Reviews

"The Atomic Cafe" has got to be the most over-hyped documentary

of all time.

While "AC" is an ironic, often humorous, and sometimes horrifying

take on the atomic age (cobbled together from Defense Department footage and archives of civil defense films), its

over-stated reputation is more a result of the time in which it was

produced, rather than the film standing the test of time.

Since the concept of "Mutually Assured Destruction" has all but

dissolved (at least for now), what passed for irony in 1982 does

not necessarily pass for irony today, and in this respect, the film

shows it's age.

Perhaps what is most ironic in viewing this film in 2003, it seems

many of the civil defense pieces shown (and ridiculed) in "The

Atomic Cafe" have more relevance today in the age of nuclear

terrorism, than in the Cold-War era of "M.A.D." Seen in this

context, survival from a massive nuclear onslaught by the "Red

Menace" is laughable -- but, survival from a single (or "limited")

nuclear terrorist act is plausible. Perhaps ironically, the "Duck and

Cover" and home fallout shelter pieces in this film have some

relevance today -- ironic indeed.

Regardless, a vastly overrated film that is a product of the era of

"The Day After" and Reagan's "Evil Empire," but loses it's edge in

today's nuclear politics.

Having commented on the dubbed and edited version three years

ago on IMDb, I'm back again, having recently had the chance to

check out the newly released "Ultimate Edition" version in Los

Angeles. In a word, it is the "Ultimate Edition." Long-lost scenes

(that I had never seen in the dubbed version) are re-inserted, fight

scenes are extended, one tournament fight scene is added (which

was already in the "One Armed Boxer vs. Flying Guillotine"

version), and the film is SUBTITLED and not DUBBED, which is

the biggest change. It's interesting to watch the film in its native

language, and not the awful Australian dubbing (which actually is

one of the things I really like about the original!!), which adds a

whole different color to the film. The added scenes of the One

Armed Boxer in the beginning of the film also add more dimension

to his character, and yes... we find out that "One Armed Boxer" has

a real name!! The story behind the re-release is an original,

complete negative was located in China, and Greg Hatanaka and

Pathfinder Pictures saw fit to give this film a re-release in the

States (thanks, Greg!). To call "MFG:Ultimate" a "restored" version

from a technical standpoint would be incorrect (the print is

somewhat washed out, and damaged in places -- looks like

processing flaws which they will hopefully correct in the DVD

release... hint hint...), but it is a LOT more vibrant than the bootlegs

of the original "MFG" floating around out there, and it's presented in

the correct 2.35 aspect ratio! All in all, a great release of an

entertaining film to watch! It is in limited release, but the upcoming

(hopefully) DVD version should please true fans out there! The

biggest disappointment -- missing great dubbed-in dialogue like:

"D'you know who eye yam? I happen to be the one armed boxer!!"

and "Just you get outta my way now... you old has-been!!

Hahahaha!!!" All gone...

What an awful film... perfect justification for the term "straight to video." You'd think with all the elements they had to work with, angry teens, the supernatural, etc.,they could have come up with a better film! Special kudos go to the camerawork -- constant motion for no apparent reason that does nothing but make the audience motion sick.

"Testament" is a "quiet" disaster film... no explosions, no stock soap opera characters, no special effects. Perhaps this is what makes it one of the most effective film commentaries on the horrors of nuclear war.

Others have written about the "trilogy" of "World War III" films to come out of the 1980's; "The Day After" (ABC Television's rather lame attempt at depicting the end of the world, which amounts to no more than a poorly made television movie), "Threads" (BBC's take on the same subject, which is so incredibly impactful, horrifying, and nausiating that one only needs see it once), and, of course, "Testament."

Indeed, for the first 1/3 of the film, we see the everyday life of a small town family dealing with everyday problems. But the familiarity of everyday things is turned upside down once the bombs fall. The fabric of life is slowly but surely torn away... which is the greatest impact of the film. We don't see millions of people die -- we don't have to -- but we know the worst has happened. Unlike a spectacular mass-destruction film, where millions die without much emotional impact, we feel more for the few we see die from radiation sickness before our eyes. The familiar faces that pass on leave the greatest impact in "Testament."

Why Jane Alexander didn't win an Academy Award is beyond me -- she should have. Performances by her family (mostly unknown actors) are very strong, as are those of the supporting cast. The film could have been five minutes longer to finish out the story, but then again, the film ended as it probably should have... with the overwhelming sense that this is truly the end...

First off, I am a HUGE fan of Led Zeppelin, and they should be

justifiably proud of the art they have created in their short 12

years together... they have made their mark in the lofty annals

of rock and roll music as one of the greatest assemblages of

musicians ever to play together...

And then they made this mess.

While the band is great, this movie simply sucks. I've got a

huge collection of their other live material, 99 percent of

which is better than this film. The MSG show at the end of the

'73 American tour was not their high point (check out some of

their 1977 tour material, especially the Los Angeles Forum

show). No band is perfect, and although Zeppelin is close, you

have to see this film for what it is... not a very good attempt

to capture the band. Here's why...

1) "Fantasy Sequences" Hello? Do we need to see this?

2) 30 minutes of "Dazed and Confused?" That's how you'll feel

after watching this song go on forever.

3) Jimmy making numerous mistakes in his playing (not in top

form here)

4) Plant throwing in way too many ad-libbed "babys" and

"b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-boogies" and "Aaahahhhhhhhhhhhs!!" and

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhs!!

It's too bad other Zeppelin material hasn't made it to official

release (Albert Hall, 1970; Earls Court, 1975; etc.) I think

these legendary shows would to much more justice to the band.

See "Song Remains the Same" once, if you must... but don't

expect

This is the only movie I have ever seen where I literally had to

leave the room because it was too intense... and I've seen a lot

of movies!!

You all know the basic plot by now, but the smallest details of

the film are what will affect you. The buildup to the attack is

very well executed, and will keep you on the edge. The

aftermath is excrutiatingly depressing because it is presented

in such a realistic manner. Where this film differs from "The

Day After" (that OTHER made for TV World War III film) is that

it looks farther into the future... 13 years instead of a few

weeks. You literally watch as society as we know it breaks down

and reverts to the Dark Ages.

This is a film that summarizes the 1980's nuclear fears, and one

that should be seen at least once... of course once is all you

need to see it. I have only seen this film once, on PBS in

1985, and I feel as if I watched it yesterday... it's t

Yet another in the Japanese sci-fi "so bad, it's good" genre, "Green Slime" is an entertaining way to blow off an hour and a half!

To give you an idea of just how "bad/good" this movie is, here are the top ten reasons to see "Green Slime":

1) A space station and every rocket ship on wires.

2) Electric carts that drive around space station hallways for no apparent reason (complete with exhaust pipe belching smoke from a GASOLINE engine)

3) The most unforgettable theme song to a movie you will ever hear.

4) The most perfectly-combed male head of hair you will ever see (Robert Horton's)

5) Yes, little guys running around in rubber monster suits.

7) Clearly cardboard sets (doors, walls, spaceship interiors)

8) A guys talking on a telephone THROUGH his motorcycle/spaceman helmet.

9) Extra-groovy dancing.

And finally...

10) In this Japanese production, they still saw fit to dub ENGLISH onto ENGLISH-speaking actors AND did a bad job at it!!

A classic!! Rent of buy this one!

Oh, this is a good one!!!

"Night of the Lepus" is one of those movies that, like an annoyingly bad song, creeps into your consciousness and never let's go!! It's so bad, it's good!!!

Example: A waitress alone in a small desert town diner at night. Cut to her looking out the front door. Cut to a shot of a quiet intersection. Fade up cattle stampede sound effects. Cut to waitress, looking terrified. Cut to intersection, stampede sound effects growing louder. Cut to waitress, on the verge of panic. Cut back to intersection, as one by one, cute 8-foot tall fluffy brown and white bunny rabbits come come bouncing towards the camera. Cut back to waitress screaming in terror, as the bunny rabbits crash through the door to devour her. Cut to closeup of giant bunny rabbit's gnawing teeth...

It has to be seen to be believed!!!

This film is worth seeing if just for the horrible nightclub song! Beware, you will never forget "The Words Get Stuck in my Throat!" Beyond that, the fights between the brown and green Gargantua are entertaining (how could two guys bouncing around a miniature Tokyo set not be entertaining?)

If you love "so bad, it's good" film making, you can't miss this one!

If entertaining car chase movies with a plot are your thing, then check out "Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry!"

In what could have easily been a mindless action film, director John Hough delivers a fast paced, exciting, and surprisingly entertaining film. Peter Fonda is Larry Rayder, a down and almost out race car driver with dreams of driving in the big-time NASCAR circuit. Along with his mechanic, Deke Sommers (played by Adam Roarke, who turns in the only standout performance of the film as a man dealing with his past, but looking to the future), they rob a supermarket to finance their dreams, and make a run to escape with the loot.

Along the way, they are blackmailed by fast and sexy Mary Coombs (a curvy Susan George, who does a great job hiding her British accent), who insists that they take her along for the ride. In their race for freedom, they evade an entire division of Highway Patrol cars, and tough as nails sherriff Vic Morrow, in their 440-powered 1969 Dodge Charger, only to face their destiny on the brink of their success!

"Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry" is THE blueprint for all car-chase movies to follow, most notably 'Smokey and the Bandit," and the cult-TV show "The Dukes of Hazzard." Unfortunately, the film is nowhere to be found on video, but it is definitely a "must see!"

It has taken 25 years, but through the magic of computers and clever filmmaking, the effects in "Aftershock: Earthquake in New York" have far and away surpassed the effects in the 1974 disaster epic "Earthquake."

Utilizing actual footage of New York City, the effects team on "Aftershock..." achieved big budget effects for the small screen... and the effects truly are amazing!

The story and the acting are pretty much TV miniseries stuff, but if for nothing else, see this miniseries for the chilling special effects alone!

"The Towering Inferno" may be considered to be the great disaster movie epic; "The Poseidon Adventure" may be the ultimate escape film; but in my book, "Earthquake" is the king of all disaster films!

While "Inferno" and "Poseidon" have the Irwin Allen stamp, "Earthquake" is the crown jewel of the 1970's disaster film genre. True, at times, the dialogue is inane, and the many characters can be a little taxing, but the suspense that builds up to the massive earthquake that levels Los Angeles makes for an entertaining film!

With an all-star cast from film and television at the helm, the true star (much like the fire in "The Towering Inferno," as Paul Newman put it), are the special effects. For those of us in Los Angeles who are familiar with the freeway overpasses, the malls, and downtown Hollywood depicted in the film, witnessing their destruction delivers an eerie punch that non-Angelenos can't truly appreciate (and, in fact, when the film is broadcast over local television stations after a quake of a significant magnitude in the Los Angeles area, the teaser commercials frequently read: "We all felt it... now let's see if Hollywood got it right...") They most certainly did in this spectacular film.

"Earthquake" truly is "An Event."

While it is certainly not one of the best disaster films of the 1970's, it certainly is one of the most entertaining! From terribly miscast Karen Black, to Linda Blair (fresh off her stint as Regan in "The Exorcist") to Gloria Swanson (not so fresh off of the great "Sunset Boulevard") to Charlton Heston and George Kennedy (alternating their time between this film, and the disaster classic "Earthquake," which the two were shooting simultaneously), this is an "all-star" film in every sense of the word!

The premise of the film is actually an engaging one: a stewardess trying to land a crippled 747 after a midair collision with a small plane, but the execution is where this film falters. The direction by Jack Smight is flat, and the film blows a great idea by spending a lot of time on characters who talk and do nothing for two hours.

But I will give the film it's due... the aerial sequences are amazing (so amazing, in fact, that the Harrison Ford film "Air Force One" borrowed, shot for shot, the aerial rescue sequence from "Airport 1975"). Using a leased 747 from American Airlines (at $30,000 a day in 1974 dollars!!!), the Universal team did a great job depicting the crippled airliner (with the exception of several exterior shots of the damaged cockpit area, featuring a painted-on black smudge on a real 747 portraying the damage caused by a midair collision), but if this film has any strong points, this is it.

Overall, not a great film, but if you're a fan of the 1970's disaster genre, a must see.

Based on the novel "Make Room, Make Room" by Harry Harrison, but not following it faithfully, "Soylent Green" is the story of a man charged with keeping order in a nightmarish world that is slowly suffocating to death.

Charlton Heston turns in a wonderful performance as Thorn, a police detective who is investigating the murder of an executive of the Soylent company, the producer of over half of the world's food supply. As he digs further into the case, the more the true story behind "Soylent Green" unravels... and the more the world he lives in unravels with it.

This is a film that will stick with you...

"Soylent Green" is one of those films that makes you sit and wonder what our world will be like in 20 years, and whether fiction really can become reality.

An absolute classic in the Martial Arts genre, "Master..." is a unique combination of Chinese legend and outstanding martial arts action.

After seeing this film several times during my youth, and again at a 1994 revival screening, this is one of those films that stays with you, and one that is worth revisiting again an again!

The english-dubbed version is absolutely hilarious, and the fighting tournament sequence features some of the best choreographed fighting I've seen. This film is a must for "Battle Arena Toshinden" and "Tekken" video game fans!!

Lines to remember: "Today, I will teach you the art of jumping..." and "Don't you know who I am? I'm the one-armed boxer!! I killed seven with one blow!!"