HORROR REPOST WEEK - PETER FONDA AND WARREN OATES GO ON A MOTORHOME OUTING WITH THEIR GIRLFRIENDS ONLY TO WIND UP IN A "RACE WITH THE DEVIL" (1975)

 

Peter Fonda and Warren Oates play a couple of motorcycle-loving pals who take their two girlfriends (Loretta Swit of Mash fame and Lara Parker from Save The Tiger) on a vacation in their 1975 state of the art motorhome. On their first night camping out the two boys witness a satanic cult across the river conducting a ritual where a young woman is murdered. Their cover is accidently blown and the chase is on between the cult leaders and the motorhome party. Every time the young couples escape the cult's horrific grasp and actions, the cult just keeps coming back with more vengeance. 

This drive-in gem had a lot of great talent attached to it. The lead actresses were perfectly cast and as a foursome the lot may be one of my favorite in horror movies. On the other side of the camera, Wes Bishop, a cinematic talent never given enough credit writes and produces here. The pace of the film once the chase is on does not let up till credits roll. Truly a drive-in horror 70's masterpiece, Race With The Devil is available on all the major outlets.  2.75 stars/2.75

JOHN TRAVOLTA IS "THE FANATIC" (2019) AS WE KICK OFF THE OCTOBER ALL HORROR ISSUE, PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS INCLUDED

Welcome to the October all horror issue. Ok, so this one is a bit of a cheat It is pretty horrific though what lands up happening to our main character. This film hits heavy from the get-go and then goes quickly over-the-top in many ways (including ole John boys performance) to mostly bad but some good effects. 

I can certainly understand this bombing big time at the box office but it's really not bad. The use of suspense by rapper/director Fred Durst should be mentioned here, this is a very watchable thriller. And btw, personally I don't believe in Raspberry Awards - who would want to give out awards for the worst of anything is just beyond me. 

As far as ole John boy is concerned, I think it's an admirable performance of a troubled autistic man.  Definitely overzealous at times and he's done much better but not deserved of some of the stuff I read. Between his gutsy performance and Durst's third time behind the camera, I say this is not a bad thriller.

You can opine this, that or otherwise regarding John Travolta, "the credit really belongs to the one that's actually in the arena." Remember this line (it's from World's Fastest Indian) because I have a feeling I'll be using it again when I eventually review Megalopolis.  

Streaming now on Tubi, Roku & Plex.   3.0 stars/5 

KRIS KRISTOFFERSON PASSES AT 88 - A TRIBUTE TO A FILM HE MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN, "A STAR IS BORN" (1976)

 

Country music legend and iconic actor Kris Kristofferson has passed at 88. I just recently wrote about his very first film Cisko Pike (1972) and almost meeting him as a teen. 

It was actually about two years after this came out, another one I saw in the theaters first-run, I would have been about 14. I'll tell you this much about A Star Is Born - when it came out it was a lot more well received than the reputation garnered thru the decades. I'll never forget being in Palm Springs circa 2000 and seeing a book called 50 Worst Films Ever Made in the store and to my astonishment seeing this listed in the table of contents. 

Kris was the perfect choice here as the excessive rock n roller and he was Barbra Streisand's first choice always. Yes, there was some discussion about Elvis Presley doing it but the King's health at that point was too far gone; he wouldn't have been able to handle the shoot and the shoot wouldn't have been able to handle him. 

Below are the three great musical numbers Kris leads including one slightly ahead of it's time as all the band members wear masks on "Hellacious Acres," penned by Paul Williams. I believe Crippled Crow is Kris' song but don't quote me on that.

To a very special talent, you will be sorely missed, enjoy the ride. 

A Star Is Born is available VOD on Amazon or Apple.  3.0 stars/5   

PREVIEW OCTOBER "HORROR" ISSUE w/ THREE REPOSTS RIGHT OFF THE BAT AND THREE HINTS FOR B-MOVIE OF THE MONTH

 

Greetings All - That time of the year is upon us once again; this time I almost feel late to the party. I mean, I've seen Halloween decorations up in first week of September in some places, right? Well, B-Movie Gazette gets into the spirit starting right now and all month we'll be featuring nothing but horror posts. 

Oh yeah! To set the mood, here's three cool flicks right off the bat  3 hints for next month's B-movie of the month are 1) it's a horror anthology 2) it's not a Stephen King 3) it will give you it's title

THE PERFECT HOST (2010) comedy horror 3.0 stars/5 on Max only or VOD. 

LEAVING TUBI IN 5 DAYS, "THE SUPER" (2017) w/ VAL KILMER 2.75 stars/5

AND HERE'S A B-MOVIE RARITY YOU CAN WATCH RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW

RODDY MCDOWELL IN "IT!" (1967)

COUP DE CHANCE (2023) - WOODY ALLEN'S 50th MAY BE HIS FIRST IN FRENCH BUT IS ANOTHER MISFIRE IN A SERIES OF THEM

Man, I had high hopes for this one, nothing would have made me happier to report this was all the things the professional critics said and more. But you know this ole Taurus boy doesn't pull any punches and respectfully (since I'm a huge Allen fan) this romantic crime drama follows the pattern of missteps beginning with Rainy Day In New York and then the pathetic Rifkin's Festival. 

This is maybe a clip better but comparisons to Matchpoint that I read in a lot of reviews in my opinion, way off. The story does follow a similar plotline, but this film is nowhere near as engaging as Matchpoint. These French actors are good but just don't have the charisma and chops of stars like Scarlett Johannson and Johnaton Rhys Meyers. 

Since the movie is basically another rehash of familiar Allen tropes and brings nothing new to that table, I found myself asking if it's even necessary to be in French. And it just goes downhill from there. The only good news I have on this one, folks, is, you can watch it for free and make your own mind up. It's on Tubi right now. I never thought I'd say this but perhaps it's time for Woody to hang up the hat, he can join his buddy Clint Eastwood, sip lemonade on the front porch and all that.    1.75 stars/5

Lol, Woody's at it again.

WOODY'S WORST OF THE WORST (Tommy's list)

RIFKIN'S FESTIVAL

A RAINY DAY IN NEW YORK

YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER

HOLLYWOOD ENDING

CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION (I really hate this one)

ALICE

ANOTHER WOMAN

SEPTEMBER

&

A MIDNIGHT SUMMER'S SEX COMEDY

LARENZ TATE, CHRIS TUCKER & BOKEEM WOODBINE PULL OFF AN ARMORED CAR ROBBERY AFTER RETURNING FROM THE VIETNAM WAR IN "DEAD PRESIDENTS" (1995)

Anthony (Larenz Tate) has returned home from the Vietnam War with a Seargent's rank but very little else to show for it. Except now he also has a 4-year-old child and wife to try and support. And his good bud (Chris Tucker) is now a heroin addict, another pal he fought alongside Cleon (Bokeem Woodbine) a whacked-out two-bit preacher. They all need money and come together to rob an armored car.

Beautifully structured in a three-act format the film is also very loosely based on several real news stories which I won't get into here. It borders on being a character study film with Tate's character Anthony at the center of everything, however, I think it's better described as a powerful drama about a group of buddies who grew up in the hood, got shipped off to Vietnam, and came back to virtually no support. Unless, of course, you got a dose of Agent Orange. 

The legendary Keith David is also in this, he plays Kirby, a sort of mentor and father figure to Anthony. And look out, Clifton Powell as "Cutty" the neighborhood badass in a scene where he straightens Anthony out on a few things is acting at it's finest. All eyes on Tate though, he totally owns this film and role. I like to think I don't throw these opinions out lightly - Larenz Tate's performance in this is Oscar worthy 100%.

The soundtrack was a huge success, eveni going to #1 on the R&B Billboard. It's chock full of good ole stuff - James Brown, Sly & The Fanily Stone, Issac Hayes and so on. Dead Presidents streams on Tubi for the next 19 days, it's a great film from the Hughes Brothers.    4.0 stars/5

ANDREW MCCARTHY, GOATEE INCLUDED, HAS THE MOB'S MONEY IN MARK L LESTER'S "NIGHT OF THE RUNNING MAN" (1995)

 

Adapted from a novel, this mid-90's crime thriller by Mark L Lester has some teeth and then some. McCarthy plays a cabbie who finds a bunch of loot and foolishly decides to run from the mob. Nothing new here plot-wise, right, but put it in the hands of Mark L Lester and he's going to make something cool out of it. 

Even though Scott Glenn is top billed, this is really an Andrew McCarthy flick as I see it, he's the protagonist and in most scenes. Lester's never really been an actor's director and all of the performances here are in line with his other films, just adequate. The emphasis is on the action and the kills. 

Lester always seems to come up with interestingly gory kills (Class Of 84 is full of them) and there's a scene here with my man John Glover, oh he's so good at playing those bad boys. In an effort to get the cabbie to tell where the money is hid - well let's just say you'll never look at a spaghetti pot the same way again.

After an HBO debut in January 1995, Running Man went straight-to-video. It was Lester's first film with his own company calling all the shots. An effective thriller worth at least one watch and fortunately for us has Lester's creative stamp all over it. 

Streams on Tubi & Roku.  2.75 stars/2.75

Mark L Lester