In an era where streaming services dominate the entertainment landscape, Tubi stands out by offering a diverse and expansive library of films at no cost to its users. With its eclectic mix of genres and eras, Tubi presents a unique opportunity for movie enthusiasts to explore hidden gems and revisit classics. Clearly curated by true cinephiles, their catalogue promises not just entertainment, but a broadened cinematic horizon. Whether you’re a fan of indie flicks, blockbuster hits, or cult classics, Tubi’s extensive library ensures that there’s always something new and exciting to watch. Join us as we delve into the adventure of watching a movie a week on Tubi, where hopefully you find your new favorite movie or at least an interesting gem worth recommending.
Blue Vengeance (1989)
Tormented by the brutal murder of his partner and harassed by his fellow officers because they think he’s responsible, an ex-cop is all alone on the road to revenge when the man who’s actually responsible for killing his partner escapes from a sanatorium. Ridiculously cheesy and hilariously inept, Blue Vengeance is a no-budget cop thriller that feels like a Larry Cohen script someone fished out of the trash back in the 70’s, that never got updated or rewritten. It’s a tad boring (the film spins its wheels for a good chunk of the runtime) but there’s an image bicycle joust between the good guy and bad guy at the end that’s so fucking bizarre, you’ll never forget it.
A Record of Sweet Murder (2014)
A mentally unstable serial killer invites a journalist and a cameraman to an abandoned apartment for an exclusive interview and things get predictably bloody and horrible from there. Shot almost entirely in one take, A Record of Sweet Murder is a twisty turvy found footage film that rewards the patient. I guarantee some will be turned off by the ending but I also guarantee no one watching it will guess where it ends up. It’s a truly original horror film that doesn’t entirely work but gets a shit ton of points for trying.
Who Killed Captain Alex? (2010)
Within the last decade, Nabwana I.G.G. has produced around 15 action films, which doesn’t sound impressive when compared to Takashi Miike or Johnnie To but the fact that he literally does everything (minus acting) on every film he makes, makes his accomplishments far more awe-inspiring. Especially considering his working conditions. He lives in such an impoverished part of Africa, that he’s forced to film in sewers and all of the props are made of wood. On paper, everything about his films screams terrible but what separates his work from other no-budget directors, is his passion. You can clearly tell that he and everyone involved love making movies. I have no idea what Who Killed Captain Alex was about but at no point did I care. I was watching a group of “actors” have fun, which in turn, made me have fun. It has the same “hey, let’s put on a show” type energy that Rudy Ray Moore (who we’ll talk about in a second) and early Robert Rodriguez’s filmography has. At the end of the day, the film is tons of fun and I hope I.G.G. continues to make films for a very long time.
Wakaliwood forever.
The Human Tornado (1976)
Dolemite flees to California, where he helps Queen Bee and her Kung Fu prostitutes battle a local gangster. It’s a shame that Rudy Ray Moore’s first film was the one to brand him a cult figure because as fun as Dolemite is, The Human Tornado is infinitely better. It’s better appreciated now but at the time, Dolemite was lumped in with other “so bad, it’s good” films like Plan 9 From Outer Space and Troll 2 due to its technical problems, poor acting, and amateurish direction which was both good and bad.
It obviously helped the film get fans (even if ironically) but it did nothing for his latter films. Plan 9 From Outer Space’s reputation might’ve made Ed Wood the worst director ever but has anyone seen any of his other films? People who loved Dolemite for its cheapness, unfortunately only loved Dolemite. They had no interest in looking past that film which is why The Human Tornado and Petey Wheatstraw are still relatively unknown.
There’s a reason Dolemite is My Name spends a good chunk of its running time recreating this film instead of the film it’s actually about. Because it’s wilder, funnier and crazier in every way. The acting is better, the script is funnier and the direction is actually competent. This is the Empire Strikes Back to Dolemite‘s A New Hope.
Toys Are Not For Children (1972)
An emotionally stunted young woman (Marcia Forbes) who’s obsessed with her father (who abandoned her when she was a child), becomes a prostitute who specializes in “daddy” fetishes who, after a series of convoluted events, is reunited with her father who just so happens to also have a “daddy” fetish. You can guess what happens next. Toys Are Not for Children is a well-made, competently acted exploitation film that hits every target it’s aiming at. Those targets just happen to be icky and gross. It’s the kind of deceptively “classy” film that tricks you into thinking it’s going to be a weird melodrama because of the lack of nudity and sex but turns out to be way more sleazy than any porno. The fact that this was made in the early ’70s is a bit mind-blowing to me. Or maybe I’m just shocked it exists at all.
These are our Tubi Movies of the Week. Have you seen any of them? Did you watch them on Tubi? Sound off in the comments!
