365 Films- Post 4

Almost caught up! Tonight we go through films 16-20. 

16. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
17. Computer Chess
18. Room 237
19. WR: Mysteries of the Organism
20. Electric Boogaloo

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978)

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes has always been on my list of films to watch, but I never really got around to it until now. This is one I watched with my boys. My youngest son especially loved it. It is a bit uneven, but there are some great set pieces and sight gags. I also appreciate what they accomplished on a shoestring budget. 

Standout Moment: The too-small war room is the best gag in the whole film. 

Computer Chess (2013)

This was a nice little film. They had limited resources to make it, and made the best of it. There are a few moments when the film loses its way a bit, but they are made up for by some other incredibly funny gags. It wasn't as good as it could have been, considering the subject and the great performances.

Standout Moment: The rebirth sequence was just perfect. 

Room 237 (2013)

I'm a huge Kubrick fan; to the point where it is borderline obsession.  Due to this, I have avoided watching this doc, because I wasn't sure how I would feel about it. Now that I've seen it, I can't stand it. It is inspiring to see how one movie can effect so many people, but beyond that it's just like listening to your weird cousin's conspiracy theories at Thanksgiving. You want to break from the conversation, but there's nowhere else to go. The beginning wasn't so bad, but when we started getting into the faked moon landing theories I wanted to just turn it off. 

Standout Moment: The only theory that made any sense was that Kubrick is using the film to discuss atrocities against the indigenous American people. This seems to fit the film and the rest of his work very well. 

WR: Mysteries of the Organism (1971)

This film is not for the faint of heart. I really didn't know what to expect when I turned it on, but suffice to say I'm glad my children weren't awake. There are some really fun moments in this film, and the documentary section about Wilhelm Reich was really great. I felt like it  loses its focus around halfway through, and despite some good scenes, it never really gains back its momentum.

Standout Moment: The impromptu musical number at the end was a pleasant surprise. 

Electric Boogaloo (2015)

Electric Boogaloo is just as much fun as the shlock that it's subject, Cannon Films, produced for two decades. I'm a huge fan of terrible films, and I got a huge kick out of finding out that the guys behind some of the most notorious ones were just as impassioned and misguided as I had imagined them to be. There are also some great interviews in this film. No one tries to pretend that they were making history or incredible cinema, but no one is bitter about the experience, either. 

Standout Moment: I recently discovered the joy that is Enter the Ninja, so it was great hearing a breakdown of why/how it was made. 

That's it for day four! Two more days of catch-up and then we will break into a less frantic schedule. 

Josh D.
5181 Productions