JUNESPLOITATION! 2026 starts in less than 48 hours!🥳😍 Before that...
BACKROOMS (2026, AMC PRIME) quietly blew me and a sold-out opening night crowd away. Flashing a Kubrickian control of atmosphere and an unexpected sense of humor to go with great production/set design, this is the most impressive feature-length debut since... well, Curry Barker directed "Obsession."😃 Despite having great producing talent behind it (Osgood Perkins, James Wan, Shawn Levy, Peter Chernin, etc.) you can't help but be impressed that 21-year-old Kane Parsons displays such complete control over the psychological horror at the core of the "Backrooms" experience. As someone in therapy right now, there are scenes in which Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve open themselves up that hit too close and feel too real despite the fantastical setting and era this depicts (early 90's). Best $10 million A24 ever spent on a movie.😎👍
Rewatched John Woo's BROKEN ARROW (1996, AMAZON PRIME). Hated every prior viewing of this, feeling it's a major quality dip compared to Woo's Hollywood peaks of "Hard Target" ('92) and "Face/Off" ('97). Between the Jury Room 4.0 group watchalong on Discord, '90s. Action!' being the first day of Junesploitation! on Monday, and my now-raging appreciation for doing things practical and/or without CG (lost count of how many helicopters explode/crash😁), "BA's" eccentricities stood out and made me enjoy it more than ever before. It helps that (a) John Travolta's ridiculously hammy villain role is prominent ('Ain't it cool?'), (b) Hans Zimmer score feels like its building-up toward "The Rock" (released four months later), (d) the supporting cast (Delroy Lindo, Frank Whaley, Bob Gunton, Vondie Curtis-Hall, etc.) is stacked, and (d) Christian Slater and Samantha Mathis stage a "Pump Up The Volume" reunion.🥰 So much hard work by so many talented folks went into making such a dumb movie. That's 90's action in a nutshell.🤓
Filmmakers and documentarians around the world ran out of prominent World War II battles, personalities and/or major events to depict or profile. Smaller, lesser-known people and events surrounding WWII are now getting the spotlight (remember "Lee"?). The aptly named PRESSURE ('26, THEATER) revolves around British chief meteorologist, Capt. James Stagg (Andrew Scott), clashing with Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser, excellent) over the ideal day/time to launch the D-Day invasion over Normandy. Told within the 72 hours before the expected assault date, director Anthony Mara ("Hotel Mumbai") manages to somehow wring dramatic tension over a weather forecast for a historical date we all know happened. It helps that Kerry Condon (as Ike's personal assistant) and Damian Lewis have prominent supporting roles, and that Andrew Scott plays Stagg like a shy introvert that contrasts with everyone's gung-ho attitude. A small gem, but wait for free streaming.🥸
Watched THE SHEEP DETECTIVES ('26, THEATER) at a late evening screening with a packed house of mostly adults that clearly enjoyed themselves. I couldn't disagree more. While inoffensive and at times too cute for words (Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Lily develops a moving relationship with her owner Hugh Jackman, no small feat when the former's a CG animal), the murder mystery at the heart of the story feels too dumb and convoluted even for a movie aimed at children. Acting borders on Nickelodeon levels of bad; fine for kids, not the likes of Nicholas Braun and Emma freakin' Thompson! That adults have propelled this to unexpected box office heights (executive producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller helped out) can only be explained by the desperate need to escape a real world at odds with its make-believe junior detective optimism. Lord knows Patrick Stewart's Sir Ritchfield and Bryan Cranston's Sebastian didn't do anything for me. Your mileage will definitely vary as l seem to be the only a-hole l know that disliked this.🥺😰
I cannot get over just how incredible the set/production design was for Backrooms. One would think it would get repetitive just based on the nature of the backrooms but I was fascinated with each new reveal. I really felt as though I was exploring it along side the characters. And there was so much dread and unease. And that last shot really left me feeling uncomfortable.
Can't wait to rewatch "Backrooms" (hopefully with friends) because it leaves enough material/plot unexplained to lead to interesting theories/conversations, which l spent 30 minutes engaged with other folks afterwards. 🙂 Only the fear that A24 will rush into lookalike sequels to cash on its popularity gives me pause about "Backrooms'" meteoric success. Kane Parsons has such first-world problems. 😁
I normally avoid trailers, but saw the trailer for it, and it was "this is either going to be amazing, or one of the dumbest movies ever". It's getting good reviews.
I laughed out loud during this weeks podcast when Patrick said something like "fucking youtube directors" with a tone of derision. It's kind of funny, because I feel the same way. There have been a couple of breakout movies by people that dabbled in youtube, but I doubt that the path to becoming a movie maker has now become, begin by doing a bunch you youtube shorts.
For every Kane Parsons or Curry Barker there are dozens of Chris Stuckmans ("Shelby Oaks") and Mark Fishbachs ("Iron Lung") that overpromise and underdeliver. Some of the latter could be money makers ("Iron Lung" was very profitable), but the finished movie is either bad/mediocre or underwhelmimg. The reason "Obsession" and "Backrooms" are making bank and getting good reviews isn't that they were made by YT creators. It's because those YT creators learned from the digital content they made and translated those skills into competent movie premises that could sustain long-term narratives. 😎🧐
Speed Racer (2008): In glorious 4k. This movie begged for it. With all the saturated colors, the split screens flying over one another, the camera flying everywhere, the Wachowskys showed us what a live action cartoon should look like. They didn't shy away from the original material, they leaned into it, giving us one of the most entertaining movie of the 2000s. The whole thing is like a sugar rush after a caffeine bender. There's room for improvement on the story side, and shouldn't be more than 2h, but at this point I'm nitpicking, I always had fun with it. The fact is, you have to just go with it. Most of the reviews back then trashed it, but it's one of those re-evaluated movies that people like now. I missed it in theaters, but my friend told me it was quite an experience, watching it in a room full of hyperactive kids.
Rashomon (1950): That's a weird double-bill with Speed Racer, but that's how I roll. What can I say, it's Akira Kurosawa, one of his most influential movies.
Ms .45 (1981): I've been hearing about this movie for so long, so when it was mentioned in the Joe Dante podcast a while ago, I couldn't hold it anymore and got the 4k. I'd only seen 2 Abel Ferrera before, Pasolini and Bad Lieutenant. Both good, but not quite enough to get a real idea on the guy, but enough to know he doesn't make 'fun' movies. All this to say, the movie's excellent (and short, which is always a plus) and I'm glad to finally saw it.
Cemetery Junction (2010): A somewhat classic coming-of-age, set in a small town in England, co-written/directed by Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais. Say what you will about the later, he knows how to do drama. All the clichés are here: the bad boy from a broken home, the ambitious one with a factory worker dad, the 'slow' one who gets teased relentlessly, the girl next door, all on the brink of adulthood, all dealing with expectations and looking to the future.
Lastly, it feels like I'm pregaming Junesploitation, but I recently got a 2-pack of Dawn of the Dead (2004) and Land of the Dead (2005). I've seen the former a million time, it was my first watch for the later. Land is way less serious than I expected and a ton of fun. Dennis Hopper always makes a cool bad guy.
Is it worth watching the other 'of the Dead' movies?
On a side note, I impulse bought The Visitor 4k on amazon (don't ask about the other stuff I impulse bought). It arrived with no disc, no booklet, no cover. It did have the slipcover. The a$$hole added a bunch of cardboard with bits of food on it and managed to rewrap it to look like new, with the HDR sticker on it. I'm super pissed, but at least amazon is quick with the replacement.
Sorry about your bad "Visitor" shopping experience. 😕 Hope you drop a Junesploitation! review when it eventually arrives, it's a hell of an entertaining Italian genre pic. 🤘😁
Every Romero "of the Dead" movie BEFORE "Land" is definitely worth seeing. Night of, Dawn of, Day of... CLASSICS! 🤓 "Land" lands squarely in the middle, and the two Romero zombie movies made afterwards (Diary of, Survivor of) are generally regarded as bad. I like aspects of both, but if you watch them set your expectations lower than low. 🫤🙄
I'm broke, but as soon as l can save enough cash that "Speed Racer" 4K will be mine.✊️🙃
Surprised you didn't hold "Ms. 45" for a June-timed review. It's as exploitation as exploitation movies come, and one hell of a 70's 'New York is hell on Earth' revenge flick. Oh well, another Arrow 4K winner and permanent monument to Zoë Lund's legend. 🤠🥶
Don't worry, I have plenty to watch and rewatch. And with all the overtime icm still doing, i'm not sure when i can properly sit down and watch a specific thing
General consensus is that "Ms. 45" and "Bad Lieutenant" are Zoë Lund's best film work. Saw "Special Effects" in 35mm at a sparsely attended screening at NYC's QUAD Cinema, with Larry Cohen and Eric Bogosian at hand for a post-film Q&A. Zoë was fine as one of her two roles (the sexy one 🤩), but the movie was kind-of meh and only Bogosian's energy kept it interesting. Larry's war stories about filming in streets without permits and borrowing the impressive apartment the movie takes place in were more interesting than anything in "Special Effects." 😅
"This is houston control we are t-minus two days till Junesploitation liftoff...FThis Crew, initiate movie checklist countdown......"
Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie (digital rental)
This flick and its TV counterpart were completely off my radar....it was an FThis reviewer on a weekend thread who brought them to my attention and im so glad they did. The premise of the tv show and movie is simple: two silly musicians are trying to book a gig at a local theater with crazy plans. In this case the plan is inspired by Back To the Future and...if you can believe it....things go awry! Its a fun, cute, silly story with a little bit of reflection on friendship and life goals and Orbitz fruit drink. Dug this comedy bunches.
Reed Strickland pushed the movie on us mid-February (https://www.fthismovie.com/2026/02/weekend-open-thread_0693066467.html?showComment=1771123170397&m=0#c2928105613797115233), and I'm glad he did. One of the most pleasant surprises of 2026 at the movies. 😃🧐
What are the odds?! I watched Exorcist II: The Heretic for the first time this week. It was a mind-boggling experience. A work of utter insanity. Half the time I was marveling at the truly excellent shot-design and in-camera magic tricks that were happening in almost every shot. The other half I was laughing at the dialogue and line-delivery. Who directed these actors, Tommy Wiseau? No human has ever behaved like Linda Hamilton in this movie. I kinda loved it and can't wait to watch it again.
I love Boorman but had always avoided this legendary turkey. Plus I have a vague memory of JB ranting on the podcast about how bad it was. @zillagord once I heard about Boorman and the Devil that was my trigger to finally watch Exorcist 2 in preparation. I'm certainly glad I did, what a ride.
Unfortunately, there's no trailer for Boormand and the Devil. According to Bloody Disgusting, Yellow Veil Pictures just acquired the rights, and it will start screening August/Sept. Article here: https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3951755/exorcist-ii-documentary-boorman-and-the-devil-acquired-by-yellow-veil-pictures/
In my crazy adventures of unnecessarily upgrading every muthaf-ing bluray I own to 4k, I recently got The Mask and Ace Ventura, which I watched tonight.
Ace Ventura is from Shout, and they did their annoying Shout thing. They still charge premium while adding next to ZERO extras. I forgot to check that before buying. But the important part (the movie) is there and looks good.
The Mask is from Arrow, and they did their annoying Arrow thing. They charge premium while adding way too many extras, including a booklet, which is always a selling point for me. And in usual Arrow fashion, it looks perfect.
Arrow (like Indicator and Vinegar Syndrome) also charges top dollar for 4K releases that don't include a Blu-ray made from the same remastered 4K transfer. 😡 Say what you will about Kino, Shout! and Criterion, but their dual-disc 4K releases always come with a Blu-ray copy of the remastered 4K movie. 😎🤓
Like every year, I’m overshooting for Junesploitation, especially since I have final exams for medical school coming up, and will almost certainly not get around to even half these. But here’s my fantasy football line up of what I hope to get around to:
1st of May – ‘90s Action! - Gonin 2nd of May – Cartoons! - The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb 3rd of May – Linda Blair! - Bad Blood 4th of May – Blaxploitation! - Truck Turner 5th of May – Teenagers! - Double Feature! - Mary Jane’s Not A Virgin Anymore and The New Kids 6th of May – South Korea! - Bedevilled 7th of May – Free Space! - Day of the Woman Double Feature! - Blood Games and A Gun for Jennifer (Not an actual I Spit on Your Grave double feature, I’m not insane) 8th of May – Zombies! - Night Life 9th of May – Thrillers! - Cross Country 10th of May – Private Eyes! - El Crack 11th of May – Disasters! - Warning Sign 12th of May – Kung Fu! - Holy Flame of the Martial World 13th of May – ‘90s Horror! - Haunted School 14th of May – Cannon! - Crack House 15th of May – George Romero! - Season of the Witch 16th of May – Free Space! - Car-nage Double Feature! - White Line Fever and The Junkman 17th of May – Hong Kong Action! - Magic and Monsters Double Feature! - Thrilling Bloody Sword and The Beheaded 1000 18th of May – Franco Nero! - The Shark Hunter 19th of May – Black Filmmakers! - Penitentiary 20th of May – ‘80s Sci-Fi! - The Passing 21st of May – Free Space! - Demonic Possession! - Possessed II 22nd of May – Revenge! - Double Feature! - Deadbeat at Dawn and Sudden Fury 23rd of May – Exploitation Auteurs! - Double Feature! - Mermaid Legend and Her Vengeance 24th of May – Slashers! - The Severed Arm 25th of May – Jackie Chan! - Project A 26th of May – Heroes & Villains! - Japanese Pulp Double Feature! - Go For Broke and Skyscraper Hunting 27th of May – Italian Cinema! - What the Peeper Saw 28th of May – PM Entertainment! - The Art of Dying 29th of May – Free Space! - Dysfunctional Family Triple Feature - Toys Are Not For Children; Seeds; and The Soft Skin 30th of May – ‘80s Comedy! - Low Budget Freak Show Double Feature - Twisted Issues and Basket Case
I am keeping my viewing goals modest for June. I am sure there are days when I will get to a couple of watches, but I cannot see myself having the stamina to reach 50 movies like last year. And that is fine.
I will watch what I can, but won't worry about missing days. Best to prioritise your exams, and good luck! That's quite an achievement to even be at that point.
The Junesploitation marathon is almost here, so I decided to make it a light week for watches. One film was going off of the DVR soon, and the other I started last week and needed to finish.
THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY (1980) – Or a Bushman’s view of “civilization”. When a Coca Cola bottle falls from the sky in Botswana’s Kalahari desert, a Bushmen clan’s tranquility is disrupted. Crazy ideas like ownership start coming into their interactions. Of course, this evil influence must be destroyed, so a male clan member goes on a journey to throw the bottle off the edge of the earth. Also thrown into the mix is a screwball romance and a rag-tag group of violent revolutionaries. The quasi-documentary style is ingeniously used to comment on the world of “civilized” man, and the zany comedy genuinely had me laughing. Recommended.
BOXCAR BERTHA (1972, dir. Martin Scorsese) – Give credit to a master filmmaker for elevating Depression Era exploitation to a meditation on a violent system pushing others to violence. Barbara Hershey is the title character, a young woman with few options in a harsh world. David Carradine is her beau, a union organizer facing the wrath of the railroad and local law enforcement. The filming with the trains is well-done, and that downbeat 1970s New Hollywood tone is there throughout the film.
The Gods Must Be Crazy is not for everyone. The silliness of the film fit my mood this week, but I can see why it would not appeal others. Reading the comments about the film on Letterboxd is interesting. The country of origin (South Africa during Apartheid) predisposes some to view the film suspiciously. I do not find the film any more racist than other depictions of Africa in cinema. Having Xi the Bushman as the most sympathetic character adds something unique to the film.
The Gods Must Be Crazy was so funny when I saw it as a child. I rewatched it a few years ago, with a little apprehension that the depiction of Africans might not sit as well with how society has changed. But was pleasantly surprised that it was all good! And was still super funny! The guy that directed it however, not so sure.
Watched Blue Collar (1978), written and directed by Paul Schrader. As a member of a union myself, I appreciate a bit of criticism about unions. However, some of the things they're doing are reaching cartoonish levels. Great movie though. Wonderful depiction of gritty Detroit, and oh man is it gritty. (Is it Detroit? I'm pretty sure they said Michigan, and they're building cars, so yeah, Detroit). Richard Pryor isn't the funny man in this. He's just saying how it is, as uncomfortable as it might be to hear. But then even he sells out. I guess I'm deep into spoilers at this point but then the n word gets throw about multiple times in the last 2 minutes. Wow. I really liked this one. Yaphet Kotto and Harvey Keitel are also in it too.
Love that pic.😅
ReplyDeleteJUNESPLOITATION! 2026 starts in less than 48 hours!🥳😍 Before that...
BACKROOMS (2026, AMC PRIME) quietly blew me and a sold-out opening night crowd away. Flashing a Kubrickian control of atmosphere and an unexpected sense of humor to go with great production/set design, this is the most impressive feature-length debut since... well, Curry Barker directed "Obsession."😃 Despite having great producing talent behind it (Osgood Perkins, James Wan, Shawn Levy, Peter Chernin, etc.) you can't help but be impressed that 21-year-old Kane Parsons displays such complete control over the psychological horror at the core of the "Backrooms" experience. As someone in therapy right now, there are scenes in which Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve open themselves up that hit too close and feel too real despite the fantastical setting and era this depicts (early 90's). Best $10 million A24 ever spent on a movie.😎👍
Rewatched John Woo's BROKEN ARROW (1996, AMAZON PRIME). Hated every prior viewing of this, feeling it's a major quality dip compared to Woo's Hollywood peaks of "Hard Target" ('92) and "Face/Off" ('97). Between the Jury Room 4.0 group watchalong on Discord, '90s. Action!' being the first day of Junesploitation! on Monday, and my now-raging appreciation for doing things practical and/or without CG (lost count of how many helicopters explode/crash😁), "BA's" eccentricities stood out and made me enjoy it more than ever before. It helps that (a) John Travolta's ridiculously hammy villain role is prominent ('Ain't it cool?'), (b) Hans Zimmer score feels like its building-up toward "The Rock" (released four months later), (d) the supporting cast (Delroy Lindo, Frank Whaley, Bob Gunton, Vondie Curtis-Hall, etc.) is stacked, and (d) Christian Slater and Samantha Mathis stage a "Pump Up The Volume" reunion.🥰 So much hard work by so many talented folks went into making such a dumb movie. That's 90's action in a nutshell.🤓
Filmmakers and documentarians around the world ran out of prominent World War II battles, personalities and/or major events to depict or profile. Smaller, lesser-known people and events surrounding WWII are now getting the spotlight (remember "Lee"?). The aptly named PRESSURE ('26, THEATER) revolves around British chief meteorologist, Capt. James Stagg (Andrew Scott), clashing with Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser, excellent) over the ideal day/time to launch the D-Day invasion over Normandy. Told within the 72 hours before the expected assault date, director Anthony Mara ("Hotel Mumbai") manages to somehow wring dramatic tension over a weather forecast for a historical date we all know happened. It helps that Kerry Condon (as Ike's personal assistant) and Damian Lewis have prominent supporting roles, and that Andrew Scott plays Stagg like a shy introvert that contrasts with everyone's gung-ho attitude. A small gem, but wait for free streaming.🥸
Watched THE SHEEP DETECTIVES ('26, THEATER) at a late evening screening with a packed house of mostly adults that clearly enjoyed themselves. I couldn't disagree more. While inoffensive and at times too cute for words (Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Lily develops a moving relationship with her owner Hugh Jackman, no small feat when the former's a CG animal), the murder mystery at the heart of the story feels too dumb and convoluted even for a movie aimed at children. Acting borders on Nickelodeon levels of bad; fine for kids, not the likes of Nicholas Braun and Emma freakin' Thompson! That adults have propelled this to unexpected box office heights (executive producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller helped out) can only be explained by the desperate need to escape a real world at odds with its make-believe junior detective optimism. Lord knows Patrick Stewart's Sir Ritchfield and Bryan Cranston's Sebastian didn't do anything for me. Your mileage will definitely vary as l seem to be the only a-hole l know that disliked this.🥺😰
See you on Monday, you filthy maggots!🤩
I cannot get over just how incredible the set/production design was for Backrooms. One would think it would get repetitive just based on the nature of the backrooms but I was fascinated with each new reveal. I really felt as though I was exploring it along side the characters. And there was so much dread and unease. And that last shot really left me feeling uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to rewatch "Backrooms" (hopefully with friends) because it leaves enough material/plot unexplained to lead to interesting theories/conversations, which l spent 30 minutes engaged with other folks afterwards. 🙂 Only the fear that A24 will rush into lookalike sequels to cash on its popularity gives me pause about "Backrooms'" meteoric success. Kane Parsons has such first-world problems. 😁
DeleteI really wanted to go see Backrooms with my friends, but plans fell apart. We'll try next week.
DeleteI normally avoid trailers, but saw the trailer for it, and it was "this is either going to be amazing, or one of the dumbest movies ever". It's getting good reviews.
DeleteI laughed out loud during this weeks podcast when Patrick said something like "fucking youtube directors" with a tone of derision. It's kind of funny, because I feel the same way. There have been a couple of breakout movies by people that dabbled in youtube, but I doubt that the path to becoming a movie maker has now become, begin by doing a bunch you youtube shorts.
For every Kane Parsons or Curry Barker there are dozens of Chris Stuckmans ("Shelby Oaks") and Mark Fishbachs ("Iron Lung") that overpromise and underdeliver. Some of the latter could be money makers ("Iron Lung" was very profitable), but the finished movie is either bad/mediocre or underwhelmimg. The reason "Obsession" and "Backrooms" are making bank and getting good reviews isn't that they were made by YT creators. It's because those YT creators learned from the digital content they made and translated those skills into competent movie premises that could sustain long-term narratives. 😎🧐
DeleteSpeed Racer (2008): In glorious 4k. This movie begged for it. With all the saturated colors, the split screens flying over one another, the camera flying everywhere, the Wachowskys showed us what a live action cartoon should look like. They didn't shy away from the original material, they leaned into it, giving us one of the most entertaining movie of the 2000s. The whole thing is like a sugar rush after a caffeine bender. There's room for improvement on the story side, and shouldn't be more than 2h, but at this point I'm nitpicking, I always had fun with it. The fact is, you have to just go with it. Most of the reviews back then trashed it, but it's one of those re-evaluated movies that people like now. I missed it in theaters, but my friend told me it was quite an experience, watching it in a room full of hyperactive kids.
ReplyDeleteRashomon (1950): That's a weird double-bill with Speed Racer, but that's how I roll. What can I say, it's Akira Kurosawa, one of his most influential movies.
Ms .45 (1981): I've been hearing about this movie for so long, so when it was mentioned in the Joe Dante podcast a while ago, I couldn't hold it anymore and got the 4k. I'd only seen 2 Abel Ferrera before, Pasolini and Bad Lieutenant. Both good, but not quite enough to get a real idea on the guy, but enough to know he doesn't make 'fun' movies. All this to say, the movie's excellent (and short, which is always a plus) and I'm glad to finally saw it.
Cemetery Junction (2010): A somewhat classic coming-of-age, set in a small town in England, co-written/directed by Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais. Say what you will about the later, he knows how to do drama. All the clichés are here: the bad boy from a broken home, the ambitious one with a factory worker dad, the 'slow' one who gets teased relentlessly, the girl next door, all on the brink of adulthood, all dealing with expectations and looking to the future.
Lastly, it feels like I'm pregaming Junesploitation, but I recently got a 2-pack of Dawn of the Dead (2004) and Land of the Dead (2005). I've seen the former a million time, it was my first watch for the later. Land is way less serious than I expected and a ton of fun. Dennis Hopper always makes a cool bad guy.
Is it worth watching the other 'of the Dead' movies?
On a side note, I impulse bought The Visitor 4k on amazon (don't ask about the other stuff I impulse bought). It arrived with no disc, no booklet, no cover. It did have the slipcover. The a$$hole added a bunch of cardboard with bits of food on it and managed to rewrap it to look like new, with the HDR sticker on it. I'm super pissed, but at least amazon is quick with the replacement.
DeleteSorry about your bad "Visitor" shopping experience. 😕 Hope you drop a Junesploitation! review when it eventually arrives, it's a hell of an entertaining Italian genre pic. 🤘😁
DeleteEvery Romero "of the Dead" movie BEFORE "Land" is definitely worth seeing. Night of, Dawn of, Day of... CLASSICS! 🤓 "Land" lands squarely in the middle, and the two Romero zombie movies made afterwards (Diary of, Survivor of) are generally regarded as bad. I like aspects of both, but if you watch them set your expectations lower than low. 🫤🙄
I'm broke, but as soon as l can save enough cash that "Speed Racer" 4K will be mine.✊️🙃
Visitor should be coming in today, hopefully is the complete thing
DeleteI'm taking note of the 'of the dead' movies. This should be fun
Surprised you didn't hold "Ms. 45" for a June-timed review. It's as exploitation as exploitation movies come, and one hell of a 70's 'New York is hell on Earth' revenge flick. Oh well, another Arrow 4K winner and permanent monument to Zoë Lund's legend. 🤠🥶
DeleteDon't worry, I have plenty to watch and rewatch. And with all the overtime icm still doing, i'm not sure when i can properly sit down and watch a specific thing
DeleteWould you recommend any other Zoe Lund movie? I've only seen Bad Lieutenant
DeleteI really like Larry Cohen's Special Effects. She plays a dual role!
DeleteI ordered Special Effects from UK. And i got Bad Lieutenant 4k, arriving tomorrow 😎
DeleteGeneral consensus is that "Ms. 45" and "Bad Lieutenant" are Zoë Lund's best film work. Saw "Special Effects" in 35mm at a sparsely attended screening at NYC's QUAD Cinema, with Larry Cohen and Eric Bogosian at hand for a post-film Q&A. Zoë was fine as one of her two roles (the sexy one 🤩), but the movie was kind-of meh and only Bogosian's energy kept it interesting. Larry's war stories about filming in streets without permits and borrowing the impressive apartment the movie takes place in were more interesting than anything in "Special Effects." 😅
DeleteMy new copy of The Visitor is here, and is in perfect condition. Can't wait to dig into it
DeleteSpeed Racer is bound to be one of the best 4k releases this year. Cant wait to check it out!!
DeleteI somehow have never seen Speed racer. I love their other movies, especially Cloud Atlas.
DeleteCoud Atlas and Speed Racer are at two opposite of the spectrum, I love them both. Let us know when you do watch it
Delete"Cloud Atlas" is super ambitious, well made and has one hell of a large cast, but falls short of "Speed Racer" IMO. 🥸🧐
Delete"This is houston control we are t-minus two days till Junesploitation liftoff...FThis Crew, initiate movie checklist countdown......"
ReplyDeleteNirvanna The Band The Show The Movie (digital rental)
This flick and its TV counterpart were completely off my radar....it was an FThis reviewer on a weekend thread who brought them to my attention and im so glad they did. The premise of the tv show and movie is simple: two silly musicians are trying to book a gig at a local theater with crazy plans. In this case the plan is inspired by Back To the Future and...if you can believe it....things go awry! Its a fun, cute, silly story with a little bit of reflection on friendship and life goals and Orbitz fruit drink. Dug this comedy bunches.
Reed Strickland pushed the movie on us mid-February (https://www.fthismovie.com/2026/02/weekend-open-thread_0693066467.html?showComment=1771123170397&m=0#c2928105613797115233), and I'm glad he did. One of the most pleasant surprises of 2026 at the movies. 😃🧐
DeleteYES! Thank you JM for tracking down the original post. HUGE thanks to Reed Strickland for the heads up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DeleteWhat are the odds?! I watched Exorcist II: The Heretic for the first time this week. It was a mind-boggling experience. A work of utter insanity. Half the time I was marveling at the truly excellent shot-design and in-camera magic tricks that were happening in almost every shot. The other half I was laughing at the dialogue and line-delivery. Who directed these actors, Tommy Wiseau? No human has ever behaved like Linda Hamilton in this movie. I kinda loved it and can't wait to watch it again.
ReplyDeleteAnd by Linda Hamilton I mean Linda Blair
DeleteI must admit a strange fascination with Exorcist 2. Can't wait to see the new making-of doc, Boorman and the Devil!
DeleteWell, now I'm curious.
DeleteI love Boorman but had always avoided this legendary turkey. Plus I have a vague memory of JB ranting on the podcast about how bad it was. @zillagord once I heard about Boorman and the Devil that was my trigger to finally watch Exorcist 2 in preparation. I'm certainly glad I did, what a ride.
DeleteUnfortunately, there's no trailer for Boormand and the Devil. According to Bloody Disgusting, Yellow Veil Pictures just acquired the rights, and it will start screening August/Sept. Article here: https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3951755/exorcist-ii-documentary-boorman-and-the-devil-acquired-by-yellow-veil-pictures/
Deletewelp...it appears Exorcist II will go on my watch list for Junesploitation! Thanks Matt!!
DeleteHint: "Exorcist II" was always on my watch list... "The Heretic" was ALWAYS the caretaker! 😈👹👻
DeleteBROKEN ARROW (1996)
ReplyDeleteRemembering how everyone went to see this because is was such a novelty that Travolta would play a villain.
NIGHT OF THE COMET (1984)
“All we are is dust in the wind, dude.”
THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH (1999)
C’mon, Denise Richards isn’t that bad.
GALAXY QUEST (1999)
“I have one job on this lousy ship! It’s stupid, but I’m going to do it, okay?”
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991)
Something something liquid metal something.
I like Broken Arrow, I can't help it
DeleteI like all these movies. Denise Richards is great in that! She's like a scientist tomb raider. Does it make sense? Does it need to? No.
DeleteIn my crazy adventures of unnecessarily upgrading every muthaf-ing bluray I own to 4k, I recently got The Mask and Ace Ventura, which I watched tonight.
ReplyDeleteAce Ventura is from Shout, and they did their annoying Shout thing. They still charge premium while adding next to ZERO extras. I forgot to check that before buying. But the important part (the movie) is there and looks good.
The Mask is from Arrow, and they did their annoying Arrow thing. They charge premium while adding way too many extras, including a booklet, which is always a selling point for me. And in usual Arrow fashion, it looks perfect.
Arrow (like Indicator and Vinegar Syndrome) also charges top dollar for 4K releases that don't include a Blu-ray made from the same remastered 4K transfer. 😡 Say what you will about Kino, Shout! and Criterion, but their dual-disc 4K releases always come with a Blu-ray copy of the remastered 4K movie. 😎🤓
DeleteThe added regular blu-ray stopped being a factor for me a while ago. For the price I pay, I want at least a recent 15 minutes interview with somebody.
DeleteLike every year, I’m overshooting for Junesploitation, especially since I have final exams for medical school coming up, and will almost certainly not get around to even half these. But here’s my fantasy football line up of what I hope to get around to:
ReplyDelete1st of May – ‘90s Action! - Gonin
2nd of May – Cartoons! - The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb
3rd of May – Linda Blair! - Bad Blood
4th of May – Blaxploitation! - Truck Turner
5th of May – Teenagers! - Double Feature! - Mary Jane’s Not A Virgin Anymore and The New Kids
6th of May – South Korea! - Bedevilled
7th of May – Free Space! - Day of the Woman Double Feature! - Blood Games and A Gun for Jennifer (Not an actual I Spit on Your Grave double feature, I’m not insane)
8th of May – Zombies! - Night Life
9th of May – Thrillers! - Cross Country
10th of May – Private Eyes! - El Crack
11th of May – Disasters! - Warning Sign
12th of May – Kung Fu! - Holy Flame of the Martial World
13th of May – ‘90s Horror! - Haunted School
14th of May – Cannon! - Crack House
15th of May – George Romero! - Season of the Witch
16th of May – Free Space! - Car-nage Double Feature! - White Line Fever and The Junkman
17th of May – Hong Kong Action! - Magic and Monsters Double Feature! - Thrilling Bloody Sword and The Beheaded 1000
18th of May – Franco Nero! - The Shark Hunter
19th of May – Black Filmmakers! - Penitentiary
20th of May – ‘80s Sci-Fi! - The Passing
21st of May – Free Space! - Demonic Possession! - Possessed II
22nd of May – Revenge! - Double Feature! - Deadbeat at Dawn and Sudden Fury
23rd of May – Exploitation Auteurs! - Double Feature! - Mermaid Legend and Her Vengeance
24th of May – Slashers! - The Severed Arm
25th of May – Jackie Chan! - Project A
26th of May – Heroes & Villains! - Japanese Pulp Double Feature! - Go For Broke and Skyscraper Hunting
27th of May – Italian Cinema! - What the Peeper Saw
28th of May – PM Entertainment! - The Art of Dying
29th of May – Free Space! - Dysfunctional Family Triple Feature - Toys Are Not For Children; Seeds; and The Soft Skin
30th of May – ‘80s Comedy! - Low Budget Freak Show Double Feature - Twisted Issues and Basket Case
I'm watching Art of Dying for PM day, too! Flying high upon the Wings of... Junesploitation!
DeleteAlso, I watched Her Vengeance for Revenge! day last year (go figure), and it was one of the best flicks I watched all month.
DeleteGood luck with your studies, Marcus.
DeleteI am keeping my viewing goals modest for June. I am sure there are days when I will get to a couple of watches, but I cannot see myself having the stamina to reach 50 movies like last year. And that is fine.
I will watch what I can, but won't worry about missing days. Best to prioritise your exams, and good luck! That's quite an achievement to even be at that point.
DeleteThe Junesploitation marathon is almost here, so I decided to make it a light week for watches. One film was going off of the DVR soon, and the other I started last week and needed to finish.
ReplyDeleteTHE GODS MUST BE CRAZY (1980) – Or a Bushman’s view of “civilization”. When a Coca Cola bottle falls from the sky in Botswana’s Kalahari desert, a Bushmen clan’s tranquility is disrupted. Crazy ideas like ownership start coming into their interactions. Of course, this evil influence must be destroyed, so a male clan member goes on a journey to throw the bottle off the edge of the earth. Also thrown into the mix is a screwball romance and a rag-tag group of violent revolutionaries. The quasi-documentary style is ingeniously used to comment on the world of “civilized” man, and the zany comedy genuinely had me laughing. Recommended.
BOXCAR BERTHA (1972, dir. Martin Scorsese) – Give credit to a master filmmaker for elevating Depression Era exploitation to a meditation on a violent system pushing others to violence. Barbara Hershey is the title character, a young woman with few options in a harsh world. David Carradine is her beau, a union organizer facing the wrath of the railroad and local law enforcement. The filming with the trains is well-done, and that downbeat 1970s New Hollywood tone is there throughout the film.
Seen both of these movies exactly once, "GMBCrazy" in theaters (l was 8!) and "BB" on DVD. Liked them both about the same. 🤨🤔
DeleteThe Gods Must Be Crazy is not for everyone. The silliness of the film fit my mood this week, but I can see why it would not appeal others. Reading the comments about the film on Letterboxd is interesting. The country of origin (South Africa during Apartheid) predisposes some to view the film suspiciously. I do not find the film any more racist than other depictions of Africa in cinema. Having Xi the Bushman as the most sympathetic character adds something unique to the film.
DeleteThe Gods Must Be Crazy was so funny when I saw it as a child. I rewatched it a few years ago, with a little apprehension that the depiction of Africans might not sit as well with how society has changed. But was pleasantly surprised that it was all good! And was still super funny! The guy that directed it however, not so sure.
DeleteWatched Blue Collar (1978), written and directed by Paul Schrader. As a member of a union myself, I appreciate a bit of criticism about unions. However, some of the things they're doing are reaching cartoonish levels. Great movie though. Wonderful depiction of gritty Detroit, and oh man is it gritty. (Is it Detroit? I'm pretty sure they said Michigan, and they're building cars, so yeah, Detroit). Richard Pryor isn't the funny man in this. He's just saying how it is, as uncomfortable as it might be to hear. But then even he sells out. I guess I'm deep into spoilers at this point but then the n word gets throw about multiple times in the last 2 minutes. Wow. I really liked this one. Yaphet Kotto and Harvey Keitel are also in it too.
ReplyDeleteWatched Mile End Kicks, enjoyed it but thought there should have been a bit more French in it to emphasize the outsider anglophone aspect of it.
ReplyDelete