Random Film of the Week(end): Mars Attacks!

Posted on January 13, 2013 by geelw

As I’m still in full-on Earth Defense 2017 Portable mode this weekend, I figured I’d take a break and catch a movie while charging my Vita. Amusingly enough, Tim Burton’s underrated 1996 sci-fi black comedy was just starting up on one of the Cinemax channels, so I sat and caught one of my favorite end of the world films of the 90’s. Granted, back when it was released, it seems way too many parents were thinking they’d be getting a second Independence Day to take their kids to, so I remember the theater I saw this at on opening day being packed with parents and children (including some on a class trip). Let’s just say that when that flaming herd of cows came running past the camera before the brilliant main title sequence, about a third of the theater emptied out pretty quickly, leaving most of us true Tim Burton fans to our PG-13 rated treat…

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Random Film of the Week (Double Feature II): The Mysterians & Destroy All Monsters!

Posted on January 7, 2013 by geelw

Yep, two more films that influenced Japanese developer Sandlot in their creation of the fan favorite Earth Defense Force series. The former flick can be seem as the main jumping off point for the series, as the Japanese title, Chikyu Boueigun literally translates as “Earth Defense Force”, although there aren’t any giant insects to be found here. Those came primarily from yesterday’s double feature. The aliens do happen to have plenty of advanced weaponry and a giant mole-like robot called Mogera to shake things up for a bit. The film was actually the first part of a trilogy of sci-fi flicks with Battle in Outer Space and Gorath making up the other two parts. I haven’t seen either of those two in decades, so I’ll have to track them down one of these days to check out.

As for Destroy All Monsters! (or Kaijū Sōshingeki), it was probably every kid of the 60’s or early 70’s favorite sci-fi flick of the pre Star Wars era thanks to plenty of TV airings at assorted times of the day. Packing in nearly every Toho kaiju monster (it’s more than a simple Godzilla picture, that’s for sure), loads of action and an epic plot, the film is memorable for its wall to wall special effects and not a dull moment from start to finish. I need to dig this one up on DVD one of these days as it’s also been quite a while since I’ve seen it. And yes, it’s part of the inspiration for the name of this little site, but that whole story is a longer and funnier one I’ll get around to telling one of these days. Anyway, go check these films out and prepare to take a step back into some incredible (and campy by today’s standards) sci-fi films that may be ancient, but still pack a punch in terms of being pure nostalgic enjoyment…

Random Film of the Week (Double Feature Edition): THEM! & Tarantula

Posted on January 6, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, Tobar!)

With Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable rolling out on the PlayStation Vita on Tuesday, I figured I’d write up a short column about two of the many “They don’t make ’em like they used to!” sci-fi films that most assuredly influenced Japanese developer Sandlot when they created their cult favorite game series that got its start as a pair of budget PlayStation 2 games (The Simple 2000 Vol. 31: The Chikyuu Boueigun and The Simple 2000 Vol. 81: The Chikyuu Boueigun 2) and a more visually polished Xbox 360 sequel which has been nicely expanded and enhanced for Sony’s portable system. Both flicks are “B” movie classics worth watching if you’ve never seen either previously, with the former film being surprisingly tense and well-acted considering the subject matter and the latter film using some pretty well done matte work to convincing effect in a few scenes.

Yeah, yeah, there’s no fancy CGI here and some implausible moments in both flicks can be eyeball-rolling if you start applying any rules of reality to what you’re viewing. Nevertheless, if you’re in the right mood, you’ll be hooked into both films from the memorable beginnings of each one and stick around to their bitter endings…

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(Not So) Random Film of the Week: Melancholia

Posted on December 23, 2012 by geelw

Quite possibly the best end of the world movie to date (provided you aren’t expecting something along the lines of an Irwin Allen-style Hollywood blockbuster packed to the gills with overpaid celebrities), Lars von Trier’s Melancholia is also a surprisingly beautiful film despite the fact that everyone dies at the end. Er… Surprise!

Actually, the film spells its not so big secret out in the stunning opening montage and its two acts play out in operatic fashion as things unwind in the lives of two sisters and how they deal with the impending disaster. Even though you know what’s going to happen, von Trier’s focus on the pair and the more intimate events in their small part of the world makes for compelling viewing that keeps you watching until the very end. Even if you don’t like some of the director’s previous films, this is one of those essentials that’s not as depressing as you’d think thanks to some excellent performances all around and some truly gorgeous cinematography.

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Random Film of the Week: Soldier in the Rain

Posted on December 20, 2012 by geelw

(thanks, Mind Hunger!)

Steve McQueen may have been the “King of Cool” in his prime, but if his performance in 1963’s Soldier in the Rain is any indication, he was also a pretty lousy comedian. On the other hand, the film is all Jackie Gleason’s, and he makes it well worth viewing. The film is one of those interesting comedy/drama hybrids that tends to lean too far into either direction when a more subtle middle ground would have worked better. Despite the flaws, this Blake Edwards-produced film has enough laughs and some fine performances throughout. McQueen plays Eustis Clay as a goofball caricature who’s great at whipping up scams that never net him the fortunes he dreams about. Gleason’s Master Sargent Slaughter (no relation to the 90’s TV wrestler) is a career man, heavyset and aging who humors Clay and his crazy schemes partially because they brighten his usually dull days. Continue reading →

Random Film of the Week: Never Give a Sucker an Even Break

Posted on December 14, 2012 by geelw

I’ve decided to keep things a bit lighter on such a heavy day here and not post reviews of a couple of games just out of common courtesy, Anyway, time for some much-needed comedy:

For his final encore (that’s a little vaudeville joke there, I think), the great W.C. Fields created one of the more surreal comedies of the era that’s just as quirky today as it must have been back when it was originally released. 1941’s Never Give a Sucker an Even Break is the not quite true, but very true story of Fields’ problems in getting his often outrageous for the time comedies past brainless executives and censors who deemed his material too wild for movie audiences. Playing himself, the film is basically Fields trying to sell a screenplay he’s written to a producer at the aptly named Esoteric Pictures with scenes from the script turning into some pretty bizarre and hilarious stagings thanks to some really fun special effects work and plenty of Fields’ comic genius.

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Random Film of the Week (Corporate Edition): Rollerball

Posted on December 7, 2012 by geelw

So, I’m looking over the notes for my Prometheus plot dissection (which probably won’t be as critical as my picking apart of The Thing from a few months ago), and that fun GE robot ad pops up. While writing up that last post about it, I got to thinking about a few of my sci-fi flicks that had evil corporations running things unto the ground for the purposes of profit and proving class struggle is a useless pursuit.Oh, what a fun time that was (he said, depressingly).

Norman Jewison’s excellent Rollerball was one of the first films that popped into my head (along with Soylent Green and Logan’s Run in case you’re interested) and amusingly enough, it just so happens to have popped up on cable recently. For the younger crowd out there, stay FAR away from the truly terrible 2001 remake and check out the darker, more violent and surprisingly deep 1975 original.

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Random Film of the Week: Fiend Without A Face

Posted on December 2, 2012 by geelw

If you’re old enough and recall camping out in front of the TV on Friday or Saturday nights long after the sun went to sleep (Chiller Theater or Creature Features, anyone?), you probably saw a ton of horror and sci-fi flicks from the 50’s and 60’s. For some reason, Hollywood’s “B” movie makers were brain-obsessed during this period, churning out films good to terrible with titles such as Donovan’s Brain, The Brain From Planet Arous, The Brain That Wouldn’t Die and so forth and so on.

All those brains on screen and yet, in my opinion the best one wasn’t even made in the USA. For years I always thought Fiend Without A Face was a US-made “B” flick, but I just found out recently that it’s British. Oops. Granted, that doesn’t make it any “classier” at all – it’s just yet another reason you should check out this classic 1958 sci-fi/horror gem.

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Random Film of the Week: Sunrise: A Tale of Two Souls

Posted on November 10, 2012 by geelw

Even though it’s well over eighty years old, F.W. Murnau’s Sunrise: A Tale of Two Souls is still one of the most amazing films ever made. For a silent film with a surprising amount of visual effects and innovative camera work for what’s basically a dramatic romance mixed with a morality play. The story manages to resonate on a few levels thanks to stellar acting by the leads, phenomenal sets and cinematography and of course, Murnau’s highly expressionistic direction. A simple tale of a nameless farmer who plans to ditch his wife permanently for the charms of a gal from the city, the film shifts into gear right from the opening sequence, pulling you in to the grand final moments. Continue reading →

Random Film of the Week: BUG

Posted on October 27, 2012 by geelw

(thank you, Trash Trailers!)

Even though it was released two full weeks before Stephen Spielberg’s JAWS, the late William Castle’s final production, BUG was somewhat destined to fail. Despite some fine direction by Jeannot Szwarc and an intense performance as Bradford Dillman starring as the doomed Dr. James Parminter and plenty of startling deaths (well, startling to an 11-year old me), the film probably freaked too many people out with its swarms of over-sized fire-starting cockroaches causing all sorts of flaming mayhem throughout a small town after they start popping up after an earthquake.

What makes the film work as a nice horror/sci-fi blend is the sheer craziness of the insects from hell being able to start fires anywhere they crawled (which again, leads to some nasty demises throughout the flick) and Parminter’s supremely stuborn insistence on tampering with them even more with his research.

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