What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Deadite]

You had me at werewolf movie and Sean Pertwee. Got to go some to live up to Dog Soldiers though. Also, he obviously dies. He always dies. He's the new Sean Bean. What's with all the Sean's always dying?

[Cinematic Shocks]

Revenge of the Ninja (1983)

Cheesy B-movie martial arts action fun. Good old Cannon.

*** out of *****

[Cinematic Shocks]

Natural Born Killers (1994)

One of my favourite films of the '90s.

**** out of *****

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Beat Girl (1959)

Rebellious teen Jennifer (Gillian Hills) flouts against her father and new stepmother by going to the Off Beat coffee bar in Soho where she meets other rebellious youths including a super cool Adam Faith and Oliver Reed. When the stepmother (a rather beautiful Noelle Adam who's only 24 in this film so not the usual stepmother stereotype) discovers Jennifer at the coffee bar a long lost secret comes to the fore, a long lost secret involving the strip joint across the road.

No beating about the bush, i absolutely adored Beat Girl. I really wasn't sure what to expect having bought the BFI release mainly due to it having Cross-Roads, a supernatural 20 minute film starring Christopher Lee as an extra. However what a joy this main feature was. As lively as anything in recent memory the story sped along introducing loads of interesting characters including Lee as the ever so seedy but charming owner of the strip joint, and Shirley Anne Field as Dodo one of Jennifer's hip friends who gels beautifully with Adam Faith at times as both show off their musical prowess. Faith in particular coming across as a British James Dean with a guitar rather than motorbike, singing several songs around the table. This might not sound especially cool, but it's definitely rock n' f'n' roll and some of the highlights of the film.

For the late fifties some of this film is quite shocking. There are several strip tease sequences, a reckless road race which reminded me of Carnival of Souls from three years in the future, and most surprisingly of all a game of chicken where the group of friends lay with their heads on a railway track as the train approaches, something which is deemed a no-no now and quite disturbing for it's time.

Once you get past all the fun and frivolity Beat Girl offers a strong and gritty social commentary on disenchanted youth which still applies now some fifty odd years later. It's a film that's cool yet sleazy and all the better for it.

Beat Girl is highly recommended viewing.

There! I typed a few words about it and managed to avoid saying daddy-o once.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Beat Girl (1959)

Sounds interesting. How does it compare to some of the later 'kitchen sink' dramas like Look Back in Anger, Billy Liar, and Saturday Night and Sunday Morning?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs

Sounds interesting. How does it compare to some of the later 'kitchen sink' dramas like Look Back in Anger, Billy Liar, and Saturday Night and Sunday Morning?

I can't say as i haven't seen any of those films. This isn't a kitchen sink drama not by any means.

It's more at home with the likes of The Wild One and Rebel Without a Cause.

I thought you already had this, Nos. I thought you collected the more interesting BFI Flipside releases. I must be thinking of someone else.

[nosferatu42]

Glad you liked Beat Girl Dem, it's a film i saw years ago on TV (think it was on Moviedrome) and loved it at the time, really need to get that BFI disc soon.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by nosferatu42

Glad you liked Beat Girl Dem, it's a film i saw years ago on TV (think it was on Moviedrome) and loved it at the time, really need to get that BFI disc soon.

The disc is packed. There's a decent array of extras including the Lee film already mentioned and a couple of nudie shorts from the period.

With this, Psychomania, The War Game / Culloden, Penda's Fen and Symptoms (Which i own but haven't watched yet) the BFI are probably going to be my label of the year...again.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

I'm ten minutes into The Babadook (2014)

I'm not sure i can put up with this wailing brat for another 80 minutes.

'Mum...mum...mum...look at me...mum...look at me'

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I thought you already had this, Nos. I thought you collected the more interesting BFI Flipside releases. I must be thinking of someone else.

Probably me.