Incubus

1966

Creepy and intense! A great addition to the sixties and seventies cinema tradition of good people versus evil occult forces. Now off to read David Schow's eponymous Cimmaron Street book on the movie!

The Emerald Forest

1985

Another intense Boorman movie, this time with great Amazon locations.

I thought I might have seen this back in the day, but after watching the Kino bluray I am pretty sure I did not. Having recently read Napoleon Chagnon's autobiographical book on his anthropological work with the Yanomamo tribes served to highlight the authenticity of some of the movie's plot lines (and the inauthenticity of some other elements - but this isn't supposed to be a documentary).

While the movie…

My Kung Fu Sweetheart

2006

Not the strongest film when it comes to the acting, but this fantasy kung fu comedy is undeniably fun.

And it doesn't hurt that it features a giant hawk as a character!

Mindhunters

2004

Another reason to hate trailers...

From the trailer, I was expecting a thriller about FBI profiler trainees working with a hardboiled instructor, in the style of the character Val Kilmer played in Manhunter. Be prepared to suspend a lot of disbelief!

I was disappointed to have been led astray by the trailer, as this ended up not being my kind of flick. The strong cast and decent production values deserved a better…

The Phantom

2009

A nice updating of The Phantom's story to modern times. The hero's journey here has a more genuine feel than the typical superhero movie you'd see in theaters today. While the movie has its downsides, and I am no fan of the ending to the story (which struck me as a cheesy setup for a TV series), the excellent cast and other creative story twists on the legend of The Phantom make it worthwhile viewing for fans of the Ghost Who Walks, or for those looking for something a bit different in a superhero flick.

Shogun's Shadow

1989

Liked Added

A great late-eighties samurai action-adventure flick.

The opening fight sequence felt like a John Woo movie, and similar high-caliber action scenes followed. In a lot of ways, this Japanese film felt more like a Hong Kong production from the eighties or nineties.

On the downside, there are pretty disturbing horse stunts in some of the action sequences. Aside from that unfortunate caveat, highly recommended!

The Day the Earth Caught Fire

1961

All the scientists' men?

Great journalism/disaster movie! Who would have guessed Guest did a 1961 movie about the news media, climate change, and impending Armageddon? Sounds a bit prescient as to modern-day topics of interest???

This movie ranks up there with other classic newspaper reporter flicks -- All the President's Men, Absence of Malice, and The Front Page (or His Girl Friday, if you prefer). And it outdoes the big budget sixties and seventies disaster flicks that followed it -…

Sky Force

2025

Sky Force was better than I expected! Decent effects, with action sequences of an RRR style. The movie takes a decidedly over the top approach to being "based on" a true story.

Nearly all of the traditional dramatic elements you'd expect in a fighter pilot flick are worked into the story, as is the staunch patriotism and melodrama that go hand in hand with a Hindi film of this sort. While it is not as good an aviation movie as Devotion, Sky Force is nonetheless an entertaining action / drama film.

Worth seeing, especially for fans of fifties and sixties fighter aircraft!

Samurai Vendetta

1959

Essential viewing due to the 47 Ronin connection. While there are some memorable sword fights, viewers looking for a fast-moving film of constant samurai action will be disappointed. I did not see the slow pacing of the movie as a fault. Instead, I think it suits the themes and the story. Recommended to those who enjoyed the classic 47 Ronin films!

The Fall Guy

2024

Liked Added

A fun movie that threads the needle of hitting "blockbuster, "rom com," and "cult classic" notes, along with an amusing "movie within a movie" that is all-too-believably bad. One to see in the theater on a big screen with blasting speakers (hey, Kiss theme) and, most importantly, an audience to laugh along with. Fitting that a movie about movies is also a fine example of what movies are about!

And if you want to follow up with a real-life ode…

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In

2024

★★★★½ Liked Added

WOW! Echoes of the classic Shaw Brothers films and the best Hong Kong action of the 80's and 90's. The fast-action sequences were amazingly staged and presented, and remain comprehensible -- as compared to the "what's happening?" style of fight sequences that seem particularly prevalent in Hollywood. Ranks up there with the best of the "heroic bloodshed" brotherhood movies.

Jackpot!

2024

Some sporadic laughs, but a disappointing waste of what could have been a charismatic action-comedy duo. The setup itself doesn't make a lot of sense, and the film doesn't help draw you in enough to get over that enjoyment roadblock. One to miss, even for Cena and Awkwafina fans...