Duck, You Sucker (1971)

Featuring: Rod Steiger, James Coburn. Director: Sergio Leone.

Warning: This movie is only supposed to be available for streaming until Jan. 1st. Act fast!

Look at that cover. Look at it. How could anyone not be intrigued by the possibilities? A cover like this one is only found on two kinds of movies. Awful movies, and awfully awesome movies. Luckily, this one is representative  of the latter. I should have known that after I saw the king of spaghetti westerns, Sergio Leone, was at the helm.

The first ten minutes of this film are strange, confronting and to be honest made me a little queasy - in a good way. The rest of the film is partly hilarious, a bit over the top, and disturbingly tragic. Needless to say there is a lot going on this film.

It stars James Coburn as an IRA explosives-man on the run in Mexico during the revolution. Coburn's character meets up with a bandit, played by Rod Steiger, who is out to make the score of a lifetime and just happens to need a man that is good with dynamite. The two are rivals and confrontational at first but eventually build enough mutual respect to become friends. I won't really go into where the story goes from there, except that to say it goes all over the place and not in directions you will expect.

This is one of those movies you find yourself enjoying way more than you thought you would. It's a roller coaster ride, filled with  the ups and downs, the fear and all the excitement that goes with it. Check it out, you'll either love it or hate it. But, you're queue will look much cooler with that cover in it.

Click here to add this to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 1/1/12. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Look at that cover, seriously.

Is it artsy? Not at all.

What stood out the most to you? From the disturbing opening ten minutes I was hooked.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Looking for something over the top, a little disturbed and different.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars.  

Tweet

Led Zeppelin: The Song Remains the Same (1976)

Featuring: Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Bonham, John Paul Jones. Directors: Joe Massot, Peter Clifton.

Warning: This movie is only supposed to be available for streaming until Jan. 1st. Act fast!

If you aren't a fan of Led Zeppelin then you need to either hit up iTunes (or obtain by other means) some of their music. Either that or get off of my page. They're the greatest rock band of all time in my mind and they are unquestionably up there in everyone's top five (provided they have any knowledge of music history). Their music was incredible and their energy was insane. The four of them were as talented as any group in history.

I imagine you all probably know that already, but I was just making sure. This film captures the band live from Madison Square Garden in New York tearing the house down in their prime. Watching them perform gave me goosebumps and it only got more intense as it went on. Jimmy Page is probably the only man in history that could give that other Jimi a run for his money as far as creativity and skill with the guitar. My face melted a little bit, no bullshit. Robert Plant's voice is absolutely mesmorizing, I didn't even really need to watch this to be hypnotized. The music is that good.

This is something that should be watched by anyone with any passing interest in music. Sure, there were trippy scenes thrown in for absolutely no reason that only detracted from the performance, but that's just how they rolled in the 70's. Don't let the bizarre beginning distract you from what is here. A thrilling performance from the greatest rock stars of all time.

Click here to add this to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 1/1/12. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Led Zeppelin were rock gods.

Is it artsy? No, but it tries to be with pointless trippy parts that just feel tagged on.

What stood out the most to you? Jimmy Page is a bad mother f*****.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Stoned and/or ready to rock.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars.  

Tweet

Lenny (1974)

Featuring: Dustin Hoffman, Valerie Perrine. Director: Bob Fosse

Warning: This movie is only supposed to be available for streaming until Nov. 20th so act fast!

I really wanted to love this movie. I admire Lenny Bruce and I seem to remember hearing about an up-and-coming actor named Dustin Hoffman who is supposed to be pretty good. It seemed like this movie should have had it all, but throughout the film I kept getting the feeling that something was lacking. The acting was very good and the material was very interesting, but I think what was missing might have been spectacle.

The movie seemed a little too quiet and deliberate for a biopic about a man as controversial as Lenny Bruce. Now, I'm not saying there should have been as much spectacle as there was in The People vs. Larry Flynt, because no one did spectacle quite like Larry Flynt. It is worth making the comparison, however, because the two films (and the lives of their two subjects) did follow very similar paths. Controversy, tragedy, and (justifiable) obsession with the first amendment. Sadly, Lenny Bruce passed away before his fight for  first amendment rights could yield any fruits. Maybe that's the real reason I don't like this movie as much as The People vs. Larry Flynt, there was no vindication, no moment of glory, no spectacle. Just tragedy.

Click here to add this to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 11/20/11. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Dustin Hoffman as Lenny Bruce, how could I resist?

Is it artsy? Yes, in that sort of artsy way that is particular to movies from the 70's. Black and white, a ton of close ups.

What stood out the most to you? How much more interesting the second half of the movie was then the first.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Don't expect it to be very funny just because it's about Lenny Bruce, it's actually a pretty depressing movie.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 Stars.

Tweet

Madhouse (1974)

Featuring: Vincent Price, Peter Cushing. Director: Jim Clark.

The final Vincent Price film I watched this year was Madhouse. Coincidentally enough, it stars Price as a b-movie horror actor trying to make a big comeback. Where oh where did they ever come up with that premise? Anyhow, people around Mr. Price start dying the same way that people died in the "Dr. Death" movies his character starred in.

I loved the premise and thought they could have done some wonderful things with it, but the movie left me a little disappointed. If you want to see Price as an actor killing off people you should probably check out Theatre of Blood, which was filmed the year before. While it didn't live up to my expectations, there are a few creepy moments that you don't want to miss if you're a Vincent Price aficionado. The ending was particularly satisfying and so is the trailer. As you all know, I love 70's b-movie trailers more than Robert Rodriguez.

Click here to add this movie to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 5/1/13. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Can't have a Vincent Price marathon without a bunch of Vincent Price movies in your queue.

Is it artsy? Nope.

What stood out the most to you? The creepy spider lady, you'll know what I'm talking about.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Macabre.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 Stars. 

Tweet

Harlan County, U.S.A. (1976)

Director: Barbara Kopple.

Warning: This will stop streaming on May 26th so act fast!

Yesterday I talked about how much I enjoyed documentaries about mundane topics. This is not one of those documentaries. This is one of those documentaries that slaps you in the face and shows you how f***** up and evil people can be. Harlan County, U.S.A., is about the coal miners strike in, you guessed it, Harlan County, Kentucky.

For those of you unfamiliar with the history of the relationship between mining companies and miners in Harlan County, it's awful, bloody and downright gruesome. In the 30's guerrilla warfare actually broke out between the two factions and while things weren't quite that bad in the 70's, it still wasn't pleasant. The head of the company was actually convicted of murder for ordering the death of a union leader - and his entire family. All of this because the workers wanted to join the United Mine Workers of America so that they might get a contract that included things as luxurious as say, bathrooms and and indoor plumbing at the shacks they had to live in on company property.

These people fought and died for their right to unionize and when you look at that through the lens of our current political climate in an age where corporations are allowed to do anything they want and workers have no representation - it looks like their blood was shed in vain.

This is an important documentary for us all to think of. Just to be reminded of what the profit motive is capable of if left unchecked. Everyone should watch this to see how far we've come, and in some ways, how far we've regressed.

To add this documentary to your Netflix queue click here.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 5/26/11. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? I've heard it's a classic documentary and I can see why.

Is it artsy? No, but it is incredibly confronting.

What stood out the most to you? The depths of depravity the mining company would sink to.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Ready to get a glimpse at the darker side of corporations.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars. 
 

Tweet

Slap Shot (1977)

Featuring: Paul Newman, Michael Ontkean. Director: George Roy Hill.

Warning: This movie will only stream until April 30th so act fast!

There aren't many great actors that can do both comedies and dramas. Comedic and dramatic timing just seem to be on different wavelengths. Paul Newman, however, can pull it off. He's always had a sort of mischievous look to him and provided a sense of humor to most of the roles he's played. Plus, it's friggin Paul Newman, he can do whatever he wants.

Slap Shot is a raunchy sports comedy about an awful minor league hockey team that is going to fold unless they turn their season around. Really cliched, right? Yea, it's your average underdog sports movie plot, except that they don't start winning because of hard work and stick-to-it-iveness. They start winning because they decide to just start beating the crap out of the other team.

If you're looking for a foul-mouthed sports movie filled with guy humor this is your best bet. This movie wrote the blueprint for movies like Major League and holds up really well. This is still a very funny movie, the only thing dated is all the polyester.

Click here to add this movie to your Netflix queue. 

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 4/30/11. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Paul Newman.

Is it artsy? Not in the least.

What stood out the most to you? The Hansons. No, not the band.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Looking for crude humor that is very well done.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 Stars. 

Tweet

Marathon Man (1976)

Laurence Olivier is brilliant in this movie as an undercover Nazi in America to retrieve his stash of diamonds. I will never ever be able to have a German dentist because of this movie. "Is it safe?" has to be one of the creepiest lines ever used in a movie and Dustin Hoffman is very convincing as a panicked and terrorized college student in way over his head. All the international intrigue adds a nice touch to this movie as well.

The movie does start off a bit slow but make sure you stick with it. Over time the film slowly builds to a fever pitch and you end up on the edge of your seat. Add this one to your queue, it's got brilliant acting, an interesting plot and just enough suspense to keep you guessing. And really, can you think of a scarier villain than a Nazi dentist?

Click here to add this to your queue.

This movie will stop streaming on 1/1/2011.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? People have told me it was a good movie, they were right.

Is it artsy? No.

Best thing about the movie? Is it safe?

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? A suspenseful one.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars. 

Tweet

The Omega Man (1971)

The novel I Am Legend by Richard Matheson has got to be the greatest book I've never read. It was the inspiration for The Omega Man, the recent Will Smith movie I Am Legend, and the awesome Vincent Price classic The Last Man on Earth. For any other sci-fi novel being the inspiration for three films that range from very decent to great would be a testament to the power and timelessness of your story. This book however was also the inspiration for George Romero's classic Night of the Living Dead and all of the zombie madness that has since followed. I have watched zombies get murdered in countless films, on hit TV shows, prepared for the zombie apocalypse and personally killed thousands of zombies (in video games) and all of it was inspired by Richard Matheson. Now that I'm done man-crushing I'll get back to the regularly scheduled review.

In this incarnation of Matheson's story, Charlton Heston is the last man on earth not affected by the biological war that ravaged America. By day he is free to roam the abandoned streets of L.A. but when night rolls around a group of albino freaks called The Brotherhood come out and try to kill him. Overall, I thought it was a pretty damn entertaining movie but like most films made in the 70's you can tell that they were trying way to hard to be hip. Don't get me wrong, I think it's cool that back then Heston's character had a strong, foxey black woman for a girlfriend but was all the jive talk really necessary? It took something away from it to me and the exchanges between the two characters was mostly awkward and at best corny. I guess they just didn't know how to write for interracial couples back then but they get kudos for trying.

Despite being a little slow in the beginning I will recommend this movie because even if I didn't think it was well done at certain parts it at least kept me entertained.

Click here to add this to your queue.

This movie is scheduled to stop streaming on 1/1/2011.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Cool cover plus I saw it was based off of I Am Legend.

Is it artsy? No.

Best thing about the movie? The awkward birth control joke, you'll know what I'm talking about.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Looking for some classic sci-fi/horror with a touch of 70's corniness.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 Stars. 

Tweet

Dirty Harry (1971)

Before Clint Eastwood evolved into the brilliant director he has become today he made his name playing tough as nails characters like the infamous Harry Callahan. I've been meaning to watch some old school Eastwood movies for a while now and since A Fist Full of Dollars wasn't streaming I thought Dirty Harry would be a good place to start.

My expectations were pretty high for this movie. Aside from the legendary "well, do ya, punk?" speech I was expecting non-stop Eastwood kick-assery. Unfortunately, it didn't quite satisfy me. It's not that Eastwood wasn't awesome and didn't kick any ass it's just that the "plays by his own rules" cop movie has been done so many times since this movie came out that the plot just feels way too familiar. That's not a knock on the movie. At the time it was probably original and ground-breaking but it just doesn't blow me away like it would have if I had never seen all of the rip-offs of this movies in the 40 years since. Still, it's a good flick and significant to the action genre, it just doesn't hold up as well as hoped.

Click here to add to your queue.

This movie will stop streaming on 1/1/2011.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Wanted to watch some old school Eastwood.

Is it artsy? No.

Best thing about the movie? Eastwood's scowl.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? In the mood to watch a cop action movie.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 Stars. 

Tweet

The Candidate (1972)

The Candidate (click here to add to your queue) is a satirical look at how campaigns in America are run. Robert Redford is the star and he does a great job. I'm a bit of a political junkie that has even worked on a few campaigns so naturally this is a movie I had to give a look. In some ways the movie doesn't really hold up too well. Most movies from the 70's just don't seem to hold up over time and to me it's mostly because of the way those people dressed, it just doesn't look right. Redford plays a Democrat who is up against long odds to win and runs on the premise that he is going to lose so he might as well say what he wants. It's easy to forget that not too long ago the state that brought us Nancy Pelosi also gave us Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon. It really illustrates how much the country has changed.

What I really found interesting about the film is what hasn't changed in the last 40 years. People are still arguing about abortion, the environment, unemployment and welfare just like they were back in '72. You often hear a lot of outrage in the media about how politicians don't get anything done and that they've sunk to new lows. Politics has always been, and always will be, a dirty business. 40 years later, this film shows just that.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? I'm a political junkie.

Is it artsy? No.

Best thing about the movie? The similarities between politics then and now.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? A political and/or cynical one.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 stars.

Tweet

The Last Picture Show (1971)

The Last Picture Show (click here to add to your queue) wasn't at all what I expected from reading the description. This movie, first and foremost, is about sex. When I think black and white movie set in a sleepy Texas town the last thing that pops into my head is a movie where everyone is gettin' it on with everyone else. Not many movies portray sex in a way that those of us that aren't Antonio Banderas would find realistic. This movie really has awkward teen sex down. Whether it's because you're fawning over an illusive and alluring young Cybill Shepard or shacking up for the first time with a cougar like Cloris Leachman, this film recreates the weirdness of sex when you're first figuring out what goes where.

Despite the good acting and exploration of sexual themes the movie still moves along pretty slowly in my opinion. I'd find myself getting pretty bored for stretches of time when Cybill wasn't doing her damnedest to look sexy. I probably would have enjoyed this a lot more with a bit less melodrama and maybe 45 minutes cut out of the run-time. That being said it's an interesting movie in the way it honestly portrays sexuality - both good and bad. And it does star a young Jeff Bridges which is pretty cool too.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Jeff Bridges is one of those actors that gets an automatic add.

Is it artsy? It's in black and white (when it didn't need to be) and it deals with sexuality, so yes, partly.

Best thing about the movie? Making me realize that they had naked pool parties in small Texas towns and everyone was doing everyone, guess Chicago wasn't as wild as I thought.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? No comment.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 stars.

Tweet

Theatre of Blood (1973)

Featuring: Vincent Price. Director: Douglas Hickox.

In day four of our five day Vincent Price marathon the master of b-horror gives us Theater of Blood. In this film Vincent Price plays a Shakespearean actor who flips his lid and starts killing all of the critics who snubbed him for a prestigious award. Every artists dream right?

All of the murders are based on murders from Shakespeare's plays and the way he pulls them all off is very creative. This is the bloodiest Vincent Price movie I've seen to date and despite having watched a ton of horror movies in my days I saw some creative, oddball kills in this movie that not even the people that did the Final Destination movies could ever come up with. If you like murder/horror movies check this one out. It's very... interesting.

Mwahahahahahaha (in my awful Vincent Price Voice).

Click here to add this movie to your Netflix queue.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? We've been over this in the last few posts, Vincent Price is dreamy.

Is it artsy? Nope, but it's about an artist's revenge.

Best thing about the movie? Creative killings and wild fencing.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? In a mood to get stabby.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 stars. 

Tweet