Recent Viewings, Part 2

[FatFreddysCat]

"Darkman II: The Return of Durant" (1994)
In the first of two direct-to-video sequels to Sam Raimi's cult anti-hero hit, Darkman (now played by Arnold Vosloo, taking over from Liam Neeson) faces off against the villainous Durant (Larry Drake, the only returning cast member from the O.G.) who inexplicably survived his fiery "death" in the first film and has emerged from a coma intent on taking over the city's illegal arms business. As you might expect, lots of stuff gets punched, crashes, and blows up real good. Basically, this is a "Batman" flick with a bigger mean streak. Better than expected for a DTV flick.

"Darkman III: Die Darkman Die" (1996)
Darkman has a new foe in this second sequel, a crazed business man (Jeff Fahey) who wants to capture the anti-hero and learn the secrets of his remarkable strength. A pretty straightforward action flick except for the weird sub plot where Darkman suddenly develops a soft spot for the villain's wife and young daughter (!) halfway through the movie. It's not terrible, but as villains go I preferred Larry Drake's quiet menace over Fahey's bug eyed scenery chewing. If you liked the other two, Darkman flicks you might as well sit thru this one as well.

[Rev. Powell]

A WOUNDED FAWN (2022): A schizophrenic serial killer takes a date to his remote cabin, but things don't go as planned. The setup is like a thriller, but the hallucinatory second half is a truly deranged look at a man (literally) fighting his demons. Premieres Thursday on Shudder. 3/5.

[ER]

The Secrets of Dumbledore. Blah, keep your secrets, Dumbledore. A weak movie made worse for not beginning to hide the fact it was a blatant cash grab from a studio that's lost its prized cash cow. I've watched Harry Potter fan films online I liked more. A D+ movie softened to a C- - out of sentimentality.

[lester1/2jr]

Return of the Living Dead (1985) - I am like a zombie returning again and again to this great classic. "They're rabid weasels" "have some respect for the dead" and all your favorite lines

5/5

[indianasmith]

Return of the Living Dead (1985) - I am like a zombie returning again and again to this great classic. "They're rabid weasels" "have some respect for the dead" and all your favorite lines

5/5

I saw that one in the theater in Japan in 1985 or '86.  LOVED it!!! (and watched it many times since)

[FatFreddysCat]

"Village of the Damned" (1995)
A mysterious shadow passes over a small California town, causing a mass blackout ... and a rash of sudden, unexplained pregnancies among the women folk. When the offspring are born, it soon becomes clear that these kiddos share a hive mind, possess unusual psychic powers, and have a serious mean streak. As if parenting wasn't hard enough already...
John Carpenter's remake of the 1960 British film tanked at the box office (and Carpenter himself apparently hates it), but I thought it was pretty cool. It's got a great cast incl. Christopher Reeve (it was his last film before the riding accident that paralyzed him), Mark Hamill, and Kirstie Alley, and lots of moody atmosphere. Worth re-visiting. 

"Duel" (1971)
After an incident on the highway with a large trailer truck, a motorist (Dennis Weaver) finds himself being pursued through the back roads of the California desert by the crazed, unseen truck driver, who appears intent on finishing him off.
A young Steven Spielberg directed this cool, made-for-TV cat-and-mouse suspense thriller with lots of fancy stunt driving. I've seen bits and pieces of this movie over the years but I think this is the first time I've ever seen it in its entirety. Cool stuff for fans of '70s automotive mayhem.

[Morpheus, the unwoke.]

Titus (1999)

Watched this to see Sir Ant go Shakespearen. It was a surreal movie featuring ancient Rome with radio, video games,motorized vehicles and guns. Hopkins carried the movie with his performance as the main character driven to utter madness. Hopkins has a gift for playing insane characters.

[indianasmith]

Titus (1999)

Watched this to see Sir Ant go Shakespearen. It was a surreal movie featuring ancient Rome with radio, video games,motorized vehicles and guns. Hopkins carried the movie with his performance as the main character driven to utter madness. Hopkins has a gift for playing insane characters.

Many critics consider this Shakespeare's absolute WORST play, but I will admit, Hopkins played the title role to the hilt.  What a bizarre story!

[lester1/2jr]

Indiana - I saw it in the theater as well. My Mom sat in a different seat but went in with me so I could get in. That woman is a saint.


Also, I watched the first episode of "The Slavs" it was a little hokey but I guess I'll stick with it. It is ...Slovakian!

[FatFreddysCat]

"Linda Lovelace For President" (1975)
A consortium of political outsiders select the "Deep Throat" starlet, playing herself in her lone attempt at "mainstream" acting, as their Presidential candidate. When Linda and her campaign team embark on a get-out-the-vote bus tour across the country (which of course leads to lots of wacky hi-jinks, bad double entendre jokes and of course, frequent nudity), she becomes so popular that the two major political parties are forced to put their differences aside and hire an inept assassin to take her out. Yes, really.
...I'd never heard of this movie, so when it turned up on Tubi it was simply too "what the f**k?" for me to resist pressing "play." The leading lady tries her best, but this cheap, campy sex comedy is eye rollingly corny, full of cheap gags and terrible, mugging acting by nearly everyone involved. It's like a bad '70s TV sitcom with a dirty mind. This might have raised a few eyebrows in 1975, but modern viewers will find it silly and tedious.

[lester1/2jr]

fat freddy - "soda water bottle, have a banana" is an improbable in-joke in my family.

[Morpheus, the unwoke.]

"Linda Lovelace For President" (1975)
A consortium of political outsiders select the "Deep Throat" starlet, playing herself in her lone attempt at "mainstream" acting, as their Presidential candidate. When Linda and her campaign team embark on a get-out-the-vote bus tour across the country (which of course leads to lots of wacky hi-jinks, bad double entendre jokes and of course, frequent nudity), she becomes so popular that the two major political parties are forced to put their differences aside and hire an inept assassin to take her out. Yes, really.
...I'd never heard of this movie, so when it turned up on Tubi it was simply too "what the f**k?" for me to resist pressing "play." The leading lady tries her best, but this cheap, campy sex comedy is eye rollingly corny, full of cheap gags and terrible, mugging acting by nearly everyone involved. It's like a bad '70s TV sitcom with a dirty mind. This might have raised a few eyebrows in 1975, but modern viewers will find it silly and tedious.

Try ''the happy hooker goes to washington'', you might like it as political sex farce...

[Rev. Powell]

THREE MINUTES: A LENGTHENING (2022): This documentary focuses on a three-minute home movie shot in a small Polish village on the eve of World War II; within a couple of years, most of the hundred or so people captured in the crowd shots would be murdered by the Nazis. A truly impressive artifact of research, as the filmmakers follow clues to figure out the identity of the town's residents and even track down a few survivors for interviews; a short (lengthened to just over an hour) and mostly engaging work that is a must-see for Holocaust doc completists. 3/5.

[indianasmith]

A COMEDY OF HORRORS (2021) - A substitute for the school librarian brings a special book of her own to read to the little children - a book full of macabre, terrifying stories that leave the kiddies a bit more traumatized with each vignette!  Four dark tales, each with its own unique twist, from a town where veryone is a clown, to a psychotic puppet, a murderous pack of desperate bridesmaids, and a superhero actor who has an unforgettable encounter with his biggest fan. Each story has a humorous twist, but the overall effect is terrifying to the kids.  Surprisingly well done, and free on Prime.

[Dr. Whom]

The Giant Gila Monster (1959)

My God, this was boring. This is, in fact, a teenage movie, with hotrods and rock'n roll, but with a monster thrown in to add excitement. As is usual in the period, the 'teenagers' are played by 30 years olds, with Don Sullivan at 29 looking the youngest of the bunch. Nothing much happens, there is just a lot of driving about and talking on the telephone. The main problem is that they don't have a monster, just some close up shots of a lizard (which Wikipedia informs me is not actually a gila monster). Even The Creeping Terror had some interaction between the actors and the monster. While putting a lizard among miniature cars is slightly more ominous than having a rabbit ravage a doll house, it is not enough to carry a film.

And then there is the moment when Don Sullivan gets out his banjo-ukulele hybrid and starts to sing.