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Reviews
The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961)
Tor Johnson runs around with a stick
Oh, brother was this movie lame. All the gun shooting looked phony and all the dialog is dubbed with peoples faces mostly off camera when talking, or seen in a long shot. There is however narration. Even the people getting strangled looked very fake. Even with a budget of $34,000, these mistakes could have been avoided. Oh, yes, the story. A scientist on the run is made into a monster by a nuclear blast in the desert and runs around with a big stick chasing and killing people. He must be stopped! I must admit I like seeing Tor Johnson on the screen. He does have a commanding presence. I also kind of liked the music at times so it isn't a total waste. I DO NOT recommend.
Lo squartatore di New York (1982)
Quack Quack! You're dead!
This movie qualifies for a certain category. That being"Cheesy, 80's Horror." A tired and worn out cop, must investigate the murders of several women brutally cut up with a knife by a killer who kills his victims talking in a duck-like voice. No joke. He even taunts Police by calling them and talking in the same "duck" voice. Believe it or not, this quirk by the killer is explained in the end. Kind of amusing actually. As someone who is oddly obsessed with just about all movies taking place in the 70's or early 80's in Manhattan, i automatically was interested in this. All the 80's cheese is firmly in place. The cheese ball dialog, "You got a brain of a chicken!", the sub-par acting, etc. Lots of nudity and blood fill the screen which is the main attraction for this kind of film anyway. Directed by Lucio Fulci, this is known as one of his most brutal horror films in a resume of many. An okay movie for what it is. If you like movies as I've just described, check it out!
Jisatsu sâkuru (2001)
Well, are you connected with yourself?
This weird low budget Japanese film asks, Are you connected to yourself? To understand the concept of this movie you have to understand Japanese culture a bit. In Japan, everything is much more group related and being solo means you're likely to be cast aside. The story starts with a memorable scene in which over fifty high school students jump to their deaths in front of an oncoming train. A series of suicides follows which baffles investigators. I won't say much more on the story in risk of giving anything away. Reportedly shot for around $250,000 on 35mm is impressive and certain scenes were shot without formal permission. Ironically, the train station at the opening of the film where teenagers die has had some real life suicides associated with it. Spooky. The film isn't perfect and it's a bit hard to keep track of certain characters sometimes but the overall effect is pretty powerful. It did stir up some emotion in me. Check it out!
Repulsion (1965)
Subtle decline into madness
Director Roman Polanski's (who co-wrote the script) first English language film is one of his best. Carol (played superbly by Catherine Deneuve) works as a manicurist at a beauty salon in London. She lives with her sister, Helen. It is clear that Carol has a bit of a problem with men in general but we aren't sure why. She is a little bit spacey but her sister and those around her assume she's got a lot on her mind. Besides, she always did keep to herself a bit. The way she carries herself gets more and more bizarre but in a slow, subtle way. She is an attractive girl and men want to take her out but she's not interested. Her sister decides to take a trip for a few days with the married guy she's been seeing, leaving Carol alone in the flat. Carol being alone right now is NOT a good idea. Hallucinations and paranoia kick in and violent thoughts arise. Telling more about the film would reveal too much. A well regarded psychiatrist saw the film and asked Polanski how much research he had done to depict mental Illness so realistically. His reply, "I did no research." Few Directors have a better feel for his characters than Roman Polanski.
Man Push Cart (2005)
I'm just a guy that sells coffee and donuts.
Every night, before New York City wakens, Ahmad pushes his coffee and donut cart to it's usual spot on the street corner. As the movie moves along, we find out that Ahmad was a bit of a rock star in Pakistan. His wife is dead and his in-laws won't let him see his son. Did Ahmad come to America to pursue a relationship with his son? The answer is never clear. He meets a pretty vendor up the street but can't bring himself to have a relationship with her. It is slow moving but in a good way as I would describe it as a "slice of life" kind of movie. The actual making of the movie involved using a concealed camera for a lot of shots including a scene where Ahmad sells bootlegged porn DVD's to two guys. These two guys were not actors and didn't even know they were going to be in the movie. It was shot in less than three weeks on a small budget. This is a pretty decent film for it's atmosphere and character development but is clearly not for everybody. A true example of low budget guerrilla film-making.
Darius Goes West (2007)
touching doc about living life with restrictions
This movie is a touching story about an adventure taken by 15-year-old Darius Weems. Darius has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a still un-curable disease that took the life of his brother at age nineteen and is the number one killer of babies in the United States. Him and a few close friends travel across the country to Los Angeles with the goal of getting his wheelchair customized on MTV's, Pimp My Ride, one of his favorite shows. The journey begins in Georgia, where Darius grew up and has never left. The gang head west for a trip that all its participants will never forget. Darius gets to ride in a boat for the first time, ride in a hot air balloon, swim in the ocean and visit sights he's always wanted to see like the Grand Canyon and New Orleans. The filmmakers here clearly have an emotional connection to the material. They make no money from sales of the $20 dvds. $17 goes toward researching the disease and $3 goes toward making more copies. The film has won over 25 awards at festivals and I agree with the quote given to the film by Variety, "Certain to stir hearts".
Frankenhooker (1990)
Absurdist horror/comedy done well
After his girlfriend dies in an unusual accident that leaves her in pieces, aspiring mad scientist and med-school drop out Jeffrey Franken comes up with a plan to bring her back to life by reassembling her with parts from dead New York City prostitutes. This film is far more comedy than horror and is one of cult director Frank Henenlotter's best. The effects are purposely cheesy and fun as to let you know exactly what the filmmakers are going for. James Lorinz plays his role as Jeffery perfectly and Louise Lasser steals the show as his mom in the small screen time she has. Patty Mullen (once a Penthouse pet) plays the reassembled girlfriend well showing off some good comic chops. Cult film reviewer Joe Bob Briggs gives it four stars and Bill Murray himself has praised it after seeing only a rough cut. Good stuff!
Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)
fun with clowns!
Three New York Brothers with the last name Chiodo set out to make a horror/comedy called "Killer Klowns" in the late 80's. The title was later changed to suggest a more, campy and fun film which it truly is. A spaceship shaped like a circus tent lands in a small town and wrecks havoc on the locals, turning them into large cotton-candy cocoons. Each attack by the clowns in the movie is done in a fun circus-themed way that's fun to watch. There's even a generally creepy scene or two mixed in with the silliness. Although the creative deaths and effects are highlights, John Vernon as the tough sheriff of the town steals the show at times with his great performance. This movie works because it is played seriously like heavy drama, but the story is so absurd it makes all the actors actions more comical. If you're looking for a movie with a deep, realistic plot, look elsewhere. For you blood hounds, you might be disappointed as well since there is little blood. However, if you like your movies campy and fun with a dash of silliness, this could be right up your alley....no joke! Good stuff!
Harold and Maude (1971)
amusing cult classic
Nineteen year-old Harold is pampered to death by his rich mother. He is a shy boy obsessed with death and likes to drive his mom crazy by graphically pretending to kill himself in front of her on a daily basis. His idea of a decent time is attending random funerals. He is a loner and bored with life even though he hasn't truly lived it.....that is of course, until he meets a reckless old woman named Maude. Maude is a loud, aggressive, live for the moment, type of person who Harold takes an interest in. Her interests include funerals and stealing cars and she's never afraid to speak her mind. She makes Harold's life exciting and he soon finds himself falling in love with her. Needless to say, his mom doesn't approve of the relationship. Harold is played by the odd-looking but talented Bud Cort and Maude played by Ruth Gordon whose every line in the film is memorable and amusing. There are some funny moments in the film involving Maude and the police but I won't say much more as not to spoil anything. Although the movie is silly and far-fetched at times, it does encourage you to live life to the fullest. It's a funny script and well acted and although panned by critics upon it's first release, it has found a deserved cult following through the years. Good Stuff!
The Wackness (2008)
good coming of age in New York flick
Teenage drug dealer Luke Shapiro deals drugs in New York City through his ice cream cart. His parents are always fighting and about to be evicted. He is a confused but sweet soul. Psychiatrist Dr. Squires has a failing marriage, abuses drugs, regrets his past, and is in the midst of a midlife crisis. Luke is one of Dr. Squires patients and pays him in drugs for his services. The two form a strong relationship and soon the two unlikely friends are learning life lessons from one another. The friendship is strained when Luke falls for the doctor's daughter. The acting in this movie is great from Josh Peck as Luke and the always wonderful Ben Kingsley as Dr. Squires. There's also a small role by Mary-Kate Olsen as a free-spirit hippie. This movie works because all the relationships feel real and the script is top notch. New York City itself acts as it's own character and filming this in another city doubling for NYC would have been a bad move. A well directed film by Jonathan Levine. Good Stuff!
Broken Flowers (2005)
interesting Jarmusch
Broken Flowers is one of those movies that's not for everyone. In fact, that's true of all films of Jim Jarmusch. Bill Murray plays Don, an aging womanizer (no, I'm not kidding) who gets a letter in the mail from a former girlfriend stating that he is in fact the father of her 19-year old son. The problem is, the letter is unsigned. Don's attitude about women is best captured in an early scene where Don responds to a comment a friend makes. After Don's latest girl leaves him a friend tries to comfort him by saying "I'm sorry". Don's response is "me too......i think". This is very telling. The friend is Winston, played by Jeffrey Wright, who comes up with the idea for Don to make a list of all the women the mother could be. The letter was done by an old typewriter on pink paper and is partly hand written. Once Don makes the list, Winston, who fantasizes of being a detective, gets him the addresses of everyone from the list from the computer and the journey begins. Don sets off by himself to find these women all in different states. There is a humorous awkwardness about all the visits Don makes to former girlfriends who are mostly just plain weird. Sharon Stone plays one girlfriend with a 14-year old daughter named Lolita who likes to walk around the house naked even when Don is sitting right in front of her. Another girl is played by Jessica Lange who's character gets paid to communicate with animals. All the girlfriends are memorable in their own quirky but believable way. A lot has been said of Bill Murrays stoic performance and I must say, I'm not sure I buy him 100% in this role. Even with that, I still think there's enough good in this film to check out.
Spider Baby or, the Maddest Story Ever Told (1967)
A cult gem of a deranged family
From it's fun opening title sequence to its creepy ending this movie is a pleasure. It is the dark and sometimes comic tale of a rich family suffering from a rare disease that causes its victims to regress mentally to raging cannibals. Taking care of the family (as best he can) is the chauffeur, Bruno, played by Lon Chaney Jr in one of his best roles. Bruno kept a promise to the family's now-dead father to protect and take care of the family and the house. Sid Haig, who would become popular in Rob Zombie's "Land of 1000 Copses", as captain Spaulding, plays Ralph, a member of the family in the worst mental condition. The way all the weird family members play off each other is a pleasure to watch. When a pair of distant relatives arrives with their big-shot lawyer to retrieve the mansion, things get ugly. This is one of Jack Hill's weirdest and best movies and the DVD features plenty of juicy extras. As with all great horror films, it is getting the unnecessary remake treatment. Good stuff!
Switchblade Sisters (1975)
Don't mess with da sista's!
Fun little exploitation film by Jack Hill. It contains a few different kinds of movies all rolled up in one. Campy would be the most predominate though. The story follows the lives of the female gang, Dagger Debs, later called, the Jezebels, which by the way, was the original title. The gang meets a new fish named Maggie who at first fits right in with the gang but later has conflict with the leader, Lace. This movie starts out campy fun then gets real serious then back again. While this technique worked for the most part I felt this could have been a great serious film if it wanted to be. While only slightly bothered by the conflicting tones of the film, it is still a fun movie to watch. You really do even care about the characters by the end which is a compliment to its creators. Quentin Tarantino has often raved about the movie and there's enough good in it to like if you watch it with an open mind. Clearly the character of Patch, one of the gang members, inspired Daryl Hannah's character in Quentin's own "Kill Bill 2". Overall a fun little romp with some good special features on the DVD. Check it out!
Overnight (2003)
Satisfying true tale of an arrogant jerk getting eaten alive in Hollywood.
Wow, are we lucky that the main subject of this documentary, the arrogant Troy Duffy, was willing to be filmed on his 'rise' to the top of the Hollywood A-list! Troy, a bartender from Boston, gets his script, The Boondock Saints, sold for big bucks to Miramax, one of the biggest film companies. He brings his band with him to Hollywood hoping to land a record deal along with his assured success of a filmmaker. Included in this band are his two brothers who he promises will be a big success along with him. He meets with big Hollywood stars who may be interested in his movie and signs with the biggest talent agency in Hollywood. His success is assured, right? Wrong! Troy right from the start was an arrogant jerk but becomes even more so as the movie goes on. He soon wastes most of his money partying and won't stop bragging about himself to anyone who would listen. He refused to even pay two agents who were helping him manage his band but they stick with him anyway thinking he might actually make it big. The patience that friends and especially his two brothers had with him is mind numbing. Troy's huge fall from the movie business is fun to watch because he deserves every ounce of failure he gets. This is a well edited and produced documentary that will not disappoint, especially if you're into the inner workings of the Hollywood machine. Good Stuff!
The Honeymoon Killers (1970)
based on true events of a killer couple
This film, originally titled "Dear Martha" suffers a little for its low budget but ends up being a decent movie. The bad sound which at times makes it difficult to understand the dialog might turn you off at first but if you stick with it, it stops being so distracting. What I liked about the film is that the movie stuck a lot to actual facts of the true story. It is heavily rumored that this couple the story is based on killed a lot more then two people but the film doesn't speculate anything and only shows the two confirmed killings. This is the story of Martha Beck, a lonely, moody nurse, who joins a "lonely hearts club" where lonely people write to each other. Well, soon she receives letters from Ray Fernandez, a charming con- man. They meet, she falls in love with him, and he robs her and leaves. She tracks him down and is so lonely, she convinces him she will help con people as long as they marry one day. They eventually become a team where she pretends to be his sister while he cons money out of lonely women. Martin Scorsese was hired to direct but was replaced after he was taking way too long with each shot and the director feared they would go over budget. That budget was $150,000 which even in 1969 was not a lot to make a movie. Shirley Stoler and Tony Lobianco as the twisted couple are very well cast as well as a small role by a young Doris Roberts who would later play the mom in "Everybody loves Raymond". Good Stuff!
Crumb (1994)
family of weird cartoonists
Here is a well done documentary of a very strange man named Robert Crumb who rose to fame as a cartoonist. His comics are off-beat, sometimes racist and almost always degrading to women. There is no disputing any of this from even Robert Crumb himself. Crumb just claims that all this stuff is inside him and needs to come out through his pencil. I actually admire this kind of truthful approach. Filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Federico Fellini come to mind as two others who put a lot of themselves in their work, although they do it on film and not paper. Robert Crumb became popular in the 60's for his psychedelic comics of the time including ZAP comics, one of his most popular. He has two brothers, Charles and Maxon who can also draw well but have had no real success with it. It's hard to believe but seeing these two brothers makes you actually realize that Robert was the "normal" one in the family! Definitely a scary thought. Has success gone to Robert's head? The answer is no. He consistently turns down offers from Hollywood that would make him very rich. Although I admire things about him, I found him kind of a jerk from how he treated other people. One instance is when someone says they love his work and would like an autograph and Crumb wouldn't even look at him and basically just let out his usual defensive laugh. What is curious though is that his wife, son and daughter seem almost well adjusted. Interesting. This movie is an interesting look into a strange artists life which delves into his tough upbringing to see just where all his twisted ideas come from. The DVD itself comes with a commentary by Roger Ebert and other goodies. Good Stuff!
The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
good but overrated
A family's car, with trailer attached, breaks down while driving through a desert which turns out to be a nuclear testing site. It turns out a family of cannibals lives in the surrounding hills of this desert. What works right away is that the family feels like a real family and the atmosphere is believable. What happens is the head of the family starts walking to a gas station a few miles back which they stopped at before the car broke down. The cannibals surround the trailer and eventually kill members of the family. I won't say who dies. Anyway, there are some effective scenes here for sure with the way the movie is filmed and edited. The movie goes into the next morning where we see the cannibals in day light which may be a mistake. They go from scary to a bit silly and even thought the costumes were not very authentic looking and wondered if I was suddenly watching an episode of "Gilligans Island". The family dog could even show "Lasie" a thing or two on how to help a family. Don't get me wrong, there is some good stuff here but did not find it to be as effective as many other viewers. Still a good film, just not as effective as Craven's earlier work, "The Last House on the Left". Worth a look.
I Hate You (2004)
decent script, lazy movie-making
Movies like this frustrate me. The lead actor, Marvin W. Schwartz, is decent and the story isn't bad but it's so poorly filmed that the whole thing suffers for it. Marvin plays Norman Bird, an aging New York City comic desperate to be a celebrity. He comes to believe that killing people will get him remembered much better then his comedy routine. He personally thinks his stuff is funny but is too dark to be appreciated, and soon is fired from the comedy club he's paid to perform in. If the murders Normal commits were creatively done in some way this movie might have had a chance to at least please the slasher crowd. People just died way too easily as well. I understand and even like a lot of low budget movies despite some obvious mistakes but to not even have realistic sound effects (for example, laughing in the club) in most places is not a budget issue but a lazy Director issue. The jittery camera work where it didn't need it was distracting too. However, the acting was decent and it had some well written dialog. The score was pretty unimpressive except for the main piano theme which isn't bad. The movie was interesting enough that I wish the Director would have put just one more week or two into post-production.
The King of Kong (2007)
classic arcade madness
This is a well made Documentary about a mans attempt to break the world record score of the classic arcade game, Donkey Kong. That man is Steve Wiebe of Washington who is a nice, honest, family man who always felt he fell short in life in a few ways. The current record holder is Billy Mitchell of Hollywood, Florida, who rose to fame in the 80's by becoming a master at Donkey Kong. The camera's follow him as he is today and his arrogance practically drips off the screen. He brags how a true champion of any game or sport can only really prove himself in a live situation in front of others yet he dodges chances to play at tournaments all the time. One such tournament is one right there in Hollywood, Florida where Steve Wiebe was planning on taking on the record. I won't tell you the outcome but will tell you that even if you were never interested in video games you might just like this film, but of course, you'll like it even more as a fan of classic arcade games. Good Stuff!
Brother's Keeper (1992)
touching documentary about murder in a small town
This well made documentary involving the murder trial of an illiterate farmer in upstate New York is about as well made as they come. Delbert Ward, a simple farmer who could hardly read, is accused of killing his brother, Bill, in his sleep. Motives for the crime ranged from 'mercy killing' (his brother was sick at the time) to even the suggestion of a sex crime (the brothers shared the same bed all their lives and never had girlfriends). Delbert signed a confession but claims the police made him sign and agree to certain things that weren't true just so he can go home. When the charges were made the whole town of Munnsville, NY, came to Delberts side to defend him and even got money together to release him on bail. This film is an interesting look into the lives of simple people being confronted with 'big city' police and attorney tactics. Even after winning some awards from big film festivals no one bought the film so the filmmakers self-distributed the movie themselves, taking it from theater to theater. It is now one of the most successful self-distributed films of all time. It now has distribution and is well praised. Good Stuff!
Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream (2005)
fun piece of history
Although "Midnight Movies" still exist today they are very scarce since the early 80's when video tape became popular and changed everything. Midnight movies are cult movies that cater to a certain kind of audience. This documentary deals with a few of the most successful Midnight Movies ever made, back when certain audiences were hungry for something different in their movie going. Movies featured are El Topo, Night of the living dead, Pink Flamingos, The Harder they come, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Eraserhead. Back when they came out they were considered different than anything that came before and even hold up today. The documentary explains how these movies became popular in the midnight time slot even though some of them were tried at regular time showings. John Waters' Pink Flamingo's had a ten year straight run while The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the reigning champ with midnight screenings today where people dress as the characters and sing along to the catchy tunes in the film. There are people who have seen the film over 1000 times, not on DVD, but in an actual theater. Eraserhead by David Lynch was only a success after a year of midnight showings. It would be impossible for this to happen today as movies need to be an immediate hit. Interesting movie for those interested in a different kind of cinema. Good Stuff!
Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971)
good creepy early 70's flick
Stephen King is a big fan of this film so how bad could it be? Jessica, her husband and good friend move from New York City to a nice quiet house in Connecticut to start over. Jessica was just released from a mental institution and this new environment should be perfect for her. Well, needless to say, it's far from perfect. All the townspeople are very strange and all have strange scars on their bodies. A seemingly friendly stranger named Emily befriends the group and soon she is living with them as she has nowhere to go. Jessica goes back to hearing voices and seeing things like she did in the hospital. What's real and what's not? Are these delusions? The movie centers around these questions and has a nice creepy pace. The heavy synth soundtrack works well and is not overdone like in some other horror films similar to this. The acting, especially by Zohra Lampert as Jessica and Mariclare Costello as Emily is very credible. Definitely worth a look for fans of creepy movies.
The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962)
decent piece of weirdness
A young surgeon, Dr. Bill Cortner, and his fiancée, Jan, are driving to his laboratory in a remote wooded area where he performs weird experiments on people. He finally wants to come clean on what it is he does there that has been such a secret. On the way, he gets in a terrible car accident, leaving the car in flames and soon to be wife, beheaded. He grabs the head out of the car and takes it to his laboratory. He's experimented on decapitated people before and had success and this would be his most brilliant achievement. Bill and his lab partner, who helps the doctor in hopes he will get his amputated arm treated, keep the head alive with a special device and a new type of liquid they invented that works like blood. The lab partner has a fake arm now but it is very deformed from the doctors previous attempt to help. It works! The head is alive and bitching every second that she should have been left for dead. Dr. Cortner's plan is to find a worthy body for her so he goes out looking for nice bodies in a strip club. That's the gist of the story and believe it or not the movie isn't bad. It's pretty well filmed besides the fairly lame car accident, and main actors, Jason Evers as the doctor and Virginia Leith as Jan, the fiancée, are pretty good. The movie even has a decent scene or two of suspense and found that watching this late at night in the right mood, was not amazing, but definitely entertaining.
The Girl Next Door (2007)
strong thriller
There are many who will watch this expecting a full out horror or exploitation film. It is neither of those but a strong thriller based on real events. It takes place in 1958 which follows the nightmarish story of two adolescent girls, who upon losing their parents in an accident, are forced to stay with their Aunt Ruth. A witness to this is young David who lives next door and develops feelings for one of the girls named Meg. Meg and her younger sister, Susan, who's legs are in metal slings, are routinely abused by their Aunt Ruth and three cousins. Finally Meg is accused falsely of being a whore and tied up in the basement where she is raped, beaten and worse (you'll see) by aunt Ruth and willing cousins. David witnesses a lot of this cruelness but his disinterested parents don't really buy his stories. Meg is played very effectively by Blythe Auffarth and Blanche Baker is very memorable as Aunt Ruth, who plays the role not as a wild psychopath, but with subtlety as a woman who believes what she's doing is right. Anybody watching this should hate her and if you find yourself taking sides with her, please see a shrink. I haven't disliked a woman in a film this much since nurse Rachet in One Flew Over The Cuccoo's Nest. Although the movie is graphic, as it should be, it is not overdone. This movie shows what could happen if situations like this are ignored for too long and how it effects children. Good Stuff!
Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957)
poorly done but not boring!
Although this movie got famous for having the reputation of "the worst film ever made" I really do disagree. Sure there are many continuity mistakes including shots shifting between day and night in the same scene and the unrealistic dialog and silly looking sets but it all adds to the fun. The story revolves around UFO sightings happening in a Los Angeles town. The police and eventually the army step in to blast them out of the sky but can't hurt them. The martians who run the UFO'S look and sound like regular people but with silly uniforms. Their mission is to release "Plan 9" on the humans which is a plan involving bringing the dead to life to get everyones attention. The martians want to bring peace to earth by communicating with the humans but all the humans want to do is destroy the UFO'S making it hard for a peace talk. How this weird plan is supposed to work to bring peace is silly in itself. There are so many mistakes and silly scenes in the movie I would take up too much space writing it all. When Gregory Walcott, one of the lead actors, read the script, he told director Ed Wood it was the worst script he ever read but he needed the work. Bela Lugosi appears in some footage shot just before his death with no project in mind. Ed incorporated it in this movie so he can include him in the film. Lugosi was doubled by Tom Mason, Woods Wife's chiropractor, who was inches taller and played the part with a cape covering most of his face. The movie stars Wood regulars Paul Marco and Conrad Brooks. This movie reinforces my belief that the only bad film is a boring film!