'WARZONE'S HELL? TRY THE HOMEFRONT' TWO-FER! 123.- STEPPENWOLF (KAZAKHSTAN, 2024, ARROW BLU-RAY). Streaming on AMC+.
In a rural part of Kazakhstan during a violent civilian uprising against the oppressive local authorities, police interrogator Braiyuk (Berik Aytzhanov) tries to stay one step ahead of both his rapidly dying colleagues and the armed militia that takes over the precinct he tortures prisoners at. Quick on his feet, Braiyuk latches onto a seemingly traumatized mother (Anna Starchenko's Tamara) asking for help finding her missing son as an excuse to work with the rebels to take the woman's make-believe reward money. Thus starts a road trip into a hellish landscape of dirt roads, armed road checkpoints, amoral back-stabbings and human trafficking of small children for their internal organs (that is only frowned upon as a mild inconvenience). Initially disdainful of Tamara's inability to articulate her thoughts or stand up for herself, Braiyuk (who looks/acts like a gruff version of Gerard Butler that's prone to dance for the hell of it) eventually feels like helping the woman out because there's a chance he might get revenge against a local underworld boss that, when Braiyuk was a child, murdered his entire family but let him live to witness the slaughter. That there might be catharsis in a few revenge moments in "Steppenwolf" is secondary to writer/director Adilkhan Yerzhanov creating a landscape of inhumanity that feels like "Sisu" but artistic and self-restrained... up to a point. 4 'CHELSEA' WHITE & BLUE BEANIES (out of five).
124.- ROLLING THUNDER (1977, SHOUT! FACTORY 4K UHD). Streaming on AMAZON PRIME, PLUTO TV, ROKU CHANNEL, TUBI.
Set in 1973, two Vietnam POW's return to the homeland after spending years being tortured by the Vietcong. While Johnny (Tommy Lee Jones) seems to be coping, Major Charles Rane (William Davane) has a major case of PTSD made worse by his wife asking for a divorce that could separate him from a son he barely knew before he was shipped to war. Corporate America showers Rane with expensive gifts, which leads a gang of home invaders (led by a sadistic James Best) to kill Charlie's family and dismember his arm to steal his small fortune. Rather than help the police capture these criminals, though, Major Rane (now sporting a hook arm) recruits the help of a local beauty (Linda Haynes) to go look for his attackers. "Rolling Thunder" (written by Paul Schrader) takes almost 90 minutes to set up the final 10 min. revenge massacre (in which TLJ re-appears after being absent for most of the movie), but it's tolerable because the acting by Devane (playing a husk of a human being that can't bring himself to cry or even feel sorry for himself) and most of the supporting cast is strong. It isn't perfect (why show Linda being comfortable with guns if she isn't going to be part of the final shoot-out?), but "Rolling Thunder" ultimately delivers the exploitation goods while being a cinematic time capsule of mid-70's San Antonio/Mexico locations. 3.5 TECATE BEER CANS (out of five).
Per IMDB: Q.T.'s All-Time Favorites: In addition to Rio Bravo and Taxi Driver, his celebrated staples include The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), The Great Escape (1963), His Girl Friday (1940), and Rolling Thunder (1977). I liked "RT" a lot, but all-time best? Nowhere near my top anything list. 🙃🙂
Upgraded to 4K from my decade-old Blu-ray. One of Clint Eastwood's most underrated directorial efforts (shared with co-writer Philip Kaufman, who left the director's chair after clashing with Clint early on), a late 70's revisionist 'PG' western that at times feels more violent than the 'R' rated early 70's and 60's spaghetti westerns Eastwood was famous for. A farmer-turned-confederate soldier after his family was murdered by a Union Army captain (Bill McKinney) who burned his house and crops, Josey Wales (Eastwood) refuses to surrender after the Civil War ends, prompting his former boss, Captain Fletcher (John Vernon), to join Union troops in trying to apprehend Wales despite his witnessing of the winning side going back on their word and massacring his men. On the run and both thought of as a folk hero by some and a reward cash cow by others, Josey picks a couple of Native American outcasts (Chief Dan George and Geraldine Keams' Little Moonlight) as allies, then a whole group of settlers that offer him a chance at a new relationship (with then-real-life girlfriend Sondra Locke) and permanent home. In one of my favorite scenes in any western ever, Wales rides weaponless to meet Indian Chief Ten Bears (Will Sampson) in his territory, and reasons with the chief why he should trust him to hand over some kidnapped settlers. The context of the dialogue and the pure badassery of Eastwood and Sampson making a blood oath that will hold solely on the trust between the two men is the stuff western dreams are made of. 😍🤓
There are few actual gunfights for a 135 min. western, but the fire for revenge burning in Josey Wales' eyes in close-ups as he fires his guns is eternal. A memorable final siege, then face-to-face final duel with his chief Union tormentor (followed by a solemn bar conversation with a playing-it-too-coy Fletcher) ends "TOJW" on a puzzling philosophical high. They don't make westerns like this anymore (or any mainstream western, period), and I was lucky to catch it early on in my life to allow me to differentiate between a good western and a terrific Clint Eastwood western experience. They're not necessarily the same thing. 4.65 WESTERN FRONTIER, PIPE SMOKING, SASSY GRANNIES ON GENERAL STORE PORCH ROCKING CHAIRS (out of five).
"Dirty Harry" number four, a major uptick in quality from its predecessor ("The Enforcer") and follow-up ("The Deadpool"), and the only Harry Callahan feature worthy of comparison as an equal to the 1971 original. After a series of run-ins with armed mobsters and Molotov cocktail-tossing preppy teens that tag-team their murder attempts on Callahan, the San Francisco detective is transferred by his angry superiors to the coastal city of San Paulo to follow up on leads to the S.F. shooting of a man in his private parts and head. Turns out the shooter (Sondra Locke) is a r@pe victim avenging both herself and her sister, and most of the gang that did the crime reside in San Paulo. While the series' tropes (catchphrase 'Go ahead, make my day' mentioned twice, Harry clashing with clueless bosses, etc.) and low-brow sense of humor persist (senior citizen vehicle car chase, a farting dog! 🐶🦮), "SD" gets darker and more serious the further we're shown the depths of the r@pe trauma Locke and her sister were put though. Paul Drake and Audrie Neenan deserve special mention for playing such villainous scumbags you can't wait to see either the v!olated woman or Harry pull their respective triggers on either one of these perps. As is the case in most revenge tales in Eastwood-directed films, "Sudden Impact" leaves viewers as hollow inside as the corpses of the bad guys that meet Callahan's new-and-improved .44 Magnum. 😎 4 BLOODY CARROUSEL UNICORNS (out of five).
A film that is what the sensationalistic poster advertised. This is sword and sorcery without much sorcery but plenty of b@@bs. The ill-fated Lana Clarkson leads a small band of female warriors to avenge the destruction of their village by an evil ruler. There is nothing here that you would not have seen from other films in this genre. The filmmakers knew they were making trash and kept it trashy. So much ‘80s big hair in ancient times! Though the fight choreography is awkward most of the time, Clarkson carried herself surprisingly well wielding a sword. The final set-piece battle is actually handled well considering the budgets of these films.
A little girl witnesses her father being jumped and murdered by two yakuza thugs. But before he dies, he manages to leave her a clue about their identity - by clutching a set of playing cards with specific animal images on them. Years later, the girl is an expert thief, master gambler, and a ferocious warrior who fights best when naked. She gets involved in a complex intrigue of crime, politics, and international espionage, which sets her on the trail of her fathers' assassins. What follows is an orgy of sex, violence, revenge, melodrama, and more sleazy sex, the way only Japanese exploitation can deliver. Leading lady Reiko Ike may not reach Meiko Kaji levels of intensity (who does?), but she does a fine job as the tortured (metaphorically and literally speaking) heroine.
Always great to see early Michael Caine work as im mostly familiar with his later era filmography. In this gritty crime/noir/revenge classic he plays Jack Carter who is working his way thru seedy underworld characters trying to solve the mystery of his brothers death. Oh, and of course, get lots of Revenge! Its a slow, brooding, walking/talking pace peppered with some solid violence and revenge. Carter is ever stoic and always the coolest cat in the room. Also im pretty sure he randomly sleeps with every woman he meets. The flick is dour but incredibly well made.
In Broad Daylight (1991, dir. James Steven Sadwith)
TV movie based on a true story starring Brian Dennehy as the meanest man in a small midwestern town. He's a dangerous psychopathic lunatic so mean when he enters a bar almost everyone leaves. An insignificant event leads to Dennehy feuding with Cloris Leachman (!) and eventually terrorizing the whole town. He's able to threaten and terrorize everyone without technically breaking any laws. The town eventually conspires to find a way to take him out leading to a very intense ending. Dennehy is clearly relishing playing such a vile character. Highly recommended.
Shevenge (2019, dir. Angela Atwood, Tash Ann, Misty Dawn, Karen Lam, Cheryl Isaacson, Keely Martin, Michelle Nessk, Elain Xia, Staci Layne Wilson, Kate Beacom & Izzy Lee)
An anthology movie made by female directors, comprised of 12 short films about women taking revenge, mostly on men (ranging from killers and rap1sts to cheating husbands and everyday misogynists).
I applaud the concept and don't mind the slightly shoddy filmmaking (clearly made on the cheap), but the writing is pretty bad across the board. Not one of the shorts has an original idea, interesting characters, a funny joke, or a twist that isn't obvious from the start. The actors did what they could with the material they were given. The only short that stood out at all was Michelle Nessk's Lynchian sensory assault that went for vibes over narrative.
EVEN LAMBS HAVE TEETH (2015) Two fun-loving party girls are abducted by psychos and held captive out in farm country. Bad things happen, but the girls eventually escape and seek bloody vengeance. This is a sanitized I Spit On Your Grave, except the whole point of that movie is how not sanitized it is. Things pick up in latter half of the movie after the girls become bad-a** and the movie gains a winking sense of humor. So, not the worst, but it feels like an imitation of a revenge movie rather than the real deal.
30 days of fan films, day 22: THE OTHER SIDE (2013) I’ve never seen a single episode of Supernatural, so this fan film is my entry to the series. The two brothers from the show are magically transformed into women, and then they search New York City for a mystical artifact and a villainous warlock. I’m missing all the context, but this is a fun urban fantasy caper on the surface. What’s interesting is that it’s written by Naomi Novik, author of the bestselling Temeraire novels. (Google insists that it’s really her.) Most of these fan films have basic, dry, and plot-focused dialogue, but Novik gives this one genuine, witty banter, which helps.
I really enjoyed this. I'm not crazy about the slow-down, "Denzel turns into Robocop" moments, but the action is well directed, and he and Chloe Grace Moretz have nice chemistry together. I also really appreciated the fact that Denzel never uses a gun (of his own) in this movie. There's a sequence in this where a robber holds up the Home Mart where they work and steals a ring from a cashier. Denzel walks out to the parking lot and sees the thief's license plate. Then, he walks into the store and grabs a mini sledgehammer off the shelf. Cut to: the next morning, the cashier opens her register and the ring is there. Cut to: Denzel wiping down the mini sledge and putting it back on the shelf. No dialogue. Purely visual storytelling. And, the violence only happens in the minds of the audience.
I love anthology movies. The ones I’ve seen are almost exclusively horror, a genre that lends itself to quick scares. This is a rarity in that it’s a non-horror anthology. It’s also a rarity in a more important and surprising way: every story in it (six in all) is good, there’s not a clunker in the bunch.
Each of the six (Spanish language) stories deals with revenge and the consequences thereof. There’s no framing story, but there is a (very) dark comic sensibility woven throughout that serves as a uniting factor. The story the movie opens with is a perfect choice because it’s probably the shortest and also gives you a pretty good idea of what you’re in for. To give any details would be a spoiler, and a big part of the joy of stories like these is in the discovery, especially as almost all of them zig when you think they’ll zag. Great stuff, and I’d happily watch another half-dozen of these stories.
ROLLING VENGEANCE (1987, Steven Hilliard Stern, CAN)
Monster truckin’ Canucksploiation hixploitation! Wanna take revenge on the r@pey rubes who killed your family and violated your girl? Well, head to the garage for a grease monkey montage, built yourself a four-wheel killing machine, and run yourself down some redneck roadkill! Some quality stunts and crash scenes, plus mullet-rockin’ Ned Beatty as the papa yokel, provided some extra horsepower to this fairly pedestrian flick. Added bonus: the obligatory Barry Stevens Canadian cameo.
MASSACRE AT CENTRAL HIGH (1976) dir. Renee Daalder
Imagine the Peanuts gang is going to high school in Malibu and Charlie Brown finally snaps because of all the bullying. But the actions of this proto JD from Heathers has oddly (and entertaining) unintended consequences. And if all the casual nudity in this movie isn’t enough for you, you could watch the Italian version SEXY PANTS which has porno scenes inserted throughout.
Revenge enough, been looking for a reason to catch this one. Seems divisive but it absolutely worked for me and is one of my favorite movies of the year so far. Not sure I'm getting the constant Tarantino comparisons - this is the most Raimi movie I've seen this year... and Raimi made a movie this year. Bit of a cop out ending and the final fight was a bit too goofy but otherwise had a great time.
I’ve been wanting to see this for awhile now, especially when it ended up on Shudder (not there now of course) but watched on Prime. This checks a lot of my “vibe” boxes for sure.
Not quite what I expected, but I liked it a lot. It seemed half "girls trip" movie and half revenge movie. I think that came down more to my expectations. I did really like the partnership between the sisters, and there were more funny moments than I was expecting.
1941 (1979) Crazy Spielberg comedy about Southern California going nuts after Pearl Harbor was bombed because they think they’re next! Big, loud, and overstuffed, this one has a cast to rival Mad Mad World: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Ned Beatty, Nancy Allen, John Candy, Treat Williams, Robert Stack, Warren Oates, Tim Matheson, Christopher Lee, Toshiro Mifune, Slim Pickens, Mickey Roarke, Dub Taylor, and in cameos Joe Flaherty, Patti Lupone, Penny Marshall, Elisha Cooke, James Caan, and John Landis. Comedically exhausting.
Theatrical or Director's Cut? They're vastly different in look and tone, so maybe the version you didn't see actually is the good version of this story. 🤔
Promising Young Woman (2020, dir. Emerald Fennell)
A woman who lost a friend (a victim of predators and the culture of ignoring victims and protecting predators) is on a mission to teach some lessons. Cringes and shudders and difficult scenes in this one, but well executed. Carey Mulligan is pretty great, and her parents' house is quite a character itself! It makes me frustrated with the modern world, but at least it's somewhat gratifying to bring the subject to light. Mixed feelings about the ending.
War revenge! A lone survivor of a submarine attack (and subsequent massacre of personnel found in the wreckage) is hell bent on finding and taking on the sub by himself.
I don't know whether Peter O'Toole played this really well or whether his intense Irish accent deserves credit! I also don't really know why the local oil worker (played by Philippe Noiret from Cinema Paradiso) is so cooperative in helping him out, but it all builds up to a pretty crazy ending.
'WARZONE'S HELL? TRY THE HOMEFRONT' TWO-FER!
ReplyDelete123.- STEPPENWOLF (KAZAKHSTAN, 2024, ARROW BLU-RAY). Streaming on AMC+.
In a rural part of Kazakhstan during a violent civilian uprising against the oppressive local authorities, police interrogator Braiyuk (Berik Aytzhanov) tries to stay one step ahead of both his rapidly dying colleagues and the armed militia that takes over the precinct he tortures prisoners at. Quick on his feet, Braiyuk latches onto a seemingly traumatized mother (Anna Starchenko's Tamara) asking for help finding her missing son as an excuse to work with the rebels to take the woman's make-believe reward money. Thus starts a road trip into a hellish landscape of dirt roads, armed road checkpoints, amoral back-stabbings and human trafficking of small children for their internal organs (that is only frowned upon as a mild inconvenience). Initially disdainful of Tamara's inability to articulate her thoughts or stand up for herself, Braiyuk (who looks/acts like a gruff version of Gerard Butler that's prone to dance for the hell of it) eventually feels like helping the woman out because there's a chance he might get revenge against a local underworld boss that, when Braiyuk was a child, murdered his entire family but let him live to witness the slaughter. That there might be catharsis in a few revenge moments in "Steppenwolf" is secondary to writer/director Adilkhan Yerzhanov creating a landscape of inhumanity that feels like "Sisu" but artistic and self-restrained... up to a point. 4 'CHELSEA' WHITE & BLUE BEANIES (out of five).
124.- ROLLING THUNDER (1977, SHOUT! FACTORY 4K UHD). Streaming on AMAZON PRIME, PLUTO TV, ROKU CHANNEL, TUBI.
ReplyDeleteSet in 1973, two Vietnam POW's return to the homeland after spending years being tortured by the Vietcong. While Johnny (Tommy Lee Jones) seems to be coping, Major Charles Rane (William Davane) has a major case of PTSD made worse by his wife asking for a divorce that could separate him from a son he barely knew before he was shipped to war. Corporate America showers Rane with expensive gifts, which leads a gang of home invaders (led by a sadistic James Best) to kill Charlie's family and dismember his arm to steal his small fortune. Rather than help the police capture these criminals, though, Major Rane (now sporting a hook arm) recruits the help of a local beauty (Linda Haynes) to go look for his attackers. "Rolling Thunder" (written by Paul Schrader) takes almost 90 minutes to set up the final 10 min. revenge massacre (in which TLJ re-appears after being absent for most of the movie), but it's tolerable because the acting by Devane (playing a husk of a human being that can't bring himself to cry or even feel sorry for himself) and most of the supporting cast is strong. It isn't perfect (why show Linda being comfortable with guns if she isn't going to be part of the final shoot-out?), but "Rolling Thunder" ultimately delivers the exploitation goods while being a cinematic time capsule of mid-70's San Antonio/Mexico locations. 3.5 TECATE BEER CANS (out of five).
Isn't this Tarantino's favourite movie? I think at least he said that at one point. It's one I've been meaning to see.
DeletePer IMDB: Q.T.'s All-Time Favorites: In addition to Rio Bravo and Taxi Driver, his celebrated staples include The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), The Great Escape (1963), His Girl Friday (1940), and Rolling Thunder (1977). I liked "RT" a lot, but all-time best? Nowhere near my top anything list. 🙃🙂
Delete'CATHARSIS-FREE REVENGE, CLINT EASTWOOD/SONDRA LOCKE STYLE' SECOND-BASE DOUBLE!
ReplyDelete125.- THE OUTLAW JOSEY WHALES (1976, 4K UHD)
Upgraded to 4K from my decade-old Blu-ray. One of Clint Eastwood's most underrated directorial efforts (shared with co-writer Philip Kaufman, who left the director's chair after clashing with Clint early on), a late 70's revisionist 'PG' western that at times feels more violent than the 'R' rated early 70's and 60's spaghetti westerns Eastwood was famous for. A farmer-turned-confederate soldier after his family was murdered by a Union Army captain (Bill McKinney) who burned his house and crops, Josey Wales (Eastwood) refuses to surrender after the Civil War ends, prompting his former boss, Captain Fletcher (John Vernon), to join Union troops in trying to apprehend Wales despite his witnessing of the winning side going back on their word and massacring his men. On the run and both thought of as a folk hero by some and a reward cash cow by others, Josey picks a couple of Native American outcasts (Chief Dan George and Geraldine Keams' Little Moonlight) as allies, then a whole group of settlers that offer him a chance at a new relationship (with then-real-life girlfriend Sondra Locke) and permanent home. In one of my favorite scenes in any western ever, Wales rides weaponless to meet Indian Chief Ten Bears (Will Sampson) in his territory, and reasons with the chief why he should trust him to hand over some kidnapped settlers. The context of the dialogue and the pure badassery of Eastwood and Sampson making a blood oath that will hold solely on the trust between the two men is the stuff western dreams are made of. 😍🤓
There are few actual gunfights for a 135 min. western, but the fire for revenge burning in Josey Wales' eyes in close-ups as he fires his guns is eternal. A memorable final siege, then face-to-face final duel with his chief Union tormentor (followed by a solemn bar conversation with a playing-it-too-coy Fletcher) ends "TOJW" on a puzzling philosophical high. They don't make westerns like this anymore (or any mainstream western, period), and I was lucky to catch it early on in my life to allow me to differentiate between a good western and a terrific Clint Eastwood western experience. They're not necessarily the same thing. 4.65 WESTERN FRONTIER, PIPE SMOKING, SASSY GRANNIES ON GENERAL STORE PORCH ROCKING CHAIRS (out of five).
126.- SUDDEN IMPACT (1983, BLU-RAY)
ReplyDelete"Dirty Harry" number four, a major uptick in quality from its predecessor ("The Enforcer") and follow-up ("The Deadpool"), and the only Harry Callahan feature worthy of comparison as an equal to the 1971 original. After a series of run-ins with armed mobsters and Molotov cocktail-tossing preppy teens that tag-team their murder attempts on Callahan, the San Francisco detective is transferred by his angry superiors to the coastal city of San Paulo to follow up on leads to the S.F. shooting of a man in his private parts and head. Turns out the shooter (Sondra Locke) is a r@pe victim avenging both herself and her sister, and most of the gang that did the crime reside in San Paulo. While the series' tropes (catchphrase 'Go ahead, make my day' mentioned twice, Harry clashing with clueless bosses, etc.) and low-brow sense of humor persist (senior citizen vehicle car chase, a farting dog! 🐶🦮), "SD" gets darker and more serious the further we're shown the depths of the r@pe trauma Locke and her sister were put though. Paul Drake and Audrie Neenan deserve special mention for playing such villainous scumbags you can't wait to see either the v!olated woman or Harry pull their respective triggers on either one of these perps. As is the case in most revenge tales in Eastwood-directed films, "Sudden Impact" leaves viewers as hollow inside as the corpses of the bad guys that meet Callahan's new-and-improved .44 Magnum. 😎 4 BLOODY CARROUSEL UNICORNS (out of five).
MEATHEAD💨 !!
DeleteBARBARIAN QUEEN (1985, dir. Hector Olivera)
ReplyDeleteA film that is what the sensationalistic poster advertised. This is sword and sorcery without much sorcery but plenty of b@@bs. The ill-fated Lana Clarkson leads a small band of female warriors to avenge the destruction of their village by an evil ruler. There is nothing here that you would not have seen from other films in this genre. The filmmakers knew they were making trash and kept it trashy. So much ‘80s big hair in ancient times! Though the fight choreography is awkward most of the time, Clarkson carried herself surprisingly well wielding a sword. The final set-piece battle is actually handled well considering the budgets of these films.
DIABOLIQUE (1955):
ReplyDeleteBe gay. Do crimes.
OCEAN'S TWELVE (2004):
I know it's now become trite to say this is "actually good," but while I'd never argue it's the BEST Ocean's movie, it is my favorite of them.
Sex & Fury (1973)
ReplyDeleteA little girl witnesses her father being jumped and murdered by two yakuza thugs. But before he dies, he manages to leave her a clue about their identity - by clutching a set of playing cards with specific animal images on them. Years later, the girl is an expert thief, master gambler, and a ferocious warrior who fights best when naked. She gets involved in a complex intrigue of crime, politics, and international espionage, which sets her on the trail of her fathers' assassins. What follows is an orgy of sex, violence, revenge, melodrama, and more sleazy sex, the way only Japanese exploitation can deliver. Leading lady Reiko Ike may not reach Meiko Kaji levels of intensity (who does?), but she does a fine job as the tortured (metaphorically and literally speaking) heroine.
Been on my watchlist for a while, guess I better get to it!!
DeleteI've never been more sold on a movie!
DeleteGet Carter (1971)
ReplyDeleteAlways great to see early Michael Caine work as im mostly familiar with his later era filmography. In this gritty crime/noir/revenge classic he plays Jack Carter who is working his way thru seedy underworld characters trying to solve the mystery of his brothers death. Oh, and of course, get lots of Revenge! Its a slow, brooding, walking/talking pace peppered with some solid violence and revenge. Carter is ever stoic and always the coolest cat in the room. Also im pretty sure he randomly sleeps with every woman he meets. The flick is dour but incredibly well made.
In Broad Daylight (1991, dir. James Steven Sadwith)
ReplyDeleteTV movie based on a true story starring Brian Dennehy as the meanest man in a small midwestern town. He's a dangerous psychopathic lunatic so mean when he enters a bar almost everyone leaves. An insignificant event leads to Dennehy feuding with Cloris Leachman (!) and eventually terrorizing the whole town. He's able to threaten and terrorize everyone without technically breaking any laws. The town eventually conspires to find a way to take him out leading to a very intense ending. Dennehy is clearly relishing playing such a vile character. Highly recommended.
Shevenge (2019, dir. Angela Atwood, Tash Ann, Misty Dawn, Karen Lam, Cheryl Isaacson, Keely Martin, Michelle Nessk, Elain Xia, Staci Layne Wilson, Kate Beacom & Izzy Lee)
ReplyDeleteAn anthology movie made by female directors, comprised of 12 short films about women taking revenge, mostly on men (ranging from killers and rap1sts to cheating husbands and everyday misogynists).
I applaud the concept and don't mind the slightly shoddy filmmaking (clearly made on the cheap), but the writing is pretty bad across the board. Not one of the shorts has an original idea, interesting characters, a funny joke, or a twist that isn't obvious from the start. The actors did what they could with the material they were given. The only short that stood out at all was Michelle Nessk's Lynchian sensory assault that went for vibes over narrative.
EVEN LAMBS HAVE TEETH (2015)
ReplyDeleteTwo fun-loving party girls are abducted by psychos and held captive out in farm country. Bad things happen, but the girls eventually escape and seek bloody vengeance. This is a sanitized I Spit On Your Grave, except the whole point of that movie is how not sanitized it is. Things pick up in latter half of the movie after the girls become bad-a** and the movie gains a winking sense of humor. So, not the worst, but it feels like an imitation of a revenge movie rather than the real deal.
30 days of fan films, day 22: THE OTHER SIDE (2013)
I’ve never seen a single episode of Supernatural, so this fan film is my entry to the series. The two brothers from the show are magically transformed into women, and then they search New York City for a mystical artifact and a villainous warlock. I’m missing all the context, but this is a fun urban fantasy caper on the surface. What’s interesting is that it’s written by Naomi Novik, author of the bestselling Temeraire novels. (Google insists that it’s really her.) Most of these fan films have basic, dry, and plot-focused dialogue, but Novik gives this one genuine, witty banter, which helps.
The Equalizer (2014)
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this. I'm not crazy about the slow-down, "Denzel turns into Robocop" moments, but the action is well directed, and he and Chloe Grace Moretz have nice chemistry together. I also really appreciated the fact that Denzel never uses a gun (of his own) in this movie. There's a sequence in this where a robber holds up the Home Mart where they work and steals a ring from a cashier. Denzel walks out to the parking lot and sees the thief's license plate. Then, he walks into the store and grabs a mini sledgehammer off the shelf. Cut to: the next morning, the cashier opens her register and the ring is there. Cut to: Denzel wiping down the mini sledge and putting it back on the shelf. No dialogue. Purely visual storytelling. And, the violence only happens in the minds of the audience.
Wild Tales
ReplyDeleteI love anthology movies. The ones I’ve seen are almost exclusively horror, a genre that lends itself to quick scares. This is a rarity in that it’s a non-horror anthology. It’s also a rarity in a more important and surprising way: every story in it (six in all) is good, there’s not a clunker in the bunch.
Each of the six (Spanish language) stories deals with revenge and the consequences thereof. There’s no framing story, but there is a (very) dark comic sensibility woven throughout that serves as a uniting factor. The story the movie opens with is a perfect choice because it’s probably the shortest and also gives you a pretty good idea of what you’re in for. To give any details would be a spoiler, and a big part of the joy of stories like these is in the discovery, especially as almost all of them zig when you think they’ll zag. Great stuff, and I’d happily watch another half-dozen of these stories.
ROLLING VENGEANCE (1987, Steven Hilliard Stern, CAN)
ReplyDeleteMonster truckin’ Canucksploiation hixploitation! Wanna take revenge on the r@pey rubes who killed your family and violated your girl? Well, head to the garage for a grease monkey montage, built yourself a four-wheel killing machine, and run yourself down some redneck roadkill! Some quality stunts and crash scenes, plus mullet-rockin’ Ned Beatty as the papa yokel, provided some extra horsepower to this fairly pedestrian flick. Added bonus: the obligatory Barry Stevens Canadian cameo.
MASSACRE AT CENTRAL HIGH (1976)
ReplyDeletedir. Renee Daalder
Imagine the Peanuts gang is going to high school in Malibu and Charlie Brown finally snaps because of all the bullying. But the actions of this proto JD from Heathers has oddly (and entertaining) unintended consequences. And if all the casual nudity in this movie isn’t enough for you, you could watch the Italian version SEXY PANTS which has porno scenes inserted throughout.
They Will Kill You (2026)
ReplyDeleteRevenge enough, been looking for a reason to catch this one. Seems divisive but it absolutely worked for me and is one of my favorite movies of the year so far. Not sure I'm getting the constant Tarantino comparisons - this is the most Raimi movie I've seen this year... and Raimi made a movie this year. Bit of a cop out ending and the final fight was a bit too goofy but otherwise had a great time.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteVigilante (1982, dr. W. Lustig)
ReplyDeleteNever seen before. Blown away.
This is the film Lusting made after Maniac? Amazing
The score
The cast
Great one! Caught this at Grindhouse night in the theater last year!
DeleteJ.D.’s Revenge (1976)
ReplyDeleteI’ve been wanting to see this for awhile now, especially when it ended up on Shudder (not there now of course) but watched on Prime. This checks a lot of my “vibe” boxes for sure.
Fast X(2023 Dir Louis Leterrier)
ReplyDeleteaka Dumb ways to die. John Cena edition.
I wonder if Statham was able to save his Mom?
Did they photoshop footage of Gal Gadot onto a submarine? Awesome
Is God Is (2026)
ReplyDeleteNot quite what I expected, but I liked it a lot. It seemed half "girls trip" movie and half revenge movie. I think that came down more to my expectations. I did really like the partnership between the sisters, and there were more funny moments than I was expecting.
1941 (1979)
ReplyDeleteCrazy Spielberg comedy about Southern California going nuts after Pearl Harbor was bombed because they think they’re next! Big, loud, and overstuffed, this one has a cast to rival Mad Mad World: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Ned Beatty, Nancy Allen, John Candy, Treat Williams, Robert Stack, Warren Oates, Tim Matheson, Christopher Lee, Toshiro Mifune, Slim Pickens, Mickey Roarke, Dub Taylor, and in cameos Joe Flaherty, Patti Lupone, Penny Marshall, Elisha Cooke, James Caan, and John Landis. Comedically exhausting.
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ReplyDeletePayback (1999)
ReplyDeleteI don't like Point Blank. I didn't like this much either. I guess I just don't like this story.
Say something nice: I liked the William Devane performance.
Theatrical or Director's Cut? They're vastly different in look and tone, so maybe the version you didn't see actually is the good version of this story. 🤔
DeleteTheatrical. Okay, I guess I'll put the DC on my 2036 Junesploitation calendar.
DeleteHope the country makes it to anniversary 260. 😉😵
DeletePromising Young Woman (2020, dir. Emerald Fennell)
ReplyDeleteA woman who lost a friend (a victim of predators and the culture of ignoring victims and protecting predators) is on a mission to teach some lessons. Cringes and shudders and difficult scenes in this one, but well executed. Carey Mulligan is pretty great, and her parents' house is quite a character itself! It makes me frustrated with the modern world, but at least it's somewhat gratifying to bring the subject to light. Mixed feelings about the ending.
Murphy’s War (1971, dir. Peter Yates)
ReplyDeleteWar revenge! A lone survivor of a submarine attack (and subsequent massacre of personnel found in the wreckage) is hell bent on finding and taking on the sub by himself.
I don't know whether Peter O'Toole played this really well or whether his intense Irish accent deserves credit! I also don't really know why the local oil worker (played by Philippe Noiret from Cinema Paradiso) is so cooperative in helping him out, but it all builds up to a pretty crazy ending.