Recent viewings

[Rev. Powell]

A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (1964): The Beatles prepare for a show that night, but the lads are always goofing off, chasing girls, and trying to track down Paul's grandfather. Silly, witty and nearly plotless, this musical comedy is a masterpiece of image manipulation, with the Beatles coming off as totally non-threatening rebels. Paul's "clean" grandfather steals the show. 4.5/5.

[claws]

Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) w/ Audio Commentary

Paul Reubens and Tim Burton chat about the movie which was a pet project by Reubens. Warners loved the concept and Reubens got to pick a director of his choice, more or less. The audio commentary provides lots of insight in making this cult film (Reubens cast tons of colleagues from The Groundlings comedy staff), with Tim Burton giggling throughout the commentary most of the time. I love the bit when Reubens shares the story about The Goonies and Jagged Edge being filmed at the same time at Warners' stage studios, with Glenn Close coming up to them admiring their obvious fun filming, while she was stuck in a courtroom drama. 4.5/5

The Goonies (1985) w/ Audio Commentary

The original Goonies cast with Director Richard Donner gather for a fun commentary. Standout comments are coming from Martha Plimpton, who is straight forward yet hilarious the same time. Funny enough they also mention Pee-wee's Big Adventure being filmed on a stage next door at the same time. We also learn that Michael Jackson was a daily visitor on the set, bringing his entire family on one occasion. They also attended late Anne Ramsey's birthday party and The Jackson's "Victory" Concert tour. Good times. 4.5/5

[Rev. Powell]

PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK (1975): The unexplained 1900 Valentine's Day disappearance of four schoolgirls and a teacher effects the residents and neighbors of an all-girl college in Australia. This gauzy, inconclusive meditation on sexual repression and loss can have a hypnotic effect on those susceptible to its mysterious mood. 4/5.

[FatFreddysCat]

"The Hangover Part III" (2013) in the third go-round for "the Wolf Pack," the boys are tasked wih bringing man-child Alan to a rehab facility after the death of his father. Along the way they're sidetracked by a gangster who wants them to locate their old associate, "Mr. Chow"... and the usual mayhem follows.
This installment has a few laughs but honestly there was no reason to go back to the well for a third time.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Copperhead" (2008) an old West town is invaded by swarms of poisonous snakes i this entertainingly silly cowboy/creature mashup that manages to include just about every cliche' inherent to both genres. Of course, it's a SyFy movie.

[Rev. Powell]

LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU: An aging underwater nature documentarian assembles a team to hunt down the jaguar shark that ate his partner, including a pregnant journalist he has a crush on and a pilot who may or may not be his illegitimate son. It's "Moby Dick" by way of Jacques Cousteau, an epic comedy with a great cast, pirates, and deliberately artificial CGI tropical fish, and the driest underwater comedy you'll ever see. 4.5/5.

[claws]

The Alpha Incident (1978)

Four people are "put" under quarantine at a lonely train station because they are infected with a deadly virus from mars. Authorities are working on a vaccine because if the infected fall asleep they will die.
Z-film director Bill Rebane's outbreak-drama with limited setting is a chore to sit through. Most of his movies give a new meaning to the word dull, and The Alpha Incident makes no exception. 1/5

The Pit (1981)

12-year old Jamie is a serial killer in the making: he's troubled, disturbed and a creep with an unnatural sex drive. His best friend is Teddy, a stuffed animal, who talks to Jamie in his mind. When the boy's parents must leave for business they hire a live-in nanny. Jamie becomes obsessed with her, and soon enough he shares his big secret: a hole in the woods inhabited by flesh eating trolls.
Bizarro-Horror from Canada. It's quite the gem and certainly not boring. 3.5/5

[Rev. Powell]

The Alpha Incident (1978)

Four people are "put" under quarantine at a lonely train station because they are infected with a deadly virus from mars. Authorities are working on a vaccine because if the infected fall asleep they will die.
Z-film director Bill Rebane's outbreak-drama with limited setting is a chore to sit through. Most of his movies give a new meaning to the word dull, and The Alpha Incident makes no exception. 1/5

That's the lowest I've ever seen you rate a movie, claws. Usually you don't go below 3/5. Totally deserved in this case, this is a horribly boring movie.

[lester1/2jr]

Head of the Family (1996) - I don't know much about Charles Band I'm not sure if I've seen any of his things before but this was good. It's kind of like when a dumbish show like Xena or something has something that is actually funny and you are like pleasantly surprised by that.

A redneck couple for a variety of reasons crosses paths with a weird family who share a brain or something. 4 of them: a circus strongman type, a guy with wird googly eyes, a very hot blonde and a big huge head all share the brain the head like controls them.

It's not exactly my thing but it was a nice diversion and the writing is interesting and funny. good product for the viewing viewer though it doesn't have the manic energy of Basket Case or something 4/5

[Jack]

Creepshow 2 (1987) - three scary stories, the first about a wooden Indian er...wooden Native American who takes revenge on those who killed his owner. The second was my favorite - some kids go to a lake and swim out to a raft, and some weird oil slick type thing starts killing them. It was an original idea and the charters were good. The third one is about a woman who accidentally runs over a hitchhiker and he comes back to haunt her.  Not quite as good as the first Creepshow but I enjoyed it. 4/5.

Pieces (1982) - what is it about this crappy movie that makes me watch it over and over again?  A killer is loose on a college campus and a female detective and a student investigate. So bad it's definitely good. 4/5.

Star Quest aka Terminal Voyage (1994) - some people are on a space ship traveling to a faraway planet. They've been in suspended animation for 100 years, and wake up to find that earth has destroyed itself in a nuclear war. Then people start dying - the captain died while in suspended animation, then the second in command commits suicide, then the third in command dies when the virtual reality machine apparently malfunctions. The rest of the crew become paranoid that there's a murdered on the ship and they may be the next victim. I like this quite a bit, the characters are good and it's got a nice atmosphere to it. 4/5.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Speed 2: Cruise Control" (1997) Sandra Bullock is back on board, but Keanu Reeves is nowhere to be found - he wisely decided not to sign on for this flick, which has come to define the term "unnecessary sequel." Bullock's "Annie" and her hunky new L.A.P.D. boyfriend (the wooden Jason Patric) are on a Caribbean cruise when the ship is taken over by a supervillain computer genius/jewel thief (Willem Dafoe, in fine scenery-chewing form) who locks the boat on a course straight into the rocks. Will Annie and her new man save the day? Well, duh.

"Speed 2" gets a lotta hate but I actually kind of enjoy this one. I know, there was no reason whatsoever for this film to be made other than $$$, but in and of itself "Speed 2" is a decent if empty headed popcorn action pic and it also captured Bullock at her absolute peak of mid 1990s' hottie perfection, so I find it entertaining enough...

[claws]

The Alpha Incident (1978)

Four people are "put" under quarantine at a lonely train station because they are infected with a deadly virus from mars. Authorities are working on a vaccine because if the infected fall asleep they will die.
Z-film director Bill Rebane's outbreak-drama with limited setting is a chore to sit through. Most of his movies give a new meaning to the word dull, and The Alpha Incident makes no exception. 1/5

That's the lowest I've ever seen you rate a movie, claws. Usually you don't go below 3/5. Totally deserved in this case, this is a horribly boring movie.

I did watch a few 1/5 turds the last few months but I didn't bother posting them here.

[alandhopewell]

PACIFIC RIM (2013)

     Rented this yesterday, out of curiousity....

Pacific Rim - "Destroy All Kaiju" Featurette

     Ordinarily, I'd excuse a by-the numbers exercise like this, and just groove off the trip factor, but I ultimately found this annoying, and just barely worrth the dollar spent to rent it.

[Jack]

The Alpha Incident (1978)

Four people are "put" under quarantine at a lonely train station because they are infected with a deadly virus from mars. Authorities are working on a vaccine because if the infected fall asleep they will die.
Z-film director Bill Rebane's outbreak-drama with limited setting is a chore to sit through. Most of his movies give a new meaning to the word dull, and The Alpha Incident makes no exception. 1/5

That's the lowest I've ever seen you rate a movie, claws. Usually you don't go below 3/5. Totally deserved in this case, this is a horribly boring movie.

I'm proud to say I actually made it to the end of that one lol.  Wasn't easy either.

[Rev. Powell]

The Alpha Incident (1978)

Four people are "put" under quarantine at a lonely train station because they are infected with a deadly virus from mars. Authorities are working on a vaccine because if the infected fall asleep they will die.
Z-film director Bill Rebane's outbreak-drama with limited setting is a chore to sit through. Most of his movies give a new meaning to the word dull, and The Alpha Incident makes no exception. 1/5

That's the lowest I've ever seen you rate a movie, claws. Usually you don't go below 3/5. Totally deserved in this case, this is a horribly boring movie.

I'm proud to say I actually made it to the end of that one lol.  Wasn't easy either.

Me too, we should form a support group.