True Stories (PG)
"Fighting Fire with fire"
Showing posts with label 1986. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1986. Show all posts
Anguish (1986)
Anguish (R)
"The EYES have it"
An Italian Gialo with ideas to spare, Anguish starts as a typical 80s slasher with a penchant for eye-torture and hypnosis, when suddenly the story pulls out to be about the theater patrons watching that film with events inside and surrounding the theater mirroring the on screen schlock with realistic tension and violence. The movie resembles a Russian Matryoshka nesting doll, with films within films and meanings within themselves. More than the sum of its parts, this critic only wishes this could be viewed in a darkened cinema where the theater scares could actually creep up on you.
Starring the incomparable little lady from Poltergeist (Zelda Rubenstien) as the psychotic mother who is brainwashing her son to kill kill kill, the movie jumps on and off screen with an admirable craft that has to be seen to be believed. The Italian crew both attain an authentic 80s nostalgia while creating a 1980s American street scene from scratch in some European town. Hypnotic on and off the screen.
8 New Meanings to "The Eyes Have It" out of 10 (GREAT)
"The EYES have it"
An Italian Gialo with ideas to spare, Anguish starts as a typical 80s slasher with a penchant for eye-torture and hypnosis, when suddenly the story pulls out to be about the theater patrons watching that film with events inside and surrounding the theater mirroring the on screen schlock with realistic tension and violence. The movie resembles a Russian Matryoshka nesting doll, with films within films and meanings within themselves. More than the sum of its parts, this critic only wishes this could be viewed in a darkened cinema where the theater scares could actually creep up on you.
Starring the incomparable little lady from Poltergeist (Zelda Rubenstien) as the psychotic mother who is brainwashing her son to kill kill kill, the movie jumps on and off screen with an admirable craft that has to be seen to be believed. The Italian crew both attain an authentic 80s nostalgia while creating a 1980s American street scene from scratch in some European town. Hypnotic on and off the screen.
8 New Meanings to "The Eyes Have It" out of 10 (GREAT)
Cobra (1986)
Cobra (R) - Review
"Send a Maniac"
A "zombie squad" cop must track down a cult of psychopathic killers and their leader before they strike down the only beautiful witness alive in this violently commercial respinning of Dirty Harry politics for the 1980s. Starring (and adapted from a novel by) Sylvester Stallone, the film sprouts more dumb one liners and obvious product placements than a half dozen other 1980s action flicks, yet there is a ignoramus bravado that is hard not to admire. Stallone's Mario Cobretti is the prototype he strived to achieve in all subsequent films; tough guy, sunglasses, cool car, heart of gold and ruthlessly violent.
This slice of golden cheese is as pure American popular filmmaking as only an Italian Director like George Cosmatos (Rambo 2) could have pieced together. Brigitte Nielsen (Red Sonja) stars as the witness/love interest/robot fashion model, and if you find that hard to swallow just drive down to the supermarket in your 52 Coupe, snatch a beer off the shelf and down it while defusing a shotgun wielding maniac in a hostage situation.
7 Cutting Pizza with Scissors out of 10 (GOOD)
"Send a Maniac"
A "zombie squad" cop must track down a cult of psychopathic killers and their leader before they strike down the only beautiful witness alive in this violently commercial respinning of Dirty Harry politics for the 1980s. Starring (and adapted from a novel by) Sylvester Stallone, the film sprouts more dumb one liners and obvious product placements than a half dozen other 1980s action flicks, yet there is a ignoramus bravado that is hard not to admire. Stallone's Mario Cobretti is the prototype he strived to achieve in all subsequent films; tough guy, sunglasses, cool car, heart of gold and ruthlessly violent.
This slice of golden cheese is as pure American popular filmmaking as only an Italian Director like George Cosmatos (Rambo 2) could have pieced together. Brigitte Nielsen (Red Sonja) stars as the witness/love interest/robot fashion model, and if you find that hard to swallow just drive down to the supermarket in your 52 Coupe, snatch a beer off the shelf and down it while defusing a shotgun wielding maniac in a hostage situation.
7 Cutting Pizza with Scissors out of 10 (GOOD)
Troll (1986)
Troll (R) - Review
"Short people got, no reason to live"
A family moves into a slipshod San Francisco apartment, unaware that it is haunted by a supernatural Troll hellbent on taking over the complex (sure why not). The equally neurotic and eclectic tenants all soon fall under its spell as it zaps them with a green magic ring and vines start growing from the walls after it has taken over the family's young daughter, Wendy. Only her kid brother Harry Potter Jr. attributes her bizarre evil behavior with the stunted freak roaming the halls, and with the help of the good witch upstairs attempts to fight the corruption and get his sister back.
This film mixes creepy with surreal quite well, and looks better than it sounds. The titular troll has good makeup and effects, the sets are minimal yet adequate, the acting ranges from fun campy to over the top campy (watch for Law & Order's Micheal Moriarty as dear old clueless beer loving dad). Downright freakshow plot is elevated by its voracious need to entertain in the face of it's shortcomings and has achieved a well-deserved cult status as a fun little midnight movie.
6 Short People with beards out of 10 (GOOD)
"Short people got, no reason to live"
A family moves into a slipshod San Francisco apartment, unaware that it is haunted by a supernatural Troll hellbent on taking over the complex (sure why not). The equally neurotic and eclectic tenants all soon fall under its spell as it zaps them with a green magic ring and vines start growing from the walls after it has taken over the family's young daughter, Wendy. Only her kid brother Harry Potter Jr. attributes her bizarre evil behavior with the stunted freak roaming the halls, and with the help of the good witch upstairs attempts to fight the corruption and get his sister back.
This film mixes creepy with surreal quite well, and looks better than it sounds. The titular troll has good makeup and effects, the sets are minimal yet adequate, the acting ranges from fun campy to over the top campy (watch for Law & Order's Micheal Moriarty as dear old clueless beer loving dad). Downright freakshow plot is elevated by its voracious need to entertain in the face of it's shortcomings and has achieved a well-deserved cult status as a fun little midnight movie.
6 Short People with beards out of 10 (GOOD)
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- Kevin Gasaway via HardDrawn
- Turlock, California, United States
- Media and Reviews by Kevin Gasaway