,..An odd friendship grows between a businessman and a blue-collar worker as they search together for the executive's runaway daughter. Thrust into the midst of the counter-culture, they react with an orgy of violence..'
Early Cannon production, starring screen legend Peter Boyle, prolific TV actor Dennis Patrick, and a young Susan Sarandon, is one of the best examples of the generation-gap between conservative parents and their free-loving hippie offspring.
Superb performance from Boyle, and one of the hippie girls is played by Francine Middleton, who also turned up as the train victim in the opening scene of George Romero's Martin (1977). Directed by John G Avildsen.
Beware of an incredibly grim and downbeat climax !
posted
I remember seeing the trailer for this Johnny for the first time ever on the Canon Films documentary which came out a little while back and I thought it looked really great!
Definitely need to check it out and it certainly seems different to much of what came later during Avildsen's long directorial career!
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aTomiK
.... has green eyes as well....
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posted
Sounds good, Johnny! I have the dvd so i´ll check it out one of these days (years )
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The Wrong Arm Of The Law (1963) starring Peter Sellers as the leader of a crime gang whose heists are being hijacked by a new mob on the block. The 'IPO Gang' impersonate police officers and pretend to apprehend the thieves, only to make off with the loot.
It's a fast-paced, funny movie, with a supporting cast covering most of the known faces of British comedy in the 60s.
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aTomiK
.... has green eyes as well....
Member # 6575
Foxy was a rewatch and Sheba first timer (and maybe last too).
Foxy Brown is still one of the greatest blaxploitation movies. Jack Hill knew what the people wanted and gave it 100%.
Sheba is so lame i can´t find words. Not even legendary Austin Stoker (Assault on Precinct 13) can help it. I enjoy Bill Girdler´s (he died way too young) late 70s horror flicks but this was a disappointment.
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posted
Pam Grier is a 70s goddess, and it is great to see her still working today. She is a terrific actress and has lots of screen presence. My favorites of her films are Coffy, The Arena, and Black Mamma White Mamma. Foxy Brown is good, and I agree that Sheba, coming at the tail-end of the Blaxploitation era is very weak.
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Terrific Elmore Leonard written thriller starring my all time favourite tough guy actor Charles Bronson as a melon farmer who is being pursued by the mob after upsetting one of there number.
Not watched this at a guess since the early 90s so it's certainly been a while but this a great,straight forward little thriller with a cool performance from the main man and features many a memorable line and moment throughout!
Looks & sounds good on Blu Ray (from UK distributor Signal One Entertainment) and includes a good selection of extras including audio commentary,interviews,trailer etc.
20 Million Miles to Earth (1957) starring William Hopper and Joan Taylor.
A fifties sci-fi flick showcasing the skills of Ray Harryhausen, it tells the tale of an unborn venusian creature brought back on mankind's first mission. When the ship crashes back on earth, the creature is born, grows at an exponential rate, and due to fear and man's tendency to attack what he does not understand, goes on a rampage.
Earth Vs The Flying Saucers (1956)
Interesting sci-fi fare starring Hugh Marlowe and Joan Taylor as a newly married scientific duo researching near-space to pave the way for manned flights. Sudden increased UFO activity and the downing of their research satellites points to an imminent invasion of Earth, and they hold the key to mankind's survival.
With effects by Ray Harryhausen, a half-decent script and some typically stoic mid-fifties acting, this one's an enjoyable watch.
It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955) starring Kenneth Tobey, Faith Domergue and Donald Curtis.
Another movie made far better for the inclusion of Ray Harryhausen's creatures, this movie deals with the discovery, validation, and ultimate battle with a huge octopus-like creature who emerges from his deep-sea lair and threatens America's Pacific coast. As usual, the effects win over the rather stilted Fifties B-movie style and performances.
Riders to the Stars (1954) stars Richard Carlson, Herbert Marshall, William Lundigan and Martha Hyer.
Keen to find a way to protect their early spacecraft from the effects of cosmic radiation, a group of scientists hatch a plan to catch a meteoroid, when one of their number wonders how they survive intact.The plan requires a team of men to go into space to capture one, and so a nationwide search is on to recruit the twelve most likely candidates, whittle them down to four, and then shoot them into space.
It's a bit of a kooky concept, but one that is delivered quite well. There's still the fifties style running all through the movie, but the characters are a little more believable than most of the genre.
Beauty And The Barge (1937) starring Gordon Harker, Judy Gunn, Jack Hawkins and Margaret Rutherford.
Desperate to escape her overbearing father's command that she marry against her wishes, a young woman runs away, into the company of a philandering boat captain and pursued by a smitten naval officer. This is a gentle little period piece, with some fine overacting and a lot of accents, both plummy and common.
Don't Panic Chaps (1959)
Enjoyable comedy starring George Cole, Dennis Price, Harry Fowler, Percy Herbert and Gertan Klauber. A quartet of soldiers placed on an uninhabited Greek island by their CO to monitor ship movements get forgotten when the invasion goes to Sicily and not Greece. When they find out there's also a handful of German soldiers on the island as well - who are in exactly the same state of limbo - do they fight, or do they co-exist, waiting to see which side turns up first to rescue them? as it happens, the first arrival is a beautiful girl.
Although the premise of 'friendly enemies' is taken a little too far, it helps that all eight combatants are inept in their own ways, and each finds a connection with a foe. The laughs come at a steady, gentle pace, and overall, this is a funny, inoffensive little flick.
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975)
Gene Wilder directed and starred in this detective spoof, playing Sigerson, the younger brother of the famous sleuth. When he takes on the case of Jenny Hill and the missing document, there's murder and mayhem afoot.
Wonderful ensemble cast, including Madeline Khan, Marty Feldman, Leo McKern, Roy Kinnear and John Le Mesurier.
Posts: 3646 | From: Shermer, IL - where else? | Registered: Mar 2001 | Site Updates: 37
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quote:Originally posted by Crash: The Billy Jack films are products of their era and have dated badly. They are interesting though as examples of what one fringe lunatic actor/filmmaker could accomplish outside the studio system.
Billy Jack ; The Complete Collection forthcoming from Shout Factory !
The 4 disc blu-ray set will include Born Losers (1967), Billy Jack (1971), The Trial Of Billy Jack (1974), and Billy Jack Goes To Washington (1977). Release date is set for march 28th, 2017.
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aTomiK
.... has green eyes as well....
Member # 6575
"Four successful middle-aged men Marcello, a pilot; Michel, a television executive; Ugo, a chef; and, Philippe, a judge go to Philippe's villa to eat themselves to death. After the first night, Marcello insists that women should join them. Three prostitutes make it through a day or two; Andrea, a local school teacher, stays to the end. The villa, the food, and a Bugati roadster are essential props." (IMDb)
Masterpiece!
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Helen_S
Hiding behind the shower curtain.....
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posted
La Grande Bouffe deserves a spot on every cult collector's shelf i'd say !
For reasons unknown i still don't have Marco Ferreri's Tales Of Ordinary Madness though..
Anyway.. i re-watched Jonathan Kaplan's Over The Edge (1979) on region 1 dvd the other day. Still good, of course !
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Unfeasibly chilling black and white movie telling the story of a handful of survivors, after pretty much everyone on Earth dies in what they suspect was a gas attack. Their fears are increased when alien robots start roaming the land, picking off the few remaining humans. And things don't get better when some of the dead become zombies.
Very much a precursor to - and imo a somewhat superior movie to - Night Of The Living Dead.
posted
While I wouldn't put it in the same league as Night of the Living Dead, The Earth Dies Screaming is an efficient--clocking in at something like 66 minutes--and creepy little second feature directed by Hammer great Terence Fisher. I really liked the design of the robots. The climax was a little rushed, but it's such a well acted and well produced little film.
Posts: 2008 | From: Dixieland | Registered: Oct 2008 | Site Updates: 0
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Excellent time-capsule starring George Segal leading the junkie life-style in a crumbling early 70s New York.
Grim and realistic, but not without humour. Arguably one of Segal's best performances !
Karen Black (as Segal's love interest) and Robert De Niro (as an undercover narcotics cop) co-star, and Born To Win is directed by Czech filmmaker Ivan Passer who went on to do Cutter's Way (1981).
I, however, watched a really bad one called Cocaine Cowboys (1979).
It was directed by Ulli Lommel and shot mainly at Andy Warhol´s home and he also has a role in the film, unfortunately.
It´s about a rock band and the guys finance their career with cocaine smuggling. Now they want to get out but someone steals 2 million worth of powder and the bad guys are after them.
Nothing really happens here, nothing. This has to be one of the most boring films i´ve ever seen.
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posted
Just checked out the trailer for Born To Win and have definitely not seen that one before,it looks decent and I like both Seagal and Karen Black plus you've got De Niro as well it looks cool!
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Helen_S
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Beat Girl (1960) - This was a bit of fun. Some awkward cringy dancing, interesting music. Christopher Lee in a small but fun role as a grumpy, sleazy strip club owner. Oliver Reed credited as Plaid shirt haha. 'Teens' calling everybody a square. Fighting is for squares, drinking is for squares, you're square, he's square. Main girl was so smackable.
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Helen_S
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The Most Dangerous Game (1932) - Never heard of this one before. It was so good and just zips by with only around an hour running time. A really dark premise, great atmosphere and loved the main actors. Highly enjoyable!
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posted
The Most Dangerous Game was done by much of the same team that went on to do King Kong. You got Fay Wray in it too! It's a terrific film and doesn't waste a second of its 63 minutes. I think that it's the best version of the classic short story.
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posted
To comment on some recently mentioned films on this thread:
"Born to Win" - very well done but extremely depressing film about drug addicts in '70's NYC. George Segal is the star, and DeNiro is barely in the film. IIRC, there was a DVD box cover I saw of this film a while back, and it made it look like DeNiro played a big role - but he didn't.
This film definitely needs a better home video release than what it's gotten so far; the only time I've ever seen this was on a cheap full-screen DVD; the picture quality seemed like it was a VHS rip - terrible. This is a film that would probably reach a wider audience if it got a much better DVD/Blu-ray transfer.
"Joe" - excellent film starring Peter Boyle as an "average Joe" who befriends a middle-aged guy who has committed an unintentional crime. The film is a great look at the counterculture in the early '70's U.S., specifically the wide gulf between conservative middle aged adults & the much younger hippie culture.
"Mr. Majestyk" - just recently watched this on the Kino Lorber Blu. Great '70's action flick, and though not my favorite Bronson (that would be The Mechanic), this was extremely well-done. I liked how the film started out one way, and then when Bronson (as a prisoner) was involved in the attempt to free that hit man, the film shifted a different way - very creative story-telling.
The picture quality on the Blu was definitely great (for the most part), but there were still some scenes where there was a lot of film grain (i.e., DNR) visible - especially at night. However, considering this is an older film, that was understandable. Plus, since Bronson films on Blu are few & far between anyway, I'm not complaining too much
[ 06. December 2016, 13:25: Message edited by: Nostalgic for the '80's ]
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aTomiK
.... has green eyes as well....
Member # 6575
"Friday Foster, a model magazine photographer, goes to Los Angeles International airport to photograph the arrival of Blake Tarr, the richest black man in America. Three men attempt to assassinate Tarr. Foster photographs the melee and is plunged into a web of conspiracy involving the murder of her childhood friend, a US senator, and a shadowy plan called "Black Widow". (IMDb)
This was a entertaining blaxploitation film with a tongue in cheek attitude. It´s an adaptation of the 1970-74 eponymous syndicated newspaper comic strip. Pam Grier gives a nice performance as Friday and the great cast also includes Yaphet Kotto, Thalmus Rasulala, Carl Weathers, Eartha Kitt, Scatman Crothers, Ted Lange, Godfrey Cambridge, Jason Bernard and Paul Benjamin.
Washington power games, action, pretty ladies, some nudity plus nice theme tune. Fun stuff!
Nothing freaky with this Friday! Posts: 7054 | From: Finland | Registered: Feb 2008 | Site Updates: 7
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Dystopian sci fi movie with Robert Duvall, Donald Pleasence and Maggie McOmie as terrorized in a world controlled by computer surveillance, forced drug use, and Android cops. Conformity is above all, and so when Duvall and McOmie try to break the monotony, the system turns against them.
It's a dark, hopeless future world view, and the reasons for this are never explored. As such, it never really asks nor answers any questions, and you're left with a vision but very little else.
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