The Triangle (2005)

Director: Craig R. Baxley

Writers: Rockne S. O'Bannon, Bryan Singer, Dean Devlin

Composer: Joseph LoDuca

Starring: Eric Stoltz, Catherine Bell, Lou Diamond Phillips, Bruce Davison, Michael E. Rodgers, Sam Neill, Lisa Brenner, John Sloan, Charles Martin Smith

More info: IMDb

Tagline: In the Bermuda Triangle, nothing stays lost forever.

Plot:  With his crews and cargo ships disappearing at an alarming rate around the Bermuda Triangle, a billionaire hires a crew full of specialists to understand why. Hand picked by the man himself, the crew consists of a skeptical journalist, an ocean engineer, a scientist, and a psychic. With an attractive financial offer made to each of them, the crew will investigate the legendary, and very mysterious Bermuda Triangle to find answers. But as their findings deepen, the crew finds themselves surrounded by bizarre occurrences that only become all the more nightmarish. The offers made to them may have seem ideal at the time, but now they may have gotten in over their heads against something they may not understand.

My rating: 6.5/10

Will I watch it again? No.

If you've got over four hours to kill and you're a Bermuda Triangle enthusiast then you'll probably dig this.  I did and I'm not but I still managed a good time of it.  The first half is better than the second.  It's an interesting story and it's told in a compelling manner but the final hour felt like the urgency was ramped up too much and for too long which lead to a bit of boredom  The performances are good.  I could have used a lot more Sam Neill but I liked what he delivered.  He's not in it much - more at the beginning and the end.  His character's resolution was hilarious.  Seeing Bryan Singer's name attached as co-writer and producer got my attention (plus Sam Neill in the cast).  I'm surprised that it held me for more than four hours.  Not a bad picture at all.

The Ultimate Warrior (1975)

Director: Robert Clouse

Writer: Robert Clouse

Composer: Gil Melle

Starring: Yul Brynner, Max von Sydow, Joanna Miles, William Smith, Richard Kelton, Stephen McHattie, Darrell Zwerling, Lane Bradbury, Nate Esformes, Mel Novak, Mickey Caruso, Gary Johnson, Susan Keener, Stevie Myers, Fred Slyter, Regis Parton, Larry Bischof, Pat E. Johnson, Henry Kingi, Alex Colon

More info: IMDb

Tagline: A Film of the Future

Plot:  Only a few people still live in New York in 2012. They are organized in gangs with their own turf. One of them is led by Baron, another one by Carrot, and they are constantly at war with each other. Baron's gang is more peaceful and have developed seeds that can germinate despite the nuclear fallout. The lone ranger Carson is hired by Bishop for protection.

My rating: 6/10

Will I watch it again? No.

Honestly, I was expecting a lot worse.  You'll probably dig this a little if you're into Brenner, Smith or von Sydow.  I really dug what happened to von Sydow's character.  It was an interesting turn of events that adds more than just mindless action and plot to this flick written and directed by the same cat who brought us the excellent ENTER THE DRAGON (1973).  Smith plays the bad guy (surprise!) and as usual, he's underutilized.  It's a pretty standard post-apocalyptic flick that's saved by the three leads I mentioned. The fight at the end between Smith and Brenner isn't as epic as it should have been but it is fun and how it ends is pretty fucking awesome except that you'll immediately realize a couple of ways Brenner could've avoided his little sacrifice.  Is it me or does Yul Brenner wear black in all of his action roles?  The score feels like it's written for TV which doesn't come as a surprise as Melle almost exclusively wrote for TV.   It's an OK movie but if you lower your expectations it's even better.

Burn After Reading (2008)

Directors: Joel & Ethan Coen

Writers: Ethan & Joel Coen

Composer: Carter Burwell

Starring: George Clooney, rances McDormand, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins, Elizabeth Marvel, David Rasche, J.K. Simmons, Olek Krupa, Michael Countryman, Kevin Sussman, J.R. Horne

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Intelligence is relative.

Plot: A disk containing the memoirs of a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous gym employees who attempt to sell it.

My rating: 7/10

Will I watch it again?  Nah.

I'm a huge fan of the Coen's going back nearly 30 years when I first saw RAISING ARIZONA (1987) and ran out to rent the VHS of BLOOD SIMPLE (1984).  I'll watch everything they ever do.  That said, I liked this picture but it feels like it falls short.  Short of what?  Beats me.  They're the experts and I'm sure this is exactly the movie they wanted to make; they're that good and have that kind of control.  The characters are fun from the in the dark CIA guys to the large number of people who are somehow intertwined by chance. But the film doesn't have the laughs or the biting commentary many of their other pictures have. Still, it's a fun ride and I enjoyed it and like a great amusement park, they've got other rides I'll hit many times before coming back to this one.

Sin in the Suburbs (1964)

Director: Joseph W. Sarno

Writer: Joseph W. Sarno

Composer: Sam S. Fiedel

Starring: Judy Young, W.B. Parker, Audrey Campbell, Dyanne Thorne, Maria Ellis, Richard Tatro, Derek Crane, Ella Daphni, Charles Clements, Wayne Roberts, John Aristedes, William Donaldson, Joseph Garri, Mari Kiselle, Neil Bogart

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The sensation clubs! Partners in pleasure! Wild bottle parties!

Plot: After discovering that her mother is involved in an adulterous affair, a pretty high school student seeks help from a neighbor. While their trusting bond grows into a deep relationship, a secret sex club for the area's pleasure-seeking women is started. Soon, Mom discovers that her daughter is a member!

My rating: 7/10

Will I watch it again? Yes.

You almost get exactly what you think you're going to get with a Joe Sarno picture called SIN IN THE SUBURBS.  I say almost because there's very little nudity...

Aw, COME ON!  This is bullshit!

But what you do get is a great, sleazy picture filled with all kinds of, ahem, perversions.  The first half hour feels a little weird as if it's going to be the usual sexploitation bore fest but after that shit starts happening all over the place.  Bored housewives are cheating on their husbands as soon as the menfolk leave for work.  A bonus is the lesbian next door neighbor (played by Ilsa herself, Dyanne Thorne who looks completely different than she did ten years later in ILSA, SHE WOLF OF THE SS (1974)) who seduces her next door neighbor's (Judy "Olga" Young as Kathy) daughter, Geraldine (Campbell)!!!  The way it all played out was terrific.

Sam Fiedel's groovy-as-shit score is a big plus.  Some of the jazzy tunes would feel right at home in the BATMAN '66 TV show.  It's a dynamite score.  The ending is great, too, and has a tamer jolt akin to one of the final minutes in A SERBIAN FILM (2010).  For its day it had to be shocking to some degree.  Like most Something Weird Video DVDs it's one of a similar themed double feature, this one with THE SWAP AND HOW THEY MAKE IT (1966) and it's loaded with trailers, shorts and a Sarno commentary track.  I can't wait to dig into that.  This is a surprisingly good film that takes the high road by not filling it with wall to wall nudity (not that that's a bad thing, right?).  It's a mature exploitation picture that oozes with sleaze and 60s wife-swappin' fun.

After the Sunset (2004)

Director: Brett Ratner

Writers: Paul Zbyszewski, Craig Rosenberg

Composer: Lalo Schifrin

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Salma Hayek, Woody Harrelson, Don Cheadle, Naomie Harris, Chris Penn, Paul Benedict, Michael Bowen, Troy Garity, Obba Babatunde, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson, Rex Linn

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Who will walk away?

Plot: After a successful last score, a master thief retires to an island paradise. His lifelong nemesis, a crafty FBI agent, washes ashore to ensure he's making good on his promise. The pair soon enters into a new game of cat-and-mouse.

My rating: 7/10

Will I watch it again? Probably not but I wouldn't be opposed to it.

Pierce Brosnan is such a likable actor that I'll watch anything he does.  The actors all do a fine job. No complaints there.  The location shooting in the Bahamas is gorgeous.  It's a light comedy caper flick that relies on presenting the audience with the airs of being a smart, good film while distracting you with pretty people, pretty scenery, some fun dialogue and slick heist action.  That might sound harsher than it really is but the truth is I liked it but it felt like it just barely attained what it was reaching for which is a smarter cat and mouse game ending with the heist.  The wrap-up, when we find out what really happened in the end, feels too neat.  Maybe it could have been filmed in a different way or possibly it's the script.  It's a minor gripe on my part, sure, but I could almost see easily watching this again if the ending were better handled.  Don Cheadle fans will be left a little disappointed as he's relegated to an important role albeit a small one but he's great as usual.  I really dig that guy.  Salma Hayek does great, too, bringing the...

See what they did with her shifting her hair out of the way so you can see more of her, uh, acting style?  Seriously, she's wonderful and she and Brosnan have great chemistry that does a lot in selling the story.  I must say that this film got me to thinking about how boring it must get the idea of living the rest of your days on/near a beach paradise like this.  It'd be great at first but after a few weeks I think I'd go nuts and just itching for something to do...just like Brosnon's character, Max. Harrelson is a lot of fun and you'll be wondering what he's up to, if anything, throughout the entire picture.  When it's all said and done it's not that much different than the type of films they made way back when like CHARADE (1963).  It's a cute and likable caper film with some great familiar faces.  If you're in the right mood and it's a nice lazy, rainy day, this could feel like a refreshing little beach vacation that lasts about an hour an a half in that it's not substantial enough to completely recharge your batteries but it was nice while it lasted.  The New Line DVD has a few extras including deleted and alternate scenes, a blooper reel, a 70-minute making of featurette, commentary with the director, producer and editor, a Charlie Rose interview with Ratner, Brosnan, Hayek and Harrelson, an 8-minute interview with a real jewel thief (lots of fun, that one), visual effects comparisons and TV spots and trailers.  That's a lot of extras, making this an easy purchase for fans of any of the filmmakers.  You can pick it up used (with shipping) on Amazon for $4.  It's easily worth that for a 90 minute vacation.

For a Few Dollars Less (1966)

Original title: Per Qualche Dollaro in Meno

Director: Mario Mattoli

Writers: Bruno Corbucci, Sergio Corbucci, Mario Guerra, Vittorio Vighi

Composer: Marcello Giombini

Starring: Lando Buzzanca, Elio Pandolfi, Gloria Paul, Lucia Modugno, Angela Luce, Luigi Pavese, Carlo Pisacane, Calisto Calisti, Pietro Tordi, Adalberto Rossetti, Tony Renis, Valeria Ciangottini, Raimondo Vianello, Alberto Giraldi, Alfonso Giganti

More info: IMDb

Plot: A bank clerk and his cousin, a "general", join forces to track down a Mexican outlaw.

My rating: 4/10

Will I watch it again? No.

In what's an obvious comedic play on FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE (1965), it's a far less inspiring film than anything Sergio Leone ever did...but then that applies to most pictures.  The jokes are fast and mostly from the star, Lando Buzzanca as Bill the bank teller.  He plays it like he's aping Eddie Cantor (and largely helped by the English dub) which I can appreciate but it's just not funny.  BUT the opening credits are unique to Spaghetti Westerns in that their done with stop motion animation like the Rankin & Bass Christmas specials of the 60s. 

WAY cool!!!  I was totally digging it but then the rest of the picture started and it goes into uber silly mode where it comfortably stays until the end of the picture.  There are references to Leone's DOLLAR TRILOGY, DJANGO () and a few others I'm sure I'm overlooking but few of the gags went anywhere clever or even funny.  They're mostly just lame references to better films much like the modern SCARY MOVIE franchise.  The music mimics the theatrics on screen with slide whistles and other silly sounds and themes.  For genre completists only.

Blood Thirst (1971)

Director: Newt Arnold

Writer: N.I.P. Dennis

Composer: ???

Starring: Robert Winston, Katherine Henryk, Yvonne Nielson, Vic Diaz, Vic Silayan, Eddie Infante, Bruno Punzalan, Judy Dennis, Max Roio, Ching Tello, Minda Morena, Isidro Francisco, Felix Marfil

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Sinister! Inhuman! What was the thing that came out of the eerie blackness of night...to satisfy its blood thirst!

Plot: A sex-crimes specialist from New York travels to the Philippines to help his friend, a Manila homicide detective, solve a series of murders.

My rating: 6/10

Will I watch it again? Doubtful.

Despite IMDb saying this is from 1971 (it may have been ultimately released that year) it looks and feels like it was made ten years earlier.  The trivia says it was shot in '65.  It doesn't matter.  It's alright.  The use of lighting and shadows is probably the best thing going for it.  It feels like it takes a hefty dose of inspiration from the James Bond pictures of the time.  Robert Winston is a very likable actor.  He's tall, good looking, has a voice like Anthony Perkins and he handles himself very well...BUT he's much too flippant and and amusing for the entire film.  He practically smiles with a one liner on the tip of his tongue in every scene.  He even has Bond-ish one liners when he's completely alone.  If he'd played it cooler like Connery he would have been fantastic.  This is his only starring role which is too bad, he could've gone on to a great B-movie leading man career.  I wonder what happened to him. 

Fans of 70s Filipino exploitation Women In Prison (WIP) films will recognize Vic Diaz (here as Inspector Miguel Ramos) from films like THE BIG BIRD CAGE (1972) and BLACK MAMA WHITE MAMA (1973).  That's him on the right with Winston on the left.  BLOOD plays out like a film noir/spy/horror flick and it sort of works.  I like the look of it and a good deal of the performances but the film drags at times and Winston's performance is too light in tone.  The monster scenes are spliced in at strange times making it feel like somebody had the crazy idea to turn a noir spy flick into a horror one by adding a few shots here and there.  That'd make more sense if it weren't for the ending which brings all of the actors and the monster together for the big finish which gets ridiculously silly (and fun).  This is the second half of a double feature Something Weird Video DVD along with BLOOD SUCKERS (1970) and a plethora of fun extras.