Last week's viewings:
The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977)
Whilst a decent film in its own right, I couldn't help but compare it to the far superior 1932
Island of Lost Souls.
A solid performance from Burt Lancaster throughout and some nice prosthetic / creature effects make-up elevates this above the schlocky cash-in that it could of otherwise been.
55/100 Hardware (1990)
Far from perfect in terms of execution, but I love Stanley's Terminator-themed grimy, industrial, post-apocalyptic nightmare. Even though you're fully aware that you're experiencing a dystopian nightmare existence, and the rampage of a killer robot, the film is peppered with little treats from Iggy Pop's 'Angry Bob' shock-jock, to Lemmy's cameo as a cab driver. There is also the iconic PiL theme tune and music from Ministry all under a blood-orange ashen sky. What's not to love?
89/100 The Villainess (2017)
Touching, yet brutal tale of revenge.
The Villainess also puts the story and character development front and centre, compared to a lot of action films where any semblance plot often feels like an after-thought for the sake of the action. That's not to say that this one is light on the action; far from it with an impressive body count and some high-octane action sequences. Recommended to Asian action film fans who aren't just there for the body count.
71/100 The Oily Maniac (1976)
Pretty ridiculous, but also quite a bit of fun, as a crippled office worker uses a spell given to him by his death-row condemned uncle which transforms him into oily monster in order to take revenge on the criminal classes.
Watching the maniac attack and kill his victims whilst transforming and oozing into various different states across the screen in the style of a justice dispensing superhero was a goofy good time and is my kind of superhero film if not exactly classified as such.
62/100 Spotlight on a Murderer (Pleins feux sur l'assassin) (1961)
Whimsical Gothic mystery where an old count decides to hide himself away in mansion just before he dies o annoy his heirs. The heirs are then killed off one by one as they search the mansion and attempt to search for the count's body. An interesting film from '
Eyes Without a Face' director Georges Franju, where the Gothic mystery thriller collides with bouts of comedy and surrealism. Recommended.
73/100 Uninvited (1988)
A group of unlikeable characters get killed off one by one aboard a luxury yacht thanks to a laboratory-escapee house cat and the genetically engineered virus housed within. This one was pretty fun despite some awful dialogue and some bad puppetry effects work. There was enough mutant cat-attack action and annoying people getting maimed and killed to keep me invested throughout, entertaining as it was in places this is one that I couldn't recommend to everyone.
62/100 Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell, Bastards! (1963)
Whilst no
Branded to Kill, Suzuki blends crime and comedy with a touch of James Bond style panache to great effect in this tale of a private detective infiltrating a mob outfit. Along with plenty of shoot-outs and gang violence, it also contains a trashy-pop-arty vibe which makes for a rather unique and enjoyable film.
74/100 Revenge (1971)
A family decide to take the law into their own hands by seeking revenge for the killing of their daughter.
What begins as a quiet solemn film with under-stated performances crescendos in hysteria and despair. An extremely well-crafted film that sucks you into the family's plight, whilst also putting their moral struggle of whether to avenge or to abide by the law on the lap of the viewer. Good stuff.
72/100