Finally watched The Thunderbolts and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was nice to see a recent Marvel movie with actual heart.
Recently got burned on the 4k Terminator 2, the transfer and sound were anything but great. I returned it and I'm just keeping the bluray. I also ordered the 4k Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) from Vinegar Syndrome (is it Scary Movie Month yet?) that I'm hoping doesn't disappoint as it was $44!
To deviate from movies, I finally got around to playing Red Dead Redemption 2 and after already playing two play-throughs, it has become my favorite video game I've ever played. The story and character developments are top notch, the gameplay is rich and detailed. If you love the wild west, I couldn't recommend this game enough!
I'm horrible at video games. I have an xbox 360 with Red Redemption 1. Every time I play a mission I just get shot down so I mostly just get a little high and ride around on my horse and sometimes hunt rabbits. or birds. I'm a pretty lousy "gamer" but I like riding around and exploring the world and shooting at wildlife that won't shoot back at me.
Nobody 2 (2025): In the category of unnecessary sequel, this one is a contender. I enjoyed the first one a lot, the contrast of the boring, wimpy, family man with the violent Home Alone style action scenes was fun. But that's gone in the sequel because we know what the guy can do, so it just becomes another cartoonish violent action flick. Not bad, but I'll stick with the first movie.
Dragonslayer (1981): I first saw this movie only a few months, recommended by a friend, and loved it. So, I ordered the 4k, which Canada Post lost, then ordered it again somewhere else, and now it's here. It will always make my brain explode to see the weasel from Ghostbusters 2 being a fantasy hero. Don't get me wrong, he's great, but I've seen G2 so many times (I actually like that movie) that seeing him as a fearless warrior is kinda weird. I'm also starving for good, well made, fantasy flick, so I'll grab anything and everything (I just ordered Deathstalker 4k, which may or may not have been a mistake, it's a total blind buy).
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975): Monty Python goodness in glorious 4k. I got it from Amazon UK, because I was afraid to get custom fees if I ordered from US, and the CA store is always weird about these types of pre-orders. We're only missing Life of Brian.
It was a slow week for movies. Things come up, and the day and your energy are now gone. I might get to something tonight.
GOING DOWNIF…. (1969, dir. Lindsay Anderson) – An elite British boarding school becomes a living hell for Mick Travis (Malcolm MacDowell) and his fellow noncomformists as the representatives of the upper-class establishment hold sway over the student body. Bullying and intimidation are an everyday experience, frequently crossing line into abusive behavior. IF… succeeds in putting the viewer into the oppressive atmosphere of the school and the routines of student life. The large cast and smart script make the film more compelling than the story description would make it out to be. Being from the 1960s, If… is unsurprisingly far more sympathetic to the rebels than the establishment.
An online horror movie challenge that I have at least partially followed the past two years was posted during the week. I devoted some time to digesting the categories and finding films in my watch list that would fit them. A few days I would set aside for random watches, however. How much I would participate depends on many factors, especially time, but I have found these challenges a useful way to vary my October watches.
I realised I don't like the "watch a movie every day" things. I'm going to watch something when I want to, and have time. And want to watch it. It doesn't need to feel like a chore. Juneploitation is an exception though, but even then I couldn't keep up.
When I have the time and the inclination, a movie challenge gives me something to do. I try to make any challenge fit with my own interests or plans. If a category does not engage me, I tend to skip it. There is a long watch list in my head and a lot of discs in my collection that have not been watched. I just match the titles I want to see with the categories. With horror and exploitation cinema, there is a variety of titles and periods to choose from.
I have done Noirvember the past few years, but the similarity of the films makes it impossible for me to watch something every day. Two or three films a week is enough, and I choose what I want to watch.
Good point. There are a ton of stuff I wouldn't have watched if it wasn't Junesploitation. For Scary Movie Month the past few year I haven't committed myself, and it's been pretty great. I've watched tons of horror without worrying whether I was keeping up. Noir November I've never gotten aboard with. I'm usually just worn out from horror films by that point and want to watch dumb mainstream stuff or rewatching Das Boot or whatever.
Unintentional Double Feature This Week: Cat n Mouse
Dangerous Animals (2025 shudder)
I had a blast with this one. Its a horror/thriller from down under. Id say go into it with as little knowledge as possible, but even the film description pretty much gives away the premise. Jai Courtney is outstanding in the villain role. Also theres a bunch of great cat .n. mouse stuff within. Highly recommend for genre fans...this would be a great choice for Scary Movie Month!
Death Note 2: The Last Name (dvd 2006)
The 2nd of a two part live action series adapting a famous manga and anime series. Id seen the anime a long time ago and loved it. The movie adaptations are pretty fun in a made-for-cable-movie way. Part 2 very much ups the ante in the cat n mouse tale of a brilliant quirky dude working with police to track down vigilante killers armed with the power of death dealing demons. Any final exam about this movie should be...wait for it....open notes. (#DadJokes!)
That first post turned out weird. Here is what I saw during the week.
GOING DOWN (1982, dir. Hadyn Keenan) at the Gap Theatre – A slice of life from early ‘80s Australia. Written by two of the actors and utilizing the sights of Sydney, Going Down captures the music scene and grimy downtown environment. An eclectic group of young women sharing a house in Sydney go out on the town for the final night for one of them in the city. Full of youthful energy and counter-culture vibes, there is plenty of drama, comedy, and music as craziness unfolds. Made with minimal resources, Going Down is a raw film in its style and content. It would have been helpful to have subtitles because the audio can be rough in spots.
IF…. (1969, dir. Lindsay Anderson) – An elite British boarding school becomes a living hell for Mick Travis (Malcolm MacDowell) and his fellow noncomformists as the representatives of the upper-class establishment hold sway over the student body. Bullying and intimidation are an everyday experience, frequently crossing line into abusive behavior. IF… succeeds in putting the viewer into the oppressive atmosphere of the school and the routines of student life. The large cast and smart script make the film more compelling than the story description would make it out to be. Being from the 1960s, If… is unsurprisingly far more sympathetic to the rebels than the establishment
Our local indie theatre is playing a bunch of Hong Kong action stuff over the next month. FIcking eh. I went to see Bullet in the Head (dir. John Woo) and goddammit it was so good. I didn't expect it to be a war movie! But really about friendship. I freaking loved it. Hard Boiled is playing tonight,
Bullet in the Head was shown at the Mahoning Drive-In a few years ago. I was also surprised by it being a war movie, particularly about Vietnam. It gave John Woo a canvas to stage impressive action set-pieces with.
Well, I got my Deathstalker 4k set. Way hornier than I thought, but learning it's produced by Roger Corman, I'm not surprised. The first movie has a solid 30 minutes in the middle with at least one naked lady on screen. Anyway, they were exactly what I wanted: evil sorcerer, warrior women, sword fights, some very cool looking shots. It's no Conan, but what is?
The second movie has more of a jokey tone, with a bit of fourth wall break at the end, and bloopers in the credits, which most people seem to prefer, but it's not my favorite. They also re-use a couple of shots from the first. The best part of both movies are the covers, they have almost nothing to do with what happens, but they are very cool.
The discs are light on extras, which is disappointing, but at least they look good.
I wish they'd release the other flicks in the series, but according to the imdb scores, they look pretty bad. I just want to be able to see them.
There's a remake coming in October, directed by the Psycho Goreman guy. Also with Patton Oswalt, I'm assuming he'll be the evil wizard. That should be fun.
I haven't watched any of them, but "online comments" seems to be 2 is the best of the franchise. When googling, I was surprised to see a 2025 remake was the top result.
THE IRISHMAN (2019) OMG one of the saddest movies I've ever seen. I loved it, too. It's a mix of a very easy movie to watch, even for its long run time, with one of the most dramatic, saddest, scariest messages. I couldn't get enough of Joe Pesci. Also, this is my favorite Pacino performance. He has never been my guy. I just don't connect with him usually. But he was a really bright light here. I loved it. Also seems like a movie I can just rewatch again and again. I do love some gangster movies but sometimes the violence is just too loud to be playing in the background. This one, you can tell, they quieted it down to feature the human isolation. So so sad.
THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS (2021) I’m still torn on this one. The story is all over the place, but I do appreciate that the series returns to Neo and Trinity’s love story being at the center of it all.
BURN HOLLYWOOD BURN: AN ALAN SMITHEE FILM (1997) A movie more famous for its behind the scenes drama. The actual movie is about a filmmaker who steals the only copy of his film from the studio when they won’t give him creative control. But the main characters are the two studio execs trying to sort all this out. The big problem is that this is all told mockumentary style, where talking heads tell us about wacky shenanigans happening. But we don’t see any of these shenanigans, so it’s just a lot of people sitting and talking. The entire thing is wholly unwatchable.
THE FUNHOUSE (1981) Tobe Hooper goodness!
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES (1959) Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes? Yes, please.
HONEY DON’T (2025) Interesting movie. I don’t know if all the various threads and concepts in this hold together. But I keep going over it all in my head, so I must have liked it.
Matrix Resurrections was so good in the first half, but then was all nonsense. Reminder that I should rewatch The Funhouse again, thanks, as if I needed an excuse haha.
I started this movie only knowing it was another collaboration between Joel Potrykus and Joshua Burge who had previously made one of my all-time favorites: Buzzard (2014). Imagine my delight to realize this is a direct sequel to Buzzard! It's a totally different kind of movie and goes places I was completely blown away by. Don't really know what else to say other than check out Buzzard if you're into off-beat funny and dark indie movies, and if you enjoy it, brace yourself and press play on Vulcanizadora...
Finally watched The Thunderbolts and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was nice to see a recent Marvel movie with actual heart.
ReplyDeleteRecently got burned on the 4k Terminator 2, the transfer and sound were anything but great. I returned it and I'm just keeping the bluray.
I also ordered the 4k Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) from Vinegar Syndrome (is it Scary Movie Month yet?) that I'm hoping doesn't disappoint as it was $44!
To deviate from movies, I finally got around to playing Red Dead Redemption 2 and after already playing two play-throughs, it has become my favorite video game I've ever played. The story and character developments are top notch, the gameplay is rich and detailed. If you love the wild west, I couldn't recommend this game enough!
Don't forget to listen to the excellent commentary track by Mr Bromley on TCM2. And i confirm the transfer is excellent
DeleteI'm horrible at video games. I have an xbox 360 with Red Redemption 1. Every time I play a mission I just get shot down so I mostly just get a little high and ride around on my horse and sometimes hunt rabbits. or birds. I'm a pretty lousy "gamer" but I like riding around and exploring the world and shooting at wildlife that won't shoot back at me.
DeleteNobody 2 (2025): In the category of unnecessary sequel, this one is a contender. I enjoyed the first one a lot, the contrast of the boring, wimpy, family man with the violent Home Alone style action scenes was fun. But that's gone in the sequel because we know what the guy can do, so it just becomes another cartoonish violent action flick. Not bad, but I'll stick with the first movie.
ReplyDeleteDragonslayer (1981): I first saw this movie only a few months, recommended by a friend, and loved it. So, I ordered the 4k, which Canada Post lost, then ordered it again somewhere else, and now it's here. It will always make my brain explode to see the weasel from Ghostbusters 2 being a fantasy hero. Don't get me wrong, he's great, but I've seen G2 so many times (I actually like that movie) that seeing him as a fearless warrior is kinda weird. I'm also starving for good, well made, fantasy flick, so I'll grab anything and everything (I just ordered Deathstalker 4k, which may or may not have been a mistake, it's a total blind buy).
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975): Monty Python goodness in glorious 4k. I got it from Amazon UK, because I was afraid to get custom fees if I ordered from US, and the CA store is always weird about these types of pre-orders. We're only missing Life of Brian.
NI! NI! NI!
DeleteHow dare you say Ni to me?
DeleteLife of Brian which is maybe the best.
DeleteIt was a slow week for movies. Things come up, and the day and your energy are now gone. I might get to something tonight.
ReplyDeleteGOING DOWNIF…. (1969, dir. Lindsay Anderson) – An elite British boarding school becomes a living hell for Mick Travis (Malcolm MacDowell) and his fellow noncomformists as the representatives of the upper-class establishment hold sway over the student body. Bullying and intimidation are an everyday experience, frequently crossing line into abusive behavior. IF… succeeds in putting the viewer into the oppressive atmosphere of the school and the routines of student life. The large cast and smart script make the film more compelling than the story description would make it out to be. Being from the 1960s, If… is unsurprisingly far more sympathetic to the rebels than the establishment.
An online horror movie challenge that I have at least partially followed the past two years was posted during the week. I devoted some time to digesting the categories and finding films in my watch list that would fit them. A few days I would set aside for random watches, however. How much I would participate depends on many factors, especially time, but I have found these challenges a useful way to vary my October watches.
I realised I don't like the "watch a movie every day" things. I'm going to watch something when I want to, and have time. And want to watch it. It doesn't need to feel like a chore. Juneploitation is an exception though, but even then I couldn't keep up.
DeleteWhen I have the time and the inclination, a movie challenge gives me something to do. I try to make any challenge fit with my own interests or plans. If a category does not engage me, I tend to skip it. There is a long watch list in my head and a lot of discs in my collection that have not been watched. I just match the titles I want to see with the categories. With horror and exploitation cinema, there is a variety of titles and periods to choose from.
DeleteI have done Noirvember the past few years, but the similarity of the films makes it impossible for me to watch something every day. Two or three films a week is enough, and I choose what I want to watch.
Good point. There are a ton of stuff I wouldn't have watched if it wasn't Junesploitation. For Scary Movie Month the past few year I haven't committed myself, and it's been pretty great. I've watched tons of horror without worrying whether I was keeping up. Noir November I've never gotten aboard with. I'm usually just worn out from horror films by that point and want to watch dumb mainstream stuff or rewatching Das Boot or whatever.
DeleteUnintentional Double Feature This Week: Cat n Mouse
ReplyDeleteDangerous Animals (2025 shudder)
I had a blast with this one. Its a horror/thriller from down under. Id say go into it with as little knowledge as possible, but even the film description pretty much gives away the premise. Jai Courtney is outstanding in the villain role. Also theres a bunch of great cat .n. mouse stuff within. Highly recommend for genre fans...this would be a great choice for Scary Movie Month!
Death Note 2: The Last Name (dvd 2006)
The 2nd of a two part live action series adapting a famous manga and anime series. Id seen the anime a long time ago and loved it. The movie adaptations are pretty fun in a made-for-cable-movie way. Part 2 very much ups the ante in the cat n mouse tale of a brilliant quirky dude working with police to track down vigilante killers armed with the power of death dealing demons. Any final exam about this movie should be...wait for it....open notes. (#DadJokes!)
That first post turned out weird. Here is what I saw during the week.
ReplyDeleteGOING DOWN (1982, dir. Hadyn Keenan) at the Gap Theatre – A slice of life from early ‘80s Australia. Written by two of the actors and utilizing the sights of Sydney, Going Down captures the music scene and grimy downtown environment. An eclectic group of young women sharing a house in Sydney go out on the town for the final night for one of them in the city. Full of youthful energy and counter-culture vibes, there is plenty of drama, comedy, and music as craziness unfolds. Made with minimal resources, Going Down is a raw film in its style and content. It would have been helpful to have subtitles because the audio can be rough in spots.
IF…. (1969, dir. Lindsay Anderson) – An elite British boarding school becomes a living hell for Mick Travis (Malcolm MacDowell) and his fellow noncomformists as the representatives of the upper-class establishment hold sway over the student body. Bullying and intimidation are an everyday experience, frequently crossing line into abusive behavior. IF… succeeds in putting the viewer into the oppressive atmosphere of the school and the routines of student life. The large cast and smart script make the film more compelling than the story description would make it out to be. Being from the 1960s, If… is unsurprisingly far more sympathetic to the rebels than the establishment
Our local indie theatre is playing a bunch of Hong Kong action stuff over the next month. FIcking eh. I went to see Bullet in the Head (dir. John Woo) and goddammit it was so good. I didn't expect it to be a war movie! But really about friendship. I freaking loved it. Hard Boiled is playing tonight,
ReplyDeleteBullet in the Head was shown at the Mahoning Drive-In a few years ago. I was also surprised by it being a war movie, particularly about Vietnam. It gave John Woo a canvas to stage impressive action set-pieces with.
DeleteHad to edit my comment. I guess the f word is too harsh.
ReplyDeleteBlogger is fun like that. You never know when it will screw with you
DeleteWell, I got my Deathstalker 4k set. Way hornier than I thought, but learning it's produced by Roger Corman, I'm not surprised. The first movie has a solid 30 minutes in the middle with at least one naked lady on screen. Anyway, they were exactly what I wanted: evil sorcerer, warrior women, sword fights, some very cool looking shots. It's no Conan, but what is?
ReplyDeleteThe second movie has more of a jokey tone, with a bit of fourth wall break at the end, and bloopers in the credits, which most people seem to prefer, but it's not my favorite. They also re-use a couple of shots from the first. The best part of both movies are the covers, they have almost nothing to do with what happens, but they are very cool.
The discs are light on extras, which is disappointing, but at least they look good.
I wish they'd release the other flicks in the series, but according to the imdb scores, they look pretty bad. I just want to be able to see them.
There's a remake coming in October, directed by the Psycho Goreman guy. Also with Patton Oswalt, I'm assuming he'll be the evil wizard. That should be fun.
I haven't watched any of them, but "online comments" seems to be 2 is the best of the franchise. When googling, I was surprised to see a 2025 remake was the top result.
DeleteTHE IRISHMAN (2019)
ReplyDeleteOMG one of the saddest movies I've ever seen. I loved it, too. It's a mix of a very easy movie to watch, even for its long run time, with one of the most dramatic, saddest, scariest messages. I couldn't get enough of Joe Pesci. Also, this is my favorite Pacino performance. He has never been my guy. I just don't connect with him usually. But he was a really bright light here. I loved it. Also seems like a movie I can just rewatch again and again. I do love some gangster movies but sometimes the violence is just too loud to be playing in the background. This one, you can tell, they quieted it down to feature the human isolation. So so sad.
So very well said Meredith. You stole the words from my mouth. I need to rewatch that one.
DeleteWell it's an easy rewatch!
DeleteIn parts. :)
DeleteTHE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS (2021)
ReplyDeleteI’m still torn on this one. The story is all over the place, but I do appreciate that the series returns to Neo and Trinity’s love story being at the center of it all.
BURN HOLLYWOOD BURN: AN ALAN SMITHEE FILM (1997)
A movie more famous for its behind the scenes drama. The actual movie is about a filmmaker who steals the only copy of his film from the studio when they won’t give him creative control. But the main characters are the two studio execs trying to sort all this out. The big problem is that this is all told mockumentary style, where talking heads tell us about wacky shenanigans happening. But we don’t see any of these shenanigans, so it’s just a lot of people sitting and talking. The entire thing is wholly unwatchable.
THE FUNHOUSE (1981)
Tobe Hooper goodness!
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES (1959)
Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes? Yes, please.
HONEY DON’T (2025)
Interesting movie. I don’t know if all the various threads and concepts in this hold together. But I keep going over it all in my head, so I must have liked it.
Matrix Resurrections was so good in the first half, but then was all nonsense. Reminder that I should rewatch The Funhouse again, thanks, as if I needed an excuse haha.
DeleteWhat's the picture from the Weekend Open Thread from?
ReplyDeletei didnt recognize it buuuuut with a little sluething (ie: i did a save as hoping the photo retained its name) i found the title: She Hate Me 2004
DeleteVulcanizadora (2024, dir. Joel Potrykus)
ReplyDeleteI started this movie only knowing it was another collaboration between Joel Potrykus and Joshua Burge who had previously made one of my all-time favorites: Buzzard (2014). Imagine my delight to realize this is a direct sequel to Buzzard! It's a totally different kind of movie and goes places I was completely blown away by. Don't really know what else to say other than check out Buzzard if you're into off-beat funny and dark indie movies, and if you enjoy it, brace yourself and press play on Vulcanizadora...
I'll try to find Buzzard, then i'll try eith Vulcanizadora
Delete