What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Rik]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Aliens (1986)

I know this goes against all public opinion but i'm really not a fan of James Cameron's Aliens.

On the plus side it's a tremendous looking film with the alien planet and all the space craft and vehicles on display looking ultra realistic so from a technical aspect it's superb but as a piece of entertainment, well that's where it falls down with me.

Sigourney Weaver, returning as Ripley from Ridley Scott's far superior Alien, remains a force to be reckoned with but the seemingly legendary Colonial Marines (Michael Biehn and Bill Paxton aside) are instantly forgettable. It's testament to John McTiernan's soon to be inextricably linked to this franchise Predator (1987) that he could make a team of army grunts fully rounded and interesting characters in one brief helicopter ride that Cameron couldn't manage in a mind numbing hour and a half of Colonial Marine chatter.

What irks more than anything is that this is supposedly an action film, yet most of the action we don't actually get to see. One long scene where the alien Xenomorphs are being mown down by automatic machine guns we don't see at all and this like so much of the so called action takes place as the viewer watches others watching the action.

The Xenomorphs themselves are utterly pointless having at most 20 seconds screen time throughout the first two hours, admittedly the final half hour features the alien queen extensively but the classic alien creature is sadly mostly absent from proceedings.

I've always found this film disappointing and last night's viewing on blu-ray was no better. Sorry but this is the worst of the first four Alien films.

Off with his head

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Rik

Off with his head

At least i wouldn't have to watch the first boring as hell hour and a half.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Under Siege (1992)

A classic Steven Seagal feature in the Die Hard tradition as Seagal's chef Casey Ryback attempts to stop terrorists led by Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey take over the U.S. Navy battleship Missouri.

Location work aboard the USS Alabama is excellent and the script delightfully pacy with Busey and Jones at their manic best and Seagal an ass kicking force of nature.

This was the first time i'd actually seen Under Siege uncut as the UK vhs and dvd's were always seven seconds light previously.

[davcol]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Aliens (1986)

I know this goes against all public opinion but i'm really not a fan of James Cameron's Aliens.

On the plus side it's a tremendous looking film with the alien planet and all the space craft and vehicles on display looking ultra realistic so from a technical aspect it's superb but as a piece of entertainment, well that's where it falls down with me.

Sigourney Weaver, returning as Ripley from Ridley Scott's far superior Alien, remains a force to be reckoned with but the seemingly legendary Colonial Marines (Michael Biehn and Bill Paxton aside) are instantly forgettable. It's testament to John McTiernan's soon to be inextricably linked to this franchise Predator (1987) that he could make a team of army grunts fully rounded and interesting characters in one brief helicopter ride that Cameron couldn't manage in a mind numbing hour and a half of Colonial Marine chatter.

What irks more than anything is that this is supposedly an action film, yet most of the action we don't actually get to see. One long scene where the alien Xenomorphs are being mown down by automatic machine guns we don't see at all and this like so much of the so called action takes place as the viewer watches others watching the action.

The Xenomorphs themselves are utterly pointless having at most 20 seconds screen time throughout the first two hours, admittedly the final half hour features the alien queen extensively but the classic alien creature is sadly mostly absent from proceedings.

I've always found this film disappointing and last night's viewing on blu-ray was no better. Sorry but this is the worst of the first four Alien films.

That's quite a statement considering part 3 was universally panned and part 4 was even worse. I have good memories of watching this on home video with my dad as a boy so it has nostalgic value.
I watched it the other week with my own son and still enjoy it. I didn't see the original until the mid 90s and thought it was just as good as the sequel and a totally different film.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by davcol

That's quite a statement considering part 3 was universally panned and part 4 was even worse. I have good memories of watching this on home video with my dad as a boy so it has nostalgic value.
I watched it the other week with my own son and still enjoy it. I didn't see the original until the mid 90s and thought it was just as good as the sequel and a totally different film.

Nostalgia plays a big part in how we feel about films, especially those we saw in our youth.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The Curse of Dracula (2019)

Titled The Curse of Valburga overseas, this Slovenian horror film is a proper mixed bag.

For a start Dracula has nothing to do with it, the story essentially is about a group of tourists (all seemingly armed following their own agendas) who take a tour run by three down on their luck Slovenian loudmouths (or wankers as we'd call them over here) to a deserted mansion under pretence of a local legend. However the mansion basement is home to a family of cannibals who are delighted lunch is now on the menu.

I'm not sure if this was supposed to be a comedy horror or if the subtitles translated from Slovenian just made it that way, i'll give the the benefit of the doubt and say so as thankfully some of the comedic aspects i found genuinely funny such as a German couple on the tour. The pair, totally laid back, crack open a couple of beers hidden in the wife's pencil case size handbag. Then the next scene she produces two more, then two more, and more and more and more, i was genuinely laughing out loud every time this happened.

There are also three wannabe porn film makers on the tour who sneak off from the group into the far reaches of the mansion to make an anal sex film. I'm not sure Slovenians actually know the definition of anal sex but it sure as shit isn't two girls bopping their fully clothed arses together in front of a whooping camera man.

What really worked for me are the special effects. All done practically with a large round projectile saw blade as the weapon of choice. Slicing off limbs, shredding shoulders and cutting deep into heads, it really was a treat for the eyes.

The film as a whole felt very seedy. Every other word uttered (or mostly shouted) was f*ck or c*nt and it became both extremely annoying and repetitive although given the obnoxious characters populating the film it was hardly surprising.

With a better script this could have been okay as the gore and location was pretty enjoyable and memorable but the rest. Well, forget it.

[Dave Boy]

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AUDREY ROSE (1977)

Anthony Hopkins is convinced that the daughter of a couple born a few minutes after his daughter died in a car crash fire, is in fact his daughter, Audrey Rose reincarnated..
This is a great movie. Although the UK cert at the time was 'AA', the film at times is quite harrowing and intense. A film that lingers in the mind for a few days after even if you have seen it before.

[MrBarlow]

Love At First Note. 1979.

Count Dracula and his loyal servant Renfield are evicted from his castle and heads to New York to find his true love who has taken form of a model Cindy Sondheim.

One of the good spoofs of the Dracula seeking his bride who has reincarnated as a pill pusher borderline drinker, George Hamilton in one of his best roles plays the campy Dracula and Arte Johnson as bug eating servant Renfield. Susan Saint James plays Cindy who is under the care of a doctor who is a decendant of Van Helsing willing to carry on the family name of vampire slayers played by Richard Benjamin. The film may be outdated with the clothes and soundtrack but still brings in a good laugh.

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[trebor8273]

Originally Posted by Dave Boy

Attachment 232793
AUDREY ROSE (1977)

Anthony Hopkins is convinced that the daughter of a couple born a few minutes after his daughter died in a car crash fire, is in fact his daughter, Audrey Rose reincarnated..
This is a great movie. Although the UK cert at the time was 'AA', the film at times is quite harrowing and intense. A film that lingers in the mind for a few days after even if you have seen it before.

This was one of those that terrified me as a kid for weeks after watching late Friday night on itv of bbc1. Ah the good old days .

[trebor8273]

A Viking sets out too kill the creature which killed his family ,short and enjoyable with some decent gore and creature effects. With the look and setting they could of called it a Skyrim story.


Now watching .