Recent viewings

Rev. Powell · May 26, 2016, 08:56:56 AM

TEKONKINKREET (2006): Two orphaned boys, fighting master Black and innocent White, balance each others lives as they scratch out a living in the gang-ridden urban hellhole nicknamed "Treasure Town." The interesting art style, with stylized humans moving among realistic backgrounds, highlights this anime that gives genre fans what they like: an imaginative fantasy world, action and violence, and a taste of psychedelic eye candy. 3.5/5.

Rev. Powell · May 27, 2016, 09:00:12 AM

EISENSTEIN IN GUANAJUATO (2015): Imaginary biopic in which famous and flamboyant Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein (BATTLESHIP POTEMPKIN) gives in to his repressed homosexual urges while in Mexico to shoot a film. Peter Greenaway directs like he's been possessed by the spirit of Ken Russell, who's now obsessed with split screens and desperate to come out, while Elmer Bäck hops around like a manic concoction of Yakov Smirnoff, Oscar Wilde, and Larry Fine. It's something to behold. Homophobes beware: there are a couple of sex scenes that are pretty dang explicit. The good news is, because Eisenstein is an icon in Russia and homosexuality is still taboo there, this movie p**sed off Putin to no end.

3.5/5.

FatFreddysCat · May 29, 2016, 07:48:24 AM

"Stripped" (2014)
http://youtu.be/S-sKf3KCRY4

Entertaining documentary that examines the rapidly-disappearing art form of newspaper comic strips, and explores the future of cartoonists working in the digital landscape. Interviewees include old schoolers like Mort "Beetle Bailey" Walker, Bill "Calvin & Hobbes" Watterson and Jeff "Foxtrot" Amend, as well as numerous young guns making their way in the world of web comics like "The Oatmeal" and "Hark! A Vagrant."

JaseSF · May 29, 2016, 09:21:34 PM

Caltiki, The Immortal Monster (1959): A group of archaeologists searching Mayan ruins unexpectedly stumble upon a blob-like monster which may just threaten the entire world.

While feeling kind of like a lower budget version of the Blob (with some touches of the Quatermass Xperiment thrown in too) only with scientists and not teenagers battling the monsters, this one actually surprised with some neat moments of suspense. It helped that they connected historical events and cosmological events into the plot and that starring actresses Didi Perego and Daniela Rocca were so easy on the eyes. John Merivale is a bit wooden in the lead but does prove likable and sympathetic trying to come to the aid of his family. This provided some cool gruesome moments and did a good job of building up its suspense and mystery. The monsters were well done I felt for the time and era. Overall I enjoyed this one more than I expected although it falls below both the Blob and Quatermass Xperiment in terms of overall quality yet has a tad more of a sleaze quality to it that some may enjoy. ***1/2 out of ***** stars.

Rev. Powell · May 30, 2016, 08:50:36 AM

THE LADY IN THE CAR WITH GLASSES AND A GUN (2015): When he's away on business, a Parisian secretary who has never seen the ocean takes her boss's Thunderbird on a road trip, but everywhere she goes people swear they've seen her before. Is she losing her mind? Very stylish and moody, and Freya Mavor is an attractive lead; too bad the twist relies on crazy coincidences. 2.5/5.

lester1/2jr · May 30, 2016, 11:05:00 PM

the Testament of Dr Mabuse - I enjoyed this for it's dark tone and classic and classy direction by Fritz Lang, but it's a little too confusing and scattered to recommend. kind of hard to describe the plot without giving it away but Mabuse is an evil mastermind and is kind of like Satan incarnate. He has minions who he seems to almost be able to communicate with telepathically or something. The movie is 2 hours plus long and badly needed another draft. some interesting ideas though, particularly Mabuses idea that the point of crime is to destroy society...or something 2.5 /5

RCMerchant · May 31, 2016, 07:08:46 AM

Quote from: lester1/2jr on May 30, 2016, 11:05:00 PM
the Testament of Dr Mabuse - I enjoyed this for it's dark tone and classic and classy direction by Fritz Lang, but it's a little too confusing and scattered to recommend. kind of hard to describe the plot without giving it away but Mabuse is an evil mastermind and is kind of like Satan incarnate. He has minions who he seems to almost be able to communicate with telepathically or something. The movie is 2 hours plus long and badly needed another draft. some interesting ideas though, particularly Mabuses idea that the point of crime is to destroy society...or something 2.5 /5

I really quite enjoyed this one-along with Lang's silent DR.MABUSE THE GAMBLER (1922)

Rev. Powell · May 31, 2016, 08:46:05 AM

NINJA HEAT [AKA NINJA BLACKLIST] (1972): A man gets out of jail and, together with his hothead brother, tracks down the six men who framed him. The plot is predictable (and at times ridiculous) and the fighting isn't the best, but the direction is otherwise decent and it features a cool Mandarin version of "El Condor Pasa" done a la Morricone. No ninjas. Mill Creek released this under the title "NINJA HEAT," which is apparently the same name as a 1988 cut-n-paste Godfrey Ho film that uses parts of this movie (with ninjas spliced in); could they make it any more confusing? 2/5.

It's hard to believe I bought four of those Mill Creek 50 packs years ago and I'm still making my way through them! What a value!

lester1/2jr · May 31, 2016, 09:55:38 AM

RC - yeah I liked it, I just wish it had been a little more focused because it had some interesting themes. Mabuse is kind of like the Joker or something using crime to achieve political sort of goals. black and white movies with dark sort of themes will always have a place in my viewing...thing.

indianasmith · May 31, 2016, 11:07:46 AM

My recent viewings:

GOODNIGHT MOMMY - Great German horror/suspense film about twin brothers whose mother returns from a lenthy hospital stay with her face swathed in bandages. Her odd behavior forces them to wonder - is this gauze-masked figure really there mother or not? Great twist ending! 4/5

RISEN - repeat viewing of this outstanding Christian film starring Joseph Fiennes as Clavius, a Roman military tribune tasked with finding the vanished body of a Galilean preacher in 33 AD. Yes, it's got a few historical flaws, but still very well done overall. 4/5

Then, last night, as is my tradition on Memorial Day, I watched SAVING PRIVATE RYAN - still, nearly 20 years later, one of the greatest World War II films ever made. The cemetery scene at the end makes me cry every single time. 5/5

alandhopewell · May 31, 2016, 01:48:41 PM

THE ATOMIC BRAIN (1962)
Rich old bat hires mad doctor to transplant her brain into a hot young body.

! No longer available

Yes, it's been done before, but so what?

lester1/2jr · June 01, 2016, 09:15:21 AM

Chained Heat 2 - the heat is still chained. or it was in 1993. Brigitte Nielsen is an evil prison warden in Prague, of all places. They're railroading people into her prison to make pornos and there's drugs and so forth going on. There's one older warden type woman who I thought was Dyan Thorne from the Ilsa series but it's not I checked. Her and Nielsen leave their tops on but after some initial trepidation everyone else gets naked. The plot has the potential to be really sordid and great but it's handled too sloppily and the acting and writing are too crappy to create any real tension. It's best enjoyed as some soft core vhs/ cable nostalgia, it's not very good exploitation despite the grindhouse-ish title.

When Brigitte Nielsen is your shining beacon of cinematic talent in the whole thing you know you are in a pretty disposable flick. props for having a respectable (irony?) nudity level though

2.5 /5

Rev. Powell · June 01, 2016, 11:46:24 AM

Quote from: lester1/2jr on June 01, 2016, 09:15:21 AM
Chained Heat 2 - the heat is still chained. or it was in 1993. Brigitte Nielsen is an evil prison warden in Prague, of all places. They're railroading people into her prison to make pornos and there's drugs and so forth going on. There's one older warden type woman who I thought was Dyan Thorne from the Ilsa series but it's not I checked. Her and Nielsen leave their tops on but after some initial trepidation everyone else gets naked. The plot has the potential to be really sordid and great but it's handled too sloppily and the acting and writing are too crappy to create any real tension. It's best enjoyed as some soft core vhs/ cable nostalgia, it's not very good exploitation despite the grindhouse-ish title.

When Brigitte Nielsen is your shining beacon of cinematic talent in the whole thing you know you are in a pretty disposable flick. props for having a respectable (irony?) nudity level though

2.5 /5

It was a disgrace to the name "Chained Heat." Franchise-killer.

FatFreddysCat · June 01, 2016, 01:11:27 PM

"Hudson Hawk" (1991)

http://youtu.be/wnTXz3vqppc

Bruce Willis is a recently-paroled master cat burglar who just wants to go straight...but he ends up getting mixed up in a plot involving the CIA, the Mafia, and the Vatican, all of whom want him to steal a long-lost treasure created by Leonardo da Vinci. Everyone involved seems to be having fun, but the flick feels like it was made up as it went along. This silly-as-hell slapstick caper comedy was a vanity project for Willis and was one of the biggest box office failures of 1991.

FatFreddysCat · June 02, 2016, 07:49:56 AM

"Smokey and the Bandit 2" (1980)
http://youtu.be/RdCUque5H2M

The Bandit, Snowman and Frog are on the road again in the unnecessary sequel to 1977's car-crash hit, racing from Florida to Dallas to deliver an elephant (?) to the Texas Republican Convention. Naturally, Sheriff Buford T. Justice (and his two brothers) are in hot pursuit, leading to the usual vehicular mayhem and goofball humor. I loved this movie when I was ten years old, but to say it's "aged badly" is putting it kindly. Stick with the original.