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Targets (1968)
Targets (1968)
1968 | Action, Classics, Mystery
9
8.0 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Targeting Frankenstein: A Horror Icon
Targets- is a very suspenseful film that stars a old boris Karloff. His performance in this film is different. Usually he is type-cast in a horror movie. Targets is not the cast, its a more serious role for Karloff and I liked it alot. He is dramatic in Targets. It was Karloff's last appearance in a marjor american film, before he passed away in 1968.

The plot: After unhinged Vietnam vet Bobby Thompson (Tim O'Kelly) kills his wife and mother, he goes on a brutal shooting spree. Starting at an oil refinery, he evades the police and continues his murderous outing at a drive-in movie theater, where Byron Orlock (Boris Karloff), a retiring horror film icon, is making a promotional appearance. Before long, Orlock, a symbol of fantastical old-fashioned scares, faces off against Thompson, a remorseless psychopath rooted in a harsh modern reality.

Even Karloff's charcter is a retired horror film actor, so he can never get away from the horror genre/type-casting.

In the film's finale at a drive-in theater, Orlok – the old-fashioned, traditional screen monster who always obeyed the rules – confronts the new, realistic, nihilistic late-1960s "monster" in the shape of a clean-cut, unassuming multiple murderer.

Bogdanovich got the chance to make Targets because Boris Karloff owed studio head Roger Corman two days' work. Corman told Bogdanovich he could make any film he liked provided he used Karloff and stayed under budget. In addition, Bogdanovich had to use clips from Corman's Napoleonic-era thriller The Terror in the movie. The clips from The Terror feature Jack Nicholson and Boris Karloff. A brief clip of Howard Hawks' 1931 film The Criminal Code featuring Karloff was also used.

American International Pictures offered to release, but Bogdanovich wanted to try to see if the film could get a deal with a major studio. It was seen by Robert Evans of Paramount who bought it for $150,000, giving Corman an instant profit on the movie before it was even released.

Although the film was written and production photography completed in late 1967, it was released after the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy in early 1968 and thus had some topical relevance to then-current events. Nevertheless, it was not very successful at the box office.

Quentin Tarantino later called it "the most political movie Corman ever made since The Intruder. And forty years later it’s still one of the strongest cries for gun control in American cinema. The film isn’t a thriller with a social commentary buried inside of it (the normal Corman model), it’s a social commentary with a thriller buried inside of it... It was one of the most powerful films of 1968 and one of the greatest directorial debuts of all time. And I believe the best film ever produced by Roger Corman.

Its a excellent mystery suspenseful thrilling starring Boris Karloff, last appearance in a marjor american film, before he passed away in 1968. A great film to end your career on.
  
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
2019 | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Long Live the King!
Funny how people complained about the 2014 Godzilla movie saying there wasn't enough Godzilla in it. Anyone who is a fan know most Godzilla movies don't have a lot of Godzilla in it. Anyway, now they're complaining about too many monsters. Ridiculous. Let me tell you, this film is for Godzilla fans & boy does it deliver. The story is good enough. I won't give too much away, but the monsters (Titans as they are called here) are woken up & only Godzilla can stop them.

The movie is still pretty heavy on the human story, but it's just the right amount. It ends with a grand Godzilla fight. I'm sure you all know which monsters are involved in the film. By using CGI, they not only look spectacular, but you can get many angles & views of them that you couldn't get by guys in rubber suits. There are so many cool scenes, my favorite maybe being Rodan against the jets. Mothra also appears in the film. Sorry, no tiny singing ladies. But, the song is in the movie! In fact, all of the songs are in the movie! It was great hearing the monster's themes play when they appeared on the screen. Nothing gets you going more than hearing the Godzilla theme playing while he stomps towards the enemy.

The human actors do the job moving things along. There's some corny dialogue (You're a monster!") but we're not talking Shakespeare here anyway. If you're looking for something fun to see, go right out & see this now!
  
Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)
Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)
2018 | Comedy, Horror, Musical
There's genuine festive joy in here, yes it's a little blood-stained, but still... festive joy. There are Christmas trees, an innuendo-filled song and Santa, it's probably more on the non-Christmas side of festive watchlists but I'm here for it anyway.

The songs are fantastic, they're fun and catchy with some great dance montages. It really does peak on the musical side of things. My only quibble would be Paul Kaye's song "Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now", it's a little cheesy and doesn't feel quite like the tone of the rest of the film. On repeated viewings though it does grow on you, but not quite enough to jump off the bottom spot.

You do need that comedy villain to hate though and in that respect Paul Kaye certainly does really well. In fact the whole cast were great, and there isn't even a caveat. "They were great... considering it's a monster movie." Every performance fit with their character and they managed to make an apocalyptic film feel really upbeat. Everyone had the right amount of pizzazz in them to make this zombimas spectacular come to life.

Being focused on such a small group and area meant that it was really easy to engage with what was going on. It's filmed really nicely as well with your classic background zombie action for comedy effect. All in all this is an enjoyable (sort of) Christmas film and has something for everyone in the family.

Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/12/anna-and-apocalypse-movie-review.html
  
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AJaneClark (3975 KP) Dec 9, 2019

I enjoyed this movie for what it was, a light and festive zombie flick! 🤣 thank you for your review x

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