A Year in Film with Brian Salisbury

The Longest Yard (1974)

2012-01-22T19:26:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: Netflix WI
Venue: Rivendell

I've made it my mission to watch more Burt Reynolds films in 2012. Why? Mustache, err uh I mean, must you ask? Anywho, as much as the remake was trashy...I kind of enjoyed it. But what will probably get me crucified is the fact that I thought there were elements of the original upon which the remake actually improved. Don't get me wrong Burt is a faaaaar better leading man than Sandler, but there are parts of the original that are downright sluggish and that is where the silly, MTV sensibilities of the remake tighten things up. All in all, the original is still quite fun.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Raw Deal (1986)

2012-01-22T18:10:00.000-08:00

Revisit
Format: VHS
Venue: Rivendell

A mess from A-Z, a spectacular failure, and a personal favorite.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

The Devil Inside (2012)

2012-01-22T16:01:00.000-08:00

1st View
Venue: Galaxy Highland (Press Screening)

Cheap, amateur, snake oil flim-flamery masquerading as a horror film. You can read my bile-spitting review at Horror's Not Dead. Be forewarned, I was not kind.

Rating: 0/10 Atkins

Margin Call (2011)

2012-01-22T15:43:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

My first movie of 2012, was so far the most challenging. Well-acted, well-directed, but I still don't have the first bleeding clue what the hell were the particulars of the financial crisis at the heart of the plot. They even create a moment wherein the chairman of the company is asking Quinto to explain the situation in the simplest terms, on behalf of the audience no doubt, and what comes out is still Wall Street rhetoric. Not a bad film, just terribly inaccessible.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

FINAL 2011 TALLY

2012-01-01T20:13:00.000-08:00

So here it is, we've reached 2012 and I'm all caught up with my tallying. Actually, I'm sure there are several films I have forgotten to log, but that's to be expected. Here's how 2011 breaks down...

Total Films Viewed: 398 (239 New, 159 Revisits)
Total Number of Alamo Screenings: 65

Most Popular Decade: 1980s (107 Entries)

Least Represented Decade: 1920s (1 Entry)

Press Screenings: 20

Here's hoping for even more movies in 2012

Burke and Hare (2010)

2012-01-01T18:20:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: DVD
Venue: Rivendell

John Landis directing a pseudo horror comedy based on true events starring Simon Pegg? All the ingredients are there for something I would truly love. However, Burke and Hare meanders lazily through its plot; things just happening in succession grounded to nothing. Utterly forgettable.

Rating: 4/10 Atkins

Fright Night (2011)

2012-01-01T18:16:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

Quite entertaining. A flawed but valiant effort that's comfortable nodding to the original without kowtowing before it. Some unfortunate CG aside, I rather liked this remake.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Apollo 18 (2011)

2012-01-01T18:12:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

I'm not exactly sure how one goes about so epically fumbling such an interesting concept for a horror film, but the folks behind Apollo 18 sure figured it out. Its biggest crime is that its scant 86 minute runtime is stretched to a seeming eternity by its stagnating plot. It also petulantly insists that its found footage nonsense is real, apparently unaware that IMDB exists and anyone with the internet and fingers can verify its deception.

Rating: 4/10 Atkins

The Debt (2011)

2012-01-01T18:04:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: Awards Screener
Venue: Rivendell

Taught, suspenseful spy thriller with classic espionage trappings, but clearly adopting post-Bourne modern spy film sensibilities. I loved it.

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

New Year's Evil (1980)

2012-01-01T17:58:00.000-08:00

Revisit
Format: Netflix WI
Venue: Rivendell

One of my favorite holiday slashers. Cheesy as all get out, but so entertaining despite itself. I seriously dig that theme song!

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Final Destination 5 (2011)

2012-01-01T17:54:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

Largely more of the same from this tired, stale formula. I will say the effects look much better than they did in the fourth installment, but the dialogue and white-washed characters are no less obnoxious. The only thing that saves this entry from being entirely forgettable is its clever ending.

Rating: 5/10 Atkins

Cowboys & Aliens (2011)

2012-01-01T17:50:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

I had heard so many people shit on Favreau's Cowboys & Aliens, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. It has moments of absolutely irreconcilable absurdity, and it is a bit poorly paced, but it's a lot of fun. That is all I ask of a movie called Cowboys & Aliens.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

The Bishop's Wife (1947)

2012-01-01T17:44:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: DVD
Venue: Stately Salisbury Manor

Another fantastic Cary Grant film, another wonderful holiday classic.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

2012-01-01T17:02:00.000-08:00

Revisit
Format: DVD
Venue: Stately Salisbury Manor

A holiday classic and the subject of this (that) week's For Your Consideration at Hollywood.com.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Midnight in Paris (2011)

2012-01-01T16:17:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Stately Salisbury Manor

Watched this with my parents for the first time and absolutely loved it. Typically, I am not a fan of Woody Allen. But this comedy is so impossibly charming and sincere, and geared toward writers and nostalgics (of which I am both), that it's hard not to get wrapped up in its elegance. One of my favorite films of 2011.

Rating: 9/10 Atkins

Topper (1937)

2012-01-01T15:51:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: TCM
Venue: Stately Salisbury Manor

While home for Christmas, I watched this film with my parents on Turner Classic Movies. Carey Grant and Constance Bennett star as a well-meaning, but trouble-attracting ghosts who make one poor sap's life a living nightmare. Breezy, fun plot, hilarious slapstick, and Grant is effortlessly charming. Great little movie I'd never even heard of.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Bridesmaids (2011)

2012-01-01T15:38:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: Awards Screener
Venue: Rivendell

I was very excited to see this movie. I like Kristen Wiig quite a bit and the idea of a crass all-female comedy sounded fresh and intriguing. Instead, I quickly became bored with the obnoxious reliance on female cattiness and the lazily slapped-together love story between Wiig and Chris O'Dowd; an actor I love on the British series The IT Crowd. The few chuckles the film earned, mostly thanks to Melissa McCarthy, weren't enough to keep me engaged.

Rating: 5/10 Atkins

The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

2012-01-01T15:18:00.000-08:00

1st View
Venue: Galaxy Highlands (Press Screenings)

Thoroughly entertaining throwing to Spielberg's classic adventure films made all the more thrilling by the fact that the mo-cap animation means he is unburdened by the laws of physics. My pic for best animated film of the year.

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny (1972)

2012-01-01T14:22:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: DVD
Venue: Castle Greyskull

I don't...it's just that...if you really think about it...ok, I got nothing. I'm not sure if this qualifies as a film, but I can say without fear of contradiction that I did in fact watch it. Capping off Junkfood Cinema's A Very Junkfood Christmas, it's Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny...?

Drive (2011)

2012-01-01T14:09:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: Awards Screener
Venue: Rivendell

Nicolas Winding Refn does it again. His films are so visually unique and incredibly stylish as to elevate even the most tired genre. In Drive, he creates an almost dreamlike throwback to gritty, fiercely independent crime stories of the 70s. Great performances, stunning cinematography, terrific score, and still quite entertaining. One of the year's best.

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

The Descendants (2011)

2012-01-01T13:47:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: Awards Screener
Venue: Rivendell

I did not care for this awards-buzzy movie. The secondary storyline is wholly uninteresting and is resolved in a way that is completely unearned and never reconciles with the main, far more intriguing, story. All in all, I found it flat and stale...like an old soda left out overnight.

Rating: 5/10 Atkins

Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol (2011)

2012-01-01T13:38:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: IMAX
Venue: Bob Bullock Theater (Press Screening)

Easily my favorite M:I sequel. Gets back to the group dynamic that defined the TV series instead of it being the Tom Cruise Show. The action sequences, aided by the fact that they were shot and then projected in IMAX 70mm, were heart-stopping. It's been a long time since I've seen audiences recoil like that at horror movies much less action flicks. Amazing.

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

Santa's Slay (2005)

2012-01-01T13:22:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: DVD
Venue: Castle Greyskull

With my irresponsible fetish for holiday horror films of all makes, models, and levels of quality, I'm not sure why I put off seeing this so long. Dumb as a box of coal, but so much fun. So. Many. Christmas Puns.

Rating: 4/10 Atkins

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

2012-01-01T10:51:00.000-08:00

1st View
Venue: Galaxy Highland (Press Screening)

Not as good as the first, though it had the potential to surpass it. Jared Harris' Moriarty is outstanding and the back-and-forth between he and Downey Jr is perfect. Unfortuantely, this bloated sequel can't decide if its an action romp or an old school Sherlock story.

Rating: 5/10 Atkins

Elves (1989)

2012-01-01T10:43:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: VHS
Venue: Alamo Ritz (Video Hate Squad)

One of the most inexplicable horror films I have ever seen. This was my first time attending at the Alamo Drafthouse's Video Hate Squad series. I will definitely be returning. This movie so boggled my already very boggleable mind so I decided to write it up for Junkfood Cinema's A Very Junkfood Christmas.

Rocky II (1979)

2012-01-01T10:28:00.000-08:00

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

Far more of a traditional studio sports film than the first; makes for a completely different level of appreciation.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Rocky (1976)

2012-01-01T10:08:00.000-08:00

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

High time for a revisit. This marked Luke Mullen's first viewing

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Home Alone 2 (1992)

2011-12-31T13:28:00.000-08:00

Revisit
Format: Blu--ray
Venue: Rivendell

Not as good as the first, I recognize that, but still a lot of fun and I have plenty of childhood nostalgia for the first two films in this franchise. The sequel, as with the first, contributed to creating A Very Junkfood Christmas for Film School Rejects.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Home Alone (1990)

2011-12-31T11:51:00.000-08:00

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

A holiday tradition around the Mullensbury household. Love it! It actually had the honor of kicking off Junkfood Cinema's A Very Junkfood Christmas.

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

Beginners (2010)

2011-12-31T11:18:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

A movie with its head stuck firmly up its own ass. Pretentious as pretentious films get. No thank you.

Rating: 2/10 Atkins

Our Idiot Brother (2011)

2011-12-31T11:04:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

Nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be and, in fact, fairly charming. Paul Rudd does not, as one would assume, play a total manchildish buffoon. He's just a guy who's a little naive and far too trusting of strangers as well as his highly dysfunctional family all of whom are much worse than he is but treat him as if he's the black sheep.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Superheroes (2011)

2011-12-31T10:53:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: DVD
Venue: Rivendell

Strange, uneven, but ultimately fascinating documentary about real life superheroes.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Little Big Man (1970)

2011-12-30T21:54:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: LEOG Lair

The movie was long-winded, but well-formed and had some of the most upsetting Native American slaughters I've ever seen. Watched this, along with several other films in preparation for the first episode of the new Spill.com podcast I'll be co-hosting called Remote Viewing. Check out the inaugural entry over at Spill.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Alien: Resurrection (1997)

2011-12-30T21:41:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

The only film in the franchise I had not seen. Some interesting ideas, gorgeously shot, and the Whedonisms are strikingly apparent from the get-go. Not bad at all.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)

2011-12-30T21:36:00.000-08:00

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

Don't think I'd seen this all the way through since theaters, wanted to give it another chance. Still largely insufferable thanks largely to the Wayans brother. Shame.

Rating: 3/10 Atkins

Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993)

2011-12-30T21:31:00.000-08:00

Revisit
Format: Netflix WI
Venue: Rivendell

Revisited this chuckle fest and wrote it up in this week's For Your Consideration at Hollywood.com. Check it out why don't you just!

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Santa Sangre (1989)

2011-12-27T16:49:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: DVD
Venue: LEOG Lair

I can't even rate this film, one of the most thoroughly surreal mind-fucks to which I have ever subjected my consciousness. Damn you Alejandro Jodorowsky, your bizarre imagery will forever haunt my nightmares.

Hugo (2011)

2011-12-21T19:36:00.000-08:00

1st View
Venue: Regal Metropolitan (Press Screening)

I have issues with its pacing and bizarre cinematography, but Hugo is a beautiful love letter to cinephilia and the origins of film itself. For that, I loved it.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

2011-12-21T19:31:00.000-08:00

Revisit
Format: DVD
Venue: Rivendell

Never a bad time to revisit one of the greatest action movies ever made.

Rating: 10/10 Atkins

Aliens (1986)

2011-11-27T00:56:00.000-08:00

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

I wasn't merely revisiting this film because the Blu-ray look phenomenal, which it does, or because it's one of my favorite action movies of all time, which it is. I was watching Aliens on this day to get into the proper mindset for the evening's performance of Aliens on Ice. What's Aliens on Ice, you ask? Take a gander at this recap I wrote on the incredible live reinterpretation by Austin comedy troupe The Old Murder House Theater. Game over, man, game indeed over.

Film Rating: 9/10 Atkins

Aliens on Ice Rating: Mostly Too Amazing For Words...Mostly

The Muppets (2011)

2011-11-27T00:40:00.000-08:00

1st View
Venue: Galaxy Highland (Press Screening)

Start the music and light the lights, Kermit and the gang are back! Here is my review of the long-anticipated return of The Muppets in...THE MUPPETS!

The Birdcage (1996)

2011-11-27T00:18:00.000-08:00

Revisit
Format: Netflix
Venue: Rivendell

Was working late, needed a great comedy to provide background noise. The Birdcage is a true classic. Love it.

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

The Rock-afire Explosion (2008)

2011-11-27T00:03:00.000-08:00

Revisit
Format: Netflix
Venue: Rivendell

A weird, wonderful documentary about the animatronic band from Showbiz Pizza Place locations across the country in the late 80s. The doc not only charts the rise and fall of the company that created the Rock-afire Explosion, Creative Engineering, but also spends time with a few eccentric fans whose lives were so touched by this strange entertainment niche.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

2011-11-26T23:55:00.000-08:00

Revisit
Venue: Alamo Ritz (Cast Reunion Screening)

As part of Austin Comic Con, several members of the cast of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory were on hand for this special Alamo screening. The experience brought back a great many memories of watching the film with my aunt Symone and fast-forwarding to the part wherein the kids actually enter the factory. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to interview the grownup Wonka kids for Movies.com. Come with me, give a read, to my article of pure imagination.

Hatchet 2 (2010)

2011-11-26T23:42:00.000-08:00

Revisit
Format: Cable
Venue: Rivendell

Little late-night revisit. Still quite fun.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Immortals (2011)

2011-11-26T23:31:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: XD Digital
Venue: Tinseltown

Boring, long-winded, and uninteresting. Shame.

Rating 4/10 Atkins

The Fall (2006)

2011-11-26T23:13:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

Just before we departed to catch the midnight screening of Immortals, the wife and I decided to watch director Tarsem Singh's previous film The Fall. It was every bit as breathtaking, visually, as I had expected, but for some reason I had also expected the narrative to be abstract and barely existent. Not sure why. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that while I had heard people universally praising The Fall's visual landscape, I had never heard anyone even mention the plot. Turns out, the storytelling is just as beautiful as the imagery.

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

BMX Bandits (1983)

2011-11-26T23:00:00.000-08:00

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

A classically befuddling "kids" movie from the great Brian Trenchard-Smith. BMX Bandits' bicycular hijinx won the film the honor of Junkfood Cinema immortality. Pedal on over and give it a read!

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)

2011-11-26T22:32:00.000-08:00

Revisit
Format: DVD
Venue: Rivendell

Here again, a terrible sequel. But again, one I enjoy despite its every attempt to fail. Entertaining in the basest way.

Rating: 5/10 Atkins

J. Edgar (2011)

2011-11-26T22:14:00.000-08:00

1st View
Venue: Galaxy Highland (Press Screening)

Uneven, unfocused, and overall flat, J. Edgar is one of the most disappointing films of the year. Dicaprio's accent and makeup are as laughable as his cloying performance. Clint Eastwood has become a peddler of mediocrity who is more concerned with getting a film released in time for awards season every year than crafting anything of quality.

Rating: 3/10 Atkins

Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)

2011-11-26T22:06:00.000-08:00

Revisit
Format: DVD
Venue: Rivendell

The first appearance of Kane Hodder as Jason. Still better than it gets credit for, but not one I enjoy all that much.

Rating: 5/10 Atkins

Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI (1986)

2011-11-26T21:58:00.000-08:00

Revisit
Format: DVD
Venue: Rivendell

I know this one is bad, I know that. And yet I can't help but enjoy it. I get a kick out of the fact that people show up to die independent of the plot. Plus, it is the birth of zombie Jason!

Rating: 5/10 Atkins

Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)

2011-11-26T21:52:00.000-08:00

Revisit
Format: DVD
Venue: Rivendell

Speaking as a fan, I find this to be the second worst of the entire franchise; second to the deplorable Jason Goes to Hell. Unbearable characters, shitty directing and photography, an the ending is painfully facepalm-inducing. If it weren't for the dark, surprisingly adept performance of John Shepherd as grownup Tommy Jarvis, this would be a totally worthless entry.

Rating: 3/10 Atkins

Deathtrap (1982)

2011-11-26T21:45:00.000-08:00

1st View
Format: Netflix WI
Venue: Rivendell

I had heard good things about this film, and must say I was not disappointed. I always relish the opportunity to see Christopher Reeve in a role other than Superman, and he shines tremendously here. Michael Caine is as brilliant as ever and I desperately need to see more Lumet films. Deathtrap wears its stage roots on its sleeve but it still works beautifully.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Never Too Young To Die (1986)

2011-11-16T21:55:00.000-08:00

Revisit
Format: VHS
Venue: Rivendell

A personal favorite train wreck starring John Stamos as a teenage secret agent battling a transsexual terrorist played by former KISS frontman Gene Simmons. If that synopsis alone doesn't make you want to see this film, take a gander at the Junkfood Cinema article it earned with its absurdity.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Downfall (2004)

2011-11-16T21:30:00.000-08:00

1st Viewing
Format: Netflix WI
Venue: Rivendell

Finally got around to watching the movie that gave us that fantastic "Hitler is pissed" internet meme. Here's the writeup I did for Hollywood.com. If you don't like it, tell me in my bunker so I can freak out about it.

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011)

2011-11-16T20:46:00.000-08:00

1st View
Venue: Galaxy Highland (Press Screening)

I must say I am a fan of the first H&K film. It's a weird infusion of Cheech and Chong and the Crosby/Hope "on the road" movies. While I haven't seen the second film, since seeing the first I have become a huge fan of How I Met Your Mother starring, among others, the incomparable Neil Patrick Harris. I was therefore doubly excited about A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas and the return of the storied NPH from the H&K universe. He definitely did not disappoint. The film was as raunchy and low-brow as you'd expect, and yet simultaneously smarter than you'd think. Also, I now desperately want a WaffleBot.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Young Adult (2011)

2011-11-08T10:18:00.000-08:00

1st View
Venue: Alamo South Lamar (Press Screening)

Self-indulgent writing, zero likable characters, and completely insults the audience's time and effort by...well, I won't spoil the ending seeing as the film isn't in theaters yet. Repugnant filmmaking all around. Patton Oswalt's ultimately undermined performance is the only reason this film doesn't warrant a rating of "0."

Rating: 2/10 Atkins

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

2011-11-05T23:15:00.000-07:00

Revisit
Format: HD-DVD
Venue: Rivendell

It's been a while since I've seen Zack Snyder's remake, but the recent Mondo screening of the George Romero original piqued my interest to revisit. I still think it's a damn fine remake that incorporates changes required of so drastic a change in the film and sociopolitical landscape since the 70s. There are some bizarre cinematography choices with over-saturated color that I don't quite understand, but other than that I have very few complaints.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Invasion of the Body Sntachers (1978)

2011-11-05T16:38:00.000-07:00

1st View
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

One of my most embarrassing horror blind spots finally rectified. A little slow, but an excellent sci-fi/horor story. Incredible practical effects and sound design. Would make a great double feature with The Thing.

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

Halloween (1978)

2011-11-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

An unbroken tradition for me, I again watch Halloween on Halloween. Still one of my very favorite movies of all time.

Rating: 10/10 Atkins

Mimic (1997)

2011-11-05T16:09:00.000-07:00

1st View
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

Had somehow let this one slip through the cracks during my most formidable horror years. Guillermo del Toro's brilliant storytelling, fantastic characters, and--unfortunately--terrible CG are all alive and well. Overall, pretty damn good.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

2011-11-05T14:52:00.000-07:00

Revisit
Venue: Highland Mall (Mondo Mystery Screening IX)

Mondo's mystery screenings are always great, but this one was extra special. Not only did it involve a screening of Dawn of the Dead in a shopping mall, but also a veritable army of extras made up like Romeroesque zombies attacking buses of patrons as they entered the parking lot. I got to be one of those zombies. I wrote up the event and the experience for Film School Rejects. Shamble over to the link and give it a read won't you?

Dead Heat (1988)

2011-11-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

Revisit
Format: DVD
Venue: Rivendell

Not sure how I forgot to log this one. I watched it in early October to prepare for Junkfood Horror. Read the article here!

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Child's Play 3 (1991)

2011-10-31T17:54:00.000-07:00

1st View
Format: Cable
Venue: Rivendell

Just happened to be on TV today and it's one of the last two in the franchise I hadn't seen. It's...not good. The idea behind the premise is passable, but the execution creates more plot holes than the film can handle. Satisfying ending though.

Rating: 4/10 Atkins

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

2011-10-31T17:44:00.000-07:00

Revisit
Format: DVD
Venue: Rivendell

One of the most underrated horror sequels of all time, and a marvelously weird cult movie. This is the film that gave my tallyteer blog its rating system for crying out loud! The boys and I got together to record our own commentary for Tommy Lee Wallace's entry into the franchise for Louge Geek's Hatchet Men. Give it a listen!

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Special When Lit-A Pinball Documentary (2009)

2011-10-31T17:37:00.000-07:00

1st View
Format: Netflix
Venue: Rivendell

Had never heard of this doco, saw it while scrolling through the Netflix streaming catalog. As someone who has recently become interested in the game, thanks to the amazing Pinballz Arcade here in Austin, I was excited to watch it. Starts out with a lot of energy, pizazz, and fascinating information, but fizzles near the end by lingering on some truly sad subjects. Overall, pretty solid.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Machete Maidens Unleashed! (2010)

2011-10-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

Revisit
Format: Netflix WI
Venue: Rivendell

Mark Hartley is the master of the immensely entertaining documentary. Here he focuses his irreverent/reverent lens on the exploitation films made in The Philippines during the 70s-80s. Not quite as encompassing as Not Quite Hollywood, but Hartley is dealing with more limited subject matter. Still a great doco featuring exceptional interviewees and Hartley's signature pitch-perfect editing.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Bullhead (2011)

2011-10-31T17:17:00.000-07:00

1st View
Venue: Alamo South Lamar (Press Screening)

This was one of the most praised films at this year's Fantastic Fest, but I unfortunately did not get a chance to see it. Finally rectified that oversight. Everything that was in the film was great, but it made me want to know more details about this story that were sadly lacking. I think it's a very good movie, there's just not enough there in my opinion.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

The Pit (1981)

2011-10-31T17:10:00.000-07:00

1st View
Format: DVD
Venue: Rivendell

One of the more bizarre 80s horror films I have ever seen. This weird little gem left such an impact on me that I decided to cover it for Junkfood Cinema. Read it if you dare.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Star Trek (2009)

2011-10-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

So good, even better after having watched a few more episodes of Star Trek TOS. Just a good mood movie.

Rating: 9/10 Atkins

The Green Hornet (2011)

2011-10-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

1st View
Format: Cable
Venue: Rivendell

Finally caught this. I like the character quite a bit so I was hoping for a decent big screen adaptation. There are elements that work here, but they are subverted by horrendous miscasting in both Hornet and villain (sorry Christoph Waltz, you were great in Inglorious Basterds but you have nothing to work with here). I get that they got Seth Rogen because the character starts off as a bumbling rich oaf, but if he never changes to legit hero, the movie is a failure.

Rating: 4/10 Atkins

Attack the Block (2011)

2011-10-30T14:35:00.000-07:00

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

Still one of my favorite movies of this or any other year. Finally on home video for me to watch again and again and again. Whoop whoop!

Child's Play 2 (1990)

2011-10-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

1st View
Format: DVD
Venue: Rivendell

Passable sequel, not nearly as entertaining or competent as the first. Still, pretty enjoyable.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Riding the Bus with My Sister (2005)

2011-10-30T14:14:00.000-07:00

1st View
Venue: Alamo South Lamar (Master Pancake)

This was a very special, and I do mean special, Choose Your Own Pancake. The audience brings movie selections, narrowed down to own by the very sophisticated Applause-O-Meter. The comedic dynamos of the Master Pancake troupe then improvise a live mock of the film. Some friends from Spill.com assisted in the lampoon. The film that was chosen was a 2005 made-for-TV movie called Riding the Bus with my Sister starring Rosie O'Donnell as a mentally handicapped woman and Andie MacDowell as her compassionately handicapped sister. It is one of the most offensive exploitation films I have ever seen and it fervently believes itself to be an inspiring feat of humanism. We were informed as the film began rolling that the Disabled American Film Festival was going on in the theater across the hall. Warm up my seat, Satan.

Rating: 1/10 Atkins

The Howling (1981)

2011-10-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

1st View
Format: Netflix WI
Venue: Rivendell

Corrected a major blind spot in my horror knowledge. Not a bad film, but not nearly as good as I had expected. Great werewolf effects and interesting concept, but a little flubbed on execution. Very glad to have seen it.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

A Return to Salem's Lot (1987)

2011-10-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

1st View
Format: Warner Archive DVD
Venue: Rivendell

I sure have been watching a bunch of Warner Archive horror films lately. I should probably write an article about it or something. Oh wait, that's exactly what I did for Movies.com. Read it and feel free to tell me what you think.

Rating: 5/10 Atkins

Salem's Lot (1979)

2011-10-28T23:46:00.000-07:00

1st View
Format: VHS
Venue: Rivendell

Hadn't seen this before. Despite being a made-for-TV horror flick, it's sufficiently creepy. Borrowing quite a bit from Nosferatu, Salem's Lot may take its time getting going but it's a strong vampire entry once it does. The ending feels downright Hammer in tone and set construction.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

The Exorcist III (1990)

2011-10-28T23:31:00.000-07:00

1st View
Format: DVD
Venue: Rivendell

I had been wanting to see this for some time. Based on Exorcist author Peter Blatty's followup novel Legion. Very weird story that doesn't work consistently, but it's exceedingly creepy when it does. Points for the return(ish) of Father Karras and for the inclusion of a great performance by Brad Dourif.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

The Exorcist (1973)

2011-10-28T23:18:00.000-07:00

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

Showed my wife a true classic for the very first time. She liked it a lot and appreciated several little nuances. Love.

Rating: 9/10 Atkins

The Evil Dead (1981)

2011-10-20T14:45:00.000-07:00

Revisit
Format: Netflix WI
Venue: Rivendell

One of my favorites. I was fortunate to host a pair of screenings of The Evil Dead at The Alamo Drafthouse.

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

Killer Party (1986)

2011-10-20T14:13:00.000-07:00

1st View
Format: Warner Archive DVD
Venue: Rivendell

Incredibly silly, but some legitimate quality peeks through the mire of goofballitude. Overall, passably entertaining despite itself. Ended up making the Junkfood Cinema grade for this month's Junkfood Horror. Read if you dare!

Rating: 5/10 Atkins

Black Zoo (1963)

2011-10-16T00:38:00.000-07:00

1st View
Format: Warner Archive DVD
Venue: Rivendell

Strange film about Michael Gough using his zoo as his own personal Murder, Inc. I'm slowly learning that Gough is one of the kings of 60s horror.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Macabre (1958)

2011-10-15T23:20:00.000-07:00

1st View
Format: Warner Archive DVD
Venue: Rivendell

Darker-than-expected William Castle outing. Not bad at all.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

The Fly (1986)

2011-10-15T22:30:00.000-07:00

Revisit
Format: Netflix WI
Venue: Rivendell

Charting some quality time with one of my absolute favorites. Here's an article I wrote in which I expend some meager words in a feeble attempt to encapsulate the genius of one of Cronenberg's masterpieces.

Rating: 9/10 Atkins

Black Roses (1988)

2011-10-15T22:21:00.000-07:00

1st View
Format: VHS
Venue: Rivendell

Love the hell out of this movie. Heavy metal horror is quickly becoming one of my favorite subgenres. It made such an impact on me that it was canonized in this week's Junkfood Cinema. Thrash and headbang your way through it.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Maniac Cop (1988)

2011-10-15T22:11:00.000-07:00

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

The Synapse Blu transfer is beautiful. Review to come.

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

The Thing (2011)

2011-10-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

1st View
Venue: Galaxy Highland (Press Screening)

Pitiful, visionless rehashing of Carpenter's classic with absolutely no understanding of what really made it work. Don't waste your time.

Rating: 3/10 Atkins

Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)

2011-10-15T21:54:00.000-07:00

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

Neither of the other denizens of Rivendell had seen this. It was like watching it for the first time again. I still very much enjoy this sequel.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Time Walker (1982)

2011-10-15T21:47:00.000-07:00

1st View
Format: DVD
Venue: LEOG Lair

Silly, but overall entertaining. Starring not one, but two cast members of John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13.

Rating: 5/10 Atkins

Grotesque (1988)

2011-10-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

1st View
Format: DVD
Venue: LEOG Lair

Such a freaking bizarre piece of filmmaking. Liked it at first, then hated it, then couldn't believe where it went, ultimately grateful for the experience.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Eliminators (1986)

2011-10-15T21:24:00.000-07:00

1st View
Format: VHS
Venue: The Cartoon House (Topher and Carolee's)

Good, old-fashioned, stupid fun. I love these movies.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Child's Play (1988)

2011-10-15T21:01:00.000-07:00

1st View
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

Giant horror blind spot rectified. This was actually one of my assigned film for Horror's Not Dead's epic Halloween White Elephant project. Fellow HND writer Noah Lee assigned this to me when he heard I hadn't seen it. Here's my review.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)

2011-10-15T20:55:00.000-07:00

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

Like this less and less with each revisit.

Rating: 5/10 Atkins

Ides of March (2011)

2011-10-15T20:39:00.000-07:00

1st Visit
Venue: Alamo South Lamar (Press Screening)

Forgettable Oscar-bait dreck.

Rating: 4/10 Atkins

Alligator (1980)

2011-10-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

Revisit
Format: 35mm
Venue: Alamo Village

I was fortunate enough to be able to host a 35mm screening of this, one of my favorite monster movies, at the Alamo Drafthouse. It was GatorTastic!

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

Gremlins (1984)

2011-10-14T19:38:00.000-07:00

Revisit
Format: 35mm
Venue: Alamo South Lamar

Testing one of Eric Vespe's new prints. Nice capper to Fantastic Fest.

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

FANTASTIC FEST 2011: New Kids Turbo (2010)

2011-10-14T19:14:00.000-07:00

1st View
Country: The Netherlands

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

FANTASTIC FEST 2011: Sleep Tight (2011)

2011-10-14T19:07:00.000-07:00

1st View
Country: Spain

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

FANTASTIC FEST 2011: Livid (2011)

2011-10-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

1st View
Country: France

Rating: 7/10 Atkins