Movies I Have Seen Lately

[The Baron]

Saw a Takashi Miike picture called The Great Yokai War. "Yokai" is a Japanese term for monsters from folklore, as opposed to the more familiar kaiju. It's a kids' picture, about a young boy from Tokyo sent out to live in the countryside with his older sister and his intermittently senile grandfather. When a vengeful spirit appears, the boy gets caught up in a war between warring groups of yokai and must find his courage to become the "Kirin Rider", the hero who will set everything to rights. It's not a bad picture - nothing deep, but an amusing story. Some of the yokai are really trippy, Japanese folklore can get pretty "out there", apparently.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Before moving on from The Sidehackers I should mention that J.C. is played by Michael Pataki, who played the Klingon who picked a fight with Scotty on Star Trek's "The Trouble with Tribbles" episode.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

DANGEROUS CHARTER (1962): "Mystery, intrigue and death ride the high seas in this suspense-filled adventure about a desperate criminal and a strange cargo on a shattering voyage into the unknown."

Three fishermen find an abandoned yacht. The only person aboard dies of the mumps. The men claim salvage rights, and they are granted ownership of the yacht. they decide to run a charter service, along with a woman who is the daughter of one of them and the girlfriend of another. The authorities ask to be kept apprised of anyone who contacts them to charter the boat. The first guy who does wants them to take him to La Paz to pick up his boss, but the boss ends up being a drug smuggler who was forced to abandon the boat when they thought the crewman who died of the mumps died of the plague. the criminals hold the crew hostage and force them to do their bidding. It was okay, but Tracy thought it was too slow-moving.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

LITTLE LAURA & BIG JOHN (1973): "Based on a true story, this action-packed, hard-hitting depiction of the infamous Ashley gang--who terrorized the southeast of the 1920s--also illustrates a desperate love between two people destined for destruction."

I have little doubt that this movie was inspired by Bonnie & Clyde (1967), except instead of Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty, Little Laura & Big John stars Karen Black and Fabian. (Filming began in 1968, but the completed film was held back and was released when Karen Black became more famous.) I've seen worse movies, but this one is thorougly unconvincing if for no other reason than everything in it--the props, the automobiles, the sets--all appear to be absolutely new. The clothes look as if they came directly from the wardrobe department. And the music was completely anachronistic. the movie also stars Paul Gleason (The Breakfast Club, Die Hard, Trading Places) as the sheriff.

The movie is semi-narrated by Laura's mother (as if she were the Stage Manager in Our Town), who introduces multiple flashbacks of Laura Upthegrove and John Ashley when they were children. I wouldn't be too surprised if this movie in turn served as inspiration for [the far superior] Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid.

[The Baron]

"Laura Upthegrove"  sounds like a failed attempt at a "Bond Girl" name.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Ironically, this movie takes place in Florida, where that's probably illegal.

(And a young Paul Gleason looks not unlike Ron "Meatball" DeSantis.)

"Laura Upthegrove"  sounds like a failed attempt at a "Bond Girl" name.

Or a rejected Monty Python sketch. (Wink, wink... nudge, nudge... Know-what-I-mean? Say no more!")

Perhaps someone should introduce her to Mr. Smokestoomuch. 

I'm really looking forward to tonight's movie, about a transvestite motorcycle gang.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

THE PINK ANGELS (1971): "Six rugged motorcyclists gather on the side of the highways to plan an excursion to Los Angeles. Although they appear to be the burliest bunch of bikers this side of the Hell's Angels, they are actually cross-dressing madmen with an affinity for lipstick, high heels and brassieres!"

I can't even. Must be seen to be believed. I'm not sure whether this movie is to be embraced, ridiculed or reviled. It's not entirely serious. which makes the shock ending that much more shocking. There's quite a bit of Easy Rider in it, as well as Electra Glide in Blue. Michael Pataki co-stars, as well as Dan Haggerty (Grizzly Adams).

(Unsigned, but that's obviously Jack Davis.)

[Tracy of Moon-T]

I feel like this movie is the imaginary world the GOP believes they are protecting themselves from by banning and vilifying. The main bikers just want to hang out, ride across the country, and go to a party. 

Jeff of Earth-J said:

THE PINK ANGELS (1971): I'm not sure whether this movie is to be embraced, ridiculed or reviled. It's not entirely serious. which makes the shock ending that much more shocking. 

[Jeff of Earth-J]

THE HELLCATS (1967): "Viciousness, brutality, excitement, honesty and love are all part of this fast-paced, action-packed film about female motorcycle gangs... the first of its kind."

The main thing I have learned from these capsule summaries is to be wary of the terms "fast-paced" and "action-packed." As far as this particular summary is concerned, this film very well may have been "the first of its kind" if it were about "female motorcycle gangs," which it most definitely is not. There are females in the gang, and about four or five of them have speaking parts, but it is not about female motorcycle gangs, or even gangs (plural). What it is about is this: a narc cop gets killed by a motorcycle gang, and the cop's fiancée and his brother join the gang to get revenge. It makes me wonder if someone wrote that summary based on the title alone. 

None of the acting in any of the films I have been watching lately is good, but the acting in The Hellcats is particularly bad. (Of course it's hard to do anything with dialogue such as: "What's the action?" "They're making us uptight.") Same goes for the music. Later in the film the soundtrack switches to crime jazz, which is passable, albeit 20 years out of date. But the banal and repetitious "rock and roll" the opening credits will give you a good idea of what I'm talking about. 

Here's the trailer. (I guess the girls are supposed to be the leaders, but certainly didn't get that.)

[The Baron]

This was featured in MST3K Show 209.  Not a favorite.

Jeff of Earth-J said:

THE HELLCATS (1967): "Viciousness, brutality, excitement, honesty and love are all part of this fast-paced, action-packed film about female motorcycle gangs... the first of its kind."

The main thing I have learned from these capsule summaries is to be wary of the terms "fast-paced" and "action-packed." As far as this particular summary is concerned, this film very well may have been "the first of its kind" if it were about "female motorcycle gangs," which it most definitely is not. There are females in the gang, and about four or five of them have speaking parts, but it is not about female motorcycle gangs, or even gangs (plural). What it is about is this: a narc cop gets killed by a motorcycle gang, and the cop's fiancée and his brother join the gang to get revenge. It makes me wonder if someone wrote that summary based on the title alone. 

None of the acting in any of the films I have been watching lately is good, but the acting in The Hellcats is particularly bad. (Of course it's hard to do anything with dialogue such as: "What's the action?" "They're making us uptight.") Same goes for the music. Later in the film the soundtrack switches to crime jazz, which is passable, albeit 20 years out of date. But the banal and repetitious "rock and roll" the opening credits will give you a good idea of what I'm talking about. 

Here's the trailer. (I guess the girls are supposed to be the leaders, but certainly didn't get that.)

[Jeff of Earth-J]

"This was featured in MST3K Show 209."

Yes, but I didn't realize that until I went looking for clips on YouTube last night before I posted. I have the MST3K Amazing Colossal Episode Guide, but I generally don't read about the episodes unless I'm familiar with the movie, and The Hellcats wasn't one I had seen on MST3K or elsewhere.

"Not a favorite."

As I mentioned above, the acting and the music (not to mention the script) are particularly bad in this one. Here's [some of] what Mike Nelson had to say about it: "The Hellcats is one of those movies that makes one wonder how, with movie making being such a formidable task, requiring so much drive and vision, how could an individual choose to put so much ugliness up on screen."

I don't like to look ahead to the "coming attractions" (so as not to ruin the "surprise"), but last night Tracy asked me how many more biker movies we have to endure enjoy. Judging from the titles alone, I'd say at least four more. 

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

I'm back from French Polynesia! I caught four movies on various airplanes:

Moana: Charming Disney movie, and pretty much perfect for watching on the way to a Polynesian vacation.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On: Sweet, but I'd have certainly liked it better with adequate audio, instead of the freebie airline earbuds.

Tremors: Definitely a movie sturdy enough to withstand in-flight movie quality. Tons of fun, and I'm baffled that it took me 33 years to finally see it. 

Bodies Bodies Bodies: 20-something jerks play a social-deduction murder party game, and then people start dying for real. OK movie, with a killer punchline at the end.

[The Baron]

When I see this, my brain add, "...Get your adverbs here!"

Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod) said:

Bodies Bodies Bodies