TODAY I WATCHED... (Movies, TV, etc.) 2023

"Dio: Dreamers Never Die" (2022)

Fascinating documentary on the life and career of the mighty Ronnie James Dio, loaded with vintage clips and commentary from Wendy Dio (of course), Tony Iommi, Rob Halford, Lita Ford, and many more.

"Escape From New York" (1981)

It's 1997, and Manhattan has been walled off and turned into a maximum security prison. When Air Force One crashes in the middle of it, the Powers That Be turn to former Special Forces badass and current convict Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) to rescue the President in exchange for a pardon. Much butt kicking ensues. John Carpenter's dystopian sci-fi action flick has aged pretty well thanks to the cool concept and the strong cast that also includes Lee Van Cleef, Isaac Hayes, and Carpenter regulars like Donald Pleasance (as the Prez) and Tom "Halloween III" Atkins.
Kurt Russell has said that this is his favorite of all the movies he's made.

"Blue Thunder" (1983)

An LAPD chopper pilot (Roy Scheider) is chosen to test a high tech, heavily armed new helicopter created by the military. When he learns of a plot to use the craft against civilians, he steals it, leading to action in the air and on the ground.
A cool 80s action flick that's aged pretty well.

Bully (2018)



A quiet, heavy set, high school kid becomes the target of a bully and his toadies who want protection money. The kid gets beaten in the yard of a former boxer, who offers to help the kid get training in boxing so he'll be able to defend himself. A rather predictable comedy drama, but still enjoyable.

Been fighting a nasty head cold the past few days, good reason to veg out after work watchin' movies:

"GoldenEye" (1995)

After a six year absence from the screen, James Bond returned in a big way in 1995 with a new man in the tux (Pierce Brosnan) and a new post Cold-War attitude. This time 007 must stop a rogue Russian general who's commandeered a laser weapon satellite. Pierce's first go-round as Bond was his best, and it's one of the better entries in the series overall.

"And Now For Something Completely Different" (1971)

The Monty Python troupe's first theatrical release is essentially a "highlight reel" of the best bits from the first two seasons of their TV show, re-created for the big screen, in an attempt to crossover to the American market. Sketches include favorites like "Upper Class Twit of the Year," "Hell's Grannies," "The Dead Parrot Sketch," "The Lumberjack Song," and more.

"Black Friday" (2021)

Employees at a big-box toy store are prepping for their midnight Black Friday opening when they come under attack by hordes of zombified shoppers, created by alien spores that fell from a meteor. Ultra-violence, splashy gore, and snarky humor ensue. Given that I work in retail, this seemed like a timely viewing pick.

Blew off a lazy Saturday catching a few flicks :

Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah (1991)



Wild, over the top, entry in the long running series about a team of time travelers from the 23rd century appearing in modern day Japan to warn them of impending doom from Godzilla, who will ultimately destroy the nation in the near future. They propose to travel back further in time to the island that the pre mutated Godzilla resided on and teleporting it away, preventing it's creation. The plan works, but a new creature emerges, one the future people can control and use to destroy Japan themselves. Of course, with the abundant nuclear power present, you can't really keep Godzilla down. If you like kaiju movies, you'll enjoy this one.

Planes Trains And Automobiles (1987)



John Hughes buddy road picture about 2 disparate travelers trying to make it from New York City to blizzard struck Chicago in time for Thanksgiving. However, because of the weather, its not going to be that simple. Hilarity ensues as the the 2 try everyway possible to make, leading to quite a few mishaps. Fun movie with great chemistry between the 2 leads, Steve Martin and the late great John Candy.

Pet Sematary:Bloodlines (2023)



Prequel to the remake of the Stephen King story, about the cursed Native American burial ground that causes anything buried there to return, but as rather violent homicidal things. This one is set in 1969, and deals with the young Jud Crandall (the old man from the original film) dealing with his former friend, killed in Vietnam, who has returned from the grave thanks to his grieving father. Decent enough film, which I prefer over the remake from a few years ago. Sometimes, dead is better.

The Nun II (2023)



Another installment in the Conjuring universe as the demon nun Valak returns, murdering it's way across France in search of a powerful relic. Sister Irene (from the first film) is asked to again confront and stop the demonic terror.They are able to track the thing to a former monastery, now a border school, and try to stop it there. A rather solid entry to the film series.

"Survival of the Film Freaks" (2018)

Basic talking-head documentary on cult films, with various authors, webmasters, actors, and producers discussing their favorite 60s and 70s drive-in classics. Accompanied by plenty of cool gory clips from forgotten grindhouse horror and sleaze flicks. Mindless fun.

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Deck The Halls (2006)



Matthew Broderick stars as a fastidious Christmas enthusiast whose life is turned upside down by the arrival of obnoxious new neighbors, played by Danny Devito and Kristen Chenoweth. They begin to clash, starting with Devito's urge to have his house seen from space via Christmas illumination and things degenerate into a growing conflict between the 2, despite their respective wives bonding and becoming my friends. A so so movie, not the best Christmas film out there but it's better than the deck put out by Hallmark, although that's not saying much.

"Rainbow: In Their Own Words" (2006)

The history of guitar wizard Ritchie Blackmore's 70s/80s hard rock combo is examined via vintage video clips and interviews with past band members like Graham Bonnett, Joe Lynn Turner, Bobby Rondinelli, Doogie White, and Ronnie James Dio. Long time fans probably won't learn anything they don't already know, but this is a decent video crash course for newcomers.

"American Hardcore" (2006)

A look back at the wild 'n crazy days of '80s hardcore punk, whose rise and fall coincided with the Reagan years in America. Features ultra-violent vintage live videos and and interviews with members of Black Flag, Minor Threat, SS Decontrol, T.S.O.L., Die Kreuzen, Battalion of Saints, and many more. A cool crash course in punk history for those who weren't there, and a nice trip down memory lane for those who lived it.

A Haunting In Connecticut (2009)



A family moves into a large house closer to a hospital that is treating their oldest child for cancer. After arriving, the cancer patient begins experiencing haunted visions that at first are attributed to his treatments and possible cancer spreading to his brain. Soon, it's discovered that the house was at one time a funeral home and a hidden room was a mortuary where experiments were done to bodies for the act of necromancy. The typical scenes and jump scares ensue. Not too bad of a film, that's supposedly based on a true story, which has more or less been debunked.

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"Invasion U.S.A." (1985)

An army of terrorist guerrillas led by Russian bad guy Richard Lynch (at his absolute bug-eyed, coked-up peak) land in Florida and begin a massive attack on America. Fortunately, we've got Uzi-toting CIA badass Matt Hunter (denim clad Chuck Norris, at peak beardness) standing in their way. Lotsa stuff blows up and countless butts get kicked in this utterly ridiculous, over the top cheeseball action flick that makes "Red Dawn" look absolutely plausible. A "so bad it's good" cult classic, and it even takes place during the holidays, so it's seasonally appropriate!

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"An Eye For An Eye" (1981)

A San Francisco cop (Chuck Norris) embarks on a mission of vengeance to bring down the Chinese Triad gang who killed his partner.
A pretty standard "Dirty Harry" style action flick, Chuck was still learning how to act so his performance is typically wooden but the stunts and action sequences are on point. Not a top drawer Chuck flick, but worth checking out.

"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" (2023)

Harrison Ford dons the fedora and bull whip one last time as the well-past-retirement-age Dr. Jones, in a new adventure set in 1969. When Indy is visited by the daughter of an old friend it draws him into a plot to recover an artifact he lost during World War II that may have the ability to travel through time.
At 2 hours and 40 minutes this flick is probably a bit overlong, but it never drags or wears out his welcome, unlike "Crystal Skull." I had low expectations for this one, but was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I would watch this one again, which is not something I can say about the previous "Indy" installment.

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"Timeless Heroes: Indiana Jones & Harrison Ford" (2023)

Disney+ documentary on the life and career of Harrison Ford, with the main focus being his iconic performances as Indiana Jones. Some good stories are told and the vintage behind-the-scenes clips from the making of the films is fun to watch. Breezy fun for fanboys.

AEW Collision

The final KISS show.

Married... With Children

"Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films" (2015)

Enormously entertaining doc on Cannon Films, the notorious movie studio run by two Israeli cousins who did their best to take Hollywood by storm in the '80s via lots of schlocky movies that featured Charles Bronson, Chuck Norris, ninjas, and breakdancers. A totally awesome trip down memory lane for '80s trash enthusiasts.

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