jesussaddle Reviews

Tom Holland's Twisted Tales (2014)

Deserves Credit - For Trying

[3/10 · 25 May 2014]

The prop in the opening of boom shows that serious effort was made. Management and focus on the overall compilation seems to be less than deserved. I admit i wasn't compelled to give the shorts equal attention.

"Bite" was my main interest. The acting particularly in this piece was very poor, but don't think the actors deserve the blame; or necessarily the director. Instead, probably some better storyboarding of the news sequences would have made the difference, so that the lead's lines were even executable. Having live actors interact with prerecorded bits is doable if the flow makes some sense, but I have a feeling there was last minute introduction of lines. The two elements, reporters and and leads, as written, looks down right impossible; if it was re-cut, or written this way, nothing an actor could do could fix it. A rough idea, complex like this, needs refinement, or else asking an an actor to attempt to interpret it is torturous; there's the real element of dread in "Bite". Its in the actors faces; in shock at being expected to carry the weak writing.

I enjoyed the creativity in the rest of this assortment. I knew not to expect an expensive producyion. I like B moviesif the concepts are original & worthwhile. Some of this has that, but not most.

Bottom line for me is that too much of the artistic execution is lacking and a producer who is tasked to ensure a basic finished product must know that elements of this work are in rough draft stage, not final writing, acting, or special fx takes. Apparently though these shorts were pulled together but were meant to stand on their own. But as a DVD it feels like something sewn together out of discarded items in the Munster family's Halloween closet, more oddity than integrated costume.

The World's End (2013)

Different Humor But Worth It - In The End

[7/10 · 19 May 2014]

Really this is ambitious in a different way than the first two pictures in the trilogy. The humor isn't the main target apparently. The examination of the topics is, and this provide the greatest payoff in sarcastic humor as the film draws to a close. In fact, I'm still catching it and I watched it an hour ago. Like a long joke that no one character delivers.. A joke that you get, and continue to get, from right around the punch line to the next week, month, year...

I liken it to Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life.

Why I think the film is less appealing to some is that it is delivering social satire that seems ambivalent, and perhaps this is the intent. If a viewer were uncomfortable with the underlying questions it would be hard to get past the first 2/3 of the film. This commentary is about our quests as humans and whether they add value to us or detract from some "higher" purpose. Who gets to judge our missions, or how we act as accomplices to each others' dreams?

It doesn't help those uncomfortable with self-examination that the main character is in need of it. And his early life friends and admirers are not so much more inspiring. The film could really use a second character, like the female love interest, Sam, but with a little more true levity or enthusiasm rather than sarcasm - IF appeal to the masses is the goal. The Meaning Of Life is similar in its lack of apparent fun and mirth - being dark in a different way than the other Python films. If you want either Shaun or Fuzz this film is not going to exactly answer the need.

But especially if you enjoy delving into darker territory than slapstick (which plays here for a different reason than cheap laughs; rather it builds by way of blue peaceful light, and blue blood...) you may love this, long after you watch it. Its a great movie again from the very talented 'Network' of writer/actors, who may not exactly have a new franchise here. Oh, wait, that's the point!

Prometheus Trap (2012)

Only For Those Who Find Time-Fi Movies Intriguing

[5/10 · 21 December 2013]

Okay, not as horrible as you think if you can handle original 1960s sci fi like outer limits, which live on story development rather than eye candy. I "watched" this as background audio and eventually became engaged enough to pay some attention. One watch through left me some questions, so I am not really sure if it deserves a 3 or a 6. So I'm giving it a 5 because you know some of us need to support the mere fact of an unusual and unpredictable story in a mainstream DVD release.

Just watch if you are intrigued by time travel story lines and theories.

Acting across the board felt passable, but the patience of the producers deserves credit. Not an easy undertaking with so much happening with visuals relying on a paper thin budget. I'm sure direction and a few actor choices could have improved the film. Music wasn't terrible. Worst choice in the movie for me is the way the radio communication between various space personnel is over-done, making it indecipherable on my low grade DVD box.

If you just must consume time travel flicks until you burst, you may explode on this one, or on Lunopolis.

Europa Report (2013)

Good Times Imaging The Unknown

[8/10 · 29 October 2013]

This was a good little low budget suspenseful sci-fi. At first I thought a review of 7.5 was merited, but on second thought the personalities portrayed are more positive than usual and I really, really like this. It makes one feel good about living and sharing a challenge without the need for cliché plot devices. It wasn't that this was totally unpredictable (basically it was fairly so but not in a cynical Hollywood contrived plot twist way) but the direction was grounded by the acting of everyone here, and the visuals were all pretty fun. I felt like the tone was authentic Twighlight Zone/ Outer Limits level drama, versus the childlike actors seen carrying on in a movie geared for mass consumption; a movie where these sorts of characters making heroic sacrifices would not be narcissistic enough to be found palatable to a general audience perhaps? Or is this just what marketers are taught?

Jimmy Stewart is a little too goody too-shoes for a pessimistic, self indulgent narcissist, so it would be alright to wipe the catalog of movies with boring if overly decent, well meaning and unselfish people; instead make roles all fascinating, while the roles played the movie-world are either cartoon heroes or villains.

The point is that life is unpredictable and fun when a film is allowed to meander into a sort of inhomogeneous landscape of plot and character. Sometimes a bunch of people go up against some exciting and awesome challenge without a cornball villain running around, whether the villain is alien or human, and what if the real villain is worlds more intriguing than what Hollywood gives us by virtue of profiteering interests. Sometimes a villain is that spooky voice beckoning one to give up on principle.

There are many B-movie exceptions to the trends of market- targeted art, and this movie is certainly one! Very enjoyed!

Hollywood Sex Wars (2011)

Decent Animal House Style Flick With A Twist

[8/10 · 31 May 2013]

Really enjoyed watching this little gem of a picture. It may not be understood by people who haven't encountered some of the behavior depicted here. However, if you live in Hollywood California, you have run into some of this for bad or good. (You may ask, "How can any of this behavior be good?" Well, some of you will not ask this, and you know who you are.

The bad rating for this film is probably due to the lower budget, more campy attitude, more of a Scary Movie type of humor, without the parodying, on top of the totally jaded outlooks, offensive attitudes and lifestyles.

Well directed, humorous story line and some better comedic bits than others, but good acting, Dominique Purdy is great, plus a good music track. But sorry, this is sure to be generally offensive, because, hey, it reflects some pretty gnarly, jaded concepts of what is moral behavior. It is particularly funny when the male character doing the teaching is criticizing his students for immoral ideas.

The Beach Party at the Threshold of Hell (2006)

Pretty Nice For A Low Budget Film

[6/10 · 20 April 2009]

This isn't the film you're expecting. It may not be a film you will like. I liked it. I think I liked it because I like to watch movies that don't turn in predictable directions, that have decent unknown actors, and that have a premise or storyline that gets my curiosity. This wasn't great, but definitely better than most low budget films. The director and actors are worthwhile, and the writing was decent as well, and if you have any desire to watch cult movies, you may not be sorry you watched this, so long as you're not expecting a Hollywood budget and scenes and dialog "polished" for an average audience. That's the thing that generally makes movies appear dull to me, whereas an action audience might be thrilled. I enjoy creativity more than pointless pacing. There is pacing in this movie. But the direction opens up and the characters are given time to be distinctive. This is definitely comedic in a dark, satiric way, and I sense that viewers that hated this film would hate Bill Murray's performance in "What about Bob". Some people don't get certain types of comedy. I'm not saying they're below it, but they only wish they were above it.

Zero: An Investigation Into 9/11 (2007)

Obviously The Most Artful, Soulful 9-11 Film Yet

[9/10 · 20 November 2008]

When I watched this I was not expecting much, but continued to grow more impressed during my viewing. It is artful; in fact I would even say musical. It has an ebb and flow that, out of the drama, calms the senses and encourages. It also shows the tremendous variety of accomplished, esteemed persons who feel strongly that 9-11 should be given unbiased examination. In fact, the people responsible for this film include members of the European Parliament, and this film was screened at the European Parliament.

On the other hand, when you read an emotional outburst from one of those demanding we not investigate 911, especially commentary from one of those that is inaccurately termed a "film review", you can immediately see through to the malicious intent. It may be nothing more than the desperate, angry refusal to come to know the complicated truths of our modern society, or it may be something else less than honorable. At any rate it is not the least bit open or honest. To believe everything that big corporate media says, or government for that matter, would obviously be stupid, since corporations and governments by their nature have vested interests, and so are in their very essence biased. So that CAN'T be the logical premise these characters who scoff at such films are holding to. What premises they espouse are emotion-oriented and that is hardly capable of stopping the traffic of people waking up to the modern reality of social engineering, conflict instigation, etc. Even if the official story is purposefully flawed to protect incompetence, even that is still enough of a reason to continue to investigate. Some wish to stay behind and avoid the ramifications for now, but with the dramatically unfolding events such as international bank consolidation and market manipulation, a greater number of people are awake and aware now than ever before; just not sure yet how to respond. And that's where films of this quality can help, because this form of creative work is not hostile, but instead is soul searching.

So back to the film. The film starts out from the perspective of a person who lived through it and walked down the stairs through the burning section of the 2nd tower to be struck. It proceeds to cover the vantage of the janitor who had the only key, and who let the firemen up. (This individual witnessed the bombs in the basement, and 20-odd injured but living victims, who were given as names of witnesses, only to never be interviewed).

Following are numerous knowledgeable persons accounts of why the official version of the Pentagon attacks is so problematic, most of which are perspectives we have not seen before.

I can only say, finally, that this is the one documentary that employs enough reserve when presenting information to get home to those unfamiliar with the technical details. It deserves enormous credit for that accomplishment. A great, timely work. Watch and learn.

Invasion of the Pod People (2007 Video)

Not very worthwhile even for fans of the genre

[1/10 · 16 September 2007]

I am a big fan of movies with this plot. There are a number of older movies with similar plots that to myself are very engaging. I fear that what makes this less so is the actual shallowness of the actresses and actors making up the cast. A movie like "decoys" has a fine cast, or else time was spent working with them and bringing out their performances. One feels empathy for both sides of the fence in that film. On the other hand, in this movie, though the acting later on is at times competent (but at times not), it is nonetheless next to impossible to root for the heroines or hate the villainous aliens because of weak performances in the earlier portion of the film. We do not see these people early on, with a couple of exceptions, showing any defiance to their trance-like condition as humans. They are cogs in the wheel. Maybe an alien race or Scientology would "bring them out of their pods" and help them experience their possibilities (that appears to be the big joke of the movie).

I am sure that the hope was to get an attractive cast and have them engage in some kinky sex as a subplot, without too much attention to finding truly likable performers. Unfortunately, because the characters don't have that depth, this lesbian and on-the-job sex is mostly uninteresting. If I were making a film and I could not get the leads to appear less shallow than this, or to have more consistency as characters, I would probably blame the culture the performers grew up in. 20 or 30 years ago it would be easy to find a few good character actresses to play these roles, but It could take years to find the right people nowadays, because none of the performers read books or give themselves enough time away from the hedonistic culture they're apart of to learn the art and pleasures of independent and critical thought. Therefore they could have no concept of what a writer, director or audience would need from them in these roles, or the nuances that a story like this one could offer if done well.

What I'm saying is that this genre is particularly dependent on something ironically lacking here, the knowledge of what it means to be freely independent of thought.

Jacqueline Hyde (2005 Video)

decent B movie with eroticism and heart

[7/10 · 15 June 2007]

One thing that came across to me in watching this film is that it was fun/exciting for the cast and crew; I could sense that they were going up against the budget constraint with enthusiasm & dedication because they apparently liked the people involved.

I tend to like B movies that are original and have heart, and I think this is one such work. The actors seem to me to be putting there hearts in it more than usual, maybe because of some good direction from the lead actress/director, and they evidently were clear enough in their parts of the story to make a coherent, watchable piece of art.

The critiques of this film that more or less say, "why not just rent a hardcore porn movie," make the point as to why they didn't like the film. Going to this film hoping for a lot of T&A without patience for the material of the plot is why it is so unenjoyable for them. One could say the movie is more of a romantic work than a softcore porn movie, even though I take it the star has done her share of soft porn. I think she graduated.

In terms of the writing, the dialog is not a huge part of the movie, like in a Tarentino film, but the plot is decent and the twists are original and sometimes fun. Particularly the ending is not a disappointment but a pleasure, with the villianess/heroine and the "leading man" learning from their complex web of feelings.

I understand that the producer got a 3 film deal out of this. Hats off for proving a few tens of thousands of dollars can go pretty far if you have some artistic sensibility and pride.

Gabriella and the other girls with scenes of nudity were likable along with being hot, not just airhead bimbos, so as an erotic science fantasy piece with some gorgeous nude art, even with the limits of B-movie land, not disappointing.

Uncle Joe Shannon (1978)

An inspirational movie if watched to the end

[10/10 · 1 February 2007]

I am flabbergasted that more people haven't appreciated this movie, out of the 45 who've voted on it. I am a musician, so I am a little biased, but I am giving it a ten also because it ranks as one of few movies that reach a heart wrenching finale that is meaningful and uplifting at the same time. I found it very worthwhile after seeing it to its conclusion. Why the poor scores? I guess those who are looking for something to nitpick over, like the cinematography, the pacing, or any one of a dozen film business quality areas, could certainly find ample points to take issue with. But come on people, this is a drama, not an action movie. It has tremendous heart. Drama's with heart that deliver a punch are not all that abundant, especially in this world of cynics.

The acting is at times, but not always, excellent, and the story delivers and is worth the wait, for those who can endure along with the characters.

If you like jazz, if you are a musician or are interested in a great movie about being one, or if you want to watch a movie that can inspire one to overcome difficulties and helping one another, especially if you or those close to you have mental or physical challenges that set them behind, you will find the triumph explored here is heartwarming indeed.

The movie compares to another one, called The Mighty, who IMDb members rated 7.2. Given the budget of that movie, compared with this one, and the time period difference, I think this is one of the more underrated movies on this web site.

Your patience will pay off!

Martial Law 9/11: Rise of the Police State (2005)

Poignant and Stirring Voice for Slowing the Slide Into Fascism

[8/10 · 25 July 2006]

Firstly I will say that there are some people who will find this material disconcerting and disturbing, and they are unlikely to be able to accept the possibility that any facts are supported by reality or evidence.

But Alex Jones is no coward when it comes to looking for that which is unpleasant but nonetheless real. He puts a lot of emotional oomph into his work as he hammers on those in corporate government that he feels may further imperil our liberty, making the ride here enjoyable to those who feel that unfettered government and corporate power is more than just necessity or greed, but two truly sinister menaces to freedom.

Right or wrong Alex has strong opinions.

Okay, the fragile beliefs of many persons require them to seek out reassurances that facts presented here must not be true. How could anyone in power bear them ill will when they are at most a mere statistic? But it is the job of those in power to perform analysis with statistics, and to make decisions based upon these analyses. Isn't the most frightening theory the one that sez no one is even minding the store at all? While I don't support all of the conclusions or views I would be a coward if I didn't point out to the visitors to this site that much of the information here is in fact valid, and much of it also comes from mainstream sources, legitimate footage (such as the protester in the U.S. whose arm is broken by the police on purpose - the most revolting scene here).

It is, for example, found elsewhere that the majority of children in foster care are on psychiatric medicines - an obvious outpoint for a society that is bent on further socialist programs and micro-chipping of its public.

Obviously Alex wants no New World Order, and yet there are many who feel we must subscribe to some form of world government to solve crises such as global warming (for those who accept it.) A co-worker of mine said that we need to be ready to take the microchip one day soon.

Liberty. Is that an outdated word? What form of liberty is sustainable? One thing is for sure, if there were no Alex Jones' in the world we would have a more homogeneous society. And speaking up to the possibility that more is going on would be even more difficult over the complete lockstep around us.

An interesting point to note is that September 11 is New Years Day according to the Coptic calendar. Llewellyn's Spiritual Almanac sez so.

And George Bush senior first announced the "New World Order" on September 11, 1991, ten years before the fateful day.

So, count back EXACTLY 3 millennia and you arrive at New Years Day, Year One, Coptic (Egyptian Christian).

To every season, turn turn turn, a ritualistic sacrifice to launch a new millennium, another "1000 points of light for the homeless man, a kinder gentler machine gun hand". Go Alex Jones. God Bless America, and GOD I hope you're not right.