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Pray for Death - 1985

This one surprised me a little.
Sho Kasugi at it yet again and I think this one was a little better than Revenge of the Ninja.

Akira Saito is moving his family to America because his wife wishes for them to move, he father is American and Akira wants to open his own business so it looks like a good opportunity for them.
Akira has a dark past as a ninja which he has worked to leave behind and leaves for America with the blessing of his adopted father. (Not sure of the right term for a father of an adopted child.)
In the US things don't go quite so well. They buy out a shop owner who is looking to retire and move on but there's a small problem. The building they now own was used as a drop point for some heavy criminal activity and a stolen item goes missing in a petty double cross leaving the blame at the feet of the Saito family. And as we all know bad guys gunna bad guy. This leads to some ninja style intimidation tactics that should have worked except the targets are very stubborn bad guys who live to push back as it were. One thing leads to another. There's a fair bit of reasonable motivation after that building up to the final confrontation.
I enjoyed some of the ninja tricks used in the action and fight scenes. I'm not a huge fan of high jumps and we have our fair share. Ya there fun but well there fun anyway.
Ah, and our here ninja, Akira, does get wounded quite badly and presses on but they do make the wound an actual issue and a way to level the playing field for that fight.
There's a lot of action and a good story. You can check it out on youtube if you want, which is a bonus!

Sho Kosagi is king of the Ninja movie.... like Steve Reeves is king of Peplum films.

Now, onto two flicks I watched:

Mistletoe and Menorahs

A toy developer needs to land a big gig with a Jewish employer, who invited her over to a Hanukah party. She doesn't know anything about Jewish traditions, so connects with a teacher to help her learn. Hijinks ensue.

This movie is not good, but it is a Christmas movie... about Hanukah..... so um..... yeah. Anyway, not terrible but two things really bothered me. One was the "Tough time" the early 30 someting was having with their job..... honey, what you are going through is peak First World problems. Meeting her incredibly cheesy and WASPy family was also really teeth grinding. Thankfully, they were barely in the film, just long enough to annoy me.

Disenchanted

The new D+ sequel to Enchanted with Amy Adams. There is a reason it went to D+ as it is not quite up to movie theatre standards. Needed a bit of editing and a script re-work to get there. However, the cast is game and the end product is workmanlike and well done.

I am not really the target audience, so I don't have too much more to say. However, their was an interesting sub-text that as an actress ages, the only roles left available to them is "the wicked stepmother". At least, I thought there was.

The Wraith 1986

A sort of supernatural Mad Max influenced Indy flick. Not only starring Charlie Sheen, but Charlie Sheen seemingly not off his tits on something.

Absolute banger of an 80’s soundtrack, but the film itself is nothing particularly special. There’s nothing particularly wrong here, it’s just….painfully mediocre. The cars look and sound great, and the race scenes are competently shot. But the acting isn’t up to much (particularly Mr Sheen who is incredibly wooden)

It is watchable, and enjoyable enough. But if it’s this or Mad Max/Mad Max 2, there’s just no competition.

However, that has given me a possible thread concept “We’ve got *insert film* at home”, where we nominate worthy knock-offs and inspired by movies. Hmm.

IIRC the Wraith had a chick who looked like this hot chick in my high school.

That is all I remember about it.

Patient Zero

Matt Smith stars. Super Mega Bad Rabies has rampaged through the human species. Army Scientists try to find Patient Zero because vaccine I guess.

Rules are get nibbled, and you go crazy ape bonkers within 90 seconds. Except if you’re Matt Smith, as you got ate off an infected, didn’t turn, but…erm…*checks notes* Can Now Speak With The Infected. Because reasons.

Bunch of folks from Game of Thrones. Writer has seen 28 Days Later and Day of the Dead. They thought they could write an equally good film.

They could not. This is one to miss. Riddled with plot holes (early on Army Ranger explains they brought in two new infected, at the cost of 5 lives. We then see Matt Smith wandering a prison….where we see dozens of infected safely squirrelled away. So…..yeah.

Battle Los Angeles

Blackhawk Down with aliens!

It really is BHD beat for beat. We see the Marines living their lives one's retiring soon, one's getting married, one's seeing a psychiatrist etc, meanwhile the news talks about strange meteor showers and you can guess the rest. Suffice to say the Marines have a very bad day.

It's also the War of the Worlds update Tom Cruise should have made.

Good modern action sequences, an 'anyone can die' feeling. The aliens motivation is BS (they came for our water!) but it's just some dude on the news so he might be wrong. But a good movie become mediocre in the last 20 minutes when





Was apparently meant to be a franchise that never took off but makes for good background while painting your Chinook.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
Battle Los Angeles

Blackhawk Down with aliens!

It really is BHD beat for beat. We see the Marines living their lives one's retiring soon, one's getting married, one's seeing a psychiatrist etc, meanwhile the news talks about strange meteor showers and you can guess the rest. Suffice to say the Marines have a very bad day.

It's also the War of the Worlds update Tom Cruise should have made.

Good modern action sequences, an 'anyone can die' feeling. The aliens motivation is BS (they came for our water!) but it's just some dude on the news so he might be wrong. But a good movie become mediocre in the last 20 minutes when

Spoiler:

our very mortal jarheads are promoted to superheroes and go blow up the enemy mothership all be themselves. Which of course shuts down all the enemy fliers because of reasons.

Was apparently meant to be a franchise that never took off but makes for good background while painting your Chinook.

I agree with you mate. Not bad, could have been better. I never thought of the direct BHD comparison before but yeah. Nice. Poor ending notwithstanding, a decent enough military sci-fi movie. Could have made a decent tv series. While not perfect they got the “feel” of the military better than a lot of other movies.👍

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
My Neighbor Totoro

Utterly charming. A classic.

Just the best. I keep pestering my brother to show this to his daughter, but they just feed her Disney+ rubbish.

 Sigur wrote:

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
My Neighbor Totoro

Utterly charming. A classic.

Just the best. I keep pestering my brother to show this to his daughter, but they just feed her Disney+ rubbish.

Tell your brother I have a bizarre aversion to Anime. Tell him I’ve tried and tried to get into it, as on paper, I should by all rights be a massive, colossal weeb. Weebzilla if you will.

And even I bloody love My Neighbour Totoro. And indeed all Ghibli I’ve seen.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
The Wraith 1986

A sort of supernatural Mad Max influenced Indy flick. Not only starring Charlie Sheen, but Charlie Sheen seemingly not off his tits on something.

Absolute banger of an 80’s soundtrack, but the film itself is nothing particularly special. There’s nothing particularly wrong here, it’s just….painfully mediocre. The cars look and sound great, and the race scenes are competently shot. But the acting isn’t up to much (particularly Mr Sheen who is incredibly wooden)

It is watchable, and enjoyable enough. But if it’s this or Mad Max/Mad Max 2, there’s just no competition.

However, that has given me a possible thread concept “We’ve got *insert film* at home”, where we nominate worthy knock-offs and inspired by movies. Hmm.

I watched that one a few months ago.

Enjoyed it at the time, but all I can remember it how weirdly robotic the Wraith's design is, considering he's supposed to be a ghost.

Yeah. I think that detracts from the overall whole. But. Limited budget considerations? It does mark The Wraith itself as otherworldly. Something not human. I’d have preferred a more ethereal look and vibe, but I’ll take the odd killer cyborg look.

Hellraiser 2022

Little over half way through. And as a long term Hellraiser film (I’ve seen all of them. Yes. Even that one) I can’t contain the need to dish out some Trumps and Grumps.

Trumps

The Cenobites look amazing. Like…..seriously good. The original film had some iconic designs, and the series then suffered diminishing returns somewhat. Not only was the visual “cripes!” spent, but particular in Hell on Earth they were uninspired, even with Pinhead in-universe bemoaning his new creations as a bit cack.

The atmosphere is really, really solid.

It’s trying something new. I’ll get back to you on whether it works when I’m done watching. It might blob the landing, but take off and flight is wonderful.

Grumps

So far? It’s not Following The Rules, as laid out in Hellraiser and Hellbound. Specifically Pinhead’s declaration “no, it is not actions that summon us, it is desire”.


Now this is of course a remake/reimagining. And whilst it plays with elements of the original three, and does so really quite well? It’s not afraid to be it’s own thing. I can respect that. A simple retread might’ve been awful.

Right. Getting back to it.


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It sticks the landing. It absolutely sticks the landing,

Bravo! BRAVO!

I also watched the Wrath again last month. Dead on about the soundtrack I pinched it from youtube shortly after. I did find it interesting that they made us almost feel bad for the head bad guy for a split second in the grave yard. It's subtle but it's there as he tries really hard to keep from freaking out or crying. But no pity for him or his crew. Those guys suck and deserve what they get. Honestly they're just lucky they didn't run into the wrong person on that lone stretch of road they like. But in the end they're just hollow bullies. I laughed to myself thinking of all the ways some one would hurt them.
Still a fun little story.


Spawn - 1997
We watched this last night. It was such a laugh. John Leguizamo as the Violator sold this movie. He killed it. If you are thinking about watching it He make this movie work.

The Violator takes spawn to a grave yard and Spawn ask what is this. The Violator replies "It's where old people go after Florida.
The best line ever.

The special effects are dated but given what they had to work with I fee; like they compliment rather than detract. Not the best but less is more in a way so I feel like they worked well.
If you get the chance it's a fun ride.

 warhead01 wrote:
I also watched the Wrath again last month. Dead on about the soundtrack I pinched it from youtube shortly after. I did find it interesting that they made us almost feel bad for the head bad guy for a split second in the grave yard. It's subtle but it's there as he tries really hard to keep from freaking out or crying. But no pity for him or his crew. Those guys suck and deserve what they get. Honestly they're just lucky they didn't run into the wrong person on that lone stretch of road they like. But in the end they're just hollow bullies. I laughed to myself thinking of all the ways some one would hurt them.
Still a fun little story.


Spawn - 1997
We watched this last night. It was such a laugh. John Leguizamo as the Violator sold this movie. He killed it. If you are thinking about watching it He make this movie work.

The Violator takes spawn to a grave yard and Spawn ask what is this. The Violator replies "It's where old people go after Florida.
The best line ever.

The special effects are dated but given what they had to work with I fee; like they compliment rather than detract. Not the best but less is more in a way so I feel like they worked well.
If you get the chance it's a fun ride.

It’s been a hot old…erm…probably couple of decades since I last watched Spawn, but for me the standout line is (Spoilered because it may be upsetting for folk of faith and frankly one of the words is unnecessary)

\

Sod it. It’s going on my watchlist. Even if I still have issue with some of Spawn’s lines.

 warhead01 wrote:


Spawn - 1997
We watched this last night. It was such a laugh. John Leguizamo as the Violator sold this movie. He killed it. If you are thinking about watching it He make this movie work.

Damn..... I remember seeing this in the theatre when it first came out.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:

 warhead01 wrote:



Spawn - 1997
We watched this last night. It was such a laugh. John Leguizamo as the Violator sold this movie. He killed it. If you are thinking about watching it He make this movie work.

The Violator takes spawn to a grave yard and Spawn ask what is this. The Violator replies "It's where old people go after Florida.
The best line ever.

The special effects are dated but given what they had to work with I fee; like they compliment rather than detract. Not the best but less is more in a way so I feel like they worked well.
If you get the chance it's a fun ride.

It’s been a hot old…erm…probably couple of decades since I last watched Spawn, but for me the standout line is (Spoilered because it may be upsetting for folk of faith and frankly one of the words is unnecessary)

Spoiler:

How come God gets all the good worshippers and we get all the retards?

\

Sod it. It’s going on my watchlist. Even if I still have issue with some of Spawn’s lines.

I laughed hard at that one too. The quips all through this movie are the reason to watch it. The Violator lives up to his name one way or another.


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 Easy E wrote:

 warhead01 wrote:


Spawn - 1997
We watched this last night. It was such a laugh. John Leguizamo as the Violator sold this movie. He killed it. If you are thinking about watching it He make this movie work.

Damn..... I remember seeing this in the theatre when it first came out.

We're old now.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:

 Sigur wrote:

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
My Neighbor Totoro

Utterly charming. A classic.

Just the best. I keep pestering my brother to show this to his daughter, but they just feed her Disney+ rubbish.

Tell your brother I have a bizarre aversion to Anime. Tell him I’ve tried and tried to get into it, as on paper, I should by all rights be a massive, colossal weeb. Weebzilla if you will.

And even I bloody love My Neighbour Totoro. And indeed all Ghibli I’ve seen.

That's it. Anime diesn't really mean anything, does it. There's good stuff and there's bad stuff, and Ghibli films are just good stuff. As are Neon Genesis Evangelion, Trigun and Bubblegum Crisis. Right?


Anyway, Spawn. Yet another black superhero before the Black Panther film. Anyway. I never cared much for the film really to be honest. The CGI is kinda meh, but it's from 1997. And I don't remember all that much else.


I'm on the 12th season of NYPD Blue. Still good. Interesting thing is that this show has a crazy turnover of cast. Many times pretty big roles just disappear between seasons, but oh well. Anyway, there seems to be an important rule that there always has got to be a blonde police detective lady. Anyway. Andy Sipowicz is one good character. Interesting new police lieutenant as well stays interesting in the new season.

I'm also watching Spaced again. What a cool little tryout place for all sorts of film making things. Spaced is to Edgar Wright's work what the Spanish Civil War was to WW2.

The Man Who Killed Hitler And Then The Bigfoot

What, precisely, the hell was that all about? A very odd film nowhere near as awesome as it sounds,

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
The Man Who Killed Hitler And Then The Bigfoot

What, precisely, the hell was that all about? A very odd film nowhere near as awesome as it sounds,

I can just barely recall watching that movie years back

Pretty sure my thoughts at the time were that it could have been a cool movie minus the bigfoot stuff

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
The Man Who Killed Hitler And Then The Bigfoot

What, precisely, the hell was that all about? A very odd film nowhere near as awesome as it sounds,

It sounds like you fell into the grand tradition of low-budget films with titles 13x better than anything they manage to show on screen.

Yeah, I stay away from those, especially if they've been made any later than 2003 or so. Because life's too short for anything remotely connected to "awesome lol".

But then again, I catch myself not putting up with anything made after 2003 any more, which is a slightly worrying tendency.

The Star Wars Holiday Special


Not as good as the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.




Hilariously bad, with a heavy dose of nightmare fuel in the Wookie family, dancers, disturbing situations, and general 70’s drug-fueled creepiness. We watched the whole thing, having to stop for the day after the cartoon. That nightmarishly drawn cartoon. Really, the Jefferson Starship bit broke our resolve, but then the cartoon came on like a grisly traffic accident, and we all froze until it was over.

Besides the creepy costumes and animation, watch for the grandpa virtual-porn scene and all the disturbing sexual harassment. Of Chewy’s wife and Bea Arthur. Played as endearing. Really uncomfortable to watch in some scenes.

Also watch for the balls-tripping Life Day celebration and coked-out Carrie Fisher singing to the Star Wars theme. Then watch it again for Stir Whip, Stir Whip, Whip Whip Stir.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
That said, the kids were laughing so hard they started coughing.

Black Adam

It wouldn't surprise me in the least if this film is, unofficially, James Gunn's first entry in the DCU. There's a certain Marvelisation to this film which I suspect are Gunn's fingerprints bringing some of those elements he feels work over to DC prior to his official reveal. (Plus a cameo from one of the stars of Peacemaker is another hint)

How one feels about this will largely depend on how one feels about previous DC and Marvel entries of course, but I find it largely positive.

There's nothing new here, but the action is visually impressive (also I suspect the director has shares in a high speed camera manufacturer, lots of slow mo here,) the origin story largely dealt with mercifully quickly and the supporting cast is excellent. I particularly enjoyed angry Hawkman rather than an angst ridden, lovelorn Hawkman, and Brosnan's Dr Fate is a really good piece of casting, even if there's a little too much Dr Strange in his on screen antics.

This doesn't change the superhero movie landscape like an Infinity War or Dark Knight did, but it might just signify the early stages of DC bringing the fight to Marvel on a more even footing.

Pretty sure Suicide Squad's remake was his first entry, but I wouldn't be shocked if subsequent films aped him since everything in the vein of Snyder sucks. I know people like it and it has its fans, but it still sucks and I stand by that claim XD. The DCU is a flailing bird that desperately wants to fly but can't figure out quite which way up is and Gunn's Suicide Squad was maybe the closest any film in the franchise has come to universal acclaim since Wonder Woman and Shazam.

I mean as studio chief, not as director. Obviously SS was his first as director.

Last night I watched Grease with my daughter, who had not yet seen it.

It's a fun film, great music.

Nosferatu

I had seen the old 30's version, and enjoyed it. I am sure my mini-review is around here somewhere. Therefore, I watched the 70's version with Klaus Kinski as the aforementioned Nosferatu.

The basic premise is exactly the same, but they do ramp up the nihilism and absurdity a bit. This was made in the 70s after all! Some great use of shadows, and Kinski is other-worldly as all heck in the way he acts the part.

I enjoyed it for what it is, but modern audiences would be very, very bored with it. Some good visuals and plenty of unsettling "That is not right" moments. However, nothing shocking or really exciting. The final climax is also, surprisingly slow moving.

Pirates of the Caribbean Dead men tell no tales. - a few years ago. ( Should have been called the mouse really hates money. )

This movie is way too long. It's just a drag to get through and lacks the consistency in the world established in the first three movies. This world thinks no woman can read? Or that their brains are as described by the government scientists in Kazakhstan circa Borat movie. This is the third time I have watched this and I honestly got more out of it this time than the last two. Captain Barbosa is easily my favorite character, his laugh is infectious, in the entire series so I like that he end his story and that there is a bit of closure for that story. I see possibilities to bring him back and I'd like that. Capin' Jack on the other hand. I found him disappointing again much like I did in the 4th movie. He's more or less half animated squirrel and far less sophisticated compared to at least the first two movies.
I really dislike the lack of consistency in the world. Some random Lieutenant is more or less running an island settlement and has a silly amount of resources to pull from including a ship and crew and a witch. The lack of structure alone pushes this down into what should have been an animated movie.
My larger problems are just with the franchise being only in one direction where I feel it should have spawned at least two different casts of characters or a show not unlike the Mandalorian to grow the franchise and make the mouse huge piles of money, which they clearly want but have no idea how to bring in because reasons I will never know or understand.
I'd say it's worth at least one watch but maybe not more than that and I would drink the whole way through and will if I ever put this on again. I have no plans to watch this again for t least 10 years, maybe not even then.

The Simpsons Movie


The Simpsons had stopped being funny long before the movie came out, and it did nothing to make them funny again. Eugh.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
The Simpsons Movie


The Simpsons had stopped being funny long before the movie came out, and it did nothing to make them funny again. Eugh.

Yeah, I wasn't a huge fan either. Turning a sitcom into a film just doesn't work (exception: The Honeymooners, starring Cedric the Entertainer. That stuff was GOLD. ), lest of all with the Simpsons at that point in time. While it wasn't horrible, it was pretty unnecessary. The pig was so lazy I suspect them of using that as an in-joke.


@Easy E: That's something I should watch. Never seen the Kinski version.

@Commissar von Toussaint: Goodie. Few months ago I caught 10 minutes or so. It's alright, I suppose.



Finished NYPD Blue. Good show, and even with some in parts wild roulette in characters I can't say there was a single one I disliked from the get-go or for whom it took me time to get used to (with the exception of John Clark maye). I really enjoyed how Upstairs John's hair gets more amazing each time we see him until it reaches its final form in the last episode.

Unpopular opinion ahead! Warning!

Grease 2 is more fun than Grease.

I will get my coat.....