What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[MrBarlow]

Bloodsport. 1988.

Military officer Frank Dux decides to leave and take part in a full contact martial arts tournament in Hong Kong.

My second childhood intro to Van Damme after No Retreat No Surrender (even though he had a small role), here he takes the lead role with his style of fighting, the acting may be naff but you gotta love the styles of fighting that is used and the soundtrack. Bolo Yung meets Van Damme for the first time even though he has been beaten up by Bruce and Brandon Lee. Donald gibb plays the other American who provides some laughs and comedy moments. After seeing this film it did encourage me to take up the sport and my journey to watch other martial arts movies.

bloodsport.jpg

[Justin101]

That new Mallrats (1995) bluray from Arrow looks so amazing, the transfer and encoding is top notch!

This film is one of my favs, it'll always have a special place for me. I was in college when this came out on VHS and it was THE film you had to see that no-one else had really heard of, this and Dazed & Confused (my other fav). I had seen Clerks first though and at the time it was just those two and although stylistically they are quite different, at the heart of it they're very much the same!

[Demoncrat]

Future Schlock (1984, Chris Kieley, Barry Peak)

A silly thing. When a revolution results in the losers being corralled into a ghetto, only a nightclub act can save the day. It's NOT a musical (songs yes BUT ) and it's Antipodean so strap in etc. I laughed, so I'm happy. One I hadn't heard of. There are some

[nicholasrope]

The Beyond

A woman inherits a Hotel but it's one of the 7 Gateways to Hell therefore a lot of strange happenings (Mainly gruesome deaths) occur. One of Lucio Fulci's efforts, it has some really great and gory deaths (Especially the ones involving the Spiders and the Dog) This would have been one of my favorites, especially one of my favorite Video Nasties, if the script was better. I do wonder if Fulci had an obsession with eyeballs being popped out.

Saw VI

Another gory entry in the series, this time we find out that Jigsaw's Ex-Wife is involved. Certainly someone has a vivid imagination regarding the idea's for the traps.

Scream

The Film which revived a Genre back in the 90's. Someone is murdering Teens after calling them first. Neve Campbell is the heroine who the killer is targeting but keeps on surviving. This is one of my favorite films (And series) I just love it. That opening scene with Drew Barrymore is just incredible and sets the tone, this is one film I would have loved to have seen at The Cinema. What also helped was that it's been awhile since I've seen this and it did feel like it's watching it for the 1st time even I did remember some but not all it.

Cannibal Holocaust

One of the most notorious Films of all time which sees a Professor goes to The Amazon Jungle in order find a Documentary Film Crew who went missing while looking for Cannibal Tribes, After returning to New York with film footage, Television company watches the footage, I don't need to say much more. Other than the animal cruelty this is one of my all time favorite Movies, it's just incredible. This is the original Found footage Movie and is cleverly constructed. I swear if that Theme Song was on a more mainstream film, it would be up for Awards.

I remember a comment someone made stating pity of any uninitiated person watching this film not knowing what the are in for. Also I love that Trailer that Shameless Films did for their release of this Film, it made it look a nasty film.

I do wonder if a 4K Version is on it's way to being announced soon, not sure who has the UK Rights anymore.

[MrBarlow]

Terminator: Dark Fate. 2019.

A new Terminator teams up with Sarah Connor to protect a girl who's fate is to save the human race from a A.I. system called Legion.

Is it just me or is the franchise sloping a bit? The Terminator was a brilliant film, Terminator 2 was just as better, Terminator 3 was mediocre, yes I did like it, Salvation I didn't enjoy it and Genisys went down a different path but not the greatest. This totally messed up the franchise, completely by-passes the third film. . After stopping Skynet, Legion came online, bye bye human race as per usual, hello new saviour, new re-programmed Terminator and new protector. Aside from Linda Hamilton and Arnie coming back, the special effects are on form but that's about the best things about this film, at 2 hours and 2 minutes felt like this film was longer.

Terminator_Dark_Fate_poster.jpg

[MrBarlow]

Gwendoline, 1984.

Gwendoline arrives in Hong Kong with friend Beth to search for her father and find a rare butterfly, hire a guy to be their escort and find challenges in their way.

This is definitely one of those movies that's so bad it's good, the plot seems so stupid that it can never be taken seriously, even in some parts its very campy and the dubbing is out of sync with women trying to speak with a deeper voice, but at least there was plenty topless women in it that was worth waiting for, even Tawny Kitaen was a bit shy but Zabou Breitman was happy to get her top off in the rain.

442f8f2aa2f54d318a90cf91baace77f.jpg

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Seven Bloodstained Orchids (1972)

Gave this Lenzi classic a rewatch again last night - very good.

However i was SHOCKED to notice the whisky product placement was White Horse.

WHERE ON EARTH WAS THE J&B ???

[MrBarlow]

Taste the blood of Dracula. 1970.

Three distinguished English gents accidentally resurrect The Count and kill his disciple. Count Dracula seeks revenge by killing the men using their children.

This one basically starts where the previous film finishes, Dracula was impaled by a cross and screams while dying and a shop peddler witnesses his demise and scopes up his cloak, clasp and blood. Roy Kinnear plays the peddler, even if it is a small role he does take the part serious and wishing that the devil may take good care of them.

Geoffrey Keen, Peter Sallis and John Carson play the respected men by their families who seek excitement on Sundays in a back street brothel and coerced by Lord Courtley played by Ralph Bates for something new for them to try and unaware of Courtley's intentions to bring back Dracula played By Christopher Lee. For some reason Christopher Lee as Dracula doesn't really get that much too do, but whenever on screen his presence or quick flashes has some hypnotic pull making you wish he had more screen time.

Decent latter-day hammer effort that has very good production values and some solid performances on show. The polished Victorian sets standout with sharp detail and great use of shadowy and dim lighting for its Gothic atmosphere. The make up and effects may be outdated by today but they are still effected and enjoyable to watch.

H0472-L191277447.jpg

[Demoncrat]

Horror High (1973, Larry N Stoufer)

So now you know what Harry Hill's cat was up to before his tv fame
Ahem. A nerd finds an unusual way to "get ahead". Austin Stoker pops up as an irascible copper, which was nice. Some fun here with the dialogue etc. Not very graphic though. Can't have everything!

[MrBarlow]

Demons of the mind. 1972.

A doctor discovers two teenager locked in a room by their father and discovers dark secrets while trying to unlock the father's mind.

This is an astonishing film, a near success in every way, a truly thoughtful horror film with a dark twist that is played out well. The story concerns an aristocrat who believes his family line is infested with bad blood. He had married a peasant woman to offset this, and the villagers hold a ceremony to extract the evil.

The house, like most other Hammer horror films gloomy, Gothic and is a metaphor for the mind. It is literally a prison, but also a labyrinth, mirroring the maze created by the disjointed gazes of the occupants. There are some amazing long shots of the house's inside, haunting, vastly empty, a mind off balance.

The acting is on top form even from Patrick Magee as the self proclaimed psychiatrist who opens the mind of his patient and discovers what secrets the father hides as well as trying to cure the children if they are possessed or living a fantasy. Certainly worth a watch.

demons+of+the+mind.jpg