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Lords of the Deep (1989)
In the Realm of low grade cheapies, this one's alright!
I'm surprised to see so many 1 star reviews on here. As someone who enjoys a large range of films, I sometimes find myself in the mood for some easy lazy afternoon cinema, and that to me describes much of the Roger Corman output that was released during the Concorde era of his films. Many of them were cheaply made cash in films, eithering following along with a popular genre trend, or attempting to rip off a current hit and pick up some of those loose coins left in its' wake.
This film falls into the latter group, and joins the ranks of several other undersea cash in films, such as Leviathan, Deepstar Six, and The Rift, all of which came out near the release of The Abyss. I've not seen Deepstar Six, but of the other two, I'd say I like this film the best. This is a Corman flick produced near his direct to video era, so this was never going to be great, or perhaps even good. But I do think it finds its way to being enjoyable for most of it, even if it begins to feel labored in the climax. I think at 78 minutes, the movie barely holds it's runtime. So that tells you something right there. But I'm always partial to an undersea setting, and I think a lot of the alien elements work okay, although at times it does play as unintentionally comedic. As a big fan of 2001: A Space Odyssy, I enjoyed the bizarre way this film displays its influence by it. It also uses this element to get across a somewhat preachy global warming message, but in its a way, I find it kind of charming. I think the alien set that we see later in the movie also has this charming quality.
The actors are no great shake, and the story is a jumble of recycled elements we've seen many times before, but I was going with it enough to not mind the clear influences. Again, this is a Corman picture made in 1989, I wasn't expecting art. I will say, Corman's cameo put a smile on my face, so perhaps that shows some bias of me being predisposed to his work, which is true. But if you find yourself in the mood to watch some cheap Charles Band, or Corman style junk, you can do a heck of a lot worse than Lords of the Deep. And who knows, maybe you'll even find yourself enjoying it.
Zombi 2 (1979)
Fulci's Zombie meshes the old school, with Romero's new school--and to fantastic effect.
In 1979 "The Grandfather of Gore" Lucio Fulci hit it out of the park (with a bullet) on this film. Zombi 2 has been one of my favorite zombie films for quite a few years now, and every time I watch it I like it more. Fulci oozes style in this one, displaying that, although he's known mostly as a gore-meister, he really knew how to ramp up the tension when he wanted to. The scene with the door and the broken wood (you know which one I mean), is not only exceptionally well paced and satisfying when that climax is reached, but it was also quite artistically photographed. One of the many highlights in this film, and a high watermark of Fulci's career as a whole. Hell, it's now an icon of Italian Horror in general...it's that good.
Apart from Fulci's now iconic sequences (Zombie vs shark!), this film just wouldn't be the same without Fabio Frizzi's brilliant score! Frizzi does not get the praise he deserves for some of the incredible scores he provided in his day, and the work he did on this film is no exception. If you like Italian horror, watch it...immediately. If you like Zombie films--understand that you're in for a different flavor of entertainment, but definitely give it a shot. It's a film that has earned at least one viewing. Watch it!
Society (1989)
Although it may distract with it's gross-out visuals, Society has more to offer
Definitely challenging in terms of how much disgusting imagery one can handle, as the film finally reaches it's gory/just plain gross climax; but with the consistent air of paranoid mystery spliced throughout, this film never feels like it drags. The overall story is interesting enough, although the garnishness of the 80s shines through with unabashed bombast. And fair enough, as the film really is about the 80's, and the ridiculous extravagance of the super high "society" class, who stay in their position by leeching off the middle class. The social commentary is less hammered on the head here, as it is more rubbed all over your face, then rammed down your throat, as this grizzly piece of over-sexed shock entertainment progresses to it's conclusion. Or perhaps rammed up your throat is more fitting...for those of you who've already seen the film! If that at all sounds like your type of party, definitely give it a go! Society will not disappoint.
Profondo rosso (1975)
Doesn't quite reach the heights of Suspiria, but Dario Argento's Profondo Rosso is well worth a watch
I've not always been a huge fan Dario Argento, nor am I always a massive lover of Giallo's, but damnit if this ain't a great little piece of a Italian suspense cinema! The story is somewhat middling, as is most Argento plots (and let's be fair, most giallo plots), but it moves at a good enough clip and I was never disinterested in it. The eye for artrsy that Argento would later use with unrestrained efforts in "Suspiria" can be seen in great effect here! The lingering, beautiful shots of dollsz and disturbing array of other objects the killer keeps around are, are not only very pretty to look at, but also add a further feeling of unease from our mysterious killer. Is there any special meaning or significance in shooting these objects the way he does? Nope! And honestly, it's an Argento picture, so who cares?! Goblin, in their first collaboration with the director, really hit it out of the park with this one. They are mostly considered for the fantastic score they delivered in Argento's follow up (the aforementioned "Suspiria") but their work here is really worth a mention as well. Pounding, electrifying, and giving great exuberance to the already colorful world Argento paints. It almost feels like it makes the colors even more bright, stunning you with what's on screen--really fantastic stuff. Absolutely check this film out if you're a fan of giallos, or Italian cinema as a whole. It moves with a better clip, and the mystery is easier to follow than a lot of the giallo fair, and on top of that, it's one of the more accessible Argento pictures. Watch it!
Viaggio in Italia (1954)
A gorgeous and moving film about boredom, and failing romance
Journey to Italy is a truly beautiful, and utterly relatable tale of two very different people stuck in a defunct marriage, finding themselves, and love, in Italy. The city of Naples is displayed with utter class here--this movie is as much a call for tourism as it is a love story. Many great museums, as well as macabre catacombs are displayed as Katherine seeks distractions from her failing marriage. Rossellini knows he's got a gorgeous backdrop to tell his story, and doesn't waste it for a second. The conclusion had me moved to tears. If you get a chance to see it on Criterion's gorgeous blu-ray, absolutely give it a watch. It's well worth it.
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
A marvel, even to this day.
One of my favorites among the universal monster flicks, second only to James Whale's original Frankenstein. This film has a bit more of a B movie tone than some of the other (original) films in the canon, but the pacing is swift, and the underwater work remains a marvel even now. Ricou Browning, who played Gillman during the swimming sequences, really created a unique, almost lyrical flow to the way the creature swam, adding a very inhuman element. Really fantastic work. The suit also was a work of brilliance--I don't think there's been a more gorgeous work of costume design before or since! The rest of the performances range from fine to eh, to okay--but that's not what we watch to a flick like this for anyway! Also the score leaves a bit to be desired, but overall the film is oodles of 50s charm. If you think you'd be interested in this film, and are a fan of fun B-creature features, absolutely you need to see this one. It is well worth your time. Check it out!
Doctor Who: The Firemaker (1963)
This is a review for the whole serial, so is the rating.
This review is really gonna be separated into two parts. Part 1: An Unearthly Child. Part 2: The Tribe of Gum story. An Unearthly Child is an episode with a lot of responsibility. Being the first episode of a show that would go on to become a national, and international, staple of science fiction, does this premiere episode stand up to what came after it?
Before the story even begins, the title scene sets the mood. Eerie, totally alien 'music' with bizarre visuals open the series with the famous "DOCTOR WHO" written in ghostly letters--this was not your typical opening of a TV show in 1963. For me this has always been among my top five favorite themes, instantly putting a smile on my face. The opening in the junkyard adds a nice atmosphere, but it's when we meet Ian and Barbara, two school teachers at Coal Hill School, that the episode really kicks into gear. Susan Foreman is a new addition to the student body. Incredibly intelligent in some areas, she astounds both teachers. But at the same time, baffles them on her apparent cultural confusions (not knowing that England wasn't on the decimal system...yet), and apparent misunderstanding on subjects that should be child's play to her. Jacqueline Hill and William Russel have great chemistry right off the bat, and their curiosity directly speaks for the audience. We're happy to follow our two intrepid busy bodies, as they go to Susan's "Home" in search of answers. It's here that we meet the Doctor, and what a meeting it is. Condescension and disinterest are the Doctor's main deflectors, but he can be down right mean as well! Hartnell seems to have fun with it, but I can't say I do! Eventually the two enter the Tardis and there's a lot of great dialogue thrown out by all. (Just a side note, this version of the Tardis is definitely a favorite. The room is so unique and without any sort of real dimension, mirroring the ship's dimension bending abilities in travel, and transcendentalism. Love it! After a lovely scene of Hartnell talking about his and Susan's people, it becomes apparent that he's not going to allow Ian and Barbara to leave. There's a struggle, and the Tardis takes off, landing onto one of the best cliffhangers in the show's history...It really is a thing of beauty.
Part. 2 The tribe of gum trilogy (it's not a trilogy) is, in my opinion, rather unfairly derided by the Doctor Who community at large. The story is quick, easy to follow, without holes, and establishes the group dynamic of our crew pretty efficiently, for the most part. I think the big problem with it is, it came after An Unearthly Child. We learn that the Doctor has no control of the Tardis, and that it seems to be rather faulty. Our poor teachers are really out of luck, in regards to getting home. But, although they haven't realized it yet, they've found a kindred spirit in the Doctor, who shares their knack for sticking their noses in things. And decides they should go exploring outside. It's around here we meet the characters of our main plot: Za, the would be leader of the tribe of gum, if only he could figure out how to make fire as his father did (because the firemaker is the leader of the tribe, by default apparently!) and Kal, a newly arrived rival for leadership. This is the main crux of the story, and in some small way mirrors the struggle Ian and the Doctor will have in seeing who calls the shots. This conflict is short lived though, as Ian, seemly more out of spite (although he can tell the Doctor is quite intelligent) eventually hands the reigns over to him.
There really isn't a ton to say about this side of the story, as the plot is pretty uncomplicated. The Doctor is captured by Kal, and is saved (somewhat) by Za when he mentions he knows how to make fire. Za sends him to the cave of skulls, where the T-Crew will spend most of the story in. There's a brief stint where the crazy old lady in the village, fearful of the change fire brings, frees them. And a rather nice moment when Za, injured by a boar while searching to recapture them, is helped by Barbara, contrary to what the Doctor wants. He shows very little sympathy for what he considers a savage, at one point even picking up a rock, seemingly intending to kill him just so they can be done with it, and get back to the Tardis. Thankfully Ian stops him. Kal finds out what the old lady did, kills her and blames it on Za, and there's a pretty great moment where the Doctor, showing his cleverness, points out that Za's knife has no blood on it, and tricks Kal into revealing his own with blood on it. Kal is cast out by the tribe, but makes a reappearance for a fight with Za...meeting a rather unpleasant fate. But after that it's more hanging out in the cave of skulls until they manage to trick the tribe and escape back to the Tardis.
All in all, a pretty strong start. "The Tribe of Gum Trilogy" (I'm trying to get it to catch on, just go with it) is a bit slower, and bit less interesting than "An Unearthly Child", but it's really not bad and can have it's fun moments. Ian comes off the best in this story, with his constant clashes with a rather not so nice Doctor, and although Barbara spends more time crying than she would later in the series, she still has a couple good moments and comes off pretty well overall. Susan really doesn't do much of anything, but it's forgivable. 8/10
Doctor Who: The Keys of Marinus (1964)
A great adventure concept, that is somewhat failed due to limited resources.
The Keys of Marinus is a story written by Terry Nation, who also penned the second serial of Hartnell's first series, The Daleks. This serial is sadly not The Daleks. The plot starts with The Doctor, Ian, Barbara, and Susan landing on a planet called Marinus. (NOTE: I love the first episode of this serial. Really sets up some intrigue, and the planet is pretty cool. Definitely one of Mr. Nation's strong points, as Skaro was also an interesting planet.) It's here they come upon a man called Arbitan who is the keeper of a great machine which once made Marinus a sort of utopia. But of course, things went wrong, and they had to turn the machine off, removing the five key micro-circuits (i.e The Keys of Marinus) and scattering them all over the planet, for which the Doctor and his band of companions must help retrieve in order to gain access to the Tardis.
This is where the story takes off, and we end the first episode. The next two episodes, "The Velvet Web" and "The Screaming Jungle" are fantastic. What I love about this serial, and also what kind of kills it, is that the search for these keys takes our Tardis crew all over the planet of Marinus. The constant changing of environment does tend to keep the story interesting, and I wish more serials would have followed suit. I won't go into detail on all the environments, and episodes, but I will say that the changing of sets and story of the episodes (there's a little mini story in each episode) really brings an adventurous quality to the story, except when it doesn't. This occurs midway through "The Snows of Terror" and "The Sentence of Death". The Keys of Marinus is NOT a story to watch in one sitting. I've seen the serial three times now, and this conclusion has become quite apparent to me; the first time, which I watched over the span of a week, I loved it. The second time, I watched in one sitting, and it started to reeaaaally drag, mainly on parts four and five and six. The third time I again chose to spread it out, and I came away better for it.
Episode 6 was also very disappointing for me. I felt little interest in the plot after about the first 10 minutes, which I can say is certainly not a positive. But apart from that episodes 1, 2, 3 and partly four, I guess, were all quite enjoyable.
So in conclusion, you can get a lot worse with Doctor Who then The Keys of Marinus. It was an enjoyable First Doctor Era story, mind you he is not in episodes 3/4 (dang Doctor light stories!). It may not have been one of the high point in his first series, and it may drag, but The Screaming Jungle was great, and so was The Sea of Death. So I'd say, if you can handle slow paced and kinda padded Doctor Who, give The Keys of Marinus a go. It's got a pretty cool concept, which was sadly let down by budget and resource.
Case 39 (2009)
A promising beginning, with a messy end.
Case 39 is a 2009(released in 2010) film, written by Ray Wright (and I assume many producers), directed by Christian Alvart, and starring Renee Zellweger and Jodelle Ferland. It's genre is primarily a horror film in the vein of the 1976 classic "The Omen"
|Plot| The film begins with an introduction to our lead character, Emily (Zellweger), as she deals with the everyday stresses of being a social worker. Her boss hands her a file, on top of the other 38 cases she has to deal with, and it's clear from when she first sees the child that she takes an interest in her. The child's parents are estranged, murderous, and obviously insane and after their attempt at killing their daughter is thwarted, Emily takes custody. But as things odd things start to happen, and Lilly(Ferland) starts acting rather out of character, a horror show in sues that will cause Emily to question and just how sane lilly's parents actually were.
|Thoughts| The beginning of this film impressed me. Some genuine creepy atmosphere bloomed, and I liked the slow pace it was setting itself. I couldn't help asking myself "how was a film like this made in this day and age? No blood, no sex, and genuine tension? Shocker." But then dumb things started happening, and it all went down the tubes. But let's start on the performances. Zellweger was alright, not the shoot myself in the foot stuff she usually delivers. Bradley cooper was in it for a bit, and he was pretty good. Ferland delivers her usual creepfest of looks, but I felt kind of let down compared to her performance in Silent Hill, which was outstanding for a child of her age. But onto the film.
Jump scares have become the accepted norm in horror films these days, and kind or just expected as part of the package; I mostly try to ignore them, but some of the ones in here were just infuriating. Lilly's change from kind odd kid, to being full out dark side demon was abrupt, and it seemed as if the writer(S) realized the film was progressing too slow to be enjoyed by mental defects(everyday moviegoers) of today, so he decided(or was pressured) to step things up. Maybe I'm giving him too much credit though.
It seemed like one scene she was just this creepy kid, then the next she was completely evil. Sloppy writing. I mean, it was predictable that she was going to be evil, hell, I think most of us knew that from the damned trailer; it was the slow pace and tension that made the film work, until it didn't. Another thing I liked from the first half they ruined in the second was that they didn't give Lilly crazy powers. She was a demon in a little girls body, right? So we assume that she's just some possessed kid, probably possessed since birth, and because of this the demon's ability is restricted to being a little girl until death when it would passed to another child. Now this is speculatory, but enough reason is given to assume. When she kills, she kills by infiltrating the mind and causing them to kill themselves. In other words, for all you people who didn't get it; no bees, no dogs, no nothing; it was all Jedi mind tricks, my friends. And i loved this idea because it didn't feel cheap, then they cheapened it.
In the scene where Lilly breaks into the room they made it real, when it should have been fake, and this killed the premise because it made the whole 'she needs someone to take care of her' thing seem poorly thought out and forced because she has super powers. She should have been some demon in the body of a kid with only the intellect of the demon, but the physical strengths of the child; this is what I thought they were going for, and this would have worked. Instead, they did something we've seen before, and it's stupid and doesn't work with the rest of the movie. If she could just kill them, why make them kill themselves? For the fun of it? Sure, that works, but is that as good as the reason previously stated? That being in the little girl she is weakened to the extent that she has to kill mentally? Again, showing how that scene doesn't work, is when Emily and Lilly are in the car and she tries to confuse Emily into stopping by using her mind, and when this fails, she looks terrified. If she was so powerful, why not just stop Emily from driving; freeze the engine or something. We're given the impression that Lilith is now powerless cause her physic powers failed her. This works with the original impression, but seems totally messy with the other. This is what makes me wonder if the original idea was lost during production. (*Cough* the producers think we are too dumb to understand this stuff *cough*) And lastly, when they go into the water, if she was so powerful, why not just blow the damn trunk open and swim free? Oh, that's right; because it was poorly thought out and sloppy.
It should get a 6 because it started good, and had some good concepts, but it was still still watered down, and the fact that it feels like the writer was pressured into making some changes to appeal to a more action driven audience, give it only a 5. Shame too.
Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars (2009)
Easily the best of the specials, but that's not saying much..
"The Waters of Mars" is the third episode of what most call 'series 4.5' and is definitely the most interesting of the 4 episodes (or 5 if you count the End of Time Part Two as a separate episode, which some do). Its plot is, well, passable, although nothing brilliant. The Doctor lands on the red planet on November 21st in the year 2059, which happens to be precisely the date of a very important event in history of what would eventually lead to human kind entering the realm of space travel. No inclination is given as to why The Doctor showed up at such dashing timing, but what can you say; it is Doctor Who. Anyway, so the Doctor stumbles across a station on mars not far from where he landed and, due to him being the Doctor, has to check it out.
Of course, some shenanigans ensue and we have our hour long special. Now something quite surprising happened with this special, and with series 4.5 it was a quite singular thing for this one story (atleast for this reviewer); I never once felt the time. As I said, the special is an hour long and it kept me interested the whole time, moving at a brisk pace, whilst not sacrificing the time it needs to get acquainted with the episodes central characters, and managed not to overly annoy me too much with anything. (Well, there was this one scene when the Doctor was recognizing the crew of the station, and this rather annoying file on a computer kept showing up and presenting a small bio on each character, and would zoom in on a specific part of each file for ALL of the members, which was totally overused and annoying--after awhile I was like "We get it!") Now, and this may be a bit of a !!SPOILER!! but it turns out this base is under siege, as members of the crew are infected, and taken over by wa
water? A bit odd, yet quite effective choice that for the most part works quite well, and at times even presents us with a rather frightening villain. The story pits The Doctor, and the uninfected crew, against the water and its desire to get to Earth. Doesn't sound like much of a plot, and it really isn't, but its The Doctor's dilemma in the story that makes it work..
When it comes to the series 4.5, this episode was pretty darned alright, especially when compared to an episode like The Next Doctor, oh then it was sodding brilliant, but I don't know, I just didn't feel it the way I should have. There was some good action and suspense, and I liked how the Doctor kept telling himself he should go but, being that he is Doctor, kept staying. That was entertaining, and I enjoyed seeing him fight between his time lordy don't break the rules type attitude, and Doctory not being able to just leave the people to die. Also liked the little 'Ice Warriors' reference in there. But I don't know, it just felt kind of bland. Kind of how '42' felt bland too, even though it was a good episode and really shouldn't have. Perhaps it's poor directing. The ending was interesting and a bit frightening, as he was leaving the stations the Doctor takes an interesting character turn (you who've seen it know what I mean), I liked the look on Tennants face, butI really didn't enjoy the little collection of thoughts, though. Again, seemed a bit overkill where it was endlessly saying things about time-lords. Just a bit over the top to the extent when I was just like "I get it, mate, that's enough" (just like with the computer thing earlier on). I liked Adelaide, as well. Nothing much to say there, though. I also liked that they brought the Ood back, there in the end, although I wasn't fond of how the Doctor behaved seconds before that. I respect the angle they were going for, it's a just a personal opinion of me not liking to see The Doctor like that. It made me think of Matt Smith's comment to Rory in series five ("I need you beside me"). It really marks the under current that flowed through series four of how much the Doctor needed someone (i.e. Donna) to keep him on the straight and narrow, and now that he's alone, he's gone far from where the Doctor should be. Had this (kind of) series been stronger this could have been a very interesting topic to explore, but the specials, apart from this serial, didn't really do enough with it, and when they tried too it seemed a little too much, and without enough buildup.
All in all, better then both of its predecessors, and definitely better then it's successor(s). But compared to most episodes it was not something to write home about, and again a disappointment.
~6 of 10~ A bit below par for the series, but more than par for the specials.
Canadian Pickers (2011)
Canadian Pickings surprisingly good.
I am a fan of the American Pickers, and watched it quite a bit when it came out. I myself being a collector of books, thought seeing what other people take to collecting as extremely entertaining, and the hosts were quite entertaining as well. Some of the collections they pick, which some would think was just a junk heap, can contain some really old, and incredibly amazing stuff. On a whole, very interesting.
Then I heard that they were making a version for good ole' Canada, and truthfully I wasn't sure what to think. I, living in BC, have seen numerous houses packed to the brim with old an interesting objects, that I was sure the pickers would love to visit, but the idea of it just seemed like it was going to be a useless rehash, so I didn't pay attention. It wasn't until probably around January of 2012 when I saw an episode of it, and I must say I was impressed. Scott and Sheldon are competent hosts that are classic Albertans, and a joy to watch. And the picks are also surprisingly good; a show I'd definitely recommend if you were a fan of the American series.