Horrors of Spider Island (1960)

It was such a dreary day outside today. Fortunately, that gave me a chance to kick back and watch so no budget creature features. The first one up is the 1960 entry Horrors of Spider Island (AKA Body in a Web).

Plot/ Survivors of a plane crash on a remote island find spiders cover it. When bitten, the survivors start turning into spiders!

When I decided that I needed a trip into the classic era of low budget cinema tonight, little did I expect to take a trip into the abyss of the no budget misery? This one is bad; maybe the worst flick in either of these creature feature sets. While the cast was intriguing, there was not a lot of depth for them to work with. The movie features terrible editing, a ton of filler, and many of the effects are below low budget. Sure, the spider man make-up is decent for that era, but that in no way is enough to save this one. The unfortunate part is that the movie had potential and would be an interesting flick to see rehashed by the creativity defunct studios in Hollywood. In the end, this one is nowhere near a good movie; unless you are looking for a schlock-filled way to pass some time, stay away.

Millennium (1989)

After watching the boy, I attempted to go back into Arthurian mythology, but I couldn’t sit through my low budget selection. Instead, I turned to some sci-fi from my formidable days, the 1989 time travel flick Millennium.

Plot/ An NTSB investigator seeking the cause of an airline disaster meets a warrior woman from 1000 years in the future. She replaces the people from airplanes before they crash with corpses with the same features.

Time travel movies can often be a mixed bag, and this one is no exception. A low budget sci-fi gem from the 1980s, this one actually has an interesting storyline and takes on time travel in an intriguing manner. The performances are solid, that cast is a fine mix, the scripting thought-out and layered, and for the era and budget, the effects are not that bad. Yes, there is some campiness and some of the elements are a touch over-the-top, the ending leaves a bit to be desired, and at one glance, you can tell the movie was shot in the 1980s, but those flaws do not bring the movie down. In the end, this is a good but not groundbreaking or memorable time travel film. Sure, it could have been better and the ending does hurt the overall feel, but for what it is, the movie is better than most of the low budget stuff that is forced upon us today.

Alive (1993)

While I spent some time working on finalizing the re-release of Walking Before Dawn after the edits, I decided to take a break from the blog. With some time on hand today, I decided to jump back in with a review of a movie I caught the other day: 1993s Alive.

Plot/ A Uruguayan rugby team stranded in the snow swept Andes are forced to use desperate measures to survive after a plane crash.

I have to admit, watching Alive again so many years after watching it in the theater definitely changed my perspective of it. Honestly, everything that I did not like or thought it lacked seemed to be in place this time around. This is one of the best true story adaptations I have seen and it is a great film to watch. The cast was wonderful with outstanding performances across the board, the cinematography was amazing, the story both bleak and uplifting, and the soundtrack was a perfect vessel to create the chilling tone of the movie. Yes, it did lack some emotion and felt subdued in some parts, but that is nitpicking. In the end, this is a great film and a movie that should weigh on your mind long after watching it. Check it out.   

Flight 313: The Conspiracy (2015)

As I continue into February, I decided that I wanted to watch something a lot different from my usual, so I grabbed a straight drama based on a true story. What was that film? It was 2015s Flight 313: The Conspiracy (AKA A Dark Reflection).

Plot/ A journalist digs deep into the world of aviation and discovers some uncomfortable truths. And a conspiracy trail dating back to 1954. But why is no one saying anything?

On the opposite end of the spectrum from SIN, this movie is more of a public service announcement about a real problem and is based on a true story. While not a micro-budgeted film, unions, passenger groups, funded this one and concerned aviation figures in the United Kingdom and featured many volunteers concerned with the issue of Aerotoxic Syndrome. Because of this, the movie is not perfect and does have some minor flaws with pacing, cinematography, and editing, but those were somewhat expected. The performances are solid, the storyline is informative and interesting, and everything works well together. In the end, this one won’t entertain everyone, but is an intriguing film to watch because of the message alone (especially if you fly a lot). If you like drama’s based on true stories, give it a shot.

Chariot (2013)

After a long weekend, it was nice to get back to work. Unfortunately, my knee started to hurt some before the end of the day. Hopefully, it lasts a little longer tomorrow as I have to pull the late night. Next up on the review docket is the 2013 thriller Chariot. 

Plot/ Seven strangers find themselves unwitting participants in a U.S. government evacuation program gone horribly wrong. 

This was a movie that really surprised me, especially considering the low budget used. While not perfect, the majority of the acting, the claustrophobic atmosphere and an interesting storyline kept me entertained throughout. I love the conspiracy theories being thrown about, it was definitely a high point. Sure, there are some pacing issues and some uneven moments, but those were expected with the low budget. In the end, this was an entertaining thriller that was a lot better than I expected going into it. Revolution is coming and it is not out of the realm of possibilities that a program like this could exist. Give it a shot, it was an interesting 90 minutes.

Airborne (2012)

 

 

After a few different genres in the past few days, I was unsure of what I wanted to watch last night. I tried a couple different titles, but could not get into the mood. In the end, I decided on a 2012 flick that always just seems to pop up in my queue. The film was the thriller Airborne.

 

 

Plot/ As Britain is battered by a storm, one last plane takes off. Shortly after, the handful of passengers start disappearing one by one; those that remain frantically try to discover who - or what - is behind it before they share the same fate.

 

 

I should start by saying; I had zero expectations when I turned this one on. In fact, I had some trepidation, as I have stayed away from it on many occasions. There was just something telling me, it was not worth the time. The truth is, the voices in my head were right, and I should have stayed away. It is unfortunate, as there was potential here, but it never quite came together in a cohesive manner. The plot is all over the place, as it seemed as if they could not come up with a firm thread until later in the film, but that was too late. The acting was alright, but that could not overcome the bad scripting and the hole filled plot that you could fly a plane through. In the end, the lack of development of the film was disappointing and this was 90 minutes I cannot get back. Stay Away!