#52. Orca - Review

Orca (1977) posterThe experience of sitting down and watching Orca was not unlike having the best sex of your life with someone so ugly you would be embarrassed to introduce them to your dog. Orca is perhaps the guiltiest of all pleasures, terrible in almost everyway except its nerve.  To view it is to experience it, sheer ludicrousness on celluloid, and it is wonderful. Wonderful in the way only Dino De Laurentiss could deliver.

An overt reactionary cash-in on the newly minted big fish genre following Jaws’ success in 1975, producer De Laurentiis and director Michael Anderson took to the ocean hoping to sail upon big box office returns. Substituting the vicious maw of a megalodonic great white for an oddly telepathic killer whale, Orca is a house of cards built atop a filthy vibrating bed in a sleazy motel – There is no chance it is going to work, but watching them try is half the fun.

Richard Harris stars as the simple but stalwart captain Nolan of the humble vessel Bumpo, a salt-caked charmer that is formed as a perfect mix of equal parts Sheriff Brody, Matt Hooper, and Sam Quint, which is of course deliberate. Nolan is joined by a disparate band of ragtag fishermen covering the gamut of age, sex, and beauty, each filling the roles typically required for a film set out at sea. The paint-chipped Bumpo is manned by Novak (Keenan Wynn), the crusty old first mate; the sexy fish out of water Annie (Bo Derek) and her loyal beau Paul (Peter Hooten) perform the most important of naval tasks, such as repeating the orders called out by Nolan, and tying knots.

The film begins with the majestic Bumpo fishing off the shores of Canada in search of a great white shark. When their search crosses paths with marine biologist Rachel Bedford (the enchanting Charlotte Rampling) researching orca in the area, a particular killer whale steals Nolan’s attention, inspiring him to change his aim. After a captured pregnant orca miscarries a whale fetus (WITH HANDS AND FINGERS!!) on the deck of the Bumpo, the father of the aborted baby-whale declares a mission of revenge against Nolan and his crew.

Yep... that is a Killer Whale fetus. . . those are handsWhat ensues is an assault fueled by such a frenzied rage it could have made Free Willy’s dorsal fin stand straight up again. Much of the film’s 70s-esque mojo is derived from these outrageously absurd scenes of orcinus rampage. With the telepathic powers of Professor Xavier and the physical might of a battering ram used on the siege of Constantinople; the grieving father is an absolute force of tawdry special effects on the level of King Kong (1976) Flash Gordon and Conan the Barbarian (Yes, the De Laurentiis trifecta of beautiful kitsch).

Orca is the amalgamation of greedy intentions and ingenuous orchestration, thankfully amounting to just about as much guilty fun that can be possibly achieved by watching the slaughter of both man and whale in the most ridiculous methods imaginable. The plot is taken so seriously it only amplifies the foolishness of its reality; the notion of a vigilante killer whale deserves some nuance. With Richard Harris chewing up as much scenery as the killer whale on screen, every moment of Orca guarantees a generous amount of questionable enjoyment. This will now and forever be a member on my list of favorite films.

Here is some more amazing Orca posters from around the world:

Orca 1977 posterOrca 1977 Japanese poster

Orca 1977 poster

#51. Quarantine 2: Terminal - Review

Quarantine 2: Terminal posterAs unoriginal and uninspired as the first Quarantine, its sequel drops all pretenses of trying to achieve anything other than SyFy-level effects and scares, without any of the effort of living up to the potential of the original Spanish horror film that it aimed to ape. Director John Pogue trades in the handheld news footage style of Rec and Quarantine for a more traditional, and less interesting, cinematic approach, thereby crafting a sequel that is even more unimaginative and characterless than its predecessor. Just take my word for it and watch anything else, surely you can find something on C-SPAN that is more exciting than Quarantine 2: Terminal.

#50. Circus Rosaire - Review

Circus Rosaire posterCircus Rosaire is a thoughtful documentary that follows the remarkable members of the Rosaire family, an eccentric clan of animal trainers that have devoted their lives to the art of the circus for nine generations. The film does a wonderful job introducing us to the remarkable individuals who sacrifice day in and day out caring for and training their wide assortment of animals.  Not only a vehicle to showcase and prove the family’s dedication, Circus Rosaire reveals the hardships of the circus, its slow fall from cultural relevance, and also its many detractors, mainly from animal rights groups. This humble little documentary packs a surprising amount of emotional punch, effortlessly moving from moments of sadness and loss to spontaneous hilarity, the way only true life can.