jonahstewartvaughan Reviews

They Call Me Trinity (1970)

They Call Me Trinity (1970)

[7/10 · 2 May 2024]

Cult Cuts Volume 54 (Return to the Video Store: Wanted: Dead Or Alive Part One)

#3/4: They Call Me Trinity (1970)

(7/10): A bit more of an underrated gem of Buddy Comedy Western that is worth your time for sure.

When Slacker Cowboy Trinity rolls into town he eventually teams up with the large bulking Bambino to help save peaceful Mormons from the Land Hungry Major Harriman and his crew of bullies. However instead of using violence they use more slapstick humour to defend the Mormons and their fertile valley.

It's a simple story but it's backed by solid humour and a great main cast of duo of Trinity and Bambino.

With Trinity played by Terence Hill and Bambino played by Bud Spencer, they make for such an excellent comedic duo that have even better chemistry than how well they do their comedy.

The personalities of the two leads are completely different with Bambino being the more bulkish and aggressive type and Trinity being so laid back that if it wasn't for him pulling out his gun to threaten the bullies every now and then I don't think he would've done anything, cause I don't remember him doing a whole lot. Trinity is also very snarky and sly even a bit, moreso in how he carries himself and in his personality.

The costumes and scenery are all very nice to look at and the score is pretty solid as well but if I had to say anything about this film that makes it a cut above your average western, it's the two leads, they are the reason, at least in my opinion, that this movie works as well as it does. If either of the actors were to have been replaced with someone else, there's a solid chance I wouldn't even be talking about it.

Overall it's a great buddy comedy western with really charismatic leads and some great slapstick humour. Definitely one I'd recommend.

Django (1966)

Django (1966)

[8/10 · 29 April 2024]

Cult Cuts Volume 54 (Return to the Video Store: Wanted: Dead Or Alive Part One)

#2/4: Django (1966)

(8/10): Even though Sergio Leone Kicked Off the Wave of Spaghetti Westerns in 1964 with A Fistful of Dollars, two years later Sergio Corbucci gave us the definitive and quintessential Spaghetti Western in Django.

The story follows a lone wandering gunslinger who drags a coffin behind him, he saves a runaway prostitute from a group of White Supremacist soldiers which started a fued that followed them back to town. Once the leader of the Supremacists, Major Jackson's sworn enemy, General Hugo Rodriguez, who leads a group of Mexican Revolutionaries enters the mix, Django is faced with not one but two armies. Can Django defeat both armies and live to tell the tale?

Led by Franco Nero as the Titular Wanderer, Django is a strong western when viewed on its own merits.

Nero delivers a solid performance in the role of Django and the supporting cast does a decent job with their roles as well.

The film has one of the greatest Themes for any western I've heard, composed by Luis Bacalov.

The action sequences deliver a powerful punch with a high point being army the supremacists run into town and Django is just out in open with the town look on and questioning him, and then he opens up his coffin and pulls out a fully automatic light machine gun and mows down nearly the entire army.

The cinematography and locations are fantastic as they both portray a sense of beauty yet convey the feeling that Django is fighting alone, as it gives a barren and empty atmosphere with the sunset being the small ray of hope that he has as he is set to fight his own personal war atop this fight for his life.

The film is also very good in its costume department, with Django having a look that aerates a sense of him being a lone wolf that is doomed to wander in search of purpose.

The film is overall a defining film in the Western Genre and one of the best Spaghetti Westerns ever filmed, no question, I do definitely recommend this film.

The White Buffalo (1977)

The White Buffalo (1977)

[7/10 · 29 April 2024]

Cult Cuts Volume 54 (Return to the Video Store: Wanted: Dead Or Alive Part One)

#1/4: The White Buffalo (1977)

(7/10): This was an interesting little known Western that has a bit here going for it.

The White Buffalo is the story of a man in the old west who is haunted by nightmares of a the large white buffalo that has come through towns and destroy the place, he is so traumatized by the nightmares that he keeps his guns on him when he sleeps in case he is actually attacked and also causes him to lash out with violence such as firing his weapons at nothing.

He arrives at a small town off the train where he meets a local who he ventures out into the countryside to pursue the last remaining buffalo as he begins to hear, see and even eventually discover that someone has supposedly seen one.

The two soon cross paths a Native American man who is on a one man suicide mission to find and kill the beast as it came through his village during the night and destroyed everything and killed his loved ones in the process.

The two form a temporary truce as they have a common enemy, despite the one local hunter that joined him initially being reluctant to do so, but they take on the beast to both avenge and protect their people.

If you haven't already gathered, this is actually a western take on the story of Moby Dick, and while it isn't perfect it does have aspects that make a worthy watch for any western fan.

First is it's cast; led by the great Charles Bronson who has previously appeared in a handful of Italian Spaghetti Westerns, including the renowned Once Upon a Time in the West and also appearing in films such as Death Wish and The Mechanic. He is backed by a supporting cast of Jack Warden from the acclaimed 12 Angry Men, Will Sampson from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and The Outlaw Josey Wales, Clint Walker from The Dirty Dozen and The Night of the Grizzly, and finally beloved Genre Actor, John Carradine who has appeared in countless films over the span of his career.

The film has a decent enough pace to it and is held up by the performance of its cast, however a make or break aspect of the film for many can be the quality of the effects on the Buffalo, which I personally thought was better than what I was expecting but it still wasn't anything overly impressive, it still manages have a certain charm to it in spite of it.

The costumes are pretty solid overall and they did put out a standard but still well produced score, with some exceptions of course.

All in all, The White Buffalo was a unique western with a strong cast that is worth watching if at least once.

The Beyond (1981)

The Beyond (1981)

[9/10 · 2 April 2024]

Return to the Video Store #36:

The Beyond (1981)

(9/10): What I consider and what many other fans to be Lucio Fulci's Magnum Opus, is a great example of early eighties Italian horror.

Part of what is now called the Gates of Hell Trilogy, all loosely related by a central theme of the end of the world and Hell reclaiming the earth The Beyond is about a woman who inherits an old mansion and begins to slowly see things as she has the mansion fixed up and people begin to start dying in strange accidents.

She meets the blind woman who lives in the house across the street who warns her of the evil that she is tampering with if she doesn't leave. It is eventually revealed that the mansion was built atop one of the seven gates of hell and that hell is soon to be awakened.

What results is the awakening of multiple corpses that turn into flesh craving zombies that, if the gate is not closed, will consume the earth.

The film is not directly about the shock value and it does not move fast, it's got an ominous atmosphere that looms over the entire film as it builds to a dread filled final act.

The film has excellent visceral gore effects that drive home the intensity of the horror that the film delivers.

The score is phenomenal and complements the film's overall dread and doom filled atmosphere beautifully.

It starts slow and slowly amplifies its pace as it moves toward the finale where it lets loose as it unleashes all of its power in a sea of hopelessness as it descends into an abyss of despair.

The set design is fantastic and aerates a dark, dank and decrepit feel in the mansion and even though the town has citizens it always feels strangely quiet and barren which adds to the foreboding sense of an apocalypse.

The design of the blind woman's eyes are also very dead and even lifeless to where one might see her as evil upon first watch, but they do have a beauty to their lifelessness that compliments the mood of the film very well.

The film is also an example of how Fulci worked his way around studio demands; The Studio wanted more Fulci Zombie Movies after the success of Zombie AKA Zombi 2 AKA Zombie Flesh Eaters which was his cash-in on the success of Romero's Dawn of the Dead, but Fulci wanted to do something different, so you could say he caved in and gave the studio what they wanted but I like to say he did the best of both worlds as it was a moody Zombie film that had elements of both Gothic and especially Cosmic Horror.

Fulci films aren't really for the squeamish but if you can handle a some nasty gore in your face you will be treated to quite the atmospheric horror gem.

Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

[8/10 · 31 March 2024]

Return to the Video Store #35:

Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

(8/10): A fun time capsule of a movie that established itself as one of the best and most memorable parts of the cars, trucks, CB Radio fad in the mid to late seventies leading into early eighties, alongside the TV Show The Dukes of Hazzard.

The plot is fairly straightforward; A Race Car Driver is hired to transport an illegal beer shipment across the Texan/Atlantan border in under 28 hours, but he is pursued by a slightly overweight and clumsy Officer and his deputy. Along the way "Bandit" as he is nicknamed picks up a reluctant bride-to-be and they eventually fall in love as they have her officer father in hot pursuit of the two in a race against time to cross the border.

Helmed by the charming and charismatic actor, Burt Reynolds and having Jackie Gleason as the dimwitted officer, the film moves along at a nice brisk pace and is still highly entertaining.

The soundtrack is full of great country and trucker music that complements the tone exceptionally well.

There are some great moments of physical comedy spread throughout that keep a very free flow and fun loving spirit to the film.

The car stunts are all very satisfying and even silly at times to keep the tension from getting too high and instead keeping it the proper balance of tense and easygoing.

To say that Reynolds was at what could be considered the peak of his career in this film is an understatement, this is the quintessential Burt Reynolds film for a Damn Good reason, he brought his A-Game to his role.

It's a classic example of how to make a great action/comedy and also a car film, the old-fashioned way always hits different and I mean that in the best way possible.

Road House (2024)

Road House (2024)

[6/10 · 30 March 2024]

Road House (2024)

(6/10): To be honest I wasn't completely behind the idea of this remake but that being said it isn't god awful, it's okay but I don't think it's anything special neither.

The idea of the bouncer being ex-UFC and is essentially keeping the bar from being ploughed by a rich snob who wants to build a resort is a good little twist on the plot. It keeps the basis of the bouncer being hired to help maintain the peace at a chaotic bar but switching it up just enough that it doesn't feel like it is exactly trying to copy the original. That being said the film would have been better if they had either altered the title to suit more of a side story or origin or just something related that isn't necessarily a remake or just removed all connections altogether, it would have functioned much better as it doesn't have to live up to original by being labeled a remake. Now don't get me wrong, the original isn't high end stuff but it does make fans put on nostalgia goggles when watching, not to mention it does still have a certain charm to it as well as having Sam Elliott in a supporting role.

Anyways the aspects I liked; Jake Gyllenhaal is no Patrick Swayze but he is decent in his role as Dalton and I did also enjoy the character of Knox played by Conor McGregor, he has such an animal like personality that makes him more interesting to watch as he is more unpredictable. The soundtrack was also decent and that's where I think my positives stop. Now I have very mixed feelings about the fight scenes in the film, they really do rely on CGI for the fight scenes. I get it that you want stuff to be exaggerated and that you are aiming for some kind of style to it but also really rubs me the wrong way as you could just do real fights with some good choreography and some decent fake blood, it's been done a plethora of times before and is much more effective and actually moreso achieves the illusion that what is happening onscreen is real as, to a large extent, it is, just cutting off at the point before people get hurt. There is some sequences in certain fights that are less reliant on digital effects than others and they look better.

Now the bad, I don't have much I strictly didn't like, the villain was kinda throwaway and most of the attempts at humour didn't land for me and that's about it.

I did actually forget to mention that I did like, even though it's cliche, the whole main character being pushed to their limits part of the plot in the third act and it really does establish it quite fast and well, in what felt almost jarring in a change in character for Dalton. He just punches a man in the neck with a lot of force and he explains that he's probably broken his hyroid bone and collapsed his trachea and he then just pushes him in the pool as he proceeds to drown.

The best fight in the movie is the last fight with Knox, and I think that the fact that McGregor is a former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion, really helped him in his fights as they were more convincing than any of the other fights in the film, again being as he's had a history of fighting for a living.

Overall I might have cringed at the effects a handful of times but it wasn't bad enough to say it was a bad movie, but it again really shouldn't have been made into a remake, if they really wanted to do something with the property, just take it a different direction than remake, that's mainly it.

Up in Smoke (1978)

Up in Smoke (1978)

[8/10 · 5 March 2024]

Return to the Video Store #33:

Up in Smoke (1978)

(8/10): Cheech and Chong, I finally got around to watching a film of theirs and yeah it's still pretty enjoyable today.

Up in Smoke follows two stoners who meet after a series of mishaps and the two bond over their love of getting high and music.

The two of them then are eventually pursued by an incompetent police sergeant as they unknowingly are smuggling a Van completely comprised of marijuana from Mexico to L. A.

It's low on plot but high on everything else, literally.

The movie is a total product of the seventies with fur covered vehicles and hippie and stoner culture at the forefront.

If I'm being completely honest I didn't even realize that they were driving a van made of pot until I looked it up after watching, but that doesn't hurt the experience in the slightest.

With both Cheech Martin and Tommy Chong at the centre of the film who also both wrote the film, they have a unique and compelling chemistry that makes them just vibe with one another. They both bounce off each other with ease.

The soundtrack is also very good with Low Rider and the theme song Up in Smoke which was preformed by Cheech and Chong themselves along with the rest of the soundtrack with the exception of Low Rider which was previously released by War.

Overall it's a fun time capsule and the quintessential Stoner Comedy that, if I'm not mistaken spawned a genre, and if not it sure as hell revolutionized it.

The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981)

The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981)

[8/10 · 28 February 2024]

Cult Cuts Volume 53 (Return to the Video Store: The Undefined Part Three)

#4/4: The Incredible Shrinking Woman

(8/10): A Well Meaning Sci-Fi Comedy with a fun concept to boot.

The Incredible Shrinking Woman is about a housewife who tests her husband's new perfume brand that he is going to try and sell to his company.

She starts to slowly shrink in height and eventually becomes a nationwide celebrity but with all the attention coming towards her family and her growing inability to do even the most basic of household duties she starts becoming a second wheel.

She is eventually so small that their housemaid thought that she had accidentally killed her in the food grinder in the sink.

She in fact is alive but taken hostage by a company that is using her as a Guinea Pig for a new bio weapon that shrinks people down to such small heights that they are unable to fight back.

She finds out about the plot and has to find a way out of captivity and find a way to warn the public before they release it or she shrinks into nothing.

Directed by Joel Schumacher, yes Justice League Schumacher, this film is a heartwarming and fun little film that was another standout film on the shelves of the local video store.

The Film is carried by its lead in Lily Tomlin and all the fun special effects that portray her stages of shrinking.

The movie has a very feel good nature to it that makes it also just a joy to watch but it also delivers on some more dramatic scenes as well.

It also has one of the most fun escape sequences I've seen in a while where our tiny heroine rides an ape through the lab complex and the Ape has just such a lovable personality.

The movie isn't perfect but it's still better than you would think it is, good enough that I would totally recommend it.

Alley Cat (1984)

Alley Cat (1984)

[7/10 · 25 February 2024]

Cult Cuts Volume 53 (Return to the Video Store: The Undefined Part Three)

#3/4: Alley Cat (1984)

(7/10): Female Vigilantism that while not perfect, isn't that bad either.

Alley Cat follows a woman who has her tires stolen by some thugs tied to a larger group of criminals in her city, they also attacked her grandparents which leads her to take the law into her own hands despite facing various legal issues related to trespassing and unlicensed firearms. She has to deal with corruption both in and outside the law as even though she saved a woman from being assaulted she is arrested anyways.

The film has decent fight choreography but is still not as good as it could've been.

The Film deals with some more interesting ideas as it gets into the corruption of the justice system and the sleazeballs abuse their power and use certain laws as sneaky tactics against our protagonist making them still be seen as a felon despite doing the right thing.

Outside of the crooked police and prosecutors we do get some fun eighties cheese and some nudity in there as well.

It's not the greatest but it does stand out from the crowd with a more grimy, murky look and a different look at vigilantism than many other films at the time.

Be Kind Rewind (2008)

Be Kind Rewind (2008)

[8/10 · 11 February 2024]

Return to the Video Store #32: Remembering the Video Store

Be Kind Rewind (2008)

(8/10): Here's an odd one for this retrospective but I find that even though it is after the years of the video store, it captures the spirit of them very well.

Be Kind Rewind is about an old video store rental shop owner who is facing the potential loss of his business and home if he doesn't get his building up to code and get his business more modernized, so he plans a getaway, leaving his now foster son to watch the store under the guise that he is on a trip to meet with family and friends in memorium of Fats Waller's death.

The whole town has known now for the longest time that famous Jazz Musician Fats Waller was born in that video store, so he has been an idol for the both of them for years.

Mike, now in charge of the store is trying to decipher a message that Mr. Fletcher left him just as the train was taking off with him in it, but neither him or his friend Jerry can figure it out.

Jerry lives down the road in a trailer at the local landfill next to the power plant and manages to convince Mike to help him sabotage the power plant later that night but, halfway into the operation Mike finally managed to make sense of the message that was left for him, Keep Jerry Out, and then he leaves him to sabotage the plant himself.

The next day Jerry shows up at the store and was brought in after puking outside of the store, after cleaning the mess Mike then finds Jerry perusing the shelves touching pretty much every tape and then he is forced to leave after he gets into an argument with a customer.

The next day two customers return their tapes complaining that they are completely blank, which then gets Mike to test every single tape in the store only to find that they are all blank. Mike talks with Jerry about this as he is losing his mind over it and then Jerry puts his hands in front of the television and it begins to react to him and then he finds out that he's been magnetized and he erased the tapes.

After a local lady returns her movie and attempts to rent Ghostbusters and she finds a mess in the store and the two of them wrestling she says that she can tell Mr. Fletcher about it as he calls her every night.

After several attempts to find another copy of Ghostbusters on VHS Mike has given up hope, until he gets the bright idea that both him and Jerry can just re-record their own version as she hasn't seen it before.

Quickly out of wanting to keep business going the two of them begin filming several of their own "Sweded" versions of films and business begins to grow exponentially but as they are caught under fire for plagiarism and copyright infringement so they make one last attempt to save the store by coming together as a town and filming their own film about Fats Waller's life to hopefully raise enough money to save the store.

From Michel Gondry, Director of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind comes this highly enjoyable, under appreciated and loving tribute to the era of the Video Store.

Starring Jack Black, Mos Def, Danny Glover, Mia Farrow with some bit parts by Matt Walsh and Sigourney Weaver this is a pretty stacked cast but the charm relies on the two leads Jack Black and Mos Def as they have such a dysfunctional dynamic but they also seem to care about each other a lot and they just have great chemistry.

So some of the charm comes from the two leads but the rest of the charm comes from its diy movie making and tributes to classic films.

The film revels in its core concept and also portrays it with a lot of sincerity. Backyard, no budget filmmaking was rampant in the age of the video store and when you take it and just ask yourself "what would it look like if big budget Hollywood films were made with practically no budget?" Well you get your answer right here.

The film has a great soundtrack filled with many jazz numbers as well as some other songs from the movies that are featured in the film.

Jack Black steals the show for me as he is just so out of touch, juvenile and even unintentionally racist. He has plays into this unpredictable character quite well.

I also love the additional touches put on the film, mainly during the day after the sabotage, when Jerry walks in the store the movie is edited to look like it's statically warped, it's a small detail that goes a long way towards making it feel all the more loving.

I also must mention the fact that the film that they made in the end was actually shot black and white style and designed to look like a very old film which really captures the essence of the B/W era of film and has it be just as much of a tribute to that era as it is with its video store era.

If you haven't seen this or have, I highly recommend it as it is a lovingly crafted tribute to cinema that is deserving of its cult status.

Mutilations (1986)

Mutilations (1986)

[7/10 · 7 February 2024]

Cult Cuts Volume 53 (Return to the Video Store: The Undefined Part Three)

#2/4: Mutilations (1986)

(7/10): Short, Sweet and to the point.

Mutilations is quite simply about a astronomy teacher who takes his students to a town that has been experiencing strange phenomena, including mutilations of the local farmers cattle. They soon find themselves trapped in the home of a local man who knows exactly what is happening, Aliens have invaded and they just trapped them all in the house so they can kill them and eat them.

This is a movie that is not about professionalism, you have to appreciate the little things, like independent film making spirit of just average people. They can't act, edit, direct or do much of anything that makes a high quality film but they do it for the love of it and because they want to share their love for movies.

The teacher composes himself like he is almost staring off into space, at least that what I would compare his tone and demeanour to.

The rest of the characters aren't too much better.

So what makes this movie worth watching if all I've been doing is pretty much picking out flaws? The Aliens and the effects, they are just so fun to look at, the practical work here is pretty solid for a low budget, homemade movie and the fact they did stop motion atop of that is the icing on the cake.

It's not for everyone, but clocking in at just over an hour long it's a great way to spend a night with your friends.

Unmasking the Idol (1986)

Unmasking the Idol (1986)

[8/10 · 4 February 2024]

Cult Cuts Volume 53 (Return to the Video Store: The Undefined Part Three)

#1/4: Unmasking the Idol (1986)

(8/10): So I'm going to start with a extremely simple idea of what is in store for you if you watch this movie; A Discount James Bond who works with Ninjas gets assigned to a mission that has him recruit his own little A-Team of G. I. Joe's to stop an evil terrorist and go treasure hunting with him and his Baboon Sidekick.

If that doesn't sound like a great time I don't know what is.

Secret Agent and expert ninja Duncan Jax and His Baboon sidekick, Boon, are assigned to stop the evil terrorist Scarlet Leader from gaining access to nuclear weapons and initiating another World War.

Jax has to recruit some old colleagues who are not necessarily into the idea of having to work with him again but with his quick wits he manages to convince them to do so, whether they like it or not as the fate of the world rests in his hands.

He takes his team to the island where the Scarlet Leader resides as there is a big exchange between them and another terrorist with enormous amounts of gold and treasure that will be traded for the weapons.

Jax and his team must find a way into the Scarlet Leaders lair and stop them from bringing about World War III but Jax knows of something else that is in their lair, an Idol of Priceless value and he also intends to take that back with him.

So this is taking a ton of different crazes of the Eighties and throwing them in a blender; James Bond, Shinobi-Geddon, Indiana Jones, The A-Team and G. I. Joe. And you would think it wouldn't work as well as it does but it does.

While not a great film by any means it blends all of its crazy ideas quite well and has some great charm to go with it.

It is well paced and has a charismatic performance from the lead actor who, along with Boon, make for a very entertaining ride.

The locations and sets are all well done and are great to look at, and considering it's budget that's a admirable achievement, especially when the costume design is also very solid with sleek suits, well done black and also red ninja suits, a mini suit for Boon, explorer outfits, etc.

The fight scenes are pretty good as well, not the greatest but still good all things considered.

It's a fun film that, if you're open to it, can take you back to your childhood with some great goofy characters and a wild story that only the Eighties could've produced.

1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982)

1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982)

[8/10 · 4 February 2024]

Cult Cuts Volume 52 (Return to the Video Store: Post-Apocalyptic Warriors and Intergalactic Adventurers Part One)

#4/4: 1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982)

(8/10): Dumb, yes, but a lot more easy to follow than Raiders of Atlantis.

1990: The Bronx Warriors is about, Trash, a gang leader of one of the several gangs in The Bronx, which has been deemed "No Man's Land".

Trash finds a young woman, Ann, who has fled her rich life in Manhattan as she is being controlled and forced into situations that she doesn't want to be in by her family, who he vows to protect.

Her father soon has a hired gun go in after her to retrieve her and kill anyone who tries to get in his way, however he has ties with the Bronx and is also known for being a one track minded chaotic man who just wants to destroy everything so after he falls through her father sends a squadron in after her.

Trash now having formed an alliance with The Ogre, another gang leader, must battle their way through a group of armed soldiers to protect Ann and escape with their lives, but will they succeed?

The first in a trilogy of cash in films on Escape from New York as well as also probably taking some notes from the Mad Max movies as they were another film that started the wave of Actionsploitation films that mainly stemmed from Italy. This first effort is actually pretty solid.

Directed by Enzo G. Castellari and even having cult actor Fred "The Hammer" Williamson as The Ogre, this film has a fair bit going for it.

I don't want to compare but, Raiders of Atlantis is pretty much the only reference point I have on these films thus far, so yeah it's tough not to.

The biggest thing here is that the action is more well executed and the story is especially much easier to follow and even believable than Raiders. The addition of Fred Williamson is just bonus points at this point.

The action sequences are much more fun as we have a Decapitation, The Ogre has a female cohort that has a whip, we also get flamethrowers, and a satisfying final blow with a grappling hook shot right through our antagonists stomach.

The costumes are also very fun, we get some of the typical post apocalyptic punk looks but then atop of that we also get flashy glam versions of the top hat and cane look from A Clockwork Orange, The Ogre looks more like he's in the Disco Era, The Ogre's female cohort, or Witch as she is aptly titled, has black leather getup with knee high black boots and a black silk cape giving her a bit of a dominatrix look to go nicely with her whip, there's some nice almost shinobi like red and black, sword wielding thugs and flamethrower police officers on horseback. Needless to say there's a solid amount of variety in the costume department.

The character of Trash, while not stellar, he does pull a solid and believable character arc and the actor does a suitable job at portraying him.

It's a strong start to a trilogy that, when boiled down to its core is just a cash in, so it being as good as it is for what it is, is worth a recommendation.

Ghostbusters (1984)

Ghostbusters (1984)

[10/10 · 4 February 2024]

Return to the Video Store #31

Ghostbusters (1984)

(10/10): One of the Definitive Eighties Films and one of the biggest cult phenomenons in cinema!

Ghostbusters is about three scientists who study the paranormal being thrown out of their university after making a breakthrough discovery in having an encounter with the supernatural.

After they purchase an old firehouse and a hearse and remodel it and become full time paranormal pest control calling themselves the Ghostbusters.

After a new hire arrives and a huge boom in business happens, one of the members, Dr. Venkman, is getting involved with a customer and they have been studying up on a mysterious name that she has reported that the creature in her fridge said, Zuul, and found that it had ties with an ancient shapeshifting demon, Gowzer.

Soon Zuul takes possession of their client and then down the hall Vinz Clortho takes possession of her quirky neighbour, Louis Tully, now with the two seeking each other to bring about the end of the world and the arrival of Gowzer as well as an ignorant official refusing to acknowledge warnings about shutting down the barrier in the Ghostbusters Headquarters, in turn releasing all of the spectres they have caught, complete chaos is brought about in New York City.

The Ghostbusters are then brought to the mayor who they convince to let them go so they can hopefully stop the coming of Gowzer and the end of the world.

Directed by Ivan Reitman and helming a star studded cast of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis and Ernie Hudson as well as one of the most recognizable theme songs to any movie ever, Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr., the film was a lightning in a bottle success.

The cast is incredibly charming, speaking quotatable lines left and right and displaying enormous amounts of chemistry, especially within the core group that make up the titular Ghostbusters.

The effects are a special kind of effects, where they seem to simultaneously age terribly and perfectly, it's a fine line that the effects walk where it's age only adds to its charm.

The film has an idea that is something that only with its precise execution could work as well as it does, and that's what makes it so iconic and still the best film in its series as you can't recapture the initial movie magic a second time over, hence why it's such a lightning in a bottle film.

The film has made a mark on cinema as being one of the most unique successes and ultimately culminating in its cult status, despite being one of the most well known and cherished films ever made.

It defined the decade and the career of many of the people involved and will continue to grow its legacy as time goes on as its one of those films that is just irreplaceable.

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979)

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979)

[8/10 · 4 February 2024]

Cult Cuts Volume 52 (Return to the Video Store: Post-Apocalyptic Warriors and Intergalactic Adventurers Part One)

#3/4: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979

(8/10): Solid Campy and Charming Sci-Fi Fun!

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century is about an astronaut named Buck Rogers who was in a one man expedition into space and after a meteor storm he was frozen in suspended animation for 500 years and then released by a Draconian flagship where he was found in a daze and was released by the Draconians with a tracking device secretly implanted into his ship unbeknownst to him.

He then returns to what used to be his home city to find his whole family and world had been erased and no longer exists.

Buck is soon seen as a traitor and is now putting the Earth and Draconian peace treaty at risk as they discover the device on his ship, but with his quick wits and the help of Twiki and Dr. Theopolis he attempts to prove his innocence and save the world from Draconian invasion and uncover the truth behind the peace treaty once and for all.

Buck Rogers is one of the few films and series that erupted in the wake of the Star Wars boom, others being Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica; They weren't trying to be clones but they all got popular around the same time and had a connected television series to go with them as well as sharing some thematic or tonal similarities as all were pulp science fiction space epics.

One of least remembered but still relatively known was Buck Rogers as it only had the movie and then a two season series, so it didn't take off nearly as well as the others.

The film is campy with some great character acting from the charming Gil Gerard as the titular fish out of water trying to adapt to the new world while simultaneously having to save it.

The film has an excellent production value with strong costume and character design as well as a fairly fleshed out world that is ripe for expansion upon in the following series.

Buck and his duo of robotic assistants Twiki and Dr. Theopolis all are incredibly quirky characters and the banter between Twiki and Theopolis, as Twiki is essentially a way for Theopolis to get around as he's pretty much AI on a necklace, anyways their banter between each other is pretty funny.

The fact that the film also opens with a narration says everything and sets the tone for what's to come.

The space battles are fun but they're not the highlight as it more leans on its characters and the story of Buck.

It's a well made film that has just the right amount of Camp and 70s charm to be a great little flick for sci-fi lovers, and I definitely recommend it to fans of the genre.

Atlantis Interceptors (1983)

Raiders of Atlantis (1983)

[7/10 · 3 February 2024]

Cult Cuts Volume 52 (Return to the Video Store: Post-Apocalyptic Warriors and Intergalactic Adventurers Part One)

#2/4: Raiders of Atlantis (1983)

(7/10): An incoherent mess of an action film that, is actually kinda fun if you don't think about things.

Raiders of Atlantis follows a crew attempting to raise a sunken nuclear submarine that in turn triggers an ancient Atlantean relic to cause an island to raise from the depths of the ocean, brewing up a deadly storm in the process.

The crew are then forced to seek out the nearest land mass to recover and take refuge on the island.

It is there that they meet a race of barbaric humanoid beings who see any other life as a threat and will kill them. The crew is forced to fight for survival while uncovering the strange mystery of the city of Atlantis.

In an attempt to cash in on John Carpenter's Escape From New York, many directors made these science fiction, big guns and muscle based action films, usually of a post apocalyptic nature. Raiders of Atlantis is Italian horror director, Ruggero Deodato throwing his hat into the ring with this trend.

BACKGROUND ON DIRECTOR (WARNING FOR FAINT OF HEART!) (THERE IS A SIGN WHERE YOU CAN PICK UP IF YOU SKIP THIS PART)

To give a little bit of background on Deodato for those unfamiliar with his work, he directed the notorious video nasty, Cannibal Holocaust, which I might as well get a bit into now being as I am not touching that one ever again. It paved the way for the found footage genre of horror with it showing a documentary crew recording savage cannibals and in some cases antagonizing them which in the film led to them of course being killed, but it was so graphically realistic that in combination with the fact that Deodato told the actors to go into hiding after they were finished, it managed to get him in court which forced him to bring the actors out of hiding to prove his innocence in the trial of murder. The film was also known for one other thing that I wasn't aware of going in, the many instances of graphic and real animal cruelty.

The film is one of the most notorious films ever made and has divided audiences to either hating it or appreciating it (but not necessarily condoning the actions portrayed to make it) and I understand both parties, obviously the hate is coming from the disturbing nature and appalling methods used to create the film yet that's also why the other party appreciates it as it represents TRUE HORROR and true horror is not fun, not pretty it is ugly, unsettling, disturbing and uncompromising, it's merciless.

CONTINUE HERE IF YOU SKIPPED THE DIRECTOR BACKGROUND

Now being as I got that out of the way, back to the film at hand.

The story is really just an absolute disaster and is definitely not worth watching if you're looking for something engaging and engrossing or even convincing at all, but like I said if you don't care about that, then you have a cheesy, fun and entertaining flick.

The costumes are sometimes a bit silly but they are also well done for a b-grade action movie. Some of the Humanoid savages have armour made of what appears to be just random junk, which gives it a bit of a ridiculous look but it also does give off a more post apocalyptic feel, despite it not being post apocalyptic but again it's not really worth over analyzing. Most of them however do have a punk look to them with facepaint, spikes and some with punk hairstyles like mohawks.

The action is solid, not the best but not the worst. The Humanoid antagonists have various motor vehicles, large guns and other assorted weapons. We do get a solid early kill with a wire based decapitation and the action sequence on the bus is pretty good.

The environments of destroyed towns and lush jungles as well as some scenes in a temple of sorts are very nice to look at, so scenery is a plus.

Acting is overblown and cheesy, like discount Rambo or John Matrix, and that's all I really got on this film but I'd recommend it for fans of ridiculous and stupid action films.

Voyage of the Rock Aliens (1984)

Voyage of the Rock Aliens (1984)

[9/10 · 1 February 2024]

Cult Cuts Volume 52 (Return to the Video Store: Post-Apocalyptic Warriors and Intergalactic Adventurers Part One)

#1/4: Voyage of the Rock Aliens (1984)

(9/10): This is just one stupid, bonkers and feel good fun time.

Voyage of the Rock Aliens follows a group of aliens who are seeking the planet where Rock was created and they decide to stop by Earth.

They land in the town of Speelburgh where they come across Dee Dee and their leader begins to fall for her yet soon after they also meet Frankie, Dee Dee's Boyfriend and his posse/band, The Pack.

Dee Dee is always upset with Frankie as violence always seems to be his answer as well as that he never allows her to sing with him.

Dee Dee is given the opportunity to sing though when she is invited to sing with the Aliens during the battle of the Bands and of course Frankie takes this personal and begins to try to dispose of the Aliens.

Meanwhile two recently escaped mental patients begin wreaking havoc and they set their sights on the celebration.

This is not a good movie, but it's a culmination of so much random and eighties that it is just such an easygoing watch.

Also if you didn't get it yet, this is actually a musical and the whole thing is just a jam, the music consists of banger after banger.

The costumes are both ridiculous and well made, we get; some Grease looks in Frankie and The Pack, the Aliens resemble DEVO, Dee Dee is almost like a Cyndi Lauper look alike and the mental patients look maniacally exaggerated.

The set design and production are pretty solid all around for a film like this, a lot of the more unrealistic effects seem intentional.

We have a couple of big names, Jermaine Jackson makes a special appearance in what is essentially an opening music video and then we have a familiar face in Michael Berryman, who plays Chainsaw, one of the mental patients.

The soundtrack is extremely catchy and the dance choreography that goes along with it all makes it feel like the perfect party movie.

Voyage of the Rock Aliens might not be perfect but it's still a unique and under appreciated time capsule of eighties nostalgia that is worth watching if you're looking for something different.

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)

[9/10 · 29 January 2024]

Cult Cuts Volume 51 (Return to the Video Store: Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting Part One)

#4/4: The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)

(9/10): So this is what Peak Shaw is? Well I must say, I am very impressed.

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is a story of a group of students who are living under an enemy ruler as they are all rebels of the ruler, when the ruler becomes aware that their teacher is a spy and one of the students is working with him he orders his men to take all the students away and torture them until one speaks.

San Ta and two of his friends from the school attempt to run away with only San Ta getting away alive.

He is unable to fight back against the highly trained and dangerous forces of the enemy, but he has been hearing of the Shaolin Temple; Where monks live in peace and study the Shaolin Martial Arts.

He desperately seeks the Temple so he can learn from the Monks and be able to fight back against the tyrannical ruler.

He is taken in by the Monks and trained in their ways through the 35 Chambers, in which one must train their body to become one with itself.

He becomes the first Monk to be able to complete the 35 Chambers in the amount of years he had spent there, which leads the master to declare that he can take control of any Chamber of his choosing, but the only thing stopping him is a higher ranking Monk who challenges him to battle and once he can defeat him he may choose his Chamber.

After beating the Monk and getting the ability to choose a Chamber he asks if he could create a new one, one where they take in promising candidates and train them and train them to not use their skills for bad.

He is then sent away as he is dismissed by the master and punished for breaking one of their rules.

He then returns home to start his chamber and to fight against the enemy ruler who has cruelly taken so many lives from his people, including his father all those years ago.

This film is often regarded as one of the best martial arts films ever made, if not the best and I must say that I am in that party as well.

The film starts with a glorious demonstration of martial arts abilities as we have a shirtless monk with large silver rings around both his wrists in an empty room giving the viewer a glimpse of his fighting prowess.

The fact that the room is devoid of any other person or object and the one has large shiny rings around them immediately draws the audience directly to him and it shows how much can be achieved with such simplicity.

The film is absolutely gorgeous, the whole production design, costumes and atmosphere that the natural world and the structure of the temple, where most of the film takes place, gives an aura of harmony to juxtapose the chaos presented at San Ta's home town.

The film is also very thematic as it touches upon themes of good and evil, vengeance as well as its most important theme, self discipline.

As a viewer you see the character of San To go from a juvenile with a sense of right and wrong, yet still driven somewhat by vengeance become more at one with himself and taught by the monks a more conscious sense of self through training and discipline which begins to take hold as he then takes it upon himself to do better and eventually becomes a Disciplined individual who has a better sense of duty, he must overthrow the tyrant because it's what's right, not because it will bring him pleasure.

The film starts pretty strong and slows a bit down from the arrival at the Shaolin Temple up until and including most of the beginning of his training but then ramps back up once the training in fighting begins.

The Temple looks absolutely stunning and each of the chambers are so unique and well thought out that if I wasn't interested in the story aspect at the moment, which was very little often, I'd just take in the scenery of the set design.

The fight choreography is incredibly precise and fast, and the fight scenes move at such a breakneck pace yet are longer than they feel.

The evolution of San Ta's techniques is such a satisfying experience as he discovers how he can take the advantage in his training and fighting.

San Ta is an incredibly strong character and is very easy to root for and when he returns he nearly single handedly gets the justice that he knows in his heart is right.

Amazing film and would highly recommend to anyone, as long as you're okay with subtitles.

The Young Master (1980)

The Young Master (1980)

[8/10 · 28 January 2024]

Cult Cuts Volume 51 (Return to the Video Store: Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting Part One)

#3/4: The Young Master (1980)

(8/10): The Film that Made Jackie Chan Famous! I think it's Drunken Master, but that's still not downplaying how good The Young Master is.

The Young Master is the story of a young martial arts student who fails his fellow students in the local dragon dance competition and soon after his brother, another student is expelled for going against his own team, fellow students and their father, who is also their teacher.

After his brother is forced to leave, their father takes out his anger and frustration on the entire class. The remaining brother speaks out against it as he says that the rest of the students don't deserve this punishment but he does as he was attempting to cover up some of his brother's wrongdoings but explains that he only did them because, as a father he never showed any love towards them. He then gets sent away as well, but under the terms that when he returns, he returns with his brother.

He encounters trouble and even more trouble as he is mistaken for a thief and has the law from another town pursuing him.

He eventually finds his brother behind bars and makes a deal with the local sheriff that will allow him to free his brother, clear his name and bring the real criminal to justice.

I had a really fun time with this one, I just love the fight choreography that Jackie brings to the table and the more lighthearted and fun nature of many of his films, I feel like he's going to most likely end up being my favourite martial arts actor, but it also helped that I grew up with the Rush Hour movies and Kung Fu Panda where he voiced Monkey.

The film was not Chan's first film in the director's chair but it was his biggest success that led him into directing and starring in some of the best action movies ever.

The fight choreography is swift, precise and teeters between either slightly exaggerated or more realistic, based upon the current tone of the film, but even at its most realistic level it still manages to find some little ways to sprinkle in some humour to keep it from getting too tonally disjointed.

The humour takes some notes from previous works of his but for a majority part it is goofy and has some great physical comedy that even work in tandem with the fight scenes, which is something that I also enjoy with Jackie Chan, for instance he steals a dress and is wearing it during a fight scene and when someone tries to strike him in the lower stomach he lifts the dress to reveal that he hit one of his colleagues who attempting to lift him, it throws you off and keeps you on your toes while simultaneously being a pretty cool stunt.

The production value is pretty good with some gorgeous wooded areas and the overall feel of the towns are very authentic for the more culturally based setting and time.

The ending has a very tense fight yet the other criminal who is meeting the other criminal is really silly as he acts so cowardly and acts as the judge and keeps encouraging our hero to fight despite his physical state looking worse and worse as it continues, yet he gives him water and tips in exchange that if the other criminal attacks him he turns our hero, involuntarily, into a human shield.

Overall the film is pretty fun and is not as known as it should be, if anyone knows anything Chan did in Hong Kong before working in America, it's Police Story and/or Drunken Master and maybe Wheels on Meals or Rumble in the Bronx but this film should definitely be more known.

The Street Fighter (1974)

The Street Fighter (1974)

[8/10 · 23 January 2024]

Cult Cuts Volume 51 (Return to the Video Store: Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting Part One)

#2/4: The Street Fighter (1974)

(8/10): The Film that made Sonny Chiba famous.

The Street Fighter follows a mercenary who is hired to protect the daughter of a recently deceased oil tycoon after she fails to reach a deal with her enemies.

The Mafia and Yakuza both attempt to hire him to kidnap her but he refuses and they are forced to try to kill him.

The plot is sounds basic but it's more intricate than it sounds.

The martial arts is glorious and hyper-violent. Chiba impliments elements of Kick-Boxing and many more forms of martial arts.

The camerawork is also something to spotlight as it angles and tilts giving a stylized and slightly disorienting feel.

Now Sonny Chiba might not be as well known as Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan but believe me when I say that he belongs up there.

The most mainstream attention he has received was from Quentin Tarantino, yes I'm mentioning him again; first time he had the movie that our two main characters were watching together on their movie date be one of Chiba's films as one says that he is the best in the game right now and that was in True Romance, second time he actually appears in the Kill Bill Movies.

But being as those were the most attention he got in the west, he has retained his status as a cult actor.

As I had previously mentioned the film is very violent and was very shocking for the time as it includes the most realistic depiction of someone breaking someone's arm displayed onscreen up until that point. It also features quite a decent amount of blood and brutality.

Chiba has a very strong and powerful presence and has a serious sense of moral integrity.

The film ends on a cliffhanger with a big fight in the rain that has the most brutal ending to a fight I've seen thus far in a martial arts film where Chiba grabs a man by his neck and literally rips out his vocal cords.

Fun Fact about the film, it initially had an X rating for the level of violence in it.

Anyways if you're a fan of martial arts, Japanese Cinema or action films, you should look into this one, and if you're still hungry for more than there's two sequels and a spinoff trilogy in Sister Street Fighter which also features Chiba in a more minor role.

So Check 'em out.

Challenge of the Tiger (1980)

Challenge of the Tiger (1980)

[8/10 · 21 January 2024]

Cult Cuts Volume 51 (Return to the Video Store: Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting Part One)

#1/4: Challenge of the Tiger (1980)

(8/10): Absolute Trash and I Adore It.

Challenge of the Tiger follows two agents, a smooth ladies man and our protagonist who is a Chinese Martial Artist as they are tasked with tracking down a new formula that a doctor made that can make any human being completely sterile after the doctor and his assistant were murdered and the formula went missing.

That's pretty much it for the plot but it clearly isn't prioritizing plot when one of the heroes is a rich playboy who plays badminton with topless women while he has other topless women parade around his villa and the other is a Martial Artist who has his warrior stances and battle faces dialed up to eleven.

Directed and Starring Bruce Le, not Bruce Lee, as well as starring Richard Harrison and Bolo Yeung who was also involved with Enter the Dragon, Boxer's Omen and Bloodsport and finally Jeong-lee Hwang from Drunken Master, Ninja in the Dragon's Den, Snake in the Eagle's Shadow and the Invincible Armour this ridiculous Bruceploitation flick has a pretty solid cast going for it.

I do have to say that even though the fights are pretty exaggerated our major players mentioned above, with the exception of Harrison, actually do demonstrate some solid fighting skills and there's some decent fight choreography in here.

The score is pretty good too, which was also a bit of a surprise for me, although there was a pretty funny bit where the band playing for an upcoming parade I believe, started their tune sounding beat for beat like the fox logo theme before switching it up to avoid a lawsuit I believe.

There is eye candy aplenty here, like it's shameless with the amount of boobs onscreen but it's still so dumb how they play badminton with their headlights flashing, it's just, why? Cause boobs, that's why.

Now as I end this, I do want to say it is something that you must not use your brain cells to enjoy, but it's insane and it's just my kind of thing.

The Man from Hong Kong (1975)

The Man from Hong Kong (1975)

[9/10 · 21 January 2024]

Cult Cuts Volume 50 (Return to the Video Store: Play the Bloody Thing Mate! Part One)

#4/4: The Man from Hong Kong (1975)

(9/10): One of the most underestimated and under represented action film of the Seventies.

The Man from Hong Kong is about a police officer in Australia who finds a Chinese man making an "exchange" with a local man but upon catching the man, him and his partner are faced with a problem, he refuses to talk and no one there speaks Chinese.

The remedy the situation they have an officer fly down from Hong Kong to help interrogate him but once he gets the information they need he will flying back, that is until there is an attempted assassination and he manages to take down the assailant. He becomes increasingly invested in the investigation as well.

The investigation continues as the Man from Hong Kong refuses to leave and also takes matters into his own hands eventually leading them to Wilton, a high profile figure in the criminal community.

Wilton eventually becomes aware of this problem and has his men assigned to take him out.

He then goes to the dojo that a card he found on one of Wilton's men who had a familiar tattoo. He manages to get some info but he was severely injured in the process so he had to quick hitch a ride with some girls who happened to be driving through and they took him to the countryside to recover.

Once he had regained his strength he returns to fight Wilton, get his confession and topple his empire.

Directed by popular Ozploitation Director Brian Trenchard-Smith and starring popular Hong Kong Martial Artist Jimmy Wang Yu as well as Former Bond Star George Lazenby who are also accompanied by Roger Ward and in a minor role another Hong Kong Legend in Sammo Hung this Golden Harvest collaboration with the Famous Ozploitation Director for his first big project has a ton of great stuff going for it.

First thing, as previously mentioned the team behind it was stellar and Jimmy Wang Yu even did some background work for the Hong Kong version of the film.

Second big thing is that even though the plot is fairly simple it takes that hit and in turn delivers exhilarating action sequences that will get you pumped up and ready for more. The fight choreography is so good, but again, it's come to be expected with a Martial Arts Icon that has worked with both of the big production companies in the game, Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest. I also do not want to spoil the ending but once I figured out exactly what he was going to do I just got all giddy.

Lazenby works pretty well here as the villain and has a very dignified, sophisticated and diligent personality that works well with his character being both an upper class man and a trained martial artist.

Jimmy Wang Yu is just the bomb in this and his "if you want a job done right, do it yourself" attitude is very likable, especially being as he's always told that he needs to fly back to Hong Kong and also that he's destroying stuff by the officers partner.

Finally I must mention the theme song Sky High by Jigsaw, it's such an amazing, uplifting and fun tune that it just fits perfectly for the tone of the film.

If you can find this one to watch and you love well choreographed fight scenes, martial arts or just action films in general then you owe it to yourself to watch this, don't expect a mind blowing story, just sit back and enjoy the ride.

The Cars That Ate Paris (1974)

The Cars That Ate Paris (1974)

[7/10 · 20 January 2024]

Cult Cuts Volume 50 (Return to the Video Store: Play the Bloody Thing Mate! Part One)

#3/4: The Cars that Ate Paris (1974)

(7/10): I honestly still don't fully understand what the hell this is but it's weirdness makes me still kinda like it.

The Cars that Ate Paris is about a small town where one guy one night was driving in his car and he experienced a flash of bright lights accompanied with a high pitched sound that caused him to crash.

He visits the doctor and tells the doctor that he's afraid of cars because of the incident, which he is then diagnosed with some kind of mental delusion or psychosis.

Although soon after, here and there, other residents are experiencing the same kind of anxiety from the a very similar experience.

Eventually we find out that these patients are being lobotomized by the town doctor in a strange plot that I honestly don't even remember. It all concludes with people in spiked and junk covered cars driving through the town as clueless (or maybe not clueless) residents attempt to fight them off.

So I really don't know what to make of the plot but it's weird enough that it kept me interested, moreso because I was perplexed by it but whatever. It also has a fun ending with people versus tripped out death cars, so it's got that going for it.

This is a bit of a notable film as well because it marked the cinematic directorial debut for Peter Weir, who had previously only did one or two commercials but did go on to, after this film, direct Dead Poets Society, Witness and The Truman Show.

The film is a very strange mishmash of ideas and genres as it's primarily considered a Horror/Comedy film but, while I see elements of the genres here and there, I still don't understand why it's labeled as such.

The positives are that it has some pretty solid production quality, the town is somewhat reminiscent of an old western town but I didn't even notice that until about halfway in but it does look great. The Killer Cars are also pretty cool looking, especially the one that is on the poster, albeit it is a bit exaggerated as they are never actually sentient and eating people.

It falls victim to false advertising as the poster implies things that never happen in the film, but it does happen to still be an interesting film to stumble across as the title just jumps right out at you as it is one of the most absurd sounding film titles ever, but it's instantly what draws you in, but again even that is falsely advertised.

The acting is satisfactory for the kind of film it is but the acting is not the primary focus as now the focus for viewers is solely on its bizarre plot and execution.

This one is very much a love it or hate it movie as it's misleading title can either upset viewers or what it does instead can win them over with its absurd charm.

Mad Max (1979)

Mad Max (1979)

[8/10 · 20 January 2024]

Cult Cuts Volume 50 (Return to the Video Store: Play the Bloody Thing Mate! Part One)

#2/4: Mad Max (1979)

(8/10): The Ozploitation Classic that started it all.

Mad Max follows Max, a police officer in a near dystopian future where civilization has become torn down and replaced with psychotic gangs that ravage the roads and kill the last people that can stand between them and creating complete chaos, police.

Max is told by his chief to take some time away as Max is beginning to have an internal battle with his psyche as the more he is exposed to this world of insanity the more he has to fight his urges to become one with the chaos.

One day off duty Max is taking his wife and infant child for a ride and he stops at a station to get some supplies when outside some members of a gang pull up and try to assault his wife and then soon begin to attempt to wreck the vehicle, Max rushes out and a high speed chase begins but they eventually get away, however they find one of the gang members hands stuck a chain on the back of the vehicle.

They settle down in the farm where they try to hide but they are eventually found and they offer a trade, the baby for the hand, she attempts to convince them to give up the baby first but they aren't buying it.

The whole thing eventually turns into a huge fight after Max sees that the gang has found them.

The fight eventually turns to a battle during a car chase and Max loses the love of his life during the end, now distraught he quickly becomes vengeful and single handedly takes on the gang.

So I really liked this and Mel Gibson is a big part as to why.

See until now I had only seen Fury Road and while that movie is a blast and has crazy adrenaline fuelled action throughout, one thing it lacks (and when action is that good, I can be perfectly fine without) is character. Max has a character arc. There is a second thing that I liked about this that Fury Road didn't have, it has a more grungy, rougher atmosphere that can really only be achieved with a low budget.

Anyways enough with comparing the two, let's just focus on the original.

The story is, for the most part, simple yet compelling and strong. At peaking moments it made me want to watch The Road Warrior right after but then there are some moments where it does lose some of its momentum.

Mel Gibson is great as the Titular character as he is somewhat of a hero but some moments portray him as surviving or even acting out vengeance, so he walks a morally grey area of being, not completely bad but not completely good, either.

The production value is decent but you can see the budget in some parts. It does look it's best when it presents the action and chase scenes but the other parts are mostly, visually forgettable with the only exception being the beach and bluffs.

It functions well as an introduction to the series and it marked a solid directorial debut for George Miller and kickstarted the acting career of Mel Gibson.

Crocodile Dundee (1986)

Crocodile Dundee (1986)

[8/10 · 20 January 2024]

Cult Cuts Volume 50 (Return to the Video Store: Play the Bloody Thing Mate! Part One)

#1/4: Crocodile Dundee (1986)

(8/10): This one won't fly today, but who cares? It's pretty fun!

Crocodile Dundee is about a newspaper reporter who ventures to the Australian Outback to meet the local legend, Mick 'Crocodile' Dundee, who was said to have survived an attack by a crocodile who had taken half his leg, forcing him to crawl back to civilization.

When she meets him she finds that it was a bit of an overblown story as it bit his leg but didn't take half of it.

She gets him to take her on a safari trip to show her where he was attacked, they eventually, after a couple days in the wilderness together seem to be in agreement that she wouldn't survive in a place like his alone but he wouldn't survive in the jungle known as New York City, so what does she do, she brings him back with her. Now being in America he has no idea what the customs, culture, slang and other things that make Americans so different from Australians, so he is now a complete fish out of water as he encounters People of Color who aren't native tribesmen, prostitutes, crossdressers and other people who he has no idea how to properly handle the situation.

Written and Starring Paul Hogan, he became quite a popular character back when he first was dropped on audiences but nowadays the film is considered offensive, and add on the fact that at the end of the day it's still an exploitation film, you have a recipe for a cult classic.

Paul Hogan is endlessly charming in the role of Dundee, from his attire, macho personality, general cluelessness and his ability to speak or act out whatever's on his mind without considering if it's socially acceptable.

Of course I can't mention this film without mentioning the famous quote that was one of the reasons it's retained its relevance to this day: "That's not a Knife... This is a Knife", but you gotta really put emphasis on the "I" or else you're saying it wrong.

The comedy is just great, again coming from just how out of touch Dundee is with his surroundings, but also how he interacts with his surroundings in his home country, like when the reporter tries getting photos of the native tribes and then finds Dundee in the middle of it with facepaint on.

Overall it's just a super fun, albeit politically incorrect, comedy that made waves and made Australian culture and cinema more mainstream.