B-Movie Gazette: TOMMY'S 11th ANNUAL PICK-FIVE GREAT SUMMER MOVIES #4 - HELEN HUNT WRITES, DIRECTS AND STARS IN "RIDE" (2014)

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

Thursday, June 9, 2022

TOMMY'S 11th ANNUAL PICK-FIVE GREAT SUMMER MOVIES #4 - HELEN HUNT WRITES, DIRECTS AND STARS IN "RIDE" (2014) - AND SHE SURFS!

Making it's debut on the list, a choice that may surprise but I really dig Helen Hunt's second film behind the camera. Looking as great as she still does with surfing scenes and even smoking weed? What's not to like!

A simple comedy-drama, she plays a over-protective mom who follows her son out to California and learns how to surf while trying to figure out a mend for their relationship. At the same time she hangs out with her towncar driver (David Zayas who totally shines here) and falls for her surfing instructor (Luke Wilson, Owen's brother, also really good.)

Hunt's scenes first learning how to surf and fall off the board are quite funny. Even though we already know the moral lesson that both mom and son will learn in the end, it's a lotta fun getting there and love the LA and NY locations. Streams free on Tubi, Vudu, YT and others, give it a shot. 3.0 stars/5