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

[saltysam]

Hero & The Terror 1.5/5 low grade Chuck Norris thriller largely wastes a very good supporting cast (Steve James,Jeffrey Kramer,Billy Drago,Ron O'Neal).Norris plays his usual tough cop nicknamed as "Hero" after catching serial killer Simon Moon.however he knows it was a fluke and when Moon gets out he has to try and finish the job.

Vendetta 2/5 Cop Dean Cain catches hulking killer Big Show only to see him released and murder his wife in revenge.Formulaic prison flick is full of the usual cliches (sneak attacks in showers/laundries, corrupt warden & officers) and is very far fetched.however it does have some well done brutal action going for it and a surprisingly effective tough guy performance from DTV regular Cain.worth a watch.

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

Hell’s Angels (1930: Howard Hughes, James Whale):

I had not plan on rewatching this anytime soon but when a friend wanted to borrow this much to my surprise (I lend out films a lot but rarely does anyone ask for something from the 1930s or earlier.) I had first watched this a few years ago but really did not remember much about it save the flying scenes which are the most famous scenes from the film. Rewatching it I found more of an appreciation for it, though there are still several issues with the film most notably with the acting and pace of the movie.

The movie from Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator goes over some of the filming of this. Now Hughes’s OCD was nowhere near as bad as it would get later, but he still sat on this film for quite a long time wanting to get it right. So much so that he went through several directors and even from the silent era to the sound causing him to fund an almost reshoot of all the dialogue scenes. This was responsible for the leading lady Greta Nissen to be sacked and replaced by Jean Harlow because of her accent. While Hughes is the nominal director and was responsible for most if not all of the flying scenes including piloting at least one film himself where he crashed his plane as was injured (there were three deaths of pilots during the production), James Whale (Bride of Frankenstein, if you are interested in his life watch Gods and Monsters) directed the majority of the dialogue scenes which is by far most of the film. All of this helped make it the most expensive production for its time and it would take several years for it to make its money back. Note: you can tell the scenes that were made during the silent era as they appear undercranked (technically this was not done on purpose as a different fps rate was used with the silent camera) and the dialog is dubbed over sometimes forcing the actors to speak faster than normal.

The story itself is rather simple. It takes the tale of three youths who went to school together: two English brothers and one German friend who is later conscripted into the German army and their experience of WWI with all three as flyers (the German works on a Zeppelin. It is surprisingly dour sometimes and cynical, but effective in mood. It tends to avoid a lot of clichés and even humanizes the Germans (which you would not see much in cinema in the upcoming years.) I appreciated these aspects more the second time watching as I was more patient with it. The acting still reminds stilted and sometimes bad.

This is an important piece of film history (most expensive film, early sound use of two-strip Technicolor for an extended sequence, Howard Hughes himself, pre-code scenes) and a decent story. Jean Harlow has a presence, but sometimes her dialogue is atrocious (she was heavily criticized at the time.) She would literally run her lines together which came out like someone reading a book in a high school class. It is funny that one of her lines: “Would you be shocked if I put on something more comfortable? “is one of the most famous of all-time. I respect James Whale as a director, but at the time he could not get a good reading out of her (she would improve immensely as the years went on until her early death.) But the flying scenes are wonderful. Too bad there is not enough of them. However, there are better WWI films like The Big Parade, La Grande Illusion, Wings, Wooden Crosses, or The Dawn Patrol (I’ve only seen the remake which is quite good.)

[Markgway]

Apocalypse Now (1979-USA) **½

A spectacular, visionary piece of work that captures the horror and absurdity of war, yet succumbs to
its pretentions, ramblings and forgets to give us a single character we can care about (even the harsh Full Metal Jacket managed that). The plot is extremely sketchy employing second hand voiceover exposition rather than true characterization: for example Kurtz' purported genius is built up for over two hours yet never adequately shown - he's just a poetry-spouting weirdo who hides in a cave - what a disappointment! I admired the filmmaking bravura, photography, editing, whilst remaining totally unengaged. Critics love this, but my priorities lie elsewhere. Platoon is a movie that makes you feel. Apocalypse is a movie that (wants to) make you think. But for me those thoughts got lost out in the humid, murky, drugged-up jungle. "The horror... the horror" indeed. Had to turn away from key sequence in finale because it was intercut with graphic real footage of a Water Buffalo being hacked to pieces (where's the BBFC when you need them?).

The Resident (2010-UK-USA) **
Derivative, cliché-packed thriller isn't exactly unwatchable, but your time would probably be better spent elsewhere... a Hammer films production.

[saltysam]

Friday Foster 1.5/5 lightweight Pam Grier blaxploitation movie passes 90 minutes quickly enough but instantly forgettable.

Firewalker 1/5 Chuck Norris clunker,trying to cash in on the Indiana Jones/Romancing The Stone genre.poorly directed and leaden action sequences aligned with a at times incomprehensible plot ensures this is a low point in his career.

Doc Savage:The Man Of Bronze 2/5 Campy actioner based on the pulp novel character is by no means a good movie but it's relentless good nature,goofy characters and air of innocence make this an entertaining watch.Ron Ely is solid if wooden as the title character. I remember seeing this at the cinema,it was a big hyped release,i was bought by my father a Doc Savage Bronze Statue that's still knocking round here somewhere the end credits promise he would return in a sequel,sadly the movie flopping made sure that never materialised.strangely little seen in recent years,it's available only (i think) as a warner archive DVD-R.

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

Doc Savage:The Man Of Bronze ... it's available only (i think) as a warner archive DVD-R.

While I have not seen this yet and your review is not making want to watch it any sooner, I found the Warner Archive (DVD-R) used and bought it a month back.

[saltysam]

Doc Savage:The Man Of Bronze ... it's available only (i think) as a warner archive DVD-R.

While I have not seen this yet and your review is not making want to watch it any sooner, I found the Warner Archive (DVD-R) used and bought it a month back.

Hey it's well worth seeing. it's campy yes and it sometimes smacks of a decent budgeted tv movie but there's things to like about it.The Doc Savage march music is epic! it's hindered by having it's best action sequence in the opening 15 minutes but hey Doc Savage,his Amazing Five,sneaky midget mexican baddie who sleeps in a cot-like bed with his thumb in his mouth,Docs Car etc...what's not to like

[Markgway]

Off Beat (1986-USA) **
Weak romantic comedy in which Judge Reinhold pretends to be a dancing beat cop to woo a pretty female officer (the lovely Meg Tilly). Not unbearable, but not particularly funny either. Familiar faces populate the supporting cast (including Harvey Keitel as an incompetent bank robber). Some overdubs suggest this PG film was originally to be rated R (it's a PG in the UK, too, despite one 'fuck' slipping past the BBFC).

Steel and Lace (1990-USA) **½
Fair sci-fi-horror-thriller has a better than usual script, but is somewhat hamstrung by its B-movie DTV origins. Claire Wren does well as a vengeful female cyborg. Bruce Davison and American Werewolf's David Naughton are the only 'names' in the cast. The sort of thing that's easily missed if you didn't catch it on late night Sky Movies.

[Markgway]

X-Ray (1981-USA-Israel) *
Abysmal slasher flick; early Cannon production is one of their worst.

[Markgway]

The Boy Next Door (2014-USA) **
Pedestrian thriller in which MILF teacher J-Lo is stalked by a psychotic pupil she made the mistake of banging.

[Markgway]

Sorcerer (1977-USA) **½
William Friedkin's remake of Wages of Fear is half a really good suspense movie; shame then that the first hour is so dull and weighed down by needless, poorly handled backstory.

[HungFist]

Sorcerer (1977-USA) **½
William Friedkin's remake of Wages of Fear is half a really good suspense movie; shame then that the first hour is so dull and weighed down by needless, poorly handled backstory.

I haven't seen either one, but would like to see both. How similar are they? Should I watch Wages of Fear first, or does it not make any difference.

[Markgway]

I haven't seen either one, but would like to see both. How similar are they? Should I watch Wages of Fear first, or does it not make any difference.

I haven't seen Wages either, but I now intend to, as from what I've read, it's minus some of the narrative issues I had with Sorcerer (i.e. the needless backstories).

[HungFist]

I haven't seen either one, but would like to see both. How similar are they? Should I watch Wages of Fear first, or does it not make any difference.

I haven't seen Wages either, but I now intend to, as from what I've read, it's minus some of the narrative issues I had with Sorcerer (i.e. the needless backstories).

Well, let us know more if/when you see it.

[saltysam]

Wages Of Fear is excellent,i have the Criterion.it's very slow at first though.i also thought Sorcerer was excellent,fantastic score and one of the better remakes.They've both survived my ongoing cull,they must be good

[HungFist]

Wages Of Fear is excellent,i have the Criterion.it's very slow at first though.i also thought Sorcerer was excellent,fantastic score and one of the better remakes.They've both survived my ongoing cull,they must be good

So, would you recommend watching Wages first, or?

[saltysam]

Wages Of Fear is excellent,i have the Criterion.it's very slow at first though.i also thought Sorcerer was excellent,fantastic score and one of the better remakes.They've both survived my ongoing cull,they must be good

So, would you recommend watching Wages first, or?

Don't think it matters really.i saw Sorcerer under it's Wages title at the cinema way back when,i only caught up with the original via the criterion blu.

[saltysam]

The Shadow 2.5/5 pedestrian adaption of the pulp character hasn't aged particularly well.

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

Wages Of Fear is excellent,i have the Criterion.it's very slow at first though.i also thought Sorcerer was excellent,fantastic score and one of the better remakes.They've both survived my ongoing cull,they must be good

So, would you recommend watching Wages first, or?

Don't think it matters really.i saw Sorcerer under it's Wages title at the cinema way back when,i only caught up with the original via the criterion blu.

I only saw Wages of Fear (twice), but it is a brilliant and nerve-wracking film. I think it is great. I'm not always keen on remakes but enough people have told me they like Sorcerer that I want to eventually give that a chance. Plus it is directed by William Friedkin. But back to Wages... Henri-Georges Clouzot is such a good director that another of his film Diabolique (I also recommend this) was also remade in Hollywood.

[grim_tales]

Les Diaboliques is an excellent film but I think its the only Clouzot I've seen.

[Markgway]

i saw Sorcerer under it's Wages title at the cinema way back when,i only caught up with the original via the criterion blu.

Amazingly the AA-rated cinema release of the abridged 90m version (which I'd be curious to see) is the only time Sorcerer has officially been released in the UK (though I think it's been on TV).

[grim_tales]

Interesting they called it Wages of Fear there and not Sorcerer? (I havent seen either film BTW)

[Markgway]

Interesting they called it Wages of Fear there and not Sorcerer? (I havent seen either film BTW)

Sorcerer bombed in the US, so European distributor CIC changed the title and cut out 30m.

[grim_tales]

I didnt know that, thanks

[saltysam]

Pray For Death 3/5 Far bleaker and tougher than than the comic booky style of the Cannon Ninja movies,this solid Sho Kosugi actioner gets right to the point from the start.Always heavily cut on VHS,even the MGM DVD-R was the censored R-Rated print.This german blu uses the MGM HD master and edits in the uncut footage from a french cinema print.While violent this would pass for a comfortable 18 these days with no trouble.James Booth is one horrible despicable baddie,it's a role he was born to play.The HD print shows off how heavily he was stunt doubled in the climax though.

[Markgway]

I think 88 Films are releasing this in the UK soon.

Probably be the same transfer.