What was the last movie you've seen?

[prfsnl_gmr]

This and its followup Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150AD both exist in their own continuity, as well as in the established DW universe as films loosely adapted from The Doctor's stories.

Nothing in Doctor Who exists in its own continuity. Everything can be retconned into the series now, and I would be delighted to see the show runners work in Peter Cushing as an alternative Doctor or:

These films are not canon though. They were made on the cheap to cash in on Dalek fever back in the mid-sixties. This isn't the Doctor, Cushing is playing a human called Dr Who. There is a passing mention in some book or another but the BBC doesn't have the rights to these films.

But...maybe...they...could...be? One...day?

I know that they’re not canon and that they’re absolutely terrible films. Still, though, it’d be fun to see the show runners retcon them in somehow.

[REPO Man]

Apparently the films exist in the show's universe. The Doctor apparently is friends with Peter Cushing.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Third write-up for 'Foreign film' month:

Tumbbad



All young Vinayak wants to do is make a better life for himself and pull himself out of the poor situation he and his mother and brother are in. Fortunately for him, his father is said to be quite wealthy. Unfortunately, no one seems to know, or be willing to tell him, where that wealth comes from. But Vinayak is persistent and 14 years after fleeing the family home he returns and learns the secret of his family's past good fortunes. But unknown to everyone but Vinayak within the secret also lies a terrible curse that, while helpful, has also brought a blight on the family for generations.

Ah ha! An Indian horror movie! I don't think I've ever watched a Bollywood horror flick that wasn't a direct rip-off of something else. Or if I did, I blocked it out. I don't need to block out Tumbbad though. Tumbbad is great. It's a beautiful psychological horror fantasy with striking visuals, a strong, unique story and oodles of atmosphere. It's the kind of movie that makes me think, "Yes. This is something prfsnl_gmr would appreciate." But not just prfsnl_gmr should see it. Everyone should see it.

It is beautiful. It is excellent. Go watch it.

I watched this tonight. It was, as predicted, excellent. The atmosphere and setting were absolutely amazing. Like Demon’s Souls set in pre-partition India. Great recommendation, Michi!

[Ack]

I watched a nice light-hearted romantic comedy recently that takes a turn into the nuclear apocalypse.



Miracle Mile (1988)

Boy meets girl. Boy falls for girl. Boy accidentally misses date with girl. Boy gets phone call that the nukes are flying and the apocalypse is nigh. Everything goes to hell quick.

It's sweet, it's dreamlike, it's a swift kick to the jaw. I loved Miracle Mile, and I think you will too.

[Michi]

Tumbbad

I watched this tonight. It was, as predicted, excellent. The atmosphere and setting were absolutely amazing. Like Demon’s Souls set in pre-partition India. Great recommendation, Michi!

Glad you liked it!

New write-up time!

Nightmare



So George gets sent to a psychiatric institute after sexually mutilating an entire family and the doctors think the program he participated in was so successful that they release him, without supervision, onto the seedy streets of NYC. Well, it turns out, oopsie daisy, he's not so reformed after all and he hightails it to Florida (because of course he does) to go torment an already tormented family down in Cocoa Beach. Much death ensues along the way.

When one thinks of gritty 80s slashers, this is the type of movie you're thinking about. The whole thing feels like a grind-house flick, with most of the film's attention being focused on the grimness, the violence and the gore (which is excellent, btw), and very little being focused on things like characters and believable real-world interaction. Like, the police and doctors apparently never bothered to look up George's stories of past violence. They seem to have just assumed it was all a figment of his imagination and shoved pills down his throat. So basically the filmmakers read about things like 'standard procedure' and went "F&*$ that!" and just did whatever the hell they wanted, pesky little things like 'laws' and 'common sense' be damned. Which of course makes for some very amusing/infuriating moments, interspersed with dream sequences and scenes involving copious amounts of blood.

It's a very interesting little flick.

[Ack]

Meanwhile, in my neck of the woods, I watched crap again.

Massacre in Dinosaur Valley

It's an Italian Cannibal film that had no idea what it wanted to be, so it reduced the gore, pumped up the nudity, and then goes through tonal shifts every half hour. Also, it has a wannabe Indiana Jones character and really bad jokes sprinkled throughout. Fun!

Not really, it's pretty awful.

[Michi]

Like Ack, I also continue to watch crap....

Lone Wolf



Although, it's not nearly as bad as a movie with Dinosaur Valley in the title despite not having any dinosaurs. At least my choice of crap viewing has an honest title. What else does it have (Other than a crappy poster)? Well this is a late 80s outing, so expect a cornucopia of poor fashion choices from throughout the decade, one characters attempts at poor 80s pop/rock singing, BIG HAIR, and a cast of 30-somethings acting like high school students, while simultaneously trying to convince us they're all actually supposed to be in college. Okay. Sure movie.

In other words, it's a big, cheesy mess. Entertaining in a "this is clearly a train wreck" kind of way. But hey, at least they had semi-decent werewolf effects....you know....for the budget.

[Ack]

Ooph, Lone Wolf. That movie is...crap.

[Ack]

Guys, guys, I watched a rock and roll musical from the 1980s set in an alternate 1950s!


Streets of Fire

This movie is totally ridiculous. There are explosions, zoot suits, neon, more explosions, rock music, and Bill Paxton. I loved it. Someone once called it the "Greatest '80s movie you never saw" and now that I've seen it, I'm sharing it with you.

Also, it helped inspire Final Fight, so as a beat 'em up fan, I needed to share this with you all.

[REPO Man]

Streets of Fire is fucking AWESOME!! Also "Nowhere Fast" and "Tonight is What it Means to Be Young" slap hard AF!