PSYCHOTRONIC NETFLIX VOL. 10
HEY BASTARDS. Welcome to another edition of PSYCHOTRONIC NETFLIX! This week the number of films matches the volume number, which means we’ve had over a hundred ways to fill your otherwise meaningless evenings!
10. The Sentinel (1977)
Michael Winner directed this unusual and compelling story about a fashion model (Christina Raines) whose new digs may be more ominous than she’d thought. With an amazing cast, including Chris Sarandon, Martin Balsam, John Carradine, Jose Ferrer, Ava Gardner, Arthur Kennedy, Sylvia Miles, Burgess Meredith, Eli Wallach, Christopher Walken, Beverly d’Angelo, Tom Berenger, William Hickey, Jeff Goldblum, Jerry Orbach and Deborah Raffin.
9. The Glory Stompers (1968)
Dennis Hopper motorcycle movies are hard to dislike, and this flick, where he plays the leader of a biker gang in a war with another group, is no exception. From Anthony Lanza, the director whose impressively oddball career as editor ranges from Arch Hall Jr. vehicles (THE NASTY RABBIT, DEADWOOD ’76) to transsexual melodramas (DINAH EAST) to directing THE INCREDIBLE TWO-HEADED TRANSPLANT.
8. Pray for Death (1985)
Sho Kosugi plays a restaurant owner whose peaceful family life is disturbed when a syndicate attacks the joint based on connections from the diner’s previous resident. Thus, he must return to his roots… as a ninja! Ninja chaos ensues. Fast-paced, mindless mid-‘80s ninja fun.
7. The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978)
One of the oddest adaptations of Arthur Conan Doyle’s book casts Peter Cook as Sherlock Holmes, with Dudley Moore as Dr. Watson – but don’t go in hoping for another BEDAZZLED. The weird mystery-comedy is more of an interesting mess than a great movie, even with a great cast (including Terry-Thomas, Denholm Elliott and Spike Milligan) partially due to the decision to put Warhol regular Paul Morrissey in the director’s chair.
6. Wife to Be Sacrificed (1974)
An impressively perverse take on a masochistic relationship between a woman and her ex-husband, Masaru Konumu’s Nikkatsu erotic classic ranks with Radley Metzger’s The Image as a movie that some will find fascinating and others will be completely repulsed by. It’s also one of the only Pinku films to be found on streaming.
5. Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives (2010)
GLAAD got all huffy about the use of the word “trannies,” but screw ‘em – this revenge flick treads the line between twisted thriller and campy comedy surprisingly well. With Willam Belli, veteran of several Uwe Boll flicks and the viral “Chow Down at Chick-Fil-A” video.
4. Lisa (1990)
“My Two Dads” star Staci Keanan plays the title character in Gary (RAW MEAT) Sherman’s better-than-you’d-think thriller about a 14-year-old girl who calls random men out of frustration with her overprotective mother. Surprise! One of them is a serial killer. With Cheryl Ladd, D.W. Moffett and Jeffrey Tambor.
3. Bamboo Gods and Iron Men (1974)
James Iglehart, BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS’ Randy (“Randy’s body, a cage for an animal!”), plays a newlywed whose honeymoon is interrupted when he and his wife end up in the search for a Buddha statue that may lead to a secret formula in this offbeat kung-fu/blaxploitation combo shot in Hong Kong. With Shirley Washington.
2. Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession (1980)
Nicholas Roeg’s unique film, shot mostly through flashbacks through the memories of a young woman who overdoses, could be classified as an “erotic thriller,” though it’s considerably more bleak and arty than most. It’s still an amazingly beautiful, and impressively cryptic movie that deserves wider notoriety. With Theresa Russell, Art Garfunkel, Harvey Keitel, Denholm Elliott and William Hootkins.
1. Isolation (2005)
One would expect a movie about rampaging cows to be goofy, but Billy O’Brien’s creepy flick about a genetically modified bovine that causes issues on a small Irish farm is a dark, moody, and well-crafted little horror film that should surprise you. While not quickly paced, the claustrophobic atmosphere is nicely drawn out, and the acting is top notch. Recommended.
For more picks, “LIKE”
PSYCHOTRONIC NETFLIX
ON
- [THE BIG QUESTION] WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE FEMALE ENSEMBLE IN MOVIES? - July 22, 2016
- [IN THEATERS NOW] THE BOY (2016) - January 24, 2016
- Cult Movie Mania Releases Lucio Fulci Limited Edition VHS Sets - January 5, 2016
No Comments