What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Dave Boy]

HULK (2003)

Shh! Don't mention this Hulk film. Hulk. The film seems to have almost been forgotten now what with THE INCREDIBLE HULK (2008) and THE AVENGERS (2012). I had not seen this in a while so it was time for a revisit. Is it really that bad ? No, it's not at all. This bright green Hulk is certainly out of the early comics what with him bounding around the desert chucking tanks about. The Hulk himself varies from looking good to a bit ropy playstation type graphics, but that for me was no problem. The film is enjoyable and a lot of fun plus Jennifer Connelly is great as Betty Ross.
If you haven't seen this film in a while, maybe it's time to give the big guy another look.

[JoshuaKaitlyn]

From 1960:

The Brides of Dracula - Hammers second 'Dracula' pic is 'Dracula-less' but is still a goody. I didn't bother upgrading my DVD to blu-ray what with the controversary over the aspect ratio.

Exodus - Overlong Premminger picture that tells the story of the birth of modern day Israel.

Lets Make Love - Great movie with some great songs, Milton Berle, Bing Crosby and Gene Kelly make cameos as themselves.

The Grass is Greener - I like Cary Grant movies preferably the comedy and Hitchcock pictures, the likes of 'Penny Serenade' I'm none too keen on and TBH I though The Grass is Greener was another one similar, as I've hadn't previously seen it. Well I was wrong this is actually a clever comedy about infidelity and just shows that Grant is a master at comic timing. The scene where they open the suitcase, (if anyone else has seen it), had me spitting my drink with laughter.

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning - Described as a 'Kitchen Sink Drama' but really a working class social drama. A good movie for seeing how we used to live, cobbled streets, routemaster buses and back-to-back terraced housing. Won the BAFTA Best Picture Award in 1961.

The Virgin Spring - Ingmar Bergman's medieval tale of rape and revenge may appear familiar to fans of Wes Craven's 'Last House on the Left'. Won the award for best Foreign Picture (1960).

Make Mine Mink - Great British farce about a group of fur stealers, Kenneth Williams pops up in a cameo role.

The City of the Dead - A little British horror that isn't too bad, produced by Milton Subotsky and Max Rosenberg who would later create Amicus Productions.

Inherit the Wind - A great movie with great performances from Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, and Gene Kelly.

Doctor In Love - No Dirk Bogarde but Leslie Thomas and James Robertson Justice, bit run of the mill really.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Valdez is Coming (1971)

Brutal, racist, nihilistic western that's a spaghetti in all but name. Filmed in Spain, this Burt Lancaster starrer bears all the trademarks of the Italian movement which was beginning to get tired by this stage. It's theme of revenge and the death of innocence, ideals all too familiar. However Lancaster brings a different type of moodiness to proceedings and his oft spoke line of "$100" reminds me a little of "Mind the doors" from the following years British horror Death Line in that it brings a lightness to an otherwise dark film.

Elmore Leonard's script based on his own book isn't one of his best works, but at 87 minutes the film never lets up and should satisfy both American and spaghetti western fans.

[keirarts]

First day of grimmfest.

house at the end of time

Venuzelan gothic melodrama. Leaps between an aged women released from jail back to her decaying house and 30 years previously when the killing/dissappearance occured. Enjoyable and difficult to review without revealing its twists. Highly enjoyable and worth seeking out.

truth or dare

Nice to see a quality genre outing from a female director. Jessica cameron. It involves a group of youtube video makers chasing sensation for hits get taken hostage by their no 1 fan. Naturally things get nasty and their fan forces the group to participate in an increasingly deadly game of truth or dare. This one provoked its share of walkouts and i suspect it may have a rough ride at the hands of the bbfc. Incredibly tense and very nasty stuff indeed.


she

Short film with almost no dialogue and a spectacularly nasty ending. Interesting and well made but not sure what the film was actually trying to say.

julia

Rape revenge meets a female orientated take on fight club. Looks like ms45 as imagined by david fincher or michael mann. A young clinician is gang raped and seeks therapy from a bizarre cult that turns her into a deadly killer. Genuinely odd and beautifuly shot i really enjoyed this in spite of some flaws. Reccomended.

the well.


A post apocalyptic western where a young girl attempts to protect her home and supplys from a powerful water baron. Low budget but very entertaining the plot has shades of heavens gate. Well worth a watch.

the herd

Well shot and acted short that makes a somewhat clumsy and generalised attempt at depicting the horrors of the meat industry. Perhaps im just grumpy but it was one of those films i could tell was made by vegans.

let us prey

Visually impressive horror with a real john carpenter-esque soundtrack and visual style. Liam cunningham plays a stranger who turns up in town and quite literally unleashes hell. One of the best in show so far and highly reccomended.

suburban gothic

Richard bates jnrs follow up to excision plays more like a 90s indie movie with horror elements mixed in with a hal hartly/richard linklater vibe. Uses its 90 minutes to pick apart suburban racism and millenial angst. Personally i found it very funny indeed. Will certainly pick it up on release.

[nosferatu42]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

It's the CR dvd. Should have said etc. Can only imagine that a PD print would be v murky cough.....

Only ever seen a Shit house version of ~messiah but even still i still think it's a film Arrow should spruce up and release, such a forgotten classic.

[Linbro]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

The Devil's Playground (1976)

Perhaps the strangest film I've come across thus far in my trudge through unexplored Nightmare USA territory, in as much as it is neither horror nor exploitation as such, but more an in depth drama surrounding the young boys of a Catholic seminary and the priests (or 'brothers') who teach there.

Still as relevant today in many ways as it was when it was made almost 40 years ago, the themes of sexual exploration vs. repression and the religious connotations linked therein certainly provide the viewer with some food for thought.

Originally posted here: Nightmare USA Films Discussion Thread

This has been remade as a mini series, that is showing at the moment. Haven't seen it, but getting good reviews.

[keirarts]

Originally Posted by nosferatu42

Only ever seen a Shit house version of ~messiah but even still i still think it's a film Arrow should spruce up and release, such a forgotten classic.

Every other release of messiah of evil has a god awful song added to the film against the direvtoes wishes. As far as im aware only the cr release matches the directors intentions.

[antmumford]

Just sitting down to watch Exposure Cinemas Blu release of Stagefright. My first time to see this so quite excited about seeing it in HD. Will let you know what I thought once it's done. 2 mins in and PQ is superb

[PaulD]

Originally Posted by antmumford

Just sitting down to watch Exposure Cinemas Blu release of Stagefright. My first time to see this so quite excited about seeing it in HD. Will let you know what I thought once it's done. 2 mins in and PQ is superb

It's a fab release. Watched it and 2 of the half hour interviews yesterday.

[antmumford]

Originally Posted by PaulD

It's a fab release. Watched it and 2 of the half hour interviews yesterday.

Yeah it was great, currently working my way through the features too. Next up...... the Boro boxset