Recent viewings

[FatFreddysCat]

"Run For Cover" (1995)
! No longer available

A TV news cameraman witnesses a murder and ends up getting tangled in a terrorist plot to bomb New York City landmarks in this poorly acted, ultra low budget action/suspense thriller from the director of "Class of Nuke'Em High." The flick features some cool NYC location shots and even sports cameos by former New York Mayor Ed Koch, the Rev. Al Sharpton (!) and the late Adam West in a bit part as a senator...but even those aren't enough to save this flick from total Crap-Tacular status. Apparently this movie was originally released in 3-D; God only knows why!!

[FatFreddysCat]

"Return To The Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt" (2003)
! No longer available

Adam West and Burt Ward reunite in this fun made-for-TV comedy that goes behind the scenes of the classic "Batman" TV series. In the present day, the former dynamic duo is invited to the opening of a classic-car museum exhibit, which includes a '60s Batmobile -- until it's promptly stolen. While the aging stars race around Hollywood trying to solve the theft, they reminisce about their wild and crazy days on the set of the "Batman" show, which are lovingly re-created in flashbacks. Some of their fellow cast members like Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether and Frank Gorshin also make return appearances throughout the movie.  It's nice to see Adam and Burt back together again and everybody is clearly having a ball. This flick will bring back lots of memories for 60s Bat-Fans.

[indianasmith]

I'm a bit behind in posting reviews, so here are quick summaries of my June viewings thus far:

POLLYANNA (1960) - I had heard of this one for years but never watched it; I really enjoyed it when I did last weekend.  Probably the biggest surprise was Karl Malden, later a famed TV detective in THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO, as the town's hellfire and brimstone preacher.  Jane Wyman was a portrait of class, dignity, and hard-heartedness as Aunt Polly, and Haley Mills was adorable as the title character.  Feel-good classic.  5/5

WONDER WOMAN (2017) DC saved their brand with this one; this is a first-rate superhero film, as good as anything Marvel's stable has turned out lately.  Great effects, cool fight scenes, relatable characters, and a fantastic lead.  A good one to see on the big screen. 5/5

THE GREAT WALL (2016)  Two European mercenaries, hoping to discover the secret to China's "black powder," arrive at the Great Wall directly ahead of a reptilian invasion by a hive of monstrous creatures commanded by an all-consuming queen.  Of course, they pitch in to help fend off the monsters, and learn some lessons about bravery and trust along with way.  Not Oscar material, but a very fun popcorn flick that is beautifully filmed. 4/5

CELL (2016)  An adaptation of the Stephen King novel by the same title, I found this one to be enjoyable but not brilliant.  John Cusack does a solid job as the lead character, and Samuel L. Jackson is . . . well, he's Samuel L. Jackson.  Overall, a solid 3.5/5 from me.

[claws]

Blue Monkey (1987)

Exotic plant causes a quickly spreading infection resulting in a hospital under quarantine. A unwillingly trapped Cop teams with a female doctor in order to control chaos. However, a larva emerging from one of the infected is fed a growth hormone by patiens from the children's ward. Soon enough a giant insect goes on a bloody rampage  through the hospital.

Genre director William Fruet unleashes 1950s style giant monster mayhem with a modern setting. The outcome is sort of silly, kind of bland and lacking smarts. Production values are decent, and so are the practical effects. Blue Monkey is one of many that never made it to DVD which puts it on high demand by fanboys by default. Last time I saw this was in VHS days. After watching it again last night I felt a bit underwhelmed. The movie never fully delivers wasting lots of fun camp opportunities. 2.5/5

[Rev. Powell]

SKINS (2017): The lives of a reluctant pedophile, an eyeless prostitute, a wannabe amputee, a pregnant dwarf actress, a burn victim, a rectum-faced girl, and other people deformed both inside and out intersect in this Spanish black comedy. Safe to say you have never seen anything quite like this before; the intricate plotting, aggressive stylization, and oscillation of cruelty and compassion make this more than just a freak show. 4/5.

[lester1/2jr]

The Possession - I don't know why I haven't felt like writing much lately. It might be this new girl Renee I'm seeing. Shes not in this but that Jewish reggae guy is. I really liked this. The concept and everything wasn't revolutionary but they pulled it off. It was that kind of a thing.

A little girl sees a weird box at a yard sale and makes her Dad buy it for her and its like a Satanic Jewish box! Bugs gravitate towards the girl and the Dad is like this is getting out of hand so he visits a synanggue and tries to get the Jewish reggae guy to help him. It's good and while it does seem to be aimed at teenagers it does not suck.

4/5

[dean]

Evolution 2015
! No longer available

Full disclosure: I fell asleep during much of this.

A rotten tomatoes review: "The movie flirts with the outline of a coherent plot, but the answers to its dramatic questions have all sunk to the ocean floor in a plume of beatific marine footage and Cronenbergian body horror."

Basic rundown: an island of odd women and naive children is not what it seems as the children start to get sick and the women give them medicine and look after them. Are they really sick? Are these women really their mothers? What is it that the women do at night?

It's not so much a thriller as it is an excercise in patience, which for me after a long day I just wasn't in the right phsyical ability to sit through this. Lots of long static shots and long but quiet moments. It's almost incomprehensible, it's bizarre and doesn't go out of its way to explain anything in detail. This is just the world you're in and you'll have to deal with it.

It gets a pretty great rating online basic on critics reviews but unless you like slow paced surreal movies you would probably get frustrated with the pace. It's only an 88 minute movie but it felt like four hours... Not going to rate it as I missed bits due to my losing battle with my eyelids but its worth a look if you enjoy movies which take it's time in developing and don't like being spoonfed what is going on.

[Rev. Powell]

CATFIGHT (2016): Black comedy involving a trophy wife (Sandra Oh) and her old college friend, a struggling lesbian artist (Anne Heche), who meet at a party and end up in a fistfight that has tragic consequences for years to come. The political and class satire here is painfully blunt (money makes people bad, got it), but the fatalistic symmetry is somewhat interesting. 2/5.

[Pacman000]

"Run For Cover" (1995)

...but even those aren't enough to save this flick from total Crap-Tacular status. Apparently this movie was originally released in 3-D; God only knows why!!

They had two cameras, but only one camera man. 

[indianasmith]

NIGHT OF THE WEREROOSTER (2015)
  This was a zero budget film that didn't take itself too seriously, and I wound up enjoying it more than I thought I would. However, out of Joe Bob's "3 B's,", it  was deficient in two of three - you never really saw the title beast (I'm guessing no budget for SFX), and there was some tease but no actual nudity.  Overall, though, if you don't mind an hour and a half of pure cheese, it was a fairly fun movie.  2.5/5

[lester1/2jr]

that sounds awesome ^

did you ever see teen ape goes to camp

[indianasmith]

that sounds awesome ^

did you ever see teen ape goes to camp

No, but you've made me want to!!  ROFL

[Rev. Powell]

that sounds awesome ^

did you ever see teen ape goes to camp

No, but you've made me want to!!  ROFL

No one has ever seen a Teen Ape film. They're legends, like the Sexsquatch.

[lester1/2jr]

if only that were true

http://youtu.be/u6yt9eSMLWo

[indianasmith]

That looks GLORIOUSLY bad!!