I found a "Gorenography" screener online, but it's been taken down since I watched it. This is another marathon Tony Newton documentary project, featuring more than just talking heads recorded at a horror convention somewhere. Self-shot interviews and introductions with various directors are interspersed with clips from their extreme horror and some adult works (an idea that actually works) and serves as an introduction to viewers jaded by the latest PG-13 jump scare-athon Hollywood franchise that passes as a horror film nowadays.
Unfortunately, half the directors and creators don't help their cases by turning in hard-to-understand video clips, which makes you wonder why you should follow through with viewing their films? Jonathan Doe comes off best (his YouTube channel "Cinemas Underbelly" has must-see content for the extreme underground fan), and there are plenty of clips from films to give a gorehound a fix. Almost three hours of this kind of material can wear a person down, and should be viewed in smaller chunks. Like I said, this was a screener I happened to stumble upon, so I'm not sure if there is any correction done to the final project, but even at three stars it's Tony Newton's strongest documentary film to date and gave me a slew of names to keep an eye out for (and a couple to avoid). I purchased his zine collection book "Splatter Video Issue #1," and I am looking forward to giving that a look- it's one big, chunky piece of reading. Check out his author page on Amazon, between his films and books, the man is a content machine.
Stats:
-Directed by Tony Newton, Jonathan Doe, Gore Filth, Patrick Fortin, Joe Cash, Lucky Cerruti, Nathan Hine, Moses, Mercedes, R. Zachary Schildwachter, Mickey Espinoza, Rene Wiesner, Davide Pesca, Rob Ceus, Matti Soikkeli, Wilhelm Muller
-Media: YouTube
-Running Time: 162 minutes
-Rating: (* * */* * * * *)
-Unrated, contains very strong extreme physical violence, strong gun violence, sexual violence, very strong extreme gore, strong profanity, strong female nudity, strong male nudity, very strong explicit sexual content, sexual references, very strong adult situations, drug use, alcohol and tobacco use
Monday, May 4, 2026
GoldenEye (1995)
Pierce Brosnan's first outing as James Bond is average. His turn as Bond was very rocky, he was caught in a franchise trying to flex its muscles and change, yet remain the same to millions of loyal fans. "GoldenEye" tries to be too many things to too many people, and although there are many firsts here for the franchise, it still feels underwhelming and tired.
In the opening action set-piece, Bond and another double-0 agent, Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean), do battle with Russian general Ourumov (Gottfried John) with Alec losing his life and Bond escaping in a ludicrous stunt sequence involving an airplane and a motorcycle. I know people made fun of Roger Moore's special effects laden action scenes toward the end of his run, but this looks ridiculous. Nine years later, Bond is still Bond, now called in by M (Judi Dench) to investigate the theft of yet another spacebound weapons system being used by a Russian crime syndicate. He teams up with bland Russian computer programmer Natalya (Izabella Scorupco, who does try in a terrible role) as they globe hop and escape impossible situations.
I remember when this film came out after "Licence to Kill" failed at the box office six years earlier. I am a huge James Bond fan. I've read Casino Royale and Moonraker, and I had seen every Bond film to that point. In the theaters, I watched every entry from "The Spy Who Loved Me" through "Licence to Kill." "GoldenEye" was the first film I kind of shrugged at, not catching it until home video. Once I finally got ahold of it, it was a VHS copy, didn't think much of it, and was more than happy to revisit it in widescreen on a giant television over twenty-five years later- and I still found it "meh," despite new blood in the screenwriting and directing chairs- but check out that cast!
It's funny that Famke Janssen's Xenia Onatopp is derided today, when her scenes are the best part of the movie. Literally killing men in the throes of passion, Janssen plays the character over-the-top (so to speak). She easily outshines Natalya, a blank who's good at computers and stuff. Watching her try to tame our womanizing hero is painful. Dench's M is a welcome change to the franchise, but she is not in this as much as I remember, delivering her one memorable line insulting Bond before vanishing until later entries. Desmond Llewelyn is trotted out as Q, but Lois Maxwell was replaced as Moneypenny- I always thought Maxwell's character should have been promoted to become M, watching her boss around Bond would have been fun. Samantha Bond is another blank slate in the role, but Bean is fine as Trevelyan. I hated Joe Don Baker's CIA agent, a stupid, obnoxious Ugly American, although I'll take him over Jeffrey Wright's later terminally depressed Felix Leiter anyday. The action sequences are also hot and cold, with an over-reliance on special visual effects. With almost everything Bond touches literally blowing up in a fiery explosion, I thought I was suffering through "The Marine" with John Cena again. Bond doesn't have to use his brains to defeat the villain, the screenwriters just have him constantly emptying out machine guns on faceless henchmen, which gets real boring real quick. Tina Turner's theme song, written by U2's Bono and The Edge, is instantly forgettable.
I hope to rewatch the rest of the Brosnan Bonds, I do remember they don't get much better, with "Die Another Day" bringing his Bond career to an end. It was the Brosnan era that saw the "old" James Bond franchise come to an end, with Daniel Craig draining all the smirk out of the character beginning with "Casino Royale." For the record, while Sean Connery was the best Bond, my favorite 007 film is "For Your Eyes Only." "GoldenEye" blinks at two and a half stars.
Stats:
-Directed by Martin Campbell
-Screenplay by Jeffrey Caine and Bruce Feirstein, Story by Michael France, Based on characters created by Ian Fleming
-Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen, Judi Dench, Joe Don Baker, Robbie Coltrane, Tcheky Karyo, Gottfried John, Alan Cumming, Minnie Driver, Desmond Llewelyn, Samantha Bond
-Media: Streamed on Amazon Prime
-Running Time: 130 minutes
-Rating: (* * 1/2/* * * * *)
-MPAA Rated (PG13), contains physical violence, strong gun violence, mild sexual violence, mild gore, some sexual content, sexual references, some adult situations, alcohol use
In the opening action set-piece, Bond and another double-0 agent, Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean), do battle with Russian general Ourumov (Gottfried John) with Alec losing his life and Bond escaping in a ludicrous stunt sequence involving an airplane and a motorcycle. I know people made fun of Roger Moore's special effects laden action scenes toward the end of his run, but this looks ridiculous. Nine years later, Bond is still Bond, now called in by M (Judi Dench) to investigate the theft of yet another spacebound weapons system being used by a Russian crime syndicate. He teams up with bland Russian computer programmer Natalya (Izabella Scorupco, who does try in a terrible role) as they globe hop and escape impossible situations.
I remember when this film came out after "Licence to Kill" failed at the box office six years earlier. I am a huge James Bond fan. I've read Casino Royale and Moonraker, and I had seen every Bond film to that point. In the theaters, I watched every entry from "The Spy Who Loved Me" through "Licence to Kill." "GoldenEye" was the first film I kind of shrugged at, not catching it until home video. Once I finally got ahold of it, it was a VHS copy, didn't think much of it, and was more than happy to revisit it in widescreen on a giant television over twenty-five years later- and I still found it "meh," despite new blood in the screenwriting and directing chairs- but check out that cast!
It's funny that Famke Janssen's Xenia Onatopp is derided today, when her scenes are the best part of the movie. Literally killing men in the throes of passion, Janssen plays the character over-the-top (so to speak). She easily outshines Natalya, a blank who's good at computers and stuff. Watching her try to tame our womanizing hero is painful. Dench's M is a welcome change to the franchise, but she is not in this as much as I remember, delivering her one memorable line insulting Bond before vanishing until later entries. Desmond Llewelyn is trotted out as Q, but Lois Maxwell was replaced as Moneypenny- I always thought Maxwell's character should have been promoted to become M, watching her boss around Bond would have been fun. Samantha Bond is another blank slate in the role, but Bean is fine as Trevelyan. I hated Joe Don Baker's CIA agent, a stupid, obnoxious Ugly American, although I'll take him over Jeffrey Wright's later terminally depressed Felix Leiter anyday. The action sequences are also hot and cold, with an over-reliance on special visual effects. With almost everything Bond touches literally blowing up in a fiery explosion, I thought I was suffering through "The Marine" with John Cena again. Bond doesn't have to use his brains to defeat the villain, the screenwriters just have him constantly emptying out machine guns on faceless henchmen, which gets real boring real quick. Tina Turner's theme song, written by U2's Bono and The Edge, is instantly forgettable.
I hope to rewatch the rest of the Brosnan Bonds, I do remember they don't get much better, with "Die Another Day" bringing his Bond career to an end. It was the Brosnan era that saw the "old" James Bond franchise come to an end, with Daniel Craig draining all the smirk out of the character beginning with "Casino Royale." For the record, while Sean Connery was the best Bond, my favorite 007 film is "For Your Eyes Only." "GoldenEye" blinks at two and a half stars.
Stats:
-Directed by Martin Campbell
-Screenplay by Jeffrey Caine and Bruce Feirstein, Story by Michael France, Based on characters created by Ian Fleming
-Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen, Judi Dench, Joe Don Baker, Robbie Coltrane, Tcheky Karyo, Gottfried John, Alan Cumming, Minnie Driver, Desmond Llewelyn, Samantha Bond
-Media: Streamed on Amazon Prime
-Running Time: 130 minutes
-Rating: (* * 1/2/* * * * *)
-MPAA Rated (PG13), contains physical violence, strong gun violence, mild sexual violence, mild gore, some sexual content, sexual references, some adult situations, alcohol use
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Brosnan's second Bond film finds a return to the fun Bonds of a generation earlier, and therein lies its main drawback. An all-powerful media mogul is launching a brand new television news network, and decides to premiere with a bang by playing the Chinese against the British in the South China Sea.
Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is picked to investigate mogul Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce) thanks to the agent's prior relationship with Paris (Teri Hatcher), Carver's wife. Bond must also contend with Chinese agent Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh), who is investigating Carver for her own government and matches Bond punch for punch when it comes to taking care of herself.
Long considered a weak entry by fans, I found "Tomorrow Never Dies" to be an improvement over "GoldenEye." Despite a chaotic production, the finished project is a polished collection of impressive action sequences and interesting story, with a villain who could very much exist in today's world of internet billionaires and skewed journalists masquerading their personal opinions as fact. Things begin to unravel a bit toward the finale, which drags here and there. Brosnan seems more comfortable in the role, Dench is given more to do, and Hatcher and Yeoh both score as strong-willed love interests. Pryce is fine as Carver, although I cringed when Joe Don Baker returned for no reason whatsoever. The sense of fun returned too, this is a popcorn and action flick after all, and while the film gets a strong GOOD rating, it doesn't stand out as any better than earlier films. Sheryl Crow's theme song is as forgettable as Tina Turner's "GoldenEye" theme, and the film definitely needed a better ending to wrap things up.
"Tomorrow Never Dies" is one of those franchise entries that everyone forgets about, since "GoldenEye" is ranked better, and "The World Is Not Enough" and especially "Die Another Day" have lesser reputations. We'll see, they're next in my queue. I sure do miss the days when we'd reliably get a Bond film every couple of years.
Stats:
-Directed by Roger Spottiswoode
-Written by Bruce Feirstein, Based on characters created by Ian Fleming
-Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Teri Hatcher, Michelle Yeoh, Ricky Jay, Gotz Otto, Judi Dench, Joe Don Baker, Vincent Schiavelli, Desmond Llewelyn, Samantha Bond, Geoffrey Palmer, Julian Fellowes, Gerard Butler
-Media: Streamed on Amazon Prime
-Running Time: 119 minutes
-Rating: (* * * 1/2/* * * * *)
-MPAA Rated (PG13), contains physical violence, gun violence, mild gore, brief female nudity, sexual references, some adult situations, alcohol use
Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is picked to investigate mogul Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce) thanks to the agent's prior relationship with Paris (Teri Hatcher), Carver's wife. Bond must also contend with Chinese agent Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh), who is investigating Carver for her own government and matches Bond punch for punch when it comes to taking care of herself.
Long considered a weak entry by fans, I found "Tomorrow Never Dies" to be an improvement over "GoldenEye." Despite a chaotic production, the finished project is a polished collection of impressive action sequences and interesting story, with a villain who could very much exist in today's world of internet billionaires and skewed journalists masquerading their personal opinions as fact. Things begin to unravel a bit toward the finale, which drags here and there. Brosnan seems more comfortable in the role, Dench is given more to do, and Hatcher and Yeoh both score as strong-willed love interests. Pryce is fine as Carver, although I cringed when Joe Don Baker returned for no reason whatsoever. The sense of fun returned too, this is a popcorn and action flick after all, and while the film gets a strong GOOD rating, it doesn't stand out as any better than earlier films. Sheryl Crow's theme song is as forgettable as Tina Turner's "GoldenEye" theme, and the film definitely needed a better ending to wrap things up.
"Tomorrow Never Dies" is one of those franchise entries that everyone forgets about, since "GoldenEye" is ranked better, and "The World Is Not Enough" and especially "Die Another Day" have lesser reputations. We'll see, they're next in my queue. I sure do miss the days when we'd reliably get a Bond film every couple of years.
Stats:
-Directed by Roger Spottiswoode
-Written by Bruce Feirstein, Based on characters created by Ian Fleming
-Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Teri Hatcher, Michelle Yeoh, Ricky Jay, Gotz Otto, Judi Dench, Joe Don Baker, Vincent Schiavelli, Desmond Llewelyn, Samantha Bond, Geoffrey Palmer, Julian Fellowes, Gerard Butler
-Media: Streamed on Amazon Prime
-Running Time: 119 minutes
-Rating: (* * * 1/2/* * * * *)
-MPAA Rated (PG13), contains physical violence, gun violence, mild gore, brief female nudity, sexual references, some adult situations, alcohol use
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
I could almost cut and paste my review for "Tomorrow Never Dies" here, if it wasn't for the films' differing plots- Brosnan's third go-round as Bond has a lot going for it, is a solid entry in the franchise, the villain is interesting, and it is almost assuredly better than "Die Another Day."
After a brazen assassination of a lifelong friend (David Calder) of M (Judi Dench) inside MI6 (and an exciting boat chase on the Thames), Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is sent to protect the friend's daughter Elektra (Sophie Marceau). She is recovering from a recent kidnapping at the hands of terrorist Renard (Robert Carlyle), who has a bullet in his brain that will eventually kill him, but allows him to feel no pain. Elektra has taken over her father's oil business, and Bond becomes embroiled in another round of attempts on her life, as well as nuclear physicist Dr. Christmas Jones (Denise Richards).
Let's address the cute, sexy elephant in the room. Denise Richards is not as bad as you've heard- dragging down an otherwise pristine entry in the canon of James Bond films. Sure, her character name is ridiculous, but unlike Pussy Galore and Xenia Onatopp, she addresses the moniker and provides Bond with perhaps his dirtiest quip of all the films. Richards is fun, off-setting Marceau's dark performance as a former sexual abuse/kidnap victim. Brosnan has made Bond his own at this point, this was the third 007 film in five years. Carlyle is fine as Renard, I would have liked to see more of his absence of pain used, and Robbie Coltrane's return as Zukovsky was welcome. Kudos to whoever decided we needed to retire Joe Don Baker's Wade character. You have my eternal gratitude. This was Desmond Llewelyn's last turn as Q, he was killed in a car accident just after this film was released, and will be missed. Cleese's scene here as his protege isn't good. Dench doesn't play M as yet another damsel in distress, showing why she's the super agents' boss- plus I am a long-time fan of Dench's, and love seeing her onscreen. Garbage's theme song is the best of Brosnan's Bond films, speaking of throwing back to the past, and unlike "Tomorrow Never Dies," this film actually has an ending.
"The World Is Not Enough" is another entry stuck in between throwing back to the agent's past, and trying to find itself in the new millennium. Solid effort.
Stats:
-Directed by Michael Apted
-Screenplay by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and Bruce Feirstein, Story by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade, Based on characters created by Ian Fleming
-Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, Robert Carlyle, Denise Richards, Judi Dench, Robbie Coltrane, Desmond Llewelyn, Samantha Bond, John Cleese, Goldie, Serena Scott Thomas
-Media: Streamed on Amazon Prime
-Running Time: 128 minutes
-Rating: (* * * 1/2/* * * * *)
-MPAA Rated (PG13), contains physical violence, gun violence, mild gore, brief female nudity, sexual references, adult situations, alcohol use
After a brazen assassination of a lifelong friend (David Calder) of M (Judi Dench) inside MI6 (and an exciting boat chase on the Thames), Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is sent to protect the friend's daughter Elektra (Sophie Marceau). She is recovering from a recent kidnapping at the hands of terrorist Renard (Robert Carlyle), who has a bullet in his brain that will eventually kill him, but allows him to feel no pain. Elektra has taken over her father's oil business, and Bond becomes embroiled in another round of attempts on her life, as well as nuclear physicist Dr. Christmas Jones (Denise Richards).
Let's address the cute, sexy elephant in the room. Denise Richards is not as bad as you've heard- dragging down an otherwise pristine entry in the canon of James Bond films. Sure, her character name is ridiculous, but unlike Pussy Galore and Xenia Onatopp, she addresses the moniker and provides Bond with perhaps his dirtiest quip of all the films. Richards is fun, off-setting Marceau's dark performance as a former sexual abuse/kidnap victim. Brosnan has made Bond his own at this point, this was the third 007 film in five years. Carlyle is fine as Renard, I would have liked to see more of his absence of pain used, and Robbie Coltrane's return as Zukovsky was welcome. Kudos to whoever decided we needed to retire Joe Don Baker's Wade character. You have my eternal gratitude. This was Desmond Llewelyn's last turn as Q, he was killed in a car accident just after this film was released, and will be missed. Cleese's scene here as his protege isn't good. Dench doesn't play M as yet another damsel in distress, showing why she's the super agents' boss- plus I am a long-time fan of Dench's, and love seeing her onscreen. Garbage's theme song is the best of Brosnan's Bond films, speaking of throwing back to the past, and unlike "Tomorrow Never Dies," this film actually has an ending.
"The World Is Not Enough" is another entry stuck in between throwing back to the agent's past, and trying to find itself in the new millennium. Solid effort.
Stats:
-Directed by Michael Apted
-Screenplay by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and Bruce Feirstein, Story by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade, Based on characters created by Ian Fleming
-Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, Robert Carlyle, Denise Richards, Judi Dench, Robbie Coltrane, Desmond Llewelyn, Samantha Bond, John Cleese, Goldie, Serena Scott Thomas
-Media: Streamed on Amazon Prime
-Running Time: 128 minutes
-Rating: (* * * 1/2/* * * * *)
-MPAA Rated (PG13), contains physical violence, gun violence, mild gore, brief female nudity, sexual references, adult situations, alcohol use
Die Another Day (2002)
Pierce Brosnan's James Bond 007 films come to a merciful close with the worst entry in this strange stretch between the fun Connery/Moore films and the brooding Daniel Craig era.
As if trying a mini-reboot to see what would happen, Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is captured and tortured by the North Koreans after killing one of their officers (Will Yun Lee). He is later traded back to the West in a prisoner exchange, and escapes to investigate who betrayed him while he was in captivity, and to do battle against billionaire Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens), who has yet another satellite orbiting the planet that turns out to be a giant weapon that can kill millions. Bond meets up with Jinx (Halle Berry), an American NSA agent, and much shenanigans begin.
It's universally acknowledged that "Die Another Day" is not a great film. Even the cast and crew were weary of it, maybe franchise exhaustion had set in with this being the fourth film in seven years. There is some decent stuff here, but also a ridiculous plot, some terrible special effects that would make The Asylum or "Sharknado" proud, and Madonna delivers not only a cringeworthy cameo but the absolute worst song of the entire franchise (and I am a big electronic/dance music fan). M (Judi Dench) thinking that Bond gave the North Koreans information during his torture is a great plot point. Bond slowing down his heart rate and going into cardiac arrest to escape and investigate on his own is silly. Bond trying to escape a giant laser by tooling around the Icelandic tundra in a stolen land rocket is an action set-piece for the ages. Bond's escape using parts of the wrecked land rocket is infamous today for it's awful visual effects. The subplot involving gene therapy is terrible, and another special effects-laden finale is embarrassing. There was talk of giving Berry's Jinx character her own stand alone franchise, but there was nothing to her character that would warrant that.
In conclusion, after bingewatching all four Brosnan films, I think he made a very strong James Bond. Bringing Judi Dench in as M was a brilliant casting move, evident in her involvement in Craig's arc, too. However, Brosnan got stuck with some very subpar material in a franchise that had lost itself and couldn't take that one great step into reboot territory until "Casino Royale" four years after this was released. His best entry, "The World Is Not Enough," was merely good, not great. Sean Connery and Roger Moore may have had some off entries in their respective runs, but they also had some fantastic adventures that helped define the series. Brosnan gets stuck in the mediocre, and can't get out.
Stats:
-Directed by Lee Tamahori
-Written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade, Based on characters created by Ian Fleming
-Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike, Judi Dench, Rick Yune, Samantha Bond, John Cleese, Michael Madsen, Will Yun Lee, Kenneth Tsang, Madonna
-Media: Streamed on Amazon Prime
-Running Time: 133 minutes
-Rating: (* * 1/2/* * * * *)
-MPAA Rated (PG13), contains physical violence, gun violence, mild gore, some profanity, sexual content, sexual references, adult situations, alcohol use
As if trying a mini-reboot to see what would happen, Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is captured and tortured by the North Koreans after killing one of their officers (Will Yun Lee). He is later traded back to the West in a prisoner exchange, and escapes to investigate who betrayed him while he was in captivity, and to do battle against billionaire Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens), who has yet another satellite orbiting the planet that turns out to be a giant weapon that can kill millions. Bond meets up with Jinx (Halle Berry), an American NSA agent, and much shenanigans begin.
It's universally acknowledged that "Die Another Day" is not a great film. Even the cast and crew were weary of it, maybe franchise exhaustion had set in with this being the fourth film in seven years. There is some decent stuff here, but also a ridiculous plot, some terrible special effects that would make The Asylum or "Sharknado" proud, and Madonna delivers not only a cringeworthy cameo but the absolute worst song of the entire franchise (and I am a big electronic/dance music fan). M (Judi Dench) thinking that Bond gave the North Koreans information during his torture is a great plot point. Bond slowing down his heart rate and going into cardiac arrest to escape and investigate on his own is silly. Bond trying to escape a giant laser by tooling around the Icelandic tundra in a stolen land rocket is an action set-piece for the ages. Bond's escape using parts of the wrecked land rocket is infamous today for it's awful visual effects. The subplot involving gene therapy is terrible, and another special effects-laden finale is embarrassing. There was talk of giving Berry's Jinx character her own stand alone franchise, but there was nothing to her character that would warrant that.
In conclusion, after bingewatching all four Brosnan films, I think he made a very strong James Bond. Bringing Judi Dench in as M was a brilliant casting move, evident in her involvement in Craig's arc, too. However, Brosnan got stuck with some very subpar material in a franchise that had lost itself and couldn't take that one great step into reboot territory until "Casino Royale" four years after this was released. His best entry, "The World Is Not Enough," was merely good, not great. Sean Connery and Roger Moore may have had some off entries in their respective runs, but they also had some fantastic adventures that helped define the series. Brosnan gets stuck in the mediocre, and can't get out.
Stats:
-Directed by Lee Tamahori
-Written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade, Based on characters created by Ian Fleming
-Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike, Judi Dench, Rick Yune, Samantha Bond, John Cleese, Michael Madsen, Will Yun Lee, Kenneth Tsang, Madonna
-Media: Streamed on Amazon Prime
-Running Time: 133 minutes
-Rating: (* * 1/2/* * * * *)
-MPAA Rated (PG13), contains physical violence, gun violence, mild gore, some profanity, sexual content, sexual references, adult situations, alcohol use
Sunday, May 3, 2026
Capsule Film Reviews: Volume 10
Call Me Fishmael (1998) Directed by Steve Dovas
This okay animated effort is only three or four minutes long, and is a Hollywood pitch about a singing sea monster who sounds like Mel Torme. Ends just as it wears out its welcome. (* * *) out of five stars.
Enchanted (Verzaubert) (2000) Directed by Christian Ditter
A German effort with no dialogue, a young man trims his hair before heading to a library to see his cute female crush he hasn't spoken to. His young siblings take some of his discarded hair, glue it on what looks like a Ken doll, and are able to unknowingly control his movements with this rudimentary voodoo doll. In black and white for no reason, and it makes it's little joke early and often, but the cast is likable. Basically, another short film that ends just in time. (* * *) out of five stars.
Protest (1999) Directed by S.D. Katz
Breathtaking visuals of massive elephants throwing themselves off of tall skyscrapers in a city quickly gives way to a conservation message that feels tacked on. Impressive right up until then. (* * * 1/2) out of five stars.
Jorge (1998) Directed by Joel Hopkins
The longest of the four films on the disc is a standard romantic comedy buoyed by nuanced performances by Tunde Adebimpe and Loreni Delgado. Adebimpe is George, who meets Alicia when she comes to temp at his travel agency. The pacing is very slow, however, and the ending left me unsatisfied. (* * *) out of five stars.
The Witch of Kings Cross (2021)
A documentary about Australian artist Rosaleen Norton- a self-proclaimed witch who seemed to delight in needling the art and media establishment back in the 1950's, while fighting the puritanism that, at one point, ordered some of her artwork destroyed. Norton didn't hold anything back, paving the way for the counter-culture of the late 1960's. The film makers did a nice job of filling in a lack of physical media of the subject with reenactments, turning this into something more than another "talking heads" documentary. Provocative subject and artwork are all interesting. (* * * */* * * * *)
Not Rated, contains mild physical violence, some gore, profanity, strong female nudity, artwork nudity, some sexual content, very strong sexual references, strong adult situations, tobacco and alcohol use
Symbolicus Vol. 1 (2021)
A mixed bag of an experimental film. Thirteen underground directors were assigned a symbol and a time slot and had to turn in a short film. Most of the segments are very gory and squallid, and the lack of any restrictions lets the assembled film makers play. The good outweighs the bad here, with some incredible visuals, and I am definitely looking forward to the sequel. (* * * */* * * * *)
Not Rated, contains strong physical violence, very strong gore, profanity, very strong female nudity, male nudity, explicit sexual content, sexual references, very strong adult situations, drug abuse, tobacco and alcohol use
"Rene Wiesner's Pulp Films," begins with "Addio Uomo" (2018). This short film chronicles some dead bodies on display at a temple in Thailand, along with some random footage of an injured chicken and giant lizard. The footage is so random that I quickly became bored, and the lack of background information as to what we were looking at didn't help. A second cut of the film from director Magnus Blomdahl using the same footage doesn't add anything. (* 1/2/* * * * *). Not Rated, contains extreme gore, very strong adult situations. Wiesner's "Todessehnsucht" (2018) and it's sequel(?) "Ossarium" (2019) were next. In the first film, a little girl goes and visits the same place highlighted in the earlier "Addio Uomo," and in the second film, an older woman visits a similar place in Germany. These aren't documentaries per se, and play a little better than "Addio Uomo." Both films (* * 1/2/* * * * *). Not rated, both films contain some extreme gore, adult situations. The last, and best film in the Wiesner "Pulp Films" collection is "The Wonders of Young Ulysses" (2019). Wiesner was granted access to a suicide victim's apartment after the body was removed, and discovers some sad information about the possible motive. A very difficult short to watch, especially considering my childhood background (sorry, I bring that up a lot when I watch some of these films), and Wiesner's unobtrusive camerawork makes you feel like you're in the room with him. Strong stuff. (* * * */* * * * *) Not rated, contains brief extreme gore, artwork nudity, sexual references, strong adult situations
"Flesh Eater X" (2021)
This is, on the surface, SamHel's most intense film to date, filled with unsimulated sexual intercourse and simulated gore and cannibalism. Wolvie Ironbear is a gender fluid (I don't know if I'm using all these new terms correctly) serial killer in San Francisco who we watch murder and devour three victims. While a full-length film, this worked better as the short "LoveDump." There is no dialogue, Ironbear is definitely a one of a kind film performer, but I guess I wanted more considering the porn actress supporting cast. Hopefully, SamHel can get some horror into his next horror film, there is no suspense in this one. (* */* * * * *)
Not rated, contains physical violence, strong gore, strong female nudity, strong male nudity, explicit sexual content, sexual references, strong adult situations
"Michael: A Murderabilia Memoriam (2021)
Also known as "Michael, Sammler," this profiles a German collector of murderabilia. The usual suspects are here- artwork by John Wayne Gacy, letters signed by Richard Ramirez, and interestingly, a document signed by Lizzie Borden's father. Michael comes off as a very normal guy, and explains his fascination with this material very well, including his desire to have contact with victims' families and collect some of their items as well (that would be a very interesting collection). This is yet another Rene Wiesner film, and while it's not as detailed as I would have liked, it does its job. Plus, Michael is not nearly an asshole like the two dudes in "Collectors." Finally, the DVD of "Michael: A Murderabilia Memoriam" featured another Rene Wiesner short film- "Des Morts Des Catacombes" (2020). Ans, the gal from a few other Wiesner works, tours the Parisian catacombs, and tries to kiss a skull. Only four minutes long, this is basically someone's cell phone video with credits. (Michael: * * */* * * * *, Catacombs: * 1/2/* * * * *)
Not rated, both contain adult situations
This okay animated effort is only three or four minutes long, and is a Hollywood pitch about a singing sea monster who sounds like Mel Torme. Ends just as it wears out its welcome. (* * *) out of five stars.
Enchanted (Verzaubert) (2000) Directed by Christian Ditter
A German effort with no dialogue, a young man trims his hair before heading to a library to see his cute female crush he hasn't spoken to. His young siblings take some of his discarded hair, glue it on what looks like a Ken doll, and are able to unknowingly control his movements with this rudimentary voodoo doll. In black and white for no reason, and it makes it's little joke early and often, but the cast is likable. Basically, another short film that ends just in time. (* * *) out of five stars.
Protest (1999) Directed by S.D. Katz
Breathtaking visuals of massive elephants throwing themselves off of tall skyscrapers in a city quickly gives way to a conservation message that feels tacked on. Impressive right up until then. (* * * 1/2) out of five stars.
Jorge (1998) Directed by Joel Hopkins
The longest of the four films on the disc is a standard romantic comedy buoyed by nuanced performances by Tunde Adebimpe and Loreni Delgado. Adebimpe is George, who meets Alicia when she comes to temp at his travel agency. The pacing is very slow, however, and the ending left me unsatisfied. (* * *) out of five stars.
The Witch of Kings Cross (2021)
A documentary about Australian artist Rosaleen Norton- a self-proclaimed witch who seemed to delight in needling the art and media establishment back in the 1950's, while fighting the puritanism that, at one point, ordered some of her artwork destroyed. Norton didn't hold anything back, paving the way for the counter-culture of the late 1960's. The film makers did a nice job of filling in a lack of physical media of the subject with reenactments, turning this into something more than another "talking heads" documentary. Provocative subject and artwork are all interesting. (* * * */* * * * *)
Not Rated, contains mild physical violence, some gore, profanity, strong female nudity, artwork nudity, some sexual content, very strong sexual references, strong adult situations, tobacco and alcohol use
Symbolicus Vol. 1 (2021)
A mixed bag of an experimental film. Thirteen underground directors were assigned a symbol and a time slot and had to turn in a short film. Most of the segments are very gory and squallid, and the lack of any restrictions lets the assembled film makers play. The good outweighs the bad here, with some incredible visuals, and I am definitely looking forward to the sequel. (* * * */* * * * *)
Not Rated, contains strong physical violence, very strong gore, profanity, very strong female nudity, male nudity, explicit sexual content, sexual references, very strong adult situations, drug abuse, tobacco and alcohol use
"Rene Wiesner's Pulp Films," begins with "Addio Uomo" (2018). This short film chronicles some dead bodies on display at a temple in Thailand, along with some random footage of an injured chicken and giant lizard. The footage is so random that I quickly became bored, and the lack of background information as to what we were looking at didn't help. A second cut of the film from director Magnus Blomdahl using the same footage doesn't add anything. (* 1/2/* * * * *). Not Rated, contains extreme gore, very strong adult situations. Wiesner's "Todessehnsucht" (2018) and it's sequel(?) "Ossarium" (2019) were next. In the first film, a little girl goes and visits the same place highlighted in the earlier "Addio Uomo," and in the second film, an older woman visits a similar place in Germany. These aren't documentaries per se, and play a little better than "Addio Uomo." Both films (* * 1/2/* * * * *). Not rated, both films contain some extreme gore, adult situations. The last, and best film in the Wiesner "Pulp Films" collection is "The Wonders of Young Ulysses" (2019). Wiesner was granted access to a suicide victim's apartment after the body was removed, and discovers some sad information about the possible motive. A very difficult short to watch, especially considering my childhood background (sorry, I bring that up a lot when I watch some of these films), and Wiesner's unobtrusive camerawork makes you feel like you're in the room with him. Strong stuff. (* * * */* * * * *) Not rated, contains brief extreme gore, artwork nudity, sexual references, strong adult situations
"Flesh Eater X" (2021)
This is, on the surface, SamHel's most intense film to date, filled with unsimulated sexual intercourse and simulated gore and cannibalism. Wolvie Ironbear is a gender fluid (I don't know if I'm using all these new terms correctly) serial killer in San Francisco who we watch murder and devour three victims. While a full-length film, this worked better as the short "LoveDump." There is no dialogue, Ironbear is definitely a one of a kind film performer, but I guess I wanted more considering the porn actress supporting cast. Hopefully, SamHel can get some horror into his next horror film, there is no suspense in this one. (* */* * * * *)
Not rated, contains physical violence, strong gore, strong female nudity, strong male nudity, explicit sexual content, sexual references, strong adult situations
"Michael: A Murderabilia Memoriam (2021)
Also known as "Michael, Sammler," this profiles a German collector of murderabilia. The usual suspects are here- artwork by John Wayne Gacy, letters signed by Richard Ramirez, and interestingly, a document signed by Lizzie Borden's father. Michael comes off as a very normal guy, and explains his fascination with this material very well, including his desire to have contact with victims' families and collect some of their items as well (that would be a very interesting collection). This is yet another Rene Wiesner film, and while it's not as detailed as I would have liked, it does its job. Plus, Michael is not nearly an asshole like the two dudes in "Collectors." Finally, the DVD of "Michael: A Murderabilia Memoriam" featured another Rene Wiesner short film- "Des Morts Des Catacombes" (2020). Ans, the gal from a few other Wiesner works, tours the Parisian catacombs, and tries to kiss a skull. Only four minutes long, this is basically someone's cell phone video with credits. (Michael: * * */* * * * *, Catacombs: * 1/2/* * * * *)
Not rated, both contain adult situations
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016)
I watched "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi," and was taken aback. It's not a masterpiece, the pacing drags, but putting human faces on such a political football really hits home. Being an Air Force Brat, I'll never know what my late father went through in service to his country (or any of the generations of military veterans I descend from), and I have family members who just can't hunker down and tell stories about combat. I don't automatically assume they have PTSD like I do (from childhood trauma not associated with combat or military service), so I can associate with not blabbing about things that you have seen or have had happened to you. I can joke once in a while about what happened to me, but usually only to my wife. The men who tried to save Ambassador Chris Stevens in 2012 had friends and families, and their onscreen loss is palpable- as much as what their families went through in real life. I've been a worrier all my life, and would sometimes fear that when my father would leave to go fly, I might not see him again. If anything, "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi" answers Clinton's oft-quoted line "what difference at this point does it make?" While she has been misquoted and taken out of context, the film shows that there was no support sent. The situation was a bureaucratic nightmare, as way too many initialed agencies had their spoons in the pot (and we sit and wonder why a multi-trillion dollar debt looms over the country).
As to the film itself, Michael Bay's normally flashy direction is almost restrained. The pacing does suffer, but the performances all around are excellent. Clinton and Obama are never mentioned by name or referred to in the film, the soldiers in the line of fire aren't arguing politics and blaming candidates. This was the most real aspect of the film. They worry about their families and whether they will see them again (I can't even imagine having the Internet and cell phones back in the Cold War days of the 1970's and 1980's; that kind of communication ability is exciting to see for today's military personnel).
"13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi" is MPAA rated (R) for physical violence, strong gun violence, strong gore, profanity, mild sexual references, and some adult situations.
As to the film itself, Michael Bay's normally flashy direction is almost restrained. The pacing does suffer, but the performances all around are excellent. Clinton and Obama are never mentioned by name or referred to in the film, the soldiers in the line of fire aren't arguing politics and blaming candidates. This was the most real aspect of the film. They worry about their families and whether they will see them again (I can't even imagine having the Internet and cell phones back in the Cold War days of the 1970's and 1980's; that kind of communication ability is exciting to see for today's military personnel).
"13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi" is MPAA rated (R) for physical violence, strong gun violence, strong gore, profanity, mild sexual references, and some adult situations.
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