(1981)
Dir - Matthew Robbins
Overall: GOOD
Notable as the first non Lucasfilm movie to utilize ILM for its special effects as well as one of a handful of more adult-themed Disney co-productions that were made in the early 1980s, Dragonslayer is a formulaic dark fantasy effort that has the usual pluses and minuses of such works. It is namely the special effects that deserve the most praise, with a forth of the budget allegedly going towards the four-hundred year-old dragon Vermithrax Pejorative alone. Though the creature fails to blend into the background convincingly, the motion control automation and mechanical design is top notch and easily represents one of the best on-screen dragons that there ever was. Since the story is set during the sixth century and the primary theme is that the old ways of magic are now giving way to a new form of superstition in the form of Christianity, the production design is well-lived in and unromanticized, far removed from the type of otherworldly glamor found in other fantasy epics. With so much emphasis spent on the film's visual detail, unfortunately the story by director Matthew Robbins and co-screenwriter Hal Barwood takes a backseat and largely revolves around cliches with the underdog sorcerer's apprentice, his wise old master refusing to tell him pivotal information until the time is right, a no-nonsense woman parading as a boy to avoid detection, a proud princess with a sentimental king, and a stock bad guy who is just there in order to give the audience someone to hate.
(1985)
Dir - Phil Smoot
Overall: MEH
The first of only two full-lengths to be directed by cameraman Phil Smoot, The Dark Power takes such an unforgivably long time to get to anything that is remotely interesting that when it does, the damage is done and it delivers too little too late. Shot on location at Belews Creek, North Carolina, its cast is almost exclusively made up of local folk, except for old school Western star Lash LaRue who dusts off his whip against a horde of Native American zombies that do not show up until forty-eight minutes in when an undead hand emerges from the ground. Before that, good luck not bailing on the entire thing. Several either lame or obnoxious characters hold up in a newly acquired house that was owned by a recently deceased shaman while LaRue and some reporter lady make small expository dialog talk that is about as exciting as it sounds. One of the young ladies is a flagrant racist which is hilarious in its ridiculousness, but her brother is the epitome of horny douche bro and sadly, it also takes way too long for him to die a grisly death. The zombie make-up and eventual gore is fun, plus Smoot sometimes remembers to keep the tone light and stupid, but this needs to be about half the length to be feel tolerable.
(1988)
Dir - Donald G. Jackson/R.J. Kizer
Overall: GOOD
"We're gonna get 'em out and then you're gonna get 'em pregnant". This line of dialog crystalizes the ridiculous premise of Hell Comes to Frogtown; a movie that should hardly take itself so seriously on account of its title alone. In this respect, Roddy Piper 'twas a silly man and he is ideally cast here as a nomad with a golden appendage who is tasked by the government to head into mutant territory after a nuclear fallout in order to rescue fertile women so that he can knock them all up in order to perpetuate the human race. Piper breezes through the witty banter, females throwing themselves at him, (including a frog lady), and some less than awe-inspiring action sequences, joined by a small handful of familiar faces including Rory Calhoun and Sandahl Bergman. The reptilian costumes and make-up are hardly convincing, but they slam home a tone that is more shameless B-movie than sleazy exploitation, even if the plot has some eyebrow raising details to it, (i.e. Piper is instructed by his scantily-clad superior to rape a drugged women in the middle of the wilderness). Still, directors Donald G. Jackson and R.J. Kizer, plus producer/co-writer Randall Frakes all make the most out of their small budget, and even if the film is clumsy at regular intervals, it stays in its lane and has its goofball heart in the right place.
No comments:
Post a Comment