Frothy Ruminations

Movies I’ve Seen During the Pandemic, Part I

Posted on March 24, 2020 by frothy

There’s no theme here. These are just what I’ve watched over the past month or so. All star ratings are out of four. More to come!

Altered (R, 2006, **). 15 years ago a group of five friends had an encounter with an extra-terrestrial. Four returned. One shut himself away from the world, and the other three hunted for the aliens. Now they’ve found one. The effects in this film are very good, particularly the alien beings, even if the plot isn’t all that complex. The acting could have used some fine tuning. Directed by Eduardo Sanchez, one of the brains behind The Blair Witch Project.

The Beyond (R, 1981, **). Another one of those gateway-to-Hell movies. In this case, a young woman has inherited a dilapidated hotel in Louisiana, and guess what it’s built over? A good example of the giallo genre from one of its masters, Lucio Fulci, the movie is high on visuals, low on story and acting. And whoever heard of basements in Louisiana?

Daughters of Darkness (R, 1971, **). This French-language film is about the notorious Elizabeth Bathory. You know, the one who killed thousands of young women and drank their blood? Here, Delphine Seyrig plays the Countess; with her companion Ilona by her side, they set their sights on newlywed couple Stefan and Valerie while they’re all holed up at a resort hotel. It’s not a great movie, by any means, and the only reason to watch it is for Seyrig’s commanding performance as the Countess. Nice atmosphere, dull plot.

Ex Drummer (R, 2007, ***). This is a Belgian film (in Dutch and Flemish, with English subtitles) about a famous writer who’s asked to join a band of misfits as their drummer, despite the fact (or because of) that he cannot play drums. But our new drummer has an ulterior motive – he instantly plays the members against each other and even incites some family feuds. This is a movie rife with coarse language, bloody situations, and a lot of very, very dark themes, so it’s not for everyone. But in its own way, it’s sort of a masterpiece.

Frozen II (PG, 2019, ***). I mean, if you liked the first one, you will definitely like the second one. In many ways, it’s more of the same, although the songs aren’t quite as memorable. Great voice cast, clever script, fine animation. The rock trolls get me every time. Unlike many Disney sequels, this one holds up rather well. And no, you probably don’t need to have seen the first one, but let’s face it – if you are interested in this one, you’ve probably seen Frozen. Along with most of the other Disney Animated Classics.

God Told Me To (R, 1976, **1/2). From cult director Larry Cohen. Tony Lo Bianco plays a religious detective in NYC investigating a series of murders committed by people who claim that God told them to start a-killin’. Like most Cohen movies, it’s an acquired taste. The second half shifts from a cop movie well into a sci-fi film with religious overtones, and it might even be a little too literal, not leaving enough to the imagination. Still, it’s a different kind of film.

The Lords of Salem (R, 2012, **1/2). This Rob Zombie film is about a DJ (Sheri Moon Zombie) who receives a record album from “The Lords” – it’s a slow, very heavy, very trance-like song that evokes images of Salem, Massachusetts’ sordid past of witch burning and such and somehow ties the DJ herself to a long-ago curse placed by an accused witch on the town. Meg Foster has an eerie presence as the head witch. Also stars Bruce Davison, Dee Wallace, Maria Conchita Alonso, and Rocky Horror’s Patricia Quinn! How much you’ll like it probably depends on your tolerance for Zombie’s excesses.

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Linda Lovelace for President (**1/2, 1975)

Posted on August 14, 2019 by frothy

There’s a disclaimer at the outset of this movie warning that the content is guaranteed to offend just about everyone. Here in the 21st century, one should heed that warning. There are all kinds of offensive racial and sexual stereotypes that would have naturally raised hackles in 1975, let alone in the present. The movie is about the campaign (fictional) of Linda Lovelace, known mostly for starring in the seminal ’70s porn movie Deep Throat, for president of the United States. Lovelace is nominated by a group of six walking caricatures (representing millions of people each), including a really butch lesbian, a really effeminate man, an actual neo-Nazi, a token black, a Chinese man (not played by an Asian, of course), and a Catholic priest. After being convinced by her (literal) Uncle Sam to run for president, Lovelace embarks upon a nationwide tour, giving speeches and hopping into bed with as many helpful young men as possible. Now, in case you’re still uncertain about this movie’s virtues, there is definitely no reason anyone under 18 should be allowed within 100 yards of the film. There’s nudity and sex, although there isn’t much violence. But, seriously – she’s a porn star playing herself, so there’s naturally some softcore scenes thrown in to get the attention of male viewers. If the rampant sex doesn’t put you off, then maybe the over-the-top characterizations will. Among the cast are Mickey Dolenz as a near-sighted bus driver, Art Metrano (Police Academy) as a sheikh, Scatman Crothers as a pool hustler named Super Black (!), Kennedy impersonator Vaughn Meader as a lusty preacher, and Joe E. Ross (Car 54, Where Are You?) as a dirty trickster in politics. Like some other movies of the late 60s and early 70s, the major theme here is of chaotic wackiness. As the lead, Lovelace is fine playing herself. There’s not much plot, there’s a ton of offensive material, and nudity abounds. But if you see it in the right frame of mind, perhaps viewing it as an artifact of its times, this isn’t a terrible film. (For a fun bonus, check out all of the protest signs near the beginning of the movie. Pure genius putting the AA people next to the AAA people.)

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Bone Tomahawk (***, 2015)

Posted on August 12, 2019 by frothy

Bone Tomahawk (what a great title!) is a real genre mashup, horror and western – the likes of which you’ve probably not seen before. The action is light until the final third of the film or so, bu the tension that steadily mounts in the first two-thirds will have you jumping at bells jingling and other startling sounds. Seems a prisoner, a deputy, and the doctor charged with removing the bullet from the prisoner’s leg have all vanished over the course of the night. The sheriff (Kurt Russell) sets out to find the trio, aided by his backup to the deputy (Richard Jenkins), a learned man with a predilection for killing Indians (Matthew Fox), and the doctor’s husband (Patrick Wilson), who’s nursing a bad leg. The lone Indian in their tiny western town is pretty sure who did the kidnapping, based off an arrow found in the jail, and he’s of the opinion that it’s a group of cave-dwellers – troglodytes. As the sheriff and his posse search, tensions mount among them, and the leg of the doctor’s husband acts up time and time again. What they do find when they finally come upon the cave holding the captives and their intimidating captors isn’t quite the run-of-the-mill stuff you’d find in an old Western, and that’s where the action, terrifying and fleet but so satisfying, kicks in. Bone Tomahawk makes hay out of the long trek to find the trio, and the tribulations of life on the trail, particularly as the men run low on provisions, is expertly told and lends a true sense of realism to the proceedings. Aside from that mounting tension, the first half is pulled together wonderfully by Russell and by Jenkins as the addled backup tin star. Jenkins steals the movie.

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Toy Story 4 (***, 2019)

Posted on August 7, 2019 by frothy

I enjoyed Toy Story 4, which is sort of like saying I like to breathe. It’s nigh impossible to dislike Pixar’s flagship series after 24 (!) years of laughs and heartstring-pulling. Now, along with most people I figured that Toy Story 3 was the end of it all, as Andy goes off to college and the toys wind up with another kid, named Bonnie. But oh, no! There are more feelings to be felt. Bonnie, then a toddler, is now entering kindergarten and is very anxious. Woody sneaks off to her orientation and watches sadly as Bonnie interacts with no kids and appears to feel excluded. Left to her own friend-making devices, she constructs a new friend all of her own, a spork with googly eyes, pipe-cleaner hands, and popsicle-stick feet named, uh, Forky. And by putting her name on his feet, Bonnie gives Forky life. So now we have an all-new toy, one who has never been a toy before (he insists he’s trash, as his components were fished from a trash can). Woody sees how much Bonnie needs her new toy, as sort of a security blanket for the stress of kindergarten, and he’s determined to make Forky understand his lot in life and his importance to Bonnie. Along the way, Woody has a chance encounter with a figure from his own past – Little Bo Peep, who appeared in early Toy Story films but who has been gone for some time. Bo has it going on, living the life of a “free toy,” i.e., one not belonging to any kid – even though that’s (apparently) what most toys want. Woody’s been someone’s toy forever – is this something he wants as well? This movie presents a bit of a crossroads for Woody (less so for the other toys), and as with special messages in the previous films, it is wonderfully handled and expertly expressed. First, let me look at the good stuff, of which there’s plenty, from this movie. The voice actors are, as usual, pitch perfect – and it’s nice to hear Annie Potts back as Bo Peep. Key and Peele are along for the laughs, and Christina Hendricks, Tony Hale, Keanu Reeves, and Ally Maki are each wonderful additions; everyone feels like a natural fit, not shoe horned into a role. Then there are the inevitable action scenes, some of which are copied from previous TS films and others that are brand spanking new. Very well done; if this were a live-action movie, I’d be praising the choreography. Also, despite the contemplative, life-affirming lessons presented by the plot, the story never stagnates, and the toys learn on the fly (as opposed to learning after deep inner reflection, I guess). Now, the only slight downside for me was that this, again the fourth effort in the series, doesn’t quite match up with the others for pure sentimental grandeur. It’s not that the plot is trite; kids should love it for the same reasons they loved the other movies. It’s just that it feels as if we’ve been led to the emotional precipice more than once in the toys’ journey, and the journey (even with its inevitable strong payoff) doesn’t pack the same punch as the first one. And that’s about the extent of it. For me, the best movies have several scenes where I hear a sentence like the following in my head: “This is why I love movies.” There was one such scene in Toy Story 4, which is one more than most movies but fewer than the first t three in this series.

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Afflicted (*1/2, 2013)

Posted on August 6, 2019 by frothy

This lethargic, uninspired take on a rather overdone topic might work if you really identify with the leads. And if not, then you might be in for a woefully dull time. Derek (Derek Lee) and Clif (Clif Prowse) are embarking on a year-long trip around the world, with the added difficulty that Derek has an inoperable brain tumor. Derek has long been the adventurous one between them, and Clif is an amateur documentary filmmaker, so it’s an apropos team-up. Clif can not only watch out for the safety and health of his longtime friend, he can also document the heck out of their trip. In fact, all of their friends and family, and really the entire world, can track the duo’s travels via the frequent updates on their website. But in early in their trip, during a visit to a nightclub in Paris, something happens to Derek that causes his body to undergo an interesting and unwelcome transformation – but not before making him deathly ill. That’s probably about as much as I can reveal about the plot without giving it away. The story is told to us mostly through the lens of the ever-present cameras held and worn by Clif, although there were a few instances in which the audience appeared to get a (literal) different perspective. Probably the best part of Afflicted is the special effects usage. The movie looks good, and there are some decent scares, particularly given the small budget. But too often the scares are of the jump variety, another trope that’s been beaten to death for a couple of decades. But as far as I was concerned, those effects were the only high point of the movie. The plot feels, like those jump scares, to be really overdone, and the characters come off as intelligence deficient, to put it kindly. That characterization isn’t helped by the rampant overacting, particularly by Lee. And I can’t tell you how many times you’ll hear the sentence, “What are you TALKING about?” because I stopped counting. But I could relate to the question.

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Frothy Ruminations

Movies I’ve Seen During the Pandemic, Part I

Linda Lovelace for President (**1/2, 1975)

Bone Tomahawk (***, 2015)

Toy Story 4 (***, 2019)

Afflicted (*1/2, 2013)

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