Review – Wilderness

This is one of the most interesting werewolf movies I’ve ever seen (and believe me, I’ve seen a few). For openers, the werewolf in question is a woman, and when she changes she becomes a genuine wolf, a wild animal with no lust for human flesh. Most of the action is psychological, centering on the protagonist’s struggle between her human and animal sides. And as one might suspect, it turns into an exploration of the dialectic between humanity’s tame, civilized side and our baser natures. There’s virtually no killing, and though there’s a good deal of nudity it isn’t especially sexual (though someone with a greater affection than I have for bare British butts might disagree). Needless to say, it’s not your average werewolf flick, but it is a fascinating exploration of some of the less sensational aspects of lycanthropy. Especially for a “Fangoria Presents” (which is usually more of a “Fangoria Inflicts” situation), this turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Worth seeing

Review – Air America

Once again the fun-loving frat boys of America’s military and intelligence communities use Southeast Asia as the backdrop for their wacky antics. This time around it’s the pack of pilots who formed the backbone of the CIA’s drug-smuggling operations in Laos back in the days. And just in case anyone’s uncomfortable with the morality here, the Company’s high mucky-mucks and the Lao military play the bad guys and get most of the blame pinned on them. Ethics aside, this is a reasonably entertaining action/comedy mix starring Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr. Mildly amusing

Review – The Whip Hand

This odd little opus from the depths of the Cold War practically drips John Birch Society. It goes without saying that the evil Commies are the villains, here infiltrating a small Wisconsin town and turning it into a secret germ factory run by a former Nazi scientist. Unfortunately for this dastardly pack of Fifth Columnists, a reporter for a magazine that sounds suspiciously like Birch organ American Opinion accidentally stumbles into their viper’s nest. In fairly short order – and with the help of a leggy Red who’s having second thoughts – our hero manages to uncover the plot, summon help from a nameless government agency and save the day. So once again all of our precious bodily fluids are safe from Russkie viruses. Hooray. The picture was produced by Howard Hughes, whose hatred and fear of Communists and germs infects the whole show. See if desperate

Review – Tank Girl

The jump-cut-intensive editing, off-the-wall plot and characters, and frantic, quirky sense of humor in this movie combine in a way that in places turns out to be genuinely amusing. Unfortunately when the elements don’t blend, this production’s downright annoying. Lori Petty stars as the irrepressible heroine in a post-apocalyptic world where water is the most valuable commodity. Malcolm McDowell stoops to yet another how-the-mighty-art-fallen role as the evil dictator who commands the world’s water supply. The art direction doesn’t just acknowledge the picture’s comic book origins, it revels in them. That by itself wouldn’t be so bad; in fact, the brief animated vignettes are actually some of the high points of the movie. But by the time you’ve stirred in a half-dozen or so guys dressed up as giant, mutant kangaroos, the whole thing gets too weak and absurd to keep rolling on its own steam. E for effort, but a somewhat lower grade for execution. See if desperate

Review – The Fan

Here’s a member of the non-overlapping Venn diagram club: a movie aimed at fans of silver screen royalty from Hollywood’s golden age and slasher movie buffs. Even assuming you do possess some measure of both these tastes, you’ll also need a stomach strong enough to stand the hammy acting and absolutely dreadful script. The plot was less cliché back when this was first released than it is now: a middle-aged actress (Lauren Bacall later in her career) is being stalked by a deranged fan (Michael Biehn early in his). Further, I suspect that the gore and homosexuality were a lot more scandalous in the 70s than they are today. Whether this is a good movie done in by the passage of time or just a hunk of junk to begin with (and I suspect the latter), this production’s more laughable than suspenseful now. See if desperate

Review – The Ladies Man

Once again Lorne Michaels turns a vaguely entertaining Saturday Night Live skit into a thoroughly annoying 90-minute debacle. Can nothing be done to stop him? And if anything can be done, can’t we please get this guy stifled before he turns the cheerleader skit into a movie? The saddest part about this sophomoric slop is that I’m willing to bet that actor Tim Meadows actually has some talent. Nonetheless, he gets stuck playing foolish morons such as Leon Phelps, an unlikely love god and title character in this effortful effort. Every once in awhile there’s a joke that’s just so horrible that you have to laugh with embarrassment, but otherwise there’s no amusement value to be found here. Wish I’d skipped it

Review – The African Queen

This movie’s worth it for the casting alone. Bogart is as perfect as the surly but good-hearted riverboat sailor as Hepburn is as the prim yet warm missionary; it’s difficult to imagine anyone else in either role. The story is simple on the surface: our heroes need to pilot a small boat down a dangerous river. But it isn’t the plot that makes this a classic as much as it’s the interactions between the characters as their relationship develops. Acting, script and direction really come together here. Buy the tape