Recent Viewings, Part 2

[lester1/2jr]

Born to Kill (1947) - Second viewing and I apparently liked it a bit more the first time. It's kind of trying to be a throwback to the earlier noirs with women falling for the really hardened (emotionally, I mean here!) mean guy, but there's too much psychology and not enough atmosphere and heart. At an hour and forty five minutes it's pretty long, too. really more of a soap opera than anything else.

Why go through the trouble of having a blonde if you are going to give her this weird hairstyle the whole time?



highly regarded in some circles and it does have some memorable stuff, mostly the scene shot on the sand dunes, an unfortunately rare outdoor one.  edit: and some "shocking for the time" murders

3.75 /5

[LordGraal]

The Gorge (2025)

Enjoyed this even though it got more ridiculous as it went on.  Really good atmosphere and acting (except for Sigourney Weaver who sems to phone things in these days from what I've seen).  Some good action, characters and creepy moments.  Reminded me a litle of The Keep from the 80's.

[FatFreddysCat]

Another classic from Gene Hackman's back catalog:

"Mississippi Burning" (1988)
In 1964, two FBI agents (Hackman and Willem Dafoe) arrive in a small Mississippi town to investigate the disappearance of three young civil-rights activists. Needless to say, they are not welcomed with open arms by the locals. Their search leads into a maze of intimidation, violence, murder, and eventually an all out war with the town's sheriff dept., most of whom have ties to the local Klan chapter.
Loosely based on an actual case, "Mississippi Burning" is an intense ride, with amazing performances. Powerful stuff that will stick with me for a while.

[Trevor]

Another classic from Gene Hackman's back catalog:

"Mississippi Burning" (1988)
In 1964, two FBI agents (Hackman and Willem Dafoe) arrive in a small Mississippi town to investigate the disappearance of three young civil-rights activists. Needless to say, they are not welcomed with open arms by the locals. Their search leads into a maze of intimidation, violence, murder, and eventually an all out war with the town's sheriff dept., most of whom have ties to the local Klan chapter.
Loosely based on an actual case, "Mississippi Burning" is an intense ride, with amazing performances. Powerful stuff that will stick with me for a while.

Music composed by my fellow countryman Trevor Jones 😊😊

[RCMerchant]

RAT PHINK A BOO BOO (1966)- A really lame rock and roll singer and his moronic buddy dress up in ridiculous costumes (Rat Phink's cowl is a ski mask with a fuzzy ball atop, while Boo Boo's hood has pointy ears topped with Xmas lights), track down and save Rat's girlfriend from cartoony hoods and a gorilla. The End.
Jeebus. This one is bad. Made to cash in on the campy superhero craze brought on by the success of TV's BATMAN. The dialouge is all dubbed in, with people shot speaking only with their backs turned or just terribly synched; the 'rock' music is insipidly stupid, and there's plenty of looong monotonous scenes of people driving. Shot in sepia tone for day, and blue for night.
 I kinda liked it in a 'BAD' movie way. Directed by the auteur who gave us the INCREDIBLY STRANGE CREATURES WHO STOPPED LIVING AND BECAME MIXED-UP ZOMBIES (1964)- Ray Dennis Steckler- so you know who to blame.

Oh yeah- the name was meant to read 'Rat Phink AND Boo Boo', but someone f**ked up the title card. Hoo boy.
Boy, I can imagine the kids who went to see this in a theater were agog.
Beyond stupid.

[lester1/2jr]

Cyborg Cop (1993) to paraphrase Neil Hamburger: What do you get when you cross a cyborg and a cop? I don't know, but you better keep it away from your ass!

Highly enjoyable early 90's straight to video actionner where the titular character is on screen for about 4 minutes. Might be the last time the "we kind of know this sucks" type humor was done out of necessity rather than for irony. The blonde love interest has a kind of weird acting style, but it works and she is also beautiful/ nude once. Thank you for making this, whoever it was, even if it was just to turn a quick profit. The title rips off Robocop but the setting/ vibe is "military moves in the jungle" not a big city.

5/5 maybe it just hit the spot

[zombie no.one]

^ sounds good, heard of it.
surprised I've not seen it. trailer looks so 80s...


FLETCH (1985)

obviously it's impossible to not know who Chevy Chase is, but I don't reckon I've actually seen any entire movie with him in before? EDIT- I haven't... never seen CADDYSHACK, or any NATIONAL LAMPOONS movie

In this one he comes off like some 5th member of THE A-TEAM (very similar charcacter to Hannibal in fact) except on a much more low key and conventional mission.

this is watchable without being either that funny, or that gripping.

[Trevor]

Cyborg Cop (1993) to paraphrase Neil Hamburger: What do you get when you cross a cyborg and a cop? I don't know, but you better keep it away from your ass!

Highly enjoyable early 90's straight to video actionner where the titular character is on screen for about 4 minutes. Might be the last time the "we kind of know this sucks" type humor was done out of necessity rather than for irony. The blonde love interest has a kind of weird acting style, but it works and she is also beautiful/ nude once. Thank you for making this, whoever it was, even if it was just to turn a quick profit. Rips off Robocop but the setting/ vibe is "military moves in the jungle" not a city.

5/5 maybe it just hit the spot

Oy: I know or knew most of the people who worked on this and the two sequels. The producers of these films were hounded out of South Africa, chased by a throng of angry creditors 😳😳

[zombie no.one]

what's that... hounded out of south africa, chased by an angry Trevor wearing a thong?

bet they never came back 

[lester1/2jr]

Unfortunately tubi doesn't carry the sequels

zombie - I saw Fletch in the theater in 5th grade. I was on a date with Kellie Mcechnie (sp?) we held hands and our hands were sweaty? or at least mine was

[FatFreddysCat]

"Lady Dynamite" (aka "La Padrina" and "The Godmother," 1973)
After her Mafia-don husband is murdered, a New Jersey mob wife travels to Italy to exact revenge on the gangster who ordered the hit.
This dreadful Italian crime flick started off promising, but quickly turned into a dull, talky slog. There are a couple of brutal death scenes, a jazzy score, and some lovely Italian scenery, but overall this is an overlong, poorly dubbed bore. AVOID.

[zombie no.one]

Unfortunately tubi doesn't carry the sequels

zombie - I saw Fletch in the theater in 5th grade. I was on a date with Kellie Mcechnie (sp?) we held hands and our hands were sweaty? or at least mine was

well you know what they say... sweaty hands, sweaty heart.

[lester1/2jr]

zombie - they do say that

Freddy - your AVOID rating is the most brutal rating in all of movie criticism. "This thing doesn't even deserve a number"

[M.10rda]

THE QUICK AND THE DEAD  (1995)

Watched this with my wife just now in honor of the late, great Gene Hackman.  Despite its wildly impossible premise, this movie is just pure fun - with Sharon Stone toning down the hotness to play the vengeful Ellen; a ridiculously young Leo DeCaprio strutting his stuff as The Kid, Russell Crow as the gunfighting preacher, and Gene Hackman as the alternately snarling and smiling John Herod, the aging gunfighter who rules the town with his blazing revolvers and lightning reflexes. Some excellent cameos here, too.  A classic shoot'em up, blow'em up extravaganza of vengeance and violence!   4/5

THE QUICK AND THE DEAD  (1995)

Watched this with my wife just now in honor of the late, great Gene Hackman.  Despite its wildly impossible premise, this movie is just pure fun - with Sharon Stone toning down the hotness to play the vengeful Ellen; a ridiculously young Leo DeCaprio strutting his stuff as The Kid, Russell Crow as the gunfighting preacher, and Gene Hackman as the alternately snarling and smiling John Herod, the aging gunfighter who rules the town with his blazing revolvers and lightning reflexes. Some excellent cameos here, too.  A classic shoot'em up, blow'em up extravaganza of vengeance and violence!   4/5

Loved that.

My fave scene is the one in the gunshop with Gene Hackman and Leo Dicaprio where Russell Crowe needs a revolver. 😊😊

One of the most underrated films of '95 and one of the best - long due for a reappraisal. Certainly Sam Raimi's best "serious" film. What a cast. Lance Henriksen!

[Rev. Powell]

IN THE MOUTH (2025): A neurotic agoraphobic can't leave his house because he sees a giant head half-buried in his front lawn, but he needs to pay the rent so he accepts a roommate with a questionable past. There's much to love in this one---good performaces in what's basically a two-hander, crisp b&w cinematography, professional sound design, a script that delivers both comedy and honest-to-God suspense---I just wish it could have stuck the landing. Debuted at Slamdance and I saw it on a screner, but I hope this will get some kind of reasonable distribution. 3/5.