Friday, August 8, 2014

Netflix This Movie! Vol. 89

The regular gang -- plus a new contributor! -- tell you what to watch this weekend.

Adam Riske: Hatchet III (2013, dir. B.J. McDonnell) This weekend is Chicago's big horror convention of the year -- Flashback Weekend. Sadly, they are not doing screenings of horror movies in conjunction with the con this year, which is a bummer because it's where I got to see an early showing of the great You're Next last year. Another movie I caught during last year's festivities was Hatchet III, and as a fan of the original (but not of part II), the third in the series definitely worked for me. It's fun, amusing and fast paced and the perfect movie to watch if you're jonesing (like me) for Scary Movie Month. Another discovery of last year's Flashback Weekend for me was a candy called Kazoozles. Has anyone ever had these? They're delicious. I remember P Bromley made fun of me for buying a candy called a Kazoozle but honestly he doesn't know what he's missing.
Adam Thas: Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back (1993, dir. Phillip Rhee) I assure you that you do not need to see the previous two Best of the Best movies to understand what is going on in Best of the Best 3. More importantly, they aren’t on Netflix. Phillip Rhee plays Tommy Lee (oh, that’s fun to say), a martial arts instructor who visits his family in the middle of nowhere. Well guess what? R. Lee Ermy (for some reason uncredited) is the leader of a White Supremacist group. Uh-OH! I’m always a fan of a movie that has something that I’ve never seen before, especially an action movie. There is a fight scene that takes place at a carnival that is pretty great in its ridiculousness. Otherwise, Rhee actually knows how to fight, so the action sequences are pretty good. Gina Gershon looks amazingly '90s and you get to see Shooter McGavin with a shotgun.
Heath Holland: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004, dir. Kerry Conran) A lot of people will tell you that Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow isn't a very good movie. Those people would be correct. HOWEVER-- I feel like the movie aims pretty high and takes a lot of chances, which I admire. Sky Captain attempts to mine the same territory as post-World-War-II comic books and comes off a bit like a cross between The Rocketeer and The Iron Giant: think gigantic robots, zeppelins, prop planes, shadowy military groups, and good, old fashioned pulp entertainment. It's like a Fleischer cartoon come to life, which I applaud any film for attempting. The unfortunate downside of this is that the film shot extensively and almost exclusively against green screen backgrounds, thus robbing the movie of any soul and tangibility. I get why this decision was made, but there are unfortunate ramifications of this decision, particularly a coldness and lack of tangibility. Performances are as good as can be expected when the actors (consisting of Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Angelina Jolie) are all reacting against nothing. Still, I think there's a lot to like about this experiment, particularly that it tries to have FUN. Dial up your Grandpa on the Ouija and enjoy some old-timey adventure.
JB: The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951, dir. Robert Wise) This film is so prescient, so wise, and so entertaining, it's a wonder that it hasn't been remade. Wait -- it has? In 2008 with Keanu Reeves? Uh, better stick with this version. How much do I love the original? As I type this, I am staring at a tiny Gort statue on my desk-- Klaatu Barada Nikto!
Patrick: Stage Fright (2014, dir. Jerome Sable) Stage Fright is on Netflix! A musical horror movie from earlier this year, Stage Fright combines brutal gore, comedy, giallo mystery and a love of musical theater to tell the story of a killer stalking the campers at a summer camp for drama kids. You can read my review of the movie for more of my thoughts, but I'll sum it up by saying I'm a big fan. Not everyone likes it as much as me, but with a running time of only 88 minutes and the very lovely Allie McDonald in the lead, you really can't go wrong. Just look at that poster! Incredible. Jerome Sable knows what he's doing, and the movie is so much fun. Make sure you stick with it through the end credits.

15 comments:

  1. Sweet - I've been waiting for Stage Fright to come on Netflix - good double feature with Phantom of the Paradise?

    Riske, you disappoint me, sir - Hatchet is great and Hatchet III is pretty good, but Hatchet II is my hands down favourite. Adam Green's as well. However, you redeem yourself with the Kazoozle reference - almost as fun to eat as they are to say! It's my new safe word!

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    1. Sol, YOU disappoint ME. I haven't figured out why yet though. It's just a fucked up thing to say to someone on a Friday. Just kidding. Still love ya pal.

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    2. Sol, I thought the best thing about Stage Fright was the poster and the lead actress, so I would watch it first if you do the double feature.

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    3. Yeah, it really is more of a Monday comment. Didn't mean to harsh your Friday buzz!

      So what's your beef with Hatchet II? Is it Tom Holland? It's Tom Holland isn't it? Yep, it's Tom Holland. Why do you hate Tom Holland? That's Heath's dad! I assume.

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    4. Hmm...I'll take that under advisement, Chaybee, thanks for the tip. I gotta say, me and 'Tricky B have been pretty sympatico lately so I got a feeling I might like it more than you, but we shall see...

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    5. Also, sorry for the comment bombing, but I just remembered Patrick actually did a podcast with Tom Holland. Holy shit. All you newer folk should check that out posthaste!

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    6. Suck (2009) might be a better co-feature with PotP. Rock being a common theme....

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  2. I remember being mesmerized by Gort when watching The Day the Earth Stood Still for the first time on a sick day back in elementary school. Need to revisit. Thanks for the recommendation, JB.

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  3. Yes, the original Gort is really something. I had a similar experience in grammar school.

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  4. Im not watching any horror. I'm saving up for horror month. Its gonna be a tough one. All 80s horrors month for me. Im putting the films ready for action. All from the 80s. All pre cert banned films. And all being watched on the original videos. No dvds. Its going to be tough going.

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    1. That is absolutely awesome. Btw - Fire Walk With Me, though not technically a Horror film, is the most terrifying movie I've ever seen. So, to me, I consider it Horror. Thought I would mention that because you said it's been on your radar. It's a must see.

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    2. Thank you. Fire walk with me is something I keep hearing about and I am going to see it asap

      I cant do it for scary movie month as I want to be pure and just watch a full month of early 80s classics and only to watch the original videos from the time. A few from my list are stuff like. The burning. Cannibal holocaust. I spit on your grave. The exorcist. The last house on the left. Texas chainsaw massacre. Evil dead. New York ripper. Maniac. Extro. Driller killer. Tenebrae. Nightmares in a damaged brain. The Bogey man

      I think you get the idea. I know they are not all good but I am kinda looking forward to horror month

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    3. I think those are all excellent choices!

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  5. Ps has anyone else noticed the artwork for stagefright is almost exactly the same as the classic micheal dugan 1983 horror film Mausoleum. Although I agree not everyone will agree its a classic

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  6. I watched Stage Fright this morning and dug it quite a bit. Just messy enough as a horror movie and just campy enough as a theatre camp movie and structures of the two mesh together quite nicely. It kind of reminds me of the Vincent Price thriller Theatre Of Blood that way (the one where he offs his critics).

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