Earthquake (1974)

4 / 5  Dec '09
Tagline:  N/A
Directed by:  Mark Robson
Written by:  George Fox, Mario Puzo
Actors include:  Charleton Heston, Ava Gardner, George Kennedy
Genre:  Disaster, Action, Thriller
Length:  120 minutes
Banned:  Nope

Review:
Sure it's a little cheesy and you can see where the miniatures are and it takes a while to get going. What this has working for it is a fantastic nearly all-star cast including Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, and George Kennedy to name a few. It's also pretty darned thrilling once it gets going and it has harrowing dangerous escapes, and it's mean spirited (which I love). As a giant destructive earthquake ravishes the land we follow a series of characters as they fight for survival. It does have some surprises including a Soldier who has frickin' lost it (which sure seems a bit over the top but I enjoyed it none the less), plus you never know who is going to bite it next! It's quite action packed, it has tons of crazy '70s outfits, hairstyles and scenery (heck it even has Shaft in it as a motorcyclist) so there is always something to gawk at. I remember thinking the ride at Universal Studios was pretty darned exciting and always wondering how the movie would pan out. Well this won't be a disaster film for everyone, and The Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure are way more exciting but this one still ranks I think.

Availability:  On DVD

The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

5 / 5 Dec '09
Tagline: Before this train reaches the next station it will become the scene of the most spectacular hijack ever attempted
Directed by: Joseph Sargent
Written by: John Godey, Peter Stone
Actors include: Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam
Genre: Thriller, Crime, Drama
Length: 104 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Wow this was one heck of an exciting thriller and influential flick from the second it opens until the second it finishes, the tension is magnificent! It's about a well choreographed hijacking of a New York subway car by four Men who address each other only by the color of their hats. (Mr. Brown, Mr. Green etc). They demand a million dollars in just one hour or else they'll kill a hostage a minute for each they are late! It's a very exciting and well planned out plot full of surprises and several familiar faces. Look out for Jerry Stiller (who looks just the same as he did on Seinfeld), Dick O'Neill, Doris Roberts and my personal favorite Walter Matthau as wiseass Lt. Garber. It's extremely thrilling, it's well acted and it's one heck of a fun film with beautiful shots of New York contrasting the darkness of the subway. One of the best of it's kind, heck I'll maybe even check the remake out after this, really seriously awesome!

Availability:  On DVD

Juggernaut (1974) aka Terror On The Britannic

3 / 5 Dec '09
Tagline: Only one man to save 1200 lives!
Directed by: Richard Lester
Written by: Alan Plater, Richard Alan Simmons
Actors include: Richard Harris, Omar Sharif, David Hemmings
Genre: Thriller, Action
Length: 109 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Okay so perhaps I'm being a little harsh on this one, it does have a few exciting moments but for the most part it's repetition and drama. Sure it's got an all star cast featuring folks like Richard Harris, Omar Sharif, Anthony Hopkins and so many others, yes they all do the best they can. Our disaster story is about 7 bombs set to go off on a passenger ship filled with 1200 passengers if the crook doesn't receive a wad of cash. While this sounds like a rather exciting plot (doesn't it) watching someone dismantle seven bombs really slowly seven times is just tedious. The "drama" onboard really wasn't very exciting either so there is a whole lot of dry dialogue and filler when instead they should have made the film shorter. It never does feel like the group are in any danger but it does have some action and some effort has been made I think. It's not a total loss but definitely not one of the best disaster movies by any stretch.

Availability:  On DVD

Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia (1974)

4.5 / 5 Dec '09
Tagline: It's got guts!
Directed by: Sam Peckinpah
Written by: Frank Kowalski, Sam Peckinpah
Actors include: Warren Oates, Isela Vega, Robert Webber
Genre: Crime, Thriller, Adventure, Western, Drama
Length: 112 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
At first I wondered what the heck was up with this movie as it shows some awful strange things that characters do that seem like they should have explanations but they don't. Once I came to accept and just appreciate the events that were unfolding in front of me I really enjoyed the heck out of it. It sort of gives off a Pulp Fiction vibe though the two share nothing plot wise. The story is about a young girl who is impregnated by a man named Alfredo Garcia. Since her family has money and power they offer a million dollar bounty on his head (hence the title). We meet up with a bartender and his prostitute girlfriend who go on a road trip together to try and get that head for they really need the money. The characters are given real depth to their personalities and are extremely well acted and believable which makes this all the more interesting. This is an extremely violent and depressing in many ways picture, but it's always exciting and beautiful to watch. It's shocking to see just exactly how much goes down all over one simple pregnancy. Definitely one of those films that I think just about anyone could enjoy, it really does have everything from romance to thrills.

Availability:  On DVD

The Parallax View (1974)

4.5 / 5 Feb '10
Tagline: There is no conspiracy. Just twelve people dead.
Directed by: Alan J. Pakula
Written by: David Giler, Lorenzo Semple Jr.
Actors include: Warren Beatty, Paula Prentiss, William Daniels
Genre: Thriller
Length: 102 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Somehow the first 3/4 of the film is non-stop excitement...I mean it's like they crammed every action packed trick they've seen in every thriller past into one movie! Some are going to find this to be overkill...but not me, I thought that was awesome! There is even a fight scene on top of the Seattle space needle, it doesn't get more thrilling than that! The plot is about the assassination of a Governor, although the higher ups are claiming that there was no conspiracy though we start to learn that their might have been. See folks that were in the same room as the assassination when it occured are now turning up dead. When a panicked Woman who believes they were trying to killer her tells her tale to reporter Joseph Frady (Warren Beatty), he doesn't believe her either...until he has no choice! From there he's on an unstoppable and reckless mission to find out what really happened no matter what! The character of Joseph is a little ridiculous, I mean this guy really is entirely fearless apparently and has unlimited resources. Aside from that it does contain a video sequence of clips that goes on for way too long and things start to slow up a bit towards the end unfortunately. If it had kept the momentum it started with I would declare it to be one of the best thrillers ever...as is it's only amazing!

Availability:  On DVD

The Legend Of The 7 Golden Vampires (1974)

2.5 / 5 Mar '10
Tagline: Deadly Horrors! Dragon Thrills! The First Kung Fu Horror Spectacular!
Directed by: Roy Ward Baker
Written by: Don Houghting
Actors include: Peter Cushing, David Chiang, Julie Ege
Genre: Action, Horror
Length: 83 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I really didn't care for this, it's Hammer's last vampire picture and it's my least favorite by far. It combines the world of kung fu in with Dracula and I'm afraid the two don't fit together. The film was basically plotless though the spirit of Dracula (made up to look like Christopher Lee's version of Dracula only much cheaper) goes into the spirit of a fighter warlord guy in order to look after 6 other vampires. One of the only good things about this is the fact that Peter Cushing appears as Van Helsing but it's simply not enough to make this interesting. Much of the film is sword fighting group scenes with too much going on at once, and since they didn't bother with character development it's hard to give a hoot. That and it seems that it just keeps repeating over and over again making this film feel ridiculously long even though it really wasn't. It's even more shocking to see that Roy Ward Baker was one of the directors, he is usually on point! Well I should mention that I don't much care for kung fu movies and maybe that is why I really thought this was a bore, but then again maybe this was just lazy?

Availability:  On DVD

Cani Arrabbiati (1974) aka Kidnapped aka Wild Dogs aka Rabid Dogs aka A Man And His Boy

3.5 / 5 May '10
Tagline: Lock the doors, rollup the windows, and buckle up ... for the ride of your life!
Directed by: Mario Bava
Written by: Alessandro Parenzo
Actors include: Riccardo Cucciolla, Don Backy, Lea Lander
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Length: 96 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I was actually rather disappointed with this 'un, I mean I generally like Mario Bava productions and sleaze...well of course I like that. Thing was, I didn't find it gripping in the slightest, the characters were stereotypes and not very refreshing at all. The idea is that a robbery goes wrong so the three culprits involved kidnap a hostage, and a man and his dying child. They figure by taking the hostages they should be able to make a clean getaway. Much of the film is chatting in the car which is rather dreary and should have been filled with some sort of suspense, action or excitement. The beginning is nice and violent and appreciated, and sure some things in the film would be considered sleazy but it wasn't nearly what I was expecting in that department. The ending is something to be seen, I shant give anything away but it made the movie worth viewing. It just could have used a whole lot more of something, it felt very empty though I should mention the cinematography is very lovely! Definitely a disappointment but not without some merit.

Availability:  On DVD

Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974)

4 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: They don't call them that for nothing.
Directed by: John Hough
Written by: Leigh Chapman, Antonio Santean
Actors include: Peter Fonda, Vic Morrow, Susan George
Genre: Action, Thriller, Crime
Length: 93 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
A rather low brow take on the 'ole Bonnie and Clyde idea, but it's an entertaining action packed flick that was pretty fun to watch. Larry (Peter Fonda) is a cool dude who happens to have hooked up with an obnoxious pain in the ass girl named Mary (Susan George desperately trying to sound cheap and American). Larry's partner in crime Deke although not mentioned in the title is the mechanic and sort of the brains behind their crime operation I'd say. Deke and Larry rob a grocery store with one heck of an elaborate scheme and of course Mary comes along for the ride though they do try to ditch her several times (who wouldn't). The Cops are another element, they are continually in car chases and well let's just say a ton of cruisers get completely destroyed! This even has a car vs. helicopter chase, who wouldn't love that? Pretty exciting film with tons of memorable scenes, this should appeal to most drive-in '70s fans.

Availability:  On DVD

The Terminal Man (1974)

3.5 / 5 Sept '10
Tagline: Harry Benson is a brilliant computer scientist. For three minutes a day, he is violently homicidal.
Directed by: Mike Hodges
Written by: Michael Crichton, Mike Hodges
Actors include: George Segal, Joan Hackett, Richard Dysart
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller
Length: 107 minutes
Banned: Finland

Review:
This was a rather strange adaptation of a Michael Crichton novel (that I've honestly not read) but I likely would after seeing this film. It's sort of trippy sci-fi with some definite lessons crammed into it. Harry Benson is an intelligent man, but from a result of a head trauma he suffers from paranoid delusions and seizures where he becomes extremely violent and attacks people. Doctors have figured out a way to correct this problem by toying with his brain, inserting some chips to shock the patient when the seizures come about. After the surgery Harry is getting frustrated with all of this nonsense and flees the hospital only for things to go from bad to worse. It's a very slow moving and deliberate piece, they could have whittled it down a bit and made a much more interesting movie but as it sits it's still quite worthwhile. The useage of colors (or rather white) and angles in the cinematography were fascinating, probably one of my favorite parts of the film. It also did make a few points and teach me a couple of things and it was very interesting to look at. It's sort of a psychological horror film in several ways, rather dark and depressing, best to watch on a gray or raining evening.

Availability:  On DVD

Thriller: A Cruel Picture (1974) aka Thriller - En Grym Film aka Hooker's Revenge aka They Call Her One Eye

5 / 5

Tagline: The first film, ever, to be banned in Sweden!

Directed By: Bo Arne Vibenius

Written By: Bo Arne Vibenius
Actors Include: Christina Lindberg, Heinz Hopf, Despina Tomazani
Genre: Cult, Thriller, Exploitation, Action, Drama
Length: 92 minutes
Banned: Sweden, Finland

Review:
This is the most disturbing film I've ever seen bar none. I dare you to find one to match this one on just about any level. I knew it was influential for Quentin Tarantino but until you watch it, it's hard to explain but definitely they share a uniquely captivating style. This is just beyond what I think Tarantino could come up with or rather it's more sadistic I guess and it's quite humorless but it needs to be serious with this sort of content. Our story starts out with a young girl who has been sexually abused by family members and has become mute as a result. Flash forward to her life as a teen, she catches a ride with a young fellow and has dinner with him. He drugs her, addicts her to heroin in her sleep, and then forces herself to whore herself to earn heroin. I now feel compelled to add that this has hardcore sex, it's not sexy sex, but rather degrading painful looking humiliating sex...hard to watch to say the least. On the side she earns money by doing disgusting things and saves up for lessons in combat training and fighting for revenge. She breaks free and rights the wrongs in a particularly graphic and brilliantly shot way. The whole film is extremely well done, I mean beautiful and horrific all at the same time. The revenge is oh so sweet and nice and graphic, the style of which they chose to shoot some of these scenes is absolute perfection. I would recommend this but it's so extremely cruel that it's hard for me to do that, I haven't been the same since I watched it. Brilliant movie....just incredibly sadistic but at least it's fufilling.

Availabilty:  On DVD

Mr. Majestyk (1974)

3.5 / 5
Tagline:  Why are they saying it's the one movie you should see this year? Ask anyone who's seen it. Anyone.
Directed by:  Richard Fleischer
Written by:  Elmore Leonard
Actors include:  Charles Bronson, Linda Cristal, Al Lettieri
Genre:  Action, Crime, Drama
Length:  103 minutes
Banned:  Nope

Review:
Just when I thought I had seen everything, this Melon-choly tale about a woeful Melon farmer who has to take revenge. Who else would you cast in an epic like this other than Charles Bronson, from defending the streets to defending the melon patch! I'll bet you are wondering why I keep saying melon...well that's nothing in comparison to the amount of times you are about to hear it if you watch this film. Hilariously enough this is treated like a serious action film, even with this silly topic and I think that's the main reason to watch it. That and if you've ever wanted to see a melon massacre, you are guaranteed one! It's beyond stupid and the actress who plays the love interest is rather irritatingly bad in the acting department but luckily she's not in this a ton. The story also loses focus towards the end where it just turns into good guy vs. bad guys but it used to be all about the melons! It was something to see, but I think I would chose Death Wish 3 again before this one, it's better than Death Wish 4: The Crackdown though!


Availability:  On DVD

Crowhaven Farm (1974)

3 / 5 Mar '11
Tagline: A chilling tale of vengeance from beyond the grave.
Directed by: Walter Grauman
Written by: John McGreevey
Actors include: Hope Lange, Lloyd Bochner, Paul Burke
Genre: Thriller, Horror, Drama
Length: 74 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This is a made-for-tv film and it truly does feel like one, it's very tame and talky but it's entertaining enough to get to the end of at least. Hope Lange plays Maggie Porter, a Woman who has just inherited Crowhaven Farm. She reluctantly goes there with her Husband Ben and she starts feeling deja vu. She also hears crying out in the woods and suffers from visions of witches which causes trouble with She and Ben. They couldn't conceive so when a 10 year old girl called Jennifer ends up in their care they decide to take her in. Something doesn't seem quite right with her, she seems rather fond of Ben but not so much of Maggie. Things get stranger still when Maggie learns that she is finally pregnant. The actors actually do a very fine job, and they are the real reason to bother with this one. Otherwise it's a bit mundane and predictable but it's not all that bad either. Not frightening but they at least provided a reasonable story. Not the worst of it's kind, but not the best either, worth watching on tv one day perhaps.

Availability:  On DVD