Recent viewings

[FatFreddysCat]

"For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism" (2009)
SXSW 2009 Film Trailer: For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism
Short-and-sweet documentary that examines the art of film criticism - and its sometimes strained relationship with directors and studios - from the silent movie era to the present. Interviewees include Roger Ebert, Vincent Canby (New York Times), Pauline Kael (New Yorker) and many others.

[Rev. Powell]

TWO DAYS, ONE  NIGHT (2014): A woman recovering from major depression must convince at least nine of her co-workers to vote for her to keep her job; if they keep her on, however, they will lose their 1000 Euro bonuses. Marion Cotillard is very good; the workplace-as-a-'Survivor'-episode conceit is contrived for maximum drama, but it does make its point. 3.5/5.

[Jack]

Maniac Mansion (1972) - various people get lost on a particularly foggy night and all end up at the same house. The woman who owns the place tells the story of how the previous owner died along with her chauffeur when their Rolls hit a tree. Eventually the owner and the chauffeur - back from the dead? - start killing off the guests. 

Probably the third time I've watched this (and the first time I've managed to stay awake through it), and I have absolutely no idea what happens in the end. All but two of the characters are quite unlikable and the thing drags along at a glacial pace. It has nice atmosphere in the old fog enshrouded old house, but that's pretty much it. 2/5.

[VenomX73]

Maniac Mansion (1972) - various people get lost on a particularly foggy night and all end up at the same house. The woman who owns the place tells the story of how the previous owner died along with her chauffeur when their Rolls hit a tree. Eventually the owner and the chauffeur - back from the dead? - start killing off the guests. 

Probably the third time I've watched this (and the first time I've managed to stay awake through it), and I have absolutely no idea what happens in the end. All but two of the characters are quite unlikable and the thing drags along at a glacial pace. It has nice atmosphere in the old fog enshrouded old house, but that's pretty much it. 2/5.

I think I may give it a watch... I enjoy cheesy spooky mansion movies...

I looked it up - aka The Murder Mansion 1972 - I hope it's in English?

[Jack]

Maniac Mansion (1972) - various people get lost on a particularly foggy night and all end up at the same house. The woman who owns the place tells the story of how the previous owner died along with her chauffeur when their Rolls hit a tree. Eventually the owner and the chauffeur - back from the dead? - start killing off the guests. 

Probably the third time I've watched this (and the first time I've managed to stay awake through it), and I have absolutely no idea what happens in the end. All but two of the characters are quite unlikable and the thing drags along at a glacial pace. It has nice atmosphere in the old fog enshrouded old house, but that's pretty much it. 2/5.

I think I may give it a watch... I enjoy cheesy spooky mansion movies...

I looked it up - aka The Murder Mansion 1972 - I hope it's in English?

Yeah, I've got it both on a Mill Creek set and an individual DVD and they're both in English.

[VenomX73]

Cool. Thanks for the info 

[FatFreddysCat]

"No Code of Conduct" (1998)
No Code Of Conduct Trailer

Better known as the lead singer of Poison, Bret Michaels tried his hand at indie film-making for a couple of years in the 90s while his band was on hiatus. Bret's directorial debut was this vanity project starring his buddy Charlie Sheen (alongside daddy Martin Sheen, who should've known better) as a pair of father-and-son Arizona cops who tangle with a vicious gang of drug smugglers over a massive heroin shipment.

"No Code of Conduct" looks like a cheap made-for-TV flick and the script dutifully includes every cliche of the "buddy cop" shoot-em-up genre but it was a decent time waster in spite of the heavy layer of cheez.

[Jack]

Cool. Thanks for the info 

If you can figure out what happens in the end, let me know 

Black Forest (2012) - a group of tourists go to look at a little version of Stonehenge and are transported to an an alternate fairy tale world where we spend the next hour or so. It's like a dark version of a Disney Land attraction, with seven dwarves killing and then eating the hot chick (you can tell it's a lousy movie when they kill the hot chick first  ) After much...stuff...the plot eventually kicks in like the afterthought it is and things draw to a close. Characters were dull and the dialogue was stilted. CGI was cheap. 2/5.

Gor (1987) - a college professor is transported to a medieval world where an evil king is conquering all the little villages in the area. Our professor teams up with a hot medieval babe with huge '80s hair (and some other folks) to overthrow the king. This was cheesy as could be (but no nudity  ). Characters were pretty bland and the plot seemed more like a collection of random ideas to pad out the runtime. Lots of silly sword fights. Eh, the hot medieval babe got in a catfight so I guess I can be generous and give it a 3/5.

[indianasmith]

I watched DAY OF THE MUMMY last night, a recent release starring Danny Glover as an American antique collector who sends an Indiana Jones type to recover a gem from a lost Egyptian tomb. Not much happens for the first hour, although the mummy is kinda cool when you finally see him. 2.5/5

[Trevor]

Gor (1987) - a college professor is transported to a medieval world where an evil king is conquering all the little villages in the area. Our professor teams up with a hot medieval babe with huge '80s hair (and some other folks) to overthrow the king. This was cheesy as could be (but no nudity  ). Characters were pretty bland and the plot seemed more like a collection of random ideas to pad out the runtime. Lots of silly sword fights. Eh, the hot medieval babe got in a catfight so I guess I can be generous and give it a 3/5.

Yikes: more South African made cheese. 

Where on earth did you see this, Jack?

[FatFreddysCat]

"This Means War" (2012)

This Means War (2012) Trailer - HD Movie - Chris Pine, Tom Hardy Movie

The partnership between two tightly-knit CIA operatives and best friends (Chris "Star Trek" Pine and Tom "Bane" Hardy) is threatened when they both fall for the same girl (Reese Witherspoon). A Russian mobster seeking vengeance on both of them for the death of his brother complicates things even further.

An entertainingly silly piece of fluff that's equal parts rom-com, slapstick comedy, and shoot'em up action flick, directed by McG of "Charlie's Angels" and "Terminator: Salvation" fame. Disposable, but fun to watch once.

(P.S. I can't say I've ever really taken notice of her before, but... Reese Witherspoon is pretty F'ing hot.)

[Jack]

Gor (1987) - a college professor is transported to a medieval world where an evil king is conquering all the little villages in the area. Our professor teams up with a hot medieval babe with huge '80s hair (and some other folks) to overthrow the king. This was cheesy as could be (but no nudity  ). Characters were pretty bland and the plot seemed more like a collection of random ideas to pad out the runtime. Lots of silly sword fights. Eh, the hot medieval babe got in a catfight so I guess I can be generous and give it a 3/5.

Yikes: more South African made cheese. 

Where on earth did you see this, Jack?

Oh I found that on Netflix 

[Rev. Powell]

A couple of "best documentary" nominees.

CITIZENFOUR (2014): Filmmaker Laura Poitras' record of reporter Glenn Greenwald's meetings with NSA whistleblower Eric Snowden. An important subject, but the only substantive things this film adds to the existing record are an examination of the journalistic tactics used (interesting, but collateral) and the opportunity to observe Snowden's stoic idealism firsthand. 3.5/5.

THE MISSING PICTURE (2013): Rithy Panh remembers his boyhood growing up in a Cambodian work camp under Pol Pot's genocidal regime, using clay figures of his own design to recreate horrors from the past. Heartbreaking. 4/5.

[BoyScoutKevin]

I Am Number Four: this was a big surprise as I enjoyed it - Music by my homeboy Trevor Rabin and with Judith Hoag in a role: great. 

I always knew you had good taste for someone who never changed their underwear, and this proves it. I liked it, too. While the film was set to be the 1st film in a series of films, no more, for whatever reason, was made after this one, which was based on the teen book series by Jobe Hughes and James Frey writing as Pittacus Lore.

I think the most interesting fact coming out of the film was that the young actor who played Number 3 in the film, Greg Townley, was Chloe Grace Moretz' stunt double in "Kick Ass."

[lester1/2jr]

X men- Days of Future Past - yay J law. I love J Law 5/5