imbluzclooby Reviews

The Rain People (1969)

Depressive mood tale with a provocative observation.

[4/10 · 16 May 2024]

This early work by Francis Ford Coppola would have a hard time finding an audience today due to its meandering plot line and lethargic feel. At times we can see the precursors of Coppola's genius which would later lead to his greatness in following films: The Godfather films, Apocalypse Now and The Black Stallion, etc. The Waspy woman who marries into a traditional Italian-American family would later be used in the Godfather as it is here.

Upon learning she's pregnant, Newlywed Natalie Ravenna (Shirley Knight), runs out of town to do some soul-searching and to get a respite from her responsibilities as a wife and would-be mother. Her aimless trip brings her to pick up a Down and Out hitchhiker, Jimmy (James Caan) and have a traffic ticket issued by a Motorcycle Cop, Gordon (Robert Duvall). We later learn in a flashback that Jimmy had a head injury in a college football game that lead to some permanent cerebral damage. What may have seemed like a brief need to get some sexual gratification, Natalie soon realizes she wants out of this problem and to cut ties. But she ends up being stuck with him due to pity or by chance. She doesn't have the heart to leave him on his own, because he's incapable of surviving due to his limited faculties. While trying to unravel herself from this mess, she gets invited to Gordon's Mobile home. Now she learns this man has some serious complications of his own. So, as she ventures off from her husband to find some brief freedom, she gets entangled in a set of new problems. These men are damaged people.

When viewing Rain People we look for inner conflict rather than outer conflict. Because this is a slow moving plot, it's one of those late 1960's films where group dialogue has people talking over each other and the camera moves from one face to another capturing brief expressions in the characters. You have to invest in the character's situation to get anything out of it, or else, you might get bored and tune out of the story.

The Rain People falls in line with the few other Road movies of this era: Easy Rider, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Scarecrow,etc. Where troubled souls or empty lives converge. This may not be great entertainment, but for those who are willing to invest time with this modest piece of introspection this film is moderately interesting.

Ruffian (2007 TV Movie)

Better than Seabiscuit.

[8/10 · 5 February 2024]

The story of the beloved and magnificent Racehorse Philly, Ruffian, is brought to life in this sweet and sentimental portrait. Ruffian's great speed and talents are revealed during her training period, her victories, her Filly Triple Crown Victory and up to her match-up race against Kentucky Derby winner, Foolish Pleasure. What I like about this Made for Cable Movie is that you don't have to be a Horse Race enthusiast to enjoy it. Although, it does help. Sam Shepard, as Frank Whitely, the experienced and no-nonsense trainer is great in his realistic approach to the character. When noticing a young and speedy Ruffian run on the track for the first time, he demures, "I'm not sure about her for racing." Racing or not, I love that horse, says an assistant." "Never fall in love with a horse", retorts Frank. He's an old school pro who understands how to survive in the business. But evidently, he does fall in love with his gorgeous filly. An outcome he doesn't want to admit.

Frank Whaley, the reporter covering the racing scene at this time, serves as the narrator to the story. They show a sort of lukewarm, but prickly professional relationship. I like the old school macho barbs Whitely banters with his jockey and assistant trainers. They respect each other but refuse to get too friendly. Horse-racing is a tough business that requires nerves of steel.

This era of horse racing also took place when the male/female battle of the sexes was a new media craze. This theme blends in with this story without going overboard. You will also hear the likes of old time champions and jockeys such as Secretariat, Damascus, Dr. Fager, SWAPS, Eddie Arcaro and Willie Shoemaker which is reminiscent of great racing memories for fanatics.

Ruffian is a story of both tragedy and triumph of how one of the world's most beloved pastimes reminds us of why we love the horses and the tradition.

First Blood (1982)

Still holds up as one of the great action films.

[9/10 · 5 February 2024]

First Blood is the seminal film to the Rambo saga and definitely the best. The character of John Rambo is established here. The extremely tough and lethal Green beret soldier who returns to civilian life only to find he doesn't fit in. With PTSD lingering in the recesses of his mind he must defend his dignity and life against a surly sheriff and his band of sadistic deputies. This is also the film that catapulted Stallone from his Rocky persona into a mainstream action star. I cannot say his following action films were always good, but First Blood is a top-notch thriller. The acting is very good throughout the film with fine performances from Richard Crenna, Brian Dennehy and from Stallone himself.

Filmed entirely in the Vancouver, BC locale, it's an atmospheric and stunning journey of fight and flight. Stallone showed awesome prowess as a tough and capable action-hero. This story doesn't waver into silly cliches or pointless nuances. It's a gripping action film with a good storyline that sheds light on the condition of our country in the Post-Vietnam War era and the harsh consequences of the veterans who suffered through it.

One of Stallone's best!

The Class of Miss MacMichael (1978)

Migraine inducing.

[2/10 · 18 December 2023]

This story of a Reform school filled with screwed up delinquents plays more like a parody than a serious drama. At times it seems to work, but it mostly just rambles on with rude and raucous behavior from maladjusted students and the faculty trying desperately to hold things together. Glenda Jackson (Miss Macmichael) is a self-sacrificing teacher bordering on martyrdom. She believes she can reach these children who constantly disturb, destroy and harass everyone around them. We wonder why she's so stupid to believe in such a fallacy. As we witness her mind-blowing tolerance for these reprobates, our desire to kill some of these kids grows concurrently. Watching Oliver Reed as the corrupt and supercilious Principal (Mr. Sutton) is worth a laugh or two. He plays it big and mugs a lot for the camera. Unfortunately, when Miss Macmichael and Mr. Sutton have their showdown at the end while she trashes his office, we are left with an unsatisfying feeling of disgust: What was the point of all this?

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)

The Serial Killer theme is still unfortunately alive in Hollywood.

[3/10 · 25 September 2023]

There isn't a movie or book made that has adequately quantified the hideous and sickening nature of Ted Bundy crimes. Not even close. Many of the grisly crimes have been glossed over or completely omitted, but it sure has continued to be a subject of intrigue amongst a sizable segment of readers. I won't go into evaluating the types of people who relish this material, but what is offensively noticeable is that they all seem to imbue a Star Power in the infamous criminal and always marginalize the pain and suffering of the victims' families. Yes, it's an exploitative business that consequently lines pockets of authors and film makers. It all started with that dumpy and homely author, Ann Rule, and her novel "The Stranger Beside Me", A poorly written book that launched her career as a Crime author. Due to her fascination and admiration for this scumbag, she built a myth around his legacy making him out to be more brilliant, more humane and more handsome than he actually was. Her book was successful and as a result spawned a series of movies, books and documentaries.

The truth is that Bundy wasn't as brilliant or scrupulous as they made him to be. Law Enforcement, especially in The Colorado Correctional Center, was very inept, allowing him to escape twice. Forensic science was much more primitive, no DNA evaluation, no State-State Police collaboration, no internet, no cellphones and virtually no surveillance was available. Bundy got lucky a few times and was conniving enough to be on the move constantly before being apprehended. Hitchhiking, a very dangerous practice, was commonplace and didn't become illegal in some states until 1977.

As for the movie? It is pure Pop-culture sensationalism garbage. Like previous movies, they always cast a leading man type to play Bundy and never anyone who really resembles him. The Serial killer gets glorified to a Super star status and the storyline almost never focuses on significant incidences that give us insight into what really happened. Most offensive is that we almost never hear about the victims until the faceless names are projected on the screen at the very end. All the actors, John Malkovich, Zac Efron and the female actors are nothing like the actual people and the events aren't truthfully presented. It's really a disappointment for anyone curious to delve into the criminal mind and the whole demented nature of it. But since Bundy was such a uniquely perverse sociopath, it might be too difficult for most actors to capture the true deranged character.

Impulse (1984)

A great afternoon matinee thriller!

[8/10 · 29 August 2023]

I saw Impulse in the theater. It's a juicy little thriller with enough tension and suspense that builds up quite satisfyingly. Jennifer (Meg Tilly), after her mother's abrupt suicide attempt, rushes to her hometown with her Residential physician boyfriend, Stuart (Tim Matheson). This town has been besieged by toxic waste lurking beneath the soil after an earthquake has disrupted the seals of the chemical silos. What we are in for is a nicely built-up thriller filled with erotic suspense, violence and government malfeasance. I liked this movie, because it's short and doesn't waste time. I was never a big Tim Matheson fan, but this is his movie and his chemistry with Meg Tilly works well. Meg Tilly is one of the few actresses I always loved watching no matter what she's in. She's often coy, aloof and appears cold. But in this role and in this movie, it works to her advantage. She has just the right amount of beauty and youthful looks to draw my attention. She is not too glamorous. Her beauty is simple and endearing. She looks innocent but is capable of defending herself with ferocity due to her inner wisdom and intelligence. She's able to convey so much emotion without even uttering a word. She is an actress of effective subtlety.

There is a series of plot developments that happen due to the toxic waste being transferred through the dairy supply. Those who ingest it will lose humanly inhibitions and resort to their primordial and darker instincts. The theme is a dark one for that it considers the abandonment of inhibitions as one that will carry malevolent human urges rather than positive and nurturing ones: Lust, anger, violence and bad intentions. There is a particularly shocking scene where Stuart slugs Jennifer's brother against the wall, killing him outright, after witnessing him stashing dirty pictures of his sister. There are some pretty intense moments that are played out convincingly like this. Impulse is not a big budget movie, nor does it need to be. At 90 minutes it goes by swiftly and will keep you enthralled.

Pale Rider (1985)

The unabashed Narcissism of Clint Eastwood.

[3/10 · 16 July 2023]

Pale Rider is Western starred and directed by Clint Eastwood. In what had been successful in a few of his older westerns he brings this trite story of some humble tin-panners in a small community who are besieged by a ruthless group of Gold Miners who run a Mining operation replete with a battery of sophisticated equipment. The main boss, LaHood (Richard Basehart) is the ruthless owner who has a group of dopey henchman who will do anything to terrorize, pillage and prevent the small community from interfering in their pursuit of wealth. This is a simplistic tale of Good vs. Evil where Eastwood, The Preacher, fights of the bad guys in a street brawl, befriends the local tin-panning community, garners the admiration from women and spends the rest of the film defending these poor people who have been wronged by the powerful Mining Magnate.

As usual, Eastwood sets up scenes where he is displayed as the hero who always wins in every situation without getting a bruise or cut. He not only takes advantage of one middle aged woman (Carrie Snodgress), but also from a beautiful 15 year old nubile girl, Magan (Sydney Penny). I found this downright distasteful since he uses her character as eye candy and as a catalyst to stroke his insatiable ego. The girl, in awe of this enigmatic and mysterious gunslinger, professes her love and offers herself to be deflowered by him. There's no need to go into any detail since there's really nothing new or interesting to this "Eastwood" habit of using young women for his vanity purposes. It's not totally unrealistic, but looks very unnecessary. Eastwood, the actor, establishes himself as a choleric, vain and Dirty old man. Since he's supposed to be a religious clergyman of sorts, I found this quite offensive since his actions and behavior are questionable in character. When being asked to say Grace at a family supper, he doesn't even mention the Lord's name or any Holy reference. It's just "For what we are about to receive, let's be truly grateful". What a shallow bore this is. And so is the rest of this story, because it all looks so telegraphed and predictable. We know within the first 30 minutes how this story will play out, but it is lackluster and uneventful. The fight scenes are bland and unexciting. As he the Preacher lobs sticks of dynamite at the bridge and Mining operation it looks lazy and boring. There isn't any tension built up enough to warrant this predictable and disappointing climax. Yes, Clint's characters always win out and burnish their images as Western superheroes who have no worthy adversaries. But if this is the case, why can't we get a clever plot-twist or surprise threat to create suspense? It just didn't happen here. And the scene where LaHood's goons walk out in Unicen with their Trench coats to shoot down the poor drunkard looks stagy and corny. Almost laughable. I'm not opposed to the elements of the film if they could have been acted and created in a believable manner reflective of the Mid 19th Century. But here it looks shallow and stagy. No depth or realism. And to have a teenage girl from a strict religious upbringing from the 1800's showing such overt affection for a much older man is pretty offensive and demeaning.

Up in Smoke (1978)

When Low-Lives were praised for what they truly were.

[5/10 · 12 July 2023]

There was a time in Hollywood, or should I say, a cultural segment of Hollywood, where crude, irresponsible, and drug addled behavior was considered humorous. Cheech and Chong's "Up in Smoke" (1978) celebrates and explores this endeavor. The plot is so ludicrous and sophomoric that it won't take long to describe it. Basically, two losers hook up unwittingly and get caught in some crime caper about smuggling a van constructed of Marijuana. Yea. That's it. This comedy duo achieved moderate fame in the latter 1970's with a couple of comedy albums and then went into making movies. After the moderate success "Up In Smoke" with the younger generation, they went on the make several more films each getting worse and progressively less funny: Cheech and Chong's Next Movie, Nice Dreams, Things are Tough all over Corsican Brothers and Still Smokin'. But by the third installment their Star power waned, the Stoner Humor ran thin, and they soon overstayed their welcome.

Cheech and Chong are a byproduct of the 1960's Hippie counter-culture that as a residual to entertainment, was used, similar to Bill and Ted in the 1980's and 1990's. They make fun of themselves with crude vomit, farting jokes and the escapades involving getting stoned. Sure, it's funny when you're a kid, but you later realize how overrated this all was in hindsight. Cheech and Chong developed their own brand of Low-Brow humor which in a way was a triumph. They weren't pontificating to be anything more than Druggies, who in their authentic style, derived the humor from just that, Silly Kid humor. If you really want to catch a glimpse of this burnt-out Comedy duo, this is the only film worth a laugh. Their subsequent works are just lame rehashes of the same crude and stupid shenanigans.

Seize the Day (1986)

Robin Williams' most forgotten film.

[5/10 · 2 July 2023]

Before Robin Williams extolled the adage, "Seize the day" in Dead Poet's Society, he starred in an obscure TV movie with the same title. These two movies are not connected at all. This may not be Williams' worst movie, but it's definitely one that got barely any attention. Williams' plays Tommy Wilhelm, a down on his luck former actor and salesman who gets fired from his job, kicked out of the house by his wife, estranged from his children and must face his father in NYC to seek help.

Aside from the broad range of acting skills Williams' displays here, he can be very difficult to watch. The personal crisis, day to day failures and misfortunes he endures can test our movie watching patience. Williams had a penchant for playing characters, who in the midst of their desperation, could bring humor to the role and get us cheering for him. But this is not funny at all. There's no humor to be discerned. We just see a desperate fellow and a series of his failed attempts to get a break in life. His father is a stern and unloving old doctor who shuns Tommy's pleas for help, and consequently, criticizes and demoralizes Tommy for every suggestion Tommy makes. Tommy's only friend in this movie is played by a very sleazy and gruesome Jerry Stiller, who comes off as a sincere friend trying to help, but only betrays and cons Tommy out of his money. This comes at a time when Tommy is most vulnerable, desperate and in need of a break. This film is too depressing that it's almost comical to watch in that we can't believe this guy can be so unlucky. The story plays out like some sob story a drunk would tell you in a bar. There's no joy to be derived from it. This is pure drama. There aren't any funny bits. Saul Bellow, an unsuccessful writer, wrote this screenplay. It's obvious why he never did anything noteworthy. The film has some technical goofs: Sound loops and dubbing get inserted and don't match the action. There are a couple awkward jump cuts and lighting issues that look poorly constructed. This story takes place in the late 1950's, but we see some 1980's Models and makes of cars in the background.

It's very hard to find information on this movie online. Apparently, critics ignored it. It's a movie with a rather dire outlook on life. We just witness a hapless loser get duped, shunned, rejected and screwed at every turn. The problem here is that we don't arrive at any conclusion as to why he arrives in this crisis. Is he stupid? Have poor judgment? Is he just surrounded by Assholes? Perhaps it's all the above.

Megaforce (1982)

why do I remember even remember this?

[1/10 · 5 April 2023]

Strangely, I only vaguely remember the beginning and end. But I didn't remember the title. I saw this with a friend when I was 14 and remembering how disappointed I was that this Action/Sci Fi B-Movie sucked. The beginning I remember, because the Queen, Persiss Khambatta, expresses her disdain by being greeted in the desert by a redneck, Michael Beck. She's the only interesting character in this turkey. A former Beauty Queen from India, her agents had high hopes for her career. She is pretty and shows potential. But this could have only ruined her chances for future projects.

Somewhere in some distant Universe, a league of renegades, known as the Megaforce, lead by (Ace Hunter) Barry Bostwick, come to rescue the Queen and destroy the enemy. Bad costumes with tight fitting for the soldiers are ever-present. And who came up with the lame idea of Flying motorcycles? Barry Bostwick (Ace Hunter) is chosen for the lead role, an annoying actor I couldn't accept as a leading man, his eyes are too small and close together. I really don't remember anything else, because I am getting my plot information from other reviewers. I just recall the climax of the hero flying behind an aircraft on a Flying Motorcycle pulling all these aerial moves. The special effects are so awful and cheesey you can't even laugh, but just cry for wasting your money and time.

The Cannonball Run (1981)

Good Cheesey Fun.

[8/10 · 4 April 2023]

What happens when you get an All-Star lineup of stars in a movie about a Cross-Country road race? Non-stop silly fun. Burt and Company is right at home here with their silly madcap plot, stunts, hot babes and usual shenanigans. Brock Yates idea was ripped off by the moderately successful "The Gumball Rally" (1976), but they answered back with this 1981 hit which was successful enough to qualify itself a sequel. Someone here mentioned that the stars are embarrassing themselves in this comedy. But hey, that's part of the fun isn't it? From the opening 7 minutes with the Black Lamborghini Countach hauling around two gorgeous babes ditching the cops, we know we are in for a fun ride. Burt Reynolds didn't care if the story was based on the real life Canonball Run USA road race. He just wanted to have fun with this. And being that he was offered the highest salary of any actor in history at this point (5 Million USD), it's understandable why this had to happen. So sit back, have a cold beer or hot Latte and enjoy the silly fun.

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

The trouble with discordant stories, Kubrik style.

[6/10 · 15 March 2023]

Almost everyone here mentions how the first and second half of FMJ are completely incongruent with each other. Their observations are correct. It would be better to find a viable reason why this story decides to jump from a Barrack's tale to a Battlefield tale almost without any coherent story line preparation.

We first witness the relentless abuse and torture, almost exclusively, from a real-life Drill Instructor played by R. Lee Ermey (Sgt. Hartman) in his first big screen role at the age of 43 but looking closer to 60. I guess military life hardens and ages the hardcore types. His target is played very well and convincingly by Vincent D-Onofrio, Private Pyle. Since Ermey is the Real Deal, we can assume his performance is authentic, albeit over the top, with his histrionic cursing and hollering. As Pyle endures the (In your face) and our faces, brutal conditioning, we are wondering where this is leading. The outcome is inevitable, but where is the payoff? Based on the following half of the film we aren't sure why we even sat through the rest of this drawn-out familiar scenario. All the other soldier characters, including the supposed lead recruit, Matthew Modine (Joker) are all interchangeable without any likable or unique characteristics. The whole scene where they sneak up on a sleeping Private Pyle with Towel wrapped soap bars taking pot shots at his abdomen in single file with each only striking one blow, looks farcical and contrived. I could see maybe two guys doing a midnight beating with the rest quietly watching on, but this looked ridiculous. And to have a hesitant Joker, suddenly strike several blows at the behest of his fellow recruit jars against his supposed jocular nature and his previous state. I couldn't figure out the Joker guy. Is he a hero? A two-faced chump? I guess I don't like Matthew Modine as an actor. A thin, rangy and bespectacled guy with a simpering grin is not a guy I take a liking to.

The rest of this film treads on familiar ground with routine battle scenes, a few 1960's pop songs, a funny Vietnamese hooker scene and some childish locker room trash talk. Movies like Apocalypse Now, An Officer and a Gentleman, Lords of Discipline, The Deer Hunter and Gardens of Stone did so much better at this and were more involving, because they drew us into the characters and helped us invest in their plight emotionally.

FMJ will score points with the unsophisticated males who want to shove this film in other's throats, but as for a good War film, you can find much better. I swear Stanley Kubrik was a downright Pervert with homosexual tendencies. He likes to display men grabbing their crotch as well as them grabbing other's crotches. He's done this in several of his movies including this one. It's unnecessary and obscene stuff. Rot in Peace, Stanley!

Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (1972)

An Obscure Childhood memory quite misunderstood.

[5/10 · 10 March 2023]

Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? Is a twisted variation on the Hansel and Gretel story. It's creepy for sure, but the only really good thing going for it is the performance of Shelley Winters. Everyone else seems hammy or dull by comparison. She's zany, ludicrous, empathetic and pathetic all at once. What I liked most about Shelley Winters is that she wasn't afraid to put herself out there. She abandons all vanity and glamour and just immerses herself in these crazy and unflattering roles. She dives into them with vigor and the result is that she was fantastically entertaining. She was a bit of a Glamour Puss in her early career, but as age and weight gain took their toll, she became more of a character actress. She slodged through some B-Horror films in the 70's, but she could certainly act. The boy in this movie is Mark Lester, The kid from the movie "Oliver". They were using his victimized innocent persona as a child actor, but he's about as dull and likable as a common brat. Ralph Richardson, the accomplished Shakespearean actor, plays a hack Psychic Medium, who fools and fleeces the poor and desperate widow. His performance is okay, albeit a bit too hammy for my taste. Michael Gothard, as the butler, is just awful. I've seen him in a couple other films and his overacting here is barely tolerable. I only liked him when Roger Moore kicked him down a cliff in "For Your Eyes Only" (1981).

A couple of key problems: (First) watching child actors and how they are directed can be irritating. We really have to adjust our expectations with the lack of maturity, skill and emotional depth they have.

(Second) is the sheer injustice of the outcome. The poor lady is murdered by these little snippets. We are led to believe that these kids are being abused as entitled victims, when in reality, his paranoia and imagination jump to conclusions about Mrs. Forrest's intentions. The result is tragic and not scary, because the children's response to her demise is remorseless and joyful, which is quite disturbing.

If this movie were to be remade, they would obviously beef up the jump scares and gratuitous gore. But I think this film is better remembered as a bizarre attempt to derange the old Children's tale.

The Key (1958)

Needs to be edited down.

[6/10 · 2 March 2023]

The Key (1958) is a pretty good wartime drama with some good acting and enough suspense to keep us interested. The problem is that it needs to be edited down by at least 15 minutes. Especially, the seafaring missions on the tugboats. Some the this seems to drag on a bit too long and made me lethargic. Some effective usage of WW2 battlements, sounds and warfare are done well, but we don't need to drag out these scenes needlessy.

William Holden, Sophia Loren and Trevor Howard each give good performances. Sophia's delivers a rare understated and soft-spoken performance which is perfectly correct since she is the woman in question. Trevor Howard musters up a cantankerous voice for his weather beaten British sailor character. William Holden is himself naturally.

I particularly liked the metaphysical /supernatural element to this story since war movies are often too rehashed and derivative of other war movies. This had an interesting plot device. I must have watched the extended version of 2.5 hours plus. It's just too long. Strangely, the ending is not your typical Hollywood ending with a happy ending.

Breezy (1973)

If you can get past the questionable nature of it...

[5/10 · 26 February 2023]

May-December affairs are nothing new in Hollywood. Although the taboo still lies sentient in the minds of viewers, they are hardly credible. Charles Bronson did it in 'A London Affair" (1970). Jason Robards did it in "Fools" ((1970) and here the aging and lugubrious, William Holden, does it at the age of 54, Albeit he looks much older. Cary Grant was much more credible when paired up with younger co-stars, because he aged better and his roles and films usually had more depth. Whether or not you endear yourself to this film lies solely on your ability to get past the grotesque and unbelievable nature of a 19 year old Nubile hippie girl pairing up with a stodgy Middle Age man sexually. William Holden, a credible and gifted actor, had a penchant for being paired up with much younger co-stars. But here it looks so wrong. There isn't a shred of chemistry between Breezy (Kay Lenz) and his character Frank. The dialogue feels stilted and the intimate scenes are forced. Ironically, Clint Eastwood directed this and deals with the subject matter sensitively with the intention of allowing her character to tug at our heart-strings. The whole 60's Counterculture zeitgeist is brought to challenge the sensibilities of the older generation: in free love, acceptance, mutual understanding, compassion and peace. Frank's character inevitably finds himself falling in love with this young woman but tries to contest it due to his inability to cope with the repercussions. Ultimately and predictably, he gives in and stops fighting the love he feels for her.

As for the movie? It's an old man's fantasy! Seriously, how rare is it to witness a young woman show such devotion and attraction to such an old stranger? I have seen girls flirt and maybe imply some flirtatious behavior just to be funny or silly, but this was almost unbelievable. Breezy uses montage sequences with beautiful, sweet folk music: a walk on the beach during sunset, a fancy dinner date, a shopping spree and an intimate love scene. Eastwood handles the material with the due sensitivity it needs, but many viewers will be turned off by the sheer unlikeliness of the couple. Kay Lenz makes an appealing newcomer with her lilting voice, pouty lips, tiny figure and broad cheekbones. William Holden had reached the dénouement of his life and acting career, looking old, jowly, and haggard. His stern vocal delivery serves as a foil to her delicate and bubbly character.

Breezy went pretty much unnoticed at the Box Office but has obtained a segment of appreciation with some Eastwood fans and perhaps those who can enjoy this story. The only way to get anything out of this film is if you suspend your belief and open your heart to Breezy.

Sssssss (1973)

Strange idea with some creepy and goofy effects.

[3/10 · 21 June 2022]

When asking people if they heard of the movie, SSSSS, I always get a pause with a look of confusion. After explaining to them that this is the title of this stupid movie, I then have the obligation of explaining this absurd plot that could have only crept out of the mind of some geek with deranged fantasies. Dr. Stoner is a mad scientist with a very twisted view on humanity. He believes mankind is too barbaric and that transforming them into snakes is the answer to our world problems. WTF! So how does he know that these snakes with human intelligence won't repeat the same mistakes as normal humans? This is a very poorly thought-out idea. And if that isn't enough, we are faced with cliche characters: the stereotypical Jock meathead, the nerdy and sweet daughter of the crazy scientist and other cardboard characters. David is the subject and victim who barely shows any consternation about undergoing this demonic experiment until it's too late.

To it's credit, SSSSS uses real live pythons, boas and cobras which were imported from the far east. A cool scene featuring the laboratory venom extraction is shown. This is also probably the first movie to utilize snakes in a horror movie plot device. The special effects are also fairly decent for early 1970's standards. But the whole idea of this story is just too weird and ridiculous. Even if it were possible to transform people into snakes, why the hell would you want to. SSSSS relies on some chilling visuals of real life amputees who portray victims of Dr. Stoner's ongoing experiments. The makeup is effective, but they really don't look snakelike. They look more like a cross between an alien and an iguana. Snakes have wide set eyes planted on the sides of their heads. The prosthetic makeup and latex couldn't achieve this effect. SSSSS is fairly involving depending on your level of credulity. But if you want to get some retro creeps from the 1970's with some laughable acting and corny acting, SSSSS is worth a look.

Rocky (1976)

A unique classic that works in every way.

[10/10 · 11 June 2022]

Without rehashing all the plot details, we already know, the deep personal importance to me is the love story. The love story aspect is what anchors this inspiring movie. Without this, it simply would not nearly have the same impact. Two lovable losers, Rocky and Adrian, meet regularly in an innocent and tender way. She's shy enough to be afraid of her own shadow and he's a gregarious Paluka who talks a lot. When he takes her to his apartment it's about as awkward a date as can be after having a brief outing on an empty Ice rink. Adrian has concealed herself from the world by wearing layers of clothing, spectacles and a Mitten cap which covers her almost completely. As Rocky lowers her guard in his boyish and earnest way, we aren't sure how this will unfold. He asks her softly to take off her glasses. Then her hat. We see her natural and inner beauty blossom before our eyes. The kiss is sincere and feels so real.

Rocky works on two levels: It's an enthralling sports story about an underdog. It's a love story that propels Rocky's and Adrian's journey into personal growth and development. It's sweet, innocent and impossible to discard. I thought the little nuances and scenes between them were actually the most fascinating part of the story and the boxing aspect relies on its impact. From my entire movie watching experience, in every movie I've seen, it's the first film to offer an exciting training montage accompanied by the Epic song. "Getting strong Now". The signature Rocky theme song resonates in our heads for years to come. It probably doesn't last more than two minutes, but it's crucially essential to the spirit of this film.

The original Rocky is a miracle. It was done on a very modest budget but became one of the great inspiring films of all time.

The Wild Racers (1968)

A cure for Insomnia.

[1/10 · 9 June 2022]

This portrait of an F1 racer is seems like hours to sit through. Way too many Jump Cuts, voice-overs, bad lighting, poor sound quality and thin plotline is enough to turn off even the most avid Racing fans. Fabian stars in another Grade C film in his meagre film career showing off how he goes hitching up with girl after girl only to prove every Race car groupie is as futile as the career itself. The only reason I labored through this dreck was to see Talia Coppola (Shire) in her debut screen appearance which was way too brief given she only has about one minute of screen time. Some good sequences of the European cities and landscapes are showcased, but you would be better off flipping through an old Travel catalogue. Save your time.

Insight (I) (1960–1984)

Forgotten TV treasure

[7/10 · 6 December 2021]

Insight was a Christian Faith based program which featured thirty - minute short stories that were driven by social issues of our time. During my Middle school Religion class at a parochiol school, we would watch an episode of Insight periodically. Although Christian themes were present it bravely delved into the realm of deep and concerning human dilemmas with melodramatic presentations and acting.

This program could be quite powerful in its morality lessons while addressing troubling problems of the human condition: Guilt, fear, acceptance, compassion, remorse, anger, lust, love, faith, uncertainty, greed, deceit, despair, etc. Most of the stories played out as an allegory to serve as some thoughtful lesson on spiritual and personal conflicts that all people, religious, non-religious and agnostic could relate to. And this is what made the program so special. Insight also garnered the acting talents of some very notable stars: Martin Sheen, Patty Duke, Jack Albertson, Cicely Tyson, Bill Bixby, Elizabeth Ashley, Walter Matthau, Ed Asner, Jack Klugman, Brian Keith and many others. Some episodes were so moving that there was no need to even remark on them. They were well done and could compel you to tears. Budgetary constraints were also apparent since the production values were quite minimal. And this gave the program a stagy look and feel as if you were watching old time TV theater.

It's definitely one of the intriguing shows of yesteryear and well ahead of its time.

Flashdance (1983)

Style over substance. So 80's.

[5/10 · 11 October 2021]

Before I dump on this this dated 80's pop yarn, I must admit that it was a huge hit back in 1983. If you haven't seen this yet, just know that this is an indicative example of how a lame and weak drama can have effective allure to the public. At least for the early 1980's which it is so reflective of. Flashdance fits this bill to a T.

To begin, this trite story is about a very young gal who has aspirations of becoming a professional ballet dancer. She is self taught and lives around the Rust belt in Pittsburgh, PA. To make ends meet, she works as a welder by day and moonlights as an exotic dancer in a local night club. Jennifer Beal, in her movie debut, takes on this role, but she is rather genteel and fragile looking to come off as a tough girl who does rugged work. She is shown to have bouts of tantrums, risque behavior and street wisdom. She seems unsuited for this type of character requirement since she is much too young and soft looking. She even looks uncomfortable playing the scenes where she shows aggression. I just learned that she didn't do much dancing at all since the dancing scenes are performed by Body doubles. After close review I can see it now. The scenes where she is practicing to "She's a maniac" only shows her face and her feet in close-ups. The rest of the routine is clearly another person doing all the strenuous movements and stretches. It is clear that the body-double is more muscular and athletic looking than Jennifer Beals, but the dim lighting and edits are done so well that I didn't even notice initially. And this goes for the rest of the dance scenes, which are the highlight of the movie.

Flashdance is a confluence of MTV meets Film drama. It succeeds as the former, but fails as the latter. The ulterior motive was to sell a soundtrack. The plot is very weak and not very involving. The supporting characters are cliche. Beals' character is just not fleshed out enough for us to really care about her personally much. Of course, at the end it's exciting, because we are all waiting for that moment for her to knock her audition out of the park with her exciting dance routine. And that's what we are anticipating. Her love interest, Michael Nouri, is bland and doesn't reveal much about why he decides to go for her, other than he's thrilled at watching her dance. But the love story angle, her work angle and the little drama at the bar are just not believable and somewhat muffled in their delivery. They just don't add any appeal to this movie. Did I also mention that being a welder is a dangerous job that requires skill and intensive training. It is virtually impossible that an 18 year old girl can just walk in and learn this so quickly. And the percentage of women in that profession must be under 1%.

Flashdance fits in the same genre with movies like "Fame". This whole craze about young people working on their passions and fulfilling their dreams of becoming singers, actors, musicians and dancers is what inspires this. The film throws in these little subplots of how people are aspiring to be performers. Her friends at the nightclub: a cook/comedian, ice-skater, etc. And how these people are struggling. But the main character is determined and good enough to succeed. The drama, characters and the overall progression is not involving enough and is actually boring until we get to our finale of her acing her audition and running outside to leap into her boyfriend's arms with that signature 1980's freeze frame. It's all so cheesey, but it's as satisfying as an ending as we could get.

To its credit, the dance scenes are pretty good and exhilarating enough to hold our attention. I could also credit Flashdance for being innovative in that it attempts to achieve the Cinderella story with a touch of Rocky. But it really is just a 1980's chick flick.

Scanners (1981)

One of the better B-Movie Sci-Fi Horror flicks of it's era.

[6/10 · 26 September 2021]

B-Movie Horror auteur, David Cronenburg, spends a bit more money here to give us his best B-movie to date. Scanners is showing it's age (1980), but it still offers a thoughtful and gripping concept. It's well-crafted, suspenseful and thick on plot. And where it focuses much on plot and heavy dialogue, the character development is lost due to uneven acting and too much concentration on the plot action. It's tempting for a reviewer to pan a film for not living up to their personal expectations. But since David Cronenburg lives up to his own expectations I will give him his own merit recognition.

Scanners was billed as a Sci-Fi Horror flick, but it's actually more of an espionage thriller with some gory violence and a storyline involving science fiction.

People with telepathic/psychokinetic powers are being commodified by a corporate giant known as ConSec. In what we assume to be a dystopian world, these few individuals ranging around 237, and growing, are being harvested and researched for money and corporate greed. Though the morals of all involved are questionable, the most sinister and malevolent Scanner, Darrel Revoc (Michael Ironiside), plans to form his own renegade and overtake the world by means of violent force. The benign Scanners, Cameron (Stephen Lack) and Kim (Jennifer O'Neill) choose to be independent of any corporate control and to defeat Revoc and his evil organization.

Without giving away too much of the plot, Scanners does boast some impressive sets, old school special effects and a chilling background score. The weakness lies in some of the acting. Mainly Silverman and Lack. Silverman's acting is inappropriate and tedious even for an eccentric character. Lack doesn't possess the charisma of a leading man and his performance is stiff. His blank stares and wooden performance were bland and indicative of weak acting skills. But in the context of the plot it actually worked to the film's advantage. This is a plot driven movie. The downside is that I didn't have any personal investment in any of the characters. This could be a deficiency in the script or acting. Old pros like (Patrick McGoohan) Dr. Ruth, always give admirable performances. Career villain actor, Michael Ironside, is effective and convincing in his role. Jennifer O'Neill does a fine job. But the rest of the cast is just bland and mediocre.

It was implicated, early in the film, that Scanners are tormented by their own powers, because they are absorbing the thoughts of other humans constantly. As a result they suffer mentally. It would have been more interesting to me if the film delved more into that realm rather than the espionage angle. We are caught up in a minutiae of Corporate machinations, subterfuge and action sequences instead. Our lead, Cameron, starts off as a homeless degenerate who oddly possesses the Telepathic powers. Once he is apprehended and used for corporate gain, he flees as soon as he can. He starts off as an outsider and becomes another type of outsider.

There are some things I liked about scanners, beside the Head explosion scene. In a way the movie was ahead of its time and it foresaw the cynical view that anything that has positive potential will be used for greedy purposes by government or corporate conglomerates. This is a flawed film that does deliver on suspense whilst giving the viewer a moderate thrill for their time.

Overall - 6.5 Stars.

Necromancy (1972)

Low Budget Occult Horror

[3/10 · 22 March 2021]

To it's credit, this uneven Horror flick makes the most out of its Shoe-string budget. During this time, the Ultra Low budget films often took their settings somewhere in the rural parts of California within a reasonable geographic distance of LA just to minimize the impact of Production costs. As we see here, the production values are scarce, but relatively effective at capturing moods with some arresting visuals.

A young woman, Lori (Pamela Franklin), suffers a stillbirth to her newborn. We soon learn that her husband Frank (Michael Onktean), has been hired by some enigmatic Toy Manufacturer Dr, Cato (Orson Welles), located in some small rural town in the Central Valley. As the wife is still grieving the loss of their child, she accepts her loser husband's new job as a chance to start over as he promises her. In the same seen, we also learn that she was "Born with a Veil'. For those who didn't capture the significance of this plot device, it means that a fetus actually exits the birth canal with the Amniotic Sac covering its entire body and intact. It's a phenomenon so rare that many cultures and religions consider it a divine gift that enables that baby to be endowed with psychic powers.

So, as this young couple is en route to their new destination, a couple of traumatic episodes take place along the way: they witness a car swerve off of an embankment crashing in flames over the cliff. Young Lori investigates the burning car up close and recovers a Rag doll. But the couple presses on and the car mysteriously runs out of gas. Frank walks to find a gas station as Lori sits alone in the stranded car. She is thus set upon by a Psychic hallucination where she witnesses a funeral Wake atop of a hill organized by a coven of witches. Later, we see all of this bears significance to the ordeal that thus follows. Terrified, she runs back to the car and in a panic tells her dopey husband. It is apparent that Lori is susceptible to Evil auspices. Needless to say, they reach the new town, move into their creepy new home and meet some of their new neighbors and Frank's new coworkers. Naturally, matters only become more bizarre and unsettling to Lori as she learns about what is really going on in this new arrangement. But her husband is too dense to notice or even care. because he's just a knucklehead who needs a job.

I'm usually pretty forgiving to Schlocky Horror films of the early 1970's, especially ones involving Demonic witchcraft. I would have easily given this movie 6 stars out of 10, if it had just taken the time to enhance the acting, improve the script, finetune the screenplay and maybe focus a bit more on characterizations to keep the plot from lagging. Orson Welles (Dr. Cato), although the central force behind this evil facade, has little screen time and looks like he's ready to fall asleep every time he delivers his lines. He even does an accent, but It's uncertain where this accent comes from. At 45 years of age he looks closer to 60 and about 120 pounds overweight. Michael Onktean can't act his way out of a paper bag so much that he appears brain dead through most of this. Pamela Franklin, although inappropriately pert, is the only acting asset to this movie while she holds this plot in place. The rest of the acting from the supporting cast ranges from dull to completely wooden.

American Pop (1981)

Quite possibly a Ripoff on Pop-Culture.

[1/10 · 27 January 2021]

I have seen several engaging films by Ralph Bakshi: Wizards, The Lord of the Rings and Hey, Good Lookin'! American Pop is definitely not one of them. The story is supposed to follow a Jewish family starting from their immigration in the 1900's to about 1980. This is obviously a sort of semi-autobiography for the director and his own familial roots. Why make make a film about one's own immigration experience through American pop-music? How can this possibly work? In 90 minutes we get a string of musical numbers starting from early Jazz to Rock that really don't tie us into the whole immigration experience. At least not from my perspective. And that scene about the Drug Dealer coaxing the record company to listen to his singing of Bob Segar's "Night Moves" doesn't make any sense. None of the popular songs being used have any relation to the movie, characters or plot. They are just thrown in to create an appealing Soundtrack. And this leads me to believe that Bakshi is trying to ingratiate himself into Pop-music, as if he was the mind behind all these classic songs. But he's not! This is why I think this movie is just a flat out ripoff. And aside from the uneven plot, the rotoscoping looks nauseating after a few minutes. The animation is colorful , but not very good.

Ralph Bakshi has used the medium of animation to strong effect in previous films, but here it looks haphazard and doesn't bring any benefit to this type of drama.

Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)

"Fortune smiles on the brave, and spits on the coward"

[6/10 · 24 January 2021]

Aguirre, The Wrath of God, is a film definitely worth seeing due to historical controversy, impressive cinematography and a haunting musical score. It's also a spiritual film delving into man's quest for prosperity while questioning man's morality intertwined with his religious beliefs and personal hubris.

Loosely based on the presumable diaries of a 16th Century Spanish Monk, Gaspar Carvajal, the story chronicles a journey led by a large group of Spanish soldiers; their group of captive Indigenous men and Inca slaves in 1560. This expedition is led by a Spanish governor, Gonzalo Pizarro, a Spanish General, Guzman, Asura, his wife and a formidable Officer, Don Lope Aguirre along with his teenaged daughter. The first 10 minutes of this film elaborates on the ominous and stagnant beauty of a mountainside along the Andes as we see the group trekking down a slippery stepped path leading down into the Peruvian rainforests. The terrain proves difficult for this cavalcade. While the women are being toted by hand in a large sedan chair by foot on muddy ground they are also dressed in perfectly clean dresses with their hair perfectly coiffed. The men are dressed with Battle helmets, Chest plates and boots. Some have full body armor. We realize, very soon, their gear and attire proves unsuitable for this mission. They struggle through the swampy mud and heavy green thickets with all their armaments and provisions until they must stop out of exhaustion.

The leader, Pizarro, realizes this journey is hopeless. As the cavalcade has nearly used up all their food supply and are depleted of energy, Pizarro decides to create a new plan to have a portion of the team split off to forage food and to acquire insights on how to seek the City of Gold, Eldorado. This plan proves to be disastrous, because one of the members, Don Lope Aguirre, chooses mutiny and to pursue Eldorado without Pizarro altogether. After a group of their men get caught in an Eddy on their raft while cruising down the river, they are ambushed by marauding Indians nearby. A power struggle ensues between 1st in command, Asura, and 2nd in Command, Aguirre. Subsequently, Aguirre wins out and the rest of the group bands with Aguirre. They appoint someone to be an Emperor, Fernando Guzman, just for the sake of having a figurehead. However, it's Aguirre who remains the true boss and ruthless leader of this ill fated voyage.

Director, Werner Herzog, uses historical facts infused with a fictional narrative based on two separate expeditions. General Pizarro, Done Lope Aquirre and Gaspar Carvajal were historical figures during this time of Exploration, but were on separate missions. Herzog takes Artistic license in adjusting history, and I excuse him for that. It's also possible that Eldorado was just a mythical city of Gold that was rumored by the Indians to lead the Europeans into their lair only to be open prey. Cannibalism, savagery and torture is also suggested. And although this folly proves to be a Fool's errand, it transcends into a deeper understanding of man's psychology through his overreaching ambition and spiritual visions.

It's a stunning piece of work visually, despite it's numerous flaws with dialogue and acting. Aside from Klaus Kinski, the acting is very wooden. Some of the death scenes look poorly choreographed or plain stupid. It's as if the actors were incapable of showing pain. The unknowable fear and desperation of traveling on unfamiliar country accompanied with bugs, hostile Indians and a scarce food supply is likely to be a suicide mission. This is what makes this movie worth watching. It's truly a cinematic journey and notable account of World History, regardless of any possible inaccuracies there may be. Herzog draws us into this dreary and perilous world, making us feel like we are part of the experience. Although the only acting standout is Klaus Kinski as the title character, he also proves tedious as well. His glowering stares, manic grimaces and sinister voice isn't easy to buy as overpowering since he is small in stature and walks with a limp. One would think that such a ruthless and fearless leader would have to be physically capable and domineering to accomplish such an upheaval against his superiors. But as history has it, sometimes the manipulative and dastardly people prevail as the last man standing in times of desperation and crisis.

Shock Treatment (1981)

Shock ripoff!

[3/10 · 18 December 2020]

After the colossal cult success of Rocky Horror Picture Show, the same film makers decided to bank on its popularity by bringing another musical satire, Shock Treatment. Unlike its predecessor (RHPS), which had kitschy nuances, funny characters and catchy musical numbers, Shock Treatment has none of those qualities. What we have here is a series of dumb songs, poorly choreographed vignettes and some tasteless jokes. Even Jessica Harper wearing a tight black sequined dress isn't enough to save this turkey. Shock Treatment is a dreadful bore.