Goddamn Brownies

On Tonight's Menu: Pinwheels!

2010-11-15T22:47:00.001-06:00

It's been a loooooooong time since I've posted on my blog, and even longer since doing something about cooking. Since I was making a new dish tonight I felt saucy and broke out the camera to document. Here are the results for your enjoyment.

On Tonight's Menu: Pinwheel Flank Steak with Porcini and Red Wine Sauce, Smashed Sweet Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus

I started with reconstituting the dried Porcini mushrooms in boiling water for about 20 minutes and then separating the mushrooms from the water but reserving both.

Then I pounded a flank steak (about 1.5 lbs) out to half-an-inch thick and covered half with a mixture of some chopped garlic, sage, rosemary and parmesan reggiano cheese.

Then the steak was rolled tight and tied off with string. After which it was seared in a pan with some extra virgin olive oil on the stove before putting it in the oven to cook through.

While the pinwheel was cooking I prepared the sides. This consisted of boiling chopped sweet potatoes in some water and putting the asparagus on a baking sheet with a little extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Also had to make the sauce. The mushrooms went in with some red wine and cooked down before adding the mushroom liquid, some beef broth and a little cornstarch. Simmer and stir until thickened.

The sides were finished by roasting the asparagus in the oven while the pinwheel rested before cutting into it. The potatoes were smashed and mixed with some kosher salt, black pepper, butter, a little cinnamon, brown sugar and some molasses. I meant to add some milk, but I forgot in all the rush to get everything finished while still hot. Oh well, it still tasted alright. Here's the finished product.

Triple L

2010-06-03T01:18:00.000-05:00

#213
Nothing - 2003 - Dir. Vincenzo Natali
Location: My Couch

And thus begins my mini Vincenzo Natali marathon. I call it mini because out of his four features I watched three of them. He still has one other movie I have yet to see, but I'll get around to it soon. This film in particular I've had in my possession for probably about four years now. Yes, my friend Stefan lent this to me and since then he has moved to Sweden and it has just collected dust on my shelf. When I knew I was going to be seeing his new film (next post) and interviewing him I really wanted to go ahead and watch it. The story concerns two best friends who care not for the world outside their home. Both are in a very bad place and they wish hard for everything to disappear. That's when they realize they have the power to make the world go away and now it's just the two of them in their house surrounded by nothing. A bright white nothing. Most of the film is just these two guys, Andrew Miller and Natali staple David Hewlitt, talking and exploring their odd lives. The concept is very interesting but it does feel a little slow in parts making me think it might work better as a short. Still you have to commend Natali for making such a character driven piece with such a small cast.

I also recognize that had I not watched Sam Rockwell's amazing performance in Moon the night before I might have enjoyed this more. Both of the films have similarities with a couple of characters mostly talking for an hour and a half, so it's hard not to compare them. Still worth a watch.

#214
Splice - 2010 - Dir. Vincenzo Natali
Location: Theater - Studio Movie Grill - Dallas
Early Screening

While not a perfect film I really did enjoy this. Even more because of how realistic the science is behind it all. You can read my review HERE at Pop Syndicate.

You can also find my interview with director Vincenzo Natali HERE.

#215
Cube - 1997 - Dir. Vincenzo Natali
Location: My House

After I got home from Splice I just had to revisit his breakout hit. It had been many, many years since I had seen this but this low budget sci-fi flick was every bit as great as I remember. The story sounds a bit Sawish but this was made quite a few years before James Wan made the now yearly torture flick. A group of strangers wake up in an empty cube room with ornate designs and doors on each of the six walls. They can go through them but some of the rooms are booby trapped with different devices which leave the inhabitants dead. Now they travel through the structure from room to room trying to find a way out and recognize the pattern within it.

Such a simple location, with one room constructed, only the lighting colors change. There is nothing really flashy about the film but for a sci-fi/horror picture it has what many don't have - engrossing characters. The whole story is about these people making their journey and you really care about every decision made. I was shocked that even though I knew the outcome I was still so invested in the film. It affected me as much as it did when I was blown away in the shitty apartment I lived in when I rented it as a first run VHS in the late 90s. I told this to Natali after our interview and he seemed genuinely touched that I like his film so much. He's a great guy and a talented director.

If you have not see Cube you are doing yourself a giant disservice.

#216 & 217
Snake Eater - 1989 - Dir. George Erschbamer
Snake Eater III: His Law - 1992 - Dir. George Erschbamer
Location: Micah's House
Lorenzo Lamas

Out of Micah's great VHS haul this year he had a curious tape of Snake Eater II. This was his introduction to Mr. Lorenzo Lamas. I had a father who loved Lamas, especially his TV show Renegade, so I was exposed to the man from early on. Glad to hear that he was now hooked on LL and was thirsty for more.

Thus was born the Lorenzo Lamas Legion!
(cue trumpet fanfare)

During a bye week for Horror Movie Night we decided to make it a Lamas double feature, and after the success there are many more to come. I've actually already been toying with the pairings in the man's filmography. I can't wait for the shark double feature. Anyway, we decided to start with the first in this awesome action packed trilogy. Lamas plays Soldier, aka Jack Kelly, who is a rather unorthodox cop with a penchant for booby traps. After his suspension from the force for taking things too far he finds out his parents were killed and his sister is missing. Off he goes on his motorcycle to find the bastards behind it which turn out to be crazy rednecks. Along the way he meets his love interest The Kid and King, who dismantles Jack's bike and makes a chopper/boat hybrid. What a thing to wake up to. After a brief fit over it he soon thanks him for everything. I guess ruining his mode of transportation is no biggie.

The second film we watched was the last installment. Even though only Micah had seen the middle flick he says we didn't miss anything as far as a connecting storyline. In fact all three seem to be completely different tonally. Part 3 had more to do with bikers who kidnapped, drugged and raped a woman that Soldier/Jack is hired to find after his, surprise, suspension from the force. This time he teams up with a guy named Cowboy and the explosions and awesome flow as freely as his arms move in his sleeveless wardrobe. Highlight of the film was the very prim and proper mother of the victim who says, "raging case of gonorrhea."

I really dug the hell out of both films and can't wait to watch the second film to complete the collection. Be prepared for more Lorenzo Lamas Legion action in the weeks to come.

#218
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - 1991 - Dir. Kevin Reynolds
Location: Theater - Alamo Drafthouse Ritz
Master Pancake Theater

Since Jenny and I were already going to be in Austin we decided to check this show out where they do live riffing, much like Mystery Science Theater 3000, on different films. It was also nice to have Mary Jo Pehl from MST3K as a special guest joining in on the fun. This was so much freaking fun and my head and face hurt from laughing so much. These dudes know what they're doing and I can't wait to go down for another show in the future. I hear the holiday show is something spectacular.

#219
UHF - 1989 - Dir. Jay Levey
Location: Theater - Paramount (Austin)

Jenny and I celebrated our three year anniversary back at the end of March but after hearing Weird Al Yankovic was coming to Austin for a special screening of his film and would be doing a Q&A we knew this would be a fun thing to do for the celebration. Even though the seats aren't too comfortable at the Paramount and our seats weren't too great (though they were better than I feared) we had a blast! I remember in the video store where I used to work, and long before I worked there, the catalog rentals were $1.99 (I think for five days) but there were certain films that I guess the owner didn't feel people would pay full price for. These damned titles only cost a mere $0.49 for the same amount of time. I remember a few different flicks but the one I rented the most was UHF. It was great to see this on the big screen with a fun audience, have a Weird Al sing-a-long and hang out with some friends (like BTSjunkie and lola0813). After we partied at The Highball where I we met up with more friends, Brian and Rachel Roberts, and I ate a delicious Twinkie Wiener Sandwich. Aside from a pretty lame Q&A with some VERY embarrassing questions, it was a wonderful experience.

#220
Bukowski: Born Into This - 2003 - Dir. John Dullaghan
Location: My House

This is a documentary about the great poet and author Charles Bukowski. If you haven't read much by the man this is a great introduction to work, but even the most verbose fan will enjoy seeing footage of the late great. Highly recommended.

#221
Necronomicon - 1993 - Dir. Brian Yuzna, Christophe Gans & Shusuke Kaneko
Location: Micah's House
Horror Movie Night

I'm a huge fan of H.P. Lovecraft's writings, but for some reason never say this anthology film based on his work. The three stories told are versions of the short stories "The Rats in the Walls," "Cool Air" and "The Whisperer in the Darkness." Now it's been a while since I've read those particular pieces but I can say with some authority that the filmmakers took quite some liberty with their versions. As with all anthology horror flicks there is a wraparound story and here it involves actor Jeffrey Combs playing Howard Phillips Lovecraft as he sneaks into a secret area of the library to read from the Necronomicon for inspiration and reference. This is a fun film with some pretty gnarly FX work. My one gripe is that I think they could've found someone who looks a little more like Lovecraft for the role. Combs is a great actor, and he looks scarily like Edgar Allan Poe now that he has played him on stage and screen, but with the prosthetics he looks more like Bruce Campbell. I think they should have gotten Paul Benedict, from The Jeffersons among many other things, because he naturally looks more like the author. What do you think?

(L to R: Combs, HP Lovecraft, Benedict)

#222
Sweet Sugar - 1972 - Dir. Michel Levesque
Location: Micah's House
Weird Wednesday

Ah women in prison films, how I love thee. This particular film didn't have any girls in it that I really knew but the gorgeous Phyllis Davis won me over right away. A bunch of women are taken to a work camp where they server their sentence by chopping sugar cane. The real problem comes when the sinister Dr. John starts performing cruel and torturing experiments on the prisoners.

This film is sexy, funny, crazy and sexy. Of all the great moments I must leave you with this one involving cats. I'm sure you'll want to watch the film after seeing this, and I don't blame you.

Trip to the Texas Theatre

2010-05-30T22:25:00.002-05:00

I still have some films to catch-up on blogwise, but I'm going to skip ahead to talk about the cool cinematic experience I had earlier today.

As a subscriber to the Dallas Film Society's newsletter I am occasionally apprised of events I didn't know about. Crazy, huh? As much time as I spend online with film related events you would think nothing could get by me, but it does. According to the most recent e-mail from them the historic Texas Theatre in Oak Cliff had a summer movie series running. I was beyond stoked.

For those who don't know about the location it was the first Dallas theater to have air-conditioning and was built in 1931 and opened by Howard Hughes. This enjoyed plenty of first run screenings until an afternoon in November of 1963 when during a screening of Burt Topper's War is Hell Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested in his seat for the assassination of JFK. More about the theater can be read here on the Texas Theatre's website.

According to the website the film series was going to end next week, not much of a summer series (but more on that later), so I knew I better see something soon. the schedule has Latin films on Sundays with English subtitles and the next one was going to be Los cronocrímenes (Timecrimes). This film was made in 2007 by Nacho Vigalondo and deals with time travel. I have heard nothing but good things so I knew this would be a great film to see in such a great venue. More on the film in a bit...

When we arrived at the theatre I was happy to get parking on the street nearby, but soon saddened because I left my camera at home. So please excuse the lower quality of my iPhone. As you can see from the vintage shot above the new marquee is a little different, but an homage to the original. Better than nothing, in my opinion. We walked in and the lobby is just a white shell. I know they are still in the process of renovation so I didn't think much of it. After looking around a bit I noticed this odd sight on left after you walk through the lobby doors.

Evidently in 1964 the original, beautiful architecture leading up to the balcony was covered up by white plaster/stucco. Who the hell thought this was a good idea?! Attendance was down because of the stigma associated with JFK's death in Dallas and the capture of his alleged killer in the theatre, but what about replacing a lovely lobby with an all white cavern was going to help? In this cross section you can see everything is still under the plaster. I'm not sure if there are plans to rip out and try to refurbish the original look because I didn't want to keep bugging those in charge with my lame questions. I'm sure much of it is in very bad shape by now, but it would be really cool.

My next big question was if the films were on 35mm or DVD. I didn't figure they would have actual film prints and I was right. There is a rather old 35mm projector upstairs but it doesn't work at the moment. They are hoping to get enough money needed for the repairs and get it running again. I really wanted to check out the projection booth, and the upstairs, but one of the guys told me he wasn't allowed to take me up there. Hopefully in the future I'll be able to talk him into it. If I do I'll be sure to have my camera that day.

One bit of good news to come from the trip is they ARE doing films all summer long! Soon the expanded schedule will be up on the website as well as their Facebook page. They also told me that "some girl" was going to be showing "weird videos" of some kind on Wednesdays soon. Of course it would have to conflict with our weekly Horror Movie Night, but we might have to take a field trip at least once.

Watching the film was nothing too special. The screen wasn't too big, but the sound was decent. I sat near the back because I wanted to sit around the area Oswald did (forgot to look-up exactly where before we went, but I was fairly close). The film itself was supposed be in Spanish, but the DVD started playing the dubbed version and I guess they didn't want to stop and start over after they realized the problem. It was a little annoying, but we have the shiteous Magnet distribution company to thank. Yes, this is the same company who screwed with the subtitles on the initial Let the Right One In release. For people who deal in quite a few foreign films why would they think the fans would want to watch it dubbed? We want to watch it with subtitles in the original language to get the full performance of the actors onscreen. Stop having your discs default to the dubbed version! Bah!

Aside from these few gripes, and the jerk who kept opening his phone a few rows up and to the right, the film was absolutely terrific. It's the type of film to not spell everything out, leave some questions and give you the chance to interpret things for yourself. I love that! This shows downsides to time travel and makes it less glamorous than a film like Back to the Future and much more realistic. Can't really get into too much of the specifics without discussing how the film unfolds. Very small cast and a very ambitious idea that I can't wait to revisit. Without the dubbing, of course.

All in all I had a great time watching a terrific film and geeking out over the awesome location. Normally going to a public exhibition of a DVD is not my thing, since I'd rather see film and replicate the original exhibition as much as possible, but I highly recommend checking out the Texas Theatre and going to as much as you can. The more money this group can get, from the $5 donation for admittance and buying concessions, the more work can be done on the theatre itself and with further programming. Most of the time Dallas moviegoers are pretty lame, but with the cheap ticket price here we can turn that around and bring a landmark back and see some great films along the way.

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One more thing to mention. They also host art shows and other live events at this location so there are pieces hanging around. One of the ones I really dug is behind the concession area. Check out this three part piece on Frankenstein's Monster. Sweet!

(click image for full size)

Monsters, Space and Nazi Zombies

2010-05-28T21:00:00.000-05:00

#203
Weekend at Bernie's - 1989 - Dir. Ted Kotcheff
Location: My Couch
Netflix Instant

It had been quite some time since I had seen this. Probably not since I rented it on VHS from the video store I used to work at ten to fifteen years ago. It's silly, funny and has Andrew McCarthy. Win all around!

#204
Humanoids from the Deep aka Monster - 1980 - Dir. Barbara Peeters
Location: Micah's House
Horror Movie Night

Over the years I have seen this movie in pieces but never all at once and not every single part of it. So when it came up for Horror Movie Night I was happy to sit down and watch it as a whole film. This Roger Corman produced classic has a small fishing village being attacked by half man/half fish creatures thanks to some crazy scientific experiments. Odd for such a crazy violent film to be directed by a female, but quite a few of the scenes were added later and directed by someone else because Peeters didn't want to shoot all of the humanoids raping the town's women.

There are some funny "bad movie" kind of moments and plenty of gore that is quite awesome. Not to mention an insanely awesome ending that had all of us watching cheering aloud. On August 3rd Shout! Factory is releasing a new special edition DVD and Blu-Ray (!) of Humanoids as part of their Roger Corman Cult Classics. I can't wait to see fishmen in high definition.

#205
The Party Animal - 1984 - Dir. David Beaird
Location: Micah's House
VHS Haul 2010

Over the past few weeks Micah has found some great old mom-n-pop video shops and other sales on VHS tapes and has bought over 200 great looking genre titles. Hopefully there will be plenty of new films to discover in the future with him, they will all hold the tag of VHS Haul 2010.

We wanted to watch a sex comedy and when the box to this claimed it to be the "raunchiest film of the decade" we had to go for it. Not sure if anything about the film is too over-the-top but there is plenty of nudity, after an extended male strip club sequence that had us all laughing pretty hard. Mainly because one of the guys kind of looked like Mad Men's John Hamm. Nothing about the film is too out of the ordinary for 80s sex comedies except that the protag's name is Pondo Sinatra and the soundtrack is quite awesome. Full of music by The Buzzcocks, The Fleshtones, ska outfit The Untouchables and much more. Oddly it seems no soundtrack was actually released, but you will definitely be bobbing your head throughout the film.

#206
Jungle Holocaust aka Ultimo mondo cannibale- 1977 - Dir. Ruggero Deodato
Location: My Couch

Everyone, horror fan or not, has heard of Cannibal Holocaust. Not everyone has seen Deodato's first cannibal film, and finally I'm glad to be in the group that can say I have. This isn't as overly violent as its follow-up, but still has plenty of the staples. Unfortunately this also means animal death. Not too sure why Italian cannibal films have to have graphic animal death, but this is no different. A lot of it is animal-on-animal but there is a scene where a group fillets a live alligator. Pretty grisly stuff.

For a cannibal film there isn't a whole lot of actual eating of humans, but when they get to it all bets are off. I am not too familiar with most of Deodato's work but I'm definitely going to get to know it all. Especially since the third of his cannibal trilogy has Willie Aames in it!

Alternate Titles
- Last Cannibal World
- The Last Survivor
- Cannibal
- Carnivorous

#207
The Black Gestapo - 1975 - Dir. Lee Frost
Location: My House

Pretty interesting blaxploitation flick about a militant black group who starts to take over for the white organized crime unit and steal from the people they started to protect. Some great violence and one of the leads is Charles Robinson (Mac from Night Court)!

#208
Robin Hood - 2010 - Dir. Ridley Scott
Location: Regal Galaxy 10

Despite the bad things I heard about this film I was still going to see it. I was struck with joy by the Robin Hood tales since childhood and Russell Crowe couldn't be any worse than Kevin Costner. I didn't realize this was a prequel and I didn't always agree with everything they changed, but overall it wasn't a bad film.

#209
Rock 'n' Roll High School - 1979 - Dir. Allan Arkush
Location: My Couch
Blu

I'm not sure if I can really sum up my feelings about this film. The Ramones are probably my favorite band of all time. Even though most of them, with the exception of the drummers and CJ, are dead they have left behind a lasting legacy of timeless music that pretty much everyone can enjoy. Forget what you might think about the UK scene - The Ramones are the true punk pioneers. Thanks to Allan Arkush and Roger Corman for bringing them to even more people in the late 70s with this film. I have seen it on VHS, DVD, 35mm and now Blu-Ray with the new edition from Shout! Factory and looks amazing. For the first time you can see the lovely P.J. Soles and Dey Young dancing in the gym, Mary Woronov with twin buns and, of course, Joey's extremely long, skinny legs in eye watering high definition. Not to mention all of the great Ramones tunes with amped up audio.

Yes, the movie is campy and the guys in the band can't act to save their lives, but it's hilarious. I don't think I could ever tire of watching it and I'm glad I can now have such a beautiful transfer to add to my collection.

#210
Frontière(s) - 2007 - Dir. Xavier Gens
Location: My Couch
Netflix Instant

This new wave of French horror films are nuts! This came out as part of the After Dark Horrorfest's 8 Films to Die for and was probably the most outrageously violent one of that year, if not total. Plenty of crazy gore and situations on a Texas Chainsaw Massacre type model of a crazy family in a rural French setting. Definitely worth the watch.

#211
Moon - 2009 - Dir. Duncan Jones
Location: Home
Blu

So many friends talked this film up that I didn't know if I would be let down. I wasn't. Sam Rockwell was definitely robbed by not getting an Oscar nomination because his performance is truly something wonderful. Don't know if it's quite up to the awesomeness of his role in the mid-90s college flick Glory Daze, heh, but it's pretty amazing.

#212
Død snø aka Dead Snow - 2009 - Dir. Tommy Wirkola
Location: Home
Netflix Instant

Nazi zombies in the snowy Norwegian mountains? Yes please. Trailers and info on this film hit the horror blogs for quite some time ago but I just got around to it. Overall I had a good time but found it a little slow in parts. There are plenty of blood-soaked moments to make up for it though, as well as a guy getting some in the outhouse. Was i turned on or disgusted? I think I was disgusted because I was turned on, heh. It was also nice to have the film nerd character wearing a Braindead shirt.

200 and Beyond!

2010-05-11T22:38:00.000-05:00

Man Bites Dog (C'est arivé près de chez vous) - 1992 - Dir. Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel & Benoît Poelvoorde
Location: My Couch
Netflix Instant

For my 200th movie of the year I wanted to watch something I had not seen and something I had heard good buzz around. I perused my Instant Queue and decided on this low budget French film from the early 90s that has taken many people, Quentin Tarantino included, by storm. After watching it I can say that it was absolutely wonderful and I can't wait to buy it and watch it many times in the years to come.

Shot in the style of faux documentary a camera crew (consisting of a cameraman, sound guy and director) follow around Benoît who is a killer by trade. Instead of punching a clock and sitting in a cubicle he picks the right marks and exterminates them. While it's not an exact science he does have rules that he explains to the camera while reciting poetry and getting philosophical from time to time.

This film is laugh-out-loud funny, extremely violent and very, very dark. I love that for about the first half of the film I found myself laughing at the way Ben goes about killing people with his charismatic nature or how the film crew goes through sound guys like Spinal Tap went through drummers, and then something changed. About halfway through the tone completely shifts and the comedy drops off and everything gets super serious and dark. Even when the laughs are present there are some rough murder montages as Ben racks up the bodies and dumps them in the canal. The acting is tremendous and I especially love that the three directors play parts with the same names and Ben's actual parents and grandparents make appearances, evidently without the knowledge that he was playing a killer.

The violence is pretty graphic in certain scenes and Ben's total disregard for human life is shocking but the film's point of the over saturation of violence in the media and in entertainment really strikes through. If you thought Natural Born Killers conveyed that message well then you need to watch Man Bites Dog ASAP.

Zapped Again! - 1990 - Dir. Doug Campbell
Location: My House

Having seen the 80s teen sex comedy Zapped! it was only a matter of time before I had to watch the sequel made about eight years later. I was expecting the worst, but surprisingly I found it quite a bit of fun. The film takes place at the same high school and the kids of the failing science club come across a mysterious concoction in prune juice bottles that gives the main character telepathic powers. He uses this for revenge, laughs and, of course, blowing up girl's skirts and popping their tops.

The cast cannot compete with the epic duo of Scott Baio and Willie Aames from the first film, but it manages to keep the laughs coming and the zaniness at the top of the scale. As with most comedies of this ilk there are plenty of good looking girls. They even have the main female character as the type they make fun of in Not Another Teen Movie - with a ponytail, glasses and a penchant for learning. In my opinion she is the most attractive girl in the film, even with her nerdiness. There are also a couple of great small performances featuring Karen Black as an Italian substitute and a very hot Linda Blair as one of the teachers who wears some black lace underwear. Nice.

While the film doesn't surpass the original it's a worthy sequel. If you like this type of film pick this one up for sure.

Mongolian Death Worm - 2010 - Dir. Steven R. Monroe
Location: My Couch
SyFy Channel Original on my DVR

Who doesn't love a good giant killer animal film? They are the best and you have to thank the lovely SyFy Channel for keeping the grand tradition of giant animal films of the 50s and 60s alive. One of the newest films aired last weekend and I set my DVR right away. With a title like Mongolian Death Worm you didn't think I could pass it up, did you?

The plot centers around an American oil company in Mongolia (natch) that drills over the hidden tomb of Genghis Khan and unleashes the mythical guardians - giant freaking worms! A treasure hunter, played by Sean Patrick Flanery, is the only one who is on their trail and must stop them before they take over the country and destroy a small nearby village full of sick people. The whole secondary storyline with the village is weird and seems to only give a reason to have a female doctor/scientist companion to help. Pretty much everything at the village is rather boring except when the awesome cowboy looking sheriff is blasting away worms with his shotgun.

As with most of these films the acting is meh, and the FX are laughable. This is part of what makes watching these films so much fun. I do think it's funny that Flanery's character is fairly normal, for a treasure hunter in the deserts of Mongolia, until near the end when he begins to act delirious and on the verge of slapstick. I also realized that he laughs like a puppet.

It should also be of note that the director, Steven R. Monroe, is also helming the upcoming remake of I Spit on Your Grave. I won't hold this against him. We did chat for a little bit at Texas Frightmare Weekend about his upcoming film and he seems like a cool together guy. Maybe he just likes to make zany SyFy original films. There's nothing wrong with that.

From Gimmicks to Shock

2010-05-10T23:07:00.000-05:00

Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story - 2007 - Dir. Jeffrey Schwarz
Location: My House

I have seen my fair share of Castle films, but not enough that's for sure. I know he was a top notch showman with tons of great gimmicks surrounding his films, and was the inspiration fo John Goodman's character is the great Dante film Matinee (1993). If I thought I loved this man before watching the doc it was nowhere near as much. A bunch of talking heads give stories about Castle's life and odd, iconic filmography. There are archival interviews with Castle himself and footage from his many premieres and tons of pictures. Giving interviews, aside from family and close friends, are the likes of Dante, John Landis, the late Forrest J. Ackerman, Stuart Gordon, Fred Olen Ray, the wonderful John Waters and many more.

I remember reading in one of Waters' books about how he would go to see The Tingler multiple times and search the theater early for a seat with the buzzing mechanism so he could get the special surprise. When I read that I wished I could have been there, but this doc makes me REALLY wish for the ability of time travel so I can go to one of Castle's outlandish premieres and experience what all of those kids did in the late 50s and early 60s.

Great documentary for fans of William Castle, the genre, or just film in general. He played an important role in the movie going experience and made some great films along the way.

The Proposal - 2009 - Dir. Anne Fletcher
Location: My House

When I first saw the trailers for this I didn't want to see it, but for some reason it began to fester in my mind. Something made me want to see it, but I never wanted to pay for it in the theater. I have no problems with Sandra Bullock, and actually think she's a little attractive, so could it really be that bad? It does have Betty White after all. Last week my girlfriend was going to watch this because is was On Demand so I decided to sit and watch it with her. It's not the best movie in the world, and not hilarious, but for a romantic comedy I did enjoy it quite a bit. The story is predictable, but there are some good laughs and Bullock and Reynolds do a decent job. For now my morbid curiosity has been sated - at least until the next big rom-com.

Ninja Assassin - 2009 - Dir. James McTiegue
Location: My Couch - Blu-Ray

Never got around to this one in theaters, and heard it was pretty lame. I don't think it's that bad. Actually if you want to look at this like a purely exploitation martial arts kind of film it's not half bad. The plot is meh, but the action and violence are heavy and entertaining. The worst part about the film is that its biggest bang happens before the opening credits roll. Fans of hyper-violence might just want to watch the first five minutes and then turn it off, but if you continue to watch you will see some pretty cool fight sequences.

I was happy to see that Ben Miles (Patrick from the Britcom Coupling) was in the film, but he's not a very big character. The guy who plays the main ninja is a Korean pop-star known as Rain and he will no doubt have a future in action films after everyone has seen his chiseled physique and quick moves from years as a dancer. Hopefully his next film will be a bit better.

Blood Rage - 1987 - Dir. John Grissmer
Location: Micah's House
Horror Movie Night

This film was shot in 1984, but not released until '87 for some reason. I don't know what the hold up was because this is a fun slasher with a diving board sex scene! The story sees a pair of twin boys at a drive-in and one of them murders a guy with an axe while he's having a backseat romp with his date. He then pins the murder on his stunned comatose brother who is taken to a mental health facility for the next ten years. The crazy brother finally figures it out and breaks out of the facility to come home and confront his brother on Thanksgiving. There are some nice bloody death scenes, funny typical 80s characters and a mother character who cannot seem to make a phone call to save her damn life.

Great pick for Horror Movie Night, but the slashers usually are. There is a DVD version, but it is cut. For the full gory film look for the VHS version.

Stingray - 1978 - Dir. Richard Taylor
Locaton: Micah's House
Weird Wednesday

Next up in our weekly (usually) double feature was the Drafthouse's Weird Wednesday pick of Stingray, aka Abigail Wanted. It concerns a couple of of criminal and over a million dollars worth of drugs hidden in a car on a lot before they are picked up by the cops. When they get out and go for their merchandise they see the car, a Corvette Stingray, being sold and driven off the lot. Now the rest of the movie has the criminals, with some friends including a ruthless woman named Abigail, chasing after the guys in the Stingray to get their stuff back.

This film is highly entertaining, yet very puzzling in tone. One moment cops are murdered, shot in the head and their cruiser blown up while about three seconds later the campy xylophone score kicks in and slapstick comedy fills the screen. Multiple times in the film it switches between action/drama and comedy which feels a bit weird, but thanks to some great acting and amazing car chase sequences it holds your attention the whole time. The only real thing I would change is shortening the film's epilogue scene by about fifteen minutes.

Stingray is not currently available on DVD, keep an eye out for the VHS though and maybe someday it'll hit the disc.

The Babysitters - 2007 - Dir. David Ross
Location: My Couch - Netflix Instant

When I saw this trailer a few years ago I wanted to watch it but somehow forgot all about its existence. Now Netflix has it available for Instant Watch so what a great way to finally watch this film about teenage babysitters who start sleeping with the dads for some extra cash. I wasn't really sure what to expect. Would this be super sexy with tons of nudity and a late night Cinemax feel? The answer turned out to be quite different. At times the film is sexy but there's not much in the way of nudity and the production value and story told elevate it high above the direct-to-late-night-permium-cable category. These girls see the way they can raise money for college or just buying a bunch of frivolous crap. You really feel for these young girls and they have some great, powerful moments along the way.

John Leguizamo plays the first dad to get the ball rolling and his performance as an unhappily married man finding himself through his teenage "plaything" is great. But the real star of this film is the leader of "The Babysitters," Shirley played by Katherine Waterston. She delivers a wonderful performance and looks quite attractive until you concentrate on her face and realize she looks almost exactly like her dad - Sam Waterston. Eek!

At times I really wanted this film to delve into balls-out exploitation, and it does in a minor way, but the more substance heavy story turned out much more than I imagined and left me glad that watched the film.

La noche de Walpurgis aka Werewolf Shadow - 1971 - Dir. León Klimovsky
Location: Mi Casa

This past November Spanish horror icon Paul Naschy passed away due to cancer. His name was one I have been aware of for some time but never watched many of his films. This is something I want to change, and if this film is any indication of the quality I can't wait to continue. Two women are driving through the French countryside looking for the tomb of a possible female vampire. They stay at the castle of Waldemar Daninsky (Naschy), find the tomb and accidently resurrect her. The countess' bloodthirst is not their only problem as the full moon grows near and Daninsky is a werewolf.

The film is sexy, stylish and full of atmosphere. Splatter flicks and high action are fun sometimes, but it's nice to sit back and watch a horror film more artistic and expressionist in nature. Naschy makes a damn fine wolf man, right up there with Lon Chaney, Jr as a matter of fact. I know he portrays a werewolf in multiple flicks and can't wait to watch another. Any suggestions?

Alternate Titles
- The Werewolf Versus the Vampire Woman
- Shadow of the Werewolf
- Walpurgis Night

Iron Man 2 - 2010 - Dir. Jon Favreau
Location: Galaxy 10

Had to go see the sequel to the awesome first film. Growing up I read comics but was never really that in to Iron Man. Favreau and Robert Downey, Jr changed that a couple years ago. The first film made me love the narcissistic Tony Stark and cheer for the red and gold flying man/machine. The sequel was very enjoyable, but not to the level of its predecessor. The new additions to the cast were mostly great, with the exception of Scarlett Johansson who was a little blah. Her action scenes were great, but her acting was not up to the level of the other performers. Loved Sam Rockwell as Stark's business nemesis Justin Hammer and Don Cheadle taking over as Lt. Col. Rhodes is wonderful. Who doesn't love Cheadle? The best new character is definitely Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko. What a great villain who is sadly not in the film near enough.

A lot of people said the middle act was very slow and it wasn't as bad as I feared, but there are certain things near the end that were a little sigh worthy. Overall, I'm glad I went to see the film and will go see any more that come in the series. This also managed to hype me for the upcoming Thor, Captain America and Avengers films. Hooray!

Julie & Julia - 2009 - Dir. Nora Ephron
Location: My Couch

I saw this on opening weekend last year, but my girlfriend's mother never got around to it. So for Mother's Day (actually the night before) we had her over to watch the film and I made the centerpiece dish of the film Boeuf Bourguignon. After working in a hot kitchen for close to five hours on this meal it was nice sit back and watch this fun little flick. I really dig this for some reason, and a big part of it could be my love of cooking and desire to write. I really connect with this, no matter how odd it seems. If you have seen this you know that Meryl Streep is absolutely outstanding in the role of Julia Child and Stanley Tucci makes a great husband. If you haven't seen the film I highly suggest you give it a watch, if for nothing else than the Julia segments.

The Human Centipede (First Sequence) - 2009 - Dir. Tom Six
Location: Inwood Theater
Midnight Madness

This film is the much ballyhooed new gross-out film about a deranged surgeon who wants to use the gastric system to make a Siamese triplet. Yes, this involve surgically connecting three people ass to mouth. It's not as graphic as I expected from the hype surrounding it and initially I was a little let down, but it did not take away from my overall enjoyment of the film. It is a rather small cast and one of the girls is not the best actress, but that's alright because she doesn't have too much to say throughout. The doctor played by Dieter Laser is wonderfully creepy and at the same time a German Christopher Walken doppelganger.

If you look past the hype and watch the film you get a slowly unfolding tale with a ton of creepy tone and some rather unsettling moments. Director Tom Six is working on a sequel, titled The Human Centipede (Full Sequence), which will involve twelve people joined together and he promises it to be nearly unwatchable. I'll try to keep my expectations down, but I'll definitely check it out.

The film is currently On-Demand with some cable providers and making the late night rounds across the country. Give it a shot and see what you think.

Left Behind

2010-05-03T22:21:00.004-05:00

I'm horrible about doing this. I fell 68 movies behind. Same on me. I'm just going to list these titles to catch up and then hopefully start this up again and try to stay a little more current. There will be a post coming up with my belated thoughts on the films I saw at the Dallas International Film Festival - whenever I get time.

Enjoy!

116 - Brief Interviews with Hideous Men – 2009 – Dir. John Krasinski
117 - Big Fan- 2009 – Dir. Robert D. Siegel
118 - BMX Bandits – 1983 – Dir. Brian Trenchard-Smith
119 - Alice in Wonderland – 2010 – Dir. Tim Burton
120 - Uncle Sam – 1997 – Dir. William Lustig
121 - [rec] 2 – 2009 – Dir. Jaume Balaguero & Paco Plaza
122 - Van Wilder: Freshman Year – 2009 – Dir. Harvey Glazer
123 - Planet 51 - 2009 - Dir. Jorge Blanco
124 - Precious - 2009 - Dir. Lee Daniels
125 - Night of the Creeps - 1986 - Dir. Fred Dekker
126 - Mother (Madeo) - 2009 - Dir. Bong Joon-Ho
127 - Inseminoid - 1981 - Dir. Norman J. Warren
128 - Dear Zachary - 2008 - Dir. Kurt Kuenne
129 - Troll - 1986 - Dir. John Carl Buechler
130 - Modern Problems - 1981 - Dir. Ken Shapiro
131 - Johnny Suede - 1991 - Dir. Tom DiCillio
132 - Hot Tub Time Machine - 2010 - Dir. Steve Pink
133 - Troll 2 - 1990 - Dir. Claudio Fragrasso
134 - Monster Shark - 1984 - Dir. Lamberto Bava
135 - A Day Without a Mexican - 2004 - Dir. Sergio Arau
136 - The Unborn 2 - 1994 - Dir. Rick Jacobson
137 - Darker Than Amber - 1970 - Dir. Robert Clouse
138 - Operation Condor - 1991 - Dir. Jackie Chan
139 - The Cat O' Nine Tails - 1971 - Dir. Dario Argento
140 - Escape from New York - 1981 - Dir. John Carpenter
141 - Oldboy - 2003 - Dir. Chan-wook Park
142 - Aerobi-cide (Killer Workout) - 1986 - Dir. David A. Prior
143 - Clash of the Titans - 2010 - Dir. Louis Leterrier
144 - Toy Soldiers - 1991 - Dir. Daniel Petrie, Jr
145 - Full Moon High - 1981 - Dir. Larry Cohen
146 - Witchery (La Casa 4) - 1988 - Dir. Fabrizio Laurenti
147 - The Pied Piper of Hutzovina - 2006 - Dir. Pavla Fleischer
148 - Speed - 1994 - Dir. Jan de Bont
149 - The Collector - 2009 - Dir. Marcus Dunstan
150 - Taxidermia - 2006 - Dir. Gyorgy Palfi
151 - A Town Called Panic - 2009 - Dir. Stephane Aubier & Vincent Patar - DIFF
152 - Toy Story - 1995 - Dir. John Lasseter
153 - Toy Story 2 - 1999 - Dir. John Lasseter
154 - Date Night - 2010 - Dir. Shawn Levy
155 - The Loved Ones - 2009 - Dir. Sean Byrne - DIFF
156 - The Boy Who Could Fly - 1986 - Dir. Nick Castle
157 - Waking Sleeping Beauty - 2009 - Dir. Don Hahn - DIFF
158 - Thunder Soul - 2010 - Dir. Mark Landsman - DIFF
159 - My Tehran For Sale - 2009 - Dir. Granaz Moussavi - DIFF
160 - Earthling - 2010 - Dir. Clay Lifford - DIFF
161 - Cracks - 2009 - Dir. Jordan Scott - DIFF
162 - The Good, The Bad,The Weird - 2008 - Dir. Ji-woon Kim - DIFF
163 - Lemmy - 2010 - Dir. Greg Olliver & Wes Orshoski - DIFF
164 - Brotherhood - 2010 - Dir. Will Canon - DIFF
165 - Obselidia - 2010 - Dir. Diane Bell - DIFF
166 - Down Terrace - 2009 - Dir. Ben Wheatley - DIFF
167 - Spiral - 2007 Dir. Adam Green & Joel David Moore
168 - City of Life and Death - 2009 - Dir. Chuan Lu - DIFF
169 - Kick Ass - 2010 - Dir. Matthew Vaughn
170 - The Room - 2003 - Dir. Tommy Wiseau
171 - Tales from the Script - 2009 - Dir. Peter Hanson
172 - Hot Chili - 1985 - Dir. William Sachs
173 - Demonwarp - 1988 - Dir. Emmett Alston
174 - L.A. Streetfighters (Ninja Turf) - 1985 - Dir. Woo-sang Park
175 - Spaceballs - 1987 - Dir. Mel Brooks
176 - Teenape Goes to Camp - 2008 - Dir. Chris Seaver
177 - Bitch Slap - 2009 - Dir. Rick Jacobson
178 - C Me Dance - 2009 - Dir. Greg Robbins
179 - A Nightmare on Elm Street - 1984 - Dir. Wes Craven
180 - Brothers - 2009 - Dir. Jim Sheridan
181 - Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans - 2009 - Dir. Werner Herzog
182 - Link - 1986 - Dir. Richard Franklin
183 - 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams - 2009 - Dir. Tim Sullivan
184 - Survival of the Dead - 2009 - Dir. George A. Romero
185 - A Nightmare on Elm Street - 2010 - Dir. Samuel Bayer
186 - Found Footage Festival, Vol 2 - 2007 - Dir. Joe Pickett & Nick Prueher
187 - Night Warning - 1983 - Dir. William Asher
188 - Blood on the Highway - 2008 - Dir. Barak Epstein & Blair Rowan
189 - Mega Piranha - 2010 - Dir. Eric Forsberg

Hot Issues and Stuff

2010-03-17T00:59:00.000-05:00

Old Dogs - 2009 - Dir. Walt Becker
Location: The Comfort of My House

Here's another one of those films I watched because it had to be reviewed. This is one I could have let slide by, but I did have a slight morbid curiosity about the film. Practically every critic in the world had bad things to say and I just wanted to see them for myself. The premise of a man getting his, or any, kids and not knowing what to do is pretty standard. Of course he will be horrible and they won't get along, but soon enough he will grow and learn from the children. Not only was the plot a bit hackneyed, but the way they told it was just not interesting or really that funny. Travolta plays a slick womanizer type, that I just don't buy. He's so freaking silly that I can't imagine women finding it cute for a man in his 40s, although he does have money. Robin Williams is the father of the twins and is in his typical family comedy mode. I know a lot of people don't like Williams, but he's made me laugh in the past - it's just not usually because of his ultra-ADD bits. He has also shown himself to be a great actor in dramatic roles, just watch One Hour Photo.

Full Disclosure: Even though the jokes are lame fart jokes mixed with slapstick I did laugh on two occasions. There is only so much slapstick I can endure without chuckling a little. None of this has anything to do with how unfunny and lame the flick is so don't think I like the movie. The only real good thing I can say is that the 88 minutes go by really fast. That's hardly a ringing endorsement.

Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever - 2009 - Dir. Ti West (Sorta)
Location: My Couch

This film was pretty much doomed from the get go. It was in the works, in some form or fashion, since the original film's release in 2002. Every time it would get close to shooting something would happen and back on the shelf it would go. Eventually Ti West (The House of the Devil) took the reins and actually managed to shoot the film but it was put back on the shelf for about two years before seeing the light of day. After all of that time the producers and other executives grabbed their knives and cut the hell out of West's work so he tried to get his name taken off to no avail. In multiple interviews he has said this is no longer his film so if you hate it don't blame him and if you love it he had no hand in that. What did I think? Pretty fun flick.

Instead of taking place out in the middle of the woods like the first film this is mostly in a high school that is soon plagued with the same flesh eating virus spread through water. This begs the question, why the hell does it have Cabin in the title? Other than it's an extension of what happened in the original, and a couple characters, there is nothing to do with the cabin at all. In fact, you don't even see it. What you do see are some VERY kickass practical gore/gross-out FX that had me cheering from my couch. Everyone loves practical FX in horror, CG blood is retarded. And the gore isn't the only draw, there's also a bathroom stall blow job by a girl with a sore on her lip! That's the gift that keeps on giving.

What I really didn't care for was the end. All of a sudden things are just kind of over and one secondary plot line is just left hanging involving Winston (Giuseppe Andrews), the partying cop from the first movie. Then we fade to black and go to another secondary plot line/character that makes some sense but just feels way out of place. Still, there is plenty of fun to be had with this flick so I suggest it for the horror fans out there.

Children of Men - 2006 - Dir. Alfonso Cuarón
Location: My Couch

I'm very late to the party. Not sure why it took me so long to see this, when I was looking forward to it in the theater, but it did. Finally I have remedied the situation and I can say that this would definitely make its way to my top films of 2006. In the year 2027 women are infertile and the last baby born was over eighteen years ago. Society has crumbled and London is home to one of the few remaining civilized places on the planet. Theo (Clive Owen) has been tapped by a rouge freedom group to help smuggle a young refuge girl out of the city. This girl is pregnant.

Besides the exciting, interesting and depressing future London there is a great script to go along with it and some exhilarating camera work. The intensity of scenes are enhanced by long takes and inventive camera technology to reach areas not done before. One scene is shot from within a car by a remote camera attached to mechanisms allowing it to spin 360-degrees and move throughout the vehicle. The shot lasts the length of the scene, around four minutes, but that's not even the longest or most effective. Everything about this new world is captivating and the film is truly crafted by a master. If you have not seen it yet then you must rent it or buy it now!

For those of you who have seen Children of Men: You may not know that this is an Italian film from 1983 by director Sergio Martino with a very similar plot called 2019 - After the Fall of New York. In this film society is divided after a nuclear blast and women are left infertile. A man is sent in by the rebellion to rescue the last remaining fertile woman on Earth from her captors. Not only is this very similar, it's also very 80s. Double win!

The Gravedancers - 2006 - Dir. Mike Mendez
Location: The Comfort of My House

I saw this originally as part of the After Dark Horror Fest and it was one of, I think, two of the films that year I really enjoyed. A group of friends gather together for a funeral of another and while drinking in the cemetery late that night come across a paper with a rhyme written on it. They read it aloud, dance around and, of course, unleash evil spirits that will haunt and try to kill them. For a low budget film this brought the big money scares and a great supernatural tale. There are some cool make-up FX used in the film but unfortunately near the end there are some CG FX up to the caliber of a SyFy Channel original movie. At least it's not enough to ruin the film.

Lake of Fire - 2006 - Dir. Tony Kaye
Location: My House

Abortion is a very controversial issue and those people who want to argue their side do so in a very loud and extreme manner. In this doc people on either side of the Pro-Life/Pro-Choice stance are interviewed and have a chance to make their case. People might say the filmmakers pick a side here but I think they are as unbiased as possible. A good chunk of the running time is spent on the nutso religious zealots who take their stance for life to a dark and twisted place. People attack those who work in abortion clinics going so far as to shoot or bomb them, resulting in quite a few deaths. It's hard to show that much about these people and how they think they are just in killing those who perform the procedure, or even work in the office, because that's what "God wants." So the filmmakers do show a bias against the fanatics but can you blame them? Any rational person, regardless of your view on the issue, can see there is something wrong with the group of radicals.

Not all of the Pro-Lifers are insane and some very intelligent members of their stance are interviewed and give a great argument. I wouldn't say they really change my mind on the subject but I can see things from their side a lot easier when they are spoken rationally and not shouted by the same people who hold up "God Hates Fags" signs and cheer for the death of abortion doctors. The filmmakers do not shy away from anything in this documentary which could make it pretty hard to watch for some but is something I appreciate as a viewer. Nothing really hits home your point like actually seeing it for yourself. When they talk about later abortions and how they have to piece the fetal fragments back together post-op to make sure everything is out they show the process. You even sit through the entire process with a woman from walking in the building, to meeting with the doctor, pre-op, the actual procedure and post-op. This is a powerful segment, one that most people will never see and even less of the men out there will know about.

I fully support a woman's right to chose and whether you agree with me or not I feel this documentary is something important for anyone with questions on the subject. There are some disturbing moments but I feel that is nothing compared to the wealth of information you will get.

Killer Babies, Lovecraft Jokes and a Couple Bores

2010-03-15T01:10:00.000-05:00

The Unborn - 1991 - Dir. Rodman Flender
Location: Micah's Home Theater
Horror Movie Night

Kicking off the apparent "babies in pods" theme of Horror Movie Night for March is this wonderful little film from the early 90s. The story centers around a woman and her husband who are trying to get pregnant and go to a fertilization specialist. After the success strange things begin to happen in Virginia's (Brooke Adams) body and surrounding the clinic. This is an entry into the killer kid subgenre and while it starts off kind of slow it really picks up the pace and rocks it to the end. Nothing too crazy happens after the opening until almost halfway through when a hysterical patient of the clinic starts plunging a chef's knife into her bloated belly. Awesome! After that point the insanity grows and grows to an wonderful climax and some great animatronics, for what otherwise appears to be a rather low budget film.

There is a ton of man hating in this film. Most all of the male characters have bad qualities and are chastised by the females. A rather young Kathy Griffin plays one part of a man-hating lesbian couple who teach a birthing class. This gives way to a wonderful line of dialog when a woman storms out of their feminist meeting by telling Griffin and her lover to suck her dick. There is so much anti-penis in this film that Marcus rightfully labeled it a Lifetime horror flick.

I really enjoyed watching this and will definitely revisit in the future. In a couple of weeks we'll be watching the sequel and I hear it's even better. I can't wait!

Mad Dog Morgan - 1976 - Dir. Philippe Mora
Location: Micah's Home Theater
Weird Wednesday

From splatter and killer babies we switched to Australia in 1865 for a killer western-ish film about an infamous bush ranger named Daniel "Mad Dog" Morgan (Dennis Hopper). He was an Irish immigrant and criminal who gets out of prison and makes his way across the county robbing and excessively drinking alongside his aboriginal partner. The story of Morgan is rather interesting - too bad it's contained within this snoozefest. Hopper is nearly certifiable here and the choices by the director and editor are not much different. From scene one they wave goodbye to any sense of transition or interesting composition. I have heard many things about this and how difficult Hopper was to work with, but all of that was more interesting and entertaining than the actual film. A real shame since I had such high hopes.

The Killer Must Kill Again (L'assassino è costretto ad uccidere ancora) - 1975 - Dir. Luigi Cozzi
Location: The Comfort of My House

An adulterer catches a killer disposing of his latest victim but instead of turning him in he hires the man to get rid of his wealthy wife. While the husband is away the killer does his business but a young couple steal his car with the woman in the trunk. Sounds like a pretty standard giallo, right? It does have killing, vivid colors, stylish cinematography, a funky score, weird title and plenty of sex but one major thing is missing - the mystery. In most giallos the killer is a mystery and red herrings are thrown around to take you off their tracks. With this film you know the offender from the very beginning so you get the same thrill of the chase feeling without the mystery. I wasn't too sure how this was going to work out, since I love trying to solve the mystery myself, but Cozzi's picture pleasantly surprises.

Taking away the puzzle in a giallo is like pulling away a crutch. Now instead of just making people guess it's all about the hunt and the killer's revenge against the couple who screwed up his sacred act. I'm sure some might find the lengthy chase for the middle portion of the film a tad slow but it does nothing but add tension. I highly recommend giallo, thriller or Italian horror fans check out this film right away.

Alternate Titles
- The Killer Must Strike Again
- The Dark is Death's Friend

Transylvania Twist - 1989 - Dir. Jim Wynorski
Location: The Comfort of My House

Long before there was Scary Movie there was this little flick. Not to say this is the first horror spoof, but it goes in a very goofy direction. A young man travels to Transylvania to retrieve a 200 year old book with great powers. What I really like about this film is the broad horror spectrum parodied. There are some typical scenes with Freddy, Jason, Pinhead and the more mainstream crew, but there are also major events revolving around events Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, the film Nosferatu (with some characters named Orlok) and a ton of Lovecraft influence - the book calls the Elder Gods, main character is named Dexter Ward (Lovecraft has a novel entitled The Case of Charles Dexter Ward) and other minor shout-outs. Aside from the great references many great cameos in the film including Angus Scrimm, Brinke Stevens and Forrest J. Ackerman.

The downside are the laughs aren't really there. You will chuckle here and there but no real belly laughs. I was also surprised to see a Wynorski film without any nudity. I know, shocking! This film isn't for everyone but horror aficionados will get a kick out of all the references.

The Crazies - 2010 - Dir. Breck Eisner
Location: Theater - Hulen Movie Tavern - Ft. Worth

I was in Ft. Worth and had a few hours to kill so I checked the trusty iPhone for movie times and saw that I could book it over to Hulen Mall area and catch this latest remake to fill my time. I have been to this theater many times, but not in years. Since my last trip it was transformed from the dingy UA theater into a movie tavern and it is quite a makeover. I still hate that most of the newer movie taverns and the Studio Movie Grills in Dallas all have office style chairs on wheels. They might be a little more comfortable than regular old movie seats but they creak and you end up rolling into others. I'm not a fan.

It has been a while since I watched Romero's original film from 1973 but the same basic premise is there. A small town is put under a high level quarantine and clean suited agents infiltrate terminating anyone in their path. There is nothing really special about this film but it has some fun, tense and startling moments. Olyphant in the lead role of the town sheriff is great but a tad underused. One thing that really bugged me is the odd moments the writers chose to have the deputy make his wisecracking remarks. Many times it takes you right out of the tension and atmosphere of the moment.

The Rift - 1990 - Dir. Juan Piquer Simón
Location: Mi Casa
Horror Movie Night

This week Marcus was busy with bagpipe and drum stuff and Micah was busy working before heading off to SXSW so I watched the film at home alone. I really think having people to make fun of this with would have helped enormously. Unfortunately I was alone, confused and bored.

An submarine, Siren II, is sent to see what happened to the crew of its predecessor, the Siren I, when it disappeared. Strange things happen underwater and people die. When I saw Juan Piquer Simón directed this and it stars R. Lee Ermey and Ray Wise I figured I was in for a treat. I love both of those actors, and Simón's film Pieces kicks much ass. Soon I found out this was not going to be a fun hour and a half. The logic of their sea knowledge was very confusing. At one point I swore they said they were over 45,000 feet down when the Mariana Trench is only around 36,000. At the extreme depths a diver was sent out of the submarine in a fairly standard looking suit with no decompression. Right. I'm sure if I were surrounded with friends and beer fun could have been had but I just wasn't into it by myself. Ermey and Wise were great but they could not save me.

Alas there is no Horror Movie Night this week so I have to wait much longer for the next fun time. Hopefully we can all get together again.

War is Hell

2010-03-12T17:16:00.000-06:00

So I have slacked off and let a bunch of films stack up in my pile to blog about. I am going to write a few brief statements on these films to get them out of the way so I can try and catch up again. Same on me.

Platoon - 1986 - Dir. Oliver Stone
Location: The Comfort of My House
AFI Top 100

I saw this originally when it first hit VHS in the late 80s but remember very little from it. While watching again I was shocked to see what a great ensemble cast this film has. Keith David, Kevin Dillon, Forest Whitaker, John C. McGinley and Johnny Depp round out the incredible supporting cast while the three main lead duties are handled by Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe and Charlie Sheen. Each of these actors, some of which were very green at the time of filming, give commanding performances of a company on tour in Vietnam. Yes the film is about Sheen's struggle to keep the right path in this land of insanity when he is pulled back and forth from the bad and good sides by higher ranking soldiers, but it's so much more. The realism of the situation is shocking and pretty damn depressing. Highly effective.

There were three war films release around the same time - Platoon, Full Metal Jacket (1987) and Hamburger Hill (1987). Out of these I've seen Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket the most and it's probably my favorite. To be fair I don't think I've ever seen Hamburger Hill and Stone's film is relatively new to me too. Still it's an amazing film that deserves to be seen. Pick it up
on DVD here.

The House Bunny - 2008 - Dir. Fred Wolf
Location: My Couch

Is there a better way to follow-up an epic war film than with a flick about a Playboy bunny becoming the house mother of an unpopular sorority? I think not. I figured this would be crap,but I like Anna Faris, Emma Stone and Kat Dennings so I figured it would be stupid fun. The film is about what is to be expected, except for the fact that it's rated PG-13. How can you have a college sorority film with Playboy bunnies and have no nudity? Isn't that breaking some sort of rule? Bah!

What I didn't realize, or expect, is how much of the plot is similar to the awesome 80s flick Revenge of the Nerds. In no way does this even come close to being on the same plane of cool as the nerds but a lot of the plot points come close to being a rip-off. One of the co-stars is American Idol alumni Katherine McPhee who sings a cover of The Waitresses' 1982 hit "I Know What Boys Like." Much like the film itself, the song is an empty shell of it's 80s parent.

I'm not sure what Anna Faris did plastic surgery wise, but I really miss the way she used to look. Not that she isn't still attractive, but go back and watch Scary Movie and then this film and tell me which version is less fake looking. If you want to see Faris prance around in next to nothing and have a few forced chuckles then you can snag the
DVD here for twelve bucks.

P-Star Rising - 2009 - Dir. Gabriel Noble
Location: My Living Room

This documentary came on PBS' great series Independent Lens and I remembered seeing a trailer for it months ago so I set the DVR. It follows preteen Priscilla "P-Star" Diaz who is the youngest female rapper in the game and lives in some very small temporary housing with her dad and older sister. The doc follows the young girl around as her dad, a former rapper, tries to get her a contract and make her famous. It's undeniable that the kid has talent, but it's a shame she has to live with some of the things she does. A lack of money and an absent, drug addict mother are just a couple examples. As she begins to get places things heat up between her, her father (who acts as her manager) and her record label. At times it's sad and inspirational others. If she can keep up with everything she will be a huge star someday.

The DVD will not be released until May 4th but you can
pre-order here.

God of Cookery (Sik san) - 1996 - Dir. Stephen Chow & Lik-Chi Lee
Location: My Couch

Most people know Stephen Chow from his big American crossover hits Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle and I was one of those until recently. I heard much of his older stuff was just as good as these two films so I started with this Kung Fu-ish style of cooking. In Hong Kong Chow is the God of Cookery and hosts a show where chefs try to challenge him and make food that he will find appetizing. Unfortunately this never happens. He always finds something wrong but is soon ousted as a fake by another and must fight his way back to the top. Some scenes of competitive cooking seem a little like Iron Chef if only Chef Morimoto had the ability to cook food with fire shooting from his palm.

There are plenty of laughs but I still prefer the other two films I mentioned above. That said, I highly recommend this to Asian film fans and will continue to track down Chow's back catalog to devour.

The Hurt Locker - 2009 - Dir. Kathryn Bigelow
Location: The Comfort of My Home

I watched this a few days before the Oscars because I had a feeling this would be winning, and I'm glad it did. The story of an Army bomb squad in Iraq and the intense situations these men put themselves in daily is rough and eye opening. The film opens with the unit working on a bomb and shoving guns in the faces of any Iraqi who comes near them. You feel bad for these people until you realize the person on the other end of that bomb could be anyone in the crowd and a few buttons pressed on a cellphone is all it takes to kill anyone nearby.

Jeremy Renner leads the group as their new Staff Sergeant with a very different way of handling things then they are used to. He doesn't respond to the radio, he takes off his bomb suit and plays by his own rules. The team struggles to deal with this in their highly intense job after the death of their former leader. Bigelow deserves all the accolades she has been getting. Her film takes you inside a world most of us will never be a part of and really puts you in the soldiers' boots. When the film was in theaters I really didn't have a desire to see it but after watching it at home I wish I would have gone. This seems to happen a lot.

If you haven't had a chance to watch the movie pick it up with the rest of the other post-Oscar rush on
Blu-Ray here or
DVD here.

My Date with Ash

2010-03-04T19:09:00.000-06:00

The Evil Dead - 1981 - Dir. Sam Raimi
Location: Inwood Theater
Midnight Madness

On my birthday I watched one of my favorite horror films, and favorite zombie flick of all time, Dawn of the Dead. Not only did I love this movie but it was one of the first in the horror genre I saw. Around the same time my dad and I watched another VHS, The Evil Dead, but I'm not sure which was first. I was somewhere around four or five and while I don't remember every detail of the movie I still have memories of bits and pieces. My eyes were opened to the spooky and gorey side of life and I would never turn back.

The film sees a group of five head to a remote cabin for the weekend. Things are certainly going to be fun until they find the odd recording and book in the cellar. Then the forest rapes one of the girls and the possession begins leaving our hero, Ash (Bruce Campbell), to fight off his friends and girlfriend. The forest, or spirits within, won't let them leave so he tries to hang on until morning or until the madness stops. There are scares, gore, a chainsaw and even a pencil in the ankle!

When I revisit films I loved as a kid sometimes I find the magic lies in nostalgia and not in the film itself. Could it be that I hold this among my top horror (and non-horror) films because it was one of my earliest introductions to the genre? Well, I've watched it many times over the last twenty-five or so years and I can safely say that it holds up and validates its place on my list. When I was a kid this was one of the few films that managed to actually scare me to some degree, most of the time I was happily watching others scream and salivating over the gore. At the time I couldn't explain to you what was different about this movie, just that it left a weird feeling in its wake. Now I understand it was the inventive "handheld" camera work and insane sound design which turned this low budget flick into a terrifying classic.

To tackle the point of view of the evil spirit roaming through the woods and in the cabin the camera was evidently bolted to a board and two guys would walk it around where they filmed. The result is a low traveling shaky glimpse into the demonic world. This uneasy technique is enhanced by the brilliance of the sound design. Each little movement is treated with a sound not too overpowering but just right to add to the sense of fear. The moving spirit has it's own sound that you can only hear outside in its point of view, but inside things are symphonic as well. My favorite sequence involves young Ash moving through the house carefully at first and each creaky stair from the cellar builds the tension, until he's running through the cabin to shut doors so the spirit can't get back inside. As the scene progresses the sounds elevate the sense of fear. One of the best is a simple warbled tone as the camera passes by beams while looking down on Ash walking from the ceiling. Such a simple technique adds so much.

Most people know I'm not a huge fan of CG FX in horror films. They rarely look realistic enough to not be laughable, unless you're James Cameron or have WETA on your side. Luckily this was not really done in the early 80s and especially not on a low budget. Here everything is a practical effect, with some terrific make-up on the lovely ladies possessed in the cabin with creepy laughs and oozing wounds all over. More than once stop-motion is used for things they cannot do in real time. They don't look very real but there is something gritty and charming about them. At one point during one of the claymation sequences a girl behind me in the theater let out an "ewww" and it made me smile. Even though it's an old technique that most would scoff at today it still holds the same effect that it did almost thirty years ago.

After the movie ended I was just sitting in my seat and overheard a guy in the theater talking with his friends. He said something like, "this was pretty good but the second one is way funnier." I rolled my eyes, but bit my tongue. People seem to forget that the first in the trilogy is not comedy and more straight horror. Nothing against the other two adventures of Ash but this is by far the best of the three films. I do love Evil Dead 2 for the comedic aspect and ridiculous amounts Kool-Aid looking blood, but the more serious nature of the first film will win out anytime in my mind. There are a few laughable moments in the film, but it should, in no way, be compared to the splatstick style of the others. I was a bit annoyed at some of the laughter, especially during the tree rape scene, but what can you do?

I have a ton of horror shirts, and buy more all the time, but my first horror film t-shirt I bought was from The Evil Dead. Long before I found the many web outlets who carry film shirts I was at a local comic/sci-fi convention with a friend and came across a shirt showing a blood covered Ash wielding a chainsaw high above his head. This was about ten years ago and I still wear it from time to time, though it's quite faded and the image is pretty cracked now. There are many other Evil Dead and/or Ash related pieces of apparel on the market now. Rotten Cotton has a pretty cool design coming out soon in support of the current tour of the uncut print in theaters and it even has the dates on the back (check out the shirt here)! But, by far, my favorite is the super cool special edition from Fright Rags featuring the Ladies of The Evil Dead. As you can see from the design on the right this artwork is insanely cool. The colors jump off the shirt and it brings me joy each time I look at it. Too bad that it's sold out, but hopefully you were one of the lucky ones to get it before they were gone.

There has not been another film to come out on DVD in so many different versions and special editions as The Evil Dead. I've bought a couple of them but have yet to pick up the latest. I really wish they would just pick an ultimate edition and stick with it instead of trying to outdo themselves every couple of years. If you're going to buy it, which you should if you don't already have it, go with either the newest
Ultimate Edition here or you can buy the super cool
Book of the Dead edition here along with the sequels BotD Ed.

I cannot really describe how awesome it was to finally see this film on the big screen in 35mm. I was giddy the entire time and felt like I was glowing when the movie was over. If Grindhouse Releasing's tour of the print comes near your town see it for sure! Find the dates here. Now if someone would only screen Romero's Dawn of the Dead.

Out-of-Print and 80s

2010-03-04T16:09:00.001-06:00

Dance or Die - 1987 - Dir. Richard W. Munchkin
Location: Micah's House
Horror Movie Night Bye-Week Pick

Micah posted on his Twitter about this movie he started watching on VHS and about twenty minutes in it crapped out on him. He found another copy and it was watched by the usual suspects, along with Jenny and Melissa (Micah's wife). What a glorious night for us all! This isn't so much of a horror film rather than a thriller about a Las Vegas choreographer, Jason, who is hunted by his recently deceased drug dealing roommate's killer. There is plenty of dancing but not in the way I hoped. It is used as a way for Jason to tell the story of his life and his struggles with kicking his drug addiction.

There is plenty of 80s fun here with fashion, hair and more fashion. My personal favorite scenes involved anything with Jason's AA meetings and sponsor who looked to be much older than she said, even though Jason would hit on her from time to time. The hit of the night would be the killer who is known as Turtle. Jason spends a lot of time looking for this mysterious man and hires the help of a psychic who finds a bag of coke hidden in a two-liter of Coke! When Jason realizes his sponsor has a turtle tattoo he has quite an argument leading to some wonderful dialog.

Sponsor: I like turtles!
Jason: That's not good enough.
Sponsor: Then go fuck yourself!

Genius. Sad to say this is not out on DVD so you can't really watch with friends. But if you ever come across a VHS somewhere watch it!

Rescue Force - 1989 - Dir. Charles Nizet
Location: Micah's House

After Dance or Die we were trying to decided what to watch next and we decided on this interesting 80s action flick. This takes place largely in the Middle East as a huge team of CIA agents go to rescue a kidnapped official. There are tons of explosions (easily a third of the film), bad/non-existent transitions, horrible acting and many weapons. One thing that really stood out is how the majority of the dialog is dubbed in post and those who aren't appear to be reading the lines from a notepad on their respective desks! Good grief.

Micah and Marcus seemed to enjoy this one, but I was bored for the majority of the film. Parts were funny for being so bad, but it was mostly just bad. There was also a lot of confusion with the many characters and the badass, Striker, appeared to be played by more than one actor and wasn't even credited. I can't really recommend this, even if you could find it, but on the plus side the end of the film sees three female agents nude in a hot tub together with champagne.

The Donner Party - 2009 - Dir. T.J. Martin
Location: My Couch

I remember reading about this one a while back somewhere because of Crispin Glover's involvement but it had completely slipped my mind. Then when watching Attack of the Show on G4 as I always do, the lovely Alison Haislip showed a quick clip to promote since she's in the film. I immediately put it in my queue and sat down to watch it as soon as it arrived. The story of the Donner Party traveling to California in the mid-1800s, getting stuck in the snow and some resorting to cannibalism is well known. Still I have not seen much in the way of films about this that weren't awesome musicals by the creators of South Park, Cannibal! The Musical. This film doesn't follow the main group but catches up with one section after they has split from the rest and were stuck with the likelihood a rescue party looking grim. One of the party says they know the way to food supplies and certain help but they need the help of others to make the three day trek and the wealth of William Foster (Glover) to pay a rescue team. As everyone knows, things don't turn out so well and the idea of eating one of the group comes up.

This is not a face paced movie and nothing really action packed happens, but the slow pacing and intimate setting of the freezing, hungry characters packs a powerful punch. You really feel the pain this group faces and the struggle when it comes to the inevitable. Their discomfort is easy to see but hard to watch. Glover has the most extravagant role in the film, and I don't really think he can due subdued anyway. At times it felt a little like George McFly in the 19th Century, but his roles often always feel like McFly to me. There are a few scenes of brutality but overall this is a very simple film that really works. Pick up the
DVD here.

Hot Dog... The Movie - 1984 - Dir. Peter Markle
Location: The Comfort of My House

After watching Hamburger: The Motion Picture a while back I decided to visit the food themed 80s flicks, or at least food-in-the-title. This film was even written by the director of Hamburger! A young hot shot skier named Harkin Banks (Patrick Houser) heads to a skiing competition and picks up a hitchhiker along the way, Sunny (Tracy Smith). When he gets there he meets a world class American on the slopes, Dan (David Naughton), and the rival jerk from Germany, Rudi. Tons of competitive skiing with impressive jumps and runs and plenty of nudity to gleefully remember the 80s.

The jokes are as lame as most films of its ilk, but the good news is the nudity is just as great. Every one of these films needs a playmate or other nude celeb and here we have a small role by Shannon Tweed, now the non-wife of Gene Simmons as Rudi's ex who likes to get around. Plenty of boobs and sex related humor for all like the "steamy" ski lift ride and the country western bar's wet t-shirt night. That scene is epically awesome but it seems to border on some sort of sexual harassment crime at times. These guys get a little too excited and forceful when pulling girls on stage. Plenty of great 80s times are to be had here and it's a shame the DVD went out-of-print. You can still find some
used copies here.

Music and More

2010-03-02T16:56:00.000-06:00

Spring Breakdown - 2009 - Dir. Ryan Shiraki
Location: On the Couch

I heard bad things about this, but I still had to see for myself. I really like Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch and, especially, Parker Posey so I figured it couldn't be that bad. It isn't horrible, but it's also not comic genius. Three best friends are losers in love and the ways of society but their yearly trip to the Women's Music Festival is coming up. This year Becky's (Posey) boss, the soon-to-be vice president, has a problem with her daughter who might cause a scene on spring break. Becky is sent to look after her and the girls come with her. As you can imagine their trip is full of hi-jinks.

There are a few chuckles to be had but most of the film is just there. It's a real shame that everything wasn't a little better because the cast is great. Jane Lynch plays the vice presidential hopeful and her daughter is played by Amber Tamblyn. There are also plenty of smaller roles filled by the likes of Missi Pyle, Sophie Monk, Seth Meyers, Mae Whitman (Anne from Arrested Development) and Will Arnett who plays a blind guy who won't date Poehler's character. Ha! I hate to sound like a pervert or something but for a film about promiscuous girls on spring break there is no nudity. How can you have a spring break movie without any T-n-A? I understand that this is from a woman's point of view and all but...

Meat Market - 2000 - Dir. Brian Clement
Location: The Comfort of My House

Have you ever sat down to watch a movie you haven't seen and realize that you had seen it? This doesn't happen very often, at least to me, but it did with this flick. A very low budget zombie film from Canada that I remember talking about with some gorehound I worked with about ten years ago. He told me over and over that I needed to see this and I thought I hadn't but a few minutes in things seemed very familiar. The good news is that after about the first forty minutes I didn't remember anything else so I must not have watched the whole thing.

There is not much to know about the plot other than there is a zombie outbreak and most everyone is dead. There is a small number of survivors scattered around and one couple is out looking for supplies when they run into a group of three vampires (!) who are also fighting the living dead. Can't have their food supply knocked off by the flesheaters. Together the five, and a blue masked luchador, kill as many as they can and try to survive another day.

The script is pretty standard and the acting is mostly subpar but there are a few redeeming qualities. No I'm not talking about the lesbian vampire scenes in a room with a makeshift bed and plain white walls. I mean the gore! Most all of the bloody FX are all practical and gush plenty of the red stuff. Your eyes are in for a treat but they are kind of ruined when you hear the sound design behind the visuals. Every bit of trickling blood sounds like a water fountain. It gets a bit ridiculous at times.

While this may not be the best zombie film I've ever seen, it's definitely not the worst of the low budget lot and you get some good gore gags to go along. There are also two sequels which I hear are better, and I'll watch them soon. If you so desire you can get
Parts 1 and 2 together on DVD here.

Elvis - 1979 - Dir. John Carpenter
Location: At Home

My dad is a huge Elvis fan so I have spent much of my life listening to and watching things about the man. There have been many movies, for TV or not, about the life of The King but I always heard from my dad that John Carpenter's made-for-TV flick was the best. It came out a year before I was born and was never available for home viewing until now. A couple years ago my dad was at a convention with me and one of the bootleg DVD tables had a copy of the film that my dad quickly picked up. Now, he doesn't have to watch that crappy TVrip in full frame because the new disc has the full version (just under three hours) in widescreen from the original film elements.

The story is the same story of Elvis you've always heard and there's not much new. It doesn't go all the way up to his death in 77 but after his big Vegas comeback. What I was real surprised about was the complete omission of the very famous 68 Comeback Special. Not sure why they decided to leave that out but it doesn't really hurt the film as a whole. The best part about the film is Kurt Russell's performance as Presley. Dad told me he was the best onscreen Elvis ever and I think I agree. He is just perfect in this role and it's a shame more people don't know about it. Hopefully that will change with the new DVD's release. Pick it up
right here.

It may not be as awesome as Heartbreak Hotel (1988), but it's still worth the watch.

ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway - 2007 - Dir. Dori Berinstein
Location: My House

I will watch most any documentary you put in front of me. When I saw this documentary was coming on cable and is not available for rent I set the DVR. It follows four new Broadway shows as they get ready to open all the way through to the Tony Awards. The shows chronicled are Wicked, Avenue Q, Caroline or Change and Taboo. I have wanted to see the first two on that list for a while. They both sound great but Q is right up my alley. Adult themed songs and fun all done with Sesame Street-like puppets. How could you not love that?!

There is not a lot of crazy tension here because it basically just documents what people go through to put on a musical. The biggest controversy explored is all the drama involving producer Rosie O'Donnell's court cases and Boy George's show Taboo. You do get to see some very wonderful performances and talented people do what they do best. You also get to periodically listen to a group of catty New York Theatre critics ramble about the shows.

Bad Movies Rule!

2010-02-25T22:58:00.001-06:00

Picasso Trigger - 1988 - Dir. Andy Sidaris
Location: Marcus' House
B-Movie Bonanza

Inspired by everyone's, at least in my circle of friends, love of a bad movie Marcus decided to host a double feature night of fun and ridiculousity (made-up word). His pick for the first feature is one from a master of the action film. This is a sequel to the infamous Hard Ticket to Hawaii and follows a group of agents who work for the agency. What agency? I have no freakin' clue but they are all awesome. A double agent is gunned down in Paris and because of this agents are being killed all over. Those left alive must spring to action and take out this bad dude while wearing Body Glove water wear, Speedos and having plenty of romances.

Though I have heard of Sidaris and his films this is the first one I've ever seen. I am now definitely a fan and must celebrate this man's entire catalog. Everything is bad, but hilarious and there are plenty of former Playmates shedding wardrobe. One of my personal favorite cast members is Jade (Harold Diamond) who is not only super fit but has a ponytail over his shoulder, wears tight clothes and works with dolphins! There's not much I can tell about this movie other than it needs to be seen and copious amounts of beer are suggested as well. Unfortunately it's not currently available but there are ways to find this particular cinematic treasure. Check out the trailer below, sorry for the poor quality.

No Retreat, No Surrender - 1986 - Dir. Corey Yuen
Location: Marcus' House
B-Movie Bonanza

The second film of the night was my pick. A treasured film from my childhood which I described to everyone as a more ridiculous and low-budget Karate Kid. Except there is no Miyagi and no waxing off/on. But in place you are treated with Jean-Claude Van Damme and the ghost of Bruce Lee! Jason's father moves the family out to Seattle after getting run out of his karate studio by the mob and gives up martial arts, but his son's obsession with Bruce Lee continues. After his dad trashes his makeshift dojo Jason's buddy R.J. takes him to an abandoned house where he sets everything back up and is trained by Lee's ghost. Awesome!

I think this went over rather well and it was even more fun than I remembered. What makes this really cool is that some of the fight scenes, especially at the end, are really entertaining. This movie really has everything including multiple scenes of breakdancing and a fat guy karate student/bad guy. One thing I didn't remember about the film is how much is montage. The 80s are known for the musical montage of the hero training but this movie takes it to a whole other level. It might not be half of the film but it has to be more than a third of the overall runtime. This is 80s fun for the whole family! I knew there were two sequels with the NRNS moniker but it turns out there are also two others, The King of the Kickboxers (1990) and American Shaolin (1991), which I will have to hunt down right away. Hopefully they will release a DVD of this sometime, especially considering it's one of JCVD's first films.

It's not available but you can watch it on YouTube. There are a couple versions but the one in eleven parts has the best quality, even though there are hardcoded foreign subtitles. Start with Part One right here!

Alternate Titles
Karate Tiger
American Champion
Kickboxers

Don't You Forget About Me - 2009 - Dir. Matt Austin
Location: My Couch

I love the films of John Hughes. Can't really pick my favorite because they're all so great. He really put the teen flick on the map in the 80s and changed the course of cinema. Anyone who has made a teen targeted movie since then owes a debt of gratitude to the voice Hughes lent a generation. I was really sad to hear that he died so young, as were many, but luckily he left behind some great films to cherish forever. In fact, kids today even watch Ferris skip school, a girl whose parents forgot her birthday and an eclectic group of kids spend a Saturday at school. Since the 90s he was rather reclusive and only did some writing under the Count of Monte Cristo homage pen name Edmond Dantes. A group of filmmakers in Canada set out to find the man and interview people who knew him and kids of today to see the impact this man had on so many lives and a whole genre of films.

The documentary isn't perfect and there are some odd choices made in the edit room but it's nice to hear some of Hughes' former colleagues or actors talk about their experiences with him. Just when I think kids watch only crap I hear them on this doc gushing over the Hughes flicks and saying how true they still ring while current movies are just stupid. No one gets real high school students like Hughes did and it's great to see that his glimpses which rang true in the 80s and did the same for me in the 90s, still capture the teens of today. Other filmmakers were also interviewed and they had nothing but nice things to say, though they spent a little too much time with Kevin Smith. I like the guy and all, but he's not the end all on hip film.

What is really sad is to see how much those who loved and worked with Hughes don't understand why he's so reclusive. They understand why he ran from the Hollywood scene but why did he leave them behind. I guess they could be the same L.A. douchebags he wanted to escape and just don't realize. Evidently one reason he shot his films on location is so the young actors would not be able to go out and party every night like usual and they could concentrate on their performances. Smart. This doc is recommended to fans of Hughes, others might not care too much but it could always make you want to watch his films. It has me wanting to revisit Hughes' work. Currently the film is available on Netflix Instant Watch and a DVD is due out soon.

I suggest you take the time to read THIS BLOG ENTRY from a girl who was pen pals with John Hughes for quite some time. It's a bit long but quite touching and well worth the read.

CJ7 - 2008 - Dir. Stephen Chow
Location: My Couch

I'll admit that I'm not that much of a Stephen Chow connoisseur. I've seen the two biggies that everyone else has, Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle, but I haven't watched his older stuff. I will, I promise! When I saw that he had a family film coming out I knew I wanted to see it, especially after I saw the cute alien dog from the trailer. The story involves a young boy (though played by a girl) who is very poor and his father (Chow) uses what little money he has to send him to a private school. Everyone makes fun of him because he doesn't have nice things and he really wants high tech toys like his classmates. His father finds a weird green ball in the dump and brings it home to and unhappy kid. That is until he realizes the ball is actually a dog-like creature from space.

There are plenty of laughs in this movie and it's all thanks to the wonderful child actors. They are absolutely hilarious throughout and the "bad kid" has the best look to any child villain EVER. Just take a look at him.

(click to enlarge)

Surprisingly the film is not all laughs, and takes a very sad turn. This is not a sad twist, it's just more of a sad tone throughout but it's much darker than I expected. This is a good film, but not as good as the two other Chow films I've seen. Still, kids will love it and I want a space dog pronto. Pick up the
Blu-Ray here or the
DVD here.

Moving - 1988 - Dir. Alan Metter
Location: My House (is a very, very, very fine house)

Who doesn't love Richard Pryor? He was a master comedian and made some great flicks. Ok, so he also made some shit, but this is not one of them. I have seen this quite a few times but it always pulls plenty of laughs out of me. Pryor plays a mass transit engineer named Arlo Pear who loses his job and is forced to take his only offer which requires him to relocate the whole family from New Jersey to Idaho. As much as he tries to plan out the perfect, stress free move everything goes wrong with hilarious results for the audience.

Not only is Pryor brilliant as usual but the supporting cast kicks some serious ass. Randy Quaid is the neighbor from hell with the largest lawn mower ever used in a residential area. My personal favorite small role belongs to Dana Carvey who is hired to drive Arlo's prized Saab to Idaho, but after he leaves they learn that he has multiple personality disorder and things go bad for the Saab. This is an 80s comedy that is not to be missed, pick up the
DVD right here.

Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession - 2004 - Dir. Alexandra Cassavetes
Location: Home, Sweet Home

I hate it when I watch a film that has been out for quite sometime and I feel like I really missed out. Somehow this documentary completely escaped me and I finally got around to checking it out seeing that is is right up my alley. For some reason I never really knew anything about this magical channel in the Los Angeles area from the 80s but I really wish I would have been able to take advantage of its glories. In attempt to expand cinematic knowledge this pay channel would show films uncut and uninterrupted at all hours, but not the normal cable fare of today. Z Channel would show foreign films, classics, cult and all the great stuff most people don't see. The man behind the programming was Jerry Harvey, who ended up murdering his wife and killing himself.

Interviews with friends, family and filmmakers paint the picture of the man's cinematic obsession which turned so many others on to new, and sometimes strange, films. Young movie watchers were shaped by this programming and turned their love of the craft into making films themselves. For those filmmakers who were not given theatrical distribution, this was there place. There was no home video when this started so Z Channel gave their work an outlet. Harvey and company were also known to reach out to director's and let them show their version of the film instead of the chopped up cuts studios make. Harvey helped so many people, gave inspiration to tons more and broadened the horizons of everyone who subscribed. It's a shame his life met such a tragic end.

Anyone with an interest in film must
get the DVD now! My "to watch" list has certainly expanded after this and I can't wait to delve into some new things.

Cult and Classic

2010-02-22T21:08:00.000-06:00

Nightmares - 1980 - Dir. John D. Lamond
Location: Micah's Home Theater
Horror Movie Night

After missing a week of fun at Micah's house for Horror Remix, which was awesome as usual, it felt good to be back for another double feature. This week was an 80s giallo-esque film that was featured in the great Aussie cinema doc Not Quite Hollywood. Young Cathy is in the back seat of a car when her mom and her mom's boyfriend start fooling around while driving. Cathy tries to stop them and ends up causing an accident which kills her mother. Flash to present day when Cathy goes by Helen and is auditioning for a play. She gets the part but that could be bad news for everyone else, since bodies fall all around.

The alternate title for this flick is Stage Fright, which fits much better but is easily confused with a few other films by that name. Come to think of it, there are quite a few films with the Nightmare(s) moniker. Regardless, this film does have a few stylish moments along the lines of its Italian predecessors - black gloved killer and tons of nude women. Actually I think most of the women who die are naked when they meet their punctured end. One couple even can't wait to get to a room and go at it in a dirty alleyway. The big problem, and major separator from giallo, is the lack of mystery behind the killer. It's painfully obvious from the beginning who is committing the murders but they still reveal at the end like you should be surprised. Weird choice.

On the plus side I learned new things like it's bad luck for actors to whistle before a performance or wear green. Also an "actress' big brown freckle" is another word for asshole.

Terminal Island - 1973 - Dir. Stephanie Rothman
Location: Micah's Home Theater
Weird Wednesday

This week's Drafthouse pick took place on San Bruno island in the pacific ocean. California outlawed the death penalty so all convicted murderers are put on this island for the rest of their lives and provided with necessary supplies from time to time. The majority of the criminals live together in a community setting which is run by two of them who let the power go to their heads and choose the women to satisfy them whenever they want. A rogue group takes a stand and pulls the women to their side. Together they try to overthrow the tyrannical leader Bobby for more freedom on the island.

The premise sounds great and there is some action but for the most part it's pretty slow. What I do like is how lucky the rogue group is to have two members with medical/scientific backgrounds. One girl knows all about chemicals and teaches them how to make grenades with stuff on the island, canteens and matches. I'm still not really sure how they work but somehow they do. That's the fun with 70s exploitation films, they don't have to make complete sense. The murdering doctor on the island is a bit of a bonus as he is played by Tom Selleck. This was the biggest surprise to me, since I missed his name in the credits. His first onscreen appearance was pretty dark and I couldn't make out the face but I remarked how much he sounded like Selleck. Micah said it is Selleck and I was giddy from that point forward.

12 Angry Men - 1957 - Dir. Sidney Lumet
Location: The Comfort of My House
AFI Top 100 = #87

One of those films I've heard good things about over time but never managed to see it before. Thanks to my quest to watch the AFI's top 100 list I have watched it and loved every minute. I really dig movies that take place largely in one location, maybe it's because it feels very live theater-like. At least 95% of this film takes place in the deliberation room of a jury trying to decide the fate of a young boy on trial for murder. Eleven of the twelve throw in their vote for guilty but one man cannot let it go that easily. At first he doesn't know if he even finds him not guilty, he just feels that decided the fate of someone deserves more than five minutes of discussion. A few stand firm, and even annoying stubborn, at their guilty verdict but this juror tries his best to change everyone's mind one by one.

Every moment of this movie is greatness. Not only do I love the one room setting but all of the men in this room have no names and are known only by their juror number. Something about the anonymity makes the characters that much more interesting, and this is a character driven movie. Not much in the way of action here it's all talk and the film works because of the amazing cast lead by Henry Fonda and supported with the likes of Lee J. Cobb, Jack Klugman, Ed Begley and Jack Warden. With each point Fonda makes to try and dissuade the group from jumping on the guilty bandwagon the tempers flare and the hot room takes its physical tolls on the jurors.

There was also a made-for-TV remake in 1997, but alas it's not available on DVD any longer. Hopefully I can track it down because I'd really like to see this version with Jack Lemmon in the Fonda role and George C. Scott as the hard-ass. Scott is perfect because I could see him as the only person other than Cobb to tackle that role. I cannot recommend this enough if you haven't seen it. I wish I hadn't taken so long to view it but at least I've seen it now. Pick up the
50th Anniversary Edition here.

Funny People - 2009 - Dir. Judd Apatow
Location: The Comfort of My House

When Apatow's latest hit theaters I was ready to go see it, then I heard bad things and decided I'd rather spend my money elsewhere. Finally sitting down to watch it I'm still not sure how I would have felt paying around ten bucks to watch Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen. George Simmons (Sandler) is an established comic with a long movie career who just found out that he has a rare disease that will probably kill him soon. Depressed, he heads out to do a surprised slot at a comedy club and up-and-comer Ira Wright (Rogen) has to follow his very dark set. In doing so he mocks Simmons which gets his attention and he contacts him to help write some jokes for him. The two become rather close and Simmons tries to reignite the flames with an ex while Wright has problems even talking to his attractive neighbor.

One of the main criticisms I heard about the film was its length. It seems most of Apatow's movies are a bit too long, but this one was over two hours. Even still, when the Blu-Ray gave me the choice to watch either the theatrical or extended version I had to choose extended. Two hours and thirty seven minutes! That is a long time for a comedy. I soon figured out this was not entirely a comedy, in fact because of the length it really felt like two different films. Both of these films have a mixture of comedy and drama, but the first half is much funnier and the latter more serious overall. I don't dislike either one I just was kind of tired of the whole thing by the time the credit began to roll. I could really end up liking this more as time goes on, I have a history of that with Apatow movies. I was pretty "meh" over 40 Year Old Virgin when I left the theater but now I think it's hysterical. I guess he just grows on me.

I did really like certain aspects, like Eminem berating Ray Romano or Aziz Ansari playing a Dane Cook-like comedian no one seems to respect. Ha! Dane Cook is so lame. It was also nice to see Mondo Tees get a wardrobe shout out with a Badass Cinema and Scorsese Rock shirts. It's also really funny to hear all the jokes about Rogen's character losing weight based on his real life thinning. If you want to check it out pick up the
Blu here or
in standard definition here.

Up the Creek - 1984 - Dir. Robert Butler
Location: The Comfort of My House

I saw some info about this movie and assumed it was another T&A comedy of the 80s, the added bonus was this had Jennifer Runyon in the cast. I know I'm in the minority on being obsessed with crappy 80s sitcoms but I love them and Charles in Charge is among one of my favs. Runyon was the lovely Gwendolyn Pierce, the love of Charles' life who broke his heart - twice! I was hoping that she would be shedding clothes, but alas she did not. At least she had some sexy moments.

The plot concerns some goof-offs at a college who are forced to compete in a river rafting race with other universities and if they win they get the bachelor's degree of their choice. Along the way the leader of the crew, Bob (Tim Matheson), runs into Heather (Runyon) and does his best to do her. The recent ex-boyfriend has other plans and they become enemies who sabotage everyone in their way to becoming the champs.

Not sure if it was because I was tired, but this movie just didn't really do it for me. Moments of funny happened but I found myself more bored than anything else. There's not much from the film that really stands out in my mind except Matheson's character narrating his life aloud as if it were a novel. A weird choice. Maybe I'll give it another shot someday but no time soon.

Cinematic Selections of a Nomad

2010-02-18T22:28:00.000-06:00

Summer Rental - 1985 - Dir: Carl Reiner
Location: Jenny's Brother's House

This was one of the few films I watched while away from my house due to a power line being down. I love John Candy and have somehow managed to not see all of his films. This shall be rectified. I started with this summer comedy and it has some great moments but will not vault to the top of my Candy list. He plays a workaholic air traffic controller who is forced to take a vacation for some rest so he rents a cabin by the ocean in Florida for a couple weeks. Of course everything that could go wrong does for the benefit of the viewer. Richard Crenna plays a champion sailor who doesn't want to put up with all of the summer renters and takes an interest in Candy. His only real friends made on the trip are Rip Torn as a pirate/restaurant owner and a woman with a large husband who wants him to feel and look at her boob job.

This is a fun movie and don't just take it from me. I'll give you two words to solidify this as awesome. John Larroquette. That's right, he plays a single father in the area. Just too bad he's not in more scenes. Pick up the
DVD here. Be prepared for more John Candy goodness to come!

Smokin' Aces - 2006 - Dir: Joe Carnahan
Location: Marcus' House

I remember seeing the trailers for this and wanting to check it out, but for whatever reason never did. Since Jenny and I would be staying in Marcus' spare bedroom and he was already planning on watching this with a friend, we joined in. A hit is put out on Buddy Israel (Jeremy Piven), a Vegas magician turned criminal turned snitch, and he flees to a casino in Lake Tahoe where many hitmen will do their best to take him down for the boss. What follows are the different contract killers trying to get the target around a bunch of action and gun play.

There isn't much to the film, and it's pretty predictable, but damn it's fun to watch. All of the action just makes me giddy as does the slick editing between all of the different players. Piven does some sweet card tricks as the magician, if it's really him, that make me want to call out my inner GOB Bluth. Ryan Reynolds is an FBI agent working to protect Israel before his testimony but in some surprise he doesn't have the usual cool guy way about him. I like it!

I know there's a direct-to-DVD sequel and I'm sure it's bad, but I'll be watching it anyhow. Pick up Smokin' Aces on Blu here, or standard DVD here.

The Principal - 1987 - Dir: Christopher Cain
Location: Marcus' House

Here's one I used to watch with my dad as part of the many action flicks we saw together. It had been a long time and I was curious to see how it held up after all these years. The answer is about what I expected, not great. Jim Belushi plays a teacher who gets arrested and then forced to take the principal position at a very tough inner city high school or lose his job. When I think of tough schools I would never think of something like this. These kids cannot get expelled for anything, even though they never go to class, fight constantly and use/sell drugs on campus. The one thing a student finally gets kicked out for is the beating and attempted rape of his teacher (Rae Dawn Chong). Luckily he has the help of the head of school's security Louis Gossett, Jr!

There is so much cheesy dialog in this film it's hard to believe. I can understand the need for Belushi to stand up to the kids and try to change things, but does he have to sound like such a lame-o while doing so? The action is decent at times, especially when Belushi races through the halls of the school, and up the stairs, on his motorcycle. So many absurd things are crammed into this film that when you get to the climax of a student coming to kill the principal with no cops around you just accept it. I guess that's how things work in that neighborhood. If you want to enrich your life by watching this grand piece of cinema then pick up the
DVD here.

Prom Night in Mississippi - 2009 - Dir: Paul Saltzman
Location: Marcus' House

Here is a documentary about something I didn't think even still existed. The film takes place in 2008 when actor Morgan Freeman made an offer to a high school in the small town of Charleston, Mississippi that he would pay for their prom if they would integrate the students. That's right, in 2008 this school had separate proms for the white and black students, even though the school had been integrated since 1970. The filmmakers follow along with the students as they share their thoughts on the situation and the few bumps along the way.

I find it hard to believe that this small town, which is predominately black, puts up with something like this. The few they talk about say that it's basically not worth the fight and just accept it as something that happens in this town. It does seem that not many people move into the town, most people have been there for quite some time. Still, it's shocking that the rest of the country hasn't been in uproar over this. I can see this doc being shown in classrooms all over the U.S. to bring a new view to students who, like me, thought these practices died out before they were born. Check it out
right here.

Gomorrah - 2008 - Dir: Matteo Garrone
Location: The Comfort of MY House!

Now that I was finally back on my couch and had electricity and heat I was ready to watch something. I picked the Criterion Blu-Ray release of this recent organized crime themed film. This is very different from The Godfather films or Goodfellas. There isn't a lot of glitz and glamor on the screen, just the dirty underbelly of modern day Italy's crime syndicate. Five different stories play out in the way they deal with the mob and what becomes of their lives because of it. This shows that just because Hollywood tells you these criminals live lavishly that doesn't mean it's true.

Gamorrah also doesn't move as quickly as the mob films you're used to. In fact, it's quite slow most of the time. But if you stick with the picture things build into a really strong film with an eye-opening effect. Using a mostly handheld camera/steadicam technique it really adds to the realism and feels like a documentary at times. Don't expect the high action and intensity of City of God but the message is just as strong. You can grab Criterion's Blu-Ray here, or their DVD here.

A Lot of Blood and Some Overweight Gentlemen

2010-02-18T00:43:00.000-06:00

I've gotten quite a bit behind on my movie posting, mainly due to being without power for four days because of the great North Texas snowstorm of 2010. I'm going to try and burn through a few of them really quick to catch up.

Frozen - 2010 - Dir: Adam Green
Location - AMC Mesquite

Since first hearing about this film from Green I had been wanting to see it. Everyone at Butt-Numb-A-Thon already saw it and I heard plenty of good things. When realizing it was only getting a limited release I waved bye-bye to my chances, but I was shocked to see Dallas was one of the few cities getting the film. Micah and I met up at one of the AMC theaters showing the film on Super Bowl Sunday because neither one of us care for the sport and would rather spend the time with a thrilling flick.

Going into it I was not quite sure how watching three people stuck on a chairlift would be scary but Green managed to pull of a pulse pounding film. The three college aged skiers con their way onto the lift and late at night are forgotten about and stuck halfway up the mountain. A winter storm is coming in and, if that weren't bad enough, it's Sunday and the place won't be open again until Friday. There are plenty of "edge of your seat" moments throughout and the tension could cut you like the sharp wire holding the chairlift. Even though this is not really a horror film there are plenty of wince inducing, gore filled moments. I could hear people squirming around in their seats in the theater. I love that.

This is a highly effective film Green managed to pull off and I look forward to see more from him in the future. This film has expanded since its first week so it should be at, or coming to, a theater near you soon. Get there!

Hatchet - 2006 - Dir: Adam Green
Location: The Comfort of My House

On the high from Frozen when I came home I wanted to revisit my first taste of Adam Green from a few years ago. I originally saw this at Fantastic Fest in Austin with Green in attendance and it was a great experience. You can tell this man knows and loves the horror genre with this love letter to slasher flicks of the 80s. He really went all out here and called in the big guns with appearances by Robert Englund (Freddy), Tony Todd (Candyman) and playing the killer Victor Crowley Kane Hodder (Jason). Boobs are aplenty and blood flows just as freely - the key components to a good slasher flick. In this genre kills scenes and inventive deaths are very important and there are some great ones here. My favorite would have to be ripping a woman's head open from her mouth, but they are all great.

A lot of this film is either funny or scary and all bloody but well worth the time. Be sure to pick up this
uncut DVD here, and get read for Hatchet 2 which is shooting now.

Baby Blood - 1990 - Dir: Alain Robak
Location: The Comfort of My House

I've had this DVD for a while now but never took the time to watch it, but now I wish I had. This is the tale of a carny woman who runs from her abusive husband after an alien being burrows into her womb. Now she's out on her own with a thing growing inside of her which she can hear talk to her and it needs blood. The middle act is kind of slow but by that last third things get really bloody and crazy. It doesn't hurt that the woman, Yanka (Emmanuelle Escourrou), has a great body that she shows off quite a bit. Her teeth have a huge gap in them but it's not enough to ruin ogling at her.

This indie French flick will wet the throat of any gorehound and I highly recommend it to all. The DVD is available
right here. One of my favorite parts shows a poster in the background advertising Baby Blood 2, which never came out. Howevery there is a yet to be released sequel filmed a couple years ago called Lady Blood starring the same woman. She was even a co-writer! Hopefully it will come out soon.

Disorderlies - 1987 - Dir: Michael Schultz
Location: The Comfort of My House

It has been years and years since I've seen this film. When I worked at the wonderful mom-and-pop video store B.J.'s right out of high school may have been the last time. I probably rented an old copy from the comedy section with its faded cover of The Fat Boys pushing the old man in a wheelchair. Ah, the good old days. The story involves a very rich man whose nephew wants his money, and will get it when he dies so he hires the worst orderlies he can find. Of course hilarity ensues along the way and The Fat Boys' odd brand of healthcare actually works for the old man.

Everyone loves the bumbling character foiling the plans of criminals and this should be no exception. The DVD is not readily available but you can get a used or new copy from an
individual seller here.

Here's a look at the rap The Fat Boys do during the film in beautiful high-def. Could a Blu-Ray be on the horizon? Ha!

The Hills Run Red - 2009 - Dir: Dave Parker
Location: The Comfort of My House

I never would have watched this film, but I read a few good things about it online. While I don't think this is brilliant by any means I did enjoy the film. It concerns a young filmmaker looking for info on the infamous lost film The Hills Run Red. He begins to make a documentary about the mysteries surrounding it and tracks down the deceased director's daughter. She's a drug addicted stripper who he helps clean up and has her take them out to the filming locations in hopes that they will find something. When they get there things become a lot more violent then expected.

Parker is someone who really loves the horror genre and it shows in this film. I really enjoyed one of his previous movies, The Dead Hate the Living (2000), about zombies and horror filmmaking. It's nothing spectacular but it has a ton of fun stuff for the horror fan, which is exactly how this film plays out. Some good gore and a few twists and turns will keep you interested. Most people may not really get into this, but film fans and horror hounds will get a little more out of the experience knowing how much they would love to track down a lost film. London After Midnight anyone? Pick up the
DVD here.

Cheese and Dumplings

2010-02-09T17:06:00.000-06:00

Psycho Beach Party - 2000 - Dir: Robert Lee King
Location: The Comfort of My House

Another one of the film I've heard about for years now, but somehow managed to not see. This is a fun, campy murder mystery set in the world of the 60s surf flicks. Florence (Lauren Ambrose) is not lucky in the ways of love but tries to find her way into the cool group and become the first female surfer in their area. What the guys don't know is she has a personality disorder and at times the sweet girl turns into Ann Bowman, a foulmouthed over-sexual woman. Around the same time that she hits the waves strange murders begin happening around the beach and you are stuck trying to figure out if she's the culprit or one of the others in the odd cast.

This is a very fun film that really nails the beach movie look and vibe. Originally it was a play and the part of Florence was performed by the man who wrote it, Charles Busch, in drag. When they got around to making the film version he was too old to reprise his role so he wrote himself a part as the female police captain. Busch also threw in a couple of surfer guy characters who seem to enjoy the company of each other more than any woman who comes by. There are also plenty of lovely ladies for the straight guys, like myself, to gaze upon including the beautiful Amy Adams and Kimberley Davies playing a B-horror actress.

This is suggested viewing for fans of fun indie cinema and tongue-in-cheek spoof films. You can pick up the DVD here.

Three... Extremes (Sam gang yi) - 2004 - Dir: Fruit Chan, Chan-wook Park & Takashi Miike
Location: The Comfort of My Home

This film has three shorts, around forty minutes each, from three different Asian horror directors. Nothing really binds the three together story wise, except for maybe a weird tongue thing in a couple of them, but they do run the gamut of extremes and styles.

Dumplings - Fruit Chan - China - This tale has Bai Ling as Aunt Mei, a woman who makes the best dumplings around. The food is very expensive due to the nature of their main ingredient - aborted fetuses. According to Mei this will help you stay young looking and she uses herself as an example because she's much older than she looks. I have never really found Bai Ling attractive but here in this short film dressed down she is quite hot in my opinion. Of course you really don't care about how good looking I think someone looks, you want to know about the "ick" factor. Thing gets a little stomach turning when you see the tiny unborn babies being chopped up and many people have had their stomachs turned. Me, I craved dumplings and even ate them the next day when out having lunch. I guess I'm just a weirdo.

Cut - Chan-wook Park - Korea - From the director the awesome revenge trilogy (including Oldboy) comes another tale of vengeance about an extra getting back at a nice guy film director who seems to have it all. He kidnaps the director and his piano player wife and binds them on set and will cut off one of her fingers unless the director will kill a child who is also tied up. Out of the three this is the most kooky with the extra's wacky approach and monologues he spouts off to the hostages. This one also plays into more of the standard slasher gore with some wonderful bouts of bloodshed.

The Box - Takashi Miike - Japan - The infamous director takes his turn at a tale of a writer who has dreams of when she and her twin sister were performers in a circus with a magician where they would end up folding into a small box before disappearing. Something horrible happened in those boxes and you follow along through her recollections of the events. This is definitely the most stylish out of the three, but also the most "out there." Things move a bit slower in this entry and there is much less dialog but if you let yourself follow along you will get just as wrapped up in the story and find its merits.

It's hard to pick which is my favorite out of the three. All of them are great, but such different styles that it makes them hard to compare. I did really enjoy the film and look forward to watching it again. My only real complaint is with Dumplings and how it seems to move a bit fast and just kind of end. Chan also made a feature length version of this short, which is on the second disc of the DVD, and I will be watching it soon. I hear it's much better, and I still loved the forty minute version.

Pick up the two-disc DVD here.

Mau Mau Sex Sex - 2001 - Dir: Ted Bonnitt
Location: The Comfort of My House

This brief documentary is about the wonders of exploitation films. Everyone loves them, whether they want to admit it or not, but you should be proud of the sleaze and gratuitous violence. While quite a few clips are shown throughout the film the primary focus in on two producers from the good ol' days. Dan Sonney had a hand in many films (like working on the infamous Maniac from 1934) and his father traveled around in the silent days with exploitative films of how he caught criminals as a cop. Then there's Sonney's friend and colleague David F. Friedman. Anyone with the slightest interest in exploitation should know this name. He has been an actor/writer/director/producer on numerous films like She Freak (1967), The Defilers (1965) and many H.G. Lewis films including the highly influential Blood Feast (1963).

Between their tales from the old days are the thoughts of film historian, exploitation enthusiast and filmmaker Frank Henenlotter (Basket Case, Frankenhooker). This is a must see for fans of the genre. The stories these guys tell are full of laughs, though it really makes you wish you could go back in time to see these films first run in the grindhouses and drive-ins around the country.

For those of us who love and collect films you will really enjoy a few screenshots. I drooled over these.

Henelotter's wall o' exploitation!

This is in Friedman's detached garage turned museum. I wonder what films are in the boxes and reels behind him?

This is from the warehouse of film archivist and owner/operator of Something Weird Video Mike Vraney. And this is just one of the aisles!

Unfortunately this DVD is out-of-print but it is available for rent on Netflix.

Harlem and Clooney's Mullet

2010-02-06T16:57:00.000-06:00

Death Ship - 1980 - Dir: Alvin Rakoff
Location: Micah's Theater
Horror Movie Night

This week's Horror Movie Night selection was a classic horror at sea film that I had never seen but glad I watched. A cruise ship goes down and only a few people remain alive on a raft floating in the middle of the sea. This group boards a mysterious black ship anchored in the middle of nowhere and strange things begin to happen. Evidently this was a Nazi torture ship and some ghosts still exist if for no other reason than to kill off anyone who comes aboard. Along the way the sunken cruise ship's captain, Ashland (George Kennedy), is possessed by an evil Nazi spirit and he helps the ship try to kill off the rest, including is second-in-command Trevor Marshall (Richard Crenna) and his wife and two kids.

I'm not sure if this is the best horror film set on a ship, but it's certainly better than Ghost Ship. There are some pretty weird choices when it comes to the use of things like slow-motion. In a big chase sequence the slow-mo is just plain weird but that's not the only odd thing about this film. Marshall's young son spends half of his screen time peeing, or asking to pee. At one point they even show the boy urinating on the deck of the titular death ship. The gore is relatively light in this film save for a couple brief scenes but there is a blood shower and that is definitely awesome.

My favorite comment about this movie has to be something Micah said via his twitter. "You can tell George Kennedy has turned evil because he's reading from a German Bible (Picture to prove it). That about sums it up.

Black Caesar - 1973 - Dir: Larry Cohen
Location: Micah's Theater
Alamo Drafthouse Weird Wednesday

What a great way to kick of February, aka Blaxploitation Month!

This film is the story of Tommy Gibbs who spent the majority of his youth behind bars for whatever B.S. reason the man had to put him there, but dreamed of a time when he would get out and run things like the crime bosses he admired. He takes the initiative and kills a guy with a contract on him and becomes the first black guy to get in good with the Italian crime syndicate. Over the years he rapid moves up and starts to run things just the way he always wanted. He gets the power and the money but he still wants revenge.

First and foremost the awesome that is Fred Williamson plays Gibbs and he is the epitome of badass. It's not hard to see why he was such a mainstay of Blaxploitation films. The film tells a great story that's much like Scarface and other organized crime films in a way except taking place in Harlem in the 60s and 70s, and it's much shorter. This is one of those instances where the film is not long enough Marcus hit the nail on the head when he said this should have been a mini-series. If not that, having another hour to the runtime could have only helped the story because it seemed to skip over things. There is a sequel, Hell Up in Harlem, which I will definitely be watching.

Many of the Blaxploitation films are known for a ton of racial slurs but this one might take the cake for the widest variety. Anyone can throw around an N-word, but I think every race gets every derogatory word thrown at them that I have ever heard, and probably some I didn't even know existed.

This is still a great Blaxploitation flick you should check out, made by the man behind such classic films as The Stuff and the original It's Alive series. Luckily it's still available on DVD so pick it up here.

Alternate Title
- The Godfather of Harlem

Return to Horror High - 1987 - Dir: Bill Froehlich
Location: The Comfort of My House

This DVD has been on my self for at least a couple years now and I just finally got around to watching it. What I got was something very different than what I expected. The plot concerns a school where a bunch of grizzly murders occurred and the film crew who came years later to make a movie about the story. While there they are all killed except for one, by an unknown person so you are left with a movie about making a movie about some real horrific events.

This is not all horror because there are plenty of laughs thrown in, some on purpose and others from 80s cheese. There are mullets a plenty, including one adorning the scalp of a young George Clooney! His performance is brief, but funny nonetheless. Another famous face in the film is Marcia from The Brady Bunch, Maureen McCormick. In the film she plays a very sexual police officer in the wraparound story who has a very odd side to her. She comes out from the school with her uniform shirt unbuttoned most of the way, blood all over her kneck and chest and looks sexier than I have ever seen her.

At times during the film it's hard to tell what is actually happening or if it's part of the fake movie being made, but that's part of the fun. Then you get to the end and everything gets really weird. I was very confused, but in retrospect I can't think of a better way to end the film. It must be seen to be believed, as does the FX guy's hair, lucky for you the DVD is only ten bucks right here!

A Man and His Dog

2010-02-05T16:43:00.000-06:00

Red - 2008 - Dir: Trygve Allister Diesen & Lucky McKee
Location: The Comfort of My House

In this story an older widower in a small town, Avery Ludlow (Brian Cox), takes a trip down to his usual fishing hole with his trusty old dog Red. Their peaceful day is ruined by a group of three teenage boys with a gun who try to rob Ludlow. When they realize he doesn't have any real money in a sort of anger one of the kids shoots the man's dog in cold blood. After burying his best friend Ludlow goes on a mission to find the boys responsible and see that some sort of punishment is delivered for what they have done.

This is based on a book by Jack Ketchum of the same name which I read a few years ago. After seeing the film version I really want to read it again to see the differences. From what I can remember the film follows the source material rather closely and does the story justice. This is a man out for vengeance, not necessarily for blood but for some sort of justice of the wrong done to him and his dog. We learn Ludlow had problems with his own kid at one time which makes the quest for this horrible kid to actually tell the truth. The story can be pretty heartbreaking at times but you really feel the need for justice.

The director issue is a weird one. Lucky McKee (May, The Woods) was set to direct and Angela Bettis (May) was set to have a role, but for some reason they were both removed during the filming. She was recast and he was replaced. Nothing really say why this happened but it's a very fishy situation. I wonder if any of his original footage still exists.

I can tell you that I would not handle this situation as calmly as Ludlow. I love my dog more than anything and if someone did this I would probably go a bit crazy on the killer. Very much recommended. Pick up the DVD here. The paperback of the book seems to be out-of-print right now, but you can get a used copy here or the hardcover here.

Ketchum is one of my favorite current horror authors. While he has had a lot of cinematic love (Red, The Lost, Offspring, The Girl Next Door) I really wish one of his colleagues, Brian Keene, would get the same treatment. I would love to see any of his books onscreen. I'll keep crossing my fingers.

Just, Melvin: Just Evil - 2000 - Dir: James Ronald Whitney
Location: The Comfort of My House

This was originally aired as an HBO special documentary and exposes some very horrible skeletons in one family's closet. Director Whitney takes a journey through his family and how they explore a father/stepfather who ruined all of their lives. Whitney's grandmother, on this mother's side, had six kids. Four with her first husband and then she married Melvin Just. This man seemed nice enough at first but it soon became apparent he had an penchant for young girls. Whitney's mother was one of the many kids in his family that Melvin molested. After leaving Whitney's grandmother he married another woman with multiple girls and then continued his sexual crimes. Through all of this he also murdered a nurse at a time when they had no proof, but everyone knows he did the deed.

Now, years later, Whitney interviews all the members of his family who talk quite frankly about the horrors of Melvin Just. How he would make them do sexual things before he would give/buy them tampons, or would give money to one of the young girls depending on how far he could "get it in." A whole dollar was the price for all the way. During the documentary we see how the lives have been effected by the crimes of this man. Most of the kids who grew up with Just as an "influence" are complete wrecks, living in their car and being addicted to drugs. Most, including Whitney's mother, have attempted suicide more than a couple times.

It's almost physically painful to watch the lives destroyed because of what one man did with no repercussions. At times it is hard to watch or even listen but this documentary does what it sets out to do. To tell the world about the crimes of one man who the normal justice system, for some reason, could never touch. I cannot even imagine what it would be like to be in this type of situation but it rips your heart out when they talk about all of the pain he caused them. How they wished he were dead, but they still loved him because he's their daddy.

Since this was mainly only aired on HBO, it's not something you can just rent or buy. Good luck finding it, but if you do it's worth the watch. Just be ready for a very serious look into a dark subject.

Copyright Criminals - 2009 - Dir: Benjamin Franzen & Kembrew McLeod
Location: The Comfort of My House - PBS' Independent Lens

This entry on Independent Lens is a look at the legal battles over sampling music. Hip-Hop, Rap, any electronic music and most everything on Top 40 radio now is full of songs created by sampling other songs. This short doc delves into the world of those for or against the medium and some of the more famous cases involving copyright infringement. Members of Public Enemy and De La Soul are interviewed alongside many DJs like Mix Master Mike, DJ Spooky and DJ Qbert. People wage their opinion from the background of the law, musical study, and even artists who have been widely sampled like George Clinton and ex-drummer for James Brown, Clyde Stubblefield.

I think each side has their good points. In most cases when you are looping a two or three second sample that's different than putting new lyrics on a whole tune. But I do agree that the songwriters deserve to get paid for the use. Unfortunately most of the time the artist doesn't even see the money. In the case of drummer Stubblefield he never sees a dime. All that money goes to Brown's estate and whoever owns publishing rights. At the time he was paid for studio time and never saw, or never will see, any royalties. Now all he asks for is a thank you, or credit given to a drum lick he created, performed and recorded that has become the back beat for more hip-hop songs that you can imagine.

Some very interesting thoughts and some good tunes contained in this hour long look. Regardless of what your stance, you have to admit it's a bit ridiculous that it costs more for a two second sample than to cover/use the entire song. Pick up the DVD here or you can watch it on-demand here.

I Love the Living Dead

2010-02-03T16:54:00.000-06:00

Dawn of the Dead - 1978 - Dir: George A. Romero
Location: The Comfort of My House

As many of you know my birthday was on Monday and I am now, what I consider to be, an official adult. Thirty. Bah! To end my twenties I decided to watch one of my all time favorite films Sunday night around 11pm. This way I would be saying goodbye to my twenties and hello to my thirties with the same film, my favorite zombie film of all - Dawn of the Dead. Everyone should know the plot by now so I'm not going to rehash it.

This is one of the earliest horror films I remember watching. Around the same time my dad got bootleg VHS copies of this and The Evil Dead (which I will finally be seeing in 35mm in a few weeks!) and we watched them on the $1000, at the time, VCR when I was around the age of 4 or 5. I fell in love with the living dead right away and haven't stopped to look back since. The fond memories shared over the years with this film are too many to recount but I do have one that always comes to mind. There is an area in Hulen Mall, I believe it was in Montgomery Wards, where the look and location of an elevator looks a lot like the one in the department store where Stephen (aka Flyboy) is killed and zombified. My dad and I used to take bets on if the door would open and he would be standing there, or if when we were in it if the door would open to a bunch of flesheaters. This drove my sister crazy but I loved it.

I'm sure nostalgia has a lot to do with why I hold this film on such a high pedestal but looking at it recently with a more critical eye it deserves all of the accolades it's given from fans around the globe. Sure Savini's make-up didn't really come out like he wanted. The zombies all look blueish and the blood seems to be tempera paint, but some of his flesh ripping gags work really well. It worked good enough to have the MPAA try to slap it with an X rating for the gore. My favorite is a toss up between the zombie husband eating his wife in the tenement building at the beginning and the biker getting his stomach ripped into. Mmmmm.

What really sets this film apart from other zombie flicks is the way Romero skillfully wrote the survivalist tale of a four person group holding out in a shopping mall. The story addresses issues of equality for women in crisis situations and in everyday life, and of course there is the commentary on society's consumerist obsession. With Romero's films you don't just get the chills and thrills but there is a message with everything he writes.

I love so much about this film that I could probably go on for pages. The result would just be a description of each scene. Some of my favorite moments include the trucking sequence and the shopping/looting montage where they are invading all the stores, the arcade and the hilarious trip for Peter and Stephen to the bank. One of the best comedic moments is at the beginning when they are leaving in the helicopter and the cop asks if anyone has any cigarettes. Everyone says no and he leaves but as soon as the helicopter takes off two of the them light up. Cracks me up every time.

This film is not only my favorite overall zombie film, but it contains my favorite member of the living dead. Yeah there are some cooler looking zombies in other flicks, and I do love Tarman from Return of the Living Dead, but nothing compares to Flyboy. When that elevator door opens and he is standing there with his tilted head and rolling eyes it brings great joy to me. Even if he only gets about two or three minutes worth of screen time in his zombie state it's enough to win me over. Not only is it a character you have gone through so much with over the film, he looks badass and has the best zombie walk ever! The slightly off-balance shuffle full of jerky moments and the pistol dangling from hand is just spectacular. I'm not the only one who believes this Romeo has said that it's his favorite zombie walk of all his films. Someday, when I have the money, I'll be getting Flyboy tattooed on my arm to kick-off my favorite zombie half-sleeve.

I will end my gushing with a brief anecdote about the remake. When the film came out I didn't know what to think. I knew it wouldn't be superior but I still had to see it. On opening night I sat in a packed theater and enjoyed what I saw for the action film it is. Once it was over I went to the bathroom and overheard a conversation by two people at the sinks while doing my business in the urinal. They were talking about how great the movie was and one of them asked, "have you seen the original." "This is a remake?" Yes, he actually asked that out loud. Yes, I spun around in shock and pissed all over the floor. I can only hope that all those who saw this were intrigued enough to rent and/or buy the original so they can witness the multitude of awesome it contains.

Killer Bunnies and More!

2010-02-02T16:18:00.000-06:00

Pontypool - 2008 - Dir: Bruce McDonald
Location: The Comfort of My House

I heard about this film quite some time ago and then heard some info on Rue Morgue Radio (Rue Morgue's weekly podcast) since it was filming nearby. Since then I had almost completely forgotten about it, until the DVD recently landed in my lap. The story involves a former radio shock jock, Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie), busted back to the minors, which means an AM station broadcasting out of a church basement in the small town of Pontypool, Ontario, Canada. While they are doing the morning show something happens outside and masses of people start going crazy all over town killing each other and muttering strange things to themselves. The only info the radio crew of three get is what comes from callers, like their own traffic reporter.

The film unfolds, save for a couple brief moments, entirely inside the basement studio area. As everything begins to unfold in the outside world you are forced to use your imagination to piece it all together from what they say in the studio and from the choppy cellphone audio. It reminds me a lot of Orson Welles' infamous radio broadcast of War of the Worlds. At times they even think they are being pranked, but it is very much real. Also keeping the film confined within this basement adds a very claustrophobic atmosphere. It's not that the studio is small but being stuck there you can feel how the characters sense the walls are closing in on them.

My only real complaint is that the last act gets a little too convenient, but it's not enough to ruin this great film or sully McHattie's amazing performance as Mazzy. The DVD also includes the radio version. At just under an hour this aired on the CBC in Canada and eventually BBC radio as well and only concerns what happens over the air and through studio microphones. It would have been nice if the studio would have included this as an MP3 file to pull off with the aide of a DVD drive, but alas I'll have to do it myself so I can listen to this in the car.

I'm so glad I watched this and you should too. Turn the lights off and pick up the DVD here. The source novel, also written by Tony Burgess, just came back into stock, place your order for it right here.

Night of the Lepus - 1972 - Dir: William F. Claxton
Location: The Comfort of My House

This is a movie I had heard about for quite some time, but never managed to actually watch until the other night. Why did I wait so long? It's giant killer rabbits after all! The film deals with an area in Arizona plagued with hundreds of rabbits causing problems with a man's crops. He wants to eradicate them but doesn't want to use poison if at all possible so he does what anyone would do, calls in a zoologist to find a better way. Dr. Bennett experiments on some of the rabbits with hormones in order to slow their reproductive process but ends up making them grow in size and develop a taste for blood - animal or human.

One of the things that doesn't make a whole lot of sense is the size of the killer bunnies. Dialog refers to them as wolf-sized but while watching they look more like the size of a bus at times. This could be due to scale problems with the models. Instead of creating a bunch of fake giant animals they just made miniature sets and let normal rabbits loose and film them in slow-motion for added effect. It's hilarious to see herds of galloping rabbits terrorizing a whole town. Almost as funny as the fact that the one and only Janet Leigh plays Dr. Bennett's wife. HA!

Scares are not really the issue here but there are plenty of laughs. I can't believe standing up in front of a full drive-in audience during the feature and broadcasting through a bullhorn that killer rabbits are on the way isn't followed by raucous laughter. Instead everyone complies with rolling up their windows and leaving. Just one example of the cinematic gold you will witness if you give it a watch. And you should!

The DVD is currently out-of-print but you can probably still find it in some stores or used copies right here.

Dark Star - 1974 - Dir: John Carpenter
Location: The Comfort of My House
Carpenter Catalog Project

I have a short term goal to watch all of John Carpenter's films. I have seen many, but I have also not seen many of them. I want to see them all before going to Texas Frightmare Weekend in a few months where I will meet, and hopefully interview, the man. Where is a better place to start than the beginning. This was the first feature Carpenter ever made and it's a sci-fi comedy about a crew who have spent the last twenty years mundanely traveling through space and blowing up unstable planets. The film shows the boring side of space travel we don't always see in movies and tries to pair it with some pretty funny situations.

All I can really say about this film is I'm glad this isn't as good as it gets. There are plenty of people out there who love this movie, or so I hear, but I am not one of them. There are a few funny moments, especially the dialog between one of the astronauts and a talking bomb, but it wasn't really enough to keep my interest. To be fair, I was pretty tired when I watched this so maybe I should try again when I'm more awake, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. The script was co-written by Carpenter and the recently late Dan O'Bannon (who also plays Sgt. Pinback) and evidently he took the idea of the alien in this film, which is a painted beach ball with clawed feet, and turned it into the horror/sci-fi epic Alien.

I would really only recommend this film to die hard sci-fi, O'Bannon or Carpenter fans. The DVD release is not the best transfer and is unfortunately non-anamorphic, but at least it's only $10. Pick it up right here.

Revenge, Laughs and Stunts

2010-02-02T00:13:00.000-06:00

7 Days (Les sept jours du talion) - 2010 - Dir: Daniel Grou
Location: The Comfort of My House - Screener

This year Sundance decided to be cool to cinema fans who can't make it to Park City and release a few films on-demand. Out of the three released, one is this French Canadian thriller about revenge. Dr. Bruno Hamel's (Claude Legault) eight year old daughter has been missing all afternoon and he finds her body in the weeds near a park after she had been raped and killed. And this is all before the opening credits! He and his wife are of course devastated and when they hear the man responsible has been caught they realize it's just not enough. Hamel hijacks the transport van carrying Anthony Lemaire (Martin Dubreuil) and takes him to a remote cabin where he plans to torture him for seven days before killing him on what would have been his daughter's ninth birthday.

What follows is over 90 minutes of brutal torture, both emotional and physical. The film definitely does not shy away from the onscreen violence and while some may find this exploitative I think it plays an integral role. You are on this journey with Hamel and supposed to feel the pain he feels and suffer through the hard things he feels he has to do to avenge his daughter. His journey is truly a rough one. The film is not just the straight forward story, but contains a few bits of symbolism and another character not dealing with the death of a loved one in his own twisted way.

This is not a very redeeming film, nor is it joyful, but I highly recommend it for those who could stomach the intense graphic scenes. Great acting and a solid story. The film is on-demand through some cable/dish providers and will hopefully be picked up for distribution soon.

My Bloody Valentine 3D - 2009 - Dir: Patrick Lussier
Location: The Comfort of My House - Blu

I picked up this Blu-Ray a couple months ago used but had yet to get around to watching. I did see the film in the theater but something inside of me said, "you must buy this!" The other night I was looking for something fun to watch and figured it was as good a time as any for some 3D miner action. That sounds a kind of dirty. When I went to put the disc in my player I realized the used copy was missing the red and blue 3D glasses, but luckily I have some from my Coraline Blu-Ray. The quality of the 3D actually works somewhat but, as with any film using the colored lenses, the image has a pinkish hue, not to mention how uncomfortable the cardboard frames are. So, I decided to take them off and watch in good old fashioned 2D.

The story, if you need to know, involves a guy in a mining get-up named Harry Warden who kills people with a pick axe. Ten year after a massacre of a bunch of teens Tom comes back to town and the killing starts up all over again. The film is pretty throw away, with the exception of Tom Atkins, but the 3D angle made seeing it on the big scree so much fun! Unfortunately when you watch it at home without the aide of the third dimension you lose some of the kitsch. Nothing like the "coming right at you" gags without it actually looking like it's "coming right at you." Still there is a bit of 80s-like cheese so it may hold up in the future for a fun laughable flick and there are a few cool gore scenes, if you can look past all the crappy CG FX.

Pick up the 3D Blu-Ray here, or the standard def here. Or you could always pick up the awesome original film from 1981 right here!

Found Footage Festival, Vol 1 - 2006 - Dir: Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher
Location: The Comfort of My House

After recently re-watching Volume 4 from the Found Footage Festival I got a hankering for more zany found video goodness. I have yet to watch the other three volumes so I decided to go ahead and start with number one. Jenny was here so I subjected her to the insanity for the first time and at the end of the video she asked, "so when are these guys coming back to Dallas?"

This is a hysterical journey though some truly bad and, sometimes, uncomfortable videos. There is a McDonald's custodial training video, outtakes of a very angry RV salesman making a commercial, Corey Haim, Arnold Schwarzenegger doing a cringe inducing video for Carnival in Rio and, of course, and exercise video montage. My favorite out of everything have to be the insurance company "safety" videos. Jenny and I were red in the face from laughing so hard.

The DVD has many more videos and is well worth the money. Buy it now from the Found Footage Festival online store!

Dangerfreaks - 1989 - Dir: Brian Trenchard-Smith
Location: The Comfort of My House

Here's a film I missed seeing at BTSNAT a while back and borrowed from Micah. Then I forgot I had it until I saw it on the shelf the other day. So, I put the disc in and was taken on a ride for 90 minutes through the insane world of Aussie stuntmen. Although there are many people covered and interviewed the star of the show is undoubtedly Grant Page. This man is an insane stuntman from Australia who will do anything from riding his souped up dune buggy, to scaling buildings without a safety harness or setting himself on fire and jumping from a cliff.

There is not much story here since it's a documentary but they do cover the bases on different types of stunts done by the guys, and girls, and show 100 stunts in 90 minutes. How can you not enjoy that? Too bad this is not widely available, but watch this trailer below to get an idea of the crazy stuff within.

Here Come the 80s!

2010-01-30T22:48:00.000-06:00

Forbidden World (aka Mutant) - 1982 - Dir: Allan Holzman
Location: Micah's Home Theater
Horror Movie Night Selection

This week Brian, BTS Junkie, picked this film for his weekly Horror Movie Night and Micah, Marcus and I followed along here in Dallas. This film is a Roger Corman produced Alien rip-off, shot on the set of another Alien rip-off - Galaxy of Terror. Here there is a genetic experiment gone awry in a research lab in some remote planet and a space marshal makes his way to help out. Of course things go wrong and the pulsating lab creation breaks loose on a killing spree.

You can tell pretty quickly that sleazemaster Jim Wynorski was co-writer when there is plenty of sex with such a small cast. Plenty of moments of nudity, but what do you expect when you have a space marshal with such rugged good looks coming to the rescue of these women who walk around the lab all day in bright colored scrub-like outfits and high heels. The beginning and end of the film have a montage of quick cuts where they show the entire film. A very odd choice and the mix of that with a mash-up of synthetic and classical music at the beginning reminded me of A Clockwork Orange.

There is not only the Alien rip-off but a little bit of Star Wars thrown into the mix. A helpful robot named SAM, who gets way too little screentime, looks a lot like a Storm Trooper or Boba Fett. Then when the crew go out onto the planet their get-ups look a little jawa-esque. Not a bad cheesy space horror flick, and at 77 minutes it doesn't take much out of your day.

This will be hitting DVD on July 20th courtesy of Shout! Factory, so look for it then. No pre-order currently available.

Lunch Wagon - 1981 - Dir: Ernest Pintoff
Location: Micah's Home Theater
Alamo Drafthouse's Weird Wednesday Pick

After the Horror Movie Night flick we decided to watch the Drafthouse's pick for Weird Wednesday which turns out to be a great early-80s T&A comedy about some girls who are given a lunch wagon (from Dick Van Patten!) and set out to to make some money. They become a hit at a local construction, much to the chagrin of another wagon crew with a boss who wears leisure suits with trucker hats and spouts tons of great lines. Turns out they are secretly tunneling into a nearby dental practice to steal their large supply of gold, for gold teeth. HA!

Along the way there are many sexy moments, bouncing boobs and music from the new wave band Missing Persons playing their awesome tune "Mental Hopscotch." It's everything you want from this type of flick. While I enjoyed Forbidden World, this was the hit of the night for me by far. We all laughed and rocked along with the exploits of these girls led by Playboy Playmate Pamela Jean Bryant, who you may have seen previously in other hits like H.O.T.S. (1979) and Private Lessons (1981), playing Marcy. The cast also was swarming with Van Pattens! Not only was Dick in for a small role but both sons, James and Nels, had parts too. James even played the a buff construction worker/psychology degree holder named Biff who catches the attention of Marcy.

Many of the lines in this movie are hilarious. We could not stop laughing. One of my favorites is the crime boss extraordinaire's great pick-up line, "Rise and shine kid. Let's have sex, pancakes and get the hell out of here."

I cannot recommend this enough for fans of 80s T&A sex comedies, or Missing Persons. There are plenty of used VHS copies here. Cross your fingers for a DVD release, I know I am.

Alternate Titles
- Lunch Wagon Girls
- Come 'n' Get It
- Hamburger Girls

Hamburger: The Motion Picture - 1986 - Dir: Mike Marvin
Location: The Comfort of My House

What better to watch along the lines of such wonderful films this night then another 80s T&A type comedy. This is one of the wonderful food themed sex comedies that I know of along with Hot Chili (1985) and Hot Dog... The Movie (1984), both of which I will be watching soon. If you know of any other food titled themed flicks like this, please let me know. In this burger picture we have a college age ladies man named Russell who has been expelled out of every school around because he can't help but have sex with the co-eds, or faculty, instead of going to class. In order to get an inheritance he must complete some sort of schooling so he enrolls in Burger University, an intensive management training school for the popular chain Buster Burger. He must try and remain dedicated to graduating and making something of himself while hijinks ensue all around him.

In traditional 80s fashion this film is full of eccentric stereotypes. Russell's classmates include a nerdy burger aficionado, a womanizing roommate, an always horny Latin woman, a nun (!), a kooky fat guy and a black music star held to against his will to up their diversity. In one of the greatest role of his life Dick Butkus plays Drootin, a hard-ass drill sergeant instructor for this motley crew. There are plenty of wacky moments, and nudity, for fans of this cheesy genre and it doesn't get much better than when they get their test run at a franchise. Everything that does go wrong does including the arrival of The 400 Club. They are a dining group comprised of very hungry and very overweight members. They each order about 60 burgers and other assorted items, even grabbing food from the other patrons hands. Ridiculous and awesome.

It should also be noted that director Mike Marvin is no stranger to the food titled film. He was the writer of Hot Dog... The Movie.

This is another not out on DVD, but should be sought out. You can get some used VHS here.

80s Horror Nerdgasm!

2010-01-28T23:13:00.000-06:00

The House of the Devil - 2009 - Dir: Ti West
Location: The Comfort of My House - VHS!

I went to see Ti West's first feature, The Roost, at a theater back in 2005. I didn't really enjoy it, but I also don't remember much about it now. After seeing his newest entry I'll definitely be revisiting it, as well as seeing his direct-to-DVD sequel Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever (due out February 16th). In this throwback to 80s horror a college girl answers a babysitter wanted ad and soon finds out this is not your normal babysitting gig. On the night of a full lunar eclipse Samantha heads out to a large house in a rural area to learn there is no child but an elderly woman, not to mention plans for some Satanic ritual goodness.

This is an 80s horror flick in every way. While set in the great decade, you are not beaten over the head with 80s references or zany fashion but everything is fairly subdued. The film is rather slow, but watch it in the dark and you will be rewarded. West shies away from cheesy jump scares in favor of heavy atmosphere and a slow build of tension. This is the kind of horror which sticks with you and when the last act arrives it is all the more effective. Casting is great with the couple in need of a sitter played by genre veterans Tom Noonan (Robocop 2, Manhunter, The Monster Squad) and Mary Woronov (Chopping Mall, Night of the Comet, Death Race 2000). There is even a cameo in the first scene by the one and only Dee Wallace from such epic greatness as E.T., The Howling and Cujo.

I know it's only January, but this already has my vote for home release gimmick of the year. Sure there will be tons of special editions in 2010 but no other film will come out and try to further capture that 80s charm than getting an old school big-box VHS release! And if they do, we'll all know they copied this. Everything on this box, from the faux "New Release" sticker to the caution warning on the back, takes me back to wandering the aisles of my local mom-n-pop video shop. There is even a Gorgon Video label, and intro. 80s horror nerdgasm! I also like that for this VHS they did the retro thing where it's in widescreen for the opening credits and then switches to full frame. It has been years since I've watched a film that did this and I was giddy the entire time.

I will definitely be buying this on DVD, or Blu, when it comes out on February 2nd. You can pick it up on Amazon in either Blu-Ray, standard DVD, or the awesome DVD/VHS combo pack!

Pandorum - 2009 - Dir: Christian Alvart
Location: The Comfort of My House - Blu

Missed it in theaters because of poor reviews. Decided I would check it out at the dollar theater and that didn't happen either. Finally saw it at home on Blu and wish I would have gone to the dollar theater because I liked it. Just didn't like it enough for full price. The idea is great, with a couple of crew members waking up on a spaceship without any memory of what is going on and no one around to tell them. They piece together that this ship was carrying 60,000 humans to a new planet to colonize, but something went wrong. From there Corporal Bower (Ben Foster) and Lt. Payton (Dennis Quaid) separate and Bower tries to make his way to the nuclear reactor power source so they can get power everywhere, but he finds they are not alone. There are inhuman looking creatures on the ship trying to kill him fast and furiously.

My big problem with the story is the way they split the tension between two "evils." There are the creatures but there is also the movie's namesake, pandorum is a type of psychotic breakdown due to deep space travel where the victim violently attacks those around him. The latter sounds so much more interesting than all of the quick cut, shaky cam jump scare moments with the creatures. At least the make-up FX look cool.

Aside from that I still had fun watching this. Foster has yet to disappoint me and there are some really interesting twists and turns with the story. Since the film takes place sometime after the year 2193 there is some great technology shown. My favorite is in the very beginning, a razor that has no blade but sort of incinerates the hair off Bower's face with a bright light. Yeah, I have a beard but it's still pretty damn cool.

Pandorum isn't near as good as films like Alien but really, what is? Worth the watch for some great performances and a decent horror/sci-fi excursion. Grab the Blu-Ray here, or the DVD here.

A Few Laughs, A Few Deaths

2010-01-28T01:54:00.000-06:00

Homebodies - 1974 - Dir: Larry Yust
Location: The Comfort of My House

What a better film to follow up my viewing of the great senior citizen centric documentary Young @ Heart then this flick concerning the elderly. A week before Christmas I was working on a shoot at an old folks home and tweeted about how depressing they are. I agree with my mom when she says she'd rather die then be put in one of those. Micah told me that I should watch this film because it might interest me and my thoughts on the home.

An area with tenement buildings full of old people has been sold and set for gentrification. Most of the buildings have been cleared but they are having a tough time with the last of old folks. They don't want to leave their home and will do anything to stay there. By anything I of course mean killing. No one would suspect these sweet, but strange, elderly people of such horrible things but they are serious about their independence.

While the film may be a horror-like tale, it really has an overall tone of dark comedy. The lengths to which these people go to keep their homes are a bit too far, but it shows their persistence to not be cast aside because of their age. The performances are rather good, especially in the case of a couple of the women. One of them sits and watches the construction crew as they work on one of the new skyscrapers, and another lady still talks to her husband at the dinner table though he is not there.

I was not too sure what to expect with this film but really enjoyed the ride. I hope I never get to the point where I have to kill to stay out of a convalescence home, but I really don't want to go.

Good luck finding this one, there is no DVD release as of yet.

Extract - 2009 - Dir: Mike Judge
Location: The Comfort of My House

Here's one of many movies I will say that I missed in theaters. Some films don't stay in theaters long enough to get to, and other times it's a money thing. Either way that's the glory of DVD. I have loved Mike Judge for quite some time now. We didn't have cable when I was younger but I still watched Beavis and Butt-Head at friends' houses and even had them tape it for me. Of course, King of the Hill was always great and then came Office Space. What a wonderful, hilarious film that I should not have to tell you about. In fact, if you haven't seen the antics of Milton then you're fired. Judge went on to make Idiocracy in 2006, and while I did enjoy it I wasn't completely sold. Now there is Extract and I place it somewhere between his other two live-action films.

The story concerns a guy, Joel (Jason Bateman) who owns a company that makes extract (duh) and his unhappy, sexless marriage. The temp service sends over a new hot girl named Cindy (Mila Kunis) to work the factory line and she definitely turns a few heads. Looking for a way to justify having an affair with this girl Joel and his buddy (Ben Affleck) come up with the plan to send a gigolo over to his wife, Suzie (Kirsten Wiig), to see if she takes the bait. If she does, he does. Problems arise when Cindy turns out not to be the girl he thought she was and the man-whore he sent to his wife under the guise of a pool boy isn't going exactly as planned.

While this isn't quite to the level of the greatness that is Office Space it's still pretty damn funny. I especially loved David Koechner's part as the very annoying neighbor who can't take a hint. Don't be scared off by Affleck's role. He's not in the film too much and he is great in the role of the bartender friend full of bad ideas. Judge still proves to showcase his life in Texas by naming the ambulance chasing, TV commercial attorney, Joe Adler (played by KISS bassist Gene Simmons), after the North Texas equivalent Jim Adler. It's definitely worth seeing and will probably find its fan base now that it's on DVD, just like this other films.

Grab the Blu-Ray here, or standard def here.

It's Alive - 2008 - Dir: Josef Rusnak
Location: The Comfort of My House

Over 35 years ago a movie was made by this very same title. Yes this is a remake, but one with the blessing of the original writer/director Larry Cohen. In fact he co-wrote the new screenplay. Cohen has had a roller coaster career filled with some gems like Maniac Cop (1988) and The Stuff from 1985. But he's had plenty of down points like 1997's Uncle Sam (which I really should re-watch since I didn't realize William Lustig was the director). This remake is definitely in the latter category.

This story about a woman who gives birth but the baby is anything but normal. The bloodthirsty little tyke goes on a killing spree and craves blood. I haven't watched the original film in quite some time, but I remember it being more about people knowing about the killer baby and they try to capture and/or kill it, but here no one knows. There really are no big scares here and some of the FX and death scenes are downright comical. Like seeing a little baby's arm punching through the back of someone's head.

Maybe I'm just a little ruined because of Paul Solet's debut feature Grace (2009), where a mother has to protect her blood drinking baby. His film really manages to do this horror sub-genre of killer babies justice in every way possible. Watch it instead.

The Invention of Lying - 2009 - Dir: Ricky Gervais & Matthew Robinson
Location: The Comfort of My House

I do love me some Ricky Gervais. The original UK version of The Office is such a wonderful blend of squirming discomfort and headache inducing bouts of laughter. His recent stand-up special for HBO, Ricky Gervais - Out of England, had tears streaming down my face. When I saw he was going to be writing and directing a feature film I was beyond excited. Then I began to hear bad things. The premise sounds so promising. In a world where no one can lie Mark Bellison (Gervais) becomes the first to fib. The comedy practically writes itself, but the reviews were pretty bad. Because of this I stayed away from the theater and waited until it hit DVD.

The film is funny, especially in certain spots, but it's pretty average over all. Since people cannot lie this means they cannot tell white lies, sugar coat things or engage in flattery, which makes for some great moments. Who wouldn't love to arrive early to a date and have the woman profess her anger because you have interrupted her masturbating? Gervais has some great awkward moments where he seems to be in his comfort zone and those scenes really work. The bad thing is if we just watched those it would not really be feature length. I do really love that Mark is a screenwriter for Lecture Films, a company that rights out history and have readers sitting in a chair telling the tale. Fiction is a form of lying so there is none.

Gervais is a pretty open atheist and a large part of the movie has to do with him telling people about the "man in the sky." I really couldn't believe a major studio like Warner Bros. wanted to get behind a PG-13 comedy that tells middle America no one believes in God because he was made up in a book. I wonder if this hurt ticket sales or if they had any fights over the final cut. Of course, I am not bothered by this at all but I'm sure some people were a little peeved. Kind of makes me laugh at the thought of people walking out on a comedy for that reason.

Snag the Blu-Ray here, or standard DVD here and see for yourself.

Impromptu Movie Night

2010-01-24T16:42:00.000-06:00

A few fellow film fanatics and I decided to get together and watch a few flicks. There were only three of us but between Marcus, Travis and myself we had a good time. Here are the glorious DVDs we viewed.

The Found Footage Festival, Vol 4 - 2009 - Compiled by: Joe Pickett & Nick Prueher
Location: Marcus' Couch
My Contribution

For the uninitiated, the Found Footage Festival is a show put together by two VHS aficionados who seek out the weird and hilarious. Joe and Nick scour thrift stores and garage sales all over the country to amass one of the greatest collections of unintentionally humorous crap. The two do a live show with montages of clips that they speak on and the laughs just begin to roll out of you. After seeing their show a few months ago I have become a lifelong fan and cannot wait for them to return.

Marcus missed out on the show but wanted to see the DVD, which I pre-ordered at their show, so I brought it and we watched it first. The hilarious clips of exercise videos, 80s cartoons, hair and make-up instructionals, erotic subjects, Phyllis Diller's tips for a good garage sale, video dating and many other hold up well for the second viewing. As the other guys can attest we were all rolling over with laughter. There is not much more I can say about this seeing as it's just clips from the bizarre world of VHS tapes, but it is definitely hilarious and worth the money.

More info and semi-daily posted videos can be found on their website, foundfootagefest.com. There you can also buy all four of the volumes and some t-shirts. Buy the newest, Volume 4, here.

2LDK - 2003 - Dir: Yukihiko Tsutsumi
Location: Marcus' Couch
Travis' Contribution

This film was one I realized I had seen before but remembered almost nothing about it, except that it was a film I didn't like. I'm really glad I got the chance to revisit this quick Japanese flick, because it's pretty crazy. The director was in competition with another to make a film with only two characters in a week and this is the film which won. Two aspiring actresses and roommates begin to unravel with jealousy and anger as they await news on a part for which they both auditioned. Each of the girls' bad habits begin to bother the other more than usual and they end up in an epic fight all over their crazy apartment.

This is only about 70 minutes and it uses every second to show the rage each girl has against the other. Some of the acts of vengeance are, while mean, pretty funny. Throwing eggs in the girl's face is one example, while exchanging slaps to the face is another. Don't let the silliness of egg on the face or slapping fool you, the girls get vicious in ways horror fans will enjoy. I wonder if things would have worked out differently if Tsutsumi had more than a week to work on this, but more revision could have detracted from the final product. Grab the DVD here.

Super Soul Brother - 1979 - Dir: Rene Martinez, Jr
Location: Marcus' Couch
Marcus' Contribution

I'm glad to see that Marcus' interest in Blaxploitation seems to have surged after we saw Black Dynamite last weekend. This flick started off as a black Superman but evolved into more of a comedy with a little action. A medical experiment is being done to give superhuman abilities to a normal man in order to rob a jewelry store of ten million in diamonds. The only problem is the chemicals are unstable and the recipient will die within a week. Instead of risking themselves they decide to get a wino from the ghetto and use him. Enter the zany "Wildman" Steve Gallon who talks a lot, and only about a third of it makes any sense.

This film has everything you would want from a Blaxploitation film - bad acting, inexplicable extreme close-ups on half a face, bad dialog and plenty of jargon. The scientific genius behind everything is a white midget named Dr. Dippy who has a very weird accent, a big boobed girlfriend and smokes the weirdest looking cigars I've ever seen. There are so many bad things about this movie that it makes for great fun. The lines said, especially by Wildman, are ridiculous. At one point he complains about the government being against marijuana but for two grown men having sex (HA!). He says that "if you are caught with a joint in your mouth, you better make sure it has two balls on the end of it." Good times indeed.

Like many Blaxploitation films of the era this had different titles and is mostly known by The Six Thousand Dollar Nigger, as seen on the IMDb page. Films of this ilk just loved throwing that word in the title, which makes for some very interesting theme songs at times, but I'll get to that at another time. The other bowdlerized titles include Six Thousand Dollar Super-Brother and The Six Thousand Dollar Black Dude.

This is one that is not easily available on DVD, but if you find it there are plenty of laughs and "what the hell" moments.

Blood: The Last Vampire - 2000 - Dir: Hiroyuki Kitakubo
Location: Marcus' Couch
Travis' Contribution

This last DVD is just over 40 minutes and full of craziness so we had to watch it before calling it a night. This anime is based on a manga of the same name, then they recently released a live action film, directed by Ronny Yu, of the same name. I watched the film and enjoyed it, so I was anxious to see its animated predecessor. Travis has watched this many times and said at the beginning that it doesn't make a bunch of sense and I can see why. According to IMDb this was supposed to be the middle of three episodes to tell the story but it's the only one ever made and released. What you get here is Saya, a young looking girl with crazy sword skills with the task of destroying these vampire-demon creatures who hide in human form in Japan. She is sent to an English speaking high school on an American military base and all hell breaks loose on the night of their Halloween dance.

The animation is slick and stylish and the fighting and gore are plentiful. I'm not a fan of Anime. In general I really dislike it, but sometimes I'll see one that really catches my eye. This is now one of those films. After seeing the great things this crew did with just a third of their intended story makes me really want to see the rest. Too bad that will probably never happen. Yu's film version takes place in a different decade and tells much more of the story, but in a different way. I would recommend watching both of them for a more comprehensive view of the overall world. Good for Anime fans, non Anime fans, horror fans, martial arts fans, action fans and many more.

The anime version is here on Blu, or on DVD here. Also pick-up the live action on Blu or standard def DVD.

Golden Years

2010-01-23T18:06:00.000-06:00

Young @ Heart - 2007 - Dir: Stephen Walker & Sally George
Location: The Comfort of My House - Independent Lens on PBS

I do love Independent Lens. This comes on PBS most Tuesdays and they show documentaries and independent cinema. They are in the middle of a few music related docs at the moment. One of the more recent films was one I wanted to check out upon its release a couple years ago but never got around to going to the theater. To be honest, I forgot about it until I saw it was going to be on. Here a chorus is followed as they prepare new music for their upcoming, yearly, European tour, but they are not your normal musical crew. The Young @ Heart chorus is a group of senior citizens in Massachusetts led by a man named Bob Cilman. They have captured audiences around the world and sell out shows on a regular basis. What makes their music fun is the mix of genres and time periods. From James Brown to The Clash to Coldplay they tackle anything Bob dreams up. The ages of the member range from the around 73 all the way up to 92.

Not everything they sing is perfect sounding but that's not what they are about. It becomes more about something for them to do, something they love and can pass on to audiences through music. Along their journey there are brief music videos with the fun of The Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated," David Bowie's "Golden Years" and "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees. These wonderful singers will bring a smile to your face with each number and the fun vibe they give off with their desire to put on a good show. Just watch as Bob plays one of their newest tunes, Sonic Youth's "Schizophrenia," for the first time. They can't keep their fingers out of their ears while they mouth that it's too loud. For all the laughs and smiles there are an equal number of tears to be shed. Tears of happiness, sadness and the thought of your own family members past or present.

It might have had more of an impact on me because of my grandfather who died just over three years ago. Music was a huge part of his whole life from playing a few select instruments to singing, which is what he did most of the time. He sang many types of music in groups, quartets and choirs and his low bassy voice was unmistakable. Watching these stars perform and deal with many of the same health issues he dealt with brought back a flood of memories.

Music is a wonderful art form and can convey so many emotions. It's nice to see these seniors doing everything they can to not miss a rehearsal or performance. They travel to the rehearsal space in their own car, carpool, ride with a family member of leave their retirement or convalescent homes. Whatever or where ever as long as they can participate in the chorus. I cannot recommend this enough. Hopefully someday they'll travel to Texas and I'll get the chance to see them.

Pick up the DVD here for only ten bucks.

2010-01-22T15:43:00.000-06:00

The Silent Partner - 1978 - Dir: Daryl Duke
Location: The Comfort of My House

A few of my Twitter friends (you know who you are) were all discussing this film a few weeks ago and I finally got around to watching it. I wasn't too sure what to expect. I knew John Candy had a small role, but it is no comedy.

Miles Cullen (Elliott Gould) is the head teller at a bank where his life has become routine and mundane. The girl he has his eye on would rather have an affair with the boss than give him the time of day. Then he realizes a mall Santa is plotting to rob the bank and decides to use this to his advantage. He hides the majority of his drawer's money, which is a lot due to it being the Christmas season, in his briefcase and when the robbery takes place he makes sure he gets away so he can get off with the money. The only problem with his plan was the news broadcast how much was stolen and the thief, played by Christopher Plummer, finds out and wants the rest of his take.

This turned out to be a crime thriller that I had never heard of but really enjoyed. Elliott Gould is wonderful and makes for a great everyman who maintains his wits in these strange circumstances. Plummer is a wicked man but I really dug the way he looked dressed in his Santa outfit. If he ever tires of acting he could always get a job in a mall around Christmas. The story takes a few twists and turns as you figure out how badly this thief wants the money and how Miles is going to get out of the jam. Curtis Hanson, director of L.A. Confidential, wrote the script and there is that same great thrill that he later included in his Golden Era Hollywood detective story.

This film could easily go unnoticed but since it is on DVD now do not let it go by. Pick up the DVD here.

Mischief Indeed

2010-01-19T01:48:00.003-06:00

Mischief - 1985 - Dir: Mel Damski
Location: The Comfort of My House

I've had this flick on DVD for quite some time and just never got around to watching it. Not my fault, it was easy to forget about since it was on a flipper disc double feature with the amazing License to Drive starring the two Corey's. As you've guessed it, this is an 80s teen sex comedy. Not set in present day but in 1956 Ohio and Jonathan is kind of dorky and hopelessly in love with the beautiful Marilyn (Kelly Preston). Feeling as if he'll never get anywhere with her he meets the new rebellious kid in town, Gene, and he helps out while chasing a girl of his own named Bunny, played by Catherine Mary Stewart (Night of the Comet). Of course, Bunny has the rich jerk boyfriend so there are plenty of brawls and racing of classic cars.

The laughs are not really gut busting but I'm sure many a guy can relate to things our hero goes through. Shuffling books and folders around in front of your crotch while standing anyone? Jonathan's exploits are fun and all but let's be honest. You come to this type of film to see one thing. Well, two things. This is not full of nudity like Porky's but the one famous scene of Preston disrobing is not too shabby at all. In fact, Mr. Skin named it his number six nude scene of all time. I also thought the young Kelly Preston looked a bit like Anna Paquin (True Blood) at times, especially when she's smiling. Just without the gap between her two front teeth.

I should also not that writer Noel Black also went on to direct one of my favorite 80s teen sex comedies, Private School (1983) with the lovely Phoebe Cates. You can search the stores for Mischief on DVD, with or without the other feature, but it's currently out-of-print so it might be hard to find. If you do run across it pick it up, it's worth the time if you're a fan of the sex comedy.

Culture and Crass

2010-01-18T22:35:00.002-06:00

The 400 Blows - 1959 - Dir: François Truffaut
Location: The Comfort of My House - Criterion Blu-Ray

Here is one of those movies I saw the cover art for on the Criterion DVD release for so long I just had to see it eventually. I had no real idea what it was about, save for the brief description read on the box, or why I should see it other than it was Truffaut's first film, one of the beginnings of the French New Wave cinematic movement and Criterion gave it a release. This is usually a strong indicator. Doesn't mean I will love every Criterion release I see, but they are there for a reason. Well, except maybe for Armageddon or Chasing Amy. Why they hell were they given the time of day with this company?

I was pleasantly surprised by everything this film has to offer and really glad I finally took the time to watch it with the new Blu-Ray release. I think the original French title suites the film much better that what we Americans are given. Les qautre cents coups is a form of a French idiom meaning "to raise hell," and that is exactly what our main character does. Antoine is not the best brightest student but he also deals with mostly unresponsive and oblivious parents. It's not that he gets away with everything they are just oblivious to what he, or any child for that matter, needs. Based much on Truffaut's actual childhood we see the young man running away and turning to petty crimes and theft to get by. Eventually he is caught when trying to right some wrongs on his part and that's when things really turn grim for Antoine.

This film has a lot to say about a child's view of life and what he would do left to his own devices. I could go on at length talking about the significance of certain scenes but that would do a disservice to any of you who have yet to see this milestone film. Don't worry about it being all too serious there are plenty of light hearted moments to induce laughter. Many of these revolve around Antoine in school and his mischievous classmates, like a great scene involving all the boys running through the streets with a coach and they each peel off from the group unbeknown to the whistle blowing adult at the head of the crew.

While I haven't seen anything else by Truffaut he shows great promise here and I hear it only gets better. Not to mention that the exploits of Antoine are revisited by Truffaut over the next twenty years in a short and three more features, and Jean-Pierre Léaud plays him every time. I will definitely be checking these films out in the future.

I highly recommend film lovers check out The 400 Blows. Not only is it a milestone but a wonderful story as well. Pick up the Criterion Blu-Ray here, or the DVD here. You can also get the Criterion set with all of the films about Antoine here.

This is America, Part II - 1977 - Dir: Romano Vanderbes
Location: The Comfort of My House

Alright here's another one you probably won't be able to find very easily and it's a shame because it's awesome! This is an American mondo film full of 70s underground insanity. For those who don't know, mondo films are basically exploitation documentaries. They mostly started with the Italian film Mondo Cane (1962) and they show weird and, sometimes, unimaginable practices around the world with the intention to shock. Many of the early films in the Italian mondo series relied heavily on depicting the torturing and death of animals. Some like the Shocking Asia series (which I finally have all of and will soon be re-watching the first couple and finally seeing the others) show you a side of the continent you've never seen.

Luckily, this American made series does not have the harsh death but it focuses more on zany things and sex. After I watched the first in the series of three I was blown away by all the awesome contained. While the second film is not as good as its predecessor it still packs plenty of laughs and jaw-dropping moments. There are pet hotels, nude car washes, male strippers, fatty chasers, disco clubs with Jell-O bathing, S&M gear manufacturers and an electrocution. Each one of these is just as ridiculous as it sounds, but you just cannot stop watching. One of my favorite parts is a bunch of women eating at an erotic bakery. I couldn't stop laughing.

All of this is narrated with the very serious sounding voice of Norman Rose. You may not know him by name but he was a famous voice-over guy who is probably best known for many of the Jaun Valdez coffee commercials. The words he reads and the voice in which they are read only add to the hilarity.

Can't wait to watch the third in the series, made years later in 1990.

Killer Kids!

2010-01-17T16:30:00.003-06:00

Devil Times Five - 1974 - Dir: Sean McGregor & David Sheldon (uncredited)
Location: The Comfort of My House

The trailer for this film caught my eye when I saw it for the first time at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin a few years ago in Austin. Then I noticed it was on one of the wonderful 42nd Street Forever trailer compilations from Synapse Films and it piqued my interest. The film concerns a group of five very disturbed sociopathic children who escape from their transport van in a very rural snowy area. They make way to house where three couples are there and proceed to fool them into taking them in before the killing begins.

Killer kid movies are always fun. There is just something extra creepy about murders being committed by beings most people consider to be innocent and incapable of such atrocities. What really works with this film is how different the kids act about their crimes. Damien from The Omen was a very odd kid and seemed that way all the time. Other movies with creepy children seem normal to people but have their dark side when alone like in The Good Son or even the recent film Orphan. When the little murderers do their business here they might have a flash of madness on their face but they still act like kids. They play with the dead like dolls and skip around laughing with the others while dragging a body through the snow. This is pretty much the only part of the film to stand out in a positive way.

The rest is rather standard 70s fare, but there are a few annoyances along the way. Before some of the killings there is a ridiculous slow-motion used that just seems to take forever and add no real suspense. Many of the musical queues and delivery by the actors is done in a very over-the-top manner, almost as if this is all supposed to be some very dark black comedy. For me this just doesn't work and makes everything feel kind of uneven and takes away from the horror. Trying something like this needs to keep that delicate balance for being unsettling yet funny while not turning into a farce.

These problems are pretty minor overall and there are a couple of sequences that are very interesting and stylistic. If you want to give it a go, pick up the DVD here.

Alternate Titles:
- Peopletoys
- The Horrible House on the Hill
- Tantrums

Bloodsuckers and Black Dynamite!

2010-01-16T17:19:00.007-06:00

Daybreakers - 2009 – Dir: Michael Spierig & Peter Spierig
Location: Regal Galaxy 10

I know most everyone out there, horror fans or not, are sick to death of vampires. They are all over the place. While they are not my favorite horrific creature I do like them so I’m sad to see so many teenage girls going goo-goo over these sparkly daytime walking vampires who just whine like emos. Whatever happened to vampires who sink their teeth into the jugular and kill people? The Spierig Brothers decided to try and answer that with their newest film.

In Daybreakers we are now in the year 2019. The world is overrun with vampires and only about five percent of the human population remains in hiding. Military are sent out in search of humans because their blood is becoming increasingly rare. When they are captured they are brought to an evil corporation run by Sam Neil where they farm the blood from them like milk from cows. Ethan Hawke is a hematologist working for said company trying to come up with a substitute, because lack of blood turns the vampires into a sort of primal bat-like state and they will kill anything.

That’s about all of the plot I want to give away without any kind of spoilers. I really wanted to love this movie. I was one of the few people to love the brothers’ last, and only other, film Undead and with all they accomplished on practically no budget I figured they would do great things here. At times they did, but I rolled my eyes about dozen too many times. There are so many plot holes and just common sense problems that it makes no sense. For all the intelligence the vamps show not one person mentioned breeding the humans? That is the easiest solution to their problem and they already have them captured. All they have to do is build some test tube babies and plant them in some women and then they could grow their own blood. Either that or call the Japanese guys who created the bottled True Blood, heh.

I’m not a big fan of Hawke and he did not convert me here. Willem Defoe is a great actor and he was just completely wasted here, mainly by really lame dialog. I understand if he was supposed to be a sort of comic relief but they have him spewing cheesy one-liners every few minutes. It gets old real fast. A review I heard sad they should have put Defoe in the Sam Neil role and I completely agree.

I do love the vampire run world. Quick glimpses at school zone signs in effect from 2am -3am is great as is the daytime driving mode on cars. If they would have spent more time on seeing this world in everyday running I would have been much more interested. Some of the FX were great and they don’t skimp on the gore or violence which I was happy to see. It’s just not enough. Unfortunately, though I loved certain ideas, it was an overall “meh” for me. Wait for DVD.

Count Dracula - 1970 - Dir: Jess Franco
Location: The Comfort of My House

I wanted to find something to bridge the gap between the two theatrical films of the day. Just finished a vampire flick and was going to a blaxploitation throwback, the obvious choice is Blacula but, alas, I don't have that one (this will be remedied). Then I thought I could either watch some blaxploitation or a vampire film. While trying to decide it hit me to watch a vampire movie from the 70s. This would qualify since Black Dynamite is made in the vein for 70s cinema. On my "to watch" shelf was this Jess Franco gem from 1970 and it was the only one I could find. I could swear I had Dracula A.D. 1972, but I guess I was wrong.

This film takes the usual Bram Stoker tale and the plot does not really waver from that line. The good things about this version are those involved. Christopher Lee as the Count is always a pleasure and Herbert Lom (Clouseau's boss Chief Dreyfus in The Pink Panther films) makes a wonderful Van Helsing. But stealing the show in the role of Renfield is Klaus Kinski, who would go on to play the titular role in Werner Herzog's Nosferatu the Vampyre nine years later. Overall the film does have some problems but it with its level of faithfulness to the source material, great acting and one of the creepiest taxidermied animal sequences I would recommend it to fans of the Count. Those who know of Franco should note this has no sex and nudity, so don't expect it just because it has his named attached. PIck up Dark Sky Film's DVD release here.

Black Dynamite - 2009 – Dir: Scott Sanders
Location: Inwood Theater – Midnight Madness

Hell yes! This is a film I’ve heard about for quite some time and was happy to see we were getting a midnight theatrical screening a few weeks before the DVD release. The plot is easy enough Black Dynamite’s younger brother is murdered and now he must get to the bottom of the smack dealers to clean up the streets. All of this is done in the vein of 70s Blaxploitation films and done very well. Just watch the red band trailer here (I tried to embed but for some reason it wasn't working).

Like I should even need to say anything else after you have seen that. This was absolutely amazing! People think it is really easy to create an intentionally cheesy flick, but it’s much harder than it looks. I’ve watched a ton of recent films which try their hand at this type of thing and fail miserably. Luckily for us, this movie gets it right in every respect. At times I completely forgot I was watching a recently made film. The look, feel and sounds are straight out of the 70s low budget fare we genre film geeks love. The theater was packed and everyone was laughing hysterically throughout the entire film.

Michael Jai White plays Black Dynamite and he is a bad mother. But he’s not the only great actor in the film, and by great I mean awful on purpose. There are some great supporting roles played by Tommy Davidson, Arsenio Hall, Miguel Núñez (Return of the Living Dead), Brian McKnight and many others. White also wrote the screenplay along with Sanders and Byron Minns who plays Bullhorn, BD’s always rhyming friend (no doubt an homage to Rudy Ray Moore).

Even the look of the film is perfect. They don’t really go overboard with film grain or distortion but when you look at it you wouldn’t guess it was filmed in present day. I hope when I get the DVD they have a lot of info on making this film.

Out of the three films I saw on this day (the other two being posted above this) Black Dynamite is definitely my favorite. The movie by itself is greatness but the fun shared with the rest of the crowd and seeing it on the big screen add to my newfound infatuation. Even the last fifteen minutes that go into a whole new direction of insanity are great. I would say more, but you really need to experience it for yourself to truly appreciate and understand. There is plenty of nudity, action, jive talkin’ and kung-fu to satiate everyone. Pre-order, release date February 16th, the Blu-Ray here, or the DVD here, you dig?

Three Men and a Videotape

2010-01-15T16:13:00.003-06:00

sex, lies, and videotape - 1989 - Dir: Steven Soderbergh
Location: The Comfort of My Living Room

The one that changed it all. Well, for independent cinema at least. Soderbergh's film really transcended indie/art house lines to crossover into the mainstream and open new doors for the non-Hollywood, low budget films. It was nominated for tons of awards and won many of them, including the illustrious Palme d'Or at Cannes. For years I wondered what the film was actually about. I knew something to do with voyeurism but that was about the extent of my knowledge. Now I can tell you it involves sexual repression, adulterous relationships with a sister-in-law and strange fetishes involving interviewing women on video about their sexual history/practices. Basically there is a bunch of sex, lies AND videotape.

This turned out to be VERY different than what I expected to see. Though the entire film revolves heavily around sex, there is very little shown in the film and no nudity. You catch up with the sweaty party post-coitus and they talk in-depth about orgasms but none of this is actually shown. The closest it gets to nudity is Peter Gallagher in bed stripped with a house plant over his crotch. Everything this film has to say about relationships and being honest, to both yourself and towards those with whom you have a relationships. What really sells the film is the highly realistic script and spot-on acting. Each of the four main characters are exceptional, but particularly Andie MacDowell and James Spader capture you each time they are on screen. You feel they really are these characters and get pulled into their world.

Fans of independent film who are as late to the party as I was should see this right away. This is why Soderbergh is considered to be so great, don't let the Ocean's Eleven type of flicks trick you. Pick up the beautifully restored Blu-Ray here,or the DVD here.

Now I need to see more of Soderbergh's work, like Traffic. Yeah, I know.

Three Men and a Little Lady - 1990 - Dir: Emile Ardolino
Location: The Comfort of My House

One of the bad things about this blog is that you will all see the crap I watch that I'm embarrassed about. Some movies I can justify by having to write a review of it, but then there are times where there is no excuse. This is one of those times.

A couple months ago I was flipping channels and Three Men and a Baby was on. I had seen it before but for some reason I got sucked into it and ended up watching the whole thing. It's a decent film with some good laughs, but nothing spectacular. Then my sick brain was torturing me into watching the sequel again. As much as I tried to resist it just wasn't happening and I had to watch. The story picks up about five years later when little baby Mary now six and living in a bigger place in NYC with her mom and the three guys. The mom, Sylvia, wants to get married and her boyfriend, and director of the play she's in, asks so off she goes to London with the kid in tow. The men don't like the guy and must stop the wedding and Peter must admit his feelings of love for Sylvia.

There are so many weird things in this film, their living arrangement being the top dog. If three adult, over 35, men living together weren't bad enough throw in a woman and her child. I would say the men's obsession with the young girl was weird, but it's understandable how they can want to take care of Mary and love her like their own. A part of me is jealous of that child. I want Tom Selleck, Ted Danson and Steve Guttenberg to be my dads! Sylvia's rush to get married is also pretty ridiculous. She makes a couple of different statements in the film about saying yes because she was asked. She claims to love this guy but she alludes to saying yes to pretty much anyone. I can't understand people who want to be married so bad that they would do something like this, but I know they exist. And you wonder why there are so many divorces.

The film has a few laughs, but they are very few and very far between. If you feel the same sickness, or just want to see Selleck in a bow tie then get the two movie collection here!

Killer Creature Double Feature

2010-01-14T00:38:00.003-06:00

Up From the Depths - 1979 - Dir: Charles B. Griffith
Location: The Comfort of My House

I do love films involving killer creatures in the sea. My favorite, along with everyone else, is sharks but I don't discriminate. Any sea monster will do fine. After the genius that is Jaws so many films went on to rip it off all over the world. Italy has some especially interesting versions, but I'll get to that another day. Stop me if any of this sounds familiar. A big tourist attraction hotel in Hawaii known for the wonderful beach begins to struggle as things turn up dead in the water around the area and something large is seen beneath the waves. I was hoping to see a knock-off Quint offering up his services to capture the beast, but, alas, it never happened. What does happen is that we learn that the rubber fish monster is basically a killer sturgeon. Scary!

One of the great things about this film is the dialog. Not only is it extremely cheesy and over acted but it's practically all done via ADR in post. According to someone on IMDb who was in the film, something happened to the soundtrack and script so everything had to be dubbed. Some not even by the original actors. How the hell do you lose both the soundtrack AND the script? No one held onto a script? It is a genius piece of work after all, written by someone who never really did anything else and a production designer/art director with this as his only writing credit. Firmly at the helm of this picture was the late great Charles B. Griffith. While he directed a few things himself he is best known for his writing work for Roger Corman films such as Death Race 2000, A Bucket of Blood and, most notably, The Little Shop of Horrors. I have not seen any other films he's directed (with the exception of The Little Shop of Horrors where is was uncredited) so I don't know if this is his typical kind of work. He did make a hot rod chase film, Eat My Dust (1976), starring Ron Howard. I might have to seek out his other films because this was ridiculous fun. You just don't see enough topless scuba diving sequences these days.

My advice - watch this film with some friends and mass quantities of beer. Pre-order the DVD here with a bonus Corman classic, Demon of Paradise. Release Date: April, 13, 2010

Shakma - 1990 - Dir: Tom Logan & Hugh Parks
Location: The Comfort of My House

It worked out perfect that I have two films in a row with the crazy animals. I have BTS Junkie to thank for this gem since it's part of his weekly Horror Movie Night programming. Pretty much all you need to know about the plot is there is a crazy killer baboon in a med school lab building that is thought to be dead, but isn't. What do the cool med students do on a Friday night? What any college age kid does, they play some elaborate Dungeons & Dragons style game in the multi-level building with their professor as the game master. Awesome!

So the movie isn't going to win any awards, except for maybe 1990 crazy animal flick of the year, but it is full of great things. A large portion of the runtime is spent with characters walking or running down hallways which all look pretty much the same. I guess this really saved some money and time location wise. All they had to do was add/remove a plant and maybe switch a number on a door and you're ready for the next shot. All kidding aside, the titular Shakma baboon is pretty freaking creepy. The way this screeching animal runs down the hall and thrashes about against doors would be terrifying. Would you want this coming at you?

I didn't think so.

The film's directors (that's right, there are two of them) never really did anything of much merit and the writer, Roger Engle, has this listed as his only credit. Maybe he never did anything else because studios and audience goers alike were confused as hell by this highly involved role playing game. I'm not entirely sure what the goal was, aside from saving the princess, but it involved scrolls, a computer system with bitchin' late-80s graphics and Roddy McDowall (Fright Night's Peter Vincent, vampire killer) as the game master/med school professor. The cast also includes the lovely Amanda Wyss, the girl who is slashed while flying through the air in front of her boyfriend in A Nightmare on Elm Street, and The Blue Lagoon's heartthrob Christopher Atkins is the male lead here named Sam.

Unfortunately the DVD of this is out-of-print currently, but if you can find a copy somewhere it will make for a good watch with some friends and beer like Up from the Depths. Why not make it a double feature? You can watch the whole film, in eleven parts, here on YouTube.

Infected in the Courtroom

2010-01-12T16:03:00.003-06:00

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt - 2009 - Dir: Peter Hyams
Location: The Comfort of My Home - Blu-Ray

Another one of the fine movies I have to watch for reviewing purposes. In this direct-to-DVD thriller Jesse Metcalfe plays an investigative reporter trying to uncover what he believes to be a District Attorney (Michael Douglas) tampering with evidence in all of his cases where he gets convictions based on largely circumstantial reasons. His budget is cut at work so he decides to frame himself for a murder of a hooker where there are no suspects. He videotapes himself buying all of the things that the police know about (ski mask, switchblade, getting a dog bite on leg, etc...) with a newspaper proving this was done after the actual murder. Then, while on trial, his only friend who knows this secret will bring in the tape to clear his name and bust the D.A. Sounds pretty foolproof, huh? HA!

This is a remake of a Fritz Lang film noir from 1956 of the same name, the same basic story that is. Of course they have updated things and changed characters but the same basic outline is there. Peter Hyams is known for his work directing such classics as Timecop, the John Ritter TV related comedy feature Stay Tuned and End of Days, but here is attempt at bringing that noir feel falls flat. All of the style beautiful cinematography known to the genre are not there. Some of the dialog tries to imitate but cannot match the quick tongues of the 40s and 50s.

Amber Tamblyn plays Metcalfe's girlfriend and while she may not be the best actress around her name in undoubtedly fun to say. I just wonder when Michael Douglas went from being a badass to doing DVD only releases. The film isn't horrible, but I wouldn't recommend you take the time out to watch it.

Instead...

28 Days Later - 2002 - Dir: Danny Boyle
Location: The Comfort of My House - Blu-Ray

I really loved this film when it first came out and my feelings hold up still. This tale of an infection of "rage" leads England to be wiped out and those left alive have to hide and run from these killing machines. If you are bitten or get one drop of their blood into your bloodstream, or mouth, then you have only a matter of seconds before becoming just like them. In the film Cillian Murphy plays a guy who wakes up 28 days after the infection began to discover he is alone in a hospital where he had been in a coma. While walking through a deserted London he meets up with a few other survivors and they must try to survive in the land and make way to others still alive and well.

Danny Boyle created a wonderfully terrifying film. There is plenty of blood and guts, a lot of tension and enough excitement to keep your heart racing. The one complaint I have ever had with this movie is people classifying it in the zombie genre.

Newsflash: THIS IS NOT A ZOMBIE FILM!

Sure they want to kill and eat humans and if you are bitten by one you come one yourself, but that is not all a zombie is. The zombies of horror films are the living dead, here they are just infected. There is no severing the head or destroying the brain. With these infected people you can kill them like any old human, there is nothing supernatural involved. To me the more "supernatural" thing is a big factor in zombies. I know people classify zombies as mindless people but if that's the way you're going to classify then most every mainstream Hollywood film is full of them. Even in the stories origins in voodoo zombies were seen as possessed dead who would do the work of their master. Living dead, not infected. 'Nuff said.

Regardless of the whole zombie debate this is a great film and easily one of the best horror films of the decade. Maybe I'll watch the sequel again, didn't really care for it the first time. Buy the Blu-Ray here, or the DVD (which is more expensive for some reason) here.

The Rock-afire Explosion!

2010-01-11T14:58:00.003-06:00

The Rock-afire Explosion - 2008 - Dir: Brett Whitcomb
Location: The Comfort of My House

What happened to the good old days of the eighties? The cartoons were fun, socks were taller and the pizza places were fun. One of my favorite places to go as a kid was Showbiz Pizza Place. This chain started in the south in 1980 and exploded into 200 stores across the country. There was pizza, games, beer for parents and, of course, The Rock-afire Explosion band. There were three stages in the main eating room and every so often the lights would dim and the curtains would open to reveal and animatronic band to entertain the kids.

Here's a great Showbiz Pizza Place spot I can remember seeing on TV:

As soon as the song kicks in on that video the lyrics came rushing back to me, as did the memories. I remember sitting at those long tables during many a birthday party with pizza on my plate and pitchers of soda spread about while I struggled to hear the band play over all the screaming kids in the game room. Those memories are vivid and wonderful. I have some memorabilia still like my 45 of a Beatles Medley and a Billy Bob Bear song "Roast Beef Sandwhich," a red Frisbee (both pictured left) and somewhere I have some pencils and an activity book if not more. Since Chuck E. Cheese took over and ousted the Explosion things began a downward spiral. I haven't been to a CEC in a long time but I hear they have more pre-made videos and less live shows. Today's kids just aren't impressed with an animatronic band like they used to be and that makes me sad.

There are some people who still look fondly on this band and have made it their life's obsession to own the full show in their homes. The documentary, The Rock-afire Explosion, explores these people and what they love doing most - watching the Explosion do their thing. There is a huge fan base and many of them not only collect the items like I have, their collections include the actual shows made and fully operational. These people spend thousands and thousands of dollars on the obsession and I must say it's pretty awesome.

One of the people interviewed on the doc, Mike Scherpenberg (those of you from my Rocky Horror days will know him as Slappy), is a guy I know locally in the Dallas area. Around five years ago I went to his house and saw the live show in his garage. It was amazing and I felt just like a kid again. It takes a lot of compressors to operate these life size musical animals and a special type of audio equipment that tells each character where and when to move.

The sad part of the film is seeing the creator of the group, Aaron Fechter, and everything he's gone through. His once bustling warehouse is now occupied by just him, and his raw emotions come out as he recounts the shaft he was given when they decided to sever ties with him and his company to switch over to Chuck E. Cheese. It upset me to the point that I want to go to their offices, in Irving, and kick someone.

Too bad these places are not still in operation, but at least I have the memories. If you loved Showbiz as a kid, or even if you know nothing about it, this is a great documentary to watch about a the best damn animatronic band ever!

Here's the film's trailer with plenty of Billy Bob, Fatz, Mitzi, Dook, Beach Bear, Looney Bird, Rolfe and Earle. You can buy the DVD at the film's official site.

Romance and Leopards

2010-01-11T02:28:00.002-06:00

Paper Heart - 2009 - Dir: Nicholas Jasenovec
Location: Comfort of My House - Blu-Ray

Two days in a row I watch a movie with Michael Cera. Both movies have an awkward loves story and cute animation or puppets. Both are good in different ways. Here Charlyne Yi sets out to find out how people view love, why it's so important and why she cannot feel the emotion. Part of the film is a real documentary with interviews of married couples, kids, professors, Vegas Wedding Chapel Elvis and others with their views on love. The other part of the film is the story of Yi meeting and dating Michael Cera. This part, though shown as real, is fictionalized. Cera and Yi were involved before the making of this movie and continued to be through the making until their much publicized break-up right before the film's release. Knowing about this kind of makes watching a budding relationship between them onscreen quite bittersweet.

The film has some real laughs and great songs by Yi. When the interviewees tell their love stories a puppet show is put on to show the tale where the sets are made of cardboard and people are pulled by wires and stuck to sticks. Very cute. One of the best parts of the film are the extra features on the disc. A 26 minute collection of Yi interviewing a collection of comedian friends (among them Bill Hader, Paul Scheer and Demetri Martin) about love to hilarious ends. Another featurette are bloopers from Yi's lack of interviewing skills. The compilations of clips of her saying "uhh" and "umm" are a riot.

Give this one a shot. It's a fun awkward romantic comedy with a documentary twist. Buy it on Blu-Ray here, or on DVD here.

Bringing Up Baby - 1938 - Dir: Howard Hawks
Location: The Comfort of My House

This is the next item on the AFI Top 100 Films list I'm working through. When I read the description I thought it sounded kind of familiar, but was unsure. Then the film started and I realized I had seen it before. Well, only the first half. I don't remember the second part of the flick at all, so I'm counting this as a first watch.

Cary Grant stars as a zoologist (though he would be called a paleontologist today) named David who is waiting on an important brontosaurus bone and trying to get a million dollar gift for the museum from a rich woman. The day before his wedding he meets Susan (played by Katherine Hepburn) who is trouble waiting to happen and instantly falls in love with him. She receives a pet leopard named Baby from her brother intended for her aunt (the one with the money) and has to get it out to the farm in Connecticut. David is coerced into going along and the hilarity does most definitely ensue.

This is one of the wonderful old screwball comedies where everyone is a little zany and there are prat falls aplenty. The good new is - they are all funny. Hepburn does a wonderful job being the annoying girl with no shame and tons of confidence. While the leopard serves as a major plot device and creator of some laughs, most everything is funny because of the way Grant and Hepburn interact. Watching her wreck his car and ripping his tux coat are hilarious, but Grant in a woman's robe calling himself gay insights laughter as well. Even the supporting cast of the aunt and her companion, a big game hunter, are great. You pretty much cannot go wrong here.

See this one, it's a riot. Buy the DVD here.

Cera, Francois & Sexy Jesus

2010-01-10T01:22:00.003-06:00

Youth in Revolt - 2010 - Dir: Miguel Arteta
Location: Regal Galaxy 10

I love Michael Cera. I will make no excuses for my crush. So what if he plays practically the same character in every movie. Is that really so bad? Luckily for audiences his quiet but confident geeky thing works really well here.

In the film, based on the book Youth in Revolt: The Journals of Nick Twisp by C. D. Payne, Cera plays the young intelligent hopeful novelist Nick. He spends his time watching Fellini films and listening to Frank Sinatra records and wondering if he'll ever lose his virginity. At home his single mother's (Jean Smart) current no good boyfriend (Zach Galifianakis) is living there and causing problems with some members of the Navy so they have to leave town for a while. They go to a trailer park a safe distance away and there Nick finds the girl who steals his heart. Sheeni (Portia Doubleday) is very much a kindred spirit, with the exception of being a Francophile, but they are torn apart when Nick has to go home. To do the dastardly things he needs to do he creates another persona named Francois Dillinger who talks him into doing the bad things he never thought he could. All in the name of love.

What is so great about these bad acts is that, for the most part, they're not very bad, but hilariously harmless. Seeing Cera in his Francois clothes with the thin mustache is giggle worthy itself. Plenty of this R-rated comedies strong points come from the more "adult" themes surrounding sex, his ultimate goal. A few rows ahead of me at the theater was a teenage boy and his mother. I couldn't help but wonder how uncomfortable the two of them were when some of the more graphic sex talk was going on. It is really nice that his mother will take him to films like this.

There are plenty of wonderful laughs and most of them are thanks to the great cast. Steve Buscemi plays Cera's dad and the hilarious Fred Willard is a crazy neighbor who protests for human rights and harbors illegal immigrants. Once I got home I looked up the cast on IMDb and realized the girl who plays Sheeni's horny prep school roommate, Rooney Mara, is Nancy in the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street. I still don't know what to think of that whole situation but at least we'll have something nice to look at for 90 minutes. Don't worry Heather Langenkamp, you're still my number one No-Doz gal.

One of the other great aspects of the film are the transitional scenes, mostly while traveling, which are animated. Each time the style of animation is different but they are all kind of crude and fun - from stop-motion to animated stills photos. These moments made me smile and I think the stop-motion figure of Galifianakis looks like the Rankin/Bass Santa with a brown beard.

The film is great and definitely worth the watch. I agree with Jenny when she said she hopes Michael Cera continues and goes into more "grown-up" roles instead of going the route of Anthony Michael Hall.

Hamlet 2 - 2008 - Dir: Andrew Flemming
Location: The Comfort of My House

When I saw the first trailer for this online a long time ago I knew I wanted to see this. After not seeing it in theaters and not jumping on it the moment it hit DVD, I was reminded of it by a friend. After all my waiting I was not disappointed with what this fun little film has to offer.

Steve Coogan plays Dana Marschz, a talentless actor who gave up on Hollywood and moved to Tuscon to teach Drama. His class is only two strong and their plays are just staged versions of movies (like Erin Brockovich), and they suck. Suddenly his class grows when a bunch of tough inner-city types are forced there after a mishap in their portable buildings and Marschz gets the word the the Drama department is getting the ax. Now he must write something new and original if he wants to show the district what they are missing. His opus is unleashed - the controversial, offensive Hamlet 2.

The premise of the play is wonderful and I really wish I could sit through the whole thing and not just the select scenes the film shows. Hamlet has a time machine so he can try to go back in time and stop all the death that happens in Hamlet. Through his time travels he meets up with Jesus and all the girls in more modern times find him rather foxy. This leads to the awesome hit song "Rock Me Sexy Jesus." I really need to find this tune and get it on my iPod or else it may never leave my head (you can get the MP3s here).

The script was co-written by Pam Brady, and name you may not know but her work you probably do. She is a writer/producer on South Park and co-wrote their movie and Team America: World Police with Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The other co-writer is the director, Andrew Flemming, who previously made Dick (1999), The Craft (1996) and, a favorite of mine, Threesome (1994). Together the two wrote a very funny film with some very catchy songs and Elisabeth Shue playing herself.

Buy the DVD here, it's only $12.49!

Movies, Movies, Movies, Part 3

2010-01-09T16:11:00.002-06:00

Finally I will be caught up with everything I've watched up to this point in time. Obviously not counting Youth in Revolt, which I'm going to see in a couple hours. After this post I hope to to say up to date so I can write more about each film, if I feel so inclined, and include pictures and screenshots when available. On with the films!

Blood Diner - 1987 - Dir: Jackie Kong
Location: The Comfort of My House

Ishtar meet Sheetar.

Down in Austin my brother-in-film-geekness, Brian (view his blog here), hosts a weekly Horror Movie Night and has a ton of great flicks on the schedule for this year. My hope is to try keep up with all of his choices as he does. I WILL watch them all, I just hope I can on the same night. The first of 2010 is a lovely late 80s flick called Blood Diner. From my years of roaming the aisles of video stores I remember this box art, but never got around to actually watching it. I was shocked to realize, within the first ten or so minutes, that this is the bastard 80s cousin of H.G. Lewis' classic Blood Feast. While Lewis' film is very cheesy it tried to be serious, this was thrown right out the window here. I thought cheese was going to drip right off my TV screen. These brothers, and followers of Sheetar, own a vegetarian restaurant that is a hit for the "seasonings." If the customers only knew what they were really eating. One of the regular patrons, a 300+ pound vegetarian, loves their food and exclaims, "that's the best freakin' veggie burger I've had in a son-of-a-bitch long time." If that isn't enough to make you want to watch this gem your inner gorehound will be satisfied. The horror is there a plenty with deep fried heads, severed tongues and limbs, a naked aerobics massacre and an insane climax. There is even an awesome, long, disclaimer at the beginning about the violence. I don't really think it's that insane, but still good 80s gold.

I wish I could tell you where to pick this up but there is no DVD release. Maybe it'll get some cable airtime or you could track down a VHS copy at a second hand store or garage sale. Of course, there are always other means...

Casual Sex? - 1988 - Dir: Genevieve Robert
Location: The Comfort of My House

A while back I was watching Jaws 3 and enjoyed the brief screen time of the young Lea Thompson. There was a time when she was just so cute. I never really found her knockout gorgeous, but she's so freaking cute. Take Back to the Future, her as the young Loraine in the 50s makes me want to put her in my pocket. On her IMDb page I saw Casual Sex? and realized I had never seen it. I love her, Victoria Jackson and Andrew Dice Clay so how could I go wrong? To my surprise I was also treated with Jerry Levine, the van surfing buddy Stiles from Teen Wolf. The film is not as funny and 80s raunchy like I expected, but it does have a few funny moments. Don't think I'll ever watch it again, but I enjoyed Clay playing his normal self, even watered down a little. The DVD is discontinued but still available to rent certain places and on Amazon On-Demand.

Up in the Air - 2009 - Dir: Jason Reitman
Location: Regal Galaxy 10

This made the number three spot on my Best Films of 2009 list. I'm just going to copy what I wrote there a couple days ago.

When you leave a theater and a film stays with you long after you've gotten home, that's a good sign. George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a guy who is hired by companies to come to their office and fire/lay off people so they don't have to do it. As a result he spends most of his year in and out of airports and in hotels around the country. But that's the way he likes it. Ryan is a guy who doesn't like to be tied down to anyone or anything and loves the freedom and lack of stress that it includes. Along the way he meets a very similar girl, played by the amazing Vera Farmiga, and has to train a new girl who is threatening to do away with the in-person approach for a telecommuting version. If this film had come out at any other time it might not be as wonderful as it is, but considering the current economic climate it speaks to everyone. The constant fear of the axe swinging down in most any company is commonplace. Parts of this film will depress the hell out of you, make you laugh and even inspire you. It is both uplifting and devastating, but that is the charm.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention my thoughts on Clooney. There is something about him that makes me not want to like him. Maybe it's because so many people label him as the "sexiest man," or because they rush to anything he's in because he's pretty. But each time I put my guard up he knocks it right back down. He's just so damn smooth. Even with his pseudo mullet as Booker on Roseanne he had that same charm. His deliver is just so cool and natural that he may not be acting at all in any movie. Maybe that's just him.

Frog Dreaming (aka The Quest, The Go-Kids) - 1986 - Dir: Brian Trenchard-Smith
Location: The Comfort of My House

A friend was talking about his viewing of this on Twitter not too long ago and I knew I had to procure myself a copy. This is a kid's movie, of sorts, set in Australia where the lone American boy causes all the trouble. Henry Thomas (E.T.) plays Cody who nows lives with his father's friend after the death of his parents. He is a very independent kid who likes to conduct a lot of experiments and gadgets, like his bicycle with add-ons for riding on railroad tracks. Along with his little girlfriend they explore a remote area of wilderness with a deep pond and find the dead body of an old man. Soon Cody learns of the infamous Aboriginal legend of Donkegin (not sure if I'm spelling that right), a creature in the water who can kill a man just by looking in its direction. From here on out his goal is to prove or disprove this myth and maybe land a National Geographic cover. For a kid's flick there is a bit of weird kind of racist tones the way the young characters speak of "the blacks." Even for the 80s. What I have read about this film being compared to films like The Goonies or Explorers are understandable. This really evokes that childhood desire to constantly explore new and strange locations and search for the unbelievable. Cody even devises a very old school diving mask out of hoses and a large fish bowl. As an adult I did enjoy the adventure, but would have probably fallen completely in love with it twenty years ago. This is another you will have to track down as it's not available on DVD.

All caught up! Here is my tally thus far:

New Films: 17
Revisits: 1
Total: 18

Best Films of 2009

2010-01-08T01:56:00.001-06:00

Since we're already a week into 2010 I guess it's time I list my top ten films of the year. Most of the time I suck at these type of lists because I keep changing my mind on the order. While it will never be set in stone, this is the best order I could come up with. In my opinion, if you're in the top ten you're good to go regardless of placement. I have yet to see some films I have heard tons of good things about (Moon, Fantastic Mr. Fox, (500) Days of Summer, etc...) so I don't know if anything will be bumped off by those, but I have to draw the line somewhere.

10> Where the Wild Things Are
Dir: Spike Jonze

This book was one of my favorites as a kid. I don't know many people who would say different, except for my brother-in-law who had never read it until this year. When first hearing there was a film adaptation coming I was excited but scared. How would they turn a book with so little text into a feature? As the first images hit the internet I was ecstatic with joy. Not only did they creatures look great but they were practical FX and not CG! They turned out to be a combo of the FX and it worked well (usually the best way it works), but there was still the matter of the story. Max's journey to the land of the Wild Things took him away from the home which left him unhappy and acted out in horrible ways. Each creature in this new land was a part of him and he worked out his own feelings through interactions with them.

A bunch of people complained before the release that this might be too scary for kids. It dealt with real emotion and the animal side in all of us and that could be frightening to a child. I agree with the source material's author, Maurice Sendak, when he responded to all that whining with "go to hell." [Newsweek] No, this isn't a happy, bubbly film about the land of make believe. It's how we escape, and as a film lover, or anyone who enjoys film at all, you should understand it's very important.

9> Broken Embraces (Los abrazos rotos)
Dir: Pedro Almodóvar

Anyone who hasn't seen anything by Almodóvar should remedy this right away. I haven't seen everything the man has done, but I've loved all that I've seen. In this film he ventures into the tales of a blind screenwriter (Lluis Homar) who has a mysterious new client with a father who dredges up some old memories. These are from a time before he lost his sight and when he had a romance with his leading lady, Lena (Penelope Cruz). The story is full of rich characters who suck you into their lives and you find yourself not wanting to let go when the credits role. I love films like this and his actors deliver enchanting performances. Cruz is an absolute thrill and dream, as usual. When I first read the plot I was wondering if this was a sort of autobiographical work, since this is not Cruz's first time working with Almodóvar, and second in a row. A director in love with his starlet? But it proved to be a different animal entirely. Homar plays the lead to perfection and I've loved him in the few films I've seen, but he kind of reminds me of the Spanish Kelsey Grammar (see for yourself). Almodóvar has a wonderful way with color in his films and it really shines through in Broken Embraces. The bright palate plays as its own character and charms your eyes in each scene. This Spanish director is a true artist and you should seek out his films right away. Broken Embraces is currently in some art theaters around the country.

8> TIE: Anvil! The Story of Anvil/Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!
Dir: Sacha Gervasi/Mark Hartley

Yes, these are both documentaries. Yes, they both have exclamation points in the title. This is not why I put them together. I really couldn't decide which one I liked better. They cover such different topics, both of which interest me.

Anvil! is the story of the heavy metal band from Canada with the same name. They have been around for around thirty years but managed to not garner any wide success. For a time in the 80s they hit all the festivals and mingled with some big names, but it never went anywhere. Some of the people interviewed about Anvil, including members of Metallica, Anthrax and Slayer, admit they were the band at the time, then people basically ripped them off and left them in their dust as they went on to worldwide fame. During the doc you follow the group as they go on a European tour, go back to their everyday jobs in Canada, make their thirteenth album and try to score a major record deal. There are laughs and some good tunes, but at the same time you get let in on the heartbreak that comes along with spending the majority of your life doing what you love but never getting anywhere. It's frustrating and triumphant. Get the DVD here.

Not Quite Hollywood deals with a much lighter subject without all of the heartbreak - the weird world of Australian cinema. Pretty much every subgenre of cult films is covered from the sexy/sleazy (Felicity), to the frightening (Long Weekend) and the completely nuts (Howling III: The Marsupials). Different directors and stars are interviewed about their involvement in making this cinematic nuggets of gold, as are film experts and critics. Highlights include the section with Aussie filmmaker extraordinaire Brian Trenchard-Smith. His films are in a class all their own, take Stunt Rock for example. It's a movie full of outrageous stunts by Grant Page, and the rocking sounds of the band Sorcery. What's not to love about that description? Watch the doc for more information on some truly insane films you will be desperately seeking out. Grab the DVD here.

7> Zombieland
Dir: Ruben Fleischer

Was this the type of film I had been desperately seeking for so long, or what? Not only does it have zombies, my favorite of all the living impaired, but it has plenty of laughs Woody Harrelson and a bitchin' cameo about halfway through. Don't worry, I'm not going to ruin the cameo for anyone. This film succeeds in a similar manner to Shaun of the Dead. I'm not saying this is better than Edgar Wright's film, but it manages to mix the great zombies, gruesome FX and constant laughs that its British cousin did. Harrelson is absolutely hysterical as Tallahassee. It's like the role was meant for him. The opening credit sequence also features the best use of a Metallica song, from the good era, I have ever seen. I couldn't have been the only one in the theater craving a Twinkie during this one. Pre-order the Blu-Ray here or the DVD here. Release date is February 2nd.

6> District 9
Dir: Neill Blomkamp

This is the film to rock the world into loving some hardcore sci-fi. Yeah, Star Trek was out and everyone loved it, but when you went to this film you saw a bit of the old ultraviolence and that's not all. It's not just a story about people from another planet but a look into the injustice that took place in South Africa (where the film is set) with apartheid. These galactic visitors were rounded up, put in refugee camps and treated with so much disrespect that it's shocking to think this is what happened to humans. The FX work is so seamless here you forget these hulking aliens are not real and you fall in love with the character of Christopher. He, along with Winkus (played by newcomer Sharlto Copley), create a dynamic duo who are worth rooting for the whole way through. Get the Blu-Ray here or the standard DVD here.

5> Inglourious Basterds
Dir: Quentin Tarantino

I don't really even know where to begin with this. All I should have to say are two words - Christoph Waltz. He is the actor behind Col. Hans Landa a very bad ass Nazi who oozes some sort of chemical through the screen to make you both love and loathe him at the same time. If he doesn't get awards (currently up for Best Supporting Actor in Golden Globes) or get an Oscar nod I'm going to stab someone. Roughly the first twenty minutes of the film show him interrogating someone about the whereabouts of Jews and the tension is unbelievable. The film could have ended directly after that scene and it would probably still be on this list. Luckily it does not. For over two more hours the story evolves around the Nazis, a group of hard ass American soldiers out to do nothing but kill them and the struggle to stay hidden. I am someone who hates period films where everyone speaks English with the accent of whatever country the story takes place. When I realized much of this film has subtitles I wanted to kiss Tarantino on the mouth. This was a risky move, but one I'm very glad he made. So much of this film is amazing, and I love Shosanna. What are you waiting for? Buy the Blu-Ray or DVD. NOW!

4> Trick 'r Treat
Dir: Michael Dougherty

This film had been in a state of limbo for such a long time I almost forgot about it completely. This would have been such a good film to put out around Halloween, but I guess the execs just didn't believe. Such a shame, because watching this with a packed audience could be a great time. Anthology films like this can be a ton of fun. Creepshow is a great example of the magic they can have. Take Creepshow's EC Comic-like charm and mix it with the seasonal association of John Carpenter's Halloween and you will have Trick 'r Treat. There are scares, gore, laughs and an all around good time. Certain scenes are the absolute essence of fall, or what I dream fall would be like if I lived somewhere that actually had a proper fall. This will be one I will watch each October from now on, hopefully with others in my house to enjoy with me. See for yourself on Blu or on standard def DVD.

3> Up in the Air
Dir: Jason Reitman

When you leave a theater and a film stays with you long after you've gotten home, that's a good sign. George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a guy who is hired by companies to come to their office and fire/lay off people so they don't have to do it. As a result he spends most of his year in and out of airports and in hotels around the country. But that's the way he likes it. Ryan is a guy who doesn't like to be tied down to anyone or anything and loves the freedom and lack of stress that it includes. Along the way he meets a very similar girl, played by the amazing Vera Farmiga, and has to train a new girl who is threatening to do away with the in-person approach for a telecommuting version. If this film had come out at any other time it might not be as wonderful as it is, but considering the current economic climate it speaks to everyone. The constant fear of the axe swinging down in most any company is commonplace. Parts of this film will depress the hell out of you, make you laugh and even inspire you. It is both uplifting and devastating, but that is the charm.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention my thoughts on Clooney. There is something about him that makes me not want to like him. Maybe it's because so many people label him as the "sexiest man," or because they rush to anything he's in because he's pretty. But each time I put my guard up he knocks it right back down. He's just so damn smooth. Even with his pseudo mullet as Booker on Roseanne he had that same charm. His deliver is just so cool and natural that he may not be acting at all in any movie. Maybe that's just him.

2> Antichrist
Dir: Lars von Trier

This is probably a bit of a controversial choice for my number two spot. Not a lot of people have seen this film, and those who have are widely divided. The notorious Cannes screening had many walkout before it was over and those left were either standing cheering or booing and screaming obscenities. It's the kind of film that will illicit a very real and strong emotion deep inside you. The film stars Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg (credited simply as He and She) as a couple who had their young son fall to his death out of a window while they were having sex. She takes it very hard and He, being a psychiatrist, tries to help her without medication as they retreat to a cabin in the woods where she feels very uncomfortable. He feels they need to be there to confront her demons. There dark things are uncovered and transpire. I can completely understand why people don't like this film. The subject matter is very misogynistic and very graphic (both sexually and in gut-wrenching violence), but that is all important to the story. I could go on and on about this at length with anyone, but you have to see it or you just don't understand.

I was deeply affected by this film and it stuck with me long after I left the theater. A couple of nights I had dreams directly related to the themes explored and even found my mind drifting towards them throughout the day. It really leaves you a different person, much like the horrors witnessed in Salo. Still I can picture myself in the center of that theater, only I'm alone and my eyes are transfixed on the screen before me. In the blank, glassy stare I can see the film's true effect. Chaos reigns, indeed.

1> Up
Dir: Pete Docter

You would think that my number one and two choices couldn't be more different, but they do have something in common. Up is the latest effort from Pixar and, by now, you should know they are geniuses. Not only is the animation top notch and beautiful but there is a story backing it up all along the way. From the first trailers I had no clue what the film was about. It seemed like an old man flying around in a house, but as anyone who has seen this knows it's much more than that. Pixar truly makes family films. They are not just G rated happy stories kids can watch without picking up a new swear word, they have raised the bar. Kids will enjoy the jokes, the funny characters, talking dogs and animation. Adults will enjoy those as well, but the writers have added a very meaningful story behind all of that to pull at your heartstrings. The fact that this film has a four minute sequence, without dialog, that can make most every adult in the theater cry within the first fifteen minutes of the film is amazing. Talk about storytellers that really get it. I never thought I could be affected so drastically by this, and then throughout the rest of the film you are reminded of it over and over again. To have an emotional connection to fake characters on a screen played by actors is one thing, but to have that same, if not stronger, connection to animated characters is even more amazing. I was affected by this film both times I've watched it, and feel it will continue with each viewing, of which I hope there are many. Buy the Blu-Ray or or the DVD now!

Movies, Movies, Movies, Part 2

2010-01-07T15:44:00.000-06:00

Here we are with more movie catch-up. I'll try to knock out another seven flicks like yesterday, then I'll almost be up to speed. On with the show...

Swing Time - 1936 - Dir: George Stevens
Location: The Comfort of My House

In my goal to watch all of the movies on the American Film Institute's list of top 100 from a couple years ago, I have not made it very far. I had Sophie's Choice sitting on the shelf for months before I finally watched it. Now I will try and hammer them out a little more quickly. This is a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing musical, and, from what I've read, the best one. I don't really have a lot of knowledge on their films together but I did love this one. Despite being a bit of an odd looking man, Astaire could dance like a madman and his fame was well deserved. The two make a fantastic pair and their co-stars are hilarious. There is a scene with a tribute to Bojangles where Astaire does appear in blackface, which is still kind of weird to see. Once you get past the uneasy feeling it is a wonderful scene. The print on the DVD is not the best, but what do you expect from an over sixty-year-old movie? I actually like a less than stellar print sometimes, it feels more authentic.

Pick up the DVD for under $6 here.

Frat Party - 2009 - Dir: Robert Bennett
Location: The Comfort of My House

One of the best things about doing reviews for a website (Pop Syndicate) is that I get free DVDs. Unfortunately a lot of them are not winners and are things I would not want to watch. When Frat Party came up I thought, "how bad could it be?" It's a sex comedy in a frat house with a porn star playing hersef (Jesse Jane), that sounds like it could be a few laughs. Wrong. Dead wrong. The story tries way too hard with no pay off and then tries to switch to a serious love story in the last act. The result is failure. One scene attempts the over-the-top gross-out type of gag with a guy getting a happy ending massage that ends with an inhuman amount of "liquid" covering the masseuse. I didn't even smirk.

No link for purchasing because it's not worth your time, much less your money.

Martyrs - 2008 - Dir: Pascal Laugier
Location: The Comfort of My House

This is one of those horror films I heard a ton of good things about, but knew very little. For as much time as I spend online reading about movies I try to stay as much in the dark as possible. I'll watch a trailer, but not any clips that studios post. When there was a big write-up in my favorite horror magazine, Rue Morgue, I even skipped the article because I didn't want to spoil anything (that reminds me, I need to go read that now). For this same reason I don't really want to say too much about this movie other than it's awesome, violent and awesomely violent. With all of the "torture porn" titles coming out these days, and the ridiculous turn the Saw franchise has taken, I can't believe such a visceral, unrelenting movie could exist with an interesting enough story to not just be another in the lame list.

This one is HIGHLY recommended, but only for those who can withstand some hard gore. Buy it here if you dare.

G-Force - 2009 - Dir: Hoyt Yeatman
Location: The Comfort of My House - Blu-Ray

Here is another film I had to review. While seeing a number of animated films in theaters last year I was inundated with this movie's trailer, and it never looked appealing. To my surprise it wasn't as bad as I feared. This does not mean I will be adding this to my collection or watching it over and over, but kids will probably really dig these super spy guinea pigs. Since the director is a visual effects person the CG is top notch and the rodents are beautiful on Blu. It's a little weird that the likes of Zach Galifianakis, Will Arnett and Bill Nighy would be in a film like this, but I guess everyone needs a paycheck.

Make your kids happy with the Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack here.

Waxwork II: Lost in Time - 1992 - Dir: Anthony Hickox
Location: The Comfort of My House

Recently I realized that though I have seen Waxwork many times I have never taken the time to watch the sequel. Now that I have I can say that once is enough. The first film has an array of wax displays that transport you into that scene when the velvet rope barrier is crossed. In the second movie it's just moving through time with no wax figures. It's like they took the fun little vignettes from the original and thought they could expand them to make them twenty minutes instead of five. The whole thing comes off weird. Zach Galligan (Billy from Gremlins) reprises his role, but his friend Sarah is played by a different actress and they are both cheesier versions of their original characters. One plus, Bruce Campbell is in one of the time periods!

While this flick isn't so great the first one is and they are on the same disc. Get it here.

Deadline - 2009 - Dir: Sean McConville
Location: The Comfort of My House - Blu-Ray

Another review disc, and this one comes with some controversy. This film went straight to DVD not long before Brittany Murphy's death, she starred in the film and appears dead-like on the cover. Especially creepy when you consider she was found unresponsive in the bathroom. Since her passing the copies have been sort of recalled in an effort to change the image. Because of all this, and it being one of her last films, many more people than normal will be watching this and they shouldn't. The majority of the film is Murphy walking around in an old, dark house and that gets pretty boring. The plot concerns her as a writer working to meet her deadline - natch - and finds some mini-DV tapes in an old trunk in the attic (as we all do from time to time) that show the dysfunctional life of a married couple. There is a bit of atmosphere to be had at times, but it's not enough to save this by-the-numbers film. The acting, including Murphy and Thora Birch, is the best part and it's way better than this movie deserves.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much - 1963 - Dir: Mario Bava
Location: The Comfort of My House

I have had both volumes of the awesome Bava boxsets for some time now and still have not managed to see all of the films. This I will rectify in 2010! To start this off I went with this film because it is widely credited as the first giallo film. I love the genre and never took the time to see the grandfather of it all. Bava's film isn't what you think of when you think giallo, with the black gloves, but it does have many of the great aspects - red herrings, shadowed figures, death by stabbing and tons of stylish camera work. This was his last film to be shot in black & white, and while I love expressive color, there is something glorious about the look of a film without any. I really enjoyed watching Nora search for a killer like the characters in the mystery novels she loves to read, but this is not my favorite giallo, nor is it Bava's best. Still, fans of the genre should seek this out. It's got John Saxon!

Get the film as part of the Bava, Vol 1 set.

Alright, that's it for today. Tomorrow I should be all caught up and ready for, hopefully, more in depth and fun filled thoughts.

Movies, Movies, Movies, Part 1

2010-01-06T16:21:00.002-06:00

Back to the blog, back to the blog. I've been such a slacker on this blog. No more I say! Since I spend the majority of my time watching movies I figure I can at least post everything I watch and what I thought of it. I already keep a log of everything so it shouldn't be too difficult to transfer this over to the blog. Since I've already watched fourteen films this year (thirteen of which are new to me) I will probably do a few posts with a bunch of movies together and less of a mini-review to conserve space. So here we go...

It's Complicated - 2009 - Dir: Nancy Meyers
Location: Regal Keystone Park 16

This was not my first choice of films to see, but my girlfriend really wanted to see it and it didn't look too horrible. I mean, it has Alec Baldwin so there's a plus right there. After sitting in the theater I began to worry because I was the youngest man there by at least 20-25 years. A few rows up there was even a post-menopausal group that mirrored the Sex and the City girls. Come to think of it, they could have been them. They are starting too look a little rough. All of my fears were put to rest after the film began. It turned out to be quite funny and somewhat touching. Baldwin and Meryl Streep are fantastic as always and Steve Martin is usually a joy. John Krasinski added some good laughs from time to time but managed to still seem like Jim from The Office. At one point, because of the camera's placement, when Krasinski is smiling and nodding at someone by a door I could swear he was looking into the camera and smirking like Jim. Guys, if you want to earn cinematic points with the girlfriend or wife this is the movie to do it with. They will love the romantic comedy aspect of it and you get a much better film than the upcoming Leap Year.

Avatar - 2009 - Dir: James Cameron
Location: Cinemark IMAX 3D

Yes, the game changer. Cameron has been working on this film about the fantastical world of Pandora for over a decade now and finally the rest of the world can get a glimpse. Some have been blown away and others left disappointed but it's all about your mindset. No, the story of the Na'vi people versus the evil Earthlings is nothing too special or new. You have heard the same tale many times before, parallels have been made with Dances with Wolves and Disney's Pocahontas. But, if you let that inner child out from the first frame then you'll be as hooked as I was. Pandora is beautiful and wonderful in every way possible. The flora and fauna, the animals, the Hallelujah Mountains and the Na'vi are all wonderful and this is enhanced by the CG work of WETA (the team behind The Lord of the Rings trilogy) and others. Of course if you see this in 3D, as it was meant to be seen, you can no doubt attest to the glory of the format. What was once a novelty of the 80s is rapidly becoming a valid format to add depth to a frame instead of arrows flying at the audience. I was so swept away by Cameron's world that I hung on every word and frame for the entire 162 minute running time. My inner kid had a feeling very similar to that of the first time watching Star Wars and I love it.

The film may not be a total game changer in the aspect of storytelling, but as for its visual achievements it succeeds. 3D has never worked so well or been such an asset. As long as the rest of the films using this technology uses what Cameron & Co. have developed we will be seeing 3D for a long time. See this in 3D while you can, it's gorgeous.

Parents - 1989 - Dir: Bob Balaban
Location: The Comfort of My House

I missed this movie a while back at the BTSNAT movie marathon held with some fellow film geeks and had to catch up. This is a very, very dark comedy with a little horror thrown in about a boy who suspects his parents are up to some devious things, including eating people. Being set in the 50s gives the perfect backdrop to these kinds of crazy happenings. I especially love the school counselor smoking in her office around kids. HA! I would recommend this anyone, especially for Randy Quaid's utterly creepy performance as the father, but it has been discontinued on DVD but you can rent or buy from Amazon video.

Gran Torino - 2008 - Dir: Clint Eastwood
Location: The Comfort of My House - Blu-Ray

The second day of 2010 was spent on the couch with my girlfriend, Jenny, as she picked four movies for us to watch. Gran Torino was the first of the films, one we didn't catch in theaters and had been sitting on the shelf from Netflix for about a month. I'm really glad I got the chance to watch this after all this time. The script was a bit predictable but still I loved what it had to say and how Eastwood played Walt. Most every Hmong character in the movie had never acted before, which is pretty easy to tell, but I love that Clint would rather show the real people than fake it with actors. My rating of this on Facebook spawned a lengthy comment debate which is always good fun. I love to talk about film with people and wish it would play out like that more.

You can get Gran Torino on Amazon on Blu-Ray or here in standard definition.

Waltz with Bashir - 2008 - Dir: Ari Folman
Location: The Comfort of My House - Blu-Ray

This animated documentary was high on my too-see list, but I never made it to the Angelika before its run ended. This tells a story about the 1982 Lebanon War that had never been heard before, concerning the Israeli involvement in the Sabra and Shatila massacre. Each interview was done with former soldiers or experts and filmed then animated without the use of motion capture. What a fantastic way to show this flashback heavy story without have to film recreations. The message is powerful and important. One of the best serious documentaries I've seen in a long time.

Pick up the film here or here.

Clash of the Titans - 1981 - Dir: Desmond Davis
Location: The Comfort of My House

I could swear I've seen this movie before, but while watching I had no recollection of the story. Certain scenes stood out to me, so it's possible I watched it on TV or something when I was younger. This is great mythological fun for the whole family! Compared to the upcoming remake the FX are a bit cheesy looking and not as polished, but there is something heartwarming and charming about Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion creature work. Although I did laugh each time I saw the Pegasus running in the air, heh. The big budget, CGI heavy remake has a different story so I don't know how much of a remake it really is. Maybe in name only. Watch this and see the Kraken, Medusa, a metal owl and all your favorites from Greek mythology.

Buy the DVD here or wait for the Blu-Ray, out March 2nd.

Star Trek - 2009 - Dir: JJ Abrams
Location: The Comfort of My House - Blu-Ray

This was the one movie I had seen already, but we hadn't watched it since I bought the Blu-Ray. I have never been a fan of Star Trek in any incarnation. Over the years I've watched a few episodes of the original series and some of The Next Generation but never really got into the whole world. To be fair, I never really gave it a chance. When I saw the trailers for this new film by Abrams I just had to go. Lucky for me, even if you're not a fan of the source material you can enjoy this film. Great action and fun, interesting characters to follow. I thought this looked pretty in the theater, but at home on Blu it's so crystal clear that you cannot take your eyes off the screen.

Get the Blu-Ray here, or here on DVD, so you can have a film in your collection with lens flare in practically every frame!

Alright, that's all for now. This was much longer than I expected. I'll put up more later and hopefully catch up to my current watching soon.

A Not Well Known Holiday Horror Classic

2009-12-21T22:07:00.001-06:00

In the scope of Christmas horror there aren't that many entries. There are quite a few but only a handful make the rounds each year for most viewing parties or screenings. The wonderful Silent Night, Deadly Night is at the top of most people's list. There is nothing wrong with this, because it's a great freaking movie! Killer Santa is always good and the picketing and boycotting by the PTA upon its initial release was an added bonus. Some would argue that the film's first sequel (there are five movies in the franchise total) is even better because it not only replays the highlights from the first flick but it contains awesome of its own. Just look at the wonderful, and infamous, "garbage day" scene.

Some of the other movies include another psycho Santa in Christmas Evil (aka You Better Watch Out) or the one with the wrestler Goldberg as a demon who was forced to be Santa after losing a bet but is now ready to get his revenge on the world - Santa's Slay. The UK also has a killer running around London in a Santa suit with 1984s Don't Open Till Christmas and the notorious David Hess directed a Christmas themed slasher in 1980 called To All a Good Night where someone is stalking and killing teens at an all girls school in, you guessed it, a Santa outfit.

There are seasonal films that don't revolve around a deranged St. Nick. One of my favorites, and not just for the Christmas Horror subgenre, is Bob Clark's 1974 slasher inspiration Black Christmas. All the girls in the sorority house are ready to go home for the holidays when one of them goes missing. They are plagued by strange obscene phone calls and the first feature with "the call is coming from inside the house" angle. This is such a great film full of atmosphere and an increasingly unsettling feeling throughout the running time. If you haven't seen this put it to the top of your list, queue or whatever. And don't watch the remake from a couple years ago because it's shit.

Plenty of films take place around the holiday and earn a wonderful spot in my heart. Recently I watched a film called The Children where the kids get a sort of illness over the holidays which turns them into killing machines. You might also want to check out an Italian film from 1975 called Night Train Murders which is basically the same story as Last House on the Left (which itself was based on The Virgin Spring) but it takes place on a train with the girl going home to her parents' house for Christmas.

There are many more I could mention but I want to get to my reason for writing this in the first place. The other night I watched a new-to-me Christmas horror film and feel it is my duty to share the joy with everyone else. Prepare yourself for pure awesome!

In my exploits in and out of, and working in, video stores I remember seeing the above cover for the film Elves (1989) but never got around to watching. Boy and I sad I waited this long. Had I known the gem that awaited me there would be no way I could have held out for twenty years! In just the first fifteen minutes you are treated to a woman putting a cat in a pillowcase and drowning it in a toilet, a sexual harassing mall Santa and this awesome kid in his Ninja Turtle pajamas dropping the F-bomb like crazy.

There is even more to that scene, but that's all you get on this clip from YouTube. Besides all of the awesomeness I already mentioned, and even more amazing things I don't want to ruin, the flick stars Dan Haggerty! This should be reason enough to watch. He smokes like a chimney and delivers one hell of a flat, bearded performance. The plot concerns a Nazi group who summon evil elves with their sights on helping create the master race of ruthless soldiers. A young girl is targeted, the girl in the above clip with her pervy brother, by the the elves and the mysterious men with guns and weird pony tails. Her grandfather may know something about what's going on but with his half-assed German accent it will be hard to tell just what that is. The FX used on these creatures, including their overall design, is something to behold. Just see them on the back of the VHS box:

Add the bad FX, bad dialog, bad acting and some super out-of-nowhere "twists" this is one holiday horror flick that needs to make it into your yearly repertoire. Of course this would be better suited with copious amounts of alcohol and a group of friends to laugh along with you, but it's not necessary. The film is not, nor will it probably ever be, on DVD but seek out the VHS or find it some other way (wink) because you need to see Elves in all its glory.

Sonor Hearing

2009-08-29T15:11:00.001-05:00

I know it's been a while since I've blogged. I'm bad and a slacker. Hopefully I'll try to get back into the swing of things for those of you who actually read my blog.

While sitting here on the couch, being lazy on a Saturday afternoon I came across an infomercial for the Loud 'N Clear.

I get the point. For a mere $20 you get a cheaper option to a hearing aid with a "stylish" twist. They boast that it will help the hard of hearing as well as enhance hearing for others so you can hear conversations from far away. So, not only do you get to hear what girls at a party are saying about you at a party, but you get to look like a douchebag at the same time! All that's missing is an Ed Hardy T-shirt.

Forget how stupid you look while wearing, if it works what difference does it make? I really don't see how this could be used for everything the commercial boasts. Most likely it can amplify sound, that is the easy part. What it doesn't say is to what degree. The ad says you can hear all the action at the big game while showing someone in the middle of a cheering crowd. If this $20 gadget amplifies enough to hear a kid at a little league game sliding into home plate fifty feet away, what does the screaming parent next to you sound like?

Do people really not consider this? From some reviews I have read online it doesn't really work anyway, but it astonishes me how easily people can be "tricked" into ordering such crap.

Tonight's Menu: Comfort Food!

2009-07-20T22:49:00.001-05:00

I was going to do a "Tonight's Menu" a week or so ago, but I was very unhappy with the way things were going. I made some Rainbow Trout and was having problems. Even though everything tasted alright, Jenny loved it, I was not happy so I just erased all of the photos. So here we are with what I made tonight, some yummy comfort food.

On Tonight's Menu: Meatloaf with Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes and Steamed Asparagus

I started with pulsing a box of Garlic & Cheese croutons in the food processor until rather smooth. Normally I would just use the garlic flavor but this was the closest I found at the store. It turned out to be a good thing.

Then I pulsed a chopped carrot, chopped onion, a few cloves of garlic, fresh black pepper, thyme, chili powder and cayenne. Usually all the dry herbs and such would go with the croutons, but I forgot. Oh well.

Onto to the meat! Most of the time I use a mixture of regular ground chuck and ground sirloin, but I was at Whole Foods and they didn't have the sirloin. Yes, I could have them grind some sirloin but I didn't want to wait. What they did have was ground buffalo. I thought that might be pretty tasty, so that is what I got.

After everything is combined you can either put it into a loaf pan and then turn it out onto a parchment lined sheet pan, or if you don't have a loaf pan, like me, then just form it into a loaf on the pan.

Once your meatloaf is in a 325º oven you can make the sauce. Just whisk together some ketchup, Heinz 57, worcestershire, Tabasco, cumin and honey.

Ten minutes after the meatloaf has been in the oven slide it out and baste with the sauce. It is also a good idea to put a probe thermometer in and set the alarm for 155º. You want to put the probe at an angle about halfway into the loaf.

When the alarm goes off pull the meatloaf out of the oven, remove the probe and baste on a little more sauce. You should also cover loosely with foil and let the meat rest for about five minutes. ALWAYS REST YOUR MEAT!

Once all is said and done you are ready to plate. I served with some great sour cream mashed potatoes and some steamed asparagus.

If I had anything to do over again I would blanch the asparagus and drop it into an ice bath instead of steaming. No big deal, everything tasted wonderful and there are plenty of leftovers for a meatloaf sandwich tomorrow. Yea! Fulci even had a great time licking the plates. He looks a bit like a giraffe, don't you think?

Just Tie It In a Knot

2009-07-09T15:21:00.000-05:00

I understand that people do not think of movies the same way as myself. To some people they are just a way to kill a couple of hours and be mildly entertained in the process. Few have respect for the theater going experience anymore, as evident by their rude behavior, talking and such. Something that has always annoyed me is people getting up during a movie, for whatever reason. I witnessed someone recently get to a movie quite a bit early with the family and they were sharing one of the large, refillable, popcorn buckets. They ate as quickly as possible and when the trailers ended and the movie began one of them arose to get more popcorn. Why the hell did they wait until the movie started? Is this not the reason they paid money to get in the theater? The last time I can remember getting up for anything during a movie was during Independence Day in 1996. I never got up during movies but this was a second viewing and I knew what was coming up so I decided to run grab a pickle. I was with a friend and we were near the front of the packed theater and on my way out I slipped on some soda and crashed in front of everyone. There was thunderous laughter and my ass hurt. This was a sign from the movie gods to not get up while the projector is running.

Probably the number one reason people get up during a movie is to go to the bathroom. This is something I have also never understood. Have you no bladder control? I understand there are certain times that when you have to go, you REALLY have to go. I highly doubt all of these people have a very dire situation brewing. Personally there has not been a situation in my memory where I had to go or there would be problems. I even sat through all of Titanic, which I really didn't enjoy, and I had to go pretty bad by the time the credit began to roll (I even stayed during all of them too).

Now it has come to my attention there is a website out there called Run Pee. On this site you can look up a movie and see at which points during any film you should get up to go to the bathroom. It looks like this:

You see the timeline and under it will give you a "vague" description of what happens right before you'll have a couple of minutes to alleviate you bladder. If you want to know what happens during the time you will miss, you can click the box below and the scrambled text will spoil the scene. Many have been raving about this site, and how it is a great tool for movie goers, I, of course, have a problem with this.

Most films are made and put you in a story and they set everything up so that you are caught up in what is on the screen. When you leave the theater, for any reason, all this accomplishes is taking you out of the world the filmmakers spent so long trying to create. Even if you are at a bad flick, like the latest Mike Meyers tragedy, getting up and leaving does not just affect you. There are other people in the theater with you, and when you walk by, in front of, or around them it distracts. I don't spend ten bucks to have you walking in front of me. If you have to go to the bathroom just hold it! If you have poor bladder control, or are going to a longer film (i.e. Lord of the Rings) then don't get the bucket size of soda at the concession stand. It is that simple.

If the website were not enough to piss me off, they have escalated to the next level - an iPhone app. The iPhone is freaking wonderful, and the apps only make it better, but this is a bad idea. All this app does is not only encourage people to get up during the film, but now they are going to pull out their phones while the movie is going and distract those around them with the glow. I see no good coming of this.

Why can't people just sit down, shut up and watch the damn movie?