Movie Review: The Teacher

There was probably a time when a teacher seducing a student was considered taboo and was an act that was completely unheard of. It must have been a long time ago. It seems like we can not go all that long without story of some young teacher seducing a student for illicit sexual escapades. Just the other day I saw a news story about a guy who took off with a female student on the sports team he was coaching, only to get caught trying to get a job to make some money to get across the border. It all makes the plot of The Teacher seem all that more mundane when all you need to do is turn on the news for something more scandalous. Still, I found the movie to be pretty watchable, although not terribly good.

Movie Review: Pick-Up

There are some movies that you pick up to watch that you have absolutely no idea what to expect. Pick-Up is one of those movies. It is a movie that defies logic, sense, and in some cases attention span. I found, while being somewhat intrigued by the happenings in the movie, I had to stop and back it up a few times as I found myself dozing off. It is the first movie in a 32 movie box set of Drive-In Classics that I have watched since getting the set a long time ago. It was also released in a Grindhouse Classics branded double feature some years ago.

Movie Review: Psychic Killer

Here is another 70’s era exploitation feature that has come to my attention by way of a Vinegar Syndrome release. Psychic Killer is a fun, pulpy romp that is not as serious as it wants to be, nor as in depth as it could be. It is a movie that you really have to accept on its own terms. I found that the minute you begin to question it, is the same time your interest will begin to waver. It is buoyed by some decent performances, but even as I was entertained, I wonder what it could have been had it been given another rewrite or two.

Movie Review: The Possessor

The Possessor is a movie that has gone by many names over the years. It's original title is Un urlo dalle tenebre, it has also been called Return of the Exorcist, Naked Exorcism, Cries and Shadows, Exorcist 3: Cries and Shadows, and even Exorcist 2. Based on those names, you can probably guess that this is an Italian rip off of The Exorcist. This is also one of the things that I love about the Italian film industry (especially in the 1970s and 1980s), they are shameless in ripping off movies. It is fantastic, they don't try to hide it, they flaunt it, it becomes their marketing. So, it goes without saying that when you watch The Possessor, it is going to feel a little familiar, just sleazier.

Movie Review: Friday Foster

Blaxploitation is a genre I need to explore some more of. There are some really good films that came out of this era. Some more so than others. There are the ones everyone is aware of, Shaft and Foxy Brown come to mind, these are the ones that even non-movie geeks know. But you can dig a little deeper and find slightly more obscure titles (at least by my uneducated estimation) like Black Belt Jones, TNT Jackson, Truck Turner (this is a good one), and Sheba Baby (which I did not particularly care for). Then there are those that when you see them, you wonder what took so long or why they are not better regarded. Enter Friday Foster.

Horror-A-Day: The Devil Within Her

Today was the first day to have a chill from start to finish. Not cold exactly, but a certain temperature level that makes the wearing of shorts a little less like a good idea. Interestingly enough, this slightly frosted day follows my watching of a little horror film from the mid 1970s that I have seen listed under a few names, that continues my trend of watching movies I have never seen before. While I have certainly stumbled across a few stinkers, this was not one of them. I would not call this a great movie but it certainly has a certain undeniable charm.