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conor_kiley
Reviews
Uchû daikaijû Girara (1967)
Bad movie but still fun
Bizarre movie and a lot of fun but only for people who enjoy goofy monster movies.
I happen to love the movie, from the off the wall totally wrong music to the weird chicken-like beast.
One thing that might get overlooked is how the end of the movie seems to indicate that space exploration and races mixing is wrong. It ends with a weird speech about how all things should stay where they belong and the Asian characters walk off in one direction while the Caucasion ones walk off in another... huh? Funny stuff.
This is without a doubt a fun bad movie.
Forbidden Planet (1956)
Great, fascinating movie
I imagine most people saw this on TV as a child and it had the sort of impact it did on me. Awe, wonder and fear.
Seeing it as an adult and being aware of the time it was made it is still a surprisingly effective film. It's easy to see an older film and focus on the dated elements but Forbidden Planet has so much going for it only a truly callow individual could overlook how special it is.
The look of the film is what always got my attention. It's stunning, artistic and also scary. I always loved how so many older films managed to show a dream-like surreal world that newer films often cant. It almost seems to stumble upon its greatness as much of what people love about the film is what is only hinted at.
We see the awesome remnants of an incredibly powerful and advanced society that for some unknown reason died out just when they were about to make a technological leap of tremendous importance. A rather cold and condescending Morbius has set up an idyllic oasis with his daughter and must deal with the intrusion of other humans in the form of a starship checking up on the people sent to investigate the planet.
The story is told from the military ships perspective (Think Navy) as the men are being shown what was found on the planet and learn about the Krell race who once inhabited it. Various horrors and wonders are shown and soon after the fate of the Krell becomes apparent and threatens to resurface.
But what is controlling it and why? For all the dated elements this film is perhaps the most brilliant bit of sci-fi pulp ever produced. It deals with both universal issues and very personal ones and it all makes perfect devastating sense.
It also has Altaira asking "What's a bathing suit?", Robby The Robot pointing out the fuesal oil content of bootleg bourbon and Steve Austins boss when he was just a communications officer.
Fantastic movie.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
It's a great movie, but it does have problems
My initial review got some negative responses (justified) as I focused far too much on what I didn't like but failed to adequately point out how much of the film was brilliant.
First off the great aspects are numerous, it's a stunning, emotionally devastating film. The first half is flawless and gay or straight I can't imagine anyone not feeling for these guys. How the relationship is established seems so organic, not forced or part of some heavy handed "message" as so many other films dealing with issues like this are.
On a side note many of the early scenes culminating with the first sexual scene can be pretty funny if you imagine a person unaware of the plot watching it. Imagining the reaction from a viewer watching it cold is pretty funny. Sort of like the kiss in Deathtrap multiplied by 10.
I have no problem with the nature of the film and truly admire much of it... but why did it feel the need to denigrate children? Ennis dealing with children that never stopped screaming? Um, children may often be a pain but the way they are presented in this film is creepy. Screeching monsters that are beasts sucking the life out of the parents? What the hell is that about? That aspect actually seems to support a stereotype about gays. Jack hooking up with a Tomboy girl that suddenly becomes some cold methodical shrew? Some of this just seems arbitrary and at the service of the plot.
Were Homosexuals really being murdered in the U.S. to the point that this plot would make sense? The U.S. has problems (as every society does) but it's not like Iran where gays are killed on sight and hanged by the government. There was no reason that Jack and Ennis couldn't hook up after Ennis' divorce and find a way to be together.
While the tragic nature of the film is heart breaking I cant help but feel the film forced the events leading to the tragic end.
All that aside it really is a good movie, I recommend it highly. How can anyone not feel bad that Jack and Ennis didn't just get a place together?
Red Dawn (1984)
Simpleminded but still entertaining
Yes it's juvenile and the premise is flat-out silly and some of the performances and dialog are pretty bad... but it's still an entertaining bit of macho fantasy.
It's actually a bit difficult to figure out where the film stands on many issues. It clearly demonizes the Soviet Union as some sort of boogeyman and trots out some really funny patriotism goofiness, but also sends mixed signals about how the kids fighting get dehumanized yet lionizes them in a somewhat disturbing fatalistic way. Personally I think it is that element that is most unpleasant and the real problem.
Hey kids, the idea is to stay alive, not die for a "cause" in a blaze of glory! Basically if the notion of a movie about teenagers forming an effective military unit fighting against overwhelming odds while living in the mountains sounds like something you might enjoy you will probably like this movie.
Pánico en el Transiberiano (1972)
This is a lost gem
Telly Savallas' work is a hoot, he really shines here. Right in the middle of this thing Telly shows up and gives an improvised performance that has to be seen to be believed.
How can anyone see this movie and not love it? Cushing, Lee... crazy science with aliens and devils and a zombie freakout on a train in Siberia... That's a recipe for fun city.
This movie has some really chilling moments though surprisingly. It gets under your skin and the Sci-Fi/horror/religious bit is great because it never truly makes any sense at all but still is creepy as hell.
Those white bleeding eyes still creep me out.
The train is a big part of the film, so anyone interested in model railroads might want to check this out as well even if you are not interested in goofy horror films.
King Kong (2005)
Overkill, but still good
This is a difficult film to talk about because so much of it is great, even brilliant, but still it consistently stretches scenes out and overstays its welcome. This thing needs massive editing.
I don't mind long movies but how this one tries to keep mounting astonishing nonsense upon itself just gets really dull and repetitious. It seems to have the opinion that more is better so we don't see one great battle between Kong and a T-rex, we see a near endless battle with several while they fall down a chasm swinging on vines... the ship doesn't hit one rock, it slams into a bunch of them, the rescuers don't fight a bug or two, they fight hundreds, Kong isn't knocked out by the gas he fights on for an extended sequence involving more chases and pointless battles... and the scenes just go on and on never knowing when to end.
This is a cut that should have been released to DVD for curiosity, not released as the theatrical version.
And the casting... Jack Black did much better than I thought he would but he is still completely wrong as the Carl Denham character in key parts. It really hurts the film. Adrien Brody is a great actor, but here he seems like he was shoehorned into a role he was simply not meant for. Those two roles are essential to the story but botched.
Naomi Watts however is perfect in the role of Ann Darrow.
This thing needs to be edited down by a good 45 minutes, as it stands it is unforgivably indulgent. There is a lot of good stuff in the movie but it also has some serious flaws. Jack Black and Adrien Brody? What was Jackson thinking?
Beware that many rate it as a 10 simply to change the IMDb score.I hate that. It is dishonest.
The Thing (1982)
Carpenters best film.
I remember when this came out and how it was pounced on as simply a superficial gore remake of the '51 version. The reviews at the time were silly and relied on memories of the previous version while ignoring the fact that this was not a remake. Not to mention how ET was the darling of all involved (I will never understand how ET made so much money, It was a minor bit of confection) This film is not a remake of "The Thing From Another World" though it does use elements of that version of the story as an homage. This is an adaptation of the story "Who Goes There?" which the other film also used as source.
The '51 version is a great film worth watching, but it is a very different movie with an approach based on the time it was made and should not be used as a comparison to Carpenter's "The Thing". Well, now that I got that out of my system...
This is a gory film in the sense that it shows all sorts of bizarre and gruesome events in astonishing FX sequences, however they are not there simply to be grossouts. The scenes are essential because they demonstrate the nature of the alien and are actually fascinating. Seeing how the creature is formless and just a mad collection of what it has infected can only be expressed through the scenes some find so repulsive.
When the dogs are infected how they begin to morph makes me think about where the creature came from and what other previously absorbed creatures alien dna is influencing the process. Every time an infection/transformation takes place it is so bizarre and seems to meld different species and biology. When the humans get infected I wonder does the creature have intelligence? Does it retain knowledge or simply mimic? Where did the creature originate and how many others has it infected? What if it eventually infected everyone? The actions of the team are understandable and realistic to me, they have no clue what is going on most of the time and some of the complaints I have read tend to come from people who are looking at this as if the characters should have known what the viewer of the film does.
The characters split up numerous times but each time it is obvious why they do. Either they don't know the things the viewer does or the situation demands it.
I have read some comments about how the characters are not fleshed out and the FX take it over, the people who say this saw a different film than I did. I remember each character distinctly. They all have scenes where they become individuals we recognize and their characters nature are essential to the progress of the plot. Watch the movie once and each character is memorable. At no point are the characters interchangeable fodder like in so many other Horror/SF films. The actors are all distinct fully realized and the performances are memorable and unique.
The film doesn't spell anything out, it is a great example of both SF and Horror. It is thought provoking and truly scary and it also has a perfect ending.
Great Ennio Morricone score, great cinematography, the best performance by a dog ever, great mystery, and the list just goes on. This film, with precious few changes (some computer scenes date it), could be released today and would be hailed as a masterpiece and make a fortune.
Was Childs infected? Was MacReady? What happens next? Great film.
It also has my favorite line in history. Palmer's reaction to the spider-head... "You Gotta be F**king kidding me!"
Malone (1987)
Boring, cheap and inept.
I actually saw this first run and was shocked how bad it was. I've watched it again since and to be honest the biggest flaw is that it's dull (not to mention it includes a sequence where he survives a shotgun blast to the gut). I happen to enjoy Burt Reynolds work in general and will never understand the sudden and irrational scorn heaped upon him in the 80's that led to his starring in this kind of bargain basement dreck and retreating to TV as a result.
"Malone" commits the greatest sin any film can; it is dreary and bland. Bad movies don't generally bother me as long as there is some enthusiasm and style, this has neither, it just plods along as if the director couldn't care less and just wanted to get it over with.
At least disasters like "Rent a Cop" and "Physical Evidence" were entertaining in how they failed, "Malone" is just DOA.
Who are these people giving this thing a 10 rating? Anyone interested in seeing Reynolds potential just check out "Sharky's Machine", it's his career highlight creatively. Reynolds should have focused more on directing as he had a flair for it.
King Kong Lives (1986)
Bad movie, but not a fun bad movie
King Kong Lives had potential to be a fun lark based on the bizarre premise but it tries to be serious at all the wrong times and all too often gets repulsive and nasty. It also looks shockingly cheap and there are moments where it seems like a home movie.
The whole mess is rather dreary. It maintains no consistent tone aside from rushed desperation. This is nothing like the colorful silliness the Japanese monster movies are famous for. This movie just looks ugly, unpleasant.
The elements that show promise are filmed in such a bland boring way the humor is drained and the parts that should be treated seriously are handled as a routine dismissive joke. A bad costume is only interesting or amusing if it is surrounded by something interesting.
Some people seem to like it though.
There certainly is a way to enjoy it for people who get a kick out of spotting how things go wrong in some films, but overall I found it kind of depressing even though I enjoy bad movies. There was no imagination in how it was filmed nor did it have any sense of fun, it was.... not fun. It is boring.
Kingu Kongu no gyakushû (1967)
Great goofy fun
There is nothing about this movie that can be taken seriously but unlike the ugly mess "King Kong Lives" this movie is bright, colorful fun that adults will enjoy as a comedy while the kids will get a blast out of the crazy mayhem.
Just thinking about the plot makes me laugh and watching it is never dull, it has such a no holds barred silliness about it and the new DVD release is stunning. I had no idea just how impressive the look of the film was.
The complaints about the film are rather misguided in many ways and there is some serious confusion about it. The female lead Linda Miller was dubbed by another actress, so the complaints about her performance are a bit moot (though the combination of nutty dialog and weird delivery actually help the film for most since it is so funny).
Also this is not a sequel to King Kong Vs Godzilla, Kong in this film is a myth found to be real (and utilized to dig out a cavern for bizarre reasons that just get funnier the more you think about it).
As a last note for anyone interested in King Kong in any of his incarnations seek out Ray Mortons book "King Kong The History of a Movie Icon" released recently. He actually set aside a chapter of the book detailing this film.
Survivors (1975)
Very good for the time it was made, but it has some serious flaws.
Ultimately I do recommend it, but it is often terribly frustrating. The most serious problem is that supposedly intelligent characters are constantly doing very stupid things at the convenience of the plot and it's very heavy handed. It shoots itself in foot too often.
Yet it is also thought provoking and consistently entertaining. Watch one episode and you want to see the next one.
For the many people who saw this when they were young it's easy to understand why it had such an impact on them. It's an excellent show for something from 1975, but not quite as magnificent as some memories paint it. It would certainly interest anyone who has read Stephen Kings "The Stand", though it doesn't contain the supernatural element his novel does.
All of that aside it is worth checking out and truly is superior to most other TV shows.
ps- Why do so many British shows look so drained of color? Star Trek had its share of flaws but it was always bright and interesting to look at.
Capricorn One (1977)
Intriguing premise, horrible movie.
Where does one begin with a movie like this? I recently watched it after not having seen it since I was a child and it left me stunned.
I don't mind conspiracy minded films or even films that have an anti-U.S. sentiment as long as they are interesting and well made. When they are well made there is something to discuss. This one is simply inert and stupid though.
It's so badly made and interminably boring. The dialog is horrid, the performances are (aside from Telly Savalas) botched, the pacing is snail-like, the direction is low grade TV work... I watched hoping it would just tell the story and stop setting up what was spelled out in the beginning. And when I say spelled out I mean that, it was flatly told to the viewer everything that was going on. Why bother making the movie when you can just have some actor read the script to you? The first hour of the film is filler and even with all that time to establish the story and characters it has one of the most painful monologues I have ever heard that poor Hal Holbrook must struggle through. He basically reads 3 pages of plot and character setup right to the viewer. Is that good filmaking? The entire movie feels like a filmed rehearsal for a rejected TV show.
Who are these people rating these bad films so high? Jokers? Or genuine paranoids who take movies as gospel truth?
Heaven's Gate (1980)
Despite the bizarre rash of high ratings, this is not a good movie
It is unsettling seeing so many people giving outrageously high ratings to this film. Some of the praise uses such twisted reasoning (and transparent agendas that betray a simple love of anything that is in any way critical of the U.S.) that it approaches hysteria.
Heaven's Gate is a bad movie, it is fundamentally awful. Endless scenes using elaborate shots that serve no purpose, muddy dialogue, murky narative, no sense of any theme aside from excess...
The high rating of this disaster is a product of revisionist history and temporary shifts in perception.
For some perspective watch Lawrence of Arabia before watching Heaven's Gate. You will see just how aimless and lost this film truly is. The "issues" it may have been trying to deal with are lost in a miasma.
I have no problem with films that are critical of the U.S. per se, but when a terrible film gets such undeserved praise purely because of that element... that's worth challenging.
The film is worth seeing for two reasons; curiosity, and as a cautionary tale for young filmmakers.
I saw this at home for free, imagine the torture of being in a theater and sitting through it... for 4 meandering hours!
The Ninth Configuration (1980)
New psychiatrist takes over an asylum for disturbed military men.
A brilliant and unconventional film. As I'm sure many others have said it is very difficult to describe or sum up accurately. It has so many seemingly incongruous elements yet amazingly in the end it ties them all together and packs an emotional punch very few films manage.
Basically it's about how a new lead psychiatrist arrives at an asylum maintained by the military. It is loaded with stunning scenes, images, symbolism, scares and emotionally devastating moments and it leaves me both uplifted and sad yet so intellectually stimulated I want to discuss it because there is a LOT to talk about once it's over.
It also has some brutal violence and the nastiest bar fight ever filmed.
Stacey Keach plays the role of Kane perfectly, he shows no outward humor but is not humorless himself. He is clearly dedicated to helping the inmates in any way he can using every means at his disposal and wisely the character is not played as being detached and totally unemotional. When Kane (Keach) gets annoyed, enthusiastic or is dealing with a difficult issue he doesn't simply deadpan it he communicates what is happening within the character despite the constraints needed for the role. Brilliant work.
Where his treatments lead the inmates (and where it leads Kane himself) is the core of the film and the whole thing is actually about all of us and how we can reconcile faith, science and the horrors of existence. Faith can mean many different things...
There are multiple edits available but the major aspect that changes is related to one brief scene involving a knife and a bit a dialog. It's worth mentioning because it does change the tone for many viewers depending on the version they see.
The Ninth Configuration is a treasure, a sadly overlooked and misunderstood film.
Gojira: Fainaru uôzu (2004)
Surprising Godzilla movie
A very unusual Godzilla film.
It Moves very fast. The monster battles are not like any of the previous films and the human side of the story is as much a focus as the Monsters tale is and surprisingly it is interesting. It works mainly as an adrenaline rush though, it's cathartic. The "monsters" have a lean, muscular look and move fast- they are not the puffy slow moving beasts of the past.
No long drawn out scenes of endless wrestling, this is more like boxing and Godzilla is the master dispatching them all. No need to be a fan to find it entertaining.
This movie does something similar to what "Aliens" did way back in '86. It redefines Godzilla as an Action Hero and goes past what any casual viewer might expect. This is a hard core action film that never lets up and leaves you drained.
The main negative is that it cribs way too much from the film "The Matrix". While Matrix lifted from Asian cinema generously, Final Wars does a Xerox of the copy and in several places has a tin ear regarding some things that are now considered trite and overused the world over.
The movie is just a lot of fun.