What was the last movie you've seen?

[dsheinem]

Did they still include the disclaimer "This is what Scientologists actually believe"?

No need, since pretty much the whole film is narrated by a lot of actual former high-ranking Scientologists. Lots of crazy L. Ron videos and stuff too (i did learn more about him). Again, it is a good distillation of much of the stuff that's been coming out about them over the past decade or so...

[Ack]

Did they include the coat hanger abortion story?

[ExedExes]

The Guy With The Secret Kung Fu
If you want barrel-scraping chop socky, look no further than Amazon. Here we find 2 brothers, known for being "revolutionaries", sent to take down the Dragon Gang. Good fighting sequences, but terrible editing with lots of bad cuts and freeze frames for no apparent reason, inappropriate use of sci-fi movie music every 5-10 minutes, lots of badly dubbed laughing, and the use of a floating coffin to take out the otherwise invulnerable leader. That's it.

I have actually seen this...and I agree; it sucks.

I'm no highbrow fan either! I grew up watching Shaw Brothers stuff every Saturday afternoon, but Amazon's got none of that. What I've seen from them has been very good before, actually. (check older posts by me here for those) This one was the only disappointment, and again, it's a shame because the fighting was pretty good, but there was just too much out of place for this one, between the music, the edits, the characters I couldn't even tell apart, etc.

[prfsnl_gmr]

I do love some grindhouse kung fu. (I bought out a dollar store's supply of double-feature kung fu DVDs a few years ago; so, I basically have a lifetime supply.)

See if Amazon has Drunken Tai Chi. It is a solid grindhouse kung fu film with a young Donnie Yen (who would not actually become a star until many years later). If I recall correctly, it is awesome. Barring that, just go with Gymkata. I know Amaxon has that...

[Ack]

Barring that, just go with Gymkata.

I love Gymkata.



Ice Station Zebra

A US nuclear sub is loaded with a bunch of US Marines and a British spy and sent on a rescue mission to the arctic circle to find Ice Station Zebra. Unfortunately, the Soviet Union is performing the same mission. Why? Because a satellite has fallen on the station, a satellite containing photographs from a special camera that has taken extensive pictures of every major missile launch site and military base for both the USA and the USSR. Both sides want the photographs. Both sides want to keep them from the opposition. And both sides will stop at nothing to get them.

Ice Station Zebra has problems, but I still find it entertaining. Supposedly Howard Hughes loved the movie so much that he bought a television station in Las Vegas and made it run the movie 24-7 whenever he was in town. But it's more of a guilty pleasure for those that enjoy watching it, because really, it just isn't that good of a movie. Well, yes and no I guess. The first half, where the nuclear sub races to the arctic circle and experiences sabotage while struggling to break through the ice above, that is excellent. It's claustrophobic, it's exciting, and it's tense. It's some of the best of the film. If both haves were as good as this, I'd find this movie to be great. But the second just doesn't hold up its end of the bargain.

That's not to say the second half is terrible, as it starts off strong with a trek across the ice to the titular station, complete with a scene where men fall through thin ice and the floe begins to steadily move inward, nearly crushing all involved. That scene takes the tension of the first half and ratchets it up quite a bit. I winced as the ice floes slowly but with sporadic bursts moved together while the men scrambled to escape being crushed to death. That scene did a wonderful job of building dread and making the audience shudder. But the film loses it after that.

Why? Well, set design for one I'd say. Ice Station Zebra looks like a bad set, and once the storm passes, it becomes obvious just how fake it really is. And then there is the acting: Ernest Borgnine is supposed to be Russian, but half the time he switches into a bad Scottish accent, and Alf Kjellin sounds horrendous and stiff as a Russian colonel speaking in English. The plot changes made from the book to the movie really also don't work because too much has to be conveyed through only looks and subtle facial expressions which cause major plot changes. Glance away for two seconds at the wrong moment, and you're completely lost as to how the Allies figure out who the Russian spy among them really is. This drags down the last hour significantly.

Too bad, too, as that first half is great, even with Borgnine's lapsing accent. Supposedly this movie is being remade. No idea if it will happen, but maybe they won't fall prey to the issues the first one suffers from.

[Hobie-wan]

Ice Station Zebra

Did you just read that IO9 article the other day too?

[Ack]

Ice Station Zebra

Did you just read that IO9 article the other day too?

Haha, actually no, we recorded it with our DVR when it ran on TCM around the start of February because I was interested in seeing it since I like Borgnine. I guess we just got lucky on the timing.

[Hobie-wan]

Ice Station Zebra

Did you just read that IO9 article the other day too?

Haha, actually no, we recorded it with our DVR when it ran on TCM around the start of February because I was interested in seeing it since I like Borgnine. I guess we just got lucky on the timing.

Ah. I read that article and was thinking "Oh ok, that's why it wasn't McGoohan in that episode of The Prisoner" . Then I went to look the movie up since McGoohan is awesome. And saw it was regarded with quite a bit of 'meh'.

[Luke]

I'll have to wait to see Going Clear. Don't want to wait, but will have to.

INDIANA JONES AND THE CRYSTAL SKULL

I'm always up for giving movies a second viewing/second chance. Always up for that "fresh take". But two views of this movie is enough to confirm my initial thoughts of "this is no good".

If Starlord does become the new Indiana Jones, I have faith in a continuation of the series. Pratt deserves a shot as he has the chops, the look, and the charm of a not too old Indy. As far as Crystal Skull goes, I'll pretend it never happened.

[Omerta]

Anyone else watch Dead Rising: Watchtower?

T'was decent in all of its' B-Movie glory... but I expected it to be much more absurd considering the source material.