MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000: THE RIFFTRAX EXPERIMENTS - STING OF DEATH (2026/1966, THEATER) As a diehard "MST3K" fan (own all the Shout! Factory DVD Box Sets) that loathed the Joel Hodgson-produced Netflix and post-Netflix revival seasons (though the latter were a little more tolerable than the bordering-on-unwatchable former), I was overjoyed with the early '26 announcement that the Rifftrax gang were going to write, produce and star in four new "MST3K" episodes. The Sci-Fi era of the show is one of my favorites, and to have Mike Nelson (weathered and a little overweight, but still good ol' Mike), Kevin Murphy (practically the same) and Bill Corbett (whose take on Crow is my favorite, even more than Trace Beaulieu's) return to their Minneapolis roots (many behind-the-scenes people who worked on the original are back) with a low-fi, home-made feel gives this revival the nostalgia vibes completely absent from Joel's Hollywood-slick version. Not exactly on board with the idea of having a single skit to break the movie (versus 3/4 on the regular show) and backload a bunch during the lengthy credits roll, but it's nice that the show's format is flexible enough to try something new.
It helps that the chosen experiment, the 1966 silly dance/horror hybrid "Sting of Death" ("Girl With the Gold Boots" meets "Zaat"), is already silly enough to be funny on its own. Unlike the relentless joke-a-second riffing pace of the Hodgson revival (not to mention Tom Servo and Crow having voices/personalities at odds with their previous incarnations), the Rifftrax gang takes it easy and riff at a pace closer to that of the old show. Some of the more esoteric jokes strike gold ('Sun, father of the moon!' broke my sold-out theater with a giant, collective belly-laugh! 😅🤣), and most are just pleasant to average. Mary Jo Pehl hasn't lost a beat (her 'SOL' sponsorship TV spot is a highlight), Murphy's Professor Bobo is still a clueless spat, and Brain Observer hasn't changed at all. I didn't know I needed more Mike-era "MST3K" in my life, but this first of four new "Rifftrax Experiments" removed all doubts. October/November cannot come soon enough for me to dive into this sucker. Highly recommended if you love OG "MST3K" and want more of that than what the Joel-led revivals ultimately delivered. 🧐🤨
I remember encountering MST3K during its initial run on the Sci-Fi Channel in the '90s. I did not enjoy the "riffing" then and my attempts to watch episodes in recent years have not worked out well, either. It is not my thing.
By the way, it is an MST3K weekend at the Mahoning Drive-In. I think this is the third year for it. Joel Hodgson has been at past events, but this it looks like the hosts of the newer editions (Emily and Jonah) are attending.
Ever since he sold his share of rights in "MST3K" to Shout Factory las year Joel has pretty much retired. He might still consult behind the scenes, but "MST3K" now runs without him... hence Shout's idea of bringing the Rifftrax guys to produce new direct-to-streaming episodes. 🙂
Ever since Netflix bought the Paris Theater in NYC many years ago, I stopped visiting. But this week I returned to catch three movies from its annual 'Big & Loud' revival series. Despite an expensive remodel after the COVID shutdown, the Paris remains a frustrating theater to visit because of the small seats and relatively tiny screen that you have to sit close to to get the full impact. My seats weren't in the sweet spot, but at least the sound system has been dramatically upgraded; music/sound effects/voices were leaps better than I remember from previous visits.
ONCE UPON A TIME... IN HOLLYWOOD (70mm, 2019) Since the David Fincher-helmed, Quentin Tarantino-scripted sequel with Brad Pitt's Cliff Booth is upon us, this seemed like a good time for a theatrical refresher. I don't recall seeing this in 70mm, but I'm getting to that age where I've forgotten more movie memories than most people will accumulate through their entire lives. 😁🥹 Despite pacing issues by scenes that were tension-filled on first-viewing (like Cliff walking up to George Spahn's house at the Spahn Ranch) that now drag on rewatch, the first two-thirds (February '69) work as a hangout, fly-on-the-wall POV to the contrasting lives of insecure working actors (Leonardo DiCaprio's Rick Dalton) with that of celebrity performers (Margot Robbie's Sharon Tate) or too-innocent-to-know industry newcomers (that little girl! 😇🤣). I had no idea until this watch that Sam Wanamaker (the director of the TV western Dalton is guest-starring in) was freaking 70's Spider-Man himself, Nicholas Hammond! 😲🤓
The movie's third act (August 9, '69), where fantasy takes over sad real-life tragedy, remains a QT masterpiece of perfect storm amusing, character-driven nonsense that fits perfectly within the film's reality. And it has the scene of Los Angeles landmarks firing up their neon signs at dawn, a simple moment that captures the vibe of 60's Hollywood better than all the Manson hippy girls in the world (including Margaret Qualley! 😮) pressing their feet against car windshields for QT's amusement. Great film, great print (very little wear-and-tear) and a great appreciative crowd that laughed at all the right moments. 😎
STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE - THE DIRECTOR'S EDITION (1979/2022, 4K DOLBY ATMOS REMASTER) / STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN - THE DIRECTOR'S CUT (1982, DCP)
Last Tuesday was the 60th anniversary of TV's "Star Trek" debuting on national TV. Many theater chains had the first four "Trek" movies on rotation (with different TV episodes before each film as an appetizer) for a week to celebrate, but the Paris Theater had the first two "ST" movies playing as a double bill. A clearly appreciative sold-out crowd watched both, with a 15 min. break in between. I own them in 4K, but the visual difference between "TMP" and "WOK" in the theater was staggering and more pronounced than in my humble 65" TCL. The former looks stunning and polished (colors and skin tones really popped), with only the too-obvious model work and rear-projection effects dating it to the late 70's. "Khan" looked soft and with muted colors (with sound to match), which means it (and the remaining OG crew "Trek" flicks) are in dire need of the same 4K/Dolby Atmos remaster treatment given to "TMP." I loved that in both screenings, the loudest cheers/clapping came when the names of the music composers (Jerry Goldsmith for "TMP," James Horner for "WOK") were on-screen. 🙂🙃
I'm probably in the minority here, but the more I rewatch it the more I like "TMP" as my favorite in the series. It's clearly director Robert Wise's love letter to Stanley Kubrick's "2001," but creates its own middle-ground between Kubrick's arthouse sensibilities and "Star Wars'" mainstream-friendly fast pace. Even if the reveal of 'V-Ger' ('V-Max,' anyone? 🧐🤓) drags forever and feels like a TV series finale's worth of padding explanation, the long road getting there is the closest the movie series came to mimicking the TV show that inspired it. "Wrath of Khan" replaces world-building and visual spectacle with old-fashioned humans versus bad guy shenanigans, helped immensely by Ricardo Montalban returning as the TV antagonist that gave Kirk most trouble in "Space Seed" (which ran before theatrical screenings of "WOK" on AMC, Regal, etc.). The regular cast get to shine more here than in "TMP's" SFX-heavy demo reel, although the soap opera-like reveals of Carol Marcus (Bibi Besch) and David (Merritt Butrick) as Kirk's old flame and son, respectively, feel like they come from a different storytelling era. Both flicks played well to an appreciative crowd (Spock's final words in "Khan" got applause), myself included. 🫡😎
Not my theater crowd. They ate up every Montalban scene, hooting and clapping for either Kirk or Khan depending on who had the upper hand. But l get you, Khan is overrated as a character... but his movie did have a profound effect on "Trek" movies (1st of a trilogy, different sets of writers/producers/directors, etc.) going forward. 😎🤓
Robert Wise had such a varied and distinguished film career: editor on Citizen Kane, working with Val Lewton (The Body Snatcher), several film noir classics (Born To Kill), pioneering science fiction (The Day The Earth Stood Still), and a couple of classic musicals (West Side Story).
The first four Star Trek films have been in my collection for several years now. I just have not gotten around to watching them.
I have the first three "Trek" movies in 4K. Seen them, haven't gone through the bonus features/extras yet. Looking forward to getting IV-VI in 4K when l cam find them cheap. 🤑
FALL 2: DEADPOINT (2026, THEATER) FALL (2022, 4K UHD)
The sequel to 2022's criminally underseen "Fall," "Fall 2: Deadpoint," is an enormous downgrade to its predecessor despite both movies sharing the same writing team (Jonathan Frank and Scott Mann) and the leads from the first movie in flashbacks/uncredited cameos. Directed by the Spierig Brothers ("Daybreakers"), "Fall 2" follows the sister of Shiloh Hunter (Virginia Gardner), Jax (Harriet Slater), as she and a former friend of Shiloh's (Arsema Thomas' Luce) try to follow the daredevil's original plans to climb the [fictitious] ginormous Mount Kwan in Thailand. They hire a guide (Tom Brittney) to lead them, but eventually earthquakes and Mother Nature conspire to leave Jax/Luce in the same predicament (isolated in a narrow spot high above ground without help) as Shiloh/Becky from the first movie. That the leads are supposed to be average women and not athletes already stretch credulity, but a late third act reveal pushes the narrative into Hollywood dumb territory. The SFX/green screen work is also more obvious (fake mountain superimposed over barren land), so you don't feel the isolation/desperation of the protagonists like you did before. If you must watch "Fall 2," wait for it to hit streaming.
My experience with "Fall 2" was so negative that I came home to rewatch the OG "Fall" thinking that maybe it wasn't as good a movie as I remembered. NOPE! 😁 Directed by co-writer Scott Mann (who wisely shot as much as he could practically with a real mini-tower atop a tall mountain for some fake perspective, free production value), "Fall" establishes better that its two leads (Grace Caroline Currey's Becky and Virginia Gardner's Shiloh) are daredevil athletes in opposite ends of the emotional spectrum due to the death of Becky's hubby during a hiking accident. While neither film completely sell me that any rational person would climb a tall anything, at least "Fall" had Shiloh's double motivation of (a) getting Becky out of her slump and (b) getting social media attention to justify why they'd do it. Currey/Gardner are also better actors and more likable than Slater/Thomas in the sequel (sorry, just calling it as I see it), plus the writers also pull off a couple of neat storytelling tricks in the first "Fall" that the sequel can't replicate. The set-up for a third movie at the end of "Fall 2" feels like wishful thinking, and if it doesn't happen at least the 2022 "Fall" remains a hell of a gripping, tense and fun way to spend 90 minutes in a place nobody ever wants to be stuck at.
Please make your own mind about "Fall 2," but l suggest waiting for a more affordable way to sample it than going to the theater... but these types of film work best on the big screen. Sooo conflicted! 🥵😓
PAUL GREENGRASS DOUBLE FEATURE! THE UPRISING (2026, AMC PRIME) UNITED 93 (2006, BLU-RAY)
Early in-theater advertisements pushed "The Uprising" as the true story of the popular uprising that inspired the legend of "Robin Hood," something latter posters/trailers de-emphasized to focus on its lead actor. Led by quiet farmer Ploughman (Andrew Garfield, catatonic after a sickness ravages Great Britain and takes away his wife) who explodes in righteous anger at the unfairness of taxation by King Richard II (Woody Norman, who catches fire late in the narrative), a movement of farmers/peasants against the wealthy Church and the king's cabinet slowly makes its way to London. Garfield plays Ploughman as an introspect thinker content to let others (Cosmo Jarvis, Dónal Finn, Jamie Bell, etc.) lead the mob, but whose actions/opinions count when it matters. Katherine Waterston (Countess) and Thomasin McKenzie (Alyce, vocal protester who befriends Ploughman) feel shoehorned into the narrative to have female perspectives. You can see the betrayals and double-crosses by those in power coming a mile away, and writer/director Paul Greengrass ("Bourne 2/3") dials down his shaky-cam, handheld style enough to capture the mob violence that precedes the crown's bloody retribution. 'It's fine' but doesn't play to either Garfield or Greengrass' strenghts.
Yesterday was 9/11 (has it really been 25 years? 😢😓), so the night before I watched "United 93" immediately after returning home from watching "The Uprising." Striving for authenticity down to the running time matching the real-time events as they unfolded that morning in 2001, this remains a soul-crushing exercise in William Friedkin-type staged documentary authenticity. The cast of mostly unknowns (except for Olivia Thirlby, who played Judge Anderson in the 2012 "Dredd" movie) disappear into their roles. Knowing how it all ended for the folks aboard the United 93 flight adds tension rather than ease us into the fictitious-but-inspired-by-true-accounts re-enactment of the final moments of the flight. Other movies have tried, but "United 93" remains the definitive Hollywood cinematic account of how it felt to be alive on 9/11/01 and feel the world you knew change before your eyes. Highly recommended if you can handle it. 🫤😔
I too watched my new 4k copy of United 93 last night. That movie is a master class in tension building and momentum. I've seen it probably a half dozen times over the years and it never fails to get my heart pumping and my emotions going. It was also my my first time watching the bonus material where many of the actors went and met the families of the people they played. I never realized that the families were so on board with the making of this film when it felt like the rest of the country thought it was "too soon"
2006 feels too soon for a 9/11 movie, but Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center" also came out the same year. Guess 5 years is the moratorium to "exploit" a tragedy, but "United 93" doesn't feel exploitative at all. 🫤
I spent my Labor Day Monday catching up on recent action flicks...
Motor City is great, but shouldn't be more than 90 minutes. The 'gimmick' is good and well executed though.
The Furious is not reinventing the wheel story-wise: drugs, human trafficking, but the action is good, if you like hyper violent fight scene like The Raid. The bad guy with the bow was actually in The Raid, and also in Force Awakens.
A new Liam Neeson action B-movie, The Mongoose (terrible title), is always reason to celebrate. Is Marisa Tomei a vampire? She doesn't age.
The reviews are true, The Runner is not good. It's not the worst movie in the world, bad dialogues and all that. It's the new Amazon slop movie that youtubers like to trash for 45 minutes. I don't mind Gal Gadot, but she's... limited...
Then my Blaxploitation marathon continues with the second Shout boxset: Foxy Brown, Friday Foster, Cotton Comes to Harlem, Bucktown, Slaughter, Slaughter Big Ripoff. The best movies were clearly in the first box, but this is still very entertaining stuff. Apollo Creed shows up in a couple of movies, so that's fun.
Then, to finish out the week where I work way too much and watched way too many movies like they were going out of style (as if), I ended on a couple of light ones: Muppet Treasure Island and The Great Muppet Caper, which came in the mail the day Patrick and Rosalie dropped the podcast, which I ordered the day we got the news and I kept hearing about how good Treasure Island was and how Tim Curry was so awesome. It takes a tragedy like this to realise you're missing an important piece in your collection (same thing happened with Dolly). I also have more Muppets movies on the way. I know they're not all good, but that's not the point. Now, Disney, release the complete Muppet Show on DVD or Blu-ray already.
Did you see John Woo's "Silent Night" (2023)? Same gimmick as "Motor City," but l think the latter is the better action pic by far. My first time seeing Alan Ritchson in anything and man, that guy's built like a human freight train. 😅 l thought the new Liam Neeson movie's called "The Fix." Where did you get "The Mongoose" title from? 🤔🧐
Any standout feature from the 2nd Blaxploitation box set? Are the 4K transfers for the lesser-known titles as good/better/worse than the popular movies?
I didn't see Silent Night yet, but my friend mentioned it when I talked to him about Motor City
I've been following Richton since he played a dumbass jock quarterback in Blue Mountain State. It's always fun to see a good actor growing up in the business and constantly doing good work.
Last weekend, the final night of the annual Camp Blood event at the Mahoning Drive-In was a lot of fun. Each film was different in tone and story with a good balance of silliness and seriousness. As usual, watching these kind of schlocky films on the big screen under the stars can make them more interesting than they would be through a home viewing. These were my first horror watches since Junesploitation.
SLAUGHTER HIGH (1986) – Though terrible in so many ways, Slaughter High plays so well as a parody of the slasher genre that I could not resist liking it. Practical jokes on April Fool’s Day end horribly for the high school nerd. A number of years later, the students involved in those pranks get an invitation for a gathering at the school. Soon they start getting picked off by a killer wearing a joker headpiece. Everything is executed in such a clumsy manner that I could not help laughing. I am not sure if that was intentional, either.
EVILSPEAK (1981) – At the center of the film is a good performance from Clint Howard as an orphan dealing with constant bullying at a military school. Then there is the horror aspect… a S-a-t-a-n-i-c priest coming back through messages on a computer. It is all so ludicrous. Although the pacing can drag in certain sections, the crazy ending does reward patience.
MASSACRE AT CENTRAL HIGH (1976) – Not my first time watching this odd and bleak high school exploitation drama, but this viewing definitely hit harder this time. David comes to the high school that his old friend Mark attends. Mark is in with the clique of bullies that run the whole school and randomly terrorizing the student population. David is not alright with this situation and pushes back with deadly consequences. The film gets increasingly insane, with the violence genuinely jolting. Very 1970s in so many ways. The soft rock soundtrack creates an interesting tonal clash with the story. The print was in great shape.
I remember now that I did see a couple of horror films for the Mario Bava night last month, but I have succeeded in avoiding the genre for most of the summer. That will change in a few weeks, of course.
Saw Onslaught yesterday in an empty theater. I really loved it! Was it perfect? No, but that didn't matter to me. To be fair, shadowy/secret government/military projects gone wrong is one of my favorite subgenres so maybe I'm a little bias. I'm also a huge fan of Adria Arjona's character of Bix in Andor so seeing her get a leading lady role was a big selling point for me and I thought she was great!
I would also absolutely watch a sequel set in Seward, Alaska!
I want to catch "Onslaught" in theaters before it leaves. It bombed pretty hard, which is happening more frequently with A24 productions this year ("Death of Robin Hood," "The Moment," etc.). 🙄
SPARTACUS (1960, dir. Stanley Kubrick) – Freedom or death! Roman slave Spartacus and his followers battle against their captors in this classic Hollywood epic. This was my first complete watch of it. Kirk Douglas was the star and the executive producer, calling all of the shots during the production. Kubrick became so frustrated by that situation that he disowned the film completely, but there honestly is nothing to be ashamed of in it. Spartacus looks great, has plenty of impressive scenes, and the narrative flows quickly enough to not make the three-hour plus run-time felt for most of the film. With probably around a thousand extras in some shots for the final battle scenes, there was not a bigger production that Kubrick was a part of. (From my memory, Spartacus is only rivaled by Barry Lyndon in scope.)
RIDDLE OF FIRE (2023, dir. Weston Razooli) – All they wanted was an egg. An indie film I watched on Mubi, this is a whimsical and somewhat weird children’s adventure film. Elements of fantasy and magic are mixed into story. Three kids are asked by one of their mothers to get a blueberry pie, a task which only gets more complicated as the day goes on. The child actors are the ones who make the film work, making every absurd situation they get into seem normal. Generally not the kind of film I watch, I was entertained enough by RIDDLE. Being shot on film does at least make it look good for the small budget.
ARCO (2025, dir. Ugo Bienvenu) – One of the OSCAR nominees for Best Animated Feature. This is a French production, so I watched it in French. A boy from the future, Arco, comes to a time on Earth filled with troubles. He bonds with the girl who finds him, but thoughts of his home are never far away. A stranger, however, will always attract attention, some of it unwanted. The visual style is 2-D with a vibrant color palette. There are prominent themes of the environment and technology, yet it is connection with others that is dominant. Although I would not call this the most engaging story I have encountered, there is nothing that is handled badly in ARCO. Going through the bonus features on the disc (a rental) once again shows how much effort goes into creating any kind of animation.
Saw "Arco" in English during its limited theatrical run in the States. Will Ferrell, Andy Samberg and Flea played the comic relief trio of doofuses chasing after Arco and his friend. 🥵 It was as awful as you'd think, so if l ever rewatch ""Arco" it'll definitely be in French.
"Spartacus" is playing at the Paris Theater in a couple of weeks... tempting. 🤔🫠
The big screen is the right way to watch Spartacus. Even on a TV screen, the film is impressive. I could imagine how much more impact a theater experience would have.
I tested out the dubs before watching Arco. I could tell that the English one would have a higher chance of getting on my nerves right away.
Yikes l was incorrect. Paris is showing "Spartacus" in 70mm today: https://www.paristheaternyc.com/film/spartacus-paris 😳🥺 l could barely make it coming from work, but l had plans for tonight. Crap. 😢😓
Just watched Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger in the theater. Long story short, it's the best music doc I've seen in years, and I think my favorite movie of the year (so far).
It starts out a bit slowly, focusing more on the intrigue of the Gallagher brothers' 15-year long estrangement as the band starts rehearsing for their reunion tour. When the concert footage kicks in, though, the movie takes off like a rocket ship. Sure, the reunion of the band and the brothers is part of the story, but it's even more about the superpower of music, the indescribable catharsis it can conjure up out of nowhere, like all the best bits of religion, the magical shared experience of a concert crowd. Footage of individual fans and the collective crowd--singing along to the lyrics, crying, jumping, swaying en masse, looking shellshocked when the shows are over--is just as powerful (maybe moreso) than watching the band onstage.
As with most music/concert docs, mileage will vary a bit based on one's affinity for the band. I like Oasis a fair bit, but wouldn't consider myself a superfan or anything, and I found myself getting pretty caught up in all of the performances. For anyone with even a mild interest in the band (or rock music), I'd recommend the heck out of this one. Awesome flick.
DUNE PART ONE (2021) Because sometimes, you just gotta Dune.
BREATHLESS (1960) Godard goodness!
KICK-ASS (2010) An unwieldy mess of a movie, but it has its bright spots -- mostly when Cage and Chloe are on screen. I do appreciate how it's not as cynical and mean-spirited as the original comic.
FINAL DESTINATION 5 (2011) These sequels are a BRIDGE too far.
THE GOONIES (1985) Here's a thought: What if Sloth is a long-lost descendant of One-Eyed Willie?
SUPERGIRL (2025) Fans online are really kicking this movie while it's down, but I don't hate it. If anything, I'm guessing there's a lot of emotional truth to a 20-something young woman in 2026 feeling burned out and dissatisfied with life.
THE LAST STARFIGHTER (1984) Still waiting for that sequel...
The ending of "Supergirl" gives me hope the new DCU regim knows how to handle the character going forward, either in other hero's movies or another solo effort. But yeah, this '26 movie sucked and felt like "Guardians...Galaxy"-lite. 🤨🤫
The Fly (1986): haven't seen that one in a while. I knew there was a lot of body horror, but I forgot how disgusting it was, and how quick it ends. We're now used to movies with an epilogue, but back then movies ended when it was over. Anyway, still a masterpiece.
Airbag (1997): This was recommended by one of the buddies who saw it at Fantasia Fest in Montreal almost 30 years ago. This was way funnier and weirder than we all expected (and the one buddy remembered from way back then). It's the kind of thing where they throw everything and anything at the wall and see what comes out. And, surprise surprise, Javier Bardem shows up in a super small role.
No joke, Kunider, David Cronenberg's remake of "The Fly" is my favorite movie of all time. 😍🥰 If you haven't see the super-long 'making of' documentary on the Blu-ray where everyone (except Cronenberg, who flies solo in the commentary track) is interviewed, see it. They even interview the director that was close to hel.ing the production before David C. took over. Documentary shows completed, expensive and finalized deleted scenes that, had they been included in the final print, would have brought the dramatic weight of the picture down to camp. It's one of the best examples of leaving out material to tighten a horror/romance/drama/comedy/operatic hybrid to make the end result sing a fantastic cinematic tune. God, l love "The Fly." 🤩😇
Holy crap, i've had that bluray set for years, and somehow never realised it was there. I actually own the Via Vision release, which came out a couple of years before Shout, so for a second i feared the making of wouldn't be on the disc. Shout has more extras though.
I like "The Fly ll" (1st and only movie l sneaked out to see in a movie theater, then returned home and got busted! 😅), but never had the urge to upgrade the DVD version w/commentary l got in the aughts. It's a continuation of the story/characters from the '86 version (directed by Chris Walas, creature effects boss on "Gremlins" and "The Fly"), but without Cronenberg's body horror skills and leaning more on creature feature gore than story/characters. Since you just saw '86 "Fly" you'd get more from watching "Fly II" now than later. 🙃🙂
'Who loves you, babies?' 🧐🥲
ReplyDeleteMYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000: THE RIFFTRAX EXPERIMENTS - STING OF DEATH (2026/1966, THEATER)
As a diehard "MST3K" fan (own all the Shout! Factory DVD Box Sets) that loathed the Joel Hodgson-produced Netflix and post-Netflix revival seasons (though the latter were a little more tolerable than the bordering-on-unwatchable former), I was overjoyed with the early '26 announcement that the Rifftrax gang were going to write, produce and star in four new "MST3K" episodes. The Sci-Fi era of the show is one of my favorites, and to have Mike Nelson (weathered and a little overweight, but still good ol' Mike), Kevin Murphy (practically the same) and Bill Corbett (whose take on Crow is my favorite, even more than Trace Beaulieu's) return to their Minneapolis roots (many behind-the-scenes people who worked on the original are back) with a low-fi, home-made feel gives this revival the nostalgia vibes completely absent from Joel's Hollywood-slick version. Not exactly on board with the idea of having a single skit to break the movie (versus 3/4 on the regular show) and backload a bunch during the lengthy credits roll, but it's nice that the show's format is flexible enough to try something new.
It helps that the chosen experiment, the 1966 silly dance/horror hybrid "Sting of Death" ("Girl With the Gold Boots" meets "Zaat"), is already silly enough to be funny on its own. Unlike the relentless joke-a-second riffing pace of the Hodgson revival (not to mention Tom Servo and Crow having voices/personalities at odds with their previous incarnations), the Rifftrax gang takes it easy and riff at a pace closer to that of the old show. Some of the more esoteric jokes strike gold ('Sun, father of the moon!' broke my sold-out theater with a giant, collective belly-laugh! 😅🤣), and most are just pleasant to average. Mary Jo Pehl hasn't lost a beat (her 'SOL' sponsorship TV spot is a highlight), Murphy's Professor Bobo is still a clueless spat, and Brain Observer hasn't changed at all. I didn't know I needed more Mike-era "MST3K" in my life, but this first of four new "Rifftrax Experiments" removed all doubts. October/November cannot come soon enough for me to dive into this sucker. Highly recommended if you love OG "MST3K" and want more of that than what the Joel-led revivals ultimately delivered. 🧐🤨
I remember encountering MST3K during its initial run on the Sci-Fi Channel in the '90s. I did not enjoy the "riffing" then and my attempts to watch episodes in recent years have not worked out well, either. It is not my thing.
DeleteBy the way, it is an MST3K weekend at the Mahoning Drive-In. I think this is the third year for it. Joel Hodgson has been at past events, but this it looks like the hosts of the newer editions (Emily and Jonah) are attending.
Ever since he sold his share of rights in "MST3K" to Shout Factory las year Joel has pretty much retired. He might still consult behind the scenes, but "MST3K" now runs without him... hence Shout's idea of bringing the Rifftrax guys to produce new direct-to-streaming episodes. 🙂
DeleteEver since Netflix bought the Paris Theater in NYC many years ago, I stopped visiting. But this week I returned to catch three movies from its annual 'Big & Loud' revival series. Despite an expensive remodel after the COVID shutdown, the Paris remains a frustrating theater to visit because of the small seats and relatively tiny screen that you have to sit close to to get the full impact. My seats weren't in the sweet spot, but at least the sound system has been dramatically upgraded; music/sound effects/voices were leaps better than I remember from previous visits.
ReplyDeleteONCE UPON A TIME... IN HOLLYWOOD (70mm, 2019)
Since the David Fincher-helmed, Quentin Tarantino-scripted sequel with Brad Pitt's Cliff Booth is upon us, this seemed like a good time for a theatrical refresher. I don't recall seeing this in 70mm, but I'm getting to that age where I've forgotten more movie memories than most people will accumulate through their entire lives. 😁🥹 Despite pacing issues by scenes that were tension-filled on first-viewing (like Cliff walking up to George Spahn's house at the Spahn Ranch) that now drag on rewatch, the first two-thirds (February '69) work as a hangout, fly-on-the-wall POV to the contrasting lives of insecure working actors (Leonardo DiCaprio's Rick Dalton) with that of celebrity performers (Margot Robbie's Sharon Tate) or too-innocent-to-know industry newcomers (that little girl! 😇🤣). I had no idea until this watch that Sam Wanamaker (the director of the TV western Dalton is guest-starring in) was freaking 70's Spider-Man himself, Nicholas Hammond! 😲🤓
The movie's third act (August 9, '69), where fantasy takes over sad real-life tragedy, remains a QT masterpiece of perfect storm amusing, character-driven nonsense that fits perfectly within the film's reality. And it has the scene of Los Angeles landmarks firing up their neon signs at dawn, a simple moment that captures the vibe of 60's Hollywood better than all the Manson hippy girls in the world (including Margaret Qualley! 😮) pressing their feet against car windshields for QT's amusement. Great film, great print (very little wear-and-tear) and a great appreciative crowd that laughed at all the right moments. 😎
STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE - THE DIRECTOR'S EDITION (1979/2022, 4K DOLBY ATMOS REMASTER) / STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN - THE DIRECTOR'S CUT (1982, DCP)
ReplyDeleteLast Tuesday was the 60th anniversary of TV's "Star Trek" debuting on national TV. Many theater chains had the first four "Trek" movies on rotation (with different TV episodes before each film as an appetizer) for a week to celebrate, but the Paris Theater had the first two "ST" movies playing as a double bill. A clearly appreciative sold-out crowd watched both, with a 15 min. break in between. I own them in 4K, but the visual difference between "TMP" and "WOK" in the theater was staggering and more pronounced than in my humble 65" TCL. The former looks stunning and polished (colors and skin tones really popped), with only the too-obvious model work and rear-projection effects dating it to the late 70's. "Khan" looked soft and with muted colors (with sound to match), which means it (and the remaining OG crew "Trek" flicks) are in dire need of the same 4K/Dolby Atmos remaster treatment given to "TMP." I loved that in both screenings, the loudest cheers/clapping came when the names of the music composers (Jerry Goldsmith for "TMP," James Horner for "WOK") were on-screen. 🙂🙃
I'm probably in the minority here, but the more I rewatch it the more I like "TMP" as my favorite in the series. It's clearly director Robert Wise's love letter to Stanley Kubrick's "2001," but creates its own middle-ground between Kubrick's arthouse sensibilities and "Star Wars'" mainstream-friendly fast pace. Even if the reveal of 'V-Ger' ('V-Max,' anyone? 🧐🤓) drags forever and feels like a TV series finale's worth of padding explanation, the long road getting there is the closest the movie series came to mimicking the TV show that inspired it. "Wrath of Khan" replaces world-building and visual spectacle with old-fashioned humans versus bad guy shenanigans, helped immensely by Ricardo Montalban returning as the TV antagonist that gave Kirk most trouble in "Space Seed" (which ran before theatrical screenings of "WOK" on AMC, Regal, etc.). The regular cast get to shine more here than in "TMP's" SFX-heavy demo reel, although the soap opera-like reveals of Carol Marcus (Bibi Besch) and David (Merritt Butrick) as Kirk's old flame and son, respectively, feel like they come from a different storytelling era. Both flicks played well to an appreciative crowd (Spock's final words in "Khan" got applause), myself included. 🫡😎
TMP is a perso!al favorite, and the directors cut 4k is gorgeous.
DeleteI'm actually one of the freaks who don't care about Khan.
Not my theater crowd. They ate up every Montalban scene, hooting and clapping for either Kirk or Khan depending on who had the upper hand. But l get you, Khan is overrated as a character... but his movie did have a profound effect on "Trek" movies (1st of a trilogy, different sets of writers/producers/directors, etc.) going forward. 😎🤓
DeleteRobert Wise had such a varied and distinguished film career: editor on Citizen Kane, working with Val Lewton (The Body Snatcher), several film noir classics (Born To Kill), pioneering science fiction (The Day The Earth Stood Still), and a couple of classic musicals (West Side Story).
DeleteThe first four Star Trek films have been in my collection for several years now. I just have not gotten around to watching them.
I have the first three "Trek" movies in 4K. Seen them, haven't gone through the bonus features/extras yet. Looking forward to getting IV-VI in 4K when l cam find them cheap. 🤑
DeleteFALL 2: DEADPOINT (2026, THEATER)
ReplyDeleteFALL (2022, 4K UHD)
The sequel to 2022's criminally underseen "Fall," "Fall 2: Deadpoint," is an enormous downgrade to its predecessor despite both movies sharing the same writing team (Jonathan Frank and Scott Mann) and the leads from the first movie in flashbacks/uncredited cameos. Directed by the Spierig Brothers ("Daybreakers"), "Fall 2" follows the sister of Shiloh Hunter (Virginia Gardner), Jax (Harriet Slater), as she and a former friend of Shiloh's (Arsema Thomas' Luce) try to follow the daredevil's original plans to climb the [fictitious] ginormous Mount Kwan in Thailand. They hire a guide (Tom Brittney) to lead them, but eventually earthquakes and Mother Nature conspire to leave Jax/Luce in the same predicament (isolated in a narrow spot high above ground without help) as Shiloh/Becky from the first movie. That the leads are supposed to be average women and not athletes already stretch credulity, but a late third act reveal pushes the narrative into Hollywood dumb territory. The SFX/green screen work is also more obvious (fake mountain superimposed over barren land), so you don't feel the isolation/desperation of the protagonists like you did before. If you must watch "Fall 2," wait for it to hit streaming.
My experience with "Fall 2" was so negative that I came home to rewatch the OG "Fall" thinking that maybe it wasn't as good a movie as I remembered. NOPE! 😁 Directed by co-writer Scott Mann (who wisely shot as much as he could practically with a real mini-tower atop a tall mountain for some fake perspective, free production value), "Fall" establishes better that its two leads (Grace Caroline Currey's Becky and Virginia Gardner's Shiloh) are daredevil athletes in opposite ends of the emotional spectrum due to the death of Becky's hubby during a hiking accident. While neither film completely sell me that any rational person would climb a tall anything, at least "Fall" had Shiloh's double motivation of (a) getting Becky out of her slump and (b) getting social media attention to justify why they'd do it. Currey/Gardner are also better actors and more likable than Slater/Thomas in the sequel (sorry, just calling it as I see it), plus the writers also pull off a couple of neat storytelling tricks in the first "Fall" that the sequel can't replicate. The set-up for a third movie at the end of "Fall 2" feels like wishful thinking, and if it doesn't happen at least the 2022 "Fall" remains a hell of a gripping, tense and fun way to spend 90 minutes in a place nobody ever wants to be stuck at.
I totally forgot there was a sequel coming out. But by reading your review, i don't think i want to see it
DeletePlease make your own mind about "Fall 2," but l suggest waiting for a more affordable way to sample it than going to the theater... but these types of film work best on the big screen. Sooo conflicted! 🥵😓
DeleteI always try to make my own mind, but sometimes they drop down the list when reviews are bad
DeletePAUL GREENGRASS DOUBLE FEATURE!
ReplyDeleteTHE UPRISING (2026, AMC PRIME)
UNITED 93 (2006, BLU-RAY)
Early in-theater advertisements pushed "The Uprising" as the true story of the popular uprising that inspired the legend of "Robin Hood," something latter posters/trailers de-emphasized to focus on its lead actor. Led by quiet farmer Ploughman (Andrew Garfield, catatonic after a sickness ravages Great Britain and takes away his wife) who explodes in righteous anger at the unfairness of taxation by King Richard II (Woody Norman, who catches fire late in the narrative), a movement of farmers/peasants against the wealthy Church and the king's cabinet slowly makes its way to London. Garfield plays Ploughman as an introspect thinker content to let others (Cosmo Jarvis, Dónal Finn, Jamie Bell, etc.) lead the mob, but whose actions/opinions count when it matters. Katherine Waterston (Countess) and Thomasin McKenzie (Alyce, vocal protester who befriends Ploughman) feel shoehorned into the narrative to have female perspectives. You can see the betrayals and double-crosses by those in power coming a mile away, and writer/director Paul Greengrass ("Bourne 2/3") dials down his shaky-cam, handheld style enough to capture the mob violence that precedes the crown's bloody retribution. 'It's fine' but doesn't play to either Garfield or Greengrass' strenghts.
Yesterday was 9/11 (has it really been 25 years? 😢😓), so the night before I watched "United 93" immediately after returning home from watching "The Uprising." Striving for authenticity down to the running time matching the real-time events as they unfolded that morning in 2001, this remains a soul-crushing exercise in William Friedkin-type staged documentary authenticity. The cast of mostly unknowns (except for Olivia Thirlby, who played Judge Anderson in the 2012 "Dredd" movie) disappear into their roles. Knowing how it all ended for the folks aboard the United 93 flight adds tension rather than ease us into the fictitious-but-inspired-by-true-accounts re-enactment of the final moments of the flight. Other movies have tried, but "United 93" remains the definitive Hollywood cinematic account of how it felt to be alive on 9/11/01 and feel the world you knew change before your eyes. Highly recommended if you can handle it. 🫤😔
I too watched my new 4k copy of United 93 last night. That movie is a master class in tension building and momentum. I've seen it probably a half dozen times over the years and it never fails to get my heart pumping and my emotions going. It was also my my first time watching the bonus material where many of the actors went and met the families of the people they played. I never realized that the families were so on board with the making of this film when it felt like the rest of the country thought it was "too soon"
Delete2006 feels too soon for a 9/11 movie, but Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center" also came out the same year. Guess 5 years is the moratorium to "exploit" a tragedy, but "United 93" doesn't feel exploitative at all. 🫤
DeleteI spent my Labor Day Monday catching up on recent action flicks...
ReplyDeleteMotor City is great, but shouldn't be more than 90 minutes. The 'gimmick' is good and well executed though.
The Furious is not reinventing the wheel story-wise: drugs, human trafficking, but the action is good, if you like hyper violent fight scene like The Raid. The bad guy with the bow was actually in The Raid, and also in Force Awakens.
A new Liam Neeson action B-movie, The Mongoose (terrible title), is always reason to celebrate. Is Marisa Tomei a vampire? She doesn't age.
The reviews are true, The Runner is not good. It's not the worst movie in the world, bad dialogues and all that. It's the new Amazon slop movie that youtubers like to trash for 45 minutes. I don't mind Gal Gadot, but she's... limited...
Then my Blaxploitation marathon continues with the second Shout boxset: Foxy Brown, Friday Foster, Cotton Comes to Harlem, Bucktown, Slaughter, Slaughter Big Ripoff. The best movies were clearly in the first box, but this is still very entertaining stuff. Apollo Creed shows up in a couple of movies, so that's fun.
Then, to finish out the week where I work way too much and watched way too many movies like they were going out of style (as if), I ended on a couple of light ones: Muppet Treasure Island and The Great Muppet Caper, which came in the mail the day Patrick and Rosalie dropped the podcast, which I ordered the day we got the news and I kept hearing about how good Treasure Island was and how Tim Curry was so awesome. It takes a tragedy like this to realise you're missing an important piece in your collection (same thing happened with Dolly). I also have more Muppets movies on the way. I know they're not all good, but that's not the point. Now, Disney, release the complete Muppet Show on DVD or Blu-ray already.
Did you see John Woo's "Silent Night" (2023)? Same gimmick as "Motor City," but l think the latter is the better action pic by far. My first time seeing Alan Ritchson in anything and man, that guy's built like a human freight train. 😅 l thought the new Liam Neeson movie's called "The Fix." Where did you get "The Mongoose" title from? 🤔🧐
DeleteAny standout feature from the 2nd Blaxploitation box set? Are the 4K transfers for the lesser-known titles as good/better/worse than the popular movies?
The Fix is a different movie that came out yesterday. Haven't seen it yet.
DeleteAll the new 4k transfers are gorgeous. If you're a fan, it's well worth it. The Slaughter movies were the best ones to me
I didn't see Silent Night yet, but my friend mentioned it when I talked to him about Motor City
DeleteI've been following Richton since he played a dumbass jock quarterback in Blue Mountain State. It's always fun to see a good actor growing up in the business and constantly doing good work.
Last weekend, the final night of the annual Camp Blood event at the Mahoning Drive-In was a lot of fun. Each film was different in tone and story with a good balance of silliness and seriousness. As usual, watching these kind of schlocky films on the big screen under the stars can make them more interesting than they would be through a home viewing. These were my first horror watches since Junesploitation.
ReplyDeleteSLAUGHTER HIGH (1986) – Though terrible in so many ways, Slaughter High plays so well as a parody of the slasher genre that I could not resist liking it. Practical jokes on April Fool’s Day end horribly for the high school nerd. A number of years later, the students involved in those pranks get an invitation for a gathering at the school. Soon they start getting picked off by a killer wearing a joker headpiece. Everything is executed in such a clumsy manner that I could not help laughing. I am not sure if that was intentional, either.
EVILSPEAK (1981) – At the center of the film is a good performance from Clint Howard as an orphan dealing with constant bullying at a military school. Then there is the horror aspect… a S-a-t-a-n-i-c priest coming back through messages on a computer. It is all so ludicrous. Although the pacing can drag in certain sections, the crazy ending does reward patience.
MASSACRE AT CENTRAL HIGH (1976) – Not my first time watching this odd and bleak high school exploitation drama, but this viewing definitely hit harder this time. David comes to the high school that his old friend Mark attends. Mark is in with the clique of bullies that run the whole school and randomly terrorizing the student population. David is not alright with this situation and pushes back with deadly consequences. The film gets increasingly insane, with the violence genuinely jolting. Very 1970s in so many ways. The soft rock soundtrack creates an interesting tonal clash with the story. The print was in great shape.
I remember now that I did see a couple of horror films for the Mario Bava night last month, but I have succeeded in avoiding the genre for most of the summer. That will change in a few weeks, of course.
DeleteMan, high school is depressing enough already... but 70's high school? 😳😱😭
DeleteSaw Onslaught yesterday in an empty theater. I really loved it! Was it perfect? No, but that didn't matter to me. To be fair, shadowy/secret government/military projects gone wrong is one of my favorite subgenres so maybe I'm a little bias. I'm also a huge fan of Adria Arjona's character of Bix in Andor so seeing her get a leading lady role was a big selling point for me and I thought she was great!
ReplyDeleteI would also absolutely watch a sequel set in Seward, Alaska!
I want to catch "Onslaught" in theaters before it leaves. It bombed pretty hard, which is happening more frequently with A24 productions this year ("Death of Robin Hood," "The Moment," etc.). 🙄
DeleteThese are the films I watched during the week.
ReplyDeleteSPARTACUS (1960, dir. Stanley Kubrick) – Freedom or death! Roman slave Spartacus and his followers battle against their captors in this classic Hollywood epic. This was my first complete watch of it. Kirk Douglas was the star and the executive producer, calling all of the shots during the production. Kubrick became so frustrated by that situation that he disowned the film completely, but there honestly is nothing to be ashamed of in it. Spartacus looks great, has plenty of impressive scenes, and the narrative flows quickly enough to not make the three-hour plus run-time felt for most of the film. With probably around a thousand extras in some shots for the final battle scenes, there was not a bigger production that Kubrick was a part of. (From my memory, Spartacus is only rivaled by Barry Lyndon in scope.)
RIDDLE OF FIRE (2023, dir. Weston Razooli) – All they wanted was an egg. An indie film I watched on Mubi, this is a whimsical and somewhat weird children’s adventure film. Elements of fantasy and magic are mixed into story. Three kids are asked by one of their mothers to get a blueberry pie, a task which only gets more complicated as the day goes on. The child actors are the ones who make the film work, making every absurd situation they get into seem normal. Generally not the kind of film I watch, I was entertained enough by RIDDLE. Being shot on film does at least make it look good for the small budget.
ARCO (2025, dir. Ugo Bienvenu) – One of the OSCAR nominees for Best Animated Feature. This is a French production, so I watched it in French. A boy from the future, Arco, comes to a time on Earth filled with troubles. He bonds with the girl who finds him, but thoughts of his home are never far away. A stranger, however, will always attract attention, some of it unwanted. The visual style is 2-D with a vibrant color palette. There are prominent themes of the environment and technology, yet it is connection with others that is dominant. Although I would not call this the most engaging story I have encountered, there is nothing that is handled badly in ARCO. Going through the bonus features on the disc (a rental) once again shows how much effort goes into creating any kind of animation.
Love Riddles of Fire. I got the bluray from Vinegar Syndrome a couple of years ago, after seeing the movie somewhere.
DeleteSaw "Arco" in English during its limited theatrical run in the States. Will Ferrell, Andy Samberg and Flea played the comic relief trio of doofuses chasing after Arco and his friend. 🥵 It was as awful as you'd think, so if l ever rewatch ""Arco" it'll definitely be in French.
Delete"Spartacus" is playing at the Paris Theater in a couple of weeks... tempting. 🤔🫠
The big screen is the right way to watch Spartacus. Even on a TV screen, the film is impressive. I could imagine how much more impact a theater experience would have.
DeleteI tested out the dubs before watching Arco. I could tell that the English one would have a higher chance of getting on my nerves right away.
Yikes l was incorrect. Paris is showing "Spartacus" in 70mm today: https://www.paristheaternyc.com/film/spartacus-paris 😳🥺 l could barely make it coming from work, but l had plans for tonight. Crap. 😢😓
DeleteJust watched Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger in the theater. Long story short, it's the best music doc I've seen in years, and I think my favorite movie of the year (so far).
ReplyDeleteIt starts out a bit slowly, focusing more on the intrigue of the Gallagher brothers' 15-year long estrangement as the band starts rehearsing for their reunion tour. When the concert footage kicks in, though, the movie takes off like a rocket ship. Sure, the reunion of the band and the brothers is part of the story, but it's even more about the superpower of music, the indescribable catharsis it can conjure up out of nowhere, like all the best bits of religion, the magical shared experience of a concert crowd. Footage of individual fans and the collective crowd--singing along to the lyrics, crying, jumping, swaying en masse, looking shellshocked when the shows are over--is just as powerful (maybe moreso) than watching the band onstage.
As with most music/concert docs, mileage will vary a bit based on one's affinity for the band. I like Oasis a fair bit, but wouldn't consider myself a superfan or anything, and I found myself getting pretty caught up in all of the performances. For anyone with even a mild interest in the band (or rock music), I'd recommend the heck out of this one. Awesome flick.
DUNE PART ONE (2021)
ReplyDeleteBecause sometimes, you just gotta Dune.
BREATHLESS (1960)
Godard goodness!
KICK-ASS (2010)
An unwieldy mess of a movie, but it has its bright spots -- mostly when Cage and Chloe are on screen. I do appreciate how it's not as cynical and mean-spirited as the original comic.
FINAL DESTINATION 5 (2011)
These sequels are a BRIDGE too far.
THE GOONIES (1985)
Here's a thought: What if Sloth is a long-lost descendant of One-Eyed Willie?
SUPERGIRL (2025)
Fans online are really kicking this movie while it's down, but I don't hate it. If anything, I'm guessing there's a lot of emotional truth to a 20-something young woman in 2026 feeling burned out and dissatisfied with life.
THE LAST STARFIGHTER (1984)
Still waiting for that sequel...
I don't hate Supergirl either, but the faults are evident, and sometimes annoying. But Milly Alcock was great
DeleteThe ending of "Supergirl" gives me hope the new DCU regim knows how to handle the character going forward, either in other hero's movies or another solo effort. But yeah, this '26 movie sucked and felt like "Guardians...Galaxy"-lite. 🤨🤫
DeleteSaturday night movies with the buddies...
ReplyDeleteThe Fly (1986): haven't seen that one in a while. I knew there was a lot of body horror, but I forgot how disgusting it was, and how quick it ends. We're now used to movies with an epilogue, but back then movies ended when it was over. Anyway, still a masterpiece.
Airbag (1997): This was recommended by one of the buddies who saw it at Fantasia Fest in Montreal almost 30 years ago. This was way funnier and weirder than we all expected (and the one buddy remembered from way back then). It's the kind of thing where they throw everything and anything at the wall and see what comes out. And, surprise surprise, Javier Bardem shows up in a super small role.
No joke, Kunider, David Cronenberg's remake of "The Fly" is my favorite movie of all time. 😍🥰 If you haven't see the super-long 'making of' documentary on the Blu-ray where everyone (except Cronenberg, who flies solo in the commentary track) is interviewed, see it. They even interview the director that was close to hel.ing the production before David C. took over. Documentary shows completed, expensive and finalized deleted scenes that, had they been included in the final print, would have brought the dramatic weight of the picture down to camp. It's one of the best examples of leaving out material to tighten a horror/romance/drama/comedy/operatic hybrid to make the end result sing a fantastic cinematic tune. God, l love "The Fly." 🤩😇
DeleteHoly crap, i've had that bluray set for years, and somehow never realised it was there. I actually own the Via Vision release, which came out a couple of years before Shout, so for a second i feared the making of wouldn't be on the disc. Shout has more extras though.
DeleteShould I watch the sequel?
I like "The Fly ll" (1st and only movie l sneaked out to see in a movie theater, then returned home and got busted! 😅), but never had the urge to upgrade the DVD version w/commentary l got in the aughts. It's a continuation of the story/characters from the '86 version (directed by Chris Walas, creature effects boss on "Gremlins" and "The Fly"), but without Cronenberg's body horror skills and leaning more on creature feature gore than story/characters. Since you just saw '86 "Fly" you'd get more from watching "Fly II" now than later. 🙃🙂
Delete