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Quantum Leap: A Portrait for Troian - February 7, 1971 (1989)
Still scared of lakes...
Quantum Leap came on at 10pm where I lived, and my bedtime was 10, so I had to sneak watching it most of the time.
So I was alone, trying to keep the volume down, and sitting in the dark, and at 12 years old ai was watching this episode based in part on a particularly creepy concept shown in Night Gallery, of a painting reflecting a dead person coming for the living. The painting is still one of the most creepy ideas I"ve seen, no jump scares, just gothic horror.
I'd heard of frozen drowning victims being preserved in the freezing waters, but this illustrates the idea too well, so to this day the idea of lake waters frighten me, and even knowing what happens, I find this episode especially frightening, and memorable.
The Beniker Gang (1984)
Covers some material people ignore about unwanted kids
I saw this movie a few times in the 1980s as a child and teen, and it always stuck with me. I think as a kid who didn't really have much family, and that I did not being the best for a child, and now estranged as an adult, I felt a lot of empathy with the characters, and wanted them to be together since they had found 'family' and didn't want to be parted.
This movie shows, not tells, a lot of the issues with the sad fact some kids are just not wanted, some have no relatives after mom and dad die, and some are terrified of strangers taking them against their will to foster or adopt. Kids who've faced more adversity than many adults at such young ages cannot be dismissed from the decision making process about their futures. 'I've lived in more homes than anyone here, seems I have more experience than anyone.' (Paraphrased)
There is no single or perfect solution to kids without homes or families who love them and can care for them, so maybe letting them learn to care for each other is not so crazy, when one is a legal adult graduated out of the system, and able to support them all.
I think this movie is made with a lot of heart, the kids are believable, and so are, sadly, the nosey and controlling adults in the town in which they take refuge after their orphanage escape.
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978)
Spoof to be sure, but satire is here, as well
This is panned by many, which is not surprising given today's emphasis on budget and star power to legitimize a movie. 70s, 80s, and some 90s films were still made outside of a mold, and you could make a movie just for silly laughs, without a studio formula.
What I found interesting were the social commentary gags, like how the scientists are inept, the government is inept, reporters interviewing disaster victims are callous, and maybe it's today's climate that makes the lead villain so appropriate and prophetic, but I laughed put loud at many of the actual plot points. This movie has a feel similar to the Kentucky Fried Movie, with a backdrop of a Godzilla/Blob setting.
I think perhaps having a wider consumption of written and visual works helps make this movie enjoyable. If a viewer lacks a history of seeing enough previous material, they won't be able to follow the jokes or see how clever some of this very silly film actually is.
And let's be honest... a lot of 1970s fare was simply background noise for couples at a drive in. This kind of film was the Netflix and chill of its day.
Kolskaya sverhglubokaya (2020)
Good Russian horror with Peter from Deadpool 2 and a Double Dare reference
As prolific horror/scifi fans, we watched this with no prior knowledge about it because the premise was straightforward and worth a try. Having seen Nightwatch, Daywatch, and Coma, we knew what to expect from a Russian production, and overall I found this enjoyable and worth recommending and rewatching at some point.
Of course, without spoilers, you can't have a movie like this without references to The Thing, or Alien, but in this case, even if the movie triggered memories of other films, it's done well. Anyone who's a John Carpenter fan will hear the telltale bass thrumming, and be prepared emotionally for what is coming.
The actors did well, the directing was pretty good and visually effective, and the practical effects were not marred by the rather seamless use of digital when used. The sets LOOK like I'd expect in a survival horror scenario, and look more Resident Evil than, well, the sets in Resident Evil. No one is cut and dry, black and white, and characters step outside stereotypes without it being jarring. The female lead is able to stand her ground and be relevant without diminishing the male characters. Imagine that.
Spoilers.
Overall, it's obvious the filmmakers watched all the good movies of the 1980s. We noticed references to The Thing, Alien/Aliens, Leviathan, the 1988 remake of The Blob, small notes of The Terminator, and a character named Peter who looks like Peter from Deadpool 2. Of course there are moments that feel like a survival horror video game like Dead Space and the aforementioned Resident Evils, Parasite Eve, but damn, I'd play this game (actually want to watch my husband play, I freak out in games like this).
There was one scene where the much sought after elevator key is still stuck in the Leviathan-styled-Hot Pocket-Cronenberged-Peter's body (hand?) and I had a flashback to the Nickelodeon game show, Double Dare, where you had to reach through slime and gunk to grab flags to win the game.
I don't understand the en vogue desire to write bad reviews for a good movie. This movie is pretty good, I hope to see more from the director. Totally not bad at all for his first feature length film.