OK, I've decided to review films here on a more or less monthly basis. Yeah, I know, there's tons of other movie review sites out there. To paraphrase Homer Simpson, I saw an overcrowded marketplace and said, "me too!" Anyway, check it out and enjoy!

This Month's Featured Film: Hammersmith Is Out.

Click here to go to the archive of older reviews.

1. The Big Cube (1969)
Cheesy psych-sploitation starring washed-up old ham Lana Turner. A girl and her hippie friends conspire to «Gaslight» her mom (Turner) by doping her up with LSD.
2. Deep End (1970)
Rare psychodrama by Jerzy Skolimowski (of The Shout and Moonlighting fame). A young man working his first job at a public bath becomes obsessed with one of the clientele (Jane Asher). Features music by Krautrock pioneers Can.
3. Him (1973)
Possibly «lost» film that's supposedly a «gay» take on the life of Jesus Christ.
4. Magic of Spell (1986)
Notably mindblowing, irreverent kids' kung-fu fantasy starring the irrepressible Lin Hsiao Lan. What I've heard about this one makes it sound totally bizarre and fascinating! Does any English-subtitled or dubbed version exist anywhere? Even the non-subtitled Chinese version that was floating around for a while seems to have fallen off the face of the Earth.
5. Monkey War (1985)
Odd fantasy directed by Chang Ling of Wolf Devil Woman fame. Based on the Monkey King legend, apparently.
6. New Pilgrims To The West (1986)
One of Chang Ling's rarest films. Apparently a sequel to Monkey War. Seems never to have been released on video in any form.
7. One Armed Boxer (1971)
The film that started it all, launching Jimmy Wang Yu as an all-time kung-fu star. Jimmy takes on wacky kung fu villain after wacky kung fu villain. Also known as Chinese Professionals. Why is this insane classic so hard to track down? Seems never to have been released on video, laserdisc or DVD. Curiously, its sequel (better known as Master of Flying Guillotine) is easily findable in any number of different formats.
8. Square Root Of Zero (1964)
Another likely «lost» film, this absurdist comic «Grooviemovie» about beatniks staging their own drowning while camping in Maine is possibly one of the first truly «psychedelic» American films. I've seen the soundtrack album around (and own it), where is the film? Directed, written and produced by Doran William Cannon, best known as the screenwriter for Robert Altman's beloved cult classic Brewster McCloud and Otto Preminger's megaton bomb Skidoo. He was only 24 when he made this feature film, which premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival to enthusiastic reviews. Entitled This Immoral Age in the UK.
9. Themroc (1973)
Notorious anarchic, surreal, dialogue-free black-comedy made in France, incorporating sex, violence, cannibalism and Lord knows what else.
10. Toomorrow (1970)
Cinematic flop that was Don Kirshner's failed pilot for a Monkees-style prefab group. Pop band are abducted by aliens, who need their «vibrations» to survive, or some such nonsense. Notable for featuring a pre-stardom Olivia Newton-John. Directed and written by Val Guest, best-known for Casino Royale.

Cinematic links:

StompTokyo (Tons of reviews! A must visit!)
Badmovies.org (You heard me! DOT ORG!!!)
Teleport City Cinematics (I like this guy's taste)
Pimpadelic Wonderland (Incorporating "The Weird World of 70's Cinema." Truly a wonder to behold)
Jabootu's Bad Movie Dimension (Here's a true source for inspiration, intensely detailed reviews of some of the most mind-numbingly bad movies ever! You have to admire the guy's intestinal fortitude.)
Subterranean Cinema (Again, great taste...though their obsession with "The Day The Clown Cried" is worrisome. Check out their near-comprehensive section of "Camp/Golden Turkey" flicks.)
Alex In Wonderland (Jeez, this guy sure sees a lot of films! His section on Asian cinema is pretty astounding.)
Shock Cinema Online (Another great site with lots of weird films not reviewed anywhere else)
Four Star Cinema (HK in SF) (A fabulous independent movie-house. Great source for Hong Kong/Asian cinema in San Francisco. I highly recommend their on-again-off-again Kung Fu Kult Klassics series!)
The Red Vic Movie House (Where else can you sit on sofas, eating popcorn out of wooden bowls while watching movies such as "The City Of Lost Children"? The Red Vic surely is one of a kind.)

Click here to see my current video inventory

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