Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)

These may come across as unconventional sentiments out of me, especially after a month of binging trash, but fuck it. Some Kind of Wonderful really is Some Kind of Wonderful.

It's a John Hughes written/produced movie about high school and the prospects of life beyond. It has a strong message about class that probably influenced me more than I realized.

Keith (Eric Stoltz) is the high school "outcast" here, but when I saw this movie on tv as a kid, I always thought he was so cool. Relaxed and conniving at the same time, hard working, and cool in his own right. I always wished I could be in his shoes when my turn at high school came up. He juggled work, school, family, art, and multiple women. Seems ideal, right? Well, my high school experience was nowhere near as cool as his, but that's not the point here. The point is that he was inspiring to me then, a 10 year old looking for a role model in a tv guide, and this movie stuck with me.

I also see a lot of my dad in his dad, played by John Ashton, who nags him a lot about going to college. I always told myself I wouldn't, but I caved eventually. At this point though, I still agree with Keith that school isn't a prerequisite to live a fulfilling life, but it's not about whether he does or doesn't. It's about the opportunity being out there, and only he himself can decide what he wants.

It's a definite coming of age movie with great characters:

Mary Stuart Masterson is Watts, the tomboy who hides her feelings as her best friend Kieth opposes them. Lea Thompson is Amanda Jones, like the song, who Keith decides to free from her social inhibitions. Craig Sheffer is Hardy, a great fuckin' bully who you love to hate. And finally, Elias Koteas is the punker with the heart of gold who gives me vibes of De Niro from Mean Streets. I love him!

Them and all the others are great. They're written as cliches, but the next layer of the script exposes their depth, and that's what life is about. Find the cliches and prove them wrong.

In a way though, this movie may seem like a typical 80s cliche, but it wasn't at the time. It had a message, it said it, and I think it said it very well.

#Review

Killer Sofa (2019)

A woman is haunted by a goddamned recliner. Think of it like a slasher where the killer is a chair. Nobody ever suspects the chair.

More competent than one might expect, downplaying the stupidity and focusing on a slow burn approach that's mildly effective.

Pickaxe (2014)

I first heard of this as a 2019 movie, but apparently it's a 2014 movie that was on hold for 5 years. This movie was mildly entertaining. It's a total F13 and Hatchet knockoff about an old killer who is revived by supernatural means to go on a killing spree, targeting a group of dumb teens at a cabin in the woods.

What makes this movie watchable is the inclusion of A. Michael Baldwin as a new and inexperienced sheriff and Tiffany Shepis as a local drunk who survived the pickaxe killer years ago and went a bit crazy because of it. She's usually reduced to bit parts, but she has a more substantial role finally.

It currently holds a 3.1 on imdb, but it's better than that. This is a 4.1 movie at least!

Bohemian Rhapsody: A Long Review

Rami Malek nailed it. His big teeth didn't even bother me.

#Review

So those Candyman sequels...

Eventually, that new Candyman movie might come out, so in the meantime, I decided to check out 2 and 3. It's only taken me so long because I really don't care about Candyman at all, and that's not a knock at Tony Todd. That dude is great, but is Candyman great? 😦

Here we have a supernatural "horror icon" who kills anyone who says his name. Kinda like that one guy who's name you don't say above a whisper. You know, MADMAN MARZ?! Well, once you say it, you're basically screwed so you might as well be his victim.

While the first movie is mostly about his urban legend and is mildly engaging, part 2 is a Louisiana story that elaborates his backstory. Not the worst movie, but not impressive either. Then came along part 3. Damn, these movies were so 90s, they come off as incredibly dated. I probably prefer part 3 to part 2 and here's why:

Our protagonist is a blond bimbo with perky nips. That's about it. I'm not quite sure why Daniel Robitaille's descendents are super caucasian, but who cares. I'm sure we'll get plenty of racial reparations and white guilt in the new movie, which will probably do as every franchise does now: ignore the sequels and be a direct sequel to the original only. Part 3 also featured Jsu Garcia / Nick Corri from Elm Street 1 fame, who looks the same as he did in Elm Street 15 years earlier.

This series was born in the 90s and died in the 90s. Even as DTV and crap-quality as part 3 was, I did like the concept of the ending, in that they killed his legend and it finally stopped him.

Fingers crossed that the new one doesn't suck.

Source Code (2011) 6/10

A government program sends an (almost) brain dead soldier back in time to stop a terrorist attack.
One of those movies that I knew about, heard was really good, but never got around to watching.
Never been a fan of time loop stories (Groundhog Day an exception). Looks like I have another to add to the list.

My Sister's Keeper (2009) 7/10

A couple with a daughter suffering from cancer have another daughter medically engineered to be a donor to her older sister.
This was the next movie in the stack, and once again, I was surprised at how much I liked it. Has strong potential to be a tear-jerker, unless you are cold and emotionless like I claim to be.
Another star-studded cast: Cameron Diaz (really good), Alec Baldwin, Jason Patric, Joan Cusack, Emily Deschanel (Bones), and Little Rock herself, Abigail Breslin (as the younger sister, and did an excellent job with the part).

Dusk Of The Dead (1980)

I was too high and/or lazy to get up and get my copy of Hell of The Living Dead off the shelf the other night but found it on the Youtube under this title. Been a while. I don't think I've ever enjoyed a viewing of this movie quite so much. In fact, after a dozen or so viewings over the years, I think this may finally be my new favorite Italian exploitation/horror film, replacing Burial Ground... or was it Beyond The Darkness? Yeah, fuckin' A! This one has it all: Stolen music from Dawn Of The Dead and like 3 other movies, a genuinely apocalyptic atmosphere that is somehow not ruined by all the retarded dialogue. Plus, a whole lot of gore. And they manage to squeeze in some scenes sorta making it a jungle cannibal epic as well. I love Hell Of The Living Dead aka Dusk Of The Dead. Do YOU? If not, what Italian films do you love?

Black Snake Moan (2006)

I don't care if she was a crab-infested whore. I would totally let her have her way with me.

Horror Celebrity Death Matches

What are some good ones? I was watching one of the Resident Evil movies the other day, and it made me think of this. "The Axeman," AKA The Executioner Majini, from Resident Evil: Afterlife, would be pretty good to watch in a celebrity death match with Pyramid Head from Silent Hill. Actually, that's a bad one to start this thread with, because it's pretty hard to beat... I'm sure some of us can come up with something good, though. What comes to mind for you?

Wait, one other one would be Jody from Amityville Horror versus Tony from The Shining... I'm not sure quite how they would do that.... maybe a death match of wits?

Seriously, anything come to mind for anyone?