B-MOVIE OF THE MONTH - WITHOUT WARNING (1980)

Greetings All - It would be cool to do a post one time called the ten most essential B-flicks, sort of a B-Movie 101 thing. If that ever happened I would have to include this sci-fi horror classic from Graydon Clark (Black Shampoo, Satan's Cheerleaders.) This one's a don't pass go and don't collect $200 folks, just see it, Or watch it again. I'm not even going to begin to explain the plot except you have these flying disc things that attach themselves to people, in this case campers on an outing and kill and feed on them. Eventually these discs are tied to an alien, a hungry alien. A forerunner to 1987's Predator sort to speak and with a flat-out goofy cast. Jack Palance and Martin Landau, say what? And looking drugged out I might add but the real surprise here is veteran character actor Larry Storch, from the '60's, a guy who knew 150 dialects and here he is in this as a boy scout leader lol. Also known as It Came Without Warning, this gem is streaming free now only on Plex. 2.75 stars/2.75

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

TOMMY'S 11th ANNUAL PICK-FIVE GREAT SUMMER MOVIES #2 - LIAM JAMES IS AN AWKWARD TEEN HANGING OUT AT SAM ROCKWELL'S WATER PARK IN "THE WAY WAY BACK" (2013)

 

A gentle easy-going coming-of-age story from the producers of Little Miss Sunshine. Liam James is a misguided teen who doesn't care for his mom's egomaniacal boyfriend (Steve Carrell in an underrated performance, one of my favorites.) Forced to spend the summer in Cape Cod our protagonist finds solace by working at a local water park run by none other than Sam Rockwell. As the summer plays out he advances at the park and finds real friendship in Rockwell and finds love with a next door neighbor's teen daughter (Annasophia Robb) while trying to deal with various dramas in his dysfunctional family. 

Toni Collette is fantastic as usual, she plays the mom and as you would expect with the above-the-line names here the entire cast is superb. Rockwell can do any genre but I've always felt his comedic side (demonstrated so well in his breakout performance in Box Of Moonlight) still remains a little untapped and unmined, he can be a real natural comic. The Water Wizz park location is the main backdrop for everything and it's nice they film so much of it there. Can't say enough about this one plus suitable for the whole darn family....bring your own dysfunction.   3.25 stars/5


The incredible Allison Janney plays the next door neighbor who's recently fallen off the wagon.

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B-MOVIE GAZETTE RATING SYSTEM

5 Stars - Only awarded to the precious few.
4 Stars - Excellent, see by all means.
3 Stars - Very Good, you should like.
2 Stars - Fair, like a frozen dinner.
1 Star - Poor, like a spoiled dinner.

ALL B-MOVIES, DRIVE-IN MOVIES AND TV MOVIES HAVE A MAX AWARD OF 2.75 STARS.