Track the Films You Watch (2009) - Page 24

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Son of Sam (2008) Ulli Lommel

German director Ulli Lommel is back once again with yet another true life serial killer flick. This time out we travel to New York in 1977 when David Berkowitz (Yogi Joski) would have the entire city in terror and become known as the Son of Sam. As of me writing this Lommel had done thirteen of these films and this here is the tenth one that I've seen. Lommel has also gone outside the serial killer mode in the past few years with ZOMBIE NATION and THE TOMB but no matter which film you look out it's going to be pretty bad, which is a shame since this is the same guy who delivered the cult classic THE BOOGEY MAN. This film here is actually one of Lommel's best in years and certainly ranks higher than many films in this series but there are still way too many problems for the film to work. On a technical level the movie is a step up as it appear Lommel actually took his time to film it. Previous films were full of errors but at least those aren't here. The performances are all stale to say the least but Joski isn't too bad. The low-budget nature of the film is all over the place with the lack of any real special effects and some of the silly camera shots. If you've never seen any of these serial killer films before then you're probably going to be thinking this is an extremely poor movie. If you've seen previous ones and walk into this expecting something horrid, you might surprise yourself with a bad movie but one that's a step up from the others. The real nail in the coffin comes during all the scenes dealing with the devil worshipping and possession. These scenes are just repeated throughout the movie and they become quite tiresome after a while. Had the director stayed more focuses on the killer and his attorney things might have been even better.

Marley & Me (2008) David Frankel

The 2008 family hit has Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston playing a married couple who starts their family with the dog Marley who is with them as their life goes through many up and downs. It took me a while to get around to seeing this and even though I had heard about the ending the film really didn't lose any of its punch in any fashion. There are plenty of laughs along the way, although I would say the film is a little too dark for children. The ending is certainly very sad but the entire film was a lot better than I was expecting. The film was a lot darker than I was expecting for a "kids" film and in many ways this played out a lot like the older type of family movies that weren't just cute but also dealt with dark subjects. It seems like there's a debate on whether or not kids should view this but I'd probably say no because the movie hit me as one adults would probably enjoy more. Marley is certainly cute enough for the kids but the subjects of babies, life's journey and the various up and downs are probably going to hit home with adults. I had never read the story the movie is based on nor was I even aware of how popular it was but I still really enjoyed the movie. I think it could have been trimmed by five or ten minutes but outside of that everything works just fine. Both Wilson and Aniston are believable in their roles and really come off well as a real couple. Alan Arkin adds in some nice supporting in his small role but there's no doubt the movie belongs to the dogs playing Marley. No matter what age Marley is shown, he still the movie and makes it so adorable and cute.

Last House in the Woods, The (2006) Gabriele Albanesi

Original title: Il bosco fuori

The Italian horror film has been dead for nearly two decades now but director Albanesi tries to bring it back with this piece, which is getting mixed reviews to say the least. A woman and her boyfriend are in the woods when they are attacked by three thugs. Thankfully an elderly couple rescue them and bring them back to their house. Soon the young couple wish they had just stayed with the thugs because these elderly folks have a secret of their own. The title would make you believe this is yet another rip of THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT and while there are elements of that film the main draw here is THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE so in the end we have an Italian throwback to both of those. This is certainly exploitation 101 but without the sex and nudity, which was a little shocking. As far as the film goes there's certainly plenty of gore and violence but in the end it really didn't work for me. The low budget nature is put to good use as we get some very raw scenes but at the same time the film's third act is so over the top that you can't take any of it too serious. I'm not sure why the tone of the film changes but there are a couple extra characters thrown in, via CHAINSAW style, that just don't work. One deformed guy with some sort of thing growing on his shoulder eventually gets that thing popped and watch out. The gore is flowing throughout the final act but by that time I had grown pretty bored with the entire set up. If you want a throw back to the grindhouse days of the 70's then you'll probably want to give this a try even though the final results aren't a major winner and I doubt this kickstarts the Italian horror genre.

Closet, The (2002) Gabriele Albanesi

Original title: L'armadio

Italian short has a young boy, in bed alone, hearing noises from his closet and going into a state of panic because he doesn't know what it is. After a few minute he decides to walk over and open the door. I won't spoil what's in the closet for you but there's a nice twist that makes this seven-minute short worth viewing. Albanesi would go onto make the cult title THE LAST HOUSE IN THE WOODS and while I had problem with that film and this one, it's clear to see that the director wants to lead the viewers one way before pulling a rug out from them.

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Donkey Baseball (1935) John Waters

Early Pete Smith short takes a look at the fad that swept through the country during the 1930's (or so the film says). Donkey baseball pretty much has the title telling you what the sport is but in case you missed it, it's playing baseball while on a donkey. There are a few changes in this version as games last for 13 innings, feature forty-run games and also players must stay attached to their dear donkey at all times. I pride myself in being a somewhat smart fellow when it comes to baseball and I know a lot of its history but I must admit that I had never heard of this "alternate" version until seeing this film on Turner Classic Movies. The oddball sport is certainly something to see and I would have liked to have had a straight documentary. Being a short from Smith we have some stuff done over the top just for laughs so it was hard to tell how much was real and how much was just for laughs. Either way, it's easy to see why this sport isn't being played today.

Radio Hams (1939) Felix F Feist

Pete Smith short takes a look at radio hams, which in other words are men who work on their radios in order to save lives or pass information over the radio during times of trouble. The film takes a look at two stories. One involving two friends talking over the radio when one gets poisoned by gas to where the other one must use the radio to find someone to help him. The other story deals with a missing ship and two pilots who go out looking for it, signaling back to the wives of the men lost at sea. This is a pretty entertaining short even though it is more dramatic than most of Smith's work. A lot of his work had large doses of humor but that's pretty much gone here with the exception of the ending, which deals with a Chinese man but I won't ruin the twist for you.

Domineering Male, The (1940) Johnny Hines

Dated but funny short from Pete Smith tries to put to rest the notion that men are always the ones chasing women. This time out we meet a young woman who decides to try and "catch" her a good one but she does so by changing who she really is. In other words, she likes to drink and smoke but she puts these habits to the side to make it appear she's more of an angel. Will the guy fall for it? The dating topics in this film are certainly dated compared to today but that really doesn't take away from any of the charm. There are many funny moments throughout the film including a nice sequence where the woman's fake out is out in the open and she tries to keep the guy from seeing it. The performances are all pretty good even though they don't get to speak and special attention should be paid to Ferris Taylor who plays the girl's father.

Miracle at Lourdes (1939) Henry K. Dunn

Entry in Carey Wilson's Miniature series for MGM tells the story of a doctor and wife who are living a perfect life until one day she is struck down with a crippling disease. The doctor loses all of his faith until the two travel to a small city where it was believed a young girl saw a holy vision, which brought forth holy water. Thousands of people travel to this site hoping for a miracle, which is exactly what the doctor is looking for. This is a fairly good short, although there's really nothing here that makes it jump off the screen. The performances show some weakness and the direction never really hits the story home. The story itself is an interesting one but I wish more could have been done with it.

Through the Colorado Rockies (1943) No Director Credited

James A. FitzPatrick's TravelTalks series travels to Colorado where we get to see the beautiful rockies as well as various other sites. These other sites include Stone Ship, Balanced Rock, the famous trout fishing and the stilt peach picking. This is one of the better entries in the series because the Technicolor really jumps off the screen and brings the beauty of the rockies right into your living room. As with all the others in the series, we get the casual information about the location but this one here is just so pretty to the eyes that you can't help but wish you could be there for yourself. The scenes from the top of the mountains are an incredible view as as the sequences dealing with the train tracks and how they were built so close to the water.

Rio de Janeiro: City of Splendour (1936) No Director Credited

A rather bland entry in MGM's TravelTalks series with James A. FitzPatrick. This time out we visit Rio de Janeiro where we see some famous palm trees, Sugarloaf Mountains and various other landmarks and how they've changed over the years. The beauty of the Technicolor is the main reason to watch this film as the colors leap off the screen but outside of that this is a pretty bland entry. The narration is also rather bland but the biggest problem is that nothing we see is all that special. Most of these shorts at least have a few moments that really make your eyes drop but I never got that feeling here. That's not to say there's nothing good in Rio but this short just doesn't capture it.

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Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol 2, Disc 1

Big Snooze, The (1946) Bob Clampett

Elmer Fudd, tired of being abused by Bugs Bunny, decides to tear up his contract to Warner and go on vacation. Bugs needs him back so the rabbit invades his dreams to cause a nightmare. This is certainly a wild short but I've never found it to be a funny one. What does work here are the amazing colors inside the "nightmare", which look absolutely stunning in their remastered form. The visuals are certainly the main reason to watch this film as there aren't too many laughs. The film starts off with a chase, which would normally end a cartoon but here the gag is somewhat funny. The best sequence is the famous one where Elmer is tied to the train tracks and a train of rabbits run over him.

Broom-Stick Bunny (1956) Chuck Jones

Witch Hazel is at home on Halloween proud as can be since she's the ugliest woman around. Then there's a knock at the door where another ugly witch is but it turns out to be Bugs Bunny in an outfit. The real witch then decides she needs some rabbit to complete her next meal. This is a pretty good entry with Bugs being at the top of his game and Hazel being a pretty good villain. I'm sure the film could have thrown in more homages to other "scary" type of films but that's just a small issue. Bugs gets a lot of good lines but the real charm of the film belongs to Hazel are her dire need of being ugly. The twist ending is a very nice one and gets the biggest laugh of the film.

Bugs Bunny Rides Again (1948) Friz Freleng

The setting is the roughest town in the West where Yosemite Sam will shoot whoever tries to stand in his way of anything. Then Bugs comes to town and the two start their battle. This is yet another winning short to feature Bugs and Sam and this just gives further proof that the two, when working together, were one of the greatest comedy duos out there. There's one great joke after another but my favorite sequence comes at the very end when the two sit down to play cards to determine who leaves town. How the card game ends and everything that follows is just priceless. Another winning sequence happens early on when the two start walking towards one another getting ready to shoot.

Bunny Hugged (1951) Chuck Jones

Spoof of wrestling has Bugs Bunny jumping into the ring after his owner is destroyed by The Crusher. Once inside the ring the rabbit is totally out of his league so he must use his brains to try and bring down the best. There's quite a bit that happens inside the seven-minutes of this short. There's pretty much action from the start to finish and most of it is very good. The best sequence is early on in the picture and doesn't even feature the hero Bugs. It's a scene where The Crusher destroys the other wrestler, a "pretty boy" type and the way he's destroyed is just hilarious. The violent action is another plus as is all of the animation, which looks extremely well.

French Rarebit (1951) Robert McKimson

Bugs Bunny finds himself in Paris, walking down a street when rival chefs start fighting over which one will have Bugs on their menu that night. Soon Bugs joins the fighting in order to make both of them look like fools. This was never one of my favorite Bugs shorts and I'd probably say this is one of the least entertaining over all. There's some nice imagination and good animation but outside of that this thing is pretty lifeless. You expect a lot more in terms of laughs but there's not a single one here, which is rather shocking. Another problem are the two chefs and how bland and boring they are. Not once did they make me laugh and they even manage to bring Bugs down to their unfunny level.

Gorilla My Dreams (1948) Robert McKimson

A mama gorilla is ashamed of being the only one not to have a baby but when a shipwrecked Bugs Bunny shows up she decides to take him as her own. This doesn't sit too well with her cranky husband who wants to get rid of Bugs. This is a good entry in the series, although it's certainly not one of the best. The biggest problem I had with the movie is that it ends rather abruptly and the ending, while trying to be clever, doesn't really pull off the punch it was going for. There are still some nice moments between the mama and Bugs and the action between Bugs and the dad is fast and violent.

Hare-Brained Hypnotist, The (1942) Friz Freleng

Nice short has Elmer Fudd trying to use hypnotism to capture Bugs Bunny but the plan backfires. Elmer does get some sweet justice when Bugs turns him into the rabbit and he finally gets to harass Bugs. This early Bugs Bunny short manages to have some pretty good laughs and I've always enjoyed the animation from this period. There are many good sequences but there's no doubt that the best one is at the end when Elmer thinks he's the rabbit and gets to mess around with Bugs by giving him some of his own medicine. The movie is a minor classic but there were certainly better shorts out there.

Hare Conditioned (1945) Chuck Jones

Looney Tunes short has Bugs Bunny working in a department store as part of an outdoor display. His mean boss then wants to use him in a taxidermy display, which Bugs isn't too fond of. This has never been one of my favorites even though I know it has a rather large following amongst other animation fans. For me I've never been too thrilled with any of the action because it simply doesn't make me laugh. I think Bugs is up to his usual good standards and I think the yellow-skinned owner is also quite good. The two work well together but that didn't really matter because it still didn't make me laugh. Heck, even the animation is good but this one just isn't for me.

Heckling Hare, The (1941) Tex Avery

The hunting dog Willoughby is out sniffing for a rabbit and of course finds Bugs Bunny but soon he's going to wish he hadn't. This is another winning short from director Avery who apparently walked away from Warner after a falling out due to the ending here. I certainly don't know all of the details but I did find the ending here to be the best thing about the movie, although one could argue the actual payoff is a tad bit of a cheat. The rest of the film isn't among Avery's best work but I think it's still a good film. Both Bugs and Willoughby work well together and there are plenty of funny scenes including the before mentioned ending as well as another scene where the dog thinks he has killed bugs.

Little Red Riding Rabbit (1944) Friz Freleng

Classic Merrie Melodies short is a retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood story except here we have Bugs Bunny being what the wolf is wanting. A lot of people seem to be rather hit and miss on this short but I've always found it to be quite funny from start to finish. Some put down the granddaughter as being too annoying but I think that's the entire point and it does pay off well in the ending where things get mixed up a little. The action between the wolf and Bugs is pure classic with a number of great scenes including the wonderful one where Bugs puts a hot coal inside the wolf's pants. The animation is extremely well done and there's enough action for two movies.

Tortoise Beats Hare (1941) Tex Avery

Bugs challenges Cecil Turtle to a race and you just know who is going to win. This classic film from Tex Avery contains plenty of nice action and some great jokes, although in a way I find it rather hard to cheer for anyone from either side since both are cheating throughout the film. Perhaps that's just my brain over thinking things but this is still a very entertaining and very funny film. There are many great gags but the best are Bugs when he starts to go mad wondering how Cecil keeps passing him up. The final gag is also a winner. As good as this short is I think its sequel TORTOISE WINS BY A HARE is even better.

Rabbit Transit (1947) Friz Freleng

Third and final meeting between Bugs Bunny and Cecil Turtle has them racing cross country and both promising not to cheat, although that rule gets thrown out early on. This short isn't nearly as good as the previous two but there's still enough charm here to make it worth watching. What really brings this short down is the fact that there aren't enough laughs to keep it going. I wouldn't say we've seen this stuff too many times before but there's certain freshness missing from the story, characters and even some of the gags like the power jet turtle shell.

Slick Hare (1947) Friz Freleng

Elmer Fudd plays a waiter at the Mocrumbo, a restaurant with Hollywood's A-list stars. Humphrey Bogart orders rabbit but when Elmer tells him they're out the legendary tough guy demands he get one. Back in the kitchen lies Bugs Bunny but will Elmer be able to serve him up? This is a great cartoon from start to finish because of all the celebs we get to see. Not only do we have a great impression of Bogart but we also see the Marx Brothers, Frank Sinatra and a funny bit of Ray Milland in his THE LOST WEEKEND role. Bugs and Elmer are also at the top of their game as the action between the two is great as are all the jokes. One of the highlights deal with pies being thrown and Bogart taking one in the face.

Baby Buggy Bunny (1954) Chuck Jones

Cute, if not exceptionally funny short, has Bugs Bunny becoming a father but what he doesn't know is that his new "kid" is actually a gangster who just got done robbing a bank. I know many cartoon buffs considering this a masterpiece but to me it's only a good film that just doesn't have enough laughs to be considered a classic. The biggest problem for me is the kid, Finster. I just don't find him cute, tough or even funny. The early stuff with his acting the part of the child was incredibly dull to me and the short doesn't really pick up until Bugs realizes who he is and makes him pay for it. The sit of Bugs shaking the baby is somewhat deranged to watch but that's what makes it funny.

Hyde and Hare (1955) Friz Freleng

Being a major fan of horror movies as well as Bugs, you'd think I'd love this short but in fact I find it to be rather tame. The kind Dr. Jekyll comes to the park everyday to feed Bugs some carrots and one day decides to take him home as a pet. At the house the doctor drinks his potion, which turns him into the monstrous, green skinned Mr. Hyde. This film really doesn't contain too many laughs until the end when Bugs turns into the monster but sadly they don't spend anytime with this joke. Everything before that is decent but nothing really jumps off the screen. I enjoyed the calmness of Dr. Jekyll and I thought the transformation scenes were good but there still weren't enough laughs.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

I'd certainly like to hear your opinions on this one. I'll wait for your comments before posting mine but I will say I do feel it's overrated.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 2 Disc 2

Beep, Beep (1952) Chuck Jones

Second film in the Road Runner/Coyote series is a pretty good one as the dumb but always trying Coyote comes up with new tricks as he tries to catch his meal. The highlight of these new tricks is a long running sequence where the two are inside a dark mine and we can only see them from the lights on their helmets. I'm not a die-hard fan of the series but I am watching them again in the order that they appear on Warner's second disc in their second volume of Looney Tunes shorts. Seeing them in order might have me changing my mind but this one here is a pretty good short from start to finish as the action is always at a feverish pace and we get many good gags including the before mentioned mine sequence but there's also another good one dealing with water.

Going! Going! Gosh! (1952) Chuck Jones

Third in the series has the Coyote using all sorts of extremes to try and capture the Road Runner. This time out we get a hot air balloon, a cliff falling and even cross dressing. My one complaint for this series is that the same stuff just keeps happening over and over and perhaps this isn't as noticeable in only the third film but it is something that has kept this duo off my favorites list. Even with that said this is still en enjoyable cartoon that manages to fly by because you just can't help but feel sorry for Wile E. Coyote. No matter how dumb he is or how many times he fails, you can't help but admire him for the effort. The highlight has to be the two scenes where he meets a truck head on.

Zipping Along (1953) Chuck Jones

The fourth Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner series has four way roads, guns, bombs, bird seed, cutting the strings on a bridge and more TNT as the dumb one keeps trying to catch his dinner. Even early on in the series we're starting to get quite a few repeat jokes and this would certainly continue throughout the series but you can help but be entertained by Wile's effort to get something to eat. The joy of watching him try and try harder only to fail is the real key to this series since the Road Runner offers very little outside his classic "Beep Beep". The highlight of the film has to be the free bird seed offer.

Stop! Look! and Hasten! (1954) Chuck Jones

Another good entry in the Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner series has our favorite dumb but hard working friend still trying to catch his dinner. A motorcycle, a tiger, leg building vitamins and even a pop up steel wall are just some of the devices used by Wile. This is another fun, if routine, entry that manages to offer up some good twists as well as some nice laughs. The best sequence in my opinion is the one where Wile digs a trap to catch his dinner and thinks it has worked until he jumps into the hole. Another nice gag deals with him taking some vitamins to grow stronger legs, which makes him run faster but there is naturally a downfall.

Ready.. Set.. Zoom! (1955) Chuck Jones

A motored bathtub, glue on the road, a large rubber band and cross dressing are just a few of the ways that Wile E. Coyote tries to catch the Road Runner but I'm sure you know how everything is going to end. The sixth film in the series is perhaps the weakest so far but it still manages tog et a few laughs as that poor Wile just keeps trying no matter how badly it hurts him. There are some nice gags this time including the glue on the road, which does harm to the coyote in a few ways. The gag with the female road runner is without a doubt very neat but I won't spoil it for you.

Guided Muscle (1955) Chuck Jones

Entertaining episode in the Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner series. This time out the coyote is cooking a tin can when he sees a better dinner, the road runner of course, passing. The coyote tries grease, large rocks, rubber bands and turning himself into an arrow but we know what's going to happen. Once again there original ideas are pretty much gone, although several of the old tricks are given a face lift here. The grease joke is something we've seen before but it still works here. Another very good scene is the one where Wile tries to turn himself into the arrow.

Gee Whiz-z-z-z-z-z-z (1956) Chuck Jones

The eighth pairing of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner is yet another winner, although the beatings poor Wile takes keep getting worse. This time out we don't even get past the opening credits when Mr. Wile is run down by a truck but we then get other attacks including large rocks, falling from cliffs and various bombs. One of the best sequences in the film is when the coyote dressing up as "bat-man" and tries to fly after his dinner. This plan works for a while but what makes the joke so funny is that you're expecting one gag but instead we get something else. Another great gag is the painted version of a broken bridge, which of course comes back to hurt Wile.

There They Go-Go-Go! (1956) Chuck Jones

Poor ol' Wile E. Coyote is so hungry the film starts off with him cooking mud to eat but he even messes that up. Then the Road Runner goes pass him and an all new hunt begins. This time out we see Wile try using a sling, a gun, spiked balls and even a rope on a tree but, of course, we know what's going to happen. I'm watching these shorts in order and I must say that I've love to see Wile take one big chunk out of the Road Runner. Considering this is the ninth attempt of Wile you can't help but wish he could just eat one time. If not the Road Runner I wish he could eat anything the right way. The series was certainly starting to repeat itself but there's enough action and explosions here to make it worth watching.

Scrambled Aches (1957) Chuck Jones

Tenth film in the series has Wile E. Coyote up to the same old stuff but this time out we get a few new tricks with the best one being the dehydrated boulder. This is a pretty routine entry in the series but you can't expect too much out of the tenth film especially considering this was pretty much a one-joke series with the same type of jokes being used over and over again. The action is certainly top-notch as our beloved coyote finds one way after another to hurt himself. The small steam roller and escape hatch are very well done. Another thing to mention is the colors used here, which are extremely warm from start to finish. I'm going to guess this was done on purpose and isn't just the work of the remastered DVD since this short is on the same disc as the others.

Zoom and Bored (1957) Chuck Jones

One of the best in the series has Wile E. Coyote trying all sorts of new tricks including bees, a brick wall, a gun and a couple bird seed traps. To me this is one of the best in the series because it seems so fresh and original, although we do get a couple repeat jokes. One of the best sequences of the series comes at the end when Wile using a rope to slide down to catch the Road Runner but instead heads straight for a train. What he does next and the sign that the Road Runner hold up is just priceless. Another great gag is the one dealing with the bees and you know how it's going to end.

Whoa, Be-Gone! (1958) Chuck Jones

Twelfth film for Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner turns out to be one of their best. This time out the hungry coyote uses all sorts of tricks including bombs, large rocks, a nailed barrel with dynamite and perhaps best of all, a grow your own tornado kit. This is an extremely fast-paced entry in the series and I might even call it the best as it does a very good job at matching the freshness of the first film. We've seen a few of the jokes before but even so they come off very fresh here. The best joke is a reworked one of something we saw earlier with the "dehidrated boulder" routine. This time out it's a tornado that you add water to and all heck will break loose, which naturally happens but this time it's just more pain for poor old Wile E..

Cheese Chasers (1951) ;star: Chuck Jones

The final of six films in the Hubie and Bertie series has the two mice eating so much cheese that it actually makes them never want to have it again. So, with that in mind, they decide to end their lives by offering themselves up to Claude the Cat but he can't understand why they're doing it so he refuses to eat them. Soon Claude is wanting the local bulldog to eat him but he too refuses. This is a fairly cute and entertaining short that manages to have enough charm and laughs to keep it going. The entire situation of someone wanting the higher up to eat them is pretty funny and it makes for some solid entertaining. There aren't any major laughs but there are enough here to make this worth viewing.

Dover Boys at Pimento University or The Rivals of Roquefort Hall, The (1942) Chuck Jones

At one time Chuck Jones said Warner almost fired him because of this cartoon and it's very easy to see why. This here is without question one of the strangest shorts I've seen from the studio. Three brothers, Larry, Tom and Dick, are taking their fiance out when a rival kidnaps her. I'm really not sure what to say about this film but I guess the best way to put it is that this is either a great masterpiece of originality or one of the worst films ever made. I'll let you decide but I thought the film was pretty bad but at the same time I couldn't help but admire how different it was. The characters are strange, the color scheme is strange and pretty much everything else is strange including the humor. I'm really not sure what this thing is trying to do or if it's trying to spoof something but this here is one you'll have to see for yourself.

Mouse Wreckers (1948) Chuck Jones

Mice Bertie and Hubie come to their new home when they notice Claude the Cat, the best mouse catcher out there, is staying there. Together the two try to make Claude think he's crazy so that he'll move out. This here is a minor cartoon that makes for one great ending but everything before it is rather dull and bland. All of the "tricks" being done to the cat are rather blandly done and for the life of me I could never believe that the cat would be dumb enough to think everything that was happening was only a dream. A dumb cat would have fallen for this but apparently this one was a great one so I don't buy it. The ending is terrific as the cat thinks he's in an upside-down room. The payoff to this sequence is enough of a reason to watch the film.

Bear for Punishment, A (1951) Chuck Jones

Ma, Pa and Baby Bear star in this short that takes place on Father's Day as the dimwitted Baby tries to give dad a good gift but of course fails. BUGS BUNNY AND THE THREE BEARS is one of my favorite animated shorts but this here certainly isn't in the same league. I think one of the biggest things missing is the voice work of Mel Blanc as none of the bears here contain the same energy, charm and fun of the original. The voices here just aren't the same and it really takes away from the story because the grumpiness of Pa just comes off as cruel and not funny. There's one hilarious scene that has Baby Bear fixing dad a pipe, which doesn't go as planned and this here is without question the best scene in the movie.

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RE: CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST

Joe, I had pretty much the same reaction as you did the first time I watched it. Over the years I've gone back and "enjoyed" it more but I still find the entire film to be rather repulsive and not for a second do I buy the director's bullshit reasoning behind killing the animals. His story has changed so many times over the years that it's easy to tell he's lying. One story had him claim that the producer made him shoot the stuff. The next story had him claiming the (dead) producer shot it himself. He says he would "never" shoot animals getting killed yet the idiot seems to have forgotten that his previous cannibal movie featured animals being slaughtered.

Apparently a remake/sequel was lined up for this year but last I heard the backing fell apart and it's not going to be made. I do believe this was one of the first "movies within a movie" so BLAIR WITCH certainly owes a lot to this movie. I remember at the time the filmmakers claimed they had never seen this film. THE LAST BROADCAST appears to be the movie they ripped off and that film's director had seen HOLOCAUST so....

You mentioned how some of the stuff looked real, the woman with the pole through her you know what and up through the mouth gets some major debate. Several FX experts claim this is a real body because they couldn't recreate how it was done. I'm not sure how true it is but the director's story on how this was done doesn't add up either.

I've seen most of the Italian cannibal films and most of them, while vile with animal killings, are entertaining for exploitation trash. Most of them are more like adventure movies with someone crashing in the jungle and having to battle to get out alive. HOLOCAUST went for the "blame the media" story but the rest are just trashy entertainment. JUNGLE HOLOCAUST is my personal favorite but EATEN ALIVE and CANNIBAL FEROX are downright crazy in their own right.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

Good call on BOGGY CREEK. I haven't seen the film in a very long time so I can't remember the exact technique it used but the documentary style does seem like something that would have influenced the director of CH. I'm not sure if Joe has seen it to remember if it was the same thing. There's another 70s drive-in flick that my mind is drawing a blank on but I think it too features a "movie inside a movie" format. I just can't recall if it was used the same way as in CH.

Re: Track the Films You Watch (2009)

I prefer my reviews in the "longer" format (5-10 paragraphs) but it's just downright crazy to do that if you're not getting paid or reviewing for a site. That's why if I'm not doing one of those two then I just go with the short notes that will at least kick start my brain to remembering how I felt about a movie when I'm never going to watch it again and it might come up in a debate at some point.

When you cut down your reviews this past year I was hoping you'd jump into the conversational mode a tad bit more and perhaps that will happen now.

You're a fan of Maltin so perhaps you can break them down that way. That's what "inspired" my current format, although I do go too short and too long at some points.

You also bring up the word backlog and I use to say that but I've thrown that word out. I was unemployed for 4+ months, which meant sitting on my ass that whole time and you can trust me that you'll never get caught up. No matter how much you watch you'll always find five new titles to replace that one title you just watched so the word backlog isn't in my vocabulary any more. I tried going through all six volumes of the Looney Tune sets this month but only made it through volume 1 and two discs of vol 2. Well short of my goal, which was to get my "caught up" but then it hit me that I still watched damn near 100 of them in one month alone.