What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[keirarts]

DePalma

A documentary on director Brian Depalma in his own words as he looks back on his career and his experiences in the industry with some humour, sadness and irony. If you like his films then this is worth a watch, its on Amazon Prime right now, free to watch.

[SymbioticFunction]

Originally Posted by trebor8273

Statham makes a great action hero and of the few films I have seen with him I have enjoyed immensely. Will have to try more of his films.

I only own one Jason Statham film. 2008's Death Race. A guilty pleasure for sure but I would still recommend it.

[LaughingWindows]

Surprisingly this one hasn't soured my enjoyment even though I have seen it umpteens times since it was released. Entertaining as hell, some unique looks/characters, visually holy shit! comes to mind, and I rather like this world we get to see and be a part of for a short earthly time onscreen. 8.5/10

Just love this flick, I would go full on gay for Ryan Reynolds and its a definitely 9.5/10...took off .5 needed more tits, ass, and turned up to ultraviolent.

[Frankie Teardrop]

SATAN'S BLOOD – Seventies Spanish exploitation about a couple who are seduced into occult practices by another, more witchy couple. It has some atmospheric creepiness about it, and there's a degree of Eurosleaze on display I guess, although that amounts to little beyond some people getting nude in a house. Wait on, there is a fairly lurid ceremonial sex murder at the start, so it's not all vanilla. Still, 'Satan's Blood' is at its best when it comes to moments of irrational, dream-like imagery, like the porceliene doll that keeps cropping up, and the strange shots of the devilish couple furtively eating dog food (or human flesh in a plastic bowl, perhaps).

EVILSPEAK – Set in a military academy, where a young misfit discovers he can access demonic powers through t'internet (or whatever the equivalent was back in the days of eighties blocky graphics). I've never been much of a fan of 'Evilspeak' for the simple reason that, aside from a handful of scenes, it's pretty boring. All that high school persecution stuff was done much better in films like 'Carrie', and the rad concept of a computer / satan crossover feels a little stale now and doesn't really carry it. However, in its favour there's some tasty gore in the blow-out bonanza at the end, and I'm always partial to some porcine nastiness. Just could've done with more of the good stuff.

THE EXTERMINATOR – Lean, down and dirty thriller with a Vietnam Vet who's had enough of how rubbish everything is in early eighties NYC. It goes for street level grit and realism, but doesn't forget to include the sheer melodrama of a man being fed into a giant mincing machine. One of the best of those early eighties vigilante exploitation flicks.

PREVENGE – From the great Alice Lowe, 'Prevenge' is about an unborn child wreaking revenge on a set of slimy characters through the medium of its mother. It's a black comedy, and there are some laughs, but the tone is actually pretty bleak. At its core is the loneliness of rainswept, rootless urban existence, with Lowe going from sleazy hotel rooms to appointments with faceless perinatal services in between kills. There's a lot in it, lots of questions, about gender divide and the social administration of bodies. But it's not a Ken Loach film, and does tend to revel in splattery murder from time to time. Maybe I've read it wrong, but was the ending a muted, English-suburban nod to 'Ms 45'? Whatever, 'Prevenge' gets my vote.

[Make Them Die Slowly]

The Mechanic: Resurrection

Sub Bond/Bourne/MI shit blowing uppery. That said, it is enjoyable trash especially as the more ludicrous it becomes the more serious the film takes itself.

Jurassic World

Top notch, balls out trashorama that builds to a mini Destroy All Monsters, MMA dinosaur Battle Royal. Fun.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Make Them Die Slowly

The Mechanic: Resurrection

Sub Bond/Bourne/MI shit blowing uppery. That said, it is enjoyable trash especially as the more ludicrous it becomes the more serious the film takes itself.

Jurassic World

Top notch, balls out trashorama that builds to a mini Destroy All Monsters, MMA dinosaur Battle Royal. Fun.

I love Jurassic World. Why? Well you sum it up exactly. I was practically whooping for joy in that smackdown at the end.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The Howling (1981)

How is this better than An American Werewolf in London?

Give me Marsha over Agutter any day of the week!

[Rik]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I love Jurassic World. Why? Well you sum it up exactly. I was practically whooping for joy in that smackdown at the end.

Me too, took my boys to see it at the cinema and pre-ordered it as we were leaving, never understood the hate it gets, I'm looking forward to the sequel

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Stake Land II: The Stakelander (2016)

This film must surely be in the running to win the award for the most awfully titled sequel ever.

That point aside, I found it to be pretty serviceable. A lot of people seem to dismiss it as not being as good as the first Stake Land, however, I was never a huge fan of the first one, but for whatever reason was inexplicably drawn to this when browsing through Netflix's horror offerings.

It's flawed in as much as it suffers from a rushed ending tacked onto a slow, lingering build-up. The main villain is also a bit wasted and there are some repetitive flash-backs, which without the seemingly rushed final act wouldn't have been so apparently repetitive.

Fairly enjoyable if only as a one-watch curio for those who've seen and enjoyed the first film.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

I Am the Pretty Thing that Lives in the House (2016)

This surprised me in as much it seemed to buck the trend in how the majority of ghost stories seem to be presented nowadays where modern horror cinema is concerned. The way it plays out reminded me of an extended BBC Ghost Stories for Christmas tale, whereby setting, mood, characterisation and atmosphere are pushed to the forefront rather than cheap effects and bombastic set-pieces.

Recommended to those who like their ghost stories a little more atmospheric and jump-scare free.