crystalart Reviews

Isle of the Snake People (1971)

Hmmmm!

[5/10 · 14 July 2015]

Ever since I was a kid, Boris Karloff has personified horror for me.

That's why I spend time on line looking for his films to watch.

I stumbled on this one tonight and decided to give it 30 minutes.

That's about how long it takes to decide if any movie is worth watching, I think.

Turns out it was one of his last films, when he was quite ill.

It's cheesy to the point of having a strong aroma.

It's not so much horrible (scary) as it is a visual combination of semi-shocking images, for example, a midget cutting the head off a chicken.

It's certainly not for everyone, but you know who you are.

Murder in Texas (1981 TV Movie)

A hard-to-find treasure!

[9/10 · 13 July 2015]

It has taken me years to get a good copy of this film. Bring made for TV doesn't help.

Try to find it if you can. It's an extremely well acted film with some stellar cast members who do a great job.

San Elliott, Kathleen Ross, Farah Fawcett, and Andy Griffith, to name a few. This is a role for Andy Griffith that really shows his flexibility as an actor. It's so far from the comic personality most people remember him for.

Watch it. Enjoy it. And be impressed.

(If you can find it)

Contraband (2012)

Disjointed

[3/10 · 8 June 2015]

I really expected more out of this movie.

I like Mark Walberg generally. "Boogie Nights" was wonderful, and I also enjoyed "Happenings".

"Contraband" doesn't match up against these other films.

It's disjointed, choppy, and difficult to keep up with.

If you like Mark, you'll probably enjoy this movie.

Without him it wouldn't be much.

That's starpower for you.

It begins to pick up speed at about 1:20 minutes.

This is probably a watch-it-once-and-forget-about movie, but you might like to watch it once.

The Wolfman (2010)

I like it!

[8/10 · 17 April 2015]

I'm a big fan of horror films, and I can remember going to the Saturday 9 cent cinema and hiding my eyes if the "horror" was too much.

Actually, I shut my eyes once tonight when I thought I was going to see "too much" while watching The Werewolf.

I was enticed to watch this film because of the actors involved. Anthony Hopkins, Benicio del Toro and Max Von Sydow. All favorites of mine.

Recommending this film is easy. I've read about four pages of both positive and negative reviews and decided to add my own.

I hope you enjoy it.

Breakthrough (1979)

Not too bad, or MST3000?

[2/10 · 11 March 2015]

This one has been in my collection for a long time, and tonight I decided to give it a watch.

I guess I bought it because of the cast, and I have to admit, I enjoyed it as much for seeing actors I remember...looking their best...as for the quality of the story line.

A young Michael Parks. I only remembered him from later roles...From Dusk 'til Dawn, etc.

Anyway, as I watched I tried to decide if it is a "good" film for the period, or a real candidate for Mystery Science Theater 3000.

The latter won.

Prison (1987)

Horror fans will love this one!

[8/10 · 21 August 2014]

I thought I had already written a review of Prison, but I guess not.

Tonight I'm rewatching it after reviewing Lane Smith's film history.

This one is overlooked completely on the Wikipedia bio of Smith. There isn't even a picture of him.

I see it didn't make much money. That seems to frequently figure in to a film's "popularity", I'm afraid.

Viggo Mortensen was little know when he starred in this gem.

The special effects are especially good. They came up with some extremely creative ways of doing people in.

Smith plays the vicious warden especially well.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Folks! (1992)

Painful but funny!

[8/10 · 13 August 2014]

This is a black, slapstick, offbeat comedy that may not be for everyone.

It's not your usual Tom Selleck as in Quigley Down Under or Runaway.

This film really shows his versatility as an actor.

Don Ameche shows that he still has what it takes. It's the first time I've seen him since Trading Places and he's still going strong.

At first I thought Tom's mother was being played by Miriam Margoyles of Black Adder and Ed and His Dead Mother.

This film is heart-warming with a happy ending.

Definitely a family fun film for the right family.

Hack! (2007)

Who dies first!

[3/10 · 30 June 2014]

This is a lot like Blood Monkey. You can't wait for the various "teens" to get offed.

I like William Forsythe, and this is why I'm watching this film in the first place.

I have a lot of movies in my collection in which he stars, but I confess I've not seen them all.

I'm still waiting for him to appear in this one, and I'm over an hour into the movie. (He may have appeared momentarily in a window).

Anyway, I'm waiting to decide if I'll ever watch thls one again.

It depends on where it goes from here.

True Blood (1989)

A decent action film, fueled by Billy Drago

[7/10 · 14 June 2014]

It's hard not to like Billy Drago if you like the psycho types. He's at the top of his form in this one, complete with a scar.

Check out Billy Drago's filmography if you want a list of R-rated fare: Hunter's Blood is a good example, and you will also enjoy Guncrazy, Vamp and Death Game.

True Blood has a lot of ups and downs, and it's probably not one you'll watch more than once or twice, but once or twice is enough to enjoy it completely.

Sherilyn Fenn is beautiful.

A young Jeff Fahey is interesting to watch, even if he doesn't really come off as the leader of an urban gang. The interaction between him and is brother (Chad Lowe) has some serious pathos.

Sunset Grill (1993)

A big disappointment!

[3/10 · 23 January 2014]

Sorry, I have to agree with the other reviewers who have viewed and managed to get all the way through it.

It's tough sledding.

I went for the cast when I decided to buy and view this one.

All of them have made other films I've enjoyed, even Weller's "Robocop 2" (in my opinion, the best of the series.")

(In this one, Weller screams at everyone...always threatening to do them real damage.)

How about Lori Singer in "Trouble in Mind"?

Stacy Keach in "The Traveling Executioner"?

Alexandra Paul in "Christine"?

John Rhys-Davies in "The Naked Civil Servant"?

I think these are all excellent films you can enjoy many times.

Sunset Grill? If you decide to watch this one...don't pay too much for it.

Stag (1997)

Stag vs Very Bad Things

[8/10 · 9 January 2013]

I like both of these films! They're probably a 'genre', although I don't know any other "stag party disaster" films.

I have to say, I also saw a little bit of 'Shallow Grave', especially in 'Very Bad Things' where it was necessary to dissect and dispose of all those inconvenient bodies.

Hello 'Goodfellas'.

Certainly not for everyone...but you know who you are.

Take time to watch both. I don't think you'll be disappointed with either of them.

Kevin McCarthy and Christian Slater are the bad guys. Good choice and they do a good job.

Dead on: Relentless II (1992 Video)

I like the "Rentless" series a lot!

[4 August 2011]

For several years I've enjoyed the other two "Relentless" films, but for some reason I missed this one until tonight.

It's not easy to find these films on line, but it's worth the effort.

The villains in each film are well cast. They present a frightening collection of killers!

Leo Rossi does an excellent job playing a frustrated cop trying to solve a case. He doesn't get much help from superior officers, or the FBI agent with whom he's required to work.

If you're somewhat jaded you will enjoy the killing techniques used...including cable ties.

Finally, you'll see some artful shots of ice cube baths, etc.

Enjoy!

Consuming Passions (1988)

This is one of my personal favorites, as well!

[9/10 · 31 May 2011]

I tell friends this is the funniest film about cannibalism I've ever seen! I've put in on wish lists, tried Netflix, everything, and I can't find it on DVD.

Fortuntely, I do have a pretty good VHS I can watch whenever I like.

It was my first exposure to Sammi Davis, who later turned up in Quentin Tarantino's "Four Rooms" in her voluptuous best.

The Monty Python influence is obvious. After all Michael Palin and Terry Jones put it together. Terry Gilliam did "Brazil" and here's Jonathan Price. He and Michael Palin starred in Brazil. Another very dark and humorous film.

Finally, there's the totally wonderful Vanessa Redgrave.

Enjoy it if you can find it.

Sleeping Dogs (1977)

Another favorite of mine!

[8/10 · 26 May 2011]

Today I finally got a DVD of "Sleeping Dogs" and got to watch it in a wide-screen version for the first time.

As a big fan of Warren Oates, I was first interested in this film because of his character.

His film "Dillinger" is frequently mentioned, and I also recall his excellent work in "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia", "Black Thunder" and "Badlands".

In "Sleeping Dogs", it's impossible to ignore Sam Neill as he struggles to survive forces outside his control.

I don't know if it's his first film or not, however it's the first one I recall ever seeing him.

Coincidentally, I'm also watching the new DVD release of "Max Headroom", and it's hard to keep the two films from intermixing.

Repressive governments, random violence, all the things that make films like both of these fun to watch again and again.

In this genre, I would also add "Brazil".

"1984" goes without saying.

The Hit (2001 Video)

Maxwell Caulfield is an almost nice guy

[8/10 · 7 April 2011]

I've been watching Maxwell Caulfield for years. First, I saw him with Charlie Sheen in "The Boys Next Door" as a psychopath just out of high school on a murderous rampage in LA.

He appears in "Sundown, the Vampires in Retreat" with David Carradine.

In "Mind Games" he again plays a psychopath.

At last, he's got a part where he can play a caring parent. Granted, he puts a contract out on his ex-wife, but he soon regrets it and spends the rest of the film trying to save her and their son from death.

Give it a try.

It has some surprise twists and turns.

The American Way (1986)

A surprise gem!

[8/10 · 11 March 2011]

I've been collecting Dennis Hopper films for some time. Tonight I decided to watch "Riders of the Storm" and I'm happily impressed! I bought a VHS copy of it on line for less than $2.00, and a DVD version is over $30.! This movie falls in the category of "Off Beat" or beyond.

Hopper played a Vietnam vet in "Apocalpse Now", but this one is much, much closer to one of my all time favorites, "O.C. & Stiggs".

My first reaction (and it's still playing), is that it's a combination of "Max Headroom" and "Pray TV".

Wonderful entertainment if you like the style.

Hope you can find a copy.

American Playhouse: Overdrawn at the Memory Bank (1983) Season Unknown, Episode Unknown

A big favorite of mine!

[9/10 · 4 February 2011]

I know I've said it before, but this is another of my MFF (Most Favorite Films!) For years I've tried to find a DVD copy of it, but none has ever been available.

It's the first film in which I saw Raul Julia and Maury Chaykin, and I've collected their films ever since.

It's also my first viewing of Gary Farmer, who later appeared in "Ed and His Dead Mother".

"Overdrawn" is quite psychedelic.

The "Casablanca" sequences are very well done.

Good luck on finding a copy of this one.

I'm glad I have one.

Nate and Hayes (1983)

Another of my favorite small films

[9/10 · 25 January 2011]

I don't know when I first saw Nate and Hayes. I know it's been in my collection for a long time, and I never get tired of watching it.

Since I'm a big fan of villains, I naturally love Max Phipps as Ben Pease. I first saw him in "Road Warrior" with Mel Gibson.

Tommy Lee Jones has had a long career entertaining us, and I think this was the first firm in which I ever saw him.

Another of his lesser seen films is "The Park Is Mine".

"Nate and Hayes" is a great swashbuckler, and a comedy as well.

Lots of good one-liners to keep you smiling.

Enjoy.

Hanky Panky (1982)

A comedy you can enjoy over and over!

[8/10 · 24 January 2011]

Every time I decide to watch this little gem, I'm reminded of how well it was made and how much I like it! Richard Widmark is one of my favorite actors, and he really adds a nice touch of malicious villainy as he pursues Wilder.

I agree that the scene in the airplane is one of the funniest.

This film could have been directed by Mel Brooks.

I remember Gene Wilder from many other wonderful films: Young Frankenstein, Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Silver Streak, The Adventure of Sherlock Holme's Smarter Brother, Blazing Saddles, The Producers, and Everything You've Always Wanted To Know About Sex But Were Afraid To Ask.

It's very hard to find a copy of "Smarter Brother..." but it's well worth the search.

You'll enjoy it very much. You've probably seen the others.

Detention (2003)

I like it!

[7/10 · 20 January 2011]

I'm not sure where this genre got it's start. 'Blackboard Jungle'? It's also reminiscent of Tom Berenger's 'Substitute 1' and '2'.

Dolph's lean, and in top form, as he takes on recalcitrant students and a gang that's bent on taking over the high school.

The gang members have lots of strangely colored hair, assorted tattoos and body piercings, if you like that sort of thing, but when they shoot they can't seem to hit anything.

I especially enjoyed watching the thug on a motorcycle in a high school hallway who could neither catch nor hit with a machine gun a cripple running away in a wheel chair.

Grab the popcorn and settle back for an hour and a half of not too serious fun.

One Dark Night (1982)

Another little gem that's hard to find

[8/10 · 19 January 2011]

One Dark Night is not an ordinary horror film.

From the opening scene where multiple hearses pull up to pick up the dead they have your attention!

I've enjoyed this film from the first time I saw it. It was hard to find a good DVD copy, and I watched it again tonight with pleasure.

It contains a lot of elements unusual to horror films of the period, and it can really keep you guessing.

This is the first film in which I saw Meg Tilly. I've really enjoyed the work she and her sister, Jennifer, have done over the years.

It's hard to forget Adam West as Batman, but I managed.

If you can find a copy of this, make yourself a bowl of popcorn and settle back for a very enjoyable hour and a half.

Florida Straits (1986 TV Movie)

A little gem

[9/10 · 5 January 2011]

This is one of my favorite films, and it's almost unknown.

It's Raul Julia at his best, and Fred Ward doing an excellent job.

I was surprised when I recognized Daniel Jenkins and remembered his role in "O.C. & Stiggs", another favorite of mine.It's also almost unknown.

Take a look at this one if you have a chance, and have an hour and a half of enjoyment.

It's creative, imaginative, and full of unexpected surprises.

Oddly enough, I think this is a film that is totally without females actresses. Except for Raul's "love of his life".

The scene where Raul changes into his all white attire in order to look his best when he meets his lost love is a cinemagraphic tour-de-force.

Future Force (1989)

I really like David Carradine...

[5/10 · 18 October 2010]

It's difficult to give this film a very good rating, although I do recommend you see it, if you like David Carradine.

Since his untimely death, I've tried to collect and watch all of his films that are still available.

I think MST3000 would have had fun with this one, if they censored out the nudity and perhaps some of the profanity.

Two used copies I ordered on line were defective, and tonight I received my third (new) copy, and am enjoying it as I type this review.

I'm awaiting a DVD of "Sundown, the Vampire in Retreat", and I also enjoy rewatching "Q, The Winged Serpent". Carradine and Michael Moriarty are excellent together.

Guncrazy (1992)

Excellent early film!

[10/10 · 29 June 2010]

Long before Oliver Stone's 'Natural Born Killers', 'Guncrazy" explored the emotions of two young people caught up in a whirlpool of sex and violence they were hard-pressed to control.

Joe Dellasandro was in Andy Warhol's 'Dracula' and was physically attractive at that time. "Time wounds all heels!". Two bullets take care of him.

It's one of the few films that features Billy Drago where he's depicted as a "nice person". He's one of my favorite villains! Check out his filmography.

If you like 'Guncrazy', you will probably also like 'Badlands', an early Martin Sheen, Sissy Spacek, Warren Oates crime drama.

Enjoy!

Love Liza (2002)

One of my favorites!

[10/10 · 12 June 2010]

I've been a long time fan of Philip Seymour Hoffman,and this is one of my favorites! With an addiction to gasoline fumes Hoffman successfully portrays an individual so messed up I found myself calling out loud for him to stop what he was doing.

It's black, it's funny, and you'll love it if you like this type of film! Kathy Bates is an actress who always impresses me. She's especially good in "Misery" with James Cohn, Yhen she's wonderful in "About Schmidt". No one will forget the hot tub scene.

After this film, I don't think many people would find gasoline their drug of choice.