Yeah I think you nailed it. It's a really disturbing movie and I can no longer listen to Sunny by Marvin Gaye without bringing this film to mind.

Hansel & Gretel Witch hunters.


I came to this with VERY low expectations. My main expectation with this one was some sort of underworld-esque slow mo gun fest with poor characterization. While the film is admittedly a lot of what I feared it was going to be, the director seems to have been well aware of the type of film he was making and continually plays up to it. Added to that the surprising amount of nastiness from what I assumed to be a straight up pg-13 action movie and I have to say I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. It's by no means a classic but worth a watch if you find it cheap or on netflix. :pop2:

I really enjoyed both Captain Phillips and Gravity; both were breathtaking thrillers, but there was an honesty - albeit a carefully manufactured one - to Captain Phillips that didn't quite ring true for me in Gravity.

Granted, Captain Phillips is based on a true story, and I would absolutely agree that Gravity is a polished 'ride' whereas Captain Phillips - partly due to Greengrass' one-foot-in-vérité aesthetic - is all gritty intensity, not least due to the terrifically naturalistic and intense performances from the Somali cast. And I would argue Tom Hanks displays the finest performance of his career - while Sandra Bullock is very good indeed, I found the emotional hook to Gravity far more contrived.

The thing for me is that Gravity clearly intends to use its pathos (and succeeds to a degree) early as the crux of the film whereas Greengrass cleverly holds it back, letting the experience creep up on you (and our protagonist) when you're finally able to catch a breath, resulting in some of the most emotionally draining last five minutes of cinema I've seen for ages.

I also found Captain Phillips to be an extremely well made, utterly engrossing and emotionally draining thriller. It says a great deal for Paul Greengrass's direction that the initial attack on mission by the Somali pirates had me gripped, wondering if they were going to take the ship or not!

I only found out about the controversy after seeing the film so it didn't spoil my enjoyment of one of the best films I've seen this year. Like the end of United 93, there were moments of breathless tension and suspense, even though I knew the ending of the story. I also felt Tom Hanks gave one of his career-best performances.

Gravity is a completely different type of film, albeit one principally set in the action and thriller genres. I thought it was beautifully filmed and, because the scenario is plausible (China has shot down at least one satellite in orbit with a missile), I felt it made the film so much better than some of the more recent sci-fi action thrillers.

Sandra Bullock is known of picking turkeys but, with this and The Blind Side, it seems her judgement is improving as she ages! Her performance impressed me as it displayed her range and acting skills I didn't know she possessed. In terms of the 3D, this is the only film I've seen where I thought the stereoscopic element added to the viewing experience as it made space seem huge, things floating in zero gravity (including tears) to have – and I know this doesn't make sense – a greater presence and weight. That said, my brother saw it in 2D and said it was really good and couldn't see how 3D would have made it any better.

Gravity is one of the few films that Mark Kermode said should be seen in 3D!

I admit I saw it in 2D as I simply don't like stereoscopy. I don't think it marred my experience..

To chip in on the Man of Steel debate, the entire third act bored me as it was just endless CGI destruction and the number of civilian casualties would have been enormous. I really enjoyed the scenes between Clark Kent and his adoptive father, with the scenes featuring Kevin Costner being the best ones in the film.

Michael Shannon made a really good snarling baddie but, like I said, the CGI fight scenes quickly became lifeless and boring, looking more like something from a computer game than a feature film.

I'll need to watch Superman Returns again to form an opinion on how it compares to Man of Steel as it's been years since it watched it last. I can say with certainty that Henry Cavill was a better Superman than Brandon Routh, and Amy Adams was a better Lois Lane than Kate Bosworth.

I'm a better Lois Lane than Kate Bosworth. :nod:

I bet she's better looking though!

I think my opinion of man of steel lowered somewhat after seeing Thor the dark world, a MUCH, MUCH better film.

Haven't seen either yet

same here.

Thor dark world is a great slice of comic book cinema and the action scenes are much more coherently directed in spite of being perhaps more elaborate. (i'm trying my damndest not to plot spoil here)

Enter the Ninja German BD

Great cast, the simplest of simple plots, plenty of cheese, plenty of action and plenty of martial arts weapons from when they were still vaguely exotic and interesting. The cock fighting scenes are a bit odd though: "let's have a cock fight!"...smiling adults and children gather round like it's the most wholesome family fun there is.

Fernando Di Leo Collection Vol. 2 (Naked Violence, Kidnap Syndicate and Shoot First, Die Later)

Revenge for Jolly - I gave in and bought the German steelbook. I enjoyed this much better second time round.

Watched the director's cut of JFK yesterday, for obvious reasons, still a powerful and thought inducing film even after all this time

http://scaryhorrorwriter.files.wordp...pool.jpg?w=490

http://d2oz5j6ef5tbf6.cloudfront.net...nk_panther.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Indig-film.jpg

A week off has, in the absence of any real semblance of a life, left me with a lot of time on my hands and a good excuse for a trash fest -

THE CANDY SNATCHERS - This is my second or third time with this one. I think I watched it once when I was drunk. I don't have a real copy anymore, which is a shame because they seem to go for massive £ these days. Anyway, the film is a real sleek bit of nastiness and more than lives up to its reputation as a mean minded wallow in abject cynicism. It has an odd vibe, kind of like a seventies TV movie that finally reveals itself as having been hijacked by a bunch of evil muthas with cut throat agendas and a total disregard for anything good about human existence. It's about a young heiress who gets kidnapped by a trio of incompetents, who, despite being horrible rapists, are practically the most sympathetic characters in the entire flick. Vicious and at points quite sleazy, definitely a seventies exploitation highlight.

SYMPTOMS - Jose Larraz, whilst well known for 'Vampyres', remains vastly under-represented in terms of available formats. I wish someone would give 'Symptoms' and its brethren some kind of official release. Most will associate Larraz with a more full on approach to horror-erotica than is in evidence here, but 'Symptoms' sums up his early - mid seventies work well. More than anything, the emphasis is on atmosphere - low key but somehow suffocating, autumnal and desolate, with undercurrents that seem as highly charged as they are difficult to grasp. Plotwise, it's essentially about a disturbed woman's claustrophobic co-dependence on her female companion in an isolated mansion. In the background lurks a sinister game keeper and a creepy photograph hints at a dark past and nothing much happens apart from a climactic murder or two. This is a languid, dreamy slow burn full of nuance and eerie ambience and will either hypnotise you as it did me or send you scurrying for a copy of 'Black Candles'.

SCALPS - When I think of Fred Olen Ray I think of all those mid eighties comedy horror videos I continue to ignore to this day, but I was surprised to find that 'Scalps' is a different kind of entity, one very much in tune with other times, namely, the raw, grim late seventies / early eighties when horror seemed equally dumb but so much more serious and so much more effective. This is about a bunch of archaeology studes who head out into the wilderness to tamper with some American Indian relics, with predictably dire consequences. What really elevates 'Scalps' (and makes it more than it actually is) is the doom laden electronic score which is nearly omnipresent, and makes the usual stretches of talking and wandering about seem heavy with unease and imminent dread, and immersive rather than tedious. Then there's some pretty strong gore and the kind of slivers of inexplicable weirdness I always like (sudden images of demonic faces, random slow motion etc etc). I'd definitely give 'Scalps' another go, it feels raw and dark, much more so than I expected.

SUPERSTITION - Another early eighties item. This one feels like a small, low budget steering committee sat down and decided to make a pot boiling video nasty - it feels like a succession of boxes being ticked off one by one. Here we have sinister house, some slashing, some stuff about a witch etc etc. This is no bad thing in some ways, because, as clichéd and formula as 'Superstition' is, it at least does what it sets out to in a heads down, no-nonsense boogie kinda way. It's fast paced, full of mindless, mean spirited violence, and perfunctory but sometimes creepy supernatural set pieces, and it's too rough and ready to be the kind of slick opportunism I usually dislike. What it lacks is any real strangeness, but that doesn't divert from its better qualities ie it's fun and entertaining.

THE DEMONS OF LUDLOW - Bill Rebane. I'll just leave those words floating for a while. Anyway, when I was a kid I always used to see this on VHS in discount stores and would think "thank god for my bootleg copy of Cannibal Ferox - this looks like rubbish. What kind of dick would even contemplate buying such a thing?" Years later, for better or worse, I AM that dick and, young Frankie, your loss I'm afraid - although admittedly it takes years of aesthetic downgrading to get one's head around anything like 'The Demons of Ludlow'. There are weirder, more disjointed, more amateurishly surreal bits of horror around - easily - but 'The Demons of Ludlow' gets there. Actually, for a Bill Rebane film it's pretty entertaining in a non-WTF type way, too. That's not to say its meat and drink isn't essentially made up of stretches of unabashed tedium - but the random glowing green hands, cannibal pilgrim ghosts, freaked out doll moments, haunted piano / harpsichord combos, grooveless dialogue, crude (or artistic? Come on) editing and - somehow - genuine stabs of eerie atmosphere - more than make up for dull bits which, as was the case with 'Scalps' somehow still seem portentous and disturbing. I would say that I like, even love 'The Demons of Ludlow', but I imagine someone somewhere could sue me (or at least confiscate my DVD player).

CATHY'S CURSE - As with 'Demons' of Ludlow', this is basically forgotten trash which manages to be somehow evocative and haunting despite itself. Yes, it's an 'Exorcist' type rip off from around that time, but it's not a bland one. It's badly made, badly put together - even the editing looks clumsy and off. The performances and deliveries, again, seem unsophisticated in a way which is off-putting rather than simply laughable or bad. But this is the crucial thing. It's all too easy to buy into the notion of being able to 'take' bad filmmaking ironically - to like it on a kitsch, 'so bad it's...' level - and some elements of any given bad film will predispose reception in this way. But what interests me are those films which, due to such crude, invalid aspects, seem instead strange / distorted / disturbing. Not cheesy fun but... something else. 'Cathy's Curse' is an example of 'something else'. It's just full of strangeness which doesn't make sense. One is left full of questions - why all the long, lingering stares? Why is the mother talking like that? What's with this strangely intense psychic attack in the loft?... etc etc. We all know that these questions have no answers. But I'm glad things like 'Cathy's Curse' exist. They renew my sense of wonder in cinema when I start to get bored. On a separate issue, it would be good if someone like 'Code Red' did a proper version of this, which unfortunately looks pretty shocking in terms of what's available out there. I don't think we'll be seeing to Blu-ray debut anytime soon, sadly.

You can buy a Spanish R2 DVD of the former under the title El Secuestro De Candy.

I found Superstition very scary as a kid and still a fair bit as an adult - underrated movie imho. Funnily enough it's another OOP DVD (in some territories) that can be pricey. You can get the Korean DVD for pennies though :)

I was quite tempted by the Spanish version of TCS - but I've held off from buying it due to lack of hard info. Do you know whether it's any good in terms of PQ etc?

'Superstition' is quite an effective little number and, although it's far from unknown, I'm surprised it's not mentioned more often. I was maybe a little underwhelmed by it this time around, if only because I watched it on the back of some Rebane weirdness (although it's a superior film in every conceivable way to 'Demons of Ludlow' apart from unintentional oddness.) I have the old American AB release from way back.

Pacific Ring A much better experience at home.

Only God Forgives I really liked this. But a warning, the German blu-ray has no English subs for the non-English language dialogue. Might be worth waiting a couple of weeks to pick up the U.K. edition.

The Italian Job Fantastic fun. Anyone know when Get Carter will appear on blu?

I'll let you know when it arrives although I have nothing to compare it to. I was going to hold out for a BD but thought sod it.

HABIT. Excellent look at loss, abandonment, grief and pain filtered through the New York Boho scene of the late 80s/early 90s. It is also one of the best vampire films I have ever seen. Full of New York life and everyday Gothic, this is well worth tracking down. I saw it on Netflix. Highly recommended.

It was years since I saw planet of the apes series prob when it was first aired or repeated, bought the boxset and just finished watching the last episode tbh the ending was a kind off let down thought it would have been better , was a bit weak for a great series also thought that the series started off well but as it went along it slowly went down hill towards the last few episodes .

Is there something you should be telling us?

Interesting but pointless trivia regarding superstition. The unrated vhs release was cut, quite a bit of blood removed. Stablecane released a 'BBFC approved' version retitled THE WITCH which was fully uncut. :loco:

Both me and my friend Adam were dropping serious demands on the poor bloke from ARROW at Grimm up north to release it on BLU.

I have the R1 Anchor bay release and I think i'll watch it tonight!!!


Good reviews as always Frankie. If you liked Superstition may I recommend seeking out the John Hough directed THE INCUBUS. I discovered both films around the same time back in my teenage years of rooting through cardboard boxes at boot fairs looking for interesting horror titles. Scorpion have released the incubus recently in an affordable release on the Katerina label.

Sat down with my daughter for Terminator 2 had forgotten just how good that film is especially in the extended version, currently watching Let Sleeping Corpses Lie/Manchester Morgue not seen it before so a good film to watch late and alone.

You're in for a treat then, one of my favourite zombie films :nod:

I second that. Bought the ABUK disc on a whim from...wait for it!...OUR PRICE!!! (blast from the past?)

Now that's a name I've not thought about for a long time!

Ironically they were always bloody extortionate, but for a long long time they were the only dedicated entertainment store we had in town.

That and Obi Wan Kenobi.

I bought the babycart series, only ever saw the first two before just finished watching the third babycart to hazes, I know the films are just entertaining daft ott nonsense etc, but come on the ending where he took over 75 people on was just way to ott and silly for my likings, kind of ruined it a bit for me .

Ill 3rd it great film and even the dubbing was more than passable

Thanks for the support. I've seen 'The Incubus' and remember quite liking it - I'll have to check it out again soon.

Our price was always the last resort shop for me.

They are good films was just more off that scene than anything just ott REALY.
Never seen any of Zatoichi films wouldn't mind.

Rosemary's Baby UK BD

As masterful as ever. The BD looks nice and natural with some great colours, shame there's no extras though. This film has aged so well it's quite unbelievable to think it was released in 1968 and set in in 1965/66...perhaps the affluent Manhattan setting helps in this respect. Many films of more recent vintage seem quaint, corny or unintentionally amusing nowadays but after nearly five decades Rosemary's Baby does not suffer from this.....even the surreal sequence of the baby's conception retains it's effectivity. The moral ambiguity, nuance, atmosphere and Rosemary's gradual discovery of the truth all contribute to making this an enduring piece of cinematic storytelling that will hopefully stand the test of time for another 50 years.

Next up Mia's sisters magnum opus Anthropophagous :lol:

Ban the Sadist Videos

Even more jaw-dropping than Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide . Evilspeak had scenes of DOS computer commands on a monochrome monitor cut?? :confused: :doh::crazy::frusty: