Last Nights Movies 05.07.2017

*The Belko Experiment (2016)

D: Greg McLean S: John Gallagher Jr, Tony Goldwyn, 1h 29m Thriller/Action (USA)

I remember when the trailer popped up on my Youtube feed, it (obviously) made the film look amazing, but I was highly intrigued, who wouldn’t be, the premise is en point, an office on shutdown and suddenly respectable people are thrown into an animalist situation, it has so many classic elements that could be played on, from JG Ballard’s Highrise, Cabin in the woods, Operation Endgame, Lord of the Flies, Wedlock, Running Man and a thousand more books and films that deal with tense social nightmares. It’s not BRILLIANT and it could have been so much more. The broad outline is an office block is locked down, unknown forces have taken over control and surveillance, the staff are tasked to kill X amount of people of X people will be killed, they think it’s hoax until a couple of heads explode, they soon realise that the chips inserted into the necks are bombs, eventually a hierarchy is formed and the place becomes bedlam until a fairly disappointing ending..

There are a lot of errors and some blindingly obviously facts are totally ignored and I guess the creators just assumed we would all turn a blind eye, after all it’s only a movie. The character development was a bit shoddy, relying on some really dated stereotypes to keep the film flowing, the pothead being the most noticeable. The numbers of people seemed terribly wrong, they mentioned only a few hundred at most, my office is a third of the size of theirs and we have over a 1000 staff!?!? The blood and gore look brilliant but there just isn’t enough of it.It was enjoyable enough to try and get through only to find out the mystery but I don’t think I need to go back again..

RATING 4/10

After the excitement of Belko I went back to a golden oldie…

Incubo Sulla Città contaminata/Nightmare City (1980)

D:Umberto Lenzi S: Hugo Stiglitz Laura Trotter, 1h30m Scifi/Horror (ITALY)

I feel this movie is often underrated,the beginning of the 80’s was a period when horror and sci fi was changing, and a lot films were obviously made in the 70’s and released early on in the 80’s but with a thick layer of hippy antics about them, this is one of those films. but if you looked at it as a 70’s film then suddenly it’s not so bad.. Hugo Stiglitz plays a TV news anchor who witnessed the collapse of civilization as the city becomes overrun with mindless hungry assholes. The movie feels different from the Zombie films of it’s time, the message is much more political, and the director has clearly requested that this isn’t categorised as a Zombie film, and if you follow his advice and think about it in terms of a “Radiation Sickness Movie” then it makes more sense and the message of anti-nuclear anti-war is pretty clear.

It is a pretty blood thirsty survivor film, it’s quick pace and unlimited amounts of ammo make it quite “fun” but there is a constant danger and reminder that humanity is on it’s way into hell.. I really like the how much ground this news guy covers, sadly while trying to save the people (mostly women) that he chances upon, he just can’t seem to manage, but his arsenal (left over army weapons mostly) is vast!!! it really does play out like a survivor game.

RATING 6/10

Last nights movies 07.11.2016

I totally aced my movie record last night, I got home from work early as I was feeling unwell and stayed up late feeling equally unwell and managed to fit in a ridiculous amount of movies…

I started the evening with Imperium (2016) – I had little faith in Daniel Radcliffe being a skinhead but as an undercover cop kinda skin he seemed a little more plausible. But there was this nagging feeling that he was out of place, a lot of people has issues with Tom Hanks  being a gangster in Road to Perdition (2002) but I had no problem with that but this… just didn’t gel right. Still it tells an interesting if predictable story, but it tells it well. Without being over dramatic and focusing in on being purely offensive for vulgarity’s sake.Undercover work never seemed to basic. Still it’s another film to portray racists as the ridiculous eejits that they really are, and couldn’t have come at a better time.. For now it’s sit comfortable at 6/10 but I’m still forming a formal opinion on it.

Last Nights Movies 04.11.2016

On the even of Guy Fawkes night and dealing with a terrible gastro problem I was so happy to end the week and finally get my hair washed and head down to do a bunch of nothing for the weekend. So as i needed a quiet night I decided to stick with some golden oldies…

The Room (2003) I adore this film, it’s certainly one of the most impressive worst films of all time. It is the dictionary definition of being so bad it’s actually good. I first discovered Tommy Wiseau on Space Ghost Coast to Coast and didn’t really believe that he was a director but a character that was so bizarre, the bonus is that they promised to play the film the first time they played the intro then cut and went to a different film as it was April fools, the next time they played the first 2 seconds and then switched to regular programming as it was “too much”. Anyway jokes asides I managed to dig out a copy and I adore how hard Tommy tried, not necessarily in learning his own lines but those retro b movie sex scenes and the creepiness is on par with great performances such as Orson Welles LMAO, I think Tommy describes the film as being like Tennessee WIlliams, hot and steamy?? The film is supposed to be about a successful banker called Johnny and his bitch of a girlfriend who plays his hard. I do struggle to work out where the title comes from but what I am certain about it that this is all about the spoons and I took a few packets of plastic spoons with me when I went to see this in Soho for my birthday this year. No matter what you’re into, take some time out and see the Room and this is coming from someone who never recommends films. You might also want to check out a few youtube vids on the room.7/10

Last Nights Movies 04-02-2016

I was a bit of a loss last night, my copy of Bleeder finally turned up but as I have lost the control for my DVD I couldn’t get the subtitles on!! bummer.. My danish isn’t all that great so I shall have to find a way around that and attempt to watch it another time. So I went on to option B and settled for a golden oldie and part two of the Turin Horse.

Ronin (1998) – I ALWAYS enjoy this film, every single time I watch it I’m riveted from begining to end, and to be honest I don’t fully understand why! The first time I saw it, I had no idea what was actually going on I was just literally feeding off the acting and action. Radomly one day I had an urge to watch cars chase around France and went to block busters and managed to find a copy to buy and I’ve nearly worn this disc bald. It’s just brilliant on so many counts.

A torinói ló – Turin Horse (2011) – Part 2! I started watching this last week and while it’s visually stunning and I was really enjoying it, it got to about 3am and I really needed to sleep. Bela Tarr is a genius and I really have to watch a lot more of his movies.. I got to about half way though this time, to the part where the man arrives asking for rum, for those who know the film.

 

Last Night’s Movies 02.06.2014

It was a long night, I think I started as early as possible and worked/watched late into the night.

Cats eye (1985) 6/10

*A Day of Violence (2010) 4/10

*Captain America – the First Avenger (2011) 7/10

*The LEGO movie (2014) 7/10

 

Cats eye (1985) A classic anthology from the master of horror anthologies, Mr Stephen king, I salute you.. This isn’t in the same vein as the Creepshow (1982) collections, there is still a fair amount “horror” but it centres more around morals and people who are a$$holes. The three segments are connected by one very lucky stray cat, first he is used as s test subject to demonstrate the electrifying techniques James Woods has unwittingly signed his wife up for to ensure his good behaviour while he tries to quit smoking. Then the puddy tat is tempted across a busy road by a wealthy and psychotic gambler who is hell bent on revenge and NEVER looses a bet. Finally destiny takes over and he is drawn towards Drew Barrymore and a very small folk law assassin. It was good to see after a number of years it’s still funny, it’s still enjoyable I would wager that if you’re a fan of Creepshow (1982) then you might appreciate this also. 6/10

 

*A Day of Violence (2010) This was hard to watch. Not because of the violence or difficult situations, in fact that was the easy bit (by the  way if anyone wants to suggest something more graphically violent please message me) But the acting was so damned terrible. People forgetting lines and looking stumped. The dialogue was fake tough guy, over pronounced words and breaks in all the wrong places. Just terrible, but the effects were ok, not ground-breaking, but pretty good for the budget, I did like the story, a faux east London gangster who takes a wrong turn which escalates into a huge pile of schit. There is a bit of p3nis snipping, shotgun liposuction, throat cutting antics. One thing that randomly made me giggle is that in cheaper budget movies the people are actually driving cars and therefore they are looking for traffic and road signs and the dialogue will be split and paused rather than the epically long deep spiels you get from Hollywood.. and I like that.   4/10

*Captain America – the First Avenger (2011) I’m slowly getting there, I only have Thor to watch then I can watch the Avengers!! YAY I missed this movie because I was never a fan of Captain America, in fact I remember buying more Captain Britain Books in the past So Captain America starts out a  weedy guy who’s refused access into the army, then by random chance he gets pulled into a science experiment and become a super hero.. He’s still the same guy he just manages to grow about 2 foot taller and fits in about 2 years of weight lifting in a few seconds. I guess size and strength does matter.. *sniff* sorry weaklings! On the whole it was a pretty okay superhero movie, not my favourite as the bad guy just reminded me of something form lazy town, I felt that they could have gone to town on his look and make him more creepy.. but meh… I think I can now finally watch the Avengers… oh wait no.. I still have Thor (2011) to go..   7/10

*The LEGO movie (2014) – I have no idea why I watched this.. It’s fun and entertaining I suppose. Batman was brilliant.. The astronaut was brilliant after he got to make his spaceship. It’s all healthy family fun though.. meh.  I’m giving it 7 out of 10, even though it’s not my personal cup of tea it’s a clever and well made movie, sadly I can’t deny that. I might get drunk and watch it again at Christmas or something lol Hopefully I’ll remember the Everything is Awesome song.. 7/10

LAST NIGHTS MOVIES 01.01.14

GANGSTER SQUAD
THIS MUST BE THE PLACE
8MM
GNOMEO AND JULIETTE
BEHIND THE CANDLEABRA

First batch of movies of the new year and I didn’t go with anything that I usually watch. Yeah I know it’s gay to have such a crap routine but I usually watch one of my all time favourite movies, in fact i get all exicted about it. Despite not really celebrating Jan first at new year.. LONG STORY! Usually it’s Les Pact Des Loups/Brotherhood of the wolf (2001)  or Se7en (1995) or something equally close to my heart. Strangely and with no planning it was a bit of a Sean Penn morning. I’ve never really rated him as an actor for a long time, but while watching these movies and thinking back he’s amazing! Dammit I should give him more credit. I’m such a actor snob.. slap my wrist.

Last nights movies 26-06-13

Another night of rest of me and I managed to fit in 3 movies!! I was so chuffed with meself!

I did start early and while prepping dinner I watched a bit of a gore fest. It’s a great thing that I have a fairly strong stomach.

• Isolation (2005)
• Broderskab/Brotherhood (2009)
• Curse of the Demon (1957)

So I started the evening with Isolation (2005) this was a dark and brooding genertically modified bovine horror with lots of goo and gore. Definatly a hot flick for me!

Followed by.. Broderskab/Brotherhood (2009) now I wasn’t sure what to expect for this, I saw the cover and thought I’d give it a go, usually Danish films are hard hitting and gritty, this is a melodrama, best way to describe it, is Brokeback Mountain (2005) VS American History X (1998), I’m still unsure what kind of message it was trying to convey..

Then finally a favourite horror before bed. Curse of the Demon (1957) one of my all time favourite 1950’s movies. The monster (which is a bastard child between King Kong (1933), Alf (1986)and the rabbit from Donnie Darko (2001)) is so well created for the time, the film is full of mysticism, the occult and the first haunted piece of paper.. I think this heavily influenced Yogen/Premonition (2004).

Last nights movies 25 .06 .13

It was a pretty busy night.. but not a lot of movie watching.. but what I did watch was very good. Quality not Quantity!!

• The Devils (1971) followed by..
• Viy (1967)

Then I finished the night by watching the end of Snowtown Murders .. which is still actually quite scary and strangely hypnotic.

Anyway it was a great night, two VERY good movies, the first was The Devils (1971) which I had seen before in my teens and attempted to watch the night before but failed totally.. never mind I always get there in the end. Oliver Reed at his best and the wonderfully demented Vanessa Redgrave, beautiful and crazy in love.

Vanessa Redgrave..

Followed by Viy (1971) which was amazing!!! I really loved this movie, I learnt about the Viy story after a friend of a friend did a Viy styled photo-shoot. But it was a very imaginative adaptation of the Nikolai Gogol book. It is a bit dated now, the effects are still quite stunning and in the vein of something you’d exptect from the early 70’s. The style reminded me a little bit of The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967).

gothic style witch from Viy

LAST NIGHT’S MOVIES 24 JUNE 2013

• DEVILS DOUBLE
• HATCHET III
• THE DEVILS – part of

DEVILS DOUBLE – finally got to the end of this flick, it tells an unusual story in a well crafted way. Despite seeing the ending a mile away it’s still interesting to watch. The short schizophrenic outburst of violence are actually quite shocking and graphic, but overall it’s quite a heart warming movie of right and crazy wrong.

HATCHET III – The final movie?? I hope so, I wouldn’t want to see this buildinto something like SAW, there is only so many series we need in the horror genre and I think Victor has lived a good life or is that death?! I dunno.. Either way it was an okay ending to the saga bit less boobs that I had expected. The first movie had it all, humour, horror, scares, jumps, gore, comedy etc etc.. then it slowly dwindled into lo fi horror and lost it’s spark. I liked the fact that it carried on with the old school horror movie ideals in a modern way without trying to be new and it worked so very well!

THE DEVILS – part of

I have seen this before but it was a long time ago, but sadly after my weights session I did drop off .. I feel so bad because I love Oliver Reed, but I shall continue tonight.

Last night’s movies 18-06-13

I really wasn’t taking much in last night, I’m not sure if it was the stormy humid weather or not but nothing was really sinking in.

So I tried watching Let Li’s Shaolin Temple (1982) it was okay but nothing like my favourite movie with the same name Shaolin Temple (1979) much better movie, still this one had it’s charms. The shepherdess was actually quite kick ass!

After dinner came Snowtown Murders (2011) A graphic and raw look at the 8 murders that occulted in a small Adelaide town. Reminiscent of lo fi British films like Dead Man’s Shoes (2004) or even some aspects of Gummo (1997) the movie often comes across as a documentary which enhances the brutal and horrific killings.