The last movie you watched was...?? (take three)

Laputa: Castle in the Sky

 

East of Eden (1955) - new restoration on the big screen. Ponderous in places but James Dean is still electrifying - I can only imagine the impact at the time.

 

Romancing The Stone - loved this one since I was a kid. Still great.

Breakdown - I always get a kick from this one. Kurt Russell rules. Edge of your seat thrill ride, though gets a little carried away at the very end.

 

Just got back from a weekend trip to Pennsylvania for the second annual April Ghouls Drive-In Monster-Rama:

http://www.dvddrive-in.com/aprilghoulsmonsterrama14.htm

Saw the following, all on 35mm:

THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN - I'd seen this on tape back in the 80s and didn't think too much of it, though
it's built up a cult following over the years. The print this weekend was perfect, colorful and crisp. I thought it was OK,
more a crime thriller than a horror film. The downside was that the scenes with the killer were all pretty dark (I can't
imagine how impenetrable these were on the original tape), so most of the thrills were hard to make out. Best for Ben
Johnson, Andrew Prine, and a brief scene with Dawn Wells.

CARRIE - I never was a big fan of this one, but the pristine print drew me in and the tight, effective (and occasionally
gimmicky) direction kept things moving right along.

SUSPIRIA - One of my favorites, great to see on the big screen in a pristine print of the US version.

THE HILLS HAVE EYES - Never much liked this one, and seeing it again didn't change my opinion much. I just never
could buy the idea of the mutated cave people...they feel silly to me. Still, nice to see lurid junk like this as dawn approaches
at a Drive-In with a cheeseburger in my hand.

HALLOWEEN - Still a classic, still great. Noticed a few details on the big screen that I'd never picked up on during my
many TV, VHS, DVD and Blu-ray viewings in the past.

THE BEAST WITHIN - Gloriously lurid junk, wonderful to see on the Drive-In screen. Another pristine print that really
conveyed Les Baxters bombastic score well through my car stereo.

PHANTASM - Love this movie. Great to see late at night on the big screen, with a gentle breeze blowing through the car
and sleep quietly creeping up on me.

CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS - Never liked this one, and once again, seeing it large didn't make
it any better for me. I can see the ending melee working for some folks, and indeed my greatly reduced capacity for consciousness
at that point of the night made me appreciate the flashes I saw of monster mayhem as the weekend drew to a close. Overall I
just can't take the overly theatrical and annoying hippies that make up the cast for the majority of the film.

Also watched my pal Dave Shaw's new LATE NIGHT CLASSICS PRESENTS GORILLA!, a fun low-budget spoof of old 50s
monster movies. Goofy, crude, and done with a loving and knowing eye for the details of poverty row productions of the past.



Checked out FILTHY GORGEOUS on Epix as well, a new documentary about Bob Guccione. Very interesting and entertaining.

 

Die Hard. I had never seen it. Fun movie, not my favorite type of genre though.

 

"Leaving Las Vegas". It wasn't as good as I remembered.

 

Millennium Actress

 

yes, both good ones...I'm gonna watch Breakdown again!

 

Garden State

 

House of Numbers...fabulous performance by Jack Palance..he plays twin Brothers....not sure if this turned up digitally?, but I have a fine copy in 2:35 widescreen that I taped years ago uncut.

 

Not a milestone but it was okay...and sinister.

 

I watch Steven Soderberg's "Side Effects" on Netflix last night. Started off smart then turned into a cheesy thriller. I thought it was going to be interesting, but it turned out cliched and rather silly. What is up with Soderberg making these Lifetime movies anymore?

 

One of my favorite all time movies. I love it!!

 

Aliens and Aliens3. In the future there are no cell phones.

 

Dean, Ricky! indeed...

 

I can imagine that...

 

And Angie

....and don't forget Stumpy!!

 

it's all good!

 

I'm lookin at a badge with a drunk pinned on it.

 

Revolutionary Girl Utena: Adolescence Apocalypse

 

Under The Skin

Very strange film.

I was the only person in the theater, also very strange.

 

American Beauty

 

Mac and Me

 

Tokyo Godfathers

 

10 Items or Less

Quirky little film - smart to keep it short as it'd easily lose it's charm if if dragged on too long.