Okay, so we've been on hiatus for about five months. And by "hiatus" I mean shut down and banned. But we're back... kinda.
When VZ1 was finally allowed to return, it just kept getting back on the chopping block. Suffice it to say, I am not going to be able to return the 5,000 film catalog as it was. But that's okay. It was perhaps time for a change, and time for me to revisit these movies. And I'll be the first to say VZ1 was starting to get stale for me.
So, we're basically starting from scratch - and I completely understand that basically the entire reason for coming here (the big ol' sleazy catalog) is gone. But maybe check back in once some time has passed as we build it back up. See you in 2026?
Keep in mind, there's never been an advertisement on VZ1; this site ultimately is for me. I like to watch a movie then quickly "record" it via these walkthroughs. I'm funny that way. So, that hasn't changed.
What has changed is the look of the walkthroughs. A bit more artsy with a comic book vibe. That serves two purposes - it makes it fun for me, and also may avoid VZ1 winding up back on the chopping block. If that's not your bag and you prefer just an unvarnished screenshot, I get it. Also, the format is much more friendly for mobile devices.
IMPORTANT: Since we are in the early stages of the reborn VZ1 (VZ2, if you will), I would appreciate feedback. Any additional elements you'd like added to each review, for instance. Now's the time to update things.
Lastly, just as when VZ1 was born back in 2016, it was slow going; it'll be the same now. I have a life - a job, a family, and the Phillies are doing great... so it's just something I work on while in hotel rooms traveling for work. That means it'll take time to build up, so please be patient. But it's all good - I look forward to revisiting these films and I welcome your comments. Cheers!
Huzzah!
ReplyDeleteWelcome back! I commented a few times on the old blog, also as "Anonymous." I realize you have a ton of movies and limited time. But I would ask that you post "Tina and the Professor," "Beach Babes From Beyond," and "Beach Babes 2: Cave Girl Island." More people need to know about those movies. Thanks for all the work you do.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more on spreading the BBFB gospel, but tentative on Tina & Professor as the only copy I can find looks like garbage. Any idea if they've released a restored version?
DeleteI did contact Vinegar Syndrome perhaps six months ago. I got a reply saying that "...we've put it on our list." IIRC, it was never given an official US release in any format...only Brazil and Venezuela on VHS. Hopefully, VS will come through one day, and we'll get a proper restoration. Given the source, I thought the screencaps on the old blog looked pretty decent.
DeleteWelcome back! I'd love to see an entry on 1996's Stripshow with Monique Parent, especially since the recently-released DVD seems to be missing about 12 minutes of the good stuff!
ReplyDeleteNow you include your comment text in the picture. It doesn`t look bad, but I think it makes it impossible to search the site for a movie of which you do not know the name, but some characteristic search terms. - Anyway, great to see you back.
ReplyDeleteThat is an excellent point - and only recently thought about that. So, you may notice (starting just with the last few films) I include a complete text synopsis at the end of the post. I will be doing that with all films going forward. Great input!
DeleteSad to see all the backlog lost but I'm happy to see VZ1 back online. I'm not fully on board with the cartoon-ish style but if that can prevent another ban I guess it's a fair price to pay to read your reviews.
ReplyDeleteYou always manage to find obscure and lost movies with some skin in it. I like that you keep bringing interesting trivia on the stars or the movie or even analyzing the props (magazines, tapes or posters). Always made laugh when you find goofs or plot holes.
My particular favorites are 70's and 80's adult french films (I got starstruck by Barbara Moose) they are incredibly colorful, they are beautifully shot, they more or less follow the same pattern. Bavarian comedies were also great as they are equally funny and absurd and the scantilly-clad cast is generally good looking. I don't speak the langiage so you really made it easy for me to understand what was going on in the general madness. As for american soft anything with Gabriella Hall or Stephanie Lafleur were anough eye candy for the day.
I guess the lists weren't really adding much value to the blog, you already choose the relevant frames for each movie scene and that brings me to the next comment. Yes, as others already said tags used to help back then to see particular themed movies, sci-fi, gore, aphrodisiac, aliens... Lastly, before the shutdown you posted a few reviews on some series of a couple of guys going to clubs to film wasted girls. I hated that stuff. It's not a moral thing, just that it was distasteful, creepy and ugly. There wasn't really anything of value there.
Thanks for the thoughtful response. (1) Couldn't agree more that the drunk club girls stuff was terrible. (2) Also agree that the lists didn't add anything and were more of a symptom of me getting bored than anything else. (3) I will start adding tags/labels again when I'm back to my computer next week. I wasn't sure if they were adding anything or worth including.
DeleteI am concerned at how long it's going to take to get anywhere near previous volume - and imagine a lot of the folks glad to see VZ1 back will be disappointed at the paltry number of films - and the slow roll of getting them back up again. I know I'll stick with it, because I enjoy it - but I also expect it to be years downstream.
I'm enjoying digging into some trivia and singling out the tropes and other aspects I find interesting for each film. I also like the cartoon look, but I totally understand that most would prefer the raw image.
Anyway, thanks again for the input - and yes Moose, LeFleur and Hall are stone cold foxes.
so happy thanks for going back
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see you are back.
ReplyDelete(From a VZ1 user who finds Mary Miller, the mysterious girl in cabin, Raw Force 1982.)
Thank you for your work.
The star tags are an excellent idea! Now I'm looking forward to you revisiting some of your few 10/10 films from the original site to see whether they hold up and build a new best-of tag.
ReplyDeleteCrazy to see you were banned. Delighted you're back. I guess the waybackmachine doesn't index blogs.
ReplyDeleteWhatever allows you to do your thing I'm all in. My Braves will be back!
ReplyDeleteI always enjoyed your commentary and reviews. They always seemed fresh and completely honest which compelled me to not only read more of your work but also to seek out some of the more obscure films you've recommended. (I even searched and found some of the titles you shredded!) I'm glad you're back and I'm eager to see the new format expand and grow. Good luck with the new site and, don't worry, I'm sure you'll succeed and I'll definitely be a regular visitor here. Thanks for all of your time, effort and honest opinions.
ReplyDeleteThanks as always. Like I've said multiple times, it'll be a good bit before the catalog gets anywhere close to before, but it'll be fun getting there - and I am loving going back to these movies - some of which I'd completely forgotten about.
DeleteIs there anyway you could allow us to move directly to a page by clicking on a page number or something like that, rather than having to move from page to page to page to find a film whose name we can't recall? Just asking. Thanks.
DeleteThanks for the input - just added that. Yeah, I like that it is more mobile friendly now, but navigation is still not the way I want it.
DeleteI'm so glad that you're back! I have to say that I half expected that your blog would be taken down at any moment - this is not the kind of material that google likes sitting on its servers.
ReplyDeleteI get the feeling that there're fewer and fewer sites that give you an actual personal opinion about movies - as opposed to shitty AI-generated reviews and comments automatically aggregated from here and there. And there're even fewer sites focusing on these kinds of obscure movies. I really appreciate your work here.
I'm so sad that the old reviews are gone (I keep many of them locally in my hard disk, anyways). This makes me wonder: if you're starting anew, why didn't you use this chance to move somewhere outside the Google domain? How about wordpress.com, or even buying your own domain, so you can upload any material you like without coping with Google's moral and legal restrictions?
Honestly, I suppose I should have started anew at Wordpress or something. I'm just so used to shitty blogger that I just stuck with it. However, if it comes on the chopping block again, I will definitely have to reevaluate. Thanks for the input!
DeleteThe suggestion to move to Wordpress or your own domain is an awesome idea, if financially feasible for you. I too was crushed when the old reviews were shut down. Because of your reviews, and how they were structured, it inspired me to purchase probably around 100+ blu-rays, dvds, etc. ... and that was just in the past year after finding your site.
DeleteI've checked out the new format and am sad to say it won't work for me. If you do end up moving in that suggested direction with the old reviews intact, I'd surely become an annual paying member/donor. If you can find a way to break even, and you're doing it for fun anyway, why not? Just make sure there is a way to let people know where you went and how to find your new site.
I'll be honest I'm kinda with you on this Anonymous. I'm scanning around WordPress and seeing if that would be a good fit. I will say I am done with raw images - they will need to be AI rendered in some way. This is for a number of reasons I could go into. Could you elaborate on what sucks about the new format - and I will genuinely consider fixing it. As mentioned, I'm feeling the same way, but can't quite put my finger on what's not right. I don't want to just go back to the old format - it was getting tired even before the shut down.
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