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Post by manfromplanetx on Apr 13, 2020 0:43:00 GMT
It is great to be back online Atunci i-am condamnat pe toΕ£i la moarte , Then I Sentenced Them All to Death (1972) Romania, Dir. Sergiu Nicolaescu Happy Easter Man! Hope you are having a good weekend,and I was wondering what And I Sentenced Them To Death is like? In the next day or so,I should be watching a film that you recommended to me. Thanks my Classic Friend I hope you are doing well and have fortified yourself from the dreaded... I really enjoyed your weekly views . and have noted some neat Nordic recs β¦ Then I Sentenced Them All to Death is a compelling drama of the highest order. Through the perspective of a young teen the harsh realities of village life under Nazi occupation simmer to a boil. Romanian director Sergiu Nicolaescu was a consummate craftsman, with meticulous detail including spectacular live firing shots and with much artistic flair his films are beautifully composed works of cinematic art. Regarded as the most influential Romanian filmmaker of all time with over 5 decades and sixty films Nicolaescu considered Atunci i-am condamnat pe toΕ£i la moarte one of his top three films... Highly Recommended !!
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Post by bravomailer on Apr 13, 2020 15:02:44 GMT
This Island Earth (1955) - 6/10 A fun sci-fi flick involving a mysterious green glow, an Interocitor, a war between Metaluna and the Zagons, and Faith Domergue. The art design is pretty cool and adds a point.
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Post by Lebowskidoo π¦ on Apr 13, 2020 16:29:48 GMT
Had a pretty random movie week, not really classics most of 'em... Lost Girls (2020) Deeply disturbing true story of a serial killer on the loose and the inept bungling and general non-interest by the police involved. The actors saved this movie, it gets a little dull when it should have been propelling forward even more. But overall, it's worth watching. It's very informative on an actual case on Long Island. Stay through the end credits for extra depressing updates on the characters. Not a happy story. The Cat From Outer Space (1978) Enjoyed revisiting this movie from my childhood on Disney +. I love cats so that aspect was a big reason for this rewatch. The cat, Jake, is a very handsome dude, and he even gets a love interest, Lucybelle. It's the usual live-action Disney shenanigans from this era, but it all holds up better than you might think. There's some great aerial stunts, and you get to see both Harry Morgan and McLean Stevenson, both from TV's M*A*S*H, together in this movie. That Darn Cat (1965) I did see this a millennium ago, but it seemed pretty fresh and funny while rewatching it now. That darn cat is cute as heck and always up to something. Lots of laughs and not overly silly like a lot of live-action Disney movies that would come later. Dean Jones makes his Disney debut, while Hayley Mills makes her final Disney movie. Roddy McDowall and especially Elsa Lanchester offer excellent comedic support. There's one really sudden LOL moment with Lanchester's nosy neighbor. That Darn Cat (1997) What if they remade a Disney classic, only added elements from Home Alone and Bullitt? Expands upon the simple story from the first movie, adding more and different characters, plus more madcap violence and some wacky car chases. It's just different, but still entertaining. That darn cat was pretty cute too! Ski Party (1965) Just when all those beach party movies seemed interchangeable and the same...they moved the party to the ski slopes! This movie was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. Annette only makes a cameo appearance, so Frankie stars on his own, with Dwayne Hickman, this time doing their best Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis impressions in a plot ripped right off of Some Like It Hot. Lesley Gore sings the famous "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" on the bus ride to the ski resort. James Brown shows up and sings "I Got You (I Feel Good)" making this a more memorable entry into this series. Ski Fever (1966) Austrian alps version of one of those beach/ski party movies, only without the talent, music or scripts that Frankie and Annette had. Too long and dull in places, and not all that funny either. However, it skis by on it's retro 60's charm. Easter Bunny Kill! Kill! (2006) was the beginning of a trilogy of gory Easter-themed horror movies I watched. The other two were The Night Before Easter (2014) and Bunnyman Vengeance(2017). I'm so ashamed. Peter Rabbit (2018) Cute bunnies torture Domhnall Gleeson. A few lines in there for the adults, but mainly for the kids. Almost teeters into Paddington greatness territory, but not quite. Spinning Man (2018) Assumed from the title that this movie would make me dizzy...but it didn't. Not the meaty thriller I was looking for, more of a minor player in the thriller game. Great game cast though. Mildred Pierce (2011) A five hour TV mini-series remake directed by Todd Haynes that actually rocks. Evan Rachel Wood goes from zero to mega-watt super-beyotch in no time. If you thought she was scary as a killer robot on Westworld, check this out! Oh, and Kate Winslet slays as Mildred. The poor thing acts her ass off, appearing in EVERY. SINGLE. SCENE! Wow! I had this one recorded for years, kept putting it off for a day when I would have lots of time and could watch it all in one day...ha! Have an awesome movie week!
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Post by marianne48 on Apr 14, 2020 1:08:26 GMT
Hills of Home (1948)--MGM vehicle for one of its biggest stars of the time, Lassie. This time Lassie doesn't star as herself, but as a character named "Lass" (very creative). We know she's not regular Lassie because this collie is afraid of water and useless as a sheepdog. Her angry owner cons the local doctor (Edmund Gwenn) into taking her on as a pet; the doctor attempts to cure her of her phobia about water while tending to his patients in a quaint little Scottish village--everyone there says "Och" and "Ay" all the time, and Donald Crisp is always hanging around, so it's definitely Scottish. There's the inevitable crisis in which Lass has to prove herself. Decent film for older children and adult fans of Lassie and films set in cozy UK villages.
Gentleman's Agreement (1947)--Somewhat dated, but still effective message movie about bigotry among the "nice" folks. Gregory Peck plays a journalist who poses as a Jew in order to expose anti-Semitism in postwar America. He encounters restrictions against "those people" in making hotel reservations, buying homes, and in the reaction of his girlfriend, Dorothy McGuire, who feels uneasy about the whole experiment but insists she's with him all the way. A little slow at the start, but it gets better as it goes along, and some of the attitudes of 70+ years ago are still around today. Anne Revere gets the short straw with her preachiness, but John Garfield in a supporting part gets to deliver the strongest points about subtle bigotry towards the end.Β
Tea and Sympathy (1956)--"Years from now, when you talk about this--and you will---be kind." So thisΒ is where that quote came from--I've heard it in so many comedies that it sort of lost its effectiveness here as a climactic moment. Aside from that, this movie is even more dated due to its subject matter, but apparently it was somewhat daring stuff in the 1950s. Or at least the original play was; this film version is a much tamer version of the story ofΒ a young man (John Kerr) at an all-male private school who doesn't fit in with the other boys. He's a gentle, sensitive soul who loves poetry and classical music; his one sport at which he excels is tennis; he refuses to get a crewcut; he wants to be a folk singer; he puts curtains up in his dorm room and knows how to sew on a button. The other boys, all a bunch of obnoxious louts, refer to him as a..."sister boy" (in real life, they would have worse names for him, even in the 1940s when this takes place,Β but this was yet another way that the film chickens out). Deborah Kerr plays the sympathetic faculty wife who tries to understand him; Edward Andrews plays his usual role of a boorish windbag as the boy's father, who is disappointed with his son Tom's behavior but perks up when he thinks Tom has assaulted a local woman, because that's how he thinks a "real" man would act. The movie dilutes the big twist in the original play--that Tom's behavior fits all the stereotypes of a homosexual man, yet the one character who is gay is closeted and takes out his self-loathing on Tom. While the play couldΒ present this more overtly, there are just the slightest of hints in the movie about this character's real motivation. Slow moving, with an awkward flashback framing that weakens what should have been a stronger climax, but an interesting curio of how the subject of homosexuality was treated in 1950s mainstream Hollywood.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)--One of those films that has to be re-watched every few years or so, just for the charm of it.
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Apr 14, 2020 1:36:03 GMT
morrisondylanfan Son and I both really enjoyed Parasite - many laugh-out-loud moments for those who appreciate very dark humour. Having now seen most of the oscar nominees this year, I'm inclined to think the Academy got it right. Awesome to read that you and your son enjoyed Parasite so much Aussie. This was my first, um, Bong, I was extremely impressed by how whilst the film has social commentary, Bong does not hit the viewer over the head with the points being made, allowing for the jet-black comedy thrills to keep partying. From when I saw it in Feb.10. Descending in the opening shot to the Kim household, co-writer/(with Jin Won Han) directing auteur Bong Joon Ho reunites with cinematographer Kyung-pyo Hong and builds a foundation which continues to explore Bong's major recurring theme of class, gliding upwards to the decadent Park household, balanced with long tracking shots down to the dirt-poor ground of the Kim's. Astonishingly building the Park house by scratch, Bong and his regular editor Jinmo Yang work in perfect synch with each other, as Bong's ultra-stylised panning shots over the reflecting surfaces of the Park's house are pinned by Yang's fluid editing slicing off the peel from each level of the Park house the Kim's begin to inhabit. Housing a magnificent ensemble cast, the screenplay by Bong & Han wisely avoid the option of the Park's=bourgeoisie scum,and the Kim's=the angelic poor, instead going for a more thoughtful study of class and capitalism, (major recurring themes of Bong) lit by wonderful con artist thrills, which get baked into a hauntingly bitter final bite. Covering the skyline/screen with the Park house, the writers open the door to the house being at a level of wealth which the Kim's (and others) will never be able to cross the divide to reach, leading to a intense doom-laden scramble to secretly retain control on the lowest level of the house,inside a location where everyone's attempt to keep a firm grip on their cut, leads to them all being parasites.
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Apr 14, 2020 1:46:30 GMT
Shanghai Express - www.imdb.com/review/rw2606775/?ref_=tt_urv 8/10 Congo - Have it rated at 5/10 but didn't review, which means it's on my revisit list. It's not very good and wastes great potential from the book.
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Apr 14, 2020 1:54:27 GMT
The Woman in Black (1989) 8 Travelling up to the remote house, Adrian Rawlins gives a wonderfully buttoned-up turn as Kidd, whose reserved manner is ruffled by Rawlins as Kidd's calm, matter of fact outlook is broken into a cold sweat from the vision he sees before him. Haunting Kidd's mind from his first sighting of her, Pauline Moran conjures a chilling performance as the Woman in Black, standing utterly still against the sparse backdrop, and her face being pulled down by Moran to display the agony she is still haunted by. Cleverly bringing the early use of electricity into the tale from the recordings Kidd listens the the Woman in Black made, director Herbert Wise & cinematographer Michael Davis (his lone credit) strangely present the remote Victorian house in a overly lit style, where each room whose corners should be filled with shadows,is instead filled with light which wipes a sense of mystery away. Introducing the title character standing far in the background of the church, Wise frees the mysterious atmosphere up far too early, going for a close-up of The Woman on Kidd's first walk round the house grounds, ridding chances to a slow-burn build-up to viewer coming face to face with the woman. Making changes which Susan Hill hated and led to it getting withdrawn from being seen for years, Nigel Kneale's refined adaptation captures the dour Gothic spirit of Hill's novel, layering the mumbling asides from the locals in the town over Kidd's questioning of them over who The Woman is,which Kneale fuels by Kidd's horrifying obsession over being unable to turn away from learning more about The Woman, until he drowns in a magnificently bitter ending. Becoming the first woman to win a Oscar for Best Score (Emma (1996)) Rachel Portman tunes into her future awards success with a magnificent score, bringing a slow-burn Gothic Horror atmosphere to the title, via gradually pulling the strings towards Kidd, and keeping a underlying grind rumbling in each room Kidd opens. Walking in time with Portman's score, dubbing mixer Richard King brings a huge subtle quality to the film, pulling all the audio back to Portman's score and lone, stray screams and creaking doors opened by the woman in black. You sly fox - until he drowns in a magnificently bitter ending. It's some ending for sure! Top reviewing - ticked The Woman in Black 89 - www.imdb.com/review/rw5217791/?ref_=tt_urv
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Post by claudius on Apr 14, 2020 2:06:56 GMT
Indeed. I remember watching Arts & Entertainment that December 1991, waiting to see its broadcast of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (I thought it would be the 1925 silent version- everything from TV Guide to the Prevue Channel stated it as such- only to see the broadcast was the 1962 Hammer version!) by watching the end of TWiB. Geez...
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Apr 14, 2020 2:17:59 GMT
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Apr 14, 2020 2:25:57 GMT
A later days John Wayne movie that I had never seen, and while being far from a perfect movie I was pleasantly surprised. There is a bank heist that I thought was very well staged and made in a way that I don't think I've seen before. Wayne is his usual tought as they come characters, this time he has to kids, with one a teenager, and to get even with the nearly always absent dad, they are part of the bank robbery that became bloodier than the sons. had anticipated. Gary Grimes ( Summer of 42) plays the troubled teen son. Old noir favorite Mary Windsor get's the chance to play a nice person for a change, even if she might have had a shady past as a hostess, and Neville Brand too get's a chance to, while sleazy, play a character on the right side of the tracks. I wasn't expecting much, so that might be the reason I was pleasantly surprised. An old favorite that I hadn't seen in many many years and it's still a very entertaining movie, about former military has-beens that get a chance to get even with the society that once kicked them out, for different reasons, and lived a rather shady life since then, and commit the perfect bank robbery perfected unto the last detail, except one little thing. Since the movie is from 1960 it has a morally correct ending, though the book it was based on didn't have, and once planned as a possible Cary Grant vehicle. Many British actors made this an enjoyable nearly 2 hours, with Jack Hawkins, Nigel Patrick and Roger Livesey standing out. Foggy London, and someone is killing young hopeful women using that modern gimmick called personal columns. If one don't look too close on the plot and how it develops, I must say I enjoyed this movie. Lucille Ball wasn't the familiar female clown of television yet at this time, and she is surrounded with top quality actors and actresses of the time. George Sanders get's the chance to play a romantic lead, even if he is a bit of a cad (He even says so to another woman in this movie). While the story is indeed implausible, I still enjoyed it and loved nearly all of it, with a big smile on my face. Two legendary horror legends appear too, one plays a parody of his image while the other plays a tough but nice guy for a change, I won't tell who. Cahill - www.imdb.com/review/rw1839696/?ref_=tt_urv 5/10 The League of Gentlemen - www.imdb.com/review/rw3077239/?ref_=tt_urv 8.5/10 Lured - www.imdb.com/review/rw2888485/?ref_=tt_urv 6.5/10
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Apr 14, 2020 2:31:33 GMT
Dead Ringers-1988 The age old story of twin gynecologists gone mad that we've seen time and time again. The age old story of twin gynecologists gone mad that we've seen time and time again. - Yeah but what did you thik of the Cronenberg? Me > I've often thought that there should be beauty contests for the insides of bodies. Dead Ringers is directed by David Cronenberg who also co-adapts the screenplay with Norman Snider from the book "Twins" written by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland. It stars Jeremy Irons and Genevieve Bujold. Music is by Howard Shore and cinematography by Peter Suschitzky. Identical twin gynaecologists Beverly and Elliott Mantle (Irons) run a high end fertility clinic in the city. Both in tune with each in spite of being different personalities, their world starts to fold inwards when Beverly falls in love with drug dependent actress Claire Niveau (Bujold). Inspired by the real life story of gynaecologist twins Cyril and Steve Marcus (who were both found dead from suicide brought about by drug addiction), Dead Ringers is an amalgamation of unsettling horror and icy cold playfulness; in other words a perfect canvas for auteur Cronenberg to paint some of his peccadilloes. Cronenberg doesn't need to be gory, gimmicky or schlocky, he instead utilises the characters on the page to spin a clinical character study. Themes pulsing throughout involve individuality, identity, misogyny, narcissism, eroticism and addiction, all played out in the mystical world of surgery and in-human metaphysics. The tempo never rises above a steady heart beat, rumbling along ominously, until we enter the home straight and the director delivers a devastating yet deeply moving conclusion. Backed by a stunning dual performance from Irons, and a ballsy one from Bujold, Dead Ringers is a film of genuine greatness and a piece of work that's alive with smart ideas. 8.5/10
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Apr 14, 2020 2:37:06 GMT
This Island Earth (1955) - 6/10 A fun sci-fi flick involving a mysterious green glow, an Interocitor, a war between Metaluna and the Zagons, and Faith Domergue. The art design is pretty cool and adds a point. www.imdb.com/review/rw1950444/?ref_=tt_urv 7/10
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Apr 14, 2020 2:41:08 GMT
That Darn Cat (1965) I did see this a millennium ago, but it seemed pretty fresh and funny while rewatching it now. That darn cat is cute as heck and always up to something. Lots of laughs and not overly silly like a lot of live-action Disney movies that would come later. Dean Jones makes his Disney debut, while Hayley Mills makes her final Disney movie. Roddy McDowall and especially Elsa Lanchester offer excellent comedic support. There's one really sudden LOL moment with Lanchester's nosy neighbor. www.imdb.com/review/rw2792053/?ref_=tt_urv 6.5/10
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Apr 14, 2020 2:42:27 GMT
The Wizard of Oz (1939)--One of those films that has to re-watched every few years or so, just for the charm of it. Absolutely!
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Apr 14, 2020 3:04:25 GMT
The Woman in Black (1989) 8 Travelling up to the remote house, Adrian Rawlins gives a wonderfully buttoned-up turn as Kidd, whose reserved manner is ruffled by Rawlins as Kidd's calm, matter of fact outlook is broken into a cold sweat from the vision he sees before him. Haunting Kidd's mind from his first sighting of her, Pauline Moran conjures a chilling performance as the Woman in Black, standing utterly still against the sparse backdrop, and her face being pulled down by Moran to display the agony she is still haunted by. Cleverly bringing the early use of electricity into the tale from the recordings Kidd listens the the Woman in Black made, director Herbert Wise & cinematographer Michael Davis (his lone credit) strangely present the remote Victorian house in a overly lit style, where each room whose corners should be filled with shadows,is instead filled with light which wipes a sense of mystery away. Introducing the title character standing far in the background of the church, Wise frees the mysterious atmosphere up far too early, going for a close-up of The Woman on Kidd's first walk round the house grounds, ridding chances to a slow-burn build-up to viewer coming face to face with the woman. Making changes which Susan Hill hated and led to it getting withdrawn from being seen for years, Nigel Kneale's refined adaptation captures the dour Gothic spirit of Hill's novel, layering the mumbling asides from the locals in the town over Kidd's questioning of them over who The Woman is,which Kneale fuels by Kidd's horrifying obsession over being unable to turn away from learning more about The Woman, until he drowns in a magnificently bitter ending. Becoming the first woman to win a Oscar for Best Score (Emma (1996)) Rachel Portman tunes into her future awards success with a magnificent score, bringing a slow-burn Gothic Horror atmosphere to the title, via gradually pulling the strings towards Kidd, and keeping a underlying grind rumbling in each room Kidd opens. Walking in time with Portman's score, dubbing mixer Richard King brings a huge subtle quality to the film, pulling all the audio back to Portman's score and lone, stray screams and creaking doors opened by the woman in black. You sly fox - until he drowns in a magnificently bitter ending. It's some ending for sure! Top reviewing - ticked The Woman in Black 89 - www.imdb.com/review/rw5217791/?ref_=tt_urv Thanks Spike! How would you rate all versions/formats of WIB? My order: 1:The novel (one of my all time favourites.) 2:Hammer version. 3:Stage show. 4:TV Movie. One of the things which most impresses me with the adaptations, is that they all take Hill's novel as a starting point, and have each gone in their own directions (with none of them having directly copied Hill's somber ending.)
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Post by morrisondylanfan on Apr 14, 2020 3:06:59 GMT
It looks like you had some darn good viewings Leb! Finding him unforgettable in HBO's OZ, how was Dean Winters in Lost Girls? On a side note,I'm not sure if they are running a 30 day free streaming offer in other countries,but I would really recommend Shudder to you.
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Apr 14, 2020 3:08:21 GMT
Thanks Spike! How would you rate all versions/formats of WIB? My order: 1:The novel (one of my all time favourites.) 2:Hammer version. 3:Stage show. 4:TV Movie. One of the things which most impresses me with the adaptations, is that they all take Hill's novel as a starting point, and have each gone in their own directions (with none of them having directly copied Hill's somber ending.) Hammer Version The Novel TV Version Not seen the play, should have gone after seing the Hammer film as it had a rebiirth in London theatres
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Post by Lebowskidoo π¦ on Apr 14, 2020 12:09:39 GMT
It looks like you had some darn good viewings Leb! Finding him unforgettable in HBO's OZ, how was Dean Winters in Lost Girls? On a side note,I'm not sure if they are running a 30 day free streaming offer in other countries,but I would really recommend Shudder to you. Dean Winters seemed like a breakout star on Oz but he never really has had a lot of starring roles. He's just a supporting role in Lost Girls, playing an a*****e like he often does. I considered Shudder and they are offering a free trial, just pondering if I want to pay for yet another streamer or not.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2020 22:39:06 GMT
The age old story of twin gynecologists gone mad that we've seen time and time again. - Yeah but what did you thik of the Cronenberg? Me > I've often thought that there should be beauty contests for the insides of bodies. Dead Ringers is directed by David Cronenberg who also co-adapts the screenplay with Norman Snider from the book "Twins" written by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland. It stars Jeremy Irons and Genevieve Bujold. Music is by Howard Shore and cinematography by Peter Suschitzky. Identical twin gynaecologists Beverly and Elliott Mantle (Irons) run a high end fertility clinic in the city. Both in tune with each in spite of being different personalities, their world starts to fold inwards when Beverly falls in love with drug dependent actress Claire Niveau (Bujold). Inspired by the real life story of gynaecologist twins Cyril and Steve Marcus (who were both found dead from suicide brought about by drug addiction), Dead Ringers is an amalgamation of unsettling horror and icy cold playfulness; in other words a perfect canvas for auteur Cronenberg to paint some of his peccadilloes. Cronenberg doesn't need to be gory, gimmicky or schlocky, he instead utilises the characters on the page to spin a clinical character study. Themes pulsing throughout involve individuality, identity, misogyny, narcissism, eroticism and addiction, all played out in the mystical world of surgery and in-human metaphysics. The tempo never rises above a steady heart beat, rumbling along ominously, until we enter the home straight and the director delivers a devastating yet deeply moving conclusion. Backed by a stunning dual performance from Irons, and a ballsy one from Bujold, Dead Ringers is a film of genuine greatness and a piece of work that's alive with smart ideas. 8.5/10 I agree with everything you said. I'll add that it also touches on the true frailty of our human psyche especially regarding loneliness. I've seen this film numerous times but had no idea that it was inspired by actual people and events. Guess I'll be going down that rabbit hole tonight.
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Post by Prime etc. on Apr 14, 2020 23:16:05 GMT
Warlords of Atlantis (1978) 4/10
Ouch. I like nautical fantasy films and this has just about everything (lost cities, dinosaurs or whatever they are on a rampage not too far from what the AT-ATs were doing with Hoth just a lot cheaper and no snow, octopus attacking a ship model, enslaved people with gills, a pet kitten). The last Doug McClure-Kevin Connor film I think--also with John Ratzenberger and one or two other guys who appeared in Superman 2. Did they happen to be hanging around the studio lot and the Superman people said: "we need some NASA controllers, come with us."
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