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In case you haven’t seen the intro from my entry dated
1/26/19 (it’s in my archives whenever you want to read it), I’m no longer going
to review every single movie I see. I’m
going to review one, with the occasional bonus, and just give ratings for the
rest from now on (unless I decide to pick it up again in the future). You can always ask me why I gave the ratings
for the films without reviews though (via comments or the e-mail addresses
under the ‘About Me’ section).
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Growing Up with I Spit
on Your Grave G
I Spit on Your Grave. That controversial and divisive film from
1978 directed by Meir Zarchi. I,
personally, think it’s a feminist film, but that’s where the divisive
description comes in since others feel it is misogynistic and
exploitative. It is a very disturbing
film dealing with reprehensible subject matter, but it’s one of those
disturbing films I’ve visited several times.
You can read my review for the original film, the remake (which was
actually decent), and both sequels to the remake here (https://vampireclown82-2.blogspot.com/2017/09/i-spit-on-my-blog.html),
as well as the sequel to the original, Déjà
Vu, in the archives (www.abcreviewarchive.blogspot.com). This documentary on the original film is
helmed by the director’s son, Terry Zarchi, who made an appearance as the young
kid at the gas station in the film. Everything
from the film’s inspiration and how scenes were filmed are discussed via
talking heads, including Meir, the star Camille Keaton, and two of the film’s
villains (the other two are M.I.A. and it’s briefly explained why). Also included are viewpoints from its
detractors and admirers, such as the late film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert
who became famous for panning the film deeply (which also brought it more
attention) and a girl that was raped herself shortly before watching it and
ended up connecting with it. I don’t
think anyone that isn’t mildly a fan of the film in question will have any
interest in this documentary. I suggest
you at least watch the original film (if you haven’t already) before checking
this out though, but I think many can agree with me in saying it’s not exactly
a film you watch for fun and isn’t for everybody…11/18/2020
Mulan OK
Well, I didn’t dislike it like I did the majority of
live-action Disney remakes released in the last couple years, even the one
helmed by Tim Burton, one of my favorite directors. Gone is the super catchy, ultra-conservative,
anti-non-binary tune, “I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” as are all musical numbers,
but its potent message of female empowerment remains (Mulan is one that
actually walks the walk). Being this is
115-minutes and the 1998 animated film was only 88, a few things were added
here and it did feel a bit longer than it should’ve been; it’s rated PG-13 too,
so there is violence, but I don’t recall any of it being bloody. The film does look great, most big-budget
action films tend to, but I still prefer the animated version. 11/17/2020
Bonus reviews:
Eli Roth’s History of
Horror (Season 2)
Horror filmmaker Eli Roth returns as the narrator for this
second season documentary series covering the horror film genre. There are six episodes this time as opposed
to seven last time and they’re all a little over 40-minutes without the
commercials. Oh, and just a heads up, it
is assumed you’ve seen all the movies discussed (like last season), so I
suggest you fast-forward or stop and watch said movie if you don’t want any
spoilers! Here are some (ahem, many) of
the things I said in my season one review that also apply to this season, which
you can read the rest of in the archives (www.abcreviewarchive.blogspot.com)---[documentary series on AMC…hosted by
filmmaker Eli Roth featuring other filmmakers and actors in the horror genre
talking about and giving their personal opinions on specific films…While the
films discussed and analyses given are absolutely nothing I haven’t heard or
read before, it’s still fun to see different people talk about them, especially
if you’re a fan of any of the talking heads or have a general interest in the
subject matter (like I obviously do)…I do think there could’ve been more than
seven episodes (they obviously didn’t cover the entire genre), but perhaps I’m
getting too far ahead of myself and more are planned?]. While it may always be enjoyable discussing
entertainment you share in common with others, or even watching it be discussed
(which is the visual equivalent), I didn’t seem to enjoy this season in its
entirety as much as last season, even though it generally had my full attention,
as it should any horror fan, or even film fan.
It might be that two of the episodes (“Monsters” and “Body Horror”)
covered films I’m not particularly a fan of; “Monsters” is a very vague term to
begin with, especially in the horror genre.
The other episodes included “Houses of Hell,” “Witches,” “Chilling
Children,” and “Nine Nightmares.” It was
refreshing to see witches included since they don’t have many films (at least
in the horror genre). The “Houses of
Hell” segment didn’t only include haunted houses, but houses that contained
evil within (House of 1000 Corpses
being an example). “Nine Nightmares”
covered films that allegedly pushed boundaries and leave it to good ol’ Eli
Roth to include films like Pieces and
Cannibal Holocaust. And perhaps they may have pushed
boundaries, but I think countless other titles could’ve been included besides Midsommar and Jordan Peele’s Us since they’re still fairly
recent. This season’s existence
certainly answered my question from last season’s review in that I was getting
too far ahead of myself. I wonder if
more seasons are planned (as of yet, there’s no news), because even though subgenres
may have been covered, there are definitely more films that can be
discussed. I love horror, like Eli Roth,
so I’ll definitely keep tuning in until every single thing in the genre is
covered! 11/16/2020
Killer Clowns EH/OK
Anyone that knows me knows I love them. The title is as straightforward as it gets;
this barely hour-long documentary details the history of clowns as well as some
of the ones in cinema and reality. Films
like Stephen King’s It, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Terrifier, and Wrinkles the Clown are covered, but instead of showing clips or
photos of the actual films, we’re given substitute images, making this come off
as unprofessional and cheaply-made (I did actually learn something new about Killer Klowns in regards to the title
though). I mean, they did show one real
picture of serial killer John Wayne Gacy, so why couldn’t images/clips from
those aforementioned films be utilized?
And why weren’t there any talking heads?
I think I would’ve preferred just reading the same information. This definitely isn’t the definitive
documentary on the subject, but it won’t take up too much of your time and is currently available on Tubi (meaning
free). 11/18/2020
Dash & Lily (Season
1) G
I’m a sucker for Christmas movies. Not just horror ones either, and not
necessarily those Lifetime/Hallmark Channel ones that are all the same with
different performers and locations (although I do watch them too if I’m in the
mood for something season-y). I gave
this new Netflix series a chance after seeing it was only 8 episodes totaling a
little over 3 hours (the longest episode is 27-minutes). Mind you, the Christmas aspect is the only
thing that drew me in as I’m not the biggest fan of romantic comedies, although
I do like some. In it, the titular
characters (Dash generally being a loner that hates Christmas, Lily being the
opposite) write dares to each other in a red notebook, leaving it in various
locations in New York City for the other to retrieve. This is all before they actually meet in
person, similar to being pen pals or Instant Messenger buddies. Sure, it ends pretty much how you know it
will, but it manages to be engaging enough during its run. Sigh, I’m going to recommend it. I hate myself…11/18/2020
Other movies I've seen and their ratings (see above):
Camp Cold Brook >>>EH
Uncle Peckerhead >>>OK
Unhinged >>>OK
---Sean O.
11/20/2020
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