What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[SShaw]

My longest day at Fantasy Film Fest yesterday started with All Cheerleaders Die. This was the repeat showing, it had shown as a midnight film earlier in the festival, and so played to a quite small audience. It takes a long time to get going but improves considerably by its end. For me this a big misstep from Lucky Mckee so I was disappointed to see he alread pals a sequel.

Redirected Vinnie Jones appears in yet another cockney gangster film. This time east end London meets east end Europe as Jones and his henchman chase 4 friends to Lithuania after they rob him. The friends become separated, each having their share of adventures before reuniting for the final showdown. So its Guy Richie light, but despite this it does enough to provide an entertaining 100 or so minutes.

Beneath A father takes his daughter down the mine on his last day before retiring. Unfortunately he, and his colleagues, become trapped after the mine shaft collapses. Thins go from bad to worse when they discover an abandoned 1920's mine shaft where "the 19" died. As the air in the mine begins to run out the surviving miners begin to experience strange events - is it a lack of oxygen or worse, the spirits of the dead abandoned miners taking their revenge on the living. Beneath is a reasonably effective entry in the "trapped underground in confined spaces" genre. It doesn't hit the heights (or should that be depths?) of Descent but its worth viewing inany case.

Honeymoon is a brilliant exercise in unease. A newly married couple visit a family cabin to celebrate their marriage. Their are strange lights in the dark and their relationship becomes strained when the husband finds his wife sleepwalking in the woods. This is a slow burning dil, but stay with it until the end and you will find it a rather fine exercises in how to build a claustrophobic atmosphere of disquiet and unease. Excellent.

November Man Pierce Brosnan returns as Bond, sorry as an ageing spy who having retired in 2008 must return to his former employment to find those responsible for the murder of an old flame, and the mother of his 12 year old daughter. I liked this.

Last day of the festival today with just 3 films (I already saw Amongthe living and Life After Beth) so I will probably provide an update this evening.

[trebor8273]

satans blood

A enjoyable piece of 70s euro sleaze about a couple who take there dog blackie for a walk and end up meeting another couple who insist that they know them and ask them to come to there house, things take a turn for the worse(especially for poor blackie) after using a ouija board. Has a very unique and chilling atmosphere and fantastic and chilling ending. 9/10

Next up without warning. Which has been many years since I last saw it and I thought it would never get a DVD release let alone a blu ray one.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by trebor8273

satans blood

A enjoyable piece of 70s euro sleaze about a couple who take there dog blackie for a walk and end up meeting another couple who insist that they know them and ask them to come to there house, things take a turn for the worse(especially for poor blackie) after using a ouija board. Has a very unique and chilling atmosphere and fantastic and chilling ending. 9/10

Next up without warning. Which has been many years since I last saw it and I thought it would never get a DVD release let alone a blu ray one.

I don't know how you can say "Next up".

It takes me ages to decide what to watch. I have no idea what my next film will be, never mind the one after it.

[trebor8273]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I don't know how you can say "Next up".

It takes me ages to decide what to watch. I have no idea what my next film will be, never mind the one after it.

Next up is more now watching. But I'm the same i can't decide what to watch next most of the time so end up watching nothing or something I've seen a million times before. But been looking forward to seeing without waring since it was announced.

[SShaw]

In Darkness We Fall is a Spanish found footage horror which follows a group of 5 Spanish friends who become trapped in a cave system whilst camping along the coast of an isolated island. Given the limited opportunities afforded by the set-up it works quite well, but like Beneath yesterday, it somehow misses the claustrophobia that one would expect from a "trapped down a hole" film.

These final hours This may turn out to be my favourite film of the festival. From Australia it follows a man trying to reach his girlfriend in the final hours before the end of the world. This is a film that packs a strong emotional punch - the second film this week to bring a tear to my eyes.

R100 I am convinced that the Japanese are completely different from the rest of the world. They certainly have a special genius for strange and bizarre films. I am not sure what the film is really about, but I know I liked it and I would very much like to see it again. Soon.

The closing film is Life After Beth which I already saw back in July at Fantasia and have the chance to watch again at Grimmfest in a couple of weeks.

So thats it for Fantasy Film Fest for another year. The programme was very strong. Of the 61 films on offer I have now seen 44 (although only 27 in the past week) and of those there is only one I wouldn't rush to see again. The move from Cinemaxx Dammtor to the Savoy Filmtheater was largely successful, the Savoy has to be one of the most comfortable cinemas I have ever visited. The front row seats all fold down into sunbeds! The only downside is the 12 day schedule necessitated by the Savoy's single screen. Still this has the advantage that there is no "left nut, right nut" decisions to be made when choosing between films on different screens. Hopefully they will start on a Wednesday next year so that the programme runs over two weekends instead of one, I really can't justify taking two full weeks of work.

The Hamburg international film festival opens in a couple of weeks, but I haven't found much of interest in the programme, and it clashes with Grimmfest in any case. So, apart from my visit at the beginning of December for the Morricone concert, thats it for Hamburg until Fantasy Film nights in March next year.

[Buboven]

Just experienced one of the most fascinating cinema experiences of my life with Judgement At Nuremberg (1961). Should be shown in every history class in the civilised world.

10/10.

[JoshuaKaitlyn]

Continuing with the Italian directors theme:

Joe D'Amato: L'alcova (The Alcove) (1985). Quite why this Italian softcore sexploitationer is called 'The Alcove' I'm none too sure! Perhaps I missed the explanation having been distracted by all the boobs and whatnots! TBH its a little plodding although it does attempt to have a story.

Ruggero Deodato: La casa sperduta nel parco (The House on the Edge of the Park) (1980). My first time seeing this and I expected it to be a lot more grisly than it was! I was surprised by the lack of grislyness and thought it was a good movie because of that. One of those occasions where I've seen a movie for the first time and I've not found myself clock watching.

Sergio Martino: La montagna del dio cannibale (Mountain of the Cannibal God) (1978). Another movie where I thought it was going to be a grisly one but again wasn't, (apart from some tribesman getting his tackle removed....which actually made me laugh!) Anyway it wasn't a bad movie.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Robin-B-Hood (2006)

Bat-shit crazy movie where Jackie Chan plays a hi-tech burglar who together with his partner in crime get lumbered with a baby and have to protect it from a wealthy megalomaniac and more importantly themselves.

As i began watching this i wondered why this possibly could have a 15 rating but as the film progressed it became clear with numerous don't try this at home sequences involving the baby, open windows, rooftops, prams and washing machines. The first twenty minutes are so disjointed it felt like i was watching deleted scenes and tonally the film is all over the place with laughs galore closely followed by numerous scenes where you mouth "What the ****?" as the film takes a more serious turn.

However these shifts in tone propel the film along at a welcome pace and the two hours just fly by.

Recommended.

[anythinggoes78]

Zero Theroem - I went into this film want it to be really good, maybe i was expecting too much, now its not a bad film and i did enjoy watching it, but certain things just didnt flow right with me, the over saturated colours (think spy kids mixed with 1984) , the comedy elements in what really should of been a serious film, maybe thats it maybe thats why i struggled to really enjoy the film, Mr Waltz was good in this film, was weird seeing him without hair though. The story well its a bit of a non story in my eyes and more an exploration on the human condition and our search for the meaning of life (i think thats right anyhow). Worth a watch, and probably a further 1 or 2 after that to take every thing in.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by anythinggoes78

Zero Theroem - I went into this film want it to be really good, maybe i was expecting too much, now its not a bad film and i did enjoy watching it, but certain things just didnt flow right with me, the over saturated colours (think spy kids mixed with 1984) , the comedy elements in what really should of been a serious film, maybe thats it maybe thats why i struggled to really enjoy the film, Mr Waltz was good in this film, was weird seeing him without hair though. The story well its a bit of a non story in my eyes and more an exploration on the human condition and our search for the meaning of life (i think thats right anyhow). Worth a watch, and probably a further 1 or 2 after that to take every thing in.

Terry Gilliam says it is a tragedy rather than a comedy, as most critics thought, and is the final part in the triptych/trilogy which comprises this, Brazil and 12 Monkeys.