Netflix; Nuggets & Nasties

Well hello everyone it’s been quite awhile since we’ve all had time to sit down together and watch any movies on our favorite streaming service NetFlix but tonight I’ve talked everyone

Unaffiliated.

to come over and watch one of my personal favorites that’s just hit the New Releases category.

Now if you haven’t seen one of these NFN&N posts before, remember the purpose isn’t to thoroughly review those big new movies on NetFlix.

No we’re not even really technically reviewing* the movies we talk about, at least that’s not the main impetus, we just wanted to be more like a clearing house of info, here to point out the good (and bad) movies you may not normally have the time or desire to sift through on NetFlix.

Sure Hunger Games, Skyfall, Avengers & more are all on NetFlix right now, but if ya haven’t seen ’em, you’ve at least heard about them. Also there’s the fact that most likely you and everyone else have gotten all the news, reviews, thumbs up or down etc, regarding these films.

But what about those other films, those nuggets and or nasties that make up the rest of the 80-90% of NetFlix?

What about Pontypol, Deathwatch (great nuggets) and Cockneys & Zombies or  In The Name Of The King(Nasties)?

Now there are a couple caveats to these NFN&N posts.

 

The first is really a two in one kinda deal,  my age and location.

I’m old(ish) n not up to date on the internet hipster subculture so once in awhile we may review a nugget or nasty that is a already semi or well known social media (cult) favorite (Detective Dee for instance). Often when I get excited about a movie the rest of the staff has to point out that in fact it was pretty popular. Sometimes I have already written and published the post when they tell me this.

But added to it is the fact we live and work in a 1 theater town. Many great movies with limited releases never make it to Palace City.

The other exception to this rule is of course, the extraordinary number of fantastic older hit movies that are regularly available on NetFlix. Many of you, being of course much younger, may not have seen and might possibly overlook some great films…

Which leads us to today’s NetFlix Nugget.

 Angel Heart

This 1987 (Sir)Alan Parker film starring De Niro & Rourke is, despite some now dated 80’s movie-isms (Mickey Rourke as a leading man and check out the smooth sax soundtrack aka Lethal Weapon) is definitely a must see film for movie lovers.

Okay first let me say that if you love the art of film making, any Alan Parker film is a safe bet. I haven’t watched every film of his, Angela’s Ashes is a fine example, but many people love it and swear it’s a beautiful film.

His resume though is quite impressive and of course he has been knighted by the queen and made one of my favorite movies “Pink Floyd’s-The Wall” so there’s all that.

But enough about the good Sir Parker and back to Lisa Bonet’s Breasts, well okay Lisa Bonet..

I once owned a well worn copy of this video 🙂

Her breasts were great in this film, but If there is a weakness to this film it’s her portrayal of Voo-Doo (Vodou) priestess Epiphany Proudfoot…

Maybe Sir Parker thought her breasts were better at acting than she was. What you thought I was gonna make a Janet Jackson reference didn’t ya?

It was a big deal when the film came out, remember she was a Huxtable…Mr. Cosby himself commented negatively in the press regarding her choices and it was the end of her character on “The Cosby Show”…(For you younger readers TV in the mid to late 80’s was “The Cosby Show” & then a bunch of other shows.)

Besides Miss Bonet the rest of the cast is outstanding. Di Nero is of course, amazing in his portrayal of the mysterious rich client who hires Mickey Rourke’s hard boiled, whiskey basted, gumshoe detective.

Di Nero’s deliciously debonair and devious.

Private Investigator Harry Angel (Rourke) is hired by Di Nero’s character through a surrogate to find a missing pre-WW II crooner known as Johnny Favorite.

Rourke is perfect as Angel, the surly, sloppy Brooklyn P.I.

Hoping to get ahead in the case, he gets a hand instead.

The Mickey Rourke we have in this (and other 80’s movies) was the small, edgey, “serious aboout his craft” Rourke…before the all the boxing nonsense and the Charles Atlas transformation. I’ mean seriously Mickey! I understand working our but… it’s like you cloned yourself and then swallowed the clone whole. Granted, you now bring double the Rourke intensity to every freakishly misshapen roll you play I’ll give ya that, but how many of those roles can there be Mick? Can I call ya Mick?

Wow I’m already well over 500 words & I haven’t really talked about the movie much let alone that it comes from a good book called, Fallen Angel. But that’s okay ’cause this is a movie best seen with as little fore-knowledge as possible.

If you haven’t seen Angel Heart we heart-ily suggest you check it out on NetFlix asap.

If you’re an old movie buff like me and you remember this great film check it out again and see how well this psych/thriller period piece, stands the test of time.

Jesus what’s th…oh Mickey sorry. Say ya know what I’m thinking…Hunchback II, Until the Last Bell Rings huh? Huh? See this time ol’  Hunchy is a bare knuckle brawler in an underground…

 

 

 

 

Netflix; Nuggets & Nasties

Hey Everyone happy sunny Saturday and welcome to another edition of Netflix; Nuggets & Nasties…

Used without permission

We’ve reviewed a lot of great Nugget movies so far, and last episode we even took some time to look at one of the Nasties.

But Netflix has so much more to offer, original series, comedy specials and documentaries…a lot of documentaries.

Now if you are like us, a good documentary is a great choice for an evenings viewing pleasure.

Oh sure you could watch the old stand-by’s, meaning anything by Ken Burns the Maestro

Mr. Documentary

of Mental Media.

But there’s so much more available, even beyond the regular Nat Geo, or Animal Planets “When Animals Attack Children XII” or TLC’s “Alien Ghost Squad”.

But out of all the choices of Neftflix how do you know which is worth your time.

Well of course that’s where we here at RWR come to you, our genteel readers assistance.

So welcome one and all to Netflix Nuggets Documentary Edition.

But don’t worry we start off nice and easy with a couple of fun and fascinating little features.

We’ll leave the heavy stuff for a future post.

But right now lets look at these…

Don’t Miss me! Click Here for the Video

1. “You’re Gonna Miss Me”

This wonderful and for me at least completely revelatory 2005 Documentary by Keven McAlester turns the filmmakers lens on the pioneering yet largely unknown rock band the 13th Floor Elevators and the co-founding (and somewhat confounded) frontman, Roky Erickson.

I will link sites and music for the band, but this is about the documentary, or more specifically to convince you to watch this interesting well executed film.

“You;re Gonna Miss Me” focuses mainly on Roky Erikson groovalicious guitarists, singer who along with Tommy Hall may have (questions remain) coined the term psychedelic rock.

Tommy Hall played…wait fer it…electric jug.

Electric Jug, I mean that alone is worth the viewing investment.

The story of the movie is really about Roky. His battles with schizophrenia, whether simply born as such, or whether large quantities of acid (LSD) may have helped precipitate or even be causal is one of the questions this film delves into, as well as exploring the relation between original thinking and madness, commercial success and artistic success, and finally our treatment of the…artistically enhanced.

But even though 1965 wasn’t quite the heyday of recreational acid use, and though Austin. 13th F. E.’s hometown wasn’t San Fransisco, kids all over America were starting bands in their garage, dropping acid, and rocking out to light shows at the local legion hall.

What makes our Subject and his fellows so different is that the bands that came to national attention just a  few years later in a place called Haight Ashbury, well known and big named, all name 13th Floor Elevators as a big influence.

We’re not saying it, none of us at RWR had heard of this band until we watched the documentary (way back in 2012 lol).

Now of course the music cycles in the playlists at least a couple of times a day here at Blogaphesto Headquarters, though we’ve backed off on the acid use a little.

No, but seriously electric jug on acid is what we here believe drove Roky over the edge.

Even though there is some drama in “You’re Gonna Miss Me”, it is never overbearing, over simplified, and the touchier subject matter…mainly Roky himself is handled with respect and care.

13th Floor Elevators not a ride to miss.

2. “Confessions of a Superhero”

Not to be confused with “Real Super Heroes” which was also, unless all the acid we took researching 13th F. E. has gone to our heads, a documentary we watched on Netfix a year or so ago…but it’s gone away and all we can find now are references to the new *** show, but ya know screw those Hated Bastard’s Over at our enemy station…

Besides “Confessions of a Superhero” this fun documentary realeased in 2007 by director Matthew Ogens features Christopher Dennis as a pot smoking son of Krypton.

Best to keep Hulk feelin’ mellow.

Now to more precise Mr. Dennis doesn’t think he’s Superman…no rest assured, he’s actually crazier.

Mr Demille! Mr. Demille

Like many of the other character’s (using the word literately here) in this documentaries focus Mr. Dennis does this gig, protraying America’s man o’ Steel on the Hollywood Walk of Fame(sic) thinking someday he’s going to be discovered, going to become a Hollywood big shot.

Of course he’d upgrade to a bigger mobile home.

“CoaS” has a great cast of oddball wanna-be’s, dreamers & wackanoodles, a little emotional drama (or hilarious sad sackery) and even some intense hero on hero confrontation.

If you give this film a chance, we promise you will fell better about whatever miserable little life you have.

Where else can you find Batman Superman, the Hulk,Wonder women, mixing it up with Darth Vader, Storm Troopers, Marilyn Monroe and oh wait is that another Hulk oh crap.

“CoaS” not quite Kick Ass, not even Real Super Heroes, but real fun and another hidden Nugget on our Netflix List.

Stay tuned as next episode we review that newly released smash hit “The Croods” without even watching it.

My Top 13 Films fer Halloween Night

Number one thing…oh wait you thought I was starting right there…oh man I’m so much more wordy than that. I mean Jimmney Christmas lemme set er up at least.

Okay what I was saying is that first ya gotta understand I don’t like slasher films like “Saw” or “F-13” or even the modified Dream Slasher aka “Freddy”

So if you’ve come to see where yer favorite “Prom Night”, or other teen slasher movie is ranked yer gonna be a sad lil goblin.

Next I only am doing thirteen films so my I had to have some strict standards .

First it has to be a scary movie.

Wait let me clarify that, it’s intent has to be to scare more than to entertain. From the recent and great films like “Slither” “Cabin in the Woods” by the “Buffy Guy” (no, I know Joss Weadon I’m just messing with ya’ll) to older campy or cult films many of which make most  other “Top Horror Lists”. like “Susperia” or “Re-Animator” whether the laughs are intetinal or not I did not include them on the list.

Which of course leaves out many of my personal favorites. Fer instance like the above mentioned “Reanimator”. which along with “From Beyond” are two wonderful horror movies from the same Director, but for me at least are not about being scared as much as being entertained by some real weirdos for a couple hours.

Look Out Audrey! Look Out!

The movie also has to be an intentional “Horror” movie, not just a scary movie. “Wait Until Dark” the 1967 jump-a-thon featuring Audrey Hepburn and Alan Arkin is as tense and scary as a movie can get but…it’s a suspense thriller, not a horror movie.

One Scary Dude

To Qualify for my list the Movie had to be marketed as a Horror Movie.

Seriously though if you have not seen “Wait Until Dark” it is an excellent piece of cinema and ahead of it’s time in both content and intensity for a main stream movie of it’s day.

I’m also not going to try to prove to you how cool, obscure or hip I am by awarding a movie a spot on this list simply due to it’s genre meeting and or busting qualities.

Or it’s gore factor. Movies like “Susperia” by Argento may be rated as a masterpiece in almost every horror movie list, but I’m sorry, I’ve watched it more than once and am not impressed yet alone scared. I was grossed out,  bored, sometimes entertained but never scared. The same goes for the classic “Night of the Living Dead”. which I do like but cannot include on this list because it never scared me.

At the speed of a ninety year old with palsy. 60’s zombies jes weren’t that scary

For the purpose of this list it doesn’t matter if people used to find the movie really scary or not.. Did it scare me that’s the point of this list.

That’s cause it’s my List. If I somehow don’t include your favorite here, go make your own.

Okay with all those parameters and defing factors ironed out lemme go ahead and start by busting all those rules and give an honorable mention spot to..

The theme song just sprang into yer mind didn’t it.

Honorable Mention: “Halloween” The original with Jamie Lee Curtis. I give this movie the nod not because it defined a whole generation of teen slasher films to follow. But because this is a Halloween list and the title of the film is “Halloween”.

It didn’t make the actual list because it was a typical John Carpenter film and has some terrible dialogue and plot developments that were cliche’ and predictable. I was scared when I first saw it. Now I just end up annoyed at the lame dialogue.

I’ll admit to his movies being a guilty pleasure of mine. “Escape…” & “Big Trouble…” being two of my favorites. But this is a Halloween list. Maybe I’ll do a “Top Carpenter Movie List” someday.

Okay so yea, bla, bla, bla lets get on with it already!

Mr. Dark’s Carnival comes to town.

13: “Something Wicked This Way Comes”
Though this 1983 movie is a Disney Production, and it’s lacking the “serious” scare factor of the other movies in this list. It has been a perennial Halloween favorite in my various households for years.

The story, the actors, the plot development and intensity at the end are all at a par with the best of any of the movies on this list. And, though I could not find it in any other online list, it is a far better film than countless others offered in it’s place.

Something Wicked… is based on an excellent Ray Bradbury short story and though he was involved with development and production of the film he split with Director Jack Clayton over differences once filming had begun. Most agree though that the movie stayed quite true to the original, including much of the literary quality that Bradbury brings to a story.

Despite it being sold as a movie for ‘tweens, though it doesn’t have aliens, zombies, knife wielding maniacs, gore or any typical horror movie features, SW is creepy and has heavy chill factor. It’s entire theme is equal to any age’s viewing enjoyment. You will not regret picking this film for Halloween night.

12: The Thing

Kind of like button button meets an aids test.

John Carpenter’s The Thing released in 1982 would probably rank higher on this list if I hadn’t seen it a hundred times or more. It is Carpenter’s best film and one scary a** movie. If you haven’t seen this flic yet I’m not sure what, or maybe where you’ve been?

The Thing was Carpenter’s eighth film & his first gig with a big time studio, Universal. Which shows in far better production values.

But none of that comes to mind when the husky starts shaking.

Really if you’re looking for high tension scares, this films for you. And a perfect for anyone who likes their horror served up cold, desolate and alien.

All right so that’s the first two picks on my list.

Wait what?

No, of course I’m going to split them up or this post would end up with 10,000 words. I mean I’ve written some wordy posts, but…

Stay tuned though for some classic picks and some vicious new favorites. Feel free as always to comment below and tell me how insightful I am, or the opposite of course is equally welcome.

I hate your choices!

Electronic Life 5.0

So more and more I’m not jes gettin old, but that I’m glad I’m getting old ’cause…I mean, I know I use a computer and, even more an Xbox to download movies, instant streaming and Netflix, heck Lil Mouse and I haven’t had cable TV now fer over four years now, so it’s not like I am not engaging  this new electronic world…I jes don’t much like it…

I think it all starts out innocent and enough and helpful and all, but then soon, like the promise of cable as commercial free TV lasted about a year or so, then we were paying for TV and gettin commercials, and it was more of the same crap but worse.

I think that’s what we’re doin all over again.

And yea Xbox I’m talkin to you…Lets say I buy a movie and ya know there this floaty cloud like storage area where they encourage me to store my movie and I like that because who wants to fill up their hard drive with the movies when I have all that cloud space.

So yea I may buy a movie now and then and say here ya go Xbox hold this for me till I wanna watch it again. They keep it up in a cloud so I figure its gotta be pretty safe only…

I went to watch one of the movies I’d bought the other day, I think it was Ghost Dad with Bill Cosby and lo and behold all that I got was a message saying that my movie was unavailable right now, but as soon as it was available I could watch it again free of charge.

Okay, I mean, I bought the movie you were jes holding it for me. Did you borrow it out to someone else? If so did they leave an ID? And jes how did they get into my cloud? Haven’t they heard the old song “Hey You Get out of My Cloud”.  And what’ya mean I can watch it again “free of charge”, is that you doin me a favor?

It’d be just like if I went to the bank and then the teller said…”Oooo Jeez we’re sorry Mr Unit, We don’t have yer money right now but when we get it back you can have some of your own money free of charge”

Oh really can I? I feel so deeply indebted to you for letting me access something that belonged to me in the first place!

Maybe keeping my valuable media and computer files in a a visible mass of condensed water vapor floating in the atmosphere is not the best long term storage solution. I mean is there even a way to somehow lock the damn thing when I’m not using it?

See okay all joking aside the thing is, like the promise of cable TV with it’s better service, programming, access and commercial free-ism it won’t belong before this information is harder to get and costs more.

We used to get our TV for free now we pay for it.

We used to get our radio for free, slowly but surely they’re gonna get us to pay for that.

We still get information relatively freely…

Complaining ’bout the cloud might seem like I’m jes blowin smoke,  but used dvd and  book stores are already feeling the pinch. As the conversion from hard copies to digital cloud storage continues will my copy of Ghost Dad be there forever, or will as some critics suggest, they edit the movie to remove the blatant reference to the afterlife or to suit some other nefarious future purpose as yet unseeable by man.And if every copy of Ghost Dad is updated in the cloud at the exact same time. Would any of us ever know.? I mean once Bill’s gone. Then, Would any of us ever know?

 

 

 

A Little Mood Music

So Lil’ Mouse and I were sitting around last night and, as couples at times are wont to do,

"Remember when we first met Dear"
"uh-huh"

We started talking about what got us attracted to each other in the first place the conversation went something like this…

Lil Mouse, from the couch, on her laptop says “Remember when we first met, and then started working together?”

Across the room I on the old man computer respond enthusiastically….”Hunuh..” Or some such general grunt of acknowledgement that I did indeed remember that.

“What did you think?” On her laptop, from the couch, Lil’ Mouse leans forward…

“I’m not sure what you mean?” I replied knowing exactly what she meant. A man can’t give in too easy..

“C’mon” She femanded

“Honestly” I asked

She answered “yes of course”…That’s what they all say and usually I know better, but hey I was feelin talkative, felt like opening up…That should have been my first clue to keep my ol’ mouth shut.

Well when I first saw ya up there readin poetry I thought you looked pretty cute, and yer poetry rocked. Then when we started working together, I was briefly worried that maybe you were some granola eatin’, fembot lesbian, grad student.”

Of course Lil Mouse would be the "hot one"

“Wha…wha…what?” Okay that wasn’t exactly her response but mine’s funnier and more reader friendly.

She then preceded, in her own best Little Mouse fashion, to tell me what she thought of me when we first met…She did so by first taking off my glasses and perching them on her nose, she then took my cigarette and scrunched up her face (Do I really look like Gilbert Gottfried) and started pacing back and forth across the den….

Mr. Gottfried

“Women…”She paused dramatically waving the cigarette in a wild gesticulating aggressive circles…”are ruining the world…Ya wanna know why Missy?”

I was laughing so hard I could not respond, but she, imitating me, of course did not let that stop her “Fake figernails…!”

“Fake…” She insisted using the cigarette like a small poker coming for my now naked eyeball”…fingernails”

Okay well she didn’t use the cigarette like a poker, I just made that part up, and seeing as she will read this it’s best I come clean now…She does do a wonderful job mimicking me however, (this wasn’t the first time won’t be the last) especially if I sound a lot more like Iago the parrot than I am aware of..

After all the dust settled we both found the same thing was the initial attractor…and we think it might be the same for a lot of couple so while talking about it Little Mouse suggested it would be a great topic for the next RWR blog.

See while working in the warehouse together at a thrift store which shall remain nameless I walked into the back and found Little Mouse listening to a CD.

I thought “Well hell those are some kick butt songs she’s listening to she has excellent taste in music”

Of course, duh, you can guess by now it was one of my mixed discs from home. She had found the CD in the stack and liking the music selection on it had chosen to play it.

“You liked a bunch of different types of music.” She said her blue eyes a sparkle.

“I was just happy you didn’t like Katy Perry or Lady Gaga”

“Be serious.”

Men hate being serious in these situations.

“Okay I was stunned. You were younger, but you knew about and liked most of my music, I mean Ella, Dean Martin, Carter Family, Clash and more quirky rock like Modest Mouse and TMBG. You even know yer seventies music, hell Neil Young and Van Morrison are two of your favorites. Plus you’ve introduced me to some pretty obscure artist yourself like Wanda Jackson and Jolie Holland”

This is what she wanted in the beginning, all smiles Little Mouse leaned into me.

“You didn’t really think I was a lesbian did you honey?”

“Of course not sweetie…of course not.”