Wooley & Torgo's September Excite-o-rama!

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Victim of The Night
The cost of paradise does make for good sci-fi. These movies, parts of The Matrix and the Star Trek: TOS episode "This Side of Paradise" also do a good job of exploring that theme.
One of my favorite episodes.



Victim of The Night

Here is one of my favorite films from my middle teenage years... that I have seen ONCE in the last 30 years. In 2005. How would it hold up?
I loved it.
This was so fun, I actually backed it up several times to watch scenes again and then when it was over I went back and watched the climax twice more.
So what the hell is it?
Well, it's a Canadian, Bakshi-esque animated film about an aging Rock superstar in a post-apocalyptic world populated by anthropomorphic animals, searching for the voice that will help him raise a demon and rule the World.
The Rock-star, the villain of our story, is a sort of combination of David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and The Grinch, name of Mok...


... and the Heroine, possessor of the magic voice, is Angel (seen here with demons)...


... an aspiring singer in a cut-rate band with a selfish ******* leader, Omar.

But man, is this film fun. The Bakshi influence is obvious but there's also some other, edgier animation in parts, as well as some really great imagery at times...


Not to mention, Mok is voiced, in song, by both Lou Reed (in the song above and another) and Iggy Pop, Angel by Debbie Harry (singing the haunting and triumphant "Send Love Through"), and Omar by Cheap Trick's Robin Zander.
That's a lot of entertainment for a few bucks.
Anyway, this film delivered for me in a big way. The nostalgia factor was so great that I actually started crying the first time Angel sang her song. No joke. But it also struck me how much better the whole production is than I expected, nostalgia aside. Imagine if one of Bakshi's better films actually had a cogent narrative that flowed and good songs by those superstars I've already mentioned and you have Rock & Rule.
Highly recommended for people who like this sort of thing.




Here is one of my favorite films from my middle teenage years... that I have seen ONCE in the last 30 years. In 2005. How would it hold up?
I loved it.
This was so fun, I actually backed it up several times to watch scenes again and then when it was over I went back and watched the climax twice more.
So what the hell is it?
Well, it's a Canadian, Bakshi-esque animated film about an aging Rock superstar in a post-apocalyptic world populated by anthropomorphic animals, searching for the voice that will help him raise a demon and rule the World.
The Rock-star, the villain of our story, is a sort of combination of David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and The Grinch, name of Mok...


... and the Heroine, possessor of the magic voice, is Angel (seen here with demons)...


... an aspiring singer in a cut-rate band with a selfish ******* leader, Omar.

But man, is this film fun. The Bakshi influence is obvious but there's also some other, edgier animation in parts, as well as some really great imagery at times...


Not to mention, Mok is voiced, in song, by both Lou Reed (in the song above and another) and Iggy Pop, Angel by Debbie Harry (singing the haunting and triumphant "Send Love Through"), and Omar by Cheap Trick's Robin Zander.
That's a lot of entertainment for a few bucks.
Anyway, this film delivered for me in a big way. The nostalgia factor was so great that I actually started crying the first time Angel sang her song. No joke. But it also struck me how much better the whole production is than I expected, nostalgia aside. Imagine if one of Bakshi's better films actually had a cogent narrative that flowed and good songs by those superstars I've already mentioned and you have Rock & Rule.
Highly recommended for people who like this sort of thing.
Wow, that sounds right up my alley. It's too bad it's not exactly readily available. It's only available to buy for $20 at Amazon? In the immortal words of Joe Biden, "c'mon, man!"





A movie that could be described as Back to the Future before Back to the Future - it even has a joke about Ronald Reagan being the president - The Philadelphia Experiment is not the classic that that movie is, but it has enough going for it to make it worth checking out. It is based on a myth about World War II battleship U.S.S. Eldridge, which may or may not have been equipped with experimental radar-deflecting technology. Once activated, crewmen David Herdeg (Michael Paré) and Jim Parker (Bobby Di Cicco) find themselves in 1984. With the help of unwilling accomplice Allison (Nancy Allen), they look for a way to return, all the while dealing with the future shock of everything from television to pop-top cans of Coke.

Much of what makes this movie work and worth watching is Paré's performance. He is very convincing as a man who is out of place, looking for answers and unwilling to become a pawn of scientists and the government, all of whom pursue Jim, Allison, and himself pretty much as soon as he arrives in the future. His bemused reactions to modern conveniences also made me laugh while his more grieved ones, like seeing pictures of himself on a wall in his father's mechanic business, became my own. The special effects are not half bad either, especially the all-consuming vortex in the sky which is an unfortunate byproduct of the Eldridge's failed experiment. The high-contrast lighting that accompanies the time shifts, on the other hand, has not aged well, but it at least gets its purpose across.

What prevents this movie from being a classic time travel story? In spite of its real-life inspirations and relatively unique vehicle, it's a pretty standard entry in this subgenre. It also doesn't help that much of the science, ramifications of going to the future, etc. are sidelined in favor of David and Allison's romance. Despite not totally coming across like a Stockholm Syndrome case as well as Paré and Allen's chemistry and strong acting, I felt that it marginalized a lot of the technical mumbo jumbo, which to me is the "good stuff" that is a perk to movies like this one. Also, while I've praised the effects and some of the acting - Steven Tobolowsky also impresses in an early role as a scientist - it often resembles a TV movie from its era and the general performance is of average quality at best. I still enjoyed it and it scratched my itch for good sci-fi, but if you somehow haven't seen that other time travel movie that came out the following year yet, watch it first.



random thoughts:

1. A Torgo/Wooley collab. This is like that time Jagger and Bowie made a record.

2. I somehow missed Ladyhawke back in the day, but a friend and I rented it in 2000-something because we were in the mood for vintage fantasy. That first blast of synth completely threw us off our game, and we heckled the film from that point on. The soundtrack is definitely the first thing that comes to mind whenever the film is mentioned. So I owe it another chance.

3. If someone hacked into my brain's pleasure center, and made a movie based on what they found there, that movie would be Rock & Rule.
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random thoughts:

1. A Torgo/Wooley collab. This is like that time Jagger and Bowie made a record.
Aww, thanks. Hold on, I'm not sure if that's complimentary...




ps-- The director of Rock & Rule made a bunch of weird/awesome TV specials that might interest readers of this thread.
Please Don't Eat the Planet, A Cosmic Christmas, and especially The Devil and Daniel Mouse which is about rock musician mice.

 



Victim of The Night
Wow, that sounds right up my alley. It's too bad it's not exactly readily available. It's only available to buy for $20 at Amazon? In the immortal words of Joe Biden, "c'mon, man!"


Full movie, pretty good print.



Victim of The Night
random thoughts:

1. A Torgo/Wooley collab. This is like that time Jagger and Bowie made a record.

2. I somehow missed Ladyhawke back in the day, but a friend and I rented it in 2000-something because we were in the mood for vintage fantasy. That first blast of synth completely threw us off our game, and we heckled the film from that point on. The soundtrack is definitely the first thing that comes to mind whenever the film is mentioned. So I owe it another chance.

3. If someone hacked into my brain's pleasure center, and made a movie based on what they found there, that movie would be Rock & Rule.
That's pretty much what happened to me, when I was like 13 and then again at 48.

And welcome to the thread. Been waiting for you.




Here is one of my favorite films from my middle teenage years... that I have seen ONCE in the last 30 years. In 2005. How would it hold up?
I loved it.
This was so fun, I actually backed it up several times to watch scenes again and then when it was over I went back and watched the climax twice more.
So what the hell is it?
Well, it's a Canadian, Bakshi-esque animated film about an aging Rock superstar in a post-apocalyptic world populated by anthropomorphic animals, searching for the voice that will help him raise a demon and rule the World.
The Rock-star, the villain of our story, is a sort of combination of David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and The Grinch, name of Mok...


... and the Heroine, possessor of the magic voice, is Angel (seen here with demons)...


... an aspiring singer in a cut-rate band with a selfish ******* leader, Omar.

But man, is this film fun. The Bakshi influence is obvious but there's also some other, edgier animation in parts, as well as some really great imagery at times...


Not to mention, Mok is voiced, in song, by both Lou Reed (in the song above and another) and Iggy Pop, Angel by Debbie Harry (singing the haunting and triumphant "Send Love Through"), and Omar by Cheap Trick's Robin Zander.
That's a lot of entertainment for a few bucks.
Anyway, this film delivered for me in a big way. The nostalgia factor was so great that I actually started crying the first time Angel sang her song. No joke. But it also struck me how much better the whole production is than I expected, nostalgia aside. Imagine if one of Bakshi's better films actually had a cogent narrative that flowed and good songs by those superstars I've already mentioned and you have Rock & Rule.
Highly recommended for people who like this sort of thing.
Huh, how did I not know of this?
__________________
Check out my podcast: The Movie Loot!



Victim of The Night


A movie that could be described as Back to the Future before Back to the Future - it even has a joke about Ronald Reagan being the president - The Philadelphia Experiment is not the classic that that movie is, but it has enough going for it to make it worth checking out. It is based on a myth about World War II battleship U.S.S. Eldridge, which may or may not have been equipped with experimental radar-deflecting technology. Once activated, crewmen David Herdeg (Michael Paré) and Jim Parker (Bobby Di Cicco) find themselves in 1984. With the help of unwilling accomplice Allison (Nancy Allen), they look for a way to return, all the while dealing with the future shock of everything from television to pop-top cans of Coke.

Much of what makes this movie work and worth watching is Paré's performance. He is very convincing as a man who is out of place, looking for answers and unwilling to become a pawn of scientists and the government, all of whom pursue Jim, Allison, and himself pretty much as soon as he arrives in the future. His bemused reactions to modern conveniences also made me laugh while his more grieved ones, like seeing pictures of himself on a wall in his father's mechanic business, became my own. The special effects are not half bad either, especially the all-consuming vortex in the sky which is an unfortunate byproduct of the Eldridge's failed experiment. The high-contrast lighting that accompanies the time shifts, on the other hand, has not aged well, but it at least gets its purpose across.

What prevents this movie from being a classic time travel story? In spite of its real-life inspirations and relatively unique vehicle, it's a pretty standard entry in this subgenre. It also doesn't help that much of the science, ramifications of going to the future, etc. are sidelined in favor of David and Allison's romance. Despite not totally coming across like a Stockholm Syndrome case as well as Paré and Allen's chemistry and strong acting, I felt that it marginalized a lot of the technical mumbo jumbo, which to me is the "good stuff" that is a perk to movies like this one. Also, while I've praised the effects and some of the acting - Steven Tobolowsky also impresses in an early role as a scientist - it often resembles a TV movie from its era and the general performance is of average quality at best. I still enjoyed it and it scratched my itch for good sci-fi, but if you somehow haven't seen that other time travel movie that came out the following year yet, watch it first.
I suspect I watched this movie half a dozen times when I was a lad with HBO in the early to mid 1980s. I was a fan.
For a brief period, for me, Michael Pare could do no wrong between Eddie And The Cruisers, Streets Of Fire, and The Philadelphia Experiment.
I also always had a crush on Nancy Allen.



I suspect I watched this movie half a dozen times when I was a lad with HBO in the early to mid 1980s. I was a fan.
For a brief period, for me, Michael Pare could do no wrong between Eddie And The Cruisers, Streets Of Fire, and The Philadelphia Experiment.
I also always had a crush on Nancy Allen.
Have you ever seen a movie on your watchlist and you had no idea how it got there? That was the case with this one for me. It's possible that I added it after you or someone else mentioned it way back when on the Rotten Tomatoes forums! As for Paré, I really want to see Cruisers now. Streets of Fire left me cold, which is odd since it's up my alley (no puns intended), but I'm willing to give it another chance.

I am now two for two on Stewart Raffill movies. Yes, I like the mostly hated Mac & Me.



Victim of The Night
Have you ever seen a movie on your watchlist and you had no idea how it got there? That was the case with this one for me. It's possible that I added it after you or someone else mentioned it way back when on the Rotten Tomatoes forums! As for Paré, I really want to see Cruisers now. Streets of Fire left me cold, which is odd since it's up my alley (no puns intended), but I'm willing to give it another chance.
You wound me with Streets Of Fire, a movie I truly love. It does sag a bit in the middle, after the raid on The Bombers, but it's a small price to pay for the rest of the awesome.
Eddie and the Cruisers was a movie I really enjoyed (several times) but I haven't seen in a billion years.



You wound me with Streets Of Fire, a movie I truly love. It does sag a bit in the middle, after the raid on The Bombers, but it's a small price to pay for the rest of the awesome.
I am confused why I don't like it that much, especially since I like everything else Walter Hill has directed. It's just one of those rare occasions where a movie has a lot of things I like - rock 'n roll, gang fights, it takes place in a possible future, etc. - and it does little for me. Rockatansky had a similar reaction to Mandy, if I remember correctly, and even though I love that movie, I can relate. Hopefully, that's not my reaction to Rock & Rule because it looks like it was made for me!

I hope to have some more tasty content for this thread later this weekend.



Victim of The Night

This is the shocker.
Not because this weird movie exists, but because of how frankly it embraces attitudes likely inherent in the 40s but already unacceptable when this film was made and pretty freaking startling by today's standards.
But I'll get to that.
This is a fairly early HBO Pictures production, 1991 to be exact, that was made for the single HBO cable channel that existed back then. The budget is according, but to be honest, they did a pretty decent job (mostly) with the money they had. I mean, it rains blood in this movie.


So that's not bad.
The story is that in the late 1940s, the World has learned to live with the existence of magic and integrate it into everyday life. Everyone uses a little magic, some more than others, everyone has some charm or totem or talisman, and some are even pretty good witches and sorcerers and such.
Except for Phillip Lovecraft (the always enjoyable and game Fred Ward), formerly of the LAPD and now private investigator. He rejects magic outright and refuses to participate in it in any way, not denying that it's there, you hardly can when you run into werewolves at the police station being released on bail after all-night, full-moon benders...


... but refusing to engage in it in the slightest, preferring the world as it was before the magic came.
He is hired by wealthy warlock David Warner (pictured in blood-raining scene above) to acquire a book for him. Which should seem simple enough. Except that a character was murdered (with magic, death by paper-cuts, no joke) for the book in the opening scene of the film by Warner's evil rival, Harry Bordon (Clancy Brown). And the book is The Necronomicon.
From here, Lovecraft winds his way through a typical pot-boiler detective story but with gargoyles tailing him and demons attacking him.
I mean, this movie's got everything, vampire prostitutes, unicorns, gremlins in the car engine, a voodoo priestess landlady, a zombie work force, not to mention Shub Niggurath or Yog Sothoth, or Cthulhu (I don't think it's Cthulhu, but he is name-dropped), or one of those guys. And Oscar-winner Julianne Moore.
It also has homophobia, transphobia, and some pretty dubious Lolita business.
And this brings me, finally to what's so shocking about this movie (as big as spoilers get):
WARNING: "Spoils the entire ending" spoilers below
As the climax of the movie unfolded and it seemed like the good guy (because there is actually only one in this movie) had lost and the world was about to be taken over by The Old Ones, it occurred to me that the movie had left a super-awkward thread dangling, the repeated mention of the virginity of a 16 year-old girl. You see, the girl had been kept locked away on her father's estate, "for her protection", of course, her whole life. Of course it turns out it's because the final step in the raising of The Old Ones is the sacrifice of a virgin. And there's some joke about how hard it is to find one of those in L.A. And the way she kept flirting with older men throughout the film had me wondering, "Wait, they wouldn't possibly. Not in 1991, not really any time, right?"
But they did.
The saving of the World comes down to, in the end, the reveal that the 16 year-old has lost her viriginity... to a married cop.
No joke.
The World is saved by a statutory rape.

Even I could not believe it. When I started to realize, holy ****, I think they're actually gonna do it, I could hardly contain my incredulity. But when they go through with it, when it actually is played for laughs... my jaw quite literally dropped.


Anyway, otherwise a kind of fun little movie, transphobia and all, but man, if you can get over your shock at the ending, I dunno... yeah, actually I just don't even know what to say about it.
So, I'll just leave you with this:




Damn, 9 and 10 years olds watching Jaws?
I saw Deathtrap when I was 8



Here's a blast from the past. I'm also not sure how it would hold up but it was fun on acid in high school.