Finally watched Reck-it Ralph today. Have to say it’s pretty good. They kept it low with the references to keep it simple yet varied enough for the “older” viewers. I wouldn’t mind if there were more movies with a retro game theme like this (sadly, most of those are either pure shit done by morons like Pixels or pure shit about specific video games like [insert video game franchise] that do a poor job due to targeting a mainstream audience).
While I’ve never played any of those arcade games (only “newer” ones like Virtua Fighter) this movie made me feel like home.
You might want to check Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle. Yes it is a sequel but it is a stand alone. The film pays respects to video games and does a good job of it. I was genuine surprised it is an enjoyable film to watch.
How about some Horror Film Recommendations for October… Some have to do with Halloween. I’ll make a note next to the films I actually watch on Halloween.
Ernest Scared Stupid - Comedy Horror
Ernest is a b-level film character but some of his films are classic. The character actually started out as a character in a commercial. Anyway. This is similar in tone to Evil Dead Army of Darkness. A terrible creature is brought back. The practical effects for this are pretty good and hold up. Plot is easy to understand.
Evil Dead Army of Darkness - Comedy Horror [I watch this on Halloween.]
This is my favorite of the Evil Dead films. Bruce Campbell is pure cheese but he plays it straight. The story is basic enough. Ash gets sent to the past. Fights evil. There are plenty of funny bits.
Ghostbusters - Comedy Horror [Also watch on Halloween]
The original Ghostbusters is the best one. Part of what makes the film work is how many levels of comedy there is:
Situational
Satire
Slap Stick - Not that much though
Also letting Bill Murray just do what he wanted. It is a classic and it holds up very well to this day.
Dog Soldiers - Horror
This is a pretty good Werewolf film. Soliders go to investigate something that turns out to be Werewolves. Pacing is good and action. The effects work well for the film.
Halloween - Horror
The original Halloween is good. While it does fall into slasher… it is closer to horror suspense.
Shaun of the Dead - Comedy Horror
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost defend themselves and their loved ones from the zombie apocalypse in Britain.
“A man decides to turn his moribund life around by winning back his ex-girlfriend, reconciling his relationship with his mother, and dealing with an entire community that has returned from the dead to eat the living.”
Tucker and Dale vs Evil - Comedy Horror
The bad guys in movies might just be misunderstood.
“Affable hillbillies Tucker and Dale are on vacation at their dilapidated mountain cabin when they are mistaken for murderers by a group of preppy college students.”
The Thing (1982) - Horror
Imagine being at the South Pole with an alien life form.
“A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.”
Jaws - Suspense Horror
A shark’s on the loose.
“A local sheriff, a marine biologist and an old seafarer team up to hunt down a great white shark wreaking havoc in a beach resort.”
The Shining - Horror
What’s to say about this? A classic. Watch it.
“A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil spiritual presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and of the future.”
Event Horizon - Scifi Horror
Stay away from suspicious space crafts.
“A rescue crew investigates a spaceship that disappeared into a black hole and has now returned…with someone or something new on-board.”
Pandorum - Scifi Horror
Come on! How many movies blood-covered space ships do we need to figure out that space travel might be a bad idea.
"Two crew members of a spaceship wake up from hypersleep to discover that all their colleagues are missing. Despite this, it appears that they are not alone. "
The Silence of the Lambs - Thriller
Would you fuck me? I would fuck me. I would fuck me hard.
“A young FBI cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.”
Modern Westerns
Justified
This is show is perfection in dialogue. The gave and take. The pacing. The execution. This shows dialogue is the bar I judge ever tv show in every genre against. This is a modern western set in Kentucky. It is solid all the way to its final episode. There isn’t a single bad episode. The characters no matter who they are are all well acted. I have an annual tradition of rewatching it every year since it end. Partly cause I like and partly cause there hasn’t been s how that can match the level of dialogue it has. Westworld was close but that’s only the scenes with Anthony Hopkins.
Longmire
A modern western set in the actual west. This one starring an old Sherrif. This show was canceled by A & E but got save by Netflix. The Netflix seasons are darker, gritter, and a lot better. I didn’t mind how it ended. Pretty good.
Maybe a Western but it is a Sci Fi Western:
Westworld - HBO Series
I prefer the 2nd season to the first. The first felt like the writers were trying to figure out what to do. The 2nd it felt like the writers had a better handle on what they wanted and as a result the season was better for it.