What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[MrBarlow]

Space Raiders. 1983.

While stealing a spaceship, a band of pirates have a stowaway, 10 year old Peter, while trying and promising to take him home, the federation decide it be best to blow up the ship rather than rescue Peter.

Light hearted family film that's full of the 80s cheesy stuff we still lovewith the over the top kills that come with slow motion and the bad laser shooter space ship. Some of the visual effects seem to be taken from other space films and television shows that you never noticed until now, the acting is not great but still entertaining and helps pass a boring night at work.

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[MuckyFunster]

The Birds (1963)

First time viewing of this old classic...

The first part was kind of strange - half telling the story of Tippi Hendren’s character possible being a fraudster and Rod Taylor’s character trying to teach her a lesson by playing a joke on her, which then backfires (?) with her stalking him and breaking into his house to play a joke on him (?). There are then a few really great scenes where the birds start to become quite menacing, apparently forming an alliance and setting the mood for the coming onslaught. In the end...I don’t know why it’s still rated a 15...Probably because of one short ‘gross out’ scene in particular. Not bad, but not all that great. Psycho and Rear Window are still my favourite of Hitchcock’s.


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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Conan the Destroyer (1984)

Another awards ceremony and still no medal for Chewie.

I bought this for the commentary from Kim Newman, Stephen Jones and co-star Sarah Douglas, who is easily the best thing about this film.

Watching it last night, minus commentary, i did wonder if i'd actually seen it before. To be honest it seemed a bit anemic in comparison to the movies that blatantly ripped Conan off such as Death Stalker and Barbarian Queen.

[marvinnashsear]

Going to watch this later, anyone seen it?
[/QUOTE]

I think Samara Weaving is quite unique these days because unlike a lot of young actors she's extremely likeable. I really enjoyed Ready or Not and thought she was excellent in Mayhem.

[Demoncrat]

Run (2020, Aneesh Chaganty)

A tad cliched but gripping enough.


Suburban Gothic (2014, Richard Bates Jr)

A hipster is forced to return to his hometown, where he meets a goth he ignored at school, she in turn helps him investigate a mystery. Decent enough, somewhat lighter in tone than his other films cough. Ray Wise has fun as a stuffy dad etc.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

What did you make of that finale where they all blew up?

At the time i thought wow, brilliant! But looking back now it also felt like a bit of a cop out too. I'm not sure. I'll know better on second watch i guess.

I loved it on the first viewing. On my second viewing, I paid more attention to the reason for the game and the family's insistence on it taking place.

With the slight reveal of the figure in the chair, it seems their fears of the 'ritual' not happening were well founded!

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Life (2017)

The six member crew of the International Space Station, including Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, and Ryan Reynolds, uncover a microbe that provides evidence of the first signs of life on Mars.

Although perhaps not the most original sci-fi horror movie, i absolutely loved it. It's really well acted (Even Reynolds), looks fantastic whilst ramping up and sustaining the tension brilliantly thanks to great direction and a convincing screenplay.

There have been a lot of quality new science fiction films released in the 2010's, i think Life was my favourite.

[Frankie Teardrop]

PSYCHO COP RETURNS – Ragged comedy horror from the genre’s wilderness years, the early / mid nineties. Office block yuppies throw a naughty party after hours – Psycho Cop, although not on the guest list, turns up to ensure that no minor violation goes unpunished. Lots of tits, shagging and photocopiers, plus a sprinkling of splatter alongside obligatory one-liners and performances that seem partially automated. Thin gruel, but enough fun to keep going with, plus I liked the shadowy office block, I’m a sucker for ambient lighting and a bit of atmosphere.

NEW YEAR’S EVIL – Hurray for seasonal horror. There are better ones. Who can top the likes of ‘Christmas Evil’ or ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night’, or even ‘Bloody New Year’? Let me get on with it before this post gets even more out of date. ‘New Year’s Evil’ is a competent slasher which trades on the gimmick of a midnight killing spree spread across America’s four time zones. It centres on an old New Wave music show host and her difficult family life, alongside attendant mask-wearing and serial murdering. Most of the fun comes from its depiction of punks and various subcultures, which is in line with the era’s media-based misperceptions. Not enough blood, but some atmosphere in places, enhanced by eighties fashions and attitudes. Enjoyable enough.

MURDER WEAPON – From David De Cocteau, starring Linnea Quigley. It’s a shoestring no-budgeter that pads out its main scenario, about two bored rich kids wanting revenge against their exes, with overlong flashbacks and non-sequiturs. That could be painfully boring, but after a while it becomes quite intoxicating. It’s just so fragmented; “I guess that bit might’ve been a dream, then?” was a thought that occurred to me more than once whilst watching it transform into an LA house party-gone-giallo with random but gratuitous gore, brazen fourth wall breaches showing camera crew in-shot and weird, weird sound – that howling wind gets everywhere. It won’t work for those looking for something well-made and undemanding because it’s one of those where you kind of have to fight to find it entertaining or even meaningful. But it’s definitely authentic movie trash, well worth seeking out if you like unintentional surrealism and / or Linnea Quigley.

DR JEKYLL’S DUNGEON OF DEATH – I watched the old Vipco version of this long ago, back when it was known as ‘The Dungeon’ to the three or four people in the UK who’d picked it up. I had dim memories of gothic murk and endless fist-fights; both factors pretty much sum up DJDOD, though the VinSyn transfer highlights a lush aesthetic that the previous DVD could only hint at. Plotwise, it’s about a descendent of the original Dr Jekyll who injects people with a serum that ‘releases their inner rage’ and inspires them to engage in overlong sub-Kung Fu scenes; otherwise, it throws in incest, nice lighting and a gloweringly droney electronic soundtrack that makes even the most innocuous moments seethe with unease. The material is a bit thin and nothing much happens beyond cackling, fighting and bursts of unwholesomeness that never quite dip into full-on sleaze, but it is very atmospheric and, in its pungent shadowiness, reminded me of a sort of ripe Euro-goth version of Andy Milligan.

[Demoncrat]

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

As always, Frankie, superbly written and very entertaining reviews.