What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[keirarts]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

DER TODESENGEL – I think this was Andreas Bethmann’s first film, or one of his first. I haven’t seen much of his stuff, maybe three or four, because they’re not all that easy to come by these days. Did I just say ‘come by’? Because ooh la la of course we’re in Bethmann horror porn territory, so there’s a lot of skin and hardcore action, which is what it is, I guess. Many have commented on the general ugliness of the people in Bethmann’s films. I’m quite intrigued by this aspect, and maybe it’s not too misogynistic to mention it, because it extends to every gender involved. Anyway, this plays out a basic rape-revenge scenario and throws in some gore and a dominatrix to dish out bits of S&M in amongst the skanky goings on. It doesn’t mess about (apart from in the obvious ways, which sleaze lovers will dig).

RAZE – Got this on the strength of MTDS’s review, and I’m glad to say it didn’t disappoint at all. It really did feel like a latter day exploitation flick – not in a “grindhouse-recapturing attempt to do seventies throwback with added print damage” sense, but by ‘virtue’ of its raw and pretty nihilistic atmosphere. A group of women are captured and forced to fight one another to the death in a bleak, institution-type set up. There’s a kind of hypnotic greyness about it, and a viciousness – the filmmakers get a lot of milage out of the same brutal scenario being played out repeatedly, against never changing empty prison walls. Highly recommended for fans of depressing nasties.

WITHER – Interestingly, the cover of the UK DVD release of this looks pretty similar to that of ‘The Evil Dead’ remake. Maybe just the colour scheme, but I could certainly see what they were getting at. ‘Wither’ is basically the Swedish ‘Evil Dead’, and, to be clear on one aspect, has none of the warped delirium of the original – I’ll still defend Raimi’s vision as being genuinely off kilter and surreal, at least as far as the first one goes. But, to be fair to ‘Wither’, I enjoyed it a lot more than the aforementioned remake, which I quite liked on first viewing, then quickly grew tired of on second. The plot is – well, guess. A bunch of cleanish-cut teens in a house with some demon possession and some gore. Reasonably fast paced after it gets going – whether the not-too-over-the-top-anyway-really gore elevates it or just seems a bit ‘meh’ is down to personal taste. For myself, I liked the occasional melancholy intervals when it seemed to rain a lot and people just trudged around looking a bit gloomy.

I think wither is a much better film than the evil dead remake...

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Five Golden Dragons (1967)

A typical Towers of London production. An exotic location, a bevy of gorgeous girls, action aplenty, an unfeasible great cast (Christopher Lee, Klaus Kinski, Robert Cummings, Maria Rohm, Brian Donlevy, George Raft, Rupert Davies and Dan Duryea), a complex script that doesn't know what to do with them, overseen by a director who lacks that certain something.

Having said that i always find there is a charm of sorts that all Harry Alan Towers movies possess. What it is i don't know but i may well have mentioned it in the first paragraph

[J Harker]

Gave Odd Thomas a go last night on Netflix.
I quite enjoyed it, considering I hadn't heard of it until very recently I was surprised to find it was made by Stephen Sommers, a director who's big budget cheesey summer flicks I'm quite partial too.

[Dave Boy]

THE NEANDERTHAL MAN (1953)

To prove a point about the evolution of the brain, a scientist invents a syrum that reverts people and animals back to the stone age.

This film would make a good double bill with Monster On Campus(1958), both have similar themes. The only thing that lets this film down is the make up. It is and looks like a cheap rubber mask from a joke shop.Worth checking out if you are a fan of 'nutty scientists'.

[JoshuaKaitlyn]

1957: part 1
Legend of the Lost - John Wayne and Sophia Loren in the Sahara treasure hunting, flags a little in the middle but picks up towards the end.
Funny Face - I liked this musical, first time seeing it.
Pajama Game - I didn't like this musical, first time seeing it.....and last time.
12 Angry Men - Great movie
Spooky Swabs - Popeyes last animated cinematic outing.
The Prince and the Showgirl - Last time I saw this was years ago and although a Monroe fan I wasn't too impressed by this film. However having seen it again I really liked it.
Le Notti Di Cabiria - I have to say I'm not a fan of Fellini, I've no doubt he's a cinematic genius but he's kind of lost on me.
Quatermass II - Classic sequel
The Bridge on the River Kwai - Another classic, a good movie for an afternoon.
The Seventh Seal - Another classic but one to be seen with its original Swedish soundtrack and english subtitles and not with the English dub which is quite frankly bloody awful sounding.
Doctor at Large - The third movie in the franchise, pretty much the same sort of thing really, although it does have a few laughs.

[Handyman Joe]

Still in the grip of noir fever

The Chase - I used to make the mistake of thinking David Lynch took 40s movies and transformed them into something uniquely weird. Truth is a lot of these movies were out and out crazy to begin with. Exhibit A - 1946 effort The Chase, featuring Peter Lorre and Steve Cochran as two psychotic goons, a malarial plot which shimmers, cuts out then doubles back on itself and the atmosphere of a surrealistic fever dream. Track this one down folks.

Christmas Holiday - (1945) No, really, and it features Gene Kelly - not as a tap dancing source of festive merriment, but a mommy fixated gambling addicted psycho. Said mommy is also pretty terrifying. The tonal shifts in this one are mind bending - what the hell did a post war audience make of this as a seasonal treat?

The Narrow Margin - a brilliant Charles McCraw has to protect a floozy mob moll ('a 60 cent dame, cheap, glitzy, strictly poison under the gravy') from a host of would be assassins aboard a hurtling train. More like The Lady Vanishes than a typical noir - great fun.

Pickup on a South a Street - that man Widmark again, great as a cocky hood caught up in a Commie microfilm foofera but upstaged by two great female turns especially Thelma Ritter as a stool pigeon with a nice sideline in ties. The ending is a bit of a letdown but overall, a winner from Sam Fuller.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Dave Boy

THE NEANDERTHAL MAN (1953)

To prove a point about the evolution of the brain, a scientist invents a syrum that reverts people and animals back to the stone age.

This film would make a good double bill with Monster On Campus(1958), both have similar themes. The only thing that lets this film down is the make up. It is and looks like a cheap rubber mask from a joke shop.Worth checking out if you are a fan of 'nutty scientists'.

I watched this a couple of weeks ago. Then decided not to watch the other three films in the set for a while.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Handyman Joe

The Narrow Margin

Pickup on a South a Street - that man Widmark again, great as a cocky hood caught up in a Commie microfilm foofera but upstaged by two great female turns especially Thelma Ritter as a stool pigeon with a nice sideline in ties. The ending is a bit of a letdown but overall, a winner from Sam Fuller.

Moe was a great character. A shame she was killed off.

Have you seen the Gene Hackman remake? I like it, it's a fast moving stylish action thriller. Deserving of a watch if you haven't done so already.

[dynel]

The wages of fear

Seems like i've been on a Criterion high lately, this movie did surely not disappoint! What a nail biting ride.

I'm afraid I must admit that this is my first foreign 50s movie, I was expecting something with a lot of overacting typical to those movies from that era,but Clouzot went the opposite direction and introduced me to this bleak realistic world filled with atypical characters, the slick guy who appears nice is a bit of a brute, the old man who looks like a mob boss is actually a mouse of a man, etcetera. No music, just you and 100 pounds of nitroglycerine.

The first half does a terrific job of introducing 4 characters you will not at first sympathize with (except luigi), but in the second half when all the action begins you'll love each character doing his thing and you'll be rooting for all of them.

I gave this movie 4.5 on Letterboxd. If you're into a tense slow burner of a movie then I highly recommend it

[Bringer Of Funerals]

I'm working through my MoC Collection 1 by 1 I've just watched Sunrise