Recent viewings

[lester1/2jr]

JD's Revenge-  This was an interesting , low budget cool but sort of strange movie.  If you like Bucktown or Blacula definately check it out.  The one thing you notice right awa is the main actor has a kind of bizarre acting style.  He's got this sort of crazy way of talking.   I don't know if that is on purpose but it is distracting.  the story is original though, an old 1940's gangster's spirit enters the body of said guy while he is being hypnotized onstage in one of those r rated nightclub hypnotist acts.  He gradually tranforms into JD and the Clark Kent ish guy is tranformed into the brutal yet relatively confident and strong gangster JD.  a bit slow in the begining but worth seeing.

[Rev. Powell]

THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939): Nothing new or original to say about this one.  Perfect storytelling.  5/5.

QUATERMASS AND THE PIT (1967):  A mystery arises when skeletons and a mysterious capsule made of almost indestructible metal are discovered in a subway excavation. Talky, sometimes intriguing horror masquerading as science fiction, with a memorably apocalyptic conclusion.  Worth seeing, but frankly, I was a bit underwhelmed after hearing how good this was for so many years.  3/5.

BODY DOUBLE (1984):  A claustrophobic actor witnesses a murder while peeping at a beautiful woman through a telescope.  This eroticized Hitchcock ripoff/tribute is fun at first, but the longer it goes on the more obvious it becomes just how wide the gulf between Brian de Palma and the Master really is.  2.5/5.

[lester1/2jr]

can help but think of American Psycho when Body Double comes up

[lester1/2jr]

All Tomorrows parties: Nico Live (1983) -  I'm a huge fan of Nico's post velvets stuff like "marbel Index"  "Desert Shore" and "The end".  I'm less familiar with the stuff she did in the early 80's which is when this tour took place.  I think the later songs are interesting to listen to but live you can see it wasn't a great idea and I eventually fast forwarded through those.  Luckily they only do a couple of these and mainly stick to her velvets songs and a bunch of her strongest solo material like "janitor of Lunacy"  "Afraid" and "Koenig" (called somethign else here).  It's two concerts and the first one is slightly better as it features a better sound mix.  I've heard some of these songs a million times but enjoyed hearing them again.  If you read the book "Nico: the end" this will be of particular interest as it takes place on the tour depressingly described in the book, including the awkward performance at the Hacienda brithday party.  thanks to the guy with the saxophone for ruining "Afraid" one of my favorite songs ever. 4/5

[Cthulhu]

The first hour of Mazes and monsters.
So far so stupid.

[3mnkids]

A simple plan~ Underrated movie IMO. The acting is great, the plot is interesting plus, I love the scenery. Puts me in the mood for winter. It shows how good people can sometimes do stupid things for money.

[Doggett]

Casino

5/5

Ace Rothstein, the gangsters favourite gambler, goes to Las Vegas to run a casino. Things go well until the gangsters back home send a guy called Nicky to make sure no one messes with Ace. While Nicky's there he decided to do a few jobs for himself and starts to make things a little complicated for Ace. Also, the Las Vegas crime families aren't too happy with an Italian gangster taking over and there there is further complications when Ace falls in love with Ginger, a woman who gradually falls apart with alcohol, greed and drugs the further the film goes on. I love this film. In the end, everyone gets what they had coming to them....

Oh, and Sharon Stone acts. Quite well. Yeah, I know. Weird.

[lester1/2jr]

HEROES OF WORLD CLASS... (2006)

see jaseSF more in depth review a few pages back for a...more in depth review!


As a kid I watched a ton of tv and pro wrestling was an obsession for a time.  We had the WWF up here n Boston but through "Pro Wrestling illustrated" I learned of other organizations, which because i couldn't see them made them seem all the more exotic and exciting.  I was psyched when WCCW came on up here though I think  it was after the death of David Von Erich who I can't recall ever seeing.  ONe group of wrestlers I especially liked were the really weird villains, which unfortunately get short thrif in this mammoth 3 hour plu doc.  "The missing link" was one of the strangest, Abdullah the Butcher, Kamala the Ugandan Giant.  the PT Barnum element of Pro wrestling was on display in all it's nationalist, probably racist glory.  They really gave the whole thing it's edge.

    I can forgive the filmakers here for not covering more of that though as the tale they tell is plenty enough to contemplate.  To make a long story short, the WCCW began by putting a ton of innovative technological and business acumen into play with fantastic results.  Losing David Von Erich was a blow, but they were still on their way to the seriously big big time.  It was not to be however, as the old guard could not understand the concept of making a fully integrated national wrestling league, another organization The WWF did.  it was all downhill from there as their best talents were scooped up either by Mcmahon and oc or their competitors in the AWA or NWA (eventually WCW).

    I loved the focus on the business side and the pinpointing of the strengths and weaknesses of the operation, really getting into the capitalist machinery of the operation.  The stuff with Kevin Von Erich is what I will rememebr most though and his families saga is really on a whole other level than simply a multi milion dollar wrestling venture.  "epic" 3 hour does not just refer to the length it is AN epic. 5/5

[JaseSF]

The Triumph and Tragedy of World Class Championship Wrestling (2007): this documentary was put out by WWE Video shortly after WWE purchased World Class's video library. While at times it does seem something of a retread of HEROES OF WORLD CLASS, I felt overall it was a more well-rounded examination of events. Not everyone interviewed actually agrees upon everyone else's interpretation of events which makes for some interesting viewing. The drugs issue seems to be explored a bit more here and while the old story about David's death seems to be stuck with by Kevin, Gary Hart suggests at one point that perhaps drugs mell well have been the major cause as has been widely thought and suspected by many wrestling fans for years.

Also Ken Mantell, who actually doesn't appear in this one, gets attacked by Gary Hart for his booking strategies but he is also in turn then defended by the Freebirds Michael Hayes and Buddy Roberts who do appear in this one. Also on hand for this documentary are Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin, Bill Irwin and Bill Mercer.

Kevin also explores a bit more fully the way his father treated him and his brothers. While he does defend his Dad a great deal, those times when he says he knows his father loved him, at times it seems like he has to repeat it to himself to fully believe it especially when he details about being sent to Japan to wrestle with a concussion where any blow to the head could well have killed him.

Disc One has some terrific bonus extras featuring interviews and skit segments reminscent of something WWF/WWE might have done years later done by World Class back in the early-mid 80s. Best of all is the skit featuring Jimmy Garvin forced to be David Von Erich's valet for a day after losing a match to him. Also there's some very entertaining interview segments done with Gino Hernandez and Chris Adams, Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin and Sunshine, and the Fabulous Freebirds. Also a neat bonus is the Badstreet USA music video featuring the Freebirds and an Iceman King Parsons video.

Disc Two features Bonus Matches from World Class's heyday. First up is a real old-school treat as Ricky Starr faces off with Texas mainstay Japanese villain Duke Keomuka in a best two out of three falls bout. This match proved far more enjoyable than I expected as shows the big contrast between what World Class was before it became World Class and what it was afterwards. *** out *****

Next was a Falls Count Anywhere No DQ match between Fritz Von Erich and King Kong Bundy. This was Fritz's retirement match and understandably Fritz was a bit past it by this point but still this remains a nice send off for the Texas hero. Still one does wish they had included a match with Fritz in his younger days as well. **1/2 out of *****

The third bout included may well be the best and most significant of the World Class era as Kerry Von Erich squared off against NWA World Champion Ric Flair for the NWA World Title inside a steel cage on Christmas night. Special guest referee for said bout is Freebird Michael Hayes. This match was the one which ignited the Von Erichs-Freebirds rivalry which in turn ignited the federation and made it a red hot territory in the 80s. The match itself proved quite good too even if its main focus was to set up an excellent angle. ****1/2 out of *****

Fourth match is a six man tag featuring Kevin and David Von Erich teaming with Iceman King Parsons against all three Freebirds Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts. It's an excellent showcase of the Freebirds. **** out of *****

Next was an Hair vs. Hair match between Buddy Roberts and Iceman King Parsons, a hot angle in World Class during the era. **1/2 out of *****

Finally there's a terrifically intense bout between Kevin Von Erich and Chris Adams who were embroiled in a feud *** out ***** and a decent brawl between Bruiser Brody and Abdullah the Butcher in a steel cage with Fritz as guest referee ** 1/2 out of *****.

Also included are a couple of disappointing bouts including a Badsteet street fight between the Freebirds vs. Fritz, Mike and Kevin Von Erich (at the David Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions show, Mike and his dad just really couldn't replace his brothers in this) ** out of *****, Chris Adams and Sunshine vs. Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin and Precious (World Class might have been the first to have divas involving themselves in the action but really these ladies shouldn't have been in the ring especially Precious and it shows in this match) *1/2 out of *****, Kamala vs. the Great Kabuki (by far the most disappointing inclusion, just completely forgettable throwaway bout) * out of *****, Bruiser Brody and the Missing Link vs. the One Man Gang and Rick Rude (another forgettable match) ** out of ***** and a tag team bout between the Fantastics and the Midnight Express who had better bouts years later in the NWA **1/2 out of *****.

Overall the match segments prove disappointing as there's not enough Von Erich footage (perhaps Vince McMahon is planning a special Von Erichs DVD?), no Gino Hernandez or Dynamic Duo match is included and many, many great matches went overlooked. The biggest glaring omission is Kerry winning the NWA World title from Flair at the David Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions.

Overall I'd give the documentary a 4/5 stars (or should that be Von Erich flying dropkicks?), the bonus extra segments/skits/interviews 5/5 stars and the bonus matches just 2.5/5 stars.

[3mnkids]

The shortcut~ Dont use the shortcut through the woods because a crazy man lives there and he will yell at you and chase you with shovels and stuff.    I only watched this because it was supposed  to have a "twist" ending..No more movies should be allowed to use that "twist" ending thing to get people to watch     anyway, the twist wasn't a twist at all and it was stupid. The acting was mediocre at best and down right painful at its worst.

It looked like an after school special,complete with generic named high school, football players, the geeky guy,cute blond,the new guy and the tomboyish girl that is just a friend. My time would have been better spent watching the ceiling fan go round and round, it would have been more entertaining at least.

[Cthulhu]

Shoot 'em up-Awesome. Just awesome.
It's an over the top, wisecracking, incredibly stupid ride of fun.

[indianasmith]

Last night I TRIED to watch a movie called NIGHTWATCHING, which apparently had the premise that Rembrandt actually painted an accusation of a spectacular crime in his most famous work, "The Night Watchmen".  Wordy, slow, and boring - of course, I had taken  some Benadryl after mowing the lawn and was half tranked out the whole time.  Rembrandt seemed to be fond of running around nekkid, and I could have done without his little weenie flopping around altogether.  Artists do, however, seem to wind up with some fairly hot women.

[lester1/2jr]

Bily CHildish: is dead (2006)  -  these guys took the wrong approach and it severly limits the appeal of this documentary.  They play up the semi celebrity of this pioneering garage rocker in his native england and TALK about his paintings and poetry as they ar related to his music and life and so forth.  they tell but don't show.  There are like 5 people in England who care about any of this stuff, Childish's contribution to the world is how he came out of the punk rock era and went any entirely different route than virtually any of his contemporaries.  Instead of playing pop music, metal or hardcore or experimental avant garde stuff he chose Yarbirds ish rock n roll perfect for very small clubs.  his biting guitar riffs were an enormous influence on both the seattle grunge scene and the american garage rock revival sort of scene.  Jack Whites small amp and retro style can be traced to childish via the Gories and other Detroit bands who saw the potential in what Childish did in the early 80's with the milkshakes and others.  I'm not a historian or expert on that stuff but this is how it seems to me.

  What they should have done was have alot of his music, some of his writing and a few of his (honestly not all that great) paintings and leave us wanting more of all the talking, I did enjoy shane McGowan and Holly Gologhtly.  the extras had more music and I enjoyed them more than the documentary itself.  3/5

[JaseSF]

The Inside Man (1984): A few years after a Russian submarine ran aground off Sweden's shore in 1981, an experimental laser capable of detecting underwater submarines is being developed. After this laser is stolen, a Swedish soldier named Thomas Kallin (Kåre Mölder) is recruited for a job as an inside man in hopes of uncovering the espionage plot designed to sell the laser to the highest bidder. Also on hand for this spy thriller are Dennis Hopper, Gösta Ekman, Hardy Krüger and David Wilson.

While this Cold War thriller has its moments, including some fine fight scenes, the sad truth is that Kåre Mölder just cannot live up to the action lead role. He just comes across as much too ordinary although this is actually relevant to the plot believe it or not. Still whenever he's on screen with Hopper, Ekman or Wilson, he just pales in comparison. They steal every scene in which they appear with our lead and Mölder, and not Hopper who usually gets top bill on DVD covers, is the real leading man here. Also it seems at times like they were trying to rise this a notch or two above the ordinary and while it does succeed on some levels (especially the supporting cast), it at other times seems to be going the route of ordinary action thrills with explosions, fights and softcore sex scenes. A mixed bag but definitey worth the buck I paid for it. **1/2 out of *****.

Cry Panic (1974): After a long night of driving on his way to San Franscisco, a tired David Ryder (John Forsythe) unexpectedly runs smack into a man walking down the middle of the highway. Ryder soon contacts the local authorities to report the accident but is stunned when they do not find a body?! Soon it becomes more and more clear to Ryder that someone isn't telling the truth and he finds himself getting caught up in a small town's deadly web of corruption.

This TV Movie is actually very, very good. The suspense is terrific and this mystery/thriller will have viewers guessing up to the very end just how things will turn out. It also boasts a talented veteran group of character actors besides Forsythe including Earl Holliman, Ralph Meeker and Anne Francis. Just good involving, engrossing TV suspense thriller. ***1/2 out of *****

The Star and the Story: Payment in Kind (1956): Howard Duff stars in this episode of the classic 1950s anthology series about a police lieutenant who is torn by a moral dilemma when his wife's surgeon, who had just performed life-saving surgery on her (the wife is played by Beverly Garland), confesses to him he's just recently murdered a woman who was blackmailing him.

The problem here is that the surgeon is never believable as a potential villain. It also doesn't help that a brutal murder isn't regarded as the horrendous crime it really is. A bit disturbing this one as a murderer is portrayed in a surprisingly sympathetic light. ** out of *****.

Four Star Playhouse: A Place of His Own (1953): Charles Boyer stars in this episode of the highly regarded 1950s anthology series as a war veteran nicknamed "The Commander". His real name is Claude Le Beau and he returned from the war a shell of his former self, his brain haven't been a bit fried from the combat. Regardless he is a well loved member of the community and seen more favorably than many others in his wealthy clan. His one and only dream is to have an house he can call all his own. When his shady brother kills a man, the Le Beau clan sees "The Commander " as a means of avoiding shame and scandal. Will this be the end of the Commander's dream?

This crime drama proves quite unusual given its subject matter but is strengthened by an appealing lead character and a neat twist or two before this ends. Also quite good in this one in a supporting role is one Jeannette Nolan, a familiar face in 1950s-60s antholgies. *** out of *****

[Jack]

Autopsy (2008) - Some kids are involved in a car accident and taken to a hospital.  Once there, we notice the hospital staff is acting a bit strangely, and once each kid is taken away for examination, they never return!  This was pretty average stuff.  It had good atmosphere, but thought the whole middle part of the movie, very little happens.  There are a lot of implausible things going on, like the fact that most of the kids are completely uninjured, yet still agree to be examined.  The last girl was pretty good, but overall the characters couldn't keep me interested in the film.  Some great and creative gore, gotta give credit there.  3/5.  Kept switching over to the football game, but the score was 28-0, so I ended up watching this to the end.