NinetyForChill: The #Podcast - Resident Evil: Welcome to Subtle Paul W.S. Anderson

NinetyForChill.com: The #Podcast

Episode 63: Resident Evil: Welcome to Subtle Paul W.S. Anderson (Adaptation vs. Action).

Resident Evil: Welcome to Subtle Paul W.S. Anderson

April 12, 2022

Cool Movies Darth addresses Sony's most important feature of Winter 2021, "Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City". You may dispute this claim, but "Spider-Man: No Way Home" was really a Disney movie. Reimagining narrative video games and creating an action-packed, minimal scare versions of Universal Picture's horror icons has been Sony's bread and butter since 2002. After 20 years of this, it is time to start repainting their established IP.

Allow me to get out of third-person. Happy Prof. Shurtleff of Illinois Central College? I (CM Darth) will try not to make so much light of violent death in this summation. This is my declaration of changing perspective. 

From what I had gathered from YouTube channels, the general consensus is that this feature was a disappointment. Many "critics"/video game fans felt that most of the actors were miscast, primarily for not looking enough like the video game's characters. There were also complaints about how the feature decided to shove the first three video games into one feature. Then you have Leon S. Kennedy serving as comic relief which seemed blasphemous to the video game fans.

The first issue, I guess I can see, but we recently had Mark Walberg and Tom Holland portraying the leads of "Uncharted". As for shoving three games into one film, two of the games take place at the same time (2 and 3). As for Resi 1, is a haunted house movie going to impress anyone?

Talenthouse: Resident Evil Welcome To Raccoon City Poster (RED) by Andres Vega Mata

Leon being a klutz might insult fans of "Resident Evil 4", but some character in this film needs a hero's journey arc. Every other character being a bad ass works for a video game with little exposition, but everyone being the same in a film can be dull. If you do not have unique gimmicks for each character (Like "Street Fighter"), why would we care about any character's fate.

In the end, I am hoping for a sequel. This flick is competent enough and a nice change from the in your face 3D action that Paul W.S. Anderson's "Resident Evil" series overly relied on. "Welcome to Raccoon City" is a faithful game adaptation. How often do we get that?

Time has seemingly been hard to manage for me recently. As of this post, I have yet to watch a movie this month. I really wanted to return to Ally's Accessories Shop on Etsy's Trash Feature Revue with "Gothika", but living constantly exhausted is something I got to quit? Anyhow, there seems to be a loyal fanbase for the Halle Berry feature. Want to chat about it? Send an email to russthebus07@gmail.com.

NinetyForChill: The #Podcast - ”Blind Fury” with Gregory Carl

NinetyForChill.com: The #Podcast

Episode 62: "Blind Fury" with Gregory Carl (Blind Swordsman vs. A Texan with a Shotgun).

”Blind Fury” with Gregory Carl

April 4, 2022

Gregory Carl returns to NinetyForChill.com: The #Podcast to critique the movie that established the equation of Rutger Hauer + Action Gimmick = Low Brow Gold. 1989's "Blind Fury" was an early 90s' basic cable Cubs/Braves rain delay stand by. A blind sword-swinging Hauer vs. Randle "Tex" Cobb screams entertainment. Why would you want to see the Cubs be the Cubs when the game resumed?

Cool Movies Darth is a little more knowledgeable when it comes to the late great Dutch actor than his podcast's guest, so it maybe safe to presume that most casual American movie fans hold an underappreciation of this performer. That is not surprising since he might deliver the best accent work in all of cinema. Gregory did not think that Hauer was not an American for even a second.

Allow me to get out of third-person. Happy Prof. Shurtleff of Illinois Central College? I (CM Darth) will try not to make so much light of violent death in this summation. This is my declaration of changing perspective. 

In our discussion, Gregory and I determine if anyone predicted the impact of Hauer on Hollywood, it was our moms. Perhaps not Gregory's, but his significant other remembers watching this feature on WGN as a child. My mom loved him "Ladyhawke" (where she claims to have predicted Michelle Pfeiffer rise to fame [as she preferred "Grease 2"]) and more than likely considers "Nighthawks" to be a Christmas movie.

Hauer was such a reliable actor that you might not even notice him in all the great movies that he starred in. "Batman Begins", "Surviving the Game", and of course "Blade Runner" are some of his finest performances, but they are all in supporting roles. He did portray the leads in Sam Peckinpah's "The Osterman Weekend" and Paul Verhoeven's "Flesh+Blood", but they are pretty subtle performances. As an American version of "Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman", it is nice to see him thrive in over-the-top circumstances.

I will say that this film is not as over-the-top and even as good as 2011's "Hobo with a Shotgun", but that feature was more of a tribute to the legend and range of Hauer. That might make for a fun podcast. Any takers? Send an email to russthebus07@gmail.com.

90-Minute Netflix: 2047: Sights of Death (AKA Death Squad)

 

Posters with Armed Older Action Stars Best Be Expendables Knock Offs

I finished "Iron Fist" and, though I thought it was a fine martial arts series, I can only deal with so much Finn Jones (why is season five of "Game of Thrones" considered a weaker one?). Thus, with an hour and a half before the news cycle, "Defenders" was not an option. Tennis had screwed up ESPN, so I was left at a loss for live TV.

It has been a tough few weeks existentially. I have been trying to move on from the I Hotel, but what will that gain me. Less headaches for one (as I just received the call that it was a good thing that I had not purchased Riot Fest tickets). Imagine an organization whose pay roll company can screw up a payday over a holiday weekend. After they failed to take my implication that I wanted to use up my vacation time on this slow week, make believing their incompetence takes less effort that what the cast of "2047: Sights of Death" put into their performances.

imdb.com/

That last comparison does not apply to Rutger Hauer and Michael Madsen's performances. They seem to revel in the stupidity. Hauer seemed like he had more fun in "Death Squad" than he had when he worked with Dario Argento. Madsen seemed to enjoy his time on set with the promise of vengeance for Bill's brother bud. Otherwise, "2047" is a semi-talented cast believing there would be special effects added in post.

By 2047, the Illuminati has used their influence to destroy any country that refused to join their confederation. Being free of restrictions and regulations, the new confederacy has let most of the world become a radioactive waste land. The only resistance that seems to be making a difference is "Green War" led by Sponge (Danny Glover) with his butt firmly glued to his chair surrounded by CRT monitors and ham radios. His top soldier is Captain Ryan (Stephen "Pardon the Spelling Error" Baldwin) who was recently shot down during a mission to destroy a downed satellite that contains records of their communications.

Determined to complete his mission, Ryan trudges through a contaminated quadrant to locate the satellite. On this death march, he finds companionship from the red-painted mute warrior girl, Tuag (no photo on IMDB), a radio, and a mountain of dead bodies which could bring down the Confederation. The findings inspires him to broadcast his position in hopes that someone on their side will extract him to safety and document his discoveries. The only response that means anything since Sponge is too old for this shit is from Colonel Asimov (Hauer) who is personally going to oversee a death squad with the assistance of mercenary and harsh fellatio critic Lobo (Madsen). Will Ryan survive Beyonce's descendants and radioactive hallucinations to save humanity? Since everyone seems to have bulletproof skulls, the density of Balwin's skull may just make him invincible.

"2047: Sights of Death" makes me long for Albert Pyun's films like "Cyborg" and "Adrenalin: Fear the Rush" to be recirculated on the streaming video rental stores. He set the standard for how to shoot a bad action flick with only one set. Pyun must have a carefree personality because his casts seemed to have fun filming. A payday for community theater, why would you not be happy with that arrangement? I suppose a language barrier might make one reconsider.

"2047" was directed by Allessandro Capone, an experienced Italian-director with a resume that does not seem as varied as Lucio Fulci, hence, he does not have the sense to take a budget on four former A-listers and the worst Baldwin and just go camp with it. As the film goes on and slows down time with nonsensical revelations, Capone relies on quick cuts to try and provide an illusion that action is occurring. This leaves us watching a poor 360-degree video, but there is a story, so we are compelled to stick around for a conclusion.

No 360-degree video has a conclusion is the lesson to take away from "2047: Sights of Death." Anyone stuck in this video cannot be taken seriously. Hopefully, Darryl Hannah learned this lesson. As for Baldwin, this may be the perfect purgatory for a Trump supporter.

 

 

NinetyForChill.com - The Podcast - Episode 14: Rocky and His Cinematic Liver Shots

 Films Researched for this Episode: Nighthawks (1981), Cobra (1986), Over the Top (1987), Judge Dredd (1995), and Escape Plan - The Extractors (2019).

NinetyForChill.com: The Podcast

Episode 14: Rocky and His Cinematic Liver Shots (Just Press Play)

Read more: https://html.com/media/#ixzz6jIeBsAn5

It does not seem like I could have made it as a wrestling promoter. I appreciate that people are inquiring about coming on the podcast, but none have committed to finalizing an appearance. My problem is, how do you be the right kind of pushy?

This is something that I need to figure out because Sylvester Stallone is no David Cronenberg or Stuart Gordon. There may be some weaker features in those two's filmography, but none feel like the gut punchess that are bad Sly films.

To his credit, Stallone has a greater deal of features that fit into the NinetyForChill.com parameters. He is very aware of what films he is doing for a paycheck, and which one he is trying to be an artist with. When it comes to the art, he is usually involved with the script or is helmming the feature. Of the movies I watched, "Cobra" was the only one which he penned, but it was produced by Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus. In other words, it is a Cannon feature and you need to listen to the Screen Drafts CANNON podcast to find the art they offered.

 

 

I will acknowledge that I did not get to binge as much as I intended. "Over the Top" may have been too much for me to handle. When I visited my dad yesterday (Three hours in a car after 13 days of working may have depleted my energy to rewatch "Judge Dredd".), the apology I offered him for taking us to see Nintendo's "The Wizard" was rescinded. He was no longer a martyr, but a hero. He did the right thing by taking the hit that was taking us to see theflick about bonding over 8-bit video games instead of introducing us to a "misguided" arm wrestling feature about coming together as a family.

My selling of this idea may have been off. A thanks was definitely deserved for putting up with "Super Mario Bros" and perhaps reiterated. When the week started with his birthday that I missed, he deserved so much more.

All of the Stallone films I watched with the exception of me closing the "Escape Plan" Universe are from the 1980's. When the 90's came along, action movies got bloated. This really makes me regret not rewatching "Judge Dredd". It was a comic book movie from the 90's that did not try to push the two-hour mark. All rarities are gems, right?

What we get this week is my visceral takes on the following Sylvester Stallone features:

• "Nighthawks" from 1981: This is Rutger Hauer's introduction to the podcast.
• "Cobra" from 1986: This was originally suppose to be "Beverly Hills Cop", and you can kind of tell, if you look pass the subtle fascism.
  
• "Over the Top" from 1987: Menahem Golan gets behind the camera to make you ponder the trauma of his childhood and how arm wrestling is suppose to fix it.
• "Escape Plan: The Extractors" from 2019: Stallone probably did it with an assurance that everyone would keep their voices' volume down to his level.

This is being typed up at the day job before I finalized the audio, so there may be an additional feature thrown in their. I am looking at "Judge Dredd" or the letter H addition to Ally's Accessories Shop on Etsy's Trash Feature Review.

I hope you enjoy this briefer episode. More importantly, I hope that you would like to become part of the podcast. If you want to "Be Our Guest" (Oh when Disney kept the cartoons brief.), send your theme, director or actor that you want to discuss to russthebus07@gmail.com. Just keep the movies between 74 and 99 minutes. Thanks.

 Fresh Batch of Memes Ready for Consumption (25 Images)

90-Min Rutger Hauer: "Surviving the Game" Before Newline Tried

*Blog posted started on April 17, 2020.

Four hours and 10 minutes left in the shift and I foolishly thought writing a movie review would get me through the rest of the day. Stimulus fever seemingly lasted for 48 hours. If you got they got their check, they cashed it out before the government knew it was gone. That had been the only story in the news, so I am back to needing to blog on and on and on.

I do have to thank the heroes at Netflix DVD.com warehouses. It is great to have the assurance that I will not pay an extra $2 to see a Rutger Hauer movie that has yet to be converted to HD.

Of course, people are surprised when they find out that I still have a DVD-rental subscription service. I may have just overblown the noble nature of this essential job. Are they having any issues social distancing in those distribution centers if 1 in 22,500 (population of Champaign divided by two) are requesting discs via mail?

I should not mock them when there are plenty of assholes who troll people just to say "Fuck you! Your wrong!" on Twitter and Facebook. They are just trying to survive, like Ice T in Ernest Dickerson's follow up to "Juice" (Please pardon that tacky transition.).

Surviving the Game - Why Can't F. Murray Abraham be Properly Billed?

Jack Mason has been down on his luck since his family died. He is homeless and both of his best friends have just joined his family. Wanting to take control of some aspect of his life, walking into an oncoming Peterbilt seemed to be a wise decision. Serendipitously, a volunteer at a food bank pushes him out of the way in time. This man wants to give Mason a reason to keep on living, so he directs him to Thomas Burn of Hell's Canyon Outfitters. Mason being able to survive the concrete jungle, surely he can be shaped into a hunting guide in the Pacific Northwest. At least, that is what Burns is selling him.

After an evening of libations with the psychiatrist, oil baron, and stock broker and son that he is to lead on a hunt, Burns and the good Samaritan awaken Mason with a .45 caliber pistol pressed against his temple. Mason will be leading these men out on a hunting trip, he just did not realize that he is the hunted. The hunters do give him a head start to get to civilization as they partake in a hardy lunch, but Mason quickly determines the best thing to do is to turn this anger management retreat back on his pursuers. Who is meant to survive this most dangerous of games?

As a child of the eighties, for some reason I think I was made aware of Richard Connell's short story "The Most Dangerous Game" during one of my lit or language arts classes in high school. Perhaps my overread sister told me about it. Maybe I was familiar with the concept because of Arnold Schwarzenegger films ("Predator", "The Running Man"). Regardless of how I was introduced to hunting man for sport, Ice T as a movie star was not going to sell me on checking out "Surviving the Game" when there were Jean-Claude Van Damme and action films with Keith David to watch.

Fortunately, HBO is free for a year with most cable TV packages, and it needed content. It is always easier to run ninety minute features when you are a programmer, so their Newline subsidiary came through with this stacked cast (It is short of a shame that F. Murray Abraham is never the true antagonist.). I am just curious how the studio were able to get this cast in the early 90's, a time when they were not known for trying.

And that is what you get from this feature, a lack of effort from those handling the money. Was it a subliminal message? You will cheer for Ice T killing off the one percentile because they are not trying to help amuse you thoroughly.

The generic and overdone soundtrack style and John C. McGinley's presence gave me a flashback to "Highlander 2: The Quickening". There are very few opportunities for the accomplished cinematographer to shine as a director. If you are a fan of "The Walking Dead" (There are just too many episodes in my opinion.) you can see what Dickerson had taken away from this film which is good, because otherwise you feel this is just a quickly produced knock off of John Woo's "Hard Target".

It is a tough task to approach a concept (JVCD versus Hunters led by Lance Henriksen) that Woo had tackled, but the action in "Surviving the Game" holds up pretty well. If "Judo" Gene LeBell is on your stunt team, the hand-to-hand will look intense. Even with that style of combat, you cannot compete with a Woo's film set pieces, so the script wisely takes time to focus on each antagonist.

All of the performers deliver when it comes to their roles with the exception of Ice T. In Ice T's defense, we want him to be Ice T. As long as he does that, you cannot be dissatisfied. Because the supporting cast delivers, you do invest in their plights as well. It is enough to make for a fun way to kill 90 minutes, and you do not have to worry about loud explosions to bother the neighbors.

"Surviving the Game" is a fun action flick that which makes me miss the time where live TV was all there was. This is a fun way to kill 90-minutes or at least serves as great ambience noise wise. Seeking out a quick take on John Woo is not something that most will partake in, but if it pops up on Tubi or Pluto, it might be that throwback you need in the time of pandemics.

WarnerBros - Blade Runner

90-min. Prime Video - "Split Second": Plot Decisions, Action, and Kim Cattral's Boobs

*Blog post started on April 13, 2020.

It turns out my supposed wealth of rediscovered content may be for not. The memo pad I am transcribing right now has many movie reviews, and they all seem prepared for publication in the ICC Harbinger. When I look at how long it can take to get through an article from The Ringer (granted they use a much larger font), these are not nerdy website ready. They work great for 2002, the year of my web designer certification, but I cannot stay so far behind the times.

The first review I transcribed was for the Brian Cox prison break movie "The Escapist", so I feel that I cannot really release it until I come up with another jail movie or a very British flick. Unfortunately, since Rutger Hauer cannot deliver a British accent, "Split Second" does not qualify.

Split Second - 1992

By 2008, global warming has left London's streets below the water table. With the United States still refusing to do anything about climate change, let alone pollution, the air is so congested with smog that the world is in a state of near constant night. Needless to say, when you create the same environment as "Highlander 2: The Quickening", the people of the world will go nuts. Fortunately for the people of London, Detective Harley Stone has been that way since his partner was murdered by a heart-ripping serial killer who he seems to have a psychic link to.

The London Police Service frowns on a little chocolate donut and coffee-fueled cannon-toting member of the force to be out on his own, so they assign him an Oxford-educated rookie in Dick Durkin to be his partner. Durkin is fascinated by the preemptive knowledge that Stone has and thinks that with his education will crack the case. That all falls apart after the killer attacks Stone's girlfriend Michelle. She survives, but the DNA the attacker left contains that of sewer rats and all of its past victims. Take that in consideration with the wounds and Satanic messages it leaves, Durkin and Stone both determine they are going to need bigger guns.

"Split Second" aspires to be a Roger Corman film, but has no idea what would be the best film(s) to rip off. Decisions on where the film should be taken seems to change after every scene. It seems like it starts as "Cobra", then the latter half of "Lethal Weapon 2", and ultimately "Alien". You can even throw in some "Tango and Cash" and "Remo Williams".

If the actors did not acknowledge with their performances how stupid the film is, it would be unwatchable. The worst offense the film commits is wasting Peter Postlethwaite to be an additional person for Rutger Hauer to bully. A lesser offense would be Kim Cattral deciding not to commit to a British accent (She may have just needed 20 years of practice because it is acceptable in "The Ghost Writer".). With Hauer failing to attempt a British accent, one may assume that they decided to try and make the film not seem to be British. If it worked in "Lifeforce", why would it not here?

Saying that this film is what would happen if "Lifeforce" and "Highlander 2" had a baby would be accurate, except the direction is totally lacking. That is quite a feat to fail worse than Russell Mulcahy. Since the camera hardly moves and there are only two action sequences, there seems to be no effort made. With a lack of clever dialogue, Tony Maylam cannot claim to be ahead of "The Office" in terms of this style. The climax is a bit clunky, but fun since the actors approach had not changed and "Blade" director Stephen Norrington's quickly produced "Alien" knock off monster fits in to the mood. It is the only scene that works, and the credits explicitly tell you Ian Sharp was the director responsible.

What really hurts the legacy of "Split Second" is that it is too aware of its silly nature. This means I would not suggest the Rifftrax crew to give it their time. This could work as a "How Did This Get Made" podcast because you can experience it, but not have to get involved in improving it. You can be amused by the mediocrity, but maybe it is better for this one to be lost. Rutger Hauer has worked with Albert Pyun in the past, so we can afford to edit his filmography for his legacy sake.

Pinterest - Martin Riggs

90-Min Netflix: Survivor - And Parenting to be Social - 2 More Bad Ideas

90-Minute Netflix: 2047: Sights of Death (AKA Death Squad)

Posters with Armed Older Action Stars Best Be Expendables Knock Offs

I finished "Iron Fist" and, though I thought it was a fine martial arts series, I can only deal with so much Finn Jones (why is season five of "Game of Thrones" considered a weaker one?). Thus, with an hour and a half before the news cycle, "Defenders" was not an option. Tennis had screwed up ESPN, so I was left at a loss for live TV.

It has been a tough few weeks existentially. I have been trying to move on from the I Hotel, but what will that gain me. Less headaches for one (as I just received the call that it was a good thing that I had not purchased Riot Fest tickets). Imagine an organization whose pay roll company can screw up a payday over a holiday weekend. After they failed to take my implication that I wanted to use up my vacation time on this slow week, make believing their incompetence takes less effort that what the cast of "2047: Sights of Death" put into their performances.

imdb.com/

That last comparison does not apply to Rutger Hauer and Michael Madsen's performances. They seem to revel in the stupidity. Hauer seemed like he had more fun in "Death Squad" than he had when he worked with Dario Argento. Madsen seemed to enjoy his time on set with the promise of vengeance for Bill's brother bud. Otherwise, "2047" is a semi-talented cast believing there would be special effects added in post.

By 2047, the Illuminati has used their influence to destroy any country that refused to join their confederation. Being free of restrictions and regulations, the new confederacy has let most of the world become a radioactive waste land. The only resistance that seems to be making a difference is "Green War" led by Sponge (Danny Glover) with his butt firmly glued to his chair surrounded by CRT monitors and ham radios. His top soldier is Captain Ryan (Stephen "Pardon the Spelling Error" Baldwin) who was recently shot down during a mission to destroy a downed satellite that contains records of their communications.

Determined to complete his mission, Ryan trudges through a contaminated quadrant to locate the satellite. On this death march, he finds companionship from the red-painted mute warrior girl, Tuag (no photo on IMDB), a radio, and a mountain of dead bodies which could bring down the Confederation. The findings inspires him to broadcast his position in hopes that someone on their side will extract him to safety and document his discoveries. The only response that means anything since Sponge is too old for this shit is from Colonel Asimov (Hauer) who is personally going to oversee a death squad with the assistance of mercenary and harsh fellatio critic Lobo (Madsen). Will Ryan survive Beyonce's descendants and radioactive hallucinations to save humanity? Since everyone seems to have bulletproof skulls, the density of Balwin's skull may just make him invincible.

"2047: Sights of Death" makes me long for Albert Pyun's films like "Cyborg" and "Adrenalin: Fear the Rush" to be recirculated on the streaming video rental stores. He set the standard for how to shoot a bad action flick with only one set. Pyun must have a carefree personality because his casts seemed to have fun filming. A payday for community theater, why would you not be happy with that arrangement? I suppose a language barrier might make one reconsider.

"2047" was directed by Allessandro Capone, an experienced Italian-director with a resume that does not seem as varied as Lucio Fulci, hence, he does not have the sense to take a budget on four former A-listers and the worst Baldwin and just go camp with it. As the film goes on and slows down time with nonsensical revelations, Capone relies on quick cuts to try and provide an illusion that action is occurring. This leaves us watching a poor 360-degree video, but there is a story, so we are compelled to stick around for a conclusion.

No 360-degree video has a conclusion is the lesson to take away from "2047: Sights of Death." Anyone stuck in this video cannot be taken seriously. Hopefully, Darryl Hannah learned this lesson. As for Baldwin, this may be the perfect purgatory for a Trump supporter.