Quick Reviews: THX-1138

As the World is focused on the new Star Wars Film, let's go back to where it all really began...

In a bleak future, everyone is given a number and made into disposable drones.

To note, I apparently have the 2004 Version, so I don't know how many of these Effects are original to the 1969 Film.  That's our Lucas!

Some people work in dangerous Factories (like Robert Duvall) and others observer everyone (like Donald Pleasance).

Duvall ends up hooking up with his roommate after she switches his pills.  Their copulation is illegal!

He is sent to a blank-looking Prison with other convicts- like Pleasance- but wants to find his lady.

The pair make separate escapes and we see the first hint of Lucas' love of showing blips on grids.

His escape and is hindered by these shadow-dog-things.  Is this Lucas adding shit to his own Movies again?

In an ironic twist, they stop pursuing him when the effort goes over-budget.  Wah wah!

Much like Logan's Run, he makes his way out into the real, outside world.  What will happen next?

Oh right- no Sequel.  I guess he dies.  The End.

Well, this one sure was different.  After all of the hype, THX-1138 delivers...but also doesn't.  As a well-thought-out Sci-Fi Film, it sure works.  As a fun experience, it really doesn't.  It is super-dry.  That may work for many of you, but it didn't work as well for me.  I won't deny that it is well-made, but it just kind of bored me.  Sorry, Internet.  I can't fault Lucas and company for building a unique and deep world.  I wanted to like it alot more than I did.  From a historical standpoint, you can see this as a first draft of what would come.  You get a version of the Empire (kind of), some Troopers that look like a cross between the Stormtroopers and C-3PO (see below) and some other stuff mentioned above.  The Acting is good and I can't complain about any of the technical stuff.  I can't be 100% sure what was in the Original and what Lucas added in the 2004 release (since I've only seen this one), so it is a little hard to judge the Film's Effects too much.  By the way, this is now the 2nd Lucas-related Film to feature Johnny Weissmuller Jr in a Suit....

A good, if dense and arty Film.  It is a big change from the guy who would make Jar-Jar! 

TV on the Internet: Ash vs Evil Dead- 'Killer of Killers"

After a little break, let's see how the Gang is doing this week...

The B-Plot starts right away, but takes an unexpected turn.  I'm not a dick, so no SPOILERS.

Farther away, the group is eating up and discussing their next move: going back to the Cabin!

Meanwhile, the Detective calls in back-up as she has our heroes cornered.  For once, the 'cavalry' is a bad thing.

She doesn't wait and makes her move on Ash!

That pesky Evil Dead shows up though and all hell breaks loose- again!  Who will survive this Round?  See for yourself.

More bloody fun.  Ash vs Evil Dead has the right formula for this kind of thing by now.  Keep the Plot going, give us some laughs, give us some blood and keep building the mystery.  You could argue that it is almost *too* formulaic- but I won't.  They keep things mixed up well enough to keep things from going stale so far.  We have Deadites this week, but last week we had an actual Demon.  Before that, a possessed person (by said Demon) and a little Deadite action.  The Deadites are pretty much the 'bread and butter' of this Story, so they are here to stay.  This Episode continued to build a bunch of stuff up, while also giving us lots of crazy gore.  This one was pretty damn bloody!  You get some great Bruce Campbell stuff as Ash here, so it is all good.  If you haven't told people about this Show yet, call someone already!

Next time, our heroes are on the move.  Will it be the right one though?  See you then....

Quick Reviews: Roar (1981)

After the Story of this one made a return in 2015, it was only natural that I'd eventually get around to it.  Let' see if this really so bad...

Before the Film begins, we get this message that seems like more of a confession than anything else.  To note...

"Deputy Sheriffs had to shoot three lions during the flooding of the Marshall ranch. One of these lions was Robbie, the Lion King of the picture. Robbie was a unique black-maned Rhodesian lion."

Basically, this guy- the Director/Writer/Star- is running a Preserve where the Animals run free and basically go where they want.  His aim is honorable, but...

"During production, director/star Noel Marshall was attacked and severely injured by one of the lions in the film. He was hospitalized and it took him several years to completely recover from his injuries."

Due to a miscommunication, his Family arrives early and while he's away.  They have company.  Bear this in mind...

"The lion attacks in Roar (1981) were real."

It is hard to watch the Scenes of the Family in peril when you read stuff like this...

" During filming in 1977, Melanie Griffith was mauled by a lion and required plastic surgery. Griffith reportedly received fifty stitches to her face."

"Tippi Hedren fractured a leg during production when an elephant bucked her off its back when she was riding on top. Moreover, also during production, Hedren was bitten on the back of her head by a lioness called Sheri. Hedren received thirty-eight stitches to the open wound. The incident can be seen in the finished picture. Hedren is hanging to the branch of a tree when thirty-four lions run across her. The thirty-fifth lion bites at her head."

Enjoy watching a man torture his family with animal attacks to teach you that animals are your friends?  This is your Movie!  The End.

 Wow.  Just...wow.  The Film has been described as a $17 million Home Movie.  Given the content, how did we not see this as evidence at a Trial?  Nobody died, but alot of people sure suffered.  Noel Marshall takes his sons (all but one appear in the Film), his wife (the two separated in 1982) and his step-daughter (who allegedly didn't talk to him after she was 23) and throws them into his animal attack house.  Mind you, Noel Marshall died in 2010, so I'm hesitant to talk *too badly* about the dead.  Here's the real thing: did the Movie serve its purpose?  Marshall's point was about showing the beauty and majesty of nature.  Why?  To push people to conserve it, obviously.  I completely agree with his point...but I already did before I watched this.  Seeing this Movie in 2015 makes me afraid to go to Africa now.  We lost someone in the Movie Industry this year due to an unsafe Safari, so this isn't exactly a safe thing.  I can certainly love Nature without having to let numerous Apex Predators live in my house with me.  Roar is what happens when well-meaning people with money do stupid things.  Tippi Hedren still runs the Roar Foundation to actually do stuff, so that's something at least.  One more factoid for the road...

"Cinematographer Jan de Bont was mauled and scalped by a lion on the set. de Bont required over 120 stitches to sew his scalp back from where a lion had bitten his head."

A super-awkward Film to watch for a whole number of reasons.  It is shot well...but all of the shots are super-awkward.

Impossibly-Cool Cover Art: Slaughter in San Francisco

Long before the Chuck Norris Facts Meme came into play, the folks over in China were on the ball!

I gotta be honest- I totally want this Poster!  Love it!

This is one of Chuck's less notable Films, but you wouldn't know it from the Poster.  Hell, the least silly thing is the fact that the Sun is burning out in the background.

Wait- did Chuck Norris punch the Sun?  Is it bleeding?!?

Quick Reviews: Bang Bang (2014)

A Bollywood Film that outdoes the Original?  Can it be?

Bang Bang is a 2014 Bollywood Action Film that is ostensibly a Remake of Knight & Day, the Tom Cruise Film from 2011.

The addition: lots of crazy, random dance numbers.

The subtraction: creepy Tom Cruise trying to play manic.  Win, win!

The Film follows a man who stole a famous Gem and is now being tracked by everyone.  Caught in the middle: a 'plain' Bank Worker who looks like a Supermodel.

Can our impossibly-buff and improbably-awesome Hero save the day?  I won't SPOIL this one for you, but it is on Streaming now in the U.S., so go see it!

Fun, silly stuff.  This is not meant to be serious, so just enjoy it.  The thing is so gloriously-over-the-top that you just have to love it!  Our Hero is impossibly-smart, impossibly-tough and impossibly-well-prepared.  It is just ridiculous.  Great.  It is fun to see the moments copied outright from the original- as this is an official Remake- and the ones they just made up.  All of the Dance Numbers are pure silliness.  Here's my only gripe: no Bollywood Film I've seen has ever given Subtitles for the Songs.  Why is that?  I want to know what they are Singing!  Regardless, it is easy to see why this one was a big hit.  It has all of the goofy charm of a Fast & Furious Film, but with none of the mumble-growling of Vin Diesel and Tyrese's 'Way to Earn that Paycheck' Acting.  It is a win-win.  Seriously, this is just plain fun.  Nothing more, nothing less.  The most surprised person- Tom Cruise!

Good stuff- even if it is ridiculous as all hell.  Quite recommended!

New Flix: Deep Dark (2015)

I should start looking into more holes in the wall!  Today's Film is Deep Dark, a 2015 Horror Film that is all sorts of quirky.  What do you do if you are a poor Artist that won't be recognized?  The answer- consult with a strange creature to help you.  It is so obvious!  I didn't know a thing going into this one- it was just given to me to watch.  This one is certainly interesting, even if it is a bit slow-going.  It has a real 'Indy' vibe to it- from the Tone to the Settings and to the Story.  Hell, it is set in Portland!  This is certainly not going to be for everyone, but let me give you all a taste...

This is Hermann Haig.  He wants to be a paid Artist, but nobody likes his works.

Desperate, he calls his Uncle.  He's an Artist- sort of- and agrees to rent out his old place to him.

Unfortunately, it is a piece of crap and nothing seems to inspire him.  So much for your $400!

He discovers that a mysterious creature is living in the wall!  It helps him create some new Art.  Will this change his fortune?

Fortune turns in his favor!  Will everyone be happy for his success though?

More importantly, can he co-exist with a mysterious wall creature- even if it means success?

In addition, can he keep the thing a secret?  To find out, well, you know the drill.  The End.

Good, but odd stuff.  This certainly isn't going to be for everyone.  That said, it is still pretty good.  The Premise is unique enough to get your attention.  It certainly isn't the first 'Mysterious Person/Creature Acts as a Muse' Story ever- obviously.  Even so, you still don't see this kind of thing all the time.  The Film's key strength is its sense of Style.  They really commit to making everything look like it is supposed to, whether it is the fancy Gallery, the poor Home or the even-more-worse-off Apartment.  The Film's sense of Style is almost the biggest attraction.  The Characters have good moments and feel pretty real, but don't do as much for as I think that they were meant to.  I think that I still cared about them though- again, just not as much as I think the idea was.  I like the idea of the wall creature, even if I don't really know what it is supposed to be.  The Film's Budget clearly didn't allow for much, so they wrote a Story to make it work.  That is how you do it!  The Film takes some interesting turns, but never really ones that you don't see coming.  I guess obvious moments are used often because they work though.  For you 'Arthouse' guys, this is definitely up your alley.  If you like quirky Character pieces, you'll like this.  If you like straight-forward Horror, your results may vary.  Now if you'll excuse me, I have to check out this wall...

Next up, I continue to check out some new stuff.  I might even turn Japanese!  Stay tuned...

TV on the Internet: Ash vs Evil Dead- The Host

Another Episode of the Show to cover?  Alright- if you insist...

This week, Ash is thought to be the Host (hence the Title) for a Demon.  The way to fix 'his problem' is not good.

The B-Plot shows up for its one Scene per Episode.  Nice to see you...but when are you going to be more impactful?

The real Host has their own plans to take out their enemies and escape into the World...

Can the Demon be exercised from its Host or will death be the only escape?  No SPOILERS!

Another good Episode.  The Plot involving the Demon and his/its Host is a good one.  After seeing so many people converted to Deadites so far, this one is different enough to be a change of pace.  It is isn't 100% different, but I think you see my point.  I'm sure that we'll see plenty more Deadites show up and now it will feel a little bit more fresh.  After so much humor in the last Episode, seeing the bleak consequences of their earlier actions.  This is still a Comedy-driven Show, of course, but the minor change of pace is nice to see.  Everyone does a nice job here with their Roles, so kudos.  Seeing Ash learn to be the Hero he needs to be is a nice progression throughout the Show and I'm curious to see where this all goes.  If nothing else, he is now Playing with Power (TM)...

Next time, are Ash and company close to the truth?  Can they put the Evil to rest once and for all?  See you then...

Internet TV: Marvel's Jessica Jones (Part 1)

Can they follow up Daredevil?  This is Jessica Jones, a Netflix Show about an even more obscure Character this time.  At least Ben Affleck, Rex Smith and Ben Caruthers got to play that guy!

So who is Jessica Jones and why should you spend around 13 hours watching her Story?  Let me tell you...

This is Jessica Jones.  She's a Private Investigator in New York City.

 Oh yeah, she also has super-powers.  The way they do them is quite nice, as they are generally low-key in their representation.

What has her so worked up?

This guy!

He's Kilgrave and he can mind-control people.  He'll do anything to get control of Jessica again!

Will this psycho get what he wants or will Jessica and her friends put a stop to him?  Find out in Part 2- not that I'm actually going to SPOIL it there.  The End.

Good, good stuff.  For a Character that most people don't know about, they do a good job of selling you on this.  This isn't like Batman with a built-in audience or Spider-Man with a ton of Films featuring him.  Even comparing this to Netflix's Daredevil, that Character has been used enough to be generally well-known.  This is the Netflix equivalent of a Cold Call.  I didn't hang up and you shouldn't either.  Okay- end of Analogy.  The Show works thanks to Krysten Ritter's performance as the Title Character.  She's tough and stern on the outside, but you can see hints of her true self early on.  Even when she 'comes out of her shell' a bit, she's still strict and sardonic.  She really sells the Show.  That is taking nothing away from all of the other Actors involved- it is just her Show.  That said, David Tennant playing a Villain is really fun to see.  He really embraces the Role and just goes all out.  Who would have guessed that a Marvel Supervillain called Purple Man could be so freaky and menacing?!?  With Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man and now this, Marvel is showing that anything can be sold if done well.  Jessica Jones may sound like a face in the crowd among your Captain Americas and Thors, but she stands out in her own way...

Can't wait for Part 2?  Me neither- so let me go watch it already!  Stay tuned...