Hot Saturday

Hot Saturday (1932)

Runtime: 73 minutes

Directed by: William A. Seiter

Starring: Nancy Carroll, Cary Grant, Randolph Scott, Edward Woods, Lilian Bond

From: Paramount

For a random 1932 movie, this was rather interesting: 

I won't delve into the rabbit hole I went down recently to arrive at this movie, but at times Amazon Video and sites of questionable legality which I won't name here have real old movies available for rental that aren't from Warner Brothers or MGM. Because of Turner Classic Movies and services like Warner Archive, plenty of their back catalogue is easy to track down; it's less so for other big studios. This movie (from Paramount) happens to be available from Amazon Video, at the cost of only 99 cents. That was appealing, along with the cast, premise, and the cool poster being used at the moment here on Letterboxd.

This ended up being a Pre-Code delight. Nancy Carroll is Ruth, a virtuous lady who enjoys partying but is still “a good girl.” As she is pretty, she has plenty of potential suitors; one of them happens to be the amusingly named Romer Sheffield, a rich suave dude who naturally was played by Cary Grant; even back then he was quite suave. There is also Randolph Scott, playing another suitor who knew her from when they were kids but hadn't seen each other in years.

Someone else starts the scurrilous rumors that-Heavens to Betsy!-Ruth spent the night at bachelor Sheffield's place, starting small-town gossip which is The Telephone Game and the rumor spirals out of control-as it was simpler times back then, there goes her reputation. As I said this was Pre-Code, so there were some pretty frank moments and Ruth makes some interesting choices she wouldn't have been able to make in the Hays Code era. The racist moment in this movie could have been in any era... a minor character does a mock accent to a Japanese servant; at least that idiot was humiliated after the servant spoke English rather well.

A talented main cast definitely helped and it was a breezy watch, but the acerbic commentary about small-town life and how it can be rife with gossip and a woman's reputation can be ruined just from a misunderstanding... that helped make this better than expected. I should watch these random old films more often as besides knowing they won't be available for viewing forever for a litany of reasons, a random selection like this ended up being worthwhile so who knows how many gems are out there for me to discover.

White Dog

White Dog (1982)

Runtime: 90 minutes

Directed by: Samuel Fuller

Starring: Kristy McNichol, Paul Winfield, Burl Ives, Jameson Parker, Lynne Moody

From: Paramount

This was not a bad motion picture to watch on a whim: 

Recently I mentioned how I sometimes purchase movies on disc then I wait a real long time to actually watch those movies in full; I don't wan to mention how long this movie (the Criterion DVD, to be exact) has been in my collection before I decided on a whim last night to finally see the disc in full. Now, I have watched White Dog before, long ago. It was via less than ethical means... but I was curious because before Criterion released it on DVD back a decade ago, controversy resulted in this movie barely getting a theatrical release in the United States and it had never come out on video.

Even now the movie is polarizing and the reason why is comprehensible; it practically screams “MESSAGE!” at you often as it tells its tale in an unsubtle manner. Kristy McNichol is struggling actress Julie, who accidentally hits a White Shepherd dog; it gets better and she adopts it. Well, it turns out to be a dog raised to viciously maul any black person. Who better than black animal trainer Paul Winfield to attempt and untrain the dog's habits, despite it not being successfully done before?

The movie is a bold and in your face look at racism and no surprise that people today aren't always for all the melodrama and gauche moments you see here. Some of the acting can be faulted (although not from Winfield, who is always a delight to see on screen) and I am not sure what to make of Burl Ives as an animal trainer for critters that appear in films and how he hates R2D2 as he fears he'll soon be out of a job... yet there are some powerful moments and it is a worthy discussion concerning whether racism is incurable in someone who is infected with that plague or it is treatable. I just wish that Julie wouldn't have been such a dumb character to the point that she asks if “a dog being put to sleep” means it'll be killed... and how offering a cash reward for a lost dog would be beneficial for her.

I won't delve into all the uproar this movie caused at the time; as I am a white guy perhaps I wouldn't offer an authoritative opinion anyhow. I can say that this whole experience caused Samuel Fuller (no stranger to controversy in film) to leave Hollywood for good and this was the last movie he directed in America. While not for all tastes, I am glad Criterion put it out as White Dog probably did not deserve the frosty reception it got at the time. Plus, at least this was far better than the intolerable recent Hungarian picture White God.

Stalker

Stalker (1979)

Runtime: 163 minutes

Directed by: Andrei Tarkovsky

Starring: Alexander Kaidanovsky, Alisa Freindlich, Anatoli Solonitsyn, Nikolai Grinko

From: Mosfilm

This is not the sort of movie I will go in-depth on; to use a cliche, it is best experienced fresh for a first time viewer: 

I had ample opportunity to see this movie in the past; it is easy to find whether you go the physical media route or choosing a streaming option. I saw this real late Sunday night on Turner Classic Movies; as should be a non-surprise to those familiar with Stalker, I needed time to ruminate and contemplate the allegorical, complex piece of work that this was. I then realized I don't want to say so much about such a motion picture; of course I don't want to spoil too much about this-what you take into this film will play a part in how you interpret the message or messages it was trying to say. I won't reveal what I thought it all meant as it would taint someone else before they go into this for the first time.

This movie takes its time and yet it was perfect for the type of film this was; a stalker escorts two men (who did not know each other beforehand) into The Zone, a mysterious location which is fenced off as the laws of nature and reality do not apply there, and troops have gone missing so they are afraid to go in. So yeah, the Annihilation novel and later the movie were quite obviously inspired by this movie; ironically, the story that Stalker was based on was adapted loosely here, which is also the same between Annihilation's novel and movie adaptation.

A phrase I'll use here is “it's the journey, not the destination” as it's important for this film. All the interactions between the trio of disparate characters are critical and are the backbone of the movie. Stalker is meticulously directed with all the long takes used perfectly and there is an interesting score but how those three interact with each other is the keystone to this. The only other comment I can make is that this is a “must-see” for a hardcore film fan; needless to say it is something you need to be hyper-focused on; it being on in the background won't work as in no way is it that kind of motion picture. As long as you have the patience, this should be a rewarding story and you should admire how breathtaking this masterpiece is, irregardless of what you get out of Stalker.

Game Night

Game Night (2018)

83% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 192 reviews)

Runtime: 100 minutes

Directed by: John Francis Daley/Jonathan Goldstein

Starring: Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Kyle Chandler, Sharon Horgan, Billy Magnussen

From: New Line Cinema

Sadly, this did not change my dim view of modern comedies:

You know, I think that modern comedies have passed me by... Sunday night I watched something pretty heavy and complex (that review will be posted in a few hours) so last night I figured I should go with a comedy to lighten the mood. If only I had laughed more often...

I haven't completely rejected every famous one from the 21st century and there are some that I have been entertained by (to list examples, Superbad, The Hangover, Pineapple Express, and Tropic Thunder); yet there are plenty that I reject just from seeing their trailers; I realize it's a fallacy as I know Hollywood refuses to make actual good trailers anymore. The advertising for this did nothing to gain my interest. However, all the good buzz I've heard since February meant I should give it a chance.

As I've said before, comedy is such a subjective thing and my tastes there are different from most. I quickly realized this movie was all about being awkward, injecting random vulgar moments and seeing a bunch of unappealing characters. I did not laugh too often; instead I was usually annoyed. I shouldn't have been surprised that the people who directed this would have several needless gross out gags, as I understand their Vacation reboot (which they directed and wrote) was full of that crap.

Then there's the actual plot, which left me cold; it was ridiculous nonsense I was rarely entertained by, with some pretty stupid twists and an over-convoluted final act. It's a shame... as others have noted, they did try to set up jokes early on which would pay off later. If those payoffs would have actually made me laugh, then it would have been a success. Alas... even if this wasn't the “line-o-rama” comedy style in vogue now that I actively avoid, there still were only a few times that I chuckled. Even if I personally can't stand “ultra-competitive” people in such silly nonsense like games or sports or fantasy sports or anything on the same path... I did go into this with an open mind and I still could have liked the two leads despite that; unfortunately, I didn't.

I can admit the music was cool and the aesthetic between all the gaming motifs and how the film was shot was good. I just wish I could have been bowled over like everyone else was.

Demon Wind

Demon Wind (1990)

Runtime: 98 minutes

Directed by: Charles Philip Moore

Starring: Eric Larson, Francine Lapensee, Jack Vogel, Stephen Quadros, Sherry Leigh

From: United Filmmakers

What an oddity this is: 

It wasn't until Vinegar Syndrome released this film last year that I had even heard of Demon Wind. Back at the time, I snickered at the title; you know, there were thoughts similar to “Oh yeah, right now I have some demon wind due to my Taco Bell lunch!” Since then, there was recent messageboard discussion surrounding the film, chiefly how bonkers it was; as it was free on Amazon Prime... I got to see that indeed, it is pretty bonkers. It sounds simple enough from a basic description (it's an Evil Dead clone) yet in execution, I can only guess that the writer/director Charles Philip Moore is a madman. It is difficult to describe in detail without delivering spoilers but I'll try my best.

A dude goes to an old family homestead to find out what bad things happened, only for things to go bad. He brings along a girlfriend, which is understandable; you'd expect a friend or two, but there ends up being a plethora of friends and yeah it was absurd. Then again, one of the friends does an impromptu magic show w/ random karate moves for no reason at all, then on the drive to the cabin you see him and his pal take off those clothes (leaving them on the ground as they are thrown from the vintage convertible) so the rest of the film is not spent with them in fancy tuxedos. Another example of the insanity: the drive is through grassy California hills on a dirt road. Literally on one random hill is a gas station and diner; this is in the middle of nowhere and looks like something you'd see in a desert during a Texas Chainsaw Massacre sequel. Plus, there are no windows, which makes it easy to hide that it is an obvious set...

The insane moments are a-plenty and I'd rather not spoil most of them. I am not sure if Mr. Moore quite knew what sort of film he made, resulting in its schizophrenic nature. I did laugh that one of the friends was Stephen Quadros, musician turned actor turned martial artist turned MMA commentator for the old Strikeforce promotion. Yes, he was the karate magician dude who had a guy friend... and they have had a relationship stronger than just friendship. The thing is, among all the lunacy, the special effects are pretty good for the low budget this film has. I can't say this was ineptly made; the film is not boring nor does it make any obvious mistakes; the story is just all over the place and there are random non-sequitors.

I do have to mention one final oddity: there are plenty of demons in the film. One of them is played by a guy with an amazing stage name: LOUIS GEM PHIPS. IMDb says it was actually LOU DIAMOND PHILLIPS but IMDb isn't exactly difficult to edit by any John Doe. I don't have the Vinegar Syndrome Blu so I can't say it wasn't brought up in one of the extras... I can't automatically dismiss the story, despite the weirdness of Phillips appearing in a random low-budget horror film while wearing demonic makeup and appearing under a slightly modified version of his name. Whether it's that or some dude called himself Louis Gem Phips as a joke, it's hilarious either way.

Woodstock

Woodstock (1970)

Runtime: I saw the Director's Cut that is 224 minutes long

Directed by: Michael Wadleigh

Starring: Many incredible musicians and a few hundred thousand hippies

From: Wadleigh-Maurice

I both plug a movie and a particular Blu-ray release of said movie: 

 

While it ended up being a big money loser (much more people than expected showed up, so the festival organizers made the snap decision to make the event a free one; the debts weren't paid off until this movie and its soundtrack were released), the event that took place from August 15 through the morning of August 18 officially known as the Woodstock Music & Art Fair became iconic in popular music history as an estimated 400,000 plus people showed up to a dairy farm in Bethel, New York to see an incredible lineup of popular musicians at the time and for such a large gathering everyone got along and the problems there were... they were due to the larger than expected crowds... food, water, sanitation, etc.

I saw the 224 minute Director's Cut of this film and it is not just musical performances that are shown; the movie starts with the festival preparations and throughout you get to hear from some of the organizers along with some of the attendees (they were mainly hippies) and people living in the area, some for and some against the event. It was a fair look at Woodstock and various negatives were brought up, including how rain delayed things on Sunday and that's why it ended the next morning. This documentary is definitely a snapshot of the late 1960's and its attitudes; there was “free love”, a peace movement and anti-Vietnam War sentiments. Yep, there's also discussion of drugs and you even hear one young lady discuss an acid trip.

I am a nerd & I enjoy older music so naturally I've heard of most of the acts that performed at Woodstock (including those that did not make the movie) and there's plenty of great tunes & performances you get to see throughout. What a lineup you see here... Richie Havens, Joan Baez, Santana, Canned Heat, Janis Joplin, The Who, Sly & The Family Stone, Joe Cocker, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young, Jimi Hendrix, etc. While the picture and audio was not perfect due to the cameramen using cameras more designed for portability than anything else, it does not diminish what was captured here... an incredible few days where people chilled and got to see an incredible bevy of musicians delivering unforgettable performances. To think that things started and ended oddly... Havens had to play for almost 2 hours in order to kill time because the roads were crowded and none of the other acts for the day were there... and the Hendrix performances that arguably became the most famous one from Woodstock, hardly anyone was there as he played Monday morning and many people left as soon as they got their first glimpse of him.

And of course I'd be remiss if I did not talk about how the movie was put together despite the limitations with the equipment. Seven editors were responsible, including two legendary names in Thelma Schoonmaker and Martin Scorsese; the picture size not only changed all the time but often you saw split screens and other visual treats that were not only fun to watch but were not so distracting they detracted from the experience. Furthermore, I recommend getting this on Blu-ray and preferably one of its 2014 releases. It's only the movie on the first disc and there are two other discs which not only talk about the creation of the film and restoring it, but there are also 34 additional songs to listen to, both from bands in the film and those that are absent. The reason why high-profile acts like the Grateful Dead and Creedence Clearwater Revival were not in the movie was that Jerry Garcia and John Fogerty respectively were not happy with their bands' performances. You do get to see them perform in those extras.

This is a great release for a great picture, in other words.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

50% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 246 reviews)

Runtime: 128 minutes

Directed by: J.A. Bayona

Starring: The leads from Jurassic World, plus irritating new characters, although the little girl was fine until an off-putting plot point and a really dumb action she did

From: Universal

You know, maybe the first Jurassic World wasn't so bad after all...

Warning: This will be a very long review from me. It may seem odd that I am starting this off with talk about other films but there is a reason why. I've talked before about my disconnect with Hollywood blockbusters and how I just avoid many of them. To be honest, I also have a disconnect and don't quite get how many 21st century movies are beloved while I think they are mediocre or worse. I don't mean any offense to those mutuals that follow me and how they love certain films that I don't even think are good; I just think differently and am quite odd; I hope that doesn't make me sound like a neckbeard as I am definitely not one of those.

I'll just mention some examples. The Nolan Batman movies I should watch again so I can give them much more in depth reviews on why I don't think Batman Begins or The Dark Knight Rises are too good, and if it wasn't for Heath Ledger as The Joker and the memories I have surrounding all the hype The Dark Knight got a decade ago, I'd probably think that was mediocre due to various plot and logic-related reasons. Then there's The Last Jedi, something I thought was “meh” at the time but in hindsight and realizing just how bad and pointless the “comedy” was and how the story makes zero sense... in the future I'll probably watch and review it again... and the rating will be lower than 2 ½ stars, that is for certain. I know many on Letterboxd will vehemently disagree but I'll never be the type to always excuse the braindead nature of modern Hollywood blockbusters, “just because”. Note, however, that I am NOT one of those clowns that support the harebrained scheme of “fans remaking The Last Jedi” as it's all just laughable; in the off chance those random people actually DO have access to 200 million dollars, why don't they do something more useful with it, like give it to an orphanage or try to help feed the starving children of Africa?

But onto the first Jurassic World. I reviewed that twice and I explained how the story was crap and I did not care about any of the characters, especially those two ogres that were the nephews of Bryce Dallas Howard. The younger of the two was a hyperactive obnoxious nerd while the older was a lame stereotypical horndog teen... who somehow did NOT pitch a tent in his pants because a hot woman like Katie McGrath was the one who escorted him and his brother around the park? That was the least believable part of the picture!

If you're wondering why in the Sam Hill I even went to the cinema to see Fallen Kingdom, good question. Someone I know digs the series in general and they rate Jurassic World pretty highly; for their sake I would tell them what I thought of this even though they knew I hated JW and they strongly disagreed, as they did with my opinion of Fallen Kingdom. I really did go into this hoping for the best; it'd be nice if at least I got more enjoyment out of this. As you can see from the very low rating, no I did not.

Frankly, it wasn't until a few minutes into this that I realized the main plot point is incredibly dumb... why exactly was Isla Nublar chosen as the island to host dinosaurs that were brought back to the Earth via genetic engineering... what sense does it make to select an island that has a long-dormant volcano? The fact that a theme park was later built at a location featuring a long-dormant volcano is even most insulting to my intelligence. The rest of the plot is not worth explaining, as a lot of it is forgettable and in fact I've forgotten sections of it already. Just note that what has said was true... the volcano stuff is only the first part of the film; the rest of it was in a rather dull and drab location, which hosts something that also was intelligence-insulting. Plot devices lifted straight from Jurassic World... sigh.

The characters are still a big yawn for me; Owen Grady is no Starlord by any means and Claire Dearing is just dreadfully dull. Apparently, this movie wanted to punish me for crapping on the nephews from JW, as two new characters who are dragged around... utter bores. One is Tumblr Feminist and the other is Feckless Computer Nerd; for different reasons, each were one note irritants. The villains were total Snidely Whiplash caricatures, total stereotypes whose scheme is just not believable in the universe. I mean, there is a great variety of different dinosaurs on display and I enjoyed looking at all of them, yet they are stuck in a movie with a plot and scene after scene I couldn't care less about.

There is also a little girl character and she was far more tolerable than Tumblr Feminist and Feckless Computer Nerd. While I have questions revolving around the character and especially one thing she does, the performance itself I can't complain. Considering this is the only IMDb credit for young Isabella Sermon, I was impressed. But overall this movie is SO dumb and devoid of logic... as you probably already know by now, Jeff Goldblum's big “return” is him speaking for about 2 minutes in one location, and that's it.

I don't want to belabor this further than I already have; by now I hopefully explained why this fell so flat with me.

Brazil

Brazil (1985)

Runtime: I saw both the original 142 minute film and a horrid 94 minute version, as I'll explain below

Directed by: Terry Gilliam

Starring: Jonathan Pryce, Michael Palin, Ian Holm, Kim Greist, Robert De Niro

From: Universal, at least in the United States; that led to a rather brutal feud too complex to explain here

Or: Yikes, the “Love Conquers All” cut of the film is even worse than I suspected.

Before last night, this movie belonged in the forever-crowded field of “a film I had seen before, but not in a long time so that's why I never reviewed it here on Letterboxd” and I figured it was both time to see that again in its preferred cut and watch the infamous “Love Conquers All” version; both are included on the Criterion Blu, and I can say the picture for the movie is great. While something this idiosyncratic won't be for everyone (even some film fans) I am glad this eventually got released and seen in the way Terry Gilliam preferred. The movie has some flaws but that gives it personality and it isn't a big deal as the movie works despite (or perhaps) because it is so messy at points.

For me, it was chilling how more prescient this movie is now than when it was released over 30 years ago. Terrorism, fears of technology, the incompetence of bureaucracy due to in part there being too many layers... personally, it is more than a little bit frightening. The story is biting satire as you see sane man-relatively speaking-Sam Lowry in an insane world as incompetence results in him leaving his schlub lifestyle where he prefers to not be noticed to the point he turns down promotions at work... he ventures out from that and deals with a woman who literally is from his high fantasy dream and absurd situation after absurd situation comes his way.

The real highlight of the movie is the bizarre aesthetic of this near-future world; it is a grungy dreary world populated by gadgets that ironically make life less efficient for the user. The movie passes along much information visually and often there are things which are not critical to the plot yet if you notice them you get more of an idea of how totalitarian the world is... order is stressed and boy is it ever uncomfortable today in the United States to see phrases like “Be alert-some terrorists look normal”, “Suspicion breeds confidence”, and “Loose talk is noose talk” like are shown in this movie. That is part of what I meant when I used the word “chilling”. The fact that all those effects were done practically (most of them in camera, as a matter of fact) is still impressive in 2018.

Brazil is pretty weird so no surprise it would not be a commercial success (even for film fans it won't be for all tastes) but the way Universal treated this was pretty shameful and led to a nasty feud until a compromise 132 minute version was created. As the original 142 minute cut was released in other countries by other studios to success, Universal did not come out of this smelling like roses. Thankfully the movie can be seen properly, where many people have fallen in love with this unique piece of work and even if not everything went perfectly during shooting, that is OK. The cast as a whole does fine... Jonathan Pryce was perfect as the lead, and it was nice seeing familiar faces throughout. Now, apparently Gilliam did not like Kim Greist's performance as the dream girl Jill, which is why her role is not too extensive. To me, she was just inexperienced. You do see more of her in the much-reviled other version of the movie...

The 94 minute “Love Conquers All” version that Universal wanted to release instead (but never did on the big screen; it was just edited for content so it could air on commercial TV) was-as I said in the beginning-also included w/ the Criterion Blu and as I only knew of its rotten reputation, I figured I would finally see just how horrid it was. I was not prepared for how much it ruined the original. All the scenes taken out were bad enough, but some new material was included & it was not as good. Too much of the satire being excised is bad enough... the pacing and flow of the movie was completely ruined, AND the beginning and ending were both incredibly dumbed down.

Without going into detail and ruining things for those not having watched the film yet, he original ending is tremendous and is note-perfect for the film. The Love Conquers All ending not only makes zero logical sense, it craps on the main themes of Brazil. I feel awful for those having that be their virgin exposure to what is a great film. No wonder it is so reviled and Gilliam was appalled at the very idea of it being released. It's more than just some actors (like Katherine Helmond, Bob Hoskins and Derrick O'Connor) hardly being in the truncated version. That cut... as horrifying as it is to broach, I have no trouble imagining that being how a modern Hollywood remake of Brazil would go... it'd be massively disappointing. Let us all hope that day never comes. Even if it does, this movie will always be tremendous to me.

From Hell It Came

From Hell It Came (1957)

Runtime: 71 minutes

Directed by: Dan Milner

Starring: Tod Andrews, Tina Carver, Linda Watkins, John McNamara, Gregg Palmer

From: Allied Artists Pictures

Because the world was waiting for me to talk about a TREE MONSTER movie...

This is one of the seemingly millions of films I've known of for years now but never have seen. It should not be confused with 1966's The Navy vs. the Night Monsters, which has a few different tree creatures and I've seen parts of. Once I give it a viewing from beginning to end, I can compare and contrast. This, it is utterly preposterous and yet isn't always as much fun as you'd expect from a cheap 50's B-movie which has the whitest “Polynesians” you'll ever lay eyes on.

The setting is a random island in the South Pacific, where there are white Americans on the island, doing science and military stuff. Of course the natives on the island don't really want them there; at least the movie shows that the Americans were the ones who were dumb and made things worse, irregardless of that idea being the original intent or not. Anyway, it all starts because a tribal member was unjustly put to death and he wished himself to be this ancient tree creature, which has the catchy name Tabonga.

For a movie only 71 minutes long, the first half has plenty of blathering dialogue which usually wasn't too terribly interesting, and of course a romance is shoehorned in, because it's an old motion picture. In addition, the dialogue is usually overly explanatory and sometimes tells us things that have been made crystal clear already. Things become livelier once Tabonga walks around and starts killing people, sometimes by tossing them into quicksand. The creature actually has a face which makes it look quite daffy, but the suit itself is admittedly good.

There are some laughs to be had here-usually unintentional-although the apotheosis for me was a supporting character's “Australian” accent. I know it's been confused for other things-like Cockney-but as she uses "bloomin'" a lot... master thespians are said to struggle with nailing it just right (at least that's what the Aussies like to say) I won't fault her, although she did slip in and out of it and at times was using an accent I don't think ever naturally was used by anyone in the history of humanity. So yeah... at least they did not go with the obvious way to dispatch Tabonga, as fire doesn't work on it; instead something more creative was done. That doesn't make this worthwhile unless you want camp value.

The Stepfather

The Stepfather (1987)

Runtime: 89 minutes

Directed by: Joseph Ruben

Starring: Terry O'Quinn, Jill Schoelen, Shelley Hack, Charles Layner, Stephen Shellen

From: ITC

Watching this on Father's Day... a natural move, and a good one to boot: 

I was not the first person to bring up this idea, but watching The Stepfather on Father's Day seemed all too appropriate, so it being for free on Amazon Prime was even more motivation to check this out. While there are some silly moments, I can say this is pretty good overall. 

The cast as a whole is fine and 80's babe Jill Schoelen is good, but Terry O'Quinn as the eponymous stepfather is great. The idea that a guy who looks like a normal adult male is actually a sociopath, and he had some sort of weird childhood only hinted at which caused him to develop a warped, antiquated (even in the 1980's) idea of a perfect family and if the widow and kid(s) don't measure up to those ideals, he slaughters them... but he is smart so he plans for a few weeks to start a new life before the murders... that is pretty terrifying and O'Quinn was perfect for the role. He could be charming, terrifying, or switch between the two at the drop of a hat; just one look from him could be chilling if he was full of menace and rage. As the movie is framed around him and the focus is not as much on his step-daughter trying to figure out the truth about him, it was a stroke of luck in picking him for the role.

There are some fun setpieces and the movie is more on the psychological side rather than seeing graphic kills, or a plethora of kills. It is still enjoyable seeing when and how the lead will crack, and how the family deals with such a psycho. The 80's moments (the soundtrack and some of the clothing) personally delighted me and I will be a judgmental SOB here & presume the remake is as pointless and lame as its reputation says it is. For certain, I can say this was a good thing to watch on Father's Day; it should remind most people that at least their dads are not like Jerry Blake.

The Firemen's Ball

The Firemen's Ball (Hori, Ma Panenko) (1967)

Runtime: 73 minutes

Directed by: The late Milos Forman

Starring: Jan Vostrcil, Josef Sebanek, Josef Valnoha, Frantisek Debelka, Jan Stockl

From: Several Czech & Italian companies... and also French directors like Godard and Truffaut, who stepped in when controversy happened and the release was going to be cancelled

This is a movie with an interesting story behind it: 

Yes, it's a little late for me to pay tribute to the late Milos Forman considering he passed away two full months ago, but at least I have finally corrected this error. In addition, While he did not make that many films in his life, I've still only seen a small amount of his filmography and this is the first to be reviewed here; shame on me. As this was on Amazon Prime and was a quick watch at 73 minutes, it was an easy choice for me.

Plus, this was the last film Forman made in his native Czechoslovakia; as this was seen as a satire against Communism in Eastern Europe, the reception there was what you'd expect for a country that had been Communist for almost 2 full decades by that point. There was also much strife going on in Czechoslovakia; I'll spare the details but he thought it was a wise idea to emigrate to the West. Firemen in the country were also not too pleased with how they were portrayed in the movie but it pales in comparison to having your birthplace ban the film, as what happened here.

A volunteer fire department in a small Czech town hold an annual town ball and they are to honor their old former chairman by giving him a gift. The night is a catastrophe, where people steal gifts, the planned beauty pageant is a fiasco and other unexpected moments occur; throughout all that, it's mainly old Czech man arguing with each other and even the simplest tasks become needlessly complex & drawn out. It's absurd, which makes the humor work here as I laughed at how things quickly turned out to be a disaster; pretty impressive for a film where there were only two trained actors and the rest were the natives of the small town they lived in.

The potshots at Communism are obvious, if I haven't expressed it clearly enough already. An old man's house burns down and the main concern with some people was not only sitting him close to the fire so he could be warm, but trying to face him away so he couldn't see the fire. All that plus some slapstick makes up the laughs this picture has and I usually was pretty amused, thus the high rating.

2010

2010 (1984)

Runtime: 116 minutes

Directed by: Peter Hyams

Starring: Roy Scheider, John Lithgow, Helen Mirren, Bob Balaban, Keir Dullea

From: MGM

Well, at least this wasn't terrible... 

A few weeks ago, I attended the Megacon convention in Orlando. The past few years, I devote a day to being at the comic-con and not only enjoying all the cosplay (only some of which I understand. It's usually the anime ones that leave me bumfuzzled) but seeing what the vendors have for sale. I don't wait in line to visit the celebrities they bring, even though they have always been big names... the past several years they included Stan Lee, Jason Momoa, Norman Reedus, and other individuals you know will get most comic-con attendees all hot and bothered.

However, this year I went and got a picture signed from both Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood; they were together and honestly, I felt bad as the few times I looked over, no one was ever at their table. Those two deserved better as they were key parts of a legendary film celebrating its 50th anniversary now. While many of their other credits are either random films even I know little about or guest starring on old TV shows, it was a shame they did not receive more visitors. I mainly talked to Dullea for a few minutes and the conversation was general and what you'd expect. I did not probe deep on any gossip or secrets about 2001 as who am I to do so? Keir did say seeing the movie on the big screen is the way to go; I doubt I'll be able to see the 70mm print doing the rounds but I can't get too mad as a few years ago I reviewed 2001 after seeing a digital projection of it theatrically... I feel fortunate getting to view a classic in such a big way.

Anyhow, I figured now was finally the time to view a motion picture that had the unenviable task of following up upon something both beloved and groundbreaking... a tremendous achievement still today, let alone the early 80's when Arthur C. Clarke wrote the novel then they decided to make it a film. As is, this is good but it's not a masterpiece like 2001 is. Heywood Floyd (who was played by William Sylvester in 2001, Roy Schieder here) goes into space... he and two other Americans (Bob Balaban and John Lithgow) have to work with the Soviets-including Helen Mirren-to try and figure out why the mission in the original film failed, and there's a rather blunt message about increasing tensions between the Americans and Russians-which sadly is now relevant again.

There's always a Catch-22 of sequels either trying to do their own thing or being a carbon copy of the first film; either will make people mad and in this case, 2010 does its own thing. It does suffer in comparison when 2001 revels in a majestic grandeur; taking its time telling the story and allowing the viewer to be swept away by the still-impressive visuals. 2010 is more a traditional movie and it is interesting, but the film does not rise above being good. The film is less mysterious and in fact tries to explain some of the questions posed by 2001 and I am not sure if that was needed. Plus, I am not quite sure if the event that closes the film would actually be a good thing for Earth... but maybe I am mistaken...

I do not regret seeing this although I am not sure if I'll ever revisit the film, even if I can rate it as good. At least it was not a dumpster fire as it could have been and to be blunt, if modern Hollywood tried making 2061: Odyssey Three and 3001: The Final Odyssey into films, it would be a disaster and make a lot of people upset.

Outland

Outland (1981)

Runtime: 109 minutes

Directed by: Peter Hyams

Starring: Sean Connery, Peter Boyle, Frances Sternhagen, James B. Sikking, Kika Markham

From: The Ladd Company

For a movie I decided to watch at the last minute, it proved to be a good idea on my part: 

This movie was brought up in a messageboard thread early yesterday afternoon; as it ties to something I plan on watching in the next few days, last night was the right time to check out something I have known of for years now. It's been compared to High Noon and it's apt... yet only ideas were borrowed instead of being a bold-faced remake which takes place in real time. 

Sean Connery is the new Marshal at a mining works which happens to be on Jupiter's moon Io; he is the new sheriff in town. It is mentioned (not in detail) how he's screwed up before so that's how he acquired a job no one aspires to have. He notices some strange deaths happening and he investigates; it's a scandal where the mining company turns the other way as it results in increased profits for them, nevermind the harm it does to its workers.... not that this could ever happen in real life... anyway, it seems like everyone there is against him as he tries to do the right thing by stopping this and trying to save lives.

It is easy to root for the lead; he faces all those pressures plus his marriage crumbling apart, yet he still wishes to do his job right and not be bought out by cash. Overall the movie is pretty good. It was well-filmed by Peter Hyams and the real highlight is a great chase sequence that turns into a fight. I dug how the world looked; it really was a mining camp that had some futuristic touches. Connery was quality as the lead and I was amused by the cantankerous Dr. Lazarus, played by Frances Sternhagen. Plus, there was a very good score from Jerry Goldsmith. In addition, there's some gruesome moments, for those that enjoy such things.

The movie is not just “a High Noon ripoff” and I say it's worthwhile for the sci-fi fans to see regardless of whether or not they have seen High Noon before.

Code 7, Victim 5

Code 7, Victim 5 (1964)

Runtime: 82 minutes

Directed by: Robert Lynn

Starring: Lex Barker, Ann Smyrner, Ronald Fraser, Walter Rilla, Veronique Vendell

From: Towers of London Productions

Sometimes, I watch movies for the silliest of reasons: 

Or: When you watch a movie only to share a piece of trivia you discovered while watching a trailer compilation Blu-ray.

It wasn't until recently that I first gained knowledge of this film. After seeing its trailer I realized Raymond Burr in Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla 1985 was not the only time there was a film character named Steve Martin. He was the lead here, played by Lex Barker. This is a UK movie filmed in South Africa; the print on Amazon is from Germany, which is no surprise as several Germans are in the cast... yet only the credits are German and the dialogue is in English. Curious, along with a few scenes being marred by a jittery print. As another review mentioned, a few known for krimi movies appeared in Code 7, Victim 5... the title is never explained. But yes, in the future I'll try out at least one krimi as I've never seen one and they sound like an interesting curio from Germany.

The plot: Martin is a New York private investigator who goes to South Africa as a rich old dude hires him after a close confidant is killed. Amongst all the investigating is pretty South African scenery... it looks like a lovely place to visit at the time... except for the whole Apartheid thing... and the cinematography is from Nicolas Roeg, of all people. Also, there's horny characters, leering at women, a jazzy score, a few minutes spent with someone hunting a lion, and most memorably, a scene at an ostrich farm; yes, there are moments where you see the local color really shine through.

Unfortunately, the movie does not rise above being average. There's some nonsense with the plot but while the movie was watchable for me, I am sure most of it will be forgotten in a short amount of time and I'll only be able to recall some random details, like Steve Martin and the scenery and how randy the characters were.

An Update

So far this week I have either watched things I've already reviewed here or aren't worth talking about here. That will continue tonight so I shouldn't be back until sometime on Thursday.

Hereditary

Hereditary (2018)

92% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 174 reviews)

Runtime: 127 minutes

Directed by: Ari Aster

Starring: Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Ann Dowd

From: A24/PalmStar Media

I don't love this movie like many film fans do... yet I don't think it's D+ CinemaScore bad like some of the general public does...

I know those that have seen this already will likely disagree with my rating it as simply “good” instead of “sensational” but I'll try to explain it without spoiling major moments and I'll try to be vague. Somehow, I never saw a trailer for the movie and I ended up going out of my way to not find out what it's about. I even skipped past the reviews that my mutuals did of the film until late last night. Honestly, I only knew it starred Toni Collette and from a still she was greatly upset by something that had happened. It took me a long while to realize that Gabriel Byrne was playing her husband; honestly, it's been a long time since I've seen Gabriel Byrne in a movie. 

Yet I could not avoid hearing the news that this got a D+ CinemaScore; from there I figured this was going to be a certain kind of film and it was. Another A24 horror film (The Witch, or The VVitch, if you will) got a C- and that worked quite well for me. This, it was an indie film, both the positive and negative connotations. As it's literally the opening shot, I'll mention that the movie starts with an older person dying, and the family-led by Collette and Byrne-have a rather interesting reaction to the death. I quickly realized this was a quirky family which had plenty of issues and this kind of movie wasn't always my bag. One character is just off-putting and I sighed. Things happen and you see the family fall apart as weird things start happening. I will admit there are some great scares and a few images are disturbing as hell.

For me, though, following around this family for 2 hours plus felt like a very long 2 hours plus. It wasn't always a pleasant sit watching these characters interact with each other. I imagine that was at least part of the reason why the masses did not care for the movie; the other obvious reason would have to be how the scares are done and how this usually isn't a traditional horror picture. I was fine with that as like I said there were some solid horror moments. The denouement and once you realize what's going on... I did not hear any crowd reaction to the film although the audience I saw it with was small; I understand there were some screenings out there where crowds voiced their displeasure that this wasn't another dopey big studio horror picture. But yes the ending: what a path that **redacted** took to get from Point A to Point B. It was curious although I know it would have been less thrilling if it wasn't done that way.

Despite my carping, I can still say this is good overall. It was well shot and a big asset was both the score and the sound design; they were well done and helped enhance what was on screen. Thus I am not mad I saw this; I just wish I could be over the moon about Hereditary. I am glad that A24 had their most successful release of all time with this, even if the public was all “bahhh!” and felt like they were hoodwinked. As this was Ari Aster's first feature film, I will presume he will make something more for my tastes.

Primal Rage

Primal Rage (Rage-Furia Primitiva) (1988)

Runtime: 92 minutes

Directed by: Vittorio Rambaldi

Starring: Patrick Lowe, Cheryl Arutt, Sarah Buxton, Mitch Watson, Bo Svenson

From: El Pico S.A.

This is the second of the two rage virus movies I saw last night that were from the 1980's; it is a loony Italian film, which usually brings me much delight. This did bring me much delight. What did help out here was that the son of Carlo Rambaldi directed this picture, so his dad and brother both contributed to the special effects.

Hilariously, this was not only filmed in South Florida (a popular place for Italian films in the 80's) but at what was even then one of Florida's major universities, Florida International University. The plot: Bo Svenson (sporting a clip-on ponytail) is experimenting on a baboon for the purpose of brain regeneration. It goes wrong as the baboon instead is even more perpetually angry than Sarah Huckabee Sanders. There are two newspaper reports, straitlaced Sam Nash and scruffy-looking wiseass Frank Duffy. Duffy sneaks into the lab one night as he finds it suspicious. Well, the baboon bites him and the chaos starts. He bites someone else and by the end several people have not only their face falling apart but they always do wild over the top things.

This was co-written by Umberto Lenzi, so naturally things are always wildly entertaining even if s*** doesn't always make sense or if some of the acting isn't too great. The characters are amusing caricatures, such as the dumb girl who sleeps with the schlubby middle-aged professor to pass his class, a “hot chick” who of course is actually a genius and three D-bag fratboy rapist types who do actually try to rape someone. Plenty of things made me laugh, from the amazing 80's soundtrack to the 80's look to how Duffy deals with the nasty-looking bite... he thinks it's a good idea to disinfect it by... pouring a can of Old Milwaukee beer over the wound! Actually, that is something a college student would think is a wise decision.

The director was the son of legendary effects guru Carlo Rambaldi, so Carlo and his other son did the special effects, and they were quality work. So was the finale, which was at a Halloween dance and naturally that gave me plenty of laughs as some silly events happened. For those that love those absurd Italian flicks of the past... personally I am not sure which is more amusing to me, the lead heroine (Cheryl Arutt) becoming a forensic psychologist who has appeared on CNN and shows like Forensic Files or Frank Duffy (Mitch Watson) becoming a producer of cartoons and even created Beware the Batman.

Warning Sign

Warning Sign (1985)

Runtime: 99 minutes

Directed by: Hal Barwood

Starring: Sam Waterston, Kathleen Quinlan, Yaphet Kotto, Jeffrey DeMunn, Richard Dysart

From: 20^th Century Fox

What a double bill I created for myself; the second film will be reviewed late tonight: 

Would you believe that last night I saw two movies about a rage virus and neither one was 28 Days Later or 28 Weeks Later? That idea is not original to the 21^st century, I'll put it that way. Not that I am complaining, as it's a great concept which can be used in a variety of ways. Here, this movie is helped by its cast: Sam Waterston, Kathleen Quinlan, Yaphet Kotto, Jeffrey DeMunn, Richard Dysart, G.W. Bailey, and Rick Rossovich.

Waterston is the sheriff in a small Utah town that has a company which does genetic research on crops; between that and the opening shot of an airplane dusting crops, I was reminded of paranoid conspiracy theories about chemtrails and how some loathe the idea of food being genetically modified. I realize I could be opening a can of worms here but I think that chemtrails stuff is balderdash and more good than bad has been done as a result of “Frankenfood”; how companies like Monsanto act, that is worthy of scorn... then again, here that company is actually a front for another conspiracy topic, that being germ warfare and how the United States is doing that as all other countries are despite international agreements that have been signed. Unfortunately, such a scenario is not so hard for me to swallow, along with there being an accident and dozens of people getting infected. With a rage virus, no... but with some other nasty illness, yeah.

Anyhow, the sheriff's wife is Quinlan and she's a security guard at this company. It's not bugf*** insane like you'd expect an Italian movie version of this plot, although there are still over the top moments (one involving fire) and it's amusing to see this cast in such a setting where there is chaos and that fortified building being destroyed. While not a graphic movie I still enjoyed what I saw, and how fire was used in one instance. The fact that Dean Cundey did the cinematography, there's a synth score, and the movie takes its time are further benefits, and why I can say this is pretty good.