Is Charlie Sheen a Heartthrob?
Rental Shelf Round-Up April 20-24
Every night I’m free, I put up a poll over on my Instagram and ask my followers which of the three VHS tapes I should watch. At the end of the year, all movies will be ranked. Here’s this week’s Rental Shelf Round-Up.
Along with the titles featured in this week’s round-up, I also viewed the following movies: Jesus Christ Superstar (1973). If you’d like a review of any of these, make sure to leave me a comment!
Towards the end of the week, I was at Creator Camp in Austin doing a talk with Roger on generational filmmaking, which will be released on YouTube at a later date. While there I watched the majority of the short films (my favorite being Natural Twenty), and the feature film Two Sleepy People (2025).
April 20 - Salem’s Lot (1979)
This should have done it for me, but it didn’t. To be honest, though, I think Tobe Hooper is hit or miss. One of my favorite people thinks Poltergeist is terrifying (specifically the second one, but that’s removed from Hooper), and everyone I know loves The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Even movies he’s done that should resonate with me, like Spontaneous Combustion or Lifeforce, just don’t do it for me. So, I think when it comes to Salem’s Lot, it just proves that Tobe Hooper is not the director for me. However, the scene where the vampire child is trying to get into the house and is knocking at the window and then flies away backwards … yeah, that was cool.
April 21 - Pandemonium (1982)
I like the working title of this one: Tuesday the 12th. That’s exactly what this movie feels like. Everyone talks about how it’s a great Carrie spoof, but for me that wasn’t the funniest part. I like how it feels a bit like But I’m a Cheerleader (and yes, it’s just as gay if not more). This definitely would get a recommendation from me. Despite being a comedy ‘spoof’, all of the kills are satisfying and the story itself is fun.
April 22 - Terminal Velocity (1994)
My Gogi had been visiting, and because of that a lot of Two and a Half Men was on the TV. Every time I watched it I kept asking myself what world was Charlie Sheen a sexual icon. When it came to Terminal Velocity I was still wondering this. We lived in a universe where Charlie Sheen was seen as a leading man action hero that could pass as a maverick sky diving instructor — and be attractive enough to pair with Nastassja Kinski without it being comedic. I just don’t get it! The action in this is good, but I was so preoccupied with my dilemma that the movie fell to the side.
April 24 - Santa Claus (1959)
By all accounts, I should love this movie. Santa Claus is essentially an alien whose biggest enemy is Satan. Some unknown observer narrates the battle between good and evil on a group of Mexican children, specifically some poor girl who really wants a doll. There are dance numbers, men in funny costumes, and absolute fever dream nightmares that should make me love this. But I didn’t. Who knows why. Something about it just felt off to me and did not bring me the holiday spirit fuzzies.
Want longer reviews of any of the titles mentioned above? Make sure to leave a comment and let me know! Until next time…
xoxo gala
Hey Gala, as with anything from the past “you had to be there” with Salems Lot. For a 1979 TV miniseries it scared the hell out of us kids and had a lasting impression. Would love to read longer reviews on all your viewings. Thank you for the constant content and hope to get continued episodes of VAP.
If it makes you feel any better, SANTA CLAUS also let down legions of children who went thinking it was a “real movie!” Producer K. Gordon Murray was a true schlockmeister and the king of peddling badly dubbed acquisitions to kiddie matinees. One of my earliest memories is Dad taking me to Murray’s RUMPELSTILTSKIN release in the 1970s. The movie was so bad there was an honest to God “kid riot” in the theater!