This time around on Planet 8, each crew member has chosen a film that maybe didn't do well at the box office or get critical acclaim, but we feel deserves another look. Yes, we've picked out some hidden gems! We'll each take a turn talking about our pick, followed by some discussion. Hopefully we do a good enough job that you may be encouraged to check these films out! Our selections are pretty different from each other, and reflect our range of interests.
Chief Engineer Bob is up first with 2008's Speed Racer by the Wachowskis. Based on the famous cartoon series, the film captures the flavor of the cartoon, so if you're a fan, you'll definitely appreciate it. It's highly stylized and visually exciting, and well worth your time if you want to see something really unique. And how is Speed Racer connected to Elvis? Listen and find out!
Up next is Recon Officer Karen with the offbeat 1974 sci-fi film Zardoz, best remembered for Sean Connery in a red loincloth. The plot of the film is difficult to summarize, but if you like dystopian futures, giant stone heads, and weird psychedelia, this could be the film for you.
Finally, bringing us to a close, Commander Larry tells us all about Phantasm, the Don Coscarelli film from 1979. This low-budget thriller has developed a true cult following. Larry gives us the scoop on the Tall Man and of course, the sphere. Did you know there were five films in the series? Neither did we! But Larry gives us the basic premise -which is that the Tall Man collects corpses and turns them into scrunched down zombie slaves to take back to his planet. What?. Anyway, it'll keep your attention!
Those are our picks. We have so many other films we could name, but we'll save them for another round!
This episode's Sensor Sweep is brought to us by Bob. This time it's a gigantic box set of 18 LPs from Waxworks Records for the Showa Godzilla films (1954 -1975)! Each film gets its own album, and a few get two-record sets. If you love the Godzilla soundtracks, and you have a few hundred dollars sitting around, check it out. These LPs are colored vinyl, and include exclusive artwork. Quite a collectors' item!
That's all for us. Let us know what you think of our hidden gems, and tell us about your hidden gems! What films would you include?
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Nice conversation, and I enjoyed listening to you all describe and explain your choices. My thoughts on them:
ReplyDelete1. I've seen part of the Speed Racer movie on TV about 5-6 years ago, and have wanted to see the whole thing since. Bob's rundown makes me want to see it all the more. And yes, I did watch the cartoon back in the 1970s. For a while, it was the favorite of every kid in my class.
2. As I commented at Karen's site when she wrote about it a few months ago, Zardoz is a movie I respect more than I like. I've only watched it once, and probably won't ever again, just because of some of the darker aspects of the story. However, I think anybody interested in SF should see it.
3. Phantasm - I've been hearing about the movie since I was a little kid, but since horror is my least favorite genre, I think it will take more arm-twisting to get me to see it.
As for my own hidden gem, for the longest time I would have said Battle Beyond the Stars (you know, the Star Wars knock-off starring John-Boy Walton), but once the internet became a thing I found that it is a bit of a cult favorite, so not quite a 'hidden' gem. So I'll go with another personal favorite, the 1981 spy-spoof with superhero trappings, Condorman. I very unironically love this movie, and even wrote about a few years back in a guest post at Karen's old digs, the Bronze Age Babies.
Looking forward to more hidden gems shows...
Edo Bosnar
Thanks for the comments! I do remember seeing Battle Beyond the Stars, it was actually pretty good. Thanks again and stay safe.
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