Invaders from Mars (1986)

Young David Gardner (Hunter Carson) watches a meteor shower from the safety of his bedroom window one night, but in addition to falling rocks he sees an alien spaceship land not far from his home, on Copper Hill. Not long afterwards, the adults in the surrounding area begin to act oddly.
A remake of the 1953 film of the same name that on paper has a lot going for it: directed by Tobe Hooper, it co-stars Karen Black, has creature effects by Stan Winston and music by Christopher Young. The result is a peculiar PG rated movie with glorious 80s FX and some set-bound campness in the later half. It's not usual for a youth in a movie for kids to be braver than the adults, but in Black's case it's because her character (a school nurse) understands the implications more than the child, which successfully adds some depth.

2½ sinkholes out of 5

Capricorn One (1977)

A late 70s conspiracy thriller set around NASA's faking a manned mission to Mars. The three crew members of the Apollo 11 Capricorn One module aren't happy with the situation, but what can they do? The world is watching.
Dir. Hyams makes good use of his 2.35 frame and the now-familiar mission control setting lends believability to the scenario. I'm not sure why it's considered such a classic of the genre by some folks, but it's certainly an entertaining ride for as long as it lasts.

3 giant lies for mankind out of 5

Easy Rider (1969)

Two bikers with a secret cargo traverse the Southern parts of America en route to Mardi Gras, each one epitomising freedom in their own way.
Dennis Hopper's character is talkative, prone to frequent upset and often strung-out. In contrast, Peter Fonda's character is quiet, amiable and introspective. On the road they're at peace, self-governing and equal. But the closer they get to 'civilisation' the more hostile life becomes.
Counterculture films don't get much better or iconic than Easy Rider. The natural lighting and partly improvised script give it a kind of timely truth that other films lack. Almost everything about its structure just feels right. Even the freaky-deaky scene in the cemetery has a sincerity about it.
A ton of clones exist but nothing to equal it that I'm aware of. The soundtrack is so good that you even look forward to the musical montages.

5 campfire smokes out of 5

Mirror Mirror (1990)

Shy girl Megan takes a shine to a possessed, grabby-hands mirror.
Too often Mirror Mirror sits unimaginatively in the shadow of Carrie (1976), but when it does its own thing it fares slightly better.
The story doesn't call for a full-on spooky atmosphere a lot of the time, preferring instead to emphasise the outsider scenario.
Rainbow Harvest is well-cast as a goth chick who attracts the ire of high school bitches. Because of the costume and make-up her resemblance to Winona is even more apparent than usual, but that's not her fault.
I didn't even recognise Yvonne De Carlo until she spoke.

2½ reflective wants out of 5

SOME GUY WHO KILLS PEOPLE [2011]

Some Guy Who Kills People is a slasher flick that can be enjoyed by the whole family, with it's charming characters and oddball sense of humor.

The slightly off-kilter Kevin Corrigan plays a guy who is recently let out of the nuthouse, with a serious grudge against the guys who bullied him in highschool.  Needless to say the bodycount begins rising as Corrigan reunites with his estranged 11-year old daughter.  It's a bit of rough ride with glaring flaws but due to it's quirky spirit and great supporting cast, including a scene-stealing Barry Bostwick, this film is a great way to spend an evening in.  If you're a Corrigan or Bostwick fan then this film is an absolute treat.

3 scoops of ice cream out of 5

Click to see budarc's Nuts.

Some Guy Who Kills People (2011)

Depressed, suicidal comic book artist (Kevin Corrigan) lives with his passive-aggressive mother (Karen Black) and plots revenge on those responsible for ruining his life. One of those rare instances of the title telling you exactly what you're going to get in the movie. Cheesy and clever; the character of the dimwitted sheriff (Barry Bostwick) is one of the funniest ever committed to film.

3 childhood memories that haunt you out of 5

Click To See cuckoo's Nuts

FIRECRACKER [2005]

Film noir is a difficult genre to master without coming off as too boring or really silly. Rising independent director Steve Balderson's Firecracker doesn't quite nail it but tries it's damndest.
Karen Black turns in a pretty decent performance in dual roles, while Faith No More frontman Mike Patton isn't quite as successful. Performing dual roles as well, Patton nails one character with menacing grace and is terrible in the other.
It's like a David Lynch mixture of Pleasantville and Something Wicked This Way Comes with heavy doses of The Wizard Of Oz. The ideas, atmosphere and half of the photography is picture perfect. The performances, editing and the other half of the photography is not. There was something really special here but got lost somewhere in the mix. Still not a complete waste of time if you're a fan of film noir.

3 Enigmas out of 5