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The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)
Good Old Fashioned Fun...
I've seen this film numerous times over the years, both on the big screen and on tv/video, and it manages to hold its own, due simply to the fact that the story is none-too complicated and the animation effects are so deftly executed by the legendary Ray Harryhausen, whose accomplishments are all the more remarkable when you consider that he animated the Cyclops, the dragon and others WITHOUT the use of CGI or other electronic technology.
I'd recently had the good fortune to attend a 45th anniversary showing of this film (with Harryhausen in attendance) and TWO theatres were packed, with men and women, ages 6 to 60. They clapped, they laughed (there are a few unintentional, yet timely laughs to be found in the film's dialogue, with its references to "...the safety of Baghdad" and "...the future of Baghdad") and they cheered when the evil sorceror met his fate. And in perhaps the best testimonial that a film could get, everyone was SMILING as they left the theatre...
L.A. Story (1991)
A Charming Fable...
A long-time fan of Steve Martin, I fell in love with this ode to a city that is at turns, crazy, violent and confusing, but at the same time, imbued with a underlying aura of magic and wonderment. The opening of the film, from the credits set to a wonderful French rendition of the old Bobby Darrin hit "Beyond The Sea" and Steve Martin's "short-cut" to work are truly priceless. I know this sounds corny, but this beautiful, romantic fairy-tale of a film would be great to watch with that "special someone" one evening (or during brunch, for that matter)...
FilmWolf
Asylum of Satan (1972)
Ah, There's Nothing Like "Home-Grown"!...
I have to start off by saying that I'm a little biased in favor of this movie, being that director William Girdler was a native of Louisville and that the film was shot here. The movie is fairly run-of-the mill 70's drive-in fare, with stretches of talky dialogue, leading actresses who can't act and a monster/creature that doesn't QUITE live up (or should that be "down"?) to it's billing. Strangely enough, the film's odd sense of pacing does lend itself to some semi-creepy scenes (like the "flashback" in the dining room) and in parts, is vaguely reminiscent of the original "Carnival of Souls". And I have to conclude by saying what a treat it was to see the late, great, local horror-film host Charlie Kissinger, playing Doctor Spectre AND his head nurse "Martine". (yes, you read it, right, he was in DRAG...)
FilmWolf
Jeepers Creepers (2001)
Maybe There's Hope For The Horror Genre After All...
I just got back from seeing a late show of "Jeepers Creepers", and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. Here's a film that isn't packed to the gills with obnoxious college kids that you're just BEGGING for the killer/monster to catch up with, as well as having an antagonist that manages to display tons of character & personality without even saying a SINGLE word (although he is a little musically inclined...*chuckle*) There are lots of great scenes (the "showdown" between the killer and the two heroes on the highway, being one) and the killer's origins (although obviously supernatural in nature,) aren't explained to death by having one of the film's characters giving us a detailed family history of who he (it?) is and why he does what he does. I'm expecting that some will find the ending not to their liking, and that's perfectly understandable, being that this film manages to make an actual effort to play AGAINST the norms that we've come to anticipate out of the fright films of the past decade.
The Haunting (1963)
They Got It Right The FIRST Time...
I'll keep this comment brief and straight to the point. This film managed to be FAR more frightening than the recent godawful remake starring Liam Neeson & Catherine-Zeta Jones, and it only took HALF the time and 1/1,000,000,000 of the special effects budget to do so...