Movies

I'm generally disinclined to watch modern Hollywood movies; there are some I've liked but in general I immerse myself in pre-1980's movies. I tend to like well written movies or those with interesting characters, and there seems to have been much more experimentation or willingness to take risks with movies of the 60's or 70's. I also have a love of bad science fiction and bad horror movies, of the so-bad-it's-good variety.

Some of my favourite movies have inspired me or moved me enough to write up some of my thoughts and observations, or otherwise just rave about them.

	Angel (1984) is an enjoyable character-oriented thriller set on Hollywood Blvd. For more fun after watching it see my filming location visits. Check out my other photos of Hollywood too.
	Dellamorte Dellamore (1994) (aka Cemetery Man). An excellent intelligent horror movie.
	Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970). If you're looking for examples of wild 1970's fun then start with this movie — no, start with this experience!.
	Re-Animator (1985). A loving adaptation of the H.P. Lovecraft short story.

More favourites? Here's an incomplete list.

• Ben-Hur (1959).
• Happiness of the Katakuris (2001).
• Phantom of the Paradise (1974).
• Shaft (1971).
• Silent Running (1972).
• Star Wars (the 1977 cut).
• Terror Firmer (1999).
• The Wild, Wild World of Batwoman (1966). A movie that I haven't managed to finish watching without falling asleep despite trying three times.

There are three directors whose works hold some fascination for me.

• Dario Argento's movies are something else, at least those movies from his classic era from 1975 to 1987 are. I find that his visual style over narrative storytelling approach works well for me, and usually there are some beautiful camera flourishes to gasp at in his movies.

  Recommendations:

  • Watch Suspiria (1977) for a touch of the supernatural.
  • For a spooky thriller see Deep Red (1975)

• Jess Franco movies can vary wildly but there's usually some small magic to be found in each that I like. His movies have been likened unto Jazz music; if that's so then perhaps there's some visual music thing (to coin a phrase) that I like. Franco's movies touch upon many exploitation subgenres but it's his horror and surreal movies that I like the most.

  My favourite weird movie with the coolest psychedelic soundtrack is the first Franco movie I ever saw, Vampyros Lesbos (1970). Fifteen minutes into watching this movie for the first time I wondered why I was continuing to watch it, it seemed so bad. Eventually I realized that it was the soundtrack and audio cues that were drawing me in; the music was as surreal as the movie was and held my attention that way. I learned something that day and this movie is now one of my favourites. This was my introduction to Jess Franco's cinema, and I'm eagerly searching for other movies of his that evoke a similar mood and feeling.

  Other recommendations:

  • Venus in Furs (1969)
  • The Awful Dr. Orlof (1962)

• Russ Meyer's movies have a quality that is unique to themselves. They feel like they're set in a parallel universe that's almost but not quite like our own; one that's slightly skewed in some mysterious way that really intrigues me. This consistency to Meyer's body of films is a clear sign of an auteur at work.

  My first introduction to Meyer's work was Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970). If you haven't seen any of his movies then check it out first; it's the one that's closest to being a Hollywood-style film. If you like it then see any or all of the following:

  • Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1966)
  • Vixen! (1968)
  • Supervixens (1975)

TV

Old favourites include Doctor Who, The Prisoner, The Avengers, Star Trek (1966-1969), Scooby-Doo (1969-1978) and a few other memorable series. I've been watching the revived Doctor Who with interest.

For almost a decade, approximately from 1988 to 1997, I had given up watching television because I realized just how stupid most of the programming was. However, towards the fall of 1997 employment pressures found me needing to veg out and I found myself not caring about quality programming but immersing myself for the occasional weekend in the warm glow of the TV. Over the next few years I found that my tolerance of stupidity and poorly written shows was again reducing the amount of programming I was consuming until I'd essentially given it up again in 2003. Nowadays it's my love of bad horror and science fiction movies, or certain shows, that determines what I'll watch on TV.

Favourites from that era are:

• The first season-and-half of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That period had a Night Stalker (1974) feel to it, and that's definitely one of my favourite shows of all time! Yes, I like supernatural horror/monster stuff.
• South Park
• The Oblongs
• G vs E

I have a small number of VHS clips taken from my ancient tapes recorded in the 80's; a few moments in time captured and preserved.