Live Tweet Alert: Join #ScarySocial for The Slime People!


As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in a few weekly live tweets on twitter.  I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday, I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday, and I am one of the five hosts of #MondayActionMovie!  Every week, we get together.  We watch a movie.  We tweet our way through it.

Tonight, at 9 pm et, Deanna Dawn will be hosting #ScarySocial!  The movie?  The Slime People!  

If you want to join us this Saturday, just hop onto twitter, start the movie at 9 pm et, and use the #ScarySocial hashtag!  It’s a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy.

The film is available on Prime!

Scene that I Love: Superstar from Jesus Christ Superstar


Just like yesterday’s scene, today’s scene that I love comes from 1973’s Jesus Christ Superstar.

Not surprisingly, both the musical and the film were controversial when first released.  Seen today, though, it’s one of the best and most spiritually sincere films about the Passion ever made.

Carl Anderson, as the ghost of Judas, sings as if the world depends upon it.

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Andrei Tarkovsky


4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!

On this date, 94 years ago, Andrei Tarkovsky was born in Russia.  Before he was murdered by the communist KGB in 1986, Tarkovsky was responsible for some of the most intriguing and visually stunning films ever made.  Today, we pay tribute to Tarkovsky’s art and his legacy.  It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Andrei Tarkovsky Films

Ivan’s Childhood (1962, dir by Andrei Tarkovsky, DP; Vadim Yusov)

Solaris (1972, dir by Andrei Tarkovsky, DP: Vadim Yusov)

Mirror (1975, dir by Andrei Tarkovsky, DP: Georgy Rerberg)

Stalker (1979, dir by Andrei Tarkovsky, DP: Alexander Knyazhinsky)

The Eric Roberts Collection: The Wrong Mr. Right (dir by David DeCoteau)


“Girl, you picked the wrong Mr, Right,” Sandra (Vivica A. Fox) says towards the end of 2021’s The Wrong Mr. Right and she’s absolutely correct.

Sandra’s best friend is Tracy (Krista Allen), whose new boyfriend Paul (Rob Hillis) has recently moved into her huge home.  (The house should be familiar to anyone who has seen a David DeCoteau film.)  Tracy’s daughter, Jessica (Anna Marie Dobbins), is suspicious of Paul and she has every right to be.  Paul is not only a con artist and a murderer but he’s also so dumb that he leaves a box full of all the evidence of his wrong doings sitting in his office, where anyone could easily find it and go through it.

In general, I enjoy the “Wrong” films but I have to admit that even I couldn’t suspend my disbelief long enough to buy that Tracy would not only trust Paul but also continue to trust him even after it was revealed that his name was actually Michael O’Neill.  I shared Jessica’s frustrations and, to her credit, Anna Marie Dobbins went through the film with a “What the heck!?” expression on her face that made Jessica very relatable.

The usual DeCoteau suspects all make appearances in this film.  Dominique Swain, Meredith Thomas, Kirstine DeBell, and Michael Gaglio all have small roles.  Best of all is Eric Roberts, who plays a jaunty private detective.  He doesn’t get much screentime but this is still one of Roberts’s better cameo appearances.  I’m going to guess that he must have been in a good mood on the day he shot his scenes.  His character is definitely one of the highlights of the film.

In closing, I should mention that this film takes place in Texas.  While I’m pretty sure that the house was located in Canada, there were at least a few scenes that were apparently shot in Austin.  That was nice to see.  The Wrong films are branching out!

Previous Eric Roberts Films That We Have Reviewed:

  1. Paul’s Case (1980)
  2. Star 80 (1983)
  3. Runaway Train (1985)
  4. To Heal A Nation (1988)
  5. Best of the Best (1989)
  6. Blood Red (1989)
  7. The Ambulance (1990)
  8. The Lost Capone (1990)
  9. Best of the Best II (1993)
  10. Love, Cheat, & Steal (1993)
  11. Voyage (1993)
  12. Love Is A Gun (1994)
  13. Sensation (1994)
  14. Dark Angel (1996)
  15. Doctor Who (1996)
  16. Most Wanted (1997)
  17. The Alternate (2000)
  18. Mercy Streets (2000)
  19. Tripfall (2000)
  20. Raptor (2001)
  21. Rough Air: Danger on Flight 534 (2001)
  22. Strange Frequency (2001)
  23. Wolves of Wall Street (2002)
  24. Border Blues (2004)
  25. Mr. Brightside (2004)
  26. Six: The Mark Unleased (2004)
  27. We Belong Together (2005)
  28. Hey You (2006)
  29. Depth Charge (2008)
  30. Amazing Racer (2009)
  31. The Chaos Experiment (2009)
  32. In The Blink of an Eye (2009)
  33. Bed & Breakfast (2010)
  34. Enemies Among Us (2010)
  35. The Expendables (2010) 
  36. Sharktopus (2010)
  37. Beyond The Trophy (2012)
  38. The Dead Want Women (2012)
  39. Deadline (2012)
  40. The Mark (2012)
  41. Miss Atomic Bomb (2012)
  42. Assault on Wall Street (2013)
  43. Bonnie And Clyde: Justified (2013)
  44. Lovelace (2013)
  45. The Mark: Redemption (2013)
  46. The Perfect Summer (2013)
  47. Revelation Road: The Beginning of the End (2013)
  48. Revelation Road 2: The Sea of Glass and Fire (2013)
  49. Self-Storage (2013)
  50. Sink Hole (2013)
  51. A Talking Cat!?! (2013)
  52. This Is Our Time (2013)
  53. Bigfoot vs DB Cooper (2014)
  54. Doc Holliday’s Revenge (2014)
  55. Eternity: The Movie (2014)
  56. Inherent Vice (2014)
  57. Road to the Open (2014)
  58. Rumors of War (2014)
  59. So This Is Christmas (2014)
  60. Amityville Death House (2015)
  61. Deadly Sanctuary (2015)
  62. A Fatal Obsession (2015)
  63. Las Vegas Story (2015)
  64. Sorority Slaughterhouse (2015)
  65. Stalked By My Doctor (2015)
  66. Enemy Within (2016)
  67. Hunting Season (2016)
  68. Joker’s Poltergeist (2016)
  69. Prayer Never Fails (2016)
  70. Stalked By My Doctor: The Return (2016)
  71. The Wrong Roommate (2016)
  72. Dark Image (2017)
  73. The Demonic Dead (2017)
  74. Black Wake (2018)
  75. Frank and Ava (2018)
  76. Stalked By My Doctor: Patient’s Revenge (2018)
  77. The Wrong Teacher (2018)
  78. Clinton Island (2019)
  79. Monster Island (2019)
  80. The Reliant (2019)
  81. The Savant (2019)
  82. Seven Deadly Sins (2019)
  83. Stalked By My Doctor: A Sleepwalker’s Nightmare (2019)
  84. The Wrong Mommy (2019)
  85. Exodus of a Prodigal Son (2020)
  86. Free Lunch Express (2020)
  87. Hard Luck Love Song (2020)
  88. Her Deadly Groom (2020)
  89. Top Gunner (2020)
  90. Deadly Nightshade (2021)
  91. The Elevator (2021)
  92. Just What The Doctor Ordered (2021)
  93. Killer Advice (2021)
  94. Megaboa (2021)
  95. Night Night (2021)
  96. The Poltergeist Diaries (2021)
  97. The Rebels of PT-218 (2021)
  98. Red Prophecies (2021)
  99. A Town Called Parable (2021)
  100. Bleach (2022)
  101. Dawn (2022)
  102. My Dinner With Eric (2022)
  103. 69 Parts (2022)
  104. The Rideshare Killer (2022)
  105. The Wrong High School Sweetheart (2022)
  106. The Company We Keep (2023)
  107. D.C. Down (2023)
  108. Aftermath (2024)
  109. Bad Substitute (2024)
  110. Devil’s Knight (2024)
  111. Insane Like Me? (2024)
  112. Space Sharks (2024)
  113. The Wrong Life Coach (2024)
  114. Broken Church (2025)
  115. Shakey Grounds (2025)
  116. When It Rains In L.A. (2025)

Live Tweet Alert: Join #FridayNightFlix for Jesus Christ Superstar!


 

As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in a few weekly watch parties.  On Twitter, I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday and I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday.  On Mastodon, I am one of the five hosts of #MondayActionMovie!  Every week, we get together.  We watch a movie.  We tweet our way through it.

Tonight, at 10 pm et, I will be hosting #FridayNightFlix!  The movie?  1973’s Jesus Christ Superstar!

If you want to join us this Friday, just hop onto twitter, find Jesus Christ Superstar on Prime, start the movie at 10 pm et, and use the #FridayNightFlix hashtag!  I’ll be there happily tweeting.  It’s a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy.

See you there!

 

 

Scenes That I Love: Simon Zealotes/Poor Jerusalem from Jesus Christ Superstar


Today’s scene that I love comes from 1973’s Jesus Christ Superstar.

There’s several reasons I love this scene but mostly it just comes down to the fact that it captures the explosive energy that comes from watching a live performance.  Larry Marshall (who plays Simon Zealotes) has one of the most fascinating faces that I’ve ever seen in film and when he sings, he sings as if the fate of the entire world depends on it.  That said, I’ve never been sold on Ted Neely’s performance as Jesus but Carl Anderson burns with charisma in the role of Judas.

Mostly, however, I just love the choreography and watching the dancers.  I guess that’s not that surprising considering just how important dance was (and still is, even if I’m now just dancing for fun) in my life but, to be honest, I’m probably one of the most hyper critical people out there when it comes to dance in film, regarding both the the way that it’s often choreographed and usually filmed.  But this scene is probably about as close to perfect in both regards as I’ve ever seen.  It goes beyond the fact that the dancers obviously have a lot of energy and enthusiasm and that they all look good while dancing.  The great thing about the choreography in this scene is that it all feels so spontaneous.  There’s less emphasis on technical perfection and more emphasis on capturing emotion and thought through movement.  What I love is that the number is choreographed to make it appear as if not all of the dancers in this scene are on the exact same beat.  Some of them appear to come in a second or two late, which is something that would have made a lot of my former teachers and choreographers scream and curse because, far too often, people become so obsessed with technical perfection that they forget that passion is just as important as perfect technique.  (I’m biased, of course, because I’ve always been more passionate than perfect.)  The dancers in this scene have a lot of passion and it’s thrilling to watch.

 

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Marlon Brando Edition


4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!

102 years ago, on this date, Marlon Brando was born in Omaha, Nebraska.  One of the greatest of American actors and one of the main reasons why so many young actors became enamored with the Method, Marlon Brando played many roles in our culture.  When he was young, he was a Broadway bad boy.  When he went out to Hollywood, he became a legitimate movie star.  In the 60s, he was a cautionary tale as his career suffered a series of notorious flops.  In the 70s, he made a comeback and, in during the final years of his career, he was as known for his eccentricities as for his talent.  It’s a shame that those eccentricities overshadowed Brando as an actor.  When he wanted to be, he was one of the best to ever appear on stage or in the movies.

In honor of the wonderful, tragic, and talented Marlon Brando, it’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Marlon Brando Films

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951, dir by Elia Kazan, DP: Harry Stradling)

On The Waterfront (1954, dir by Elia Kazan, DP: Boris Kaufman)

The Godfather (1972, dir by Francis Ford Coppola, DP: Gordon Willis)

Apocalypse Now (1979, dir by Francis Ford Coppola, DP: Vittorio Storaro)

The Eric Roberts Collection: The Wrong High School Sweetheart (dir by David DeCoteau)


In 2022’s The Wrong High School Sweetheart, Mea Wilkerson plays Danielle, a real estate agent who dated Danny (Alex Trumble) in high school.  (Dani and Danny!  How cute!)  Danielle and Danny broke up when Danny went off to college on a baseball scholarship.  Now, Danny has returned home and he’s eager to start things up again with Danielle.  Danielle’s wimpy fiancé, Tod (Doug Rogers), isn’t happy about that.

“You just had the wrong high school sweetheart,” Vivica A. Fox says once it’s become obvious that Danny is psychotic.  Vivica plays the high school principal.  For some reason, she is best friends with her former student, Danielle.  Vivica A. Fox appears in all of the “Wrong” films and she’s usually cast as an authority figure.  It almost always falls on her to say the film’s title.  Sometimes, she’s a bit judgmental.  If she says you “picked,” the wrong person, you know everything is your fault.  In this once, she makes it clear that Danielle is not to blame because she “just had” the wrong person in her life.  It’s always a fun to see Vivica in these films.

The “Wrong” films are almost always entertaining.  The Wrong High School Sweetheart certainly is.  David DeCoteau’s campy sensibility is uniquely suited to these films.  The Wrong High School Sweetheart features Danny chanting, “Stronger than steel/Hotter than the sun/Danny Brooks won’t stop/Til he gets the job done!” while exercising in his underwear.  Alex Trumble throws himself into the role of Danny and good for him.

As always with the “Wrong” films, some familiar faces show up in small roles.  Tracy Nelson plays a therapist.  And, of course, Eric Roberts shows up as a detective.  Hopefully, we’ll get a sequel called The Wrong Detective.

Previous Eric Roberts Films That We Have Reviewed:

  1. Paul’s Case (1980)
  2. Star 80 (1983)
  3. Runaway Train (1985)
  4. To Heal A Nation (1988)
  5. Best of the Best (1989)
  6. Blood Red (1989)
  7. The Ambulance (1990)
  8. The Lost Capone (1990)
  9. Best of the Best II (1993)
  10. Love, Cheat, & Steal (1993)
  11. Voyage (1993)
  12. Love Is A Gun (1994)
  13. Sensation (1994)
  14. Dark Angel (1996)
  15. Doctor Who (1996)
  16. Most Wanted (1997)
  17. The Alternate (2000)
  18. Mercy Streets (2000)
  19. Tripfall (2000)
  20. Raptor (2001)
  21. Rough Air: Danger on Flight 534 (2001)
  22. Strange Frequency (2001)
  23. Wolves of Wall Street (2002)
  24. Border Blues (2004)
  25. Mr. Brightside (2004)
  26. Six: The Mark Unleased (2004)
  27. We Belong Together (2005)
  28. Hey You (2006)
  29. Depth Charge (2008)
  30. Amazing Racer (2009)
  31. The Chaos Experiment (2009)
  32. In The Blink of an Eye (2009)
  33. Bed & Breakfast (2010)
  34. Enemies Among Us (2010)
  35. The Expendables (2010) 
  36. Sharktopus (2010)
  37. Beyond The Trophy (2012)
  38. The Dead Want Women (2012)
  39. Deadline (2012)
  40. The Mark (2012)
  41. Miss Atomic Bomb (2012)
  42. Assault on Wall Street (2013)
  43. Bonnie And Clyde: Justified (2013)
  44. Lovelace (2013)
  45. The Mark: Redemption (2013)
  46. The Perfect Summer (2013)
  47. Revelation Road: The Beginning of the End (2013)
  48. Revelation Road 2: The Sea of Glass and Fire (2013)
  49. Self-Storage (2013)
  50. Sink Hole (2013)
  51. A Talking Cat!?! (2013)
  52. This Is Our Time (2013)
  53. Bigfoot vs DB Cooper (2014)
  54. Doc Holliday’s Revenge (2014)
  55. Eternity: The Movie (2014)
  56. Inherent Vice (2014)
  57. Road to the Open (2014)
  58. Rumors of War (2014)
  59. So This Is Christmas (2014)
  60. Amityville Death House (2015)
  61. Deadly Sanctuary (2015)
  62. A Fatal Obsession (2015)
  63. Las Vegas Story (2015)
  64. Sorority Slaughterhouse (2015)
  65. Stalked By My Doctor (2015)
  66. Enemy Within (2016)
  67. Hunting Season (2016)
  68. Joker’s Poltergeist (2016)
  69. Prayer Never Fails (2016)
  70. Stalked By My Doctor: The Return (2016)
  71. The Wrong Roommate (2016)
  72. Dark Image (2017)
  73. The Demonic Dead (2017)
  74. Black Wake (2018)
  75. Frank and Ava (2018)
  76. Stalked By My Doctor: Patient’s Revenge (2018)
  77. The Wrong Teacher (2018)
  78. Clinton Island (2019)
  79. Monster Island (2019)
  80. The Reliant (2019)
  81. The Savant (2019)
  82. Seven Deadly Sins (2019)
  83. Stalked By My Doctor: A Sleepwalker’s Nightmare (2019)
  84. The Wrong Mommy (2019)
  85. Exodus of a Prodigal Son (2020)
  86. Free Lunch Express (2020)
  87. Hard Luck Love Song (2020)
  88. Her Deadly Groom (2020)
  89. Top Gunner (2020)
  90. Deadly Nightshade (2021)
  91. The Elevator (2021)
  92. Just What The Doctor Ordered (2021)
  93. Killer Advice (2021)
  94. Megaboa (2021)
  95. Night Night (2021)
  96. The Poltergeist Diaries (2021)
  97. The Rebels of PT-218 (2021)
  98. Red Prophecies (2021)
  99. A Town Called Parable (2021)
  100. Bleach (2022)
  101. Dawn (2022)
  102. My Dinner With Eric (2022)
  103. 69 Parts (2022)
  104. The Rideshare Killer (2022)
  105. The Company We Keep (2023)
  106. D.C. Down (2023)
  107. Aftermath (2024)
  108. Bad Substitute (2024)
  109. Devil’s Knight (2024)
  110. Insane Like Me? (2024)
  111. Space Sharks (2024)
  112. The Wrong Life Coach (2024)
  113. Broken Church (2025)
  114. Shakey Grounds (2025)
  115. When It Rains In L.A. (2025)

Scenes That I Love: The Passover Scene From The Ten Commandments


Today’s scene that I love comes from 1956’s The Ten Commandments.

Cecil B. DeMille is often unfairly dismissed as a director, just as Charlton Heston is often underrated as an actor.  To me, this is one of the most powerful scenes in DeMille’s filmography.  The sound of the screams is haunting.  However, one must remember that, as with all the plagues that afflicted Egypt, the Pharoah was given fair warning.