Citizen Rules...Cinemaesque Chat-n-Review

As much as I liked/respected it, it's not a film I plan on watching again. Most movies are like that for me and if I watch certain films more than twice I end up not liking them as much. Seeing how The Prestige was built on a mystery and now I know the mystery, there's nothing much for more there.

Captain did you watch it? What's it about?

Yes, I've been watching it slowly - it's simply a countdown of the 50 Worst Movies Ever Made, but the countdown itself is from 2004, so doesn't contain any movies after that. An interesting watch that you can view for as long or short as you like. (Lots of bad 50's sci-fi movies!)

Great review, Citizen...heard a lot of buzz about this movie but your review is the first thing that has actually made me want to add it to my watchlist. The fact that you seemed to like it but have no interest in a re-watch intrigues me even more.

I think you'd be impressed with the skill of the story telling. It has many twist and mysteries...and I could not figure them out tell the very end. So it's a worthwhile film to see.

Directors: Ron Ormond, Herbert Tevos
Cast: Jackie Coogan, Allan Nixon, Richard Travis
Genre: Sci-fi monster B movie
Length: 70 minutes

About: A mad scientist with a secret lab inside a rock mesa in a remote Mexican desert, captures local women to inject them with spider venom....creating an army of beautiful but deadly spider women. He also creates giant tarantulas by implanting human pituitary glands into the spiders. When a small plane crashes on top of the rock mesa the survivors are in for some fun!

Reviews: Wow! this is one odd movie! It's an uneven film with some strange editing, that makes one appreciate Ed Wood as a director all the more. I wouldn't call it a B-budget movie, it's more in the Z-budget territory! And yet is has some weird vibes to it, like some Salvador Dalí creation mixed with an ample dose of Peyote.

There's a voice over narration that starts telling the viewer the back story. OK so far, but this narration goes on and on and on, until the viewer is begging mercy. And just when you feel you can't take any more, the narration stops and the story starts. But in what has to be a brilliant attempt by the film makers to create temporary insanity in the viewer, a loud flamenco guitar is used for the soundtrack, and it plays the same damn guitar cord over and over! When you least expect it, out of the blue comes this flamenco guitar!!! After the movie was over I expected that guitar to follow me around, sort of a personal soundtrack.

Oh yea, one more strangely odd, yet effective thing...the infamous Tarantula dance by the attractive but frightening looking Tarantella (Tandra Quinn).

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Director: Walter Hill
Cast: Richard Pryor, John Candy, Lonette McKee
Genre: Comedy

About: A down and out minor league baseball player who dreams of making the pros (Richard Pryor) is kicked off his ball team along with buddy (John Candy) only to discover he's inherited 300 million dollars from a long lost uncle's estate. Only one catch, to get the 300 million he has to spend 30 million dollars in a month and he's not allowed to tell anyone why he's spending all his money.

Review: I had never seen this one before and it was a big hit back in the day. I watched it for John Candy as I'm fan of Candy's and have been watching all of his films. But the star is Richard Pryor and this might be the first time I've seen him in a starring role. Pryor is very likable, in the same way that Cary Grant was likable, Richard's humor comes from poking fun at himself, much like Cary did. This makes Richard Pryor's character very likable and empathetic.

I was a bit disappointed by the story as I thought we would be taken on a wild millionaire's ride as he jet-seated around the world and spent his money on glitzy, high priced items. There wasn't many of those scenes, though he did have a posh hotel room that rented for a cool million per month.

I thought the Hackensack Bulls' baseball park set with a train that runs trough was pretty cool.

John Candy had a smaller role and he was fine here, but this is no John Candy film, the movie belongs to the talented Richard Pryor.

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serious reps for sitting through all of those bad sci-fi flicks. You crazy citizen you.


Reps on War of the World, I remember a TV movie of the radio show as a kid (somewhere around the early 70's). Can't for the life of me remember the name of the movie, but remember getting scared by it. It bounced back and forth from them working out the details for the radio broadcast to the show and how many people freaked out and to what extremes they went to, to the apology made on the air that it was only a Halloween treat.


Big fan of The Prestige. VERY good film and rewatches reveal so much more than the initial surprises like any good magician's trick.
The Illusionist does come up though The Illusionist is more of a love story. I own a copy of it as well and have watched it quite a number of times. Giamatti is my favorite in it. I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it as well, CR.


Posted this and saw your review of Brewsters. Haven't seen this since it came out. Remember a few funny scenes and yes, this is a Pryor film all the way.

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Good review of The Prestige mate; thankfully i noticed Gideons comment or i would've thought that there was nothing that i've seen here and left.

It was actually partially spoiled for me which i guess accounts for me just thinking it was pretty good, what was ruined for me:

I don't agree that Jackman or Bale were likable though, i think both of them were set up to be likable with Bales family and Jackmans reason for hating Bale, but i don't think it worked well for me at least.

You might be thinking of The Night That Panicked America (1975).

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OMIGOD THAT'S IT!!
thanks GB!!!

You know when I started watching these 50s sci-fi monster b movies, I didn't realize they made like a million of them! I though I could watch them all but


I seen that too, back when I was a kid. I haven't seen it since but I remember liking it, I should try and find it. Have you seen the Tom Cruise version of WotW? I know everyone hates it and I like the original better but still I enjoyed it too.


I didn't know Giamatti is in it, all the better

Hey it's GBG! yup that's the name all right, thank you for posting that

You're welcome. I haven't checked recently, but it used to be on YouTube. (It was on my watchlist for the 1970's Countdown, but I never got a chance to watch it.)

Every time I hear the name Giamatti, I think of the guy who banned Pete Rose from baseball for life.

I've been trying to keep up with your review thread, but you're watching movies faster than I can read your reviews about them.

Ha! yea, the b sci fi movies from youtube are usually only 1 hour long, so I sometimes watch 2 a night. I watched a serious sci-fi that I hope will make the countdown. I should review that one tomorrow.

yeah, there is COUNTLESS bad sci-fi films from the 50's . Which is why Science Mystery Theater had SO MUCH fodder to wander through. Not to mention every other local late night movie show with screwball hosts that I remember seeing in the 70's and early 80's. (Good times)


and I did see the recent WoW's and didn't care too much for it


and yes, Giamatti has a very major part in The Illusionist and does an amazing job, as usual

Some of the B-movies are pretty good, and they're usually entertaining, but I'd be surprised if many of them would make the Sci-Fi Countdown.

Director: Andy Tennant
Cast: Shirley MacLaine, Jessica Lange, Demi Moore, Billy Connolly, Howard Hesseman
Genre: Comedy, Adventure

About (spoiler free): A recent window, Eva (Shirley MacLaine) who receives a life insurance policy check by mistake for the outrageous some of 5 million dollars, has to decide if she keeps it or gives it back. Her best friend Maddie is sick and so Eva decides to blow the whole sum on an exotic time in the Canary Islands. There they live like movie stars, gambling and buying expensive clothes and end up meeting a nice but somewhat mysterious and confused man played by comedian actor Billy Connolly. Meanwhile back in the states Eva's estranged daughter, Crystal (Demi Moore) is contacted by an aging insurance fraud investigator (Howard Hessman) who's hot on the trail of her mom.

Review: Gads! this sounds like a great movie with an all star cast...too bad the comedy is stilted and the plot sillier, than silly putty. There was a real chance here to make a really nice film with the comedy coming from the life experiences of the two leads (Shirley MacLaine and Jessica Lange) but the script fails the two accomplished actresses and their left high and dry.

And what we get is a movie that starts off mediocre and goes to downright stupid with a bossman in his jungle strong hold with a henchman guarding the place with a machine gun. Even Adam Sandler would know better than to take on this movie. OK, maybe he wouldn't, but Shirley and Jessica sure should have.

Watch if for some on location scenes shot in the Canary Islands.

you're right, for that kind of list of actors this SHOULD have been quite entertaining - how frickin sad

damn fine review though