Schlock 2: Delicious Cheese

These are those ones that are either "so bad, it's good!", or...chincy budget wise, but...have a special charm anyway, cuz the creators had wit, or heart, or both.



Schlock

The film-

That's right, such a film exists!

John Landis's first film, and first and only starring role (as Schlock).

Also, Rick Baker did the Schlock mask/suit, and this was his breaking-into-showbiz debut.
He did a good job, Landis can emote with that thing on.

The signs of genius were there in both of them from the start.

The history-

Timerider: 
The Adventure of Lyle Swann

The film-

Kinda in that same foodgroup of 80's cheese as "The Wraith".

So  a dirt-biker accidentally rides through a secret government time travel project testing, and gets sent back to the wild west.

This one has a different wrinkle on it that I've never seen another time travel movie do, in, that the protagonist never quite actually figures out he traveled time (until the end).

Which, is about right, actually.
Short of dinosaurs, the last thing you would assume would be time travel.

If you rode through an old western town, you would think either a dirt-poor town of rednecks, or re-enactors, or a cult-town out of "The Village", or....something.

Not "oh, cowboys, I'm a time traveler! Wheee!".

The history-

Misty watercolored 80's HBO memories.
Hey, look, Lyle is Remo!!

Pray For Death

The film-

Standard "they killed my wife!", ninja revenge plot.

But...it has a magic to it....I can't explain it.
It has the ingredients for mediocrity, but, it's one of those little-movies-that-could, it kicks fucking ass!

The history-

The Wizard of Speed and Time

The film-

Right up front, this is the movie "The Projectionist", fucking wished it were.
Screw you, Projectionist, get outta here! *kick*

Okay, so....this special effect prodigy makes this nifty little short film....

...and then, fleshed it out into a whole movie, by making the fictional account of the making of this film, and splicing in his other short films as it goes.

Here, the trailer for that....

And, if you aren't seduced right now to track this sucker down this instant, there's something deeply wrong with you.

Anyway, as hinted in this trailer, it's the under-dog-iest movie ever, and it has a pretty loyal cult.

There's no DVD release of this, but the maker has given consent to download it.
You can watch the whole thing cut up in parts at Youtube.

Industry people love this film too.
Here's a none-too-subtle tribute to The Wizard in an episode of Justice League....

The history-

Nicely's had this, and I passed up both renting, and buying it when they went out of business (as a rental place).
What a fool I was.
Well...what can I say, I was oblivious.
Still, I pile it on my mountain of regrets. :(

Well, it has a happy ending though, Youtube churns out Mike Jittlovs all over the place.
So, here's your forebearer/mentor, kiddies.
Now you know.


Revenge of the Radioactive Reporter

 The film-

For the longest time, I just thought this was an unimaginative Toxie ripoff, and rolled my eyes and moved on.

But, don't be deceived, it has a vibe and identity all its own, it's really a gem.

The history-

Nicely's had it, but I watched it off scrambled Cinemax.

My memories are foggy, but the chorus to the party theme to this is trapped in my head forever.

Oh, shit! Youtube has it!
Oh, I love you, Youtube!

That, in a loop.
Like "Help me, Smee!".


Shrunken Heads

The film-

A Charlie Band epic!
(See Dark Angel review here)

So, three friends are killed by a gang, a voodoo man revives them as flying shrunken heads, and they avenge themselves.
Cinema art is born.

The history-

So, there's a list of yummy goodies to seek out, my weirdo cathode-mutant brethren.

Get crackin!

Up next: Superhero TeeVee!!