SHERDOG MOVIE CLUB: Let's pick the Week 155 movie!

[Cubo de Sangre]

Only me and Tufts voted for the one movie that would be considered erotic by mainstream standards.

That leaves Bullitt's vote for the 90's direct-to-video Animal Instinct... and that let's be honest, that guy probably gets turned on by VHS grain at this point.

Animal Instincts is classic T&A. Shit man, it was so good they did a sequel.

 

[europe1]

Animal Instincts is classic T&A. Shit man, it was so good they did a sequel.

Meh. I bet it's no Poison Ivy 4: The New Seduction

Spoiler

Here's my thought process. I was torn between "erotica" and "the movie you shoulda picked" (i.e. a selection from four different previous weeks of mine that I wanted to win). I never could come up with a 4th movie I liked for erotica so the two ideas got combined. No rigging. Just letting the chips fall.

Damn man. Had I know that, I would have thought harder to come up with some suggestion except for that one super-weird Hong Kong movie.

Spoiler

EDIT: I should have suggested Deadly Sweet from 1966

Or maybe The Tenth Victim from 1965 with the original boob guns.

 

[Bullitt68]

QFT. And apparently I was the only one who had the balls to vote for Animal Instincts.

Leaving aside the fact that the cast includes Jan-Michael Vincent, David Carradine, and John Saxon - as well as, in the lead female role, Shannon Whirry, who made her film debut in Out for Justice as one of the waitresses in Gina Gershon's club (as Seagal describes her in the film, "the one with the nipples you could dial a phone with") and who also played the "yummy mummy" in Me, Myself, & Irene - it just has the look, the sound, and the feel of a quintessential erotic thriller. Hell, now that I've come across it, I might have to watch it without the SMC. How can I allow such a perfect movie to go unseen?

Then again, I can't get too mad about watching a movie like Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, aka one of the GOAT comedies.

Spoiler

If you haven't seen the film before, be patient and wait to understand this reference, but for those who've already seen it who want to understand this reference, follow the link below and skip to 1:19:02

https://allthingscomedy.com/podcast...ith-christina-pazsitzky-and-tom-segura/page/4

That leaves Bullitt's vote for the 90's direct-to-video Animal Instinct... and that let's be honest, that guy probably gets turned on by VHS grain at this point.

 

[HARRISON_3]

IIRC, Michael Rooker's middle name is Erotic.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

Meh. I bet it's no Poison Ivy 4: The New Seduction

Easily better. Although I'd take prime Jamie over prime Shannon.

QFT. And apparently I was the only one who had the balls to vote for Animal Instincts.

Leaving aside the fact that the cast includes Jan-Michael Vincent, David Carradine, and John Saxon - as well as, in the lead female role, Shannon Whirry, who made her film debut in Out for Justice as one of the waitresses in Gina Gershon's club (as Seagal describes her in the film, "the one with the nipples you could dial a phone with") and who also played the "yummy mummy" in Me, Myself, & Irene - it just has the look, the sound, and the feel of a quintessential erotic thriller. Hell, now that I've come across it, I might have to watch it without the SMC. How can I allow such a perfect movie to go unseen?

Then again, I can't get too mad about watching a movie like Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, aka one of the GOAT comedies.

Spoiler

If you haven't seen the film before, be patient and wait to understand this reference, but for those who've already seen it who want to understand this reference, follow the link below and skip to 1:19:02

https://allthingscomedy.com/podcast...ith-christina-pazsitzky-and-tom-segura/page/4

Give Animal Instincts a watch. Report back.

Henry a comedy? Podcast won't play. Just sits there buffering.

 

[MusterX]

Here's my thought process. I was torn between "erotica" and "the movie you shoulda picked" (i.e. a selection from four different previous weeks of mine that I wanted to win). I never could come up with a 4th movie I liked for erotica so the two ideas got combined. No rigging. Just letting the chips fall.

Ha! That movie sucked. If anything I coulda doubled-down on Crimes of Passion. Now that's a movie.

If its anything I've learned through 10 cycles, its that the best movie club movie is not always the best movie, sometimes its a crap movie. Whatever spawns discussion is a winner. It doesn't matter if people love it or hate it, the question is do they talk about it. Lair of the White Worm would be a good example. Its divisive, its sacrilegious, its evil, its sexual, believe me, there would be some discussion about that one. It really is counter-intuitive. The trick is to find movies that people will talk about, not necessarily movies you like or think are good.

 

[europe1]

Top 10 Femme Fatales

Making this list just made me realize that I don't know what a femme fatale is. Is Ms. 45 a femme fatale? Or is she just momentously fucked up?

10.

Spoiler

Death Game (1977) -- Sondra Locke, Colleen Camp (again, not sure if they qualify?)

9.

Spoiler

Femme Fatale -- Rebecca Romijn

8.

Spoiler

Die Nibelungen – Part II: Kriemhild's Revenge -- Margarete Schön

7.

Spoiler

Deadlier than the Male -- Elke Sommer and Sylva Koscina. All Bond-esque bad babes are automatically Femme Fatales, right?

6.

Spoiler

Siren of Atlantis -- Maria Montez

5.

Spoiler

The Killers -- Ava Gardner (plus points for the super sexy gloves)

4.

Spoiler

Isabella Rossellini - Blue Velvet

3.

Spoiler

Sharon Stone -- Basic Instinct

Plus:

2.

Spoiler

Gilda!

1.

Spoiler

Rosamund Pike -- Gone Girl

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

If its anything I've learned through 10 cycles, its that the best movie club movie is not always the best movie, sometimes its a crap movie. Whatever spawns discussion is a winner. It doesn't matter if people love it or hate it, the question is do they talk about it. Lair of the White Worm would be a good example. Its divisive, its sacrilegious, its evil, its sexual, believe me, there would be some discussion about that one. It really is counter-intuitive. The trick is to find movies that people will talk about, not necessarily movies you like or think are good.

I get that. But if I don't like a movie it won't be nominated. That said, for the next Battle Royale I'm leaning towards Naked Lunch.

 

[Tabarnakos]

My Japanese wife next door sound like some porn flick title

 

[Bullitt68]

Oh shit, I just realized that I forgot about the Top Theme. My top femme fatales:

1) Bette Davis in the 1940s. She's the GOAT femme fatale IMO, yet she's almost never brought up in this context, which is mind-boggling. The Letter, The Little Foxes, In This Our Life, Mr. Skeffington, A Stolen Life, and Beyond the Forest all showcase her brilliance at being wicked. For me, my #1 would either be The Little Foxes (the famous heart attack scene, fucking cold as ice) or In This Our Life.

2) Lizabeth Scott in Too Late for Tears. Holy shit, you want to talk about a money hungry gold digger? Watch this vicious femme fatale's fangs and claws come out when her and her husband accidentally come upon a bag of money. Super underrated film noir that I myself only saw for the first time recently on Turner Classic Movies.

3) Gene Tierney in Leave Her to Heaven. Aside from my massive crush on her and the fact that her beauty is rendered in magnificent Technicolor, Tierney is terrifyingly unmoored in her pursuit of @Yotsuya's pal Cornel Wilde. @MusterX, I know I missed out on your previous evil Top Theme, but, belatedly, I'd be hard-pressed to come up with a more evil scene than when Tierney famously watches Wilde's crippled younger brother drown because she's jealous of the time Wilde spends with him instead of with her

4) Simone Simon as Irena Dubrovna in Cat People. Going in the complete opposition direction, this is a wholly sympathetic portrayal of what I can only describe as an unintentional femme fatale - a femme fatale who wants desperately not to be one and whose struggle not to be one is the narrative and thematic driving force of the film.

5) Jean Simmons in Angel Face. The fucking definition of entitled. And Muster, I just said that I'd be hard-pressed to come up with a more evil scene than Gene Tierney watching Cornel Wilde's brother drown in Leave Her to Heaven - well, if there's a scene that can give that one a run for its money, it's the last scene in Angel Face.

I'd take prime Jamie over prime Shannon.

Give Animal Instincts a watch. Report back.

I checked online to see if I could find it before I even voted for it, so it's waiting in the wings.

Henry a comedy? Podcast won't play. Just sits there buffering.

Huh. Works perfectly for me. Try 1:21:35 at this link:

 

[europe1]

Please Welcome Our Newest Member to the SMC!!!

@TheOldMan!!!!

(Whoa! First impressions...)
​

@MusterX you know what to do...

 

[ArtemV]

This movie looks interesting

 

[chickenluver]

I laughed when I looked at which posters voted for My Japanese Wife Next Door because it was exactly who I would have expected (I voted for it as well)

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

Huh. Works perfectly for me. Try 1:21:35 at this link:

Odd and hard to listen to.

 

[MusterX]

That said, for the next Battle Royale I'm leaning towards Naked Lunch.

This club has not been up to the task of plumbing the depths of Cronenberg.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

This club has not been up to the task of plumbing the depths of Cronenberg.

Neither the book nor the movie made much sense to me. Could be lots to discuss.

 

[MusterX]

I know I missed out on your previous evil Top Theme, but, belatedly, I'd be hard-pressed to come up with a more evil scene than when Tierney famously watches Wilde's crippled younger brother drown because she's jealous of the time Wilde spends with him instead of with her

I just watched that scene. That bitch is cold as ice. Her face is expressionless as she contemplates the moment when the boy will drown. And those eyes, cold and dead.

 

[MusterX]

@TheOldMan there is only one way to get in this club.

 

[europe1]

Glenn Close - Fatal Attraction

Gleen Close was a psycho for sure. It's just that... you know... she isn't that sexy.

The rabbit scene was a laugh-riot though.

Sharon Stone - Basic instinct

• 

Sharon Stone really was born to play these 90's erotic movies. Even something otherwise utterly mediocre like Sliver 1993 becomes good because she's in it.

Angelina - Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Meh, that's one of the least erotic BDSM scenes in cinema history.

And just an abysmal film overall.

Give me crazy ass Girl Interrupted Jolie any day.

Demi Moore - Disclosure

Good out-of-the-way pick there, Tufts!

Honestly, Disclosure was probably Demi Moore's best role. Pretty average movie overall but she shines in it.

Isabella Rossellini - Blue Velvet

I wouldn't even have thought about Rossellini before seeing it on these lists. I guess she's an inversion of the trope? In that, she appears mysterious and seductive at first, but then quickly turns out to be a severely damaged and exploited woman in need of help.

Femme Fatale subversions... sort of like Malena?

Halle Berry - Swordfish

Unlike the aforementioned Sliver or Disclosure, not even Halle Berry could salvage Swordfish.

Jane Greer in Out of the Past? Eh, she didn't do much for me. Just lacked the gravitas of the role.

This is a cool gif though.

Another inversion of the trope! (I guess?)

Faye Dunaway did some great stuff in the 60's-to-70's. Chinatown, Network, Bonnie and Clyde, all superb stuff. So good that I've forgiven her for appearing in that piece of shit The Champ.

Eva Green in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

Easily the best thing in that movie.

Eva Green really has created a niche for herself with these Vamp roles. Playing super-evil villainesses without their clothes on.

Leaving aside the fact that the cast includes Jan-Michael Vincent, David Carradine, and John Saxon

C'mon, Bullitt.

One of those people doesn't deserve to be mentioned next to the others!

2) Lizabeth Scott in Too Late for Tears. Holy shit, you want to talk about a money hungry gold digger? Watch this vicious femme fatale's fangs and claws come out when her and her husband accidentally come upon a bag of money. Super underrated film noir that I myself only saw for the first time recently on Turner Classic Movies.

So is this one of those situations when an actor only has one good role and they nail it absolutely perfectly?

Lizabeth Scott was always good at looking beautiful and dreamy. But I'm still recovering from the staccato acting in Desert Fury.

3) Gene Tierney in Leave Her to Heaven. Aside from my massive crush on her and the fact that her beauty is rendered in magnificent Technicolor, Tierney is terrifyingly unmoored in her pursuit of @Yotsuya's pal Cornel Wilde. @MusterX, I know I missed out on your previous evil Top Theme, but, belatedly, I'd be hard-pressed to come up with a more evil scene than when Tierney famously watches Wilde's crippled younger brother drown because she's jealous of the time Wilde spends with him instead of with her

I've never seen this movie (Why haven't you goaded me to watch this movie yet?). But just from Martin Scorcese's presentation of this movie and that scene in his documentary A Personal Journey Through American Movies, I believe everything said here 100%.

4) Simone Simon as Irena Dubrovna in Cat People. Going in the complete opposition direction, this is a wholly sympathetic portrayal of what I can only describe as an unintentional femme fatale - a femme fatale who wants desperately not to be one and whose struggle not to be one is the narrative and thematic driving force of the film.

That's an interesting and creative pick for sure. Another subversion of the trope.

5) Jean Simmons in Angel Face. The fucking definition of entitled. And Muster, I just said that I'd be hard-pressed to come up with a more evil scene than Gene Tierney watching Cornel Wilde's brother drown in Leave Her to Heaven - well, if there's a scene that can give that one a run for its money, it's the last scene in Angel Face.

Damn... forgot that one for my list.

Simmons is kind of unassuming in how downright ineffectual she is as a femme fatale. However, in the game of murder and seduction, she has a MacReady-esque approach to dealing with her situations whenever she fails.

I laughed when I looked at which posters voted for My Japanese Wife Next Door because it was exactly who I would have expected (I voted for it as well)

Lamo.

Yeah... I had exactly the same reaction.<45>

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

I wouldn't even have thought about Rossellini before seeing it on these lists.

Same here.

<{monica}>