FRIDAY THE 13TH (the remake) - For me, the highlights of the F13 series were the zany ones, but I suppose this remake is trying hard to harken back to the time before it all just turned to laughs. It was made when the genre was returning to a bleak mean-spiritedness - it's from 2009, year of torture porn and arguably the fag-end of all that French extreme stuff - so the pokerfaced gore approach makes sense. Shame then that director Nispel can't carry off the grim tone that elevated his 'Texas Chainsaw' remake. If the shadowy mood and woodland vibes convince for a spell, they have to contend with the opposition; characters are insipid, the plot too conventional, and, between the gore and sleaze, the whole thing just plods a little. It's never less than nice to look at in its 'visual horror tropes of the 2010s' kind of way, and the bottom line with the director's films, even the execrable 'The Asylum', is that they're stylistically quite immaculate, but this felt like a missed opportunity to play around with something more bracingly nasty.

SPECTRES - Back with the late eighties Italo. It amazes me that this stuff hasn't been mined dry yet, not that I'm complaining. And how could I complain about a film of its provenance starring Donald Pleasance? It seems that some consider 'Spectres' a bit of a bore, though. True enough, if all you're after is non-stop, then you might feel shortchanged by this wander through the catacombs and its dime store demonic ascent. What it has in spades is atmosphere, weird incidentals and higher-order stupidity, which are really all I'm after when it comes to this end of things. Allowing for that, there's plenty to ponder / marvel at - odd, out of place HR Gigerisms, a small plaster face extending a maggot tongue, weird silhouettes dancing on a wall in a very eighties-lit room, Donald Pleasance in a leather beret. You may find yourself recoiling at the notion of the latter but it's part of what moves me to give this one a big thumbs up.

MAYA - This is 'Spectres's companion piece on the recent Vinegar Syndrome double-disc release. It's by the same director, another horror film, this time set in Mexico, where a small town is beset by a Mayan curse. I quite liked the fact that for much of the time I couldn't really tell what was going on or where it was heading, lulled by the sultry vibes and my slight sense of perplexity at seeing Carlos Castaneda quoted in a late-era Italian trash horror flick. As is almost always the case with this kind of thing, far better to switch off the rationalising mind and just go with the strangeness, whether it comes in the form of an eel barfing ceremonial, tripped-out talk about the other side of mirrors, or pyramids aglow with late eighties optics. Something about the pace didn't quite connect with me, but this is still solid goof with plenty of oddball goodies.

The Task. 2011.

Six people compete in a reality show set around a abandoned prison are being stalked and killed.

A bit of a low budget that is near on same par as Halloween Resurrection except we don't have a famous rapper bustin' out some fighting moves on the antagonist. For a low budget B movie the acting is quite convincing although one or two of the characters you are literally begging to be killed off early. Perfect setting in a prison that sets the tone for something, dark, atmospheric, claustrophobia and nearly a maze to figure out along with the task and some decent kills. I haven't watched this in a fee years and forgot how entertaining it is.

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The Enforcer

Dirty Harry is back and on the trailer of a Domestic Terror group and this time he's partnered up with a Female Inspector (Tyne Daly) obviously he's happy about that. I really enjoyed this with Clint Eastwood's trademark sarcasm and scowls of disdain an highlight.



Nice Guys

Comedic Film Noir which sees Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling on the trail of a missing woman who is being pursued by a Hitman as she is trying to blow the whistle on a conspiracy which involves Porn Stars and a Film. A decent effort with some dark humor such as a neighbor accidentally getting shot as Crowe moved out the way and a Hitman's target just flags him down.

Excellently review, Dem, where you clearly explained why I think it's such a remarkable film and watching it to be an emotional experience.:clap:

Strangers: Chapter 1

A couple on a road trip end up in a remote Cabin but come under attack from a trio of masked Killers. Apparently this is the first part of a series and the title suggests that there won't be a conclusion. TBH, if you've seen the original Stranger Movies, then you don't really need to see this as it's so predictable, then again if you are well versed in these type of Movies, then it's nothing you haven't seen before.

If

A girl starts seeing Imaginary Friends whose previous humans have grown up, so she teams up with Ryan Reynolds in order to try and pair them up with new friends. It's not a bad little Film but there are some slow parts. Lou Gossett JR. provides a voice in what I think is his last role.

The Prey (1983)

A beautifully shot Californian nature film with some bizarre slasher inserts thrown in to bulk things out to eighty minutes.

Pharaoh's Curse. 1957.

A archaeology expedition team are being killed off by a a crazed Egyptian.

For some reason this one was never really shown that much or seemed to be forgotten about, but do remember seeing it, perhaps on the Legend channel, it is a take on the Mummy franchise and it isn't...doesn't make sense to me either. The mummy in this isn't quite wrapped up in bandages but does have a scary face if you let kids watch this. 66 minute running time seems a bit standard for this one, if it was longer running time then the film would certainly drag on to the point of being boring. Some good set designs in this considering the year and budget mixed in with some decent acting.

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That is one of those nondescript Arrow slashers that I had to double check if I have seen it (or own a copy), no to both lol, probably won?t bother now :)

I actually really enjoyed it once again. Yes it's padded out ridiculously - there's a conversation between two park rangers about cucumber sandwiches and the lead ranger, kind of the films hero, has his own porch front banjo playing musical interlude as well as telling a joke to a young fawn...and then there's the tons of beautifully shot HD nature footage.

Somehow it works though. There's an air of reality about the characters, as if they are real people not shitty actors in a shitty slasher film. I love the camp fire sequence. The camera drifts in and out of conversations in a way similar to Altman's superb opening of McCabe and Mrs. Miller. .

The finale is a genuine gripper and shocking to boot. I know my single line review was jokey but it's a film i've seen twice now and will return to in the future. For example, i'd prefer to watch it over The Burning any day.

Here's my review from Christmas 2022.

Comparing it to Altman has made it even worse haha but the rest of your review sounds OK lol.