Just a Few Things Godzilla

'Bout fell outta' my chair when I first saw this. Would have laughed even more
if it wasn't so dang true. For lotsa' things Godzilla, go to Armand Vaquers' blog
Armands' Rancho Del Cielo. That's where I got this 'un.

Just a Few Things Godzilla


Was in Wal-Mart yesterday. Seems someone is trying to cash in on Legendarys' recent Godzilla release by issuing Godzilla King of the Monsters on disc.

Saw it on the shelf and examined. No company logo/label. My guess is it probably ISN'T the Criterion Collection release. THEY WOULD LET YOU KNOW it's from them. They also wouldn't say it's a 1966 release of an American 'redo' of a 1964 original ... Right on the box. Seems to be ahead about ten years. Doubly laughable when you notice the official copyright statement just below saying the original is copyrighted by Toho from 1954.

As stated in an earlier post, I'm not gonna' take in Legendarys' Godzilla flick. If I'm paying for a movie ticket, I want my moneys' worth. Less than ten minutes of the "Big G" out of 123 minutes just ain't worth it to me.

Here's a lobby poster of the original Japanese release:

This graphic is much bigger than it appears. Right click and open in new tab.

Armands Rancho del Cielo blog here.

Wikipedia article on Gojira, the original 1954 Japanese release here.

Wikipedia article on the 1956 American re-edit release, Godzilla King of the Monsters here. Starring Steve Martin as Raymond Burr ... uh ... Or is it the other way around?


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here. It there's a buncha' articles under this 'un, yer already there ...

The New Godzilla? Forget It!

WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!

The New Godzilla? Forget It!

Guess I won't be seeing the new Godzilla flick after all. Looked at a thread on the Classic Horror Film Board and that was warning enough. I go to CHFB as I find what those "monsterkids" say to be  more reliable than say, some reviewer who goes on and on about the stuff he reads into a movie while at the same time really says nothing about the film itself.

Complaints about the films' unevenness, plot holes, cut aways and defects abounded. Those could be debated and were but the main thing that dissuaded me from going was it being stated that there isn't enough of the title "character" in the film ...

Maybe 7 to 8 minutes worth.

Only about 7 or 8 minutes of "face time" ... in a 123 minute movie? Oh c'mon! If that's the case then forget it.

After ALL those months of hype, only a few minutes of the big guy?

What did the ads say?

GODZILLA!

What did the posters say?

GODZILLA!

What did Gareth Edwards say?

GODZILLA!

What did Warners and Legendary Pictures say?

GODZILLA!

WHAT DID THE HYPE(!) WITH A CAPITAL HYPE(!) SAY!?

GOD - FREAKIN' - ZILLAAAAAAAA BABY!!!!!!

What does the actual flick have?

... godzilla ...

Lotsa' sizzle with only a bite of steak at the end of the line.

Naw! I'm saving my dough.

Just Sayin' ...

The Godzilla I know and loathe.

Classic Horror Film Board Godzilla 2014 thread here.

Classic Horror Film Board main page here.

Wikipedia article on the 2014 Godzilla flick here.

Wikipedia article on the original 1954 Godzilla film here.

Armands' Rancho del Cielo blog here. If you want lotsa' things Godzilla, this is the place!


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here. If there's a buncha' articles under this 'un, yer already there.

Dylan Farrow Asks: What's Your Favorite Woody Allen Movie?

Woody Allen in typical mode.

Dylan Farrow Asks: What's Your Favorite Woody Allen Movie?


I never really cared much for Woody Allen or his flicks. His weepy, angsty, whiny style of delivery makes ME look good.

I DID have one of his films in my collection, What's Up Tiger Lilly. The operative word is DID. I just pitched it.

What WAS yours?


An Open Letter From Dylan Farrow here.


Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Casting Call, NOT QUITE!

Casting Call, NOT QUITE!

Was in the local hobby shop talking to the proprietor about my disatisfaction with The Whisperer In Darkness (To be addressed in a later blog post!) when he mentioned something that piqued my interest.

There was going to be a casting call at the very place in about less than an hour. A small horror film was in the making & they were looking for actors. As it was an open call & being a frustrated actor, I decided to attend. After a stop at a local fast food joint, I went back.

The call was already in session, & I was told he was already talking to a couple of rather attractive young ladies. Going to the back, I leaned in a corner & listened as the fellow explained some of the plot/storyline to the two.

Seems there was an incest/pregnancy subplot though nothing "overt" was to be shown. OK. He then said the film would involve a group of "religious" people who killed off dysfunctional families as what's "broken" stays "broken". That's when I left.

Even though I heard VERY little, I figured "religious" meant "Christian". Hollywood Christian. Meaning a bunch of violent low-grades spouting out of context verse & acting worse than the "heathen" they profess to be against. I may be wrong about what he meant by religious but I doubt it would be Kirk Cameron material.

Yes, I knew this was to be a "horror" film. I knew it would not be the kind you would show to your congregation. If it was to be a simple little fright flick (AND if I might be what they were looking for.) I wouldn't mind being in it.  But ... At the same time there's more than enough anti-Christian films out there giving a false impression of the Lord & believers. Of course many so-called followers & other Westboro Baptist types have been NO help at all in fostering such an image for others to pick up on.

What would Jesus do in regard to people broken by abuse of any kind? Including the abusers? I doubt he would advocate killing them. The fact the world in general & people in particlar are broken (Romans 5:12) is why he gave of himself, paying the penalty of the sinful state the world & individuals are in (Romans 6:23 & 5:8).

Hmmm ... why not a "horror" film based on John 8:3-11, wherin the "good" vigilanties are forced into examining themselves? Or a "political thriller" following the storyline of  2nd Samuel Chapts. 11 to 19: A Godly man in high position goes wrong, is forgiven, but must still pay the penalty(s) & unintended consequences. You get the idea. By the way, look up the above passages.

I guess I should be heartened by the fact that the technology to "bypass" Hollywood is more than in the reach of those of limited means. A shame so many feel the need to emulate Tinsletown. There's so much good material out there (A lot not even in the Bible.) that could be used to uplift/promote good.


How Do We Get to Heaven? here.

What Will Heaven Be Like? here.

God & Science web site here.

On the Rapture, Third Impact, Armageddon & All That here.

Go to Jays' Tee Vee blog main page here.

Earnest Borgnine: The Wild Bunch Loses Another

The famous "walking thing" from Sam Peckinpahs' The Wild Bunch.
L-R: Ben Johnson, Warren Oates, William Holden & Earnest Borgnine.
Credit: Warner Bros.-Seven Arts

It was with some sadness I heard of  Mr. Borgnines' passing. Lots of talk on the net about his starring role in McHales' Navy, but the show that really intro'd me to the man was The Wild Bunch film. Dutch Engstrom was a totally different guy from Cdr. Quinton Mchale.

The Wild Bunch are all but gone. Only Angel (Jaime Sanchez), & ironically enough, Crazy Lee (Bo Hopkins) are left.

Another shot of "the bunch" just as they set out to rescue their friend Angel.

Best Quote:

Pike: What would you do in his place? He gave his word.

Dutch: He gave his word to a railroad.

Pike: It's his word.

Dutch: That ain't what counts! It's who you give it to!


Recurring Quote:

Pike: Get moving you lazy bastard!

Dutch: I'm coming ... damnit!


Biography of Earnest Borgnine here.

Wild Bunch Review here.

Discussion thread on The Classic Horror Film Board here.

Tripping Academia: The Wild Bunch here.

Go to Main Page here.

The Bonfire of George Zimmerman: I Think I've Seen This Before

A publicity photo for The Bonfire of the Vanities.
L-R: Tom Hanks, Melanie Griffith & Bruce Willis

                    The Bonfire of George Zimmerman: I Think I've Seen This Before


      If you haven't been spending time in an alternate universe of late, you may have heard SOMETHING of the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin bust up. Or at least seen something of the resultant media circus. As I watched it unfold I wondered, did Tom Wolfe choreograph this?

      Whatever, I do believe that as the facts come in about the fracas a lot of people about a year from now are going to have egg on their faces after the smoke clears from the trial. Provided of course Mr. Zimmerman isn't conned into a plea bargain.

      While we're all waiting on tinterhooks in the months ahead, I would like to suggest you take in a film I  previously reviewed on this humble blog: The Bonfire of the Vanities. In its' portrayal of media hype the film has a lot of similarities to the several weeks of "performance art" the public was recently subjected to.

      Warning: If your sentiments are on one side of what happened, you will find this movie amusing. If they're on the other, your blood may boil. Be that as it might, no matter where you stand, you will find The Bonfire of the Vanities interesting.


My review of The Bonfire of the Vanities here.

Wikipedia review of the film here.

Wikipedia review of the novel here.

Wikipedia bio of author Tom Wolfe here.

Definition from Wikipedia of the term: "bonfire of the vanities" here.

Go to Main Page here.

Invasion U.S.A.: Darn Commies!

Lobby card for Invasion U.S.A.

                                                         Invasion U.S.A.: Darn Commies!

                                                                               by

                                                                                   Jay Agan

      This film is considered by many to be a crappy little movie. Well I happen to like crappy little movies &, as it turns out, for some of the same reasons people of a certain political "bent" turn their noses up at this one.

      They'll go into its' being low budget. OK. They'll talk about its' overuse of stock footage. Again OK. They wax loud & long about the crummy acting. Still ..... OK. Then they get to the real reasons for their dislike of this flick. They're a buncha' leftos.

      Now I've always been fascinated about grade z budgeters with their rotten acting & the use of stock footage broadening their limited scope. Stuff like that makes these little movies so much fun to watch & Invasion U.S.A. has these in spades.

      It's the "comrades" use of the above as a lead-in for their political smarminess that gets my boxers in a bunch.

      Such folks come in two types: Those too young to remember the "cold war" taught by "freeze dried hippies" about the evils of the United States, & the aforesaid "Reagan haters" miffed over how the "cold war" turned out. Screw them. I'm glad there's no Soviet Union to worry about any more & only the "do gooders" (Left AND right!) in our own government to keep an eye on.

I take "critics" of this film about as seriously as I do these three jerks.

      As for Invasion USA, dang it's an interesting little flick. Five complacent patrons of a New York bar are hypnotized into an imagined "what if" of the U.S. & Canada under attack by "the enemy". It's no stretch figuring out who. Through a series of "apocalyptic" vignettes, the protagonists, one by one, pay for their apathy & efforts of "too little too late". The film ends with their snapping out of their trance & resolving to "do something" now instead of later.

Invasion U.S.A.Lobby card of atom bomb attack special effects scene on
New York City.

      With a bigger budget & more than just the seven days of principle filming, this would have made for an excellent picture ...... & even more sneers on the part of the self appointed/morally annointed guardians of our souls. Again ..... screw them anyway.

     As it is, I'd sooner watch Invasion USA (Along with the '85 Chuck Norris version!) or Red Dawn than I would the maudlin garbage of Reds or The Way We Were.

     The Synapse disk of this film contains a listing of the Conelrad 100. A list of "100 of the best "Atomic" films ever made. This is courtesy of conelrad.com, a website specializing in such TV/movie related shows. Warning: It does contain the type of "snarkiness" mentioned earlier in this article.

Article copyright © 1-2-2012 Jay Agan

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DISCLAIMER: All images used on this blog are strictly copyrights of their owners. I do not claim credit/ownership for any images used here in my blog unless stated otherwise. If I have offended anyone by posting any images on my blog, please contact me via email and I will remove specified image(s) ASAP.

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I Felt Like Such a Stooge

Got this from motifake.com. Check 'em out!

                                                I Felt Like Such a Stooge

                                                                 by

                                                                    Jay Agan


     Autumn, 1989. Read in the Arts & Entertainment section of the Columbus Dispatch there was going to be a Three Stooges film fest at the Palace Theater. Eight episodes of low brow humor as only those three jerks could do. Had to see it & went.

     The Palace Theater isn't called THE PALACE THEATER for nothing. Located ground level of the Levesque Lincoln Tower in downtown Columbus, Ohio, it's ..... well ..... palatial. Very ornate & gaudy inside, a treat for the eyes. A baroque opulence you must be present to experience. A grand throwback to the time when going to the movies was an EVENT.

     A local celeb (Who I can't recall.) was there, but a real extra treat was a fellow who billed himself as "The Man Who Would Be Curly." Had the schtick down beautifully too.

     Can't remember most of the eps they flashed on the BIG screen (Those little screens at multiplexes just don't hack it.). Except for Disorder In the Court & Malice In the Palace, it was mostly a blur. Especially the last four. Here's why.

     After the fourth ep, intermission time. I decided to wander around the cavernous theater & take in the sights. I stumbled upon a fantastically ornate room & went in to admire the decor & furnishings. While there, I noticed a restroom at the far end. After a while, I decided to leave. As I left, two women went past me going in, looking at me quite strangely. Huh? Then it hit me.

     I quickly glanced up at the top & to the side of the ornate rooms' entrance.

                                                          WOMEN

     Dashing back to the auditorium, I whipped off my camoflauge field jacket, revealing my sweater. If the ladies were going to give a description, it wouldn't be about some mad voyeur in a bright red sweater.

I was really cursing myself: "Idiot! Pay attention jerkwad! I don't believe I ..... You dumb, stupid ..... This is something those three idiots would do! You moron! Stupid! Stupid! STUPID!!" A lot of other things too.

     I sat off to the right side of the theater slumped down, trying to look as much a part of the scenery as possible. My reasoning was they would be looking for someone leaving, & I was bound & determined to finish this viewing of the films. The rest of the presentation went off OK, me scanning the room every few minutes for wrathful ushers bent on rooting out "sick boy". Nothing happened.

     Leaving the theater, I didn't stop for souveniers or candy, putting on my field jacket when I was blocks away.

     Oooooooo! I was almost a victim o' soicumstance! Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk!

                                                Article copyright © 1-23-2011 Jay Agan

Go to Main Page here.

DISCLAIMER: All images used on this blog are strictly copyrights of their owners. I do not claim credit/ownership for any images used here in my blog unless stated otherwise. If I have offended anyone by posting any images on my blog, please contact me via email and I will remove specified image(s) ASAP.

Hell and High Water, A Movie Wot Coulda Been Anime

                              
                                Hell and High Water, A Movie Wot Coulda Been Anime

                                                                        by

                                                                           Jay Agan

     Submarines seem to figure a lot in anime. What with Full Metal Panic, Tideline Blue, The Silent Service, Submarine 707R, Blue Submarine #6 & others, there's a whole "navy" of 'em. I often wonder about some movies wether or not they would have come off better as a "cartoon" than as live action. One of wich is Hell and High Water.

     Not that this isn't a bad film as it is. I have it & love it. It's just that if this film isn't what anime is about, then I don't know what is. Starting (Like Akira.) & ending in a big whopping atomic explosion, the plot & elements literally scream ANIME!



Richard Widmark & crew share a tense moment in Hell And High Water.
Twentieth Century Fox, 1954


     Richard Widmark stars as an off duty sub commander employed by a super secret "peace" organisation. The mission: Scout up north of Japan, monitoring any nuclear related activities. This "peace" organisation just happens to have an ex Imperial Japanese Navy sub on hand.

     With a mixed Asian/European crew, led by a couple of French Scientists, Widmark feverishly refurbishes the U-Boat. Then it's off on a wild ride to postpone World War 3. Great ending with everyone on deck with anything that can shoot to bring down a nuke laden bomber. Ka-stinking-BOOM!

                                                   Article copyright © Jay Agan

Another Wot Coulda Been Anime here.

Go to Main Page here.

DISCLAIMER: All images used on this blog are strictly copyrights of their owners. I do not claim credit/ownership for any images used here in my blog unless stated otherwise. If I have offended anyone by posting any images on my blog, please contact me via email and I will remove specified image(s) ASAP.

Paths of Glory: A Comfort Film of Sorts



Adolphe Menjou & Kirk Douglas "discuss" honor & integrity in
Paths of Glory. Photo credit: United Artists/Bryna Productions

                                           
                                            Paths of Glory: A Comfort Film of Sorts

                                                                          by

                                                                             Jay Agan

     Sometime in 1967. Early Sunday Afternoon. I'm on leave from military school about to go back in a few hours. Really looking forward to it. NOT! It's after dinner & a war flick comes on. Paths of Glory with Kirk Douglas. Strange as it sounds, I hated military school but have always liked war films.
   
     The film got to me on a different level than most. It wasn't the "horrors of war" that hit me as it was the "krap rolls down hill" aspects.
   
     1916, western front, French lines: Col. Dax (Douglas) is saddled with the task of a near suicidal assault on "the anthill". An impregnable, fortified strongpoint in the German lines. Due to poor planning, unforeseen circumstances, & blunders from higher in the chain of command, a heavier toll than expected is taken & the attack fails.
   
     To cover up their stupidity & mistakes, the top brass has three innocent enlisted men (one previously decorated for bravery) tried & executed for "cowardice". Why? Somebody has to pay & it looks good. Setting an "example", it instills elan & "esprit d' corps", motivating one & all to excel. Nothing like your "leaders" having a knife at your back as positive reinforcement. It was krap like this that led to the mutinies in the French army in WWI.
    
      I don't at all claim to know what it's like to survive under such horrendous conditions. I've never been in battle. My experience is limited to chance encounters with would be muggers. (Ever notice how polite they get when they find you're armed?)

      At the time I viewed this film, I was getting a three year education in what the Russians refer to as "the vertical stroke". If punishment is to be exacted, it comes from the top down, & the one on the bottom feels the effects. Wether you deserve it or not is immaterial. The law of gravity is to be obeyed.
  
      As this military school was a Catholic establishment, you were to seek out pain as it was good for you anyway. Yeah, right. It wasn't much as military schools go. Run by nuns (Women? Maybe.), their Vatican I mentality certainly added a "dimension".
   
      The commandant was a cut rate commando hired on the cheap. I understood he was an ex-air force nco. He looked & sounded like Fred Flintstone with half the intelligence & none of the charm. Was always giving life lessons using sports anecdotes. As a geography teacher, it was his job to always be running down other countries & demeaning other cultures.
   
      I remember him saying he hoped Viet Nam would last long enough so we would make him proud. He extolled how wonderful it was to die for your country (He was still here. What was up with that?).

      During the Pueblo crisis, he expounded on how he would have handled the situation if he was in Buchers' shoes (something about fighting to the last). He himself saw lots of action. As an Air Force MP, he hassled a lot of drunks & shot a stray dog during his time as a small town policeman. The officer cadets, twice the children of hell he was, admired him.
   
      While the school was short on genius, it was long on collective guilt, bullying & bullkrap. Wether you were guilty of some infraction or not, if you were a part of the perps' unit or just happened to be in the area at the time, you got slammed. Why? Because they can.
 
      The philosophy was to promote unit cohesion, but you can only take it so far. When it's excessively implemented by those who demand an unearned respect. When it becomes a vehicle for sadists & fools to get their jollies. Then its validity goes out the window.
   
      I understand Paths of Glory was banned from U.S. military bases when it was released. Thought it would affect troop morale. No doubt the good commandant would have used it as a motivator. It certainly got to me that late 60s Sunday as I headed back to school.

                                                        Article copyright © Jay Agan

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DISCLAIMER: All images used on this blog are strictly copyrights of their owners. I do not claim credit/ownership for any images used here in my blog unless stated otherwise. If I have offended anyone by posting any images on my blog, please contact me via email and I will remove specified image(s) ASAP.

Some Cinematic Heresy Part 1

Poster Credit: RKO Pictures

                                                    Some Cinematic Heresy Part 1

                                                                         by

                                                                           Jay Agan

     Howzabout some cinematic heresy? I'm going to pan some "classic" films fans are always raving about but I don't think are so hot. A majority of fans & the critics say they're great but that doesn't always mean they really are. I know what I like.

     First up is Citizen Kane, which I do think is better than great.

     "So it's settled: Citizen Kane is the official greatest film of all time."-Roger Ebert

     I like Citizen Kane. It's in my collection. I try to watch it at least once a year. I made it a point to see it at the Drexel North in Columbus (Now, sadly, a drug store.) on the big screen. This absorbing, groundbreaking film more than made its' mark on the world of cinema. I have nothing but praise for it. But.....it's not

                                                 THE GREATEST FILM EVER MADE!

                                                (Insert echo effects/embellishments here.)

     I enjoy other films just as much. While there are points/arguements to be made for its' filmic excellence, to me

                                                 THE GREATEST FILM EVER MADE!

                                            (Insert more echo effects/embellishments here.)

is whatever I'm enjoying at the moment.

     My rating system is simple. If it's good enough for me to have in my collection, it's good enough..... period. I guess that means Plan 9 From Outer Space is right up there with the other giants.
    
     Next time, I go after Casablanca. "See" ya then!

.
                                                        Article copyright © Jay Agan
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DISCLAIMER: All images used on this blog are strictly copyrights of their owners. I do not claim credit/ownership for any images used here in my blog unless stated otherwise. If I have offended anyone by posting any images on my blog, please contact me via email and I will remove specified image(s) ASAP.
    
      

Spooky Little non-Encounter

                                                    Spooky Little non-Encounter
                                                                              
                                                                         by
                                                                                    
                                                                            Jay Agan

    To many cartoon fans, the voice, if not the name, of Paul Frees is familiar. A veteran of quite a few shows, he's best known  as Boris Badenov (Jay Wards' Rocky & Bullwinkle) and the Burgermeister Meister Burger (Rankin/Bass' Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town).

    Not only a voice over in toons, he also did many bit parts in a number of films, (War of the Worlds, The Thing From Another World, Jet Pilot, Suddenly, etc.) and dubbed foriegn films, sometimes as more than one character. In some English language movies, he was called on when an actors voice was unintelligable or didn't come over well. (Flight From Aishiya, Taras Bulba.) Commercials (Raid!) were also a staple of his.

    I was living in New Jersey at the time of his death (66) in 1986. It was with some sadness as I read the news of his passing in the Bergen Record.Two Weeks later, I was pulling out the factory gate after a long night as computer operator, and more than ready to turn in. Radio was tuned to WABC when a new Diamond Walnuts ad came on. Concluding with a familiar voice emoting that companys' slogan:

    "NOW WOULDN'T THAT BE NICE!"

    The guy was dead two weeks and still working! Hats off to ya sir. You're still missed.

                                                    Article copyright © Jay Agan

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Dr. Strangelove: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Annihilation

   

              Dr. Strangelove: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Annihilation

                                                                 by

                                                                    Jay Agan

       Somewhere in the 90s.

      The Ohio Theatre was going to have a showing of  Stanley Kubricks', Dr. Strangelove that Sunday night. Alright! DS on the big screen. Had to see it. So I get off work, grab a parking space under the Statehouse & go in. Waiting for the flick to start, I look around & notice something familiar about the other patrons.

      This takes a little telling. I had seen Strangelove back in '88 at the Columbus Museum of  "Art" on a much smaller screen. The other attendees were of the "smart" set. You know. "Hipsters", parlor pinks, cocktail commies, etc. Needless to say, I was laughing along with them though for different reasons.

      It was pretty much the same at the Ohio Theater except for one notable exception. Col. Jack D. Rippers' (Sterling Hayden) rant at Capt. Mandrake (Peter Sellers) about flouridation. I remember the '88 audience getting quite a giggle over that one. The threat of flouridation was stock in trade of the whacky right wing back then. So I was pretty much prepared for the "morally annointed" to break up  over it this time around.

      "Great. Here it comes," I thought.

      Weird. Only a muted chuckle here & there, more of a reflex action being suppressed. The vast majority of the attendees were quiet. Even attentive. What the......?

       It was the only "bad" part of an enjoyable viewing experience. I pondered it for days.

      A couple regular customers at work clued me in after telling them about it: Between then & "now", government health studies found flouride to be a carcinogen. Guess Col. Ripper wasn't as much a whack job as originally thought. From commie plot to health hazzard. Who'd a thunk it?

                                                   Article copyright © Jay Agan

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A Few For Halloween & One Not

                                                   A Few For Halloween & One Not

                                                                            by
          
                                                                              Jay Agan

        Yes, Halloween! My favorite time of year & what better way to celebrate than with that grand tradition of THE HAUNTED HOUSE. Here's five flicks to get you in the mood.

 1.    House on Haunted Hill- No not that abortive remake from a few years back but the great one from 1958.

        Millionare Frederick Lauren (Vincent Price at his slightly hammy yet sinister best.) is throwing a party. A haunted house party. He  commandeered the idea from his avaricious wife & invited only five people unknown to one another. Survivors (Or next of kin.) get ten grand each if they last the night.

        The party takes place at "the only truly haunted house in the world". Thrown into the mix of ghosts, acid vats, creeping ropes, & bloodstains are party favors packed in little gift coffins. Colt .45 automatics! Soon, everyone is armed & precarious. And the fun hasn't even started yet!

        A mix of toungue in cheek, & deadly seriousness, the film is both funny & absorbing. Along for the ride is character actor Elisha Cook Jr. who even steals a scene or two from Price. This is a must see for any haunted house fan. Rated R (Don't know why. It's not that "mean" a film.).

 2.    The Ghost & Mr. Chicken (1966)- Luther Heggs (Ably portrayed by Don Knotts.), a nervous, high strung, homely type, must, on a dare, spend the night at "the old Simmons place". This is on the 20th anniversary of a murder/suicide that had taken place there. The house is about to be torn down & Luther is assigned by his paper to write a story.

        Complicating matters are sneering townsfolk/coworkers, a Simmons relative keen on tearing the place down, a possible romance, & poor Luthers' chronic squeamishness of life in general. A nice, scarey, little comedy about a "little" man overcoming obstacles & fears within. "Atta boy, Luther!" Not rated.


 3.    The Uninvited (1944)- The first American made film to take the haunted house theme seriously. A brother & sister (Ray Milland & Ruth Hussey) buy an old English mansion & encounter the spirit residing within. As the story unfolds & mystery unravels, it becomes apparant supernatural forces are intent on harm of the living through the living. A great, atmospheric, little chiller. On VHS only. Not Rated.

 4.     The Legend of Hell House (1973)- A wealthy man hires a team of researchers to investigate "the Mt. Everest of haunted houses" for proof of life after death. A scientist, his wife, & two psychics spend several days there in the chaos that follows. These ghosts are not happy & are quite clear about it (Watch out for the killer kitty!).

        Decadence, possesion, dementia & death well portrayed in an oppressive atmosphere of encroaching doom. The "action" scenes in this early 70s chiller more than show it not to be one of those cozy little tales. Rated PG.

 5.    Burnt Offerings (1976)- A writer (Oliver Reed) & his family lease a vacation home that is not haunted but the haunter itself. The family gradually falls under its' spell as it slowly draws the life from & enslaving them before going in for the kill. An interesting study of materialism & obsessivness. Quite  a bit different for a movie of its' type. Rated PG.

                                                                 And One Not

 6.    The Haunting (1963)- Acclaimed by critics & viewers alike, a masterpiece of horror. Or so they say.

        I just can't see it that way. I found the story dull & the scares unexiting. The characters are mostly bland except for Julie Harris. What she does is whine, whine, whine!, making a rather boring film excrutiating as well. I included this due to its' popularity. A lot of folks seem to like this one though I can't.

        There you have it. There are other flicks fitting into this category, but these are the ones (& one not) I enjoy most.

                                                       Article copyright © Jay Agan

Disclaimer: All film ratings are on the films respective containers. Discretion is up to you.

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An Early "Preview" Of Colorization

                                        

                                                    Poster credit: Warner Bros. Studios                                        

                                         

                                           An Early "Preview" Of Colorization                             

                                                                                by
                                                                                 
                                                                                  Jay Agan
   
      Some time after the discovery of fire, a media mogul named Ted Turner promoted film restoration on a scale never before dreamed of. As part of his plans to reintroduce classic films to the world, he promoted colorization technology. I take it this was in an effort to instill an appreciation of older black & white films to the superficial, shallow, thrill seeking youth of this age. (Who know the price of everything & the value of nothing.) Youth is wasted on the young. They don't Know what to do with it. A co-worker used that statement in reference to young women being wasted on young men for the same reason. However, I digress.
   
      Before Mr. Turner crashed onto the national scene, two friends & I were heavily into the wargaming hobby. In the summer of '75 we attended a small regional convention at a college in Cinncinatti. It was there I experienced a most singular phenomenon.

      After a long Saturday of Afrika Korps, Stalingrad, & Angrief, we repaired to one of the dorms common rooms wherin resided a color TV set. They Died With Their Boots On, a late 30s black & white western with Errol Flynn, was being aired & we settled in to watch. Something slowly registered as we watched. It gradually dawned on me something about this movie wasn't quite the same as previous viewings. Then it hit, literally between the eyes.
     
      The film was in color! Sort of.
     
      TV reception wasn't as good as it should have, being from a local station & all. Maybe the antenna was slighty "off" or its connections were defective in some way (picture slightly fuzzy though still very watchable). Maybe the signal was interacting with the set in an odd way. What I do know is the film came across as color. Moderatly faint & fluctuating at times, but color nonetheless.
   
      And the colors were in the right places. Fleshtones nonexistant, but every thing else was there. Right down to the reds & blues on the feathers of the Indians war bonnets. Highlights in the actors eyes in some shots had a bizarre multicolor effect but this only added to the experience. Suffice to say, I enjoyed this new dimension for as long as this lucky accident lasted. Wich was right to THE END.
   
      Of course it doesn't compare to todays processes, but this odd set of circumstances had me enthralled that night in 1975. Until I heard about colorization a year or so after, I had often wondered if such a thing was possible to be done deliberatly. As it was, I felt fortunate to have experienced something that (at the time) I thought I would never see again.

                                                       Article copyright © Jay Agan

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DISCLAIMER: All images used on this blog are strictly copyrights of their owners. I do not claim credit/ownership for any images used here in my blog unless stated otherwise. If I have offended anyone by posting any images on my blog, please contact me via email and I will remove specified image(s) ASAP.

Anime Movies I Got: Mini Reviews

           
                                                                        by

                                                                          Jay Agan

    1.                                                Voices of a Distant Star

           

               Makoto Shinkais' first theatrical release, mostly made at his home studio. In spite of the limitations & short length, the film is nonetheless sweeping & visually breathtaking.

               Young lady makes it to the space forces in a war against a vaguely defined enemy, the Tarsians. As the fleet goes deeper into space in pursuit, time differentials make communication with her true love longer & more difficult. Sort of covers the same ground as Gunbuster in a shorter time (23 min) with a different ending. Disc also comes with Shinkais' first film, Short subject: She & Her Cat. Rated TVPG-V


     2.                                    The Place Promised In Our Early Days
      
                Shinkais' third film. Life doesn't always deliver on it's earlier promises. Circumstances, politics, events, etc. tend to curtail or cancel things. Also, what correlation is there between dreams & parallel universes?
             
                Two Young men set out to fulfill their dreams of flight & keep a promise made to a young lady while up against incredible obstacles. One of which is World War lll. Rated TVPG-V


     3.                                            Panda & the Magic Serpent
              
                Found this for a buck at Family Dollar. A little film that impressed me a lot as a kid & made me cognizant of anime. Made in 1956, it's the first full length color anime film & reputed to have inspired Miyazaki to enter the field of animation.

                It's the story of a young Chinese man meeting a young lady who, in reality, is the spirit of a pet snake he had when he was a boy. A hostile, though well meaning magician, believing humans & demons should not meet, intervenes, causing much suffering to the couple. Separated, the young mans' two panda friends & a fish spirit aid him in reuniting with his love. This has got to be G rated.


    4.                                                     The Silent Service
             
                Anti-American screed of a Japanese crew siezing a joint-project super submarine, declaring themselves an independant country (Yamato), & taking on the U.S. Navy. Smug look on the face of main protagonist throughout film, makes one alternately want to slap him around or cheer him on.
            
                 Rated 13 up.

    5.                                                            Paprika
             
                Can there be a technology for entering peoples' dreams for therapeutic purposes? What if this tech ends up in the wrong hands? What if the wrong hands try merging the realm of dreams with reality? It's up to the perky title character (The alter-ego of a co-inventer of said tech.) to seek out the perps & put a stop to the chaos. A total head trip of a movie if there ever was one.

                Warning: This film has a "hentai moment". Not for the kiddies. Rated R (Violent & sexual images.)


     6.                                                   The Sky Crawlers

                The planes are WWll. The pilots are Japanese. The cities are metro Poland. The countryside is Ireland. And the "ambiance" is Euro-American retro from the 40s on.

                Now the wierd part. It's gradually revealed the pilots are clones. Aerial warfare is a form of "entertainment" to control the masses of asses. As pilots are attritioned, they're replaced. The base commander incrementally sinks into subdued insanity as one carbon copy after another of a former lover (& father of her child) cycles through the mill. One must watch past the end credits for full impact. Rated PG-13


      7.                                              Jin Roh, the Wolf Brigade

                The retelling of Little Red Riding Hood against the backdrop of a post-war, mid 60s, fascist Japan. Police/political intrigue unravels as authorities try to disband an anti-terrorist division only to run afoul of a rogue sub-unit, members of which think more like beasts than men. Rated 16 up.


    8.                                                               Akira

                Bikers battle for dominance in 21st century, post-WWlll, Neo-Tokyo, riddled with political unrest, & terrorism. One gang stumbles upon a secret project involving governmental exploitation of mans' next evolutionary stage. Cataclysmic disaster of apocolyptic proportions results with authorities unable to handle it. Biker leader & activist babe take matters into their own hands.

                This film was actually the next stage in the evolution of anime. A fabulous combination of digital & hand drawn animation. Richly detailed & wildly expensive it almost broke the bank for the studio. It also launched the early 90s anime surge. Rated R.


     9.                                              Cowboy Bebop the Movie

                If you have the series, you must have the flick. It is episode 23.5 after all.

                The five bounty hunters of the aforementioned series, a sympathetic corporate operative, a rogue corporation, police & military, are on the trail of a terrorist with viral induced dementia. Aided by a thrill seeking techie, he plans to distribute the same virus on the unsuspecting Mars populace on Halloween. Rated R (Some violent images.).
         
        
          10.                                     The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

                Time waits for no one but you can travel through it.
             
                What would you do if you stumbled on a device enabling you to time travel? Correct past mistakes? See great historical events? "Save/take over the world"? Or something else great & momentous?

                 Or if you're an angst filled adolescent, would you use it to untangle your oh so complicated little existance & make things easier? It is those frivolous little things complicating life & you sure can do without them. Since they're small nagging obstacles, any consequences would be trivial if at all, right? It's obvious this kid hasn't seen The Butterfly Effect or she'd know better. Oh well. The only way she'll learn is to go ahead & get bruised. Kids these days.....                       Rated 13 up.


    11.                                                     Submarine 707R

                Combined UN naval forces are wiped out by a rogue sub navy led by a smirking, self righteous, Nemo type named Admiral Red. It's up to resourceful Cmdr. Hayami & the obsolete title vessel to put a stop to the sanctimonious ones' plans. Rated 13 up.


     12.                                                Barefoot Gen 1 and 2

                 Story of a young boys' survival in Hiroshima after Tibbets drops the big one. Rather gruesome blast/aftermath scenes in spite of the then "crude" animation. Based on Keiji Nakazawas' experiences of survival & endurance, of the loss of most of his family (The scene of his father & two siblings dying before his eyes always gets to me.) & the will to live in spite of the odds. Rated 13 up.

                Second film continues in immediate post-war Japan as Gen & his dying mother (radiation poisoning) struggle to make a living among the ruins. Bittersweet ending. Don't know wether to feel happy or sad. Rated 13 up. 


    13.                                                 Grave of the Fireflies

                 After the loss of their mother in a firebombing, a young man & his little sister experience wandering & unsympathetic relatives in the aftermath. Taking up shelter in the countryside, they struggle to make a life & wait for wars end. A movie you only want to see once, but will keep on your shelf always. Rated 13 up.


     14.                                                    Porco Rosso

                 The only Miyazaki film I have. Yes, I know they're all classic. I also know they're all "kids' stuff". Not that they're bad, they aren't. With the exception of Spirited Away (Overly long & No Faces' puke fest turned me off. Whoa! There he goes again! Baaaaarf!), I actually like them. They're just not my kind of movies. Porco is a bit different.

                 For adults & kids, Porco Rosso wings off for adventure over the post WWl Adriatic, fighting sky pirates & dodgeing Fascists. It's not known why he looks like a pig ("Id rather be a pig than a fascist!"), but he doesn't act like a swine.

                 Sky pirates plot to get Porco out of the way by hiring Curtis, a hot shot American pilot as "hit man". Complications ensue as Curtis' wandering eye gets the better of him. It all ends up in a delightful fiasco involving the hand of a young lady, culminating in a royal air battle & a fist fight in the surf! I love it! Rated PG. 
     

       15.                                                           Memories

                 Three part sci-fi based anthology.

                Magnetic Rose: Space salvagers, following a distress signal, stumble on a virtual reality constructed from the memories of a long dead opera diva.

                 Stink Bomb: Hapless pharmaceuticle lab tech inadvertantly becomes a super bio weapon headed for Tokyo. Military helpless to stop him. Believe it or not, this is a comedy!

                 Cannon Fodder: The war is on & has been for generations. Why? 'Cause that's the way it is.

                 Three great stories. ALL worth watching. Rated PG-13.


       16.                                                  Kite/Kite Liberator

                 Girl asassin meets boy asassin as they skip out on their vigilante cop employers after their last few jobs. Liberator is an unfinished work with an abrupt non-ending.

                 Rated 16 up. Gen. release version (the one I have.) Rated 18 up for other versions.


       17.                   Dirty Pair-Project Eden/Flight 005 Conspiracy/Affair At Nolandia

                Three movies about my favorite semi-homicidal girls n' guns anime duo.
               
                Project Eden: Vizarium makes mass space travel possible. A Prof. Wattsman may know something more about this element than is popularly thought. Complicating the investigation is an adventurer bent on stealing the remaining bottle of De Gaulle, a wine bottled after the liberation of Paris in 1944. Rated TVPG-V.

                Flight 005 Conspiracy: The best of the three. The Lovely Angels investigate a spaceline sabotage involving 800 passengers & no insurance claims. Turns out to be a coverup in the abduction of a scientist needed in a power grab by local govt. forces, & organized crime. Rated TVPG-V.

                 Affair At Nolandia: Another air "accident" this time involving mind control. Local planetary govt. & various factions plan to exploit artificial life for their own ends. The key to it all may be Missani, a little girl Kei & Yuri must find on a remote plateau. One time Pokemon fans might like this for the myriad little critters that show up. Rated TVPG-V.

    18.                                            Area 88/Area 88, Burning Mirage

                 Area 88: Shin Kazama, tricked by a "friend" into joining a mercenary air unit, fights to survive in the skies over civil-war torn Aslan in the mid-east. Meanwhile, the "friend" plots to take over Yamato Air Lines & steal Shins' girl. Rated TVPG-V.

                 Area 88, Burning Mirage: Sequel. Shin hangs onto living & plots to escape his forced employment. His "friend" tries to marry the girl. Rated TVPG-V.

     19.                                                     Steamboy 

                 Young Ray Steam is caught between his grandfathers' vague idealism & his fathers' corporate collaboration as the victorian world is on the verge of COMPLETE utilization of steam power. A process of unleashing 100% of steam power with no waste will revolutionize civilisation.

                Will blind idealism or corporate greed win out? Will Ray Steam make up his mind? The industrial revolution was never like this! Rated PG-13.


                                                 Article copyright © Jay Agan

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DISCLAIMER: The ratings were taken from the films respective disc cases. Discretion is up to you.