Monthly Archives: February 2015

Movies

Planet of the Vampires (1965) a (ridiculously) belated review

Way back in 1965 cult Italian movie director Mario Bava directed Planet of the Vampires, a stylish sci-fi horror movie that would inspire (some would argue be shamelessly copied by) 1979’s Alien.  Though the creators behind Alien may deny it, it is hard to argue Planet of the Vampires didn’t do just that.

The movie begins with two spaceships chasing down an emergency signal originating from an unexplored planet.  The ships head in to investigate and that’s when all hell breaks loose.  One of the ships is temporarily lost, the other nearly crash lands and, afterwards, the crew loses their minds and starts viciously fighting each other.  It’s as if they’re no longer in control of themselves.

The crew manages to recover before anyone is killed and, eventually, they find their lost sister ship and go investigating.  Later still, they find another, more ancient vessel that comes complete with giant skeletons of that ancient crew.

And did I mention our hero’s horseshoe shaped ships and the foggy, eerie planet they’ve landed on?

There is simply no denying it: Watching Planet of the Vampires is like seeing the visual -and to some degree writing- inspiration for Alien.  But does that make this now fifty year old film worth checking out?

Let’s be blunt here: The acting is for the most part quite wooden.  The dialogue has been dubbed (the film was likely made in some Italian/English combination -the movie’s lead is played by American actor Barry Sullivan).  The effects are decent enough…for a very low budget film made in 1965, but anyone looking at them today will find them varying from ok to deficient.

But what makes the movie worth watching besides its obvious inspiration to Alien, is the eerie environment and the visuals it presents.  Planet of Vampires is essentially a “haunted house in space” movie, where our protagonists are presented with a fearsome and deadly set of circumstances and try to beat them…all the while members of their group slowly are picked off.

While the story may ultimately not be as memorable as the visuals it presents (I saw the film before, maybe five or so years ago, and was surprised by how little I recalled of the actual story), in some cases this is arguably enough to get you to see a film.

In the case of Planet of the Vampires, despite the wooden acting and some less than great special effects, any fan of Alien or science fiction films in general should get a kick out of seeing this work.  I most certainly did.

Recommended.

(Watch the below original trailer for the film at your own peril…first because it is so grainy.  The film, especially on BluRay, looks quite beautiful, but secondly and more importantly the trailer gives away pretty much all the movie’s mysteries!)

Movies

Upcoming/Already Released BluRays…

After a pretty dry period, movie-release wise, I’m suddenly finding myself with a full slate of films I’m considering or have already ordered/pre-ordered.

While only a few of the ones mentioned below are considered “classics”, they all hold memories for me.  Some, like the already frequently mentioned (and already bought) Supernova are not for everyone.  But if you’re like me, you may find these fascinating.  I certainly do.

The big question is, if I get all these films, when the hell will I have the time to see them?!?

To be released on March 17: The Lady From Shanghai.  Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth in an intriguing noir that features a terrific climax…

Already released: Sorcerer.  Director William Friedkin followed up his dual hits of The Exorcist and The French Connection with this Roy Schneider-starring vehicle, a remake of the French film The Wages of Fear.  I haven’t seen it in a while but never forgot the terrifying crossing of the bridge scene.

Already released: The Swimmer.  Fascinating symbolic movie.  Burt Lancaster stars as your “ordinary” man who, for whatever reason, decides to “swim” back to his home, passing through one neighbor’s pool after the other.  During the trip, he effectively relives his life and its many, many failures.

Already released: Capricorn One.  When I was younger, I absolutely loved this conspiracy film.  Astronauts are sent to Mars and it turns out the whole thing is a hoax.  When the empty Mars probe destructs on its way back to Earth, the shadowy government men behind the hoax have to kill the still very much alive astronauts to keep the public from knowing what really went on…

Capricorn One [Blu-ray]

To be released April 28th: The White Buffalo.  Absolutely bizarre film (I reviewed it here) about the quest for a White Buffalo.  A mix of Jaws and Moby Dick set in the wild west!  Like many of the films mentioned, I’m curious to see it in high definition and, I’m assuming, at the proper aspect ratio.

To be released March 10: Firepower.  I saw this film way, waaaay back when it was originally released and I’m really curious to see it again.  I don’t know what to expect…for all I know it could be a total dud although any film with both James Coburn and Sophia Loren in it can’t be all that bad, right?  Right?!  Then again, O.J. Simpson is in the film as well…

To be released April 7: A pair of Burt Reynold’s post Smokey and the Bandit films, Sharky’s Machine and Hooper.  I hope both films are cleaned up and presented in their proper aspect ratio.  Sharky’s Machine is a more serious detective drama while Hooper falls into Mr. Reynold’s “good ol’ boy” realm.  I haven’t seen Hooper all the way through since it was originally released and I’m equally curious to check out Sharky’s Machine.  They are both on sale for the ridiculously low price of $9.99 each at Amazon so this pre-order was a no-brainer.

  

Now, if I can only find the free time…

General

The ultimate barnyard find…?

Count me among those fascinated with the so-called “barnyard” finds, ie old/classic cars left behind and almost completely forgotten in some barnyard or garage only to re-emerge years later.

This has to be the ultimate such find, where a whopping 60 (!) antique luxury cars were uncovered in France.  Estimated value?  At least 20 million…

Having said this, and at the risk of following a positive with a negative, I can’t help but wonder if the antique car market might be nearing a supersaturation level.  Like all collectables, from artwork to books to albums to comic books to coins to stamps, there comes a point where the upper ceiling of value has been reached and from there you can only, inevitably, go down.

Maybe at that point I’ll finally be able to afford my dreamcars…Either a ’61 vette…

Or a mid to late 1960’s era Mustang…

Do I ask too much?!

Of course, if someone out there is willing to donate either vehicle to me, I’m available 24/7 at…

😉

Computers/Electronics

About the coming Apple Watch…

A disclaimer: I’m not one of those huge fans of Apple and its products, though -paradoxically I know- I use at least three of them.  For my more serious computer related interests, ie writing and work, I use Windows based computer(s) and Microsoft Office.

I have an iPad which I find very enjoyable to use and a now discontinued iPod in my car to listen to music now and again.  I recently bought a new cell phone and, regretfully, I chose to get the iPhone 6.  While it is essentially a small version of the iPad from which you can call from, so far I’ve found the cell phone functions lacking.  Particularly, the quality of sound coming from the phone (or is it my tired, old ears?) is not all that great.

Anyway, one thing you can count on that tech companies like Apple and Samsung and Microsoft are desperate to do is find and exploit new and potentially lucrative technologies.  In more recent times, it seems there has been a great rush (although now it appears to have cooled down a little) toward developing a “tech watch”-type gadget.  Even as the first reports of such a gadget were released and the attempts to create interest in it were at their heights, I wasn’t all that impressed.  Cell phones, though a little bigger than a watch and not as “easy” to carry around as something strapped to your wrist, nonetheless aren’t all that much bigger or harder to carry around, either.

The big question is would I -or for that matter most people- be inclined to buy and use something with a screen as small as a wrist watch to do anything other than check the time?

Author David Goldman at CNN Money has some thoughts and predictions regarding the device, and they’re pretty negative.:

http://money.cnn.com/2015/02/04/technology/apple-watch-flop/index.html

I think the biggest problem outlined by Mr. Goldman that would hurt anyone’s desire to get the Apple Watch is the battery life.  Even if you don’t mind using its very small screen, the fact that the watch can only run for some 10 hours, not even a full day, is troublesome.

Perhaps one day a tech wristwatch will be developed that will truly eclipse the cell phone.  That day, I feel, is still a long way off.

General, Movies

Sensible or silly…?

After the stunning terrorist attack in Paris, France has put in place new rules halting action movie productions in the city:

http://www.aol.com/article/2015/02/05/action-movies-halted-in-paris-after-post-terror-new-rules/21139396/

To some degree I can’t blame them for wanting to halt these productions.  As stated in the article, the fear is that a) the productions might become targets themselves, and b) people might be confused by the productions and, given the heightened sensitivity, might mistake a movie production for something “real”.

As I’m currently not working on any action film set in Paris (!), it doesn’t affect me at all, but there have been some interesting action set pieces filmed in the city before and its a shame there may, at least for the near future, be no more such sequences filmed now.

Perhaps when the world calms down and becomes just a little more sane things might go back to how they were.

Though that might be asking a lot…

Books/Literature, Comic Books/Graphic Novels

Tintin Cover Sells For Near Record 2.8 Million…

I’ve made my love for the Tintin graphic novels by Herge known before.  I guess I’m not the only one.

Someone just bought the original artwork for the cover of the 1942 Tintin graphic novel The Shooting Star for a whopping 2.8 million…

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2015/02/tintin-cover-sells-for-near-record-2-8-million-at-auction/

This is the actual printed/colored cover as seen in the graphic novels:

tintin-shooting star-color

And here’s the original artwork that was sold:

tintin-shoooting star-original

Not much to add here, just noting how popular the character and the original works of author/artist Herge remain.

General

Mysteries and Disappearances…

I’m a sucker for mysteries.  Grim though the subject matter may be, the disappearances of people are particularly intriguing.  Here then, from io9, are 8 Mysterious Disappearances (And The Clues That Keep People Guessing):

http://io9.com/8-mysterious-disappearances-and-the-clues-that-keep-pe-1683740875

The mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island is a personal favorite, though one can guess what happened to them.  What makes it more intriguing is what the colonists left behind, scrawled on trees.

Not to be outdone, Cracked.com offers several intriguing mysteries of their own.  First up, 5 Creepiest Disappearances:

http://www.cracked.com/article_19765_the-5-creepiest-disappearances-that-nobody-can-explain.html

The one I find most intriguing is Jean Spangler (#3) and her ties to, of all people, Kirk Douglas!

Next up, 5 Creepy Unsolved Disappearances That Nobody Can Explain (although the article has almost the very same title as the one above, it is a different):

http://www.cracked.com/article_21624_5-creepy-unsolved-disappearances-that-nobody-can-explain.html

Next, 5 Creepiest Unsolved Crimes Nobody Can Explain:

http://www.cracked.com/article_18459_the-5-creepiest-unsolved-crimes-nobody-can-explain.html

Check out #1, The Lead Masks Case.  While I suspect that the capsules eaten were indeed poison, the rest of the case is just so damn bizarre.

Finally, 6 People Who Just Fucking Disappeared:

http://www.cracked.com/article_16501_6-people-who-just-fucking-disappeared.html

If all those links don’t give you goosebumps, I don’t know what will!

Movies

John Wick (2014) a (mildly) belated review

When John Wick was released last year, I was really intrigued.  The critics were for the most part warm to the film, noting it featured terrific stunts and a driving, hard edged plot.

Sounded like my cup of tea!

Though I tried hard to catch the film in theaters, my free time remains very tight and there simply was no chance to catch it.  The inevitable wait followed as the film left theaters and, eventually, made it to home video.  Yesterday, finally, I got a chance to see it.

And for the most part, I wasn’t disappointed.

John Wick is indeed a hard charging, lean and mean action film.  The plot is incredibly simple: John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is an ex-assassin and general bad-ass who left behind his life of crime for the love of his life.  Unfortunately, his wife succumbed to one of those trademark Love Story-type movie diseases that kill you slowly yet leave you looking absolutely beautiful.  In anticipation of her eventual death, Mrs. Wick has a puppy delivered to her husband after her passing.  The puppy punctures Wick’s sadness (and possible suicidal feelings following his wife’s death) and gives him a small amount of joy in a dark time.

Unfortunately, while out to get gas for his screamin’ 69 Mustang (oh the troubles that might have been avoided had Mr. Wick opted for a Prius!), the car catches the eyes of a trio of unsavory Russian mobster types.  They approach Wick and ask him how much he wants for the vehicle.  He tells them he isn’t selling it.  The leader of the group, unaccustomed to not getting his way, then says something profane in Russian and Wick surprises the man by responding in kind…in Russian.

Later that night, Wick’s house is broken into and Wick is beaten and his puppy killed.  This is done to rob him of his Mustang.

As the saying goes, these guys messed with the wrong man.  What follows is Wick’s journey back into his old environs where he takes revenge on the man (and, eventually father of the man and his one-time boss) who robbed him of his car and killed his puppy.

The best thing about John Wick is that the movie doesn’t waste time.  As mentioned before, this film is a lean machine, propelled from one set piece to another with almost no filler.  The action sequences are for the most part terrific, with my personal favorite perhaps being the confrontation between Wick and Ms. Perkins (Adrianne Palicki), a very adept femme fatale assassin.

The film builds on and on, reaching its climax and conclusion and leaving at least me hoping to see more (word is, a sequel will be made).

Having said all those positive things, the movie does have a couple of problems that, frankly, irritated me.

First up, it seems awfully coincidental and hard to believe the people who initially assaulted John Wick so soon after his wife’s funeral happen to be related to the man Wick worked for up until his retirement…and neither knew the other!  In terms of coincidences, that’s a pretty big one to swallow.

My second issue is with the fate of the already mentioned Ms. Perkins.  Without giving too much away, I thought the filmmakers missed out with her character.  She deserved far better than the fate given within the film.  At the very least, there should have been a re-match, right?  If not in this movie, then perhaps in the sequel?

Anyway, apart from these two issues, I thoroughly enjoyed John Wick.  No, the film isn’t Citizen Kane or The Godfather.  No, it won’t scare away any other Oscar contenders, but it is a pure escapist action/adventure film that delivers on the goods.  Recommended.

Movies

Silent Movie (1976) a (incredibly) belated review

I have a great deal of fondness for the works of writer/director/actor Mel Brooks.  Many of them, anyway.

I loved the original movie version of The Producers (1967) and found myself roaring with laughter at the scheming of Zero Mostel’s Max Bialystock and the nebbish performance of Gene Wilder.  Seven years later in 1974, Mr. Brooks co-wrote and directed not one but two absolutely fantastic comedies: Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles.  Just those three films alone raise Mr. Brooks -in my humble opinion- to the upper echelons of movie producing comics, even as I have to admit to not being a big fan of the works he did afterwards.

Mind you, I haven’t see them all.  I saw both History of the World Part 1 (1981) and Spaceballs (1987) and thought they were decent comedies with some inspired bits but weren’t quite on the level of those earlier works.  Of the films he made that remain, I’ve heard enough bad things about Life Stinks, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and Dracula Dead and Loving It to know these are probably not for me.  If I catch ’em, fine, but if I don’t…

Which leaves the two “in between” films (not counting The Twelve Chairs) that were released between Mr. Brooks’ peak and his later works.  I’m referring to Silent Movie (1976) and his parody of Alfred Hitchcock films, High Anxiety (1977).  I saw bits and pieces of both films but never quite got to see the whole thing.  So when TCM offered a block of Mel Brooks films a couple of weeks ago and those two films were part of it, I set the DVR to record.  Thus far, I’ve seen Silent Movie aaaaannnnnndddd…

…it wasn’t my cup of tea.

Mind you, there were some very clever jokes scattered here and there, but overall this film, a homage to the silent comedies of yesterday, fell very flat.

Silent Movie is a silent movie about making a silent movie.  Mel Brooks, in his first actual starring role in one of his films, plays Mel Funn, a washed up director who had an alcohol problem but has cleaned up his act and now, with his companions Marty Eggs (Marty Feldman) and Dom Bell (Dom DeLouise) at his side, wants to make a comeback with a (you guessed it) silent movie.

His first step is to convince the head of the movie studio (Sid Ceasar) to go along with his scheme.  Naturally, this being 1976 and the last silent film was released an awful long time ago, the Studio Chief is completely against the idea.  However, things are tough for the studio and there is a threat they might be taken over by a large conglomorate.  After Funn promises to get a bunch of A-List actors to appear in his movie, which may help it be a success, the Studio Chief accepts and we’re off to find the stars.

What follows is the bulk of the film, where our three leads bump into several at that time very big name stars, including Burt Reynolds, James Caan, Liza Minnelli, Marcel Marceau, Anne Bancroft, and Paul Newman.  Each star has a humorous encounter with our leads but, frankly, other than a very clever gag involving Marcel Marceau and a more energetic meeting involving Paul Newman, I found the whole thing rather flat.

Perhaps part of the fault lies in the passage of time.  Sometimes comedy (and action) is like that.  While there are many delightful and hilarious comedies from the silent era, there are others that show their age.  In the case of Silent Movie, this now nearly forty year old film simply doesn’t work for me.  I found the slapstick lacking and the star appearances, which I’m certain at the time were incredible to see, today don’t have quite the same resonance.

On the plus side and as mentioned before, there are some very clever jokes, particularly the one involving famous mime Marcel Marceau.  I also like the meta nature of the film, where Mr. Brooks plays a man who is trying hard to make a silent film, something I’m certain must have been hard to convince the studios to allow him to do despite his previous successes.  And how best to sell your silent movie than by having a bunch of stars show up in it?

Despite this, the film just didn’t do all that much for me and I can’t recommend you go see this Silent Movie.

Movies

Disney Takes Action Against Leaker…

Interesting article from io9.com:

http://io9.com/disney-takes-action-against-a-possible-star-wars-vii-le-1683436351

I can’t help but think about the changes that have come to the entertainment industry since the arrival of the internet.

For music, the effects have been pretty devastating.  Pirate copies of songs are all over the place (should you be so inclined to find them) and what was once a staple of malls, the music store, is long gone.

For reading material, a similar thing is happening.  With computers and tablets and smartphones, we now have more and more people reading books/newspapers through their personal devices.  Piracy is a threat, again.

With movies, we have essentially eliminated the video store (Blockbuster, R.I.P.).  But a bigger problem is the fact that it takes a while to make movies and, again because of the proliferation of tablets/smartphones/etc. leaks are becoming far too prevalent.  Spoilers regarding storylines or guest stars are becoming an issue to the point where there seems to be no movie released that you don’t have at least some idea of what’s going on, if not the entire plot.  Screenplay leaks are particularly damaging, but so too are sequences filmed by passerbys who witness something being made.

I pointed out before how I first learned about films like Escape From New York and Robocop (the original) by seeing their posters at a movie theater.  These films were literally a week or so from being released and that was the very first I ever heard of either!  I’m sure there were articles regarding the features released beforehand, but back in those pre-internet days, unless you actually had the articles/magazines, you didn’t know about the features until you either saw the previews or the posters.

Hell, I recall going in to see Raiders of the Lost Ark when it was first released back in 1981.  At that time, I lived outside the USA and when I traveled back and noted there was a new film by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg released, a film I had seen absolutely no commercials and knew nothing about, given the talents behind it I assumed it had to be a cosmic saga, perhaps a mash up of Star Wars and Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind.  Boy was I surprised when the film’s opening crawl noted it took place in the 1930’s!

This kind of cinematic surprise is practically unknown today.  Getting the word out on your film can be a good thing, but at what point does it become too much spoiler information?

And more importantly, is there anything we can do about it?

I doubt it.  We’re in the rapid information age and every one of us quite literally has the world at our fingertips, for better or worse.