Clown in a Cornfield (2025): Pretty standard slasher with a twist you see coming a mile away, but at 95 minutes, with credits, it's a fun time with just enough gore to keep you entertained...
Little Evil (2017): ...then I realized that Eli Craig (who also directed Tucker & Dale vs Evil, which I love and watch once a year) made this movie that I never saw, so I quickly tracked it down. Tonally, it's midway between Tucker & Dale and Clown in the Cornfield. A kind of parody of The Omen, it's much less slapstick than T&D, more dark humor, and a great cast (Sally Field does a cameo, is also Craig's mom).
F1 (2025): Finally caught this one. It's a fine movie, but it's mostly a visual affair (plenty of racing scenes), and a giant ad for Formula 1. In terms of car racing movie, it's at the bottom of my list. For my money, Gran Turismo was way better, with better characters (I might be alone on this one). A friend of mine tried to defend it by saying I should've seen it in theaters. My answer was that, if I absolutely need the big screen to enjoy a movie, something's missing in that movie. Good visuals don't make a good story.
Rewatched THE MATRIX (1999), which still holds up excellently, followed by THE MATRIX RELOADED (2003). Same thing I've always thought about the sequel. Awesome action and visual style, but incomprehensible plot and dialogue.
CRUMB (1994) What to say about this one? Crumb's life is hardly enviable, but I like how he's always drawing, no matter what. Props to director Terry Zwigoff for peeling back Crumb's layers like he does.
WEAPONS (2025) Totally lived up to the hype. See it spoiler-free if you can.
GHOSTBUSTERS 2 (1989) Everyone acts like this is the worst movie ever, but I've always had a fondness for it. It's not perfect, but there's fun to be had. Mood slime, am I right?
SNOW WHITE (2025) The magic of Disney shouldn't be this boring.
THE NAKED GUN (2025) While the originals spoofed TV cop shows, this new movie seems more interested in spoofing Christopher Nolan's style. So, the vibe is different, but I did laugh a lot.
Robert Crumb took what life gave him and made something of it. The footage of the family is uncomfortable and sad, but it shows so much about what made him the person he is. That Terry Zwigoff got the chance to capture those scenes amazed me.
For the first time in a couple of months, I went to the Mahoning Drive-In for a night. This weekend is the Paul Reubens tribute. PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE (1985) is a long-time favorite and holds up amazingly well. My first-time watch of BIG TOP PEE-WEE (1988) reinforced how much Big Adventure captured lightning in a bottle. There were parts of Big Top Pee-Wee that made me chuckle, but so much of felt forced. The flow of scenes is awkward, which is not the case for Big Adventure. Pee-Wee's talking pig companion was an amusing element, though.
These are my other watches for the week.
NIGHT TRAIN TO PARIS (1964) – Intelligence agent-turned-airline representative Leslie Nielsen gets drawn into the search for a tape reel when a former French colleague contacts him in London. At 65 minutes, which even includes some filler scenes, the espionage plot moves too fast to tie everything together, but I cannot deny that the film is amusing in a B-movie way. Leslie Nielsen got a chance to show off his comedic chops a little. I appreciated the noirish black-and-white cinematography more than anything else.
SKATETOWN, U.S.A (1979) at the Gap Theatre – It was another night at the Gap Theatre for this slice of 1979 pop culture. Skatetown, U.S.A. is campy and gaudy fun with some atrocious attempts at comedy. During one night at L.A.’s swingingest roller disco there is rivalry, romance, and a lot of roller disco displays. The cast is led by television stars (Scott Baio, Flip Wilson, “Marcia Brady”, and “Arnold Horshack”) of the era, but the one person who stands out is Patrick Swayze in his film debut. He plays a gang leader who loves to win roller disco competitions, and he performed all of his rollerskating routines. The soundtrack is stacked with disco hits and a few forgettable songs.
OUT OF THE BLUE (1980, dir. Dennis Hopper) – At the opposite end of the cinematic spectrum from the exuberant fluff of Skatetown, U.S.A is this downbeat and sometimes nihilistic coming-of-age drama. CeBe is a punk-loving teenage girl living in a chaotic world. Her drug-addicted mother struggles to survive economically while jumping from relationship to relationship, and her father (Hopper) is nearing the end of a stretch in prison. Out Of The Blue has rightly gained a cult audience from Linda Manz’s genuine portrayal of CeBe. Her tough exterior hides a very vulnerable and confused young woman. The making-of story is also fascinating, which involved Dennis Hopper taking over the film two weeks into production and having to completely overhaul the script. Yet the film was still finished on schedule. If you are in the mood for an oppressive yet rewarding drama, Out Of The Blue is worth seeking out.
It's been a "I want to watch everything and also nothing" past several weekends since school started. Tonight my brain finally attached to TOMORROW IS FOREVER (1946). That's a beautiful story. I looove Orson Welles. I havenʻt seen MANY Orson Welles pictures but in all the ones I have heʻs so romantic and high-minded. His voice is incredible. His lines are either always original or always feel so. I don't know how much of that can be him, but probably some and also has to do with the roles he chose. I mean...his radio version of Les Miserables is my all-time favorite rendition of my all-time favorite story.
I've been reading FTM reviews. I'd like to get to THE NAKED GUN. And I'm looking forward to seeing Marty Supreme when it comes out. I hope it's good.
Last night I watched the 1954 western noir BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK. Spencer Tracy gets off a train at a small desert town and immediately finds himself the target of town bully Robert Ryan. Does he have something to hide? The cast is just one of the strengths of the film. A strong recommendation.
This afternoon I am going back to the Gap Theatre for screenings of three Jimmy Wang Yu films from the early 1970s: Zatoichi Meets The One-Armed Swordsman; The Sword; and Blood of the Dragon. Author Chris Poggiali, who has written about martial arts cinema, will be present to discuss the films.
I really dug Margaret Qualley's no-nonsense presence, and the character's sense of style. In the plot, it felt like the case to be solved wasn't the point of the movie... but maybe the movie didn't quite nail the point itself. (The finale felt like kind of a stumble.) Unless... the point was just to have a retro-styled romp with quirky humor and sprinkles of offbeat scenes? And you know what, I enjoyed it!
PS: The opening titles were done in a really cool way and planted me in this Bakersfield world from the start.
Hmm seeing reviews, there's a lot of focus on the director being solo vs. the brothers' past output. But is that useful—shouldn't a pairing be considered a separate party from either component of the pairing anyway? Working together with someone is supposed to produce a different outcome (better/worse/just different), as you mutually spark ideas or tether down each other's extremes.
I know it's natural to want to compare, but I try to consider movies on their own merit. It's harder in some cases like sequels, but I try.
Clown in a Cornfield (2025): Pretty standard slasher with a twist you see coming a mile away, but at 95 minutes, with credits, it's a fun time with just enough gore to keep you entertained...
ReplyDeleteLittle Evil (2017): ...then I realized that Eli Craig (who also directed Tucker & Dale vs Evil, which I love and watch once a year) made this movie that I never saw, so I quickly tracked it down. Tonally, it's midway between Tucker & Dale and Clown in the Cornfield. A kind of parody of The Omen, it's much less slapstick than T&D, more dark humor, and a great cast (Sally Field does a cameo, is also Craig's mom).
F1 (2025): Finally caught this one. It's a fine movie, but it's mostly a visual affair (plenty of racing scenes), and a giant ad for Formula 1. In terms of car racing movie, it's at the bottom of my list. For my money, Gran Turismo was way better, with better characters (I might be alone on this one). A friend of mine tried to defend it by saying I should've seen it in theaters. My answer was that, if I absolutely need the big screen to enjoy a movie, something's missing in that movie. Good visuals don't make a good story.
Rewatched THE MATRIX (1999), which still holds up excellently, followed by THE MATRIX RELOADED (2003). Same thing I've always thought about the sequel. Awesome action and visual style, but incomprehensible plot and dialogue.
ReplyDeleteCRUMB (1994)
What to say about this one? Crumb's life is hardly enviable, but I like how he's always drawing, no matter what. Props to director Terry Zwigoff for peeling back Crumb's layers like he does.
WEAPONS (2025)
Totally lived up to the hype. See it spoiler-free if you can.
GHOSTBUSTERS 2 (1989)
Everyone acts like this is the worst movie ever, but I've always had a fondness for it. It's not perfect, but there's fun to be had. Mood slime, am I right?
SNOW WHITE (2025)
The magic of Disney shouldn't be this boring.
THE NAKED GUN (2025)
While the originals spoofed TV cop shows, this new movie seems more interested in spoofing Christopher Nolan's style. So, the vibe is different, but I did laugh a lot.
BACK TO SCHOOL (1986)
Two words: Triple Lindy.
Agreed on G2, my friend and I still enjoy it a lot.
DeleteMatrix 2 is fun at times, but I mostly rewatch the highway scene.
Crumb, can't watch this anymore. The family is too screwed up, it's so sad.
Robert Crumb took what life gave him and made something of it. The footage of the family is uncomfortable and sad, but it shows so much about what made him the person he is. That Terry Zwigoff got the chance to capture those scenes amazed me.
DeleteYes of course, and I'm glad the movie exist and that I saw it a couple of times. Everybody should watch it once.
DeleteCertainly compared to where the franchise has gone since, Ghostbusters 2 is very watchable.
DeleteFor the first time in a couple of months, I went to the Mahoning Drive-In for a night. This weekend is the Paul Reubens tribute. PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE (1985) is a long-time favorite and holds up amazingly well. My first-time watch of BIG TOP PEE-WEE (1988) reinforced how much Big Adventure captured lightning in a bottle. There were parts of Big Top Pee-Wee that made me chuckle, but so much of felt forced. The flow of scenes is awkward, which is not the case for Big Adventure. Pee-Wee's talking pig companion was an amusing element, though.
ReplyDeleteThese are my other watches for the week.
NIGHT TRAIN TO PARIS (1964) – Intelligence agent-turned-airline representative Leslie Nielsen gets drawn into the search for a tape reel when a former French colleague contacts him in London. At 65 minutes, which even includes some filler scenes, the espionage plot moves too fast to tie everything together, but I cannot deny that the film is amusing in a B-movie way. Leslie Nielsen got a chance to show off his comedic chops a little. I appreciated the noirish black-and-white cinematography more than anything else.
SKATETOWN, U.S.A (1979) at the Gap Theatre – It was another night at the Gap Theatre for this slice of 1979 pop culture. Skatetown, U.S.A. is campy and gaudy fun with some atrocious attempts at comedy. During one night at L.A.’s swingingest roller disco there is rivalry, romance, and a lot of roller disco displays. The cast is led by television stars (Scott Baio, Flip Wilson, “Marcia Brady”, and “Arnold Horshack”) of the era, but the one person who stands out is Patrick Swayze in his film debut. He plays a gang leader who loves to win roller disco competitions, and he performed all of his rollerskating routines. The soundtrack is stacked with disco hits and a few forgettable songs.
OUT OF THE BLUE (1980, dir. Dennis Hopper) – At the opposite end of the cinematic spectrum from the exuberant fluff of Skatetown, U.S.A is this downbeat and sometimes nihilistic coming-of-age drama. CeBe is a punk-loving teenage girl living in a chaotic world. Her drug-addicted mother struggles to survive economically while jumping from relationship to relationship, and her father (Hopper) is nearing the end of a stretch in prison. Out Of The Blue has rightly gained a cult audience from Linda Manz’s genuine portrayal of CeBe. Her tough exterior hides a very vulnerable and confused young woman. The making-of story is also fascinating, which involved Dennis Hopper taking over the film two weeks into production and having to completely overhaul the script. Yet the film was still finished on schedule. If you are in the mood for an oppressive yet rewarding drama, Out Of The Blue is worth seeking out.
It's been a "I want to watch everything and also nothing" past several weekends since school started. Tonight my brain finally attached to TOMORROW IS FOREVER (1946). That's a beautiful story. I looove Orson Welles. I havenʻt seen MANY Orson Welles pictures but in all the ones I have heʻs so romantic and high-minded. His voice is incredible. His lines are either always original or always feel so. I don't know how much of that can be him, but probably some and also has to do with the roles he chose. I mean...his radio version of Les Miserables is my all-time favorite rendition of my all-time favorite story.
ReplyDeleteI've been reading FTM reviews. I'd like to get to THE NAKED GUN. And I'm looking forward to seeing Marty Supreme when it comes out. I hope it's good.
Last night I watched the 1954 western noir BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK. Spencer Tracy gets off a train at a small desert town and immediately finds himself the target of town bully Robert Ryan. Does he have something to hide? The cast is just one of the strengths of the film. A strong recommendation.
ReplyDeleteThis afternoon I am going back to the Gap Theatre for screenings of three Jimmy Wang Yu films from the early 1970s: Zatoichi Meets The One-Armed Swordsman; The Sword; and Blood of the Dragon. Author Chris Poggiali, who has written about martial arts cinema, will be present to discuss the films.
Let us know about Zatoichi. I have the Criterion boxset, but I have not made my way through yet
DeleteI saw the movie pictured above! HONEY DONT (2025)
ReplyDeleteI really dug Margaret Qualley's no-nonsense presence, and the character's sense of style. In the plot, it felt like the case to be solved wasn't the point of the movie... but maybe the movie didn't quite nail the point itself. (The finale felt like kind of a stumble.) Unless... the point was just to have a retro-styled romp with quirky humor and sprinkles of offbeat scenes? And you know what, I enjoyed it!
PS: The opening titles were done in a really cool way and planted me in this Bakersfield world from the start.
Hmm seeing reviews, there's a lot of focus on the director being solo vs. the brothers' past output. But is that useful—shouldn't a pairing be considered a separate party from either component of the pairing anyway? Working together with someone is supposed to produce a different outcome (better/worse/just different), as you mutually spark ideas or tether down each other's extremes.
DeleteI know it's natural to want to compare, but I try to consider movies on their own merit. It's harder in some cases like sequels, but I try.