Keep on Space Truckin'

The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues (1955) was an Instawatch or maybe Hulu. It's that kind of title. Not a great one but watchable if you enjoy bad b-movies. It's very post-WWII with a monster being created from radiation but also wanted as a weapon. 6 / 10

The Valley of Gwangi (1969) is a film I've always wanted to see so was glad to pick it off NWI. And it's such a fine cowboys and dinosaurs flick with a tragic ending. It has a traveling circus too. Super enjoyable with excellent Ray Harryhausen stopmo. 7 / 10

OMG, Queen of Outer Space (1958) is riot! Credit to TCM for airing some cool old flicks on their Drive-In Thursdays. This is another misogynistic sci-fi where a group of male astronauts land on Venus inhabited by only beautiful woman including Zsa Zsa Gabor! Awesomeness. I wish to own this movie! 6.7 / 10

The War of the Planets (1966) is another gem courtesy of TCM. This one directed by one of my personal favorites Antonio Margheriti and is a loose sequel to his Wild, Wild Planet, which I adore. Unfortunately this film isn't as strong or as entertaining and rather convoluted despite the awesome cocktail party in space. 5 / 10

• June New: 57
• June Re-watch: 4
• June '11 MTD: 61
• June '10 MTD: 64
• 2011 YTD: 377
  

Challenging Christ

The Monster That Challenged the World (1957) is yet another fifties sci-fi giant monster movie. But the monsters here are giant mollusks released below the sea after an earthquake. Mostly humorous. 6.3 / 10

Besides Bruce Dern as punk biker the best thing about The Cycle Savages (1969) is the premise: gang of bikers hellbent on destroying the hands of a sketch artist… because he draws pictures of the bikers. He draws pictures of them. So they want to crush his hands. 6.5 / 10

Yeah, I've put off watching Lars von Trier's Antichrist (2009) far longer than I should have. And for no good reason, really. Now that I've seen it I think it's a brilliant film. Willem Dafoe is so damn good. Charlotte Gainsbourg continues selecting some crazy roles. May pick it up on blu-ray some day. 8 / 10

• June New: 50
• June Re-watch: 4
• June '11 MTD: 54
• June '10 MTD: 64
• 2011 YTD: 370
  

Secret Grit

This morning as I attempted to sleep I picked off The Secret of Kells (2009) from NWI. Had heard great things about this flick when had its limited release earlier in the year. Unfortunately the animation is really the only shining star here. The story is a bit weak. A wooded village controlled by monks builds a wall to prevent the inevitable onslaught of warriors. Yeah, see it for the animation. 6.7/10

As I was packing I decided to give the original True Grit (1969) another go. A lot of people have been saying that the original is not a good film or that the updated Coen Brothers' version is so much better. I recall enjoying that flick so I felt a rematch was needed. Suffice it to say, I still love the original. Since both films use the same source material, the novel by Charles Portis, much of the dialogue is nearly identical. Can't say I love one film over the other because I really love John Wayne's performance. And I don't mind Glen Campbell. Plus there's Bobby Duvall and Dennis Hopper. 7.7/10

• December New: 54
• December Re-watch: 6
• December Total: 60
• 2010 TOTAL: 777
  

Boxing Hauer

Saw George Pal's 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964) for sale in a video store close-out and considering getting simple based on the cover. Fantastic artwork. Didn't buy it but picked up from Netflix. Very fun and whimsical tale featuring Tony Randall in all all the main roles. Barbara Eden is scrumptious. Not the greatest of films but silly enough to make it watchable. 6.5/10

Wanted: Dead or Alive (1987) is a Rutger Hauer vehicle that I'm sure I caught glimpses of on cable back in the day. But didn't remember that much to consider it a valid rematch. Gene Simmons stars as a terrorist that gets his ass kicked and finally achieves a terrific onscreen death. 6/10

Recorded Gordon Hessler's The Oblong Box (1969) from either TCM or MGM during their Vincent Price runs last month. Like the mood and atmosphere. Solid watch and good short story a la expanded Twilight Zone episode. 6.5/10

• November New: 3
• November Re-watch: 0
• November Total: 3
• 2010 TOTAL: 661
  

Easy Killing

Yeah, I will go on record as admitting that I've never watched Easy Rider (1969) in its entirety. It's always been one of those iconic films that I've just never bothered to go back to. Thanks to my library I picked up the BD (BD is just so-so). Pretty cool flick and a tad overrated but damn good to see Hopper doing his thing.


Tipped by @TCMunderground I queued up Stanley Kubrick's The Killing (1956) on NWI. Wow, this film is just amazing. Love seeing Elisha Cook Jr. getting a meaty role albeit still playing a poor schlep (Marie Windsor as his wife is super smoking). Really great crime drama with plenty of suspense as the group tries to pull off the heist of a lifetime in robbing the race track. Highly recommended watch!

• August New: 4
• August Re-watch: 0
• August Total: 4
• 2010 TOTAL: 445
  

B x Three

Starving for film after a 5 day drought I had a few items from my library to spin including Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959), which is a grade D b-movie. Yeah, not very good. Maybe if the film was half as good as the movie poster it'd be worthwhile.


The Roger Corman produced Night of the Blood Beast (1958) was also included on The Giant Leeches DVD and is more campy and entertaining. Still not a great film but watchable. Another great movie poster!

Lastly, the dubbed full-screen version of Ishiro Honda's All Monsters Attack (aka Godzilla's Revenge) (1969), which I watched often as a child. I enjoyed it so much probably b/c I could identify with boy and his daydreaming of Kaiju along side Minya (Godzilla's son). Sadly the film doesn't hold up. This, however, was not the Classic Media re-release (linked) which is a better treatment. Someday I'll have to view that version.

• May New: 48
• May Re-watch: 8
• May Total: 56
• 2010 TOTAL: 311
  

Saturday Nights are Right for Fighting

Cruised into the northside for The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008) on the (kinda) big screen at Music Box Theatre. Sadly it screened in theater 2 (the smaller screen) when I was hoping to get a real big screen treatment. Nevertheless, the film is still as amazing as ever. Love this film even more upon this re-watch. Amusing that a young couple left around 30 minutes in grumbling about it being too violent. XD

Home late but not too late for excellent Howard Hawks western Red River (1948) featuring the great John Wayne and Monty Clift. This is a film that deserves a better treatment (Blu-Ray). Quite the non-conventional western yet really amazing character study.

Still awake I clicked on Sword of the Master a.k.a. Hurricane Sword (1969) via NWI. This is an okay Korean swordplay flick in the style of Hong Kong's Shaw Brothers. Story is of a blind girl with sword skills looking for revenge (sound familiar?). The edit available on Netflix is a cropped 4:3 that doesn't render well as characters are often left outside the cut. But the real problem is that action is filmed rather poorly as what are intended as some great swordplay don't translate. Have a feeling this is another one Tarantino borrowed from.

• May New: 18
• May Re-watch: 4
• May Total: 22
• 2010 TOTAL: 277
  

Lighten up, Francis

April Re-Watch Film: Stripes (1981). Truth: saw this theatrically and didn't care so much for it. Over the years it's grown me but still was meh about it. But found on this viewing that I enjoy it a lot more despite the issues I still have in the third act.

I'm a little saddened that Jim Wynorski's take on family fare, Munchie (1992), is OOP. While not being the best of its kind it still has a charm worthy of any kid's collection. If I were a youngster and viewed this, I'm sure I'd love it. What kid wouldn't want their own little creature that makes wishes come true? I know I did (still do). Great cast too with Andrew Effin' Stevens, Loni Anderson, a fragile Jennifer Love Hewitt and the voice of Dom DeLuise. Fun seeing Wynorski's risque sensibility threaded throughout.


If you know me (or read my tally posts) you know that I would love a film called Captain Nemo and the Underwater City (1969). And thanks to Warner Archives, I now own this film. Directed by James Hill and featuring Robert Ryan as Nemo there's a lot to enjoy in this ridiculous installment on the adventures of Nemo and his hatred towards land-dwellers. The underwater city & models are outstanding. The set pieces are crazy. And the idea they harvest gold so easily it's literally scrap metal is also crazy. Chuck Connors makes for an admirable hero and Luciana Paluzzi (Thunderball) is as fetching as ever. Not for everyone but people like me.

• April New: 31
• April Re-watch: 19
• April Total: 50
• 2010 TOTAL: 237
  

Not So Magnificent Journey

Guess I wasn't the only one watching George Kennedy tonight... but my selection was Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969) where he enlists the likes of Monte Markham, Joe Don Baker and James Whitmore to save the day. Too bad this iteration isn't quite up to its predecessors but still good watch.

Next up was yet another installment in the long line of Journey to the Center of the Earth remakes. This one from 1999 and made for TV and featuring Treat Williams. It's actually 2 parts courtesy of Hallmark for a 3+ hour runtime! But I loved every minute. Can watch anything with Treat Williams even something as silly as this is. Worth noting that this version of JttCotE even has its own Sleestaks! Another reason why I enjoyed this one more than others.