringly competent horror movie. Almost all the reviews are 1 star but one guy really liked it so I gave it a chance. He was wrong. I should send him a chain letter like the one in this garbage movie.
A guy sends a chain email to a kid who nervously forwards it to his friends. This marks them for death from some huge unstoppable guy who hates technology??? Wouldn't that mean he has to kill everyone in the entire world? and isn't he using it himself. It's ridiculously stupid. The cast has no personality but in their defense the script leaves them no room to develop their characters.
I almost never "MST3K' movies because I'm not named Mike Nelson and I'm not getting paid to do so, but I had no choice here. The red herrings were so obvious and the attempts to fight back were so feeble. A girl trapped in the bathroom used the lid of the toilet to wield against the killer, making no effort to escape through the window, which we all see in the shot. The opening scene is a creative and well done "kill" and that's it for the whole movie. The director must be Italian
1/5
Actually there was one interesting thing: in a shot of one girls room there a statue of a weird pig in the background. I wonder what that was
AMISTAD (1998) - Spielberg's brilliant and moving account of the 49 slaves who broke their chains and took over a slave ship, only to wash ashore in Martin van Buren's America, is a perennial favorite of mine. Perfect casting and a haunting soundtrack, plus the one and only Anthony Hopkins in an Oscar-nominated performance as John Quincy Adams - this is a powerful film that you won't forget! 5/5
"No Escape Room" (2018)
Visitors to a small-town "Escape Room" tourist attraction slowly begin to suspect that they're not really playing a "game," and that there's something supernatural going on behind the scenes.
This SyFy Original horror flick has a cool premise and some nice set designs, but the "secret" behind the Escape Room is never made very clear, so by the three quarter mark the movie is just spinning its wheels. I've seen worse, but you can safely skip this one.
IL BIDONE (1955): An aging con man finds his prospects and his dignity slipping away. A good performance by a very weary-looking, very sleazy Broderick Crawford is the reason to watch. 3/5.
"The Rift" (1990)
When a Navy submarine mysteriously disappears, a sister ship is dispatched to find out what happened to it. Following the sub's S.O.S. signal, they eventually discover an underwater cavern full of mutant seaweed and giant, carnivorous something-or-others. You can probably figure out the rest.
This low budget Spanish/American co-production (directed by Juan Piquer Simon of Pieces fame) was one of numerous "underwater" horror flicks that tried to capitalize on the release of James Cameron's The Abyss (see: Leviathan, Deep Star Six, Lords of the Deep, etc.). It's junk, but at least it's entertaining junk, thanks to some cool/cheap creature and gore effects and a cast full of familiar B-Movie regulars like Jack Scalia, Ray Wise and the great R. Lee Ermey.
Freaks: You're one of us (2020)
The title of this German movie is of course a Todd Browning reference. Wendy, a downtrodden cook in the uniquely German fast food 'Koteletthimmel' meets a tramp who tells her that the medication she is taking serves in fact to suppress her superpowers. So she stops taking the pills, and develops superstrength. She then discovers that there is conspiracy to keep her and others like her under control, and things get very complicated very quickly.
A German take on the 'what would happen if people had superpowers in a realistic setting' theme. It doesn't do anything particularly new, but it moves along nicely, and Cornelia Gröschel gives a great performance as Wendy, trying to make sense of her new found ability.
"The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini" (1966)
Before he can get into Heaven, a recently-deceased millionaire (Boris Karloff) must perform one good deed. He sends his foxy, ghostly assistant to his mansion to make sure his heirs receive their proper inheritance -- but the place is soon overrun by greedy lawyers, a gang of dim-witted bikers, a bus load of pool partying teens, and a gorilla (!), all searching for the old boy's loot.
This cheap, cheesy, campy mash up of Sixties beach movies and haunted-house flicks features lots of pretty girls running around in bikinis, some absolutely terrible rock 'n roll songs, (one of which is sung by Nancy Sinatra) and the most shameless, mugging over-acting you've ever seen outside of a Three Stooges short. An entertainingly terrible movie with great eye candy.
The Social Network - Somehow missed this one. It's very good, as you might surmise. Great lead performance, fantastic score, brilliantly edited. Visually, it's Fincher - so really good, reminds me of Zodiac especially. Sorkin can write some great scenes too. Some characters feel a bit thin at parts, and sometimes things don't fully add up, I guess, as some mild criticism. Like Timberlake's Sean Parker. I'd have preferred less of him or more of him, as is there was just enough to make him feel like a major character without quite enough meat.
Also, I'll say I'm glad I knew a little bit about how liberal it is with artistic license in this story though.
9/10.
SOUTHLAND TALES (2006): In a near-future America during WWIII, a nervous action movie star (Dwayne Johnson) finds himself used as a pawn between the Republicans and the Neo-Marxists. A deliberately chaotic, sprawling 2.5 hour satire that veers into nonsensical apocalyptic mayhem at the end; I find myself on the "love" side of love it or hate it. 4/5.
NIGHTS OF CABIRIA (1957): Follows the nocturnal adventures of Cabiria, an archetypal hooker with a heart of gold whose rough exterior hides a romantic soul. Of all Fellini's neorealist tragedies, this is the cruelest, because Cabiria is far more endearing than his male antiheroes; for all her rough edges, she's more a victim of circumstance than of bad choices. Her tragic flaw is hope. 4/5.
I Am Dragon. A Russian fantasy / love story. Incredibly predictable, but very sweet none the less. One to curl up and watch with a lady needing a romantic night.
I Wake Up Screaming - no one wakes up screaming in this really pretty engaging mystery staring the very mature Victor Mature. As a challenge, he and his friends make a star of a blonde waitress they meet. It works, but then she wants to go to Hollywood, leaving them in the dust. or she would have gone there except she gets killed. She was pretty annoying so the viewer might not be too broken up about it, but they still have to figure out who did it.
Was it her envious sister? One of the three stooges who made her famous? The gigantic detective investigating the whole thing?
I can never figure anything out and I more or less did with this one, but it was still colorful, albeit in black and white. Its been on the TCM film noir thing but I watched it on youtube.
4.5 /5
24 Hours to live - I don't know much about modern action movies but this was pretty good. A hit man is coerced into doing a job he doesn't want to do by his friend. They both work for Red Mountain, a scary private militia type firm that secretly runs the world. as the title indicates...he ends up with 24 hours to live! rather than go to Studio 54 or to church, he dedicates himself to stuff involving the case he's working on.
All the motivations and stuff made sense and there was a fair amount of unrealistic gunplay and stuff too, so it had depth and excitement. In the ago of super hero movies every week it is a little besides the point and appears to have had a relatively meager budget. I was impressed with Sinister and I'd say Hawke made a another good film choice
4.5 / 5
American Swing - interesting documentary about Plato's Retreat in NYC, a sex club. It was sort of like a dance club except people would not just dance with other people they would go have sex with them and lots of other strangers. I would have liked more info about how in the world they paced themselves. Do you go and have sex right away then go do one of the random activities they had...then go back? There are plenty of other gory details though.
As the 80's approached, this sort of thing became less popular and AIDS put the final nail in the coffin. The owner, Larry Levenson, ended up being a cabbie. Ron Jeremy, Anni Sprinkle, Melvin Van Peebles and various trenchcoat looking motherf**kers provide commentary.
One funny bit was where Abbie Hoffman, on the run from the law, really wanted to go there. They took him and...he struck out. "Only guy I ever seen who couldn't get laid at Plato's retreat" I wonder why?? haha
5/5
KEEP AN EYE OUT [AU POSTE!] (2018): A long interrogation of an innocent man accused of murder is complicated by another accidental death. Beginning with the arrest of a man for conducting a symphony orchestra in his underwear, this strange and funny, dialogue heavy 75-minute surrealist goof with absurd deaths and time-travel paradoxes inside of flashbacks is Quentin Dupieux's most Bunuelian movie to date. 3.5/5.
"Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story" (2020)
An enlightening (yet also depressing) documentary about the hit '90s Nicktoon and its obsessive weirdo creator, John Kricfalusi (aka "John K"), whose out-of-control, tyrannical work habits made for a hellish environment behind the scenes and eventually got him fired from Nickelodeon.
"R & S" still has a cult following today, but unfortunately the show's reputation has been even further tarnished by revelations about John K's abusive relationship with an underage intern in the early 2000s. I guess that's why we don't see "Ren & Stimpy" reruns on TV anymore. (sigh)
ISLAND ZERO - On a remote island off the coast of Maine, the normally rich fishery has collapsed. No fish, no lobster, nothing. Then all contact with the mainland is lost. And then the islanders themselves start to disappear. A fairly well-done, low budget creature feature with some memorable characters; nice way to waste an hour or two during a boring evening. 3.5/5
"Solo: A Star Wars Story" (2018)
Young Alden Ehrenreich steps into the role made famous by Harrison Ford in this "secret origin" story of the iconic character. The flick goes back to Han's youth as a small time thief and hustler and follows him as he joins a criminal crew for a dangerous interplanetary adventure. Along the way we see him meet Chewbacca and Lando for the first time and take possession of the famed Millennium Falcon.
...this was my second viewing of "Solo" and I thought it was tons of fun. Unfortunately its mediocre box office returns killed Disney/Lucasfilm's plans for an series of stand-alone "Star Wars Story" adventures, which is a bummer, cuz I would've liked to see more of these.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on March 06, 2021, 09:26:32 PM
"Solo: A Star Wars Story" (2018)
Young Alden Ehrenreich steps into the role made famous by Harrison Ford in this "secret origin" story of the iconic character. The flick goes back to Han's youth as a small time thief and hustler and follows him as he joins a criminal crew for a dangerous interplanetary adventure. Along the way we see him meet Chewbacca and Lando for the first time and take possession of the famed Millennium Falcon.
...this was my second viewing of "Solo" and I thought it was tons of fun. Unfortunately its mediocre box office returns killed Disney/Lucasfilm's plans for an series of stand-alone "Star Wars Story" adventures, which is a bummer, cuz I would've liked to see more of these.
I enjoyed this one as well. I didn't think he especially nailed the character of Han, but it was a fun space heist movie.
FREAKS (2018): 7-year old Chloe's dad keeps her locked in the house, warning her that if she goes outside people will consider her a freak and try to kill her; meanwhile, she's tempted by the ice cream truck that parks outside her house every day. Entertaining demonstration of how you can create a superhero-type movie with minimal effects on a low budget. Not crazy about taking the title of a much better film, though. 3/5.
"Demonia" (1990)
A lady archaeologist pokes around the ruins of a remote Sicilian monastery and re-awakens the p*ssed off spirits of some Satanic nuns (?) who were murdered by villagers there in the Middle Ages. Needless to say, this does not end well for anyone.
This late-career entry from Italian gore maven Lucio "Zombie" Fulci takes a while to kick into gear - the first half is a slog, but it more than makes up for that with the gloriously bats**t crazy second half, which is packed with wall to wall weirdness, sleaze (Satanic nun orgy!) and gore (Eye gouging, tongue impalement, crucifixions, and on and on...)
I'm a Lucio fan boy so I'll watch just about any damn thing with his name on it. Your mileage may vary depending on your tolerance for awkwardly paced, woodenly acted, poorly dubbed Italian splatter flicks.
^ I'm a BIG Fulci fan. I need to see that!.
The Sphinx (1933) - decent murder mystery with a likeable cast. A deaf mute is accused of murder repeatedly but always has an alibi. A group of police and reporters aren't buying it, especially when one of them's cute girlfriend becomes infatuated with him. 4/5
(https://storage.googleapis.com/production-sitebuilder-v1-0-1/101/201101/A7QKvIMk/ffe9d08232914e7e8c5f97d8bb977d8e)
There is no actual Egyptian Sphinx it's a nickname for the guy
THE FRANKENSTEIN THEORY (2012) I vaguely remembered renting this from Hastings back in the day, before that paragon of book, video and music stores went out of business. So when it popped up on my recommended Prime titles I decided to give it a shot, and I am glad I did! THE FRANKENSTEIN THEORY has just the right blend of tension, conflict, and terror that make for a successful found footage film. The "monster" is shown in just the right amount of vague detail - enough to be scary, but not enough to dispel the mystery that surrounds him. A nice creepy film for late night viewing! 4/5
The Maidens of Fetish Street (1966)
Also known as The Girls on F Street. Basically Russ Meyer Sin City style. Set improbably in a 1928 that is indistinguishable from 1966, a sexually frustrated guy seeks satisfaction. This is essentially a series of set pieces with hookers, strippers and even a bit of SM, while a pompous narrator goes on about how depraved this all is. The latter part is either a clever way of getting the movie past the censors, or the most egregious bit of hypocrisy in the history of film. It is beautifully shot, however, in atmospheric black and white. Also lots of boobs.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on March 07, 2021, 12:17:07 PM
"Demonia" (1990)
A lady archaeologist pokes around the ruins of a remote Sicilian monastery and re-awakens the p*ssed off spirits of some Satanic nuns (?) who were murdered by villagers there in the Middle Ages. Needless to say, this does not end well for anyone.
This late-career entry from Italian gore maven Lucio "Zombie" Fulci takes a while to kick into gear - the first half is a slog, but it more than makes up for that with the gloriously bats**t crazy second half, which is packed with wall to wall weirdness, sleaze (Satanic nun orgy!) and gore (Eye gouging, tongue impalement, crucifixions, and on and on...)
I'm a Lucio fan boy so I'll watch just about any damn thing with his name on it. Your mileage may vary depending on your tolerance for awkwardly paced, woodenly acted, poorly dubbed Italian splatter flicks.
I started to watch this- but turned it off.
Not because I wasn't enjoying it! I'm saving it for like midnight.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on March 06, 2021, 03:52:42 PM
"Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story" (2020)
An enlightening (yet also depressing) documentary about the hit '90s Nicktoon and its obsessive weirdo creator, John Kricfalusi (aka "John K"), whose out-of-control, tyrannical work habits made for a hellish environment behind the scenes and eventually got him fired from Nickelodeon.
"R & S" still has a cult following today, but unfortunately the show's reputation has been even further tarnished by revelations about John K's abusive relationship with an underage intern in the early 2000s. I guess that's why we don't see "Ren & Stimpy" reruns on TV anymore. (sigh)
Interesting, I wasn't aware of this documentary. I love Ren & Stimpty but I have to admit, after the second season it went downhill reaaaally bad. As in, it's nearly unwatchable after that, to me at least.
i disagree but than though i do have all of them on dvd of the original show and some of them i think are cut... i still enjoy it after season 1 but to each their own i i suppose.
anyways, the last thing i watched was Captain American Civil Wars (2016) 10/10 great film though it's not in my favorites of the films i do think it's a damn good film. i've been watching them in order i do have them all on 4K well all of them but 4 of them. and they are The Incredible Hulk (2008) Age of Ultron (2015)
Homecoming (2017) and Infinity War (2018) the rest i have on 4K
TO YOUR LAST DEATH (2020) - The four adult children of an arms tycoon are summoned to his high-rise office complex and pitted in a deadly game to the death - first against his minions, and then against each other. But there is something more at work here - a deadly game in which they are only pawns. this animated horror film is brilliantly written and features one plot twist after another. TOTALLY worth the viewing!! 5/5
Saw My Neighbors Doing The Wild Thing :wink:
PANMAN (2014) A guy with a pan on his head kills culinary students. He's possessed by the spirit of a dead chef. Lame freebie on Amazon Prime. 2/5
so did you grab some popcorn and a can or bottle of beer?
LAWLESS (2012) - A ruthless Federal agent comes to rural Virginia to help the local sheriff shut down the county's most notorious gang of bootleggers - but the new "Special Deputy's" tactics are so brutal they backfire, and a full-on moonshine war is the result! Well made and well cast, this Prohibition-era gangster flick was an enjoyable watch, with Jessica Chastain serving as an admirable love interest/eye candy. Well done film!! 4/5
Boss Level - Hulu's new breezy time-loop action-comedy. About a guy who keeps getting killed by a team of kooky assassins, only to wake up the next day. He must figure out why and how to survive it.
This has some pretty fun gags and is decently entertaining. Frank Grillo is a pretty good lead - except for his voiceover, which I thought was often pretty weak. Mel Gibson as a side character gets a few fun lines. Some of the action and comedy bits are solid. But the film is also quite half-baked in its writing. Feels like a rough draft, with bits that pay off but poorly, underdeveloped side characters, plotholes and poorly explained developments that feel like unforced writing mistakes. An example - the main character has to tell a child some piece of information, and it's not the piece of info he literally just said he'd have to tell them now. This did not seem intended or edited as if it was a reversal either, just seems like a pure mistake, a strange one.
Also think this film would have been much stronger with more visual storytelling and less reliance on narration, which really feels like a crutch in this one. It'll really make you appreciate how well-written and edited Groundhog Day is, if you didn't already. Like compare how they handle the lead's growing despair, or his moving towards different goals.
Still, it's short, generally funny and knows its place - an 84 minute film (minus really long credits) you'll mostly forget in a few days. Not a bad late night watch with a few friends and maybe two or three beers if that's your thing. 6/10.
Blue Film Woman (1969)
Continuing to explore the artsy exploitation movies on Mubi, this time Japan.
Wikipedia tells me this is one of the first pinku movies to be shot in colour. A stock broker makes a bad investment and ends up ruined by a loan shark. He commits suicide, and his daughter vows revenge on the loan shark, taking up prostitution as an easy way to make money, until she gets caught up by her nefarious schemes (and doesn't get revenge, as far as I can see)
This is essentially an artsy porn. There is a lot of sex, only some of it consensual, but you don't get to see much. People keep a lot of their clothes on and everything is shot in close up anyway. The movie's power to shock has long since evaporated, but it is interesting as a document of Mad Men era Japan. Very very artistically filmed, with all the tics that make up a 60s art movie.
Shield For Murder (1954) - A cop who's been on the job too long decides to pull a little heist of his own. He robs a crook of a bag of money then kills him and says the guy was trying to escape. He wants to get off the force and move into a bungalow with his small androgynous girlfriend. Well, I guess she is a regular girl but I thought that would be a nice sordid twist. Anyway, too bad for him because there was a witness. Can he manage to get the girl and the money and go to South America, the utopia of all black and white era crooks?
This is more on the crime story side of film noir rather than atmosphere/ psychology side and there are no epic memorable shots like Nightmare Alley but it's rock solid
4.25 /5
"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" (2016)
The daughter of the Empire's chief weapons designer helps the Rebel Alliance steal the plans for the Death Star in this "Star Wars" spin-off/prequel which takes place immediately prior to the events in the original 1977 film. Essentially it's a good ole fashioned war movie (think "The Dirty Dozen") dressed up in "Star Wars" clothing but it's tons of action packed fun. This is definitely my favorite of the "new" Star Wars films, it's held up very well to repeated viewings.
"White Riot" (2019)
A documentary about Britain's Rock Against Racism organization, which formed in the late 70s to combat the rise of the white-supremacist National Front political party. Getting their message out with a combination of activism and music from the punk and reggae scenes, the Rock Against Racism story culminates with a massive 1978 concert in London that featured the Clash, Steel Pulse, Sham 69, and X-Ray Spex in front of 80,000 people. An interesting doc about a part of the punk movement that I didn't know much about. Worth a look, especially if you're a fan of any of the artists mentioned.
^ I never seen this doc, but I do know about Rock Against Racism movement in Britain. I have been a fan of punk from day one. Here I am in Michigan- punk was born here. I was living here.
With Iggy and the Stooges. Or MC5.
http://youtu.be/74jS3dW0DtE (http://youtu.be/74jS3dW0DtE)
The Neighbor (2017) - ehhh....This was watcheable but a little off and kind of Tax Shelter ish. Mostly it reminded me of the show "Fear Thy Neighbor" on ID channel.
A 50's ish guy whose whole family seems to hate him gets into a dilemma with his new neighbors, a young attractive couple. The wife is hot and the husband is abusive, but the hot wife still loves the husband. Any man would look at this and run in the other direction but not our hero here. The actor has an odd restrained style. He reminded me of Super Dave Osborne a bit. The character badly needed some sort of overt appeal to make the situation believable. He would be great as a mental patient in a horror movie or something along those lines.
The type of thing you can put on and watch the whole way through without really being affected by it.
3.25 /5
Quote from: RCMerchant on March 13, 2021, 10:34:32 PM
^ I never seen this doc, but I do know about Rock Against Racism movement in Britain. I have been a fan of punk from day one. Here I am in Michigan- punk was born here. I was living here.
With Iggy and the Stooges. Or MC5.
Oh yeah, I love me some vintage punk rock, but I was more into the American stuff like the Ramones, Dead Boys, Misfits, etc. Aside from the Sex Pistols and the Clash I never knew much about the British scene. I gotta say though, after watching this doc I started going down a YouTube rabbit hole checking out Sham 69, X-Ray Spex, etc. and it was pretty badass, might have to do some more investigatin'....
"X-Men: Dark Phoenix" (2019)
During a rescue mission in space, the X-Men's Jean Grey comes into contact with a destructive cosmic force that turns her into the most powerful being on Earth. When a race of aliens who want that power arrive to take it from her, it will require the combined strength of the X-Men and Magneto's Brotherhood to stop them.
The X-Men franchise has been running on fumes for a while now, and though "Dark Phoenix" is slightly better than the last couple of entries, it's still not a must-see unless you've already sat through the rest of 'em and you want to run the table.
I found the South African film Heroes Die Hard - aka Mr Kingstreet's War - online. Starring John Saxon and Tippi Hedren, it was released in 1971 and was directed by the same person who directed The Demon. Not a bad film at all. 😊
THE CURIOUS DR. HUMPP (1969): A mad scientist uses his monster army to drug and kidnap horny hippies, whom he arouses so he can drain a fluid from them. There's also a talking brain in a jar. This is basically a 1950s-style mad science flick, but with black and white softcore sex scenes; not aimed at normal audiences, but trash connoisseurs may find some value here. Argentinian, but American producers later inserted more sex scenes, which are more explicit but badly integrated. A very generous 2 on a normal movie scale, but you'll probably enjoy it well enough as a bad movie.
i'm currently watching south park season 4
African King Fu Ninja's: Hitler and Tojo have discovered the secret of eternal youth and having escaped to Ghana at the end of World War 2, are rebuilding the Third Reich, with a martial arts tournament.
Not much else I can say about it really.
Quote from: Alex on March 16, 2021, 02:44:41 AM
African King Fu Ninja's: Hitler and Tojo have discovered the secret of eternal youth and having escaped to Ghana at the end of World War 2, are rebuilding the Third Reich, with a martial arts tournament.
Not much else I can say about it really.
That sounds delightfully bad.
Night Train To Terror: Three short stories based around a conversation between God and the Devil about who should win certain souls. The two are on board a train that is fated to crash at L.A.An interesting concept, but I felt the short stories themselves rather let the whole thing down. A bunch of musicians on board play the same song over and over again.
Quote from: indianasmith on March 16, 2021, 06:25:09 AM
Quote from: Alex on March 16, 2021, 02:44:41 AM
African King Fu Ninja's: Hitler and Tojo have discovered the secret of eternal youth and having escaped to Ghana at the end of World War 2, are rebuilding the Third Reich, with a martial arts tournament.
Not much else I can say about it really.
That sounds delightfully bad.
I can send you a link so you can watch it online if you wish.
Quote from: Alex on March 16, 2021, 07:24:22 AM
Night Train To Terror: Three short stories based around a conversation between God and the Devil about who should win certain souls. The two are on board a train that is fated to crash at L.A.An interesting concept, but I felt the short stories themselves rather let the whole thing down. A bunch of musicians on board play the same song over and over again.
This one is a great bad movie. The three stories were all originally feature films edited down to 20-25 minutes each, which makes them totally incoherent. And the song is fantastically bad! And they breakdance to it!
https://youtu.be/VUHsLZ5t5w8
Quote from: Rev. Powell on March 16, 2021, 07:53:02 AM
Quote from: Alex on March 16, 2021, 07:24:22 AM
Night Train To Terror: Three short stories based around a conversation between God and the Devil about who should win certain souls. The two are on board a train that is fated to crash at L.A.An interesting concept, but I felt the short stories themselves rather let the whole thing down. A bunch of musicians on board play the same song over and over again.
This one is a great bad movie. The three stories were all originally feature films edited down to 20-25 minutes each, which makes them totally incoherent. And the song is fantastically bad! And they breakdance to it!
https://youtu.be/VUHsLZ5t5w8
That explains why they didn't make much sense.
^ I seen this one! :bluesad:
I know the episode with Cameron Mitchell is from CATACLYSM (1980).
well i watched Elm Street 1 (1984) and 2 (1985) in the last 2 days now i'm on part 3 (1987) the only thing i hate about this film is one thing and that's the fact that Nancy dies in it i've never liked that at all. i also never liked that in part 4 the survivors from part 3 all die in it as well.
but i enjoy them all for what they are, though i think part 6 is the worst one
"The Church" (1989)
During the Crusades, the Knights Templar massacre an entire village of "witches" and then build a huge cathedral on top of their mass grave. In the present day, restoration work at the cathedral re-opens the tomb and lets the evil loose on a group of innocents trapped inside.
This Italian flick was co-written by Dario Argento and directed by Michele Soavi, later of "Cemetery Man" fame. Like most Spaghetti horrors, it suffers from pacing problems (it takes forever for the nasty stuff to start happening) and the usual stilted, awkward performances and dubbing, but it features lots of artsy/disturbing visuals, creepy Gothic locations and set designs, and nasty death scenes.
I saw this movie once before many years ago, when I didn't quite "get" Italian horror flicks yet. I don't think I liked it much then, but I enjoyed this second viewing.
Quote from: Alex on March 16, 2021, 02:44:41 AM
African King Fu Ninja's: Hitler and Tojo have discovered the secret of eternal youth and having escaped to Ghana at the end of World War 2, are rebuilding the Third Reich, with a martial arts tournament.
Not much else I can say about it really.
That kind of silliness deserves better production values.
"Killer Crocodile 2" (1990)
The construction of a new Caribbean resort is threatened by the appearance of another massive, toxic waste spawned crocodile with a taste for human flesh. A lady reporter and the survivor of the first "KC" movie try to stay off the menu.
This cheap, schlocky sequel is pretty much a re-run of the first movie, but the animatronic croc is pretty cool looking and the carnage count is impressive. More entertaining junk.
Quote from: Alex on March 16, 2021, 07:24:47 AM
Quote from: indianasmith on March 16, 2021, 06:25:09 AM
Quote from: Alex on March 16, 2021, 02:44:41 AM
African King Fu Ninja's: Hitler and Tojo have discovered the secret of eternal youth and having escaped to Ghana at the end of World War 2, are rebuilding the Third Reich, with a martial arts tournament.
Not much else I can say about it really.
That sounds delightfully bad.
I can send you a link so you can watch it online if you wish.
Please do!
Quote from: indianasmith on March 19, 2021, 06:10:40 AM
Quote from: Alex on March 16, 2021, 07:24:47 AM
Quote from: indianasmith on March 16, 2021, 06:25:09 AM
Quote from: Alex on March 16, 2021, 02:44:41 AM
African King Fu Ninja's: Hitler and Tojo have discovered the secret of eternal youth and having escaped to Ghana at the end of World War 2, are rebuilding the Third Reich, with a martial arts tournament.
Not much else I can say about it really.
That sounds delightfully bad.
I can send you a link so you can watch it online if you wish.
Please do!
Sent you a link and in the meantime, here is the trailer.
Error 404 (Not Found)!!1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFaJm2Uzqxk#)
"The Marine" (2006)
WWE star John Cena makes his acting debut in this utterly ridiculous but highly entertaining action flick. He plays John Triton, an ex-Marine who goes all One Man Army when his wife is taken hostage by a gang of jewel thieves (led by a hilariously dry Robert "Terminator 2" Patrick). "The Marine" is predictable as hell and dumb as a box of rocks but it's also tons of shoot'em up, blow'em up fun. A guilty pleasure.
Space Sweepers (2021)
A crew of misfits who barely make a living collecting and selling space junk, find a small child on one of their missions. This is in fact an android fitted with a bomb by a terrorist organisation. They try to sell it to what they assume are the terrorists, but find that not everything is at it seems and they are soon caught up in a much bigger conspiracy.
I didn't like this as much as I thought I would. I had problems with the pacing. The momentum is often interrupted for bits of exposition in odd places, or jumps to subplots because things have to be established, and even some slapstick comedy. In a movie which is more of a succession of set pieces than a coherent plot, keeping momentum is important. Also, the structure where the protagonists first try to achieve a certain goal, only to discover that the main goal is something different, works for me better in a TV series than a movie.
That being said, it has its moments. Shout out to Kim Tae-Ri, who you may recognize from The Handmaiden who really makes the character of Captain Jang stand out.
"The Last Blockbuster" (2020)
This documentary traces the rise and fall of the once mighty Blockbuster Video chain, which once boasted nearly 9000 locations around the world but now only consists of one family run franchise store in Bend, Oregon. A fun trrip down memory lane for those old enough to remember VHS and feel nostalgic for it.
Ironically, I watched it on Netflix. :D
TOOKEN (2014) - An extremely cheesy and unfunny spoof of the TAKEN franchise. 2.5/5
"Superman: Red Son" (2020)
This animated "Elseworlds" tale from the DC Universe asks, "what if the rocket carrying baby Kal-El had landed in the Soviet Union instead of the USA?"
Superman grows up to symbolize Russian might and eventually becomes the Soviet Premier at the height of the Cold War, where he clashes with Lex Luthor (who's President of the US in this story), romances Wonder Woman, and battles a Russian Batman and the all-American Green Lantern Corps.
The last twenty minutes of "Red Son" falls into the typical super-hero blasting and zapping, but the first hour is a very cool ride through an "alternate" DC Universe. Neat stuff.
"Hard Target" (1993)
A New Orleans drifter (Jean-Claude van Damme) offers to help a woman find her missing father, and ends up caught in a battle with a gang of killers who hunt humans for sport.
This was Hong Kong action director John Woo's first Hollywood film and his trademark stylishly filmed, lovingly captured slow-motion ultra-violence elevates the thin premise, which was obviously inspired by the classic story "The Most Dangerous Game." JCVD and Woo have both done better, but "Hard Target" was entertaining enough to provide some rainy afternoon mayhem.
i saw that one it's pretty good somewhere around the net is a workprint of it but i sadly don't have a copy of that.
i watched Doctor Strange (2016) late last night 10/10 great film
JULIET OF THE SPIRITS (1965): Housewife Juliet suspects her husband is cheating on her, and sees visions which alternately taunt her and help her deal with her feelings of betrayal. Fellini's first color film ventures even further into the realms of psychoanalytic filmmaking than did "8 1/2," by the end mixing phantasmagorical symbolism and reality into an inseparable emulsion. 4.5/5.
"Bettie Page Reveals All" (2013)
The life of the Fifties pin-up icon is examined via vintage photos and film clips, interviews with famous friends and fans (Hugh Hefner, Dita von Teese, comic artist Dave Stevens, etc.) and voice recordings of the reclusive Bettie herself, who passed away in 2008. A fun documentary about a legendary figure (pun intended) whose cult following has only grown larger as the years have passed.
COME TRUE (2020): A teenage girl, sleeping with friends or in the woods because of unspecified troubles at home, enters an experimental sleep study, then finds her life turned into a waking nightmare. A slow start and a lame left-field twist ending waste the decent-enough premise and good performance by Julia Sarah Stone. 2.5/5.
Quote from: pennywise37 on March 24, 2021, 08:56:28 PM
i watched Doctor Strange (2016) late last night 10/10 great film
Stan Lee's cameo in that is very funny. :teddyr:
"Justice League vs. the Fatal Five" (2019)
After kicking the Legion of Super Heroes' collective asses in the 31st century, a gang of future super villains time travel back to the present day and try to do the same to the Justice League. However, the veteran heroes like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman turn out to be a little tougher than these high-tech crooks expect.
A watchable, but unspectacular, entry in the DC Animated Universe series.
The Shark Is Still Working: a docco about the making and legacy of Jaws. Not bad at all.
HAM ON RYE (2019): 16-year-olds make their way to the local deli, where they engage in an arbitrary ritual that will determine their futures; the second half of the film follows those left behind in the small town. With no real plot to speak of, this strange and melancholy film runs out of steam well before it ends, but debuting director Tyler Taormina looks like one of the chosen ones. 3.5/5.
"The Death of Superman" (2018)
The super-powered alien death machine known as Doomsday has crash landed on Earth, and the only one who can stop him from killing everyone in sight is The Big Red S - or can he?
A mostly faithful animated adaptation of the famed 1992 "Death of Superman" comic story line (with a few tweaks to fit it into current DC Comics continuity), action packed with lots of cartoon mayhem and a legitimately tear jerking ending. Watch this one instead of DC's previous attempt at animating this story, "Superman: Doomsday," from 2007.
"Belushi" (2020)
The tragically short life and career of comedy superstar John Belushi is examined in this Showtime documentary that uses lots of rarely seen archive photos and videos and extensive interviews with those who knew him best, like Dan Aykroyd, Carrie Fisher, Harold Ramis, and more. Lots of good (and some very sad) stories are told and it left me wanting to revisit "Animal House" and "The Blues Brothers."
PROMETHEUS' GARDEN (1988): A surreal thirty-minute claymation short: Prometheus creates people from clay, and they almost immediately begin slaughtering each other. Everything in the movie is in constant flux, with clay people morphing into other people or abstract features; you might assume this is what the world would look like on a heroic dose of LSD---and you might be right. 3.5/5.
Quote from: Rev. Powell on March 28, 2021, 09:25:16 AM
HAM ON RYE (2019): 16-year-olds make their way to the local deli, where they engage in an arbitrary ritual that will determine their futures; the second half of the film follows those left behind in the small town. With no real plot to speak of, this strange and melancholy film runs out of steam well before it ends, but debuting director Tyler Taormina looks like one of the chosen ones. 3.5/5.
I was thinking of what to say about it, when I saw this post. For me, the problem is that is not so much a movie as an exercise in style. It rigorously sticks to its formula of 'documentary without commentary'. There is no explanation and no characters or narrative as such: we simply see people going about their business, and hear parts of conversation, all as a slice of life. I gather it was the director's ambition to see how much he could do within this formula, and to his credit, he can do a lot with it. However, not enough to make an actually interesting movie. It is easy to see why film critics adore it, however.
Petrified (2006) WOW was that a bad one stay away from this one guys and gals it's pretty bad it's a Charles Band Directed piece of garbage that tries to be like the x-files and it fails badly at it, it also tries to be a bit of a mystery as well and it fails at that as well and honestly the FX for a really low budget film i didn't think were too bad. i've seen far worse fx to be fair 2/10.
the only other thing i've been watching is CSI: Miami Season 1 as i own it on dvd
i just got done watching one of the worst films i've EVER seen in my life, it was so bad that i think if you recorded paint dry and sat and watched it for 60 hrs that would make a more enjoyable film than this one i watched. the acting was so bad that to use a quote from an early Cinema Snob episode from i think the first 10 or 20 episodes that he ever did you need a support group to get over on how bad this film is. the sad thing is the idea isn't that bad of an idea in fact it's a pretty solid original idea.
Every-so-often, boys disappear from the Delta House, a Sorority suspected to be based on cannibalism. that's not a bad idea for a film but the acting by the entire cast is so bad that it was VERY painful to sit through this thing and it's not just the acting, Julia Strain whom i never got why people love her? she's not any kind of good actress at all and Brinke Stevens was awful in it too but to be fair she as a tiny bit not a lot but a tiny bit better than Julia Strain. there's a cat fight in it that a pre schooler could have directed better. women can fight they can be bad asses just like some guys can be but if ya really wanted them to do a fight scene use their fists it makes for a more enjoyable fight than a poorly done cat fight,
the film in question is called Delta Delta Die (2003) MFV it was apparently filmed at the same time as Bleed (2002) MFV which is just how i phrase made for video that one is just a copy of scream it's bad but this one is far worse. this is another Charles band movie, i bought this because it was a band movie as i'm a huge Charles band fan of his movies anyways not of the man himself & i got it for a couple bucks back like 2010 i think? so it took me 11 years to watch it and i wish i would have waited 35 more years to watch it that's how bad it is. people say Plan 9 (1956) is bad? no that movie is freaking Citizen freaking Kane (1941) compared to this one that film is Gosford Park (2001) compared to this film.
Do not watch unless you drink a keg with a group of friends and are both drunk and stoned at the same time that's the only way to enjoy this film. i don't normally rate a movie like this and this would be a first to be honest but i''d say -50/10
Coherence (2013) - this "cerebral" sci fi movie was probably a little too chaotic for some people but I really enjoyed it, despite the by now somewhat cliche setting of "normie friends in California having a dinner party then something awful happens". A comet passes and messes up time and creates seperate realities a la Schrodingers (sp?) cat , which is referenced. good ending
4.5 /5
COHERENCE was good for zero budget.
MST3K: FIRE MAIDENS FROM OUTER SPACE: In the movie, a group of chain-smoking astronauts fly to the 13th moon of Jupiter where they encounter a race of alien girls in togas. Meanwhile, Crow's evil twin, Timmy, shows up and wreaks havoc. This is one of the slowest, and most padded (and I'm not just talking about the girl aliens, who were really cute) movies the crew ever watched; riffing is great, Timmy is fun. This is one of the few MST3Ks I had only seen part of years ago when it was first broadcast; good to get it officially under my belt. Somewhere in the 3.5-4/5 range.
it was ballsy to call it Coherence when in fact its kind of confusing
watching Hell Night right now and it really stinks
The Yin Yang Master (2021)
Not to be confused with the Yinyang master, dream of eternity (2020).
Netflix thought I'd like to see this, and they were right. This is a family friendly fantasy extravaganza, which only aims to dazzle and entertain. You have monsters, magic duels, star crossed lovers... the lot. It all moves at a brisk pace, with just enough plot to keep things interesting. Silly but fun.
"Freaky" (2020)
In a horrific twist on the old "Freaky Friday" formula, a nerdy high school girl (Katherine Newton) swaps bodies with a serial killer (Vince Vaughn) thanks to an ancient dagger with magical properties. Now she's only got 24 hours to switch them back before she's stuck in the killer's body forever.
A fast-moving, funny horror comedy from Blumhouse that works mainly due to the performances of its two leads -- Vaughn is a hoot when he's "playing" the teenage heroine -- and there's even some decent slasher-movie carnage moments. A fun time waster for a quiet Sunday afternoon.
INHERITANCE - The wealthy patriarch of a New York family passes away, leaving his oldest child - an up and coming NY District Attorney - with an ugly secret: In a secluded forest cellar, her father kept a man chained up for the better part of 30 years. Why? And what should she do with this man now that she knows about him?
Intriguing story with a nice twist at the end. 4/5
HONEYDEW (2020): A lost couple spend the night at a peculiar old woman's farmhouse. The story is a roller coaster, but not in a good way: it's a strong pre-credits sequence followed by a pedestrian first act leading to a superbly creepy second act ending in a disappointing resolution. The sound design and score are outstanding throughout, though. 2.5/5.
Mind Over murder (1979) - One my earliest memories was of the ESP trend. This was I guess capitalizing on that whole thing. Decent looking Deborah Raffin starts receiving messages about a terrorist attack on a plane and her yuppie husband (the guy from the BBC version of The Lathe of heaven, which is much better than this) thinks she's crazy. Besides hearing entire conversations she keeps seeing a bald man played by Andrew Prine.
The moments where she has visions are like a PCP nightmare and they happen all the time. Prine really gets into the role. It's a lot better than his Simon The Wizard movie.
4.25 / 5 made for TV and I have a feeling some of you saw it
http://youtu.be/WrufeZgyHgQ (http://youtu.be/WrufeZgyHgQ)]http://youtu.be/WrufeZgyHgQ
edit: Robert Englund, of all people, is in tha movie
COUNTRY OF HOTELS (2019): Three surreal stories involving a cheating couple, a paranoid software engineer, and a drunk musician in Room 508 of a hotel run by a strange Eastern European family. It's kind of like if David Lynch and Peter Strickland got together to produce an anthology series about a haunted hotel room, but their hearts weren't in it; although there are shivery bits, none of the three stories feels complete on its own, and nor do they add up to a larger mythology of much interest. 2/5.
i watched Shrek the third (2007) late last nite i hadn't seen the film in years, i have all 3 of them on bluray and i think i saw the 3rd one a couple of times but though it's a solid film it's not my favorite one. i'd say 8/10
"Clerks II" (2006)
After a fire claims the Quick Stop, Dante and Randall find equally soul crushing minimum wage jobs at a fast food joint. Dante's about to get married and move to Florida, so Randall plans a send off for his buddy which (naturally) spirals wildly out of control. (Two words: "Donkey Show.")
Kevin Smith's gleefully vulgar sequel to his 1994 indie classic features the same rapid fire, profane gags and dialogue yet it still manages to have a sweet side. It's not as gut bustingly hilarious as the original (of course) but it's still a ton of raunchy fun.
i agree Clerks 3 (2006) while not as nearly as good as the Original is still a fun movie i'd watch that any day of the week than Smith's awful Cop Out (2010) or Tusk (2014) i think that's the year? those are Painfully bad
the only Other thing i've been watching is Numbers (2005-2010) i'm on Season one (2005) as that's the only one i currently own great show though i watched it's entire run
Killers from Space (1954)
Best known for its aliens with ping pong ball eyes.
This is actually a lot better than I expected. There is very little padding and no tacked on cringy love story. The characters are on the whole sensible and competent and don't make silly decisions to keep the plot going. The main weakness is the design of the aliens themselves, and that they take the time to explain their plans at length so they can be defeated. (I'm guessing this must be one of the plans between numbers 1 and 8). Also, apart from a pilot right at the start, they don't actually kill anyone.
This is your standard nuclear power/mind control/alien invasion 50s movie. Pretty watchable, except for the silly aliens. There are also a lot of phone calls in this movie.
^ Fun movie!
Plus it's got Peter Graves!
(https://i.imgur.com/dmocJ2w.gif) (https://lunapic.com)
"Sudden Death" (1995)
It's game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in Pittsburgh, with the Vice-President of the U.S. in attendance. When terrorists take over the arena to hold the VP for ransom, his only hope is a firefighter (Jean Claude van Damme) who's at the game with his kids.
Soooo yeah, this is obviously yet another "Die Hard" knock off, but it's one of the better ones, thanks to the unique setting and the impressive stunt work and pyrotechnics. Silly, but entertaining.
Quote from: pennywise37 on April 09, 2021, 10:12:23 PM
i agree Clerks 3 (2006) while not as nearly as good as the Original is still a fun movie i'd watch that any day of the week than Smith's awful Cop Out (2010) or Tusk (2014) i think that's the year? those are Painfully bad
The original "Clerks" was lightning in a bottle. Kevin Smith will never be able to re-capture that vibe, no matter how hard he tries.
"The Blues Brothers" (1980)
Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi reprise their musical characters from "SNL" in this frenzied action/comedy. Freshly released from jail, Jake (Belushi) and Elwood (Aykroyd) are on a "mission from God" to re-unite their old band and put on a benefit show to save the Chicago orphanage they were raised in. The process is complicated thanks to constant interference from the Chicago P.D., Jake's well-armed, angry ex-girlfriend (Carrie Fisher) and the Illinois chapter of the Nazi Party.
"Blues Brothers" may be short on plot, but it delivers big time on mayhem (IMDb sez it once held a world record for most cars destroyed during filming), and the supporting cast includes a who's who of blues/R&B legends like James Brown, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and Cab Calloway. An endlessly quotable demolition derby with a bad-ass soundtrack!
i don't expect Smith to ever make a film better than Clerks anyways, my favorite film i think of his would be Zack and Miri make a porno (2008) the last film he did before he started smoking weed.
for me i haven't seen them all there but i'd say i've seen 95% of them i did love the last one though
FIVE ELEMENTS NINJAS (1981): A bandit gang gets help from a team of Japanese ninjas to defeat their rivals. There are about a thousand characters and the plot is basically this guy kicks that guy; it's all just an excuse for one impressively-staged battle scene after another, featuring a lot of unusual (and often ridiculous) ninja weapons and tactics. If you like Shaw Brothers stuff you'll dig this. On Netflix, it's been restored, so the sets and vibrant colors really look quite beautiful. 3.5/5, even higher for chopsocky fans.
"Malone" (1987)
Burt Reynolds is an ex-CIA agent who has car trouble while passing through a small town in the Northwest. While waiting for his car to get fixed, he befriends a local family and gets caught up in their fight with a wealthy businessman who has been buying up most of the town for mysterious, nefarious purposes.
Burt was in a low point of his career when he made this cheap looking butt kicker (and several others like it); compared to other "action" flicksthat were coming out around this same time, it felt like a made-for-TV movie. It was an OK time waster but nothing I would recommend, or ever sit through again.
i think i saw that one i really can't remember i'd have to see the trailer or try and watch it at some point but he's done a lot of bad ones i wonder what would be his worst film? i haven't seen them all either
The Dragon Lives Again (1977)
I sought this out after it was mentioned in the Bad Movies section.
This is by far the silliest movie I have seen in my life. Compared to this, something like Starcrash or Super Inframan has gravitas. Absolutely brilliant. WTF-level over 9000.
I just watched a 1930 movie on TCM called King of Jazz. I'd never heard of it before and it was excellent.
i dunno that one as i haven't seen it but the 1930's is my favorite era for movies actually and always has been i mean hell (1939) will i think always be the best years there ever has been for movies and i can't think of any other year that beats it. that's not to say the rest of those years haven't had good movies they have but that's my own opinion anyways. i've been watching the Saw Films i love these films i'm on Part 6 right now (2009) i watched Part 5 last night (2008) and part 4 the night before (2007) part 6 i haven't seen yet and it's so far pretty good i think
THE DAY OF THE BEAST (1995): A priest decides he must become a great sinner as part of a scheme to summon the Devil and stop the Apocalypse; he enlists a death metal fan and a TV occultist to help him. The three main characters are brilliantly realized, there's comedy and action and a naked LSD-addicted grandpa, and things start getting really wild around the halfway point and don't let up from there. If you've never seen an Alex de la Iglesia movie before, this would be a good place to start. 4.5/5.
^ I always wanted to see this.
Quote from: ER on April 13, 2021, 08:40:27 PM
I just watched a 1930 movie on TCM called King of Jazz. I'd never heard of it before and it was excellent.
Bela Lugosi was the MC for the Hungarian version!
(https://i.imgur.com/g3GFLsU.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
Quote from: RCMerchant on April 14, 2021, 10:13:42 AM
Quote from: ER on April 13, 2021, 08:40:27 PM
I just watched a 1930 movie on TCM called King of Jazz. I'd never heard of it before and it was excellent.
Bela Lugosi was the MC for the Hungarian version!
(https://i.imgur.com/g3GFLsU.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
That's
PAUL WHITEMAN with him...
^ yeah- that's why I posted it.
Quote from: ER on April 13, 2021, 08:40:27 PM
I just watched a 1930 movie on TCM called King of Jazz. I'd never heard of it before and it was excellent.
I saw some of it - two strip color - considered a lost film... until it was discovered 50 YEARS AGO... Quite dated and corny, interesting setups.
I saw JOHN QUALEN on The Andy Griffith Show last night... MARY ASTOR with FRANCHOT TONE in Alfred Hitchcock Presents... DAVID CASSIDY TONY DOW on ADAM-12 and - best of all - MARIE WINDSOR in THE DAY MARS INVADED EARTH (1965) a sorry excuse for a "movie" that is not only boring but also unconvincing, motionless... I like it. :lookingup:
Post Apocalyptic Commando Shark.
So the Soviet Union has returned and a nuclear exchange has devastated the world (but somehow left it looking just like it did before), and Soviet troops have landed on American soil, their efforts spearheaded by half man half shark hybrids that look like their heads are made from paper mache. Defending their homeland are a series of middle-aged militiamen who are mostly overweight, and have no idea how to use things like camouflage, or even fire their guns effectively. There was some scientist trying to come up with his own hybrid super soldier and uhm, well I am sure other stuff happened too.
I think this movie was made by a bunch of friends on a zero budget. It has a fun spirit, even if by any standard it isn't very good.
it's hard to believe that Bela was a dramatic actor for a long time before he did Dracula, i wonder how many of his films are missing though anyone know?
MST3K: ATTACK OF THE (THE) EYE CREATURES: Catching up on another one I hadn't seen since its original broadcast. The only thing I remembered was the oily drifter in a nightdress who thinks he's the young Jack Benny; turns out, he was the only thing worth remembering. A truly lousy Larry Buchanan monstrosity about space aliens covered in eyes who explode when you shine light on them; even Joel and the bots couldn't help much with this one. 3/5
Quote from: pennywise37 on April 17, 2021, 06:18:05 AM
it's hard to believe that Bela was a dramatic actor for a long time before he did Dracula, i wonder how many of his films are missing though anyone know?
Yeah- I do. Most of his films made by Star from Hungary are lost. His most famous lost film was the German film by FW Murnau (NOSFERATU 1922) version of DR.JEKYLL AND MR.HYDE called DER JANUSKOPF (1920). With Conrad Veidt- who just did the classic CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (1919).
This was not a bit part. He was second billed. And it was a major production.
Bela played Dr. Jekyll's butler who discovers the truth about his alter ego Mr.Hyde
(https://i.imgur.com/Cu4M1tX.jpg) (https://lunapic.com)
i dunno how many of his i have seen i'd have to count but i was looking at IMDB months ago and to take a guess and this is only a guess i got the impression by going through the stuff he did back than a lot of it does indeed exist but there are some lost course i dunno if i'm right or if IMDB is right.
i'd love to see his German stuff of course it would have to be translated as i don't know German at all i wish i did though. there's a lot of his films that are just painful to sit through cause they are so bad i dunno what the worst one is though that i've seen i can't pick cause those i've seen only once but what do you think is his worst?
THE AFTERMATH (1983) Two astronauts return from a year long space mission to find earth devastated by nuclear war. They spend their time fighting off cannibal mutants and rescuing pretty girls from a gang leader (Sid Haig) who is murdering all the male survivors and taking their women/kids hostage. Cheesy and dated but kinda fun; the bad guys were some of the worst shots I've ever seen - they make Imperial storm troopers look like expert marksmen! 4/5
The Shape of Water (2017)
Finally saw Guillermo Del Toro's homage/critique of classic B-movies. At times a bit self indulgent or on the nose, but very sweet.
i saw that too when it hit video whenever the hell it was and i enjoyed it quite a bit but it was one of those movies you watch only once if i recall. i didn't like it enough to want to buy it though
"Final Destination 5" (2011)
After narrowly surviving a catastrophic bridge collapse, a group of twenty somethings start to meet grisly ends one by one. Eventually they realize that they were all supposed to die on the bridge that day, leading to the usual panicked speeches about "figuring out how to defeat Death's plan!"
...in other words, there's nothing here that you haven't already seen in the other four "FD" movies, but the special effects are top notch and the elaborate death scenes are as hilariously brutal as ever.
Added bonus, a montage of kills from the entire series plays over the end credits, accompanied by AC/DC's "If You Want Blood." :D
Quote from: pennywise37 on April 17, 2021, 08:42:10 PM
i dunno how many of his i have seen i'd have to count but i was looking at IMDB months ago and to take a guess and this is only a guess i got the impression by going through the stuff he did back than a lot of it does indeed exist but there are some lost course i dunno if i'm right or if IMDB is right.
i'd love to see his German stuff of course it would have to be translated as i don't know German at all i wish i did though. there's a lot of his films that are just painful to sit through cause they are so bad i dunno what the worst one is though that i've seen i can't pick cause those i've seen only once but what do you think is his worst?
His worse? I would think BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA (1952)
"Haunted Hollywood" aka "The Dead Want Women" (2012)
In the Roaring Twenties a silent film actress, distraught at the end of her career due to "the talkies," kills several of her associates and then herself during a party at her swanky estate. In the present day, a pair of real estate agents tasked with cleaning the house so it can be sold discover that the spirits of those who died there are still hanging around the place... (bwa-ha-ha)
This is a Full Moon Studios movie, so of course it's cheap, silly, poorly acted junk. However, there are a lot of pretty girls in it and they're frequently undressed, therefore I was entertained... even if it was for the wrong reasons.
i haven't seen that one but since i've seen so many bad ones of his i dunno which one is worst, there is one i borrowed from a friend years ago but i forget which one it was cause it was that forgettable of a film. Final Destination 5 is the only one i haven't seen for some strange reason those are fun movies i think
Ford v. Ferrari
Good movie with some cool cars. Don't want to say more to avoid spoilers.
"Heavy Metal" (1981)
A trippy animated anthology flick based on stories from the French science-fiction adult comic magazine (aka Metal Hurlant), all revolving around various creatures' encounters with a source of cosmic evil called the "Loch-Nar."
This cult flick was pretty notorious in its day due to its R-rated depictions of cartoon boobs and gore... which were, of course, its main selling point for '80s teens (the soundtrack, which features heavy hitters like Dio-era Black Sabbath, Sammy Hagar, Stevie Nicks, Devo, and Nazareth also helped), but it hasn't aged all that well. Some segments are better than others and most of the animation is still pretty nice, but overall I liked this flick a lot better back when I first saw it in my college dorm after a few bong hits.
i saw that one and while i loved the soundtrack and the animation but the film i thought was just simply awful
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF (1969) Happened to catch this classic with James Garner on cable tonight, and it's just as much fun now as it was when I first saw it as a kid! Drifter James Garner blows into town on his way to Australia, and volunteers for the job of sheriff after the last three holders of the title lasted two months combine - with quick wits and faster guns he cleans up the town in no time, and wins the heart of the mayor's daughter to boot! 4/5
RAW (2006): A vegetarian girl develops an insatiable taste for meat after she eats a rabbit kidney as part of a veterinary school hazing ritual. It's not realistic, nor is it meant to be; but the imagery gets surprisingly, er, "raw." French. A lot of people indulge in pleasures of the flesh while away at college, but this is ridiculous! 4/5.
Feed the Gods. Two brothers and one fiancee go searching for their biological parents after their adoptive mother dies. They find something is most definitely wrong in the town they track their parents down to. A slow-burn horror, limited by its budget but one I enjoyed. You aren't going to see buckets of blood thrown at the screen (although there is some), or big special effects. Not going to be to everyone's tastes but I'd watch it again.
"Mean Man: The Story of Chris Holmes" (2020)
Former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes looks back on his life and career as he adjusts to living in Europe, where he's attempting to re-establish himself as a solo artist.
Chris can't sing worth a damn, which may not bode well for his new band, but otherwise he seems like a pretty cool, humble guy, who's just grateful to be out there making noise again after so many years. A fun, breezy documentary that made me want to dust off my vintage W.A.S.P. albums for the first time in a while.
The Father (2020) - A portrait of dementia. An aging Anthony Hopkins portrays a man going through it, as his daughter attempts to care for him. The narrative, characters, setting, and actors are fractured and change, reflecting the disease and it's progression. Anthony Hopkins is fantastic, running the gamut from menacing to funny. Olivia Coleman as his suffering daughter is also excellent. Music is just present, but skips and fits thematically. It's simply shot, but beauitful. The decision to anchor the film on Hopkins was a great one, as it forces you to attempt to pay attention, but still end up confused at times like the title character.
If you've dealt with family members with advanced dementia (as I have), expect to be deeply affected by the ending. I'm not ashamed to say I was.
9/10.
The Eye Creatures (1967)
Another one of the dreadful Larry Buchanan remakes of 50s movies, this time of The Attack of the Saucer Men. Painfully unfunny, it somehow manages to be even more nonsensical than the original. As with Zontar The Thing from Venus, parts are simply lifted from the original and put into a 60s setting, becoming completely incongruous in the process. The only effective bit is when the Mike character is chased by the aliens, but apart from those 3 minutes or so, the movie is silly and boring at the same time.
"Kevin Smith: Silent But Deadly" (2018)
Filmmaker/podcaster/comedian Kevin Smith performs to a packed house and tells lots of funny, foul mouthed stories about his family life, his career, and of course, how much he loves weed. Immediately after the show he suffered a near-fatal heart attack in his backstage dressing room, which makes the previous hour and ten minutes much more poignant. It would've sucked to lose this guy.
COLD GROUND (2018) A found footage movie set back in 1976, this film tells the story of David and Melissa, two French journalists who accompany an expedition into the Alps to investigate stories of strange disappearances and cattle mutilations. Seeking a group of scientists who have failed to report in for several days, they get stranded on the mountain top by an avalanche and attacked by strange, werewolf-like creatures with an appetite for human flesh. Slow in places, but creepy. Good creature effects, although you never get a really clear look at them, they move an attack more like a wild animal would than a person in a costume. Worth the hour and a half it took to watch it, and the actress who plays Melissa is quite lovely. 4/5
i really need to see that as i love Kevin Smith has it been 3 years already? damn does time go fast guys. i haven't really been watching movies but mainly tv shows i own on dvd such as i finished Season 2 of Law & Order Criminal Intent Season 2. i'm on Season 4 CSI Miami i started from Season 1 i'm on episode #80 i think?
and watching CSI and i'm on Season 3 on that one and season 2 on CSI NY. on the home show i have 1-12, on Miami i have 1-8, on NY i have 1-3
THINGS (1989): Three hosers from New Jersey drink beer while things infest their house and Amber Lynn breaks in every now and then to read news bulletins from cue cards. This is astoundingly bad on nearly every level: unlikable characters enacted by bad actors, terrible dialogue, frequent references to better horror movies you could be watching instead, confusing plotting, and frequent, halfway decent gore. Of course, bad movie fans will find this to be prime stinky cheese. 1/5 for normal folks, probably 3.5/5 or even higher to folks on this board.
Quote from: Rev. Powell on April 25, 2021, 03:38:23 PM
THINGS (1989): Three hosers from New Jersey drink beer while things infest their house and Amber Lynn breaks in every now and then to read news bulletins from cue cards. This is astoundingly bad on nearly every level: unlikable characters enacted by bad actors, terrible dialogue, frequent references to better horror movies you could be watching instead, confusing plotting, and frequent, halfway decent gore. Of course, bad movie fans will find this to be prime stinky cheese. 1/5 for normal folks, probably 3.5/5 or even higher to folks on this board.
You see the director's 1991 follow-up film finally got an OK quality release like a year ago, Rev? Another one to look into. It's called Wicked World.
I just watched Train to Busan: Peninsula. Quite lackluster followup unfortunately. I do appreciate they try to do something different (it's a bit like Doomsday for comparison)... But this just doesn't work. All the characters are weak, the villains are poorly developed, the narrative is barely coherent. Good action scenes and well-shot, a few fun gags and ideas, not boring, but everything else just doesn't do it and nothing gels. 4/10.
Quote from: Jim H on April 25, 2021, 11:00:52 PM
Quote from: Rev. Powell on April 25, 2021, 03:38:23 PM
THINGS (1989): Three hosers from New Jersey drink beer while things infest their house and Amber Lynn breaks in every now and then to read news bulletins from cue cards. This is astoundingly bad on nearly every level: unlikable characters enacted by bad actors, terrible dialogue, frequent references to better horror movies you could be watching instead, confusing plotting, and frequent, halfway decent gore. Of course, bad movie fans will find this to be prime stinky cheese. 1/5 for normal folks, probably 3.5/5 or even higher to folks on this board.
You see the director's 1991 follow-up film finally got an OK quality release like a year ago, Rev? Another one to look into. It's called Wicked World.
Yes, I saw that. He released a three-disc DVD set with his latest movie on it, too.
KONTROLL (2003) (rewatch): A Budapest kontroller (basically a subway conductor/ticket-taker) deals with rowdy travelers, rival kontroller squads, a prankster nicknamed "Bootsie" who makes a game out of running from the knotrollers, and a serial killer pushing people onto the tracks. Shot entirely in the Budapest subway system, the mixture of comedy, action, mystery and symbolism makes KONTROLL click, even though we never figure out exactly what it's a metaphor for. 4/5.
Sphere (1998) - I'm still kind of on the fence about having Dustin Hoffman be in this, but I did like it. Sharon Stone is good, Samuel Jackson is okay but still a question mark on Hoffman. He's a great actor don't get me wrong, but I don't picture him on a sealab 2021 style underwater thingy being in great danger and so forth.
Weird things are happening in a coral reef and the government fears it's due to some sort of UFO jammed in there. There's no protocol for dealing with this except a random, hypothetical working paper written by a psychiatrist (Hoffman) years ago simply to make money and with no expectation that it would ever actually be put into practice. Suddenly he's called into action and he, Stone, Jackson and millions of jellyfish battle it out for their minds and for planet Earth.
2 or so hours long. It's not a home run, but above average sci fi with a solid plot/ concept. circa 98 Stone was still pretty hot even with a buzz cut
4/5 on tubi
there's an interview Hoffman did a couple years back and he spoke about this film briefly, his kids apparently have names for all of his films that didn't work and one of them is for Sphere (1998) i haven't seen it but i just find it funny that his kids do that. he finds it funny too
THE MEG - Jason Statham battles Jurassic Shark in this deep-sea epic, with a great supporting role from Rain Wilson. Not as good as the book it was based on, but its accurate portrayal of Megalodon, the prehistoric shark that could bite a whale in half, provides some genuinely spooky moments. Now that I have a couple of nice Megalodon teeth in my fossil room (one of them about 5 1/2" long!), it made me appreciate the movie all the more. Glad these guys are extinct! 4/5
What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi's hilarious take on Interview With The Vampire (with a hint of Nosferatu). Highly recommended.
MST3K: HUMAN DUPLICATORS: The unmemorable movie has alien Richard Kiel creating android duplictates of scientists as part of a plan to conquer Earth. In Deep 13, Frank and Dr. Forrester have a case of the giggles over their invention. Another one I missed in its original run; not a standout episode but like everything in season 4 it's pretty good. 3/5.
F/X (1986) - This is one of those movies I'd seen but forgotten everything about so it was like seeing it for the first time. The story is good, but the execution is pretty clunky by today's standards. I don't think a professional crook would warn someone they are about to shoot them in the backseat of the car right before they do it. Audience's suspension of disbelief was a bit higher in the 80's than now though.
A special effects guy ( the Australian guy who was also in Cocktail then faded into obscurity) gets a strange offer: the government wants him to orchestrate a fake assassination of a mob guy so they can put him into witness relocation. It wouldn't be much of a movie if everything went according to plan, so it becomes a battle between various elements of the state with a whiff of 70's conspiracy movies.
good movie that everyone has I'm sure already seen
4.5 /5
"The Happytime Murders" (2018)
Set in a world where Muppet style characters live alongside humans, a puppet P.I. and a loud mouth L.A.P.D. policewoman (Melissa McCarthy) team up to find out who's murdering the cast of a popular puppet TV show. Yes, it's just as weird as it sounds.
Jim Henson's son Brian directed this bizarre, raunchy, foul-mouthed action comedy that's sort of like a mash up of "Meet the Feebles" and "Lethal Weapon." I have a feeling that his Dad would not have approved of this movie, but I thought it was good for a few cheap, dumb laughs.
"Forget About It" (2006)
Three old friends (Burt Reynolds, Charles Durning, and Robert Loggia) who live in an Arizona retirement village get mixed up with the Mafia and the FBI when they find a suitcase filled with stolen cash buried in the desert. So basically this is a mobbed-up "Grumpy Old Men."
Burt and his pals are clearly doing the best they can with this thin material (and Raquel Welch, who plays the foxy neighbor that all three guys have a crush on, still looks fabulous in her 60s) but the movie's cheap, TV sitcom production values and dopey script sink this one pretty quick. Skip it.
The House of Screaming Death.
An attempt to recapture the feeling of the old portmanteau movies. Despite the presence of a familiar face (Ian McNiece), I felt it fell somewhat flat. Would not recommend alas.
Willys Wonderland.
Nic Cage gets a job cleaning up an abandoned amusement arcade in return for getting his car fixed up. He spends the whole film not speaking, isn't phased by the existence of killer animatronics, likes energy drinks and can kick arse. Nothing about his character is explained which felt somewhat frustrating (at some points I was expecting him to turn out to be some sort of animatronic himself, and gives him the feel of a computer game protagonist). Some teenagers get involved and make decisions that really don't make sense given what they know about the place. This comes off as a cross between the original Childs Play movies and the Banana Splits one.
ABOUT ENDLESSNESS (2019): Pale, deadpan vignettes, including a priest who has lost his faith and a couple who are inexplicably flying over a Swedish city. Roy Andersson squeezes out more Scandinavian miniatures, mostly despairing and anticlimactic; it doesn't have the vitality of his earlier work and won't win new converts into the cult, and yet it's oddly soothing and comforting for those who are already fans. I'd recommend trying SONGS FROM THE SECOND FLOOR first, and if you like it tackling the movies in order. 3.5/5.
Thunder Road - A troubled young father's mother dies and he goes through the aftermath as a lot of his life falls apart. Best summary I can make. The main performance by writer/director/star/producer/composer Jim Cummings and the character he creates are pretty great. The unique, tumbling nature of the plot and character arc is pretty interesting. I'm not sure it fully gels in the final act, but I've never seen a lead quite like this one and he remains compellingly flawed start to finish. Totally worth a watch. 8/10.
"Inside Motorhead (2006)
This is another one of those low budget, semi-official music documentaries that are all over Amazon Prime, with the usual gang of British rock journalists (Dave Reynolds, Malcolm Dome, Jerry Ewing, etc.) discussing the classic early Motorhead catalog (i.e. the debut thru 1986's Orgasmatron) album by album. Some vintage live clips and interview footage of Lemmy and the boys provide added flavor.
As usual with these docs, long time fans won't really learn anything new but it was a decent enough time waster with my morning coffee.
"Caddyshack" (1980)
Classic sports comedy about a teenage caddy at a snooty country club who gets caught up in a battle on the links between the stuffy "old guard" (led by Ted Knight) and a loudmouth, low-class millionaire (Rodney Dangerfield). You've all seen it, I don't need to say any more except that it still holds up all these years later.
Quote from: FatFreddysCat on May 04, 2021, 09:41:08 PM
"Caddyshack" (1980)
Classic sports comedy about a teenage caddy at a snooty country club who gets caught up in a battle on the links between the stuffy "old guard" (led by Ted Knight) and a loudmouth, low-class millionaire (Rodney Dangerfield). You've all seen it, I don't need to say any more except that it still holds up all these years later.
Believe it or not, I've never seen CADDYSHACK.
^ Me either!
Really Caddyshack is one of the greatest films of all time and so not for kids either. it's one of the funniest films ever made period and i'd say the best film of (1980) or one of them anyways.
^ I dunno. Watching a gopher puppet dance to Kenny Loggins is not my cup off tea. And I can't stand Bill Murray or Chevy Chase.
Like early versions of Adam Sandler.
I seen parts. Always turned it off.
I've seen CADDYSHACK and hated it, not a single laugh form my part. I'm still confused about why it's regarded so highly, PORKY was a million times better and yet it's not as... uhm... "respected".
Wow! Surprised at the negative reactions to Caddyshack.
Well, let's just say it looks like the Royal Shakespeare Company compared to....
"Caddyshack II" (1988)
More hijinks on the links, as a loud mouthed real estate magnate (Jackie Mason) tries to fit in with Robert Stack and the rest of the blue bloods at Bushwood Country Club for the sake of his social-climbing daughter. When that doesn't work, he buys the club outright and turns it into a trashy mini-golf course, leading to another slobs-versus-snobs, winner-takes-all golf tournament.
...this years-too-late, who-asked-for-it sequel is kinda like the generic store brand version of Caddyshack. The only cast member who returns from the original is Chevy Chase, making little more than a glorified cameo - the rest of the characters are replaced by cheaper equivalents (Mason for Rodney, Stack for Ted Knight, Dan Aykroyd for Bill Murray). Even the gopher puppet seems to be going through the motions!
"Caddyshack II" is considered to be one of the worst sequels ever made -- Jackie Mason has famously said that he wishes he could buy up every copy in existence so he could burn them. Ouch!
"Ape vs. Monster" (2021)
When an experimental space capsule crash lands back on earth, scientists discover that the chimpanzee "pilot" has begun growing to immense size due to exposure to an alien goop. The same stuff has a similar effect on a gila monster near the crash site, which eventually leads to a clash between the two overgrown critters, with a bunch of puny humans caught in the middle.
Obviously this is The Asylum's knock-off of "Godzilla vs. Kong," and it features all of their usual trademarks -- cheap sets, awkward dialogue, terrible acting, crappy CGI, and an appearance by a slumming, D-list star (Eric "Julia's Brother" Roberts). It spends way too much time on talky, scientific mumbo-jumbo dialogue between the human characters and not enough on the creatures, so those expecting serious monster mayhem will be disappointed.
It's not the worst Asylum movie I've ever seen, but it isn't really worth your time, either.
Over the Moon (2020)
An American-Chinese hybrid trying very hard to be Disney. It is not a bad movie as such, just very predictable. The team was clearly working from a checklist of items that had been successful in previous Disney movies. That being said, it does have its moments and it has the cutest fluffy bunny in the history of animation.
I found it too much by the numbers to appeal to me, but then I also gave up on Frozen after half an hour. However the basic story of loss and family is solid, so it is a question of the glass being half full or half empty.
"The Wicker Man" (2006)
A police officer (Nicolas Cage) is summoned to an isolated island village to help search for a missing girl, but as he digs into the mystery he discovers that the seemingly tranquil community has a long history of Pagan sacrifice and murder.
This remake of a '70s British horror flick (which I've never seen) was a pretty notorious box office bomb, but it's turned into a minor cult item since then thanks to Cage's performance, which becomes incr