Can You Hear Me Calling?

Oh Ki-hwan's Voices (2007) suffers from a premise that is often hard to swallow; those around you want you dead so bad things happen. The protagonist here seems to be at the center of envy from everyone including her friends and family. The evil spirit jumps from person to person trying to kill her. If you can buy the story this will work for you. 6.6 / 10

My Planet of the Apes blu-ray boxed arrived so I've been chomping at the bit to view the films again. We arranged a special movie night to do just that but not the first film (because Ron's already shown that one to his kids). Tonight I watched the original Planet of the Apes (1968) on blu-ray by myself just to prepare. The PQ is pretty nice altho not as good as I expected. Still it's a great film that really only drags at the very end. But it remains one of my favorites for everything leading up to that. 9 / 10

• July New: 9
• July Re-watch: 1
• July '11 MTD: 10
• July '10 MTD: 54
• 2011 YTD: 396
  

Prepared to be Slimed

Had Kinji Fukasaku's The Green Slime (1968) recorded on my DVR from TCM for at least a year and decided it was time to knock it out. What a trip that I'm not even sure I could explain it fully. But helluva catchy theme song! Wouldn't mind having this on DVD / BD someday. 6 / 10

Now out the theater for Justin Lin's Fast Five (2011). Damn. This is what all summer tent pole actioners should aspire to. Big, loud, packed to brim with testosterone and beautiful people even when they're covered in grime. I would go see it this again in a heartbeat if it weren't so damn long. Definitely will pick it up on Blu and rematch. Gal Gadot is hot. Sung Kang! Who knew Don Omar could act?! Big dumb and exciting. 8 / 10

From the Instawatch I cleared another John Waters film from my blindspot list, A Dirty Shame (2004). Had no idea what to expect and just based on the turn this film takes, it wouldn't have mattered. Fun movie and great cast. 7 / 10

• May New: 7
• May Re-watch: 2
• May '11 Total: 9
• May '10 Total: 68
• 2011 Total: 277
  

Sinner Punched

Was glad that Sucker Punch (2011) was still on screens after its dismal performance at the box office. I wanted to see it on the big screen again to affirm my first reactions; yep, still love this silly flick. Look forward to the extended cut on Blu-ray. Still don't care what the critics think because even for those that didn't like it, I enjoy the discussion arising from what may or may not be happening in the movie. 7.7/10

From my Netflix I spun Nagisa Ôshima's Sinner in Paradise a.k.a. Three Resurrected Drunkards (1968). This is an interesting comedy of 3 teens that get mistaken for Koreans and find themselves running from the authorities. Overall a good film with a unique ending. 6.7/10

Then from streaming I viewed Dracula's Widow (1988) directed by Christopher Coppola. Upside it stars Sylvia Kristel. Downside it's a rather awful movie. I give it credit for some decent practical effects. 5.5/10

• April New: 7
• April Re-watch: 2
• April '11 Total: 9
• April '10 Total: 68
• 2011 Total: 238
  

Tuesday I'm In Love

Noel Black's Pretty Poison (1968) was mentioned by @bobfreelander on one of his guest posts (@TLBugg was the guest writer) and @VHSistheTruth also commented on it. That was enough for me to seek it out and give it a spin. Damn, this is a good flick. Anthony Perkins is very good conning the younger, super attractive Tuesday Weld into his scheme. But she is fantastic as a manipulative junior black widow. Solid. 7/10

Killing a little time during pre-game, I selected Godzilla vs. The Thing (1964), the westernized Mothra vs. Godzilla on NWI. Not sure if I've seen this version of the film but it's very adequate and still conveys the story just as well. I love Mothra so I'm already predisposed to enjoy this film even in this version. Godzilla looks great and love the baby caterpillar twins taking on the Big Green. Akira Takarada still owns even dubbed. 7/10

After the games I closed the evening with Walter Hill's Undisputed (2002), featuring Wesley Snipes and Ving Rhames in an all-out prison boxing match. Not a particularly great film as the motivation of the Iceman didn't work for me but as a film it looks very good. However, it doesn't feel so much like a Walter Hill movie. 6.2/10

• January New: 56
• January Re-watch: 9
• January '11 Total: 65
• January '10 Total: 51
• 2010 TOTAL: 65
  

All The Boys Love Ohyaku Dayu

I have a feeling I've seen Yuen Woo-ping's Dreadnaught (1981) before a long time ago. Everything about it is so familiar. Really a wonderful film with outstanding choreography. Glad that the GGTMC covered this as I think it's an ideal movie night flick. The lion dance battles are soooooo good. White Tiger fight scenes are wonderfully brutal. 7.9/10

Hadn't seen Ocean's Twelve (2004) and not sure I'm any better now that I have. Seems like an excuse for a sequel with an overwrought plot. The Julia Roberts / Bruce Willis segment probably played better at the time of release but now just looks silly. At least Vincent Cassel is great. 6/10

Time for more Pinky Violence with Ohyaku: The Female Demon (1968), another film I really love. Junko Miyazono (Okatsu) is just great as ever as a struggling woman who seeks revenge for the death of her lover. Also like seeing Tomisaburo Wakayama in a small part. The ending is a little over the top but still a very fun film. 7.8/10

• November New: 41
• November Re-watch: 4
• November Total: 45
• 2010 TOTAL: 703
  

Music Box Massacre 6 - 24 hours of Horror!

Still sick as all hell (thank you food poisoning) and lacking sleep there was no way I was gonna miss my first Music Box Massacre, 24 hours of horror films at the Music Box Theater. I headed down and got there just in time for the first flick The Phantom of the Opera (1925) with a live organ accompaniment. This was easily the best viewing of this film for me (and my 600th film watched this year!) but I was beginning to feel my day would not be long. 7.5/10

Next was The Raven (1935) which I had not seen before today. It's got both Karloff and Lugosi and it's excellent. Has a few great comedy moments as well. This is one I can see watching a few times. 7.2/10

Stuck around for Lon Chaney Jr in The Wolf Man (1941) since it's been a while (last viewing was an all werewolf Halloween movie night a few years ago). Still such a fun movie and more humorous in places than I remembered. 7.2/10


I skipped the next film, Romero's Hungry Wives, since I just viewed that the evening before I left for Fantastic Fest last month. But I did make a point to stay long enough for the Chiodo brothers introduction and post-screening Q&A for Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988). It's been a long time since I've seen this and never on the big screen. Quite a lot of fun with a huge audience (it was literally a standing room only screening!). 6.7/10


Really hated having to leave such a fine horror festival early. Did manage to pick a few DVD gems that made me happy and less regretful for leaving before midnight. One upside was getting a free movie pass for turning in my bracelet early so not an entire loss. However I really wanted to see The House By The Cemetery on the big screen again as well as Basket Case, The Funhouse and Psycho on the big screen.

Ended up returning home and watched The Devil Rides Out (1968), another Hammer Horror featured on TCM that I recorded last night. Maybe it was my sickened state but I just didn't connect with this film. Maybe someday I'll see it again. 6.2/10

• October New: 16
• October Re-watch: 4
• October Total: 20
• 2010 TOTAL: 604
  

Horror Movie Mayhem @ Portage Theater

After returning home this morning from Fantastic Fest it was a mad rush to catch up on work items yet still remain lucid. Eventual crashed hard then arise to head over to Portage Theater for a double feature of Spanish horror films shot in Chicago by director Ricardo Islas. First up was El dia de los muertos a.k.a. Day of the Dead (2007) about a sick group of 20-somethings that kidnap women so they can terrorize and massacre them. A mexican revenge spirit shows up coincidentally at the same time a dead girl's father arrives from Mexico to identify his daughter's body. Dun-dun-dun. Not bad but overly long. 6.5/10

Next was Night Fangs (2005) also directed by Islas, which is about, yes, vampires. More specifically it's about two lesbian women who want to resurrect the spirit of Lady Bathory. Somehow this ritual turns a bunch of kids into cannibalistic vampires with the final climax set in the Aragon Ballroom! didn't really make much sense as to exactly how the vampires turned and unturned but for a low budget flick it's not terrible. Cool to see films shot in and around Chicago! 5.5/10

Arrived at home in time to catch Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968) on TCM. This Hammer horror flick is entertaining (the blonde guy cracks me up) but doesn't have enough Christobher Lee. I'm thrilled that TCM is running Hammer Horror every Friday night this month! 6.7/10

• October New: 2
• October Re-watch: 1
• October Total: 3
• 2010 TOTAL: 587
  

Corrupting Our Youth

Didn't watch any films yesterday b/c we spend the day moving my storage to my condo and afterwards went to Kuma's Corner to celebrate or lick our wounds. Long day.

Back on the saddle with Vikaren (2007) a.k.a. The Substitute directed by Ole Bornedal and featuring the awesome Paprika Steen as the totally bonkers alien substitute teacher. From Denmark and part of the Ghost House series this is easily one of the better films under that label.


Followed that with Carnage (1968) a.k.a. Corruption recorded from TCM. Pretty cool thriller featuring Peter Cushing as a plastic surgeon. His crazy, beauty-obsessed fiance wife forces him to kill woman to help her maintain her scarred face. The end is just nuts.

• August New: 2
• August Re-watch: 0
• August Total: 2
• 2010 TOTAL: 443
  

Trip to the Grave

Catching up with more Hammer Horror in Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968) as Christopher Lee reprises his famous role again. Not bad but not enough of Lee's Dracula.


David Arquette has a passion for horror film evident by many of his popular roles (Scream, Eight-Legged Freaks, etc.). In The Tripper (2006) he directs his own slasher screenplay about tree hugging hippies & loggers as a killer stalks them in the woods. Gotta admire Arquette's spirit but the film doesn't quite pay off. Not a terrible watch.

• July New: 25
• July Re-watch: 8
• July Total: 33
• 2010 TOTAL: 420
  

Great White Gunfighter

Have I mentioned how much I love 70s sci-fi fantasy adventure flicks? Thanks to Hulu I caught up with yet another Kevin Connor classic in At the Earth's Core (1976), featuring none other than Doug McClure along w/a humorous Peter Cushing and longtime crush Caroline Munro (mmm). Yes, this film is awful particularly the opening capsule scene of the journey. So damn corny yet so damn delicious (to probably only me). I'll probably should buy the midnight movies edition.


Jaws 2 (1978) I haven't seen since sometime in the 80s. The only things I remembered were that fabulous poster and how it ends. Going in I thought it wasn't too bad but as this film progresses I realized what makes it bad (at least compared to masterpiece before it). There's not much character development or great dialogue. It's one set piece after another to get to the finale. Still worth seeing for the great, late Roy Scheider.

A couple Kinji Fukasaku films were added to NWI so naturally I had to watch one. Blackmail Is My Life (1968) is enjoyable as it follows a group of hustlers looking for the next big score. Glad films like this are available via Netflix WI.

Another film I haven't seen since I was a child is John Wayne's last feature performance in The Shootist (1976). I'm not fully cognizant of the details behind the making of this film so whether intentionally or not it parallels Wayne's real life struggle with cancer in his final days. Wayne as a gunfighter accepting his inevitable demise is simply exceptional here as are Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard and Jimmy Stewart. Didn't remember much of story details but the final gunfight has always been unforgettable. Truly a fine, fine film.

Hell is for Heroes

Another rec (this time from the great guys on Gentlemen's Guide To Midnight Cinema & their podcast discussion) was John Boorman's excellent Hell in the Pacific (1968) ONLY featuring two cinema heavyweights: Toshiro Mifune & Lee Marvin. That there is enough for anyone. And really all that needs to be said. See this film. Period.

(Already I want to see it again)