What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[MrBarlow]

The Pearl Of Death. 1944.

When a valuable Pearl with a sinister past is stolen, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson begin investigating why the Pearl and murders are linked together.

This one seems to have more suspense than the other Holmes movies i Have seen and quite a good build up of thriller mixed with the comedy element with Holmes and Lestrada who thinks how a person can fall and break their backs until Holmes tells him how it was done and by who. Even with his reputation at stake. Dr. Watson seems to know how to stick up for his colleague. Rondo Hatton plays the accomplice "The Creeper" who seems to like lurking in the shadows, even though he says no dialogue his presence on screen makes him menacing enough.

the-pearl-of-death-poster.jpg

[MrBarlow]

The Spider Woman. 1943.

After a string of apparent suicides dubbed by the papers "The Pyjama Suicides" Holmes fakes his death so he can get in close to the puzzle and pits his wits against the culprit, a female Moriarty.

This was highly enjoyable film in the series added in with more suspense and tension in some scenes and with Holmes knowing about the murders while on holiday and knowing how to create a perfect way to go unnoticed and donning a disguise that even Dr. Watson can't recognise his colleague. Gail Sodergaard plays the lead femme fatale who enjoys a game of cat and mouse with Holmes as they try to stay one step ahead of each other.

the-spider-woman-poster.jpg

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

I've seen Flawless three times over the years Nos, and when it's not seen for a while it still thoroughly engages me each viewing.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I've seen Flawless three times over the years Nos, and when it's not seen for a while it still thoroughly engages me each viewing.

That's good to know. Because I've only just seen it and have many films which either haven't watched or want to watch a second time, it'll probably be a year or so until the DVD is played again. I hope my rewatch experience is the same as yours and, like you, I find it thoroughly engaging.

[nicholasrope]

The Public

Emilio Estevez stars and directs this tale of the standoff between Police and the homeless people who took over a Library in order to keep warm during extreme cold weather. Christian Slater and Alec Baldwin co-star in this decent effort which makes really valid points but leaves things open-ended.

The Video Dead

Classic 1987 Horror Film in which 2 Teens find a Television which allows whatever is on-screen to come out. Obviously a film called Zombie Blood Nightmare plays a lot. Nice and gory as I remembered it.

Girlhouse

A University Student ends up working as a Webcam Girl in a house wired with cameras and other girls. She ends up attracting the attention of a serial killer who is computer savvy.

This is probably one of the best straight to DVD films in a while (Also better than some Theatrical Releases), there are some really nice kills and they did make the killer rather clever (As in he was smart with Computers as well as seeing through what the B/S the girls say to him)

Whenever it comes to straight to DVD films , I read reviews to see what the reactions are and one of the most of them mentioned the lack of nudity from the lead Actress. I think that this was scripted that way because with all due respect to Ali Corbrin, I would have imagined that there would have been other Actresses that would have done the role (There were 3 scenes where there should've been) plus she was in American Reunion.

Warrior

One of my favorite films in which Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton star as Brothers who end up in a MMA tournament. This is very similar version of the first 2 Rocky films in which you see them go through the trials and tribulations of training and family life.

[Demoncrat]

Tex Montana Will Survive! (2015, Jeremy Gardner, Christian Stella)

After getting caught out in a lie, a tv host battles the wild unknown to a hilarious end. You could compare this with Repulsion (if you worked for Sight & Sound maybe hahaha), as tis a character study of a sort. A very silly one for all that.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Horror Express (1972) ★★★★

Because of its similarity to the famous Agatha Christie novel and the short story Who Goes There?, this could have been called Monster on the Orient Express – it's a film with a group of characters representing a cross-section of society and a creature which, like Christian Nyby and John Carpenter's films, could be anyone.

The obvious highlight of this is the interplay between Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, the latter mourning the recent death of his wife, and the film is often at its best when the two men are on screen together with Lee commanding attention through his sheer presence and Cushing busying himself around the set, always doing something interesting.

When Terry Savalas appears as a Cossack policeman, Kazan, years a definite scene stealer, swigging (and gargling) vodka and appearing to be having the time of his life. In their supporting roles, Silvia Tortosa and Helga Liné are very good, though credit must go to Olive Gregg who does the English dub for both characters (and at least one other), making them sound different and distinctive.

It's a film which looks very good and, because of the exterior shots, model work, score and sound effects, it's easy to believe everything takes place on a train. This adds to the atmosphere with a sense of claustrophobia which wouldn't exist if the events will take place in such a confined environment.

This is a film I like a lot and have seen many times – the Arrow Video Blu-ray disc I watched today is my second purchase this format because I have the Severin Films release as well. One of the few things I don't like is the title because I wish they'd used the Spanish title: Panic on the Orient Express.

[gag]

Originally Posted by nicholasrope

The Public

Emilio Estevez stars and directs this tale of the standoff between Police and the homeless people who took over a Library in order to keep warm during extreme cold weather. Christian Slater and Alec Baldwin co-star in this decent effort which makes really valid points but leaves things open-ended.

The Video Dead

Classic 1987 Horror Film in which 2 Teens find a Television which allows whatever is on-screen to come out. Obviously a film called Zombie Blood Nightmare plays a lot. Nice and gory as I remembered it.

Girlhouse

A University Student ends up working as a Webcam Girl in a house wired with cameras and other girls. She ends up attracting the attention of a serial killer who is computer savvy.

This is probably one of the best straight to DVD films in a while (Also better than some Theatrical Releases), there are some really nice kills and they did make the killer rather clever (As in he was smart with Computers as well as seeing through what the B/S the girls say to him)

Whenever it comes to straight to DVD films , I read reviews to see what the reactions are and one of the most of them mentioned the lack of nudity from the lead Actress. I think that this was scripted that way because with all due respect to Ali Corbrin, I would have imagined that there would have been other Actresses that would have done the role (There were 3 scenes where there should've been) plus she was in American Reunion.

Warrior

One of my favorite films in which Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton star as Brothers who end up in a MMA tournament. This is very similar version of the first 2 Rocky films in which you see them go through the trials and tribulations of training and family life.

Girlhouse
Tbh a bit of a sad situation when ppl are More focused on the nudity or lack of it than the film itself.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

The Color of Money (1986) ★★★★

As I'm a big fan of The Hustler and Martin Scorsese's films, I've no idea why it's taken me so long to see this Scorsese-directed sequel to Robert Rossen's brilliant 1961 multiple Oscar-nominated film.

With excellent performances from Paul Newman, Tom Cruise, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio,, superb direction from Scorsese, brilliant editing from Thelma Schoonmaker, and an extremely good soundtrack and music by Robbie Robertson, the film is technically brilliant.

It doesn't quite have the same relationships between the principal characters which made The Hustler so engrossing, though the tension between Newman's Eddie and Cruise's Vincent comes close to the rivalry 'Fast' Eddie had with Jackie Gleason's Minnesota Fats.

Even without the same small setting and claustrophobic photography – you could almost smell the cigarettes, sweat, and whisky when watching The Hustler – the journey (physical and mental) the characters take here is interesting and exciting, and Cruise really impresses with his skills on the pool table.

Overall, it's a very good film with some dazzling sequences and, though it's probably second-tier Scorsese – it's no Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, or Goodfellas – it was a film I thoroughly enjoyed and will watch again soon.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

The Case of the Scorpion's Tail (1971) ★★★★

When Lisa Baumer's (Evelyn Stewart) husband is killed in an aeroplane tragedy, she discovers that, as the beneficiary of his will, she is now very wealthy. Unfortunately, other people know about her inheritance and are after the money to the point that her life is in danger. Meanwhile, the insurance company wants to check out the legitimacy of the claim and dispatch PI Peter Lynch (George Hilton) to investigate. Joining forces with a reporter, Cléo Dupont (Anita Strindberg), Lynch is determined to discover the truth about Baumer's death before he is killed by the razor-wielding killer who has taken an interest in Lisa Baumer.

This is a really well written giallo by Ernesto Gastaldi and Sergio Martino provides taut and stylish direction, smartly using the locations (London, Athens, and the Greek coast) to make the film seem exotic and exciting. With a cast of European cult film stalwarts (Stewart, Hilton, Strindberg, Alberto de Mendoza, Janine Reynaud, and Luigi Pistilli), this is a cleverly plotted and interesting giallo.

This is the first time I'd seen it since 2011 and, to be honest, I'd completely forgotten how events unfolded and even the killer's identity and motive so it was, to all intents and purposes, like watching it for the first time.

I thoroughly enjoyed and put it on again to listen to the commentary. I have put the disc to one side for now because I want to watch it in a few weeks with the English language track (I watched it with the Italian audio) – it'll be interesting to see how I find a second viewing in the span of a month or so and what difference a change in language makes.