Change Your Image
dirk275
Reviews
The 100: Anaconda (2020)
Spin off?
I really haven't watched season 7 but I'll binge at the end. When I saw that this one was coming, I made a point to watch it. I was everything I wanted. I love a bleak post apocalyptic wasteland with people forging out an existence. If there's a new series to be had here then I'm on board.
Boggy Creek II: And the Legend Continues (1983)
Another addition to a long line of Bigfoot movies
Charles B Pierce directs,produces,films,acts in, and even caters this mock-umentory style Bigfoot movie set in the State of Arkansas.
Dr Lockhart(Pierce) and three students go on a camping trip to investigate the latest in a long line of sightings of what is called the Boggy Creek Creature. The trip takes them from camping in a swamp to the rundown abode of a man named Crenshaw, where the climax(sort of) of the movie takes place. Lots of flashbacks and back-story fill the movie along the way. Many of them are very humorous.
There's no way, in my right mind, that I can say this is a well crafted movie. The production is poor and so is the acting. The plot and characters are ridiculous. And yet, I find myself enjoying this movie. It's crazy to say, but it's very relaxing to watch. It's very much like watching a documentary about Bigfoot. I also must say that Charles B Pierce is an excellent narrator. His voice has a rich quality that is very easy to listen to. I wonder if he ever did voice over work.
As far as the characters, there are many to laugh at. Steroetypes abound in this movie, from the lawyer that takes the Sears catalog into the outhouse to the overall wearing Crenshaw.
There's not much else to it but to say, see it and enjoy. It's not great but it's firmly in the "So bad, it's good" genre.
The Time Machine (1960)
One the best sci-fi films of all time.
George Pal's The Time Machine was filmed fifty years ago but still remains an enjoyable film to watch. The plot is well known so I won't rehash too much. Simply enough, the movie sees the protagonist, George, travel into the future. After a few stops in the 20th century, being encased in a mountain forces him 800,000 plus years into the future. He meets the Eloi, a peaceful people, and later their captors, the Morlocks. George helps the Eloi, including his love interest Weena to escape from their doomed existence.
I often read a lot of criticism of this film. "It's not like the book or the special effects aren't good enough anymore" are the chief complaints. Why does that matter? The movie is fine without being like the book. As far as the FX go. They're fine for 1960 but really, this movie is not about how real it looks but about the characters. And that's where it excels.
George(Rod Taylor) is everything a man should be. He craves new facts and strives for knowledge. He also is not afraid to stand up for himself or those he cares for. He freely admits wrong and apologizes for transgressions. In short, he's a great person, almost too good to be true. Rod Taylor plays him perfectly.
In the future George meets Weena(Yvette Mimieux), one of the Eloi. The Eloi are passive to the point of complacency and Weena is no exception, but she quickly responds to George. Their romance blossoms but not too much. Most is left to our imagination when George returns to the future at the end of the movie. At first glance it may seem that Yvette Mimieux portrays Weena as a vacuous airhead, but as I watch this movie, I spot a lot of subtle things that make her acting job very good. She is physical with George but it's done subtly, like an innocent girl would do it. For instance, when they go see the talking rings, Weena seems to be very amused with George's curiosity. She laughs, takes his hand and pulls him along. Later she baits him into touching her when she asks him to put her hair up and then turns to him for close affection. Mimieux does a very good job of giving Weena a balance of innocence and budding sexuality.
Also worth mentioning is Alan Young as Filby. He avoids the stuffy behavior of the others of George's group and keeps a sense of wonder about him. Young gives a convincing portrayal.
When I was a kid my Dad was a sci-fi buff so I saw lots of the old classics. War of the Worlds, Forbidden Planet, and The Thing were often watched by me, but The Time Machine is my favorite. When I saw it as a teen, I was fascinated with a post-apocalyptic future and this movie has that. But when I see it as an adult, I'm more moved by the characters. George has a sense of adventure about him that keeps me interested in him. Of course, Weena kept my interest as a teen and as an adult male for different reasons, but I won't sell Yvette Mimieux short as an actress. She does a great job.
See this movie and avoid the cynicism that has affected movie goers today. I know you'll love it.
The Mercenaries (1968)
Underrated Action Film.
Civil war in the Congo is the backdrop for this great adventure flick. Curry(Rod Taylor) is a soldier for hire. Along with his sidekick Ruffo(Jim Brown) they assemble an army to bring a small group of people as well as 50 million in diamonds to safety in only three days. Along with them is Henlein(Perter Carsten) and 40 of his men. After an attack from a U.N. plane they pick up Clair(Yvette Mimieux). Her husband? was killed and she barely escapes with her life. Later adventures involve a chainsaw fight as well as a tense period, while waiting for a safe to open. Simbas attack them and the diamonds as well as rescued people are lost. Curry and Ruffo devise a plan to recover the diamonds which works out. After the diamonds are recovered, Curry goes on a mission to get fuel. While he is away, Henlein kills Ruffo. Curry returns, hunts down Henlein and kills him. After some reflection, he submits to a future court martial proceeding at which time the movie ends.
The plot is a straightforward one. If you liked the Dirty Dozen or Von Ryan's Express then this one is for you. What makes this film so great is the intense,brutal action and the characters involved. Rod Taylor doesn't just act his role, he attacks it with flair and style. He is a very capable leading man and he shows it here. He portrays Curry as tough, witty, sometimes brutal, but sometimes humane.
Jim Brown plays Ruffo, and while Brown is no great actor, his presence alone fills the screen. Ruffo may be the only true good man in the movie. He doesn't do it for the money but for pride in his country.
The polar opposite of Ruffo is Henlein. A former Nazi, he is inhumane. He kills two children(off screen thankfully). He also tries to kill Curry and does kill Ruffo before Curry gives him what he deserves. Peter Carsten plays him to the hilt and the fact that you hate Henlein so much is a testament to Carsten's ability.
My only real criticism of the film is Clair. Let me preface all of this by saying that I think Yvette Mimieux is a good actress and awesome to look at but Clair isn't given enough to do. She has a very good scene at a small field hospital where she stands up to Curry and a drunken doctor when a woman needs medical care, but there isn't enough of that type of dialogue for her. She seems relegated to the background for most of the movie. Still, she's a real beauty and I love gazing at her hotness.
Lots of other actors make this movie great and I really recommend it. It's gory and brutal but not gratuitously so. The violence is what we'd expect in a civil uprising. To me, it should be considered up there with the best films of the genre.
Endgame - Bronx lotta finale (1983)
One of the best of the genre.
Endgame is set in a hollowed out metropolis of the year 2025. People are entertained by the ultimate reality show called Endgame. It's really what Survivor should be. Ron Shannon is Endgame's greatest champ. Kurt Karnak is his bitter rival. During the game a mutant helps Shannon to defeat Karnak but Shannon spares his life. Bad move? Shannon is then enlisted by a band of mutants attempting to escape the city. Of course, a suitcase full of gold sweetens the deal for Shannon, who then rounds up a band of cutthroats to help him, including Ninja, the coolest guy in the film. He bites it too quick. There are many great fight scenes in this movie, one involving blind monks and another with a gang led by a man who is half fish. The fish guy is involved in a very disturbing rape scene with Laura Gemsler. Eventually the number of the group is whittled down to Shannon but the mission gets accomplished anyway. Shannon is asked by Lilith(Gemsler) to join the mutants, which he doesn't. Not too smart because Lilith is pretty hot. Wouldn't you know it as the chopper flies off out comes Karnak to battle Shannon for the gold. The movie ends just as the battle starts, which actually is a cool way to go.
I love this movie a lot. The first third is a bit slow but once they leave the city the action is nonstop. The battle with the blind monks is amazing and exciting. Motorcycles and gun-play highlight the scene. The next battle with a group of mutants is just as cool, except Ninja dies here and I must say that just blows big time. But, oh well.
Endgame also has a very depressing feel to it. It really is very bleak. Man seems to be digressing by way of mutations and while Lilith's group seem to be advanced, they are hunted down out of fear. To be honest, the bleakness is what appeals to me.
Ron Shannon is played by Al Cliver and his performance is understated at best, but it works here. The real show stealer is George Eastman as Kurt Karnak. He dives into his role with flair. He's ruthless and amoral, just what the post-nuke world needs.
This movie is worth seeing and if you're a fan of the genre then it's a must see.
9/10
The Final Sacrifice (1990)
This movie cost $2,500 to make and it shows.
Somewhere in Alberta (Eagle Hat?), Troy MacGregor is trying to find out why his father was killed when he comes across a map of the Ziox civilization in his attic. He's not the only interested party however, and is chased by Satoris and his hooded thugs. Troy chances up with Zap Rowsdower(yikes) who just happened to be a member of the cult until he was kicked out. Zap seems to have an instant dislike for Troy,as did I, and tries to rid himself of him by turning him into the police. As events unfold, it turns out the pair are close to where the map places the city so Troy investigates. Soon they meet up with Mike Pipper, who is Troy's fathers former partner. He's also the filthiest, grimiest man ever to grace the screen. Troy is kidnapped by the cult so Zap is off to save him and the truth about what happened to Troy's dad comes out in one big happy Chevy pickup truck flavored ending.
Alright, it all sounds like a great story, but really, it's not told all that well. I guess it was made by some college students on a bus fare budget, which actually seems to add to the appeal. All the characters are hilarious at best. Rowsdower is an out of shape drunk with awful hair. Troy is a stick thin nerd who fills out a red sweater like nobody's business. And of course there's Mike Pipper and Satoris. Pipper's voice must be heard to be believed and Satoris is just terrible as the villain.
Still, I actually will watch this movie and kind of like it. I've seen the MST3K version and I love it, but I've also seen it without Mike and the bots. It has a certain charm to it. It's not good by any means but it's fun and fun to laugh at. All in all, I say give it a try if you can find it.
The Giant Spider Invasion (1975)
Campy 70's Fun
I think calling this my favorite Bill Rebane film is like saying I have a favorite way to be tortured but it's true,I love this movie. This one rises above the slag heap that is the Bill Rebane catalog.
First the plot. It's a standard man vs nature type. Meteor strikes a north central Wisconsin town. Hollow rocks contain small spiders that start to grow. As with any movie like this, law enforcement or scientists team up to stop the threat and that's true in this film. Soon a scientist from NASA(Steve Brodie) comes to investigate and teams with local doctor(Barbara Hale) to try to solve the problem. The spiders get bigger until the climax of the movie, which is an invasion of the local town celebration. Ultimately, Dr Vance and Langer(Brodie and Hale) come up with a far-fetched solution and the day is saved. If you've seen some of the 50s movies like Giant Gila Monster or even the Blob then you won't see anything new here.
Yes it's not groundbreaking but it seems to work out O.K. That however, is not what makes this film so appealing. It's not a masterpiece by any means but it is a cult classic that is worth the time to see. It has been panned on MST3K but try to see the non-mysted version if you can. It's still just as fun.
It's my understanding that Rebane wanted this movie to be a serious one but Robert Easton, who is credited as a writer, realized that people wouldn't buy it so some comedy was written in. That is one of the reasons I like this movie so much. The characters are laughable. The sheriff, the farmer and his wife, and the NASA scientist are hilarious. The self-effacing humor really makes it worth seeing. Humorous subplots, such as the farmer collecting "diamonds" from the stones and the sheriff who never seems to leave his office are great. In addition, the role players are awesome. Cousin Billy, Dutch, Helga, and many others are fun to watch. I have to say that, as a Wisconsinite growing up in the 70's, I think Bill Rebane really nails the way people were at that time(no offense to people of Merril and Gleason). This movie really brings me back. Gleason days is just like any other small town carnival I went to when I was growing up.
In short, I think fans of the genre will like this and I would recommend it. It doesn't take itself too seriously so you shouldn't either. Just sit back and enjoy.
Invasion from Inner Earth (1974)
Bad..... even for Bill Rebane
Six people are doing some research in a Canadian cabin. On the flight back they try to land at an airstrip, only to be shooed away by the one person left at the airport. The characters of the movie go back to the cabin to speculate what it all means. Is it a virus? An alien invasion? Both? They don't know. Unfortunately, because of lousy storytelling and incompetent directing the viewer isn't sure either. One thing is for sure. The next part of the movie will bore you to tears as uninteresting people mull around a boring cabin for the rest of the film.
Again, a movie with good premise is horribly botched by Rebane. The sheer isolation and lack of information that the characters have could make for a very psychological thriller. Personality types could be explored in this setting. Tension could build leading to a dramatic climax. It doesn't happen. In all fairness to Rebane, his film the Alpha Incident does a nice job of this.
So, what we are left with is a dwindling population of protagonists as they are, for some reason, disappearing. Finally, three are left. They hike to some town(Rhinelander, WI). Figure that out. I'm no Lewis and Clark but I think there's something closer to Canada. One more guy vanishes and we are left with Stan and Sara. And that's when the movie gets worse, if that's possible. For some reason they are turned into naked children and transported to a springtime meadow. I don't get it. Rebane probably didn't either, but hey, we need an ending.
I usually enjoy the Bill Rebane films in spite of the their shortcomings, but this one was very hard to get through. The alien effects were terrible, even for 1974. The characters weren't bad but they were badly acted. The scenery was nice, so I guess there's that.
Even if you like Rebane(I'm sure there's more crazy people like me), this one just doesn't hold up.
Blood Harvest (1987)
Average Slasher Flick
For some odd reason, I've set my mind on seeing all the Bill Rebane movies. It's true, I'm a glutton for punishment. The average person should see one or less Rebane films in order to stay sane. Blood Harvest was next on the docket so I guess I'll comment on it.
Jill returns home from school to her home in Winchester(actually Gleason, WI). Her father and mother have vanished as well as some other townspeople. It seems her father was a banker and was foreclosing on some farms in the area. Some of the residents are harassing her as well.
More people are killed, including Jill's new boyfriend and her waitress friend. The film would have us believe that Mervo(Tiny Tim) is the killer and the plot would twist at the end to reveal the true culprit. However, since the movie is poorly done, it becomes obvious who is behind the murders. I won't say, just in case you care.
After a few more killings and a lot of gratuitous nudity the killer is revealed and Tiny Tim saves the day. And that's pretty much it. Hey, what do you expect from Rebane.
To be fair, this film has some good things in it. Tiny Tim plays his part very well. He is very strange in this movie(and I suspect he was in real life RIP). But he brings a likableness to his character that is tricky to portray, so he is to be commended for that. The acting is otherwise quite poor in this film. Itonia Salchek plays the part of Jill and while her acting is quite wooden she spends much of the movie in various stages of undress. I would venture to say she is without pants for a good 75% of it. This girl wasn't in anything else I could find so I wonder if she felt showing off her good stuff would make her a star. Sorry it didn't work out for her. In all frankness, she has a smoking body and you will see all of it in this movie.
All in all, this film is okay. There is some gore but there could be more. There is really not much suspense to it either. The killer is portrayed as psychotic but the acting falls short there. I give it a 3/10.
The Demons of Ludlow (1983)
Good premise, bad writing
Okay, I must say the plot is so hard to follow that I may get a few facts wrong so forgive me. Ludlow is a cursed coastal town due to the townspeople cutting off a man's hands in the 1860s. To celebrate the towns 200th anniversary a harpsichord is given as a gift. Evidently it is the same harpsichord that was in town the night Vincent Ludlow was tried. His spirit and those of some others haunt the instrument so when it's played strange things happen. Ludlow's spirit is out for revenge and is killing the descendants of those who wronged him. It's a lot like The Fog but not as good.
The cast includes a reporter named Debra who is in town for some reason I couldn't find and by her own admission even she can't figure out why she is investigating Ludlows past. The other main character is a preacher named Chris who loses his hands at the end of the movie.
This would be fine except there's so many subplots that go nowhere. They never establish that Debra is a reporter so you just sort of figure it out. The fact that the descendants are being targeted by Ludlow is not even said until late in the film although it is known by the preacher and the mayor the whole time.
The movie does some things right. It is sufficiently creepy. The opening music is good. The filming gives you a good sense of isolation from the outside world. That being said, the writing is so poor that the plot never comes together so the end makes you just shrug your shoulders and say "whatever". I know budget constraints can make effects look cheesy but this one's problems go beyond that. I don't think that Halloween was all that expensive to make but since it is well put together you put aside the green leaves in October. Demons of Ludlow's shortcomings can't be overlooked.
In some odd way I do like this movie. 70's and 80's cheese always appeals to me. I also live in Wisconsin so Bill Rebane's films hit home. If you like low budget horror than this one's for you but be warned, it's bad.
I predatori di Atlantide (1983)
Great Action Film!!
Mike and Washington are two mercenaries who kidnap some guy for 50,000 dollars and head out to sea for some R&R. At the same time scientists are raising a Russian sub only to somehow trigger the rise of Atlantis. Mike and Wash manage to rescue a few scientists that are lost at sea and head to an island. The island, however, has been wasted by bikers who are descendants of Atlantis. Mike and his team try to rescue a captured scientist and get away safe. Along the way there's lots of gore and gun-play.
I saw this movie as a teen. I loved it then and I loved it when I saw it again recently. Admittedly, a suspension of reality is needed. The plot is far-fetched and there are some things that just aren't explained.
For instance, no one explains how the character of Crystal Skull knew how Atlantis was coming. The lady scientist ends up in the chopper at the end and we're not told how she got there. A lot of film time is wasted watching a copter land when it could've been used to fill us in on the plot holes.
But in spite of these things this movie is a whole lot of fun. The action is nonstop. Tony King and Chris Connolly are great as the two male leads. They have a great chemistry. There are moments of humor too. A fight with a German military man stops because Mike drops his cash and they realize they are both good guys. You have to see it to get what I mean. A biker gets beheaded with wire in another great scene. All in all this one won't leave you bored. I recommend it. It's tough to come across so good luck getting it. It's worth finding.
Time Chasers (1994)
Now that guy could use chinderwear!!
Nick Miller teaches at a Rutland, Vermont college. He builds a "time transport" on his summer break. Unfortunately his funds are exhausted so he triies to drum up some funding from Gencore. While the funding comes in, it turns out the CEO is ambitious and evil. He builds his own machine with world changing results. Nick and his love interest, Lisa, try to change things back to the way they were.
This movie is ambitious work for a small budget but it has a charm to it and quite a cult following as well. It certainly has it's shortcomings but hey, overall, it's good fun.
I must say that I admire the spirit that an independent film like this shows. A different subject might have been better on a limited budget. However, that being said, I think David Giancola showed some promise here.
I recommend this film. Like I said it won't remind you of Back to the future(unless you see the cleverly placed poster in the movie) but you will laugh at and with it.
For Castleton!!!!!!!