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  1. Movie TV Tech Geeks #MovieReviews #TheMosquitoBowl 'The Mosquito Bowl' Review | Peter Berg’s Gritty, Gruesome WWII Film Pulls No Punches dlvr.it/TW3ymF

  2. 100 Years of Movie Musicals: The Wild, Wild Rose (1960)


    Next year marks the 100th anniversary of the movie musical, and to celebrate I’m embarking on a two-year project to watch 100 movie musicals from 1927 to the present!

    Title: The Wild, Wild Rose
    Release Date: October 4, 1960
    Director: Wong Tin-lam
    Production Company: Motion Picture & General Investment Co. Ltd.
    Main Cast:

    • Grace Chang as Deng Sijia, nicknamed “The Wild Rose”
    • Chang Yang as Liang Hanhua
    • Auyeung Sa-fay as Hanhua’s Mother
    • Lui Tat as Old Wang
    • Wong Loy as Shao Xueli
    • Lau Yan-kap as Fatty Lin
    • Ma Lik as Old Tian
    • Ma Hsiao-nung as Old Wang’s Wife
    • Sum Wan as Li Meimei
    • So Fung as Wu Suxin
    • Tang Ti as Sijia’s Husband
    • Tien Ching as Xiao Liu

    Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

    Grace Chang delivers an eye-opening performance as a lusty nightclub singer climbing the social ladder in seedy Wanchai. Borrowing story and song elements from Georges Bizet’s CARMEN, this Wong Tin-Lam directed musical has flair and polish to rival Hollywood, and a superstar leading lady that would any film industry would have a tough time matching! A key film from the celebrated Cathay Film Studios.

    My Thoughts:

    In a modern adaptation of Carmen, the captivating Grace Chang stars as a nightclub singer who performs jazzy renditions of opera pieces.  When Liang Hanhua begins working as a nightclub pianist, Chang’s Deng Sijia makes a “How to Win a Guy in Ten Days” bet.  Hanhua falls head over heels for Sijia to the point of abandoning his mother and fiancee.  Things take a turn for the worse when Sijia’s gangster ex-boyfriend starts making threats.  Despite Sijia’s outward appearance as mischievous and ambitious, she’s really kindhearted.  And despite Hanhua’s appearance as a nice, normal guy he proves to be a selfish jerk who has at least three women working to fix things for him and can’t get it together.  The melodrama is standard but this is definitely worth watching for the extended musical numbers, all of Chang performing in a club setting.

    Rating: ***

     

    #100YearsOfMovieMusicals #China #Drama #HongKong #MovieReviews #Movies #Musical
  3. Halloween Horror Movie Review: The Return of the Living Dead (1985)


    Title: The Return of the Living Dead
    Release Date: August 16, 1985
    Director: Dan O’Bannon
    Production Company: Hemdale Film Corporation | Fox Films, Ltd. | Cinema ’84
    Main Cast:

    • Clu Gulager as Burt Wilson
    • James Karen as Frank Johnson
    • Don Calfa as Ernie Kaltenbrunner
    • Thom Mathews as Freddy Hanscom
    • Beverly Randolph as Tina
    • Miguel A. Núñez Jr. as Spider
    • John Philbin as Chuck
    • Jewel Shepard as Casey
    • Brian Peck as Scuz
    • Linnea Quigley as Trash
    • Mark Venturini as Suicide
    • Jonathan Terry as Colonel Horace Glover
    • Cathleen Cordell as Ethel Glover, Colonel’s Wife
    • Drew Deighan as Jerry, The Paramedic
    • James Dalesandro as Tom, The Paramedic
    • Robert Libman as Tac Squad Captain
    • Derrick Brice as Gunnery Sergeant Jefferson
    • Allan Trautman as Tarman Zombie
    • Terrence Houlihan as Yellow Cadaver Zombie
    • Jerome Coleman as Legless Corpse Zombie
    • Cherry Davis as The Voice of The Female Torso Zombie
    • John Durbin as The Zombie Who Calls for More Paramedics
    • David Bond as The Zombie Who Calls for More Cops

    Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

    When two bumbling employees at a medical supply warehouse accidentally release a deadly gas into the air, the vapors cause the dead to rise again as zombies.

    My Thoughts:

    Night of the Living Dead co-writer John Russo split off from George Romero to create his own zombie franchise beginning with this 1980s time capsule of a movie.  The movie is set around a medical supply warehouse in Louisville where drums of the toxic gas that causes zombieism were accidentally sent by the military. Remember the Reagan Era 80s when nonetheless the cultural zeitgeist was deeply mistrustful of the military rather than “support the troops?” Naturally, the gas is released affecting not just the warehouse but the nearby cemetery where a group of punks have gathered to party.

    The blue collar workers (all of whom seem to be played by familiar character actors that I cannot place where I’ve seen them before) get most of the best lines.  There’s the wiseacre Frank training the new hire Freddy, their hapless boss who makes all the wrong decisions when he takes charge, and the deadpan mortician Eddie.  The punks are funny in that 80s movie punks are always the same over-the-top stereotypes.  The girl who strips naked for the entire film is gratuitous though.

    And then there are the zombies who just want “BRAIIIIIINSSS!!!” because they stave off the pain of decay (possibly a metaphor for substance abuse?).  It’s hard to believe that is the first depiction of zombies craving brains. The idea of zombies who not only talk, but can hold conversations is a bit off-putting, but then again the “Send more cops!” gag is hilarious.

    This isn’t a masterpiece, but it’s corny fun with a lot of great one-liners, and probably would be exponentially more enjoyable at a crowded theater screening.

    Rating: ***

    #Comedy #HalloweenHorror #Horror #MovieReviews #Movies #ScienceFiction #Zombies
  4. Halloween Horror Movie Review: Carrie (1976)


    Title: Carrie
    Release Date: November 3, 1976
    Director: Brian De Palma
    Production Company: Red Bank Films
    Main Cast:

    • Sissy Spacek as Carrie White
    • Piper Laurie as Margaret White
    • Amy Irving as Sue Snell
    • William Katt as Tommy Ross
    • John Travolta as Billy Nolan
    • Nancy Allen as Chris Hargensen
    • Betty Buckley as Miss Collins
    • P. J. Soles as Norma Watson
    • Priscilla Pointer as Mrs. Snell
    • Sydney Lassick as Mr. Fromm
    • Stefan Gierasch as Mr. Morton

    Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

    Withdrawn and sensitive teenager Carrie White faces bullying from classmates and abuse from her fanatically pious mother. When she begins to suspect that she has supernatural powers, things take a dark and violent turn.

    My Thoughts:

    I had made it this far in life without ever reading Carrie or seeing any of its adaptations in movies, TV, or even the musical!  And yet, Carrie is so steeped in the cultural milieu that the story is nonetheless familiar.  There were some surprises.  For example, I had no idea that the cast is stacked with familiar actors such as Amy Irving, Nancy Allen, William Katt, P. J. Soles, and John Travolta.

    The less pleasant surprise is that the opening scene is set in a locker room where purportedly high school girls cavort around fully nude.  It’s really creepy and gross and sets a bad tone for a movie that’s all over the place.  Sometimes it’s a teen sex comedy, sometimes it’s an after school special, and sometimes it’s stealing the Psycho sting for unearned jump scares.  At its heart, this is a movie about abuse – Carrie’s mother justifying physical and psychological torture with Christianity, the bullying by the popular girls, Billy hitting Chris, and even the “nice” teacher Miss Collins drilling and slapping students.

    There are two things I liked about this movie.  First, there’s Sissy Spacek’s performance, expertly capturing the shyness, ignorance, and off-putting nature of the lead character.  I like how she researches her telekinetic power at the library, and gains confidence to assert herself against her mother.  And no matter how evil her mother gets, she still craves her physical affection and approval.

    The other good thing is the prom scene which is familiar to those who haven’t even watched the movie.  The movement of the camera around Carrie and Tommy as they seem to be actually connecting is wonderful, as is the ominous lead to the bucket of blood.  And of course Carrie’s revenge filmed in split screen as she walks through the flames is iconic.  I guess I just wish the rest of the movie had been filmed so artfully and given support to the underlying themes instead of wooden dialogue, clumsy tonal changes, and vulgar titillation.

    Rating: **

    #BookAdaptation #HalloweenHorror #Horror #MovieReviews #Movies #Thriller
  5. I’ve watched a few movies lately, with reviews at the links below.
    Weapons (4/5): boxd.it/gVAb7Z
    Sunshine (3/5): boxd.it/gVrTjH
    The Blob (3/5) : boxd.it/gVnFMd
    #moviereviews #horror

  6. I’ve watched a few movies lately, with reviews at the links below.
    Weapons (4/5): boxd.it/gVAb7Z
    Sunshine (3/5): boxd.it/gVrTjH
    The Blob (3/5) : boxd.it/gVnFMd
    #moviereviews #horror

  7. Movie TV Tech Geeks #MovieReviews #WildHorseNine #JohnMalkovich John Malkovich Is an Instant Oscar Favorite in Martin McDonagh's 'Wild Horse Nine' | Review dlvr.it/TW1hdk

  8. Movie TV Tech Geeks #MovieReviews #GodzillaMinusOne ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ Is a Rare Sequel Better Than the Original | Review dlvr.it/TW1ZWJ

  9. Me on a contrary mood and revelling against watching the c-drama everyone is watching, namely Lament of Autumn and the one with Tian Xi Wei 😆.
    Was recommended this movie by xhs which just debuted on iQiyi. Usually straight-to-platform movies are not that great but this was so outstanding I actually thought it was a theatrical movie that was just streamed on Iqiyi.
    This has become so popular that is literally being recommended and praised everywhere on xhs.

    Very classic wuxia, with stellar fight scenes. I feel I need a second watch to truly understand the intricate plotting in this movie!

    #Cdrama #movies #moviereviews

  10. Movie TV Tech Geeks #MovieReviews #LaBolaNegra #PenelopeCruz 'La Bola Negra’ Finds Beauty in the Rubble of Spain's Tragic History | Review dlvr.it/TW13S6

  11. Movie TV Tech Geeks #MovieReviews #Clayface #MikeFlanagan 'Clayface' Is Horrific To Watch for All the Right Reasons | Review dlvr.it/TW0zdc

  12. Geektown Radio 506: Planet Zoo 2, The X-Files Reboot, True Detective S5 & Below

    It's another packed week on Geektown Radio, as Dave is joined by Darryl from Hollywood North News to chat about the latest TV, film and gaming news! This week, we've got reviews of Netflix's genre-bendin

    geektown.co.uk/2026/10/20/geek

    #Gaming #GeektownRadio #MovieNews #MovieReviews #PCGaming #Podcasts #TVNews #UKAirDates

  13. 100 Years of Movie Musicals: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938)


    Next year marks the 100th anniversary of the movie musical, and to celebrate I’m embarking on a two-year project to watch 100 movie musicals from 1927 to the present!

    Title: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
    Release Date: March 18, 1938
    Director: Allan Dwan
    Production Company: Twentieth Century-Fox
    Main Cast:

    • Shirley Temple as Rebecca Winstead
    • Randolph Scott as Tony Kent
    • William Demarest as Henry Kipper
    • Helen Westley as Miranda
    • Gloria Stuart as Gwen
    • Bill “Bojangles” Robinson as Aloysius
    • Slim Summerville as Homer Busby
    • Jack Haley as Orville Smithers
    • Phyllis Brooks as Lola Lee
    • Alan Dinehart as Purvis
    • Franklin Pangborn as an organist at a radio station
    • Paul Hurst as Florabelle’s Father
    • Mary McCarty as Florabelle
    • J. Edward Bromberg as Dr. Hill
    • Paul Harvey as Cyrus Bartlett
    • Dixie Dunbar as receptionist

    Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

    Rebecca’s Uncle Harry leaves her with Aunt Miranda who forbids her to associate with show people. But neighbor Anthony Kent is a talent scout who secretly set it up for her to broadcast

    My Thoughts:

    As I work on my 100 Years of Movie Musicals project, I was making a list and noted that I had never reviewed a musical from 1938, nor a Shirley Temple movie.  This film satisfies both conditions.  The adorable and amazingly talented Temple plays an orphan passed among family members while plot contrivances prevent her from finding her place as a radio star.  The stacked cast includes Randolph Scott, Jack Haley, Gloria Stuart, and Bill Robinson, and the musical numbers are great.  At one point, Temple’s Rebecca performs a medley of songs Temple made famous in her previous movies, which breaks character, but it’s also a flex.  Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm is a formulaic comedy musical with clear heroes and villains but I found it interesting at how close it comes to actually making a commentary on the exploitation of child performers with the biggest child star of the era!

    Rating: ***

    #100YearsOfMovieMusicals #Drama #Family #MovieReviews #Movies #Musicals
  14. 100 Years of Movie Musicals: Black Orpheus (1959)


    Next year marks the 100th anniversary of the movie musical, and to celebrate I’m embarking on a two-year project to watch 100 movie musicals from 1927 to the present!

    Title: Black Orpheus
    Release Date: June 12, 1959
    Director: Marcel Camus
    Production Company: Dispat Films (France) | Gemma (Italy) | Tupan Filmes (Brazil)
    Main Cast:

    • Breno Mello as Orfeu
    • Marpessa Dawn as Eurydice
    • Marcel Camus as Ernesto
    • Fausto Guerzoni as Fausto
    • Lourdes de Oliveira as Mira
    • Léa Garcia as Serafina
    • Adhemar da Silva as Death
    • Alexandro Constantino as Hermes
    • Waldemar De Souza as Chico
    • Jorge Dos Santos as Benedito
    • Aurino Cassiano as Zeca

    Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

    Young lovers Orfeu and Eurydice run through the favelas of Rio during Carnaval, on the lam from a hitman dressed like Death and Orfeu’s vengeful fiancée Mira and passing between moments of fantasy and stark reality. This impressionistic retelling of the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice introduced bossa nova to the world with its soundtrack by young Brazilian composers Luiz Bonfá and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

    My Thoughts:

    “Nouvelle vague” and “bossa nova” both translate as “new wave.”  In this film, French New Wave director incorporates Brazil’s new wave of music and dance into almost every scene.  Black Orpheus sets the ancient Greek myth in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro during Carnaval.  The film is colorful, beautifully filmed, and is more impressionistic than narrative.  Critics of the film note that the film glamorizes the life of poor Afro-Brazilians, and they’re right to do so, although it’s also clearly intended to be a fantasy.

    Rating: ***1/2

    #100YearsOfMovieMusicals #Brazil #Drama #France #GreekMythology #Italy #MovieReviews #Movies #Musical #RioDeJaneiro #Romance
  15. Halloween Horror Movie Review: Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)


    Title: Nosferatu the Vampyre
    Release Date: January 17, 1979
    Director: Werner Herzog
    Production Company: Werner Herzog Filmproduktion | Gaumont |ZDF
    Main Cast:

    • Klaus Kinski as Count Dracula
    • Isabelle Adjani as Lucy Harker (voiced by Constanze Engelbrecht)
    • Bruno Ganz as Jonathan Harker
    • Roland Topor as Renfield (voiced by Horst Sachtleben)
    • Walter Ladengast as Dr. Abraham van Helsing
    • Dan van Husen as Warden
    • Jan Groth [de] as Harbormaster
    • Carsten Bodinus as Schrader
    • Martje Grohmann as Mina
    • Rijk de Gooyer as Town official (voiced by Fred Maire)
    • Clemens Scheitz as Clerk
    • John Leddy as Coachman (voiced by Norbert Gastell)
    • Tim Beekman as Coffin bearer
    • Margiet van Hartingsveld as Woman
    • Lo van Hensbergen as Town official’s assistant (voiced by Norbert Gastell)

    Synopsis (via Letterboxd):

    A real estate agent leaves behind his beautiful wife to go to Transylvania to visit the mysterious Count Dracula and formalize the purchase of a property in Wismar.

    My Thoughts:

    Nosferatu the Vampyre is a recreation of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 film Nosferatu, itself an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.  It will be hard to write about this movie without comparing it to the book and movie as well as the more recent Robert Eggers remake. Werner Herzog’s film has a visual style that sets it apart, from framing to angles to color.  In Klaus Kinski and Isabelle Adjani he also has actors skilled in delivering unsettling performances, even before putting on extensive makeup.  And then there are rats, so many rats!  It’s a slow and meditative film where the horror kind of seeps in rather than jumps out at you.

    By the way, does anyone know why Lucy and Mina’s names were switched for this version?

    Rating: ***1/2

    #BookAdaptation #Dracula #Germany #GothicHorror #HalloweenHorror #Horror #MovieReviews #Movies
  16. Movie TV Tech Geeks #MovieReviews #YouCanSeeEverything #Documentary 'You Can See Everything' Review: The Year's Most Original Movie Will Make You Question Reality dlvr.it/TVxchR

  17. Movie TV Tech Geeks #MovieReviews #JaneAusten #SenseandSensibility 'Sense & Sensibility' Steals 'Pride & Prejudice's Crown as a Masterpiece Austen Adaptation | Review dlvr.it/TVwtqy

  18. Movie TV Tech Geeks #MovieReviews #Whalefall #JoshBrolin In 'Whalefall,' the Only Thing More Dangerous Than the Sea Is Guilt | Review dlvr.it/TVw2gv

  19. Geektown Radio 505: VisionQuest, Doctor Who’s Future, Stargate, Marvel’s Zodiac & More

    It's a bumper Geektown Radio this week, as Dave is joined by Matt from Entertainment Talk for an episode packed with reviews, gaming chat, and some rather big developments in

    geektown.co.uk/2026/10/13/geek

    #GameReviews #Gaming #GeektownRadio #MovieNews #MovieReviews #PCGaming #Podcasts #TVNews #UKAirDates

  20. Movie TV Tech Geeks #MovieReviews #RayGunn #BradBird Brad Bird's Noir Sci-Fi ‘Ray Gunn’ Officially Recaptures His ‘Incredibles’ Magic | Review dlvr.it/TVtSr5

  21. I've been waiting to see #Fjord #FjordMovie #FjordFilm since I first heard about it, and it just recently came out in limited release. I did not expect the longer run time (2:26), but it did let them delve into a lot in the main story and otherwise.

    What does "in the best interest of the children" mean, especially when you have overly-meddlesome neighbors and an oppressive governmental structure? #FilmReview #FilmReviews #MovieReview #MovieReviews 1/2

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