Season of the Witch (1973)

A film that's quickly becoming my favourite Romero film. Season of the Witch is less of a horror film and more a psychological study into sexually frustrated, alcoholic, housewives.

The horror influences are minimal, mainly nightmarish dream sequences, the type of which you only ever see in films from this period. Along with a terrific central performance of repressed sexuality by Jan White, the film shows an understanding of traditional witchcraft and the uses of potions and spells and being at one with nature rather than the demons and covens that other films like to portray as witchcraft. It's also interesting that the use of witchcraft is seen as a metaphor for female empowerment. I loved the use of dog leads in this and the difference the empowerment had in it's symbolism.

Romero builds atmosphere from the off and by the second half it's practically stifling, claustrophobic, blending reality with the abstract in that fractured way indie cinema of the late sixties and early seventies specialised in.

I've not seen this since the Redemption VHS days, alas, the discs are packed away somewhere so it will have to wait, I have 100's more films unpacked to watch anyway :)

Really kinda want to watch this one though lol.

Inside (2007)

Inside is the best example of new wave French horror cinema from the early 2000's, bar none.

The final fifty minutes of this eighty odd minute film are an exercise in frenetic, extreme, violence. It's nightmarishly claustrophobic, intense as f*ck and gut wrenchingly brutal. If you don't squirm when one character has her stomach cut open with scissors then i'm not sure you are still alive.

Quite simply Inside is pure, relentless, visceral terror!

Carnage. 1984.

A newlywed couple move into a new house where a couple died years earlier.

Low budget haunted/cursed house film from Andy Milligan that does start off well, then slowly declines down to being more funny with the cinematography and bad editing when the ghost appears and some bad decisions. I'm sure if you sure if you stop it at some places and rewind back you can see strings on objects. The acting isn't spectacular as some of the actors haven't appeared in anything else. For laughs its watchable but not to be taken seriously.

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The Big Bus. 1976.

A new nuclear operated bus makes it's first journey from New York to Denver along with a assortment of odd passengers and mishaps.

This was a spoof of disaster movies, even commentated at the start of the films giving out nods to other disaster movies. Why has this not been given a proper release as it was made before Airplane and full of side gags, good one liners that are still comical and a very funny bar fight with milk and a candle. Plenty of noticeable bunch of actors and even Jose Ferrer as a scheming bad guy who is sorrounded by idiots.

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H.M.S. Defiant (1962)

A rip roaring British Naval adventure. High on budget and even higher on excitement as Alec Guinness' Captain spars with Dirk Bogarde's sadistic First Officer.

Everything you could possibly wish for in seafaring adventure is onscreen. Mutinous crews, moral dilemmas, blazing Naval battles, floggings, fire ships, you name it, it's here. (Well, apart from pirates. Sorry).

Gripping from first to last.

Highly recommended.

Draft Day, Crime Story & Dredd
 

Draft Day

Kevin Costner stars as an American Football team GM who on the day of the NFL Draft is given the opportunity to obtain the number 1 pick overall. As an American Football fan, I find this film to be completely riveting and can watch it multiple times.

Crime Story

Jackie Chan is a Detective out to find a kidnapped businessman. This is one of Chan's more serious movies with some crazy stunts. If you can pick it up on sale, then it's worth a go, not full price though.

Dredd

Rather bonkers adaptation of the Comic Book, nice and violent story of Dredd and a rookie officer who have to go into a block of flats to capture a criminal but have to contend with numerous gangs out to stop the. Loved how this got released around the same time at the cinema as The Raid.

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THE HIDEOUS SUN DEMON (1959)

Dr. Gilbert McKenna is exposed to radiation after an accident. Now, whenever exposed to sunlight he turns in to a murderous reptile like creature..

Low budget creature feature with good acting by it's lead man Robert Clarke as the tormented monster.
The creature make up is also very good.
Enjoyable drive-in movie type fun. I remember this film on home movie Super 8mm.

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An American werewolf in London. 1981.

Two American backpackers travelling around Britain are attacked on the moors, one is killed and the other becomes a werewolf.

Aside from The Howling that came out the same year, this one deserves a bit more recognition...why? John Landis took things to the extreme with the transformation sequence seriously with the help of Rick Baker making the the change from man to wolf scary and seeing the change point of view style.

David Naughton and Griffin Dunne seem to have the great chemistry as good friends and plenty of banter and laughs between them, even Jack's make-up every time we see him he is changing into a zombie that only David sees.

Jenny Argutter plays the nurse David shacks up with (who wouldn't) and seems to think David is traumatized about Jack's death. John Woodvine plays the doctor who thinks the villagers are hiding something.

There is suspense in the film especially in the underground after the first change and it goes to point of view from the wolf's advantage to a split blink and miss 3 seconds of seeing the wolf. Then the grand finale with the wolf terrorizing London's Piccadilly area with everything at a panic, innocent people involved and blood. Top Notch Film that wasn't appreciated by me years ago now i love it.


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American Werewolf has one of my all-time favourite lines, from Woodvine:
"If there was some kind of monster roaming about the Yorkshire moors, I'm sure we'd have seen it on the telly." :nod::lol: