The Naked Bunyip (1970)

Director: John B. Murray

Starring: Graeme Blundell, Barry Humprhies and a cast of dozens and dozens of everyday people you'll never meet

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The first serious study of sex in Australia (in a funny sort of way).

Plot: A shy young man is hired by an ad agency to conduct a survey on sex in Australia. The somewhat clueless young man investigates homosexuality, transvestites, prostitution, and strip clubs along with every other variant on the "norm". While doing his interviews he meets celebrities, self proclaimed sex experts, prostitutes, female impersonators, pop stars, actors, and legislators as well as self appointed morals guardians.

My rating: 6/10

Will I watch it again? Nah.

#5 on my on-going quest to watch every film from the amazing documentary, NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD: THE WILD, UNTOLD STORY OF OZPLOITATION! (2008)

While this isn't one of those "everything you always wanted to know about..." kind of flicks, it does cover an awful lot of ground on a wide range of subjects, all pertaining to sex and sexuality. Barry Humphries (as the very funny Edna Everage - not yet Dame Edna) was one of the brighter spots but he/she is only in it in the beginning, but the survey she takes, with all manner of questions, is hilarious.

On the question of "Do you believe in circumcision?"

"The only thing about circumcision, I feel, is that it really isn't taken far enough!"

One great reason to watch this is not for the few laughs (which are front-loaded in the film, btw. There aren't nearly as many laughs for the rest of the picture as in the first twenty minutes) but for the clothing styles, music and overall late 60s culture in Australia. It's wonderful to watch. And it's funny (or not) how much we as a society, in a lot of ways, haven't changed all that much. The more things change, the more they stay this same isn't too far off the mark. But the biggest surprise for me was that at no point in the TWO HOURS AND SIXTEEN MINUTES (!) did I get bored! It was quite entertaining. It's actually kind of fun...or maybe it's just that everything sounds better when spoken with an Australian accent...

True Grit (1969)

Director: Henry Hathaway

Starring: John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Jeremy Slate, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper, Strother Martin

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The strangest trio ever to track a killer.

Plot: A drunken, hard-nosed U.S. Marshal and a Texas Ranger help a stubborn young woman track down her father's murderer in Indian territory.

My rating: 7.5/10

Will I watch it again? Yeah.

Having watched the 2010 remake a few days ago, I was in the mood to check out the original that's been on my "to watch" list for more than twenty years. I was very surprised at how much the remake retained from this (and I presume the novel). The biggest difference was just the tone. Being a John Wayne horse opera, this isn't going to be as gritty as a Spaghetti Western but that doesn't mean it's going to be a kiddie matinee, either. The remake is darker but I was surprised at the places the original was allowed to go like the scene where the trio come upon Moon (played wonderfully by Hopper) and Emmett (Slate) at the cabin. The remake has a grisly scene involving someone losing some fingers before being stabbed to death. I thought for sure there was no way that was in the original but I was completely wrong. It's cringe-inducing watching it now. I can just imagine how audiences took to it forty years ago.


Strother Martin was delightful as Col. Stonehill, the man Mattie (Darby) does some horsetrading with. I prefer his scenes to the remake's equivalent. Kim Darby did a wonderful job as Mattie and I was taken aback when someone pointed out she was John Cusack's mom in BETTER OFF DEAD (1985). I felt silly for not spotting it sooner. John Wayne was great as always and it made me realize that he was a better actor than most naysayers give him credit for. Did he deserve an Oscar for this role? I'm not too sure about that but he was very good, especially during the scenes where he was drunk. But that's like saying Courtney Love was really good at playing a crack whore in THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT (1996). You'd be good at playing a crack whore, too, if you had years of practice at it. Same with Wayne. I'm not trying to discount his performance but the man did like to hit the sauce.


The weakest role was Campbell. He wasn't bad but he wasn't particularly good, at least consistently. Some of his, and others', line readings didn't feel natural. You could tell they were acting if that makes any sense to anyone but me. Elmer Bernstein's fine score was more lively and adventurous than I would have hoped for, especially when it harkened back to his rousing score for THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960). Overall, though, I really enjoyed this one even though the remake edges it out as a more consistent film and true to the overall theme. Great. Now I can't get THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN theme out of my head. Damn, you Elmer Bernstein!

Rio Bravo (1959)

Director: Howard Hawks

Starring: John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickenson, Walter Brennan, Ward Bond, Claude Akins

More info: IMDb

Tagline: You've seen nothing like 'em together... and in the heat and hate of Rio Bravo nothing can tear 'em apart!

Plot: The sheriff of a small town in southwest Texas must keep custody of a murderer whose brother, a powerful rancher, is trying to help him escape. After a friend is killed trying to muster support for him, he and his deputies - a disgraced drunk and a cantankerous old cripple - must find a way to hold out against the rancher's hired guns until the marshal arrives. In the meantime, matters are complicated by the presence of a young gunslinger - and a mysterious beauty who just came in on the last stagecoach.

My rating: 8.5/10

Will I watch it again? Yup.

True story. Many years ago I met a young woman who took my breath away before she uttered a single word. When the topic of movies came up she mentioned that John Wayne was her favorite actor, Dean Martin her favorite singer and RIO BRAVO her favorite movie, I knew I was in love. I came awfully close to marrying that girl. That a classic Western was her favorite movie blew me away and she was proof that there just might be someone out there for me yet. Now if I can just find someone who shares that same love for ILSA: SHE WOLF OF THE SS (1975) I'd be in business once again...


If you never thought of Dean Martin as an actor all you need to convince you is to see this. He's heartbreaking to watch as he struggles to overcome his love of whiskey. He sells it like he's living it. John Wayne is a lot of fun, too and I don't care if he's largely a one-note performer. I like that tune he plays and he plays it like no other. I can seriously do without Ricky Nelson, though. He's like a second-rate Elvis Presley in this thing and it's a clear case of stunt casting to get the kids to see it. Outside of that it's a fantastic classic Western with one helluva performance by Martin and Wayne. I love it and the Blu-ray looks magnificent!

Dixie Dynamite (1976)

Director: Lee Frost

Starring: Warren Oates, Christopher George, Jane Anne Johnstone, Kathy McHaley, Stanley Adams, R.G. Armstrong

More info: IMDb

Tagline: They got 'em mad ... now there's no stoppin 'em!

Plot: When their moonshiner father is killed by a corrupt deputy, two young girls decide to take over his business and get revenge on the men who had him killed.

My rating: 4/10

Will I watch it again? Noop.

#4 on 42nd Street Forever Vol. 2: The Deuce (part of the TRAILER TRASH PROJECT)

Made by our old buddy Lee Frost (director of such classics like CALL GIRL 77 (1962), Hollywood's World of Flesh (1963), and Chrome and Hot Leather (1971)), this low budget's only appeal is seeing Oates, George and Armstrong together in the same film. I think this might just be Warren Oates' worst picture. I haven't seen them all yet but it's a good bet. Hell, there's no real reason why his character is even in it. He doesn't serve the plot at all. You can completely remove him and, with very little re-writing, you'd never know the difference. And for Frost, who started out making titty pictures, you'd think there'd be some hicksploitation nudity. Nope. I'm not pissed about the movie it's just frustrating when you've got some talent that's being underutilized. Oates is great as always and George and Armstrong are fun, too, but the lead girls that go on a Bonnie & Clyde-esque crime spree were lacking in talent. I didn't go in expecting much but it would have been nice. Dynamite this ain't!

True Grit (2010)

Directors: Joel & Ethan Coen

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Punishment comes one way or another

Plot: Following the murder of her father by hired hand Tom Chaney, 14-year-old farm girl Mattie Ross sets out to capture the killer. To aid her, she hires the toughest U.S. marshal she can find, a man with "true grit," Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn. Mattie insists on accompanying Cogburn, whose drinking, sloth, and generally reprobate character do not augment her faith in him. Against his wishes, she joins him in his trek into the Indian Nations in search of Chaney. They are joined by Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, who wants Chaney for his own purposes. The unlikely trio find danger and surprises on the journey, and each has his or her "grit" tested.

My rating: 8.5/10

Will I watch it again? YES!

Please support good movies like this in the theater. We need more of them.

Damn, I love the Coen brothers. I love a good Western and these guys delivered in spades! The acting is top notch. I'm shocked that Hailee Steinfeld (playing Mattie Ross) is about the age she plays in the film. She was able to hold her own with all of these big name players like nobody's business. It'll be a shame if she doesn't get an Oscar nomination for this. It is a crime, however, that her name is not among those on the poster. I'm sure that's purely a studio marketing decision since she is an unknown. Assholes.


The location shooting is always a plus. The beautiful landscapes of the American Southwest are like no other (well, except for Almeria, Spain and parts of Canada but they're still no match) and the Coen's use it very nicely.


I was looking forward to seeing Josh Brolin in another Western and his portrayal of Tom Chaney, the man Mattie wants to see dead, was much different than I expected. He's a slow witted simpleton and, if he had tried, he could have easily made you feel sorry for the guy if it weren't for the fact that he's a very naughty boy. Brolin amazes me at every turn.


Another shocker was how quickly the 110 minutes flew by. It really felt like it was over not long after it started. That's great film making and it's a testament to how good and solidly entertaining film this is. For 30 years the Western has been a genre that has fallen by the wayside to other shitty-ass films. Since the beginning of cinema through to the 1970s there were more Westerns made annually than any other genre. The movie Western is a genre defined by the beauty of the American West and it's a shame that that part of our history and culture is now largely ignored.

Please support good movies like this in the theater. We need more of them.

The Death Collector (1976)

Director: Ralph De Vito

Starring: Joseph Cortese, Lou Criscuolo, Joe Pesci, Bobby Alto, Frank Vincent

More info: IMDb

Tagline: He always collects...or you pay with your life!

Plot: After being away for a couple of years, Jerry Bolanti is back in his tough, North Jersey neighborhood, close to swampy meadowlands where bodies get pulled from the trunks of cars and dumped. He's short on cash, so a local boss, Anthony Iadavia, throws him some work - as a collector and a holdup man. But Jerry's cocky and a hothead, so he makes enemies faster than he can deliver on the jobs. Whatever bag or case of cash he touches doesn't seem to make it back to Iadavia. But Jerry's resilient and persistent, so he just may get his revenge as well as a chance to go caravan camping with his girl.

My rating: 8.5/10

Will I watch it again? Definitely!


It's just as potent as the first time I saw it. I know I seem to say this a lot but you need to see this movie. If you like GOODFELLAS (1990) or gangster pictures then this is one of those hidden gems you'll bust out for your friends with a giddy smile on your face. You can easily tell that Scorsese took some inspiration from this picture in more ways than one.


The acting across the board is great. The story and dialogue are sharp. I recently watched the extras on RAGING BULL and Scorsese said he cast Pesci based on seeing him in this one. You can see in TDC that Pesci's got a tremendous screen presence and it's easy to see how Scorsese was drawn to him. He's marvelous.


Frank Vincent is practically unrecognizable with his giant fro. His appearance definitely improved with age. It's amazing how many movies he gets the shit kicked out of him.


Of all the movies out there that get DVD releases it's a crime that this one has never gotten anything more than shitty print fullscreen DVDs. It might be low on the budget but it's loaded with greatness and it stands in the same company (albeit a couple of steps back) as THE GODFATHER (1972) and GOODFELLAS in my book!

Stunt Rock (1978)

Director: Brian Trenchard-Smith

Starring: Grant Page, Monique van de Ven, Margaret Gerard, Paul Haynes

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Death Wish At 120 Decibels

Plot: Australian stuntman Grant Page goes to Los Angeles to work on a television series. He uses his spare time to lend his expertise to rock band, Sorcery, whose act features duels between the King of the Wizards and the Prince of Darkness, with his cousin playing the Prince. Page helps the duo develop pyrotechnic magic tricks for their shows, and also finds himself in a budding romance with a magazine writer as he recounts to her his own exploits as a stuntman and daredevil as well as various stunts by other greats.

My rating: 6.5/10

Will I watch it again? Yeah, I can see that happening in another twenty years.

#43 on my on-going quest to watch every film from the amazing documentary, NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD: THE WILD, UNTOLD STORY OF OZPLOITATION! (2008)

If you dig the whole stuntman scene then this is right up your alley. You almost wouldn't suspect that Grant Page is not an actor but a stuntman (well, until he starts doing a shitload of stunts). He does a great job on both fronts. He's very charismatic and his enthusiasm is contagious. There's enough stunts to keep anyone like me happy but that's only half the picture.



It's split between two worlds, the stunts on and off the set and the band Sorcery (a real rock group with a Spinal Tap vibe) as they perform on stage. They put on quite a show. Their rock music is fine but it's their wizard show, complete with smoke, fire and magic, that take the focus. Sometimes it can feel overstayed but overall, STUNT ROCK is an unusual and interesting film that I'm sure I'll have to check up on in a few years.