What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Lake Placid 2 (2007)

Semi-decent Sci-Fi Channel sequel to the excellent first film. Starring John Schneider and Cloris Leachman.

Pretty much identical in plot to the 1999 original, minus the all star cast and witty dialogue, Lake Placid 2 is let down by terrible CGI work. Adding an extra three crocodiles to the mix might have seemed a great idea in pre-production but the execution was really quite amateurish in places.

When you don't have a big special effects budget, more isn't always the best way to go about things. A pity as there are plenty of exploitative elements on show in an otherwise fun film.

[Demoncrat]

I watched
Fear Is The Key (1972, Micheal Tuchner).

Another revelation. Petrocelli and 'er from Torso restage Vanishing Point in order to please the dad from My Left Foot? A scream from beginning to end, I'm rewatching Torso, as I'm convinced that the outfit Kendall is wearing for most of FITK is the same one from said film haha.


My Science Project (1985, Robert Betuel)
Along with Best Shot and Rivers Edge, this was obviously part of Dennis Hopper's rehabilitation period....can you play a whacked out science teacher baby? Ahem. Film itself tripe, and not as much fun as the slightly similarily themed Solarbabies


Did I mention I watched that Cobra btw?? am still laughing.


The Killers (1947, Robert Siodmak)
Ooooh noir heaven. The dialogue rattles along like a Thompson machine gun etc. Told in a flashback stylee, the story of The Swede, The Bint & the missing $$$ is archetypal in extremis, the naked greed of nearly all the characters barely hidden beneath the surface. You can see why the French wet themselves as it is an existential minefield of raw human emotions. Or maybe I sit too close to the screen sometimes.

Adventures In Babysitting (2016, John Schulz)
Disney rap alert!!! When your lead resembles a defaced picture of Hayden Panettiere, it's not off to a great start. Like, it's a disney channel movie y'know...which I can only surmise are of the same QC as say, Syfy Channel movies etc. Blandly inoffensive to all except misanthropes. She was in Horns as well. And wasn't AIB the UK title any how?? Funny that......

London Has Fallen (2016, Babak Najafi)
GERARD BUTLER needs to save Two Face because the Oscar winner has bled out. GERARD BUTLER stabs a lot of folk, suggests an inner turmoil concerning his sexuality. Morgaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan Freemaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan stretches out a paragraph of dialogue for his moneys worth. Not nearly as much fun as Four Lions

And to end I watched Point Blank (1967, John Boorman)
Where JB takes hollywood by the scruff of the neck and drags it into the out there. Lee Marvin looms....John Vernon oozes insincerity, Sharon Acker gives me the horn again.
Something about money.
Sometimes all I see are the shattered illusions of Capitalism gone to plan, if naked aqcuisition is the only aim. that and a lot of battered women. Hmm to that.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

I watched
Fear Is The Key (1972, Micheal Tuchner).

Another revelation. Petrocelli and 'er from Torso restage Vanishing Point in order to please the dad from My Left Foot? A scream from beginning to end, I'm rewatching Torso, as I'm convinced that the outfit Kendall is wearing for most of FITK is the same one from said film haha.

Did you nod off after the initial car chase? I'm still trying to recall oil refinery's and submersibles in Vanishing Point.

[Demoncrat]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Did you nod off after the initial car chase? I'm still trying to recall oil refinery's and submersibles in Vanishing Point.

Okay, it becomes VP for a good bit though haha. Vrooom vroooom etc. Odd film. Never really warmed towards Newman etc. Fun seeing him play a bastard though haha.

[Demoncrat]

Also watched that Dawned On Them To Make A Justice League Film finally. Liked it.
Affleck notwithstanding. Greying temples doth not import stature.

Doesn't know when to stop...Or paced more like a comic book than most would care to admit??? Nolan on hand with the bleach, Snyder reigns in his slomo fetish at last!! Cavell not as annoying as predicted.
Now if someone with balls would film The Boys......

[Demoncrat]

Originally Posted by J Harker

Currently watching the Fantastic Four reboot. Geez its bad.

Sequel though haha

[Mojo]

TAM LIN

AKA THE DEVIL'S WIDOW, this rarely seen late 60's flick is real who's who of late 60's / early 70's tv and film ( Ian McShane, Stephanie Beacham, Joanna Lumley, Madeleine Smith ) as a group of groovy people staying at the grand house of Ava Gardener.

After a fairly restrained first half hour, it takes a turn for the sinister when the object of Ava's affections ( McShane ) is hunted down like an animal through the forest after being administered hallucinogenic drugs.

Apparently this was director Roddie McDowall's only helmed movie, which is a real shame as it is beautifully directed, with some really stylish touches.

A good candidate for BFI Flipside, this is currently only available via Olive Films lovely looking Region A blu ray. Recommended.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Last week's viewings:

Paperhouse (1988)



66/100


Séance on a Wet Afternoon (1964)



79/100


The Strange Vengeance of Rosalie (1972)



70/100


Streets (1990)



62/100


Last Shift (2014)



65/100


Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)



71/100


The Wolf (Wilczyca) (1983)



63/100


The Book of Stone (El libro de piedra) (1969)



74/100


We Are What We Are (2013)



65/100


The Gift (2015)



69/100


Lake of the Dead (De Dødes Tjern) (1958)



70/100


Mandara (1971)



83/100


The Clone Returns Home (Kurôn wa kokyô wo mezasu) (2008)



79/100

[Make Them Die Slowly]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

I too noticed the barrelful of shite that arrived on Prime a few weeks ago. Normally I have an unhealthy attraction towards that stuff, but I've been feeling a bit jaded recently and just haven't been able to face the prospect of wading through it all yet. If you see anything particularly shitty, let me know.

They have Shane Ryan's "Warning! Paedophile Released" which I was surprised to see.

[Frankie Teardrop]

Originally Posted by Make Them Die Slowly

They have Shane Ryan's "Warning! Paedophile Released" which I was surprised to see.

My my, they have been casting their net a bit widely.