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MOONRAKER (1979)

Often cited as the worst Bond, but not for me. It's the best!
A lot to do with nostalgia as well. Coming at a time when a lot of sci Fi movies and TV were around.
The John Barry score is excellent and coming at a time and quite similar. to his sweeping music for The Black Hole, The Deep and King Kong. Unfortunately, the official score on CD is incomplete so you have to look elsewhere like youtube for the missing music.
Great poster. My mate used to have the UK quad with the 'James Bond Wears Seiko' tag on it. I have a flyer for the movie that I picked up at the time, still mint and the vinyl soundtrack with the black cover. Also, once again, memories of going to the cinema with my Mum and Dad.

..and Lady Victoria Devon (3rd in from right) is my favourite!

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/...eg?imwidth=480

I too love Moonraker. Like you i also saw it at the pictures at the time.

Just seemed so perfect. James Bond in space.

I love it! I was thinking about it while I was at work for a few days and was listening to the soundtrack. I really geared myself up for it.
So last night I watched it and through headphones.. really loud! Awesome!

The Wicker Man (1973)

Reports of the mysterious disappearance of a girl on an island outlying Scotland leads Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) to visit Summerisle.. The locals profess to have no knowledge of the girl, but for Howie things don't quite ring true and he begins his own investigation into the the community, and, in particular Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee), seeing what he can uncover. Howie unwittingly becomes the mouse in a game of "cat and mouse" with the islands inhabitants and their never forgotten Pagan past.

A May Day watch of one of the classic British chillers and my first time in glorious Blu-ray high definition.

It could be argued that it's familiarity makes it even more sinister. For we know as the intrepid yet awkwardly naive and religiously strict Sergeant Howie, a never better Edward Woodward, comes into contact with the inhabitants of Summerisle, that each and every one of them knows exactly what fate will fall on the good Sergeant, and every smiling face is a facade of doomed inevitability.

The first time i watched this classic British horror film it scared me in a way no other film had previously, or indeed since. There is no killer stalking the sergeant, no houses are haunted, there is no actual threat to Howie the investigating policeman, he is offered several ways out of the scenario yet fails to take them. (You only realise this after the film ends though). The horror stems from beliefs and old customs the modern world has largely forgotten.

Yet despite the atmosphere of pagan mysticism the film has a sort of comforting quality. Is it because we too know what will befall Howie so we are confident everything leading up to the burning man conclusion should place him in no danger, or is it a sign of the quality of the script that puts us at ease? Having pondered this whilst watching the film for the umpteenth time it still comes as a shock as it dawns on Howie as well as the viewer that there simply won't be a happy ending. We know he's a lamb to the slaughter but even now the film has a potent ability to chill the blood in a way that very few films can. It's when you look around and see the happiness on the faces of the Summerisle inhabitants as the wicker edifice and Sergeant Howie burn, and the Spring sun comes into view that despite the murder of a policeman all is well with the world, and that to me is what makes The Wicker Man a true classic of British film making

Well said that raven!! :nod::hail::clap:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBNyFoCb1bw

A few American football players go for a vacation , not long after arriving they are attacked by various giant animals including maggots, wasps and rats.

It's all pretty bad but in it's so bad it's good way, the effects make 70s doctor who look like a modern movie. It does seem that some of the rats are killed for real in the final scene in which they drown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOa64YH8-8I

A technicolour epic about the story of Moses , the first half drags a bit but it's more than made up for by its second half when Moses is exiled and we see the burning bush , the ten plaques and of course the parting of the red sea. They might be dated but I really enjoyed the effects scenes, strangely this has gotten me in the mood for raiders of the lost ark!

Now watching

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0K97czqecQ

Then

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obvWWcHLI6I

Forgot to post these.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i6xNScZRP4

A highly enjoyable horror from the golden age of horror, has too be my favourite mummy move and the mummy itself looks fantastic even after all these years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blRrTnq6TBg

This started out well but as soon as the knock off Abbott and Costello appeared it fell of a cliff , well the straight guy was ok but ever time the so called comic relief had a scene you just wanted to brutally murder him , it could of been so much better without him.

Becky. 2020.

11 year old Becky and her dad travel to the lakes to spend some time together until her dad's girlfriend and her son turn up. Things change when four escape convicts turn up.

This appeared on Shudder and never heard of it, Kevin James as a violent convict, Robert Maillet who stands at over 7 foot tall and a convict that I can believe but not Mr James...I was wrong. Here he plays a Neo-Nazi and yes covered in tattoos of the Third Reich and able to step out of the shadow of comedy and do something new. Lulu Wilson plays the young girl Becky who has obviously seen Home Alone and Rambo too many times and is able to be creative. from the home invasion to outsmarting the captors this was decent and can be violent, worth a watch.

Attachment 240035

Tournament

Every 7 years, the world's most elite Hitmen/Women have a sort of Battle Royale in a random city. Robert Carlyle is a drunken priest who gets caught in the middle. Very violent and most importantly, very enjoyable. It's a film that knows what it is and provides the viewer with what they want. There's a very small role for Scott Adkins, who if this was made a few years later, would have had one of the bigger roles.

Furry Vengeance

Family Comedy in which Brendon Fraser is a Developer Assistant who is under attack by the Animals who's home he's helping to destroy. It's zany and it's funny.

Cannonball Run

Very enjoyable Film which sees Burt Reynolds amongst others like Sammy Davis JR and Jackie Chan race across America. I thought that this may be a bit outdated however (Other than one possible remark) it isn't. It's also interesting that Golden Harvest and Media Asia were seemingly involved in an American production.

Nanny McPhee

Emma Thompson is the titular Nanny who looks after Colin Firth's naughty Children. Again another enjoyable Film with Angela Lansbury a riot as a very strict Great Aunt. Also the only Family Film I know with a U Certificate to have the word incest in it lol.

Jackass Forever

More of the same really only with more people involved. the non gross out stunts are funny but I had hoped that it would feature the original cast looking back at things throughout instead of mentions. Blu-Ray looked great but wished that the additional scenes on the Extras had a Play All option instead of going back the Chapters.

Intern

Robert De Niro is an Intern to Anne Hathaway's Internet Company. Initially the fish out of water, he becomes her most trusted confidant and advisor the rest of the team. Rene Russo co-stars in a Film that is a very easy watch however I wished that they didn't go in the direction of Hathaway's Husband having an affair, completely unnecessary.

Interpol (1957)

US agent Victor Mature tracks crime boss Trevor Howard across the globe with Anita Ekberg in tow as his investigation takes him from New York to London, Lisbon, Rome, Naples and finally Athens.

This sounded really good from the synopsis on the reverse of the Arrow Blu-ray (Known as Pickup Alley). An international globe trotting thriller from legendary producers Cubby Broccoli and Irwin Allen.

Sadly, although i didn't feel cheated by the Bond like locations, the film itself was actually quite boring. The characters were lifeless cardboard cut outs and the story was as thrilling as boiling a kettle. Trevor Howard seemed if not miscast - the producers obviously wanted him for the role - then the wrong choice for a seedy villain whilst Ekberg, well she clearly wasn't cast for her acting skills. As for that horrible tinny jazz score. My ears are still ringing.

Hugely disappointing.

The Time Guardian (1987, Brian Hannant)

Aussie SF caper. Far in the future, we still say "Bullshit!" when annoyed :lol:
Undemanding and a tad dull in places, this was more or less an endless stream of cliches, and Dean Stockwell's outfit didn't quite alleviate this feeling :laugh:
Well, they can't all be great I suppose ....

I rented Time Guardian out video because Carrie Fisher was in it.
If I remember rightly she was killed or injured early in the movie so that was a waste of time. :rolleyes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txexY8pEqLQ

While i enjoyed the omega man this I found it to be the better film and was a lot closer too the book it's based on(I'm legend) . It feels a lot more empty and desolate and you can feel prices loneliness. The vampires are a lot more creepy than the mutants in omega man. Recommend .

Now watching

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrerqYACSQU

Insidious. 2010.

A family believe their house is haunted after their son has a fall and goes into a coma, only to find out something darker has happened.

I never had much hope for this film back when it first came out and now I still enjoy it, it does have the element of a haunted house with ghosts making a appearance then shifts into a case of possession then moves into the astro-projectory element of the film.

Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne play the happy couple who move into a new house and things start to happen and move again yet they seem to be followed by the ghosts. Lin Shaye plays the psychic Elise who finds the answers in "The Further". Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson play the assistant Specs and Tucker. Barbara Hershey plays Grandmother who eventually lets out her own secrets about why she may know so much. With good cinematography, direction and a eerie background score. always better to watch in the dark.

Attachment 240050

Yes, she's in it certainly. Ooooh not quite, but close .... ;):pop2:

Insidious: Chapter 2. 2013.

The Lambert's are trying to move on from what happened with their son and death of Elise, but now Renai believes that something is wrong with Josh. Along with Elise's friend Carl, Lorraine, Specs and Tucker they uncover a darker parasite is haunting them.


This starts off with young Josh and Lorraine meeting Elise while Josh was being tormented then jumps in to the present with Renai and a detective trying to uncover the death of Elise and doesn't take long for everything to go from happy to being tormented. The actors from the previous film return and do a brilliant job. Leigh Whannell and James Wan return as writer and director and basically give us a decent sequel that has more darker moments that the lights definitely need to be off.

Attachment 240052

Insidious: Chapter 3. 2015.

Before Elise helps The Lambert's, a young girl Quinn wants to contact her deceased mother but Elise feels she has contacted a darker entity. When Quinn becomes housebound due to a accident she becomes a easy target.

This is the prequel we may have not wanted but we got it and had very little expectations the first time I watched this. Leigh Whannell takes sole credit for writer and director and gives us something different with a few more jumps scares. The main entity backstory is never really revealed but it's one of those characters that do we want to know the back story.

Stefanie Scott and Dermot Mulroney plays the father and daughter Sean and Quinn and able to pull off the struggling family with Tate Berney playing the little brother Alex. Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson and Lin Shaye return which shows how they were able to create the partnership. This was a decent entry into the franchise.

Attachment 240053

Attachment 240054
THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963)

The classic WWII movie based on true events of the escape of prisoners from Stalag Luft III. I had not seen this in a while so it was great to give the disc a spin again. This is great stuff and I really enjoyed watching it again.

Attachment 240055
AVATAR (2009)

Another movie I had not seen in a real long time. The first time was at the cinema in 3D.
This was fantastic and I really don't know why I left it so long to watch it again.
This looks absolutely stunning in it's visuals and scope.
Awesome!

LAMB – Noomi Rapace in a folkloric yarn involving an ovine changeling. Before it’s horror, it’s about the act of raising a child in a world that has no representation of a family with difference at its heart. The eeriness, the weirdness, all stems from the misalignment of parental expectations with ‘reality’ (hey, doesn’t it always). It’s quiet, still, lots of mood and empty Icelandic countryside. I should point out that there is actually a monster. I really liked it.

CHOOSE OR DIE – Brit (?) flick where everyone’s pretending to be American – wait on, there’s Eddie Marsan playing an evil slacker dad – never thought I’d see it. COD is a fusion of tired post-‘Saw’ tropes and J-horror themes with a bit of Charlie Brooker thrown in (not to mention a smidge of Robert Englund). A cursed computer game is… yeah, you’ve watched it already in your heads (if you didn’t switch channels halfway through). Dumb but enjoyable, with a bit of splat.

CORPSE EATERS – Post-NOTLD grot from obscure Canadian filmmakers, CE is definitely one for the rescue list given that it’s only really viewable on YT or, for all I know, some other grey area format. It’s as basic as they come – after a leering make-out session (overseen by an owl!), pesky college studes hole up in a crypt and ‘summon’ the undead, who are well into flesh ripping. There’s some seriously unembarrassed camerawork which wanders into almost Doris Wishmanesque territory, alongside some of my usual favourites - weird electronic music, surprising gore and a disjointed tone. It’s the kind of film where a disgruntled undertaker mumbles a pissed-off voiceover full of gems like “some guy’s just come in with half his face ripped off… must have been a bear… probably deserved it.”

DOOM – As linear as it gets, this is just a stripped down ‘Alien’ clone with good optics and some names and faces. The Rock is one such name / face combination, and he turns out to be a bit of a twat. I don’t know why, but I nearly had a bladder spasm when I saw Dexter Fletcher decked out as a cyborg on wheels. Lots of screeching and flaming hot lead from an era when you couldn’t begrudge a bit of bad CGI.

As always FT :hail::hail::hail::hail:


Kill And Kill Again (1981, Ivan Hall)

Fancy a Bond knock off? Then watch In Like Flint :nod::lol:
This on the other hand ....
A man needs to round up his old team for one last job.
The villain has the best false beard ever. Like A Fistful Of Yen, but serious :laugh:, this may make it to Boxing Day, as the laughter came thick and fast due to the risible dialogue and piecemeal set pieces.
You may find the poster somewhat familiar looking :lol:

Deep Red. 1975.

A Jazz pianist and and a journalist team up to uncover the death of a psychic.

This appeared on Shudder T.V. so thought I'd watch it with the Mrs, told her it be a murder mystery without telling her who directed it, for me this is classic Dario at his best teaming with David Hemmings as the pianist teaming with Daria Nicolodi with the clapped out car that almost falls apart. The killings are done perfectly even with the creepy background score, this gets better and better with every viewing, for the Mrs it was good just a tad slow but can tell she enjoyed another Dario film.

Attachment 240066

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9PuKH4hKSU

In a small town there have been a number of murders , the town is divided into two Half's Shadyside were the poorer live and Sunnydale sorry Sunnyvale which hate each others , it soon becomes apparent that the killings are more than local wackos and supernatural in nature and is linked too the town's past.

A love letter to all those slasher classic with lots of little nods towards them. A lot better than I was expecting and looking forward to watch the next two parts. The only small downside was the main character who was such a selfish cow.

Up tonight .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3tHbFTUf1g

After I've finished fear street trilogy think I'll give these a watch as only seen the first.

Also anyone seen a group of films about a doll called Robert as noticed these on netflix and might give them a try.

I've got the first one, but haven't perused it yet, so that's no help is it? :lol::rolleyes:;)

Well as they not costing me anything will try them but will have to wait too Saturday as that's when they add the first bit strange as all it's sequels are already on.

I noticed them as well, never actually seen them, saw a trailer and looks like a British version of Chucky, meant to be based on the true story of Robert Otto but more cash in on the name like Annabelle.

Odd Thomas. 2013.

In a small Californian town, a small cook with psychic abilities encounters someone that may unleash hell on earth.

A film that didn't really seem appealing to me but this actually surprised me, Anton Yelchin plays the cook Thomas who's name is actually Odd can see ghostly shape shifters and believes the end is coming and uses his abilities to stop it while being helped by detective Willem Dafoe and girlfriend Addison Timlin. Stephen Sommers done a good job directing this and a film that relies on CGI effects that work decently on this, based on the book by Dean Koontz, I haven't read it but can it be recommended?

Attachment 240069

Hustlers

Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu are Strippers who lead other girls into drugging and robbing customers. Julia Styles is a Reporter who interviews them. There was a some buzz regarding Lopez being nominated for an Oscar for her role but I didn't really see it. TBH, the thing I found with this Movie was, you wasn't really rooting for the girls which I think the creators were looking for.

Cannonball Run II

More of the same from the original with most of the cast returning. the Sheik's Dad is furious with him so orders another race in order to regain their respect. More slapstick and tomfoolery in an entertaining Sequel. I like the Italian Mobsters using sort of Wil E Coyote tactics to abduct the Sheik's Son in order to steal the prize money.

A blast from the past regarding the distributer of the Rental Release, Channel 5(Not the TV Channel) real old school there.

Valentines Day

Star studded Film which has separate stories set on Valentines Day which sometimes merge with each other and/or have surprising outcomes. I know that this isn't going to be people's cup of Tea but I enjoyed it, it breezes through its 1hr 50 minute running time and it was undemanding.

I thought Hustlers was a total ****ing abomination. One of the worst films i've ever sat through in recent memory.

The Loch Ness Horror. 1982.

Deaths have been happening around the famous Loch of Scotland, a scientist wants to find a egg and exploit it and the monster. A plane from WWII is near the supposedly lair of the monster with treasure yet the military try to cover it up.

Was this a homage to some of the bad 1950s B movies or something and was the director having a laugh? Filmed entirely around Lake Tahoe obviously it seems to resemble Loch Ness...somehow? A bunch of American actors and actresses that seem to think they can put on a Scottish accent that's really bad, one actresses sounded more Irish than Scottish. We do see the monster or more like the head and neck of it that looks rubber that can breath out steam. Beneath Loch Ness 2001 was not a great movie but is a lot better than this film.

Attachment 240075

Robotrix (1991, Jamie Luk)

Amy Yip heads the cast here in this charming fun fest.
When a bad man transplants his essence into an android, what's a female copper to do? Kick some man ass :lol::nod:
Such a sleazy wee flick this one. A real time capsule.
Recommended.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR2KSY1fipo

Taking place straight after the end of the first move our survivors go on see the only survivor of the last attack hoping they can help them with there friend who they think is possessed by the witch.

The story is told what happened in 78 at a summer camp, heavily influenced by Friday the 13th with some great gory kills and answering some questions but bringing up more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7u1YqXC6Xk

Like the last movie this tales place when the last one ended, here the main girl has found the witches bones and when touching them is giving a vision into the past from the witches eyes leading too that the so-called witch is not evil or a witch an someone else is responsible for all the town's problems through the ages.

The last act comes back to modern times as our heroes set out to destroy who has been causing all the trouble. This one is influenced by films like the witch, witch finder general.

Have to say I really enjoyed all three movies, was a little surprised that these are based on novels by RL Stine of goosebumps fame, but I suppose all his fans from books TV show will be adults now so bound to write something a lot more adult.

Now watching
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuZnRUcoWos

Followed by.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyH4NK2MopM

I enjoyed the Fear Street trilogy as well, all three of them bringing something different, post-modern in the first, camp slasher in the second and folk horror in the third. Great soundtracks as well!

Forgot to mention soundtracks , first great 90s soundtrack and second great 70s soundtrack. Seems to have left it open for another movie. I do recommend them to any horror fan as you said all quite different, a lot better than a lot of modern horror.

Waterworld (1995)

A first time viewing of the three hour Ulysses cut and i loved it. I love the film anyway since seeing it in the cinema on it's release. Watching the all action Waterworld show at Universal Studios brought more love for the film as well.

If the film in it's original 135 minute format is a four star then this longer cut which adds more character development as well as more violence and language as well as one or two key scenes brings it closer to five stars.

What i did appreciate more was how this longer version brings out the unlikeability of star Kevin Costner's character, the Mariner. He's a complete dick towards his reluctant passengers (Jeanne Tripplehorn and Tina Majorino's young girl) although he does redeem himself in the final third.

The films flaws haven't really changed. It's still Mad Max on the seas and Dennis Hopper's villain, The Deacon, remains under used and when he is on screen he still chews scenery like a cow chews grass.

During the final reels when the Mariner and the survivors find dry land my reaction on seeing the island was "Holy shit! They've landed on Isla Nublar. Wait until they find out!" Both being Universal films it probably is the same island as Jurassic Park.

However the pros far outweigh the cons. Waterworld is an ambitious achievement. It's money guzzling built on the water sets are a joy to behold and unlike so many of todays films which insist on green screen filming this looks and feels so much better than them and it also looks the business on Blu-ray.

Love a bit of Waterworld! I can't remember if I watched the Ulysses version last time I saw it, I'm sure I did though :) :rockon:

Thought i might watch the theatrical cut on Sunday evening.

So I watched this then ...

The Corpse Eaters (1974, Donald R. Passmore/ Klaus Vetter)

... and felt that whilst the opening kept me on tenterhooks for Judith Chalmers, when they decide on a rather unholiday activity that things start to go sour :nod:
and how :lol:.
Yes Frankie, that score is very evocative of an era certainly :nod::lol:;)
Considering the print looks, er, grubby is being diplomatic. AGFA!!!!

Scream (2022)

I've been fairly quiet in my horror reviews this week as i've been having a Scream marathon. Beginning with Scream (1996) on Monday, Scream 2 (1997) on Tuesday, Scream 3 (2000) on Wednesday and Scream 4 (2011) on Thursday culminating with a first time viewing for the all new Scream (2022) the first of the franchise not to be directed by the sadly no longer with us Wes Craven.

In Wes' difficult to fill shoes come Radio Silence, also known as Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the creative minds behind Ready or Not, Southbound and VHS. To my mind they have done an excellent job as i really enjoyed Scream or Scream 5 as it should be known seeing as it's not a reboot, remake, prequel or anything else but a continuation from Scream 4 albeit ten years later.

Taking place twenty five years after the original Woodsboro murders, another Ghostface begins targeting the teens of the town, teens who all seemingly have some connection to the original killing spree.

Returning regulars include Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers and an excellent David Arquette as the now retired Dewey Riley as well as Marley Shelton from Scream 4 as Sheriff Hicks alongside a strong selection of newbies including Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega and Jack Quaid who was familiar to me from the fantastic anti-superhero series The Boys. Although the new cast members are very good it's Campbell, Cox and Arquette we've all come back to see and they don't disappoint. I'm not sure it was due to the marathon watch of the series but there seemed to be some beautifully poignant moments between the three, not to mention a shock or two that were like gut punches as the film went on.

Scream 5 is perhaps a faster paced film than any of the others. It's extremely self referential and slyly pokes fun at emo horror such as The Babadook, it's also quite often rather funny. Aside from the opening of the original 1996 film Scream movies aren't all that scary in truth but Scream 5 has it's fair share of shocks, more so than any of the other sequels and it certainly ups the gore content considerably. There's a beautiful Savini-esq knife through the neck murder which is shown in loving slasher detail and is well worth seeing

I'm sure Scream 5 works best if you are familiar with the rest of the series so having a Scream marathon really worked for me. There's a lot i haven't mentioned from the latest installment - plot details, cameos, horror in joke asides - which deserve to remain unspoiled, so i'll end by saying i thought Scream or Scream 5 was terrific. I had a lot of fun watching it, with shocks, laughs and almost tears along the way.

I’m glad you enjoyed it, I really quite liked it as well when I watched it and I’m looking forward to a rewatch.

Having watched all 5 in succession, is the 3rd instalment still the low point? I watched the original 3 late last year on iTunes and because I couldn’t be bothered to look for Scream 4 in my boxes I skipped it and went straight to 5 lol… it’s been years since I watched that one.