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-   -   What Films Have You Seen Recently? (https://www.cult-labs.com/forums/general-film-discussions/220-what-films-have-you-seen-recently.html)

Nordicdusk 12th August 2022 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs (Post 674748)
Nice write up on Elvis, Nordy.

Thanks i keep thinking of more i needed to say after posting but i think i said enough :lol:

MrBarlow 12th August 2022 10:58 PM

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An American Haunting. 2005.

Farmer John Bell and his family become targeted of a poltergeist.

One of the most famous hauntings to come from Tennessee that began and finished between 1817-1821 and is the only documented story which resulted in the death of a person caused by a ghost/poltergeist.

This had something good going for it Donald Sutherland plays the patriarch of the family John Bell Sr and Sissy Spacek as the loving wife Lucy who seem happy until the shit hits the fan and their daughter Betsy played by Rachel Hurd-Wood becomes the target for the ghost. There is one thing missing, is the story of the cave, we get what seems to be a glimpse in a dream sequence and it was connected to the land of The Bell's that had plenty of things reported as well as the house. Helped pass by some time even though the jumpp scares were predictable.

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Demoncrat 12th August 2022 11:08 PM

Savage Dawn (1985, Simon Nuchtern)

George Kennedy? Lance Henriksen? Richard Lynch? Bill Forsythe?? (cough)
Sold.
What you get it ... the word would be perfunctory if not for some elements.
It's nasty enough. I can only imagine what the vhs would have looked like ahem.
A lone rider visits unfamiliar territory in search of an old friend.
What he finds is familiar enough to fans of genre cinema :nod:
Bad people make god fearin' folks lives a nightmare, so it's up to you know who to right some wrongs. Insanely ambitious on an obviously tight budget, it features many tropes chucked in like it had been washed on the wrong cycle :laugh:
Ahem.

MrBarlow 13th August 2022 12:39 AM

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Mary Poppins Returns. 2018.

An hour in to this film and I had to switch it off, this has no hold over the original, sorry Julie Andrews is the only Mary Poppins, no disrespect to Emily Blunt who is a good actress but why is she speaking with a prim and proper English accent that does not suit her. Way over the top with CGI effects, can the makers not have gone old school?

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MacBlayne 13th August 2022 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrBarlow (Post 674737)
The Grudge 3. 2009.

The Japanese knew when to call it quits after two films

You say that, but the Japanese franchise is massive. There are sequels, spin-offs, crossovers, novels, a TV series, comic books, and a video game.

I think creator Takashi Shimizu has distanced himself from it all. He's like John Carpenter in that he takes his paycheque, and leaves the producers to do what they want.

MrBarlow 13th August 2022 03:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacBlayne (Post 674761)
You say that, but the Japanese franchise is massive. There are sequels, spin-offs, crossovers, novels, a TV series, comic books, and a video game.

I think creator Takashi Shimizu has distanced himself from it all. He's like John Carpenter in that he takes his paycheque, and leaves the producers to do what they want.

Think The Grudge 3 would have been better if Takashi Shimzu took the directors chair and carried this on instead of just being a writer, this just seemed to lack the dark tone that was the first two built up. Infection 2004, Ghost Game 2006, The Guard Post 2008 have been the freakiest movies I have seen from Japan since Ju On: The Grudge and Ringu.

MacBlayne 13th August 2022 03:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrBarlow (Post 674762)
Think The Grudge 3 would have been better if Takashi Shimzu took the directors chair and carried this on instead of just being a writer, this just seemed to lack the dark tone that was the first two built up. Infection 2004, Ghost Game 2006, The Guard Post 2008 have been the freakiest movies I have seen from Japan since Ju On: The Grudge and Ringu.

I think he was bored of it by that point. He had two short films, two straight-to-video films, two theatrical releases, and two remakes that kinda went in their own direction. By that point, he was in a position to try other things, and as long as the franchise continues, he gets paid. I'm sure he thinks its best days are long gone too.

MacBlayne 13th August 2022 03:47 AM

DELIRIUM


I’ve been listening to Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary’s podcast, and it’s rather good. Tarantino, as extraordinarily talented as he, can be quite dweebish and overbearing in interviews. I assumed I would cringe for ten minutes and turn off, but Tarantino is endearing and shows a little more taste than I ever would have expected from him.

Anyways, Delirium is one of the films he talks about, and stresses that you DO NOT look up what the film is about. And he’s right. Delirium was not the film I was expecting. All I will say is that if you think this is just about a lunatic murdering women, well, steady yourself.

Delirium is not a bad film, but it’s not an overlooked gem (Tarantino freely admits to this). The acting is okay, but the cast is clearly inexperienced. The direction is clunky, with the film suffering from some pacing issues, and stopping for some T&A that isn’t as gratuitous as other exploitation thrillers. The camerawork is rather bad in parts. Sometimes the camera struggles to keep up with the actors, and other times, they are shot with Garth Marenghi levels of compositions. Only the leading cops are framed like a proper film. I’m guessing, since this is a very low-budget production from St. Louis, the actors playing the cops were the only ones with the time for rehearsals and multiple takes.

The script is what makes Delirium worth watching. It’s clear that the writer-director is a person who reads novels, and isn’t just trying to rip-off other exploitation films. It unfolds in ways you wouldn’t expect, and feels like it reaches its natural conclusion. A little polish, and some stronger direction, and the script could have pushed Delirium into cult classic.

For the first twenty minutes, I had accepted Delirium as a scuzzy slasher. And then, a reveal was made that changed the entire film, and I didn’t exactly know where I was going. It’s a shame that the filmmaking cannot reach the screenplay’s inventiveness, but that screenplay meant I was never bored with the film.

Delirium has secured a restored BluRay from Severin Films, but I’m afraid I was sneaky and watched a copy on YouTube. I wouldn’t be surprised that, based on Tarantino’s comments, that the film will rise in popularity, and will be deleted from YouTube. So catch it while you can.


MrBarlow 13th August 2022 03:51 AM

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Scooby-Doo Return To Zombie Island. 2019.

After all the mysteries they have uncovered, the gang decide to retire, Shaggy wins a competition for a holiday to a paradise island. When they get there, they recognise the island and thrown into another mystery.

Frank Welker and Mathew Lillard return to the franchise with their voices with Kate Micucci and Grey Griffin and Cassandra Peterson as Elvira for this straight to video movie. The first half started well and then it went slowly down hill to the point of why did this go that way with a character of director Alan Smithee which made me laugh, this was not the best entry of the Scooby-Doo feature film I have watched.

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Susan Foreman 13th August 2022 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrBarlow (Post 674762)
Think The Grudge 3 would have been better if Takashi Shimzu took the directors chair and carried this on instead of just being a writer, this just seemed to lack the dark tone that was the first two built up. Infection 2004, Ghost Game 2006, The Guard Post 2008 have been the freakiest movies I have seen from Japan since Ju On: The Grudge and Ringu.

I know it's unlike me to be pedantic, but... Ghost Game was from Thailand and not Japan , while The Guard Post was from South Korea and not Japan!

Anyway, is 'The Grudge 3' the one with the 'milk scene', or am I thinking of another film?

Nosferatu@Cult Labs 13th August 2022 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nordicdusk (Post 674745)
Attachment 241662One day will might get a film that shows why this man was called The King and is more than some fat man that people make joke about. I was hoping this was it but it wasn't. I haven't seen John Carpenters Elvis i must watch it again soon im pretty sure thats a better film from what i remember.

Excellent review of Elvis, Nordy. If you're an Elvis fan, you need to see John Carpenter's superb made-for-TV film, with Kurt Russell deserving particular praise for his central performance.

Nosferatu@Cult Labs 13th August 2022 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrBarlow (Post 674760)
Mary Poppins Returns. 2018.

An hour in to this film and I had to switch it off, this has no hold over the original, sorry Julie Andrews is the only Mary Poppins, no disrespect to Emily Blunt who is a good actress but why is she speaking with a prim and proper English accent that does not suit her. Way over the top with CGI effects, can the makers not have gone old school?

I hope you give this another go, Mr B. I love Mary Poppins and was sceptical about this and whether it would be anywhere near as good as the 1964 film.

It didn't take me long, probably while she was singing 'The Place Where Lost Things Go' for me to relax and fully accept Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins. I think I even cried a couple of times, the first time during that song. I really liked Lin Manuel Miranda's lamplighter and thought his songs were excellent.

If you're wondering why Emily Blunt has 'a prim and proper English accent ', it's because that's an exaggerated version of she sounds when she isn't acting with an American accent – I think she sounds almost exactly the same as Julie Andrews" portrayal of the English nanny. :)

The highest praise for the film probably came from Mark Kermode, an uber-fan of Mary Poppins (1964) who had a similar reaction to me and loved Mary Poppins Returns.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=904DUjtfeeI

Frankie Teardrop 13th August 2022 10:22 AM

ASYLUM – The last time I watched any of those old Amicus anthology movies must have been literally decades ago, back when they were fixtures on UK TV in the eighties and nineties. I guess they, along with Hammer and creaky Universal-era type stuff, were all part of my nascent horror geekdom, so it’s interesting to me that these days I have virtually no optical media belonging to that side of the genre. The scratchy second hand dvd that I got the other day in a moment of ‘why not’ still beat hands down any black and white TV memories (most of which were half buried under swathes of static). As for the film itself, it all came flooding back – the ‘EC meets Pan’ vibe of those crawling paper-wrapped limbs, the weird golem-like mannequin in his glowing suit, the strangeness of the Lom segment with its runaway action man, all topped by Geoff Bayldon’s epic mad laughter at the end there. Quite enjoyable.

THE JAR – Well, this a strange one. I think I’ve seen it before, perhaps even reviewed it on here, can’t quite remember, which is odd in itself considering the film is off-kilter enough to lodge within the memory banks. A man ends up in possession of a mysterious jar after nearly running over a guy who seems to be in the film just so that he can 1) leave said jar in the protagonist’s apartment, then mysteriously disappear only to 2) reappear fleetingly in the corner of a mirror much later in the film in what is admittedly a fairly haunting and perplexing moment. ‘The Jar’ is full of said moments. It's pretty much a landslide of them; they don’t really connect up or make sense, just hover like a cloud of flies around the central thread concerning a lukewarm ‘will they / won’t they’ romance between main man and his neighbour. It’s one of those films where the viewer has given up asking themselves “is this bit a dream?” because, well, the above. They’re more likely to ask “is this bit shot really badly because it’s a student film with high art pretensions, or because it’s just bad? Or both?” Its artiness merges with potential incompetence, but it’s full of subtext and symbols, though what’s behind them, besides a rubbish blue-glowing troll puppet in a jar, is less than clear. A less fx-heavy ‘Beyond Dreams Door’ springs to mind as a partial comparison, and I would like to see this given a restoration and makeover as the only available format seems to be VHS, but it would make a sensible inclusion on one of those VS or Arrow seventies / eighties regional horror focussed boxsets.

WITCH STORY – AKA ‘Superstition 2’. It pleases me that the well of twilight-era (late eighties / early nineties) Italian horror never seems to quite run dry. I don’t know why I like that stuff so much; all the highs were in the history books well before then. Still, there’s something about seeing the Filmirage logo that leaves me dewy eyed. ‘Witch Story’ is not a Filmirage flick I don’t think, but it bears a similar mark – Floridan locales and a soundtrack that veers between bad soft metal and plinky synthesizer ‘sinister’ cues. The usual college kids turn up at the usual abandoned house with the usual back story and etc. There’s a ghostly little girl with a white ball (again) and a few fairly grisly stabbings. Interesting that they made the connection with the original ‘Superstition’, that high-octane early eighties American regional horror which, beyond a vaguely similar set-up, doesn’t have much of a relationship with ‘Witch Story’ from a production point of view (might be wrong, I’m not a historian). Anyway, ‘Witch Story’ should satisfy any cravings you might have for the likes of ‘Witchery’ or ‘Ghosthouse’, being a typical entry with a few enlivening moments.

Nordicdusk 13th August 2022 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs (Post 674769)
Excellent review of Elvis, Nordy. If you're an Elvis fan, you need to see John Carpenter's superb made-for-TV film, with Kurt Russell deserving particular praise for his central performance.

I actually watched John Carpenters Elvis after last night and yes it was a great as i remembered and i did enjoy it much more than the new Elvis film.

MrBarlow 13th August 2022 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs (Post 674770)
I hope you give this another go, Mr B. I love Mary Poppins and was sceptical about this and whether it would be anywhere near as good as the 1964 film.

It didn't take me long, probably while she was singing 'The Place Where Lost Things Go' for me to relax and fully accept Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins. I think I even cried a couple of times, the first time during that song. I really liked Lin Manuel Miranda's lamplighter and thought his songs were excellent.

If you're wondering why Emily Blunt has 'a prim and proper English accent ', it's because that's an exaggerated version of she sounds when she isn't acting with an American accent – I think she sounds almost exactly the same as Julie Andrews" portrayal of the English nanny. :)

The highest praise for the film probably came from Mark Kermode, an uber-fan of Mary Poppins (1964) who had a similar reaction to me and loved Mary Poppins Returns.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=904DUjtfeeI

I will try again Nos I always give a movie a second time go

MrBarlow 13th August 2022 06:57 PM

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Street Smart. 1987.

A journalist looking for a story on prostitution and pimps of New York fabricates a story that has the police interested and a pimp who believes the story to be about him.

This shows how journalists can be creative with a story and let it blow out of proportion and not think of the aftermath, the Man Of Steel just does that, takes a story and twists it around that leads him to the attention of a pimp Morgan Freeman who can be calm and charming then ferocious and bitter. The time the two leads appear on screen shows how good of actors they are with a good creative director. Mimi Rogers lays the calm girlfriend who is caught in the crossfire but still stands by her man and his paper.

The film that Christopher Reeve wanted the Cannon Group to fund after Superman IV which they did and as usual they tried to cut corners, instead of filming it in New York they decide to do it in Quebec and somehow managed to save some money but didn't really advertise the movie well that it slipped through some audiences and poor box office sales. This is certainly worth a look.

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Demdike@Cult Labs 13th August 2022 08:39 PM

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Contamination (1980)

I enjoyed this a lot more on Blu-ray than i did my only previous watch on dvd.

Directed by Luigi Cozzi, this certainly capitalizes on the success of Ridley Scott's Alien from the year before even if the only thing it really directly lifts are alien eggs, which explode and kill anyone nearby in increasingly gooey ways rather than alien creatures that appear from the eggs and inhabit the bodies of humans. In fact there's as much a homage to Fulci's Zombie Flesh Eaters as there is Alien. Watch it and spot the similarities early doors. There's several, not including star Ian McCulloch.

It's as much a pseudo Bond style hi-tech espionage thriller as sci-fi horror film - the fact it's set on Earth adds to this - and works well as an amalgamation of both genres thanks to a moderately pacy script and flashes of directorial flare by Cozzi.

MrBarlow 13th August 2022 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs (Post 674788)
Contamination (1980)

I enjoyed this a lot more on Blu-ray than i did my only previous watch on dvd.

Directed by Luigi Cozzi, this certainly capitalizes on the success of Ridley Scott's Alien from the year before even if the only thing it really directly lifts are alien eggs, which explode and kill anyone nearby in increasingly gooey ways rather than alien creatures that appear from the eggs and inhabit the bodies of humans. In fact there's as much a homage to Fulci's Zombie Flesh Eaters as there is Alien. Watch it and spot the similarities early doors. There's several, not including star Ian McCulloch.

It's as much a pseudo Bond style hi-tech espionage thriller as sci-fi horror film - the fact it's set on Earth adds to this - and works well as an amalgamation of both genres thanks to a moderately pacy script and flashes of directorial flare by Cozzi.

Is That on the Arrow Blu-Ray?

Demoncrat 13th August 2022 09:41 PM

Savage Weekend (1979, David Paulsen)

Let's go into the wild blue yonder, us big city folks know all there is to know about survival of the fittest .... hmmm ... who ordered the giant side of hubris then?
Too well made to be real regional horror, it none the less ticks several boxes.
William Sanderson pops up as a gopher type. Which was nice.
The ST was the requisite slurry of Radiophonic vomit and twee balladery.
Recommended!

MrBarlow 13th August 2022 10:33 PM

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Hereditary. 2018.

A grieving family are haunted by disturbing occurrences.

Second time seeing this and it had me more gripped and intrigued than it did the first time round, yeah this film may seem like a slow burner but it does build up the characters well that we are slowly finding out and see the tension that you can slice it with a knife. Toni Collette and Gabriel Byrne play the grieving parents that there is hostility with them that rubs off their kids, what seems like a normal ghost story gives out twist and turns right up to the climatic ending.

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Demdike@Cult Labs 14th August 2022 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrBarlow (Post 674789)
Is That on the Arrow Blu-Ray?

Yes, that's right.

MrBarlow 14th August 2022 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs (Post 674796)
Yes, that's right.

The Arrow release is a far better viewing with sound and picture quality, the dvd import version I had put me off upgrading it bit glad I made that choice with the upgrade

MrBarlow 14th August 2022 05:51 PM

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Death bed: The Bed That Eats. 1977.

This somehow popped up on YouTube, I got no idea what made me watch it, and still puzzled how I sat through it all even though it's on 75 minutes long.

This has one setting a somewhat attempt at a Gothic manor type house with a artist who is a demon who lost his one true love and has taken form of a bed that consumes anyone who lays or sits on it. There is a narration over it that the artist/demon seems to explain that the bed must feed on human flesh in order to keep living.

There was a budget of $30.000 put into this but seems like it wasn't used a great deal, even for the special effects of someone loosing their hands. Did make me laugh at a old woman lying in the bed reading a article on "Oral Lesbians" and a book called "Tropic Of Cancer" either way she was probably eaten, just not in the way she wanted :lol:.

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MrBarlow 14th August 2022 08:21 PM

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Porky's. 1981.

In 1950s Florida, a group of high schoolers try to help their friend loose his virginity which takes them to get revenge of a redneck bar owner.

The build up to this is basically your typical teens growing up and learning about the birds and the bee's and also underage drinking and a bar that you probably want to enter if you know how to fight and a corrupt Sheriff. Seeing this at a young age and really not getting the jokes, and now sweating with laughter. A school coach finds out why a lot of people call her Lassie is probably memorable part, the female coach getting a grab of a teen peeking into the girl's showers was a laugh, but asking the headmaster for a line up was hysterical with the head coach trying to keep a straight face while two pupils make a joke out of it. At least the waitress at the diner had a sense of humour for calling out Mike Hunt.

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trebor8273 14th August 2022 08:49 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_nClTx_7_A

Have too agree with the other review the parts which Elvis is singing etc are excellent, but the rest of the film falls flat glossing over or missing important parts of the great man's life, what the hell was up with Tom Hanks performance it was bizarre.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YN1HoijXbg

A enjoyable but forgettable Steve Martin film which plays a uptight lawyer who gets involved with an ex con ( queen latifah) who wants him too look into her case and ends up taking over his life, we also have Eugene Levy as his best friend who has the hots for Latifah , we also have Betty White as his racist old biddy neighbour and Michael Rosenbaum with a terrible wig.


Now watching

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgHziCX4Kjc

nicholasrope 14th August 2022 09:24 PM

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Tiger Cage II

A divorced Cop (Donnie Yen) ends up on the run with his ex-wife's Divorce Lawyer after some money goes missing.

When this Box Set got announced, this was the one I was looking forward too the most because back in the 90's (When I was much younger) this was the Video, I kept on looking at but never got because it was too much of an unknown as well as there was more pressing purchases at the time.

This was quite enjoyable with some very good set pieces, funny in places also. The only thing was I got muddled up on who some characters were but I had just come home from work and it was very hot that evening so I'm thinking that I just lost concentration, will give it another go soon.

Leap Of Faith

Steve Martin leads a group of Con-Artist group of Preachers who end up in a small town in the hope of a miracle. Liam Neeson is the tough Sherriff. One of those Films, I never got around to seeing and I quite enjoyed it.

Tiger Cage III

A pair of Financial Crime Detectives investigate a Businessman with a lot of dodgy dealings. This was the Film in the set that had the negative reviews and TBH, it's not all that bad really, again it has some good set pieces.

Overall, I was pretty pleased with the 3 Tiger Cage Films and thought that it was worth the money, I paid for it. If you are unsure, then it's worth getting if it goes down in a sale.

Liar Liar

Jim Carrey is the Lawyer who is well versed in bending the truth and letting down his Son. Therefore when his Son wishes that his Dad has to tell the truth for 24 hours, hilarity ensues especially as a big Court case is that day.

This was a role that suited Carrey and I was hesitant watching this again as I thought it would follow Ace Ventura: Pet Detective as a Film that was great in the 90's but not as funny today. I was wrong, it still cracked me up.

Predator 2

The Predator returns and this time, it gets involved during a War between Police and rival Drug Gangs. My favorite Predator Movie, nice and violent and other than dragging on for 5-10 longer than it needed to at the end, it moved at a nice pace.

Today it dawned on me that this was a Danny Glover and Gary Busey reunion Movie lol.

MacBlayne 15th August 2022 03:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrBarlow (Post 674798)
Death bed: The Bed That Eats. 1977.

Probably the best thing about this is that it inspired Patton Oswalt's ridiculous concept pitch: Rape Stove: The Stove that Rapes People

MrBarlow 15th August 2022 03:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacBlayne (Post 674811)
Probably the best thing about this is that it inspired Patton Oswalt's ridiculous concept pitch: Rape Stove: The Stove that Rapes People

:pound::pound:

MrBarlow 15th August 2022 03:24 AM

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When The Lights Went Out. 2012.

A family move into a new home in Yorkshire and shortly find out it is haunted by a poltergeist.

Based on the true story of the family and the The Black Monk of Pontefract, written and directed by Pat Holden who was a family member of the people who were tormented by the poltergeist activity. Living with a ghost and seek help from a priest and get turned down what do you do...blackmail him, that's what two guys do to get his attention and few funny sarcastic comments made which can give out a snigger or two.

The rest of the film does have it's horror and ghostly goings on with a decent cast that aren't scared to be thrown about or having things thrown at them. It does have it's predictable moments of jump scares, think the back story is a bit more scary than the film as a lot went on and we only see a small portion in the film. Still enjoyable to watch during this thunderstorm we had.

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MacBlayne 15th August 2022 03:49 AM

Death Wish
 
DEATH WISH


Charles Bronson is Paul Kersey, eradicator of street trash, upholder of traditional values, and… Oh, hang on. We haven’t got that far yet.

Death Wish is a film that carries a certain reputation, brought about by its many sequels. While those films wallowed in excess, the first entry is almost alien to them. It shares the same setup – some close to Kersey is brutalised, and Keysey goes on a rampage. However, where the opening acts of brutality in the sequels are the trigger for Kersey’s spree of vengeance, Death Wish's opening scenes of violence is a long fuse that has Keysey descend into madness. It's worth stressing that Death Wish is not a revenge film. Kersey never finds the monsters who beat his wife to death and raped his daughter, and this is a key factor that makes the film very different from others with the series and genre.

Death Wish is a very controversial film, not just for the still-shocking level of violence, but for its alleged support of vigilantism. Of course, many self-appointed moral guardians often throw such accusations at other films, and these accusations often fall apart when you apply some critical analysis to them. But I think it’s a fair point in regards to Death Wish, so much so that the original author was horrified when he saw the finished film, and even Charles Bronson was somewhat bothered by it at the time.

I don’t think Death Wish supports vigilantism, but I do agree that it thinks the solution to rising crime is stricter punishments. Michael Winner was admittedly right-wing, and never shied from expressing conservative opinions. He strikes me as the type who thinks flogging should be brought back. But this was the period when Winner was a rather intelligent filmmaker, and he focuses more on Kersey’s gradual adoption of violence. Kersey is man whose entire world is ripped away from him in breathtakingly cruel fashion, and falls into a spiral of fear and paranoia. These are the negative traits that has him lash out in violence, and become the vigilante. But rather than turn into Batman, Winner introduces something disturbing. Kersey becomes a hero to the people, and a thorn to the police, but Kersey isn’t continuing his killing spree because he wants to stop crime. He continues because he likes it. He targets genuinely reprehensible people, luring them, and murdering them with glee. And here is where Winner turns the film back onto us. If we’re still watching, then surely we are enjoying watching Kersey kill these bastards? And what exactly is it that is stopping us from following Kersey’s methods ourselves? Is it our morality, or a fear of legal repercussions?

Death Wish is a truly “problematic” film. It taps into the more fascist element of society, and it’s not exactly disagreeing with it. But it is aware. It raises moral and philosophical musings about violence in society, and within us. Charles Bronson always said he was miscast. and Dustin Hoffman should have been Kersey. I disagree. Hoffman was amazing in Straw Dogs, which is a better, and far more intelligent film that looks at the animal hiding within man. However, Death Wish already has let the animal out of the cage, and is looking at why that loose animal is so appealing. Bronson nails that animal. By the end of Straw Dogs, Hoffman has transformed. By the end of Death Wish, Bronson hasn’t transformed. He’s just honest.

Demdike@Cult Labs 15th August 2022 03:55 PM

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The Skull (1965)

This Amicus production about a collector of 'special things' starring Peter Cushing (and Christopher Lee) who purchases what is allegedly the skull of the Marquis de Sade is directed by Freddie Francis and proves to be quite a mini masterpiece that has plenty of inventive and disturbing moments that make it feel unique amongst the films of its time.

The flying skull on show is as effective as could be achieved in the days before CGI. The wires do occasionally show but it can't be helped and hardly hinder the sequences as it stalks the house in a wavelike effect which moves pictures and furniture aside as it passes by. The shots from the skulls viewpoint are certainly original and give the viewer the sensation of seeing events from the skulls point of view, its a nice effect but is perhaps overused at times. There's also a nightmarish dream when Peter Cushing's Maitland falls under de Sade's influence which is pretty disturbing and when he wakes finds himself in an apartment with no idea how he got there. Its a very disorienting moment and stands up well to any shocks being produced at the time.

Although perhaps less recognised as an Amicus production when compared to their portmanteau output in my opinion this feature film is better than the lot of them.

Put together.

MrBarlow 15th August 2022 06:09 PM

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Lights Out. 2016.

Rebecca tries to protect her younger brother Martin from their mother and a supernatural force.

The concept of this story is a bit like the film Darkness falls, a vengeful spirit and only staying in the light can be the only protection for anyone in the path of the ghost.

Maria Bello plays the mother of the siblings who seems to have a imaginary friend that does exist in the darkness, Teresa Palmer and Gabriel Bateman play the siblings that slowly uncover their mother's past and who the ghost is. David F. Sandberg directed this from his short film and able to use old school visual effects and very little CGI. This may not be for everyone with the concept been done before with a simple looking house, creepy basement that everyone seems to venture down at the wrong time, everyone seems to have a lot of candles lying about, but I still find it entertaining.

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Demoncrat 15th August 2022 06:59 PM

The Retrievers (1982, Elliot Hong)

There comes a point in any man's life when he asks himself "WHY"
I asked myself this many many times during this film :nod::laugh:
An affable but lazy sort is drafted into yer secret cabal as can happen in life, sadly his lack of know how gets someone killed. His bosses rescind his terms and conditions in a fatal fashion, or does it? :rolleyes::pound:
A hoot. We enter that strange woozy world of second tier logic that we love and cherish.

MrBarlow 15th August 2022 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demoncrat (Post 674833)
The Retrievers (1982, Elliot Hong)

There comes a point in any man's life when he asks himself "WHY"
I asked myself this many many times during this film :nod::laugh:

I have said that on numerous times and still get the same answer....the film will get better but never does :pound::pound:

MrBarlow 15th August 2022 07:43 PM

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American Pie. 1999.

Entering a pact can be good, why start a pact with loosing your virginity at prom, what can go wrong does go wrong for the four boys who enter that deal. Porky's stretched the bawdy comedy of the 80s with teens and their virginity's but this one goes a bit further with the Apple Pie humping in the kitchen and hearing about Sherman and a grapefruit, this may not be for everyone, still makes me laugh.

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Demoncrat 15th August 2022 10:38 PM

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Virgin Apocalypse (1981, Pasan)

Another in the long line of Joseph Lai/ IFD productions. They make Ho's work looks sane and relaxed, in case you wondered :laugh:
Essentially a WIP flick, it follows a trio of lasses who fall foul of white slavers, endure various tortures and assaults, the whole bit.
The rather "English" dub just added to this.
"You bloody bastard!!" etc. :lol:

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MrBarlow 15th August 2022 11:21 PM

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Beyond Darkness. 1990.

A family move into a house that is haunted.

If Amityville had a Italian rip-off this would be it and to be honest this was a lot better than the spin-off's that followed the original film. David Brandon stars as a fallen priest who later seems to be a street preacher and now seeks to help fellow priest Gene LeBrock and his family who are now living in a house of tortured souls. This is very low budget from Claudio Fragasso but it still entertaining.

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MacBlayne 16th August 2022 12:32 PM

Giallo a Venezia
 
GIALLO A VENEZIA


I heard Giallo a Venezia carried a reputation, and it certainly earns it. It’s an odious little thriller that exist only to degrade women, and punish them for seducing the audience. Damnation to the slut for giving me a stiffy, eh?

To be brutally honest, as much as I repulsed by the vulgar content, I did not think the film was boring. There is a trashy mystery that is resolved by a moronic reveal. The film is made with a degree of competence. Venice is a lovely looking city, and the film capitalises on it. It’s not often that you see Venice in cinema outside of the canals. The cops are oddly likable, with the lead having a fondness for hard-boiled eggs. I love details like this. Not so much the sexual violence, which you are frequently assaulted by.

An intelligent filmmaker (for example, Paul Verhoeven or Shinya Tsukamoto) might have latched onto the voyeurism, blurring the line between the audience and the camera, relishing the eroticism, and then making the same audience an accomplice in the vicious killings.

Mario Landi was not that filmmaker. He has no interest in engaging with the audience beyond shocking them with tasteless brutality. In one scene, a man at a cinema pulls his cock out and has a wank. That character is the ideal viewer for Giallo a Venezia.

Demoncrat 16th August 2022 08:40 PM

Your last statement solidifies everything that I feel about GAV.

Ahem.


The Oregonian (2011, Calvin Lee Reeder)

A tale as old as time.
A woman survives a car crash and enters a world that was either all of the director's ideas thrown together in a flurry OR some amazing statement on grief that I missed because I'm pissed again :pound:
Ahem.
Mad flick. 16 mm!! He had a hand in the first V/H/S, but has mainly concentrated on shorts it seems.
RLM would have a field day. :nod:

MacBlayne 17th August 2022 03:40 PM

NOROI: THE CURSE


“This video documentary is deemed too disturbing for public viewing.” And thus begins Noroi. If you haven’t seen it before, do not watch the trailer. Do not even google it. It will ruin some of the best moments for you. I will refrain from any spoilers in this review. The less you know, the better, since Noroi lives up to its opening promise.

Noroi is a Japanese entry to the found footage genre, but don’t let that fool you. This isn’t a Blair Witch clone that looks like it was filmed on a camcorder nailed to a wheelchair rolling down a hill. Nor is it a Paranormal Activity style film, comprised of long static shots that might feature a door opening by itself and BOO!!!

Koji Shiraishi’s film is a mockumentary, although not one that is a parody of the genre. This has two major advantages. One, it allows Shiraishi to employ professional camerawork that knows how to frame, and when to zoom appropriately. The cameraman is a proper speaking part, that converses with the host which in itself gives the viewer a position within the film.

The second advantage is the host himself. Played by a tremendous Jin Muraki, Masafumi Kobayashi is probably the most likable protagonist within a found footage film. He’s a kind-hearted individual that holds a fascination with the supernatural. He isn’t naïve that he wantonly accepts the weird, nor is cynical that he mocks his subjects. Honestly, he appears to operate out of an element of help, trying to find the solution to an issue troubling a subject. He seems very protective of his interviewees, and at one moment expresses dismay at what he considers exploitation on a television programme. Speaking of which, Noroi possesses a surprising streak of humour, especially with the television inserts. They really nail the "uniqueness" of Japanese TV.

What’s rather interesting about Noroi is that Muraki is a professional actor, as is the rest of the cast. I don’t mean that Noroi kickstarted their careers, but that they were, if not famous, already established within their field. Granted, not being familiar with Japanese television isn’t going to mean much to us gaijin, but for a genre that thrives on anonymity, it’s an interesting decision that clearly pays off. The acting is excellent, and they really capture that sense of wishful optimism and hopelessness.

Speaking of the professional cast, Noroi also surprises with its production values. Noroi was made with a $2,000,000 budget, which is extremely high for the genre, but it’s all there on screen. There are lavishly produced sets, props, costumes, and the film even utilises some startling special effects and audio trickery. The mere mention of special effects may throw you off, but I guarantee you that they are exactly what the film needs. The accompanying soundtrack is a marvel, sort of like a countdown timer performed by John Carpenter, and lends to the overall suffocation the impending horror provides.

Noroi can probably be best described as a cosmic horror. No, that is not a spoiler, or even a hint to a Lovecraftian reveal. What I mean is, Shiraishi creates fear from what we don’t know, not from the unknown. The scary unknown is something we have never considered, and what could it mean for us overall. Noroi gives us enough to let us know something is up ahead – what exactly that thing is though, is beyond our realm of knowledge.

The visuals deserve praise, which is something you almost never hear about found footage. As mentioned, Noroi benefits from professional camerawork and high production values, but like many great Japanese horror films and games (and David Lynch), it’s the juxtaposition of upsetting imagery against the mundane trappings of reality. Slap a grainy home-video filter on top of that, and you got the worst entry to You’ve Been Framed to date. There are images and sounds here that are burnt into my soul, and I hardly slept last night after watching it.

In regards to the story, the most I’ll discuss is the theme of the traditional versus modernity. Japan is a country torn between ancient customs and the expectations of modern life, and a lot of its post-WW2 cinema deals with that. Ozu’s films were the most lamentable. Fukusaku’s were the most nihilistic. Miike was the angriest. Noroi is the most aggressive and despairing.

Noroi is a slow-burning skin crawler. It’s like being slowly pulled by a strong current. You can’t do anything to fight it, so it’s best to let pull you until it’s safe to swim again. Far too late you discover that you are actually caught in a maelstrom that is impossible to escape. You’re beyond saving, but worst of all, you are given time to consider all of the mistakes that led you here.


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