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Day of the Stranger (2019, UK) Review

Day of the Stranger (2019, UK) Review

I’m going to be honest here; I don’t really know what happened in this movie. I mean I think I do, but I’m not entirely sure. So, apologies in advance to the filmmakers who obviously put so much work into this psychedelic (often referred to as “acid” or what I’ve dubbed “twistern”) western filmed primarily in Wales. A bounty hunter is hired to collect a…demon gunslinger? Story points are integrated into the plot just as they are in most movies, other than the great Godfrey Reggio’s experimental eye candy, sure. But do they add to the proceedings or just further confuse the world that’s been created?

“Better the Devil you know.”

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Verotika versus Rabid ’77

Ladies and gentlemen, in this corner we have the classic 1977 David Cronenberg film, Rabid. In the opposite corner, we have the Glenn Danzig opus, Verotika. Is one a better film than the other? Will the cult classic crush the newcomer or will the Master Misfit cut new horror film ground based on his comic book kingdom?

If you’re like me, your interest in anything Danzig related was piqued the moment it was announced he was working on a movie. Unfortunately, the promise faded with ever passing time…

“Pray it doesn’t happen to you.”

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The Bouncer (aka Lukas) (2018, France / Belgium) Review

The Bouncer (aka Lukas) (2018, France / Belgium) Review

You know ’em, you love ’em; Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, Chuck Norris, Jackie Chan…all beloved martial arts action stars. Discovered in the 80s, all of them have had interesting and varied careers, with plenty of highs and lows. There have been the duds and there have been shining moments of celluloid (and silver screen) magic. If you’re a fan of cult classics, these names ring a special bell, one with a resounding gong. It’s interesting to note that they’ve all displayed their serious sides as well as their comedic chops…

“You do everything they tell you, eh? You’re their little doggie!”

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Endgame (1983, Italy)

Endgame (1983) Theatrical PosterLet’s get right to it; is this movie the final installment of The Bronx Warriors trilogy that includes 1990: The Bronx Warriors and Escape from the Bronx, or not? The short answer in my opinion is no, it most definitely is not. It bears no resemblance, nor any connection to the previous films that I could detect; though it is supposedly set in New York, I don’t recall any reference to it in the dialogue.

“For an ENDGAME champion in the year 2025, there’s only one way to live. Dangerously.”

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Dead 7 (2016, USA)

Dead 7 (2016) Promotional Poster“Larger than Life!”

Wow, if there ever was a less promising tagline for a zombie Twistern, I can’t recall it. Hopefully, whoever came up with it will work on expanding their creative writing skills. BTW, I know that’s a reference to a Backstreet Boys song, but still. How do I know? Well, I didn’t; I looked it up and I’m choosing to take the word of the Interwebz. It’s right 100% of the time, isn’t it?

“Everybody’s gotta die someday…”

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America 3000 (1986, USA)

America 3000 (1986)

Let me just preface this article with the acknowledgement that I loved this movie way out of proportion to what it probably deserves. If you’ve seen it or do so in the near future, it’s a tossup as to whether or not you’ll feel the same way about it that I do. You might gag and roll around on the floor foaming at the mouth miming, “My eyes, my eyes!” But seriously, have you seen it yet?

Another movie that’s so good at being bad that it surpasses all expectations, America 3000 is the work of writer-director David Engelbach. You’ll join me if that name doesn’t ring a bell, as this movie was his single directorial credit.

“An outrageous post-nuke adventure!”

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Vicious Lips (1986, USA)

Never having seen Vicious Lips (also known as Pleasure Planet) when it was first released back in 1986, this is one of those cult movies that has been on my list for a very long time but I’ve never gotten around to seeing. Because it’s a little harder to get and they never seem to replay it on cable, I’d actually forgotten about it. So when it popped up on Comet, I DVR’d it like nobody’s business.

“Beneath a blood-red moon, the dream, electric. The planet, futuristic. The nightmare, animalistic.”

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Turbo Kid (2015, Canada / New Zealand)

Is Turbo Kid really a B-movie? Can a film be considered that grade if it’s an intentional and very aware homage? Or must it be classified something else? Ah, but it does the homage thing so very, very well…literally to a level that it exceeds the films that inspired it. What’s additionally amazing is that the makers of Turbo Kid are clearly aware of what they’re doing…

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