For those of you who may not be familiar, Letterboxd is a movie app where you can keep track of, rate, and review the movies you watch. I’ve gotten into the habit of writing short reviews immediately following a movie I’ve just watched, sometimes while the closing credits are still rolling. Anyway, after going back and re-reading some of these nuggets of ‘cinematic insight’, I thought it might be fun to share some of my favorites.

These films were found on Tubi, Amazon Prime, Netflix, the Criterion Channel, and my personal collection. The only editing I’ve done is to correct some bad/awkward grammar. Letterboxd uses a 5-star rating system, which I will be including.

So, without further ado, sit back and keep in mind, “Don’t be alarmed Ladies and Gentleman. Those chains are made of chrome steel!”

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Class of 1999 (1990) Starring Bradley Gregg, Traci Lind, Malcolm McDowell, Stacy Keach, Patrick Kilpatrick, Pam Grier, John P. Ryan. Directed by Mark L. Lester.

**1/2

Nice coming of age story, only with cyborgs. Would have rated it higher, but there weren’t enough explosions.

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The Fourth War (1990) Starring Roy Scheider, Jurgen Prochnow, Lara Harris, Harry Dean Stanton, Dale Dye, Tim Reid. Directed by John Frankenheimer,

**

Great cast, director, and an interesting idea that appears to have been edited with a hatchet. I felt like there was a lot missing that would have added to the hatred between our lead characters beyond the obvious ideological differences. Add to that an intrusive, and loud score, and you end up with a disappointingly empty film.

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The Terminator (1984) Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton, Lance Henriksen, Paul Winfield. Directed by James Cameron.

***1/2

First time seeing this since 1985. If there ever was an argument against AI, this is it.

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Necropolis (1986) Starring LeeAnne Baker, Michael Conti, Jacquie Fitz, George Anthony-Rayza. Directed by Bruce Hickey.

½*

A 300 year old blonde leather clad Goth witch, a cop played by a bargain basement Al Pacino impersonator, a reporter who can barely keep a straight face, a hugely inappropriate medical examiner as comic relief, hookers in tight leather skirts, a greasy pimp, a punk rocker with huge hair, jump cuts that snap your spin in two, devil worship, six breasts, how could this film possibly be so awful? Gosh I miss the 80s.

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Roadblock (1951) Starring Charles McGraw, Joan Dixon, Lowel Gilmore, Louis Jean Heydt, Milburn Stone. Directed by Harold Daniels.

**1/2

A no-nonsense film noir, with the always awesome Charles McGraw, that could have been better. Perhaps with Robert Wise or Richard Fleisher directing. Jon Peters (McGraw) is an insurance investigator who goes against his principles, and profession, to impress a dame. Never a good idea. Swell car chase at the end.

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King Kong vs. Godzilla (1963) Starring Michael Keith, Harry Holcombe, James Yagi, Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara. Directed by Ishiro Honda, Thomas Montgomery.

**1/2

I’d rate this film higher if it weren’t for the awful Hollywood inserts that offer nothing but useless exposition and something pretending to be science. The rest of the film is great fun. No thinking required, you know exactly what to expect, two monsters duking it out, smashing model buildings and stuff. How could you possibly be disappointed? I’m sure the original Japanese version is way better.

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Rebel Moon-Part One: A Child of Fire (2023) Starring Sofia Boutella, Michiel Huisman, Ed Skrein, Djimon Hounsou, Bae Doona. Directed by Zack Snyder.

*1/2

Everyone, the production people, grips, production assistants, lighting, art department, visual effects, cast, all showed up, did what was asked of them and nothing more. Result? A mediocre, forgettable mashing of the Seven Samurai and Star Wars. Geez.

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I Wouldn’t Be in Your Shoes. (1948) Starring Don Castle, Elyse Knox, Regis Toomey, Charles D. Brown. Directed by William Nigh.

***

Swell little B-picture from Monogram Pictures. Unfortunately, you can figure out who the guilty person is long before you’re supposed to, and it ain’t the guy throwin’ shoes at cats. Still, a fun watch.

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The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961) Starring Janet Munro, Leo McKern, Edward Judd, Michael Goodliffe, Bernard Braden, Reginald Beckwith. Directed by Val Guest.

****

At first this film reminded me of On the Beach, only more cynical. But The Day the Earth Caught Fire becomes more chaotic, maintaining the cynical tone and adding sci-fi elements. Thoughtful, a cautionary tale from the 60s era Cold War era, and every bit as good as other serious nuclear threat films of the era. I even felt a little bit of Threads in the narrative. Very possibly because the story is told from a civilian perspective rather than military or political. A very good, intelligent film.

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Dead End Drive-In (1986) Starring Ned Manning, Natalie McCurry, Peter Whitford, Wilbur Wilde, Dave Gibson. Directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith.

***1/2

Society is falling apart, and everyone accepts the consequences, except for one man.

A completely original look at global collapse from the perspective of a drive-in theatre/internment camp. Did I say this was completely original?

I fine introduction to Ozploitation Cinema.

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1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982) Starring Vic Morrow, Christopher Connelly, Fred Williamson, Mark Gregory, Stefania Girolami, Ennio Girolami. Directed by Enzo G. Castellari.

**1/2 

Trash (Mark Gregory) takes out the garbage.

The Bronx is lawless. Inhabited by gangs of bikers, roller derby teams, chorus boys, cavemen, cocktail party guests and ruled by a pimp named the Ogre (Fred Williamson).

Trash must get to the Ogre, so he can rescue his girl before a leather clad NYPD get to her first. None of this makes much sense, and that’s what’s so entertaining about this picture. Everything just ‘is’ for no real reason other than it looks, well, interesting. The film takes itself very seriously.

Best line: Trash, I feel safe with you.

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Escape from the Bronx (1983) Starring Mark Gregory, Henry Silva, Valaria D’Odici, Giancarlo Prete, Paolo Malco, Ennio Girolami, Antonio Sabato. Directed by Enzo G. Castellari.

**1/2 

Thursday is Trash Day.

Trash (Mark Gregory) is once again trying to stop the Really Big Corporations efforts to clean up the Bronx for rezoning. With very little plot and a Colt revolver, Trash kills a lot of silver guys, and generally leaves The a bigger mess than before. Well done my friend, well done.

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The New Barbarians (1983) Starring Giancarlo Prete, Fred Williamson, George Eastman, Anna Kanakis, Ennio Girolami, Venantino Venantini, Massimo Vanni. Directed by Enzo G. Castellari.

**

The post-apocalypse is a dangerous place. Made more dangerous by the inhabitants making poor life choices and overall bad decisions. Henchmen are continually unaware of their surroundings and pay for it with their lives, often in the most humiliating fashion. Things are compounded by the savior of humanity having no real reflexes other than slow motion.

Thank goodness for Fred Williamson, the only character with a full range of emotions.

I didn’t find this as interesting as 1990: The Bronx Warriors or Escape from the Bronx, but the guys in white blowing up was nice.

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Night of the Comet (1984) Starring Catherine Mary Stewart, Robert Beltran, Kelli Maroney, Sharon Farrell, Mary Woronov, Geoffrey Lewis. Directed by Thom Eberhardt.

***

Totally original, at times annoying, at times brilliant and insightful. The 1980s just as I remember them. Night of the Comet in a nutshell.

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42nd Street (1933) Starring Warner Baxter, Bebe Daniels, George Brent, Ruby Keeler, Guy Kibbee, Una Merkel, Ginger Rogers, Ned Sparks, Dick Powell, Allen Jenkins. Directed by Lloyd Bacon.

****

Musical theater is a tough racket, the director is perpetually on the verge of a nervous breakdown, you rehearse until you pass out, mugs and floosies are everywhere, you can’t get booked in Atlantic City, so you settle for Philadelphia. Might as well shuffle off to Buffalo. That’s the avenue I’m takin” you to, 42nd Street!

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Escape from New York (1981) Starring Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes, Season Hubley, Harry Dean Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau, Tom Atkins. Directed by John Carpenter.

***1/2

I thought Snake Plissken was dead, so it came as a pleasant surprise to see him in this picture. Entertaining film that feels like it started out as a graphic novel, but no, Escape from New York is completely original. Perfect movie marathon film to go along side The Road Warrior and Blade Runner. Donald Pleasence is a hoot.