p e n g u i n d e v i l

The time had come to watch Re-Animator. Who can count how many times they’re seen it? Not I. The best of the HPL-based movies, filled with all sorts of visual and and conceptual delights! Great opening credits, great dialogue… Jeffery Combs. Need I say more? In terms of the “series”, watching this reminds me that I need to get a DVD of Bride of Re-Animator, a much lesser film yes, but not without merit. Unlike Beyond Re-Animator. Though I did see that at the HPL festival, it just didn’t seem to be all that. After the crafty gory glory of the first two, the CGI just doesn’t seem as engaging or worthwhile. But as for the first film? I just can’t say enough good things about it.

re-animator 39:38

More classics here. For our monthly movies pals night we were scheduled to watch Colonel Blimp, but, when it got down to brass tacks, we watched Great Expectations. Yet, another really fine old classic. These movies seem to be just great all the way around. They look good, are well acted and are quality stories taken some some classic literature. I had forgotten completely what this one was about but, seeing it again, it is really a masterful film. I always like to have Alec Guinness show up, though this isn’t one of his most interesting characters, I always find him to be compelling.

Then, The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit. Well, not quite so classic. We didn’t like this one really at all. I like Gregory peck and the film has a nice title, but it was really dull. Though I realize that it is supposed to be some statement on the meaningless aspects of modern lives, just didn’t go anywhere, I kept waiting for the story to start. I do like Fredric March though and I felt like he was the high point for this one, but that’s about all.

It. Yes. Well, we tried this again. I don’t even remember if we finished it, but we got close. I just don’t get something about the Stephen king TV series. They are bad. bad bad. So lousy, I don’t even know what to say. They are hokey and cheap and the acting (even when done by passable actors) is atrocious… John Boy acts so terribly in this it’s hard to look at the screen. Yes, it’s terrible, plus the flashback scenes are basically a really terrible re-make of Stand By Me. But something else about these (we’ve seen a few too many of these things)... They sort of stick with you. This one, Rose Red, Kingdom Hospital… All so bad they should be jokes, but afterwards, I find my mind wandering towards them and remembering them. It’s unnerving..

A night out wandering? Where to go? Well, how about Voodoo Donut, where we’d never been. Since I do like donuts, I found the notion irresistible. So I went. Thoughts? The rotating case is filled with all sorts of vile temptations! Anyway. I, being the slave to decadence that I am, and an old time KLVS fan, opted for the Memphis Mafia. Wow. It certainly had it’s moments, and due to its decadent scope I don’t regret it at all, but I have learned that peanut butter and donut do not mix. If I could get it with no Peanut butter and more nuts, it would be more irresistible…

Lawrence, sorry, Larry, Fishburne was almost too much with his gold tooth antics, I can’t stand that David Caruso guy & some of the action scenes seemed a bit too clean, but I would give King of New York an a-ok! Lot’s of action, a cast chock full of odd familiar faces (wasn’t the groom the Frankenhooker fellow?) and, of course, Christopher Walken, classy as always. I thought the plot was full, the funeral scene classic and fulfilling(!), some of the writing was a bit corny but nothing to bad for an action flick and, surprisingly, lots of Schoolly D played throughout. Which was nice. I’d never have thought he would turn up in a movie soundtrack. Admittedly, though it was good to here him in a different venue, I got all excited about the Schoolly D Documentary(?!) that was on disc 2… Sadly, it wasn’t that interesting. And it went on and on (well, on and on until I stopped watching it).