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Re: October Movie Madness Marathon!

Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2014 7:46 pm
by Morthrai
Movie #10.

Okay so it's part 1 of a miniseries rather than a proper movie. "Robocop: Dark Justice" doesn't follow the movie sequels or the 90s TV show, going its own way instead. However, the staff of OCP are just as backstabby as ever, people get shot and exploded, and what's left of Murphy's humanity suffers the usual ups and downs. There's even a reasonable attempt to fill in some of Murphy's career at his previous precinct before he transferred downtown as seen in the original movie. This happens to be related to what transpires next, of course.

Would have been a slightly better effort if the guy playing Murphy/Robocop looked more like Peter Weller than he does David "Sledgehammer" Rasche though ;)

Re: October Movie Madness Marathon!

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 1:04 am
by Morthrai
Movie #11

Not one I had really paid attention to at the time, Rob Zombie's "House Of 1000 Corpses" does actually deliver what one might expect: a formulaic by-the-numbers romp, but with a certain knowing air. It's clearly a pastiche in most areas, as it should be given that Rob's entire career as both musician and "movie guy" is based around schlock. It could maybe have done with a dash of originality but you can plainly see it was made by a B-movie fan.

Gotta tell the truth though, Sid Haig's characterisation of Captain Spaulding is actually way better than what Mr Zombie requires of the part. Tiny hats off to him ;) Also one more DC movie bit part for Michael J Pollard, after Dark Angel and Split Second.

Re: October Movie Madness Marathon!

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 6:29 pm
by Morthrai
Movie #12:

A detective is partnered with an out-of-town FBI agent to track down someone who turns out to be a thrill-seeking alien criminal who can jump into another host body when the last one gets used up...sound Dark Conspiracy enough? :D

Yes, "The Hidden" has all this and more besides! The FBI agent is played by a pre-Twin Peaks Kyle MacLachlan, and the alien thrillseeker has its most enjoyable time whilst inhabiting a 22-year-old Claudia Christian. Rough job but I guess someone had to do it!

Silly, action-packed, and yet remaining consistent to its own internal logic. A fun flick.

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Re: October Movie Madness Marathon!

Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2014 8:50 am
by Linden
Morthrai wrote:

Yes, "The Hidden" has all this and more besides! The FBI agent is played by a pre-Twin Peaks Kyle MacLachlan, and the alien thrillseeker has its most enjoyable time whilst inhabiting a 22-year-old Claudia Christian. Rough job but I guess someone had to do it!

Silly, action-packed, and yet remaining consistent to its own internal logic. A fun flick.


Saw that on home video some time back in the 90s. Remember it as indeed an action packed romp worthy of early James Cameron. I think it was the inspiration for one of the scenarios in the original Delta Green book?

As an aside Jack Sholder who directed the Hidden also made By Dawn's Early Light - a pretty decent HBO movie based on William Prochanau's techno-thriller-with-a-conscience Trinity's Child. Imagine Dr Strangelove done straight, although a tad more optimistic than Fail Safe. It's depiction of a limited nuclear exchange could serve as a starting point for the Dark Times of DC.

Re: October Movie Madness Marathon!

Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2014 11:26 am
by Morthrai
Linden wrote: As an aside Jack Sholder who directed the Hidden also made By Dawn's Early Light - a pretty decent HBO movie based on William Prochanau's techno-thriller-with-a-conscience Trinity's Child. Imagine Dr Strangelove done straight, although a tad more optimistic than Fail Safe. It's depiction of a limited nuclear exchange could serve as a starting point for the Dark Times of DC.
I have a feeling I have seen that at some point, certainly seems familiar.

Re: October Movie Madness Marathon!

Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2014 3:05 pm
by Linden
This might ring a few bells: Rebecca De Mornay and Powers Booth in a B52 bomber wondering whether to drop the big one on Moscow. Meanwhile on the ground hospitalised President Martin Landau tries to wrest control back from over promoted religious loon Darren "Kolchak" McGavin. James Earl Jones is in it as well adding his usual gravitas.

Re: October Movie Madness Marathon!

Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 12:32 am
by Morthrai
Movie #13:

Another one of those movies that used to turn up late on Friday nights when I were a lad, and as it was late on a Friday when I started watching it, the circle is complete :)

"Dr Terror's House Of Horrors" is one of Amicus Productions' portmanteau flicks. It has a quite varied roll call of personnel: apart from the more obvious such as Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee it also features proper actors like Bernard Lee, Michael Gough, a young Donald Sutherland, UK entertainers Roy Castle and Kenny Lynch...and for no reason I can see, DJ Alan "Fluff" Freeman - not 'arf mate :D

It's actually one of the better put-together of these kind of movies, though clearly not a serious horror it does have elements that could fit well in a game. Love the final payoff too, spot on for the story :)

Re: October Movie Madness Marathon!

Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 6:15 pm
by Morthrai
Movie #14:

"The Satanic Rites of Dracula" turned out to be Hammer's final feature with the Carpathian Count. It also has several DC elements: apart from the obvious vampirism there's a high-level conspiracy, biological warfare, secret agents and a corporation that just built their brand-new headquarters on the site where Drac was "finally" brought down...and the corp's CEO just happens to dislike daylight and has a thick central European accent. :D

Not a totally wonderful movie on its own merits but overall a decent enough way of putting the coffin lid back on the Count's cinematic career, at least until George Hamilton came along a little later :wink:

Re: October Movie Madness Marathon!

Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 6:29 pm
by Morthrai
Movie #15:

Concept: bored but violent rich kid and his thuggish buddies make a pact with Satan in order to wreak havoc in the Home Counties? Yes, someone actually made this movie! "Psychomania" (aka "Death Wheelers") is based upon this very premise. Pretty dumb but fun, and like several other British-made movies of the period the supporting cast is chock-full of respected character actors...Robert Hardy, Bill Pertwee, June Brown, Beryl Reid as the mother and the inestimable George Sanders in his final role as a properly creepy butler. What's not to like!

One of the Scotland Yard detectives is played by John Levene, better known as Sgt Benton of UNIT in a cetain show that featured another Pertwee :D

For Dark Conspiracy purposes just make the bored thuggy kid the son of a Nome couple.

Re: October Movie Madness Marathon!

Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 7:21 pm
by Linden
Morthrai wrote:
It's actually one of the better put-together of these kind of movies, though clearly not a serious horror it does have elements that could fit well in a game. Love the final payoff too, spot on for the story :)
I like this one, great cast as you say. I think the final scene could make a good protodimension - maybe with a touch of that Sapphire and Steel episode set in a branch line railway station. I remember a Chill scenario with a similar theme, it was out there somewhere on the t'internet at one time but alas now seems to have vanished.

Re: October Movie Madness Marathon!

Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 11:48 pm
by Morthrai
Movie #16:

Although this isn't a Frankenstein movie it tries so hard to put together many parts from elsewhere, it may as well be! "The Wraith" is clearly the bastard offspring of 70s movies "The Car" and especially "The California Kid". Having those 2 movies mashed up would have been fine, after all this one stars Charlie Sheen and California Kid starred dad Martin in a broadly similar revenge setup. Except this is set in Arizona. With a ghost or something.

However, this is a mid-80s movie so there's a whole bunch of angsty bad hairdo teen crap going on with a soundtrack to match. Apart from 2 memorable lines the dialogue is generally awful and the cast are pretty much going by the numbers despite there being some names in here: Sherilyn Fenn, Nick Cassavetes, and my personal fave Randy "padded cell" Quaid as Sheriff Loomis, who does pretty well considering the character may as well be from a 50s hot rod flick. Also, Loomis from Arizona...as a gamer I wonder if this refers to Rick Loomis of Flying Buffalo?

Re: October Movie Madness Marathon!

Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2014 3:11 am
by Phulish
"The Car" and "Devil Dozer", two movies for animator spirit and gremlin inspiration!

Re: October Movie Madness Marathon!

Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2014 10:30 am
by Morthrai
Phulish wrote:"The Car" and "Devil Dozer", two movies for animator spirit and gremlin inspiration!
I happen to know that "Kill Dozer" (UK title) is up on YouTube. As for "The Wraith", I forgot to mention I reckon the makers of "The Crow" must have seen it ;)

Re: October Movie Madness Marathon!

Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 12:08 am
by Morthrai
Movies #17 and #18:

A double bill of comedy horror for today. "Love At First Bite" followed by "Young Frankenstein" because I was in a silly mood :D In First Bite, poor old aristocratic Count Dracula has his castle confiscated by the communist regime and decides to travel to the USA. Hilarity ensues (or at least several giggles). Basically, the only major thing wrong with this movie is that it wasn't a Mel Brooks production but I always liked it well enough.

Now obviously the other half of this double-header WAS made by Brooks, and if I have to tell you anything about it then I'm on the wrong forums :D "Young Fronkenshteen" is not only madly daft fun as only a good Brooks movie can be, it is faithful to its source material. Can't ask for more than that.

"Pootinonnareeetz!"

Re: October Movie Madness Marathon!

Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 1:08 am
by Phulish
I my self mix some humor and even sappy romance in the mix. If you do another TV series, I nominate the '70's Kolchak! The pilot movie made me jump when he broke the stairs. There was no music to build tension, just looud noise! :D