TODAY I WATCHED (Movies, TV Shows) 2020

They tried that back in 2005 and it failed miserably (I did watch it and didn't think it was that bad). I wouldn't mind another crack at it.

Really? I totally whiffed on that because I've never heard of the reboot. I need to check that out.

Nemesis (1992).



One of many science fiction movies which tends to borrow elements from Blade Runner, RoboCop, and The Terminator. In fact, the visual effects director of this was also the visual effects director of Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Now, this is not as good as those movies, but it does have some solid action sequences.

The director of this also directed the early Jean-Claude Van Damme movie Cyborg. Now, this is also a movie with a martial artist playing a cyborg (although Nemesis has very little martial arts in it), but this is a better movie than Cyborg for sure.

The movie had a limited theatrical release, and was followed up with some sequels that went straight to video. I haven't seen any of the sequels, but they apparently have minimal connection to the original.

Paranormal Caught On Camera

"Jay and Silent Bob Reboot" (2019)


Kevin Smith's iconic stoner duo take another cross-country trip to Hollywood to stop yet another movie from being made out of their "Bluntman & Chronic" characters. Along the way, of course, they meet a variety of bizarre characters and have lots of foul mouthed, wacky mis-adventures before finally confronting the filmmakers at the annual "Chronic-Con." The movie goes off the rails in the last twenty minutes, but the first hour is one rapid-fire gag after another, and I laughed a lot.

I think this flick is how Kevin Smith celebrated surviving his recent heart attack -- by taking a victory lap through his "View Askew" back catalog. Just about everybody who's ever made an appearance in one of his past films has a cameo in this one (Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Shannon Elizabeth, Matt Damon, the guy who played Dante in "Clerks," etc., etc.). There's even a sweet tribute to the late Stan Lee hidden in the end credits.

If you liked "Clerks," "Mallrats," and (obviously) "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," then you'll have a blast watching the boys ride high (cough cough) one more time.

"Dream Deceivers" (1992)

Documentary about the 1990 trial of Judas Priest, who were sued by the parents of two Nevada teens whose "suicide pact" was supposedly inspired by "backwards messaging" in JP's music. Equal parts tragic, infuriating, and eye-rollingly ridiculous. Thankfully the Priest were able to emerge from that media circus with their dignity intact.

Watching a documentary called Belushi on Showtime. Really good, makes me want to go revisit all his movies again. Animal House is my favorite, and I just watched it a couple months ago, haven't really watched the other ones in decades. Need to change that. Dude was hilarious, and taken way too soon.

Planes Trains & Automobiles (1987)



2 polar opposites (Steve Martin & John Candy) are trying to make it to Chicago from New York City 2 days prior to the Thanksgiving holiday. Fate keeps intervening and the 2 keep crossing paths mishap after mishap. A very funny film with plenty of laughs. A fun film we watch every year.

A Beautiful Mind

An episode of season 2 from Law and Order: UK

Evil Dead Trap(1988)-a news reporter receives a VHS tape in the mail that seems to be a snuff film. They discover that the video was shot at an abandon military base. The reporter and her crew travel to the base to see what they can find. Once there, they split up(which you know is never a good idea in these kind of films)and are soon be killed by something that resides there. This J-horror film(which has nothing to do with Raimi films)is said to have some kind of cult following and I've read where people have compared it to the works of Argento to Cronenberg. It's certainly a weird little film and pretty violent. On the entertainment scale, I'd say the film is passable, but nothing mind blowing and was a little dull at times and the end of the film is it's biggest weakness. Plus, I had to watch it with subtitles, although they weren't too bad. 2/5

This seemed appropriate for Thanksgiving Night viewing:

"Into the Dark: Pilgrim" (2019)

A privileged suburban family hires a group of Pilgrim "re-enactors" to their home on Thanksgiving to give them an "authentic" Turkey Day experience. Unfortunately for them, these "Pilgrims" have rather strict rules about being properly "thankful," and hand out stern punishments for the family's "ungrateful" ways.
This slow burning Hulu original (part of their ongoing "Into the Dark" series of seasonally themed horror flicks) from the Blumhouse Productions factory took a little while to get going, but cranks up the nastiness in the delightfully twisted second half. I wasn't expecting much from this one at first, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

That sounds like one I need to check out - next year.

I'm about to embark on my annual Christmas Horror-thon as soon as I finish "Gotham" which will only be a day or two.  Then we break out the Christmas horror classics.  I need to scope out Amazon to see if any new Yuletide atrocities have been released.

EDIT:  Well that was fast.  I found a new one.  An anthology film of 24 shorts directed by separate directors.  Barbara Crampton is in one so of course I'm going to have to check this out:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9301428/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Found another one!  Holiday Hell - Another anthology film but this one stars Jeffrey Combs.  Hmmmmm...two new Christmas themed horror flicks; both anthologies and both featuring actors from some of my all-time favorite horror films.  Happy Horror Holidays to me!

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7841536/reviews?ref_=tt_urv

Those two look intriguing, Toho. I'm gonna have to look into those.

I found this beaut on Hulu last night and added it to my list to check out - a Christmas zombie musical? I'm completely burned out on zombies and I can't stand musicals, but this combo looks twisted enough to be worth a look.

Oh definitely one I need to check out!

We are so warped dude!  Thankfully we must not be the only ones because these types of movies keep on comin'



EDIT:  Cool.  That Anna movie is free with Prime.  On the list it goes!

Mountain Talk. A documentary on the heritage, culture and dialect of people living in the western North Carolina mountains.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

The Hunt for Red October

Law and Order: UK season 2

manny wrote:

Law and Order: UK season 2

There's a UK version of L&O too? Good Lord. Please don't let my wife find out. She watches more than enough of that show and its various spin offs already

Smackdown

The Mandalorian season 2 episode 5


Carrie (1976)



Brian Depalma's adaptation of the Stephen King novel, with Sissy Spacek starring as the bullied teen with telekinetic powers. A well done film that really makes you sympathize with the title character, especially if you know the outcome.

I've always thought "Carrie" was one of the better screen adaptations of King's works. You're right, you do really sympathize with her and just when she thinks she's finally overcome everything....BAM! right in the nads.

Quote :

Found another one!  Holiday Hell - Another anthology film but this one stars Jeffrey Combs.  Hmmmmm...two new Christmas themed horror flicks; both anthologies and both featuring actors from some of my all-time favorite horror films.  Happy Horror Holidays to me!

This is a public service announcement from Tohostudios:

DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE!!!!

Since I found it I figured I should be the first to watch it and you all can be glad that I sacrificed myself.

What a stupid, boring piece of crap this is!  For one thing, none of the stories actually have anything to do with Christmas or the holidays.  They're all just boring backstories to crap Combs has in his shop when "coincidentally" a woman wanders in looking for a last minute Christmas gift for her sister.

Seriously, there's no reason to recap any of the stories because all 4 were boring as hell with piss-poor acting, dialogue and worst of all, very little gore.

AVOID, AVOID, AVOID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EDIT: And I KNOW you FF, the daredevil in you just HAS to see a movie this bad. Trust me, no you don't.

Kolchak:The Night Stalker

The Serpent And The Rainbow (1988)



An anthropologist (Bill Pullman) is hired by a pharmaceutical company to go to Haiti in the hops of finding the "zombie" drug in the hopes of making a new sedative that will not cause any surgical complications. However, he runs afoul of the local voodoo houngan and is soon in a battle for his life. A decent but not essential film.

Fantasy Island (2020)




Based on the old tv show starring Ricardo Montalban, a group of disparate people arrive on a mystical island that caters to an individual's personal fantasy. However, unlike the tv show, the fantasies all take a dark turn. I went in to this one with low expectations but was pleasantly surprised by it. Better than expected.

tohostudios wrote:

AVOID, AVOID, AVOID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EDIT:  And I KNOW you FF, the daredevil in you just HAS to see a movie this bad.  Trust me, no you don't.

Damn, Toho. Though hatred like that would normally pique my curiosity, I'll take your word for it and pass on that one

On topic, I kicked off my 2020 Holiday Horror Hootenanny with:

"Anna and the Apocalypse" (2017)

Scottish teens sing, dance, and slaughter their way through their small town's zombie infested Holiday celebration and try to reach their families. Yes, this is a zombie Christmas musical... and as absurd as that concept sounds, it works. The young cast totally sells it (especially Ella Hunt, who plays "Anna") and even though I usually hate musicals, I gotta admit, some of the songs were actually pretty catchy. "Anna" is a funny, bloody, tongue-firmly-in-cheek genre mashup in the vein of the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" TV series (whose musical episode, "Once More With Feeling," was clearly a major influence on this flick).
You may love it, you may hate it, but it's worth seeing this sing-along sickie at least once.