Tag Archives: review

Horror On The Lens: Baffled! (dir by Philip Leacock)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

 

This is a film that I share every year for Horrorthon and can you blame me?  Check out this pitch: Leonard Nimoy is a race car driver who can see into the future and who uses his powers to solve crimes!

Seriously, if that’s not enough to get you to watch the 1973 made-for-TV movie Baffled!, then I don’t know what is.  In the film, Nimoy takes a break from racing so that he and a parapsychologist (played by Susan Hampshire) can solve the mystery of the visions that Nimoy is having of a woman in a mansion.  This movie was meant to serve as a pilot and I guess if the series had been picked up, Nimoy would have had weekly visions.  Of course, the movie didn’t lead to a series but Baffled! is still fun in a 70s television sort of way.  Thanks to use of what I like to call “slo mo of doom,” a few of Nimoy’s visions are creepy and the whole thing ends with the promise of future adventures that were sadly never to be.  And it’s a shame because I’ve always wondered what was going on with that couple at the airport!

Enjoy Baffled!  Can you solve the mystery before Leonard?

 

Lisa Marie Takes A Look At The Amazing Race 39.5 “That’s Honestly On Them”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

One thing about The Amazing Race is that you can always tell when Phil dislikes a team.

As of last night, Matt and Michelle have now finished first for two weeks in a row. Last week, Phil could barely force a smile at the sight of them. This week, he seemed downright indifferent to them. Phil also was clearly not happy when Daisha and Dalton arrived in second place. Their sin was apparently not helping Riley and Ann-Marie at the Detour.

Phil likes the teams that help each other out, and I imagine that he really likes Riley and Ann-Marie. Myself, I’m a little bit tired of Riley and Ann-Marie. I’m sure that they’re nice people, and I was happy that Riley took the time to let Anuar know what he was doing wrong at the first Roadblock. (If she hadn’t, Anuar would have been there all day.) But Riley and Ann-Marie both tend to be a little self-righteous and preachy, and I get a little bit tired of them going on about how important it is that everyone help each other (especially since that usually translates to “everyone needs to help us”).

This leg saw the teams traveling to Albania. This was the first time that the Race went to Albania, and it really did look like a lovely country. Matt and Michelle pretty much spent the entire leg in first place. By being the first to arrive at each Roadblock, they were in “the Driver’s Seat,” which means they got to determine how difficult each Roadblock would be for each team. Needless to say, this didn’t make them popular with the other racers, but seriously, what were Matt and Michelle supposed to do?

At the first Roadblock, teams had to harvest and grind a certain amount of grapes. Matt and Michelle publicly assigned 50 pounds to themselves, Ann-Marie & Riley, and Erin & Javi; 75 pounds to Conner & Garrett, Dafina & Saran, and Daisha & Dalton; and 100 pounds to Ali & Joanna, Anuar & Andrea, and Doug & Dylan. The only thing I really disagree with there is assigning 100 pounds to Doug & Dylan. That did feel mean. I would have assigned 100 pounds to Ann-Marie and Riley because they’re the stronger team.

At the second Roadblock, teams had to roll out dough for a pastry. (I would have sucked at this challenge, but my sister would have kicked its ass!) Matt and Michelle publicly assigned eight pastries to themselves; twelve pastries to Ann-Marie & Riley, Dafina & Saran, and Doug & Dylan; and sixteen pastries to Ali & Joanna, Anuar & Andrea, Conner & Garrett, Daisha & Dalton, and Erin & Javi. Erin struggled with this Roadblock, to the extent that she and Javi probably would have been eliminated if not for Dafina & Saran getting lost on the way to the Pit Stop.

Here’s how everyone finished last night:

1st — Matt and Michelle. Phil and the other teams may not like them, but Matt and Michelle are a strong team. Matt pretends to be goofy, but in his way, he’s just as ruthless as Michelle.

2nd — Daisha and Dalton. They came on strong during this leg of the race. As for them not sticking around to help Ann-Marie and Riley… hey, it’s a race. You don’t get an extra trophy for being nice.

3rd — Conner and Garrett. I never thought that Conner and Garrett would become my favorite team, but they have. They’re good-natured, they work well together, and unlike some people, they can be nice without feeling the need to brag about it.

4th — Ann-Marie and Riley. I’ve said all I need to say about them this week.

5th — Ali and Joanna. The soccer players finally used their Express Pass and still only managed a fifth-place finish. They’re a good example of a team that’s strong but somehow still not as strong as they should be.

6th — Doug and Dylan. Doug and Dylan actually did better than they usually do during this leg. They moved up from 9th to 6th, despite being targeted by Matt and Michelle.

7th — Anuar and Andrea. Anuar and Andrea struggled this week. First, Anuar didn’t understand how to grind the grapes. Then they got lost and ended up arguing with each other. Still, they avoided elimination.

8th — Erin and Javi. Erin and Javi narrowly avoided elimination this week. They’re going to need to pick things up a little because, other than when they use their Express Pass, they’ve struggled in almost every leg.

9th — Dafina and Saran. Dafina and Saran came in ninth and were eliminated. I knew it was going to happen eventually, but I was still sorry to see them go. They were a team that never gave up and worked well together.

Next week, the Race continues in Albania. Conner and Garrett still have their Express Pass, so I imagine they’ll use it at some point during the sixth leg, which is the last leg in which it can be used. Everyone else is going to have to depend on their own skills to make it to the Pit Stop in time to avoid elimination.

Lisa Marie Takes A Look At Survivor 51.5 “Not Here To Get A Pedicure”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Last night, after Toka won immunity, both Savu and Dina went to Tribal Council. That’s right, we got two Tribal Councils. Only one of them was interesting, though.

The Savu Tribal Council was predictable. Yes, the show’s editors did their best to make us think that there was a chance that Jelly and Ori would blindside Devin and save Alexis. But the fact of the matter is that there was never any real possibility of either Ori or Jelly betraying the Helicopter Alliance. Though the show has kind of tiptoed around it, the Helicopter Alliance is an alliance that, much like Big Brother’s Cookout, is based primarily on race. Ever since the start of reality television, alliances are typically based on a common bond that all of the members share. The strength of the alliance usually mirrors the strength of the bond and the shared experiences that go along with it. Alliances that are based on race typically don’t break until they absolutely have to. So, no, it was not a shock to see Alexis voted out 3-1.

The Dina Tribal Council was a bit more interesting. Lewis and Kilby went into Tribal Council outnumbered by the former members of Savu, but they were still able to not only take over the entire council but also force the former Toka members to agree to unanimously vote out one of their stronger members. This was thanks to Maggie, who, instead of taking part in her tribe’s reward for winning immunity, was taken to another beach and given two extra votes that she could give to anyone she wanted. She gave the two votes to Lewis and Kilby.

At Tribal Council, while the former Savu members all voted for Lewis, Kilby and Lewis were able to cast four votes for Linnea and tie things up. (Maggie specifically asked them to vote for Linnea.) A revote revealed the vote to be 4-4. Jeff Probst told the tribe members who had not received votes that they would now have a chance to negotiate with each other and try to come up with a unanimous consensus on who was going home—Lewis or Linnea. If they couldn’t do that, Lewis and Linnea would be safe and the remaining tribe members would draw rocks to determine who was being sent home.

Despite having three former Savus ganging up on him, Kilby held firm. Obviously, he understood that, if he joined the former Savu members, he would always be at the bottom of their alliance. Soon, the former Savus were sobbing over the prospect of having to draw rocks. Kilby had the courage to risk his game on a rock draw. The other members of Savu did not. They agreed to vote out Linnea so that they wouldn’t have to go to rocks. What a bunch of wimps! Watching Eric cry, I suddenly realized that Rob was right about the guy.

Oh, what a pathetic display. Now, the big question is whether or not next week will feature another tribal shakeup or if the new Savu tribe will continue with just three players. If Savu goes to Tribal Council again, this will be the first time that the Helicopter Alliance will lose one of their own. I’m just looking forward to seeing how awkward things are going to be over at Dina when they all get back from Tribal Council.

Song Of The Day: Opera by Claudio Simonetti

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

This is a song that Claudio Simonetti composed for Dario Argento’s 1985 film, Opera.

Compared to the film, the video for this song is decidedly low-key but it’s still a lovely piece of music.

October Positivity: Welcome to Paradise (dir by Brent Huff)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

In 2007’s Welcome to Paradise, Crystal Bernard stars as Debbie Laramie. Debbie is a preacher who belongs to one of those weird Protestant churches where it’s apparently appropriate to heckle someone while they’re giving a sermon. After Debbie scandalizes her parish by removing her jacket while preaching, she is reassigned to a church in the small town of Paradise. Apparently, this is not the first time that Debbie has been reassigned. She’s a rebellious preacher who does things her own way or, at least, that’s what we’re told. (She doesn’t ever seem that rebellious to me, but then again, I’m used to the Jesuits.) Debbie’s teenage son certainly isn’t happy about having to move again.

In Paradise, Debbie makes a name for herself by reaching out to the town’s surprisingly large homeless population. She invites a street performer named Trevor (Lou Beatty, Jr.) to play his guitar at the church. She holds a potluck dinner to help feed the residents of the local shelter. When a sudden storm approaches, she allows Frances (Beth Grant) to spend the night on the church’s back porch. (Debbie tries to convince Frances to come home with her, but Frances doesn’t want to impose.) Unfortunately, Frances gets cold and tries to build a small fire for warmth. The next thing anyone knows, the church is burning down.

A snooty bishop tells Debbie that the decision has been made to revoke the church’s charter and that all the members will be assigned to the new megachurch. Debbie, however, has already found an abandoned barn that she thinks she can turn into a church, and a local businessman named Bobby Brown (Brian Dennehy—wait, BRIAN DENNEHY!?) has agreed to help fund the new church. Debbie is told that if she can have everything ready to go in a week, the church will keep its charter. Otherwise, Debbie will have to find yet another new job, her son will have to move again, and the residents of the shelter won’t have anywhere to go.

This film wasn’t actually that bad. I liked the fact that it not only took place in small-town Texas but also captured the feeling of living in a small town. Paradise is the type of town where the richest man in town owns a used car lot and where everyone lends a helping hand to those in need. If this were a horror movie, of course, the town would have turned out to be a haven for vampires. Since this was a religious movie, it just turned out to be a nice place to live. Crystal Bernard gave a likable performance as Debbie, and Brian Dennehy, of course, was perfectly cast as the gruff but good-natured businessman. There were actually quite a few familiar faces in the film. William Shockley, Beth Grant, Ken Jenkins, and Jim O’Heir all made appearances. Even comedian Timothy Stack showed up in a small role.

In the end, Welcome to Paradise is a sweet-natured and likable movie. If it had been set during a December snowstorm, it could have easily been mistaken for a Hallmark film.

Late Night Retro Television Review: 1st & Ten 5.8 “Vindication”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Wednesdays, I will be reviewing 1st and Ten, which aired in syndication from 1984 to 1991. The entire series is streaming on Tubi.

This week, some of the players get trapped in the woods.

Episode 5.8 “Vindication”

(Dir by Stan Lathan, originally aired on December 6th, 1989)

It’s time for the Barbara Ann Awards.

The Barbara Ann Awards are a never-before mentioned annual tradition in which Dr. Death, Jethro, Bubba, and Zagreb go to a cabin in the woods with a bunch of women and the women compete to be the new Barbara Ann.  Yep, it’s just as sleazy as it sounds.  Fortunately, this year sees the players being stalked by two mask-wearing, chainsaw-carrying psychoes.  While the women hide in the cabin, the players go out to battle their stalkers and, instead, they end up getting caught in a net.  Oh no!  Is this the end of the California Bulls?  (Well, four of them, at least….)

Fortunately, no.  It turns out that it was all a practical joke that was set up by the women.  Yay!  Put those men in their place!  The players are so impressed that they give the title of Barbara Ann to the woman who came up with the joke.  This whole thing was pretty silly but at least it felt appropriate for October viewing.

The episode’s other storyline featured Johnny Gunn being interviewed by reporter Susan McDermitt (Catherine MacNeal).  With protestors constantly picketing the games and calling Johnny a murderer, TD Parker (OJ Simpson) figures that it’s time for some damage control.  TD understands just how damaging it is to the reputation of the game to have a player who is routinely accused of being a murderer.

So, Susan and Johnny go to Johnny’s hometown in Pennsylvania.  We learn about Johnny’s past as a foster kid and a high school football star.  In a somewhat implausible scene, Johnny’s ex-girlfriend (Tally Chanel) admits on camera that she lied about what happened the night that Johnny killed a man.  It turns out that Johnny was actually acting in self-defense.

“I’m glad that’s taken care of!” OJ says as he watches the news report.

This is another episode of 1st & Ten that’s impossible to watch without thinking about OJ Simpson’s later life.  Every time OJ started to talk about how unfair it was that Johnny was being judged for being a murderer, I cringed just a little bit.  The episode’s contention that one positive news story was all Johnny needed to get on with his life was almost charming in its naiveté.

Next week …. well, who knows?  Hopefully, it won’t involve any more murders.

Retro Television Review: The Love Boat 8.17 “Ace Takes the Test/The Counterfeit Couple/The Odd Triple”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Wednesdays, I will be reviewing the original Love Boat, which aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986!  The series can be streamed on Paramount Plus!

This week, it’s love and fraud all aroud.

Episode 8.17 “Ace Takes the Test/The Counterfeit Couple/The Odd Triple”

(Dir by Nell Cox, originally aired on January 12th, 1985)

Ace’s friend Donna (Teresa Ganzel) boards the ship with her macho husband, Gus (Christopher Mayer).  Gus owns a moving company.  The first thing he does is crush Ace’s hand while shaking it.  Gus then beats Ace in an arm-wrestling contest.  He then asks Ace to solve a riddle, requests that Ace read the bottom line on a menu, and he asks about Ace’s hearing.  Is Gus jealous?

Actually, Gus is testing Ace because he and Donna want to have a baby but Gus appears to be shooting blanks.  Gus explains that all of his brothers have at least six kids.  Gus just wants to have one.  Would Ace consider donating his sperm?

Ace does consider it but ultimately, he decides that he can’t.  Fortunately, Donna later faints and, when Doc Bricker examines her, he discovers that she’s pregnant.  Gus’s boys can swim after all!

Meanwhile, Susie Epshaw (Crystal Bernard) has a crush on Gopher but Gopher falls in love with Susie’s mom, Annette (Mary Ann Mobley).  Susie is okay with it and good for her.  Gopher was a little bit old for her.  That said, Gopher falls in love several times a season so neither Susie nor her mother should get too excited.

Two strangers (Richard Gilliand and Erin Moran) both buy tickets from scalpers, just to find themselves booked in the Honeymoon Suite together.  (Apparently, the couple that originally bought the tickets broke up before the marriage.)  “Barbara” and “Lyle” pretend to be married and then they fall in love for real.  They admit the truth to the crew and everyone is just fine with the fraud.  As long as the tickets were paid for, the Captain doesn’t really care who stays in the Honeymoon Suite.  That’s a good attitude.  I was a little surprised to discover that the Honeymoon Suite was just a normal cabin.

This cruise was another example of the eighth season’s tendency to be, in general, pleasant but predictable.  I laughed a few times at Ace being tested by Donna and Gus, just because of the contrast between super smooth Ted McGinley and the rough-hewn Christopher Mayer.  Otherwise, this was a cruise that wasn’t bad but also wasn’t particularly memorable.

Look Up, AI Short Film Review by Case Wright

Posted on by casewright

AI is not always great. I do use it a lot for patent-related work, legal questions, and drafting legal documents. However, for AI to be a tool- you can’t be one. A guy jogs in casual Friday gear, he gets shot with a tree dart, hallucinates, and is kidnapped by a large bat-crow. I never thought about making something boring. Maybe, my writing is not always great, but I don’t think it’s boring.

If the apocalypse is this boring, I pass. Maybe it’s just crow-related apocalypses that are boring? I’m not sure, but this was 4 minutes of my life that was stolen from me. Just stolen!

Brad reviews THE HAND (1981), starring Michael Caine!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

One of my favorite things about my lifetime of loving movies has been those times when I’ve discovered the actors who really appeal to me. It all started with Charles Bronson when I was in grade school. I call it going through a phase, and while I’m in that phase, I try to watch everything that actor has done that looks the least bit interesting to me. Of course, my Charles Bronson phase has never ended, but there has always been room for additional phases, whether it be actors like Roy Scheider, James Woods, Toshiro Mifune, Chow Yun-Fat, or yes, Michael Caine. When I went through my initial Caine phase, I focused on movies like THE ITALIAN JOB, GET CARTER, and DRESSED TO KILL. Later in his career, I focused on his movies like A SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM, SECONDHAND LIONS, and HARRY BROWN. I knew about THE HAND, but I never watched it before moving on to the next phase. But this being Horror-Thon, and me looking for interesting movies I’ve never seen before, this seemed like the perfect time to spend a couple of hours with Michael Caine and his hand!

THE HAND finds Caine playing Jonathan Lansdale, a successful comic book artist whose life takes a turn for the worse after a car accident results in the gruesome loss of his right hand. That would be bad enough for anyone, but his newfound situation will no longer allow him to create his beloved comic book, and his struggling marriage only seems to be getting worse. When a series of increasingly disturbing events seem to be taking place around him, we’re left to wonder… is his missing hand somehow responsible for the escalating violence around him, or is he going out of his mind?!

One of the intriguing aspects of THE HAND is that it was directed by Oliver Stone who would go on to win Oscars for directing the films PLATOON and BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY. Having just won the Oscar for Best Screenplay for MIDNIGHT EXPRESS, Stone was a hot property at the time so it’s no surprise that he was given another chance to direct. He had written and directed the film SEIZURE back in 1974, but this was his first major studio film. With a man of his acclaim and talent in the director’s chair, and with a legendary actor like Michael Caine in the lead, THE HAND would have to be worth watching, right?

I’m going to definitely say “Yes!” Watching Stone deliver the absurd visuals of a creepy severed hand performing a series of gruesome killings brought a ridiculous smile to my face. I’m actually laughing as I type this and think about them again. Not content with my cheap thrills though, Stone also tries to get deep into his main character’s mind so he can play with the uncertainty between reality and imagination. I’m not saying this attempt at psychological depth always works, but it’s kind of fun seeing him try to turn such silly material into something of more substance.

And then there’s Caine in the lead role, which is my primary reason for watching the film. I always like it when he loses it on screen, and he definitely gets to explore his dark side as Jonathan Lansdale. There’s nothing suave about this guy. Rather, he’s playing a man whose life is falling completely apart. While we can at least superficially understand why he would be so frustrated, Caine’s eyes reveal a man who’s leaving the world of reality, and there’s no scenery that he’s not willing to chew by the end. I’ve read that Caine did this movie for the paycheck, and while that may be true, he definitely seems invested to me. Other solid performances come from Andrea Marcovicci as his wife, Bruce McGill as his friend, and Annie McEnroe as his lover. Unfortunately, no one who gets too close is safe from his hand of death!

I understand that not everyone is going to enjoy THE HAND. I’ve said many times before that I’m a fan of actors, and if a movie stars one of my favorites, I’ll give it a lot of grace. Still, I can’t deny that I had a good time watching it even if it might have overstayed its welcome just a bit. While I won’t give the movie a hearty, full-throated recommendation, if you’re a fan of Stone, Caine, or oddball horror films, you just may find a lot to enjoy about this film like I did.