The 7th Voyage of Sinbad

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)

Runtime: 88 minutes

Directed by: Nathan Juran

Starring: Kerwin Mathews, Kathryn Grant, Richard Eyer, Torin Thatcher, Alec Mango

From: Columbia

A fine way to pay tribute to what would have been Ray Harryhausen's 100th birthday. TCM ran several of the films he contributed his revolutionary stop-motion animation effects to last night and as this is highly rated online, that was my criteria. In my life I've seen some of Ray's movies yet none have been reviewed here until now as those were many, many years ago.

Ironically, the story is more like the 3rd and 5th voyages of Sinbad as told in the ancient Middle Eastern legend. It has classic tropes... Sinbad's lady is Parisa; their upcoming marriage will hopefully broker peace between their two homelands... Sinbad comes across magician Sakurah who shrinks Parisa to about 2 inches tall as blackmail so Sakurah can acquire literal treasure that is guarded by such mythical creatures as Roc-a huge bird of prey from that region-cyclops and dragons. While there is white-washing here, I know how things were back then so I can still appreciate how various aspects of that culture were incorporated here.

It was nice to see an unpretentious adventure film which had action on land & sea... various colorful creatures all nicely brought to life by Harryhausen via effects that haven't aged poorly; what a stark contrast to a lot of the CG we have had in almost the past 30 years now. Mix in a nice Bernard Herrmann score and this was simply a fun movie to watch. Maybe one day I'll give a shot to Columbia's 70's Sinbad pictures (The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger) as if nothing else, I would see more Harryhausen effects.

The Crowd

The Crowd (1928) 

Runtime: 95 minutes

Directed by: King Vidor

Starring: Eleanor Boardman, James Murray, Bert Roach, Estelle Clark, Daniel G. Tomlinson

From: MGM

A film I did not even know of until a few days ago was worthwhile.

This was viewed last night during TCM's weekly Sunday night silent movie showcase. As people rated it high both here and elsewhere, it seemed worthy of me giving it a shot. Thankfully it proved to be very good. It is melodramatic but thankfully not cloyingly or bombastically so. It follows a man named John Sims, who was born on the 4th of July, 1900. As an adult he moves to New York City. One night on a double date he meets a swell gal named Mary; he asks for her hand in marriage THAT NIGHT and she accepts. They soon then get married and naturally, the relationship is rocky as they barely knew each other before getting hitched. All this is shown with frequent scenes in the hustle & bustle of NYC.

It is a movie influenced by such German filmmakers as F.W. Murneau so it was always striking to look at with both the camera movements and some scale models that were used. The story always intrigued and while the couple (who had a pair of kids) experienced its share of tragedies The Crowd did not wallow in misery and there were uplifting moments too. The cast-filled with unfamiliar names by design-all did a nice job of expressing themselves w/o the benefit of speech. Unfortunately, James Murray (John) in real life experienced a downfall and in a few eerie ways it matched his character here. Both were too proud to accept help for others and at one point John had thoughts of suicide while Murray died young, possibly due to his killing himself.

In 1934 the main characters returned-played by different actors-for Our Daily Bread; perhaps one day I'll check that out, as it is rather easy to find online. For certain, this is worth the effort of seeing if you enjoy the silent film genre.

A Quick Update

Saturday night I saw 1972's Bigfoot: Man or Beast. That was referenced a few days ago as the first twenty minutes were excised for the re-release of it in 1976 as In Search of Bigfoot. I don't know why it was done as at least the first twenty minutes had some brief interviews with people purported to have seen or at least heard Sasquatch in person. I rate both as about the same.

I Revisited Terror Of Tiny Town

That is a bizarre 1938 musical Western. After all, it is "an all-midget film." Even divorced from its controversial gimmick, it is not the best of its type (a 1930's B-movie musical Western, lasting around an hour long). At least after having reviewed it for Letterboxd, the movie never has to be seen again.

I Discuss Song Of The South

Yep, about time this happened. Circumstances were that it was best I do it last night: 

Splash Mountain trending on Twitter yesterday gave me the impetus to finally talk about this movie. It's been seen by me before despite the little detail that at least in the United States, it's never received an official home video release and it ever appearing on Disney + is about as likely as me one day becoming CEO of the company. Since it was re-released on the big screen in 1986, Disney has been petrified of the movie due to all its racial issues. Yet they used the story elements and characters of the animated segments for the Splash Mountain log flume ride, which has always been amazing to me. As it is 2020, they decided to make a big change and now the ride will be themed around The Princess and the Frog; someday in the future that will have to be viewed.

As for Song of the South itself, even at the time it was controversial due to a litany of reasons, including the black characters speaking in a certain dialect, the setting that appeared to be a plantation staffed by slaves (it wasn't; it was after the slaves were freed. They just worked there and got paid... the fact that it wasn't made clear is a big problem) and various stereotypes that are just awkward at best when viewed today. I am a dumb white person so it'd be best if someone who was black were to discuss this movie's racial politics; I'll just speak about the enjoyment level I got out of this.

The animated segments-along with animation combined w/ live-action-were entertaining; the live lessons learned were not the most complicated but they are fine for kids. When it is just live-action and it is crude pigeonholed characters and many of the white people just act rude or stupid or irritating... it makes me beg for more of the animation; at least then there would also be more catchy tunes to hear. The acting isn't always good and I was never too terribly interested in seeing a rich kid's issues with white trash boys around his same age. To be honest, many of the white people look kind of bad also, just not as harshly of course.The only character I gave a darn there was Uncle Remus; Hattie McDaniel's role wasn't anything more than a crude stereotype.

This movie will have some appeal as it is Forbidden Fruit and in the United States it has to be streamed or purchased illegally; online it is rather easy to stream, to be honest. Personally, much of this is best left forgotten. As for Splash Mountain, I've always enjoyed the ride yet I am OK with Disney banishing content that is part of something rather problematic as 2020 has been the year of wide-sweeping changes and there are several “improvements” done or will be done to Walt Disney World alone that I find to be more objectionable, such as most of the modifications they are doing in Epcot alone.

Cry Wilderness

Cry Wilderness (1987)

Runtime: 93 very long minutes

Directed and starring a bunch of no-name buffoons (along with a child actor who actually wasn't bad), and from a no-name studio

Featuring an astral projection Bigfoot who loves New Coke.

I have only known of this since it was featured on the reboot of MST3K; as I haven't seen any episode of the reboot (I do like the original show) it was only hearsay which informed me that this was quite bad. Still, this was viewed with an open mind. The opening few minutes featuring the kid actor (he was the best actor in the movie!) at a boarding school led by a real A-hole... that was difficult for me to get through as it features one of my least favorite cliches. Even though it was followed up by one of several hilarious scenes, much of this is pretty awful... poor acting, a threadbare plot, some atrocious dubbing, way too many aggravating scenes and not enough Bigfoot.

A shame, as this had some unintentionally great moments. The first was when Bigfoot did some astral projection to our lead kid Paul telling him that his dad is in danger... note that this is the only time Bigfoot speaks to the kid, or anyone for that matter. He then hitchhikes in a snowy landscape as if he was Superman after he voluntarily gave up his powers, and is picked up by a semi driver as a song best described as someone trying very hard to sound like Bob Seger singing over a band trying very hard to create a Waylon Jennings tune. The bad moments even override all the different animals on display and the lovely Northern California locations this production found. Also, Bigfoot not only loves New Coke, but also generic rock music.

Amongst such hijinx as a pair of trash pandas trashing someone's cabin, a crew that includes a big game hunter dressed as a bad Indiana Jones cosplay hunts... a tiger! You see, it escaped from the circus; there's an old urban legend and I have no idea if any dangerous animal ever escaped from a traveling circus in history. It may sound like fun... most of it is not. I imagine it is far more tolerable with the pithy comments of The Bots and new host Jonah; don't be like me and see it without them!

In Search Of Bigfoot

Last night I had a double feature; it was two films on DVD that I recently purchased from Vinegar Syndrome during one of their big sales they have each year. The other movie will be reviewed sometime tonight. This was decided even before another famous cryptid (The Loch Ness Monster) trended on Twitter yesterday afternoon, only to be quickly exposed as a hoax. It did not even look like any version of the purported creature I had seen before. Cryptozoology is an interesting field, even if none of the creatures are legit; the folklore surrounding this and such topics as UFO's & ghosts makes for good reads. It'd be neat if Sasquatch was actually a thing... unfortunately plenty of the evidence is shady at best. The infamous Patterson-Gimlin Film from 1967, that is almost certainly poppycock.

As for any proof offered here, that is minimal at best. There are only a few big footprints seen and that's it. Otherwise it's a few random people being interviewed & seeing a bunch of random hippie people-even if they are mainly scientist types wandering around the area of Mt. St. Helens in the state of Washington (a few years before that volcano last erupted) led by a bald man who is best described as a cross between Shel Silverstein and Jackie Earle Haley. This at least is treated earnestly, including serious narration as lovely scenery is seen throughout. Hanging out with those wacky people was pleasant even if they did a lot of talking about Sasquatch and the evidence was rather minimal.

They did have a great out for not finding anything; you see, they figured where a family of Bigfeet was likely located at... only of course there's a forest fire which must have driven the clan away. This whole deal might have been invented once they found out there was a forest fire. Anyhow, at the end a random 70's actor appeared as himself in a cameo. Sam Melville was mainly in television, best known for the 70's show The Rookies, if anyone here is old enough to have seen it. What a look he served here: a neon green KISS t-shirt, tiny red nylon shorts, and knee-high stripey socks! At least this was only 72 minutes minus credits, making for quick viewing. To clarify, this is a shorter version of 1972's Bigfoot: Man or Beast?

The 1970's was a boon for paranormal documentaries... Bigfoot, UFO's, The Bermuda Triangle-which has 100% been confirmed as bunk as there's no evidence for it-ghosts, etc. In the future I should check those out once in a blue moon for the silly charm they likely will provide. I am certain they will be more fun than those paranormal “reality” TV programs infesting the airwaves now where I will presume it's incredibly phony and there's manufactured drama so there's jerks screaming at each other. Plus, as will be revealed tonight, this was much preferable to the actual movie Vinegar Syndrome packaged this with.

RIP Joel Schumacher

Tuesday I paid tribute to him by revisiting D.C. Cab. Hey, it was a crummy day so a comedy was chosen rather than something better and more serious. That is still an absurd movie where I am sure that Gary Busey wasn't the only one on drugs at the time... some other cast AND crew members had to be also! Tomorrow will be a pair of related movies.

Ordinary People

Ordinary People (1980)

Runtime: 124 minutes

Directed by: Robert Redford

Starring: Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Timothy Hutton, Judd Hirsch, Elizabeth McGovern

From: Paramount

This is something I would not have ordinarily watched but as it was on the same ancient blank VHS tape that someone used to record Showtime programming in the early 80's (from the random show that was on for a moment right before this began, the recording is from 1983) and I might as well see what was at the end, I gave this a whirl. As I discovered, it was just advertising for Star Wars-the original-and Chariots of Fire, then a few minutes of Aerobicize before the tape ran out-this was recorded in the middle of the night. After the erotic exercise was Liberace in Las Vegas, which would have been kitschy fun to view, I reckon. Anyway, this has been negatively connected to Raging Bull... more on that at the end.

Viewed without comparisons to its contemporaries, it is a very good adaptation of a novel that isn't light fluffy entertainment as it deals with two tragedies in one family... an older teen son dying in a boating accident and the younger teen son Conrad (Timothy Hutton) attempts suicide. He recently was released from a psychiatric hospital and there are issues between him and his parents. It isn't entirely miserable as he does have Judd Hirsch as a quirky therapist-although perhaps that is how they act... I have never been to a therapy session before-and also a budding romance w/ Elizabeth McGovern. I have seen more than one compare this to Manchester by the Sea; personally, Manchester had some quality moments and great acting but otherwise wasn't pleasant viewing... abrasive characters, constant yelling vulgarity, over the top tragedy... thank heavens this wasn't like that.

OP, I felt bad for the entire family; they are upper middle class yet they are ordinary people in that there's family drama, selfish behavior and struggles in how to deal with all that anguish & events that changed all of them. Conrad feels that his mom does not love him and dad tries to be a peacemaker but they all are suffering. For a directorial debut, Robert Redford did quite well; the story unfurls at a deliberate pace so it is some time before the audience fully understands Conrad's actions and why he attempted to take his own life. What a struggle he went through and in a film with great performances from Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, and Judd Hirsch, it was Hutton who was outstanding and without having seen all the performances in the Best Supporting Actor category that year, his Oscar win was well-deserved. For me it was easy to root for him and his family to at least try to fix their issues that in part are due to a lack of communication. As I only know her for her comedic TV work, Moore in a completely different (not to mention complex) role deserves plenty of praise.


In these modern times, plenty of people look at this derisively due to it beating Raging Bull for Best Picture at the aforementioned Oscars that year. Looking at how other movie awards voted between the two, Ordinary People almost always beat Raging Bull. It is different contemporaneously but at the time most critics preferred this. Not a surprise as it's a serious family drama with serious adult themes & issues that at least a small percentage of the general population can relate to, and has great acting performances and is the directorial debut of an actor that most liked. I haven't seen Scorsese's movie in many years so I can't compare the two. I can say that both are worthy of viewing for different reasons.

Thief

Thief (1981) 

Runtime: 123 minutes

Directed by: Michael Mann

Starring: James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Robert Prosky, Jim Belushi, Willie Nelson

From: United Artists

The perfect way of seeing Thief: on a VHS cassette recorded off of Showtime while I was still in diapers.

For the purpose of digitizing some things I have on tape (which mainly are not films), an old VCR was hooked up to a flatscreen TV that's a few years old-thus it still has RCA plugs-and through the summer that task will be done. I mean, soon I'll have to order a converter in order to accomplish this task. Years ago I purchased some tapes at a rural flea market; I might as well wear my ass as a hat for not buying the entire lot-which I was offered-as the material between the films (recorded off of Showtime in the early 80's) was great and room could have been made for a haul that was only 20 bucks. The tape I watched last night had Sharky's Machine, this movie then Ordinary People. At least the first two are similar to each other as the third certainly sticks out like a sore thumb.

To test this setup, a VHS tape was played and it had this movie; I hadn't experienced Thief in many years. It was one hell of a theatrical debut for Michael Mann. The general synopsis is simple enough: James Caan is an expert safecracker who hooks up w/ Robert Prosky for a big score so he can settle down w/ Tuesday Weld and become a regular guy, but of course things go wrong. It is more complicated than that... Caan's Frank doesn't give an F as he spent years in prison so his relationship with Weld (who has a checkered past herself) has its struggles. The cops are after him & oh yeah, Prosky is rather ruthless... he says and does some awful things.

Frank and his pals-including Jim Belushi-are shown to be great in the opening scene as they successfully pull off a score w/ meticulous planning and the patience to do it right. It was real-life burglary tools that were used, to boot. As it's Mann, even then there was plenty of panache with how the entire movie was filmed. There was neon light, plenty of different colors, and the heists all looked great. For me the highlight was Tangerine Dream's incredible electronic score. Of course, it earned a Razzie nomination for WORST score; as Kubrick got a nomination for The Shining and De Palma has received multiple nominations, this is why I've said on a number of occasions that the Razzies have always been pretty worthless. Anyhow, listening to the soundtrack on YouTube today, that alone bumps the score up from what I originally was going to give it. In addition, a great realization was that the song during the ending scene/end credits (Confrontation, and yes there is a confrontation at the end) sounds an awful lot like Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb. This was not an accident... Mann was not able to use Comfortably Numb so instead he had a ripoff song created. That is fine with me as I rate both tunes rather highly.

I don't want to downplay the acting on display in the film. No complains with any of the main players but Caan & Weld were the highlight, especially during a scene set at a diner when they discussed similar awful experiences they had previously. Willie Nelson wasn't just stunt-casting; in fact I would have liked to have seen more of him. It was still great to revisit Thief; one day I will check it out in HD to enjoy the audio/visuals. It was quite the reminder to recall how I experienced films at home when I was a child.

As for what else is on the VHS tape that someone created over 35 years ago, the VCR does not rewind or fast forward too well... after Thief the only thing was the last minute of an interview w/ Mark Hamill and he plugged a theater tour he was doing where he was one of the leads in Amadeus. That reminds me... the original Broadway production starred Ian McKellan, Tim Curry and Jane Seymour; that sounds pretty damn great to me. After Ordinary People the only thing I recalled was AEROBICIZE; if you're not familiar, it was ostensibly an exercise show that women could follow along to. In actuality, it was erotic in nature and was for lonely men. The soundtrack even sounded like something from an 80's adult film. It was what Axel the randy doctor was viewing in the morgue during the opening act of Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter.

Pale Flower

Pale Flower (Kawaita Hana) (1964)

Runtime: 96 minutes

Directed by: Masahiro Shinoda

Starring: Ryo Ikebe, Mariko Kaga, Takashi Fujiki, Naoki Sugiura, Shin'ichiro Mikami

From: Shochiku

Friday night I skimmed through parts of Special When Lit, A Pinball Documentary (as I somehow never reviewed it at Letterboxd) and revisited Hardcore then The Yakuza as both were on Turner Classic Movies. Here's another movie about the Yakuza, which was seen on Thursday night: 

An exciting movie considering it's about a card game I know little about.

This was viewed on Thursday night but I held off on a review until late tonight so I could post something at an unusual time. I haven't viewed much of either Japanese New Wave or French New Wave but from what I know, they are similar; I will eventually see more Seijun Suzuki but for now, something from Masahiro Shinoda-my first from him, although some of his work I've heard of-will do.

Of course this is rather stylish and focuses more on the story than the characters and dialogue, although at least they were still interesting. A member of the Yakuza (Muraki) is released from prison after a few years. He now realizes how futile life can be, although he gets wrapped up in a gambling den and a game that's played... it took Google to tell me that it was some sort of contest involving Hanafuda cards, which have different flowers on them. In a note of trivia, Nintendo has been a company since 1889 as they started out making Hanafuda cards. Anyhow, the real important aspect is the existential relationship between Muraki and a young cardshark lady-Saeko-whose presence at such events is highly unusual. She is upper-class so she is a thrill-seeker and no surprise that this leads to trouble. 

I don't want to give too much away concerning the plot-besides, it's more a visual experience anyhow-so I'll just say that if you enjoy such films, this will probably get a lot of love. Some scenes stand out-including a car chase, a dream sequence and one late in the film w/ operatic singing on the soundtrack-and as expected this is just so effortlessly cool. What helps out in that regard is a jazz soundtrack that usually sounds avant-garde, yet was still fine with me even if avant-garde in general isn't always for me. The same goes for uber-stylish flicks like this. Somehow, it managed to work in this case. I shouldn't make any promises as I always state I'm going to check out something in the future-usually, that hasn't happened yet-but I should check out more from Masahiro Shinoda.

The Swimmer

The Swimmer (1968)

Runtime: 95 minutes

Directed by: Frank Perry... and an uncredited Sydney Pollack

Starring: Burt Lancaster, Janet Landgard, Janice Rule, Tony Bickley, Marge Champion

From: Columbia/Horizon

I give this a high rating for a reason: 

This will be an uncommon review for me: one where I start off spoiler-free then there will be a clear demarcation line where I then will spoil the plot for those that have seen this already. The reason why: I saw this having known of the movie for a few years now (I think it was the Rupert Pupkin Speaks site where this was first discovered by me) yet only knew the basic synopsis of “Burt Lancaster swims across various swimming pools in Connecticut and oh yeah, this is surreal.”

The movie is more complex than I suspected from what sounds like a simple premise. To be vague, you suspect Burt to be a likable protagonist; he is a movie star who has been in some legendary movies and he spends each scene-except one-in swim trunks so that is what you naturally assume. However, it's not that type of movie. “Deconstruction” is not a term I usually use but it does apply here. Things become more peculiar the longer it runs and his plan becomes a nightmare. The Swimmer is the sort of movie which can be interpreted a few different ways... any and all seem valid, really. Thankfully the movie is complex, not impenetrable, thoughtful without being smug or obvious in its messages. If such a premise sounds intriguing-a film where you have to pay attention and notice how various characters interact with each other-this is well worth tracking down... which is thankfully easy to do.

Here be spoilers &&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The Swimmer centers around Burt Lancaster's Ned Merrill, someone who at first seems like a successful person who has a wife and two kids. Right away things seem off... he pops up at the first pool out of nowhere and it appears as if he hasn't seen his friends for awhile. The further we get into the plot, it becomes more obvious that this journey is surreal... it seems like entire seasons pass by and Merrill is always treated oddly by the people he comes across. It is soon apparent that Ned's demeanor and the front he puts up is a facade... Merrill is actually a cad who is a womanizer, had wild daughters who hate him and they are out of control, & his wife doesn't love him anymore.

What it all means can certainly be debated. Is it just a look at one man who is a fraud? Is it a condemnation of all people who are phony like this? Does it skewer The American Dream and how the idea of having a big house w/ such niceties as a pool is rather shallow... especially if you are a lousy human being? It may be one or all of those things... or other ideas. As the star, Lancaster is great. You realize his cocksure attitude is actually a display of braggadocious overconfidence, and his big smile is phony. The viewer discovers that his wife was the one who was financially successful, and Ned is a deadbeat w/ unpaid bills. For me the highlight was his scene with Shirley (Janice Rule); it is there that she destroys him with plenty of acidic dialogue over their love affair, his cowardly behavior and his charlatan act.

No wonder the movie was advertised w/ the tagline “When you talk about The Swimmer, will you talk about yourself?” I imagine that everyone will realize that they put up a front, a self-deception where they present themselves inaccurately, for the purpose of making themselves look better, hide their flaws and/or improve their self-confidence. It may not be easy for some but I am glad this was finally seen by me; in fact, I should not have put it off for a few years. The fact that Frank Perry directed most of this, only to have Sydney Pollack finish it and their two styles are polar opposites, it is quite the feat that such tonal shifts actually work in its factor due to the general surreal tone. One last thing: I won't say what my opinions are concerning its meaning... I'll just add one of my own: Ned is in Hell. Imagine having to repeat this miserable day for the rest of time... you wake up with no memory and you have to relive this emasculating, embarrassing evisceration of yourself constantly.

Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

Runtime: 119 minutes

Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki

Starring: I saw the dubbed version that had the voices of Christian Bale, Jean Simmons, Lauren Bacall, Blythe Danner and Emily Mortimer

From: Studio Ghibli

My computer needed several updates last night and that took far longer than expected; thus, I am only able to post this now. I'll still be back late tonight w/ another review, barring any further complications: 

It's the long-awaited return of Unpopular Opinion Blair

Never a situation I love stumbling into, once in awhile there's a movie where my opinion of it is different from that of most people. This is my virgin experience with this Studio Ghibli work; what I've seen before this, I dug Nausicaa, think Totoro is great, am unsure why many love Porco Rosso when the story was slight and I'll never understand why most people in that world seemed fine with there being a anthropomorphic pig man walking around... was more annoyed with Spirited Away than anything else and Mononoke is the best thing I've ever seen from Miyazaki. My ratings are different from likely everyone else, this is a point duly noted.

This was seen on HBO Max-in fact, them having the Ghibli streaming rights in the United States was the main reason I tried out the service this month-and as their interface isn't the best, it wasn't until after I watched the dubbed version did I see that suddenly the option popped up to see it subbed. Eh, at least the voice cast was great; I can't complain about hearing the likes of Christian Bale, Jean Simmons, Lauren Bacall, Blythe Danner, Billy Crystal and Emily Mortimer. To be frank, the idea of a walking castle did seem rather peculiar beforehand. However, my low rating-compared to everyone else's opinion-has nothing to do with that. Rather, what a weird and overly convoluted story. It should have been fine with me... a curse, two sides about to go to war, a charismatic figure in the middle, an odd yet cool setting which is like a steampunk version of early 20th century Germany. Yet...

It simply wasn't that enjoyable a tale for me. Miyazaki's pacifism is obvious but I preferred it when it wasn't delivered with the subtlety of a jackhammer like it was presented here. The nuanced presentation of such ideas in Nausicaa and Mononoke was more palatable for me. What made me get through something I was not invested in was such things as the gorgeous animation and a charming musical score. A major shame then that I don't love this like everyone else does. I am not sure how many other Ghibli movies I'll see this month... hopefully the ones selected won't provide me w/ further disappointment.

Jaws: The Revenge

Jaws: The Revenge (1987)

Runtime: 90 minutes

Directed by: Joseph Sargent

Starring: Lorraine Gary, Lance Guest, Mario Van Peebles, Karen Young, Michael Caine

From: Universal

This movie does deserve its toxic reputation: 

RRAAAWWWRRRR!- Shark

Even in 2020, Jaws: The Revenge is in rarefied air... a critically terrible motion picture put out by a big studio which includes famous actors and is so infamous in the online film community it ranks alongside such “masterpieces” like Battlefield Earth and Leonard: Part 6. The biggest issue with this-which is not brought up that often-was that because then-Universal CEO Sidney Sheinberg wanted a box office hit during a lean time at the studio so Revenge was fast-tracked and it was less than a year that this was released. That was way too fast for a movie like this and much of its problems can be blamed on that... chiefly the absurd story and the shoddy special effects. Technically I believe it did make a profit, although each sequel made less and less cash.

The plot as shown in the movie is that I guess because nature wanted revenge on the Brody family for killing several Great White Sharks, one stalks them from the American Northeast all the way to The Bahamas. I've never read the novelization but it famously gives another explanation: A VOODOO CURSE. I did have to use Google to try and figure out just why some witch doctor in The Bahamas is pissed at the Brody family. Apparently, son Mike told this person-Papa Jacques-that he was a fraud and after two heated confrontations, the curse was put into place. At least the novel does not have a baffling psychic connection between Ellen Brody and the great white, nor any sepia-toned flashbacks from her involving events she was not witness to. Yet it does have Martin Brody dead of a heart attack because he “had constant fear of sharks.”

Even if you exclude the preposterous plot, the movie has other issues. The characters are annoying and bicker too often... the ending is an utter disaster in many ways-such as the incomprehensible way it was shot, or how in this universe sharks can roar... and I feel bad for the special effects people. I am sure they tried their best with no time to make something look good and their lackluster creation was spotlighted often. At least Michael Caine got a paycheck big enough to pay for a house, got to spend time in a tropical paradise where he got to see a junkanoo, and apparently has still never watched the finished product. This is the worst thing I've seen him in, even more terrible than The Swarm.

There are also minor aspects such as Mario Van Peebles sporting what I'll call “a vaguely Caribbean” accent but it's the major flaws that totally sink this. What I know upsets everyone-even if it's only subconsciously-is how the sequels to such a great original movie turned out... if it wasn't for Roy Scheider's performance in 2 then all of them would be only alright at best and rather rotten at worst. Thankfully they stopped after this and at least the OG Jaws is still the classic that (for better or worse) spawned the idea of blockbusters. I'll never forget my mom telling me as a kid how she saw that movie theatrically back in 1975 and it was so popular, the screening she was at had people sitting in the aisles. Imagine that happening in these modern times... back when we could go to cineplexes, that is.

Shark Night 3D Is Still Very Bad

I only saw that pile of crap a second time so I could give it a better review for inclusion on a list I created on Letterboxd devoted to shark films. No one should watch that more than once!

I'll be back tomorrow with two reviews.

Jaws 3

Jaws 3 (1983)

Runtime: 98 minutes

Directed by: Joe Alves

Starring: Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Lou Gossett, Jr., Lea Thompson, Simon MacCorkingdale

From: Universal

Remember when I stated I wouldn't view Jaws 3 and Jaws: The Revenge right away?

I lied.

Actually, it only seemed logical to change my plans due to how popular my Jaws 2 review was-and thank you everyone for all the likes it received-so I might as well get these out of the way. Jaws: The Revenge is infamous yet “boring” is a word often attached to 3, which did give me pause.

It is unfortunate that the 2-D version had to be watched; even if I had the movie on Blu-ray (which contains the 3-D version as an extra) I have no TV or Blu-ray player or special glasses that are 3-D compatible. I know there are other ways to see 3-D content streaming that isn't as ethical... I do not have the equipment for that anyhow. In the future I might and if I do see Jaws 3 that way I won't mention it here but it is certain the movie offers a cheesy good time w/ another dimension a la Friday the 13th Part 3 3-D. For certain, it was used gratuitously a la the third Friday the 13th picture. This installment of Jaws definitely does look silly in 2-D and the picture quality also suffers as a result.

This is an alternate futuristic universe; I say that as Chief Brody's sons are now both adults even though the chronology is presumably “only 5 years after the events of 2” and in this different dimension, SeaWorld's Orlando location is actually in some random Florida city located right by the Atlantic Ocean. This allows for underwater tunnels to be present that allow a Great White to enter the park. At least it's a different setting than having all the action taking place in the open seas. That doesn't mean it isn't exceedingly silly. As for Brody's sons, one of them is played by Dennis Quaid. Via Wikipedia I discovered that he used (at least I hope it's used) to have a problem w/ cocaine. This was a revelation to me, although perhaps I shouldn't be as it was the 70's and 80's. I saw a video online which states that every second he was on screen, he was coked to the gills!

The plot involves sharks in SeaWorld and for a script credited to Richard Matheson and one of the guys who wrote the original Jaws (Carl Gottlieb) the film is just goofy as hell. I am not sure if the message of “capitalism is awful” was intended or not. There are subplots of Mike Brody concerned about his prospects w/ his gal Bess Armstrong as he took a job in Venezuela, younger bro Sean has a fling with Lea Thompson (along with visiting her lagoon...) & Simon MacCorkingdale-looking like the 80's version of Aaron Eckhart-as a macho tough guy version of Jacques Cousteau but it's the action and scares that everyone cares about... neither are thrilling or scary. A major problem is that the method of creating the composite visual effects was changed at the last minute and well, to say they only look bad is me being overly kind & charitable. I hope it isn't as appalling in 3-D.

Director Joe Alves was a production designer for many years and was a second unit director for the first two movies. I don't know how much blame he should get for this not being a good motion picture. It is silly schlock which at least wasn't boring to me, although it was mainly because of the unintended laughs. As it does have to be addressed, I've never seen Blackfish and I have no idea if the documentary was slanted or is misleading propaganda promoting an agenda; it's an issue I've never looked into. My last visit to the park came many years ago but cost is a factor why rather than me taking a stand on this controversial issue. If I did visit in the future, I wouldn't say so on the Internet as I know some friends who would be pissed at me! Anyhow, Shamu does appear here and it has to be the case where some viewers in these modern times are against the film mainly due to the SeaWorld setting.

Anyhow, I'll end this on a humorous note: one of the people who gets trapped in the underwater tunnels attraction-which has never been a thing at SeaWorld Orlando-wore a t-shirt that said LET GARGOYLES SIT ON YOUR FACE. I have a number of questions but it is probably better if I don't know the context!

Jaws 2

Jaws 2 (1978)

Runtime: 116 minutes

Directed by: Jeannot Szwarc

Starring: Roy Scheider, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, a bunch of teenagers whom served as cannon fodder or potential cannon fodder

From: Universal

This was not the main reason I am trying out HBO Max for the next few weeks; however, as it has all the flicks in the series and it was about time they were discussed after I reviewed the classic original many years ago... while this does not rise above being fine, at least it isn't hilariously bad like the subsequent efforts in the franchise.

Police Chief Brody has to deal with another Great White Shark causing havoc to his seaside town of Amity, in the northeastern part of the United States. Once again, the mayor is a fool who has monetary interests in mind that are paramount over everything else. The past few months, that mayor has become tied into the pandemic. As those cases have spiked in recent days, perhaps everyone should have paid more heed to the lesson in the first Jaws... opening up everything too soon because the threat is seen as minimized and money can't be lost due to a shutdown... that seems on point now.

Anyhow, Brody does seem incredibly obsessed and suffering from PTSD over the events of the original picture so that did not help his cause. The movie is different from what Spielberg did; that barely had the shark show up due to problems with the model so instead the focus was on great and colorful characters interacting with each other, with there being a threat of when it will show up. Here, it appears far more often and as I've seen it be described, it's like a slasher movie villains. There's even a gaggle of teenagers (including Brody's rebellious son) that are cannon fodder or possible cannon fodder. The characters are all decent overall-if usually not rising above stereotype-and none of the youths are irritating, but it is Scheider who is the highlight. That is a credit to him, as he only agreed to do the film for Universal because he dropped out of doing The Deer Hunter. Other assets include John Williams contributing a quality score, the shark (usually) looking decent, and some successful suspense sequences. But thank goodness Old Roy was able to return.

The rest of the series won't be viewed immediately; it's nice to have variety... plus, as much unintentional comedy as they will provide, pain will also be part of the equation!

An Update

Three the Hard Way is still a mediocre movie (at least to me) and because HBO Max has given me problems until last night, I gripe about it below and talk a movie from... 1896!

Where I talk more about HBO Max than this 3 ½ minute short.

The original plan was not to only view something real short and for the first (& maybe only time) discuss something from the 19th century. But when you were going to try something out on HBO Max and buffering made that impossible... earlier this month I signed up for it mainly to view a property they exclusively have available for streaming. A few days ago I tried to use the site, only to discover it was down. Last night I tried again and that did not work. Between the relatively high cost, the lack of selection for my tastes and the inability for me to actually use it... after my month is up I am thinking I won't be back there ever again. Note that this has nothing to do with the stupid Twitter controversy where a few nights ago, too many on Twitter soiled themselves because they thought Gone with the Wind was off the platform for good, when in actuality it will soon return, albeit with a disclaimer at the beginning. At least sometime later in the summer Disney + will FINALLY be tried by me.

All that said, my plans turning sour for certain soured my mood. Thus, the last minute decision to instead view something from the 1800's; might as well go with the influential Georges Meiles. This is not to be confused with the 1897 short from the same director also known as The Haunted Castle. It is said to be the first horror film, although it is more fanciful than terror-inducing. A bat appears and transforms into Satan. He does various magic tricks, done via primitive effects. A pair of cavaliers show up and are at first bamboozled by his dark arts, until the end when a crucifix solves their problems.

This receives a high rating for me mainly due to historical significance and how this was lengthy & ambitious for the time. Besides, the French title literally translates to "House of the Devil" & this was far better than the Ti West movie of the same name.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie Is Still Pretty Bad

This was what I discovered last night; the revisit was due to the games trending on Twitter... for reasons that no one seemed to know.

Zapped!

Zapped! (1982)

Runtime: 98 minutes

Directed by: Robert J. Rosenthal

Starring: Scott Baio, Willie Aames, Robert Mandan, Felice Schachter, Scatman Crothers

From: Embassy

There are two things I have to address before discussing this motion picture:

It falls into the category of 80's teen sex comedies that are seen by many in these modern times as rather problematic. This is not as funny or raunchy as something like Porky's or Revenge of the Nerds. In fact, it is only the ending-which is in essence a spoof of Carrie except that clothes are ripped off... oh, and Willie Aames in essence threatening revenge porn, which yikes in 2020-that is rather objectionable. Otherwise, this is a silly thing where telekinesis is used to move items around, bullies are embarrassed, and it helps the crappy high school baseball team actually win a game. Note that I have seen-many moons ago-both this and its DTV sequel Zapped Again!

This starring Scott Baio and Aames is funny, not just for them being bosom buddies in the 80's. After that Willie went in and out of acting, along with creating a Christian superhero known as Bibleman, which was a direct to video series. Baio supports conservative politics, something that isn't automatically offensive to me. Him posting such things on Twitter as “Sandy Hook conspiracy memes” and unwavering support of Trump has caused people to dunk on him on more than a few occasions.

Anyhow, this is a movie that is more weird than funny, although it has some decent laughs. It is a universe where a high school has a science lab that is fully controlled by a student (Baio) and as the principal is not allowed in, he can grow a special strain of marijuana alongside orchids and Aames can crack open a beer during school hours in the lab. No surprise then that an accident happens, giving our hero Barney his powers. Also, Baio's gal is an awkward lady who is supposed to be not as appealing because she wears big glasses... irregardless of her being an attractive brunette. So, this movie has a Laney Boggs type character. I did not remember too much about this; it was slight yet was still watchable for me. There are plenty of high school hijinx, culminating at the prom.

This spoofed more properties than I remembered. There was Star Trek, The Exorcist, and Taxi Driver. The most memorable bit (aside from the nudity) is Scatman Crothers, as the school's baseball coach. It's always a treat seeing him, and what a scene he has. The weed has to be burned in the school's furnace; the Scatman enters and gets high as s*** from the smoke. He imagines hanging out then riding a bike in a field w/ Albert Einstein. Suddenly he is chased in a chariot by his wife, who shoots a bazooka filled with salami sausages at him! There actually is context to this, believe it or not. What a product of its time it is, before the War on Drugs started; in fact, I wonder if the filmmakers were high while they made this. The bad 80's music, Eddie Deezen's one scene cameo... definitely from the decade of excess.

I Discuss Spaceship Earth

No, not the Walt Disney World attraction. Rather, it's a 2020 documentary about an event that got quite a bit of pub in the early 90's: 

As I remember Biosphere 2 from it being a news story in the early 90's and I've read some stories concerning all its foibles, the documentary Spaceship Earth (it's what Buckminster Fuller called a geodesic dome; both these folks and Walt Disney World took inspiration for that idea) was something I was interested in. As I never took a deep dive into the topic-only after the screening did I read its Wikipedia article-the background of this idea was of high interest to me.

Turns out, the people who created Biosphere 2 (1 is the planet Earth; it is an enclosed self-sufficient environment) were major hippies since the late 60's, led by a chap named John Allen. The first half hour presents a history of this group-some say it's a cult-and that includes a New Mexico commune that is exactly like the one seen in Easy Rider. Someone had a 16mm camera so it was neat seeing that vintage footage. While they do bizarre theater that isn't for me, at least they did various projects around the world, such as building a hotel in Kathmandu. They brought together some bright minds to create 2 in Arizona and 8 eccentric people went in for two years, totally sequestered in there... except for when one of the ladies had to briefly leave for finger surgery. The idea was to create such environments on space ships way in the future for when the Earth goes to hell and people have to leave it. Silent Running was in fact noted as an inspiration.

This was not a total puff piece (although you do see some clips from a vintage puff piece concerning Biosphere 2 that starred... Rue McClanahan!) and was fair in presenting some negative opinions concerning the experiment-many negative opinions are still surrounding the project-Allen's increasing hostility towards the press, the environment's rising CO2, tension among the eight Biospherians-yes, that's what they were called-and all the problems with the lesser-known second experiment in 1994 which resulted in it being taken over by... Steve Bannon. Yes, the person who is not just controversial for his time in the Trump administration.

Spaceship Earth does not rise above being fine, although at least the story was presented in a satisfactory manner and it was interesting to see all that footage from the experiment, along with some of the participants' interviews. Of course Biosphere 2's Wikipedia article offers more information but at least the commentary & footage in the documentary was nice to see/hear... the subjects were not demonized or ridiculed either. Whatever data was gathered from these experiments, hopefully some use can be made of it in more scientifically respected modern simulations... especially in 2020, the planet & its citizens aren't doing so well and who knows about humanity's fate far off (?) in the future.

The Vast of Night

The Vast of Night (2019... or 2020, depending on where you look)

Runtime: 90 minutes

Directed by: Andrew Patterson

Starring: Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz... and it's usually just those two on screen

From: Amazon Studios released this

Sorry about this going up a few hours late: 

It was just in the past week-when this exclusively dropped on Amazon Prime-that I had any knowledge of this motion picture; plenty of my mutuals here on Letterboxd have already seen and (mostly) loved it. As I vehemently dislike or outright hate some of the pictures that are highly praised here (that Suspiria remake is but one example) this was seen with cautious optimism. Just a few days ago was the realization that Sierra McCormick-the star of this-had a role in VFW; that's why I saw both last night despite them otherwise being almost a complete 180 from each other.

The Vast of Night... understated is a term I've seen used and that is rather accurate. The setting is late 1950's New Mexico; a switchboard operator (McCormick) and a cocky radio DJ (Jake Horowitz) team up in a small town where most of the residents are at a high school basketball game; the reason for their cooperation is that they both hear a mysterious signal over the airwaves... I will reveal no more. Now, “this isn't for everyone” is a massive cliché, yet it has to be brought up. As many have noted, this is full of dialogue so it could almost be a radio play. Quite a few will find this “boring” as there is more discussion of things happening than the viewing of said things... a minuscule budget is the reason why. To my surprise there was a framing device, which I am not sure always worked.

All that said, this movie worked for me. The fact that it was an uncomplicated story told in an interesting way, located in a warm environment that seems like a gas to visit... that is a big asset. The first few minutes I wasn't sure, as DJ Everett came across as a jerk and you are suddenly thrusted into that world where a lot of dialogue is dumped onto you. After that, things settle down and Everett is a likable jerk, a hepcat. At least McCormick's Fay is always a delightful innocent young lady. It was a nice relationship between the two... which thankfully does NOT turn romantic.

In addition, there are long takes; I know lengthy scenes filled w/ dialogue aren't for all; at least here, I was always invested in the story so it was never dull. Plus, there's a nice score which usually echoes the time period. The “radio play” aspect was mentioned, but at times the camera moves around quite a bit... in a controlled way, rather than an unwieldy, distracting manner. I'll praise Andrew Patterson for creating such a nostalgic world and the two leads for doing a swell job... the majority of the movie it's just those two on screen. It may be a bright future in the film world for them; those that give this a chance, hopefully you'll think the journey is worthwhile, a rewarding one.

VFW

VFW (2019)

Runtime: 92 minutes

Directed by: Joe Begos

Starring: Stephen Lang, William Sadler, Fred Williamson, Martin Kove, Sierra McCormick

From: Fangoria

Where William Sadler was the acting highlight & characters have names such as Boz, Tank, Gutter and Roadie.

I had the time and ability to see two movies yesterday; barring any complications the other one will be posted later in the day. Ever since I viewed the trailer for this last year, I was greatly amused... I mean, a retro-themed 80's movie set in a VFW hall starring a bunch of old actors I enjoy? Last night the plunge was taken as I created a double-feature vastly different from one another except for one thing.

It is the near-future, a new drug called Hype has taken over the street, and a young lady named Lizard steals the supply from a real A-hole & ends up at a VFW hall (a bar for ex-soldiers) filled with several old guys-along with a young man who just came home from a tour of duty-and much carnage occurs as doped-up punks attempt to retrieve the drugs. Now, I've seen director Joe Begos' Almost Human, an obvious Carpenter riff which had a bad story/characters so I was not a fan. This, I see that he still loves Carpenter; this is no Assault on Precinct 13-or Rio Bravo, for that matter-but this was still enjoyable for what it was.

Retro movies which are bathed in neon light and have a pounding synth score seem almost cliché in the middle of 2020; this does that... at least it was done well. The music, great... the effects, practical (although perhaps much of it was in low lighting to hide them... that is alright with me), the cast, always nice to see Stephen Lang, William Sadler, Fred Williamson, Martin Kove, a cursing George Wendt, and David Patrick Kelly. Among the youths, Sierra McCormick as Lizard left the biggest impression.

This has an obvious target audience; those that like a grindhouse experience with plenty of visceral moments, ribald humor-some of which did make me howl with laughter-and a general over the top nature, this may be just the ticket for you.

I Discuss Attack On Nyege Nyege Island

This is a short from Nabwana I.G.G. Yes, something else from the Wakaliwood universe:

For the sake of being a completionist, I viewed the only other work from the Wakaliwood universe that is easy to find online (in fact, it's on their YouTube channel); this is a 12 minute short set and filmed at the Nyege Nyege Festival, an event founded by ex-pats to the country held in the lakefront city of Jinja, Uganda. The plot is that The Tiger Mafia wishes to kidnap the kid daughter of the festival's organizer. Commandos are there to try and protect everyone, although plenty are shot and killed... note that this event features a good number of white people and they are among the ones that die.

Sure, this doesn't actually have a proper ending and I have no idea of a conclusion was actually filmed. This does not matter too much to me as this still has plenty of no-budget charm, incredibly wacky moments (including the appearance of a deity that appears to save the day... and what this deity is) and two things I have to spotlight. The main bad guy has homemade glasses which are... three CD's taped together?! Yes, 'tis true. VJ Emmie-as always-is there to offer commentary and some of his best jokes are here. That includes referring to a random bad guy as STEVEN SENEGAL; incredible.

Hopefully one day we can see more from Wakaliwood; for those that have seen everything else they can, don't forget about this.

Ganja & Hess

Ganja & Hess (1973)

Runtime: 113 minutes

Directed by: Bill Gunn

Starring: Duane Jones, Marlene Clark, Bill Gunn, Sam L. Waymon, Leonard Jackson

From: Kelly/Jordan Enterprises

Yesterday was #blackoutTuesday on social media; the controversial aspects I'll ignore and instead note that it was designed to spotlight artists, entertainers, businesses, and others run by black people. Henceforth, something like Ganja & Hess seemed only logical for streaming last night.

No surprise that something experimental told in a fractured way was not a hit at the time, although it's been a cult favorite for years. Duane Jones is stabbed with an ancient African dagger by a crazed man (played by director Bill Gunn) and becomes a vampire. He also falls in love with the man's wife, Marlene Clark. In a film that often seems like a dream due to the muddy cinematography and the great score/soundtrack which has everything from soul tracks to weird electronic sounds, it is actually a tale of addiction which is sympathetic towards those affected; religion also plays a big role and classical ideas surrounding water also appear.

Admittedly it is overlong at almost 2 hours; even then, this is a unique experience which will work like gangbusters for some, and others will think it is an artsy-fartsy bore. Me, it does successfully present its tale, a meditation of several different topics. Of course it was nice to see Jones in a rare starring role, but Clark also delivered a solid performance. I understand Spike Lee's remake (Da Sweet Blood of Jesus) is not exactly a carbon copy of this... unlike that, The Great Gatsby does not come to mind when I think of Ganja & Hess's plot. At least that has a mixed reception, which is an improvement over his much-reviled take on Oldboy.

Golden Swallow

Golden Swallow (Jin Yan Zi) (1968)

Runtime: 90 minutes

Directed by: Chang Cheh

Starring: Cheng Pei-Pei, Jimmy Wang Yu, Lo Lieh, Hsin-Yen Chao

From: Shaw Brothers

Seeing something from Chang Cheh and Jimmy Wang Yu was something I wanted to do in May as it was brought up in a messageboard thread a few weeks ago. I also wanted to see more Shaw Brothers films in May... circumstances prevented that. Perhaps in June... this is a sequel to the very good Come Drink with Me, seen and reviewed a few years ago. Once again it follows the titular Golden Swallow, a lady who is a martial arts master. Why she was often mistaken for a man in Drink when she was never not feminine... <<shrug emoji>> In this picture, the same holds true; maybe something was lost in translation.

Not only does this movie have a mysterious figure who goes on a rampage that frames Ms. Swallow, she is also part of a love triangle that of course turns out poorly. As in Drink, she is a badass skilled fighter who uses poison darts and small blades to her advantage. A valid complaint is like in the final act of Drink, Golden seems to be a supporting character in her own movie, even if she's the engine that drives everything. There are some arty flourishes, not all of them a good thing. Why the opening is done with most of the screen obscured in black, I dunno... it did not work for me.

All that said, I can still rate this highly; Cheh, Wang Yu, Pei-Pei Cheng, Lo Lieh and Lau Kar-Leung's stellar action choreography all blended together sounds great on paper, and it did come to fruition; you can't forget the quality musical score, location shooting, the typical expertly constructed sets, and a story with mature themes... such as honor, jealousy and the conflict between the ruthless Yu and the compassionate Lieh. The action is plentiful, full of grace and bloodshed, some gruesome moments and many enemies end up in the afterlife.

I have viewed many Shaw Brothers efforts which have received a nice grade; both Drink and this are worth viewing and make for a sweet double feature... even if the stories are notably different and in part due to the different directors & action choreographers.

Crazy World

Crazy World (Either 2014 or 2015)

Runtime: Barely more than an hour

Directed by: Nabwana I.G.G.

Starring and produced by random people that are a part of the Wakaliwood universe in Uganda

Hopefully my schedule in June will be more normal, even if I am expecting to be out of town for about a week or so. Seeing this was a last minute sort of thing... it was not on the agenda beforehand. This was part of YouTube's We Are One, an online film festival to raise cash for The United Nations Foundation. Crazy World is not something new from the Wakaliwood universe, a unique DIY studio in Uganda where fueled by the action movies of old and their ingenuity of what limited resources they have, people in a small neighborhood make their own motion pictures... no matter the acting on display or the primitive CG, they are full of heart.

From a brief search, this is either from 2014 or 2015; whenever it was made, it was something I was happy to check out for the first time. I linked my reviews to Who Killed Captain Alex and Bad Black (the latter theatrically in one of my favorite big screen experiences) for comparison's sake and to see more praise for an operation that amazingly became popular among a segment of film fans worldwide. It is a print that played last year at the Toronto International Film Festival-that is why this has some newer material which includes an anti-piracy message, as why the hell not? Also, there was a new introduction where mastermind Nabwanna I.G.G stated that even in Uganda there is a lockdown.

The basic plot is that gangsters (The Tiger Mafia) kidnap kids but they make the mistake of taking the Waka Stars, children who are able to fight back. Of course, with Wakaliwood there is much more than just that; there is plenty of insanity mixed in. Besides the fact that I saw kids who appeared to be barely older than my 7 year old twin nephews doing martial arts against adults, there is a brief counterfeiting subplot, a commando father who goes crazy after his daughter is taken & his wife is murdered... oh, and the leader of The Tiger Mafia is a kid himself.

No matter such things as the appearance of the cinematography or the effects or any of the other technical aspects, Crazy World is as much fun as the other two Wakaliwood flicks I have viewed. It's simply a fun and loony way to kill an hour. VJ Emmie as always added irreverent commentary throughout and there are various 80's action references (Rambo, Chuck Norris, Van Damme, etc.); something new was that they tried doing their own squibbs and it looked quite good for the extremely limited budget. Those that have seen anything else from this crew, Crazy World is a must-see.

One last thing: a great revelation is that old Twilight t-shirts which did not sell elsewhere were sent to Uganda; this has to be why one henchman was advertising The Twilight Saga, New Moon Part I while another one suffered an even worse fate and said that he was Team Jacob!