What general film/series have you just seen.. marks out of 5

[Markgway]

House of Wax (2005-US-Australia) **

Technically well-made; still just a slasher remake, but more imaginative than some.

Remarkably violent for a '15' cert.

[Killer Meteor]

House of Wax (2005-US-Australia) **

Technically well-made; still just a slasher remake, but more imaginative than some.

Remarkably violent for a '15' cert.

For a film suposedly based on HOUSE OF WAX, this film plays a lot more like the 1979 TOURIST TRAP.

[Markgway]

I haven't seen Tourist Trap but I've heard the comparison before.

[grim_tales]

Kick-Ass

LOVED it. Absolutely loved it. The cast is great, it looks spectacular, and the characters are all memorable and well written. The main crook is a bit of a cooky-cardboard cut-out in terms of depth, but that would be the 1 minor complaint. Oh wait, the songs playing over some of the action-sequences were occasionally a bit out of place. 2 minor complaints. My bad.

4.5 out of 5. Classic.

Mostly agree. The song used in the corridor scene near the end was awful - something you'd expect from these new age "let's be cult" idiot filmmakers... The rest of the film, however, got it right... that is, it took something over-the-top and playing it straight and with love, just like the exploitation films back in the days used to do.

Do you mean the Few Dollars More music? That was great!
Loved the film too BTW - lots of fun

[HungFist]

Kick-Ass

LOVED it. Absolutely loved it. The cast is great, it looks spectacular, and the characters are all memorable and well written. The main crook is a bit of a cooky-cardboard cut-out in terms of depth, but that would be the 1 minor complaint. Oh wait, the songs playing over some of the action-sequences were occasionally a bit out of place. 2 minor complaints. My bad.

4.5 out of 5. Classic.

Mostly agree. The song used in the corridor scene near the end was awful - something you'd expect from these new age "let's be cult" idiot filmmakers... The rest of the film, however, got it right... that is, it took something over-the-top and playing it straight and with love, just like the exploitation films back in the days used to do.

Do you mean the Few Dollars More music?

No

[gasteropod]

[grim_tales]

Kick-Ass
Mostly agree. The song used in the corridor scene near the end was awful - something you'd expect from these new age "let's be cult" idiot filmmakers... The rest of the film, however, got it right... that is, it took something over-the-top and playing it straight and with love, just like the exploitation films back in the days used to do.

Do you mean the Few Dollars More music?[/quote]

No[/quote]

Which scene did you mean?

[romerojpg]

[HungFist]

Do you mean the Few Dollars More music?

No

Which scene did you mean?

The next one

[grim_tales]

Oh, I get ya

[gasteropod]

The Case of the Bloody Iris (1972) - 2.5/5

So-so giallo, its highlight being Edwige Fenech's lovely breasts

[Markgway]

Cash on Demand (1961-UK) **½

[gasteropod]

Torso (1973) - 1/5

Incredibly boring and compared to his previous gialli (although I don't personally consider this to be one), seems like the work of a different director.

[gasteropod]

Cat O'Nine Tails (1971) - 4/5

Argento's classiest giallo. The Arrow Blu-ray was fine except for a bit where the music kept dropping out and changing volume for about half a minute, thankfully only at that one point though as it was very distracting.

[Markgway]

Never Take Candy from a Stranger (1959-UK) **½

[gasteropod]

The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (1972) - 3.5/5

[Killer Meteor]

Never Take Candy from a Stranger (1959-UK) **½

I take it we both got the Icons of Suspense set last week...

NEVER TAKE CANDY FROM A STRANGER

I think this is a staggeringly brilliant movie, but very difficult to watch. For once, the American setting is downright convincing - and the cast is superb. By the end, I was in floods of tears. Probably Hammer's finest film, but not one that I can imagine watching very often. Simply too upsetting.

10/10


THESE ARE THE DAMNED

This is a very good film, but I think it works best if you go in completely cold. I had seen bits of this as a kid, so the revelations felt vaguely familiar. Shirley Ann Field is a bit less awkward then usual, and Oliver Reed is really powerful, in the days before he became a joke. The ending is almost as depressing as that of NEVER TAKE SWEETS FROM A STRANGER.

8/10


MANIAC

Very lightweight nonsense, barely horror, barely suspense. Michael Carreras never seemed to get into the spirit of the films he directed. The villian is pathetically jolly and not especially threatening. A superb performance from the brilliant George Pastell as the police inspector is the sole bright spot in this lazy filler.

4/10

[Markgway]

I take it we both got the Icons of Suspense set last week...

Lol, yeah.

I think this is a staggeringly brilliant movie, but very difficult to watch. For once, the American setting is downright convincing - and the cast is superb. By the end, I was in floods of tears. Probably Hammer's finest film, but not one that I can imagine watching very often. Simply too upsetting.

I thought it was quite good, but nowhere near the level you obviously did. I didn't understand the girl's nightmare (when she thinks the old man is in her wardrobe); she wasn't afraid of him before and had no idea anything was awry - so where did the sudden fear come from? Also the court case collapses a bit too quickly and easily. A commendable (and very rare) try from Hammer at something serious - and yes the ironic ending is a real downer. It's set in Canada, BTW; filmed in England as usual. You'll be annoyed no doubt to learn that this US cut is missing 11 mins from the original UK cinema version.

[Killer Meteor]

I didn't know it was cut. Any idea what was taken out?

Yes, I couldn't help but feel the prosecuter could have presented the fact the old man had been in the mental hospital, the son's aggressive behaviour towards the parents of the girl, the fact people KNEW the old man was trouble...long before they put the girl in the stand.

[HungFist]

Kill List (UK, 2011) – 4/5
An interesting genre mash-up taking its time with gritty family drama and then, much later, making a sudden turn to extremely violent hitman thriller – and more. It’s thanks to the strong build up and characters that the film packs so much punch – only the last 10 minutes fall of rails and stretch it one step too far. Nevertheless, easily one of the genre events of recent years, and an upcoming cult classic.

Red Nights (France / Hong Kong, 2010) – 2.5/5
An interesting Hong Kong Giallo – a directorial debut by French screenwriter duo Julien Carbon and Laurent Courtiaud, best known for their work on Johnnie To’s Running Out of Time. Not an entirely satisfactory film, but as a mixture of European and Asian styles it certainly has several interesting things going on. Naked Killer cult starlet Carrie Ng stars as an art collector with hidden sadistic desires. The film’s ultra-violence, while quite limited, packs notable psychological punch – in the fest screening the audience could stomach the most brutal scene, but the follow-up, with Carrie inspecting her knife and saw collection, made half a dozen people walk out – although this bit features no violence whatsoever, only a promise of things to come.

[Markgway]

I didn't know it was cut. Any idea what was taken out?

Afraid not. I've never seen the uncut UK version.

Cash on Demand was also cut (8 mins), as was Stop Me Before I Kill! (14 mins)

AFAIK, the other three are uncut.

[gasteropod]

Un Chien Andalou (1929) - 4.5/5
L'Age d'Or (1930) - 3/5

[Markgway]

Frost/Nixon (2008-USA-UK) ***

The Frighteners (1996-USA-New Zealand) ***

[gasteropod]

Le orme (Footprints) (1975) - 3/5

Dream-like, bleak, and mysterious - but ultimately left me feeling a bit unfulfilled. I don't consider this a giallo, but that's what it's often classed as. Kudos to Shameless for releasing this rarely-seen oddity.

[grim_tales]

Johnny English Reborn: 2/5

Had one or two amusing moments but crucially for a "comedy", it's just not terribly funny, relying far too much on slapstick humour and simple signposted jokes. I like slapstick but there was too muxh here.
Its a shame as Rowan Atkinson is a funny guy.