Random Film of the Week: Friday the 13th

Posted on December 13, 2013 by geelw

Amusingly enough, I wasn’t planning on doing a RFotW at all (well, for a few days at least) until I was walking home and realized that it was indeed that day where superstitious people go out of their ways to avoid danger and paradoxically set themselves and others up for accidents. If you’ve ever spilled a hot or cold beverage on yourself or someone else or the ground because some idiot was jumping out of the way of a black cat, diving past a ladder, threw a handful salt over their shoulder into your eyes or anything else deemed to ward off bad luck, you probably know what I mean, correct?

Anyway, taking its cues from !950’s “B” horror and Italian giallo films and adding a few (for the time) modern twists Sean S. Cunningham’s 1980 horror flick is to many, a classic. Granted, back when it was released it was labeled as “misogynistic” (despite a girl being the last survivor and a plot twist I won’t spoil here for those who still haven’t seen this one) along with a bunch of other genre films that put BOTH male and female characters in peril and if you want to see it as such, I’m not going to change your mind. However, when you take into account the guys get it as badly as the gals here, I’d say the film is shocking because it actually doesn’t discriminate when it comes to who gets the axe, arrow, machete or other modes of mean-spirited dispatching… Continue reading →

How Do You Say “Play Ball!” In Japanese Again?

Posted on December 8, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, springdraco!)

So, yeah – someone decided to partially translate this classic Abbott and Costello routine from English to Japanese and somehow, I found this more hilarious than I needed to, so here you go. This clip is from the great old flick The Naughty Nineties, by the way. I think I was thinking of seeing this in full reverse with a pair of Japanese comics doing this bit in Japanese and having English subtitles done up. That would be pretty darn spectacular, as Japanese baseball has some oddball rules you don’t see here that make it a more exciting game in a few respects. Granted, I’m not a HUGE sports fan at all (yeah, yeah – I’m soooo unpatriotic it hurts YOU more than it does me), but I know funny when I see it and appreciate a good laugh a hell of a lot more than a well thrown, hit or caught ball of any type.

Oh, yeah – here’s a longer version of the famous routine below – enjoy!

(thanks, ClassicTV789!)

Random Film of the Week: The Big Heat

Posted on December 4, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, MJmichand!)

Sergeant Dave Bannion has absolutely ZERO luck with attractive women in Fritz Lang’s absolute classic 1953 noir The Big Heat. Granted, our initially 100% by-the-book cop (ably portrayed by Glenn Ford) IS a married man with a young daughter, so he doesn’t need to be around the ladies he ends up getting into trouble at all. Unfortunately, in one way or another they’re part of the case he’s working on, so he’s like a black cat in a suit here. Nearly every lady he comes across in this film goes through some sort of hell when and after he’s around that makes him some sort of magnet for bad luck and worse outcomes.

It’s a wonder he makes it through the film in one piece at all despite the efforts of some bad men to keep him off their cases and yes, far away from those doomed dames. For its time, the amount of violence and even some language was probably considered shocking by some viewers, and in at least one respect the film still packs a wallop. That wallop being Gloria Grahame’s portrayal of Debby Marsh, girlfriend of Lee Marvin’s overly brutal gangster-type, Vince Stone. But Stone is the least of Bannion’s problems when he investigates the suicide of a fellow police officer and gets wrapped up in some other things a wee bit over his head… Continue reading →

Hmm. Your Tax Dollars @ Work Circa 1943 Make For Some Interesting Food For Thought…

Posted on December 1, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, allpublicdomain!)

Ha and ha. It’s kind of funny that we live in a country where some are going nuts about too much government poking in to their private lives or nanny state politicians wanting to tell people what they can and can’t eat when back in 1943, this was considered a mighty GOOD thing to want to have happen. Yeah, yeah, we were in a big war back then, but haven’t we been in a bigger and longer one this century to some extent? Yeah, I bet if this nifty propaganda flick ran in every movie theater and on every network TV station NOW, half the people watching would choke on that super-sized soda and barrel of popcorn in their extra-wide laps while the other half would be banging out a protest petition on their devices with chubby little sausage (flavored) fingers. I say look at it this way, folks – staying in better shape keeps you alive longer to enjoy some of that freedom people keep dying for just so you can gorge yourselves while they do all the heavy lifting.

Now go thank a soldier somewhere on your block this weekend and maybe have a fresh turnip for dessert…

Three Movies. Three Minutes. Who The Hell Needs Hollywood Remakes?

Posted on November 30, 2013 by geelw

I’d heard of 1A4STUDIO and their hilarious 60-second remakes of classic genre films, but only got around to watching a couple today. Yes indeed, it’s ABSOLUTELY worth your minute or three to check these out before you waste the better part of your day watching and re-watching the rest of their output on YouTube. The other movie speedruns they’ve done are also priceless, but some require you know every bit inside and out, as you’ll laugh harder when you see how some scenes are handled.

I don’t have a “favorite” yet, but this trio made me crack up the most because I’ve seen all these way too many times to count. Still, I think the Aliens clip was the most amusing to watch, but T2 below? Yeah, they nail the big action scenes perfectly in record time. I can’t wait to see these guys handle some of the more recent blockbusters for sure, but given that many ONLY have about a minute of actual plot (ha ha, but I’m not kidding either), I’m wondering if we end up seeing thirty-second speedruns sooner than later.

Random Film of the Week: The Man in the White Suit

Posted on November 20, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, thecinelady!)

I recall seeing Alexander Mackendrick’s 1951 film The Man in the White Suit listed as both a comedy and a science fiction film in two separate movie books and as I hadn’t seen it at that time, I was a bit perplexed. Of course, I think I was also about twelve years old, so I was perplexed about a great many things. And in a constant state of perplexed about those great many things believe you me.

Thankfully, once I finally saw this classic a few years later, all my questions were answered – it’s a comedy AND a science fiction film (and a bit of social commentary, to boot). And of course, it’s an Ealing Studios film so it’s just about perfect in every aspect and yes indeed, comes very highly recommended…
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The Chaney Blogathon Day Four: The finale!

Posted on November 18, 2013 by geelw

Oops! I’ve been SO busy that I forgot to plug my own work elsewhere. Well, it’s HERE you’ll bounce back to when you click my reviews of Indestructible Man and The Defiant Ones, but you beans and banes can do with some other reading on the two Chaneys and their fine bodies of work, I say. Enjoy!

The Last Drive In

Well, it’s the forth and final day of our celebration of the great CHANEYS! And it’s been quite a turn out.

I’ll be taking it from here as host but my brilliant & witty co-host will be lurking around helping to showcase all the fantastic contributions. We’re so pleased with how the event has gone and grateful to all of you who either contributed, helped tout or chimed in to show love to two memorable men and support us… unflinching Blogathon mistresses’ who pulled this all together!

I want to especially thank Fritzi of Movies Silently for quietly asking me months ago if I’d like to help co-host this event. I was flattered and honored and as excited as Quasimodo hanging from a gargoyle on the side of that Cathedral! Although my hump is much smaller.

So without any further asides from yours truly- Please stay seated as here’s the…

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Random Film of the Week(end): Somewhere In Time

Posted on November 6, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, famousmichigan!)

As much fun as it was and still is, frankly speaking, Superman: the Movie had a really TERRIBLE time travel sequence that breaks the film and manages to always get a tiny bit under my skin each time I see it. Fortunately, Somewhere In Time is a much better film overall about time travel, love, loss and quite probably the worst long distance relationship ever. I saw this upon its initial release back in 1980 and it’s stuck with me since.

Now, I’m not deep into the romantic fantasy genre at all, but SoT has a compelling pull to it that makes it one of my favorite science fiction films, bittersweet finale and all. It’s not for every taste, but if you decide to give this one a shot, you’ll find Jeannot Szwarc’s fine direction, the lovely John Barry score, intentionally languid pacing and solid performances from the cast (I think it’s Reeve’s best film work, period) make this one truly memorable… Continue reading →

Random Film of the Week: Mark of the Vampire

Posted on October 30, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, Passion4Horror!)

Confession time: I didn’t much care for the film version of Dracula. It took me three attempts to sit through that film as a kid, but it was less due to Bela Lugosi’s interestingly languid performance than the stiff “let’s put on a show!” Broadway staging most of the movie suffers from.

Over time I’ve finally come to respect and like the film a lot more, but have always found the Spanish language version far more compelling and fun to watch thanks to the additional scenes and excellent supporting cast. Unfortunately, the Dracula in that film chose to mimic Lugosi’s singular acting style a wee bit too much while the other actors eat up the scenery in that great manner supporting players do when they’re making the best of a meaty role.

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Random Film of the Week: The Defiant Ones

Posted on October 22, 2013 by geelw

Although he doesn’t appear until about 45 minutes into the film and has about seven minutes or so of screen time total, Lon Chaney Jr. plays a pivotal role in The Defiant Ones. As Big Sam, a burly, weathered old soul who saves the escaped duo from a lynching, he delivers a powerful speech against killing the men and beats down one of the angry mob before asking anyone else to step up and try their hand at murder. Given that the guy he slugged went down like a stone wall hit by a wrecking ball, no one decides to test their luck afterwards.

Later on, he cuts the pair loose before brusquely sending them away still chained from the small waterside shack town they’d stumbled across. It’s not until the last moments the three men are together that you realize why Sam isn’t keen on seeing the men harmed (at least by his people)… a flash of his badly scarred wrist reveals he used to be a former chain gang convict. He doesn’t know or care what they’ve done to be chained to each other, but he’s giving them a better chance at survival than anyone else would have… Continue reading →