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Effigy: Vol 1 : Idle Worship
Book
* After a sex-tape scandal, former Hollywood child star turned Z-lister Chondra Jackson returns to...
Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Seven BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramas: Collection 2
Full Cast, Bert Coules, Andrew Sachs and Clive Merrison
Book
Clive Merrison and Andrew Sachs star in seven original BBC Radio 4 full-cast adventures for Holmes...
Black Science: How to Fall Forever: Volume 1
Rick Remender, Matteo Scalera and Dean White
Book
"A must-read for Remender's fans or anyone thrilled by bizarre and compelling sci-fi." Starred...
Awix (3310 KP) rated Mars Attacks! (1996) in Movies
Jun 14, 2020
Lavishly camp black-comedy sci-fi extravaganza. Motivated largely by their innate gittishness, Martians attack the Earth (the clue is in the title), and various people naturally respond in their own personal ways. Much property damage and rather dated mid-90s CGI result.
One of those bizarre mutants that should never really have got past the script stage, let alone received a $70m budget: the release schedule inevitably resulted in it being hailed as a spoof of Independence Day (hard to spoof something that wasn't meant to be taken seriously in the first place), but this is much more a send-up of classic 50s sci-fi B-movies (various spot-on parodies), as well as being a startlingly subversive black comedy. You can also sense Burton trying to do his version of Dr Strangelove, with Nicholson in a multiple role, but it doesn't have anything like the same sharpness or impact. A bit patchy overall - some laugh-out-loud moments and game performances, but also a lot of dead wood and characters and jokes that just don't work. On the whole, though, the fact that films like this still get made suggests hope is not yet lost for the world.
One of those bizarre mutants that should never really have got past the script stage, let alone received a $70m budget: the release schedule inevitably resulted in it being hailed as a spoof of Independence Day (hard to spoof something that wasn't meant to be taken seriously in the first place), but this is much more a send-up of classic 50s sci-fi B-movies (various spot-on parodies), as well as being a startlingly subversive black comedy. You can also sense Burton trying to do his version of Dr Strangelove, with Nicholson in a multiple role, but it doesn't have anything like the same sharpness or impact. A bit patchy overall - some laugh-out-loud moments and game performances, but also a lot of dead wood and characters and jokes that just don't work. On the whole, though, the fact that films like this still get made suggests hope is not yet lost for the world.
Breverton's Complete Herbal: A Book of Remarkable Plants and Their Uses
Book
Nicholas Culpeper's The English Physitian: or an Astrologo-physical Discourse of the Vulgar Herbs of...
Steve Vai recommended Alien by Strapping Young Lad in Music (curated)
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Who Killed Captain Alex? (2010) in Movies
Sep 21, 2020
"𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦."
Not so much a so-bad-it's-good flick - since at its core, taking consideration into what it had to work with - this is actually a pretty (unironically) great adventure. Seldom has a poster so accurately captured the essence of a film before I mean just *look* at that beast lol. Of course it's got abundant clenched, cocked fistfuls of kitsch, sure - but the base script is sound, and I find it tantamount to insult that much lesser works like 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘥 get lauded for their (nevertheless still lovely) performances from non-actors while the straight-up spectacular work the entirety of the cast gives here is written off as being undeserving of such an appropriate distinction. The action is, as you've heard, mesmerizingly batshit (and surprisingly well shot + edited + performed) and I'm impressed with how endlessly quotable this is - I cannot understate how much this is some God-tier dialogue (peppered with a comically bizarre Emcee track for the ages). One of the top-dog Z-movie exploitation flicks you'll find - very great work, let alone for a first timer given the conditions. It's graciously free on YouTube so there's no excuse not to give this and the director's other (also dope) works the attention they deserve.
Not so much a so-bad-it's-good flick - since at its core, taking consideration into what it had to work with - this is actually a pretty (unironically) great adventure. Seldom has a poster so accurately captured the essence of a film before I mean just *look* at that beast lol. Of course it's got abundant clenched, cocked fistfuls of kitsch, sure - but the base script is sound, and I find it tantamount to insult that much lesser works like 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘥 get lauded for their (nevertheless still lovely) performances from non-actors while the straight-up spectacular work the entirety of the cast gives here is written off as being undeserving of such an appropriate distinction. The action is, as you've heard, mesmerizingly batshit (and surprisingly well shot + edited + performed) and I'm impressed with how endlessly quotable this is - I cannot understate how much this is some God-tier dialogue (peppered with a comically bizarre Emcee track for the ages). One of the top-dog Z-movie exploitation flicks you'll find - very great work, let alone for a first timer given the conditions. It's graciously free on YouTube so there's no excuse not to give this and the director's other (also dope) works the attention they deserve.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Yin and the Yang of Mr. Go (1970) in Movies
Dec 9, 2020
'It'll make you think of Dr No!' promises the poster for this almost indescribable comedy-thriller written and directed by Burgess Meredith. It didn't make me think of Dr No: it made me think of what it must be like to take hallucinogenic drugs while suffering from a bad case of the flu. The details of the plot are almost enough to defeat the English language - suffice to say that the key turning point in the story comes when the Buddha (who also narrates the story) uses his mystic powers to turn villainous Chinese-Mexican Mr Go (James Mason - yes, it's James Mason trying to play a Chinese-Mexican) into a benevolent philanthropist.
It's not just that the film is bizarre and incoherent, with plenty of gratuitous nudity, and European actors cheerfully playing Asian characters: it's also that the production values are incredibly primitive. It's almost like watching pornography without the sex (or so I would imagine). Not one element of this film is robust enough to elevate it into 'so bad it's funny' territory. It's just bad. That said, Jeff Bridges made his film debut in it, which presumably goes to show that even the least promising starts can lead to a distinguished career. But even so - for masochists and the troubled only.
It's not just that the film is bizarre and incoherent, with plenty of gratuitous nudity, and European actors cheerfully playing Asian characters: it's also that the production values are incredibly primitive. It's almost like watching pornography without the sex (or so I would imagine). Not one element of this film is robust enough to elevate it into 'so bad it's funny' territory. It's just bad. That said, Jeff Bridges made his film debut in it, which presumably goes to show that even the least promising starts can lead to a distinguished career. But even so - for masochists and the troubled only.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Twin Peaks - Season 1 in TV
Sep 7, 2019 (Updated Sep 7, 2019)
I was only introduced to Twin Peaks a few years back, not long before the much anticipated season 3 was announced.
I wasn't overly excited to watch an early 90s show that on the surface seemed like a run of the mill murder mystery. I had heard to the odd thing or two, about how it was actually quite unsettling etc.
But I wasn't prepared for what I witnessed - a truly great series of television - as mentioned, on the surface, a murder mystery, sometimes verging into lighthearted sitcom territory, bit with some seriously disturbing undertones.
Twin Peaks made my skin crawl on more than one occasion. As I slowly fell in love with the quirky characters, and beautiful American log town setting, I found myself almost constantly on edge. Mainly because of Bob. Goddamn Bob.
The first time Bob graces the screen will stick in my mind for the rest of time.
The unsettling nature of Twin Peaks, woven so lovingly with the less serious moments, and woven again with the just straight up bizarre moments, proves that David Lynch is a master of his craft.
Angelo Badalamenti's musical score elevates the show to even greater heights.
It's hard to truly describe Twin Peaks - but it's something I'm damn glad I was made to watch.
I wasn't overly excited to watch an early 90s show that on the surface seemed like a run of the mill murder mystery. I had heard to the odd thing or two, about how it was actually quite unsettling etc.
But I wasn't prepared for what I witnessed - a truly great series of television - as mentioned, on the surface, a murder mystery, sometimes verging into lighthearted sitcom territory, bit with some seriously disturbing undertones.
Twin Peaks made my skin crawl on more than one occasion. As I slowly fell in love with the quirky characters, and beautiful American log town setting, I found myself almost constantly on edge. Mainly because of Bob. Goddamn Bob.
The first time Bob graces the screen will stick in my mind for the rest of time.
The unsettling nature of Twin Peaks, woven so lovingly with the less serious moments, and woven again with the just straight up bizarre moments, proves that David Lynch is a master of his craft.
Angelo Badalamenti's musical score elevates the show to even greater heights.
It's hard to truly describe Twin Peaks - but it's something I'm damn glad I was made to watch.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) in Movies
Sep 30, 2019
Overrated
Out of all of the old school horror films, Friday the 13th is probably the one I like the least. Whilst it’s a great concept being set in a camp by a lake, I think it’s rather poorly and cheesily executed. I’ve seen the original many times, but this is the first time I’ve seen any of the ‘original’ sequels and I’m afraid I didn’t think much of this either.
The main problem with this is that i found Jason to be rather disappointing. Admittedly I’ve grown up with the later version of Jason (hockey mask and machete), and whilst the machete makes an appearance, I don’t find this version of Jason very scary at all. He isn’t helped by the cheesy scenes, poor script and rather bizarre fade to white scenes. It’s a shame, as the deaths are actually rather inventive but as with all 80s horrors, they’re not nearly as gruesome as they could be. Either that or I’ve become numb to the deaths after the extreme and gory modern horrors that have been out since.
Despite all of the negatives, it is still a rather silly yet enjoyable film. Just not quite the classic it’s made out to be.
The main problem with this is that i found Jason to be rather disappointing. Admittedly I’ve grown up with the later version of Jason (hockey mask and machete), and whilst the machete makes an appearance, I don’t find this version of Jason very scary at all. He isn’t helped by the cheesy scenes, poor script and rather bizarre fade to white scenes. It’s a shame, as the deaths are actually rather inventive but as with all 80s horrors, they’re not nearly as gruesome as they could be. Either that or I’ve become numb to the deaths after the extreme and gory modern horrors that have been out since.
Despite all of the negatives, it is still a rather silly yet enjoyable film. Just not quite the classic it’s made out to be.