What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[trebor8273]

7/10

[Cinematic Shocks]

Christmas Evil (1980)

**1/2 out of *****

[keirarts]

enemy

Apologies for any errors, my pc is stuffed and I'm typing this on my phone. Normal service shall be resumed when I find a decent laptop in the Jan sales

Anyway. Jake Gyllenhall plays a history teacher stuck in a rut teaching the same class over and over, going home each night to have anonymous sex with a woman who leaves soon as the deed is done. Jake Gyllenhall also plays a minor league actor with a pregnant wife who thinks he's cheating and a pushy mother. The first Gyllenhall discovers the seconds existence causing an existentialist nightmare for both characters.
Gave this a go due to it being directed by Dennis villeneuve who is one of my favourite directors working today. It's a lot less accessible than his other films but itskamoto still worth a try. I initially thought it was based on dostoyevskys the double but apparently it's based on a south American authors book also called the double that has a similar plot?! Nevertheless it's interesting. Toronto is shot as a yellow tinted anonymous hellscape and the film is undercut with a feeling of unease that is genuinely queasy. The final shot will mess up anyone arachnophobic

[trebor8273]

Tonights first viewing which has a slight Christmas theme.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

A Christmas Horror Story. (2015)

Four interwoven stories that take place on Christmas Eve, as told by one festive radio host as played by William Shatner.

Similar in style to Trick r' Treat (2008) but less interesting and more shambolic. The four stories on offer, Santa and the zombie elves and the family terrorized by the Krampus aside, it's all a little bit dull.

There's little to no atmosphere due to the film jumping between stories all the time. In fact it was downright annoying to get into what was happening with Santa for example then be thrown straight into some irritating youths making a shaky cam film inside an abandoned school.

I do kind of recommend it though as the Santa / Krampus tales are a lot of fun.

The Smashing Bird I Used to Know (1969)

Also known as School for Unclaimed Girls, The Smashing Bird... is a terrific drama from the prolific Robert Hartford-Davis, a director who seems lost in British film history but made some of the finest horror this country has known in The Black Torment (1964), Corruption (1968) and The Fiend (1972).

Released by Odeon / Screenbound as the oddly titled Girls of Shame under their Slap and Tickle banner, this film is nothing like their usual saucy comedies at all. It is in fact a gripping film about attempted rape, psychological trauma with some social commentary and sexploitation thrown in.

The plot about a school girl who suffers mental trauma from witnessing her father killed whilst with her on a merry-go-round (don't laugh it's quite brutal) and is then near raped by her mothers new scoundrel lover before she knives him to death and is sent to a girls remand home where she's subjected to 'Franco'isms' (Those who know Jess Franco films will know of what i speak) from the other girls.

It's really nicely played by some well known actors including the slimy Patrick Mower, Dennis Waterman, Derek Fowlds, Lesley Ann-Down, Maureen Lipman and the unknown to me, Madeline Hinde, as the put upon girl. Hartford-Davis' film is never dull as genres collide and so far it is one of the best i've seen this Christmas time.

Highly Recommended.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

If anyone is interested in checking out Robert Hartford-Davis' work.

The Black Torment is a prime piece of Gothic horror, Corruption is a minor masterpiece of Grand-Guignol and The Fiend is just plain British nastiness.

Grindhouse in the States have done a combi pack for Corruption and the other two are released via Screenbound in the UK.

[trebor8273]

Tales from the crypt 9/10

These are the order of the more individual story's for me


Poetic justice

Blind alley's

Wish you where hear


And all through the house

Reflections of featured



Two thousand Maniacs

Only watched 3 movies on the Lewis boxset but this is my favourite up till now. 7.7/10

[gag]

Originally Posted by trebor8273

Tales from the crypt 9/10

These are the order of the more individual story's for me


Poetic justice

Blind alley's

Wish you where hear


Reflections of death

And all through the house

Ive been watching the series and films lately, im glad i did because for ages i had a scene from a film in my head and couldnt remember what film it was, and it was from Tales from the crypt. The scene i had in my head was the last story of going down the alley with razor blades in the walls.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by trebor8273

Tales from the crypt 9/10

These are the order of the more individual story's for me


Poetic justice

Blind alley's

Wish you where hear

Reflections of death

And all through the house

Aren't you keen on All Through the House, Treb?

[trebor8273]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Aren't you keen on All Through the House, Treb?

I like it, but I enjoyed the others more. But thinking about it,it and reflections of death should switch places.