Catching Up Pt 5
- Hollywood Vice Squad (1986)
- Interesting movie, made by Penelope Spheeris, about - you guessed it - the vice squad in Hollywood. Stars Carrie Fisher! And quite a good supporting cast. It borders on exploitation throughout, and has a strange tone that really wants to be gritty but comes across as a bit silly. A curiosity - how did they get Spheeris to direct this??
- Evils of the Night (1985)
- Yech. Teen sex horror: group of teens who are constantly nude or topless and on the verge of carnal activity are kidnapped by vampiric aliens for their young virile blood. Worthless movie, this is real Z-grade stuff. Clearly made for horny 13-year-old boys who were willing to put up with the "plot" to get at the boobs.
- Screwballs (1983)
- Teen sex comedy, but this one actually provoked laughter. Directed by Rafael Zielinksi, this is no masterpiece but contained enough jokes and good will that I watched through to the end. A group of male friends all try to make it with the chaste/prude most popular girl, all while madcap sexual hysteria roils in the background. It's light-hearted, it's not too cruel to the characters, and - maybe what I liked most - there is a congenial spirit throughout the movie where everyone seems to like each other. Fun, if dumb.
- F/X (1986)
- I watched this with my mom on VHS not too long after it came out - it was great fun then, and it remains great fun now. The plot is a labyrinth, but the core idea is simple: a special effects artist for the movies is convinced to do a job for the government. But, of course, all hell breaks loose and he has to use his special effects knowledge and expertise to escape and, eventually, turn the tables. It can be confusing (who knows what? Why? How??) but it little matters - this is unique, clever, and worth catching.
- House (1985)
- Like Deathstalker above, this and its sequel couldn't be more different. This one is about a Vietnam vet and author whose life is wrecked when the evil house belonging to his aunt "eats" his son - the son vanishes and no one can find him. Fast forward to the death of the aunt, which prompts our hero to take over the house, and confront the evil - and maybe even rescue his son. It's typical '80s horror with some nice practical special effects.
- House II (1987)
- The sequel is WAY different. Guy inherits the same evil house. Guy invites friends to come live with him. Then guy and friend raise great-great-great-grandfather from the dead using an Aztec skull (!). Grandfather is essentially a zombie, but he's self-aware and lots of fun. The movie is extremely light in tone, very comedic, and has none of the brooding nightmare qualities of the first installment. I liked this one more, but I'm not sure why. Wacky stuff.
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