CobraMist

A bottom of the barrel piece of Indonesian horror that challenges viewers to not fall asleep while it focuses almost entirely on troubled family dynamics. There are some psychotronic moments of goodness but much of it is packed into the first 15 minutes, fooling the viewer into thinking that this is going to be a rip roaring good time of bloody murder and black magic. Alas the film quickly shifts gears to finger wag at the family for not being more religious; dropping its Amittyville Horror vibes for something that feels more akin to one of Ron Ormond's patience testing productions. Even when the supernatural aspects are brought back into focus they are so poorly done, lacking any sort of tension or atmosphere, that it is only marginally more exciting then seeing the tepid family drama unfold. Steer clear unless you are an Indo exploit comptionist.

This film follows a group of navel gazing, new age types as they enjoy a vacation on island off the coast of New York. For those thinking that this might be some fun exploration of hippie culture (Psych Out), offer up a psychotronic on new age ideas (Simon, King of the Witches), or some bizarre imagery (An American Hippie in Israel) I suggest you look elsewhere as this film lacks all of those aspects. It has more in common with cheapo 60s sexploitation flicks (specifically the roughies) than any notable bit of hippiesplotation. Instead we're treated to half-baked diatribes about showcasing how these people are enlightened enough to look down on everyone else while also lacking even the iota of self-awareness required to see that they are just the same. Their psueod-intellectual ramblings are on par with insipid drivel spouted during Animal House's pot smoking scene; offering nothing of substance other than perhaps a snapshot view of what a bunch of privileged boomers thought a hard life looked liked. Beyond that we're treated to a lot of sex scenes that are very much of that era and almost always lacking in consent from one or more participants and the film disgustingly presents the end result of these encounters as satisfactory for everyone involved. I guess this film is notable for featuring several scenes of man on man action, including several that much more roughie esque. Which I can't say I've seen a ton of so there's that I guess. Normally I'd end my review with an attempt at suggesting this for some audience, no matter how niche, but I hate this one too much to attempt to justify anyone seeing it. I'm going to disagree with Stephen Thrower on this one, we're better off with some films being lost.

This is one probably one of the most unique documentaries that I've ever seen as we're treated to stories about hoboes from professional actors (ala When Harry Met Sally's couple anecdotes) and there are quite a few fun things to witness. These stories are brought to life not just by the powerful words of their story teller but also by re-eneacments that are all shot with the same grimy camera that captures the rest of the film; offering a feeling of authenticity to even the more fantastical of these tales. It all comes together to feel like you are sitting around a fire listening to the old timers talk about how it all used to be before the world moved on and left their little slice of existence to be a little less colorful. Beyond the engaging story time moments we get some really fun footage showcasing hobo lifestyle that honestly feels really unique. The true highlight though is the soundtrack which features many a hobo themed tune and some of them are quite fun. The film does romanticize the lifestyle pretty heavily, giving the viewer the impression that with just a little bit of street smarts that they too could bum around the United States (circa 1967 at least). Still it is worth watching for just how unique it is as the filmmakers seem to genuinely respect their subjects and do not stoop to the level of exploitation that less reputable individuals might have while making this film.