Killer Fish Komedy

Michael Winterbottom's 9 Songs (2004) was expiring of the Instawatch so I was compelled to finally give it go despite what I had heard about it. And wowsa it's even more explicit than I imagined. I suppose that titillation is the attraction here because the story isn't that good. But a very interesting watch. 6.5 / 10

Swamp Shark (2011) premiered on SyFy and naturally I had to watch. Goes without saying that I'm sucker for killer fish flicks and this one mostly delivers. Kristy Swanson and D.B. Sweeney lead the charge to destroy the giant shark accidentally let loose in a swamp. It's dumb but fun. 6 / 10

Another blindspot film Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy (1983) lives up to its reputation. Really didn't have much an interest to see this outside of needing to complete my project but I'm now converted. This is a stellar piece of work with an exceptional De Niro performance. Highly recommended if you haven't seen it. 8 / 10

• June New: 60
• June Re-watch: 4
• June '11 MTD: 64
• June '10 MTD: 64
• 2011 YTD: 380
  

Another Piece of Meat

Tackled a couple more expiring films from the Neflix Instawatch queue starting with Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film (2006). Really not much new here in terms of material but it's always fun to hear directors and actors talk about this period of film. A little sad that one of the films mentioned I haven't seen and it's spoiled in this documentary but ah well. That's my fault for not seeing it sooner. 7 / 10

Finally. Finally knocked off Raptor Island (2004) after failing on an earlier attempt (I fell asleep). No surprise why it took more than one attempt to finish this because it's goddamn awful. Terrible CG and Lorenzo Lamas hams his way thru it. 4 / 10

• May New: 44
• May Re-watch: 4
• May '11 Total: 48
• May '10 Total: 68
• 2011 Total: 316
  

Dead Heat

Now that the girlfriend is on her way to the Dominican Republic, I'm back to watching movies. From Instawatch I dropped in an old sex comedy H.O.T.S. (1979), which I had only seen parts of thru the years. Yeah, this is dumb film but certainly watchable for those that dig these (as I do). It's the familiar story of outcast girls starting their own sorority as some crooks fall in to steal their money from a fundraiser. Playboy Playmate Susan Lynn Kiger leads the pack, and Danny Bonaduce even has a somewhat prominent role. Dumb fun. 6 / 10

Dead Man's Shoes (2004) was twitter rec based on some Paddy Considine discussion. Another cool flick I wished I had seen sooner. And one I'd also recommend. Well crafted story of a man who returns to avenge the brutality weighed on his brother by a group of hoodlums. Very worthy Shane Meadows joint. 7 / 10

• May New: 37
• May Re-watch: 4
• May '11 Total: 41
• May '10 Total: 68
• 2011 Total: 309
  

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
  

Polly Says...

Out visiting my girlfriend I don't get much of a chance to view movies. Sometimes we watch a few together but depending on what we have planned it's usually not happening. But she happened to own Along Came Polly (2004) on DVD that was given to her by a friend but hadn't seen. I suggested we watch it b/c I actually like this film and thought she'd also enjoy it. Fortunately she did. Success! 7/10

• April New: 0
• April Re-watch: 1
• April '11 Total: 1
• April '10 Total: 68
• 2011 Total: 230
  

Machine Bee Undead

Android (1982) has Klaus Kinski playing god on a space station, creating life in the form of, yes, androids. His world gets mussed when some wanted criminals take refuge, and our lead android (uncredited Don Keith Opper) begins to explore his humanity. Enjoyed the viewing. Its soft rock soundtrack had me wondering about humanity too. I may have picked up the one-sheet of this a while back. On Netflix Instant. 6/10

The Green Hornet (2011) is the film that should have never been. And it shows. No need to dissect its long tumultuous history here because it's not very interesting. Nor is this film. With the notable exception of Jay Chou, this Hornet fires blanks. Maybe the first Rogen character I dislike. And it has potential but where is Gondry in this? The year is young but this will likely be one of the bigger disappointments of 2011. 6/10

Received Les Revenants (2004) a.k.a. They Came Back from Netflix under the guise of a fresh take on zombies. Instead we're treated with people who die but come back to life as vacant shells of their former selves. Not really anything zombie-ish about it. But it is interesting albeit more on the slow-paced side of things. Kinda thought the pacing was leading up to something grand but not really. 6/10

The Tomb (1986) tumbles but never falls. Directed by Fred Olen Ray, our characters find themselves in a… tomb. Okay, not quite. Basically a tomb is robbed of its artifacts and an evil vampire queen (the sexy Michelle Bauer) comes to America to enact revenge. Watched via Instant streaming but have on VHS somewhere. Not terrible. 5.7/10

• January New: 36
• January Re-watch: 3
• January '11 Total: 39
• January '10 Total: 51
• 2010 TOTAL: 39
  

Hell in a Elevator

I ordered Hellevator (2004) a.k.a. Gusher No Binds Me a.k.a. The Bottled Fools from Neflix because I very curious to see another performance by Luchino Fujisaki, who is wonderful in Edmund Yeo's Kingyo (2009). And altho she's not given that much to do in Hellevator, Luchino is very good here, her first feature film. The film itself is very interesting. The director Hiroki Yamaguchi was awarded a limited budget based on a short he did and was able to create a convincing dystopian future in where everyone lives inside a giant structure with hundreds of floors for living, shopping, prison, etc. The effects & props are believable. The film focuses on one elevator full of passengers when things go awry when a couple of violent prisoners are boarded. I was engaged the entire time wondering how this would resolve. Very solid watch. Yamaguchi demonstrates a very promising style and eye for direction; sadly Yamaguchi hasn't gone on to direct anything else. Edmund told me that Yamaguchi was the one who introduced him to Luchino. Also interesting that Luchino replaced her given name "Rukino" with her character name from Hellevator. 6.5/10

Then late night viewing on NWI with Cherry 2000 (1987), a futuristic tale of one man's quest to repair his broken android bride (Pamela Gidley) by searching the wastelands outside of the city. Melanie Griffith becomes his escort to help fight off the bandits. Lots of familiar faces throughout. Decent watch. 6/10

• December New: 40
• December Re-watch: 3
• December Total: 43
• 2010 TOTAL: 760
  

Mystery Kids

It's Wednesday and you know what that means: Horror Movie Night! The selection tonight was Ed Hunt's Bloody Birthday (1981). Gotta hand it to Brian Kelley for the stellar programming. This is an evil children flick that I hadn't seen but since I have a fondness for such films, I was excited to sit down with this one. Definitely a cool flick about 3 kids born on the same day during a total eclipse. By age 10 they have intentions of murder. Fun! 6.5/10

From Netflix I had Gregg Araki's Mysterious Skin (2004) which I think I added to my queue because of Araki and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who I heard was good in this. And this is true because I don't think this would be the easiest performance to pull off convincingly. Essentially JGL's character is molested as a child and grows up to be a male prostitute. Some intense scenes and not a film I could watch often. 7/10

• December New: 36
• December Re-watch: 3
• December Total: 39
• 2010 TOTAL: 756
  

Only The Lonely

Last movie I watched with my girlfriend was Jun Ichikawa's Tony Takitani (2004), a film I've had for a while but just haven't seen. Man, this is a very depressing film but excellent performances by Issei Ogata and Rie Miyazawa, who does double duty as Tony's wife and replacement muse. Definitely a different film but well worth the watch. Recommended. 7/10

• November New: 51
• November Re-watch: 6
• November Total: 57
• 2010 TOTAL: 715
  

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
  

Wired for Sound

After sitting on this documentary for so long I finally spun it up. James Marsh's harrowing Man on Wire (2008) is everything you've heard it is (and remains the highest rated film at Rotten Tomatoes, as of this writing). What makes it so compelling is the realization that in a post-9/11 world, this high wire feat on the twin towers could never happen (at least how they pulled it off back in 1974). Captivating throughout.

From NWI, dug into the DC Universe animated feature Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010). Very solid storyline of an alternate Earth where the "heroes" are really the villains. Lex Luthor travels to our Earth to enlist the aid of the Justice League to save the alternate Earth. Decent animation & story w/solid voice work altho why they chose Billy Baldwin over Kevin Conroy for Batman is beyond me. Conroy is the voice the Batman! Like other recent DC animated features, it's quite violent. Thankfully.

Also on NWI I took several notes during The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made (2004) marking those I haven't seen. Surprisingly, many of the films featured in this I have seen (most are bad cinema staples). If you enjoy bad movies this is a worth watching to notate the films for future viewings.

• June New: 50
• June Re-watch: 6
• June Total: 56
• 2010 TOTAL: 379
  

A Fantasy Inside

Now that I'm home I could finally wrap some Netflix DVDs. Finished Frazetta - Painting with Fire (2003), a heartbreaking documentary about this legendary artist that recently passed away. I know I'm not the only one who grew up idolizing Frank Frazetta but seeing this makes me appreciate his talent that much more (if it were possible). I could eulogize on and on about the impact Frazetta had on my life but I won't. I think everyone with even a passing interest in art should view this doc. I'll probably end up buying the 2-disc set.


Another overdue Netflix watch was David Schmoeller's excellent creepfest Tourist Trap (1979) featuring Chuck Connors in a delightfully creepy role as a curator for closed roadside attraction full of animatronic characters. A young Tanya Roberts co-stars and is delicious in her daisy dukes and tube top. Great watch!

Then direct on NWI I mustered enough attention to view the direct to video Lady Death - The Motion Picture (2004). I was a pseudo-fan of Lady Death during the 90s, more intrigued by the imagery than the actual comic books. She was the poster child for the "bad girl" movement in the 90s. But ever since this film was released I've only heard bad things. But in the end I actually kinda liked this low budget animated flick. It's in no way a good film but I could dig it.

• May New: 53
• May Re-watch: 12
• May Total: 65
• 2010 TOTAL: 320
  

Junk Food for the Soul

Added another Asylum flick to my seen list with 30,000 Leagues Under the Sea (2007) featuring the always low-budget capable Lorenzo Lamas. Seriously, I devour Asylum films like junk food. Bad for you but hard to resist sometimes... and feeling a little shitty afterwards.


Prompted by an earlier tweet today by @Gholson, I queued up I Like Killing Flies (2004) via NWI. What a wonderful, quirky documentary about this little dive Shopsin's in Greenwich Village. So glad I ate before viewing this because goddamn the dishes presented here are incredible. Fun documentary and definitely another one for my favorite foodie flicks. Highly recommended.

• May New: 7
• May Re-watch: 3
• May Total: 10
• 2010 TOTAL: 265
  

House of Holmes

April Re-Watch Film: House of Flying Daggers (2004). For a movie such as this (i.e. bold colors & action) I expected a better print on the blu-ray. Still enjoy this film but liked it better theatrically on the big screen (like Zhang Yimou's other strikingly colorful Hero).


Because it's expiring tomorrow on NWI, I chose King Kung Fu (1976), which is fairly awful spoof film in the line of They Call Me Bruce and others from around that time. This is another one that might have been better esp. w/knock-out model Maxie Gray as "Rae Fay" but even her running around in a bikini isn't enough to make this watchable.

Right on schedule Asylum releases a film to compliment to recent RDJr/Guy Ritchie Holmes flick by releasing Sherlock Holmes (2010) DTV. And as you'd expect from Asylum it's not very good. That said I thought it was okay as another take on a younger Holmes sans any real quality mystery. And they found a way to incorporate crappy CG dinosaurs and monsters! Go Asylum!

• April New: 38
• April Re-watch: 30
• April Total: 68
• 2010 TOTAL: 255
  

Just Run Away, Alice

Headed out for the early screening of Floria Sigismondi's The Runaways (2010) at Village Crossing. Lots to love in this film besides the dead-on 70s look & feel. Kristen Stewart & Dakota Fanning are quite good. Also Michael Shannon & Riley Keough were great. Only real disappointment was the lack of any characterization or story around Lita Ford, who I've always considered 2nd best legacy from The Runaways.

After that went over to Kerasotes Showplace 12 to be underwhelmed by Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (2010). Maybe because I was fighting the sleepies (or just bored) this film didn't work for me. Mia Wasikowska makes a good Alice but wasn't thrilled with Depp, Carter or Hathaway. Always nice to see Crispin Glover but that's about it for this one. Typical Burton vibe & theatrics but a whole lotta meh.

Rested up I braced myself for the deeply saddening The Cove (2009). Been putting off viewing this one due to the content even tho I know it's one that must be watched. Do yourself a solid and watch this film. The drama of documenting the video evidence of mass slaughter of dolphins in Taiji is intense throughout. It is required viewing for everyone.

Needing an emotional break after that I dropped in the period piece shark attack flick 12 Days of Terror (2004). Like the premise (shark attack off pre-war New Jersey at the turn of the century) but again the execution fails as the terror wasn't very terrifying. Wonder if John Rhys-Davies even cares anymore about the roles he takes.


Unsatisfied I went back to another Andy Sidaris staple in Do or Die (1991), featuring both Pat Morita (as the villain) and Erik Estrada (as a hero) as the two top-billed leads even tho Sidaris' stable of beauties & brawn carry the majority of the film (and I just love Roberta Vasquez). As I exclaimed on twitter, "Walking cane rocket launcher, baseball bomb, RC helicopter w/missiles, homoerotica, T&A, awful ADR... must be an Andy Sidaris flick!" That sums up this flick. Love it. Like the rest of Sidaris' catalog it's now unavailable. [sadface]

Terminal Velocity

Going into Spielberg's The Terminal (2004) I will admit to not being all that enthusiastic about it based on what I knew and the trailers. Nor was I all that keen on seeing Hanks playing the fish out of water foreigner. But something happened as I watched... I was taken in by the story and wonderful acting. Didn't realize that Diego Luna & Zoe Saldana were in this or how incredibly stunning Catherine Zeta-Jones would be. On record as stating this is the best she has ever looked. Tho I had a few problems with the film, glad it didn't have a Hollywood ending (as much as I kinda wanted it). Thanks to my low expectations I was impressed.


Dipping back into the early 80s sci-fi adventure genre I opted for Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983), which I expected would be another one I'd enjoy. Instead I was rather bored by it despite the inclusion of Michael Ironside. Molly Ringwald is cute and Peter Strauss is good but overall it just didn't come together very well. Disappointing. Can't believe this was released in 3-D.

Shark Alarm! Shark Alarm!

Retitled as Shark Attack in the Mediterranean (2004), this is one damn hilarious German shark attack film! Ralf Moeller stars as the guy that wants to avenge the murder of his wife by a giant shark living in the Mediterranean sea. SOLD!