Rate The Last Movie You Saw

This is a strange one, from one of my DVD sets, a '50's monster flick, The Monolith Monsters, in which a meteor arrives in the usual southwestern, dusty town. It's carrying some odd rock. Scientists are baffled. What is it? We find out. The rocks grow. Huge. They tumble over, smashing everything in the area. What do you do? What makes them grow?

As these sort of movies go, this one is pretty good. Actors play it straight, nothing hammy. FX are obviously animated (500 foot rocks, growing and toppling over), but quite effective for that era.

What can be worse? When the locals start turning into stone. What will stop it?

It's definitely a B+

The Monolith Monsters (1957) is one of my favorite sci fi flicks from the 1950s. It has more in common with the original The Outer Limits than it does with the run of the mill 50s sci-fi/creature flicks, which I love but admittedly can be over the top. Like you said The Monolith Monsters plays it straight and serious.

Quite true. Like many of the original TOL episodes, the creatures or situation doesn't bear much rational scrutiny, but because of the mood and acting, it works quite well as a drama, like, who would NOT be terrified or confused about growing and falling rocks from outer space.

For me it worked quite well as the rocks were a force of nature, like super crystals that grow and grow...Which was much more threatening than some 'walking rock monster with evil plans.'

SF = Zzz



[Snooze Factor Ratings]:
Z = didn't nod off at all
Zz = nearly nodded off but managed to stay alert
Zzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed
Zzzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed but nodded off again at the same point and therefore needed to go back a number of times before I got through it...
Zzzzz = nodded off and missed some or the rest of the film but was not interested enough to go back over it

Good to see some love for this. After looking for a streaming version for quite awhile I finally ran across a copy. I forget where exactly. I hate it when I do that.

Plus that whole

Flightplan follows Kyle's efforts to find her daughter while also trying to keep her sanity and convince the captain and those around her that the simplest explanation is the right one... or is it the simplest? Because, either there's a conspiracy of some sort involving several people including crew members to kidnap Julia to get something out of Kyle... or she's actually struggling with her sanity and has imagined her daughter getting on the plane and is just now realizing she's actually not there as she pretends to look for her. Does either of these possibilities make any sense?

This is a film that I remember got not so good reviews back in the day, which is probably why I avoided it. With time, it has more or less vanished from the public consciousness, so when Andrew recommended it I thought, did I imagine those bad reviews? I did approach it with little to no expectation which maybe hampered the overall effect a bit. The film feels like a bit of a play on Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes, a film that starts with a similar premise that gets a bit more complex and darker as it goes on. Unfortunately, that's not the case here. Flightplan starts with a mildly intriguing premise that becomes less and less interesting, and more and more generic as it goes on.

Grade:


Full review on my Movie Loot

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I liked Flightplan okay. But for a much, much better take on the premise, check out Bunny Lake is Missing.

The Pale Blue Eye - There are a number of things to like about this movie despite it coming and going without much fanfare. Christian Bale inhabits his role as is usually the case. But it's Harry Melling that surprises you. Outside of his numerous appearances in the Harry Potter films I've only ever seen him in this and in a much smaller role in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. But in both those instances he turned in quietly memorable performances. And any actor who can hold his own alongside Bale is someone to be reckoned with. I only hope he gets more chances at juicy roles like this one.

Bale plays Detective Augustus Landor who has been summoned by the commanding officer at West Point Academy to investigate the hanging death of a young cadet. Suicides don't usually necessitate far-reaching investigations but someone has crept in and removed the corpses heart. During his initial inquiries Landor happens across another young underclassman who makes quite an impression by presenting his own unique but fanciful take on the crime. The cadet turns out to be a young Edgar Allan Poe (Melling). I kept waiting for him to put his foot wrong or misstep but he showed remarkable restraint in his characterization.

There were also not one but two curveballs having to do with the casting when I failed to recognize an actress whose work I make a point of taking note of. And there was also my complete failure to realize that another supporting character was played by one of the most well known and legendary actors of all time. I won't give away who it was just in case anyone else should watch this in the future.

The cinematography and location shooting contribute mightily to the overall atmosphere. It put me in mind of Sleepy Hollow even though neither project was actually filmed in the Hudson Valley. There are the usual third act hiccups and the viewer is asked to follow along unquestioningly while red herrings and a final twist is thrown at them. But all in all this is a story that more people should be made aware of. Recommended.

80/100

Kinda bland story wise, but I liked the fight scenes. I thought it was a little more serious, I didn't watch any trailers.

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You don't remember me? We spoke on the phone two days ago. I told you I would find you.

(MILLS, 2008)

This looks adorable. Saving it for a rainy day.

Can't remember if I ever saw this one! I looked it up, and noticed that it has Lola Albright in it. She was my serious heart throb from watching the series "Peter Gunn". She was the sexiest and most alluring woman on TV from 1958 to 1961. Hell, she may STILL be...

Black Legion (1937) Bogart is excellent in this well written and interesting film.

It was adorable

Yeah, I noted her appearance and it was good.

It was included in a 5 movie collection, The Classic Sci Fi Ultimate Collection, which also had another favorite creature feature, Tatantula, in which a different dusty southwestern town is attacked by the titular 200 foot spider.

The Guardian follows Phil and Kate (Dwier Brown and Carey Lowell), a young married couple that is going through some changes: Phil was just hired for a new job, they just moved to Los Angeles, and they're about to have a baby. Their worst nightmare, though, is that Camilla (Jenny Seagrove), their lovely new nanny, is actually a supernatural being that sacrifices babies to a tree entity.

Director William Friedkin certainly has a talent for building atmosphere and dread; whether it is in The Exorcist or Killer Joe, or Sorcerer which I just saw earlier this month. His films always give you that sense of uneasiness and danger to its characters, whether that danger is spiritual, human, or in this case, supernatural.

Grade:


Full review on my Movie Loot