Spotlight – Ray Wise

I have to admit that I have a teeny crush on Ray Wise,  but who couldn’t fall for his charm, the tall dark handsome stranger of anyone’s nightmares.  Generally I manage to see him in a lot of horror movies,  but that’s obvious due to the nature of my blog,  I’m rather partial to horror! I really think Mr Wise should have had more lead roles and I’m impressed with his constant contributions no matter how small but sadly the one character I’d love to see him as; the devil, was in a TV show and as we all know I don’t watch tv… I guess I’m going to have to make an exception.

05.Digging up the Marrow (2014)

This film blew me away, I adore found footage movies and this was really taking things to a new level. From a relatively new director Adam Green, it’s a diary style movie of a fan (Ray) who contacts him to expose that monsters are real,  he really pulls off this difficult and curious character with style. Overall a sterling performance from Ray in this difficult and often misunderstood film.7/10 [REVIEW]

Pressure (2015)

Pressure  (Drama, Thriller,  2015) (15) D: Ron Scalpello W: Louis Baxter, Alan McKenna + P:  C: Danny Huston, Matthew Goode, Joe Cole, Alan mcKenna, Ian Pirie, Daisy Lowe, Gemita Samarra.. 1h 31m. UK.

Synopsis : A group of men are trapped in a small pod on the sea bed, after diving down to fix an oil pipeline and becoming serperated from their ship.

An underwater adventure filled with terror blood and where the only treasure is precious oxygen.

Seaming to take inspiration from many a sturdy submarine movie, Pressure also seems to have a lot of influence from Lifeboat (1996) a well-crafted TV movie adapted from short story from Alfred Hitchcock.

Isolating a small group of men away from their families and loved ones on an emergency mission and plunging them to the bottom of the ocean to fix a pipeline, Pressure manages to deal with the psychological anguish that occur when things go wrong but it’s added bonus is to deal with the very real issues, as title does suggest, there are more physical ailments of this doomed mission.

The film starts with a series of irate and harsh phone calls, giving the idea that there is a massive expensive problem; quickly a group of men are assembled and sent down to the bottom of the ocean to fix a pipeline. Pretty soon it’s apparent that they are under equipped for the job at hand but also unable to cope with the problems that crop up like lack of oxygen and minor things like that (lol) just about the time they start panicking about the problems they realise that they have lost contact with the ship I cannot raise any help and that’s when the fun begins start.

The Escort

https://youtu.be/d7BG9FnD3gY
Duration : 6.19

Dir: Michael Lewis/USA/2014

The Escort works as a scary short film as you don’t need a lot of backstory to  appreciate the situation, it would maybe make it less scary as this is a revelation and great pivotal moment caught in this in sinister short. With the bitter slice of domestic abuse the Escort chucks in a new paranormal spin and within second the movie turns from drama into one of your darkest mortal fears almost literally creeping into focus. The film is made by Michael Lewis the man behind Whispers (2013) and a handful of other well made shorts. You can’t deny he has a talent for unusual morbid tales akin to such maestros as Clive Barker.  The acting is slightly on the shoddy side but the message is very clear and the effects are simple and striking. It’s worth the few minutes of your time that it will take up. It has some resemblance to a BBC radio play called Lasting Impression.

R :6/10

Spotlight – Rutger Hauer (RIP)

*note originally posted 11/09/2015

I’ve had a strange fascination with the strange blonde, blue eyed Dutch legend of cinema, since watching him in Blade Runner (1982)  and I have thoroughly enjoyed following his career up to the more recent films such as The Rite (2011) and Hobo with a Shotgun (2011). Having the versatility to play heroic champions and evil villains, Ruter has taken on a series of movie roles over the past six decades either being centre stage or as a bit part actor he seems happy to work in any setting and not too proud to work in lower budget films either. Being both a charmer and on the odd occasion a complete psycho,  with his stern features and cold eyes it’s hard to read him.part of his attraction and charm is his You can find out more about him and his works on his personal website, http://www.rutgerhauer.org

01.Blade Runner (1982)  

An amazing movie all round, it’s hard to find much fault with it.Rutger plays an android who is coming to the end of his life cycle and struggles to find a way to live on while being tracked by Dekker (Harrison Ford)  a Blade Runner out to capture and retire him. Rutger gives an amazing performance as Roy Batty, he is smooth, calculating, physically active and psychotic. Adding in a lot of ad libbed sequences including the provocative “.  battleships off the shoulder of Orion…” speech this really needs to be noted as his best role. 10/10

A Little Chaos (2014)

A Little Chaos  (Drama, Romance, Costume Drama, 2014) (12A) D: Alan Rickman W: Jeremy Brock, Alison Deegan  C: Alan Rickman, Matthias Schoenaerts, Kate Winslet. 1h 57m. UK.

Synopsis : Two talented landscape artists become romantically entangled while building a garden in King Louis XIV’s palace at Versailles.

TAGLINE : Passion is in our nature.

A little chaos, for me is like a christmas cake it looks absolutely gorgeous but from the outset you know exactly what’s going to happen all the workings and insides are tried and tested. But nonetheless there is a lot to enjoy. In modern cinema and in this year especially there has seen a lot of advancements in the technological side of film making, but costume dramas have been suffering and are now fairly rare, so this does stand out and has wonderful charm, but is lacking slightly on the dramatic bosom heaving antics that would have really made this film great.

November 2015 News

Sadly the whole 31 days of horror went to pot after starting out so well, I will still continue with the list throughout November but due to health problems and the Rugby World Cup I’m really sorry I kinda copped out. The list as it stands today is here and I’ve not got a huge amount to do but I’m doing it.. After all it’s Halloween every day in my house.

I’ve got nothing much lined up for November, I’ll be penning some ideas for two epic lists detailing Selected movies of 2015 and Selected movies discovered in 2015.

Hopefully some more regular updates from now on… hopefully.. I will also be changing the look and feel of the blog, oh and I shall be adding a banner, I’ll bring that baby back!

I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween, did anyone find any creepy movies!?? Please let me know.

 

Day 1 – Halloween (1978)

Day 2 – The Thing (1982)

Day 3 – The Fog (1980)

Day 4 – Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Day 5 – Maniac Cop(1988)

Day 6 – The gate (1987)

Day 7 – Troll (1986)

Day 8 – Killer klowns from outer space (1988)

Day 9 – Jaws (1975)

Day 10 – Hellraiser (1987)

Day 11 – American Werewolf in London (1981)

Day 12 – The Lost boys (1987)

Day 13 The Beyond (1981)

Day 14 The Hills have eyes (1977)

Day 15 The last will and testament of Rosalind Leigh (2012)

Day 16 A Serbian Film (2010)

Day 17 The lodger (1927)

Day 18 L’ultimo Treno Della Note -Don’t Ride on Late Night Trains (1975)

Day 19 Banshee chapter (2013)

Yep I still have quite a few to add but will finish the list.

In the meantime there are some awesome sales and NEW sweatshirts at Rabbit In Red http://www.rabbitinred.co.uk so get yourself something warm for the winter I know I will be once I’ve narrowed my selection down from the extensive catalogue.

Review: Equilibrium (2002)

Source: Review: Equilibrium (2002)