What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[keirarts]

Zombie 4

A group of scientists hole up in the jungle and start researching cures for terminal illnesses. Local voodoo cultists who believe the groups failed experiments have caused the deaths of their loved ones unleash a curse of the living dead. Some years later a group of explorers stumble across the zombie infested jungle and a desperate battle for survival begins.
Zombie 4 is a surprisingly entertaining and action filled sequel to the bonkers Zombie 3. Here the zombies can run, jump and use guns and end up being very dangerous indeed. The films no oscar material but honestly what were you expecting? As 90 minutes of daft entertainment its terrific however.

Zombie 5: killing birds

After the extremely entertaining Zombie 4, this ones something of an anti-climax. More a baffling ghost story about some kids stuck overnight in a haunted house, this isn't really a zombie film at all. Directed by Joe D'amato its languid pacing and lack of thrills make it difficult to sit through. Perhaps dirty Joe has form with Anthropophagus but that one at least had great atmosphere to keep me watching, this ones just a bit of a mess. Robert Vaughn appears to have been hired as marquee value and honestly hasn't got anything to do but wander about. The film gets interesting near the end but thats about the only nice thing I can say about it. My fondness for later era Italian Junk is the only reason I own it.

Black Demons

A group of people researching the occult are in Brazil when the leader of the group attends a late night ritual. Falling afoul of the cultists much in a similar way to Roy Castle in Dr Terror, he ends up being possessed. The group move on and end up crashing at a remote villa and the curse kicks in resurrecting the dead slaves that used to work at their. Intend on getting revenge for being cruelly murdered the undead slaves target the group and dispatch them one by one with a penchant for gouging out eyes.
The thing with umberto Lenzi is that while he rarely makes anything that could classify as great art his films are usually well contructed and he has an ability to make the most from a limited budget. Here he directs a fun 90 minute gore fest. There's the usual mixed bag of dodgy acting and even dodgier script but if you sought the film out then its nothing you were not expecting.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Blackwood (2014)

A college professor and his family move to the countryside following his emotional breakdown. It's not long before he starts seeing spectres and a local mystery might have some connection with his new home, Blackwood.

Blackwood is a film with a lot of promise. It's delightfully filmed by director Adam Wimpenny, someone seemingly more at home shooting Ant & Dec than a classic English chiller, and Wimpenny creates a suitably chilly atmosphere more at home in the 70's than the late 2010's.

The story sets up many a possibility for the murder mystery at the heart of the film, seemingly involving a nifty Pagan style wood mask, Paul Kaye's vicar and local groundsman, Russell Tovey. However, come the end it turns out all the reasons and suspicions become a bit too much and the film seemingly gives up on the logical ideas labeling them red herrings that ultimately go nowhere, bringing us right back to the professors deep psychological issues for the finale.

Blackwood is a decent, more than watchable supernatural thriller, but on the whole there are far better examples out there.

[J Harker]

Thief, Michael Mann, 1981.

Finally got round to watching my Arrow blu last night.
Michael Manns excellent early 80s crime thriller is also his first theatrical picture
James Caan stars as Frank an ultra professional high end jewel thief. When the takings from his latest score end up in the hands of mob boss Leo played by a particularly nasty Robert Prosky, Frank sets out to reclaim what's his. Leo returns Franks money and reveals he's been watching Franks work for a while and wants to make a deal, arranging and funding extreme high end jobs and paying Frank a percentage. It isn't long before things turn sour though and Frank is forced to fight his way out of the deal.
James Caan is very good as the cooly detached pro and as mentioned Prosky plays against type as the mob boss. Tuesday Weld is Franks love interest and a young James Belushi provides good support as Franks partner. The Tangerine Dream score is ace and the climax is a brilliant piece of filmaking as good as anything Mann has ever done.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Roar (2009)

A quietly disturbing film in which a young woman has an additional set of keys cut and then realizes she might not be the only one in her house that night.

Intriguing short film from Blackwood director Adam Wimpenny. Made with a cast of three recognizable faces - Russell Tovey (Being Human), Tom Burke (The Musketeers) and Jodie Whittaker (Broadchurch). Roar is the sort of urban legend horror tale that always makes me shudder. So simple yet chillingly effective. Wimpenny's fourteen minute film is beautifully made and acted, in fact good enough to keep the Blackwood disc in my collection. There's also a commentary track as well.

I'm sure i would have thought this even better had i not recently watched a very similar film from 2014 called Deadly Virtues which used the exact same key plot points as Roar.

[davidmurphy.dm19]

I've great memories of Empire of the Ants. It was one of the first creature features I ever watched. Saw it recently, and while it has dated considerably, watching it again brought back some amazing and positive memories.

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[Dave Boy]

Well, that was pretty awesome. Reading and collecting The Avengers comic since I was liitle, I get such a kick out of these films.
Hope everyone stayed until after the end credits.

Team Cap all the way. No question.

[Deadite]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

someone seemingly more at home shooting Ant & Dec than a classic English chiller,

Aren't we all mate, aren't we all.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Deadite

Aren't we all mate, aren't we all.

Unfortunately i was referring to a camera.

[Stephen@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by keirarts

Well, there's a bunch of stuff I need to review (coming soon-ish) but thought I'd jump forward a little to



Captain America: Civil war



Our VUE had a triple bill of all three Cap films so went last night.



All I can say is that its terrific, much better than Age of Ultron and lives up to it's hype. It has similar themes to batman V superman yet it manages to deal with these subjects in a much better way, it didn't feel at all boring in spite of its running time and all character motivations make sense within the film itself.



Also.... BEST.....SPIDEY........EVER!!!!

Agreed! Saw it this afternoon. Tom Holland was excellent, as was Paul Rudd and his very funny intro.

But I think you mean best Spidey after Nicholas Hammond.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Big Game (2014)

When Air Force One is shot down over Finland, the President manages to escape in the mountains and is helped by a young lad doing a Finnish hunting ritual to turn him into a man, whilst avoiding the terrorists hot on their heels.

Well this was something else entirely. Probably the best action comedy in years. Just a hoot from beginning to end. From reviews i was expecting something quite slow but this was a fast moving joy ride from start to finish.

Cliched, ridiculous, hilarious acting. It had the feel of a Van Damme film where he never bothered to turn up so they used the kid picking his nose in the corner instead.

I'd have watched this a lot sooner if i'd known they were going to drop Samuel L Jackson's US president out of a helicopter and down a mountainside...in a fridge.

Using every cliche in the book somehow it works. The Pentagon officials staring into monitors and at satellite footage are an absolute scream, and as for Ray Stevenson's psychopath, handily ready to drop with a bullet lodged near his heart, The Punisher: Warzone this ain't.

If Big Game is supposed to be a serious film then it fails terribly, if it's supposed to be a wild, enjoyable ride with plenty of laugh out loud moments and mad Finnish wit then it borders on the brilliant.

Definitely a film i'll watch again and again and again.