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Showing posts with label numbered. Show all posts
Showing posts with label numbered. Show all posts

Sunday, October 12, 2025

5,300th Post Special!!!: Deafula (1975)

In this Movie, nobody can hear...well, anything.
Is that ableist or just wordplay?

This is Deafula, a 1975 Film that is pretty much what you'd guess.  
A deaf guy is a Vampire, calls himself 'Deafula' and kills people.

There's more artsy BS- this is really a Film for Bob in many ways- but that is the summary I'm going with.

This one is both famous and also super-rare.  It was saved on Archive.org, but I couldn't find it there.
My options were a very low-quality YT version or a slightly-less low-quality version elsewhere.

Peter Weschberg/Wolf did something interesting here as a Director, making a Film that has a deaf Cast, but has a Dubbed Audio Track for those of us not fluent in ASL.

I only reliably know the one phrase...and that's because it is also 'Wakanda Forever.'

To find out if this is a rare gem or not, read on...

As noted, the Film was shot and acted entirely in ASL.

Even if the print quality at this point wasn't 'squinting across the room without my glasses' at most times, I'd still be lost.

Thankfully, Signscope was made...which is just a Dubbed Audio Track.
This is all about a guy named Peter.

He has a tragic past and an issue with blood.
You see, he sometimes loses control- even as a kid, we learn- and transforms into Deafula!

To be clear, he calls himself this.
My guess is that it was to 'take the fun out of calling him that' a la Fat Amy.
Other jokes to make that don't involve him being Deaf though.
Throughout the Film, we get this out of context Scenes of the titular Character killing people.

They are the most interesting parts, even if they are filler.

In other words, they are like adding bits of jalapeno pepper to your meatloaf.
Does my breath smell like spicy meatloaf?
He eventually learns about his past in full detail from his Dad (who immediately dies) and then meets this lady that looks like the one from the Insidious Films.

You know her name- I don't need to say it.
He's apparently the son of Dracula and his Mom, but was raised by the Priest.  He got monthly blood donations from his Dad to keep him normal, but they eventually stopped working.

We learn earlier from a pair of Cops that Dracula is dead, so it is a bit confusing when he then goes to see Dracula alive (as much as he ever is).
He stakes Dracula- which kills that lady for some reason- and he fully becomes a Priest.

The suspicious Cop- who seems to have inspired the Lead from Disco Elysium- sets a trap however after finding proof that Peter is a Vampire.

His Cop buddy doesn't believe it...until Peter decides to confess...inside the Church to nobody.
The Film ends with a big old monologue from our Lead, who is talking to God.
Again- the Cops are outside and don't seem to be here for this at all.

He eventually commits a form of suicide- touching Dracula's evil ring to a crucifix- to die and escape his torment.

I just hope Deafula wasn't Catholic.
The End.
A Film with some great ideas, interesting visuals...and no Budget.

As you saw earlier, Peter becoming Deafula means a big old, silly fake nose.  It just takes the drama out of it.

Speaking of that, he 'kills' one biker by telling him to drive off of a Cliff.  That means driving for a good two minutes straight, stopping near a cliff and then slowly going over it...off-camera.

This Scene really gives you a good view of how this Film both works and doesn't.

Also, there's a guy who 'lost' his hands...and is clearly just hiding them in soup cans on the end of his wrist.  That didn't help matters.

When it works, Deafula is an interesting Film about loss of control and occasionally interesting Vampire Scenes.
When it doesn't, it is long, droning monologues which are dubbed in by mostly-competent Voice Actors.

If there was a good print of this around, it would also help.

Hey, don't look at me like that- I'm just being honest!

A Film that is mostly more than its gimmick.  Too bad the Budget was like $400, so they dragged every Dialog Scene out for eternity.

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Wednesday, May 7, 2025

5,200nd Post Celebration: The Time That 'Smallville' Had TWO Superman Actors Together

 Another number achieved and something special to cover.

I thought long and hard about this one, considering a number of ideas.
Then I remembered my recent purchase of Smallville's 2nd Season.

Oh right- that Episodes to cover.

Clark has dreams of exploring this cave full of strange writing.

It was the main Plot this Season, setting up the answers of his past.
His dreams are a distraction.

You see, this High School Student (yeah, sure) has to put together his Family Tree.
I wonder if this Plot will parallel the other one.

Thanks for blocking my shot, Extra.
He's drawn to a 'key' (a metal piece) that will reveal the truth.

The last time someone did that, they got shot into space with Ryan Reynolds (albeit briefly).

This time- he's zapped with knowledge right though the, well, everything.
There's a B-Plot with Lana and Chloe.

Even ignoring the whole NXIUM thing with the latter Actress, do you care if I skip it?

I didn't think so.

Now why is the Restaurant made up like an Egyptian tomb?!?
After Chloe writes a story about the strange marking on their barn (burned in by a mind-influenced Clark), a mysterious man invites him to meet him.

He promises to share truth with him.
Dr. Virgil Swann (named after legendary Writer Curt Swann) is played by Christopher Reeve.

He would make one more appearance in Season 3, which I'll likely cover later.

Besides Fan Service, what does he share?
He has the message sent with Clark's pod, telling him his real name and that of Krypton itself.

Swann just wants to help and he surely does.
This inspires Clark to work with his Dad to reactivate the pod.

The automated message tells him that he'll be 'a God' on this Planet and it is his job to rule it.

Clark rejects it and Dad agrees...but both are still nervous, setting up the rest of Season 2.
The End.
A really strong Episode by a really great Cameo at the end.

It's crazy to think just how long Reeve has been gone.  I still remember when we lost him.

Seeing him here is obviously not the same as if his life hadn't turned out the way it did.  That said, he didn't feel pity for himself, so I shouldn't either.

In a way, this appearance is stronger for how well he did.  He's obviously unable to move around, so he has to emote everything with his face and voice.

The man was a good Actor and this proved it.

The rest of the Episode is honestly still pretty good as well, with the usual melodrama, angst and B-Plot.  It's a rare one without a villain or a ticking clock.

The most you get is a Scientist being 'data blasted' into a coma by a space rock.  Have I mentioned that Comics (and Comic Book Shows) can be weird sometimes?

In closing, it was really great to revisit this one.  Plus, the DVD version didn't cut out the (not cheap, for a change) plug for his Foundation.  It is still running and helping out others in 2025.

An Episode that is arguably most famous for one Scene near the end.  Even so, it is a great Scene and, honestly, a pretty good Episode of TV otherwise.

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Wednesday, October 30, 2024

5,100th Post Celebration: Repo- The Genetic Opera

Well, it is another Milestone number.
What should I do for it?

How about something different- a Musical?  Maybe one that has a Cult following and was not a hit.

This is Repo- The Genetic Opera, a 2008 Film which doesn't tick many boxes for me personally.  

I don't *hate* Musicals, but the structure confounds me.  

I don't hate Darren Lynn Bousman or his work, but I'm not going to watch a Saw Film anytime soon.

Why not go outside of my comfort zone then?  Because it is just that, comfortable?
Well, too bad!  Let's check out this thing!

The Plot is all sorts of bonkers, involving a massive corporation skirting the law, buying their way into make crime legal and using human beings as tools that they can dispose when they see no worth in them.

Such a Science Fiction Plot!

Will I learn to love a bizarre, gory Musical?  Let's find out...

The Film takes place in a dystopian future where every place looks like the neon green streets of Gotham City from Batman Forever.

Everyone out there dresses like a combination of The Lost Boys or the cast of Cats.

GeneCo (who spent 10 seconds coming up with that name) makes a power play.  They buy their way to allow themselves to copyright/patent new organs and then repo them if payment isn't made.

Paul Sorvino is the Boss and has three kids (or more?) vying for the spot when he dies.

The Repo Men are allowed to catch you and cut out the organs.  These Repo Men are not be confused with the Leads from the 2010 Film Repo Men (which was somehow being written in 2007 based on a Novel from 2009?).

Nor should they be confused with Repo Man...or Repo Chick.

Our Lead- although we seem to have about 7- is Shilo.

Her Dad is a Doctor and she has to stay inside due to her rare blood disorder.

Like everyone, she sings about it.

Plot Twist- Dad is actually a Repo Man!

The Wife died while giving birth when he tried to cure her of her disorder and he was blackmailed by Sorvino into working for him.

I have to imagine this was fun for Mr. Head after dealing with all of the teenagers on Buffy for so long!

The Film also features an omniscient Narrator who talks directly to the Audience.

I think you're required by law to have one in a thing like this.

Confusingly, he also interacts with the Leads in a key way...so is he just Deadpool seeing through the structure of the Film itself?!?

The whole thing, of course, builds up to the titular Opera.

All of the Sub-Plots- killer Dad, evil Dad, sick girl, lady with holographic eyes- all come together in a bloody spectacle.

Curiously, almost nothing is actually resolved and many bad guys walk away, so this is either very nihilistic or they expected to make a bunch of Sequels.  

The End.

This one didn't do it for me, but I'm certainly not here to take this away from the fans.

The Film was hard to follow for me, with the heavy exposition mixed with Comic Book Panels, random people popping up, the singing and the Narrator.

They spent $8 million on this one and it didn't go into this part it seems.
It seems to have gone to all of the vinyl clothing and fake body parts for gore.

One thing is going to really decide how you feel about this- the Singing.  The performances vary.  I really liked Sorvino here- he nailed the role.  Others like Bill Moseley and Ogre aren't great.  I think it was a choice they made (as opposed to a lack of talent).

With all of the stop-start storytelling for Songs, it got hard to tell how much was really happening.  I joked on Twitter that I was waiting for the Plot to start about an hour in.

There is one, but many Plot Points overlap.  For instance, one lady dies from being poisoned and a different one was also being poisoned.  Getting both reveals in the Finale muddles things a bit, no?

All in all, I totally get why some people are *really* into this one.  I'm not here to tell you to hate it or anything.

For me, I just didn't really connect with the whole thing.  To be fair, the last Opera I watched was Dario Argento's.  Take us away, Dystopian Future Guy who looks like Present Day Vince McMahon.

A Film that absolutely has fans and I take nothing away from that.  I just never got 'hooked' by the whole thing.

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Thursday, April 18, 2024

5,000th Post Celebration!!!: Pulp Fiction (1994)

***A big number deserves a big Film to Review***

A Film that is very iconic.  A Film that won many Awards.  A Film that got a standing ovation at Cannes.

So why don't I like it?

This is Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino's 2nd Film and arguably his most successful one.  The Writer-Director went over to Europe, partook in the local delights (it rhymes with hugs) and filled a notebook (or seven) with story ideas.

After Reservoir Dogs did so well, he got more clout, more money and a big opportunity.  This one was going to be a make or break for him.

He's been making Film whenever he felt like for the last 30 years, so I guess it worked out.

To see why I'm not a fan, however, read on...

The Film is about Hitmen/Go-fors Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield going to retrieve an item for their Boss- Marsellus Wallace.

They take the time to discuss what hamburgers are called in France, the politics of foot massages and the Bible.

They shoot two of the men and...
We now follow a different Story.

How about a brief aside about this Boxer named Butch (Bruce Willis) who takes a bribe from Wallace.

We'll cut back to him later for an entire Story about him.

Just keep waiting for the rest of that first Story.
The most famous part of the Film involves Travolta and Wallace's Wife- Uma Thurman- hanging out at a '50s Diner and dancing.

The dance is iconic, but 24 pages of rambling Tarantino dialog are what you have to live through before it.
As part of the Willis Story, we get this completely random Flashback.

Christopher Walken appears as a guy who gives a watch to young Butch.  It was stored in a dark place that rhymes with 'his bass.'

This explains why the watch is important...but, it is still random AF.
Butch's Story involves him actually winning his fight (not shown) and running off with the money.

His exit is delayed and he ends up with Wallace in the Basement of a Pawn Shop.

It's famous...but, again, it is random AF.
We finally get to see the end of the story of Jules and Vincent after about 90 minutes or so.

We see a sudden death (another one), a small role for Harvey Keitel, Tarantino himself saying the 'N-word' 4x and they end up at the Diner from the beginning proper.
The Robbers we saw first are now back.  Yep, that part was happening later...or earlier.

Look- time is a relative thing, especially here.

The Film ends with a redemption arc for Jules, but we also already know that Vincent dies later, so...hurray?
Is this Film worthy of its reputation?
Most people say 'Yes.'

I get why.  If you view the Film segments on their own, they are mostly quite good.  Some of them are paced terribly- like the Travolta/Thurman Diner Scene- and others go in strange directions- the Butch/Wallace Story.

Like many 'greatest of all time Films,' most people don't actually watch the whole Film in one sitting.  That or if they did, it was 20+ years ago.
The reputation is reinforced over and over again until the actual Film doesn't matter.

I liked many parts of this.  
Jackson, for one, earned his Oscar nomination.  Travolta was good too.
The Finales of most of the Stories are memorable, whether it is for a good reason or a bad one.

In summary, I get why people love it.
For me, however, it is too long, it didn't need to be shown out of order and it has all of Tarantino's vices.

I'm not going to 'do the dance' here and tell you that I love it if I don't.

Next up, let's look at a classic John Carpenter Film.  Let me make up for lost time by watching it now.

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Tuesday, October 3, 2023

4,900th Post Special: Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Another plan that didn't come to fruition- getting this out before October.
It is still a celebration!

Reservoir Dogs is one of the biggest Movies that people think of when they think of the '90s.  

Well, that and Pulp Fiction, but I have reservations- no pun intended- about watching that for the first time in *does the Math* 26 years or so. (UPDATE from the Future- I have the Blu-Ray and it will happen)

How do you make a Heist Film without showing the Heist?
How do you make a Film without putting it in order?
How do you make a Film with no Black Leads, but lots of people saying the 'N-word?'

It is Tarantino- love it or hate it!

To see how this often-overshadowed Film plays out, read on...

A Cold Open gives us a long discussion between a bunch of guys in matching suits (well, save for Chris Penn) discuss such important things as Tipping Waitresses, the 'true' meaning of Like a Virgin and other filler.

Weird filler conversation, pedantic arguments and pop culture- is there a question about which one of the people in this shot Wrote this?

They create the Crime Film Cliche by walking out together and drawing all sorts of attention.

Even if this Heist goes well, it would be easy to identify them later, no?
We suddenly cut to two of the men- Mr. White and Mr. Pink- trying to figure out how everything went wrong.  Mr. Orange is bleeding out.

Things went poorly.
Well, we hear about the Heist.  We hear about a shooting.  We hear about the Cops.

We do- eventually- see how Mr. Orange was shot (no SPOILERS) and a brief bit with some Cops.

Mr. Blonde shows up with a surprise.
We get more flashbacks in random order.  
Most of them aren't better shown this way, but whatever.

We eventually get the Scene that chased off Rick Baker and Wes Craven at Cannes.  It also ruined one song for a generation.

We finally get to see who the Cop is via a prolonged flashback and then the end comes.

For once, no SPOILER there either.  If you haven't seen it and want to, go for it.
A good Film for the most part and worthy of lots of praise.

Let's be clear- if you don't like Tarantino Films, this won't convert you.  
You get the usual- lots of swearing, lots of overlapping dialog, the n-word, lots of blood and lots of violence.  
Also, Tarantino himself monologues and is the worst Actor there.

Still here?  Good.

I think the 'let's deconstruct the Genre' approach works better here than most of his later stuff, if I'm being honest.  As someone who logged way too many hours in Payday 2 (yes, even the RD content), the Genre can be overdone.

I don't mind missing out on the Heist. 
I don't mind the sudden jump cut to 'what the hell happened?!?' and all that.

That said, Pacing is all over the place and giving us all of the story content later is mostly kind of pointless.  
Obviously the one section with the reveal of the Cop is key, so there is an exception.

It is as good as people say. 
Is it better?  Meh, that depends on you.

Now, is it or me, or do you sometimes feel like someone is watching you?

NOW let's begin October properly!  Let the Horror begin!

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Saturday, March 4, 2023

4,800th Post: Daredevil- the 2004 Director's Cut

 At long last, a 20-year-old Film is redeemed.  Well, mostly.

2003's Daredevil was not received well, failing in comparison to the then-recent Spider-Man Film.  Even today, he has to Guest-Star in the latest Spider-Man Film- the same one that brought back Tobey Maguire to boot.

In 2004, the Writer-Director - Mark Steven Johnson- was allowed to put his Director's Cut out on DVD.  I heard that it vastly improved the Film.

In 2023, I finally got around to watching it.  Was it a real improvement?
Let's find out...

As a refresher, Daredevil is Matt Murdock.

He fights crime to avenge the honor of his father, who was killed for not throwing a fight.

When the chemicals blinded him, they gave him heightened senses, including the ability to 'see' the world via a sonic radar.
Since I'm covering a Cut that's just under 30 minutes longer, it's not really a full review, so let's bring this Segment back...

Should You Bother?

The main thing cut from the Theatrical Version- supposedly at the last minute- is a Subplot involving a man- Coolio! - accused of murder.

He was found passed out at the Scene but says that he is innocent.
Matt and Foggy investigate the Scene of the crime- which isn't watched by the Cops?- and he finds a written clue that will come in handy later.
Mixed in with the main Plot, a Cop testifies to Coolio's guilt and he's...also telling the truth?

Yes, Matt's lie detector- he hears your heartbeat- says that both are telling the truth.

How can that be?
In a curious change, a key Scene plays out VERY differently in this Cut.

In the Theatrical Cut, Matt goes to leave Elektra to stop a mugging, with one happening a few Scenes back.  She gets him to stay, and they spend the night together.

In the Director's Cut, he goes to leave Elektra to stop a mugging...and actually does.  He has to apologize for it later, which was obviously cut from the Theatrical Version.
We get 2 Court Room Scenes- including a brief comedy reprieve between the death of Mr. Nachios and the Funeral- and Matt finally confronts the Cop.

As it turns out, he has a pacemaker, which fooled Matt's senses.
Journalist Benn Urich- who was working the case- helps out our Heroes and gets the evidence from the Cop.

They get Coolio off at the end and he also gives the Police the lead they need to get Fisk.

You see, Fisk's Assistant was the actual culprit of said Murder and they flipped him.

So, in summary, they give you THE ENTIRE STORY and it all makes sense.  Who'd have guessed?
Verdict: Yes.  
It fills in the gaps of the Story nicely, without feeling too slow with the new content.

Apparently, this Cut is the most common one people see around.  So, in a way, this Cut seems to have won out in the end.

If you, like me, only remember the Theatrical Cut- I actually saw it in Theaters-, check this out!

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