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2 Attachment(s) Avengers: End Game Even though it wasn't the final Film of Phase 1 (I don't really count Spiderman: Far From Home as the last Film) this is the one which closes out the first part of the Series. Dealing with the aftermath of The Blip, The Avengers band together in order to reverse things. This was outstanding with it's long running time not being an inconvenience as it delves into the characters dealing with things and this was definitely a Film that had to be watched at The Cinema with its rousing lines and fist pumping scenes. Thor was a hoot as well. I really hand it to Marvel for creating a series of interlinking Films which lead to this. Work though needs to be done to get Phase 2 to this level. Shawshank Redemption Tim Robbins is convicted of Murder and is sent to a 1940's Prison where he befriends Morgan Freeman and ends up helping The Warden with his Financial Scams. This is a really good Film but not the masterpiece some have claimed it to be. I believe that this flopped at The Cinema, which I can actually understand as The Trailer I watched didn't make it look all that good. I can believe this being popular as a Video Rental. |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jouaan70m4c Judge me say I have terrible taste but I enjoyed this will never win any awards but it was brainless fun mostly thanks Nicholas Cage being Nicholas Cage , here he escapes hell to save his granddaughter from a group of Satanist while teaming up with Amber Heard. Really it's Ghost Rider 3 in all but name. Hey how many films to we see someone continuing to have sex while dispatching various bad guys. Now watching. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrW2wng-MYc |
1 Attachment(s) The Return Of The Living Dead. 1985. Two employees at a medical supply warehouse open a container release a gas which helps re-animate the dead. A salute to Clu Gulager (R.I.P another good actor gone) he stars as Burt who owns and runs a medical supply building hiring James Karen and Thom Matthews who release the gas and then all breaks loose in the nearby cemetery where a group of teens are having a party. George Romero gave us some serious zombie horror that is mentioned in this, Dan O'Bannon added in some comedy and Linnea Quigley dancing about naked. Attachment 241567 |
1 Attachment(s) The Eyes Of Laura Mars. 1978. Fashion photographer Laura Mars develops psychic abilities and is able to see through the eyes of a killer. After creating Assault On Precinct 13 John Carpenter co-wrote this little mystery thriller starring Faye Dunaway as Laura who some how managed to gain the ability of looking through the eyes of a killer who is targeting those close to her. Tommy Lee Jones plays John Neville the detective who is looking into the killings. Brad Dourif plays the near stalker limo driver who seems mild before making a admittance to Laura and her agent Rene Auberjonois. Raul Julia plays the ex husband and seems high on the suspect list. Film Critic Roger Ebert claimed he knew who the killer was not long into the film when he first saw it, hope he didn't blurt it out in the cinema and spoil it for everyone around him. When Carpenter first wrote this apparently it was to be a different killer but for some reason it was changed, no doubt producer Jon Peters wanted it changed. Director Irvin Kershner and cinematographer cinematographer Victor J. Kemper managed to capture some good areas of New York and some streets that looked like they should not be walked down at any time, but seemed to enjoy doing the outdoor fashion shoots. Nice little American Giallo. Attachment 241568 |
1 Attachment(s) The Shiver Of The Vampires. 1971. A young couple on honeymoon stop off at a castle that harbors vampires who have plans for the young couple. Think this should have been called Seduction of the vampires or was the translation of the title lost somewhere?? This seemed to have a simple plot, couple arrive at a shady castle, quickly invited in and then...what...somehow the film becomes pointless. We know Jean Rollin films are questionable but this did have something, Gothic bizarre atmosphere, nice bright colours and boobies. The version I watched was English dubbed but think it would have been better to understand in the original French language with subtitles. Maybe another re-watch will happen soon. Attachment 241570 |
1 Attachment(s) Mighty Peking Man (1977) Hong Kong legends The Shaw Brothers remake King Kong. If you need a synopsis you are on the wrong forum. Suffice to say this is a camp and hugely entertaining effort starring the lovely Evelyne Kraft, who barely stays inside her animal skin bikini, as the center of the Peking Man's attention. Meanwhile said ape is largely quiet until the second half when his full man in a gorilla suit antics wreak havoc in Hong Kong. Way better than the insipid official King Kong remake from the previous year which this film was made to cash in on. The 88 Films Blu-ray looks lovely. Pity there are no extras though. |
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2 Attachment(s) Wonder Women (1973, Robert O'Neil) Some Girls Do (1969, Ralph Thomas) Sub and quasi Bonds anyone? Couldn't turn down Richard Johnson as Bulldog D, but that's for later .... WW is only marred by me drifting off into a haze where I wondered about what if Jack Hill and Jess Franco had a baby ahem :rolleyes::lol: Our rugged man of action has the deadest eyes, which just adds to the fun. He is tasked with discovering the terrible Dr Tzu's plans for world dom, luckily their methods are ... not unshakeable :laugh: a hoot, if a stodgy one. More in tone with the JB and that is this somewhat stiffly crazed (Rank!) potboiler updated to be more "swinging maaaan" ahem. All the better for it, as it reminded me more of the Euro knock offs than an actual UK production, what with the totty and the totty and ... Robert (who gets) Morley than he bargains for ahem. Comedy sidekick best known to me as the cheery drunk from Carry On Cruising, so that made me laugh regardless of his general twittery. Worth seeing for RJ alone, who is unflappability personified. Attachment 241587 Attachment 241588 |
1 Attachment(s) Retribution. 1987. George a manic depressive artist tries to commit suicide, Vito a low life gangster is killed by his hoodlum friends and possesses George's body to seek revenge. Dennis Lipscomb plays the failed artist George who manages to survive his fall from the building where he stays and somehow during the balance of life and death he ends up being possessed. Leslie Wing plays the psychiatrist treating George and believes something is wrong but tries to rule out possession but can't deny what's happening. Suzanne Snyder plays the neighbour/friend Angel who witnesses the freak outs and sympathizes that her friend is troubled. This is not a big budget and good debut film for Guy Magar who manages to create a somewhat ghost story that can make the audience feel sympathy for the main character. His life feels like shit, tries to end it then has more troubles than what he doesn't want. It is a decent chiller movie and worth a watch. Attachment 241589 |
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It's one of his first films I saw and was shown with the Eurotica TV show on channel 4 at some point. So maybe it's just nostalgia but I think the music gives it some pacing that is absent from some of his other films, currently watching it at this very moment on Redemption blu. :cool: The two Vampires seem like they've stepped out of The Fearless Vampire Killers or The Vampire Happening or something, and the two lovers in a strange castle reminds me of Rocky Horror although this was a few years before that, I dunno it just works for me. But then again i really enjoyed Night of the Hunted, so what do i know. :rolleyes: Also theres a weird woman in a clock with spiky tits. |
Predator Hello, again. I hope everybody is well. A quick recap of my life as of late. Last November, I quit my job due to exhaustion. It was making me travel all over South Japan, and doing insane hours. My bosses were nice, but COVID meant I had to do so much coverage. I couldn't take it any more, and found another job that promised not to do that anymore. Well, that changed within a month. Irregular schedule, long hours, and I had to engage with of the most unpleasant elements of Japanese society (which were already on edge over Coronavirus). Well, after six months of being told to kill myself, spit on, and hit with sticks (not my work colleague or students, but regular people that I had to pass pamphlets to), I quit. I found another job quickly, which has been treating me a lot better. It's not high-paying, but the schedule is regular, which means I get proper time off. This is great as I now have time to study Japanese. This month has had very long hours, but I was warned about it in advance. Unfortunately, I was struck down with COVID. I'm currently isolating at home. I feel perfectly fine. Apart from a runny nose for two days, I have had no symptoms. My wife got a battering from it though. She was delirious with fever and headaches. She's feeling better now. Anyways, I hope to return here. Of course, the rest of August I will be absent since the hours will be long, but September should be a lot better. Should be able to write up a few reviews. Speaking of which... PREDATOR Remember that assault on the rebel base in the opening half hour? Explosions laying waste to the outpost? Rebel scum burning as mile high fireballs engulf the jungle. Jesse Ventura decimating the local population. Stabbings. Punching. One-liners. Arnie lifting a car. Great fun, yeah? Well, did you know that legendary director John McTiernan was not the helmer of this sequence? The story goes that producer Joel Silver was reviewing McTiernan’s footage and decided to pass it over to second-unit. It wasn’t due to Silver thinking McTiernan couldn’t direct action (he already had him pegged for Die Hard). In fact, Silver thought McTiernan directed action with an elegance that didn’t convey the excess of the average Schwarzenegger set-piece. And that sums up why Predator is so bloody good. It defies expectations. Introducing a bad-ass crew of gunmen, and wiping them out one by one an unseen threat adds a genuine sense of tension and horror lacking from action films, especially the many clones of Predator. It feels closer to Michael Myers in the jungle – quietly observing and striking at the most opportune moment. Helping matters is the script. It is a textbook of genre perfection. Like Aliens, the characters are barely above two-dimensional, but the script gives them enough detail to distinguish them from each other. Billy is observant. Hawkins tells cheesy jokes. Chavez is mischievous. Mac seethes. Blain chews tobacco. Dutch smokes it. Dillon pushes pencils. They all have their own ticks, and are fully fleshed out by a cast that may not challenge the average Queen Vic production, but pack as much charisma to match their firepower. The script’s leanness is guided by McTiernan’s magnificent direction. McTiernan ratchets the tension tight, and lets it snap with nerve-wracking set-pieces. A character panickily flees from the titular beast, only to blindly slide down a slope, and fall off a cliff into a raging river. And that’s not even the end of the sequence! Alan Silvestri’s score handles this tension well, using military brass, pulsating drums, and an eerie synth that balances the sci-fi, action, and horror. Praise must be given to Donald McAlpine’s cinematography. Predator is a very grainy film, but it works in the film’s favour. It conveys the filth, the dirt, and the suffocatingly hot jungle mist. You can almost smell the sweat off Bill Duke’s bald head. However, it is still a film rich in colour. Arnie’s red T-shirt pops, the jungle greens are lush, and the orange flames dance favourably with the dark blues of the night scenes. Of course, if we’re talking about looks, we need to discuss the Predator himself. The original monster was to be played by Jean-Claude Van Damme, and it looked more like a giant insect. Van Damme bailed after three days, and a displeased McTiernan and Silver took the initial footage to Fox. Thankfully, Fox agreed, and ponied up the cash for Stan Winston. Winston (with some guidance by James Cameron) delivered a magnificent specimen. A seven to eight foot tall behemoth, the Predator looks like a plausible creature. I cannot overpraise this design and the effects that bring it to life. Although it is effectively a man-in-a-suit (the man being Kevin Peter Hall), it never betrays this. Its skin glistens, its limbs flex, and the facial muscles look alien but believable. Are there any flaws? Hmm… Maybe one, but it’s hardly worth getting worked up about. The opening title card reveals the Predator arriving to Earth. This was a late studio addition, which was worried that audiences may feel deceived. The filmmakers protested, but Fox stood their ground over it. I honestly think allowing the audience to experience the slow horror before letting the cat out of the bag would have benefited the film. However, as I already mentioned, it's a minor issue. I love Predator. It is a lean, mean sci-fi thriller that, while free from pretensions, is aware of the clichés of the genre, and uses them to play with audiences’ expectations. All while not having time to bleed! |
PREDATOR 2 Predator 2 has a strange reputation. It was critically derided on release. It was rejected by fans for ridiculous reasons such as it didn’t have Arnie, and for more reasonable reasons such as its exaggerated tone. It underperformed in the box-office, and had to rely on home video to turn a tidy profit. It eventually picked up cult following, but its mainstream reputation seems to be one that is recognised as underrated, but nobody really remembers why. Well, cards on the table, but I adore Predator 2. The first film is better, but Predator 2 is very close. It lacks the leanness that the first film delivers, but almost makes up for it with a vicious abrasiveness that never lets up. Almost every line of dialogue is either snarled or yelled. The violence is beyond brutal at parts, bordering on pure horror. Sirens klaxon from every direction, and flashing lights rattle the frame. It's exhausting, but it is with purpose. Predator 2 portrays a Hell on earth. A world ravaged by global warming, rising crime, 24/7 media (casting Morton Downey as loudmouth prick was clearly a Silver joke), gun ownership, and a police state. Boy, did they catch us out on that. It’s the most Joel Silver film ever made. You can almost taste the cocaine emanating from every frame. This is what I love about Predator 2, and is perhaps why audiences couldn’t connect. It’s a surprisingly sprawling film that isn’t afraid to reflect on the genre, and the Reagan era. It presents a hyper-realistic world of excess – a world destroyed by the actions of the previous era. And yet, it doesn’t carry the bitter, cynical streak you’d expect. It carries a sense of optimism, that perhaps violence and gun-waving is not the ideal future for the world. However, when the film does focus on the Predator stuff, it’s quite good. Alan Silvestri’s wonderful score returns. The cast headed by Danny Glover keep their characters likable despite their yelling, and quick reliance on violence. Director Stephen Hopkins does a wonderful job at giving Los Angeles an exotic horror vibe, and utilises odd angles and close-ups to create a sense of unease. And of course, the attack scenes. Predator 2 is loaded with fantastic set-pieces, including what may be the best of the entire series. A nightmare sequence taking place on a rush-hour subway train, loaded with trigger-happy civilians, and a playful Predator. It’s a tour-de-force of direction, acting, editing, cinematography, and music, and has you feeling like you are stuck in the car with Bill Paxton. Nothing comes close to this sequence, which is why it’s a shame that the film carries on for another 30 minutes. This is perhaps the biggest fault of Predator 2. While it is still fun, it turns into a standard chase film with “wacky” humour that lacks the pure terror the subway scene brought. Still, I can’t deny I had a wonderful time revisiting Predator 2. Like Paxton’s Lambert, it is loud, excessive, vulgar, and as baggy as his trousers. But it’s also loaded with charm and personality, and it demands your attention. It's magic. Voodoo magic! F**king voodoo magic! |
PREDATORS Have you seen Predator? Did you like it? Would you like more of the same? You would? Then open up for Predators! It’s hard to review a film that essentially remakes the first film. Obviously, it can’t compete. Despite a surprisingly stacked cast, the characters are paper-thin. The direction is reverent without standing out. The action is fine, without ever crossing over into memorable with the exception of a Predator dog attack. The short length of this review indicates how little Predators brings to the table. It feels like a borderline reboot. Although it adds little bits of lore, such as a Predator civil war, and an alien planet, it does little with these concepts. The film exists to welcome back fans scared off by Predator 2 and the AvP films, as well as make new fans by not paying too much attention to the previous films. Nothing is wrong with the film, really, The actors are clearly having fun. The photography is good without being awe-inspiring. The effects are good. The new Predator designs are good, but don’t capture the imagination like the previous efforts. The score is decent, but hardly one you’ll remember. It's the very definition of alright. It just wants to return to what it thinks fans of the first film wanted, and hint a little towards what it could expand to. Despite doing quite well in the box-office, this never got a follow-up for some reason. Maybe the studio forgot it existed too? Either way, it’s a serviceable romp that entertains and never overstays its welcome. |
THE PREDATOR A lot has been said about this one. While critical reception was mixed, fan and audience reaction was hostile. Being a Shane Black fan, I was excited. I was hoping audiences were just braindead after so much Marvel crap, and were repulsed by a film that would feature proper storytelling (a talent Black possesses). Sadly, The Predator is a disaster. It is marred by ugly visuals, sloppy editing, shockingly bad story revelations, tonal inconsistency, and schmaltz. The acting is all over the place, and I don’t mean the performances are bad, but that nobody really gels with each other. It feels like a film that was assembled, rather than one that was directed. And this is important, for the film was a victim of massive studio interference. The Predator was meant to kick off a new series of Predator films for the studio, much like how Prometheus rebooted the Alien series. However, the studio seems to have panicked. The film was pulled from Black, and was heavily reshot without his involvement. Cinematographer Larry Fong expressed his extreme displeasure towards Fox, and revealed he was not involved with reshoots or colour-timing. Jake Busey and Thomas Jane have recounted Black being visibly distraught at the premiere, and his horror at seeing the new ending (Black was not aware of the crowbarred epilogue). Edward James Olmos also told of how he had a whole subplot that was completely deleted. Months after the film’s release (which actually made a minor profit in the box-office), photographs were leaked showing multiple Predators on a tank and chased by other vehicles. These scenes took place during the day. Black confirmed that the studio had decided a night setting would be better for the climax, and had hoped to convince Fox to release a director’s cut on BluRay (this was denied). Eventually, Black’s script leaked online. Having read it, I can confirm that it is very different from the finished film. Is it better? Yeah, but with a caveat. Black is a tremendously talented writer who understands structure, set-up, and pay-off. Nothing happens without an earlier scene preparing it. Even the film’s more repellent aspect (autism being the next stage of evolution) is downplayed. The boy is still autistic, and is targeted by the Uber-Predator, but this is more due to the creature’s scientific curiosity rather than a very misguided attempt at appealing to mothers across the world. However, I don’t think Predator lends itself to an expanded universe. The joy of Predator is the simplicity. The first film is simplicity perfected. Predators understood this, and stuck with it. Predator 2 expanded thematically, but kept the Predator stuff simple. The Predator is far too vast and sprawling. It’s a prison-break film crossed with espionage, and three episodes of The X-Files. It’s way too much. The finished film has very little to praise. There are some good set-pieces, such as the Predator escaping from the base, or the assault in the suburban house, that are deliciously violent. Since it is derived from a Shane Black screenplay, there are some fantastic lines of dialogue (Sterling K. Brown earns his ham). But it is an unpleasant mess that clumsily transitions between scenes, and a mean streak of humour that feels more bullying than politically incorrect. Non-fans should keep away. Fans should watch only to satisfy their curiosity, because The Predator will satisfy very little else. |
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PREY When it was announced that 10 Cloverfield Lane director Dan Trachtenberg would be helming a new Predator film, fans were cautious, but hopeful. The last film was a trainwreck, but Trachtenberg’s pitch sounded neat. Predator vs Native Americans in the 1700s. That’s a great pitch. Well, Prey is better than The Predator, but it’s not like it had to try very hard. Prey is not a bad film, but it's not a "masterpiece" either. Despite what the over-excited critics will have you believe, it’s a C, C+ at best. So what happened? Why didn’t I like Prey as much as the critics? Let’s start with what Prey gets right – the premise. As mentioned, Prey has a superb setting. It’s the 1700s. A teenage girl with the Commanche tribe lives in the shadow of her warrior brother. While brother goes off hunting, she is expected to gather herbs and vegetables, and prepare medicines. However, what she wants more than anything else is prove herself as an equal hunter. Unfortunately, there is something else nearby wanting the same. It’s a simple set-up, and Trachtenberg is wise enough to show Nova (Amber Midthunder) developing her strategies and methods. She’s not a brilliant warrior that excels at weapon handling. She fails. She practices. She fails again. She adjusts. This is great stuff, and is paid off in later scenes. However, Prey suffers from issues that befall many modern genre films. This is not a screenplay filled with characters that feel of the era. This is Twitter. Dialogue is not about establishing comradery or motivations. It’s 2022 gender politics being thrown into the mouths of 18th century denizens. Characters are not shown to have strengths or weaknesses, but are used to show how much women suck, and then they pay for it in ultra-violent slapstick fashion. This is a big problem with Prey. It tries so hard to woo the Twitter crowd, that it inadvertently carries a nasty element of misogyny. The lead is frequently belittled for being a woman, and is viciously slapped about because the film posits that it will be fine because she will become stronger. And its only when she adopts cruel barbarism that she becomes a STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER. And then the film has the audacity to look down on women who would rather not follow such a path. I’m sorry for getting all “woke/unwoke” there, but this really soured my viewing experience. It’s nasty, and celebrates a side of humanity that really doesn’t need celebrating. It’s not the capacity for violence that offends me, but the notion that cruelty and torture makes you a better person. Anyways, back to the rest of the film. There wasn’t much else that engaged. The acting is okay. Critics are running out of superlatives to describe Midthunder’s performance. She’s fine, but she feels more like a California teen doing cosplay. Imagine Aubrey Plaza fighting the Predator in a sketch show, and that is Midthunder. The rest of the cast are serviceable but unmemorable. The visuals are ugly. It’s that Terrence Malick wannabe meets flat, digital photography that tries to cover their deficiencies by slapping an ugly brown filter over the entire film. The night time scenes are shockingly bad, with me rubbing my eyes trying to figure out what was happening. We’re talking AvP2 bad. Is it too much to ask that when lighting, light the actors' faces? Trachtenberg proves to be rather amateurish when it comes to blocking. The cinematography is not used to provide atmosphere, or subtly hint at storytelling. It just records, and moves on. The CGI is also rather sloppy. Not something I would harp on too much, but there are moments that could have been easily done as practical. But I suppose this laziness befits the direction and photography. The action is passable. It never becomes exciting or innovative. I was crushed by Prey. I was so hyped for it based on the premise alone. Sadly, it’s product designed to appeal to social media, so that the viewing link can be shared to future customers. The acclaim the film has gotten has proven my suspicions about critics today. Critics do not watch films to engage with them, to develop new ideas, thoughts, or sensations. Instead, films are something the critics sees in between the moments they look up from their phones, or look at the mini-player in the corner of their computer screens. Hardly anything in Prey feels human, nor does anything engage beyond the surface. At least the dog was awesome! |
1 Attachment(s) Attachment 9 I watched Prey yesterday and i not overly impressed the first 55 minutes dragged because like you said its not really establishing and sort of relationships or building any sort of intrigue just things cgi animals killing each other and people shit talking a woman. When it got going after the 55 minute mark The Predator looks cool with the skull mask/helmet but too much cgi ruined it. They will be calling for an Oscar next for the leading lady from the praise im hearing of her performance but honestly there wasn't one stand out performance in this film not that i was expecting one but from the buzz in the internet i was expecting better. The idea is great and i do love the setting but thats it i was left a little empty. |
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I guess that's a big problem with the film. It's never immersive. |
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1 Attachment(s) Attachment 241594 THE HIDDEN FORTRESS (1958) Not seen this in a long, long time. Really enjoyed it. I could not help but pick out all the Star Wars similarities and ideas this time around. Even Princess Yuki sleeping was the same as Princess Leia in the cell block! Ha ha! Anyway, very good film and I wish I had not taken so long to watch the movie again. Great stuff :thumb: |
1 Attachment(s) Troll (1986) Just noticed Cex will give me either a £13 voucher or £9 cash for the Eureka Troll / Troll 2 set. Sayonara, Trolls. |
1 Attachment(s) Demonia. 1990. A archaeologist team in Sicily unleash the vengeful spirits of a group of nuns who were murdered. As the spirits are unleashed they begin to terrorise the team and the townsfolk. This did seem to have the potential to be a good horror flick, somewhat nun exploitation with a back story told by Carla Cassola who would make a bedtime story creepy. Fulci has a bit more on screen time as the Inspector investigating on what is going on in the quiet sleepy little town. We can't blame Fulci for the mild gore (although someone does split their sides) we can blame those who gave it such a low budget, that the great man himself has disowned this movie. Attachment 241598 |
1 Attachment(s) Hard Rock Nightmare. 1988. Young Jim is convinced his grandfather is a monster and kills him. Years later Jim is in a music band and along with his friends venture to his grandfather's cabin and believe they are being stalked by a werewolf. Dominick Brascia who was in Friday the 13th Part 5 (which a character from the movie is mentioned) wrote and directed this obscure film. This film has some really bad acting, some of the daft cheesiest dialogue but these teens are smart though, when they realise they are in trouble they do run. There is very little gore and blood but someone must have been a fan of Scooby-Doo with the ending. Attachment 241605 |
1 Attachment(s) Ghosthouse. 1988. A ham radio operator picks up a recording of a man screaming and traces the signal to a deserted house. Soon after they look into the house and it's previous owners a couple with their daughter who died in mysterious circumstances. The ghost of the young girl and her doll bring death to those who see her. The film that was made by Umberto Lenzi while trying to convince the audience that it was a American director, the man can't fool us no matter how hard he tried. How many times this has been watched, the acting never gets any better even with Jim's death it becomes more comical, Lenzi must have told him what was gonna happen and told him to act out how it would look, Martin Jay probably told him he would give out the performance of a life time and we get the end result, must be why he has only been in 3 movies. Coulrophobia must have been a big thing in the 80s and with films, Poltergeist gave us a creepy clown and offered some inspiration to one particular scene where things are flying round a bedroom, yet we get a creepy looking thing that is able to spring teeth at a blink of a eye and creep up on people. At least Lenzi gave us a fearsome atmosphere within the house and the young girl's crypt towards the end, got the strange feeling that some of the background score was used in the 1987 film Stagefright. But the music for the doll seems like some sort of devilish lullaby rhyme that would creep a young one out. Still a entertaining flick. Attachment 241606 Have a good day all |
The Thing THE THING Since I’m stuck at home with COVID to prevent it from passing to others, I decided to rewatch what is now the most relatable of films – John Carpenter’s The Thing. I don’t have much to say that hasn’t already been said countless times. Like Alien, Carpenter succeeds in locking a talented cast in an isolated horror that defies explanation. In a way, both films laid the blueprint for survival horror design, as in… - a setting cut off from the rest of the world - small cast of characters - a threat of mysterious origins - limited supply of resources - lack of agency Next time you boot up Resident Evil, tell me if you don’t notice the parallels. Alongside Big Trouble in Little China, The Thing sees Carpenter’s immense talent matched by a large budget, and a crew of gifted technicians. Thanks to their contributions, the film immerses you within the confines of the Antarctica base. You can feel yourself succumb to the same paranoia and hopelessness that the staff feel. It would be so depressing if it wasn’t for Carpenter and screenwriter Bill Lancaster punctuating the intensity with strong gags. “You gotta be f**king kidding me!” is a line for the ages. Speaking of Lancaster, a lot of praise must be given to his sparse script. Although a rare novelisation suggests that Carpenter deleted many sequences from Lancaster’s draft, it still forgoes exposition and long-winded character speeches. The characters of The Thing live in the moment. There is little need for background details, because the cast fill in whatever is missing in the page. Kurt Russell, Keith David, and Wilford Brimley have been rightfully acclaimed for their performances, but credit must be given to the supporting cast. Carpenter had the cast live together for a month to help them develop chemistry and rapport, and it shows onscreen. You really do get the impression that this is a crew that have worked together for months, if not years. One aspect I always admired was towards the end, when SPOILER: As mentioned above, the technical specs of the film help the cast sell their struggles. Cinematographer Dean Cundey and production designer John J. Lloyd present a believable location lost to the world, and ravaged by the elements. The sound design and Ennio Morricone’s foreboding score carry you to an alien wilderness. And Rob Bottin’s effects are still astonishing to this day. Thanks to Todd Ramsay’s careful editing, the effects sit in that uncomfortable zone between reality and surrealism. As hard as it is to comprehend, you will believe a man’s chest turns into a mouth. The Thing is about as good as filmmaking gets. It features everybody at the top of their game to create an experience unparalleled within horror. And maybe that’s why critics at the time balked at it (although Gene Siskel was an early fan). Alien, as grim and cynical as it was, was set in a distant future in a distant setting. The Thing was closer to home, and presented humans behaving like humans, i.e. they all turned on each other. And while Alien closed SPOILER: Lovecraft would be proud. PS: Here's a crazy fan theory. What if there were other Things around the world? What if they were waiting for one to wake up? Why can't Windows contact anybody? What if everybody else in the world has succumbed to the Thing? |
The Man From Hong Kong (1975, Brian Trenchard-Smith) Some fun here. An HK cop is sent down under to extradite a scumbag. Whilst he's there, he keeps his hand in somewhat :lol: Even saddled with "minders" including Hugh Keays-Byrne, he manages to kick and punch the baddies a lot. Then tis revealed that the Lazenby is the kingpin here, so it moves into overdrive. A hoot. Savage Harbour (1987, Carl Monson) Frank Stallone and Chris Mitchum?? Yes please. Our pair are sailors home from the sea, first port of call is the local sleazepit bar where they are greeted like returning heroes :lol: The film wastes no time in letting us know that FS is rugged and manly, so when he saves a damsel in distress, love isn't far away (cue celestial choir :lol:) An odd one. It looks like a film (properly edited, decent sound etc), but it makes less sense that Dangerous Men really :laugh:. The antagonists are a cliched bunch (giggling psycho, sleazy pimp etc) and are slightly underused. FS seems to have a glass spine as he always gets his arse handed to him until events take a sour turn. Prey (2022, Dan Trachtenberg) A film that I enjoyed in parts even if the design of you-know-what did leave me scratching my head ahem. Lovely scenery for all that. |
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So I believe. Shame as he can do the business blindfolded it seems. |
1 Attachment(s) Splatter University (1984) A deranged mental patient escapes his hospital, leaving bodies in his wake he ends up at a college campus and the killings begin again. This is one hell of an odd film and could easily been simply dismissed as dross, however something about doing that would have niggled the rest of the day for me as there's a certain something that's great about Splatter University i just can't put my finger on. The performances especially by the faculty students are dreadful, however the leading lady, Forbes Riley, is absolutely terrific, holding a basic script together and playing it straight whereas many are hamming it up for all their worth, spouting inane dialogue as if nothing ever happened on campus. Taken as a stalk and slash film, Splatter University also fails pretty miserably. There are no terrifying set ups or suspense. We never stalk anyone like the best slasher films do, no Splatter University kind of dispatches it's victims almost matter of factly even if the killings are very much on the gruesome side which helps flesh the film out somewhat and maintain interest. And yet there's something about the film that grabbed me, possibly it was Riley's believable performance floating atop the swill of scum and deadwood the rest of the cast are drowning in, i just don't know, it's all sort of wonky yet weirdly effective. Perhaps a third viewing will make it click in my head. Or not! |
Felidae (1994, Michael Shaack) German animated feature about an ickle kitty ?? AWWWWWWWWWWWW. Ahem. Moving into a new neighbourhood, our four pawed protagonist finds himself in the midst of an intrigue. Coming over all Sherlock, he delves headlong into the mystery with gusto. This is not The Aristocats :nod: Recommended if only for the fact that you haven't quite seen anything like this. Plus it had more plot and character development than Prey in spades. Harumph :laugh: |
2 Attachment(s) Tiger Cage Hong Kong based Film in which a Drugs Unit tries to stop a shipment whilst dealing with crooked cops. Some decent Fight scenes and a rather nice kill SPOILER: My memories are that Tiger Cage 1&2 got Video Releases but never got a DVD release, which would be quite shocking if true considering there was Tartan, Hong Kong Legends and Cine Asia releasing Films. Loved that the English Trailer seemed to show the majority of the Fight scenes along with saying the other Title, Dragon Cops whilst the Tiger Cage Title simultaneously appeared on screen lol. Evil Dead One of the most well known Horror/Video Nasty out there sees Bruce Campbell and friends stay in a Cabin but get attacked by Zombies. Only saw it once before and thought it was over-rated and whilst there is some nice gore F/X, my original opinion remains. |
1 Attachment(s) Santa Sangre. 1989. A former circus artist escapes from a psychiatric hospital and rekindles his relationship with his arm-less mother and seek revenge on those who wronged her. This is certainly not a strange movie from Alejandro Jodorowsky but certainly one of his most bizarre and violent movies that I have seen so far from the director. It certainly depicts on what is real and what is imaginary as the main character Fenix played by Axel and Aden Jodorowsky as the young and older character who witnesses his mother loosing her limbs and his father's demise. Like his other movies, it does have a strange start then goes into the somewhat character build up but then goes in another direction with the second half and how a mother can still have a hold over her son, then gives out a good twist to the end. This may not be for everyone but any fan of the director will enjoy this. Attachment 241618 |
1 Attachment(s) Chopper Chicks In Zombietown.1989. A group of tough female bikers head to a small town where zombies are kept in a cave and are released. We love all these B grade Troma films, especially with Don Calfa appearing in another zombie flick, we got a bunch of female bikers in which one of the group seems to come from the little town, a mad doctor trying to bring back the dead and abandoned cave to store them in, quirky one liners. This is one film that doesn't take itself seriously but has the laughs. Attachment 241619 |
1 Attachment(s) ROT. 1997. How I made it through this one is anyone's guess but when your night shift and it's quiet you will want something on to help pass the time, this one dragged the time by. Right from the start with the acting, it was gonna be shit even with the very amateurish cinematography and cheap lightning used. Somehow a young girl is in a morgue with a dead body that's more than stiff in a few places, goes home and pukes then the loving boyfriend comes home makes out with him and in mid coitus she tells him what she has done. To say he takes it well is a understatement, the morgue attendant is a Vietnam Vet who dealt with bio-chemicals and created a disease called Rot and the corpse was infected with it and turns people into zombies. Save yourself from this one, the film Contracted: Phase I from 2013 is more entertaining and believable than this. Attachment 241620 |
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