Bullets 'n' Babes

Summer of 84 (Canada, 2018) [VoD] - 4/5
Four 15 year olds begin suspecting their neighbor is a serial killer. Thrilling 80s / childhood throwback thriller with a phenomenally good ending. 10 times better than the same filmmakers' Turbo Kid.

The New York Ripper (1982) *
A serial killer with a penchant for Donald Duck impersonations mutilates attractive women.
Sleazy, misogynist trash, focuses on graphic depictions of sexual violence.

Ivan Drago wrote: 28 Nov 2019, 08:53

Guro Taku wrote: 27 Nov 2019, 23:39 Skinner (USA, 1993) [BD] – 2.5/5
Ted Raimi is a guy called Skinner who walks around skinning hookers.

His mother must be so disapointed

Godzilla (2014) **
Big, loud, and empty blockbuster. At least it's better than the 1998 turd.

Boyz 'n' the Hood (1991) ***
Effective drama of black youth stuck in cycle of gang violence, which the film roundly condemns.

Strip Nude for Your Killer (1975) *½
Second-rate giallo has more nudity than violence (save a little crude gore where sexual organs are shown cut off).
When the killer's identity is finally revealed, I thought to myself, 'who is that, again?'
It's not a good film, clearly, and for Edwige Fenech fans only (she shows some bush here).

Primal (USA, 2019) [amazon] – 2.5/5
Pleasantly oldfashioned Nic Cage flick that sees him as a big game hunter/smuggler fighting a paramilitary psychopath aboard a ship that's transporting his exotic animals. Hard to get more high concept than this. Cage's performance is actually fairly restrained this time comparted to his usual antics - and that includes a scene where the psycho starts executing his prized parrots one by one to make him talk! Animal CGI is acceptable, with the unfortunate exception of the albino jaguar that's the main and most valuable critter.

The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (USA, 2018) [BD] – 3.5/5
Oldfashioned, part 2, but this one is more of a late 70ies kinda deal. A bunch of militia gun nuts are called in for an emergency meeting when it looks like one of their own went crazy and started shooting cops at a funeral. What follows is a tense, paranoid struggle to find out who was responsible. Great acting all around, with a cast of character actors commanding attention. Hard to believe this was Henry Dunham's debut film. I'll watch whatever he does next.

Markgway wrote: 06 Dec 2019, 02:47 Strip Nude for Your Killer (1975) *½
Second-rate giallo has more nudity than violence (save a little crude gore where sexual organs are shown cut off).
When the killer's identity is finally revealed, I thought to myself, 'who is that, again?'
It's not a good film, clearly, and for Edwige Fenech fans only (she shows some bush here).

This is rare, but I actually agree with Mark here. I saw this a few months ago, but can't remember anything about it, except thinking it was bad and dumb in the wrong way (for reasons I no longer recall). I gave it a 1.5/5 rating.

The Case of the Bloody Iris and The New York Ripper... now those are good cinema!

HungFist wrote: 06 Dec 2019, 17:17 The Case of the Bloody Iris and The New York Ripper... now those are good cinema!

I fear all those Japanese exploitation movies have irreparably damaged your taste.

Markgway wrote: 06 Dec 2019, 17:35

HungFist wrote: 06 Dec 2019, 17:17 The Case of the Bloody Iris and The New York Ripper... now those are good cinema!

I fear all those Japanese exploitation movies have irreparably damaged your taste.

It has introduced me to a new world of joy!

Speaking of irreparable damage, look at Guro Taku

Happy Death Day 2U (2018) **½
Clever enough sequel, basically the Back to the Future Part II of PG-13 slashers.
Jessica Rothe is a great lead.

Dumbo (2019) **½
Tim Burton, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Danny Elfman, circuses... nope, not Batman Returns, but a live action + CGI remake of Disney's animated classic. Dumbo is cute, the story of a baby stolen from its mother tugs at the heartstrings, but I would've liked a more pointed script (until the end everyone - even the kids - seem perfectly OK with Dumbo being exploited for the entertainment of a baying audience). All in all, a decent family picture.

Silverado (1985) **½
Engaging western.

Shriek if You Know What I Did Last Friday the 13th (2000) *
Appallingly unfunny spoof of the late 90s teen slasher cycle.
Makes Scary Movie look like a work of genius.

Assassin X (2015) *
Presumably the X stands for excrement.
Extremely amateurish and very badly made DTV actioner with Olivier Gruner.

Home Alone (1990, USA): 5/5

A Christmas favourite that holds some nostalgia for me

Die Hard (1988, USA): 5/5

Action classic

Black Christmas (Canada, 1974) [VoD] – 4/5
Excellent, gritty Christmas slasher with a bunch of non-objectified, charmingly foul-mouthed women as protagonists. Rather exceptional in the genre.

Terror Train (USA, 1980) [VoD] – 1.5/5
Regrettably dull graduation party / revenge slasher with Jamie Lee Curtis, only in a train this time. David Copperfield plays a magician! Sort of works for the 1st hour, then you realize you really don’t give a shit. Pedestrian on the technical level as well.

Maximum Security aka Larceny (2017) **
Dolph Lundgren breaks into a Mexican prison to steal drug cartel money.
Doesn't escape its DTV trappings, but is more watchable than many of its ilk.

I Want Candy (2007) **
Frustrated student filmmakers make a low budget porno for gangsters; Carmen Electra is the XXX star they seek.
Produced by Ealing Studios. Yes, you read that correctly.
This vulgar farce is surprisingly coy when it comes to actual sex and nudity.

The Case of the Scorpion's Tail (1971) **½
Not bad giallo, directed by Sergio Martino.

Agatha and the Curse of Ishtar (2019) **
Another attempt to turn real life mystery author Agatha Christie into an actual detective, like from one of her novels, yeah?
Opens promisingly with a little light humour and potent Iraqi archaeological setting, but the filmmakers aren't up to the task
of creating a genuinely gripping thriller. Stodgy and confusing, although its still an improvement on the BBC's dire attempts.
Anachronistic, as we've come to expect, with some painfully right on feminism and anti-colonial messaging.

The Good Liar (2019): 4/5

Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen star in a twisty Hitchcockian tale, it had an interesting story and the acting was impressive.

All the Colors of the Dark (Italy, 1972) [BD] – 2/5
Frustrating, insanely over-rated 90 minutes of Edwige Fenech screaming and running from a killer who may be real, or just her imagination (you’ll never know, ha-ha-ha). It’s a shame since the “Satan worshipping hippies” story context has its moments, the score is nice, and there are visual sequences that work. But Martino has done much better films, like Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (1972).

Once Upon a Time in the West (Italy / USA, 1969) [DCP] - 5/5
Leone's grand epic and finest picture, an endlessly inspiring piece of filmmaking and the one film where men are allowed to cry. There was a 35mm screening in Finland some years ago, but me being in Japan I had to settle for a DCP celebrating the film's 50th anniversary. It was the latest in a series of nationwide theatrical re-release in Japan, following Dawn of the Dead and Blade Runner this year, The Thing, Sorcerer, Last Tango in Paris and a few others last year.



JP HP with a nice re-release trailer:
http://onceinthewest2019.com/

Love Hurts (1989) **
Jeff Daniels' divorcee returns to his family home for a wedding.
Corny drama sunk by unappealing characters, overripe situations.

Midnight Crossing (1987) *½
Silly cheese in which two married couples search for stolen loot off Cuban waters.
Kim Catrall is hot in a wet t-shirt... that's about it.

My Chauffeur (1985) *½
Kooky blonde Deborah Foreman is given a job at a stuffy, sexist limo rental company.
Foreman is cute and funny, but this peculiar, sometimes obnoxious comedy doesn't deserve her presence.
Penn & Teller make their debut in a long, unfunny sequence.

Ht the Ice (1943) **½
Abbot and Costello encounter bank robbers at a plush ski resort.
Harmless slapstick should please fans.

How did the film look, Hung?