After watching this trailer, you may well surmise that I added this as an example of one of the worst movies ever made. On the contrary, this movie once had a major impact on my life. Yes. There are a lot of surf bands playing and kids dancing and carrying on and there is a story line about a leaky, radioactive waste filled barrel in the ocean which interacts with a human skeleton and other sea debris and somehow mutates into one of many absurd, rubber suited sea monsters which walk on two legs. It is the scenes involving the marauding monsters chasing after humans in the dark that terrified me as a child of 9 or 10. Anything can be out there lurking in the dark ready to grab you. This thing gave me nightmares. I’m just saying. A late entry in the cycle of 1950’s monster movies which blamed atomic power related contamination as the culprit in the creation of horrific monster mutations. See “Godzilla”, “Tarantula”, “The Amazing Colossal Man”, etc. Precursor to the equally campy “Humanoids From The Deep” and its reboot.
Danger Dolan is at it again with a smashing documentary on 20 of the creepiest places to visit in this strange world of ours. There are segments on Chernobyl, Winchester Mystery House, and Prague among others. I tend to observe these type of locations from afar. Safer that way. I have been to the Winchester Mystery House, though. Hehe.
“A Tab In The Ocean”: a 16 minute opus from the band Nektar. This is in many ways as much a rock opera as The Who’s “Tommy”. Riffs and phrases repeat throughout the extended length song. Monster riffs, guitars, a majestic organ line, and impassioned singing make this a truly memorable track. Did Rush get inspiration from this number and apply it toward their own epic composition, “2112”? You betcha.
Roxy Music, with their original lineup, perform “Editions of You”. Lovely stage performances by Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno. This band appeared around the era of ’70’s British Glam Rock and the costumes lent themselves to that genre. Roxy, though, was able to progress artistically beyond the confines of that particular music style and continue its career. Eno would leave the band soon after this performance.
I love this flick. Atmospheric, indeed! An otherworldly craft touches down in the British countryside. Three aliens are variously seen in the shadows. A military unit picks up the craft on radar and begins to search for whatever appeared on the scope. One of the aliens is struck by a car when the fellow tries to dash across a fog enshrouded road at night. He is taken to a hospital where he is looked after. The other two aliens track his whereabouts and put an invisible barrier in place around the hospital. What are the aliens’ intentions? A lot of engaging night time photography and mysterious goings on.
An enjoyable time filler fantasy picture that follows a team that captures a live abominable snowman or yeti. Forrest Tucker plays a sham naturalist who talks of sharing the capture of a yeti to the world as a scientific wonder. As the movie progresses, we find out that he is in fact a P.T. Barnum in the making who wants to parade the beast around the world at fair and make a killing at the box office. Peter Cushing is a more traditional scientist who comes to detest the intentions of Tucker. Very atmospheric music and sets when the team actually manages to catch one of the elusive beasties. Dread, then sets in for the human party.
A sad excuse of a cash in, Halloween 5 is full of screeching teenager and kid victims. Scares, interest and originality are lacking. Michael Myers, the unstoppable bogeyman of the Halloween franchise, lumbers in the shadows and then emerges to massacre the human fodder who pass for characters in this dreck. Repetitive, noisy, cliched, wretched. The “creative” team behind this mess were willing to pass off this trash for a quick buck. Since Michael will never die, expect this shambles of a series to continue on indefinitely.
Earth versus The Space Bugs in this intense action film. We have a new enemy that is trying to wipe out our species so Earth fights back and sends some of its military finest to engage the threat. Four young recruits are followed from their basic training days up until they become battle hardened soldiers. The scenes of war between the gigantic, alien insects and the Roughneck ground forces are amazing special effects sequences! Lots of body parts flying, gore splattering everywhere and gun play. Directed by Paul Verhoven of Robocop fame, this is a semi satirical, gut busting science fiction/action flick. Truly enjoyable!
A motorcycle is destroyed during the course of this short film. Take it on good faith that the destroyed machine really was on its last legs. Now to haul it away….Can’t remember how that was accomplished.
A different approach to mastering your musical instrument is demonstrated here. Not the most cost effective way….but, a way. Strongly influenced by The Who and their auto destruction phase.
The Americans’ air defense system blows a gasket and a group of six bomb carrying jets is instructed to drop their payloads on Moscow. It is all a computer mistake but one that the US cannot put a stop to. The President’s solution to appease the Russians is far fetched and more than a bit absurd. Suspenseful and tense though the majority of the film making may be, I can’t buy the ending.
