Brave New Jersey (2016)

As I said yesterday,  it was a lazy weekend.  Although,  I did get some stuff done around the shop,  making it somewhat productive. I also took a break between binging The Hardy Boys Nancy Drew Mysteries and starting Kolchak: The Night Stalker to watch a few movies. Last night, being in the mood for some comedy,I decided on 2016s Brave New Jersey.

Plot: A comedy about a small New Jersey town on the night of Orson Welles' legendary 1938 "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast, which led millions of listeners to believe the U.S. was being invaded by Martians

The real story of the war of the Worlds incident in 1938 is one thati am sure everyone has heard of. I still wonder how I would have reacted had I experienced it live. This one is a great comedic take on what it may have been like in a small Jersey town when it happened. The storyline is lighthearted and fun, but it is also a touch uneven with some strange changes in characterizations sprinkled throughout. The overall look, performances, and production elements make this one easy to watch, but the scripted changes in the characters' and movies' tone does detract from the completed film. This one won't be fore everyone, but it is an interesting take on what might have transpired that fateful night in an isolated community.

Immanence (2022)

Yesterday was a long day. If started with an emergency trip to the VA pharmacy for a needed prescription and she'd with a trip to see the classic Blade Runner at a local theater.  In between, I did watch some TV and a movie.  That movie was the 2022 flick,  Immanence.

Plot: Radio astronomers discover a mysterious signal in the deep sea that could be contact with extraterrestrials. After several terrifying manifestations threaten their beliefs, the team must fight to survive the ultiImmanent.

When this one started,  I had hope. Unfortunately,  after the initial sequences this movie deteriorates into simmering boring and teetering on unwatchable. The storyline and plot are a mess, pitting science/aliens against religion in a strange battle on a boat. The performances are alright, the scripting and dialog are all over, and the atmosphere and pace are barely noticeable. In the end,  this one seems like a bunch of friends got together and made a movie, which if that is the case, I applaud them. But, this one doesn't work and cannot even fall into the so bad it's good category. Stay away.

Supernova (2000)

After a long and tiring day yesterday,  I decided v to kick back and relax. While I had thought about doing side filming, I just didn't have it in me. My recovery from transplant surgery is definitely still ongoing; something I expected but I often forget about  because I do feel so much better already.  So, what did I watch? The 2000 Sci-Fi flick,  Supernova.

Plot: Supernova is a science fiction thriller that chronicles the high-stakes adventures of a deep space hospital ship and its six member crew. When their vessel, the Nightingale 229, answers an emergency distress signal from a distant galaxy, the crew soon finds itself in danger from the mysterious young man they rescue, the alien artifact he smuggled aboard and the gravitational pull of a giant star about to go supernova -- the most massive explosion in the universe.

During my recovery,  I have really been watching a lot of Sci-Fi. This movie was one that I couldn't believe that I hadn't seen or remembered. As a big James Spader fan,  I didn't remember seeing it when it came out, although I was on active duty back then and was in and out of the US quite a bit. Now, after watching it, I can understand why. Honestly, there is nothing remarkable or memorable inside this one. Yes, it is not all bad, as the storyline had promise, the performances were solid, and there was a touch of atmospheric tension throughout. Unfortunately, it was riddled with clichéd moments (I could almost see four different films as main influences), the scripting is all over with uneven dialog, and the visuals were flat and uninspiring. In the end, this was not a terrible movie, but unless you are a huge Sci-Fi fan, you will get nothing from watching it. Its up to you, but I think you could find something more entertaining.

The Thing from Another World! (1951)

While the pickings were slim this weekend in the great vintage toy quest that I am working on and the weather was mostly miserable, I decided that I would spend some time catching up on many of the films I have watched in the past few months and have not reviewed. To get back in the swing of things, I decided that the 1951 classic The Thing from Another World would be my next film for review.

Plot/ Scientists at an Arctic research station discover a spacecraft buried in the ice. Upon closer examination, they discover the frozen pilot. All hell breaks loose when they take him back to their station and he is accidentally thawed out!

This must be one of the best Sci-Fi films of the 1950s and a movie that I believe every fan of science fiction must see. In many ways, this film laid the foundation for everything we see in the genre today and as one would expect, it holds up quite well after all these years. Produced (and likely directed) by Howard Hawks, this film starts slow but rises beyond expectations featuring solid performances, an outstanding script with near perfect dialog, and a heavy atmosphere that does a great job at painting a picture of isolation.  Sure, the monster isn’t seen near enough and there is somewhat of a documentary feel, but those are easily overlooked in films entire body of work. In the end, if you have not seen this one, you are missing out. Find it and give it a shot, I highly recommend it.

Invaders from Mars (1953)

I know, I know, I haven’t done one of these in what seems like forever (which is true). But, now, after having my batteries recharged, it is time to get back into the swing of things and start coming back into the blogosphere. Fortunately, I haven’t totally ignored my love of horror and Sci-Fi cinema over this absence, and now I have an extremely wide variety of films to choose from as I bring The Ringmaster’s Realm back to life. First up is a classic Sci-Fi tale, the 1953 entry Invaders from Mars.

Plot/ A young boy learns that space aliens are taking over the minds of earthlings.

Being one that had never experienced the original Invaders from Mars, I somewhat expected something close to the horrendous remake from my teens. Fortunately, what I found was something much better and entertaining. The atmosphere is perfect, the storytelling does a great job at capturing your attention form a child’s perspective, and the overarching theme of anti-Communism rings throughout in a way that plants the seed in your mind and conjures fears that today, many couldn’t fathom. Yes, there are some issues caused by the lower budget, but those are easy to overlook. The effects may not be great, the acting somewhat stiff, and there are quite a few holes that are hard to ignore, but overall, it is much better than it probably should have been. In the end, this movie is much more than the schlock classic that it is often referred to as. This is a well thought out and executed Sci-Fi flick from an era where the subtle meanings mattered more than the quality. If you have not seen it, find it and watch it. It runs circles around the sequel and is a must see for Sci-Fi fans.

The 5th Kind (2017)

After a few days of streaming, I decided it was time to hit Family Video. Not knowing what would be there, I searched until I found something that caught my eye. That movie was the 2017indie flick The 5th Kind.

Plot/ Three best friends try to get 'internet famous' by filming their own survival show out in the woods. A weekend trip to accomplish this project turns deadly when a mysterious and foreign visitor ends up in their neck of the woods.

It has been a while since I sat down and watched a true piece of no-budget indie cinema, and I am glad that I did that tonight. While I am not going to sit here and say that The 5th Kind is a perfect film, but what was accomplished on the micro-budget was better than some of the bigger budgeted flicks I have watched over the years. Sure, the movie is dialog driven found footage without a tremendous amount of action or effects, but that worked within the confines of the short run time. The performances were uneven and the pace somewhat slowed, but those issues were expected. At least the idea was interesting and you could see what direction this one was moving in. Overall, it left me wanting more (of course, I am also a huge believer in the subject). In the end, are there better movies out there, absolutely; but this one is one that shows more than just potential. With a larger budget and an elongated script, this could be something even better.