Film Excess - Free Ukraine - Stop Putin - End the war NOW!!: February 2022

2/28/2022

Hercules and the Captive Women/Ercole alla conquista di Atlantide/Hercules and the Conquest of Atlantis/Hercules Conquers Atlantis (1961) - Reg Park debuts in rotten peplum pic

[ZERO]

Almost pornographic sexploitation-style poster for Vittorio Cottafavi's Hercules and the Captive Women

A woman is saved from some 'monsters', and Hercules almost goes to war in the city Atlantis, (which hasn't sunk yet.)

Hercules and the Captive Women is written by Sandro Continenza (The Inglorious Bastards/Quel Maledetto treno Blindato (1978)), Duccio Tessari (Marco Polo (1962)), Nicolò Ferrari (Laura Nuda (1961)) and co-writer/director Vittorio Cottafavi (I Nostri Sogni (1943)).

What exactly this film is about may be difficult to say. It is bad to the point of being demented, and especially the infernally noisy 'score' (by Gino Marinuzzi Jr. (Appointment for Murder/Amo un Assassino (1951)) and Armando Trovajoli (Gangsters (1992))) rests as a curse over Hercules and the Captive Women.

The work done here is dreadful behind the camera, script, acting and special effects. There's also an enormous waste of resources (sets, costumes etc.) in this utter trash.

Other Hercules movies: Hercules (2014) - Ratner and Johnson's forgettable noisemaker

Hercules in New York (1970) - Arnie's big, bulging debut

Hercules Unchained/Ercole e la Regina di Lidia (1959) - Spaghetti decadence never fades

In this short 1951 video clip, Reg Park is named Mr. Universe

Cost: Unknown

Box office: Unknown

= Uncertain

[Hercules and the Captive Women was released 19 August (Italy) and runs 101 minutes. Shooting took place in Rome, Italy. It was released re-edited, rescored, retitled and with a new title sequence in North America in 1963. Cottafavi returned with 13 TV movies prior to his theatrical return with 100 Horsemen (1964). Reg Park (Hercules the Avenger/La Sfida dei Giganti (1965)) returned in Hercules in the Haunted World/Ercole al Centro della Terra (1961); Fay Spain (Gunslinger (1961, TV-series)) in 4 TV-series prior to her theatrical return in Black Gold (1962). 1.4k+ IMDb users have given Hercules and the Captive Women a 4.1/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Hercules and the Captive Women?

2/26/2022

Top 10: Best first-of-franchise movies

1. Alien (1979) - Ridley Scott

2. Godzilla/ゴジラ (Gojira) (1954) - Ishirô Honda

3. Back to the Future (1985) - Robert Zemeckis

4. First Blood (1982) - Ted Kotcheff

5. Saw (2004) - James Wan

6. Dirty Harry (1971) - Don Siegel

7. Halloween (1978) - John Carpenter

8. American Pie (1999) - Chris and Paul Weitz

9. Blade (1998) - Stephen Norrington

10. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) - Gore Verbinski

Selected from 39 reviews labeled 'first of franchise'

Best drug-themed movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

Best UK movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

Best epic movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

Best erotic movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

Best family movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

Best fantasy movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

Best films about filmmaking

What do you think of the list?
Which first-of-franchise movies would make your personal Top 10?

2/25/2022

Happy Feet (2006) - Mind-numbing one-trick pony animation

♥♥

A happy-faced penguin is dancing on a - presumably thawing - block of ice on this poster for George Miller, Warren Coleman and Judy Morris' Happy Feet

In the world of emperor penguins singing is pivotal. But young Mumble doesn't have the knack for it. What he can do, however, is dance!

Happy Feet is written by John Collee (Wolf Totem (2015)) and co-writer/directors Judy Morris (Luigi's Ladies (1989)), Warren Coleman (Effie: Just Quietly (2001, TV-series)) and great Australian filmmaker George Miller (Mad Max (1979)).

The animation of Antarctic animals is impressive. - Regrettably they are dropped into an insultingly hollow and unoriginal film, which seems to promise us a gay penguin story - but instead settles for tap-dancing penguin idiocy, and an environmental afterthought ending that's just twaddle. Happy Feet is intolerable.

George Miller: Top 10: Best car chases in movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]

2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) or, Furiosa: Desert Warrior

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

Twilight Zone The Movie (1983) - Fear takes many forms in tragedy-struck anthology (segment director)

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 100 mil. $

Box office: 384.3 mil. $

= Big hit (returned 3.84 times its cost)

[Happy Feet was released 16 November (Malaysia, Thailand) and runs 108 minutes. Production took place in Sydney, Australia and lasted 4 years. Motion capture was used to make the penguins dance convincingly like humans. The film opened #1 to a 41.5 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 2 weekends at #1 and then another 2 in the top 5 (#2-#4), grossing 198 mil. $ (51.5 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 37.7 mil. $ (9.8 %) and Australia with 26.2 mil. $ (6.9 %). The film won the Best Animated Feature Oscar. It also won 1/2 BAFTA nominations, an AFI award, 1/2 Golden Globe nominations, was nominated for 2 Grammys and many other honors. It also made in excess of 213.8 mil. $ on DVD and Blu-ray sales in North America. Miller (and several voice stars) returned with Happy Feet Two (2011), a major flop. Morris and Coleman have not directed since. Elijah Wood (Cooties (2014)) returned in 3 TV and video game credits prior to his theatrical return in Year Zero (2007); Brittany Murphy (Drive (1997)) in The Ramen Girl (2008). Happy Feet is certified fresh at 76 % with a 6.90/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Happy Feet?

2/23/2022

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) - Evil masks ravage in Wallace's under-appreciated horror

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Eeriness abounds on this poster for Tommy Lee Wallace's Halloween III: Season of the Witch

Evil Halloween masks threaten national security, and only one cop is on the right track!

Halloween III: Season of the Witch is written and directed by debuting Tommy Lee Wallace (Baywatch (1989, TV-series)), with John Carpenter (Escape from L.A. (1996)) and Nigel Kneale (Quatermass 2 (1957)) contributing uncredited writing. It is the third entry in the Halloween franchise (1978-) and the only entry not featuring slasher boogeyman Michael Myers.

Tom Atkins (Masquerade (1983, TV-series)) is good as the protagonist cop. Though Myers is entirely absent, and the story has no connection to preceding or later Halloween movies, the feeling of dread is clear and present in Halloween III: Season of the Witch, which is an effective, infernal b-movie horror of its very own ilk.

Halloween franchise: Halloween (2007) - Zombie's remake is a bloody stinker

Halloween H20/Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) - Myers spreads fresh terror in Miner's fine sequel

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) - Myers returns for dull slasher

Halloween (1978) - Carpenter's haunting slasher classic

Watch a VHS trailer for the film here

Cost: 2.5 mil. $

Box office: 14.4 mil. $ (North America only)

= Some uncertainty - but at least a huge hit (returned 5.76 times its cost in North America alone)

[Halloween III: Season of the Witch was released 22 October (North America, Turkey) and runs 98 minutes. The original Halloween's writers Carpenter and Debra Hill envisioned Season of the Witch as the first film to turn Halloween into an annual anthology horror franchise, each with a wholly fresh plot and characters. Kneale had his name removed from the credits, because executive producer Dino de Laurentiis insisted that more gore be added to the script. Joe Dante dropped out of directing shortly before production to work on his segment in Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), and Wallace was consequently hired. Shooting took place from April 1982 - ? in California, including in Los Angeles. The film opened #2, behind fellow new release First Blood, to a 6.3 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent one more weekend in the top 5 (#2) and grossed 14.4 mil. $. Regrettably the film's international gross numbers are not made public. It is the lowest-grossing in the Halloween franchise, and this fact turned the filmmakers and studio heads to the opinion that all future Halloween movies must center on slayer Michael Myers. Roger Ebert gave the film a 1.5/4 star review, translating to 3 notches under this one. Wallace returned with The Twilight Zone (1985-86), Max Headroom (1987, TV-series) and theatrically with Aloha Summer (1988). Atkins returned in 6 TV credits prior to his theatrical return in The New Kids (1985). Halloween III: Season of the Witch is rotten at 41 % with a 4.90/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Halloween III: Season of the Witch?

2/22/2022

Hunger (2008) - McQueen's overrated feel-bad debut

♥

+ Most Overrated Movie of the Year

Star Michael Fassbender lights a cigarette on this gloomy poster for Steve McQueen's Hunger

The Troubles, Northern Ireland, 1981: Over 2,100 Irishmen are killed in the course of battle. We follow the Irish inmates in one prison holding IRA terrorists. One of them begins a new hunger strike and dies, and they consequently have demands met.

Hunger is written by Enda Walsh (Weightless (2017)) and English master filmmaker, debuting co-writer/director Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave (2013)). It is based on the real-life 1981 Irish hunger strike and 'dirty protest' in the Maze Prison.

This could perhaps have been a good film, but what McQueen has made is a stubby, icy cold cornfield of a picture. The first half is rife with ridiculously disgusting scenes with piss and shit on the walls, food on the floor, maggots and cavemen-like prisoners, who are beaten to a pulp, almost entirely without dialog. This has the effect of leaving the viewer exhausted and totally apathetic as to every one involved, when they actually start talking together, which culminates in a grotesquely long conversation scene told in just two shots. SPOILER After this, Hunger's 'hero', Bobby Sands, the IRA hunger strike prisoner portrayed by Michael Fassbender (300 (2006)), starves himself to death.

Some call this uniquely negative experience film high art. - I call it a feel-bad turkey.

Related posts:

Steve McQueen: 2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V]

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

12 Years a Slave (2013) - The inhumanity of slavery portrayed forcefully in awesome film
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

Shame (2011) or, That Empty Sex

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

Watch a trailer for the movie here

Cost: Estimated 1.5 mil. £, approximately 2.04 mil. $

Box office: 3.1 mil. $

= Big flop (returned 1.51 times its cost)

[Hunger premiered 15 May (Cannes Film Festival, out of competition) and runs 96 minutes. The film opened #95 to a 1k $ first weekend in 1 theater in North America, where it peaked at #61 and in 11 theaters, grossing 154k $ (5 % of the total gross). The film's biggest markets were the UK with 1.2 mil. $ (38.7 %), France with 834k $ (26.9 %) and Italy with 397k $ (12.8 %). It won 1/2 BAFTA nominations, 3/7 British Independent Film awards, 2 prizes in Cannes, 1/3 European Film award nominations, was nominated for an Independent Spirit award, among many other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, translating to 4 notches over this one. McQueen returned with 3 shorts prior to his theatrical return with Shame (2011). Fassbender returned in Eden Lake (2008); Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones (2012-19)) in Paris Noir (2008, short), Atlantic (2008, short) and theatrically in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008). Hunger is certified fresh at 90 % with a 7.80/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Hunger?

2/21/2022

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) - Potter and Co. return for handsome if overlong first sequel

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The three wizard kids have a new sickly-looking friend on this gold-exuding poster for Chris Columbus' Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter escapes his Muggle home and Dobby the house elf to go back to Hogwarts, where mystical blood trails appear, and a student goes missing. It turns out to be a Slytherin heir, who is causing chaos.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is written by Steve Kloves (Wonder Boys (2000)), adapting the same-titled 1998 novel by J.K. Rowling (The Casual Vacancy (2012)), and directed by great Pennsylvanian filmmaker Chris Columbus (Adventures in Babysitting (1987)). It is the 2nd film in the Harry Potter franchise.

Mostly Chamber of Secrets is at least as good as the first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone/Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001). There are good characters, handsome effects, - with especially the snake dragon monster impressing, - and Kenneth Branagh's (Peter's Friends (1992)) Gilderoy Lockhart character is introduced.

Unfortunately Harry's sidekick, Rupert Grint's (Thunderpants (2002)) Ron Weasley, is a colorless, talentless 'character', - though he seems more like a ceaseless parade of grimaces than an actual flesh-and-blood character. And the film carries some of the same weight about it with especially the third act being overlong beyond the acceptable. - More than 2½ hours running time is just too much for a Potter entry.

The Harry Potter franchise: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone/Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) - Columbus lands new family franchise successfully (also by Columbus)
Chris Columbus: Top 10: Best family movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

Top 10: Best dramedies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) - Columbus and Robin Williams score with a truly great family jewel

The Goonies (1985) - Sweet child performances drive Donner's beloved, uneven adventure (writer)
Gremlins (1984) - Dante's 1980s puppetry classic (writer)

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 100 mil. $

Box office: 879.6 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned 8.79 times its cost)

[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets premiered 3 November (London) and runs 161 minutes. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)) was paid 3 mil. $ for his performance as Harry, while Grint and Emma Watson (Beauty and the Beast (2017)) each received 125k $ as sidekicks Ron and Hermione. Production began 3 days after the release of the first film. Shooting took place from November 2001 - July 2002 in England, including London, and in Scotland. The 'Chamber of Secrets' set was the biggest created for the Potter saga, measuring 76x36.5 meters. The film opened #1 to an 88.3 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 5 weekends in the top 5, one of them again in #1, grossing 261.9 mil. $ (29.8 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd markets were Japan with 142.7 mil. $ (16.2 %) and the UK with 88.1 mil. $ (10 %). The film was the year's 2nd highest-grossing worldwide, behind The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers, and the 4th highest-grossing of the year in North America. It was nominated for 5 BAFTA's, winning one; and it also won an AFI award and was nominated for a Grammy, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 4/4 star review, translating to 3 notches over this one. The film made more than 27.3 mil. $ on the North-American video market. Columbus returned with Rent (2005). Radcliffe, Grint and Watson all returned first in the next Potter entry, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004). Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is certified fresh at 82 % with a 7.20/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets?

2/20/2022

Howard the Duck (1986) - Legendary flop is more duck than turkey

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The duck called Howard is lounged with a Rolling Stones magazine on this colorful poster for Willard Huyck's Howard the Duck

From Duckworld lands Howard the Duck on earth, where he gets a girlfriend from a rock band and tries to get back home. - But a dark emperor stands in his way!

Howard the Duck is written by co-writer/producer Gloria Katz (American Graffiti (1973)) and co-writer/director Willard Huyck (French Postcards (1979)), based on the Marvel Comics character created by Steve Gerber and Val Mayerik in 1973.

It is a really strange and childish vision, which has become an incredibly thorough but completely demographic-less explosion of color with groundbreaking visual effects, a rad villain (Jeffrey Jones' (Valmont (1989)) character becomes Dark Overlord of the Universe) and monster. There's also an impressive ultralight flight chase sequence and many fine, bizarre moments, even if the duck-related humor is likely to cause a mild headache. Howard the Duck is a unique film to be sure.

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 37 mil. $

Box office: 37.9 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 1.02 times its cost)

[Howard the Duck was released 1 August (North America) and runs 111 minutes. Executive producer George Lucas was reportedly the one who drew attention to Marvel's duck character and suggested to make the film as a live-action rather than an animation. Shooting took place from November 1985 - March 1986 in California, including in San Francisco. The film opened #3, behind holdover hit Aliens and fellow new release Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, to a 5 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its 2nd weekend and grossed 16.2 mil. $ (42.7 % of the total gross). Universal production chief Frank Price was reportedly fired over the film's disastrous flop; and Lucas had to sell his company's CGI animation arm to Apple Computer's Steve Jobs, - the company which later became Pixar Animation Studios. The film made in excess of 1 mil. $ on its 2011 DVD release. Huyck never directed again but did write a few screenplays, mostly for TV movies. Lea Thompson (Thin Ice (2011)) returned in Some Kind of Wonderful (1987); Tim Robbins (Dark Waters (2019)) in Saturday Night Live (1986, TV-series) and theatrically in Five Corners (1987); and Jones in The Pest (1997). Howard the Duck is rotten at 13 % with a 3.90/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Howard the Duck?

2/17/2022

The Hunger (1983) - T. Scott's under-appreciated, erotic horror masterpiece

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The sensuous and the menacing meet in this striking, highly detailed poster for Tony Scott's The Hunger

In New York an immortal, beautiful woman lives with her vampire lover, who suddenly starts aging at a rapid speed. An aging-focused scientist is sought out and starts to overtake the man's position...

The Hunger is written by James Costigan (On Borrowed Time (1957)) and Michael Thomas (Countryman (1982)), adapting the same-titled 1981 novel by Whitley Strieber (The Wolfen (1978)), and directed by English master filmmaker Tony Scott (Loving Memory (1971)), whose 2nd feature it was.

Scott's finest film, The Hunger is a visual treat, (cinematography by Stephen Goldblatt (For the Boys (1991))), hyper-stylized with dream compositions and lights, beautiful sound work and music choices, (score by Denny Jaeger (What Waits Below (1984)) and Michel Rubini (Manhunter (1986))). Susan Sarandon (Lovin' Molly (1974)), otherworldly beautiful Catherine Deneuve (Changing Times/Les Temps qui Changent (2004)) and über-cool David Bowie (Zoolander (2001)) give formidable performances. The make-up jobs are unparalleled, the special effects radical and troubling.

The film's handling of its central themes of immortality and love seems to encourage its audience to take on and rejoice in our own mortality. The Hunger is a fierce and absolutely fantastic masterpiece.