What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[MrBarlow]

Originally Posted by J Harker

Monster a-Go Go. Bill Rebane. 1965.

Although I'd love to hear anyone else's thoughts.

I tried to watch this via YouTube back in 2020 and I only got halfway through, I agree it is very dull.

[Justin101]

Originally Posted by MrBarlow

You will need to ask Justin about that

It is like a war zone lately I don’t go out after dark lol

[J Harker]

Originally Posted by MrBarlow

I tried to watch this via YouTube back in 2020 and I only got halfway through, I agree it is very dull.

There are one or two good snippets and the grains of a decent film. However what got to the screen is just rubbish. There's a brilliantly intriguing idea revealed in the closing moments that could be a movie in itself, and a decent one at that. Sadly the budget was probably gone by then. All fifteen dollars.

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[MrBarlow]

Originally Posted by Justin101

It is like a war zone lately I don’t go out after dark lol

Think a lot of places are like that these days

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Monster on the Campus (1958)

Another creature feature directed by Jack Arnold about an extinct fish which turns everything it comes into contact with into raving monsters, be it a dragonfly, a pet dog (with ludicrous teeth) or people.

There's a reasonable amount of tension, one or two scares and some pretty strong violence for it's time - one unlucky fella gets a hatchet in the face, a woman is dragged around by her hair - but as with many films of this ilk there's also too much time taken with people in lab coats sat around discussing things, not to mention random acts of dumbness by people who should know better instead of getting to the nitty gritty of Neanderthal mutations running round killing folk.

The Eureka Blu-ray looks very pretty. Will probably rewatch it tonight at some stage to listen to Kim and Stephen's commentary on the 'Neanderthal killers on a college campus' sub-genre.

[trebor8273]

A interesting and enjoyable adaptation of Dracula by Jess Franco none of his T&A here. The great Christopher Lee once again dons the cloak of the count. He is joined by Herbert Lom and Van Helsing and the aways insane looking Klaus Kinski as Renfield.

Now watching the manliest and coolest man in the universe.

[MrBarlow]

Night Creatures. 1962.

Another forgotten classic by Hammer, a small village running a bootleg operation and the king' s men come calling to stop and arrest those responsible but they are always one step ahead and local legend of the Marsh Phantoms. Peter Cushing plays the local town minister and hiding his past. Patrick Allen plays Captain Collier sent to find the alcohol runners and uncovers that a vicious pirate may still be alive.

This was certainly enjoyable right from the start to end, it does have its flaws with the effects of the night sky still looking like it's day time but the period costumes are nicely done with the set pieces and Hammer usual Michael Ripper having a bit more screen time, and Oliver Reed charming the local young lady Yvonne Romain.

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[Demoncrat]

The Hackers (1988, John Duncan)

SOV caper.
One of the betterer efforts I've seen. Technically that is, the story has bald spots, it's that worn out
For all that, I enjoyed it.
Housesitting can be easy, no? Feed the plants, water the cats etc. Sadly the crew that's been hired to fix the roof have ... other interests ahem.
Grotty enough, if only it didn't end on the greatest cliche of them all ahem.



Love Gods From Planet Zero (2021, Jim Kimble)

Two friends are hired to deliver a package. When they end up with slightly more than they bargained for, they find that they are now on a wanted list. Could we call this one quirky? The black and white photography would suggest so. Features one of the better child performances that I've seen in years. Needs a rewatch ....

[MuckyFunster]

“Bait”

This has been on my ‘must watch’ list for ages.

It’s about these two women who own a cafe. They’re shown bantering with some customers. One of the women is is Irish, and I think the Irish accent sort of lends itself to comedy. So shes cracking wise one minute (with Charlie “Uncle Peter from Reeves & Mortimer” Chuck!), and then the next minute there’s all this violence.

Its a violent revenge thriller that tries to blend in some comedy now and again, but without any real devotion to either the violence OR the comedy. It wasn’t great. Wasn’t too good at all. It gets really decent reviews too not sure why.

Some films do the mix of comedy and serious violence quite well, films such as like “Lock Stock…”or something. But Bait doesn’t manage it. It ended up feeling disjointed and confusing. The bad guy was really overacting his attempt at being the smarmy, sleazy, smart-Alec gangster character too.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The Monolith Monsters (1957)

A meteor lands outside a small Californian desert town. On contact with water it grows and expands into a giant crystalline alien rock like monolith er' monsters that keep toppling over then growing into even more mighty monoliths whose fragments when touched turn humans into stone.

Quite an original idea in an era flooded by original science fiction ideas. Although it borrows a bit from films such as Them! (1954) with it's desert town in panic storyline a theme so favoured by it's writer Jack Arnold, it also delves that bit deeper into characters such as allowing English born Les Tremayne a side story of a news editor determined to use the disaster as a way to achieve personal success, rather than characters where cause and effect are the main requirements.

The huge crystalline monoliths are impressive effects as is the destruction of the dam in a bid to destroy them even though it's clearly the 'flashflood' effect on show to visitors as part of the Universal Studios backlot tour.In fact if you look closely at the town of San Angelo you'll notice a striking resemblance to Hill Valley from Back to the Future.

The Monolith Monsters to this day remains a unique and enjoyable science fiction film which looks splendid via the new Eureka Blu-ray.