During this year’s October viewing I wanted to revisit a few things that I consider lesser movies from directors I like, that I haven’t seen since they came out decades ago. You know – just to be sure.
I started with a forgotten later one from George A. Romero – his last non-living-dead-related movie, BRUISER. I was disappointed in it at the time, but that was 22 years ago, and I’d had high expectations for it since he hadn’t had a movie in 7 years. There was that gap between his Hollywood stint in the early ‘90s and his return in the new millennium, and it was in the middle of that period that I became obsessed with DAWN OF THE DEAD and KNIGHTRIDERS and everything. So it was a big event when he finally came back with this odd French-American co-production starring a dude from LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS. (read the rest of this shit…)
I don’t usually review comedies, especially straight forward romance/family ones like HAPPIEST SEASON, nor do I plan to do it often. But I thought this was a pretty good one and I decided to give it a shot. Sharpen my skills.
HAPPIEST SEASON is new on Hulu and takes place at Christmas time, but is not specifically about any holiday celebrations. It has received some attention as a high profile romantic comedy with a same sex couple, and of a much higher quality than the ones starting to pop up on Hallmark and Lifetime. Sony/TriStar had actually intended this for a major theatrical release before the pandemic and its supporters fucked up the country. It was directed and co-written by Clea DuVall, who we of course know as an actress from GHOSTS OF MARS, THE GRUDGE, ZODIAC, etc., so it’s a pretty good in-joke when a character’s teenage bedroom is still decorated with a sexy poster of Josh Hartnett (THE FACULTY). (read the rest of this shit…)
ARGO is based on an amazing true story, recently declassified and told in this great Wired article. During the Iran hostage crisis, it turns out, the CIA managed to rescue a group of stranded American workers using an unusual cover story: they were part of a Canadian film crew scouting exotic locations for a STAR WARS inspired sci-fi fantasy epic. John Chambers, the genius makeup artist behind the PLANET OF APES series (and played by John Goodman here), had done “some contract work” for the CIA according to the article (let’s hope he gets a whole series of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE style thrillers) and helped to set up real Hollywood producers and offices for the fake movie. The now-worshipped-by-nerds comic book artist Jack Kirby (seen only in a cameo here, played by DEATH WISH V’s Michael Parks) provided the artwork that they used as pre-production set and costume designs. (read the rest of this shit…)
One thing about JOHN CARPENTER’S GHOSTS OF MARS: it’s definitely John Carpenter’s GHOSTS OF MARS.
It has plenty of elements that could be perfect for one of his movies. It’s kind of a siege movie like ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13, although the simplicity of that type of setup is mired in flashbacks and narration. It’s got a western motif – even though it’s in the future and on Mars there’s a train, and colonists possessed by angry Martian spirits take the place of the Natives defending their land. It’s got a ready-made anti-hero – Ice Cube as the bad-but-not-guilty-of-the-specific-crime-he’s-accused-of prisoner-in-transfer Desolation Williams. It has a pretty good soundtrack where Carpenter melds his style with a bunch of rock n roll dudes with electric guitars and drums, playing Martian tribal rock. It has Ice Cube, Jason Statham, Joanna Cassidy and Pam Grier in the cast! This shit should be great. (read the rest of this shit…)
Some of you will wonder why I choose to watch this kind of crap. The answer is because of the French.
This one is from a series of movies made for cable called Creature Features. They have special effecting by Stan Winston (director of A GNOME NAMED GNORM) and are all based on the premises or titles of old movies produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff. They got SHE-MONSTER, DAN AYCKROYD VS. SPIDERMAN and many others. The one I’m waiting for is actually TEENAGE CAVEMAN directed by Larry Clark, the pervert who did KIDS and BULLY and ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE where the main kid wears his pants so low you can see his fuckin pubes. Jesus, Larry! (read the rest of this shit…)
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Recent commentary and jibber-jabber
wmjahn on The Harder They Fall: “The first app. 20 minutes are fantastic (10/10), the next 20 are still pretty good (8/10), but then the movie…” Jun 14, 12:23
Adam C aka TaumpyTearrs on I Love Boosters: “Goddamn what a treat this was. Love the cast, the music, the look. Love the Katamari Damacy-style ball of anxiety.…” Jun 13, 23:11
VERN on The Furious: “Update on the language: I had heard that Lionsgate made a dub with the original actors and digitally conforming the…” Jun 13, 15:00
Bill Reed on I Love Boosters: “I’m on record as believing SORRY TO BOTHER YOU is a top 5 movie of the 21st century, so my…” Jun 12, 05:49
renfield on I Love Boosters: “I’m with Vern at every point here as well. I thought the straightforward earnestness of the ending was real nice,…” Jun 11, 21:54
MdM on The Furious: “Choreography- I’ve never seen anything this extravagant. I wish they remembered they were making a movie – not just an…” Jun 11, 17:53
Paul Constant on I Love Boosters: “Great review, Vern. I’m in complete agreement about the movie and The Coup. One thing I learned after watching the…” Jun 11, 14:50
grimgrinningchris on Heaven’s Prisoners: “My only memory of the movie is that they WERE real, but decidedly nothing near “spectacular”.” Jun 11, 12:41
Felix Ng on The Furious: “Just came back from this. Some incredible martial arts here. Especially the 4 way fight at the police station in…” Jun 11, 02:38
KayKay on The Furious: ““It’s set in unspecified Southeast Asia” Yup…this is square in the territory of your standard China Web Movie, which takes…” Jun 10, 23:21
KayKay on The Furious: “““Warning: she’s billed as a “special appearance,” so…” Didn’t come as a surprise, she’s been clear on cutting down on…” Jun 10, 23:10
KayKay on The Furious: “I caught this at a special screening* in my neck of the woods. So…I caveat this to those excited up…” Jun 10, 23:08
Adam C aka TaumpyTearrs on The Furious: “Jeeja Yanin! YES! “Warning: she’s billed as a “special appearance,” so…” GODDAMMIT! I had to stop reading there, I already…” Jun 10, 21:44
Furious Fred on The Furious: “Entirely possible some lines were dubbed by different actors if the on camera performer struggled with the lines. Hell Hong…” Jun 10, 19:32
During this year’s October viewing I wanted to revisit a few things that I consider lesser movies from directors I like, that I haven’t seen since they came out decades ago. You know – just to be sure.
I don’t usually review comedies, especially straight forward romance/family ones like HAPPIEST SEASON, nor do I plan to do it often. But I thought this was a pretty good one and I decided to give it a shot. Sharpen my skills.
ARGO is based on an amazing true story, recently declassified and told in 
One thing about JOHN CARPENTER’S GHOSTS OF MARS: it’s definitely John Carpenter’s GHOSTS OF MARS.
Some of you will wonder why I choose to watch this kind of crap. The answer is because of the French.
