Michele's Movie Diary

Tag: reviews

  • Repo Man

    Sunday, January 5, 2025

    Repo Man – Alex Cox – 1984

    Why Watch?

    It’s after dinner on Sunday evening. Since we have seen all of the movies playing near us, it’s time to watch a movie at home.

    I spun the wheel (see previous posts about the wheel game) with the result being Emilio Estevez. I was thrilled. This is the first time we will be watching an Emilio Estevez film. Charlie Sheen was a previous actor on our wheel. We had a great time with him, so I was looking forward to watching some of his brother’s work. I am also anxious to get Martin Sheen on the wheel.

    I have not seen Repo Man. I have heard a lot of people referencing this film, so when Emilio came up, I knew right away I wanted to watch it.

    Film Specifics

    Repo Man was released in the U.S. on March 2, 1984. It was written and directed by Alex Cox. Interestingly, Michael Nesmith was an executive producer. If that name sounds familiar, you might be old. He was a member of The Monkees, a band made for a TV show in the mid 1960’s. I remember watching reruns of The Monkees when I was a kid in the 80’s and 90’s. It is a very fun show. The Monkees also had a bunch of actual hits and are considered a pretty good band. I suggest checking out some of the reruns and some of their tunes.

    Repo Man had a very small budget, just around $1.5 million. Cox originally wanted it to be a road movie, but limited the shoot to Los Angeles to save some money. The studio was not sure how the film would be received, so they didn’t do a lot of promotion. It had a lackluster box office, but was critically acclaimed. Repo Man rose to cult classic status over time most likely due to the many times is was shown on television.

    Synopsis (No Spoilers)

    The movie starts with a Chevy Malibu speeding down a lonely highway through the desert, when a police officer pulls over the car. The officer askes to see inside the trunk. This is a bad decision because whatever is in there, causes the officer to disintegrate, leaving nothing behind except his boots. There is absolutely something alien going on, the audience just doesn’t know what it is.

    We then meet our main protagonist, Otto, played by Emilio Estevez, working his job at a supermarket. Otto, a young punk, is quickly fired and our movie is really off and running.

    Otto goes home and asks his parents for $1000 dollars they promised him if he finished school. However they are transfixed by a televangelist and say they sent all of the money to the church say they can provide bibles in South America.

    Despondent, Otto is walking through a not so nice neighborhood when he is flagged down by Bud, played by Harry Dean Stanton. Bud says he needs Otto to drive his wife’s car because he needs to get to the hospital, his wife was about to give birth. Otto said he would do it, as long as Bud pays him. Bud agrees, and throws Otto the keys. Otto is now unwittingly part of Bud’s repo.

    After narrowly escaping the cars owners, Otto follows Bud to the repo yard and accepts a job. Meanwhile, a strange group of people are looking for the Chevy Malibu. They send out a repo request offering a $20,000 reward for anyone who actually procures the car.

    Otto meets a lot of fun characters. He not only learns the repo ropes from Bud, but from some other colorful characters. He meets a girl. He almost gets shot. He has run ins with punks, competing repo men, and deadbeats and the people searching for the Malibu.

    The film culminates in a big showdown with all of the (surviving) characters and the Chevy Malibu.

    The Watch

    Shane and I rented this from Fandango.

    This film had my attention from the beginning. I drive a Chevy Malibu, so I automatically felt a connection.

    The music in this movie is awesome. A lot of fun punk songs are heard throughout. In one scene, Otto is at a bar and the band playing at the bar are The Circle Jerks.

    Along with the great music, there are many fun performances here. I especially liked the very odd character of Miller played by Tracy Walter. I remember Walter best from his small part in 1989’s Batman. He is one of the Joker’s henchmen. Of course, Harry Dean Stanton is fantastic as Bud. I also liked Otto’s love interest, played by Olivia Barash.

    I’m sure this movie is trying to say something about Reagan era economics and consumerism, but I just found it very entertaining.

    Rating

    B – Previously I have been ranking the films I watch from 1-10. I felt I needed to change that. I will now be evaluating the films like a teacher, giving a grade from A to F.

    Repo Man gets a solid B. I enjoyed the music, the acting and a lot of the writing. You can definitely tell this is a low budget film. It is a bit strange, so if you aren’t much into movies like Big Trouble in Little China or The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, this might not be the movie you should sit down and watch. Overall, I enjoyed it quite a bit.

    Contact Me!

    I now have an email! If you have questions, or if you would like to request an actor to be put on the wheel, email me. michele@michelesmoviediary.com. Also, if you like what you are reading, please share my blog. Thanks for your support!

    FYI, I use my memory, Wikipedia and IMdb for a lot of the facts for this blog. If I am mistaken about any of the details, I truly apologize.

  • Super 8

    Thursday, January 2, 2025

    Super 8 – J.J. Abrams – 2011

    Why Watch?

    My husband has reluctantly joined me in my obsession with movies. Like everyone else during Covid, we were trying to pass the time. In this state of perpetual seclusion we purchased a spinning wheel. You know, like a carnival wheel. This wheel has 12 spaces. Initially, we used the wheel to pick what we would eat, but now it serves a much better purpose, it picks movies!

    Each slot on the wheel is represented by a number, 1-12. Each number corresponds with an actor or actress that was picked by either my husband or myself. For example, if you spin the wheel and it lands on a number, say 10, that means the person who spun the wheel needs to pick a movie where the actor or actress appears. In the case of #10, the actress is Elle Fanning. This was an actress my husband picked to be on the wheel.

    We have been playing this game since 2023, and have already watched so many great movies from so many great filmmakers. When we spin the wheel, we pick a movie. Each actor gets three movies. Once we have watched three films, we close out that actor and choose another. If you spin and it is the third film from that actor, the spinner gets to pick another film. What film you ask? Well, that depends. It is either a film from a specific director, or a genre film, or a film from a series, or a film from a list (predetermined by us). I will explain in future posts. Just know, this movie was picked because Shane, my husband, spun the wheel and the actor he spun is in this film. If you are interested, here are the actors/actress represented on our wheel at this time, listed by their number and who chose them for the wheel:

    1. Keanu Reeves (Shane)
    2. Gal Gadot (Shane)
    3. Elliott Gould (Michele)
    4. Amy Adams (Michele)
    5. Gerald Butler (Shane)
    6. Catherine Zeta Jones (Shane)
    7. J.K. Simmons (MIchele)
    8. Scarlett Johansson (Michele)
    9. Russell Crowe (Shane)
    10. Elle Fanning (Shane)
    11. Emilio Estevez (Michele)
    12. Angela Bassett (Michele)

    My husband spun the wheel, it landed on 10, so he had to pick a film where Elle Fanning appears. Ideally, the actor/actress would have a staring role, but that it not always the case. However, this is a time when my husband, who’s name is Shane and now will be referred to as such, picked one that prominently featured the actress he spun. Super 8 was his choice. I celebrated his choice and looked forward to our watch.

    Film Specifics

    Super 8 was released in the U.S. on June 10, 2011. Written and directed by J.J. Abrams. Abrams previously directed Mission Impossible III, and 2009’s Star Trek reboot. You might know Abrams from some of his television endeavors like the ABC hit Lost, and his use of the “lens flare” effect in this movie and in Star Trek. Seriously, Google “JJ Abrams Lens Flare” and you will see some really funny memes.

    Super 8 was produced by all time great American director Steven Spielberg, and by all accounts was present on the set and said it was the most fun he had on a set.

    Super 8 had a budget of $50 million and grossed $260.1 million, so I would say it was a hit.

    The film garnered favorable praise, both by critics and audiences.

    Synopsis (No Spoilers)

    The film opens on a sign in a factory counting the days since the last accident. The number changes to 1 and the audience knows something bad has happened.

    Something bad has happened indeed. Set in a small, fictional town in Ohio in 1979, we learn that 14 year-old Joe Lamb, played by Joel Courtney, lost his mother in a factory accident. Joe is left with a locket worn by his mother, and a father, played by Kyle Chandler, who doesn’t know how to cope with the death of his wife and the fact he now has to raise teenage son on his own.

    Joe happens to have some pretty awesome friends that are making a super-8 movie for a film festival. We meet this group of fun teens, including Elle Fanning’s character Alice, as they prepare to shoot a scene for their zombie movie. During their late night shoot, the kids witness and narrowly escape death from a train derailment. Oh yeah, did I mention Alice’s dad was supposed to work the shift that killed Joe’s mom. And Joe has a crush on Alice. Oh, and Joe’s best friend and director of their student film Charles also has a crush on Alice! Complicated I’m sure!

    The train holds a government secret causing the military to descend on the small Ohio town. Science fiction action and a little bit of horror starts to play out on our screen.

    The Re-Watch

    Again, this is a film I have watched before. I believe I saw this film in the theater with my parents, since my husband was away on business. Today I watched it through my Fandango app on my Roku. We own this film through that service. We started watching around 6pm this Thursday. Our son, even though invited, did not join us on this watch.

    Shane and I started our watch after eating El Pollo Loco. Let me say here that I do not like El Pollo Loco’s corn. I wish they would not add the peppers. There, I said it.

    I really enjoyed this watch. Shane hadn’t seen this since it was in the theaters. I have shown this film a few times in my film class, so I have seen it a few more times than he has.

    From the opening scene showing the change in the accident sign, that flows into the funeral scene, this film had my attention. I am a sucker for a film led by kids, a la The Goonies. Plus, these awesome kids are making a movie inside of a movie! They included some fun Easter eggs, like naming the chemical plant in the kids zombie student film Romero Chemicals, an ode to George Romero and his classic zombie flick, Night of the Living Dead.

    There are a lot of great actors in Super 8. Ron Eldard is Alice’s dad. I remember him most from E.R., but I’m old. He’s great! I also enjoyed Ryan Lee as Joe’s friend Carey, master of effects and the zombie most killed in the student film. Not to mention the other kid who is prominently featured, Riley Griffiths as the writer, director, auteur filmmaker. He is fantastic!

    Just like other thrillers, we do not see the “monster” for quite some time. According to IMdb trivia (so take with a grain of salt), the alien only has 3 minutes of screen time. Of course, not showing the scary creature only adds to the suspense and fun of the movie.

    Rating

    9/10 – An awesome and fun rewatch. Shane enjoyed it, I enjoyed it, even our German Shepard, Zelda, enjoyed it. What’s not to love? We get to watch a group of scrappy kids make a movie. We get to see an alien. We get to see young love. There’s laughs, there’s tears, and there’s dogs.