We had enjoyed  Starship Troopers  as a popcorn action flick when we saw it in the theater, and hadn't revisited it in years, and never on The Slaughtered Lamb Cinema screen, so for our S movie, I thought it might be fun to experience in Dolby Atmos. Right off the bat you're exposed to jingoistic propaganda that sets the stage for what you're in for. Though I'm not a big fan of the original Robert Heinlein novel, which I read after first seeing the film, Verhoeven has fun satirizing what most consider a right-wing, pro-military novel. At the end of the day, it's easy to enjoy it for what it is at the most basic level — hapless soldiers versus space bugs (which are pretty cool — and refreshingly non-Giger- esque — designs). The film is a loud, boisterous, flashy, non-stop adventure; just what you would expect from the director of Robocop , Total Recall , Basic Instinct and Showgirls ... While the two leads, portrayed by Casper Van Dien and Denise Richards, are pret...

Let's talk about Raise the Titanic. A late seventies star-studded epic featuring: a John ( King Kong ) Berkey poster — check!; a John ( King Kong ) Barry score — check!; and produced by Sir Lew ( Capricorn One ) Grade — check! I waited a long time for a widescreen, HD release of the film, and have held out for the right time to watch it on The Slaughtered Lamb Cinema screen. Thanks to our 52 Pick-Up series, the time was finally right! While I knew the name Clive Cussler from my days working in the bookstore, I was not previously aware that Raise the Titanic was the first of his Dirk Pitt novels to be adapted to the screen. Now, to be fair, only one more ( Sahara , with Matthew McConaughey as Pitt) has been made since then. And to be perfectly honest, Dirk Pitt wasn't the star of Raise the Titanic — it was the ship herself. A 55-foot scale model of the doomed, majestic ocean liner. And who was responsible for the film's extensive model work, might you ask? Would you believe...

Q ! As we've worked our way through the alphabet in this series, this was the only letter for which I had already determined the film several weeks in advance. Though I have owned the film for years, I had never gotten around to watching it (though we did go on a bit of a Larry Cohen-binge after watching Steve Mitchell's great documentary King Cohen ). A stop-motion giant monster movie? What's not to love! I'm pleased to report that we had a great time with it. That's not to say that the film isn't without its rough edges — the film often cuts between scenes abruptly — often where a little finesse with transitions would have come in handy. If I did't know better, I might have assumed that this was a cut version of the film. But that minor gripe aside, it really is a roller-coaster ride.  The film wastes no time getting right down to business, with our winged pal Quetzalcoatl flying around New York (without being seen, mind you), biting heads off window-washe...

We hadn't seen  Primal Fear  since our first theatrical screening back in 1996, and we had enjoyed it enough that I bought it when it was first released on DVD. I had since upgraded to the inexpensive Blu Ray (yes, one of the reasons we're on this magical journey is because I often upgrade films that I own but haven't yet watched if the price is right and/or the extra features warrant it), and while considering our 'P' options for this series, it jumped off the shelf.  I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't seen it, but it is one of those films that, once you know what happens, you'll never watch the film the same way again. In some films that can be a drawback, particularly if what occurs that makes the film memorable is the only thing that makes the film memorable. Fortunately, in the case of this courtroom thriller, there's enough beyond that to provide an entertaining experience. Edward Norton gives a fantastic performance in his fi...