Dexter Riley Series

The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969)
Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972)
The Strongest Man in the World (1975)

I know there are alot of young'un in this forum.

Some of youse might even have heard of Escape from New York (1981) directed by John Carpenter and Starring Kurt Russell.

Alot might not know that Kurt Russell was one of the original member of the Mickey Mouse Club and before his role as Snake in Escape From New York he was in a series of Dexter Riley movies.

It is amazing what a difference 30 year make, from Sexter Riley movie to... Jacka$$..

Life goes on...

I think the name of the Dexter Riley series is pretty self explanatory.

College kid cause headache for the Dean and usually through accidents, rescue the College from being closed down due to lack of funding.

I believe the series is pretty popular, seeing how The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1995) was remade (TV) and the lead being played by Kirk Cameron.

If you want some, Gosh, Golly & Darns family fun, look no further.

My Two Sen

Foreign Correspondent (1940)

Put this on a couple of weeks back and was really excited.

It is not usual for me to find an Alfred Hitchcock movie I have not seen before.

I have to tell you, my expectation was high... and after watching the movie...

This is a strange movie...

The plot is so... overly convoluted, it absolutely makes NO SENSE!!

In my opinion, I believe Hitchcock had made so many similar movie, he got bored, and this movie suffered for it...

The "highlight" of the movie was so... unbelievable and the last frame of the movie was basically a US poster for selling War Bonds (this movie was just before Pearl Harbour incident) so am actually puzzled by this.

This movie actually deminish Hitchcock a bit in my eyes...

I was disappointed, or could it be, I expected too much...

This movie was release the same year as Rebecca (1940) (Hitchcock first American movie) and I love Rebecca much much more...

My Two Sen

North by Northwest (1959)

For the life of me, I cannot understand, how I had watched this movie a couples of time and not posted a review of this movie here...

I am really REALLY getting old.

My, Hitchcock sure liked Cary Grant. He had appeared in Hitchcock's, Suspicion (1941), Notorious (1946), To Catch a Thief (1955) & North by Northwest (1959).

SO much so, that one would question if Cary Grant knew that it is actually director Stanley Donen who directed Charade (1963) (a Hitchcock-ish movie) and not Hitchcock!!

Being one of Hitchcock's best known works, I don't know if there is any additional information I can add to this except for

1) Paramount Pictures contracted Hitchcock out to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) to do this, and after the success of this movie, Paramount supposedly pressured Hitchcock for another "North by Northwest-ish" project for Paramount and Hitchcock said no. Hitchcock then approach Paramount with Psycho and because of the subject matter, Paramount refused to fund the movie, and Hitchcock himself had to come up with the money for Psycho instead but he was under contract to make another 2/3 movies for Paramount... A solution was devised, Hitchcock would fund Psycho and Paramount would distribute and they would split the profits (if any). Allegedly, the movie was made under USD 1,000,000 and it went on to make USD 32,000,000. So, everyone was happy!!

2) After this movie, Hitchcock did offer Grant another role in his movie, namely, Torn Curtain (1965), and Grant declined, on the ground that he was already working on his last movie, Walk, Don't Run (1966) and would retire after that. Paul Newman got the role in Torn Curtains instead and allegedly, Paul and Hitchcock DID NOT GET ALONG.... Hitchcock swore he would never work with another "big star" after that, and he never did...

Oh, one last thing... If they had handphones back then, this movie's plot would not had worked...

My Two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Dec 8 2014, 05:20 PM

Phew, thank goodness you didn't use the word Grandpa!!

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Gosh James Stewart is really young in this one.

For a movie that was made in 1939, it's view about political system is still quite poignant.

Mr Smith is a young gentleman, who was selected to be a Senator, to replace another Senator who had passed away.

because of his youth, the people who selected him, thought he would be easy to manipulate, so they can push through the stuff they want through the House Of Senate.

Mr Smith turned out to be more than they could bargain for...

I like this.

It is drama, but I like it.

My Two Sen

The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961)

Now, for something really different.

This is the first time I watched this movie (it is English) and it is pretty good.

The transfer is pleasant and the storyline (drama) is actually gripping. Considered director Val Guest crowning achievement.

Was headline by English actor, Edward Judd (who is very good here and for some odd reason did not achieve stardom that everyone who saw this expected him to.)

Janet Munro had a good run at Disney, and on returning to England asked Van Guest to grow her up in the eyes of her audience (so please be advise that there are some nude scenes in this movie and that earned this movie an X rating in England).

This movie "prophesied" global warming and when the script was send to a scientist for science verification during production, the scientist replied to the director/script writer (Van Guest) was "gripping but the science in it is b@lls" (the director's exact words, not mine).

One major difference between 1961 and now is news print. Back then the newspaper is seen as a reliable source of information, and reports have a duty to report what is true, nowadays... lets just say, the sale of advertisement is the forefront.

This movie has an interesting way to end the movie.

My Two Sen

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: Jan 5 2015, 08:38 AM

The Vault of Horror (1973)

Now this really brings me back to the past.

I actually remember watching this on TV back in the day, on RTM!!!!

Excellent example of what you can do with good actors, good story and 0 budget!

The English is really good with this method of delivery!!!

This is an anthology, meaning there are five stories in one movie, namely,

Segment 1 "Midnight Mess"
Segment 2 "The Neat Job"
Segment 3 "This Trick'll Kill You"
Segment 4 "Bargain in Death"
Segment 5 "Drawn and Quartered"

Each story as they were told, gets more and more macabre!

And at the end of it all, a conclusion is done.

The ending has been widely imitated and have to add, when I first watched it on TV many years ago the ending blew my MIND!!!!

After all the big budget flops, you don't know how much I enjoy this, and if you like horror, give this a go, why don't you.

My Two Sen

Swiss Family Robinson (1960)

Gosh what a blast from the past.

Interesting that there were several attempts to give this movie a do over, and each time, the project fell through.

Watching this as grand as it is, there are alot of occidental-centric mindset that would not fare well with more modern audience. Let's chalk it up to in 1960, they did not know better.

Great location.

Great cast.

A really good family fare movie for a rainy Sunday afternoon.

My Two Sen

Captain America (1990)

Before Sam Raimi's Spider-Man (2002).

Before Tim Story's Fantastic Four (2005).

Before 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger, Production company: Marvel Entertainment Group Jadran Film did this

Excerpt from Wikipedia

It is CAMP. Everything is straight out of the comic book.

No denying.

But it was done with the best intention.

Made with a budget of 10 Million (bared in mind, back then Tim Burton's Batman (1989) cost 50 million), and it is amazing what they were able to squeeze out of that budget.

Matt Salinger played a decent Captain America.

Got a kick out of watching this all over again!!

Roger Corman even made a 1994 The Fantastic Four movie that was never released... as well, and I have not been able to see that...

Let us all pray to the bluray god and see if THAT ever see the light of day.

My Two Sen.

This post has been edited by Mov_freak: May 9 2015, 07:54 PM

Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)

This is a good example of why sequels should not be make.

Don't get me wrong. The people involved really wanted to make a good movie, and the opposite is produced instead.

Being a 1986 movie, the effects were pretty good.

In a round about way H. R. Giger was involved with the production design (ghost/demon design, he sent an assistant).

The downside, story people. The story is... bad.

Nothing gel.

Seriously.

Nothing!!

Don't even get me started on the medium and Shaman/Medicine man...

So, in summary, decent effect, bad story even worst editing...

Guess what this movie made money... So much so there is a Poltergeist III... I kid you not...

My Two Sen

Was actually free to do a movie marathon this weekend.

George Lucas, in 2008, actually said he would make Indiana Jones 5, if he figures out the McGuffin ([A term famously coined by Hitchcock] a device or plot element. In the first, it was the Ark of the Covenant, second the Sankara Stones, the third Holy Grail and the fourth *groan*, crystal skulls...).

So, I actually watched these movies in the reverse order, namely, The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The last Crusade etc, etc.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

Hahahaha... This universally despised movie, made USD 786,636,033!!!

Think about THAT!! This ia exactly the reason, why Hollywood is obsess with sequel, rather then developing new/original stuff. Guaranteed return of investment.

Having re-watched the movie, it is actually a "decent" movie, and I believe the main criticism, and rightly so, is the McGuffin of the movie is actually weak...

That means I actually appreciate 50% of the movie!

Also sad that with Shia LaBeouf running his mouth after the movie, how the baton/mantel of Indiana Jones is now passed to him and he would be the next Indiana Jones... Steven Spielberg apparently blow at Shia LeBeouf after that.

I actually like the idea (passing the baton)

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Have to say, this is probably my favorite "episode" of the series.

They just do not make anything like this anymore.

Right mixture of story/humor/action and of cause, CAST (Sean Connery)!!!

Again being made most practical, also adds to it's charm. (The worst thing about Crystal Skull is the CGI work on the man eating ants sequence)

As I said, they don't make it like that anymore.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

The darkest of the Series!

The MPAA was troubled by this movie, and actually suggested that they would give it an "R" rating... Because it was too dark for the PG rating...

Steven Spielberg called the President of MPAA and suggested a rating between PG and R and PG13 rating was born a few weeks later.

It's all about the people you know!!

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

I am keeping this for another day. Will update one I have watched it.

I am wondering, are there actually people on this forum who had not watched this series before?

...

My Two Sen

Innerspace (1987)

We often reminisce about the good old 80s and alot of times movies like:

An American Werewolf in London (1981)
Escape from New York (1981)
48 Hrs. (1982)
Blade Runner (1982)
Conan the Barbarian (1982)
First Blood (1982)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Poltergeist (1982)
Rocky III (1982)
The Thing (1982)
Krull (1983)
The Outsiders (1983)
WarGames (1983)
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Gremlins (1984)
The Karate Kid (1984)
The Last Starfighter (1984)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Police Academy (1984)
The Terminator (1984)
Back to the Future (1985)
Commando (1985)
Fright Night (1985)
The Goonies (1985)
Ladyhawke (1985)
Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
Rocky IV (1985)
Aliens (1986)
Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
Short Circuit (1986)
Stand by Me (1986)
Hellraiser (1987)
Predator (1987)
Die Hard (1988)
Rambo III (1988)
Rocky V (1990)

But very rarely, do we think of this movie, which is a shame, because it is actually lots of fun.

It is my belief that too many movies nowadays are just WAY to serious, and the reason why we remember movies from the 80s is because they have alot of great comedic moments.

Case in point, in this movie when Martin Short was in the toilet, a total stranger told him

"Play with it buddy, not talk to it..." and then walks out!!

This is a Scifi/Action movie, starring Dennis Quaid, Martin Short & Meg Ryan.

An experiment concerning miniaturization, recently made popular again by the movie Ant-man (2015).

The premise of this movie is not new, a very similar movie was made in the 60s, namely Fantastic Voyage (1966).

What is "new" about this movie compared with the 60s movie, is the slapstick!! (Martin Short)

Again, because this is pre CGI, they had to rely on more practical effect for the effects short and to date, they still look pretty good!

If you can find this, please give it a go.

My Two Sen.

On that note, I also forgot

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Back to the Future Part III (1990)
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Empire of the Sun (1987)
Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

....

Yes, I am old and forgetful...

... The "good old days" for me are a little bit more prior then the 80s...

>p/s: Just so happened that Vesper by Topher Mohr and Alex Elena kicked in, to add on to the nostalgic feel.

You have to explain this

Ahh.... Okay

Correct.

If memory serves, it was John Landis segment, in which the tragic incident occurred.

There was a trial, and I believe he got acquitted of all charges...

Quite gruesome death for Vic Morrow and the kids...

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

One of my favorite horror movie.

It shows that horror movies can also be funny.

Before you run out and get this, please understand that it is VERY RACY and is most definitely not suitable for young children.

Having said that, anyone here been to England, and can vouch that nurses in England are like Nurse Alex Price? What do I mean? Prim Proper, Naughty nurse?? Anyone??

John Landis more know for comedy rather then horror.

After he finished The Blues Brothers and made a name for himself, Unviersal/Polygram Picture greenlit this and gave him a budget of 10 million.

When he first conceive the movie, and found out that there was alot of incentive for movie makers to make movies in England, he went okay werewolf in London, done.

He then ask Rick Baker, if the transformation sequence can be done and Rick Said, he would think about it.

When he called Rick and said he had the budget, Rick was already working on The Howling (1981)!!!

John had a few choice words which he shared with Rick and Rick said, okay I was get my protege to work on The Howling (I will consult) which will free me up to do your movie. And thank goodness for THAT!!

I also love the special feature. I did not know alot about this movie, namely


If you want a funny funny horror movie, look no further.

Enjoy

My Two Sen

I think you mean The Land Before Time (1988)?

I have to say that I am really NOT a fan of his.

His works and me just don't "click".

The Secret of NIMH (1982)
An American Tail (1986)
Thumbelina (1994)
Anastasia (1997)
Titan A.E. (2000)

They are NOT bad works... just "missing" something...

Er... no.

IMDB Captain America 1990 Page