Week of Saturday, March 10 through Friday March 16, 2007

Saturday, March 10, 2007
Gnosis - The Secret of Solomon's Temple Revealed

Wow, is this movie a rip off. I was hoping for some kind of philosophical/mystic kabbalah sort of thing. Instead, the dialogue is basically an essay on Quantum Science's similarity to alchemy. The video behind the dialogue is some guy (speaker, I assume, although it's never said) wandering around. looking at stuff, superimposed with religious images. Utterly pointless.

Thirty minutes in (halfway), no secrets yet.

Well, now we're talking about the Temple and The Templars, but it's all unsupported statements and generalizations. No substance and no new ideas. Then, suddenly, he just makes the claim that Solomon's Temple never existed, but is a metaphor. Fifty minutes in, he states that there's no historical or archaeological evidence of Solomon at all, let alone the temple. Which really puts the lie to the title. The whole thing is just a rehash of old gnostic ideas of self-enlightenment.



Sunday, March 11, 2007
Andre the Butcher - 2005

A comedy horror with Ron Jeremy as Andre.(I'm almost ashamed to admit that I recognized him before he even took his mask off, so I recognized him from his chin.)

Normally, I don't like comedy horror, as it's usually neither, but this was pretty f'in funny, and plenty sick. I like the guy torn in half who never dies and begs everyone who stumbles across him in the middle of a field to kill him.

There is a commentary (but no subtitles) with Philip Cruz (writer/director), James Hyde (Producer/co-writer), April Billingsley (played Jasmine), and April Rene (stunt boobs. Yeah, you read that right, stunt boobs. Ya gotta love it!)

Once again, they are pretending that stuff in the movie is real. Recorded at one of the actor's home, so you can hear others talking in the background - irratating.

Only other extra is 1 deleted scene that's VERY funny, and I would have left it in.

Renter.

Monday, March 12, 2007
Recon 2020 - 2004 aka Power Corps.

Halo meets Mad Max meets Terminator. An attempt of a rescue by the worst soldiers EVER! No flanking, no maneuvering, just like in old WWII movies, they just keep running straight into the fire.

Actually, after all is said and done, it's not too shabby, considering how ambitious it is. I mean, low budget sci-fi is HARD. If the soldiers had been better, this might have rocked.

Commentary (but no subs) features Christian Viel (writer/director). Talks about how this started life as a TV pilot in Canada, and then Maverick picks it up and has them flesh it out. There's a little technical talk, nice bit about moving around to take advantage of natural light. Shot in 13 days.

Pretty impressive, except the author obviously doesn't know anything about tactics. Renter.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Perversion Story - 1969 aka One On TOp of The Other

A Fulci film!!! And it features John Ireland! This movie was made 10 years before Zombi. And it has some nice boobies. Been far too long. And there's subtitles, so that makes me happy.

Yeah, I know. I don't normally do giallo, but the title intrigued me. And I'm glad I did, as this was clever, and held my attention to the end. My only complaint is that there's really no perversion. At least none that I consider perverted. Of course, that might be part of the problem. :->. Definitely a renter.

Savage Sinema From Down Under Box Set (the works of Mark Savage)
Disc 1
Marauders - 1986

Hard to tell what this was shot on. Has the look and feel of a PBS show (like Overdrawn at the Memory Bank) except TONS more violent. This is a LOT like Last House on the Left. Except one of the bad guy's hair was done by Flock of Seagulls.

Commentary (but no subs) features Mark Savage (director), Richard Wolstencroft, and Colin Savage. Actually shot on video. It's a fair commentary, at least it's isn't just self-congratulatory or "where are they now". Nice talking about how this was lead up to, and then lead to other things.

Other extras includes a Making Of - 4 Friends in Low Budget Heaven) - in many ways, better than the commentary. An extensive collection of interviews with cast and crew.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Savage Sinema From Down Under Box Set (the works of Mark Savage)
Disc 2
Sensitive New-Age Killer - 2000

This was excellent. Funny and sexy. This is what independent video is all about. Lots of gunplay and a racey, kinda 70's soundtrack. And the endings kick butt.

A much better movie than Marauders. I mean, this guy has obviously learned a LOT in 14 years.

Commentary (but no subs) with Mark Savage and David Richardson. Shot on Super 16mm. Looks amazingly good for that. Not nearly as grainy as, say, Evil Dead. A 24 day shoot. Even the commentary was better.

Other extra is SNAK - A post Mortem. More cast and crew interviews. Ask more interesting questions of the cast, so its pretty interesting.

Thursday, March 15, 2007
Savage Sinema From Down Under Box Set (the works of Mark Savage)
Disc 3
Defenceless, A Blood Symphony - 2004

This is a pretty artsy movie, considering who's the director. I mean, there's no dialogue whatsoever. So it's very artsy, with flashes of gore and violence to disturb. This may be one of the most unique movies I've watched in a long time. To be truthful, I probably would have turned it off within fifteen minutes, if it wasn't for the occasional flashes of gore. An after than, I'm hooked.

Commentary (again, no subs, but then, nothing to do, since there's no dialogue) featured Mark Savage and Susanne Hausschmid (main actress). Took a long time to shoot, and 3 months to edit. Kind of a side project, obviously. But those who worked on it, did so as an act of love.

Only other extra was Inside Defenceless - interviews about all phases of making the movie. Very good, but a little long.

Rent this entire box set. (one more coming)

Friday, March 16, 2007
Sorry, no movie. Taking a vacation with the family. Not even a phone in the cabin. See ya next week!