What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

'The King of New York' is a great film. I think the other top-of-the-list Ferrara numbers have to be 'Ms 45' and 'Bad Lieutenant'. I really like 'Driller Killer', although thousands more don't.

I also really like Driller Killer.

Perhaps a slightly acquired taste, but The Addiction is excellent.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Oculus (2013)

An enjoyable modern ghost story based around a haunted mirror. Although this sort of thing has been done before - From Beyond the Grave, Mirrors and the terrible Mirror Mirror movies - Oculus stands out because of it's time shifting storyline, which i won't spoil for anyone who wants to see the film.

The scares are quite subtle, avoiding the musical jolts which i think spoil so many of today's supernatural horrors, giving us blink and you'll miss 'em ghostly figures and a fine suspenseful set up with three statues which reminded me of the Weeping Angels from Doctor Who. Gore is minimal, but there's a sequence with a light bulb which had me squirming.The film has the feel of The Haunting, The Others and The Orphanage rather than Insidious and it's ilk.

The Who references don't end with the statues, as the star of the show is Karen Gillan, who shot to fame as Amy Pond in two and a half series of that show. The tv sci-fi link doesn't stop there as the film also stars Katee Sackhoff best known as Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica.

Directed by Mike Flanagan, he of the excellent Absentia, the film has a reasonably fast paced plot even though it's clearly a slow burner that keeps pulling you in with it's build up of tension. With convincing acting by all involved, Oculus is a clever little chiller that i highly recommend.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

Perhaps a slightly acquired taste, but The Addiction is excellent.

So good you don't know what it's called.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

So good you don't know what it's called.

I'm sure that I don't know what you could mean...

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Even altered my post - bloody moderators.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Even altered my post - bloody moderators.

[Make Them Die Slowly]

I too like Driller Killer and I also really enjoyed Ferrara's Dangerous Game with Madonna and Harvey Keitel...I may be the only one.

[PaulD]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Oculus (2013)

An enjoyable modern ghost story based around a haunted mirror. Although this sort of thing has been done before - From Beyond the Grave, Mirrors and the terrible Mirror Mirror movies - Oculus stands out because of it's time shifting storyline, which i won't spoil for anyone who wants to see the film.

The scares are quite subtle, avoiding the musical jolts which i think spoil so many of today's supernatural horrors, giving us blink and you'll miss 'em ghostly figures and a fine suspenseful set up with three statues which reminded me of the Weeping Angels from Doctor Who. Gore is minimal, but there's a sequence with a light bulb which had me squirming.The film has the feel of The Haunting, The Others and The Orphanage rather than Insidious and it's ilk.

The Who references don't end with the statues, as the star of the show is Karen Gillan, who shot to fame as Amy Pond in two and a half series of that show. The tv sci-fi link doesn't stop there as the film also stars Katee Sackhoff best known as Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica.

Directed by Mike Flanagan, he of the excellent Absentia, the film has a reasonably fast paced plot even though it's clearly a slow burner that keeps pulling you in with it's build up of tension. With convincing acting by all involved, Oculus is a clever little chiller that i highly recommend.

I watched this the other night and also enjoyed it. Like you say it's not terribly original but it's executed so well and the way in which the stories are told works fantastically. I enjoyed it a lot more than Absentia which I didn't dislike but which I didn't like as much as I thought I wanted too; I think a lot of that was down to the performances.

Oh, and the lightbulb bit. That really shook me up

[trebor8273]

The tommyknockers

Alcoholic poet Jim Gardner ( Jimmy smits) goes to visit his friend Bobbi Anderson, little does he know that something strange is going on in small Maine town of haven when bobbi trips over a strange object in the ground while walking her dog, she decides to uncover more of the object, as she does strange things begin to happen. The townsfolk end up building strange and fanatstic devices , people disappear and the townsfolk devlope the abllity to read minds. It's up to Gardner(who has a metal plate in his head that stops the tommyknockers infuncec him and the townsfolk reading his mind) to try and stop the "tommyknockers" a race of aliens that are using the life/mind force of the townsfolk to bring themselves back to life. Not the best king mini series but definitely but definitely not the worst. Let down some poor acting and special effects. But still a lot of fun. 7/10

Sometimes they come back

Wasn't expect much from this but I was wrong. A very chilling and disturbing and well acted TV movie based on short Stephen King story.

Teacher james Norman ( Tim matherson ) moves back to his old home town, maybe not the best idea in the world considering when he was a kid his brother was killed by a gang youths, who were also killed when a train collided with their car. When members of the class he teaches end up dead and are replaced by the dead gang members , James has to find someway to get rid of them and protect his family. 9/10

Edit

Anyone seen the langoliers? Now watching running scared and if enough time raw head Rex

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Pompeii (2014)

If you can quickly get past the fact this isn't a historical re-enactment of history's greatest volcanic eruption and is actually a thoroughly entertaining popcorn action spectacular from the much maligned (in my opinion) Paul WS Anderson, you'll come to realize that despite it's Gladiator knock off screenplay, Pompeii is quite a thrill ride.

Yes Keifer Sutherland hams it up, all sneery and despicable as Governor Corvis, making the viewer desperate for him to die horribly and Kit Harrington as the heroic Milo is no Russell Crowe, nor is he Andy Whitfield when it comes to the gladiatorial games, but it honestly doesn't matter. Anderson bowls us along from one set piece to another and you barely draw breath until Mt Vesuvius erupts...then the fun really begins.

Recommended to those who want some bang for their buck.