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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated The Slumber Party Massacre (1982) in Movies
Oct 10, 2020
This film has a slumber party and it also has a massacre. In that respect, The Slumber Party Massacre does exactly what is says on the tin, but actually has more to it underneath it's trashy exterior.
It may very well be another 80s slasher following in the wake of Friday the 13th, but a few things make it stick out above some of the rest.
The short 77 minute runtime means that the plot steams along at a snappy pace. The expected killer chase scenes are genuinely tense. The characters are all fairly realistic. All good stuff.
Its important to note that this film was directed by Amy Holden Jones, and written by Rita Mae Brown. The presence of two females in these usually male dominated roles is certainly noteworthy, especially in the 80s. As a result, we have female characters who aren't afraid to fight back, and who don't rely on men to save them. There's not even an obvious Final Girl candidate, any one of the main cast could have filled that role. It's refreshing to see.
However, TSPM is produced by Roger Corman, which would go someway in explaining the excessive nudity, and why the finished product is far different to what Rita Mae Brown had initially envisioned.
The practical effects are fairly minimal, but what we do get is pretty good, and there's some semi decent gore dished out by Russ Thorn, this movies antagonist. He's obviously not a patch on slasher icons such as Jason or Freddy, but he's still a weird enough dude to make his mark on the genre. (Not quite as weird as the dude who hunts snails though, what the fuck was that all about)
The Slumber Party Massacre is a straight shooting horror that may have a cheap look, but it's fun for the most part, and has some memorable slasher moments.
It may very well be another 80s slasher following in the wake of Friday the 13th, but a few things make it stick out above some of the rest.
The short 77 minute runtime means that the plot steams along at a snappy pace. The expected killer chase scenes are genuinely tense. The characters are all fairly realistic. All good stuff.
Its important to note that this film was directed by Amy Holden Jones, and written by Rita Mae Brown. The presence of two females in these usually male dominated roles is certainly noteworthy, especially in the 80s. As a result, we have female characters who aren't afraid to fight back, and who don't rely on men to save them. There's not even an obvious Final Girl candidate, any one of the main cast could have filled that role. It's refreshing to see.
However, TSPM is produced by Roger Corman, which would go someway in explaining the excessive nudity, and why the finished product is far different to what Rita Mae Brown had initially envisioned.
The practical effects are fairly minimal, but what we do get is pretty good, and there's some semi decent gore dished out by Russ Thorn, this movies antagonist. He's obviously not a patch on slasher icons such as Jason or Freddy, but he's still a weird enough dude to make his mark on the genre. (Not quite as weird as the dude who hunts snails though, what the fuck was that all about)
The Slumber Party Massacre is a straight shooting horror that may have a cheap look, but it's fun for the most part, and has some memorable slasher moments.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (2018) in Movies
Dec 9, 2020
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot is a fantasticly B-Movie style title, hiding a genuinely touching and quite beautiful character drama.
The film focuses on the life of Calvin Barr, an old man portrayed by Sam Elliott. He's a guy who's lonely, seen some shit in his time, and feeling his age until one day, he's approached by the government to hunt and kill the legendary Bigfoot, and put a stop to a potential world ending plague. Calvin is a bit of a legendary creature himself, having served in WWII, and is said to have killed Hitler himself before it was covered up, and his immunity to this killer plague makes him the perfect candidate.
This quirky other wordly narrative is quite a jarring contrast to the otherwise grounded drama that makes up the rest of the plot. Flashbacks tell of Calvin's life before the war, and how he met the woman he wanted to marry. It's essentially a love story, that veers into bonkers territory at the flick of a switch.
Somehow though, it all works really well. The screenplay is top notch and gives us some engaging characters with a great cast. Sam Elliott has the grizzled old man role down to a tee by now. Aidan Turner plays the younger Calvin, and the relationship between him and Caitlin Fitzgerald's character is believable and touching. Larry Miller also stars as Calvin's brother and the two of them also have decent chemistry.
This movie is overflowing with gorgeous shots. The last third especially is a visual feast, and it's all complimented by a wonderful score, courtesy of Joe Kraemer.
If you're looking for a schlocky bad-good film suggested by the title then you're in the wrong place. This is a charming and quirky character drama with sprinkles of a creature feature, and I can fully see why some might not get on with it, but for me, it just works.
The film focuses on the life of Calvin Barr, an old man portrayed by Sam Elliott. He's a guy who's lonely, seen some shit in his time, and feeling his age until one day, he's approached by the government to hunt and kill the legendary Bigfoot, and put a stop to a potential world ending plague. Calvin is a bit of a legendary creature himself, having served in WWII, and is said to have killed Hitler himself before it was covered up, and his immunity to this killer plague makes him the perfect candidate.
This quirky other wordly narrative is quite a jarring contrast to the otherwise grounded drama that makes up the rest of the plot. Flashbacks tell of Calvin's life before the war, and how he met the woman he wanted to marry. It's essentially a love story, that veers into bonkers territory at the flick of a switch.
Somehow though, it all works really well. The screenplay is top notch and gives us some engaging characters with a great cast. Sam Elliott has the grizzled old man role down to a tee by now. Aidan Turner plays the younger Calvin, and the relationship between him and Caitlin Fitzgerald's character is believable and touching. Larry Miller also stars as Calvin's brother and the two of them also have decent chemistry.
This movie is overflowing with gorgeous shots. The last third especially is a visual feast, and it's all complimented by a wonderful score, courtesy of Joe Kraemer.
If you're looking for a schlocky bad-good film suggested by the title then you're in the wrong place. This is a charming and quirky character drama with sprinkles of a creature feature, and I can fully see why some might not get on with it, but for me, it just works.
Darren Fisher (2454 KP) rated Tough to Kill (Duri a morire) (1978) in Movies
Dec 13, 2020 (Updated Dec 13, 2020)
Not so much Tough to Kill as Probably Quite Easy to Kill
Not so much Tough to Kill as Probably Quite Easy to Kill, as the main character gets a bullet in the leg early on in the film and is carried around a lot in the jungle. Poor bloke doesn't really get a chance to prove if he's tough to kill or not until nearer the end of the film. Even then, I'd rate my chances if we had to fight it out in a sweaty jungle...
Our main protagonist Martin (Luc Merenda), is a (apparently) ruthless mercenary who accepts a mission to find a hired killer who is hiding out with a group of mercenaries in a South American jungle. When members of the group get wind that there is a price on the hired killers head things get a tad messy and they end up fighting amongst themselves to claim the bounty.
Certainly not directors Joe D'Amato's finest hour but it is a fun ride nonetheless.
Those expecting the usual nudity and gore from a D'Amato flick will be disappointed though, as this is a pure Boys Own testosterone fueled adventure.
Not that I'm complaining, as it has all the ingredients of a staple low budget film. Bad and often hilarious dialogue. Check. Gaping plot holes. Check. Nonsensical narrative. Check. Stock footage. Check. Crap explosions. Check. And so on...
Donald O'Brien, who is no stranger to low budget flicks, is great to watch as Major Hagerty. He pretty much dominates the film, outacting the entire cast (although that isn't particularly difficult).
The 'specially adapted' assault course, the shootout barrel run, and saving the rabbit from drowning scenes are some of the highlights on show. The twist ending is blindingly obvious though. Pure trash fun!
NOTE: The transfer I watched was terrible. More grain, dropouts, and interference than you could shake an exploitation stick at. Although it did kind of add to the enjoyment, if like myself, it gets you yearning for the good old days of vhs.
Our main protagonist Martin (Luc Merenda), is a (apparently) ruthless mercenary who accepts a mission to find a hired killer who is hiding out with a group of mercenaries in a South American jungle. When members of the group get wind that there is a price on the hired killers head things get a tad messy and they end up fighting amongst themselves to claim the bounty.
Certainly not directors Joe D'Amato's finest hour but it is a fun ride nonetheless.
Those expecting the usual nudity and gore from a D'Amato flick will be disappointed though, as this is a pure Boys Own testosterone fueled adventure.
Not that I'm complaining, as it has all the ingredients of a staple low budget film. Bad and often hilarious dialogue. Check. Gaping plot holes. Check. Nonsensical narrative. Check. Stock footage. Check. Crap explosions. Check. And so on...
Donald O'Brien, who is no stranger to low budget flicks, is great to watch as Major Hagerty. He pretty much dominates the film, outacting the entire cast (although that isn't particularly difficult).
The 'specially adapted' assault course, the shootout barrel run, and saving the rabbit from drowning scenes are some of the highlights on show. The twist ending is blindingly obvious though. Pure trash fun!
NOTE: The transfer I watched was terrible. More grain, dropouts, and interference than you could shake an exploitation stick at. Although it did kind of add to the enjoyment, if like myself, it gets you yearning for the good old days of vhs.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2332 KP) rated Fashionably Late in Books
Sep 20, 2019
I’m Late Reading This Book, But I Enjoyed It
It all starts with a fashion show. It’s fashion week in Milano – Milano, Florida, that is, and Summer Smythe has snagged tickets for herself and her friend Dorothy Westin to the luncheon and fashion show that are kicking things off. However, things take a strange turn when Angelica Downs, one of the models, asks them for help before the show starts. When they try to track her down, they find her dead body. Angelica’s mother, Frankie, is living in the part of their senior center for those with memory issues, and Dorothy and Summer are worried that Frankie might be next. However, when they go to talk to Frankie, that only leaves them with more questions. Is a killer after Frankie? Who killed Angelica? Can Dorothy and Summer figure out what is really going on?
Having read the previous two books in this series, I knew what to expect, and I wasn’t disappointed. The plot starts off strongly. We don’t seem to be gathering any clues right off the bat, but there is still plenty happening to keep our interest. Naturally, much of that comes back into play as the book leads us to the logical conclusion. The climax was a tad rushed, but it was also fun and answered all of our questions. The characters range from fairly realistic, like Dorothy, to less so, like Summer, to outright wacky. The mix works for this book. We care enough to want to see justice done, but we also are having fun laughing and smiling as things go along. The book is set in December, but the holidays only color events a little. Instead, this is more about the fashion shows and the events happening in connection with them. If you are looking for a delightful book, this is definitely one to pick up.
Having read the previous two books in this series, I knew what to expect, and I wasn’t disappointed. The plot starts off strongly. We don’t seem to be gathering any clues right off the bat, but there is still plenty happening to keep our interest. Naturally, much of that comes back into play as the book leads us to the logical conclusion. The climax was a tad rushed, but it was also fun and answered all of our questions. The characters range from fairly realistic, like Dorothy, to less so, like Summer, to outright wacky. The mix works for this book. We care enough to want to see justice done, but we also are having fun laughing and smiling as things go along. The book is set in December, but the holidays only color events a little. Instead, this is more about the fashion shows and the events happening in connection with them. If you are looking for a delightful book, this is definitely one to pick up.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Fright Night 2 (1989) in Movies
Oct 13, 2019
My 2nd purchase using my new all region DVD/Blu Ray player is another film I have not seen in probably 30 years since it has never had a DVD or Blu Ray release in the United States. In fact, the European DVD I purchased was in Spanish which I had to change back to English dialogue.
Charlie Brewster has been in psychotherapy for 3 years trying to convince himself the deeds he and fellow vampire killer, Peter Vincent, were all in his imagination. That is until a new sultry vixen creature of the night and her entourage happen to meander into his life. She also happens to be the sister of Jerry Dandrige, whom Charlie and Peter executed in their initial vampire romp.
Charlie and Peter share combined and separate encounters with their new enemy and her minions eventually trying to convince each other this is really happening again meanwhile Charlie's new girlfriend is growing impatient with her boyfriend's peculiar behavior.
It is only through their inevitable final confrontation will tensions be resolved for good.
Upon the rewatch, I soon discovered lightning did not strike twice for this sequel. This should have been one of those I rested my fondness on its memory rather than trying to update or sustain my initial opinion. It certainly was entertaining to see the vampire dispatching duo back together again; however, the formula seemed both too much the same yet the tone was remarkably different this time around.
I'm sure all would have been solved with a tight, biting script which the first film was blessed with. It was able to find the balance between humor, camp and gore. This one seemed forced and the situations more unbelievable. The villainess lacked the charm and charisma of Dandrige and her lackeys were not as fun as "Evil Ed' from the first film.
Still glad I watched it and looking forward to finding more forgotten gems in the future.
Charlie Brewster has been in psychotherapy for 3 years trying to convince himself the deeds he and fellow vampire killer, Peter Vincent, were all in his imagination. That is until a new sultry vixen creature of the night and her entourage happen to meander into his life. She also happens to be the sister of Jerry Dandrige, whom Charlie and Peter executed in their initial vampire romp.
Charlie and Peter share combined and separate encounters with their new enemy and her minions eventually trying to convince each other this is really happening again meanwhile Charlie's new girlfriend is growing impatient with her boyfriend's peculiar behavior.
It is only through their inevitable final confrontation will tensions be resolved for good.
Upon the rewatch, I soon discovered lightning did not strike twice for this sequel. This should have been one of those I rested my fondness on its memory rather than trying to update or sustain my initial opinion. It certainly was entertaining to see the vampire dispatching duo back together again; however, the formula seemed both too much the same yet the tone was remarkably different this time around.
I'm sure all would have been solved with a tight, biting script which the first film was blessed with. It was able to find the balance between humor, camp and gore. This one seemed forced and the situations more unbelievable. The villainess lacked the charm and charisma of Dandrige and her lackeys were not as fun as "Evil Ed' from the first film.
Still glad I watched it and looking forward to finding more forgotten gems in the future.
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