What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[ArgentoFan1987]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

Ok. Also watched Slaughter High. How old was Caroline Munro when she did this?? Terrible shite. And I know from terrible shite

I think she was in her thirties! I loved it. It IS shite, but it's incredibly entertaining, fun shite!

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Byzantium (2012)

Upon the wind swept shores of a desolate coastl town stands the guesthouse Byzantium. Its doors newly reopened by Clara (Gemma Arterton) and her daughter Eleanor (Saoirse Ronan). They plan to turn the hotel into a brothel. However the two hold a 200 year old secret, a secret so dark it may just be the end of them.

The hotel Byzantium in the seaside resort of Hastings reminds me of the hotel in Harry Kumel's 1971 masterpiece Daughters of Darkness. It practically has its own aura of Gothic ambience penetrating the south coast resort of the 21st century. For all its Quaint picture postcard qualities Jordan shows us the Hastings we don't wish to visit - dark, wet, sleazy and violent. He uses the towns landmarks and sea front to brilliant effect. For me however the comparisons don't end there. Jean Rollin's expressionistic horrors also spring to mind, especially in the beach scenes, Jordan splashes the desolate stormy sands with splashes of colour, in much the same way Rollin does.The other main similarity is Jordan's own film Interview with the Vampire. The film is related to the viewer through the younger vampire Eleanor much the same way as Louis talks us through Interview. Byzantium also has the same pitfalls as Interview in that the Eleanor / Louis character is far less interesting than the older vampires they are sheltering with, in this case Clara, and Lestat in Interview. Other similarities are the way the vampires puncture their victims, and the way the two vampires are always on the move. Hounded from place to place and finally succumbing to their own kind in a bloody showdown.

Jordan's use of music is inspired. Often sparse, without crashing symphonies for false scares. The poignant piano sequence is a beautiful relaxing moment in a film that mostly allows no compromise.

Although Saoirse Ronan carries the bulk of the film its Gemma Arterton's Clara thats the star of the show. Clara gives the film bite, dripping grimy uncompromising sex, playing out her nights as a dancer then prostitute in an attempt to provide for the two of them. If Clara provides the grubby sleaze then Ronan's Eleanor provides the films beautiful ethereal quality. Her budding romance with a local lad is laden with a melancholic sadness that few films manage. Together Ronan and Arterton make a stunning mother / daughter combination in the finest vampire film in years.

[Invid Ninja]

Really glad there has been some positive buzz for Byzantium as I missed it in cinemas. Sorry to you guys if I haven't posted anything substantial recently, been busy settling into my second uni year.

But on the horror front I did recently watch for the first time both Let The Right One In and Deranged; both were very good.

[ArgentoFan1987]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Byzantium (2012)

Upon the wind swept shores of a desolate coastl town stands the guesthouse Byzantium. Its doors newly reopened by Clara (Gemma Arterton) and her daughter Eleanor (Saoirse Ronan). They plan to turn the hotel into a brothel. However the two hold a 200 year old secret, a secret so dark it may just be the end of them.

The hotel Byzantium in the seaside resort of Hastings reminds me of the hotel in Harry Kumel's 1971 masterpiece Daughters of Darkness. It practically has its own aura of Gothic ambience penetrating the south coast resort of the 21st century. For all its Quaint picture postcard qualities Jordan shows us the Hastings we don't wish to visit - dark, wet, sleazy and violent. He uses the towns landmarks and sea front to brilliant effect. For me however the comparisons don't end there. Jean Rollin's expressionistic horrors also spring to mind, especially in the beach scenes, Jordan splashes the desolate stormy sands with splashes of colour, in much the same way Rollin does.The other main similarity is Jordan's own film Interview with the Vampire. The film is related to the viewer through the younger vampire Eleanor much the same way as Louis talks us through Interview. Byzantium also has the same pitfalls as Interview in that the Eleanor / Louis character is far less interesting than the older vampires they are sheltering with, in this case Clara, and Lestat in Interview. Other similarities are the way the vampires puncture their victims, and the way the two vampires are always on the move. Hounded from place to place and finally succumbing to their own kind in a bloody showdown.

Jordan's use of music is inspired. Often sparse, without crashing symphonies for false scares. The poignant piano sequence is a beautiful relaxing moment in a film that mostly allows no compromise.

Although Saoirse Ronan carries the bulk of the film its Gemma Arterton's Clara thats the star of the show. Clara gives the film bite, dripping grimy uncompromising sex, playing out her nights as a dancer then prostitute in an attempt to provide for the two of them. If Clara provides the grubby sleaze then Ronan's Eleanor provides the films beautiful ethereal quality. Her budding romance with a local lad is laden with a melancholic sadness that few films manage. Together Ronan and Arterton make a stunning mother / daughter combination in the finest vampire film in years.

Usually when I hear about a new vampire film, I think "Twilight" a, and end up avoiding it! This actually seems quite good, though.

[tele1962]

Baron Blood (Export Version Arrow) bloody great stuff, and what a way kick off my October of horror.............then again that stretches to all year round.

[keirarts]

AN AMERICAN HIPPIE IN ISRAEL.


Way back in 2005 I picked up the excellent (for all the wrong reasons) I DRINK YOUR BLOOD, Trailered on the disc was this film, I remember watching the trailer and thinking I must see this movie!. I showed it to friends and they all insisted I buy the film and we should have a night of beer, weed and hippies.

Eight years later i'm sober and most of my friends are respectably married. This morning the Blu-ray dropped through my door.

Blu-ray wasn't even a thing when I first saw the trailer.

So with apprehension I stuck the Blu in my player and gave it a whirl. I say apprehension, because this damned film has been built up over EIGHT FREAKING YEARS.

"Surely it can't be that good?"

"I bet the trailer was all the good bits!"

I still remember sitting down to watch MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE and realizing the trailer was not only the entire opening of the film, but nothing after it was anywhere near as good!




Even then I had to watch an inferior DVD as waiting to actually get this film was a chore!


Still now I had American Hippie and I was about to damn well find out if it was a disappointment or not!!!!!

HELL NO!!!


Loved it.

It's cheesy, overblown, the symbolism is way to heavy handed and everyone seems to overact. But I enjoyed myself a lot. For all its flaws its a sincere film made by an enthusiastic director and this all comes through in the finished work. The dialogue is insane to the point of being genuinely funny and it looks phenomenal.

To be fair to Grindhouse here, it may have taken eight damn years but the results shine through. The transfer looks beautiful, the sound quality is excellent and there is a whole raft of extras to wade through afterwards. There is even a third disc with a rare longer cut of the film titled 'the hitchhiker'

It's region free (both DVD and blu-ray) and limited to 2000 copies so worth picking up before it goes totally rare. Its around £15 on Amazon as I type this and worth every damn penny!!!!

[SShaw]

Back in Hamburg again this evening for a double bill of Resurrection of a Bastard and The Rabbit Woman. The former is an adaptation of the directors own graphic novel about a criminal who is forced to reassess his own life after a near death experience and the family of one of his victims. Its beautifully made and has enough depth that I am sure it will standup to repeat viewings. The second film is from Argentina and deals with aspects of identity and displacement as it follows the life of a Chinese (by parentage) building inspector who becomes embroiled in a conspiracy between her bosses and a Chinese gangster and mutant genetically modified rabbits. It manages to combine live action and Anime to tell an entertaining story.

[Edgeworth]

Triple bill of The Street Fighter today, True Romance style!

& watched The Order last night, worthit just for JCVD as a Jew.

[gag]

I haven't been pictures for sometime now,
I'm going to take my wife on a Friday night and to be honest I haven't REALY got a clue what's new in films ,
Here what's playing where I am so I like to ask for people opinion in what film do you think I should go see.

Sunshine On Leith

Prisoners

Filth

Rush

How I Live Now

About Time

White House Down

Runner Runner

Diana

The Call

[nosferatu42]

If i had to chose i would prob opt for prisoners, saw trailer and i thought it looked interesting. Depends what kinda film ur mrs likes i suppose.