Movies I watched in September 2020

Date: 9/1/2020
Viewed: Crackle
First Viewing

Note: I always wanted to see this movie for years because I remember seeing a trailer for it when I saw Captain America: The First Avenger back in 2011. I end up forgetting about the movie and I never had the chance to watch it. Better late than never, I'm finally watching this movie for the first time on Crackle (As of 9/1/2020). After watching the movie for the first time, I thought it was pretty good. Take Shelter is a well-made movie that is very suspenseful at times.

The movie keeps you on the edge of your seat on what is going to happen next because you do have some cool twists and turns. When you are watching the movie, it makes you think if the visions of the future from Michael Shannon's character are true or if he is just crazy. Both Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain do a great job of playing two couples that feel very believable. The little girl who played their daughter in the movie did a good job as well, and they didn't use her disability as a plot device or didn't try to shove her disability in the audiences' face. The movie is 2 hours long and it does a great job of building up the suspense. I do hate sounding like a broken record, but I do highly recommend not reading any spoilers for the movie. The ending of this movie is truly worth the wait.

Overall, Take Shelter is a good movie and I do recommend checking it out.

Date: 9/2/2020
Viewed: Amazon Prime Rental
Re-Watch

Note: I remember seeing this movie in theaters when it came out with my dad. My dad wanted to see this movie or Snakes on a Plane, but we end up deciding to watch this movie instead because we both like Michael Mann's work. When I saw this movie back in 2006, I didn't care for it. Seeing that my friends on Letterboxd really like this movie, I wanted to give this movie a second chance. It should be noted that I never watched the original TV show, so I can't compare the two. After revisiting this movie again, I did like it better than I did back in 2006. It's not Michael Mann's best movie, but I still consider Miami Vice to be a solid movie.

The acting is good and the cinematography is great. I do like how this movie looks because it has a dark and gritty feeling to it. Watching this movie made me feel like I was in the darker parts of Miami. The movie runs at 2 hours and it moves at a nice pace in my opinion. It didn't felt long and slow as I remember it being. You also have plenty of action that helps keeps this movie entertaining. I always dig the soundtrack in this movie by having a mixture of electronic music, classic rock, and a little bit of nu-metal.

My biggest issue with this movie is the character development in my opinion. Outside of Sonny (Colin Farrell), Ricardo (Jamie Foxx), and Gong Li's character, I didn't have much of an attachment with the other characters. This movie made me want to check out the original 80s TV show in the near future. Overall, Miami Vice is a good movie and I do recommend it if you've got time to spare.

Date: 9/3/2020
Viewed: Blu-Ray (Code Red)
Re-Watch

Note: I haven't seen this movie in ages and I wanted to revisit it for a while. It took me a while to find a copy because the Blu-Ray is out of print, but I was lucky to get the Code Red Blu-Ray on eBay for a good price with my birthday money back in May. After revisiting this movie, I don't think it's a bad movie. House on the Edge of the Park is dark and sleazy, but I can't help to enjoy it. This is a movie that most people will probably not enjoy because it is very dark and violent.

The movie does have a slow start and takes 20 minutes for the movie to start rolling in my opinion. I love the dark and suspenseful tone of the film because it creates a feeling of claustrophobia. You have a group of people that are trap with a group of madmen, and they have no way out. I like how the movie puts you in the shoes of these characters because you can feel the terror that these characters are experiencing. One of my biggest fears is having someone break into my house and hurting my family along with myself. While the movie is not a gore fest, you still get plenty of violent moments that will make you feel uncomfortable. The movie does not hold back when it comes to sexual violence. You also have a great musical score from the legendary Riz Ortolani (Mondo Cane) that is very bone-chilling to listen too.

I also love the shots of New York City in the movie despite not having many of them. You can still feel the dark and sleazy tone of New York City when watching this movie. The acting in the movie is not bad for the most part. Nothing in this movie is Oscar-worthy, but David A. Hess does a great job of playing a creepy serial killer. His role makes my skin crawl when he is on screen.

Overall, House on the Edge of the Park is a pretty good movie and it is worth checking out if you enjoy horror movies. I don't recommend this movie if you can't handle graphic violence.

Date: 9/4/2020
Viewed: Youtube
First Viewing

Note: This is another major classic that I never saw until now. I always wanted to check it out for years, but I never had the chance too. Thankfully, someone recommended this movie to me for Film Club's Secret Cinema and I can finally watch it. After watching this movie for the first time, I'm very impressed. I went into this movie knowing nothing about the story, and I was surprised how dark this movie was. They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? is a solid movie that deals with psychological trauma.

The acting in this movie is fantastic because I can't think of a single bad performance in this movie. Jane Fonda was wonderful and I can see why Gig Young won the award for the best supporting actor for the Oscars. You have a fantastic story that deals with people are who are suffering from psychological trauma and the crazy things that people do for money. The Depression-era was a terrible time to be living through (My Grandpa on my dad's side of the family told me the rough stuff that he had to do as both a kid and teenager during that era) and people had suffered just to put food on the table at the time. It's also a very long movie that is very emotionally draining to sit through. This is not a movie that you can sit down and chill at any moment. You have to be in the right mood when watching this movie.

Overall, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? is a great Anti-capitalism movie and I'm glad that I finally watched it. I highly recommend this movie.

Date: 9/4/2020
Viewed: Amazon Prime
First Viewing

Note: I have heard many interesting things about this movie over the last month. Many people seem to love or hate this movie from what I've seen. I wanted to watch this movie for a while now, but I haven't gotten the chance to watch it yet. I got an e-mail from Amazon letting me know that my rental of this movie is going to expire next week if I don't watch it now. After finally watching this movie, I did like it. However, I can't help to feel a bit let down by this movie. She Dies Tomorrow is right up my alley because I love it when surreal movies use trippy neon colors and symbolism.

You had several scenes that look really dark and I had no idea what was going on. It could have been the room that I was watching the movie in (I'm at my Aunt's house at the moment) or maybe the TV setting was not very good. I do love the general vibe of the movie, but the message of this movie still left me confused. I didn't think the movie had any pay off after it was over in my opinion. At least the acting, music, and cinematography were good.

Overall, She Dies Tomorrow is a good movie and I do recommend checking it out if you are curious. I do want to give this movie another watch in the near future because I feel like this movie will be better with a second viewing.

Date: 9/5/2020
Viewed: 4K UHD
Re-Watch

Note: The Matrix will always be a special movie for me because I remember seeing it with my Dad when I was almost 8 years old at the time. I was blown away by how amazing the movie was because it was nothing that I have seen before. The Matrix to me back in 1999 is what was Star Wars: A New Hope was for kids back in 1977 because it felt like that I was witnessing something new and legendary that would impact both cinema and pop culture. The movie was all over the place and you could not go anywhere without people talking about it back in 1999. Even in elementary school, all the kids were pretending to be like the characters in the movie at recess time.

I know that I sound like some 90s kid with nostalgia goggles on, but I still love this movie even without any nostalgia. This movie never gets boring to me and I probably watched this movie like 30 times in the last 21 years. The Matrix is a fantastic sci-fi action movie that mixes Cyberpunk, Wuxia, and John Woo shoot 'em up into an awesome film. I watched the movie in 4K UHD and the transfer is mind-blowing. It felt like I was watching the movie for the first time all over again. The story may not be 100% original, but you still get a very well-told story with well-written characters. The soundtrack for this movie never gets old and has the best of 90s goth/industrial music tracks in my opinion.

I don't have much else to say because I feel like plenty of people already have seen this movie. Overall, The Matrix is a near-perfect movie in my opinion. If you haven't seen this movie yet, you should get on that ASAP.

Date: 9/6/2020
Viewed: 4K UHD
First Viewing

Note: When I was a little kid, I would try to watch as many Dinosaurs stuff that I can get my hands on because I loved Dinosaurs thanks to Jurassic Park and Land Before Time. I remember my Mom rented this movie for me when I was probably 4 or 5 years old at Blockbuster. I was unaware that this movie was completely edited down at the time. Many years later, I found that this movie was meant to be an R rated movie, and I was surprised. I picked up the 4K UHD release from Vinegar Syndrome and I finally decided to watch it. I'm counting this movie as a first viewing because I never saw the gore cut of this movie. Tammy and the T-Rex is not a bad movie, to be honest.

The plot for this movie is very stupid and the characters are pretty cliché, but they did a good job of making the movie self-aware. The movie does not take itself seriously and it knows that it is stupid. Even the director admits that he made this movie for people who enjoy wacky movies. The movie is hilarious for both the right and wrong reasons. Some jokes in this movie are pretty corny at times, but I still had a good laugh when watching this movie nevertheless. I did watch the movie in 4K UHD and the transfer is breathtaking. It's amazing how they make a direct to video movie look so good in 4K.

You also have some really cool special effects that still look awesome today. The gore in this movie is awesome and it's so much fun seeing a robotic T-Rex killing people on screen. Some green screen effects do look dated at times, but it didn't bother me that much. I was still confused about what location that this movie was supposed to be taken place at? You have a wild forest with lions, black panthers, and leopards, but the movie is clearly set in the United States. Other than that, I had a blast with this movie.

Overall, Tammy and the T-Rex is a fun trashy movie that is worth checking out.

Date: 9/7/2020
Viewed: Amazon Prime Rental
First Viewing

Note: I avoid watching this movie for years because I normally don't watch remakes of movies that I like. Not to mention, the idea of Elijah Wood playing Frank Zito was so random. However, people have told me that this remake is pretty good for the last several years now. I decided to finally watch this movie for the first time and I end up liking it a lot. Maniac 2012 is a solid remake that respects the original 1980 movie. I still love the original 1980 Manic movie more, but I still consider this movie to be noteworthy.

I like that this movie does something new with the story while staying faithful to the original at the same time. You still have the dark atmosphere and the creative camera angles from the original in this movie. It was also cool that they had Frank Zito being schizophrenic, and they show more of his backstory. Elijah Wood in this movie was also surprisingly good because he does a good job of playing someone who looks harmless, but yet deadly. Elijah Wood did his own spin on Frank Zito instead of trying to copy Joe Spinell's performance. I also like that this movie was an indie film and not some big-budget mainstream Hollywood remake. If this movie was remade by Platinum Dunes, it probably would have been hot garbage in my opinion. They hire someone who understands the original Maniac movie and is trying to make a good movie instead of some nostalgic cash grab.

I love the chilling music and the beautiful cinematography that this movie has. Maxime Alexandre did a wonderful job of making modern LA look and feel dark and scary. Watching this movie makes you not want to be alone late at night on the streets of LA. The blood and gore in this movie are excellent too. The special effects are nowhere as good as Tom Savini's work, but they still did a great job nevertheless. Both this movie and the original movie are excessively gory but that's not a bad thing. This movie is meant to be very violent because it is important to the story's theme.

Overall, the 2012 Maniac remake is a good movie and I do recommend checking it out.

Date: 9/7/2020
Viewed: Tubi
First Viewing

Note: I always wanted to check out this movie for the last 15 years now when I first heard about it on the Monster Zero forums back in 2005. I finally got the chance to watch it because the movie is now on TubiTV and Amazon Prime (As of 9/7/020). I really wanted to like this movie, but I didn't. Deep-Sea Monster Reigo is a boring kaiju movie in my opinion.

I thought the movie was very slow and I didn't care about any of the characters. Reigo has a cool design, but the awful CGI ruined the movie for me. The CGI is worse than the CGI in Godzilla 2000 (1999) and that movie came out six years earlier than this movie did. At least, the idea behind the movie was cool because I don't think they made a Kaiju movie that was set during WW2 before. I also thought the humor in the movie was very stupid and not funny at all.

Overall, Deep-Sea Monster Reigo is a forgettable movie and I recommend watching something else instead.

Date: 9/8/2020
Viewed: Amazon Prime
First Viewing

Note: I always wanted to check out the original The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for years, but I never had the chance too. I only have seen the English adaption of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo once when it came out in theaters back in 2011. Also, I never read the books, and I can't compare the two. After watching this movie for the first time on Amazon Prime, I really enjoy it. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an excellent mystery thriller from start to finish.

One of my favorite things in this movie was the dark atmosphere because I love the dark and gritty feeling of this movie. You get a sense of rawness seeing how this movie feels like it could happen in our reality. Everything is down to Earth with the story and characters. They handle the violence in this movie very well because it does not feel like it is shoved in the audiences' faces. You have a very disturbing rape scene that is important to the story. The rape scene is not added for mindless shock value and it fits with the general theme of the story. The general theme of the movie is how dangerous men can be towards women with the violent abuse of women in Sweden.

The acting in this movie is fantastic because everyone did a wonderful job with their roles. The movie is over 2 hours and it does have a slow start, but it is totally worth sitting through. The movie's long run time is needed for the story because you have great character build-up and plenty of interesting twists & turns that happens. I can't think of a single scene in this movie was boring, to be honest. Every moment had me on the edge of my seat waiting for more.

Overall, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) is a great movie and I'm glad that I watched it. I do want to revisit the 2011 English adaption soon and watch the other two movies in the series as well. I do recommend watching this movie when you get the chance. This is not a film for the faint-off-heart, so I don't recommend it if you can't handle graphic violence.

Date: 9/9/2020
Viewed: TubiTV
Re-Watch

Note: It's been a while since I have seen this movie and it holds up well. Dial M for Murder has a creepy story that deals with someone trying to threaten someone into murdering another person. The classic scene of Grace Kelly's character getting strangle is pretty scary and was disturbing at the time back in 1954. You can see how Hitchcock's style has influenced many people to make the Giallo genre a decade later with movies such as Blood and Black Lace (1964).

I still love the story in this movie because the movie keeps the audience at the edge of their seat on what will happen next. Alfred Hitchock knows how to keep the audience entertained by adding mystery and suspense to have people be invested with the story. When watching this movie, you can always pick up clues before the main characters find the clues themselves. I also love the colorful cinematography from Robert Burks and it would have been cool to see what the movie would have been like in 3D. You also have a great creepy score from Dimitri Tiomkin that helps creates a haunting and atmospheric tone for the story.

Overall, Dial M for Murder is a solid movie and I highly recommend watching it.

Date: 9/9/2020
Viewed: Shudder
First Viewing

Note: I never heard of this movie until recently when I saw it at my local Red Box. I thought I might as well check it out because the movie got some good word of mouth on the web. After watching it on Shudder, I thought it was pretty good. Z is a pretty interesting horror movie with the idea of an imaginary friend that haunts people. I do like the creepy atmosphere that this movie has and the acting is pretty solid. I honestly can't help to compare this movie to Daniel Isn't Real (2019) because both movies do share similarities with each other. They are both horror movies with an evil imaginary friend, and they both deal with people going through mental health issues. Daniel Isn't Real is a better-made movie that handles this concept way better in my opinion.

I still don't think Z is a bad movie because I still had a lot of fun watching it. The movie has some scary scenes that took me by surprise and the creature design for Z is pretty cool. However, I wish the movie had a stronger script because I feel like the characterization could have been better. The characters in this movie feel lackluster and I didn't really care for them that much. You also have stuff in the story that I felt like that was never explained at all. Not to mention, the CGI in this movie looks pretty bad. Z in this movie looks super fake and it feels like it was ripped out of a cut scene from an Xbox 360 video game in my opinion. I still respect the effort and creativity that was put into this movie.

Overall, Z (2019) is not a bad movie and I do think it is worth a rental if you are curious.

Date: 9/10/2020
Viewed: Arrow Video Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: This movie turned 40 years old today and it felt like the perfect day to watch this movie. I already revisit this movie when I bought the Arrow Video UK Blu-ray (Region Free BTW) a couple of years ago, but I didn't have a Letterboxd account at the time. This movie is still awesome and it never gets old for me. The Exterminator is a solid action revenge film that represents the dark, violent, and tragic underbelly of America.

I do admit that this movie is not perfect because the writing could have been better. Some scenes in the story feel like that they are missing because they don't add up (like how is The Exterminator is able to find the first gang member so quickly?). Even some dialogue and acting is not very good. However, the rest of the movie is excellent because I do like how well-made this movie is. I love the dark and gritty atmosphere that this movie has. You can feel the dirty and sleazy feeling of New York City when watching this movie. This movie is a time capsule of the old days of 42nd Street before Disney took over it in the late 1980s. It has the same vibe to other movies from the Grindhouse era like Taxi Driver (1976), The Drill Killer (1979), Maniac (1980), Ms. 45 (1981), and The New York Ripper (1982).

The story is not original because it is similar to Death Wish (1974), but I still consider this movie to be different from Death Wish. The story is still well done and it shows what happens when someone gets addicted to revenge. After when The Exterminator kills those racist gang members, he starts to kill other people. The movie makes you wonder if his justice is socially acceptable or not. For example, how far is too far when it comes to breaking the law? This movie is still relevant in today's world with the movie dealing with dark, violent, and tragic themes going on in America. In this movie, you have racism, gang violence, violence towards women, pedophiles, and corrupt officials. The movie shows us what happens if America does not fix these issues in our nation. It's sad that America has not changed in the last 40 years since this movie has come out. Another awesome thing about this movie is the death scenes. The death scenes are very well done, and one death scene in this movie always makes my skin crawl. It's also cool to see Samuel L Jackson in one of his earlier movie roles before he was famous.

Overall, The Exterminator is a solid movie that is underrated in my opinion. I do recommend it if you are into Grindhouse movies or revenge movies.

Date: 9/11/2020
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: If there was an anime that represents the 90s, it would be Ninja Scroll. Ninja Scroll was one of the biggest and most popular anime titles of the 90s before DBZ, Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Yu-Gi-Oh, etc took over. Titles such as Akira, Ninja Scroll, Ghost in the Shell, Vampire Hunter D, Bubblegum Crisis, Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, Perfect Blue, The Guyver, Ranma 1/2, etc. ruled the video stores, and they were the hot titles that nearly every anime fans at the time were into. Even people who don't like anime were watching Ninja Scroll. I still remember when I first saw this anime back on VHS when I was 8 and was blown away how awesome this anime was. Even as an adult, I still love Ninja Scroll and it never gets old when I revisit it.

Ninja Scroll has everything that you would expect from an R rated action anime. It has kick-ass action sequences, amazing animation, plenty of blood & gore, and cool characters. This anime is not deep or high art, but it is not trying to be. It's an action movie and it knows what it is trying to be. It has a simple story as you would expect from an action movie, but the amazing action sequences and the cool characters make up for it. Yoshikai Kawajiri does a wonderful job on animating action because the action sequences are fast-paced and the animation feels so fluent. The animation is breathtaking because the amount of detail that is put into the animation is amazing. For a movie that is almost 30 years old, it still holds up so well. You get to see many details in the environment in the movie and it is fascinating how much time & effort was put into animating this movie. I also love the use of dark colors in this movie which is something that Yoshikai Kawajiri is known for (As seen in Wicked City (1987) and The Running Man segment in Neo Tokyo (1987) ).

I love the characters in this movie because they are so memorable. You actually care about them and you want to see them not be killed off. I also like the movie's theme of mortality vs. immortality because Kibagami Jubei (the main character) is strong, but he can still easily be killed because he is human. Meanwhile, the main villain of this movie is immortal and can never die. Jubei does not have character shields like most action heroes and that alone makes him interesting than most action heroes. The movie also shows that being immortal is not always a good thing as well. While I do love this movie, I can see why some people don't like this movie. Ninja Scroll is very violent and it has some really graphic scenes that will make some people feel uncomfortable. If you don't like graphic violence, you are probably not going to like this movie.

Overall, Ninja Scroll is a fantastic movie and it is my personal favorite action animated movie. I highly recommend this movie for both anime fans and non-anime fans.

Date: 9/11/2020
Viewed: TubiTV
First Viewing

Note: I don't remember if I ever saw this movie growing up, but I do remember the VHS copies of this movie at my local video store as a kid. Vinegar Syndrome did release this movie on Blu-ray, but I wanted to watch it before I buy it. After watching it for the first time on Tubi, it was pretty cool. The Suckling is not a good movie at all, but it is a lot of fun to watch. This is the type of trashy movie that you watch at midnight on a weekend night.

It's a movie that you enjoy because of its flaws. You have bad acting, laughable dialogue, and poor writing in this film. None of the characters in the movie are very interesting as well. However, I can't help to enjoy this movie. It has the claustrophobic feeling from Alien (1979), the nightmare dream quality from Xtro (1982), and the scuzzy feeling from Basket Case (1983). I also like the low video quality feeling to it because the movie feels like it was made almost a decade earlier, but was made in the 90s instead. It's the type of low budget movie charm that I'm a huge sucker for. I also think the special effects are not bad for a low budget movie. Many people think the monster in this movie looks stupid, but I think it looks really cool. I enjoy seeing its long deadly teeth when the camera zooms into the face.

Overall, The Suckling is a fun trashy movie and I do recommend it if you enjoy creature features or bad movies.

Date: 9/12/2020
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: I haven't seen this movie since 2012 and I felt like revisiting this movie lately. Hard to believe that this movie is almost 10 years old because it does not feel like it at all. The Raid still holds up very well and there is not a single boring moment in the movie. The movie has nice pacing because it does not overstay its welcome. I do love the dark and gritty tone of this movie because the movie does feel like a classic grindhouse movie at times with the over the top violence and the single place setting. When watching this movie, I do get an Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) vibe but that's just me.

The best thing about this movie is the action and fight choreography because it is awesome. The fight scenes are well done and the violence in the movie is very satisfying. While the movie is not a hardcore gorefest, but you get plenty of ultra-violence that will please fans of violent movies. The acting in the movie is surprisingly good and I feel like everyone did a good job with their roles. Iko Uwais as Rama is a nice action hero that is a rookie in the police force that wants to make it out alive to see his wife and his unborn child. His character is likable and you want to see him get alive. The story in this movie is nothing deep, but it's not supposed to be. It knows what it is trying to be and knows what the movie's main target audience wants. It actually succeeds in being a brutal action movie without coming off as a dumb edgy movie that panders to the edgelords/angsty teenagers. I still wish the movie had a stronger supporting cast of characters because some of them didn't feel very well-developed in my opinion.

Overall, The Raid is a solid movie and I do recommend it if you enjoy violent action movies.

Date: 9/13/2020
Viewed: TubiTV
First Viewing

Note: I honestly like this movie way better than Reigo: The Deep-Sea Monster vs. the Battleship Yamato to be honest. This movie is far from perfect, but I had a lot of fun watching it. Unlike Reigo, this movie didn't move at a snail pace and I didn't want to turn it off when watching it. The movie was entertaining because it felt like a traditional kaiju movie for once. You have plenty of giant monster destruction in this movie that will please fans of the Kaiju genre. Unlike Reigo, I actually like the main characters and the humor made me laugh.

The CGI in this movie is terrible and it is cringy to sit through. I almost felt like that I was watching a PS1 FMV (full motion video) cut scene when watching this movie. I'm still glad that I watched Deep Sea Monster Ragia and I do recommend it to giant monster movie fans.

Date: 9/14/2020
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: This movie recently turned 30 years old and I felt like it was the perfect time to watch this movie again. This movie is still awesome and keeps on getting better with each viewing. I always love the dark and dirty dystopian cyberpunk setting that this movie has. Richard Stanley created a unique world that these characters live in. You can really get sucked into the movie's atmosphere when watching this movie. I also love the feeling of claustrophobia when these characters are trapped inside with a killer robot. The M.A.R.K. 13. is a very cool looking robot and I consider it to be a metaphor for the flaws of capitalism. The M.A.R.K 13 is being built to be sold to people and it will kill people. Who made it probably does not care as long if it sells. I also dig the social commentary on the future that we are making for ourselves because these characters live in a dystopian society that has been ruined by possibly climate change. The main characters even talk about how bad overpopulation is as well.

While the story is not 100% original, I still think the story is still well told and I do like the main cast of characters. William Hootkins' character is super creepy and feels like a total Incel/Redpiller in my opinion. The special effects in this movie are still awesome, and they still hold up very well. You will probably never see a cool and unique movie like Hardware in today's world sadly.

Overall, Hardware is still a great movie and I highly recommend it. Please pick up the Blu-Ray release from Ronin Flix because it has a fantastic transfer and amazing bonus content.

Date: 9/15/2020
Viewed: Amazon Prime
First Viewing

Note: After watching Yi Yi (2000) earlier this year, I wanted to check out more movies from Edward Yang. Seeing it was on Amazon Prime, I finally sat down and watch this movie. After watching this movie for the first time, I thought it was excellent. I thought the story was very interesting because the story was told from a different character's perspective in Taipei. Everyone did a great job on acting because everyone felt believable as if they were real-life people. I do like how the movie uses dark imagery, and shadows to create a darker feeling of being in Taipei. The movie itself feels very moody to capture the real-world issues that these characters go through.

I also love the atmosphere in this movie because the movie's atmosphere sucks you into the movie and it makes you feel like that you are with these characters in Taipei. While this movie is not as long as Yi Yi, the movie is still a slow burn. The Terrorizers does move at a slow pace, but it does not overstay its welcome. The movie runs at 110 minutes and I felt like the run time is perfect for this movie's story. I also recommend watching this movie without reading any spoilers because you have excellent surprises that happen in this movie that will make your jaw drop.

Overall, The Terroizers is a great movie and I do recommend checking it out. I do plan on watching more movies from Edward Yang soon in the near future.

Date: 9/16/2020
Viewed: Blu-Ray
First Viewing

Note: I do remember hearing about this movie growing up, but I don't remember watching it. After watching this movie for the first time on Blu-Ray, I end up liking it. Blue Monkey aka Insect is a fun creature feature that does not take itself too seriously. The acting in this movie is surprisingly decent and Steve Railsback (In the Line of Fire) is easily the best actor in the movie. None of the characters are great, but I still find them to be pretty likable. The story in the movie is pretty stupid, but that's the charm of this movie. It's a 1980s horror movie that almost feels like a tribute to 1950s horror movies. I do think the worst thing about this movie are the kids because I found them to be so annoying.

The best thing about this movie is the production values because the movie has great lighting, solid camera work, and awesome special effects in my opinion. I dig the atmosphere and the general vibe that this movie has because the movie feels suspenseful and creepy. The killer bugs in this movie look great, and they don't look cheap at all. They look so authentic that this movie can easily be mistaken for a big-budget mainstream studio film. Even the blood and gore in this movie is very well done. Dark Force Entertainment did a wonderful job of restoring it because the picture looks so clean and crisp looking. I do recommend picking up the Blu-Ray release.

Overall, Blue Monkey aka Insect is a fun B movie and I do recommend checking it out if you enjoy trashy horror movies.

Date: 9/16/2020
Viewed: Shudder
First Viewing

Note: I do remember seeing this movie on TV as a little kid, but I only remember one or two scenes of this movie. So I'm counting this movie as a first viewing. After watching this movie for the first time on Shudder, I thought it was pretty good. Fade to Black is a cool and creative horror movie that deals with a crazy movie buff that becomes a serial killer. This is the movie that The Fanatic (2019) wants to be, but fails. I do love the makeup work in this movie because it still looks good for a movie that came out over 40 years ago.

The movie is super entertaining because the movie glues you to your seat on what will happen next. I really enjoy Dennis Christopher as Eric Binford because he does a great job of playing a socially awkward and unlikable movie buff that looks harmless. His character sums up my mental image of your typical nice guy/incel in today's world. You also have solid performances from Norman Burton (Planet of the Apes 1968), Tim Thomerson (Trancers), Mickey Rourke, and Morgan Paull (Blade Runner) as well.

I do like the general message of this movie is to warn people when someone's hobbies go way too far. Clearly Eric Binford is someone who has mental health issues and never got the proper mental help treatment. While I do really like this movie, I still think the movie could have been better. I wish they polish the script more to add some more depth to the story. It would have been cool if they made a darker movie that shows more of the human psyche of a crazy fanboy. I also feel like the supporting cast feels lackluster too.

Overall, Fade to Black is a good movie that is worth checking out. I won't mind seeing someone remaking this movie in today's world.

Date: 9/17/2020
Viewed: DVD Import
First Viewing

Note: This is a movie that I honestly never heard of until it was picked for this week's movie for Film Club (A movie discord server that I'm in). It took me a while to find a way to watch this movie because the movie has no official release in the United States at the moment. After watching this movie for the first time, I really enjoy it. The acting in this movie is excellent and I also enjoy the pretty cinematography as well. The movie looks great because you get plenty of pretty shots of Japan in this movie.

The best thing about this movie is the story because the main character is a novelist that makes everyone's lives so difficult for everyone around him. The main character goes through a major loss, and yet he feels no sadness. He has trouble moving on with his life and it takes him a while to recognize that most people in his life dislike him. This is a movie that you are supposed to hate the main character and you want to see him change his ways. The movie also covers themes of loneliness and the lack of human connection in our lives. Miwa Nishikawa did a wonderful job of tackling these themes without coming off as pretentious in my opinion.

The only thing that I didn't like about this movie is the pacing because it took me a while to get invested in the story. The movie is over 2 hours long, and I was starting to feel burned out by the last act of the movie. I'm still glad that I watched this movie nevertheless and I hope someone like Criterion will pick it up in the near future. Overall, The Long Excuse is a great movie and I do recommend checking it out.

Date: 9/17/2020
Viewed: Amazon Prime
First Viewing

Note: The only reason why I decided to watch this movie is out of morbid curiosity. I still remember seeing a DVD copy of this movie at my local grocery store back in 2006, and I was surprised that a sequel to 8MM (1999) exists. The first 8MM movie is a solid underrated horror-thriller movie in my opinion. J. S. Cardone is the director of this movie, and he does not have the best track record, but he has some decent titles under his belt. After watching this movie for the first time, I thought it was terrible.

This movie is one of those sequels that is in name only. You would think that they would alter the movie on the last-minute similar to American Psycho 2 (2002) if they want to make it a sequel to 8MM. Sadly, they didn't and I wish that they would have kept the movie's original title instead. This movie is so boring because nothing in this movie is interesting. I was honestly hoping that this movie would be a stupid bad movie that I can enjoy for being so awful. There was one scene in the movie that made me laugh for all the wrong reasons and that was about it. Everything else about this movie is a chore to sit through. You would honestly have more fun watching grass grow instead.

The movie's production values are so cheap and dated. I could have easily mistaken this movie for a movie from the mid 90s if it was not for modern technology and music in the movie. The entire movie feels like if the Hallmark Channel made a horror porno. You have many sex and nudity scenes in this movie that feel pointless. Even the acting in this movie is horrible and you can tell that the actors really tries their best with the material that they were giving with (I normally like Johnathon Schaech). I can't think of a single positive thing about this movie other than some music was pretty good (I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel here).

Overall, 8MM 2 is a terrible movie and I highly recommend avoiding it. Go watch the first 8MM movie from 1999 instead.

Date: 9/18/2020
Viewed: Amazon Prime
First Viewing

Note: This is another great classic movie that I missed out on. I always wanted to see it for years, but I never had the chance too. Seeing that this movie is now on Amazon Prime (As of 9/18/2020), I finally sat down and watched this movie, After watching it for the first time, I really enjoy it. In the Heat of the Night is an absolutely fantastic movie from start to finish. The movie has smart writing, great acting, and fantastic pacing. Not a single moment in this movie was boring. I also like that nothing in this movie feels dated because the themes in the story are still relevant in today's world. I can totally understand why this movie won the best picture at the Oscars.

I still wish Sidney Poitier won the award for best actor instead of Rod Steiger, but that's just me. Overall, In the Heat of the Night is a fantastic movie and I highly recommend checking this movie out.

Date: 9/18/2020
Viewed: Amazon Prime
First Viewing

Note: I always remember seeing the VHS cover of this movie at my local video stores for years growing up as a kid. The VHS cover for this movie looks awesome in my opinion. Severin Films released this movie on Blu-Ray and you can now watch it on both Amazon Prime, and Tubi at the moment (As of 9/18/2020). After watching this movie for the first time, I was a bit disappointed. Death Warmed Up is pretty boring, to be honest.

The special effects in this movie are superb for a low budget movie. I even love the dark and sleazy tone of the movie. However, I could not get into the story at all. Every character in this movie are dull and the movie feels really slow at times. Normally, I can forgive a bad story in a schlocky movie if the movie is entertaining. Sadly, this movie did nothing for me.

Overall, Death Warmed Up is average at best in my opinion. Maybe I will like this movie on a second viewing in a better mental state.

Date: 9/19/2020
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: This movie recently turned 30 years old and I felt like it was the perfect day to revisit it. GoodFellas is not my favorite Martin Scorsese movie, but I still consider it a great movie nevertheless. The movie has amazing acting, great writing, and a fantastic soundtrack. GoodFellas also moves at a nice pace for a movie that is over 2 and a half hours long. I love the last act of the movie than the first two acts of the movie, to be honest.

This movie is probably my favorite role that Ray Liotta has played in next to Cop Land (1997) and his role in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. You also have Marie Michaels from The Suckling in this movie in a small role as well (Both movies came out the same year ironically enough). I have nothing else to say about this movie because enough people already talked about this movie to death. Go watch it now if you haven't seen it yet.

Date: 9/19/2020
Viewed: Youtube
Re-Watch

Note: I first remember seeing this movie ages ago on a VHS tape with no English subs. It was a surreal experience to watch a horror movie without knowing what was going on when I was a kid. I finally watched this movie again for the first time in the last 20+ years with English subtitles. Demon Within aka Gakidama is not a good movie, but I always love the atmosphere and vibe that this movie has. The movie has that same type of lighting and spooky feeling that most Japanese live-action horror movies have around that time period. You also have plenty of cool gross moments that are worth sitting through. This movie feels like it was inspired by Xtro (1983) without a doubt in my opinion because both movies have very nasty birth scenes that are both equally gross.

I do like the special effects of the blood and gore, but the little demon creature in this movie is so cute for all the wrong reasons. I always laugh when he is on screen because the cheap body moment makes him feel like a walking toy than an actual creature. While the story didn't make much sense, I still thought the story was interesting. I do wish a company like Massacre Video or Vinegar Syndrome would release this movie on Blu-Ray. Some scenes in this movie look really dark and I have no idea what is going on at times.

Overall, Demon Within is a fun short trashy movie and I do recommend it if you are curious.

Date: 9/20/2020
Viewed: Criterion Channel
Re-Watch

Note: I haven't seen this movie in years and it still holds up very well. Happy Together is one of those movies that I feel like watching again right after it ends. I still prefer Fallen Angels (1995) and 2046 (2004), but Happy Together is still a fantastic movie nevertheless. I do consider Happy Together to be one of the best LGBT movies of the 1990s in my opinion.

The cinematography from Christopher Doyle is breathtaking because I always love how this movie looks. The movie has great use of colors that helps creates that dream-like sense of reality that you would normally find in Wong Kar-Wai movies. I can literally stare at this movie all day long and not even blink because this movie sucks you into the atmosphere of the world that these characters live in.

The writing in this movie is fantastic because I love how believable these characters are. The movie feels grounded to reality and everyone in this movie feels like that they can easily be your next-door neighbors. You have a very strong connection to the main characters that you feel sad when this movie is over. It makes you wish that the movie was longer because you want to spend more time with the main characters on screen. I also like how this movie handles the themes of loneliness and searching for love because the movie executes the themes so well.

Overall, Happy Together is a fantastic movie and I highly recommend it. I will probably revisit the other movies from Wong Kar-Wai soon in the near future.

Date: 9/20/2020
Viewed: Youtube
Re-Watch

Note: I remember seeing this movie once when it was still pretty new and I didn't care for it that much. Several years later, I end up revisiting it on Youtube and my opinion is still the same. Death Kappa is not a bad movie, but it is far from being a good movie. I do like the idea of having a Kaiju Kappa movie because Kappa are creatures that exist in Japanese mythology and mixing Japanese mythology with Kaijus is a neat idea. The suits for the monsters and the makeup work in this movie is pretty solid. You get plenty of good miniatures when the Kappa is fighting against Hangyolas (the main villain). The fight scene between Kappa and Hangyolas is a lot of fun because you get plenty of monster mashing.

The acting is alright, but I do like the casting for the movie. Misato Hirata (Ultraman Mebius) as the lead role is a fun cute main character. You even have Hideaki Anno (The creator of the Evangelion franchise) in a small silly role. Fans of Kamen Rider will also recognize that Shigeru Araki (Kamen Rider Stronger) also has a cool role in the movie as well. The biggest issue with this movie for me is the humor because the humor in the movie is a mixed bag. While some humor is funny while the rest of the humor is really dumb. The movie tries way too hard to be self-aware of poking fun of the typical Kaiju tropes.

The humor came off as lame and unfunny at times. Shin Godzilla (2016) does a better job of poking fun on how useless the Japanese military can be. Another flaw in this movie is the characters because I felt like the character development for them was weak. I didn't care for any of the characters at all in the movie. At least, the movie is under 90 minutes and goes by quickly. A movie like Death Kappa does not overstay its welcome by adding another 10-60 minutes into the movie.

Overall, Death Kappa is an average movie at best. I only recommend this movie for hardcore kaiju fans.

Date: 9/20/2020
Viewed: Shudder
First Viewing

Note: This movie had a lot of Internet buzz from a month ago, and I was curious to check it out. I finally decided to watch this movie on Shudder and I did not like it. I'm not saying that this movie is bad, it was just not my cup of tea. To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of ghost or demonic possession movies because they never appeal to me (With some exceptions). I just don't find ghosts to be scary or interesting. When watching this movie, I was totally bored out of my mind because I didn't care about what was going on with the story. Thankfully, this movie is under an hour-long and does not overstay its welcome.

Even though I didn't like this movie, I do respect the effort that was put into this movie. The movie was made during lockdown when Covid-19 was going on (It still is as of 9/20/2020) and it was a neat idea that they had everyone had to set up their own cameras, lighting, and stunts. I also like the quiet dark and chilling atmosphere that this movie had. If you are curious about this movie, I do recommend giving it a try because you will probably like it better than I did.

Date: 9/21/2020
Viewed: IMDB TV
Re-Watch

Note: I haven't seen this movie since I was 13 when it came out on DVD and I remember the major buzz that this movie had when it was released. I still remember being surprised to see Macaulay Culkin is in a trashy R rated movie because I was so used to him being in movies such as Home Lone 1-2 (1990-1991). This movie is a biopic about the infamous New York City party promoter Michael Alig and most of the real-life events happen before I was born. I didn't really know about the real-life story until at the end of the 90s when the story was covered in some documentary on TV. I do admit that I'm hardly an expert on the real-life story and I do feel like art should be viewed on their own. Regardless of the real-life story, I still think Party Monster is a solid movie that shows what happens when people take their drug addiction too far.

I do really enjoy the sleazy tone of the movie because it fits perfectly with the story. This movie does have some nasty scenes that will probably turn most people off. Unlike Pain & Gain (2013), the humor does not feel insulting and it knows when to be funny. The production values are my favorite thing about the movie because the movie feels like a trashy grindhouse movie from the 1980s while having a flashback on acid. Both Seth Green and Macauley Culkin did a good job with the material that they are given with. Macauley Culkin in the movie does feel like he is someone who is obsessed with his ego that ends up killing his own drug dealer. He was the perfect choice to play someone who is crazy and unlikable. Marilyn Manson even shows up in a fun role too.

Overall, Party Monster is a solid movie that feels dirty and raw while having a message about the dangers of someone's own ego getting in their own way. I do recommend checking it out.

Date: 9/21/2020
Viewed: TubiTV
First Viewing

Note: I honestly never heard of this movie until Vinegar Syndrome release it on Blu-Ray over a year ago. Seeing it's now available on Tubi (As of 9/21/2020), I thought I might as well check it out. After watching this movie for the first time, I thought it was excellent. Star Time is like if Network (1976) and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) had a baby because this movie does share similar themes to those two movies. This movie is a psychological horror-thriller than a slasher movie. You will be let down if you are thinking that this movie will be a typical slasher movie.

While the writing could have been better, I still think the movie did a good job of telling a story of an insane person that is obsessed with television. After the movie was over, I was starting to think about this movie and try to piece the puzzle of certain scenes that happened in the movie. I loved the dark and chilling atmosphere that this movie has because it feels very atmospheric. Some scenes in this movie give me the chills when watching it. I also appreciate some of the surrealism in this movie too. The acting is surprisingly good and Michael St. Gerard did a wonderful job of playing a person with a mental illness. John P. Ryan (RIP) also does a great job of playing a fun creepy character on-screen.

Overall, Star Time is a fun gem from the 1990s that is worth checking out. It's far from perfect, but I do think fans of horror movies and character study films will enjoy it. This is the perfect movie to watch at 2:00 AM or 3:00 AM in my opinion.

Date: 9/22/2020
Viewed: Hulu
First Viewing

Note: I remember when this movie came out in 2013, and I missed out on it because I was busy with other things going on with my life at the time. Several years later, I finally watched it for the first time on Hulu (As of 9/22/2020) and I thought it was pretty good. I do like that this movie has a nonlinear narrative because it helps make the movie feel more unique in my opinion. When watching this movie, it almost felt like I was watching a documentary than an actual movie. The best thing about the movie is the atmosphere because it creates that feeling of isolation in space. This movie has a similar vibe to movies such as Alien (1979), Apollo 18 (2011), and Underwater (2020). Unlike Apollo 18, the movie is nowhere as stupid in my opinion.

The acting in this movie was pretty good and I do love the production values that this movie has. The movie has a budget of under 10 million and it feels like a bigger budget movie from Hollywood. You also have a cool looking alien creature in the movie too. My biggest issue with the movie is the lack of character development. I honestly didn't really connect to any of them, to be honest.

Overall, Europa Report is a solid movie and I do recommend checking it out.

Date: 9/22/2020
Viewed: Amazon Prime
First Viewing

Note: I was always curious to check out this movie for a while now because people have recommended it to me over the years. Seeing that this movie is now on Amazon Prime (As of 9/22/2020), I thought I might as well check it out. After watching it on Amazon Prime, I thought it was a very good movie. I'm surprised that this movie has a low rating because it deserves a higher rating in my opinion. It will probably be debated if this movie is really a horror movie or not. Some people label it as a horror movie while others don't. It may not have jump scares or have a spooky atmosphere, but I consider Flu to be a horror movie in a non-traditional sense. This movie is a scary movie because it shows how terrible a virus outbreak can. You have plenty of disturbing scenes of people getting sick and being killed off by a new virus.

This movie came out a few years after the 2009 Bird Flu pandemic (Which was a deadly virus that killed thousands of people. It was not a joke) and several years before Covid-19. It shows that something like it can happen in our reality, and we will never know when it will happen. This is not an easy movie to watch because you have many scenes that are hard to sit through. Plenty of innocent people are dying like flies in the movie and I could not help to look away during certain scenes. You also get to see how corrupt politicians can be during a pandemic when watching this movie. No different how it is in real life in my opinion.

The best thing in this movie is how the movie cultivates character development and emotions because you find yourself being attached to these characters when watching the movie. You want to see these characters get out alive at the end of the movie and hoping that they will live a happy life. The worst thing about this movie would be the pacing because the movie goes on for way too long. You really feel the two-hour run time when watching this movie, and I was honestly emotionally drained after the movie was over. Some humor in the movie is pretty dumb and it does not fit with the movie at all.

Overall, Flu is a solid movie and it is worth checking out. I doubt I will watch the movie again anytime soon with our current pandemic still going on.

Date: 9/23/2020
Viewed: Itunes
First Viewing

Note: I always heard great things about this movie for the last 12 years and I never had the chance to watch it until now. The only way to watch this movie in HD at the moment is on iTunes and I had to set up an iTunes account just to watch this movie. After watching this movie for the first time, I was disappointed. It takes forever for this movie to be entertaining. I thought the first half of this movie was really boring to sit through, and I was struggling to stay awake. I also didn't like any of the characters and I would not care about them if they have died in the movie. Even though I didn't like this movie, I don't think it was a bad movie. I did like the chilling atmosphere because the movie is set inside one location. The movie made you feel like you are locked inside with these characters during a zombie outbreak.

The acting is not bad for a movie that mostly uses an unknown cast. Stephen Mchattie (300 and Z) and Boyd Banks (David Cronenberg's Crash) are the only actors that I was able to recognize when watching this movie. The movie did have a cool premise and I respect the effort that was put into making this movie. Sadly, I could not get into this movie as most people did.

I do recommend this movie if you are curious.

Date: 9/23/2020
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: I always loved this movie when I first saw it on DVD when I was 17, and I was so hyped up for The Alejandro Jodorwsky Blu-Ray Collection released by ABKCO. This movie did leave a huge impact on me when I first saw it as a teenager during the 2000s. When my The Alejandro Jodorowsky Blu-Ray Collection came in the mail today, the first thing that I did is pop in this movie into my Blu-Ray player. I was worried that I would not like this movie again when revisiting it, but I was wrong. I still love this movie and I consider The Holy Mountain to be my favorite movie from Alejandro Jodorwsky. This movie is the perfect psychedelic trip in my opinion because everything about this movie is truly bizarre. This is probably the hardest review I ever had to write because this is a movie that you really have to see to believe. Everything about this movie is so surreal and crazy that I feel like that I can't write about it.

The 4K restoration of this movie is breathtaking, and I was truly blown away by how this movie looks on my 4K TV. It made me feel like that I was watching this movie for the first time because everything looks so clean and crisp looking. The 4K restoration helps make this movie truly stand out because this movie is so colorful to look at. The colorful cinematography from Rafael Corkidi helps captures the hyper surrealism in this movie. The movie's atmosphere is another amazing thing about this movie. The movie's atmosphere puts you in a trance because it makes you feel like you are on a surreal journey. I also like how this movie does not take itself too seriously and Alejandro Jodorwsky did a good job of making the movie being self-aware of how strange this movie is.

I can understand that this movie is not going to be most people's cup of tea and I have seen people hate this movie for being too weird. However, the movie is not being weird just to be weird because this movie does have a message to it. This movie deals with art and religion being used for mass-mind-control. The movie warns about the corrupt nature of people and how people will do anything just to find happiness in life's simple pleasures. There is also much other symbolic imagery that makes you really think about the deep philosophical issues from Jodorowsky's mind. After the movie is over, it feels like your mind has been melted and you have to figure out the clues of this movie to understand what just happened.

If you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend watching it if you are into surrealism.

Date: 9/24/2020
Viewed: Blu-Ray
First Viewing

Note: I always wanted to see this movie for years because I'm a fan of Teruo Ishii's work and this movie never got a home release in the United States from what I can remember. I bought the Blu-Ray released by Arrow Video on Amazon recently and I decided to give it a watch. I went into this movie knowing nothing about the story, and I was generally surprised by this movie. This movie was not some mindless torture porn movie and it actually had a good story to it. I really enjoy the story in this movie because I thought it was well told. This movie has a message about how terrible human trafficking is and how women are normally the victims of it. The movie also deals with people who pushed their sexual desires to the extreme and won't stop until what they want.

The movie is very graphic when it comes to violence and sexual content. The movie is not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but the graphic content is important to the story. The graphic content in this movie serves a purpose and not just being shocking and edgy just be cool and shocking. When your movie's message is a warning of the dangers of human trafficking, I do feel like you need to show dark and disturbing real-life issues can be without coming off as tasteless/edgelord pandering. Thankfully, the movie does it right in my opinion. Another thing about this movie that I enjoy is the characters because they are pretty cool and memorable. I dig the rivalry of two tattoo artists in the movie. You also have an excellent story moment that is pretty emotional and it took me by surprise.

You also get plenty of colorful scenes thanks to the fantastic cinematography done by Motoya Washio. Some colorful scenes in this movie almost have a Mario Bava vibe to them. While I do really enjoy this movie, it is far from perfect. The movie's pacing in this movie feels really slow at times and the last act of the movie felt like it took forever to be over. A movie that is only 90 minutes should not feel slow at all.

Overall, Inferno of Torture is a solid movie that shows the dark side of sexual nature in human beings. I do recommend it if you are into Japanese cinema.

Date: 9/25/2020
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: With the Coming to America sequel coming out soon, I decided to revisit this movie. This movie has always been my favorite Eddie Murphy movie growing up and I still consider Coming to America to be one of his best movie in my opinion. Coming to America is still a great comedy that has fun memorable characters and plenty of hilarious moments that are still funny. I always like the creative premise that this movie has with a rich prince from another country coming to America and telling the audience that you don't need to be rich to have a happy life. The only thing that stops me from rating this movie higher is the liar revealed cliché in this movie. It's easily one of my least favorite movie tropes in my opinion.

I have nothing else to add because so many people already seen this movie. If you haven't seen this movie yet, do it now.

Date: 9/25/2020
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: Seeing that I revisit the first Tetsuo movie a while ago, I decided to revisit the second movie. The second movie holds up better more than I thought it would be. I still consider the first Tetsuo movie to be a better movie in my opinion. I can see why some people like the second movie more than the first movie because this movie has a clearer narrative and a bigger budget than the first movie. Not to mention, the movie is in color as well. This movie is a stand-alone sequel, you don't need to watch the first movie to enjoy this movie.

The movie is a non-stop thrill ride from start to finish with plenty of surreal moments similar to the first movie. With a bigger budget, you get plenty of awesome special effects in this movie. The special effects hold up very well even almost 30 years later. The cinematography in this movie is fantastic because the movie has dark beautiful colors. I love the dark color choices that Shinya Tsukamoto picked for the movie because it captures the tone of the movie perfectly. It has the same general vibe that many Japanese live-action special effects movies have around that time period (Late 80s-early to mid 90s) such as the Zeiram movies (1991-1994) in my opinion.

The main character's backstory in the movie is super cool and very well done. Even the fight scenes in this movie are awesome as well. I'm not a fan of the last act of the movie because the last 20 minutes starts to drag. I still consider the first movie to be a better movie in my opinion because the first movie's story was always open for interpretation for how surreal it was. Not to mention, I also like the low budget grindhouse tone that the first movie had as well.

Overall, Tetsuo II: Body Hammer is a solid movie and I do recommend checking it out.

Date: 9/20/2020
Viewed: Criterion Channel
Re-Watch

Note: I had a very long and stressful day today and I felt like this was the perfect movie to relax too. Jim Jarmusch is known to make movies that you can relax and chill too. I have seen four movies from Jim Jarmusch so far and I really enjoy them all. So far, I have yet to watch a bad movie from him. After watching this movie for the first time on the Criterion Channel, I loved it. I enjoy every minute of this movie because it was so relaxing to watch. Mystery Train feels down to earth because the characters and setting in this movie feel very close to reality. When watching this movie, I feel like that I could bump into certain scenes in this movie in real life.

The movie has plenty of fun and memorable characters in my opinion. I love how Jim Jarmusch is able to give these characters amazing chemistry. The two Japanese tourists in the movie are my favorite characters in the movie and I could have watched an entire movie with those two characters. I also like how the two Japanese tourists didn't feel like bad cliché Asian stereotypes that you would normally see in Hollywood films. I didn't care about the second story as much as the first one, but it was still pretty enjoyable. The last story in the movie is surprisingly good thanks to the solid acting from Rick Aviles (Carlito's Way), Joe Strummer (Walker), and Steve Buscemi (Reservoir Dogs). You also have a fun small role from Sy Richardson (They Live) in the movie too.

The movie's cinematography from Robby Müller (RIP) is wonderful because everything in the movie looks wonderful. As you would expect from a Jim Jarmusch movie, the scenery in his movies are shot very well. He can make everyday locations look so gorgeous. The music choices that were picked in the movie is very good too. Overall, Mystery Train is a fantastic movie and I do recommend checking it out.

Date: 9/26/2020
Viewed: DVD
First Viewing

Note: I never heard of this movie until recently. The plot summary for this movie sounds very interesting and you also have a solid cast as well. I was lucky enough to find a used DVD copy of this movie at my Used Book Store for $5. After watching this movie for the first time, I was honestly let down by it. I really like the first 20 minutes of this movie because it was very entertaining. During the middle of the act of the story, the movie became a chore to watch. I started to get bored with this movie because I felt like not much was happening. None of the characters are interesting except for the main character in my opinion.

It was not until the last act of the movie when the movie starts to get interesting again. I did like the backstory that they give one of the characters with his connection to the thugs. I still don't think A Bloody Aria was a bad movie because it does have decent acting and I appreciate the social commentary that this movie has. The movie has a message about bullying in Korean society and the movie does try to make you think about the line between tormentor and victim. Sadly, this movie was not for me.

Overall, A Bloody Aria is a decent movie and I do recommend it if you are curious. Chances are that you may enjoy this movie more than I did.

Date: 9/27/2020
Viewed: TubiTV
First Viewing

Note: I remember hearing about this movie like a decade ago and I never had the chance to watch it until now. After watching this movie for the first time on Tubi (As of 9/27/020), I thought it was pretty bad. It is ironic that the giant monster in this movie is a giant snail because the movie moves at a snail's pace. This movie is so boring that I almost wanted to turn it off. Most of this movie is just characters sitting around doing nothing for 95% of the movie. I don't mind having a giant monster movie that is more focused on the characters, but this movie does a bad job of being a drama film as well. I give this movie some credit because the giant monster in this movie has a creative and original design.

Overall, Space Monster Demeking is a dull movie and I don't recommend it at all.

Date: 9/27/2020
Viewed: Amazon Prime
Re-Watch

Note: I haven't seen this movie since the early 2000s when I rented it on VHS from Blockbuster with my friends. Seeing it is on Amazon Prime at the moment (As of 9/27/020), I decided to revisit it. Almost 20 years later, this movie still holds up pretty well in my opinion. The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys is a solid drama movie with some really cool animation sequences mixed into the story. The movie has a story that is very well told about a group of Catholic teenagers in the 70s with their adventures that end up ruining their lives. While I never went to a Catholic High School as the main characters did, the characters go through daily everyday problems that most people around that age can relate to. The movie can get very dark later in the story with scenes that always make me feel uncomfortable (In a good way). The darker scenes have a reason to exist in the story, and they remind us that not everyone has a happy life no matter what religion you believe in. Another thing that I like about this movie is the general indie movie vibe that this movie has because it has a similar atmosphere and vibe that Ghost World (2001) had.

My favorite thing in this movie is the animation sequences because they are very well animated. They work so well with the internal narrative of the movie. Not to mention, the animation sequences in this movie always reminds me of the animation sequences in Creepshow 1-2 (1982-1987). It wouldn't surprise me if the animation from the Creepshow movies were the main inspiration for the film because both movies are related to comic books. The animation sequences are done by Todd Mcfarlane, best known for creating Spawn and co-creating Venom. Captain Asskicker in the animation sequences even has the same boots as Spawn if you really look very closely ;). The acting in this movie is excellent and Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild) easily steals the show as the main character.

The only thing that I didn't like about the movie is some dialogue in the movie is pretty bad. Overall, The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys is a solid movie and I recommend checking it out.

Date: 9/27/2020
Viewed: Amazon Prime
First Viewing

Note: I grew up watching many 1950s Sci-Fi movies, but I don't remember if I saw this movie or not. Seeing that the movie is now on Amazon Prime (As of 9/27/020), I decided to watch it. After watching this movie for the first time, I enjoy it. It's not a great movie, but it is a lot of fun. The movie is what you would expect from a cheesy B movie from the 1950s. You have hammy acting and cheap special effects. The story in this movie does not make sense, but I do like the message behind the movie. The movie has an anti-nuclear message to it as most 50s sci-fi horror movies did at the time. The movie warns how humans will kill themselves over war if they don't stop with nuclear testing. That's still a big issue that it is still going on in today's world sadly.

You can tell that this movie was made on a low budget with the overuse of stock footage, but they knew how to make use of the stock footage work for the story. I do feel like this movie has a creative premise of having invisible aliens that can take over dead bodies. The idea of having an evil threat from Outer Space that you can't see is a pretty scary idea on paper. Back in the 1950s, this movie probably gives some people the chills due to the Cold War going on at the time. Also, John Carradine is in the movie for a small role, and he is fun as always when he is on screen. Not to mention, I do feel like George A. Romero probably took some inspiration when watching this movie for Night of the Living Dead (1968).

Overall, Invisible Invaders is a fun B movie from the 1950s that is worth checking out.

Date: 9/28/2020
Viewed: Amazon Prime Rental
Re-Watch

Note: It's hard to believe that this movie is 21 years old because I still remember when it was a brand-new movie back in 1999. During the Summer-Fall of 1999, everyone was talking about this movie as if it was The Exorcist (1973) all over again. Even the people in my school were talking about how scary and awesome this movie was back in the 3rd grade. I've lived in Maryland my entire life and you could not step outside your house without hearing people talking about this movie back in 1999. I have met people who have travel to Maryland just to visit the filming location of this movie. It always makes me happy that an indie film from my state has become a cultural phenomenon worldwide. I have seen this movie a few times growing up and I didn't see it in the theaters sadly (I wanted too, but I remember my Mom & Dad thought the movie looked stupid). However, I was lucky enough to watch it on VHS when my friends and I rented it from Blockbuster for Halloween back in October 1999.

After watching this movie again, I still think it's a good movie. I don't consider it to be the best-found footage movie, but I still think The Blair Witch Project is a very well-made movie. I always love the general atmosphere and vibe that this movie has. The movie has an SOV (Shot on Video) vibe that I always love because it makes the movie feel very authentic. The movie itself feels like it was shot on a VHS tape by a bunch of College Students in Maryland. The atmosphere in this movie is fantastic because the movie has an autumn seasonal feeling to it. In the movie, you have scattering autumn leaves on the ground that you will find in windy afternoons during the fall.

I do like the actors in the movie and I felt like they did a good job of playing a bunch of film students that end up getting lost in the woods. It was a good idea that they used a bunch of unknown actors and not big Hollywood stars to make the movie feel believable. The characters in the movie feel like people that you would probably bump into on the streets in real life. For a movie that is under 90 minutes, I always felt like the first half of the movie starts off pretty slow before things start to kick off.

Overall, The Blair Witch Project is still a solid movie and I do recommend checking it out if you haven't seen it yet.

Date: 9/28/2020
Viewed: Amazon Prime Rental
First Viewing

Note: I always wanted to check out this movie for the past year now when I saw a trailer for it when I saw The Lighthouse (2019) in theaters. I notice that many people are divisive of this movie because I have seen many people who both like and hate this movie. I finally decided to rent the movie from Amazon Prime and went into this movie without knowing about the plot. After watching this movie for the first time, I really enjoy it. In Fabric is a really cool and neat horror movie in my opinion.

On paper, the idea for this movie sounds really silly and would never work for a serious movie. The movie takes itself seriously and it actually works. The movie is a nice slow burn that does not feel like a chore to sit through. The movie is almost 2 hours long and it does not feel like a long movie. I love the atmosphere in this movie because it feels very spellbinding. The movie has a hypnotic tone to the story that sucks you into the movie's atmosphere. You have plenty of creepy imagery that makes the movie feel very creepy and disturbing in my opinion. During the final act of the story, the movie decides to use trippy colors and nightmare fuel imagery to create psychological manipulation.

The music score in this movie is very haunting and it gives me the chills. It reminds me of a music score that would be composed by Humphrey Searle (The Haunting 1963) in my opinion. You also have excellent acting and Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Edge of Tomorrow) steals the show as the lead actor. I dig the movie social commentary on consumerism and how sometimes beauty can ultimately lead to other people's deaths. The only thing that I didn't like about this movie is that I felt like the second story was not as interesting as the first story in the movie. I also feel like some things in this movie were not properly explain very well. The movie is also labeled as a horror-comedy and I didn't think the movie was very funny. There's probably one or two funny moments in the movie that made me laugh. I guess this is one of those movies that you need to have a very smart sense of humor to understand the comedy and I'm probably some filthy casual that does not get it (I'm being sarcastic).

Overall, In Fabric is a solid movie that is worth checking out. This movie won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I do recommend it if you are into slow-burn horror films.

Date: 9/29/2020
Viewed: Blu-Ray
Re-Watch

Note: My Discotek Blu-Ray came in the mail today from Amazon and I have waited so long for an HD remaster of this movie. The movie looks breathtaking in HD and I never get tired of this movie. I have seen this movie so many times, it's still one of my favorite animated movies. I can understand why some people don't like this movie because it can be gross and violent. However, I don't think it is the most shocking and gross thing ever like some people make it out to be. I do miss when anime titles like this were the norm compared to the stuff that we normally get now.

I don't have anything new to say because I talked about this movie already. Just read my other two reviews to see my thoughts on the movie. Overall, Wicked City is still a fun horror anime for both fans and non-fans alike.

Date: 9/29/2020
Viewed: Shudder
First Viewing

Note: I remember hearing about this movie growing up and I never saw it until now. Seeing that the movie is on Shudder at the moment (As of 9/30/020), I decided to give it a watch. After watching this movie for the first time, I enjoy it. I do admit that I didn't like this movie at first because the first 15-20 minutes was really slow. Once Part II of the movie begins, the movie starts to move at a faster pace. My favorite thing in this movie is the atmosphere because the movie has a very surreal feeling to it. The movie is dark and artsy, but also sleazy at the same time. The dark atmosphere and the various symbolic imagery help make Ganja & Hess into a unique movie in my opinion. The film grain also helps make this movie feel unique as well.

The acting is pretty good and I dig the musical score in the movie. Duane Jones (Night of the Living Dead 1968) did a great job as the lead role and it's a shame that he didn't do many movies before he died. I always consider him to be an underrated actor. I also like the movie's symbolic imagery because the movie uses different images of African rituals and Christian morality to tell its message to the audience. This movie has many deep layers to outside the surface level when you examine this movie more closely.

Overall, Ganga & Hess is a great movie and I'm glad that I finally watched it. This movie is important to cinema history and I highly recommend checking it out.

Date: 9/30/2020
Viewed: Blu-Ray (Arrow Video)
Re-Watch

Note: It's been a while since I have seen this movie and I recently bought the Blu-Ray released by Arrow Video. I hear Arrow just lost the rights to the movie, and I was lucky to buy a copy on Amazon for $20. I do have a nostalgic soft spot for this movie because I remember watching it when it came out on VHS with my dad. After watching this movie again, I think it holds up very well. Ronin is a non-stop thrill ride from start to finish. This was the last good movie from John Frankenheimer before he died sadly.

The movie is 2 hours long and it flies by quickly. There is not a single boring moment in this movie because every action sequence in this movie is so entertaining. John Frankenheimer did a wonderful job directing the action sequences by making the action feel so fluent. The car chase sequences in the movie make the car chases in the Fast & Furious series look like child's play (not the movie BTW). In this movie, you don't get dumb slow-motion scenes or shaky cam nonsense like you do in most today's action movies from Hollywood. I also like the tone that this movie has because it has a serious and rustic tone similar to the other movies from John Frankenheimer that he used to make before his career jump the shark after the 80s.

The acting in this movie is fantastic and everyone did a great job with their roles. I love the chemistry between Robert De Niro's character and Jean Reno's character. Michael Lonsdale (RIP) also does a good job in the movie as well. The Blu-Ray release from Arrow Video is fantastic because the movie looks and sounds so good. I know that the old Blu-Ray release has a mediocre release when it comes to the picture and sound. The transfer of the movie looks so good on my 4K TV because it looks so clean and crisp. The backgrounds look nearly photorealistic when watching the movie.

Overall, Ronin is a great action movie and I do recommend checking it out.

Date: 9/30/2020
Viewed: DVD
Re-Watch

Note: Seeing that I recently rewatched the original Anthropophagous movie a while ago, I felt like it was time to revisit the remake. The last time I saw this movie was probably back in 2012 on Youtube, and I was in the mood to revisit it. I do remember seeing this movie on a VHS tape with no English subs back in 2002 with a friend of mine (Who was also a tape trader) and we had no idea what was going on. The movie was not even labeled as Anthropophagous 2000. After watching this movie again on DVD, I still enjoy it for the most part. I don't hate this movie as most people do, to be honest. However, I do get why people don't like it.

While the original Anthropophagous movie is not a masterpiece, I still consider it to be a solid horror movie in my opinion. Andreas Schnaas is one of my favorite guilty pleasure directors because his movies are enjoyable for all the wrong reasons. His movies are stupid and trashy, but I love watching them for being so bad. Movies from Andreas Schnaas have that low-budget edgy charm to them that makes me smile. This movie is no different from the other movies from Andreas Schnass because you have bad acting, cheesy dialogue, the poor shot on video quality, and over the top blood & gore. This movie is arguably more violent than the original movie and you have enough blood & guts to sink your teeth into.

The death scenes are so bloody and gory that it comes off as laughable. Some death scenes in this movie feel like they are ripped straight from a Mortal Kombat video game. Andreas Schnaas did a good job of making the blood and gore in this movie look so cool with a low budget. Outside the blood and gore, the movie is pretty dull. The movie lacked the suspenseful atmosphere and the story is nowhere as good as the original. The story in the original movie was interesting and you almost feel sorry for Nikos. The writing feels very rushed, and they didn't do anything new with the story except for a couple of scenes. When they recreate scenes from the original movie, it comes off as very lazy in my opinion. Thankfully, the movie is only 81 minutes long and it does not overstay its welcome.

Overall, Anthropophagous 2000 is a mixed bag and I only recommend it if you are curious.