Bloodsucking Freaks

Bloodsucking Freaks (AKA The Incredible Torture Show)
1976
Directed By Joel M. Reed



SYNOPSIS

The sadistic Sardu (Seamus O'Brien) operates a 'theater of the macabre' in the SoHo section of New York. His shows feature nude women being tortured in front of an audience who believes these are an act. Sardu gets ambitious and decides to kidnap a famous ballerina, brainwash her, and add her to his show. Her football-playing boyfriend and a crooked cop find a lot more than they were bargaining for when they try and locate her.



MY THOUGHTS

When you decide to watch a film called 'Bloodsucking Freaks' you should immediately know what you are getting into, but this film surprised me with its sheer level of smuttiness.

The violence is extreme. You see limbs cut into and chopped off. Heads are chopped off or drilled into. Various people meet various Medieval torture devices. And a few people even get ripped to shreds.
The extreme violence keeps you watching, oddly intoxicated, not knowing how they are going to show next, somehow to top the depraved images you just saw.

The film contains some hilarious imagery among the horror. Sardu's dinner table is a nude woman crouched down on all fours and his dart board is a woman's bare butt. Then there's the group of feral nude women kept locked up in the basement... and I'm going to try and explain that one (because I can't.) And don't forget the brain-sucking scene!

These along with some witty, dark and sadistic one-liners keep the film from being too heavy-handed (or severed-handed.) The film is essentially the blackest of black comedies... and high camp as well.

The film's extremely low budget affected the casting. Despite the film near constant cacophonous screaming, none of them ever sound authentic. Sardu's sidekick, the evil midget named Ralphus, is so over the top you wind up laughing at him even when he's serious. When the famed ballerina takes the stage, it's quite obvious the actress has never ever danced in her life! Her boyfriend could have been played by a tree and no one would have noticed.
The makeup/ gore scenes never look like the real thing thanks to the budget... yet are still effective.
The low budget also affected the costuming (for the men anyway) and the sets and just about every other aspect of the film, but all of it ads to the sleazy filthy quality of the film's atmosphere.

This is probably the most misogynistic film I've ever seen. Every woman is treated like dirt. Only a few of them are even allowed to wear clothes (briefly.) In fact I've seen porn with women with more clothes on than this! (though the nudity is not there for titillation)
But then again I don't believe this film is intended to make any statements on the treatment of women. The film clearly only has one intent, that to shock.

So if horror films make you the least bit squeamish, avoid this like the plague. Otherwise, this could be an interesting and eye-opening trip into the macabre for those who could handle it. Bloodsucking Freaks remains a shocking piece of cinema, even with its shortcomings, in the 30+ years since it was unleashed on an unsuspecting public and is worth a view (though you'd probably not want to go back for seconds.)

Coraline

Coraline
2009 - Focus Features
Directed By Henry Selik



SYNOPSIS

Coraline moves to a new apartment in a new town with her parents. She discovers a small door that's a portal to an alternate universe, complete with 'other parents.' Soon she finds her self trapped there and her 'other mother' is revealed to be far sinister than Coraline ever believed.



MY THOUGHTS

A dark children's tale is vividly brought to life for kids of all ages.

The film's dark, scary and sometimes nightmarish subject matter may not be for everyone. It is based on a novel from Neil Gaiman, and it is dark like most of his body of work. Coraline is frequently threatened by dark forces in the alternate universe, after she realizes her 'ideal' sitaution really isn't ideal at all.
The film's 'be careful what you wish for' theme is evident and may teach a lesson to the youngest, at least those who can handle the frightening imagery and darker plot elements.

The film's stop-motion animation is amazing. Director Henry Selik (best known for 'The Nightmare Before Christmas') even eclipses that film's outstanding animation. Stop-motion is definitely a nice change of pace from all the CGI animated films that are all the rage today, and you can tell the difference on screen.

The voice work is also well done and helps the film's overall atmosphere of the plot.

The film is an excellent kids movie, but the more disturbing scenes may frighten the youngest ones in the audience.

Daffy Duck's Fantastic Island

Daffy Duck's Fantastic Island
1983 - Warner Brothers
Directed by Friz Freleng



SYNOPSIS

While stranded on a desert island Daffy Duck and Speedy Gonzalez find a treasure map that leads them to a wishing well that grants real wishes. They turn the island into a resort (a la Fantasy Island) and charge customers $500 to toss a penny down the well and make a wish... but Yosemite Sam comes looking for his map...



MY THOUGHTS

The legendary Warner Brothers animated characters come together but fall short to compare with their classic shorts of the past.

The greatness of the old shorts was in their simplicity of plot (ie - Wiley E. Coyote vs. Road Runner.) This film's plot is very convoluted. Daffy and Speedy first expect to be rescued, then find the map, then follow the map, then find out the treasure is a talking wishing well, then transform the island, then 'de plane' arrives, then each character gets their turn to drop in a coin. I even left some plot out. This is all a very complex, convoluted plan to showcase some classic clips from the good-ole-days of Looney Tunes.

The art of the newer elements is fine, but pales in comparison with the classic clips contained in the film. There are fewer laughs in the script and visuals of the new elements than in an old one-reeler.
However this is forgiven with an excellent choice of older material. Highlights include: Granny as a nurse, tending to the injured Tweety Bird, Sylvester the Cat, and the Bulldog who's always out to get him; and Yosemite Sam must be nice in order to collect a major inheritance, but he must put up with Bugs Bunny.

The film is directed by longtime Loony Tunes and Merrie Melodies mastermind Friz Freleng. He is probably only second to Chuck Jones in terms of his influence on the series... and directed many of the all time classics.
Mel Blanc returns to do 99.9% of the voices here and helps to add a little bit extra to help bring humor to a less than stellar script.

The film pales in comparison to the classic Looney Tunes/ Merrie Melodies shorts, but is still an enjoyable experience, providing you enjoy the wit and sophistication of the great Warner Brothers animated characters.

This film is not yet available on DVD.

The Life And Times Of Hank Greenberg

The Life And Times Of Hank Greenberg
1998
Directed By Aviva Kempner



SYNOPSIS

Baseball player Hank Greenberg overcomes antisemitism to become one of the greatest Detroit Tigers of all time.



MY THOUGHTS

An outstanding documentary documenting an outstanding baseball player.
Hank Greenberg was an obvious choice for induction into the Hall Of Fame in the 1950s and this film details why. Despite all the anti-Jewish sentiment of the time Greenberg sailed above it all and put together several amazingly successful seasons with the Tigers before willingly drafted for World War 2 service.... and even achieved more after the war.

This film was made at a time when several former teammates, opponents and fans were still alive and able to share their thoughts on his superb performances on the field... and the film greatly benefits from this first hand knowledge. His family and friends also shed some light on the man, while old interviews from the legend himself add even more color to this man's unique story.

If you call yourself a baseball fan and do not know his story, run to this film and absorb every detail!
(this DVD is out of print but can be streamed via netflix.com)

A Player To Be Named Later

A Player To Be Named Later
2005
Directed by Bart Stephens



SYNOPSIS

A documentary crew follows members of the Milwaukee Brewers AAA team, the Indianapolis Indians, as they struggle to beat their opponents and hopefully get that call that sends them up to the big leagues during the 2001 season.

MY THOUGHTS

As a lifelong baseball fan, I never put much thought into the minor leagues. It was always just this magical place where teams would get someone when a player hit the disabled list or when the rosters expanded near the end of the season.
This film really opened my eyes to the realities and hardships the players face.
A Brewers executive states early in the film that roughly 6% of minor leaguers will ever be called up to the bigs. This coupled with the grueling schedule, little pay, and also trying to start/raise a family add to the tension the players face everyday.
Many of them have little hope of making it. Some are already in their 30's and are still trying. Others are injury-plagued, while others are good, just not good enough. It's heartbreaking to see these people come as close as possible to achieving their dreams, yet most will fall short. Though a few do get the call.

You also meet several of the player's wives and children and experience what it's like to have a husband/father on the road and you can easily relate to their stories.

My only criticism with the film is that the film is very manipulative in how it tells its story. With a baseball game's length, it provides many opportunities to show the good and bad sides of a player. The film seems quick to decide that a batter is slumping (or surging) and shows a quick sequence of strikeouts, foul balls, fly outs. Same goes with the pitchers. These are clearly shot over several games and facing different teams. I'm sure the players also had great moments in those games but those are edited out in favor of an already crafted story.

But the film succeeds in making you feel like you're practically part of the team... and any fan of the game should seek this one out.

What's Up, Tiger Lily?

What's Up, Tiger Lily
1966 - American International
Directed By Woody Allen



SYNOPSIS

Woody Allen takes a swinging Japanese spy thriller, strips it of it's soundtrack. In its place, Allen and other actors dub new dialogue that involves several factions fighting over the ultimate egg salad recipe.



MY THOUGHTS

A bold experiment that doesn't quite deliver.

Woody Allen's first film did something that no other film had done, and few have done since. Stripping the dialogue off of an existing film was a great idea, but it could have used some more work on the new script.

The film's major flaw is its sense of humor. There are some big laughs from some one-liners in the dialogue but I'd say nearly 3/4 of the jokes fall flat. Not even snicker or smile generating. Some you don't know if they are jokes or just filler to match the actor's mouths.

Some of the film's titillation doesn't age all that well either because we're all desensitized to nudity, but the ladies are nice to look at.

Adding scenes featuring performances by the Lovin' Spoonful (not at their best) don't fit the Asian-centric film, but it's great to see a classic band in their prime.

The voice dubbing is well done, rarely do you get any voice/mouth mismatching that you'd see in some of the poor English dubs of Godzilla films.

The Japanese film (called International Secret Police: Key of Keys) looks like it might be interesting on it's own. It seemed to have a campy James Bond rip-off quality that made the 60's Italian spy film "Danger: Diabolik" so much fun.

But this film tends to be tedious in some places... and ultimately it pales in comparison to later superior works like "Mystery Science Theater 3000" and Woody Allen's films to come.

Last Of The Mississippi Jukes

Last of the Mississippi Jukes
2003
Directed By Robert Mugge



SYNOPSIS

The history and current state of the few remaining blues juke joints in Mississippi are discussed in this documentary.

MY THOUGHTS

I've long been a fan of the blues and as a history nut, I'm delighted that these two fields collided in this documentary. Though little that I didn't already know history-wise is revealed, I didn't care with the excellent live blues songs and a few stories that filled most of the run time of the film.
The stories from noted blues man Bobby Rush and actor Morgan Freeman helped flesh out the appeal of such places, which were noted for being very rough and tough places to enjoy a beer and live music in the past.

A few such juke joints are highlighted, most well-known being the Subway Lounge... which faced demolition because of its location in a decaying building.
Thefilm details the community's rally to save the club. It was located in the basement of a historic hotel that gave shelter to many African-American musicians who couldn't stay elsewhere due to segregation back in the 40's-60's.

It was however not to be, the building wound up getting demolished less that 2 years after this documentary was shot. It was great however to see the club still alive and thriving before its untimely demise. The club was reopened elsewhere.

Any fan of the blues will love this love letter to its sadly dying past.