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Reviews
Logan's Run (1977)
Recycled Plots Killed This
I just watched the series, and to me the problem with it is obvious. It wasn't the actors--tgey all did fine. It wasn't the special effects--they were all good for the day. It wasn't production value --for the 70s, this was a fairly lush production.
It was the lame plot elements! Every episode was just a pastiche of plot elements from sci-fi, western and war series from the 50s and 60s. And most were all cliche and old back then!
I mean, really--one of the early episodes used that old Most Dangerous Game plot. Seriously? That again!? Others mix-and-match much-used plot elements from various genres ("Hey, we just put in a little Forbidden Planet mixed with Rio Bravo plus a dash of an old Combat episode, and--bingo! Here's this week's Logan's Run! "). The result was a science fiction show with no sense of surprise or wonder. In other words, kinda boring. If the had let the writers cone up with something fresh each episode, it might have had a chance.
A Star Is Born (1976)
Laughable Songs Turn Average Movie Into Legendary Mess
I finally watched the 1976 version of A Star is Born on Netflix. I was a teen when it came out and Streisand & Kristofferson were about as far from Rock and Roll as I could imagine at the time, so I had no interest in seeing it (for decades). But since it wasn't going to cost me anything, and since I have a love of the "so bad it's good" genre of film--especially when it's a big budget studio movie--I decided to give it a chance.
The movie was both better and worse than I'd expected. The acting and filming of it was better than expected (as I alluded to before, I had REALLY low expectations). But the SONGS! The songs were SO MUCH WORSE than I could have ever imagined! Kristofferson is apparently supposed to be a Dylan-like figure, but his "deep" tunes are like bad junior high poetry. And they are very poorly suited to his limited vocal talents. They would have done much better to just let the man sing his own classics his own way. Thousands of people are filling stadia to see this guy? Ha.
And Streisand's songs are just as ludicrous, filled with stupid lyrics sung to equally idiotically childish tunes. Their dumbness levels rival songs from old Elvis movies like "Do the Clam," except they are not catchy and fun. The only good song is the Oscar winning "Evergreen." If you're into MOR ballads.
Anyway, it just boggles the mind that these tunes got the go-ahead. BUT if it didn't have the horrible songs, would the movie be "so bad it's good"? Nah, it'd just be another lame movie, probably.
Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell (2018)
Well, Some Graboids is Better Than No Graboids
The last 2 Tremors movies (this one and Bloodlines) have been better than nothing. But they are both WAY far inferior to the original films in terms of plot development, characters and plain old story telling. There's really no excuse. The first 3 direct to video sequels and TV series of the 90s and 2000s make #s 5 and 6 look pretty lame. (and I can say this because I just watched all of them again).
Whoever owns the rights to the Tremors franchise these days needs to get the original creative team--S.S. Wilson and Brent Maddock-- back on the job. When they had control, the characters were all funny and believable and there was a new development with each film (Graboids, Shriekers, Ass-Blasters, etc). These new films seem like placeholders.