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  #51661  
Old 21st February 2020, 10:44 PM
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Originally Posted by trebor8273 View Post


It's been 10 years since the death of Dracula but the locals are still terrified and believe he is still (un) alive. Two brothers and there wifes visiting the area unwittingly end up at the counts castle and the older brother is sacrificed bring Dracula back from the dead, he promptly turns the man's wife into a vampire , the other couple mange to escape with the help of a bishop/father , the bishop and husband team up to put a end to Dracula . Enjoyable but it has to have the lamest death for Dracula from all the hammer movies. 7.5/10

Wait until you get to Scars of Dracula, Treb.
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  #51662  
Old 21st February 2020, 11:19 PM
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Surely Taste takes that award?

Also in regards to 7 Golden Vampires, I forgot to mention that Van Helsing's son is Robin Stewart, who I know mainly as the evil Dr Ross Newman from 80s Aussie soap Sons and Daughters!
This amused me no end.
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  #51663  
Old 21st February 2020, 11:58 PM
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Surely Taste takes that award?
To be fair none are especially worthy of the character but i particularly dislike Scars because it's simply far too coincidental.
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  #51664  
Old 22nd February 2020, 12:05 AM
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To be fair none are especially worthy of the character but i particularly dislike Scars because it's simply far too coincidental.
They are all a little lame the most interesting for me was brides ok Dracula was not in it, but I thought the death was stylish and well done.
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  #51665  
Old 22nd February 2020, 12:12 AM
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The Ritual (2017, David Bruckner)

" ...let's all go down to the woods today, we're sure of a big surprise ...."

Enjoyed this survival horror carry on. The British abroad and all that. 4 friends travel to Sweden to honour a fallen comrade's last wish. A decent amount of tension (and the build up) which is only slightly demeaned by the ending imho. Very BM I thought, though I am inordinately fond of Ulver's Bergtatt and it might just remind me of this
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  #51666  
Old 22nd February 2020, 01:12 PM
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Fences (2016) ★★★★

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In 1950s Pittsburgh, a frustrated African-American father struggles with the constraints of poverty, racism, and his own inner demons as he tries to raise a family.
This film which is all about the strength of the central performances, the power of the acting and the brilliance of the screenplay. There were times when I was reminded of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and A Streetcar Named Desire, all incredibly powerful and successful screen adaptations of acclaimed plays with reasonably small casts.

With Denzel Washington reprising his Tony-winning role from the stage play, he would be thrust into the same light as Paul Newman, Richard Burton, and Marlon Brando as actors who have been tasked with making a film successful through their performance (and the cast around them). Where Brando had Vivien Leigh and Kim Hunter, Paul Newman and Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, Washington has Viola Davis, also reprising her Tony-winning performance from the 2010 stage version. It's not just Davis, but the bulk of the cast is from that celebrated ensemble, and the familiarity between them is clear to see.

You don't watch Fences for an audiovisual spectacle – this isn't The Matrix, Avatar, or Gladiator – but for powerhouse performances in a very well realised 1950s setting bringing August Wilson's words to life. It's a great play which makes for a very good film.

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  #51667  
Old 22nd February 2020, 01:17 PM
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Philadelphia (1993) ★★★★

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Two competing lawyers join forces to sue a prestigious law firm for AIDS discrimination. As their unlikely friendship develops their courage overcomes the prejudice and corruption of their powerful adversaries.
This is a fairly standard courtroom drama elevated by brilliant performances by the two main leads (Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington) and the important subject matter. I don't think it's as groundbreaking as To Kill a Mockingbird but, from memory, it opened the doors for a more honest public conversation about HIV and AIDS in the UK. (From the comments in the publicity material, the was true for the US as well.)

The whole film is extremely well handled by Jonathan Demme, with typically engaging conversations due to the extreme close-ups and the actors looking directly into the camera and at the viewer, and the fine supporting cast which is notable for the high number of gay men, is as notable as the Oscar-nominated and Oscar-winning performances from the leads.

Bruce Springsteen's theme song – Streets of Philadelphia – is also one of the most thought-provoking and lyrically engaging songs recorded for any film, but praise must go to Neil Young for his eulogy-like song which plays over the home movies at the end.

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  #51668  
Old 22nd February 2020, 01:20 PM
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I, Daniel Blake (2016) ★★★★★

Ken Loach is no stranger to films which somewhat capture the sociopolitical climate, front Cathy come Home in 1966 to Sweet Sixteen in 2002. With I, Daniel Blake, he's made something which is as much a docudrama as a piece of fiction. Based on thorough research and whistleblower testimony, it's a brutal exposure the British benefits system and the extent to which penalises those who are too ill to work but not deemed safe enough for support from the state.

Through the titular character, it shows how people are caught between a rock and a hard place, facing appalling penalties for being slightly late to an appointment and needing to (figuratively speaking) jump through things to qualify for money with which to buy food and heat their homes.

With extremely realistic, understated performances from the lead actors, faces who aren't famous, and are fairly novice actors, it contains at least two scenes which are likely to bring tears to the eyes of viewers, and have you in a state of righteous fury in the end credits roll. It isn't a polemic, but a film which is an important document and one which should be seen by every elected official in the UK as well as those working in the benefits system.
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  #51669  
Old 22nd February 2020, 01:24 PM
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Stalker (1979) ★★★★

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Near a gray and unnamed city is the Zone, a place guarded by barbed wire and soldiers, and where the normal laws of physics are victim to frequent anomalies. A stalker guides two men into the Zone, specifically to an area in which deep-seated desires are granted.
The synopsis on the back of the Criterion Collection box describes this as "a metaphys*ical journey through an enigmatic postapocalyptic landscape, and a rarefied cinematic experience like no other." I don't know about that, or even what – if anything – Tarkovsky was trying to say with his final Soviet feature as it is almost certainly allegorical and there is nothing straightforward about the characters or the narrative.

Leaving the story and characters to one side and concentrating on the look and feel of the film, it's an engrossing experience, a film which looks interesting and, just from the visuals, provokes questions throughout. I don't know the answers to those questions, but I'll certainly be watching this again to see if I can figure out exactly what answers can be gleaned from repeated viewings.

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  #51670  
Old 22nd February 2020, 01:49 PM
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Emma. (2020) ★★★

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In 1800s England, a well-meaning but selfish young woman meddles in the love lives of her friends.
Spectacularly unspectacular and surprisingly flat, this doesn't have much in the way of all sparkling dialogue, very few memorable moments, and characters that don't stay with you long after the credits rolled.

Compared to Little Women and The Personal History of David Copperfield, this is not in the same league and left me wondering how much better it could have been with a different script, different crew, different cast, or whether it's just a case of the book not lending itself to a lively and engaging film adaptation.

The film looks fantastic and the costumes are great, so it's a real visual feast and it's very well schooled. Watching this in the cinema was a pleasant enough way of spending a couple of hours, but is not a film I'll be rushing to rewatch or buy when it is released for home viewing.

As adaptations of Jane Austen's novel go, give me Clueless any day of the week!

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