What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[MrBarlow]

The Lost Continent. 1968.

Thanks to Dem for posting up pics of this film yesterday, certainly made me dig this one out for a Friday night. Produced by Hammer but doesn't feel like one due to no gothic setting yet it does have a tense atmosphere and ofcourse Michael Ripper.

The film is set a liner with a strange cargo and all the passengers seems to have a dark secret amongst themselves in a mysterious land ruled by a decendant of the Spanish Inquisitor. Filmed with a budget that Michael Carreras (son of James Carreras) took over the director's chair and caused a few problems, this has a lost colony of somewhat inbreds, gloomy setting and killer sea weed. Based on the book Uncharted Seas by Dennis Wheatley (which is a good read) the film does take it's time getting to the main plot after some character build up and then goes a bit all over the place, yet still manages to be a guilty pleasure of a viewing.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The Black Pit of Dr. M (1959)

This may have a beautifully atmospheric Gothic setting with mist swirling through all the studio bound exterior shots but it can't disguise the fact that The Black Pit of Dr. M is boring as hell.

I finally managed to sit through it last night at a third time of asking but God knows what it was about. All i can remember is that all the men looked the spitting image of one another. Immaculately attired, moustache and white quiff in their hair.

[Demoncrat]

The Godmonster Of Indian Flats (Fred Hobbs)

Went round to a mates, and was given a choice, so stuck this one on to finally see what all the fuss was about. Whether twas the ... interesting editing, or just something in the air ahem, but I did enjoy this mad hotchpotch of land grabbing and mad scientists. Lawdy.



The Sword & The Claw (1975)

Mad Turkish caper.
A man gets his hands cut off. Years later he plays his own son (minus unconvincing beard harumph) in order to get revenge on a moustached sort. Michty. Lots of folk get got, and this is before he gets his special weapon cough. Will try and get my own copy of this one certainly.

[MrBarlow]

The Curse Of The Werewolf. 1961.

Hammer's entry (and only one) to the Wolfman/Werewolf genre, this time set in Spain that has a narration over it and can be a very slow start. Oliver Reed marks his film debut and appears 50 minutes into the film.This does seem to be a homage to the 1941 Lon Chaney film with the same make-up and a man who has a Curse but doesn't want it and yet can't control it when the animal instincts take over. Terence Fisher did try his best to make it entertaining and those above him probably had to force changes back then to appraise a audience with little violence shown on screen. This could be a film that you can have a love/hate relationship with.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The Harder They Fall (1956)

An excellent Noir drama in which Humphrey Bogart plays an unemployed sports journalist and writer who is hired by Rod Steiger's fight promoter to make a name in the boxing world of his latest find. An unknown giant of a man from Argentina whom Steiger intends to exploit all the way to the top. The only problem is the guy, although huge, can't fight.

Mark Robson's film exudes pessimism. It's as dark as they come when going in fists flailing exposing the shady mob fueled world of corruption in boxing equaled only by the bloody fighting scenes in the ring.

The mood isn't lightened by the fact star Humphrey Bogart was dying by this point and although his health was failing he still gives a riveting performance in what would be his last role. His many exchanges with Steiger are effortless and casual and a stark difference to the younger man's Brando like intense method acting.

The Harder They Fall is uncompromising, cynical and gritty and a great swan song for an acting legend.

[Demoncrat]

Chest (Aaron Irons)

FF caper.
Some idiots traipse off into the woods ... zzzzzzzzz .... WAKE UP
Searching for an old cave that miiight contain an ancient evil? 5 stars on Trip Advisor surely??
They squabble and then find what they are looking for, since they obviously haven't read any HPL, they open it. Bad move. Next!!



Fish Piss (2022, Steven Reifsteck)

Remember that name.
Once in a lifetime, comes a motion picture that surpasses Shark Exorcist for sheer inanity.
Some people make a film You see them all at the end in the hilarious end credits sequence (padding). Remember their faces.
Making an SOV flick nowadays is either the most hipsterish thing ever, or an attempt to recreate a particular time in cinema.
A.V.O.I.D.

[Demoncrat]

Cocaine Shark (2023, Mark Polonia)

Yes, that Mark Polonia

An undercover agent recounts how he ended up tied to a bed.
One of the silliest movies that I have even seen. The FX have to be seen to be believed .... or not. The kind of thing you used to find in Poundland, though it makes The Asylum's output look Oscarworthy in comparison. Lawdy

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

Cocaine Shark (2023, Mark Polonia)

Yes, that Mark Polonia

Never heard of him.

[SymbioticFunction]

Revisited Amer and watched for the first time, the later The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears. I'll be talking about that second film.

Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears is a big improvement over Amer. Whereas that earlier film had a kinda student film vibe about it, Tears feels like a genuine fully fledged movie.

Whilst there are very much nods to Argento's Deep Red and Inferno (which for Dario fans is always enjoyable to see), it also had very good things that I had never seen elsewhere before. I very much rate this second film.

My wife wasn't interested so I watched late at night with headphones. I get to choose a film, for us both to watch, on my birthday and I'm confident that it will be this one (I would like to listen to the 5.1 audio option).

I'm sure that my wife will rate Tears higher than Amer (which she has seen) but I also suspect that she might be frustrated by the lack of a proper conclusion or by some of the unanswered questions.

I would award 3.25/5 to Amer and 4.25/5 to Tears. These French giallo tributes are well worth checking out if you haven't already had the chance to do so.

[Demoncrat]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Never heard of him.

He churns out shark and Camp Blood flicks now, but him and his brother used to make "action" flicks back in the day. They were horribly inept and all