Wuchakk
Joined Dec 2004
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After a man and a woman meet in Gila Valley in southern Arizona (Richard Widmark and Donna Reed), they eventually discern that they're both looking for the mystery survivor of an Apache massacre who made off with a stolen fortune (John McIntire).
"Backlash" (1956) has vibrant Southwestern locations and the staples of gunfights, stagecoaches, wraith-like Indian attacks, a salty calvary sergeant (Barton MacLane), saloons and a brash punk gunfighter (William Campbell). Speaking of the latter, it's entertaining seeing diminutive Harry Morgan convincingly pull-off a no-nonsense gunfighter. Think about it, if you're skilled with a pistol and have the nerve, it doesn't matter how tall you are, right?
Regrettably, it's flawed by old Western banalities and contrivances, like the protagonist rashly slapping the female interest and yet she's deeply attracted to him. Why Sure! Still, there's enough good here if you like 50's Westerns like "Hangman's Knot," "Gun Fury," "Garden of Evil," "The Last Wagon" and "The Law and Jake Wade." It just ranks with the least of 'em.
It's short 'n' sweet at 1 hour, 24 minutes, and was shot in southern Arizona, including Old Tucson, with additional stuff done at Universal Studios in SoCal, along with nearby Sherman Oaks and Benedict Canyon, Beverly Hills.
GRADE: B-
"Backlash" (1956) has vibrant Southwestern locations and the staples of gunfights, stagecoaches, wraith-like Indian attacks, a salty calvary sergeant (Barton MacLane), saloons and a brash punk gunfighter (William Campbell). Speaking of the latter, it's entertaining seeing diminutive Harry Morgan convincingly pull-off a no-nonsense gunfighter. Think about it, if you're skilled with a pistol and have the nerve, it doesn't matter how tall you are, right?
Regrettably, it's flawed by old Western banalities and contrivances, like the protagonist rashly slapping the female interest and yet she's deeply attracted to him. Why Sure! Still, there's enough good here if you like 50's Westerns like "Hangman's Knot," "Gun Fury," "Garden of Evil," "The Last Wagon" and "The Law and Jake Wade." It just ranks with the least of 'em.
It's short 'n' sweet at 1 hour, 24 minutes, and was shot in southern Arizona, including Old Tucson, with additional stuff done at Universal Studios in SoCal, along with nearby Sherman Oaks and Benedict Canyon, Beverly Hills.
GRADE: B-
When a "jarhead" is injured in Afghanistan (Antonio Sabato Jr), he is used in a teleportation experiment and transferred to a planet in the Alpha Centauri stellar system. Due to the lower gravity, he has the ability to leap great distances and earns the respect of his captors, the Tharks. After meeting a human-like princess (Traci Lords), she leads them to an air-purifying station that keeps the planet hospitable.
"Princess of Mars" (2009) is based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' pulp work from 1912 and follows the book pretty well, just updating the opening and cutting out the fat; not to mention adding the (unnecessary) character of Sarka, along with alterations to the various creatures and the addition of some well-done droll humor. Burrough's Barsoom series (and his books in general) were the comic books of that day and so this flick is very comic booky and can be enjoyed on that level.
Costing a fraction of the forthcoming "John Carter," you can't really compare the two. It omits any reference to the mysterious and fascinating Therns, who didn't debut until Burroughs' second book, "The Gods of Mars" from 1913, which the Disney blockbuster morphed from indigenous Barsoomians to a race of technologically advanced aliens of unknown origin.
Nevertheless, there's still some meat on the bones with the interesting atmosphere-cleaning plant, as well as the understandable contention between the Tharks and their human-like rivals on Barsoom, the latter of which maintain the station.
Traci Lords was 41 during shooting, but in perfect physical shape, so I found her acceptable as Dejah Thoris, despite her age, blonde hair and lack of reddish skin tone. Keep in mind that while the Brothers Grimm described Snow White as having hair as black as ebony, there have been renditions of the story where she has "golden" hair, including at least two films, one of them being The Asylum's own "Grimm's Snow White."
It runs 1 hour, 33 minutes, and was shot in the Greater Los Angeles area at Vasquez Rocks, Bronson Caves, Long Beach, Santa Clarita, Shea's Castle and nearby Castle Ranch in Lancaster.
GRADE: B-
"Princess of Mars" (2009) is based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' pulp work from 1912 and follows the book pretty well, just updating the opening and cutting out the fat; not to mention adding the (unnecessary) character of Sarka, along with alterations to the various creatures and the addition of some well-done droll humor. Burrough's Barsoom series (and his books in general) were the comic books of that day and so this flick is very comic booky and can be enjoyed on that level.
Costing a fraction of the forthcoming "John Carter," you can't really compare the two. It omits any reference to the mysterious and fascinating Therns, who didn't debut until Burroughs' second book, "The Gods of Mars" from 1913, which the Disney blockbuster morphed from indigenous Barsoomians to a race of technologically advanced aliens of unknown origin.
Nevertheless, there's still some meat on the bones with the interesting atmosphere-cleaning plant, as well as the understandable contention between the Tharks and their human-like rivals on Barsoom, the latter of which maintain the station.
Traci Lords was 41 during shooting, but in perfect physical shape, so I found her acceptable as Dejah Thoris, despite her age, blonde hair and lack of reddish skin tone. Keep in mind that while the Brothers Grimm described Snow White as having hair as black as ebony, there have been renditions of the story where she has "golden" hair, including at least two films, one of them being The Asylum's own "Grimm's Snow White."
It runs 1 hour, 33 minutes, and was shot in the Greater Los Angeles area at Vasquez Rocks, Bronson Caves, Long Beach, Santa Clarita, Shea's Castle and nearby Castle Ranch in Lancaster.
GRADE: B-
A man from Philly (Stephen Moyer) takes his wife & two kids for a primitive vacation in the Pine Barrens, north of Atlantic City. Could the legend of the infamous Jersey Devil actually be true?
"The Barrens" (2012) is a creature feature in the tradition of "Wendigo" (2001), "13th Child" and "Mothman" (2010). While the later Jersey Devil flick "Dark Haul" is superior, this is a more conventional take on the subject and the second best I've seen featuring the cryptid, keeping in mind that I've only seen five such movies. ("13th Child" would place third, I reckon, with Syfy schlock "Carny" and the micro-budget "The Reeds" coming in after that). I should add that bits from "The Amityville Horror" and "The Blair Witch Project" are mixed into the proceedings (such as what happens to one of the main characters).
On the feminine front, Allie MacDonald is notable as daughter Sadie while Mia Kirshner is a'right as the wife.
Writer/director Darren Lynn Bousman originally intended to shoot in the actual Pine Barrens, but settled for Ontario for budgetary reasons. Despite the low-budget, he was able to create a sense of spookiness in the eldritch woods, augmented by a notable score with some elements reminiscent of Coppola's "Apocalypse Now." Regrettably, the film starts to stumble as it switches from the second act to the final one, but there's enough good here to recommend it to those who liked the flicks cited above. I'd watch it any day over "The Blair Witch Project."
Be sure to stick around for the post-credits scenes, which clarify the ending.
It runs 1 hour, 35 minutes, and was shot at Rockwood Conservation Area and Albion Hills Conservation Park, a half hour drive west and northwest of Toronto respectively.
GRADE: B.
"The Barrens" (2012) is a creature feature in the tradition of "Wendigo" (2001), "13th Child" and "Mothman" (2010). While the later Jersey Devil flick "Dark Haul" is superior, this is a more conventional take on the subject and the second best I've seen featuring the cryptid, keeping in mind that I've only seen five such movies. ("13th Child" would place third, I reckon, with Syfy schlock "Carny" and the micro-budget "The Reeds" coming in after that). I should add that bits from "The Amityville Horror" and "The Blair Witch Project" are mixed into the proceedings (such as what happens to one of the main characters).
On the feminine front, Allie MacDonald is notable as daughter Sadie while Mia Kirshner is a'right as the wife.
Writer/director Darren Lynn Bousman originally intended to shoot in the actual Pine Barrens, but settled for Ontario for budgetary reasons. Despite the low-budget, he was able to create a sense of spookiness in the eldritch woods, augmented by a notable score with some elements reminiscent of Coppola's "Apocalypse Now." Regrettably, the film starts to stumble as it switches from the second act to the final one, but there's enough good here to recommend it to those who liked the flicks cited above. I'd watch it any day over "The Blair Witch Project."
Be sure to stick around for the post-credits scenes, which clarify the ending.
It runs 1 hour, 35 minutes, and was shot at Rockwood Conservation Area and Albion Hills Conservation Park, a half hour drive west and northwest of Toronto respectively.
GRADE: B.