September 11, 2012 (Killer Klowns, Dennis Hopper on a rampage and great music)
Five Plastic Discs Released Today:
I’ve not seen this special, but I generally like Lewis Black and it was a slow release week. So here it is – it can’t be that bad, can it?
Wow. I really hated this movie back in the day. You see, I was a BIG fan of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, so when I finally got to see this sequel I was expecting some hard-core, no bullshit, mad horror. What did I get? A weirdly surreal black horror gore comedy. Which, going back as an adult, I can fully get behind and appreciate… however when I was young and I just wanted more “good” horror films this was a big let down. I was unprepared for Dennis Hopper acting ridiculously insane, I was unprepared for the overall tone – I just didn’t get it. It just came off as cheesy. Of course, it is cheesy, but that’s part of the appeal. It really is a straight up black comedy. It’s hard to imagine why the producers thought this would be a good follow up considering the tone of the original film, but whatever the case may have been, this is the film we are left with today. Is it good, looking at it objectively and removing it from the context of the series’ mythology? Well, sure. Let’s just kill the series “mythology” though – really only the first film tried to do anything serious and/or unique. After that the series turned into a lame Sam Raimi/Peter Jackson imitator. This is definitely the best of the worst, as it were. Madcap psychosis on film and worth picking up just for Hopper’s performance alone.
Why not give it a watch – after all, it’s free on Youtube.
I’ll watch anything with Juliette Binoche – so when I had a chance to see this film at a festival I went in and sat down straight away. Binoche give a stellar performance and the film lingers still in my mind. Basically a story about sexual politics framed by Binoche’s character, who comes to the frightening realization that all flesh is commodified in our contemporary culture and that her life is not “worth” what she had imagined.
Big themes, fantastic performances and gorgeous photography. If you’re in the mood for a thought provoking meditation on gender biases then this is the film for you this week.
The man is a giant. Martin’s staggering contribution to 20th century art is at all times under-appreciated, even when people give him all the credit in the world. Without a doubt one of the greatest record producers and studio innovators of all times, this documentary looks to be a lovingly comprehensive and studious peek into the life of a legend. Definitely something I’ll be picking up and listening to LOUD.
Long before the ‘Inane Clown Posse’ (sic) made it really embarrassing to like “evil clowns”, this movie kept kids like me re-watching and wearing out the vhs tape while loving every schlocky minute of it. I was a Troma kid growing up, so most of the b-movie stuff was fairly tame to me, but this one hit a sweet spot, it had great effects and just enough laughs and violence to keep me interested.
Believe it or not, this film was a big financial success worldwide, strange then that no mention of a sequel has ever surfaced. Really though, if you grew up in the 80’s you know this movie. You love this movie.
It’s ridiculous fun and I’ll definitely pick it up on Bluray just for nostalgia’s sake.
Comics Astonish 