What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Human Experiments (1979)

A strange blend of women in prison film meets psychological shocker, Human Experiments doesn't delve into either of the aforementioned subjects as well or as thoroughly as other fare from around same period and instead decides to tread a tepid line between the two.

Linda Haynes gives a little lift to the proceedings as the wrongly imprisoned 'victim' who is subjected to torture and brainwashing at the hands of Geoffrey Lewis, himself portraying the unbalanced asylum doctor.

A curiosity for sure, but there isn't much here that you won't have seen before... except perhaps some entomological related shootings and light mashed potato torture.

Originally posted here: Nightmare USA Films Discussion Thread

[keirarts]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

Human Experiments (1979)

A strange blend of women in prison film meets psychological shocker, Human Experiments doesn't delve into either of the aforementioned subjects as well or as thoroughly as other fare from around same period and instead decides to tread a tepid line between the two.

Linda Haynes gives a little lift to the proceedings as the wrongly imprisoned 'victim' who is subjected to torture and brainwashing at the hands of Geoffrey Lewis, himself portraying the unbalanced asylum doctor.

A curiosity for sure, but there isn't much here that you won't have seen before... except perhaps some entomological related shootings and light mashed potato torture.

Originally posted here: Nightmare USA Films Discussion Thread

this one is apparently due out from Scorpion...sometime.


ecapeses.jpg

Continuing a theme of wide eyed innocent women wandering through a strange and occasionally dangerous settings with a dreamlike atmosphere. Here two Virginal young women escape from an asylum and join up with a group of travelling performers, eventually ending up at the docks where they seek a way of leaving this strange harsh world they find themselves in.
Like night of the hunted this isn't a horror, an people who find Rollin's films alienating may have issues with this. However if you can stick with it its a great film with a haunting atmosphere and a bloody, tragic ending. In some ways it actually feels like Rollins genre films, its depiction of the docks feels like one of the gothic settings of films like shivers of the vampires, and two orphan vampires. Worth watching.

[Make Them Die Slowly]

Clown.

Basically Cronenberg's 'The Fly' with big feet and a red nose. Recommended.

[trebor8273]

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6/10


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7/10

[trebor8273]

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Well finished the first volume of laurel and hardy. Excellent enjoyed all them especially chump at Oxford, just wonderful so funny, amazing chemistry between the two leads. The part with the maze was probably my favourite. Why has it taken me so long to pick up what I know will be an amazing set that will get many viewings. Comic legends that's shall never be bettered or forgotten 10/10


Did anyone also noticed a young Peter Cushing in a chump at Oxford !!


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[Make Them Die Slowly]

Dead Snow 2.

I can't even begin to tell you how much I hated the first 'Dead Snow' film and the whole post Peter Jackson comedy zombie sub genre, so I blame the medication for me watching this...

Picking up where the first film ended this is a much bigger film in ambition and execution that moves away from horror and dips a toe into epic fantasy with armies of Nazi and Commie zombies duking it out in a playground!

Sadly for me, the juvenile splatter humour is still present broken up by the odd impressive image of the zombies against the bleak landscape.

Had this been made as a straight film, I think I might have been impressed as the direction was really good but the genre just isn't my cup of steaming entrails.


My Name is Bruce.

Yet more horror comedy shenanigans in this vanity piece that seems little different to any of Campbell's other films. Campbell is engaging as ever, the film not.

[Make Them Die Slowly]

The Town That Dreaded Sundown.(original).

Fantastic docu-drama chronicling a series of unsolved murders in the rural south of America in the 1940s.

First off, the killer is one of the lost icons of horrordom, not only does he look great but his kills are pretty cool too. Even the absurdity of death by trombone looks menacing in this flick. In fact all the kills have a bloody aesthetic that greatly appeals to me.

The locations are suitably isolated and threatening in themselves and the film mixes a cinematic look with the flatness of TV films of the time to its advantage.

It would make a great double bill with the trashtastic 'The Zodiac Killer' from the same decade.

Recommended.

[Make Them Die Slowly]

The Town That Dreaded Sundown. (New one).

Yikes, this is an excellent follow up to the original that takes the concept of meta filmmaking to such an extent that at any given moment I was expecting it to show me sitting on the sofa with my own dvd copies of it and the original!

The film works as a stand alone piece but is greatly enhanced by watching it back to back with the original film as it includes loads of references and clips to the first film and its making.

Filmed in a lighting scheme that adds to the defused reality of the plot, the film is constantly showing the heroine through windows or reflected in mirrors when not closing in on eyeballs.

Another oddity, is that although the film is set in present time, all the lead characters dress in clothes that would have been fashionable in 1976 when the original was made as are the excess of Dutch angles used to show the action.

Depending on your point of view and possible fondness for 'Wes Craven's New Nightmare', 'The Faculty' and 'Detention' this is either a whip smart bit of filmmaking or overly self important bilge. I thought it both and loved it.

Recommended.

[keirarts]

Sadistic Baron von Klaus

A series of grisly murders in the small village of Holfen causes the locals to suspect they are being haunted by the ghost of a late 17th century aristocrat with a fondness for torture chambers. A detective suspects that there is more to it and begins suspecting one of the Barons descendants played by Franco regular Howard Vernon. Meanwhile the youngest mail heir is in town for the death of his mother and begins to look into the family legacy.
An early Gothic entry in the filmography of Jess Franco, The sadistic Baron Von Klaus comes straight after the Awful Dr Orloff, and continues mining the traditions of Gothic storytelling with gorgeous looking Black & white cinematography and some surprising (for the era) violence. I believe the torture chamber sequence was re-instated for Redemptions release which is understandable as I can imagine it getting into some real difficulty at the time. The overall quality of the picture on the recent blu is excellent, with some occasional print damage issues, especially where footage has been re-instated. Its a genuinely great little chiller thats worth seeking out.


The erotic rights of frankenstein.

The Baron Frankenstein, played by Dennis Price, is killed by some kind of weird bird-vampire-woman on the orders the immortal Count Cagliostro, played by Howard Vernon. The count seizes Frankesntein's metal skinned creature in order to conduct strange rituals in his basement and ultimately create a master race. The Barons daughter Vera decides to confront Cagliostro and ends up mesmerised by him, she begins work on another creature, a female, so the counts dream of a master race of monsters can be realised. Only Dr Seward can stop him!
Another Gothic picture from Franco. This one is decidedly more 'out there' than Von Klaus, in both weird imagery and sadistic violence. There's plenty of nudity on display throughout the picture, both from Vera Frankenstein and the numerous female victims of Cagliostro. There's also plenty of violence including one completely out there scene that borders on the psychedelic where the huge silver skinned creature is whipping a naked Vera and one of the counts right hand men over a pit of spikes for the viewing pleasure of Cagliostro and his court of freaks. The creatures metal skin was much criticised by purists, in the commentary Tim Lucas makes an excellent defence for the choice, and in fairness in this HD presentation the effect it has with Franco's colourful lighting choices make for some delirious comic-book imagery in some scenes. Once again, worth picking up.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

A great slew of reviews yet again, MTDS. I think when your hand heals I'm going to send someone around to break it again!

Originally Posted by Make Them Die Slowly

Dead Snow 2

I also disliked the first but actually mildly enjoyed the follow-up for some reason. It's not 'good' by a a long stretch though.

Originally Posted by Make Them Die Slowly

The Town That Dreaded Sundown. (New one).

Yikes, this is an excellent follow up to the original that takes the concept of meta filmmaking to such an extent that at any given moment I was expecting it to show me sitting on the sofa with my own dvd copies of it and the original!

The film works as a stand alone piece but is greatly enhanced by watching it back to back with the original film as it includes loads of references and clips to the first film and its making.

Filmed in a lighting scheme that adds to the defused reality of the plot, the film is constantly showing the heroine through windows or reflected in mirrors when not closing in on eyeballs.

Another oddity, is that although the film is set in present time, all the lead characters dress in clothes that would have been fashionable in 1976 when the original was made as are the excess of Dutch angles used to show the action.

Depending on your point of view and possible fondness for 'Wes Craven's New Nightmare', 'The Faculty' and 'Detention' this is either a whip smart bit of filmmaking or overly self important bilge. I thought it both and loved it.

Recommended.

Great to hear you enjoyed it, and considering I really enjoy the 3 films you mention in your last paragraph consider it added to my rental list!