Dark Night Of The Scarecrow 3/5 Well regarded 70's tv movie is pretty well done but can never makes it's mind up whether to be a standard revenge thriller or a supernatural chiller
One of the last great hand drawn Disneys (The Lion King is among them too), this was a treat to see on the big screen again, like I saw it 20 years ago (!) Some of the animation is so beautiful and backgrounds so detailed, the sweeping panoramic shots like the famous ballroom dance show off the 3D effect well but I didnt notice much 3D apart from that. The songs are great, especially the famous "Tale as old as Time" and the Busby Berkeley inspired showstopper "Be our Guest"
Also there were some scenes that are still touching particularly the death of the Beast
My first Jean Rollin film and I liked his style (and the hot pirate bitch), looking forward to checking out more.
Oddly, this was my first Rollin (by accident) as well, and it blew my mind. Hopefully you like sexy vampires because he's got a lot of them on-deck for you.
Marshall wrote:Oddly, this was my first Rollin (by accident) as well, and it blew my mind. Hopefully you like sexy vampires because he's got a lot of them on-deck for you.
Haha so I gather! Well I've ordered Fascination as I've had that on my watchlist for a while, so I won't be seeing his sexy vamps just yet
Barely adequate sequel begins quite well (with the dramatic death of a reccuring character) and offers an inspired theme park setting, but the film isn't particularly funny (even though everyone on board seems to think it is). The action is just average, not good enough to make up for the script flaws (Metro did a better job of that). There are too many villains this time out (though I thought Timothy Carhart was suitably smarmy) and Hector Elizondo is no replacement for John Ashton's Taggart. The film feels like a studio package deal and has little edge to it.
A group of improbably sexy art students (most of whom get their tits out) are strangled and mutilated by a masked killer. Boilerplate giallo with cardboard characters, rubbish plot (when the killer is unveiled I was like 'who's this again?'), misogynist tone, and really shitty gore F/X. The last half hour is moderately suspenseful, the rest tripe.
Decent revenge-conspiracy thriller plays along the lines of a female Bourne Identity. MMA fighter Gina Carano is fine (in both senses of the word) in her debut, but the plot is by-the-numbers (and confusing) and the direction could have done with more panache and energy. The brutally realistic action isn't overly special, but scores significant points for being well shot (an increasing rarity these days) and limited use of doubles. Curiously this film has been better received by mainstream critics than action fans whcih may serve as either a recommendation or a warning. Although the film is Rated R the violence (crunchy but bloodless) is on a par with the kind of violence usually found in PG-13 actioners (eg. Quantum of Solace) - maybe the MPAA didn't like that a woman was on the receiving end of such heavy blows? It's quite obvious that the filmmakers designed this as a PG-13. Make up your own mind. Also -- the version I saw (UK BD) had a 2012 copyright date. Yet the film apparently premiered in Nov 2011. Strange.
Extremely uneven parody of musical biopics. For every on target shot there's a half dozen banks. But then what else do you expect from Judd Apatow and co.?
A failed actor turned high school drama teacher (Steve Coogan with American accent) puts on his own uniquely blasphemous sequel to Hamlet which now involves time travel, face rape, and Jesus!
Compellingly awful comedy has more excruciatingly misjudged scenes that any film should. The talented Amy Poehler gets all the best lines.
The Black Panther 3/5 Very well done true life drama of the infamous Black Panther crimes from the mid-70's. Made withinn months of the trial the film was at the end of a media witchhunt and was pretty much buried,only surfacing for a couple of vhs releases and a bootleg dvd. Now restored and on blu-ray from BFI, Donald Sumpter produces a fine performance as Donald Nielsen.Told in a non-sensational,matter of fact manner and all the more chilling for it.well worth seeing.
Visually incredible, but a slightly unsatisfying ending. I thought the bit near the end where she attacks the alien was too protracted - there should have been a long, tense chase around the ship.
Relentlessly bleak post-apocalyptic survival drama is well enough done but grinds you down with its grey misery and endless talk of impending death.
The Krays (1990-UK) **½
Grttty biopic of the notorious London gangsters doesn't glamourise them as such (clearly they're violent psychopaths you wouldn't want to know) but ignores several key elements which make them appear less evil than they really were.
I found this rather boring - two boring people having a boring conversation for 106 boring minutes. Deals with identity, relationships, and originality, but did I mention it's boring?
