What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Bloody Pit of Horror (1965)

Speaking of perfect horror films...Bloody Pit of Horror isn't one of them. Not by a long stretch but it is fabulously entertaining.

The film was released by Pacemaker Pictures, the company behind the equally brilliant Terror Creatures from the Grave from the same year. Indeed both films are directed by Massimo Pupillo and star the excellent Walter Brandi. Interestingly Brandi was dubbed by the same voice artist in both films.

The plot is straightforward. A group of models and their crew arrive at an old castle hoping to use it as a photo shoot opportunity. Unfortunately for them it turns out to be an opportunity for hunky ham Mickey Hargitay to don the garb of notorious historical figure the Crimson Executioner and torture and kill them all with sadomasochistic glee.

Following a slowish start which introduces us to Brandi, Ralph Zucker and the girls the film then begins to take a turn for the ludicrous in a brilliant way.

Welcome to mad Mickey's torture chamber of insanity. We have a terrible cobweb / spider trap which Brandi shuffles around under in a vain attempt to save one of the girls from a bite from a giant spider. Of course we have an iron maiden, a rack, a cold water torture device, cages, blades, whips, you name it, it's here, as the brilliant / terrible Hargitay, oiled all over his torso, stomps around shouting about his perfect body whilst wearing the red hood of the Crimson Executioner. Nothing is spared. The horrors of the torture chamber lasts a good half hour and the film is all the better for it.

Fun isn't a word usually associated with the gothic horror genre but Bloody Pit of Horror is one of the most fun Gothic horror film's you'll find and should be in everyone's collection.

[Susan Foreman]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

Yes: Seven Samurai is a classic film that I'd urge people with even the smallest interest in cinema to check out (gorgeous cinematography, the much referenced/homaged/copied plot blah blah blah), but I in no way consider it the masterpiece that most self-confessed film fans do. I actually find it to be over melodramatic - and dare I say it - even boring and a little silly in places

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I've never seen Seven Samurai and have no inclination to watch it.

I'm more than happy to stick with The Magnificent Seven instead

With all due respect, and not wishing to sound rude...but you are both fools

'Seven Samurai' is a classic masterpiece that everyone should own

The HGL film is fun, as is 'The Magnificent Seven', but they ain't a Kurosawa classic

To suggest that a Western is better than a Swordmaster film is...well...Bad Manners actually

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Susan Foreman

With all due respect, and not wishing to sound rude...but you are both fools

I have never indicated anything different!

Originally Posted by Susan Foreman

'Seven Samurai' is a classic masterpiece that everyone should own

Whilst I agree it's a classic that doesn't mean I have to own it. My film library is for me to enjoy and not a museum exhibit where I feel I have to own every critically acclaimed 'classic' just for the sake of it.

[Inspector Abberline]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

I have never indicated anything different!



Whilst I agree it's a classic that doesn't mean I have to own it. My film library is for me to enjoy and not a museum exhibit where I feel I have to own every critically acclaimed 'classic' just for the sake of it.

Besides Yojimbo is much better.

[keirarts]

Burnt offerings

From Dan (kolchack) Curtis, this is an effective little haunted house movie with a horrifying ending. Karen Black and Oliver reed play a couple looking for a summer holiday home and think they have hit the jackpot when they rent a place from a creepy home owner (played with camp glee by Burgess Meredith). The only catch is that they must make sure the elderly mother of the owner is cared for while they are there. After arriving with Ollies aunt (played by the legendary Bette davis) things turn sour quickly. Reeds character begins having visions of a creepy hearse driver and tries to murder his son in the pool. Auntie becomes fatigued and seems to be losing her marbles and Karen Blacmk appears to become more and more obsessed with the house itself.
Dan Curtis is really great at delivering slow burning menace and terror to a film. No cats leaping out of closets or Boo-scares. Instead it plays more like a classical ghost story with the tension slowly ratcheting up to a disturbing climax. Kino's blu-ray is terrific and really looks the business and is worth picking up if your region A capable.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

Yes.

Although it's incomplete - many a film missing due to wanting to re-watch before I rate, and also there are a fair few missing from their database which I can't rate.

This is generally the primary resource I use to do my 'top' lists as you can filter/sort on all manner of things making it extremely easy to cater for Nordy's 'Top Ten Tuesday' lists for instance.

Anyway back to this magnificent list.

Cannibal Terror - 12/100.

I'm surprised by that. Anyone who likes Burial Ground so much should appreciate Cannibal Terror more than this score suggests.

I rather like it to be honest. I always thought it was a Jess Franco film for a long time, directed under a pseudonym. Probably because it seems like his work and stars Pamela Stanford.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Anyway back to this magnificent list.

Cannibal Terror - 12/100.

I'm surprised by that. Anyone who likes Burial Ground so much should appreciate Cannibal Terror more than this score suggests.

I rather like it to be honest. I always thought it was a Jess Franco film for a long time, directed under a pseudonym. Probably because it seems like his work and stars Pamela Stanford.

Ach, Cannibal Terror! Its budget is akin to that of Burial Ground for sure but where is falls down for me is the fact that it is really dull. Hardly anything happens. This is pretty criminal and completely unforgivable where cannibal exploitation fodder is concerned. It can be as cheesy as hell but it needs to be fun and entertaining too, which for me, Cannibal Terror sadly wasn't.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

Ach, Cannibal Terror! Its budget is akin to that of Burial Ground for sure but where is falls down for me is the fact that it is really dull. Hardly anything happens. This is pretty criminal and completely unforgivable where cannibal exploitation fodder is concerned. It can be as cheesy as hell but it needs to be fun and entertaining too, which for me, Cannibal Terror sadly wasn't.

The fact you think 50 Shades of Grey is a better film i find a tad worrying.

It's one i'm going to re-evaluate next week i think.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

I'm not even going to mention Bambi - 26/100.

Is there a smiley for 'head in hands'?

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

The fact you think 50 Shades of Grey is a better film i find a tad worrying.

It's one i'm going to re-evaluate next week i think.

I never thought of it that way! It only scores slightly less than 50 Shades of Shit though to be fair.

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I'm not even going to mention Bambi - 26/100.

Is there a smiley for 'head in hands'?

You just posted it!

I can't stand Bambi though (I have a love/hate relationship with Disney in general)... it's way too saccharin overall despite the 'dark' beginning which just makes my stomach turn. A lot of the classic Disneys sit ill with me re: the whole musicals thing. Even at six/seven years old my brother and I used to fast-forward through all the songs when watching Disney films.