What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Frankie Teardrop]

ALIEN 3000 - More Jeff Leroy. This one has a CGI alien stalking commando types in a forest. Satisfyingly amateurish splatter prevails, together with rubbish acting and (again) some bad model work. Welcome in that fuzzy glow as high-carb trash floods your system once more. Not as 'Leroy' as 'Hell's Highway' or 'Witch's Sabbath', but a fun time likely for those unfortunate enough to be tuned in to this kind of schlock.

A DAY OF VIOLENCE - High gore quota on display in this tawdry dip into the unwholesome realm of the British gangster. Really benefits from the cheap SOV look and shots of old Johnny Morghen working a bong... despite being a lilly livered type ultimately, I appreciated the way this flick made me feel slightly scummy, particularly during a vicious castration and the desperately cheap climactic night club shoot out. Speaking of scummy...

MANIAC - I remember when I was seriously getting into horror, maybe twenty years ago when I was in my early teens, and of course everyone was into Fulci, Eurohorror, anything extreme or non-mainstream enough to stem the tide of the F13 sequels and 90s tedium... but mention 'Maniac' and you'd be met with a slowly shaking head and a sorrowful look in the eyes. No-one used to touch it with a bargepole. It's strange how things change over the years. "We like horror, but we're not into this misogynistic shit". Who were they trying to kid? No doubt owning a bootleg of 'Zombie Creeping Flesh' was the epitome of TLS reading respectability back then.
I really like 'Maniac'. I think it's a bleak, vicious near masterpiece. It reminds me of what horror should be, NEEDS to be, at base - unremittingly disturbing. No laughs, no concessions. Just something really dark. Misogyny here is somehow less of an issue than an exploratory misanthropy - Frank Zito hates his mother and all women, but the ambience of his world is cold heat, New York, early eighties, an icy waste, a cruel, pulsating pressure uninterested in gender, all fed to the mincer (I'd love to see this billed with 'Ms 45'). OK, there are some tonal flaws, but Joe Spinell is riveting as the lead - his cracked monologues really lift 'Maniac' into another dimension. Long live 'Maniac'. It's a poisonous delight. Surprisingly I've heard really good things about the remake and wanted to check it out at the Leeds fest, but I think I've missed it.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by suziginajackson

*Sigh*

Please take notice of what I have been writing, Nos

He is not banned. He's BARRED!!!

He would be, but there isn't an option to use that term!

By the way, if any of you have received an unwanted Visitor Message from him (if you have, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about), please send me a PM.

[Wes]

Originally Posted by Make Them Die Slowly

These special messages are photographic obscenities on visitors message pages, I've got one, anyone else?

Damn, I got nothing... There's a follower on my blog and his avatar is a co*k giving the five knuckle shuffle. Strange...

I can check what people type into google that brings 'em to my page - here's a sample:

sadistic women
female nazi corpses
genital torture
nazi girl snuff
whipping christ

and my favourite

stick a hot poker up denver's ass

I don't know what that means...

[VicDakin]

Originally Posted by Wes

Damn, I got nothing... There's a follower on my blog and his avatar is a co*k giving the five knuckle shuffle. Strange...

I can check what people type into google that brings 'em to my page - here's a sample:

sadistic women
female nazi corpses
genital torture
nazi girl snuff
whipping christ

and my favourite

stick a hot poker up denver's ass

thats abit cruel,is'nt it enough he died in a plane crash,now he's got this to deal with.

[Wes]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

MANIAC - I remember when I was seriously getting into horror, maybe twenty years ago when I was in my early teens, and of course everyone was into Fulci, Eurohorror, anything extreme or non-mainstream enough to stem the tide of the F13 sequels and 90s tedium... but mention 'Maniac' and you'd be met with a slowly shaking head and a sorrowful look in the eyes. No-one used to touch it with a bargepole...

Frankie, we probably discovered the movie at the same time and I too remember the disdain for the film. It's been amusing to see its reputation turn over the years - for a long time I only knew the film in a watered down version courtesy of the Intervison tape but even sans gore it was still a masterpiece. Can you imagine seeing this at a late show around Times Square back in the day and having to make your way home afterwards ?

[Slippery Jack]

Originally Posted by Wes

The Mondo Movie podcast forum was swamped with this kind of stuff for a while, and I kinda bolted from there because of it...

I used to go on there. I left when it got too dead after they stopped recording new podcasts. Heard today they've just recorded a new one though, which should be up later in the week.

Sound on Sight's 'Sordid Cinema' podcast is my main genre podcast of choice now . . .

[it'smebilly]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

ALIEN 3000 - More Jeff Leroy. This one has a CGI alien stalking commando types in a forest. Satisfyingly amateurish splatter prevails, together with rubbish acting and (again) some bad model work. Welcome in that fuzzy glow as high-carb trash floods your system once more. Not as 'Leroy' as 'Hell's Highway' or 'Witch's Sabbath', but a fun time likely for those unfortunate enough to be tuned in to this kind of schlock.

A DAY OF VIOLENCE - High gore quota on display in this tawdry dip into the unwholesome realm of the British gangster. Really benefits from the cheap SOV look and shots of old Johnny Morghen working a bong... despite being a lilly livered type ultimately, I appreciated the way this flick made me feel slightly scummy, particularly during a vicious castration and the desperately cheap climactic night club shoot out. Speaking of scummy...

MANIAC - I remember when I was seriously getting into horror, maybe twenty years ago when I was in my early teens, and of course everyone was into Fulci, Eurohorror, anything extreme or non-mainstream enough to stem the tide of the F13 sequels and 90s tedium... but mention 'Maniac' and you'd be met with a slowly shaking head and a sorrowful look in the eyes. No-one used to touch it with a bargepole. It's strange how things change over the years. "We like horror, but we're not into this misogynistic shit". Who were they trying to kid? No doubt owning a bootleg of 'Zombie Creeping Flesh' was the epitome of TLS reading respectability back then.
I really like 'Maniac'. I think it's a bleak, vicious near masterpiece. It reminds me of what horror should be, NEEDS to be, at base - unremittingly disturbing. No laughs, no concessions. Just something really dark. Misogyny here is somehow less of an issue than an exploratory misanthropy - Frank Zito hates his mother and all women, but the ambience of his world is cold heat, New York, early eighties, an icy waste, a cruel, pulsating pressure uninterested in gender, all fed to the mincer (I'd love to see this billed with 'Ms 45'). OK, there are some tonal flaws, but Joe Spinell is riveting as the lead - his cracked monologues really lift 'Maniac' into another dimension. Long live 'Maniac'. It's a poisonous delight. Surprisingly I've heard really good things about the remake and wanted to check it out at the Leeds fest, but I think I've missed it.

I really like maniac as well for all the reasons you've already articulated, have just ordered the blu ray in fact and yes the remake is receiving some good notices. It played at Leeds fest on the 2nd, I was supposed to be going but had to back out at the last minute. I'm hoping it'll get some sort of release on the big screen soon.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

[Make Them Die Slowly]

Originally Posted by Demdike

I was wondering what singled you out for special treatment?

Being f*cking fantastic! I can't help it, it's just the way God made me.

[SShaw]

Tonights film was the annual showing (at least in my house) of V for Vendetta. I am still surprised that Alan Moore refused a credit for this film. For me it is one of the best, if not the best, comic book adaptations and while perhaps its not 100% faithful to the graphic novel I think it manages to retain the core ideas whilst updating them in a way that is more relevant and interesting for the post 9-11 world (the book is of its time, I am not sure if the Thatcher references would really have stood up in 2005 and that becomes truer as the the years pass). For me this is an essential film for Bonfire night.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Make Them Die Slowly

Being f*cking fantastic! I can't help it, it's just the way God made me.

Deadhead or whatever he was called obviously agreed with you.