Week in Film Vlog

Films Discussed
In Theatres: Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
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Random Watching: Frozen River, Jet Li's Fearless, Exiled
It Used to Scare Me Tuesdays: "V" (1983)
Vampathon: Interview with the Vampire and Queen of the Damned

I also saw Hello Mary Lou, Prom Night 2 and The Machinist but totally missed them on my list - hopefully I'll remember to talk about them next time!

"V" (1983)

Writer/Dir: Kenneth Johnson ("Alien Nation", "JAG")
Cast: Marc Singer, Faye Grant, Jane Badler, Michael Wright, Evan Kim, Richard Herd, Robert Englund
USA, 1983 (TV)

Originally Seen: At home, sometime in the 80's
Revisited: October 24, 2009 on VHS! (197 minute Miniseries Part I & II)

Reason to see: Revisiting it for It Used to Scare Me Tuesdays

Whelp, I'm kinda cheating on this one as for the first time ever this is review of a TV Miniseries (197 minutes for Part I & II) and not an actual film. And, yes, I also wanted to revisit it for the upcoming TV series remake. BUT! It did used to scare me. And it is Tuesday. And I re-watched it just to review it. So.. that's enough, no?

Memories of the first viewing of "V" is a little foggy, and no doubt mixed in with the 80's TV series as well. I know it's foggy as I clearly remember some scenes and actors (Michael Ironside!) that weren't in this 2 Part Miniseries. But, putting that aside I still got a total kick out of revisiting it because now especially when I saw the obvious historical comments which I'm sure flew over my head the first time. I also loved it because it made me feel so nostalgic, as it was something that at home we all watched together. Yes, that is when the family would come together to sit down and watch TV together - for science fiction. Love that!

Seeing it this time round I was surprized at how few of the actors I recognized, except of course Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer) in a small but memorable role, but that added some mystery to it not knowing who would end up with who, or even who would make it to the end. Although we are bombarded by 80s fashion and technology, it isn't so distracting to stand out like a sore thumb as much as it can in other films. It actually gave it quite a cohesive feel in many respects as it was commented on and the differences between the two groups were often pointed out.

Although on the surface the film is a tale of aliens coming to Earth, the heart of the miniseries is really in examining freedom and the human spirit, which is a great theme for science fiction. It also questions morals, looks at the the pursuit of power and greed along with giving us great characters to latch onto along the way.

But, was it scary? Yes. What I remember previously that scared me was definitely the effects and they for the most part these practical effects hold up the test of time. But the effects are paired well with the idea behind the effects that strengthen the story and our perception, which makes them even better. Even moreso than the effects this time round, and like Dune, it was the ideas and concepts that are presented in general that are scary.

Now I'm all revved up to see the new miniseries started in November 2009!

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it
I'll watch it again
I'd recommend it to SciFi fans, especially if you enjoy aliens-among-us stories

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© Shannon Ridler, 2009

Dune

Dir: David Lynch (Inland Empire, Mulholland Dr., Blue Velvet)
Cast: Kyle MacLachlan, Jürgen Prochnow, Francesca Annis, Kenneth McMillan, Virginia Madsen, Sean Young, Patrick Stewart, Sting, Linda Hunt, Brad Dourif, Max von Sydow, Dean Stockwell
USA, 1984

Originally Seen: At home, sometime in the 80's
Revisited: October 18, 2009 on VHS! (Original 127 minutes version)

Reason to see: Revisiting it for It Used to Scare Me Tuesdays

This is a less traditional choice for It Used to Scare Me Tuesdays (I've only done 2 so far - but that's enough to set a tradition up, no?) as it is science fiction and not horror and I don't think many people would consider it scary. But, I remember viscerally reacting to the film and being completely freaked out, yet barely remember what it was about except 'The Spice', the hovering/flying guy and the fact that Sting was in it. The moment I looked it up and saw it was directed by David Lynch, it started to fall into place why it would be scary as the atmosphere and tone could really come into play.

Revisiting Dune was easy, as for some bizarre reason I own it on VHS. It wasn't long before I realized why I couldn't remember that plot in detail as we quickly are drawn into a whole other world with governments, planets, families and power systems. I could barely keep everything straight this time and you can feel that the film has a weighty task of condensing the world of the book therefore uses the tactic to introduce, clarify and sum up key points using voice overs throughout the film.

Dune has a lot going for it, the huge world and epic power struggle are obvious highlights but what I found more interesting than the plot or setting was the design of the world and the actors. And I say actors intentionally as I didn't connect to many of the characters, but it sure was a treat to see performances by Jürgen Prochnow (Das Boot, The Seventh Sign), Dean Stockwell ("Quantum Leap", "Battlestar Galactica"), Patrick Stewart ("Star Trek: The Next Generation"), Linda Hunt (The Year of Living Dangerously), Brad Dourif ("Star Trek: Voyager") and of course Sting. I didn't even realize until after the fact that that the main character Paul Atreides is Kyle MacLachlan ("Sex in the City") in his first role. Wow. The design of the world in the film is spectacular, even 25 years after the fact. There were a few things that effects wise may not be what we are used to now but the key is in the fascinating ideas which really hold the test of time. I also enjoyed the sheer scale used, they certainly weren't afraid to go big! The inclusion of psychics in regular society was wild to see, especially considering how powerful they were and how it highlighted a Matriarchal subculture.

But, was it scary? Yep, it was. Originally I primarily found the scenes with the character Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Kenneth McMillan) were the ones that scared me. He is portrayed as literally bubbling over in grossness, overbearing, mean and creepy. What was more scary this time was the corruption and greed in the Harkonnens who are willing to do awful things in order to attain power, from general meanness to the enthusiasm for terrorizing others. It's not the traditional scary things, but it still bothers me whether it is conceptual or shown on the screen.

Shannon's Overall View:
It was better than I remembered
I'd watch it again, but not often
I'd recommend it to fans of epic films and science fiction

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© Shannon Ridler, 2009

Week in Film Vlog: Boatloads of Movies!

Films Discussed
In Theatres: Where the Wild Things Are, Whip It, Paranormal Activity
101 Films: Amarcord, Belle et la Bete, Black Sabbath, The Hanging Garden
Own/Unseen: The Grudge (US version)
Random Watching: Bolt, Prom Night (Original), The Bride
It Used to Scare Me Tuesdays: The Stuff

The Stuff

Writer/Dir: Larry Cohen (It's Alive, Deadly Illusion)
Cast: Michael Moriarty, Andrea Marcovicci, Scott Bloom, Paul Sorvino, Garrett Morris, Danny Aiello
USA, 1985

Originally Seen: I think this was another one from a Halloween Night circa mid-to-late 80's
Revisited: October 12, 2009 on DVD

Reason to see: Revisiting it for It Used to Scare Me Tuesdays

All I really remembered about The Stuff was that it was about food that was evil and possibly living. And that it scared me. Oh, that was so many years ago.

Revisiting the film now was a whole lot of fun. After buying the DVD I noticed some very familiar names on the cover: Michael Moriarty and Paul Sorvino of "Law and Order"? Are you kidding me? Add to that Danny Aiello? How on Earth did it take me over 20 years to give this one another go?

There is nothing like a horror film that is based on the evils of a food product. There are some funny nods to the food industry here and there and it plays beautifully into the marketing in the 80's right down to The Stuff commercials within the film that had people dancing with short shorts over grey track pants on in oh so very 80s swim wear. It's amazing how they worked in not only the jazzercise vibe but 80s excess as well!

Let's get to the peeps involved in the battle against The Stuff. First off, Michael Moriarty is amazing as David 'Mo' Rutherford, an industrial saboteur who is looking for answers on this product that has swept the nation. He plays a bit of a cad, which was awesome and worked a Southern accent that varied from time to time, presumidably due to him taking on different idenities. Or not. Either way, it worked and he had some of the best lines in the film. We have other skeptics as well such as the kid Jason played by Scott Bloom and scorned confectionary man Charlie Chocolate Chip Hobbs played by Garrett Morris. Oh my. Let's just say that name again. Charlie Chocolate Chip Hobbs. The interplay between Garrett Morris and Michael Moriatry was fantastic and hilarious. Andrea Marcovicci plays the Nicole, the promoter of The Stuff and she has some really great scenes with Michael Moriarty.

Normally I'd be unimpressed with the conveniences that push the plot forward pretty easily, but if there is the quotable goodness of things like "They are all Stuffies!" and the terror that is The Stuff, self-moving white edible goo I'm happy to let it slide. How will they battle the goo? Well, you will have to watch the film to find out but I'll say this - I was impressed by the majority of the effects. The effect of 'The Stuff' itself was great, I wonder what they hell they used because it looks something between yogurt and cream but more foamy.

But, was it scary? Truthfully, no - not really. I think what got me the first time round was the effect of The Stuff on people and the idea of The Stuff. For the non-stuff effects, I can see the practical effects quite clearly and they are pretty good but the scare factor isn't so high. They do get the gruesome spot on quite a few times. Overall, it was tons of fun, highly quotable and I already look forward to watching it again.

Shannon's Overall View:
I really enjoyed it
I'll watch it again
I'd recommend it to fans of 80s horror

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© Shannon Ridler, 2009

Week in Film Vlog

'Lil goof in here - mentioned content from both the Nosferatu films, so consider that a spoiler warning.

Films Discussed
In Theatres: Fame (2009), Coco Avant Chanel and Haeundae
101 Films: The Sting, Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht
Random Watching: Lust, Caution and Rogue
It Used to Scare Me Tuesdays: C.H.U.D.

C.H.U.D.

In celebration of the month of scary movies, I've decided to revisit scary films that I've not seen for years, and I'm calling it... you guessed it.... It Used to Scare Me Tuesdays.

Dir: Douglas Cheek
Cast: John Heard, Daniel Stern, Christopher Curry, Kim Griest, Eddie Jones,
USA, 1984

Originally Seen: On Halloween Night circa mid-to-late 80's
Revisited: October 6, 200

Reason to see: Revisiting it for It Used to Scare Me Tuesdays

Technically, I don't remember much about watching C.H.U.D. the first time round. I remember my brother was watching it and I walked in the room and decided to watch too, because that's what little sisters do! I remember that I thought the movie was scary and that the title was crazy, I'm sure I probably ran around saying Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers (!) for quite a while. Vague memories are always fun place to start when revisiting a film.

I ended up enjoying the film far more than I expected. First off, the dialogue can be hilarious. In particular Daniel Stern who plays A.J. "The Reverend", who runs a soup kitchen and can outsmart Captain Bosch played by Christopher Curry. Both of those characters are a lot of fun, but they are only 2/3rds of the pie as the film actually uses three main characters. Rounding out the lot is the fashion photographer George Cooper played by John Heard. Yep. A fashion photographer, soup kitchen runner and a cop are our protagonists. But who but that rag tag group be able to set the focus of a underground dwelling monster film? It's the perfect mix!

I totally appreciated the 80's-ness of the film from the electric soundtrack to vague nod to environmental awareness to progressive couple dynamics. I even enjoyed the clothes - belted sweaters and cut off sweatshirts for the win! These were the things that really tipped the scales from it being just fun to really enjoyable. But, it is a monster film at heart, and the monsters did make me giggle a bit especially because you don't see them a lot. You see other people see them, but they don't grace the screen that often.

Was it scary? Overall, not that much. The tone feels pretty campy and there are some pop scares here and there. I was impressed with the effects. There is a fair amount of great (or gross, depending on your point of view) shots not the creatures themselves, but the ... let's say.. aftermath of the encounters. Gruesome but awesome.

I'm already looking forward to watching it again, and the DVD even has a commentary with the Douglas Cheek, Shepard Abbott, John Heard, Daniel Stern and Christopher Curry. I can't wait.

Shannon's Overall View:
I enjoyed it way more than I expected
I own it
I recommend it as a fun horror flick

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© Shannon Ridler, 2009