Its easily the most appealing thing about the trailer and the only reason I'm likely to watch it.

Went last night to see that new Star Wars film that's out. Not bad. Bit long winded and a few dull patches. Some stupid plotting and seeming invention of Jedi abilities as it went along. Preferred Awakens if I'm being honest. Though neither are as good as Rogue One.

Here she is with her stunt doubles in Hawaii.


http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...4955698820.jpg

Showed my mum El Topo today, my mum's review is this: "ach it was alright; queer in a lot if bits and I had to leave the room at that branding sequence."
For me that's a 10/10

Sent from my MediaPad T1 8.0 Pro using Tapatalk

Oh my...

I've already said how much I enjoyed this and I thought it was clever and self-aware, playing with cinema and video game tropes in an interesting and smart way.

It's probably worth saying that I'm probably all of the few people who didn't recognise the name Karen Gillan and it wasn't until I had seen the film and was looking for information and reviews online that I realised it was the same actress I've only previously seen with blue and purple skin in the Guardians of the Galaxy films and Oculus, where she had impressed but it had been so long I'd forgotten what she looked like!

Forget Guardians, Nos. Karen IS Amy Pond. ;)

Until I searched for Karen Gillan on Wikipedia, I had no idea that such a character existed. You have to remember I'm very new to Doctor Who and have only seen one episode.

Decemberdike
 

December 23rd - Let Us Prey (2014)

Held in a remote police station, a mysterious stranger takes over the minds and souls of everyone inside.

Liam Cunningham stars in this Scottish production that has more than a few nods to the Stephen King penned mini-series Storm of the Century (1999). Cunningham is always worth a watch and
Pollyanna McIntosh gives able support as a rookie police officer. Definitely worth a watch if you haven't seen the aforementioned King production.

Christmas Eve - Play Motel (1979)

A reporter and his girlfriend investigate deaths surrounding a hotel where several prominent people go to have sex.

This ever so pervy late entry into the giallo genre is formulaic yet fun. Although by this time there was nothing new to add to what had gone previously, Play Motel is an enjoyably sleazy murder mystery. The only downer was the title song (i think sung by Lovelock) which featured so often, in fact every time we went to said motel, that it became quite irritating.

Christmas Day - Nurse (2013)

A terrific way to see out Christmas Day.

Nurse is a delightfully sexy and gory black comedy about a young nurse (a beautifully deranged performance from Paz de la Huerta) who at night murders cheating men she comes across during the day, but becomes infatuated by another new nurse (Gorgeous Katrina Bowden) and goes off at the deep end when her advances are brushed off. Part slasher, part sexploitation but all fun. I really enjoyed this.

Boxing Day - The Mutilator (1984)

A teen who accidentally kills his mother with his father's gun is hunted down some years later at a beachside retreat by his deranged father. Like the earlier watched Blood Rage, The Mutilator is an indiependent regional production slasher, and whilst not quite as good (it lacks the non-stop pace of Blood Rage and at times is blotted by too much irrelevant chatter) still hits the spot in the twisted gore department.

December 27th - Rosso Sangue (1981)

Titled Absurd outside Italy and it certainly is. George Eastman returns as the seemingly unstoppable killer from the previous years Antropophagus, whose blood clots far faster than normal making him virtually unkillable even though throughout the film, priest Edmund Purdom tells everyone who'll listen 'You've got to shoot him in the head'. Wild OTT gore make this one of the more notorious video nasties, and unlike Antropophagus, it's also a decent watch thanks to a script that zips along and a monstrous performance from Eastman .

It's like something from a 1980's television quiz show:

Host: "Person number one. Will you please sign in?"
Person #1: "My name is Karen Gillan, and I once traveled thru time and space in a police box"
Host: "Person number two. Will you please sign in?"
Person #2: "My name is Karen Gillan, and I once traveled thru time and space in a police box"
Host: "Person number three. Will you please sign in?"
Person #3: "My name is Karen Gillan, and I once traveled thru time and space in a police box"
Host: "Thank you. Now contestants, which one is the real Karen Gillan who once traveled thru time and space in a police box?"

Attachment 200263
La nave de los monstrous/ The Ship Of Monsters (1960)

The Planet Venus has no more males. Two females are sent on a mission to the planets to find males of any species and bring back to Venus.
After collecting various creatures from the planets, the spaceship develops a fault and has to land on Earth.
There the two Venus girls run in to a singing cowboy and they see how similar the Venus and Earth people are.
One of the girls though, has a taste for blood and attacks a man.
Knowing she will be sentenced to death for this, she lets loose the collection of monsters on the ship in a bid to take over the world...

Insane Mexican production has girls in skimpy costumes, a robot, monsters, vampires, cowboys, singing, dancing, comedy, sci-fi, horror ..Oh man this is such fun

Bat-shit Crazy. :first:


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My voyage to Italy.


A four hour documentary hosted by Martin Scorsese that looks at Italian Neo-realist cinema from the end of world war 2 as the Italian film industry struggled to rebuild itself up to the 60's as directors such as Antonioni and Fellini made their way into the mainstream thanks to cashiers du cinema. It features lots of clips from films such as The Bicycle thieves, Rome open city, La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2 and many more as Scorsese explains the films impact on him, why he likes them and what makes them interesting. If you have the time to spare it's worth checking out. It basically feels like a film studies lecture where the lecturer is one of the great directors of the late twentieth century. This isn't a bad thing in my book.

House of Wax

I was going to watch the Bicycle Thieves. However I was feeling somewhat depressed and it's a film that honestly would do little to improve my mood so I stuck this on instead.
House of Wax always cheers me up. Its got that old school horror charm that's hard to match and would later make bank of Corman who took Vincent Price's character in this and moulded it to fit his Edgar Allen Poe cycle cementing Price as a bona fide horror star. House of wax is a fine film, its flawed in places perhaps. Are we genuinely supposed to be surprised when the mysterious burned figure turns out to be price? However its easy to forgive as the film is brisk and entertaining. Its got one or two surprisingly nasty scenes for a film of its pedigree and the technicolour look of the film is genuinely wonderful. It's worth checking out the 3D if you can. Its probably still the best use of it in a film. Also worth mentioning is an early appearance from Charles Bronson as the mute Igor. Looking like a bloke who could twist your head off for fun he's genuinely fun here.

Decemberdike
 

December 29th - The Dead Are Alive (1972)

No they aren't. What a misleading title, artwork and cover blurb this film has. Following a promising opening in which a young couple are beaten to death in a tomb we descend into a dreary chat-a-thon giallo as precisely nothing happens.

I went into this film stone cold. Now having seen it i intend to watch it again at some point knowing it's a talky giallo rather than a zombie film.

Yeah, it's definitely one that suffers due to one of the worst cases of misleading marketing that I can recall.

I pretty much had the same reaction as you when I first saw it. However, I did enjoy it much more second time around.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

Having loved the first two films i went into this final chapter hoping it would finish on a high. I'm delighted to say this was the best yet. Thrilling battle scenes with superb set pieces are at the centre of this film but there's also well conceived dialogue and characterization that's rare in modern blockbusters. I felt this had a more satisfying conclusion than the cumbersome ending after ending which Return of the King suffered from in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The Dark Tower (2017)

Speaking of characterization, The Dark Tower has none whatsoever. Based on an epic eight book Stephen King's series, this is frankly awful. Running a mere 80 odd minutes plus end credits, dialogue is basically there to move the story along. At no point did it ever seem like i was watching real people and it was only testament to stars Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey that i managed to stick it out until the end. This film should have been ambitious and huge instead it felt cheap and unloved. And what happened to the Gunslinger (Elba) ? The central character of the 8 book series - he was sidelined to shoehorn a kid in instead. Terrible!

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

A film so much better than Age of Ultron (2015) - the last time the Avengers assembled. This takes into account the Avengers accountability for the wanton destruction and collateral damage they cause whilst fighting for justice. The politicians want to control the group which doesn't go down at all well with Captain America.

Balancing superb action with a great script isn't something these films do too well but manage it here. Even with an influx of new Avengers - Spiderman, Antman and Black Panther - the script keeps everyone busy and more importantly keeps the viewer engaged with thought provoking themes and action which appeared less cartoon like - at least to my eyes anyway - than many of these films.

Excellent.

Dunkirk (2017)

Christopher Nolan's gritty account of the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from the beaches of Dunkirk, France, as the German army advanced.

At a mere 100 minutes this is actually far less detailed (and less involving) about the operation than the 1958 film of the same name. However it proves a more visceral affair thanks to modern filming techniques. At times the film is practically wordless and has an almost documentary feel, meaning it actually lacks in drama, yet at others it seems like one of the best action movies in recent memory. My main complaint was the score which at times sounded like a monotonous dirge humming through my surround set up.

SOLD

Hard Ticket To Hawaii (1987, Andy Sidaris)

See this. NOW. Quite an exciting romp all in. To describe the actual plot would be a disservice. Cute opening credits lead us into a Pandora's Box of high end nonsense. His magnum opus? You decide ....

:xmasjig:

Kudos. Watched a few things with me Mater. The Offence and a Bertolucci film (La Luna??) spring to mind instantly. But wouldn't have even thought about the 'Zen western' :xmaslol:

Masks

German Giallo Homage with some nasty and well executed murders. Overall I found it a little flat and lifeless and kept getting distracted. Might need to give it another chance later.

Rawhead Rex

Enormous fun. The film takes Barkers acclaimed short story about a giant phallic monster on the rampage and messes it up in key places. However if watched on its own terms its a fun little monster movie. Rawhead has been somewhat changed because the effects team thought a cock monster might look silly (and completely missed the point of the story) and threatens to eliminate the endings meaning. It also lacks the intensity of the story and the creature looks somewhat silly in certain scenes however this does give the film a certain charm that makes it very watchable.

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BLACK CHRISTMAS (2006)

Absolutely dire remake of the original 1974 movie.
I'm sad I know, but the only reason I had the film on was because Katie Cassidy was in it.
The temptation was to turn this mess off but I managed to see it through to the end. Nothing to redeem this film at all.
Rubbish! 0/10

Speaking of characterization, The Dark Tower has none whatsoever. Based on an epic eight book Stephen King's series, this is frankly awful. Running a mere 80 odd minutes plus end credits, dialogue is basically there to move the story along. At no point did it ever seem like i was watching real people and it was only testament to stars Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey that i managed to stick it out until the end. This film should have been ambitious and huge instead it felt cheap and unloved. And what happened to the Gunslinger (Elba) ? The central character of the 8 book series - he was sidelined to shoehorn a kid in instead. Terrible!

Not seen this yet Dem as the reviews have been awful as you have confirmed here. I am gutted as this is a Stephen King holy grail that should have been given the time and effort it deserves, instead it's another hollywood car crash. I have been waiting years for this to be released and now cant even be bothered to give it a spin so that I can dislike it. What a shame. Is there nothing major film studios can't screw up? Most good films nowadays are independent / low budget attempts.

It wouldn't have been so bad had it not felt so lifeless. There are plenty of big budget Hollywood screw ups which i liked - Suicide Squad, to name one. However this felt something more akin to say The Spirit (2008) where no one appears to have the love for the production enough to try and salvage it or more importantly understood what they were attempting to make in the first place.

Decemberdike
 

December 29th - The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)

I'm not going into any plot details here, no spoilers whatsoever. I'll just say this truly original horror film starring Emile Hirsch and the excellent as always Brian Cox was a riveting experience from it's opening moments. I found it tense and creepy, bordering on the scary, with a deliciously eerie ambiance to it throughout.

Possibly the best modern horror i've seen this year.

Been meaning to check that out for ages, along with Get Out but just haven’t got round to it yet

It's one of those films that almost slipped out unnoticed. To me anyway.

In reality it should have hit cinemas with the fanfare far worse movies such as The Babadook and It Follows had.

Yeah, I remember when the Babadook was coming out, it was all over the place being promoted and praised by everyone, which is why I was so shocked to find out just how much of a let down it was when I watched it, seeing the amount of coverage it (and It Follows) got online :nod:

That's currently on a shelf with scores of other unwatched films and TV shows – probably want to watch tonight to see if I agree with your assessment.

I highly recommend Get Out, probably the most intelligent and disturbing commentary on contemporary race relations in the US I've seen this year (an honourable mention to Kathryn Bigelow's superb Detroit for historical perspective).

I was under the impression that Autopsy of Jane Doe was some little dtv effort from 101 films or the like. Now I'm interested.

I watched this as part of my Halloween line-up this year and had a feeling you'd enjoy it. A great modern horror film and one I'll be delving into countless times no doubt.

It could make a nice double bill with a film beginning with VV.

Totally agree with this Dem, it is one of the best, original horror films I have seen for a looong time. Creepy, great foreboding atmosphere, use of lighting and if I am right only two locations used throughout the whole film. There was an article in Darkside 186 interviewing the director ( also talking about Troll Hunter, which I have not seen yet) which prompted me to watch it again several nights ago ( I am a little behind on my Darkside issues ) Within a very short space of time you feel for the father and son which adds to the tension. I had not heard of this film so was a blind watch for me also. Highly recommended.

When Eight Bells Toll. Anthony Hopkins gets to be James Bond, well almost, (not something you see every day) as a British agent on the trail of a conspiracy to hijack and plunder ships laden with gold billion in this early 70s British action-thriller based on a novel by Alastair Maclean. Hopkins is great, but the film never really manages to be anything other than just "okay", if perfectly watchable.

Atomic Blonde (2017)

An undercover MI6 agent is sent to Berlin during the Cold War to investigate the murder of a fellow agent and recover a missing list of double agents.

Despite sporting some terrific fight sequences and Charlize Theron looking super stylish, i found the story to be completely uninvolving at best and derivative at worst, it's Cold War Berlin setting just that a setting and not really part of the plot, meaning it failed to grab me and a sense of detachment soon kicked in.

The film had a rather cool 80's synth soundtrack featuring the likes of Depeche Mode and David Bowie but it's a case of style over substance more than anything else in an attempt to be cool but it just felt sterile and self aware.

Disappointing.

100% agree, I rented this the other night and it's one of my biggest film disappointments of the year, I was so excited for it after the trailer but just under an hour in I was actually bored, at least it was just a rental though I thought and not £15 spent...

I got it as part of Asda's 3 for £20 offer so only cost £6.66 which isn't too bad. I aim to watch it again at some stage see it it improves, plus it has a very nice slip case.

I was also hugely disappointed with this as the trailer (plus the talent behind and in front of the camera) led me to expect a cleverly plotted and action packed movie, not one which seems like a pale imitation of the Bourne films. The fight scenes were superbly choreographed and executed, but that's just about all I can praise.

It looked like something I would love and buy as soon as it was released, but I haven't had the inclination to watch it since it was at the cinema, nor add it to my collection, something which says a lot.

Unless 88 Films release it ;) :lol:

The day 88 Films start releasing films like Atomic Blonde is the day I know I'm truly through the looking glass!

slime city.

Ultra low budget melt movie that was shot around the same time as Street Trash. In fact Jim Muro did some steadycam work here for free. Sadly some delays, including the director and a lot of his team working on Brain Damage for Frank Hennenlotter meant the film wasn't completed until the bottom had fallen out of the independent horror market and the film failed to take off.
For me it's not as good a film as Street Trash or Brain Damage but is still worth checking out. It's almost minimalist approach to shooting makes it feel like a Roberta Findlay flick. It's got plenty of urban low budget charm like a lot of the underground horror coming out at the time mixed in with a 'plastic reality' approach to the human body that gives it a strange dream like quality. Sure it's got faults, it'd be hard not to given how cheaply it was made but it all adds to it's underground charms. If you like Toxic avenger, street Trash, c.h.u.d. or any of the other low budgeted sleaze that found it's place in home video this ones well worth checking out.

slime city massacre.

A 2010 'sequel' to slime city with cult icon Debbie Rochon. It has a post apocalyptic feel to proceedings set in a new York where a dirty bomb has gone off. A couple looking to escape the city end up in an abandoned warehouse where they meet another couple also looking to survive. They discover the elixir and ectoplasm from the first film and pretty soon find themselves turning into slime creatures.
This one feels like a real throwback to the sort of outrageous DTV material that was coming out around the time of the original slime city. It even has a throwaway homage to basket case and street trash in one scene.

Both films appear on the DVD and blu-ray releases and are well worth checking out if you haven't seen them yet.

As far as Atomic Blonde goes. For me it was a handful of great scenes in a film that failed to work as a whole. Obviously the lesbian scene appealed to my sleazeball nature but I did enjoy the stairway fight scene and the fight in the cinema that had Tarkovskys stalker playing. The film itself isn't amazing sadly.