Holiday Flix: Finian's Rainbow (1968)

 A logical, sane man would cover a Film from the Leprechaun Film Series today.
When have I ever been that?

Instead, let me talk about a different Leprechaun movie- Finian's Rainbow!

This 1968 Musical was adapted from the 1947 Musical Play of the same name.  It is Irish and features a Leprechaun as key to its Plot.

It was also Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
No, really.

The Film brought back Fred Astaire to the limelight (his first dancing on Film since 1957) and its Themes of Racial Integration were sadly still topical 20 years later. 

The Play has been revived at various times over the Years, as recently as 2009 and 2017.

To see if the Film (last released on Blu-Ray in 2017) hold up today, read on...

Finian and Sharon (Father and Daughter) travel from Ireland to America...on foot.

The Credits play over shots of them at various landmarks, though you could mistake shots like this for ones from The Lord of the Rings.

They end up in a place called Rainbow Valley in the Deep South.

The residents are trying to keep their land, but Senator Dawkins is trying to buy it all up for various reasons.

Oh, and this lady can only communicate via dance.  Welcome to a Musical.

Sarah falls for a guy named Woody, who is a wandering musician/sharecropper who has returned with talks of great money and success.

He brought none of that.

Finian brought a Pot of Gold he took from a Leprechaun with him as part of his dream.

He buries it in the ground, believing that planting it near Fort Knox will make it multiply.

Did this shot inspire Pulp Fiction?

Said Leprechaun then appears OG (pronounced as OG and not O-G) wants it back.

The longer he doesn't have his gold, he loses his powers and becomes more mortal (shown by him growing taller).

As the Senator tries to take the land, he amends a law that makes it illegal for the white and black residents to intermingle.

Sarah says that she 'wishes that the Senator was black' while standing on the Pot of Gold, making the wish come true.

In his absence, she's now thought to be a Witch.

OG is still looking for his gold as things get worse for everyone in Town.

Elsewhere, the Senator learns a lesson, but is still Black.

OG, who was in love with Sharon (as he's more human) falls for Susan the Silent (the dancing girl) and accidentally wishes for her to be able to speak.

Now he's in love!

OG has to make a big choice- use the third wish to restore the Senator to save Sharon OR take the gold and become a Leprechaun again.

He obviously chooses the former, saving the day.

Also, a B-Plot involving the residents creating Menthol Cigarettes is also resolved.  Yea.

Finian leaves to 'find his rainbow.'

The End.

A fun Film, but do know that this is absolutely a full-on Musical.

Lots of songs.  Lots of dancing.

If you don't like those things, this one won't do it for you.

For those who into that, the Film is definitely for you, from Petula Clark's vocals to the score to Astaire's dancing.

As a Play turned Film, it has a surreal look with technicolor and being mostly shot on a Sound Stage.

I will say that some of the stuff has not aged well.
Mostly it is the fact that the Senator being turned Black was done the way you think it was.

It's not something I'll defend- I will just stop short of attacking it.

Having said all of that, the Film is still pretty fun and it apparently inspired the Cohen Brothers, so I'm not mad.  
Did it also inspire later Werewolf Films too?

A Film that is fun, as long as you can enjoy/endure all of the song & dance.  Slainte, everyone!

Holiday Tubi: The Leprechaun's Curse (2021)

 Another year and another Leprechaun Film.

Instead of going for that already-forgotten 'legacy Sequel' to the original 1993 Leprechaun Film, let's check out the Sequel to last year's Review.

Yet again, I can double dip, as the Director is the same woman as last time.

A man comes home and finds nobody around...and feels strange.

Time to get out...with your bag of gold.

Sure enough, the Leprechaun is after him.

It pads out the runtime...I mean, sneakily stalks him until killing him in the pool by...I think...filling his body with gold so he can't float.

It was done better in Leprechaun 2 with the whole pot of gold.

As it turns out, he was the Stepbrother to this lady and now she inherited his Estate.

She takes her boyfriend, her friends and her Mother to the place.

It all seems fine, until they find a threatening note calling them 'teefs' (which is funny to hear the Actor say in his fake Irish accent).

He also took pictures of them, but a) when and b) with what camera?

Like those rage ghosts in Japan, he just kind of hangs around and kill anybody he feels slighted him by 'stealing his gold.'

This one lady- who we just met- picks up 2 pieces of gold just lying on a counter and he immediately kills her, even after she throws it down.

Fun.

Our lady director- playing a lady with the same first name as the last Film, but I don't think it's supposed to be the same Character- shows up a few times and then gets killed by the Leprechaun.

This is the kind of Film that *talks* about killing a kid... but won't actually do it.

To find out what happens, stream the Film now.

It's...not any better than the last one, really.  It's more of the same, which is what you get when you bring the same Lead, Director and one of the two Writers (who is also the Director).

I'm not 100% sure, but that House looked awfully familiar as well.

The Plot is just a different version of the same thing- people get gold and Leprechaun kills them over it.  The setup is different, of course, in that our Heroes/Heroines don't actually look for the gold.

Like I said earlier, it feels like one of those rage ghost films like The Grudge, since he just kills you for something you didn't actually do.

For context, he makes the guy drop 2 pieces of gold in the pool, doesn't retrieve them and then targets everyone in the Pool (or proximity) that then finds said pieces of gold!

Seriously, just pick it up yourself!

It's not the worst Film you'll see, but it is just devoid of joy.  To get me to watch more from this Director, you may have to resort to more drastic means...

May your day be more fun that watching this one turned out to be. Slainte everyone!

Poor Bastards of Cinema: The Leprechaun's Game (2020)

 A bad Holiday Film can at least give me content than just a Review.

This recent one- my St. Patrick's Day Review- does just that.

To review, some folks are hired by a strange, rich man to find a Leprechaun's Pot of Gold.
They decide to keep it for themselves...and the titular guy is pissed!

Before that happens, however, we get some setup for pathos as one of them has a sick girlfriend (I think- I honestly don't recall if they are married or not).

After they get the gold, we see that one of them has a girlfriend.

A different person, to be clear.

We meet her, the couple celebrates with off-camera sex and then splits up for post-coitus cleaning.

While the guy is in the Shower, the Leprechaun shows and blows powder into the woman's face.

Unlike the powder in Pro-Wrestling, this doesn't blind you temporarily- it messes your face up real bad!

Well, we just met her and she meets a bloody death for no reason.

Got one more in you, Film?

----

The sick Spouse questions where she got the money from, since every character here has 'insert crime past here' as their Backstory.

She's convinced that things are fine.

While she's gone in the next Scene, the Leprechaun shows up and goes after the sick lady.

Using his vaguely-defined powers, he makes her bend like that girl in the (boring and pretentious) Remake of Suspiria.

…and she dies.

One of them has no backstory and dies in their second (arguably first) Scene.

The second gets some setup...but is still just there to die- just more tragically.

Most importantly, neither took the gold, nor did they even touch it.

There could have been a twisted moral lesson here if it spared them and killed the thieves...but no.
Poor Bastards it is then!

Next time, another Film via Tubi that gave me some gratuitous death.  Can I get 2 Updates out of it?  See you then...

Tubi Thursday: The Leprechaun's Game (2020)

 It's all about the game and how ye play it.

It's St. Patrick's Day during Women's History Month, so how about a Leprechaun Film that was Directed by a Woman?  Sure!

In the Syfy Movie Opening (which at this point has turned into the DTV Horror Film Opening), two ladies are running from...someone who wants...something.

As it turns out, they got some gold from...

This Harpo-looking Leprechaun.

Note to Filmmakers- if we can see the neck, at least put make-up on it.
A touch of white powder on the neck makes this costume 10% less stupid and fake-looking.

The actual Plot involves a group of people- only 2 of which get real backstory- being hired to take some gold from a Leprechaun's stash (although the Film can't afford a Pot).

These aren't related to the same people from before (I don't think), so this Leprechaun is just plain bad at hiding his loot.

Guess what happens next...

The Leprechaun comes for them- and anyone that they happen to know or live with- and things don't look good.

Will anyone survive?  

Will at least this lady- who's also the Director- survive?

To find out, watch the Film (I guess).

It's been less than 24 hours- can I turn in this Game for at least Store Credit?  Yikes.

The Film isn't the worst thing out there, but it's very unimpressive.  You get such exciting locations as an empty Church, an empty Field, an empty Business Center and the same empty Garage twice.  Can the villain save this?

Yeah, you saw it.  That's a no.
Can the kills at least liven things up?  Eh...not much.  He mostly blows smoke and some sort of Jedi-like force powers to bend people around like that girl in the new Suspiria or just force people to put on a coat of 'burn' make-up.

The Leprechaun's Game looks like it was made for like $10,000 and has no real spark to make it seem more interesting.  The most interesting thing- the fact that their Leprechaun is played by a guy named Bao Tieu.

A pretty generic Horror Film with not much to recommend, other than the sheer sadness of the costume.  Naturally, they made a Sequel for me to cover next Year!

8 Crazy Moments From 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'

As a fan of weird Films and TV Show, I'm drawn to the past.  With as much crazy as we get these days, there's a certain extra level of insanity from the 1960s.

Was it all of the Drugs?

Regardless, I talked a bit about this in the past, but I want to focus more on one Show that I've been watching weekly on DVR (since it runs at 4 AM on ME TV)...

An important note: the Show was semi-serious for the first 2 Seasons.  It was also in B&W.

As it got into Season 3 and 4, it was in Color and got crazy as hell.

Let me show you how...

8. Vincent Price as an Evil Pupeteer: Need I say more?

7. A Mummy: If you didn't know that this Show got weird, here's a Mummy.

Remember when this was about a Military Submarine and Science?  Well, here's a Mummy.

6. Irwin Allen's The Jungle: This one needs a bit of explanation, so bear with me...

An Alien hides on the ship in plain sight as part of the Crew.  He has tiny Soldiers that he can grow to help him.

His plan: terraform the Earth into a Jungle for his people.  Naturally, the Submarine is the first place to go...

5. Not the Illuminati: One day (or night- who can tell underwater), the ship is attacked by a strange force.

It turns out to be the work of these fish men who have a very complex plan.

Just kidding, they turn one crew Member into one of them (it is easily reversed FYI) and get beaten the way that all of these guys do.

4. A Magic Pirate- Why Not?: So Blackbeard is back.  Was he on the Show before?

He can teleport at will thanks to his magic sword and can turn people into his 'crew.'

Yes, the same guy who was turned into a fish man is transformed here.
Yes, these did air right after one another.

3. The Were-Yeti Episode: Right off the bat- yes, there is also an actual Werewolf Episode too.  This one, however, has some strange overlaps.

An attempt BY US at turning ice into Jungle leads to a Base in the Arctic going silent.
The survivors are taken on-board, but one man is not what he seems!

He transforms against his will- since the radiation that turns ice into jungle turns people into...this- as The Abominable Snowman!

2. Do you guys remember anything?!?: A Golden Lobster Alien shows up on board.  On any other Show, that would be the weirdest part.

After attacking the crew, it then speaks and says that isn't their enemy.  It says that it wants to help mankind.

It's lying.
They almost all fall for it.

The Captain makes a point about how you can only trick people once.  How did it trick you this time?  Every one of these creatures is the bad guy on this Show!!!

1. A Leprechaun: Need I say more?

I mean, really.

The final 2 Seasons have around 50 Episodes in total, so I'm not even covering all of the crazy.

If you're a fan of goofy Sci-Fi, check this out.  It's always played straight too, so it's the most enjoyable kind of nonsense!

Should I cover more Shows like this?  Let me know...

Rating the Leprechaun Films (So Far)

Before we see the new Film- which seems to be an actual Sequel-, let's look back at the others.

I've covered most of these in more depth in the past, so this is more about a quick summary and Ranking them in order of quality and/or enjoyment.

This is my Ranking.  You've just got to live with it!

7. Leprechaun Back 2 Tha Hood: It would be easy to say that the Reboot was the worst, but this is just objectively-bad.  They're following up that odd Sequel with...another one just like it.  It has less charm and, of course, less originality.  Warwick Davis can only do so much.

6. Leprechaun- Origins: When you take away Warwick, it doesn't get much better.  This Reboot is a Horror Film that tries hard and fails.  Recasting is one thing- doing nothing with the new Casting is another.  This Plot is also pretty lackluster and the Leprechaun is just a mute monster that we barely see.

5. Leprechaun in Tha Hood: Ice T steals a magic flute to be good at Rap.  I could stop there, couldn't I?  Should I?  Mmm...yes.

4. Leprechaun 3: A decent-ish Film that doesn't do enough with the Premise.  The titular killer in Las Vegas- make the most of it.  Even now, I struggle to remember much of the Film.  That puts it higher than the Films I remember for being bad, but below those that I at least remember *something* good about.

3. Leprechaun 2: Decent, but kind of forgettable for the most part.  This one has some good fun, some silly Effects and some good Casting.  It also avoids just being a rehash of the Original, which is nice to see.  It's just, you know, a Leprechaun Sequel though.

2. Leprechaun 4- In Space: My personal favorite- no lie.  It's a bizarre mix of Leprechaun and Starship Troopers- something that I didn't know I needed.  It's stupid.  It's bad.  I don't care- it's great!

1. Leprechaun: Fair is fair.  The original has many problems- most notably it's take on the mentally-handicapped- but is still fun.  It's a great show of Practical Effects and feels unique for its time.  Granted- the Director copied himself on this later.  Even so, this silly little Film is still the best when it comes down to it.

Here's hoping the new one doesn't suck!

Lost in Translation: Foreign 'Leprechaun' Posters

As I already plan to watch one Leprechaun Film today- as my tradition is to watch Leprechaun 4: In Space every year on this day-, I don't want to watch Leprechaun 3.

In lieu of that, here is a look at some odd Foreign Posters for Films in the Franchise.

Right off the bat, a Poster that doesn't even mention the Title!

Funny and all...but maybe you should list the Title.

Lastly, a Poster for Leprechaun 4 (my favorite!) with some random Photoshop hodge podge....

Even with mostly-forgotten High School French, I can tell they didn't change the Title or anything.  That said...what is with the random Cast Shot?

Were they trying to make this look like Farscape or something?

I'm sure that the Internet will love that comparison.

Oh and don't drink & drive.  Don't make me sic Warwick Davis on you!

Holiday Moon: Unlucky Charms

This is what I get for changing my mind.  I had plans to watch a different Film for this Holiday.  That Film- The Eternal.  It is a 1998 Film about an Irish Curse which sounded kind of interesting.  If nothing else, it has Christopher Walken.  Unfortunately, I remembered a Film from a couple of years ago that never really got much of a release.  That Film- Unlucky Charms.  Go ahead- punch your monitor/phone.  You know you want to.  All done?  This is from Full Moon, so you shouldn't be surprised.  This Film is bad.  It is really bad.  On the plus side, it is barely an Hour (being generous) long.  This is about an evil Leprechaun...or is it?  The Film has one unique idea...so I hope you like it.  Basically, one normal Human is the bad guy and the Monsters (yes, there are more than one) are not bad.  That's it.  Other than that, enjoy bad Writing, cliche Acting and pretty much no Budget.  To find out why this is worse than stale copyrighted Cereal, read on...

After a strange Intro (see the Stinger), we get the Plot.  It involves 5 ladies trying out for a Top Model-type Show in a Mansion (of sorts).

Four monsters- including the Leprechaun (in red!), a Cyclops and a Witch- are drawn to the house by the presence of their respective Charms (which control them) being gathered by someone there.

It turns out to be one of the hosts, who is using magic for evil!

This is our Leprechaun.  It...it can't be for real, right?

Basically, the ladies on the Show (save one) all act terrible towards each other and some are killed.

In the End, the only good person lives and gets the charms.  Hurray for that.  The End.

Damn- this isn't good...at all.  It is real bad.  It is...kind of awful.  Let me get the obvious Full Moon issues out of the way.  The Characters are cliche and mostly-unlikable.  You get one token person to like and that's about it.  The Budget is super tiny here, with the only real work going into the masks for the more grotesque monsters.  They are still just your basic masks though, so nothing special.  The CG you get is your basic particle effects and glowing light.  There is some really bad Green Screen going on at points though (see below).  The one real location is less impressive than a normal Mansion, but more impressive than the Summer Rental that David DeCoteau uses for all of his 1313 Films.  The real Mansion may be nice, but they do little to make it look good.  All done with that now?  Good.  The Story has only real hook and not much of interest is done with it.  Kudos for trying...I guess.  With no real interesting Characters, not much interesting as far as presentation and a generally-cheap appearance, what is there to recommend?  On the plus side, this isn't about tiny Puppets.  That doesn't make this that much better- just different from 90% of their Library (roughly).  It is just not good enough to recommend normally, weird enough to recommend as a curiosity piece or funny enough to recommend as a 'bad movie' to watch.  It is that really bad kind of bad that makes you go 'Yeah- this sucks.'  Speaking of which...

Up next, I complete Project Terrible (my part- that is).  Will Maynard finally give a Terrible Film this Round?  Stay tuned...