Recent viewings

[JaseSF]

Watched Scrooge (1951) and It's A Wonderful Life again before Christmas, really wouldn't feel like Christmas without a viewing or two of each. Both of course are fantastic films. ***** out of ***** stars all the way with terrific lead performances by Alastair Sim and Jimmy Stewart respectively.

Also rewatched The Bishop's Wife and Miracle on 34th Street as well as Home Alone and Home Alone 2 with family. They all were much enjoyed. Definitely had a fun family night watching those.

Also recently rewatched For Richer or Poorer which I also rather like even though one has to swallow one's disbelief more than a few times. Still quite enjoyable in its own right.

[lester1/2jr]

Short Eyes (1977)- decent gritty blaxploitation cash in. The first half has the various races of people, even an Juan Epstein type jewish gang guy, interacting in jail and almost getting into fights and trading cigarettes for...other cigarettes or something. The second half is darker, it's when Short Eyes, a middle class white guy in for molesting little girls, becomes the focus and this stuff is unpleasant, though this part of the movie is more focused than the first. includes a cameo and musical performance by Isaac Hayes.

3.75/5

near the top of the second tier of blaxploitation, basically.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5VMJ2eLN-0&feature=related


Law and order SVU fans may appreciate it, based on a play I think.

[bob]

it's a love story, it's a human's are evil and ruining the planet movie, it's a birds are attacking movie

boy oh boy....this is one of those movies which are glorious if you're intoxicated

there are the infamous CGI birds which are great, many plot holes, exploding birds!!!

5/5 and maybe just maybe the best bad movie ever made

[FatFreddysCat]

"New Year's Evil" (1980)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euuX0aGvZ2o

Instantly forgettable slasher flick where a killer targets a rock DJ during her special New Year's Eve New Wave Countdown broadcast. This one has a hot leading lady and some unintentionally funny musical bits (lamest... mosh pits... EVER captured on film!) but other than that there's really nothing to see here.

[bob]

WOW, this is fantastic on its own but the visuals from the lbu ray make even more enjoyable

5/5

[InformationGeek]

Cowboys & Aliens: The first of three films I'm watching for midnight movie madness.  James Bond and Indiana Jones team up together to rescue the people of a town.  Lots of fun action, a nice mix of practical and CGI effects, suprisingly good acting, a pretty damn good western, and interesting designs for the aliens and their tech.  Outside of some slow points, I think this is a solid film.  I give this film a 4.5 out of 5.

[InformationGeek]

The Help: A young woman decides to write about the situation for black maids in Mississippi during the 60s.  There's lots of other things in it, but that would take too much time to cover.  I always find these kinds of films interesting to watch and this was no different.  Strong acting from everyone, solid humor and drama, likeable characters, but an adaption that seems to drop the ball in some areas from what I hear.  I give it a 4.5 out of 5.

Megamind: A loser supervillian finally succeeds in doing what he always wanted, killing off the big superhero of the city.  However, he soon discovers his life is quite boring and pretty pointless without the hero around so he decides to create his own new hero to fight him.  A pretty decent and funny animated comedy from Dreamworks with great animation and very good voice acting.  I also like the use of the licensed soundtrack in this film as well with all of the 80's songs Megamind uses for all of his entrances.  I give it a 4 out of 5.  Not Dreamworks best animated or even comedy, but a pretty fun one regardless.

[bob]

20/5

this movie is spectacular on regular DVD, but it just so much better on bluray, especially the shots of space and the trippy colorful trip at the end

mind blowing and awe inspiring 2001 is amazing

I haven't explored all the special features yet. but there is a good amount of them which is nice

the only minor complaint I have is that all the special features are available on the menu after the movie is finished, having never come across that before I was surprised to put it mildly

[Rev. Powell]

BLACK DEATH: A group of witch-hunters take a young monk along on a trip to a remote village that has somehow escaped the surrounding plague; due to demon worship, it's suspected.  Interesting, morally ambiguous historical adventure/drama that dimly evokes THE WICKER MAN and WITCHFINDER GENERAL; it flirts with turning into a horror movie but never quite does.  3.5/5.

[lester1/2jr]

Gymkata- Troll 2 type "good bad movie" but doesn't have Troll 2's offbeat off the cuff sense of humor or charm. It's like one of those Mike Dudikoff ninja movies but with a wimpy star and a way bigger budget than it knows what to do with. If they had done it on a shoestring it probably would have been alot better, alot less weird, and ...not nearly as dementedly enjoyable. I like when he goes to the town and gets in a fight and their just happens to be a well or something that is exactly like the horse or whatever in gymnastics.  Takes place in the fictional country of Parmistan.

3.75/5

[bob]

this is what Dog Day Afternoon would be if it was comedy and if the instead of robbing a bank the guys with the guns were a band and held a radio station hostage to get their demo tape heard on the air

lots of name actors in this: Michael Richards, Adam Sandler, Chris Farly, Steve Buscemi, Branden Frasier among others

4.5/5

[FatFreddysCat]

"Captain America: The First Avenger"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JerVrbLldXw

WWII-set actioner that retells the origin of Marvel's original super hero as he battles the insane Red Skull. Tons of fun, directed by Joe "The Rocketeer" Johnston.

[bob]

a historically accurate look at the oil business with Daniel Day Lewis as a Daniel Plainview an oil man who you do not want to make enemies with

great spx and acting throughout

5/5

[Rev. Powell]

THE FILMS OF KENNETH ANGER VOL. 2: A collection of underground legend Kenneth Anger's short films from his most important period: 1963-1980.  A mixed bag but the movies (including SCORPIO RISING, INVOCATION OF MY DEMON BROTHER and LUCIFER RISING) are visually impressive, psychedelic, and historically important.  4/5.

[alandhopewell]

"Evil Bong" (2006)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6hT0qFnucM
An ultra-low-budget, retarded-on-purpose stoner horror comedy flick from Charles "Puppet Master" Band's Full Moon Studios.

After a stoner buys a supposedly "cursed" bong online, he and his hesher roommates smoke from it and are drawn one by one into "Bong World," an alternate dimension that's populated by strippers that wear carnivorous bras. The only hope to stop Evil Bong from taking over the world is...CHAINSAW WIELDING TOMMY CHONG!! I swear, I'm not making any of this up.

...seriously, folks, I'm at a loss for words to describe this flick. This is quite possibly the most random movie I've seen in decades, or perhaps EVER, yet I laughed all the way through it. I guess I must be easily amused.

     There are good pictures, there are bad pictures, and there are Full Moon Pictures, sorta Corman for the late 20th-early 21st century.

     EVIL BONG was what I'd expect from the Band band, fried plot, village-workshop acting, Dollar General FX, and that facocta midget. Still, it was entertaining, worth the $5 I spent for the 8-pack of movies



     DEMONIC TOYS, MERIDIAN, and DECADENT EVIL are also Full Moon products.