Sunday, July 7, 2019
On Second Thought...
My plans did change. Due to circumstances, in the afternoon I revisited The Expendables and in a few minutes I'll view The Expendables 2... both are for the sake of better Letterboxd reviews. I won't watch the third one again, as not only am I satisfied with that review, I don't watch to watch that terrible movie again! Anyhow, on Tuesday I'll be back with a review.
An Update
This month has been more
hectic than expected; I will be even more busy in the upcoming week
or so, as I'll elaborate upon tonight. At least last night I
revisited The Vault of Horror, which I just saw this past September.
This time, it was on Shudder, as they have the rare uncut version of
the movie, albeit in fullscreen.
Thursday, July 4, 2019
Action U.S.A.
Runtime: 89 minutes
Directed by: John Stewart
Starring: Gregory Scott
Cummins, William Hubbard Knight, Barri Murphy, Ross Hagen, Cameron
Mitchell
From: Filmtrust/Stewart &
Berger
What better film to watch then talk about on the 4th of July than
this one? I have seen this ago, albeit long ago... even before I joined
Letterboxd so this is my first time discussing this oddity here. It was a
made for video thing where a bunch of stuntmen got together to make an
action picture and it is as glorious as it sounds. Long ago I downlo...
er, I mean “found” this movie and I still have it in my collection, so
that is how I made that revisit.
The plot, dialogue, and situations are all standard and yet I know many won't care as long as it don't get in the way, and it don't. Two FBI agents-they might as well be known as “Not Murtaugh and Riggs”-in northern Texas guard Carmen, as her boyfriend stole diamonds from “The Syndicate” and several bad men not only kill boyfriend in front of her, but of course they want the diamonds back also. From there we get such things as:
* A souped-up old Corvette designed for the drag strip, complete w/ giant motor and wheels on the back bumper
* Car chases, shootouts, barfights, dangerous helicopter stunts, stuntmen on fire, and a whole lot more...
* Including explosions-plenty of explosions
* Tremendous 80's music is heard throughout
* One of the agents is known as Panama, and wait until you hear the explanation as to the origin of his nickname
* It was recent conversation on Twitter that made me realize it had been far too long with this, and one person even posted a clip, which was: an hour in, another car chase happens and as this is in a rural neighborhood, a station wagon is accidentally run off the road and... crashes into a wooden house, taking out part of it! The house owners are in the front yard and get mad, but the driver did apologize, before driving away. Then... the house explodes!
The description of that scene likely will sway your opinion either way as to whether or not you want to track this down, along with knowing that the co-stars include William Smith, Cameron Mitchell and Ross Hagen. Hopefully one day it comes out on disc so more 80's B action fans can bask in the majesty of this.
The plot, dialogue, and situations are all standard and yet I know many won't care as long as it don't get in the way, and it don't. Two FBI agents-they might as well be known as “Not Murtaugh and Riggs”-in northern Texas guard Carmen, as her boyfriend stole diamonds from “The Syndicate” and several bad men not only kill boyfriend in front of her, but of course they want the diamonds back also. From there we get such things as:
* A souped-up old Corvette designed for the drag strip, complete w/ giant motor and wheels on the back bumper
* Car chases, shootouts, barfights, dangerous helicopter stunts, stuntmen on fire, and a whole lot more...
* Including explosions-plenty of explosions
* Tremendous 80's music is heard throughout
* One of the agents is known as Panama, and wait until you hear the explanation as to the origin of his nickname
* It was recent conversation on Twitter that made me realize it had been far too long with this, and one person even posted a clip, which was: an hour in, another car chase happens and as this is in a rural neighborhood, a station wagon is accidentally run off the road and... crashes into a wooden house, taking out part of it! The house owners are in the front yard and get mad, but the driver did apologize, before driving away. Then... the house explodes!
The description of that scene likely will sway your opinion either way as to whether or not you want to track this down, along with knowing that the co-stars include William Smith, Cameron Mitchell and Ross Hagen. Hopefully one day it comes out on disc so more 80's B action fans can bask in the majesty of this.
Wednesday, July 3, 2019
Toy Story 4
Runtime: 100 minutes
Directed by: Josh Cooley
Starring: Many famous
faces... many of which only have what amounts to extended cameos here
From: A company that
doesn't seem to believe in original ideas all that often
It's that time again: I
have an unpopular opinion!
This movie can go fork itself.
I realize that hardly anyone will agree with my opinion of this motion picture and unlike Armond White, my opinion is not a bizarre troll job... I honestly did not like this movie at all. My recent revisits of the first three show that all of them are still an utter delight to watch, full of funny dialogue, touching moments, quality setpieces, and a lot of heart. I've never wanted a 4 as 3 wrapped up the story perfectly and it seemed utterly pointless. It wasn't until I discovered there were characters voiced by Carl Weathers (albeit, for one scene) and Keanu that I decided to actually see this on the big screen.
Believe it or not, even now I never saw any trailers for Toy Story 4 and not even a full commercial... I was somewhere and saw part of one ad, and what I saw did give me concern as it did NOT seem like Pixar at all. Yet practically everyone around the world loves this movie so I managed to be spoiler-free except for knowing of some characters and one setting of “carnival.” Another concern was knowing that the big new character was named FORKY as it was a spork-which just seemed incredibly lame to me. Yet I swear I did go into this with an open mind, as why would I want to be a hater with something nearly universally beloved?
In context, the character itself I do not have a problem with... Forky being incredibly annoying was. “I'm Forky! I'm trash!” was not funny the first time, so experiencing that for 10 minutes in a row turned me off from Toy Story 4 right then and there. The story: I hated it, it has to be stated bluntly. I did not care about the villain or its lackeys in the slightest, as I could not give a damn about their plight... also, what a strange and dark plot for a film designed for children. The only new character I found not awful was Duke Caboom, and that probably is only because of his Fu Manchu mustache and the voice being from Keanu Reeves... although honestly the character is pretty forgettable as talk about one note.
Then again, Duke and even Forky are works of genius compared to two fluffy newcomers I might as well call “Skids” and “Mudflap” as EVERYTHING surrounding them was obnoxious, irritating, intolerable, and brutally unfunny... the last point is a problem with this movie as a whole. The first three offered plenty of laughs for me-but this, I only chuckled a few times and that was it. None of the running jokes worked in the slightest.
Even worse, I hated how the story wrapped and I had big problems with how most of the supporting characters who return here only have glorified cameos as they disappear for long stretches and when they are around, they have nothing memorable to do or say. Yet another gripe: the toys have to break the established rules for their universe-and often-to make everything work and it was SO not needed. To be blunt, that reminded me of something I'd expect to see in a DreamWorks or an Illumination picture... I can only presume so for the latter as I have never had the “joy” of experiencing anything from that studio.
Ultimately, I never felt that this movie ever gave me an adequate reason for it even existing, especially when it feels completely different in style and tone and characters compared to the first three. The only strong compliment I can give this is that the CG looks stunning, to the point of being photo-realistic at times. I am glad most love Toy Story 4 but personally, in my canon I will happily pretend the series ended with 3 and this strange fever dream where toys will happily break kayfabe and interact with humans on multiple occasions was just that, a fever dream.
I realize that hardly anyone will agree with my opinion of this motion picture and unlike Armond White, my opinion is not a bizarre troll job... I honestly did not like this movie at all. My recent revisits of the first three show that all of them are still an utter delight to watch, full of funny dialogue, touching moments, quality setpieces, and a lot of heart. I've never wanted a 4 as 3 wrapped up the story perfectly and it seemed utterly pointless. It wasn't until I discovered there were characters voiced by Carl Weathers (albeit, for one scene) and Keanu that I decided to actually see this on the big screen.
Believe it or not, even now I never saw any trailers for Toy Story 4 and not even a full commercial... I was somewhere and saw part of one ad, and what I saw did give me concern as it did NOT seem like Pixar at all. Yet practically everyone around the world loves this movie so I managed to be spoiler-free except for knowing of some characters and one setting of “carnival.” Another concern was knowing that the big new character was named FORKY as it was a spork-which just seemed incredibly lame to me. Yet I swear I did go into this with an open mind, as why would I want to be a hater with something nearly universally beloved?
In context, the character itself I do not have a problem with... Forky being incredibly annoying was. “I'm Forky! I'm trash!” was not funny the first time, so experiencing that for 10 minutes in a row turned me off from Toy Story 4 right then and there. The story: I hated it, it has to be stated bluntly. I did not care about the villain or its lackeys in the slightest, as I could not give a damn about their plight... also, what a strange and dark plot for a film designed for children. The only new character I found not awful was Duke Caboom, and that probably is only because of his Fu Manchu mustache and the voice being from Keanu Reeves... although honestly the character is pretty forgettable as talk about one note.
Then again, Duke and even Forky are works of genius compared to two fluffy newcomers I might as well call “Skids” and “Mudflap” as EVERYTHING surrounding them was obnoxious, irritating, intolerable, and brutally unfunny... the last point is a problem with this movie as a whole. The first three offered plenty of laughs for me-but this, I only chuckled a few times and that was it. None of the running jokes worked in the slightest.
Even worse, I hated how the story wrapped and I had big problems with how most of the supporting characters who return here only have glorified cameos as they disappear for long stretches and when they are around, they have nothing memorable to do or say. Yet another gripe: the toys have to break the established rules for their universe-and often-to make everything work and it was SO not needed. To be blunt, that reminded me of something I'd expect to see in a DreamWorks or an Illumination picture... I can only presume so for the latter as I have never had the “joy” of experiencing anything from that studio.
Ultimately, I never felt that this movie ever gave me an adequate reason for it even existing, especially when it feels completely different in style and tone and characters compared to the first three. The only strong compliment I can give this is that the CG looks stunning, to the point of being photo-realistic at times. I am glad most love Toy Story 4 but personally, in my canon I will happily pretend the series ended with 3 and this strange fever dream where toys will happily break kayfabe and interact with humans on multiple occasions was just that, a fever dream.
Monday, July 1, 2019
Rambo III
Rambo III (1988)
Runtime: 102 minutes
Directed by: Peter MacDonald
Starring: Sly, Richard Crenna, Marc de Jonge, Spyros Fokas, Sasson Gabai
From: Carolco
Featuring RAVE GLOW STICKS.
I might as well follow up a viewing of First Blood Part II with this motion picture... I'll revisit the 2008 Rambo soon before Last Blood comes out but for now, a movie that was out of date by the time it was released in 1988 as perestroika was a thing and suddenly the Soviet Union was more friendly with the West... amazing that in recent years Russia became our enemy again.
I will not punish this movie for that or even the more egregious sin in hindsight of the entire thing being built around Rambo (and in general, America) helping the Mujahideen in their fight against invading Soviet forces, which of course was based on real life and of course years later that really bit America in the ass. This movie really praises the Afghan people and I am sure most of them are very nice and all, but prophetic were the words spoken about how tough they are and are impossible to conquer in war... the United States found that out in the 21st century.
Anyhow, Richard Crenna (and it was nice seeing him have a more substantial role in this installment) asks Rambo to go on a secret mission with him, but he refuses... of course he does a 180 once Colonel Trautman is captured, so he teams up with the Afghan people to free him from being imprisoned by the brutal leader of a stronghold. The bad guys are stereotypical louts but aren't terribly memorable and thus come off as stereotypical. This also dives into mawkish sentimentality as a boy who is like 13 is a soldier and wants to team up with Rambo.
This is even sillier than Part II and isn't as memorable either, but I'll still say this was fine. Even with the production problems that included many of the crew getting fired (original director Russell Mulcahy one of those who got canned) I will still say that this is still fine, due to the jingoistic entertainment this provided... and oh yeah, many SOB's being killed, some in gleefully over the top ways. There were things that made me laugh, such as Rambo getting glow sticks as one of the weapons he gets to carry and not even the character seemed to know what their purpose was-they did either light up a dark area or serve as a distraction-yet I am not surprised that the series took a rest for 20 years. The budget was a then-astronomical sum of 60 million dollars and I could not imagine Rambo in the 1990's.
Runtime: 102 minutes
Directed by: Peter MacDonald
Starring: Sly, Richard Crenna, Marc de Jonge, Spyros Fokas, Sasson Gabai
From: Carolco
Featuring RAVE GLOW STICKS.
I might as well follow up a viewing of First Blood Part II with this motion picture... I'll revisit the 2008 Rambo soon before Last Blood comes out but for now, a movie that was out of date by the time it was released in 1988 as perestroika was a thing and suddenly the Soviet Union was more friendly with the West... amazing that in recent years Russia became our enemy again.
I will not punish this movie for that or even the more egregious sin in hindsight of the entire thing being built around Rambo (and in general, America) helping the Mujahideen in their fight against invading Soviet forces, which of course was based on real life and of course years later that really bit America in the ass. This movie really praises the Afghan people and I am sure most of them are very nice and all, but prophetic were the words spoken about how tough they are and are impossible to conquer in war... the United States found that out in the 21st century.
Anyhow, Richard Crenna (and it was nice seeing him have a more substantial role in this installment) asks Rambo to go on a secret mission with him, but he refuses... of course he does a 180 once Colonel Trautman is captured, so he teams up with the Afghan people to free him from being imprisoned by the brutal leader of a stronghold. The bad guys are stereotypical louts but aren't terribly memorable and thus come off as stereotypical. This also dives into mawkish sentimentality as a boy who is like 13 is a soldier and wants to team up with Rambo.
This is even sillier than Part II and isn't as memorable either, but I'll still say this was fine. Even with the production problems that included many of the crew getting fired (original director Russell Mulcahy one of those who got canned) I will still say that this is still fine, due to the jingoistic entertainment this provided... and oh yeah, many SOB's being killed, some in gleefully over the top ways. There were things that made me laugh, such as Rambo getting glow sticks as one of the weapons he gets to carry and not even the character seemed to know what their purpose was-they did either light up a dark area or serve as a distraction-yet I am not surprised that the series took a rest for 20 years. The budget was a then-astronomical sum of 60 million dollars and I could not imagine Rambo in the 1990's.
Rambo: First Blood Part II
Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
Runtime: 96 minutes
Directed by: George P. Cosmatos
Starring: Sly, Richard Crenna, Charles Napier, Steven Berkoff, Julia Nickson
From: Several different companies
As the 4th of July is only a few days away, why not view an incredibly American movie that is quite jingoistic? Technically this is not as good as First Blood as while that was a serious look at how veterans are treated once they return from war, Rambo is a big dumb action movie as he is released from prison to help look for POW's in Vietnam, only to be turned against and he is (mostly) on his own against those evil Vietnamese and (especially) those damned Soviets... although American bureaucracy is also an enemy and sad to say, it's all too easy to believe that the scenario presented here could happen with the United States.
After all the time spent on the set-up, there is plenty of action that still thrills and entertains today; Rambo is easy to root for as he tries to rescue prisoners of war while dealing with seemingly insurmountable odds. The villains are easy to hiss at, especially Charles Napier's Murdock. Of course this is preposterous and bombastic (the same goes for Jerry Goldsmith's score) yet if you love 80's action then I am sure you've seen this many times and have always had a good time with it.
Having a crowd-pleasing script (from James Cameron, and Stallone made various changes to it) and being totally a product of its time means that I am not surprised Rambo became one of the biggest icons of the 80's and personified the decade and its attitudes pretty well... for better or for worse.
Runtime: 96 minutes
Directed by: George P. Cosmatos
Starring: Sly, Richard Crenna, Charles Napier, Steven Berkoff, Julia Nickson
From: Several different companies
As the 4th of July is only a few days away, why not view an incredibly American movie that is quite jingoistic? Technically this is not as good as First Blood as while that was a serious look at how veterans are treated once they return from war, Rambo is a big dumb action movie as he is released from prison to help look for POW's in Vietnam, only to be turned against and he is (mostly) on his own against those evil Vietnamese and (especially) those damned Soviets... although American bureaucracy is also an enemy and sad to say, it's all too easy to believe that the scenario presented here could happen with the United States.
After all the time spent on the set-up, there is plenty of action that still thrills and entertains today; Rambo is easy to root for as he tries to rescue prisoners of war while dealing with seemingly insurmountable odds. The villains are easy to hiss at, especially Charles Napier's Murdock. Of course this is preposterous and bombastic (the same goes for Jerry Goldsmith's score) yet if you love 80's action then I am sure you've seen this many times and have always had a good time with it.
Having a crowd-pleasing script (from James Cameron, and Stallone made various changes to it) and being totally a product of its time means that I am not surprised Rambo became one of the biggest icons of the 80's and personified the decade and its attitudes pretty well... for better or for worse.
Catching Up...
I'll be posting two more times today. I will mention now that a few days ago I revisited the 1967 Soviet horror film Viy, as a more complete version of it is now on Shudder. My opinion has not changed: while it is wildly uneven, there are some wild moments that resemble old-school Sam Raimi so it is worth seeing.
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