New Acquisition: Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

 

Halloween II (1981)

 

While Dr. Loomis hunts for Michael Myers, a traumatized Laurie is rushed to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, and The Shape is not far behind her.

From memory: This sequel certainly doesn't reach the simple artistic mastery of the original, but does truly shock with nerve-wrecking suspense and unexpectedly graphic and gory violence; in Germany, both the film and a cut-down version were banned by the censors.

Halliwell (no star): "A totally unnecessary sequel which seems merely an excuse for assorted mayhem at close quarters."

Maltin*1/2: "Explicitly bloody sequel is as bad as any of HALLOWEEN's countless clones..." 

 

 

They Live (1988)

 

A wanderer without meaning in his life, discovers a pair of sunglasses capable of showing the world the way it truly is.

Modest and obviously low-budget sci-fi thriller is clearly meant to be a mild satire and social commentary, but the alien aspect of the story turns it more into a wild conspiracy theory, spiced with a lot of gung-ho action.

Halliwell (no star): "A standard action film with an uncertain tone, as if it started out to be something more interesting."

Maltin**: "Satiric sci-fi adventure begins well, degenerates into urban action piece, not helped by awful alien make-up." 

Halloween (2018)

Laurie Strode confronts her long-time foe Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.

Competent and plausible continuation of the Halloween tale certainly doesn't live up to the simplicity and impact of the original, but has some nice twists and shocks.

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

Elvis (1979)

Biographical movie about the famous rock singer Elvis Presley.

From memory: A simple, straightforward TV biopic is actually pretty good, and Kurt Russell does convince impersonating "The King".

They Live (1988)

John Carpenter

Bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Carpenter

The Fog (2005)

A thick mist full of vengeful spirits haunts a prosperous island town off the coast of Oregon, as its inhabitants try to learn their town's dark secret in order to stop it.

Why do a remake of the John Carpenter movie, which itself wasn't really a masterpiece, is beyond me. Since this one is hardly a mediocre effort I'm listing it under the things one needn't see.

On rewatching: I should have read my own review first.

Maltin*1/2: "Lame remake...alters the plot slightly but is no improvement."

Halloween (1978)

Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield to kill again.

Low-budget film is in its simplicity and straightforward direction a near-perfect slasher film, heavy on a dooming atmosphere and, in comparison with similar films, actually low on graphic violence and body count.

Halliwell*: "Single-minded shocker with virtually no plot, just a succession of bloody attacks in semi-darkness. Very well done if you like that kind of thing, though the final suggestion of the supernatural is rather baffling."

Maltin***: "Well-made, with lots of scares, plus in-joke references for film buffs." 

Halloween (1978)

The Fog (1980)

An unearthly fog rolls into a small coastal town exactly 100 years after a ship mysteriously sank in its waters.

Nicely-made, old-fashioned ghost story has some predictable shock moments, but is otherwise quite unoriginal.

Halliwell*: "Silly but beguiling horror film with shock effects typical of its director."

Maltin**1/2: "...a well-directed but obvious ghost story..."

Christine (1983)

A nerdish boy buys a strange car with an evil mind of its own and his nature starts to change to reflect it.

Although very well produced, this Stephen King adaptation is ultimately disappointing, doesn't quite deliver the expected thrills and is overlong.

Halliwell (no star): "Thin and gruesomely extended horror flick which never begins to be convincing. For teenagers only."

Maltin**: "...never hits bull's-eye, despite a promising start that captures teenage life quite nicely."

Ghosts of Mars (2001)

A story of human colonists on Mars who must be rescued after becoming possessed by vengeful Martian ghosts.

This is like Assault on Precinct 13 set into a sci-fi context, but compared to that masterpiece this has a very messy script, mediocre performances and a silly, superfluous and irritating flashback-in-a-flashback dramaturgy.

On second view: still not good, but has some entertainment value.

Halliwell (no star): "Quaint, old-fashioned sf adventure, with a feeble premise for some unexciting action."

Maltin*1/2: "Routine, predictable, and dull: unimaginatively, the Martian-possessed people adopt a punk/grunge look."

Escape from New York (1981)

On the set: John Carpenter

Dark Star (1974)

In the far reaches of space, a small crew, 20 years into their solitary mission, find things beginning to go hilariously wrong.

Amazingly entertaining and funny low-budget sci-fi spoof that deservedly became a cult hit in the 70s.

Halliwell***: "A semi-professional film turned out to be one of the screen's neatest low-budget entries in the pulp science fiction genre. That doesn't make it wholly entertaining, but its credentials are impeccable."

Maltin**1/2: "Satiric, spaced-out comedy...Enjoyable for sci-fi fans and surfers; stretches its shoestring budget pretty well."

 

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

The lone inhabitants of an abandoned police station are under attack by the overwhelming numbers of a seemingly unstoppable street gang.

I remember: This movie was highly anticipated, and it certainly delivered, a low-budget masterpiece of slick, straightforward action cinema, very reminiscent of Howard Hawks.

Halliwell***: "Violent but basically efficient and old-fashioned programmer which shows that not all the expertise of the forties in this then-familiar has been lost."

Maltin***1/2: "...riveting thriller, a modern-day paraphrase of Howard Hawks' RIO BRAVO. Writer-director Carpenter also did the eerie music score for this knockout."