They Live (1988)

Revisit
Format: 35mm
Venue: Alamo South Lamar (Mondo Screening)

Mondo Tees hosted their second special screening, this time making no effort to keep the featured film a secret. Sufficed to say, I was a much bigger fan of the choice of film this time around. I love They Live, such a weirdo of a movie with a hefty political subtext. Accompanying the film was a specially designed poster by none other than Shepard Fairey; the pop artist probably best known for his iconic bi-chromatic image of President Obama. Will be framing this and hanging it on my wall very soon.

Super 8 (2011)

1st View
Venue: Galaxy Highland (Press Screening) (Summer 2011)

This was my most anticipated film of the summer, and given the magnitude of this particular summer that's saying something. I loved Super 8. I was enraptured by the combination of J.J. Abrams' flair for big sci-fi and the reliance on a deep Amblin reference well. Since seeing it, I've been surprised to find how divisive the reaction has been among my colleagues. I have to admit I fully understand the complaints I'm hearing, but for me Super 8 was the perfect summer movie and struck every appropriate chord with me.

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

Ninja (2009)

1st View
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

From the director of Undisputed III, and similarly starring Scott Adkins, Ninja is quite silly. However, much in keeping with the Isaac Florentine tradition, the action sequences and stunts in the film are awesome and well worth the price of admission. In any event, it's leaps and bounds better than Ninja Assassin.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Kill Bill (2003)

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

Couldn't help but watch Zoe Bell work more of her ass-kicking magic. Still great.

Rating: 9/10 Atkins

Double Dare (2004)

Revisit
Format: Netflix WI
Venue: Rivendell

Wonderful documentary about badass stuntwoman Zoe Bell. It captures the exact moment she met Quentin Tarantino and was offered the job of doubling Uma in Kill Bill. Her reaction to that phone call never fails to bring a tear to my eye. Highly recommend this one.

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Revisit
Format: 35mm
Venue: Junction House, Kingsland, TX (Rolling Roadshow)

What an amazing evening! This is why I moved here. This may have been the screening that made me fall in love with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Wrote up this incredible event for Fandango, enjoy!

High Noon (1952)

Revisit
Format: Netflix WI
Venue: Rivendell

Logging some quality time with one of my favorite westerns. Gary Cooper's heroic Marshal Kane was the subject of the first entry into my brand new Movies.com column entitled Reel Men. Belly up to the bar and let me know what you think! 

Rating: 9/10 Atkins

X-Men: First Class (2011)

1st View
Venue: Alamo South Lamar (Summer 2011)

Very much enjoyed Matthew Vaughn's X-Men: First Class. It has some technical problems and horribly cheesy moments, but the lead performances are fantastic and I love the infusion of actual historical context into superhero mythology. Fassbender should be Bond, there I said it.

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

Visiting Hours (1982)

1st View
Format: Netflix WI
Venue: Rivendell

I expected little more than a cheap, silly slasher film and in many ways that's exactly what Visiting Hours is. But it also features an incredibly layered and deeply disturbing performance from Michael Ironside which elevates the entire film. I would liken it to Joe Spinell in Maniac. Good stuff, will have to pick this one up.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Cobra (1986)

Revisit
Format: Netflix WI
Venue: Rivendell

I heart this movie so much I should probably be locked away. Wish I owned the Blu-ray, but the Netflix HD stream looked damn fine. Here's a bunch of words I wrote on the subject, Junkfood Cinema strikes again!

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Near Dark (1987)

Revisit
Format: 35mm
Venue: Alamo Ritz (Terror Tuesday)

Another wildly successful Terror Tuesday featuring one of my very favorite horror films in 35mm brilliance! Read Noah Lee's writeup of the evening over at Horror's Not Dead. He was a Near Dark noob!

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)

Revisit
Format: 35mm
Venue: Alamo Ritz (Day of the Apes)

Lamentably saturated by the decade in which it was made, and featuring one too many trying-on-clothes montages for my taste...that is, one. Does have a pretty brutally extreme ending, though.

Rating: 5/10 Atkins

Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)

1st View
Format: 35mm
Venue: Alamo Ritz (Day of the Apes)

Thought I had seen this, quickly became apparent that I had not. Most bargain-basementy of the franchise and the titular battle is far smaller-scale than its sensational title would suggest. It was more like the Battle for Ape County. Loads of fun though.

Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)

Revisit
Format: 35mm
Venue: Alamo Ritz (Day of the Apes)

So weird, so much fun.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Planet of the Apes (1968)

Revisit
Format: 35mm
Venue: Alamo Ritz (Day of the Apes)

The original, you maniacs.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)

Revisit
Format: 35mm
Venue: Alamo Ritz (Day of the Apes)

An all-day marathon of all five of the original Planet of the Apes films in glorious 35mm at The Alamo Drafthouse? Oh hell yeah! Instead of listing these films chronologically by release, or by their placement along the franchise's own manufactured timeline as I did in my writeup of the event for Fandango, I will order them from favorite to least favorite.

Rating: 8/10 

Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

I love this movie so much; arguably too much. It was one of the first films covered for Junkfood Cinema many risings ago (linked here for reference) and has remained one of my favorite Roger Corman films; no small praise if you are familiar with my cinematic proclivities. I was fortunate enough to receive a review copy of Shout! Factory's upcoming Blu-ray release and, though my full review will be posted soon, sufficed to say it is beautiful. Thanks again to Shout! Factory.


Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Kickboxer (1989)

1st View
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

I was far too sober to properly enjoy this cinematic flatline. I'm starting to wonder if maybe early JCVD is not my particular brand of vodka. I've so far been unmoved by Bloodsport, Universal Soldier, Hard Target, and Timecop. But I do feel he's especially moronic in Kickboxer and his every reaction to any given stimulus is a gaped mouth and a thousand yard stare. This feels like a movie that could have easily starred Cynthia Rothrock if it had a budget reduction of $200.

Rating: 4/10 Atkins

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

1st View
Venue: Alamo South Lamar

While I'd have preferred to have seen it in 2D, I found myself thoroughly enjoying Kung Fu Panda 2. In fact, I think I like it more than the first film. Kung Fu Panda touched gingerly on a few genre tropes (the personifications of the various fighting styles and the master/bumbling student relationship), but the sequel, having the benefit of working with now pre-established characters, is able to focus on being an quest-centric martial arts epic. Despite the fact that it's animated, the fight sequences are absolutely remarkable. The animation on the peacock villain is stunning.

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

Anaconda (1997)

Revisit
Format: DVD
Venue: Rivendell

Of the films revolving around giant snakes eating people that happens to star two singers, a Wilson brother, and Angelina Jolie's dad, Anaconda has got to be in my top 10 favorites. It is blisteringly bad and therefore ripe for Junkfood Cinema. I dare you to read it!

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

Words fail. Still holds the key to my black heart. Enclosed is a pic of me in college dressed as Shaun for Halloween.