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oliver9184 · 04-11-2010, 11:37 AM

"I do love the smell of the hunt... and the taste of the shunt!"

Society 9/10 is a horror/comedy from 1989 (released 1992) made by Brian Yuzna, who was partly responsible for the remarkable Reanimator films. Anyone who's into horror and/or prosthetic effects should make this a priority. The first hour is not garbage but neither is it particularly compelling; that this film gets 9/10 regardless is indicative of how amazing the third act is. I remember seeing this late at night as a youngster and it's probably one of the films that got me into films. This film is famous/infamous for its shunting scene and, to be honest, there's not really much else to write home about. The buildup is slow to the point of being agonizing and not really very interesting but when you get to that scene it's totally worth it. It absolutely lives up to my memories, unlike most fondly remembered and disappointingly revisited films and shows. I don't think there's anything else like it in existence - probably Braindead comes closest but the tone and intent is completely different. You see a man actually turned inside out. If that wasn't enough there's also a scorching hot fitty in it by the name of Heidi Kozak (I WANT TO GO TO THERE!) who reminds me of Phoebe Cates in Fast Times, and who features in an admirably gratuitous sex scene in which she - yes! - gets 'em out.

Jurassic Park 8/10
The Lost World: Jurassic Park 8/10
Jurassic Park III 6/10

Until recently I had held that The Lost World was slightly better than its prequel: now, having watched them all in a row in a mostly sober state, I have to reconsider. The trailer/cliff setpiece from The Lost World had been what I valued the most; upon revisiting it feels surprisingly artificial and not nearly as thrilling as I remember. Upon reflection the T-Rex and jeep sequence out of Jurassic Park is better. Cast-wise, Jeff Goldblum is (again) the only standout and has the best lines ("where you're going is the only place where the geese chase you"); the rest of the cast are as good as they need to be, which is not very, because the dinosaurs are what you came for. The dinosaurs in The Lost World are even better than the prequel and the sequel. Look at the baby T-rex sequences - that's staggering puppetry/robotics. Jurassic Park has a better character cast I think (Wayne Knight, more Attenborough, Samuel L Jackson constantly smoking -and in big closeup!), but I really like the scope and epicness of The Lost World: specifically the dino-safari sequence. The plot's horrible and there's loads of bullshit to service it (the little girl can do gymnastics, remember that for later) but it's not nearly as bad as JPIII, which made me burst out laughing when it transpired that the rators can literally talk to each other, and are cleverer than primates. The only good thing about that film is William H Macy being a sneaky son of a bitch and the entire cast clearly not taking anything at all seriously; the dinos seem slightly less accomplished than before.

Colors 7/10 is a uniform-police "drama" (for want of a better describer) from 1988 starring Robert Duvall and Sean Penn. They're part of the LAPD's C.R.A.S.H. (Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums) division which was tasked with stemming the flow of gang related violence in the bad areas of Los Angeles. Duvall is wise and weary, and has a liberal touchy-feely approach to policing; his new partner Penn (surely the model for Robert Patrick's T1000) just wants to take anyone and everyone down, like some sort of fucking rabid dog. Crimes, such as murders, happen, they get investigated and eventually the film ends.

Local Hero 8/10 is the sort of thing that used to be described in the TV listings as an "offbeat comedy. Peter Riegert (Animal House, The Mask) is a young oil executive from Texas charged with buying a tiny coastal Scottish village, so that it can be turned into an oil refinary. He's helped by gangling local company man and Peter Capaldi and hindered by the savvy villagers, in a film that's reminiscent of Whisky Galore! and an all-round easy to watch and very pleasant experience. Burt Lancaster is excellent as the company head and astronomy buff.

Miami Blues 7/10 is unusual in that its protagonist (Alec Baldwin) is an utter dickhead and has no redeeming qualities whatever. His whore-turned-fiance, Jennifer Jason Leigh, is a dummy with a thick old southern accent who's inexplicably loyal to him no matter what he does. Fred Ward (who out-acts everyone else in this film) is a cop whose gun, badge and teeth are stolen by Baldwin and who must recover said items quickly, because Baldwin is impersonating him and fucking shit up all over town (Miami). All of that makes the film sound like a bag of shit but for some reason it's not - it's fun and watchable. I don't know why. Also: the cumulative badness of both leads' hair in this film has never, to my knowledge, been exceeded.

The Lives of Others 8/10 is a detailed procedural detailing the East German Stasi's (state security/secret police) operations in East Berlin in the 1980s. It seems that the GDR was the closest that reality ever got to Orwell's 1984 - people get spied on, indicted, vanished, etc. A bad time is had by all, it's compelling and the ending is excellent.

Narrow Margin 5/10 is dull thriller mostly set aboard a train in which Gene Hackman must escort a witness to safety, all the way from Canada or Alaska to Los Angeles. Films that take place on trains should be towering pillars of suspense and tension and excellence (Runaway Train, Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, Transsiberian), thanks to their confined and claustrophobic nature, but this film doesn't realise that and squanders its dramatically ideal setting. Hackman, as ever, goes through the motions of being Gene Hackman with slightly more humility and action than usual; the actor playing the silly bitch he's protecting gives us no opportunity to care about her - which would/could have been the emotional keystone to the whole affair.

04-11-2010, 11:37 AM	#3791 (permalink)
oliver9184 Psycho	"I do love the smell of the hunt... and the taste of the shunt!" Society 9/10 is a horror/comedy from 1989 (released 1992) made by Brian Yuzna, who was partly responsible for the remarkable Reanimator films. Anyone who's into horror and/or prosthetic effects should make this a priority. The first hour is not garbage but neither is it particularly compelling; that this film gets 9/10 regardless is indicative of how amazing the third act is. I remember seeing this late at night as a youngster and it's probably one of the films that got me into films. This film is famous/infamous for its shunting scene and, to be honest, there's not really much else to write home about. The buildup is slow to the point of being agonizing and not really very interesting but when you get to that scene it's totally worth it. It absolutely lives up to my memories, unlike most fondly remembered and disappointingly revisited films and shows. I don't think there's anything else like it in existence - probably Braindead comes closest but the tone and intent is completely different. You see a man actually turned inside out. If that wasn't enough there's also a scorching hot fitty in it by the name of Heidi Kozak (I WANT TO GO TO THERE!) who reminds me of Phoebe Cates in Fast Times, and who features in an admirably gratuitous sex scene in which she - yes! - gets 'em out. Jurassic Park 8/10 The Lost World: Jurassic Park 8/10 Jurassic Park III 6/10 Until recently I had held that The Lost World was slightly better than its prequel: now, having watched them all in a row in a mostly sober state, I have to reconsider. The trailer/cliff setpiece from The Lost World had been what I valued the most; upon revisiting it feels surprisingly artificial and not nearly as thrilling as I remember. Upon reflection the T-Rex and jeep sequence out of Jurassic Park is better. Cast-wise, Jeff Goldblum is (again) the only standout and has the best lines ("where you're going is the only place where the geese chase you"); the rest of the cast are as good as they need to be, which is not very, because the dinosaurs are what you came for. The dinosaurs in The Lost World are even better than the prequel and the sequel. Look at the baby T-rex sequences - that's staggering puppetry/robotics. Jurassic Park has a better character cast I think (Wayne Knight, more Attenborough, Samuel L Jackson constantly smoking -and in big closeup!), but I really like the scope and epicness of The Lost World: specifically the dino-safari sequence. The plot's horrible and there's loads of bullshit to service it (the little girl can do gymnastics, remember that for later) but it's not nearly as bad as JPIII, which made me burst out laughing when it transpired that the rators can literally talk to each other, and are cleverer than primates. The only good thing about that film is William H Macy being a sneaky son of a bitch and the entire cast clearly not taking anything at all seriously; the dinos seem slightly less accomplished than before. Colors 7/10 is a uniform-police "drama" (for want of a better describer) from 1988 starring Robert Duvall and Sean Penn. They're part of the LAPD's C.R.A.S.H. (Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums) division which was tasked with stemming the flow of gang related violence in the bad areas of Los Angeles. Duvall is wise and weary, and has a liberal touchy-feely approach to policing; his new partner Penn (surely the model for Robert Patrick's T1000) just wants to take anyone and everyone down, like some sort of fucking rabid dog. Crimes, such as murders, happen, they get investigated and eventually the film ends. Local Hero 8/10 is the sort of thing that used to be described in the TV listings as an "offbeat comedy. Peter Riegert (Animal House, The Mask) is a young oil executive from Texas charged with buying a tiny coastal Scottish village, so that it can be turned into an oil refinary. He's helped by gangling local company man and Peter Capaldi and hindered by the savvy villagers, in a film that's reminiscent of Whisky Galore! and an all-round easy to watch and very pleasant experience. Burt Lancaster is excellent as the company head and astronomy buff. Miami Blues 7/10 is unusual in that its protagonist (Alec Baldwin) is an utter dickhead and has no redeeming qualities whatever. His whore-turned-fiance, Jennifer Jason Leigh, is a dummy with a thick old southern accent who's inexplicably loyal to him no matter what he does. Fred Ward (who out-acts everyone else in this film) is a cop whose gun, badge and teeth are stolen by Baldwin and who must recover said items quickly, because Baldwin is impersonating him and fucking shit up all over town (Miami). All of that makes the film sound like a bag of shit but for some reason it's not - it's fun and watchable. I don't know why. Also: the cumulative badness of both leads' hair in this film has never, to my knowledge, been exceeded. The Lives of Others 8/10 is a detailed procedural detailing the East German Stasi's (state security/secret police) operations in East Berlin in the 1980s. It seems that the GDR was the closest that reality ever got to Orwell's 1984 - people get spied on, indicted, vanished, etc. A bad time is had by all, it's compelling and the ending is excellent. Narrow Margin 5/10 is dull thriller mostly set aboard a train in which Gene Hackman must escort a witness to safety, all the way from Canada or Alaska to Los Angeles. Films that take place on trains should be towering pillars of suspense and tension and excellence (Runaway Train, Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, Transsiberian), thanks to their confined and claustrophobic nature, but this film doesn't realise that and squanders its dramatically ideal setting. Hackman, as ever, goes through the motions of being Gene Hackman with slightly more humility and action than usual; the actor playing the silly bitch he's protecting gives us no opportunity to care about her - which would/could have been the emotional keystone to the whole affair. Last edited by oliver9184; 04-11-2010 at 03:58 PM..