Recent viewings

[Rev. Powell]

RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL SON (1967): A man tries to reconnect with his family after being sent to an asylum due to an out-of-the-blue suicide attempt. In existentially grim B&W but without the satirical subversiveness of it's Czech New Wave brothers; it's mundane ennui recycled from French and Italian models. 1.5/5. This was the only movie on the set "Pearls of the Czech New Wave" that no one outside of Czechoslovakia had ever heard of and I'm glad I got it out of the way and can move on to the better stuff.

[JaseSF]

You Only Live Twice (1967):  MI6 Special Agent James Bond (Sean Connery) is sent to Japan to investigate when it's learned a secret unknown spacecraft used to abduct both American and Soviet manned spacecraft launches in orbit is suspected to have landed somewhere in the Sea of Japan area.

I really enjoyed this. Watching it brought back many good memories of when I saw it first as a kid. Here we get lots of action with car chases, kung fu fights, explosions and numerous spy thrills that stretch credibility. Lots of exotic, beautiful women (Akiko Wakabayashi, Karin Dor and Mie Hama) here too and one is never quite sure of just whom our hero Bond can trust. Just a huge epic spy adventure, this proves quite fun. Only negative perhaps is our lead villain from SPECTRE Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Donald Pleasance) is perhaps a bit too reserved although I do like Pleasance in the role following all the previous films huge build-up with regards to "Number 1".  ***1/2 out of ***** stars.

Baker's Hawk (1976): A young boy named Billy Baker (Lee Montgomery) comes to the rescue of an injured young hawk in the woods. Wanting help to heal the bird, Billy seeks out Mr. MacGraw (Burl Ives), a hermit who lives nearby and has a reputation in the area as "the crazy man" yet has been known to care for animals. Billy's parents meanwhile have problems of their own what with father Dan Baker (Clint Walker) becoming a deputy to try and get control over a dangerous vigilante mob force that's taking over the area and his Mom Jenny (Diane Baker) worried about both her husband and Billy when Mr. MacGraw becomes a target just because he's different than those around him.

This was pretty solid family entertainment with some good lessons about how it's wrong to mistreat others just because they're different and that one taking the law in their own hands is in reality not such a great idea. Lots of beautiful scenery in this one's Utah setting. The best element at work here is the friendship between Billy and Mac and their interactions with the hawk. Ives probably rises this one a notch or two with his performance.  *** out of ***** stars.

Casino Royale (1967):  A retired Sir James Bond (David Niven) is coaxed out of retirement to replace M (John Huston) and take on the latest SMERSH plot involving female assassins and SMERSH top secret agents Le Chiffre (Orson Welles) and Dr. Noah (his identity is a surprise). Bond undertakes a daring plan naming every MI5 agent James Bond 007 hoping to throw the enemy into confusion. One of the top James Bonds turn out to be Evelyn Tremble (Peter Sellers), an expert in baccarat who works alongside the clever and cunning Vesper Lynd (Ursula Andress) in an attempt to bring down Le Chiffre. Meanwhile Sir James Bond's daughter Mata Bond (Joanna Pettet) is sent on a special mission of her own.

This nutty comedy parody of James Bond spy adventure films plays like some psychedelic acid trip gone bad (at least that's what I assume it's supposed to look like). It's pretty crazy and surprisingly complex and hard to follow in terms of a plot assuming the plot is even supposed to make any sense which I'm not quite sure it is. This one just throws everything at the screen in a madcap finale where it seems like every suggestion likely thrown out was adopted and actually used in the film, regardless of how bad or how ridiculous the suggestion. This one's best moments actually come from Woody Allen IMO although his role proves rather brief yet significant. This is one movie that will have the viewer shaking their head in disbelief and going "what the f*ck!". **1/2 out of ***** stars.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996): Disney animated take on the classic Victor Hugo story with numerous songs and inanimate objects befriending the deformed bell-ringer Quasimodo (voiced by Tom Hulce) who must overcome the control and manipulation of an evil government minister named Frollo (voiced by Tony Jay) in order to save a Gypsy girl Esmeralda (voiced by Demi Moore).

While this pales greatly next to the 1925 and 1939 classics, I still have a soft spot for this adaptation that manages to convey a good message about not judging a book by its cover. The animation is also quite beautifully achieved but honestly this story seems best suited to a black and white palette and there are times this seems a bit too cutesy (perhaps because it was aimed at kids) although from a kids perspective, it's perhaps a bit too dark and serious most of its running time too. Still an enjoyable take on the story that has some surprisingly dark elements at work and shows good and evil can sometimes be found in the opposite place one expects them,  ***1/2 out of ***** stars.

[lester1/2jr]

The orphanage = scary 5/5

[Jack]

Devil's Den (2006) - a couple of guys go to a strip club in Mexico, only to find all the strippers are ghouls. Luckily there's a katana wielding ghoul hunter and a hot Asian assassin babe they can team up with to combat the demonic menace. This was a horror comedy with a clever sense of humor. Characters were likable and it was a pretty good waste of a Sunday evening. 3.25/5.

[FatFreddysCat]

"American Hardcore" (2006)
http://www.youtube.com/v/l1ZnFT2qAJU

Interesting, enjoyable documentary that details the humble beginnings, the rapid rise and sudden fall of hardcore punk in the U.S. during the years 1980-86. Loaded with lotsa cool vintage (ultra-violent!) live clips and new and old interviews with members of Black Flag, Bad Brains, Circle Jerks, Adolescents, Battalion of Saints, and too many more to mention. Even though I was only a casual hardcore fan back in the day I still dug this flick.   

[claws]

Botched (2007)

Three thieves plus hostages get stuck in an abandoned floor in some Russian high rise building. Religious nuts among the hostages and a blood thirsty maniac prowling about complicate matters.

Flashy "trapped" comedy with heaps of splatter and gore. Decent acting with fun and likeable characters, though the final half kind of runs out of steam. Still enjoyable 3.5/5

Bloody Reunion (2006)

Former students visit their terminal ill teacher. What started out as an emotional/happy reunion turns bitter as it is revealed that the teacher wasn't always nice to her students. When night falls a deranged killer with a rabbit mask starts murdering the young people.

Asian slasher with an Old School slasher vibe and a bit of nasty torture porn thrown in for good measure. Takes some time till it gets in gear plus lots of drawn out drama puts a damper on the fun at times. 3.5/5

[Rev. Powell]

THE JOKE (1969): A young Czechoslovakian man is expelled from the Communist party and sentenced to six years hard labor for writing "long live Trotsky" on a postcard as a joke; when he's released he tries to extract revenge from one of the students on the board. This portrait of a wrecked life is an important warning that an inflexible ideology will inevitably used by bullies as a personal weapon. From a novel by Milan Kundera, this has been called the most anti-Communist movie ever produced in a Communist country. 4/5.

[JaseSF]

Pony Express Rider (1976): Learning that his father was shot in the back over a land dispute, young Jimmie D. Richardson (Stewart Peterson) sets off west in search of the killer and along the way joins the Pony Express to increase his chances of making in to his target in Nevada.

The basic Western revenge motif at work here was probably fine in theory and there are indeed some good moments during the chase between killer and pursuer (and it's a bit surprising the pattern that's followed) but there are too many secondary and poorly conceived side plots taking away focus and the final climax proves something of a letdown too. Still I liked the cinematography and the basic Western look achieved here. Jack Elam's Crazy Charlie character seemed entirely pointless and added pretty much nothing and there's several other characters here who are introduced and never really get much use or add much really to the plot. Peterson, Buck Taylor, Ken Curtis and Henry Wilcoxon are all right here but Maureen McCormick (as Peterson's love interest) isn't given a whole lot to do aside from a memorable early scene. Definitely a mixed bag this one. **1/2 out of ***** stars.

[lester1/2jr]

Fat Freddy's cat- I liked that doc too. I began attending those types of show a little later in 87 and 88 and the vibe was a little different, more militatn sort of hardcore stuff.  I've found some of it has aged better than others for my tastes. Minor threat were brilliant, but preachy too. Negative Approach and Void sound amazing though.

[FatFreddysCat]

Fat Freddy's cat- I liked that doc too. I began attending those types of show a little later in 87 and 88 and the vibe was a little different, more militatn sort of hardcore stuff.  I've found some of it has aged better than others for my tastes. Minor threat were brilliant, but preachy too. Negative Approach and Void sound amazing though.

Cool, man. I have always been more of a "metal" guy than a hardcore guy but I saw my share of hardcore bands/shows during my concert-going days... Suicidal Tendencies, Enrage, LeeWay, etc. .. and for a while in the early 90s it seemed like any time I went to a thrash metal show there'd be a local hardcore band (or two) opening up. So yeah, I got my long-haired ass kicked in my share of mosh pits.  

I am gonna see if I can pick up the soundtrack to that doc on CD.

[lester1/2jr]

the Metal Evolution tv series was similar to that. I thought Hardcore kind of glossed over the formal elements of moving from punk to much faster hardcore and instead was too much like 'we were expressing rebellion blah blah blah". I mean im sure they were but it's not like hardcore came out of thin air.

The way metalheads got treated at hardcore shows was really deplorable.

[FatFreddysCat]

The way metalheads got treated at hardcore shows was really deplorable.

Oh yeah, I will never forget that Suicidal Tendencies show I went to in '89 or '90... the skinheads were on one side of the room, longhairs on the other, and when S.T. came on it was like the battle scenes in "Braveheart," both sides just rushed each other like "ARRRRRRRRRRGH!" and it was absolute frickin mayhem on the floor in front of the stage. I was waaaaaay at the back of the club with my back against the wall, wishing I had a crash helmet. :D

[Jack]

Inhabited (2003) - a family moves into an old house that has a little playhouse in the back yard. Their daughter loves the playhouse - too bad it's inhabited by little invisible monster critters who initially gain her trust (ah, kids are so innocent  ) but then turn mean. Of course mom and dad think she's just got an overactive imagination. The story was somewhat interesting as these things have terrorized other people who lived in the house previously, and that whole subplot fits together nicely like a little jigsaw puzzle. Other than that though, this is the type of thing I'll forget I ever saw in a couple of days. Okay characters, okay plot, etc. 3/5.

[claws]

Hitcher in the Dark (1989)

Rich spoiled psychopath picks up female hitchhikers at resorts and kills them in his RV. One day he gives young runaway Daniela a ride, drugs her and keeps her in chains in his RV. Apparently the girl reminds him of his astray Russian mother, more reason for him to get into the girl's pants 

Awkward Euro-Horror (Filmirage) filmed in Virginia. It's funny how the maker of this movie tries to pass it as American but never gets it right. And those Italian location scouts must be the worst location scouts ever as they always manage to find the most unappealing/ugly/uninteresting places to shoot their movies. 4/5 Cheese

[Rev. Powell]

Two more from the Czech New Wave set I bought.

CAPRICIOUS SUMMER (1968): Three middle aged friends become infatuated with the same woman, a beautiful young traveling magician's assistant. Underacted chaste Czech sex comedy, made for another place and time. 2/5.

PEARLS OF THE DEEP (1966): An anthology of adaptations of the short stories of Bohumil Hrabal by the young directors of the Czech New Wave.  Suffers from the unevenness inherent in all omnibus films; unfortunately, the two opening segments are pointless. The better installments involve a crazy man who paints every inch of his house, a surreal story of an artist who may be a serial killer, and an unlikely romantic encounter between a fiery Gypsy teenager and a timid young plumber's apprentice. 3/5.