Here’s a quick recap of the movies I watched on the week ending August 27, 2011. As with most viewers, my mood changes from day to day as to what I am in the mood to watch. Whereas you can easily find reviews for the blockbuster films, I hope to highlight some of the lesser known films in my search to find those tiny little gems that may not have received a lot of well earned press. My search for these always has me stumbling across some really bad films but experience has shown me these aren’t as often as it may seem at first glance. Enjoy!
Partners In Crime, 2000, starring Rutger Hauer and Paulina Porizkova. Directed by Jennifer Warren.
Rutger Hauer stars as Gene Reardon, a local detective in a small town who is twice divorced and raising his teenage daughter. When a high profile citizen is kidnapped, Gene is assigned as the department liaison to the FBI who is called in to handle the investigation. The agent in charge is none other than his first ex-wife Wallis Longsworth, played by Paulina Porizkova. The story is fairly well done as it weaves personal relationships into the developing plot. The fate of the victim is presented within the first several minutes of the film but the investigation is still worthy of watching as the detectives and agents assigned to the case try to determine just what transpires. As the investigation unfolds, Gene’s history of a prior botched kidnapping case is revealed yet I felt it was a little forced as they tried to draw co-relations to the current case. Though the ending may not be as shocking for the seasoned viewer, it was well planned out and nicely executed.
The New Daughter, 2009, starring Kevin Costner and directed by Luis Berdejo
Kevin Costner stars as John James, a writer who is recently divorced and moves to a nice country home in South Carolina to raise his two children after his wife apparently abandons them. When his daughter Louisa, played by Ivana Baquero, begins to exhibit strange behavior and a growing fascination with the strange mound at the edge of their property, John starts to question his own parenting skills. Numerous other strange occurrences begin to unfold and the violence escalates as he uncovers the mystery surrounding the mound and the tragic fate of the previous owners. What I liked most out of this film wasn’t necessarily the paranormal aspect of the plot but rather the struggle of a father trying to do what was best for his family. Over all, this movie was well done and worth the watch.
She, 1982, starring Sandahl Bergman
I first watched this movie shortly after it was released in the 80’s and had fond memories of it. Finding it close to 30 years later I was not surprised to find I still enjoyed this crazy campy film. Based on the book of the same title by H. Rider Haggard, this 4th rendition was definitely a fun watch and a definitive example of the ‘80’s style of filming. Sandahl Bergman stars as the barbarian Goddess simply known as She. The movie takes place 23 years after The Cancellation and revolves around the story of Tom and his friend who are searching for Tom’s sister who was kidnapped during a raid at a village trading post. The two men kidnap the Goddess hoping she could lead them to Nork’s castle where the sister is being held. After their kidnapping is botched and the two men narrowly avoid execution by the Goddess and her warriors, the two set off on their own to find the missing sister. She and her steady companion decide to follow them before ultimately joining forces with them.
The movie is camp at its best and will keep you marveling at the cast of supporting characters that include but are not limited by the garishly dressed Nazi-type villains; metro-sexual werewolves that are akin to the Eternals from the movie Zardoz; a mad scientist in the forest with his rather large, hairy assistant that prefers to dress in pink tutus; and crazed chainsaw wielding lepers. This movie will never keep you bored as it flows from one absurdity to the next and wraps up quite nicely in the end. This movie is timeless and good for a few laughs.
Arctic Blast, 2010, starring Michael Shanks, Alexandra Davies, Bruce Davison and directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith
Growing up through the 70’s and ‘80’s I was a TV junkie and watched the countless disaster films that seemed to characterize that era of film-making such as Earthquake, Towering Inferno and the Poseidon Adventure (to name but a few). This movie wasn’t really any different when considering the basic plot: the conflicts of the hero, the pending disaster, the villain archetype that thwart the hero’s plans and the ultimate victory at the end as the hero overcomes all odds.
The storyline was ho-hum as our hero Jack Tate, played by Michael Shanks, leads an investigative team that is analyzing a hole in the ozone layer near Australia during a solar eclipse. An event occurs which widens the hole and exposes the earth to the freezing temperatures that lie within the mesosphere. People die, panic ensues, countries join forces to close the hole, and our hero (who just happens to be the only one who really knows how to repair the ozone layer) is ignored and then brought in at the last minute to finally save the day when similar holes begin appearing over all major cities across the globe. The acting is not terrible, the sub plots are bearable and the special effects are livable. If you are really in the mood for a great disaster film, pick up one made in the ‘70’s. If you have seen them all and are really bored, then watch this one. It won’t disappoint especially with the current politics of man continually polluting the earth. (And on that note, it was nice not to see the finger pointed exclusively at Americans)
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