Recent viewings

[claws]

The 'Burbs (1989)

Young man on vacation at home spends too much time spying on his weird new neighbors. Things escalate when he forms a 'Neighborhood Watchgroup" with two buddies...
When first released, The 'Burbs was neither a flop nor a success. However, Joe Dante's 'horror comedy' with a limited setting gained a cult following over the years. This is still a highly entertaining movie with lots of off beat moments and horror film references (The Sentinel, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, The Exorcist and more). 4.5/5
I watched the German Blu-ray (first ever Blu-ray release worldwide) and the picture quality is quite solid.

[Jack]

Miner's Massacre aka Curse of the Forty-Niner (2002) - some kids go to an old west ghost town in hopes of finding a gold mine. Unfortunately an evil miner comes back to life and starts killing them. This is kind of an old favorite; it's cheesy and silly but the characters are fun and the girls are pretty. 4/5.

[Trevor]

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (2005)

You all know the story but I found the film pretty much 'meh' having never read the book and despite the connections Andrew and Newt have to it  .

It was OK but no more than that: I found the aliens to be rather stomach churning in appearance.

[Newt]

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (2005)

You all know the story but I found the film pretty much 'meh' having never read the book and despite the connections Andrew and Newt have to it  .

It was OK but no more than that: I found the aliens to be rather stomach churning in appearance.

Don't let the Vogon poetry get you down.   Perhaps it would have been more fun in the right company?  I could be Ford Prefect to your Arthur Dent. 

[lester1/2jr]

bah

[JaseSF]

Charlie Chan in Honolulu (1938): While his father Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) is distracted by the approaching birth of his first grandchild, number two son Jimmy Chan (Victor Sen Yung) sets out to impress his father by impersonating him in hopes of solving a mysterious murder aboard a freighter located in the harbour. When Charlie learns of this, he sets about trying to straighten things out hoping his son hasn't landed himself in too much hot water.

This was a fun little entry in the series with a number of unusual characters in the mix in particular the bizarre and somewhat strange Dr. Cardigan played by George Zucco, Eddie Collins doing a Costello-like bit as Al Hogan, the kooky caretaker of a cargo of wild animals headed for the zoo including a pet lion named Oscar, leading suspects Judy Hayes (Phyllis Brooka) who witnessed the murder and Mrs. Carol Wayne (played by Claire Dodds) who isn't quite who she seems, with the rest of the ship's crew and passengers rounding out the remaining suspects. This one keeps you guessing and has a lot of fun little comedy bits that makes the time go quickly by while watching this minor mystery film. Fun stuff but little here we haven't seen done better in the series. Best thing about this one is Zucco. Nice introduction to the series for Sidney Toler and Victor Sen Yung who would continue to reappear in future films. I'll give it ***1/2 out of ***** stars.

[Jack]

Episode 50 (2011) - two paranormal investigation groups go to an abandoned insane asylum ("the most haunted place in America") and...sigh. You've seen this movie 5 times before. You've got those CGI ghosts that shake around and move like their bones are broken, you've got shadowy, transparent figures walking around all over the place, and every time a character is talking to the camera a ghost walks by, unnoticed, in the background. The sum total of it all is one good jump scare. The characters aren't especially likable or sympathetic and the ending is cheese-ball city.  2.5/5.

The Legend of Hell House (1973) - a group of paranormal investigators go to an abandoned mansion to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding the place. Okay, THIS is how you do this sort of movie. Very good characters, oodles of Gothic atmosphere, and an intriguing plot. Cool ending too. 4.5/5.

[FatFreddysCat]

"The International" (2009) Globe trotting cloak & dagger stuff with Clive Owen as an Interpol agent investigating a major European bank that also dabbles in illegal arms deals and assassinations. A technically well made flick with lots of purty Euro scenery, but a bit on the dry side except for an epic shootout set in New York's Guggenheim Museum. I've seen better but I've also seen lots worse.

[lester1/2jr]

Freddy- I felt the same way. I think in general America is a little better at those sorts of films.

Dead of Winter (2007) - This kicked my ass. It's fairly low budget but the acting is fine. A guy and a girl go to a New Year's party and snort meth and I think unknowingly take LSD. This combination apparently doesn't work for them because they end up lost in the woods. They get more and more lost and cold as their mind plays tricks on them. The 911 operator tries to help but they're so high that they aren't much help.

One good thing about this movie: they worked cell phones in. You have to have cell phones and or the internet in your plot. Sorry, screenwriters. No one doesn't have a phone and no one isn't totally anal about always having it. The girlfriend was sweet and demure like an old time movie actress. The boyfriend was good though a little too intent on turning this into the Shining, needs to lay off the Nicholson a bit.

Yeah, the whole thing was basically an anti drug PSA but it worked for me. There's plenty of stuff you can pick at including various acting performances but it was different and compelling 5/5 note this is much higher than what most people have tended to award it

[Josso]

Is this Lost Signal (2006)? I might watch it

[Trevor]

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (2005)

You all know the story but I found the film pretty much 'meh' having never read the book and despite the connections Andrew and Newt have to it  .

It was OK but no more than that: I found the aliens to be rather stomach churning in appearance.

Don't let the Vogon poetry get you down.   Perhaps it would have been more fun in the right company?  I could be Ford Prefect to your Arthur Dent. 

That would be nice. 

Mos Def's acting - especially his voice - always makes me want to reach for something heavy as he spoiled the otherwise good 16 Blocks for me. The aliens in that film: BLEURGH. Martin Freeman was OK as Arthur and Zooey Deschanel was OK as Trillian. Visual FX: good. Music and narration: good. Production design: good. Script: funny.

So more pros than cons but if it screens again on the weekend, I will watch it again and report as I couldn't make it through the film the first two times I watched it.

[Jack]

The Last Days on Mars (2013) - a small group of astronauts are on Mars, taking various soil samples etc. One of them digs up some sort of bacterial life form, and it's not long before people are turning into murderous space zombies. Will the survivors be able to make it to the landing pad and leave the planet, or will they too become infected? This was pretty average. The special effects were cool - when they were driving their rovers around Mars it was very convincing. For some reason they decided to make one character an absolute b***h and another a cowardly backstabber; I have no idea why. I guess that's their idea of character development? It just made the movie unpleasant. There was little in the way of characterization in the other people either (though there was some). It also lacked any real drama. Every 20 minutes or so I found myself putting it on pause and doing something else. Good enough for a 3.5/5 though I guess.

[Newt]

No one doesn't have a phone and no one isn't totally anal about always having it.

While I agree that phones and internet have to be taken into consideration as a part of the general environment, IME it is highly common to misplace your cell or even have it non-functioning for whatever reason.   I certainly would not expect someone who is high or drunk (or otherwise incapacitated/not in functional condition: voluntarily or not) to be able to keep track of their phone.

And I don't have one and I regularly spend a lot of my time in environments where most people are not carrying one or all phones are turned off and/or not at hand.  (shrug).  Generalisations are such fun.

[lester1/2jr]

Newt - It was a generalization but that's kind of the point: it's something enough people do that it's a bit ostentatious if someone doesn't. just a bit 

Josso - yes

[Jack]

I suppose we should be thankful that we only have to watch the inevitable scene where everyone holds up their phones and says "I'm not getting a signal, are you?"  "No I'm not either."  If they really wanted to be realistic about it, everyone in a social setting would be ignoring each other in favor of talking / texting on their phones, and spending their entire lives playing Call of Duty or updating their Facebook status.