What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Frankie Teardrop]

DEATH SPA – I hate gyms. They make me think of the covert emergence of some secret fascist state. Unsurprisingly, I'm pretty hung up on the gym-based horror sub-sub-sub genre, which often combines eighties garishness with dumb body worship. 'Aerobicide' is a contender, but 'Death Spa' steals the crown. It's bound to please anyone who likes over-ripe and essentially brainless pulp which somehow tips over into unintentional surrealism. In it, some dude owns a computer operated gym (!) which becomes a murder hotspot once the spirit of said dude's dead wife possesses said computer operating system. It's got that mid-late eighties thing – everything seems very 'neon', with bad air-brushed metal playing constantly in background (or at least, this feels like it should be the case). It's also quite gory, and, although it's no hardcore splatterfest, I was slightly surprised, having only ever seen a cut version previously. Loved the nonsensical gender-warping climax, and also the bit with the killer pilchards. The newish blu-ray / DVD looks pretty lush. Recommended for lovers of lost eighties shit.

BENEATH STILL WATERS – Brian Yuzna has gone up in my estimation recently – always had him pegged as a bit bland, but then I saw his mind-melting nonsensefest 'Faust'. 'Beneath Still Waters', another one of his noughties Spanish productions, doesn't really out-Faust Faust, but didn't disappoint me in my search for B-movie absurdism. It's basically about a... well, I kind of zoned out during the 'explanations bit', but it's basically about an undersea town where a satanic cult hangs out waiting to 'rise again' etc etc. This is all a mere contrivance to ensure the smooth flow of various bits of horror, most of which seem reassuringly meaningless – zombies are thrown in for no reason, there are parasitic flowers and an underwater ghoul, and a small town anniversary celebration becomes an unconvincing orgy with a rampant nun and a load of cream buns (not sure whether I just made that last bit up or not, but I remember a lot of food flying about). I like how the main villain guy sometimes sounds a bit 'Yorkshire'. Entertaining drivel.

[Mojo]

THE HAUNTED PALACE
First in a double bill of Corman / Poe adaptations, this one is actually based on HP Lovecraft's The Case Of Charles Dexter Ward. Vincent Price gives one of his less 'theatrical' performances here, which is to the film's advantage. The sets are superb and the make up effects are effectively gruesome. Having never seen this one before, I can't compare it to previous releases, but this Blu ray from Arrow looks absolutely stunning.

TALES OF TERROR
Another in Arrow's SIX GOTHIC TALES set, this one stars Vincent Price in each of the three tales. The first is a haunting tale in which Price resorts to his more 'theatrical' performance, the second has him and Peter Lorre spark of each other brilliantly and the third is a particularly creepy tale of after death experiences. The whole thing is a joy from start to finish and again, Arrow's Blu ray is astonishing. If this box set doesn't convince you to go Blu ray, nothing will.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Prancer (1989)

Excellent Christmas family film not clogged down with thick treacle like schmaltz. The story, about a young girl and her father who come across an injured reindeer on a snowy road is fairly slight but is built up with fine characterization which eschews the usual tired villains films of this ilk tend to drag out to add story and tension.

Rebecca Harrell as Jessica, the eight year old star of the film completely rules each and every scene she's in with a very believable performance. When you think she has co-stars such as Sam Elliott and Cloris Leachman this is no mean feat.

The reindeer - Prancer - is a real animal, no CGI involved at all. The film's magic comes from it's feel of being 'real' with realistic characters rather than studio creations, making Prancer an enjoyably sincere film that both children and adults can appreciate.

[Demoncrat]

Watched The Punk Singer, a doc about Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill, Le Tigre, Julie Ruin etc). Very good overview of this muscician's career and beyond. Recommended.

Will be watching Toy Story 3 tonight, mainly to see if it has the same effect on me as it did originally...if not, there's always Nightmare At Noon

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

House of the Long Shadows (1983)

Delightful homage to the great Gothic horrors of the golden era from Brit director Pete Walker. Over the years these have been quite commonplace, the difference with House of the Long Shadows is that Walker managed to get possibly the finest Gothic genre cast into the same room. Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Vincent Price and John Carradine. Not to mention Walker's own muse, the great Sheila Keith and English stalwart Richard Todd.

Based on the stage play 7 Keys to Baldpate, an American author moves into an eerie mansion for 24 hours to write a novel in a wager with publisher Todd. Once in the supposedly deserted house an assortment of oddball characters turn up. Although the film is a mystery / horror / comedy, the story is fairly minimal. The viewers enjoyment mainly comes from watching the horror legends interact with one another, often sending both themselves and the others up in the process. The mystery was easily guessable even for me, and the violence suggestive rather than outright bloody.

However none of this detracts from a hugely enjoyable film as it's the four horror heavyweights we came to see, making House of the Long Shadows a kind of fitting swansong for the classic Gothic horror film.

[keirarts]

GREMLINS.

Went to see THE HOBBIT last week, its nice and fun. No Lord of the Rings but still a more entertaining and coherent film than some of the real garbage I've seen this year (coughAMAZINGSPIDERMAN2cough) Went for a long overdue piss once the credits rolled and noticed the cinema had a screening of GREMLINS on xmas eve. Well, couldn't turn that down as missed it on the big screen the first time around (on account of being too damn young and the film a 15)

Looks bloody amazing, I suspect a new restoration as the level of detail was incredible and it was a real treat to see it on the big screen. The film still holds up as work of demented genius from the golden period of Joe Dante's career. Essentially taking the small town xmas setting of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE and setting a pack of malevolent creatures with a twisted sense of humour. The violence is pure looney tunes (so much so we get a cameo from the king of Looney tunes himself Chuck Jones) and Dante throws nods to both the trashy B pictures from Rodger Corman that he started his career working on (including a role for Corman regular Dick Miller as Mr Futterman) along with nods to classic 50's B- pictures like Forbidden Planet and The Time Machine (both of which have props appear in one scene, especially an often missed sight gag involving the Time machine) and INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS.

Gremlins has been lowered to a 12a and rightly so. It's the sort of film kids really get and fussy adults think is too 'edgy' for them. For grown kids like me it still works as it ever did and I'm really, really very glad to get the opportunity to see this in a theatre. It almost makes up for them not getting THE GUEST.

[trebor8273]

A few festive themed movies


Die hard

It's not christmas for me without watching die hard. An action packed classic that rocketed Bruce Willis to super stardom. The best of the series and one of the best action films of the 80s. 10/10

Scrooged

A update of the classic Dickens tale, set in the time of "greed is good"the 80s with Bill Murray in the main role as a Tv network executive who through his childhood and other events is self centered, greedy and has no life apart from his job. The ghost of Christmas present,past and future set in on a journey to change his ways and reunite him with the love of his life. A little bit hokey in places but that's part of its charm. But the real highlight has to be the opening of the movie with Lee Majors, I can't be the only one would of liked it to be a full movie. 8/10

Now watching black christmas original version

[SShaw]

Watched Can A Song Change Your Life (aka Begin Again) in preparation for my flight to NY tomorrow to partake of the Times Square New Years celebrations.

[wonderlust]

The Holy Mountain, 1973. 7/10

[wonderlust]

Dancer in the Dark, 2000. 6/10