Recent viewings

[FatFreddysCat]

"Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part I" (2012)
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The DC Animated Universe scores another winner with this adaptation of Frank Miller's classic 1986 graphic novel, which totally re-wrote the Batman myth and inspired pretty much every film and animated version of the character that has followed, to this very day. In Part I of the saga, Batman returns to Gotham City's streets after a 10 year absence and takes on a particularly brutal street gang known as "The Mutants," picking up a new Robin - a girl! - along the way. Nicely animated as usual, with an impressive voice cast that includes Peter "RoboCop" Weller as Batman.

I'll be watching Part 2 tomorrow night, when we finally get to see Bats face off with an older, wiser Joker!!

[Rev. Powell]

REPO MAN (1984): A shiftless punk kid takes a job as a car repossesor and finds himself among the many ruthless parties searching for a 1964 Chevy Malibu with a mysterious cargo in the trunk. This gritty punk satire has sharp dialogue and great performances by Emilio Estevez and Harry Dean Stanton and an appealing wackiness; worth another look after all these years. 4.5/5.

[ChaosTheory]

REPO MAN (1984): A shiftless punk kid takes a job as a car repossesor and finds himself among the many ruthless parties searching for a 1964 Chevy Malibu with a mysterious cargo in the trunk. This gritty punk satire has sharp dialogue and great performances by Emilio Estevez and Harry Dean Stanton and an appealing wackiness; worth another look after all these years. 4.5/5.

The Iggy Pop soundtrack was pretty boss too.
I'd like to think there's an alternate timeline where the Estevez side of that family is successful and the Sheens have long faded into obscurity.

[JaseSF]

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989): Following a series of accidents involving a baseball hitting a shrink ray machine, inventor Wayne Szalinski (Rick Moranis)'s kids and the next door neighbour kids are shrunk down to a size smaller than most insects. After being accidentally discarded into the trash, the four kids must somehow get across the vast jungle-like lawn hoping to get Szalinski's attention so he can perhaps return them to normal.

This film, including its FX, hold up surprisingly well after all these years. It a fun, family adventure type film with more than a few laughs thrown in for good measure. It isn't always as convincing as perhaps it should be but is without doubt the best film in the series of films it spawned. Matt Frewer also proves memorable here as the neighbor kids' dad. ***1/2 out of ***** stars.

3 Ninjas Kick Back (1994): The Three Ninjas (somewhat older here and a few casting changes later) return. Hoping to continue their ninja training, Grandpa Mori (Victor Wong) wants the boys to accompany him to Japan. However, their involvement in a baseball game might get in the way, that is, until the boys learn Grandpa Mori is in trouble after he becomes the target of an old enemy named Koga.

This was more of the same. Very similar to the original 3 Ninjas film, the plot is almost completely lifted from that film with a bit more action, potty humour and a new girl fighter named Miyo added to the mix. Decent enough kids fare but nothing special. Pretty much a guilty pleasure type of movie. *** out of ***** stars.

The Devil-Doll (1936): An escaped convict named Lavond (Lionel Barrymore) is obsessed with gaining vengeance upon those who plotted to put him wrongfully behind bars and in so doing have brought shame and pain upon his family. His partner during the escape it turns out was a mad scientist type who's devised a means of shrinking humans to doll size and then controlling them. Lavond and the inventor's wife Malita (Rafaela Ottiano) hide out at a local toy store while Lavond disguises himself as a kindly old woman.

This late offering from Tod Browning proves quite good. I was pleasantly surprised by how atmospheric and moving a story that this truly was. It wasn't quite as disturbing as a lot of Browning's other fare yet it definitely delivers some great moments. Grace Ford as the miniature Lachna proves quite memorable indeed and the miniature doll special effects are nicely pulled off for the era. Barrymore is really good in the lead as the tormented Lavond and his female disguise rather reminded me of Robin Williams in  Mrs. Doubtfire. Still this picture is not at all about humor, but it is very much about human emotions and the lengths to which they can carry us. **** out of ***** stars.

Angel, Alien and UFO Encounters From Another Dimension (2012): a documentary style film that examines imagery taken in photographs and orbs and speculates as to what the imagery might be - possibly angels, aliens or other dimensional beings.

This thing was just plain awful. It looks and feels very amateurish and one could spend just as much time speculating to whether one sees images of Jesus inside wallpaper or tile designs. It all just speculation with no real proof of anything aside from making out shapes in blurry photographs, highly questionable UFO footage much of which is obviously balloons floating in the sky. There might have been one of two images here that were interesting at most. The rest of thing is just ridiculous and a bore. The most memorable thing about this overall is the scenery footage taken from New Orleans, Phoenix, and Pittsburgh. * out of ***** stars.

[lester1/2jr]

I LOVE Repo Man. I can't believe I haven't seen devil doll

[FatFreddysCat]

"Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2" (2012)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUyQlvdbANQ

The animated version of Frank Miller's graphic novel concludes, and the second half is even more brutal and violent than the first. Now that Batman's taken care of the "Mutants" street gang, he turns his attention to a final (and I do mean final) battle with the Joker, then takes on Superman, who's been sent in by the President to put a stop to Batman's reign of terror... and oh yeah, a global nuclear war just happens to break out for good measure, which throws Gotham City into even more chaos than usual. 

Once again, nicely animated with tons of mayhem and great voice work. Definitely worth a look for all Bat-Fans.

[indianasmith]

I just finished watching SHARKNADO on the SyFy Channel.  One of the downright silliest movies I have ever seen.  So many plotholes, scientific impossibilities, and massive weather/light/water level inconsistencies that I lost count.  I laughed harder than I have in a long, long time!!

[Jack]

Oh man, I forgot all about Sharknodo    

Autopsy (2008) - a group of kids get in a car accident and are taken to the hospital - a spooky hospital with few employees who all act very strange. I don't think they're going to get proper medical attention lol. I liked this, the characters weren't much, in fact the bad characters were far more interesting than the good ones. Robert Patrick (Doggett from the X-Files) is the evil doctor in charge of the place. The plot made up for it though as it and had me wondering what the heck was going on at this place - and the climax was definitely worth it. 3.5/5.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Sharknado" (2013)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwsqFR5bh6Q

(Note: if the above trailer doesn't make you weep with joy, then you have no soul.)

SyFy and The Asylum present their most awesomely absurd co-production yet (and that's really sayin' something!!). A freak hurricane pounds Southern California and massive tidal waves flood the streets, carrying hordes of hungry sharks along with them. As if that weren't bad enough, the high winds then create waterspouts which pick up the sharks and hurl them around the city in a hungry, razor-toothed, whirling maelstrom of doom.

Shorefront bartender Finn (Played by Ian "Steve" from "90210" Ziering) and his bikini-clad, shotgun-toting waitress (Cassie Scerbo) survive the initial disaster and then have to make their way across the flooded, shark-infested streets of L.A. in order to rescue Finn's family, including ex-wife Tara Reid, who sadly is not aging well. Lots of munching, shooting, crashing, exploding, and chain sawing -- yes, chain sawing! - ensues.

Needless to say, "Sharknado" is hilariously terrible in the best possible way, with some of the most ridiculous CGI ever. Nuke some popcorn, turn off your brain, and enjoy.

[Rev. Powell]

THE GUY FROM HARLEM (1977): A guy from Harlem rescues a kidnapped woman from a drug kingpin. Porno movies of the same era had better acting, direction and production values (and more action). This is bottom-of-the-barrel blaxploitation. 0.5/5.

[lester1/2jr]

where / how did you see guy from Harlem?

[Rev. Powell]

where / how did you see guy from Harlem?

Mill Creek Martial Arts pack. I think they have changed the titles in it but it was in the one I have. Wish it wasn't, though. 

[BoyScoutKevin]

"Radio Ranch" As the downtown library continues with its first Sunday film club.

The 70-minute film version of the 3-hour, 12 chapter serial "Phantom Empire" w/ Gene Autry, Frankie Darro, as the juvenile interest, and Smiley Burnett, as the comic relief.

A number of firsts.

1st starring role for Autry, and the film that made him a star. Even though it was suppose to star Ken Maynard, before he got fired.
One of the 1st science fiction serials made.
One of the 1st films to feature TV as part of the plot.
One of the 1st sound films in America to feature robots.
And the 1st time I had ever seen a Gene Autry film.

A surprisingly good looking film. With good looking . . .
--cinematography
--costumes
--sets
--SFX
--stunts

With Autry singing 5 songs, the music was very good.

The writing was passable. With a story that was fairly complex.

Thus, the only shortcoming was the acting. Apparently, no one knew the meaning of restrained, and you can probably count the failure of the direction in that as well.

Next time: while there will continue to be a film each month, the next one I want to see won't be to December, when 1933's "Oliver Twist" with Dickie Moore as the title character will be shown.

[FatFreddysCat]

Double feature last night:

"Private School" (1983)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMCG-tdTXVU

Phoebe Cates (siiiigh....) followed up her epic turn in "Fast Times" with this plotless, generic sex comedy centered around the horny student bodies at an exclusive girls' academy, and the guys from the boys' school next door who love them. There's no story to speak of but there's plenty of half naked girls, a great early '80s soundtrack and plenty of cheap laughs. Fun in a "retro" kind of way if you grew up sneaking peeks at these movies on late night HBO like I did.  


And then for something completely different:

"Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths" (2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOtDCZZz1Os

The Justice League gets a visit from the Lex Luthor of an alternate Earth...and on his planet, he happens to be the only surviving member of their Justice League. He enlists the J.L. to come to his Earth to help him fight back against a syndicate of evil superbeings bent on not only ruling their planet, but taking over the entire Multiverse as well. VERY cool stuff here, it's loads of fun watching "our" heroes fighting bad guys who are their "evil opposites." Another winner from the DC Animated Universe.

[major jay]

NO ORCHIDS FOR MISS BLANDISH (1948)
This is a British film noir that tried to ape Hollywood noir from that period.
The dialogue is hilarious (and I do mean hilarious!), but the violence is pretty rough. All in all it's more Ed Wood than DOUBLE INDEMNITY. I liked very much. 4/5