The "I'm watching/just watched *movie title* thread....

[coaster]

I would too.  It is a beautiful poster.

It reminds me of old film, women, and El Jaleo by Sargent. Beautiful. They didnt have photoshop back then. True artists made these. SOme of these go for big money.

[Chine]

holy shit, you may be my next favorite poster ever. be warned. haha. mine suck. i love your reviews bud. This is your thread, were just posting in it. Believe me. You win.Are you kidding??? I did improv for a number of years just to get into something fun. You got a SAG card, so its worth watching. You know your film is online somewhere. At least send me a message and tell me the title. I'll stay moot. Want to watch it.

I'll pm you. I studied theater at The New School (NYC) Grad part was Actor's Studio. I was hired for a stage production before I graduated. Earned AEA (That's Actor's Equity Association) .., Union for stage. Where SAG/AFTRA is film TV.

I had an agent, all that. I finished a tour in Europe for a stage production and on a whim for fun auditioned for this indie film. I only had one scene, but during my audition they knew they wanted to cast me and even wrote in a second scene for me. But, it was very tricky going from performing in theater to now, on set, 3 am freezing in Brooklyn. I'm holding often til the get lifting right. The two guys were Brooklyn dudes and very fun. But it really wasn't much for me to love it and continue working in film. I love the family community feel of the theatre. One of the cast members is from the Soprano's, Joseph Gannascoli. So at the film festival, I was in the midst of NYC actors who appear in every min film.

[21st Century Man]

how is that not a great story? I'll admit, I dumbed myself down with a bit of beer tonight, but this sounds fun. give the filmmakers credit, the leech woman was in the late 50's wasnt it? not the best shots, but the plot, lol. that was on point. it knew the audience it was trying to get.
thats on my list. literal list. writing shit down. i've went back maybe 20 pages or so right now writing movies down.

It is a great story.  It is all about the delivery. The script fails the story though and it all rather plodding.  It should be remade.  Gray was the best thing about the film.  Grant Williams should have been better but he was rather wooden.  I enjoyed the first half far more than the second half.

Maybe I just picked the wrong film again on the wrong night.

[21st Century Man]

Coming up soon.  Reviews for The Last King of Scotland and The Ruins.

[21st Century Man]

I'll pm you. I studied theater at The New School (NYC) Grad part was Actor's Studio. I was hired for a stage production before I graduated. Earned AEA (That's Actor's Equity Association) .., Union for stage. Where SAG/AFTRA is film TV.

I had an agent, all that. I finished a tour in Europe for a stage production and on a whim for fun auditioned for this indie film. I only had one scene, but during my audition they knew they wanted to cast me and even wrote in a second scene for me. But, it was very tricky going from performing in theater to now, on set, 3 am freezing in Brooklyn. I'm holding often til the get lifting right. The two guys were Brooklyn dudes and very fun. But it really wasn't much for me to love it and continue working in film. I love the family community feel of the theatre. One of the cast members is from the Soprano's, Joseph Gannascoli. So at the film festival, I was in the midst of NYC actors who appear in every min film.

That is so cool.  I've done a bit of acting too in small productions.  I played Pontius Pilate recently.  I brought out my inner Charles Laughton and made Pilate a broad but sympathetic character who was forced to crucify Jesus.  I don't want to be arrogant but everyone said I was the best thing about the production. I really don't want to play minor roles so I'm happy where I'm at.

[coaster]

I'll pm you. I studied theater at The New School (NYC) Grad part was Actor's Studio. I was hired for a stage production before I graduated. Earned AEA (That's Actor's Equity Association) .., Union for stage. Where SAG/AFTRA is film TV.

I had an agent, all that. I finished a tour in Europe for a stage production and on a whim for fun auditioned for this indie film. I only had one scene, but during my audition they knew they wanted to cast me and even wrote in a second scene for me. But, it was very tricky going from performing in theater to now, on set, 3 am freezing in Brooklyn. I'm holding often til the get lifting right. The two guys were Brooklyn dudes and very fun. But it really wasn't much for me to love it and continue working in film. I love the family community feel of the theatre. One of the cast members is from the Soprano's, Joseph Gannascoli. So at the film festival, I was in the midst of NYC actors who appear in every min film.

one of the guys was from the Sopranos? Was it the bar scene I mentioned in the pm? You should pursue it Chine. The link you sent was a lot of fun. Chine shined.

[21st Century Man]

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF IDI AMIN DADA



The Last King of Scotland (2006) with James McAvoy, Forrest Whitaker and Gillian Anderson.  Based on a historical novel with a lead protagonist, Dr. Nicholas Garrigan (McAvoy), who is an amalgam of different real people that offered Amin their services during his reign.  Whittaker is Amin while Anderson really just has a small supporting role as humanitarian wife, Sarah Merrit, to her husband (Adam Kotz).  She is contemplating an affair with young Garrigan who has recently come to Uganda for several reasons.  He wants to make a real difference in the lives of people and he is looking to escape from his father's stranglehold in Scotland.  Sarah views Nicholas as an escape from the mundane life she is living with her husband.  Nicholas is youthful and exciting and he obviously is quite attracted to Sarah, the consequences be damned.

   One day, he and Sarah go to a political rally where the new President of Uganda, Idi Amin, is giving a speech.  Garrigan is delighted with Amin.  On the way back, they are waylaid by some soldiers, who need Garrigan to help Amin who has injured his hand.  Under harsh scrutiny from Amin's men, he takes care of Amin's injury.  Amin decides he likes this young Scot immensely and they form a bond.  A few days later,  Amin, through his surrogates, invites Garrigan to Kambala.  Amin offers him the position of personal physician.  Garrigan hesitates as he wants to go back to Sarah but Amin eventually convinces him to stay.  Garrigan has no idea what he is in for.  He's not only Amin's physician but serves as one of Amin's closest advisers and is appointed as Amin's substitute at meetings with other foreign dignitaries.  He also finds himself attracted to one of Amin's wives, Kay, and an affair ensues shortly thereafter.

      To put it lightly,  Garrigan is in way over his head and with the new affair, puts himself in extreme danger.  Kay finds herself pregnant and begs Garrigan to abort the baby.  Garrigan hesitates as he has no desire to do that and Kay runs off to have her pregnancy aborted in one of the native villages. Amin discovers the betrayal and has her murdered and cut into many pieces.  He then has the limbs re-attached to the body in the wrong places.  Arms are attached to the leg sockets and the legs to the arm sockets.  Garrigan finds the body and panic ensues. Amin eventually places his closest adviser under arrest sentenced to death.  He is strung up like Richard Harris in A Man Called Horse and is left up in the rafters for an indeterminate length of time.  The executioners bring him down and take a break.  A young Ugandan black doctor finds him and tends to his injuries.  While, all of this is going on, a plane lands in Entebbe, Uganda loaded with hostages.  Amin negotiates the release of the non-Jewish hostages and secures a plane for them to leave.  Garrigan sneaks onto the plane and escapes Uganda.  The poor black doctor is killed for helping Garrigan. 

     Yes, the ending is very contrived and it is a complete falsehood.  No such thing happened; however, that does not negate the fact that most of the events in the movie are based on truth.  McAvoy is superb in a standout performance that put him on the A list in Hollywood.  His character is a dumb-ass though. As good as McAvoy is,  Whitaker is absolutely astounding as Idi Amin. He would win the best actor Academy Award in 2006, deservedly so. Whitaker is usually a  very low-energy actor who in the past has been excellent in more subdued roles.  Here he gets the opportunity to play a broad character who is more often either boisterous or raging.  Early in the film, Amin is presented as a likable, effervescent personality who when engaged in a serious conversation is very calm.  As his regime continues, he grows extremely paranoid, perhaps justifiably so.  However, as a result of Amin's paranoia, many native Ugandans are killed, some 300,000 at least.  Monstrous to say the least.  His mood swings became far more pronounced and Uganda descends into chaos.

   Amin displays an affinity for Scottish people and their culture and a display of that occurs when his troops are on display in kilts and marching to bagpipes through Kambala.  He likes the Scots because they also rebel against the colonial policies of the British government.  They want to be free as well.  Thus the title of the film.  I was a child during Idi Amin's reign but I was very aware of him due to his exposure in the newspapers and on TV.  What I remember from the time was that he killed many people and was a very cruel dictator.  Those assessments are simplistic.  Yes, he was a monster but he also had his endearing qualities.  A complex man,  Amin would flee Uganda in 1979 and live the rest of his life in exile in Saudi Arabia.  He died there in 2003.

   One of the most interesting films of the 21st century so far, I give this film a 4.5 stars out of 5.  The plot contrivance at the end was the most glaring fault of the film.  Everything else was extremely well-done.  My wife didn't like the film as she didn't care much for the philandering Garrigan.  She said that I had watched the film with her years ago but I told her that she watched it alone.  I couldn't watch it at the time.  She doesn't believe me but whatever.  I don't think I have Alzheimer's quite yet.

This is the movie to see if you are curious about Idi Amin.

Soon to come,  The Ruins, A Lizard In A Woman's Skin and another movie undetermined at this time.

[albrecht]

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF IDI AMIN DADA



The Last King of Scotland (2006) with James McAvoy, Forrest Whitaker and Gillian Anderson.  Based on a historical novel with a lead protagonist, Dr. Nicholas Garrigan (McAvoy), who is an amalgam of different real people that offered Amin their services during his reign.  Whittaker is Amin while Anderson really just has a small supporting role as humanitarian wife, Sarah Merrit, to her husband (Adam Kotz).  She is contemplating an affair with young Garrigan who has recently come to Uganda for several reasons.  He wants to make a real difference in the lives of people and he is looking to escape from his father's stranglehold in Scotland.  Sarah views Nicholas as an escape from the mundane life she is living with her husband.  Nicholas is youthful and exciting and he obviously is quite attracted to Sarah, the consequences be damned.

   One day, he and Sarah go to a political rally where the new President of Uganda, Idi Amin, is giving a speech.  Garrigan is delighted with Amin.  On the way back, they are waylaid by some soldiers, who need Garrigan to help Amin who has injured his hand.  Under harsh scrutiny from Amin's men, he takes care of Amin's injury.  Amin decides he likes this young Scot immensely and they form a bond.  A few days later,  Amin, through his surrogates, invites Garrigan to Kambala.  Amin offers him the position of personal physician.  Garrigan hesitates as he wants to go back to Sarah but Amin eventually convinces him to stay.  Garrigan has no idea what he is in for.  He's not only Amin's physician but serves as one of Amin's closest advisers and is appointed as Amin's substitute at meetings with other foreign dignitaries.  He also finds himself attracted to one of Amin's wives, Kay, and an affair ensues shortly thereafter.

      To put it lightly,  Garrigan is in way over his head and with the new affair, puts himself in extreme danger.  Kay finds herself pregnant and begs Garrigan to abort the baby.  Garrigan hesitates as he has no desire to do that and Kay runs off to have her pregnancy aborted in one of the native villages. Amin discovers the betrayal and has her murdered and cut into many pieces.  He then has the limbs re-attached to the body in the wrong places.  Arms are attached to the leg sockets and the legs to the arm sockets.  Garrigan finds the body and panic ensues. Amin eventually places his closest adviser under arrest sentenced to death.  He is strung up like Richard Harris in A Man Called Horse and is left up in the rafters for an indeterminate length of time.  The executioners bring him down and take a break.  A young Ugandan black doctor finds him and tends to his injuries.  While, all of this is going on, a plane lands in Entebbe, Uganda loaded with hostages.  Amin negotiates the release of the non-Jewish hostages and secures a plane for them to leave.  Garrigan sneaks onto the plane and escapes Uganda.  The poor black doctor is killed for helping Garrigan. 

     Yes, the ending is very contrived and it is a complete falsehood.  No such thing happened; however, that does not negate the fact that most of the events in the movie are based on truth.  McAvoy is superb in a standout performance that put him on the A list in Hollywood.  His character is a dumb-ass though. As good as McAvoy is,  Whitaker is absolutely astounding as Idi Amin. He would win the best actor Academy Award in 2006, deservedly so. Whitaker is usually a  very low-energy actor who in the past has been excellent in more subdued roles.  Here he gets the opportunity to play a broad character who is more often either boisterous or raging.  Early in the film, Amin is presented as a likable, effervescent personality who when engaged in a serious conversation is very calm.  As his regime continues, he grows extremely paranoid, perhaps justifiably so.  However, as a result of Amin's paranoia, many native Ugandans are killed, some 300,000 at least.  Monstrous to say the least.  His mood swings became far more pronounced and Uganda descends into chaos.

   Amin displays an affinity for Scottish people and their culture and a display of that occurs when his troops are on display in kilts and marching to bagpipes through Kambala.  He likes the Scots because they also rebel against the colonial policies of the British government.  They want to be free as well.  Thus the title of the film.  I was a child during Idi Amin's reign but I was very aware of him due to his exposure in the newspapers and on TV.  What I remember from the time was that he killed many people and was a very cruel dictator.  Those assessments are simplistic.  Yes, he was a monster but he also had his endearing qualities.  A complex man,  Amin would flee Uganda in 1979 and live the rest of his life in exile in Saudi Arabia.  He died there in 2003.

   One of the most interesting films of the 21st century so far, I give this film a 4.5 stars out of 5.  The plot contrivance at the end was the most glaring fault of the film.  Everything else was extremely well-done.  My wife didn't like the film as she didn't care much for the philandering Garrigan.  She said that I had watched the film with her years ago but I told her that she watched it alone.  I couldn't watch it at the time.  She doesn't believe me but whatever.  I don't think I have Alzheimer's quite yet.

This is the movie to see if you are curious about Idi Amin.

Soon to come,  The Ruins, A Lizard In A Woman's Skin and another movie undetermined at this time.

I really liked the movie. The reality is even more bizarre than the fictionalized aspects or fake (though thought Whittaker was a great Idi Amin.) If you haven't seen this famous documentary "General Idi Amin Dada" (1974) I highly suggest it. So bizarre. And the real guy and very bizarre. Mock invasions of Israel, talking to animals, some of the people shown "disappeared" later, and when he speaks to some people you get a glimpse of pure evil in his eyes but then turns and laughs and is jolly fat guy again etc. You laugh even though you know he is a brutal dictator that, if he have more infrastructure and weapons, would rival some of the other more infamous ones.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071544/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

[21st Century Man]

I really liked the movie. The reality is even more bizarre than the fictionalized aspects or fake (though thought Whittaker was a great Idi Amin.) If you haven't seen this famous documentary "General Idi Amin Dada" (1974) I highly suggest it. So bizarre. And the real guy and very bizarre. Mock invasions of Israel, talking to animals, some of the people shown "disappeared" later, and when he speaks to some people you get a glimpse of pure evil in his eyes but then turns and laughs and is jolly fat guy again etc. You laugh even though you know he is a brutal dictator that, if he have more infrastructure and weapons, would rival some of the other more infamous ones.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071544/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

Thanks for the recommendation!!!

[albrecht]

Thanks for the recommendation!!!

I enjoy it because you see the reality even though Amin is playing to the camera often and trying to show how good he is you see bits of his true nature. Maybe not a "great" documentary but since it shows the real guy I like it. It really is insane. It is bizarre and surreal but is real.

[21st Century Man]

The Ruins -2008 -  A mediocre horror flick about vines that love human flesh.  They can also mimic human beings and cell phones though I haven't the faintest idea where their vocal chords are.  This is based on a best-selling novel by the screenwriter, Scott Smith, and it was also produced by Ben Stiller.  I started to read the book at the time that it came out but for some reason lost interest about a third of the way in.

                The setup of the movie introduces us to 4 college kids who are vacationing in Cancun and they befriend a  German tourist, Mathias,  vacationing at the same resort.  His brother went off with some archaeologists to the jungle to check out a little-known Mayan pyramid but he hasn't responded to his brother in several days.   Mathias persuades the 4 kids and one other tourist, Dimitri, to come with him and so off they go.  They get to the pyramid and immediately find themselves surrounded by native Indians.  They are essentially quarantined to the pyramid and cannot leave lest they be killed by the natives.  The natives emphasize this point by killing Dimitri with a gun.  They decide to climb up to the top of the pyramid where they find the remains of a camp with tents still up and assorted supplies.

                Mathias discovers his brothers body within a  mass of vines and it is quite apparent that he is dead. With their cell-phones not working and at a loss as to what to do to extricate themselves from their situation, they hear a cell phone ring deep down inside the pyramid.  Mathias says it is his brother's phone so they find a rope and Mathias prepares to descend into the cave.  Unfortunately the rope breaks and Mathias falls deep into the ruin.  One of the girls, Stacy, manages to climb down the rope but unfortunately she has to jump down a bit as the rope is too short.  She does and cuts herself in the process.  Anyway, Mathias is still alive but his legs are a mess and he has also probably broken his back.  They manage to make a stretcher and lower it down into the pyramid and Mathias is retrieved.  In the process while all of this is going on, other bodies are discovered but no one knows what killed them.  Determined to find the cellphone, they explore the innards of the pyramid and can't find it.  They hear the cell phone ring again and it is close.  They go to the spot where they heard the noise and immediately discover that what they are hearing is not a cell-phone but the vines mimicking a cell phone.

                    Giving up on their cell phone quest, the kids and Mathias decide to call it a night and go to bed.  In the morning, they discover to their horror that the vines are entwining themselves onto Mathias and Stacy, entering their wounds to feed on their bodies.  The other 3 kids extricate the vines from the bodies as best as they can but they realize that they are in serious trouble.  What to do, what to do?  Try to sneak out of the jungle in the black of night or wait for the authorities to find them after they go missing.  Of course, they decide to do the stupid thing and continue waiting on the pyramid.  What follows are amputations,vines mimicking human voices, madness and death.

                     The script is not very good and I had little empathy for the characters especially the two girls.   The characters and setting are reminiscent of other films. Turistas, Wrong Turn, Cabin Fever, and the Descent are much better films.  The best thing about the movie was the production design; in particular, that of the Mayan pyramid which was actually built by the studio. This movie is a bit silly if you ask me. Stick to The Little Shop of Horrors if you want to see a movie about talking plants. 2 out of 5 stars for The Ruins.  Read the book instead.  Talking plants simply don't translate well to the big screen.

[pate]

Watched again:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0496375/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

I haven't the words why, perhaps this will suffice "Emmiently(sp) forgettable" brings to mind a song by The Who (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QaVzv5aR6U) I digress..

anyhow I was watching this movie:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QkclWhoj-Y

What is this deja vu?

Also that Commint 70's series: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1989737/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

No Clue what I am taliking about, Stephen.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URvm_VXO5zk

Anything with that Ron Perlman character... yep

[albrecht]

"Wild Bunch" on TCM now. Somehow anytime it is on I have to watch, almost like the stupid 11:11 stuff etc Norry talks about. Such a great movie, great actors, scenery, and the lines...?! So useful in many circumstances.

[zeebo]

"Wild Bunch" on TCM now. Somehow anytime it is on I have to watch, almost like the stupid 11:11 stuff etc Norry talks about. Such a great movie, great actors, scenery, and the lines...?! So useful in many circumstances.

A true classic.  But must be watched uncut, and full widescreen version.

[albrecht]

A true classic.  But must be watched uncut, and full widescreen version.

I've taken, almost a kidnapping (not really) all younger relatives, depending on age appropriateness, to the showings of 'Wild Bunch,' 'Das Boot,' 'Lawrence of Arabia', 'Miracle on 42th St,' and some of the Universal "monster" movies.

[Evil Twin Of Zen]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCyv5xKIqlw

[21st Century Man]

NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE WOULD BE PROUD

            I don't know if it would come as a surprise to many people that Nathaniel Hawthorne was almost as influential in the development of the horror story as Edgar Allan Poe.  Most people's knowledge of Hawthorne is limited to The Scarlet Letter and little else.  Some may have watched the 1960's MGM Vincent Price anthology,  Twice-Told Tales, which was based on the book by Hawthorne.  However, few have probably read the tale of a satanic witch coven holding a sabbat deep in the New England forest.  The short story, Young Goodman Brown, however has undoubtedly cast an influential shadow on the perception we have of witches during the last 200 years.  For those unaware of the story, it is more a mood piece than anything else.  A Puritan has to travel through the woods during the night and discovers a band of witches paying homage to the devil.  The descriptions of the sabbat are vivid and unforgettable.   Robert Egger's The Witch: A New England Folktale could be seen as a prelude to that short story.

             Throw out all of the politically correct revisionism about witches that has occurred in the last 50 years.  Forget Arthur Miller's The Crucible. For an hour and a half, pretend you are living with the besieged family in the story.  You will not be disappointed.  Don't expect the usual Hollywood pap with the requisite happy ending.  You won't find it here.  This film is bleak and uncompromising.  This is horror in the truest sense of the word.

              I'll give a sketch of the plot without too much in the way of spoilers.  A family, for unknown reasons, find themselves leaving the strict confines of Plymouth plantation after a spat with the town elders.  They build a new farm and hope to make a living there growing food for the surrounding communities.  Not too long after they are settled into their new place , a tragedy occurs.  The youngest child,  a baby named Samuel,  is spirited away by an unseen force while the oldest daughter, Thomasin, is watching over her.  Thomasin is playing a game with the baby.  Covering her eyes for a couple seconds, Thomasin makes faces and says boo to the infant, then covers her eyes again.  The baby is having a gay old time but then Thomasin covers her eyes once more and when she unveils them, the babe is gone.  Someone or something took the baby and cannot be found.   Aspersions are cast against the innocent Thomasin, including a charge of witchcraft from the other children. What follows is the disintegration of the family and much more. To tell more would be a sin.

              This is not a horror film with cheap thrills and loads of gore.  If that is what you are looking for, look elsewhere. This movie is about the corruption of the innocent and, as I've mentioned before, the complete dissolution of a family.  Very real horrors that are common and timeless.  There is a frank discussion on the Calvinist theory of pre-destination.  Are human beings by nature, evil, and doomed for hell  or are we innocent like Job, merely the pawns in a chess game between Satan and God?  There is evidence for both sides of that argument.

               Animal imagery is also quite evident in the film and that is to be expected as animals serve as witch's familiars.  Their use is clever.   I have never seen more accuracy in any other film when it comes to costumes and production design.  The ramshackle farm  and all other accoutrements are all middle 17th century.  I've never seen a film about early colonial America that was as well done as this particular film.  The acting is of the highest caliber with the young girl playing Thomasin being quite extraordinary.  This is not simply a great horror film but a great film period.  It should be nominated for multiple Academy Awards including Best Picture come next January.  It probably won't be as the Academy tends to snub genre films.  I haven't felt this strongly about a film since the Artist.  There is a segment of viewers that hate the film for whatever reason.  Lack of a generic happy ending, I suppose.  Some complain that it is too slow  with not enough action.  This is not an action movie but a drama with slow-burn horror.  A psychological horror film.  Not the typical Hollywood formulaic crap.  Others complain that the language is hard to understand.  By all means, turn on the subtitles when watching it if you think you'll have a problem.  It really isn't that hard to follow.

             I want to emphasize something in this review.  You might gain a little sympathy for the folks who panicked in Salem and unfortunately killed many innocent girls.  This story is taken from folktales about witches that were common at the time.  Who knows maybe there were a few bad apples with real power.  Whether there actually were is irrelevant because the common folks believed there were.  Put yourself in the place of any one member of the family in The Witch and you might be killing witches too.

                Of the last twenty years, I can only think of 2 horror films that I have truly enjoyed.  This film and the Conjuring.   In an odd coincidence, there is a link between those 2 films.  The ghost witch haunting the family in the Conjuring was named Bathsheba and the actress who played the old witch in this film was also named Bathsheba. Are there any flaws to The Witch?  I honestly can't think of any.  I wanted more.  Hopefully, they will make a sequel called The Coven.  Oh and there is a mighty hot babe in the middle of the film and they need to give her a bigger role in the sequel.

                 If Nathaniel Hawthorne had directed a horror film, it would be very much like The Witch.   This is one for the annals.  5 out of 5 stars.

[21st Century Man]

          After watching The Witch,  I decided to check out another recent horror film, The Green Inferno (2013), directed by Eli Roth.  I couldn't help but be a bit disappointed after watching the exquisite artistry of The Witch.  I was expecting something along the lines of Cannibal Holocaust but Inferno lacked the tension of that film.  All too often, the film drifted into comedy, and while the gore is initially nauseating, it becomes increasingly ridiculous and I'll be honest, looked very fake to me.  There was nothing realistic about this film save for the actual rain forest.  The Peruvian cannibal natives were a hodgepodge of Indian and black ? actors.

          To briefly summarize the plot, a group of college student demonstrators headed by their charismatic leader, Alejandro (Ariel Levy), journey down to Peru to stop construction companies from seizing and destroying the rainforest habitat and its occupants.  They chain themselves to trees and  bulldozers in order to stop them.   They succeed in their mission though only Alejandro knows that this will only delay construction for a few days.  You see, he wants to make a name for himself and he could care less about anybody else.  Anyway, they take off in a small plane to go home but then there is an explosion on the aircraft and the plane crashes in the rainforest.  They are captured by natives and taking to a village where they are kept encaged in a bamboo prison.  Everything else is predictable.  The fat black demonstrator is chosen for dinner and he is dismembered and cooked.   Yawn.

          As I've said, besides the initial shock, the viewer becomes used to the gratuitous gore and the story veers far too often into comedy.  Isn't it ironic that these treehuggers that want to protect the natives current lifestyle end up being on the menu?  Ha Ha.
The lead actress, Lorenza Izzo, is a beauty and a decent enough actress.  Too bad the same can't be said for the rest of the cast.  It would have looked much better on real film rather than digital.  There is a bit of nudity in this film but oddly not as much as you'd think.  The natives are clothed for the most part, Izzo walks around nude and painted (an homage to Andress and Mountain of The Cannibal God) during the film's climax and you do get to see a bit of a male penis taking a leak if that's your bag.

           Its not a bad film to watch if you have time to kill but it is rather mediocre and sloppily made. i enjoyed it for what it was. If cannibalism pictures are your bag, then I'd recommend watching Mountain of The Cannibal God with Stacy Keach and Ursula Andress instead or Cannibal Holocaust.  Those films are truly unnerving and not for the fainthearted. 2.5 stars out of 5.
       
I have a couple more movies to post about but I'm going to wait on them.  The oft-delayed review of Woman In A Lizard's Skin and Hammer's Plague of The Zombies.

[Lt.Uhura]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCyv5xKIqlw

I just watched both trailers for this.

(Sigh)...."From the director of Fast & Furious", as if that would impress fans of Star Trek.  I anticipate 2+ hours of loud, rapid-fire, bombastic violence with a bit of shallow, obligatory philosophizing about why the crew joined Starfleet.

Maybe I'm just old, but I can't get excited about any new movies today.  Compelling, intelligent storylines and dialogue has been replaced by over the top CGI and soundtracks.  Formulaic is an understatement.   

I'll go see Beyond, but I won't like it.

[albrecht]

"Forbidden Planet" on TCM right now. (Dr. Morbius looks oddly like a drug-addled Waylon Jennings back in the day, to me. I know, I know I've mentioned it before.)

[Walks_At_Night]

I just watched both trailers for this.

(Sigh)...."From the director of Fast & Furious", as if that would impress fans of Star Trek.  I anticipate 2+ hours of loud, rapid-fire, bombastic violence with a bit of shallow, obligatory philosophizing about why the crew joined Starfleet.

Maybe I'm just old, but I can't get excited about any new movies today.  Compelling, intelligent storylines and dialogue has been replaced by over the top CGI and soundtracks.  Formulaic is an understatement.   

I'll go see Beyond, but I won't like it.

I feel your pain

[136 or 142]

When I mentioned my dislike of the movie "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World"  Albrecht told me I should write my reviews in the film review thread.  I don't know if Albrecht was joking or not, but I couldn't find that thread.  (I didn't look in the archive section.)

Anyway, if anyone's interested, I think it could make a good thread, especially for films that fit in with Art Bell and Coast to Coast.

So, my friend came over again yesterday and we sort of saw two movies.  We saw one yesterday and we started seeing one but had to leave before it finished.  I decided to see the rest of it on my own.

1.Hellzapoppin.  Unlike George Noory, this film does not suck.  Very good sight gags and very bad puns (a good thing.)  This movie and the original stage show on which it's based (but is completely different) were both the inspiration for Rowan and Martin and for Mel Brooks' The Producers.  Very obscure and apparently the youtube version is quite poor, but my friend's vhs version that I dubbed onto dvd is quite good, and I could ask him for the dvd back and post it on youtube.  It's a film from 1940 so I assume it no longer subject to copyright.  There are a number of period songs in the movie that some people may not care for but there's also an excellent piece of jazz music accompanied by some very impressive dancing.  The story itself (when they get to it) is quite slight, but that isn't really important.  This film doesn't really fit in with Coast to Coast except when George Noory has Liza Gibbons on.

2.The Parallax View.  Unlike George Noory, this film does not suck.    Early 1970s film directed by Alan Pacula who also directed 'All the President's Men.' One of the classic conspiracy films.  The film's main star is Warren Beatty who was or is an ass in real life (but not in the film) but, for some of the film anyway, looks more like Harrison Ford. Without giving anything away other than the film starts off with the murder of a U.S Senator who may or may not be planning to run for President followed by a 'Warren Commmission' type ruling declaring the assassination to be the work of a lone gunman.  The narrative of the film is easy enough to follow, but the motives of pretty much everybody other than Warren Beatty's character, Joe Frady, are murky.  (Joe Frady is, by my guess a play on both the term 'frady cat' and 'Joe Friday' of Dragnet.)  So, there's not much that can be given away about the film, because it's not 100% certain why many of the things happened.  Of course, that fits into the conspiracy  theme of the movie.  Other than that, the film contains a somewhat famous montage scene that is, in my opinion, one of the most trippy scenes every filmed (and no drugs are required to be taken.) 

[albrecht]

When I mentioned my dislike of the movie "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World"  Albrecht told me I should write my reviews in the film review thread.  I don't know if Albrecht was joking or not, but I couldn't find that thread.  (I didn't look in the archive section.)

"I'm watching/ just watching thread" is where most people are posting film reviews. Sure post reviews there, no joking. Haven't seen the first but, yeah, Parallax View is a classic.
http://bellgab.com/index.php/topic,615.0.html

[136 or 142]

"I'm watching/ just watching thread" is where most people are posting film reviews. Sure post reviews there, no joking. Haven't seen the first but, yeah, Parallax View is a classic.
http://bellgab.com/index.php/topic,615.0.html

Thanks. I searched for it under films, then under film reviews and just received too many replies.

  Please delete this thread.

[136 or 142]

So, my friend came over again yesterday and we sort of saw two movies.  We saw one yesterday and we started seeing one but had to leave before it finished.  I decided to see the rest of it on my own.

1.Hellzapoppin.  Unlike George Noory, this film does not suck.  Very good sight gags and very bad puns (a good thing.)  This movie and the original stage show on which it's based (but is completely different) were both the inspiration for Rowan and Martin and for Mel Brooks' The Producers.  Very obscure and apparently the youtube version is quite poor, but my friend's vhs version that I dubbed onto dvd is quite good, and I could ask him for the dvd back and post it on youtube.  It's a film from 1940 so I assume it no longer subject to copyright.  There are a number of period songs in the movie that some people may not care for but there's also an excellent piece of jazz music accompanied by some very impressive dancing.  The story itself (when they get to it) is quite slight, but that isn't really important.  This film doesn't really fit in with Coast to Coast except when George Noory has Liza Gibbons on.

2.The Parallax View.  Unlike George Noory, this film does not suck.    Early 1970s film directed by Alan Pakula who also directed 'All the President's Men.' One of the classic conspiracy films.  The film's main star is Warren Beatty who was or is an ass in real life (but not in the film) but, for some of the film anyway, looks more like Harrison Ford. Without giving anything away other than the film starts off with the murder of a U.S Senator who may or may not be planning to run for President followed by a 'Warren Commmission' type ruling declaring the assassination to be the work of a lone gunman.  The narrative of the film is easy enough to follow, but the motives of pretty much everybody other than Warren Beatty's character, Joe Frady, are murky.  (Joe Frady is, by my guess a play on both the term 'frady cat' and 'Joe Friday' of Dragnet.)  So, there's not much that can be given away about the film, because it's not 100% certain why many of the things happened.  Of course, that fits into the conspiracy  theme of the movie.  Other than that, the film contains a somewhat famous montage scene that is, in my opinion, one of the most trippy scenes every filmed (and no drugs are required to be taken.)
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[Dr. MD MD]

Parallax was an excellent movie that gives you a behind the scenes look at spook recruitment and training in US politics. There's a screening/brainwashing scene you'll probably never forget. Great stuff!

[136 or 142]

Parallax was an excellent movie that gives you a behind the scenes look at spook recruitment and training in US politics. There's a screening/brainwashing scene you'll probably never forget. Great stuff!

It wasn't a brainwashing scene, they were doing a psychological test on him and checking to see his involuntary physical responses to the pictures in the montage. 

[BobGrau]

First episode of Preacher was promising. I never thought I'd end up in a timeline where Arseface is on the telly.

[21st Century Man]

Some quick bits.  I haven't had time to post much lately but I've seen a number of movies.  I'm going to have to keep these reviews short due to time constraints.

10 Cloverfield Lane -  A solid horror/sci-fi thriller with John Goodman as a survivalist who rescues two people from possible doomsday and imprisons them in his bunker.  Goodman is easily the best thing about the movie. He steals every scene.  His Howard is a complex character, likable yet frightening and somewhat prone to paranoia.  The other 2 actors are fine but their characters are not particularly charming or interesting.  There are some plot holes in the movie.For example, the radio in the bunker is not used effectively to keep tabs on what is going on in the outside world.  Suspense is built up nicely and I thought the ending was well-done.   With some tweaking, the film could have easily gotten 4 stars from me but as it is I can only give it 3.5 stars out of 5.  A decent bottle movie.

Phonebooth - 2002 - Another decent bottle film with all of the action centering around an endangered species, a phone booth in NYC.  Colin Farrell plays a cocky young hustler/publicist who is forced to endure humiliation after humiliation while risking his life to save himself, passers-by, his wife(Katie Holmes) and his marriage.  Forrest Whittaker plays the cop called to take Farrell in after a pimp is killed. Kiefer Sutherland is menacing as the caller/sniper.  An excellent movie that never lets up and is over quite quickly, clocking in at 81 minutes.  You won't be bored.  I've never been very impressed with Farrell but he was quite good in this film and so was the rest of the cast. 4 out of 5 stars.

The Plague Of The Zombies - 1966 -  I've never been a huge fan of what passes for zombie films these days.  Sure, Night of The Living Dead offers a unique twist to the zombie genre and  Lucio Fulci's Zombie is a guilty pleasure of mine but to me, zombies are not the flesh-eating undead creatures of Hollywood but semi-alive servants of Haitian witch doctors and shamans.  The Plague of the Zombies is more in line with the latter although the zombies in this film are most assuredly dead.  In a way, Plague is a transition film of the zombie genre.  It very much maintains the slave labor aspect of zombie films like White Zombie and I Walked With A Zombie while paving the way for more gruesome zombie films like Night of The Living Dead and those that followed it.
    Anyway, this is an excellent Hammer horror offering.  In Cornwall, England, the residents are starting to die off from a peculiar disease that is infecting the town.  Dr. Peter Tompson (Brook Williams), the town physician calls on his mentor, Sir James Forbes (André Morell) for help.  It turns out the local rich entrepreneur, Squire Clive Hamilton (John Carson), recently back from Haiti has reopened a mine but no one from town is employed there.  Who is doing the work there?  Meanwhile Tompson's wife becomes the latest fatality from the strange affliction.  Tompson and Forbes then find out that bodies are missing from the graveyard.  Where did they go? 
   The zombies in this film are far more gruesome than those in any previous zombie film but they are not flesh-eaters, merely slaves but they do occasionally kill.  For those wanting to see a gore-fest, this is not the movie for you.  However, if you are interested in traditional zombie lore, then you should find this film quite satisfying.  All of the actors involved do a fine, competent job and the story is engaging.  Maybe just a touch below Hammer's best offerings with Lee and Cushing but still merits 3.5 stars out of 5.


Well, that is all I have time for right now but I will try to post more over the next few days.

[akwilly]

Watched the 1st season of Angie Tribeca. Freaking love it. Kinda like Naked Gun but with more comedy. Produced by Steve carell of Office fame.