Last Sunday I was at the Mahoning Drive-In for a beautiful evening (the nights have been unusually warm recently) under the stars and a double feature of gang movies. THE WARRIORS (1979) is officially the film I have seen the most – three times – at the Mahoning. The gang from Coney Island has to “bop” its way back through the streets and parks of Manhattan, encountering all kinds of gangs along the way. It is a masterpiece of location shooting, and the intro gets more impressive (very rhythmic editing to the music) every time I see it. The second feature was the supremely entertaining SWITCHBLADE SISTERS (1975). It is the epitome of stylish 1970s exploitation, full of interesting fashions and crackling dialogue.
As I drove home in the dark, I reflected on the end of another drive-in season. The time goes by fast, yet there is at least still another month to enjoy.
That director's cut of The Warriors is a huge misstep for Walter Hill. It is the version I picked up on DVD, and I was very shocked when I tried to watch it. The flow of the film is completely off. The worst change was the conclusion, which is so satisfying in the theatrical version.
With Scary Movie Month beginning soon, I scrambled to get to recordings on the DVR. Sometimes it felt like homework, but I accomplished my goal. Most were from the Fox movie channel (FXM), which I might not have access to much longer. Tarzan came from Turner Classic Movies, and Accion Mutante was a rental.
ACCION MUTANTE (1993, dir. Alex de la Iglesia) – A wild Spanish production financed by Pedro Almodovar's company. A gang of men with various physical abnormalities, known as Mutant Action, launch attacks against society. When the group head out into space to collect the ransom for a kidnapped heiress, craziness ensues. This was the first feature for Iglesia, and he threw everything that he could into the story: overblown action, space opera, thriller, horror, and lots of ironic comedy. The production design is very impressive for a film that did not have a large budget.
TARZAN THE APE MAN (1932) – This is the start to the definitive films about the character. Johnny Weissmuller is the king of the jungle encountering Jane Parker for the first time. Jane (Maureen O’Sullivan) is the daughter of a British trader in an African colony out to find ivory in an unexplored region. Of course, the depiction of the native populations has not aged well over nearly a century, yet there is a certain pulpy charm to it. The various scenes of O'Sullivan undressing show the pre-code origin of the film. For an animals themed film, this one is hard to beat.
IF I’M LUCKY (1946) – Another watch in my journey through the musicals of the 20th Century-Fox studio. The cast is very familiar (Carmen Miranda and company) and the story is as clunky as it can be, but If I’m Lucky takes a surprisingly cynical turn that sets it apart from most of the studio’s musicals made at this time period. The band in the film gets hired for a gubernatorial campaign and hits the road, but the corrupt state political system soon hijacks the campaign and puts the band’s likeable crooner (Perry Como) forward as candidate for governor. Silly yet mildly entertaining fluff.
THE MANHATTAN PROJECT (1986) – While I was watching this, I kept thinking that The Manhattan Project would be that watchable film that shows up during a random afternoon on TV. Then you forgot about it not long afterward. A teenage science whiz steals nuclear material from a lab and decides to build an atomic weapon for a science project. What a great idea! All the while he is leading the regular life of high school student. Everything, of course, get turned upside down when government authorities get wind of his activities. At nearly two hours and with too many subplots, there are better ‘80s obscurities out there.
CAPTAIN FROM CASTILE (1947) – The second half of the film focuses on the campaign against the Aztecs in 1519. The real history is a little different than what is portrayed. Cesar Romero, the Joker of the 1960s Batman series, is engaging as the wily and ruthless conquistador Hernan Cortes. The first half is the introduction to the main character, Pedro de Vargas, an aristocrat whose family is targeted by an Inquisition official in Spain. That split in the narrative is the main flaw of the film. The Technicolor filming in Mexico, however, adds a lot character to the film. It required some patience to get through this.
The Manhattan Project truly feels lost in time. However as a kid during the 80s i ADORED it. It embraced the nerd as the hero and did so with a pretty freaky premise. It feels like it sits nicely along side War Games, Revenge of the Nerds, Real Genius, Weird Science and My Science Project.
Code 3 (2025): Normally I wouldn't talk about this one, but I think I need to set the record straight. I've seen a few negative comments saying they thought it was a comedy, so they didn't like the movie when they saw a drama. There are funny bits, but it's a classic case of bad marketing, because of who's the main actor. It's an honest view of the life and work of a burnt out EMT, lead by the excellent Rainn Wilson. Highly recommended, with a warning, it gets dark.
The Fifth Element (1997): French sci-fi is something else. How can you not love Moebius's designs, and Luc Besson harnessing them (let's not talk about that other stuff he did). My friend keep saying it's a perfect movie, and I see the argument. The cast is perfect (I always liked Chris Tucker's character), the action cool, the world building is the best, and I already mentioned the designs. The funny part about Ruby Rhod is that most influencers nowadays act like him. The US 4k disc looks fine, but you really should get the UK disc, it's much better. Be warned, the regular blu-ray that comes with it is Region B only.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017): It's been a while and I was in the mood for more french sci-fi. Based on the french comic book Valerian et Laureline, which was very much influenced by Moebius (go to Matttt's channel on Youtube and watch his video essay on Moebius influence on everything sci-fi, very good stuff), it's a very flawed movie, but the world building is so good that I'm willing to forget a lot of things. Dan DeHaan never bothered me and I never thought he looked like Cara Delevingne. The market scene is still the best part, but there are a couple of other scenes that are very cool.
Now, I'm gonna go read The Long Tomorrow, in french, drawn by Moebius and written by Dan O'Bannon (yes, the same guy who wrote Alien). It's a very short story, but it's collected with other cool Moebius stuff, so I'm in for a cool afternoon.
Also, a curse on Canada Post. May you all become lactose intolerant.
(todays unintentional double feature: New Theatrically Released Comedies based on Decades Old IP)
Spinal Tap II (2025 theatrical)
Hrmm....i found this one....hmm.....quaint/cute funny? Its clearly made from a place of love and embracement of the original. Theres a good amount focused on the music which is great. Unfortunately i think they kind of hung too much on a rift between band members and as such there wasnt that much room for improv comedy and more range of scenes/themes. I did smile alot and occasionally laughed. By the end i was vested enough and did have fun and it seems like they kinda figured out the humor stuff during the final credit clips. I dont think ill revisit much but i am glad the Tap gang got one more ride together.
Naked Gun (2025 dig rental)
Remaking a ZAZ classic is unquestionably a terrible idea. YET....and i cant believe im saying this....holy sh@t i had fun with this movie. It is jam packed with physical bits (which i think i laughed hardest at), and wordplay, and general goofy antics. I think the choice of Akiva as director was brilliant and he and his crew pulled it off. So much so that i genuinely hope we get another Neeson helmed outing!
Watching THE PEACEMAKER (1997) to zone out to something competent this weekend. Things I love about this movie: everything. Nicole Kidman is a hammer and all the guys are respectful. This is how I grew up thinking the real world was! And the Hans Zimmer score. And the train plot.
SUPERMAN (2025) Felt the same as before. Character work was great, and the action is solid. But there's too much Mr. Terrific, a character and actor I otherwise like. And, sorry for being controversial, but there's too much of the dog.
THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE (1986) We all need to start including this on lists of Vincent Price’s best performances.
28 WEEKS LATER (2007) My memory was that this was a cheesy zombie jaunt. But on this rewatch, it was a real downbeat. I suppose there’s some satire in that the American military moves in to rescue London only to screw everything up worse, but I don’t know if that’s enough for a recommend. The bit with the zombies and the helicopter was pretty rad, though.
THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977) I wish I had a submarine car.
And now for F This Music: I finally gave David Bowie’s RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST album a listen, and I have so many questions! It starts with "Five Years," which says the Earth is doomed. So Ziggy Stardust is a rockstar messiah who's here to save the world, right? But then the story is about Ziggy's fame and fall from grace. Does this mean humanity is still doomed in the end? I liked the album a lot, but I would have liked it so much more without the dark cloud of "Five Years" hovering over it all.
beyond weird timing with the Ziggy review....i adore that album...havent gotten to the point of interpretation....but have been thinking the last few weeks that i gotta track down and watch a concert version of that tour as im sure it exists.
Adam hyped it on the podcast this week but still undersold it. In a time when movies may be on their way out, let's celebrate each time a master releases an art film and it plays in theaters. Mind-blowing pure cinema. A masterpiece and my favorite movie of the year so far. Now gotta go to the bone temple...
Good weekend to everyone.
ReplyDeleteLast Sunday I was at the Mahoning Drive-In for a beautiful evening (the nights have been unusually warm recently) under the stars and a double feature of gang movies. THE WARRIORS (1979) is officially the film I have seen the most – three times – at the Mahoning. The gang from Coney Island has to “bop” its way back through the streets and parks of Manhattan, encountering all kinds of gangs along the way. It is a masterpiece of location shooting, and the intro gets more impressive (very rhythmic editing to the music) every time I see it. The second feature was the supremely entertaining SWITCHBLADE SISTERS (1975). It is the epitome of stylish 1970s exploitation, full of interesting fashions and crackling dialogue.
As I drove home in the dark, I reflected on the end of another drive-in season. The time goes by fast, yet there is at least still another month to enjoy.
The Warriors is the only movie where the Director's Cut is the worst version. Funny enough, they call it Alternative Version on the Arrow release
Delete*one of the only movie
DeleteThat director's cut of The Warriors is a huge misstep for Walter Hill. It is the version I picked up on DVD, and I was very shocked when I tried to watch it. The flow of the film is completely off. The worst change was the conclusion, which is so satisfying in the theatrical version.
DeleteWith Scary Movie Month beginning soon, I scrambled to get to recordings on the DVR. Sometimes it felt like homework, but I accomplished my goal. Most were from the Fox movie channel (FXM), which I might not have access to much longer. Tarzan came from Turner Classic Movies, and Accion Mutante was a rental.
ReplyDeleteACCION MUTANTE (1993, dir. Alex de la Iglesia) – A wild Spanish production financed by Pedro Almodovar's company. A gang of men with various physical abnormalities, known as Mutant Action, launch attacks against society. When the group head out into space to collect the ransom for a kidnapped heiress, craziness ensues. This was the first feature for Iglesia, and he threw everything that he could into the story: overblown action, space opera, thriller, horror, and lots of ironic comedy. The production design is very impressive for a film that did not have a large budget.
TARZAN THE APE MAN (1932) – This is the start to the definitive films about the character. Johnny Weissmuller is the king of the jungle encountering Jane Parker for the first time. Jane (Maureen O’Sullivan) is the daughter of a British trader in an African colony out to find ivory in an unexplored region. Of course, the depiction of the native populations has not aged well over nearly a century, yet there is a certain pulpy charm to it. The various scenes of O'Sullivan undressing show the pre-code origin of the film. For an animals themed film, this one is hard to beat.
IF I’M LUCKY (1946) – Another watch in my journey through the musicals of the 20th Century-Fox studio. The cast is very familiar (Carmen Miranda and company) and the story is as clunky as it can be, but If I’m Lucky takes a surprisingly cynical turn that sets it apart from most of the studio’s musicals made at this time period. The band in the film gets hired for a gubernatorial campaign and hits the road, but the corrupt state political system soon hijacks the campaign and puts the band’s likeable crooner (Perry Como) forward as candidate for governor. Silly yet mildly entertaining fluff.
THE MANHATTAN PROJECT (1986) – While I was watching this, I kept thinking that The Manhattan Project would be that watchable film that shows up during a random afternoon on TV. Then you forgot about it not long afterward. A teenage science whiz steals nuclear material from a lab and decides to build an atomic weapon for a science project. What a great idea! All the while he is leading the regular life of high school student. Everything, of course, get turned upside down when government authorities get wind of his activities. At nearly two hours and with too many subplots, there are better ‘80s obscurities out there.
CAPTAIN FROM CASTILE (1947) – The second half of the film focuses on the campaign against the Aztecs in 1519. The real history is a little different than what is portrayed. Cesar Romero, the Joker of the 1960s Batman series, is engaging as the wily and ruthless conquistador Hernan Cortes. The first half is the introduction to the main character, Pedro de Vargas, an aristocrat whose family is targeted by an Inquisition official in Spain. That split in the narrative is the main flaw of the film. The Technicolor filming in Mexico, however, adds a lot character to the film. It required some patience to get through this.
The Manhattan Project truly feels lost in time. However as a kid during the 80s i ADORED it. It embraced the nerd as the hero and did so with a pretty freaky premise. It feels like it sits nicely along side War Games, Revenge of the Nerds, Real Genius, Weird Science and My Science Project.
DeleteI did think about War Games a few times during the watch. The Manhattan Project channels a lot of 1980s vibes, just not in the most engaging way.
DeleteCode 3 (2025): Normally I wouldn't talk about this one, but I think I need to set the record straight. I've seen a few negative comments saying they thought it was a comedy, so they didn't like the movie when they saw a drama. There are funny bits, but it's a classic case of bad marketing, because of who's the main actor. It's an honest view of the life and work of a burnt out EMT, lead by the excellent Rainn Wilson. Highly recommended, with a warning, it gets dark.
ReplyDeleteThe Fifth Element (1997): French sci-fi is something else. How can you not love Moebius's designs, and Luc Besson harnessing them (let's not talk about that other stuff he did). My friend keep saying it's a perfect movie, and I see the argument. The cast is perfect (I always liked Chris Tucker's character), the action cool, the world building is the best, and I already mentioned the designs. The funny part about Ruby Rhod is that most influencers nowadays act like him. The US 4k disc looks fine, but you really should get the UK disc, it's much better. Be warned, the regular blu-ray that comes with it is Region B only.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017): It's been a while and I was in the mood for more french sci-fi. Based on the french comic book Valerian et Laureline, which was very much influenced by Moebius (go to Matttt's channel on Youtube and watch his video essay on Moebius influence on everything sci-fi, very good stuff), it's a very flawed movie, but the world building is so good that I'm willing to forget a lot of things. Dan DeHaan never bothered me and I never thought he looked like Cara Delevingne. The market scene is still the best part, but there are a couple of other scenes that are very cool.
Now, I'm gonna go read The Long Tomorrow, in french, drawn by Moebius and written by Dan O'Bannon (yes, the same guy who wrote Alien). It's a very short story, but it's collected with other cool Moebius stuff, so I'm in for a cool afternoon.
Also, a curse on Canada Post. May you all become lactose intolerant.
(todays unintentional double feature: New Theatrically Released Comedies based on Decades Old IP)
ReplyDeleteSpinal Tap II (2025 theatrical)
Hrmm....i found this one....hmm.....quaint/cute funny? Its clearly made from a place of love and embracement of the original. Theres a good amount focused on the music which is great. Unfortunately i think they kind of hung too much on a rift between band members and as such there wasnt that much room for improv comedy and more range of scenes/themes. I did smile alot and occasionally laughed. By the end i was vested enough and did have fun and it seems like they kinda figured out the humor stuff during the final credit clips. I dont think ill revisit much but i am glad the Tap gang got one more ride together.
Naked Gun (2025 dig rental)
Remaking a ZAZ classic is unquestionably a terrible idea. YET....and i cant believe im saying this....holy sh@t i had fun with this movie. It is jam packed with physical bits (which i think i laughed hardest at), and wordplay, and general goofy antics. I think the choice of Akiva as director was brilliant and he and his crew pulled it off. So much so that i genuinely hope we get another Neeson helmed outing!
Watching THE PEACEMAKER (1997) to zone out to something competent this weekend. Things I love about this movie: everything. Nicole Kidman is a hammer and all the guys are respectful. This is how I grew up thinking the real world was! And the Hans Zimmer score. And the train plot.
ReplyDeleteLove The Peacemaker. I jumped on the 4k disc when it came out
DeleteI guessed you would have liked it!
DeleteSUPERMAN (2025)
ReplyDeleteFelt the same as before. Character work was great, and the action is solid. But there's too much Mr. Terrific, a character and actor I otherwise like. And, sorry for being controversial, but there's too much of the dog.
THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE (1986)
We all need to start including this on lists of Vincent Price’s best performances.
28 WEEKS LATER (2007)
My memory was that this was a cheesy zombie jaunt. But on this rewatch, it was a real downbeat. I suppose there’s some satire in that the American military moves in to rescue London only to screw everything up worse, but I don’t know if that’s enough for a recommend. The bit with the zombies and the helicopter was pretty rad, though.
THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977)
I wish I had a submarine car.
And now for F This Music: I finally gave David Bowie’s RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST album a listen, and I have so many questions! It starts with "Five Years," which says the Earth is doomed. So Ziggy Stardust is a rockstar messiah who's here to save the world, right? But then the story is about Ziggy's fame and fall from grace. Does this mean humanity is still doomed in the end? I liked the album a lot, but I would have liked it so much more without the dark cloud of "Five Years" hovering over it all.
beyond weird timing with the Ziggy review....i adore that album...havent gotten to the point of interpretation....but have been thinking the last few weeks that i gotta track down and watch a concert version of that tour as im sure it exists.
Delete28 Years Later (dir. Danny Boyle)
ReplyDeleteAdam hyped it on the podcast this week but still undersold it. In a time when movies may be on their way out, let's celebrate each time a master releases an art film and it plays in theaters. Mind-blowing pure cinema. A masterpiece and my favorite movie of the year so far. Now gotta go to the bone temple...