Coming-of-Age at Camp

Little Darlings (1980)
Dir - Ronald F. Maxwell

Wow! I loved this movie.

This is one of those types of movies I see every so often that I'm almost upset I'd never seen it before. It has so many things I love – a coming-of-age tale, takes place at camp, sex comedy moments, shirtless Matt Dillon. Ok, so maybe that last one isn't one of the selling points but he is great in this movie. It's as funny as it is touching and I look forward to re-watching for years to come.

Also, all of the girls are pretty cute in this but the young Cynthia Nixon is just goddamn adorable. I want to scoop her up and put her in my pocket.

Cushing's Carnage

Corruption (1968)
Dir - Robert Hartford-Davis

Recorded this from TCM and it's always good to see a Peter Cushing film. In this one he's killing multiple people to use vital tissue to help his disfigured model girlfriend. There are some great kill sequences for such an old film especially when he gets stabby on a train. The finale is pretty crazy too.

Eye on Your PIc-i-nic Basket

Grizzly (1976)
Dir - William Girdler

Thought I'd seen this before but quickly realized I had not. Some fun animal amok-ness and surprisingly violent for a PG film. That's always a plus. Good times with Christopher George and a killer bear, I must now watch Day of the Animal to see the director, CG and the bear reunite.

Go Speed Racer

Hot Rods to Hell (1967)
Dir - John Brahm

This evidently sat on the shelf for about ten years and if they would have left it there for another ten there may have been a great 70s exploitation flick to be had. Instead we get a film about hot rodding teens in the 60s that feels rooted in the 50s. There are some really interesting moments, some things that could be kind of scary, but they are ruined by the overacting and cheesy elements of the script. It does have Mimsy Farmer though, and that's a big win.

Ghosty

The Uninvited (1944)
Dir - Lewis Allen

Had this on the DVR since January from TCM and finally decided to give it a go. There are some really amazing moments in this film (like when Rod and Stella are at the piano and the seance) but some of the film went by a bit slowly. Could be because I was pretty tired when I watched it, but it didn't really stop me from enjoying myself. It also feels a lot different than I expected. I figured it would be more gothic in style but when it opens the playfulness in the acting and in the music made me find it more comedic in tone. Odd.

Carrot Babies!

The Thing from Another World (1951)
Dir - Christian Nyby & Howard Hawks

I had never seen this whole film but really love John Carpenter's take on the same source story. In fact that is one of my top sci-fi, horror and horror/sci-fi films of all time. This tale definitely has its merits and some really effective moments. The fire scene is creepy and an amazing minute or two of film. Still, I prefer what Carpenter did and find it much more frightening. Of course had I seen this film in its initial run I might feel different. Who knows?

Mind the Doors

A very awesome, but very misleading, poster.

Raw Meat (1973)

Dir - Gary Sherman

A very interesting British horror film from the early 70s with some great performances. Donald Pleasence's turn as the Scotland Yard inspector is quite brilliant and really adds to the fun of the film. The sequences in "the tube" with "The Man" are fairly creepy and showcase a few great FX gags and one rather startling moment. Something that surely inspired Christopher Smith's 2004 film Creep, which I should watch again.

Here Comes the Bride

Father of the Bride (1950)
Dir - Vincente Minnelli

I've seen the remake of this film, with Steve Martin, numerous times but never watched the original. The remake is pretty funny and I figured that I would find a lot of the same humor in the 50s version. Oddly this film is quite a bit "darker" in tone, if that's even the right word. There are laughs, and some direct lines reused, but this film focuses even more on the father who seems to be angrier and not as light as he's portrayed in the remake. It's a good film and touching with great performances but I think I prefer the remake in this case.

Damn Scientists

Strange Behavior (1981)
Dir - Michael Laughlin

Interesting film about a small town with a diabolical experiment going on at the local college. There are some pretty creepy moments and a great uneasy shot of something happening to someone's eye. Good stuff, TCM wins again.

Snot to Stalker

The Green Slime (1968)
Dir - Kinji Fukasaku

What the wonderful director of Battle Royale did in the late 60s. This sci-fi/horror flick is beyond ridiculous but still manages to be entertaining and fun. Very stiff, serious performances will dare you to keep a straight face. The extensive use of miniatures is super awesome and brought a smile to my face.

Dino Island

The Land that Time Forgot (1975)
Dir - Kevin Connor

Had this on the DVR and I have a big blindspot for a this kind of thing. I didn't really watch Land of the Lost and never saw, or remember much, from any other humans mixing with prehistoric creatures movies. This will change. Really enjoyed this remote island where there are dinosaurs and cavemen and a huge surplus of oil. Yes, the dinos are very fake looking but they're also damn cute. I now want one.

Trying to decide if I should watch the remake from 2009 with C. Thomas Howell...

Jamie Lee Down Under

Road Games (1981)
Dir - Richard Franklin

Wow, this movie is much different that what you would expect based on the above poster. Instead of being a super high action slasher it's more of a slow burn thriller with little onscreen violence. I can see the comparisons and influence of Hitchcock for sure and Stacy Keach does a wonderful job. I love all of Quid talking to himself/Boswell the dingo and how he runs into the same characters on the road throughout the film.

How Tall is King Kong?

The Stunt Man (1980)
Dir - Richard Rush

A mind bending exercise in reality and imagination with some great (duh) stunt work. Railsback is great but O'Toole rocks the role of the large ego director. A fun ride all around.

Sheer Luck Holmes

The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975)
Dir - Gene Wilder

This title sounded familiar when I saw it on the guide for TCM but I didn't realize Gene Wilder wrote, directed and starred in this. Funny with some truly great scenes and I love Marty Feldman. He has some great/crazy eyes.

That Damn Double-Cross Party

The Great Dictator (1940)
Dir - Charles Chaplin

What a great film! Chaplin should really be commended for not only making something so ballsy for the time but being able to mix comedy, drama and a strong message so well. Some scenes (notably the pudding scene and Hynkel with the globe) had me laughing, while others I found somewhat frightening and sad. It's said Chaplin didn't know to what extent the Nazis would go and he wouldn't have taken certain things so lightly, but it's hard to forget that now while watching. Still a triumph of a movie.

I'm Sending a Letter to Daddy

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
Dir - Robert Aldrich

Intense thriller with some stellar performances by leading ladies Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. It's equal parts creepy and sad, but there are still a few moments of levity - like Buono's priceless facial expressions during his first meeting with Davis. So glad they chose, allegedly on Davis' insistence, to ditch color in favor of black and white. Color would have totally changed the mood for the worse.

Also, I really think the song Baby Jane is famous for ("I'm Sending a Letter to Daddy") sounds a lot like "I'm Getting Nuttin' for Christmas".

Go to Hell

Jigoku (1960)
Dir - Nobou Nakagawa

What a wonderful and nighmarish film! Not an all around standard narrative but more of a fever dream look into the different areas of Buddhist hell. The last act of the film is solely in one area of hell or another and is filled with haunting imagery and surprisingly gory FX. I can't imagine what people thought of this film when it came out originally.

Dolly Dearest

Wait Until Dark (1967)
Dir - Terence Young

Wow! This is an amazing thriller that I'm ashamed to have not seen until now. Hepburn, Arkin and Crenna really nail it, but everyone in the cast is outstanding. Henry Mancini's score adds a delightfully creepy vibe. This is an absolute must see!

Smile, Smile, Smile

The Shopworn Angel (1938)
Dir - H.C. Potter
Jimmy Stewart Sunday

I'm rather conflicted on this movie. Overall I did like it, but the way Margaret Sullivan treats Jimmy Stewart and Walter Pidgeon just rubs me the wrong way. I understand her reasoning but it didn't make me happy. Can't really say much more about that without spoilers. Still, it was well made and had some great moments. I only wish the army still wore uniforms like they did in WWI.

Ol' Charlie Potatoes

The Defiant Ones (1958)
Dir - Stanley Kramer

Great performances, great directing and great script. Not sure how likely it would have been to chain a white man and black man together during those times, but it made for a very interesting story with some twists, turns and surprises along the way. Also a bonus role by Lon Chaney, Jr.