January Movies - Week 2

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,

Been a long busy week... but I'm starting off my four-day weekend by going to the dentist for the first time in about 20 years. Don't look at me like that! I brush twice a day & never had issues before... anyway, here are some movies I watched...

January 10 – A Christmas Story (1983)
 
Again, had seen it a few times growing up… and remember how it’s basically a bunch of random skits thrown together but somehow work because of nostalgia… and let’s face it… the movie is super cute. Completely overrated for what it is but… hey, as long as it hits the feels & there’s a little bit of nostalgia for parents, the holidays or anything that touches you, it probably pulls you into the rest of it. So does it work for me?
 
Rating – 9/10 – Yeah, it kinda does the trick…
 
January 11 – Alien from LA (1989)
 
So… for some reason, I was under the impression that this Albert Pyun movie was “An alien comes to Earth disguised as Kathy Ireland & hijinx ensue” but… I was WAY off! Instead she’s a “NERD” because she has a squeaky voice, glasses & hair in a ponytail… and when she tries to find her estranged father, she apparently walks into the basement that’s also a journey to the center of the Earth, complete with some sort of wild dystopian society going on… and then hijinx ensue. I’m not going to lie… this movie was a LOT better than I was expecting. Obviously it suffers from all the Albert Pyun touches making it kind of a waking dream/nightmare at certain points on the budget of a 3rd grade theatre production… and the little character intricacies (specifically Kathy’s voice) can be VERY irritating but… I’d gladly watch it again (if just to try to piece the story together).
 
Rating – 8/10 – I highly recommend the Vinegar Syndrome Blu Ray… so at least you can see what’s going on, less understanding it all
 
January 12 – Cannibal! The Musical (1993)
 
Speaking of Vinegar Syndrome, I watched their recently released 4K UHD version from the original print for one of my favorite movies of all time… from the creators of South Park back when they were in college, and yes it’s a musical about the historical drama of frontiersman Alfred Packer who… let’s just say probably ate some people during his Old West adventures goldpanning in Colorado Territory. The songs? Amazing & hilarious. The acting? As perfectly bad as it needs to be… come on, it’s a comedy first, musical second, historically accurate eighth. If you haven’t seen it, give it a gander…
 
Rating – 10+/10 – There’s a reason that I paid $40 for this version of a beloved movie I already have several copies of on various formats
 
January 13 – My Science Project (1985)
 
Did you know that there were TWO time traveling teenager movies made in 1985? Yes, we all know & love Back to the Future… but there was also this one starring John Stockwell & Fisher Stevens as teenagers who find a strange orb at an old military facility… and decide it’d make a great science project… and hilarity ensues. Plot? It’s from the writer/director of Theodore Rex… and these were basically the only movies he did twelve years apart. The effects? Eh, not bad for an 80’s flick but… honestly the most irritating thing is Fisher Stevens’ character… and it seems the director was OBSESSED with having him front & center as the comic relief… but forgot to add jokes? I don’t know… check it out if you haven’t because if anything, it shows why some movies like Back to the Future are fondly remembered when they’re basically the same story as other movies that just don’t click.
 
Rating – 7/10 – Worth a watch… that’s about it… might talk about on the podcast one day
 
January 14 – Karate Cop (1991)
 
Speaking of the podcast, we’re talking post-apocalyptic movies in 2025 & this one was brought to us by Matt of Movie Melt Podcast… about the last cop on Earth & his latest adventure in the wasteland (apparently this is a sequel to “Omega Cop”) where he gets involved with a woman & her band of refugee kids as they’re being attacked by a gang… and they also have a teleporter (WHAT?) that just needs the last crystal to work (WHAT?) so a side mission is involved… and hijinx ensue when we find bartender David Carradine. This is a definite grindbin movie with cheap production values, but everybody is at least trying, whether it’s being a straight-man because you have no charisma… or going over the top because you’re the villain… it’s a lot of dumb fun… and did I mention there’s a teleporter involved?!? AND KARATE?!?
 
Rating – ???/10 – Find out on Everything I Learned from Movies what we thought about it!!!
 
January 16 – Intrepidos Punks (1988)
 
Based on the poster art, I was sure that this was another post-apocalyptic movie… with let’s just say flamboyantly dressed characters on motorcycles terrorizing a town… so I was expecting Mexican Mad Mex… a Mad Mex if you will. Instead… it’s the story of a group of intrepid (adventurous) punks who wear a wide range of outfits from the wrestling and S&M catalogs while stealing, running a muck & selling drugs… but there’s also a corrupt police department in modern day (80’s) Mexico… and hijinx ensue when they start cutting into each other’s livelihood. So… there was a LOT of sex scenes in this movie… and at times fairly graphic… which is odd when you’re watching with your mother-in-law expecting a bit of a romp… and about the only thing that I really LOVED about the movie was the outfits & the NGAF attitudes… but overall?
 
Rating – 5/10 – It’s a little rough… BUT there’s also a sequel… and I’m not gonna lie… I might just hafta check it out soon

​Until next time, True Believers!!!