BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99 (2017)

 Before watching this I had only seen Vince Vaughn in comedies like SWINGERS and MADE so it was a bit of jolt to watch him in something so ultra-violent. I know he played Norman Bates in that horrendous PSYCHO remake but that always seemed like a terrible fever-dream of a film that I've tried to cleanse from memory. Anyway, what you get here is one of those movies where our main character(Vaughn) experiences nothing but bad luck, helped with not the best decisions, so we root for him to get some kinda revenge on society even though it all seems pretty hopeless. It's a men-in-prison deal which has the feeling of one of those torture-porn flicks due to all the head-smashing, bone-breaking and generally nihilistic tone of everything. The great Udo Kier shows up at some point as a creep threatening to have Vaughn's wife killed(Jennifer Carpenter (DEXTER's sister) and  unborn child mutilated and/or aborted if he doesn't get himself transferred to an even worse prison and snuff someone for him and Don Johnson, of MIAMI VICE fame, plays a rather sadistic warden who likes torturing inmates in a very dungeon-like establishment(which really adds to the horror movie-motif).
 Directed by S. Craig Zahler, who gave us the equally exceptional BONE TOMAHAWK, this is a rare example of a modern film that isn't a complete waste of time.

THE MONOLITH MONSTERS (1957)

 Some rocks from outer space land in a desert and then threaten the nearby townsfolk. How the hell do they do that? Well when they get wet they get really big and turn people into solid rock. They also multiply rapidly as an extra threat. Not the most exciting of the 50's giant monster epics mainly because it's just such a ridiculous monster and premise. It is all done fairly seriously for the era though and I guess when you run out of giant creatures giant rocks is the next step. If you dig all the 50's giant bug movies give this a watch after you've run out of those.
 The dad from the PATTY DUKE SHOW( William Schallert) shows up briefly as a weatherman for all you old NICK AT NITE fans.




                                                                Sexy double bill!:

THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS (1953)

 One of the all-time classic 50's giant monster movies. An obvious inspiration for GODZILLA which would come out a year later as well as most all the giant creature films that followed. Also obviously inspired by KING KONG since Ray Harryhausen learned his special F/X tricks from Willis O'Brien on that.
 A personal favorite that helped get me hooked on giant monster movies after seeing it on t.v. as a youngster. If you don't dig this one you probably shouldn't bother with any other monster flicks.

                                                  Nuclear fear!