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Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)
No Jason....So What??????
So many of these comments are apparently written by Jason fanboys, all of which trumpet the usual it's-not-a-FRIDAY-THE-13TH-because-it-don't-have-Jason-and-I-wanna-see-JASON!.
Never mind the fact that the killer looks like Jason, acts like Jason, and displays the same anti-social tendancies as Jason. Never mind the fact that the original FRIDAY THE 13TH (which remains the most successful film in the series) wasn't about Jason. Go figure...
Is A NEW BEGINNING a bad movie. Well, yes, but no more so than any of the other FRIDAY films after PART 2. The acting is typically corny, the music gratingly effective, and the slasher formula is followed to a tee. As for the characters, they are presented as mental patients preparing to re-enter society. But aside from one character stuttering, I'm hard pressed to figure out what differentiates these kids from any others.
I do give credit to the creators for trying something original. For many of us, Jason had grown stale by 1985, and the idea of another whodunnit (a la the original) was intriguing. Unfortunately, they botched it, as only a moron wouldn't know who the killer is after the first ten minutes.
Actually, A NEW BEGINNING probably delivers the most of what these films are known for, gratuitous T&A and plenty of grue (implied or graphic). Throw in the highest body count of any FRIDAY and you've got a cheesy, fun slasher flick.
So it doens't have Jason. Big Deal. If you have any imagination at all and can think outside the hallowed Jason box for 90 minutes, A NEW BEGINNING isn't a bad choice. Sure, you can do better, but you could also do a lot worse....
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
Ah, What Could Have Been....
I must admit that I never fail to get a kick out of these so-called "true HALLOWEEN fans" who blow their silly little circuits over the fact that this second sequel to John Carpenter's classic HALLOWEEN has nothing to do with the previous two films.
Even more astonishing are the number of people who discover this only after buying or renting the film!
I'll make it simple: If you know anything at all about the HALLOWEEN series, then you would KNOW that HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH was not about Myers! It was never SUPPOSED to be about Myers! Slamming this film because it doesn't have Myers is just as asinine as slamming a movie like TITANIC for not having Myers.
I'm apparently one of the few who would have enjoyed seeing Carpenter's vision for the series come to fruition. An annual or bi-annual horror film, released under the banner HALLOWEEN, but with new and different characters and stories based on the lore of the holiday. Had this been the case, and had the American moviegoing public exhibited a little more imagination, then perhaps the HALLOWEEN series would have gone down in history as something unique and special. Instead it will be remembered as just another by-the-numbers, cookie-cutter, connect-the-dots-moviemaking slasher franchise.
Sad, sad....
Duel (1971)
A Rocket Ride Of A Film........
Spielberg's first major effort remains one of his best. I remember seeing this film as an ABC Movie Of The Week back in 1971 (I was five or six years old), and it scared the c**p out of me. Since then, I have always looked with DEEP respect at the big rigs which share our highways.
DUEL is a cut above your average made-for-TV fare. The only distractions are some of the voice overs and the school bus scene which becomes laughable when it should be tense. I remember reading that Spielberg originally wanted NO dialog at all in this film, but was overruled by ABC execs. It would have been most interesting to see DUEL presented using only visuals and sound effects.
Definitely one of Spielberg's top five efforts, and certainly better than most of what he's done since E.T. (SAVING PRIVATE RYAN excepted). DUEL gives us an early glimpse into his great talent and imagination, as well as foreshadowing what he would do in the suspense genre just four years later with JAWS.
By all means, see DUEL.....
Friday the 13th (1980)
So I Liked It....So Sue Me.....
Yes, the sequels blow rancid chunks. Yes, Jason has evolved into a comical anti-hero as opposed to anything that might be mistaken for frightening. Yes, the FRIDAY film budgets have gotten bigger in direct porportion to the degree to which the quality evaporated. And yes, the Hollywood powers that be are apparently gonna try to beat this dead horse at least one more time with the release of JASON X this year.
But before all that, there was this one little film.
I will freely admit that the original FRIDAY THE 13TH was inspired by John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN, and the latter film's success is exactly the reason why we got the subsequent ten films. But when judged on it's own merits, FRIDAY THE 13TH is actually a pretty good horror flick. Not one that's ever gonna win any awards, but a decent night's entertainment nonetheless.
I've read some posts here that decry the film as tame by today's standards. Well, to each their own, but this was the film that started the slasher craze of the 80's (HALLOWEEN may have been the first, but F13 provided the template). In 1980, this was HEAVY stuff.
FRIDAY THE 13TH is effective for all the reasons that many here seem to want to blast it. The amateurish, shaky photography adds to the intimacy and claustrophobia of the situation. The actors come off more like 'real people' as opposed to actors playing a part (let's face it; glitzy "Hollywood" acting would have ruined this film). And the gore effects are still amazing 20 years later. Tom Savini has consistently remained the best in the business.
FRIDAY THE 13TH embodies everything that a good, low-budget horror film should be. And it does it very well, all without the help of telekinetic teens, loony ambulance drivers, undead zombies with a penchant for hockey masks, hellbabies, or even Freddy's glove for a cameo.
Do yourself a favor and watch this film. Just be sure and view it apart from all the nonsense that became the later sequels. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised....
Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)
Lighten Up, Folks.......
It's a MOVIE! I'm reading comments so vastly polarized to one extreme or another so as not to be believed.
Okay, I am a musician. I've been one on a professional level for over ten years, both as a writer and performer. And I LOVED this movie (apologies to all those pretentious 'serious' musicians out there). I enjoyed my theatrical viewing and I have watched my DVD several times.
Is MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS musically accurate? No, of course not, no more so than STAR TREK paying attention to factual science and the laws of physics. But for the most part, nobody other than most of us ego-driven, high horse bound musician types will ever know it.
Designed to have a broad appeal outside the aforementioned musically inclined crowd? Yes, but then so is nearly every movie to come out of Hollywood. It has to be palatable to a certain degree, and I believe that the much maligned "Play the sunset" scene is far more entertaining than having Mr. Holland give us lengthy exposition on the proper articulation and technique that goes into playing a given instrument.
And if I hear one more poster scream about Mr. Holland's 'opus' only being ten minutes long (the "It took him a lifetime to write THIS?" mantra) I think I'll scream. Did it ever occur to anybody that what we heard was only a small part of a much larger work? Most classical and semi-classical pieces occur in (get ready) MOVEMENTS! It's entirely possible that we only heard the prologue to a much larger piece. Think outside the box, people.
As for the quality of the piece itself, I found it to be acceptable, if not the most dynamic piece of work I've ever heard. But seeing as how we had been hearing snippets of this piece THROUGHOUT THE MOVIE, I can't say that I was so overwhelmingly let down as some of our more 'educated and refined' musician types that have posted here.
Sure, there were some flaws. Ms. Headly is not the greatest actress in the world, and beside Dreyfuss she's downright embarrassing. William Macy's character is so cliched that it warrants no further discussion. The whole subplot with Rowena and her romantic interest in Mr. Holland ran about ten minutes too long. And the ending bit where the arts funding gets cut seemed a little too political.
But overall, a great film, surely one of Dreyfuss' best, and one of my favorite films.
I'm a musician. And I liked it. So sue me....
Midnight (1982)
You'll Be Up All Night....
...after sitting through this excruciatingly brutal film. John Russo's only other decent contribution to the horror genre (aside from the original NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD), MIDNIGHT is an unrelentingly disturbing film that remains a shock to the senses even after multiple viewings.
It's films like this that make good horror. The cheap music, bad acting, and atrocious camerawork actually make the film work, sort of like a poor man's TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. I heartily wish that Hollywood would learn it's lesson from no-budget efforts like this, and put the horror back into horror films.
Son of the Beach (2000)
FX Network's Streak Of Losers Remains Unbroken
FX Network has never been known for turning out quality original program, as such prime-time luminaries as "Bobcat's Big Ass Show", "Instant Comedy With The Groundlings" or "Penn & Teller" have more than demonstrated. And the new offering, "Son Of The Beach" is no exception to this well exercised rule.
Starring Timothy Stack as a cross between David Hasselhoff and Wile E. Coyote, this BAYWATCH spoof might have been pretty good were it not for lack of one vital element....COMEDY! This show was not funny. Not in the slightest. Certainly there are jiggles and sexual innuendo to go, but the chord of humor just never strikes.
Preceded by the most over zealous hype in recent memory (tv promos every station break, and a carefully worded crawl across the bottom of the screen on every half hour for the last four months or so), my wife and I actually tuned in the premier episode, where we stared slack jawed for twenty minutes before finally changing the channel. It's unfortunate enough when a show is bad, but when it's so much so that you are actually embarrassed for the actors on the screen, then you've hit a new low.
Now just watch it become the highest rated show in FX's history...