UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE! Remember in the last Recent Blu-Ray Haul that I was thinking about tossing the Black Christmas 2019 disc? Well, I did. I know what you’re thinking: If I’m a collector of physical media, why would I throw something out? There are a number of reasons why that could happen. A disc could stop working properly or I ended up with more than one copy. But usually, it’s because a copy just isn’t working anymore. There’s nothing wrong with doing that. But that’s not why I tossed Black Christmas. That movie was so on the nose about its message, it wasn’t fun to watch. I couldn’t even make it through the commentary. The movie was absolute trash, you can read my review. So, yeah, I chucked that fucker into the garbage. No regrets. That’s ten bucks that I’ll never get back. Lesson learned. Usually, I wait until I pick up 4 or more movies before I do one of these, but I only got three for you today. I have an eye for certain kinds of garbage that most people would rightfully roll their eyes at. I don’t always get garbage, but when I do…it’s classy.
Casablanca – Warner Bros.
“Go ahead and shoot. You’ll be doing me a favor.” Casablanca is one of the great classics in cinema. It’s a great story about an American cynic, Rick Blaine who has an old flame walk into his gin joint, bringing up painful memories. It’s one of those tragic romances that no matter how many times you see the movie, you always hope that Blaine gets the girl, even when he doesn’t. The characters are interesting and lively, the dialogue is sharply written, and the drama and music are absolutely incredible. There is NOTHING about this film that I don’t like. It’s an absolute must-own for any true collector.
Bullet Train – Sony Pictures
Bullet Train is one of the most bonkers action movies I’ve seen in a long time. It’s so much fun. As great as Brad Pitt is here, the side characters steal the show, especially Lemon and Tangerine, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Bryan Tyree Henry. The whole movie takes place on a…well…bullet train that’s headed to Kyoto. The movie just does things that you really wouldn’t expect. The action is fast, inventive, and VIOLENT. I was surprised at how bloody this movie actually is. But it’s really the interactions between the characters that make this movie fantastic. That’s what any good movie should do. If you love action movies, this is one to see.
Blood Beach
Here’s an example of early 80s trash: Blood Beach. The premise of this movie is that beach goers are being attacked by something that’s under the sand. That premise is familiar to anybody who has seen Tremors. But this came out in 1980-81. You would be forgiven for mistaking this for a Roger Corman movie, except for the fact that Roger Corman puts more effort into his movies. This is a bad movie, make no mistake about it, but it’s the right kind of bad movie that I love. It doesn’t take itself seriously at all, especially when John Saxon and Burt Young enter the picture. It’s so low-budget that it can’t take advantage of its ludicrous premise, and it’s a shame. One of the tag lines to this movie was a riff on Jaws 2: Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, you can’t get to it. Even John Saxon’s character says this, so there is a degree of self-awareness that is incredibly amusing. You don’t actually see the creature until the end, so it’s all POV shots and seeing people pulled under the sand. It’s bloodless and the main leads are bland, but there’s something oddly charming about this movie. Also, I’m not entire sure that the copy of the movie I got on DVD is an official copy, as there is no official distribution label on the case, and I got this from Amazon. It’s weird. It’s also Region-Free, so you can watch it on any DVD player in the world, so that’s a plus.
Well, it’s a short one today, so three’s all you’re gettin’. To all my readers in the Mid-West, hunker down and stay safe during Christmas. To the rest of you, Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas. I might do a thing on Christmas Day, so keep a weather eye on the horizon.