[Redcarmoose]

I am still waiting for your review of "Faster *****cat Kill Kill" 

Oh gawd, I had that on 12 inch laserdisc. There were also these Russ Meyer laserdisc disks which were frame perfect. So you could pause his movies and study each frame much like an editing device. Now it's not what you would think, I guess some used the disks to examine the female talent? Truly I could care less about those giant glands Russ was into. I just have found his cheap bad-taste movies to be like art. I loved the writing and the comedy. The music was cool and the editing genius.



Faster *****cat Kill Kill is actually very different in the aspect of his whole body of work. IMO I have seen about 60% of his films. Some are actually hard to find.



I have friends who grew up in Hollywood and knew the Meyers in the day. Lots of stories I will not disclose here. But to tell you the truth everything from Russ Meyer I had was on laserdisc. I refuse to see them again till I get them on DVD. The DVDs are actually hard to get. The laserdiscs were issued from the estate.


Strangely everything except Russ Myers one major studio release (Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls) is somehow obscured by time and has fallen through the cracks. Probably because they are not movies owned by a major studio, they just have no distribution.

I've seen....

Up! 1976
Beneath The Valley Of The Ultra-Vixens 1979
Supervixens 1975
Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls 1970
Vixen! 1968
Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers! 1968
Good Morning and..Goodbye! 1967
Faster, *****cat! Kill! Kill! 1965
Motorpsycho 1965
Mudhoney 1965
Lorna 1964


As I remember Lorna was a really a well photographed movie but all of them were pure art as how they were edited. Any film student I feel would learn from seeing these edits?

 

[WraithApe]

@vwinter Good vid. I've seen something similar before which was showing how much of Life of Pi was CG even though you wouldn't know most of the time - the boat, the water; pretty much everything. It's obtrusive use of CG that I object to - when it's used intelligently and is invisible and simply services the film then of course, there can be few complaints. If you watch a trailer for the new Independence Day movie though, the CG really jumps out at you and looks as if it's almost a celebration of state of the art technology, while the story telling takes a back seat.

 

[Redcarmoose]

I think that the trend is clearly pro-CGI ( including desires of movie goers). Virtual reality is getting more powerful.The next step is better quality 3D immersion and higher resolution images.

Well it's a gift and becoming better and better. Still at times I wonder what steps are taken to save money with CGI, where a real photographic add, would have raised the quality of the film overall. It's just I notice it a lot now with explosions where movies from the nineties looked better.


I'm just saying some, besides myself have found a charm with how effects are done in older movies.

I think you will find many that think CGI is overused.

 

[vwinter]

Battle Royale [8.4/10]
 
I knew I was in for a treat when the setup was quick, to the point, but more importantly raw and effective. These words can be used to describe the movie in general. Throughout, death is quick and merciless. Some characters indulge and and some mourn, but all manner of reaction is brief and then the cycle continues. This happens in the span of a few heartbeats and in cycles of decreasing length as the film progresses leaving the viewer little time to process the carnage. While the motivations could be seen as very superficial given the circumstances, there’s usually the manifestation of personal conflict between characters or within characters as a key driver. The circumstance really acts as a catalyst or enabler. This is easy to overlook given the setup, but really brings credibility to the large cast of characters and really raises legitimate questions about the individual and people.
 
Takeshi Kitano is a wrecking ball. He is a force on-camera and commands attention. He displays all at once instinctive comedic timing and the personification of death. That sort of duality within a single sequence, and to do both in a manner that syncs with the raw and effective nature that characterizes the film, is worth mention.
 
The casting in general was strong. The kids either fell into their parts or were instrumental in bringing life to the characters. Yes, we had some common tropes in there, but many have a basis in life, especially at the asserted ages, and as a result, the characters come to life with the emotions and attitudes from the young actors. The individual personalities, even if brief made it through, and the sequences rife with plausible desperation given the setting and age of the participants.
 
Yes, it has some cultural staples, like professions of love and the power of friendship, which end up being instrumental to the film, taking away from its singular direction. One could argue that this gives the film range, but I saw it as more of a means to an end.
 
The action sequences were mostly well choreographed in that they showed little to no experience from the participants, only the will to kill or survive. The were effectively shot in that the camera never “looks away”. The brutality or horror or even remorse is always on full display.
 
The weakest part of the film was arguably the ending. I can understand how a film like this could be difficult to end well and I don’t really want to give much away so I won’t go much into it. The very end took it back in the right direction but what led to the final conflict was a bit of an easy way out.
 
This one is definitely worth seeing.
 
 

---

 
Through a quick check on IMDB, Kitano appears to be attached to play Chief Aramaki in the Ghost in the Shell live action film. Curious to see his interpretation of the character (and wonder if they’ll give him the hair – almost hope they don’t)

 

[WraithApe]

You're watching some real modern classics lately @vwinter! Battle Royale is blackest comedy perfection IMO and you nailed it with Kitano - his screen presence is incendiary. Love his early knife throwing demonstration - class, meet teacher! A word to the wise though, avoid BR II like the plague... here's why 

 

 

[Hutnicks]

Oh gawd, I had that on 12 inch laserdisc. There were also these Russ Meyer laserdisc disks which were frame perfect. So you could pause his movies and study each frame much like an editing device. Now it's not what you would think, I guess some used the disks to examine the female talent? Truly I could care less about those giant glands Russ was into. I just have found his cheap bad-taste movies to be like art. I loved the writing and the comedy. The music was cool and the editing genius.



Faster *****cat Kill Kill is actually very different in the aspect of his whole body of work. IMO I have seen about 60% of his films. Some are actually hard to find.



I have friends who grew up in Hollywood and knew the Meyers in the day. Lots of stories I will not disclose here. But to tell you the truth everything from Russ Meyer I had was on laserdisc. I refuse to see them again till I get them on DVD. The DVDs are actually hard to get. The laserdiscs were issued from the estate.


Strangely everything except Russ Myers one major studio release (Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls) is somehow obscured by time and has fallen through the cracks. Probably because they are not movies owned by a major studio, they just have no distribution.

I've seen....

Up! 1976
Beneath The Valley Of The Ultra-Vixens 1979
Supervixens 1975
Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls 1970
Vixen! 1968
Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers! 1968
Good Morning and..Goodbye! 1967
Faster, *****cat! Kill! Kill! 1965
Motorpsycho 1965
Mudhoney 1965
Lorna 1964


As I remember Lorna was a really a well photographed movie but all of them were pure art as how they were edited. Any film student I feel would learn from seeing these edits?

Good to see Even Lambs is still up for free. I really think the director has potential there.
 
Meyer is a true legend. "*****cat" being both the high water mark artistically (that soundtrack) and the low watermark as it did not even make it's minimal cost back at the box. Still you would be hard pressed to find a film which permeated culture over the years and became a legend in the manner it did and continues to do so.
 
I really hope you kept the laserdisc player and those disc's.
 
I'd wiehg in big time on the CGI debate but it could go on forever and ever. It sucks when used instead of real effects where they would be easily used and shines when used where no other method would work. The problem is poor CGI is cheap to do and so no buck directors use it rather than a hundred gallons of gasoline and it shows up badly. Big name directors get sucked in because hey, we have them doing this so we might as well do the easy stuff that way too.
 
I still give Steven Sommers big kudos for pointing out that in the second Mummy installment he had the actors lay on skateboards for the flood scene, then pointed it out in the commentary. Could have CGI's the whole works but went for live action in that one.

 

[vwinter]

You're watching some real modern classics lately @vwinter
! Battle Royale is blackest comedy perfection IMO and you nailed it with Kitano - his screen presence is incendiary. Love his early knife throwing demonstration - class, meet teacher! A word to the wise though, avoid BR II like the plague... here's why   

Haha, I didn't actually watch Down Periscope recently. Just wanted to throw something up for it.

Re BRII:
Wow. Talk about off the rails.
That was a brutal and hilarious. Like the plague, that one.

Big name directors get sucked in because hey, we have them doing this so we might as well do the easy stuff that way too.

I mean, thinking about CGI more in general, not just for 3D objects, etc., it pretty impressive to me to be able to direct people and act and interact when everything around you that you're supposed to be interesting with etc is a green wall or green box, or will be added in post.


Happened to find this tab open from a whiiile back in my casting app on my phone and said f* it, why not:

Alien Raiders [8.2/10]

Just yes. This isn't just good for straight-to-video movie, this is a good movie. Good timing, good pacing, good editing, good use of on and off camera, commitment from the actors, good use of minimal effects to drive home serious use of viewer imagination, good tension, interesting concept. I can go on. A few cliched moments and setups and results, but they literally took nothing away from the enjoyment of the movie.

With the budget they likely had, this is the equivalent of pulling a rabbit out of a hat.


Semi-related: it looks like I mixed up The Mist and The Fog too in one of my recent posts. Good times.


[rule]
Not sure if anyone knows this, but, generally, what's the business case for straight-to-video for things that aren't sequels with an established fan base?

I would never have seen this movie if it wasn't brought up here, so I'm curious.

 

[Hutnicks]

Haha, I didn't actually watch Down Periscope recently. Just wanted to throw something up for it.

Re BRII:
Wow. Talk about off the rails.
That was a brutal and hilarious. Like the plague, that one.
I mean, thinking about CGI more in general, not just for 3D objects, etc., it pretty impressive to me to be able to direct people and act and interact when everything around you that you're supposed to be interesting with etc is a green wall or green box, or will be added in post.


Happened to find this tab open from a whiiile back in my casting app on my phone and said f* it, why not:

Alien Raiders [8.2/10]

Just yes. This isn't just good for straight-to-video movie, this is a good movie. Good timing, good pacing, good editing, good use of on and off camera, commitment from the actors, good use of minimal effects to drive home serious use of viewer imagination, good tension, interesting concept. I can go on. A few cliched moments and setups and results, but they literally took nothing away from the enjoyment of the movie.

With the budget they likely had, this is the equivalent of pulling a rabbit out of a hat.


Semi-related: it looks like I mixed up The Mist and The Fog too in one of my recent posts. Good times.
 

---

Not sure if anyone knows this, but, generally, what's the business case for straight-to-video for things that aren't sequels with an established fan base?

I would never have seen this movie if it wasn't brought up here, so I'm curious.

Alien Raiders is one of my all time favourite Low Buckers. 10 bucks and a half bag of Fritos kept me entertained and actually wanting a sequel. One of the most efficient films ever.  Sucker was good enough to be one of the better Dr Who episodes.
 
I am still holding Sanctuary up as the epitome of low buck use of CGI to just get the damn thing made. As a series it was shot basically on a blank soundstage and EVERYTHING was composited in afterwords.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Good to see Even Lambs is still up for free. I really think the director has potential there.

Meyer is a true legend. "*****cat" being both the high water mark artistically (that soundtrack) and the low watermark as it did not even make it's minimal cost back at the box. Still you would be hard pressed to find a film which permeated culture over the years and became a legend in the manner it did and continues to do so.

I really hope you kept the laserdisc player and those disc's.

I'd wiehg in big time on the CGI debate but it could go on forever and ever. It sucks when used instead of real effects where they would be easily used and shines when used where no other method would work. The problem is poor CGI is cheap to do and so no buck directors use it rather than a hundred gallons of gasoline and it shows up badly. Big name directors get sucked in because hey, we have them doing this so we might as well do the easy stuff that way too.

I still give Steven Sommers big kudos for pointing out that in the second Mummy installment he had the actors lay on skateboards for the flood scene, then pointed it out in the commentary. Could have CGI's the whole works but went for live action in that one.

Clear And Present Danger was a 62 million dollar movie made in the mid ninties. I was watching it on DVD the other day, and it reminded me of how non-CGI effects look. I'm no expert in how real bombs and explosions are supposed to look? Still this movie is pretty realistic in my eyes. I actually think as movie goers we start to forgive the process for not looking all that correct, but when you view reality again, as in CAPD, it reminds you of the pre CGI age.

 

[Hutnicks]

Clear And Present Danger was a 62 million dollar movie made in the mid ninties. I was watching it on DVD the other day, and it reminded me of how non-CGI effects look. I'm no expert in how real bombs and explosions are supposed to look? Still this movie is pretty realistic in my eyes. I actually think as movie goers we start to forgive the process for not looking all that correct, but when you view reality again, as in CAPD, it reminds you of the pre CGI age.

Have a look at the Minefield scene in Kelly's Heroes, shot way back in 1970. Brief, vicious, chaotic, everything any vet has ever described the experience to me as. Not a molecule of CGI

 

[vwinter]

 
Alien Raiders is one of my all time favourite Low Buckers. 10 bucks and a half bag of Fritos kept me entertained and actually wanting a sequel. One of the most efficient films ever.  Sucker was good enough to be one of the better Dr Who episodes.
 
I am still holding Sanctuary up as the epitome of low buck use of CGI to just get the damn thing made. As a series it was shot basically on a blank soundstage and EVERYTHING was composited in afterwords.

If it was out available on bluray, it would be on its way to me right now. I think that's a good endorsement.
Knowing it was more than likely shot in higher def than 480p based on production date alone, I don't think i can bring myself to buy it on DVD (may eventually cave though).
 
 

---

 
Abre Los Ojos [8/10]
 
This score is pretty much contingent on ignoring the ending...
Its difficult to write about this film without giving things away. It's not very hard to be a step ahead of the twists once you're watching it, but to go into it that way would probably ruin the movie.
 
This is a difficult film for various reasons. You have a "protagonist" who is probably impossible to empathize with for most people, and would more than likely draw disdain, put into a situation that someone would not want to imagine themselves in. Timelines or realities are and aren't what they seam. The genres are fast and loose. But somehow, its pretty captivating. The leads play it well, and the supporting cast is probably even better. The psychiatrist Antonio, played Chete Lera deserves particular mention. While its not a complicated part and it's not new idea, his performance was spot on. Not once did his delivery beg question.
 
The direction was nothing revolutionary but effective. While some of the directional choices were predictable, others made me nod in agreement. Same with the editing. For the runtime, it goes by pretty quickly. Really i think the script might be be the films key asset and biggest liability. Which brings me to the ending...
 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Yeaaaaa... I expected a third man, or perfect blue. What we got was Total Recall. Its hard to see this as original, even given the application. Like many films, it seemed like the easiest way out.

If they really wanted a twist, they should have

Spoiler: No Really, Spoiler!

had the created reality be Antonio's. Cesar jumps off the building. screen goes black. Open your eyes. and we see from the viewpoint of the fallen Antonio on the rooftop. The TV man smiles.

 

 
But it didn't completely undo everything the film had set up and in the end, i think it's mostly done well and thats worth a watch if its on your list. I tried to watch Vanilla Sky once and wasn't feeling it. It seemed like they took they sharp and effective workings of this one and tried to decorate it with pop culture and money. But since i never finished it, i can't pass any judgement beyond that.
 
Surprised i didn't see any other takes on this one in the thread. Or the search function failed me (or vice versa).

 

[Hutnicks]

Ojos was one of those films I just found to hard to rate. I liked it a lot better than the remake americano, but that is really not an endorsement of any kind. Conceptually good but mediocre in execution is about the best I can do .

 

[WraithApe]

As long as it didn't feature the line "see you in another life when we are both cats" I can pretty much guarantee the source is better than the remake.

 

[WraithApe]

 
Multiple Maniacs - 6/10
 
Difficult one to rate this; on the face of it, it's about as shoddy as they come - with actors fluffing their lines, drunken camera work on grainy 16mm stock, enough background noise to render some of the dialogue almost inaudible - but... to complain about these things is really to miss the point. The total budget was $5000, which isn't a lot of money to make a film by anybody's standards and ultimately, the spirit of the film is what matters more. There's an undeniable subversive energy and its gleeful desire to shock is infectious. It could do with editing down quite a bit as well (e.g. the infamous lobster scene outstays its welcome), but I was drawn to Waters's 'cavalcade of perversity' from the outset.
 
The film opens with a travelling sideshow that is actually a front for a bunch of petty criminals. They lure in their victims with the promise of a free show and though the middle class punters feign disgust at what they see inside, they all hang around long enough to be fleeced by the show's impresario - a good setup, but also a comment on the film-going audience's appetite for depravity, and the hypocrisy of society's moral guardians. There aren't many interest groups Waters doesn't set out to offend with this film, giving a new meaning to 'stations of the cross' in a bit of religion-baiting worthy of Bunuel and sending up Vietnam with soldiers in uniform gunning down their (soft) target to the strains of 'God Bless America'. A few of the references went over my head (particularly the ones relating to Sharon Tate and the Weathermen) but which would have no doubt hit their mark with spectacular bad taste in 1970.
 
Despite loving the rebellious spirit of the movie though, it's undeniably hamstrung by its production values, even by trash standards. From what I've read, Multiple Maniacs was a dry run for Pink Flamingos so I'm keen to see what Waters went on to do with a slightly bigger budget. And colour - a film this lurid is crying out for colour!

 

[bermitanyo316]

Shinobi Heart Under Blade- 2005 
 
8/10!