I'm a lover of B movies and cheese... For what it was the original 70's movie was a fun campy romp. This however was not... Somehow they managed to suck all the fun out of the plot. And focused on just a few dull characters. No gore, no fun set up, no thrills or chills. It commits the ultimate sin of a B movie... It's not fun! I don't know if it was the budget or what happened here. Compared to the original it's a disappointment. I've seen more entertaining Syfy channel movies. And that's really saying something.
Reviews
11 Reviews
Operation Bottleneck
(1961)
A modest yet compelling War picture
4 April 2020
All of the usual suspects are here... Voiceovers, Stock footage, and a lush Jungle set. 6 Troopers are tasked to meet a mysterious woman to parlay information from. Vital information to have a leg up against the enemy Japanese. Of this crew only one will survive. Despite it's cliches it manages to elicit suspense and sympathy. Sure it's no sprawling War saga. But it gives a voice to the poor civilians caught in the middle. And to the Soldiers... Led by their superiors. Very nicely done little known War film.
Amanda and the Fox
(2018)
Dad can I keep him?
25 December 2019
If you watched this movie you are probably a fan of family fare or cute animals. I'm both. Right off the bat one can tell the movie is lower budget. The little girl is the Star here. Jason London looks alot older here. But it could be how he was dressed and made up for the role. In real life he owns and operates a Ranch and rides Horses.
As for the Fox? It's adorable. There is also a subplot involving two foreign Animal control people after our furry Friend. Plus a neighbor named Mrs. Crabtree. Dad also has a surprise. It's also been 2 years since Amanda's Mom died.
It's obvious the movie was made modestly. But the Fox is cute. And the actress playing Amanda isn't annoying like some kid actors can be. The movie is a bit all over the place. But it's a good clean movie. Nothing bad and no double innuendos.
I knew what I was signing up for buying a movie about an adorable Fox. Adults may not enjoy it. But kids and fans of clean movies will probably enjoy it. Runtime is about 62 minutes. Could've been a bit longer. But it's a good length given it's demographic.
As for the Fox? It's adorable. There is also a subplot involving two foreign Animal control people after our furry Friend. Plus a neighbor named Mrs. Crabtree. Dad also has a surprise. It's also been 2 years since Amanda's Mom died.
It's obvious the movie was made modestly. But the Fox is cute. And the actress playing Amanda isn't annoying like some kid actors can be. The movie is a bit all over the place. But it's a good clean movie. Nothing bad and no double innuendos.
I knew what I was signing up for buying a movie about an adorable Fox. Adults may not enjoy it. But kids and fans of clean movies will probably enjoy it. Runtime is about 62 minutes. Could've been a bit longer. But it's a good length given it's demographic.
Vitals
(2019)
"Hostel" in India? Not quite...
8 September 2019
So checking this out on Amazon Prime I thought it would be a "Hostel" type film. It's not at all. It mostly takes place in a crumby Hotel room. With lots of talking and flashbacks to pad out the time.
That's not to say I don't like Hindi films. I've enjoyed the "Murder" films for what they were. But those films definitely had more action. This is essentially a single location type film. Once the opening shock ends that's about the extent of any thrills.
The film is also about an hour and 40 minutes long. And man does it feel longer. One thing I did like was the commentary about India. The male lead laments it's citizens live on dimes a day to serve Coffee to smug tourists like him.
In the end the plot had promise on paper. It just kind of fizzles out after about 30 minutes. If you watch it don't expect a horror film.
That's not to say I don't like Hindi films. I've enjoyed the "Murder" films for what they were. But those films definitely had more action. This is essentially a single location type film. Once the opening shock ends that's about the extent of any thrills.
The film is also about an hour and 40 minutes long. And man does it feel longer. One thing I did like was the commentary about India. The male lead laments it's citizens live on dimes a day to serve Coffee to smug tourists like him.
In the end the plot had promise on paper. It just kind of fizzles out after about 30 minutes. If you watch it don't expect a horror film.
Dark/Web
(2019)
We're all a part of it...
25 July 2019
Alright... First off it's a modesty budgeted show. This isn't a knock against it. The special effects are pretty good given the show's constraints. It's not really fair to compare it to "American Horror Story" or "Black Mirror". It has some violence. But not on the level of other similar shows.
I enjoyed the first two chapters. Especially "Rideshare" which utilizes Julie Benz's unique voice. "Chapter 2" was also very solid. The more I watched it the more I enjoyed it. I could see the show expanding if it gets a season 2. Using the internet as a framing device is interesting. Also I think it's pretty silly to bemoan the show because it's not a documentary on the Dark web.
I've seen some truly awful horror anthology films and episodes. I'm going to give credit where it's due. The acting is mostly solid. Once in awhile the dialogue doesn't quite sound convincing. But I'll cut it some slack as it's only the first season...
Overall despite it's limitations I still enjoyed the show. Interested to see where the plot would go if it's given a 2nd season. Emotionally I connected with it. Give it a chance.
I enjoyed the first two chapters. Especially "Rideshare" which utilizes Julie Benz's unique voice. "Chapter 2" was also very solid. The more I watched it the more I enjoyed it. I could see the show expanding if it gets a season 2. Using the internet as a framing device is interesting. Also I think it's pretty silly to bemoan the show because it's not a documentary on the Dark web.
I've seen some truly awful horror anthology films and episodes. I'm going to give credit where it's due. The acting is mostly solid. Once in awhile the dialogue doesn't quite sound convincing. But I'll cut it some slack as it's only the first season...
Overall despite it's limitations I still enjoyed the show. Interested to see where the plot would go if it's given a 2nd season. Emotionally I connected with it. Give it a chance.
The Brittany Murphy Story
(2014 TV Movie)
How do you tap a person's essence?
8 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Growing up in the 90's I was a fan of Brittany Murphy. Yes she was beautiful. But she also had a fragile vulnerability that made her relatable. She was a talent for the ages. Drama, romance, horror and comedy. She could do it all.
A mere few years later LMN tackles Brittany's rise to fame and her sudden death. I feel for the most part they got her essence right. She is seen in a generally sympathetic light. Now the Elephant in the room... Amanda Fuller looks and sounds nothing like Brittany Murphy. It's too bad Ariana Grande wasn't available. It would be a tall order to find someone that resembles and talks like Brittany.
We get a Chronicle of her life at a breakneck speed. (86 minutes) Not every single movie project is discussed (I'm guessing for time or other issues) We see Brittany in a generic red Carpet setup talking about a few projects. Here she meets her eventual lover named Simon... a member of the Paparazzi. Does he have ulterior motives? Well according to this TV movie it's alluded too. The issue is he isn't around anymore to tell his side of the story.
The best performance to me is definitely Sherilynn Flynn. Her relationship with Brittany feels real and not rushed. Other issues that bothered me is that Brittany decries she was fired from "Happy Feet 2". This never happened and was just drummed up for drama. We also get some awful Wigs and (thankfully) only about two instances of Star lookalikes which are actually not bad. (Portraying Alicia Silverstone and Stacey Dash of "Clueless") Fuller talks in some kind of Jersey accent... If Brittany talked like this it was never in front of the media or when acting... She had a slightly husky pixie like voice that would've been hard to imitate. It would've been best to abandon the fake and distracting Jersey accent altogether.
Also on the set of "Clueless" a snarky crew member basically says she is too fat and should lose some pounds within earshot. Did this ever even happen? Murphy was known for being slender. But to my memory there was never talk of her being told to lose weight. Again it feels forced. At least the actor for Ashton Kutcher actually resembles him. In the end Pneumonia and a combination of other issues contributed to her death... A puzzling and sad end.
I guess the more I write about this the more lackluster it sounds. It's not perfect. But in the end it drove home what a loss to the entertainment industry Brittany's death was. How young she still was. Hopefully in the future we will get a better production. Something she at least deserves.
A mere few years later LMN tackles Brittany's rise to fame and her sudden death. I feel for the most part they got her essence right. She is seen in a generally sympathetic light. Now the Elephant in the room... Amanda Fuller looks and sounds nothing like Brittany Murphy. It's too bad Ariana Grande wasn't available. It would be a tall order to find someone that resembles and talks like Brittany.
We get a Chronicle of her life at a breakneck speed. (86 minutes) Not every single movie project is discussed (I'm guessing for time or other issues) We see Brittany in a generic red Carpet setup talking about a few projects. Here she meets her eventual lover named Simon... a member of the Paparazzi. Does he have ulterior motives? Well according to this TV movie it's alluded too. The issue is he isn't around anymore to tell his side of the story.
The best performance to me is definitely Sherilynn Flynn. Her relationship with Brittany feels real and not rushed. Other issues that bothered me is that Brittany decries she was fired from "Happy Feet 2". This never happened and was just drummed up for drama. We also get some awful Wigs and (thankfully) only about two instances of Star lookalikes which are actually not bad. (Portraying Alicia Silverstone and Stacey Dash of "Clueless") Fuller talks in some kind of Jersey accent... If Brittany talked like this it was never in front of the media or when acting... She had a slightly husky pixie like voice that would've been hard to imitate. It would've been best to abandon the fake and distracting Jersey accent altogether.
Also on the set of "Clueless" a snarky crew member basically says she is too fat and should lose some pounds within earshot. Did this ever even happen? Murphy was known for being slender. But to my memory there was never talk of her being told to lose weight. Again it feels forced. At least the actor for Ashton Kutcher actually resembles him. In the end Pneumonia and a combination of other issues contributed to her death... A puzzling and sad end.
I guess the more I write about this the more lackluster it sounds. It's not perfect. But in the end it drove home what a loss to the entertainment industry Brittany's death was. How young she still was. Hopefully in the future we will get a better production. Something she at least deserves.
Atrocity
(2014)
Sometimes the truth is in the middle...
19 April 2019
Well I've been on an Amazon Prime bender. "Atrocity" is basically two parts. One part is recovered found footage of a Teen Birthday party gone awry. So lots of "DudeBro" douchebag talk, cussing, and posturing. Lots of yelling and screaming. It grates on the nerves. But given the situation it's believable. What happened during the party??
The next half is clips of an interrogation. This is coupled with commentary by a team of Detectives trying to piece together what went down. At times it's almost like an episode from Investigation Discovery etc.
Oddly it is compelling in that you want to find out what exactly happened. You see it's finally pieced together years later. True enough the kids aren't exactly likeable but I've known people like them in College. "Animal house" this is not. There is little to no joy to be had here.
This isn't a typical found footage. There is no Supernatural entity.... No ghosts or haunted houses. This one is fairly realistic... Maybe too much.
The next half is clips of an interrogation. This is coupled with commentary by a team of Detectives trying to piece together what went down. At times it's almost like an episode from Investigation Discovery etc.
Oddly it is compelling in that you want to find out what exactly happened. You see it's finally pieced together years later. True enough the kids aren't exactly likeable but I've known people like them in College. "Animal house" this is not. There is little to no joy to be had here.
This isn't a typical found footage. There is no Supernatural entity.... No ghosts or haunted houses. This one is fairly realistic... Maybe too much.
Unlisted Owner
(2013)
Well... It had potential
19 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The film begins interestingly enough with a new Family moving into a House. Unfortunately this lasts all of 5 minutes. We flash to the bulk of the film focusing on some loud mouthed annoying Teens. As per usual they spend about 30 odd plus minutes yelling and arguing. This did not make them endearing.
Eventually the family's bodies are retrieved by the local Police etc. We are basically told they were all murdered by a random psycho. The kiddos regale a tale about a local weirdo who burned a group of people in the same House. Is he back from the dead etc.? Not sure. The movie never really does anything with the scenario. I guess he didn't die... Despite the kiddos allegedly finding his Grave.
This leads us to the little scamps investigating the house... You can tell where this is going. To add insult we don't even get onscreen deaths for everyone involved. It just kinda ends with a new Couple moving in and a lame jumpscare. Which made me wonder who the hell would buy a House where two separate murders happened?! Did the Realtor not disclose that detail? Must've had a great Crime scene clean up crew too. As the House is pristine when our new fodder for victims moves in.
I understand the movie is a microbudget. I don't hate on Indie films if it's entertaining enough or has a good script. The opening scene could've been it's own film itself. Showing the family slowly being stalked by a Maniac could've been interesting. Instead it abruptly cuts to an annoying group of foul mouthed screechy kids slogging through trite dialogue to get to a disappointing conclusion... The camera work for the most part is actually pretty decent. It's a shame the script couldn't have been worked on a bit more.
Eventually the family's bodies are retrieved by the local Police etc. We are basically told they were all murdered by a random psycho. The kiddos regale a tale about a local weirdo who burned a group of people in the same House. Is he back from the dead etc.? Not sure. The movie never really does anything with the scenario. I guess he didn't die... Despite the kiddos allegedly finding his Grave.
This leads us to the little scamps investigating the house... You can tell where this is going. To add insult we don't even get onscreen deaths for everyone involved. It just kinda ends with a new Couple moving in and a lame jumpscare. Which made me wonder who the hell would buy a House where two separate murders happened?! Did the Realtor not disclose that detail? Must've had a great Crime scene clean up crew too. As the House is pristine when our new fodder for victims moves in.
I understand the movie is a microbudget. I don't hate on Indie films if it's entertaining enough or has a good script. The opening scene could've been it's own film itself. Showing the family slowly being stalked by a Maniac could've been interesting. Instead it abruptly cuts to an annoying group of foul mouthed screechy kids slogging through trite dialogue to get to a disappointing conclusion... The camera work for the most part is actually pretty decent. It's a shame the script couldn't have been worked on a bit more.
The Toyman Killer
(2013 TV Movie)
Entertaining fluff
31 March 2019
Watching the TV spots really played up the psychodrama angle. But that's a small part of it. The movie isn't particularly scary. But that's okay! Both of the lead actresses are in fine form here. (And underrated in my humble opinion.)
At the end of the day it is light fluff. Nothing to take very seriously. Looking back this movie is refreshing. In that the plot was different enough. Now LMN keeps churning out movies about psycho nannies etc. or obsessed teens and authority figures. While I'm a sucker for that subgenre it is getting a bit stale. Consider this one of the decent entries.
At the end of the day it is light fluff. Nothing to take very seriously. Looking back this movie is refreshing. In that the plot was different enough. Now LMN keeps churning out movies about psycho nannies etc. or obsessed teens and authority figures. While I'm a sucker for that subgenre it is getting a bit stale. Consider this one of the decent entries.
Lasso
(I) (2017)
Get along little Doggies!
21 March 2019
So "Lasso" delivers the goods in spades with gore and some gnarly scenes. Psychotic Cowboys. A novel idea! Yes? A group of Seniors and a few stragglers on a field trip end up at a rodeo that is revealed to be anything but routine. Soon they end up on the proverbial chopping block.
The movie is a brisk 90 minutes and cuts to the chase... We don't get any backstory on the baddies. Nor do we get much backstory on the victims either. I was hoping for maybe more chase scenes. But overall It's no dealbreaker for me. Still it would've been nice to get just a little more story on both parties. Why are the Rodeo workers doing this? Who knows!
The film also looks and sounds great. The calibrated weapons of choice are also a nice touch. On paper a roving gang of homicidal Cowboys sounds silly. But it makes the most of the absurd premise. It plays it fairly straight.
Still with it's very minor flaws the film is pretty enjoyable. Shakespeare this is not. Rustle up some grub or a brew and enjoy the show Hoss. Yeehaw!
The movie is a brisk 90 minutes and cuts to the chase... We don't get any backstory on the baddies. Nor do we get much backstory on the victims either. I was hoping for maybe more chase scenes. But overall It's no dealbreaker for me. Still it would've been nice to get just a little more story on both parties. Why are the Rodeo workers doing this? Who knows!
The film also looks and sounds great. The calibrated weapons of choice are also a nice touch. On paper a roving gang of homicidal Cowboys sounds silly. But it makes the most of the absurd premise. It plays it fairly straight.
Still with it's very minor flaws the film is pretty enjoyable. Shakespeare this is not. Rustle up some grub or a brew and enjoy the show Hoss. Yeehaw!
Young, High and Dead
(2013)
Depends what you are looking for...
16 October 2018
I'm a sucker for import horror. British horror is usually enjoyable. "Gnaw", "Don't let him in", "Collin" etc. are all gems. Is this a classic? Far from it. It's shot on what looks like video. Vaguely reminds me of another micro budget "Cannibal Campout". The storyline is a bit slow in the start. Drinking and arguing. But after the 40 minute mark things get going. If you can look past it's two dollar budget you might enjoy it for what it is. I'm generally more forgiving as I've seen some real Turkeys. This isn't all that bad compared to the crud I've sloughed through despite it's micro budget.
Tell Your Friends