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gryphonn
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Bullet Down Under (1994)
Not Even A Slightly Amusing Romp
I had to watch this movie, because at 59 years old, and being a former Aussie Rules fan, and a bit of Tappet Head who loves the old XB coupes, I hadn't heard of this movie until a few days ago. I just had to check it out.
Well, besides it having some nostalgic Aussie cars being probably the most talented actors in the cast, I can't say much more.
The characters are wooden, the stunts overly contrived and predictable, and the plot is a mish mash of WTF?
I really wanted to like this movie because I kind of hoped it was going to be one of those little-known classic B-Grade Aussie detective/ car flicks.
Sadly, it's just cringeworthy to watch.
The Deer Hunter (1978)
First Time Watching (8May2022) ... I'm 58
This movie was released when I was about 15-years old. I remember some of the controversies but at that time, movies weren't my priority. It was girls and cars.
Over the years I had seen it in video rental stores, and I'd read more reviews and articles about it being some breakthrough movie but I was never really driven to watch it. I figured, going by the criticisms and bad reviews that it was just another Ramboesque cash-in on 'Nam' style thing.
I watched it this morning because I'd fallen down the rabbit hole of YouTube, bingeing on videos about the life of John Cazale.
This movie is unique and has been misunderstood by so many critics. So many have tried to inject some mystical allegories into this movie. It is simple. It is a fictitious account of a group of people from a small, religious steel working town in the 60s/70s that have the stark reality of their country invading another brought back home to them in a most heartbreaking way.
For me, it was a great journey. I got invested in the characters even though it was hard to get used to the fact that it is a 44-year-old movie and the actors are far less wrinkled than how I know them today.
I recommend you prepare yourself for this movie. No distraction and immerse yourself in it.
Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974)
Not A Philosophical Movie
I first saw this movie in my mid-teens in the late 70s and I remember the ending being a complete let-down. Forty-plus years later, and watching it again, and it's a great romp with a cast of great muscle cars and good stunt drivers.
The performances from actors are what should be expected in the heyday of the car movie genre. The script certainly isn't the best and appears to have been simplified for kids to understand, eg: "Headquarters to Helicopter, headquarters to helicopter, do you read? Over..."
Don't go into this expecting some philosophical semi-masterpiece. It's a car chase movie that 20th Century Fox used to get as much value out of their 'Dollar a Day' rental deal with Chrysler, much like Vanishing Point.
Rubber (2010)
Ermmm
Tyre becomes self aware. Tyre meets girl. Tyre does nasty things. Yes, you need to watch this movie, for nothing less than helping the production people recover their costs and to help the actors through this harrowing time. Having said that, this film does exceed in terms of B-grade beauty, yet could do with a soundtrack like 'Paris Texas'. It brings on memories of 'Duel', 'Psycho', 'Weekend At Bernies', 'Rocky Horror', 'Scanners' and that Tomato movie. I was one of many who had to see this out. It posed so many questions that do not get answered until the final scenes. So don't hit the eject button too early, else you will miss the best bits.
Space Station 76 (2014)
I want my hour and 35 minutes back.
The trailer showed all the hallmarks of an excellent tribute/spoof of early '70s air disaster movies, and porn from the same era. I was expecting as many laughs as that slap stick comedy Airplane. Given that Liv Tyler was one of the stars, I figured it couldn't be all that bad. Oh how wrong I was. What started out as a potential classic corny comedy film, morphed into a flat, humourless, sterile attempt at humour. Well, I *think* they were trying to be funny. They may even have been attempting to create a drama. The opening scene was a mix of Space: 1999, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Airplane. The fashions and props were awesome nostalgia pieces from the '70s. The oval record player that I reckon Weber BBQs took their influence from; a radio alarm clock with those numbers that flipped; flares. The movie also has all the flavour of the month topics addressed; weed, homosexuality, infertility, only child syndrome, blah blah blah. Each subject is dealt with almost as a series of shorts packaged as a movie. Buggered if I know, but I want my time back, and my money please.