DSL's Movie/TV Reviews and Discussion

[Dr. Strangelove]

Well I WAS hoping that at some point Billy Jack would yell: “Amy…NOW!!” and a midget in an ape costume would jump out and use a diamond-powered laser to vivisect numerous bikers, all while a volcano erupts and Joe Don Baker watches on tv while screaming “I want those goddamn diamonds!” over and over again.

[Mike]

I just assumed it was a documentary about the Michigan State Spartans.

[froot loops]

Actually the story behind Russell being on the set was a little more interesting. The main reason she was cast so Laughlin could raise more money and secure a distributor. It's been a long time since I saw the movie, I thought MST3K did a show on the movie but I couldn't find a record of it. Read the link for a little more backstory, Laughlin risked a ruptured appendix trying to stay on set for Russell.

It was kind of like the precursor to Mad Max. Biker gang flick make on a shoestring budget that made a shit ton of money.

[WingsFan]

Jack Starrett went on to play almost the exact same part as the bad guy Deputy in First Blood in the first Rambo movie.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Actually the story behind Russell being on the set was a little more interesting. The main reason she was cast so Laughlin could raise more money and secure a distributor. It's been a long time since I saw the movie, I thought MST3K did a show on the movie but I couldn't find a record of it. Read the link for a little more backstory, Laughlin risked a ruptured appendix trying to stay on set for Russell.

It was kind of like the precursor to Mad Max. Biker gang flick make on a shoestring budget that made a shit ton of money.

Interesting. MST3K did a number of low-budget biker movies but not this one. Unless they did it in one of the recent reboot seasons. I suspect Laughlin wouldn't have allowed it.

[CGVT]

Well I WAS hoping that at some point Billy Jack would yell: “Amy…NOW!!” and a midget in an ape costume would jump out and use a diamond-powered laser to vivisect numerous bikers, all while a volcano erupts and Joe Don Baker watches on tv while screaming “I want those goddamn diamonds!” over and over again.

Even that would not have made this movie worth watching.

I saw it on late night TV a few months ago, (probably saw it at the theatre when it first came out)

It is really bad.

[WingsFan]

I can't think of any biker movies that I like besides Born Losers, ( Sons of Anarchy TV Show I liked)

Only short scenes of them getting their ass kicked is about it. The other night a movie called Chrome and Hot Leather came across the guide with (real badass) young William Smith, I could only take about 10 minutes of it basically to see him. Marvin Gaye is also in, it but I didn't watch long enough to see his part.



chrome_and_hot_leather_poster_01.jpg .jpg

[Dr. Strangelove]

I finally broke down, got drunk, and watched She-Hulk. All of it.

It's not funny and the CGI is really sub-par. It starts badly and ends badly. The middle portion, during which the over-arching "story" was largely forgotten, was sort of okay. The 4th Wall stuff falls flat a lot. But I didn't actively hate it. It's funny that Disney's Star Wars programming seems to have re-found its footing at the same time the Marvel shows are getting increasingly irrelevant and skippable.

[iam416]

Disney has sort of trashed LucasFilm — certainly Indy 5 seems set to continue you that. And they’ve managed to trash the “print money” MCU. It’s pretty amazing.

[Dr. Strangelove]

There was a point 2016-2018 where it seemed like Marvel couldn't fail. I know not everyone here probably liked them all, maybe none of them, but they went on a really good run those three years.

Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Dr Strange (2016)
Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2017)
Spider-Man Homecoming (2017)
Thor Ragnarok (2017)
Black Panther (2018)
Avengers Infinity War (2018)

Some of these movies had some individual style too. The stuff post-Endgame has all looked the same and has the feel of something produced by a Committee. For about half a movie Shang-Chi looked like it might be a fun little low-stakes martial arts flick with lots of practical stunts, but eventually the CGI animals and bullshit show up and that quickly ends.

[iam416]

The Critical Drinker has a nice video on the MCU Phase 4 and why it's pretty much a total failure -- or, as both he and you put it, the movies used to be an event you can't miss now you basically don't give a fuck. Though he mentions the woke stuff as problematic, he chalks it up to good ol' fashioned incompetence and complete lack of an overarching vision that, e.g., the MCU movies you cited had and that culiminated with the wildly successful Endgame.

But, whatever. They probably need a reboot and, you know, perhaps a refocus on quality in the form of entertaining the actual people who might watch the films. That said, The Drinker rates MCU a paragon of competence compared to DCEU. But, whatever.

**Hey -- he just posted on a video on Disney and their "collapse" -- that's probably harsh, but they've definitely opted for content over quality (IMO).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rZVvSohF-Q

[Hannibal]

I literally fell asleep during Black Panther.

[Hannibal]

DSL -- an unironically good movie you probably have never seen -- if you're in the mood for reviewing old obscure stuff.

Superfuzz -- Superman meets Police Academy meets The 1970s

[Dr. Strangelove]

The Critical Drinker has a nice video on the MCU Phase 4 and why it's pretty much a total failure -- or, as both he and you put it, the movies used to be an event you can't miss now you basically don't give a fuck. Though he mentions the woke stuff as problematic, he chalks it up to good ol' fashioned incompetence and complete lack of an overarching vision that, e.g., the MCU movies you cited had and that culiminated with the wildly successful Endgame.

But, whatever. They probably need a reboot and, you know, perhaps a refocus on quality in the form of entertaining the actual people who might watch the films. That said, The Drinker rates MCU a paragon of competence compared to DCEU. But, whatever.

**Hey -- he just posted on a video on Disney and their "collapse" -- that's probably harsh, but they've definitely opted for content over quality (IMO).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rZVvSohF-Q

Definitely content over quality. Disney+ forced them to become a content mill though they were already heading that direction. I think they made a smart choice to release their shows in a weekly format and not immediately bingeable else they'd be under even more pressure.

Just sitting here thinking about it and this same problem has always plagued comics themselves. Every time there's a spike in popularity, they inevitably oversaturate the market.

[AlabamAlum]

DC’s “Black Adam” was on HBO the other day as I was flipping channels. Watched some R rated soap opera called “The White Lotus” instead (and it was much better than B.A.