[Daemonia]

Resident Evil: After Life (2010)

The final film in the Blu boxset, so I thought I'd watch it before checking out Retribution. In this one Alice teams up witha band of survivors in a tower block. These survivors are trying to make their way to the safety of Arcadia - which turns out to be a big boat some miles off the coast. So the aim is to get out of the city and onto this boat. To be honest, this seemed a bit like filler to me - and while it certainly looks impressive (although I think Anderson has watched the Matrix one too many times) it definitely lacks any real substance. Hopefully the sequel that follows will be what this film has been building up to. We shall see.


Die Hard (1988)

John McClane (Bruce Willis) is a New York cop who arrives in L.A. to meet up with his estranged wife for Christmas. Unfortunately for him, the tower block workplace he is to meet his wife becomes taken over by terrorists and everyone is held hostage. McClane, however, has slipped through the net and quickly becomes a fly in their ointment with explosive results. This is definitely the film that set the blueprint for all action movies to subsequently follow and it's a breathless ride. Willis has never been better and director John McTiernan really knows how to handle big budget mayhem. The Blu looks better than the DVD but there's definitely room for improvement. But as it stands, it'll do me.


Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990)

John McClane (Willis again) doesn't have much luck at Christmas, does he? This time it's Christmas again and John is at the airport to meet his wife off a plane. However, he soon spots some mischief and uncovers what may well be a terrorist plot to free incoming prisoner, Genral Ramon Esperanza (Franco Nero), who is the world's biggest drug dealer as well as a ruthless army man. It's left to McClane to root out the bad guys and end their reign of terror. Not as good as the first film, but it's still pretty good. This one fares a lot better on Blu than the first film and looks very nice.


Chained (2012)

Directed by Jennfier Lynch this is the harrowing story of how serial killing taxi driver Bob (Vincent D'Onofrio) kidnaps a woman and her young child. He kills the woman and holds the boy captive and names him 'Rabbit'. He teaches him his ways, how he selects and abducts his targets, and raises Rabbit to be his housekeeper and unwilling accomplice. D'Onofrio is absolutely chilling and gives a true powerhouse performance - it's almost impossible to believe he's not a serial killer, so authentic is his portrayal. It's potent stuff and deeply disturbing but an incredible film. Highly recommended. This will stay with you long after the end credits roll.


Red Hill (2010)

In rural Australia a young police officer starts his first day on the job. Problem is, he's picked a really bad day to start. An Aboriginal criminal has escaped custody and is heading to the town with murder on his mind. It would appear that the town has a dark secret and it's up to the young officer to unravel the mystery as well as attempting to stay alive.

This is basically a modern day Western set in Australia and works extremely well. The performances are all excellent and some of the kills are highly distressing and is not pretty. Overall a really good film and one I highly recommend.


Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)

The third entry in the series sees it taking a new direction. This time John McClane (Bruce Willis) is called in when a bomb goes off in New York and the man responsible wants McClane specifically. Having found hmself teamed with Zeus (Samuel L. Jackson) he is sent on a kind of twisted treasure hunt having to solve puzzles within a specific time frame in order for more bomb detonations to be averted. But this game is just a diversion, as the people responsible are actually committing a massive heist right under everyone's noses.

This is definitely my favourite of the series and adds a new spin to the action genre, much as the first film did (2 is rather plodding and formulaic). I really enjoyed revisiting this again - and to finally see it uncut on the UK Blu was a treat.


Die Hard 4.0 (2007)

Bruce Willis reprises his role of McClane for this fourth outing and it's certainly the lesser of the sequels. This time around a cyber terrorist is taking control of the city via computer technology and is bringting the city to its knees. But McClane is having none of it and, with the aid of a young computer nerd, sets about brinigng the reign of terror to an end. There's nothing really noteworthy about this sequel and the fact it's watered down for the PG13 market doesn't help matters - so gone are the rough edges and what we get is a slick, sanitised Die Hard film. Not very good, I'm afraid. The Blu looks good, but that's no compensation for a rather poor film.


The Vampire Lovers (1970)

Hammer up the ante in regard to eroticism in this the first of the so-called Karnstein trilogy. Mircalla Karnstein (Ingrid Pitt) is infiltrating high society and imposing her vampire ways on the nubile young daughters of the rich. Hemmer certainly don't shy away from showing nudity and overt lesbianism. Not one of Hammer's best, I don't think, but it's still Hammer and it's still good. The Blu-ray from Scream! Factory is region-free and is a definite upgrade over former DVD incarnations - but it also serves to highlight just how much restoration work Hammer/StudioCanal put into their releases. Scream's print has those flickery scene transitions and there's often dirt on the print too. So not as brilliant as I'd hoped it would be - but I guess I've been spolit with the UK Hammer releases on Blu. Still, I'm glad to have it on Blu.


Exterminator 2 (1984)

He's back! Our favourite vigilante, John Eastland (Robert Ginty) is back doing what he does best - cleaning the streets of scum! It's pure 80's exploitation cheese and I loved it! Mario Van Peebles puts in an hysterical turn as X, the leader of a street gang that Eastland has been targeting and is escalating to an all-out street war. There's no plot, as such, just Eastland facing off against X's mob and the ensuing mayhem that follows. But it's good, sleazy fun and you won't be disappointed. Loved it!


King of New York (1990)

Possibly Walken's best performance ever. Frank White (Christopher Walken) is fresh out of prison and he quickly teams up with his gang and wants to control the streets again. However, he also shows a bit of philanthropy by wanting to deal drugs to raise money for a hospital in a deprived neighbourhood. All very noble, it might seem, save for all his drug dealing and murdering. But it's a compelling character study of a man at odds with himself. He wants to do good, but can only do so by doing bad. A stunning film and one that often seems overlooked when people talk about gangster movies - but I suspect that that's because director Ferrara is something of a rogue filmmaker, not something Hollywood likes very much. The Blu from Arrow looks nice enough, but black levels are mostly grey so it seems a bit of a weird transfer. Better than the DVD, but I think there's still room for yet more improvement.


Jaws (1975)

No need to relate the plot here as everyone knows what this one is about. Big shark kills people, then people kill shark. The Blu-ray from Universal is an absolute stunner though - just about the best HD transfer I've yet seen. Absolute perfection on the A/V front. If you're a fan, grab the Blu.


Sightseers (2012)

Another cracker from Ben Wheatley, this tells of young couple Tina and Chris (Alice Lowe and Steve Oram) off on a sightseeing camping holiday. The only hitch is that Chris is a murderous serial killer and starts bumping off anyone who displeases him. Tina soon becomes complicit in his activities and some really bizarre encounters follow. The humour is jet black but it had me chuckling several times and Wheatley really tells the story to perfection. Really good, worth a look.

'That is NOT my vagina!'


J. Edgar (2011)

Leonardo DiCaprio puts in a good turn as FBI boss J. Edgar Hoover. It's a fascinating look at how the FBI was first formed and why. It also shows how innovative Hoover was in developing forensic investigations to solve crimes. But he was also obsessed with stamping out Communism wherever he found it. But overall it was a bit Hollywood-lite and didn't really delve much into his private life but focused more on his public life within the FBI. Hoover famously stated there was no organised crime in America (presumably because he blamed crime on Commies) and the film barely even touches on that. Whilst a slick and well-made film, it's ultimately a bit of a let down and all a bit shallow.


Django Unchained (2012)

Tarantino returns to the director's chair for this rather odd Western - that's not quite spaghetti and not quite American. The performances are uniformly good and Christoph Waltz is superb as the wily and slightly eccentric King Schultz, dentist-turned-bounty-hunter. He frees Django (Jamie Foxx) from a slave chain gang and asks his assistance in locating men with a bounty on their head. But Django has an agenda of his own - he wants to find and be reunited with his wife. Schulz agrees to help him and they eventually end up in Candyland, the homestead of Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), a ruthless tyrant who also happens to own Django's wife. It all ends rather badly though, once Candie figures out their true motive for visiting...

Not Tarantino's best but I didn't mind it. It's nice to see him tackling a different genre for a change, but I'm not sure he's entirely successful. Not bad and certainly worth a look.


Livid (2011)

Lucie Klavel (Chloe Coulloud) is a care worker who is charged with visiting the home of elderly Mrs Jessell who is a in a comatose state and seeing to her bodily needs. Lucie learns that Mrs Jessell is rumoured to have riches stasshed somewhere in the house. She figures it would be an easy job and enlists her frtiends to help her. But as they search the house they find much more than bargained for.

Not a bad little French horror, but far from the best that France has produced recently. Saying that, directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury show great promise as directors and look forward to what they deliver next.


London Belongs to Me (1948)

This post-war drama is excellent. Percy Boon (Richard Attenborough) is a good intentioned young lad but falls in with some gangsters and becomes embroiled in a murder. The film follows the effects this has on Percy and the people around him. There's an assortment of eccentric characters, a good story, and brilliant performances. Recommended.


The Baytown Outlaws (2012)

The three Oodie brothers are redneck killers for hire. But when they agree to help a woman get her child back from her abusive ex, things get ugly and they find themselves on the run from a vicious gang. It's all good fun and very playful and I really enjoyed it. Worth a watch.


Dance Hall (1950)

Another great film from Ealing Studios. This one is a fascinating document of its day, focusing on the dance hall culture of the late 40's and early 50's. The film follows the fortunes of four factory girls as they dream of love, dance the night away, and make and break relationships. It's very good this one and suprisingly pro-feminist in tone.


Sharktopus (2010)

Roger Corman's name was attached to this so I figured it might be worth a cursory look. How wrong I was. Eric Roberts has created a hybrid of a shark and octopus, intended as an underwater killing machine for the army. But when it breaks free of Roberts's control it goes on a mad rampage.

The CGI is awful. The acting is awful. The direction is awful. The script is awful. It's just awful. And yet, for reasons I can't quite fathom, I sat through it to the end! I must be mad...


Mega Shark in Malibu (2009)

As if Sharktopus wasn't punishment enough, I also sat through this one. When a tsunami hits malibu, a bunch of people are laid siege to by a pack of hungry, prehistoric sharks. To be fair, this was better than Sharktopus but it's still far from being a good film. Again, not sure why I sat through the entirety of the film!


Crawlspace (2012)

When things go awry at a secret lab deep beneath the Australian outback a team of crack armed forces infiltrate the bunker to sort out the mess. Unfortunately for them there are things lurking down there - deadly things. Not a bad little outbreak horror and the confined location really works in its favour. Not bad at all.


Amityville Haunting (2011)

Yet another (yawn!) found footage horror. This time it's the camcorder footage froma family who move into the infamous DeFeo house in Amityville. It's pretty dull and nothing much happens. Didn't think much of this. Not even a child would handle a camcorder this badly.


End of Watch (2012)

Shot in documentary style using camcorder footage this tells of one fateful day when two cops (Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena) in a notoriously crime-ridden area of LA find themselves out of their depth when confronted with a criminal gang. This gang is well organised and more capable than they are and they soon find their cop arrogance tested to the limits when they realise they are outgunned and outnumbered.

This was excellent, and I'm not overly fond of the whole camcorder stuff that seems to be about at the moment. But this was expertly done and shows how effective this style can be when done properly. Recommended.


Mask Maker (2010)

As a child, a young deformed boy witnesses the death of hi mother, he vows to take revenge on anyone who subsequently dares to enter his property. So when a group of hapless teens decide to enter the house, you just know that spells trouble for them.

Not a bad little horror but nothing special. Worth a look.


Some Guy Who Kills People (2011)

Kevin Boyd (Kevin Corrigan) a loner who has just got out the nuthouse, decides to kill those he thinks are responsible for his miserable existence. It's a jet black comedy and it did have me chuckling at times, so not a bad thing. It's pretty good and definitely worth your time.


Cape Fear (1991)

Scorsese's remake is a top notch thriller with exceptional performances all round. A master class in how to do a remake if ever there was one. Convicted rapist Max Cady (Robert De Niro) has just got out prison after serving a 14 year stretch. Cady has revenge on his mind and starts stalking the lawyer who defended him. Max knows Sam Bowden's (Nick Nolte) secret - that he buried evidence in Cady's trial which probably was the cause of his conviction. Things slowly build to an explosive finale as Cady plays cat-and- mouse with Bowden and his family.

The performances all round are flawless and there's good support from Jessica Lange and a young Juliette Lewis. Both Mitchum and Peck from the original appear in cameos and Joe Don Baker is great as the unscrupulous Claude who arranges Cady to be beaten within an inch of his life, but which goes horribly wrong. The Blu-ray looks terrific and is well worth picking up.


White of the Eye (1987)

This is something of a departure from the usual action fodder delivered by Cannon Films. In the isolated but wealthy community of desert Arizona a serial killer is stalking and killing women. Pual White (an excellent David Keith) is the obvious suspect, as he is a travelling audio/hi-fi specialist who fits audio equipment for people in their homes and was in the vicinity of the last murder. He's determined to clear his name - but maybe all is not quite as it seems...

This was a dark, brooding film that keeps you guessing. But even when you finally find out what's going on, it still leaves you wondering. On the face of it it's a simple whodunit-cum-slasher flick, but there's the sense that something else entirely different is actually going on, but it's not quite clear what that is. This is highly recommended by me. Great acting, a good script, and some stunning locations make this unmissable viewing.


Colombiana (2011)

As a child, Cataleya (Zoe Saldana) witnesses the brutal murder of her parents by a Colombian drug kingpin. She flees Colombia and seeks out relatives in America. She then grows up to be a stone cold assassin with one thing on her mind - revenge. It's typical action fare but not unlikeable. Some good action set pieces, but ultimately it's all a bit forgettable.


Blindman (1971)

A lone gunslinger known simply as Blindman (Tony Anthony) is looking for a bunch of women who have been taken from him. As his name suggests, he is totally blind but his hearing is immaculate and he is able to outgun anyone who threatens him. The women he's looking for are supposed to be for the workers at a local mine bit a local bandit took off with them. Now he wants them back so he can deliver them.

It's a lot of fun this one and has the dubious distinction of counting Ringo Starr in its cast. To be fair, he's not bad. I really quite enjoyed this one. Ferdinando Baldi directs with a sure hand and delivers a solid Spaghetti Western.


High Noon (1952)

Marshal Will Kane (Gary Cooper) is just about to get hitched and hang up his badge when news reaches him that a man he sent to prison years ago, Frank Miller, is coming on the noon train for revenge. Initially Will plans to get married and leave town, but decides he must stay and face his foe. The problem is, the town and his wife are not behind him, and he must face the danger alone.

This was a very decent Western with excellent performances all round. Really enjoyed this and is definitely one of the better westerns I've seen.


Rio Grande (1950)

John Ford, master of the American Western, directs this tale of Kirby Yorke (John Wayne), who takes charge of an outpost at Rio Grande. He is in charge of training new recruits, one of whom is his son who he hasn't seen for 15 years. Not a lot really happens in this one and seemingly every couple of minutes the Sons of the Pioneers come along to sing a song or two. In between the singing there's a bit of action with attacking apaches and a fist fight between soldiers.

I can't say I didn't enjoy it, but it's not one of the great films. If I had to sum it up I'd say: There's an awful lot of singing.