What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Mojo]

DEAD OF WINTER
An actress is hired to star in a movie, following the disappearance of the woman originally cast in the film and to whom she closely resembles. However, it soon becomes obvious that something more sinister is afoot.
I'd never even heard of this film, never mind see it. It's a curious choice for 88's Slasher collection as there is little to no blood, nudity, or any of the usual staples of the genre. In fact it almost plays like a tv movie. Worth a watch, but nothing special.

A CANDLE FOR THE DEVIL
Judy Geeson travels to Spain to meet up with her sister, not realising she's been bumped off by two mad spinsters who run the hotel she stayed in. More murders follow, as these two self righteous women aren' t as moral as they make out.
This blu ray from Odeon is certainly an improvement on the previous dvd release, but it'safe to say it isn't the greatest looking blu ray you'll ever see. Still it's good to see more obscure Eurohorror get the BD treatment.

[Buboven]

Captain Clegg (1962)

7/10

[keirarts]

Frank

Like Maps to the stars this probably ranks as one of the best films of 2014 that I didn't see until 2015.

Frank is about a young aspiring musician who through chance runs into a band as their keyboard player is attempting to commit suicide. He volunteers to take keyboard and gets in to the production on the bands next album.

Spoiler alert!!!


Its really difficult to talk about why I enjoyed Frank without spoiling it so here goes...

Firstly there's a scene near the end of the film where the protagonist confronts Franks parents. He asks what happened to make Frank don the mask and they tell him that there was no major event that caused it, he's just mentally ill. Also that there was no Great influence on his music from the illness and if anything it hindered his potential. The protagonist wants there to be some identifiable underlying influence and inspiration behind Franks music and this isn't it. It's refreshingly distant from the typical bullshit portrayals of mental illness we get in Hollywood films.

Secondly, our main character is actually a Toxic influence on the band. The ongoing suggestion is that the film is going to follow the typical rags to riches musical odyssey I've seen a dozen or so times before and it does not do this. He does not see the inner hidden potential in the band rather destroys it through arrogance and self delusion.

Thirdly Michael Fassbender is bloody marvellous as Frank. Especially by the third act he's already sold the character in spite of the bloody great Frank Sidebottom mask. A great achievement.

[Demoncrat]

Originally Posted by keirarts

Frank

Like Maps to the stars this probably ranks as one of the best films of 2014 that I didn't see until 2015.

Frank is about a young aspiring musician who through chance runs into a band as their keyboard player is attempting to commit suicide. He volunteers to take keyboard and gets in to the production on the bands next album.

Spoiler alert!!!


Its really difficult to talk about why I enjoyed Frank without spoiling it so here goes...

Firstly there's a scene near the end of the film where the protagonist confronts Franks parents. He asks what happened to make Frank don the mask and they tell him that there was no major event that caused it, he's just mentally ill. Also that there was no Great influence on his music from the illness and if anything it hindered his potential. The protagonist wants there to be some identifiable underlying influence and inspiration behind Franks music and this isn't it. It's refreshingly distant from the typical bullshit portrayals of mental illness we get in Hollywood films.

Secondly, our main character is actually a Toxic influence on the band. The ongoing suggestion is that the film is going to follow the typical rags to riches musical odyssey I've seen a dozen or so times before and it does not do this. He does not see the inner hidden potential in the band rather destroys it through arrogance and self delusion.

Thirdly Michael Fassbender is bloody marvellous as Frank. Especially by the third act he's already sold the character in spite of the bloody great Frank Sidebottom mask. A great achievement.

A real oddity, twas expecting a biopic of Sidebottom/ Chris Sievey, which would have been mental enough imo, but instead this rather charming tale unfolds.....

[Rik]

Judas Ghost (thankfully from Lovefilm)- I'm not even going to tell you what it's about, because I wouldn't want anyone else to suffer like me and the girlfriend did (last time she chooses a film!)

1/10 Absolute shite!

[Demoncrat]

Originally Posted by Rik

Judas Ghost (thankfully from Lovefilm)- I'm not even going to tell you what it's about, because I wouldn't want anyone else to suffer like me and the girlfriend did (last time she chooses a film!)

1/10 Absolute shite!

Just watched trailer, tee hee, didn't look any worse that the shitty Deadtime I watched on THC wednesday, and that had Terry Christian in it!!

[Rik]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

Just watched trailer, tee hee, didn't look any worse that the shitty Deadtime I watched on THC wednesday, and that had Terry Christian in it!!

I saw that in the listings and thought I'd give it a shot: Film about a rock band (I'm in one), in a recording studio (I work in one) getting bumped off by a slasher killer (my type of film), what's not to like! 10 minutes I lasted before turning it off, Terry Christian was one of the reasons for this

N.B My girlfriend recommended Judas Ghost after watching the trailer on another low budget horror, she certainly has a lot to learn!

[Demoncrat]

Originally Posted by Rik

I saw that in the listings and thought I'd give it a shot: Film about a rock band (I'm in one), in a recording studio (I work in one) getting bumped off by a slasher killer (my type of film), what's not to like! 10 minutes I lasted before turning it off, Terry Christian was one of the reasons for this

N.B My girlfriend recommended Judas Ghost after watching the trailer on another low budget horror, she certainly has a lot to learn!

Ah, civillians, teach her the ways of righteousness...or find any Jess Franco on NF as revenge...

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Invaders from Mars (1986)

Classic sci-fi romp from cult director Tobe Hooper which is in fact a remake of an earlier effort from 1953. The film is essentially a riff on the Invasion of the Body Snatchers scenario, a theme recurrent in fifties sci-fi due to the fear of Communism and it's possible spread throughout the US. A theme Hooper would go on to explore a few years on from this with his excellent Body Snatchers movie.

Hooper's direction is excellent, building suspense from the first minutes, giving the film a relentless pace throughout. It has a very creepy atmosphere, full of foreboding. It's only in the final third that it drops with the introduction of the invaders. Their outward appearance, that of a headless chicken with teeth, seen nowadays is almost comical, meaning the excitement levels drop when they should be at a maximum.

The final scenes give the film a 'Wizard of Oz - it was all a dream' style ending...still, it was a damn good dream!

Controversially i think this is probably Hooper's best film to date.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Interesting review, Dem.

I've yet to check out Hooper's Invaders from Mars, but your review certainly has piqued my curiosity.