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.

Nightmare City (1980)

I have really enjoyed getting back into the blogging scene and have found a new enjoyment with watching different facets of the horror genre. Unfortunately, I am not all the way back as many things seem to be the same stuff just repackaged and I am not there yet. One thing that was different was this 1980 entry Nightmare City.

Plot/ An airplane exposed to radiation lands, and blood drinking zombies emerge armed with knives, guns and teeth! They go on a rampage slicing, dicing, and biting their way across the Italian countryside.

Let me ask, is there anything better than low budget Italian horror from the 1980s? Personally, I find it extremely entertaining and always fun. Honestly, you never know what you are going to get. That is the case with this one. Yes, the effects are cheesy, the performances are all over the place, and the plot from the start is unbelievable at best. Really, from the first scene with the aircraft, it is insanity. Sure, the storyline does open some valid questions, there is a touch of humanity, there is a lot of action, and the characters are somewhat believable (and aren’t afraid to show skin); all positives for a movie that is often overlooked. In the end, this one is worth watching (especially with it being available on Amazon Prime. If you are like me and love low budget Italian horror, give this one a shot. You are missing out if you have not seen it.

Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959)

As I wait for the final two episodes of Twin Peaks: The Return to start tonight, I decided to finish up one of the flicks I watched yesterday. That film is the 1959 low budget/ no budget entry Attack of the Giant Leeches.

Plot/ A backwoods game warden and a local doctor discover that giant leeches are responsible for disappearances and deaths in a local swamp, but the local police don't believe them.

How can you not enjoy anything that Roger Corman is involved with? Honestly, just the name alone should draw you into a low budget schlockfest. That is exactly what this film is, although it actually offers some depth in the scripting department (albeit with some plot holes). This movie offers a solid combination of comedy, drama, and even some horror elements and a decent understanding of the cultures involved. Yes, the production values are limited by the low budget and there are some (okay many) laughable moments with uneven performances and low dollar effects, but that is part of the charm. In the end, this is a decent flick to spend some time on, even if it is a time that you are just searching for a few laughs.

Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)

After watching Twin Peaks yesterday, I needed something that could help my mind come back to reality, so I decided on this one. Knowing that Godzilla movies are always fun and mindless, what could go wrong with the 2001 entry Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack?

Plot/ Three ancient guardian beasts awaken to protect Japan against Godzilla.

I had seen this on Shudder for some time, but honestly, the length of the titles scared me away. I know that may sound stupid, but it’s true. Now that I have watched it, I can see that I made a huge mistake in waiting. This was one of the darkest and most entertaining Godzilla films I have watched and it made me want to see more. While there are some early CGI issues and such, for the most part, the effects work rather well, creating one of the best monster flicks I have seen. Incredibly, although modernized, the film was able to maintain some of the charms that made the classic Godzilla films so much fun. Less schlock and an entertaining story featuring a dreadful Godzilla out to destroy humanity, this had a lot to like with some solid cinematography, quality dubbing, and a soundtrack that did a perfect job at setting the stage for the action. Yes, some of the creatures did seem off from their original characterizations with the size a ferocity and some of the story felt cliché and predictable, but those were easily overlooked. In the end, if you are a fan of the classic Godzilla flicks and like me, you grew up with them on the Saturday afternoon creature features give this one a shot. This was an entertaining and fun flick that worked perfectly in helping me pass some time in the afternoon.

Europa Report (2013)

There are times when I want to kick back with the daughters and watch an old school Sci-Fi flick. Not the creature feature or alien invasion movies, but the old school scientific exploration films of my youth. Of course, finding those are becoming harder every day. Needing to take a small break from paranormal themed flicks, I decided to roll the dice and see if Europa Report will fall into that category.

Plot/ An international crew of astronauts undertake a privately funded mission to search for life on Jupiter's fourth largest moon.

I was excited to see this as a PG-13 movie that I could watch with the kids. In this day, it is nice to see a Sci-Fi flick dealing with contact that is family friendly but not to a Disney level. That is exactly what you get with this one. It is all done really well in a believable manner. The scenery is awesome, the storyline works, the acting is good, and the atmosphere is perfect. Sure, the dialogue, while believable, may be a touch too scientific for some and there are some parts early in the movie that cause confusion if you do not give it total attention, but those moments are necessary to lay the groundwork for the overall storyline. In the end, this was one of the better scientific based entries into the Sci-Fi genre in some time. More importantly, it adds some realism to space exploration and the dangers and weirdness astronauts may encounter. If you enjoy scientific Sci-Fi flicks with some distress, you should enjoy this. If you are looking for a action flick, stay away.

The Divide (2011)

 

 

After spending a couple days is mourning and diving into the disturbing realities of the HAARP System and Weather Control, it was time to hit a movie or two to take my mind away from the truth. While some will say I am crazy, that my ideas are nothing more than conspiracy theory, I beg to differ as the proof is in the documentation. More than that, there is another disturbing trend with this that I have not revealed, although I will in time. To take my mind off that, I decided to dive into something with a post apocalyptic feel, my decision, The Divide.

 

 

Plot/ Survivors of a nuclear attack are grouped together for days in the basement of their apartment building, where fear and dwindling supplies wear away at their dynamic.

 

 

A good apocalyptic movie is exactly what I needed this week and it was awesome that I found one in my first attempt to quench my appetite. Sure, some of this one might have had some cliché sprinkled in and the characterizations may not have been great, but it was a very good flick. In fact, this one featured some solid performances, a decent script, and some fine cinematography. However, it was a lot more than that, as it featured some extremely dark psychological moments that were coupled with a graphic element that I did not expect when I put it on. In the end, this one is definitely not for everyone, as the disturbing nature of humans self-destructing in the post apocalyptic world may be hard for some to swallow. I loved it, and if you are open to darkness, destruction and the decent of human nature into depravity, this one is for you!