Category: Movies

2017 Movie Tally Begins!

February 2, 2017 by shempcat·0 Comments

Watching movies here and there! Renting movies too and rounding up them up! I’m actually writing up Round 2 of my most recent rentals, and you’ll get a sneak peek of what’s to come with this tally list! It’s been a nice month of movie watching with a few re-sees.

My highlight was discovering one called ONE POTATO, TWO POTATO (1964) and then watching it twice, the second time with my mom.

I’m also excited to put together a new round of Movie Drinks for my Movie-holic series. There’s some fun and silly beverages and movies to share! So please stay tuned!

Now my movie tally list of new movies and re-sees, a total of 32 movies so far in 2017. Slow and steady people! Watching movies and having fun between the insanity! yup yup yup! (OH and movies in BOLD are movies I loved most of all on the Horlick 1-5 Scale!)

NEW MOVIES:

RUTHLESS (1948) | 1/3/17 | DVD
WAR REQUIEM (1989) | 15/17 | DVD
COIN HEIST (2017) | 1/6/17 | Netflix
EAT THE RICH (1987) | 1/8/17 | DVD
BLACK EYE (1973/1974) | 1/10/17 | DVD
FORGOTTEN SILVER (1995) | 1/12/17 | DVD
SHE’S BACK ON BROADWAY (1953) | 1/13/17 | DVD
THE SHADOW OF THE CAT (1961) | 1/15/17 | Svengoolie/MeTV
TERMINAL ISLAND (1973) | 1/15/17 | TCM Underground/DV-R
ONE POTATO, TWO POTATO (1964) | 1/18/17 | TCM/DV-R
CRY OF THE CITY (1948) | 1/19/17 | DVD
THE YAKUZA (1974) | 1/21/17 | New Beverly
MOONTIDE (1942) | 1/22/17 | DV-R / FXM Retro
THE QUILLER MEMORANDUM (1966) | 1/22/17 | DVD
IGUANA (1988) | 1/23/17 | DVD
TERMINAL MAN (1973) | 1/23/17 | DV-R / TCM
THE DAY AFTER HALLOWEEN (a.k.a. Snapshot or One Minute More) (1979) | 1/25/17 | DVD
THE PUSHER (1958) | 1/25/17 | DVD
DAY OF THE ANIMALS (1977) | 1/26/17 | Amazon Instant
HORNETS’ NEST (1970) | 1/27/17 | DVD
THE LAST RUN (1971) | 2/1/17 | DVD
THE LONG GOODBYE (1973) | 2/1/17 | FilmStruck

RE-SEE MOVIES:

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (1986) | 1/1/17 | Netflix
THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951) | 1/1/17 | Netflix
GREASE (1978) | 1/1/17 | Netflix
THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987) | 1/1/17 | Netflix
ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING (1987) | 1/1/17 | Netflix
THE FOG (1980) | 1/2/16 | DVD
EATING RAOUL (1982) | 1/8/17 | DVD
A BITTERSWEET LIFE (2005) | 1/9/17 | DVD
ONE POTATO, TWO POTATO (1964) | 1/20/17 | TCM/DV-R (watched w/ mom)
THEY LIVE (1988) | 1/20/17 | BluRay

Stay tune fellow movie watcher pals! Gonna go rent more DVDs and find more movies to watch! Catch you on the flip flop! Yup! Yup! Yup!

Rental Round Up – #1

January 12, 2017 by shempcat·2 Comments

I’ve had a rental membership to Vidéothèque for a while now. Vidéothèque is a cool video store in South Pasadena. My guy Dave and I meander through the aisle looking for movies, just like the good old days of movie renting. It’s fun to just browse, but most times we do rent DVDs and or VHS. It’s a little game between Dave and I to find movies to watch, he picks out one, shows it to me and more often than naught I say “Seen it”! Well, I can’t lie, cause I’ve seen it! We aim for new movies, things we haven’t seen and when we pick a re-see we get to check out DVD extras like commentaries and what not. We’ve been renting about 5 movies a time, using their 5 movies for $17.99 deal and we get them for a week. I think I’m working my way up to the 100 rentals for $199.00.

At the start of this year we began our rental adventures on January 2nd! I’ve decided to keep track and share the fun of movie renting here on my blog because that’s what this place is for! Sharing fun things that I’ve enjoyed!

On 1/2/17 at 2:32PM we rented: THE FOG (1980) on BluRay, WAR REQUIEM (1989) on DVD, RUTHLESS (1948) on BluRay, EAT THE RICH (1987) on DVD and lastly EATING RAOUL (1982) on BluRay.

THE FOG was a re-see for me, Dave had never watched it all the way through. Who doesn’t love a John Carpenter movie? It’s a ghost story that takes place at a little town along the coast on their 100th anniversary. The ghosts of the past roll in on the fog to exact revenge on local residents! Along for the ride there’s DJ Stevie Wayne played by Adrienne Barbeau, local weird guy Tom Atkins who picked up hitch hiker Jamie Lee Curtis. Oh and Jamie’s mom Janet Leigh is the town woman in charge of the 100th anniversary celebrations! It’s a good creepy flick and still makes me jump no matter how many times I’ve seen it!

RUTHLESS was a good film discovery! Zachary Scott is Horace Woodruff Vendig, a most wealthy man who’s at the top of his game! He’s made it there by being ruthless and it seems he’s considering repentance as he gathers his spurned acquaintances. Through a series of flashbacks we see how he climbed up with love and support but spurned and hurt those he loved as he saw no other way to become rich and powerful.

WAR REQUIEM has no dialogue, it’s music from composer Benjamin Britten and tells the World War 1 story of a British soldier who’s trying to survive and fight. We see the toll the war takes on people and it is a most visual operatic movie that also uses old war stock footage. The cast is amazing and features the beautiful Tilda Swinton and a very young Sean Bean. It’s a movie that has to be seen and heard more than described.

EAT THE RICH was another discovery, something I never heard of before. And since I knew we were going to be renting EATING RAOUL, it sounded like a good double feature combo. EAT THE RICH is a British black comedy commenting on class struggles, the rich rich and politics. Alex is a waiter at BASTARDS, the very fancy place to be place where only the rich go to nosh. Alex hates his job, hates the people and is soon fired. Left unemployed and homeless he is pushed to rebel against the system when he gets a gun killing employees at the unemployment office. Alex and his fellow homeless friend are on the lamb and ready to fight and die for their new found cause! The other side of the RICH adventures is singer Lemmy as an arms dealer named Spider who’s working with another government agent (spy for Russia), who wants to use Alex’s rebellion to ruin Nosher, the Home Secretary, who is campaigning for Prime Minister. Nosher is beer drinking everyman who uses muscle and attitude, hmmmmm, yup. This ridiculous movie, with music from Motörhead, turned out to be incredibly fun! Oh keep an eye out for a Paul McCartney cameo.

EATING RAOUL is a cult classic and it has got Janus Film cred! I love this movie. I saw it as a young movie watcher, thanks to my dad’s good taste in movies. Directed and starring Paul Bartel he is Paul Bland. Paul is married to Mary (Mary Woronov) and they dream of opening their own country kitchen even though they lack the funds, because they’re in debt! Now, this is their dream and there has to be a way to make it come true!?! It is the 80’s! It’s a time for swingers, swingers who want sex and drugs and they happen to have lots of money! When Mary is almost raped by a swinger, and he’s killed by Paul with a frying pan, they steal his money and decide to become involved in the sex trade! The Bland’s are knocking off perverted sex maniacs taking all their money! Who would miss them, right? When Paul and Mary start making a pretty good business they cross paths with locksmith, thief, jack of all trades, hot blooded crazy Chicano Raoul (Robert Beltran). Raoul joins their scheme and helps to get rid of the bodies and evidence. He also falls for Mary and starts to plot on how to knock off Paul. This film is just sexy sleazy fun with cool cameos like Buck Henry, Edie McClurg, John Paragon and Ed Begley Jr. (which I realized watching again, this role is a reason I probably am not a big fan of his, the hippie rapist.) Anyways, EATING RAOUL holds up and is a great fun 80’s black comedy!

Stay tuned for more Rental Rounds up! We’ve already rented 4 more movies! Yup!

My 2016 Movie Tally! YUP! Most Favorite Flick Picks Too!

January 1, 2017 by shempcat·0 Comments

Let’s Party Like DARKMAN!!

Movies! Movies! Movies! The year flew by! Crazy things happened! I didn’t get to watch as many movies as I have before. WHATEVER! I watched movies, dang it!!!! I DID!!!! Because; watching movies is a Happy Place…

As I always say, a fun part about watching movies is sharing those movies! And so, here I am to share my list of movies that I have seen throughout 2016! OY 2016!!!!!

New Movies and Re-Sees! Yup, I saw some new movie releases but actually more old movies. I just go where my movie whims take me! Yup!

NEW MOVIES:

HOT PURSUIT (2015) | 01/01/16 | DVD
WE ARE STILL HERE (2015) | 1/2/15 | Blu-Ray
BENEATH PLANET OF THE APES (1979) | 1/3/16 | HBO GO
ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES (1971) | 1/3/16 | HBO GO
CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (1972) | 1/3/16 | HBO GO

The Apes Said NO!!!!!
THE HATEFUL EIGHT (2015) | 1/4/16 | New Beverly
BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (1973) | 1/5/16 | HBO GO
REHEARSAL FOR MURDER (1982) | 1/6/16 | Amazon Instant
KING CREOLE (1958) | 1/8/16 | YouTube Paramount Vault

Uh oh Elvis! Matthau is mean!
INVASION OF THE SAUCER MEN (1957) | 1/8/16 | YouTube Paramount Vault
SATAN’S SATELLITES (1958) | 1/9/16 | YouTube Paramount Vault (from a 1952 serial)
THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE (1983) | 1/9/16 | YouTube Paramount Vault
HEROES OF THE EAST (1978) | 1/10/16 | Netflix

Fights, Fights and Fights!
BLACK COAL, THIN ICE (2014) | 1/10/16 | Netflix
HONEYMOON (2014) | 1/11/16 | Netflix
WARLOCK 2: ARMAGEDDON (1993) | 1/14/16 | YouTube
THE FIVE VENOMS (1978) | 1/17/16 | Netflix
THE SNOW WHITE MURDER CASE (2015) | 1/17/16 | Reel Grit
TIME TABLE (1956) | 1/23/16 | YouTube Paramount Vault
THE COLOSSUS OF NEW YORK (1958) | 1/23/16 | YouTube Paramount Vault
Look Out New York!
DOUBLE EXPOSURE (1944) | 1/23/16 | YouTube Paramount Vault
HIGH NOON PART II: THE RETURN OF WILL KANE (1980) | 1/27/16 | Encore Western/Cable
THE VAMPIRE’S COFFIN (EL ATADÚD DEL VAMPIRO) (1958) | 1/30/16 | Netflix
MAN IN THE VAULT (1965) | 1/31/16 | YouTube Paramount Vault
LEGEND OF DRUNKEN MASTER (1994) | 2/4/16 | NoHo 7
X THE UNKNOWN (1956) | 2/6/16 | YouTube
THE SPACE CHILDREN (1958) | YouTube Paramount Vault
DAYS OF WINE & ROSES (1962) | 2/7/16 | TCM
They were so happy!
THE WITCH (2015) | 2/10/16 | Screening Room Beverly Hills
NIGHT WORLD (1932) | 2/13/16 | YouTube
DEADPOOL (2016) | 2/14/16 | LA LIVE Regal
ZOOLANDER 2 (2016) | 2/14/16 | CITYWALK AMC
THE VOICES (2014) 2/14/16 | Amazon Instant
AGAINST A CROOKED SKY (1975) | 2/16/16 | Amazon Instant
CIRCUS (2000) | 2/18/16 | HBO GO
11:14 (2005) | 2/19/16 | HBO GO
HOT LEAD & COLD FEET (1978) | 2/20/16 | New Beverly
THE BUSY BODY (1967) | 2/25/16 | YouTube Paramount Vault

William Castle! Mix Up!
A LIFE AT STAKE (1954) | 2/26/16 | YouTube
ANABELL (2014) | 2/28/16 | HBO GO
HELLIONS (2015) | 3/1/16 | Netflix
THE PHANTOM SPEAKS (1945) | 3/6/16
TROUBLE IN THE GLEN (1954) | 3/12/16 | Amazon Instant
PUCKOON (2003) | 3/12/16 | Amazon Instant
10 CLOVERFIELD LANE (2016) | 3/12/16 | Tiki Drive-In
TRIPLE 9 (2016) | 3/12/16 | Tiki Drive-In
AVENGING EAGLE (1978) | 3/13/16 | Netflix
THE INSPECTORS WEARS SKIRTS / TOP SQUAD (1988) | 3/13/16 | YouTube
PALOOKA (1934) | 3/13/16 | YouTube
MILLION DOLLAR PURSUIT (1951) | 3/13/16 | YouTube
ESCAPE BY NIGHT (1937) | 3/16/16 | YouTube
PEE WEE’S BIG HOLIDAY (2016) | 3/18/16
ME, EARL AND THE DYING GIRL (2015) | 3/24/16 | HBO GO
THE MERMAID (2016) | 3/29/16 | AMC Monterey Park
HELLO MY NAME IS DORIS (2016) | 3/29/16 | AMC Burbank 8

She’s SOOOOO Cute!
CREED (2015) | 4/5/16 | On Demand
BRIDE OF VENGEANCE (1949) | 4/9/16 | YouTube
HARDCORE HENRY (2016) | 4/14/16 | Vista
SECRET OF THE INCAS (1954) | 4/23/16 | YouTube

Heston, you’re a punk!
COMPADRES (2016) | 4/24/16 | Regal Alhambra
THE NICE GUYS (2016) | 5/8/16 | Reel Grit
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016) | 5/13/16 | Regal Alhambra
AVA’S POSSESSION (2015) | 5/17/16 | Netflix
ZOOMBIES (2016) | 5/17/16 | Netflix
THAT GAL…WHO WAS IN THAT THING: THAT GUY 2 (2015) | 5/18/16 | Netflix
THE HALLOW (2015) | 5/18/16 | Netflix
THREE IN THE ATTIC (1968) | 5/20/16 | TCM
CALL NORTHSIDE 777 (1948) | 5/23/16 | Netflix
HUSH (2016) | 5/2916 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
RED SUN (1971) | 5/29/16 | Reel Grit / AFI

Western Cool!
PAIN & GAIN (2013) | 5/30/16 | DVD
FRANK (2014) | 6/2/16 | Netflix
THE WAILING (2016) | 6/4/16 | AMC Atlantic Times Square 14
HOUSE OF HORRORS (1946) 6/5/16 | Svengoolie/DVR
BEYOND THE GATES (2015) | 6/6/16 | LA Film Festival/Culver City Arclight
Bewared the Game!
NEON DEMON (2016) | 6/12/16 | Los Feliz 3 (Reel Grit)
PILLOW OF DEATH (1945) | 6/13/16 | Svengoolie / Me TV
THE LEECH WOMAN (1960) 6/18/16 | Svengoolie / Me TV
THE SNIPER (1952) | 6/19/16 | TCM/DVR
INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE (2016) | 6/23/16 | Edwards Alhambra
Yes I liked it!
BLOODY BIRTHDAY (1981) | 6/30/16 | TCM (DVR)
THE LEGEND OF TARZAN (2016) | 7/3/16 | AMC Atlantic Times Square 14 (MP)

Yup!
STUNTS (1978) | 7/10/16 | TCM (DVR)

The Hell With Dialogue, Let’s Wreck Something!
MIDNIGHT SPECIAL (2016) | 7/12/16 | DVD
CULT OF THE COBRA (1955) | 7/16/16 | Svengoolie
CELL (2016) | 7/17/16 | Cable Rental
GHOSTBUSTERS (2016) | 7/19/16 | Edwards Alhambra
THE KILLING JOKE (2016) | 7/22/16 | Comic-Con Ballroom 20
STAR TREK: BEYOND (2016) | 7/26/16 | NOHO 7
TRAIN TO BUSAN (2016) | 7/28/16 | CGV
SATAN MET A LADY (1936) | 8/4/16 | DVD
THE MALTESE FALCON (1931) | 8/4/16 | DVD
THUNDERBOLT (1929) | 8/4/16 | TCM
ALL FALL DOWN (1962) | 8/5/16 | TCM
CURUCU, BEAST OF THE AMAZON (1956) | 8/7/16 | Svengoolie
JASON BOURNE (2016) | 8/9/16 | Alhambra Edwards 14
MI-5 (2015) | 8/10/16 | HBO GO
THUNDER & LIGHTNING (1977) | 8/14/16 | YouTube

Gator Preachers!!!!!!!!!!!
EYE OF THE STRANGER (1981) | 8/14/15 | YouTube
ONE BY ONE aka MAJORETTES (1987) | 8/15/16 | YouTube
SUICIDE SQUAD (2016) | 8/23/16 | Alhambra Edwards 14
REALITY (2015) | 8/25/16 | DVD
RANCHO DELUXE (1974) | 8/25/16 | DVD
LURED (1947) | 8/26/16 | TCM DV-R
MIKE YOKOHAMA: THE FOREST WITH NO NAME (2002) | 8/30/16 | DVD
VIRTUAL ASSASSINS aka CYBERJACK (1995) | 9/1/16 | STARZ App
JANE GOT A GUN (2016) | 9/2/16 | Netflix
THE FOREST (2016) | 9/6/16 | HBO Go
MAN FROM RIO (1964) | 9/11/16 | Reel Grit
MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (2016) | 9/22/16 | Edwards Alhambra

Western Fun!
GHOST TEAM (2016) | 9/29/16 | Stream
Ghost Beware!
MAN MADE MONSTER (1941) | 10/1/16 | Svengoolie
THE FALLING (2014) | 10/1/16 | Netflix
THE KINDRED (1987) | 10/4/16 | VHS
RETURN OF DRACULA (1958) | 10/5/16 | YouTube
ZOOTOPIA (2016) | 10/6/16 | Netflix
ISLAND OF TERROR (1966) | 10/8/16 | Svengoolie
DEAR HEART (1964) | 10/8/16 | TCM
THE FROZEN GHOST (1945) | 10/14/16 | Svengoolie
BELOW THE SEA (1933) | 10/14/16 | TCM / DV-R
MASTERMINDS (1949) | 10/15/16 | TCM
Eat Candy!
HILLBILLYS IN A HAUNTED HOUSE (1967) | 10/15/16 | TCM / DV-R
THE BOOGIE MAN WILL GET YOU (1942) | 10/21/15 | YouTube
Who has a CAT in his coat pocket?
RETURN OF THE CREATURE (1955) | 10/23/16 | Svengoolie
JACK REACHER NEVER GO BACK (2016) | 10/25/16 | Alhambra Edwards
MACABRE (1958) | 10/27/16 | TCM / DV-R
LONDON HAS FALLEN (2016) | 11/1/16 | Netflix
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE ZOMBIES | 11/2/16 | Starz
TAMPOPO (1985) | 11/4/16 | Pasadena Lammle
SO DARK THE NIGHT (1946) | 11/6/16 | YouTube
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE (2016) | 11/10/16 | DVD
SING STREET (2016) | 11/11/16 | Netflix
ARRIVAL (2016) | 11/13/16 | Edwards Alhambra
TERROR BENEATH THE SEA (1966) | 11/14/16 | YouTube
WONDER WOMEN (1973) | 11/15/16 | New Beverly
WALKING THE EDGE (1983) | 11/15/16 | New Beverly
REVENGE!
FANTASTIC BEAST & WHERE TO FIND THEM (2016) | 11/18/16 | Vista
(Watching this with my nieces was a blast! Potter fans they are made it a great time!)
HUNTED (1952) | 11/19/16 | YouTube
NICE GIRL? (1941) | 11/26/16 | TCM DV-R
ONCE A THIEF (1965) | 11/28/16 | DVD
BITE THE BULLET (1975) | DVD
EXILED (2006) | 12/4/16 | DVD
ONE THRILLING NIGHT (1942) | 12/4/16 | Amazon Instant
THERE’S A NOOSE WAITING FOR YOU…TRINITY (1972) | 12/4/16 | Amazon Instant
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (2002) | 12/15/16 | Amazon Instant
BRIDES OF DRACULA (1960) | 12/18/16 | Svengoolie
ROGUE ONE (2016) | 12/16/16 | LA LIVE Regal
KEANU (20160 | 12/28/16 | Cable
LOVE ACTUALLY (2003) | 12/31/16 | Netflix
(Yes I just watched LOVE ACTUALLY for the first time, I had only watched it from the middle on on TV and so I now finally watched it from beginning to end to say goodbye to 2016!)

LIAM!!!!!!!!! Liam Neeson! My hero! Yup!

Random notes (cool quotes) I wrote down from some of the movie I watched:

THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE (1983) – “rooted like a tree.”

THE FIVE VENOMS (1978) – Fighting Styles of the Centipede, Lizard, Snake, Toad and Scorpion

TIME TABLES (1956) – Voice of Fred Flintstone in film! “There is no such thing as a perfect crime, just a lucky one.” “I was willing to give you my whole life, what’s a few hours?” “There’s few secrets in Tijuana.” “Every case is an ulcer.”

DOUBLE EXPOSURE (1944) – GLUB, You have to have GLUB. G.L.U.B. = GO GETTER, LUCKY, UP AND AT ‘EM, BUNCO ARTIST AT HEART

“Loan me a boy scout and a couple of sticks.” (Says the woman waiting for a smoke from guy not paying attention to her.)

DAYS OF WINE & ROSES (1962) – “Anything worth having is worth suffering for.”

LIFE AT STAKE (1954) – “[Champagne]…is for good things.” They toast “Here’s to fun and love.”

PUCKOON (2003) – “I don’t mind dying, I just don’t want to be there at the time.”

PALOOKA (1934) – “I was pretty bad dice, I don’t blame you for shaking me.”

THREE IN THE ATTIC (1968) – “Balancing three chicks between Bonanza.”

CAST A DEADLY SPELL (1991) – “Everything’s cream for me these days.”

LEECH WOMAN (1960) – “Drink whisky, here’s to you whisky, guardian of all frustrated wives.”

THE MALTESE FALCON (1931) – “What’s on your mind, besides your hat?”

HILLBILLYS IN A HAUNTED HOUSE (1967) – M.O.T.H.E.R. = MASTER ORGANIZATION TO HALT ENEMY RESISTANCE

ONE THRILLING NIGHT (1942) – “He never lies, he was born on Washington’s Birthday.”

MY TOP MOVIES OF 2016: (In no order whatsoever!)
THE MERMAID
HELLO…MY NAME IS DORIS
DEADPOOL
THE WAILING
NEON DEMON
LEGEND OF TARZAN
TRAIN TO BUSAN
MAGNIFICENT SEVENT
THE WITCH
ARRIVAL
MIDNIGHT SPECIAL
ROGUE ONE
NICE GUYS
PEE WEE’S BIG HOLIDAY (When you watch a movie with your sister and laugh together! How can it not be a favorite?!)

Go, Pee Wee Go! Enjoy that Holiday!

My Favorite discoveries of 2016:
HEROES OF THE EAST – Kung Fu and Martial Arts! Who’s style is the best?
THE VAMPIRE’S COFFIN – A Mexican horror movie! Practice your Spanish and follow the vampire who’s stalking the streets for a neck to bite!

El Vampiro!

MAN IN THE VAULT – A guy always wants a big score to be somebody…a locksmith is forced to steal some money, but gets a guilty conscience.

Will the Locksmith take the fall?

LURED – Lucille Ball is beautiful! She helps police find a serial killer.
MIKE YOKOHAMA: THE FOREST WITH NO NAME – Detectives are cool! Detectives can get most philosophical.
DEAR HEART – Never too late to find the love of your life! Don’t make any assumptions and let your heart go where it takes you!
TIME TABLE – A train heist time perfectly, what could go wrong? Who was it that planned the perfect plan? It’s a noir, you can’t get away with it!
HOT LEAD, COLD FEET – A kiddie western caper! Twins, one good and one bad, a race through the old west, Don Knotts comic relief!
MASTERMINDS – Eating sugar causes toothaches which can give one the power to see the future! Beware, there are evil scientists out there looking for chumps with a brain that can be used in the body of a made “Super-Man” to create an army to take over the world!

Finally Saw it! WOOT!!!!! Loved it!!!!!!!
DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES (1962)
TAMPOPO (1985)

Now this is the Re-See Round up! Watching things I’ve already seen and they’re so good I can watch them again and again…or I’m re-watching to make sure they’re still good!! 😉 I re-watched THE PHANTOM twice so that both of my nieces could experience the my favorite purple super hero! Oh, and the second time I watched THE WITCH I liked it even more so that helped get it to my favorites of 2016 list (just a by the way).

RE-SEE MOVIES:

PLANET OF THE APES (1970) | 1/3/16 | HBO GO
VOLUNTEERS (1985) | 1/5/16 | HBO GO
THE NET (1995) | 2/11/16 | DVD
THE TENACIOUS D: THE PICK OF DESTINY (2006) | 2/19/16 | HBO GO
THE WITCH (2016) | 2/23/16 | SUNDANCE
GALAXY QUEST (1999) | 2/26/16 | Netflix
WHAT WE DO IN SHADOWS (2014) | 2/28/16 | HBO GO
THE LAST DRAGON (1985) | 3/2/16 | DVD
PIRANHA (1978) | 3/10/16 | DVD
CABIN IN THE WOODS (2012) | 3/14/16 | DVD
BLACK ANGEL (1946) | 3/22/16 | YouTube
THE GIFT (2001) | 3/27/16 | FLIX
EXCALIBUR (1981) | 3/29/16 | On Demand
GREASE 2 (1982) | 4/14/16 | Netflix
CLUE (1985) | 5/1/16 | DVD (outside)
ROMANCING THE STONE (1984) | 5/1/16 | DVD (outside)
LETHAL WEAPON (1987) | 5/8/16 | 35mm Reel Grit
THE LAST BOY SCOUT (1991) | 5/8/16 | 35mm Reel Grit
KISS KISS BANG BANG (20050 | 5/8/16 | 35mm Reel Grit
WILD IN THE STREETS (1968) | 5/19/16 | TCM
HUDSON HAWK (1991) | 5/24/16 | STARZ
THE HATEFUL 8 (2016) | 5/2816 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS (1941/1942) | 5/2816 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
BAD NEWS BEARS (1976) | 5/2816 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (1964) | 5/2816 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948) | 5/2816 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY (1998) | 5/2816 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
EVIL DEAD 2 (1987) | 5/29/16 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
SUPERBAD (2007) | 5/29/16 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT (1977) | 5/29/16 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
THE MATRIX (1999) | 5/29/16 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
CAST A DEADLY SPELL (1991) | 6/3/16 | Amazon Instant
SHE-WOLF OF LONDON (1946) | 6/5/17 | Sevengoolie/DVR
THE PHANTOM (1996) | 6/11/16 | Netflix

Milk does the PHANTOM good.
DRIVE (2011) | 6/12/16 | Los Feliz 3 (Reel Grit)
ID4 (1996) | 6/16/16 | DVD
DREAMSCAPE (1984) | 6/16/16 | DVR
HUDSON HAWK (1991) | 6/17/16 | DVR
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015) | 07/05/16 | CABLE
WILD BUNCH (1969) | 7/6/16 | TCM
GREYSTOKE: THE LEGEND OF TARZAN, LORD OF THE APES (1984) | 7/9/16 | Google Play
GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) | 7/27/16 | Cable Rental
WILLOW (1988) | 7/31/16 | DVD
NIGHT MONSTER (1942) | 8/14/16 | Svengoolie
DELIRIOUS (1991) | 8/14/16 | YouTube
LUCY (2014) | 8/16/16 | Cable
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014) | 8/21/16 | DVR
NIGHT OF THE CREEPS (1986) | 8/22/16 | DVD
HACKERS (1993) | 8/30/16 | Cable
FINAL DESTINATION (2006) | 9/2/16 | Netflix
THE PHANTOM (1996) | 9/4/16 | Netflix
HEAVY METAL (1981) | 10/2/16 | DVD
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (1960) | 10/14/16 | TCM
MURDER BY CONTRACT (1958) | 10/24/16 | YouTube
THE ‘BURBS (1989) | 10/26/16 | Netflix
THE APPLE (1980) | 11/21/16 | DVD
GHOSTBUSTERS (2016) | 11/26/16 | DVD
TIME BANDITS (1981) | 12/4/16 | FilmStruck
ZERO EFFECT (1998) | 12/20/16 | DVR
JACK FROST (1996) | 12/21/16 | Egyptian (Cinematic Void) 35MM screening
BATMAN: THE MOVIE (1960) | 12/31/16 | Netflix

I have to add that seeing JACK FROST (1996) on a big screen in 35MM was a fantastic finale to movie screenings of the year. (Thanks again Cinematic Void!) I watched JACK FROST a ton during my college days with my college pals. I never thought I’d see that straight to video movie get a theatrical screening and so it goes to show that some dreams do come true! The Q&A was a good time too! JACK FROST, the killer snowman movie, rules!

And that my movie friends is my movie round up for 2016! A fun bunch of movies that I enjoyed watching and watching some again! My happy time highlights of 2016 was watching 149 new movies and 61 re-sees! 210 movies, WOOT! WOOT! Oh and anything that is BOLD in the new movies lists were movies I gave a 5 rating to, meaning my favorite movie on a scale of 1-5!!

Let’s all keep watching movies! Movies that make us Happy! Movies that we want to see! And then share what’s good with other and then keep on watching more and more! Yup! Yup!

You’ll find me watching movies in 2017, yup. Stay Happy movie watchers! That’s my plan! Yup!

MOVIE TALLY HO!! October Viewing

November 4, 2016 by shempcat·0 Comments

So, I didn’t watch a horror movie a day during October..but I did watch SOME movies! That’s just life, being life and movies getting watched when I can watch them! Yup!

NEW MOVIES:

THE KINDRED (1987) | 10/4/16 | VHS
RETURN OF DRACULA (1958) | 10/5/16 | YouTube
ZOOTOPIA (2016) | 10/6/16 | Netflix
ISLAND OF TERROR (1966) | 10/8/16 | Svengoolie
DEAR HEART (1964) | 10/8/16 | TCM

Let’s All Go To A Postmasters Convention!

THE FROZEN GHOST (1945) | 10/14/16 | Svengoolie
BELOW THE SEA (1933) | 10/14/16 | TCM / DV-R
MASTERMINDS (1949) | 10/15/16 | TCM

Eat Candy! See The Future! Beware of Mad Scientists!

Eat Candy! Get a Toothache! See The Future! Beware of Mad Scientists!

HILLBILLYS IN A HAUNTED HOUSE (1967) | 10/15/16 | TCM / DV-R
THE BOOGIE MAN WILL GET YOU (1942) | 10/21/15 | YouTube

Peter Lorre carries a CAT in his coat pocket!!!!

RETURN OF THE CREATURE (1955) | 10/23/16 | Svengoolie
JACK REACHER NEVER GO BACK (2016) | 10/25/16 | Alhambra Edwards

JACK IS BACK! Yup!

MACABRE (1958) | 10/27/16 | TCM / DV-R
LONDON HAS FALLEN (2016) | 11/1/16 | Netflix
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE ZOMBIES | 11/2/16 | Starz

RE-SEE MOVIES:

HEAVY METAL (1981) | 10/2/16 | DVD
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (1960) | 10/14/16 | TCM

Little Shop! No Music! Just a hungry plant! FEED ME!

MURDER BY CONTRACT (1958) | 10/24/16 | YouTube
THE ‘BURBS (1989) | 10/26/16 | Netflix

I am now at 128 new movies and 55 re-see movies. Slow and steady, but ever watching!

My highlight of the month was just finding DEAR HEART on TCM and watching it! It had been a while since I caught a movie at it’s start to watch to the end.

DEAR HEART; Geraldine Page, a postmaster at a Postmasters’ convention, in a big city. She wants to feel special and have a good time! She’s longing for love, but won’t just settle for a convention affair. Glenn Ford, he’s a traveling salesman, ready to settle down, but has he “settled” for the woman with a kid because it’s the thing to do? These two meet and there’s some kismet, but is it meant to be? Ahhh, LOVE! Movie love!

TRIVIA: Geraldine Page is Madame Medusa in THE RESCUERS!!!! WOOT!

MASTER MINDS was another movie I found on TCM, it features the Bowery Boys. One of them boys has an incredible sweet tooth, he eats so much candy, he gets a toothache and it gives him the power to see the future! Becoming a sideshow act the boys think they’ve scored the big time! But of course there’s an evil scientist, Alan Napier, on the loose who needs a brain for his STRONG, HAIRY MONSTER MAN ARMY. A mix up, fortune telling and lots of sugar made this a sweet, cute flick.

My guy Dave found me THE BOOGIE MAN WILL GET YOU on YouTube. It was a real delight. Boris Karloff has an old home that houses his experiments. He’s trying to creature a super army race too, but seems to be killing the traveling salesman that come to his door, though it is all in the name of science!! A young woman offers to buy the house to turn it into a hotel and as she tries to fix it up, a mix of characters stop by, including her ex-husband. Are people really dying? Who’s the killer? Is it the boogie man? Peter Lorre is the town’s doctor, sheriff, tax collector and he carries a cat in his pocket. It’s completely silly, and it made me laugh!

Then last but not least, I’m just going to stick with highlighting the oldies, I re-watched the 1960 LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS! Thanks again TCM for this one! I watched it with my niece and it’s very nice that I can get them to watch old Black & White flicks! I just love Roger Corman movies! My nieces dug it too, though Effie didn’t like the ending.

Alas, only a handful of movies viewed in October, but some fun discoveries for sure! I’ll get around to more of the new releases sooner or later! Yup! HAPPY MOVIE watching one and all! May November be filled with more movies! Yup!

Drink Me – Movie Drinks – Part Five

October 5, 2016 by shempcat·0 Comments

Could you use a break? Do you need a drink to go with that break? Well, you’re in luck! I’ve got some beverages to wet your whistle.

Now go grab your chilled glasses, a shaker, buckets of ice and be ready to go and have a drink with me and the movies!

MILLION DOLLAR PURSUIT (1951) – Who doesn’t want an easy score? That one big break?! Well, if you’re a guy full of potential, but everyone thinks you’re just some small-time crook not amounting to much you can show ’em what’s what. That’s just how things are for Monte. He’s got plans! “One of these days…pull something really big!” Just wait, he’ll show you just what he means! Yup.

Monte gets his hands on a fancy key from an apartment store cashier safe! And like a guy of his nature he can’t help but do some bragging about the potential for a big score! Monte’s drink choice was a Scotch and Soda, with a twist, but heavy on the scotch.

Scotch & Soda, with a twist

You’ll need 1.5 oz of Scotch Whisky and 6 oz of Club Soda. Take a glass filled with ice, add the Scotch Whisky first and top it off with the Club Soda. Garnish the glass with a lemon twist.

THE SECRET OF THE INCAS (1954) – Are you ready for an adventure? Are you interested in archeology and old artifacts? Want to see a strong, suave hombre in action? Well take a little trip to Peru with this this movie and see Charlton Heston in his leather jacket and hat as he sweet talks his way into a geological dig for some Incan Gold! This movie absolutely inspired Indiana Jones, just watch and see what I mean!

But, let me tell you, Mr. Heston is a real rough around the edges kinda man, and I didn’t like him all that much. I know I was supposed to though, because he is playing a man’s man! Bah!…Heston is just a selfish scammer and he sort of treats a lady to a Whisky Sour.

Whisky Sour

This fine libation is made with whisky, lemon juice, sugar, and a dash of egg white (egg white is optional, depending on who makes it.) Take 2 oz of whisky, 2/3 oz of lemon juice, a teaspoon of superfine sugar and pour it into a shaker along with some ice. Give it a good shake and then strain the drink into a glass filled with ice.

CLUE (1985) – The movie based on a board game. Re-watched this one a while back with some pals and we all laughed at the fun. No matter how many times I’ve seen this movie I still find myself giggling at the same jokes.

How can you not love this little murder mystery movie with the pale and tragic Mrs. White, Klutzy Mr. Green, Sexy Miss Scarlet, and the Butler Wadsworth? Well the alcoholic beverage of choice in CLUE was Cognac.

Cognac: Distilled Brandy from Cognac, France. Pour the old aged Cognac into a glass and sip away!

CAST OF DEADLY SPELL (1991) – It’s 1940’s Los Angeles. The streets at night are wet and shiny. Every classy dame is dressed in a gown and you can light your cigarettes without matches because you’ve got magic hands! This detective film is filled with gore and stars Fred Ward as a detective who doesn’t delve into the Supernatural. He believes in real work and making an honest living. There’s two drinks from this flick! Clink, Clink!

Burbon & Water

Grab an old-fashioned glass. Add 2 oz of bourbon whiskey and 4 oz of water and stir. Tah-da! Bourbon and Water, whicn you can garnish with a twist of lemon peel to be fancy!

Scotch Sour (Back once again! Them classy folks love this libation.)

You need blended scotch whisky and lemon juice. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then pour in 1 and 1/2 oz of blended scotch whisky and 3/4 oz of lemon juice. Shake it up well. Strain it all into an old fashioned glass filled with ice.

I would recommend checking out CAST A DEADLY SPELL if you’re looking for a horror movie this Halloween season! The gore will satisfy! So have a drink, relax and be safe with each sippy sip! Yup!

Watching Movies! More Lists, More Movies!

July 13, 2016 by shempcat·0 Comments

Let’s just watch movies!!!! ! Yup! I’m watching movies and I’m here to share what I’ve seen! I haven’t done that since April, and now we’re into July!!!!!!?!! Woah 2016, WOAH!?!?!

Though it seems my cinematic input is going slow and steady…slow and steady is better than no movies at all!

First up my list of movies I’ve seen and re-seen since the start of May:

NEW MOVIES:

THE NICE GUYS (2016) | 5/8/16 | Reel Grit
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016) | 5/13/16 | Regal Alhambra
AVA’S POSSESSION (2015) | 5/17/16 | Netflix
ZOOMBIES (2016) | 5/17/16 | Netflix
THAT GAL…WHO WAS IN THAT THING: THAT GUY 2 (2015) | 5/18/16 | Netflix
THE HALLOW (2015) | 5/18/16 | Netflix
THREE IN THE ATTIC (1968) | 5/20/16 | TCM
CALL NORTHSIDE 777 (1948) | 5/23/16 | Netflix
HUSH (2016) | 5/2916 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
RED SUN (1971) | 5/29/16 | Reel Grit / AFI
PAIN & GAIN (2013) | 5/30/16 | DVD
FRANK (2014) | 6/2/16 | Netflix
THE WAILING (2016) | 6/4/16 | AMC Atlantic Times Square 14
HOUSE OF HORRORS (1946) 6/5/16 | Svengoolie/DVR
BEYOND THE GATES (2015) | 6/6/16 | LA Film Festival/Culver City Arclight
NEON DEMON (2016) | 6/12/16 | Los Feliz 3 (Reel Grit)
PILLOW OF DEATH (1945) | 6/13/16 | Svengoolie / Me TV
THE LEECH WOMAN (1960) 6/18/16 | Svengoolie / Me TV
THE SNIPER (1952) | 6/19/16 | TCM / DVR
INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE (2016) | 6/23/16 | Edwards Alhambra
BLOODY BIRTHDAY (1981) | 6/30/16 | TCM (DVR)
THE LEGEND OF TARZAN (2016) | 7/3/16 | AMC Atlantic Times Square 14
STUNTS (1978) | 7/10/16 | TCM (DVR)

Bonus June outing: Alamo’s Guide to Virtual Reality | 6/5/16 | Regent DTLA (clips & panel) from Alamo Drafthouse LA. This was a lot of fun because after the Q&A with the VR panel I went and introduced myself to Brett Leonard, director of THE LAWNMOWER MAN & VIRUTOSITY! We shook hands! Yup! Go me! (Back in the day, I actually named a pet bird Jobe after watching LAWNMOWER MAN!)

JOBE likes VR!

RE-SEE MOVIES:

CLUE (1985) | 5/1/16 | DVD (outside)
ROMANCING THE STONE (1984) | 5/1/16 | DVD (outside)
LETHAL WEAPON (1987) | 5/8/16 | 35mm Reel Grit
THE LAST BOY SCOUT (1991) | 5/8/16 | 35mm Reel Grit
KISS KISS BANG BANG (20050 | 5/8/16 | 35mm Reel Grit
WILD IN THE STREETS (1968) | 5/19/16 | TCM
HUDSON HAWK (1991) | 5/24/16 | STARZ
THE HATEFUL 8 (2016) | 5/2816 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS (1941/1942) | 5/2816 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
BAD NEWS BEARS (1976) | 5/2816 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (1964) | 5/2816 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948) | 5/2816 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY (1998) | 5/2816 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
EVIL DEAD 2 (1987) | 5/29/16 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
SUPERBAD (2007) | 5/29/16 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT (1977) | 5/29/16 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
THE MATRIX (1999) | 5/29/16 | Rosemead High School 24 Hr. Marathon
CAST A DEADLY SPELL (1991) | 6/3/16 | Amazon Instant
SHE-WOLF OF LONDON (1946) | 6/5/17 | Sevengoolie/DVR
THE PHANTOM (1996) | 6/11/16 | Netflix
DRIVE (2011) | 6/12/16 | Los Feliz 3 (Reel Grit)
ID4 (1996) | 6/16/16 | DVD
DREAMSCAPE (1984) | 6/16/16 | DVR
HUDSON HAWK (1991) | 6/17/16 | DVR
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015) | 07/05/16 | CABLE
WILD BUNCH (1969) | 7/6/16 | TCM
GREYSTOKE: THE LEGEND OF TARZAN, LORD OF THE APES (1984) | 7/9/16 | Google Play

This brings me to 124 movies in all for 2016, so yea!!!!! Here’s to Happy Movie watching times for everyone! (Yes I need to see more!)

For me, when it comes to watching movies I still think it’s nice to share what was a good movie view! So here’s some of my favorite flick picks!

If you want a further flash back I offer you a recap of some movies I saw in May which can be found here: http://shempcat.com/movie-marathon-24-hours-of-cinema/ please read and enjoy! Yup!

Now here’s 10 Films I would recommend that were new sees for me:

RED SUN: A western with the greats Charles Bronson, Alain Delon and Toshirô Mifune. When a train with Japanese delegates is robbed by Link (Bronson) and Gauche (Delon) there’s a double cross. Gauche takes a Japanese sword and the train loot all for himself ditching his partner Link. A Japanese Samurai guard, Kuroda (Mifune), wrangles Link into teaming up to track Gauche and this mismatched pair have quite a Western trek. I love Westerns! I love this cast! It is all pretty badass from beginning to end. The west is so much cooler now with these three fellows.

THREE IN THE ATTIC: This film stars Christopher Jones, whom I love because of WILD IN THE STREETS. Jones is Paxton Quigley. Paxton Quigley is in college and is known for bedding more than a few collegiate women. The tale is based on a book called Paxton Quigley’s Had the Course and they even have a song of the same title in the film. Now you’re probably wondering what’s the deal with the attic? So…Paxton finds himself entangled with three lovely ladies, all quite intriguing in their own ways. First up there’s Tobey who may just be his perfect match, next is Eulice a smart woman who’s a painter and she knows what she wants, their sexual attraction is on fire; lastly there’s hippie chick Jan who he tricked into bedding (not cool Paxton, not cool!) but they then dig their mutual hippie vibes. So Paxton goes about juggling his love life between classes and TV shows. When the ladies find out they trap him in an attic and torture him with round the clock sexual encounters. Oh Paxton, baby, you got what you gave…yup.

THE WAILING: This Korean horror, thriller really creeped me out and stuck with me days after I saw it. Unusual murders strike a small village and as more occur there seems to be a strange evil connection. A local policeman finds himself entangled in the gruesome horror as his daughter is soon possessed. There’s a lot going on as it’s a look at another culture dealing with possession, small town fears and prejudices. It never eases up either as things only become more horrific. I actually felt scared, jumped not because of a cheap trick and was left feeling WTF and that was all a good thing. Does everything make sense? Perhaps not but damn if my eyes weren’t glued to the screen.

BEYOND THE GATES: I ventured off to Culver City and the LA FILM FEST to see this movie. Two estranged brothers are packing up their dad’s video store after his strange disappearance and they find a VHS Board Game. Once they being to play they find the consequences have an impact on their real world and may lead them to their dad. One of my favorite actresses Barbara Crampton is the beauty of the VHS game nudging the brothers along. It’s a throw back to 80’s horror movies but feels pretty fresh. There’s blood and gore aplenty and I dug the character development between the bros. BEYOND is a fun horror movie that’s making it rounds through some festivals so keep an eye out and check it out. Yup.

NEON DEMON: Nicolas Winding Refn’s latest film reveals his inner 16 year old female side. (So he admitted at a Q&A I was fortunate to attend when I saw this movie.) It’s a horror movie set in the fashion world where Jesse (Elle Fanning) is fresh on the scene and making other models jealous. Jesse has a natural beauty and she’s absolutely self aware of her power as she is ready to move on up. It’s surreal, dreamy and raw commenting on what is beauty; is it natural, is it made, can it be faked? Jena Malone is a make-up artist Ruby and she was just as entrancing throughout the film. Keanu Reeves was in this film too, and I had no idea he was until I saw his name in the credits. He’s Hank and he’s not so nice. You’ll likely love this movie or hate it. My guy Dave and I have had many a talks about how you could perceive the film and being a Refn fan I was on board through it all. Loved It.

THE SNIPER: I found this movie sitting on my dad’s DVR recorded from TCM. It’s a sad movie that deals with some serious issues; mental health, sex crimes, the prejudice of the police force and politics which are all stuck in a broken system. Eddie Miller is a troubled man, he’s got some bad thoughts plaguing his brain. He doesn’t like women, and it seems the world is against him. When Eddie can no longer resist the urge to shoot at women from a rooftop we see just how the world reacts to such events. Society calls for justice, people choose to live in fear, a psychologist urges for support and changes to the system all while more killings continue. This film should be required viewing. It gets you angry and thinking. Things should be better by now, but from 1952 to today, this movie feels just as real now as it was then.

INDEPENDENCE DAY RESURGENCE: I won’t lie, I was excited to see this movie. I remember back in 1996 when ID4 came out…I always think about the teaser trailer, just seeing a blast of a big sky scraper. BOOM, destruction. They don’t make trailers like that anymore. What in the world were we getting into? An alien invasion?! What? Well it was 1996 and ID4 was a ridiculous movie, but it was fun and I know how to have a good old popcorn grubbin’ fun time with a movie.

I loved the build up to ID: RESURGENCE with Jeff GoldBlum as David Levinson explaining how the world has changed since that 4th of July oh so long ago. What I loved most about RESURGENCE was the idea that the world actually came together, rebuilt together and got along after such a worldwide disaster. It’s a beautiful dream and damnit I like it. So RESURGENCE is purely fluffy fun. The aliens return to try again and overtake the Earth and though we’re better prepared it’s still no easy fight!

My favorite things included DAVID LEVINSON, his Dad Julius, the ex president Bill Pullman, I mean President Whitmore and Dr. Brackish Okun (Brent Spiner). The movie makes the right nods for my 1996 self and it had fun action bits that kept me chuckling. Some of the action moments payoff could have used a little more oomph but I had the good old time, Yup. Oh the poor landmarks! I’m ready for more!

BLOODY BIRTHDAY: What happens when three kids are all born at the same time, under a bad astrological sign? Well they become apathetic killers at a young tender age. It’s like three bad seeds all working together to knock off people they just don’t like. This movie was it was actually filmed in my hometown and it has Julie Brown. Yea! Julie Brown, so cute and bouncy! The killer kids are pretty bad kids, don’t mess with their killing plans. The best friend of Julie Brown might know why the kids are killers but she could use a bit more smarts. She wants to be a journalist but doesn’t think she has to go off to college!? It’s a quirky horror movie and just entertaining enough. Fun 80’s cast.

THE LEGEND OF TARZAN: I love TARZAN. I watched old Tarzan movies with my dad. I love pulpy heroes. So this movie was perfect for me! The Lord of Greystoke, aka John Clayton III, aka TARZAN (Alexander Skarsgård) has taken his place amongst Victorian England. His lovely wife Jane (Margot Robbie) is by his side. John is being wrangled to return to the African jungle to validate King Leopold’s claims on the Congo, but it’s really a ploy by the King’s envoy Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz) to get diamonds and be rid of Tarzan.

George Washington Williams, who’s actually based on a real life person and played by Samuel L. Jackson, shows up to warn Tarzan of a potential trap! George knows King Leopold is up to no good and he wants Tarzan’s help to expose the truth. Heroes one and all!

Now Tarzan is set to go to the jungle and Jane is ready to return too to stay at his side. Though Jane ultimately is used as a pawn in the “let’s get Tarzan game” she’s no wispy damsel in distress. She knows her way around the jungle. This is a Tarzan movie people, it’s got action, it’s got fun, it’s got jungle heat! I learned about African bird mating calls!

There’s lots of vine swinging (oh CGI!) but, Skarsgård is a fantastic Tarzan while Robbie is his awesome Jane. (TRUE LOVE)

I admittedly am a sucker for pulpy films and I had a super duper blast! I watched this fun flick with my family and they all enjoyed it too. What more could a girl like me want? AHHHhhhhhh!!!!! TARZAN YELL!

STUNTS: I love finding movies on cable! My dad recorded this one from TCM Underground. It seemed vaguely familiar and I may have seen it before but it felt pretty new…so it’s on my new list! It stars Robert Forster as a stuntman! His brother, fellow stuntman, recently died performing a stunt and so there’s a mystery of who killed him and why!? Could it be the stunt coordinator who’s had some on set deaths hurt his career? Could it be an upcoming stuntman? Nah, that guy is a dork! (Hee hee) The cast is super cool! Ray Sharkey with a sleezy stashe and the lovely Joanna Cassidy and her adorable laugh! Both are stuntmen! This is a movie about making movies and you see the producers who want the big action to make big blockbusters. It was neat to see the old film cameras and a production in the little town of San Luis Obispo and the Madonna Inn. Robert Forster is so young and a perfect stuntman. He’s got the ‘tude and know how. He’s an awesome leading man! SPOILER WARNING!!!!!!! Things I learned from STUNTS, stuntmen ride motorcycles, if they die you have to throw their bike into the ocean. They like vans or trucks that fit waterbeds. And they’re all FAST & FURIOUS. 😉

The Hell With Dialogue, Let’s Wreck Something!

Next up, a quick run through of some favorite recent re-sees.

5 re-sees:

ROMANCING THE STONE: Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner together! Turner is romance writer Joan Wilder, she’s off to the jungle to find her sister. Joan meets hero Jack T. Colton (Douglas) in the jungle and many hijinks ensue. Joan finds her hero but realizes she can take care of herself too. What’s not to love and laugh about when you find drug runners who read romance novels and Danny DeVito is hot on their trails? ROMANCING is still as funny as it was when I watched it on cable and VHS! We had a blast kicking off the summer vibe watching this at our friends house outside in the backyard! Yeah movies outdoors!

WILD IN THE STREETS: Christopher Jones is Max Frost and he wants to change America. He gets the voting age dropped to 14, gets a hippie elected into the house of representatives, becomes President of the United States and puts everyone over the age of 30 into LSD camps, it’s the “SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME”, you dig it baby? Thanks to TCM for airing this one! It was playing and I watched from beginning to end. Bonus cheers to Shelley Winters, Richard Pryor and Hal Holbrook for being groovy peeps in this movie.

Let The Revolution Begin!

CAST A DEADLY SPELL: An HBO TV movie that I watched back in the day and have to say that it still holds up pretty well now. I found it Amazon Instant and just settled in for a re-watch. Set in 1940’s Los Angeles where magic is used willy nilly, we meet detective Harry Lovecraft (Fred Ward) who doesn’t use the stuff. He stays on the straight and narrow and gets caught up in stopping an end of the world plot. The film has a cool cast and I have to highlight Clancy Brown! There’s cool monsters and gorey effects. It’s a fun magic noir world. Would you use magic?

GOT MAGIC?

THE PHANTOM: “For those who came in late…” Ok we’re back to pulpy heroes and this movie was one of my favorites in 1996 and still one of my tops all in all. Oh how I love Billy Zane! My niece Effie was over and I actually got her to watch this movie with me! She dug it, of course she had tons of questions but enjoyed the guy in the purple suit, swinging through the jungle and the city to keep the world safe from evil tycoons! I really wish THE PHANTOM series continued. Le Sigh. I still have that Phantom milk poster on a bedroom wall! (I’ll never grow up!)

GOT MILK? The Phantom Does!

GREYSTOKE: THE LEGEND OF TARZAN, LORD OF THE APES: Being on a Tarzan kick after THE LEGEND OF TARZAN my dad found this article online: The Secrets Behind That Other Tarzan Movie — The One That Earned a Dog a Screenwriting Oscar Nomination and if you have a moment it is a great article to read. And then like me you can go and watch GREYSTOKE: THE LEGEND OF TARZAN, LORD OF THE APES.

I actually watched GREYSTOKE back in my cable TV watching days as a kid. It probably started my love of Christopher Lambert! So, this is a TARZAN origin story! It starts with a musical Overture! What was most shocking to remember was the very start, the apes fighting and the mama gorilla (Tarzan’s mama to be) lost her little baby! That baby death was like WOAH! Then we travel to England and meet the Lord of Greystoke, John Clayton II (Paul Geoffrey who’s also Perceval in Excalibur!!). He is about to go off and away with his wife and on their journey. Then they are shipwrecked and trying to survive the wilds of the jungles in Africa. Though they have a lovely treehouse it’s not meant to be because jungle life is too harsh and those apes aren’t so nice.

Baby John, Tarzan, is then adopted by the apes, and lives among them, swinging from trees, growing strong and becoming a superb mimic. Tarzan develops more of a roar then that traditional yell.

Ian Holm shows up as an explorer, Capitaine Phillippe D’Arnot, and he is saved by Tarzan when the rest of his party is killed by a local tribe. In this version it’s Phillippe who does the teaching to help Tarzan realize he’s more than just an APE. Phillippe and John are soon in England and grandpa Lord of Greystoke couldn’t be happier to have his Clayton home.

I seriously could go on and on about this movie! It’s beautiful, the actors in the ape suits are grand, the music fits perfectly. I loved seeing England and Tarzan amongst the fancy folks. Even pretty Andie MacDowell was a nice Jane but did you know she was dubbed over by Glen Close? So it goes in the movie biz! Yup. It was a great re-watch. Yeah, TARZAN!!!! Oh and if you Lambert fans might be wondering about that laugh, yea, he laughs! It made me squeeee!

And there you have it, my take on some movies, my recommendations and some rambling fun. I hope you go out and watch more movies and I will too! Let’s all find the fun in movies and share that fun. Yup!

MOVIE MARATHON – 24 Hours of Cinema

June 8, 2016 by shempcat·1 Comment

Last month I went back to School to join a High School film club at their 24 hour film festival. Yup, that’s right, 24 hours of movie watch, and it include 11 movies from 10 a.m. Saturday Morning to 10 a.m. Sunday morning!

The show is put on by two amazing teacher friends whom I met at BNAT (Butt-Numb-A-Thon); the ultimate 24 hour movie marathon. Yup.

These two fine fellows run the Film Club of their high school and they put together one hell of a line up for the students. This is actually their 5th Annual 24 hour movie marathon and I’m honored to have attended the last three! Yup. I am a lucky movie watcher!

Now these are films that MOST of these kids have NEVER ever seen. Yup. It’s 24 hours of film exposure as a way to introduce a new generation to movies beyond what’s hitting theaters each weekend. When you think about it, kids these days don’t watch movies they way we did as a young film watchers. Who stays up late watching cable television? There’s the internet, smartphones and tablets at their fingertips and YouTube!

I will just say that It’s awesome that there’s a High School with cool teachers teachers who have a place to bring movies of all sorts to young minds! Yup!!

The show started with a video, 3 minutes of film history, and trailers: THE DIRTY DOZEN and THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN.

THE HATEFUL 8, from Quentin Tarantino rolled on screen! This is the longest movie they’ve ever shown at one of the marathons! I was glad to give HATEFUL another view. The last time I saw it was at the New Bev and it was the Roadshow version. Now, it’s not my favorite Tarantino movie, but oh how I love Kurt Russell! It seemed like the young kids dug the movie, so QT has the power of appeal for all ages. 😉

Next up it was time for a Black and White movie dealing with social issues! But of course we got a preview first and it was for OH BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?

The second movie screened was SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS (1942) directed by Preston Sturges and starring Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake. Here we have a big time director (played by Joel McCrea) who’s made some successful films and wants his next feature to be a commentary on life’s social issues but then realizes he knows nothing about what your average joe is dealing with day to day. So, the thing to do is dress like a hobo, ride the rails and experience the other side of life. Along the way he meets Veronica Lake, an aspiring actress who doesn’t want to leave his side. If you’ve never seen SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS, then you should! It holds up and you realize Hollywood politics haven’t changed, people want to make movies and there’s something to be said about movies that make people laugh and feel happy.

The thematic trailers before the next movie were MAJOR LEAGUE and A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, so it was time to step up to the plate for more BASEBALL! BAD NEWS BEARS (1976). I like this movie. I remember just watching parts as a kid, never from beginning to end. When I did finally see it all I realized then just how offensive a little film it is, yup. But hey, it’s got heart! That makes it ok? Yes? Hmmm…

So much drinking from Walter Matthau who’s the underdog baseball coach Buttermaker. He’s got to pull a rag tag team of rejects together, between racist remarks, swear words and more alcohol, so there’s just a ton of SPIRIT. I love Tatum O’Neal as Amanda, the girl who can pitch and of course the bad boy Kelly who is Jackie Earle Haley! Man was he so gawky but tough. 😉 Only in the 70’s could you get away with no helmets for kids who road motorbikes. GO BEARS!

GO BEARS GO! Can I have a beer too?

Before the next film we had trailers for MOONRISE KINGDOM and MOULIN ROUGE!

UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (1964) was next.The musical and foreign film portion of the show! UMBRELLAS is one of my favorite favorite movies which I’ve been fortunate to see on a big screen a few times. It’s beautiful, dreamy, colorful, heartbreaking and again just so beautiful. The film is all done with sung dialogue.

Geneviève, played by Catherine Deneuve, works at an umbrella shop. She’s in love with Guy (Nino Castelnuovo), a mechanic. Geneviève is so young, but she and Guy are so in love and have plans of marriage, children, a living a love filled life together. Guy is drafted and must go away! Once he is gone, Geneviève finds herself pregnant. This sort of drama-rama really got a rise out of the teenage crowd watching the screen. There were so many oooh’s and ahhh’s and cheers and claps between acts/songs. It was quite a movie going experience. I just couldn’t wait to see how the kids responded to the end of the film, especially knowing what was coming. I’d say the film was a hit. Maybe some teens were actually feeling emotional?!?

Now it was time for some Comedy and a dash of horror! The kids were about to get some insight to classic comedies! To set the tone, as we watched the DUDE/SWEET scenes from DUDE, WHERE’S MY CAR?

And the classic “Who’s on First?” by Abbott & Costello!

ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948) hit the screen. How can one not enjoy this movie? Abbott and Costello as Chick and Wilbur, respectively are a pair of baggage handlers who get mixed up in a delivery of Dracula (Bela Lugosi) and Frankenstein to a house of horrors. There’s also the Wolf-Man (Lon Chaney Jr.) who’s wolfing out over the many full moon nights. The mission, between gags and mishaps and laughs, is to try and stop Dracula from resurrecting Frankenstein with a new mindless mind a.k.a. Wilbur’s brain! I think this film does it what it does best, bringing the gags and laughs. Yup.

The next film was THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY (1998) (after a trailer for DUMB & DUMBER). I haven’t seen MARY from beginning to end the whole way through since I last saw it in theaters. That was in 1998! Geez, 1998 and I realize I can thank MARY for the “I’m just fucking with you” line (right?), and gross-out humor that these days has gone way beyond what MARY did. I will admit I get picky when it comes to comedies, but I had fun with MARY then and it made me laugh again now! There’s charm and heart deep down in this movie, and those bits shine through. The kids laughed along, got grossed out and so a good comedy is timeless.

What About Mary?

Now it was midnight! Time for a scary horror movie. We got a trailer to THE CONJURING 2 and watched a short called THE SMILING MAN.

EVIL DEAD 2 (1987) played! I couldn’t have been happier. Anyone reading this knows that EVIL DEAD 2 movie is among my absolute faves! Ash (Bruce Campbell) takes his girlfriend, Linda, to a cabin in the woods. After some flirting he finds and plays a tape that has some magic words from the Necronomicon and when spoken (played) aloud evil is let loose. His girlfriend is taken, the blood bath begins. Then you have more people coming to the cabin, for more blood and gore. What’s not to love!!?!?!? I could watch this movie again and again. Yea Raimi and Campbell! Pretty sure this movie kept the kids awake and scared some others. They cheered at “GROOVY”.

Then to lighten the mood the during the early morning hours we went back to comedy, and we got a trailer for JUNO.

SUPERBAD (2007) was next and it was likely a movie some of the kids had already seen.

I saw SUPERBAD in theaters when it first came out. Weird to think this movie is already 9 years old! Where does the time go?! So it’s a dude bro movie of two best buds who are about to leave high school and go off to college, going different places. On this night they’re finally getting the chance to attend a big party! They must venture out in search of some alcohol and just get into trouble. Oh so many mishaps and foul language! Oh, I can’t forget McLovin, what a scamp. It’s a funny movie, the kids laughed along. I like seeing GLENDALE in the movie. I say it is fun seeing places you grew up around in movies. But hey, that’s just me. I don’t really have much more to say on this one, just that it was funny then and funny now.

And then once again it was time for more horror! This time it was a movie I had never seen! Yea! A new movie for me! But first! Trailer time! LIGHTS OUT and DON’T BREATH.

The horror movie, currently on Netflix, HUSH (2016) hit the screen. I’d been hearing some about this one but hadn’t thought to watch it, so here was my chance. A deaf, mute woman, Maddie, is isolated in a cabin in the woods. She’s got a neighbor friend, and talks to friends on her computer with face time. She’s feeling a little broken hearted and she’s trying to write a new book, but then it’s just wrong place, wrong time. A masked man kills Maddie’s neighbor on her porch but being deaf she didn’t notice. The masked man begins to toy with Maddie and once she’s aware of him she’s not going to go down without a fight. It’s a suspenseful thriller.

After trailers for CANNONBALL RUN and HOOPER we hit the back roads and highway with SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT (1977). Burt Reynolds is Bandit! He’s taken on a big bet that he can transport some Coors Beer from Texas to Georgia, because that sort of thing was illegal in 1977! Can you hear the song EAST BOUND AND DOWN playing in your head?

Along the way Bandit is joined by runaway bride Sally Field and of course the sparks fly! They were a cute couple, I mean Sally Field is incredibly adorable! The spurned groom and his daddy, Sheriff Buford T. Justice is played by Jackie Gleason, are they are in hot pursuit of Bandit and Bride! Poor Sheriff Justice, he’s constantly duped and his car gets so damaged, but it’s all for the laughs! Yup!

And then as we were reaching the morning hours it was time for the last and 11th movie of the marathon! Whew! Good thing there were donuts!

What was the last movie going to be? My teacher pals, who did intros between all the movies (d’oh I forgot to mention that earlier) said how they’d each often make references to this next movie in their classes and couldn’t believe it hadn’t been seen. So indeed it was a good finale pick! The trailer before it was INCEPTION.

THE MATRIX (1999) began to play. I love THE MATRIX. To date myself, because WHATEVER, I was lucky to see an early screening of it while in College at San Francisco. All my friends and I knew about it was the teaser trailer that was out and the tagline of “WHAT IS THE MATRIX?” Having those kinds of moments in cinema have gotten more rare. What did we expect from the Wachowski’s? Well the movie was amazing!

THE MATRIX still stands up just as strong now! Neo is a hacker trying to find out what the Matrix is and of course once he does there’s no turning back. THE MATRIX is a great film and it was a great ending to an amazing marathon!

I did’t stick around much longer to get some feedback from the kids I had chatted with throughout the night. I was TIRED! It was time for bed! I was ready to close my eyes!

Yes, I survived! 11 movies! 24 Hours! I’m ready for next year! Yup Yup Yup!!!

11 Movies! 24 Hours! One Awesome Movie Marathon Adventure! Movies shared, old and new and it’s good to experience movies with new viewers, see how these films hold up, or maybe don’t! There’s so much movie history and I just gotta keep watching movies when and where I can! I’m glad I stayed awake for 24 hours, but thinking about it is making me tired again! 😉 Yup! Let’s Watch Movies! Yup!

Drink Me – Movie Drinks – Part Four

May 5, 2016 by shempcat·0 Comments

Hey there, I’ll have what she’s having! Movies and Booze, baby! I have found some more fancy beverages from movies that I have been watching these past few months and I’m rounding a few of them up right here for a drinking party! This time out I’ll share a little bit more on these films that caught my fancy, in fact it’s making feel a bit tipsy.

It’s got be cocktail hour somewhere, right? Salud!

THE COLOSSUS OF NEW YORK (1958): This one was a bit heavy! A super smarty smart selfless scientist, Dr. Jeremy (Ross Martin), is on his way to make the world a better place, even winning a Nobel Peace Prize, when he suddenly dies! The sad is his death is basically his son’s fault! (The lesson here, don’t give your kid a toy that you may have to chase after into oncoming traffic, D’oh!) But, Dr. Jeremy comes from a science family and his father Dr. William is a brain surgeon, his brother Dr. Henry has dealings with robotics! From here Dr. Williams saves the brain with Henry’s help they revive him as a Colossus robot creature. You can bet the happy reunion doesn’t stay happy for long!

In the movie they drink a Martini, but made with two olives and an onion, so it’s like a cross between a Dirty Martini and a Gibson!

Here’s a recipe for a Martini:

It is one part Dry Vermouth and six parts Gin: Pour 1/2 oz of Dry Vermouth and 3 oz of Gin, into a mixing glass filled with ice cubes. Stir well and then strain it into a chilled martini glass, now you can garnish with an olive or some oil from a lemon peel.

DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES (1962) – I had never seen this movie and finally caught it on TCM one afternoon. This is a truly sad movie, but so good thanks to the actors and the story they told. Jack Lemmon is Joe Clay, a PR man who’s on the rise. When he makes the acquaintance of secretary Kirsten Arnesen, played by Lee Remick, the two fall in love and have a kid which seems to be the start of nothing but happy times. The thing is alcoholism comes into play, drinks each night grows to a need for drinks during the day and Joe and Kristen both develop some bad habits. A quote from the movie that beautifully illustrates the struggle is “Anything worth having, is worth suffering for.”

Before all the suffering the happy times began with a drink called a Brandy Alexander. It’s the drink Joe offers to Kristen to show that not all drinks have to taste alcoholic as it has a splash of chocolate. That Kirsten was a sweet tooth.

Brandy Alexander

You need Cognac, Dark Crème de cacao and fresh cream. Take a cocktail shaker filled with ice and add 2 oz of Cognac, 1 oz of Dark Crème de cacao and 1 oz of cream. Shake. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with nutmeg, freshly grated.

THE BUSY BODY (1967) – This funny little film was featured in my recent movie tally post. Something about it just gave me the giggles and some silly eye rolls. It’s a comedy directed by William Castle, starring Sid Cesar. Sid, as George Norton has to retrieve a body that was recently buried with $1,000,000 hidden in the suit. A series of mishaps and double crosses ensue. Richard Pryor is also in the movie as a police chief.

During a key scene where George is trying to get some info out of a woman he is asked to mix a Scotch Sour. The whole time George is distracted by the flirty woman that he grabs a glass, some cracked ice and lemon juice, which he shakes vigorously. Upon tasting he realizes he had forgotten the scotch. What was really on his mind?

Scotch Sour

A LIFE AT STAKE (1954) – This is one hot movie and more than a few drinks are had to cool off! Just look at that saucy Angela Lansbury! Meow! It all starts with an out of work architect named Edward. He’s feeling sorry for himself and down in the dumps due to some bad deals leaving him pretty broke. Then in noir fashion an offer that’s too good to refuse comes knocking on his door. Angela Lansbury is Doris Hillman, a rich married woman with an eye for land as a relator. She offers Edward the chance to build and design property for her to sell, but the catch is he needs to be insured to get her husbands ok. There’s nothing to be suspicious about, right?

When Edward and Doris first meet, Edward makes himself a whisky soda, and then when the two meet again it’s a Scotch light, with lots of water for them both! “Maybe a little music will get this party airborne.” (That’s what she said!)

Whisky Soda

This is Scotch Whisky and Soda Water, it’s 1 part Scotch and 2 parts soda. Take a chilled glass filled with ice and pour in 1/2 oz of whisky and 1 oz of soda water.

Scotch & Water

Pour 2 oz of Scotch whisky, and 5 oz of water into a highball glass filled with ice cubes. Stir well. Serve and Sip. Sip.

Oh and last but not least, something I learned from A LIFE AT STAKE; Champagne, “is for good things” and you want to toast like this: “here’s to fun and love!”

But,…if you’re in a Noir movie and celebrating with Champagne you should take it with a grain of salt, something bad is around the corner. Yup.

Now I lift my glass high and say cheers to you for making it this far! May you be happy, healthy and wise! Drink, but drink safe and again never drink and drive! It’s time to find a Happy Hour! Yup!

Movie Highlights And Movies Viewed! Keep Watching Movies, Yup!

April 29, 2016 by shempcat·0 Comments

Hey, I’m still watching movies! No really, it is true! Though it is so easy to get sidetracked and put off writing and sharing my movie views and movie finds, I am here NOW to share! And, as they say better late than never…yup.

Though my movie watching output has slightly fallen, I think I have seen some good movies! So here’s my list of all I’ve seen since the last time I posted my list (in January!) and then I’ll share my favorites.

NEW MOVIES: These are movies 25-60 from my tally list, so I’ve seen 60 new movies so far in 2016!

LEGEND OF DRUNKEN MASTER (1994) | 2/4/16 | NoHo 7
X THE UNKNOWN (1956) | 2/6/16 | YouTube
THE SPACE CHILDREN (1958) | YouTube Paramount Vault
DAYS OF WINE & ROSES (1962) | 2/7/16 | TCM
THE WITCH (2015) | 2/10/16 | Screening Room Beverly Hills
NIGHT WORLD (1932) | 2/13/16 | YouTube
DEADPOOL (2016) | 2/14/16 | LA LIVE Regal
ZOOLANDER 2 (2016) | 2/14/16 | CITYWALK AMC
THE VOICES (2014) 2/14/16 | Amazon Instant
AGAINST A CROOKED SKY (1975) | 2/16/16 | Amazon Instant
CIRCUS (2000) | 2/18/16 | HBO GO
11:14 (2005) | 2/19/16 | HBO GO
HOT LEAD & COLD FEET (1978) | 2/20/16 | New Beverly
THE BUSY BODY (1967) | 2/25/16 | YouTube Paramount Vault
LIFE AT STAKE (1954) | 2/26/16 | YouTube
ANABELL (2014) | 2/28/16 | HBO GO
HELLIONS (2015) | 3/1/16 | Netflix
THE PHANTOM SPEAKS (1945) | 3/6/16
TROUBLE IN THE GLEN (1954) | 3/12/16 | Amazon Instant
PUCKOON (2003) | 3/12/16 | Amazon Instant
10 CLOVERFIELD LANE (2016) | 3/12/16 | Tiki Drive-In
TRIPLE 9 (2016) | 3/12/16 | Tiki Drive-In
AVENGING EAGLE (1978) | 3/13/16 | Netflix
THE INSPECTORS WEARS SKIRTS / TOP SQUAD (1988) | 3/13/16 | YouTube
PALOOKA (1934) | 3/13/16 | YouTube
MILLION DOLLAR PURSUIT (1951) | 3/13/16 | YouTube
ESCAPE BY NIGHT (1937) | 3/16/16 | YouTube
PEE WEE’S BIG HOLIDAY (2016) | 3/18/16
ME, EARL AND THE DYING GIRL (2015) | 3/24/16 | HBO GO
THE MERMAID (2016) | 3/29/16 | AMC Monterey Park
HELLO MY NAME IS DORIS (2016) | 3/29/16 | AMC Burbank 8
CREED (2015) | 4/5/16 | On Demand
BRIDE OF VENGEANCE (1949) | 4/9/16 | YouTube
HARDCORE HENRY (2016) | 4/14/16 | Vista
SECRET OF THE INCAS (1954) | 4/23/16 | YouTube
COMPADRES (2016) | 4/24/16 | Regal Alhambra

I’m enjoying more movies on YouTube thanks especially to the Paramount Vault channel and my Chromecast! I’ve caught some goodie oldie flicks. One of the fun ones that had some good laughs was THE BUSY BODY, a silly comedy directed by William Castle, starring Sid Caesar. A series of ridiculous mishaps include mob guys running around with a dead body in search of money. What will Sid Caesar find?!!

Also on YouTube I found SECRET OF THE INCAS starring Charlton Heston who’s sporting some Indiana Jones duds as he hopes to find Inca gold in Peru! (Apparently it has been credited for inspiring Indiana Jones! If it’s not obvious from watching…) A highlight of the film is the songs sung by Yma Sumac who can sing in a 5 octave vocal range.

The film 11:14 was a good find on an HBO GO viewing night. I had never seen it before and it is a film where different characters have their paths cross all on the same night at the unusual time of 11:14. It had a cool cast of Hilary Swank, Ben Foster and Patrick Swayze to name a few.

I did get a chance to visit The New Beverly at a Kiddie Matinee for HOT LEAD & COLD FEET which featured Don Knotts, though he’s not really the star of this one, no matter what the trailer shows you! HOT LEAD & COLD FEET stars Jim Dale in three different roles, Eli Bloodshy, Wild Billy Bloodshy, and Jasper Bloodshy. He’s the father who pits his two sons against each other in a race to save a little town and yes Jim Dale is both sons; one a good guy and the other a bad gun. It was a cute Disney film! The best comedy relief bits came from Don Knotts (Sheriff Denver Kid) who was having a series of duals with Jack Elam (Rattlesnake).

My guy Dave and I went to the Tiki Drive-In to see 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE and TRIPLE 9! That was a fun double! An unusual paring, but a good time for sure. By the way, a little advice: no matter what the weather is like you should always take more blankets and jackets than you think necessary when going to the Drive-In! Yup.

On my Birthday I had a good movie watching day! I saw THE MERMAID, directed by Stephen Chow, which surprisingly had a good sincere message about the environment. It also had the laughs of the usual Chow style; cartoony, fun and some musical flair! After that movie I got to see HELLO MY NAME IS DORIS, directed by Michael Showalter, it is one of my favorite films of 2016, so far! Sally Field is adorably adorable as Doris, crushing hard on a young, younger man. I highly recommend DORIS!

DORIS is Cool!

One last NEW MOVIE highlight has to be watching PEE WEE’S BIG HOLIDAY with my Sister, my guy Dave and my nieces. My sister is one of the BIGGEST Pee Wee/Paul Rubens fans. She had been waiting for this movie and it was the best to be with her to watch. We laughed, laughed and laughed! It was a genius film and sharing those laughs my family filled me with tons of joy. A smile fills my face as I think back to watching Pee Wee make his way to Joe as my sis and I laughed along. Thanks PEE WEE! Yup. Now I’m going to “let you, let me go” so I can get on with more lists and things! 😉

Go, Pee Wee Go!

RE-SEE MOVIES: Here are movies 3-14, Total = 14 Re-See movies!!

THE NET (1995) | 2/11/16 | DVD
THE TENACIOUS D: THE PICK OF DESTINY (2006) | 2/19/16 | HBO GO
THE WITCH (2016) | 2/23/16 | SUNDANCE THEATER
GALAXY QUEST (1999) | 2/26/16 | Netflix
WHAT WE DO IN SHADOWS (2014) | 2/28/16 | HBO GO
THE LAST DRAGON (1985) | 3/2/16 | DVD
PIRANHA (1978) | 3/10/16 | DVD
CABIN IN THE WOODS (2012) | 3/14/16 | DVD
BLACK ANGEL (1946) | 3/22/16 | YouTube
THE GIFT (2001) | 3/27/16 | FLIX
EXCALIBUR (1981) | 3/29/16 | On Demand
GREASE 2 (1982) | 4/14/16 | Netflix

Yup, I do enjoy re-watching movies as they deliver happy feelings. I can just veg out and/or craft things without missing out on plot points during a re-see. And, since they are just that good to me, they can be viewed again and again. Here’s my re-see highlights over the past few months:

Surprisingly I give props to THE NET, though I’m not the biggest fan of Sandra Bullock. (That’s right, no fan, I say, Sorry Sandra!) The Pluses for THE NET are a mention of an alcoholic beverage, it was/is a good flashback to the 90’s and yeah for computer hacking. Is your identity safe?!!!! Be like Sandra and keep yourself safe and never trust someone who drinks the SAME alcoholic beverage as you. DUH!

Re-Watching THE WITCH with a packed theater made the film even better for me. Sometimes you need an active audience to really appreciate a film. I did like the movie when I saw it the first time as I was fortunate to have a good viewing partner at a press screening, but the audience was more on the serious side. The crowd at the Sundance Theater, all over 21 and ready for some scary moments, was reacting well to those moments which made the film even better. I knew what was coming but I enjoyed seeing people jump in their seats and hear loud gasps and “eeewww” reactions. That’s just one reason why you watch movies in the theater! Yup.

I have been spending a lot of time with my nieces lately, and together we’re learning coding, playing D&D and watching movies. I LOVE any opportunity to watch a movie with my nieces! The movie we watched together was GALAXY QUEST and they loved it. It didn’t hurt that some good friends of theirs had recently recommended it and they gave it a fair chance. (They are already picky kids!) Now, they don’t know too much about Star Trek yet but now I think they are interested to check it out. GALAXY QUEST really has a great repeat factor, I get caught up in it every time and my nieces laughed and got teary-eyed with me too (you know what part!).

On my BIRTHDAY back in March I let my guy Dave pick a movie to watch and he chose a good re-see in EXCALIBUR. It had been a long time since I revisited that one and I had a blast. It’s a movie I grew up on and it that got me excited about King Arthur, Knights and Classical Music. Oh and it has the most awesome cast, including Liam Neeson! (DARKMAN FOREVER!) See I loved Liam long before he was DARKMAN! Yup.

And lastly my favorite recent re-see…C-O-O-L…Inspired by this article: ‘Grease 2:’ Feminist Masterpiece and the Superior ‘Grease’ Film I happily and eagerly re-watched GREASE 2!

I have no shame in professing my love of GREASE 2, it is not a guilty pleasure to me! GREASE 2 is a fine film, a great musical and it has a COOL RIDER! I watched; sang along and even caught my guy Dave humming along.

GREASE 2 excels in entertaining me to no end and there’s NO FLYING CAR ENDING! There’s a Rock-A-Hula-Luau! We find out just “who that guy is!” and a good lesson is learned; you CAN have two for the price of one. 😉 wink wink. I’m the certain-est that my heart will love GREASE 2 forever and ever. Now I have an itch to go bowling and eat a hamburger with double ketchup, yup yup yup!

I’ll be back soon (yes soon!) to ramble on about more movies, movie drinks and probably comic books! FREE COMIC BOOK DAY IS COMING! (Cross the streams!)

Drink Me – Movie Drinks – Part Three

February 14, 2016 by shempcat·1 Comment

Here’s a toast; “to you and movies!” Clink, Clink! Drink it up!

I’m keeping an eye out for drinks mentioned in movies, if someone pours a beverage in a glass without it’s fancy name I can’t go adding it to my list. And then in some movies, it’s a drink I’ve already mentioned but it won’t hurt to mention again as it will give me a chance to highlight a fun movie. Yup, so here’s a few more adult beverages for you movieholics.

Stinger – DOUBLE EXPOSUE (1944)

A Stinger (it’s back again!!!!) is made by adding crème de menthe to brandy/Cognac. Take a mixing glass filled with ice, add the crème de menthe (2/3 ounce) and brandy (1 3/4 ounce), stir and then strain it into a cold cocktail glass. It can also be served on the rocks. (ice, ice!)

Sherry – DOUBLE EXPOSUE (1944)

Sherry is a wine; it’s a Spanish wine made of white grapes. It should be served in a Sherry glass, either as an Aperitif or after dinner dessert wine. (Dessert wines are good with Twinkies, so I’ve heard.) 😉

Scotch & Water – MAN IN THE VAULT (1956) Tommy Dancer makes a strong Scotch and Water for the gal he brought to his house.

Pour 2 oz of Scotch whisky, and 5 oz of water into a highball glass filled with ice cubes. Stir well. Serve and Sip.

Your Scotch and Soda, just how you like it. Drink!

That’s Good.

Bourbon Straight – MAN IN THE VAULT (1956)

When you want a drink straight, it’s no frills, often called “neat” so it is just the spirit as is, solo. Pour one ounce of Bourbon into a cocktail glass, sip, sip, sip.

Stealing Money, Drinking Drinks

Gibson – THE NET (1995)

A Gibson is a martini but with an onion instead of an olive. It’s a good drink to compliment your pizza from pizza.net after a night of analyzing code

Add 2.5 oz of Gin (or Vodka) and 0.5 oz of Dry vermouth into a mixing glass. Add ice, stir and then strain into a chilled cocktail glass (or Star Trek glass). Garnish with a whole cocktail onion.