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Harry's DVD Picks & Peeks - 3rd wk of Jan 2011: Sam Fuller BluRays! Awesome Corman Stuff!
Hey folks, Harry here… I just took my pain pills and muscle relaxant for the night. Today was a really good day. Great visits with friends and family, 3 physical therapy sessions, first bowel movement of the experience and yeah… I finished the DVD column all in-between – foregoing the pain meds so my head would be a tad clearer than it is about to be. So I learned pain relieving breathing exercises – and as some one whose Spinal Injury for the past 15 years has kept me from pain… I found it invigorating to FEEL this intensely. Yeah, it hurt, but after having something so wrong that you couldn’t feel it, that was kind of a relief. Told me right where the problem was and how to handle it. AVOID DOING THAT! And just work through it. So writing this, helped me to face a lot of pain and a lot of victories today.
Before I let you go into the column, I just want to say… Today, I had a total moment where I was overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of how much I am blessed. 15 years ago when I wound up paralyzed for 6 months below the waist. I had my father and sister. No insurance, no medical help, just a couple of friends and really just some vague hope of a future. I realized today, that this literally was 15 years ago today. Laying in my room, no idea of what the next 15 years would hold for me. Seemed pretty hopeless. But I had a computer and a lot to talk about. And I found all of you. Some of you have become my best friends, great acquaintances, business partners, readers, mortal enemies in a playful manner and the experiences I’ve had have given me this ability to weather this experience, as though this is the best experience of my life. 15 years ago I was 24, oddly – the same age my wife turned when my legs went dead and she took me to the emergency room. This is the 15th year of AICN – and I’ve a feeling, a very powerful feeling that we’re going to have a lot of fun this year.
Now – unless I write an epic – I just want to say… like always, the images and linked titles will take you to Amazon, where you can learn more about the items in question, but if you decide to purchase something from the link, it’ll help keep this column going, even if I’m in a hospital recovering from spinal surgery. I wish you all the best – and thanks so much for the outpouring of support & well wishes. Here ya go… Tuesday, January 18th, 2011
SHOCK CORRIDOR (Criterion Blu Ray)
This and NAKED KISS (below) are my two favorite Sam Fuller movies of all time. Now don’t get me wrong, I love pretty much his entire body of work, but SHOCK CORRIDOR and NAKED KISS… they’re just… Well, people don’t make movies like these two. I can’t sit here and tell you a list of other great films that are really anything like these two films. Here – you have a crazy awesome film about a reporter that fakes a condition to get committed to an insane asylum with the notion of investigating a mysterious murder, but while you might start thinking of films like SPELLBOUND & SHUTTER ISLAND… SHOCK CORRIDOR is the king of the genre, simply due to the amazingly testosterone filled aggressiveness of Samuel “start a take with a gunshot” Fuller! The photography which was handled by the genius behind NIGHT OF THE HUNTER and the sheer LURID nature of the film makes SHOCK CORRIDOR utterly unforgettable. OH – and NAKED KISS is even better! So great that Criterion is bringing this to Blu Ray. Here’s what you get:
New, restored high-definition digital transfer
New video interview with star Constance Towers
Excerpts from The Typewriter, the Rifle and the Movie Camera-a 1996 documentary
Original theatrical trailer
PLUS: Illustrations by cartoonist Daniel Clowes (Eightball, Ghost World)
THE NAKED KISS (Criterion Blu Ray)
On the previous title, I totally forgot to mention that Daniel Clowes, the awesome “high art” “underground, now aboveground” famed comic artist behind GHOST WORLD… well he did the Criterion covers – and it is wholly appropriate because Daniel Clowes’ lurid comic work very much mirrors the tone of these two specific films of Samuel Fuller. Case in point, THE NAKED KISS – which is just amazing. Here’s a story, contemporary to the early 1960’s about a prostitute that decides to move into that sort of suburban community that we saw on LEAVE IT TO BEAVER, but is confronted with… well, you’ll see. The secrets that leak, the problems… the just… amazing cinematography – and today it doesn’t feel contemporary, but we… you, me, the people we know – we don’t live in that world. This is a “dated” film. Dated to 1963. But if you compare to the films of the era, the movies around it, you’ll be shocked. If you love MAD MEN, you’ll see something… perhaps something you’ll consider even more spectacular. This is brilliant filmmaking. The sort of stuff that Quentin Tarantino and Martic Scorsese aspire to. This is brilliant work of a type so untypical for its era, but that led to the social consciousness that we have today in film. To the identity of the country. Samuel Fuller SHOWED it. He put it out there, in a time of censorship and pretty rows of houses, he smoked his cigar and made every scene top an explosion, through intensity and luridness. Awesome.
New, restored high-definition digital transfer
New video interview with star Constance Towers
Excerpts from a 1983 episode of the BBC's The South Bank Show
Interview with Fuller from a 1967 episode of the French television series
Interview with Fuller from a 1987 episode of the French television series
Original theatrical trailer
PLUS: Illustrations by cartoonist Daniel Clowes (Eightball, Ghost World)
Utterly ridiculous film. I can’t recommend it, but if you like machismo bullshit, you’ll probably enjoy it. I just didn’t feel it. There’s a commentary and making of – so you can really see what they were thinking when they were making it, which is amusing in its own rights. It isn’t bad. It just isn’t my thing.
Love this little Hitchcock experiment … The most amazing thing is how the movie, to me, doesn’t at all feel claustrophobic. It’s absolutely cinematic… it is inventive and it is absolutely uncompromising. What I really love are the constraints that this film plays with in terms of setting and story. That it is never boring or tired… is amazing. It’s the extreme of what Hitchcock did on ROPE, REAR WINDOW and LIFEBOAT – and while I don’t necessarily feel that BURIED even begins to approach the awesome of those movies, it is still amazing that you have a box and a man – and that’s enough to absolutely captivate you for a feature film length of time. That said, Ryan’s character is so painfully stupid in terms of handling his situation… that it kills me. Kills me. That’s the fun of this movie, screaming at the character on screen and saying… DAMMIT! Don’t BURN YOUR FUCKING OXYGEN YOU MORON!!! Heh. This is Ryan Reynolds’ best work and if I were nominating, he’d be up for Best Actor. But then, I’m on painkillers.
Here’s another little film that I think has a performance that has been forgotten this year. Mila Jovovich is amazing in the film. Absolutely a possibility for Supporting Actress – and the role that steals STONE from the also great work by Robert De Niro and Edward Norton. I do think the film gets a little silly with De Niro by the end, but throughout – I loved watching these actors play out this very unique and different Prison Drama Thriller. Definitely worth checking out! Oh – and upon second thought, this is absolutely Ed Norton’s film. He’s amazing, but Mila is so good, so surprisingly awesome, that initially – I thought first of her. I’ve seen enough bad performances from her, that this reminded me of her early, pre-Paul W.S. Anderson association – and I loved her work at that time. Maybe she’s on the road to doing some really good work again, she definitely has the chops for it.
First off – this isn’t the Tracy Lords NOT OF THE EARTH, but the original. If you love awesome campy fun schlocky black & white science fiction, these are awesome. ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS always made me laugh. The notion of giant killer crabs – well, Harryhausen did it best, but all I can think is, YUMMY. But my opinion on ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS took a radical change when I went to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta – where I saw these giant crabs from the deep dark of the ocean off of Japan – and they were huge… and according to the sign, could get to the size of a Volkswagon Bug. HOLY SHIT! ROGER CORMAN WAS RIGHT – I thought on the spot! Then with NOT OF THIS EARTH – you have such a fun “space vampire” story. Now – it isn’t that simple, the alien is here trying to find a new source for blood… HUMAN BLOOD!!! The thing that really rules on this film is the dialogue, which came from one of the gods in Corman’s stable. Then there’s WAR OF THE SATELLITES. I haven’t seen that one yet, but it stars Dick Miller, which means it is a 4 star movie. THEN – because SHOUT! Rules as a company, there’s a ton of extras:
A Salute To The King Of The B’s Featuring
New Interviews With Roger Corman, Peter Fonda, Peter Bogdanovich, Joe Dante andMany More!
Audio Commentaries on All Three Films With Tom Weaver, John Brunas and Mike Brunas, Authors of Universal Horrors
The Roger Corman Trailer Collection Including Over 25 Trailers Produced and Directed by Roger Corman
This is sitting at my house. I know exactly where it is. It came the day before I went to the Emergency Room. In fact, I have to have Yoko bring this disc cuz I’m hearing this series is kinda amazing. And the notion of Djimon Hounsou being the voice of T’Challa… fuck that, let’s make that BLACK PANTHER movie. This was broadcast in Australia and folks loved it. Hopefully I’ll be watching it in the next day or so.
The first one was Paul W.S. Anderson’s best film in terms of the fact that I kinda enjoyed it. But honestly, I feel every decision he made other than casting, was fucked. Now this – is actually a better film, with a cast that isn’t quite as strong, except for one exception. Luke Goss. And he kinda fucking rules. The turn his character takes is cool… but the lack of geometry in terms of the racing structure, and the overly VIDEO GAME inspired offensive and defensive weapon activation areas – just bug the fuck out of me. Then pretty much every subplot and non-featured performer is… forgettable. BUT – LUKE GOSS never gets enough STARRING roles and so for that reason alone, I say… CHECK THIS OUT!
When Joel Edgerton stars in Universal’s prequel called THE THING – I’m betting that’s where he takes off. But right now, Joel Edgerton is perhaps my favorite underseen awesome fucking actor working today. He was great in his brother’s directed film, THE SQUARE – and he’s even better in ANIMAL KINGDOM. What I love about this guy is that he just looks like a man that has lived. He’s handsome, but he has his scars, both physical and in his eyes. He’s interesting to watch THINK on film, and even better to watch act. He’s going to be someone that more people will know, than just cinejunkies. This is an Australian crime film about the Melbourne Underworld. I love that Australia seems to be going through a Neo-Aussie-Noir movement. Their films aren’t happy, they’re brutal… like most true crime stories. They have soul.
Now – this is an excellent double feature with BURIED – because you get two radically different extremes of a damn talented actor – that is as funny as he is charismatic. However, if you’re scared about not being able to take Ryan Reynolds seriously in GREEN LANTER, perhaps skipping this would be a good idea. You see… This is exactly not how to play Hal Jordan. But it is very funny, but then… it shifts and there’s a lot more than the dvd box would lead you to believe. It sort of looks like something you might not even imagine sitting through, but it is so much more. It never made it out of the Indie Film world of Festivals, but you’ll enjoy the surprises it has in store for you.
UP FROM THE DEPTHS / DEMON OF PARADISE
The lesson you’ll learn from this film is to stay away from bodies of water that have earthquakes… and that Dynamite fishing might be a bad idea, especially if you wake up man-eating lizard monster that was on an extended slumber. I love funky films like these – these aren’t like… GREAT movies, but they’re fun. Silly fun monster movies with really fun funky monsters! Sure they’re just ripoffs of CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON and JAWS – but because Corman produced, they’re sillier, more gory and well… there’s some other benefits that you’ll love too. Both of these have never been released on DVD before – and if you like fun genre flicks – you’ll dig them. SHOUT! did a wonderful job releasing these in their full anamorphic widescreen – and like all of SHOUT!’s work, they do a pretty damn great job of looking better when being converted to a higher resolution through your system. If it does that like mine does. Can’t wait for even more titles from them this year!
ERNEST GOES TO CAMP / ERNEST SCARED STUPID / ERNEST GOES TO JAIL
I don’t know why… but I love Jim Varney’s ERNEST movies. Now all of these have been out before, but this triple feature release is only gonna cost you $6.99 – and while “Camp” and “Scared Stupid” are fun… the brilliant chapter of the ERNEST saga is ERNEST GOES TO JAIL – which parodies so many great B genres – and in particular – when it goes all Lon Chaney Jr/INDESTRUCTABLE MAN… I just get the giggle shits. Where you make stains giggling. I’m serious, I love love love ERNEST GOES TO JAIL – which you can buy individually for $11.99 – or get all 3 for $6.99 – and be mortified when you realize, like me… I really like this. His films feel like ADULT SWIM to me. A bit like ROBOT CHICKEN – and I feel that’s a very good thing.
This film still does two things for me. It makes me laugh – and it makes me so happy I didn’t grow up in the age YouTube at High School. Does this sort of thing ever happen at High Schools? It would be so disturbing if it did.
They try to call this “the real Inglorious Basterds” – but this isn’t about a Jewish American Band of Nazi Scalpers… instead, it’s about an incredibly violent French Resistence group laid into the Nazis with utter brutality and savagery. It kinda rules. Last week I gave you Melville’s look at this world, but here… with this film that is allegedly 100% trueness – I just found the whole thing hypnotic. So cool. But then, I’m a big fan of the, “Let’s kill Nazis” genre. Especially when you hear about all the things that went down during WWII. Such a sad, but epic affair. The horror war is never more obvious, than when a Poet must take up arms.
From the director of MONGOL comes this sequel… that takes place a very long time after the life and times of Genghis Khan, when there was a prophecy of a new Khan that would rise and free the troubled land of Nomadic tribes from bordering terror. I decided to put this Blu-Ray on, for no particular reason, late Christmas night – when I invited a friend that needed cool company on this the most awesome of holidays, so I invited him over to watch this. That the film is an EPIC badass JESUS tale… but if Jesus wasn’t a carpenter, but instead could fuck a guy up with swords and shit… Well, then you’d be watching NOMAD. I love Sergey Bodrov’s style, and this film takes a while to get where it’s going, but that’s because it is setting up a fairly epic tale. I mean, Jason Scott Lee might never have been more of a badass… And Mark Dacascos is such an awesome bastard here… And Jay Hernandez is really good too! Such a great flick, that apparently not many have seen. But for me, this was a great Christmas present!
Next week, I’ll be in Rehab doing tons of Physical Therapy – but other than those 3 hours of the day, I’ll be trying to survive the agony & ecstacy of the burn by watching some of these… SECRETARIAT, RED, THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST, SAW 3D, NOWHERE BOY, ENTER THE VOID, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (BluRay), BROADCAST NEWS (Criterion Blu), COLOR PURPLE (Blu Ray), SANTA SANGRE (Blu), BON JOVI Collector’s Box, A BEAUTIFUL MIND (Blu Ray), CLIENT 9: RISE AND FALL OF ELIOT SPITZER, SHE-RA: THE COMPLETE SERIES (Mahler Edition), RED HILL, QUIET DAYS IN CLICHY (Blu Ray), THE GRADUATE (Blu Ray), ALLIGATOR, CRIPPLED MASTERS 2: TWO CRIPPLED HEROES, CRIPPLED MASTERS 3: FIGHTING LIFE, AKA TOMMY CHONG, CHINESE GHOST STORY (Blu Ray) and that’s about it! Pretty great week coming up… hope you enjoy it with me.
Readers Talkback
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Harry's DVD Column is up! On time for once. Maybe I should be cut more often!
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i will finally check out Buried though
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for the first time!! woot. why is this an achievement? Love you Harry, heres to a long and healthy life!!!
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Never had a chance to see Buried in theatres. Couldn't convince my friends to see a movie staring Ryan Reynolds in a box. Oh, and congrats on getting those nuggets passed!
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That movie is coming to Blu? It wasn't even included on the Jodorowski box! I'm so happy I could kick you in the spine
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Rest in peace, Jim Varney. He made me laugh my ass off as a kid. I've got a soft spot for Ernest Scared Stupid, since it's so bug-nuts weird. Also, love the moment in "Ernest Goes to School" when Ernest answers the question "Who shot Abraham Lincoln?" with "The Penguin?"
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Make with the trailer. You got nothing but time. Blow up peoples' spots.
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you've been listening to BRICKS by RISE AGAINST here on the frank cotton show. we'd like to ask a favor of our listeners tonight, and that is, as soon as you finish this line, print screen orhighlight and cut/paste this and save it immediately. because tommorrow, if not sooner, it will be gone, just like some of frank's recent posts from the 13th and 14th. frank has hit a sensitive nerve, and the ptb ain't happy. we have a quick public service anouncement, and then we'll return to the show. it's about truth. the truth, which is, as you X-Files fans know, out there. it's in the shows you watch, the songs you hear, and the books you read. it is NOT what you've been led to believe by your church, your news, or your government. it can be found, as some of the brightest among you have long suspected, in your favorite films, music, and other forms of entertainment. some of it is of the more mundane, but none-the-less important variety, but some of it is of the more far- fetched and unbelievable type. to be specific, it can be found in songs like I NEVER GOT TO TELL YOU WHAT I WANTED TO, by JULIETTE LEWIS AND THE LICKS, WHEN I GROW UP, by GARBAGE, or I AM THE HIGHWAY, by AUDIOSLAVE. it's in films like GREEN HORNET, THE BOOK OF ELI, and UNBREAKABLE (ain't THAT cool?). it's in books like FIGHT CLUB, SNOW CRASH, and A CATCHER IN THE RYE, which frank read for the first time when he was forty. some of it is in places you might least expect to find it, so pay attention. to EVERYTHING. to get you started, here's a few simple truths. we ARE all in this together. time is on our side. and the truth, the ACTUAL truth, will set you free. to paraphrase from a favorite film, the secret of THE GAME is to find out the secrets of the game. and here's a simple, yet vital truth and a good rule of thumb: DON'T PANIC! this is your host, frank cotton, whose heading OUTSIDE for a smoke, wishing you a pleasant night. the next song on tonight's playlist is an oldie, which you'll be hearing from time to time, and a personal favorite - SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT, by COREY HART.
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I haven't seen it yet, so thanks a-fucking lot.
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Not cool Harry. I was stoked to see this and you just shit all over that for me.
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Way to spoil a movie, ass.
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I guess he's needed to capture the American market. We had no idea he was even in the film down here until he appeared. And it was a pleasant surprise. Much like another film, where he turned up at the end of a long road...ahem. Wonderful, intoxicating, brutal, honest film. Pure story telling.
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Nice to see the column's coming on well - both spinal and dvd.<p> Harry, any opinion on the Golden Globe winners or Bafta noms? Or indeed on Gervais's gags (which seem to have stolen the show somewhat).
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I thought the 24 year old gold digger marrying Hefner saying "Hef lied about his age - he told me he was 94 not 84!" was particularly horrible / hilarious.
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It was made 2 years earlier, so that would be quite a feat. Must be the painkillers.
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I just picked up a copy of this recently (not Blu-Ray unfortunately) and was astounded to discover I still knew the song Cowboy sings while being attacked by space pirates... And get well soon, Harry...
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Unless the article was edited after the gripes, I'm not seeing what is so spoilery.
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is a bunch os shite.
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Jan. 18, 2011, 7:10 a.m. CST
Get Well Harry... Hey Vern, It's Ernest completes series also out!!!
by samuraiyao
And it's only $5.99, that is fucking cheap, holy shit for that classic....
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I concur with mission code z: Harry must've edited his initial spoilerage. Which is good, cuz I haven't seen it either. I heard that Ryan Reynolds' character... is his own mother! Sorry.
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So you took a shit today? Good. Now I've got to get through my day thinking about you giving birth to a 5 pound world war 2 sea mine that will definitely be a hazard to shipping.
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They don't ship till April of 2011??? That's what the Walmart website says....
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God I love Ernest Goes to Camp. I still quote the scene where the two turtles (waiting to be launched with their little parachutes) go: "I'm scared Sarge..." "We're all scared, son." Ernest Goes to Jail's best scene is when Ernest does a series of "tough guy" impressions in the mirror in front of Tex Cobb. It was one of the few times you could get a glimplse at how REALLY talented Varney was (he WAS a Shakespearean-trained actor...) Too bad the set doesn't have Ernest Saves Christmas. But that's probably got enough of a cult following to warrant a seperate purchase...
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it is made with bits of real panther. 60% of the time it works, every time. Hey Harry, I don't know if this has been brought up before, and I remember Yoko used to do something similar in her music column, but can you link to or post trailers for the more obscure movies? It would be a big help.
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Yeah, was stoked to see that too, until my local paper reviewed it and spoiled it. Fuckers.
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Is not the sequel to Mongol, Harry. Nomad came out one year before Mongol. The Great Khan is the sequel to Mongol.
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Glad to hear you're recovering. I hope to see you on two legs at next years Fantastic Fest. That would be pretty "fantastic". I dig those Dan Clowes covers for the Sam Fuller stuff. Love the Naked Kiss, but for some reason I've never sat down with Shock Corridor. Maybe this month.
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Jan. 18, 2011, 8:23 a.m. CST
How in the blue hell can you put a DVD in a review column and STATE THAT YOU HAVE NOT VIEWED IT?
by fireclown
Honestly.
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I am glad you didn't like that shit "Takers", which is easily one of the worst films the came out last year
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Yes, I'm well aware that NOMAD was made first, but given I saw it second, it played like a sequel in history for me. Though I really do wish they'd do the promised sequel to MONGOL - love that movie.
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Your life is ridiculous.
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Jan. 18, 2011, 9:06 a.m. CST
Just wanted to point out that the Ernest triple feature is Widescreen
by Lt. Brannigan
at least according to the specs on the Mill Creek website.
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"Utterly ridiculous film. I can’t recommend it, but if you like machismo bullshit, you’ll probably enjoy it... It just isn't my thing". Your Expendables review is evidence to the contrary. Not trying to criticize, just don't want you to be afraid to tell us a movie sucks.
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Man, I was looking for a copy of Ernest Goes to Jail for the longest time, and I couldn't find it anywhere. I had given up and forgot about it. Now I can get a three pack of ernest at a ridiculously low price?! Awesome. Don't judge me.
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One would imagine that a film taking place entirely in a coffin would become tedious. That's definitely not the case here. BURIED is filled with exciting, lively moments. The camera work is great. And yeah, Ryan Reynolds gives an exceptional and brave performance.
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'Yes, I'm well aware that NOMAD was made first, but given I saw it second, it played like a sequel in history for me.' I know you're drugged up to the eyeballs and you don't make much sense most of the time anyway, but couldn't you have just said 'Sorry, I made a mistake and thought this was a sequel'? It's like calling A New Hope a sequel to The Empire Strikes Back on the basis of watching Empire first. There's nothing wrong with being honest for once Harry. By the way, I really do hope that your recovery goes well and that you come out of this experience much stronger and with a better quality of life.
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I love both Shock Corridor and Naked Kiss, but my two favorite films of his are his excellent Korea films, Fixed Bayonets and The Steel Helmet. These are two of the finest war films ever made. The Steel Helmet was basically Platoon 30 years earlier, just as hard hitting. Fixed Bayonets is in the same league with Paths of Glory, just a really tough war film in which the horrific cold is as much of an enemy as the Koreans. The only other war movie where the weather is dealt with as effectively is Battleground. The jungle seems like a really shitty place to have to fight, as documented by The Pacific (and more so by the books on which it was based) but fighting in bitter cold, well, that just looks like it sucks. As much as I like the director's cut of Big Red One, these two films are better, not just misses, but full on successes.
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Actually kinda looking foward to that release. I kinda dug it (paid 2 bucks to see it at a second time around theatre two weeks ago) and had a ton of fun with it.
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Jan. 18, 2011, 11:16 a.m. CST
Love how Ryan Reynolds' face is tinted green on the Buried cover
by Nasty In The Pasty
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is one of the worst excuses for a movie I've ever seen, and stands right alongside it's equally putrid brother Mongol. I don't know what you were smoking when you saw this one Harry, but you lost a few points of credibility in my eyes.
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"Hey Vern, It's Ernest" is also due out this week, and can be found online for as low as $5.
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Thanks for pointing out the widescreen upgrade. If I'm not mistaken, it's a first for both "Jail" and "Scared Stupid".
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It never got a release beyond a couple of major cities. It got good reviews, and it's got DeNiro and Norton for God's sake. What happened?
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machismo bullshit cant be the reason you didnt like it. Was it the urban pretty boy factor that most geeks find intimidating?
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At least when you get better. It will give yourself less of an excuse to sit around, which aint good in my opinion.
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not seeing a movie in 3D IMAX.
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was my favorite as a kid. I'll have to watch it again sometime. Ernest Saves Christmas is a great one that I watch every year. At my elementary school, kids were divided into two groups. Those that watched "Pee Wee's Playhouse" and those that watched "Hey Vern! It's Ernest!" I was an Ernest fan.
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Loved the Death Race review. I was (somehow) actually at an after party for the film's release in Toronto, and got to meet Goss in person. You'll be happy to know that he's a really cool guy, and wasn't freaked out at all by my bringing up Blade 2. (The party had an open bar, so I brought it up A LOT). Anyways, I agree - dude needs more roles. He seemed like a genuinely nice bloke (as did the director) and can really act too. P.S. - Get well soon, big guy!
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I'm not sure I even remember those days. I was embarrassed for him during his painfully unfunny acceptance speech at the Golden Globes. Someone get this guy a good agent and a "handler" or whatever they're called. He's completely dumping on his legacy.
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The complete series of "Dark Skies" was released today as well! I know, i know. It's no "X-Files." But it was still a great 1960s alien government conspiracy show that should've gotten more recognition and didn't because of X-Files. I loved how aliens were behind just about every significant historical event on the show.
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Really? Most acts of horrific violence have a soul? I always thought they were heartless, soulless affairs.
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I watched "The Social Network" and "The Town" last night, both of which I found to be excellent in their own way (I appreciated the bright colors of "The Town" after watching the dark, brownish academic colors of David Fincher's film), but Corman's B-movies are palate cleansers of the highest order and the kind of movies I like to keep in my bizzare collection. B-movies of the drive-in and grindhouse era are like mother's milk to me. I still need to order that "Vampire Circus" release. It's a shame you can't go into retail and bookstores and buy titles like that anymore.
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Jan. 18, 2011, 1:46 p.m. CST
Great to see you Back Harry..but take it slow
by Wilford_Brimleys_Diabetes_Rage
Great to see you back Harry..but with the zipper in your back..i'm surprised no one has made a "Videodrome" reference
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Jan. 18, 2011, 2:42 p.m. CST
First bowel movement in days & giggle shits *-- - -
by openthepodbaydoorshal
Glad you're feeling better Harry, I hope Yoko got a powerwash for her birthday...
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It gave away the ending earlier. Thanks for changing it at least... although it doesn't help me. lol
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Hey Harry... why don't you learn grammar you fat fuck... case in point... "15 years ago when I wound up paralyzed for 6 months below the waist." yeah...and...? Learn how to write a sentence fat boy...
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I thought "Hey, Vern! It's Earnest!" was brilliant. Loved the mad scientist character with the extra hand constantly massaging his head. I remember a skit where he invents the sticky film that all theater floors are covered in; thought it was soooooo clever when I was 12. Now, I just like the image of the third hand constantly soothing someone's noggin.
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Will there be a Lemmy review? Because Lemmy is God.
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I wrote it, but that doesn't mean it's not great. And it's all true. http://bungionblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/ernest-goes-to-jail-what-was-his-crime.html
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along the lines of what someone else said, has anyone ever approached you about a reality series? I'm guessing yes... probably multiple times. I know how it works and know that there are now literally a hundred or more independent production companies producing cable and network reality shows while also pumping out sizzle reels and pilots like it's nobodies business. So EVERYONE gets approached who could be sold as a character, of which you and your crew definitely are, not to mention built-in recognition and advertising through AICN... so how about it, have you been approached and if you have, has the right thing just not come along yet or are you not down with it at all?
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I just finished watching Buried. That was a solid little thriller. Ryan Reynolds was pretty damn good in it too, showing anger, fear, sadness and the whole gamut of emotions one might go through in a similar situation. Good one. Oh, and Pickup on South Street is Fuller's best.
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Didn't Justified come out on DVD this week too? Damn good show, that.
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Harry meant a bunch of dudes who've seen Goodfellas one too many times... kind of like those meatheads in Boiler Room, although that movie skewered it a bit and showed them to be a bunch of spineless worms in the end. It's this kind of attitude that's a bit like a friend I knew back in the 80's who saw Karate Kid and then started wearing the fucking headband and flannel shirt unbuttoned so it'd flail when he rode his bike like Danielsan... yeah, 'cept he was 10 years old. The Expendables is full of guys who could ACTUALLY KICK YOUR ASS, not guys who pretend they can.
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If you like your crime dramas gritty, realistic and tense, you can't go wrong. If you are looking for Michael Bay explosions, move along.
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is it a sequel? I swear Nomad came out before Mongol had been released. Maybe I'm mistaken, but I don't think I am.
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I was right, Nomad came out in 2005.
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Just a glorified motion comic.
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"Freeze punk. Make your play." "Burn 'im Bobby, burn 'im.!!" Glad to see I'm not the only one that loved that fuckin' movie.
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Thanks for the heads up
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And the fact your a Metalocalypse fan i'm sure you'll totally love Blank Pather
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Watching it several times has confirmed its not just a bunch of gimmicks, its like a really cool "Don't let the fuckers Grind you down, 9- 5, till the very bitter end, no matter what your lot in life" ode
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That wasnt intentional: to clarify, i really liked Black Panther (for a motion comic)
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naked chicks sequence where you see actual anus and vagina in glorious 1080p. It would have been better in IMAX. Could have seen a silver dollar sized 3D asshole. Fun! All I can say is that sequence is fucking art. The way the water creates flesh waves on the women is such a beautiful site
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Knowing. A flawless science fiction epic and easily the best apocolyptic thriller of all time. No the effects are not hokey. No the movie isn't a mishmash of ideas. It's straight up badass. Ebert's 4 star review is spot on. I'd just like to add my incredulousness and outrage to any negative review of this flawless movie experience. This is the one that got away. Apparently not many but ebert liked dark city when it came out. This is another case of people bringing pre-concieved baggage to a film. It's a fucking perfect movie. I really loved it because I'd never heard it mentioned and it was the biggest discovery I can ever remember.
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the UltraZone. In the Zone movies play at a level of quality none experience. The chick singing in the attic scene in kill bill will bring tears. You probably never even noticed that scene. In addition to the finest equipment on earth- I extract the original data off the disc by stripping the outer layer off and floating the disc with a magnet. This in conjunction with the quantum resonance and other technologies combines to produce utterly transparent video and sound. It's overwhelming to watch Avatar and what usually happens is people cry with tears of joy. It overwhelms the senses. A movie doesn't premiere until it is on blu
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is IMO, Fuller's best film (though I do agree Shock Corridor and The Naked Kiss are right there). Santa Sangre Blu-Ray? I'll believe it when I see it!
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Otherwise, how did they manage to get vaganus past the MPAA?
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Man I love Ernest. Watching Ernest is like listening to Tom Petty. It's pure.
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I felt the same way you did with Stone and Buried. Awesome fucking movies. Stone has three amazing stars in De Niro, Burns and Mila put on performances that are just amazing to watch. As you said, Milla's is the surprising one here because she really steps out of herself and plays the character all-out. We're used to seeing this from De Niro and Burns but she topped them at times, which is no easy feat. Buried....this is one that might lead you to think it's a very shallow movie. I mean how could they make a movie about a man buried alive? Well this movie answers that question. Ryan Reynolds gives his best performance to date in my opinion. He literally carries the movie like nobody else I could think of in recent history. From beginning to end, it's all him and the movie manages to add layers of tension and suspense that will keep you holding your breath until the very end. I think Harry got the Hitchcock feel from the atmosphere and how the bar keeps getting raised with the tension and suspense. I felt much the same here. Stone might be a rental for some of you, unless if you are dying to own Milla naked on DVD/Blu-ray (which is HOT). It's a bit of a slow burn (no pun intended).
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for KNOWING
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a woman's asshole. That would have been a good tagline. Ok so I made myself sit through buried. Good opening credits. Good sound design. Solid performance. Good direction. Spoiler- ultimate ruin awaits any who read further- Why? Watch human centipede instead if you want to see someone slowly killed in much more enteraining fashion. Just a miserable experience you'll want to wash off
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It's a veeeery tough call, but I'm gonna throw my 2 cents in and say UNDERWORLD USA is probably my fave. Cliff Robertson's one cold blooded sonuvabitch in that one. The film's the "missing link" between Fritz Lang's THE BIG HEAT and Boorman's POINT BLANK as one of the precursors to modern revenge flicks such as TAKEN, THE HORSEMAN, etc.
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Easily Reynold's best performance. Loved the camera work in that, and I'm amazed that it was never boring. Few things kept it from being great though. The finger-cutting scene wasn't as effective as it should be, nor was it clear enough why he was doing it (I had to rewind and listen closely to the phone conversation). If he was only buried 3 feet under, I'm not sure why he didn't even TRY to push his way out when the dirt came in. The constant use of the lighter was upsetting given that he had a flashlight and glowsticks in there. Other than those gripes, it was a cool thriller with a great singular performance. Recommended.
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