Camelot_2000 Reviews

Song of the South (1946)

A Seldom Seen And Controversial Disney Classic

[6/10 · 19 May 2024]

This classic film has been out of circulation for years due to Disney wanting to hide the glaring qualities of racism that it carried. Times were different back then though when this feature was made and what was once deemed acceptable isn't that way now. Society and most of it's attitudes have changed, but there are lasting reminders of how things once were, such as in this movie.

I was fortunate to have found the DVD for it online and quickly got it. The first time I saw this film was when it was rereleased to theaters back in 1980. I totally enjoyed it back then, totally unaware of any "racial overtones" it might've carried. I was only a kid at the time though and didn't focus on such things like that, only the entertainment value that it carried.

After viewing it with adult eyes today, however, I can now see what all the fuss was about. The "Ol' South" in Georgia was depicted as an idyllic place where African Americans and whites got along in perfect harmony.

The blacks were made totally subservient to the whites though and it clearly showed. You could constantly see the blacks looking up to and holding white people in high regard and did anything they said without argument.

James Baskett is indeed outstanding as the legendary storyteller, Uncle Remus, and the special effects are at a really awe inspiring level for its time. The live action actors against the animated scenes is extremely well done.

What I enjoyed most of all were those animated sequences with Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear. The Disney masters really did an impressive job though the story involving the "tar baby" hasn't aged well with time. Something like that is totally unacceptable today due to the highly racist quality of it and the name itself. Major lawsuits would fall if something like that was released today in the 21st Century.

All in all, this is an extremely well made film despite the racial scar placed on it. It's also a good curiosity item to see and to check out what all the fuss is about regarding this classic feature.

It was evidently a product of the times way back then in 1946 and in an age when segregation was still in full swing in the Southern United States. It's totally taboo now and had been hard to find for decades, but still, it can eventually turn up somewhere on the market. It'll never go away no matter how much the Disney Corporation wants that.

I honestly admit I don't like the stereotypical depictions of African Americans that it carries or the racist situations that it displays. The white boy becomes good buddies with a black boy on the plantation, but can't even invite him to his birthday party when it's held. What can't be denied though is that this is indeed a Disney classic due to the excellent animation and special effects it contains, but the reputation for racism had caused it to be seldom seen nowadays.

Endless Love (1981)

An Obsessive, But Deranged Love Story

[4/10 · 20 February 2024]

That pretty well sums up this sensationalized soap opera sudser from 1981. It got critically bashed back in the day, but after viewing it recently, I considered it not too bad after all. It caters to what it set out to do and that's to tell a sad love story and it delivers on that.

Yeah, we've all had heartbreak at some time in our lives, but for some, they can't ever let it go and turn to desperate actions in the same vein as "Fatal Attraction" to get who they want.. There's no psychotic killers here though, just a troubled 17 year old boy named David who is obsessed with a 15 year old named Jade Butterfield.

The parents from both sides of the spectrum are the lenient and not overly domineering types who give a lot of freedom to their teenage kids. Jade's parents had the habit of throwing loud teenage parties while David's parents feel he's "man enough" to handle himself and allow him to do whatever he wants.

With all that freedom, David and Jade become extremely close, even to the point of having sex in her parent's house with them knowing about it. That is tolerated for the longest time until Jade's dad becomes concerned about the effects it was having on his daughter. Those late night sessions with David made her tired at school during the day and affected her grades.

Jade's dad eventually puts his foot down and bans David from seeing Jade for the next "30 days". David doesn't take it too well and can't cope with the separation, most especially when another party is thrown at Jade's house and she's gotten cozy with another boy.

Yeah, arson is committed on her house by David while everyone is asleep afterwards, but he realizes the error of his actions and wakes up everyone inside to save them, most especially the love of his life, Jade.

I did read the book at one time and did notice this flick wasn't totally faithful to it. It failed at getting into the depths of David to truly find out why he acted the way he did. There was no true exploration of that at all.

Brooke Shield's is indeed a major beauty in this and Martin Hewitt handles himself well as her obsessive lover who turns to desperate acts to get her, but it doesn't have the impact it should've had. We just see David's anguish about not being able to get her while going through the justice system and serving time in a mental facility.

There's a lot on David's side that doesn't give him any favors in the situation. He's banned from any contact with Jade or her family and is the target of vengeful rage by her angry father. Does that stop him from pursuing the love of his life? Of course not which causes trouble to ignite further.

I admit I deeply love the song for this film by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross. It perfectly sets up the mood for this sad teenage romance. I do like this film and most especially the performances by the two leads, but that inner turmoil for their love should've been better explored. This film missed that.

The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981)

A Controversial Western

[2/10 · 1 February 2024]

What to say about this notorious western from the 1980s? Well, the cinematography is excellent and so are the vibes of a good cowboy movie with shootings constantly going on and, of course, a perilous stagecoach ride across the frontier. How those people would've benefited from a safe ride upon Greyhound in the 20th century instead.

A potential star is also made of Klinton Spilsbury who does know how to act, but has his voice dubbed over by another actor in the meantime. He was an unknown at the time and was looked upon as potential in making this film a major hit. He, after all, had the "chiseled good looks" and "eyes far apart enough" to look good in the mask. That was evidently why he was chosen to play the lead.

One of those classic outlaws, Butch Cavendish, is made the major outlaw in this film and he's of course, as callous and nasty as he could be. Just tune into any John Wayne western to get the point.

John Reid is the victim turned into crusader in this adaptation of the masked man. He stayed with a native tribe after losing his family after a massacre in the untamed frontier. He managed to keep his hair at a 1980s short length though while his native buddy, Tonto and the rest of the natives, had hair down to their shoulders. That tribe must have had a good barber.

There's shallow dramatics involved and stuff played out like a corny rehearsal with barely any lingering shots of the main character. Whenever they do have it, the scene quickly moves away in a display of choppy editing like it was cut with a chainsaw. It was like the filmmakers were trying to hide something, such as the star not properly carrying the weight of a film like this.

Then there's the "posse" out to bring Butch and his hoodlums to justice with Reid's older brother among them. Yeah, they get massacared with John the sole survivor. John's childhood friend, Tonto, then comes magically wandering by and saves him as he's laying there unconscious among the dead, opening the door for the mythical western hero.

The elements of "Death Wish" then gets thrown in with John seeking justice for that malicious attack against his brother and the others. A very tiring cliche which is one of the major downgrades of this film.

This was a major revival attempt of the legendary Lone Ranger back in the 1980s, but it ended up misfiring instead. Spilsbury had the potential for fully capturing the elements of the character with his appropriate good looks and acting ability, but that potential was never fully explored.

I don't know why that was. It could've been because Spilsbury, himself, wasn't fully embraced in the role or because the filmmakers eventually found insecurities in casting him. Whichever way, this film doesn't carry the potential it could've been given.

The camera obviously doesn't give much time for the main character which says a lot. A far cry from how Clint Eastwood is depicted in western films. There's just quick shots and cut away scenes for Klinton Spilsbury and nothing else to magnify him in this potentially glorified wild west outing.

To sum it up, I don't think this western deserved the backlash it was ultimately given back in 1981. It has it's good points, but the bad points overweigh that which is what led to its downfall.

You have to give credit though to Michael Horse as Tonto who is no longer the subservient "Indian" to the Lone Ranger, but one who is depicted as an "equal". He's no longer "following behind" but is placed in the same caliber as him in ultimately saving the day. You have to give this film credit for giving the right recognition that Native Americans deserve.

This was evidently an honest attempt to revive the legend of the ' Lone Ranger', but controversies and the quality of the film caused it to be a flop instead. Fast forward to 2013 where another Lone Ranger movie tried to revive the franchise, but it failed too.

To sum it up, Clayton Moore was indeed the one and only " Lone Ranger" from classic TV and no amount of revivals can ever capture what he brought to the role. The Lone Ranger is one of a kind.

Bagdad Cafe (1987)

How One Person Changed Bagdad Cafe

[10/10 · 17 November 2023]

I've always been a fan of this pleasing movie and definitely felt the good vibes it gave off while watching it tonight on my DVD player. It's one of those "feel good" films where you can't help, but feel pleased about the transformation one foreign tourist brought to a remote desert café and motel in the Mojave Desert.

There was nothing very pleasing about this 'Bagdad Café' at first. It was a dusty and run down establishment where coffee couldn't even be served. Their coffee maker didn't work anymore. It was owned and operated by an apparently unhappy black couple who bickered a lot until it came to the point where the husband left, leaving his wife to run the place alone.

She does and proves she's not one happy figure. She's cranky all the time and is constantly yelling at her two kids and those who live there. It all looked despairing at first until one day when this mysterious well dressed German woman appears with no car and with just a suitcase.

Brenda was highly suspicious of her and found it unbelievable the woman actually wanted to get a room in her run down business.. She grants that though, but constantly treated the woman with deep suspicion. She even found it odd that her room only carried men's clothes and stuff like shaving equipment.

The German woman, Jasmin, broke up with her husband along their trip down the desert highway. They argued like crazy until she couldn't take it anymore. She set off down the highway with her suitcase, unaware that she accidentally took her husband's instead of her own.

He also had a 'magic box set' in that suitcase which later triggered off the ice to be eventually broken between her and Brenda. It took a while for that to happen.

If there's one thing I like about those rest stops along a highway, is the different amount of people that can be encountered there and this film strongly addresses that. Jack Palance is a highlight as a former set artist for Hollywood who lives in a silver trailer on the grounds and becomes obsessed with painting Jasmin's portrait.

There's also a pretty tattoo artist who ran her business from one of the motel rooms and who the truckers are always pleased on doing business with whenever they stopped their rigs at that place. There was also a young white guy who eventually camped there and flung his boomerang around a lot.

With all those elements strung together, this has turned out to be one pleasing movie. I've always gotten those feel good emotions while watching it. CCH Pounder is terrific as the bitter Brenda who eventually softens up as time goes on. Marianne Sägebrecht is also superb as Jasmin, the unwelcome German woman who eventually fits into that place and changes it around tremendously. She worked magical wonders.

I also love that haunting theme song that plays off and on throughout the movie, perfectly setting the atmosphere for what's going on at Bagdad Café. I sure wouldn't mind staying there after Jasmin miraculously changed the place into a highly popular one. One of my all time favorite films.

The Witches (1990)

Angelica Huston is Delightfully Nasty As The Grand High Witch.

[8/10 · 4 November 2023]

I've seen this film off and on throughout the years and each time I'm grandly entertained. What especially captivated me were the excellent special effects for this story. That's what made it so riveting. A young boy and his devoted grandma are devastated by the loss of the boy's parents and decide to leave Denmark for England. They settle into a large manor there in the British countryside and later take a vacation to a swank and posh hotel along the coast. It's a luxurious place with it's snooty attitudes and with Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) wonderfully playing the uptight hotel manager. There are vibes of his Mr. Bean character in how he ineptly and clumsily tries to handle any crisis or disturbances to come his way.

Unbeknownst to Luke and his grandma, there are a coven of witches who also checked in and were there for an 'annual convention'. What made it even more intriguing was that the elusive "Grand High Witch" was there herself to lead it. Witches were known to Luke and his grandma though with his grandma aware of the dangers that laid ahead with a coven like that. She had experiences herself with them when she was a girl and warned Luke about how they could be practically found anywhere, even in the most sweetest of ladies. Luke was captivated by her advice and agreed.

Well, sure enough, he encounters them while wandering around the hotel with his pet mice. He finds an empty conference room to train his mice to do circus acts, but then a throng of ladies pour in and fill up the place. He's hidden at the time and is shocked to witness the 'meeting' that unfolds before him as he spies on it. Wigs and shoes are taken off to reveal the identity of the witches. They have bald heads with scabs on them and stumps for feet. They had no toes. The 'Grand Witch' herself removes her disguise of a beautiful woman to reveal how she truly looked. She was hideous.

That witch's meeting is an interesting one where the Grand High Witch reveals a plan to get rid of all the children in England. She created a potion to turn them all into mice and instructed her coven to buy candy stores. She wanted the potion added to chocolates and candies on sale. The witches were ecstatic about such a plan and highly applauded her for that. Luke was eventually discovered from his hiding place and tried to elude the malicious coven by escaping to his grandma's room. All the adults had been placed under a "sleeping spell" at the hotel though during that time and the witches easily captured him and forcibly gave him a few drops of the potion, causing him to turn into a mouse.

Yeah, the excitement increases after that with Luke desperately crawling around the hotel to alert his grandma about what happened and to help set things straight again. There's also another boy at the hotel who got changed and he clearly showed his sole interest was only in food. It was hilarious when his parents finally saw his mouse form and he says, "You always wanted me to lose weight, well, look at me now!"

This is an excellent movie which I already watched a couple of times this week after getting the DVD in the mail. Mai Zetterling is absolutely terrific as the boy's devoted and caring grandma who helps him in his plot to foil the wicked coven in their midst even though he was just a mouse and nothing more. Anjelica Huston though, can't be beat as the devilish Grand High Witch. She was absolutely terrific and totally menacing which made it all the more entertaining.

There's a so-called "re-make" of this film from 2020 that stars Anne Hathaway and Octavia Spencer, but I don't care to ever see that. It could never capture the pleasing aspect of this film from 1990. It's one of a kind. The soup looks good too, but I wouldn't try it.

Lean on Me (1989)

Morgan Freeman Is Absolutely Dominating In This

[10/10 · 27 October 2023]

I watched this old flick tonight on my DVD player and, oh man, it was overwhelming and captivating on how a stern minded principal straightens out an inner city school. It was also touching as well.

The high school depicted was a respectable looking one back in the 1960s, but then the film fast forwards to the 1980s to show how extremely bad it eventually became. The crime, drugs and assaults were common there, but all that changes when Mr. Clark enters the picture as the new principal.

His first actions were to kick out all the 'delinquents' in that place who either stayed on too long at the school or were just plain hoodlums. A young chubby kid was among one of those causalities and it was touching when he later pleaded to Mr. Clark to let him continue going to school there, saying he didn't want his ma to know. A deal is worked out and the kid promises to behave himself which he does.

Mr. Clark worked extreme wonders on that school. He changed it from a crime infested and graffiti covered building to a respectable learning institution. There were, of course, oppositions towards his stern ways and his drill sergeant actions towards getting things done the way he wants.

It was apparent that he cared for the students at that school, but eventually had to learn that he sometimes went too far and had to reign himself in. He had to learn the appreciation of his efforts instead of yelling about how he wanted things done his way all the time.

I'm surprised Morgan Freeman was never nominated for an Oscar for his performance as the tough school principal, Joe Clark. He played the role to a tee and made it captivating in the process. He's one of my favorite actors and he clearly showed his powerful range in this film.

Man of Steel (2013)

A Powerful, but yet, weak Superman version

[2/10 · 25 October 2023]

There's massive destruction going on in this version of the legendary Superhero. There's so much chaos and toppling of buildings in the great city of Metropolis that the insurance for that must've been enormous. Henry Cavill, you have to admit, fits the cape to a tee, but he comes nowhere close to what Christopher Reeve brought to that role.

This time around, Superman takes a long time in understanding the capability of his supreme powers. He's tossed around a lot like a rubber ball while the enemies from Krypton - General Zod and his henchmen, wreck havoc on Earth.

I admit I got tired of all the destruction and mayhem while watching. I also got especially tired of Superman's insecurities on how to save the world and his lack of understanding on what's he's fully capable of.

This comes nowhere close to capturing the majestic charm of the classic Superman films with Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder. It's more of a fast paced and CGI infested outing with no time to breath. Everything happens so fast.

Henry Cavill is indeed hot stuff as the latest version of the classic Superman, but he can't capture what Christopher Reeve brought to that role. He seems to be just "eye candy" for his attempts and nothing more.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972)

A Good Nostalgic, But Disturbing View

[4/10 · 22 September 2023]

This is indeed an old retelling of a classic story and I have to admit, it pretty well captures Lewis Carroll's "vision" of Wonderland and the deranged characters within it. The results though, were anything, but enjoyable.

I watched the DVD of this flick tonight for nostalgia's sake, remembering how it came on sometimes during the Christmas Season when I was a little kid. I recall getting engrossed in the visually stunning angle of it back then, but at the same time, was scared of those furry Wonderland characters featured in it.

I definitely felt those old uncomfortable vibes tonight while watching it as an adult. There's never been anything very appealing about this Wonderland and it clearly shows in this film. It always seemed like a warped and deranged place to me.

Those characters seem like they're either high on LSD or 'magic mushrooms'. They also don't make any sense most of the time. It does indeed play out like a dream though with different places appearing and disappearing, sizes growing from small to large and nonsensical things happening, like that Mad Hatter's tea party. Dreams can indeed bring up the most deranged visuals imaginable and this story perfectly captures that.

The girl who played Alice is perfectly cast and gives a great performance. She's a great singer too and brings a sugary sweetness to it all, but the eerie atmosphere of Wonderland overshadows all that, like she was an angel in an insane asylum.

This is indeed a well made movie with stunning special effects for it's time and it moves at such a rapid rate, that there's no time to be bored. The imaginative sets and vast array of costumes are also an added bonus. It can be a visual feast to the eyes at times.

I admit I would've enjoyed this classic flick a lot more as a child and later as an adult if only the characters in Wonderland weren't so unappealing and seemingly in need of psychiatric help. It's always seemed that way to me, they were also really scary at times, like they came from "The Island of Dr. Moreau".

Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

There's No End To Those Large Evil Global Corporations

[4/10 · 13 September 2023]

I viewed this alleged end to the franchise tonight and found it mediocre to the extreme. Sure, it feeds into what dinosaur hungry audiences are expecting, but it offers nothing new and is a tiring retread of prehistory running amok in these modern times.

I admit I felt bored at the beginning when scenes jumped all over the world with Jurassic World characters and Jurassic Park veterans getting introduced into the story to create a thread of what's going on. It was nice to see that combo happening, but things don't perk up until halfway through the flick.

This time the evil corp. Is called 'Biosyn Genetics' which tampers with nature in more ways than one and predictably causes self destruction in the process. There's, of course, a ruthless CEO of that company who tries to profiteer from this age of large reptiles. Needless to say, that backfires just like other hungry investments before it.

There's indeed a large adventure here though where escaping vicious dinosaurs is the major element, but without any intention of killing off any of them. I almost expected the ending credits to say, "No dinosaurs were harmed during the making of this film".

I found the scenes with Owen Grady and Claire Dearing the major highlights of this movie. They have the best action scenes while the veterans from Jurassic Park are in more tamed down dilemmas. I guess it's due to their ages.

Yeah, there's eventually destruction everywhere and a new genetically modified dinosaur thrown in for good measure. Those evil corporations never seem to learn. I'm surprised the global economy hasn't gotten bankrupt with those humungous investments into dinosaur modifications and creating gigantic sanctuaries for those beasts.

I admit I'm a fan of the Jurassic franchise, but after 30 years of dinosaurs on the loose, it's pretty well worn itself out. I have no doubt a new reboot to the series will eventually happen. People don't easily get tired of dinosaurs.

Krull (1983)

A Good Fantasy Outing For The Time

[3/10 · 12 September 2023]

I remember seeing this particular film at the movie theatre when it came out in 1983. I really enjoyed it back then and didn't know of the cold reception it got from critics. I wasn't old enough to know better anyway. I was just entertained. Well, fast forward to 40 years later and I've viewed this film again last night on my DVD player and it has all the memories I remember it of having. There are all the elements here of a good fantasy sci-fi outing with beautiful castles, an equally beautiful damsel in distress and a dashing hero who does everything he can to save her. The villain though, feels more like he's encased in a TV screen instead of being a full threatening danger.

This evil being has an amphibious appearance and seems to have too much red lipstick on his mouth. Not much is known about him, just that he's there to capture a lovely princess and to be with her for "power" and not "love". He travels to a planet in a spacecraft that looks like a tall rocky mountain that enables it to blend in with the rocky terrain of that place .He then has these soldiers with heavy amour on, to launch a raid on the castle where the hero and princess are in the middle of being wed. The laser guns and sophisticated technology against the medieval civilization of that world made it easy for the place to be attacked.

There's a major massacre in that castle with the hero miraculously surviving it all. His aim after that, of course, is to save the woman he loves against that extra-terrestrial evil that is camouflaged in its mountainous looking base. He's helped by a wise old man with special powers and a team of bandits who reluctantly agree to assist in this quest. There's also a guy with metaphoric abilities who joins in as well as a one eyed cyclops. That's an overwhelming good team and you can't help, but notice that Liam Neeson is a part of the pack. As an A-list actor now, it's amusing seeing him in this type of flick and with a limited appearance. There's no way now he'd make an appearance in a silly adventure story like this, but it was, after all, the beginning of his movie star career.

Yes, now that I'm looking at this old entertaining flick from decades ago, I see now with more mature eyes that it's all a mild and silly affair with primitive special effects which was pretty well the norm back in the day. The latter part is intriguing and exciting though where the hero and his posse penetrate the fortress. There's a maze of rocky entrances and passageways to deal with and guards who squeal and turn into snakes that dig into the ground after they're killed. I still can't figure out the subterranean place those evil reptiles were seemingly headed.

As for the villain, he appears like he's in an MTV video and looks phony to boot. He roars a lot and turns his body left and right to appear menacing, but is plainly a rip off from those phony Godzilla movies with rubber costumes. This was entertaining fodder when I was a kid, but it doesn't hold any gel now. It still has it's good qualities though and does what it sets out to do which is entertain even though those with more mature minds won't agree.

Spider in the Attic (2021)

For A Viewer With Arachnophobia, The CGI Spiders Aren't Scary

[1/10 · 23 July 2023]

I admit I do suffer from arachnophobia and always get a chill whenever creepy crawlies are the main feature in a film. I got totally freaked out when I went and saw "Arachnophobia" at the theater back in 1990. That cunning and sly spider featured in that film totally horrified me. I didn't feel anything here though. I mean, how scary are spiders that are clearly CGI?! The stupidity of the characters also play a role.

A group of ladies, with one of them on the edge of pregnancy along with her boyfriend, go investigate a large remote manor in the British countryside. They want to launch an exploitation news report to gather ratings and find the juice they're looking for, but put their own lives in peril in the process. There are spiderwebs all over the place in that large manor and the discovery that a large mutant spider is on the loose on the premises. Did that stop them? No, of course not. They prowl around and look under beds and cautiously open doors to other rooms to find the beast(s).

The thought never occurred to them to leave that manor, but no, they stay put and then chaos erupts. The pregnant woman, of course, goes into labor during the tense moments and, of course, has an encounter with one of the evil arachnids. It's an anguishing and terrifying ordeal for them all with the spiders never seeming to attack. I guess it's because they're all CGI and harmless.

This is a lame horror movie with barely any action. The spiders aren't menacing at all and don't leap and bite like in other films. They're just spotted while the characters wither in terror and then run to escape them. They might as well have put put cartoon spiders drawn by elementary school students into the film instead. That would've had a better impact.

Interlaced (2018)

A Horror Movie That Keeps You Guessing

[3/10 · 22 July 2023]

That's what it pretty well boiled down too while I watched this flick tonight online. There's this boy who had a younger sister disappear mysteriously in the woods while a family BBQ was going on at a home in a wooded area.

A year later the boy wants to go out into a camping excursion on his own with "the approval of his parents"! His mother drives him to her "seemingly ex-husband's" large house out in the wilderness and then the boy takes off from there.

I didn't know what to make out of this. The father is out hunting and leaves a note at the door, telling his son that the back door was accessible for having root beer and food in the kitchen, but the boy picks up his camping gear and just heads off into the wilderness instead

There are ancient graves dotted in the area evidently from colonial times and there are signs that a menacing presence is within there in the woods. For the boy to enter all that is like he was willingly falling into a mouse trap.

He sets up his tent and falls asleep and when the darkness later descends, enters a night of shocks and horrors. He sees his younger sister off and on and rescues her before bringing her back to the tent, but she mysteriously disappears again after he falls asleep and finds her later reappearing again.

It all plays out like a "Nightmare On Elm Street" type of situation where you don't know what's real or what is not. You can't help, but keeping thinking, "is he finding the ghost of his sister?" or if "he's a ghost himself?"

There are no explanations given though and everything plays out at a visual level. You have to find answers for what you see. I admit the boy was a good actor even though he didn't act as surprised as he should've been during the shocking moments. I give it a passing grade though. This horror movie continues to leave me guessing.

Flight 666 (2018)

Terror In The Skies Once Again

[4/10 · 19 July 2023]

There's no "Snakes On A Plane" in this film. There's not even an airplane malfunction or terrorist attack like in the 'Airport' movies from the 1970s. It all has to do with the supernatural and fairly succeeds on that level. A wicked thunderstorm, of course, enhances the eerie setting where the passengers act nervous about the turbulence while the flight attendants comfort them. It's a tense situation where some of the passengers seemingly start to go "mad" about what they're seeing in the washroom and out the windows. There are grotesque visions afoot and it's all brushed off at first as panic about the thunderstorm, but later on, there's a realization that something sinister is going on.

I thought the military beefcake known as Austin would take a handle on the uncontrollable spooks that were happening. He seemed to easily take control whenever the passengers reached a hysteria, but it was the equally beefy police detective known as Thad who took command of things. Austin wasn't really given much to do even though he carried the potential. I thought he should have. It was like having Arnold Schwarzenegger standing idly by while the action reaches a zenith.

It eventually plays out like an Agatha Christie-who-done-it with the realization that two murdered women were haunting the plane and were trying to reveal who it was that murdered them. This movie was clever, I thought I had the identity of the killer pegged, but was proven totally wrong afterwards. You just have to follow along until the answer comes towards the end.

I admit I've always liked these "panic in the skies" type of flicks and this one delivers though it definitely isn't high caliber regarding a true airline disaster. It's more or less a ghost story in the same vein as "The Amityville Horror", but takes place on a jet instead of a haunted house. This movie isn't the best, but it delivers on dishing out shocks and thrills in the horror genre. I just wish Austin was the hero out of it all. He was so HOT.

Beneath (I) (2013)

Feeding The Fish

[2/10 · 18 July 2023]

Let's see, what do we have here. There's six young people on a party retreat at a lake with one of them knowing the dangerous menace that lays in the water.

There are the arrogant jocks, the typical beauty queens and, of course, the nerd, among them all who set out to have a good time. They all get into a rowboat and paddle across a lake to reach the other side for some fun.

There ends up being a large man-eating fish in those waters that constantly bumps into their boat until it starts to leak. The threat of that killer fish and the hysterical panic of those on the boat, then comes into effect.

There's a lot of screaming and desperation among them all and loyalties are lost. There are votes to see who gets thrown to the fish so the others could paddle to safety. They all turn on one another in the most cruelest of ways which causes a lot of intense conflict.

It's all a "you did me wrong and deserve to die" type of scenario and there was evidence of overreacting about it as well. The killer fish, which looked peculiarly like a paper mache fish I once made in elementary school, does come across as dangerous and menacing, but after a while, the effect wears off. The raging drama on the boat overshadows the dangers below the waters

That boat never seems to sink no matter how much they bail out the water and pause every so often to argue about the danger they're under. They do paddle a lot too with their hands after losing their oars, but never seem to get any closer to the shore. They're always in the middle of the lake.

Yeah, a futile situation and one that gets tiring after a while. There are no heroes here. It's all a "feed them to the creature so I can be saved" type of deal. If I was trapped on a boat with a crew like that, I'd throw myself to the fish.

Ouija Seance: The Final Game (2018 TV Movie)

A Major Bore-Fest

[1/10 · 18 July 2023]

This had all the potential of building itself up into a major thrill ride, but it didn't. There's all the ingredients of a good horror story where a bunch of young people are in a secluded house out in the woods with an evil spiritual presence to deal with. There's the eerie atmosphere surrounding the whole thing, but nothing pretty well happens during most of the movie. Sure, they release a "demonic presence" by using a wooden Ouija Board they find in a mysterious room in the house. We don't get to see much of that demon though except for a few shadows on the walls. It's more of a "psychology horror" with barely any supernatural elements thrown in.

There's a lot of talk involved and also conflict in romantic relationships as well as one eerie character who is the caretaker of the place, but the horror shocks just aren't there. It just drags on and on relentlessly until you can't wait to reach the end. That old house in Italy carries a lot of mystery, especially to the young woman who inherited it from her grandma who recently died. She admitted she didn't know anything at all about her deceased mother, her grandmother or about that house, but soon grows to discover that her family history was saturated with witchcraft and Satanism.

There's an obvious discovery about that in the "secret room" where the characters discover old hardcover books with spells and demonic illustrations in them. Still, they continue to act like they don't know what's going on even though it's obvious what's actually happening. They also find an Ouija Board and, of course, take to using it during a night of drinking and having fun. Do the portals of hell open after that? No, it's more talk, talk, talk, and trying to figure out what's going on. I was on the edge-of-my-seat at the beginning but felt bored later on. This had no major shocks at all for a good horror movie. A total dud.

Piranha 3D (2010)

Another Feeding Frenzy In The Water

[5/10 · 9 July 2023]

I just watched this flick from 2010 and am surprised I never saw it until now. I finally did though and definitely wasn't disappointed. The vicious feeding attacks of any "meat" in the water by the infamous fish known as "the piranha" was the focus here and, in true Hollywood fashion, it was turned it into a massive "bloodbath".

There's a lake that's a popular 'Spring Break' retreat with a huge amount of muscular and beautiful young people having the time of their lives. They show off their boobs, their machismo and their plain sexiness while arrogantly not caring about the dangers that laid around them. There was a lot of fun there.

Well, an earthquake earlier on opened a crevice to a subterranean lake containing a prehistoric colony of extremely wicked piranhas. They fed and they did it quickly. A group of seismologists along with the local sheriff and her posse, investigate the crevice and discover the ancient lake.

There are causalities among that discovery and which causes the authorities to act as quickly as they can to clear the lake, though there were problems with trying to break up the party revelers enjoying Spring Break.

There's, of course, the dilemma where the sheriff's teenage son and two little kids, are trapped on a sinking ship with the piranha's ready for a feeding attack.

I admit this was thoroughly enjoyable entertainment and delivers for those who viewed it with the expectation of seeing what they're supposed to see. The "starving piranhas" eager to strip anything to the bone are showcased in full bloody glory and they do it without fail.

Christopher Lloyd is a treat as a marine biologist who was alerted to this new fish in the water and when a live specimen was brought to him, immediately figured out what it was, a supposedly extinct piranha that died out 2 million years ago, but was free to unleash havoc on the waters again after getting released from that underwater lake.

There is, of course, the wildly thrashing around of panicked swimmers during the piranha attacks as well as the usual attempts to escape to dry land or to other boats, but a lot of that desperation was futile. Those fish were hungry and they wasted no time in getting fed. There was also a "twist" to the ending, but you'll have to see the movie yourself to find that out. Nothing will be revealed here.

The Harrad Experiment (1973)

A Psychological Look At The Outdated Sexual Revolution

[4/10 · 6 July 2023]

I just watched this flick tonight after ordering the DVD online. It was all a mellow affair with the grainy screen clearly showing the age of this ancient film. The 'Harrad Experiment' is all about the "sexual awakening" of young people back then. There's the modesty, the insecurities and, of course, the self consciousness about attending a college such as that.

There are those who willingly fit into that type of course, but others who don't. The nudity at the college's swimming pool clearly showed those who were modest compared to those who didn't give a damn.

There's a lot of psychological babble about it all and a planned manipulation on exploring the human reactions to jealousy and the social interactions that came with it. This was clearly an experiment and it did have its juicy moments, most notably when Don Johnson comes out of the shower after meeting his "new roommate".

I admit I was bored most of the time. It was all just a talky affair with scenes of nudity thrown in once in a while. Those students were apparently all virgins at the onset of this course and had trouble in dealing with promiscuities.

They were apparently raised on watching old TV shows where couples slept in separate beds and sex was a major taboo. That clearly shows in this outdated flick though there are some students who were comfortable about the arrangements and the nudity involved. It was indeed a clash with those who weren't.

This is indeed outdated stuff compared to how the world is now. Sex was indeed a taboo topic with North American society until the late 1960s and the 1970s came along and this old film explored the new explicitness involved in that. It also does so in a highly self conscious way.

Something like this belongs in a time capsule to be analyzed later. A good curiosity item though and a nostalgic one at that. Something like the "Harrad Experiment" would come across as completely laughable today if a college dared to set up something like that now. North American society has come a long way since then. The prude attitudes of the old era are no longer with us.

Little House on the Prairie: He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not (Part I) (1980) Season 6, Episode 23

Nellie's Notoriety Ended In This Episode

[5/10 · 23 June 2023]

Yeah, she along with her mother, had always been the nasty ingredients to this classic show. Nellie seemed to have gotten worse the older she got though. She was constantly angry, resentful and downright insulting. The major damage came when her mother built her a hotel & restaurant that she could own and operate and to possibly use in "finding a man".

That whole business venture was a disaster with Nellie unable to cook and clean and properly maintain that establishment. She also made it honestly clear how much she hated it and hated working there.

Mr. Oleson seriously wanted to shut the place down due to that, pointing out how much money they were losing from lack of customers. Harriet would have none of that though so she resorts to hiring a specialist from the hospitality industry to help remedy things.

I guess you could say Nellie got "tamed" after dealing with Percival Dalton, the man who was sent to assist in getting the place up and running again. It all got off to a rocky start though.

Percival investigated the place and discovered how rude Nellie was to the customers and how she made no attempt to clean the rooms or learn to cook properly. Against Mrs. Oleson's wishes, he suggested the place be renamed "Caroline's" because if Nellie's name stayed on it, "the public would stay away in droves".

He pointed out too how well liked Mrs. Ingalls was and how she knew to cook. He also suggested he could train Nellie to cook in the meantime. The plan went ahead, but Nellie, in her usual style, still felt resentful about everything.

The scene with the bowl of eggs was hilarious with Nellie angrily breaking them into the bowl until Percival dumps the bowl over her head. He then angrily turns to leave, but says first, "Why your Mother ever built this place for you, I'll never know! You certainly can't cook, and you certainly have no right to be dealing with the public. And as pretty as you are, you don't need a restaurant to catch a husband in the first place."

Well, that final outburst triggered off a major change in Nellie. Her nasty, foul attitude magically disappeared and was replaced with a sweet urge to learn to cook. Percival worked wonders on her and he also knew how to control the loud mouth rantings of Harriet, deeply surprising Mr. Oleson who said, "I just don't believe it."

Yeah, the extreme change in Nellie was a pleasing one indeed and so was her budding romance with Percival Dalton. Those are the segments I enjoyed in this particular episode.

I just felt like yawning though whenever scenes with Laura and Almonzo came up and the trouble they had in getting together. There was, of course, the dilemma added to that about (Yawn!) finding another place for the blind school to be relocated to. Some crisis or problems always occur in trying to keep that place stationary. They seemed to have moved around too much.

Anyway, the highlight of this episode was the one about "taming the beast" and I've always enjoyed that. Turning Nellie nice though didn't give her much to do on the show afterwards. She was eventually written out with another spoiled imp to take her place, "Nancy Oleson". Enough said.

Little House on the Prairie: Sylvia (Part One) (1981) Season 7, Episode 17

The Most Controversial Episode In The Series

[4/10 · 20 June 2023]

Yes, I admit there's a range of notoriety on this installment of LHOTP. It carried deep and disturbing overtones and goes against the G rated standards the show usually had. It suddenly bordered on the horror movie genre with a young woman chosen as the victim and one of stalking and rape. The unknown villain, of course, wears a creepy mask and there's also close up shots of his eye whenever he looks at Sylvia while hidden in the bushes. We don't know who he is until the end.

Albert gets caught in the middle of that and also falls in love with Sylvia regardless of the "Trampy" reputation she developed in Walnut Grove. That is indeed an unfair branding. The boys at school were crazy about her due to her seemingly becoming a "woman early". They even went so far as to spy on her at the window of her house to try and see her undressed. Sylvia's dad catches them peeking and they take off, but he gets a hold of Albert. Mrs. Oleson, for a change, made a good difference when she showed up at the right time in her horse and carriage and angrily ordered Sylvia's dad to "leave that child alone!" Albert was let go after that.

Willie Oleson was a part of those "Peeping Toms", but when his mother finds out and confronts him about it, takes the cowardly way of shifting the blame. He said Sylvia got them to do it because of how she sexually "teases" the boys at school. That, of course, got Mrs. Oleson on the war path and focused on putting the blame on Sylvia.

I admit the whole situation was unfair. Thanks to Willie and Mrs. Oleson, Sylvia got depicted as a "tramp" around the realm of Walnut Grove and it didn't help matters either when Doc Baker found out she was pregnant.

Albert was distraught about finding out the news and was also falsely accused of being the father of her unborn child. Mrs. Oleson was to blame for that after snooping in on the conversation between Sylvia's dad and Doc Baker while she was working as the town's telephone operator.

Albert develops a bad reputation from the allegations of "being the father" and his parents took notice, deciding to take him out of school for a while and to tutor him at home. Albert's love for Sylvia knew no bounds though and he wanted to quit school for good to support her and their "baby" by getting a job.

Sylvia, it was obvious to see, was a victim of everything that was going on and was powerless to stop it. She was held under the grip of her stern father and while also having to tolerate the unfair reputation of being promiscuous.

She was a nice and decent girl who should've let people know she got impregnated by her stalker. But she didn't. She kept the whole thing secret until the signs of the rape were discovered by Doc Baker and later, Albert's parents who found out about it from Laura.

Yeah, a disturbing episode to the series in more ways than one. It clearly showed how someone could be so unfairly labeled as the "villain" while the real culprit is allowed to roam free due to his hidden identity. It also vividly showed that gossip and how it can allow people to so easily jump to the wrong conclusions, can be damaging as well.

There are persecutions, condemning talk and downright ignorance to what was going on, but the real victim out of the whole issue was Sylvia. It's sad that most of the Walnut Grove residents didn't pick up on that right away.

The bottom line is, this show reached deep emotional depths regarding tragedy and drama and Sylvia was among one of the casualties from that. She deserved better.

Little House on the Prairie: Home Again: Part 1 (1983) Season 9, Episode 16

A Harrowing Look At Drug Addiction

[8/10 · 14 June 2023]

I admit Season 9 of this series was pretty stale compared to the seasons before it. Everyone noticed the absence of Charles Ingalls and the family which was the weak point of this new reboot called, "Little House - A New Beginning".

The former atmosphere of the original show was brought back full throttle though with the "special guest star" appearances of Michael Landon and Matthew Labyorteaux. This time around, Albert has turned into a hoodlum in the big city with Charles unable to control him.

In true Charles Ingalls style, there's an emotional plea to a store owner to not press charges against his son who would've been fated to serve time in a "work house" for the next 3 to 5 years. Albert had stolen from the man's store.

Well, an agreement is worked out and so is the decision for Albert's future. Charles decides to take him back to Walnut Grove and to get him out of the city environment which he believes was a bad influence on the boy.

That's where things get extremely tense due to Albert not wanting to leave due to his addiction to morphine. He wouldn't be able to access it due to the limited options available in a place like "Walnut Grove".

He's forced to go there though with Charles and is deeply resentful of that and it showed. Laura even noticed how he "wasn't the same anymore" after she cheerfully greeted him.

Albert then focuses on Doc Baker who is supplied with the precious "morphine". He steals a couple of packets from him and later substitutes "powdered sugar" in place of the drug when a shipment arrives for the Doc.

This addiction of Albert's is eventually uncovered and then the "drying out" period begins. The cabin owned by Mr. Edwards is the spot chosen for this difficult time.

The one thing I love about this episode was the extremely strong father/son bond that was shown between Charles and Albert. Charles did everything he could to save his son from the addiction even though it got really difficult.

The withdrawal scenes with Albert were disturbing and it was touching to see his father there no matter how excruciating it got. It did indeed get really intense.

There were the screaming sessions, the begging and the pleading for morphine, but Charles refused to give in. He had to get that "poison" out of his son's body.

Yeah, a really riveting episode out of Season 9 and one enlivened by the potent performance of Michael Landon and Matthew Labyorteaux. The old feelings of "Little House On The Prairie" was brought back with those two.

They also had to thrown in a subplot though to cater to the "newbies" in the series. It was about Jason Carter faking poor eyesight to get glasses and appear smart.

Doc Baker saw through that ruse though and played along with it. I admit I got excited whenever scenes with John Carter came on. I've always found him so extremely sexy.

Anyway, the one thing I like about this particular episode was the strong father and son relationship that was depicted between Charles and Albert. The son was worried about his father "leaving him", but the father stuck by him no matter what which was the major potency of it all.

Drug addiction is never an easy matter and this episode perfectly showcases that, even giving a depiction of how it can be for an addict to endure the withdrawals.

This is indeed one of my favorite episodes out of season 9 though I consider "Little Lou" to be the best show out of them all. The sexy John Carter was a highlight in that one.

Space: 1999 (1975–1977)

This Sci-Fi Show Was Ahead Of Its time

[8/10 · 30 May 2023]

I recently got reacquainted with this sci-fi classic series from the 1970s after ordering the DVD box set online recently and, oh man, did it ever bring back memories. I felt those nostalgic childhood vibes again while viewing it.

It lasted only for two measly seasons, but it left an impact during that time. There was more potential here for a show like this and too bad it was never fully explored. The special effects were excellent and the performances fantastic. There were also the multitude of imaginative sets and a variety of costumes that made it so atmospheric.

It also had that sense of 'emergency' and 'urgency' in this series and you could easily feel it while watching. There was always that feeling of 'deep peril' which left viewers on the edge of their seats.

The stories might've seemed silly at the time, such as the premise of the moon getting blasted out of Earth's orbit, but it was always handled with extreme intelligence and with a crew of characters who always knew what they were doing. That's what made it so involving.

There were all the elements here of a good sci-fi adventure that touched on the psychological, paranormal and loyalty elements which made it so good. As the moon traveled through the unknown realms of space, it got you to keep wondering what would happen next.

There was also that highly technical talk among them which added to the 'realism' even though MS-DOS computers and TV screens were the major features of the "future" back then. There were no 'Windows'.

The major highlight out of the whole series was the alien, Maya, and how she could change into anything. Her metamorphosis abilities really put a major boost on the show and made quite an impact. I remember how my childhood friends and I talked about how beautiful she was and how she had those strange rocky eyebrows and that seemingly long mane of hair. She was a marvel.

This sci-fi series was indeed a major treat back in the 1970s when I lived in a small town with only ONE TV channel in Canada's North. It came on every Saturday at 5 o'clock and me and my friends would gather around the tube whenever it did. We were always excited whenever it came on.

It all abruptly ended though without explanation and was only shown in reruns after that. I found out afterwards that a show like this was just "too expensive" at the time. It was priced at about $1 Million dollars an episode which got sponsors to pull the plug on it which is too bad.

That was a major disappointment. This show carried above average potential and had a higher quality than what was shown at the time. The franchise potential was there with toys and dolls sold during its run, but the price of airing it caused its cancellation.

I only wish they could've aimed at the theaterical potential of it and released a chain of Space 1999 movies, but that didn't happen. It just ended.

Too bad money caused its cancellation. I'm reminded of 'Battlestar Galactica' which premiered in 1978 and carried excellent special effects like this show. It was cancelled though after one season due to the high budget. Those TV 'space operas' from the 1970s didn't stand a chance back then.

Battlestar Galactica later rebooted itself into "Galactica 1980" which focused on Earth settings to lower the budget. That was a travesty. The quality of that show was lost back then, most especially when stock footage from another movie was used to show the Cylons potentially attacking our planet. It's not surprising that show got cancelled after a short time.

As for Space 1999, well, this show had it all regarding good sci-fi adventures in the unknown travel through space, but it wasn't given the chance it should've been given. I just wish it lasted longer than it did.

Paradise (1982)

Bubble Gum Adventure In The Desert At It's Best!

[2/10 · 22 March 2023]

What do you get when you cross a beautiful lass like Phoebe Cates with a former 1980s teen heartthrob, Willie Aames?. Well, an erotic adventure of course! It's exploitation at it's finest and it manages to shine through despite the cheap quality of the whole thing. The two leads didn't leave any lack to be desired during this "sexual awareness" outing where he's a "guilty and shameful Christian" while she's just plain curious. Yeah, a "Blue Lagoon rip off" in more ways than one, but it manages to hold its own distinctive flavor without stealing anything from what inspired it.

As much as I enjoyed this flick, I just couldn't take it seriously. I was actually smirking when the funeral proceedings were held for David's missionary parents after the Jackel's attack with his henchmen. I saw better dramatics than that in an 'Infinity' commercial. What it ultimately boils down to is two helpless, but good looking orphans lost in an arid desert with a chipper, but ailing, Englishman to partially guide them. Once he's gone under barbaric circumstances, they have to rely on each other for support and help and wouldn't you know, an oasis magically appears to help them meet that survival.

There's a utopia time they end up having where it all plays out like a sugary fairy tale with a cute chimpanzee couple thrown in for good measure. They build a hut, have all the necessities they need and seemingly swim a lot. Of course, the Jackal and his gang often appear to disrupt the harmony and it's always, "let's get out of here!" before he arrives. Sarah is even captured at one point, but wouldn't you know, David manages to save her despite his bungling efforts and also having the misfortune of getting stung by a scorpion. He becomes sick from that, but of course, ultimately recovers.

Willie Aames and Phoebe Cates, you have to admit, make a gorgeous couple and they do bring sparks to this otherwise bubble gum adventure where sex and the sun plays a major highlight, but gets weighed down with the conflict often brewing up with the bad guys. There's no balance here, but for those Phoebe Cates fans, this is a major "eye candy" excursion into seeing her at her barest glory. A good view if you like cheap, but arousing entertainment like this.

On Golden Pond (1981)

An Excellent Tribute To Getting Older

[10/10 · 4 January 2023]

I watched this excellent film two days in a row on the movie channel and each time it got me teary eyed and tugged at my heart strings in a lot of ways. It showcases the problems of getting older and the conflict that can sometimes erupt with the younger generation. It clearly showed that family conflicts can be there, but that there's always a possibility of finding a resolution to that, regardless of how many years have passed.

Norman and Ethel Thayer return to their summer cottage at a beautiful lake in New England that they affectionally called the "Golden Pond". It's a place they've gone to for the past 48 years and was always a source of tradition for them. They knew the place well and the cottage also carried nostalgic feelings for them as well - Ethel finds and hugs a kewpie doll she finds in there and it was something she once won eons ago at a carnival, evidently showing that those two old timers definitely had a strong history in that summer retreat.

They expected another quiet time in that cottage, but then their daughter shows up with her new boyfriend and his young son (wonderfully played by Doug McKeon). They want the Thayers to look after the boy while they are in Europe and Ethel immediately agrees, but has to convince Norman to do the same thing too. That leads to major problems right there. The boy had an attitude at first and bitterly acted like he was "stuck" there to be gotten out of the way so his father and new woman could enjoy themselves in Europe.

Now, this is where the heartwarming episodes begin where the boy creates conflict at the beginning, but gradually grows to enjoy being with Norman and Ethel. Fishing is what takes priority over it all and Norman instills a deep ambition into the boy in catching "Walter", the biggest trout in the lake. Walter has been a major obsession for Norman to catch for many years and he finally wanted to get him that summer. He gets Billy Jr. To join him in that quest too and they became eager partners on persistently trying to do so, even moving their speedboat into rocky terrain to finally find and catch the "big guy".

This is indeed a beautiful movie and it's wonderful seeing two legendary Hollywood stars together to create that. Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn were totally enjoyable in their roles as Norman and Ethel. They really did feel like a long term couple, even more so as the movie progressed. I got teary eyed off and on while watching, but not just by the movie's dramatic scenes, but how it perfectly portrays the need to enjoy and get along with those older folks in our family. We all have elderly grandparents and (eventually) elderly parents in our lives and I'm sure there there's a lot of sentimental and enjoyable memories we have of them.

I kept thinking of Jane Fonda as I was watching this. I have no doubt this movie was a major sentimental attachment she had towards her father and how it perfectly captured the problems and estrangement she once carried for him. There's no doubt she's seen this film quite a few times and probably got teary eyed like I did while viewing it. This was, after all, a "grand finale" for her father. He won an Oscar for his portrayal of Norman and it was the first Oscar he ever won for Best Actor.

This is indeed a wonderful film with breathtaking and beautiful scenes of the New England area. I highly recommend it.

Unhinged (I) (2020)

A Helpless Crisis Not As Helpless As It Would Seem

[4/10 · 19 November 2022]

That would be my conclusion after viewing this "Road-Rage-Hell-On-Wheels" suspense thriller. A woman who is simply driving her young son off to school before heading off to work, gets caught up in a twisted and deranged situation with a driver in a black truck that she pissed off during a traffic jam. Russell Crowe is perfectly menacing and downright psychotic as the driver who wanted atonement for her rude actions, but once he doesn't get it, the war is on. His extremely aggressive and domineering way of controlling the road by screeching his tires into different lanes and keeping bumper-to-bumper with her, shockingly made her realize how much she was in danger. She manages to escape and to get her son safely off to school, but it doesn't end there.

When she stops at a gas station to fill up and to go inside to pay, she leaves her cell phone in the car which triggered off more problems than she realized. He steals her phone and all her contact information inside of it. He also left his own cell phone inside her car so she could continue to be in contact with him. He threatens her family which causes her to race around in a panic to try and rescue them. She gets her son out of school, but is continued to be caught in his malicious web of ultimatums and deceits.

All this takes place in a city environment with heavy traffic and a multitude of people around. There's also the constant contact with police on the phone which seemingly doesn't help matters either. This woman seemed lost and helpless, but with a zillion forms of aid and communication around her. She just won't seem to realize that. True, this evil guy preyed on her worst fears with callous manipulations by threatening her loved ones, but she could've handled it better.

She could've asked the multitude of people around her that day for help, but she doesn't. It's all a solo affair and a race to save herself and her family. She acted like a victim caught alone in a secluded cabin in the woods with a psycho killer on her heels, but that clearly wasn't the case here. She could've saved herself a lot of trouble if she only stayed with that cashier at the gas station (who knew what was going on) before falling into that insane road frenzy. Still, this flick wouldn't have been an action packed thriller if she had sought help. Regardless of the flaws, this is indeed an exciting thrill ride. It carries the suspense to a tee. I was on the edge of my threat during those chaotic highway scenes. It was indeed riveting.

Caligula (1979)

Ancient Debauchery Highlighted In An Exploitation Film

[2/10 · 30 October 2022]

Let's see, what review should be given for this notoriously expensive porn flick from 1979? I remember first hearing about it after it first came out in Canada back in 1981. I overheard my mom's friend telling her about it and the details got me intrigued. I wanted to see it back then, but I was just a kid and the movie had been rated X.

I finally got to see the film at 20 years of age, but it was an R-rated version I rented from the local video store. The heavy cuts to that made me clearly see there was more to this film than what was depicted in that milder version.

Fast forward to 2006 where I unexpectedly found the "Imperial Edition" on sale at the downtown music store. It contained the original 'uncut' version which compelled me to quickly buy it.

Well, after several years of waiting, I finally got to see Caligula in its full glory. It's gratuity at its best and holds no bars for a look at one of the most sexually deviant ancient emperors that Rome ever had. It's not that good, unfortunately.

There are hints of post production tampering with the choppy editing that looks like it was cut with a chain saw and it's pretty well aimless. Amid the lavish sets and fancy costumes, there is a story somewhere in there and is solely focused on Caligula's sexual appetite and his seemingly demented mental state. It's all made noticeable right from the very beginning.

Hats off though to respectable actors likes Peter O'Toole, John Geilgud, Malcolm McDowell and Helen Mirren for saving this pic from being just another badly acted porn flick. Their professional presence on screen is noticeable and it shows.

To top it off, this is definitely a highly expensive porn flick trying to bring the sexual escapades of ancient Rome to an explicit highlight. It delivers on that, but not on quality.

That was a highly controversial film in its day and the involvement of the men's magazine, Penthouse, didn't help matters either. What started off as a classical look into an ancient notorious man turned instead into an orgy of scenes that were laced in during post production. That clearly shows in the results of this old flick that has been chopped up too many times into a variety of different versions. The original vision for this film just isn't there and it's the one created by the famous writer, Gore Vidal. He sued to have his name taken off the credits, by the way.

Yes, legal and creative differences did affect this movie, but it's a good curiosity item to view. I mean, nothing like this was done before in the history of film making. To give it an added boost were the respectable actors featured, clearly showing that this film had potential, but it misfired instead. It was all an extravagant showcase, but with really nothing to show for it except overwhelming nudity and an abundance of sex scenes that definitely belong in a low grade porn video.