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Mario Gauci · 09-26-2006, 06:44 AM

Yippee!! The Prodigal Son Returns

! Welcome back, Michael...at least I hope you're back for good

!

"Black Dahlia, The (2006)

My girlfriend and I just got back from seeing the film and we both enjoyed it. I left the theater somewhat disappointed because I had hoped this would return DePalma to his top-notch style, which it doesn't but this was still a good film. The visual style of the film was brilliant and it really captured the look and feel of the 1940's film noir. The tricky camera shots were really distracting at the start of the film but they weren't used too much after that. It does seem DePalma spends more time dealing with the tech stuff over the acting, which is another mild negative. I thought Eckhart and Hartnett should have switched roles. Hartnett was good but he just wasn't strong enough to carry the film and his narration wasn't that good either. I was also disappointed with Scarlett Johansson but she wasn't given too much to do. Hilary Swank was good as usual.

I know the detective stuff and the "ending" to the murder was all made up but I think they could have came up with something better. The final thirty minutes get quite confusing and the ending let me down because it was just so far fetched at times while at other times it seems the screenplay as rushing things to get the film over with. Being a fan of silent cinema, I enjoyed various Hollywood talk but I'm sure fans on one silent legend will be upset over how this guy is shown in the film. I haven't read the book this fake stuff is based on but The Man Who Laughs segments were a nice touch (but pulled towards the 'yeah right')."

I have to admit to having a big crush on Scarlett Johnansson ever since I saw her up close on several occasions (most of which I had no business being there

!) during the 11-day period in which the 61st Venice Film Festival was held in September 2004. So, I'll be going for sure to the local movie house for the first time in months to watch this one this coming Saturday!

Besides, I admire Brian De Palma's work although, frankly, I haven't watched that many of his latter-day movies - excepting FEMME FATALE (2002) which I enjoyed...but not because of De Palma's trademark camera pyrotechnics

! Also, I'm an avid film noir enthusiast and, even if I don't think its unique ambience has been recaptured recently - except for L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (1997) which surprisingly impressed me - it'll be interesting to see what De Palma does with it. Now you're telling me that it features a behind-the-scenes look at one of the best Silents I've ever watched, THE MAN WHO LAUGHS (1928)? I'm queuing up for my ticket already

!

But, please, couldn't they have come up with a better leading man than Josh Hartnett? God only knows what Scarlett sees in him in real-life but, personally, he strikes me as looking even more irritatingly immature than Matt Damon does! Fast-talking, hard-boiled, world-weary detective my eye!

"Jess Franco's Passions (2005)

Director Jess Franco returns to hardcore in this someone erotic but overly long film. A woman, recently dumped by her lesbian lover, spies on her two neighbors, lesbians of course, as they carry out various sexual acts. There's really no story to speak of here but instead we're treated to countless sexual acts. Some of these are erotic but for the most part the film goes on way too long and, as usual, things get pretty boring. The cinematography wasn't too bad and the jazz score by Franco and Daniel White was very good."

You should have watched this with your girlfriend, then

?

"Caligula 2: The Untold Story (1982)

Another notorious film from director Joe D'Amato, this one a cheap rip off of Caligula, although this one is actually a lot better. I watched the uncut, hardcore 125-minute version and this here featured over thirty minutes worth of additional scenes that aren't in the R-rated American cut. All of these scenes are dialogue driven stuff but this here actually slows the film down a lot. There's also a 20+ minute Roman orgy, which is where this film gets its notorious label. Everything from midgets to horses is on display here but this too slows down the action. The cast, including D'Amato regular Laura Gemser, is pretty good as are the sets and costume design. I doubt I'll bother tracking down any of the alternate versions but my guess is that they'd be a bit more entertaining than this longer cut."

I've watched my fair share of (bowdlerized) Joe D'Amato/Laura Gemser combos of late but, somehow, they never screen this one on late-night Italian TV. Now I know why...

!

"Monster on the Campus (1958)

Entertaining Universal Sci-Fi about a college scientist who turns into a monster after his blood is mixed with that of a prehistoric fish. I've been wanting to see this for quite some time but never got around to buying the VHS since it was released just as I was jumping on the DVD format. The wait was certainly worth it even though the film isn't really anything other than your typical Jekyll and Hyde story. The film goes by at a very quick pace and the monster looks great, although it's a shame we only get to see him twice. I was somewhat shocked at the rather violent third death scene. The film also contains one of the dumbest girlfriends in sci-fi history."

This here is one Sci-Fi film I've been dying to see for the past 25 years! Not because it enjoys a particularly outstanding reputation (it doesn't) but because I missed out on its sole late-night (too late for a 6 year old kid) screening on Italian TV...after having enthusiastically cut a still from it from that week's Italian TV magazine and pasted it onto my scrapbook

! And, irony of ironies, now that it's finally been made available on DVD allowing one to watch it any old time he likes, I'm excluded from this opportunity for being a foreigner and this set is a "Best Buy" exclusive

! Bleeech...

"Mole People, The (1956)

Here's another Universal flick I've been meaning to see for quite some time but this one here turned out to be pretty bad. Bad "B" movie King John Agar leads a group of scientists to the Earth's core where they discover a group of evil albino men and a good group of mole people. Whoever's idea it was to have the mole people as good guys should have been shot. The entire story is rather boring and the director doesn't bring any life to the film. The opening segment is rather boring and gets the viewer sleepy before the actual film even starts. The terrific look of the mole people is the only real highlight outside seeing Hugh Beaumont."

Again, I only know this movie from a poster still in one of my father's old film magazines but, the fact that it's generally considered to be the worst Universal Sci-Fi flick, is enough to set the undersigned's heart a-pumpin'...

!

09-26-2006, 06:44 AM	#1502 of 2071
Mario Gauci Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Local Time: 05:58 AM Local Date: 12-02-2008 Posts: 1,608	Re: Track the Films You Watch (2006) Yippee!! The Prodigal Son Returns! Welcome back, Michael...at least I hope you're back for good! "Black Dahlia, The (2006) My girlfriend and I just got back from seeing the film and we both enjoyed it. I left the theater somewhat disappointed because I had hoped this would return DePalma to his top-notch style, which it doesn't but this was still a good film. The visual style of the film was brilliant and it really captured the look and feel of the 1940's film noir. The tricky camera shots were really distracting at the start of the film but they weren't used too much after that. It does seem DePalma spends more time dealing with the tech stuff over the acting, which is another mild negative. I thought Eckhart and Hartnett should have switched roles. Hartnett was good but he just wasn't strong enough to carry the film and his narration wasn't that good either. I was also disappointed with Scarlett Johansson but she wasn't given too much to do. Hilary Swank was good as usual. I know the detective stuff and the "ending" to the murder was all made up but I think they could have came up with something better. The final thirty minutes get quite confusing and the ending let me down because it was just so far fetched at times while at other times it seems the screenplay as rushing things to get the film over with. Being a fan of silent cinema, I enjoyed various Hollywood talk but I'm sure fans on one silent legend will be upset over how this guy is shown in the film. I haven't read the book this fake stuff is based on but The Man Who Laughs segments were a nice touch (but pulled towards the 'yeah right')." I have to admit to having a big crush on Scarlett Johnansson ever since I saw her up close on several occasions (most of which I had no business being there!) during the 11-day period in which the 61st Venice Film Festival was held in September 2004. So, I'll be going for sure to the local movie house for the first time in months to watch this one this coming Saturday! Besides, I admire Brian De Palma's work although, frankly, I haven't watched that many of his latter-day movies - excepting FEMME FATALE (2002) which I enjoyed...but not because of De Palma's trademark camera pyrotechnics! Also, I'm an avid film noir enthusiast and, even if I don't think its unique ambience has been recaptured recently - except for L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (1997) which surprisingly impressed me - it'll be interesting to see what De Palma does with it. Now you're telling me that it features a behind-the-scenes look at one of the best Silents I've ever watched, THE MAN WHO LAUGHS (1928)? I'm queuing up for my ticket already! But, please, couldn't they have come up with a better leading man than Josh Hartnett? God only knows what Scarlett sees in him in real-life but, personally, he strikes me as looking even more irritatingly immature than Matt Damon does! Fast-talking, hard-boiled, world-weary detective my eye! "Jess Franco's Passions (2005) Director Jess Franco returns to hardcore in this someone erotic but overly long film. A woman, recently dumped by her lesbian lover, spies on her two neighbors, lesbians of course, as they carry out various sexual acts. There's really no story to speak of here but instead we're treated to countless sexual acts. Some of these are erotic but for the most part the film goes on way too long and, as usual, things get pretty boring. The cinematography wasn't too bad and the jazz score by Franco and Daniel White was very good." You should have watched this with your girlfriend, then? "Caligula 2: The Untold Story (1982) Another notorious film from director Joe D'Amato, this one a cheap rip off of Caligula, although this one is actually a lot better. I watched the uncut, hardcore 125-minute version and this here featured over thirty minutes worth of additional scenes that aren't in the R-rated American cut. All of these scenes are dialogue driven stuff but this here actually slows the film down a lot. There's also a 20+ minute Roman orgy, which is where this film gets its notorious label. Everything from midgets to horses is on display here but this too slows down the action. The cast, including D'Amato regular Laura Gemser, is pretty good as are the sets and costume design. I doubt I'll bother tracking down any of the alternate versions but my guess is that they'd be a bit more entertaining than this longer cut." I've watched my fair share of (bowdlerized) Joe D'Amato/Laura Gemser combos of late but, somehow, they never screen this one on late-night Italian TV. Now I know why...! "Monster on the Campus (1958) Entertaining Universal Sci-Fi about a college scientist who turns into a monster after his blood is mixed with that of a prehistoric fish. I've been wanting to see this for quite some time but never got around to buying the VHS since it was released just as I was jumping on the DVD format. The wait was certainly worth it even though the film isn't really anything other than your typical Jekyll and Hyde story. The film goes by at a very quick pace and the monster looks great, although it's a shame we only get to see him twice. I was somewhat shocked at the rather violent third death scene. The film also contains one of the dumbest girlfriends in sci-fi history." This here is one Sci-Fi film I've been dying to see for the past 25 years! Not because it enjoys a particularly outstanding reputation (it doesn't) but because I missed out on its sole late-night (too late for a 6 year old kid) screening on Italian TV...after having enthusiastically cut a still from it from that week's Italian TV magazine and pasted it onto my scrapbook! And, irony of ironies, now that it's finally been made available on DVD allowing one to watch it any old time he likes, I'm excluded from this opportunity for being a foreigner and this set is a "Best Buy" exclusive! Bleeech... "Mole People, The (1956) Here's another Universal flick I've been meaning to see for quite some time but this one here turned out to be pretty bad. Bad "B" movie King John Agar leads a group of scientists to the Earth's core where they discover a group of evil albino men and a good group of mole people. Whoever's idea it was to have the mole people as good guys should have been shot. The entire story is rather boring and the director doesn't bring any life to the film. The opening segment is rather boring and gets the viewer sleepy before the actual film even starts. The terrific look of the mole people is the only real highlight outside seeing Hugh Beaumont." Again, I only know this movie from a poster still in one of my father's old film magazines but, the fact that it's generally considered to be the worst Universal Sci-Fi flick, is enough to set the undersigned's heart a-pumpin'...! IMDB Reviews Last edited by Mario Gauci : 09-26-2006 at 07:57 AM.