tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172448732024-03-19T00:20:57.956-07:00HorrorthonFirst rule of Horrorthon is: watch horror movies. Second rule of Horrorthon is: write about it. Warn us. Tempt us. The one who watches the most movies in 31 days wins. There is no prize.Octopunkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948127593611773731noreply@blogger.comBlogger14606125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-38227248596413270272021-10-17T22:06:00.006-07:002021-10-17T22:26:21.181-07:00Malevolent<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IsRar-4Tp_o/YWzx20TS_jI/AAAAAAAAMxY/3IjlGKMQAfQxoX1WaYBN30Bp1J2EOGisQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1284/malevolent.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1284" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IsRar-4Tp_o/YWzx20TS_jI/AAAAAAAAMxY/3IjlGKMQAfQxoX1WaYBN30Bp1J2EOGisQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/malevolent.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> 2018 ***1/2<p></p><p>It's 1986 for some reason, and a team of paranormal investigators are making a big name for themselves all over Scotland. But they're liars! We see them "cleanse" a home to help a grieving widower and his little girl, making sure to let him know who to give the check to.</p><p>Black Widow's little sister Florence Pugh is the star of the show as the team psychic; she minces around the house and "feels" things. But she's a liar too! And she doesn't even know it! Right at the end of the scam job she sees something... off, and it's a standout scene because of what <i>isn't</i> there -- there's no keyboard mashing music cue. ARE YOU LISTENING JAMES WAN</p><p>It's a great moment, and soon there's another vision that is quiet, out of the corner of the eye, and never spoken of. Teen Black Widow is in a weird spot: she's too scared to pretend to see ghosts because she's actually seeing ghosts. I'm already a fan of "we're scamming people into believing in the supernatural AH IT'S REAL" plots, and even <i>more</i> a fan of "Oh gosh<i> no,</i> my so-called 'powers' are all <i>fake, </i>ha ha ha AH IT'S REAL" plots. </p><p>In the prologue of the graphic novel <i>From Hell</i>, two old, well-dressed duffers are walking on the English seaside, reminiscing. It's revealed one of the old men got rich as an amazingly popular stage act in which he had fits and fell down and uttered garbled visions of the future. This comes up because he's admitting to his friend that it was all a complete act -- he faked the whole thing and just said whatever random stuff occurred to him at the time. "But," says the friend, "Everything you predicted, all of it -- it all came <i>true</i>."</p><p>So cool, right? Or remember when Illeana Douglas hypnotizes Kevin Bacon at that party in (warning crap title) <i>Stir of Echoes</i>? Later he's all "hey man you unlocked psychic powers" and she's all "yeah I read half a book" or something. Sometimes these accidental, home-grown brushes with The Beyond really work for me. </p><p>Back in the movie I'm supposed to be talking about, the gang gets a gig out in the boondocks, and I don't really need to get into the plot further but a bad time is had by all. Things aren't what they seem, yadda yadda, eek watch out, badda bing, we gotta get out of here, bomp ba domp ba doo. If I sound a little disappointed it's because those hints of originality at the beginning didn't really play out like I hoped. </p><p>The unspooling story isn't flawed per se; it doesn't drag, and the cast does a great job of making you care about them, but some of you more experienced viewers might find this a bit paint-by-numbers. I thought it was giving it a good honest try, like when Teen Widow's jerk older brother, who runs the scam and is in too deep with loan sharks to refuse work, keeps listening to motivational tapes on his Walkman. You hate him but you like him. </p><p>So to the connoisseurs, I recommend watching <i>Malevolent</i> just for these few standout touches. It's exactly for this reason I gave it the half star over base average. But in the larger scheme of things it lands squarely in the populous land of known as You'll Be Okay Throwing 90 Minutes At This But It Won't Change Your Life.</p>Octopunkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948127593611773731noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-53932156900139516302021-10-04T17:48:00.006-07:002021-10-04T18:01:08.594-07:00Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6-gap9aeVWY/YVqgJtw540I/AAAAAAAAMwc/DSeuXZnJsCkzGoz3XPh0ipiXJjKZEPAgACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-03%2Bat%2B11.20.19%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1299" data-original-width="2048" height="203" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6-gap9aeVWY/YVqgJtw540I/AAAAAAAAMwc/DSeuXZnJsCkzGoz3XPh0ipiXJjKZEPAgACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-03%2Bat%2B11.20.19%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">1974 ***</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Anyone combing their streaming services for horror movies right now might notice there's a ton of cheap new content from 2020 and 2021, and I was already a little suspicious before the rude slap that was <i>Come True</i>. So when Julie said she wanted to watch a horror flick with me and I was already scrolling down Hulu's A-Z of horror movies, this extremely 70s movie stood out just from its thumbnail.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I wasn't expecting much, but this turned out to be a pleasant surprise. That despite this fact: if there's anything I'm suspicious of more than the recent wave of low-budget horror, it's movies that start out with one of these:</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W8ba0RT7Ff0/YVqg6bQyPOI/AAAAAAAAMxE/lVqk6pN6fIofMwYk97OpnGgVNRfll88hQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1820/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-03%2Bat%2B11.18.12%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="1820" height="73" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W8ba0RT7Ff0/YVqg6bQyPOI/AAAAAAAAMxE/lVqk6pN6fIofMwYk97OpnGgVNRfll88hQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-03%2Bat%2B11.18.12%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Octopunk makes almost inaudible noise deep in his throat)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm on record as suggesting that Hammer films produced in any year in Hammer's long history tend to be very good at building mood and atmosphere, but what always happens is you suddenly realize the movie's ending in about fifteen minutes and nothing's really happened yet, and then things are hastily wrapped up chip chip cheerio and you're still hungry.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"So what are you telling me, Octopunk?" I hear you say, "have you found the mythical ...<i>good</i> Hammer horror movie!?!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">NO! No, I gleefully say, I have not. This movie is a slow-moving procedural about how to stitch the good parts of a selected group of mental patients into a (giggle) Monster from Hell. But you don't watch Bob Ross paint for the plot, right? And you don't mind watching 1974 R-rated fake brain surgery when your host is Peter Cushing as Doctor Victor Frankenstein. Cushing is exquisite in this role, the very essence of crisp British politesse, withering criticism, and a sociopathic dedication to mad science. Here he is all pissed off because he was just caught in a lie. He's so <i>incensed!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ghwgfbBkSk0/YVqgJO-k2nI/AAAAAAAAMwY/E1tjGoFa4k490vNPywHo83Hp1bv6VYpkgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-03%2Bat%2B11.19.46%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1147" data-original-width="2048" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ghwgfbBkSk0/YVqgJO-k2nI/AAAAAAAAMwY/E1tjGoFa4k490vNPywHo83Hp1bv6VYpkgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-03%2Bat%2B11.19.46%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><i>"You're from Dantooine? Well don't take this the wrong way but your loser planet </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>wasn't good enough for me to blow up."</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But I'm getting ahead of myself. You can't have a buddy movie without a buddy, and in this case it's Dr. Simon Helder, a dedicated mad scientist wannabe who looks to the works of the late Baron Victor Frankenstein for inspiration, and pays a local drunk to dig up bodies for him. He is quickly found out and sentenced to five years in the booby hatch for the crime of sorcery. I really want to type that like I'm saying it boomingly loud. For the crime of... SORCERY!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QPN4hgQ5PcQ/YVqgH6Ry5AI/AAAAAAAAMwU/qyQteI7R-8UvBXdhwt4UuUuM9JZ8932-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-03%2Bat%2B11.19.23%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="2048" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QPN4hgQ5PcQ/YVqgH6Ry5AI/AAAAAAAAMwU/qyQteI7R-8UvBXdhwt4UuUuM9JZ8932-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-03%2Bat%2B11.19.23%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Here's the booby hatch in question. If you're thinking "is that a model?" </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>scope out the little crosses in the graveyard</i></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Simon Helder is played by an actor I've never heard of, but he looks like he was pulled from any number of 70s sexploitation flicks. Rowr. Here's a closeup on his face as he's sentenced to live in a model for five years:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xtDt9GdEEEs/YVqgHChj9oI/AAAAAAAAMwM/oU56EDgSCpwIEliDgyIE7S4DE4JFyD87QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-03%2Bat%2B11.18.42%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1307" data-original-width="2048" height="204" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xtDt9GdEEEs/YVqgHChj9oI/AAAAAAAAMwM/oU56EDgSCpwIEliDgyIE7S4DE4JFyD87QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-03%2Bat%2B11.18.42%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"I'm 70s sad"</i></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After a stripped-to-the-waist-and-firehosed welcome, it turns out the late Dr. Frankenstein is not late at all, but has faked his death, re-emerged as Dr. Victor, physician of the asylum, and basically runs the place because he has dirt on the warden. And now Simon can be his new best friend! What's that thing in movies when there's a record scratch, but it's actually a crappy situation suddenly reversing itself and becoming good? Make that noise in your head. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In what seems no time at all Simon uncovers Dr. Victor's secret room containing the super strong and extremely hairy inmate Simon was told died recently. Dr. Victor is confronted with the truth of his mad science and is basically "what of it?" and drafts Simon as his enthusiastic assistant. Then begins the procedural I describe above, as they transplant a genius brain into the big hairy dude and thus the MONSTER FROM HELL is born upon the world.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PSYDEwOIuGA/YVqgKIMPBPI/AAAAAAAAMwg/iTBMpI0FSocvF3FGarHebB5q8a10dLYBgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-03%2Bat%2B11.20.41%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1151" data-original-width="2048" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PSYDEwOIuGA/YVqgKIMPBPI/AAAAAAAAMwg/iTBMpI0FSocvF3FGarHebB5q8a10dLYBgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-03%2Bat%2B11.20.41%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"Funny, I don't remember falling asleep in this Godmonster of Indian Flats costume."</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">That's Dave Prowse of Darth Vader fame in the monster costume there. I read that it took him a mere 30 minutes to get through makeup and costume for this movie, which was a lot less than what he was used to. And it shows! The best I can figure is they were going for what would happen if the Steve Austin Sasquatch had a baby with Calibos from Clash of the Titans.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j6X5kY7Kqhg/YVuOKfzsOPI/AAAAAAAAMxM/nJqaqorUIs8s45Jng10NH3qWrrkW35DsgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2076/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-04%2Bat%2B4.23.57%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="2076" height="142" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j6X5kY7Kqhg/YVuOKfzsOPI/AAAAAAAAMxM/nJqaqorUIs8s45Jng10NH3qWrrkW35DsgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-04%2Bat%2B4.23.57%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>They bonded over being exiled to the woods by a world that shuns and fears them</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Per the formula things accelerate a bit at the end, but as the asylum already has a crowd of yelling people there isn't even the need for an angry mob to form. The Monster from Hell is never that much of a threat, thanks to Dr. Victor being a total baller when it comes to wielding glass containers of knockout gas.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xVl217RKo0I/YVqgHbnZoCI/AAAAAAAAMwQ/M4PkkEODk8E0DQPrTi_mIiJFHZuC-LbuACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-03%2Bat%2B11.17.41%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1182" data-original-width="2048" height="185" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xVl217RKo0I/YVqgHbnZoCI/AAAAAAAAMwQ/M4PkkEODk8E0DQPrTi_mIiJFHZuC-LbuACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-03%2Bat%2B11.17.41%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Look at that windup! Science!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">Seriously though the Monster from Hell goes on two attempted rampages and both times the Doc puts the ether smack down hard. The second time Cushing actually insisted on clambering up on a table so he could do the poison pounce himself.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KRybArn-m9w/YVqgLPjo37I/AAAAAAAAMwo/cIOjlyAQLaEdTLXg0bgHhmNGoTaXR2E5gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-03%2Bat%2B11.21.39%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1291" data-original-width="2048" height="202" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KRybArn-m9w/YVqgLPjo37I/AAAAAAAAMwo/cIOjlyAQLaEdTLXg0bgHhmNGoTaXR2E5gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-03%2Bat%2B11.21.39%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Yes that's Grand Moff Tarkin climbing on Darth Vader's back. Horrorthon gold, my homies</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">So like any number of baking shows or youTube videos, sometimes it's fun watching polite people working together with mutual admiration towards a common goal. That's what Hammer is calling a horror movie here, and while you may disagree I feel it's more important to point out that it's a <i>satisfying experience</i>, and Hammer movies usually aren't.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Hammer made a whopping seven movies based on Dr. Frankenstein and his shenanigans, and Cushing played the Doc in six of them. By the time we get to <i>Monster from Hell,</i> which turned out to be the last of them, Peter Cushing is just nailing everything about the role. Watch him do it with company, so you don't fall asleep. Worth the time.</div><p></p>Octopunkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948127593611773731noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-22929979668830458952021-10-03T16:57:00.003-07:002021-10-03T17:25:45.479-07:00The Mummy<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g2Z7MlluA9Y/YVo1NgG1TtI/AAAAAAAAEfU/9qtV23kYce8yobBcH07SXNfQjVUdbbhnwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-03%2Bat%2B3.55.02%2BPM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g2Z7MlluA9Y/YVo1NgG1TtI/AAAAAAAAEfU/9qtV23kYce8yobBcH07SXNfQjVUdbbhnwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-03%2Bat%2B3.55.02%2BPM.png"/></a></div>
(1932) ****1/2
<br><br>
The timing of the release of <i>The Mummy</i> could hardly have been better. The previous decade had witnessed the excavation of the tomb of Tutankhamun, and interest in Egyptology (which even now, in my mid-40s, I still can't believe is an actual word) was sky-high. It was two years before Hollywood really started cracking down on Hays Code violations, and it was late enough in the timeline of commercial filmmaking that the tech had gotten really good.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oprjf0g_TpQ/YVolptMxWHI/AAAAAAAAEdY/vLkTYW7cnAgZhglKCOvfUqGahEruH7CYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s480/giphy.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oprjf0g_TpQ/YVolptMxWHI/AAAAAAAAEdY/vLkTYW7cnAgZhglKCOvfUqGahEruH7CYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/giphy.gif"/></a></div>
It was also the threshold moment when Boris Karloff became a colossal film star, just a year removed from his breakout role in <i>Frankenstein</i>. I spent much of the film imagining what it must have been like to be a child in the 30s, awestruck watching Imhotep's mighty frame projected onto the 40 foot screen at Grauman's Egyptian Theater. He towers over his co-stars both literally and figuratively, his eyes mesmerizing with phantom electricity, controlling the action with quiet menace even in scenes he's not present.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A7ggyCGomis/YVpA-06ZdqI/AAAAAAAAEfc/QjSGs08NMpYTS-JJT0bFBlfmmPU3KiC2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/standing%2Bclose.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A7ggyCGomis/YVpA-06ZdqI/AAAAAAAAEfc/QjSGs08NMpYTS-JJT0bFBlfmmPU3KiC2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/standing%2Bclose.png"/></a></div>
It's hard not to find a little distracting the rather canned romance forced into the movie. Co-star David Manners, who plays main protagonist Frank Whemple (and who also played Jonathan Harker in <i>Dracula</i>), sparkles with insubstantial white-savior energy, and watching him ladle himself all over damsel Helen Grosvenor (Zita Johann), one rather hopes that Imhotep gets the girl in the end. Mere days after meeting her, he's gushing, "I love you so," to the woman. Seriously, I'm as careful as they come about dropping L bombs on my girlfriends too soon. The idea of throwing it on the table before like date 3 is major eye-roll stuff.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zeOqMqc9AVk/YVonmXBC7OI/AAAAAAAAEfI/B9u1b9Sm84wymx5TsSK69hgv0iWqdVR8wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Intimate.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zeOqMqc9AVk/YVonmXBC7OI/AAAAAAAAEfI/B9u1b9Sm84wymx5TsSK69hgv0iWqdVR8wCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Intimate.png"/></a></div><i><center>I met you like an hour ago. The fuck out my face.</center></i><br>
And while I'm on the subject of weird airspace violations, oh my god, EVERYBODY in this movie stands way too close to each other. I understand you gotta lean in close if you're telling someone a dirty secret, but the standard conversational stance in this movie is like 6 inches from the other guy. It's weird as fuck. And like, I don't care what kind of secret you got to tell me; if you're putting your hand on my lapel like this it better be because we're about to make out. Otherwise, you better be ready to swallow some of your own teeth.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PAJ0n56wpR8/YVonmRdSXhI/AAAAAAAAEfE/yUoBIBbraL8qZ6nSecfWXSfEy6rspSHUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Lapel.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PAJ0n56wpR8/YVonmRdSXhI/AAAAAAAAEfE/yUoBIBbraL8qZ6nSecfWXSfEy6rspSHUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Lapel.png"/></a></div>
Of course, these are all idle observations, none of which ruined the movie for me in any way. I approached <i>The Mummy</i> the way I approach any of these classic Universal pics: with nostalgia not just for the ancient story it's telling, but for an age of filmmaking in which the films and the performances were gigantic.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v-RBlqk87CI/YVolnIGI5wI/AAAAAAAAEdE/u_yDqL3N5MMCtCB8heJchpp6ud6ZtDsOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Eyeglow.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v-RBlqk87CI/YVolnIGI5wI/AAAAAAAAEdE/u_yDqL3N5MMCtCB8heJchpp6ud6ZtDsOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Eyeglow.png"/></a></div>50PageMcGeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09463123463076477367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-16454129139130935502021-10-03T00:21:00.003-07:002021-10-03T00:26:51.061-07:00The Taking Of Deborah Logan<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x-s4vDCU8gQ/YVlDxuOy1EI/AAAAAAAAEbA/aHdLZjeTTGwVQVlxVLLobHAkqYrcRzZ5QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/1.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x-s4vDCU8gQ/YVlDxuOy1EI/AAAAAAAAEbA/aHdLZjeTTGwVQVlxVLLobHAkqYrcRzZ5QCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/1.png"/></a></div>
(2014) ****<br><br>
Even if not a single supernatural thing took place in the movie <i>The Taking Of Deborah Logan</i>, it would remain a chilling look at the decline of a woman as her brain is slowly eaten by Alzheimer's. I'm reminded a little of the opening scenes in <i>The Descent</i>, in which we spend enough time getting to know our characters to identify with their pain as things start to go bad for them, and to be appalled along with them when things go from bad to grotesque.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_qyRQWjgdfQ/YVlDy9PwJQI/AAAAAAAAEbM/bY-VP8y-g20hybU0FRu3mHBlWwQUt0OOQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-02%2Bat%2B10.21.17%2BPM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_qyRQWjgdfQ/YVlDy9PwJQI/AAAAAAAAEbM/bY-VP8y-g20hybU0FRu3mHBlWwQUt0OOQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-02%2Bat%2B10.21.17%2BPM.png"/></a></div>
<i>The Taking Of Deborah Logan</i> is presented in documentary form from beginning to end; the "original" footage (as opposed to graphics and newscast clippings) is shot by a PhD film crew live-reporting on the experiences of Deborah and her daughter Sarah. It's good enough as a movie; it'd be an astoundingly good documentary. The editing is very trim, so there's barely a wasted moment, and the videography provides us with a lot of savorable shots of our characters' face as things happen to them.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FWoacIkZRdA/YVlRhuZ8jsI/AAAAAAAAEb4/XmVhHL47-Os5_acNPo0HmhKwwbVfXIbZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-02%2Bat%2B10.15.35%2BPM%2B1.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FWoacIkZRdA/YVlRhuZ8jsI/AAAAAAAAEb4/XmVhHL47-Os5_acNPo0HmhKwwbVfXIbZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-02%2Bat%2B10.15.35%2BPM%2B1.png"/></a></div>
The two leads are excellent. Anne Ramsay (Sarah), I've been aware of since her small, but notable role in <i>A League Of Their Own</i>. She has a lovely face and a smile that shines through resting features that I would nonetheless describe as "hardened". Her face evokes a lifetime of challenging emotions. We see a lot of Jill Larson (Deborah) in torment, and her face does torment really well. And because of the Alzheimer's, we see her go through a torrent of emotions, often shifting rapidly within the space of a moment: politesse, confusion, fury, shame.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fuaLX3B5Ywo/YVlDz8IW_UI/AAAAAAAAEbU/cGPvUs78IT8KbQxjQgQZEHBe3NkLVLaYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-02%2Bat%2B10.27.31%2BPM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fuaLX3B5Ywo/YVlDz8IW_UI/AAAAAAAAEbU/cGPvUs78IT8KbQxjQgQZEHBe3NkLVLaYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-02%2Bat%2B10.27.31%2BPM.png"/></a></div>
Things eventually do get very weird, and about that I'll say very little. In fact, all of my screenshots are from the first half of the movie. I will say that if I'm withholding that half-star extra that Crystal Math included in <a href="http://horrorthon.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-taking-of-deborah-logan.html">her review</a>, it may merely be an example of what Stephen King described in <i>Danse Macabre</i> as an innate challenge in horror filmmaking: impressing the audience with the real scare. He wrote, "the protagonist [throws open the door], and there is a ten-foot-tall bug. The audience screams, but this particular scream has an oddly relieved sound to it. 'A bug ten feet tall is pretty horrible', the audience thinks, 'but I can deal with a ten-foot-tall bug. I was afraid it might be a hundred feet tall.'" I will also say that I don't believe my "relief" is due to any weakness in the presentation of what happens or how we get there. The special effects include seamlessly some rather gross things, and the transition from unease, to anguish, to horror is seamless as well. This is a good and creepy movie.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N5dohnziOyg/YVlD0paZ7uI/AAAAAAAAEbY/dE9-m4rpbxUDD_XBZmj3cUS3DB1DEMk6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-02%2Bat%2B10.28.42%2BPM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N5dohnziOyg/YVlD0paZ7uI/AAAAAAAAEbY/dE9-m4rpbxUDD_XBZmj3cUS3DB1DEMk6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-02%2Bat%2B10.28.42%2BPM.png"/></a></div>50PageMcGeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09463123463076477367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-85133695514275872062021-10-01T23:33:00.003-07:002021-10-10T22:52:38.759-07:00Come True<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x0KYtPYdJxM/YVflgNWSNZI/AAAAAAAAMvY/9bq1LGNQwSAB-xok340cZLQnxfC3u8EFQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1214/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-01%2Bat%2B9.47.00%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="1214" height="131" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x0KYtPYdJxM/YVflgNWSNZI/AAAAAAAAMvY/9bq1LGNQwSAB-xok340cZLQnxfC3u8EFQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-01%2Bat%2B9.47.00%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div>2020 ** 1/2<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ugh. I really thought I'd started out strong, that I was going to lead Horrorthon 2021 with a four-point-five star movie and this year's Hidden Gem! Nnnnnnope. <i>Come True</i> is a perfect example of what happens when you're 100% prepared to tell 50% of a story.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So much of this movie is promising, in particular the stylized recurring dream images that are the focus of the story. Eighteen-year-old Sarah is so estranged from her mother she lives like a homeless person, dipping into her house for supplies and then sleeping in the park. What's even more exhausting is that she suffers from recurring nightmares, in which she slowly moves forward through strange landscapes, always eventually coming to a menacing, shadowy figure. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oQgyCJ6m2qE/YVfuvZ1Yj2I/AAAAAAAAMv0/jkolVLfvIyw75SuEzMn2BX5xN5dwPPYUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2874/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-01%2Bat%2B10.19.24%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="2874" height="118" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oQgyCJ6m2qE/YVfuvZ1Yj2I/AAAAAAAAMv0/jkolVLfvIyw75SuEzMn2BX5xN5dwPPYUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-01%2Bat%2B10.19.24%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Then the camera smacks him in the head and Mel Brooks comes out to sing the theme song</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">The dream sequences are monochrome, creepy, and very beautiful. I welcomed each one. The constant, steady forward motion made them seem like you were riding a Disneyland dark ride based on the videotape in The Ring.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wvYl8QpA5pg/YVfuvcjo0KI/AAAAAAAAMv4/6OGJ1csenGIciquyuU6p_sZNcCrMkSG6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2498/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-01%2Bat%2B10.30.28%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="2498" height="133" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wvYl8QpA5pg/YVfuvcjo0KI/AAAAAAAAMv4/6OGJ1csenGIciquyuU6p_sZNcCrMkSG6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-01%2Bat%2B10.30.28%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>It's nice to see that thing that killed Tasha Yar getting work</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sarah joins a sleep study, and somewhere in the Hulu info blurb it says "what are they <i>really</i> studying?" or "she's part of a terrible discovery" or whatever, but at this point I don't feel like describing the plot because there is simply no candy in this piñata. The script is good and the cinematography is great and the performances are spot on. And they totally had me all the way through to this big, unexpected mid-movie crescendo involving some side characters. It's all stroby! and jump cuts! and then right then, in the eye of the storm, here comes the reveal! And there's... no reveal. The lights go out, nothing is explained, none of the characters return to the film again. Psyche, gotcha, thank you for playing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This movie comes so not-recommended I'm going to go ahead and spoil the main story below, but if you want to hang on to your ignorance you can stop here. Short story is, this is a bummer of a misfire. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This trailer does a decent job capturing the mood of the movie before it started to suck. I'll start my spoilers below.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qe6F2cp5sHs" width="320" youtube-src-id="Qe6F2cp5sHs"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well maybe you weren't going to read my spoilers but you figured the trailer did it for you. Either way welcome to the grown-up table.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CjEbjchjB8s/YVfmBKXt9fI/AAAAAAAAMvk/rZeMJocDZ14oMCi7LO8M15Gp9FUvsr0QwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2504/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-01%2Bat%2B9.53.21%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="2504" height="134" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CjEbjchjB8s/YVfmBKXt9fI/AAAAAAAAMvk/rZeMJocDZ14oMCi7LO8M15Gp9FUvsr0QwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-01%2Bat%2B9.53.21%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Now strap this thing to your head</i></div><p style="text-align: left;">So Sarah goes veering off for various misadventures with this Harry Potter-lookin' dude who's on the research team, and she keeps having weird visions of the shadow guy and it's cool. But this ends with her sleepwalking out of the hospital and refusing to wake up. Harry Potter follows her and gets his Hermione to show up with some gear so they can watch what she's dreaming. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jzIAFvTcAto/YVfmBL7kO2I/AAAAAAAAMvo/-WEpMgC1seglLdIAr2nIx5om-MhuVyNNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2494/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-01%2Bat%2B9.52.56%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="2494" height="134" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jzIAFvTcAto/YVfmBL7kO2I/AAAAAAAAMvo/-WEpMgC1seglLdIAr2nIx5om-MhuVyNNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-01%2Bat%2B9.52.56%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>I mentioned they could do that, right? No? Pretty sure I did</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyway after I watch this poor woman stomp around outside in her slippers for ten minutes of screen time, feeling like I'm watching the plot literally wandering away, the scene finally turns into something like a climax, aaand... it gets a little silly but I'm still hanging on, aaand...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And she wakes up, and she's in Harry Potter's apartment, and she's just gouged his eyes out -- and I'm there, hoping, hoping they'll tie it together -- and she goes into the bathroom, and her phone beeps, and you see it's an incoming image, and she puts it down for a sec -- I'm on pins and needles! Can they do it? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And suddenly in the mirror she realizes she has VAMPIRE TEETH and then we see the phone message and it's a text saying YOU'VE BEEN IN A COMA FOR 20 YEARS and goddamn it goddamn it goddamn it IT WAS ALL A DREAM. All of it. Whole movie. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Slap in the face!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Octopunkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948127593611773731noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-28554757498688169192021-10-01T17:09:00.008-07:002021-10-03T00:27:26.981-07:00Halloween III: Season Of The Witch(1982) ****
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-702o0t2EkaE/YVeFYX4ZE_I/AAAAAAAAEaI/PjdUnqCqj5MDNXr0mUnHdcH-jjiKLH68gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2412/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-01%2Bat%2B2.59.55%2BPM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1168" data-original-width="2412" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-702o0t2EkaE/YVeFYX4ZE_I/AAAAAAAAEaI/PjdUnqCqj5MDNXr0mUnHdcH-jjiKLH68gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-01%2Bat%2B2.59.55%2BPM.png"/></a></div>
I'm not sure what made everyone in the 80s decide that this wasn't a good movie. Whatever criticism one might have of <i>Season Of The Witch</i>, it's undeniably got a vibe. It feels chilly and autumnal like its two predecessors. There's something new here though: loneliness. The latter half of the movie takes place in Santa Mira -- Loleta, CA in real life, not even big enough to warrant being called a "town". It's a "census designated <b>place</b>" on the California coast hundreds of miles from Sacramento and from Portland. The sense of isolation comes out in the establishing shots. Also, the Santa Mira streets are almost completely empty, the townspeople regarding with suspicion the new car driving around town. The John Carpenter synth plays an 80s dirge in the background. Santa Mira feels like a sad, ageless silence has set into its bones. It's a moment where good location scouting, good cinematography, and good scripting really come together.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3LudwvH3SvU/YVeFVnfKsnI/AAAAAAAAEZw/IfrwQqhMsk0IzHngscPplPbOZtEEfgt0QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2432/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-01%2Bat%2B2.56.49%2BPM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="2432" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3LudwvH3SvU/YVeFVnfKsnI/AAAAAAAAEZw/IfrwQqhMsk0IzHngscPplPbOZtEEfgt0QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-01%2Bat%2B2.56.49%2BPM.png"/></a></div>
I also don't have any particular problem with the cast, though male lead Tom Atkins has always been one of those actors that I grew up thinking was my parent's idea of an important actor, like Woody Allen, but whose significance was lost on me as a child. I am old enough now to know that I wasn't missing the magic. He's not bad in this at all; he's just kind of "a guy". It's not his fault. He's fine. On the other hand, Dan O'Herlihy (the chairman of OCP in <i>Robocop</i>) is stern, sly, and scary, and almost all of the best lines in the script come from him. On his way out the door in one scene, he promises cryptically that tomorrow will be a special day. "Being a medical man, you should find it interesting".<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IH6lCmhKp4o/YVeFWmO2HwI/AAAAAAAAEaA/ZhYzMch8zW04mLSnp4lrJIDUAMScNQkNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2428/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-01%2Bat%2B2.57.39%2BPM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1030" data-original-width="2428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IH6lCmhKp4o/YVeFWmO2HwI/AAAAAAAAEaA/ZhYzMch8zW04mLSnp4lrJIDUAMScNQkNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-01%2Bat%2B2.57.39%2BPM.png"/></a>There's three minor tragedies that stem from the fact that this is the third movie in the <i>Halloween</i> franchise. The first is that John Carpenter really didn't want to write a sequel to the first film, and wound up, in his words, "with a lot of beer, sitting in front of a typewriter saying 'What the fuck am I doing? I don't know.'" The result was <i>Halloween II</i>, a sequel none of the Carpenter crew was enthusiastic about, and the critical response at the time reflected this. The second is that the confusing switch in narrative from the Michael Myers storyline opened this sequel up to a lot more scorn than it fairly deserved.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ykC5jBPhBO8/YVeFWOoJTkI/AAAAAAAAEZ8/M7Zyks6FcrcUDmiscPjEdkRyRPCrOw_WgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2430/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-01%2Bat%2B2.57.05%2BPM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="980" data-original-width="2430" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ykC5jBPhBO8/YVeFWOoJTkI/AAAAAAAAEZ8/M7Zyks6FcrcUDmiscPjEdkRyRPCrOw_WgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-10-01%2Bat%2B2.57.05%2BPM.png"/></a></div>The third, and I think most frustrating of the three, is that the poor critical response to <i>Season Of The Witch</i> wrecked any opportunity for the Carpenter crew to do what they actually wanted, which was to create an anthology franchise. The problem with <i>Season Of The Witch</i> isn't that it came out third, but that <i>Halloween II</i> came out at all. I can imagine an alternate universe in which <i>this</i> was the second movie, and the Carpenters are just that much more invested in it, making a movie that's just enough better than this to make it stick, spawning a franchise that tells a completely different story with every film. If nothing else, Carpenter himself might have stuck around to make more Halloween movies. None of the movies between this and 2018 feature the Carpenters in any way, and it shows.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oMWuplv5NhI/YVeFYsihZVI/AAAAAAAAEaQ/fX3byO_z57oYRbNwYInM91WFcxsEf9bcgCLcBGAsYHQ/s480/giphy.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oMWuplv5NhI/YVeFYsihZVI/AAAAAAAAEaQ/fX3byO_z57oYRbNwYInM91WFcxsEf9bcgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/giphy.gif"/></a></div>50PageMcGeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09463123463076477367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-66815626488471032142020-10-25T23:52:00.008-07:002021-09-19T21:20:44.913-07:00Color Out Of Space(2019) ****
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SJq7xx9KfeM/X5ZQG-agjpI/AAAAAAAADHI/OrKWRie8ojYenQvarU9yUOSj_YRSOCiYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-24%2Bat%2B10.42.24%2BPM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SJq7xx9KfeM/X5ZQG-agjpI/AAAAAAAADHI/OrKWRie8ojYenQvarU9yUOSj_YRSOCiYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-24%2Bat%2B10.42.24%2BPM.png"/></a></div>
[Sung to the tune of <a href="https://youtu.be/e7U1YZNgwnY">Eyes Without A Face</a> by Billy Idol]<br><br>
In the Arkham Woods<br>
Deep in private land<br>
The Gardner family home<br><br>
Lavinia, Benny, Jack<br>
Nathan and Theresa<br>
Who's short a boob<br><br>
Then one quiet night<br>
The 'rents about to bang<br>
An object falls<br><br>
(Couleur de l'espace)<br>
Color out of space<br>
(Couleur de l'espace)<br>
Color out of space<br>
(Couleur de l'espace)<br>
Color out of space<br>
Pink malignant race<br>
The color out of space (space, space, space...)
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ILCC_knMjGQ/X5ZQG9kKjBI/AAAAAAAADHE/f8QL84SJFmk9L4AHsLeVFPnyTdzXIVzCACLcBGAsYHQ/s478/faucetslime.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ILCC_knMjGQ/X5ZQG9kKjBI/AAAAAAAADHE/f8QL84SJFmk9L4AHsLeVFPnyTdzXIVzCACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/faucetslime.gif"/></a></div>
Hydro-expert, Ward<br>
In his Miskatonic shirt<br>
Senses something wrong<br><br>
Sounds beneath the shack<br>
Of the squatter in the woods<br>
Who's played by Tommy Chong<br><br>
(Couleur de l'espace)<br>
Color out of space<br>
(Couleur de l'espace)<br>
Color out of space<br>
(Couleur de l'espace)<br>
Color out of space<br>
Pink malignant race<br>
The color out of space (space, space, space...)<br><br>
[Hard rock riff]
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7R_dsJNM2lI/X5ZQF8fWzgI/AAAAAAAADG8/gWVy_iEA_IEkH6mDpX8hf1a15WyzWtzwwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-24%2Bat%2B10.27.24%2BPM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7R_dsJNM2lI/X5ZQF8fWzgI/AAAAAAAADG8/gWVy_iEA_IEkH6mDpX8hf1a15WyzWtzwwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-24%2Bat%2B10.27.24%2BPM.png"/></a></div>
The meteor zapped by lightning bolts<br>
News crew story shows a smoky hole<br>
Theresa chops off two of her fingers<br>
Dactylectomy cool<br><br>
Benny wanders off, forgets to bring the <i>alpac</i>s in<br>
'Vinia bloody dishes, now's she's in the john yakkin'<br>
Barfin it out, ohhhhh
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BCnQX3OjvQo/X5ZQGFuq8lI/AAAAAAAADHA/8nES5urn4dA1Zej9LqYMySj0QxxNVA_AQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-24%2Bat%2B10.33.35%2BPM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BCnQX3OjvQo/X5ZQGFuq8lI/AAAAAAAADHA/8nES5urn4dA1Zej9LqYMySj0QxxNVA_AQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-24%2Bat%2B10.33.35%2BPM.png"/></a></div>
The fruit in the garden tastes of rotten mutation<br>
The wifi sucks, Theresa losing her patience<br>
Now the parents fighting, and Lavinia gets scared, so<br><br>
Wiccan prayers<br>
Wiccan prayers<br>
Wiccan prayers<br><br>
[psychedelic guitar solo]
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uQNTx4l5pso/X5ZQF_mPToI/AAAAAAAADG4/iF2EitkZLroadXNzWu_2WiWACFWe-ufDgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-24%2Bat%2B10.41.14%2BPM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uQNTx4l5pso/X5ZQF_mPToI/AAAAAAAADG4/iF2EitkZLroadXNzWu_2WiWACFWe-ufDgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-24%2Bat%2B10.41.14%2BPM.png"/></a></div>
Alpaca mass of heads<br>
Like Carpenter's <i>The Thing</i><br>
It's fuckin gross<br><br>
Jack and mother fuse<br>
Into a beast with spider legs<br>
You wish you'd never seen<br><br>
The landscape grows<br>
Into something that it knows<br><br>
(Couleur de l'espace)<br>
Color out of space<br>
(Couleur de l'espace)<br>
Color out of space<br>
(Couleur de l'espace)<br>
Color out of space<br>
Pink malignant race<br>
Color out of space<br>
The light behind your face<br>
The color out of space (space, space, space...)
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VK_jA5bq8-c/X5ZQHHXhb1I/AAAAAAAADHM/fpQ7aEiPvdoKfs7CK9xiW4K3tbWNQfd6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s478/pinkmistindriveway.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VK_jA5bq8-c/X5ZQHHXhb1I/AAAAAAAADHM/fpQ7aEiPvdoKfs7CK9xiW4K3tbWNQfd6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/pinkmistindriveway.gif"/></a></div>
The water here is cursed50PageMcGeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09463123463076477367noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-43320784579727230582020-10-20T22:08:00.017-07:002020-10-30T09:35:00.766-07:00The Blob(1958) ***
<br><br>
Okay, let's just get this out of the way right off the hop.<br><br>
<center><iframe style="background-image:url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GdfhtrF5Hxg/hqdefault.jpg)" width="459" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GdfhtrF5Hxg" frameborder="0"></iframe></center><br><br>
So like, we're not taking ourselves *too* too seriously here. This theme song is a frikkin fishbowl-party unto itself, and allows us to take whatever doesn't work in the film that follows in stride -- little things like how distractingly old Steve McQueen is for a high school student. Or how there's a 30 minute lull in the middle of the movie that could have been shortened to a 15 minute lull. Or how much talktalktalking there is, and how not that great any of the dialogue is. None of these are criticisms that anyone writing about the movie when it came out in 1958 was unprepared to write. <br><br>Another universal critique of the film, even at the time, is that the effects are bad. Funny thing is, my eyes so seasoned by years of watching VFX get more and more sophisticated, I don't have any more objection to the VFX in <i>The Blob</i> than I would to even the best of what was being done in other movies of the era. All of that stuff looks fake to modern eyes. I don't bother parsing different levels of shittiness when it comes to pre-artisan VFX work, so it's actually easier for me to embrace the goop on the screen for what it's *trying* to look like.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bnrag4bKXG0/X4--azoKQRI/AAAAAAAADE8/dpEEGHM16iQOFMidW_WGdD5OMvTXQhS0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s480/blob%2Btheater.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bnrag4bKXG0/X4--azoKQRI/AAAAAAAADE8/dpEEGHM16iQOFMidW_WGdD5OMvTXQhS0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/blob%2Btheater.gif"/></a></div>
To tell the truth, I kinda feel that way about the acting and the dialogue too. I just expect, going into a 50's popcorn flick, that it's going to be kinda shitty somehow, so I found nothing about <i>The Blob</i> disappointing. And by the time I got through the opening credits, I was already feeling like a swinging, space-age sex machine -- so who cares?
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-04WbaRjOAsc/X4-_ROZCYMI/AAAAAAAADFE/1ceXDFvxA2QNv5ZSgT13eoPFlSoY6mT6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-15%2Bat%2B2.15.34%2BAM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-04WbaRjOAsc/X4-_ROZCYMI/AAAAAAAADFE/1ceXDFvxA2QNv5ZSgT13eoPFlSoY6mT6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-15%2Bat%2B2.15.34%2BAM.png"/></a></div>
In defense of the writing, there is one aspect that could have been a total downer and *wasn't*, and that bears recognition. For the better part of the movie, Steve McQueen's character (conveniently named "Steve") is the only character to have seen the blob in action; and if the script had been primarily about nobody believing him, this would have gotten real tedious. But that's not what happens. "Steve" is able to recruit, with almost no fuss, a bunch of his goofy classmates to help spread the word, and even the one stick-in-the-mud cop that's complaining about the antics of all these hooligan kids -- even he falls completely in line with the rest of the go-team when he realizes the kids aren't kidding. Takes a while for us to get there, but we get there.<br> <br>I also want to make special mention of something I read in IMDb trivia that had never dawned on me before.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b2MC_wqv3zE/X4_A2MqRrPI/AAAAAAAADFQ/OXtiWXg4lfUP_8aD-WOb8rwm6UoVGlongCLcBGAsYHQ/s1240/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-20%2Bat%2B9.37.42%2BPM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="1240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b2MC_wqv3zE/X4_A2MqRrPI/AAAAAAAADFQ/OXtiWXg4lfUP_8aD-WOb8rwm6UoVGlongCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-20%2Bat%2B9.37.42%2BPM.png"/></a></div>So it's red because of crushed-people blood?? That's fucking <b>gross</b>. I LOVE IT!!!<br><br>
Which brings me to the most important point. The color in this movie is de<i>licious</i>. The reds and blues pop like crazy on the print and it makes the whole movie, whatever else may be wrong with it, look stupendously good. So check your high expectations at the door, get high and make some popcorn. <i>The Blob</i> is nothing but good, clean, stupid fun; and it only takes 50 minutes or so of nothing happening to get there.<br><br>
Also, speaking from my position as a living human on a rapidly warming Planet Earth in the year 2020, the answer to the last question "Steve" poses at the end of the movie is a resounding, "yeah. about that..."<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E1NbwAy16uo/X4_CS7dzV8I/AAAAAAAADFc/MkGjDiz_zgQ5IM3wxZZP7Gduvrijvm8zQCLcBGAsYHQ/s480/last%2Bshot.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E1NbwAy16uo/X4_CS7dzV8I/AAAAAAAADFc/MkGjDiz_zgQ5IM3wxZZP7Gduvrijvm8zQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/last%2Bshot.gif"/></a></div><center><i>SLUT?</i></center>50PageMcGeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09463123463076477367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-37019343870953703602020-10-15T01:18:00.003-07:002020-10-15T10:35:50.080-07:00Three Cases Of Murder(1955) ***1/2
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ooWY_BIoNQQ/X4f6EVjwfOI/AAAAAAAADDo/4yHBwOzuVlQuWqd0ZaItz54NO2r1LFPjACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/I%2B-%2Bgroup.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ooWY_BIoNQQ/X4f6EVjwfOI/AAAAAAAADDo/4yHBwOzuVlQuWqd0ZaItz54NO2r1LFPjACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/I%2B-%2Bgroup.png"/></a></div>
The film is, as you can tell from the title, an anthology of three horror/thriller shorts. Each short has a different director. Considering the subject matter, and the cool camera work, the film feels very much like you sat down to watch three straight episodes of <i>The Twilight Zone</i>.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oD02BU-q3yA/X4f6D8zJEZI/AAAAAAAADDk/AbHmoIN_swA1f4EU9PNpE8468fez8EXYACLcBGAsYHQ/s478/I%2B-%2Bstepintopainting.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oD02BU-q3yA/X4f6D8zJEZI/AAAAAAAADDk/AbHmoIN_swA1f4EU9PNpE8468fez8EXYACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/I%2B-%2Bstepintopainting.gif"/></a></div>
Orson Welles, featured as the titular Lord Mountdrago in the third story is by far the biggest name in the cast. Mountdrago is the Secretary of Foreign Affairs who is gradually driven insane by nightmares, the target of a hex by a fellow politician after Mountdrago humiliates his colleague in front of Parliament. This chapter was nominally directed by George More O'Farrell (a guy who has More O'Names than you do), though it will come as a surprise to nobody who is familiar with the career of Orson Welles that after three days of making suggestions, Orson muscled his way into essentially directing the rest of the shoot. It's hardly a loss - the camera work and pace are great, and the story is an excellent vehicle for Orson's acting. He infuses Mountdrago's waking moments with great arrogance. To Mountdrago's dreams, Orson's acting has all the panache and daring of a circus clown.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-loAfhGF_Cqg/X4f6FZ6SP1I/AAAAAAAADD0/ebnTL3SH04g9asTAw5Wa5Ewbu1YuSUusACLcBGAsYHQ/s478/III%2B-%2Borsondance.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-loAfhGF_Cqg/X4f6FZ6SP1I/AAAAAAAADD0/ebnTL3SH04g9asTAw5Wa5Ewbu1YuSUusACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/III%2B-%2Borsondance.gif"/></a></div>
But with Orson appearing in only the third story, the film thrives largely on the performance(s) of Alan Badel, who appears in all three. The variety of characters he portrays demonstrates strong dramatic range. He brings a manic Mad Hatter energy (I thought of that adjective probably because of the silly hat he's wearing for much of the story, but it fits) to the role of an inhabitant of a painting come-to-life. He plays a secondary, and more conventional role in story 2 - a helpful bartender. His performance as the vengeful member of Parliament haunting Lord Mountdrago's dreams is a neat hybrid of the two.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6fhPoxFYm3Y/X4f6E3fBqXI/AAAAAAAADDw/04T39F2IZaM__ZVpb8YPmq3adrl98CRZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/III%2B-%2Bhouseofcommons.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6fhPoxFYm3Y/X4f6E3fBqXI/AAAAAAAADDw/04T39F2IZaM__ZVpb8YPmq3adrl98CRZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/III%2B-%2Bhouseofcommons.png"/></a></div>
I'm not sure what about this film warrants a spot in Criterion. It's a few years after Orson Welles's highest profile work (Citizen Kane, The Stranger, The Lady From Shanghai, and The Third Man were all released in the 40s) and, limited as my knowledge of British film may be, none of the names of anyone other than Orson Welles were familiar to me. All the same, I said earlier on that the film reminded me of a collection of <i>Twilight Zone</i> eps, and it's worth pointing out that <i>Three Cases Of Murder</i> preceded <i>Twilight Zone</i> by four years. It's possible that the film was an influence on Rod Serling's directorial style. All three stories are competently directed and acted, and on the whole it's a fun ride.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-StK_4yyAAKs/X4gDfjY2duI/AAAAAAAADEQ/KMStl0YW4QIPyG0j7VeGzeO56X2oP4ySwCLcBGAsYHQ/s480/judgedance.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-StK_4yyAAKs/X4gDfjY2duI/AAAAAAAADEQ/KMStl0YW4QIPyG0j7VeGzeO56X2oP4ySwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/judgedance.gif"/></a></div>50PageMcGeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09463123463076477367noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-29113816502583580062020-10-11T12:08:00.006-07:002020-10-11T12:09:58.894-07:00Happy birthday, Johnny Sweatpants!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4R4_o17mtI/X4NXuAZGCWI/AAAAAAAADDU/X19PbJMMJZwih0YceBQK_g0iMADoS9IwgCLcBGAsYHQ/s360/source.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4R4_o17mtI/X4NXuAZGCWI/AAAAAAAADDU/X19PbJMMJZwih0YceBQK_g0iMADoS9IwgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/source.gif"/></a></div>
HBDJSP! When you take your whacks at life, may your aim be as true as whomever was wielding this axe on this cake. [SLURCH]50PageMcGeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09463123463076477367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-65123830280465899662020-10-10T15:55:00.009-07:002020-10-10T16:13:19.221-07:00The Brood<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Xs2SZgclHw/X31lWC0OhCI/AAAAAAAAMjo/s6mDGW3GC50FRbJlVy-wIZ3T8UYUdKJ7ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-06%2Bat%2B11.43.57%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1321" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Xs2SZgclHw/X31lWC0OhCI/AAAAAAAAMjo/s6mDGW3GC50FRbJlVy-wIZ3T8UYUdKJ7ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-06%2Bat%2B11.43.57%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>1979 ***</p><p>I grabbed this early David Cronenberg movie off of HBOMax's list of horror flicks because it stars Oliver Reed here, who delighted me to no end in <a href="http://horrorthon.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-shuttered-room.html">The Shuttered Room</a>. He did not disappoint! But instead of a thuggish towny he brings a menacing, smarter-than-you arrogance as Dr. Hal Raglan, a "brilliant" pioneer with a cutting-edge psychological treatment of his own invention. Psychoplasmics!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FK65sMN8eAc/X31lXjaQsVI/AAAAAAAAMjw/2GVNOlBISzgMBCcSxMLmR3ENRnEq31t1QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-06%2Bat%2B11.48.06%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1132" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FK65sMN8eAc/X31lXjaQsVI/AAAAAAAAMjw/2GVNOlBISzgMBCcSxMLmR3ENRnEq31t1QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-06%2Bat%2B11.48.06%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>So important they stuck some vinyl stickers on a rented bus!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">Psychoplasmics looks like experimental theater in which Oliver Reed role-plays as various persons in the patient's life -- sometimes being really mean! -- and the patient's mental breakthroughs manifest as gross make-up effects, because they're externalizing their emotions I guess? I'm going out a limb and saying this premise is not terribly well developed. I think this might just be a problem with early Cronenberg, because I had to watch <i>Videodrome</i> at least three times before I figured out that "new flesh" nonsense.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Anyway, plot plot plot. Our hero is Frank, an adorable 70s everydad who is locked in a nasty custody fight with his estranged wife, Nola. He looked familiar and I think that's because he's in <i>Porky's</i>, I'm pretty sure as the older brother who's a cop? I only dug so far.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XWwT_wdLbm0/X31lYFl9iCI/AAAAAAAAMj0/PPWo8SSDOToe2aprdiR-TLOEqYjTD_1mgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-06%2Bat%2B11.49.05%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XWwT_wdLbm0/X31lYFl9iCI/AAAAAAAAMj0/PPWo8SSDOToe2aprdiR-TLOEqYjTD_1mgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-06%2Bat%2B11.49.05%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"And then I'll say 'Faulty hood ornament!' Blam! Heh heh heh... I'm sorry what were we talking about?"</i></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Nola has been under treatment at the Somafree Institute of Psychoplasmics for a while, and demands their daughter Candice visit her there on the weekends.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WmdUeL8mCY4/X31lXKMnvEI/AAAAAAAAMjs/WVi8e07yBQMjaGLw0RNHRoY3PhbSxsvJQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-06%2Bat%2B11.46.36%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1157" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WmdUeL8mCY4/X31lXKMnvEI/AAAAAAAAMjs/WVi8e07yBQMjaGLw0RNHRoY3PhbSxsvJQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-06%2Bat%2B11.46.36%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>She's clearly cutting her hair with her heat vision, but nobody talks about it.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">The action starts rolling when Frank brings Candice home from a visit and she has bruises on her back. In a completely bullshit scene, his cartoonish lawyer tells him that's not enough to deny Nola next weekend's visit (maybe that's not bullshit in Canada in 1979 but I'd like to think bruises = child protective services = ALL the red flags in reality). Frank decides to dig deeper, meanwhile Nola's theatrical therapy sessions with Dr. Raglan gain intensity, and the subjects of the sessions start getting hammer-murdered by a deformed child in a snowsuit. First is Nola's mom, who does a ridiculous slow pan of her noisily trashed kitchen before she gets pounced.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6tYEJb6iwg0/X4IWTZQD_BI/AAAAAAAAMkc/AmR7DlEMpU42hhrmgBu4DGEE36IyxIA2QCLcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-10%2Bat%2B1.14.53%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1363" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6tYEJb6iwg0/X4IWTZQD_BI/AAAAAAAAMkc/AmR7DlEMpU42hhrmgBu4DGEE36IyxIA2QCLcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-10%2Bat%2B1.14.53%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"No threat to my life on THAT cabinet, moving on..."</i></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kMN8asOcU4U/X3_vbO4aN2I/AAAAAAAAMkQ/d7ZeKlSFXGw6iFpfYkVWsQc-gXuMVkCBQCLcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-08%2Bat%2B10.03.46%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="2048" height="164" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kMN8asOcU4U/X3_vbO4aN2I/AAAAAAAAMkQ/d7ZeKlSFXGw6iFpfYkVWsQc-gXuMVkCBQCLcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-08%2Bat%2B10.03.46%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><i>"Curses! That red snowsuit blended perfectly with my 70s wallpaper!"</i></div><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">I thought I knew where this movie was coming from when it threw a curveball and the mutant kid just up and dies mid-attempted murder.</div><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tbXRlQ1MSfM/X4Ibg7tBoJI/AAAAAAAAMk0/pxQ1VCieErY8qujwqQ-DhS-evSX3QLrdACLcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-10%2Bat%2B1.36.37%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1303" data-original-width="2048" height="204" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tbXRlQ1MSfM/X4Ibg7tBoJI/AAAAAAAAMk0/pxQ1VCieErY8qujwqQ-DhS-evSX3QLrdACLcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-10%2Bat%2B1.36.37%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div>"Attack ships on fire... ACK"<br /><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">There's an autopsy and a story in the newspaper and everything. The cops write it off as a deformed kid who's been hidden by his mother all his life out of shame. "Wouldn't be the first time this happened." WHA</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Meanwhile Laser Bangs's kindergarten teacher makes the mistake of answering Frank's phone when Nora calls, and the next day she gets a visit from a couple of ugly kids who really like the cute little wooden kindergarten hammers, but not for banging in cute little wooden pegs. For hammer murder.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pTRb3u5sIpc/X4ItbWU87FI/AAAAAAAAMlE/MNFT3_G02LYDnc6U-2PRPnIxE_j3epEVgCLcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-10%2Bat%2B2.53.26%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1116" data-original-width="1820" height="196" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pTRb3u5sIpc/X4ItbWU87FI/AAAAAAAAMlE/MNFT3_G02LYDnc6U-2PRPnIxE_j3epEVgCLcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-10%2Bat%2B2.53.26%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>It's the snowsuits. They blend in anywhere.</i></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Poor Frank! He's outside telling another parent about his dead in-laws who were hammer-murdered and a little kid runs out saying the teacher is right now being hammer-murdered and when he checks it out Candice is gone. We see the bad kids taking her back to the institute, something I want to put a pin in for now.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pIPklYGoWJE/X4I9xCoIglI/AAAAAAAAMlc/ZyWRD0phPPo0zaJSlf13qyDTtqj3at8XQCLcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-06%2Bat%2B11.25.47%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="2048" height="179" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pIPklYGoWJE/X4I9xCoIglI/AAAAAAAAMlc/ZyWRD0phPPo0zaJSlf13qyDTtqj3at8XQCLcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-06%2Bat%2B11.25.47%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Canada is what you make if you have a lot left over after making New Hampshire</i></div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had a good time with this movie but it barely rated the three stars, there's a fair amount of padding and the premise, as I mentioned, is pretty thin. However the actors involved have abilities and bring their A game to a small, well-meaning story, so three stars it is. However however, I don't have much of a problem blowing most of the ending for you now, because, well, it's not <i>that</i> great and really doesn't make a whole lot of sense, for reasons I am delighted to go into. So I guess if you really want to keep this surprise, don't let your gaze wander beneath this photo of Nola, played by 70s TV mainstay Samantha Eggar (she was on <i>Love Boat</i> AND <i>Fantasy Island</i>!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pD8J5YV7fkY/X31lUXV__gI/AAAAAAAAMjk/lBXnyTfEo7k_Bj1XIfdm31sZaQNd2RwSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-06%2Bat%2B11.30.37%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pD8J5YV7fkY/X31lUXV__gI/AAAAAAAAMjk/lBXnyTfEo7k_Bj1XIfdm31sZaQNd2RwSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-06%2Bat%2B11.30.37%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>And here she is looking like her crazy treatment is going REALLY WELL I must say.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The endgame begins when Raglan empties all the sick folks from the institute and one of them runs to Frank and mentions the "disturbed kids in the work shed that you're wife's taking care of," and when Frank arrives at the Institute Raglan confronts him with a gun. But suddenly his whole "you can't see your wife because she's at a critical stage in her treatment" crap is gone and instead he's extremely scared of the monster children that live on his property, explains that it was them who hurt Candice because Nola got upset about something, and they're the reason he has the gun. Now he's a good guy and he's all "go in there and keep your wife calm so I can extract your daughter from the room full of mutants."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So Frank goes in and the two of them chew a little scenery and then the big reveal is that Nola's skin lesions grow into HUGE GROSS EXTERNAL WOMBS out of which she pulls her mutant babies and licks them clean. So gross! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gkOSMwBUdX0/X4IzYaEWhbI/AAAAAAAAMlQ/25Zs4ZEnn-MT1oqHel9pxMbO4oAKJ9D8wCLcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-10%2Bat%2B3.18.29%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1192" data-original-width="2048" height="186" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gkOSMwBUdX0/X4IzYaEWhbI/AAAAAAAAMlQ/25Zs4ZEnn-MT1oqHel9pxMbO4oAKJ9D8wCLcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-10%2Bat%2B3.18.29%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"You have NO idea how hard it was to find this frock, what with there being no internet yet."</i></div></div><p></p><p></p>Before you start asking questions I need to mention part two of the reveal, which is that while we've seen a total of three monster kiddos, Nola has pumped out something like... a dozen? They're all partying upstairs in bunkbeds and PJs like it's <i>Meatballs</i> or something.<br /><p></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uwaj54nNI1c/X31lULwlVkI/AAAAAAAAMjg/8Zzdih5Os1wAdI-hHmTSzfuyvBwVJodzgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-06%2Bat%2B11.28.45%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1142" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uwaj54nNI1c/X31lULwlVkI/AAAAAAAAMjg/8Zzdih5Os1wAdI-hHmTSzfuyvBwVJodzgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-06%2Bat%2B11.28.45%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"That was the best summer of my life!"</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">As effectively gross and Cronenberg-y as the reveal is, the things I can't help but extrapolate make absolutely no sense. I thought Nola's powers were manifesting these homunculi on the spot, through some sort of psychic hoodoo. But no, they're very much flesh and blood, and they're also monster children who can't take the bus, so they have to fucking WALK all the way from the woods to downtown Toronto, and BACK. Remember the pin I put in up there, them walking along the road in the snow? Can you imagine maintaining murderous rage for three hours trudging through that? It really robbed the premise of its mystique. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The other problem is trying to figure out Raglan's motivation for letting the situation get that far. I mean how much more do you need to validate your pet theory than the fact you've created a new form of life -- through therapy no less -- after you've done it once? Or two or three times? Why didn't he tell anybody until he had an attic full of murderous monster kids? How did this never occur to him while he was out buying all those PJs and snowsuits? I guess you can be a genius shrink but still be bad at math, like for instance bringing a six-shot revolver into a room with a dozen lethal targets.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What would you, the reader at home, do? Think about it won't you?</div><p></p>Octopunkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948127593611773731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-80392591946672762622020-10-09T08:23:00.001-07:002020-10-09T08:23:14.193-07:00You Die<p> (2018) [Italian] **1/2</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-59pmR1nHDok/X4CAQGXV_MI/AAAAAAAAG3s/xpfZqhEbLkEuhdxK-6Y6_hKjSIZ90TndACLcBGAsYHQ/s1000/You%2BDie%2B2018.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="666" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-59pmR1nHDok/X4CAQGXV_MI/AAAAAAAAG3s/xpfZqhEbLkEuhdxK-6Y6_hKjSIZ90TndACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/You%2BDie%2B2018.webp" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>REVIEW BY JPX</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">After lending a distressed male stranger her cellphone, Asia
later discovers that he downloaded an augmented reality app which gives her the
ability to see ghosts; some standing around, others walking slowly towards
her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The app also includes a countdown
clock counting down 24 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Asia soon
deduces that the app is a curse and she will be killed by vengeful spirits
unless she downloads the app onto someone else’s phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This does not end the curse, however, it only
buys her an additional 24 hours. She must download the app every 24 hours onto
another’s phone if she wants to live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When she attempts to delete the app she loses 1 hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is informed that she will be instantly
killed if she destroys her phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You Die is a fun curse movie with obvious nods to The Ring
and It Follows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “curse” in this
particular story poses a moral dilemma; would you download the app onto
another’s phone in order to buy yourself 24 hours of additional life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(My answer, of course, is a resounding
yes).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story is also an obvious
indictment of our societal phone addiction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For example, in one scene friends watch a movie on a couch while one of
the characters plays on her phone the entire time (a major pet peeve of
mine).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although derivative, this film
looks good and there is always something about foreign language horror that
makes things seem scarier (e.g. every Asian horror movie).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fun!<o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Johnny Sweatpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00096734271846528993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-87260391321771278662020-10-09T08:21:00.003-07:002020-10-09T08:21:27.806-07:00Repeaters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z7tZx-1bAlc/X4B_6ge9XxI/AAAAAAAAG3k/JdTTk1j1BsUCeK1QXcZwYIOnwXiuxzJLQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/Repeaters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="729" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z7tZx-1bAlc/X4B_6ge9XxI/AAAAAAAAG3k/JdTTk1j1BsUCeK1QXcZwYIOnwXiuxzJLQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Repeaters.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>(2018) **1/2</p><p>*REVIEW BY JPX</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Three acquaintances in rehab are given day passes in order
to apologize to the people they affected with their addictions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a grueling day of atonement, the three
return to rehab to process the various outcomes which did not go well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None are forgiven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Retiring to bed after this long day of
powerful emotions, the three wake up only to realize that they are reliving the
same day over and over again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first
they have fun with this curse given that they are now able to predict how
others will respond (e.g. the bully who trips one of the characters in the
cafeteria get his comeuppance, etc.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However the trio soon become bored and start “experimenting” once they
realize that there are no consequences to their actions including rape,
robbery, suicide, and murder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
character is eventually revealed to be a sociopath who must be stopped if they
ever hope to end the repetitive curse.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Repeaters is the umpteenth version of Groundhog Day without
Bill Murray. Derivative, yes, but I am a
sucker for this well-worn thematic trope.
The acting is acceptable and director <span style="background: white; color: #585858; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Carl Bessai does the most with a small budget.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span>My low rating is due to the derivative
nature of the story but I would recommend it if you are looking for something
on Amazon Prime. Surprisingly engaging.</p><br /><p></p>Johnny Sweatpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00096734271846528993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-74164775690683128152020-10-08T02:01:00.004-07:002020-11-30T16:21:01.283-08:00La Main Du Diable(1955) ****
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MMPCWmGbNlI/X37Ev0RRDZI/AAAAAAAADBw/og7v4OTw2hY7kK8qe61BHWLBszRWxltMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-08%2Bat%2B12.13.35%2BAM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MMPCWmGbNlI/X37Ev0RRDZI/AAAAAAAADBw/og7v4OTw2hY7kK8qe61BHWLBszRWxltMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-08%2Bat%2B12.13.35%2BAM.png"/></a></div>
Roland Brissot bursts into a busy inn one night. He's missing his left hand and tucked under his arm is a box, and he desperately wants to know whether there's a cemetary nearby. When told that there isn't, he sits back, deflated. Then the power goes out momentarily. When the lights come back on, Roland discovers to great alarm that his box is now missing. Now totally out of sorts, and caving to the pressure of the intrigued hotel guests he tells his story.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ff48XOVG4-s/X37Hxs0OQ4I/AAAAAAAADB8/LtLyVWNORmoakmHOPU8U5acgaI2Oi459wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-07%2Bat%2B11.45.01%2BPM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ff48XOVG4-s/X37Hxs0OQ4I/AAAAAAAADB8/LtLyVWNORmoakmHOPU8U5acgaI2Oi459wCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-07%2Bat%2B11.45.01%2BPM.png"/></a></div>
Little over a year earlier, Roland was a mediocre painter with no money and no reputation. A chef at a restaurant offers him a fantastic solution to his troubles. For a half a penny, he sells Roland a magic hand that will bestow great talents upon him. It works: a year passes and he is now a staggeringly famous and visionary painter. The night of the greatest exhibition of his career, he meets a bookish little man who explains that the true cost of Roland's talisman is far higher than he'd been led to believe.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kn-1H6zWnxo/X37J-3lcZgI/AAAAAAAADCI/rUe1Q8g1V10G0TeQFiv6zzojYJWqZ8prwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-07%2Bat%2B11.47.23%2BPM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kn-1H6zWnxo/X37J-3lcZgI/AAAAAAAADCI/rUe1Q8g1V10G0TeQFiv6zzojYJWqZ8prwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-07%2Bat%2B11.47.23%2BPM.png"/></a></div>
I debated whether to even bother writing about the intro at the inn since only one important plot point takes place there. But the amount of detail popping in the background throughout <i>La Main Du Diable</i> is really impressive, and any worthy discussion of how wonderful this movie is has to acknowledge it. For example, zoom in and keep an eye on what's happening through the windows in the back of this shot:<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dZtsmdSqY6k/X37L0cL2IPI/AAAAAAAADCU/8qTkbuHXy2QJqElaj5kORMqFU4-YCqWjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s478/carnivale.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dZtsmdSqY6k/X37L0cL2IPI/AAAAAAAADCU/8qTkbuHXy2QJqElaj5kORMqFU4-YCqWjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/carnivale.gif"/></a></div>
And that's just what I could fit into one .gif on Giphy -- there's at least 20 more seconds of it in the film. I thought for <i>sure</i> there was going to be a scene after this that featured Roland sprinting in a panic around all those carnival floats and explosions. There's no <u>way</u>, I thought, that the filmmakers would go to so much trouble to make a carnival parade just to have it pass by in the background of an uncrucial scene in the middle of the movie. But no, that's exactly what they did. Roland steps into the dining room and that's the last we see of all those floats. But we don't care, because we just get more lovely little details once Roland opens the door.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZsmunKrOtOw/X37NefxDwfI/AAAAAAAADCg/HS8oIBmY1Bw6ozCFa0YJ1v2BzsiuYLm5QCLcBGAsYHQ/s478/masks.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZsmunKrOtOw/X37NefxDwfI/AAAAAAAADCg/HS8oIBmY1Bw6ozCFa0YJ1v2BzsiuYLm5QCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/masks.gif"/></a></div>
Masked and seated at a long table are the ghosts of all of the former owners, dating back decades, of Roland's magic hand. For the next few minutes we're treated to a charming montage of each of their experiences with the hand -- each man's rise from obscurity to sensational wealth and success. Spoiler alert: things don't end well for any of them.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jcc1UBJzaF8/X37OgRmV50I/AAAAAAAADCo/IZwwOHXjIqAutcM4gI7MGcSknXMPtsMQACLcBGAsYHQ/s478/beheading.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jcc1UBJzaF8/X37OgRmV50I/AAAAAAAADCo/IZwwOHXjIqAutcM4gI7MGcSknXMPtsMQACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/beheading.gif"/></a></div>
Ordinarily, I'd be like, "a flashback within a flashback? Fuck off" -- but the flashbacks are all composed of these adorable dioramas where the actors and extras take up only a smidgen of screen space, and director Maurice Tourneur uses the rest of the screen space to tell stories with shadow play. Seriously, look more closely at that beheading .gif and notice the bottom left corner that there's an audience watching, clapping as the head hits the ground. Because of the relative sizes of actors set in the frame, we can easily imagine a whole concert hall full of people watching that guy's head roll away. And all that energy is packed into a 10 second clip with like 15 actors, sandwiched in with a bunch of other clips with different art and just as much depth.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TSMgenYEFM0/X37UxlwX09I/AAAAAAAADC0/rD2YoeMUPPQLPdmjeWNKmUZ8YRoUUFlbwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-08%2Bat%2B12.07.14%2BAM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TSMgenYEFM0/X37UxlwX09I/AAAAAAAADC0/rD2YoeMUPPQLPdmjeWNKmUZ8YRoUUFlbwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-08%2Bat%2B12.07.14%2BAM.png"/></a></div>
It's like with the crowd at the inn that we meet in the first few minutes: do we need all that? To get to know any of those people? Not really. But who cares? I was cool with Tourneur loading as much of these whimsical details into his movie as he could stuff in there, all because the main force of it -- the central story line and all of the acting -- is so good and so much fun. Remember the movie <i>Snake Eyes</i>, how amazing that opening scene is, and how much of a mess the rest of the movie is? This is not that. <i>La Main Du Diable</i> takes its goofy, sprawling opening, and parlays it into scene after scene of highly entertaining story, and dazzling detail. I'm thrilled I took a chance on this one.50PageMcGeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09463123463076477367noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-23229256601408633712020-10-05T00:03:00.003-07:002021-10-03T17:20:37.106-07:00Cat People(1942) ***1/2
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r73a_CJOZvA/X3q2bhElPxI/AAAAAAAADAs/GgBlDtO3Vyk2ZxV2EH7yk7GCqNRLMaC2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-04%2Bat%2B10.09.54%2BPM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r73a_CJOZvA/X3q2bhElPxI/AAAAAAAADAs/GgBlDtO3Vyk2ZxV2EH7yk7GCqNRLMaC2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-04%2Bat%2B10.09.54%2BPM.png"/></a></div>
<i>"Never let me feel jealousy or anger. Whatever is in me is held in, is kept harmless when I'm happy."</i>
<br><br>
This should have been obvious from the get-go, but like, the cat symbolism in <i>Cat People</i> is really good, you guys! There's felinity (totally a word) all over this movie: it's in Irena's sexually finicky vibe around her new husband Oliver, and it's in her territoriality and jealousy whenever Oliver's comely coworker Alice is in the room with him (her *cattiness* if you will. [smirk] The jokes write themselves). But it's evident even in the way people react to Irena. Oliver has this to say about Irena in the middle of the movie:<br><br>
<i>"I'm drawn to her. There's warmth from her that pulls at me. I have to watch her when she's in the room. I have to touch her when she's near."</i>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-orS22HOdeKE/X3q2tDmtb3I/AAAAAAAADBA/Tv-xol-JUrwbkCbq_TCy-CCgb3hTBmWtQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-04%2Bat%2B10.09.44%2BPM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-orS22HOdeKE/X3q2tDmtb3I/AAAAAAAADBA/Tv-xol-JUrwbkCbq_TCy-CCgb3hTBmWtQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-04%2Bat%2B10.09.44%2BPM.png"/></a></div>
You know that thing when you're petting a cat, and the cat's all like, "Yes. Yes. This is workiiiing. Keep doing that. MmmmmmmmmROWR-STOP THAT! I BITE YOU!" Only it's cute because your cat is tiny, so all she can do is scratch and nip. But Irena's a person -- so she herself couldn't be certain what she might be capable of if someone were to take her across that line.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Y5UWC-LBqw/X3q2jNUUAgI/AAAAAAAADAw/b9fFr746mMQCFoBKneBowqcrq8lTcM1-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s478/prowling.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Y5UWC-LBqw/X3q2jNUUAgI/AAAAAAAADAw/b9fFr746mMQCFoBKneBowqcrq8lTcM1-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/prowling.gif"/></a></div>
By the time I got to this scene of Irena prowling from side to side next to the panther cage, I began to finally fully appreciate how well thought-out the cat symbolism is in <i>Cat People</i>. Of course this example is rather on-the-nose (boop), but I'm glad it was so obvious because it inspired me to keep an eye out for more of that kind of thing elsewhere in the movie, and it turns out, there's plenty.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WvKyYzLXYK8/X3q2mC4z2bI/AAAAAAAADA0/BWZgf5l17_QixW1uCO3yOBYRr-AGiT6IwCLcBGAsYHQ/s478/grooming.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WvKyYzLXYK8/X3q2mC4z2bI/AAAAAAAADA0/BWZgf5l17_QixW1uCO3yOBYRr-AGiT6IwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/grooming.gif"/></a></div>
And mixed in with all the great subtext, it turns out director Jacques Tourneur's technical game is really strong. Particularly with regard to light and shadow, both in terms of the contrast between them, but also where the light's coming from. I particularly liked the lighting scheme in Oliver's office where late night scenes are lit primarily from the blare of the drafting tables.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iUY-Ir4fsy8/X3rCiYU8zWI/AAAAAAAADBU/rpghb556Rt0I-WkYfPK0BMCCmoyBNgXiwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-04%2Bat%2B9.33.46%2BPM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iUY-Ir4fsy8/X3rCiYU8zWI/AAAAAAAADBU/rpghb556Rt0I-WkYfPK0BMCCmoyBNgXiwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-04%2Bat%2B9.33.46%2BPM.png"/></a></div>
I should also mention, speaking of lighting and cat symbolism, that the shadows in Irena's apartment are designed to symbolise the bars of the panther cage in the park she's so fond of visiting -- something I completely didn't pick up on until I read <a href="http://horrorthon.blogspot.com/2005/10/cat-people.html">JPX's review</a> before writing my own.<br><br>
After three 3-star reviews in a row, I was beginning to second-guess my decision to focus on Criterion Collection movies this October. Not anymore. Cat People has a lot of depth and deserves all the praise it gets.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_xAzMT4C5GQ/X3rE6KM1HTI/AAAAAAAADBg/qGlDXVRukuwKFbnD3-TfQvQW3a4hLCbcACLcBGAsYHQ/s480/scratch.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_xAzMT4C5GQ/X3rE6KM1HTI/AAAAAAAADBg/qGlDXVRukuwKFbnD3-TfQvQW3a4hLCbcACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/scratch.gif"/></a></div>
50PageMcGeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09463123463076477367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-55606573394421381532020-10-04T23:07:00.001-07:002020-10-04T23:10:19.613-07:00This Island Earth <p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EXUeKWQFf-Y/X3q0DRFartI/AAAAAAAAG28/HEocpiY4P0c0yUCeAy9nOgt_MJzbBqTrACLcBGAsYHQ/s1753/This%2BIsland%2BEarth.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1753" data-original-width="1163" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EXUeKWQFf-Y/X3q0DRFartI/AAAAAAAAG28/HEocpiY4P0c0yUCeAy9nOgt_MJzbBqTrACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/This%2BIsland%2BEarth.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>(1955) *** </p><div>It all began when I was scouting action figures to purchase/invite to my Creature Cantina playset. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aR5YsJ7ZxOE/X3q0VAqcK0I/AAAAAAAAG3E/QwFTwyMxzMIDc1ES6FI6n46vf27uDtqsQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Cantina.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aR5YsJ7ZxOE/X3q0VAqcK0I/AAAAAAAAG3E/QwFTwyMxzMIDc1ES6FI6n46vf27uDtqsQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Cantina.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In the past couple of years, my vintage Star Wars playset has become one of the most high profile and exclusive action figure night clubs in the galaxy. Thanks to retro-style action figure companies like Super 7 and Biff Bang Pow, classic Star Wars figures such as Greedo and Hammerhead can now share space cocktails with the likes of Robocop, Bob from Twin Peaks, Pee Wee Herman and Andre the Giant. I came across this magnificent specimen and realized that I had never seen This Island Earth. Please take a moment to admire this beautiful, badass 1950's alien: </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Lg_yrtnPs8/X3q0u6M28ZI/AAAAAAAAG3M/4IGcF7-3K84lIcaOvjl8SR80muMmFvNEACLcBGAsYHQ/s904/Mutant%2Bfigure.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="871" data-original-width="904" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Lg_yrtnPs8/X3q0u6M28ZI/AAAAAAAAG3M/4IGcF7-3K84lIcaOvjl8SR80muMmFvNEACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Mutant%2Bfigure.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So here we are. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Metaluna Mutant doesn't appear until 1 hour and 12 minutes in, but getting there is half the fun. MST3K lampooned this film and I look forward to checking out their take. </div><div><br /></div><div>Handsome Dr. Cal Meachum returns to his laboratory to find mysterious instructions on how to build an "interociter", which is similar to what today we refer to as a "computer". He and his assistant Joe build the device without questioning anything. Suddenly a strange man known as Exeter appears on screen and informs him that he has proven his capabilities and is therefore invited to be part of a special research project. Cal says why not and hops a computer controlled plane to a secret laboratory in Georgia.
I should mention that Exeter has an abnormally large forehead. It's not freakishly large but it is quite noticeable. </div><div><br /></div><div>Cal is is greeted by a Dr. Ruth Adams whom he recognized as someone he had a relationship with 3 years ago. However, Ruth does not recognize - or is pretending not to recognize - Cal. I couldn't help but speculate as to how sexual their relationship was, and I paid close attention to every meager clue in the dialog. Cal reminds Ruth that two of them lectured in Vermont and that after class they used to go swimming together in a little river by the school. What else they did at the little river is up to interpretation, but it is later revealed that they at the very least held hands. Cal soons meets Exeter, Exeter's assistant Brack (who also possesses a large forehead), a bunch of other scientists, and the guy who played the Professor on Gilligan's Island. </div><div><br /></div><div>Dr. Ruth Adams admits to the professor that she and Dr. Meachum did indeed engage in some sort of a relationship and they both chuckle about her reaction to the "cold water" in the river. I'm not sure what conclusion I was supposed to draw about this but I wasn't any closer to understanding the exact nature of the intimacy of their relationship. The professor and Ruth divulge that they were both also enlisted to assist Exeter with his research project, which turns out to be synthesizing uranium. They mention that the other scientists on site have been essentially lobotomized and now blindly follow Exeter's orders. The three attempt to escape but are captured by a flying saucer and taken to the planet Metaluna, where the large-foreheaded species are at war with another species known as "Zagons". Exeter's leader reveals that his people are planning on relocating to Earth where all humans will be lobotomized. He orders Exeter to take Ruth and Cal to get their own lobotomy. When Cal and Ruth attempt to escape, they (finally) find themselves face to face with the aforementioned Metaluna Mutant. This cool looking, iconic mutant is nothing more than slave labor used as a security guard to make sure that people get their lobotomies. Exeter refuses to carry out his boss's orders and he helps Cal and Ruth escape from the treacherous claws of the Metaluna Mutant. </div><div><br /></div><div>I loved that the mutant is not some unstoppable killing machine. It turns out that giant brains unprotected by a cranium are actually quite vulnerable. During their first encounter, the ceiling collapses and the mutant is significantly injured. He spends the rest of his short life hobbling around until he's handily dispatched of for good and our protagonists. In conclusion, I can't wait to obtain that action figure so that I may introduce him to his future family. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0FOudERECsI/X3q2vsPxSbI/AAAAAAAAG3Y/sElLhMeqrFsYFhqSo-wGYNMTh1t1L9m4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Cantina%2B2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1204" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0FOudERECsI/X3q2vsPxSbI/AAAAAAAAG3Y/sElLhMeqrFsYFhqSo-wGYNMTh1t1L9m4QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Cantina%2B2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div></div>Johnny Sweatpantshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00096734271846528993noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-8824422812726313572020-10-04T16:23:00.005-07:002020-10-04T18:27:36.753-07:00The Poseidon Adventure<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QCZbXKAnwEw/X3oNdTgQnnI/AAAAAAAAMio/TL9TU3aEPK04yMvOsx_6VZPrNdjkS0i_ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1590/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-04%2Bat%2B10.56.12%2BAM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1590" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QCZbXKAnwEw/X3oNdTgQnnI/AAAAAAAAMio/TL9TU3aEPK04yMvOsx_6VZPrNdjkS0i_ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-04%2Bat%2B10.56.12%2BAM.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>1972 ****</p><p>Seventies disaster movies! While I have long eschewed the lure of "predicament movies" like <i>Open Water</i>, <i>127 Hours</i>, or <i>Trapped on a Chairlift</i>, I have recently become enamored of this particular cinematic flavor. This is 110% thanks to the 2017 episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 that riffs the 1978 movie <i>Avalanche!</i> starring Rock Hudson and Mia Farrow. These days that episode is my Most Watched Thing that I will just have running in the background all the time, while I'm sorting Lego or whatever.</p><p>Whether I will watch <i>Avalanche!</i> by itself, minus the MST3K banter, is yet to be seen. But my many, many viewings have made me familiar with some of the common ingredients of the genre.</p><p>First, you gotta have the Guy Who Everyone Should Have Listened To. This movie has more than one, actually, but the first one is the indomitable Captain Leslie Nielsen.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="2012" height="170" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RADPqu0iQZw/X3oyr9cO8PI/AAAAAAAAMi4/yrtPYOf8Jj8LIYlocCJowz84FZeRmWCeACLcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-04%2Bat%2B11.46.35%2BAM.png" width="320" /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Not pictured: Me, yelling "and don't call me Shirley!"</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then you need the yang to that yin, Guy In Charge Who Doesn't Listen, aka "Mayor of Amity." This movie is actually pretty tight, so that dude gets exactly one speech about saving the company money by getting the Poseidon to the scrap yard on time. Other than that he just shadows Captain Drebin around, scowling.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-X-5lGEJOT6U/X3o0RjThn0I/AAAAAAAAMjE/6F267qM5EwQu2LwJu8k2VyMI33uTE-VWwCLcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-04%2Bat%2B11.47.51%2BAM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1078" data-original-width="1820" height="190" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-X-5lGEJOT6U/X3o0RjThn0I/AAAAAAAAMjE/6F267qM5EwQu2LwJu8k2VyMI33uTE-VWwCLcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-04%2Bat%2B11.47.51%2BAM.png" width="320" /></a></div><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>"Yes, he's right here next to me. No, he's not going to listen."</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had actually never seen this movie before, although I'd seen certain iconic moments on shows like <i>That's Hollywood</i> lots and lots of times. I was hoping for some <i>Love Boat</i> style exposition at the front end, and I was not disappointed. The character beats are slapped on the actors like post-it notes, and before long our on-deck who's who is over and we're at my favorite disaster movie ingredient, The Party. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JqLWu2VE14Q/X3o7gvIM08I/AAAAAAAAMjQ/wNX1iWI0cAUTWs2XeEaeE5nOjhu0ZDNBQCLcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-04%2Bat%2B2.13.05%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1448" height="134" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JqLWu2VE14Q/X3o7gvIM08I/AAAAAAAAMjQ/wNX1iWI0cAUTWs2XeEaeE5nOjhu0ZDNBQCLcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-04%2Bat%2B2.13.05%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Our Ballroom voted Worst Room to be Upside-Down In 5 years running!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">The symbolism of The Party is so obviously front-loaded it hardly bears repeating (blind hubris of man, Nero fiddling while Rome burned, lemmings, whatever...), but there's something SO satisfying about watching a bunch of SEVENTIES people partying into disaster. Our key players get to add some more toppings to their established archetypes while seated between stunning 70s model-looking ladies who have no lines. Key among them is the second Guy Everyone Should Listen To, Gene Hackman as the charismatic and radical Reverend Scott. We intercut from the New Year's Eve countdown watch the gang in the cockpit bring a knife to a tidal wave fight, and then moments after the New Year...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-psvpnTr9YmE/X3oNdXfQDHI/AAAAAAAAMis/VGBsNvul6aMLz6b1WvzkUn-_w9xtpK4JwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1112/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-04%2Bat%2B10.56.55%2BAM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="814" data-original-width="1112" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-psvpnTr9YmE/X3oNdXfQDHI/AAAAAAAAMis/VGBsNvul6aMLz6b1WvzkUn-_w9xtpK4JwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-04%2Bat%2B10.56.55%2BAM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"Save us Gopher!"</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">Once the tub's flipped over the real adventure begins: snaking an escape route through an upside-down, sinking, burning and occasionally exploding ship. Gene Hackman assembles a plucky gang made up of the people who have had lines so far in the movie, and another round of "No, listen to ME!" starts spooling out, because the know-nothing Purser says everyone should stay there until rescued. It's pretty much the reverse of that scene in <i>The Mist</i> when the Punisher's next door neighbor leads two dozen people to their doom because he doesn't believe the Punisher. I wondered if we'd get payoff on how wrong the Purser was and there is no wait at all. Just as the plucky gang make their way to a perch in the corner there's an explosion and the ballroom is suddenly Action Park deadly. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But of course panicked people are wicked stupid and they knock the makeshift ladder down, leaving Hackman to ruefully close the door behind him. The fact that they could rally and put the thing back up, or that the rising water would eventually enable their exit, occurs to nobody. They stand around in their finery and weep and cry and it's so freaking Noah's Ark you almost expect a pair of llamas to be up there...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here I must note another perennial dislike of mine, and that's when the gang of survivors argue with each other a la that annoying bald guy in <i>Night of the Living Dead</i>. But I note this dislike to say it does not apply here: A loud, enthusiastic push-pull does indeed emerge between Hackman and Ernest Borgnine, full of "I've had just about enough" and "you know what I don't like about you!" and stuff like that... but it's GREAT. I mean, this is scenery-chewing by design and scenery-chewing in execution, and these dynamics are just as in-your-face as the clunky exposition from before, but these actors include some major players at the top of their game and it's entertaining as hell. It's entertaining enough that I'm giving this the full four stars when it's arguably might be more of a 3 1/2 star experience for some.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Although we're on the open sea, almost all of this flick is indoors. The thrills are claustrophobic, hurried journeys through shafts and vents with the rising water creeping behind. And that brings us to our final ingredient, Random Death.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Who lives and who dies? The playing out of this phenomenon is actually better illustrated in some other flicks I plan to tackle, as The Poseidon Adventure winnows down its cast pretty hard with that Noah's Ark scene, and seeing who lives from a small imperiled group is pretty standard horror movie fare, right? Nevertheless there are surprises.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My plan is to only hit some of the major players in this genre, of which <i>The Poseidon Adventure</i> is the first and, arguably, the best. I've heard of at least one family who watches this movie every Thanksgiving; it's that kind of thing. Highly recommended and an excellent start to my month.</div>Octopunkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948127593611773731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-23399256720456545962020-10-03T19:53:00.001-07:002020-10-03T19:53:12.223-07:00Vampyr(1932) ***
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I0mUIlSqrcc/X3kxpZXlOHI/AAAAAAAADAE/Yr6hphd61t8Ih_VqUQmqEv4s6nmXUuvfACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/inthecoffin.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I0mUIlSqrcc/X3kxpZXlOHI/AAAAAAAADAE/Yr6hphd61t8Ih_VqUQmqEv4s6nmXUuvfACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/inthecoffin.png"/></a></div>
Allan Grey, a travelling student of the occult stops in a small town and becomes embroiled in a bizarre episode with one of the local families when he happens to witness the shooting murder of the father. He discovers that the family has already been struggling with the mysterious illness of their elder daughter. But as Grey explores the house and the grounds, he learns it's no simple "illness" the daughter is suffering from.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--IQkNZnI6Z0/X3kxpfCepNI/AAAAAAAADAI/ZLe17dchPPAPW9tIaNLml3h7tyegpbiawCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/shadow.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--IQkNZnI6Z0/X3kxpfCepNI/AAAAAAAADAI/ZLe17dchPPAPW9tIaNLml3h7tyegpbiawCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/shadow.png"/></a></div>
If anyone's too concerned that we'll be reviewing too many great movies, or too many terrible movies this year, worry not. The middle of the road is closely guarded by the Criterion Collection. <i>Vampyr</i> is another "yes, yes, it's lovely and all", flick that everyone on the internet seems to think is one of the greatest films in the history of the genre. But if you're wondering how you managed never to have seen it, it's because it's more of a film-student's idea of fun than a horror-fan's.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TajUHUE51K4/X3kxpCh4bnI/AAAAAAAADAA/mwLPbRob0UE2IKJumUB9D74C5RZdRvPvQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/gnash.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TajUHUE51K4/X3kxpCh4bnI/AAAAAAAADAA/mwLPbRob0UE2IKJumUB9D74C5RZdRvPvQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/gnash.png"/></a></div>
Humbly, I'm saying that, stacked against anything else I've seen from this era, the invention behind the visuals (double exposure, cool camera pans, etc) is about on-par, but it's not as dazzling to look at as <i>Dr. Caligari</i>, which continues to be the star-pupil to which I find myself comparing everything I've seen this year. It was made right at the crossover point between silents and talkies, so while there is audible dialogue, it's rather sparse. The music drives most of the action, such as it is: not a whole lot of running around going on here. That's all deliberate. Director Carl Theodor Dreyer was attempting to make a mood-piece and he hits his mark. Tonewise, it's got a lot in common with <i>Picnic At Hanging Rock</i>: it's slow, dreamy, and somber. It definitely strikes a mood, alas, that mood unlikely to give you much of a horror-boner. <a href="http://horrorthon.blogspot.com/2006/10/vampyr.html">JohnnySweatpants basically agrees with me.</a>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F72JqAFZiDg/X3kxpyA6siI/AAAAAAAADAM/2f-oICWkb088LKbi877JIBbk1ONrn5EAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s478/skeletonfade.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F72JqAFZiDg/X3kxpyA6siI/AAAAAAAADAM/2f-oICWkb088LKbi877JIBbk1ONrn5EAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/skeletonfade.gif"/></a></div>50PageMcGeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09463123463076477367noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-36716648486762522512020-10-02T22:37:00.004-07:002020-10-02T22:44:22.545-07:00The Unknown(1927) ***
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JBW3zSjNJk0/X3gN9SaFOvI/AAAAAAAAC_0/h-OEUIrnedYqm3CUb8z8eI1zEqewz2QqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Guitarfeet.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JBW3zSjNJk0/X3gN9SaFOvI/AAAAAAAAC_0/h-OEUIrnedYqm3CUb8z8eI1zEqewz2QqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Guitarfeet.png"/></a></div>
<i>The Unknown</i> is a story about a love triangle between performers in a traveling circus; the beautiful circusmaster's daughter played by a very green Joan Crawford; the guy who has no arms (or does he???*) who can target throw knives and play a guitar with his feet, played by a very seasoned Lon Chaney; the strongman, played by regular Chaney co-star Norman Kerry. Crawford admitted that it wasn't until she worked alongside Chaney in this film that she learned the difference between standing in front of a camera and really acting, crediting his intense concentration with inspiring her to work at her craft. As for Lon himself, wwwwwow.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qCnet1YaZOA/X3gFUyO9mxI/AAAAAAAAC_Q/s6s4NtnScdAx076R246alJzLi2fbYmy0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/LonSneer.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qCnet1YaZOA/X3gFUyO9mxI/AAAAAAAAC_Q/s6s4NtnScdAx076R246alJzLi2fbYmy0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/LonSneer.png"/></a></div>
Lon Chaney's face is the cereal box prize of this whole flick. He scowls and sneers and weeps but manages to force a seething smile through his tears. He'd had 15 years of film acting credits to his name by the time he was cast in <i>The Unknown</i> and it shows. It's not like I'm all, "holy shit, you guys gotta see this," but the margin over which I'd recommend <i>The Unknown</i> to you swings entirely on Lon Chaney's acting. He's brilliant. Total pro.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3uecdP7j6UQ/X3gFkSf34bI/AAAAAAAAC_c/CLaajAnbqvsqOzCDlxqjphZei673q1-5wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/LonDrinking.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3uecdP7j6UQ/X3gFkSf34bI/AAAAAAAAC_c/CLaajAnbqvsqOzCDlxqjphZei673q1-5wCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/LonDrinking.png"/></a></div>
Maybe I'm being nitpicky here, but this is kind of a waste of a good movie title. Why <i>The Unknown</i>? Because the other characters don't know he's got arms? I mean, any movie in which any of the characters don't know something could be called <i>The Unknown</i> for that reason. Like, "oh no! Are Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks gonna bang at the end of this movie? Let's call it <i>The Unknown</i>", or "oh no! Is Robert Redford going to strike out at his last at-bat? Let's call this film <i>The Unknown</i>". There is exactly as much that is unknown in this film as literally any other film in the history of films. Why not something simple like <i>The Man With No Arms</i>? This is all probably just misdirected anger at the movie <i>Trick Or Treat</i>. Whatever. I'm fine.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rfy1NjhXQMU/X3gFeM815FI/AAAAAAAAC_U/1Gbc3uPSg68w3iJL3kDrZL9wnlVAZN1CwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/LonThinking.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rfy1NjhXQMU/X3gFeM815FI/AAAAAAAAC_U/1Gbc3uPSg68w3iJL3kDrZL9wnlVAZN1CwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/LonThinking.png"/></a></div>
*-He does. I swear I'm not spoiling anything you don't learn in the first 5 minutes.50PageMcGeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09463123463076477367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-46895355357756062932020-10-01T23:16:00.004-07:002020-10-01T23:27:27.533-07:00Häxan(1922) ***
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BgPiazrBDS8/X3a3SS0sm_I/AAAAAAAAC-Q/PK0hcNHEXg42LXMl0v7e21rydpo132mJACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-01%2Bat%2B10.06.07%2BPM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1351" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BgPiazrBDS8/X3a3SS0sm_I/AAAAAAAAC-Q/PK0hcNHEXg42LXMl0v7e21rydpo132mJACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-01%2Bat%2B10.06.07%2BPM.png"/></a></div>
I begin with the oldest horror film in the Criterion Collection's streaming service (other than <i>Nosferatu</i>, which I've already reviewed). <i>Häxan</i> is an early silent film from Denmark. More than half of its runtime is devoted to historical commentary on the reaction of the church to witchcraft (confirmed or alleged) in medieval culture, though slightly less than half of the film is devoted to a narrative about one witchcraft Inquisition. So it's a long-short film sandwiched in the middle of a documentary. Totally counts.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cEqOsR0Xclg/X3a3jq-ZrSI/AAAAAAAAC-w/aCl0HfAIDVkYifs80_7sW73vlnHHqFvFwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-01%2Bat%2B1.38.23%2BAM.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cEqOsR0Xclg/X3a3jq-ZrSI/AAAAAAAAC-w/aCl0HfAIDVkYifs80_7sW73vlnHHqFvFwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-01%2Bat%2B1.38.23%2BAM.png"/></a></div>
Nowadays, we find the Inquisition to be one of the most appalling movements in the history of organized religion, particularly the brutal investigatory and punitive methods of the church at that time. I don't think I appreciated how much our enlightened perspective about how shitty the church used to be (I know, JohnnySweatpants, I know) is not a new philosophical trend. This movie is just shy of 100 years old and <i>Häxan</i> director Benjamin Christensen makes this stance clear throughout: people victimized by the church during times of antiquity were largely just innocent herbalists and hippies, when the accused was even practicing any kind of pagan ritual at all, and not, say, falsely accused of pagan idolatry by their petty next door neighbor.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kdpAiqs1x_w/X3a3qqBzKxI/AAAAAAAAC-4/gSUq_g7BxSoVW9Wy7_LpQszAXK8wdToKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s478/flyingwitches.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kdpAiqs1x_w/X3a3qqBzKxI/AAAAAAAAC-4/gSUq_g7BxSoVW9Wy7_LpQszAXK8wdToKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/flyingwitches.gif"/></a></div>
At the time of its release, it was the most expensive film produced in any Scandinavian country, and it's easy to see where all the money went. Aside from the principals in the narrative, there are hundreds of extras in the cast, the costumes and the settings are ornate and well made, and in their own quaint "yeah, but it's really old; what do you expect" kind of way, the effects are fun and eye catching. It's not as weird as <i>Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari</i> but there's soup made out of people, demonstration of torture devices, and a baby roasted over an open flame, and the last shot is of some people being burned at the stake. So it passes all the necessary Horrorthon tests. It's not riveting -- I stayed attentive mostly because that's what you have to do when you're watching a silent film, but it's not as fun as <i>Nosferatu</i> so I do not award it that coveted extra 1/2 star. I'd say, as Peter Griffin once said, "there: I just saved you two long, boobless hours", but there actually are some boobs in it. So, yay.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;" style="text-align:center"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_-xDKD3_ASw/X3a3vJL7PrI/AAAAAAAAC-8/k8LPM088ZxoliR-U98Ibyq0WF0zoPMubwCLcBGAsYHQ/s478/haxanending.gif" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_-xDKD3_ASw/X3a3vJL7PrI/AAAAAAAAC-8/k8LPM088ZxoliR-U98Ibyq0WF0zoPMubwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/haxanending.gif"/></a><center><i>Thon's on, sluts</i></center>50PageMcGeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09463123463076477367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-85506209502177539202020-07-19T19:28:00.001-07:002020-07-19T19:28:16.700-07:00Whhhoooooooooooooooohhh<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oc-NAguuatk/XxUBJLyLkTI/AAAAAAAAMhE/NbAyETuKCUY7D-NIxnFhFIjccX-fnpxxwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2476/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-07-19%2Bat%2B7.27.21%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1046" data-original-width="2476" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oc-NAguuatk/XxUBJLyLkTI/AAAAAAAAMhE/NbAyETuKCUY7D-NIxnFhFIjccX-fnpxxwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-07-19%2Bat%2B7.27.21%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Octopunkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948127593611773731noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-57626507373674872162020-07-19T17:45:00.001-07:002020-07-19T17:45:28.233-07:00bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GJLobih2g0A/XxTpHgnGR1I/AAAAAAAAMgs/JT_T1xADTjI906poXNuvCZ4uhsF9WonuwCLcBGAsYHQ/s954/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-07-19%2Bat%2B5.44.42%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="954" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GJLobih2g0A/XxTpHgnGR1I/AAAAAAAAMgs/JT_T1xADTjI906poXNuvCZ4uhsF9WonuwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-07-19%2Bat%2B5.44.42%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Octopunkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948127593611773731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-33128789380437273712020-07-19T17:14:00.000-07:002020-07-19T17:14:05.326-07:00Chirp chirp. Chirp. Chirp<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A-sUGIOhCyA/XxThwnTHp1I/AAAAAAAAMgg/tq9Gnpi0xHo-1wUGGhZQfoLDs1QayLIngCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-07-19%2Bat%2B5.12.34%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A-sUGIOhCyA/XxThwnTHp1I/AAAAAAAAMgg/tq9Gnpi0xHo-1wUGGhZQfoLDs1QayLIngCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-07-19%2Bat%2B5.12.34%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Octopunkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948127593611773731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-77556160809153163722020-07-19T14:25:00.003-07:002020-07-19T17:54:00.182-07:00Crreeeeaaaak<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p8_K-Dxo7H0/XxTq2j-5vcI/AAAAAAAAMg4/HLeH6UleVagZ_PBwOg4FYEZMvG8ggnz4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1646/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-07-19%2Bat%2B5.52.29%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1646" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p8_K-Dxo7H0/XxTq2j-5vcI/AAAAAAAAMg4/HLeH6UleVagZ_PBwOg4FYEZMvG8ggnz4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-07-19%2Bat%2B5.52.29%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Octopunkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14948127593611773731noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17244873.post-88263267315756276352017-10-27T16:22:00.001-07:002017-10-27T16:22:21.647-07:00Jigsaw(2018) ****<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YQkKVPM4-Os/WfO9cBTfaWI/AAAAAAAABjQ/WVHVzBE5e_wNfEgxRQNPMaRdtne9Hfr9ACLcBGAs/s1600/Jigsaw_2017_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="221" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YQkKVPM4-Os/WfO9cBTfaWI/AAAAAAAABjQ/WVHVzBE5e_wNfEgxRQNPMaRdtne9Hfr9ACLcBGAs/s320/Jigsaw_2017_poster.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<br />
Jigsaw is back! Or is he? Wasn't he dead...?<br />
Movie for-fills the daily bloodlust desire! This movie didn't disappoint at all. BUT- If you've seen the trailers, you have seen most of the movie's best parts, except for the grand finale-which is the best part as usual.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IbIzse5eGGs/WfO-YRpNAHI/AAAAAAAABjY/RmtudXc0OnAIjDqQ9tvjq1QWLoj1MDOigCLcBGAs/s1600/Jigsaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="640" height="217" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IbIzse5eGGs/WfO-YRpNAHI/AAAAAAAABjY/RmtudXc0OnAIjDqQ9tvjq1QWLoj1MDOigCLcBGAs/s320/Jigsaw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
We've got the nasty traps that require self sacrificing body parts/blood shedding to survive the next level. I don't remember Jigsaw(John)'s life career, but boy can he make some serious con-trap-tions!<br />
These victims have effected John's life in one way or another and they must confess their sins. Who will survive? And is Jigsaw really alive?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-203QkWmFYIQ/WfO_lfeY77I/AAAAAAAABjk/n70z747sfbkFkOp_uH4I0TWfuKOE6RgyQCLcBGAs/s1600/Jigsaw%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="620" height="205" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-203QkWmFYIQ/WfO_lfeY77I/AAAAAAAABjk/n70z747sfbkFkOp_uH4I0TWfuKOE6RgyQCLcBGAs/s320/Jigsaw%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8