What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The Northman (2022)

A tale of Viking revenge which takes place over decades. Robert Eggers film certainly looks the part from a world building scenario, is very well acted and directed and feels mythical and surreal enough for a classic Viking epic but i never really felt invested in it. I was never really gripped by the story which proved too slight for the films 140 minute run time.

In a way it's ambition lets it down. Although the world building was commendable as i alluded to above, it's still quite small in it's vision. Whilst the village may look authentic enough right down to the crockery, the film lacked any what you would call classic Viking imagery. There were no long ship assaults on coastal areas, nothing pulse pounding in that respect just a few bloody battles that when examined closely were rather small in scale.

Meanwhile the characters never pulled me in aside from a couple of conversations between lead Alexander Skarsgård (You wouldn't want to mess with him) and Eggers fave Anya Taylor-Joy, the film had no emotional hold from it's characterisation whatsoever. I'm usually gripped by historical films akin to this be it Gladiator (2000) Braveheart (1995), The Long Ships (1964) or even Mario Bava's 60's mini epics Erik the Conqueror and Knives of the Avenger but i wasn't by this.

The lack of a score from Wardruna didn't help even if Icelandic Goddess Bjork played a seeress in the film and was beautifully effective in her performance.

[Dave Boy]

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THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME (1979)

Coming in the sci-fi movie boom of the late 70s, as far as I know this has nothing to do with HG Wells.
The movie is very low budget. Looking like a TV show, with I think a budget of at least half of the sc-fi shows going around at the time.
With never a good review anywhere I don't think, I just sit back and and watch with nostagia of the time and remember seeing the quad poster up at the cinema.

[trebor8273]

For new year's eve I had a Dan Arkroyd double with Ghostbusters 2 and the annual viewing of the classic Trading Places I film I never go bored of watching.


Also have watched Scream 1&2 , what can be said about scream that's not been said before , it's a film that gave new life to the dying horror genre and started many copy cats for better of worse while the second is not as good as the first it's still enjoyable.


Now watching scream 3, will watch 4 and the new scream later this week

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Lunch Hour (1961)

Shirley Anne Field and Robert Stephens play work colleagues embarking on an affair in their lunch hour but keep getting interrupted until he books them into a hotel room one lunch time.

They are then interrupted by the hotel's manageress, Kay Walsh, making Stephens feel the need to invent a convoluted reason for them being there.

It begins to get weird in the final third as Field seemingly starts to believe Stephens story and slowly becomes the stay at home wife he invents, making her way down to London from Scarborough for the hourly tryst until they both argue about her now imagined life.

This was quite charming. Shirley Anne Field is utterly lovely and clearly decides that she's better than just a lunch time fling in a hotel room with someone who feels the need to justify spending time with her to others who have f*ck all to do with either of them but, you know, that's how life was in the fifties and early sixties.

A little gem of a film.

[MrBarlow]

Incision. 2020.

A internet beauty blogger and her friends are kidnapped by a demented plastic surgeon.

This was a blind watch for me and honesty hand on heart this was a piece of shit, the opening gave out a good promise but after that two bits of blood that doesn't or should have created a splatter. The acting just gets worse and worse and becomes unbearable to the point of shit the F up and just kill each other and end our suffering of watching this. I couldn't even finish watching it.

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[MrBarlow]

The Hunt. 2020.

A group of people wake up in a field and realise they are being hunted for sport by rich socialites, one of those being hunted proves to be a problem for them.

I have watched this a few times and still find it hilarious, right at the plane ride you can tell these toffs don't give a crap who or how they kill people and how birthday girl lands in the same hole twice. Betty Gilpin and Hilary Swank face off each other in a bit of girl on girl fight shows that both women are not shy it letting blood shed in a good fight.

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[MrBarlow]

Bedknobs And Broomsticks. 1971.

During WWII siblings Carrie, Charles and Paul are sent to live with a apprentice witch.

Another classic Disney film that's full of family fun and laughs with the late Angela Lansbury as the witch Eglantine Price and David Tomlinson who thinks he is the best magician since Merlin. The effects maybe outdated by today's standard but when you were young they were decent and better at times with what we get today.

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[MrBarlow]

Hellblazers. 2020.

A sinister cult unleashes a demon in a small backwoods town.

Set back in the 80s where nobody has heard of Michael Myers or Cujo, right after the credits we are thrown into the film, why did the cult release a demon into the world we are never given a reason but I'm sure they had fun doing it.

This had a good star cast with Bruce Dern as the wheelchair Vietnam vet who nobody believes at what he saw till it's too late. Adrienne Barbeau as the small town dj (pretty sure she played a dj in another horror). Meg Foster as a diner owner. Courtney Gains as a tree seller and Tony Todd who owns the local tavern. The make up dept done a decent job in creating the horned monster that resembles something a demon worshipper cult would certainly release. There is some quirky good comments that bring a laugh but never spoils the movie. For a homage to the cheese fest 80s film this was entertaining.

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(Extra scene after the end credits)

[MrBarlow]

Spontaneous. 2020.

When pupils start exploding for no reason, two seniors start to fall in love and try to live a normal life.

This had me in stitches, its like a rom-com with a sick sadistic twist, right at the start it just happens then you have students together in one room and one mentions the exploding body is something from a Cronenberg movie, which is something he has done and the director of this film took inspiration from. The acting is quite decent with the lead actress doing a voice over in parts. Some really bad shit happens to good people is like the metaphor the writer and director tries to bring to the film. Worth a watch.

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[Demoncrat]

The Mind's Eye (2018, Joe Begos)

Begos can be hit or miss imho, but this one kept my interest.
In the future certain abilities are targeted for shady government shenanigans. It does become a tad more formulaic towards the end.



Reno 911: It's A Wonderful Heist (2022, Christian Hoffman)

Nevada's finest put on the Xmas pageant to end all pageants ... in Nevada certainly. Another hit or miss affair, as I found some of this to be inspired, whilst some is dire. Dangle outdoes himself for all that ahem.