Showing posts with label B movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label B movies. Show all posts

Saturday, April 25, 2015

High Risk "mi guilty pleasure"



Vi esta película con un amigo en una tarde en Minneapolis cuando no había mucho que hacer. Y porque no había más nada que ver en el cine.La exhibían en un cine viejo y deteriorado en downtown. Nada prometedor el panorama. Pero extrañamente se convirtió en una de las mejores tardes en mi vida como amante del cine.

Una película B que lleva la B con mucho orgullo y sin anda de verguenza, High Risk trata de un grup de amigos que al estar harto de trabajar para ganar muy poco, deciden ir a una república latinoamericana y robar el dinero de un traficante de drogas. La trama es inverosímil y casi imposible. Pero hay algo realmente irressitible sobre el film.

Quizás meas que nada son las actuaciones de James Brolin, Cleavon Little, Bruce Davidson. Y por supuesto, una actuación divertida de verdad de Anthony Quinn. Y bueno, también está Lindsay Wagner, James Coburn y Ernest Borgnine. Y claro, la perrita que de manera absurda siempre se reencuentra con su dueño.

Ya no hacen películas así y ya no hay repartos así. En fin, una maravilla.

"High Risk" está disponible para streaming gratis como parte de Amazon Prime.

Thursday, March 05, 2015

Unholy Rollers: cine B de los 1970


Una de la cosas que extraño del cine de hace años son las películas B. Esas películas de bajo presupuesto que aunque la mayoría no eran nada especial, de pronto aparecía una joyita. El cine B era una especie de internado y primer trabajo para los que luego serían grandes directores y escritores.

En el caso de "Unholy Rollers", el film fue unos de los primeros trabajos como editor de Martin Scorcese. Eso en realidad la convierte en algo interesante. Un film sobre el mundo del famoso roller derby de los años 70, la película no tiene una trama muy original, pero el trabajo de Scorcese hace que se mueva aún cuando no pasa mucho.

Esta película cuenta también con la sexy Claudia Jennings que se especializaba en este tipo de film B. Una Playmate del Año, Jennings era una mujer linda y sexy, y se proyectaba bien en la pantalla. Aquí tiene un papel interesante ya que aunque es la protagonista, no tiene un personaje muy simpático. Pero de todas maneras de alguna manera simpatizamos con ella. Una pena que muriera tan joven (29 años) en un accidente de auto. Hubiera sido interesante ver si en el futuro hacía el brinco al cine mainstream. Pienso que tenía el potencial, pero en esa época, su rol como Playmate y su fama como chica que se desnuda en películas B no hubiera logrado que eso ocurriera. De todas maneras, en "Rollers" vemos a Jennings en su prime, en términos de belleza y proyección de sex appeal.

"Unholy Rollers" es parte de una colección de 4 películas de Roger Corman de los 1970. No es una maravilla, pero es interesante. Y para mi, eso es suficiente.

Sunday, January 05, 2014

the wonders of "The Hypnotic Eye"



Contrary to popular belief there are very few "so bad it's good" movies. Most bad B movies are dull, unbearable and can only be watched if the get the MST3K treatment. Yesterday I saw one of the rare examples of an incredibly bad movie that is also absolutely entertaining and fun.

"The Hypnotic Eye" tells the strange story of a series of weird events: women mutilating themselves in bizarre ways: using acid as facial cleanser is just one of them. Curiously none of them recall why they did that. Could it be the work of a Hypnotist? Give the case to two of the dumbest police detectives in movie history and you have a real classic.

I won't spoil things by telling you more. Just go ahead and see it. It is available on DVD through Warner Archive and can also be bought via Amazon.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Lady Chatterley's Lover


The other day, I woke up early and found the Just Jaeckin-Sylvia Kristel version of "Lady Chatterley's Lover" on a premium cable tv channel. And I decided to have breakfast while watching this rarity. This movie was made in 1981 by the notorious Cannon Group, a movie studio from way back headed by the hack team of Golan and Globus. They were heavily into exploitation movies such as the "Death Wish" sequels. And once in a while they would try to come up with a prestige movie that ended up being worse than their cheap, violence filled movies.

But maybe "Lady Chatterley's Lover" is not that bad, as compared to other versions of the novel. They all have that "this is serious literature" attitude. But the fact is that the novel, which is a serious study of human sexuality, involves a lot of the character's thoughts and feelings. And movies are not so great doing that, so invariably movies based on this novel end up being "Woman is married to impotent cripple. Woman fucks gardener." The wonderful DH Lawrence prose is gone.

Anyway, I enjoyed it, I must admit. Shane Bryant is pretty good as Clifford and Sylvia Kristel is actually not so bad as Lady Chatterley. Her nude scenes, especially remind one, that she was a true beauty. No implants or surgery.

So, if you wake up early one of these days, give it a shot. Or Take advantage of your DVR and record it.
By the way, a piece I wrote on Sylvia Kristel two years ago is the most visited page in my blog. So it will be interesting to see how this piece does.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Moon


For a while the words "science fiction" and "intelligence" have not been together, at least in regards to movies. All sci-fi movies have been basically about aliens, blood and guts. I admit some of them were fun. But I was missing the spirit of movies like "Silent Running" and "2001" that touched upon the human aspect of space travel. Well, amazingly enough here is a new movie that is inspired by those two movies I just mentioned. It is called "Moon". It stars San Rockwell as the sole worker in a moon project. He is to stay there for three years. And well, after a while, one can lose it in those lonely circumstances. Or maybe not. I really can't say much more about the movie without giving away key plot points. What I can say is that Sam Rockwell is amazing carrying the movie alone. And that the robot with him is the most memorable since HAL. This is an interesting movie that dares to be different, that doesn't go where one expects it too. Yes, it does get kind of slow sometimes, but then again that is the whole idea behind the movie. I can't believe this movie was able to get made in this Avatar age. But it did. I just hope it makes some money on DVD or else it will be the last of its kind.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Eric Rohmer dies



It is interesting that in the day that a big, dumb movie became the 7th highest grossing film in history, the director of small, intelligent movies passes away. Eric Rohmer, the director of such wonderful little movies such as "Claire's Knee", "Pauline at the Beach", "The Green Ray" and "Boyfriends and Girlfriends" died during the weekend.

I discovered his movies years ago, when a small VHS video store near my home started renting his movies, perhaps thinking that they were sexy comedies. Anyway, I fell in love with his type of low key moviemaking right away. I love his ability to create interest based on the smallest, most mundane situations. A man in love with a woman's knee. A woman trying to find happiness while vacationing. Two couples who decide that maybe they should switch partners and find happiness.

When I watch his movies I become as relaxed as the setting of his stories. It is the equivalent of sitting at a quiet beach and listening to people nearby go about their lives. One realizes there is nothing outstanding about them, but one is still interested in how things will turn out. They are movies that stress in a delightful, easygoing way, that the small things are the ones that matter. The word said or unsaid. The small gesture. The short, quick gaze at a young woman's beautiful knee.

Monday, January 04, 2010

cool horror movie shot in Puerto Rico



I've always been a sucker for B movies. And when I was a teenager there were plenty of them around. Not so much now though. So it was refreshing to see a brand new B movies...and filmed in Puerto Rico! It is called " A Perfect Getaway" a story about newlyweds in Hawaii (panoramic shots are shot there, the rest was shot in Puerto Rico) who find out there is a serial killer couple loose in the island. The newlyweds are, of course, doing some hiking in a place with no cellphone reception, you get the picture. The movie is fun, not gory at all, and keeps you guessing as to the identity of the serial killers. I won't say too much more because I don't want to ruin it.

The movie stars Chris Hemsworth, Milla Jovovich, Kiele Sanchez, Timothy Olyphant, Steve Zahn and all of them are fine doing B movie acting. I specially liked Hemsworth and Sanchez.

This movie actually received positive reviews when it played theaters. Unfortunately it was a flop. It is now available in DVD and is really worth a look.