G-FEST XVIII at Pickwick Theater

The annual G-Fest Convention kicked off today with a couple of double features at the Pickwick Theater. Couldn't attend the daytime screenings due to work but wasn't going to miss the nighttime programming that featured a couple of movies I've already seen but relish viewing with a captive audience of Kaiju fans.

First up was Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1993), a movie I watched during a movie night at Ron's a few years ago. Wasn't crazy about it then but enjoyed it considerably more on this evening. Still has a silly final battle sequence and I just hate that made Godzilla evil in the 90s. 6.5 / 10

The second feature was another movie I may have first viewed at a movie night at Ron's Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995). This really could have been called Gamera Reborn because this is the first film in the trilogy of modern Gamera flicks, much darker films with the awesome flying turtle. Great to see on the big screen even if it was projected from DVD. 7.4 / 10

• July New: 18
• July Re-watch: 3
• July '11 MTD: 21
• July '10 MTD: 54
• 2011 YTD: 407
  

Ticked Off

Settling in after that amazing weekend in Austin I caught up with a missed Horror Movie Night selection Ticks a.k.a Infested(1993). This a fun bug flick with a pretty good cast including Clint Howard and Seth Green. 6.5 / 10

From my blindspot project I knocked All the President's Men (1976) off the list. Such a quality film with brilliant moments throughout. Hoffman and Redford are so great together. 7.5 / 10

• June New: 24
• June Re-watch: 3
• June '11 MTD: 27
• June '10 MTD: 64
• 2011 YTD: 343
  

Freaks Rule the Streets

Headed down to The Music Box Theater for New Cult Canon double feature with guest Alex Winter. Was stoked to finally see Michael Winner's Death Wish 3 (1985) on the big screen. Such a hilarious mess of a film that can only be seen to be believed. Bronson returns with a serious vengeance and big gun. Glorious. 7.5 / 10

That was followed by an extensive Q&A with Alex Winter that included some memorable responses and insight. He's such a great dude. Then we were treated to a screening of Freaked (1993), a weird film directed by Winter and Tom Stern. I only had vague memories of this but always enjoyed its quirky comedy and such an ensemble cast (Brooke Shields, Bill Sadler, Deep Roy, Morgan Fairchild, Randy Quaid, et al). Great to see this again. 6.5 / 10

Overall this was a nice re-introduction to New Cult Canon at The Music Box. Glad I could make this event.

• April New: 22
• April Re-watch: 7
• April '11 Total: 29
• April '10 Total: 68
• 2011 Total: 258
  

Cybersuit Abuse

Digging back into my Full Moon DVD sets I pulled out Mandroid (1993), which seemed interesting enough. This was not the case. The premise isn't bad: a Russian doctor creates super suit but his partner wants to use it for evil. But the execution and acting is horrendous. HORRENDOUS. 5 / 10

• April New: 19
• April Re-watch: 6
• April '11 Total: 25
• April '10 Total: 68
• 2011 Total: 254
  

War of the Robots

At the Full Moon Horror Fest, I bought a couple of DVD boxsets of Full Moon films that aren't available anywhere else. The price was better than Amazon (I checked) so I picked up both Volume 1 and 2. Robot Wars (1993) is one of the films in the set and plays out kinda like a side story to Robotjox (often considered a sequel but it is not). And it features Barbara Crampton! Yay! Silly film but I really like the stopmo robot creatures and machines. 6.5/10

• April New: 12
• April Re-watch: 4
• April '11 Total: 16
• April '10 Total: 68
• 2011 Total: 245
  

NWI Monkey Madness

Not sure what got into me but this sure turned out to be a marathon day (evening) of movie watching. I blame Netflix Watch Instantly. First up Battle of Shaolin (1977) featuring the wiry Don Wong on his quest to rescue his girlfriend from the brothels. Ultimately he must face Lieh Lo as the bigger than badass villain w/decapitator chains. Angela Mao is also great w/her razor blade shoes but doesn't get enough scenes. The coin sequence w/The Sparrow (Chiang-lung Wen) is excellent!

Next the disturbing short film by Nacho Cerdà, Aftermath (1994), which doesn't look like it's 16 years old. But it's also quite unbelievable that something this obscene was released in 1994. Seriously, it looks like it was made recently. Definitely not for easily shaken... necrophilia!

Needing a breather, flipped to Blood Monkey (2007) expecting it to be bad. Oy! It's worse than bad and not in a good way. Avoid!

Next in my queue was the Chuck Norris supernatural thriller Hellbound (1994). Okay, so this is not a good flick but it was amusing to me for a few reasons (besides Chuck Norris). It's set in Chicago (until they travel to Israel) and they fight demons. It's as silly as it sounds.

Had never watched all of Joe Dante's comedy Matinee (1993) so I felt obligated to see it thru (think this stems from not being much of a John Goodman fan in the early 90s). Under more informed conditions I can appreciate this film much more now as it really is a nice homage to the William Castle gimmick flicks. Recommended viewing for all film fans.


And finally finished up Luigi Cozzi's campy Starcrash a.k.a. The Adventures of Stella Star (1978) featuring one of my favorite screen queens Caroline Munro in addition to the one and only David Hasselhoff! Amazing. And Amazingly bad. However this is bad in the good way. I love this film and all its low budget Star Wars wannabe silliness & glory (including light sabers! Look at that poster art!). Looks like it's finally getting a UK DVD release later this month and a domestic Blu-ray release in September. I will buy this!!

• June New: 26
• June Re-watch: 2
• June Total: 28
• 2010 TOTAL: 351
  

Hunter & The Hunted

April Re-Watch Film: Batman - Mask of the Phantasm (1993). Always bugged me that I knew the identity of the Phantasm before seeing the film b/c of the action figure.


For being nearly a note for note riff on The Most Dangerous Game, Ken Dixon's Slave Girls from Beyond Infinity (1987) isn't half bad. That is to say if you enjoy cheesy 80s films as I do. Scream Queen Brinke Stevens is relegated to third behind the two leads, which I actually preferred over her in this. I'm sure someone out there has noted that Don Scribner is ringer for Christian Bale's much older brother (or father). Same jaw line. Silly but fun flick.

• April New: 27
• April Re-watch: 15
• April Total: 42
• 2010 TOTAL: 229
  

I choose you, Pikachu!

April Re-Watch Film: Dead or Alive (1999), first in Takashi Miike's exacerbated yakuza DOA trilogy. 竹内力は良いです! Would love to have a clean hi-def print of this one.


As the sequel to Hard Hunted, Andy Sidaris manages to turn it up a notch in Fit to Kill (1993), which really means more Bullets, Bombs & Babes. And I enjoyed this one a little more as Roberta Vasquez gets a prime scene. The downside of moving into 90s Sidaris territory is less "naturally blessed" femme fatales and more artificially enhanced women (see Enemy Gold). I think that's why his 80s run is more appealing. At least Dona Spier & Vasquez are still the leads (only up to this film, sadly). Maybe it's why this is the last "great" Sidaris flick (Drew, his son, took over from this point forward 'cept for Day of the Warrior in '96).

• April New: 26
• April Re-watch: 14
• April Total: 40
• 2010 TOTAL: 227
  

Dino-Lightning!

April Re-Watch Film: Enemy Gold (1993). Another Sidaris flick I saw a lot of on cable/skinemax back in the day.

Courtesy of TCM: watched Burt Reynolds in White Lightning (1973). Fairly solid flick but think I enjoy the sequel better. Appreciate that Reynolds seemed to gravitate towards car chase flicks during his heyday.


More kudos to NWI for having the OOP Dinosaurus! (1960) available. Two dinosaurs discovered underwater brought to life by... lightning! A little sad that of the two remaining dinosaurs the humans let one kill the other then proceed to kill the last dinosaur while allowing the last living caveman to also be killed. Sad! Fun watch tho.

Another gem on NWI The Alligator People (1959) features Lon Chaney Jr. in a supporting role in a nice, old school horror flick w/some fun creature effects. I'm kinda fond of any flick involving reptile people.

• April New: 23
• April Re-watch: 12
• April Total: 35
• 2010 TOTAL: 222
  

Yep, Still Braindead

April Re-Watch Film: Dead Alive (1993 - US). Really needed to watch this again as that epic massacre scene has grown fuzzy over the years. My fondest memory of this film is when my little brother & I rented the VHS and he started watching it without me but as soon as the rat monkey appears started screaming at me to come over, "COME HERE! COME HERE! YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!!"


Really surprised this film hasn't gotten a better release treatment (I think this is one of the first DVDs I ever bought - nearly 12 years ago! Don't you think it's time for an upgrade release? Someone? Anyone?).

• April New: 9
• April Re-watch: 5
• April Total: 14
• 2010 TOTAL: 201