The Mutilator (1984)

Having traveled from Virginia Beach to Pennsylvania, it was like entering the tundra.  When I left it was in the 60s, now 20s with snow.  What fun. So, as I chill at the house,  I decided to revisit a 80s slasher as I transport myself back to my youth with the 1984 entry The Mutilator (AKA Fall Break)

Plot: Years after the accidental death of his wife, a deranged man starts to slice and dice his son's friends at a beachfront condominium.

Talk about a mindless slasher.  This is another VHS flashback that knew its place in the heart of the slasher craze. With a weird almost meaningless storyline,  this one navigate from kill to kill effortlessly with some interesting (yet predictable) kills,  a solid pace,  and gore. The performances are not bad and the movie is definitely entertaining.  Yes,  most of it feels dated today and the effects are not great,  but if you are searching for something to help you pass a winter day away,  this one should work. Not for everyone,  but if you love 80s slasher films,  give it a shot. 

Jaws (1975)

After taking yesterday off to go watch West Virginia defeat Youngstown State, I decided that it was time to get some movies in this afternoon. While I did watch a variety of material, I figured I should change things up a bit and review a classic. After some internal debate, I decided it was time to look at the timeless 1975 entry Jaws.

Plot/ When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, a police chief, a marine scientist and a grizzled fisherman set out to stop it.

I tend to stay away from classics here on The Ringmaster’s Realm, but today, I decided to revisit a classic. I know everyone has heard of Jaws, and really there is nothing more I can say that hasn’t already been said or written somewhere. However, this is a movie that clearly stands the test of time and has held up quite well over the past few decades. Based on the book by Peter Benchley (who also gave me my introduction to the Bermuda Triangle), the storyline and vision that Steven Spielberg created is still amazing. The cast is masterful, with the characters all endearing themselves into every scene, the soundtrack is perfect, the atmosphere heavy, and the scripting and cinematography are examples that should be used in every film class. Hell, I still don’t like swimming in the ocean (although, there is some of my Naval career that influences that as well). Yes, the shark itself has some issues and there are some points that make you scratch your head, but those are but minor in the grand scheme. In the end, Jaws is a movie that helped shape not only a genre but also a generation (and amazingly it was done with a PG rating). If you have not seen this original classic, you are wrong. Watch it now!

Sphere (1998)

As I continue to push through this transmedia project that is a modern adaption of the H.P. Lovecraft classic Haunter of the Dark, I find myself spending more time on it than I ever imagined I would. In doing so, I have been spending time a lot of time with a variety of movies on as background inspiration. The last flick I watched was the 1998 Sci-Fi/Mystery/Thriller Sphere.

Plot/ 1000 feet below the ocean, navy divers discover an object half-a-mile long. A crack team of scientists is deployed to the site in Deep-sea Habitats. What they find boggles the mind as they discover a perfect metal sphere. What is the secret behind the sphere? Will they survive the mysterious 'manifestations'? Who or what is creating these? They may never live to find out.

This was a difficult movie to review. I watched it again the other night after not seeing it for over a decade, and honestly, I found it better than I thought. As was the case the first time I watched it, this is really the tale of two different movies: a first and a second half. The beginning is awesome and touches on some intriguing topics and is entertaining. Unfortunately, with all the promise, the unlikable characters and uneven performances make it difficult to truly digest everything that they were trying to say within the movie. Personally, I liked it because it made me think, and presented some ideas that have always captivated me in a way that was both entertaining and challenging. Of course, this Sci-Fi thriller is not for everyone, but it is definitely worth watching.

Orca (1977)

If you have read the blog, you already know Jillian’s fascination with shark movies. Every once in a while, I have to change it up a bit, and give her a variety of man versun nature, animal creature features. My selection for her this time was the 1977 creature feature Orca.

Plot/ After witnessing his mate and child's death from Nolan's hands, Orca, the killer whale, goes on a rampage in the fishermen's harbor. Under the villagers' pressure, Nolan, Rachel and an Indian sail after the great beast, who will bring them on his own turf?

Yes, this is one of those man versus nature (or nature versus man) flicks that were all the rage in the 1970s, but this is a bit more than that. This has a heavy and dark feel woven into its fabric, it is full of atmosphere, the acting was solid, and the role reversal was a nice twist. More important, there was an intelligence factor in this one that is subtly at the heart of the story. Yes, there are some dated moments and some of the cinematography and storyline do not gel, but this is a decent flick that is often overlooked. If you get a chance, check it out.

The Reef (2010)

So, January is coming to an end. This has been a big month; starting the new job at PIA, celebrating Genesis’ birthday, and branching out with writing (working with the guys at Steelers101). Now, it is time to finish the month on a high not on the blog. My final review of the month is the shark movie, The Reef from 2010 (based on a true story).

Plot/ A great white shark hunts the crew of a capsized sailboat along the Great Barrier Reef.

Let me start by saying that this is one of the best shark movies that I have seen. This movie is put together really well, with solid cinematography that creates a realistic feel and a lot of tension throughout. The character development is sound, acting decent and it was refreshing to see a real shark in a movie vice the standard CGI or mechanical beast. Yes, the pacing was slow and the action was spread out, but this film definitely took a different route in creating its foreboding atmosphere.  In the end, this is one of the better animal attack films to come out in some time, and one that is definitely worth watching.