Dead of Night (1974)

AKA: Deathdream

Director: Bob Clark

Writer: Alan Ormsby

Composer: Carl Zittrer

Starring: John Marley, Lynn Carlin, Richard Backus, Henderson Forsythe, Anya Ormsby, Jane Daly, Michael Mazes, Arthur Anderson

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Andy's coming home...

Plot: A young man killed in Vietnam inexplicably returns home as a zombie.

My rating: 7/10

Will I watch it again?  Nah.

This was a nice transition for director Bob Clark from his fun-titled CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS (1972) and his genre-defining horror classic, BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974).  John Marley leads the cast as Charles Brooks, the father of Andy (Backus), the Vietnam soldier who comes home after being killed in the war.  So Andy comes back and he's not himself but with reasons.  It's a nicely made picture on how war can change a person.  Andy clearly has PTSD (even though it wasn't recognized as such until years later but the affects of the war were very clear) but this is a social commentary movie disguised as a horror film so he's got something else going on that is very, very bizarre and wrong.  Not only is this a well-made picture from its look and pacing, the acting is very good. The makeup effects by Tom Savini (in his first year in pictures) is great.  It far into the film that you see any of Andy's 'problems' but when you do it's jarring and cool.  The ending is great from the car chase that ends with a car slamming into large iron gates to the few minutes until the close of the film.  This is a good low-budget Canadian horror film that's made better than most of the era.  It's also worth watching to see what Clark was up to that led to his making BLACK CHRISTMAS which would change the face of cinematic horror for decades.

Laura (1944)

Director: Otto Preminger

Writers: Vera Caspary, Jay Dratler, Samuel Hoffenstein, Elizabeth Reinhardt

Composer: David Raksin

Starring: Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, Judith Anderson

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The story of a love that became the most fearful thing that ever happened to a woman!

Plot: A police detective falls in love with the woman whose murder he is investigating.

My rating: 8/10

Will I watch it again?  Yes.

When I last saw this twenty-five plus years ago, I didn't get how this was considered a classic (and one of the best) of the film noir genre.  Sure, there's a murder and the culprit is probably a jealous lover but it's missing some of the other staples you expect and get from the other greats of the era like a femme fatale and lots of ominous shadows and seedy people and places.  This picture is almost entirely brightly lit and there's not a single bad news dame.  Watching it now, I still got the same feeling but I'm watching it with older, wiser and much more well-rounded eyes so I'm starting to get it.  I at least think it's a fantastic film and I can understand why it's so great but I'll continue to struggle a little with the whole noir classic part. 

The cast is fantastic.  It's neat seeing Vincent Price as a charming whore and man, oh, man is that dude tall.  I knew he was 6'4" but I'd never really noticed like I do in this picture on how he towers above the rest of the cast and some of the shots have him standing in the background.  Clifton Webb owns every scene he's in.  I can't see anyone else but him in that role.  It's one case where The Academy Awards got it right by giving him the Oscar for Best Supporting Role for this picture.   The other actor that got my attention and grabbed me was Judith Anderson who plays a wealthy, and older, socialite, Ann Treadwell.  She's got the hots for Shelby (Price) but Shelby wants to spend his carnal time with hotter, younger rich broads.  Her best moment is when she's straight up with another character to leave Shelby because he's a whore dog who is accustomed to a certain lifestyle and he's a bad news serial slut.  She should know, she continues, because she likes being shit on.  It's a great moment.  Her candor is cold but content in knowing her place and his.  David Raksin's score is famous for a reason.  He wrote one hell of a tune.  You may find yourself getting a little tired of hearing it because it's all throughout the film in various pop arrangements and orchestrations but you should find comfort in knowing that it made him a very wealthy man and he surely loved the residual checks it brought him for the next sixty years!  If only I could have an evergreen like that.

Mach 2 (2000)

Director: Fred Olen Ray

Writer: Steve Latshaw

Composers: David Wurst, Eric Wurst

Starring: Brian Bosworth, Shannon Whirry, Michael Dorn, Cliff Robertson, Bruce Weitz, Andrew Stevens, Robert Pine, David Hedison, Jennifer Hammon, John Putch, Charles Cyphers

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The fate of a nation rests on the courage of one man.

Plot: A Presidential candidate running against the Vice-President plans a trip to the Balkans to negotiate the release of American servicemen being held hostage. Before he leaves, he receives a disk documenting evidence that the Vice-President has been trying to revive the American economy by causing a war in the Balkans. He plans to show it to both sides in the hopes of ending the situation. However, Secret Service agents hijack the Concorde he is on and kill the pilots. It's up to an Air Force officer, nicknamed "Washout" because he can't fly a plane, to land the Concorde.

My rating: 5/10

Will I watch it again?  No.

This average direct-to-video low budget flick delivers what you'd expect judging by the DVD cover.  It's dumb but it's also kind of entertaining because of the how much dumb there is.  But I bet you not one person involved with this picture had any delusions it was going to be anything greater.  Bosworth fans might be disappointed.  Most of the picture is spent on the play and there's only one fist fight.  If you're looking for a 94 minute mindless action thriller where some of the cast are just thrilled to be in front of a camera then this is an option.  The director, Ray, has amassed over 150 director credits over the past 40 years.   Think about that for a second.  He's managed to direct an average of 4 movies a year and he's still going strong.  He must be doing something right.  I wouldn't mind a career like that.

When the Daltons Rode (1940)

Director: George Marshall

Writers: Harold Shumate, Emmett Dalton, Jack Jungmeyer

Composer: Frank Skinner

Starring: Randolph Scott, Kay Francis, Brian Donlevy, George Bancroft, Broderick Crawford, Stuart Erwin, Andy Devine, Frank Albertson, Mary Gordon

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Wanted dead or alive screamed the nation when the Daltons rode.

Plot: Fictionalized story of how the Dalton brothers were wronged by a crooked development company and became outlaws when the corrupt local courts offered them no justice.

My rating: 7/10

Will I watch it again?  Probably not.

I thought this was going to be some below average B-picture that I'd quickly forget but nope, it's actually quite good.  I've seen a few of Randolf Scott's Westerns but none where he's action-less.  He punches a guy early in the film and for a good reason but that's about it.  He never touches a gun and in the one fight he gets in (in the last few minutes of the picture), his ass is handed to him and he's knocked cold until the end.  That was a big surprise (Scorethefilm removes his hat and lowers his head out of respect for Mr. Scott).  But hokey smokes!  Look at that cast!  The first third of the film has very little action and it's all background so you know why the Daltons did what they did along with those left behind like Tod (Scott) and Julie (Francis) who fall in love despite her being engaged to one of the Daltons.  That first third or so is very deceiving because suddenly, thanks to the Dalton boys being on the lam, shit starts happening, folks get robbed and good guys start gettin' killed. 

There's a wild sequence where the boys leap off a rocky ledge and onto a fast-moving train.  One by one they jump and it's really happening in front of you.  I was actually worried something bad might happen but they pulled it off without edits.  It's done in such a way that all five are stuntmen but you can't tell because their faces are nicely obscured just enough but each of the five men execute their jumps in succession and in one take.  Minutes later they get off the still fast-moving train on horses!  As soon as the boys got the idea to leap from the train on horseback I was worried again but this time it was for the horses.  Four of them land on ground and the fifth into a river, well below the train.  It's horrifying to think if any of the horses were injured (or if the one leaping into the river far below even died).  Regardless, these stunt-fueled scenes made the picture much more exciting.  The acting is surprisingly very good.  Andy Devine can get a little annoying sometimes but he's got his moments of funny.  I find he's better being used sparingly but I do like him a lot.  I don't want to upset the Devine estate by implying otherwise.  They'll probably send the Comedic Relief Sidekick Mafia after my ass.  I'm sure there's very little truth to any of this picture involving the real Daltons but it's a fun film nevertheless.  Director George Marshall had a long and wonderful career in Hollywood and he made a lot of good picture. Very few of his pictures would be considered classics but he was certainly a solid director who stayed incredibly busy until his death. 

St. Ives (1976)

Director: J. Lee Thompson

Writers: Ross Thomas, Barry Beckerman

Composer: Lalo Schifrin

Starring: Charles Bronson, John Houseman, Jacqueline Bisset, Maximilian Schell, Harry Guardino, Harris Yulin, Dana Elcar, Michael Lerner, George Memmoli, Dick O'Neill, Elisha Cook Jr., Daniel J. Travanti, Jeff Goldblum, Robert Englund

More info: IMDb

Tagline: He's got a half-finished novel in his typewriter. $100,000 bucks in a bag. And everyone in town on his tail.

Plot: A crime novelist is hired by a shady character to negotiate the return of stolen confidential documents.

My rating: 6.5/10

Will I watch it again?  No.

#64 on Project: Badass Charles Bronson

BRONSON'S AGE: 55
LEVEL OF BADASSICITY (10 being the highest): 7

Now you know how much I digs me some Bronson but this is one picture where he's not quite a great fit for the role but he's still good.  Seeing him play this but not as a badass cop is a little weird.  It's also odd that no one, and I mean NO ONE, calls him by any other name than his last name, St. Ives, and that's bizarre to hear over and over.  That's probably the worst thing about this picture and it's far from a deal killer.  The movie is good but not great.  Bronson fans might be disappointed at how little action there is.  It's not one of those Bronson on the loose, offing mofos with his high calibre fists and arsenal of weapons but there's enough there to leave you wanting for more.  The cast alone makes it worth watching.  Even if you don't know the names you'll recognize a lot of faces. There's a scene where three hoods (appropriately named Hood #1, 2 and 3) try to dispense of Bronson.  One of them is played by Jeff Goldblum and another by Robert Englund.  Hood #2 is played by Mark Thomas who you might know as D.C. Reporter from THE HAPPY HOOKER GOES TO WASHINGTON (1977) and Agent with Red Hat from ROLLERCOASTER (1977).  I wouldn't mind having acting credits like that.  Director, and longtime friend and working partner with Bronson, J. Lee Thomson did a fine making this flick.  I liked it enough but not so much that I'll probably ever watch it again.  Bronson made many more entertaining pictures that deserve, no make that demand, re-views.

Jaws of Satan (1981)

AKA: King Kobra

Director: Bob Claver

Writers: James Callaway, Gerry Holland

Composer: Roger Kellaway

Starring: Fritz Weaver, Gretchen Corbett, Jon Korkes, Norman Lloyd, Diana Douglas, Bob Hannah, Nancy Priddy, Christina Applegate, John McCurry

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Something you wouldn't dare to imagine is alive!

Plot: A preacher whose ancestors were cursed by Druids battles Satan, who has taken the form of a huge snake.

My rating: 5.5/10

Will I watch it again?  No.

This isn't all that bad.  It's smacks of being a JAWS (1975) clone but with snakes and, uh, Satan.  That was different.  The acting runs the gamut of bad to good to better than what this film deserves but overall it's just an OK horror picture that doesn't get boring or overstay its welcome.  That's the good thing about this is that I was surprised it didn't take a trip to Dullsville and stay the night.  It comes close, though.  They got creative when it came to when to use real snakes and when to bring in the phony ones.  Using Desoto Caverns in Childersburg, Alabama for the big finale was great.  I just visited there a year ago.  It's OK.  There are far better caves in the region.  The problem with Desoto Caverns is all you have access to is the one large room.  The owners are super Christian and it shows in their tour.  If you've never been to a cave then you'll dig it but you won't if you've gone to some good ones.  I found it a moderate wast of $25.  But I'm not here to talk about some tarted up whore of a cave.  There's a wasted opportunity when one character steps into a tub where there's a large deadly snake in the back.  The camera is on the front of the tub showing the woman's lower legs and feet and then she slowly steps back to eventually reveal that the snake disappeared and it's slithering in another room.  There was very little suspense.  A better way to handle that would be to cut away just before we would see the snake, have her slip a little and scream as she falls a bit.  Then show us the snake isn't there.  And there's the tease and promise of nudity but there isn't any.  The naughty bits are cleverly hidden by furniture and shit.  But I didn't make this picture, obviously; Bob Claver did.   This the only feature film he worked on.  He directed and produced  gobs and gobs of TV shows for almost 30 years.  So often it's painfully obvious when a predominately TV director makes a movie but not so much here and that's a good thing.  The Shout TV anamorphic widescreen print looks marvelous. 

Red Sparrow (2018)

Director: Francis Lawrence

Writers: Justin Haythe, Jason Matthews

Composer: James Newton Howard

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Charlotte Rampling, Mary-Louise Parker, Ciaran Hinds, Joely Richardson, Bill Camp, Jeremy Irons, Thekla Reuten, Douglas Hodge

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Seductive. Deceptive. Deadly.

Plot: Dominika Egorova, a famous Russian prima ballerina for the renowned Bolshoi Ballet, sees her brilliant career end abruptly--and as a result--she is faced with a difficult decision when her shady uncle, Vanya Egorov, sends her to serve the State. Now, as a secret agent or, a Sparrow, Dominika after intensive training to learn how to use her body as a weapon to sexually manipulate prestigious targets, is recruited to make contact with CIA Agent, Nate Nash, to reveal the identity of his unknown Russian informant.

My rating: 8/10

Will I watch it again?  Yes.

I saw the trailer only once and I couldn't help but think this is the Marvel Black Widow origin story.  But then I saw it and that notion fell fast.  This movie is fantastic.  I loved it.  It is a well made picture in every department.  Lawrence's performance is quiet and reserved and that serves her character's deception well.  I didn't know where her loyalties lay until shortly before the end credits rolled.  The story is intriguing without being overly complicated but it's strength is playing to the danger and deceit.  I can see how people might be turned off to the length and deliberately slow pacing but I found it necessary to tell the story properly.  Every scene has a purpose and the character moments and actions serve the story.  Yeah, it's two hours and twenty minutes but every minute adds to the characters, their motivations and to the picture as a whole.  I wouldn't change any of it.  At first I was struck by how much time was spent with Dominika and her build up to becoming a Sparrow but as I got more into the picture I realized that there wasn't a wasted moment.  It's not an action filled spy thriller but there are moments when it's necessary like the knife fight in the final act.  It's brutal and everyone is getting cut.  I cringed a lot.  It's a beautifully shot film and it needs to be seen on the big screen.  It's only been out two weeks but with the speed at how fast movies leave these days unless it's making seriously large dollars, it's not likely to be around much longer.   I'm looking forward to spending more time with this one and I hope the Blu-ray is loaded with extras and a commentary.  I saw that the novel this is based on has two sequels.  I sincerely hope this picture does well enough that those that matter film them but I suspect, without having read them, that they might be more traditional spy thrillers than this one. 

Tripping the Rift: The Movie (2008)

Director: Bernie Denk

Writers: Mark Amato, Ken Goin, Lanier Laney, John Minnis, Terry Sweeney

Composer: Mario Sevigny

Starring: Stephen Root, Maurice LaMarche, Jenny McCarthy, John Melendez, Gayle Garfinkle, Rick Jones, Danny Blanco Hall, Daniel Brochu

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Star Wars meets South Park

Plot: What begins for Chode and crew as a routine mission to protect a pissed-off princess will soon become a filth- splattered saga of dismembered royalty, indestructible clown assassins and desperately horny housewives. What vile act has Chode committed to bring down the ultimate wrath of Bobo? Can Gus, Six, T'nuk, Whip and Bob stop a time-traveling killing machine from ruining a booze-soaked birthday party? How much does a lap- dance cost at the Grope-A-Cabana on Omicron 9?

My rating: 6/10

Will I watch it again?  No.

It seems like forever ago when I first heard of TRIPPING THE RIFT when I saw the original 2000 short.  I'd heard of a TV series and this movie coming out of it but I never saw anything else until now.  From my fondness of the short to the great voice cast, I thought for sure this would be a whole lot of fun.  It's nicely done from a technical standpoint.  It looks good, the voice acting is great and at no point was I bored.  BUT then again it's not nearly as funny as it should be.  I dug the countless movie references.  Those were fun but it's not enough. You need to have some genuine laughs for this to sustain the short 74 minute run time.  I found it amusing but with talent like this, you want to shoot higher than mildly entertaining.  If more time had been spent on the script they probably would've achieved that.

The Infiltrator (2016)

Director: Brad Furman

Writers: Ellen Sue Brown, Robert Mazur

Composer: Chris Hajian

Starring: Bryan Cranston, Olympia Dukakis, John Leguizamo, Diane Kruger, Benjamin Bratt, Amy Ryan, Yul Vazquez, Joseph Gilgun, Carsten Hayes, Mark Holden

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The true story of one man against the biggest drug cartel in history.

Plot: A U.S. Customs official uncovers a money laundering scheme involving Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

My rating: 7.5/10

Will I watch it again?  Definitely.

I liked the film but I didn't love it.  It's a well made picture with good performances and everything is done like you would want in a major motion picture but the one thing that was missing was tension.  I didn't feel it.  Now it's possible this story was meant to be told exactly as it lays out without trying to be more compelling than it is.  If that's the case then they succeeded but if the filmmakers were going for something that had some suspense and more substantial meat to it then it misses the mark.  I'm perfectly OK with that, too, as it's an entertaining and interesting picture.  Over the past couple of years I've watched a lot of films, TV shows (like NARCOS) and documentaries on this subject and they've nearly all been great so maybe, just maybe, I'm approaching the limit or, at the very least, the bar has been set high just from having watched so much good product in a short period of time.  Shit, that was a long sentence.  The performances are very good and fans of any of these fine actors won't go away disappointed.  The only thing I was left with is how odd Cranston looks, at his age in his 60s, sporting that jet black hair and jet black mustache playing a man half his age.  He's such a good actor that he sells it but the sheer darkness of his hair is unnatural.  He was also the executive producer of Robert Mazur's true story.  I watched this on Amazon Prime.  If I came across the Blu on this I'd definitely pick it up if it has extras and the price is right.

Dreadnaught (1981)

Original title: Yong Zhe Wu Ju

Director: Woo-Ping Yuen

Writer: Jing Wong

Starring: Biao Yuen, Ka-Yan Leung, Shun-Yee Yuen, Tak-Hing Kwant, Chung-Hsing Chao, Yun-Kin Chow, Lee Chun-Wa, Mei Sheng Fan

More info: IMDb

Plot: A short-tempered, violent criminal named "White Tiger" is on the run from the police and joins a theater troupe for disguise, killing anyone who angers him or who suspects his identity. One person he unsuccessfully tries to kill several times is a cowardly laundry man named "Mousy" who manages to escape mostly by running and hiding. When a very close friend of Mousy's is killed by the White Tiger, Mousy overcomes his cowardliness enough to seek revenge.

My rating: 7.5/10

Will I watch it again?  Probably not but I'll definitely re-watch the dragon/lion dance scenes again.

I don't know about anyone else but I watch these 70s & 80s Kung Fu flicks for the fights.  The humor rarely hits with me as it's usually coming from way over the top characters who can't possibly exist in real life.  The story just needs to serve as a thread on which the Kung Fu action hangs.  Those are my criteria.  This one is a prime example.  The fights are creative and fun and those dragon/lion dance sequences are just marvelous.  The print I watched looked great in anamorphic widescreen.  It was dubbed in English which wasn't bad but I got the feeling I would have preferred to watch it in the original Cantonese with English subs.  Maybe the overbearing comic relief would've been toned down.  This picture is one of the good ones from a genre and time when there were a lot of bad to just OK films.  It's definitely worth checking out.

Hell Ship Mutiny (1957)

Directors: Lee Sholem, Elmo Williams

Writers: DeVallon Scott, Wells Root

Composers: Paul Sawtell, Bert Shefter

Starring: Jon Hall, John Carradine, Peter Lorre, Roberta Haynes, Mike Mazurki, Charles Mauu, Stanley Adams, Danny Richards Jr.

More info: IMDb

Tagline: AN EXCITING STORY!.. Of Passionate Love...and High-Adventure in the South Pacific!

Plot: Jim Knight is the captain of a ship trading in the South Seas. He runs into trouble when he makes port at an island where crooks Malone and Ross hold the natives under their cruel domination while they seek a fortune in pearls. Knight and his crew are taken prisoners and he falls for native princess Mareva, and her non-plump charms are more than enough motivation for Knight to put an end to Malone and his henchmen, and also the the greedy police commissioner Lamoret.

My rating: 5.5/10

Will I watch it again?  No.

The IMDb trivia says that this 65 minute picture is three episodes of an unsold TV series called KNIGHT OF THE SOUTH SEAS and while watching it it's pretty obvious.  It's one story but you can feel the natural breaks after the first and second 22 minutes.  Hall is decent enough in the lead but he forgot to put that new after shave lotion called Charisma.  Fortunately we've got John Carradine in the role of the bad guy and that guy knows how to play those roles.  He's a cold murderous bastard in this one.  Something else to look forward to is Peter Lorre who wasn't too far off from having finished playing Le Chiffre in CASINO ROYALE (1954) (HELL SHIP was filmed in '55).  You know it's bad when you get a lot of narration and Hall provides plenty of that.  The action is OK as is about everything else.  The only thing that stands out is Carradine and Lorre.  It's on YouTube so check it out free for nothing if you're so inclined.

When Men Carried Clubs and Women Played Ding-Dong (1971)

Original title: Quando gli Uomini Armarono la Clava e... con le Donne Fecero din-don

Director: Bruno Corbucci

Writers: Fabio Pittorru, Masssimo Felisatti, Bruno Corbucci

Composer: Giancarlo Chiaramello

Starring: Antonio Sabato, Aldo Giuffre, Vittorio Caprioli, Nadia Cassini, Howard Ross, Elio Pandolfi, Lucretia Love, Pia Giancaro, Gisela Hahn

More info: IMDb

Tagline: a new name for an old game...

My rating: Prehistoric cave-stud Ari wins lovely virgin Listra in a pig-catching contest, but their attempts at "Ding-Dong" keep getting interrupted by idiot battles between his tribe, The Cave Dwellers, and their neighbors, The Lake Dwellers. Annoyed that hubby would rather make war than Ding-Dong, Listra organizes the women of both tribes to go on strike and "abstain Ding-Dong" until the men stop fighting.

My rating: 4/10

Will I watch it again?  No.

Ah, the Italian cinema.  Back in the 60s and 70s they'd make anything and make it so many times that they'd exhaust a genre completely before moving on to the next "big thing".  The comedy is base level just like you'd expect and there are times when it's mildly amusing.  The trailer tells you everything you need to know in case the title didn't do that all on its own.  It's silly as shit but there are some things that elevate this more than say something in the same genre from Roger Corman.  The Italians bring a certain playfulness to the picture that helps.  And then you also get their European sensibilities...that's just code for boobs!
 

Female nudity is scattered around until the end that's just enough to keep you watching even if you aren't laughing.  The women ARE FUCKING HOT!  Usually in these caveman pictures they're all attractive except for the older ones (the grandma types).  Corbucci (who co-wrote DJANGO (1966), by the way)) & Co. said "Fuck that shit!  It's all smokin' hot & tan broads in this picture!" and we're better for it.  The dudes have dark tans, too, but there are few good looking ones.  Sabato has a nice build but he's sportin' some wacky ass caveman/mongoloid hair.  If you've watched the trailer, and you should seriously see how dorky this picture is in a nutshell, then you've heard the catchy and goofy as shit theme song.  The print I watched was anamorphic widescreen but it was dirty and the colors were a little dark.  It was in a lot better shape than I woul'dve expected something like this to be in.  It's a reasonably shot flick with a decent enough pacing but the comedy is about as dumb as it can get.  Fortunately, if there's one thing I've learned about Italian movies it's that their women LOVED to get naked!  Aristophanes would be so proud.

It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman! (1975)

Director: Jack Regas

Writers: David Newman, Robert Benton, Romeo Muller

Composer: Charles Strouse

Starring: David Wilson, Lesley Ann Warren, Loretta Swit, Kenneth Mars, Gary Owens, George Chandler, Stuart Goetz, Danny Goldman, Geoffrey Horne, Phil Leeds, Harvey Lembeck, Michael Lembeck, Allen Ludden, Al Molinaro, Irene Tedrow, Malachi Throne, David Wayne, Lou Wills Jr.

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The funniest Superhero story ever!

Plot: TV adaptation of the campy 1960s Broadway musical about the Man of Steel, his friends, his enemies, and his self-image problems.

My rating: 4/10

Will I watch it again? Do re mi fa so la ti NO.

The story goes that this started out as a Broadway music in '66 that ran for 129 performances before it closed.  The reviews were pretty good and it even got three Tony nominations for acting.  Not bad.  So for whatever reason (money, anyone?) this TV special was filmed for everyone for all of future mankind to watch and, gulp, enjoy this piece of entertainment.  I gotta say, despite being painfully unfunny (the humor is wayyyy over the top), I laughed out loud a couple of times.  And now, just an hour later, I can't remember what was so funny.  The songs are OK at best and the singing is anywhere from great (Leslie Ann Warren is terrific) to bad (David Wilson struggles but powers through it).  You could make the case that Wilson was most courageous knowing that music is his kryptonite.  I hope he didn't die from it.  One thing I enjoyed was seeing A LOT of names and faces familiar to me.  I'm familiar and fans of literally half the cast.  Even game show hose Allen Ludden (I watched A LOT of games shows as a kid in the 70s) shows up as Perry White.  For that reason alone there was no way I was going to miss seeing this but it's not worth watching and it's often eye-rolling painful.  It's kind of funny that I had the LP of this decades ago and never once listened to it.  That pleases me now that I've seen it.

Annihilation (2018)

Director: Alex Garland

Writers: Alex Garland, Jeff VanderMeer

Composers: Geoff Barrow, Ben Salisbury

Starring: Natalie Portman, Benedict Wong, Sonoya Mizuno, David Gyasi, Oscar Isaac, John Schwab, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tuva Novotny, Tessa Thompson, Sammy Hayman, Josh Danford, Kristen McGarrity

More info: IMDb

Plot: A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition where the laws of nature don't apply.

My rating: 7/10

Will I watch it again?  I think so.

This was a picture I was eagerly awaiting.  I LOVED Garland's first (and only other directed) film, EX MACHINA (2014).  That was brilliant. This one looked like a natural next step for him and one that would be a welcome addition to cerebral sci-fi.  Well, I'm not all that fond of it.  It's a good movie but while it's presenting a neat idea, it doesn't live up to its ambitions.  The real meat of the plot is in the last twenty minutes and that's the part I like most, where you finally get the answers the characters (and us) are looking for.  But along the way there are things that happen that tax your suspension of disbelief and two of them are the two creatures we encounter.  They aren't handled as deftly as they should've been.  It's like having a fine expensive meal and the desert looks amazing in its presentation but it's nothing more than store-bought ice cream dressed up to look special.  There's a fast food element to the creatures (and how they're handled) that lets the film turn into a cheap horror movie for a few minutes.  Until the last twenty minutes, at no point did I feel like the film was compelling.  The absence of tension was noticeable.  I thought that perhaps my expectations were too high but ten years ago, with the last Indiana Jones picture, I put the breaks on getting too excited about seeing a film.  So there goes that idea.  ANNIHILATION is good but it doesn't achieve the greatness it feels like it was shooting for.  There is A LOT to like about this flick from the visuals to the wonderful ideas and everything in between but it was disappointing that despite all of that, I wasn't more enamored with it.  I'll probably give this another shot in a few years and perhaps I'll feel differently.  I hope so.

Devil's Exorcist (1975)

Original title: El Juego del Diablo

Director: Jorge Darnell

Writer: Jorge Darnell

Composer: Jose Nieto

Starring: Ima de Santis, Maria del Puy, Jack Taylor, Luis Prendes, Alicia Altabella, Jose Orjas

More info: IMDb

Plot:  In an intern college, Teresita is a teenager and the only daughter of a rich couple. She starts being troubled by loud sounds and the scary visions of a tall man in black walking towards her menacingly. Soon she becomes obsessed with strange physical symptoms and visions of arms extending from the walls to grab at her, and sometimes she gets violent. Eventually, she kills her own mother but it's ruled as an accident. No-nonsense Doctor Bebeau prescribes electroshock treatment as the only way to cure the girl, but neither the lady doctor, nor the teachers at the college would listen to him. A lady doctor takes the poor orphan in, and upon their first meeting, the girl attacks the doctor and knocks her around the room. A priest is called him to try to wrench the devil out of her body.


My rating: 3/10

Will I watch it again?  No.

Ah, THE EXORCIST (1973) clones.  They're almost all bad and this one is no exception.  It seems like every country made one back then.  This one's from Spain.  There are a couple of nice outdoor locations but nothing can compete with the shear lack of energy.  There's no suspense, the music is poor (and I expected more from Nieto) and the pacing is dreadful.  The bottom line is it's boring has hell.  Oh, and if you were intrigued by the movie poster like me, there's not an ounce of nudity.  There is one scene that I liked and it's when someone is suddenly shoved over the stair railing, sending them to their death a few floors below.  That was the only bright spot.  It didn't help that I watched a bad VHS fullscreen print with Greek subs burned in...not that a pristine widescreen one would've made me see the light and enjoy the shit out of it.  I would've preferred to see it that way but you take what you can get.