What was the last movie you watched?

[Johnny Unusual]

The only part that really didn't work for me was the blue rock guy, he was just annoying.

That was the director, Taika Waititi. I think he's hilarious.

Especially here...

[Darth Geek]

The only part that really didn't work for me was the blue rock guy, he was just annoying.

That was the director, Taika Waititi. I think he's hilarious.

Especially here...

Haven't seen his other movies, Hunt For The Wilderpeople, or What We Do In The Shadows. I've heard nothing but good things, so I will check them out eventually.

[Pak-Man]

So it came to Tyrant's attention that I had seen absolutely no Hitchcock. (Well, ALMOST no Hitchcock. I've seen about 20 minutes of Psycho and I used to watch the intro sequences on Alfred Hitchcock Presents reruns, but the show itself never grabbed me.) To remedy this, I got the Alfred Hitchcock Essentials collection for Halloween (Halloween is a big deal in this house). It has Rear Window, Psycho, Vertigo, North By Northwest, and The Birds. I decided to start with Rear Window.

I was loosely aware of what I was in for since it's been parodied soooo many times, but because I've only seen it through parody, I wasn't sure how the ending was going to turn out. It's a fun ride to get to that ending and it's really cool how, by keeping the camera confined to the apartment, we are pulled into Jeff's world. As the audience, we're watching him watching them (A sensation MSTies can appreciate), and when there are no other characters around, there's nothing better to watch than what's out the window. It's a neat way of making the hero sympathetic when he could have easily come across as a creep. I also admire that there were essentially several completely unrelated silent short films playing out in the other windows.

[Darth Geek]

Residue (2017) - This was really good. It's a...hard to describe movie. About a private detective reading a journal that slowly drives people mad and makes them see their own inner demons. It's very Lovecraftian, in the best way. It features a fun performance by Matt Frewer as a wrestling manager.
I'm not sure what to compare it to, it's that unique. I'd definitely recommend it.

[Johnny Unusual]

Arrival

I really liked it.  It certainly appealed to me as someone who teaches language but overall it is a beautiful first contact story.  I like how a late stage reveal completely recontextualizes the movie we've been watching.  Adams is really good and I really like the alien designs.  It has a tone that is both mature and allows the audience to be filled with awe at not only the spectacle, but the progress the lead characters make.

[Edward J Grug III]

So it came to Tyrant's attention that I had seen absolutely no Hitchcock. (Well, ALMOST no Hitchcock. I've seen about 20 minutes of Psycho and I used to watch the intro sequences on Alfred Hitchcock Presents reruns, but the show itself never grabbed me.) To remedy this, I got the Alfred Hitchcock Essentials collection for Halloween (Halloween is a big deal in this house). It has Rear Window, Psycho, Vertigo, North By Northwest, and The Birds. I decided to start with Rear Window.

I was loosely aware of what I was in for since it's been parodied soooo many times, but because I've only seen it through parody, I wasn't sure how the ending was going to turn out. It's a fun ride to get to that ending and it's really cool how, by keeping the camera confined to the apartment, we are pulled into Jeff's world. As the audience, we're watching him watching them (A sensation MSTies can appreciate), and when there are no other characters around, there's nothing better to watch than what's out the window. It's a neat way of making the hero sympathetic when he could have easily come across as a creep. I also admire that there were essentially several completely unrelated silent short films playing out in the other windows.

North By Northwest is one of my all time favourite movies, and Hitch is probably my favourite director. My wife and I do close to his entire available filmography every couple of years.

Personally, I don't think The Birds is that great, but I still think that's a good sample of films to get you started anyway. I also appreciated Vertigo a lot more on later viewings.

If you are enjoying his work, I strongly recommend Shadow of A Doubt.

[Johnny Unusual]

Also, for a change of pace, check out The Trouble With Harry, a great and sweet-hearted comedy by Hitchcock... that Hitchcock does in the most Hitchcock-y way possible.

[Kete]

Also, for a change of pace, check out The Trouble With Harry, a great and sweet-hearted comedy by Hitchcock... that Hitchcock does in the most Hitchcock-y way possible.

Shirley Maclain is so cute in that movie.

[stethacantus]

Lone Wolf McQuade ( 1983 )
Last week I mentioned the urban legend that the early Chuck Norris films were all projects or scripts rejected by Clint Eastwood, and that Code of Silence was the only proof of that as the script was originally written to be part of the Dirty Harry franchise. To be fair, a lot of American action films made in the early 80s either emulated the films of Clint Eastwood or Burt Reynolds. Lone Wolf McQuade began it's life as the script El Lobo, a rip off of the Dirty Harry films, but taking place in Mexico with a Mexican cop, with hopes of casting Erik Estrada as the lead. After the script was rejected by every studio, because none of them wanted to make a film with a Mexican as a lead, it was decided to rewrite the script so it was set just North of the border, making the lead character a Texas Ranger. The rewritten script, now called Lone Wolf, was once again shopped around with Kris Kristofferson attached as the lead. Steve Carver signed on as the director, but suggested they give the lead to Chuck Norris, who he had just directed in An Eye for An Eye ( 1981 ). Once Norris was attached, Orion picked up the film. Although it was suppose to be based on a Dirty Harry formula, Carver decided he would rather the film ripped-off Clint Eastwood in a different way. He saw the film as a modern day spaghetti western with Norris playing a version of the man with no name. The entire film was shot in the style of  Sergio Leone. Carver even tried to get Ennio Morricone to compose the music, but at the time he was too busy doing the music for Treasures of the Four Crowns. Instead Carver go another Italian composer of spaghetti westerns, Francesco de Masi, and asked him for a score that emulated the score from Once Upon a Time in the West. Chuck Norris like the character, and had hoped that McQuade would become a film franchise. When that never happened, Norris decided to do a Lone Wolf McQuade television series. Unable to get the rights, he changed the name of the character to Walker. Orion sued CBS for copyright infringement midway through Walker: Texas Ranger's first season, and eventually settled with CBS paid for licencing rights to the McQuade character, but not the rights to use the McQuade name.

In my opinion, Lone Wolf McQuade is a very overrated film. But it is among the better Chuck Norris films, and does have a decent amount of martial arts for an early Hollywood martial arts film. Carver made sure there were plenty of scenes where McQuade had to teach some thugs a lesson by using his Karate on them. He even made sure the film's villain was also a martial arts expert. Carver once said his ideal casting for the villain would have been Bruce Lee. However, since Lee had died a decade earlier, Carver needed to find another famous actor known for his martial arts. So he cast David Carradine, best known for his early 70s television series Kung Fu. So at least the film gets an historic Norris /  Carradine screen fight, that is, if you can call it historic. Norris wanted his fights as simple and short as possible. Carradine's screen fighting skills seemed mostly limited to doing weird hand movements and stances that were suppose to be some sort of martial arts style he had learned for Kung Fu. And as always, the fight was choreographed in the style of all martial arts fights in Hollywood films of that era, with most of the fight being the combatants stancing and sizing each other up, and only one strike per shot. Orion even demanded stunt men be used for the fight, and when both Norris and Carradine refused to use stuntmen, demanded the fight be toned down so that neither actor got hurt. In other words, the climatic fight is nothing worth mentioning other than seeing both actors in a screen fight.

The film itself is what it originally set out to be; a Dirty Harry rip-off. It has every cliche, character, situation and line you would expect from the formula, including the commander who yells at McQuade for being a maverick, mostly because of the unseen Mayor who has complained, the rookie who loner McQuade is forced to partner with, the F.B.I agent who tells McQuade the case he is working on is now in their jurisdiction and to back off, the best friend who had just retired from the Rangers who you know is going to be killed by the villains, McQuade's dog who you know is going to be killed by the villains, McQuades daughter living with his ex-wife who you know is going to end up kidnapped by the villains, and the woman who McQuade falls for who turns out to be the girlfriend of the villain. The only surprising thing in the entire movie is the casting of dwarf actor Daniel Frishman as the B villain, a part usually reserved for elderly actors. But otherwise, the B villain is predictable as well. Still, Carver's choice to film Lone Wolf McQuade in the style of a spaghetti western keeps it just barely interesting, even if you can predict where every scene and set up is going, and can tell in advance which characters will be dead by the final reel.

And that is the end of my Chuck Norris box set. A good deal with very decent widescreen transfers of the movies, but so bare bones that none of the discs even has start up menus. The movies just start once the disc is put in, and if not shut off once the movie ends, will continue to replay in an endless loop. Next week the first of three films featuring actress Yanin Vismistananda, star of the movie Chocolate ( 2008 ). Two of which she is hopefully the lead character, and one where I know she only has a small part.

The Legend of Zorro ( 2005 )
Unbelievably, it took seven years for this sequel to be made, even though the director and stars from the first film were on board for a sequel even before the first film wrapped. The problem here is the problem with most sequels. It was overthought. The Legend of Zorro is a worthy sequel to the first film. But I can't help but think they could have easily made a dozen good sequels since then. After all, Zorro is one of the few superheros that needs no special effects. If they can release a Fast and Furious film every year, they can do the same with a simple Western.

[Jesse412]

Get Out (2017)



Interesting social commentary with great casting and a few unexpected twists.  There are lots of creepy performances and some effective scares combined with a little humor.  The climax is exciting with a good bit of gory kills and a pretty satisfying ending.  I think this is a must see for fans of Jordan Peele.

[ihavemyreasons]

I've liked most of Jordan Peele's work, but thought Get Out was heavy handed as social commentary and predictable as horror. Was the most disappointing I'd been with a horror movie that I was excited about seeing until the new It came out.

[Jesse412]

Mill of the Stone Women (1960)



I didn't realize this was the fist Italian horror movie shot in full color when I started watching it.  The pacing isn't great but the atmosphere is super creepy, the plot is twisted and the ending is pretty exciting.  A man watches an ill woman who confesses her love for him die but is drugged by her doctor and her father who convince him it was all a hallucination.  Later he discovers they are kidnapping women to use in blood transfusions that prolong the daughter's life while hiding the bodies in a waxworks carousel of corpses.

[Jesse412]

Project: Metalbeast (1995)

This is a pretty fun bad movie and the tone is serious despite the ridiculousness of the premise.  The production quality and acting are pretty much straight-to-video but the werewolf  designs look good and the gory special effects are realistic.  There's also a few cheesy one-liners and the ending is action packed.  After killing a werewolf a special ops soldier takes back a blood sample for experimentation.  When he becomes unhappy with the progress he injects himself with the werewolf blood and starts killing people.  He is shot with silver bullets and cryogenically frozen for decades and eventually used in another experiment that surgically grafts a metal alloy synthetic skin to him in order to create an unstoppable supersoldier.  I would love to see this get the RiffTrax treatment.

[Darth Geek]

Project: Metalbeast (1995)

This is a pretty fun bad movie and the tone is serious despite the ridiculousness of the premise.  The production quality and acting are pretty much straight-to-video but the werewolf  designs look good and the gory special effects are realistic.  There's also a few cheesy one-liners and the ending is action packed.  After killing a werewolf a special ops soldier takes back a blood sample for experimentation.  When he becomes unhappy with the progress he injects himself with the werewolf blood and starts killing people.  He is shot with silver bullets and cryogenically frozen for decades and eventually used in another experiment that surgically grafts a metal alloy synthetic skin to him in order to create an unstoppable supersoldier.  I would love to see this get the RiffTrax treatment.

I seem to recall seeing this back in the day and enjoying it. Back when the channel was actually called Sci-Fi and actually occasionally made fun bad movies instead of all bad movies.

[Cyrusso]

My mom and dad FINALLY watched Spider-man Homecoming and... I really wished they would have enjoyed it more. It seems like they probably didn't enjoy it as much as I did... sigh.