35 - Con Air

Connection To ALAN PARTRIDGE: ALPHA PAPA - Colm Meaney

What I view here is the extended version, which I ain't seen before but I've probably seen the "original cut" possibly close to double figures by now.

It's hard to hate a film like Con-Air - awesome action, characters and one-liners - the movie is a joy from start to finish, I've actually heard it being described as a guilty pleasure but for me that's wrong because there is absolutely no shame in enjoying this movie. I'm trying so hard to not do plane/flying related puns so apologizes if I end up doing it.

For me this was one of Nicolas Cage's terrific trio of action movies in the late 90's which also included The Rock and Face/Off (which some people dislike) in which this one he plays ex-Army Ranger Cameron Poe who in defending his pregnant wife and gets in a fight with some bar drunks killing one of them, he ends up in prison for 8 years which he is paroled for good behaviour.  He is eager to see his wife and his daughter (who he never met) and he is to be flown back home on the Jailbird plane where he will be released on landing. Another of other prisoners including his diabetic friend Baby-O (Mykelti WIlliamson) as well as the dangerous Cyrus The Virus (John Malkovich) and Diamond Dog (Ving Rhames) are being transported to another penitentiary. But shortly after takeout Pinball (Dave Chappelle) ends up inciting a riot and released Cyrus and Dog from their separate containers allowing them takeover the plane.

The thing I always like about many Jerry Bruckheimer produced films is the casting, they always get some good names - Malkovich as Cyrus is a brilliant main villain, bring his Malkovichiness (I know that's not a real word to the role and Steve Buscemi as Garland Greene, the psychopath killer is also another stand out, his scene of playing with the little girl is probably one of the most famous and tense. We also get to enjoy actors like Danny Trejo, Chappelle and Colm Meaney among others.

As for Cage is Forrest Gump accent in this just adds to the charm, he's a great action hero here - sort of a shame that they mostly shot their load here and a sequel would have been pushing, his co-star John Cusack his also great in a rare-action role for him.

Speaking of the extended edition for a bit - I'd say only a few months really got added here and there, Greene killing a guard was not in it before (am I right or did I just forget) and it feels most of the time additional dialogue at the end of scenes.

Criticism time - it's so, so minor you'll feel me stupid for even mentioning it - at the end after the plane as landed in the Vegas strip and the three bad guys escape on a fire engine, Cusack and Cage jump police bikes and chase after them, this part I have no problem with (except maybe the fact Poe is still technically a prisoner at this point) it's a touch into when the fire engine goes past two other police bikes parked we only see them from behind but guess what drops from to the road from the bike - yes two doughnuts - you get it because they are cops... just thought it was a minor thing that was a bit dumb.

Overall extremely enjoyable even after multiple viewings - the entire package is cool (even the syrupy LeAnn Rimes ballad oddly fits in) so I'll just say strap yourself in for one hell of a ride... (damn it)

34 - Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Connection To THE LADIES MAN - Both are about radio hosts and are spin-offs of television shows, I say that's a good enough connection.

British TV comedy making it to the big screen as been a mixed bag at best - sure Monty Python perfected it - but even if the TV show was a massive classic the stretch to feature length have often been lacking - sure there is still enjoyment to be had because you are spending time with these characters. The 1970's seemed to be the heyday it seems like every other "classic" sit-com had a film (Porridge, Steptoe and Son, Dad's Army are among them). Another problem is whether to take the character out of their comfort zone, taking them out of the comfort zone usually means taking them on holiday whether it makes sense (The Inbetweeners - young lads would go to sunny Spain) or not (Are You Being Served? - have you ever gone on holiday with all your work colleagues even the ones that you dislike), so Alan Partridge coming to the big screen could have mean falling flat on his face...

It's hard to believe I've been a fan of Alan Partridge for 20 years now - Knowing Me, Knowing You was my first experience of him in 1994 (I wasn't familiar with The Day Today or the radio show at the time), I've enjoyed him in his awesome I'm Alan Partridge series and his live shows where Partridge was the main event and was excited to see what the film would offer...

I was not disappointed - this film is funny, Steve Coogan's Partridge may be a touch nicer but the pig-headed ignorance is still there as are some of the supporting characters (Lynn and Michael The Geordie among others) which sees Partridge working at North Norfolk Digital, which has just been brought out and as staff members facing redundancies, Partridge is not bothered but his colleague Pat Farrell (Colm Meaney) fears very much for his job and pleads with Partridge to gatecrash a board meeting to persuade them not to sack pack but Alan inadvertently discovers it's him or Pat who will get the sack and he betrays Pat even writing "JUST SACK PAT" on a flip-chart. Pat is then fired, the owners host a party that evening which Pat enters and holds everyone hostage, Alan escapes to the police and is asked to enter as a negotiator.

I really liked the relationship between Pat and Partridge, Pat's unblinking trust not knowing Partridge screwed him over helps build up tension when you know he will evidently find out, Pat also seems like a good guy deep down gone to desperate measures and they capture that well considering it's a comedy.

The absolute funniest bit for me which had me laughing for ages is a dream moment of Partridge getting the gun off of Pat and an action scene/chase happening which ends up 3 police men taking their helmets off and all being Alan, it's what get's said that was so funny to me I had to rewind back to re-watch to laugh all over again. There's nothing I'd really criticize about the movie because I had an extremely good time watching and would welcome a sequel or some sorts.

Overall, as a long-time fan of Partridge I really enjoyed this, it made me laugh all the way through and had a good central plot, recommend.

33 - The Ladies Man

Connection To DEATH SPA - Karyn Parsons

Films based on recurring Saturday Night Live characters have been a mixed bag - well that's an understatement - for every Wayne's World or a Blues Brothers there's a It's Pat or a Stuart Saves His Family and it's biggest flurry seemed to come off the back of Wayne's World in 1992 that ended with The Ladies Man in 2000, since then only MacGruber as come to the big screen (though I'd pay good money for a Stefon movie). So did The Ladies Man effectively kill the "SNL Movie" or was it just a last gasp on something that was already on the way out?

It's probably a bit of both, the last few SNL movies - A Night At The Roxbury, Superstar - didn't really set the box-office alight and I imagine this was it's last chance and it's not that it's a bad film it's more there is a funny film in there trying desperately to get out.

Leon Phelps (Tim Meadows) is a radio DJ known as The Ladies Man who gives romance advice and lovemaking tips that let's just say and not all ways the best, who goes to far during a broadcast and is fired. He later recieves a note from a former flame who is willing to support his high style, but they haven't signed their name and must go through his numerous conquests, meanwhile a secret group consisting of angry husbands and boyfriends that their partners have slept with Leon find out it was him and want to get revenge.

I maybe jumping to conclusions but when a film comes in a shade over 80 minutes from a big studio, I always a imagine there was a lot of cutting and the final film is sort of like making do

Karyn Parsons, as his producer Julie and obviously likes him perhaps plays it too well, I've seen a few comedies have this problem where why in a million years they would like this schmuck but the warmth they bring in their relationship to the character feels real entirely because of the actresses performance (Christina Ricci in Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star) was a similar problem).

Some actors who appear are better then the material - Julianne Moore (especially, but boy does she look cute in clown makeup) and Eugene Levy (but those his willingness to appear in the American Pie direct to DVD sequels - quality control isn't exactly his thing). Will Ferrell co-stars among some other SNL alumni (Chris Parnell) as does Lee Evans, whose attempt at American accent (like in There's Something About Mary) is distracting, Billy Dee Williams was also enjoyable as the barman at Leon's regular haunt.

Overall, funny every now and again and at 82 minutes it doesn't take too long of your time, but for a comedy it's just not gut-bustingly funny enough for me.

32 - Death Spa

Connection To KILLER WORKOUT - both about killings in fitness places, also in Killer Workout somebody graffiti's "Death Spa", either connection I'm happy to go with...

Two films with a similar plot is a first for this blog in watching in order, this could go against Death Spa, since I could have my overfill of health centre related death (also the setting for some of Toxic Avenger) and perhaps that has gone against my enjoyment of the film - it's not that it's bad but I've just experienced nearly 3 hours of gym/spa related carnage.

Death Spa as a supernatural edge to whilst Killer Workout didn't, Death Spa even had the alternative title Witch Bitch, some of the deaths are pretty inventive including a guy getting ripped apart by a workout machine and loose diving boards.

The film does have it's charm, it's played too straight considering the ridiculousness of the plots and the events which happen, the film as a series of deaths happening in a health spa in which the owner as to contend with, we get malfunctioning things that course harm or death and ompared To Killer Workout, the cast was better known for me - Ken Foree, Chelsea Field, and Karyn Parsons (Hilary from Fresh Prince) - Foree is enjoyable here as is Merritt Buttrick (in his final role before his young death).

The film does suffer from the old horror favourite of stupid characters doing stupid stuff and what's the deal with these 80's gyms suffering from death and it not affecting the daily custom, those are some loyal workout freaks aren't they?

Overall, I liked it, it's certainly a better made film then the other gym one but which is better as an overall package is a close call but I'll think I'll go with this for some spoiler-rific reasons..

31 - Killer Workout

Connection To DEADLY PREY - director David A. Prior and his brother, actor Ted Prior (Fritz Matthews also appears in both)

Seriously the brilliance of Deadly Prey gave me the appetite to watch something else from David A. Prior  (and his acting brother Ted) and thus I came across Killer Workout, also known by Aerobicide, a slasher movie set around a gym, which is partly an excuse for T&A methinks.

They are a few amazing things about this movie - the picture above is a scene that happens at least 4 times going back to the girls working out with close up of the butts, even after multiple deaths the business is never effected , then there's Ted Prior's occasional kung-fu outbursts and finally the primary murder weapon - a safety pin... a slightly oversized one but probably one of the least convincing murder weapons in a slasher.

Once it gets to the third death, the film get's a bit trigger happy so to speak before we know it we are on the 7th or 8th death already (and maybe more) which like I said most of these take place on the gym property and doesn't really put customers off, among these deaths there some that are more fun then others, among this though I really liked a random dream sequence that happens.

Overall, poorly acted and directed but it fits in the so bad it's good for most it's running time it's either nudity, gratitatious close-ups or murders, would be an ideal candidate for a bad movie night for somebody I would say it's not quite as fun as other slashers I have seen though.

30 - Deadly Prey

Connection To THE TOXIC AVENGER - both films feature a man getting beaten with own their severed arm.

I wrote an entry about Deadly Prey, the best piece of writing in the history of the world and like an idiot I deleted it by accident whilst the middle part of that sentence might not be true it's a shame when you took some time to write something and now it's gone and you have to go through the pain of recapturing the joy that you spoke about, here is my something of an attempt at a re-write...

Fan-fucking-tastic, that is what I would use to describe this and yes it needs the unnecessary swearing in it to help describe my joy that I have finally discovered this movie, unbeknownst to me Deadly Prey in the last few years had quietly been getting a cult following - which is impressive since it's yet to see any sort of DVD release and as 1.5 million views on a You Tube upload of the movie (this could be a number of people constantly returning to it which I wouldn't be surprised about) and even recieved a sequel - Deadliest Prey - based off of this resurgence. For somebody who hasn't seen this the question is what is the appeal of this obvious First Blood knock-off?

Well the appeal besides from being bloody awesome is the fact it's 80's direct to video brilliance - cheesy dialogue with bad performances to go with it, OTT death and action scenes and a villain so trigger happy in killing his subordinates why would anybody want to work for him...

Mike Danton (Ted Prior, the brother of the director and writer of this movie David A. Prior) is a Vietnam vet, the wrong man kidnapped whilst taking out the rubbish by a group for paid mercenaries who kidnap innocent people to use in training exercises as their prey, they capture him and literally let him go int he forest and stripped to his shorts and all oiled up, the mercenaries go after him and are all killed one by one, all in cool and inventive ways such as turning a man sideways and ramming him into a tree thus breaking his back.

The First Blood comparisons are obviously the most notable but clearly stuff like The Most Dangerous Game has had an influence in their as well, Danton is probably the great unsung action hero in movie history kicking ass for the full and extremely enjoyable 90 minutes with a bunch of awesome/bad one-liners.

The ridiculousness of everything somehow comes together, there is a stupid/unintentionally funny scene where a group of mercenaries are looking and discussing to find Denton and they walk away and Denton is hidden in the trees this would work if this was not just literally over their heads and they really should have seen him but yeah it just adds to the charm. This is certainly a film I wish I had seen sooner, but now I can say I am on the Deadly Prey band-wagon. I think the fact that this film doesn't play it tongue in cheek but rather as serious works in the film's favour, I don't think it would be quite as fun.

Overall if all direct to video movies from this time period where as fun, I'd be trying to find more in this vain but alas sadly it's a diamond among the rough, see it and fall in love with it like I did.

29 - The Toxic Avenger

Connection To SUPER - Lloyd Kaufman appeared in Super and produces, writes and co-directors (as Samuel Weil) here.

I've seen a fair bit of Troma over the years, some enjoyable, some tolerable and some a choir to get through but for some reason one of the most famous movies, perhaps it's most iconic - The Toxic Avenger - has passed me by, I mean I saw the kids cartoon series (and even own the Toxie figure) which is strange that it exists when you think about it, but I am now ready from some b-movie goodness.

Yep, I loved this - a great mix of goofy comedy and OTT gore and violence, the acting is of course b-level stuff but that just adds to the charm.

Melvin Ferd III, might just be the the most pathetic weakling in cinema history (the nerds from Revenge Of The Nerds would probably even shun him), who works as a janitor at the Tromaville Health Club where he is tormented by his customers. They grew more violent even killing a young on a bike in a hit and run, finally they trick Melvin into kissing a sheep while he's in a pink tutu (makes sense in context) and he chased around the health club by them and other customers and ends jumping out of the second story window into a vat of toxic waste that causes severe burns and disfigurement, he heads up to try and scrub it off but he turns into a deformed creature of superhuman size and of strength and thus we get the Toxic Avenger.

Even to this day some of the scenes of violence would still go be considered quite dark - mans arms in a frier, shooting a dog, the hit and run with the boy etc. - I can only imagine what people thought of this 30 years ago if I'm still commentating on it's effectiveness now, and for me it mixed it well with intentionally funny stuff, all in all there is not a second of screen time wasted on something that doesn't stand out

Overall an excellent movie, this is rightly the poster child for Troma, if you are doing a cult movie night or club I would recommend you would show this because people will eat it up and seriously future Oscar Winner Marisa Tomei pops up in the version I watched.