Happy Thanksgiving! And welcome to the second audience appreciation Thursday! I felt it would be way too cliched to actually play a movie named Black Friday on Thanksgiving, so instead I’m playing Chopping Mall. Unpredictable!
This selection was chosen by Common Tater and rhywun. I appreciate you both! It was written and directed by Jim Wynorski, who is known for a huge amount of B movies. I assembled a selection of his movies below by decades. Enjoy browsing, it’s a charcuterie plate of B movie goodness:
- Lost Empire (1987): We saw this a while back. Link to post included.
- Deathstalker II (1987)
- Munchie (1992)
- Ghoulies IV (1994)
- The Bare Wench Project: Scared Topless (2001)
- The Hills Have Thighs (2010)
- Bigfoot or Bust (2022): We watched this too! Link included to the post.
- Murderbot (2024)
Seems like Jim found someone to come up with fantastic movie parody names by 2000. I salute this! A full review of his films can be found on IMDB. He is well past 150 movies made at this point.
So howe about tonight’s film? This is his second effort, filmed the same year as Lost Empire and Deathstalkers. The man was busy from day one! You really do not get to see this level of TCB with modern one-man bands, it is quite hard nowadays to start cranking out films. That in itself is an achievement. Your brief plot summary is this: It’s about kids trapped in a shopping mall at night with new high-tech security robots. Let the mayhem commence!
This movie did not start as a classic. See the trivia below, from IMDB:
The movie was originally released in March 1986 under the title Killbots. It performed poorly and the producers felt the movie’s title turned off audiences, who might think based on the original movie poster that it was a Transformers-like children’s cartoon instead of a violent exploitation movie. After some time, the movie was re-released to theaters under the title Chopping Mall, with over 15 minutes cut.
From what I can tell, the scenes cut are not available. If anybody has it I’d love to see it. I am assuming the cuts were for slow dialog. This movie definitely qualifies as a cult classic, and I think it probably benefitted from the changes. I can’t imagine what 15 extra minutes would have done to the pacing.
So watch! Or Don’t! Everything is voluntary! I hope you all have a good Thanksgiving, should you be attending one. If not, enjoy this movie selection and snark up the comments! There are no rules on Thursdays! Next week, it’s Trancers!
/checks out his links, leaves it in!
Happy Thanksgiving!
“He is well past 150 movies made at this point.”
Wow.
“Look, it only takes a couple of weeks to churn one out. We can make four, five a year.”
“From what I can tell, the scenes cut are not available.”
I can go look. The version I have is from the bluray. It’s 1:17, so I assume it’s the edited version.
Also SugarFree might like this. It has Barbara Crampton. She’s in at least three Lovecraft movies.
Did Q get a writer’s credit for The Bare Wench Project: Scared Topless?
I was thinking it was secretly Swiss.
I don’t think he’d take it. Not to his standard.
Wikipedia mentions his film “Cleavagefield” – LOL
““Cleavagefield””
LOL
Lizzy Caplan had quite the rack too.
There are some great DVD extras I didn’t find either. A whole mini movie on making the robots.
Can you still buy the DVD?
Possibly! It would have to be that special edition with extras.
I don’t know if that’s available.
Here it is for $6 https://www.hamiltonbook.com/chopping-mall-dvd
This version might be the un-edited version, as it lists a runtime of 1:29 (which is a bit less than 1:17 plus :15)
https://www.amazon.com/Chopping-Mall-Blu-ray-Kelli-Maroney/dp/B01IN8A9J2
Runtime 1 hour and 29 minutes
Can’t find any mention of extras anywhere.
Happy Thanksgiving Glibbies.
https://youtu.be/jgBD0emC8O4?si=OzLwLXsdXcfmWn7k
Happy Thanksgiving!
https://x.com/michaeljknowles/status/1861547564627308700
I don’t have anything as good as yours.
Good enough!
Oh, a new post.
OK, I will press Play then.
THANK YOU
I don’t like this new front page thing.
Yeah. Not sure we have a choice. I am now forever buried at the bottom.
Your brief plot summary is this: It’s about kids trapped in a shopping mall at night with new high-tech security robots. Let the mayhem commence!
This movie did not start as a classic. See the trivia below, from IMDB:
The movie was originally released in March 1986 under the title Killbots.
I think I’ve seen this before.
/skips around the movie
YES. I did see it. I remember the scene where the teen goes to the cigarette vending machine.
I don’t remember if I saw it on TV or in its original version. It was a long time ago.
Poking around on the Intertubes, I think the “Killbot” version might have been the test screening version. There might not be any copy out there to load up on tubi.
I need to be up tomorrow for the gym and to start my holiday travel. I will watch this after I get back.
Thanks RJ!
Have a safe trip! I just got back from Shreveport. I now have a light version of my daughter’s strep throat. I hope to just sleep it off tomorrow.
Get well soon.
On the upside, it’s not the worst thing you can catch in Shreveport.
So true.
Funny how it seems.
Feel better!
Ha I remember this one with the same douchey actor – did not know it was the same director.
When you follow J Pop Google automatically thinks you care about K Pop. I want to know if that’s racist.
K-Pop group NewJeans split from agency in mistreatment row
This is a big deal because it’s big money and big money globally. One of my coworkers is a huge K Pop fan and I’m sure she will know the backstory. The whole Korean industry makes the Japanese one seem like amateurs on both the money involved and the abuse of the talent.
Maybe they should try coming up with good music instead of derivative crap.
Do they sound similar?
In many ways, yes. Linguists can’t find a common ancestor, but on the surface to many, including me, they sound quite similar and share some similar structures.
Makeup style in Korea and Japan is notably different, however.
I didn’t mean the language. I meant the music.
So like the Korean car industry in comparison with the Japanese?
I do give them high marks for going with “K.I.A.” as a brand name.
Well, I’d rather drive a Lexus than a Genesis.
OTH, if it’s a lease…
So theres tits?
I don’t recall any tits in tonight’s film. But there are plenty in the alternate selections, there is something to be thankful for!
Multiple tiddies and only two commercial breaks in.
Good! Here’s a quite from Jim Wynorski:
“Breasts are the cheapest special effect in our business.”
Look in the mirror. :-p
Ha!
Thats no joke.
If I don’t cut some weight Ill be eligible for a solid b-cup. Like Chuck Schumer.
Hawt.
Oh, I have you beat right now. I need to be chained to a wall for a few weeks to cut my appetite.
I just noticed in the restaurant scene, there are movie posters up for all of Jim’s other films. Some of which had not yet been released!
They’re cheap and they work.
Double Not-Stupid.
From Beyond (1986) would a good Thursday night movie.
I just read that Barbara Crampton sold the BDSM outfit she wore at a yard sale.
Wearing a BDSM outfit at a yard sale is daring. 😉
Why, what do you wear?
Nothing at all. 🙂
No one wants to buy your yard. It’s poorly maintained.
Are you saying Ted’s lawn needs a trim to be salvageable?
Some South American needs to execute a coup on the shrubbery, yes.
I swear that’s on the list.
OK, cool.
Ashtrays in the main hallways.
I remember those.
I got a kick out of the cigarette vending machine.
…
How the fuck do I stop Tubi from cutting off the credits and moving to another movie??
Asshoe.
I do not know.
I remember when those would be near the restrooms in restaurants/bars.
Funny. I recall the cigarette vending machines in entrances.
In better neighborhoods they were in unlocked vestibules so people (and underage kids) could get their fix during off hours.
Ok, I experimented. If you have a Roku box or TV, you can press the “back” button once and it leaves you alone and rolls all the credits. Other suggestions, etc… all go away.
I watch on my TV – cool, I will try that next time if I can remember.
There’s a couple of dive bars near me that still have cigarette vending machines.
It warms the cockles of my heart.
There’s a local chocolatier who has an old cigarette machine rigged up to dispense chocolate bars, which is cool.
I’m surprised we don’t have pot vending machines in my state yet. Give it time, I guess.
rhywun:
Down in Columbus, there’s even a charcuterie vending machine.
I never get the end credits from Tubi either.
No idea how hitting a back button would work, as that’s the way Tubi serves movies.
When I use Tubi, it’s from a laptop connected to a TV via HDMI. uBlock Origin blocks all the ads.
I read that NYC has government-funded machines that vend drug paraphernalia.
The Packers show Chicago how to get down the field in under a minute.
From the first video I’m going to weep for what’s left of music the same way writers and artists are now with AI. Although the ability to pull vocal and instruments out of a track seems really useful for study.
https://arstechnica.com/ai/2024/11/nvidias-new-ai-audio-model-can-synthesize-sounds-that-have-never-existed/
Neat.
Nah, there will always be oldsters doing oldtime music.
But the market for it will be as big as the market for vinyl records now, which is to say, minuscule.
pfft I don’t miss vinyl one bit. CD’s were already taking over so fortunately I was able to skip that format. I wish I could have skipped cassettes, though.
Right, that’s my point. We craftsmen are always going to be around, but only at Silver Dollar City, Ren Faires, and educational historical tours.
I just got 2hrs 21min down to 34 minutes. I have another 46 minutes of footage to edit down.
What are you editing?
I am editing the video of the assembly of the backplane of the z80 computer build that some glibs swore that they would watch. There are logic boards yet to be soldered together, but it made more sense to break it up into a series instead of trying to get the whole thing done in one go.
Trinitarian Twitter picked a fight with Mormon Twitter and now it’s mud rasslin’ and Jell-O shots all the way down.
Be careful trinitarians outgun mormons.
That was some quality 80s cheese. Thanks,R.J.!
OK, it’s now November 29th in the Eastern U.S. time zone, so U.S. Thanksgiving is over and Glibs here and eastward* may NOW listen to Christmas music!
Those of you further west will just have to wait a little bit longer.
*my jury is still out on when Canadians, Europeans, etc. may start listening to Christmas without offending proper sensibilities, but you’re certainly safe to do so now. 😉
Hah! I listen to Christmas songs year round.
I’ll give you Christmas music.
https://youtu.be/KmjHevZOC90?si=e19fh__z5ow6RTO4
Just because one can do something doesn’t mean one should. There is never a good time for X-mas music.
80’s night continues. Watching Scanners.
Good morning all. I am sure y’all are all in bed, fat as ticks and snoring alcohol fumes. I hope all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
I woke at midnight, stoked the fire and made coffee. I scanned over the comments, browsed some firearms sites (I am lusting for some Winchester rifles) and then perused Spiked!Online.
The answer to their every article is – government cannot be trusted to have any place in any of those debates. They simply cannot be trusted with 99% of the power they have been given.
Its just the wrong government is all we need the right one
Good morning, Suthen, U, and EfE, and good afternoon, Pie!
Morning.
How goes?
Well, thanks! Hoping for a nice, quiet day at the office. Don’t remember if my boss is coming in or not. It may be my last chance to take it easy before month end when things get hectic all through December and January.
How are you?
I was doing okay until I got out of the house.
I’ve apparently misplaced my fancy made in the USA yet still less expensive and sturdier than made in chain ice scraper – then proceeded to break my windshielf wiper blade off trying to clear the windscreen. Of course, I won’t be able to get a replacement until after work, but since I’m not going to deal with Black Friday crowds, that probably means Advance Auto Parts, where the last time I was there the guy who insisted on helping not only didn’t know what he was doing, he slowed down me replacing my windshield wiper blades (a process I’ve done several times before)
Ugh. Hope your scraper turns up, and I hope the clerk at the auto parts store is not quite so allegedly helpful. 😒
It’s finally gotten cold here, so I foresee plenty of car window scraping in my near future. 😣 Today, at least, I think it’s cloudy enough that there won’t be frost.
It would be easier if I hadn’t stumbled onto that scraper at a gas station along the northern Mississippi on my way towards the Honey Harvest one year. I don’t know if I can replace it around here.
It’s not the $3, it’s the principle!
🥳
I found This which isn’t as inexpensive but claims to have a country of origin of USA.
😃👍
Rise and shine industrious Americans dont be lazy like Europeans
I have to get on the road and make it to the office, I’ve been up.
Morning y’all. 6-whenever shift begins! Yesterday til 1 or so, at 1.5x. Then Sat and Mon off, but not Sun morning. Then to evening shifts w a 3day weekend. Should be interesting here the day after Thanksgiving. I’m guessing mighty light but who knows. Yesterday was not nuts.
Take care and kick ass, y’all.
Sean is late again. This is becoming a habit, I may have to report him to corporate.
*waves*
What time is Sean *supposed* to clock in?
Happy don’t get on the scale day, Glibs!
😂🌄
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3fe7lmZH7iw
🎶🎶
I already did, and I was 0.2 lbs lighter than yesterday. 🥳
I was .4 under.
Neener, neener.
https://www.techspot.com/news/105748-youtuber-unveils-diy-ultrawide-handheld-gaming-pc.html
Neat.
Morning all,
I’m a little concerned about Sean’s erratic behavior. This is highly irregular.
No work for me today. ☕
Sean should have more fiber in his diet?
Day off here. Maybe I’ll go gun shopping. 😉
Never too early for that.
You really want to deal with the Black Friday crowds?
Is it the scary Black Friday with the thing that goes up?
I’ll avoid here: https://www.tannerssportscenter.com/
They’re too busy on holidays. Great place though.
There’s one in town I’ll visit and another very local that I haven’t been to since they moved locations.
suh’ fam
yo whats goody
Morning y’all. It was 535 when I wrote this: 6-whenever shift begins! Yesterday til 1 or so, at 1.5x. Then Sat and Mon off, but not Sun morning. Then to evening shifts w a 3day weekend. Should be interesting here the day after Thanksgiving. I’m guessing mighty light but who knows. Yesterday was not nuts.
Take care and kick ass, y’all.