I watched this last week, great fun! Just so you know 4.5 is out already, I believe it’s on Netflix!

It is.

Cheers guys will get that checked out :thankingyou::pop2:

Official Secrets (2019)

Excellent true life British drama starring Keira Knightley as Katherine Gunn, an analyst at GCHQ who leaked a memo showing that the American and British governments were blackmailing UN states to vote in favour of an invasion of Iraq.

It's a film that slowly ratchets up the tension and intrigue, aided by powerful and strong performances from Knightly, Matt Smith and Ralph Fiennes. Much of the 'action' takes place in the newsroom of The Observer newspaper. A publication who at the time supported the illegal war of George W Bush and Tony Blair but found it had to quickly come to terms with the leaked information as Smith, Matthew Goode and Rhys Ifans struggle to find out the truth as to whether the documents were faked or not.

It's a film that still rings as true today as it did in 2003 when these events took place and questions the honesty and integrity of government.

An edge of the seat real life thriller. I really liked this.

Alarmed. 2014.

Samantha who was accused of killing her adoptive family, takes a yacht out and is trapped in a loophole and tries to figure out how to escape.

I have no idea who the actors were nor the director (so far this is his only directed film) this was released as Ghost Boat, there was my first warning, second warning was the production logo ITN Productions, so I knew this would or may be utter shite. This was basically a poor man's rip-off from the Melissa George movie Triangle, I am not a fan of the film but that was way better as I couldn't even get through to the end of this film.

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Ghoul (2015, Petr Jakl)

FF.
A group of murican idiots wander off to the Ukraine to film a "pilot episode about cannibalism" :pound:
Yes, they are the usual clueless bunch, the type I really love seeing go into a meat grinder :lol:
Ahem.
Had heard about this one for a while, and it's worth the wait. 10 minutes to go and I'm loving their idiocy. Byeeeeeeeeee etc.
:rolleyes::laugh:

I thought this was practically unwatchable. Think i got the dvd from Poundland one Halloween.

Possibly In Michigan (1983, Cecelia Conduit)

The most fun I have on the interweb is finding oddball stuff like this tbh.
Horror musicals are nothing new, but this pleased the demon greatly. Plus the songs are really catchy :lol:
Only 12 minutes long, so no rushing the exit folks! :nod::behindsofa:
As always it reminds me of The Residents. :loveeyes:

Their behaviour is hair tearingly stoopid certainly. :nod:

Jason And The Argonouts. 1963.

Greek hero Jason goes in search of the legendary Golden Fleece.

A film that received mediocre reviews on it's release and I bet those who hated it are kicking themselves as it's now a classic film that still holds up the entertainment values. The non-stop motion effects that are outdated now are still way better than the CGI effects we get today. The characters are a bit bland and the acting a bit wooden but still kept me happy.

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Planet of the Apes (1968)

Franklin J Schaffner's pioneering science fiction classic in which Charlton Heston and a team of astronauts land on a desolate planet where humans are dumb primitives and apes rule.

Heston is perfect as the rebellious human but it's the brilliant Kim Hunter who steals our hearts as she shines through her sublime ape make up showing compassion and humanity enough to make you forget she's a chimpanzee.

The script is clever as well as a rollicking adventure and the ending to anyone not in the know (Is there any such person) is both shocking, unforgettable and utterly awesome.

CRASH! – Nope, not that one, nor THAT one, but this one, the Charles Band one from the mid-seventies. After an accident involving an occult dog attack, a woman wakes up with amnesia. She can’t tell the doctors much about who she is, but her eyes glow red whenever a supernatural force possesses her. Meanwhile, bitter spouse Jose Ferrer is in the background playing mind games whilst a driverless car prowls the Californian turnpikes, causing one accident after another. I liked ‘Crash’. It doesn’t try hard to make sense, and in fact there’s a real random air to it. The atmosphere in places is on the trippy side of languid, although there are stretches where nothing much happens. I guess it has that classically grindhouse-era combination of wackiness and stiffness going on, which makes it a dead cert for seventies horror enthusiasts.

MANSION OF THE DOOMED – Another Full Mooner, MOTD has always been a firm fave with me. I can’t quite put my finger on what I like about it; a downer vibe, which is at the same time made somehow slightly silly (witness Richard Basehart’s pompous narration), along with the hazy feel of mid-seventies LA, all leafiness and long afternoon shadows, and then the ambience of darkened operating theatres where X-ray images glow. The plot isn’t much – it’s basically just an inversion of ‘Eyes Without A Face’, and tries to build whatever momentum it can by simply replaying the same kind of surgical encounter, but again, it’s the atmosphere that pulls me in. There’s something awful and squalid about that basement full of Basehart’s eyeless victims, it really hits a nightmarish note for me. Probably a footnote for many, but I recommend it anyway.

THE SADNESS – Wow, this one’s really going for the gore. I didn’t have any expectations when I went in, thinking “OK, another epidemic-y type zombie film – why don’t I have anything better to do?”, but I was quite surprised by what I saw. ‘The Sadness’ doesn’t say anything new or even, considering our post-pandemic slump, especially relevant, appearing content enough to take its place within the viral lunacy tradition and simply ladle on the offal. But blimey, were they serious about that offal-ladling. Some of the gore has a sleazy edge, one high point being a gross hospital orgy which relies on spilled blood and intestines by way of lubrication. After setting out such a splattery stall, the film does seem to pull back at points – come on guys, only an IMPLIED eye socket f*cking? But I’m not having a go, by and large this is pretty demented stuff, certainly for a flick considered streamable by the likes of Shudder. I would say that it’s a bit too long, and that the way it navigates between its splatter scenarios is a little stilted, with only a few recurring characters offering continuity – but in a film like this, that’s really not a problem. Hope it kickstarts a trend, it’s been fifteen, twenty years since horror movies were especially graphic. I prefer atmosphere these days, but even a hint of eye-related rogering is better than another jump scare.

The claret is strong with that one (TS).

As always :hail::hail::hail:

MOTD holds a special place here also, though it may just be I like films with Mansion in the title :lol:

This one i have pondered about watching on Shudder, but after this comment I will certainly check it out

Derelict. 2017.

Three friends go on a exploration of a old Power Station that becomes a fight for survival.

A film based on the "Urban Exploration craze" that becomes Urban F@?king boredom, this film makes Chernobyl Diaries 10 times better, slooow character build up that by the end I was rooting for them just to die, the acting sucked, no tense moments, very light on the atmosphere, predictable jump scares. I want the 80 odd minutes of my life back. Honestly the Australians have gave us better horror films than this pish. Rant over with....for now :lol:

Attachment 240406

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8XuKNI2iVg

A sequel to the land that time forgot, Doug McClure best friend who just happens to be the son of John Wayne comes looking for his friend. I actually enjoyed this a little more than than the first , a little confused as land was set some time in the second world war while this is the end of the 19th century or early 20th.


Now watching
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK3NYrORvdk

The Farmer (1977, David Bertlasky)

A soldier returns home to a rather dilapidated homestead. With the bank threatening foreclosure, help somes from an unusual source.
Had heard about this one and on balance it was worth it. Yes, a farmer taking on some ne'r do wells may seem rather familiar ahem, but whatever. I still love the sight of 70s movie gore with its ketchup hue just adding to the fun.
Recommended.

Hereditary. An already grieving family is shattered by another tragic loss, but even darker and more nefarious forces seem to be swirling around them. Despite the hype I hadn't seen this before as it didn't really look like my cup of tea and I half-suspected it would be a bit of a borefest like The Babadook. Well, blow me down, this was actually pretty darn good. The first half hour is a bit slow and I was wondering if it was ever going to start getting scary, but then... well let's just say it escalates quickly. :lol:Pleasently surprised. :nod:

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

Watched on Friday to celebrate the 125th Anniversary Of The Publication Of Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Why this version?

Director Francis Ford Coppola's Gothic masterpiece is as near to Bram Stoker's classic novel as any of the many big screen adaptations have been. The faithful screenplay from James V Hart is an imaginative if slightly self indulgent experimental affair in a film with a distinct visual flair and mood that keeps it well within reach of Coppola's own fans as well as aficionado's of classic vampire horror. The sets are superb, be it old London, or the wilds of Transylvania. CGI is apparent but never obtrusive as Coppola brings us images direct from the book which other screen versions have never dared (or technically been able to).

The History Of Time Travel (2014, Ricky Kennedy)

Mockumentary.
This was more like it. Coming from "History TV" as it does, it relates the tale of The Indiana Project, which was started during WWII in reaction to reports of Nazi shenanigans. Really liked this one, even if it features the best fake beard since Kill Or Be Killed :nod:
It reminded me of Savageland in tone (not horror though).
Recommended.

The Deep House (2021, Bustillo/ Maury)

When this started with them in the Ukraine, I sagged visibly :lol:
But we then shift to France (phew), where our young lovers find a local willing to show them a more secluded spot to do that scuba thing.
Absolutely non Lovecraftian caper centred around urbex Youtubers.
Some elements worked, some were cliched AF.
Not their best work.

The Burning (1981)

A derivative rip off of Friday the 13th (1980) with even less interesting characters and bog standard direction than the majority of that series of films. In all honesty, Tom Savini's brilliant gore effects work aside, The Burning is pretty shit.

Bizarre thing is i knew this already so why did i buy it on Blu-ray last week?

HUG. It just has "something" though doesn't it? :nod:.

Godzilla (2014)

I was rather enjoying this until director Gareth Edwards decided to film the final hour including all the Godzilla vs the MUTO's action in thick black smoke and total darkness.

I zoned out in double quick time and fast forwarded parts - F*cking waste of time!

Thankfully Michael Dougherty actually knew how to make a giant monster movie when he was recruited to make the superb follow up Godzilla: King of the Monsters five years later.

I used to have:
Godzilla - 1954
Godzilla - 1998
Godzilla - 2014
Godzilla: King Of The Monsters - 2019

Then one day I came to my senses, and now I only have
Godzilla - 1954

Red Sonja. 1985.

A female warrior goes on a crusade of revenge against the evil tyrant queen

Big Arnie dons the medieval warrior persona but this time only as a co-star even though he gets top billing this film isn't about him, this is about Brigitte Nielsen who stars as the Warrior Sonja. Conan's co star Sandahl Bergman plays the evil queen Gendren who is wanting the rule the world with the help of a talisman. Paul L. Smith plays the bodyguard and man servant to Prince Ernie Reyes Jr who seems a bit spoilt.

May not be the best film, Arnie thinking he should be the main attraction, the fight scenes seem a bit far in between, too much and too long talking going on and the end fight was decent but seemed a bit rushed, sadly this still entertains me and keeps me quiet for a bit.

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Assault On Precinct 13. 1976.

A police Lieutenant, two secretary's and two criminals join forces when a defunct police station comes under siege by a gang of gun welding thugs.

Classic John Carpenter action film that gives you the plot set up and good character build up from Austin Stoker playing Lieutenant Bishop starting his night shift and gets relocated to help with a clear up of a old station. Darwin Joston plays the main criminal Wilson. Charles Cyphers shows up in a small role as Starker who is doing the prisoner transfer. This has always entertained me with the plot,, the acting, the shootouts and the background score by Carpenter. The second sight BD release is awesome, better picture quality and sound :pop2:

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Live Like A Cop, Die Like A Man. 1976.

Two guys Fred and Tony work for a special branch in Rome and live on the edge of jobs that are dangerous.

This is the first time seeing this and had no idea what I was going into with this, from the start we are thrown into a bag snatching gone wrong and a good motorbike chase then back to the office and flirt with the secretary, nothing like a good chase to get your own motor running. All the way through I kept thinking this is like a Italian version of The professionals but with a feature film.

Mark Porel and Ray Lovestock play the two good guys who shoot first and talk later with Adolfo Celi playing their boss who seems laid back a bit and let them do their job. Ruggero Deodato is able to make a decent action crime thriller and does have his tendencies to keep the innocent must suffer routine in this. Would certainly watch this again.

Attachment 240433

Asylum. 1972.

Young Doctor goes for a interview at a private psychiatric hospital, only to be told he can have the job if he can identify Doctor Starr who is a patient there and is told stories by the patients on how they got there.

Another Amicus anthology film With Robert Powell playing the young Doctor Martin and Patrick Magee as the older interviewer Doctor Rutherford. The segments are brilliant shot and each with a twist, The Weird Tailor I have always loved that segment only because Peter Cushing plays the sinister customer. The BD version is certainly a nice upgrade to view just a shame the reverse cover is a bit of a let down.

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I really don't get this film. Its like it goes out of the way to actually keep Godzilla off screen. I was really surprised when Gareth Edwards next movie Rogue One (which I had low expectations for) turned out to be the best of the modern Star Wars films by a mile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaXuVjBr5cw

Gene Wilder who co stars with his wife ( who plays on screen wife)plays a radio actor who visit his ancestral home , not longer after they arrive and the rest of his family turns up strange things start happening and a family curse says one of them is a werewolf . Really not very funny or interesting , only good scenes are the ones with a cross dressing Dom Deluise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RIHuK89xEw

This was a thousand times better succeeding in everything haunted honeymoon failed. Peter O'Toole plays the owner of a castle in Scotland whom in debt comes up with the idea that the castle is haunted , a group of tourist arrive and aren't impressed with the so called ghosts but this all changes when the real ghosts turn up at the centre of the story is a love story involving Steve Guttenburg who falls in love with a ghost played by Daryl Hannah look out for Liam Neeson in early role as a horny ghost.

Also watched the first three puppet master films , they all make out the puppet master to be complety different each movie first he is just old man whom is killed by Nazis second his a psychotic evil zombie killing all around to bring his dead wife back and the third which is my favourite his a kindly old man who seeks revenge and Nazis and the one who murdered his family watch out for a young Aron Eisenberg who played Nog in deep space nine we also we have Richard Lynch who plays a Gestapo office and becomes the puppet blade, which makes you think was the puppet originally based on him as even in the first you can see the similarities.

Now watching this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwZMZOS_dh0

People did say it was gory and depraved but **** me this is on a whole different level than most video nasties , we have people being ripped apart and eaten , buggery with dead people and sex with body parts Mary Whitehouse will be spinning in her grave but naturally I'm loving it!
E

Patrick Still Lives. 1980.

A group of people meet at a spa run by a mad doctor who is keeping his son in a coma after a accident, soon the guests start dropping off.

A film I have heard a a lot about but never thought i'd see it, parts of the house seemed familiar till I realised it was the same place used in Burial Ground, what is it with this place? Does it have something supernatural thing that causes people to strip off and...have a good time? The acting may not be the best but certainly makes up with the nudity and the kills were decent.

Attachment 240450

Eaten Alive. 1980.

A woman teams up with a mercenary and travels to New Guinea to find her sister who has joined a religious cult that is surrounded by a tribe of cannibals.

This is not Lenzi's greatest achievement movie and uses footage from other cannibal films but still entertains and Jim jones and his Jonestown dream may have been the inspiration for Ivan Rassimov as the religious fanatic. Janet Argen plays Sheila who hires Robert Kerman to find her sister Paola Senatore who has joined the cult. Is it just me or was Mel Ferrer's voice dubbed one moment then his actual voice is heard? At least there is a upside of Me Me Lai appearing on screen half naked.

Attachment 240452

Saw this first time at Christmas via the Severin dvd (Blu-ray's are available) and loved it.

The Face of Fu Manchu (1965)

I spent four hours in the company of this film last night. I watched the film followed by Christopher Frayling's fifty minute discussion of Fu Manchu in literature and film and then watched the film again in the company of Stephen Jones and Kim Newman.

Very enjoyable with a standout performance from Nigel Green as Fu Manchu's nemesis the venerable Scotland Yard detective Nayland Smith, meanwhile Christopher Lee plays the eponymous villain with a certain amount of relish.

Don Sharp's direction is very good, certainly far superior to Jess Franco's in the final two films of the five movie series, whilst Ireland kind of bizarrely stands in well for London and er' Tibet.

A fun romp in a Holmes vs Moriarty fashion and quite sadistic for a PG certificate.

The Indicator Blu-ray looked rather tasty.

The Grifters (1990)

An enjoyable neo-noir about three con artists - John Cusack, Angelica Huston and Annette Bening - whose lives are drawn together due to Cusack's hospitalisation following a grift gone wrong.

It's an entertaining film with several scenes of proper brutality as well as full frontal nudity from Bening, however the overall feel is of a bleak movie, none of the characters are sympathetic and it's all pretty grimy.

I finally got round to watching the 101 Films Black Label limited edition Blu-ray and i wasn't impressed. The picture quality is average at best, soft to look at without any depth. I'd say this is one of the worst examples of HD i've come across. In fact it wouldn't surprise me if it were simply a dvd upscale.

Had i not sold my dvd when i originally bought this several years ago i'd have got rid of this Blu-ray.

The Monster Squad. 1987.

A group of teens battle it out with Dracula, The Mummy, The Werewolf and Gillman but find a friend in Frankenstein's monster.

Fred Dekker gave us Night Of The Creeps in 1986 and a year later he gave us his homage to the Universal Monster movie characters, this time it's teenagers who are monster fanatics and try to save their little town.

Duncan Regehr's performance as Dracula is brilliant and able to capture the character's menacing persona. Tom Noonan plays Frankenstein like the original Korloff and able to walk like someone trying on new boots for the first time. Jon Gries plays The Wolfman and does return to a somewhat same character in Fright Night Part II a year later.

Andre Gower, Robby Kiger, Brent Chalem, Ryan Lambert, Ashley Bank and Michael Faustino play the young group of The Monster Squad and able to bring some laughs as they seem tough and wimpish at the same time along with scary German Guy Leonardo Cimino who tries to help with their German vocabulary. I always though this film was longer than just 80 minutes, still a great film.

Attachment 240461

Definitely preferred this to that borefest, Friday The 13th

Yes, I was well miffed when I saw this at the Cinema especially after the Trailer made it look so good.

You can say what you want about the 1998 version but it least it delivered Godzilla early.

The Northman (2022, Robert Eggers)

I waited and he eventually turned up. ;)
Film of the year.
PM me if you want more.