The Story of Film: A New Generation (2021) – Review
If you are a fan of Mark Cousins and his documentaries, make sure to pick up The Complete Story of Film which was just released from Music Box Films. I received a copy for review and it’s wonderful. I’ve recommended The Story of Film: An Odyssey to all of my film students and I think it’s a must watch for movie lovers. This review is for The Story of Film: A New Generation (2021), which focuses on movies released between 2010 and 2021.
Quick Thoughts – Grade – A – What I love most about this documentary is its dedication to finding and recommending films that offer something new and exciting. I’d never heard of many of these films and now my watchlist has been vastly expanded.
Opening up with a discussion about Joker (2019) and Frozen (2013), Cousins the director, writer and narrator of this documentary lets the audience know that no movie is too big or small to be discussed in this update to his beloved The Story of Film: An Odyssey. Throughout the 167-minute documentary Cousins references Under the Skin, It Follows, Black Panther, Holy Motors, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Song of the Sea, High Life, The Act of Killing and dozens of other films and documentaries that gave audiences something new. Whether it’s offering something new to the comedy genre (Booksmart, Deadpool, PK), or showcasing bodies in a unique way (Hustlers, XXY, High Life), Cousins is obsessed with finding cinema that excites him and makes him say “I’ve never seen that before.”
Most importantly, Cousins realizes that interesting movies and documentaries are made in every corner of the world and they offer important looks into other cultures and people. Growing up I never really watched international films and it wasn’t until a film studies class in college when my world was opened up to the cinema of South Korea, India, China, Japan, Sweden, and Brazil. It was a big moment for me and for someone who had never traveled outside of the United States, these films and documentaries offered me a look into places that seemed very far away from Florida. I love showing The Story of Film: An Odyssey to my students because it does an excellent job of expanding their cinema vocabulary and lets them know how worldwide cinema has been formed and molded into what it is now.
You really need to watch these documentaries and I hope you add some cool movies to your watchlist.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 522: The Town, Ben Affleck and Heist Movies
You can download or stream the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker (or wherever you listen to podcasts…..we’re almost everywhere).
If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome.
Mark and Phil discuss the 2010 crime thriller The Town. Directed and written by Ben Affleck, and starring Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Blake Lively and Ben Affleck, the movie showcases excellent performances (Renner was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar) and reignited Affleck’s acting career. In this episode, they also talk about Affleck’s comeback, flower shops, and their favorite supporting characters in heist movies. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 521: Yes, Madam (1985), Michelle Yeoh, and Microfilm
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If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome.
Mark and Norbert (@eddiecaine on X) discuss the 1985 action classic Yes, Madam. Directed by Corey Yuen, and starring Michelle Yeoh, Cynthia Rothrock, and Dick Wei, the movie focuses on the hunt for a microfilm MacGuffin. In this episode, they also talk about spin kicks, overalls, and the greatness of Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rockrock. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 520: Oldsmobile Henry, Barbenheimer, and Dark Mama
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Mark and David Cross (@ItsMeDavidCross on X) talk about Barbenheimer and discuss other weekends in which two excellent films were released. In this episode, they talk about Boyz n the Hood, Point Break, Titane, Old Henry, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Poltergeist. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
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John’s Horror Corner: Shadowzone (1990), a solid B-movie with a great cast including Academy Award winner Louise Fletcher!
MY CALL: Solid B-movie fun. By no means an epic bad movie, but a bad movie worthy of your deliberate bad movie night, for sure. Great and recognizable cast, decent pacing and storytelling, awful writing, and all the money went into the monster effects and gore! MORE MOVIES LIKE Shadowzone: From Beyond (1986) and Blue Monkey (1987) will scratch the same itch, but with much more effective, much more frequent, and much more gooey creature effects and gore.
Investigating a death in a research bunker, Captain Hickock (David Beecroft; Creepshow 2) stumbles across an interdimensional experiment gone horribly wrong. Dr. Van Fleet (James Hong; The Vineyard, Big Trouble in Little China) has been researching deep dream states using the subconscious as a radio beacon to contact other dimensions. What crosses over this interdimensional dream bridge is a shapeshifting monster from another world. This sounds a bit like From Beyond (1986), and it plays out like a lower budget version of it… but not without some cheerful B-movie charm courtesy of director J. S. Cardone (Wicked Little Things, The Slayer). People get picked off in this research bunker in a pattern strongly reminiscent of Alien (1979), a model adopted by numerous 80s and 90s Sci-Horror.
We really feel the budget limitations as we watch this low budget flick. But every effort was made to make this a fun movie, which means most of the budget went to gore and creature effects. The autopsy and surgery scenes are really gory, well done, and give you plenty of time to soak in the bloody bones and exposed organs on camera. Then the first monster effects are over the top with chonky latex mutations and I simply love it. Other effects wander into wild shenanigans, like a giant rat head breaking through a wall, a mutant monkey monster, or other mutilated, wet, disfigured creatures.
Except for the lengthy autopsy and surgery scenes, most of the effects are pretty brief. But we always see enough to be very satisfied with the monstrous fleshiness of what’s on screen. These effects could definitely have been more abundant. But I didn’t find myself getting frustrated with the lulls in horror action. And not that this was well written, but that says something about the storytelling.
Oh, and don’t watch this with your grandmother… there’s a lot of nudity. A lot! Boy, does the camera linger on some of these full-frontal shots. This may have been inspired by Lifeforce (1985). The movie doesn’t need this at all. But I understand that the genre thrives on such titillating raciness, and in my youth I would have lodged zero complaints. Maybe not really today either—I’m just more critical of it. A lot of the set pieces are very cheap—just keep your eye on the boobs, right? No one will notice. Still, in many ways, I feel like this movie was swinging for the fences with the effects and story.
The cast is pretty impressive. Fleet’s assistants Dr. Erhardt (Louise Fletcher; Firestarter, Exorcist II, Virtuosity, Invaders from Mars, Grizzly II) and Dr. Kidwell (Shawn Weatherly; Amityville 1992, Love in the Time of Monsters), and Fleet’s technician Wiley (Miguel A. Núñez, Jr.; Return of the Living Dead, Friday the 13th part V, Leprechaun 4: In Space) are all played by actors familiar to the genre. But the writing and acting is… well, it’s pretty terrible. Even Academy Award winner Louise Fletcher (for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) couldn’t act her way through the haphazardly clunky dialogue. Maybe she just stopped caring the moment her check cleared.
In the finale, our slimy humanoid creature is not of top-notch effects caliber. But I assure you it is satisfyingly slimy and grimy and gnarly and gross. More importantly, we see plenty of it! It looks completely ridiculous… in a fun way. And that’s what this movie is: solid B-movie fun. You almost want to high-five the effects team for this deliciously bad monster design. Great cast, decent enough pacing and storytelling despite the awful writing, and all the money went into the monster effects and gore… as they should!
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 519: Police Story, Jackie Chan and Mall Fights
You can download or stream the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker (or wherever you listen to podcasts…..we’re almost everywhere).
If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome.
Mark and James talk about the 1985 action classic Police Story. Directed, written, and starring Jackie Chan, the movie focuses on what happens when criminals are dumb enough to mess with a character played by Jackie Chan. In this episode, they also talk about beautiful stunts, umbrellas, and hill running. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 518: IT: Chapter One, Jerky Aliens, and Overhead Shots
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If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome.
Mark and Zanandi (@ZaNandi on X) talk about the 2017 horror film IT: Chapter One. Directed by Andy Muschietti, and starring Bill Skarsgård, Sophia Lillis, Jaeden Martell, Finn Wolfhard, the movie focuses on what happens when an evil alien lands on earth and starts acting like a complete jerk. In this episode, they also talk about rock throwing, creepy background characters, and overhead shots. Enjoy!
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
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John’s Horror Corner: X-Ray (1981; aka, Hospital Massacre), another 80s slasher that doesn’t live up to its hype.
MY CALL: Just another 80s slasher that doesn’t live up to its hype. Not enough happens. And when it does happen, it’s just not enough. Still, I didn’t regret it. Recommended only for 80s slasher completists. MORE MOVIES LIKE X-Ray: I feel that Halloween II (1981) provides a better hospital horror vibe.
As a child, a lunatic murders his crush’s brother. Twenty years later, he (Charles Lucia; Society, Syngenor) sees Susan (Barbi Benton; Deathstalker)stroll into the hospital where he works and, of course, recognizes her immediately. Intent to finish the job he started decades ago, he swaps her perfectly normal X-rays for those of a terminal patient so that she will be held for further testing and observation overnight.
After diagnosing Susan, the staff of this hospital seem quite comfortable going to highly inappropriate extremes to keep Susan there against her will for treatment. They coerce her, claim she’s having a seizure when she struggles, restrain her… it’s pretty far-fetched. You’d think they were all in on trying to kill her were it not for the killer murdering anyone who gets to close too her.
The slashery of this film lands at mediocre. Even when the stabs don’t stick on screen, the blood spurts and tone remain somewhat effective. There’s a “face dunk in acid” death scene that’s okay. Then more stabbery and a choking death that just miss the mark entirely. The axe to the head is probably the only truly worthy death scene, and even that isn’t exactly impressive by any 80s standards. The execution is almost missing something, and often missing a lot.
All told, this is just another 80s slasher that doesn’t live up to its hype. Not enough happens. And when it does happen, it’s not intense or bloody or graphic or theatric enough to be worth our time. I wouldn’t recommend this, nor would I warn anyone away from it. I think this is best suited for 80s slasher completists.
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John’s Horror Corner: The Slayer (1982), an 80s slasher that doesn’t live up to its name.
MY CALL: This is advertised as featuring a hideous demonic monster. It doesn’t—not really. This is a slow-paced mystery slasher with a few pretty nice visuals that might not make up for the lack of action and low number of kills. MORE MOVIES LIKE The Slayer: The Mutilator (1984) was similar, and maybe better.
On a vacation getaway to a remote island, two married couples book a luxury beach house for the weekend. Everyone seems happy with the place except for Kay (Sarah Kendall), who realizes she has dreamed of this place, and it frightens her.
I was somewhat skeptical until the first death scene, a great gag in which a man’s gashed and bloody neck is caught between a pair of cellar storm doors and they are held shut by the weight of his hanging body as his legs twitch about. Oh, and then his severed head was in bed next to his wife in bed. Precious. Unfortunately, after this nothing provocative happens for a very long time.
The pacing finds long lulls of couples chatting about their issues and exhaustively searching the island for a missing victim. These scenes are long, boring, and insubstantial. Not that this is so unusual for the genre. I was just amped up for more after that great death scene… and then less amped… and then less amped… and then just bored.
Eventually, and far too long after the aforementioned death scene, we have the fishing death scene. Creative use of lures and some wincing hooks to the face brought a grin to face again. But it doesn’t really make up for all the downtime between the action. There just aren’t many kills or effects scenes in this movie.
All the while we have no idea who the killer is. There was the weird groundskeeper from the beginning of the movie. But how does that explain the cold open of the movie when some laughably mangy rubber claws attacked someone?
Director J. S. Cardone (Wicked Little Things, Shadowzone) is a capable filmmaker and it shows here. Perhaps the greatest flaw of this movie was the budget. And rather than cheapen five or six death scenes with uniformly weak effects, we have three scenes with decent effects instead. Probably the right call, actually. All in all, this movie had a few pretty good gore gags. But was it worth all the slow pacing in between? That’ll depend on the viewer. With this said, the finale visual is gruesome, gory and goopy. This would be the monstrous screen grab shared online that would lure you into watching this movie, as it did for me. I’ll say this was not very worth it for me, but it also was by no means regrettable.
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John’s Horror Corner: Deadly Manor (1990; aka Savage Lust), another breasty slasher with lame, boring kills.
MY CALL: This was… not good. Oh, I’ve seen far worse. But there’s no reason to recommend this to anyone. Also, I’d warn you not to trust the images of the mangled-faced, masked killer you find online. It’s all limited to one decent (yet unredeeming) scene at the end.
After a cold open of two dead bodies with two bare boobs on one of them, I guess I now know the kind of movie this is gonna’ be. Then again, the alternate title for this flick was Savage Lust. So there’s that. Oh well, here we go…
A bunch of college kids heading to a remote lake for the weekend come across an abandoned manor with a “monument” to a busted-up car in the front yard. They intend to break in and stay there for the night under the assumption that no one is home.
Once inside, they find evidence of a (perhaps) missing woman and indications that someone was in the house very recently. So, of course, they go snooping around the house looking for trouble. The house is heavily decorated with burlesque photos of the mysterious woman, almost like a shrine collaged on the wall by her stalker. This ends up adding to the nudity of the movie considerably, even if just photos.
They come upon a closet with a collection of… scalps! Yes, actual human scalps! And in the basement there are coffins! But no worries, guys. Let’s crash here tonight. No big deal. So as of now, they deserve the worst for their stupidity for sure.
Sleeping alone (in a dream sequence), a man is straddled by a strange naked woman; the woman from all the photos. Not surprisingly, he goes with it and doesn’t question a thing. Maybe I wouldn’t either. The scene gets rather graphic. But again, the original title of this tasteful film was… right… Savage Lust. Barf. I shouldn’t be surprised. I found that director José Ramón Larraz had made a movie about “sex vampires” (Vampyres).
But what about the horror? The death scenes are lame, off-camera, uninspired crap. Even the after-the-fact shots of the victims are unsatisfying. Sure there’s some blood. But there’s not much to it. No wound work, no on-screen stabs, no nothing. The closest we get to a proper death scene is someone dragging a blunt knife across a neck with no wound. This happens a few times and it’s the classic “we have no money” death scene.
The one great effect to celebrate here is the makeup on the killer. Her mangled Phantom of the Opera face looks awesome. In fact, it was an image grab of just that which got me to watch this movie. Too bad it only graces us at the end of the movie. Visually speaking, this movie is a one trick pony that bores us for most of the ride. I recommend a hard pass.
Movies, Films & Flix 