I don’t know why I never got around to seeing the THE CROW sequel from the director of SIX-STRING SAMURAI. Always was curious. Still took me 19 years. Lance Mungia’s THE CROW: WICKED PRAYER, just like the previous one, was meant for theaters, but I think it only played somewhere around here? Wiki(dprayer)pedia says its theatrical run was only in Seattle and only for one week, and I do remember seeing an ad for it and being confused, but I was thinking it was in Eastern Washington. Anyway, I didn’t go.
Two Halloweens ago we discussed Tobe Hooper’s first masterpiece. This is his second. He didn’t even want to direct it at first, sort of got pushed into it, but damn did he rally. In many ways THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 is the Tobe Hooperest movie ever made.
I don’t blame you if you’re skeptical during the opening scene where two obnoxious “senior boys at Wheeler High” calling themselves “Buzz and Rick the Prick” drunkenly drive a Porsche, fire guns, and harass the K-OKLA request line until they receive a drive-by chainsawing on a bridge that must’ve been built by the same people who made that endless runway from the climactic chase in FURIOUS 6. (read the rest of this shit…)
I gotta confess coming to this one from a place of cinematic ignorance. I’ve seen the original Godard movie, but I don’t remember jack shit about it. I thought it was pretty good, I believe. That’s about all I got. Still, I’m sure less people could tell you anything about the remake than everything about the original. So this makes me smart. (read the rest of this shit…)
These last couple weeks have been tough on my mental facilities. I reviewed that great new “ULTIMATE” edition of the original TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, I also revisited parts 3 and 4 in that original series, then on Thursday I reviewed the new prequel to the remake. So by that point I’d studied and written about pretty much every angle to the whole Texas Chainsaw deal. You’d think I’d be done with it by now, but there is one final chapter: the one spinoff of the original movie that achieves its own level of True Greatness. I am talking about Tobe Hooper’s 1986 sequel, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2. It’s been available on DVD for a couple years in a bare bones edition (get it, that is a pun because of all the skeletons they have) but Tuesday it comes out in a much deserved special edition with new commentaries, featurettes and deleted scenes. (read the rest of this shit…)
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Recent commentary and jibber-jabber
CJ Holden on Courage Under Fire: “I kinda feel bad for Meg Ryan. Nobody can accuse her of not trying to break out of her RomCom…” Jul 20, 13:15
Tim Bobo on Courage Under Fire: “I guess another one I need to re watch. Haven’t seen it in 30 years. Dare I say another type…” Jul 20, 12:40
Snafu06 on Courage Under Fire: “I think I liked this movie more than you did, but not because I disagree with anything you said. For…” Jul 20, 10:53
Mr. Majestyk on Courage Under Fire: “A FEW GOOD MEN inspired a bunch of these “corruption in the military” dramas. Movie stars got to wear uniforms,…” Jul 20, 09:22
SR3116 on Harriet the Spy: “I’m sure you’re probably already aware, Vern, but Hey Arnold! is based entirely on the creator’s childhood in Washington state…” Jul 19, 23:58
Miguel Hombre on Aliens: “Since it was literally 40 years ago to the weekend that I saw the film for the first time, it…” Jul 19, 20:13
Johnny Cake on Lone Star: “I agree with Alex that you will like MATEWAN. You might like MEN WITH GUNS also (it’s right there in…” Jul 19, 16:27
Johnny Cake on Lone Star: “I agree with Alex that you will like MATEWAN. You might like MEN WITH GUNS also (it’s right there in…” Jul 19, 15:43
Aktion Figure on Harriet the Spy: “The two “t”s gets you a copyright. Thank my typo later.” Jul 18, 20:17
Aktion Figure on Harriet the Spy: “Harriett The Vern checks out.” Jul 18, 20:15
Aktion Figure on Evil Dead Burn: “@Miguel, yeah, all the way. “Orange is for” hits so fucking hard. I know it’s a bit of an homage/pastiche…” Jul 18, 10:53
Kot Bonifacy on Harriet the Spy: “1996! Two sequels, which should have been absolute waste, but were, in fact, surprisingly watchable, came out in 1996 -…” Jul 18, 06:18
Hammer Time on Harriet the Spy: “” I don’t know her very well, but last summer we watched TREMORS […] and she seemed to like them.”…” Jul 17, 21:34
dobe on Evil Dead Burn: ““The Long Rain” by Ray Bradbury. It’s apparently been adapted as part of a couple anthologies but never had its…” Jul 17, 18:54
Alex R on Harriet the Spy: “Sorry. On the recs for a 13-year-old girl, Crudnasty’s mention of Lord of the Flies reminded me of Yellowjackets, which…” Jul 17, 12:04
Two Halloweens ago we discussed Tobe Hooper’s first masterpiece. This is his second. He didn’t even want to direct it at first, sort of got pushed into it, but damn did he rally. In many ways THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 is the Tobe Hooperest movie ever made.
Boys, boys, boys–
