15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's About Time!, September 14, 2006
This review is from: Unsafe on Any Screen: Cinematic Sleaze and Cheese (Paperback)
I remember the year, if not the month and day, when I became hopelessly hooked on "trash cinema". It was sometime during the Summer of 1986 when, out of boredom, I decided to watch "Spawn of the Slithis" on the "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark" midnight movie show. I couldn't believe what I was seeing!! How could I have been missing out on this great stuff for so many years?
Since then I've made it my mission in life to watch as many of these "underground" classics as possible, i.e., without getting divorced; everything from silly TROMA splatterfests to "subversive" spaghetti westerns. Naturally, this gives me a licence to bore my friends and co-workers with my latest discoveries (every week), but they tolerate me pretty well.
I've always had a tough time, however, deciding what to rent or buy next; and those masive paperback video guides by Leonard Maltin and Roger Ebert were of limited use to a geeky, twisted son-of-a-bitch like me. I've relied mostly upon the kindness and patience of video store owners and passing strangers.
But now, here it is! In addition to being a former video store owner, Scott Phillips is a sucessful screenwriter and director ("Drive", "The Stink of Flesh", "Science Bastard") who is eminently qualified to dish the dirt on trashy gems such as "Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park" and "Shriek of the Mutilated"; two of my all-time favorites. His cinematic knowledge is STAGGERING, and all of his reviews are funny as Hell, and often heartwarming to boot. For the most part, he concentrates on "overlooked" classics of the 1960's through 1990's, but his takes on selected mainstream oddities like "Porkys" and "Xanadu" are howlingly funny! His love of the art form and the moviemaking process shines through on every page.
This could not have come at a better time for me! At my (middle) age, I was beginning to think that I'm a "lost cause" because I remember kooky characters like Bert Convy (that swingin' hepcat), or that I'm the only guy my age who has a crush on Fairuza Balk. Now I feel better!
This book should be required reading for all film students. Please, Mr. Phillips, keep it up - we want more!
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious Insider's Compilation, September 10, 2006
This review is from: Unsafe on Any Screen: Cinematic Sleaze and Cheese (Paperback)
It almost doesn't matter what this book is about because the writing is just so fun to read. Scott Phillips is a low-budget filmmaker reviewing other people's low-budget films, so you really get an insider's perspective from someone who has seen a LOT of movies. This would make a great stocking stuffer for anti-Hallmark Chrismakkah friends and loved ones. I would prefer to give it 13 stars but 5's as high as they go.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Looking for some movies off the beaten path?, August 28, 2006
This review is from: Unsafe on Any Screen: Cinematic Sleaze and Cheese (Paperback)
This book of video and movie reviews covers some classic and some long-forgotten so-trashy-they're-awesome flicks. I had heard of a lot of them, but there are many more that, after reading about them, I'm definitely going to have to find somewhere! Even the reviews of the mainstream movies are pretty hilarious.
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