flix we partook of over the hump

[JON9000]

Knocked Up- A two-hour long sitcom about being married and getting old. I thought Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann's story was more interesting than that of Heigl and Seth Rogan's, although you cannot help but root for them.

Blood and Black Lace- I've got a number of giallos lined up, and this is my first taste of the Italian genre, which mixes whodunit with slasher flick with sex. This one was probably more influential than Texas Chainsaw and Halloween combined, as it appears to be the first "body count" movie. It wasn't too bad, but it seems tame by modern standards.

[JON9000]

Exorcist III pretty darn scary- a throwback to when directors didn't have to show the murder committed. Like the prequels, it was better when your imagination took care of the unseen (for the most part). Scott went out with a good one.

Evil Under the Sun- a languid first act gives way to some fun sleuthing by Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot. I liked this one better than Death on the Nile.

Caligula- The Imperial Edition is an unbelievable improvement over the previous release. While 156 minutes is a long time to go without a plot, at least it no longer makes one's eyes bleed. You can even admire the sets now- "Flash Gordon" meets "Rome".

Little Deiter Needs to Fly- Dieter Dengler survives WWII Germany to become an American Pilot in Vietnam. After being shot down, he is captured and escapes. Documentary covers his true story, recently made into "Rescue Dawn". War is bloody hell. Werner lends his inimitable narration to Dengler's personal remembrances.