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The Wolfman (2010)
A tragic tale
I've been watching a lot of cheesy werewolf and misnamed werewolf (Werewolf Island) movies lately, and this is the best so far. Anthony Hopkins! Hugo Weaving! Benicio del Toro! Some big names on the screen. Rick Baker! Biggest name in make-up ever! Right up there with Ray Harryhausen when it comes to special effects, in my opinion.
Good story, great looking special effects and make-up. There were homages to several old films, including the original 1941 version, but it wasn't a direct copy, having plenty of it's own twists and surprises. I saw the IMDB rating, and it was better than most in this genre, but I found it to be lower than the movie deserves. While not a great movie, I thought it was worth a 7, and enjoyed it. It didn't have the gratuitous nudity or sex scenes of most horror werewolf movies, but sometimes you go for class over tits-with-no-purpose. Enjoy!
Hellhounds (2024)
I liked it
Ok, it wasn't a great movie, technically speaking, as it was lacking in the special-effects department, and there were some loose ends in the story that made no sense.
BUT- I really liked the biker-angle. I liked how the hero (such as it is) wasn't the studly-looking guy, but the long-haired biker. He was a refreshing character, in full control of his "curse" and played off the villainous (yet gorgeous) she-werewolf. There is a female protagonist, but she is mostly there to have someone to explain the plot to. The synapsis made it seem like there would be more Silver Bullet conflict, but there isn't, as it becomes werewolf vs werewolf. Some gratuitous boob shots in the bar, and a sex scene with the villains are there to spice up things, as well.
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (1975)
My favorite as a kid
I love this cartoon adaptation of the Kipling classic. I used to look forward to it every year, when it would be a Special Presentation. It ranks up there with Charlie Brown Christmas, my other favorite. Action, scary, danger, boy's love for pet- this one has it all. And not only did I love it at 5 and 6, I love it at 50+. Timeless classic made into a really cool cartoon. Narration by Orson Wells, voices by the incomparable June Foray (who did so many cartoons over the decades!) The only thing that keeps it from a 10 is the damn bird singing.....lol
Don't let these overly-sensitive millennials and Gen-Z steer you wrong. This is a great cartoon, for all ages.
The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964)
I love this movie
I remember seeing this as a young boy in the 70s, and bought it on VHS in the 90s. Is it the perfect movie? No, but it is fun for the whole family. The funniest WWII naval movie I can think of. Don Knotts is perfectly cast, and plays his part (one of his first starring roles) really well. Yes, the costumes of the Nazis may be off, but that isn't worth demoting the movie. The cartoon parts are great, and the supporting cast is also good. I often find Andrew Dugger dull or unlikeable, but even he was mildly funny in this movie. I love the admiral, and his complete disregard for anything but the results. The fish wants to be enlisted? Do it. The fish wants a commission? Do it. The wife is overbearing and cold, but it sets up Henry's "new woman" situation more comfortably. Fun movie!
Wolf Manor (2022)
This had potential
But, boy, did they miss the mark. The werewolf hooks horrible. Less is more, and seeing it in shadows and up close would have kept a bit more suspense. I knew it was a 2020+ movie, because all the men are presented as cowards or incompetent. Thank goodness for the woman to be the brains of the situation. (sarcastic eye roll). Oliver Lawrence, obviously a nod to Lawrence Olivier, was a fun character, but the others are so bland that you don't get to know them before the die. And I can only assume that the guy who dies trying to save "boom girl" is the guy who crapped himself and was hiding in the stable. And that he is the shredded guy who goes into the house near the end.
To make matters really confusing, after revealing the man behind the werewolf, and him dying, then several more appear for no good reason, other than to show more crappy costumes.
Werewolf Castle (2021)
It's not that bad
As many of these reviews make it out to be. There are some weak points- the werewolf costumes look cheap, and the gore effects have some highs and some really lows. That said, the story isn't bad, has some twists, and a tragically-heroic ending. I've watched a bunch of werewolf movies, and this is far from the worst. We watch the protagonist turn from coward to a hero, a warrior go from self-centered to caring, a knight look all-too human, and the twist with the king, I didn't see coming, despite the title of the movie. There are far worse movies on Prime, Tubi, and the like right now. This isn't bad for what it is- a low-budget werewolf movie.
Frankenfish (2004)
So much wrong
So, where to begin? There is a cast that contains some good supporting folk from other movies and TV shows (Gladiator, NCIS, and Batman Begins), but they aren't really more than bait. There are some pseudo-Cajuns, and a Voodoo lady, because Louisiana, but they get slaughtered. There is a white guy, but of course, he's a dick, because he's white. The people live on the water like its a holiday spot and not a mosquito-infested swamp. There isn't an alligator or snake around, nor any other animal, other than the monster(s), and the reasoning isn't because the monster ate them. It hadn't left its territory yet.... The reasoning for the monsters is stupid, and the monsters are similar to Deep Blue Sea, with 2 smaller and one large one. This had potential, but turned out to be just a Sci-fi channel type movie, lame and predictable. Not terrible, but weak.1 star boost for the nice, natural rack on the white chick.
Primal Rage (2018)
King Kong meets the Predator
Ok, so it has good points and bad. I think many of the reviewers missed the Kong part. The Sasquatch likes the blond. He wants her, in the physical sense. He doesn't try to hurt her, while dismantling every male he comes across.
The Native American subplot is essential to the mythos, as the native people have had the Sasquatch legend far longer than white men have been in America. But the rednecks/weekend warriors were a cliche. You knew they were fodder the moment they were first seen at the gas station.
The effects were good, and the Sasquatch had a different approach to it. Actually capable of using weapons increases the threat, vs an ape vs guns.... The ending went very "Predator", and the witch woman looked straight out of the King Kong with Jack Black. Not a bad movie, and the actors performed very decently.
The Legend of Dog Lady Island (2020)
There is so much bad here
This is a terrible movie. And there are no werewolves on Werewolf Island. Fortunately, they are only out about $20 for the budget. They certainly couldn't have paid the "actors", as they were dreadful. This looked like they used members of a local theater that has given up all hope of making anything decent. And the children were certainly not actors, but must have been the crew's children.
They certainly didn't spend money of special effects or costumes, either. All the clothes were obviously thrift shop cast offs, and the "un-special effects" and action scenes were so inept. The monster (and I use that term very loosely) looks terrible in all the chase and killing scenes which were often filmed in daylight (no budget for night-lighting). Did I mention there are no werewolves?
There was very little direction, so they didn't pay a director or crew. Just some guy with a camcorder, doing a favor for a friend. As bad as I make this sound, it was worse. Not a B movie. Maybe a C movie. They spent more on the cover art.
Deathstalker II (1987)
Better than the first.
Ok, for everyone who compares these movies (all of the sword & sorcery movies) to Conan as anything but crude rip-offs is seriously deranged. That said, this movie was better than the first- our hero (anti-hero) is more likable, the dual roles are filled admirably by Monique Gabrielle, and the fight scene is reminiscent of the Robin Hood/Sheriff fight scene in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, which was filmed after this movie. Of course, we get some gratuitous boobs thrown in, and a decent sex scene. But the sets look like 60s-70s Doctor Who TV stuff, there are shots thrown in from the first movie that make no sense, and there is no way anyone would intelligently compare this favorably to Conan the Barbarian.
13 Hrs (2010)
Good premise, poorly executed.
This had all the makings of a good movie, but was poorly executed. I loved Simon McCorkindale, and assume he was really ill here, as he died soon after, but his part was far too small to build any interest in the character before he was slaughtered. The other characters showed promise, but they all turned out to be petulant and/or immature. Stupidity, as is necessary in a horror movie, was evident in huge quantity. But the brother trying to bang the girl in the midst of the chaos set the bar. Earlier in the movie, this would have made sense, but it just didn't make sense then. I did figure out who the werewolf was pretty early on, as the legends say the werewolf attacks their family, due to the curse. The lack of full moon can be forgiven, as it is a key, but really overused and limiting factor. Not a bad movie, but not high on the list of werewolf movies I've seen. Also, not the worst.
Dungeons & Dragons (2000)
WOW, this was bad.....
I am a fan of D&D. Been playing since 1980. Looked forward for decades to the movie promised. And then we got this trash.
Jeremy Irons, normally a good actor, was terrible. He overacted like he was channeling William Shatner.
The Wayans brother was even worse. He was so bad the audience cheered in the theater when he died. Actually cheered.
The blue people don't match anything that was in the game at that time, and the monsters were misrepresented or just wrong. People will say, "Well, it's a movie" but lets be honest- this was supposed to be for the fans, and hopefully attract their friends and family, too.
Justin Whalen is the noisiest thief to still be alive, but he was good in the role.
The one highlight was the cameo of Tom Baker! The second attempt was much better. Skip this one and go to the second. Unrelated, for the most part.
Hercules (1983)
The best Hercules
But that isn't saying much for this movie. Lou Ferrigno looks the part, 100%. He is in phenomenal shape for this movie. Ingrid Anderson is gorgeous, but not much character development for her.
Then there is the story. Someone decided to chuck the rich, centuries old mythology of Hercules out the window and wrote a mishmash of Greek legends, hideous robots, and just plain garbage into the script. People Hercules never met are thrown in for their name recognition. How awesome it would have been to see Lou doing the 12 labors with the stop animation that Ray Harryhausen brought to Clash of the Titans, Sinbad, and Jason and the Argonauts. The gods, well, the three of them are on the moon rather than Olympus, no idea where Minos' kingdom is, but it takes a chariot pulled by a flying rock to get there. I read that Lou and his wife wanted kid-friendly, so there is no gratuitous boob shots or sex, but it may have helped this to have a bit more sex appeal. So, the rating of 5 is for Lou and Ingrid, but the rest is disappointing.
Deathstalker (1983)
Well, there's lots of boobs
The sheer number of boob shots in this movie gives it the 4 rating. The story is weak and rehashed from a million other stories. But to make matters worse, the editing is atrocious. The scenes are patched together like the editor had to wash his hands often, and forgot when to cut tape and re-glue it.... Characters are introduced just to be killed, and the "hero" isn't very heroic. But, at least he gets laid a lot. There are gratuitous rape scenes, and Barbie Benton is a 70s babe that is thrown in for extra oomph. I would imagine that at this time, she was the biggest name in the movie. The tournament makes no sense, as there is a battle royal, but then the hero fights another guy (a real pig). Then the scene jumps erratically once again, only for the movie to end rather bluntly, without really wrapping it all up. And he doesn't even bang Barbie.....
Frankenstein (2004)
It was almost a 7
This movie was pretty good. Then I found out it was a TV movie, and i upgraded my opinion. I enjoyed it, my wife enjoyed it, and we were disappointed to find out that the TV show it was a pilot for didn't happen because someone high up tried to change it so much Dean Koontz and Martin Scorcese bailed. I will be tracking down the novels Koontz wrote instead of bowing to the network executives.
I loved that it was in New Orleans (my hometown) and though I wasn't enamored with Parker Posey or Adam Goldberg, Vincent Perez and Thomas Kretschman were very good. The setting of modern day was also a nice twist on the Frankenstein story.
The Iron Claw (2023)
So Much Missed Potential
I grew up watching the Von Erichs on TV. I know the timelines pretty well. So, watching this movie left a lot to be desired.
On the good side- the actor playing David was spot on. He looked, sounded, and moved like David did. The actor playing Fritz was also a good likeness, and captured the passion, if not the reality, of Fritz towards wrestling. The actress who played Pam was very good, though the accuracy isn't really a big deal, since Pam isn't a celebrity. Same for Doris, played with very few lines by the usually reliable
Maura Tierney. Mike is also portrayed well, if not physically accurate.
Sadly, that's all the good. Kerry got really shafted in being portrayed by an actor so short, he should have played Chris (who was omitted entirely!) Zac Effron plays Kevin like he was a brain-damaged simpleton.
The Freebirds and Harley Race looked good, but were barely used, the timelines are all screwed up (many months passed between Kerry winning the NWA title, and the motorcycle accident) (Mike died years after David, but the baby didn't age like that) (Kerry and David were both married and had children, David losing a baby that ended his first marriage.)
This would have been much better as a series on Amazon or Netflix, to give the time to really develop the characters.
Batman Forever (1995)
Where to begin with the problems?
This movie is so bad, it could only be made worse by changing out the one good part. I though Val Kilmer looked the part, and did an admirable job replacing Michael Keaton.
Jim Carrey is horrible. Robin Williams should have gotten the part. Tommy Lee Jones gives a rare bad performance, basically just being a Joker rip-off. I blame the change in director, as Joel Schumacher is just the ruination of the franchise. Robin is played by a much-too-old Chris O'Donnell, and his performance is arrogant and unlikable. Nicole Kidman was ok, (but looked too much like Vicki Vale), and the supporting cast of Michael Gough and Pat Hingle were refreshing. Had Two-Face been brooding, and Robin Williams been Riddler- perhaps with Tim Burton directing- this could have been decent. Too bad WB didn't learn before the 4th installment.
Creepozoids (1987)
Soooo bad
Ok, so the premise is cool- there is a nuclear holocaust, acid rain resulting from that. The deserters, our cast, seek shelter in an abandoned lab/warehouse. The women are gratuitously braless, and their is a naked shower scene. But that's the highlights.
On the negative, The acting is subpar, and the characters, all supposed trained soldiers, act more like teens in a slasher movie. They scream and stand around watching each other get mauled by a lame looking monster and bitten by giant rats. I can believe that they filmed this over 15 days. It shows that there weren't any retakes to get a better offering from the cast. Director should not have been paid for this.
True Grit (1969)
John Wayne finally gets his due.
The Henry Hathaway classic is a movie i love. The story, action, scenery and characters are all well written. John Wayne gets his due as he plays a decidedly non-John Wayne character, Rooster Cogburn, perfectly. He won an Academy Award for his performance. He's charismatic, boisterous, funny, sad, and you are rooting for him in the climax battle. Jeff Corey and Robert Duvall make excellent antagonists, easily despicable. Glen Campbell is along for the ride, not much of an actor, but good enough to play off John Wayne. Strother Martin is also good, less scrungy than characters he's played, and funny. The only blemish on this movie is Kim Darby. She is dreadful. I have read a list of the other young women that could have had this role, and any of them (Tuesday Weld, Mia Farrow, Sally Field, Aissa Wayne, and Olivia Hussey) would have been better than Darby. She doesn't look right, and her acting is dreadful. That said, it's not enough to detract from an otherwise classic.
Coming 2 America (2021)
So disappointed
I wanted to like this movie, and the nostalgia factor was there. But, the storyline was weak, and too preachy. I don't know what "Woke" is, and I rarely watch new movies, but the old cast was great to see, and the new members were not. Leslie Jones was an awful stereotype. as was Tracy Morgan, and the movie could have done without either of them. Solving all the problems in the nation in a storyline week, including 2 trips of over 12 hours was far fetched, and the CGI lion was terrible.
There were a few laughs, and I did enjoys seeing the old characters 30 years later, but I'm glad I didn't pay to see this movie.
The Boondock Saints (1999)
If you like profanity and meaningless violence
I had never seen this movie until 20 years after it's release. I found it very unrealistic (the roof plunge, church/mass scene, courthouse/courtroom scene), over-acted (Stecker's meltdown at the crimescene going unreported), and poorly dialogued (had to have beat the record set by Casino for f-bombs). Willem Dafoe must have owed someone big-time to take this role, and the scene of him tonguing the mobster turned my stomach. The best actor is the mobster who acts like he thinks Dafoe-in-drag is a woman. Not since John Amos talking of the beauty of Esther Rolle has a man acted so well......
Gathering of Heroes: Legend of the Seven Swords (2018)
Not that bad, but not good
Imagine you and some adult friends made your own costumes for a fantasy D&D game and did live-action role-playing, and someone filmed it, then added special effects from their PC.
The storyline is classic, the characters are D&D standard, and the martial arts/battle scenes are decent. The acting (especially by the lead) is wooden, but that is the fault of the director (who happens to be the lead). Martin Kove and Christopher Atkins are both long-time veterans, and have had good performances in their pasts. But here, both are not good. That is lack of direction.
Midsomer Murders: Midsomer Rhapsody (2005)
Good episode, great music
I enjoyed this episode, as I was able to truly "feel" the characters. I commented to my wife how upset I'd be if "Hedge" was killed, and felt for him selling the letter to buy dinner for his daughter.
The best part of this episode, though, is the music. The Rhapsody was truly beautiful.
Highlander: Revelation 6:8 (1997)
Series was really rolling
Great beginning to an awesome story. The 4 Horsemen were perfectly cast. Their characters each have a roll on the team that fills a niche. MacLeod is true to form- too noble to comprehend the atrocities committed by a man he called friend, in a time before civility was part of civilization. This makes for drama between them and shows the effect immoral behavior should have on us all.
The Godfather Part III (1990)
Highs and Lows
I enjoyed this movie the first time and every time I've watched it. There are some negatives, which I will get ride of first- Tom Hagen/Robert Duvall is missing, and George Hamilton is no Robert Duvall. Not greedy, but feeling underpaid, he chose to skip this one, and it hurts the finished product.And second- Sofia Coppola is awful.
That said- I loved Garcia as Sonny's son and the heir to the mafia throne. I liked Talia Shire's growth as a character into a true "Corleone". And I like how Michael Corleone's life of crime didn't end with a happy retirement. While I disagree with the cardinal's assessment (or at least, his blaming God) there are certainly consequences for actions, and Michael is certainly reaping his criminal harvest. It is dark and depressing, as his life of crime should be, and that is when he should seek redemption. But this shows that redemption isn't something you can earn, but is a gift from God. The scenery is beautiful, the interplays of the characters (minus Sofia) are well done, and though not up to the first 2 installments, very few movies are.