The Bert I. Gordon movie Empire Of The Ants must have been seen as old fashioned and out of date to audiences even back in 1977.
Archive for category New Reviews
It bugged me
Oct 20
Godzilla vs. Red Tape
Oct 12
Aww, look… Toho got me a 50th Birthday present:
Shin Gojira (2016)
… in which we learn (as the Japanese did in real life in March, 2011) that the only thing worse than a radioactive menace devastating your country is a hidebound bureaucracy intent on covering its o-shiri. You have never seen a Godzilla movie quite like this one.
I wanted to get this capsule review/reminder posted immediately, since the movie is still being shown domestically. If you’re in the US and haven’t gone to see it yet, you still have time: it’s playing until Tuesday, October 18th at select theaters across the country. Check for the closest theater in your area here.
Will Laughlin is the Braineater.
While Old Boyfriends is an unknown movie despite featuring John Belushi in a fairly serious dramatic role, that doesn’t interest you – right?
…Here’s one that might even be cheaper than that thing Greywizard reviewed! Meanwhile, have a double shot of Roddenberrian post-apocalyptica and a bit of unfinished business from way back in January:
Frankenstein Stalks (2000), in which hitherto unsuspected frontiers of badness are explored…
Genesis II (1973), in which Gene Roddenberry steals a march on Glen A. Larson, but gets there too early for his own good…
Planet Earth (1974), in which he tries again with a new cast and a warmed-over script from the “Star Trek” slushpile…
and…
Roar (1981), in which you won’t believe me even after you see it for yourself.
A different side of war
Sep 30
If you can somehow find a copy, you’ll find Don’t Cry, It’s Only Thunder to be an excellent drama that should be much better known.
The Antonio Margheriti actioner Code Name: Wild Geese not only wastes its cast, but also any viewer’s time.
The three big stars in Don’t Turn The Other Cheek! help to make it a fun comic spaghetti western.
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The greatest compliment you could pay an exploitation film is to say it looks like they designed the poster first and then recreated it on screen. This formulation describes Inframan perfectly. Every one of its scenes could be bullet-pointed with the word “SEE!” in front of it (“SEE! Hong Kong engulfed in flames! SEE! The evil sorceress with an army of kung fu monsters!”) It is, in many ways, a perfect film, in that it is resoundingly successful in achieving what it sets out to do—which is transport its audience into a hyperbolic comic book world and entertain them beyond their wildest dreams. Its production values are high enough that it never seems to be striving beyond its means–its art direction, set and costume design all combining to create a seamless alternate reality. As such, it never once betrays its commitment to being a nonstop celebration of color, speed, style, violence and the joyous suspension of disbelief. In short, it is cinematic escapism in its absolute purest form.
Keith Allison is the chief Bacchanologist at Teleport City.
Invasion (2005)
If you have some experience with B-movies, chances are you’ve run into something by Albert Pyun. If I told you this Pyun sci-fi film had a shop-worn plot, minimal special effects, repetitious dialog and a ridiculously inflated running time, you’d probably think you knew what to expect. You’d also probably figure I didn’t like the movie very much.
You’d be wrong on both counts.
I have to admit, though… Pyun’s $35,000 movie had me asking a question I normally only ask while I’m watching a multi-million dollar Hollywood production: Where did all that money go?
Will Laughlin is the Braineater.
Although Fighting Mad is not about Cracked’s pathetic efforts over the decades, it is all the same pathetic.