Grindhouse (2007)

Grindhouse (2007)

Dirs. Robert Rodriguez + Quentin Tarantino

If you're aware of what the Grindhouse pairing was and just want to read thoughts on the films themselves, then you can skip direct to the text below the cut. For anyone else, I'll attempt to give some background on the genre and project.

The term 'grindhouse' is believed to have been coined in America to describe a movie theatre that screened mainly trashy B-Movies and exploitation flicks, a no frills venue that might have less than stellar hygiene practices. It was the hooker-and-motel for 'cult' film lovers, or even the equivalent of a quick grope behind the diner with the local skank. But sometimes that skank was all you really needed from life.

Directors Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino each made a film in the spirit of those cheap exploitation flicks and screened them as a double feature back-to-back. Well, in the US they did. In Britain they were split up and to see both we had to buy separate tickets. It sucks, but in reality I don't consider either film worth seeing. The real downside of the split is that we were denied the fake trailers for nonexistent films that were shown between the two flicks.

Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77 (2017)

Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77 (2017)

Authors: Marc Andreyko / Jeff Parker | Illustrators: David Hahn / Karl Kesel / Bill Williams | Page Count: 144

"In the brightest flash of light my young eyes had ever seen...Wonder Woman appeared!"

Holy logical team-ups! Gotham's Caped Crusader pairs with Themyscira's most famous daughter in a heavenly crossover that's even better than I hoped it would be.

The two distinct eras aren't ignored or glossed over; they're an essential part of the structure. If you're familiar with each hero's respective TV show, you'll know that Season 01 of Wonder Woman is set in 1940s America, making it not inconceivable that Diana Prince could've visited Bruce Wayne's home town before her return to Paradise Island and her Season 02 adventures.

Being in Wo Wo Season 01 era means there's Nazis to deal with; they're hunting for two rare books that are more important than even their rich owner knows.

Jonathan Creek: The Clue of the Savant's Thumb (2013)

Jonathan Creek: The Clue of the Savant's Thumb (2013)

Dir. David Renwick | Approx 89 minutes

Jonathan's life has changed. He's retired from the crime solving business but seems ill at ease in his new role and awkward in his new clothes.

I accepted the changes without much affront but one thing bugged me: where the hell is the windmill? I'd never move out of a windmill, not for anyone!

When a dead body turns up and mysteriously disappears from a locked room on the same day Jonathan's curiosity is piqued. How could he resist?

Joey Ross (Sheridan Smith) is on hand to both complicate and help, in equal measure. I really like Sheridan and she doesn't disappoint in the role. Her chemistry with Alan Davies is good and her eagerness is only equalled by her sassiness.

Clive Barker's Nightbreed: Complete Collection (2015-17)

Clive Barker's Nightbreed: Vol 01 (2015)

Authors: Clive Barker / Marc Andreyko | Illustrator: Piotr Kowalski | Page Count: 112

"Midian calls to all of her children."

Given the choice, I'd rather have had a sequel novel than a prequel comic book, but a comic version of Nightbreed that's canon is better than nothing at all, I guess.

It's a story set in the present, broken periodically with flashbacks to years before. To confuse matters, the 'present' is the year the film is set (so, yes, you'll need to have viewed the film prior to reading) and the flashbacks are from a number of different perspectives, each one telling the story of how a particular member of the collective lived prior to finding the safety of Midian.

I had a secret hope that the short series would do what the film itself failed to do: flesh out the inner-workings of Midian and deepen the concerns of the creatures, warts and all, beyond just 'we may be ugly on the outside, but humans are morally uglier on the inside'.

The Towering Inferno (1974)

The Towering Inferno (1974)

Dir. John Guillermin + Irwin Allen (action scenes). 

Previously it was a rising watery death that an ensemble star cast had to flee from; i.e. The Poseidon Adventure (1972), now it's a fiery one. They're opposing elements, but the end result is a similar kind of disaster movie, again produced by Irwin Allen.

With a story adapted from two different novels (The Tower by R.M. Stern; The Glass Inferno by T.N. Scortia and F.M. Robinson), neither of which I've read, the script doesn't rush to the big event, but nor does it dally.

An epic establishing shot gets us to where the (hot) shit goes down. Thereafter the two male leads, Paul Newman and Steve McQueen, are cleverly kept apart for the longest time but are dependent on each other's skills at crucial moments throughout.

Handsome actors aside, the film rightfully highlights that anyone who's willing to help his fellow man in time of need is a hero, whether big or small. And the dedication reminds us that when it comes to real life those people are more often than not firemen, true life heroes.

The villains of the piece are hobnobbing rich folks who feel that their privileged life is somehow worth more than that of the average Joe, which is something else that's often seen in real life.

The Sandman: Volume I (1991)

Preludes & Nocturnes (1991)

Author: Neil Gaiman | Illustrators: Sam Kieth / Mike Dringenberg | Page Count:  235

"I'd just had this nightmare. These things with faces like appendectomy scars were crocheting my intestines into body bags for the blind and dead."

I want to someday feature Mike Carey's Lucifer series on The 7th blog, but it makes sense to cover The Sandman first, seeing as how Carey's work was an offshoot of it. So, in service to Lucifer (not like that), let's proceed.

Volume I of X in the Sandman saga brings together the More Than Rubies storyline, in which the Lord of all Dreaming (Morpheus) gets into a spot of trouble with an enthusiastic occultist who steals his possessions, magical things that weren't ever meant for the human world. Morpheus spends most of the remainder of the book trying to get the items back, but his journey takes him to places that he'd rather not set foot.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Season 2 (1993–94)

Star Trek: DS9: Season 2 (1993–94)

26 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

The second season kicks off with a single story stretched over three full episodes. It's a Bajorian themed tale, which means Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) plays a key role. I'm not a fan of the character. Her quick to anger attitude grates me, and how she jumps all over every opportunity to remind everyone within earshot that she was a member of the resistance, carrying out guerrilla attacks against Cardassian military from age twelve... yadda yadada.

It's the fault of the producers/writers, not the actress; proof of which comes later in the season when, without going into details, Nana gets to show a very different side of the character. And, to be fair, when the regular Kira is allowed to smile, to experience joy (of the non-religious kind), then she is somewhat likeable; if only it wasn't such a rare occurance.