What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Frankie Teardrop]

Spending time trying to tszuj my horror fiction into something other than a two-bit Thomas Ligotti rip-off means that these days I don't get to watch and review all that much (cue audible sigh of relief from my readers). That said, it would be remiss of me not to leave some kind of sticky trail whenever I do get to charge up my DVD player, so from now on I've decided to do that in the labour-saving form of semi-Haiku.


THE CHANGELING –

Red ball rolls down stairs
In house of autumnal grief
Good, not amazing.

THE FINAL EXAM –

Slasher lacking blood
Killer is just guy in coat
Student hi-jinks bore

MANDY –

Nick Cage crazy trip
Velvet neon bikes of hell
What happens, really?

LADY STREETFIGHTER –

Feverish nonsense
Bad ‘action’ as if made by
Gibbering baboon

POPCORN –

Burned creep’s portmanteau
Nineties slasher goes meta
No escape from screen

THE STUFF –

Moriarty goofs
Cohen gunk conspiracy
Don’t eat yoghurt, now

DON’T OPEN TILL CHRISTMAS –

Thirteen Santa deaths
Peak Brit-grot sleazetacular
Eyes smile, Tosh Lines snaps

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

December 21st

Blood From the Mummy's Tomb (1971)

Twenty years after a female mummy is brought back to England, members of the expedition are killed one by one and the expedition leader's daughter is possessed by the spirit of the dead Queen.

Despite Hammer's film having such a lurid title it doesn't actually feature a mummy at all. Although it does have a beautifully preserved Valerie Leon as the embalmed queen despite being hundreds of years old looking like she'd just walked out of a beauty salon in 1971.

This was to be the last film of director Seth Holt. Towards the end of the six week shoot the director collapsed on set and died of a heart attack. Hammer producer Michael Carreras took over during the final days shooting. I don't know if this was the reason but the film feels a bit mixed, some scenes are tense and really engage the viewer, whilst other sections of the film appear quite dull, even boring.

The film features some wonderfully, gory, artery pumping and ripped throat scenes that Tom Savini would be proud of. As with all Hammer's mummy films the sets are quite superb, even though the film takes place in the modern day, the museum that houses the mummy of the Queen could easily have been from the early twentieth century.

Andrew Keir fresh from the excellent Quatermass and the Pit is sadly underused here as Professor Fuchs, the expedition leader. Peter Cushing had actually begun filming the part but pulled out due to the death of his wife.

Due to the films commercial failure Hammer ended their interest in mummy films after this their fourth attempt at the subject.

[bleakshaun]

Gremlins
A regular Xmas film for me; needs no introduction. I still love it

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[gag]

Originally Posted by bleakshaun

Gremlins
A regular Xmas film for me; needs no introduction. I still love it

Sent from my PRA-LX1 using Tapatalk

A lot of the Xmas films like gremlins , home alone , die hard etc I haven't watched for ages and never seen more than twice .

[iank]

Funny Farm. A New York sports journalist and his wife decide to pack it in and start a new life in a small country town in a bid to get out of the rat race and have a simpler life... but things don't go entirely according to plan. Chevy Chase stars in this very enjoyable late 80s comedy that is just gently humorous for its first 3/4, but becomes absolutely hilarious in its last act (which is also, entirely coincidentally as I don't recall ever seeing this before or, if I have, it must have been the late 80s and I certainly don't remember, set at Christmas, rather wonderfully). I really enjoyed this.

[troggi]

For the first, time since taking a young lady to the cinema to see it in the early '80s (I wondered why I could only remember bits of it), I sat and watched Fulci's "City of the Living Dead" (with absolutely no distractions).

It still has the charisma it had way back then but shows it's age and lineage. I still love the set pieces; the drilling, the maggots, the over-enthusiastic scalpings, and the disgorgement of yards (sorry,it's metres now) of internal human plumbing!

Remembering, something that I'm not usually profficient in, all those set-pieces from, what could be 35 years ago, is quite remarkable for me and means that I don't think that it will be long until I view it again. Great film and should be required viewing for anyone with a penchant for horror films. 78/20!

[Paul Zombie]

Masque of the Red death.

Prince Prospero(Vincent Price) plays a Devil worshipping tyrant who persecutes all the local villagers and burns down their houses when he discovers the red death in the town. and kidnaps Jane asher, her father and her lover in his castle. meanwhile he is having a big party for all the nobles and says they will be protected from the plague at the castle.

Very colourful film indeed from film director Roger corman with great period sets and atmospheres. light on gore, but makes up with genuine creepiness.
Vincent price is in top form in this one as the evil prince trying to corrupt the sweet and innocent francesca( excellently played by the gorgeous Jane Asher). and with the beautiful hazel court also co-starring as well as Juliana, Prospero's muse and a eager student of Satanic worship who likes to brand herself with an upside down cross.

Very well done horror classic and highly entertaining, with a great scene with a chap in an ape suit getting roasted alive as a punishment for terrorising a tiny dancer. 87 out of 100.

[Demoncrat]

It returns!!

Elizabeth Harvest (Sebastian Gutierre)

Effectiveish chiller. New bride takes time to adjust to her new life. Worth looking at.



Possum (Matthew Holness)

See this. Like A Dark Song, it's flawed but a grimmer wee thing you won't find this year.


Attack Of The Tattie-bogle (2018)

Unremarkable slasher with silly title. Mate brought it round as he is obssessed by films called "Attack of ..... "

[MrBarlow]

The Sword In The Stone 1963.

Out hunting young boy Arthur meets magician Merlin who thinks he is destined for something else than being a knight's squire.

This was a classic Disney film from start with the narratiin of the sword appearing in the stone to Merlin The Magnificient being clumsy and his faithful grumpy owl companion Archimedes who has a stupid laugh when Merlin tries to fly a plane. It does have good animation and good humour in it, still worth a watch even though its 55 years old. 8 out of 10.

[MrBarlow]

Planes, Trains and Automobiles 1987.

Neal Paige is trying to get to Chicago from New York, along the way he meets Del Griffithca loudmouth shower ring salesman and a friendship forms slowly aswell as comedic disasters.

This was a great conedy drama from John Hughes combined with Steve Martin and John Candy as the hapless duo who start off bickering about a taxi, to plane delays and becoming friends. It does have its funny moments from slagging off a guy who runs a taxi service which Martin insults and regrets it, Candy thinking he has his hands between pillows and the F-word rant at the car rental. Worth a watch 8 out of 10.