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
  

Road Rage

Another Netflix expiration casualty was Wicked Little Things (2006), a slightly interesting horror film with hillbilly cannibal kids or, ahem, fine young cannibals. Also a very early Chloe Moretz role. Watchable. 6/10

Muvico time for Nic Cage and Amber Heard in Drive Angry 3D (2011). No 2D option. Didn't have high expectations but was expecting to like it more than I did. Overall thought it was just okay. But Heard and William Fichtner elevate their material. Cage was sleepwalking. 6.8/10

My awesome evening viewing: Point Blank (1967) with the even awesomer Lee Marvin. Holy shit do I like this flick. If it exists on blu-ray, I will buy it. Angie Dickinson is also terrific. 7.5/10

• February New: 56
• February Re-watch: 8
• February '11 Total: 64
• February '10 Total: 61
• 2011 TOTAL: 155
  

Movie Night '11 #1

Deep Space (1987) kicked off my early morning viewing on NWI. Really gotta love Netflix for bringing a lot of these old OOP titles on streaming. This is a Fred Olen Ray flick, which my capsule should end there. But hey Charles Napier is the star along with the hot Ann Turkel. Oh Bo Svenson and Julie Newmar are also in this. And Ron Glass! This is a monster flick and it's not bad. Lots of people get killed as Napier tries to hunt it down. 5.7/10

Condor (1986) was next via NWI starring Ray Wise with an android (female) partner trying to stop an evil android (female) ex-prisoner. This was a made-for-TV movie and it shows. Not a bad watch for early morning but nothing special. Does feature a fun dragster race! 5.5/10

After several hours of sleep I headed over to Ron's for a impromptu movie night to celebrate his birthday. First movie night of 2011! Sadly no one else could make but whatever. We still had a good time with the blu-rays I brought.

Ninja (2009) was the first blu up so we could watch with the kids, who apparently had seen it before even tho Ron had not. Weird. Anyways, this is the Isaac Florentine helmed throwback film featuring Scott Adkins in a plot you'd see in an 80s ninja flick. Ninja school, bad egg ninja gets kicked outta school and becomes supervillain hired by a secret cult that controls the underworld. I said the only thing missing was a "Cannon Video" logo before the film. Really fun and so much better than the lifeless Ninja Assassin. 6.8/10

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006) was next up thanks to Amazon UK offering the all-region blu-ray. Been looking forward to finally watching this low budget thriller and it delivers. Directed by Jonathan Levine, you can tell this movie was made a few years ago because Amber Heard and Whitney Able (she of Monsters) look so young. 7/10

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978) was our final film on blu-ray for the night. It's considered a Shaw Brothers classic and it comes pretty close to that. Much of the film is really a long training exercise but it's very entertaining. Lo Lieh is the evil general but he really doesn't get that much screen time. 6.8/10

• January New: 20
• January Re-watch: 2
• January '11 Total: 22
• January '10 Total: 51
• 2010 TOTAL: 22
  

Mile High Dining

There was a little buzz on Twitter about Altitude (2010) and how the DVD cover gives away the main plot point. Still looked interesting enough and it's not terrible but really an overblown Twilight Zone story. Jessica Lowndes is the lead and super attractive. Other than that a whole lotta meh. 5.5/10

Been wanting to see Legend of the Black Scorpion (2006) a.k.a. The Banquet since Harry Knowles first gabbed about it. Not sure how it remained off my radar for so long considering it stars Ziyi Zhang and Daniel Wu. Had high expectations and despite some incredible cinematography, the movie falls flat. It's loose retelling of Hamlet but not nearly as effective as beautiful as it is to watch. 6.6/10

• November New: 34
• November Re-watch: 3
• November Total: 37
• 2010 TOTAL: 695
  

The Magical Maddening

Strange is the only way to describe today's viewing. Beginning with Al Adamson's Carnival Magic (1982). Features a creepy car-driving, talking chimp put in harm's way by an evil doctor. It's up to Markov (Don Stewart) to rally the carnies and save Alex the chimp. Bizarre and fascinating. Thank you, TCM Underground, for bringing this one to us. 6.4/10

Next up Guy Maddin's spooky mind trip Brand Upon the Brain (2006), on Criterion no less. Another captivating watch with great atmosphere and narration. Weird fantasy about a Guy returning to his childhood home and dealing with a very dysfunctional family that extracts brain juice from orphans to remain young. I *think* that's what's going on. Disc set is great as it includes the live narrations from Isabella Rossellini and Crispin Glover. I listened to a little of those w/the film. 6.9/10

From my library network I finally received the VHS of D.A.R.Y.L. (1985), another 80s film I hadn't seen. Like the premise but it could use an update. Overall decent viewing. 6.4/10

• November New: 18
• November Re-watch: 0
• November Total: 18
• 2010 TOTAL: 676
  

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
  

Cruising Tomorrow

No clue why I put off viewing Mission Impossible III (2006) this long but that was a sad mistake. Cruise control is rock solid. Orci + Kurtzman + Abrams is a winning combination. Always love seeing Maggie Q but Keri Russell really shines.


I can say this about James Kerwin's Yesterday Was a Lie (2008); it looks good and is quite ambitious. That aside this film is muddled in an overly convoluted story that begins interesting enough but peters off until you realize that you no longer care. I don't care the how the psycho-analysts what to read into some deeper message. I get that and it still doesn't work.

• July New: 6
• July Re-watch: 1
• July Total: 7
• 2010 TOTAL: 394
  

OG Mega Piranha

When I initially rec'd Sinful (2006) from Netflix I wondered why the hell I added this DVD to my queue. Then I remembered some recent browsing leading to Misty Mundae films and this was one of the few Netflix actually carried. A bit of departure from the soft porn horror parodies she does but sadly a misstep. The film never leaves the launching pad. Film is only 73 minutes long but feels twice as long. Skip it.


James Cameron's Piranha II: The Spawning (1981) is much more style! Many will cite JAWS as paving the way for animal attack films but truly this flick is the hallmark of the ridiculously cheesy monster animal flicks we have today. Seriously, flying killer fish?! Hells yes. Love this film.

Some real late viewing with The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) on Watch Instantly. Not sure if I like this more than the original Muppets film watching it so many years later but it's still a lot of fun.

• July New: 4
• July Re-watch: 1
• July Total: 5
• 2010 TOTAL: 392
  

Another Ghost Story

Was a little surprised that my library had Lamberto Bava's Ghost Son (2006). This film is Paul Solet's Grace before he made Grace. Yet it lacks the execution and true horror that makes Grace so good. Bava's attempt at baby horror is more silly than effective as the story involves a dead man returning to possess the soul of his unborn baby. Why this man would suddenly turn evil is never really explained. What this film does have going for it is lots of Laura Harring nudity(!). That might have been the only thing keeping my interest. Oh, and there's Pete Postlethwaite!

Went out to Streets of Woodfield for the late showing of Toy Story 3 (2010). After experiencing that obnoxious crowd (mostly teens) I probably won't be doing that again. Fortunately I still enjoyed the film immensely. Already expect to place this one in my top ten for 2010. Such a rich & emotional film. Thank you, Pixar!

• June New: 46
• June Re-watch: 6
• June Total: 52
• 2010 TOTAL: 375
  

All The Pretty Horses

Recently checked out Leonard Maltin's 151 Best Movies You've Never Seen book and started noted the films I haven't seen. One was the Paul Weitz film American Dreamz (2006), which is a satire of American Idol. Great cast and good intentions but not quite the homerun I was expected based on Maltin's glowing review. But I will watch anything with Willem Dafoe and almost anything with Dennis Quaid. Wish this one was more memorable.


Now for a much better film and one I had heard so much about out of the festival circuit all of last year, the Aussie revenge thriller The Horseman (2008), directed by Steven Kastrissios and starring the dynamic Peter Marshall in the lead. Wow. This is one powerful & intense flick! One that has you cringing with every encounter as Christian (Marshall) chops his way thru his victims seeking vengeance & retribution for crimes against his daughter. It really is the journey about what lengths a father would endure. Highly recommended.

• June New: 40
• June Re-watch: 6
• June Total: 46
• 2010 TOTAL: 369
  

Kiss Unmasked

Despite the capable cast (Clu Gulager!) Feast II: Sloppy Seconds (2008) fails to live up to excitement and general entertainment in the original Feast. Film takes place right where the first movie left us... but here the monsters have consumed a town and again a group of survivors struggle to, ahem, stay alive. Has a few okay moments but tries way to hard to please & disgust.

Finally caught up with Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire (2009) directed by Lee Daniels. Maybe I just wasn't in the best viewing mood but this film didn't strike the right chord with me. Yes, I think it's a solid film but the alt-universe visualization stuff didn't work for me. All the acting is excellent so I've already decided I will have to watch this again under better circumstances.


Missed this on NWI but was fortunate to get a copy from my library. Had to see this after GeekCouch watched it twice in one week raving about it. No question Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) is an entertaining horror thriller with an unique docu-drama approach. Good times!

• June New: 17
• June Re-watch: 2
• June Total: 19
• 2010 TOTAL: 342
  

Unleash Hell in an Arrow

For Memorial Day, I jumped into a packed Showplace 12 cinemas for a packed viewing of Ridley Scott's Robin Hood (2010) with his favorite muse of recent years in Russell Crowe. Originally lost interest in this film after the early reviews reporting a disappointment among critics. But @Schofizzy's championing of the film sold me. Glad I made the leap; this is a sold flick albeit a little too serious. A better title would've been "Robin Hood Begins" as this tells the story before the Robin Hood you've seen time and time again. I appreciated that. Not a great film but highly watchable w/a few good sequences. And Crowe doesn't overact here, which is a plus.

On NWI I struggled thru the anime OVA Karas - The Prophecy (2006). It wasn't the dubbed version that NWI served up that made this nearly unwatchable but rather the general convoluted plotline that plagues many adventurous anime features. For the entire 90 minutes I truly had no idea what was going on. The melding of CG & traditional animation looks good but that's about all I can say. Have no interest in watching part two.


Finally my last film of May I reached back into Watch Instantly for another mutant animal attack trash feature in Razortooth (2007 - São Paulo International Film Festival). The mutant animal in this one is a killer eel that somehow is mobile on land. Yeah, it's that kind of stupidity. And why I can enjoy this kind of film. Pretty dumb stuff but my kind of dumb. Appropriate way to end the month of May.

• May New: 56
• May Re-watch: 12
• May Total: 68
• 2010 TOTAL: 323
  

Not Very Super or Heroic

Still at my parents home I watched Zoom - Academy for Superheroes (2006) and realized about 10 minutes into it that I had already seen this not-so-stellar family flick about misfit children superheroes. Yeah, quite forgettable even for me. A little sad that a film with Tim Allen, Chevy Chase & Courteney Cox could be so bad but not surprising either.

Didn't watch any more films after returning home since I had to finish off the 3 hour Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains final episode/reunion. Another disappointing end.

• May New: 36
• May Re-watch: 6
• May Total: 42
• 2010 TOTAL: 297
  

Deliver Me Unto Evil

April Re-Watch Film: Deliverance (1972). Picked up the blu-ray from my library as I've been wanting to revisit for some time now. The opening Dueling Banjo sequence w/Ronny Cox will remain one of the greatest classic moments in film. Sadly the BD print isn't so great (again, typical of 70s films).

From Netflix I received Jekyll + Hyde (2006). As you easily guessed it's a modern retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel. But unfortunately not a very good retelling. Actually it's just annoying. If there's a saving grace (not really) it's watching Bree Turner twist and turn onscreen. Man, do I love that girl. She's like a younger Alicia Coppola, whom I also adore. Anyhoo, this movie stinks.

• April New: 35
• April Re-watch: 26
• April Total: 61
• 2010 TOTAL: 248
  

April Movie Night - NWI

April Re-Watch Film: The Thin Man (1934). Bought the Collection and was craving to watch again. William Powell & Myrna Loy = best onscreen couple evah.


Headed out to home of Yellowclaw for our scheduled movie night and fired up the twitter talk of the town: Don Dohler's Nightbeast (1982) on Netflix Watch Instantly (all the films we watched were via NWI!). Goddamn this is one helluva great horrible film, magnified by watching it in a group. I could go on & on about this one but go download the bonus episode that Gentlemen's Guide to Midnight Cinema (Samurai) recorded w/Mile (ShowShow) & Rupert (Tallyteer). This is one film that deserves that kind of special treatment.

Next via NWI, Taxidermia (2006), which I couldn't even begin to adequately explain as I'm not even certain what I watched. It was definitely "something" as I commented after our viewing. Worth adding to your queue if you like the foreign weird.

Been saving Bronson (2009 - US) for a movie night and it's been difficult to not watch sooner esp. after it hit NWI. But it made for an excellent watch and perfect for our night. What else needs to be said about Tom Hardy, who is just masterful here. Fucking great film. Watch it already if you haven't seen it. Hell, watch it again.

• April New: 17
• April Re-watch: 10
• April Total: 27
• 2010 TOTAL: 214
  

Just Say No on Fleet Street

April Re-Watch Film: Dr. No (1963 - US). Two words: Ursula Andress. Buy: James Bond (11-Movie Collection) [Blu-ray]



From my library: Sweeney Todd (2006), the BBC TV(!) version starring Ray Winstone as the butchering barber. Damn, this aired on TV in the UK? It's gory & violent as all hell and quite good. Nice to see David Warner again.

• April New: 10
• April Re-watch: 6
• April Total: 16
• 2010 TOTAL: 203
  

Cat Scratch Fever

Thanks to a recent user post on Flickchart I ordered Grandma's Boy (2006). I can see why this film gets the love; it's deeply rooted in early naughts geek culture. Cute flick and super hot Linda Cardellini. Must-see for gaming nerds.

Crossed off another recent blindspot with the Coen Bros.' Burn After Reading (2008). While this film does have its moments and some stellar acting from an ensemble cast, I wasn't in to it. It kinda just ebbs and flows but never peaks. Bit of a disappointment.

Got wind of Uninvited (1988) from my tallyteer friends and knew it was something I had to see. This is one helluva horror flick and maybe the best (only?) one featuring a mutant cat terrorizing a group of people on a yacht. Hilarious attack scenes esp. when George Kennedy gets his ankle chewed. Also features a young Rob Estes (Silk Stalkings anyone?) and the great Clu Gulager.

From a recent /filmcast suggestion, I also watched The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006), the feature anime based on the '94 TV series (& novel). Genuinely a very sweet film with an interesting take on time loop device.