Films With Friends – Part 01

Hello there people of the mystical land called Internet. I have returned. Well, kind of. Two thirds of my brain are arguing with each other, so the other bit (that’s me. HELLO) just popped out to post this. So, here is the first collection of my Films With Friends social media posts. Much like the seasonal Halloween and Christmas collections, this is, quite simply, talking about certain films I watch with people who can stand being in the same room with me. Hope you enjoy. And if not, keep it to yourself.

Doctor Who and the Daleks (1965)

So, if you did not know, there were two theatrical released Doctor Who films in the 1960s.

The first is Doctor Who and the Daleks from 1965 and it is a little different from the canon of the much-loved TV show. For starters, the Doctor is actually a human inventor who created the TARDIS himself. And not an alien who stole the mysterious blue box to go on adventures to see the world. And his name is really Doctor Who, and not the one-word name of the Doctor from the show. But, being played by the amazing Peter Cushing, I don’t mind.

In this little film that could, the Doctor is living with his two granddaughters, Barabra and Susan (Jennie Linden and Roberta Tovey). When Barbara’s bumbling, good natured boyfriend Ian (Roy Castle) visits, the Doctor must show off his invention. But Ian accidentally activates the time machine without setting coordinates and they find themselves in a far future planet that has been decimated. Here that meet the remaining inhabitants, the Thals. But they also discover the evil pepper pots, the Daleks. The doctor and his friends must stop the Daleks from destroying the Thals, and themselves and somehow get home.

This film, while very 60s camp, is really fun. It won’t blow your socks off, compared to today’s releases, or by DW television standards, but enjoyable.

The Thals costumes and make is unintentionally hilarious looking like someone melted David Bowie and Adam Ant together. But it is presented with a little wink to the audience. The colours are bright, lighting adds mood and character.

This is akin to an alternate universe Doctor Who that actually exists in this one. And the remastered re-releases are fantastic.

A Good Day To Die Hard

Once a week I hang out with two of the best people I know. We eat dinner and watch a movie after their kids have gone to bed. Recently, we watched the fifth Die Hard film, A Good Day to Die Hard. Neither had seen it.

My reaction was the same as theirs after their first viewing. And that reaction: ‘Meh’. Complete with shoulder shrug.

None of us can say it was a bad film. But we couldn’t say the opposite. It’s the same reaction many people have when talking about Terminator Salvation. Not bad but not a Terminator film. Not bad, but not a Die Hard film. The fifth entry of this iconic action franchise seems to have removed the precis things that made the other films enjoyable. A diplomatic way of putting it, it’s muted. A less diplomatic way, a good idea had all the life sucked out of it, and the skin left flapping in the wind of the flagpole.

In this entry, John McClane (Bruce Willis) travels to Russia to aid his wayward son Jack (Jai Courtney) as he has been arrested for murder. But what McClane doesn’t know is that Jack works for the CIA, and it was a ploy to get him close to a Russian political prisoner and aid his escape. McClane’s messes up the plan and they are hunted down by the bad guys before turning the tables.

Sounds like something that would have been made in the 80s. But without the visceral visuals and macho soul actions movies of the era where famous for. Its just comes off as sanitised and bland. After the amazing opening chase sequence, the film never recovers. Don’t feel bad skipping this one.

Best Quote: Keep looking people, there isn’t one. That’s how ‘Bluh’ the movie is.

Inseminoid (1981)

Hanging with a fellow lover of bad 80s movies, and we recently watched this gem. Norman J Warren’s English made, budget Alien rip-off Inseminoid.

This film, which also goes by Doom Seed, Horrorplanet and about a dozen others, is a sci-fi horror film set on a freezing planet where the team of the 12 Xeno Project archaeologists and scientists are excavating the ruins of an ancient city. Upon finding wall paints and strange crystals, they postulate that the dead civilization was ruled by a chemical intelligence (whatever that is). After one of the team is ‘infected’ by an otherworldly force, much carnage ensues, resulting in several of the team dead. Then, with no warning, a monstrous alien rapes team member Sandy with what looks like a giant transparent drinking straw and impregnates her.

This is the ‘Alien Rip-Off’ portion of our story. But unlike that film, Sandy becomes more possessed by the aliens living inside her then just used as an incubator. It is Sandy herself who does most of the killing and the destruction of the base. That is until the alien babies are born at the end of the film and get their chance to munch on some humans.

This movie is such fun. The story is a good one. At least there is a good story in there somewhere. The effects don’t hold up well, the sets look like leftovers from Doctor Who or Blake 7, and the acting is awful. Well, except for Judy Gleeson as Sandy. She fucking goes for it in every scene. There is a charm and earnest quality to the film I find rather endearing. This is the first time I’ve seen this film and I will definitely watch it again. Perfect to enjoy on its own or riff the shit out of it with friends.

And watch out for the character of Holly played by Jennifer Ashley. She is a statue-eque who seems to be impersonating Sigourney Weaver, including stripping down to white t-shirt and panties in the middle of the film.

3 out of 5 ‘Roger Corman’s.

Re-Animator.

This movie rocks. Everybody I have shown this film to, loves it for one reason or another.

Stuart Gordon’s debut feature is the perfect blend of horror and black comedy filled with over the top effects and gore, scene chewing actors hamming it up with some of the best line deliveries in film, a bonkers script based on a H.P. Lovecraft story, groovy sets featuring a little foreshadowing and flawless directing.

Have you figured out I love this film yet?

Okay. The story is of a hapless, handsome and kind-hearted medical student Dan (Bruce Abbott), who gets caught up in the discoveries and obsessions of his new roommate Dr Herbert West (the iconic Jeffery Combs), even at the warning of his fiancée Megan (Barbara Crampton). West is trying to perfect a formula to reanimate the dead. He has been successful but the reanimated come back as mindless killers.

One of the teachers at the Miskatonic University Medical School, Dr Carl Hill (David Gale), who has made a career out of stealing the ideas of others, wants Dr West’s discovery. And will do anything to get it. He also has a creepy, almost stalker-like obsession with Megan. Everything builds, the comedy as well as the stakes, all heading to a climax that has to be seen to be believed. Complete with a wonderfully graphic visual pun. And a whammy of a final scene.

This must be on the list of every horror fan. Whether you are hard core or a casual viewer. This is a must.

Best Quote:

Dr West: You’ll never get credit for my discovery. Who’s going to believe a talking head? Get a job in a sideshow.

Blood Vessel

I love me some Australian and New Zealand genre movies. Thriller, action, horror, sci-fi, and all the other oddball releases. Over the last 10 to 15 years there have been a lot to get excited about. And when you sit down and watch one of these films with a fellow oddball, it’s an experience.

Blood Vessel is an Australian horror thriller from 2019 directed by and co-written by Justin Dix.

The story for this little gem is after their transport ship was attacked and sunk near the end of WWII, an odd collection of allies float in the middle of the ocean in a wooden row boat. When I say collection, I mean collection. British scientist, English nurse, American cook and engineer, Russian sniper, and a couple of Australian soldiers. And yes, they are all played by Australian actors.

Just as all their supplies run out, they come across an abandoned German Navy ship. After getting onboard, losing one of their numbers in the effort, they come across a bunch of weird. There are strange dead bodies on the bridge, the absence of anyone else, and the classic feelings of dread. They find creepy books, artifacts and film reels suggesting a supernatural obsession the Nazis have. And they find a lone child on the boat just as people start disappearing. And everything points to vampires. When the vampires are discovered, known only as The Patriarch and The Matriarch (which makes you wonder how old these creatures are), bad things happen, delivered with inventiveness and gore.

This film is made with passion for the subject matter and the horror genre. The cinematography is wonderful, the acting is good, the make-up effects on the vampires is unique and disturbing (something F.W. Murnau would be proud off), and the filmmakers went with a gut punch ending instead of the over used ‘stringer’ ending. That made me smile. In front of the camera, you have Nathan Phillips, Alyssa Sutherland, Robert Taylor, Christopher Kiby, Alex Cooke, Mark Diaco and John Lloyd Fillingham.

Worth every ounce of your blood. Time….I meant time.

Striking Distance.

After finishing the Die Hard franchise what we started around Christmas, one of us thought it would be a cool idea to revisit some of Bruce Willis’ other lesser known or forgotten films. And we all agreed. First up was, what was half remembered as ‘the boat movie’. So, today I give you, the 1993 action thriller, Striking Distance.

Originally titled Three Rivers, Striking Distance centres around Pittsburgh cop Tom Hardy (Willis), who after he turns in his partner for excessive force, has become alienated from the rest of the force. When he and his police captain father Vincent (John Mahoney), get a call about a high-speed pursuit involving the serial killer The Polish Hill Stranger, they join the chase, and it ends badly. Killer escaped, cars crashed, Hardy injured and his father dead. Hardy believes a cop is the killer. He loses his shield and is busted down to the River Rescue Squad.

After getting a new partner Jo Christman (Sarah Jessica Parker), the killer, officially though to be behind bars, starts killing woman connected to Hardy and dumping their bodies in the river where Hardy will find them. No one believes him, fellow cops are hostile toward him, even being under investigation at one point, until he must go it alone.

Directed by Rowdy Herrington, the director of cult classics like Jack’s Back (1988), Roadhouse (1990) and Gladiator (1992), uses the thriller to touch on topics like trauma, honour, family, and addiction. But while this film does hold your attention, this is not the best film in the world, and had production problems that almost halted production. But the all-star cast saves it from being a mere footnote, as it comes off as a thriller by numbers without them. The director’s other films I mention are a better choice for a fun ride.

Memory: The Origins of Alien.

Every now and then, my friends surprise me. I’m not talking about jumping out from behind a wall and screaming BOO! Or suddenly finding them dressed as a furry eating out of a dog bowl (which I would pay to see). No, I’m talking about the selection of movies they decide on when we hang and indulge in cinematic marvels. Today’s movie is one of those. Because it is a documentary on a famous film in a franchise. Watching these docos is something I usually do alone.

But I had so much fun watching and discussing this film. Memory: The Origins of Alien is a documentary written and directed by Alexander O. Philippe. It delves into the origins of Ridley Scott’s 1979 Alien. From the beginnings of the idea by screenwriter Dan O’Bannon and the influences that lead to it, like EC Comics and H P Lovecraft. Some of which I already knew but so much I didn’t. O’Bannon was a genius and a wild man who was extremely well read.

It also touches on the making of the original film. O’Bannon meeting Ronald Shusett and their professional relationship. Also, the involvement of the producers like Walter Hill and David Giler, when H R Giger got hired and his relationship with O’Bannon and the other filmmakers, and the hiring of Ridley Scott and the amazing cast.

And in between all this, there are experts in film, philosophy, literature lecturing about the impact of this film on popular culture, the important connection to history and mythology.

Honestly, I can’t really say too much about the film. There is just too much information delivered here to summarise successfully. But if you are a film geek or cinephile, this movie has to be on your viewing list. Or you have to hand in your membership card and all your graphic tees.

It is available on DVD relatively cheap, and it is also on several streaming services. Check it out and learn something in a fun way.

Suspiria (1977)

Hitting the way back machine here to 2019, before the lockdown. I showed friends of mine one of my favourite horror flicks. That being Dario Argento’s 1977 horror crime, and sometimes Gaello, Suspiria. Now, with Dario’s work influencing so many filmmakers, many of which my friends like, or even love, I was expecting a better reception when the credits started rolling. Despite saying this, this was not the case. They didn’t like it.

The story centres around an American dance student, Suzy Bannion (Jessica Harper), attending a prestigious Tanz Akademie dance school in Germany. She arrives in a downpour at night, and after seeing someone fleeing from the school, she finds she cannot gain entry. She returns the next day to start her schooling only to find out the girl she saw leaving was killed. Everyone one of the teachers at the school are weird (I think Coocoo for Cocoa-Puffs is the correct saying) and students and staff start dying as well as a maggot infestation which is rather icky, and strange noise and sounds like breathing and walking echo loudly through the halls.

Surprise to no one, the teachers are a coven of witches (the evil kind) and the school was started by one of the evillest decades ago, Helena Markos, who is still alive and is responsible for much of the goings on.

This film is a classic for a reason. It is the first in the Three Mothers trilogy from Argento (Inferno in 1980 and Mother of Tears in 2007 being the others), but this is by far the most visually striking and most unsettling. The lighting and cinematography have a stylistic flare with its use of vibrant colours set the stage. The onscreen deaths are inventive, almost beautiful. The score is by the progressive Italian rock band Goblin, and it’s wicked effective.

The film uses Dream Logic, a term people use when the film doesn’t make sense, but it doesn’t have to. The ride you go on watching this movie is unlike any other. It’s not boring, it is engaging, and the music rocks. This flick and its follow up are in my top ten.

Sad that others don’t have the same love for this as I do.