Used Cars

Used Cars (1980)

Runtime: 113 minutes

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis

Starring: Kurt Russell, Jack Warden, Gerrit Graham (RIP), Frank McRae, Deborah Harmon

From: Columbia 

RIP Gerrit Graham

I did not view any films last night; nothing was planned for this afternoon so a planned watch was set up… until looking at Twitter & seeing the announcement that he passed away on Tuesday at the age of 76. Some of his films have been viewed over the years; it was always a delight to see him in a Child’s Play 2 or a Demon Seed. Personally, him as BEEF in Phantom of the Paradise was hysterical. Despite knowing of Used Cars for years, it had never been seen by me. However, the movie’s free for me on Prime so it seemed an apt choice as Graham had a major role.

This is a rather dark comedy concerning feuding used car dealers that are across the street from each other in the Phoenix, Arizona region. Roy Fuchs (Jack Warden) is a high-end sleazy dealer while his brother Luke (also Warden) is more honest but their cars are piles of junk so his employees-Kurt Russell… no relation & Graham-are sleazy. There’s unethical behavior from the beginning, which increases tenfold after a major event. Roy is obsessed w/ acquiring his brother’s land while Russell’s Rudy Russo really wants the cash to enter an even more dishonest profession.

Used Cars is absurd, vulgar, crass… and often hysterical in its absurdity. It was a delight to see these disreputable characters engage in increasingly outrageous scenarios. The important detail is that these characters are all enjoyable rather than irritating A-holes that you can’t stand… even during the picture’s most off-color moments. The quality of cast happens: Russell, Graham & his superstitious character, Jack Warden, the foul-mouthed Frank McRae, Joe Flaherty, Michael McKean, Michael Talbott, Dub Taylor, & others. There’s an awesome dog named Toby, + a cameo from a beloved cult actor.

It's wild that the film is from Robert Zemeckis. He and Bob Gale learned of a script about used cars from John Milius; they modified it to this insanity. That’s why the two executive producers were Milius… and Spielberg! This is the type of comedy that of course we haven’t seen made in many years. The charm of Russell and the yelling of McRae were of course great assets but so was the crazy character Graham brought to life. He’s someone who was on screen, on stage, wrote scripts, and even co-authored the song Victim or the Crime, which appeared on the 1989 Grateful Dead album Built to Last. He knew Bob Weir for years, you see.

While I’m bummed he passed away, this was a great way to tip my cap to the late Gerrit Graham. I recommend you do so if you aren’t allergic to vulgar comedies.

 

Onslaught

Onslaught (2026)

59% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 128 reviews) 

Runtime: 95 minutes

Directed by: Adam Wingard

Starring: Adria Arjona, Reginald VelJohnson, Eric Wareheim, Drew Starkey, Dan Stevens

From: A24 

Those that don’t live in America… no, they don’t have official green signs on the highway telling you how far you are from a trailer park!

While Blair Witch wasn’t too good, I’ve enjoyed Adam Wingard’s You’re Next, The Guest, & his wacky Godzilla films. Thus, I was hopeful for Onslaught; the one time I saw a trailer, I was non-plussed but trailers don’t always accurately convey a film’s quality anyhow.

My opinion: boy, did they try REALLY hard to create a motion picture in the style of an 80’s cult classic. Don’t get me wrong, that is preferable to the glut of bland, flavorless films released on the big screen or (especially) streaming for years now; however, the strangest moments and oddest character quirks felt incredibly try-hard. A major problem is that I never warmed up to the lead character; it’s not the performance of Adria Arjona but rather the bad parent/stereotypically damaged soldier character that just wasn’t likable or enjoyable.

The character I disliked the most, though, was the stereotypical incompetent cop portrayed by Eric of Tim & Eric fame. My belief that drinking bleach is a more pleasant experience than watching even a minute of Tim & Eric’s anti-humor is irrelevant; it’s the irritating buffoon character that was a turn-off. I couldn’t believe when the lead noted his faults but concluded by proclaiming, “…but you’re a good man.” What? No, he wasn’t!

That, the rampant cursing, and a conclusion that was at least a little underwhelming are valid gripes. Even so, I didn’t hate Onslaught. The synth score was awesome; a highlight was the opening-featuring text in what I call “the Carpenter font”-and a tune that sounded like the opening song from Morricone’s score for The Thing. As expected from the director, the soundtrack featured uncommon songs you don’t hear in films. The trio of super-soldiers that invaded the trailer park are part of the film’s most “aura farming moments,” to paraphrase a line from others.

They at least attempted mood & atmosphere; some images did look swell. So did the bloody action scenes. Getting to see both Michael Biehn and Reginald VelJohnson is always a treat. When 2026 has had too many bad movies seen theatrically, I can’t be too disappointed that this movie was a letdown in parts when fun was still had.

Doctor Who: Terror of the Autons

This is the 1971 serial from the Jon Pertwee era: 

In this special late Wednesday posting, I’ll admit that one thing new to me this Spooky Season is having more than one Doctor Who serial on the list. Besides Autons coming as a recommendation, I knew from a cursory search that this had a bit of a reputation at the time for causing “kindertrauma”… i.e. containing moments that were frightening to children. That is understandable… there’s an inflatable chair that kills (long story), plastic daffodils that also kill, an evil troll doll, plastic men, and other men with giant fake heads.

It was nice to be introduced to the renegade Time Lord known as The Master-serving as the main foil-the introduction of Jo Grant as the Doctor’s companion, and the first time Captain Mike Yates of U.N.I.T. appeared in the show. I was happy to learn about The Master, the titular autons, and the non-corporeal entities known as the Nestenes. The Master enacts a plan to have the autons bring the Nestenes onto Earth and he’ll destroy all of humanity, because he’s a villain.

There is a thing or two I could nitpick about-including the denouement-yet overall I still had fun. As mentioned before, Jon Pertwee was entertaining as The Doctor; he even admitted to his at-times childish behavior. Katy Manning was swell as Jo, as was Roger Delgado as The Master. The typical action I expect from the franchise (which I’ve now seen a grand total of three serials of) was present. There’s some fine action, the standard cliffhangers between each chapter, and a tremendous roll down a hill by a stuntman.

I know there are other Doctor serials which are more horror-coded; research has told me which way to go to view one starring Tom Baker between now and Halloween.

Ghostkeeper

Ghostkeeper (1981)

Runtime: 87 minutes

Directed by: Jim Makichuk

Starring: Riva Spier, Murray Ord, Sheri McFadden, Georgie Collins, Les Kimber

From: Badland Pictures

This motion picture played last night on one of the five streaming channels on the Eternal Family platform. It was characters on a pair of snowmobiles in the Canadian wilderness. As that snowy landscape was resplendent, I was intrigued to watch Ghostkeeper-which is also a great title-in full.

The platform’s description compared it to The Shining. While it’s an apt comparison (for reasons I can’t reveal), it also is writing a check the movie couldn’t possibly cash. Ghostkeeper isn’t an all-time genre classic, after all. That doesn’t mean this is not a cozy, chilling motion picture where a couple (that have a contentious relationship) and a lady friend leave their friends in a cabin to ride around the wilderness before two of the three decide to trespass on private property despite the third being the voice of reason & protesting the decision.

Of course, a snowmobile breaks down right by an abandoned deer lodge… only they meet an older lady caretaker, and there’s others… oh, and I almost forgot: there’s an opening blurb which reveals that this motion picture features a Wendigo.

I understand why there are many who feel this is lacking in incident, a pace too languid, that they’d prefer a certain type of horror thrill which isn’t what this movie is offering. Evidently, the production ran out of money so that resulted in an ending that had to be modified. At the same time, for those that enjoy slowly-paced spooky moody tales, this could be satisfying for you. The creepy vibes are strong, the lodge setting providing an evocative mood, the snowy landscape providing a pastoral beauty.

A critical asset: the Paul Zaza score. The frequent Bob Clark collaborator (also scoring Prom Night and My Bloody Valentine) presented a chilling violin-based score.

For a certain segment of Letterboxd, they will love Ghostkeeper even more than I did, a journey quite rewarding for them.

Bananas

Bananas (1971)

Runtime: 82 minutes

Directed by: Woody Allen

Starring: Allen, Louise Lasser, Carlos Montalban, Nati Asbacal, Jacobo Morales

From: United Artists

It’s been awhile since viewing any Woody Allen; an apology for doing so probably isn’t necessary on Letterboxd when people still view his films, they’re still on television, and other controversial figures haven’t been banished either. Of course, I’m separating the art from the artist whenever viewing one of Allen’s pictures… some have been reviewed here and Bananas was seen by me once—like 20 years ago. Time for a revisit, right?

Woody portrays… yes, the standard Woody Allen character w/ the great name Fielding Mellish. He tests products for a conglomeration, including a multi-faceted setup at a desk which looks like something that’d be marketed today. Heck, there’s a potshot at the National Rifle Association that many would agree with… anyhow, he meets Louise Lasser-as mentioned a few months ago, RIP to her-who is an activist. They break up but he decides to visit the fictional South American country of San Marcos. 

An overthrow of the government occurred, a dictatorship now ruling. Mellish meets both them & rebels looking to overthrow the dictatorship. Bananas was a comedy featuring satire, pratfalls, absurd moments, the tragic humor of banana republics, sight gags & wordplay. While not my favorite from Allen, I was still entertained by his brand of comedy. Spoofing major events in the film by having sportscaster Howard Cosell (I won’t dwell on him or how he’s best known for his interactions w/ Muhammad Ali. I imagine many would know him from Michael Mann’s Ali) commentate on them as if they were sporting events… those were a highlight. 

Some moments I did not recall from that first viewing. In the latter half, there’s a scene which is comparable to the whole “55 burgers, 55 fries, 55 tacos…” thing I’ve never seen but know is a meme. Much more horrifying is a reprise of a shocking moment that was in Hannan and her Sisters. Early on, Allen mentioned… CHILD MOLESTATION. 

This is a detail worth mentioning for both movies lest someone would react poorly to being blindsided by that comment for whatever reasons. That does make it difficult to separate the art from the artist; otherwise, I was happy with this second viewing; it was done on YouTube rather than the copy that is on Amazon and is a few minutes shorter. The assumption is that a scene early on featuring adult magazines was excised for whatever reasons, if other scenes weren’t also trimmed or excised. 

I imagine the one scene featuring Sylvester Stallone as a thug wasn't removed.

Penny Lane is Dead

Penny Lane is Dead (2025)

Runtime: 88 minutes

Directed by: Mia'Kate Russell

Starring: Sophia Wright-Mendelsohn, Tahlee Fereday, Ben O'Toole, Bailey Spalding, Steve Le Marquand

From: Many different Australian companies 

A viewing that occurred due to discussion elsewhere. This was on a messageboard (technically, Discord) that has been obliquely mentioned by me in the past. Someone asked about Shudder’s recently exclusive releases, including Penny Lane. As the title intrigued & I knew this was an Aussie flick set in 1986…

In fact, Penny Lane is the name of a lead. She, her secret lesbian lover Toni, and their pal Amy are teens who spend one night in a beach house… where there isn’t a banker on the corner with a motorcar. Suddenly arrives Penny’s psychotic cousin Kat, who soon then brings her even more psychotic boyfriend Angus and his ruffian friends; deaths, bloodshed, yelling, revenge, and the usage of 80’s Aussie songs occurred.

I could quibble, undoubtedly. The tone was OOT, absurd, preposterous. This does attempt to echo the exploitation films of old-especially Ozploitation-which does include plenty of time viewing loathsome characters perform horrific acts on our heroes—even if the most upsetting moment was heard rather than shown. There are dumb moments-don’t scrutinize the plot too hard. As I figured, it’s about as foolish to criticize the language in an Australian movie as it is one from the UK, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t excessive.

On that note, recently some stranger commented on my review for a recent modern film I didn’t like & thought me a hypocrite because I complained about F-bombs there yet one of my favorites is Goodfellas. Some movies from the past before I grew frustrated with this issue are grandfathered in plus if I am a fan of the story and characters… regardless, I still enjoyed Penny Lane & would have rated it the same even if the constant vulgarities would have been less frequent. Speaking of language, Aussies will be amused that via this film, I now know what a dunny is!

Regardless, the movie was successful at making you despise the villains, especially Kat… the performance of Sophia Wright-Mendelsohn was one of the highlights. Yes, her father actually IS who you think it is. The revenge was satisfying-bloody and gruesome. There are fun moments, the pitch-black comedy was amusing rather than the irritating wink-at-the-camera crap that’s ruined cinema in recent years. The leading trio were all easy to root for, especially Tahlee Fereday as Toni. The score was good & there is something to be said about a modern picture where the nighttime scenes outdoors feature lighting that isn’t bad.

To echo a criticism of others elsewhere, they perhaps didn’t stick the landing. Even so, I still enjoyed this retro-flavored stew which at least wasn’t pretentious or smug. Penny Lane is instead big dumb fun—after the viewer is riled up for a long bit by the heels. For those that are fans of inclusion, plenty on the crew were females, as was director Mia’Kate Russell… no relation. Again, that doesn’t impact my rating but Dead still feels like the films of old, including its mean streak.

The Guest, Revisited

Knowing that Onslaught is in the same universe as The Guest means that it was time for me to revisit this picture; judging by how many less screens Onslaught is on in just its second week, it’s now a priority to check that out before the 18th.

I’m not as over the moon as I was that theatrical viewing almost 12 (!) years ago already; that doesn’t mean I did not have a very good time last night. Dan Stevens-in an awesome performance-portrays David, a soldier who was friends w/ the late soldier son in the Peterson family. He suddenly shows up at their doorstep one day and while mom is happy to welcome him w/ open arms, the rest of the family were various degrees of wary. As he ingratiates himself, we see that the overly polite David is a badass who beats up-and worseSOB’s; they deserved it, at least at first…

The film is wildly entertaining, the Carpenter inspirations obvious even if you don’t factor in the astonishing synth/synthwave soundtrack & songs. David seems awesome at first-he wants to help nerdy loner Luke Peterson battle his loathsome bullies. Dudes Get Wrecked ™ in a way I was happy to view again. However, David makes oddball comments, e.g. “Cash is easy to get,” concerning how loaded w/ dollars he is. I dare not spoil the rest.

It's always nice seeing familiar faces like Leland Orser, Joel David Moore, & Lance Reddick. However, thankfully the highlights were the three main performances… David, Anna, and Luke, as portrayed by Stevens, Maika Monroe, and Brendan Meyer. The plot isn’t complex—not every motion picture needs to be complex like the Bergman film I viewed the previous day. The Guest was done well between the plot, the characters, the entertaining action beats, the retro vibes. There are some admittedly contrived bits or silly moments-that does not ruin the experience for me.

Onslaught hasn’t had reviews as strong as The Guest; that said, concerning my peculiar modern movie tastes, I might swoon over that picture as well. Whether Guest is an action-horror or an action-thriller w/ a bit of horror elements can be debated; more undeniable is the October setting, Halloween decorations in the background. In the foreground is the climax held in a holiday setting; this is a fine movie to watch during the month of October, in other words.