B movies, that is.
Given my current mood OK, nobody probably gives a flying leap about my mood, except if I flip out and go rob a train, which would make said mood entertaining – and so I shall talk about Bubba Ho-Tep, which I sat down and watched for the first time tonight. I started the evening watching it with my girlfriend, who is also fond of Bruce Campbell… but she doesn’t like horror flicks, and it started looking like a horror flick pretty darn quick.
All in all, I quite liked it. It wasn’t an especially technically gifted film – you’ll know what I mean when you see the FX – and there were definite hokey elements to it, not to mention a certain amount of expected schlock. But it was a film that knew what it wanted to say, and knew enough to let Campbell say it without too much fuss. His Elvis is a three dimensional guy stuck in a two dimensional persona, and it bothers him. All in all, this film wasn’t a polished jewel, or even a diamond in the rough – it was regular, everyday metal. But you can polish metal until it shines, and that’s what happened here.
Anybody else got a favorite B/Indy film that was much better than it should have been?
Moe! (Sung to the tune of: Norm!)
Is Dr Strangelove a B movie? It happened so long before my time I honestly have no idea whether it was a megaplex blockbuster or an arthouse flop.
Waiting for Guffman, Branagh’s Henry V, Waking Ned Devine, Pi
Again, not sure which of these, if any, qualify as B.
Oh, Rubin and Ed. Definitely B. Definitely close to my heart.
“You have a real problem, Ed. and it’s not the problem that’s the problem, it’s how you handle the problem that’s the problem.”
“Wet Hot American Summer” and “Mystery Men” are two of the funniest comedies of the 90s. And I’ll fight any ten men who say otherwise.
“Fear of a Black Hat” is also damn funny.
I have been trying, off and on, to sit down and watch Fear of a Black Hat for most of the last decade. I can never seem to match up interest and availability at the same time.
I also liked Mystery Men well enough not to want to throw down with you about it. đŸ™‚
Dr Strangelove…Waiting for Guffman, Branagh’s Henry V, Waking Ned Devine, Pi
Again, not sure which of these, if any, qualify as B.
I don’t think any of those qualify as B movies, sidereal.
And this is a bit off-topic, but I was pretty bowled over by “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”. I’ve never read the books, and I never saw “Chamber of Secrets”, since I was fairly unimpressed with “The Sorcerer’s Stone”. However, Alfonso CuarĂ³n has really breathed some life into the film series. Besides being quite beautifully filmed, it maintains a momentum I felt lacking in the first film, which seemed like a series of unrelated “gee whiz!” set-pieces more than a compelling story. I’m quite disappointed to learn that CuarĂ³n won’t be directing the next one, but I suppose it was a logistical impossibility. Still, the director chosen doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.
How about Tremors? Good effects, good cast, and maybe the first monster movie made since Jaws where you find yourself actually rooting for the human characters to survive.
And in a very nice touch, both the monsters and the humans display varying levels of intelligence between individuals, leaving the dumb ones on both sides to get picked off early in the proceedings.
Two of my favorites from the 80’s
Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins
Based on the popular Destroyer series, Remo is a fun movie, with great performances by Fred Ward and Joel Grey as Remo and Chiun. It is, however, marred by the uninspired choice of a crooked defense contractor as the main villain.
Dragonslayer
Ostensibly a movie about a sorcerer’s apprentice who go forth to battle a dragon, the movie is actually a sly commentary on politics and religion. Not to mention the late, great Ralph Richardson as the wizard.
Tetsuo: The Iron Man.
Some critic described it as “Eraserhead” meets “The Terminator.” If only it was that easy.
JdB
“Again, not sure which of these, if any, qualify as B.”
Not one.
“B” picture was the bottom of a double-feature, whether at a drive-in or regular theater; it was expected to do less well commercially, and had cost correspondingly less to make, which showed up in both who appeared and the production values.
There’s no direct equivalent in the contemporary market, but the closest would be something that either was direct-to-video, or very-cheap-but-not-arthouse-type-independent.
I wouldn’t comfortably call Bubba-Ho-Tep “B,” really. I’m not sure anything made since ~1980 can be. The goals are different.
Cheap teen comedies, maybe.
I’m tempted to say that Mystery Men wasn’t a comedy, but the most realistic film about superheros ever made, which happens to be a funny topic, but I’d only be 4/5ths serious.
I shovel. I shovel better than anyone.
I wouldn’t comfortably call Bubba-Ho-Tep “B,” really. I’m not sure anything made since ~1980 can be. The goals are different.
Roger Corman is still producing films, Gary. The B-picture lives on.
“Roger Corman is still producing films, Gary. ”
Okay, fair point. It’s still a different environment, though. Notice that, as I said, most of his films are now direct-to-video. Don’t you love his titles? Someone should do a Roger Corman Title Generator. “Termination Firefight”; “Moving Thunder”; “Club Avenger.”
The more interesting films are Grade Z, anyway. Ah, Ed Wood, where is your modern day heir? Where is the modern “Hercules In New York”?
Incidentally, notice this entry in RC’s IMDB page under his acting jobs?
“I shovel well.” Yeah, that’s a hysterical line.
I enjoyed Six String Samurai enough I picked it up on DVD. If you make it past the whiny kid in the first 15 minutes or so, its pure gold. Buddy Lee is one cool dude.
Synopsis: In the late 1950’s, the Russians nuked and then took over much of America. The only people left after decades of war and radiation are remnants of the Red Army, mutants, and a few drifters. Elvis rules what’s rest of Free America from his throne at Las Vegas, until his death, which occurs sometime just before the movie starts. The sets the scene for our hero, Buddy Lee, who looks like a tougher version of Buddy Holly, wears a 50’s era suit, and expertly wields a vintage six string hollow body guitar and a katana. His ambition is to make his way to Vegas and assume the role of King. Dozens of pretenders try to stop him, not to mention Death Himself, who looks like a faceless version of GnR’s Slash.
So at this point, you’re either repulsed, or nodding your head, intrigued. If you’re in the former camp, stay far, far away. The rumor is that it was shot for $30k cash and a platinum card, so I’m thinking that plus subject matter would qualify it for a B grade movie.