Lord of Misrule (2023)


Tuppence Middleton plays a new priest in an English village bathed in folklore whose daughter goes missing during the harvest festival. A desperate search begins, uncovering the areas dark history of ritual and sacrifice.

Despite director William Brent Bell's film being nothing particularly new - The first half being strikingly similar to the BBC mini series Mayday (2013) and the second half echoing that Scottish set film with the burning effigy that i can't recall the name of - Lord of Misrule is still a very good folk horror movie.

A slow burn thriller with a deliciously creepy atmosphere that gradually envelops then really takes hold thanks to an eerie soundtrack that constantly invades the speakers (Think Heilung mixed with strange ambient sounds) including a couple of genuine jump out of your seat moments from the rear speakers in a surround sound set up, to the woods full of haunting totems hanging from the branches to nightmarish glimpses of a dark manifestation throughout the film.

The paranoia escalates to the point of stifling the viewer come the final forty minutes which became slightly unbearable as you know something terrible is in store, but what exactly? I was genuinely tense to the point of becoming restless with anxiety. It's all so wonderfully macabre as ancient myth takes control over the modern day.

Tuppence Middleton is excellent (She usually is) as the priest (Not Phil Rickman's Merrily Watkins sadly) as is Ralph Ineson who plays the Lord of Misrule of the title in the village's Pagan ceremonies who takes the pageantry all too seriously in real life.

Lord of Misrule isn't a perfect film but is a far better than expected slice of modern day folk horror which takes in the classic tropes of harvest festivals, sacrifice and something in the fields watching,waiting until the time is right.

Oh, and the English countryside looks gorgeous on Blu-ray.

I'm pleased i took a chance in buying this.

Khartoum (1966)

Basil Dearden's historical epic based on the accounts of General Charles Gordon's defence of the Sudanese city of Khartoum from the forces of the Mahdist army, during the 1884?1885 Siege of Khartoum.

Shot in Ultra Panavision 70 this is an absolute delight for the eyes. The photography is breathtaking at times, in particular the many desert battle sequences and the assault on the ship sailing up the Nile.

Charlton Heston is excellent as Gordon in a subdued and complex performance compared to his work in other historical epics as is Laurence Olivier as the Mahdi as long as you can see past his 'blackface' makeup and slightly odd accent. It's always nice to see Richard Johnson in the classics too. Here he plays Gordon's aide Colonel Stewart.

Made following the success of Laurence of Arabia in 1962, a film set thirty years after the events portrayed here but in which Gordon's struggles are mentioned, Khartoum doesn't come close to that film's genius but remains a hugely enjoyable cinematic experience in it's own right.

The Eureka Blu-ray looks out of this world.

Unseen Movie 41
 

Death Nurse. 1987.

A brother and sister duo of a private medical practice, take in patients, murder them and collect the bill from the state, when a county inspector visits them they feel threatened which complicates matters with their practice.

Pricilla Alden and Albert Eskinazi play the murderous duo who seem to know what they are doing medical wise then the psychotic side comes out and the money comes in. This was to have no association with Criminally Insane also filmed by Nick Millard (Nick Phillips) who uses the same house yet psycho nurse seems to have a dream about Ethel (also played by Pricilla Alden) from Criminally Insane. The writing is not bad but the dialogue deliverance is bad but did have one or two unintentional laughs. Onto the sequel now.

Attachment 250521

Unseen Movie 42
 

Death Nurse 2. 1988.

Nurse Edith and her brother Gordon are back, killing more patients to feed the rats in the basement and collecting more money from the state.

Troll 2, Witchery, The Boogey Man 2 get a lot of flack for being horrible sequels, well this one isn't any better, feels like it's using the same plot as the previous film and using scenes from Criminally Insane again for another dream sequence. At the start we are treated to a death which was hilarious, a person stabbing another one obviously with a blunt knife till we we get a close up and see the blood. The acting is worse than before and the dialogue and very shaky camera work.

Attachment 250522

Saw IV (2007)

Watching these films back to back a few days apart is definitely the way to see them as so far they have all been one single story line. A story line i'm sure i didn't pick up on (Other than jigsaw himself and his issues) with characters returning from previous films that would slip by unnoticed had i watched them as they originally were released with the numerous flashbacks to previous entries not really registering as they should.

As it is Saw IV is a grim and bloody continuation of the story but seen as a singular entity doesn't have much merit aside from the gory trap set pieces (Of which there are several).

The Chicago Tribune suggested that 'The borderline pornographic violence will' turn your stomach and 'It's disconcerting to imagine anyone enjoying the vile filth splashing the screen'.

Come on, tell me that doesn't make it must see viewing? :lol:

Unseen Movie 43
 

Bad Samaritan. 2018.

I had seen the trailer for this and wanted to watch it but completely forgot all about it, Robert Sheehan and his best mate Carlito Olivero. have a perfect plan, work as a valet, rob the house of the customers and return within a time limit. This time round David Tennant is the target for a break in only he has a few secrets of his own. This was a great tense thriller of cat and mouse with some bits of mind playing games thrown in and how one man seems to know some good ways at getting revenge on a petty burglar. Tennant was brilliant in this as the stable/unstable man who has a hostage Kerry Condor tied up and possibly other victims. This is one i'd happily return to viewing again.

Attachment 250528

Good finale in the snowy woods isn't there. Seen the dvd a couple of times.

Yeah the finale with the pit and when the F.B.I head inside the cabin and you expect Tennant to be in the cage then you see exactly where he is.

A-Haunting We Will Go. 1942.

Stan and Ollie end up up getting involved with crooks and a coffin that gets switched by Dante the Magician and try to get them switched back. The title is misleading, I was expecting the duo to be caught up in a haunted house but instead end up on a road trip with a gangster who is alive and well in a coffin to claim a inheritance and ends up being a prop in a magic show. Although the laughs are there from the start right up to the end, with the duo on stage with one climbing the rope and a smart alec kiddie in the audience putting them off their act.

Attachment 250540

Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)

An exploratory team travels to the jungle in search of the rare blood orchid, a flower unique to the region that blooms once every seven years. Obviously everything that can go wrong does go wrong including giant Anacondas after their lunch.

I decided to watch the dvd box set of Anaconda films in order to judge if they should be upgraded to the 88 Films Blu-ray box set. I know the first film like the back of my hand having seen it at the cinema then owned it on vhs and dvd. However the other three i suspect i've only seen once before.

I was pleasantly surprised by this first sequel in name only. Johnny Messner as the river boat captain and KaDee Strickland as one of the researchers were both likable enough to get behind whilst Matthew Marsden's boss scientist was the unscrupulous bastard we all love to hate and love to see eaten by Anacondas. The location photography was excellent and although the actors were probably playing their parts against hosepipes, the snake attacks were decent enough in their execution.

Although this was a box office success the next two sequels were direct to dvd so i'm expecting a bumpier ride but as far as Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid goes i had a good time revisiting it.

I liked this one also.

I read a comment a while back that Johnny Messner came around in the wrong decade, I agree, he would have fitted in quite nicely in the Action Movies of the mid 80's through the 90's.

Escape From L.A.

Kurt Russell is back and this time, he has to retrieve a stolen Black Box held in the now isolated Island of Los Angeles. Just a 90's version of Escape To New York with the same characteristics of the original but with some dodgier F/X. It's ok I suppose.

I remember seeing the Trailer at my local MGM Cinema back in 96 when I saw Barb Wire and Executive Decision. Well I've seen it now.

Bad Dreams

When a woman survives a Fire at a Cult Compound after a mass suicide attempt, she awakens from a Coma after 13 years but is placed in a Psych Ward, When she starts having visions of the Cult Leader, other members of the group start dying.

Half way through this, I realized I was watching a take of A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors but the kills are rather good and the ending is based on grounded in reality instead of being paranormal and whilst I enjoyed the Film, it's not one for regular viewings even if it does have a brisk running time. But I probably would have loved it if I saw it within the 1st few years of it's release.

It's worth having

Memphis Belle

True Story based on a Flight Crew of the Memphis Belle who are on their last mission before going home. However things don't go as planned. Not really a War Film fan but picked up the DVD from a CEX because I remember seeing the Trailer many times on my Gremlins 2: New Batch VHS and with a all star cast, it was enjoyable but again, not one for repeat viewings.

Epicenter

Gary Daniels plays a Hi-Tech Thief who is captured by F.B.I. played by Traci Lords. However Russian Mobsters and Crooked Agents are after them Oh yeah, there is a Earthquake and it's aftermath as well as finding her Daughter to deal with also.

I forgot that this was a P/M Entertainment Film and it's full of Action and Disaster F/X, which they are known for. A decent Film and a P/M Entertainment Box Set would go down a treat for me.

Anaconda 3: Offspring (2008)

Turgid sequel made for the Sci-fi channel in which David Hasselhoff plays a hunter who is pretty fly (for a white guy) who teams up with Crystal Allen's scientist whose self esteem takes a dent after mutant Anacondas escape from a research facility. When it becomes clear one of the snakes has issues (Ie- pregnant) Hasselhoff and co realise they gotta' get away as the kids aren't alright and they want to come out and play.

Sadly Anacondas 3: Offspring fails to come out swinging. Director Don E. FauntLeRoy fills the film with all his usual bad habits with the actors sharing no chemistry or interpersonal drama and the script and action scenes fall flat. I'll spare you the details but come the end you'll be screaming at FauntLeRoy, why don't you get a job? Either that or you'll wanna hit that off button on the remote.

Tonight it will be Anacondas: Trail of Blood. Let the bad times roll

Unseen Movie 44
 

Diary Of A Chambermaid. 1946.

A chambermaid plots to climb the social ladder by marrying a wealthy man.

Paulette Goddard plays the title role, she is a conniving woman who comes to her new home as a maid in order to marry a rich man. She's mostly interested in the master's son. Burgess Meredith is the old wacky neighbour who seems to enjoy eating flowers in the garden but also trying to seduce the new comer to the house next door and Frances Lederer keeps the tension ticking and is very watchable as the valet with something sinister going on in his head.

Although I have put this down as a unseen movie, I did watch part of it years ago and wasn't really paying attention till today, it may not be a great masterpiece it had its share of comical moments and entertainment but may add it to the re-watch list.

Attachment 250552

American Flyers

1985 Film based on a couple of Brothers (One played by Kevin Costner) who participate in a grueling Bike Race in Colorado. Along the way there is triumph and tragedy. Rae Dawn Chong, Alexandra Paul and John Amos co-star.

Even though I didn't see this when it came out in the 80's, seeing the Cover in a VHS Magazine is one of the earliest memories I have also this was the 1st Film I watched during Lockdown, where I saw many, many, many Films. It was a Saturday and I watched Student Bodies and New Jack City afterwards. The Film is pretty good.

War Games

Matthew Broderick is the High Schooler who is able to hack into the U.S. Defense System and almost start World War III. Ally Sheedy co-stars along with Michael Madsen (Probably in a earlier role) this was the 1st time seeing this and whilst it isn't bad, I probably would have enjoyed this more back in the day.

If this was on one Christmas in the 80's, I probably would have recorded this and watched it many times (Like I did with Innerspace)

Unseen Movie 45
 

M. 1931.

A spate of child murders in Germany, police are unable to find the killer, other criminals join in the manhunt.

The stunning performances define the careers of exceptional actors such as Peter Lorre and Gustaf Grundgens. Director Fritz Lang gives depth and dimension to his production by distinctly capturing the ecstasy of the film's many characters and focusing accurately on individual situations. This is an intriguing journey into the mind of a psychotic child murderer, blending terror, complexity in one amazing movie.

The film captures the chaos of the town in terror perfectly. This is more about the results of a serial killer than an actual serial killer. Never do we directly witness a murder; the violent encounters are implied. This method of film making perhaps makes the movie's impact even greater. With an creative perspective through a third person point of view, the filmmakers repeatedly give us examples of a solid structure through characters and occurrences.

Attachment 250561

Anacondas: Trail of Blood (2009)

I had Carlito's Way in the Blu-ray player last night, menu screen ticking over when i remembered i still had to sit through this.

A direct sequel to Anacondas: Offspring (2008) once again directed by Don E Fauntleroy, this is more of the same with scientists and military type grunts snake hunting in the forests of Romania (I have no idea how we got from the Amazon jungles to some Romanian woods but there you go).

John Rhys-Davies reprises his role of the dying billionaire funding the expeditions as does Crystal Allen, the only survivor of the last film.And once more the CGI snakes look awful. They slither through the trees at incredible speeds and not a branch bends or a leaf on the ground churns.

Sadly this is only a slight improvement over Anacondas: Offspring, mainly because it's four minutes shorter.

My quest to see if i should upgrade my Anaconda dvd box set is over. The first film is a fun monster movie with a good cast, the second also very good for what it is, but the third and fourth films are uninspired with barely one dimensional characters and worse SFX. So the answer is no. I won't be upgrading in fact i'm tempted to get rid of the dvd box set.

First Blood (1982)

Sylvester Stallone stars in this classic action thriller as John Rambo, a tough and resourceful victim of the Vietnam war, haunted by his violent past he comes into conflict with the over zealous police chief of a small backwoods town (Brian Dennehy) as things escalate into a full scale manhunt in the surrounding forests.

Prior to subsequent sequels becoming full on action blood baths, First Blood is a more measured and involving film of a loner, a reminder of a war a country never wanted, a man alienated by just about everyone he comes across. Stallone is on top form here as both wounded victim and violent aggressor whilst Dennehy snarls as the bigoted small town sheriff and the catalyst for the shit hitting the fan.

Ted Kotcheff's direction is excellent, especially the taut action sequences in the forests as the US National Guard become the mice in Rambo's trap. As an aside it's a good job the National Guard are never needed to defend their country as between this and Southern Comfort (1981) they are portrayed as ineffective idiots, just ripe for slicing by the knives of Rambo or any Cajuns they might piss off.

Unseen Movie 46
 

The Missing Corpse. 1945

A feud between two rival editors of a newspaper escalates further when the body of one of the men turns up in the boot of a car.

J. Edward Bromberg is the wealthy man who does not like pictures of his daughter being splashed about in the papers being at a house party, yet fails to notice his son is suffering the hangover from hell. Paul Guilfoyle is the paper editor that is killed and his body keeps popping up in different areas which makes it more comical. it's no mystery who the killer is but keeps you intrigued on how the killer will be unmasked and caught. This is one of those oddball movies that sounds daft but keeps your attention.

Attachment 250569

Unseen Movie 47
 

The Lazarus Effect. 2015.

A group of medical discover a way to bring back the dead unaware of the side effects that can cause.

This was a good horror concept that takes some notes from Flatliners and Re-Animator with a little bit of Carrie in the mix, we all know experimenting with the dead can lead to a bit of Frankenstein if you want to go down a scientific route but some things should stay dead. The acting is solid in this with Mark Duplass and Olivia Wilde as the lead doctors who try something new and then big Ray Wise comes in and takes control and then all goes haywire with a unexpected new test. The film can be dark in places and sets up the tone for a good atmospheric horror and claustrophobia.

Attachment 250572

I too enjoyed this. An easy to watch sci-fi horror

I would certainly watch it again and recommend it, it does have the expect the unexpected jump scenes

THE SINISTER DR ORLOFF - Franco's at it again with yet another riff on his 'Orloff' character. Now it's the eighties, with Howard Vernon playing Dr O as an old man allowing his son centre stage in the ill-advised pursuit of immortality. It's from what I like to think of as Franco's 'gossamer period', when he seemed more interested in the play of light and shade than such earthy matters as plot, character, action etc. You can see that kind of thing in masterpieces of shimmering delirium like 'Macumba Sexual' and 'Mansion Of The Living Dead'; 'The Sinister Dr Orloff' is less immersive, but still feels like it plays under the same layer of dreamy mist. Hazy synths zone in and out over scenes where Orloff Jr lingers far too long around the naked body of his dead mum - no wonder old Vern looks so disgruntled. Their wacky assistant and procurer of young female experimental subjects somehow resembles a tubby Oliver / Lou Reed combination in 'Pan Book Of Horror' front cover eye make-up. We prowl the shadowed streets of Alicante by night, taking in a drift of neon verite, before ending up in cellar bars where slivers of chiaroscuro faces swim up from the depths and somehow nail our attention even though nothing is happening. Alongside this is a bunch of mild sleaze, grim gropings and a scene of gratuitous whipping. Franco is no Doris Wishman, but the number of times I caught myself staring at a lampshade or an ash tray rather than a pivotal 'plot moment'... 'The Sinister Dr Orloff' dedicates itself to weird camera placement and the celestial hankering of its visual atmosphere over narrative or even the horror it's contracted to deliver, and makes for yet another quirky chapter in the work of Jess Franco, a 'book' unlike any other.

INSIDE - It's nice to see this notorious example of The French New Wave Of Nouveau Splatter or whatever it was on a good blu ray at last. I remember watching it for the first time back in the day, thinking "feckin' 'ell." Viewing it now, it's stronger when it's quieter, spookier - the film belongs to Beatrice Dalle when she's slinking through all those dimly lit rooms, looming full spectral like Barbara Steele in a nightmare chateau. I doubt the twenty something Frankie would agree with me now, but maybe it even loses something when it goes full tilt gorefest in the final half, and the smoky menace parts to let in a blizzard of scissorings and other grue. On that note, something in me dreads Dalle's amateur C-section coming round, but looking at it you see way less than you thought was there, a testament to 'Inside's capacity to stir the viscera via only suggestion a la TCM. One aspect of 'Inside' that always stays with me is the final image, of burned Dalle cradling her foundling, it's like something out of Goya.

Saw V (2008)

Seen away from the rest of the Saw films this will be a nonsensical tirade of gory traps and bewildering flashbacks, however watching them back to back a week apart it's clear this is just one extremely long eight and a half hour film (so far) chopped up into ninety minute segments to make it easier to digest.

Justin asked me not to give away any spoilers or plot points from these films and to be honest it would be nigh on impossible to give a brief synopsis of the story as the whole Saw storyline is far more intricately plotted than any horror film should be. Although i will just say that this film features the best pendulum scene in horror cinema.

I'm loving rewatching these films on Blu-ray for the first time. They make so much more sense and i'm really invested in the complexities of the puzzle as the pieces of the Jigsaw gradually slot into place.

Five Nights At Freddy's. 2023.

A troubled security guard takes on a night shift job at a old family themed diner and slowly uncovers the secrets and the previous owner.

Ok where to start with this....we have a guy bringing up his younger sister after a family trauma that's haunting him and seems to have a connection with Freddy's pizzeria. There was one or two jump scares but this is more psychological haunting horror rather than pure horror. The acting is good and a small role for Matthew Lillard as a work counsellor for Josh Hutcherson. The animatronics in the film are decently made and can be creepy looking but not sure if i'd watch it again or even recommend it.

Attachment 250577

Doesn't sound like this is a patch on the similarly themed Willy's Wonderland.

Willy's Wonderland is a lot better

The Sleep Experiment. 2022.

Two detectives embark on a investigation of a secret military experiment that went wrong.

Based on the creepy pasta story of the Russian Sleep Experiment that was based after WWII, however this was based in 1961 and 1976 which didn't give the film a proper background. 5 guys chosen at random that could face prison or do this experiment and be freed and all strangers to each other, which is different from the story that was told. The film does leave some unanswered questions about a detective and his reason for doing the investigation and is revealed but we are never given a proper answer. Part of the film does give out from the story of the test subjects turning on each other that reveals some purple blood and not red. The actors themselves deliver great dialogue and can't be faulted but the direction is a bit amateurish and low budget.

Attachment 250579

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Well that was bloody fantastic!

Unfortunately it's ruined the chances of me watching any more action films for the next few weeks. Way to go, Tom.

Unseen Movie 48
 

Men Behind The Sun. 1988.

A harrowing tale centres on Camp 731, a medical centre where the Japanese attempt to perfect bacterial weapons, using Chinese prisoners as guinea pigs in their nasty experiments. The director's objective is to reveal to the world how people suffered at the hands of their enemy, and in this he totally succeeds; the atrocities that are depicted in this is completely disturbing.

17 minutes into the film we are given a death with a note saying Victim, the person's name and date, and throughout the film with deaths we get a name that comes up unknown. Behind the brutality there is a story of a prisoner trying to escape the camp and let the authorities know of what is going on and a general trying to stay ahead of every country in the war and be superior. Certainly a film not to watch while eating.

Attachment 250581

I own all these films and yrs since I've seen any of them, it's shows how nasty and cruel human beings can be, certainly a eye opener for sure.

Certainly was a eye popper for someone in a field tied to a cross when the bombs dropped :lol: I'm actually debating to look for the sequels or not. knowing me it will happen.

Doctor Carver. 2021.

A group of young women seeking to have the perfect body part head to a private clinic only to find something sinister there.

Thank you Amazon prime for recommending me this piece of British horror shit movie, right at the start we are given a killing good way to start the film. The acting in this never gets better, the doctor never wears a mask and is basically a demon from hell yet no one seems to look at the face. typical cliche horror two women run up the stairs and a girl's boyfriend turns up and we get the typical line "how did you get in"? "oh the back door was open". If you want a laugh just wind it through to the table with all four girls there after their surgery and the girl with the boob implants that burst...or get popped to be precise. Horror Hospital may not have been the best film made but certainly a lot better than this.

Attachment 250582

Son In Law. The gorgeous Carla Gugino is a midwest farm girl heading off to college in California. Initially overwhelmed and ready to run home after two days, she blossoms when taken under the wing of the oddball RA (Pauly Shore) and then takes him home with her for Thanksgiving to fend off the nuptial advances of her scumbag high school boyfriend, ultimately pretending to already be engaged to him - much to her family's horror! Lane Smith and Tiffani Amber-Thiessen co-star in this early 90s comedy that is to Pauly Shore what The Wedding Singer is to Adam Sandler (ie the only film of theirs I can watch lol). This is a good-natured, funny film and everything you want in a good comedy. :nod:

Road House (1989 and 2024)
 

From Doug Liman, the director of such accomplished and entertaining films as Swingers, Go, The Bourne Identity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Jumper, Edge of Tomorrow, America Made, comes a pointless and turgid remake of 1989's Road House.

Rowdy Herrington's film of the same name is moderately entertaining despite being clunkily written with some laughable dialogue and action sequences. It's a film that, with more violence and without the implausible and unconvincing romantic B story, would have worked as a perfectly serviceable Chuck Norris action flick. As it is, Patrick Swayze's charisma just about saves it from being bad-bad, past so bad it's good, and into the sort of from you could put on when you're doing the ironing or a crossword. It's a film that works if you treat the dialogue and fight scenes as intentionally humorous because, if it was a comedy, it would be genuinely funny. Also, the soundtrack from the band in the Double Deuce is pretty good.

Back to 2024's Road House, where Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a former UFC cage fighter. Most of the plot is exactly the same: Dalton becomes the job of head bouncer at a roadhouse (in this film called The Road House rather than The Double Deuce), he begins a relationship with an attractive doctor, becomes accepted by many of the locals, and attracts the attention of a powerful criminal, but most of the film seems to exist solely to have Conor McGregor's antagonist in as many fight scenes as possible.

There's nothing wrong with putting professional fighters in mainstream films, particularly thinking of boxers such as James Toney in Ali, Antonio Tarver in Rocky Balboa, Tony Bellew in Creed, and Andre Ward in Creed II. Also, 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper was great in They Live, (then NABF heavyweight champion) Ken Norton was an integral part of Mandingo, but Conor McGregor is just ridiculous, completely out of place and laughably bad.

I don't know if he was trying to be larger-than-life to stand out or if this is a film designed to expand his public profile, but it's as if he's in a completely different film from the rest of the actors because his performance is tonally out of place. It doesn't help that Jake Gyllenhaal is unusually bad, as if he spent all his time preparing for the film by getting into UFC fighting shape rather than rehearsing.

Additionally, the VFX are surprisingly bad with one explosion particularly badly rendered. This has only been released by Prime Video for home viewing and I'm not entirely surprised because if the VFX looked unconvincing on a TV, then I can only imagine how poor they would be on a cinema screen.

If you haven't seen either of these, I wouldn't bother unless you're prone to succumbing to morbid curiosity, but if you like the first Road House, stay well away from the remake and rewatch the 1989 film instead.

The music in the original Roadhouse is by the Jeff Healey Band. I really like it. Best thing about the film actually.

Jeff Healey - Roadhouse Blues.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyflyJjJrf4

Yes, the music's definitely the best thing about the film. I like the Jeff Healey Band cover of Bob Dylan's 'When The Night Comes Falling From The Sky'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgcHOC1j7kM

Boxcar Bertha (1972)

Barbara Hershey plays "Boxcar" Bertha Thompson, a transient woman in Arkansas during the violent times of the Depression of the early '30s. She meets up with rabble-rousing union man "Big" Bill Shelly (David Carradine) and the two team up to fight the corrupt railroad establishment.

Although directed by Martin Scorsese, this Roger Corman production feels like Scorsese directing a Corman film rather than Corman producing a Scorsese film if that makes sense. Mainly due to the excessive exploitation (nudity and bloody violence) that Corman was known for as well as a somewhat fractured way of telling a story.

Both Hershey and Carradine give their all and show no inhibitions in what must have been difficult roles for young actors and they are well supported by Bernie Casey as their gun toting accomplice.

As an exploitation piece from the Corman stable this is fine and fits in well with the likes of Bloody Mama (1972) as well as non-Corman exploiters such as Jackson County Jail (1976) but as a Martin Scorsese picture it's somewhat lacking. At 84 minutes it's watchable enough.

Miss March (2009

Eugene (Zach Creggar) a high school senior wakes up from four years in a coma to discover his sweetheart is the latest centerfold in Playboy magazine. Together with his dumb best friend Tucker (Trevor Moore) they set off across country to the Playboy mansion in order to reconcile with Miss March.

A seriously un-PC sex comedy that pulls no punches. Nobody is safe be it firemen, epilepsy sufferers or coma patients. The jokes come thick and fast and i have to admit i laughed out loud loads of times. I'm chuckling to myself as i type thinking of Eugene waking from his coma, seeing his girl baring all then shitting four years worth of crap onto the floor from the shock as he can't hold his bowels, and rapper Horsedick's whore who bounces out of the open tour bus window when it hits a pothole just as she was about to go down on Tucker.

The guys, especially Tucker can be slightly OTT in their demented babbling - Hugh Hefner calls security it gets so bad - but all the way through Tucker sounded and looked like Randall Graves from the Quick Stop Convenience store which was kinda' odd.

On the whole though i really enjoyed this although many won't.They really don't make films like this anymore. More's the pity.

The Cursed Medallion aka The Night Child (1975)

Shit Italian Exorcist rip off from Massimo Dallamano that's ruined by a horrendous wide eyed, high pitched performance from Nicoletta Elmi as the titular child that makes House by the Cemetery's Giovanni Frezza seem like Daniel Day-Lewis in comparison.

Even decent turns from Richard Johnson and Joanna Cassidy can't save it.