Most of his DTV stuff has been solid at worst. Most are good fun i'd say.

Double Impact is ok. I'll pick the 88 blu ray up at some point. Its on the cornier end of the Van Damme spectrum though. I used to love AWOL. But despite owning the 101 blu for years I've never watched it. All I can remember when i think about it is a series of fights one after the other with bare minimum plot. As a teenager that was fine. Now I find I want a plot.

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For me AWOL was memorable as it co-starred JR's secretary Sly, aka Deborah Rennard.

I do find with these older 80s early 90s actioners I need to be in a certain mood. Particularly the martial arts stuff, it always seems less story orientated. No Retreat, No Surrender is currently in HMV on sale for three or four quid. I remember liking it but suspect its actually poop.

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Wer (2013)

In a nutshell - A human rights lawyer decides even werewolves have rights and tries to disprove the great hulking lump the French police have in custody didn't really slay a holidaying American family.

Sometimes a film really springs a surprise and Wer was one of them. Part legal battle part slayfest, if you thought Werewolf films could offer nothing new then you might be in for a nice surprise.

For a start the film has a decent budget. There are some great action sequences involving police hardware filmed in the centre of Lyon (Actually Bucharest) as well as out in the countryside and some wonderfully gruesome gore effects. The film is beautifully acted allowing for fine characterisation in a fairly talky opening half hour but it's all done so well that i was gripped by proceedings from first to last.

Last night was my second viewing of this and i'd forgotten the ins and outs which meant i enjoyed it just as much as my first viewing.

A mixture of crime, action, folklore and of course horror, all played out with maximum intensity, Wer is, along with the slightly less good Late Phases (2014), the best Lycan movie since Marshall's Dog Soldiers.

Oh, and the last line is a killer.

FULL CIRCLE: THE HAUNTING OF JULIA – Saved up my pennies for a splurge as ‘The Haunting Of Julia’ has been a long time coming and I’ve always wanted to see it. For anyone who hasn’t heard of it, it’s from the seventies and deals with grief, loss and ghostly children, characteristics that line it up with the likes of ‘Don’t Look Now’ and ‘The Changeling’. It also shares some of the ethereal qualities of those two movies. In it, Mia Farrow loses a child (who she inadvertently kills in trying to save them from asphyxiation), then splits from her domineering other half to go and live alone in one of London’s leafy backwaters. She chooses a house whose backstory echoes her own tragedy, and before long the once dormant past begins to seep into Julia’s present as she starts to unravel. ‘The Haunting Of Julia’ works mainly as an exercise in tone. The narrative follows Farrow’s investigation into her house’s traumatic history, but the main thrust of the film is atmospheric. Early on, we watch Farrow move from room to room in her new pad, and nothing happens but it’s somehow mesmerising, a somnambulistic glide that lets us take in all the shadows and faded opulence. That's kind of the film setting out its stall; moody. I often imagine seventies London to be a kind of wasteland of beige décor, crumbling buildings and mist, and director Richard Loncraine does nothing to dispel my prejudice as this is exactly the visual register of ‘The Haunting Of Julia’, everything gauzy and faraway, maybe with hints of something dreadful just out of sight. The story progresses through disturbing encounters that send Farrow on a downward spiral, and if you’re anything like me you’ll find that the final moments will linger for long after the film has ended. Farrow, whose fey, even slightly vacant actorly presence makes her interesting to watch whatever she’s in, comes across here as something like a haunted elf; it’s also quite nice to see regulars such as Tom Conte in early roles. It could be said that ‘The Haunting Of Julia’ suffers from too much narrative contrivance and leaves behind a lot of loose ends, and that it doesn’t take its stock imagery (sinister toys and dingey cellars) very far beyond the limits of convention. For me, that’s not the point. ‘The Haunting Of Julia’ works because of its powerful ambience, and feels to me like a foggy dream of the past slowly collapsing into nightmare.

I really want to see The Haunting of Julia but will have to wait for either a stand alone Blu release or a significant price drop.

Great review, Frankie.

Kalifornia. 1993.

What can be more exciting that going to places where serial killers have struck and killed their victims while travelling with a sociopath as a companion.

David Duchovny and Michelle Forbes play the inquisitive couple looking to travel California for gruesome murder sites for a new book and share expensive with Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis who acts like she has a mind of a child and knows what...or addresses what her loving partner does. It's Pitt's role that steals the show as the unbalanced in life character who can't blow his nose and has no remorse for what he does. This does have its share of violence that can leave a mark but can also give out a snigger or two with the elderly couple and the dummies.

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Repulsion. 1965.

A slow descent into one female's madness in the form of Catherine Deneuve's performance is fantastic in this nicely stylish made chiller. Starting off as we see a woman working as a beautician and living with her sister who's married lover is disliked yet she has a boyfriend but is kept at arms lengths. Once our leading lady is left alone the nightmare slowly unfolds, the outside world can be a scary place but for some inside can just be worse. Purposely shot in black and white I don't think Polanski could have made this in colour as it would loose it's atmospheric touch. The film does start off slow for character build up then it becomes a vision of someone's nightmarish vision. A great classic.

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A Lonely Place to Die (2011)

Melissa George and Ed Speleers play a couple of climbers in a group in the remote Scottish Highlands who discover a young girl who doesn't speak English buried in the woods with only an air pipe keeping her alive...

I'm saying no more story wise as this is an excellent thriller that certainly strays into horror territory. The cinematography is stunning and the Highlands as beautiful as they are deadly. One scene involving a climb down a sheer rock face is unbelievably gripping. My feet were tingling and my legs quivering as it proceeded and more than once i winced and swore out loud in anguish.

The films twists and turns surprise but they aren't twists for the sake of twists they do move the story along and it's a story that plays out differently to any preconceptions you may go in with.

Last night was my second watch of this. Given the time between viewings i'd forgotten the majority of the story which meant i had a wonderful thrill ride second time round.

Highly recommended.

I second your recommendation. It's a tense and compelling film, with great performances Melissa George and Sean Harris. :nod:

I deliberately didn't mention Harris in my review so as not to say what part he played in the film. The same with Karel Rodan.

That makes sense, though because Sean Harris features prominently in the trailer, I don't think it's a massive spoiler to mention that he's in the film.

Turkey Shoot. 2014.

A ex Navy S.E.A.L accused of a massacre is sent to jail, he can win his freedom and receive a pardon in he competes in the game Turkey Shoot.

Does this sound familiar...Turkey Shoot aka Elimination Game aka a poor remake of The Running Man, this time Dominic Purcell takes the lead as the ex service man battling it out over a few days to avoid death and expose those that framed him. The kills aren't too bad, some blood splatter, but the hunters aren't really much of a challenge for the new hero and the sport announcer...talk about trying to over act.This helped pass a bit of time but I won't come back to it.

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Lullaby of Broadway (1951)

Stuck this musical on the other night as i couldn't remember a thing about it and i basically had the intention of getting rid of it to make space.

Whoa there! I loved it.

Although the plot is fairly slight - an entertainer (Doris Day) moves to New York to catch up with her mother who she thinks is a successful Broadway star but in reality is now a washed up cheap cabaret performer. However once there she finds her mothers house now lived in by a Broadway producer (S.Z. Sakall) and his wife as she ends up living there anyway thanks to her mothers former butler still in residence. What follows is a kind of ruse in order for Day to finally meet her mother not to mention falling for song and dance star Gene Nelson along the way. - it's enough with the songs and routines to fill the ninety minutes run time.

It's the songs and routines that make this film so good. Nelson is a brilliant dancer although dubbed as a singer - he leaves the bulk of the singing to Doris Day- and the songs courtesy of the likes of George Gershwin and Cole Porter are instantly catchy and memorable.

The brilliant S.Z.Sakall takes the acting plaudits with a wonderful cheery uncle type performance similar to his bar tender in Casablanca (1942), but he has a much bigger role here and made me chuckle several times. I should also mention Billy De Wolfe as the butler. He practically outshines everyone and his song and dance routine early on with the maid (Anne Triola) was my favourite part of a hugely enjoyable film that holds up well today.

I still intend to get rid of the dvd...if i can pick it up on Blu-ray.

Legend Of The 7 Golden Vampires. 1974.

Hammer Horror blending of the traditional vampire tale with martial arts stars Peter Cushing as Professor Van Helsing. The plot follows Van Helsing, who is drawn into a plot involving a legendary seven golden vampires, the prince of darkness; Dracula himself, the undead and a load of martial artists. Our hero must, along with his son and an escort of kung fu fighters travel to a cursed village in China to rid it of the vampire curse that holds it.

The Eastern style makes for a very different vampire film to what we're used to, and Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires seems keen to capitalise on that as it changes many of the traditional vampires. This classic flick was well produced by the famous British production company along with Run Shaw Brothers, respect to the makers for the background score that was used in the previous Hammer Dracula movies that reminds you that your still watching a British Dracula film.

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Plane. Jean-François Richet. 2023.

When an airline executive insists veteran pilot Brodie Torrance take his commercial airliner from Singapore to the US via some seriously dodgy weather the craft is hit by lightning and forced to make an emergency landing in a lawless war torn island in the Philippines. It soon becomes apparent that the actual landing was only the beginning of Captain Torrance's problems as the area is rules over by guerrillas and gangs with no police or military whatsoever. Being the man's man he is Captain Torrance sets off into the surrounding jungle looking for help or a way to contact the authorities. Oh yeah, their just happens to be a convict on board the flight. A killer being extradited to the States for murder.
This film reminded me of a few others. It certainly isn't shy of nicking plot ideas. There's a bit of Escape From New York here, a slice of Vin Diesel's Pitch Black too.
I like Gérard the Butler, can't think of a film he's made I didn't enjoy on some level. He's an extremely charismatic performer and capable of lifting a role higher than it may have got otherwise. His turn here as airline pilot Brodie Torrance is typical of his output, I was willing to believe...even if I didn't.
Mike Colter on the other hand is merely ok as convict Louis Gaspare. A character that feels almost written in after the fact to make things more interesting. I've only seen Colter as Marvel character Luke Cage, a series which to be honest I lost interest in. Twice. I've never gone back either.
The action scenes are a bit all over the shop here. A few are quite gritty, there's no fancy choreography going on here, it's two blokes trying to make one another die, simple as that. Others are rather corny but I can forgive them.
Tony Goldwyn amuses as the man called in to tidy up Trailblazer Airlines mess. In some ways my favourite character. No hidden agendas, no concern for company policy. Save lives at any cost while swearing at the penny pinching idiots responsible. Quite a refreshing character in such a film.
I enjoyed Plane. Its the kind of engaging but brainless entertainment we don't get much of anymore.

Plane is one that's on my shopping list when it reduces in price. I know i'll like it.

It's earmarked for Christmas viewing for me. :lol:

Why Christmas?

I like to have some new to me 'biggish' films to watch over Christmas and this is pretty much all there is so far.

Probably have Indiana Jones and Mission Impossible out by then as well which will be fantastic.

Oh ok. Yes I'm aware of your first time watches over crimbo. I was looking for some particular connection with Plane. I hadn't clocked any Christmas connections.

Vacation Of Terror
Vacation Of Terror 2 (1989, 1991, Rene Cardona III)

When a father informs his family that he's just inherited a new "summer home", they all dutifully go and pack for the weekend. When they get there, it's a different story, as the place is a tad dilapidated and that cough.
Making the most despite some exploding eggs, they all hunker down for some fun. Luckily the doll that the youngest girl finds has it's own ideas about fun. Undemanding possession caper. Shot very flatly, but a wee bit of atmos pops in now and then.


The sequel ... wooh mama. A decent enough opening does dwindle eventually into cliche and trope. Did have some fun with this one, but might have enjoyed it more if the antagonist hadn't put me in mind of a Mighty Boosh character. Ho hum. :nod:

Walk a Crooked Mile (1948)

An FBI agent (Dennis O' Keefe) teams up with a Scotland Yard detective (Louis Hayward) to investigate information leaks believed to be from a Communist spy network who have infiltrated a southern California atomic research center.

Typical post WWII anti Communist scare tactics made all the more believable and authentic by the documentary style voice over. Good location work in San Francisco helps the first half of the film before the action hots up in the second half.

Hayward and O' Keefe are fine and parts of the script are quite clever but in the end this is just a run of the mill police procedural pot boiler made to combat the 'Red Scare'.

Passenger 57. 1992.

Wesley Snipes in his hay day as a expert with terrorist activity in hijackings, when the plane he is on that's taking over he steps in. Bruce Payne has always been a decent antagonist to watch as he has only one facial feature that makes him cold blooded killer.

Essentially this is a solid little action movie which is well paced and has enough intriguing characters and good action scenes to keep you interested right through to the finale. The story is perhaps a little thin and the script could have used a bit more depth to develop the characters, but it's very enjoyable none the less for a Saturday morning view.

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Machete. 2010.

Danny Trejo in a leading role as a ex federalé taking revenge on his former boss who left him for dead and uncovers political scandals with a senator and a drug kingpin.

A film that shouldn't be taking seriously by writer/director Robert Rodriguez who manages to create different characters and place them all in one film. Robert De Niro is the next in line senator who wants to to stop immigrants crossing into America. Jeff Fahey is the aide and looking to help the senator into office by any means but has a troubled daughter Lindsay Lohan who seems to find religion. Steven Seagal plays the top dog kingpin who does more talking than fighting and has the most unrealistic death scene. Jessica Alba plays the immigration officer who likes to chat up Michelle Rodriguez. Plenty of action, blood splatter, decent nudity and laughs.

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THE STRANGERS – I doubt anyone will look back on the noughties as a time that spawned any heavyweight genre classics, but ‘The Strangers’ is always a movie I find very effective. It’s so basic – just a home invasion, no twists, no mystery even, apart from the cheap mystery of never really taking your mask off. Could be a thousand other films, and what’s good about it I can’t quite express, although a few things stand out; the performances (Liv Tyler), the way we come into it on this awkward and slightly tragic note (romantic rejection), aspects of the cinematography and how it evokes not only isolation but claustrophobia, just the way it captures that feeling of being miles from anywhere at four in the morning, then there’s a knock at the door… It’s not perfect. The last half teeters on the brink of that ultimate horror foible, ‘running around in the dark to rack up the minutes’. But, without being ground-breaking, or all that interesting or imaginative or even brutal, it somehow distils something of the essence of dread, at least for me. Divisive film as many tag it as a simplistic knock-off, but I think there’s definitely something about it that doesn’t diminish with repeated viewings.

THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE 2 – I always quite enjoy the original SPM, which seemed to counter a by-the-numbers approach with witty dialogue and a slightly parodic air. This sequel was made after the slasher boom had peaked, a time when any hopeful contenders basically had to fall back on novelty or comedy to survive in the marketplace. As much as I like the seriousness of the first wave slashers, I prefer the weirder, sillier stuff that came along later – case in point, ‘The Slumber Party Massacre 2’. It picks up after the first, with the sister of one of the characters from SPM fretting about her high school band and the big rehearsal / party they have planned. Someone’s parents are away for the weekend, paving the way for everyone to end up under the same roof so that the inevitable can happen ie lots of running around and people dying. I really enjoyed SPM 2. The influence of Elm Street is apparent, with dream sequences galore and a baffling supernatural killer who resembles the lead singer of a Cramps tribute act. He also has an outrageous guitar / drill thing that looks way more metal than psychobilly, but anyway. There’s an unabashed stupidity at work – witness lame gore gags such as the severed hand in a bap, and that undead chicken’s leap for freedom – but beyond the larking about there’s a slightly arch self-awareness, and it plays with feminist ideas in the same vein as its precursor. Not that there’s anything all that groundbreaking in having your killer as a dark embodiment of male desire whose weapon of choice happens to be a really obvious phallic symbol, but not many people were taking that line in 1987 (and this film really has ‘1987’ written all over it). Trashy fun that more than lives up to the original.

I'm not so sure. Dog Soldiers, Trick r' Treat, Inside, Wrong Turn, House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil's Rejects...

Not saying you are wrong Frankie, because it's all subjective but personally i think there were more in the 2000's than the 2010's and perhaps the 1990's.

For me the 2000's were a very productive decade.

Age Of Kill. 2016.

A ex special ops sniper is blackmailed into killing 6 people in six hours and a Detective Inpsector is trying to figure if there is a connection to the intended targets.

Set in and around London this isn't exactly a gritty British thriller as it's made out to be, Martin Kemp plays Sam Blake who's daughter is being held by a unknown terrorist and blackmailer. Patrick Bergin is able to put on a posh toff voice who seems to be the aide to prime minister Bruce Payne. Phil Davis is the ex major brought in to help understand why Blake may have gone rogue and April Pearson is the other pawn victim in the game. This wasn't tense or on the edge of your seat, the camera work can be a bit amateurish at times, certainly decently paced and entertaining but wouldn't rush about to buy it unless it's at a decent price.

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I liked the 2000s in horror compared with the nineties, definitely. Well, they were certainly more interesting. Even so, I can't think of many films from then that really look like they'll stand the test of time in the same vein as 'Halloween' et al.
But yeah, it's funny how it is all so subjective at the end of the day. Out of that list you provide, I only really rate 'Inside' and 'Trick r Treat'. The RZ ones are 'just' good in my eyes, and I personally can't stand 'Dog Soldiers'! It irritates the f*ck out of me. Don't know why. It seems especially mystifying, considering it's held in such high regard by people whose opinions I respect. But I'll be the first to admit I have lousy taste when it comes to movies, which should be clear from my reviews!

:lol:

I thought the 2000's were a very interesting decade as far as horror went. I never got bored with torture porn and loved all the extreme gore that came throughout the decade be it in straight forward horror like Laid to Rest and Hatchet or the black comedy stuff like Botched, Doghouse or Severance.

As for the 2010's they really sucked. I can only think of The Witch off the top of my head. That's one i've seen more times than many of the classics from yesteryear.

Curse of Chucky (2013)

An excellent reboot of the Child's Play series which sees a Chucky doll sent to the family home of wheelchair bound Nica (Fiona Dourif) as her bickering family gather the night before Nica's mother's funeral.

Second time of watching this and i loved it once again. It's basically Chucky set in a classic old dark house so we have a creepy setting and a maniacal doll gorily murdering the guests.

Adding to the Gothic horror atmosphere we have some lovely homages to Argento's Suspiria with music cues as Nica uses a lift in the house and also Mario Bava's Kill Baby Kill (1966) but instead of a ball bouncing down the flight of stairs it's an eyeball.

The script by writer / director Don Mancini is tight and characters are well rounded and come out with some choice put downs for one another round the dinner table, it's perfectly paced with some superior shocks and reasonable levels of tension. All round a great sequel which i'd argue is actually the best film in the series.

Martial Law 2: Undercover

Jeff Wincott takes over the role from Chad McQueen and along with Cynthia Rothrock, investigates the Murder of a fellow Detective. It has some good fight scenes but the Villain and main Henchman were very wooden. It's passible but not one for repeated viewing.

David Brent: Life On The Road

Ricky Gervis is back as David Brent and in order to achieve an ambition, he gets a band together and go on a local, not so successful Tour. The cringe factor is there and I could feel what he was going through as it was not going the way he wanted. Glad the Producer finally gave him some home truths at the end but it's a decent watch.

Raw Force

Just your standard Martial Arts, Cannibalistic Monks, Human Traffickers on a Island flick. It was certainly something, it felt that every crazy idea made the Film. Not sure if that Sequel that got teased at the end got made.

Cobra. 1986.

A model witnesses a murder lead by a cult gang and goes into witness protection with tough off the rule book officer known as Cobra.

Sly Stallone plays Marion Cobretti aka The Cobra, who is assigned to protect Brigette Nielsen from cult leader Brian Thompson and his followers. Andrew Robinson and Art LeFleur are the superiors who one allows Cobra to do what he wants as he gets the result while the other tries to go by the rule book. Reni Santoni and Lee Garlington are the Cobra's partners and assigned to protect Nielsen.

This is a decent 80s flick with a good soundtrack by Sylvester Levay that some songs were removed from the film. Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan produced this although their company Cannon isn't listed except Warmer Bros they did bring in George P. Cosmatos to direct but he had no control when technically Stallone was telling the crew on what to do, talk about having a ego boost. The film was to be released at the at the 2 hour mark but was trimmed down and does take out some of the character build up, does have plenty of action and some good one liners

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Come Play. 2020.

Oliver who is autistic and has speech problems, uses devices to communicate with, is given a lost IPad that has the story of Misunderstood Monsters which one monster tries to come through into the real world.

Based on the short horror video Larry, writer/director Jacob Chase manages to bring a full-length feature to the screen. Through out the past few years we have had films that people claim to be the best horror film of the year etc and turns out to be shit, this was a good surprise. It does have the feel of The Babadook but the monster Larry is something different and decently created. The acting is good especially from Azhy Robertson who plays the young autistic lad. To be honest this is better watched in the dark, one id certainly say to take a look at.

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The Retaliators. 2022.

A town preacher's life is turned upside down when his daughter is murdered. With the help of the detective he uncovers a darker underworld.

This was a blind watch for me and never seen the trailer, I thought this would be another revenge flick but becomes something darker. It seems to change its tone whether it be a thriller, revenge, or a slight rip of the evil dead meets The Crazies. The acting can be a hit or a miss with this one, but does make you think if the preacher will stick with his beliefs or will he turn his back on faith and go down a dark road. Not sure if a re-watch will happen.

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Lisa and the Devil (1972)

Elke Sommer plays a tourist who wanders from her party and meets a stranger called Leandro (played by Telly Savalas complete with lollipop and clearly having a blast) who resembles a portrait of the Devil which Lisa has just seen. She is unable to meet up with her tour party and stays the night in a nearby mansion where it turns out Leandro is the butler. Lisa's stay at the mansion turns into a surreal nightmare as people begin to die around her and she falls under the spell of one of its occupants.

At first i was asking myself why i'd put this on last night but slowly Mario Bava's mysterious film drew me in once again. Lisa and the Devil is among his finest work and was his last ever masterpiece, the camera work is simply exquisite and the mood of the piece quite haunting with Elke Sommer as lovely as ever.

The Arrow Blu-ray whilst not perfect - it's clearly not been restored - shows off Bava's beautiful colours splendidly.

The Mansefield Ghost (2022, Richard Mansefield)

FF.
Does he have to name them all after himself then? :rolleyes::nod::lol:
An influencer spends some time at a haunted house for likes. She gets them ... and the rest.
I felt that this worked betterer than his last effort, either because it was more obvious a premise, or I just enjoyed it more ahem.



Les Patterson Saves The World (1987, George Miller)

Lewd, crude and very rude (ish), our favourite diplomat wreaks havoc on the world stage and then some. The Toecutter appears as an Arab etc. Feeling a tad poorly at the moment, so this one cheered up the demon somewhat. :nod:

Get well soon, D. :sick:

12 Rounds. 2009.

John Cena plays the detective going a 12 Round challenge with psycho Aidan Gillen in order to save his girlfriend and being aided by F.B.I. agents. Did Renny Harlin get the idea of this by re-watchimg a few action movies and decide to splice a few things together and come out with this. Cena may never be the greatest actor but with this, he isn't too bad and is able to pull a decent role with some backing. Good for action, tense and explosions.

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X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

I don't know if last night i was simply in the right mood but i thought this much maligned ninth X-Men installment was excellent.

I have seen it before but couldn't have told you a thing about it prior to putting on the Blu-ray so it was like watching a new film.

It's a fairly straightforward story about the first mutant the ancient En Sabah Nur aka Apocalypse is inadvertently revived in 1983, and he plans to wipe out modern civilization and take over the world, leading the X-Men to try to stop him and defeat his team of mutants which includes Magneto (Michael Fessbender)

The story introduces characters and allows them time to breathe such as giving Magneto a new life and then cruelly taking it away from him, before we get to some cracking action set pieces and a wonderfully constructed sequence where Quicksilver (Evan Peters) saves everyone from an explosion that destroys Charles Xavier's (James McAvoy) school for the gifted.

As extras in the fun department we have both Venom with Countess Bathory and Metallica (The Four Horsemen) on the soundtrack plus an obligatory and very relevant cameo from you know who.