What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[MrBarlow]

Above Suspicion. 1995.

A policeman paralyzed in the line of duty, depressed with his situation plans the perfect death scenario with his wife and brother, both unaware of his true intentions.

Christopher Reeve plays top detective Dempsey Cain who's wife Kim Cattrall is having a fling with Dempsey's brother Edward Kerr and plans to come out of his depression state with a fool proof plan. Joe Mantegna plays the policeman who does his own investigation after a crime and believes the innocent party aren't so innocent. This was a nice slick thriller that comes with a twist and then handed another twist and tense moments during the court scene. The acting is brilliant right from the start to the end credits and has a great steady pace.

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[Frankie Teardrop]

BECKY – Young brat has a bit of an attitude, though no-one expects her to be the next Rambo till she starts romping around the woods, offing escaped cons – quite resourcefully in the case of her ‘metal ruler through neck’ gag, a masterpiece of outdoorsy improvisation. The cons are Nazis and generally despicable in other ways, just in case we weren’t sure of who we were meant to be booing / cheering. I thought it was pretty fun. There was a bit where it seemed to wander a little, but all in all scores a good few points for somehow managing to seem fresh-faced and breezy whilst being intoxicatingly violent and a bit cynical.

LORDS OF SALEM – I’ve often thought of LOS as R Zombie’s strongest work. Revisiting it I’m not so sure, but I think it’s his most interesting in many ways. The vibe of subdued menace he seems to be courting – shadowy lighting, long perspectives down mildewy corridors, washed-up people living washed-out lives – partially manifests, but he lacks the subtlety to really bring it off, there’s too much that is still quite tropey. On the other hand, there are so many mad little bits, especially towards the end, with its Ken Russell inspired extravaganza of wanking, Francis Bacon-esque demon bishops etc etc. Maybe he’s at his best with vivid grotesquery, but ‘Lords Of Salem’ shows he can (sort of) do both.

CAVEAT – Guy meets an underworld acquaintance and takes a job. It’s a bit weird though – go to a house on an island in the middle of nowhere and babysit someone’s psychotic daughter whilst tethered to a harness on the end of a chain. I think I’d want to see the contract first. ‘Caveat’ is an exercise in sustained atmosphere that for the most part works. The two leads are good, but in a sense the main ‘star’ is its setting, a big rotting house that is the last word in shadowy decrepitude. As well as sickly lighting and endless corridors there are lots of little hooks, like the hostile-looking rabbit toy that rattles away on a drum whenever anything supernatural might be happening. It doesn’t quite add up (at all, actually), but I generally take feeling and style over sense, and in that respect ‘Caveat’ is a moody success.

[MrBarlow]

Tales That Witness Madness. 1973.

A psychiatrist introduces a colleague to four patients and tells him the stories on how they got admitted.

Mr Tiger.
A young boy caught in the middle of bickering parents creates a imaginary friend who may not be imaginary at all.

Penny-Farthing.
A antique dealer inherits a bike that has the capability to travel back in time and has a haunted picture of the previous owner.

Mel.
While out jogging, a man brings in a tree stump to his house and wants it as decor but his wife becomes jealous with the time he is spending with the tree.

Luau.
A novelist staying at his publicist house prepares a Luau but has other plans to hold the party.

Before becoming another psychiatrist and screaming he shot someone six times, Donald Pleasance plays the lead doctor along with colleague Jack Hawkins who is introduced to some patients. As always there is a interesting twist to the segments then comes another twist to the main story. Freddie Francis did try his best with the plot and some decent acting but at times it feels like writer Jennifer Jayne was lacking in create suspense especially in the last segment. This will be re-watched.

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[J Harker]

The Banshees of Inishiren. Martin McDonaugh. 2022

An odd one this. Something, I'm not sure what intrigued me yesterday. Sat round feeling sorry for myself while recovering from a godawful gutbug I found myself reading up on this on IMDB. Next thing I'd found out it was available on Disney plus and off we go.
Now I've yet to see director Martin McDonagh's acclaimed first feature film, In Bruges, I will address that in due course. Banshees is an oddity of a film, all it took was the basic synopsis to grab me I suppose. Two lifelong best friends, Pàdraic and Colm, live on the remote island of Inishiren off the West Coast of Ireland in the 1920s. One day Colm out of nowhere, and with initially no explanation, tells Pàdraic he doesn't want to be his friend anymore. More, he doesn't want Pàdraic to even speak to him anymore. The problem being this is a small one pub island with an isolated extremely insular although not necasserily close-knit community.
I'm not sure what McDonaghs film is. Other than the blackest of comedy. It's in some ways takes the frame of a thriller as Pàdraics initially innocent, sweet, and understandably hurt reaction means he endeavours against his best mates wishes to repair whatever has caused the rift, in doing so only driving the wedge further in and taking us into the realms of psychological horror, while the film is admittedly never blatantly horror. The setting, a beautiful rugged island stunningly photographed is absolutely dripping in atmosphere, it absorbed me in another world. As we delve further into the two men's psyche we start to understand perhaps their true character and dare I say a glimpse of all humans under certain circumstances. The isolation of the island making everything more focused and present, impossible to ignore.
I'm rambling. The two friends, Pàdraic and Colm are brilliantly realised by Colin Farrel and Brendan Gleeson respectively. I'm not normally a fan of Farrel, I don't massively dislike his work, I just find it largely meh. Here he excels. Gleeson is always worth the money and plays this to perfection. A thoroughly miserable bastard who's aspirations of something better and bigger only see him becoming something smaller and lesser.
The characters motivations are I suppose a little unclear, Colm at least, and this could be seen as a flaw. The ending itself also left me wanting a little more, though i think thats the point. Anyway I very much enjoyed The Banshees of Inishiren and I have my take on what's going on, while I've no wish to spoil anything and don't feel the film can be discussed too much without doing so. Special mention must be given to supporting players Kerry Condon and especially Barry Keoghan as respectively Pàdraics sister Siobhan, the only character with the guts to actually do something about her life instead of just moaning and Dominic the perceived village idiot who also has his share of darkness going on and is probably the character most deserving something better.
The Banshees of Inishiren, I highly recommend this sad, tragic but darkly and very funny tale which for me at least borders on a more subtle type of horror. Though please don't go in expecting any of the above

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Nice write up, JHarker.

Banshees is a film that intrigues. The general premise doesn't really appeal - the two friends falling out - but still it intrigues.

I love McDonagh's In Bruges. For me along with Shoot 'em Up (2007) it was one of the most entertaining films of the 00's. However Seven Psychopaths which came out a few years later i thought was, for want of a better word, rubbish.

[J Harker]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Nice write up, JHarker.



Banshees is a film that intrigues. The general premise doesn't really appeal - the two friends falling out - but still it intrigues.



I love McDonagh's In Bruges. For me along with Shoot 'em Up (2007) it was one of the most entertaining films of the 00's. However Seven Psychopaths which came out a few years later i thought was, for want of a better word, rubbish.

Seven Psychopaths is the only one of Martin McDonaghs films I'd seen previously. It was ok but felt like wannabe Tarantino with the whole film sort of hung on the scene of Christopher Walken refusing to put his hands up at gunpoint. At least that's all I can remember among all the inane dialogue.
It left me with no interest whatsoever in ever revisiting it. In Bruges on the other hand I now want to watch.
And no, the idea of two friends falling out in and of itself is neither here nor there. Its the abruptness and the setting that intensifies the scenario, along with the brilliant performances of the four main cast, it's very much a mood piece as well I found. I think you'll like it Dem. While I've yet to see In Bruges, Banshees couldn't be further away from Seven Psychopaths.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by J Harker

Seven Psychopaths is the only one of Martin McDonaghs films I'd seen previously. It was ok but felt like wannabe Tarantino with the whole film sort of hung on the scene of Christopher Walken refusing to put his hands up at gunpoint. At least that's all I can remember among all the inane dialogue.
It left me with no interest whatsoever in ever revisiting it. In Bruges on the other hand I now want to watch.
And no, the idea of two friends falling out in and of itself is neither here nor there. Its the abruptness and the setting that intensifies the scenario, along with the brilliant performances of the four main cast, it's very much a mood piece as well I found. I think you'll like it Dem. While I've yet to see In Bruges, Banshees couldn't be further away from Seven Psychopaths.

You've sold it to me.

I'll add it to the never ending Blu-ray wants list.

[J Harker]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

You've sold it to me.



I'll add it to the never ending Blu-ray wants list.

I'll pick it up myself in due course when the price comes down, which it will soon enough.

[MrBarlow]

Night Wolf. 2010


Sarah returns to her family home, what should be a happy reunion with her siblings turns into a night of survival.

We got Gemma Atkinson from Hollyoaks, foul mouthed Tom felton from Harry Potter, Gabriel Thomas from My Family and Simon MacCorkindale in his role. There was no high hopes for this being a great horror, the characters are not very likeable although the actors go with what they have been given. The creature effects is low budget and some form of hybrid mutation that's completely bald, where it falls flat at the end with no real explanation but you do guess who it is. Maybe a re-watch will happen.

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(Aka 13 hours)

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by MrBarlow

Night Wolf. 2010


Sarah returns to her family home, what should be a happy reunion with her siblings turns into a night of survival.

We got Gemma Atkinson from Hollyoaks, foul mouthed Tom felton from Harry Potter, Gabriel Thomas from My Family and Simon MacCorkindale in his role. There was no high hopes for this being a great horror, the characters are not very likeable although the actors go with what they have been given. The creature effects is low budget and some form of hybrid mutation that's completely bald, where it falls flat at the end with no real explanation but you do guess who it is. Maybe a re-watch will happen.


(Aka 13 hours)

Seen this on dvd three or four times now and it doesn't get any better but i still watch it. I know that really doesn't make sense. Haha!!