leavesonline

IMDb member since January 2002
    Lifetime Total
    5+
    IMDb Member
    22 years

Reviews

The Frisco Kid
(1979)

Delightful, if surreal
This movie is one of the most entertaining films I have ever seen. A lot of this, however, is unintentional. At the same time, it also really rather sweet.

The plot is a variation on a theme and the greenhorn Rabbi rescued by the tough old hand offers few surprises. The adventures they encounter, however, are truly fantastic. The railroad scene shamelessly exploits every cultural cliché available in a fine example of political incorrectness. Then of course, there's the Amish - plenty of opportunities for laughs there, except it turns out to be a rather sweet, touching scene. The Italian-American-Indians are hysterical but at the same time there is a very human portrayal quite unusual for the 1970s.

The humour is very Jewish and has a delightful lack of malice. The characters are genuinely likable. Of course it's always funny to see Harrison Ford in his younger days (not to mention the wonderful scene where he does a very girly run in his long johns). Gene Wilder gives a fantastic performance that makes this movie truly worth watching.

So while this movie may have dated more than a little and there are some strange quirks and mistakes that have to be ignored, this is a film that remains enjoyable.

Shark Attack 3: Megalodon
(2002)

A comedy masterpiece
I had the wonderful experience of watching this movie with a scientist who studies sharks. However, watching this movie with anyone would have to result in an evening of hysterical laughter. Nothing about this movie makes sense.

There are so many entertaining aspects of this movie it's almost hard to keep track; John Barrowman adds a shamelessly cheesy performance that only serves to highlight how much the female lead isn't trying. I loved that character; not only was she one dimensional but we knew she was a serious scientist because she had a dinosaur book on her desk. There's the nonsensical ex-sailor who pops up for no other reason than to cheer on our plucky heroes with corny slogans like 'it's the Navy way!'. Special recognition has to be given to the slimy bad guys and their unnecessarily complicated back story, especially the one who steals the lifejacket from the pretty young woman. Thankfully he gets his just desserts.

Which brings us to the real stars of this marvel; the sharks. It must be a terrible problem for filmmakers; ever since Bruce the plastic shark from Jaws, viewers have come to expect actual sharks in their movies. In this masterpiece, the problem is solved with some photoshopped stock footage. This turns out to be a fantastic solution to problems such as scale; suddenly the shark that could swim through a doorway can also eat a boatload of people in one gulp.

The makers of this may not have had high expectations of fame and fortune, but of all the marine biologist fighting giant oceanic predator flicks, this one stands out as a must-see.

Alien Apocalypse
(2005)

Entertainingly odd
What can I say? If Bruce Campbell wasn't in this, there would be no reason to watch it. It's not just bad; it's terrible... The dialogue is beyond cheesy; the plot seems to have arisen during an after-work drinking session; the special effects are shamefully constructed by a ten year old; the wardrobe department has plundered the local hardware and costume shops and the acting, well, I think the furry bikini-clad woman may have actually been a store mannequin. This, I realise, is an insult to store mannequins. In fact, there's so much wrong with it it almost makes it back around the scale to good - another cheesy movie to be enjoyed on the sole condition that you are one of those strange people who enjoys revelling in the absurd.

Running Time
(1997)

A hidden gem
This is a movie that deserves more recognition; well written, acted and presented, this quirky little film stands out. Bruce Campbell drops the cheese for a moment and demonstrates that he can in fact act. I'm a big fan and I have to admit it was great to see that the man has built a career on hammy low budget flicks The 'one shot' filming is pulled off very well and adds a sense of urgency. In fact, it's quite fun trying to spot the cuts! The black and white managed to add rather than detract unlike many other indie movies.

Sure, it's not perfect and some of the characters could have benefited from a little further rounding - more than a few actions and moments didn't quite ring true. The plot wasn't the most unpredictable. However, overall the positives far outweigh any slight gripes. This movie was thoroughly enjoyable; an absolute pleasure to watch.

Gargantua
(1998)

Delightfully bad!
What can I say? This is another example of a movie so bad that it's good. The plastic monsters are shameful, the characters are less than one-dimensional, the science is flawed beyond belief (as a scientist I have low expectations of movies, but this was ridiculous - how exactly are they taking soil samples from an oceanic trench?!) and the emotionally charged sub-plot as boy and monster both confront the loss of their mothers, well, breathtaking...

The most remarkable thing about this movie, barring the surreal way that the slimy Australian skipper is attributed to be a New Zealander, is the sheer amount of effort the actors put in. The scene where Adam Baldwin mourns the death of the plastic monster is spectacular and Bobby Hosea throws his heart and soul into the role as the understanding and competent marine colonel. It's always so comforting when such rubbish is presented with that much enthusiasm.

Get some friends together, get some alcohol and treat this as a comedy but whatever happens, don't try to watch it seriously!

Sands of Oblivion
(2007)

B-movie genius
Like more than a few others, my main reason for watching this masterpiece was the presence of Firefly actors. However, it soon revealed itself as one of those wonderfully unintentionally bad movies that when watched with friends and alcohol provide more entertainment than most sit-coms. I gave this 3/10 for content but as a comedy this would be a solid 9!

The opening bad CGI sets the scene and from there things only disintegrate: weak, indecisive plot that seems cobbled together from every archaeologically themed movie of the past decade; the sort of wooden acting that dominates made for TV movies; surreal dialogue; unnecessary characters; a Police car/buggy chase for no apparent reason and special effects that appear to have suffered extreme budget cuts.

Despite these faults, there are a few excellent reasons that this movie is worth watching: 1) Adam Baldwin shamelessly not bothering to act for the duration. 2) The jackal monster with hair made from stripped VHS tape. 3) The romantic tension with cringe-worthy double entendres. 4) The incongruous way that the Ancient Egyptian spoken is almost flawless. 5) The monster was apparently the Egyptian god of chaos and infertility (the horror!). 6) The Sheriff's hair. 7) The moment when Morena Baccarin chokes back non-existent tears and delivers the line 'at least he's buried with ancient history, the only thing he ever truly loved' with all the sincerity of a Hallmark greeting card. 8) The scene where our hero bravely defeats the murals. 9) The way that nobody ever considers it odd that there's an archaeological dig aimed at uncovering a film set...

So while this warrants a 9/10 on the comedy scale, whatever happens, do not make the mistake of watching this film seriously...

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