What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Frankie Teardrop]

COMPLIANCE - A prank caller poses as cop and instructs the staff of a fast-food restaurant to search, strip and eventually violate one of the employees. Famously based on a real incident, this detached, semi-art house thriller frames itself as an attempt to explore the damage done by blind obedience to perceived authority, whereas some critics have detected a more cynical motive and put it all down to exploitation or an attempt at provocation. Doesn't really matter to me because 'Compliance' is an effective and engrossing film whatever the motives of its makers. It's maybe a bit less hard-hitting than some would have us believe, but it is pretty nasty both in terms of what happens on screen, and also on an 'ideas' level. Certainly worth a watch.

DEATH POWDER - Completely off the wall Japanese cyberpunk flick from the eighties. 'Tetsuo' is probably the nearest point of comparison I can bring to mind, but 'Death Powder' is by far the weirder of the two. In fact, it's so messed up, I can't really even describe what happens in it beyond saying that two scientists / detectives (?) and some soldiers end up in a warehouse where a cyberlady strapped to a gurney sends various people into a weird alternative reality - but actually 'Death Powder' gives up on any sense of linearity (or plot, for that matter) after about ten minutes and thereon after switches between clunky eighties B-movie sci-fi and a potentially mind shattering montage of badly rendered video effects which becomes increasingly Lovecraftian. For me though the highlight came when the film, for no reason whatsoever, basically stopped and decided to become a series of stills scored by wine-bar electro-funk. Woah. Undergoing sensory deprivation then being forced to wear a specially designed visor through which plays a 24 hour loop of 'Eraserhead' transposed with 'Liquid Sky' might have a similar effect to sitting down with 'Death Powder'. I wish someone would give this crazy film a legit release.

[keirarts]

Originally Posted by Wes

Nope, missed all them, sadly but will keep an eye out, thanks. I remember The Beast Within was for years a constant fixture in my local videoshop - that old big box Warner clam shell box. I still remember that sleeve...

Worth seeking out. Bat people is a cat people rip off with bats. Earth dies screaming is a british sci fi with a dr who level production values. Chosen survivors is a great hybrid of post apocalypse and killer bat film.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by trebor8273

now watching Nosferatu 1979, from small amount i've seen i think this will be getting a 9 or 10

I watched it earlier this evening and love the score and camerawork – it's superb form a technical standpoint. However, it doesn't engage me and have the je ne sais quoi which makes the original such a magical experience.

[nosferatu42]

Originally Posted by keirarts

I have an entire shelf of them. 47 discs in total. Given a lot are double bills thats a lot of films. Have you seen the CHOSEN SURVIVORS/EARTH DIES SCREAMING or BEAST WITHIN/BAT PEOPLE releases? Both are great fun imo. Beast is getting a blu release from scream factory. Should be good.

I've got the 'Beast' double and enjoyed both films but 'Beast' is by far the better of the two. Used to want to watch it when i saw the old video cover too but never did at the time so picked up the double, glad i did.

[nosferatu42]

I also picked up the 'Mephisto waltz'/House on skull mountain' midnite movies double because i like waltz quite a bit, Skull mountains ok too in a cheesy voodoo blaxploitation kinda way.

[trebor8273]

Well finished nosferatu amazing and striking blend of imagery and sound. 9.5/10

The unnamable next.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Jet Pilot (1957)

According to the history books this extremely tedious Cold War thriller without any thrills took seven years to complete.

It also took what seems like the same amount of time to watch.

Howard Hughes was obviously going through one of his "phases" when he decided on this.

[J Harker]

So few nights ago we watched Arnies The Last Stand. Great little film, and it was nice to see Arnold playing his age and using that to the films advantage.
And tonight we watched Oblivion, Tom Cruises latest. Excellent grand sci-fi actioner, really enjoyed it.

[SShaw]

Yesterdays films were:

Taped a fantastic Dutch thriller about a man and a wife who visit Argentina to rebuild their marriage and accidentally video a policeman executing a suspect. Much chasing ensues.

Wrong another surreal work from the director of 2010's Rubber.

Cheap Thrills What would you do for $250,000 dollars Two friends compete to out do one another in a game of Dare in order to "win" money and entertain the bored wife of a rich man. Recommended.

Sweetwater Fantastic western with dark religous undertones. Recommended.

Devil's Pass I think this was shown at Fright Fest under the slightly different title of The Dyatlov Pass Incident. More found footage meets conspiracy theory hokum. Passes the time, but difficult to recommend.

22 films down only 17 left to go before its time to head home on Thursday. I have put more detailed thoughts of the first 3 days over on my diary thread.

[Vipp]

Originally Posted by SShaw

Devil's Pass I think this was shown at Fright Fest under the slightly different title of The Dyatlov Pass Incident[/b]. More found footage meets conspiracy theory hokum. Passes the time, but difficult to recommend.

i was visiting friends recently and they screened this film, i wrote a fan fiction story for the X-Files based on the original incident and so i didn't mind sitting thorough this but your right about it being hard to recommend.

we watched The Hobbit again last night and an old Rutger H classic Wed-Lock. Haha, not a bad film imo.