One of the things I want to do more of this year is watch movies. To be honest, that’s something I always tell myself to start doing at New Year, but last year for example I only watched my first movie in April and I ended up watching only seventyfour in total. The year before, only fortythree. Not that watching more movies is necessarily a good thing: the point is that I do enjoy watching movies, but if left to my own devices, never get around to it. Easier to just mindlessly consume Youtube shorts or similar mindkilling rubbish instead.
Which is why I started using Letterboxd to log my watched movies and record my impressions of them. And if I’m doing so anyway, why not publish those here as well? What I want to do each month is to spotlight one movie that stood out and then provide a list of everything else I watched that mont. Let me know if you find this interesting.
January’s featured movie
This Island Earth (1955)
The Raymond F. Jones novel this was based on was inspired by the way certain Pacific Islanders were caught up in the war between Japan and the USA, with two warring alien races wanting to draw Earth in their conflict. This is completely omitted in the movie. Instead the aliens infiltrating Earth are looking for improved nuclear power generators and their enemy is never shown, nor shows any interest in Earth themselves.
The movie starts when a electronic genius working on a new sort of nuclear reactor, hitches a ride on a Lockheed Shooting Star (nice) when his controls fail as he tries to land. Something external takes over for him and he lands safely, but that’s just the beginning of his problems. Having ordered new equipment for his lab he insteads gets far more advanced, miniturised versions and a nifty catalog that can help him build an “interocitor”, which looks like a futuristic two way television. On completion of it he’s inducted into a conspiracy of the world’s foremost scientists working for world peace.
All of which turns out to be an alien ruse, desparate for new nuclear power sources to enable the force field they need to defend against their ancient enemies. Some faffing about on their planet later, the genius and his new girlfriend/fellow scientist manage to escape and return to Earth, with the alien planet left behind completely destroyed.
The slow drawing in of our protagonist into what’s really going is what makes this movie works. Once the plot takes to space it all happens at breakneck speed; the monster shown above frex only shows up in the last fifteen minutes. Though it doesn’t quite come out and say it, the movie makes it clear these were not the good guys in the conflict and that their enemy’s relentless bombardment of their home planet is deserved.
Other movies watched
Monkey Business (1931)
The Marx Brothers (four of them) are stowaways on a cruisehip to America. Hijinks ensue, but a lot of it is not very funny.
The Black Scorpion (1957)
An unexpected earthquake/volcanic eruption has almost cut off a section of the Mexican countryside. Two geologists, one American, one Mexican are sent to check out what happened and run into the titular giant black scorpion, which ends up threatening Mexico City. Yes, it is all very reminiscent of Them, but an excellent monster movie in its own terms. Watched because Steve Bissette mentioned it in his recent monster movie book.
The Vampire Bat (1933)
A small village is terrorised by a vampire, but the villagers suspect the wrong person. Made for Fay “King Kong” Way as she was going to star in another horror movie and the producers wanted to quickly cash in on it. Way certainly is the best actor in this; not a bad movie though.
The Evil Dead (1981)
The last time I saw this was on VHS. Lacking the humour of its sequels this is just a straightforward horror movie and you’re better off starting with Evil Dead 2 instead.
Urgh! A Music War (1981)
Do you like early eighties punk and new wave? Then watch this.
Day of the Dead (1985)
Students of a local film school get to look behind the scenes of the filming of Dawn of the Dead and interview George Romero, his producer and some of the other staff and actors.
Mary Millington’s True Blue Confessions (1980)
Mary Millington was a well known, successful 1970s stripper/actress who sadly committed suicide in 1979 when threatened with prosecution and jail time. This movie is either a crude crash grap or an earnest plea for tolerance.
The Howling (1981)
As a movie, its parts are greater than its sum. The werewolves once they finally reveal themselves are excellent and make up for a lot of stodginess in the build up to it.
Margaret Tait: Film Maker (1983)
Tamara Krikorian interviews Margaret Tait and goes through her history as a film maker, with generous extracts from her work. Interesting, but did not necessarily make me want to see her films.
Kozure Ôkami: Oya no kokoro ko no kokoro (1972)
Fourth installment of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, here battling a tattooed female assassin. Violent and slightly depressing as it sets things up for the climax in the next two movies.
Waiting for Baby (1941)
A Robert Benchly comedy short about expectant fathers that’s too dated to still be funny.
The Searching Eye (1964)
A documentary about the human eye and imagination, shown by following a young boy playing at the beach. Can’t help but feel following this topless boy around is all a bit pederastic to be honest.
Fang Shi Yu yu Hu Hui Qian (1976)
Why not start your kung fu movie with the climactic battle and just use flashbacks to tell how you got there?
Mosura tai Gojira (1964)
Mothra, last seen in her own movie, here returns as humanity’s guardian against the menace of Godzilla.
One Million B.C. (1940)
A somewhat boring caveman movie whose monster footage has been used in a lot of other b-movies over the years. What is interesting is the plot hinges about a barbaric might makes right tribe being civilised by the feminine influences of a neighbouring one, just as World War Two had started…
