A.Rausch Reviews

Deathtrap (1982)

One of the most underrated films of all time!

[10/10 · 29 March 1999]

This is one of my favorite movies of all time. It's great and the acting is brilliant. In the scene in which Michael Caine calls the police in tears and then stops the waterworks the second he finishes the call really displays Caine's brilliance. The twists are a lot of fun. The film is top-notch.

The Death Collector (1976)

Underrated, obscure gem!! FOUR STARS!!

[10/10 · 29 March 1999]

THE DEATH COLLECTOR is truly a wonderful film. Labeled as a MEAN STREETS ripoff, it has some really great stuff in it. A lot of the stuff in this movie would later be used by Scorsese himself, including the actors - Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent, etc.

From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999 Video)

Overdirection abounds here!

[10/10 · 21 March 1999]

Okay, you will of course go into this movie looking forward to a B-movie and expect very little. You will, undoubtedly, get even less than you expected. The dialogue is witty and the actors are good B-list guys, but the camerawork is unbelievably distracting. Kooky camera-shots from inside a telephone cord and such make it very hard to focus on anything going on in the film. This is beyond experimental. It's bad.

Goliathon (1977)

The most unintentionally funny movie ever made!

[13 March 1999]

At one time, this was the most expensive movie in the history of Hong Kong cinema. It's campiness exceeds words. It is hard to believe that the filmmakers were actually serious when they made this hilariously horrible movie. The film is good as a comedy simply because of its being so terrible. I saw the re-release of this film at QT3 in Austin and the audience laughed their asses off.

Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995)

The best of the Tarantino rip-offs!

[3 March 1999]

I am probably the world's largest fan of Quentin Tarantino's work. As much as I'd like to tell you that this great film is not a Tarantino rip-off and has been wrongly labeled, I cannot. But of all the rip-offs to date (Suicide Kings, Body Count, Two Days in the Valley, Truth or Consequences, NM, etc.), this is the best. It was written by Scott Rosenberg, who is a genuinely talented writer -- and remember, there is nothing wrong with a good writer crafting rip-offs...look at John Sayles' JAWS exploitations. Gary Fleder is a fine director (see also KISS THE GIRLS) and this ensemble cast is first rate. This film is wonderful, I think. Bravo! No "buckwheats" for the filmmakers here...

Mimic (1997)

Truly underrated...

[3 February 1999]

I think this film is truly underrated. Del Toro's camerawork is superb and the film has a strong sense of dread throughout. The

film breaks the "rules of the game" --- you never kill kids, old people and dogs. This film kills all three. An interesting film. Mira Sorvino...WOW! ;-)

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)

This is the worst movie I have ever seen

[6 January 1999]

I write about films for a living. I have a passion for film. Point blank: this is the worst, most offensive film I have ever seen. Stephen King once commented that horror fans are used to "crap" and in fact expect it. While I agree that horror films must be graded on a curve, no one should have to sit through this piece of junk. I am offended that the movie studio has such a low viewpoint of viewers as to serve up this $#!%&$.

The movie is tired and full of cliches. Bad acting, etc.

Death Rides a Horse (1967)

"Death Rides a Horse"...a great Lee Van Cleef spaghetti western

[26 December 1998]

A terrific underrated spaghetti western. It stars Lee Van Cleef, the REAL star of the spaghetti westerns. You think it was Clint Eastwood? Sure, he was cool, but watch "Fistful of Dollars" again. Lee Van Cleef completely stole the film. Even in smaller spaghetti roles like "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" Lee Van Cleef shined. If you like Lee Van Cleef, "Death Rides a Horse" is a film you will enjoy. It's a nice non-Sergio Leone flick. Check it out!