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The Unlocking 2022 ★★★
A nice little short film about a man locking the door to keep out the bad guys. At the behest of his therapist, he unlocks the door with catastrophic results. The monster looks good and the bullying with the chopped off hand is kind of funny. But the hamburger phone keeps the fourth star at bay. A Quiet Place Part II 2020 ★★★½ The biggest quality of the Quiet Place movies is that they are horror movies for family people. If you rate family above anything else, this is the stuff for you. Before really kicking off, part 2 takes a quick detour back to day 1. Not really sure why they had to do that, other than to introduce Cillian Murphy's character and give John Krasinski a bit of screen time. I did like the introduction of the monsters and the back and forth between the deaf daughter and the father. One second, you hear nothing and the next, you hear everything. Very off putting. From there, we pick up where part 1 left us. The mother and the children leave their house and start travelling, only to end up scattered in different places. Not sure if Krasinski was actually inspired by The walking dead, but the island where they end up does give away a bit of an Alexandria-vibe as the safe haven. Or the people outside the island trying to keep them from crossing. If there is one thing Krasinski can do, it's character writing. He really presens credible characters that suck you into the story and he shines when he gets to describe the relationships in a family. Also a special mention to the Emmett character, his carefullness and wearines of others, resulting in him at first mostly wanting to get rid of this family. His second major quality is creating tension. The scene before they meet Emmett is probably the best example because you don't know what's going to happen (the scene at the end somehow felt less threatening because you felt the last minute saviour coming). Somebody has them in their vizer, ready to shoot. The threat of the monsters is still looming and then the boy gets caught in a bear trap and understandably screams in agony. Proving once again his mastery of “family horror”. Great performance by Emily Blunt there as well. You can tell all the mixed emotions she feels and the internal conflict between what she wants to do (comfort her child) and what she has to do (tell him to keep quiet). Another example is the moment when Emmett discovers the boat. After all, you had a sense of security about how the monsters could not get to the island and then... they're heee-eere! Good stuff, that. That said, the movie felt a tad too much rinse and repeat from the first one. You can tell that Emmett was written as a replacement for John Krasinski. There is the self sacrifice element that comes back. Sometimes, it just felt a bit too repetitive. Good nonetheless, though. To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story 2017 ★★★★ A very touching portrait of a man who has come a long way. From his childhood days being bullied (and badly too) to finding what would later become his love of horror movies. How an honest mistake nearly resulted in his career almost being over before it full well began. Or the story of how he landed the part that gave him his career (Jason Voorhees) and how he in turn gave new life to that character. Not in the least by his tireless efforts on the con circuit, giving thousands, if not millions of fans memories that will last them a lifetime. And let's not forget the whole Freddy vs Jason-hoopla. Not even an explanation. It's a brutally honest story. Hodder portrays himself very openly, openly talking about the dark thoughts that haunted him after the near fatal accident or how his OCD drove his family away. A story that gave me goosebumps and brought me close to tears on more than one occasion. A great documentary. Well worth checking out. |
Scanners 1981 ★★★★
I love being bewildered by Cronenberg's imagery and surreal themes. Classic sci-fi horror to which I will come back for a more extended review. But the exploding head always gets props. The Lift 1983 ★★★ Compared to the more humor laden material that followed, this is probably the most serious film in Dick Maas' filmography. The strange thing about it is that it's not an either or story. The premise of artificial intelligence messing with us sounds good, especially in the early eighties. That said, the goo-like “bad chips” do look a bit silly, as is the notion of a man “fighting” a lift. Does that take away from the film's qualities? Not really. It still had creepy passages. The decapitation still looks pretty good, except for maybe the final shot where the plastic head is is a bit too obvious. The shot of Felix crawling out of the elevator shaft at the end makes for a very solid image with the pale hand reaching out for dear life. And I'm sure the scene with the little girl and the doll had audiences wonder wether they were really going to go there. I don't really see the point in the subplot with the jealous wife and the supposed adultery, especially since it has no real pay-off apart from isolating Felix further in his obessesion with the lift. A solid eighties horror thriller with a few flaws that are not too hard to overlook. Check it out. |
Eaten Alive 1976 ★★★½
Tobe Hooper stays in similar water as with his absolute masterpiece, Texas Chainsaw. A white trash killer, scum characters (from the corner of my eye, I think I saw Rob Zombie take notes) and bloody kills. The alligator is pretty scary – certainly the bit with the little girl – but the main killer is not all that memorable since I've seen this before. Seeing RobertEnglund in a role without tons of make up was a nice change, though. His Buck – and yes, he has that roll eye line that rhymes his name with the f word – is the sort of scum you want to see die more than anything else. He makes you hate him with all your might and he dies a terrible death at the hands of the alligator. Not memorable, but certainly entertaining and I liked the poetic justice element to Judd's end. Three and a half stars. Eaten Alive! 1980 ★★★½ A groovy cannibal movie with a bit of Jonestown thrown in the mix for good measure. It has a good dose of gore, a good pace and I liked the actor who portrayed the cult leader. Very enjoyable seventies flick. |
Doom Asylum 1987 ★★
No masterpiece by any means. But an enjoyable piece of silliness with suitably bad acting and plenty ofwhat the fuckery. Preferably watched with friends and complementary substances. The dull plot did not keep my attention, but the movie has a few good kills and suitably weird characters. First of all the band. The only reason for Simon Cowell to turn around would be to tell them to stfu. Not to mention blonde Cyndi Lauper and her blonde bandmate and their inexplicable hysterical laugh. A Cary Elwes-lookalike with a gf who call him mom. (Ronald Reagan: And then people call me weird) The Paul Pfeiffer of the group. He gets the coolest kill after paying for his obsession with his Wade Boggs (Lord Palmerston!). Or the Velma-like character. Did she get a cool kill? I already forgot. That's this movie for ya. One more fun thing was the killer spending his time off watching vintage horror. Just a shame they drag it too long. A few good ideas, nut either they go nowhere, or they are stretched out too long. That's this movie in a nutshell. The Goonies 1985 ★★★★ After the emotional moments at the Oscar-ceremony – the teary eyed Goonies never say die – I felt a certain moral obligation to rewatch The Goonies. I'm sure I saw it one time or another but I definetily not put my finger on where. It delivered on every level. This is for all the eighties nostalgics who wants to go back on a trip to their youth. A perfect bland of cu-razy adventures and the type of cartoonish over the top villains you would expect in akids film. That last one is no surprise when you cast the mama from Throw mama from the train? But Cypher cartoonish? Or Robert Davi? The Bond villain who feeds FBI-agents to a shark and puts a traitor in a laundromath? Actually, you know what? He might be overqualified. Not to mention the cheekiness that kids have and get away. Tailor made for Coray Feldman. (On a sidenote: Imagine him doing Franco's part in Spring Breakers. What would that be like?) And of course the portrayal of a budding and lasting friendship. Friends who don't let each other down and do everything to look out for each other. Especially touching when you know the real life friendships that are rooted in the shooting of this film. And by the end with the predictable popping up of the ship, you are good and ready for a good sob. And who is not entitled to that every once in a while? |
Return to Horror High 1987 ★★★
The type of 80s slasher that's best enjoyed when you do not take it all that seriously. A perfect watch for when you are a bit uner the weather as yours truly is today. A dull killer reveal, but also pile of campy fun with a few good kills (if not fake) and the meta nature because of the film set. And lest we forget Clooney's glorious mullet. I Spit on Your Grave 1978 ★★★½ When watching the 2010 remake, it occurred to me that I had never seen the original. So I kept it in the back of my mind and last night, while rummaging through my watchlist and streaming services, the opportunity popped up. Seeing the film got me thinking about an impression I get from similar ventures, being a horror classic from the seventies getting a reboot in the naughties (or later). The reboot often seems to be more slickly made while also more explicit on the gore. The original, on the other hand, is perhaps less explicit on the blood and guts, but more gritty and/or mean spirited. Proving that it stems from the decade that spawned Taxi driver and Last house on the left. The premise may look and feel sleazy and the low budget production makes it look "less good". I get that. From a certain mindset, you could indeed call this a poor man's Deliverance and simply move on. For me, it did not look that way. The script and the cinematography really got across Jenny's innocence and how she just went about her business. In shril contrast with the thick headed (at times even primitive) single minded way of thinking of the men involved. The execution of the rape scene was discomforting on various levels. As a viewer, you sense the pain that she must be in. In a stroke of genius, the movie seems to let up for a minute, only to land a second and a third punch, each one somehow harder than the one before. Leaving you as a viewer shocked, apalled and thoroughly disgusted. From the remake, I remember that the revenge scenes were more drawn out. Here it is shorter, with more time focused on how she gives the men involved a false sense of security. The result, however, is still the same and you can still tell that Jennifer relishes in her revenge. Either from the way she toys with Stanley and the speedboat or from the way she lures in Matthew. Special mention for the way Johnny gets it. A good example of "what you don't see is scarier than what you do see". Well recommended for fans of gritty seventies stuff. |
Total Recall 1990 ★★★★
Ah, the joy of seeing a classic pop up out of nowhere. That's the plus of tv streaming with their ever changing program. One thing is for certain. Paul Verhoeven and Ahnuld go together perfectly well. Together, they got the tone for this one perfectly down. It does not take itself too seriously, and yet it does not become overly cheesy as well. Schwarzenegger is perfectly cast as Douglas Quaid. At first overwhelmed by what's happening to him and then morphing into the catchphrase spewing hero we all love. And this one has more than enough of them. The action scenes are great. Verhoeven keeps you on the edge of your seat and the bits with the cab are pretty funny. And the cast? Sharon Stone riding her wave of fame after Basic Instinct, enjoying those years where she was on top of the world. Michael Ironside makes a great secondary villain, albeit looking more cartoony and less scary than he did in Scanners. And is there a more eighties villain than Ronny Cox? Classic stuff. See you at the party, Richter! |
Who Saw Her Die? 1972 ★★★½
An early seventies giallo that in theme and, at times in tone, feels reminiscent of Don't Look Now. Don't let that fool you. The at times somber, whistful tone of DLN does not compare to this one here. The opening already makes that quite clear. With an image of a muredered child being covered in snow in order to hide the body. That'll cause some nightmares for some people. The main story however, is a murder investigation after the daughter of an artist (George Lazenby with a seventies mustache) is killed. Said investigation having everything to keep you entertained: incompetent and seemingly not too interested cops, a witness being murdered, a kill in front of a bird cage (all that effort and all for the birds),... The acting is okay. Lazenby is solid as the passionate artist. But, to me, the real star is Ennio Morricone's amazing score with a haunting children's choir. That alone is worth the price of admission. Who saw her die. A hidden gem for sure. Check it out. The Fog 1980 ★★★★½ Back to the end of the seventies. John Carpenter delivers one of his better movies, both in atmos and in score. The man sure can compose a solid bit of movie music. The movie itself is a different stroke. To call it a slow burn would do it injustice, but it does take it's time in setting up the characters and their story arcs. The fidgety local politician, the single mom who has her own radio station by the sea, the hitchhiker who ends up getting more than she signed up for,... The fictional town of Antonio Bay is anticipating it's 100 year anniversary, only to find out that it's heroes were actually killers. And now the ghosts of the victims are coming back to haunt them and reclaim their gold. With kills interspaced enough to be close to a small burn, but not quite enough. We still get our beaks wet enough to be spontaneously invested. They save most of the tension for the ending. When the ghosts take over the town and go on their killing spree. Polite ghost killers, though. They wait for the kid to quit whining and head on up the stairs before offing his babysitter. But Adrienne Barbeau terrified on the radio as her son is in danger, the people in the church trying to fight off the ghosts, Jamie Lee's character and her impromptu crossing the town and saving the kid, Barbeau fighting off the ghosts,... Great stuff, that. You're on the edge of your seat throughout it. The kills themselves are closer to Halloween. Not as gory as Jason does it and, apart from The Thing, Carpenter has never really been a man of special effects and gore. He's more about moods and atmosphere. Or at least, that's the impression I have of him. As far as the characters are concerned: now that I think about it... It features among others a single mom and a sex positive hitchhiker, and everybody's cool with that. No negative sound or anything like that. The single mom DJ even has her fan club among the fishermen. I'm not sure if woke is the fitting term, but it did strike me that a seventies movie went there (in an era where slutshaming and other forms of shaming were common than they are today) and in some ways is perhaps more modern than you would intuitively give it credit for. How much of that came from Carpenter and how much of that came from Debra Hill? Hal Holbrook is solid as the priest, Adrienne Barbaeau is solid and kick ass as always. Jamie Lee Curtis does a good job as the happy go lucky hitchhiker and the same goes with Janet Leigh as the ever nervous politician. Come to think of, every other seventies or eighties film would probably have her be a chain/stress smoker, yet this movie does not. Also funny to see Holbrook and Carpenter share a scene in the beginning with dialogue (“Can I get paid?”) that, in real life, is more likely to be the other way around. Not for the ADD prone among us, but recommended for all other horror fans and cinephiles looking for a solid horror. Close Encounters of the Third Kind 1977 ★★★★★ What makes Steven Spielberg such a great director? Not saying that there is a simple, straightforward answer. It's probably a combination of factors. But one key element is his capability to merge movie magic with topics that appeal to a mass audience. Dinosaurs came later in Jurassic Park, but here he explores space for the very first time. While ET was later to be more family firendly, this is all about the mistery, the wonder, the discovery. The feeling of holy moly, something is out there! And they might be closer than we all think! The opening immediately has you covered with the mistery of the 1945 airplanes. What the hell is going on? Really no (cinema) sin to be found? Well... Sin 1: This movie does not feature David Duchovny (ding!) Sin 2: Or Gillian Anderson (ding!) Sin 3: And no sign of The Lone Gunmen or the Cancerman (ding!) All kidding aside, there is not much room for comedy here. The words that come to mind are more likely to be terms like bewilderment, obsessiveness and (no pun intended) alienation. Keep in mind: this was the era where merely investigating and believing in alien life was more seen to be reserved for fruitcakes and general weirdos. The bewilderment when you encounter something something that your mind does not and cannot comprehend. And the subsequent obesessive search in order to do so. Best example: Roy Neary is so obsessed with finding out about the aliens that he does not even notice how half his face is sunburnt. Or of course the infamous mashed potato scene. Interesting how this scene became iconic, since it is not the oddest thing he does while still in the family house. Maybe it's because this one still has somewhat of an attachment to everyday family life? And lest we forget, the alienation. It's not difficult to see how this behaviour alienatesNeary from his family, even with his wife trying to be a good sport about it all. Until, eventually, even she reaches her breaking point. Richard Dreyfuss brilliantly portrays a man getting more and more detached from society, up until the point where he only has a few diehard fellow travelers/believers left. Which brings us to the moment where the aliens arrive. I found it really touching to see how the two species found a common ground for communication in a form of music. The five tones we first hear in the massive group chant undeniably have a musical element to them and for reasons I cannot explain, it's comofrting to feel that music could accomplish that. I was also struck by the way of communicating. To me, the aliens using tonal vocabulary fits perfectly with the notion that one of the oldest languages in the world – Mandarin – is based on tones rather than words or verbs and conjugations. And it adds to the wonder of the Western characters discovering a manner of communicating most of them are completely unfamiliar with. Trying to discover patterns in what the others are saying. A base for talking, getting to know each other. Also also, how nice is to see people meet aliens and actually smiling? How you can have different species meeting and the overall sentiment is curiosity and wonder? How no one feels the need to blow up literally everything? The fact that this is “snowed under” by movies like Jaws, Schindler's List, ET or Jurassic Park only serves to show how amazing mister Spielberg's filmography is. And this is still a marvelous piece of cinema that you should see when you get the chance. |
Maniac 1980 ★★★
I had the pleasure of seeing this one via the YT channel of Creature Features. It turned out to be a fun introduction to both concepts. That goes with an interview with director William Lustig and the British guy with a bit of a What we do in the shadows/Richmond from the IT crowd-vibe about him. And of course the movie. Not to put the original down, but this is one of those cases where the remake improves on the original. Joe Spennell's performance may have been scary for seventies audiences (and again, he's far from bad), but by now, I have seen too many of these characters for this to really stand out. Third star for Tom Savini's cameo and his special effects. |
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Bloody Birthday 1981 ★★★
Bloody birthday is a bit of an odd duck between the ream of eighties slashers. First of all, it makes no secret of the identity of the killers. And the killers themselves, well... not to spoil anything, but I can say that it's reminiscent of the Eve 6 episode in the X-files. Similar intelligence, similar pyschoticness and meanspiritedness. That makes up for the lack of originality with some of the kills. Not saying that I long for blood in this context, but in the average slasher, you are not really waiting for a few shootings. That said, the burial kill and the bow and arrow kill kind of make up for that. Good stuff if you are a slasher fan looking for something different. Body Double 1984 ★★★½ Solid thriller from Brian De Palma. A tad predictable and for some reason a lot less bloody than I recall. But decent overall and solid for what it sets out to do. |
The Deadly Spawn 1983 ★★★★½
This is the stuff that Slither poked fun at and at the same time paid hommage to. Even literally with the aliens falling from the sky and the guy poking it with a stick and getting eaten. This is the stuff you watch for the B-movie schlock. Like the eating noises from the spawn that sound more like that one tube the dentist puts in your mouth. The attacks are mostly offscreen-ish, but when they are not, they are gloriously silly and ludicrous. As in the tea party scene. Or what happened to the guy who looks like Christopher Lloyd. The special effects fit the mould with their cheesiness. Needless to say, this was the right movie at the right time and I loved every minute of it. highly recommended for fans of Critters and the like. The Gate 1987 ★★★★ This was a fun little crossover between The Goonies and Evil Dead. Stephen Dorff made me go “oh yeah, he was a kid once” and Louis Tripp is well placed as the know it all best friend. The rest of the cast are no great shakes, but I mostly enjoyed the campy fun that looms over this picture. |
The Monster Club 1981 ★★★
The Monster club is a great anthology film that does not overstay its welcome. The best part is the surrounding story where Vincent Price introduces John Carradine to the monster club. And not without the poignant final monologue on how humans are the worst monsters of all. We are just the worst. I can also not go without mentioning the bands performing. Move over, saxophone player from The Lost Boys. These bands got you beat. Also, Vincent Price and UB40 in the same film? Are you kidding me? The individual stories are tales about classic monsters and ditto tales. The first story is a solid variation on the principle that spawned Freaks. Predictable, but okay. The second story with the vampire would now serve as the premise for a sitcom, especially based on the last twist/joke. The third and final story is about a film producer only to find ghouls, or something akin to that. Predictable, especially the false sense of security. In my opinion the least of the three. Though I did enjoy the meta humor in both this one and the surrounding story. All in all a fun little romp. With a who's who for a cast and an absolute icon as your host. Look out for it on either Tubi or youtube. |
Graduation Day 1981 ★★★
I must say that, upon this rewatch, I was much more mild towards this eighties slasher. Sure, it had your run of the mill premise – a tragedy occurred, this time during a track event and now someone is out for revenge – but I must admit that the overall story and the kills had a certain campiness and goofy idea to them that endeared the movie to me more than it did on the previous viewing. The kill with the football has you wondering how that could possibly work. Linnea Quigley's character gets decapitated after a drawn out chase scene and the polevault kill is simply hilarious. I also like the touch of adding the timer to the kills, taking as long as it took for the original girl to die. Or the checklist marked with lipstick. The main characters are your standard horny teens, but the teachers fare no better. From the skeevy arts teacher who gets seduced by one of the students to the principal running away from the angry calls about missing children. Or the cops: one hates being there and the other smokes pot to deal with the stress of his job. And, of course, the final girl. Her not taking shit from males is a positive and I know what the ending was trying to emulate, but it's still odd seeing a marine run like that. The reveal of the killer is accompanied by a nice Pyscho-esque score, which goes along well with the final reveal. The final girl circuit is also kind of funny with the aformentioned running and the way the polevaulter is displayed. Almost like Bill from the original Friday. Making this killer either very methodical or very lazy. That said, we could do without the nightmare sequence at the end. About as unnecessary as the ghost leaping out at the end of Unfriended. I'm guesisng studio note as well here. Graduation Day. Good for a rewatch or people discovering the slasher genre. |
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My Brother corresponded with Pat Cardi (Vernon) and I was lucky enough to meet the late Austin Stoker (The Detective) at my first CHILLER. I mentioned I saw HH under the title TTB and he almost looked like He was in pain from hearing the title, but I told Him He was good in it and He laughed and lightened up. |
Theater of Blood, 1973. 7/10
Directed by Douglas Hickox https://media.tenor.com/jOLulWPpLgYA...blood-1973.gif |
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! 1978 ★★★★★
This is the perfect recipe for a cult classic status. Start with the grating “sound that the tomatoes make”. Add the custom fit for B movies attack scenes. Pour in the characters: from the weird scientists, the inept congressmen, the paranoid flyboy Fenlitter, the black Hitler,... Sprinkle in some moments that are odd (even by this movie's standards) and hilarious and you got yourself a great movie. |
TerrorVision 1986 ★★★½
This bit of eighties cornball fun had everything I was looking for. It was a fifties movie made with eighties money. With an amazing theme song. Which reminds me: between this one and Attack of the killer tomatoes, I have recently seen two movies with their own theme song. Some parallel. The best example of this thesis would be the alien/monster. The plastic cheapness of the fifties mixed with eighties gore. But the concept of an alien coming in through the satellite dish is a good example as well. And between this one, Troll 2, The Garbage Pail Kids and other masterpieces... Is it me or was there an unwritten rule that this type of eighties romp always had to contain some sort of shenanigans involving either goo or snot or other forms of slime? The characters being (borderline) wear a helmet dumb on the other hand just fits the cartoonish nature of the plot. While the cast did not look memorable (apart from the foster father in Child's Play 2). The grandfather is a conspiracy nut, the child is on pills and has “attacks” as his parents call it. His sister is a mall chick dating a dunderhead rocker with looks to rival with the rocker-bounty hunter from Critters. The dad says he looks silly and I'll let his swinger costume speak for itself. A perfect fit for people looking for campy, cartoonish fun. |
ALIENS (1986)>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>SPOILERS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >> One of the best films of the 80's or any decade, this sequel to 1979's ALIEN moves like an out of control Roller coaster and still remember the huge adrenaline rush I got seeing it in the theaters. Watching it again, still think the film is marvelous, but thought to myself how so many MOMENTS make the film (and I'm talking the Directors cut with almost a half hour more footage)...Ripley's reaction over her daughter, Bishops trick with the knife, Sargent Apone's interactions with the troops (and how bad I felt when He is killed), Hudson's showing off, the moment the aliens come out of hiding after the colonists are found, Riply and Newt being terrorized by the face huggers, th moment the group realizes they overlooked an area where the aliens are, the discovery of the Queen )I LOVE the part when Ripley cocks her head) and the final Mano a Mano onboard the SULACO. Also, SO MANY GREAT quotes..."I don't know...Is there anything You can do?", "I heard that!", "Looks like love at first sight to Me!", "Stop Your grinning' and drop Your linen!", "LET'S ROCK!", "Aw..that;s great! That's just fuckin' great!", "Not bad for a Human" and most especially..."Get away from Her, You Bitch!" Now and always ***** |
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I remember in the film review TV show Siskel & Ebert, Ebert suggested maybe the movie had too much fast action at the end. I think he was wrong, but films would go on to having over extended action sequences, thinking of the Hobbit. And Siskel actually gave it a thumbs down. He was put off by the long constant monster attack ending and was morally offended that they used a child in peril as an emotional device. It was interesting to hear Ebert say he was waiting for the reveal that Newt had been egged the whole time. One of Alien 3's flaws to manifest. lol Now that you mention it, I've never seen the Special Edition version. I checked the runtime, and I see this has 17 more minutes. That's a fair amount. I look forward to it. Extended films so far tend to be more interesting than superior. Thinking of the Lord of the Rings and Alien. One exception would be Dune (1984), which really changed the emphasis and meaning of the film in a positive way. |
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I think they missed the fact that Newt became a surrogate daughter for Ripley and the mention of Newt being infected is almost a teaser for ALIEN3. I saw that on opening day with a friend and what a tremendous downer the first few minutes are::mad::! When I lived in the Chicago area (1976-79 at Fort Sheridan, sandwiched between Highwood and Lake Forest), my Dad got the CHICAGO TRIBUNE and I used to read Siskel's reviews, but He could be hard on many scary/edgy films, where Ebert was a little more accommodating. |
Don’t Torture a Duckling 1972 ★★★½
A bit of Fulci tonight with 1972's Don't torture a duckling. The story centers around the kidnapping of young children in a village in southern Italy. It's filled with the typical images of that type of rural life where the virtues of hard work and christianity are extolled. The investigation is lead by the police, but the one(s) booking the most results are a reporter named Martelli and a city girl named Patrizia. At one point, a supposed killer is caught (and she confesses), but that turns out to be a red herring in light of the final reveal. Which, apart from maybe a few glances, seemed to come out a bit out of nowhere. Fulci focusses less on the gore and more on the drama. The only real gory scene is when the fathers of the victims take their revenge on the supposed killer. You can safely add her struggle to get to help, which only ends up beside the road where the passing can't see her or ignore her. This movie is no 90 minute bloodbath, but it takes no prisoners nonetheless. Like the POV shot of a child being strangled. Yep, they went there. The story sometimes lags a bit, so it may perhaps not be a four star masterpiece, but it has enough to keep you entertained. Maybe a rewatch will sway me towards that fourth star. Who knows? |
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I just saw the Special Edition and the mention of Ripley's daughter surprised me. The daughter plot does play well in Aliens, but I don't know that it was necessary. When I saw the scene where Burke shows Ripley a pic of her daughter who died much older than Ripley, it was kinda weird for me, because in Alien, Ripley is 29, and she's doing long transport missions, so long they put the crew in stasis. Would a mother, apparently a single mother, being doing that with a young child? Seems unlikely. The Special Edition (SE) did cover an apparent plot hole in the theatrical version (TV). In the TV Ripley says Burke was responsible for the deaths of 157 colonists. But in the corporate inquiry meeting we learn people have been on the planet for 20 years. Nobody knew about the danger until Ripley was found. But Ripley told Burke that Burke "sent them to the ship without warning them". In the TV I didn't know what she was referring to, actually, I didn't even think about it at the time. In the SE there's a couple scenes where we see Newt's parents were sent to specific coordinates for exploration/salvage, and officials okaying the parents can claim what they find. The parents find the ship and the father gets a face hugger. So, we have to put those together to guess Burke requested those coordinates to the alien ship based his review of Ripley's Nostromo story account. I think we can also guess the face hugger Newt's father brought back was the queen. Otherwise, the colonists probably would not have laboratory face huggers in tanks. If it was just one non-queen alien, it would have gone like the Nostromo incident, the colonists would just be wiped out (with no lab face huggers), or they would have killed the alien. |
What would you do? Aliens
Would you nuke the planet and wipe them out? In Aliens, when Ripley and Hicks get back from their first encounter with the Aliens, they decide, "Let's nuke the planet from orbit, it's the only way to be sure." They decide to wipe out the Aliens, possibly the only remaining in the universe. Would you nuke the planet and wipe them out? Once they get back the ship, they're safe. The Alien animals have shown no signs of any technological knowledge. They don't have a spaceship, they haven't even invented the wheel, and we have no indication they ever will. They're stuck on the planet and can be studied. We'd also have to assume there isn't any wildlife on the planet, and so the Aliens will starve to death in a matter of days. The eggs in the ship will last as long as the ship's batteries are active. Ripley may be trying to keep Burke's corporation from retrieving the Aliens for their weapons division. Is that a good enough reason to make them extinct? |
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FULL METAL JACKET (1987)>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>SPOILERS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >> This Vietnam War film seems to improve with age, as do many of Stanley Kubrick's films do. It's really two stories in one opening with boot camp training and being in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive and focusing mainly on "Private Joker" (Matthew Modine), a sardonic and cocky correspondent who is not as bad ass as He might think, especially towards the end, which is full of tension. Of course, the main reason people remember FMJ is the excellent first part dealing with boot camp training under the harsh, extremely profane Drill instructor and his particular "motivating" of "Private Pyle" who can't seem to hack it. oddly enough, most people don't mention how "Joker" gets some mental and physical abuse from the DI as well. As Sargent Hartman, R Lee Ermey (a real life DI) set his career forever mainly playing the same type of person. His profane tirades actually are funny, although I sure would not to be on the receiving end. Vincent D'nofrio playing the hapless Pyle is very good and at times Your heart will break for him (despite his endless screwups) particularly what is described as a "Blanket Party". I do like the scenes where Pyle seems to have gotten the gist of what to do and find Ermy's tone in "What's this weapon's name Private Pyle?" to be almost paternal, although things do go back to "A World of Shit" and the film does decline after the exits of both of them. **** |
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Return of the Living Dead
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BEING THERE (1979)>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>SPOILERS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Based on the novel by Jerzy Kosinski, BT is about "Chance" who is described as "Simple Minded" in some reviews, but I think "Child Like"is a better description. Chance lives in a big house where his main tasks are tending to the garden and watching TV. In fact, He's never been off the grounds of the house and anything He 's knows is due to television. When his benefactor dies, Chance hs to leave the grounds, gets involved in a minor traffic accident and is taken in a DC power couple. They introduce him to their inner circle (including power brokers and the POTUS) and his quiet ways and answering questions using analogy of gardening and TV make everyone around him think He is a genius and there's talk of making him a VIP. I liked the books better and BT suffers from a too long run time, but good performances by Peter Sellars (His last) and Melvyn Douglas (Oscar winner) help out and there is a charm to the whole loony affair. *** |
Bloodbath, 1975. 7.5/10
Directed by Silvio Narizzano  Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, 1973. 6/10 Directed by John Newland https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...rk_TVGuide.png Maniac Cop, 1988. 8/10 Directed by William Lustig https://i.pinimg.com/736x/3b/30/91/3...4169ae8e42.jpg Alligator, 1980. 7/10 Directed by Lewis Teague https://64.media.tumblr.com/796f7fee...7f32028298.gif |
THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987)
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Trilogy of Terror 1975 ★★★½
As its title suggests, Trilogy of terror presents three separate horror stories that each span roughly the length of sitcom episode. I do however like the idea of how the makers cast Karen Black as a main character in each one of the stories and this for two reasons. First of all, the makers at least try to make her look somewhat different in each story. If you have seen most of her films before, you will probably find it easier to recognize her. But as someone who not that familiar with her work just yet, it gave the desired effect. It also gave her an opportunity to show off her verstaility as an actress. She does a solid job in the three parts, not making it feel as “oh here's so and so doing her schtick again”. I will not go into the stories themselves, since I think it's best to go in unprepared. Suffice to say that we are dealing with three (relatively) slow burns. The first two end with a nice and well set up twist. The third one while ppredictable does offer some fun action and a cool final visual. Maybe no Texas Chainsaw level classic, but definetily worth a watch. Check it out. |
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Licence to Kill 1989 ★★★★
A local TV station is plowing through a number of James Bond-films. Good for me, because they later end up on their streaming platform. I like this one. It has Bond as a venging angel after the mutilation of Felix Leiter. Dalton makes for a good gritty Bond (especially with the way Sanchez dies), though he does not have the dry wit of Connery. Come to think of it, imagine a combination of Dalton's determination and Moore's joke delivery. On second thought, let's not and say we did. Robert Davi makes for a good Bond-villain with the right balance between charm and ruthlessness. The kind who, one moment, can be chitchatting with someone and the next, he can give the order to cut out their eyeballs while he looks on, not blinking once. Well complemented by a young Benicio Del Toro. This movie has two Bond-girls, but neither of them are memorable. Fun fact: one of the DEA-agents played a boxer on Police Squad!, with the poem “roses are red, violets are blue... I'm gonna break your face”. (I love these moments “wait, he looks familiar... imdb... dot... com... oooh, riiigght!”) I also like the action set pieces. Take for example the bit in the beginning where they catch Sanchez. Just the right balance between nonchalantness (everything is under control) and impressive (holy crap, he is just sitting down on the tail of flying plane, in mid flight.) Maybe not top 5 Bond of all time, but always a fun watch when it comes on. |
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COUNT DRACULA (1970). >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>SPOILERS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > According to the review of CD on the great website 1000 MISSPENT HOURS (which I recommend) by "El Santo" (and what I've read), by the end of the 60's Christopher Lee was bitching constantly how Hammer wasn't doing Dracula right and no doubt, Hammer was sick of his complaining. Another company contacted Chris about how THIS film would be the "Definitive" version. The only trouble was that Jess Franco, who could be wildly erratic even at his best, was scheduled to direct. And truth to tell, parts of the film are very close to the source novel, especially the early parts in Transylvani-great atmosphere and Lee very good. But then the effect is hampered by foolishness or taking liberties with the story. Van Helsing, in here, delegates more than He does anything else and a scene where He protects Mina from the Count involving fire is pretty weak, although it's a gem compared when the men invade Carfax Abbey and see all kinds of stuffed animals on the wall. What follows is absolutely ridiculous and makes You wish more of the film could be like the interesting opening. ** |
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Connan the Barbarian
5/10 Some nice special effects here and there, but it was really tough to sit through over hours, so I skipped around. |
COTTON COMES TO HARLEM (1970). Decent action comedy about the search for a large sum of cash hidden in a bale of cotton that has sold to a Junk man (Redd Fox, probably prepping for SANFORD AND SON a couple of years later) and then bought back. Not bad with a truly funny ending. Good cast, but Redd all but steals every scene he's in. ***
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HALLOWEEN 3 :SEASON OF THE WITCH (1982). Michaels Myers is out and Celtic mythology is in....kind of a strange film and it might have done better without the HALLOWEEN franchise name. On it's own terms, it's not bad with some good performances, a creepy motive behind the plot and decent grue.
On the Plus side, Tom Atkins is pretty cool in here and even more so when I met him at HORRORFIND in June 2006 and had him sign a photo and pose with Me for one. I was very tempted to ask him what it was like to smooch lovely Stacy Nelkins::love::, but decided not to. Biggest downer for H3:SOTW is the damn song that plays frequently::mad::*** |
The Hills Have Eyes 1977 ★★★★★
Wes Craven delivers an absolute masterpiece in horror. From the start, he sets up the terror, with the gas stop guy actually being a competent version of Crazy Ralph from the original Friday. And they still don't listen. Ugh... people, am I right? Between the eerie images and the gleeful cackling of the gang watching upon this typical family (you never used that kind of language before you moved to NYC... timeless.), it really immerses you in the impending doom and terror. It's coming and the only question remaining is when things will go south. When they do, it's an absolute feast of carnage, traumatic experiences and humanity at its worst and most primal. Pluto fighting the dog, Mercury raping the daughter (in fact, just the whole camper invasion, my goodness), or the crushed hope when they reach what they hope is the army base,... I hope you took in some air before the start of the mayhem, because this movie won't let you catch any before the end. I up my rating from last time. Straight up five star masterpiece. |
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DON'T LOOK NOW (1973). >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>SPOILERS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> After the loss of their daughter, a grieving couple go to Venice (which looks crumbly and deserted) where He is helping with a church restoration. His wife (well played by lovely Julie Christie) meets a pair of women, one who has second sight and gives her some hope, but will it matter if the husband is kind of dick-ish. This film looks absolutely fantastic (very much an art film) and a excellent score by Donnagio. However, I found DLN meanders and hard to understand at time (also the fact that Criterion never has subtitles certainly didn't help), but it has aged well and worth seeing. The controversial "Sex scene" really goes by so quick that it may have been people thinking what they THOUGHT they saw that caused the fuss. Also, why Julie would actually "do it" with Donald Sutherland (who usually doesn't inspire kind feelings in anything) when dating Warren Beatty at the time doesn't mesh. *** |
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