We're in May already, which means JUNESPLOITATION! is less than a month away. 😍🥰 So Patrick must be putting the finishing touches on the June '26 schedule to announce in a couple of weeks. So I'm re-posting A Casual Listener's post from March 23 in this weekend column to try one last push to maybe influence the J! schedule a little bit. Please feel free to post additional suggestions for potential categories in the replies below. 🤓😎
A Casual ListenerMarch 22, 2026 at 3:31 AM Not much going on for movies this week, but Junesploitation has been on my mind. Only around two months left before it begins. I have been thinking about possible categories since the end of last year.
We discussed New York City! as a category on a prior weekend, so why not add Los Angeles!, perhaps the ultimate cinematic city.
South Korea!, one of the centers of genre filmmaking this century.
Private Eyes! From Humphrey Bogart to Bruce Willis, so many to choose from.
Disasters!
Actors to Spotlight:
Robert Forster Franco Nero Lance Hendrickson Linda Blair Donald Pleasance Michelle Yeoh
Chuck Norris was mentioned above as a possible category.
Do you have any other ideas for June?
J.M. VargasMarch 22, 2026 at 4:31 AM I have one: VANITY PROJECTS! We're talking beyond obvious picks like "The Room" and the Vin Diesel "xXx" movies. There are a metric ton of low-to-mid budget flicks (and quite a few Hollywood blockbusters) made by men/women who think they're God's gift to mankind. They star/write/direct/produce films in which they're the center of attention, show their bod (usually cheeks 🫣) and save the day. Some of these performers live up to their own hype, but most of them fall short of their own idealized version of themselves. The fun is suffering through the bad ones to land on the pot of gold some of this turn out to be.
Random examples: "Champagne and Bullets," anything Fred Williamson directed starring himself, the Donahue brothers (Sean and Patrick) stunt showcases, Mark Swetland's "Blood and Steel," etc.
Also, since F This Movie is a Chicago-based blog/podcast, throw CHICAGO PROUD! DAY. Not as many movies as New York or L.A., but the few there are usually come from heavy hitters (John Hughes, Andrew Davis, Brian De Palma, etc.). 🤓
I have one final J! category to push and then I'll shut up... 'till next year. 😛 We've had CANNON DAY! forever and it's wonderful but, like FULCI'S BIRTHDAY!, we could use a break for variety's sake. May l suggest PM ENTERTAINMENT DAY!, a J! day dedicated to the small studio that kept the B-movie big explosions, big stunts, big t+×÷!es in sex scenes and big car chases/flips going well into the 90's, long after Cannon went under. There's plenty of cheap discs and streaming choices (particularly YouTube, l checked), so there's no shortage of product to watch. Thanks for your consideration, Patrick. 😎
OMG....less than a month to Junesploitation! SQUEE!!!!!!!
i started early this morning:
Max Havoc: Curse of the Dragon (2004 Hulu Rifftrax)
What do you get when you combine Caradine doing Bill from Kill Bill, the original Shaft as an antiquity shop owner, and cameos by both Nikki Ziering and Carmen Electra!?! Ill tell you....one of the most boring movies ever. Thank goodness for the Rifftrax gang helping me thru it....the jokes were pretty great for this one.
I would love a Franco Nero day. All your suggestions are great! Cannon day is good because it's such a deep well, but Fulci day is growing thin. I think we had a George Romero day the year he passed, but that would be another good one. There are many good ideas, and I'm sure Patrick will select a bunch of great days! Junesploitation!
There are plenty of other directors to feature for a Junesploitation day. Romero, Walter Hill, Jack Hill, John Carpenter, Dario Argento, Mario Bava, etc.
I suggested Exploitation Autuers last year. Maybe we can make it more specific-- by region/country, by genre-- so that more directors are involved and also allow for a broader choice of films. I've seen nearly every film by some of the more well-known directors, and I try to mainly watch movies the are new to me for Junesploitation. Whatever categories we have, I'm well-researched and ready!
Rewatched James Cameron's THE TERMINATOR (1984, HBO MAX) in 4K. There's a slight revisionist push toward teal color, but otherwise the remastered transfer looks fine. I could have used an option to listen to the OG mono mix (the new weapons/sound effects mix feels out of place), but this remains a mean little sci-fi slasher that punches way above its weight. This and its sequel are the only entries in the franchise that sell the fear that, if a Terminator gets anywhere near its intended target, he/she is dead. Michael Biehn deserved a better career than what he eventually got, but that's Hollywood. 🫤
Last week watched Bob Odenkirk in "Nobody" and had a great time. So rewatched NOBODY 2 (2025, NETFLIX), then chased that with NORMAL (2026, THEATER), all three movies co-written and produced by "John Wick" mastermind Derek Kolstad. I was underwhelmed by "Nobody 2" in theaters because it didn't live up to my high expectations. This rewatch was more fun because the cat's out of the bag and the entire family (not just secret badasses father Bob, his brother RZA and their elder grandfather Christopher Lloyd) gets their hands dirty in the vacation-themed mayhem. Sharon Stone makes for a weak villain boss, but has plenty of hired muscle (Daniel Bernhardt, again!) to compensate. The prequel remains the best, but maybe some streaming viewership love could earn "Nobody 2" some sequel heat. 🥰
With Odenkirk co-writing alongside Kolstad, Ben Wheatley's "Normal" does a lateral and goes for a "Fargo"-meets-"Kill Bill" bloody genre mish-mash that largely succeeds. Unaware that the small town he's working at (Normal, Minnesota) has sold its soul to the Japanese mafia to store its finances, out-of-town Sheriff Ulysses Richardson (Odenkirk, deadpanning simplicity) befriends a couple of bank robbers (Reena Jolly and Brendan Fletcher) who accidentally blow the lid on the town's secrets. As the three-versus-everybody-else shootouts/fights during a winter storm pile on the carnage reaches absurd levels, which leads to a third act that's both unique and fairly predictable. Henry Winkler and Lena Headey have little screen time for how top-billed they are. Worth streaming, eventually. 🙂
"Hell or High Water" director David Mackenzie's latest, FUZE ('26, THEATER), needs to be spoiled to explain what it truly is. But I can't spoil it because not knowing where the plot is going is most of the fun. An unexploded WWII bomb is found buried in the heart of London, and hotshot UK military bomb diffuser Will (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is called to action. As Will and his team struggle to disarm the weapon, some bank robbers take advantage of the evacuated zone's absence of people/electricity to dig a hole into a bank vault. There's more to the plot (lots more), but you'll need to trust me and seek this out to experience the usual 'heist gone bad' tropes mixed with some interesting new wrinkles. This con goes deep and, despite bombing in theaters (get it? 😜), "Fuze" is worth a spoiler-free first impression. Recommended. 😎
Jorma Taccone's OVER YOUR DEAD BODY ('26, THEATER) is what l expect from the director of "MacGruber" and a bunch of SNL Digital Shorts tackling a Tarantino-esque bloodbath. A professional NYC couple (Jason Segel and Samara Weaving) go to their secluded Upstate home to try and mend their failing marriage. But they're secretly plotting to kill each other for insurance money to get them out of debt. And that's before a trio of escaped convicts (including Timothy Olyphant and Juliette Lewis) seek shelter in the same house. Crazy shenanigans ensue, love conquers all, blah, blah, blah. 'It's okay,' but Samara Weaving is getting typecast big time into these types of roles. 🙄
MOTHER MARY ('26, THEATER) finds Anne Hathaway's titular pop diva pushing her former bestie/costume designer (Michaela Cole) to make a great dress for a comeback performance. Old wounds resurface. Nothing (visuals, dialogue, music) makes any sense, but the leads sell this nonsense like pros. Hard pass. 😡
"Normal" is somewhere between the two "Nobody" flicks. Not as good as the first, but has a quirky personality that separates it from the sequel's generic brand feel. Give it an honest shot. 🙃🙂
i reallly liked Nobody.....felt Nobody 2 was fine but forgettable....and yet im still looking forward to Normal but only when free on whatever streaming service i have has it.
Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (a.k.a. Amelie, 2001): The real test of what Jean-Pierre Jeunet could do without Marc Caro. Apparently, the later brought the dark side of things. This is the lightest of light movie, and it was clearly released at the perfect time, as the movie made bank everywhere. People needed cute and fun and they got exactly that. The movie is nothing without the score composed by Yann Tiersen.
F1 - The Movie (2025): I'll be frank, this is not a that good of a movie, but I'm a sucker for racing flicks, so that makes it good. I have to admit that Kosinski knows how to film pretty pictures, the race parts are very exciting. Fun fact, the blu-ray has the Apple logo on the spine. Where's the sequel with Brad Pitt doing the Baja Race?
In the Mouth of Madness (1994): Let's continue the Sam-Neill-goes-crazy trilogy with some John Carpenter goodness (the other one being Even Horizon). And Vigo from Ghostbuster 2 is here too.
Time After Time (1979): Accidental David Warner double bill, and of course he's doing a bad guy. Another one of those classics that eluded me for many years. I always enjoy watching Malcolm McDowell, so it had to happen at some point. They spend a lot of time with HG Wells discovering the modern world, which is a movie trope I'm not a fan of. I feel it could've been cut in favor of the story of him chasing the bad guy. Also, Mary Steenburgen certainly has a thing for time travelers.
Soldier (1998): Arrow is doing the Lord's work by releasing these kinds of movies on 4k. Another one that's being reevaluated almost 30 years later (at least by me). I always liked it, but it was the kind of sci-fi schlock that were mostly ignored back then. I don't think Kurt Russell has ever been that buff. Did they overestimate Kurt's appeal? Or were people pissed that he barely talked? Maybe the PTSD angle was too much? It's only 98 minutes, with credits, which is surprising considering the amount of stuff happening. Also, this is another Arrow release with a good Heath Holland video essay.
And a bunch of Chuck Norris from my 5-pack set while working. Delta Force, Missing In Action 1-2, and Lonewolf McQuade. All fun stuff.
I 💖 "Amelie." My then-best friend got married overseas in 2001. When he came home to the States with his speaking Spanish-only wife, l borrowed her for an afternoon and took her to a Times Square theater playing "Amelie" (which l'd already seen). We sat in the back of the theater and l translated the entire movie from subtitled English to whispered-in-her-ear Spanish. That's how much l wanted to share "Amelie" with anyone l could. 🥰
Arrow 4K for "Mouth of Madness"? Not sure "Soldier' deserves the Arrow 4K treatment, but neither does "Mouth" and the latter is stacked with quality transfer, extras, packaging... the works. 😎
"Time After Time" is a favorite of JB's. It's a-OK. And what else can you say about Norris. What he lacked in acting and charisma Chuck compensated for.with roundhouse kicks and thousand-yard stares Dude was a legend long before he decided to give the Grim Reaper a chance to catch-up. 😝
I'm happy with my 1080p Blu-ray of "Big Trouble." You know, not everything has to be owned in 4K... [says the guy that just got a call from Barnes & Noble to let him know his order for Arrow "Innerspace" 4K and Indicator's newest Jean Rollin 4K releases are available for pick-up]... sometimes 480p is just good enough. 🤨🫤
My copy of Innerspace hasn't shipped yet. The place I bought it say they received the order late. I'm very annoyed, but they're cheap, so i tolerate it
I spent a lot of time in France around 2002 and 2003. It was hard to escape Amélie during that time. Definitely a big hit around the world, too.
The statement about a film coming at the right time got me thinking about K-Pop Demon Hunters. It seems like, amidst all of the turmoil of 2025, people were eager for well-made escapist entertainment to get lost in.
I met my future wife in 2001 and the first movie we went to see was Amelie. I could barely understand Quebecois french at that time, and France french was undecipherable. I didn't understand a word, but quite enjoyed it. Being with a beautiful woman who was into me probably helped a lot. I should rewatch it sometime, now that I do understand french (but still have some trouble with the European dialect).
When The Mouth of Madness came out, there were rumours in our high school that it might actually make people go crazy after watching it! Pretty funny in retrospect.
Aww, Paul C., that's so romantic. 🥰 Not knowing French is a strike, but "Amelie" is such a visually interesting movie and the acting so broad (in a good way... no subtlety whatsoever) you can still get what's happening without understanding dialogue. 🤗🫠
Radio-Canada is on AM radio from Toronto (860 khz) during the night, Paul. I have listened to it for close to 20 years now. Many of my drives home from the drive-in have had that on as a companion and to help me keep awake.
Quebecois French is definitely distinct. The pronunciation of European French is faster and far less clear. I remember saying to someone during my time in France that the language sounded like mumbling (marmonner). I do not think my comment was appreciated. Developing the ear for it takes time.
I went to cinemas a lot in France. It was necessary to get used to watching a non-English movie with French subtitles.
I wish I was a skillful with French as I was back then. The pandemic was the last time I really devoted any effort to using the language.
With the buzz around a new and "final" Jackass flick this summer i felt like going back to the beginning and revisiting a bunch. The Vol 1-3 collect a bunch of the original MTv show bits. Pretty insane to realize that these crazy crazy people have been doing this for decades. I was most pleasantly surprised with the revisit to the 3rd movie. I think its probably a highpoint: SteveO newly sober, the entire crew is still together, Dunn is still alive, and theres SO many bits. Most of all the post credits is packed with extra bits and some realllly sweet photos plus a special tune in the very final moments that feels like they were under the belief it was the true finale.
As for the upcoming new one: hrmm...im of course interested but am checking expectations as Knoxville/SteveO have tempered expectations that at least half of this movie is a clip show revisit. To me it doesnt exactly feel like a cash grab but maybe a more polite way of saying it is its an opportunity to make the core group and "new" crew a bit more money on the IP before bowing out. What a long strange trip its been.
Only seen one "Jackass" movie, the newest one that was in 3D. It was fine, but can't fathom more movies and a television series' worth of "Jackass" that wouldn't outstay its welcome almost immediately. 🤕🥴
This week I have had to resist the urge to start gathering discs for June watches. Though I know what titles I would like to get to, the categories will determine what actually gets watched.
I'm going opposite route than Casual (the Kunider way! 😅). Stacking up on discs so l have plenty for June, leftovers for October and everything else in-between. After all, for some of us exploitation movies are a year-round viewing option. 😊😪
ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES (1971) This is supposed to be the funny one, and it does have a wacky ape shopping montage, but it’s another downbeat, dreary ending for these movies. Then I went and followed it up with…
CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (1972) And this one gets even darker and more grim. These ape movies have all contained metaphors for civil rights struggles, but this one really goes at it with the heavy hand.
POLTERGEIST (1982) Tobe Hooper goodness!
PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (2004) No, it’s not the perfect adaptation. But it’s Shumaker, so the costumes and sets are a wonder.
DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS (2000) The great thing about this movie is its subtlety.
AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDMEMBER (2002) Apologies for being sacrilegious, but I don’t think I’m an Austin Powers guy. There’s maybe 1 1/3 worth of good comedy across these three movies.
THE TERMINATOR (1984) Let’s all go to Tech Noir tonight!
I love the whole "Austin Powers" trilogy! 🥵😢 That said, by "Goldmember" they were running on fumes toward the end after recycling/repeating the same jokes and running recurring gags into the ground. The opening third, though, especially the pre-credits "movie," young Austin/Dr. Evil school years and Dr. Evil and Mini-Me in prison? Still fire, IMHO. 😅 But "International Man of Mystery" and "Spy Who Shagged Me"? Stone-cold comedy classics from start to finish, me says.😍😇
There was no social media, so it was possible to still be surprised by movies. The post-credit "movie" had everybody in the theater laughing their asses off. Every cameo was a genuine surprise.
Social media or not (Hollywood trade papers and celebrity gossip media have been around for more than a century), the fact "Goldmember" managed to keep all those celebrity cameos at the beginning a secret until opening day was a miracle. Even today, watching YouTube reactors looking at "Goldmember" for the first time is fun because they can't believe they didn't know. 🙃🙂
I pretty much dismissed Austin Powers when they first came out and I think I only saw one. But Mike Myers has grown on me a lot and I love them a lot now. Same with Wayne's World. I'll never come around on Shrek though. That's just shit. Even my young kids didn't like it when I played Shrek the one time, and they would watch anything. It seems to be beloved, but only by people born within a 4 year window.
It's unfortunate that Mike Myers, one of the great Canadian comedians, somehow lost it at one point. I guess comedy changed a bit, and he couldn't adapt.
Also, those are my 2 favourite Apes movies. So good.
The Blade (1995): Tsui Hark, Criterion, 4k. What else do you need? It was kind of a blind buy, as I've seen Hark movies over the years, but not this one. A friend of mine confirmed it was good, my impulsiveness did the rest. It's so weird to see this kind of movie from Criterion, they're usually at Shout. Tsui Hark is out there man, some of the shots are bonkers. Like in the big fight at the end of the first act, our hero is rolling on the floor, and the camera rolls with him. The entire scene is crazy and intense, ending with the guy jumping off a cliff.
Green Card (1990). I was watching this, and was quite enjoying it, and thinking, "goddamn, Patrick is right, Madeleine Stowe is an amazing actress in this. She's conveying everything through her face." BUTTTTTTT, it's not Stowe, but rather Andie MacDowell. She's great. The sex criminal, Depardieu...I kind of liked. France's #1 sex symbol? That loafy guy? I kind of get it now. He does have a weird charm. His casting in 1492: Conquest of Paradise (a movie I like) makes more sense.
I dig "Conquest of Paradise," Ridley Scott being historically ambitious as eff without pulling "Napoleon" made-up BS, and Vangelis at the top of his game (that score! 😍🥰). Depardieu is fine, but that stacked supporting cast (Weaver, Rey, Assante, Wincott, Karyo, Langella, Dunne, Vosloo, etc.)? Just too good to pass up. 😎
Never seen "Green Card." I actually remember TV ads for it on Letterman actively turning me off from even wanting to see it. 🙄
Green Card is an ok rom com. Which isn't a genre I normally gravitate to, but I really enjoyed this one. I think liking it depends a lot on whether Depardieux's boyish charm works for you. Maybe my years spent living in Quebec warmed me up to that vibe.
Conquest of Paradise is perhaps my favourite score ever. In the movie they play the main theme with the big sailing ships setting out and unfurling the sails. My favourite music over-top of my favourite type of scene. I'm a big sucker for historical epics and while it has issues, there's just so much to love about 1492. Plus it's my main man Ridley Scott.
Wow, l forgot the Salkinds (producers of the first few "Superman" movies) made a competing 1992 Christopher Columbus movie to go up against "1492: Conquest of Paradise" (the 500th anniversary of Columbus "finding" Anerica). Mario Puzo screenplay? John '007' Glen directing? MARLON BRANDO/TOM SELLECK/BENICIO DEL TORO in the cast??!! 🥵🤯 This might be worth watching in June! 😁
"Christopher Columbus: The Discovery": https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103962/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_10_tt_4_nm_4_in_0_q_columbus 🥴🤓
I've been wanting to watch that too! I assume it's not very good, because it seems largely forgotten, but I'll give it a chance. I know Christopher Columbus isn't really "in vogue" anymore (and for good reason), but I love movies about exploration in the new world. They just tickle my childhood fascination with that period in history.
Lol, I did inadvertently put a French spin on your name. And agree, he is a monster. It's pretty easy for me to separate the sexual criminal from the character, but maybe it shouldn't be. I'm just glad that more attention is being paid to this stuff so that those people aren't as prevalent as they used to be. At least I hope so. I'm not in the industry, so I don't know. Me Too called out a bunch of the worst well-known ones. Hopefully that has trickled down to make that behaviour less accepted in general.
Funny thing about my nickname, i got it from a french phrase "aucune idée" (no idea) 😁
I separate the work and the artist, because I don't have a choice if i still want to enjoy movies nowadays. I watch Mission Cleopatre at least once a year.
As is the case with lots of teens, i went thru a brief WWF (or whatever name its changed to over time) phase in Jr High which happened to coincide with the birth of Wrestlemania and Hulks launch to superstardom. That, combined with my love of documentaries, was enough for me to check this out. I was concerned that since he was directly involved in the documentary that it would just be a "yay hulk!" doc. And, for 3 of the 4 episodes, this documentary focuses on Hulks rises and falls within the wrestling world always painting him in a generally good light (even steroid reveals are kinda brushed over as 'it was what we did at the time'). Its nothing super deep but an interesting look at the creation of in-arguably one of the biggest sports celebrities of all time. Then...seemingly out of nowhere... episode 4 delves, almost wikipedia list like, into alot of non wrestling personal stuff, most of which does not paint a good picture. Im not going to list here as much of the content was new to me. In the end i found the documentary fascinating and a bit like a WWF wrestling match: manufactured to interweave drama, humor, evil, good, fun, conflict and more...all to entertain.
JM: great question...hrmm....i think the answer is yes but you have to be relatively interested in the history of performative wrestling as his path coincides with its path. Its sort of the evolution of a new form of entertainment AND its iconic entertainer.
I haven't seen it, but had a friend at work strongly recommended it. He was saying it really shows how his real life and his persona eventually blended together that he couldn't separate the two. He also said it was directed by Werner Herzog (which isn't true), so take that with a grain of salt lol.
I also had a wrestling phase, where we would stage fights ourselves in the playground at lunch time. We watched Wrestlemania 3 at a friends birthday party. I wasn't super into it, but it was fun.
On this lazy sunday, waiting for the big Tampa Bay-Montreal game tonight, I had another Shout! Hong Kong Classics marathon.
The Big Heat (1988) was extremely violent. Like a guy getting hit by two cars, dropping off the highway to another one, and getting a couple more times.
Once A Thief (1991) was good, and a much lighter tone from the other one. It's a John Woo film, so of course there's a few gunfights.
Prison On Fire 1 & 2 (1987 & 1991) No gunfights or big action set piece. That's a nice change of pace from the others. There's also very little fires in these movies.
We went to watch Project Hail Mary last Sunday. Loved it. Feels like a movie I'll re-watch often.
I re-watched Das Boot last weekend. My favourite movie ever. Well a tie with my other favourite movie (shout out to Erika, 2 favourite movies is better than one). It's just so good. On a sub movie level, it captures the claustrophobia and fear of being trapped in a small underwater boat. On a war movie level, it captures the forlorn feeling of knowing you're losing the war, but must continue. Of being ready to engage, but are wasted by the higher ups. And the disdain they all have for the Nazi high command goes a long way. On a movie level, this is one of the best. The shots of people running through the parts of the ship with the camera following them. The great model work. It's all fantastic and everyone working at the top of their game. The tension when they're trapped at the bottom at Gibraltar and can barely make it up. [Spoilers] And the ending, where the after all they've been through so much, only to get blown up in their home port, the Captain dying as he watches his boat sink. What a picture. It's my favourite movie. Well, tied for my favourite. I watch it at least once per year.
Being on Arrow 4K didn't make ne run out to buy "Soldier," the "TMNT" Trilogy or "Westworld." That said, "Das Boot" on 4K from Arrow would be a day 1 purchase. 🤘😄
Thank you for the All The President's Men show! So nice to listen again. I totally agree with JB - it was the clickityclacking that got that movie its Oscar! I've watched and rewatched it several times but have never been able to really get into All The Presidents Men, much like I couldn't get into Spotlight (at all) after repeat watches. Which is weird to me because I like all those actors and procedurals, or I thought I did.
After going down so many rabbit holes recently after they were exposed in the Efiles, I have such a different perspective now on movie-making people and the agendas behind...everything. It's been harder to enjoy movies and know what to think. But I did rent and rewatch Frost/Nixon this week because I needed to put something on in the background. Thats a good procedural. With a great cast.
We're in May already, which means JUNESPLOITATION! is less than a month away. 😍🥰 So Patrick must be putting the finishing touches on the June '26 schedule to announce in a couple of weeks. So I'm re-posting A Casual Listener's post from March 23 in this weekend column to try one last push to maybe influence the J! schedule a little bit. Please feel free to post additional suggestions for potential categories in the replies below. 🤓😎
ReplyDeleteA Casual ListenerMarch 22, 2026 at 3:31 AM
Not much going on for movies this week, but Junesploitation has been on my mind. Only around two months left before it begins. I have been thinking about possible categories since the end of last year.
We discussed New York City! as a category on a prior weekend, so why not add Los Angeles!, perhaps the ultimate cinematic city.
South Korea!, one of the centers of genre filmmaking this century.
Private Eyes! From Humphrey Bogart to Bruce Willis, so many to choose from.
Disasters!
Actors to Spotlight:
Robert Forster
Franco Nero
Lance Hendrickson
Linda Blair
Donald Pleasance
Michelle Yeoh
Chuck Norris was mentioned above as a possible category.
Do you have any other ideas for June?
J.M. VargasMarch 22, 2026 at 4:31 AM
I have one: VANITY PROJECTS! We're talking beyond obvious picks like "The Room" and the Vin Diesel "xXx" movies. There are a metric ton of low-to-mid budget flicks (and quite a few Hollywood blockbusters) made by men/women who think they're God's gift to mankind. They star/write/direct/produce films in which they're the center of attention, show their bod (usually cheeks 🫣) and save the day. Some of these performers live up to their own hype, but most of them fall short of their own idealized version of themselves. The fun is suffering through the bad ones to land on the pot of gold some of this turn out to be.
Random examples: "Champagne and Bullets," anything Fred Williamson directed starring himself, the Donahue brothers (Sean and Patrick) stunt showcases, Mark Swetland's "Blood and Steel," etc.
Also, since F This Movie is a Chicago-based blog/podcast, throw CHICAGO PROUD! DAY. Not as many movies as New York or L.A., but the few there are usually come from heavy hitters (John Hughes, Andrew Davis, Brian De Palma, etc.). 🤓
I have one final J! category to push and then I'll shut up... 'till next year. 😛 We've had CANNON DAY! forever and it's wonderful but, like FULCI'S BIRTHDAY!, we could use a break for variety's sake. May l suggest PM ENTERTAINMENT DAY!, a J! day dedicated to the small studio that kept the B-movie big explosions, big stunts, big t+×÷!es in sex scenes and big car chases/flips going well into the 90's, long after Cannon went under. There's plenty of cheap discs and streaming choices (particularly YouTube, l checked), so there's no shortage of product to watch. Thanks for your consideration, Patrick. 😎
DeleteOMG....less than a month to Junesploitation! SQUEE!!!!!!!
Deletei started early this morning:
Max Havoc: Curse of the Dragon (2004 Hulu Rifftrax)
What do you get when you combine Caradine doing Bill from Kill Bill, the original Shaft as an antiquity shop owner, and cameos by both Nikki Ziering and Carmen Electra!?! Ill tell you....one of the most boring movies ever. Thank goodness for the Rifftrax gang helping me thru it....the jokes were pretty great for this one.
Haven't caught this particular Rifftrax yet. Can't wait until Mike, Kevin and Bill deliver their four new "MST3K" episodes later this year. 😀👍
DeleteJM: Me too!!! Im beyond stoked. Backed that project the moment i heard about it!!!!!!
DeleteThe Donahue Bros did some great stuff! Parole Violators in particular is a trash action classic!
DeleteIf "Vanity Projects!" ends up becoming a Junesploitation! '26 category I'm so watching the Donahue Bros.' "They Call Me Macho Woman." 😅🤩
DeleteI watched They Call Me Macho Woman last year out of curiosity, J.M. Easily the worst movie I can remember seeing in 2025.
DeleteLoved Macho Woman!! You'll have a great time with it, J.M.! Worth watching for Sean's nosering alone!!
DeleteI would love a Franco Nero day. All your suggestions are great! Cannon day is good because it's such a deep well, but Fulci day is growing thin. I think we had a George Romero day the year he passed, but that would be another good one. There are many good ideas, and I'm sure Patrick will select a bunch of great days! Junesploitation!
DeleteThere are plenty of other directors to feature for a Junesploitation day. Romero, Walter Hill, Jack Hill, John Carpenter, Dario Argento, Mario Bava, etc.
DeleteI suggested Exploitation Autuers last year. Maybe we can make it more specific-- by region/country, by genre-- so that more directors are involved and also allow for a broader choice of films. I've seen nearly every film by some of the more well-known directors, and I try to mainly watch movies the are new to me for Junesploitation. Whatever categories we have, I'm well-researched and ready!
DeleteOn with the show.
ReplyDeleteRewatched James Cameron's THE TERMINATOR (1984, HBO MAX) in 4K. There's a slight revisionist push toward teal color, but otherwise the remastered transfer looks fine. I could have used an option to listen to the OG mono mix (the new weapons/sound effects mix feels out of place), but this remains a mean little sci-fi slasher that punches way above its weight. This and its sequel are the only entries in the franchise that sell the fear that, if a Terminator gets anywhere near its intended target, he/she is dead. Michael Biehn deserved a better career than what he eventually got, but that's Hollywood. 🫤
Last week watched Bob Odenkirk in "Nobody" and had a great time. So rewatched NOBODY 2 (2025, NETFLIX), then chased that with NORMAL (2026, THEATER), all three movies co-written and produced by "John Wick" mastermind Derek Kolstad. I was underwhelmed by "Nobody 2" in theaters because it didn't live up to my high expectations. This rewatch was more fun because the cat's out of the bag and the entire family (not just secret badasses father Bob, his brother RZA and their elder grandfather Christopher Lloyd) gets their hands dirty in the vacation-themed mayhem. Sharon Stone makes for a weak villain boss, but has plenty of hired muscle (Daniel Bernhardt, again!) to compensate. The prequel remains the best, but maybe some streaming viewership love could earn "Nobody 2" some sequel heat. 🥰
With Odenkirk co-writing alongside Kolstad, Ben Wheatley's "Normal" does a lateral and goes for a "Fargo"-meets-"Kill Bill" bloody genre mish-mash that largely succeeds. Unaware that the small town he's working at (Normal, Minnesota) has sold its soul to the Japanese mafia to store its finances, out-of-town Sheriff Ulysses Richardson (Odenkirk, deadpanning simplicity) befriends a couple of bank robbers (Reena Jolly and Brendan Fletcher) who accidentally blow the lid on the town's secrets. As the three-versus-everybody-else shootouts/fights during a winter storm pile on the carnage reaches absurd levels, which leads to a third act that's both unique and fairly predictable. Henry Winkler and Lena Headey have little screen time for how top-billed they are. Worth streaming, eventually. 🙂
"Hell or High Water" director David Mackenzie's latest, FUZE ('26, THEATER), needs to be spoiled to explain what it truly is. But I can't spoil it because not knowing where the plot is going is most of the fun. An unexploded WWII bomb is found buried in the heart of London, and hotshot UK military bomb diffuser Will (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is called to action. As Will and his team struggle to disarm the weapon, some bank robbers take advantage of the evacuated zone's absence of people/electricity to dig a hole into a bank vault. There's more to the plot (lots more), but you'll need to trust me and seek this out to experience the usual 'heist gone bad' tropes mixed with some interesting new wrinkles. This con goes deep and, despite bombing in theaters (get it? 😜), "Fuze" is worth a spoiler-free first impression. Recommended. 😎
Jorma Taccone's OVER YOUR DEAD BODY ('26, THEATER) is what l expect from the director of "MacGruber" and a bunch of SNL Digital Shorts tackling a Tarantino-esque bloodbath. A professional NYC couple (Jason Segel and Samara Weaving) go to their secluded Upstate home to try and mend their failing marriage. But they're secretly plotting to kill each other for insurance money to get them out of debt. And that's before a trio of escaped convicts (including Timothy Olyphant and Juliette Lewis) seek shelter in the same house. Crazy shenanigans ensue, love conquers all, blah, blah, blah. 'It's okay,' but Samara Weaving is getting typecast big time into these types of roles. 🙄
MOTHER MARY ('26, THEATER) finds Anne Hathaway's titular pop diva pushing her former bestie/costume designer (Michaela Cole) to make a great dress for a comeback performance. Old wounds resurface. Nothing (visuals, dialogue, music) makes any sense, but the leads sell this nonsense like pros. Hard pass. 😡
I'm with you on Nobody 1 and 2, so i'm curious about Normal. And Ben Weathley is a director I like to follow, even if I don't like everything he does
Delete"Normal" is somewhere between the two "Nobody" flicks. Not as good as the first, but has a quirky personality that separates it from the sequel's generic brand feel. Give it an honest shot. 🙃🙂
Deletei reallly liked Nobody.....felt Nobody 2 was fine but forgettable....and yet im still looking forward to Normal but only when free on whatever streaming service i have has it.
DeleteLe Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (a.k.a. Amelie, 2001): The real test of what Jean-Pierre Jeunet could do without Marc Caro. Apparently, the later brought the dark side of things. This is the lightest of light movie, and it was clearly released at the perfect time, as the movie made bank everywhere. People needed cute and fun and they got exactly that. The movie is nothing without the score composed by Yann Tiersen.
ReplyDeleteF1 - The Movie (2025): I'll be frank, this is not a that good of a movie, but I'm a sucker for racing flicks, so that makes it good. I have to admit that Kosinski knows how to film pretty pictures, the race parts are very exciting. Fun fact, the blu-ray has the Apple logo on the spine. Where's the sequel with Brad Pitt doing the Baja Race?
In the Mouth of Madness (1994): Let's continue the Sam-Neill-goes-crazy trilogy with some John Carpenter goodness (the other one being Even Horizon). And Vigo from Ghostbuster 2 is here too.
Time After Time (1979): Accidental David Warner double bill, and of course he's doing a bad guy. Another one of those classics that eluded me for many years. I always enjoy watching Malcolm McDowell, so it had to happen at some point. They spend a lot of time with HG Wells discovering the modern world, which is a movie trope I'm not a fan of. I feel it could've been cut in favor of the story of him chasing the bad guy. Also, Mary Steenburgen certainly has a thing for time travelers.
Soldier (1998): Arrow is doing the Lord's work by releasing these kinds of movies on 4k. Another one that's being reevaluated almost 30 years later (at least by me). I always liked it, but it was the kind of sci-fi schlock that were mostly ignored back then. I don't think Kurt Russell has ever been that buff. Did they overestimate Kurt's appeal? Or were people pissed that he barely talked? Maybe the PTSD angle was too much? It's only 98 minutes, with credits, which is surprising considering the amount of stuff happening. Also, this is another Arrow release with a good Heath Holland video essay.
And a bunch of Chuck Norris from my 5-pack set while working. Delta Force, Missing In Action 1-2, and Lonewolf McQuade. All fun stuff.
I 💖 "Amelie." My then-best friend got married overseas in 2001. When he came home to the States with his speaking Spanish-only wife, l borrowed her for an afternoon and took her to a Times Square theater playing "Amelie" (which l'd already seen). We sat in the back of the theater and l translated the entire movie from subtitled English to whispered-in-her-ear Spanish. That's how much l wanted to share "Amelie" with anyone l could. 🥰
DeleteArrow 4K for "Mouth of Madness"? Not sure "Soldier' deserves the Arrow 4K treatment, but neither does "Mouth" and the latter is stacked with quality transfer, extras, packaging... the works. 😎
"Time After Time" is a favorite of JB's. It's a-OK. And what else can you say about Norris. What he lacked in acting and charisma Chuck compensated for.with roundhouse kicks and thousand-yard stares Dude was a legend long before he decided to give the Grim Reaper a chance to catch-up. 😝
The fun thing with Arrow 4K (and most boutique labels), is they keep the heavy grain, so you still get the dirtiness these movies should have.
DeleteJust give me Big Trouble in Little China on 4k from Arrow and I'll be very happy
DeleteIt has to happen at some point. They did everything else from Carpenter
DeleteI'm happy with my 1080p Blu-ray of "Big Trouble." You know, not everything has to be owned in 4K... [says the guy that just got a call from Barnes & Noble to let him know his order for Arrow "Innerspace" 4K and Indicator's newest Jean Rollin 4K releases are available for pick-up]... sometimes 480p is just good enough. 🤨🫤
DeleteMy copy of Innerspace hasn't shipped yet. The place I bought it say they received the order late. I'm very annoyed, but they're cheap, so i tolerate it
DeleteI spent a lot of time in France around 2002 and 2003. It was hard to escape Amélie during that time. Definitely a big hit around the world, too.
DeleteThe statement about a film coming at the right time got me thinking about K-Pop Demon Hunters. It seems like, amidst all of the turmoil of 2025, people were eager for well-made escapist entertainment to get lost in.
I met my future wife in 2001 and the first movie we went to see was Amelie. I could barely understand Quebecois french at that time, and France french was undecipherable. I didn't understand a word, but quite enjoyed it. Being with a beautiful woman who was into me probably helped a lot. I should rewatch it sometime, now that I do understand french (but still have some trouble with the European dialect).
DeleteWhen The Mouth of Madness came out, there were rumours in our high school that it might actually make people go crazy after watching it! Pretty funny in retrospect.
Aww, Paul C., that's so romantic. 🥰 Not knowing French is a strike, but "Amelie" is such a visually interesting movie and the acting so broad (in a good way... no subtlety whatsoever) you can still get what's happening without understanding dialogue. 🤗🫠
DeleteRadio-Canada is on AM radio from Toronto (860 khz) during the night, Paul. I have listened to it for close to 20 years now. Many of my drives home from the drive-in have had that on as a companion and to help me keep awake.
DeleteQuebecois French is definitely distinct. The pronunciation of European French is faster and far less clear. I remember saying to someone during my time in France that the language sounded like mumbling (marmonner). I do not think my comment was appreciated. Developing the ear for it takes time.
I went to cinemas a lot in France. It was necessary to get used to watching a non-English movie with French subtitles.
I wish I was a skillful with French as I was back then. The pandemic was the last time I really devoted any effort to using the language.
"Hi Im Johnny Knoxville and welcome to Jackass Revisit........"
ReplyDeleteJackass: Vol1, Vol 2, Vol 3, 2.5 Movie bonus, 3 (aka 3d):
With the buzz around a new and "final" Jackass flick this summer i felt like going back to the beginning and revisiting a bunch. The Vol 1-3 collect a bunch of the original MTv show bits. Pretty insane to realize that these crazy crazy people have been doing this for decades. I was most pleasantly surprised with the revisit to the 3rd movie. I think its probably a highpoint: SteveO newly sober, the entire crew is still together, Dunn is still alive, and theres SO many bits. Most of all the post credits is packed with extra bits and some realllly sweet photos plus a special tune in the very final moments that feels like they were under the belief it was the true finale.
As for the upcoming new one: hrmm...im of course interested but am checking expectations as Knoxville/SteveO have tempered expectations that at least half of this movie is a clip show revisit. To me it doesnt exactly feel like a cash grab but maybe a more polite way of saying it is its an opportunity to make the core group and "new" crew a bit more money on the IP before bowing out. What a long strange trip its been.
Only seen one "Jackass" movie, the newest one that was in 3D. It was fine, but can't fathom more movies and a television series' worth of "Jackass" that wouldn't outstay its welcome almost immediately. 🤕🥴
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ReplyDeleteONE MONTH TILL JUNESPLOITATION!!
ReplyDeleteLESS than a month. 🥳🤠
DeleteThanks, J.M.! Math's never been my strong suit.
DeleteI flunked Math class my first year of high school. No bigger dunce at math than the man with the funny, long nose. 🤥😵💫
DeleteThis week I have had to resist the urge to start gathering discs for June watches. Though I know what titles I would like to get to, the categories will determine what actually gets watched.
DeleteI'm going opposite route than Casual (the Kunider way! 😅). Stacking up on discs so l have plenty for June, leftovers for October and everything else in-between. After all, for some of us exploitation movies are a year-round viewing option. 😊😪
DeleteCorrect, J.M.! I watch unhinged fringe cinema more than anything else, June or otherwise. I've been compiling Junesploitation ideas since 7/1/25!
Deletehell yeah, Junesploitation!
DeleteESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES (1971)
ReplyDeleteThis is supposed to be the funny one, and it does have a wacky ape shopping montage, but it’s another downbeat, dreary ending for these movies. Then I went and followed it up with…
CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (1972)
And this one gets even darker and more grim. These ape movies have all contained metaphors for civil rights struggles, but this one really goes at it with the heavy hand.
POLTERGEIST (1982)
Tobe Hooper goodness!
PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (2004)
No, it’s not the perfect adaptation. But it’s Shumaker, so the costumes and sets are a wonder.
DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS (2000)
The great thing about this movie is its subtlety.
AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDMEMBER (2002)
Apologies for being sacrilegious, but I don’t think I’m an Austin Powers guy. There’s maybe 1 1/3 worth of good comedy across these three movies.
THE TERMINATOR (1984)
Let’s all go to Tech Noir tonight!
I love the whole "Austin Powers" trilogy! 🥵😢 That said, by "Goldmember" they were running on fumes toward the end after recycling/repeating the same jokes and running recurring gags into the ground. The opening third, though, especially the pre-credits "movie," young Austin/Dr. Evil school years and Dr. Evil and Mini-Me in prison? Still fire, IMHO. 😅 But "International Man of Mystery" and "Spy Who Shagged Me"? Stone-cold comedy classics from start to finish, me says.😍😇
DeleteThere was no social media, so it was possible to still be surprised by movies. The post-credit "movie" had everybody in the theater laughing their asses off. Every cameo was a genuine surprise.
DeleteSocial media or not (Hollywood trade papers and celebrity gossip media have been around for more than a century), the fact "Goldmember" managed to keep all those celebrity cameos at the beginning a secret until opening day was a miracle. Even today, watching YouTube reactors looking at "Goldmember" for the first time is fun because they can't believe they didn't know. 🙃🙂
DeleteI pretty much dismissed Austin Powers when they first came out and I think I only saw one. But Mike Myers has grown on me a lot and I love them a lot now. Same with Wayne's World. I'll never come around on Shrek though. That's just shit. Even my young kids didn't like it when I played Shrek the one time, and they would watch anything. It seems to be beloved, but only by people born within a 4 year window.
DeleteIt's unfortunate that Mike Myers, one of the great Canadian comedians, somehow lost it at one point. I guess comedy changed a bit, and he couldn't adapt.
Also, those are my 2 favourite Apes movies. So good.
The Blade (1995): Tsui Hark, Criterion, 4k. What else do you need? It was kind of a blind buy, as I've seen Hark movies over the years, but not this one. A friend of mine confirmed it was good, my impulsiveness did the rest. It's so weird to see this kind of movie from Criterion, they're usually at Shout. Tsui Hark is out there man, some of the shots are bonkers. Like in the big fight at the end of the first act, our hero is rolling on the floor, and the camera rolls with him. The entire scene is crazy and intense, ending with the guy jumping off a cliff.
ReplyDeleteNever even heard of this. Guess when the next B&N Criterion 50% off sale happens "The Blade" is one to look for. 🙂
DeleteThe bluray has a video essay by Tony Zhou, from Every frame A Painting, that really explains what makes the movie different
DeleteIf you're going to blind buy, a Tsui Hark movie a pretty safe bet. Unfortunately not available to stream in Canada.
DeleteGreen Card (1990). I was watching this, and was quite enjoying it, and thinking, "goddamn, Patrick is right, Madeleine Stowe is an amazing actress in this. She's conveying everything through her face." BUTTTTTTT, it's not Stowe, but rather Andie MacDowell. She's great. The sex criminal, Depardieu...I kind of liked. France's #1 sex symbol? That loafy guy? I kind of get it now. He does have a weird charm. His casting in 1492: Conquest of Paradise (a movie I like) makes more sense.
ReplyDeleteI dig "Conquest of Paradise," Ridley Scott being historically ambitious as eff without pulling "Napoleon" made-up BS, and Vangelis at the top of his game (that score! 😍🥰). Depardieu is fine, but that stacked supporting cast (Weaver, Rey, Assante, Wincott, Karyo, Langella, Dunne, Vosloo, etc.)? Just too good to pass up. 😎
DeleteNever seen "Green Card." I actually remember TV ads for it on Letterman actively turning me off from even wanting to see it. 🙄
For me, Depardieux is Obelix 😁. But yeah, in his younger age, he was a beautiful man. Now he's just a big fat blob
DeleteI've heard of Green Card for so long, but never saw it
Green Card is an ok rom com. Which isn't a genre I normally gravitate to, but I really enjoyed this one. I think liking it depends a lot on whether Depardieux's boyish charm works for you. Maybe my years spent living in Quebec warmed me up to that vibe.
DeleteConquest of Paradise is perhaps my favourite score ever. In the movie they play the main theme with the big sailing ships setting out and unfurling the sails. My favourite music over-top of my favourite type of scene. I'm a big sucker for historical epics and while it has issues, there's just so much to love about 1492. Plus it's my main man Ridley Scott.
Wow, l forgot the Salkinds (producers of the first few "Superman" movies) made a competing 1992 Christopher Columbus movie to go up against "1492: Conquest of Paradise" (the 500th anniversary of Columbus "finding" Anerica). Mario Puzo screenplay? John '007' Glen directing? MARLON BRANDO/TOM SELLECK/BENICIO DEL TORO in the cast??!! 🥵🤯 This might be worth watching in June! 😁
Delete"Christopher Columbus: The Discovery": https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103962/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_10_tt_4_nm_4_in_0_q_columbus 🥴🤓
I've been wanting to watch that too! I assume it's not very good, because it seems largely forgotten, but I'll give it a chance. I know Christopher Columbus isn't really "in vogue" anymore (and for good reason), but I love movies about exploration in the new world. They just tickle my childhood fascination with that period in history.
DeleteHaha, it's Depardieu, not Depardieux. I was going off of your spelling Kundier. I thought your were the francophone here. Câline ;)
DeleteYou're right, but he's a monster, he doesn't deserve proper spelling
DeleteAlso, you misspelled my name 🤣
Lol, I did inadvertently put a French spin on your name. And agree, he is a monster. It's pretty easy for me to separate the sexual criminal from the character, but maybe it shouldn't be. I'm just glad that more attention is being paid to this stuff so that those people aren't as prevalent as they used to be. At least I hope so. I'm not in the industry, so I don't know. Me Too called out a bunch of the worst well-known ones. Hopefully that has trickled down to make that behaviour less accepted in general.
DeleteFunny thing about my nickname, i got it from a french phrase "aucune idée" (no idea) 😁
DeleteI separate the work and the artist, because I don't have a choice if i still want to enjoy movies nowadays. I watch Mission Cleopatre at least once a year.
Hulk Hogan: Real American (nflix 2026)
ReplyDeleteAs is the case with lots of teens, i went thru a brief WWF (or whatever name its changed to over time) phase in Jr High which happened to coincide with the birth of Wrestlemania and Hulks launch to superstardom. That, combined with my love of documentaries, was enough for me to check this out. I was concerned that since he was directly involved in the documentary that it would just be a "yay hulk!" doc. And, for 3 of the 4 episodes, this documentary focuses on Hulks rises and falls within the wrestling world always painting him in a generally good light (even steroid reveals are kinda brushed over as 'it was what we did at the time'). Its nothing super deep but an interesting look at the creation of in-arguably one of the biggest sports celebrities of all time. Then...seemingly out of nowhere... episode 4 delves, almost wikipedia list like, into alot of non wrestling personal stuff, most of which does not paint a good picture. Im not going to list here as much of the content was new to me. In the end i found the documentary fascinating and a bit like a WWF wrestling match: manufactured to interweave drama, humor, evil, good, fun, conflict and more...all to entertain.
Does Hulk's doc have enough stuff to support a four hour running time? That's creeping into Ken Burns' documentary length! 🥵
DeleteJM: great question...hrmm....i think the answer is yes but you have to be relatively interested in the history of performative wrestling as his path coincides with its path. Its sort of the evolution of a new form of entertainment AND its iconic entertainer.
DeleteGot it. 💪😁
DeleteI haven't seen it, but had a friend at work strongly recommended it. He was saying it really shows how his real life and his persona eventually blended together that he couldn't separate the two. He also said it was directed by Werner Herzog (which isn't true), so take that with a grain of salt lol.
DeleteI also had a wrestling phase, where we would stage fights ourselves in the playground at lunch time. We watched Wrestlemania 3 at a friends birthday party. I wasn't super into it, but it was fun.
On this lazy sunday, waiting for the big Tampa Bay-Montreal game tonight, I had another Shout! Hong Kong Classics marathon.
ReplyDeleteThe Big Heat (1988) was extremely violent. Like a guy getting hit by two cars, dropping off the highway to another one, and getting a couple more times.
Once A Thief (1991) was good, and a much lighter tone from the other one. It's a John Woo film, so of course there's a few gunfights.
Prison On Fire 1 & 2 (1987 & 1991) No gunfights or big action set piece. That's a nice change of pace from the others. There's also very little fires in these movies.
Are these the Arrow or Shout! 4K sets? The Kunider l know shops Arrow, but wanted to make sure. 😉😁
DeleteIt's Shout!
DeleteAnd I shop both, and more 😎
As someone living in Ottawa, I'm supposed to hate the Habs. But I'll be cheering for them tonight. Big big game.
DeleteWe went to watch Project Hail Mary last Sunday. Loved it. Feels like a movie I'll re-watch often.
ReplyDeleteI re-watched Das Boot last weekend. My favourite movie ever. Well a tie with my other favourite movie (shout out to Erika, 2 favourite movies is better than one). It's just so good. On a sub movie level, it captures the claustrophobia and fear of being trapped in a small underwater boat. On a war movie level, it captures the forlorn feeling of knowing you're losing the war, but must continue. Of being ready to engage, but are wasted by the higher ups. And the disdain they all have for the Nazi high command goes a long way. On a movie level, this is one of the best. The shots of people running through the parts of the ship with the camera following them. The great model work. It's all fantastic and everyone working at the top of their game. The tension when they're trapped at the bottom at Gibraltar and can barely make it up. [Spoilers] And the ending, where the after all they've been through so much, only to get blown up in their home port, the Captain dying as he watches his boat sink. What a picture. It's my favourite movie. Well, tied for my favourite. I watch it at least once per year.
BTW, I watched the "Directors Cut", which is the best. The shorter US version cuts out a lot of the best stuff.
DeleteNever seen "Das Boot." I want to, but it's so long (DC). 🥵🫤
DeleteYou coward JM!
DeleteI'm sure if Arrow would release it you'd watch it 🤣
Being on Arrow 4K didn't make ne run out to buy "Soldier," the "TMNT" Trilogy or "Westworld." That said, "Das Boot" on 4K from Arrow would be a day 1 purchase. 🤘😄
DeleteThank you for the All The President's Men show! So nice to listen again. I totally agree with JB - it was the clickityclacking that got that movie its Oscar! I've watched and rewatched it several times but have never been able to really get into All The Presidents Men, much like I couldn't get into Spotlight (at all) after repeat watches. Which is weird to me because I like all those actors and procedurals, or I thought I did.
ReplyDeleteAfter going down so many rabbit holes recently after they were exposed in the Efiles, I have such a different perspective now on movie-making people and the agendas behind...everything. It's been harder to enjoy movies and know what to think. But I did rent and rewatch Frost/Nixon this week because I needed to put something on in the background. Thats a good procedural. With a great cast.