Thursday, March 27, 2008

Conan the Barbarian (1982)


My personal favorite Schwarzenegger movie, here's 1982's Conan the Barbarian. You can go here for a plot summary, but beware of spoilers.

This is kind of a weird movie. More of a guilty pleasure than anything else, it's one of those movies that just revels in the blood, guts, and boobs excess of the 1980's. Schwarzenegger is billed as the star but he only has like 30 lines throughout the entire picture, a fact that certainly didn't lend anything to his reputation as an actor. James Earl Jones is good as Thulsa Doom, bad wig and all, but you get the feeling he's sort of slumming it here. Director/writer John Milius must be applauded for preserving the violence and brutality that were hallmarks of Robert E. Howard's original short stories, even if he does take some artistic license with Conan's backstory.
Also of note is Basil Poledouris' magnificent score, regarded by many as one of the greatest film scores ever created.

The DVD release is pretty good, sporting an interesting documentary as well as a raucous commentary track by Schwarzenegger and Milius. It's currently only available as part of a 2 disc set along with its vastly inferior sequel that retails for like $10, well worth the price if you want to own the premier sword and sorcery flick of the 1980s.



Trivia:
Schwarzenegger did all of his own stunts in this movie.

Transformers: The Movie (1986)

I'm probably in the minority here, but I didn't really like the live action Transformers movie. For me, the one and only Transformers movie will always be the animated one from 1986. You can click here for a plot summary if you've never seen it, but beware of possible spoilers.

I can't really be objective about this movie; the nostalgia factor is just too great. I love it because it reminds me of my childhood, a sentiment that I think is shared by many of the movie's fans. I'll leave it up to others to determine if it's a good movie or not it the traditional sense. I will say that it sports pretty good animation (at least compared to the TV series that it's based on). The filmmakers' decision to kill off so many of the TV series' principle characters is another element of the movie that I've always found interesting. There's a level of violence here that's pretty jarring when you compare it to its TV counterpart, a move on the part of the filmmakers that was pretty ballsy in retrospect.

As for the DVD, it's top notch. The movie really got the royal treatment in regards to its DVD release, ostensibly to mark the 20th anniversary release in 2006. The cynic in me makes me think the only reason they bothered putting out such a sweet disc was to cash in on the hype surrounding the live action movie, but whatever. Definitely worth owning if your a Transformers fan or just an 80s pop culture aficionado.



Trivia:
This was Orson Wells' final film role before his death.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

The Crippled Masters (1979)

From 1979, here's The Crippled Masters. Click here for a plot summary, but beware of possible spoilers.

This is an interesting film. Making a kung fu movie starring two genuinely physically handicapped individuals could have very easily degenerated into an exercise in exploitation. The Crippled Masters doesn't fall into that trap however; instead it serves as a sort of showcase for two men who overcame their disabilities and became talented martial artists. It's actually pretty inspiring.

I can't really say much about the DVD. The version I have is one of those public domain deals, and it's now seemingly out of print. Worth tracking down if you have the time and dedication.



Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)


This was supposed to go up ages ago, but life got in the way. Anyways, here's the 1978 Jackie Chan vehicle Snake in the Eagle's Shadow. Go here for a plot summary, but beware of possible spoilers.

If Police Story was the film that brought Chan to the attention of western audiences, then this is the one that introduced him to Chinese viewers. It was the first picture in which Chan was allowed to do stunts the way he wanted to do them, to the great success of both the movie and his career. Definitely worth a watch if you want to see Chan in his prime. Makes a good double bill with Chan's later Drunken Master.

The DVD isn't anything to write home about, but the picture looks great and it has the original Chinese language track on it, which is always nice to have. No extras to speak of, but that isn't unforgivable for a budget priced disc.



Trivia:
1) The character Lei Wulong from the Tekken video game series is based on the character Chan portrays in this movie.

Link(s) of interest:
1) Buy the DVD

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Sonatine (1993)

Finally something that's not a martial arts or horror flick; Beat Takeshi's yakuza epic Sonatine. You can go here for a plot summary, but beware of possible spoilers.

If there's such a thing as a minimalist gangster film, then this is it. Its more of a meditation on life than it is an action picture, with long periods of calm punctuated by quick flashes of brutal violence. This is something of a trademark for Takeshi, as is the air of loneliness that prevades the whole affair. This effect is enhanced by Takeshi's decision to use the desolate beaches of Okinawa as a backdrop for the majority of the movie's scenes, and also by Joe Hisaishi's haunting score.

The film has been released on DVD here in the States, but only as a bonus disc included with the release of Takeshi's disappointing Zatoichi remake. There isn't much in the way of bonus features, but it's worth the price if you want to see a different kind of gangster film.



Trivia:
1) The word 'sonatine' is a musical term.

City of the Living Dead a.k.a. The Gates of Hell (1980)


Today we have Lucio Fulci's City of the Living Dead. You can go here for an in-depth plot summary, but beware of spoilers.

This is probably my third favorite Fulci picture, after The Beyond and Zombi 2. Fulci's trademark lack of plot coherence isn't quite as pronounced here as it is in The Beyond, but things still aren't exactly linear. Still, this factor is probably one of the reasons I like this movie since, when you think about it, there's only so much you can do with zombies before the concept starts getting stale. Fulci dodges this bullet by giving his zombies the ability to teleport... Like I said, it doesn't make much sense, but its cool.

That being said, this isn't a movie for everyone. Fulci's penchant for graphic gore is on display here in all it's glory. The special effects have actually aged fairly well, especially an infamous sequence involving an unfortunate man and a very large drill.

The film's DVD releases have been lackluster. Both Anchor Bay and Blue Underground have put out versions, but both releases are essentially identical. The lack of decent bonus features on both releases is disappointing, but the film is worth a watch if you aren't squeamish.



Trivia:
1) Fulci used the fictional Book of Eibon as a plot point both in this movie and in The Beyond.
2) Dunwich, the name of the titular city, is a reference to an H.P. Lovecraft story.

Link(s) of interest:
1) Buy the DVD from Amazon