Rose Red (2002 TVM)
Red Rose is a haunted gothic mansion in downtown Seattle where people disappear completely and other mysterious events occur. Stephen King was asked by Steven Spielberg to write the scariest haunted house movie ever, and this is the result. Too bad they never made it together.
I love the characters in Stephen King stories, they are always well fleshed out, and here in the mini-series format, they get plenty of room to grow. I don't think this is the scariest haunted house movie ever, however. It's fairly good King, but not his best work, and pretty predictable. The majority of the characters have some kind of psychic power, but they might as well be regular people, for all that it plays a part in the story. I kept waiting for some major confrontation between the evil in the house and one of the psychics, but King was off in his own direction. Maybe that's more to do with my own expectations.
It's a bit slow at times but never what I would call boring. I love Stephen King and enjoyed this, but it doesn't seem like a story I would want to revisit again too soon. It has it's creepy moments but there should have been more. The cast are all very good, just wish some of them had been given more to do.
I had gotten the DVD years ago, only now getting around to watching it.
The Stranger Beside Me (2003 TVM)
A watered down TV-movie adaptation of Ann Rule's book. In a once in a lifetime coincidence, crime writer Ann Rule knew serial killer Ted Bundy before he was caught, and writes a version of the events as she saw them.
It skips many details, that Zac Efron movie looks more and more like the most definitive version produced so far. Billy Campbell does an alright job here, Barbara Hershey seems to have very little to do though. The movie is very rushed, but does offer a different perspective, but just barely.
The Deliberate Stranger (1986 TVM)
"I was looking for a kind soul, preferably a pretty one, to help me unload a sailboat from my car..."
The first ever movie about Ted Bundy. Bundy was still alive when this mini-series premiered. Mark Harmon even considered meeting Bundy at one point, but changed his mind. Harmon is a nice mixture of creepy/charming, maybe more charming than creepy - love letters to the real Bundy only increased after this aired.
The movie was made before Bundy's execution, so it is missing that grand finale the other movies all have. It has a lot of information and a lot of time to let it spill out. Maybe too much, it drags a bit, here and there. It's a good thing it has Harmon in the lead, he's great at being cocky, charming and sinister.
It's also a little annoying that so many names and events have been changed or left out, by now we know some of these things and notice when they're gone or different. This is still a well done version of the story, but if you're really looking for a chilling version of this story with all the facts intact, nothing beats Conversations With a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes. It's a gripping docu-series, and it will leave you reeling. Even the recent movie with Zac Efron, which some people didn't care for, has much more information than any other movie. Being the newest version has its advantages.
Storm Warning (2007)
Aussie redneck maniac family terrorizes nice couple lost in the swamp. Starts off pretty average, but then becomes quite suspenseful and surprisingly downright gory, which I loved. The bad guys are very bad, so you do enjoy it when their creatively bloody deaths arrive.
Die Hard (1988)
Maybe
teleadm and I think alike. I also watched the
Die Hard series this week!
Worst Christmas party ever! Best action movie of all time!
The action movie that all others aspire to be. Keeps building momentum with each passing second. Full of huge heart and hilarious one-liners. You'll laugh, you'll gasp!
It's little wonder Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman went supernova after this. Both are so perfectly in their elements. Willis was known as a rom-com kinda guy prior to this. Alan Rickman wasn't even known, let alone well known before Die Hard. This changed their careers permanently.
I honestly haven't seen this in decades. I know it's hugely popular with the masses, but this is my first time rewatching it since the 90's. I've seen bits and pieces on TV over the years, but seeing the complete movie was such a joy. I know it's not Christmas, it's not even Labor Day, but it seemed like the perfect time to visit Nakatomi Plaza again.
"Happy trails, Hans."
Die Hard 2 (1990)
"How can the same shit happen to the same guy twice?"
Lightning never strikes twice, but they tried really hard with this sequel, and you do get flashes of lightning, and maybe a little thunder to go with it. It's a great action movie all on its own, and they more than acknowledge the fact that this is a sequel and have fun with it.
"Why does this keep happening to us?"
It's Christmas again, and John McClane is waiting for his wife Holly's plane to land at Washington's Dulles Airport. Too bad terrorists assume control of the air traffic control system, forcing her plane and others to circle above, unable to land. McClane takes it upon himself to stop them.
"Oh, we are just up to our ass in terrorists again, John?"
As far as sequels go, this is pretty great. Same scenario almost, but different enough as well. The stakes are higher, as they always are in sequels. Bruce Willis is in fine form as John McClane again, Bonnie Bedelia is back as Holly, they even found a way to bring back William Atherton as Dick Thornburg, the annoying reporter Holly punched in the face in the first movie. Also, Reginald VelJohnson gets one scene as Sgt. Al Powell.
It's a fun sequel, deserves to become a holiday tradition, just like the original movie. Nothing says Christmas like fighting terrorists!
"Just once, I'd like a regular, normal Christmas. Eggnog, a f**kin' Christmas tree, a little turkey. But, no. I gotta crawl around in this motherf**kin' tin can."
Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)
John McClane came roaring back with...well, a vengeance, in this third
Die Hard!
This was my first
Die Hard in a movie theater when it premiered, and what an experience. The pace of this movie is relentless and never lets up. We have a solid pairing in Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson, squabbling non-stop, and a villain much like the one from the first, played by Jeremy Irons. Racing around New York City trying to stop bombs going off, this is some exciting stuff.
A much grander, more original, less cookie-cutter sequel than
Die Hard 2, the originality pays off. McClane was too comfortable, too happy in
Die Hard 2, now he's an alcoholic with a hangover and his wife wants nothing to do with him. Sure doesn't hurt having original director, John McTiernan, back in the game either. The rare sequel that is equal to the original.
Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
Another action-packed McClane adventure, full of carnage and one-liners, just what we've all come to love and expect from a
Die Hard movie.
It's been twelve years since the last movie. McClane's daughter is all grown and mad at her dad. McClane has to protect a computer hacker from a cyber terrorist, Thomas Gabriel, who plans to attack the nation's infrastructure. McClane's daughter, Lucy, winds up on Gabriel's radar, and all Hell breaks loose.
Lots of exciting action, and the chemistry between Bruce Willis and Justin Long is a lot of fun. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is spirited as Lucy. Kevin Smith must have creamed his hockey jersey when he got cast in a Die Hard movie, he's a welcome presence too. Timothy Olyphant and Maggie Q make great baddies, but they have to live free or die hard in the shadow of Alan Rickman, the most beloved Die Hard villain ever, and that's hard to overcome.
Only slightly weaker than other
Die Hard sequels, but man, still impressed by that whole jet fighter/freeway sequence!
A Good Day To Die Hard (2013)
A Good Day To Die Hard is most definitely the weakest link in the Die Hard chain. It's not that it lacks action, it just lacks heart and imagination. A
Die Hard movie should have action and a few laughs, but the stakes need to be high and we need to care about the people involved. What's weird is, this is the first
Die Hard movie not based off of previous material, but was written specifically to be a Die Hard movie.
Jai Courtney as Jack McClane has no personality. It's not the actor's fault, it just isn't in the script. John McClane became an action movie icon because he was an immensely likeable everyman, overflowing with personality. Bruce Willis drops a few cool lines here, but it's not enough. The story is happening in Russia, no where near his usual stomping grounds, already making it seem like some random action movie and less like Die Hard. The story is not bad, it's just not very Die Hard-ish.
I, like everyone on the planet, was very disappointed when I first saw this. It was lacking that special something each of the previous
Die Hard movies had. There was no spark, it seemed hollow and forgettable. So forgettable, in fact, that I kind of enjoyed it this second time, since I'd forgotten what happened. I knew I wasn't going to love it, and parts of it surprised me this time. Almost every series has that one movie that tanks, and this is it for this series, but I had more fun with it this time. I'm a real movie slut that way. As a
Die Hard movie, it's lacking. As an action movie, it ain't too bad.
The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936)
A solid biographical telling of the story of Louis Pasteur, the French biologist, who saved us all from horrible early deaths because of his discoveries in vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization.
Paul Muni, who is really better than I've ever seen him before, plays Pasteur as a determined and unrelenting investigator into microbes, intent on cracking this mystery of science. It's told in that classic cinema fashion, meant to inspire and uplift, while possibly skimming over a great many details.
The Foreigner (2017)
A tense drama/martial arts action movie about seeking vengeance for a modern-day IRA bombing starring Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan, directed by Martin Campbell. What a hodge-podge this was, but it all works together to make for a great movie.
Jackie Chan has never been more serious, Pierce Brosnan has never seemed more Irish. Together, they make for an odd pairing, but one that works. The story moves forward at a rapid pace, twists are thrown at you and turns are taken.
The IRA are a fascinating subject, which this movie only skims the top of, it's more concerned with getting vengeance, as only Jackie Chan can. Pierce Brosnan is quite good too, one of his better roles of recent years. I have to admit, I wasn't too eager to see this, but Martin Campbell keeps this tight and taut, an action movie with grit.
River Runs Red (2018)
A young black man is shot dead for no reason by police. His father, a judge, wants justice.
What a timely dramatic premise, this looked to be great from the outside, it starts off really great too. Then, it just slides downhill. The production looks a bit cheap. The story gets a bit too far-fetched. The ending is a downer.
Almost no one shows any real sympathy for the families at all, which seems a little unlikely. I know they want to isolate the character and drive them to do what they ultimately do, but it doesn't seem realistic.
John Cusack, who appears for maybe a total of ten minutes overall, what are you doing in this movie? You'd be better off doing a sitcom than accepting tiny roles in lesser movies like this.
Rashomon (1950)
"We all want to forget something, so we tell stories. It's easier that way."
Dipping my toe into those foreign classics again. This was my first Akira Kurosawa movie, so please be gentle. The woodcutter's story was the most truthful because he took the baby home...or what?
This had to have blown a few brains out back in 1950, it still gives you a lot to consider. People are trash, but people are also beautiful, just depends what people you choose to associate with. The flashback storytelling technique was used to perfection, handing out the right information at the right time. It looks great too, in beautiful black and white.
Machiko Kyô was very impressive in this, wow!
September Affair (1950)
.jpg)
A classy, scenic romance starring Joan Fontaine and Joseph Cotten as two Americans who meet in Italy and fake their deaths so they can be together. It's a plot only old Hollywood can pull off. It's all played believably, however, and I bought into it completely.
The movie takes its time, you spend so much time with the characters site seeing in Italy that it seems only natural when they fall in love. Italy is practically a character itself in this movie.
Joan Fontaine was a standout in this role, her expressions ring true. Loved seeing a young Jessica Tandy in this, she's adorable.
Zombie (1979) a.k.a.
Zombi 2 and
Zombie Flesh Eaters
Lucio Fulci's zombie masterpiece opens with an iconic scene of an abandoned yacht bobbing around in New York harbor. Then the action moves to the Caribbean where we are witness to the classic shark vs. zombie scene (HOW did they film that?) and an island overrun with zombies.
Famous for that squirmtastic eyeball-gouging scene, which is remarkably well done for its time. Still makes me retch, but it's also an amazing moment of pure horror tension. I especially enjoyed it this time, showing it to someone who hadn't seen or even heard of this movie before.
The score is perfect for such a story, plodding along creepily, just like the zombies. The zombies are not shown much, which only adds to their horror mystique. The story is a bit slow at certain points, but the overall horror atmosphere kept me entertained. A definite must-see for any and all horror fans everywhere.
City of the Living Dead (1980) a.k.a.
The Gates of Hell
"The city of the dead. The living dead. A cursed city where the gates of hell have been opened."
A priest hangs himself, allowing the gates of Hell to open up. Of course, zombies take full advantage of the situation and treat the general public like midnight buffet on a Carnival cruise.
The story is muddled and secondary to the artsy-fartsy horror atmosphere created by Lucio Fulci, which is what makes it all so gripping. There's a memorable scene involving a drill and some poor guy's head that horror fans will love, and it looks fantastic, which is something else, considering the time period.
I thought I'd seen this before at a sleepover when I was a teenager, turns out that it was
City of the Walking Dead (1980) a.k.a.
Nightmare City that I had seen. Similar titles and release dates. I hadn't seen this till now, I had an accidental Lucio Fulci double-bill.
City of the Walking Dead (1980) a.k.a.
Invasion of the Atomic Zombies
"Don't get caught "alive"... you'd be better off dead!"
A plane full of ticked off zombies exposed to radiation go on a killing spree, running after people, using knives, guns and various other methods, including their teeth, in their quest to kill everyone in sight. Totally gonzo "zombie" movie, completely off the wall with tons of violence and breasts.
The zombies are very well-dressed but they appear to be caked in fecal matter, which is not a good look. It's delightfully violent and just plain crazy, this movie is a real hoot! Some of the acting is extremely overwrought. This is already a mini-cult favorite, but it deserves to be seen even more. It's not possible to take it seriously, but it does have some unique and impressive moments that make it stand out.
I saw this movie years ago as a teenager at a sleepover. We rented this one based on the VHS box and stayed up all night watching horror movies of varying quality. It was called
City of the Walking Dead when I saw it, which is why I got it confused with
City of the Living Dead, which was also released in 1980 and is an Italian zombie movie as well.
Most memorable moment: A zombie cuts a woman's bare breast off! Whoa!
It's total trash, but it's entertaining trash.
The Giant Spider Invasion (1975)
" You ever see the movie Jaws? It makes that shark look like a goldfish!"
Gigantic spiders attack a small rural community in Wisconsin. Cows get ripped apart, people are eaten alive. Giant spiders attend a little league baseball game. It's all pretty low-key, seemed like a forgotten TV-movie from the 70's, but it was an actual surprise money making box office theatrical release.
It really gets interesting once the spiders attack. I found the scenes of people being devoured by spiders to be a little disturbing, actually. The giant spider looks great, you can't tell that it was played by a Volkwagen Beetle in some scenes. Worth a look for horror and sci-fi fans.
Starring Barbara Hale and Alan Hale, Jr. (no relation)
Have a great movie week!
Road House (1989) - 
