[J Harker]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

The Hallow (2015)

A family is forced to fight demonic creatures for survival after they move into a remote millhouse in Ireland.

What is a fairly run of the mill story of folklore showcasing only two central characters and two or three support roles, proved a fairly non-event during it's first half with little or no threat to the couple. I mean had something happened to one of them then it would have made the remainder a one person show.

However come the half way point the film moved up a gear. The tales of Irish myths and legends came to fruition and we have some gorgeous gnarly creatures skulking in the woods, Del Toro like in their look as the film takes a left turn from warnings of industry and development and turns into pure (body) horror of which David Cronenberg would be proud.

I'm not sure The Hallow works entirely, especially in it's pacing but it certainly shows some promise.

More successful, at least as far as i'm concerned is The Sex Thief (1974).

Bond director (Goldeneye, Casino Royale - the two best Bond films since Dalton left) Martin Campbell's directorial debut is a film that could only have come from Britain in the 70's. Smutty and fun the film features a hunky David Warbeck as a masked thief who steals only the hottest jewels from the sexiest women before seducing them as both the police and insurance investigators attempt to solve the carnal crimes. Meanwhile the violated women all give differing accounts of the same man - dwarf and 6ft + Russian -were both described as the women try and keep his identity secret in the hope he'll be back for more. The likes of Chastain, Evans and Rachel-Wood would no doubt be appalled for us all at such behaviour.

There's plenty of flesh on display but the dirty mac brigade would have been disappointed with one rampant sex scene which is intercut with scenes of Christopher Biggins watching mens wrestling. At times the film did feel like a minor James Bond film or at least something starring Richard Johnson, and keeps you entertained more than it keeps you titillated.

It should be mentioned that the film was scripted by Hammer's Tudor Gates and Mark of the Devil's Michael Armstrong who also co-stars in the production as a police inspector.

Surprised you didn't think more of The Hallow Dem. The heavy reliance on some marvellous old school practical fx was enough to win me over.