Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Junesploitation 2016 Day 1: Sci-fi!

It's always midnight in space!

194 comments:

  1. INVISIBLE INVADERS (1959, 67 min.) on YouTube for the first time.

    Aliens fear humanity's progress with atomic energy, so they take over David Carradine's dead body to warn his scientist colleague he has 24 hrs. to convince Washington to drop it. 24 hours later, aliens take over the bodies of the undead to start an invasion. It's Joe Dante approved, meaning it's awesome and a cheesy good time.

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    1. I tried to watch this one months ago, but couldn't make it through. I still haven't figured out my way in with '50s sci-fi/horror. It seems like stuff right up my alley, but I haven't fallen in love with it yet. One day!

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    2. John Agar!!! John Freaking Agar!!! Always the sign of "quality"! :-)

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  2. THE LAST STARFIGHTER (1984)
    Man, what a fun movie. Stuff like this makes you feel 12 again. Also, Lance Guest is the most interesting piece of wood I've seen in a while.

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    1. The wig they made him wear during pick-ups gets me every time. And I can't decide whether Lance Guest or Catherine Mary Stewart does a better version of a plank to be honest.

      On the flip side, I'm always impressed at the facial machinations that Dan O'Herlihy must be going to through to be emoting the way he does through that makeup!

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  3. Trancers (1984) Watched on Hulu

    Psychic zombies, time travel, time stopping watches, kick ass score, an adorable and gorgeous Helen Hunt, a scooter chase and the cherry on top a protagonist named Jack Deth. This movie is so much fun on a budget. I want to watch the 4 sequels now. I love Full Moon!

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    1. Full Moon! Yeahh. Trancers is so much fun. Junesploitation discovery for me too :)

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    2. My first Junesploitation and this was my pick, as well. I think I saw this once, back in the early 90s, and at the time I missed the really overt Blade Runner and Terminator parallels. The charm of Thomerson and Hunt overcomes that AND the truly awful fight sequences.

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    3. NOT watching Trancers is for squids.

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    4. Also, I don't have the math entirely worked out, but Tim Thomerson is somewhere on a spectrum between 80's Kurt Russell and current Bruce Campbell.

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    5. I think your mathematics are pretty accurate on that one Matt. He was very fun to watch.

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  4. Galaxy of Terror (1981)

    Corman produced movie heavily inspired by Alien, it's interesting largely due to James Cameron doing the production design and supporting roles from Robert Englund, Sid Haig, Ray Walston, and Erin Moran. Also there's a giant worm on human sex scene.

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  5. Narcopolis (2015)

    Film tries to mesh dystopian neo-noir with trippy time travel elements, with middling results. The basic idea is a future where narcotics are legalized and distributed by your prototypical evil corporation. As the lead, Elliot Cowen strains mightily to invest the story with meaning. Unfortunately, the plot and his character are too sketchily drawn. The movie isn't bad, it's just not particularly good. Jonathan Pryce is wasted in a bit role.

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    1. I saw this a while back and I agree with your thoughts but what really stood out to me was the sound design and score - I thought they were both excellent.

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    2. I liked the music as well. The direction was pretty annoying, with tons of close-ups (probably to mask the low-budget settings as much as possible). Also, why do so many directors think that hand-held camerawork minus a steadicam is a good idea?

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    3. I hear you, but probably a low budget thing as well.

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  6. Independence Day (1996)

    Pretty sure nobody needs a synopsis on this one! Wanted to re-watch before catching Resurgence in a few weeks. I think it's been over a decade since I've seen it. Holds up ok I thought. It's still an incredibly good time, and it's fun to see these tropes that became a mainstay of 90's disaster movies getting (in many cases) their first run around. And no matter how many times I hear it, the Bill Pullman speech still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up!

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    1. We will not go quietly into the Night! - it's a good speech

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    2. I love that speech and I would totally vote for Pullman.

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  7. Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning (2005)

    The first feature-length movie from the makers on Iron Sky, Star Wreck is a Finnish parody of Star Trek and Babylon 5 (the plot is essentially Starfleet vs. Earth Alliance), done on a shoestring budget with amateur actors speaking Finnish mostly in front of a greenscreen. But none of that stopped it from becoming the most watched Finnish-made film ever, because it was released for free on the internet. Stupid fun, but the jokes will not land if you're not pretty familiar with both ST:TNG and B5, if even then.

    The movie can be seen on YouTube here (with the makers' permission).

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    1. As a bonus, I also watched the first Star Wreck movie, a crude 4-minute computer animation from 1992. Not much to tell there, but it's impressively done for the early '90s.

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  8. Forbidden world (1982)

    One of those crazy Alien rip-offs produced by Roger Corman, here saving money by using James Horner`s score from "Battle beyond the stars". Nudity, bad editing, cheap effects and a fine monster slurping up it´s victims after turning them into jelly.
    Saw it back in 82 on the big screen and it held up better than expected.

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    1. Nice! I'm watching this one later on in the month. Great cover art on the Blu-ray. I'm excited!

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  9. Barbarella (1968) (first time viewing)
    What did I just watch? Jane Fonda is off to stop the evil Durand Durand from taking over the universe....or something. Along the way she has sex with nearly every man she meets. There are many scenes that don't make any sense, and the music is kinda goofy, but I can't say I didn't enjoy Fonda running around in those skimpy outfits. It's cheesy fun....glad I finally got around to watching it once.

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    1. I first-time watched this on a past Junesploitation... cheesy fun is an apt description.

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    2. Me too, I watched it this time last year. It's actually really stayed with me in a weird way. I love all the designs and it's just so much it's own thing.

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  10. Hardware (1990)

    Ever appreciate a film more than you like it? That's me with Hardware. It has so much style, so many ideas, and a freakin' awesome practical effect robot, that I greatly admire it from a distance. I only wish it was more entertaining. It seems to lack interesting characters, or at least characters I enjoy spending time with. It's also quite slow, and not always in a good way. I'm very glad I watched it, and I somehow imagine it's a movie that gets better on repeat viewings.

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    1. I'm with you on this one. The lackluster characters and laborious pace did it in for me, but the lived-in future production design is tops, as is the bitchen Public Image Ltd. theme song. Side note: while not quite as visually arresting, I did enjoy Richard Stanley's subsequent feature Dust Devil considerably more.

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    2. Saw it at a festival last year. The definite highlight of the movie is the song sung by the neighbor (William Hootkins).

      We all walk the wibberly-wobberly walk
      And we all talk the wibberly-wobberly talk
      And we all wear wibberly-wobberly ties
      And we look at all the pretty girls with wibberly-wobberly eyes

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    3. Yeah, what the heck was the deal with that neighbor?? haha

      I do want to check out Dust Devil at some point.

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  11. Forbidden Planet (1956) + The Last Starfighter (1984) -Science Fiction Double Feature, ooh ooh oooh.

    I liked them both, though 'Forbidden Planet' a little more with its Jetsons chic. But both are very earnest and just fun. I felt like I should have been in a drive in not sitting on my couch.

    Lance Guest has the shinest skin I have ever seen. And Robbie the Robot so helpful.

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    1. Forbidden Planet is actually the poster for june in my classic movie posters calendar!

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  12. BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW (2010)

    What's not to love? The amazing synth score, psychedelic cinematography, retro 80s sci-fi aesthetic. Don't worry about anything like plot or narrative, just open yourself to the sensory experience of it.

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    1. Glad to see there are other fans of it :) It may not be for everyone, but I count myself among its niche target audience.

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    2. After seeing this film, the director, Cosmatos, was immediately on my radar. Well, it's been 5 years and still nothing :(

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    3. The guys from Spectrevision were on Shock Waves last week and said they are working with him on something new.

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    4. One of the best movies of the decade so far IMO. I've seen it 2 or 3 times and it somehow hypnotizes me every time so thinking about it feels more like remembering a dream (or nightmare).

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    5. That is awesome to hear, Patrick. Thanks!

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  13. Starcrash (1978)

    Wow, this movie is terrible! I really try not to watch movies ironically, but this really obvious Italian Star Wars ripoff makes it hard not to. Somehow, poor Christopher Plummer got pulled into this, and he tries his hardest to pull the movie toward legitimacy, but to no avail. David Hasselhoff makes a welcome appearance, but by the time he shows up, even the ironic charm of Starcrash has worn off. Don't waste your time with this one (though the first ten minutes are pretty darn entertaining, if only because of how closely it tries to emulate Star Wars).

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    1. Saw it last June and loved it for all its silliness.

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    2. I'm just about to watch this, based on your comments from last June, Mikko.

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    3. Michael GiammarinoJune 2, 2016 at 12:07 AM

      I love Star Crash. I think George Lucas did too. I think he ripped it off a lot for Attack of the Clones.

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    4. ....but at least it had a decent score by John Barry and a great cast with schlocky stars like Caroline Munro, Joe Spinell, Robert Tessier and the one and only Marjoe Gortner. ;-)

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  14. Blade Runner (1982)

    I should like this more than I do. I don't feel like myself...

    If you look up "best sci-fi movies", Blade Runner is always near the top. It's beautiful and interesting to look at but it leaves me cold. It feels like something's missing but I don't know what it is. I wanted it to go a little crazier. I prefer the sillier, terribly acted sci-fi. Still, I'm glad I finally saw it and I'm excited for the rest of the month. 1982!

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    1. Don't beat yourself up. It took me a few tries to get what Blade Runner is doing and how great it is. I came to it late and I knew it's reputation and expected a bad ass action movie about a dude shooting robots but its so not that movie which threw me off. Give it awhile and try again and maybe it will click better for you.

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    2. I didn't get it till the second viewing. I think it takes most people a few tries.

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  15. Ivan Vasilievich Changes Profession aka Ivan Vasilievich: Back to the Future (Иван Васильевич меняет профессию) (1973)

    A '70s Soviet time travel comedy? Why the hell not?

    A crackpot inventor builds a time machine, and accidentally strands his idiot neighbor and a burglar in the 16th century, while Ivan the Terrible himself travels to modern day. Hilarity ensues.

    Full disclosure: I only sought out the movie because I saw this chart about time travel movies and it was the only one I didn't know.

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    1. Sounds delightfully berzerk, going on the list. Thanks!!!

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    2. It's interesting as a curiosity and as an example of Soviet cinema, but other than that I wouldn't say it's worth seeking out.

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  16. Leviathan (1989)

    Well, that was not a great start to the Junesploitative madness. The pitch: Alien meets The Thing meets The Abyss meets a not very good movie.

    A crew of deep-sea miners (led by Peter Weller, dependably solid as always) is menaced by a shape-shifting creature (designed by Stan Winston Studios). The creature is cool, but the script is decidedly less so. It goes like this: creature menaces a crew member in a poorly lit hallway, rinse, lather, repeat. At least Richard Crenna gets to look sternly into the camera and say "don't fuck with Mother Nature."

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    1. Meets the original "Little Shop of Horrors"...the monster with the faces of the crew on it like the buds on Audrey II.

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    2. Good call! "I didn't mean it..."

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    3. Yeah, that was a big disappointment, coming right after "Abyss" and with the writers of "Blade Runner" and "Die hard" providing the script.
      Again at least it had a decent Jerry Goldsmith score.

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  17. Escape from Galaxy 3 aka StarCrash II (1981, dir. "Ben Norman")

    Want some of that sweet Star Wars money but don't have the funds to actually make a space adventure epic? Steal a nice chunk of effects footage from the already low-rent Starcrash for the first 10 minutes of your movie, then have your heroes crash land on Earth, in the woods, and set the rest of the movie there! Two immortal aliens on the run from an evil warlord make contact with primitive post-apocalyptic Earth tribes, who expose them to such secrets of the universe as the existence of water, how to eat, and what sex is. The aliens eventually give up their immortality so they can continue having sex on Earth. This sounds like its pretty racy, but it's actually pretty light on the nudity, and feels more like a kids movie, except that the entire plot is based around how awesome fucking is. Great music/costumes, especially princess Belle Starr's ridiculous half-swimsuit uniform. Also aka Erotic Games in the Third Galaxy. No trailer, so here's the first four minutes.

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    1. Girl from Starship Venus aka The Sexplorer (1975, dir. Derek Ford)

      Much like mac discovered with Zeta One below (which I have also seen,) sex and British humour don't mix. An alien in the body of a bombshell blonde is dropped off in Piccadilly Square, naked. The first place she walks into is an adult bookstore, followed immediately by a porno theater. At least three characters ask her "Foreign, are you?" She turns dark green when she drinks alcohol, and also pulls the bit where she decides she'd rather get to screw her boyfriend than remain immortal. It's another QT favorite that might get a little too much credit. No trailer, so here's her theme song, which incorporates the phrase "She got turned on to permissiveness."

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    2. Cyber Tracker (1994, dir. Richard Pepin)

      Likeably dorky PM hybrid of RoboCop and Terminator cliches. Don "The Dragon" joins a rebellion against a crooked senator looking to replace the police force with buff bald androids in leather jackets who have authorization to execute offenders. Protesters at a speech he's giving hold up signs saying "Computers aren't machines... they're killers!" The evil head of the robot manufacturing company informs the corrupt Chief of Police "Men are not men anymore... tribalism is dead, and mankind is soon to follow. Men... are a bug. What do we do with bugs? We crush them!" "What are you talking about?" she replies. Don goes to a food stand where you can buy a 'Hydro Dog.' It all ends with an (unironic) quote from Ayn Rand. This movie contains the most 90s thing I've ever seen: guys at a bar playing pool using Baoding balls!

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    3. Over-sexed Rugsuckers from Mars (1989, dir. Michael Paul Girard)

      Pretty lame, Troma-style comedy about a vacuum cleaner given sentience by claymation Martians, who becomes violent after sucking up aphrodisiac tea leaves. It impregnates a wannabe rock star who gives birth to a dustbuster with a Cabbage Patch Doll head. It's also in a homosexual relationship with a hobo. Skip it. No trailer, so here's a clip.

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  18. The Sender (1982)

    Quentin Tarantino's favorite horror movie of 1982. He's obviously never seen Pieces.

    It's not a bad movie. It has a couple of scenes when John Doe(family name) hallucinates that are decent. Belloq shows up and gets thrown through a window. To be honest, I just watched it and have already forgotten about it. Can we officially stop caring about what Tarantino thinks is the best of movie of a certain year?

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    1. "Can we officially stop caring about what Tarantino thinks is the best of movie of a certain year?" - Hell yes! "Big Bad Wolves" best movie of 2013? That film was fine at best. Nothing special.

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    2. Michael GiammarinoJune 1, 2016 at 1:01 PM

      I agree with you about Big Bad Wolves. It was fine at best. But to each their own. It's all subjective. But I am always interested in Quentin's yearly picks, just as I am interested in how he programs every month at the New Bev. I may not always agree with his yearly faves, but I'm always fascinated to check them out.

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  19. Almost Human (2013, dir. Joe Begos) - first viewing

    Fairly enjoyable abduction/slasher/body-snatcher fare. Decent gore and the brief running time work in its favor, but I can't help but feel a tad let down (that's expectations for ya). All in all it gets the job done, which sometimes is all you need for #Junesploitation.

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    1. I really like this film. Begos is someone to watch. Still waiting for The Minds Eye.

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  20. I've got a strong urge to see Tarkovsky's Solaris, and I have it here on DVD, but I don't have a DVD player in my old house anymore. Nor a player in my laptop. The horror!! the horror!!

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  21. Lifeforce (1985)

    The Canon classic about sexy space vampires from Halley's Comet invading London which was directed by Tobe Hooper.

    It's crazy, over the top, amazing, preposterous and glorious all at the same time. It truly has to be seen to be believed. Totally recommended.

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    1. I can't believe it exists.... but thank heavens it does.

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    2. No mention of Mathilda...I need to rectify that.

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    3. I love this movie. Every aspect is so over the top.

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    4. So nice you had to post it twice! It's one of the best genre films in many different ways.

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    5. When the guys made Weird Science Mathilda may should of been what they created. :)

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    6. I almsot picked this one too! This movie is bonkers brilliant

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    7. ...and it has one of my most beloved main themes of the eighties, surprisingly composed by the normally more comedic/romantic leaning Herny Mancini.

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  22. Destroy All Monsters(1968) dir. Ishiro Honda on Hulu.

    Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, Angilas, Minya and other monsters have been kept safe on the island Monsterland. However, aliens bent on world domination use mind control to release them and have them run havoc. I'll admit that Kaiju movies are a bit of a blind spot for me(although I appreciate the first Japanese Godzilla movie). The movie is extremely goofy, but that is part of the charm. Also, the big battle at the climax is fantastic!

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  23. The Fantastic Four (1994)

    The Roger Corman-produced movie, filmed for the sole purpose of hanging on to the movie rights and subsequently bought by Marvel and thrown in a vault because they didn't want a turkey to cheapen their brand.

    It's not a good movie, but it just might be the best, and definitely most faithful, FF movie there is. Still, not worth your time. George Gaynes in his minute-long scene that opens the movie is the highlight.

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  24. TIMELINE (2003): Paul Walker! Gerard Butler! Should have been called HUNKS IN TIME, if you ask me. Or maybe TIME FOR HUNKS.

    And sure, the movie sucks, but at least we got to see medieval France!

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    1. Richard Donner deserved much better films than this and "16 Blocks" as his last directing gigs. :-(

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  25. ZETA ONE (1969)
    It’s the swingin’ sixties! Some sexy female aliens have come to Earth with a fiendish yet sexy plot. Trying to apply dry English wit to a raunchy sex comedy doesn’t quite work in this case, but it is -- as I believe they say in England -- cheeky.

    EVOLVER (1995)
    A kid wins a high-tech robot in a contest, only for it to evolve (get it?) into the ultimate killing machine. It’s like CHOPPING MALL, but without the sleaze… or the mall. The good news is that actress Cassidy Rae is adorably 1990s in this, in her blue overalls and white sneakers.

    VISCIOUS LIPS (1986)
    This is why director Albert Pyun is great. Don’t have the money for a sexy rock n’ roll space adventure? Just film the sexy rock n’ roll space adventure anyway. Lunar madness!

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    1. Now I will have "Lunar Madness" in my head the rest of the day!

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  26. Watched Children of Men for the first time, loved it, an interesting world created with great story, direction and performances. Want to read the book now

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    1. It's an interesting contrast between the two (the book has more of a political element).

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    2. Yeah i was looking at book differences, looks like it might be an interesting read because it seems slightly different

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  27. Message from Space (1978)

    A space opera from Kinji Fukasaku (probably best known for directing Battle Royale) that was released in the wake of Star Wars. Despite being the most expensive movie Japan had made at the time, a lot of the effects, costumes, and sets look cheap, some of the acting is pretty bad, and the story is a mess. There's still some charm to it though and I don't regret watching it.

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    1. Michael GiammarinoJune 2, 2016 at 12:01 AM

      I'm always happy to see someone discovering Message from Space. It's a lot of fun. I think Lucas was flattered by it. After all, the Falcon's trench run in Return of the Jedi was a ripoff of Message from Space, and I'm certain Phantom Menace steals from it too. I see a lot of Fukasaku in Phantom Menace. Oh, and Kurosawa. Tons of Kurosawa.

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  28. Endangered Species (1982)

    Wanna see a mutilated cow? Me either...

    I went back to read some old reviews on this movie and was pretty surprised how positive the ratings were. I was so bored during this movie and then it ended.

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  29. TIMECOP (1994)

    I won't be able to participate tomorrow so I'm combining Sci-Fi! with 90's Action! After watching this for the first time in probably 20 years I enjoyed way more than I anticipated. The script is pretty tight and moves along at a good pace with a simple but enjoyable plot. Good action sequences. The CGI is dated but not bad considering it's 1994.

    JCVD has a mullet and saves Ferris Bueller's girlfriend. What more can you ask for?

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    1. What more can you ask for? The splits! And time travel! And cops! I saw it for the 1st time recently, and really loved it. Tomorrow will be all Van Damme for me.

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    2. I recently watched Cyborg and that was fun too. I might have to follow up with Death Warrant to complete my own JCVD triple feature!

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    3. Or watch Double Impact for double the Vandamage.

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    4. Good call, Daniel. I like the way you think.

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  30. The Dark Side of the Moon (1990) Dir. D.J. Webster

    Great way to start the month - Devil space possession! The year is 2022 (where they still have those little 90's "troll doll" keychains apparently) and our heroes are aboard the ship SPACECORE 1 (my new band name).

    While certainly a smaller B-Film, this was surprisingly pretty good. It's actually better than I wanted it to be! From reading comments on IMDB after watching this, many reviewers feel the same. Eerie atmosphere, and an original idea for 1990. More than kind-of a Event Horizon vibe with it's mix of Sci-fi and Horror and some of the same ideas, 7 years prior, which was impressive. I know a couple people that swear by Event Horizon and they would probably dig this one.

    Except from the IMDB summary: "One by one, the crew is possessed and killed, and it is up to Paxton Warner (Joe Turkel) to find the links between the dark side of the moon, the Bermuda Triangle, and the Devil himself."

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    1. Oh shit, Joe Turkel! Is this a prequel to The Shining?

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    2. My older brother made me watch that when I was 9. I had to watch how people took their coffee for months! I still love it 24 years later

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    3. My older brother made me watch that when I was 9. I had to watch how people took their coffee for months! I still love it 24 years later

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  31. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. And he does the splits over the kitchen cupboards!

      Bought it on Bluray on a double with Bloodsport recently, I enjoyed it, much better than I remembered

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    2. Totally! I didn't remember much about it and I was surprised by how good it was. Hyams directing for the win.

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    3. Sorry for the deleted post...for some reason my comments get posted twice sometimes. You can see the original Timecop post above.

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  32. The Angry Red Planet (1959)
    A recovered astronaut recounts the harrowing tale of her expedition to Mars (or the back-lot tinted red). While on Mars, the astronauts encounter giant mice-bat-spider creatures, inflatable vagina plants, and a giant jello monster. This film also serves as more proof that any problem on Mars can be solved by science-ing the shit out of it.

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  33. Steven Spielberg's INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (2008) on Blu-ray.

    A young George Lucas reading Erich von Däniken's "Chariots of the Gods" + a don't-rock-the-boat David Koepp mixing and matching his draft of the screenplay with 50 other drafts handed to him (including a 'Nuke the Fridge' scene from an old Zemeckis/Gale "BTTF" draft) + Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford coasting on green screens (because grandpas need to be close to their Stateside L.A. mansions) = a tone-deaf and joyless Indy adventure. Supernatural and magical things? Cool. A̶l̶i̶e̶n̶s̶... interdimensional beings and Cate Blanchett with psychic powers she doesn't use after Area 51? No, thanks. I'd say nobody involved with this movie gave a fuck about it, but that would imply there were any fucks to be given in the first place.

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  34. I'm hanging out with you morons!

    Guardians of the Galaxy

    My favourite new universe of recent times, so much fun, James Gunn kicked it out the grounds, and I now have a fetish for Green women! Me and Riske love Zoe, The leg joke and the Smiling tree, Perfection,
    Bad day at work and needed some Pure popcorn cinema

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    1. It is the perfect bad day movie. I still always just giggle during the opening credits of Chris Pratt dancing to Redbone. It just makes me happy.

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    2. So it's good? Do you know I'm never seen it.
      It's that thing that EVERYONE loves it, I kinda think I'll be the exception.
      My goto comfy Sci-Fi would be Forbidden Planet or The Day the Earth Stood Still, it may be my age!
      Anne Francis may not be green, but she sure is easy on the eye.....

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    3. VooDoo - I fuggggin hate comic book movies and this one is really fun.

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    5. Seconded, it really is one of the best new Universes of recent times, they hit the ground running, I can't recommend it enough

      Lindsay. That microphone Fish scene is a perfect tone setter for the whole movie, its epic, and later the Dance off scene makes me smile just thinking about it

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    6. Ps has anyone noticed that this film has a very similar opening to my favourite film of all time, Xtro....

      My dream is this month some people are going to watch Xtro for the first time, make me happy someone

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  35. Day One – Sci-Fi

    Supernova (2000) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0134983/

    So, a commercial space freighter is heading home to Earth. The crew detect a distress beacon and rendezvous with a space shuttle containing a solitary survivor from an abandoned mining planet and they all live happily after.

    Well, no actually. Pretty much the exact opposite.

    The setup is rather familiar but there is an excellent cast, Lou Diamond-Phillips in super-ripped mode, Robert Forster playing the ill-fated captain (think BlackHole), an almost permanently topless Robin Tunney and finally the two stellar (see what I did there?) leads James Spader & Angela Basset.
    I must say, in this film, they are undoubtedly a most attractive pair. They have plenty of screen time and are mesmerising throughout. I found they were easily capable of maintaining my interest throughout the reasonably short running time of 90 minutes. Anyway, that’s enough about Robin Tunney’s breasts; the rest of the film was of course a rather generic space horror.
    In summary, I rather enjoyed it. It looks great, there is A LOT of nudity and there are some pretty gory deaths. Just what one may demand for an exploitation debut!

    Personal Rating 2/5

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    1. Ugh. I had posted on the "master" Junesploitation page and wondered why nobody else seemed to be posting - here you all are!!!
      I feel FOOLISH!!

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  36. Supernova (2000)

    A rescue mission in deep space goes wrong (of course) in Walter Hill's (or Thomas Lee's..) thriller.

    It is way better than its reputation suggests and, well, it's a Walter Hill movie I'd never seen before - never a bad thing.

    More importantly it is a film in which the two great vacuums, outer space and Robin Tunney, collide. Can vacuums collide? Who knows. Who cares; it's 90 minutes of James Spader

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    1. What the heck?

      Great minds my friend, great minds!!

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    2. ..and just so you know, I'm planning The Glimmer Man (Segal) tomorrow!!

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    3. Haha, that's amazing!

      What if I told you I had been planning Glimmer Man too...!?

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  37. I Come in Peace aka Dark Angel (1990, dir. Craig R. Baxley, on Blu-Ray) – First Time Viewing: Buddy cop movie starring Dolph Lundgren and Brian Benben in which they fight aliens. Junesploitation victory on Day 1! For a low budget action movie the action is pretty good. The aliens have machine pistols that literally shoot explosions. As much as I love Dolph he’s a little weak in this movie. This was before he loosened up a little and started delivering more fun performances. Did I mention this movie is wall to wall explosions? In conclusion: I really enjoyed it. (3.5 out of 5 Griers)

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    1. 3.5 out of 5 Griers made me laugh out loud. Good stuff.

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  38. Forbidden Planet (1956) - First time

    A group of 'competitively selected super specimens with an average age of 24.6' come to Altaire IV, where a landing party disappeared twenty years ago. They are warned away by the mysterious Dr Morbius (Walter Pidgeon), but insist on landing. Mainly a mistake.

    The alien world looks great still, the colours pop and so much of the design is really great. No information is really withheld in the movie, Dr Morbius is weirdly honest, but the mystery that they are exploring is really fascinating and the archaeological sort of analysis of sci-fi instruments is so imaginative. And then there is the weird, slightly rapey romance but these men have been STARVED of beer and women so you know. I also liked how difficult the film made it to decide on where your loyalties lie, I was constantly switching side. Anyway, great kick off to Junesploitation!

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    1. ..and what about that sound track eh?

      John Williams it ain't!

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    2. Whoa, whoa. I like John Williams like anyone else but the Forbidden Planet Score is incredible. It's composed by two American electronic music pioneers. I hate to cite Wiki but it works for this:

      "The full impact of the Barrons' contribution can only be realized when one understands that they did not even know what to call their creations. It was John Cage, working with the Barrons in their studio for his earliest electronic work, who convinced them that it was "music".

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    3. Incredible and TOTALLY suitable for that eerie Krell vibe.
      Just thinking about the scene inside the planet with the giant machines and their wired noises makes my spine tingle!

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    4. Oh I totally forgot to mention that! So eerie, works so well, and it adds so much to the movie. I heard that they did it partially because then they wouldn't have to pay money to the music guild.

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  39. The Running Man (1987)

    I'd seen this before, but it's been so long I'd mostly forgotten it. Interesting movie in that it has a lot to say about our addiction to TV and the influence that may have on society. On a less serious note, Arnold is full of great one-liners as usual. I loved how the dancing girls were teasing him in a sexual way when he was captured and brought before the live audience. I love everything about the dancing girls. Also, the host of the show is driving a car with a license that merely says ICS...perhaps the first personalized license plate ever? 5 Stars.

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  40. Limitless (2011)

    The premise of this movie sounds like it would be make for interesting sci-fi material, guy takes a pill that makes him "limitless", but when it actually happens you realize it's pretty boring. Especially when played by Bradley Cooper, who goes from slightly disheveled yet still attractive Bradley Cooper to even more attractive, smart, rich, always-having-sex Bradley Cooper, pretty much B-Coops in every movie. Then it gets more confused about it's message half way through and ends at least three times, the last ending being the worst. The Mask does this story much better.

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  41. Galaxy Quest (1999)

    A movie I ignored when it came out and forgot all about in the space between. Glad I caught up to it after listening to the podcast from way back in 2011 when Patrick and JB gave it its due respect.
    By no means a Trekkie - my only association to Star Trek is the Abrams stuff - but general pop culture knowledge made it easily accessible. The jokes stick without going into caricature mode and aren't simply slapstick. You can tell the people involved in making the movies cared about the material they were referencing and understood how to make it work.

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  42. The Zero Theorem (2013)
    It felt like Terry Gilliam lite. All of the individual elements of a great Gilliam movie were there (the super wide angle shots, the dystopian future, the disturbed protagonist, etc.), but they just didn't click together to make an interesting or engaging movie. None of the emotional moments hit, I didn't care about anything that was happening, and even the future that he created was kinda bland. Unfortunately, it was a big let down.

    The Congress (2013)
    I don't even know what to say... "Huh?" would probably sum it up pretty well. It had some interesting ideas near the beginning, but quickly became a confusing mess.

    I hope tomorrow goes well...

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  43. Harbinger Down (2015)

    Just like The Thing! Except written by special effects artists! And directed by special effects artists! And.....acted by special effects artists? Wait, what is going on here? Look, I appreciate the effort. But it's not very good. The direction is especially poor.

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    1. Haha! My post from Open Thread August 8, 2015:
      Slugged through "Harbinger Down" last night. It really wants to be "The Thing" and fails miserably at doing so.

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    2. It's taking so much from The Thing I'm surprised Bill Lancaster doesn't have a writing credit.

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  44. Flash Gordon (1980)

    Flash! Ah ahhhh!
    Savior of the universe!
    Flash! Ah ahhhh!
    He'll save everyone of us!

    Quarterback of the New York Jets must save the Earth from the evil Ming with the help of gentlemen T Dalts, who starts off not so gentlemenly, but learns to be one by the end. This movie was great! There should'be been a sequel after that cliffhanger ending.

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    1. Flash Gordon is THE BEST. Awesome choice.

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    2. This was one of the my possibilities for today, but I didn't get around to it. Hopefully I will during one of the free space days.

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    3. You should check it out Linda. It's cheesy sci fi fun.

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  45. Waterworld (1995)

    Lots of water. Lots of "Kevin Costner is cool" shots. Lots of bad guy Dennis Hopper doing bad guy things.

    I dug it.

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  46. The Machine (2013) UK. Toby Stephens plays mad scientist using DOD money to build cyborgs but secretly trying to cure his child..Caity Lotz of Black Canary is very impressive both as the computer scientist assistant and then as eponymous Machine. Machine is gentle in childlike, until military activates her killing mode...wackiness ensues.

    1-1.5 million dollar production, a little slow moving like THX-1138 and other near future scifi think pieces. you can STILL make a good little film for low money and sometimes that's more satisfying than shiny shiny smashy smashy.

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  47. Gattaca (1997)

    It's kind of weird and wonderful how this is a movie that countless people have been introduced to in their high school science class. I seriously don't see Jude Law in movies enough, this man is other-worldly charming.

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  48. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

    A first watch for me, and a great way to kick off Junesploitation. My wife isn't as interested in the more exploitation-y films, so we pulled this off the shelf. We've owned this for years and today was our day to dust it off and give it a spin. We're both coming into Star Trek through the 2009 reboot, and it's sequel INTO DARKNESS. We both enjoyed it thoroughly!

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  49. Event Horizon (1997)
    Excellent production design, and genuine tension, make this the best film in Paul WS Anderson's filmography.
    Between this and the game Doom, the message is clear. The only thing we will find in the darkness of space, is Hell.

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  50. Fantastic Planet (1973)- Was very impressed a movie this bizarre and psychedelic was so easily accessible on first viewing. The animation is really gorgeous in the close ups, detailed and conveying a lot of emotion with a single still frame. Even the wide shots, drab as they can be, are populated with some pretty unique landscapes and creatures. At 70 minutes it almost feels too short, and the film's final moments in which the characters decide they can learn something from one another feels a little too forced considering the original ideas are so excellently introduced and explored in the first 40 minutes. It feels good to have broadened my experience with animation outside of the Disney classics, although I did feel very immature as I was secretly hoping the Monty Python foot would stomp down on everybody in the final frame.

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    Replies
    1. I love Fantastic Planet. The music is great, as is the animation.

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  51. Starcrash (1978)

    This was so much fun. "Imperial battleship, halt the flow of time!". Caroline Munro as Stella was sporting some wicked space-swimsuit. She fought Amazon women. Curly hair had a curiously stilted line delivery. He could also see into the future. The robot had a weird ol' man cowboy accent. When Stella woke up from being frozen, he said "Come on, Stella", just like a cowboy. He also said "Yee Haw" at one point. Lots of composited shots with live action, models, and stop animation. Score was pretty good. Lots of 70's space set pieces, which I enjoyed. Felt cheesy for the first bit, but then I was totally into and enjoying it. 5 Stars!

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  52. Robinson Crusoe On Mars (1964)
    Okay, I'm coming clean. I only made it halfway through because I have to go to bed. But let me talk about what I saw. The effects are ridiculously bad- bad by all standards, including that of the time- and I find that entertaining. Aside from the ironic pleasure, I always find a distinct joy in seeing a poorly done effect be treated completely seriously in a movie. Something about that suspension of disbelief on the part of the actors and filmmakers makes me feel good. Only here's the problem: Very little has so far happened in this movie. So I'm glad for the experience, but once I finish it (hopefully tomorrow), I probably won't revisit it and wouldn't recommend it to anyone who didn't have a really good reason to be interested in it.

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  53. Ghosts of Mars 2001

    It's not a very good movie. Lots of cheesy dialogue and martian ghosts running around yelling and grunting the whole time. But that said, I had fun time watching it. Not a bad start to Junesploitation.

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  54. Cyborg (1989)

    Flashbacks! Lots and lots of flashbacks. The villain in this is pretty incredible. "I like the death. I like the misery! I like this world!!!" He crucifys JCVD at one point which proves my theory that JCVD is a Jesus Christ like figure, his first initials being JC and all. Also pay attention to JCVD's wig during the flashbacks, it's somethen. I had a good time.

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    1. Cyborg is such a special movie. That end fight scene in the rain is glorious.

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  55. Escape from L.A. (1996)

    I hope that someday soon we get a proper blu-ray release of this movie (I'm looking at you, Shout Factory).

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    1. Michael GiammarinoJune 2, 2016 at 12:49 AM

      It's only a matter of time!

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    2. I have the bluray of this but I haven't watched it. Is the transfer bad?

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  56. Forbidden Planet

    Watched about 20 minutes but got restless and my arthritis is bothering me today. Going to have to bail. Better luck tomorrow. #I'llNeverLieToYou

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  57. Galaxy of Terror (1981)

    In Space, No One Can Hear You Yawn

    I wanted to like this movie - there's a lot of lovable genre folk in the cast - but it's just so damn boring for some reason. Too bad as it would be a perfect sci-fi pick for Junesploitation if it was only more fun.

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  58. Signs (2002)

    Haven't seen it since it came out, and was actually pleasantly surprised! As Patrick and Alex said on their podcast about it a few years ago, it's actually a pretty good film that gets a LOT of flack for shitting the bed with the ending. What's most depressing about it, however, is the trajectory of its stars and director.

    While watching, it was hard not to reflect on Gibson's horrible public racist outbursts, The ill-fated second-half of Shyamalan's career, and Joaquin Phoenix's crappy I'm Still Here phase. Also, I miss adorable Abigail Breslin.

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  59. The Thing (1982)

    If there's a better sci-fi/horror film out there I don't know what it is. This movie is majestic.

    *please reference the 'Kurt Russell Rule'.

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  61. T-Force (1994, dir. Richard Pepin)
    It's the future, and the police force is backed up by six indestructible cybernauts (basically UniSols). When a team of 30 terrorists (led by Vernon Wells) take over a building, the cybernauts allow for six civilian casualties so Mayor Erin Gray shuts the program down, like you do. The cybernauts see this is a threat and go rogue, so DGAF cop Jack Scalia has to team up with one of them -- see, he doesn't like robots but he gets a robot for a partner! -- to bring down the remaining cybernauts.

    A couple of things. I can't believe that these DTV movies once had real budgets -- there are so many squibs and explosions and so much broken glass that this movie had to cost some real money. And for at least half of its running time, it is SUPER entertaining. The opening 20 minute set piece is fantastic, and though the movie borrows for a dozen other sci-fi movies it's still fun. The Full Moon-esque score makes it feel cheaper than it is and I wish someone other than Scalia played the lead, but there's a lot to enjoy. This is a movie in which two robots have slo-mo sex to some wailing sax. Junesploitation is on.

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    1. I love sexy sax sex. It's my favorite. This movie sounds cool I want to watch it.

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    2. PM Entertainment! They are famous for putting what should be the climax as the first 20-30 minutes of the film. It's an incredible way to start their films but they can never outdo themselves by the end.

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  62. Star Trek VII Generations (1994)

    Well another journey into Star Trek for me and sadly it’s another one where there are some nuggets of interesting ideas but a little too much science fiction mumbo jumbo for me. That being said it isn’t even the worst of Star Trek and its kind of fun to see Captain Kirk and Captain Picard work together, Avengers style if you will. Also Data was kind of amusing with his emotion chip. At the end of the day though this film feels unfinished, I guess every Trek film can’t be Wrath of Khan.

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    Replies
    1. I have a soft spot for it, largely because it commits to being a melancholy film about endings.

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  63. Destroy All Monsters (1968)

    I wanted guys in rubber suits destroying scale models of cities and got just that. Still hard to believe how quickly this franchise evolved/devolved into light entertainment.

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    1. Michael GiammarinoJune 2, 2016 at 9:58 AM

      Godzilla 1984/Return of Godzilla is finally being released on video. It won't include the Raymond Burr version, but I won't complain.

      Delete
  64. Michael GiammarinoJune 1, 2016 at 11:28 PM

    Robot Overlords (2014)

    It's like a feature length Doctor Who episode without the doctor. Earth is invaded by giant robots. A few kids in occupied Britain venture out after curfew and are chased all over the countryside. Ben Kingsley is a robot sympathizer, taking orders from a robot mediator who bears an uncanny resemblance to Warwick Davis. Oh, and Gillian Anderson is in this. Always a plus.

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  65. Galaxy Quest! "By Grabthar's Hammer ... what a savings." RIP Alan Rickman.

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  66. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

    I'd never seen it before, because it looked too hokey... and what better time than Junesploitation to watch something that you usually is too hokey. Turns out it's not hokey at all... well, maybe just a bit. I had never seen this before, but of course it all felt very familiar, kind of like a long pilot episode for the Twilight Zone.

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  67. Zardoz (1974)

    Sneaky might be one of the best Sci-Fi movies of all-time. Plus Rickshaw Sean Connery in a speedo.

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    1. Michael GiammarinoJune 2, 2016 at 9:51 AM

      Could it be said that Star Trek: The Motion Picture stole its third act reveal... from Zardoz?

      Delete
  68. EVENT HORIZON (1997)

    It's a gothic haunted house in outer space and yeah, I kinda dig it.

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  69. I'm using Junesploitation to watch movies I've never seen before, but have meant to. So I will be mostly watching things that fall out of the exploitation, with a few exploitation classics thrown in (I'm particularly excited about Blaxploitation day).

    Forbidden Planet (1956)
    Loved the theramin-heavy score. And Anne Francis... wow.

    Looper (2012)
    Wow, I really enjoyed this one. I'm surprised it hasn't stood out more in a time when there are a lot of movies with sci-fi trappings but aren't really sci-fi. This seems like one of those that were critically admired and then largely unwatched and forgotten, which is a shame.

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  70. Doom (2005): Well at one point I was enjoying just how ridiculous it got in one small section of the film. It is a shame that they didn't keep that up. Dwayne Johnson is so sincere, it is quite sweet. Rosamund Pike was in this? But this movie is basically a video game, and looses all the potential it could have had. Literally, first person shooter faces enemy. What the hell?

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  71. Voyage of the Rock Aliens (1984)

    Never heard of this movie before today. it's a sci-fi musical made in the 80ies trying to spoof 60ies beach movies. with Pia Zadora and Craig Sheffer. it's very 80ies. had a ton of fun. but I can see this being an acquired taste aimed at people who are of the silly persuasion.

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  72. R.O.T.O.R
    This is the movie I would've rented at age 12, and then been bitterly dissapointed. I mean, look at the damn cover art!
    https://au.pinterest.com/pin/185280972145103022/

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  73. Re-Animator (1985) - First watch.
    Where has this movie been all my life?! I've heard it mentioned plenty of times over the past few years as well as a number of times at Fthismovie.
    Might be more Zombie than sci-fi but really who cares. What a gory, brash, crazy, insane way to start Junesploitation. Thoroughly enjoyed.

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    Replies
    1. Watched this too for the first time. What fun this was to watch. Got me ramped up for the rest of the month!

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    2. Xtro next, I recommend this film to everyone, I don't need a reason, if you ain't seen Reanimator till now I'm guessing you ain't seen Xtro. :)

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    3. Sure! I'll watch Xtro. "This Alien Is Pure Evil".

      Which day would it work on?

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    4. Thanks Dennis I'll give Xtro a go!

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  74. Little late on this one, but I watched Escape from New York for the first time in a long time. It's a cool film. I think you guys might like it. You should check it out. ;)

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  75. Starship Eros (1979)

    Oh boy. I skipped the usual soft core that comes along with Junesploitation and went straight for this '70's porno Star Wars parody. Galaxina is better and more arousing. This film did manage to get a C3PO mask into the movie and seeing that uptight droid get fellated was kinda funny. '90's action is gonna be sweet after this crap.

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  76. Oops. Forgot to post last night.

    12 Monkeys (1995)

    I love Brad Pitt in this movie. I wish he would make more movies where he's weird.

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  77. Better late than never. "THE MARTIAN":

    Matt Damon. Impossible odds. Cool nerdy space science.

    Win. Win. Win.

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  79. The Quatermass Xperiment (1955)

    I know I'm a day late, but I fell asleep last night while I was watching this--and not because it was boring. In fact, The Quatermass Xperiment is a creeping, dreadful little xploitation flick. It concerns the crash landing on earth of a space flight and the odd illness of the only astronaut left alive. Of course, it is not just an illness, but a diabolical alien plot to take over planet earth! It is particularly notable because it is Hammer's first foray into horror. On the Kino blu-ray, there is a great interview with John Carpenter in which he smokes a cigarette but also talks about the movie's impact on him.

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  80. Starflight: The Plane That Couldn't Land (1983)

    A cheesy and wonderfully silly futuristic disaster tv movie about a high tech passenger plane that gets stranded in outer space. I discovered this one streaming for free on Amazon Prime, if you love those silly airplane disaster films from the 70's you will probably enjoy this one. Great cast includes Lee Majors, Hal Linden, and Lauren Hutton. Plus the special effects are courtesy of John Dykstra. Look fast for Robert Englund in a small role. This film borders on being a parody at times but the cast plays it straight and although it starts out slow and frankly kind of badly stick with it because it ends up being clever and fun.

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  81. A Scanner Darkly (2006)

    Okay I fell asleep watching this but I had a couple of thoughts beforehand. I think the animation mostly holds up. I think the film succeeds greatly in making the audience feel like they're on drugs. And I feel like this must have been a dream come true for Philip K. Dick fans. Having not read the novel and in a struggle to stay conscious, I can't claim to have followed a lot of the plot, but I did enjoy the casting + performances and everything reinforced my admiration of Linklater's brains and ambition with this sort of material.

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  82. FIRE IN THE SKY (1993)

    D.B. Sweeney is just the perfect aww shucks yoke in this. He practically begs to be abducted and probed. Definitely leans more docudrama than Sci-fi but I thinks it's effective as both.

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  83. Galaxy Quest (1999): Really great little sci-fi comedy. But don't take my word for it -- listen to Patrick and JB's podcast on the film: http://www.fthismovie.net/2011/03/f-this-movie-galaxy-quest.html

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