What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[keirarts]

Milano calibro 9

Gaston Moschin plays Ugo Piazza, a low level crook just released after serving time for a botched Robbery. He's soon approached by an old Friend Rocco played by Fernando Di Leo regular Mario Adorf. Rocco's working for the biggest gangster in Milan, the American. The American has a nasty reputation and believes Ugo has run off with $300,000 of his money. The police also seem to believe this, thinking his botched robbery was botched on purpose. Even his old flame Nelly, played by Barbara Bouchet thinks he stole it. However Ugo is adamant that he hasn't and is desperate to persuade everyone he's reformed and looking to go straight.
A damned fine crime drama from one of the best creative forces in Italian cinema and a genuine king of the Poliziotteschi. Milano Calibro is widely considered his best film. Less 'pulpy' than a lot of other crime films being produced, Caliber 9 comes early in the cycle at 1972. Essentially replacing the Spaghetti western, which while not quite dead had already had a good run (Di Leo had written a lot of westerns at this point, including uncredited work on the first two Dollars movies) the crime movie took a lot of the amorality and violence of the western and transposed it into contemporary Italy, much like Dirty Harry did with the American Western. The beauty of the film comes from the well rounded characters, the films cynical attitude to relationships and the darker sides of human nature, as well as a twist that reveals the film to be a magnificent slice of cinematic poker face with its audience. Also worth noting is the crisp dialogue that actually seems to translate well and injects some social commentary and politics into the mix. Also Luis Enrique Bacalovs marvellous score which is genuinely incredible so I'm linking here....



The Italian connection.

Mario Adorf returns here playing low level pimp Luca Canali. A large shipment of Heroin goes missing and Don Vito Tressoldi decides to pin it on Luca. The American side of the operation sends two hitmen, Frank played by Woody strode and David played by Eurocrime stalwart Henry Silva. The two men are dispatched to Italy to find Luca and act as American as possible to make an example of Luca and warn others not to mess with them. A brutal game of cat and mouse between Luca and the American's ensues with a terrified Luca genuinely not knowing why his life is being gradually destroyed piece by piece.
Not as good Caliber 9, though still a damn fine movie. It seems to remove a lot of the politics and characterisation of the previous film in favour of more action. It essentially feels like a really good version of the sort of films pretty much every Poliziotteschi would become. Di Leo handles action perfectly and the film is thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Excellent work, Keirarts.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The Abominable Snowman (1957)

Botanist Peter Cushing decides to join the exploration team of crass American Forrest Tucker on a dangerous expedition into the depths of the Himalayas to attempt to find the legendary Yeti.

Coming hot on the heels of The Curse of Frankenstein, The Abominable Snowman is something of a triumph. Based on a Nigel Kneale play (Kneale's Quatermass films had done great business for the company earlier in the decade), this subtle psychological horror is as much about the interplay of Cushing and Tucker, two men with vastly opposing views as it is the horror of the Yeti. Tucker's wish to capture the creature and put it on show and exploit it whilst Cushing, ever the nice guy, thinks research is more important.

As it turns out the creature is more than a match for both of them as it manipulates the men via their thought process with shocking results.

The film, directed by Val Guest, is tense and supremely atmospheric. The film uses eerie claustrophobia to convey it's frightening sense of paranoia that makes you forget the stock footage and occasionally fake looking studio set mountains and grabs you by the short and curlies in one of Hammer's very best and most unnerving horror films.

[trebor8273]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Wither's poor Treb. Don't go there. It's like an annoying Evil Dead from Sweden.

Removed from watchlist.

[trebor8273]

While the film never reaches the heights of the stylish opening in which a young woman guns down and burns a group of nuns in a monastery, we have a enjoyable and silly low budget horror that involves the usual group of teens going to the monastery and unleashing bunch of demonic nuns and getting possessed. We also have a bunch Satanist that are also in the monastery. Highlight is Adrienne Barbeau who is a cross between Ripley / Lara croft and Ash William's. 7.5/0

Now watching blood beat (1982).

[Cinematic Shocks]

The Ritual (2017)

***1/2 out of *****

My Friend Dahmer (2017)

**** out of *****

[MrBarlow]

By the sword 1991

Max Suba takes on a job at a fencing school run by Maestro Alexander Villard, both with a past they both aware of will come back to haunt them both in a confrontation.

This was a great movie that involves a sport that you don't see much in films, a good introduction to a sport you don't know anything about.

Eric Roberts and F. Murray Abraham give to great performances as the two main actors who use their knowledge of the sport to outwit each other.

The film depicts in some sports movie with revenge, ego boosting, honour, finding love, trial and tribulations within their personal life. 10out of 10.

[keirarts]

Originally Posted by trebor8273

Removed from watchlist.

I would actually suggest giving wither a go. At the time I thought it was better than the evil dead remake.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by keirarts

I would actually suggest giving wither a go. At the time I thought it was better than the evil dead remake.

That wouldn't be hard!

[keirarts]

The Boss

Henry Silva returns, this time playing mafia hitman Nick Lanzetta who almost wipes out an entire rival family for his boss. The survivors begin to regroup and get revenge, thus ensues a bloody gang war.
Proof again that Di Leo is a great action director. This time he uses the rival families to critique institutionalised corruption. The mafia family as a microcosm of Italian society is an interesting idea that underpins the whole film. Even if your approaching the film with no interest in subtext you get a mean, violent and thoroughly entertaining film that never wares out its welcome. Certainly recommended.

Rulers of the city.

A cocky young debt collector, Tony, working for a small time operation scams one of milan's top bosses. Teaming up with Rick, played by Al Cliver, the pair screw 'Scarface' Manzari played by Jack Palance out of a shit ton of cash. Much to the horror of Tony's own boss who realises the pair have dragged him into real trouble. Eventually Scarface takes over Tony's gang and the pair must make a play to take down scarface or be destroyed themselves.
Another entertaining crime movie with one of the most entertaingly bloody final act in Eurocrime with a gun battle at a disused abattoir. Di Leo here throws everything into the mix including people on meathooks, exploding cars and lots of black humour.