Recent Viewings, Part 2

[Dr. Whom]

Fay Grim (2006)

Watched this on a whim, mainly because I heard it is shot entirely in Dutch angles (except for a few scenes where they forgot to tilt the camera apparently). This is one of those movies that tries to shift direction midway. It starts out as some kind of screwball comedy take on a script for Fringe: a single mother is approached by the CIA to recover some notebooks of her missing husband for reasons of national security. Then in the last third or so, it tries to become serious. For me this part falls flat, mainly because the events up to that point have been so preposterous as to undermine any sense that these are real people. Also some of the serious dialogue is between characters who weren't in the movie up to that point at all.  Still, the first part is very entertaining.
This is supposed to be a sequel to an earlier movie Henry Fool, so perhaps it makes more sense if you have seen that.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Firestarter" (2022)
A little girl with pyro-telekinetic powers and her father are pursued by agents from a shadowy organization who want to study her unique abilities. Based on the novel by Stephen King, produced by the Blumhouse horror factory.
This remake of the 1984 film (which starred a young Drew Barrymore) isn't really any better or worse than the original (which, if memory serves, was no great shaked either). It wasn't terrible, but I doubt I'll ever feel a need to revisit it.

[Rev. Powell]

ARREBATO [RAPTURE] (1979): A horror director whose work and relationships are in decline due to his heroin addiction receives a package from an eccentric acquaintance containing a mysterious short film. An odd but interesting little horror where moviemaking is a metaphor for drug abuse, or drug abuse is a metaphor for moviemaking--it's never clear which. 3/5.

[Rev. Powell]

THE MADS: A NIGHT OF SHORTS 3: This is a nice selection of shorts for Frank and Trace to riff on, highlighted by Sono Bono's 'Marijuana': he looks bored, and even stoned reciting narration that sometimes seems to confuse the effects of marijuana and LSD. There's a lot of people who suspect he was doing it as community service for his own pot bust, but whatever, it's hilarious. The guest is Kevin Murphy so this is a great nostalgic episode for MST3K fans. One of the Mads better offerings, maybe a good place to start with their catalog for the curious. 3.5/5.

[FatFreddysCat]

Unseasonably hot & sticky weather yesterday, good excuse to stay inside, drink beer, and watch movies:

"The Evil Dead" (1981)
Five college students staying at a remote cabin mess with a spell book they find in the cellar, which awakens something evil in the woods. Hilarity ensues.
Classic micro-budget splatter fest that launched director Sam Raimi's career and turned leading man Bruce Campbell into a cult icon. Still packs a punch after all these years.

"Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins" (1985)
A former New York cop is given a new identity and drafted into a super-secret government hit squad, whose first target is a crooked weapons manufacturer. The late Fred Ward plays the title character, based on the long-running paperback action series "The Destroyer," and Joel Grey is a hoot as his wise Korean martial-arts trainer "Chun." This fun, tongue-in-cheek action flick was intended to launch a new film franchise but due to disappointing box office returns, Remo's "Adventure" ended here.

"Grosse Pointe Blank" (1997)
A professional killer (John Cusack) teetering on the edge of burnout takes an assignment near his old home town, so he can attend his 10th high school reunion. He touches base with the girl he left behind a decade earlier (Minnie Driver) and tries to avoid elimination by a rival hitman (Dan Aykroyd) and a pair of federal agents. This hip, snarky 90s dark comedy has a great soundtrack and does a nice job balancing the rom-com elements with the ultra violence. Apparently this is Cusack's favorite out of all the films he's made.

[Trevor]

"Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins" (1985)
A former New York cop is given a new identity and drafted into a super-secret government hit squad, whose first target is a crooked weapons manufacturer. The late Fred Ward plays the title character, based on the long-running paperback action series "The Destroyer," and Joel Grey is a hoot as his wise Korean martial-arts trainer "Chun." This fun, tongue-in-cheek action flick was intended to launch a new film franchise but due to disappointing box office returns, Remo's "Adventure" ended here.

Joel Grey had some of the best lines: "You move like a pregnant yak", "I can say rat droppings: that does not mean I wish to eat them" and my fave "You drive like a monkey in heat!" 

[Alex]

"Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins" (1985)
A former New York cop is given a new identity and drafted into a super-secret government hit squad, whose first target is a crooked weapons manufacturer. The late Fred Ward plays the title character, based on the long-running paperback action series "The Destroyer," and Joel Grey is a hoot as his wise Korean martial-arts trainer "Chun." This fun, tongue-in-cheek action flick was intended to launch a new film franchise but due to disappointing box office returns, Remo's "Adventure" ended here.

Joel Grey had some of the best lines: "You move like a pregnant yak", "I can say rat droppings: that does not mean I wish to eat them" and my fave "You drive like a monkey in heat!" 

That is one of my favourite fun movies just to stick on and chuckle along to. I so wish they'd made more.

[indianasmith]

THE END (1978)  Burt Reynolds stars as a rich, shady real estate broker who is diagnosed with a terminal blood disease.  Unwilling to face the pain of a slow demise, he decided to end his own life after saying goodbye to his girlfriend (Sally Field) and daughter (Kristy McNichol). After his attempt to overdose on sleeping pills ends with him in a mental hospital, he befriends a paranoid schizophrenic named Marlon (Dom Deloise) and asks for his help in ending his own life.  Madcap hijinks ensue.  I'll admit, this wasn't as funny as I remembered it, but it definitely had its moments.  4/5

[Jim H]

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers

This one's alright.  As a storyline, it just barely works, but it does work.  The writing is OK.  Some of the cameos are pretty fun, and there's a few decent gags.  Pleasantly entertaining I guess.  

I will say, as an animation fan, the style in this one I actually find kind of depressing.  Cel shading is not 2D animation, and the cel shading in this isn't great.  Chip is much more effectively expressive in the relatively cheap and rough television animation of the original cartoon.  It's also maybe a bit too meta for its own good.

Basically, it's alright, but top to bottom, Who Framed Roger Rabbit (with which it shares multiple similarities) is a far superior film.

[Dr. Whom]

The Bamboo Saucer (1968)

I'll admit it, when it popped up in my FB feed, I clicked on it mainly for the title.

This is an odd one. It starts when all American hot shot test pilot Norwood is buzzed by a flying saucer. Of course nobody believes him, but he continues to hunt for UFOs. Then he is summoned to Washington, where he is informed that there is just such abandoned saucer in 'Red China', unknown to the authorities. He joins a team which is parachuted in to retrieve the saucer. On their way, they bump into a Soviet team on just the same mission. After some distrust and Russian shenanigans, they agree to cooperate. The Chinese have gotten wind of their presence, and arrive in force. Most of the Americans and Russians are killed in a Western style shoot out, Norwood escapes in the saucer, together with the pretty Russian female scientist (of course) and one of the comic relief experts. They agree to put the saucer down in Geneva, so that all mankind can benefit.

This has a remarkable anti cold war message about cooperation rather than seeking military supremacy. The Russians are treated rather sympathetically. Even their propaganda spouting leader, who repeatedly tries to double cross the Americans, has a change of heart at the end. Also the character of Anna Karachev, the obligatory love interest, is remarkably competent for this kind of movie: she converses in Russian, Chinese and English, figures out how the saucer works, and cures a  Chinese baby. The Russian and Chinese characters actually have their dialogue in Russian and Chinese. This makes it all the more remarkable that the 'Red Chinese' are played as cartoon villains.

However, the movie remains pretty clunky, with some dodgy special effects. Still,  it avoid most of the tropes of the flying saucer movies. This one should have a more competent remake.

[lester1/2jr]

Where She Lies (2020) - pretty crazy documentary that is more complex and substantive than your typical true crime type thing. A woman becomes pregnant out of wedlock circa 1962 and her parents want her to give up the baby. She refuses, but the issue becomes moot as her poor daughter dies soon after birth. Or does she???

For most of her life, Peggy doubts the baby died and clearly remembers seeing her alive. A documentarian shows up and is determined to get to the bottom of it. Was her daughter a "black market baby" ? and what about the local woman many suspect is really her daughter?

This guy really accomplished something here

5/5 not wildly exciting but it's amazing what can be achieved with a little hard work....and sad that it ended up on tubi...but great that i got to see it for free!

[chainsaw midget]

6:45

A couple takes a ferry for a weekend getaway at the gloomily named Bog Grove beach cottage.  Their alarm clock wakes them up at 6:45 and they spend the day exploring the town and being romantic and all that and then they get murdered by a stranger in a hoodie. 

Then they wake back up at 6:45.  The man remembers everything that happened but the women doesn't, and it happens again.  And again.

This isn't the first timeloop/murder movie I've seen.  I have to say the guy in this movie handles it worse than in any of the others I've seen.  By the start of the third loop he's already completely flipping out.  He makes no effort to find out who the man in the hoodie is and very little effort to change the events of the day, and can't seem to figure out a way to explain things that doesn't end with her angry at him. 

I won't spoil the ending, but it's total garbage and doesn't really fit the previous events we had seen. 

[indianasmith]

TERRIFIED (2018)  A disturbing horror film from Peru with some very creepy moments; no final explanation for the events the viewer witnesses - just one horror piled on another.  I really liked it. 4/5

[Trevor]

TERRIFIED (2018)  A disturbing horror film from Peru with some very creepy moments; no final explanation for the events the viewer witnesses - just one horror piled on another.  I really liked it. 4/5

I've often wondered what you would think of Jannie Totsiens [Johnny Farewell]: probably the most disturbing, scary and funniest film I have ever seen.

[indianasmith]

Afraid of vampires?
Afraid of clowns?
Afraid of really loud, smelly farts?

Then THE NIGHT WATCHMEN may be the most terrifying film you've ever watched, since it features vampire clowns that fart when they die!
But if you're not afraid of these things, then what you are left with is a really funny, clever horror comedy that pushes all the B-movie buttons as the titular characters fight off a ravening army of vampire clowns with sharpened wooden drumsticks, pistols, a meatball sub with lots of garlic, a pound of high grade marijuana, and a large Celtic cross tattoo.

Intrigued?  You should be.  This one's a gem, and it's free on Amazon Prime. 5/5