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  #59011  
Old 7th August 2022, 07:48 PM
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Wonder Women (1973, Robert O'Neil)

Some Girls Do (1969, Ralph Thomas)

Sub and quasi Bonds anyone? Couldn't turn down Richard Johnson as Bulldog D, but that's for later ....

WW is only marred by me drifting off into a haze where I wondered about what if Jack Hill and Jess Franco had a baby ahem
Our rugged man of action has the deadest eyes, which just adds to the fun.
He is tasked with discovering the terrible Dr Tzu's plans for world dom, luckily their methods are ... not unshakeable a hoot, if a stodgy one.

More in tone with the JB and that is this somewhat stiffly crazed (Rank!) potboiler updated to be more "swinging maaaan" ahem. All the better for it, as it reminded me more of the Euro knock offs than an actual UK production, what with the totty and the totty and ... Robert (who gets) Morley than he bargains for ahem. Comedy sidekick best known to me as the cheery drunk from Carry On Cruising, so that made me laugh regardless of his general twittery. Worth seeing for RJ alone, who is unflappability personified.

WW73.jpg SGD.jpg
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  #59012  
Old 7th August 2022, 11:37 PM
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Retribution. 1987.

George a manic depressive artist tries to commit suicide, Vito a low life gangster is killed by his hoodlum friends and possesses George's body to seek revenge.

Dennis Lipscomb plays the failed artist George who manages to survive his fall from the building where he stays and somehow during the balance of life and death he ends up being possessed. Leslie Wing plays the psychiatrist treating George and believes something is wrong but tries to rule out possession but can't deny what's happening. Suzanne Snyder plays the neighbour/friend Angel who witnesses the freak outs and sympathizes that her friend is troubled.

This is not a big budget and good debut film for Guy Magar who manages to create a somewhat ghost story that can make the audience feel sympathy for the main character. His life feels like shit, tries to end it then has more troubles than what he doesn't want. It is a decent chiller movie and worth a watch.

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  #59013  
Old 8th August 2022, 03:29 AM
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Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs View Post
Which would have completely misrepresented the film as it's about as thrilling as watching grass grow.
Shiver of the vampires (or whatever) is one of my favourite Rollin films, it's all over the shop but I love the gothic but Psychedelic colourful comic book feel, I quite dig the groovy soundtrack so that's probably a heavy factor.

It's one of his first films I saw and was shown with the Eurotica TV show on channel 4 at some point.
So maybe it's just nostalgia but I think the music gives it some pacing that is absent from some of his other films, currently watching it at this very
moment on Redemption blu.

The two Vampires seem like they've stepped out of The Fearless Vampire Killers or The Vampire Happening or something, and the two lovers in a strange castle reminds me of Rocky Horror although this was a few years before that, I dunno it just works for me.

But then again i really enjoyed Night of the Hunted, so what do i know.

Also theres a weird woman in a clock with spiky tits.
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  #59014  
Old 8th August 2022, 04:56 AM
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Hello, again. I hope everybody is well.

A quick recap of my life as of late. Last November, I quit my job due to exhaustion. It was making me travel all over South Japan, and doing insane hours. My bosses were nice, but COVID meant I had to do so much coverage. I couldn't take it any more, and found another job that promised not to do that anymore. Well, that changed within a month. Irregular schedule, long hours, and I had to engage with of the most unpleasant elements of Japanese society (which were already on edge over Coronavirus). Well, after six months of being told to kill myself, spit on, and hit with sticks (not my work colleague or students, but regular people that I had to pass pamphlets to), I quit. I found another job quickly, which has been treating me a lot better. It's not high-paying, but the schedule is regular, which means I get proper time off. This is great as I now have time to study Japanese. This month has had very long hours, but I was warned about it in advance.

Unfortunately, I was struck down with COVID. I'm currently isolating at home. I feel perfectly fine. Apart from a runny nose for two days, I have had no symptoms. My wife got a battering from it though. She was delirious with fever and headaches. She's feeling better now.

Anyways, I hope to return here. Of course, the rest of August I will be absent since the hours will be long, but September should be a lot better. Should be able to write up a few reviews. Speaking of which...

PREDATOR

Remember that assault on the rebel base in the opening half hour? Explosions laying waste to the outpost? Rebel scum burning as mile high fireballs engulf the jungle. Jesse Ventura decimating the local population. Stabbings. Punching. One-liners. Arnie lifting a car. Great fun, yeah?

Well, did you know that legendary director John McTiernan was not the helmer of this sequence? The story goes that producer Joel Silver was reviewing McTiernan’s footage and decided to pass it over to second-unit. It wasn’t due to Silver thinking McTiernan couldn’t direct action (he already had him pegged for Die Hard). In fact, Silver thought McTiernan directed action with an elegance that didn’t convey the excess of the average Schwarzenegger set-piece.

And that sums up why Predator is so bloody good. It defies expectations. Introducing a bad-ass crew of gunmen, and wiping them out one by one an unseen threat adds a genuine sense of tension and horror lacking from action films, especially the many clones of Predator. It feels closer to Michael Myers in the jungle – quietly observing and striking at the most opportune moment.

Helping matters is the script. It is a textbook of genre perfection. Like Aliens, the characters are barely above two-dimensional, but the script gives them enough detail to distinguish them from each other. Billy is observant. Hawkins tells cheesy jokes. Chavez is mischievous. Mac seethes. Blain chews tobacco. Dutch smokes it. Dillon pushes pencils. They all have their own ticks, and are fully fleshed out by a cast that may not challenge the average Queen Vic production, but pack as much charisma to match their firepower.

The script’s leanness is guided by McTiernan’s magnificent direction. McTiernan ratchets the tension tight, and lets it snap with nerve-wracking set-pieces. A character panickily flees from the titular beast, only to blindly slide down a slope, and fall off a cliff into a raging river. And that’s not even the end of the sequence! Alan Silvestri’s score handles this tension well, using military brass, pulsating drums, and an eerie synth that balances the sci-fi, action, and horror.

Praise must be given to Donald McAlpine’s cinematography. Predator is a very grainy film, but it works in the film’s favour. It conveys the filth, the dirt, and the suffocatingly hot jungle mist. You can almost smell the sweat off Bill Duke’s bald head. However, it is still a film rich in colour. Arnie’s red T-shirt pops, the jungle greens are lush, and the orange flames dance favourably with the dark blues of the night scenes.

Of course, if we’re talking about looks, we need to discuss the Predator himself. The original monster was to be played by Jean-Claude Van Damme, and it looked more like a giant insect. Van Damme bailed after three days, and a displeased McTiernan and Silver took the initial footage to Fox. Thankfully, Fox agreed, and ponied up the cash for Stan Winston. Winston (with some guidance by James Cameron) delivered a magnificent specimen. A seven to eight foot tall behemoth, the Predator looks like a plausible creature. I cannot overpraise this design and the effects that bring it to life. Although it is effectively a man-in-a-suit (the man being Kevin Peter Hall), it never betrays this. Its skin glistens, its limbs flex, and the facial muscles look alien but believable.

Are there any flaws? Hmm… Maybe one, but it’s hardly worth getting worked up about. The opening title card reveals the Predator arriving to Earth. This was a late studio addition, which was worried that audiences may feel deceived. The filmmakers protested, but Fox stood their ground over it. I honestly think allowing the audience to experience the slow horror before letting the cat out of the bag would have benefited the film. However, as I already mentioned, it's a minor issue.

I love Predator. It is a lean, mean sci-fi thriller that, while free from pretensions, is aware of the clichés of the genre, and uses them to play with audiences’ expectations. All while not having time to bleed!
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  #59015  
Old 8th August 2022, 05:40 AM
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PREDATOR 2

Predator 2 has a strange reputation. It was critically derided on release. It was rejected by fans for ridiculous reasons such as it didn’t have Arnie, and for more reasonable reasons such as its exaggerated tone. It underperformed in the box-office, and had to rely on home video to turn a tidy profit. It eventually picked up cult following, but its mainstream reputation seems to be one that is recognised as underrated, but nobody really remembers why.

Well, cards on the table, but I adore Predator 2. The first film is better, but Predator 2 is very close. It lacks the leanness that the first film delivers, but almost makes up for it with a vicious abrasiveness that never lets up. Almost every line of dialogue is either snarled or yelled. The violence is beyond brutal at parts, bordering on pure horror. Sirens klaxon from every direction, and flashing lights rattle the frame.

It's exhausting, but it is with purpose. Predator 2 portrays a Hell on earth. A world ravaged by global warming, rising crime, 24/7 media (casting Morton Downey as loudmouth prick was clearly a Silver joke), gun ownership, and a police state. Boy, did they catch us out on that. It’s the most Joel Silver film ever made. You can almost taste the cocaine emanating from every frame.

This is what I love about Predator 2, and is perhaps why audiences couldn’t connect. It’s a surprisingly sprawling film that isn’t afraid to reflect on the genre, and the Reagan era. It presents a hyper-realistic world of excess – a world destroyed by the actions of the previous era. And yet, it doesn’t carry the bitter, cynical streak you’d expect. It carries a sense of optimism, that perhaps violence and gun-waving is not the ideal future for the world.

However, when the film does focus on the Predator stuff, it’s quite good. Alan Silvestri’s wonderful score returns. The cast headed by Danny Glover keep their characters likable despite their yelling, and quick reliance on violence. Director Stephen Hopkins does a wonderful job at giving Los Angeles an exotic horror vibe, and utilises odd angles and close-ups to create a sense of unease. And of course, the attack scenes.

Predator 2 is loaded with fantastic set-pieces, including what may be the best of the entire series. A nightmare sequence taking place on a rush-hour subway train, loaded with trigger-happy civilians, and a playful Predator. It’s a tour-de-force of direction, acting, editing, cinematography, and music, and has you feeling like you are stuck in the car with Bill Paxton. Nothing comes close to this sequence, which is why it’s a shame that the film carries on for another 30 minutes.

This is perhaps the biggest fault of Predator 2. While it is still fun, it turns into a standard chase film with “wacky” humour that lacks the pure terror the subway scene brought.

Still, I can’t deny I had a wonderful time revisiting Predator 2. Like Paxton’s Lambert, it is loud, excessive, vulgar, and as baggy as his trousers. But it’s also loaded with charm and personality, and it demands your attention. It's magic. Voodoo magic! F**king voodoo magic!
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Last edited by MacBlayne; 8th August 2022 at 05:57 AM.
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  #59016  
Old 8th August 2022, 05:56 AM
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PREDATORS

Have you seen Predator? Did you like it? Would you like more of the same? You would? Then open up for Predators!

It’s hard to review a film that essentially remakes the first film. Obviously, it can’t compete. Despite a surprisingly stacked cast, the characters are paper-thin. The direction is reverent without standing out. The action is fine, without ever crossing over into memorable with the exception of a Predator dog attack.

The short length of this review indicates how little Predators brings to the table. It feels like a borderline reboot. Although it adds little bits of lore, such as a Predator civil war, and an alien planet, it does little with these concepts. The film exists to welcome back fans scared off by Predator 2 and the AvP films, as well as make new fans by not paying too much attention to the previous films.

Nothing is wrong with the film, really, The actors are clearly having fun. The photography is good without being awe-inspiring. The effects are good. The new Predator designs are good, but don’t capture the imagination like the previous efforts. The score is decent, but hardly one you’ll remember. It's the very definition of alright. It just wants to return to what it thinks fans of the first film wanted, and hint a little towards what it could expand to. Despite doing quite well in the box-office, this never got a follow-up for some reason. Maybe the studio forgot it existed too? Either way, it’s a serviceable romp that entertains and never overstays its welcome.
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  #59017  
Old 8th August 2022, 06:43 AM
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THE PREDATOR

A lot has been said about this one. While critical reception was mixed, fan and audience reaction was hostile.

Being a Shane Black fan, I was excited. I was hoping audiences were just braindead after so much Marvel crap, and were repulsed by a film that would feature proper storytelling (a talent Black possesses).

Sadly, The Predator is a disaster. It is marred by ugly visuals, sloppy editing, shockingly bad story revelations, tonal inconsistency, and schmaltz. The acting is all over the place, and I don’t mean the performances are bad, but that nobody really gels with each other. It feels like a film that was assembled, rather than one that was directed.

And this is important, for the film was a victim of massive studio interference. The Predator was meant to kick off a new series of Predator films for the studio, much like how Prometheus rebooted the Alien series. However, the studio seems to have panicked. The film was pulled from Black, and was heavily reshot without his involvement. Cinematographer Larry Fong expressed his extreme displeasure towards Fox, and revealed he was not involved with reshoots or colour-timing. Jake Busey and Thomas Jane have recounted Black being visibly distraught at the premiere, and his horror at seeing the new ending (Black was not aware of the crowbarred epilogue). Edward James Olmos also told of how he had a whole subplot that was completely deleted.

Months after the film’s release (which actually made a minor profit in the box-office), photographs were leaked showing multiple Predators on a tank and chased by other vehicles. These scenes took place during the day. Black confirmed that the studio had decided a night setting would be better for the climax, and had hoped to convince Fox to release a director’s cut on BluRay (this was denied).

Eventually, Black’s script leaked online. Having read it, I can confirm that it is very different from the finished film. Is it better? Yeah, but with a caveat. Black is a tremendously talented writer who understands structure, set-up, and pay-off. Nothing happens without an earlier scene preparing it. Even the film’s more repellent aspect (autism being the next stage of evolution) is downplayed. The boy is still autistic, and is targeted by the Uber-Predator, but this is more due to the creature’s scientific curiosity rather than a very misguided attempt at appealing to mothers across the world.

However, I don’t think Predator lends itself to an expanded universe. The joy of Predator is the simplicity. The first film is simplicity perfected. Predators understood this, and stuck with it. Predator 2 expanded thematically, but kept the Predator stuff simple. The Predator is far too vast and sprawling. It’s a prison-break film crossed with espionage, and three episodes of The X-Files. It’s way too much.

The finished film has very little to praise. There are some good set-pieces, such as the Predator escaping from the base, or the assault in the suburban house, that are deliciously violent. Since it is derived from a Shane Black screenplay, there are some fantastic lines of dialogue (Sterling K. Brown earns his ham). But it is an unpleasant mess that clumsily transitions between scenes, and a mean streak of humour that feels more bullying than politically incorrect. Non-fans should keep away. Fans should watch only to satisfy their curiosity, because The Predator will satisfy very little else.
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  #59018  
Old 8th August 2022, 07:04 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MacBlayne View Post
[SIZE="4"][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]Hello, again. I hope everybody is well.

A quick recap of my life as of late. Last November, I quit my job due to exhaustion. It was making me travel all over South Japan, and doing insane hours. My bosses were nice, but COVID meant I had to do so much coverage. I couldn't take it any more, and found another job that promised not to do that anymore. Well, that changed within a month. Irregular schedule, long hours, and I had to engage with of the most unpleasant elements of Japanese society (which were already on edge over Coronavirus). Well, after six months of being told to kill myself, spit on, and hit with sticks (not my work colleague or students, but regular people that I had to pass pamphlets to), I quit. I found another job quickly, which has been treating me a lot better. It's not high-paying, but the schedule is regular, which means I get proper time off. This is great as I now have time to study Japanese. This month has had very long hours, but I was warned about it in advance.

Unfortunately, I was struck down with COVID. I'm currently isolating at home. I feel perfectly fine. Apart from a runny nose for two days, I have had no symptoms. My wife got a battering from it though. She was delirious with fever and headaches. She's feeling better now.
Good to see you are in a better frame of mind and looking after yourself
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  #59019  
Old 8th August 2022, 07:34 AM
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Good to see you are in a better frame of mind and looking after yourself
Thank you!
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  #59020  
Old 8th August 2022, 07:39 AM
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PREY

When it was announced that 10 Cloverfield Lane director Dan Trachtenberg would be helming a new Predator film, fans were cautious, but hopeful. The last film was a trainwreck, but Trachtenberg’s pitch sounded neat. Predator vs Native Americans in the 1700s. That’s a great pitch. Well, Prey is better than The Predator, but it’s not like it had to try very hard. Prey is not a bad film, but it's not a "masterpiece" either. Despite what the over-excited critics will have you believe, it’s a C, C+ at best.

So what happened? Why didn’t I like Prey as much as the critics? Let’s start with what Prey gets right – the premise. As mentioned, Prey has a superb setting. It’s the 1700s. A teenage girl with the Commanche tribe lives in the shadow of her warrior brother. While brother goes off hunting, she is expected to gather herbs and vegetables, and prepare medicines. However, what she wants more than anything else is prove herself as an equal hunter. Unfortunately, there is something else nearby wanting the same.

It’s a simple set-up, and Trachtenberg is wise enough to show Nova (Amber Midthunder) developing her strategies and methods. She’s not a brilliant warrior that excels at weapon handling. She fails. She practices. She fails again. She adjusts. This is great stuff, and is paid off in later scenes.

However, Prey suffers from issues that befall many modern genre films. This is not a screenplay filled with characters that feel of the era. This is Twitter. Dialogue is not about establishing comradery or motivations. It’s 2022 gender politics being thrown into the mouths of 18th century denizens. Characters are not shown to have strengths or weaknesses, but are used to show how much women suck, and then they pay for it in ultra-violent slapstick fashion.

This is a big problem with Prey. It tries so hard to woo the Twitter crowd, that it inadvertently carries a nasty element of misogyny. The lead is frequently belittled for being a woman, and is viciously slapped about because the film posits that it will be fine because she will become stronger. And its only when she adopts cruel barbarism that she becomes a STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER. And then the film has the audacity to look down on women who would rather not follow such a path.

I’m sorry for getting all “woke/unwoke” there, but this really soured my viewing experience. It’s nasty, and celebrates a side of humanity that really doesn’t need celebrating. It’s not the capacity for violence that offends me, but the notion that cruelty and torture makes you a better person.

Anyways, back to the rest of the film. There wasn’t much else that engaged. The acting is okay. Critics are running out of superlatives to describe Midthunder’s performance. She’s fine, but she feels more like a California teen doing cosplay. Imagine Aubrey Plaza fighting the Predator in a sketch show, and that is Midthunder. The rest of the cast are serviceable but unmemorable.

The visuals are ugly. It’s that Terrence Malick wannabe meets flat, digital photography that tries to cover their deficiencies by slapping an ugly brown filter over the entire film. The night time scenes are shockingly bad, with me rubbing my eyes trying to figure out what was happening. We’re talking AvP2 bad. Is it too much to ask that when lighting, light the actors' faces? Trachtenberg proves to be rather amateurish when it comes to blocking. The cinematography is not used to provide atmosphere, or subtly hint at storytelling. It just records, and moves on. The CGI is also rather sloppy. Not something I would harp on too much, but there are moments that could have been easily done as practical. But I suppose this laziness befits the direction and photography. The action is passable. It never becomes exciting or innovative.

I was crushed by Prey. I was so hyped for it based on the premise alone. Sadly, it’s product designed to appeal to social media, so that the viewing link can be shared to future customers. The acclaim the film has gotten has proven my suspicions about critics today. Critics do not watch films to engage with them, to develop new ideas, thoughts, or sensations. Instead, films are something the critics sees in between the moments they look up from their phones, or look at the mini-player in the corner of their computer screens. Hardly anything in Prey feels human, nor does anything engage beyond the surface.

At least the dog was awesome!
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Last edited by MacBlayne; 8th August 2022 at 08:04 AM.
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