Track the Films You Watch (2006) - Page 5

Joe Karlosi · 01-14-2006, 04:40 AM

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First off, I certainly hope you don't mind, Joe, but I took your recommendation of Lured for myself. The film itself was enjoyable throughout. Sure, it's predictable in some spots, but I was entertained for the entire running time, which is good enough for me.

I'm glad you tried it and enjoyed it. I was attracted to it because of the cast, and thought it was entertaining.

Joe Karlosi · 01-14-2006, 04:49 AM

Earth vs the Spider (1958)

Somehow I'd missed seeing this AIP '50s monster flick, so last night I gave the new Lions Gate R1 DVD a spin (the video quality on it is excellent by the way). It's rightly considered a rip of Universal's TARANTULA, but this still turned out to be brisk and enjoyable, and a lot of cheesy fun. When a young girl and her boyfriend search for the girls' missing father, they stumble across a giant spider's cave and, naturally, the monster eventually crawls around town. Better-than-average special effects for this type of cheapie, with some surprisingly vivid shock moments and the required helping of some typical teenage 1950's rock n roll music. Gene Roth is a hoot as the doubting sheriff, and there are some shameless plugs for some of Bert I Gordon's other pictures like THE MAZING COLOSSAL MAN and ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE.

Michael Elliott · 01-14-2006, 10:28 AM

01/12/06

Gimme Some Truth (2000)

This documentary takes a look at John Lennon as he makes his “Imagine” album, which is my favorite of his. This documentary would have been terrific if you haven’t already seen Imagine John Lennon, which pretty much has all the same footage, although the songs are complete here.

Death Race 2000 (1975)

Produced by Roger Corman this is a prime example of a cult classic from the 70s. In a cross country race, drivers are given bonus points for running over anyone on the streets. The film is pure nonsense from start to finish and that’s what makes it so much fun to watch. It’s overly violent and over the top all the way through with fun performances by David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone.

X-312: Flight to Hell (1970)

Jess Franco directed adventure film about a plane that goes down in the Brazil jungles and the survivors who must battle natives, gangsters and wild animals. The political side plot is quite boring and really drags the film down but the adventure story isn’t too bad, although it drags even at only 85-minutes. The film is pretty straight forward, considering this is a Jess Franco film, which makes it a tad bit too bland for its own good. Paul Muller and Howard Vernon star.

01/13/05

John Lennon: Sweet Toronto (1969)

Another concert/document from director D.A. Pennebaker, this one looking at Lennon’s set at the Toronto Peace Festival. There’s a lot to talk about in this hour long film but Lennon’s set is decent, although I found the band to be quiet lame and that includes the playing by Lennon and Eric Clapton. I’m curious to know how many drugs were taken before jumping on stage. The stuff with Yoko Ono was absolutely horrible. Her high pitches squeals and screams grounded my nerves and nearly pushed me over the edge. The best moments happen at the start of the show when we see clips from Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry.

Grizzly Man (2005)

Werner Herzog’s latest film ranks as one of the greatest documentaries I’ve ever witness and also shows that Herzog is one of the greatest and most overlooked filmmakers out there. The documentary takes a look at the life of Timothy Treadwell, a man who for 13 years lived in the Alaskan wilderness with dangerous grizzly bears before finally being eaten alive by one. Most directors would have shown this as a Discovery channel type film or would have shown Timothy as a fun loving, animal lover but Herzog doesn’t play sides and unlike Michael Moore, that’s what makes this such a fascinating film. Herzog doesn’t shy away from the fact that Timothy was a very warm hearted guy but he also doesn’t hide that fact that this warmness comes out of some deeper issue that made this guy very dangerous to himself. There isn’t a false step anywhere in this film as Herzog asks all the right questions and gives some very insightful opinions himself. This is the type of film that Hollywood could never make with their $200 million dollar budgets. This film has more heart, soul, suspense and tears that money simply can’t buy. The amazing footage of Timothy being inches away from 10 foot bears to one scene where he cries over a fox that has been killed by a wolf. The most tragic thing, much like the characters in Herzog’s Aguirre: The Wrath of God and Fitzcarraldo, is that Timothy was eventually killed by the things he loved most. When Timothy was eventually killed it was recorded on audiotape and a morbid curiosity makes one want to hear what actually happened but Herzog made the right choice not to play the audio. We get to see Herzog listening to the tape and his facial expressions give us everything we need to know about the events. In the end this is truly a remarkable film that people should certainly seek out.

Bill McA · 01-14-2006, 10:56 AM

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Earth vs the Spider (1958)
Somehow I'd missed seeing this AIP '50s monster flick, so last night I gave the new Lions Gate R1 DVD a spin (the video quality on it is excellent by the way).

Michael Elliott · 01-14-2006, 01:53 PM

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The Lions Gate DVDs are sourced from old TV syndication videotape masters, not proper film elements.

The R2 discs aren't that hot either but they are still better than the LG releases. Three of the four titles being released by LG in April are 2.35:1 films so it looks like we'll probably get them P&S.

Joe Karlosi · 01-14-2006, 03:31 PM

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The Lions Gate DVDs are sourced from old TV syndication videotape masters, not proper film elements.

So I've read. But while Lion Gates' HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER and BLOOD OF DRACULA definitely left much to be desired in their video quality, the other LG disc I watched last night - EARTH VS THE SPIDER - looked great. If SPIDER is also from those TV video masters, it's one hell of a syndication master, and it could have fooled me.

Joe Karlosi · 01-14-2006, 03:46 PM

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Gimme Some Truth (2000)

This documentary would have been terrific if you haven’t already seen Imagine John Lennon, which pretty much has all the same footage, although the songs are complete here.

You would be mistaken here, Michael. Though it may seem to you that you recall some familiar things or parts of things from having seen IMAGINE JOHN LENNON, there is a great deal of new footage in GIMME SOME TRUTH that was new and not in the 1988 documentary. For one thing, GIMME SOME TRUTH is about 60 minutes on its own, and there is not 60 minutes worth of this footage in IMAGINE JOHN LENNON.

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John Lennon: Sweet Toronto (1969)

Another concert/document from director D.A. Pennebaker, this one looking at Lennon’s set at the Toronto Peace Festival. I’m curious to know how many drugs were taken before jumping on stage.

By Lennon's words, he was nervous as hell for this show, still not entirely used to playing apart from the other Beatles. He reportedly tossed his cookies before the performance, even. He had been into heroin in the late '60s and wrote a song talking about experiencing withdrawal from it: COLD TURKEY. He wanted it to be on the Beatles' final album, but he wound up putting it out on his own.

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The stuff with Yoko Ono was absolutely horrible. Her high pitches squeals and screams grounded my nerves and nearly pushed me over the edge.

Maybe the director should have "directed" her to stay backstage, or not to sing. After all, it was "his" movie.

Chris_Richard · 01-14-2006, 03:49 PM

Films Watched in 2006

Key
2006 Films in Red
Re-watched Films in Green
All 2005 & 2006 films are theatrical viewings unless noted
All pre-2005 are home viewings unless noted
All are OAR unless noted

Rating - a simple 4 point scale
A - Really Enjoyed
B - Enjoyed
C - Did not Like
D - Hated

Stats
004 = Films watched
004 = Films watched for first time
000 = Films re-watched
001 = 2006 Films Seen

The Films
001. 01.01 - Brokeback Mountain (2005) - A
002. 01.02 - The Last Command (1928) - A
003. 01.06 - Hostel (2006) - B
004. 01.08 - Match Point (2005) - A