Here we are at the end, something that is way too common today. Everything is ending and we do not have enough beginnings. The class is coming to an end, the semester has ended, and my senior year is coming to an end. This is the best time to look back and see how fast everything is ending. I would have near of thought that we would be at this point already. Just yesterday we got an extra week of spring break and then we were being rushed home for online classes. Things felt unfair, but I am glad that we still got to have this class and enjoy films. A part of me wanted to have a few more movies to watch and that what the class gave me. Being home and seeing so many presentations on favorite films, made me gout and watch some I never would have during the semester at school.

When looking back at all that we have gone over, it feels easy to thing of ones I loved and did not like as much. Not saying that the films are not good, but they just do not meet what I would consider re-watchable. Really just leaning that towards Pink Flamingos, due to the wildness this film brings. We learned right away this is a film to offend and push what you are comfortable with. It did that and more. I can at least say that I have watched it and it lives up to everything we were warned about. The rest of the films we watched were pretty good and I am glad to have seen them.

My favorite film of the year was Dazed and Confused, but I had a few that were close. I really like this one because it does not follow your normal idea of a film. There is not too much conflict and it is more about young adults trying to enjoy the best of life. Even with all the hazing and paddling, at the end they all got together and had a good time. I think that is why I liked it some much, I am in dire need of a social aspect like this and would love nothing more than having all my friends over to hangout and have fun. Some close runner ups would be Detour, Blacula, Warriors, and Detroit Rock City. I am leaving Once Upon a Time in Hollywood for later because it is another major part of this blog.

We are going to start with Detour and work our way down my list. I loved this film for the use of shading and lighting. When he would be feeling down, or we were going onto a flashback the camera would focus on his eyes. I found that powerful due to the idea that the eyes are a way into someone’s soul and his eyes showed how broken and beat down he was.

Next, we will talk about Blacula, this was a great film and taught us so much on the blaxploitation movement. I enjoyed how this took a classic idea of Dracula and made a simple twist to open it up to a new audience. Now on to my close second and it was hard to pick because Detroit Rock City was good, but The Warriors just connected with me more. The film was fun and had a lot of great action to it. Anytime I see glass bottles I can hear them clanging together asking “Warriors, come out to play” or even Professor Schlegel telling us about his buddy at the wedding. The movie focuses on gang life and how one moment can change it all. The other part I like is the use of the radio host, to let the other track the Warriors as they make their way back to Coney Island.

After this, we will have to talk about Detroit Rock City and how much fun this is. I mean these are the best because I can relate to the idea of trying to sneak around and go see a concert with your friends. I have been to a bunch because in my town we have SPAC, Saratoga Performing Art Center, and it is very easy for me to go and see concerts here. I just wish now I took the chance to see KISS when they came a few years ago. I love how it feels as if nothing will go right and then it all comes together in the end. I need this feeling in a film, or it is just unsatisfying.I wanted to add this video to my blog because I enjoyed it so much. I talked briefly about it in my final project, but I wanted to share even if we are past Detroit Rock City. It was cool to hear from the director and the steps it took to make this film come to life. The fact he read it a few years before it came across his desk or that the budget for the music changed so much because they have some many classic hits. I know it is long, but I enjoyed it.

Now on to our movie for the week, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. This film was the hardest one of the bunches for me to watch due to it being so new and not being available to rent on most sights but powered through and thanks to the internet was able to find watchable version. I have always liked Quentin Tarantino and his many works. One of my favorite things is how he takes real events and gives them the Hollywood twist we expect. In Inglorious Bastards, we get to see American succeed and take down Hitler and his Nazis. We know these events and enjoy seeing how things change to end on a positive note. This movie left me a little puzzled because I do not know too much of the background this movie takes place. For myself, I did not know much on the topic of the Manson Family or what happened to Sharon Tate.

Following the plot of this movie and getting to the final climax, I would not know it was a Quentin Tarantino movie till the final fight. I am used to his use of gore and over the top fights, something we did not get to see until the end of the movie. These are what I love most about his movies and jeep me entertained; from the pit bull going to town, Cliff bashing the girls head, and Dalton torching the last girl. It makes for one hell of an ending and gives us the twist of real life. At the end, this fight makes me want to get a pit bull because that was awesome.

For myself, I like the connections that the film makes with real life. I had to go and watch a few different YouTube clips to clear these up for me. I found that the WatchMojo video was the best and I can usually find myself looking towards these videos at time. At some point, we have all watched these clips and enjoyed them. The use of real details with simple twist makes the ending a much better viewing experience for all of us. With so many questions I had after, I was watching more clips about the Manson family to better understand their purpose in the film.

What a great way to wrap up the semester. I really loved the movie selections this year and whether I loved them or hated them, I am glad that I was able to see them at least once. This is my favorite part of the class, is getting to view films I never would on my own. I am also thankful for all your cult movie choices because they are now on my list of things to watch. No better time than during a pandemic to watch movies. These classes have helped to show me there is more to movie and how to really appreciator them, but to also to explore outside your comfort zone. Hope everyone is safe and have a great day!

This week we watched the film Sid and Nancy, and this has been a bit different compared to what we have watched the past few weeks. We went from films that depicted the craziness of high school in the 70s and some of the different shenanigans you could get into. This one took a different approach with a much slower tone. We had fast rock and cars, now we got drug addiction. I guess you can argue that they were smoking weed and that is kind of the same, but for our generation we don’t see it the way it was.

With this film all said and done, I am not sure if I will watch it again. It doesn’t mean that I did not like it, but it was not just for me. I think we have seen so many films that it is hard to see everyone as one I can fall in love with or really want to view again.

For me, I found the imagery and the songs really helped to show how crazy this was. It was insane to think about how this was. I can no longer be surprised by the actions that these rock stars get into after watching The Dirt.  This was a film that followed the band Motley Crue, who we hear about last week with Hot Tub Time Machine. I think any movie that takes a look into the music industry really open everyone’s eyes. I think if this film came out now, it might have been more popular. With so many that have come out like The Dirt, Rocketman, and Bohemian Rhapsody. Recently it seems that everyone wants to hear about the bands that they have grown up with. Maybe if they held off on the timing it would be better known. I have never listen to Sex Pistols before, but i have heard of them for some of the reasons that were shown in the film. Might listen to a few songs later.

Talulla started it off with our first cult film of the night, La Haine. Once again, a movie I have never heard of. I can be convinced to watch just because I am a sucker for a good soundtrack. I mean you cannot go wrong with some good songs and a good movie. The trailer was interesting, and I am not sure if I will watch it, but it may be easier to see since we are all stuck inside. The films that times of unrest and danger are the best to show how bad things can be and why we need change. It will be interesting when we get a film talking about some of the issue we are dealing with currently. I think I like these because so many films have so much passion and can really bring the viewer in.

I cannot believe that there is one rule and Pat broke it. Now he is asking us to break this rule for our discussion. This is wild, you don’t talk about fight club and yet here we are. I have only seen bits and pieces, but I know the film from most of the movie reference. Each week I hear people talk about these films and I think that I should watch it. With this one, it falls under the category like The Shining of why have you not seen this one yet. After hearing this one, I definitely need to just bunker down more than I already am and view a this one. Such a great film and cast from Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and even Meat Loaf. I am not sure what it is, but Meat Loaf has a way of being in cult movies. Since we saw him last year in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

This week we watched what I would call a coming of age film, Detroit Rock City. This movie was based on the idea of a few high schoolers who make the trip to see a KISS concert in Detroit. I am not a huge KISS fan, but I do enjoy some of their songs and can appreciate the music. For me, I have always laughed at the idea of how this is the devil’s music and it will turn you away from god. It just seems ridiculous, but for many households it was a common problem. The opening scene reminded me of a lot of music videos of the era of hair bands and real rock and roll. The that showed this the best was a few of the videos by Twisted Sister or even Jack Black used it in his movie, The Pick of Destiny. I don’t know how many of you know of their songs, but it looks a lot like the opening part with the mom trying to enjoy a nice drink before she gets more than she bargained for.

The film has the classic set up of nothing going right, up until the end of the film. With the drummer’s mom being an over the top religious and finding the KISS record to the tickets getting burned. I don’t know how I would react if that was my mother. Just like him, I would probably erupt on her as well. It was cool how the kids split off to try to find their own journey and end up having different, but similar experiences before the concert. I relate this to The Warriors because they spend the whole night running into issues and it doesn’t work out until the end with small victories worked in

Now we talked about how last weeks film, Dazed and Confused, had a lot of classic music and cars. This week was similar just with out some of the cars. I did notice my personal favorite car of all time in the film. As they were parking the car outside the radio station. You got a quick shot of a third-generation corvette that was popular in through the 70s. This model ran from 1968-1982, so it its right in that time frame for both of these movies. The one we saw was a late 60s or early 70s because it has chrome around the bumper. After 1975 the chrome was completely removed from the cars and went to a plastic bumper due to new safety standards.  On to the music, the songs played many hits and it just makes the movie better because you can’t help but sing along to them. After viewing I ended up listening to many of these because they were stuck in my head. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165710/soundtrack

I think the ending of the film summed up the movie in the best way possible. It was the greatest night of their lives and no one can take that away from them. An almost over played ending, where everything in the end works out. This is what the movie goers have gotten used to and when it doesn’t play out, it is not a great box office hit. We saw that last year with a few different films. I cannot remember the movies, but I know we talked about and how it was only appreciated by real film goers. This would be a wild night and one those guys would never forget.

Lets now talk on Hot Tub Time Machine and what a great film this is. I never saw this as a cult movie, but then again, I never really knew too much on the topic. This movie is just fun, and I always love quoting it. This one worked out well with other films we saw these past weeks with the use of Mötley Crüe in the movie. The song track is just awesome, and you can find it on “Loogle”. This is just a fun idea and always gave me a good laugh. The part where the squirrel appears on the field and makes them lose the bet, is always fall-down funny. I am not sure if I will watch Tank Girl, not for any particular reason except I don’t think it will interest me. Altogether, another great week of presentations.

Let’s get talking about Dazed and Confused, and how great this movie is. I am going to talk about a few of my favorite parts of this film and what I liked best about it. I laughed watching this film, mainly because all my roommates who joined us for the screen wished they all could have grown up in the 70s. I am not sure if I would want the, but I would not mind having some of these cars or freedom they had.

Lets first talk about the hazing that we see throughout the movie. The idea of this hazing is no longer allowed in our society. I think some of these things should be allowed. Not the paddling or the pouring the condiments on the girls. I think some hazing is helpful, but it is interesting how times have changed. I did find it funny how the upper classmen were waiting at the baseball game or the mom answering the door with a shotgun

Now let’s talk about the best part of the movie, the music and the cars. The soundtrack to this film was awesome and had so many great hits. I mean they played just one hit after another. I will let you go through this playlist and try to find one song that was not a top 100 hit.

On to the cars with the students driving a GTO judge, Chevrolet Chevelle SS, Trans Am and many more. I am not sure if this film was trying to be a car flick, but it could have been. Every car I saw for the most part is collectible today and worth a good amount of money restored to look like the ones in this film. I personally love the Chevrolet SS, or their super sport line and the GTO Judge is one hell of a cool car. Most of these cars are worth a pretty penny, for example the GTO when it was release for sale in 1970 cost about $6,000 from the factory, now you can find it on some dealers for close to $70,000. It is awesome because these cars a dream for many people who like the muscle cars and to find them in this condition is not cheap. https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/pontiac/gto-judge/2346587.html

I think this would be a fun introduction to high school and getting taken under the wing to show the ropes. I know I had a few upper classmen who I would hangout with and learn the ways. Those were some fun, but long nights I can relate to in the movie. Just wish we had a car with a trunk full of beer like they did. I mean these times seem so simple, for anyone 18 can go buy beer. I laugh about that, but that’s how it used to be and for many other countries it is like that. Also, the fact that the delivery guy showed up too early with the kegs was just funny. The dad was not having that for one second and knew right away what was happening. Better than that was him answering the door and all the kids run away when he opens the door.

In “class” we got to hear and learn more about peoples movie choices for cult films. Let star with “The Shining”. This is a great horror film that is so quotable and one that draws you in so well. I have never known that a movie that was more creepy and odd could keep me so focused. I am not sure why I like this more, whether it is the idea behind it or the fact that it has Jack Nicholas in it. This is such a great movie and I am would never known that it was not well liked at first . Who doesn’t love making the joke about “here’s Johnny”, I mean many people said it in class.

Next up, was Jennifer’s Body and this was a film I have never seen. I know we talked about how it played to the male fantasy by using Megan Fox, but for me; I think every kid my age knew of and had a middle school or high school or even both crush on her. She was part of why I saw the Transformers movie series and that I do enjoy cars, if you could not tell by the earlier section. I am not sure that I will ever see this film, but it was cool to learn about and hear the opinions on why it is a cult film. I did enjoy learning about it and how even by blasting Megan Fox’s image everywhere, it still could not help this movie to succeed. I guess a pretty face isn’t the only thing a film need. I mean depending upon the film, sometimes that might work.

Then we ended with “Everybody Wants some” which is a college version of Dazed and Confused. I think this will be a film I will enjoy again just like the one we watched. I can already see some cool cars and even some very funny parts. Went from the 70s, so now we move onto the 80s. It is only natural to do so.

 This week screening of “Susperia” was something new for me as I am not a huge fan of the horror genera. For me, I did not see it as a horror film we know today. The feel of the movie was more suspenseful than anything else and didn’t have the jump scares we relate to this type of movie. It was not one of my favorite movies, but it was not the worst. My scale is from “Pink Flamingos” as the lowest currently and up to “The Warriors” as one of the top films we have seen so far. As Dave Portnoy would do his pizza reviews, I will do a movie score of 6.2 for this film. Here’s why.

The movie gets off to start with a huge storm and loud music throughout the whole film. The music at times seemed so overpowering and it was hard to watch. I also found it funny how concerned everyone at the school was over money. It just seemed so out of place and odd. I mean she asked to borrow shoes, and everyone is looking for a quick buck. Next, is the part where they all had to sleep in a common area due to the maggot problem. The one girl was so worried about the women with the oddest snoring I have every heard. After a few years with some of my roommates I can say I am an expert in snoring. If you found that snoring so odd, why not just get up and look behind the sheet. This is the part of horror that makes me go crazy, if they just went and investigate. Then we could save so much time and the old witch would be discovered.

Let’s next talk about the death of Sarah in the barbed wire. First, I feel we need to speak about the man and his many attempts to open the latch. This drove me crazy; it could not be that hard to lift the knife just a little more to get the door open. He was very determined to get that latch because he didn’t stop once until Sarah fell in. Next, who just jumps down onto a floor and not even look once at it. I mean, it seems pretty obvious that you could see that much wire down there. On top of that, why does she keep thrashing around like it will help her get out. No, it is only going to cut her more. After all of that, the guy was standing there ready to cut her throat. This part also bothered me because I have watched a lot of movies and television shows to know that these should be a lot more blood. I mean it was obvious that it was a piece of meat and not some sort of fake neck with blood pouring out.

Now let’s talk about Grease 2. I grew up and have seen Grease so many times and used to love watching the film. I mean I still like to watch the film and really enjoy the songs to sing along to. Now we move on top grease 2, a film that I could say is a part of the Hollywood movie method. That is what I think of this film. The first one was so well and had a lot of popularity that they made a second one. Now I don’t think of the second one as much as the first one. Mainly due to the fact that I don’t think it is nearly as good. That is my opinion, but this is what I love about the class. I get to hear people fight for their movie and see what makes it so great to them. So, I guess I need to give it one more watch.

This week will be harder for me to write because I did the discussion, so some of my post may seem a little repetitive. I am going to touch on a few things that I brought up on Wednesday and go a little deeper.  With Valerie and her Week of Wonders, this was the first foreign film we have watched that wasn’t in English. I feel most time that this is a draw back for me because you spend more time on reading the subtitles than actually watching the movie. For this one, it was a little different because I found myself too busy trying to understand what was happening than reading. We talked about watching as a viewer and not an academic to better appreciate this film. I think that is the best advice for a film with such oddities. I mean the vampire-priest-constable is just one of the mind trick the film plays on you. Each character with the exception of Valerie seems to play so many different roles.  You find yourself trying to see who each person is and who they were at one point. The grandmother goes through so many changes, you can be easily crossed up.

One of the main talking points from my reading was the idea of the white clothing or the white flower. The symbolism in this film play a big part behind many of the themes. First you have the vampire-priest-constable who is preaching to a group of women in all white outfits. This shows how the group is pure and untainted by the vampire priest whose goal is to corrupt them. The next example of this is the blood that falls onto the flower or daisy. In the podcast, they talk how a daisy is there to represent more than just a white flower, but the daisy holds more symbolism than that. With the blood fall onto to this pure white flower, it shows how easily something beautiful can become stained. This is to represent how Valerie getting her first menstrual cycle have tarnished her innocents. I compared the use of the blood on the flower to be link the little girl in the red jacket from Schindler’s List. In that movie, the red jacket is the only color you see, and it stands out later when you see the little girl has died. It is the same way here because Valerie is no longer a little girl and can be considered a woman now that she has bleed.

After spending so much time talking about Valerie and her Week of Wonders, we got as chance to go back in time with my second reading. This reading was a blast from the past because it was a summary of so much, we had discussed in the first film class. It is always nice to go back and her about Roger Corman. A film director I have gained a lot of respect for because he not only changed the industry but mentored so many directors we have today. I can see why Dr. S likes him so much.

We then move into the cult movie presentations; this week ran a little long with passion. I have never seen Bladerrunner or knew very much on the film, but after hearing the presentation it shows how well it has resonated with some. I laughed because it took more to explain the background need to understand the plot of this film than the actual film. Once again, we got to see someone who really loves a movie and their passion behind it.

The next movie, Scream, is one that most people are more familiar with and can grasp. I could not see the title page without have “What’s your favorite Scary Movie?” pop into your head. That is such an iconic line and stands out. The only downfall is that I have seen parody more times than the actual film, and I think that takes a little away from the horror of the movie. Still a great movie and I do enjoy seeing Shaggy getting more roles in films.

This week’s screening was the Warriors, a film about a street gang from Coney Island. We follow them as they leave the island and head deeper into the city for a meeting with other street gangs from all over the city. Here we follow them as they struggle to make it home with a hit from one of the gangs out on them. A rival group kills the leader of this meeting, Cyrus, and then blames it on our Warriors. With all the dangers they face, we leave them looking off at the ocean wondering what is next for them.

My favorite part of this movie is the use of the radio host and how the focus is all on her lips. We don’t get a chance to see what she looks like, but that it not the point. The point is for us to focus on her words and how she uses different lingo to tell other gangs where they are.  “The Baseball Furies have dropped the ball – made an error. Our friends are on second base and are trying to make it all the way home. Remember, boppers… be lookin’ good.” She uses clues like the baseball furies have dropped the ball, to tell others that they are on the move. This is also mixed in well with the different music she would play. In the opening scene she plays “Nowhere to Run” by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas and then it pans to every gang getting ready to claim this bounty. This helps to show that there is no hope for our Warriors and that nowhere will be safe. Her last song was “In the City” by the Eagles and this just wraps up the film so well.  The song talks about how it is survival in the City and that what these boy just went through. It also mentions the horizon as Swan looks out to the ocean not knowing what is next. This film did a great job with both the narrating of events and music selection.

Let’s talk about Space Jam, this is a film that I hold near and dear to my heart. This is one that I think every kid has grown up watching. I can remember so many different times watching this film whether it was in my buddy’s basement or on family trips. This is just a film that every kid should have seen and falls into the category of not a real childhood without watching this film. I know that Michael Jordan’s acting was nonexistent, but even after that point the film had everything kid needs from basketball legends to the Looney Toons and then even Bill Murray. This is a film that I will hold on to as part of my own childhood and many others will to. I have a few friends who have the toon squad jerseys.

Then we take a trip Back to the Future, I know this is a cult film because it its so many different groups of people. You get the movie goers, the car enthusiast, and the sneaker heads all involved in the trilogy. I know the film mainly for the use of the DMC DeLorean and all the cool stuff around this company. From the owner who was a car designer to his plans of using the drug market to fun his production. Then you move into the second movie where everyone could wait for the hoover board and the automatic tying shoes. All of these products have hit the market and have a range of cost. You can buy the Nike shoes for about $15,000 and a DeLorean for about $50,000. The only down fall is that it will cost a little extra for all the Back to the Future gear.

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-z-delorean-is-arrested-in-24-million-cocaine-deal