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The Beast That Killed Women, a review by Danae Cassandra

The Beast That Killed Women
Year of Release: 1965
Directed By: Barry Mahon
Starring: Miami Beach's Most Lovely Nudists
Genre: Horror, Sexploitation

Overview:
Poor Delores Carlos. Unable to get an even tan, she and hubby Byron Mabe scurry off to a Miami nudist camp at precisely the same moment the camp is invaded by THE BEAST THAT KILLED WOMEN, a goofy-looking gorilla with an appetite for the ladies! Murder and panic quickly spread through the camp: "She said he was big and hairy!" Worse, the hardened police even march right through a game of nude volleyball with a corpse on a stretcher! Finally, after Miss Carlos is chased by the big monkey, a pretty policewoman volunteers to enter the camp as ape bait...

My Thoughts:
I'm not sure I've seen a sillier film than this - even Sting of Death, with its "do the jellyfish" dance.  Also, this may be the worst film I've ever seen that also remains fun and enjoyable.  Admittedly, it's of the so-bad-it's-hilarious type of fun, and it simply begs for some MST3K work.  There's not much plot, there's no acting or production value, even the monster, being simply the director in a dime-store gorilla suit, isn't well done.  Really the entire film is there to watch mostly naked, attractive women walk around outdoors or do things like play volleyball, swim, or square dance.  Mostly naked, because they are never shown full frontal, and - even though this is a nudist camp - most of the men wear shorts the entire time, and a lot of the time everyone is clothed.  So it's just a lot of boobs and butts - but though they're naked, it's treated so casually that there's not really any titillation.  I guess it's actually like a real nudist camp in that respect, except that all of the women are attractive.  Despite there being a monster, and a woman that gets killed, there isn't any horror to this film either.   So, recommended for aficionados of bad films, or anyone who wants to look at attractive girls from the 60's topless.  Otherwise, this is a terrible film and you should skip it.

Bechdel Test: Pass

Overall: 1.5/5

(From Danae's 2013 Horror Marathon on October 17th, 2013)

The Town , a review by Dragonfire

The Town

I'm going to start off by saying I'm very much aware of how much some people dislike Ben Affleck and think he is a horrible, talentless actor.  While I do agree that he's made some ...questionable movie choices, I don't think he is that horrible of an actor.  He did make a lot of movies in a short time and then his personal life went crazy and he was tabloid fodder while involved in Jennifer Lopez.  That didn't help what people thought of him either.  But he has changed.  After he and Lopez broke up, he's managed to pretty much avoid the tabloids.  He has been more selective with his projects and he's turned up in some good acting.  He was really good in Hollywoodland, a more understated role.  He also directed an amazing movie in Gone Baby Gone, a movie I still think is one of the best of 2007.  I know people were skeptical about him directing, but as far as I'm concerned, he showed real talent with that movie.  With his new movie, The Town, he shows it wasn't just a fluke.  He's a very talented director and if he keeps making movies like these two, he'll win an Oscar for directing some day.  The Town is definitely one of the best movies of the year and it deserves to be seen.

The story, focused on a group of bank robbers living in Charlestown, a neighborhood of Boston, isn't the most original, but it is still highly entertaining.  It is handled really well to make an engaging and complex movie.  Doug and his crew rob armored cars and banks without leaving behind any evidence for the police and FBI.  James, or Gem as he's sometimes called, is more violent and unpredictable, which is why they end up taking a hostage at one point.  Things get more complicated when Doug begins a relationship with Claire and then decides that he wants out.

While some of what happens in the movie is predictable, there are several surprises that keep things from being predictable overall.  Several things happen that I didn't expect.  Those unexpected things work very well for what is going on.  A few of the robberies that Doug and his crew pull off are shown.  The first one is shown at the very beginning of the movie.  The way they pull off the robbery is a bit different and helps to keep things interesting.  The men wear masks that completely cover their faces.  One time they wear skeleton masks and later they wear really creepy looking nun masks.  There is something really freaky looking about those nun masks. 

The action scenes are very well done and include one of the more impressive car chases that I've seen in a while.  There are fights and shootings as well and people do get hurt.  A few characters do get rather brutal at times, though there really isn't tons of violence in the movie.  It just happens every so often in spurts.

The main characters are criminals.  They, especially Doug, are complex and interesting and they manage to be likable at times.  James is harder to like, but I did start feeling compassion for him at one point.  The motivations for those characters is believable.  Ben Affleck does a really good job with Doug.  I think he's more talented than he's been given credit for.  He also is one of the screenwriters for the movie.  Jeremy Renner also does a really good job as James.  Those two really have the most to do and their characters have a complicated relationship.  All the acting is really well done.  Blake Lively turns up in a few scenes as James's druggie sister.  It isn't a ...pretty part, but she is really good in it. 

The Town is a wonderfully well done crime thriller that definitely deserves to be seen.  I think this one really makes it clear that Affleck has talent.

 

I did get a review posted on Epinions.

The Town 

By the way, anyone who hasn't seen Gone Baby Gone yet really should watch it.  It isn't a happy or even pleasant movie to watch, but it is very well done.

(From The Town on September 23rd, 2010)

Pete's Pilots, a review by addicted2dvd

The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
The world's favorite western/sci-fi/comedy/action cult hit rides again! Here on 8 discs is the complete series about Brisco (Bruce Campbell), a tough-as-rawhide cowpoke, debonair ladies' man and Harvard-educated smarty-britches who roams from Frisco to Jalisco in pursuit of outlaws who killed his father...and in search of a mysterious orb possessing out-of-this world powers. Hot lead and cool anachronisms await Brisco as he and his sidekicks - including Comet, the intellectual equine who doesn't know he's a horse - fight for justice in the way, way, way-out West. Put your boots in your stirrups, your tongue in your cheek and join the fun. Let's play cowboys and aliens.

Pilot
When U.S. Marshal Brisco County, Sr. is murdered by John Bly and his gang of outlaws, the robber barons of San Francisco's Westerfield Club hire Brisco County, Jr. as a bounty hunter to round them up. Brisco meets a lot of interesting people along the way, including rival bounty hunter Lord Bowler, and the Westerfield Club's stuffy lawyer, Socrates Poole. He also learns of a mysterious object which John Bly would do anything to possess, for the supernatural power it can give him.

My Thoughts:
This looks to be a fun series. Not exactly a straight forward Western. It adds both Comedy and Sci-Fi to the mix. This show has a couple familiar faces. Other then Bruce Campbell in the title role... it has Billy Drago (Charmed - Demon of Fear) and John Astin (Addams Family - Gomez). This is a show that I bought blind... but now look forward to checking out.

My Rating:

(From Pete's Pilots on October 27th, 2009)