Recent viewings

[Vik]

Suspiria
Dayum. That was pretty awesome, definitely lived up to the hype, although I wouldn't call it the scariest movie of all time...

[JaseSF]

1408 (2007): A disillusioned writer (John Cusack) who's turned to writing books about reputedly haunted places, despite the fact he actually believes in nothing  but apparently making a quick profit, becomes determined to spend the night in a reportedly evil haunted hotel room, Room 1408, in the Dolphin Hotel in  New York.

I found this pretty disappointing. Actually I watched both the Theatrical Version and the Director's Cut. The Director's Cut is definitely the better version just because it explains things more clearly, makes a lot more sense and is a lot less confusing. The ending is quite different between the two and I assume the film was likely altered to please movie viewing audiences. Anyways I just couldn't get into this the way I wanted although things definitely get pretty intense once we get to the hotel room. There are some great ideas here but honestly this film just drags on and on and Cusack's character just isn't very likable. I suspect this story would have worked better in a shorter format like as an hour long episode of an anthology series. This has some good moments but honestly I found this to be a bit dull. **1/2 out of ***** stars.

The Lion King (1994): Simba, the young heir to the throne of the Lion King, is tricked out of his birthright by his scheming uncle Scar who with the help of Hyenas manages to seize control of the throne. Eventually Simba who's gone on to live a peaceful jungle life with his newfound friends, the warthog  Pumbaa and the meerkat Timon, learns the truth and decides to return home to confront Scar and attempt to reclaim his birthright.

There's really very little new about this coming of age tale but it is very well done featuring fine voice work from the likes of Matthew Broderick, Jeremy irons, James Earl Jones,  Rowan Atkinson, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella and Robert Guillaume.  There's lot of fun scenes here and it should appeal to anyone young at heart. It doesn't really show the true gory reality of jungle life but then what else should one expect from a kids movie?  However it does surprisingly make some true references to the real world at times. Sadly this is also in many ways a formula film, one that Disney has copied again and again since this appeared with a young would be leader finding himself or herself cast out or misled only to meet new friends and with their help find their way back to their rightful place in the world (Actually Star Wars [and probably films even predating that] follows this general formula on some levels so it's really nothing new). **** out of ***** stars.

Scooby Doo in Arabian Nights (1994): Shaggy and Scooby apply to their latest dream jobs as royal food tasters for the Caliph only to eventually learn the real dangers involved in this occupation. Eventually Shaggy trying to elude capture from the royal guards dresses in drag and distracts the Caliph by telling him two stories, one featuring Yogi Bear and Boo Boo as genies trying to help a young girl named Aliyah-Din win the love of her Prince and the second a comedy take on Sinbad the Sailor with Magilla Gorilla playing Sinbad who unwittingly helps an evil sea Captain in his greedy desire to steal treasures. The first story is kind of a parody of Aladdin while the second feels more like something one might see on Dexter's Laboratory. It has some fun moments but would likely disappoint Scooby fans as really these stories only uses Scooby and Shaggy as storytellers to frame shorts about other characters. Typical TV fare for the early 1990s. **1/2 out of ***** stars.

Hell Night (1981):  Four young fraternity/sorority pledges (played by Linda Blair, Vincent Van Patten, Peter Barton and Suki Goodwin) are forced to spend the night in a reputedly haunted old manor. It all seems to be for laughs initially that is until teenagers eventually start turning up dead.

This atmospheric early 1980s slasher may offer little truly new but it is really surprisingly good featuring gripping suspense, likable characters and a terrific build to a very exciting conclusion. Great fun for an otherwise boring ordinary night, it would also make a great pick for Halloween viewing. ***1/2 out of ***** stars.

The Others (2001): A desperate mother (Nicole Kidman) tries to protect her photosensitive kids from everything be it the sunlight that threatens them every day or the ghostly intruders she eventually comes to believe have invaded her house. But how?

This atmospheric suspense/thriller/mystery is very well done. In fact it brings to mind similar horror style thrillers common in the early 1960s. It feels unsettling, dreamy and otherworldly and the story takes some turns I for one never saw coming until well into it. It also builds  the story slowly establishing the characters enough that we care about them and their potential fates. Good stuff. ***1/2 out of ***** stars.

I also watched several episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents which appeared on Doctor Madblood's show in Virginia, tapes I got from a friend in the U.S.. First there was "Mother May I Go Out to Swim?" starring William Shatner as a serious Mama's Boy whose new girlfriend Gia Scala doesn't quite approve of sharing him with his mother Jessie Royce Landis leading to him being forced to make a rather startling decision. This was pretty disturbing featuring a great performance from Shatner  (*** out of ***** stars). Second was  "The Crystal Trench" starring James Donald and Patricia Owens. Owens plays a grieving widow who clings to the hope of someday finding her husband's body after he fell into a glacier following a mountain-climbing accident. The ending proves rather unexpected but shows how choosing to live for the past instead of for today can have harsh consequences (**1/2 out of ***** stars). Third up was "Victim Four" starring Paul Comi, Peggy Ann Garner and John Lupton. Comi plays Joe Drake, a fellow struggling to get by after injuring his leg in a fall while Garner plays his wife Madeline who works late nights as a waitress to help pay for Joe's medical bills. Lupton plays Madeline's old love interest Ralph Morrow who turns up hoping to take advantage of the situation only things get more serious when Madeline is late getting home from work and a serial killer nicknamed the Butcher is known to be stalking the area. Joe & Ralph both decide to search for Madeline and find the killer in this unsettling story (*** out of ***** stars). Fourth was "Craig's Will" starring d**k Van Dyke and Stella Stevens  as a money hungry couple hoping to get their hands on an inheritance expected to come to Van Dyke's character Thomas Craig but instead given to the family pet dog whom they then plan to do in to get the money only  everything doesn't work out quite according to plan. This was an amusing, fun little story with some funny touches and a really bizarre and unexpected twist ending (*** out of ***** stars).

[Psycho Circus]

1408 (2007): A disillusioned writer (John Cusack) who's turned to writing books about reputedly haunted places, despite the fact he actually believes in nothing  but apparently making a quick profit, becomes determined to spend the night in a reportedly evil haunted hotel room, Room 1408, in the Dolphin Hotel in  New York.

I found this pretty disappointing. Actually I watched both the Theatrical Version and the Director's Cut. The Director's Cut is definitely the better version just because it explains things more clearly, makes a lot more sense and is a lot less confusing. The ending is quite different between the two and I assume the film was likely altered to please movie viewing audiences. Anyways I just couldn't get into this the way I wanted although things definitely get pretty intense once we get to the hotel room. There are some great ideas here but honestly this film just drags on and on and Cusack's character just isn't very likable. I suspect this story would have worked better in a shorter format like as an hour long episode of an anthology series. This has some good moments but honestly I found this to be a bit dull.

I loved 1408. I took a chance on it one night a few years back and it took me by surprise as I usually try and stay as far away as I can from modern horror/thrillers. I thought John Cusack was very good in it, although I can pretty much enjoy anything he's in. My only gripe was Samuel L. Jackson's part. Even in this little Stephen King adaptation he couldn't put any effort in, just turned up as Samuel L. Jackson, put on a suit and used the f-word....

[FatFreddysCat]

"Trick or Treat" (1986)

Marc "Skippy from Family Ties" Price is a lonely high school metal nerd who inadvertently brings his favorite rock star back from the dead by playing his final album backwards. Cartoonish chaos ensues.

Absolutely CLASSIC cheesy '80s teen horror with cameos from Gene Simmons of KISS and Ozzy Osbourne is a must-see for anyone who's ever banged their head.

[Flick James]

1408 (2007): A disillusioned writer (John Cusack) who's turned to writing books about reputedly haunted places, despite the fact he actually believes in nothing  but apparently making a quick profit, becomes determined to spend the night in a reportedly evil haunted hotel room, Room 1408, in the Dolphin Hotel in  New York.

I found this pretty disappointing. Actually I watched both the Theatrical Version and the Director's Cut. The Director's Cut is definitely the better version just because it explains things more clearly, makes a lot more sense and is a lot less confusing. The ending is quite different between the two and I assume the film was likely altered to please movie viewing audiences. Anyways I just couldn't get into this the way I wanted although things definitely get pretty intense once we get to the hotel room. There are some great ideas here but honestly this film just drags on and on and Cusack's character just isn't very likable. I suspect this story would have worked better in a shorter format like as an hour long episode of an anthology series. This has some good moments but honestly I found this to be a bit dull. **1/2 out of ***** stars.

The Lion King (1994): Simba, the young heir to the throne of the Lion King, is tricked out of his birthright by his scheming uncle Scar who with the help of Hyenas manages to seize control of the throne. Eventually Simba who's gone on to live a peaceful jungle life with his newfound friends, the warthog  Pumbaa and the meerkat Timon, learns the truth and decides to return home to confront Scar and attempt to reclaim his birthright.

I found it to be fair. But there's one part that my wife and I always make fun of because it just doesn't make any sense. There's this part well into the movie when things are getting particularly crazy and weird weather-like phenomena are happening in the room. Cusack's character has been carrying around this very high-dollar bottle of booze throughout the film, and he just randomly and inexplicably tilts his head back and pours the booze over his face. My wife and I are like "is there some reason he is pouring whiskey all over his face?" Even if the guy is going crazy. Just nutty. I didn't get what the point of that shot was.

[Vik]

Super High Me
It could have been more educative, but it was still a hilarious and a very entertaining documentary. DEA part really p**sed me off, though.

[bob]

The Exorcist

this has aged wonderfully, a horror classic

[FatFreddysCat]

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later

Jamie Lee Curtis is back and the last three sequels are thankfully erased from continuity. All's right with the world...till they decided to make "Resurrection" anyway. Ugh.

[retrorussell]

A cheesy school gang-like movie called 3:15 (1986).  Pretty dumb.

[lester1/2jr]

Odds Against Tomorrom (1959) - This tries to be neo noir but it's too fancy and self concsious to really pull it off. It's mainly notable for being relatively daring in showing overt racism, homosexuality, adultery and stuff they just implied in the 40's. There is some decent stuff, Harry Belafonte is good, Robert Ryan does his thing, it just doesn't rock you like "T Men" or "Maltese Falcon". 3.5/5

[FatFreddysCat]

"Taken"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvUxdQ4q-Lg

Liam Neeson is a retired government spook whose old ass-kicking skills come in handy when his daughter is kidnapped in Paris.

Took a while for this one to get going but once it did, "Taken" was a satisfactory butt kicker.

[indianasmith]

Last night my family and I watched ZOOKEEPER.  I know it got a lot of hate on this board, but I thought it was a fun family movie.  But then, I also liked PAUL BLART: MALL COP.

[Vik]

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Such an awesome movie.

[Jack]

Ghetto Brawls - Queen Of The Hood 2 - girls fight each other in no holds barred, bare knuckle street fights.  No rules, no referee, no nothin'.  I dunno, I can understand some of these rough women doing this stuff, but then you see some adorable little 18 year old girl who seems like a total sweety pie in the pre-fight interview, and she gets her brains beat in and is left laying in the dirt at the end.  I dunno man, it's just kind of disturbing.  5/5.

[Rev. Powell]

PRIVATE PARTS (1972): A sexually curious teenage runaway negotiates the deviant scumbags in her crazy aunt's creaky boarding house.  Director Paul Bartel slathers on the spooky, sleazy psychosexual atmosphere in this tastefully depraved debut film.  3.5/5.

FIGHTING MAD (1982): A soldier tries for a big score in a heist before shipping home from Vietnam but is betrayed by his buddies; he washes up on an island where a samurai trains him to get revenge.  Actually dumber than it sounds.  The decent fights don't start until the movie is almost over.  Jayne Kennedy can't act, can't sing and keeps her clothes on; what was she famous for, again? 2/5 is a pretty generous score even for bad movie fans.