What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Girls Nite Out (1982)

This is one thrill less, anaemic, sorry excuse for a slasher film. The killer wears a dancing bear costume with huge doe eyes, which done with a bit of competence could have made for a weirdly creepy killer. Sure it's a daft costume but so is the big bunny suit in The Bunnyman Massacre films, yet that works, albeit in a grungy low budget sort of way.

The film lacks any real blood or shock value of any kind due to a script that's far too interested in the inane drunken ramblings of the students on show than it is in ramping up anything resembling tension.

The acting is just so-so with nobody coming across as any sort of hero or heroine, and the only star on offer is Hal Holbrook who sleepwalks through proceedings as he's on the phone behind a desk for 90% of his screen time.

This was the second time i've watched this and i still can't figure out the title and it's relevance to whats on show as a large portion of the film focuses on guys and there is no girls night out at all.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

The killer wears a dancing bear costume with huge doe eyes

Sold!!!

Not really, but despite your scathing review I am mildly intrigued to check this one out...

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

Sold!!!

Not really, but despite your scathing review I am mildly intrigued to check this one out...

I wish you luck.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I wish you luck.

I'll probably need it... however chain-watching films from Nightmare USA has quite possibly readily mush-ified my mind and damaged my senses of reasoning enough to prepare me I feel...

[Buboven]

Big Hero Six (2014)

9/10

[Make Them Die Slowly]

A SERBIAN FILM. No point going into plot details as I am sure people have either seen it or have refused to watch due to content. Anyhow, I quite enjoyed this rather muddled and towards the end slightly ludicrous film that comes on all serious pseudo art house but really is the wacked out viagra and amphetamine beast the protagonist becomes. Personally, I did not find it shocking or offensive, there is a lot worse out there in horrorland and the legit end of extreme porn. That all the shock scenes are so well filmed and are either seen through the filter of a film within a film or in heightened drugged out states dilutes the impact of the shock reveals. I particularly liked the director's ramblings regarding art and life that came across to me not so much as political statements but more as a piss take on transgressive films in general. On the downside, the earlier porn scenes could have at least been real to give the snuff scenes more of an edge at the end. On a final note, did anyone else note Cult Labs own Ron in the film, getting one in the eye in the name of art!

Cheers Boo.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Hannie Caulder (1971)

One of that rare(ish) breed - The British western. Raquel Welch leads a great cast - Robert Culp, Christopher Lee, Ernest Borgnine and Jack Elam in this brutal revenge western.

Welch is raped and her husband murdered by Borgnine and his two partners, Elam and Strother Martin. Out for revenge she is helped and trained in the ways of a gunfighter by Culp and Lee. There's much bloody mayhem before the final showdown with the three killers, and despite it being a tad formulaic, the film has one or two different aspects, (such as part of it being filmed on the sea shore) which make this fast paced blood spiller a film which remains memorable forty odd years later.

[Make Them Die Slowly]

TEMPLE WOOD: A QUEST FOR FREEDOM. Micro budget short film that firmly falls into the Wyrd of Britannica. A student goes looking for his teacher at an ancient stone circle...This starts out with a major Lovecraft vibe of a student trying to locate his teacher both physically and metaphysically via a journey and the teacher's journal. This is a fun little film that starts off in a comedic way but gradually gets darker and wyrder as it goes along. I won't say much more as not to spoil things for people but will say that the ending reminded me of Peter Gabriel era Genesis filtered through a dark gay lens.

The director has posted it for free viewing here.https://vimeo.com/55674524

THE SKELETON KEY. Kate Hudson is an end of life nurse caring for John Hurt in this hokey slice of Southern Gothic dripping with hoodoo rites and all manner of jiggery pokery. Sadly the most sinister thing about this is the way the director manages to film almost all of Kate Hudson's scenes with her dressed only in knickers and T-shirt. The hoodoo scenes are rather fine until the magick slips into the grimoire tradition that isn't really hoodoo but is visually more impressive with magick circles and the like. That said, it is nice to see a form of magick from the African diaspora being used in a positive light as well as in a negative manner. Worth a look if it crops up on TV or if you wish to see Kate Hudson's arse every 5 minutes.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Make Them Die Slowly

THE SKELETON KEY. Kate Hudson is an end of life nurse caring for John Hurt in this hokey slice of Southern Gothic dripping with hoodoo rites and all manner of jiggery pokery. Sadly the most sinister thing about this is the way the director manages to film almost all of Kate Hudson's scenes with her dressed only in knickers and T-shirt. The hoodoo scenes are rather fine until the magick slips into the grimoire tradition that isn't really hoodoo but is visually more impressive with magick circles and the like. That said, it is nice to see a form of magick from the African diaspora being used in a positive light as well as in a negative manner. Worth a look if it crops up on TV or if you wish to see Kate Hudson's arse every 5 minutes.

I really enjoyed The Skeleton Key. That said i've only watched the dvd once when it first came out so perhaps another viewing is in order.

[Make Them Die Slowly]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I really enjoyed The Skeleton Key. That said i've only watched the dvd once when it first came out so perhaps another viewing is in order.

Yeah, it passes the time pleasantly enough and in it's own way felt quite old fashioned with it's lack of gore and special effects which is no bad thing once in a while.