Mr. Pulse
Joined Oct 1999
Welcome to the new profile
Our updates are still in development. While the previous version of the profile is no longer accessible, we're actively working on improvements, and some of the missing features will be returning soon! Stay tuned for their return. In the meantime, the Ratings Analysis is still available on our iOS and Android apps, found on the profile page. To view your Rating Distribution(s) by Year and Genre, please refer to our new Help guide.
Badges5
To learn how to earn badges, go to the badges help page.
Reviews116
Mr. Pulse's rating
I'm a big fan of naked women, but even I don't need this much
nudity. THE MONSTER OF CAMP SUNSHINE takes place in a
nudist camp and, almost exclusively, involves nudists (who we are
informed in a pre-credits card, are not monsters) who are
terrorized by a dopey guy who has drank some nasty lake water
and turned into a threatening dopey guy.
Most of MONSTER is very dull, directed without any sense of
pacing or style. Obviously, people at a drive-in in 1964 didn't care
about that, they were excited to see the nudists. They certainly get
what they paid for, with lots and lots of women disrobing and
strolling around the idyllic Camp Sunshine. This was probably a
gas at some point, but now it's very tame, and eventually one gets
tired of it. Too much of a good thing takes all the fun out of it.
There are some highlights for bad movie fans. A unknowing
nurse is pushed out of an office window...by some crazed killer
mice. They even go so far to have guys throwing mice at the poor
woman from off camera. Then, after the monstrous Hugo has
fallen under the spell of that contaminated water (it also got to
those mice), MONSTER looses all semblance of reality and
becomes a bizarre montage of naked bodies, and stock footage of
various armies and military explosions. There's so much of it, you
might think that the editor accidentally forgot what movie he was
cutting. Then, when the craziness dies down (and there certainly
is a lot of it), the nudists get back to doing what they do best. This
includes the one of them who just lost a brother, and another who
is a doctor (He takes off his white jacket to reveal nothing
underneath).
MONSTER OF CAMP SUNSHINE is a very bad movie, but it rarely
offers the sort of z-grade thrills you'd hope to see in something of
this caliber. If you fast forward a whole lot, you might be able to
enjoy it.
nudity. THE MONSTER OF CAMP SUNSHINE takes place in a
nudist camp and, almost exclusively, involves nudists (who we are
informed in a pre-credits card, are not monsters) who are
terrorized by a dopey guy who has drank some nasty lake water
and turned into a threatening dopey guy.
Most of MONSTER is very dull, directed without any sense of
pacing or style. Obviously, people at a drive-in in 1964 didn't care
about that, they were excited to see the nudists. They certainly get
what they paid for, with lots and lots of women disrobing and
strolling around the idyllic Camp Sunshine. This was probably a
gas at some point, but now it's very tame, and eventually one gets
tired of it. Too much of a good thing takes all the fun out of it.
There are some highlights for bad movie fans. A unknowing
nurse is pushed out of an office window...by some crazed killer
mice. They even go so far to have guys throwing mice at the poor
woman from off camera. Then, after the monstrous Hugo has
fallen under the spell of that contaminated water (it also got to
those mice), MONSTER looses all semblance of reality and
becomes a bizarre montage of naked bodies, and stock footage of
various armies and military explosions. There's so much of it, you
might think that the editor accidentally forgot what movie he was
cutting. Then, when the craziness dies down (and there certainly
is a lot of it), the nudists get back to doing what they do best. This
includes the one of them who just lost a brother, and another who
is a doctor (He takes off his white jacket to reveal nothing
underneath).
MONSTER OF CAMP SUNSHINE is a very bad movie, but it rarely
offers the sort of z-grade thrills you'd hope to see in something of
this caliber. If you fast forward a whole lot, you might be able to
enjoy it.
It would impossible for Psycho II to live up to the original, but the cast and crew give it their best shot. The film is actually pretty competent throughout, though the silly finale ruins what is otherwise an interesting and suspenseful (if totally unnecessary) sequel.
After a pre-credits reprise of the shower scene (Done for no reason other than to start the movie off with an easy scare), Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) is released from the mental hospital after more than 20 years of psychiatric treatment. He's deemed "sane" and allowed to return to his home and motel, despite the protests of Lila Loomis (Vera Miles). Bates gets a good job at a diner nearby, but things immediately start going sour. The interim motel manager is a sleaze (played with greasy gusto by Dennis Franz), and when Bates fires him, he begins to taunt and harass the "psycho." Norman also takes a shining to co-worker Mary (Meg Tilly), but almost as soon as he begins to get comfortable in his new life, notes and phone calls from his long-dead mother start appearing and Norman starts to go just a little mad. Then the murders start all over again, of course, since this is a sequel to a slasher film.
For a while, the movie works. Perkins' Bates is still a likeable oddball despite the ending of the first film. While his performance closes in on camp during some of the more "intense" sequences, the quiet scenes of Bates are still powerful. And Miles' Lila is an interesting extension of a character who was ostensibly a plot device of the first film. There's even a plot twist (revealed in the middle of the film, not at the conclusion) worthy of a Hitchcock thriller. As Bates cracks up, and Mother starts to return, director Richard Franklin creates some fine suspense sequences, playfully returning to certain sequences and images from the first film (A girl takes a shower, someone peeps through a hole in a wall, jump cutting on a victim's scream). Eerie music, and careful editing make for some enjoyable tense sequences; for a while, I was impressed. Psycho II isn't as unnerving or scary as the original, but it's a fun thriller.
As the film ramps up towards what looks to be a juicy climax, it sadly falls apart. The body count starts to rise in unwise ways. Since this film was made in the splatterfest decade that was the 80s, the violence is a lot bloodier than the first film. However, Psycho II becomes less disturbing as more gore is shown because the effects, mostly rubber knives sticking out people's faces and backs, are profoundly bad. And instead of obeying Hitchcock's rule that there be a reasonable explanation for everything, the filmmakers settle for a finale that is completely absurd. In a matter of minutes, the film descends from tight thriller to wacky groaner.
Psycho II initially defied my low expectations; sadly, I was proven right in the end. No sequel could ever match up to Psycho, and in trying to do so, the creators here throw in so many twists and so much gore that they do far too much for their own good, veering off the path to success down the road of cheap horror cliche. It's an interesting film to see for its successes and failures, but it's not one I can recommend.
After a pre-credits reprise of the shower scene (Done for no reason other than to start the movie off with an easy scare), Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) is released from the mental hospital after more than 20 years of psychiatric treatment. He's deemed "sane" and allowed to return to his home and motel, despite the protests of Lila Loomis (Vera Miles). Bates gets a good job at a diner nearby, but things immediately start going sour. The interim motel manager is a sleaze (played with greasy gusto by Dennis Franz), and when Bates fires him, he begins to taunt and harass the "psycho." Norman also takes a shining to co-worker Mary (Meg Tilly), but almost as soon as he begins to get comfortable in his new life, notes and phone calls from his long-dead mother start appearing and Norman starts to go just a little mad. Then the murders start all over again, of course, since this is a sequel to a slasher film.
For a while, the movie works. Perkins' Bates is still a likeable oddball despite the ending of the first film. While his performance closes in on camp during some of the more "intense" sequences, the quiet scenes of Bates are still powerful. And Miles' Lila is an interesting extension of a character who was ostensibly a plot device of the first film. There's even a plot twist (revealed in the middle of the film, not at the conclusion) worthy of a Hitchcock thriller. As Bates cracks up, and Mother starts to return, director Richard Franklin creates some fine suspense sequences, playfully returning to certain sequences and images from the first film (A girl takes a shower, someone peeps through a hole in a wall, jump cutting on a victim's scream). Eerie music, and careful editing make for some enjoyable tense sequences; for a while, I was impressed. Psycho II isn't as unnerving or scary as the original, but it's a fun thriller.
As the film ramps up towards what looks to be a juicy climax, it sadly falls apart. The body count starts to rise in unwise ways. Since this film was made in the splatterfest decade that was the 80s, the violence is a lot bloodier than the first film. However, Psycho II becomes less disturbing as more gore is shown because the effects, mostly rubber knives sticking out people's faces and backs, are profoundly bad. And instead of obeying Hitchcock's rule that there be a reasonable explanation for everything, the filmmakers settle for a finale that is completely absurd. In a matter of minutes, the film descends from tight thriller to wacky groaner.
Psycho II initially defied my low expectations; sadly, I was proven right in the end. No sequel could ever match up to Psycho, and in trying to do so, the creators here throw in so many twists and so much gore that they do far too much for their own good, veering off the path to success down the road of cheap horror cliche. It's an interesting film to see for its successes and failures, but it's not one I can recommend.
It's not easy being Neutron, let me tell you. American wrestlers, they get off light. All they have to do is wrestle. Mexican wrestlers, on the hand, are called upon by their society to act as masked peacekeepers against the forces of evil. Such is the life of Neutron, who is the hero of our film, a mediocre entry in the Mexican wrestler genre.
An important scientist is working on a brand new type of bomb, confusingly called a neutron bomb (No, it doesn't have any connection to Neutron the wrestler). He's killed by a duplicitous lab assistant and the police later discover the formula for the bomb is actually broken into several small pieces which must be recovered to protect the world from the evil Doctor Curante (Julio Alemán). Luckily for the free world, the scientist's son is best buddies with Neutron, so he starts to investigate the case. We're also fortunate that the police seem content to have a son of a murdered man and his wrestler friend assisting in the investigation.
The only treat this movie has to offer is the character of Doctor Curante, an inspiringly silly villain. Wearing a white shirt and pants combo, white gloves and a bandage mask similar to Darkman's, he strikes an uncomfortable image, especially when the script calls for him to trudge down long hallways barking orders to his midget sidekick. It's unclear exactly what he's a doctor of; he does little to suggest any medical knowledge, though he's especially good at insulting his minions and denigrating the heroes. He acts more like a bad guidance counselor than a doctor. Foolishly, the filmmakers banish Curante to limited scene time and focus on the less interesting supporting cast.
There's little else to recommend in Neutron and the Black Mask, including the title; Neutron IS the guy wearing the Black Mask, so it's redundant. The fight scenes aren't as exciting as some of the Santos movies, and while the production values aren't bad, they are squandered on a meandering plot and weak characters. I told you it's tough being a Mexican wrestler; even your movies stink!
An important scientist is working on a brand new type of bomb, confusingly called a neutron bomb (No, it doesn't have any connection to Neutron the wrestler). He's killed by a duplicitous lab assistant and the police later discover the formula for the bomb is actually broken into several small pieces which must be recovered to protect the world from the evil Doctor Curante (Julio Alemán). Luckily for the free world, the scientist's son is best buddies with Neutron, so he starts to investigate the case. We're also fortunate that the police seem content to have a son of a murdered man and his wrestler friend assisting in the investigation.
The only treat this movie has to offer is the character of Doctor Curante, an inspiringly silly villain. Wearing a white shirt and pants combo, white gloves and a bandage mask similar to Darkman's, he strikes an uncomfortable image, especially when the script calls for him to trudge down long hallways barking orders to his midget sidekick. It's unclear exactly what he's a doctor of; he does little to suggest any medical knowledge, though he's especially good at insulting his minions and denigrating the heroes. He acts more like a bad guidance counselor than a doctor. Foolishly, the filmmakers banish Curante to limited scene time and focus on the less interesting supporting cast.
There's little else to recommend in Neutron and the Black Mask, including the title; Neutron IS the guy wearing the Black Mask, so it's redundant. The fight scenes aren't as exciting as some of the Santos movies, and while the production values aren't bad, they are squandered on a meandering plot and weak characters. I told you it's tough being a Mexican wrestler; even your movies stink!