Shin Kamen Rider (Hideaki Anno, 2023)
From the creator of Shin Godzilla and Shin Utraman comes another take on one of his childhood favorites. This time it’s Kamen Rider (which I’ll be honest, I have no experience with outside of this movie) and it’s an odd one. It’s two hours long, but feels like he packed an entire series into it (down to Rider having to fight several different villains in what feel like mini-episodes). In many ways it’s not a very good movie in terms of structure, but it was a blast to watch as he films it in a way that looks like a 70s movie using the tropes of the old TV shows unironically. He may be having fun with it, but it’s not a parody, more like someone having fun recreating a childhood favorite. 7/10
Duel (Steven Spielberg, 1971)
I would never have thought this was a made for TV movie if I hadn’t already known it. It feels more classic cinema than anything that would have come on TV especially at the time. It’s a wonderful debut film that doesn’t really need good acting (which is good because it’s easily the worst part) because she chase really is the entire film. I don’t love it like some people do, but it’s an enjoyable ride. 7/10
Easy Rider (Dennis Hopper, 1969)
Crossing off another classic I really should have watched before. Now this I really enjoyed. It may have the best use of music placement of any film I’ve ever seen. 9/10
Fear and Desire (Stanley Kubrick, 1952)
With this I’ve now seen all of the director’s films except for Spartacus and Eyes Wide Shut. Kubrick was an undeniable genius, but this film is proof, if indeed one needs proof, that even geniuses need practice. His first film was in his mind so awful that he tried to find all the prints of it to keep it from being seen after its initial run. Usually upon seeing a film the director hates of their own work, I usually sit there going “it was their first attempt. It’s not that bad. They’re being overly critical of themselves.” Not here. This film is truly awful and about the only positive I can say about it is that at least Kubrick got some practice out of it. The only thing keeping it from the dreaded one star is the fact that nothing in it overly offended me (other than seeing Kubrick’s name attached to such an awful film), so it receives 2/10
One Way Passage (Tay Garnett, 1932)
Another film starring William Powell and Kay Francis (who I’ve seen together now in Jewell Robbery and For the Defense). This time the two fall in love while on a cruise ship from Hong Kong to San Fransisco. What they don’t know is that she’s terminally ill and he’s a convicted murderer being sent there for execution. The plot is rather melancholy in that regard, but I found the film hurt by all the comedic side characters who turn what could be a perfectly serviceable drama into a very weird comedy with a tragedy staged in the middle. It’s not bad per se, but I would have preferred a more serious tone. 6/10
The Predator (Shane Black, 2018)
From the way people talk about this one I went in expecting an incomprehensible train-wreck. I was thus surprised that it does feel like a completed film. It’s not a good one, but it’s still better than I expected. 4/10
Gangnam Zombie (Soo Sung Lee, 2023)
It may not quite be October yet, but my spouse and I decided to go ahead and start the Horror marathon a little early. This Korean zombie movie is extremely silly and honestly not very good. I can recommend it to no one other than those who delight in really awful horror films. 2/10
Ghoulies (Luca Bercovici, 1984)
A wonder slice of 80s cheesy cinema. I’d never seen this one before and I regret that. Had I seen it when I was younger, it likely would have been a favorite. It’s still fun even now though. 6/10
Ghost Nursing (Wilson Tong, 1982)
This Hong Kong horror film is about a woman with extreme bad luck who, after speaking with a shaman, agrees to nurse a ghost baby in order to gain luck. The plot is pretty bonkers, and it has some fun scenes including flying baby dolls ON FIRE MAKING "WAAAAA" NOISES AS THEY FLY PAST THE CAMERA. It's well worth a watch, though it sadly is a bit dull before we get into the weird stuff. Fortunately it more than makes up for it once it starts 7/10
Kfc (Le Binh Giang, 2016)
I’m fairly certain that KFC as a company would not be happy to be associated with this film. This Vietnamese extreme horror has a plot, but it may take you a while to catch on to it. At first it just seems like a series of violent moments that all are somehow connected to someone eating KFC. It’s unpleasant to the extreme and once I figured out what was going on, I cannot say that it made it any better. One could probably read a deeper meaning to it if they wanted to, but it’s honestly not good enough for me to want to bother. 3/10
