HAPPY SATURDAY THE 14TH... or happy day after Friday the 13th. For the first time in ages l pulled a horror triple feature in repertory theaters last night, including a now-infrequent midnight feature. 🥱🥹
FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980), FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2 (1981, REGAL CINEMA UNION SQUARE) Nearly sold out crowds for separate screenings of the first two in the perennial slasher franchise. The '80 OG feels so much like a last hurrah of late 70's minimalism, when implying death by arrows off-screen after minutes of tense build-up was considered good enough. Just one year later the violence/gore bloodlust was upped dramatically when Mark (Tom McBride) took a machete to the face as his wheelchair fell off a flight of stairs, one of two scenes that got the entire theater to scream/gasp in unison (the other was OG final girl Adrienne King opening her fridge at the start of Part 2... 😱😭).
As a diehard believer that Amy Steel's Ginny is the best final girl in slasher movie history (sorry Laurie), l relished the chance to spend an evening with her, Betsy Palmer and sack head Jason (not hockey mask iconic, but my personal favorite incarnation of Jason) running around woods that (like in the '80 original) look/feel like a real summer camp. By Part 3 the "Friday" series was already looking/feeling like manufactured franchise product, leaving these first two as standouts of a bygone era of "classy" early slashers. R.I.P. Crazy Ralph (Walt Gorney), you magnificent Peeping Tom-ish prophet of doom. 🫡😛
After "Part 2" ended took the L shuttle train to Brooklyn to (barely! 🥵) make it to a midnight screening of Jörg Buttgereit's NEKROMANTIK (1988, NITEHAWK CINEMA). Yikes! 🤢🤮 l appreciate the gory artistry on display and not-subtle dig at lack of freedom of expression in late 80's West Germany, but the freak show aesthetic and unlikable portrayals of Rob (Bernd Daktari Lorenz) and Betty (Beatrice Manowski) as flesh-obsessed freaks make this a rough watch, even at just 71 minutes. Glad to have seen it to say l have, but this one belongs to the cult circus and will never be part of my home library... ever. 😬
Casual Listener here. For some reason Blogger is not signing me in. It has been a long time since this has happened.
One of the things I appreciate about the first two films of the Friday the 13th franchise is the depth to (some of) the characters. Over the years, those have become cozy movies. Watching Friday the 13th Part 3 recently, I was underwhelmed by the shift in focus to the "Jason kills random people" plot.
I saw Part 2 at the Mahoning Drive-In years ago with a full lot. The wheelchair kill drew applause that night, too.
The camp, No-Be-Bo-Sco, in the first Friday the 13th has not change much in nearly 50 years, J.M. It was fun to visit there last fall. It is around 2 hours outside of New York City, located off of I-80 near Blairstown, New Jersey.
Next month the Gap Theatre is having a midnight screening of A Serbian Film. I would probably have as much fun as you did with Nekromantik. I will most likely attend, though.
Howdy Casual Listener...ive had the same situation with blogger this weekend..it defaults to "Anonymous". How i fixed it was to click in the comment field to start. then go up and select the drop down arrow next to the default name Anonymous. This should bring up a drop down with an option to change to Google which is your regular login. no need to relog in, it will just use your normal blogger name.
CASUAL, even l'm not manly enough to tackle a regular viewing of "A Serbian Film"... let alone a midnight theater screening! 😳😱 You're a bigger man than me in the... ahem, you-know-what department. 🤫😜
Mashke, thanks for the skinny on how to get around this viscious AI b*tch monster known as Blogger. 🤨😓
Another sad week for movie fans. RIP James Van Der Beek. I got Varsity Blues 4k, only to realise that 3 of the main characters are gone.
Also RIP Bud Cort, I'm less familiar with his work, but he was God once.
Airheads (1994): Almost everybody in this movie who has more than 2 lines is somebody who got big at some point, or already was. Brendan Fraser can't sing, but the song at the end is good. The movie is a ton of fun.
The Whole Nine Yards (2000): Totally forgot this was shot in Montreal, so kept seeing places I regularly go to, and actors I often saw on local tv. I never watched Friends so I never had any pre-conceived idea about Matthew Perry, so it never bothered me that he was doing his 'thing'. And I also forgot it's the same director as Clue.
The Whole Ten Yards (2004): It's very boring, should've skipped it.
Paradise Record (2025): A funny low budget little movie, kind of a mix between High Fidelity, Empire Records and Clerks. There's a ton of cameos, which is cool for a while, but at some point it feels like a crutch. I had fun, but I'm not sure I can recommend it to everyone.
Marty Supreme (2025): I don't think the Safdies (either or both) are for me. Save for the guy dying at the end, this is basically a remake of Uncut Gems, which I didn't care for. Everybody is always overexcited, shouting, an a$$hole, Marty is always scheming and it blowing up in his face. The ending suck, feels undeserved and the movie is too long. So, yeah, I didn't care for it.
Lifeforce (1985): Patrick will be proud of me, I found the Shout 4k release of the movie at the used dvd store and bought it immediately. Unfortunately, the director's cut is not on the 4k disc, only on the regular blu-ray, but since it's apparently the preferred version of Tobe Hooper, I had to watch that version. I'm not a fan of vampire stuff, but I like anything space-y. If you're exploring a spaceship and bad stuff happen, I'm there, so I got over the vampire thing pretty easy. Too bad they couldn't do the DC on 4k, but I'll survive the ordeal.
On a side note: I found the slipcase edition of Vinegar Syndrome's Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 4k, which has been out of print for a long time, and cheaper than what it was originally sold by VS. I already have the disc, but slip-less. Since I'm a crazy weirdo OCD collector, I had to get it. The other one will be traded back to that store, same store where I got Lifeforce. Let's just say the guy knows me well.
Glad to see l'm not the only one cold on "Marty Supreme," even though l appreciate the strong filmmaking/acting surrounding a deeply unlikable a-hole who doesn't earn the ending his character earns. 🤢🤮
There's no greater joy for a physical media collector than to find a once-MSRP title cheaper than what it goes for on resale. 😁 It's rare and mostly due to human error, but it feels so good. 😃👍
Glad you are finding some good releases out on in the wild, Kunider. Does the owner of the store recommend recent acquisitions when you come in?
I stopped by a Salvation Army store this week and found a DVD of Gettysburg, which I remember very well at the time of its release. It was also a favorite of my father. The only other media purchase was a Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunter DVD. I had enough of a good time with it back in October to spend a dollar for it.
Started on my FTMF Y2K viewing with the final Yahoo Serious movie, Mr. Accident, and followed that up yesterday with Fortress 2 and Highlander: Endgame. I'm not going to pretend any of these movies are good, but FTMF to me is about innocent fun, so Yahoo Serious and Christopher Lambert it is.
On the TV front, we started getting into Season 3 of Star Trek: Enterprise (the changes to the theme were a bit jarring even though I was expecting it). Also keeping up with Starfleet Academy. Really enjoyed the Sisko episode. Spartacus: House of Ashur was great also.
Mr. Accident is mostly just slapstick humor, none of which is particularly notable or creative but Yahoo Serious is a likable enough presence to get me through the movie.
A few more movies l caught before the "Fthe13" double feature plus...
Kevin Reynold's theatrical cut of WATERWORLD (1995, 4K UHD AMAZON RENTAL) is a very uneven mess, with strong "Mad Max"-type practical action sequences (especially the Smokers attacking the floating trading post/fortress) offset by Kevin Costner's a-hole Mariner behavior and a pace-killing middle act. At least Dennis Hopper and his posse of weirdos ham things up, but unless l track down the Ulyses Cut l'm not coming back to this cheesefest ever again. 🤨
ARCO (2025, FRANCE/USA/UK, THEATER) is a subtle time travel (major grandfather paradox reveal at the very end), animated children's fantasy about a kid from the future that can travel through rainbows but ends up stranded in 2075 with a little girl having neglectful parents trouble. If you can tolerate the trio of goofballs (voiced by Will Ferrell and Andy Samberg in the English dub) that are after Arco you'll enjoy this often tear-inducing tale of a Iris, her babysitting robot companion Mikki and unexpected bestie Arco. 🥹😢🙃
SHELTER (2026, UK/USA, THEATER) is a typical Jason Statham action/protector vehicle crossed with a generic, Euro-flavored "Mission: Impossible" knockoff. Aside from a few well-timed comedic beats this would be completely forgettable if Bill Nighy wasn't hamming it up as a corrupt MI6 boss. Worth a look on free streaming... eventually.
IN COLD LIGHT ('26, CANADA, THEATER) Maika Monroe plays a drug dealer who, after a prison stretch, wants back into a criminal family business under siege by other parties trying to steal their turf. With cities in Alberta doubling as Texas, this dark noir/character study of a woman pushed to her limits is noteworthy for (a) long stretches of sign language between Maika and her deaf/mute father w/o translation, and (b) Helen Hunt in a late big cameo as the potential solution to Ava's troubles. Kind-of boring and dull, but well made and unpretentious.
THE INFINITE HUSK is an epic science fiction tale of intergalactic intrigue without any special effects (besides some choosy particle/macrophotography scenes near the end) about aliens being forced to inhabit human bodies as punishment for questioning authority. No stars, no gadgets, nothing but an intriguing premise and no-name actors (all good to decent) portraying what it' be like for an alien being to be trapped by human body limitations. Great film if you can buy the premise, and one of my favorite finds of the year so far. 😎👍
BACK TO THE PAST ('25, CHINA, THEATER) continues the Chinese history narrative started in a Chinese TV show from the early aughts. Judged solely as a movie it's a mess, with typical bad CG and melodramatic plot (including two endings, of which the alternate is my favorite). As the conclusion of a story l'm coming into halfway it's OK-ish, but this one is meant for the fans. Shot in 2019 but not released until late '25, "BTTP" bears the traits of a passion product... for those that care enough to remember the OG show and actors (many re-appearing here in the same roles).
Last and not least, WHISTLE ('26, THEATER) feels like its made from the parts of better horror movies ("Talk To Me," "Flatliners," the "Smile" series, etc.) desperately trying to appeal to young moviegoers. It's passable and even manages to get Nick Frost to play opportunist detention teacher (easily the best part of "Whistle"), plus it has moments/gore effects where it gets genuinely gross/f***ed up. I just wish there was more and better connecting tissue between each character's demise. Since when are high school students allowed to work at a hospital? 🙄 And no, a cute romantic subplot about young women falling in love isn't enough. 🫠🥰
ONLY 3 MORE SHOPPING WEEKS LEFT TILL F THIS MOVIE FEST!!! Remember its a marathon not a race. Stock up on lots of sodas, doritos, popped corn, bourbon, and pizza! #ProofOfPizza
FThisTVSeries.......Search Party (netflix 2016-2022)
Binged the entire series last week. Its....unique. At face value its the story of four millennials looking for a missing acquaintance. They are vapid, selfish, lost, egotistical, aimless. However...they're also great friends and great characters. Im reviewing it here for two reasons: 1) Each season pretty much follows a separate and unique genre: True Crime, Thriller, Courtroom Drama, Kidnap Horror, and ...well that leads me to 2) While the show is a pretty straight forward dramedy, the 5th and final season just goes in several BONKERS directions. tonally all over the place. Several crazy themes. WAY off the rails storytelling. Ive never seen anything quite like it. Also leans way more into comedy. Its a creative show that i would suggest.
PS: for MST3K fans out there. If you havent heard, last week there was a kickstarter announcement. Mike/Bill/Kevin from Rifftrax are returning to do 4 episodes of MST3K this year!!!! This is HUGE news as they are endlessly brilliant and responsible for some of the best of the show. Even better? Mary Jo will reprise her role as Pearl, there will be several original show creators helping, AND they just announced Trace and Frank will do one episode as Forester/Frank!!!! BEYOND excited. ALSO they announced that one of the riffed movies will be Deathsport. #We'veGotMovieSign!!!!!!
I'm thrilled for Mike & the Sci-Fi Channel era crew helming new "MST3K" content for the first time in 27 (!) years.os people.. but why does it have to be Joel or Mike and not both simultaneously doing "MST3K"? Having Trace Bealieu and Frank Conniff as Forrrester and TV's Frank will be the closest both sides of the Best Brains, Inc. sides have come in years. But still, not having Joel and his people working alongside Mike and his Rifftrax posse in these fout episodes is a sad reminder of the split between both camps. 🥺😓
JM: totally agree with you about the split between camps. Joel owned some of the rights till recently and for whatever reason when he did his reboot it was pretty much him with the new cast. He sold his rights at the turn of the year to Shout/Radial Entertainment and they turned to the Rifftrax crew. That being said i believe he forwarded the kickstarter from his account so i think he's being supportive of it. Reading into MST history i think the real rifts are focused not on Joel v Mike but more with certain folks breaking away from co-creator Jim Mallon over disagreements and power situations.
Hey, we shouldn't let the decades-old riff between the creators distract from the fact Rifftrax is making FOUR "MST3K" episodes in one production cycle. After years of Rifftrax doing a single live show annually it's nice to know this year we're getting four shows that'll look/sound, hopefully, like late 90's Sci-Fi Channel era "MST3K" goodness. 😍🥰🤩
I remember catching MST3K on TV toward the end of its run on the Sci-Fi channel. I have never warmed up to the riffing style of watching a film. That is why I have not attended the MST3K weekends (with Joel in person) at the Mahoning the past couple of years.
BLOODSHOT (2020) Is this movie secretly… good? It has a twisty-turny plot and lots of tough guy action. I had a great time with it.
WATERWORLD (1995) Just imagine George Miller watching this and thinking, “I can take this up a notch.”
POLAR (2019) Exhausting. This tale of hired killers out to get each other is trying so, so hard to be edgy and cool that it just ends up being annoying loud noises. Skip this and watch JOHN WICK again.
MEGAN 2.O (2025) Speaking of trying too hard, this one has a few good ideas about AI and whatnot, but all the generic action and especially the constant hackneyed jokes make this barely watchable. The first one wasn’t great, but it had that absurdity to it that made it work. Lacking that absurdity, this sequel’s got nothing.
THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN (1995) Jean-Pierre Jeunet goodness!
LEGION OF SUPERHEROES (2023) Supergirl travels to the distant future to pal around with the Legion. It’s been a while (been a while) since I’ve checked on the DC animated flicks, but this one’s not bad. The Legion is reimagined as a Hogwarts-ish school, which is a good way of juggling all the Legion characters. The animation is a little flat, but that’s probably the tradeoff for getting these things made.
THE ABYSS (1989) “It went straight for the warhead, and they think it’s cute!”
I had an awesome saturday of doing nothing but watch movies (Guess who's single at the moment... 😜)
Psycho Goreman (2020): That little girl is nuts, she should be restrained. Patrick was championing this movie when it came out, but for some reason I never saw it. When I saw the director's most recent and awesome and funny movie (Deathstalker) it made me want to see PG. Luckily, the blu-ray, with a nice slipcover, was at the used dvd store, so I got it for cheap. It's awesome, the designs are very cool, and they use as much practical effects as possible. Some of the aliens come off as Power Rangers villains sometimes, but honestly, that's how I like it
The Dam Busters (1955): It's a very british movie, with a lot of british characters with british manners. A lot of talking and planning. The main attraction is the big finale who famously inspired the Death Star in Star Wars A New Hope. It's a fine movie, but would be mostly forgotten today if not for Star Wars. Do not say the dog's name out loud.
Red Cliff 1&2 (2008, 2009): Well, that k!lled an afternoon, but I finally watched this epic. It's funny because I played a lot of the videogame Dynasty Warriors, which features a few characters seen in this movie, and did some surface-level research on them and the Three Kingdoms, so I was kinda familiar with a lot of stuff. That and the fight scenes made me want to play the game again. Like the first big fight scene with a 'hero' mowing down foot soldiers. Long story short, it's great.
For anyone lamenting the death of theatrical comedy, I'd strongly recommend checking out "Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie" if you get the chance. I knew pretty much nothing about it going in, and didn't even realize there was a "Nirvanna the Band the Show" that preceded it... but it made me laugh quite a bit, and impressed me with it's sneakily unfolding high concept (but not taken too seriously) premise. A really fun time at the movies.
Hmmm. Just checked, it's playing at two local AMC theaters in NYC. Know nothing abou it. Will probably watch it tomorrow or Monday (President's Day). 🤟🙂
HUGE thanks for the tip Reed. I know nothing about it but after reading your suggestion i goggled a little (no spoilers) and it seems like this one is making alot of folks laugh. Im so in.
Just saw "Nirvanna... The Movie" at AMC. No spoilers, it's best to come in cold so the crazy ride (and a super-shocking 2nd act conclusion in a parked tour bus that shook me and everyone in the theater to scream in shock as one! 😱😱😱) hits you at full speed.
Somehow this is the SECOND FEATURE (China's "Back to the Past" being the first) I've seen this week in theaters that concludes in movie form a (Canadian) TV series l've never seen before but l'm coming at the tail end of. Can't say l love it, but l'm glad Reed pushed me to see it because l would have probably skipped it and miss out on a fun, creative ride. As a fan of French New Wave guerrilla filmmaking the fact the people of Toronto (and a couple of tourists from Brazil and France) are unsuspecting co-stars in Matt and Jay's loopy shenanigans elevated to mockumentary to a level of self-awareness l appreciate.
Work (job and home) kept me busy much of the week, so there was not much time and energy left for movie-watching. I always try to get at least a couple of films in during a week, though.
BLOOD AND SAND (1941, dir. Robert Mamoulian) – A sprawling bullfighter epic. Tyrone Power portrays a matador who rises from humble beginnings to become a star in the arena, only to be undone by his vices and ego. Although the narrative sometimes drags, the film never looks less than great. Beside the running time, the biggest issue I had with the film is a few of the casting choices. Rita Hayworth, though, shows why she became a movie star at this time. If you are fan of Golden Age Hollywood, there is a lot to appreciate here.
OUT OF CONTROL (1985) – I wanted something easy to watch for Saturday night, and this random find on Prime seemed the right fit. A group of teenagers (played by older actors, of course) take a flight to a private island after their prom and end up crashing in the ocean. Taking refuge on a nearby island, they find themselves the targets of criminals who use the island. With sudden shifts in tone and plot, Out Of Control is disjointed and awkwardly shot. It is, at best, mildly entertaining ‘80s trash. I cannot remember a s-t-r-i-p spin the bottle scene in a film before, however. A baby-faced Sherilynn Fenn has a small role.
HAPPY SATURDAY THE 14TH... or happy day after Friday the 13th. For the first time in ages l pulled a horror triple feature in repertory theaters last night, including a now-infrequent midnight feature. 🥱🥹
ReplyDeleteFRIDAY THE 13TH (1980), FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2 (1981, REGAL CINEMA UNION SQUARE)
Nearly sold out crowds for separate screenings of the first two in the perennial slasher franchise. The '80 OG feels so much like a last hurrah of late 70's minimalism, when implying death by arrows off-screen after minutes of tense build-up was considered good enough. Just one year later the violence/gore bloodlust was upped dramatically when Mark (Tom McBride) took a machete to the face as his wheelchair fell off a flight of stairs, one of two scenes that got the entire theater to scream/gasp in unison (the other was OG final girl Adrienne King opening her fridge at the start of Part 2... 😱😭).
As a diehard believer that Amy Steel's Ginny is the best final girl in slasher movie history (sorry Laurie), l relished the chance to spend an evening with her, Betsy Palmer and sack head Jason (not hockey mask iconic, but my personal favorite incarnation of Jason) running around woods that (like in the '80 original) look/feel like a real summer camp. By Part 3 the "Friday" series was already looking/feeling like manufactured franchise product, leaving these first two as standouts of a bygone era of "classy" early slashers. R.I.P. Crazy Ralph (Walt Gorney), you magnificent Peeping Tom-ish prophet of doom. 🫡😛
After "Part 2" ended took the L shuttle train to Brooklyn to (barely! 🥵) make it to a midnight screening of Jörg Buttgereit's NEKROMANTIK (1988, NITEHAWK CINEMA). Yikes! 🤢🤮 l appreciate the gory artistry on display and not-subtle dig at lack of freedom of expression in late 80's West Germany, but the freak show aesthetic and unlikable portrayals of Rob (Bernd Daktari Lorenz) and Betty (Beatrice Manowski) as flesh-obsessed freaks make this a rough watch, even at just 71 minutes. Glad to have seen it to say l have, but this one belongs to the cult circus and will never be part of my home library... ever. 😬
More later. Overslept, running late for work. 🙄
Damn, I didn't realise it was friday the 13th yesterday
DeleteNeither did 99% of the world, who are mostly looking forward to today (St. Valentines Day). But those of us who know never forget. 🤡😉
DeleteCasual Listener here. For some reason Blogger is not signing me in. It has been a long time since this has happened.
DeleteOne of the things I appreciate about the first two films of the Friday the 13th franchise is the depth to (some of) the characters. Over the years, those have become cozy movies. Watching Friday the 13th Part 3 recently, I was underwhelmed by the shift in focus to the "Jason kills random people" plot.
I saw Part 2 at the Mahoning Drive-In years ago with a full lot. The wheelchair kill drew applause that night, too.
The camp, No-Be-Bo-Sco, in the first Friday the 13th has not change much in nearly 50 years, J.M. It was fun to visit there last fall. It is around 2 hours outside of New York City, located off of I-80 near Blairstown, New Jersey.
Next month the Gap Theatre is having a midnight screening of A Serbian Film. I would probably have as much fun as you did with Nekromantik. I will most likely attend, though.
Howdy Casual Listener...ive had the same situation with blogger this weekend..it defaults to "Anonymous". How i fixed it was to click in the comment field to start. then go up and select the drop down arrow next to the default name Anonymous. This should bring up a drop down with an option to change to Google which is your regular login. no need to relog in, it will just use your normal blogger name.
DeleteCASUAL, even l'm not manly enough to tackle a regular viewing of "A Serbian Film"... let alone a midnight theater screening! 😳😱 You're a bigger man than me in the... ahem, you-know-what department. 🤫😜
DeleteMashke, thanks for the skinny on how to get around this viscious AI b*tch monster known as Blogger. 🤨😓
Another sad week for movie fans. RIP James Van Der Beek. I got Varsity Blues 4k, only to realise that 3 of the main characters are gone.
ReplyDeleteAlso RIP Bud Cort, I'm less familiar with his work, but he was God once.
Airheads (1994): Almost everybody in this movie who has more than 2 lines is somebody who got big at some point, or already was. Brendan Fraser can't sing, but the song at the end is good. The movie is a ton of fun.
The Whole Nine Yards (2000): Totally forgot this was shot in Montreal, so kept seeing places I regularly go to, and actors I often saw on local tv. I never watched Friends so I never had any pre-conceived idea about Matthew Perry, so it never bothered me that he was doing his 'thing'. And I also forgot it's the same director as Clue.
The Whole Ten Yards (2004): It's very boring, should've skipped it.
Paradise Record (2025): A funny low budget little movie, kind of a mix between High Fidelity, Empire Records and Clerks. There's a ton of cameos, which is cool for a while, but at some point it feels like a crutch. I had fun, but I'm not sure I can recommend it to everyone.
Marty Supreme (2025): I don't think the Safdies (either or both) are for me. Save for the guy dying at the end, this is basically a remake of Uncut Gems, which I didn't care for. Everybody is always overexcited, shouting, an a$$hole, Marty is always scheming and it blowing up in his face. The ending suck, feels undeserved and the movie is too long. So, yeah, I didn't care for it.
Lifeforce (1985): Patrick will be proud of me, I found the Shout 4k release of the movie at the used dvd store and bought it immediately. Unfortunately, the director's cut is not on the 4k disc, only on the regular blu-ray, but since it's apparently the preferred version of Tobe Hooper, I had to watch that version. I'm not a fan of vampire stuff, but I like anything space-y. If you're exploring a spaceship and bad stuff happen, I'm there, so I got over the vampire thing pretty easy. Too bad they couldn't do the DC on 4k, but I'll survive the ordeal.
On a side note: I found the slipcase edition of Vinegar Syndrome's Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 4k, which has been out of print for a long time, and cheaper than what it was originally sold by VS. I already have the disc, but slip-less. Since I'm a crazy weirdo OCD collector, I had to get it. The other one will be traded back to that store, same store where I got Lifeforce. Let's just say the guy knows me well.
Glad to see l'm not the only one cold on "Marty Supreme," even though l appreciate the strong filmmaking/acting surrounding a deeply unlikable a-hole who doesn't earn the ending his character earns. 🤢🤮
DeleteThere's no greater joy for a physical media collector than to find a once-MSRP title cheaper than what it goes for on resale. 😁 It's rare and mostly due to human error, but it feels so good. 😃👍
At least, if you want to be unlikable, be on a space station or something 🤣
DeleteLike Casey Affleck in 2024's "Slingshot." 😎👍
DeleteGlad you are finding some good releases out on in the wild, Kunider. Does the owner of the store recommend recent acquisitions when you come in?
DeleteI stopped by a Salvation Army store this week and found a DVD of Gettysburg, which I remember very well at the time of its release. It was also a favorite of my father. The only other media purchase was a Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunter DVD. I had enough of a good time with it back in October to spend a dollar for it.
Casual Listener
When he's there, in his little booth in the back, I go say hello and ask if he's hiding anything.
DeleteStarted on my FTMF Y2K viewing with the final Yahoo Serious movie, Mr. Accident, and followed that up yesterday with Fortress 2 and Highlander: Endgame. I'm not going to pretend any of these movies are good, but FTMF to me is about innocent fun, so Yahoo Serious and Christopher Lambert it is.
ReplyDeleteOn the TV front, we started getting into Season 3 of Star Trek: Enterprise (the changes to the theme were a bit jarring even though I was expecting it). Also keeping up with Starfleet Academy. Really enjoyed the Sisko episode. Spartacus: House of Ashur was great also.
Not quite 2000, but to me "Enterprise" is synonimous wirh the early aughts. 🫰🙂🤞
DeleteI love Yahoo Serious' Young Einstein, I wish they'd release a blu-ray.
DeleteI saw Mr Accident a long time ago, I barely remember it
Mr. Accident is mostly just slapstick humor, none of which is particularly notable or creative but Yahoo Serious is a likable enough presence to get me through the movie.
DeleteA few more movies l caught before the "Fthe13" double feature plus...
ReplyDeleteKevin Reynold's theatrical cut of WATERWORLD (1995, 4K UHD AMAZON RENTAL) is a very uneven mess, with strong "Mad Max"-type practical action sequences (especially the Smokers attacking the floating trading post/fortress) offset by Kevin Costner's a-hole Mariner behavior and a pace-killing middle act. At least Dennis Hopper and his posse of weirdos ham things up, but unless l track down the Ulyses Cut l'm not coming back to this cheesefest ever again. 🤨
ARCO (2025, FRANCE/USA/UK, THEATER) is a subtle time travel (major grandfather paradox reveal at the very end), animated children's fantasy about a kid from the future that can travel through rainbows but ends up stranded in 2075 with a little girl having neglectful parents trouble. If you can tolerate the trio of goofballs (voiced by Will Ferrell and Andy Samberg in the English dub) that are after Arco you'll enjoy this often tear-inducing tale of a Iris, her babysitting robot companion Mikki and unexpected bestie Arco. 🥹😢🙃
SHELTER (2026, UK/USA, THEATER) is a typical Jason Statham action/protector vehicle crossed with a generic, Euro-flavored "Mission: Impossible" knockoff. Aside from a few well-timed comedic beats this would be completely forgettable if Bill Nighy wasn't hamming it up as a corrupt MI6 boss. Worth a look on free streaming... eventually.
IN COLD LIGHT ('26, CANADA, THEATER) Maika Monroe plays a drug dealer who, after a prison stretch, wants back into a criminal family business under siege by other parties trying to steal their turf. With cities in Alberta doubling as Texas, this dark noir/character study of a woman pushed to her limits is noteworthy for (a) long stretches of sign language between Maika and her deaf/mute father w/o translation, and (b) Helen Hunt in a late big cameo as the potential solution to Ava's troubles. Kind-of boring and dull, but well made and unpretentious.
THE INFINITE HUSK is an epic science fiction tale of intergalactic intrigue without any special effects (besides some choosy particle/macrophotography scenes near the end) about aliens being forced to inhabit human bodies as punishment for questioning authority. No stars, no gadgets, nothing but an intriguing premise and no-name actors (all good to decent) portraying what it' be like for an alien being to be trapped by human body limitations. Great film if you can buy the premise, and one of my favorite finds of the year so far. 😎👍
BACK TO THE PAST ('25, CHINA, THEATER) continues the Chinese history narrative started in a Chinese TV show from the early aughts. Judged solely as a movie it's a mess, with typical bad CG and melodramatic plot (including two endings, of which the alternate is my favorite). As the conclusion of a story l'm coming into halfway it's OK-ish, but this one is meant for the fans. Shot in 2019 but not released until late '25, "BTTP" bears the traits of a passion product... for those that care enough to remember the OG show and actors (many re-appearing here in the same roles).
Last and not least, WHISTLE ('26, THEATER) feels like its made from the parts of better horror movies ("Talk To Me," "Flatliners," the "Smile" series, etc.) desperately trying to appeal to young moviegoers. It's passable and even manages to get Nick Frost to play opportunist detention teacher (easily the best part of "Whistle"), plus it has moments/gore effects where it gets genuinely gross/f***ed up. I just wish there was more and better connecting tissue between each character's demise. Since when are high school students allowed to work at a hospital? 🙄 And no, a cute romantic subplot about young women falling in love isn't enough. 🫠🥰
ONLY 3 MORE SHOPPING WEEKS LEFT TILL F THIS MOVIE FEST!!! Remember its a marathon not a race. Stock up on lots of sodas, doritos, popped corn, bourbon, and pizza! #ProofOfPizza
ReplyDeleteFThisTVSeries.......Search Party (netflix 2016-2022)
Binged the entire series last week. Its....unique. At face value its the story of four millennials looking for a missing acquaintance. They are vapid, selfish, lost, egotistical, aimless. However...they're also great friends and great characters. Im reviewing it here for two reasons: 1) Each season pretty much follows a separate and unique genre: True Crime, Thriller, Courtroom Drama, Kidnap Horror, and ...well that leads me to 2) While the show is a pretty straight forward dramedy, the 5th and final season just goes in several BONKERS directions. tonally all over the place. Several crazy themes. WAY off the rails storytelling. Ive never seen anything quite like it. Also leans way more into comedy. Its a creative show that i would suggest.
PS: for MST3K fans out there. If you havent heard, last week there was a kickstarter announcement. Mike/Bill/Kevin from Rifftrax are returning to do 4 episodes of MST3K this year!!!! This is HUGE news as they are endlessly brilliant and responsible for some of the best of the show. Even better? Mary Jo will reprise her role as Pearl, there will be several original show creators helping, AND they just announced Trace and Frank will do one episode as Forester/Frank!!!! BEYOND excited. ALSO they announced that one of the riffed movies will be Deathsport. #We'veGotMovieSign!!!!!!
DeleteI'm thrilled for Mike & the Sci-Fi Channel era crew helming new "MST3K" content for the first time in 27 (!) years.os people.. but why does it have to be Joel or Mike and not both simultaneously doing "MST3K"? Having Trace Bealieu and Frank Conniff as Forrrester and TV's Frank will be the closest both sides of the Best Brains, Inc. sides have come in years. But still, not having Joel and his people working alongside Mike and his Rifftrax posse in these fout episodes is a sad reminder of the split between both camps. 🥺😓
DeleteJM: totally agree with you about the split between camps. Joel owned some of the rights till recently and for whatever reason when he did his reboot it was pretty much him with the new cast. He sold his rights at the turn of the year to Shout/Radial Entertainment and they turned to the Rifftrax crew. That being said i believe he forwarded the kickstarter from his account so i think he's being supportive of it. Reading into MST history i think the real rifts are focused not on Joel v Mike but more with certain folks breaking away from co-creator Jim Mallon over disagreements and power situations.
DeleteHey, we shouldn't let the decades-old riff between the creators distract from the fact Rifftrax is making FOUR "MST3K" episodes in one production cycle. After years of Rifftrax doing a single live show annually it's nice to know this year we're getting four shows that'll look/sound, hopefully, like late 90's Sci-Fi Channel era "MST3K" goodness. 😍🥰🤩
DeleteCasual Listener again.
DeleteI remember catching MST3K on TV toward the end of its run on the Sci-Fi channel. I have never warmed up to the riffing style of watching a film. That is why I have not attended the MST3K weekends (with Joel in person) at the Mahoning the past couple of years.
BLOODSHOT (2020)
ReplyDeleteIs this movie secretly… good? It has a twisty-turny plot and lots of tough guy action. I had a great time with it.
WATERWORLD (1995)
Just imagine George Miller watching this and thinking, “I can take this up a notch.”
POLAR (2019)
Exhausting. This tale of hired killers out to get each other is trying so, so hard to be edgy and cool that it just ends up being annoying loud noises. Skip this and watch JOHN WICK again.
MEGAN 2.O (2025)
Speaking of trying too hard, this one has a few good ideas about AI and whatnot, but all the generic action and especially the constant hackneyed jokes make this barely watchable. The first one wasn’t great, but it had that absurdity to it that made it work. Lacking that absurdity, this sequel’s got nothing.
THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN (1995)
Jean-Pierre Jeunet goodness!
LEGION OF SUPERHEROES (2023)
Supergirl travels to the distant future to pal around with the Legion. It’s been a while (been a while) since I’ve checked on the DC animated flicks, but this one’s not bad. The Legion is reimagined as a Hogwarts-ish school, which is a good way of juggling all the Legion characters. The animation is a little flat, but that’s probably the tradeoff for getting these things made.
THE ABYSS (1989)
“It went straight for the warhead, and they think it’s cute!”
Do i need to revisit Bloodshot?
DeleteDo I need to watch Bloodshot? Rhetorical question really...im in!
DeleteI had an awesome saturday of doing nothing but watch movies (Guess who's single at the moment... 😜)
ReplyDeletePsycho Goreman (2020): That little girl is nuts, she should be restrained. Patrick was championing this movie when it came out, but for some reason I never saw it. When I saw the director's most recent and awesome and funny movie (Deathstalker) it made me want to see PG. Luckily, the blu-ray, with a nice slipcover, was at the used dvd store, so I got it for cheap. It's awesome, the designs are very cool, and they use as much practical effects as possible. Some of the aliens come off as Power Rangers villains sometimes, but honestly, that's how I like it
The Dam Busters (1955): It's a very british movie, with a lot of british characters with british manners. A lot of talking and planning. The main attraction is the big finale who famously inspired the Death Star in Star Wars A New Hope. It's a fine movie, but would be mostly forgotten today if not for Star Wars. Do not say the dog's name out loud.
Red Cliff 1&2 (2008, 2009): Well, that k!lled an afternoon, but I finally watched this epic. It's funny because I played a lot of the videogame Dynasty Warriors, which features a few characters seen in this movie, and did some surface-level research on them and the Three Kingdoms, so I was kinda familiar with a lot of stuff. That and the fight scenes made me want to play the game again. Like the first big fight scene with a 'hero' mowing down foot soldiers. Long story short, it's great.
For anyone lamenting the death of theatrical comedy, I'd strongly recommend checking out "Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie" if you get the chance. I knew pretty much nothing about it going in, and didn't even realize there was a "Nirvanna the Band the Show" that preceded it... but it made me laugh quite a bit, and impressed me with it's sneakily unfolding high concept (but not taken too seriously) premise. A really fun time at the movies.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. Just checked, it's playing at two local AMC theaters in NYC. Know nothing abou it. Will probably watch it tomorrow or Monday (President's Day). 🤟🙂
DeleteI almost went to see it today, but my friend called me too late
DeleteHUGE thanks for the tip Reed. I know nothing about it but after reading your suggestion i goggled a little (no spoilers) and it seems like this one is making alot of folks laugh. Im so in.
DeleteJust saw "Nirvanna... The Movie" at AMC. No spoilers, it's best to come in cold so the crazy ride (and a super-shocking 2nd act conclusion in a parked tour bus that shook me and everyone in the theater to scream in shock as one! 😱😱😱) hits you at full speed.
DeleteSomehow this is the SECOND FEATURE (China's "Back to the Past" being the first) I've seen this week in theaters that concludes in movie form a (Canadian) TV series l've never seen before but l'm coming at the tail end of. Can't say l love it, but l'm glad Reed pushed me to see it because l would have probably skipped it and miss out on a fun, creative ride. As a fan of French New Wave guerrilla filmmaking the fact the people of Toronto (and a couple of tourists from Brazil and France) are unsuspecting co-stars in Matt and Jay's loopy shenanigans elevated to mockumentary to a level of self-awareness l appreciate.
Highly recommended. 😃👍
And I am back online with Blogger.
ReplyDeleteWork (job and home) kept me busy much of the week, so there was not much time and energy left for movie-watching. I always try to get at least a couple of films in during a week, though.
BLOOD AND SAND (1941, dir. Robert Mamoulian) – A sprawling bullfighter epic. Tyrone Power portrays a matador who rises from humble beginnings to become a star in the arena, only to be undone by his vices and ego. Although the narrative sometimes drags, the film never looks less than great. Beside the running time, the biggest issue I had with the film is a few of the casting choices. Rita Hayworth, though, shows why she became a movie star at this time. If you are fan of Golden Age Hollywood, there is a lot to appreciate here.
OUT OF CONTROL (1985) – I wanted something easy to watch for Saturday night, and this random find on Prime seemed the right fit. A group of teenagers (played by older actors, of course) take a flight to a private island after their prom and end up crashing in the ocean. Taking refuge on a nearby island, they find themselves the targets of criminals who use the island. With sudden shifts in tone and plot, Out Of Control is disjointed and awkwardly shot. It is, at best, mildly entertaining ‘80s trash. I cannot remember a s-t-r-i-p spin the bottle scene in a film before, however. A baby-faced Sherilynn Fenn has a small role.