Thursday, May 26, 2016

Riske Business: My Junesploitation Itinerary

by Adam Riske
I’m ready to turn my apartment into 42nd Street!

This marks the first year I’m going to go the distance and complete all 30 days of Junesploitation. I’m very excited -- so much so that I planned out what I’m going to watch. Here’s the list, all of which include movies that are new to me! If you have any recommendations, please leave them in the comments below.

June 1 (Sci Fi!): Forbidden Planet (1956) - The first of many movies on this list that I'm embarrassed to have not yet seen. I wanna see what this whole Robby the Robot thing is all about.

June 2 (‘90s Action!): Death Warrant (1990) - How can I have never seen Death Warrant being as big of a Van Damme fan as I am? I have to take care of this right away. I'm hoping I love it like I love Cyborg, which I discovered during a previous year's Junesploitation.

June 3 (Slashers!): Jason X (2001) - I own this on a double disc with Jason Goes to Hell but have never seen it. Patrick wrote a great Take Two on the movie a while back which has piqued my interest.

June 4 (Kung Fu!): Master of the Flying Guillotine (1976) - This one is almost always marked high on the list of best exploitation movies so I'm eager to give this one a watch. Great poster, btw.

June 5 (Zombies!): Cemetery Man (1994) - I've almost rented this from the library a number of times. Day 5 problem solved!

June 6 (Scream Queens!): Halloween II (1981) - I've owned the Scream Factory Blu-ray for over a year but have never seen this one. Oddly enough, I've seen every other Halloween movie at this point except Halloween II. I'm weird.
June 7 (Cars!): Mad Max (1979) - I know, I know. I've never seen it. I'm embarrassed. Witness me.

June 8 (Free Space!): Vampire’s Kiss (1989) – In honor of Scream Factory day from last year, I’m going to do a redux and see this supposedly crazy Nic Cage movie I’ve never seen.

June 9 (Animals!): Cujo (1983) - It was between this and Joe Dante's Piranha but I have to go with Stephen King.

June 10 (Sexploitation!): Emmanuelle (1974) - Unplug the clocks, close the shades, take a sick day.

June 11 (Masters of Horror!): Two Evil Eyes (1990) - I can knock out two masters in one with this pick! I'm a dork for Poe adaptations (and anthologies) so I'm hoping for good things with this one.

June 12 (Blaxploitation!): The Mack (1973) - I've wanted to see The Mack ever since I saw the Christian Slater-Gary Oldman showdown sequence in True Romance but never got around to it. I'm gonna sit down, watch The Mack and have an egg roll on June 12th.
June 13 (New Horror!): Housebound (2014) - I don't know why but I always find something else to watch when it comes to New Horror rather than going and watching Housebound. No more excuses. I'm going to watch Housebound this month.

June 14 (Nazis!): Kelly's Heroes (1970) - I'm always down for an old school Clint Eastwood movie that I've never seen before.

June 15 (Free Space!): Beach Party (1963) - Other than seeing Back to the Beach when I was really little, I've never dove in (pun intended) on beach party movies starring Frankie and Annette. I can't wait for this one!

June 16 (Monsters!): Tremors (1990) - I've said a thousand times that I will sit down and watch Tremors for the first time. Consider this time number 1,001.

June 17 (‘80’s Action!): Lock Up (1989) - I own this movie on Blu-ray on a Stallone mega disc but never got around to watching it. Also, this makes for a good compliment to watching Van Damme's Death Warrant earlier in the month.

June 18 (Teensploitation!): Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains (1982) - A baby faced Diane Lane? LAURA DERN???!!!! I don't need any more convincing.
June 19 (Italian Horror!): Nightmare Castle (1965) - I picked up the Blu-ray for this one after JB's great column about it last year. I unfortunately didn't find time to see it during Scary Movie Month so what better time than now to open it up and give the disc a spin.

June 20 (Westerns!): The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence (1962) - This one's a no-brainer for me to watch this month. I've been promising my dad that I'd see this for years, I'm in a Jimmy Stewart phase right now and I love the Gene Pitney song. Not exactly exploitation, but I love that about Junesploitation: it's flexible.

June 21 (Eco Horror!): The Food of the Gods (1976) – I missed this one at this year’s Sci-Fi Spectacular so it is on my radar. Good opportunity to check this one off my list.

June 22 (Free Space!): Class of 1984 (1982) – I’ve heard good things about this one for years. I can’t wait to finally get around to watching it.

June 23 (Prison!): Chained Heat (1983) – I’ve wanted to see this one since I was doing Junesploitation prep and saw its trailer on a Synapse Films 42nd Street Forever trailer compilation Blu-ray.

June 24 (War!): The Dirty Dozen (1967) – “I bet you’re a big Lee Marvin fan, aren’t ya?” Well, not yet, but I’m ready to be converted.
June 25 (Bugs!): Eight Legged Freaks (2002) – I think I’ve seen most of the essential bug movies so I’m going to go with one that looks fun. If you have any recommendations, I’m all legs.

June 26 (Revenge!): Revenge (1990) – Perhaps too on the nose? I love me some K. Cost and this is one of the few I have yet to see. Plus it’s directed by Tony Scott and his movies are always worth a watch.

June 27 (Apocalypse!): The Rapture (1991) – I’ve wanted to see this movie ever since I read Roger Ebert’s 4-star review of it back in 1991. Better late than never.

June 28 (‘80’s Horror!): Night of the Demons (1988) – I’ve seen a lot of ‘80s horror but one that always seems to fall between the cracks each and every Scary Movie Month is Night of the Demons. Patrick assured me on the Demon Knight/Bordello of Blood podcast that this one is up my alley so I’m eager to check it out.

June 29 (Free Space!): Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965) – No more will this one go sitting unwatched on my shelf. I’m pumped, as this will be my first Russ Meyer experience.

June 30 (Cops!): Hard Boiled (1992) – As much as I like Face/Off (which I like just the right amount) and Broken Arrow (which I probably like too much), I have never seen any of John Woo’s Hong Kong shoot-em-ups. I’m very much looking forward to taking the dive with Hard Boiled. Plus, this one has Tony Leung, who (as a Wong Kar-Wei fan) can do no wrong in my eyes.

28 comments:

  1. You're going to have a great Junesploitation with alot of these movies Adam. Hard Boiled, Class of 1984 and Tremors specifically I really love. I got a Van Damme collection with Death Warrant and Cyborg which I'm excited to see for the first time in June.

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  2. I hope to hear of your reactions to Mad Max and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. I envy you on both counts.

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    1. Oh and Tremors, man! Tremors!!

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    2. Oooh shit Tremors, your in force treat, the bluray looks stunning too
      That's a really great list

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  3. Great list Adam. I'm jealous you get to see some of these for the first time, particularly Tremors. I'm going to spend a few hours this weekend going through Netflix to try to fill most of these (because I'm lazy), so I'm getting pretty excited. Especially for Italian horror. Bava or Argento? So many choices.

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  4. Yes! Great list! I would love to be seeing alot of these for the first time! Have to say, you may want to rethink Cujo over Piranha...Also once you pop that Russ Meyer cherry, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls!!

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  5. Holy crap Adam! Now that's a list I can get behind...many films that are near and dear to me.

    Halloween II - It's an unpopular sentiment, but I like it as much as the first one. I first saw it on Monstervision with Joe Bob Briggs almost 20 years ago and it has been a favorite of mine ever since. We also did a pretty epic SNMS episode on it last Halloween...if you want check it out after you watch it.

    Lock Up - It's no secret to the SNMS fans that I am a HUGE Stallone supporter and Lock Up has always been a personal fav that doesn't get mentioned all that much, but you must be warned, it is more of a prison drama than an action film...seeing how you're doing it as your 80s action pick, I just didn't want to you be too disappointed with it's lack of "80s action." Great film though...

    Two Evil Eyes - The first bit of Argento I ever saw and it made me obsessed. To this day Argento is one of my very favorite directors and it all started for me with this film...I just hope you can make it through the Romero segment to get to the insanity that is Argento's Black Cat. It is something to behold...for sure.

    Kelly's Heroes - Christ! You've never seen it? You are in for a treat!

    Mad Max - What!?! And you write about movies? Shame on you...SHAME!

    Night of the Demons - It's kind of the perfect example of 1980s horror...horror doesn't get more 80s than this. Enjoy!

    Cemetery Man - I'm very curious to see what you think of this. These Italian horror films are for everyone., especially this one...and it's not the best pick for Zombies...but hey! Who cares? It's an interesting and beautifully executed film by Michele Soavi...who quite frankly hung up his directing hat way too early IMHO.

    I am super psyched for you experience all of these films for the first time! I'm almost jealous...LOL.

    Oh and don't listen to Jason (above)...Cujo is pretty great, with a great score by Charles Bernstein.

    - Blake

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    1. Yes! Halloween 2 is my favorite Halloween movie! You will love it. More violence. More boobies. More awesome.

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    3. Lol...those aren't the reasons I love it, but yes Jeff you are correct.
      - Blake

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    4. Ha, those are just SOME of the reasons to love it. By the way, I love your podcast and really enjoyed the Halloween 2 episode you did this last October. I also watched Commando for the first time in probably 20 years thanks to you guys. That movie is non-stop fun. Keep up the good work!

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    5. Thanks Jeff. We appreciate you taking the time to listen and of course, to comment. It means a lot to us. - Blake and Dion.

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    6. I also listened to your Halloween 2 podcast and it was great. I have always loved that early Michael Myers kill via the car accident for sheer overkill and absurdity of it all. However, until your podcast I didn’t realize that was Laurie’s crush from the original. Couldn’t stop laughing during that entire section, in particular when you gave the rundown of how bad a day Laurie was having! Gold

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    7. Wow Mouse Dog, thank you so much. We are thrilled you enjoyed it. We are glad we could bring laughter after out if Laurie's tragedy.�� Thanks for the comment. - Blake & Dion

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    8. I need to apologize for those typos and weird symbols...that last comment was made from my new phone and it has been acting a little screwy. I did proof read it before I published and everything was fine...weird. Sorry. - Blake

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    9. Your podcast also suggested MM not only stole a sandwich but also pulled up his mask and eat it secretly in the corner. Haha! Better than green leaves painted brown in October.

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    10. Lol....you're making me want to watch the movie!

      - Blake

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    11. I´m shocked about the amount of great and sometimes classic movies you have not seen yet. Wow, a lot to catch up on. But you will have great fun with most of these.

      Don´t rethink Cujo vs Piranha. Cujo is just a great experiment in terror with a fantastic and intense performance by the wonderful Dee Wallace and a fine score by Charles Bernstein, as Blake already mentioned. Totally underrated, this to me is one of the best King adaptations.

      You will have lots of fun with Kelly's Heroes, which I saw together with a friend almost on a weekly basis during the late eighties. Great cast, especially Donald Sutherland at his craziest, great fun, great score by Lalo Schifrin. The sweet title song “Burning bridges” will burn into your brain.

      LockUp is pretty solid and has more suspense than action…and more Sutherland.

      Class of 1984 and Chained Heat are totally ridiculous but also very entertaining. In the case of Chained Heat with a cast like that in a prison movie you can´t do anything wrong. ;-)

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  6. Really enjoyed reading your list... it's gonna be a great month, and looking forward to hearing your thoughts as the month goes on. Here's my list... I have never seen any of them:

    June 1 - Sci-fi! – I Come in Peace / Dark Angel
    June 2 - ‘90s Action! – Fire Down Below
    June 3 - Slashers! – Pieces
    June 4 - Kung Fu! – 47 Ronin
    June 5 - Zombies! – Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated
    June 6 - Scream Queens! – Female Trouble
    June 7 - Cars! – The Driver
    June 8 - Free Space! – No Escape
    June 9 - Animals! – The Beastmaster
    June 10 - Sexploitation! – Inserts
    June 11 - Masters of Horror! – Deadly Friend
    June 12 - Blaxploitation! – White Dog
    June 13 - New Horror! – Southbound
    June 14 - Nazis! – Triumph of the Will
    June 15 - Free Space! – Hard Times
    June 16 - Monsters! – Husk
    June 17 - '80s Action! – Wise Guys
    June 18 - Teensploitation! – Class of 1984
    June 19 - Italian Horror! – Cat in the Brain
    June 20 - Westerns! – Young Guns
    June 21 - Eco Horror! – The Boogens
    June 22 - Free Space! – Mister Lonely
    June 23 - Prison! – Salo
    June 24 - War! – Casualties of War
    June 25 - Bugs! – Critters 3
    June 26 - Revenge! – The Skin I Live in
    June 27 - Apocalypse! – Z for Zachariah
    June 28 - '80s Horror! – Communion
    June 29 - Free Space! – Survival Quest
    June 30 - Cops! – Stone Cold

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    1. Matt - Just remember you can never unwatch Salo :) Still, it's a must to cross off the list.

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    2. 'The Skin I Live In' will mess you up.

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    3. I Come In Peace is amazing. You'll have alot of fun with that one. And Pieces is a masterpiece.

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  7. Death Warrent - Seems to be a less popular Van Damme flick, bit I love this one. Such a ridiculous amount of fun!

    Cemetery Man - Looks like you'll be watching a much smarter movie than most of us on zombie day. This one is quite a trip.

    Housebound - I don't know what's wrong with me, but I've probably tried to watch this one three times and never make it past 15 minutes. I get so darn bored. It probably gets better as it goes on, so I have no excuse.

    The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance - Awesome movie. I really think John Wayne works best as a supporting character.

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    1. Housebound was in my top ten of the year 2 years ago. It's fantastic.

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    2. Yeah, that's what everyone says.

      I truly have no excuse.

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    3. I second what Chaybee says on Housebound. It's terrific. And even better to go in completely blind.

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    4. I second what Chaybee says on Housebound. It's terrific. And even better to go in completely blind.

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  8. Kelly's Heroes, in my top 10.

    It is a VERY underestimated film. In my opinion, the original Big Lebowski, set in WWII. Yeah it's dated, but with all those amazing actors in there messing around, it only gets funnier with repeated viewings. Hilarious in fact, and very quotable.
    (And it ended up getting remade and brought into modern times, called Three Kings with George Clooney and Ice T.)

    And, great podcast guys- goes without saying. You're awesome. Thanks so much.

    -Dion, Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers

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