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  #1111  
Old 23rd October 2016, 01:30 PM
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Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs View Post
As promised, here are some brief reviews of the horror (I use the term quite broadly) films I have watched so far this month:

The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave (and with commentary) – I wouldn’t call it a classic giallo (if, indeed, it is a giallo), but it’s a very well crafted and thoroughly engaging thriller by Emilio Miraglia. The commentary by Troy Howarth is quite dry, but informative and worth a listen.

The Exorcist – Still my all-time favourite film, and a horror film which works on numerous levels. I love it with all my heart and intend to read the book again once I have finished The Last Days of Jack Sparks.
I watched Evelyn last night. Really enjoyed it, I'm hoping to write some thoughts later.
As for The Exorcist I'm stumped as to the love it gets, I'm convinced I watched a different film to the rest of the planet.
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  #1112  
Old 23rd October 2016, 01:39 PM
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Damn, Nos!

You love your commentaries don't you? I haven't listened to one in months.
I do like commentaries and, if there is a particularly good one (standout directors include William Friedkin, Guillermo del Toro and Ridley Scott), can listen to it several times

I would have listened to more if I wasn't trying to watch as many individual films as possible.
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  #1113  
Old 23rd October 2016, 01:45 PM
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As for The Exorcist I'm stumped as to the love it gets, I'm convinced I watched a different film to the rest of the planet.
It could be a bit like me and the Star Wars movies, which everyone seems to love and I think are juvenile!

In addition to all those films, I have watched the following TV shows so far this month:

Grimm Season Four
I'm Alan Partridge Seasons One and Two
Penny Dreadful Seasons Two and Three
Saxondale Seasons One and Two
The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders
Alias Season Five
Filthy Rich & Catflap
Preacher Season One
Rick and Morty Season One
The Musketeers Season One
House MD Season One (watched episode 14 last night)
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Old 23rd October 2016, 03:28 PM
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The Musketeers Season One
What did you think of The Musketeers, Nos?
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  #1115  
Old 23rd October 2016, 03:46 PM
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What did you think of The Musketeers, Nos?
At first, I wasn't overly enamoured with it, but I'm glad I stuck it out and it vastly improved as the series progressed. I have the other two on my Lovefilm rental queue, so will finish watching it in due course.

It's one of those BBC shows which really benefits from location shooting (in the Czech Republic), quality costume design, a close-knit and high-quality cast and intelligent writing from highly regarded source material.

It's difficult to compare it to the Dickens/Austin/Brontë adaptations because it's much dirtier and isn't such an obviously 'English' production (no doubt because the source material is French and the cast aren't your typically white middle-class English RADA educated actors), but all of the Andrew Davies-penned miniseries (and similar shows which aren't written by him) all have the same qualities in terms of pre-production, production, and post production.
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Old 23rd October 2016, 03:53 PM
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At first, I wasn't overly enamoured with it, but I'm glad I stuck it out and it vastly improved as the series progressed. I have the other two on my Lovefilm rental queue, so will finish watching it in due course.

It's one of those BBC shows which really benefits from location shooting (in the Czech Republic), quality costume design, a close-knit and high-quality cast and intelligent writing from highly regarded source material.

It's difficult to compare it to the Dickens/Austin/Brontë adaptations because it's much dirtier and isn't such an obviously 'English' production (no doubt because the source material is French and the cast aren't your typically white middle-class English RADA educated actors), but all of the Andrew Davies-penned miniseries (and similar shows which aren't written by him) all have the same qualities in terms of pre-production, production, and post production.
Series 2 improves on the first and i thought series 3 was the best yet. Pity it's now ended, however it was wrapped up properly rather than left hanging.
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Old 23rd October 2016, 04:05 PM
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Series 2 improves on the first and i thought series 3 was the best yet. Pity it's now ended, however it was wrapped up properly rather than left hanging.
Sounds good. If I like the second series as much, if not more than, the first, I might look at picking up the boxset of all three seasons (just as I am going to do with Penny Dreadful and probably with Hannibal) at some point in the future.
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  #1118  
Old 23rd October 2016, 05:45 PM
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The Devil's Woods (2015)

A group of four friends trying to repair their strained relationships decide to spend the weekend camping at a music festival. En route they stop off at a small town in the middle of rural Ireland and then find a nearby spot in the woods in which to camp en'route to the festival.

In a way there's nothing new to see in this ultra low budget Irish horror, however i really enjoyed it. Director Anthony White basically seems to have a camera and a cast of four for much of this film yet it works really well. It helps that the friends all come over as likable and the dialogue totally natural and at times really funny whilst never feeling forced or scripted and a pace that allows the characters to build and not seem so throw away as is the case with many of these films. Much credit must go to actors Stephen Cromwell, Danielle Keaney, Daniel Mahony and Caoimhe Cassidy, who with a bit of luck will go on to greater things in the future.

There's an air of unease which develops as the films slender 70 minutes gather pace, idle chatter which could have been awful actually feels invigorating thanks to White's innovative camera work and an ambient soundtrack from a band called Stillroom which is lovely and sinister.

Of course a horror film can't be about four friends who go camping and all come home happy ever after. From the off there are hints at what is to come with Occult themes and symbolism throughout and even a few homages to films like The Wicker Man and The Blair Witch Project. However i won't spoil anything here.

I'm sure some will hate The Devil's Woods but i thought it a terrific example of no-budget horror and an ideal Halloween viewing.

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  #1119  
Old 23rd October 2016, 06:06 PM
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As we approach the home stretch a few thoughts...

HALLOWEEN
Still one my faves, love how Carpenter uses music in film and this one is no different, great memories of watching this on release in the cinema, top stuff.
DAWN OF THE MUMMY
This was just as bad as I remember, but... as late night fun it's in a league of it's own, if you survive the first half and stick around for the mummy and his minions to arrive you'll have a smile on your face at the end.
NEAR DARK
Another stonking good watch, although this time around the romance element (post Twilight, Buffy etc.) got on my nerves a tad but Henricksen, Paxton & crew more than make up for the syrup.
TOMBS of the BLIND DEAD
One of my favorite ABUK releases, although the fashion police should have made some arrests never have slow moving Knights seemed so deadly. Every horror fan should have this film.
ALLIGATOR
What a fun ride this is, acting is some of the best you'll see (even Henry Silva hits the right note) with the sequel thrown in a very nice ABUK release.
PHANTASM
Now this was a shock... I've kinda gone off this one, although the deadly flying steel balls are a f*%ckin' great idea it seems more suited to a younger me these days, I just found it a bit 'teen' for me nowadays.
CONTAMINATION
For some reason I love this, me and a mate found a pre-cert uncut copy on VHS around 1987, and spent a very merry Sunday afternoon watching it and then getting some mates round to watch it again later that night when we got even more... merry and giggly, ahem, now those memories elevate this more than it's worth, Starcrash is Cozzi's much more fun Sci-Fi epic but this always brings a smile, and tho Arrow's BD is an upgrade it doesn't disgrace this ABUK dvd release, one of the highlights of my ABUKtober so far.
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Old 23rd October 2016, 06:12 PM
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And for tonight's ABUKtober, they're back for a sequel...

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