Of course you can't forget to include Poultrygeist, which will soon be a musical in NYC.
"Poultry in Motion" Goes Theatrical! Sept 5th, NYC
Andy Deemer and Jason Foulke take you on a journey into the world of fiercely independent guerrilla filmmaking with this hilarious and shocking documentary feature. "Poultry in Motion" follows cult director Lloyd Kaufman as he tries to hatch his newest cinematic explosion, POULTRYGEIST. With no investors and no money, he staffs the film with a crew of 75 inexperienced teenagers, hires the cheapest DP he can find, and houses them all in an abandoned church in Buffalo's ghetto. This unflinching behind-the-scenes visit into the world of guerrilla filmmaking spares no one, and presents an engaging story of how independent cinema is really made.
Two of them have great midnight movie programs, and all three have a very interesting selection of international and independent titles. Film Forum is particularly good for classics.
Next weekend we get "Cannibal Holocaust" at the Sunshine, which I cannot wait to see on the big screen. I will definitely put up a review for that one as it's backstory is kinda interesting and it was used as the inspiration for several other movies, notably "The Blair Witch Project". And then, in September, I am FINALLY going to get to see "The Warriors" on the big screen! One of my all-time favorite movies
I always thought "Broadcast News" was the inspiration for "Blair Witch"! It's the same theme, only about the Jersey Devil. What can I say, I'm a "Jersey Girl"!!
I've heard about "Cannible Holocaust", and can't wait for your review.
And "The Warriors"? I've already told you about the first time I saw it on the big screen! It will blow you away!
megman wrote:
I've seen the Seven-ups. Good flick.
Of course you can't forget to include Poultrygeist, which will soon be a musical in NYC.
"Poultry in Motion" Goes Theatrical! Sept 5th, NYC
Andy Deemer and Jason Foulke take you on a journey into the world of fiercely independent guerrilla filmmaking with this hilarious and shocking documentary feature. "Poultry in Motion" follows cult director Lloyd Kaufman as he tries to hatch his newest cinematic explosion, POULTRYGEIST. With no investors and no money, he staffs the film with a crew of 75 inexperienced teenagers, hires the cheapest DP he can find, and houses them all in an abandoned church in Buffalo's ghetto. This unflinching behind-the-scenes visit into the world of guerrilla filmmaking spares no one, and presents an engaging story of how independent cinema is really made.
Aw hell, Megman! I miss NYC so much! I worked in The City for 20+ years, and went to Broadway (and Off, and Off-Off Broadway several times a month) for the entire time! I sure do miss it!
IronsGold wrote:
I always thought "Broadcast News" was the inspiration for "Blair Witch"! It's the same theme, only about the Jersey Devil. What can I say, I'm a "Jersey Girl"!!
Do you mean "The Last Broadcast"? That was a pretty good movie, and yes, was also an influence on Blair Witch for certain.
As for the Jersey Devil, have you read "Weird NJ"? They make an awesome magazine, and have written a few good books on the strange happenings in that state. I actually wrote a full page article for them once about the "Pig Lady" who lives off the Doris Duke Estate near Somerville.
"You'll get used to my babbling, all the others have." - Anna Madrigal from "Tales Of The City" by Armistead Maupin
Originally posted by Kaztronic Tonight I watched a Spaghetti Western classic called "Django", starring Franco Nero. It is often over-shadowed by the Leone "Dollars" films starring Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef - you might even say it has been somewhat lost in film history (that is about to change though as Quentin Tarantino is making a new movie called "Django" - no relation to the original, other than picking up on the joke that over 50 movies tried to cash in on this film by throwing the name "Django" in to their title despite have nothing to do with the original).
An idea, with a projector, internet and a laptop you could turn any place with suitable film-noir looks into a grindhouse type place. We have an old stage theatre near us that has started doing movie nights this way, and it is working well for them.
Lastly, I just watched the documentary Machete Maidens Unleashed! recently, and I recommend it if you are into the "exploitation/horror/scantily clad ladies/over-the-top effects" genre.
So last night I decided it was time for a martial arts film and went with "Shogun Assassin". The box to the DVD was promising, "Banned since 1983"! Further, I knew that "Shogun Assassin" was based upon the "Lone Wolf And Cub" movies that I have heard people rave about for a long time. So the movie looked promising........
Unfortunately, it disappointed in nearly every possible way, and I just couldn't get in to it very much and can't really recommend it to anyone other than real martial arts movie fans.
The story goes like this, our hero, a samurai serves his Shogun with honor, in fact he is the master executioner for the Shogun and specializes in beheadings - promising premise, no?
Well, as one might expect, any dictator who needs a master executioner who specializes in beheadings probably has a screw loose and just might be a touch paranoid about his loyal subjects
Naturally, the Shogun begins to suspect his loyal Samurai is not so loyal and decides to do away with him, in the process bungling the entire operation and killing our heros wife. On the run now, with his toddler son in a truly twisted baby carriage, our Samurai begins his quest for vengeance. To get to the Shogun though, he is going to have to get through his armies, and his assassination squads. This leads to some of the most bloody spectacles you will EVER see on the big screen! It is not an exaggeration to say that blood is spurting in every possible direction - actually, spraying would be a better description of it. The movie culminates in an epic desert battle between our Samurai hero, and the Shogun's "Masters of Death"! This part of the movie was actually pretty cool - but doesn't make up for the rest of it, which is at times rather tedious.
The bloody fights are so over the top they would be best relegated to the pages of a colorful comic book. It just didn't feel as if it translated too well on to the screen in my opinion.
I will say this, the guys kid is cute - and wicked. I did rather enjoy seeing him rolling down a hill in his baby carriage, pushing a pedal, and out pops razor sharp blades from the wheels with which he removes the feet from a couple of ninjas attacking his father, LoL.
Anyway - not the best movie. It was cobbled together from scenes of the first two Lone Wolf & Cub movies, which is perhaps the better way to watch this particular movie should you feel so inclined.
An idea, with a projector, internet and a laptop you could turn any place with suitable film-noir looks into a grindhouse type place. We have an old stage theatre near us that has started doing movie nights this way, and it is working well for them.
Lastly, I just watched the documentary Machete Maidens Unleashed! recently, and I recommend it if you are into the "exploitation/horror/scantily clad ladies/over-the-top effects" genre.
Hey Fan,
Definitely going to check those podcasts out, looks like a perfect show for me
Thank you for the heads up!
"You'll get used to my babbling, all the others have." - Anna Madrigal from "Tales Of The City" by Armistead Maupin
I'm a day behind in posting, so have to put up the last two nights worth of movies tonight. Both are "Man Vs. Beast" type movies, both pretty good in their own way.
First up, two nights ago I watched a movie made in 1980 called "Alligator", a ripoff of "Jaws".
To be honest, I didn't have very high expectations for this movie for fairly obvious reasons, and was trying to remember when I had purchased it, and what I was thinking. As I can't recall for certain, I am fairly certain alcohol was involved in the decision making on this one.
Lucky me, the movie was actually pretty good and is pretty fun, campy horror schlock featuring a few genuinely good creepy moments that kind of took me by surprise for their effectiveness.
This movie starts out in 1968, a family from Missouri is visiting Florida. We find them at a tourist trap that features men wrestling with big bad alligators. Since it's a horror movie, we naturally get to see the alligator win this particular fight.
Before leaving, naturally you have to go through the gift shop, where not only do they sell cute little alligator themed items, but little cute baby alligators themselves
The young lady of the family wants one, and away we go back to St. Louis with a cute little baby alligator named "Ramon".
One day, Dad gets pissed, and poor Ramon gets flushed down the toilet
Frame advance to twelve years later. Before we get to Ramon who has been thriving for the past twelve years living in the sewers, we discover that our fair city has a problem - someone is stealing peoples dogs....... Turns out, we have an evil scientist working on a project that causes cells to grow quickly, and to an unusual size (frankly, I forget the reason this experiment was going on). As they've exhausted the supply of dogs from the shelter, they've now paid a pet store owner to steal dogs from the street. Handily, he also is willing to dispose of the used dogs that have survived this experiment. Naturally, he dumps them in the sewer.
So, we've got Ramon living in the sewer for the past twelve years, feasting on dogs that have been pumped full of chemicals designed to get them to grow quickly, and unusually large. This leads Ramon to become a 36 foot long alligator with a VORACIOUS appetite!
Naturally, people begin disappearing, and body parts begin to turn up at the local sewage treatment plant. A perfect time for our hero police officer, and a local alligator scientist (naturally the young lady who was Ramon's original pet parent, now a beautiful woman who has grown a LOT in 12 years).
Ramon is eventually driven out of the sewer, which is of course when all hell breaks loose. A famed wild-life hunter is brought in (he of course gets eaten), and our team of heros are removed from the case. Working on the sly, they take the alligator on in an epic battle to the death!
Long story short, this movie was MUCH better than it had any right to be. Their are several genuinely creepy scenes that scare pretty effectively, and their are PLENTY of laugh out loud moments. The acting is mediocre, but thankfully the cast is serviceable and their work never detracts from the film. The special effects are campy in an old style monster movie kinda way, and I found that this made the movie that much more enjoyable. I felt like I was watching a Walt Disney animatronic alligator from a ride at Disney World.
I can recommend this movie for a night with drinks and friends gathered, you'll have a good time (and it's super cheap right now on E-bay).
Unlike "Alligator" as reviewed above, "Orca" is a movie that actually takes itself seriously. There are no campy elements to this movie, and it's not a horror film either. The movie is a drama, and very much an epic struggle between a man, and a whale. Sort of a reverse "Moby Dick" type story, that finds a killer whale obsessed with seeking vengeance upon the man (Richard Harris), who killed both his mate, and his child.
This movie stars Richard Harris, and in her first appearance on the big screen, Bo Derek. I have to say, I love just about any movie with Richard Harris, he was by far one of my favorite actors. Frankly, this movie would not work were it not for his very strong performance as Captain Nolan. There are times where this movie drags a bit, but thankfully during those scenes, his portrayal of the hunted captain keeps your eyes glued to the screen.
The movie opens with Captain Nolan trying to catch a great white shark. An unconventional fisherman, it seems his primary interest is in making one big last catch, a giant fish that he can sell to an aquarium (we later discover that this is so he can pay off the mortgage on his boat and quit fishing while moving back to Ireland). It is while attempting to catch this shark that a killer whale attacks, and kills the shark. Stunned at the power of this magnificent creature, Nolan turns his attention to catching an Orca, a killer whale. Warned against the attempt, and poorly equipped to catch and hold a killer whale, Nolan tries anyway - and succeeds in catching, and badly injuring a female killer whale. One of the most disturbing, and gruesome scenes in the movie takes place shortly after the whale is hauled aboard the fishing ship. It turns out the whale was pregnant, and miscarries on the ship. Nolan uses a hose and washes the fetus overboard. All of this is witnessed by the Killer Whales mate, who becomes hellbent on revenge. It turns out that killer whales mate for life, and like humans clearly grasp the concept of vengeance. The whale follows the boat, and attempts to sink it, killing a crewman in the process. Ultimately however, it fails as the boat safely makes it to port. The whale is not deterred, it waits for Captain Nolan.
Nolan by now is well aware of what he is dealing with, and that he absolutely must avoid a confrontation with this whale. That night however, the whale begins to ruin the seaside town. It sinks several boats, it destroys Nolan's house, and critically it has driven the fish the town lives off of away. The carcass of the dead female whale has washed ashore, driven there by it's mate and news of the confrontation between Nolan and the whale begins to spread through the fishing village.
Sailors are often a superstitious lot, and they believe that this whale will not move on until it has a final confrontation with Captain Nolan - who is in effect forced against his will to go back out to sea and confront the Orca.
The final confrontation takes place in the arctic, amongst the pack ice and bergs. This is really where the film departs from other man vs. animal movies, because in the film, the whale wins.
Throughout the movie, Richard Harris really does a good job of developing his character, bringing intelligence, and a sensitivity to the character that makes his loss have an actual sense of impact. At one point in the film, Captain Nolan tells the story of the death of his own wife and child at the hands of a drunken driver - he reflects upon it, and admits that he empathizes with the whale. You can feel throughout his shame, and real regret at having killed that whale earlier on in the movie.
An interesting note is that it was reported during the filming that Richard Harris insisted upon performing all of his own stunts, and apparently nearly died several times during the filming of Orca. While the movie was largely panned by critics as a rip off of "Jaws", Harris was apparently always proud of his work in this particular film.
If you need a lot of action in a movie to enjoy it, this flick probably isn't for you. But, if you have a little patience, and enjoy a moody movie that shows it's age, well you just might enjoy "Orca", I know I did.
With "Ms. 45", we're venturing in to real Grindhouse territory. As far as I'm concerned, this is the best Grindhouse flick I've ever seen.
"Ms. 45" can best be described as a "Rape / Revenge" film, similar in many ways to "I Spit On Your Grave". While the latter film is a legendary cult classic, "Ms. 45" is in fact a far superior movie.
Yes, "Ms. 45" is definitely exploitation cinema, it is VERY disturbing and violent, and it is quite graphic in it's content (making uncut versions very hard to find) - but "Ms. 45" also happens to be the rare exploitation film that happens to be a really good movie that will keep you glued to the screen. The acting is overall very good, the script wont insult your intelligence, and the direction is excellent.
Set and filmed in New York City in 1980, "Ms. 45" tells the story of a garment district seamstress, a very attractive, young mute woman named Thana (played by Zoe Tamerlis - who is absolutely fantastic in this role). While making her way home from work, Thana is dragged in to an alley and brutally raped by a man in a creepy mask. Shocked, Thana gets home, only to discover that her apartment has been burglarized - and the burglar is still in the house. Making a bad day worse, Thana is raped at gunpoint yet again - but this time, she strikes back, ultimately killing her attacker with an iron.
So, you've got a dead body in your house - what to do? Naturally, you should drag the body in to the tub and chop it in to little pieces, storing the parts in industrial strength black trash bags which you can now keep in your refrigerator for disposal later. Hell, you can even grind some of it up to feed the incessantly barking dog down the hall in hopes of getting him to be quiet for a little while.
Yes, all of that happens......
Clearly, something inside Thana has snapped. Rather than call the police and seek help, Thana has decided to handle this matter entirely on her own, and keeps her assailants weapon - a semi-automatic .45
Each day, Thana leaves the house with another little trash bag, depositing them in random trash containers throughout the city, even in the trunk of a car being loaded for a trip out of the city. It is while disposing of one of the trash bags that a young guy tries to give her back the bag, in panic, Thana kills him with her .45 - from this point on, she begins to slip in to madness, dressing seductively each night, heading out in to the city to seek vengeance upon men in general.
The body count in this movie is quite high, Thana ends up killing 19 men before her crime spree is brought to a halt by a female colleague. The movie climaxes with Thana dressed as a nun at a Halloween party, targeting the men in a scene that has a feel to it that can best be compared to the climax of "Carrie".
The movie works for three primary reasons:
1. It is set in 1980, in a city that is crime-ridden and crumbling. The fears this film touched upon were very real at the time, and vigilantes were in the news (Bernard Goetz, the "Subway Vigilante"). The visuals of the film give it a very gritty feel, the dark streets at night where much of the action takes place helps to ignite a genuine sense of forboding. Frankly, this story could not be told in 2011 - the setting and state of society as found in 1980 no longer exists in a city like New York.
2. The lead actress is wonderful. That her character is mute, makes the movie that much more interesting. Her facial expressions say more than words ever could throughout this movie, and it is a primary reason the movie feels so different and interesting. In many ways this is a vigilante movie that is every bit the equal of "Death Wish" starring Charles Bronson (great movie), but it's done without the dialogue and forced story-telling.
3. The movie is directed by Abel Ferrara, and frankly the guy is an incredibly under-rated director. He's done some incredible movies such as "Bad Lieutenant" starring Harvey Keitel. He likes his movies to be dark, and he doesn't pull his punches. The trend I've noticed in his films is that he often likes to explore a persons descent in to madness ("Driller Killer" serves as an excellent example that he both directed, and starred in - definitely to be reviewed as a part of this project).
If you're not squeamish and easily bothered by disturbing subject matter, then I absolutely recommend this film - you will NEVER, EVER forget it.
It is said that this movie shocked the audiences of 42nd Street in to stunned silence. Having seen a great deal of movies on the Deuce, and having a ton of Grindhouse movies here at home, I found that very hard to believe. Having seen it however, I now believe those stories to be true. This is one tense film.
I am including two links below, one to purchase the movie on Amazon - and one to watch the movie on YouTube.
The quality of the YouTube version is sufficient in full screen - but if you really want to go after the film, I recommend the VHS copy I've linked to on Amazon. Do NOT buy the U.S. DVD release as it is seriously cut, in fact finding uncut versions of this movie tends to be quite difficult. I had to do a considerable amount of research to find out which releases were actual uncut versions of this movie. Even though it is a full screen presentation, the VHS version I'm linking to is just that - totally uncut and much better than the YouTube edited version, and certainly better than the DVD release.
"Blind Rage" is an A-Typical 'cops & robbers' film. Bank heists have of course been done a thousand times on the big screen, but this is the only example I have ever seen where the 5 deadly bank robbers happen to be.......... BLIND
Yeah, blind.
The entire premise of this movie is completely absurd, but that of course is quite often the case when it comes to lower budget b-movies that are looking for an angle to distinguish themselves from the Hollywood fare playing at more expensive movie houses without sticky floors.
The tale goes a bit like this:
Reflecting the reality of an unstable situation in Southeast Asia in the 1970's, the U.S. government decides to place $15 million in a bank in Manila to help prop up pro-democracy groups and allied governments in the region. A banking manager entrusted with the security of these funds happens to find himself approached by a mysterious black man who drives a kick-ass old Cadillac, and happens to be fully aware of the governments secret plans (their are a TON of totally absurd scenarios like this throughout the movie). This gentleman, whom we learn absolutely nothing about tries to enlist the greedy banker by bribing him with a brief case loaded with $200,000 over breakfast at IHOP.
Tempted, but skeptical, the bank official presses for details of the heist before signing on. What is the grand strategy you ask?
Obviously, the best way to rob a bank is to find 5 blind guys (from all around the world), build a scale sized model of the bank, and train them step by step (literally) on how to rob this particular bank. Teach them how to respond to the slightest sound with deadly force. So as not to be confused with who is who, naturally you outfit the full team with tap dance shoes.
Really, I'm not making this up
See, no one would suspect 5 blind guys of robbing a bank, especially if they were so well trained that they don't appear to be blind while robbing the bank itself! It's the perfect disguise. To escape, you obviously need an oil tanker with a false bottom to hide in - one that can drive straight on to an airport tarmac and park next to a plane heading back to the states, BRILLIANT!
Now, I don't know about you, but if that plan doesn't convince you to rob a bank, I can't imagine what will. It certainly worked on the bank manager, LoL.
As you can imagine, the whole thing is absurd enough to lead to quite a few laughs along the way - especially when you take a group of bad actors and task them with pretending they are blind. I am happy to report, the script is as preposterous as every other facet of this movie, which puts it in to "so bad, it's good" territory. Couple all that with some actually well done action sequences, and you may just find yourself enjoying this little oddity of a movie. I sure did.
If you haven't watched the trailer yet, now would be a good time.
So, where is the star of this film when it comes to this review? Notice I haven't mentioned Fred Williamson yet (admittedly, he was the main reason I bought the thing - and I'm sure was the primary draw for audiences to check it out back when this was featured at Grindhouses and Drive-ins around the country). Well, Fred Williamson doesn't actually appear in the movie until the last 10 minutes. Further, his role serves absolutely no purpose at all. I think he filmed his scenes over the course of about two hours and proceeded immediately to the nearest check cashing facility.
Now, you might find that whole bait & switch thing annoying - but the movie isn't new anymore, and if you pay more than a buck for an old beta or VHS copy, then you're a sucker anyway. Personally, for some strange reason, that he is billed as the star and only shows up during the last 10 minutes made me enjoy this movie all the more. It serves as a great example of the devious lengths producers would go to, to bring in an audience back in the day.
I don't recommend going out of your way to find a copy of this movie, but if you happen to come across one at a thrift store, or flea market, pick it up for a buck or two and pop it in the old VCR while enjoying some ice cream - you'll have a good time with it
megman wrote:
Just finished watching Mad Doctor of Blood Island and have Black mama White mama cued up.
Good stuff Megman!!!
I have "Black Mama, White Mama" as well, and have never seen it. Any interest in holding off on watching it until Sunday night, or any other night next week? I'll watch it the same night and we can both post reviews of it - the compare and contrast might be interesting if you're game
Tomorrow night is "Cannibal Holocaust" on the big screen at midnight!
megman wrote:
And I'll be damned if I can find a copy of The Hot Box.
"You'll get used to my babbling, all the others have." - Anna Madrigal from "Tales Of The City" by Armistead Maupin
