Surely it should be spinning 360 degrees.

I wouldn't worry about it, B_E & Dem have been telling the same joke for years, that Near Dark is a better vampire film than the Lost Boys :)

No Contest (1994)

Surprising Die Hard knock off set at a swish hotel's beauty pageant. Starring Shannon Tweed, Andrew Dice Clay, Roddy Piper and Robert Davi.

How is it surprising?

Well despite it's Playboy hogging star and a bevy of beautiful women parading around there's no sex or nudity, in fact Tweed can't wait to discard her slinky dress and swap it for non-revealing trouser and top outfit. Davi, so often the bad guy gets a heroic turn for a change, but the film's main surprise is that it's actually pretty decent. Action packed, bloody and rather enjoyable - this was my third time and i'm sure it won't be the last.

Never heard of this I must try get a copy sounds like a great Friday night movie to kick off the weekend.

Grab a beer and i'm sure you'd enjoy it Nordy.

Did you pick it up online I just checked Amazon and its $27.

I've owned it a few years now.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Contest-D...rds=no+contest

Cheers Dem popped in my basket for the weekends orders.

I'm really pleased you had me look for you.

I discovered another Nico Mastorakis film on Hollywood dvd which i don't own. - In The Cold of the Night.

All the Mastorakis films on Hollywood are really good quality, despite it being a real budget label

The film itself sounds like a gialli starring David Soul, Tippi Hedren and Shannon Tweed. :woot:

Glad I can help you spend your money :lol:

:lol:

:nod: From what i've seen, Island of Death is Mastorakis' worst film.

Just looked up his filmography like the sound of Ninja Academy. Its Police Academy with ninja.

The Black Torment.

A lord heads home to his country estate with his new wife to discover a double is loose in the countryside raping and killing and the townsfolk are blaming him. To make matters worse, his previous wife who had taken her life has been witnessed pursuing him on horseback crying out "murderer"
Black Torment is a suitably creepy, if somewhat tame gothic horror with a great script and a solid plot, it could have used a little more claret but overall is well worth picking up. Odeons Blu-ray looks excellent.

Curse of the crimson alter.

Loosely (and I do mean loosely) based on H.P Lovecrafts dreams in the witch house, COTCA involves an Antiques dealer heading out to a country estate to find his missing brother only to find himself haunted by dreams of the witch Lavinia.
Curse has a fantastic cast, four icons of Horror appear Christopher lee, Boris Karloff, Barbara steele and Michael Gough. It looks astonishing with vivid colours throughout and a suitably trippy dream sequence. However its somewhat marred by a pedestrian script that doesn't really do justice to anyone involved. Still worth watching however and Odeons blu-ray is terrific.


Lady stay dead.

A perverted gardener decides to rape his latest client, when she objects to this he drowns her in a fish tank. Rather than cheese it once he come back to (relative) sanity he hangs about the place and his victims sister turns up for a visit. Pretty soon the nutty gardener (who reminded me somewhat of Vic reeves bouncer character in the club) is playing a deadly game of cat and mouse with her.
In spite of its sleazy premise, lady stay dead is actually something of a minor classic. It uses one location and a limited cast to great effect and really ratchets up the suspense. It's a real shame code reds blu-ray is such a pain in the arse to get as the film is terrific and a real must see.


Brotherhood of death.

Three Vietnam veterans return home to find their community plagued by Klansmen set on rape and murder. Our heroes try to find a peaceful solution to the problem through voting, then they seek out the sheriff. Finally when all else fails the decide to go to war!
Looking at reviews on-line some were unimpressed with this film, however I actually rather enjoyed it. Watching KKK members get their comeuppance is much like the cathartic thrill of seeing Nazis get it. Its hard to feel bad. Its a terrific little actioner that's been on lots of 50 film sets by virtue of the fact its a crown international picture. However, code reds blu-ray is fantastic quality.

It's no joke – it's the truth!

What's with you and no more collection update videos? I quite enjoy them, seems like you've not done one in ages.

Yeah, I've stepped away from my Youtube channel. Been focusing on my final year at university, only one month to go now. After that, I'm considering coming back. :)

Attachment 160360

After spending some time in a mental institute Jessica her husband and a close friend head to the country to live a nice quite spot away from the noise of New York. On arriving in their new home they find a young woman called Emily living in the house that she taught was abandoned but instead of asking her to move on they ask her to stay for the night.

Jessica still hears voices and sometimes she sees things she is not sure if they are real or not. Jessica tries her best to act normal so husband and friend believe she is cured but how long can see keep her pain and suffering from the people she loves.

While swimming in the lake behind the house Jessica sees the body of a young woman floating in the water when she goes for help the body has disappeared is Jessica loosing her mind once again or is something more sinister going on.

This is a very slow paced psychological chiller that really has a way of getting under your skin its very hard to explain why but it makes you feel a little uneasy and cautious. Maybe its the great performance of Zohra Lampert who plays Jessica. You really believe her and what she is going through. Jessica is a woman struggling to hold on to reality some times she seems to be winning more often than not she is loosing and loosing badly. Great film with plenty of chilling atmosphere and the constant voices whispering to Jessica really emphasizes the chill factor.

Film 8/10

Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) on the horror channel

Was expecting to like this much more than I did.

5/10

Then checked Euraka's Blu-Ray release of Fritz Lang's Spies (1928). Didn't like it nearly as much as Metropolis but still greatly enjoyed it and it contains some standout visual sequences, especially the thrilling train sequence near the end.

8/10

Sightseers (Ben Wheatley). I do like this film, a British road trip to hell really....

See No Evil, Hear No Evil (Arthur Hiller, 1989).
Poor reteaming of Wilder & Pryor. RP swears a lot, GW does his patented softie act. Screamingly 80s as well (in a bad way). Can see why I passed at the time....

Sweet House Of Horrors (Lucio Fulci, 1989)
Charming tale of murder and redemption. "Sausage is dead!!" :pound:
Not as captivating as House Of Clocks imo.

Yeah, I also prefer House of Clocks; easily the best of the 'House of Doom' films.

The Invisible Man (James Whale, 1933).
Another film that is one of my defaults. Rains' mania is a highlight of the Universal era (along with "Saul Femm"!!) for me.

First Universal/Horror i ever watched and still one of my faves. Saul Femm is Whale's Old Dark House isn't he? A film that really needs a nice HD transfer.

COME DOWN. A disgruntled pigeon fancier goes on a murderous rampage against the urban youth of London. As the pigeon fancier sub genre goes, it's not too bad with a nasty little ending.

Watched Arrow's release of Pit and The Pendulum

I have to say, I think this has overtaken Usher as my favourite Poe/Price/Corman film.

9/10.

Yes he is. Sadly that's never going to happen, as twas "lost" for years, and this is the best we will get :frusty::cry:

Now if only they had lost the fricking remake!!

Ahem. And breathe.........

As mentioned, I've dugged out the auld VHS.....

1st into the slot was Fear Chamber aka Torture Zone (1968, Jack Hill/ Juan Ibanez).
Another of Karloff's last films, my favourite being Targets....er, sidetracking!! GET ON WITH IT!!

This Mexican tale of a plasticene looking "prehistoric" beastie needing "the blood of terrified women" is on a par with the Coffin Joe films that I've seen. Recommended, if indeed ye can find the bugger.

The Rollerblade Seven (Donald G Jackson, 1991) MIA Video.
Mere words alone cannot begin to explain the sheer ennui this "film" creates within me. Like all of Scott Shaw's work (I highly recommend his Samurai Vampire Bikers From Hell!!) It belongs to another universe entirely. Watch! as blonde bints rollerskate up and down! See! A metal samurai do sweet FA! Andy Milligan has nothing on this guy, guy.

Tonight Vipco's The Diamond Mercenaries!! big box, 89 min :lol:

How's everyone doing, not been here for a while, lots to raise, here's 12 randoms.

It Follows - Just phenomenal, stands tall with Rec and Let the Right One In as one of the best horrors of the last 10 years - the soundtrack is incredible, it's well acted, compassionate, visually beatiful, above all it's actually scary - I'd forgotten what that's like.

Lemora A Child's Tale of the Supernatural - Classic oldie, the subconscious sexual id of a virginal choir girl made manifest in a dreamscape of vampires, zombies, leering paedos, gangsters and dead children - suffice to say would not be made today and we're all the worse for it.

The Gangster - Peak 1947 noir but not genre typical - more about soul searching than shooting. Barry Sullivan is a hood on the skids and his demise happens in ultra slow motion. Intriguing.

Ride In the Whirlwind/The Shooting - The Criterion double bill is a must get - 2 full on Westerns which deliver genre thrills but within a trippy existential framework, especially The Shooting which unravels in a bizarre fashion. Throw in the likes of Jack Nicholson, Harry Dean Stanton and Warren Oates and you're on a winner.

The Guest - plays like a nutty 1980s Cannon video tribute - must admit I found it a blast. Ending rips off Lady in Shanghai which I didn't expect.

Singapore Sling - I'd forgotten how beautiful this film is - it's stunning. Like a film noir playing inside the head of a sexually deranged lunatic. Next to Begotten it's the strangest movie I've ever seen and one Arrow should move heaven and earth to release.

Violent Saturday - solid if a little insubstantial heist flick that looks amazing in the recent blu ray.

The Leopard - wanted to see this for ages and it didn't let me down - Burt Lancaster gives great doomed majesty, every shot is a beauty - the 3 hours fly in.

The Man Without a Past - Aki Kaurismaki essentially makes the same 2 films again and again - the social realist tragi-comedy and the absurdist surreal comedy - this is a great example of the former - almost a parable in living a good life. If that sounds dull, trust me it isn't - you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll tap your toes.

End of Watch - pretty good cop show although I resented being hammered over the head about how great the LAPD is, some shades of grey would've been welcome. Music and glimpses of the Mexican cartels depravity are excellent.

Exotica - my first Atom Egoyan and once I got into his groove, I loved it - very idiosyncratic storytelling style, one that demands repeat viewings but it's not wilfully obtuse - the sensory and visual pleasures are also immense. Will check out more of this guys stuff.

I recently watched this too and echo your sentiments.

Great to have you back, Joe. :)

I think this must be one film ive watch so many times i lost count. Never get bored of it and watch it 2 3times a year. Def wiorth the cult staus just dont make gang etc films like anymore which is a bit sad really because to me this is a must watch and own film.

The Night of the Sunflowers (2006)

Spanish thriller with a non-linear story line where unconnected strands slowly come together as the movie progresses, on the lines of Two Days in the Valley.

The story involves the rape of a woman potholer and subsequent events, involving murder, mistaken identity and corruption. The film's strength is in the script, direction and acting. As characters come and go we learn to care for them despite their often morally dubious decisions and the tragic consequences which follow. To go into any more detail would spoil events for anyone who might wish to see this.

Night of the Sunflowers is a fine example of contemporary Spanish film making and plays out in a very intelligent, thought provoking and involving fashion.

Highly recommended.

I recently watched Night of the Sunflowers too, Dem. Good to see that you enjoyed it.

Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes from 1938.

7/10.

Entity (2012)

A tv crew and a psychic travel to a remote Siberian woodland location where 34 bodies were found in a shallow grave. Once there things take a turn for the worse and it seems not all the bodies were exhumed.

The opening hour works quite well. Much of the suspense is built up through Dervla Kirwan's portrayal of the psychic and some lovely eerie sounds in the woods. In fact it made a nice change having established actresses such as Kirwan and the up and coming Charlotte Riley onscreen in a film such as this, making the whole thing a seemingly more credible film than the majority of other low budget shaky cam movies.

What started out as an entertaining piece, filmed in both movie and shaky cam style, unfortunately veers off into the tried, tested and boring. Wandering through dark factories with the camera pointing at the floor during the interesting parts.

It's for this 'seen it all before' reason that i can't recommend Entity, even though it's better than many in this genre.

BIG STAR: NOTHING CAN HURT ME. Excellent documentary on the genius that was the band Big Star. However the highlight of the film for me was the stuff on Alex Chilton's post BS work with The Cramps, Tav Falco's Panther Burns and Chilton's own wonky masterpiece of self imploding rock n roll "Like Flies on Sherbet".

That's very kind mate, good to be back- any other Egoyon recommendations welcome, or should I get the complete box for 28 sqidgers? Hmm

The Voices - Loved the concept - Look Who's Talking meets Henry - thought the first 45 was pretty good but sad to report the plot has nowhere to go after the second murder, things peter out and no amount of final credit razzle dazzle can disguise it. Could've been a contender.

The Dark Corner - Noirsville again but strictly a second stringer - Mark Stevens as the tough guy is sub Alan Ladd (himself sub Bogie), Lucille Ball (yes that one!) fails to sizzle as the love interest, only the ever reliable William Bendix and oily Clifton Webb log in the memory. OK - call it a 6/10.

Billy Wilder Box Set - I took it upon myself to watch every last one of BWs movies - only two duds out of 26! Latest viewings -
Irma La Douche - proto Amelie Parisienne fairyland, can't go wrong with Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine circa early 60s, although JLs 'Lord X' muggery is the very point amusing meets bloody irritating.
The Emperor Waltz - Bing Crosby blandfest, cute dog, crap patter - lovely technicolor but little else - completists only.
Five Graves to Cairo - efficient little war movie but, apart from Erich Von Stroheim as Rommel, it doesn't linger in the memory.
The Fortune Cookie - one thin gag (Jack Lemmon faking an injury for insurance payout at Walter Matthaus behest) stretched over nearly 2 hours - My least favourite Wilder.
Kiss Me Stupid - there's an inspired middle section here, with Dean Deano Martin and Kim Novak trading on the knuckle double entendres and sending themselves up at the same time. The marital dilemma bookends not so hot, but overall a goody
One, Two Three - Jimmy Cagney is inspired in a rat a tat gag fest set in the West/East Germany border - exhausting but great.
The Spirit of St Louis - Does what it sets out to do - convey the sheer magnitude of flying non stop from St Louis to Paris. Jimmy Stewart is just the man for all American heroism. Unfortunately there's no room for any angles - it's a really well done portrait of a heroic act but not so much of the hero himself.

Le Quai Des Brumes - simply gorgeous French doom noir from the not so auspicious year of 1938, it's as evocative as the whiff of Gitanes and Pernod with a roaring salty sea in the background and fog all around. The portrayal and ultimate deployment of the two villains is masterful. A true classic. That last shot haunts me.

Paradise -Love - Where other directors cut away Ulrich Siedl zooms in - he specialises in extended excruciating scenes of social horror. This tale of 4 fat Austrian woman on a Kenyan sex safari has more than a few - it's compulsive squirmy stuff. The hotel room 'birthday party' scene will be difficult to remove from my brain. This movie is a little overlong, a little repetitive but I'm really glad I saw it.

All Through the Night (1942)

Humphrey Bogart is a Broadway promoter who stumbles on a plot to sink a new American warship by Nazi spies.

An action packed, funny and thrilling noir propaganda piece where the all American hoodlum always comes out on top. However that's far too easy a description because All Through The Night has a top cast of both US and European character actors. Along side Bogey we get Conrad Veidt, Peter Lorre, Jackie Gleason and Phil Silvers - one and all too good for a war time propaganda throwaway.

The film's main selling point is Bogart of course who displays perfect timing in a performance filled with comedic nuances even though the subject matter is not. The film rattles along at a roaring speed with many twists, turns, fights and car chases along the way making All Through The Night an unexpected gem.

Trainspotting :rockon:

Tower Block (2012)

Several months after witnessing a murder, residents of Tower Block 31 find themselves being picked off by a sniper, pitting those lucky enough to be alive into a battle for survival.

An absolutely riveting one locale, low budget masterpiece. What starts off as a gritty story of social dysfunction and kitchen sink realism of a dilapidated urban tower block of nightmares soon becomes a tense, exciting, horror / thriller.

The film's pacing is excellent with never a dull moment onscreen, largely due to the edgy direction, taught script and a fine ensemble cast including Sheridan Smith, Russell Tovey and Ralph Brown, who carry it all off with aplomb.

I was genuinely gripped from first to last.

Highly recommended.

Amazingly I have so far watched 151 films this year but this will be the first I've mentioned on here this year.

So far today, a re-viewing of The Bride Wore Black (1968) a somewhat overlooked film by François Truffaut, an incredibly stylish, if slow paced, revenge film. It isn't explosive, over the top, its the little things, the characterisation and thoughtful plot that makes this film amazing. One of my all time favourite films.

about to watch rabid which I've not seen before, will post my review on this and what else I have watched this week, tomorrow