B-Movie Gazette: BULLET TRAIN (2022) - A GREAT CARTOON DRESSED UP AS AN ACTION-ADVENTURE

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

Monday, November 14, 2022

BULLET TRAIN (2022) - A GREAT CARTOON DRESSED UP AS AN ACTION-ADVENTURE

When God was handing out that part of the brain that enjoys multiple plot twists, well, I just wasn't in line, ya dig? But even ole fashioned me found some fun and enjoyment in Bullet Train and therein lies the riddle as they say. The fact that there is no real train and all the exteriors make no bones about being CGI, this relegates it in my opinion to one big live-action cartoon. But it's a great cartoon and boy, talk about a movie that screams TV series, Bullet Train would be welcome aboard.

As you probably already know, Pitt is Ladybug (every character has one code name) and he's assigned to find a briefcase on a train and simply get it off the train but lands up running into an array of endless different characters he conflicts with. Everything links together in some way of course, if you're like me and want things simple, then I will say this without spoiling things - every character has been placed there on purpose by the character known as White Death who comes in near the end of the movie played by none other than Michael Shannon.

It's not one of Shannon's best and it certainly doesn't play to his strengths but it's the same with all the A-listers in this, it doesn't really matter. And I'm certainly not disgruntled with Pitt for doing this kind of flick, he looks great, is having fun and this is an actor who can play any kind of role, I know he'll be back with something far deeper and meaningful down the line. In the meantime, climb aboard the Bullet Train for some nice animated diversion. 2.5 stars/5