Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Junesploitation 2016 Day 8: Free Space!

Wild beyond belief! Human garbage in the sickest love parties!

102 comments:

  1. Claire Denis' TROUBLE EVERY DAY (2001) in 35mm at Brooklyn's Nitehawk Cinema for the first time.

    A French neuroscientist (Alex Descas) locks his wife Coré (Béatrice Dalle) in their home because she has a proclivity to seek out any stray men that cross her path to... eat them? Rape them? Drink their blood? Definitely murder them, which keeps the doc busy burying the bodies in landfills. As he tries to find a cure of some kind for her condition, an American honeymooning in Paris (Vincent Gallo) is circling closer and closer to finding out where the couple lives.

    Is Coré's condition biological, supernatural, man-made? "Trouble Every Day" won't say. It's more concerned with creating a mood and feel of disorientation through photography and editing than telling a cohesive story or playing by genre playbooks. Except for a handful of well-staged gore set pieces Denis and her actors hold their punches, which makes this the most artsy-fartsy horror flick to feel like the best-looking French vampire/cannibal move that Tony Scott never got to make (although "The Hunger" says 'Yo!'). It's like the highlight reel mash-up of "Brown Bunny" (Gallo looks so sleazy you'd swear he's John Hawks), "Under the Skin" (duh!), what you imagine Gaspar Noé's home movies look like and Angelina Jolie's "By the Sea." The disturbing movie you construct in your head is a lot better than the actual film you're watching, which at least looks atmospheric as fuck in 35mm.

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    1. Watched this last SMM. Have been ambivalent about it ever since. Your last sentence encapsulates my feelings perfectly. Well said.

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  2. The Strange Case of the End of Civilisation as We Know It (1977)

    Let's call this a mockbuster. When a modern day descendant of Professor Moriarty orchestrates the death of US Secretary of State, Dr. Henry Gropinger, naturally the grandson of Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick, Dr. Watson's grandson, are called into action.

    The movie has several funny scenes, but maybe the script should've received another draft or two, because the whole is definitely less than the sum of its parts here. And that one incredibly racist scene is extremely grating.

    John Cleese is kinda fun as the pot-smoking detective, but Arthur Lowe as the bumbling, idiotic, bionic Dr. Watson completely steals the movie. Yes, bionic.

    My favorite line (paraphrasing):
    - Moriarty will stop at nothing.
    - So if we do nothing... he will stop at it?
    - It's an old trick, but it might just work!

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  3. Sixteen Candles (1984)

    Decided to pop in some Teensploitation with a rare John Hughes film I haven't seen. Sadly and I have a feeling I'm alone here, I don't think this is that great. Now don't get me wrong there is definitely some good stuff here (Molly Ringwald nails the awkward teen girl) but the feeling I have after watching this movie is that it's all over the place. Their will be a great character moment and then the next minute we will get some weird physical comedy with Long Duck Dong or some odd cartoon sound fx (to be fair I did laugh at the boob one during the shower scene). Anthony Michael Hall also does a good job as the horny teen geek (sadly yes us guys think about bewbs way too much). I still recommend this movie just don't go in expecting Breakfast Club, maybe more like Nice Lunch Club.

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    1. Should I be embarrassed about crushing on Anthony Michael Hall in this? He's adorable, memorable, and certainly doesn't have the body language of a geek.

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  4. I'm just gonna list all the cool stuff I see today, then.

    CRIMSON PEAK (2015)
    This is just awesome and if you don't know why, you really should make it your business to find out. Soon.

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  5. The Baby (1973)

    A social worker investigates a mother that is taking care of her grown man son who acts like a baby. He doesn't walk or talk and wears baby clothes and diapers. This is the most bizarre PG rated movie I've ever seen. I'm surprised it got made at all. Unfortunately the content of the movie isn't nearly as crazy as the premise. It kinda runs out of ideas of how to explore this wacky situation half way through and a party scene stops the movie cold. Then is basically treds water til the end which has a reveal that is so crazy that you leave the movie with your head about to explode. There's some weird sexual things going on in this movie. A babysitter gets turned on when Baby wants to breastfeed. A sister in the family gets naked and cuddles with Baby. The social worker is oddly fascinated by him but the movie only barely touches on this stuff and you're left going well that was weird, then you move on. The actress who plays the mother gives a decent performance. She has demons in her past and you're left wondering if Baby is this way because of a mental disability or abuse. Its interesting that the women use Baby in their own personal ways to satisfy certain needs. The movie is more fascinating than good, but it sure is somethen.

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  6. Sisters (1973)

    I was in the mood for some 70's De Palma and it had been a long while since I'd watched this. I know I'd be preaching to the choir of De Palma fans here by saying this is a really good movie, and for folks here that maybe don't yet know if they're De Palma fans I wouldn't necessarily recommend starting with Sisters. This gave me what I was craving though and you've got to love that split camera.

    Come Drink With Me (1966)

    I also wanted to go through some more Martial Arts stuff. After catching up with Kid with the Golden Arm due to some of you guys raving about it the other day, and following that up with Crippled Avengers which also featured a lot of the Venom Mob, I wanted to check out something from one of the Shaw Brothers earlier directors, King Hu. Overall it was ok and it's on Netflix.

    It seemed like it would be interesting due to having a female protagonist which seemed somewhat progressive for a Martial Arts movie from '66. The story involves a governor's son who is abducted by bandits and the governor sending his daughter Golden Sparrow to rescue him. It's a bit of a shame that she seems to be sidelined a bit at times in favor of the male protagonist Drunken Cat who fills what apparently is an archetype of drunken characters who are more than what they seem. The effects and choreography a little rudimentary in parts also, which is understandable given the year this was made.

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    1. Sisters is my favorite DePalma movie and I feel like it is the perfect example of all of his tricks. Femme Fetale would be second (not my 2nd fav, although top 5, but 2nd in use of all of his tricks.)

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    2. Btw - the documentary "De Palma" comes out this Friday.

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    3. Speaking as a card-carrying De Palma enthusiast - YAY!

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    4. Michael GiammarinoJune 8, 2016 at 10:01 PM

      Adding my two cents to the De Palma Benevolent Society. One of us... one of us...

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    5. Michael GiammarinoJune 8, 2016 at 10:03 PM

      Chang Pei Pei is great in Come Drink With Me. She's also Zhang Ziyi's vengeful mentor in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

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  7. AVP Alien vs Predator (2004)

    About an hour in, I switched it off.
    5 stars??? Urghhh, what am I doing???

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  8. The Lazarus Effect (2015)

    Overqualified people both in front of and behind the camera struggle to no avail in this misbegotten mash-up of Pet Semetary, Flatliners, and Lucy (with a bit of the Dark Phoenix saga thrown in for good measure). They also borrow the “accelerated evolution” idea from the worst episode of Star Trek Voyager ever made. There are some potentially interesting ideas here and there, but they keep getting dumped in favor of cheap scare tactics. The movie is further proof that all the talent in the world can’t save you if your screenplay is garbage.

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  9. Bruce Lee Fights Back From the Grave (1976)

    First foray into "Brucesploitation", a genre a wasn't quite sure existed until this film was mentioned as a trailer that played Music Box. I don't know if they commonly feature so little "Bruce" (maybe copyright concerns or merely an issue of "respect"). Surprisingly enjoyable choreography.

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  10. Dangerous Men (2005)

    I'm not a drug guy, that stuff just never held any interest for me. Because of that, I'm wondering who slipped what into my Yoo-Hoo that caused me to hallucinate this movie because there's no way this thing could possibly be real. The credit (blame?) goes to John S. Rad (neé Jahangir Salehi Yeganehrad) who (and I'm using all of these words loosely) wrote, directed, produced, edited, and composed the score (among other duties). The result is...something.

    I would normally attempt to describe the plot, but that's not really an option here because there are approximately 6,938 plot threads all fighting for attention (and losing). Characters appear with no introduction and disappear just as bafflingly, events occur with no rhyme or reason, people are killed, breasts are exposed, it plays like a fever dream mixed with a game of Junesploitation Bingo. I kind of loved it, and will never be able to explain why. I'm very grateful to Drafthouse Films for releasing this, they have a very impressive track record where everything I've seen from them was worth watching, even the bad movies they release are super interesting misfires like this one.

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    1. Saw this last December at Nitehawk. It'd be perfect for Junesploitation, except there's no way I'm paying for this train wreck to share space in my video collection among my other train wrecks. It might be contagious. :-) Dear Lord, that ending... that final shot! :-O

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  11. Three...Extremes (2005)

    A 3 part anthology, all with Asian directors. I've watched the first part twice before, but didn't make it further (due to tiredness, not disinterestedness)

    Act 1: This is my favorite bit. Crunching of bones! The music and the ending is pure strange horror. Edit: the dumpling maker is hot! I'd eat her dumplings even during a mild November day. Hong Kong director.

    Act 2: Seen this a couple times while falling asleep, but really, this is truly horrifying. Not silly horror, not scary horror, just horrifying, and beautifully directed by Chan-wook Park, Korean director.

    Act:3 This one is really good too. My least favorite, for reasons I won't say, because it would ruin it, but still pretty damn good. Japanese director.

    Definitely a different take on horror than most Western productions...so 5 stars!

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    1. Yep, I agree with 5 star!

      Miike's Act 3 is actually my fave, it requires the most consideration as it shows several "realities". The neglected little girl is quite heart-breaking.....

      Great choice!

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  12. The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
    If you've been on the sight for a while you've probably heard a recommendation for this one.

    I'm a huge fan of this movie only after multiple viewings. The first time I saw it I spent so much time trying to figure it out that I couldn't really enjoy it for the experience that it is. Now that I've put a few viewings under my belt, I could watch it again as soon as it ends.

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  13. RAPID FIRE (1992)

    Took Patrick's recommendation and tried out this early 90's action flick. Because I already had an idea of what I was in for, I made sure to prime myself with two glasses of whiskey before starting it. This turned out to be a very good decision. The story is ridiculous, the acting mediocre, and Asian stereotypes abound. However, the fight scenes and action sequences are surprisingly good and still hold up. I was thoroughly entertained and will definitely come back to this one the next time I have some whiskey to get rid of.

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  14. An American Werewolf in London (1981)

    You know that feeling when five minutes into a movie you just know it's gonna be terrible, but you want to finish it because you paid to see it? Well, I got over that, stopped the movie and watched An American Werewolf in London instead.

    Horror and comedy are difficult genres to mix succesfully, but Landis makes it look easy.

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    1. what was the first movie? Aliens vs Predator? Dam, I paid for that one, so I'm going to finish it, but not this month.

      An American Werewolf in London is definitely on my to watch list. Sometime this month, maybe for Eco-horror day? (Because I don't have anything for that other than Avatar)

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    2. It was a Swedish sci-fi rock comedy called Dyke Hard. Immediately I just knew me and this movie weren't gonna be friends, so I wish it all the best but never want to see it again. I hope it finds its audience.

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    3. I was a little worried there for a moment - saw this for the first time last month and it felt like I was slipping into a favourite. So good.

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  15. The Braniac (1961 dir. Chano Urueta) on Netflix.

    A Mexican warlock that was burned at the stake during the Inquisition comes back 300 years later on a comet(?!) to have his revenge on the descendants of his executioners. To accomplish this, he transforms into a monster with a long tongue and the worst mask I have I ever seen.

    This film is a hoot. The Z-grade special effects and backdrops mix well with the straight-face acting. It's far from good, but it has made me want to seek out more Mexploitation films. Any suggestions(other than El Santo, whom I am familiar with)?

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  16. I check everyday looking for who's watching Xtro, don't let me down gang, I have faith

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    1. I'll fit it in. Even if I watch it on YouTube, which appears the only option right now.

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    2. That's super cool. I keep dreaming of a pristine Bluray but its stuck with Warner and its going nowhere, I think this film would kill it if we got a Grindhouse releasing treatment like we got for Pieces, its been my number 1 for years, it really is something special, litterally The best Birth scene Ever, its never been topped

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    3. Michael GiammarinoJune 8, 2016 at 4:09 PM

      I was going to watch it for Science Fiction day and completely forgot!

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    4. I have Xtro scheduled for '80s Horror! day.

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    5. I will watch it this month, Dennis. I give you my word:)

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  17. MY MOM’S A WEREWOLF (1989)
    Who is this movie for? It wants to be a whimsical suburban fantasy in the ‘80s Amblin style, but then there’s all this awkward nighttime soap-style stuff about a married woman tempted into an affair. Supposed to be a comedy, but it’s just plain weird.

    AMERICAN DRIVE-IN (1985)
    A colorful cast of characters spends an eventful evening at the drive-in. This is a dumb, dumb, DUMB comedy. Yeah, it knows it’s dumb, but I don’t think that excuse works this time. Then there’s a turn where the movie gets all rapey -- and not in a naïve Revenge of the Nerds way, but in an awful I Spit On Your Grave way.

    TROMA’S WAR (1988)
    Wow, the creators of Lost owe Lloyd Kaufman a huge check for how much the opening scene is similar to the Lost pilot. But seriously, Lloyd is clearly commenting on the glorifying of militarization in ‘80s action movies by having a bunch of ordinary folks forced to “go Rambo.” Also, tongue-ripping!

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  18. DEADPOOL (2016):

    Superhero-spliotation? Meta-sploitation? Either way, I'm using my free space to catch up on some stuff I missed this year. I like DEADPOOL, but I wish I was fifteen when it came out. I definitely would have appreciated it more.
    It's also frustrating that the movie gets bored with the fourth-wall breaking around halfway through. I wish it had done more with that in a more consequential way. Still, it's fun enough as it is.

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    1. Michael GiammarinoJune 8, 2016 at 4:12 PM

      The marketing campaign was the most inventive, engaging exploitation marketing campaign since the grindhouse era.

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  19. No Escape (2015, dir. John Erick Dowdle, on Blu Ray) – First Time Viewing: OK, I’m not going to come out and say this is a great movie. It’s not. But it is an excellent trashy, mean-spirited, wantonly gratuitously violent exploitation action movie. That’s exactly what I wanted! Owen Wilson (in a non-comedic role) and Lake Bell are great as the parents, but Pierce Brosnan is a show-stopper. He’s truly playing a character (couldn’t be more different from Bond) and really going for it. I loved him in this movie. Side-Note: Who should replace Daniel Craig as Bond? PIERCE BROSNAN. The dude is still at the top of his game and he’s the only Bond that was forced out of the role. Give the guy another chance! In conclusion: I’m really glad I saw this (3.5 out of 5 Griers).

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    1. I thought this WAS a great movie and mean spirited was furthest thing from my mind. I thought it was intense as hell and all about the lengths people would go to in protecting their families. I thought it was fantastic.

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    2. Michael GiammarinoJune 8, 2016 at 4:13 PM

      I had no idea this was an exploitation film. Now I have some renewed interest in it. Thank you!

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    3. It's not an exploitation film in the traditional sense.

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    4. Michael GiammarinoJune 8, 2016 at 5:50 PM

      Damn.

      Still, I'll give it a shot. Eventually.

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    5. This movie had a huge effect on my wife and I. I would call it a horror movie. There's a part that made us cry because we were so freaked out. I loved it.

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  20. The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave (1971, dir. Emilio P. Miraglia)
    First viewing of this Italian classic. It's usually considered a giallo but I didn't feel like it really fit that categorization, even though it's still a weird sexual thriller. It's full of beautiful women and crazy twists, all gorgeously shot and confidently staged. Really terrific.

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    1. Michael GiammarinoJune 8, 2016 at 4:27 PM

      I found a YouTube channel called Euroslash programmed solely with giallo films. Perfect place for the obscure stuff.

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  21. Trick or Treats (1982) Dir. THE Gary Graver

    First off, Vestron Video logo, that always puts a smile on my face. So does Jacqueline Giroux, who plays Linda the babysitter. Giroux appeared in a laundry list of some of the most recognizable exploitation films of the 70’s. The Halloween decorations and costumes are exactly the kind we had in my neighborhood as a kid. I even had the same skeleton that’s on the door to the house. The kid Linda is babysitting is a little punk magician/prankster complete with all the gags you would find in the back of Mad Magazine. Linda seems to be as naive as a babysitter in a Horror film and keeps falling for them. All of them - for almost half the runtime of the film! It’s like Graver was obsessed with these gag gifts and wanted to film all of them he loved. He even credits Orson Welles as “magic consultant”.

    Meanwhile, Peter Jason (acting like a lunatic, which was great) has escaped from a mental hospital and is coming to take his house back, the same house where Linda is babysitting (for David Carradine's son, btw.) In addition to Carradine you got some names here in bit parts: Steve Railsback, Catherine “Log Lady” Coulson and Paul Bartel to name a few. All in all I thought the movie was pretty good for what it is. It’s supposed to be a parody but it’s just straight up confused.

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  22. Michael GiammarinoJune 8, 2016 at 4:24 PM

    Pontypool (2008)
    An unconventional (and I would dare say inspired) zombie film where we get the apocalypse from the point of view of a news radio crew during a snowstorm in a small Canadian town, starring renowned character actor Stephen McHattie, who is long overdue for a leading role and gets his chance to shine here. The way the plague is passed on is intriguing -- it's through certain trigger words in the English language itself. The more ridiculous, idiotic words get accepted into the Oxford English Dictionary, the more I think this film may become prophetic.

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    1. You have to call it Pontypool, pool, pool, pool!

      It stays with you this one!

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    2. This might be my favorite Zombie film ever. The more I watch it the more I'm in love it's original premise and atmosphere (and McHattie.) It's what made me a full on Burgess and McDonald fan forever.

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    3. Due for a rewatch of this one (being Canadian and all). Loved it the first time and warrants repeat viewings to catch the hints and the hook.

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    4. Whoa high paise by Chaybee but I get it. This is an excellent movie and it turned me into a McHattie fan 4 Life.

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  23. Extreme Prejudice (1987, dir. Walter Hill)

    The most Walter Hill movie of all the Walter Hill movies. Nick Nolte doesn't blink. Maria Conchita Alonso is smokin'. Powers Boothe and Rip Torn make the absolute most of their limited screen time. Among the cavalcade of character actors portraying paramilitary commandos, William Forsythe steals the show for me ("Who you callin' uncouth, man? I'm couth as hell!"), and Michael Ironside absolutely nails the title drop. Just about the most fun you can have indoors on a hot summer day.

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  24. The Wizard Of Gore (1970) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066578

    Herschell Gordon Lewis is the Midas of Exploitation – end of.

    If you gave him Doris Day and Carry Grant and an unlimited budget he still would have produced the sleaziest, goriest, cheap-ass looking film it was possible to make.

    An excellent reason to LOVE HIM!

    Despite the awful acting and ridiculous gore scenes there is something *really* unsettling about this film and that has got to be good, right?

    It’s a free to view on YouTube, recommended!

    Personal rating 3/5

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  25. Zombeavers (2014)

    So there's this chemical spill that affects beavers in the the remote woods where teens are staying in a cabin and in case you couldn't tell from the title the beavers become zombie killers.

    It's Junesploitation and it's my choice, I choose a movie called Zombiebeavers because why the hell not.

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    1. It's my choice for tomorrow's Animals!! Someone I trust raves about this movie!
      Looking forward VERY MUCH to this one!!!

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  26. Enemy - 2013

    This film is insane, Jake Gyllenhal and Denis Villeneuve teaming up again after Prisoners, truly mindbending film with the biggest WTF ending ever! But a very intellectual film when you piece the story together, which is nice not having the story completely laid out for you, makes you work for your enjoyment.

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    1. Excellent choice! I spent more time researching this one after viewing than the actual run time. Just fantastic. Sticks in your head for weeks, be warned.

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    2. Yeah, that´s a great choice. After having watched it, I also researched the net for clues for a better understanding. The best one was "Enemy explained" on Chris Stuckmann´s youtube channel, which Patrick also recommended not long ago.

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  27. Cherry Falls (2000, Geoffrey Wright)
    One of the few worthy post-Scream slashers. It's a little caught up in '90s snark and frosted tips, but the premise -- that a killer is knocking off virgins so a bunch of high schoolers plan to lose their virginities to stay alive -- is such an inspired inversion of slasher tropes that I can overlook some of the clunkiness. Brittany Murphy (RIP) is great and the climax is suitably nuts. Hadn't seen this one in probably 15 years and liked it better than I remember.

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    1. Snark and Frosted Tips is a great band name. Adding this to my queue..

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    2. I've always really liked this one. I'm a sucker for that post Scream horror movie vibe. Jay Mohr's best and good old Biehn is awesome as always. Been deciding whether to buy the new blu release...decision made. On that note it makes me also want to rewatch Disturbing Behavior. Another post Scream (unpopular) pleasure of mine. Cheers

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  28. The Five Venoms (1978)

    Kung Fu day was such a huge blast that I couldn't wait to come back to it. Its so exciting when a whole new world of movies opens up to you.

    This one is more drama and mystery than action, but when the action happens it's spectacular. Most of the actors from The Kid with the Golden Arm return, and they're so great and I love them.

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  29. Contracted Phase II (2016)

    Josh Forbes, your movie, woof.

    I use the word "movie" lightly of course. Because this is barely a movie. Take out beginning and end credits, we're talking barely 65 minutes. Not a complete waste, though. It offered plenty of opportunities to hear actors poorly covering their Canadian accents. So that was fun. And the last 5 minutes is nothing but a frame of the writer shrugging his shoulders with a confused look on his face, that was an interesting choice. That's it. That's all I got.

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  30. Caught on the some fan favorites from the first week:

    The Kid with the Golden Arm (1979)
    Just when I think I'm checking out, something incredible happens. Ridiculous, fun. Ridiculous fun.

    Pieces (1982)
    How did I never hear of this? This is the shit. Watch it, now.

    Maggie (2015) (Missed Zombie day, my favorite!)
    OK, so not a fan favorite. But I really dug this one. I get and understand the "gripes" but was able to get passed them. Liked the story despite its varied directions. Interesting take in the genre. SPOILER: Ending pissed me off.

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  31. Body Melt (1993)- Shudder

    Low budget Aussie sci-fi body horror Anthology(ish), about a suburban cul-de-sac whose residents become guinea pigs for an experimental new drug. Pretty impressive practical effects. Wickedly funny dark humor. Bananas story and plotting. Could not recommend enough if your into watching absolutely insane nonsense (I am).

    Check out this trailer:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA0riGc6cWw

    If that looks like its for you. It is.

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    1. Watched this last year. Crazy batshit movie. Doesn't get much better than this.

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  32. The Wailing (Goksung) (2016)

    Not really an exploitation flick, but its got an effective mix of a lot of different supernatural horror elements (Zombies, Possessions, Murder). New movie from Na Hong-jin of The Chaser and The Yellow Sea fame. Incredibly well photographed, editing and story are a bit loose, but the mood and visuals more than make up for it. Also features the best Shaman on Shaman battle I've seen in some time.

    See it in theaters if you can. If your in the Chicago area it's only playing at Golf Mills out in Niles. I'm sure it'll land on Netflix latter this year or next, but I can't stress enough how beautiful the landscapes / cinematography is.

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    1. Sweeeet. Didn't know this was playing so close. Thanks for letting us know!

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    2. Yeah I guess Niles or the surrounding areas have a big Korean population because a couple newly released Korean movies have played there over the last 12-18 months or so.

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  33. The Purge (sometime)

    Patrick said the 2nd one is better, but I figured I'd start with the first. Ethan Hawk is awesome....and that's about it. Considering the premise, most people act completely irrationally. Do I have to say it??? 5 (or 6 or 2 or 0) stars. I was mostly ignoring this movie by the end...There is still time to finish Free day with a bang.

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  34. Cape Fear (1991)

    I LOVED the first hour and a half of this movie. Everything about it was working for me, including one of the most terrifying reveals I've seen in my whole life (involving De Niro and some make-up). All the acting was perfect for the movie (the standouts being De Niro's awesome overacting and Juliette Lewis' incredibly real acting, but really everyone is excellent) and gosh darn this is a well directed movie. I wasn't a huge fan of the climax, but I didn't think it impacted my opinion of the movie too much.

    Apparently it was nominated for Best Kiss at the MTV Movie Awards, and while I really don't care about the MTV Movie Awards, I'm not sure how I feel about that...

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  35. London Has Fallen (2016)

    This one had a rough start for me, as the first 40 minutes is grand scale terrorist attacks with a lot of terrible CGI. I gets better when it's on the ground with Gerald Butler protecting the President from a lot of douche bag terrorists. Some good action scenes there. I really wanted to love this movie, but it's just so average and uninteresting. Meh. Aaron Eckhart is a badass President though.

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    1. LHF is probably in my top ten of the year so far. They don't make R Rated action films for adults anymore and this one delivered to the fullest.

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    2. Agree. Mike Banning: the type of bad-ass action hero we need for those years the "Bourne" franchise is taking a vacation.

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  36. Trailer Trauma 2: Drive-In Monsterama (2016, Garagehouse Pictures)

    Three and a half hours of exploitation trailers. 10/10. Trailer

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  37. The Kid With The Golden Arm (1979)

    Since I missed Kung Fu day, I decided to make up for it tonight with The Kid With the Golden Arm. I was not disappointed. Fun as hell and my favorite so far this month.

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    1. Nice! I've only heard good things about this movie on here. Will check it out.

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  38. Phantasm (1979)

    I don't know much about writer/director Don Coscarelli. Was he a crazy person?

    I went into this one knowing absolutely nothing about the plot. Now I know why, because I can't imagine how anyone could possibly explain the plot of this thing. It's a horror film that never let's the characters or the audience in on what's really going on. All we know is frightening things are happening. I don't know if it's just an exercise in showing bizaare scenes just because, or if it all means something deeper. I really don't know if it's a nonsensical horror film, or an art house film. I'll have to claim ignorance on this one. One thing is for sure, and that's that this movie has got me thinking. I have no doubt I'll be revisiting it just to figure it out. And to come back to the amazing score and really cool vibe.

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    1. When movies have dream sequences they almost never feel like actual dreams, whereas Phantasm plays like an honest-to-God nightmare right from the very first frame. It's a hell of a thing (and I totally agree about the phenomenal score).

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    2. Coscarelli might well be a crazy person but he also directed Bubba Ho-Tep.

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  39. Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)

    I bought the box set a few months ago and, conflicted about how to use my free space, decided to watch the last remaining film. I had not seen any but the first when I bought the set, but I have loved every movie–except for this one. Whereas the other films focus on high concepts, I felt like that was really in the background on this one. The film makes an attempt at broaching the topic of war, but, if the earlier films are heavy handed, this one has its hands tied behind its back. J. Lee Thompson, director of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, returns and I was excited about that. However, unlike Conquest, which I think is excellent, Battle feels messy, partially due to an underdeveloped and oversimplified script.

    Still, there is a lot to take from this movie, including another great performance by Roddy McDowall. It is also clear that it inspired the 2014 film Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, right down to the school bus. I think the movie is worth watching, especially if you are a fan of the series, but it is probably the weakest entry.

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  40. Wyrmwood: Road Of The Dead (2014)
    So much friggin' fun. Not too much more to say about it. I love this month.

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    1. Michael GiammarinoJune 9, 2016 at 2:02 AM

      You reminded me that I never wrote a review for this one, I don't think. It *is* fun, isn't it? Humans who become zombies with Petrolized blood that can be used to gas up cars, and a woman scientifically altered to telepathically control zombies. If you described the movie to someone who never heard of it, they'd think you were making it up. Simply sublime.

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  41. Trick or Treats (1982)

    Don't ignore your wife or she might have you committed.

    1982 has been terrific. I was immediately on board with this movie. It starts off crazy and ends up crazy. The middle gets a little boring but what do you expect from a low budget movie from the early 80s. There are still little gems sprinkled in the middle to keep you going. After I watched it, I bought the blu-ray. I'm excited to watch a better version. It's always great to see a Halloween movie you never knew existed. For me, it didn't disappoint.

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    1. That opening scene with Peter Jason acting like a maniac running around the pool was exhausting. Those three actors all looked like they were going to pass out by the end of that scene!

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    2. I kinda loved how it kept going. My favorite part of the movie was The wife. She was lovingly insane. I just love that they open with that and then we go to 3 years later.

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  42. The Stuff (1985)

    Michael Moriarty is a crazy genius and I love him. He straps this movie to his back and even if the movie doesn't quite succeed all the way through, he's always fun to watch. Funny satire about a mysterious white goo called The Stuff that comes from the ground and is apparently really delicous, but it starts to take over the bodies of everyone that consumes it. There's some fun moments (Moriarty gets attacked by The Stuff in a hotel room) and it's Larry Cohen writing and directing and he's always interesting. I just wish there was more of The Stuff attacking people because those moments are pretty cool.

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    1. Did you watch that on the new Arrow blu-ray release? I'm really on the fence about buying. It looks like something I'd love, but some reviews also say that the movie is not great.

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    2. I actually watched it on Shudder. Honestly I'd find a way to watch it first before buying that expensive bluray. For me it was a one time viewing, I'd see if you love it first.

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    3. Didn't know it was on shudder. I was thinking about trying it during June. Definitely watching this first if I do.

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  43. I wonder if I should Kill him?

    I killed John Lennon 2005

    A really interesting documentary about the crazy things that lead up to that awful day, in a series of taped interviews with Mark chapman by Jack jones for the first time I kinda understood what led to the events from the derranged mind of a killer, it is kinda scary because the narrators voice a lot of the time is actually the killer from the taped interviews and with reconstructions and his voice it feels like the closest we will ever get to the truth, I felt very uncomfortable at a lot of points while watching this



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  44. The Nice Guys (2016)

    To fit in here (I just had no time for any other movie), I would call this 70sploitation, because the costumes, the production design and the general vibe are totally 70s. They even had billboards promoting Jaws 2 and Airport 77 in one scene.
    Gosling is excellent with great comic timing, Crowe is great in one of his trademark schlubby roles. I also liked the snappy dialogues and how clever Shane Black inserted some critical points about the environment, corruption and the car industry into the comedic tone of a buddy movie.
    Sad to see that the movie doesn´t seem to connect with a big audience.

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  45. Maximum Overdrive (1986) (first time viewing)

    A local theater was playing this on free space day, and I've (sadly) never seen it before. Perfect....how could I pass this up? I'm soooo glad I went. This movie is.....something. It has line after line of some of the best worst dialogue ever in a movie. Stephen King should direct more movies. Pure entertainment gold!

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  46. DEADPOOL

    Inara from Firefly is in this. So, it's the best!

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  47. Cast a Deadly Spell (1991) the image on the one streaming on Amazon is gorgeous.... i have only seen this on crappy vhs tapes. Fred Ward is H. Phil Lovecraft, private eye, in a world where everyone uses magic to get by BUT him. It is delicious. lots of monsters and special effects, and of course David Warner and some elder gods. it breaks my heart that I can't get it on disc.

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  48. Cast a Deadly Spell (1991) the image on the one streaming on Amazon is gorgeous.... i have only seen this on crappy vhs tapes. Fred Ward is H. Phil Lovecraft, private eye, in a world where everyone uses magic to get by BUT him. It is delicious. lots of monsters and special effects, and of course David Warner and some elder gods. it breaks my heart that I can't get it on disc.

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  49. I watched Mars Attacks and was completely baffled as to why when doing an homage to 50s sci-fi you would do all the Aliens and Special Effects with CGI. Furthermore they waste the impressive cast that they garnered.

    I also watched The Beauty and The Beast (1946) I really enjoyed this film. I watched it from 3:30 AM to 5 AM and it really lent to its dreamlike quality.

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  50. Deadpool (2016): Took me about a half hour to really get into it (that's usually the Ryan Reynolds smarm incubation period), and then I enjoyed it. Moreover, this month has made me realize just how much great content F This Movie has -- read Patrick's Deadpool review here: http://www.fthismovie.net/2016/02/review-deadpool.html

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