What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[VeZius]

Total Recall (2012)

I was surprised how good this was, so much better than I could have ever imagined. It is majorly different from the original film, but it had fun nods to the original that I found appropriate. This is how remakes should be done in my opinion. I'm not familiar with the original Philip K. Dick story, so I don't know how it compares to that. I'd highly recommend this to sci-fi/action fans.

(I gotta nag about the blu-ray though, it kept cutting off audio when using bitstream audio, changing it to LPCM seems to fix the issue tho, but that is not nice!)

8/10


Machete Kills

This has had a lot of negative reviews so I've been putting off watching it, but I finally did. I do not understand what people were expecting from this, since I thought it was a lot of fun. More crazy Machete fun that you've come to love from the first movie. I really hope Rodriguez will make another sequel for this. It was not perfect though, I wish they used more practical effects (CGI blood splatters always hurt my eyes) and couple of the fight scenes were kinda disappointing. I definitely recommend this if you like the first one though and are pro-harmless fun.

7/10

[SShaw]

Took some time off from the festival to go and see Can a song save your life. Very different from the films I have been immersed in for the last few days, but hell I am brave enough to admit I liked it.

[Demoncrat]

Originally Posted by VeZius

Total Recall (2012)

I was surprised how good this was, so much better than I could have ever imagined. It is majorly different from the original film, but it had fun nods to the original that I found appropriate. This is how remakes should be done in my opinion. I'm not familiar with the original Philip K. Dick story, so I don't know how it compares to that. I'd highly recommend this to sci-fi/action fans.

(I gotta nag about the blu-ray though, it kept cutting off audio when using bitstream audio, changing it to LPCM seems to fix the issue tho, but that is not nice!)

8/10


Machete Kills

This has had a lot of negative reviews so I've been putting off watching it, but I finally did. I do not understand what people were expecting from this, since I thought it was a lot of fun. More crazy Machete fun that you've come to love from the first movie. I really hope Rodriguez will make another sequel for this. It was not perfect though, I wish they used more practical effects (CGI blood splatters always hurt my eyes) and couple of the fight scenes were kinda disappointing. I definitely recommend this if you like the first one though and are pro-harmless fun.

7/10

Ahem.


Enjoy!

[VeZius]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

Ahem.


Enjoy!

Thank you!!!

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Demented (1980)

Despite a manic and brutal opening scene where our protagonist is cornered, attacked, and then gang raped in a stable by a group of men, the remainder of Demented unfortunately fails to live up to its opening montage.

The bulk of the film consists of Linda (Sallee Young) coping with her post-rape trauma via lots of unconvincing and dull dialogue exchanges with her slimy uncaring husband (played by Harry Reems) who is more interested in sneaking off to bed his mistress than tend to his wife's needs.

Linda's trauma begins to take the form of paranoia and apparent delusions, where she experiences masked figures breaking into the house to try and get her. Everyone dismisses these claims as nothing more than a symptom of her ordeal, and when taking into account the particular actress' poor delivery and unconvincingly annoying emoting throughout you wouldn't blame them.

However, it is in the third act where the film changes gear a little as these masked adolescents break-in with the intention of spooking and raping Linda... but something snaps inside her and she turns from unconvincing whiny rape victim into calculated killer, dealing out cool and collected vengeance on her tormentors.

Demented is a film which you really need to stick with to get the full benefit of, as despite an explosive opening and very tepid middle portion which drags a great deal, the final segment is certainly a welcome change in pace despite it being far from mind-blowing in the revenge department.

Originally posted here: Nightmare USA Films Discussion Thread

[Frankie Teardrop]

WOLF CREEK 2 - I wasn't a fan of the original at all - I found it boring, despite the attempted build up, the supposedly brutal pay-off and the wannabe nihilistic tone. I wouldn't have bothered with this either, but since some quarters seemed to sell it as a wall-to-wall gore fest, I thought I'd give it a go. It was worth it, but I didn't feel 'Wolf Creek 2' was all THAT much of a splatterfest - though opinions and sensibilities may vary. Where it surpasses the original is, first of all, in ramping up the action and the tension - and I'm all for simmering moodiness, but not here. It unfolds in accordance with a road chase dynamic, although it can't pitch anywhere near 'The Hitcher', a comparison which has been mentioned in some reviews. Secondly, the vein of black humour running throughout actually works - witness the kangaroo battalion and the various throwaway one liners wreathing the overall carnage etc. A third reason to like it, one related to the above, is its weird take on national stereotypes - sometimes it's really unclear whether we're meant to think this is being played for laughs between slightly ironic quotation marks, or whether some broader political point is being fumbled for - certainly, the semi-hysterical historical Q&A at the end, between Oz-Killer and Brit-tourist, feels like it's about to pronounce on colonialism and attendant alienation, but it's a bit tacked on and doesn't really work out. The tragic 'real life' back story is intriguing, a mish mash of outback murder cases from the eighties and nineties (Brits and Aussies alike may remember Peter Falconio et al), which lends an additional exploitative undertow for bad or slimy good. Overall, 'Wolf Creek 2' is quite entertaining, and worth a stab (or two).

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Great review, Frankie.

I also wasn't a fan of the first Wolf Creek and was a little apprehensive about checking out the sequel because of it. Your review has allayed my fears a little.

[Frankie Teardrop]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

Great review, Frankie.

I also wasn't a fan of the first Wolf Creek and was a little apprehensive about checking out the sequel because of it. Your review has allayed my fears a little.

It's an enjoyable time killer and engages way more than the first, but I'd wait till it's cheaper.

[Mojo]

THE WASHING MACHINE
An enjoyable sexy Giallo, with many twists, turns and bizarre events. It's a reasonable enough print from Shameless with fab packaging. Can you find the Easter Egg?

COUNTESS DRACULA
Ingrid Pitt, blood, big sponge etc. Can't say this is one of my favourite Hammers. Considering the subject matter, it could have been a lot better. As it is, it looks gorgeous, but kind of plods along.
Having said that, Network's Blu ray looks superb. Really looking forward to their release of TWINS OF EVIL.

[Sam]

Mistaken for Strangers - Firstly, cards on the table, I am a fan of The National so was pleased when this was screened on Film 4 recently but you really don't need to be a fan of the music to enjoy this superb documentary. The film is made up of footage recorded by singer Matt Beringer's younger brother during a disastrously short-lived stint as a roadie for the band. What could have quickly become a tedious behind the scenes tour documentary developed into a fascinating study of the complicated relationship between the 'alpha male' (but slightly dull) Matt and his younger 'slacker-esque' brother, who clearly lives in his shadow and, in a passive way, is resentful of his brother's success. At times hilarious (Tom Beringer is an amusing character, particularly his inept attempts at fulfilling the role of a roadie) and at others quite poignant, I would have no hesitation in recommending this, whether you're National fan or not...