Thriller: A Cruel Picture (Thriller: En Grym Film) (1973)
Runtime: I saw the version that was 107 minutes long
Directed by: Bo Arne Vibenius
Starring: The ravishing Christina Lindberg, Heinz Hopf, Despina Tomazani, Per-Axel Arosenius
From: BAV Film
I finally saw this infamous Swedish cult film. It is pretty outrageous and over the top, yet for what it was, I enjoyed it. And no, not for the sexual elements, although I think that Christina Lindberg was very pretty in the early 1970's. I explain it all below via my Letterboxd review:
Note: Don't ask how but I managed to see the uncut version of this, meaning that it included the inserts of-ahem-close-ups of hardcore penetration done with people who aren't the actors in this movie and also the scene where Christina Lindberg gets stabbed in the eye. The former was not needed and due to my phobias I looked away during the latter so really, the version on Amazon available for streaming that has these moments taken out... it's not too big a deal here to see something that's edited. I saw the uncut version for... “artistic integrity”, yeah that's it...
I usually do not talk here about the type of women I find to be attractive. I've only made a few mild hints throughout the years. I will just say that ladies who look like Christina Lindberg did in the early 70's I find to be quite appealing; I mean the big dark eyes and the darker hair, not the fact that she often posed nude! I have seen pictures of her before and a few trailers for her movies but this is the first time I have seen one of her films from beginning to end. Someone on a messageboard brought it up a few days ago and I figured this should be the one to see... it has proven to be influential; the example people will know the most is this was the inspiration for Elle Driver in the Kill Bill movies.
As for this movie, “over the top” is the best descriptor to use. Let's see what happens to Christina Lindberg's character Frigga...
* As a young girl she is raped and becomes a mute from the experience
* She is kidnapped by a guy I'll refer to as Swedish Alan Rickman
* SAR gets her hooked on heroin so she is forced to work for him as a prostitute
* Something real bad happens to both her parents
* She is stabbed in the eye; thus, that's why this movie is sometimes known as They Call Her One Eye or Thriller: They Call Her One Eye
Finally, she has had enough and from the money she's earned, she learns “the martial arts”, learns how to shoot, and learns how to drive a car. From there she gets glorious, glorious revenge and it's all great. A lot of it is in super slow motion and that is pretty neat to see.
Technically, it is easy to nitpick this movie and all the mistakes it makes when it comes to such things as plotting and logic. There are also some moments which I don't think were supposed to be unintentionally hilarious (don't worry, it's none of the abusive stuff that made me chuckle) but that's how they came off. The death at the very end seems like something from a Saw movie. Yet, this is perversely entertaining, and no I am not saying this for all the sex stuff this has. Like I said, seeing Frigga get pushed way too far then snapping and laying waste to all those A-holes (and even some innocent parties), it's grand entertainment. Even with the wonky story, I can say that this was well-made. Much of the action being in super slow motion makes it stand out, and the sound is aces. There are interesting sound effects as you see the villains get killed, and the soundtrack is odd yet oddly fitting.
I understand why this isn't for everyone. It's exploitation after all, the story does not hold up at all to any kind of scrutiny and the first half of this sleaze is rough as we see all those bad things happen to a young girl. Yet, despite its faults and lurid subject matter, this was something I can give a decent rating to. And yes, I was happy to finally see Christina Lindberg in a film, as she looked quite ravishing.
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Saturday, September 17, 2016
Blair Witch
Blair Witch (2016)
37% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 131 reviews)
Runtime: 89 minutes
Directed by: Adam Wingard
Starring: James Allen McCune, Callie Hernandez, Corbin Reid, Brandon Scott, Wes Robinson, Valorie Curry
From: Lionsgate
Yep, I went and saw this yesterday. A few months ago I wrote about how I now fully appreciate The Blair Witch Project for what it did, and now can confirm that the Book of Shadows sequel was rather bad, although how much of it was due to studio interference, I have no idea. Blair Witch in particular... it ended up leaving me disappointed. I explain why below:
In case people did not read the reviews I did earlier in the summer for The Blair Witch Project and its Book of Shadows sequel, BWP is now something I fully appreciate-more than I did back in the day-for what it did and how it played on basic primal fears to unnerve you and make you feel bad for the trio lost in the woods. Book of Shadows is quite bad, although who knows how much of it was due to the dreaded studio interference. I am amazed there is even a sequel to the original movie 17 years after it came out, but I am also impressed they kept the true nature of this movie a secret until literally weeks before the release date. I knew I shouldn't have expectations high but considering I rate the writer and director's last two movies (You're Next and The Guest) rather highly, it was bound to happen; I guess I was bound to be disappointed.
As this is brand new I'll try to be on the vague side when discussing this. Basically, the younger brother of Heather from BWP goes out to the woods after he sees evidence he somehow believes is proof that his sister is still alive. Then again, that is not the dumbest thing a character does in this movie, not by a long shot. Anyhow, that dude happens to know a girl who is a film student and guess what, she is going to make a documentary about the search. Several people join along and despite the improvement in technology since then, they still get lost and the things that happened in 1999 happen again.
As I left the auditorium and had dinner nearby, I thought the movie was fine, despite all its problems. There were some scary moments, the ending was nicely done (even if you have more character stupidity) and overall the cast was fine. Then I thought about it some more, and by the time I got home I realized the movie was only about average. I'll try to explain why without revealing too much. I did not want this to be a carbon copy of the original as that wouldn't have made me happy either. But them deciding to streamroll over all notion of subtlety was not the right answer either. They decided to explain things way too much and ambiguity was thrown out the window. In addition, this is definitely stupider than the original; I am not just talking about the characters. What I mean is, all the dumb things that happen (sometimes, logic was thrown out the window as quickly as ambiguity was) and how several plot points happen and they aren't really resolved, thus making me wonder why they bothered with those plot points in the first place. There's some bad storytelling going on, in other words. Heck, not only is there confusion with me and someone else (he isn't a member of this site) over if something at the beginning directly ties into the ending or not, the ultimate fate of every character wasn't even clear to me. While most of the characters weren't exactly memorable or even people you really care about, closure would have been nice.
As others have noted already, I feel free to mention that this is full of jump scares, and not even good jump scares either... unless you love it when people suddenly pop into frame out of nowhere and they frighten someone due to popping into frame out of nowhere. In this case, you'll squeal with delight as it happens in this film at least half a dozen times. I got tired of it pretty quickly. It's a shame, as I still feel disappointed by this despite trying to keep my expectations in check. Somehow, I can't imagine seeing this years later and suddenly recognize its genius. So far from looking around at many different spots on the Internet, this is almost as polarizing as The Blair Witch Project, so at least there's that comparison. I say that this is a missed opportunity as with the concept and the new 21st century gadgets they had, this should have been better than it was.
37% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 131 reviews)
Runtime: 89 minutes
Directed by: Adam Wingard
Starring: James Allen McCune, Callie Hernandez, Corbin Reid, Brandon Scott, Wes Robinson, Valorie Curry
From: Lionsgate
Yep, I went and saw this yesterday. A few months ago I wrote about how I now fully appreciate The Blair Witch Project for what it did, and now can confirm that the Book of Shadows sequel was rather bad, although how much of it was due to studio interference, I have no idea. Blair Witch in particular... it ended up leaving me disappointed. I explain why below:
In case people did not read the reviews I did earlier in the summer for The Blair Witch Project and its Book of Shadows sequel, BWP is now something I fully appreciate-more than I did back in the day-for what it did and how it played on basic primal fears to unnerve you and make you feel bad for the trio lost in the woods. Book of Shadows is quite bad, although who knows how much of it was due to the dreaded studio interference. I am amazed there is even a sequel to the original movie 17 years after it came out, but I am also impressed they kept the true nature of this movie a secret until literally weeks before the release date. I knew I shouldn't have expectations high but considering I rate the writer and director's last two movies (You're Next and The Guest) rather highly, it was bound to happen; I guess I was bound to be disappointed.
As this is brand new I'll try to be on the vague side when discussing this. Basically, the younger brother of Heather from BWP goes out to the woods after he sees evidence he somehow believes is proof that his sister is still alive. Then again, that is not the dumbest thing a character does in this movie, not by a long shot. Anyhow, that dude happens to know a girl who is a film student and guess what, she is going to make a documentary about the search. Several people join along and despite the improvement in technology since then, they still get lost and the things that happened in 1999 happen again.
As I left the auditorium and had dinner nearby, I thought the movie was fine, despite all its problems. There were some scary moments, the ending was nicely done (even if you have more character stupidity) and overall the cast was fine. Then I thought about it some more, and by the time I got home I realized the movie was only about average. I'll try to explain why without revealing too much. I did not want this to be a carbon copy of the original as that wouldn't have made me happy either. But them deciding to streamroll over all notion of subtlety was not the right answer either. They decided to explain things way too much and ambiguity was thrown out the window. In addition, this is definitely stupider than the original; I am not just talking about the characters. What I mean is, all the dumb things that happen (sometimes, logic was thrown out the window as quickly as ambiguity was) and how several plot points happen and they aren't really resolved, thus making me wonder why they bothered with those plot points in the first place. There's some bad storytelling going on, in other words. Heck, not only is there confusion with me and someone else (he isn't a member of this site) over if something at the beginning directly ties into the ending or not, the ultimate fate of every character wasn't even clear to me. While most of the characters weren't exactly memorable or even people you really care about, closure would have been nice.
As others have noted already, I feel free to mention that this is full of jump scares, and not even good jump scares either... unless you love it when people suddenly pop into frame out of nowhere and they frighten someone due to popping into frame out of nowhere. In this case, you'll squeal with delight as it happens in this film at least half a dozen times. I got tired of it pretty quickly. It's a shame, as I still feel disappointed by this despite trying to keep my expectations in check. Somehow, I can't imagine seeing this years later and suddenly recognize its genius. So far from looking around at many different spots on the Internet, this is almost as polarizing as The Blair Witch Project, so at least there's that comparison. I say that this is a missed opportunity as with the concept and the new 21st century gadgets they had, this should have been better than it was.
Thursday, September 15, 2016
2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Runtime: The version I saw had the overture beginning, the short intermission and the overture final; that was 149 minutes long
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Starring: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Leonard Rossiter, Sean Sullivan
From: MGM
Yes, I have watched this before in my life; however, the last viewing was definitely before I started this blog way back in 2009. I got the chance to see this on the big screen Tuesday night and I am very glad I took that chance, as this excellent movie is best seen in a theatre. I explain why this is a classic that deserves its lofty reputation below:
While I have never reviewed this here before, of course I have seen this in the past, the first viewing when I was probably a young teenager. However, what made me see it last night after way too long a timespan, was something which will likely make at least a few reading this envious of me: I got to see it theatrically. No, it was not the Cinematic Holy Grail of watching it on 70mm on an enormous screen. I am envious of those people. Yet, even a digital projection on a still nice-sized screen sounded like an experience I would be a fool to miss, and I was correct. I wish the crowd at my screening would have been larger: after all they were only showing it once instead of daily throughout the week and it was held in the evening.
At least I was there, and it was an incredible experience. It is impossible to replicate the experience at home. The movie has such a large scope, booming soundtrack and impressive visuals, a big screen viewing is really the only way to capture the entire experience. The practical special effects still look incredible 48 years later (those will never age, unlike CGI) and it was magnificent experiencing the movie in such a large way. It certainly made me wish I could live in the movie's universe, with Pan Am space flight, those white space stations w/ red chairs and liquid space food... well, maybe not the last part but otherwise the universe looks great.
As for the plot... a lot can be said about it, as has since it came out. Things are ambiguous but not too much so; I am thankful it is not pretentious or overly obtuse where it is impenetrable. Everyone knows about The Black Monolith, The Star Gate Sequence (that on the big screen: it was worth the price of admission alone. It was amazing), HAL 9000, Keir Dullea's character and the song now popularly known as The Theme from 2001, and how it is the theme music for legendary pro wrestler Ric Flair. I won't go into my opinions on the plot; certain things can be read in certain ways and I'll leave it at that. It's best to see the movie then form your own ideas about such things as (the basic questions) why HAL does what he does, the backstory of the Monoliths and the entire final act... along with the deeper questions related to philosophy and allegory, as in the main purposes of the film. Many different theories have been posed concerning many aspects of the picture, and probably most are worthy of... well, a further odyssey on your part.
I heard that at the time this was a polarizing movie among critics yet it did quite well at the box office. I was a little surprised to discover this. Then again, something this odd and way different from what had come out before it in terms of wide release across the United States... I'll presume it was a gigantic shock for some to see such an epic tale where things are left ambiguous and plenty of odd things happen and there are long stretches with little to no dialogue, yet visually things are always explained quite well. If you've seen this movie and found it to be overrated, it is OK with me, for reasons I just explained. However, if you want to give it a half star review and attempt to be a troll for the fun of it like Armond White and utter a bunch of babble about how this “ruined” movies for the future (as one popular review on this site actually did; the doofus does not need the attention of being identified by name), I will think of you as a gigantic asshat and a sad pathetic clown!
Between seeing all those beautiful images on the screen, the incredible score (both Richard Strauss and otherwise), and an icy cool story about major topics and man wishing to explore the unknown in space, I do wish I would have watched this again sooner but at least I finally saw this classic in a majestic fashion. From mentioning last night's screening elsewhere, I know multiple people who have never seen this before. I won't judge as that would be way too snobby and I realize only a segment of the population are film nerds. Even in this community, if you're reading this and you haven't given it a viewing: I understand; to give but some example, I know that I am mutuals with some that are still teenagers, so that is a valid explanation why. Just know that this is something you MUST watch if you are a serious film fan, whether on the big screen, on your TV or even on your laptop. There are certainly many that have been influenced by it since then (some heavily so; I am looking at Interstellar here), so to understand all the references that have been made in pop culture since then and to watch something incredibly influential across the entire filmmaking world (in a good way, unlike what that troll said he believes), I cannot possibly give a higher recommendation. It probably is best if you see it more than once in order to fully comprehend it all, but at least see it one time, I beg you.
Runtime: The version I saw had the overture beginning, the short intermission and the overture final; that was 149 minutes long
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Starring: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Leonard Rossiter, Sean Sullivan
From: MGM
Yes, I have watched this before in my life; however, the last viewing was definitely before I started this blog way back in 2009. I got the chance to see this on the big screen Tuesday night and I am very glad I took that chance, as this excellent movie is best seen in a theatre. I explain why this is a classic that deserves its lofty reputation below:
While I have never reviewed this here before, of course I have seen this in the past, the first viewing when I was probably a young teenager. However, what made me see it last night after way too long a timespan, was something which will likely make at least a few reading this envious of me: I got to see it theatrically. No, it was not the Cinematic Holy Grail of watching it on 70mm on an enormous screen. I am envious of those people. Yet, even a digital projection on a still nice-sized screen sounded like an experience I would be a fool to miss, and I was correct. I wish the crowd at my screening would have been larger: after all they were only showing it once instead of daily throughout the week and it was held in the evening.
At least I was there, and it was an incredible experience. It is impossible to replicate the experience at home. The movie has such a large scope, booming soundtrack and impressive visuals, a big screen viewing is really the only way to capture the entire experience. The practical special effects still look incredible 48 years later (those will never age, unlike CGI) and it was magnificent experiencing the movie in such a large way. It certainly made me wish I could live in the movie's universe, with Pan Am space flight, those white space stations w/ red chairs and liquid space food... well, maybe not the last part but otherwise the universe looks great.
As for the plot... a lot can be said about it, as has since it came out. Things are ambiguous but not too much so; I am thankful it is not pretentious or overly obtuse where it is impenetrable. Everyone knows about The Black Monolith, The Star Gate Sequence (that on the big screen: it was worth the price of admission alone. It was amazing), HAL 9000, Keir Dullea's character and the song now popularly known as The Theme from 2001, and how it is the theme music for legendary pro wrestler Ric Flair. I won't go into my opinions on the plot; certain things can be read in certain ways and I'll leave it at that. It's best to see the movie then form your own ideas about such things as (the basic questions) why HAL does what he does, the backstory of the Monoliths and the entire final act... along with the deeper questions related to philosophy and allegory, as in the main purposes of the film. Many different theories have been posed concerning many aspects of the picture, and probably most are worthy of... well, a further odyssey on your part.
I heard that at the time this was a polarizing movie among critics yet it did quite well at the box office. I was a little surprised to discover this. Then again, something this odd and way different from what had come out before it in terms of wide release across the United States... I'll presume it was a gigantic shock for some to see such an epic tale where things are left ambiguous and plenty of odd things happen and there are long stretches with little to no dialogue, yet visually things are always explained quite well. If you've seen this movie and found it to be overrated, it is OK with me, for reasons I just explained. However, if you want to give it a half star review and attempt to be a troll for the fun of it like Armond White and utter a bunch of babble about how this “ruined” movies for the future (as one popular review on this site actually did; the doofus does not need the attention of being identified by name), I will think of you as a gigantic asshat and a sad pathetic clown!
Between seeing all those beautiful images on the screen, the incredible score (both Richard Strauss and otherwise), and an icy cool story about major topics and man wishing to explore the unknown in space, I do wish I would have watched this again sooner but at least I finally saw this classic in a majestic fashion. From mentioning last night's screening elsewhere, I know multiple people who have never seen this before. I won't judge as that would be way too snobby and I realize only a segment of the population are film nerds. Even in this community, if you're reading this and you haven't given it a viewing: I understand; to give but some example, I know that I am mutuals with some that are still teenagers, so that is a valid explanation why. Just know that this is something you MUST watch if you are a serious film fan, whether on the big screen, on your TV or even on your laptop. There are certainly many that have been influenced by it since then (some heavily so; I am looking at Interstellar here), so to understand all the references that have been made in pop culture since then and to watch something incredibly influential across the entire filmmaking world (in a good way, unlike what that troll said he believes), I cannot possibly give a higher recommendation. It probably is best if you see it more than once in order to fully comprehend it all, but at least see it one time, I beg you.
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
The WNUF Halloween Special...
February of last year I reviewed that film. Last night, I discovered it is now finally available on such streaming sites as Amazon and YouTube for rental or purchase. My new review of the movie-after seeing it again last night-is below.
I am basically doing this review again because I randomly discovered last night that this movie is finally available on “the streaming sites” for rental or purchase... at least YouTube, Amazon and Google Play, that is. Before that it was far more difficult to track the movie down. I understand those who did not care for this because it focused more on the 80's aesthetic, using incredible stock footage from the time and creating commercials just like the ones we saw back in the decade of coke and Miami Vice rather than the scares... I enjoy this for what it is; I find it to be highly entertaining and simply a lot of fun.
I am a child of the 80's, 1981 to be exact. That has to be a big reason I enjoy all the 80's nostalgia from recent times, but I think I've always been entertained by what was in hindsight a pretty weird decade, from the music and the fashion to everything else. Thus, since I heard about this microbudgeted movie, I was real eager to check it out.
If you aren't familiar with this film that until recently could only legally be found at one website (at Alternative Cinema), it was made recently but it looks like an old VHS recording taken directly from a low wattage television station's news broadcast then special broadcast of Halloween night 1987, where we see two anchors utter amazingly bad jokes then the special broadcast is several people (and a few cameras) entering an abandoned house where a mass murder took place and the killer claimed “a spirit board” told him to do it. These several people are:
* A smug arrogant reporter who is funny in his “above this all” attitude as he has to do this crap
* Two paranormal investigators and their cat; it is no secret they were supposed to be Ed & Lorraine Warren
* A chubby priest
Once they enter, various hauntings begin to happen and as it's all live... despite what you may think and how it's advertised, it's more a comedy than a horror film. That is OK with me as this is a blast to watch. The opening 20 minutes or so is the newscast and it sets things up with the backstory and introducing the characters. Right there you'll know if the movie is for you or not.
A good amount of time is watching those fake ads. They show the trends of the time, such as heavy metal cassettes, goofy no-budget TV shows, arcades, horror hotlines, anti-drug ads, and all the rest. The newscast shows various things popular during the decade, such as concerns over the environment, parents worrying about where their children trick or treat, and especially the “Satanic Panic” that gripped the country for awhile there but was largely overblown.
In addition, there are various horror references sprinkled throughout; they are typically on the obscure side but if you are a hardcore fan of the genre, you'll probably recognize them.
I say that this film is worth a shot: even if you don't like it I hope you appreciate how for apparently not a lot of cash they were able to capture the style of the 1980's so well.
I am basically doing this review again because I randomly discovered last night that this movie is finally available on “the streaming sites” for rental or purchase... at least YouTube, Amazon and Google Play, that is. Before that it was far more difficult to track the movie down. I understand those who did not care for this because it focused more on the 80's aesthetic, using incredible stock footage from the time and creating commercials just like the ones we saw back in the decade of coke and Miami Vice rather than the scares... I enjoy this for what it is; I find it to be highly entertaining and simply a lot of fun.
I am a child of the 80's, 1981 to be exact. That has to be a big reason I enjoy all the 80's nostalgia from recent times, but I think I've always been entertained by what was in hindsight a pretty weird decade, from the music and the fashion to everything else. Thus, since I heard about this microbudgeted movie, I was real eager to check it out.
If you aren't familiar with this film that until recently could only legally be found at one website (at Alternative Cinema), it was made recently but it looks like an old VHS recording taken directly from a low wattage television station's news broadcast then special broadcast of Halloween night 1987, where we see two anchors utter amazingly bad jokes then the special broadcast is several people (and a few cameras) entering an abandoned house where a mass murder took place and the killer claimed “a spirit board” told him to do it. These several people are:
* A smug arrogant reporter who is funny in his “above this all” attitude as he has to do this crap
* Two paranormal investigators and their cat; it is no secret they were supposed to be Ed & Lorraine Warren
* A chubby priest
Once they enter, various hauntings begin to happen and as it's all live... despite what you may think and how it's advertised, it's more a comedy than a horror film. That is OK with me as this is a blast to watch. The opening 20 minutes or so is the newscast and it sets things up with the backstory and introducing the characters. Right there you'll know if the movie is for you or not.
A good amount of time is watching those fake ads. They show the trends of the time, such as heavy metal cassettes, goofy no-budget TV shows, arcades, horror hotlines, anti-drug ads, and all the rest. The newscast shows various things popular during the decade, such as concerns over the environment, parents worrying about where their children trick or treat, and especially the “Satanic Panic” that gripped the country for awhile there but was largely overblown.
In addition, there are various horror references sprinkled throughout; they are typically on the obscure side but if you are a hardcore fan of the genre, you'll probably recognize them.
I say that this film is worth a shot: even if you don't like it I hope you appreciate how for apparently not a lot of cash they were able to capture the style of the 1980's so well.
Re-Animator
Re-Animator (1985)
Runtime: 85 minutes (I saw the unrated version, of course, as it's the easy version to find and the superior version)
Directed by: Stuart Gordon
Starring: Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, Barbara Crampton, David Gale, Robert Sampson
From: Empire Pictures
I'll be back Wednesday proper to make a pair of posts. For now, you can see me review this here for the first time as this is the first time I have seen this movie in years. The gory details are below:
Of course I have watched this movie before, but it was only on one occasion and it was years ago. So, it was off to Netflix Instant to check it out. I imagine most are familiar with the story of how Herbert West-who is “brilliant but a little weird”, as the original trailer described him-ropes in the unwitting Dan Cain to perform experiments on reviving dead organisms, with the expected chaos when they try it on people, so I'll move onto talking about why I enjoy this cult classic like many do.
It certainly is outrageous in nature and it has many bizarre sights and moments (especially the final act) yet you go with it as the filmmakers boldly went full steam ahead in what I understand is a loose adaptation of the Lovecraft story. Even though he is strange and creepily obsessed with his neon green serum and his quest to reanimate people, Herbert West is still an enjoyable character and you see why even now Jeffrey Combs is a beloved cult actor. Dan Cain and Megan Halsey are a likable young couple who are dragged into a frightening nightmare while dealing with adults who are a drag and try to ruin their relationship... then those adults become pretty awful. Bruce Abbott and another cult favorite (Barbara Crampton) do a nice job with those roles too.
It was a low budget movie and yet all those splatter effects still look nice 31 years later. That is good when you have such a macabre Grand Guignol story such as this. There are plenty of memorable moments; it's not just “that one scene” w/ the severed head and Barbara Crampton. The important thing to note is that despite the subject matter, this is a pretty dark comedy and it actually is funny throughout-yet it is not too heavy into the comedy; they got the tone just right-even if at times you know you perhaps shouldn't. Throw in a Richard Band score that sounds even more like a ripoff of Psycho's score than the other films which have done the same thing (yet it's still rad), and this is a must-see for the horror fans that somehow have skipped this in the past.
Runtime: 85 minutes (I saw the unrated version, of course, as it's the easy version to find and the superior version)
Directed by: Stuart Gordon
Starring: Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, Barbara Crampton, David Gale, Robert Sampson
From: Empire Pictures
I'll be back Wednesday proper to make a pair of posts. For now, you can see me review this here for the first time as this is the first time I have seen this movie in years. The gory details are below:
Of course I have watched this movie before, but it was only on one occasion and it was years ago. So, it was off to Netflix Instant to check it out. I imagine most are familiar with the story of how Herbert West-who is “brilliant but a little weird”, as the original trailer described him-ropes in the unwitting Dan Cain to perform experiments on reviving dead organisms, with the expected chaos when they try it on people, so I'll move onto talking about why I enjoy this cult classic like many do.
It certainly is outrageous in nature and it has many bizarre sights and moments (especially the final act) yet you go with it as the filmmakers boldly went full steam ahead in what I understand is a loose adaptation of the Lovecraft story. Even though he is strange and creepily obsessed with his neon green serum and his quest to reanimate people, Herbert West is still an enjoyable character and you see why even now Jeffrey Combs is a beloved cult actor. Dan Cain and Megan Halsey are a likable young couple who are dragged into a frightening nightmare while dealing with adults who are a drag and try to ruin their relationship... then those adults become pretty awful. Bruce Abbott and another cult favorite (Barbara Crampton) do a nice job with those roles too.
It was a low budget movie and yet all those splatter effects still look nice 31 years later. That is good when you have such a macabre Grand Guignol story such as this. There are plenty of memorable moments; it's not just “that one scene” w/ the severed head and Barbara Crampton. The important thing to note is that despite the subject matter, this is a pretty dark comedy and it actually is funny throughout-yet it is not too heavy into the comedy; they got the tone just right-even if at times you know you perhaps shouldn't. Throw in a Richard Band score that sounds even more like a ripoff of Psycho's score than the other films which have done the same thing (yet it's still rad), and this is a must-see for the horror fans that somehow have skipped this in the past.
Sunday, September 11, 2016
Boss N-----
Boss N*gger (1975)
Runtime: 87 minutes
Directed by: Jack Arnold
Starring: Fred “The Hammer” Williamson, D'Urville Martin, William Smith, R.G. Armstrong, Don “Red” Barry
From: Dimension Pictures
Yes, this is the actual title of a movie. I self-censored it as I am a white guy so even in this context, I feel more than awkward saying it. It was actually on Turner Classic Movies late last night, but they referred to it as just Boss, for reasons I shouldn't have to elaborate upon. I give all the details before, after I present a YouTube video that shows off its now-famous title song:
Would you believe that this movie played on TCM Underground late last night? It is true. Turner Classic Movies actually showed this, albeit it was listed only under the title “Boss”, for obvious reasons; it happened to be one of the many alternate titles this has. I've known of this infamous movie for many years and yet this was my first time seeing it. I don't even know how this spread back in the day but I remember when the title song became popular, mainly because people listened in shock over a song and a movie actually having such a title.
This is pretty much a standard Western but it's OK as it is a pretty entertaining Western. Fred “The Hammer” Williamson is Boss, and through some circumstances he becomes a Sheriff of a small town and D'Urville Martin is his deputy. At least for me it was natural to think “Blazing Saddles”. After seeing the movie, I'll just say that it's obvious Tarantino is familiar with it. Anyway, they are both bounty hunters and wish to capture Jed Clayton, played by legendary character actor William Smith. Williamson cuts an imposing figure dressed in all black w/ matching hat. The resistance he gets from the town is what you'd expect (it includes mayor R.G. Armstrong) but it is fun seeing the two heroes get their revenge by treating those racist people how they should be treated. At least there are residents that treat them fine and Boss is happy to help out those in need, such as a group of downtrodden Mexicans. All that said, this movie is not afraid to get pretty dark at times... and no I am not using a bigoted pun here.
The two leads deliver nice performances and so do experienced actors Smith and Armstrong. You wouldn't expect the guy who directed The Creature from the Black Lagoon and The Incredible Shrinking Man (Jack Arnold) to be the director of this but it's true and his experience did help make this movie a competent piece of work. You also wouldn't expect a Western to have a funk soundtrack but this does and it manages to fit the movie. Overall, this is an enjoyable picture and it's not just a cheap cash-in on a then-popular trend nor it is just a movie with an in-your-face title.
Runtime: 87 minutes
Directed by: Jack Arnold
Starring: Fred “The Hammer” Williamson, D'Urville Martin, William Smith, R.G. Armstrong, Don “Red” Barry
From: Dimension Pictures
Yes, this is the actual title of a movie. I self-censored it as I am a white guy so even in this context, I feel more than awkward saying it. It was actually on Turner Classic Movies late last night, but they referred to it as just Boss, for reasons I shouldn't have to elaborate upon. I give all the details before, after I present a YouTube video that shows off its now-famous title song:
Would you believe that this movie played on TCM Underground late last night? It is true. Turner Classic Movies actually showed this, albeit it was listed only under the title “Boss”, for obvious reasons; it happened to be one of the many alternate titles this has. I've known of this infamous movie for many years and yet this was my first time seeing it. I don't even know how this spread back in the day but I remember when the title song became popular, mainly because people listened in shock over a song and a movie actually having such a title.
This is pretty much a standard Western but it's OK as it is a pretty entertaining Western. Fred “The Hammer” Williamson is Boss, and through some circumstances he becomes a Sheriff of a small town and D'Urville Martin is his deputy. At least for me it was natural to think “Blazing Saddles”. After seeing the movie, I'll just say that it's obvious Tarantino is familiar with it. Anyway, they are both bounty hunters and wish to capture Jed Clayton, played by legendary character actor William Smith. Williamson cuts an imposing figure dressed in all black w/ matching hat. The resistance he gets from the town is what you'd expect (it includes mayor R.G. Armstrong) but it is fun seeing the two heroes get their revenge by treating those racist people how they should be treated. At least there are residents that treat them fine and Boss is happy to help out those in need, such as a group of downtrodden Mexicans. All that said, this movie is not afraid to get pretty dark at times... and no I am not using a bigoted pun here.
The two leads deliver nice performances and so do experienced actors Smith and Armstrong. You wouldn't expect the guy who directed The Creature from the Black Lagoon and The Incredible Shrinking Man (Jack Arnold) to be the director of this but it's true and his experience did help make this movie a competent piece of work. You also wouldn't expect a Western to have a funk soundtrack but this does and it manages to fit the movie. Overall, this is an enjoyable picture and it's not just a cheap cash-in on a then-popular trend nor it is just a movie with an in-your-face title.
Friday, September 9, 2016
Morgan
Morgan (2016)
40% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 110 reviews)
Runtime: 92 minutes
Directed by: Luke Scott
Starring: Kate Mara, Anya-Marie Joy, Toby Jones, Rose Leslie, Michelle Yeoh
From: 20th Century Fox
Yep, I am one of the few who actually saw this theatrically; since last Friday it's been out in the United States and it's only made 3 million dollars total, which is pretty horrid. The movie itself isn't horrid, but it really should have been better than the mediocrity it was. I explain my thoughts below:
I'll be honest here, one reason why I am one of the few who has seen this on the big screen: I felt bad this has bombed so hard since it got released last Friday. Certainly, opening on more than 2,000 screens and opening in EIGHTEENTH place at the box office is noteworthy, but in the worst way. Also, I went to a place that does reserved seating (a trend that many seem to love... why, I have no idea) and I also got a ticket for a classic movie which I won't reveal here but Wednesday night I'll be reviewing it. I had a feeling this wasn't so bad it deserved the bad box office, and I was right. Unfortunately, this is pretty similar to a film I love-Ex-Machina-and this is no Ex-Machina, let me tell you that much.
The plot: Anya-Taylor Joy is an artificially created human being who happens to look like a young woman and she is the titular Morgan. She does a bad act so Kate Mara (a “risk-assessment specialist” for the company that is funding this project) goes to the remote mansion in the woods to investigate if this project is worth continuing or if it should terminate. If you were expecting this to be like Ex-Machina and it being a thoughtful & contemplative movie about the synthetic person coming to grips with who they are and how human beings treat them... this isn't so much the case. Instead, this is a case where the two halves of the movie are pretty different. The second half is a more formulaic Hollywood movie so you should expect as much. I have no idea how different this was from the original script, which ended up on the famed Black List of unproduced screenplays a few years ago. What we got here was the typical nonsense-such as characters suddenly acting pretty stupid-and a twist ending to boot; the one here isn't bad but it reminds me of all the times that modern movies feel that they NEED a twist ending, irrelevant of whether one is actually needed.
I can't fault the performance of the cast, which features both familiar faces (including Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michelle Yeoh and Paul Giamatti; how lengthy those roles are... well...) and up and coming actors who got attention for being in some independent movies and if they avoid movies like this, they could become more famous (Joy and Rose Leslie); the talent behind the camera was fine too; this was the directorial debut of Luke Scott and yes, Ridley is his dad, which is why he was one of the producers. I enjoyed the electronic score although even that was reminiscent of Ex-Machina and I preferred that to what I heard last night. The rural scenery was awfully pretty to look at, at least. There are action moments and unfortunately, it was done in an incoherent manner and I am not a fan of such things. In addition, I have also talked about in the past the horrid problem of movie studios deliberately mis-marketing a movie and presenting it in trailers as something it's not, not to mention the “revealing too much” problem, which is also a huge issue. As for the trailer literally created by IBM's Watson supercomputer... it also reveals a lot but overall I'd prefer Watson do more trailers rather than the dumb cliché way they are typically done now.
This wasn't a movie I hated and I don't think it deserved such a poor box office performance; even internationally it isn't performing well. Yet with the plot and all the people involved, it certainly could have been more cerebral, more intelligent, more stirring. Instead, it's a movie which is OK yet one which is destined to be forgotten as the years pass. Not to belabor this point, but Ex-Machina did similar things much better and I say it's a must-see.
40% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 110 reviews)
Runtime: 92 minutes
Directed by: Luke Scott
Starring: Kate Mara, Anya-Marie Joy, Toby Jones, Rose Leslie, Michelle Yeoh
From: 20th Century Fox
Yep, I am one of the few who actually saw this theatrically; since last Friday it's been out in the United States and it's only made 3 million dollars total, which is pretty horrid. The movie itself isn't horrid, but it really should have been better than the mediocrity it was. I explain my thoughts below:
I'll be honest here, one reason why I am one of the few who has seen this on the big screen: I felt bad this has bombed so hard since it got released last Friday. Certainly, opening on more than 2,000 screens and opening in EIGHTEENTH place at the box office is noteworthy, but in the worst way. Also, I went to a place that does reserved seating (a trend that many seem to love... why, I have no idea) and I also got a ticket for a classic movie which I won't reveal here but Wednesday night I'll be reviewing it. I had a feeling this wasn't so bad it deserved the bad box office, and I was right. Unfortunately, this is pretty similar to a film I love-Ex-Machina-and this is no Ex-Machina, let me tell you that much.
The plot: Anya-Taylor Joy is an artificially created human being who happens to look like a young woman and she is the titular Morgan. She does a bad act so Kate Mara (a “risk-assessment specialist” for the company that is funding this project) goes to the remote mansion in the woods to investigate if this project is worth continuing or if it should terminate. If you were expecting this to be like Ex-Machina and it being a thoughtful & contemplative movie about the synthetic person coming to grips with who they are and how human beings treat them... this isn't so much the case. Instead, this is a case where the two halves of the movie are pretty different. The second half is a more formulaic Hollywood movie so you should expect as much. I have no idea how different this was from the original script, which ended up on the famed Black List of unproduced screenplays a few years ago. What we got here was the typical nonsense-such as characters suddenly acting pretty stupid-and a twist ending to boot; the one here isn't bad but it reminds me of all the times that modern movies feel that they NEED a twist ending, irrelevant of whether one is actually needed.
I can't fault the performance of the cast, which features both familiar faces (including Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michelle Yeoh and Paul Giamatti; how lengthy those roles are... well...) and up and coming actors who got attention for being in some independent movies and if they avoid movies like this, they could become more famous (Joy and Rose Leslie); the talent behind the camera was fine too; this was the directorial debut of Luke Scott and yes, Ridley is his dad, which is why he was one of the producers. I enjoyed the electronic score although even that was reminiscent of Ex-Machina and I preferred that to what I heard last night. The rural scenery was awfully pretty to look at, at least. There are action moments and unfortunately, it was done in an incoherent manner and I am not a fan of such things. In addition, I have also talked about in the past the horrid problem of movie studios deliberately mis-marketing a movie and presenting it in trailers as something it's not, not to mention the “revealing too much” problem, which is also a huge issue. As for the trailer literally created by IBM's Watson supercomputer... it also reveals a lot but overall I'd prefer Watson do more trailers rather than the dumb cliché way they are typically done now.
This wasn't a movie I hated and I don't think it deserved such a poor box office performance; even internationally it isn't performing well. Yet with the plot and all the people involved, it certainly could have been more cerebral, more intelligent, more stirring. Instead, it's a movie which is OK yet one which is destined to be forgotten as the years pass. Not to belabor this point, but Ex-Machina did similar things much better and I say it's a must-see.
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