Fall 2021 Viewings

Viewing: 3rd
Format: Streaming
Thoughts: Remo Williams will always hold a special place in my heart as I have fond memories of watching it as a kid whilst playing with my GI Joe figures on the living room floor. The action sequences definitely inspired a lot of my action figure playtime (if only I had a Wonder Wheel playset!) Revisiting it as an adult you really have to cut it some slack and just enjoy the B-movie ride. It's a lot of fun and serves up some really clever and enjoyable action set pieces. The martial arts craze and Asian mysticism was in full swing in the mid-80s and this movie definitely hopped on that trend. I may be alone here but I'm still holding out for a Remo Williams remake starring Jon Bernthal as Remo (the guy is a dead ringer!)

Viewing: 1st
Format: Streaming
Thoughts: This one man show of a movie pretty much solidifies Jake as one of the greatest actors of our time. The way he was able to nail every emotion this character required was beyond impressive. Putting his acting aside (which hands down is the best performance in recent memory), the anxiety-inducing suspense and twists and turns makes this an excellent edge of your seat thriller. Unfortunately the big reveal at the end hurts repeated viewings, but regardless just in awe of this man and what he can do.

Viewing: 1st
Format: Blu-ray
Thoughts: I was hesitant to give this a watch as it got lukewarm reviews and just felt like it was going to be a slow, uneventful film. But being that this is Clint Eastwood I had to give it a watch. Sure enough the man can still make an enjoyable film at his age which is quite remarkable. This is definitely not any where near his top ten, but I did enjoy it. Mainly because it's just pure and measured storytelling that gets you invested in the characters and where they are going. The film is at its best during the almost Breaking Bad like scenes with Clint and the drug cartel personnel, most notably the bond that is formed with Julio, the cartel's head lieutenant. The film does have its flaws, respect to Clint for taking on the lead role but he's clearly too old now to pull it off convincingly. The rest of the characters are never really fleshed out, Bradley Cooper desperately attempts to make more of his FBI agent but there's just not much there. I think if the story was a bit more concise and focused mainly on the drug cartel side of things it would have been so much better. Overall this is a far cry from Clint's best but still an enjoyable film in its own right.

Viewing: 1st
Format: DVD
Thoughts: This is one of those movies I had kicking around in my DVD collection that I totally forgot I bought at a second hand shop years ago. Being that we're well into October I was in the mood for some spooky fare. The DVD cover clearly marketed this as something akin to The Omen, however the boy in this film is just so sweet and innocent that the events lose impact. Overall the film is kind of like giallo-lite, in that it has the feel of a giallo film but never really reaches that level of greatness. It's slow pace really drags things out but there is some impressive camera work and editing on display that makes up for it. I was looking forward to seeing John Ritter in this but the guy only shows up at the hour and a half mark (it's more of a cameo really). The ending is a bit of a shocker and it does have its moments, but I was just kind of underwhelmed by the whole thing and I feel like you can do far better with Hitchcock or giallo films of this era.

Viewing: 1st
Format: Streaming
Thoughts: Didn't know what to expect from this other than it was based on a true story of a girl who plotted to kill her parents with the aid of her boyfriend. This is a very well made Brazilian movie, and is actually part one of a he said/she said double feature. This film is telling the story from the boyfriend's perspective, obviously painting himself as the victim that was lured into this by a naive, conniving young girl. The acting was great, and the production was solid. We've seen these types of movies in the US before, but the Brazilian flare is a refreshing take. Overall a very solid movie and looking forward to seeing the second part.

Viewing: 1st
Format: Blu-ray
Thoughts: Decided to give this a shot as I'm always on board for practical FX and horror that doesn't take itself too seriously and just has fun with the material. This certainly was an ambitious project and kind of reminded me of Turbo Kid in its gleeful approach to violence. It does feel a little amateurish at times and doesn't have the experience to pull this off and bring it to that cult classic level. But it was hella enjoyable and a lot of fun. It's definitely deeply rooted in 80s horror/sci-fi with a ton of impressive creature makeup and FX on display which is something we rarely see nowadays. Overall this was a fun popcorn movie, don't expect too much out of it and you will be pleasantly surprised.

Viewing: 2nd
Format: DVD
Thoughts: I don't recall thinking much of this movie the first time I saw it but I'm glad I gave it another try because man is this a solid little sleeper of a crime flick. It may just be that I didn't appreciate enough the powerhouse acting trifecta of Hardy, Rapace and Schoenearts. Or maybe I overlooked the awesomely gritty Brooklyn backdrop and the almost 70s era crime flick stylings. Whatever the case, I was glued from start to finish this time around. Gandolfini in his last on screen performance was also a treat. Ultimately I think it's a little too sparse to be something great, but Hardy's subdued performance is a nice change up and I just love Noomi Rapace in anything. It's a helluva movie that definitely grew on me.

Viewing: 2nd (or 3rd)
Format: Blu-ray
Thoughts: This somewhat forgotten comedy is definitely bottom-shelf John Hughes, and yet proves that even his lesser efforts are still quite enjoyable. Biggest reason is that the first half of the film is very much in the Breakfast Club vein, ie teens trapped in a place where they reveal themselves to each other and form a real emotional connection. The underappreciated Frank Whaley plays Jim, who's kind of like if Ferris Bueller graduated high school and just became a loser. He finally lands a job as the overnight janitor of a Target store, where the hottest girl in town gets locked in with him. Their initial encounter and subsequent antics whilst alone in the store are the real highlights of the film. It's kind of like everything you wished you could do in a department store when you were a kid. Once the bad guys show up it devolves into silly nonsense typical of the late 80s-early 90s era. But if you can forgive that part of it, this is an enjoyable Hughes comedy with a lot of signature touches he is known for.

Viewing: 1st
Format: Theater
Thoughts: For my 3rd trip to the theater this year and one of my most anticipated movies of the Fall movie season, I went to see Ridley Scott's The Last Duel. A challenging film with difficult yet very timely subject matter. From a technical standpoint, the movie is breathtaking as can be expected from Scott, the period medieval setting is right in his wheelhouse for sure. The ending duel battle scene especially stands out as an intense and savage event, but what nailed it for me was the emotions going into this finale. Everything sort of builds towards this crescendo of male posturing and brutality. This is a movie we rarely see nowadays, with a powerful message that isn't overhanded and relies heavily on facial expressions and ambiguity to get the point across. The acting was great, especially Driver and Comer, and as difficult as it was to separate the celebrity from Affleck and Damon, I think they did a solid job here. Overall this was an intense and difficult movie that will stay with you. As all great films should.

Viewing: 2nd
Format: DVD
Thoughts: Watching The Drop again put me in the mood for some more gritty NYC films, and I remember really enjoying Blood Ties the first time I saw it. This time around it definitely feels like the filmmakers were a bit too obsessed with Scorsese and 70s crime flicks, but it still manages to work somehow. It's a passion project, with an awesome ensemble cast, most notably Clive Owen and Zoe Saldana turning in great performances. The one thing that bothered me this time was the overly stylized action sequences that were trying too hard to replicate the 70s Euro crime film aesthetics. I would have been on board for this if the whole movie was filmed that way, but it doesn't flow well with the rest of the movie. Similar to The Drop this is an American crime film made with foreign film sensibilities, which adds a level of depth to the characters that we don't see in films of this type too often. Despite it's flaws this is a solid period crime film that captures the feel of the setting and characters really well.

Viewing: Umpteenth
Format: Streaming
Thoughts: There's definitely a level of guilty pleasure and nostalgia that makes me return to this movie time and time again. It was one of the first movies I saw in a theater with my friends as a teenager and it takes me back to a simpler time of light-hearted comedy. Sure the film is beyond silly and ridiculous with every possible football related joke thrown in the mix. I mean it's got Kathy Ireland as the kicker for the team with the seemingly sole purpose to kick an opposing player in the nuts while saying "welcome to foot...balls" Overall the film has this former football star redemption story with Scott Bakula returning to college which kind of harks back to Rodney Dangerfield in Back To School a bit. Other highlights include Sinbad being Sinbad, a fresh off SNL Rob Schneider as the announcer, Jason Bateman baby-faced and full of pathos, and Hector Elizondo and Robert Loggia bringing the veteran acting chops to the table. It's far from perfect but I feel it maintains this level of enjoyment throughout both on and off the field and has a nice balance of comedy and drama. I know I am being way too forgiving of this movie but it does have its place in sports movie history. Somewhere.

Viewing: 1st
Format: Theater
Thoughts: As my most anticipated movie of the year, I was beyond excited to finally see Dune in all its glory in IMAX. Did it live up to the hype for me? For the most part, yes. This is quite the experience that has to be seen in the theater, the visuals and ambient score is just amazing to behold. Villeneuve doubling down on his previous vision in Blade Runner 2049 to create a new and exciting take on the by now well-known Herbert story. What he as executed so brilliantly here is a tangible world that we can immerse ourselves in for 2 and a half hours. The cast/acting was great, bringing real life and emotion to the proceedings. Ultimately I feel the biggest flaw of the film is that it tries to tackle too much in this first installment and spreads itself a little too thin. Jumping too quickly from scene to scene and not really giving certain characters enough screen time. My favorite characters, Duncan Idaho and Stilgar (played by Jason Mamoa and Javier Bardem) did not get fleshed out enough here. Would have also liked to spend more time with the Harkonnens as well. Aside from that, the film is an epic almost operatic sci-fi odyssey and a breath of fresh air amidst the overly saturated super hero landscape. I was very close to giving this 9 stars, but an impressive feat nonetheless from Villeneuve and very much looking forward to the continuation of the story.

Viewing: 2nd (or 3rd)
Format: Streaming
Thoughts: HALLOWEEN WEEKEND SCREENING #1. Kicking off my Halloween 2021 weekend I gathered with some friends to watch something horror related. Someone suggested picking one of the Halloween movies and then somehow Paul Rudd came up and we landed on Halloween 6, aka The Curse of Michael Myers. As a teen back in the 90s I recall being quite obsessed with MM and the Halloween franchise, however not much stands out about this installment. Well I think it's safe to say that this is one of the funniest movies Paul Rudd has ever made. My friends and I were howling at his intensely godawful line delivery. In general the acting was bad all around and the plot was kind of all over the place. The one saving grace is that the kills were well done and very gruesome. Overall I think this is probably the worst of the franchise, but manages to rise up a few notches as a great so-bad-it's-funny horror flick.

Viewing: 1st
Format: Blu-ray
Thoughts: HALLOWEEN WEEKEND SCREENING #2. Having really enjoyed the first film it was a no-brainer to check out the sequel. And guess what? John K is back! Well technically the opening act of the film is a prequel going back to the events leading up to the alien invasion. Still nice to see him back in the role, even for a brief time. And to be honest I kind of wish they stayed there a bit more. While the remaining half has some decent suspense and twists and turns, it's a little too Walking Dead for my liking. Also now that we've seen the aliens they're just not as scary as they were in the first film when they were more mysterious. I did love Cillian Murphy in this, nice change of pace for him and really liked this conflicted character. All in all this was not as solid as the first film, but still enjoyable.

Viewing: 2nd
Format: Blu-ray
Thoughts: HALLOWEEN WEEKEND SCREENING #3. I recall seeing this in the theaters as a teenager, but don't remember much of it other than it being a somewhat solid John Carpenter flick. This marked the beginning of Carpenter's mid-90s tear, which was followed by Village Of The Damned, Escape From LA, and Vampires. All of which feature some great atmosphere and scares, with top notch practical FX. In The Mouth of Madness is probably at the lower end of the bunch, despite featuring a solid performance from Sam Neil and a great Stephen King novel come to life concept. It has some genuine creepyness along the way, but the plot gets a little too muddled and hard to follow at times. It's at its best when John Trent gets settled in at this fictitious town and weird things start to happen. Wish they spent more time with this part of the story. Overall this is mediocre Carpenter that has its moments but could have been better.

Viewing: 2nd
Format: Blu-ray
Thoughts: HALLOWEEN WEEKEND SCREENING #4. I just want to caveat this and note that I'm not a fan of the opening Romero piece and I didn't bother to watch it this time around, skipping straight to Argento's The Black Cat. I first watched this at the height of my Argento obsession in the late 90s/early 00s, and boy does this deliver for his fans. It not only features a great attempt at the Edgar Allen Poe story, but also contains Harvey Keitel in full Bad Lieutenant, committed 90s mode. I could easily watch an entire movie of a drunk Keitel yelling at his girlfriend in the kitchen (what a scene!). What I love the most about this piece is seeing Argento work on a smaller scale, which gives us a taste of what could have been if he worked on a 90s era tv series. It almost feels like an Italian Tales From The Crypt. It basically has everything we love about the maestro: POV shots, Hitchcock vibes, shocking gore FX, crazed animals, etc. It's definitely one of the best of his later career, despite feeling like an episode rather than a full feature.

Viewing: 2nd (or 3rd)
Format: Blu-ray
Thoughts: After seeing Dune 2021, I naturally had to revisit the 84 version which stands as a somewhat polarizing, controversial piece that was disowned by David Lynch. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this version as much as I did, and prior to revisiting it I felt it was the inferior version of the two. But dammit I stand corrected, this version is awesome and stands alone in its unique wackyness. It's deeply rooted in 80s fantasy/sci-fi, and made me think of its contemporaries like Star Wars, Flash Gordon, and even Krull. But there are some big artistic strokes here that set it apart from those, Lynch's unmistakable mark whether he likes it or not. It's biggest flaw is that it takes on way too much for one film and is super rushed in parts, making the overall product a big mess. But when the movie does hit, it hits big and delivers some great entertainment. This is a very solid cast with excellent choices for the characters, most notably Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides, and of course the Harkonnen clan. I watched this movie twice just to take it all in and I have to say it's an amazing piece of 80s cinema despite its flaws. Is it as good as Dune 2021? Only time will tell, but it is a great movie in its own right. So grab yourself a big bowl of popcorn and season it heavily with SPICE!

Viewing: 1st
Format: DVD
Thoughts: Unfortunately I will have to give abridged reviews to keep up with the backlog of movies I've seen recently. The Border is a forgotten Nicholson film that probably resonates more in 2021 than it did when it was released in the early 80s. It's about a border agent that has a sudden change of heart and goes against his fellow agents to protect a young border jumper. It's a little slow but things get amped up towards the end with some good chase scenes and unexpected practical FX violence.

Viewing: 2nd
Format: DVD
Thoughts: Don't recall much about this movie the first time I saw it when I was younger, other than it was directed by the wacky Savage Steve Holland (who also gave us Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer). As a lesser known film in his catalogue I have to say this movie is pretty awesome. It has all the zany bits that we can expect from Holland along with a solid underdog story.

Viewing: 1st
Format: Blu-ray
Thoughts: I was eager to see this as it sounded like the batshit crazy kind of premise that I love, indeed it started off great and had a nice buildup. But I should of known it kind of bit off more than it could chew and falls apart in the second half. Still it deserves points for doing something different, almost like a twilight zone episode updated for our pandemic fearing times.