Cinema - Reviews by Twistin

Cinema - Reviews by Twistin

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Member	Item		Review/Comment
Twistin 19th Dec 2020		Cinema Lower Learning (2008) (2008)	Rated 3/10 I really have little to say about this low-brow comedy. If your idea of funny cinema is the Police Academy series, this might be up your alley. There's actually some decent performances (and some bad ones, as well), but most of the cast have little more to do than swear and recite shocking lines in front of elementary school children. At other times you're supposed to laugh at the fat kid farting, or kids in the schoolyard playing "drive-by" while speaking gangsta slang. Or a second grader convinced she is pregnant. (sigh) Some gags in the film work, but most get a failing grade. The budget for Lower Learning was a paltry 2 million; it only played in a single theater (and a single showing!) which pulled in almost $3,000. I suppose I should end with a punchline like Lower Earning or something to that effect. Then I'd have all the skills needed to write rubbish like this film. 6 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 17th Dec 2020		Cinema Sink Hole (Sinkhole) (2013) (2013)	Rated 3/10 Rookie film-making 101. I was sure this was gonna be one of those SyFy / Asylum mockbusters that can be entertaining even in their weakest hours. Sink Hole doesn't even rise to that level. It's not terrible in a "I can't even endure this" way, just boring fare with a soap opera tempo and characters you don't give a damn about. The script is possibly the weakest link (along with the director) and was probably penned under the title "Plot Hole" (take your pick from many...they should have sent in the rescue team to find them!) And don't even get me started on the junk science that seems to be the root cause of every modern disaster movie. The ending is a spectacle of stupid, so expect that should you dare to venture into this dangerous territory. I would recommend watching the trailer before making that journey, it may even be worse than the film itself. If you have the DVD, you get a nice cover graphic that is leaps and bounds more interesting than the film itself. In conclusion, the lack of suspense, logic, and viewer involvement with anything going on results in zero fun factor for this snooze-fest. 6 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 17th Dec 2020		Cinema ...And God Spoke (The Making Of '...And God Spoke') (1993) (1993)	Rated 9/10 One of the most outrageously funny satires ever, despite its total obscurity. A This Is Spinal Tap for the film industry, if you will, although on a shoe-string indie budget with little star power. Two thoroughly incompetent hack wannabe filmmakers decide to make a new religious epic along the lines of The Ten Commandments, an unfashionable task in itself in the 90's. Nice cameos from the Brady Bunch's Eve Plumb as herself (even though the director and producer continue to mistakenly call her Jan) and Soupy Sales, who is cast to play Moses in one of the film's best bits which I won't give away. Some friends of mine who work in the film industry were genuinely offended by this film, which I don't understand. The only way you could be bothered by this film's depiction of the filmmaking process is if it hits too close to home. 7 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 17th Dec 2020		Cinema Roller Boogie (1979) (1979)	Rated 7/10 I've often wondered how the fall of Communism in the USSR really came about, having read a number of accountings which differ greatly. Me personally, I'd like to think a copy of Roller Boogie leaked into the red zone. After seeing that opening sequence, those people KNEW they had to have freedom if they were ever going to enjoy life the way the USA did on that jaunt down the Venice Beach Walk. It wasn't going to happen by disarmament but disco. Several years later, well, you know how this story ended. All the suggestions about the late 70s and L.A. being a shallow nest of superficial excess can be put to rest. Like the kid's t-shirt says, Heaven. Deep stuff here. And completely ignored by the Academy. 5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 9th Dec 2020		Cinema The Day The World Ended (2001) (2001)	Rated 6/10 Simple, old-school (ish) little horror/sci-fi TV movie (from HBO's Creature Features series) that claims to be a remake of the cheesy 1955 Roger Corman flick -- which was also co-produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff -- but it's not really a remake, just an allusion. Critics of the film have whimpered about the cheap fx, but it's better than the lousy CG in most every budget genre film these days, so for me it was actually an upgrade. I docked the film a star simply because I found Nastassja Kinski's character so annoying and presumptious. If you're a fussy eater when it comes to this genre or of b-movies in general, then you'll surely be disappointed. Me, I like the whole small town breeds scary secrets formula and as long as that is delivered competently, I win. 7 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 11th Oct 2020		Cinema I Married A Witch (1942) (1942)	Rated 8/10 Cute 'n' cuddly comedy that provided the inspiration for the TV series "Bewitched" more than two decades later. Veronica Lake is just gorgeous and her comic timing is also a treat. Snuggle up with this one & Arsenic and Old Lace while waiting for Halloween night to arrive. 7 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 8th Oct 2020		Cinema Bucktown (1975) (1975)	Rated 9/10 What's not to love about this under-appreciated genre classic? It's from AIP, Fred Williamson and Pam Grier top the cast in full campy glory, Thalamus Rasulala shines as the corrupt Chicago heavy, and wonderful support roles from Bernie Hamilton, Tierre Turner and Art Lund. Carl (Rocky) Weathers is also on hand as a thug, along with the charismatically sinister Tony King, and Jim Bohan ("Phantom of the Paradise" and "American Graffiti" bit player) as one of the evil honky bullies. Johnny Pate's soundtrack is also a bonus. Probably my fav blaxploitation flick. 8 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 8th Oct 2020		Cinema It's Alive! (1969) (1969)	Rated 1/10 So bad, it hurts. While watching this, I kept trying to excuse the amateurish attempt at filmmaking because every director has to start somewhere, but Larry Buchanan had previously directed nineteen films! Just wait until you feast your eyes on the monster. If you watch expecting a horror film, well, just don't do that. If you watch to see how terrible a film can be, you may even find a way to love this assault on the very concept of competence. Even American International didn't expect audiences to actually pay to see this, dumping it straight into their TV package. 6 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 8th Oct 2020		Cinema Paradise Lost: The Child Murders At Robin Hood Hills (1996) (1996)	Review Disturbing in so many ways. Probably a better film than my grade suggests, but it just sickened me and I couldn't enjoy it, nor be entertained. 5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 12th Sep 2020		Cinema Our Russian Front (1942) (1942)	Rated 6/10 Yet another White House-ordered propaganda film created to appease Americans who were at odds with the USA allying with the USSR. Again, FDR's favorite actor Walter Huston steps up to the microphone to help with the sales pitch. Our Russian Front (what a title!) didn't create the controversy that the major studio productions did, even though it's the same message, cobbling together a bunch of Soviet-shot battle footage. Perhaps not as funny as the 'Duck and Cover'-era propaganda, but every bit as entertaining, assuming you have any historical knowledge to balance against the fictionalized accountings of these films. 5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 12th Sep 2020		Cinema Parrish (1961) (1961)	Rated 8/10 Excessive melodrama, but I loved it anyway. Everyone looks great and Karl Malden, in particular, turns in a fevered performance as the unrelenting, hard-driving tobacco baron. Claudette Colbert's return to the big screen is also her last feature film -- and she is in top form, as well. 5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 12th Sep 2020		Cinema Revolver (2005)	Rated 4/10 Imagine how amazing it would be for moviegoers of, say the 1970's, to see such a slick, technolgically whiplash-inducing film as Revolver, then marvel at the heap of contempt such an effort ultimately generated. The bells and whistles that over-populate director Guy Ritchie's fifth film are simply not enough to carry it past the finish line. Pretentious, comic-book level philosophy beats the viewer over the head amidst a cascade of edgy editing (the first cut of the elevator scene took a MONTH to edit, then several months more work before settling on the version used in the final cut...sheesh!) The cinematography and lighting -- while precision perfect -- add yet more pompous embellishment. Ironically, the dogma Revolver seems to be lecturing to the audience is precisely what drags the film into its own lucid quagmire. I almost bought into it. I was hoping for something fresh and original, but the more I watched, the more polish chipped away and revealed the shoddy foundation underneath. Allusions (or obstacles) to other cinema auteurs (Lynch, Tarantino, Bergman...to name a few) are painfully within arm's reach throughout. Most viewers love or hate Revolver, with few riding the center point. The haters have great points to make, but ignore some of the film's qualities. It's not the total catastrophe some may lead you to believe; it begins with the pace of a caper film, a good mystery lurks about, and some of the performances are often compelling. Those characteristics wither, however, and the more light is shed on them, the weaker they get. For added fun, watch the extended / deleted scenes on the DVD for more signs of an already problematic production. Disciples of Revolver dismiss non-believers of the film's spiritual ideology by stating that it was too deep, and that old chestnut: they "didn't get it". I got it. Guy Ritchie's ego is his own worst enemy. 5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 2nd Sep 2020		Cinema Nostradamus: 2012 (2009) (2009)	Rated 2/10 Nostradamus: 2012 is THE go-to documentary that details the events, historical and astronomical, leading to the great apocalypse of 2012 in which the brilliant seer's Quatrains converge science and metaphor to warn of the kismet which lie ahead. I view at it as a yearbook which dramatically returns us to that classic year predicted by many cultures, such as the Mayans. Most of this armageddon was made most clear after the discovery of Nostradamus' lost book, which serves enigmatic illustrations that, as experts inform us, symbolically details the great changes via alchemy, climate change, and planetary transformation. The scholars dance around the speculation of it all and seem confident of the worst case scenarios verified by changes we see in our world -- even incorporating Hopi, Freemason and Christian elements, throwing everything at the wall for a united verification of the urgent, certain doom. Speaking of religion, the concluding moments feature carefully worded political proposals that Nostradamus was actually warning us -- a wake-up call, if you will -- of what will happen if we don't make changes that affect our climate, financial institutions, global interactions, etc. One expert goes on to suggest the possibility of 2012 being the year in which "the United States transforms itself", since the USA is, of course, the cause of the 2012 cataclysm. Famine and mass extinction seem(ed) to be a certainty, and it never looked more clinically polished than when viewed through the spectrum of Nostradamus' prophecies. A small portion of the film's 92 minutes discusses real scientific theories of our past, but not enough to leave any credibility to the overall theme. It's a silly pseudo-documentary that repeats the same (mis)information over and over and the "experts" are anything but. Never mind that no contrasting opinions are ever presented. The flimsy nature of Nostradamus' predictions are populated by reverse interpretations of past events aligned with vague passages that could be made to fit any incident. Ever heard of a future prediction of his that came true? My score is largely rewarding the film's audacity. Personally, I feel the perilous behavior of mankind in response to political and social change is more frightening than any prophecy of holocaust. Global disdain and misadventure magnified via social media would have been a far more convincing forecast of the end of the world as we know it. 6 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 20th Aug 2020		Cinema Deterrence (1999) (1999)	Rated 4/10 So dumb it's entertaining. Amateur Hour wannabe Twilight Zone treatment of nuclear catastrophe is laughable in its ham-fisted ineptitude. I picked up a copy of this forgettable quickie mainly as a reminder of how bad a screenplay can be. One for my apocalypse film shelf, but perhaps I should move it to the campy misfire shelf? 4 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 18th Aug 2020		Cinema Runaway Jury (2003) (2003)	Rated 1/10 Mercy! Hollywood really DOES do propaganda better than enemies of the state. Good propaganda commands some respect for its clever use of sound and vision to manipulate the subject at hand. Some of my favorite films belong to this category due to their creative license with reality during the WWII era. Runaway Jury left me embarrassed for the filmmakers (hell, for the film industry!) because they do the genre such a disservice. A small town community theater could make a more convincing case for any given topic, political or otherwise. The screenplay is the nucleus of the problem, beginning with changing the subject of John Grisham's original novel from a legal battle with the tobacco industry to a favorite Hollywood screed, the gun industry. The film is sold as a smart courtroom drama / thriller, but rather than impressing the viewers with facts and stats from either side to make their respective legal cases, the script bypasses all of those pesky details in favor of pure emotion. As Dustin Hoffman recites his closing arguments against the gun lobby to the jury, sentimental music stirs the heart strings valiantly, but when the defendant's legal rep, played by Bruce Davison, delivers his closing statement, the music turns dark and eerie. Charming. Then there's the technology. Gene Hackman portrays a shady jury consultant who employs a crack team of high-tech engineers using state-of-the-art surveillance gadgetry, quite a bit far-fetched in all but spy cinema. Our superhero, everyman Nick Easter (John Cusack) also possesses savvy skills in order to manipulate his way into the jury pool of his choice, and the psychological people skills necessary to swing a jury at the drop of a hat. Just some of the paper thin sketches of anything resembling plausibility. The film's final message: Manipulating juries is fine if you happen to support the noble good guys who are doing battle against dastardly, evil corporate thugs with thick Southern accents who tie girls up and put them on railroad tracks in between enabling killers to go on shooting rampages. (catches breath) And just in case you STILL miss that message, feast your eyes on Cusack and Rachel Weisz as they celebrate their victory by going to an urban playground and watching young children play (largely ethnic, naturally), gazing into each other's eyes knowing that they have protected the next generation of innocents from those money-hungry villains. Few things are as compelling as a good legal drama -- and I wanted so much for this to be just that, I really wanted to love Runaway Jury. I felt cheated and deceived into watching what appeared to be a courtroom thriller. There was little courtroom -- and those scenes had the tension of the finale in a rom-com. The majority of Runaway Jury focused on its agenda, a poison pen letter to the gun lobby. Political theater is hard enough to avoid, so having it sneak its ugly self in like a trojan horse was the last straw(man). 7 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 16th Aug 2020		Cinema Night Tide (1961) (1961)	Rated 8/10 My first time seeing this was a fullscreen, public domain copy in very poor shape. After seeing the restored widescreen version, it's like watching a different movie. Dennis Hopper is a sailor on leave who falls for a pretty and mysterious young woman who performs at a boardwalk carnival as a mermaid. It's an interesting early role for Hopper, and the complete opposite of the crazed juvenile delinquent he played the year before in Key Witness. If you're looking for the kind of horror film that the posters promise, you may be disappointed. If instead you think Val Lewton, you'll have a better understanding of the kind of independent film at hand, aided by an atmospheric delivery that major studios might have responded to by changing directors early in production. For me, it's a lost classic, albeit far from brilliant. There's some wooden acting here and there, plus the story plods along at a stoic pace. Regardless of those quibbles, it's well shot with shards of film noir illuminating the night scenes, there's a creepy-looking carnival, and early on, we're treated to some live beat jazz. 3 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 6th Aug 2020		Cinema Breach (2007)	Rated 6/10 Breach is a highly stylized representation of a short period in the life and crimes of Robert Hanssen, senior FBI agent and one of the worst traitors in U.S. intelligence history. In comparison to the previously filmed treatment of the story, the 2002 TV movie Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story, that earlier film unfolded in a realistic, visually muted manner, taking the time to examine all of the characters and their motivations. It was believable and convincing because the shock of a man turning on his country and duty was not embellished for the thrill factor, nor were any of the principals exagerrated caricatures enhanced for dramatic effect. The viewers of Breach get betrayed with popcorn-movie mechanics in favor of the real story, which is less exciting. Dark, gloomy lighting pre-empts the way most rooms and locations are really lit so that it builds intensity in otherwise bland environments; sadly, the same trick is played with characters and events as opposed to the real story. In fairness, Breach only covers two months prior to Hanssen's arrest and some events are paraphrased into that narrow timeline. Further, there's the old pace issue in which producers strip away details in order to advance the story in a timely manner. That said, no attempt is made to see any part of Hanssen's personality aside from a lurid, enigmatic bad guy. An easy-to-hate villain italicized by some quirky issues that make his manner erratic and intimidating. I'm OK with conversations being invented to better sell the story and motives, but when the whole film is spit & polished for the sake of high audience score cards, it loses cred. There's a number of plot holes that also create a credibility gap, such as Hanssen's judgment, which spoil the depiction of him as a "master spy". On the other hand, there is indeed a great deal of accuracy that was scrupulously recreated, from locations such as FBI offices to involvement from the real life Eric O'Neill, who served as a consultant. It's not as if the film is a deception, just that the process overrides the real story. The cast and crew are top shelf, particularly the lens work of Tak Fujimoto (Gladiator, The Silence of the Lambs). Billy Ray, a screenwriter by trade, is skillful and proves he can helm a project (this being the second of three films he's directed.) Chris Cooper delivers his usual fine work and carries the film with adequate support from Ryan Phillippe as his colleague. Although I like Laura Linney, her performance is a bit postured, overplayed and smug, I never believed she was a high-ranking handler for the FBI. The presence of Gary Cole and Dennis Haysbert bring needed charisma to the bleak proceedings. Cooper's portrayal of Hanssen is depicted as more methodical than vulnerable, as we never learn the motivation behind his breach. Political and religious cheap shots are peppered in early on, Hanssen's faith routinely shown in a laughable extreme, and every other slight eccentricity enlarged the way a slasher film might detail the traits of its killer. Those aspects are not pronounced with the same animous in the 2002 film, which was painstakingly penned by Norman Mailer. As a piece of entertainment with some historical value, Breach pushes all the right cinematic buttons, albeit at a slower speed limit than action fans weaned on Bourne films will have the patience for. If the story fascinates you at all, I would recommend the earlier film for a more complete version of a story that needs more than two months to represent and less attention paid to pacing to make its case. 7 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 24th Jul 2020		Cinema Around The World In Eighty Days (Around The World In 80 Days ) (1956) (1956)	Rated 7/10 Around the World in Eighty Days was, no doubt, a spectacle to behold on the big screen in it's full 70mm glory. The cinematography, music, costumes, locations...everything is cultured to a perfect sheen. Then there's the cast, which includes a harvest of uncredited cameos, which also serves to enhance the six million dollar adaptation of Jules Verne's literary classic. Unfortunately, the wonderment that once enthralled movie audiences has dulled with the passage of time and technology. If you're not watching on a big screen, it all looks like just another product of a bygone era, losing all of the scope and magnitude in the translation. As for time considerations, you'll need to block out 3+ hours to view the film, which seems unnecessary when you strip away the event gimmickry, with entirely too much of the story coasting along at a decidedly non-pithy pace. And let's be honest, at least half the film is actually a late 19th century travelogue, even though most of it was indeed shot in Hollywood. As an interesting sidenote, the film was shot in just under eighty days. I have to wonder if maybe producer Michael Todd wagered money on the duration of principal photography... If you like the oldschool, grand scale adventure epics, this is the one that swept up 5 Academy Awards for 1956, including Best Picture. 5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 28th Jun 2020		Cinema Ali (2001) (2001)	Rated 2/10 Overly stylized and manipulative. Will Smith and Jon Voight are brilliant, regardless of the film's heavy-handed, melodramatic indulgences and superfluity. 3 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 19th Jun 2020		Cinema Trapped Ashes (2006) (2006)	Rated 4/10 Anthology film with an impressive pick of directors, but Amicus this ain't. Supposedly a paean to "Tales from the Crypt", "Creepshow", etc., but don't be pulled into watching this mess expecting any resemblance to those oldschool classics. The biggest problem is Dennis Bartok, who wrote and produced this dismal affair. Monte Hellman's contribution (Stanley's Girlfriend) is the only respectable segment but it's not scary or even horror material. Despite that, this flick is utter tosh. 3 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 18th May 2020		Cinema Mondo Daytona (1968) (1968)	Rated 6/10 A primitive relic of it's time that is not without its charms. Some quick interviews with 1968 teens on the beach intercut with musical performances: Billy Joe Royal performs "Down in the Boondocks" (a great music video-style sequence), "These Are Not My People", and "Hush" and features pre-Paul Revere & the Raiders' Freddy Weller on guitar (!) The Swinging Medallions deliver their hit "Double Shot of My Baby's Love" (an alternate version with sanitized lyrics!) and "She Drives Me Out of My Mind"...interesting band featuring two singers who cannot stay out of each other's faces. The Tams, a Southern beach music staple, render their hit "What Kind of Fool", as well as "Laugh It Off". Color commentary on the beach goings-on is voiced-over by Billy Joe Royal himself. Two years later, Florida bargain-basement director Barry Mahon dusted off the retired print and tacked on a new title & psychedelic opening credits sequence for seven minutes set to Grand Funk Railroad's "Paranoid", a lifetime supply of heavily distorted drug fuzz. Later, the band performs some more songs, dropped in clumsily in the middle of the film, setup on a stage playing to the camera, then again at the closing. It's amazing to see the difference in teen music culture over a mere two years. But the true clash is that Mahon didn't seem to understand that the older film was populated with AM pop music, which was in stark contrast to the underground FM rock in his new footage. But we know he didn't care. The idea was to make money from this new film he'd shot and he took the simplest path to making it appear to be a new feature length production. How does this Frankenstein patch-up job hold up well into the new millennium? I found it to be a likable enough bit of curio that has plenty to scoff at, but still has some merit as a time capsule. The Grand Funk footage made me laugh a lot and surprisingly, most of the 1968 music performances were pretty decent all things considered. For something so obscure and off the beaten path, the print is in pretty darn good condition. If you liked the teen culture from these two eras, I would definitely recommend seeing this, if you can find it. 6 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 17th May 2020		Cinema Завтрак на траве (1979) (1979)	Rated 7/10 In 1979, American teens were cruisin', listening to Southern rock or disco, and in the summertime, they might volunteer and be a counselor at a summer camp. Завтрак на траве is one in a long line of Soviet television films that take place in their Pioneer camps. The genre consists of mostly wholesome stuff, and despite the limited pool of possibilities, somehow manages to captivate the viewer with its unguarded innocence and a commitment to the spirit of bonding. During this era, American teens at camp were slightly different, having replaced campfire sing-alongs with playing naughty games after the tykes are sent to bed. The bad American teens fooled around, which resulted in them being violently slashed in American summer camp cinema. This slaughter of adolescence eventually found its way into nearly all holidays populated by hormonal youth. There's none of that carnage here under the logical guidance of counselor Ivan Kovalev. Yes, there are songs. Yes, there's romancin'. And yeah, there's joy. Come on along for the ride. It works as kitsch, so rear-project this behind your acid folk band and you're good to go. And no doubt, there's probably a bunch of ex-Pioneers that will have a nostalgic blast reliving those simpler days. About a decade or so later, these values got traded in for living on the streets and huffing cleaning solutions. Have a nice day. 7 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 16th May 2020		Cinema Tom Holland's Twisted Tales (Twisted Tales) (2014) (2014)	Rated 1/10 Unbearably contrived anthology that is so bloated with bad acting and poor writing, you'll be yelling at the screen and checking the clock throughout the film's extended duration. Director / producer / writer Tom Holland has some notable films credited to him, but this production has eliminated any respect he may have earned in the horror genre. Most films have deleted scenes, which director commentary tracks point out, are cut to advance the story. The opposite is true here, with each scene dragged on and on and on for no purpose whatsoever except to fill up screen time -- which is only one of the film's countless issues. My one-star rating is unusually generous. Waste two and a half hours of your life at your own peril. 6 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 15th May 2020		Cinema The Apple (1980) (1980)	Rated 3/10 As you watch the opening song performed in concert, your first thought is that it's so over-the-top, no real pop fans would ever accept something so fake and convoluted. Then you remember hair metal, emo, glitter, Eurovision, death metal, the 80s, disco, crabcore! Yes, it's like totally possible. According to this futuristic fantasy, the music was supposed to be disco. Meaning, first and foremost, that the writers believed disco would survive well into the sci-fi future, albeit as "nah-stal-ja!", once mixed with the silly New York 'Fame' thing which thankfully only lasted a few weeks. That short-sighted factor should tell you plenty about what's upcoming. It seems the biggest influences here were The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Phantom of the Paradise, and Grease, if you can imagine, at least as far as musical production goes. Not that its derivative being can compete with those three films. It's bad. Colossal bad. The songs are poor, the choreography is bland, and the whole affair is unfocused. What, you think this was all tongue-in-cheek and a satire? In 1980? A spoonful of sugar... I would recommend seeing the film if only to witness the song about America (Speed?) because you really will not believe your ears, one of the worst vocal performances in history without a doubt! Of course any piece of incompetent trash is prime target for cult status by proxy. Because of that, The Apple will manage to live forever, at some point gaining actual notoriety and respect. Until that happens, the truth of the matter is that it's just a bad film, no more, no less. 6 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 9th May 2020		Cinema I Saw The Light (2016) (2016)	Rated 4/10 Glossy art-house film that attempts to take a fresh new approach to Hank Williams' biography. Problem is, nobody has ever seemed interested in making a true, detailed biopic of Williams' life to begin with. What hurts I Saw the Light the most is that the production design, the cinematography, the mood -- they're all meticulously (and strategically) rendered as neo-noir, more conducive to a film like L.A. Confidential than any type of music bio narrative. Even an obituary would be more uptempo than Marc Abraham's gloomy vision. Mind you, it's technically bulletproof, but the dark imagery and syrupy lens work would be more at home in a solemn French drama or a slasher film. Completely absent from anything resembling joy, Hank's life is represented as a disturbed state of internal anguish, personal demons and drunken incidents. Not only is his life dragged down into this chasm, but the entire era appears cold, isolated and depressing. You never get the impression that the true story is on display, rather interpreted as tortured declination. I Saw the Light only sees the light as Hank's death, opting to exhibit a disintegrating map that leads to that epilogue. A typical bio-pic will load you up with the highlights of one's life before getting to the descent. A number of events depicted in the film completely lop-off the good parts (ie, Hanks's debut at the Grand Ole Opry, leaving out Hank's becoming the first artist to receive six encores!) Filmmakers seem to only be able to focus on one dimension of Hank Williams, and this is yet another shallow, misguided venture into a troubled, yet multi-dimensional artist. 7 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 5th May 2020		Cinema Reds (1981) (1981)	Rated 9/10 A stunning piece of cinema, excepting any liberties taken in grandstanding political ideals. The cinematography is remarkable and there's quite a number of impressive performances that make the nearly 200 minutes easier to digest. Diane Keaton has never been better (or more beautiful!) and Maureen Stapleton (Oscar winner for best supporting actress) is at the top of her game. Jack Nicholson also turns in a fine performance. Despite the rugged political subtext, the heart of Reds is indeed the love story. 7 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 5th May 2020		Cinema The Chase (1966)	Rated 6/10 There's a lot of good images on the screen, much of it brought to life by a vivid cast, but there's just too much going on. Literary sources are tricky and you can't keep every side story. 2 hours and 15 minutes is just not enough to get the full story in. The Chase uses action sparsely and tries to cram in the expansive array of characters, the inhabitants of a small town in Texas whose paths interconnect after the prison escape of wrongly-convicted Bubber (Robert Redford). Much of the goings-on plays like a soap opera (although not melodrama), but none of the characters are allowed to sink in, and thus there's little emotional investment. So much talent in front of and behind the cameras, which appears to compete with the flow one might expect from an Arthur Penn film. Despite the internal flaws, it's fairly compelling, there's some great players on screen, and the cinematography is a treat. 5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 5th May 2020		Cinema Keep Off The Grass (1970) (1970)	Rated 10/10 So many great lines in this late-model Sid Davis propaganda piece about evil marijuana. Oh, but this isn't the usual Sid Davis fare, as it was shot in 1969 in the miracle of color, as well as getting hip to much groovier slang than past SD hits. As the father-son lecture unfolds with dad preparing to detail the scourge of pot, he first pours himself a stiff one, then ignites a cigarette. "It's easy for you to stand there with a cigarette in one hand and a drink in another and tell us not to blow pot." So father grabs an encyclopedia from the shelf and rationally explains some of the dangers, like "the marijuana user generally experiences an uncontrollable feeling of hilarity, quite without reason". That's a great argument. It must be true; in that Reefer Madness film, the piano player bursts into sporadic fits of laughter only seconds after having a puff without even inhaling. And anyway, pleasure and feelings of happiness are, for the most part, overrated, so why encourage such emotions? The laundry list of potential dangers, of course, also exists for alcohol, so the main charge is that smoking grass will get you high. Which is the reason -- the only reason -- anyone smokes the stuff. The fact that prolonged use may make you lose your ambition could also be said of relationships. "Every time you blow a marijuana cigarette," Tom's father adds, "you take a chance on blowing your future." We also attend a garden pot party by the pool with a bunch of glaze-eyed teens that look like extras from the set of Billy Jack. Some reckless driving while under the influence takes us to an outasite head shop, then to an artist's pad who is toking weed until his brother-in-law gets busted after buying some grass. Tom is, incidentally, impressed with how the law officers never lose their cool and are always helpful. Later, while waiting at the police station, a friendly policeman notices Tom's interest in a display about the dangers of marijuana. NARRATOR: (Tom) is out after information..."What are the facts?" he asks. Easily, with friendly informality, the officer speaks to Tom. No lecturing, no sermonizing..." And on and on and on he goes. But before you nod off, you hear him address the parallel with alcohol: NARRATOR: Maybe there is a similarity between the social drinker and the pot smoker -- yet it's not quite the same! The daily drink may not be the best thing in the world, but a man who takes a drink after his day is done has worked. He has achieved. He has coped. And he wants to relax. Not so, the teenage user. He deliberately seeks to tune-out, cop-out. He uses his grass as a mental crutch because he fears to stand on his own. He may never learn to cope with the inevitable, everyday problems of living. He may well become one of the 'left-behind generation'...And legalizing the use of marijuana is NOT the answer! We're also told of an unnamed nation that legalized marijuana, only to reverse the decision a few years later and impose the death penalty for mere possession. What?!? Interestingly, Tom leaves with a friend and they go to a far-out pot party even more explicit than what you may have seen on Dragnet. After seeing this fascinating docu-thriller, it struck me how really with-it the establishment were...especially parents and officers of the law. The potheads seemed like a real drag. Until the facts are all in, I'm personally going to Keep Off the Grass. 6 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 5th May 2020		Cinema JFK (1991) (1991)	Rated 8/10 Dizzying array of images, incomprehensible speeches and bombastic acting (and let's be honest, filmmaking) that tries unsuccessfully to spin history by twisting the truth and often, outright fabrication. Despite the comic book screenplay, it's still a fantastic rollercoaster ride...just make sure you know that rides are all about illusion and fun, not reality. The best part of the whole film is sitting through Donald Sutherland's explanation to Kevin Costner of what the whole conspiracy entails. Good grief, he deserved an Oscar for memorizing (and smirking through!) all that text. 5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Twistin 3rd May 2020		Cinema Wicked, Wicked (1973) (1973)	Rated 7/10 Richard L. Bare got his start in the early 40's directing a whole bunch of those "So You..." short subjects for Warner before settling into a long career in television, most famously for the seven episodes of "The Twilight Zone" he helmed, as well as most of the run of the wacky rural sitcom, "Green Acres". In an unusual turn, one of his last pieces of work was this R-rated theatrical thriller that introduced a new visual gimmick, Duo-Vision. It's the only instance I'm aware of that an entire film was based around the split screen dual action trick, although it was used in small doses in many major films. Even the stereo soundtrack -- one of the first films in that format -- plays into the effect. Early on, I noticed similarities to Phantom of the Paradise, which was released a year & a half later. There's the split screen, the way this film's phantom hangs onto the spotlight while beaming it at the girl singer he has a crush on, the fact that the organ score for "Phantom of the Opera" is played throughout the film...and several more indications that Brian De Palma was radically inspired by Wicked, Wicked. Speaking of music, Tiffany Bolling actually sings two songs in the film. It's mostly played for high camp, which Bare openly admitted, so it's more for fun than chills, despite the lurid horror tone of the poster. Not really a great film, but at the same time, it's not too shabby and worth seeing. 6 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?

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