reviewId int64 363k 588k | userId int64 33.9k 15.9M | itemId int64 1 1.42M | rating float64 1 10 | title stringlengths 1 10.9k ⌀ | content stringlengths 81 11.6k ⌀ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
436,246 | 9,938,570 | 55,819 | 7 | Cabinet of Caligari | Driving through a tunnel into the great unknown of " freedom " , with her shoes off no less , Jane ( Glynis Johns ) faces quite a predicament with her car's tire blows out . After a mile or so trek down the lonesome , uninhabited road leading to the gate of a mansion , Jane believes she's found help when the resident's owner , Caligari ( Dan O'Herlihy ) offers to send someone to fix her vehicle . Told the vehicle has more than just tire damage , Jane's offered refuge , but finds herself trapped within the ( electric ) gates of the estate with Caligari not allowing her access out . The rest of the film shows Jane's attempts at getting out of the clutches of Caligari and finding others within the estate seemingly trapped as her . But , as Caligari would later inform her . . nothing is what it seems . Thanks to the success of " Psycho " which perhaps opened a door to explore more psycho-sexual subject matter , that film's writer , Robert Bloch , had an opportunity to explore similar terrain . Caligari , a sinister figure who seems to remain in his little office , unscrupulously forward with questions of Jane's sexual history , desiring to know everything about her . He makes it known that he will not touch Jane , and seems like a perverted sadist who gets his jollies listening to female captives baring their record , naked to him . Characters present on Caligari's estate , Christine ( Constance Ford ) , his dutiful servant who seems eager to carry out any wish , no matter how cruel it might seem , Paul , a mannered gent with a quiet calm whose role seems uncertain , often consoling a tormented Jane wishing to leave . Mark ( Richard Davalos ) , a handsome fellow Jane befriends at a gathering of folks at Caligari's dinner table . . Mark is transfixed with her , but only can see her at night , for some reason , so wishing to part with her from the estate . Frank ( Lawrence Dobkin ) who offers Jane a chance to possibly break free , who seems to be in charge of holding others inside , only allowing certain people out ( . . like a nosy cook / maid ) . Ruth ( Estelle Winwood ) seems to be in the same predicament as Jane , a prisoner only allowed access out to the town every once in a while . When Ruth promises Jane a chance to leave , it seems she is beaten to death by Frank with Caligari standing present with Christine . But , overall , it's a film about Jane and her attempts to leave the estate which holds her captive . Watching as she slowly deteriorates emotionally , Glynis Johns provides us with a sympathetic character who seems robbed of her freedom , forced into remaining in this place with eyes around every corner encountered by friendlies who wish to chat and converse . I will say that the ambiguous nature of the behavior of the characters present in Jane's orbit and their dialogue which often hides certain things from her , talking in riddles , comes together when the film reaches it's climax . Bloch , I felt ( . . perhaps , I'm one of a few ) , crafts a nifty little psychological tale where you are kept guessing , like Jane , as to what are the true motivations of everyone around Jane , and why is she being held against her will . I found the lurid dialogue , for a film made in ' 62 , rather startling because the confrontations between captor and prisoner often probe areas of a sexual nature . Johns has a magnificent scene where she attempts to seduce Caligari , desperate at this point , believing he might be impotent , hoping to fracture his psyche a bit . . . by cracking his foundation , she would've at least given him a taste of his own medicine . The film is as Caligari tells Jane . . nothing is as it seems . Keep that in mind . Director Kay and writer Bloch really keep you at bay , with Jane encountering some strange situations that are often head-scratching . . that is , until you find out the " real truth " of what ails Jane . Perhaps a sleeper if one can shake off the comparisons to the German silent masterpiece of the same name . . just approach this as a different film , and you might enjoy it more . |
436,233 | 9,938,570 | 643,108 | 7 | Jenifer | Dario Argento's " Jenifer " is almost like a Lovecraftian porn . It's so outrageous and disgusting . . it's one heck of a wild ride , that's for sure . The mini-film is about a cop ( Steven Weber ) who stops a crazed man from taking a hatchet to this bound young woman . This woman ( played under revolting make-up by the beautiful Carrie Fleming ) has an awesome figure , but hideous face . Her name is Jenifer , and the cop just wishes to provide her a place to stay the night before finding her a permanent residence elsewhere ( . . she was placed in an asylum with no other refuge available ) . Something occurs to the cop ( . . his hand was scratched by Jenifer as he was untying her ) along the way . . he becomes lustfully attracted to her despite the grotesque face looking directly at him . Funny thing is though , covered under her hair , the gorgeous body is all he sees . ! While searching for Jenifer a home , the cop and the deformed fiend have passionate sex in the front seat of the car . Despite trying to separate from Jenifer , he can't resist her as she rips her shirt open revealing her sumptuous breasts . This allure creates a problem for the cop as his wife and son leave because Jenifer eats the guts of the family cat ( . . not to mention Jenifer bites the missus on the mouth ! ) ! Things only get even worse when the cop finds that Jenifer has been feeding on the guts of the young girl next door . Horrified at the sight of Jenifer's ferocious and unhinged appetite , the cop seeks out to get rid of her . Argento pulls no punches and this is probably one of the few episodes in the " Masters of Horror " series to really pour on the gore . The film's really unusual erotic undercurrent , not to mention Jenifer's seemingly unabashed will to kill anything to satisfy her hunger makes this certain episode stand out from the pack . |
436,705 | 9,938,570 | 90,859 | 7 | This is where the law stops . . and I start | Marion Cobretti ( Sly Stallone playing the hero with a raspy , low-toned voice making him evoke quiet anger ) is an officer of the elite Zombie squad ( although , we never see an official group of members who also participate on this squad ) . . those who handle the cases no one else wants to touch . He's called to protect a model named Ingrid ( Brigitte Nielsen ) from violent sicko thugs whose ideal is a perfect world without the weak . . weak being mostly women . Their symbol is a skull with axes over head . The gang like to hang out in some sort of darkened factory banging their axes together in adulation of their group's belief in killing who they deem the inferior . The members of this violent cult are merely in the film to service the plot with remorseless , mindless monsters for Cobra to destroy . Lots of dying in this one with many men getting shot . It's all inspired by the Dirty Harry formula where the justice system is failing , letting monsters re-enter society causing a risk to the innocents . Cobra is the representative against letting those vermin get away with their dastardly crime . When a dangerous situation spirals out of control , just call Cobra . . he will save the day . Andrew Robinson has the role of Detective Monte . . we are supposed to look at him as the bad guy because he wishes to give those who commit crime a fair shake even if they just murdered five women in cold blood . Andy must endure this role because he looks like a clown for wanting to follow the rules . Cobra is Stallone's invention that can not miss his target while a massive group of bad guys fire endlessly not even coming close to hitting him . Sure , his partner Gonzales ( Reni Santoni ) gets shot at the end . . but not Cobra . I won't lie the film is pure macho nihilism . . it's ugly and cruel . It's not politically correct , not very bright , and , at times , is unrealistic and ridiculous . And , you know what . . it's perfect 80's action junk that wets the appetite of those who crave the hamburger instead of the salad . COBRA is not good for you and it has one very corny rock soundtrack to match it's grade-A quality cheese . If you want to sit back and waste 90 minutes on lots of people getting bullets in their bodies as they fly off their motorcycles . . this is the finest example . Stallone wrote it and makes himself a bad ass with his shades , short hair cut , match-stick from his lip , and the cool car with nitro that makes it go 120 miles-per-hour . Brian Thompson does a lot of spitting and grimacing as the slasher of innocent women ( his face reminds me of a shark about to strike those who swim just a bit too far ) . |
436,815 | 9,938,570 | 90,848 | 7 | Clan of the Cave Bear | Ayla , a Cro-Magnon ( Daryl Hannah ) tries her damnedest to become a part of the Neanderthal " Clan of the Cave Bear " tribe , but is met with constant resistance because many are secretly afraid of her . The film clearly dictates that Ayla is superior in many ways to the Neanderthals for she can indeed depend on her own abilities while the women of the tribe often are subservient in every way . She tries to adapt , but her greatest foe is Broud ( Thomas G . Waites ) , a warrior of the clan who may be groomed as leader one day . Broud seems threatened by Ayla and uses his clout in the clan ( mainly his being male ) to often force her into unfortunately uncomfortable situations . Ayla , though , is gutsy and determined . She isn't dumb and is able to learn how to use hunter's tools even though if she is indeed caught even touching them it means certain death . We see that the Neanderthal tribe live by their belief in spirits in every conceivable way . The spirits determine their course of action in many arenas of life including specific choices they desire for the group . Creb ( James Remar ) is a scar-faced " Mag-or " who becomes quite fond of Ayla and Iza ( Pamela Reed ) becomes her surrogate mother . Ayla lost her mother to a hideous earthquake and was scratched on the leg by a lion while hiding in a small crack in stone . Ayla , if left to her own devices , probably would've perished if Iza hadn't pitied her . The film's theme is quite adjacent to the thinking of today . A woman can change the ways men often believe should stay as they are . Ayla plays such an archetypal role as Ayla . What she does over the course of the film is challenge an inferior way of life and in the end comes off as being very right . In the opening paragraph ( . . and throughout Salome Jens ' narration ) we understand that Ayla's memory would remain long past the declining Neanderthals that would soon vanish . If you can not change then you're sure to vanish away with the dust in the wind . . I guess that is how I perceive John Sayles's script from the novel being in a round-about way . Sayles seems , to me , to be using the Clan as a metaphor for us in modern society . The mores and ways of the tribe are challenged and considered fodder for certain extinction because they could not change and grow . Ayla was the way of doing just that and in ways her upending of Broud proves that the Clan could've improved if they had followed her path . The film can probably be seen two different ways . Those who approach it seriously understanding that Sayles and Chapman wanted to create something unique and interesting or as a laughable exercise . It is not at all a critics ' darling . . anything but . I have to say though that I enjoyed it and found it interesting to watch . I liked the approach at having the clan speak this native talk with us following along in subtitles . . and yet this could be found laughable if the person can not accept it . I think the film is flawed in how the clan is portrayed . I myself do not believe this could happen . I certainly can not envision a young woman getting away with what Ayla does , but I didn't mind it because I felt I could see Sayles ' reason for doing so ( . . that is if he was using the Clan as a metaphor for our more intelligent modern society and how we and many other countries still have our resistance against change ) . Many complain about Hannah being in this film , but I liked her myself . It's also wonderfully shot by cinematographer Jan de Bont . I think the movie's acceptance will come down to each individual viewer . What one is willing to accept in regards to how the film portrays this people and their confrontations with Ayla . |
436,265 | 9,938,570 | 467,506 | 7 | The Heirloom | James ( Jason Chang ) an architect , inherits a massive mansion with a disturbing family history . His stage-star fiancé Yo ( the stunning beauty Terri Kwan ) was planning to go abroad but decides to remain and live with James . Soon their friends , who visit them in the creepy abode , fall prey to supernatural terror . . they fall unconscious only to awaken inside James ' home unannounced and bewildered . Soon , Yo discovers , when meeting James ' Aunt in an asylum ( . . and through newspaper clippings from her reporter friend experiencing the strange phenomena ) , that James ' family committed a massive suicide and that they had performed an evil ritual concerning a child spirit and blood sacrifice for fortune and the elimination of enemies . Even worse is that James ' mother was locked away by the family for being afflicted with an illness . . as part of the family's curse for performing the ritual , their offspring , for the most part , were born diseased or ill . James was a healthy child sent away before the mass suicide occurred . When James ' friend . . and colleague . . is found murdered by what appeared to be a hanging from a rope ( . . we see that he is murdered by a rope not visible meaning some specter or ghost had committed the deed ) , the family curse rears it's ugly head once again . When a cynical detective , who scoffs at the mere mention of some ghostly involvement in James ' friend's murder , suffers the same fate , the idea that anyone who remains in the home for any major length of time could be in danger becomes quite prevalent . Who is causing the horrifying acts that are taking place ? Could it be James ' long-dead mother blazing a trail of murder ? Can James protect Yo from the same grim fate others are suffering ? While I shrugged my shoulders at the reasons behind the horror taking place to the cast of this flick , I certainly believe this director , Leste Chen , is a major talent . I thought his exceptional handling of such mediocre material is proof that he is one to watch in the future . Being so young is even more impressive because I found the film visually intoxicating while not being so blown away by the plot or characters within it . Director Leste does what he can , though , milking as much terror as he can from the script presented to him . It's to his credit that this film is loaded with creepy atmosphere ( the stunning sequence in the opening with all this hanging bodies while a woman crawls in agony sure opens the eyes wide ) and has a eerie mood that remains from start to finish . This is simply a proved case of style over substance where a talented director rises above the material he's stuck with . One aspect that majorly plagues this movie ( as it does " Amityville Horror " ) is why this couple remains in the house when it's quite clear something's amiss . . a certain evil they should get as far away from as possible . |
435,889 | 9,938,570 | 68,833 | 7 | Last House on the Left | Two teenage gals , newly friends , are on their way to a rock concert when they desire to score some reefer and wind up in the throes of terror when the supplier , Junior ( Marc Sheffler ) is actually the junkie son of an recently escaped psycho from prison , Krug ( David Hess ) who are holing up in a shoddy apartment with another sicko Weasel ( Fred J Lincoln ) and their nutso girlfriend Sadie ( Jeramie Rain ) . After having their way with Phyllis ( Lucy Grantham ) , the street gal , as her virginal friend Mari ( Sandra Cassel ) looks on in horror , the psychopathic four toss them in their car trunk the next day , hitting the road for Canada when the vehicle runs out of gas . The kicker is that the car runs out of gas just nearby Mari's home , yet neither girl can cry out . Into the wilderness the girls are forced into committing humiliating acts or else suffer the consequences . Yet , even after being run through the ringer ( . . Phyllis forced by Krug to pee in her pants , the two having to commit lesbian acts , both girls stripping , etc ) , their lives are still jeopardy as Phyllis attempts to escape as Mari , having been cut by Weasel earlier , suffers mental anguish hoping to coerce Junior into letting her go as the others run after the other . When the escapes fail , the four will finish them off and clean up , finding themselves at the home of Mari's parents . When Mari's father and mother ( Richard Towers & Cynthia Carr ) find that these cretins , who they have allowed rooms to sleep for the night , have murdered their baby girl , revenge is on the menu . Getting past the brouhaha of how unpleasant and disturbing it is , I'll skip to the moments that effected me . The way Weasel moves his knife up and down his nose just itching to stick it in someone . How quietly intense and homicidal Hess is as Krug . . bulking and tough , his menacing features are even more fearsome because of his brooding nature . Jearmie Rain , out of the four killers , is the most over-the-top and demented , loudly applauding her men's cruel and violent behavior , relishing their graphic acts on these two girls . Marc Sheffler's ugly features work well with such a pathetic character , who never had a chance in life considering who his father is . He's as much a victim as Mari and Phyllis . I actually thought Lincoln , as the no-nonsense killer Weasel ( . . always seen with his knife as if it were an extension of his pecker , taking good care of it ) , is about as good as Krug . He just doesn't care about anything , except the knife and getting to use it and having no sense of morality or conscience makes him almost as much a monster as Krug . I think Craven achieves what he sets out for with these sick bastards . . if you are caught alone with these people , vulnerable , you have little chance of surviving because they have no boundaries holding them , no reason or guilt . I can see the film's influence on modern horror particularly in the photography as the camera often shoots characters from odd angles , sometimes capturing one or more actors on screen close-up or just a few feet away . The wilderness murders I found especially effective , although a lot of the violence is hinted instead of fully elaborated on . I think the film's in-your-face camera directing into the faces of the psychos works quite well as they inflict harm to the girls , with their faces showing the trauma occurring to them both physically and emotionally . When someone tosses the word " raw " out there , I think it's quite appropriate for Craven's film here . There's no cinematic polish in store for a viewer watching this for the first time . I think the film is simple in story , with the shocking violence doing the most work in leaving the lasting impression . Almost like a true crime story of what a group of serial killers do to victims in the wrong place at the wrong time with fate dealing them a bad hand , LHotL works from a very terrifying level , and I felt Craven's camera-work and editing of the wilderness murders displays just that . It felt like someone , hanging around with the brood , was filming their deranged activities . The revenge angle , I think Craven has mentioned this before , displays the theme that almost anyone , if pushed over the edge by some sort of horrifying ordeal , could kill . What could release you from a moral obligation to not harm human life . . the murder of your only child perhaps ? While perhaps this doesn't leave the same impression as the murders of the girls before , there's still something powerful about what parents will do after the loss of their loved one . |
436,444 | 9,938,570 | 114,367 | 7 | Screamers | On a planet named Sirius 6b , a civil war between two factions has broken out over a mineral energy source called Berynium which was once a unified state . Earth supplies the planet with soldiers of the Alliance to battle those who dub themselves the NEBs . The Alliance were in trouble of losing to the NEBs until the creation of robotic creatures underground were created called Screamers ( the screech loudly as they prepare to kill ) . The Screamers are self-evolving to the point were they can actually duplicate humans and use the human-shell to trick Earthlings . Through a downed aircraft carrying a nuclear device carrying one remaining soldier left alive , Jefferson ( Andrew Lauer ) explains that the Alliance were bound for another planet housing a mineral source to do battle with another group of NEBs . Through a message that was sent to leader of the Alliance Joe Hendricksson ( Peter Weller ) , they discover that they were told of unified peace between them and the NEBs which turns out to be a lie when Jefferson informs them that the one that delivered that very message has been dead for over two years . Joe , knowing that the Alliance had left them on the planet forever , sets out to make contact with any remaining NEBs that might still be alive , carrying gung-ho gunner Jefferson with him . The Screamers do not attack the Alliance members for they have these arm bands which throw off their signal . Good old-fashioned old-school sci-fi actioner B-flick directed with visionary flair by Christian Duguay is actually exciting and imaginative . It's also tense with these Screamers quite elaborately detailed . Good special effects and a tough-talking band of soldiers brings this noir mentality to the film . Weller's hero is a direct representation of that very noir mentality as he doesn't dawdle with small talk . . he's a man of few words , wiser than anyone else . I could give or take the ending , though , as The Screamers have evolved quite impressively into humans to the point where they express emotion and bleed blood . |
435,917 | 9,938,570 | 368,909 | 8 | Ong-Bak : Thai Warrior | I've seen the future of martial arts and it is Tony Jaa . He stars as Ting , a young man studying to be a monk for his village of Nong Pradu when a young thug named Don ( Wannakit Sirioput ) steals the head of their deity , Ong-Bak , hoping it will cash in with his crooked boss back in Bangkok . There , he'll encounter gangs trying to catch George ( Petchtai Wongkamlao ) , Ting's only source of finding Don . George was once a citizen of Nong Pradu who has formed a partnership with a young woman named Muay ( Pumwaree Yodkamol ) as they scam others out of cash through methods of gambling . Ting is unfortunately caught in the middle of underground fights searching for Don and this will complicate matters even more . Soon , Ting will cost the mob boss Don works for millions when he stumbles on an illegal movement of stolen Buddhist statues hidden underwater near docks . The mob boss will hold onto the Ong-Bak head ready for revenge thanks to losing millions because of Ting's discovery and the items being confiscated by police . If Ting wants the head he'll have to go through not only the mob boss ' army of footmen , but his henchman who shoots himself up with tranquilizers to feel no pain ( because of his cheating , the henchman defeats Ting in a " ropes " fight contest ) . Incredible , awe-inspiring stunts and skills by Tony Jaa make this one hell of an experience . Exhilarating flights through the air with such grace as his body twists into all types of movements . Jaa can fit through tiny spaces and even kick people in various states during flight . There are sequences where he leaps over cars , takes shots from thrown debris , moves through people like a bolt of lightning . Particularly potent are his bouts in the dirty little bar where certain men will try various ways to defeat him . . pretty much failing . The ongoing street sequence where goons are chasing after George with Ting stuck in the same predicament watch how the men evade capture . The sequence as they chase after Don in these little golf-cart like taxis as Ting moves from one to the other nearly getting killed several times as crashes ensue . It takes a little while before the action kicks in , but when it does , you'll be exhausted at watching Jaa do his amazing work . |
436,507 | 9,938,570 | 88,000 | 8 | Revenge of the Nerds | Watching NERDS again just proved that despite it's lovingly exploitive attitude , the jokes ( albeit perhaps dated after 20 years ) reflecting the on-going nerd culture as computers were becoming the key for the success of very intelligent people who dress and act a bit different are what make it so appealing . I think it's a time-capsule teen comedy when the formula worked and well . The film is based in stereotyping , but that is another one of it's appealing traits . It's easy for us who never really felt we belonged in the popular set to side with the victimized nerds for they represent the lonely-hearts who bask in the giant hurdled insult . The film , despite hurling those insults , engagingly loves these nerds and I think that's another key to the film's success . We can understand that without the wonderful performances from the cast portraying the nerds that this film just couldn't fly . The film is also so immersed in 80's pop culture that it is an amusing memory to dredge back up . The film shows the jocks as cretins pretty much abusive in every way . They step over the nerds because they deem themselves superior because of what they have externally than internally . We can see that they have to depend on what they have on the outside ( brawn and good-looks ) because the nerds completely overwhelm them on the inside . Carradine as Louis and Edwards as Gilbert are definitely the spark plug for the film and are so wonderful and likable , the material looks better . Then you have the gross-out jokes that worked well for Belushi in " Animal House " in this film represented by Curtis Armstrong's Booger who burps loudest and picks his nose the deepest . And , he can hurl one mean hilarious insult . His quips are the most funniest . Then you have Timothy Busfield as the elder Poindexter who seems to be the most clumsiest nerd of the bunch who sure has a hard time with the robotic maid . You have Larry Scott as the homosexual Lamar where the humorous gay jokes fly . Ted McGinley is the prick leader of the Alpha Beta jocks and Donald Gibb is The Ogre ( who probably would be considered a nerd if he wasn't so massive ) . Then there's the oh-so yummy Betty Childs who is McGinley's girl but falls in love with Louis after she discovers how good nerds actually are at sex . There's this non-PC attitude that reigns supreme as full frontal nudity is in heavy doses and many of the jokes would indeed be considered offensive . But , it comes down to seeing the nerds out-shine and out-last those jocks that leaves us particularly satisfied . |
435,826 | 9,938,570 | 73,820 | 8 | Trilogy of Terror | Director Dan Curtis , along with writers Nolan and Matheson , craft three tales all starring Karen Black as the leading female character of each one . The first tale concerns a polite , well mannered , soft-spoken , nerdy seemingly naive ( . . and too trusting ) school teacher who is blackmailed by a student who drugged her , sexually taking advantage of her while unconscious after slipping something in her soda at a drive-in movie . A photographer , Chad ( Robert Burton ) believes he can just do whatever he wishes with Julie ( Black ) if she wishes to continue teaching , but he doesn't really know who's truly in charge . . The second tale is quite a doozy , a real chance for Black to shine as she portrays dual ( . . emphasis on dual ) characters , supposed sisters . . the repressed , ugly spinster Millicent who wishes to end her sister , the seductive floozy blonde Therese's evil ways . Therese , according to Millicent , is a follower of Satan who practices witchcraft , and attempts to warn her boyfriend Thomas ( John Karlen , of Dark Shadows & " Daughters of Darkness " ) before " it's too late " , revealing her possibly murdering their mother and having an incestuous affair with their father . But , there's a mystery about these sisters which only their doctor , Chester Ramsey ( George Gaynes ) truly knows about . The third , and most popular which has earned this televised film it's cult status , concerns this innocent woman , Amelia , whose putty in her overbearing mother's hands , alone in her apartment with a Zuni fetish doll , whose gold chain ( around the doll's waist to keep the African hunter's spirit from attacking ) falls off releasing it to terrorize her . This claustrophobic entry has Amelia running around her apartment , trying desperately to escape harm's way , slowly finding less places to hide while it stalks her with a kitchen knife . The climax to this one , when Amelia attempts to cook it in a stove , and how Black performs it , is a hoot . The grand stage for Karen Black ( . . and , boy , does she show her stuff ) where she's able to showcase a wide range of characters , each different than the next . While , I felt the third one is the most terrifying , delivering the most thrills , I think the other two tales provide Black with an opportunity ( . . if she hadn't done so already ) to show her audience just what kind of versatility she had . There's also a phone conversation ( . . the actress claims she re-wrote herself with Curtis ' permission ) in the third tale between Amelia and her mother that really develops the character well . . we see how Amelia is manipulated by her irksome mother , only through Black's voice and response . But , my favorite performance ( s ) of Black was in the second tale where we see two completely different characters , with a major discovery that links them . The first story , and my least favorite , is more of a case of " nothing is what it seems " where one character , who seems the tragic victim of deception , is actually the predator not prey . If you are a fan of Ms . Black , then this " science fiction " anthology ( . . Curtis , Black & Matheson all hate the descriptive term " horror " when used for " Trilogy of Terror " ) is a must-see . |
435,964 | 9,938,570 | 70,423 | 8 | The Freakmaker | A university professor by day , mad scientist by night , Dr . Nolter ( Donald Pleasence exuding a quiet mania , portraying his character as someone completely convinced that his work is for the betterment of mankind despite how diabolical his methods are ) , respected by his peers , creates hybrid plant-humans in a goal to form a new evolution of mankind , using his own students brought to him by a carnival owner , Lynch ( Tom Baker , under effective hideous facial make-up ) plagued with the glandular Elephant Man disease . Lynch believes reluctantly that Nolter will cure him of his problem , for which he continues delivering specimens , but as friends of bio-chemistry wunderkind Brian Redford ( Brad Harris ) and Hedi ( Julie Ege ) come up missing , it's only a matter of time before the professor's ghoulish experiments and Lynch's kidnapping will be discovered . Lynch has another problem of his own making . . he treats his carnival employees ( . . freaks , to the " normal " audience who cheer , sneer & fear them during shows ) cruelly , displaying an ugliness just as much inside as outside . Lynch's crew have tolerated his insults and nasty treatment for a long time , and this film shows how his behavior towards them will result in a violent revolt echoing Tod Browning's masterpiece " Freaks . " And , as typical of " mad scientist " movies , the creation will get revenge on it's creator . . Nolter creates a plant-man who ingests humans for consumption from a belligerent student of his who always replied in classes against his theories . Macabre premise delivers some shocking moments including Nolter's creations and how one of them eats a street bum . Nolter's fate is especially grotesque . Baker is far removed from his charismatic , charming Doctor Who in portraying quite a tormented monster of a man who will do anything to remove the diseased face that keeps him removed from the society he yearns for . I found the seedy elements startling . . such as Lynch's finding a prostitute willing to yield to his desires for a certain fee , the numerous displays of female nudity , and how female specimens have their clothes removed while unconscious on Nolter's laboratory slab before being experimented on . But , despite all the rather unpleasant mutations we are witnesses to , the opening of the plant cycle , set to rather unnerving music , actually was as effective ( . . if not more ) to me than what comes after . And , director Cardiff has a lengthly showcase for the " freaks " of the carnival , with the viewer as " grossed out " or transfixed by each representative allowed to display their abnormality , as the audience in attendance . The script can be quite literate , whose " science-speak " might bore many viewers . If you're wondering whether or not Pleasence is hammy , he's indeed quite low-key , playing the doctor with a calm confidence . |
435,818 | 9,938,570 | 68,284 | 8 | Blacula | Count Dracula bites a Nigerian prince , Mamuwalde ( William Marshall ) just for the sheer pleasure of it , entombing him in a secret chamber along with his wife Luva ( Vonetta McGee ) in his Transylvanian castle . Centuries later , two homosexual interior decorators ( haha ) purchase the castle and it's contents , shipping the casket containing the body of Mamuwalde ( . . along with other relics from the castle ) to a warehouse in New York City . His casket unlocked , Mamuwalde bites them awakening in a brand new era , the groovy & hip 70's , finding a woman who carries the exact likeness to his beloved Luva , Tina . But , Tina's sister , Michelle ( Denise Nicholas ) is married to a forensics pathologist , Gordon ( Thalmus Rasulata ) who pursues the mysterious deaths of bitten victims of Mamuwalde finding out that indeed , as unbelievable as it seems , a vampire is on the loose in New York City . Gordon will have to convince Lt . Jack Peters ( Gordon Pinsent ) of New Yor City police that an epidemic of vampirism will soon spread if they do not find the vampire biting necks . A domino effect , following the path of victims left by Mamuwalde , will inevitably lead to a showdown between the police and the vampire in a chemical warehouse . Even more urgent will be stopping Mamuwalde from taking Tina , who has fallen in love with the vampire , as his undead bride . Well , to me , Marshall is the African-American equivalent of Christopher Lee . He's a formidable presence , with a deep voice , handsome , charismatic , and ferocious when biting the necks of those who threaten to either expose him or his union with Tina . Sure , the film's make-up for Marshall and the vampire brood plagued from his bite is rather theatrical , but I didn't mind that . Obviously , the African-American " blaxploitation " take on Dracula , centered around the black culture of New York City , is definitely a draw , giving the vampire genre a refreshing flavor . The dialogue , dress , & music all reflect the African-American culture , which I feel give it a unique boost for fans of vampire films craving something different than the norm . Mamuwalde , unlike Dracula who put the vampire curse on him , is a sympathetic figure , who has an uncontrollable evil coursing through his veins . That lends a tragic element to the film as he pursues a union with Tina , but as a threat to society , this will obviously go unrequited as Gordon understands what it takes to kill his kind . It's only a matter of time before the police finally figure out his hiding place . Great showdown in a warehouse where a group of vampires threatens the life of Gordon and Lt . Jack , where our heroes use fire to destroy them . The chemical plant climax is rather nifty as well . Marshall really cuts a great form as the vampire . Great attack on Elisha Cook , Jr ( . . playing a grumpy coroner ) who doesn't listen to Gordon , leaving the cooler unlocked with an undead cabbie-turned-vampire charging at him in slow motion . Another cool attack on a photographer in her studio as Mamuwalde takes her life because of a picture taken that would threaten to expose him . The animated bat , representing Mamuwalde , is superb and far more life-like than the usual rubbery one . Cool face-melting-into-a-skull scene which closes the film . |
435,821 | 9,938,570 | 59,297 | 8 | I Saw What You Did | The universe of William Castle . . a Rockwellian innocence threatened by evil . That's the case in " I Saw What You Did " about three girls who prank call folks , chosen at random from a phone book , unfortunately hand-picking a middle-aged psychopath who likes to stick a knife in women's bellies . Libby ( Andi Garrett ) , her little sister Tess ( Sharyl Locke ) and school chum Kit ( Sara Lane ) spend the evening , while their parents are at a small gathering for the night , prank calling various people , when they select the wrong man , Steve Marak ( John Ireland ) claiming they saw what he did and knew who he was , shortly after he murdered his wife , burying her not too far from his home . Libby , quite a googly-eyed little cutie , really liked Steve's voice , and wishes to see what he looks like which puts her and little Tess in peril . Steve has a neighbor , Amy Nelson ( . . the one and only Ms Joan Crawford , in a limited role despite top billing ) who is obsessively in love with him . She finds out that Steve murdered his wife , and listens in on a phone conversation with Libby who is claiming to be a woman named Suzette . Furious with jealousy , Amy finds Libby prowling Steve's house , and removes her parent's registration card with their address on it from the car . This card will provide Steve with their whereabouts as a frightened Libby , with Kit and Tess in tow , drives away at the angry demands of Amy . Threatening blackmail if he doesn't marry her , Steve " rids " himself of Amy before taking to the road so he can find Suzette , planning to silence the one he believes might know of his bad conduct . While touching on the repercussions of prank phone-calling to kids , Castle has the perfect set-up for a confrontation between a sadistic killer , with an explosive trigger , and innocent children , alone in their house with parents far from home . It's a parent's worst nightmare and Castle preys on his audience with this fear by having worried mother Ellie ( Patricia Breslin ) constantly calling home and always either getting a busy signal or no answer at all . A master manipulator , Castle even has the police stop by the Mannering home before the killer arrives to find them safe . And , a masterstroke by Castle has the first meeting between Steve and his callers in the Mannering home going well with him even returning their registration card , before a call from Kit ( . . regarding the news she heard on the radio about Steve's wife's body being found and his exact description detailed ) sets in motion the final act as killer pursues those who threaten to expose his guilt . The casting of Ireland is also brilliant because he doesn't look like a psycho at all . . in fact he looks like a dad who might have a family , house , and white picket fence . A " Psycho " inspired shower murder where Steve stabs his wife viciously before putting her through the glass door really shows the viewer just what lurks inside this average joe , who doesn't look like he could harm a fly . Crawford plays Amy as a prying , overbearing busybody who walks right into a damning situation , deeply in love with a true menace . I think this will always be looked at as a minor effort in Castle's resume , but I think once he gets to the first startling murder , the film really kicks in gear building to the " there's a killer on the premises " climax where danger awaits the Mannering kids who must somehow evade grave danger . I realize a film like this is very much a product of it's time and will appear hokey and silly to a large majority of horror fans , but I think if one can look at Castle's abilities at applying nasty individuals within such a happy-go-lucky veneer , you might learn to appreciate his cunning . |
436,810 | 9,938,570 | 384,537 | 8 | Silent Hill | Sharon ( Jodelle Ferland ) is the adopted child of Christopher and Rose Da Silva ( Sean Bean & Radha Mitchell ) . Sharon sleepwalks , and during her " away period " speaks of a town called Silent Hill . Rose , against her husband's wishes , decides to find Silent Hill and possibly awaken memories Sharon might have of the place . As Rose is driving to the town she spots a girl in the middle of the rode and crashes . When she awakens , Sharon is gone . She sets out to find her but instead finds a sleepy ghost town with no one in sight . Where is Sharon and what is this place ? As she searches , Rose uncovers some disturbing creatures at the heart of the town . . and this strange woman , Dahlia ( Deborah Kara Unger ) who tells her about the darkness . . perhaps this is a description of what Rose saw before meeting this woman . Christopher , very worried about his wife and daughter , goes to find them and instead drives to a cavalcade of police cars . Officer Thomas Gucci ( Kim Coats ) takes him into Silent Hill and it looks nothing like the town Rose is inhabiting . Why is this ? There's this cop , Cybil Bennett ( Laurie Holden ) , who had seen Rose and Sharon at a gas stop and decides to pull them over to further check them out when Rose decides to make a run for the town instead of the cop ruining her plans for entering Silent Hill . Cybil , after Rose had visited Silent Hill , hand-cuffs her for supposedly harming her missing child . Cybil had a wreck on her motor cycle and as she goes to take Rose back to the town of Brahams nearby , the bridge leading there is gone and there's this massive gap of nothingness . Cybil and Rose are trapped in this place . . Silent Hill is a paradox opposite reality . Obviously the key to the paradox is how it was created and who was the creator . Perhaps the answer comes in this young girl deemed a witch by the name of Alessa ( who looks identical to Sharon . . coincidence ? ) who was badly harmed by fanatical types . . wolves in sheep's ' skin . Who can Rose trust ? This might determine how she will find Sharon . Rose and Cybil both are nearly killed by the darkness which seems to have all sorts of malformed demons who carry insects at their feet . Anyone who goes near them are viciously killed . Through Thomas , Christopher learns subtle truths about what happened at Silent Hill . . the fires that torched a town taking many " innocents " with quite a few vanishing . Thomas informs Chris that his father owned a barber shop in Silent Hill and was killed . He also lets Chris know fanatics hurt a little girl . He won't divulge everything and Chris tries hard to gain knowledge about what caused the fire and who caused it . And , his search is also for how all of this relates to his little girl . While his search may yield limited results , it's Rose who is facing it head-on in the " other " Silent Hill . She'll uncover a treasure trove of demented truths about a certain sect who hold up in a sanctuary which is a safe haven from the darkness . Strangely the darkness doesn't harm Dahlia . The sect seems to have a leader , Claudia ( Alice Krige . . who is creepy ) , who might or might not be a source of help to Rose . Cybil realizes Rose is legit and releases her from the hand-cuffs . Will Cybil and Rose find Sharon ? Is Claudia and her group trustworthy ? The sect seems to evoke strong religious beliefs . . is this a revelation of fanaticism ? Those who are not familiar with the video game may have a hard time sitting through this film . . the developing clues and characters that come into the picture might just be trying for the " unadorned . " This film , at it's core , is about one mother's quest to find her daughter in the heart of a dark world . She will understand the hate that created this world and meet it's creator . The why and how of Silent Hill and it's omnipresent evil are opened to Rose on her quest to find Sharon . As the actress who portrayed the eerie Dahlia , Deborah Kara Unger , describes this film . . " It's Alice in Wonderland meets Dante's Inferno . " That's about as accurate description as one could ask for . I think the casting is great particularly Mitchell as the weary mother desperately searching for her child and always in danger against a foe she does not understand . Holden is good , as well , as the officer trying to help her in that quest . Krige is very good as a woman who may or may not be the reason behind the creation of the paradoxical Silent Hill , and Unger is quite interesting as Dahlia , a woman that looks like a haggard street hobo with secrets buried deep claiming Sharon is her daughter . The camera-work has a stunning flow reaching around every corner and following the characters as they uncover disturbing things . The visual effects , especially in the gruesome climax , are state-of-the-art and effective . |
436,356 | 9,938,570 | 80,354 | 8 | Alligator | Scientific hormone testing to enlarge animals so that the world can reap the benefits of a wider food market , leads to the massive size of an alligator resting in the Chicago sewers ready to munch on anyone who dares venture into his lair . A pet store operator / veterinarian brings a major scientific company abandoned puppies for hormone testing with the remains of the dead animals dumped in the sewers . Chicago detective David Madison ( . . an engagingly likable Robert Forster , good as always ) , reeling from a partner's death when he was a cop in St . Louis , is the man who must stop the alligator before it threatens an entire city . His superiors , Chief Clark ( Michael V Gazzo , of " Fingers " fame ) and the mayor ( Jack Carter ) make it hard on Madison after his investigation leads to the hormone testing company whose chairman has major political ties and the power to wield the detective's way . He enlists the aide , and soon falls in love with , reptile expert Marisa Kendall ( Robin Riker ) whose expertise come in handy as he pursues the location of the alligator . Madison's task proves very difficult as the gator , despite it's massive size , is often able to elude police officers searching for it . Soon the alligator surfaces above ground roaming the streets of the city looking for fresh meat . One of the major effects of the hormones that increase the size of those experimented on is an insatiable appetite and the alligator is always on the prowl for fresh victims . When the gator continues to kill , Madison is removed from the case and a respected , egomaniacal " Great White Hunter " , Colonel Brock ( Henry Silva , who steals the film when he appears in one of his signature roles ) is called in to get the beast . But , can anyone stop the alligator ? It was a lot of fun re-visiting the wonderful creature feature from the early 80's . What doesn't this movie have ? Great cast full of very likable and established characters , a very witty script , alligator carnage ( . . you get the gory goods as the beast munches down on humans ) , and a brisk pace . The alligator feasts everywhere in this film . There's a scary scene where Madison loses a policeman to the gator when the manhole cover wouldn't budge . There's a great sequence where the gator explodes from a concrete onto a street as kids with wide-eyes playing run in fear as a policeman's car crashes with the officer inside getting his leg bitten off . There's one harrowing scene where the gator is resting in a neighborhood pool when a child falls in accidentally and is eaten ! Of course , those responsible for the gator's creation are attacked at a wedding reception where the hired help , and others , get chewed up and spit out ( . . not to mention , one getting smashed in his limo ) , and , equally memorable is Silva's fate in a street alley . Oh , and there's a great homage to Jaws where one man is trying to swim to a boat and gets both his legs ripped away by the gator . Silva has a marvelous scene where he finds gator poop . And , even a homage to " The Third Man " is thrown in for laughs . Suspenseful , smart , gory & funny . . ALLIGATOR delivers the goods on all levels . I give a lot of love to Blue Underground and Lionsgate for a high-quality DVD transfer and very good interview with screenplay writer John Sayles . Monster movie fans should not be disappointed with this one . |
436,831 | 9,938,570 | 88,024 | 8 | The Scarecrow reviews " Runaway " | In the future , robotics has become an important part of society fulfilling roles once operated by humans . Housekeeping robots , agricultural robots , etc . Well , robotics has become such an important aspect in life that a special crimes division is specially directed at " robot crimes " . . such as malfunctions amongst the most serious threat . Tom Selleck portrays Sgt Jack Ramsey , once a beat cop who decided to step away from that role when his problem with vertigo leads to a killer getting away and killing a family not long after . He began studying the field of robotics as he explains to his new female partner , Karen Thompson ( Cynthia Rhodes ) , and found that he above every one else in the understanding of such a field . Thompson gets an idea of the rather mundane part of the role when a agricultural robot goes berserk messing up a crop . But , she also sees the ugly side as Ramsey has to upend a robot which has killed members of David Johnson's ( Chris Mulkey ) family . This sequence is stellar and we see how good Ramsey is at disarming difficult situations . It also shows how those who try to get in without understanding Ramsey's methods ( a television cameraman who makes a bad decision to follow Ramsey ) will perish . Once Ramsey looks inside the robot , it is found that a smart chip was planted to force the robot to turn maniacal . That man is Dr . Charles Luther ( Gene Simmons who is very good as a sadistic , vile human being who pierces you with his bulging , obsessed eyes ) who wishes to sell his technology of creating killing robots , designed to be terrorist toys . He had maneuvered Johnson and another doctor ( who we see killed by a robotic spider ) to create these smart chips with the capability to force robots to coordinate and destroy selected targets . Luther has this unique gun he uses which fires a heat seeking missile . It is used to kill Johnson when Ramsey and Karen try to apprehend him . Luther's lover , Jackie ( Kirstie Alley ) is caught in a room with specific computer parts needed to put together the whole terror-sell operation . Jackie is caught , unfortunately , by a robot which has flipped it's lid . The robot isn't deadly and can only shoot electric bolts which knock you down or annoyingly shock you . After Ramsey is able to successfully ( though not without a few bolts which threw him for a loop ) stop the renegade robot , he finds lots of computer property in Jackie's possession . They are successfully able to get information on where Luther is ( in a meeting with some clientèle ) , but Ramsey isn't able to get him for he has that gun hidden in his coat and a " floater " robot which blows smoke throughout the room . This time Karen is hit by a missile dislodged in her arm intact . In a harrowing sequence , Ramsey must remove it without hardly any movement . . Karen will have to undergo serious agony without moving her arm . The rest of the film consists of Luther and Ramsey playing cat-and-mouse as Jackie's life is now in danger after revealing her information . Not only that , but Luther is also able to find and kidnap Ramsey's son ( yes , the old kidnapping cop's son bit ) . The film shows Luther's cunning with computers and how he has eyes open at all times . The film's true tension derives from that very fact . I've read countless reviews for this film and none provides any enthusiasm towards " Runaway . " I don't see what the real problem is . I thought it was well paced , with some interesting little robotic creations , the cast seems game . . it's perfect for a lazy Summer afternoon . |
436,320 | 9,938,570 | 68,232 | 8 | Return of the Evil Dead | The dreaded Templar knights rise from their graves , on their undead horseback , during the night of a festival commemorating their execution at the hands of the villagers of Bouzano , as present-day citizens dance , drink , be merry & watch an amazing fireworks display , thanks in part to the local village idiot Murdo ( José Canalejas ) who actually sacrifices a young woman whose blood revives them . Jack ( Tony Kendall ) is hired by Mayor Beirao ( Ramón Lillo ) to put on a fireworks display for the festival , thanks to some help from a former lover ( and now the Mayor's fiancé ) Vivian ( Esperanza Roy ) who put in a good word for him by falsifying references on his resume . When Jack and Vivian meet for the first time , sparks return and they are soon contemplating a brand new relationship despite her current proposed plans to marry the Mayor for his wealth and bourgeoisie prestige . The Mayor's right hand lieutenant Dacosta ( Frank Braña ) also carries a secret torch for Vivian having watched over her every need since becoming the boss man's squeeze . Moncha ( Loli Tovar ) is almost killed by the Templar knights when they raid her home . . they do finish off her beau who paid her a sexual visit while papa was at the festival . Duncan ( Fernando Sancho ; another paid lackey for the Mayor to do his bidding ) , his wife & daughter are all attending the festival . These characters will somehow escape a massacre when the Templar undead soldiers storm the festival , within an enclosed plaza , causing a frenzied panic where the villagers try endlessly to find a way out . Jack is able to free the gateway by exploding some leftover firecrackers into the bodies of two guardian knights freeing those citizens who were able to flee from the slashing long strokes of the Templar swords . As certain Templar soldiers on horseback bunched villagers into a bundle , faces met the hacking blades . Dropping like flies , Jack bands some courageous men together , with wooden pitchforks , to battle with the knights on their horseback with far better weaponry . But , those citizens who are indeed able to rush out from the plaza gateway will not get very far . . trying to flee we see that the Templar knights have struck them down in a long-shot of dead bodies lying in mass over the country-side . Jack , Duncan ( . . his wife and daughter ) , Vivian , Dacosta , Moncha & Beirao , however , are able to hold up in a nearby Bouzano parish as the Templar knights await them outside . Jack , as leader , will try to find a way to see the group through the horrors that possibly lie in wait as others plan their own escape routes , especially the mayor ( this guy is a real piece of work , I'll tell you , he even tries to use a little girl as a distraction to escape ) who only wishes to escape without one care in the world for the others in the church . Murdo , the very one responsible for the terrors taking place , is found hiding in the parish . . he has a plan to guide Moncha through a secret tunnel , not letting any of the others in on it . Will the group make it out of the parish alive ? Or , will the Templar knights eventually wait for them to merely fall apart at the seams ? To be honest , I myself found this second film of the series to be far superior to " Tombs of the Blind Dead " . I think this film is more focused and scarier with a better cast of characters . I even felt the Templar knights are scarier in this sequel than the original . . their slow walk isn't a major problem in this sequel because there are so many of them . I couldn't help but compare the Templar knight zombies to those seaweed ghouls of John Carpenter's THE FOG in how they seem to be everywhere with little room for the characters to escape . If one thinks about it , the church sequences in this " sequel " and THE FOG resemble somewhat as well . . characters trying to remain level-headed in quite a terrifying situation , holing up in a church while undead monsters seeking revenge for what happened to them in the past await outside . This sequel has lots of bloodshed . . swords are always plunging into stomachs , chests , or slashing across faces . The Templar knights are pretty much the same as they were in the original film , but no less effective . I think their better utilized in this sequel / remake because of the set-pieces set up in the film . . . the massacre in the plaza and the hold-up at the parish . Director Ossorio certainly has a flair for shooting those creepy Templar knights as their rotted skulls peek out from those dusty cloaks . They rise from their graves essentially the same way they do in the previous " Tombs of the Blind Dead " . . but , as before , this sequence is quite eerie and effective . If you can tolerate the melodrama between Jack , Vivian , the Mayor & Dacosta , there's so much to enjoy . I just think this is a good little Gothic zombie flick . Easily the film's most graphic scene comes when we see the Templar knights in human form as one of them removes the heart from the chest of a poor female sacrifice eating it ! Good beheading in this flick as well . |
435,801 | 9,938,570 | 97,557 | 8 | I , Madman | Librarian book-worm ( Jenny Wright ) , who enjoys reading horror stories which she invests all of herself into , finds that a sadistic alchemist , from a " non-fiction " book titled " I Madman " has emerged from the literary page believing she is Anna , his muse for whom he wishes to please with the " perfect face . " In the novel , Malcolm Brand ( Randall William Cook , who looks like Noseferatu with a scarf around his face , hiding a missing nose ) removes his facial features because the one he longs for found him repulsive . Virginia ( Wright ) finds that Brand has somehow manifested into modern Los Angeles and is murdering people she knows , grafting a part from each victim's face after slicing them away with a razor . Following " I , Madman " as a source for where Brand will strike next , the difficult part is getting her boyfriend / detective , Richard ( Clayton Rohner , with a light beard and jacket , resembling a hard-boiled PI from a noir film ) and the police to believe her cockamamie story . Virginia is often visited by the maniac before and after he kills his victims . Tibor Takács ( The Gate ) brings us quite a startlingly original slasher with imagination to spare , if the viewer can give over to the supernatural aspect of the story . In regards to the madman's ability to manifest from words to flesh , committing his grisly deeds on the streets of Los Angeles , I felt derived from the reader's complete belief in the printed material . He wasn't real until the fear of him become so vivid , Virginia , in essence , gave him life . . his shape and form evolve from a written work into a true being . Perhaps it took both the reader and the writer himself to make this unbelievable situation come to fruition . When delving into the author's life of " I , Madman " ( . . and another novel , which featured a created monster by a Dr . Kessler , who actually leaps from the printed page to kill Malcolm Brand ) Virginia finds that Brand himself believed wholeheartedly that what he wrote was real not fictitious . . . so perhaps the killer without a face , was given birth thanks to the writer and reader's complete faith in what was written . Besides all that Freudian jazz , the film has a wonderfully morbid atmosphere , and I thought Tibor Takács ' film was very much in the Argento vein . . . a grotesque killer wielding a blade , slicing and dicing , with a baffled police force working all hours to catch him and a female character everyone believes is nuts caught in the whirlwind of a surreal nightmare helplessly finding all those she knows being killed , skillfully photographed ( . . while his credits aren't eye-popping , Bryan England's sophisticated camera-work and vibrant color , I felt hearken back to Argento films like " Suspiria " and " Inferno " , and there are several stunning shots of the killer from afar using shadow and light ) with a visual flair and intoxicating energy . Not to mention , there's some dark humor to spare , including a hilarious interrogation scene where Virginia attempts to tell the police about the one responsible for the murders and their priceless reactions to what she's saying . I think the premise might have viewers scratching their heads , it is indeed quite an outrageous story , but I ate it up . I loved the use of Los Angeles and I found the way Tibor Takács edits the novel sequences ( . . based in the 50s ) into the modern story , strikingly integrated . It was great seeing the lovely Jenny Wright get a rare lead role , and she ably fills it nicely , projecting a frightened woman who knows that the truth about her killer is as far-fetched as they come , doggedly pursuing his capture , and often finding him one step ahead of both her and the police . The creature which makes a grand entrance at the end will remind fans of Tibor Takács ' kiddie horror outing , " The Gate " , for it resembles the demon minions from the hole in the backyard of that film . The library scene ( . . where the police stake out the WRONG library ) is a doozy which only makes life harder for Virginia , who must somehow , someway , convince her boyfriend that the psychopath is indeed from some horror book she reads . Love the book store Virginia works in . . books are stacked and scattered in clusters all throughout the building and the climax works wonders in this setting . |
435,987 | 9,938,570 | 41,796 | 8 | The Black Book | Maximilian Robespierre ( Richard Basehart , quite fiendish ) wishes to become dictator over France , but this is feared by many of the underground resistance for he rules with a torturous iron fist whose methods of eliminating humans without much justice given to victims . He has the ability to work over a crowd with his words which have a power to manipulate . It's currently taken him to his lofty position , but gaining total dictatorship is a dream that would certainly lead to a mass destruction of anyone who even comes near threatening his role as ruler over all . He has a book of death containing names he plans to eliminate when under power as dictator and this black book is the key to his downfall . You see it has names of many who hold Robespierre to high esteem giving him the opportunity to gain power . Finding out what he plans to do to those who were behind him ( the black book contains quite a many names he wishes to send to death ) , would certainly overthrow Robespierre . That's where freedom fighter Charles D'Aubigny ( Robert Cummings ) comes into play . He will go undercover to find the book and get close to Robespierre . There are many who work in the movement to overthrow Robiespierre . Heck , even men close to Robespierre , such as slimy Fouché ( Arnold Moss ) are willing to possibly assist D'Aubigny in taking down the man who desires to rule as dictator . The film's main strength is the photography which brings a bleak grimness that you can feel . Through cunningly placed shots of shadows on the wall , we can get an image of what torturous methods can do to those who oppose Robespierre . There are lots of moody long shots of travelers on hills towards the night . The way Mann frames France , it seems like night always exists and that the light only passes by occasionally to take a peek . The cast may come off a bit flamboyant , certainly Basehart relishes playing such a villain . I loved how Mann shoots close-ups of faces with hysteria and tyranny painted on their face . You can also see the evil running through the veins of those who keep the French villagers and such at bay in fear for making a false step that would send them to certain death . |
435,940 | 9,938,570 | 41,776 | 8 | Queen of Spades | A Captain of the Russian army , with little money , becomes mad for the secret of three cards which could yield a fortune . That Captain , Suvorin ( Anton Walbrook , who is mesmerizing ) reads about Countess Ranevskaya ( Edith Evans ) who , facing public scrutiny after she commits adultery with a thief who desires money from a locked box , sells her soul instead of being found out of her sins . Given the powerful secret of three cards , she carves out quite a wealthy living at the gambling table . Suvorin wants the secret of the cards more than anything and will manipulate her servant , Lizaveta Ivanova ( Yvonne Mitchell ) so that he can get in to meet the Countess . Using a handbook regarding selling your soul for profit and success , he uses certain poetic words to work over a naive , impressionable Lizaveta , who is burdened by the demanding Countess . What happens to Countess when a crazed Suvorin puts a pistol to her one snowy night , makes up the haunting elements of this well-mounted , extravagantly produced , beautifully lighted tale . You could call this a macabre costume drama . . even at 95 minutes , this is epic in scope accurately depicting the 19 Century well with large , massive sets . It's quite stunning to behold , actually . The film might start out rather slow , but it gets better and better as time passes and the greedy dementia of Suvorin , a man who wants to know what wealth and privilege taste like , takes shape when it appears the secret he so longs for seems completely out of reach . The final 30 or so minutes is really marvelous as the supernatural elements come into play creating quite a spooky mood . And , the tragedy of Suvorin is a very powerful ingredient to the story . |
436,485 | 9,938,570 | 808,276 | 8 | Cold Prey | Geniuinely terrifying nail-biting slasher which is so competently made using suspense instead of sheer gore , despite the formulaic trappings often associated within the popular sub-genre . The key is the setting and the killer . The setting , an abandoned ski-lodge isolated in the middle of Norwegian snowy mountains , miles upon miles away from civilization . A group of skiers , young adults on their way to a lodge when deciding to snow board down and over potentially dangerous terrain leaves one among them with a broken ankle . Finding the the ski lodge as refuge , the group will decide to spend the night waiting for morning to go for help . They , however , are not alone . . a hulking menace , hidden underneath pounds of protective clothing , carrying a pickax he swings with a vengeance , the group will find themselves in for one hell of a nightmare . Ingrid Bolsø Berdal is the final girl , Jannicke , who is placed in quite a predicament when her friends and lover are being stalked and killed , having to protect her handicapped comrade , Morten Tobias ( Rolf Kristian Larsen , the comedy relief of the picture ) , whose broken ankle provides quite the detriment towards fleeing quickly as the menace draws near . As many final girls in slashers are , Jannicke is resourceful , quick-thinking , and courageous , attempting to stay one step ahead of the killer who knows this difficult environment a lot more than she does . Her lover , Eirik ( Tomas Alf Larsen ) was on his way to get help , when he is upended by the killer . Young couple , Mikal ( Endre Martin Midtstigen ) and Ingunn ( Viktoria Winge ) , having been together only a short amount of time but are crazy for each other , round out the cast of potential casualties . The opening of the film , concerning a scar-faced kid possibly being buried alive as snow topples upon him by an unseen assailant , and the dangerous manhunt to find him , making headlines ( . . this was in ' 75 ) is set up for a reason understood later . Many will find that this slasher operates under the normal guidelines instituted since the 70's . It doesn't stray too far from what you expect , all the way to the conclusion . BUT , director Roar Uthaug , despite this , is able to create an incredible sense of terror , and my nails were bitten to the quick , even though I had a good idea how it'd all end . The menace just comes out of nowhere ready to plunge that pickax into bodies with a ferocity you feel when it seldom misses destroying objects in the vicinity . And , the horrifying situation the characters are stuck in ( . . thanks to the setting which echos THE THING and , the feeling of no escape , evoking WOLF CREEK ) really grips you ( . . well , it did me ) . It might not be original , but it's so damn well made , with Uthaug squeezing every bit of dread he can get out of the cold and inhospitable ski-lodge and Jotunheimen's wintry mountainside . . it does take a while for the killer to make his presence known with Uthaug carefully establishing the characters ( . . he even shoots some angles as if through the eyes of the killer , peeping in on their conversations before striking ) . Little things are also expertly presented for later use in the film like a shot gun shell and a key-ring with a teddy bear . I hope to see more from this director because his action scenes are briskly filmed , with exciting photography capturing the characters , as they attempt to stay alive while being stalked , extraordinarily well . |
436,733 | 9,938,570 | 110,620 | 8 | Nadja | Low-key , off-beat , somber , existential , avant-garde modern retelling ( partially ) of Dracula's Daughter has the exotic beauty of Elina Löwensohn put to good use as the Romanian Count's predatory vampire daughter , Nadja , roaming New York City for fresh victims , finding a potential love interest in melancholy Lucy ( Galaxy Craze ) whose unhappily married to her gloomy alcoholic husband Jim ( Martin Donovan ) . Jim and Lucy love each other but never display an appropriate affection or fireworks which truly exhibit on the outside , if anything their relationship seems destitute and glum . But , once Nadja initiates a spark with Lucy after meeting her in a bar , their love and marriage will be tested as the vampire wishes to conquer her , capture her very soul through the draining of her very life-source , the blood . Thankfully for Jim , he knows Dr . Van Helsing ( Peter Fonda , in a very kooky performance , clearly enjoying his role's chance for eccentricity ) , the very one who thrust the stake in Count Dracula's heart . Van Helsing's desire to end Nadja's existence , ridding the world of a bloodsucker who has been draining New York of it's citizens through her various rendezvouses with male victims , opening the possibility of sexual activity , shutting the door on such opportunities by killing them . Nadja travels with her human slave Renfield ( Karl Geary ; very different than the countless nutty incarnations of the character whose often molded after Dwight Frye , young and attractive , quite laconic and mysterious , yet can be quite dangerous when provoked ) as they pursue and hunt . NYC provides quite a backdrop for Nadja , a vast supply if she so wishes to feed . Löwensohn's face is glamorously shot by director Michael Almereyda's cinematographer Jim Denault , and the dialogue , often spoke by the actress as a vampire who is having quite an experience in a city of such diverse and eclectic people , is quite thought-provoking and poetic . The film's narrative shifts somewhat once Nadja finds her ill brother Edgar ( Jared Harris ) and his beloved nurse Cassandra ( Suzy Amis ) . Nadja wishes for Edgar to join her and takes an interest in Cassandra . Van Helsing needs to kill Nadja so that Lucy can be spared and to remove possible danger from Cassandra , his niece . The aspect of director Michael Almereyda's style that rather left me cold was his use of a camera which pixilates image , specifically during Nadja's vampiric activities . I thought the gorgeous B & W photography was fine on it's own and gave this film an alluring look to match it's titular female vampire . All the performances , the characters , remain subtle , almost zombie-like and distant . . this might drive traditional and casual horror fans away and seems to reflect a society of lost souls , emotionally empty and depressed . The music score is quietly haunting and seems to fit the mood of the characters and their stories . This is definitely an art film , with the director giving the vampire genre a different flavour and tapping into contemporary themes that traditional horror fans might find ponderous and pretentious . I liked this a lot probably because of Löwensohn and it's refreshing change of pace from the normal brand of storytelling in regards to the vampire genre , which is oftentimes artificial , predictable and by-the-numbers . While this film does operate using themes associated with vampires ( . . needing blood to sustain life , not adept to sunlight , with a stake to the heart killing them ) , I like how Nadja is given a chance to show that she has feelings and often expresses herself with others regarding life and love . I appreciated the additional scene featuring Lugosi ( . . from White Zombie ) , lending his face to the Dracula spoken of by her siblings in the film . Fonda , with long hair , plays Van Helsing as if he were an oddball ( . . the way he should be portrayed , I think , because of his knowledge in " strange things most humans wish not to know about " ) , an outcast of society who lives , it seems , to serve mankind in ridding the world of dangerous vampires . Martin Donovan and Galaxy Craze play their roles rather sullen and without emotion , which is probably what the film calls for considering their supposed to be aloof . |
436,003 | 9,938,570 | 78,087 | 8 | The Scarecrow reviews " Piranha " | I want anyone reading this to know that my review is full of spoilers for to explain my opinions on why Dante's film so good depends on many plot points being exploited to make my point . One of the most important aspects of the film that I feel made Dante's film better than many of the horror pictures that would splatter on screens in the 80's , 90's , & even today is his depiction of the characters in the film . Unlike many horror films where the characters are so one sided ( most of the time simply unlikable ) where we just don't really care if they live or die thanks to the writers and direction , it's quite clear that Dante does . The children at the camp and their female counselors who are attacked are not bad people . One camp counselor who perishes is a good , warm hearted person who doesn't deserve to die . That specific scene is built unrelentingly by Dante . Throughout the film , Dante builds in our eyes the fact that piranha fish a heading to munch on unsuspected people who venture into waters they have no right believing are dangerous . That tension that Dante builds works because we know that if no one warns them in time , people will die quite horribly . I can only speak with the heart of a parent when I say that the moment the piranha fish begin to attack the children my heart beat 90 miles an hour . The film had been up to that point one of those very funny spoofs which uses clever humorous wit within it's shots at government's hidden secrets at developing war weaponry ( in this case piranha to " poison " the waters of Vietnam , but the project was halted when the conflict was deemed over ) that could have an aftereffect on Americans . But , once sweet innocent children ( just simply having water competitions ) are beginning to be attacked , the film carries a much more serious tone . The build up to a feeding is hauntingly done with a few actually paying the price for what their government ( who was suppose to protect not destroy ) did to them . But , things are even more grim when tourists are viciously attacked during a water festival . We see an explosion of horror as innocents out in the water are being torn to shreds . Body parts are shown throughout and much blood . The fun from the opening turns grisly as we see what can happen when a government goes to far , and in their ineptitude don't finish a clean-up job eradicating something they created in a lab . But , in returning to my position above , Dante's treatment of his characters is essential , I believe , to how I was impacted . Dante cloaks his female camp counselors with sweet music . We hear them talk and see how good they are to the children . They aren't like the sex-crazed counselors you might see in other films . Their language isn't obscene . They never gesture that dislike their jobs or those kids they are assigned to . When we see one of them trying to escape into a raft during the attack on the children , there was a realization that this woman was in trouble of dying . We see her helplessly try to grab hold to her friend's hand , but the vicious attack from those monsters in the water just won't release her . In a moment that just won't leave me , Dante shows the piranha carry her into the darkened emptiness of the water and she's lost to us all . It's a scene that devastates me because she's not a stupid ingrate that we often see in horror films , but a very likable human being who is taken away to be slaughtered . The final closing scene shows the aftermath of many dead because the man in charge of the festival wouldn't heed the warning of a woman who knew that the piranha were heading their way . The film shows that in not at least taking a warning seriously could lead to such horror . Dante won't let the viewer off the hook . He lets us see the piranha swimming in a pack heading for people who do not know what is coming . Dante could let our heroes get to the children in time and the tourists in time , but many will meet their doom . Dante delivers on the gore . He achieves both levels . The impact of the building up of the attack and subsequent violence that will certainly occur . We see heads eating , legs bitten off , blood soaking with shards of meat in the water , and the aftermath . In the final scene , the festival owner ( as the camp head looks over the sheeted body of a child he'd been warned to protect ahead of time ) looks over the sheet-covered bodies of victims , those who simply came to the beach to swim and have a good time . Sure , perhaps our heroes were able ( ? ) to poison the piranha with waste , but the aftermath is what leaves the viewer knowing that it is little too late to save those who weren't warned that it was quite possible that they could've been attacked . Yet , even then Dante gives them reason . They hear a call ( both the head of the camp and the festival head ) from a person that tells them deadly piranha fish are heading their direction . It would perhaps elicit laughter ( or disbelief ) from you to , wouldn't it ? You see Dante and writer John Sayles cover all bases . The film , I feel , is really good because it builds up and then delivers . |
436,468 | 9,938,570 | 782,399 | 8 | Family | Harold ( George Wendt , just simply perfectly cast ) , despite that kind , gentle exterior , is not the suburban neighbor he might seem to be . Nope , he actually is quite loony and has an entire family ( . . almost ) of skeletons in a room upstairs . He sees them , however , as real , breathing , talking people conversing with one another as any family would . Within his loneliness , a dementia has set in where molding the perfect family means creating one fictitiously . . through submission , death , and the eventual acidification where the corpse is melted down and dried of any skin or body parts . We see his grisly work at the opening as Landis takes us through Harold's entire house with his slick camera-work which seems to look like one long take / trip until we meet an old man in a pan as his body gets acid poured over him . We see the body melt away with merely the skull showing as Harold sees about din-din . We see Harold converse with his fake wife over mundane manners as the young daughter ( . . kind of makes you cringe , if you think about it much ) watches cartoons . There's just something really warped about a scene where a man moves the skeleton of a young girl because he's afraid if she is too close to the television it will harm her eyes . Anyway , a new squeaky clean couple moves in across the road and Harold takes notice . David ( Matt Keeslar ) is an ER doctor and Celia ( Meredith Monroe ) is an investigator and they introduce themselves after an unfortunate accident one night . That night was where David had a little too much wine and slammed into Harold's massive brick-mortared mailbox ( it reveals that many skulls and bones are buried within , yet it APPEARS that neither David or Celia notices ) . After introductions , ( . . in typically naughty Landis perverted fashion ) Harold takes an interest in Celia and imagines her talking all sexually explicit and dirty to him . She really isn't , but this installment plays with the fact that Harold imagines and hears what he wishes because the man is just flat-out bonkers . So , Harold decides he wishes for Celia to join his family , which isn't a comfort to his wife . Another warped idea . . debating whether or not he's thinking about lustful thoughts about Celia to a dead adult female skeleton regarding her jealousy ! Oh , and when he's out selecting a new victim , they often talk to him regarding why he should choose them ! When David surprisingly goes missing , Harold sees an opportunity to move in on Celia . Harold just might be in for a surprise he never saw coming . . . Okay , this kind of plot isn't for everyone . Yes , it's quite deranged , but played outrageously tongue-in-cheek for the most part . The writer of this story also penned the terrific script for FRAILTY , so there's a moment of WHAM ! that comes at the end where we have to rethink conversations David and Celia had previous to when Harold decides to go for the jugular in desiring his possible new wife . The flick isn't that gory except for the acid-melting scene of gramps at the beginning and when Harold decides to dispatch his current wife with a hammer to the face . It'll probably come down to whether or not you can accept the macabre premise . That John Landis knows how to seep the humor out of anything no matter how terrible a deed one deranged man commits . Yet , the twist exposes the fact that it might be possible for even the sanest people to commit grisly deeds when seeking retribution . |
436,681 | 9,938,570 | 68,290 | 8 | Blood from the Mummy's Tomb | Egyptian priests , threatened by the power and proposed evil of Queen Tera ( Valerie Leon ) , kill her and entomb her corpse ( . . after extracting a hand which held a red-emerald ring on one finger ) , but meet tragic ends for doing so . Despite being entombed , however , Tera is able to summon archaeologists to her place of rest , with Professor Julian Fuchs ( a really good Andrew Keir , memorable as Quatermass in Hammer's excellent " Quatermass and the Pit " ) as the head of the unearthing . Each member retrieve a certain relic inside the tomb within their possession for " safe keeping " as Julian stores Tera's tomb in his carefully designed basement in his home . The key aspect to this film is that the moment Julian opened the tomb of Tera , his wife dies giving birth to his daughter who also quits breathing . . yet , mysteriously Margaret's ( also Valerie Leon ) heart begins beating again setting in motion her link with Tera . Corbeck ( James Villiers playing him quite aggressive and slimy ) , a key member of Julian's crew , wishes to see Tera's " rebirth " into the world as he believes he can control her with Julian's help . Tera's great power , he sees , can be used as an advantage , but Julian feels that she can be controlled by no one . We watch as she uses Margaret's human host as a means to terrorize and destroy all who were there when she was removed from the entombment and captured the relics . Margaret's beau Tod ( Mark Edwards ) will try to help his girlfriend as it seems Corbeck's influence on her is growing while also desiring to protect her from the danger of being harmed like the others who have come in contact with Tera's evil . But , we see as the bodies pile up with their throats torn away , that Tera may not be stopped . . perhaps her evil is too powerful for anyone to control . Corbeck will try to read from a scroll , while also re-attaching the removed hand ( we see , throughout the film , blood always trickling from where the hand was removed ) so that Tera can return to this world . Somehow Julian and Margaret will have to fight against Tera's evil will in order to thwart her plans of returning to this world to possibly wreak havoc . Complex , absorbing horror film might be frustrating for many because it's not a mummy film . . you never see a bandaged monster running amok . Based on a novel by Bram Stoker , it's actually about evil incarnate unleashing terror against those who have discovered her or pose a threat against her plans . Everyone is fodder or vessels for Tera to use . This film is quite a challenging flick . . I admired it's complexity and uniqueness from the typical Hammer horror fare . I think , despite it's faults , that this has much to offer those curious for something different . The appearance of torn throats is jarring , the performances are quite good , as always mentioned ad nauseum Leon's voluptuous breasts are certainly stare-worthy , and the ending is bleak ( . . nearly everyone dies ) enough to make this flick quite satisfying . . well , at least it was to me . |
436,268 | 9,938,570 | 210,302 | 8 | Gemini | Class warfare I felt was at the heart of this thriller from acclaimed cult director Shinya Tsukamoto regarding unstable Sutekichi ( Masahiro Motoki ) with a scar on his leg ( . . who was abandoned by his parents , found floating across a river and brought up by a theatrical troupe performer , living as a thief in the slums ) who tosses his successful , respected and prominently regarded doctor twin brother Yukio into his family's well , assuming his identity . Sutekichi is essentially responsible for the deaths of their parents , but his ulterior motive is re-entering the life of Rin ( Ryô ) who was once his lover and partner in the slums , with them separated after their thievery leads to possible trouble for the troupe when a man comes seeking revenge for what they did to his family after stealing jewels . Sutekichi has studied Yukio's mannerisms and habits , perfectly embodying him with no one , except Rin ( . . who has been manipulating Yukio into thinking she's an amnesia case with no history she can recall ) knowing who he really is . Sutekichi visits Yukio from time to time , to drop food scraps or for to torment and ridicule him . Over time , Yukio , in a sense , switches roles with Sutekichi , understanding what it was like from his point-of-view . There's a choice Yukio makes regarding whether to treat a drunken mayor who stumbled onto a spike which plunged into his chest , or a dirty , possibly plague-infested mother whose child needs help . Choosing the mayor , symbolically siding with the higher class instead of the poor , Yukio will swallow a bitter pill when his brother takes him away from the comforts of living , placing him in a horrifying situation of confinement , hunger , and filth . . there seems to be no escape as he looks up at his brother , who teases about ruining his practice and making love to his wife . And , among the pile of burdens is the knowledge that Sutekichi may've been responsible for the deaths of his parents . Tsukamoto has always brought a collection of directorial styles , his camera can sit still , smoothly glide , follow the actions of a situation feverishly . . whatever is taking place in the story , Tsukamoto has a certain way of conveying it . We get a look at two worlds , the proper , quiet life of a man of prestige and wealth , and the ugly , loud and scuzzy world of the slums . . quite a contrast that really benefits the story as the lives of the twin brothers come full circle and both get an understanding as to what life is like in the other's shoes . Rin is the middle woman , who left the old world through an identity switch reaping the benefits of a much more healthier world , but inside longing for the life she once had , her love for Sutekichi just as strong as ever . As always Tsukamoto brings an uneasy atmosphere and the character arcs are stunning to behold , exploring the psychological terrain of what can transform a person when placed in a difficult situation ( . . all the three of the principals ) whether it be for the betterment or detriment of their existence . |
436,063 | 9,938,570 | 32,635 | 8 | The Invisible Man Returns | Geoffrey Radcliffe ( Vincent Price ) has been framed by Richard Cobb ( Cedric Hardwicke ) for a murder he didn't commit - - the murder of his brother Michael over a business worth substantial wealth . Escaping from death row thanks to the experimental invisibility formula created by the Claude Rains ' Griffin from the original film ( this time his brother Dr . Frank Griffin , portrayed by John Sutton , gives the formula to Geoff to buy him some time to find the real culprit behind the murder of Michael ) , Geoff will seek out those that framed him with help of Frank and his beloved Helen ( Nan Grey ) . On the run from Scotland Yard police , Geoff will have to remain elusive , but is slowly growing more and more mad as time continues and needs to get Richard to confess after finding out the truth of his betrayal from the drunkard Willie Spears ( Alan Napier ) who has taken a higher job since he remained silent in seeing Michael's real killer at the scene of the crime . Frank will have to come up with a serum to not only bring Geoff back to visibility , but do this before he becomes completely overwhelmed with madness . The film works well as a race against time as Geoff , our invisible hero , must find a way to remain innocent , get the real killer to confess , hopefully get an antidote before his most certain mental plight takes over , and outsmart cops on his tail . The film is clever and I can not think of anyone else who could follow Claude Rains ' footsteps than the great Vincent Price . His voice works magic as he is quite the tragic innocent who we understand through Price is growing more power-mad with each passing moment . Price has always been great at portraying unfortunates who are good men , flawed , who grow worse due to tragic circumstances . In this film , like the original version , we do not see Price's face until the very end . The visual effects , for the most part , are quite good for their time . Well paced film and very entertaining . Not as macabre as the previous film , with actual comic bits ( and light-hearted music ) to keep things lively . |
435,757 | 9,938,570 | 56,565 | 8 | The Tell-Tale Heart | A pitiable , terribly timid librarian , Edgar Marsh ( Lawrence Payne , who is superb ) , falls head over heels for a new neighbor , a flower sales-girl who lives across the street . This lovely creature is Betty Clare ( Adrienne Corri ) and she agrees to date Edgar out of sympathy for his pathetic nature , but soon is attractively drawn to his best friend , playboy Carl Loomis ( Dermot Walsh ) , a ladies ' man with quite a reputation around the place . Carl , at first , resists Betty who clearly displays arousing affection for him , but soon accepts a sexual invitation for which a gullible Edgar sees from his window ( . . he often watches her undress , the voyeur that he is ) . Edgar , who had spent a considerable amount of money and time on Betty , reacts hostilely to Carl's betrayal by attacking him with a fireplace poker , burying the body under a floor board . This act of violence , haunts him as he hears the loud pounding of Carl's heart beat , which rarely ceases , plaguing him night after night . Succumbing to drink and madness , it's only a matter of time before he cracks . Meanwhile , Betty pursues the answer as to why Carl hasn't returned to her , suspicious since he proclaimed their future betrothal after he broke the news of their engagement and love affair to Edgar . I think this was a really nice surprise . Director Ernest Morris builds the torment existing within Edgar's soul slowly , over time , using the movement of objects , simple but effectively spooky tricks anchored by Payne's pitch-perfect portrayal of a rather feeble man whose guilty conscience starts to erode his psyche , and his already fragile mental state slowly crumbles . . and Morris uses images and sounds such as a water faucet dripping , a clock ticking , a chess piece rolling on a board back and forth ( . . wonderful symbolism , to boot , since Edgar and Carl played chess all the time ) , and a rug moving up and down symbolizing the supposed beat of a heart . Corri is ideally cast as the lustful object of Edgar's affections , and she's incredibly sexy which provides an understanding as to the infatuation of the film's protagonist and why he'd constantly obsess over her , to the point that he'd kill his best friend as a result . Great use of silence ( . . accompanied by the variety of sounds I mentioned above ) , as well , pointing out Edgar's isolation as the heart beats and he can not escape it , eventually cutting it from Carl's chest , looking at it thump , finally burying it . I think the filmmakers ( . . and , especially Payne ) effectively convey this poor loser's slow descent into hysteria . Bravura job for all concerned . . a real sleeper , see it of you get the chance . A word of warning , though . . this is a slow burner , a film that takes it's time , allowing all the elements to take shape . MAJOR SPOILER : Maybe , the twist at the end is a bit of a drag ( . . the whole " it's all a dream " aspect ) , but Edgar is quite a whimpering chap , so he deserves some sympathy , which may be why he's spared . |
436,860 | 9,938,570 | 493,464 | 8 | Wanted | Weavers were founded to keep the world in order without chaos enlisting assassins to eliminate those whose fates are decided when their names turn up in a code through woven fabric . This started in a monastery , and has since blossomed into a secret society called The Fraternity with the ones assigned to kill their targets equipped with amazing gifts ( . . such as acute motory functions where they can shoot from amazing distances , with a sense of sight and balance that is abnormal when those with these abilities are given complete training , honing their skills ) . A mistreated office accountant , Wesley Gibson ( James McAvoy ) whose numb existence has yielded him nothing to embrace regarding waking up every morning , finds that his father supposedly was a murdered member of The Fraternity . Gibson , who is thrown into a world he's never known , thanks to an uncanny female assassin with stunning abilities to shoot and drive , Fox ( Angelina Jolie ) informs the poor guy that the man who murdered his father , Cross ( Thomas Kretschmann ) is hunting him as well . After a shootout in a grocery store floods into the streets between Cross and Fox ( . . with Gibson finding his way into Fox's car in the most unusual way ) ending in a car chase with subsequent damage , Gibson is introduced to Sloan ( Morgan Freeman ) who fills the lass in on his potential and possible role as a future trained assassin fated to kill the man who ended his supposed father's life . Saying goodbye to the normal life which gave him nothing but distress and misery , Gibson goes through rigorous and exhausting training which tests his willpower , strength & reserve . Ready for his role as an assassin , Gibson will be taken under Fox's wing being tested on the street by killing his first target , always desiring in his heart to kill Cross . But , Gibson has no idea who he's really after as a twist throws his new life into absolute turmoil making discoveries which will certainly have him questioning his choice for accepting his path into The Fraternity . Folks , if you are going into this film expecting something deep and cerebral , you are in for a rude awakening . Logic is completely left on the back-burner and you will have to suspend disbelief . . " Wanted " is a ridiculous thrill-ride which wishes to exhilarate you with non-stop action and bloody violence through astonishingly good special effects . The film has characters with superhuman abilities doing impossible things with guns ( . . and , more importantly , bullets ) and cars , their bodies sustaining incredible blows , scrapes , cuts , and bullets . Jolie's Fox drives with one leg while laying on her hood shooting at Cross over her car ! Fox actually crashes a car into a moving train in the jaw-dropping derailing sequence where Gibson pursues Cross . Bullets curve when Fox shoots at an incredibly difficult angle with her gun going around a hanging pig hitting the bullseye of a target behind it . In another incredible scene Gibson masters this art where his fired bullet goes around Fox's face with the wind actually moving strands of her hair ! Cars completely flip over as assassins shoot their marks in mid-flight . The opening assassin is killed by Cross from an incredible distance . Cross has a specially made bullet with pieces that split apart as it travels before the sharp point goes through the mark's head . Gibson , in the powerhouse finale , goes through a warehouse of weapon-equipped men , even taking their guns from them as he shoots them in the heads . In this sequence , Gibson's gun actually blows through a victims face , after multiple rounds , shooting others through the hole in his head ! Rats are used in a most effective way . A twist in the middle of the film completely shifts the entire plot as Gibson makes an astonishing discovery ( . . concerning Cross and his actual reason for being chosen by The Fraternity ) that has him facing unparalleled odds . Jolie , who is a great actress with range who wishes to play multi-faceted characters , is still a born action heroine . Her Fox is quite a character . She's got that sexy and cool that a lot of actresses would love to have but only dream of achieving . . she looks great driving a car , shooting folks , and getting out of a hot tub naked . Her opening scene , in the grocery store as Gibson turns around , that defines why she's such a coveted commodity . Fox says little and lets her skills at death-defying feats do the talking . This film wouldn't be near as good without her . I think many will enjoy the development of McAvoy's character who is run through an emotional grind from start to finish , and seeing him toughen as the film continues is rather fun . Freeman's effortless presence and command is here once again . His fate is rather nifty . The film is a smörgåsbord of John Woo , James Bond , & The Matrix . . the balletic gun-play , with outrageous and mind-bogglingly performed stunts and action set-pieces , and bloody carnage with bullets penetrating foreheads and torsos . The assassins in this film , mainly Fox , Cross , Gibson & his " father " ( David O'Hara ) achieve miraculous deeds while trying to kill their targets . Throw your hands up and just watch the movie without giving the plot much effort . It's popcorn fodder which might just dazzle you , even if you are constantly rolling your eyes at what you are witnessing . The daily activities of poor Gibson are quite amusing , as we see just what kind of misery this guy so wishes to escape . Terence Stamp has an important supporting role as it pertains to Gibson and the father he never knew . |
436,261 | 9,938,570 | 405,061 | 8 | The Eye 2 | Through the act of attempted suicide which almost kills her ( the taking of a large number of pills , after spending all her cash on clothes , due to depression after a bad relationship is called quits ) , Joey ( the superb Qi Shu in an understated , subdued performance ) gains the sixth sense and sees ghostly apparitions . Finding out she's pregnant by her past lover ( who was married keeping this a secret from Joey ) , Joey slides into an overwhelming sadness which doesn't bode well with the fear and torment of the scary spirits that pop up everywhere she goes . This one female spirit ( Eugenia Yuan ) seems to cling to Joey more than any other spirit . . who she is will be one frightening discovery Joey would like to have not known . The story is much smaller than the previous film , " The Eye " and much more of a character piece focusing on Joey and her traumatic story with all it's emotional upheavals . There are some excellent jump-scares , imaginative images that you won't soon forget such as the scene where Joey sees her child's face form into the image of the female ghost who stalks her . The film really uses the idea of reincarnation to full effect providing the story with an interesting narrative . . spirits cling to the pregnant entering the wombs of women before they deliver eliminating the life they once lived to begin anew . The story might be much smaller in scale , but it's still quite an ambitious project using the Buddhist belief system as a means of telling a powerful story on one woman's acceptance of life through many unorthodox experiences and another who has passed on desiring for a fresh start within a brand new life . This could be the Pang Brothers ' best film to date . |
436,524 | 9,938,570 | 87,909 | 8 | Phenomena | You get your money's worth with this journey into the bizarre world of Dario Argento . You get a heroic chimp who uses a razor to avenge the murder of her beloved owner , a girl with a telepathic ability to communicate and control insects ( . . who also assist in helping her find clues in the search for a killer ) , and a psychotic killer monster boy . The striking beauty of teenager Jennifer Connelly is used to the utmost effect as she sees female girls being stalked , a specific hall which will become very important later on , and the horrified faces of victims , as she sleepwalks . Her father is a popular actor , and she is sent to a very highly regarded Swiss school for wealthy female girls . Treated with disrespect by everyone , Jennifer finds a friend in a gentle , soft-spoken , wheel-chair bound entomologist , Professor John McGregor ( Donald Pleasence ) , who keeps a lab devoted to insects of all kinds , and has assisted the police in determining the time of death for corpses . John finds Jennifer's unique telepathic gift intriguing and useful in perhaps finding and catching a killer who is murdering young female teens in the area . But , both will find themselves in danger as someone will do whatever it takes to keep the killer's identity safe . We see in the opening a young foreign girl , who missed her tour bus , brutally slain by someone who was able to break free from chains nailed into a wall . This event would lead to the string of murders afterward . Daria Nicolodi resembles Norman Bates ' mother in a very creepy performance . Dario is unrestrained in this film , embracing the supernatural to tell his story . Violent use of a spear is how the killer often murders his / her victims , such as the girl stabbed through the head , resulting in the blade protruding out of the mouth . A pair of scissors is stabbed into a hand . A head is severed as the victim is attempting to greet Jennifer . A man , to free himself from chains binding him , must smash his broken hand to remove the shackles . A face is sliced repeatedly by the vengeful monkey . My favorite sequence has Jennifer discovering the watery pit containing various skulls and body parts , kept by the killer as tokens ( . . she actually falls in , attempting to drag herself out of it with heavy resistance by the guardian of the psycho ) . I think less discriminating viewers will lap this crazy little horror flick up , while others will find it hogwash . I thought it was fun . I guess you could call this a supernatural giallo . Odd mixture of musical score and rock ( . . Iron Maidan & Motorhead ) layered throughout . It was neat seeing Pleasence working in an Argento film . He has a really strong supporting role , very sympathetic character and extremely likable . |
436,136 | 9,938,570 | 90,094 | 8 | The Stuff | Larry Cohen , that independent genre renegade whose films often look as if they were thrown together with adhesive tape , returns to spoof The Blob and commercial marketing with this often witty and goofy tale about an alien goo that has bubbled from the center of the Earth , discovered by an industrial worker and manufactured as a tasty yogurt . This goo , over time , begins to take control of the human host in a diabolical plan to obviously take over the world . Enter ex-FBI industrial spy extraordinaire , Mo Rutherford ( Michael Moriarty ) paid to infiltrate the manufacturers of " The Stuff " ( . . the commercial name for the goo that is sweeping the nation ) to find the secret of how it's made finding out instead what the goo really is . Joining forces with Nicole ( Andrea Marcovicci ) , a marketing guru truly responsible for how well The Stuff has profited , who feels she's to blame for how the goo has begun to take control of her fellow humankind . Also , Mo will find another unlikely ally in young Jason ( Scott Bloom ) whose parents have become afflicted with the goo , a kid who saw first hand how the substance " moved " while surfing through the refrigerator one night . Jason made futile attempts to destroy tubs of The Stuff in a rampage through a supermarket which was printed in the newspaper and is how Mo found out about his knowledge in the secret conspiracy . Another ally is " Chocolate Chip " Charlie ( . . the scene-stealing Garrett Morris , who Cohen just turned loose , unbridled ) whose business was stolen right out from under him by those who make The Stuff . Mo finds out where the main manufacturing site is at and , along with Nicole and Jason , will attempt to find out exactly how the goo is distributed and created . After this happens , Mo will then coerce paranoid , very intense , military man , Colonel Malcolm Grommett Spears ( Paul Sorvino , hilarious as a leader so intense he could crush walnuts with his ass ) into assisting him in crushing the " goo regime . " As always , Moriarty has a ball as the laid-back , confident , cocky , non-chalant , quietly determined anti-hero who never wavers in his goal to find the truth for his employer , while also black-mailing a few along the way such as NYC businessman , Fletcher ( Patrick O'Neal ) . He's quite a spy who seems completely unflinching in the path of danger . I'm certain Cohen let him ad-lib with some zingers during very funny gore-scenes concerning humans falling to waste as the goo exits their mouths . There are scenes very reminiscent to The Blob where a river of white goo travels towards potential victims , often almost trapping them . There are some crude effects mixed with some stunning ones . I loved the icky effects where human faces melt as the goo comes up from inside them , out their mouths . We actually see a punch from Mo break apart a goo-infected man's face ! There's a truly bizarre scene where the goo attacks Mo and Nicole in their bedroom nearby the manufacturing plant where fire is used with very outrageous results . It seems that fire can be used as an agent to hurt the goo , such as when it attaches to the faces of victims . And , the commercials of The Stuff ( . . enough is never enough ) are perfectly realized jabs at marketers seducing the public to consume their products . I'm not sure myself what exactly Cohen is targeting , a many number of things I gather ( Coca-cola , hamburgers , who knows ? ) , but the end result tickles the funny-bone . He also pokes fun at the family dynamic as young Jason rebels against his parents ' wishes to eat his yogurt because " it's good for him . " Also , taking playful jabs at military men who are obsessive with their beliefs in evil Commies and secret conspiracies against America , using up-tight , foul-mouthed womanizing Colonel Spears ( . . initially Mo threatens Spears with certain evidence regarding his visit with a prostitute ) as a model . Sorvino just buries himself in this parody , head-to-toe . If you are familiar with Cohen's style , which is anything but conventional , then " The Stuff " will be a treat ( . . pun intended ) . |
436,397 | 9,938,570 | 45,699 | 8 | Donovan's Brain | Scientists Dr . Patrick Cory ( Lew Ayres ) and partner alcoholic Dr . Frank Schratt ( Gene Evans ) have successfully removed a living brain and have kept it from dying within a tank using an oscilloscope to measure the current and gain response to any reactions that might occur . Schratt tries to talk sense into Cory , because his actions ( which are for the greater good and benefit of mankind ) are illegal and could very well lead to his losing his medical license . But , losing his medical license will be the least of Cory's problems because the brain of a wealthy millionaire named Donovan gains control of the good doctor , growing stronger and healthier through a form of hypnotic suggestion ( . . Cory does admit to allowing Donovan control , not truly knowing the consequences of such a decision ) . The longer Donovan has control , the weaker Cory's hold is on his own body . Donovan begins plans to build a vault for his brain , using Cory to make shady , corrupt business dealings with past associates . It's known that Donovan failed to pay taxes and was a pariah to his family and those around him . His firm , aggressive , " don't take no for an answer " attitude begins to show itself ( as does physical traits such as a limp and this ugly , cold visage ) through the once tender , warm , loving Cory and soon his wife , Janice ( Nancy Davis ) and Frank begin to worry about him . The longer the brain has control of Cory the stronger and healthier it gets , with the powerful influence to force anyone in it's proximity to do whatever Donovan wills . Such as a crooked reporter whose camera takes a snapshot of Donovan's brain . . his blackmailing scheme threatens Donovan's plans . We see as the movie continues that the brain's powerful influence becomes too great to overcome even as Frank tries to shoot it with a pistol . Meanwhile , Donovan uses Cory's body to write checks , and with that money laying the groundwork for a vault to house his brain while also purchasing fancy suits , $2 cigars , and underhanded business associates he once worked with . As Donovan speaks through Cory to a former associate , " Mr . Donovan intends to dominate the international financial scene , and a fatal accident will occur to all who happen to stand in his way . " The blackmailing reporter finds out the hard way what that statement entails . . will Frank and Janice , suffer the tragic consequences of knowing too much as Donovan plans to finish them off ? This seems to have a rather lackluster rating on the IMDb , but I think it's quite brilliant in it's rich , intelligent script . . I'm guessing many find the flick dated and premise rather corny . I think the idea regarding a pulsating , living brain could command another ( . . and others ) to not only do it's bidding , but order those in close contact to even harm themselves quite a terrifying concept . The brain itself may also cause the film to receive criticism because it's basically rubber with a light glowing inside , submersed in a water tank . I loved Ayres performance as the victim of his science , even if it was for the welfare and benefits of helping others in the future . He actually shows the change from Cory to the notorious Donovan on his face . I certainly thought the dialogue was rich . I think this is a great B-movie , worth a look by less skeptical sci-fi fans who can see through the budgetary restrictions . Only the ending , with the help of an appropriate lightning strike that assists in helping our protagonists against the evil brain , " hurts " this film . |
436,673 | 9,938,570 | 441,909 | 8 | Volver | Raimunda ( Penélope Cruz ) has a difficult series of complications plaguing her life . A dead beat husband who doesn't exactly go out of his way looking for work . He's not really her daughter Sole's ( Lola Dueñas ) father ( . . that is complicated , and , as typical of director Almodóvar , is a shocking revelation ) , and we get a scene where he stares at her removing her clothes . Later Raimunda gets off a bus at the street near home and finds that Sole has murdered her husband . It was an accident of tragic proportions , but actually improves their lives ! Raimunda's husband desired Sole for sex lunging at her with a butcher knife getting between them . A restaurant being closed seems like the perfect place to keep her husband's corpse . Tossing his body in the restaurant's basement freezer , she is startled to find a member of a film crew needing a place which could cook for 30 people . Raimunda seizes the opportunity and responds by cooking for them during the entire filming schedule . Meanwhile , her sister , Paula ( Yohana Cobo ) receives visits from the " ghost " of her mother , Irene ( Carmen Maura , delightful as always ) who has " returned from the grave to ask forgiveness for past sins . " Agustina ( Blanca Portillo , really good ) who has been looking after their aunt during her illness , believes in returning spirits and recalls to them how she has overheard voices at night which she thought could've been Irene's ghost . Agustina wants an answer that has remained secret for four years . . what happened to her hippy mother , who vanished , perhaps a victim of a fire . Agustina feels that Irene has the answer to that . Agustina greatly desires to know that answer for she's dying of cancer . Themes brewing in " Volver " include incest , murder , covering up the murder , familial strife due to a past act , adultery which would yield devastating consequences , potential rape , and hiding from the eventual confrontation , and this is one of his more lighter efforts ! The film , in my opinion , is mostly a showcase for his female stars . The characters of course have meat to them , but Almodóvar's blessed with actresses of such talent , that I think " Volver " rises above a " been there-done that " type of screenplay . Covering up a murder and trouble within families trying to hold secrets which will eventually surface is the thing of soapy melodramas , but he has such strong personalities , and witty dialogue they bring to life , I for one couldn't take my eyes away from the screen . When my eyes weren't gravitating towards Penélope Cruz's impressive chest , I noticed that she gave one of her finest performances to date leaving behind Hollywood for a director who can mine those great gifts she has in spades . Cruz's character is faced with a multitude of problems , yet , one by one she overcomes them . And Maura's motherly figure lights up the screen , she's simply so easy to love , it's a testament to the actress how wonderful she presents this resurfacing woman , hoping to reconcile differences that have caused such pain to various women so dear to her . Portillo as the woman wanting to know about her long lost mother , is a revelation . This rock everyone can lean on , Portillo gives Agustina depth . She seems a bit , um , eccentric in how she talks about visiting spirits needing closure for past mistakes , smokes marijuana she grows in her yard , looks after the ancient aunt the world has practically forgotten about , and remains dedicated to her mother's memory . I think the idea of Raimunda's landing the restaurant duties , having been caught in the basement by a customer shortly after disposing of a body , to be just a brilliant twist of fate . . through something horrible came something life-changing and life-affirming . But , ultimately , I think " Volver " is about closure . Here's a chance to finish unresolved issues that have been hanging around far too long . |
436,505 | 9,938,570 | 37,101 | 8 | Murder , My Sweet | A jade necklace , a brute wishing to find a dame he loved from eight years back waiting patiently to being let out of prison , and a young woman wishing for the end of her father's marriage to a much younger woman are just the start of Marlowe's problems as he sinks into an abyss of untrustworthy characters in this marvelous film noir . Crackling , sharp observational dialogue full of metaphorical magic is perfectly placed in the trustworthy hands of a very good Dick Powell as Philip Marlowe who must somehow find this long-lost jaded necklace for it seems to be desired by several individuals . It seems the necklace's owner , Claire Trevor perfectly embodying the femme fatale , seems to be the center of all of Marlowe's troubles . But what does the big brute ( who nearly at certain points breaks Marlowe's neck when others misinform him of things the detective didn't do ) have to do with those scheming to get their hands on the missing jade ? The lovely Anne Shirley plays Ann Grayle , the daughter of the 60ish father married to much younger Trevor's Helen . Ann gets immersed in the plot as well as Marlowe often battles forces he never realized he'd ever face such getting walloped over the head several times from the back and drugged . RKO score another highlight noir with trippy visuals when Marlowe is drugged or hit over the head . The B & W photography is also top notch . Otto Kruger plays the villainous intellectual who desires the jade necklace and blackmailer of Hellen who also coerces Mike Mazurski's Moose , the brute , to choke a possible confession from Marlowe for whom he believes has the necklace ( he lies to Moose by way of Marlowe's hidden secret of the missing girl in order to get the massive man to assist him ) . |
436,168 | 9,938,570 | 91,209 | 8 | The Hitcher | Taut , tight , tense terror tale about young Jim Halsey ( C Thomas Howell ) driving a car from a company in Chicago across country to San Diego to it's owner when he has to misfortune of picking up psychotic hitchhiker John Rider ( a quietly menacing Rutger Hauer ) . Able to push Ryder from his car , Jim believes he's seen the last of John , but doesn't know that this is just the beginning of what he'll be up against . Anyone Jim comes in contact with , including local police or a family in a station wagon , perish at the bloodthirsty hands of sicko Ryder . Ryder frames Jim , however , placing the murderous knife he has been using to slash victims in his coat pocket . Local police send out a massive manhunt when , while Jim is imprisoned , John kills all the police officers in the station setting up the poor young man as the one responsible . The mystery in question is why doesn't Ryder just kill Halsey ? Why all the cat-and-mouse that ensues ? Perhaps John wishes for the murderous impulses to stop and believes Jim is the one able enough to succeed ? Jennifer Jason Leigh has a supporting role as Nash , a waitress on her way to California who saves Jim from possible death at the hands of a cop seeking retribution for the murder of two deputies he believed were killed by him ( . . yet , we know that it was committed by John ; it's a pattern in this flick where Jim seemingly has no hope as Ryder is much more good and prepared in this game than him ) . Will Jim be able to protect Nash when he himself could've easily been dispatched numerous times by John ? And , will Jim ever be able to clear his muddied name and just survive the carnage lying in the wake of John's murderous rampage ? They just don't make movies like this anymore . There has to be numerous twists and surprises instead of a straight , tense roller-coaster such as this dark , violent road thriller where surviving seems impossible . Sure , the flick has some moments where logic seems to be in question , but the flick is so well made and the suspense and style so ratcheted up , I could forgive momentary lapses of realism . I'm not sure Hauer's killer could get away with the things he does against the police , and I'm pretty sure Howell's tormented hero would have a hard to eluding police . But , those questions merely entered my mind briefly as I just sat back and enjoyed the ride . |
436,387 | 9,938,570 | 70,622 | 8 | Sssssss | Doc Stoner ( Strother Martin , who most know as the warden in COOL HAND Luke who utters the famous line , " What we got here is a failure to communicate . " ) who has grown quite mad over the years , injects an innocent , kind-hearted college student , David ( Dirk Benedict ; Face of A-TEAM fame ) with an inoculation that is slowly turning him into a King Cobra . A missing student named Tim , we later find , was a tragic victim of Stoner's experiments in " tampering " with evolution so that civilization would continue after mankind was long past ( . . he's paranoid with the fact that mankind , as we know it , is certainly on the verge of collapse and extinction which fuels his obsessions with his work ) . What Stoner doesn't expect is that his daughter / assistant Kristina ( Heather Menzies of PIRANHA fame ) and David fall in love . Stoner , however , has grown diabolical and will kill one male behind the death of his pet snake and another quack doctor / professor , behind the school's granting him the annual grant that keeps his career going , who understands what he's up to regarding David , becoming lunch to his pet boa . Disturbing slow burning horror film works because we sympathize with David's eventual plight . He has no clue , at first , what the doctor is injecting him with . Also still , we witness David and Kristina's growing love for one another . But , the true terror is seeing poor David's agony and transformation as his insides and bone structure begin to shift . The make-up effects work well enough even if they are a bit hokey by today's standards . This film works more off the viewer's sympathies for the victim and what horrific lengths Stoner goes to see his work accomplished . |
436,331 | 9,938,570 | 63,056 | 8 | Hell in the Pacific | An American pilot , Lee Marvin , is stranded on a deserted island with enemy Japanese officer Toshirô Mifune . If they are to escape this island , they'll have to put their differences and feelings aside . The film shows their rocky relationship and language barriers . The film's strength ( besides Conrad Hall's visually stimulating cinematography ) is watching these two larger-than-life personalities clashing on an island together . Heck , it takes Marvin nearly thirty minutes just to sneak some water from Mifune's private stash . There's a definite culture clash with neither understanding the other the entire duration . Once they settle their differences by working together to build a raft , it's out on the treacherous Pacific Ocean with it's fierce winds , pounding rain & piercing hot sun . The film offers the possibility of a kinship that forms as both these men come to count on each other through a lot of tough times on and off the island . But , towards the end when they do find what appears to be the damaged ruins of an American outpost on a Japanese island , that possible developing friendship is shattered when they wake up and realize that while they were alone , a war was raging on between their respected peoples . There were two endings offered by director John Boorman . The one in the movie seems a bit abrupt and empty , while the alternate ending just feels right . They are sharing a drink celebrating how they made through the tumultuous hardships only to read a LIFE magazine reminding them of the war they were fighting . |
436,929 | 9,938,570 | 52,655 | 8 | Bucket of Blood | Poor simpleminded waiter , Walter Paisley ( perfectly brought to the screen by vet Dick Miller ) just wants to fit in with the self-important Beatnik " artists " at the Yellow Door coffeehouse . He's the object of jokes and ridicule as Walter amiably converses with them while his employer Leonard ( Antony Carbone ) just wants him to take the drinks to them with his mouth closed . When Walter makes a wax sculpture of a cat he accidentally kills and later a police officer undercover trying to catch dope-pushers mistakingly suspecting him of using , the waiter becomes an overnight celebrity . Although , his employer knows about the two killings , the profit and press that his café is getting is too overwhelmingly positive to report . So Walter then strangles a nude model , who insulted him in the coffeehouse , and it seems there's no turning back . He has fallen madly for Carla ( Barboura Morris ) , a beatnik herself highly respected amongst her peers and highly moved by the sculptures Walter makes . After the beheading of a factory worker , Walter's notorious habits for creating sculptures will soon get him in hot water . . how can someone like Walter get away with his murderous ways too long before something fishy isn't discovered ? The Beatnik arts are beautifully scathing thanks to the dark-humored screenplay which places a " nobody " amongst a crowd full on themselves . These are the kind of people who love the sound of their voices and act in a manner they deem cool . It's all performance and show , and Corman just pokes holes in their hilarious facade . A ton of fun for those with a macabre sense of humor or are genre fans of the wax-museum type horror flicks . |
436,104 | 9,938,570 | 43,778 | 8 | The Man from Planet X | A dying planet , turning to ice , is coming towards Earth at a steady pace ( thanks to " scientific degravitation " which was used to deviate the alien planet from it's natural orbit ) and Professor Elliot ( Raymond Bond ) informs a reporter pal , John Lawrence ( Robert Clarke ) of it's existence . Setting his lab in an old castle on a Scottish fishing village , Burry ( . . this location is where the alien planet will come to the closest ) , Elliot's daughter Enid ( Margaret Field ) and John discover as they are walking the moors a " magnetically powered range finder " ( . . used to determine the composition of the Earth's atmosphere ) whose metal is quite a find for science . Then that very night , after taking John to a little inn , Enid's car blows a tire . . . walking the moors she discovers a flashing light which soon unveils an alien space vessel , a one-bodied vehicle ( . . carrying the appearance of a silver ball with a cone-shaped top ) carrying a large-headed alien with an elongated face . Running for home , she informs her father and his associate , a rejected scientist recently released from prison , Dr . Mears ( character actor William Schallert ) of what she found . The professor , at first , has a hard time swallowing her outrageous story until finding the space vessel himself . A ray from the vessel beams upon the professor's eyes rendering him an object of servitude which would point out an ability this alien has at commanding humans to do it's bidding , forced against their will . But , at first , the alien seems to desire communication , particularly when the professor saves it from dying after a malfunction on it's suit ( . . and not being able to reach it's own " oxygen " gage which feeds it the air it breathes ) . But , Dr . Mears has plans to use the alien to benefit his diabolical schemes at global power , and shutting a good deal of his air supply while the others are away ( . . as a means to control the alien ) angers the creature who gets away , capturing Enid and subsequently kidnapping citizens of Burry by using it's powerful ray to submit their will . Using the controlled humans at his disposal the alien is setting up a wireless directional beam to his approaching planet who plan to launch an invasion . With Professor Elliot , daughter Enid , and Mears all under the alien's command , John will seek aid from Tommy ( Roy Engel ) , the village constable whose also worried about his citizens , those being captured and the terrified families . Calling in Scotland Yard detectives , using a long-shot form of communication , they will have to move quickly before the planet gets to Earth by Midnight or else the people of Earth face grave danger . Edgar G Ulmer uses everything at his disposal to make this modest little sci-fi chiller . Sets , models , matte paintings , a grotesque alien mask for the creature in a full bodied suit , a unique little alien ship , effective fog machines which give the moors a creepiness and atmosphere , and Ulmer , of course , brings his noirish background in photographing the film rather beautifully ( . . the way Ulmer shadows his characters and how he photographs them at night ) . If you are gonna make a low budget sci-fi effort , then Ulmer , a true artist , is the director to call on . But , the film is intelligent enough with characters who seem reasonably realistic . The alien threat / mystery ( . . what are the alien's initial motivations before and after Mears makes a decision to threaten it's life ? ) and approaching planet which possibly threatens the atmospheric nature of the Earth if it gets too close , truly gives the film a leg to stand on and the B-movie cast ( . . what you might find in a 40's Universal horror flick ) are top-notch . The film doesn't overstay it's welcome and thanks to Ulmer , the budget he saddled with doesn't distract because he's able to create through the use of his skills a real plausible world for which the story takes place . This is a sleeper worth checking out if you are into these sci-fi " potential alien threat " creature feature flicks . I respect Ulmer more for being able to succeed while being so financially strapped . |
436,287 | 9,938,570 | 54,777 | 8 | Curse of the Werewolf | A child is born with a curse after his mute mother , a young servant woman of the cruel Marques Siniestro ( Anthony Dawson ) who was thrown in a dungeon because she wouldn't put out and subsequently raped by a crazed beggar who had resided in that chamber for quite a long time . The mute murders Marques once she is released and takes to the wilderness where Don Alfredo Corledo ( Clifford Evans ) finds her immersed in the river . She dies while birthing the child who , coming into the world a bastard son with parents who never should have been in any type of sexual contact thanks to a mad beggar locked away in a dungeon far too long , is born on the Lord's birthday . Under the superstitions of Teresa ( Hira Talfrey ) , Corledo's servant , she believes the child is doomed because of his birthright . Corledo takes him as his nephew and names the child Leon . When goats begin to turn up dead with their necks sliced open , Pepe the Watchman ( Warren Mitchell ) comes under heavy scrutiny for not doing his job correctly . In our minds we assume who is behind those dreaded animal killings . Leon , a young boy ( played by Justin Walters ) who just hates the sight of blood suffers a bullet wound which indicates a possible sign that he's the wolf running around killing the sheep for that very night Pepe shot a wolf prowling within the goats . Later , though , we find that it was actually a wolf committing the misdeeds when Leon is locked away in his room by bars Corledo installs when his nephew talks of nightmares about changing into a werewolf . As a grown adult , Leon ( now played the rest of the film by Oliver Reed , with a fine tortured performance ) now wishes to get off on his own with Alfredo believing in his heart that the young man is cured of his " illness . " Talking with a priest , Alfredo and he believe that the only cure for Leon is love . Love can battle the other ailments that conjure that werewolf beast inside at the Full Moon . We later learn that love does exactly that when , as Leon seems on the verge of turning , a new forbidden love in his life ( Christina , played by Catherine Feller ) is there by his side . Christina's father , Don Fernando ( Ewen Solon ) wishes for his daughter to marry a man of wealth and means in an arranged deal despite how she feels for another in secret . When Leon accidentally kills his friend and two others , Don can get rid of the man who has been ruining his planned marriage . This film gave me what I desired from a werewolf film . . it gives you an origin story . It tries to set up a reasonable solution to why anyone would become a werewolf , and this film produces the curse as one possibly from God . It's better than nothing which is often the case in werewolf films where someone just bites another and the action begins . This film sets out to tell the perilous disadvantages of being under such a devastating curse which makes you do things you don't want to do like kill uncontrollably . The performance of Reed is key to the success of the film because he's playing a tragic character who only wishes to live peacefully and happy , but can not because of a bad lineage . The costume is average , but Reed makes up for that . Lots of blood splatter , though , from the wreckage the monstrous wolf leaves behind in it's wake . |
436,346 | 9,938,570 | 37,168 | 8 | The Pearl of Death | This time a sought after Borgia Pearl is the object of desire , worth snapping the lumbar vertebrae of many unfortunate victims ' backs at the hands of the sinister Creeper ( Rondo Hatton ) , working for a lecherous thief , the devilish , elusive Giles Conover ( Miles Mander ) . Sherlock Holmes and Dr . Watson are out to discover why innocent people are found dead , their china dishes broken all over the crime scenes . A Borgia Pearl was stolen by Conover in a daring heist actually caused when Holmes himself proved to the museum curator that his security system was flawed , inadvertently assisting the conniving con artist who almost got away with it . Conover had to get rid of the pearl temporarily and Holmes & Watson soon discover that it was hidden in one of six plaster busts of Napoleon . . it's essential that Holmes get to the bust containing the pearl before Conover and The Creeper do , or else another victim might be targeted . Of course , Holmes must contend with Scotland Yard's Inspector Lastrade ( Dennis Hoey ) , who is assigned to the rash of serial killings , having to tolerate his temperament and obtrusive attitude . Along the way , Holmes ' life is in danger because he poses a threat to Conover's plans . Universal Studio's regular Evelyn Ankers has a substantial supporting role as Conover's lovely partner-in-crime , Naomi Drake , who uses aliases and disguises to secure information for her protégé . Hatton's The Creeper is quite an effectively spooky villain , barely seen but quite established thanks to director Roy William Neill's superb methods of building his presence until his reveal late into the film . Rathbone is more intense in this film , because of his treatment by authoritative figures and the press who blame him personally for the loss of the pearl , and Bruce's lovable Watson almost gets his best friend killed when Conover attempts to kill the Baker Street sleuth with a book containing a springing dagger . Mander , as Conover , has a very wily villain which contends with Moriarty as one of Holmes ' more despicable and challenging foes . The Universal Studios production values add immensely to the beautiful look of the film and this cast couldn't be much better . Macabre plot , to boot . |
436,353 | 9,938,570 | 72,354 | 8 | Vampyres | Two female bloodsuckers , seen murdered by a mysterious figure in black whose identity is never explained at the opening of the film , seduce travelers on a road that passes near their abode-of-the-moment , a decadent castle , isolated from the outside world thanks to a heavy presence of green ( trees and bushes ) resting at it's opening with only a path giving anyone an idea that something lives within . The castle is the very definition of secluded , and an ideal place for a vampire couple's lair . . particularly when they look as gorgeous as Fran ( Marianne Morris ) and Miriam ( Anulka Dziubinska ) . Ted ( Murray Brown ) , a mysterious man himself , who rudely shakes off a hotel employee who claims he's seen him before , becomes Fran's slave of lust . . unlike other males who follow the femme vamps to the castle , Fran spares Ted's life because she's perhaps in love with him . After rambunctious sex , Ted awakens the next morning , weakened hardly able to balance himself realizing a long gash on his arm , not to mention blood on the bed sheets . The gaping wound will be a small supply for Fran ( . . and sometimes Miriam ) for Ted finds himself unable to pull away from her . He's bewitched by Fran and remains a blood-drinking source for the vampires giving them nourishment when other horny males do not pass by their road . We are voyeurs into the world of Fran and Miriam and their selection process watching as they wrangle men with their feminine wiles and promises of sex . We are also eyes into their attacks on the victims , like rabid dogs as they stab and drink while the tortured souls succumb to blood loss and death . The film also follows a married couple , John ( Brian Deacon ) and Harriet ( Sally Faulkner ) who are on vacation , deciding the rest their camper within the castle's grounds not knowing what horrors lie in wait for them . One thing's for certain , as directed by José Ramón Larraz , the film doesn't go skimpy on what fans for erotic Euro-horror crave for , ultra-violence , nudity , and sex are in abundance . I felt the gaping wound on Ted's arm began to take the form of a female vagina as the vampires , over a period of time , feed from it . The castle setting really enriches the film and thanks to the splendid use of candlelight , many night time sequences ( . . of course , around Midnight is when the vampires bounce on their male victims , who are often overcome by drunkenness ) are particularly chilling . I love the claustrophobic confines of a wine cellar where the vampires house their Carpathian vintage , underneath the castle , led to by a long tunnel . My favorite scene , beside the shower Fran and Miriam take together , is the vampires attack on the wine connoisseur in the wine cellar . . it's quite a lengthily established sequence as they set him up by leading him to their special volume of wine . The attacks themselves are drenched in blood . . the victims covered in the red stuff as Fran and Miriam have at them passionately . The female leads really get into their vampire roles . The final twenty or so minutes become particularly blood-thirsty as Fran and Miriam go on a rampage slicing and drinking from several unfortunates . I'm not sure I understood how they become vampires , though . . their affliction and violent deaths by gunshots at the opening really doesn't get a necessarily good explanation as to how they became what they are . This is a film , though , that's more on style and image than substance . José Ramón Larraz certainly has talent and brings together some spooky exterior shots at night of the castle and the setting reeks of death and decay . Lots of lesbian activity not to mention some sexual interludes between Fran and Ted . And , Marianne Morris loves to remove her clothes slowly . . the camera loves her mysterious dark dark brown eyes . One might ponder why John and Harriet remain on the grounds for such a long period of time . . particularly when Harriet suspects Fran and Miriam of something as they stroll off into the distance before dawn . There's a really strange meeting that occurs between Fran and Harriet where the female bloodsucker speaks as if they had met before . . yet , this is never addressed in the film again . Some of these holes bothered me a bit but the overall experience was quite noteworthy . Fans of lesbian vampire flicks , in particular , should enjoy this one . |
436,765 | 9,938,570 | 126,004 | 8 | The Iron Rose | A young couple meet at a wedding party and decide to try a date . It starts out as frolicking on the grounds of an old train station as flirting commences . They decide to have a small picnic inside a cemetery and are so drawn to each other sexually , that the couple will seek out a warm spot to make love . . that being an underground crypt ( . . yes , certainly a bit morbid , but just wait until the next place they find for a make-out session ) . As night is upon them , the path leading to the opening gate seems lost in the dark , and our couple can not seem to find an escape route . Their relationship begins to unravel before it has a chance to grow . The young woman , in the opening of the film , found a peculiar iron rose in the ocean of a beach . This rose she feels will guide her to a place of love and happiness . The young female lead of this picture , the longer she remains in the cemetery , grows more and more mad as her newly required male lover becomes a victim of her lunacy . Through poetic rhyme , we get a glimpse into her shattering psyche and her male counterpart will become swallowed whole by it . . his fate is determined when she holds this idea that the outside world is dead and the only true life is within the grave with those who have long since died . Yep , she's bonkers . A love affair between the young female and the cemetery blossoms as we watch her orchestrate balletic movement throughout the grounds , embracing death now fully conceived as the only true way towards happiness . Now , I do realize a film such as this will certainly frustrate many , but I found it stunning . While the plot is simple , I felt Rollin's goal was to embrace the macabre atmosphere of the cemetery in every way possible . To be honest , I can't think of a better location to set a horror film than in a graveyard with those ancient tombstones , dying railings , rusty gates that screech and moan , & deteriorating crucifixes lining the grounds as masses of shrubbery and night invade and engulf . Rollin's camera lovingly captures the female actress in shots around angel statues that have seen better days , holding skulls , gently caressing her iron rose , and dancing in a state of bliss throughout the cemetery . . even when she's lost to insanity , her beauty glistens . Some haunting dream-like shots of the cemetery as dawn begins to appear , the ocean with the naked female lead and her rose , etc . The most morbid and wild scene in the film , I believe , is the one where the couple make out in a burial pit of scattered skulls and bones , the male lead fell into while trying , in a state of panic , to find his way out . Rollin introduces the creepy make-out session with a counterclockwise camera spin pointedly at a dazed male lead trying to gather his wits as the female lead looks down at him . She dives in , they clutch each other , and begin to embrace as skulls and bones move about behind them . . it's really a scene that goes beyond the realm of normal behavior . Various interlopers walking the grounds during the daytime ( each a little wink from Rollin such as the sad clown dragging his flowers toward the grave of a loved one or a familiar vampire barely glimpsed entering a crypt ) add some bonus oddness to this Gothic extravaganza . Either you love it or hate it . . I doubt there'll be much middle ground . |
436,863 | 9,938,570 | 32,818 | 8 | The Mummy's Hand | Anhotep ( George Zucco ) is commissioned by the dying High Priest of Karnak ( Eduardo Ciannelli ) to protect the secret tomb of Ananka from " unbelievers " who'd dare defile / desecrate her tomb , removing it's treasures . Anhotep is given instructions by the High Priest to use Kharis ( Tom Tyler ) , an undead Egyptian imprisoned in bandages ( . . through amazing embalming methods ) for breaking the sacred rules of the gods for attempting to resurrect Ananka with Tana leaves , to kill anyone ( . . such as members of expeditions ) which dare to seek out her tomb or disturb it . But , Anhotep must , each night during the cycle of the full moon , dissolve three Tana leaves which will keep Kharis ' heart beating . When others threaten to desecrate the tomb of Ananka , Anhotep will dissolve nine Tana leaves to give Kharis life and movement . The " Tana soup " motivates Kharis to kill anyone near the vial containing what will indeed provide him life . Two down-on-their-luck archaeologists , Steve Banning ( Dock Foran ) & clownish Babe Jensen ( Wallace Ford , the film's comedy relief , providing belly laughs with his silly antics ) are in Cairo when they come across a vase from a beggar in the bazaar which contains hieroglyphics which might provide the way to Ananka's tomb . When Banning questions an archaeological colleague , Dr . Petrie ( Charles Trowbridge ) about it's potential , he questions the Professor of Cairo Museum , who just so happens to be Anhotep ! Moving forward despite Anhotep's various methods to trump any kind of expedition , Banning and Babe find a monetary suitor in " The Great Solvani " , Tim Sullivan ( Cecil Kellaway , who is a hoot pulling all kinds of magic tricks , providing the audience with yet another source for comedy , often on Babe ) who buys into their pitch for profit if Ananka's tomb is discovered . But , he has a daughter , Marta ( the spunky and lovely Peggy Moran ) who is visited by Anhotep telling her of swindlers who might rob her pops blind using him for a fake expedition . Anhotep also harbors a lustful attraction for her . At first resistant of Banning and Babe , she soon discovers their legitimacy as they pursue the tomb . Instead of finding Ananka's tomb , however , they make a far more dangerous discovery . . the burial chamber of Kharis . As the Egyptian workers who assisted them on the expedition flee for the hills , Anhotep will have a street spy ( Sig Arno ) infiltrate Banning's camp placing the vials of Tana soup in tents so that Kharis will kill those who draw near . Will Banning and company survive or will Anhotep succeed in his task to annihilate anyone who dares threaten Ananka's tomb ? This was a good little surprise . Tyler's affective mummy , Kharis ( . . a replacement for Inhotep from the first film ) is quite creepy thanks to the superb work of Jack Pierce , regarding the bandages which have become " living tissue " forming his " new face " . Those black eyes sure work to provide extra chills . Great cast , top to bottom . The comedy actually doesn't detract , but enhances the character's likability . Foran is a dashing , charming lead with Zucco a terrific villainous rival , with hate running through his veins for those who'd dare disturb the tombs of his people . Also affective is Ciannelli as the High Priest who as all the best lines ( " You hear ? Children of the night . They howl above the Hill of the Seven Jackals when Kharis must be fed . " ) who provides motivation for his apprentice , Anhotep . Magnificent sets ( . . I read that the temple scenes were appropriated from the film " The Green Hell " ) also enhance the overall film . In my humble opinion , this is one of the finest Universal franchise sequels ever made . Every aspect of the production is top notch . There's a terrific inserted scene of a howling jackal right before Kharis strikes for the first time . Like in future sequels , Kharis has a limp and lame arm which can be used at times to lift . . but most of the time , Kharis strangles his victims with his one good arm . The other sequels sadly are rather repetitious and uninspired . While Tyler cuts a formidable Kharis , Lon Chaney's later incarnation is disappointing . |
436,477 | 9,938,570 | 418,778 | 8 | Infection | An understaffed , over-worked hospital crew faces the daunting task of trying to give their patients proper care due to the fact that resources such as supplies and hired help are lacking . Even worse is the fact that the staff must turn down any new incoming patients because of their problems . Due to criminal negligence , regarding the accidental death of a burn victim ( the recipient of a nurse's embarrassingly awful use of hypodermic needles . . he falls out of bed because he sees her coming towards him with yet another needle and tries to flee ! ) when a nurse confuses chloride with chlorate when Dr . Akiba ( Kôichi Satô ) orders for it as they try to keep him from dying . Realizing that this death might cost them their jobs for good , the staff decide to speed up his decay by heating the body . Meanwhile , a paramedic brings in an infected body for the staff to attend to , but Dr . Akiba tries to explain that the hospital just can't see any more patients . Despite refusal to take the infected patient in need of immediate care , the paramedic leaves the body in the ER . Infection takes the life of one patient setting off an airborne pathogen which infects members of the hospital staff . The infection liquefies the internal organs with the body eventually dissolving into a green goo . The head of the staff , Dr . Akai ( Shirô Sano ) sees dollar signs and press if they can find a cure for the pathogen and recommends not informing the health department so they can study . Akai sees them as pioneers-in-the-making if they can stop the infection in it's tracks . Following this suggestion is a fatal error as the entire staff begin to die off . They hallucinate , often seeing patients that they didn't properly treat or serve well . . we begin to see how guilt ( often the director of the film goes back to the dead burn victim so we won't forget what this staff is trying to cover up ) is destroying each staff member's mind , seeping into their subconscious before infection takes hold . Very bleak horror film gets more and more disturbing as it continues . . it's really quite unnerving . Every character is painted in a corner for past mistakes , especially for what happens to the burn victim . The film takes one heck of a wild turn at the end giving new meaning to the infection . . it may symbolize something else entirely . Good , bone-chilling thriller squeezes every ounce of creepiness from the nightmarish hospital . The ending may be a bit too mind-blowing for some users because something completely unusual , a certain psychological twist , comes right out of left field changing the whole experience of the flick . Quite well made . I recommend it . |
436,437 | 9,938,570 | 80,057 | 8 | Zombi 2 | Lucio Fulci's sequel to Argento's European cut of Romero's Dawn of the Dead , Zombi , has a journalist , Peter West ( Ian McCulloch ) , assigned to fish out clues regarding a sail boat that was discovered floating with a zombie inside , and the daughter of a missing doctor , Anne ( Tisa Farrow ) hitching a ride on the boat of American vacationers , Brian & Susan ( Al Cliver & Auretta Gay ) heading for Matool , a Caribbean island accursed with a strange plague turning the diseased and dying into zombie flesh eaters at the moment of death . Also strange is the corpses of those who have been dead for quite some time rising from their graves to chomp and chew on the available human flesh of the living . Anne's father was one of two scientific physicians attempting to study and discover the cause and cure for this bizarre plague . Dr . David Menard ( Richard Johnson ) is troubled at his lack of answers for this phenomenon as he watches his friends and island population falling prey to whatever has caused such death and sickness . Menard was a partner and beloved friend to Anne's father , having to shoot him in the head after he had died of the same sickness killing everyone in the area . Widespread superstitions from the islanders blame voodoo for causing the devastating plague ravaging the land . Peter , Anne , Brian & Susan arrive not knowing that the zombies would soon overwhelm them with few places to hide . Brian and Susan's boat was hit by a shark causing damage needing repair . The Lucio Fulci gore film that launched a devoted legion of guts'n'blood fans , dye-in-the-wool hardcore following continuing to this very day . While the story isn't a breakthrough , this is an effects movie all the way . The make-up grue is the stuff of legend . Necks among other limbs are bitten into with flesh ripped away and blood squirting from the wounds and gashes , guts and organs are removed and eaten for supper , Olga Karlatos ' ( . . who portrays Menard's hysterically frightened wife , Paola ) eyeball is pierced into a sharp hunk of broken wood from her damaged front door due to a zombie who would not stop until he got his hands on her , heads are caved in by shovels , gunshots blow apart rotted faces , and an underwater zombie does battle with a shark losing an arm in the process . I mean , a zombie battling with a shark , it's such a eye-opening experience , wacky while at the same time spell-binding . . but , no one can't say it isn't original ! The Spanish Conquistadors rising from their graves , their skin and faces deteriorated to the point that very few features remain other than skeletal form and moving worms , is a masterwork of atmosphere that deserves to be applauded , even by his harshest critics . Lucio Fulci's zombies are not only creepy , but they are also fierce and violent . They move pretty much like Romero's zombies , but are so ferocious when they grab the body parts of humans they wish to tear into . The zombie action is set to a very effective score . . Giorgio Cascio and Fabio Frizzi use some tribal music when the film centers on the island , but the catchy rhythmic tune introducing the ghouls as rise from their dirt naps or slowly walking towards potential meals ( Fulci would go to this particular score again at the end of his popular zombie movie , Gates of Hell ) is really a memorable score that certainly generates an effectiveness at the very end ( . . or when the zombie descend upon the the dead village towards Menard's sacristy for the climactic humans vs . zombies showcase ) . The zombies are killed using the same method established for the genre in regards to Romero's walking dead . . gunshots or major damage to their heads . Those who adore this gorefest embrace Fulci's extreme presentation while this will certainly repulse and offend many . Fulci rarely displays restraint when it comes to his zombie films , those who die do so often quite horribly . While this is a straight-forward zombie film regarding a plague which would soon arrive on the shores of New York City , Fulci's future work in this popular sub-genre would certainly grow stranger and more incoherent , using zombies in outrageous ways , his story-telling methods changing drastically . " Zombi 2 " is a brand new chapter in the Fulci cannon as his films went from focusing on a stylistic visualization of stories and characters to bloody violence and extremely unorthodox approaches to killing people . |
436,438 | 9,938,570 | 103,251 | 8 | White Palace | While I don't believe the end result for a second , this film will do whatever it takes to make us believe the relationship between 44 year old Nora Baker and 27 year old Max Baron can work . The age-gap isn't as difficult to accept as their ethnic and financial differences . Baron is a wealthy , successful Jewish business exec and Nora is a waitress at a hamburger joint . The film , though , with all it's might , tries to make us believe that , yes , they can still maintain a loving relationship despite all the certain trials that lie ahead . Both have had loss in their life , both find each other attractive , and when they are together the chemistry and passion is simply magnetic . It's the idea of who and what they are outside the personal relationship . Susan Sarandon's performance as the waitress is a winner because she shows her as fearless , dynamic , and flawed . . but she doesn't ask for pity and accepts that life doesn't always deal everyone a great hand . She goes after the younger man , loves him , she is thankful he continues coming by her house to stay . That aggressiveness to go after what she wants without worrying about what others might say ( . . though , she is very vulnerable and doesn't have faith in the strength of the relationship lasting ) . Spader finally has a chance to portray a likable character who just wants to feel something again . With Nora , he has that joy and the stars are aligned . I will say that this film has lots of things going for it . The dialogue does allow Sarandon to expand her character beyond a cliché . You like her despite whatever faults you might see glaringly . Spader is able to expand into uncharted territory as a person we can care about instead of loathe . There's also a marvelous supporting cast which fill the film with color . But , startlingly , this film is also sexually passionate and pulls no punches showing the animal attraction these two have for each other . |
436,330 | 9,938,570 | 256,009 | 8 | The Devil's Backbone | The lives of boys during a tumultuous time in their country of Spain during a civil war at a little schoolhouse miles away from any form of civilization are effected by Jacinto ( Eduardo Noriega ) who desires gold bars hidden in a safe within a kitchen . Jacinto , sometime in his life , lost any humanity as this obsession for those gold bars took over . He's also the reason behind a quiet tragedy deemed a runaway by the adult radicals ( communists , they call each other reds and take in children whose parents were killed or abandoned as war ravaged the land ) whose ghost haunts a specific room containing a dirty pool . That ghost is nicknamed , " the one who sighs " and one new arrival , brought to the school by someone who was tutoring him but has to go back to war , named Carlos ( Fernando Tielve ) sees him and talks with him . There's a reason this child named Santi has remained between this realm and the next and that is for revenge . Carlos can be the guide for Santi . Jaime ( Íñigo Garcés ) is a young artist who was friends with Santi and saw the whole terrible ordeal take place . But , that tragedy isn't even close compared to what Jacinto will ultimately do to get his bars of gold . The school / orphanage is ran by two radicals / liberals named Casares ( Federico Luppi ) and Carmen ( Marisa Paredes ) . Both are always on edge wondering if those who execute commies will ever find out two other reds are nearby . Ultimately , the violence that erupts and sadly effects the lives of innocents is solely blamed on Jacinto's gold lust . Sometimes ghosts have a way of returning the favor , however , and soon enough Jacinto will reap what he has sown . Beautifully conceived and gripping film from the talented visual stylist director Guillermo de Toro . He's able to communicate the horrors of war and poverty as it effects others , especially children . . this is truly at the heart of this film . It uses the ghost story elements to draw you in , but this is about the sad state of affairs that often yield from a land destroyed by greed and death . We see the ones effected here . Jacinto is the adult example of a child losing his way and only seeing gold bars as his means for escaping his melancholy . How that desperation effects those around him is shown to us vividly . |
436,846 | 9,938,570 | 206,154 | 8 | Girl Slaves of Morgana Le Fay | A philosophy student , Françoise ( the simply gorgeous Mireille Saunin ) on a holiday trip with best friend and fellow student Anna ( Michéle Perello ) , who has a desire towards being a professional comic-book artist , pass through a sleepy village , getting creeped out not only by locals within a rickety tavern , but especially from this dwarf Gurth ( Alfred Baillou ) . They hit the road , making the mistake of taking a back road , running out of petrol and decidedly spend the night in a cold barn , sleeping on a hay spread . Overcome with desire for each other Anna makes a sexual advance and Françoise accepts with a slight make-out session commencing . Awakening the next morning , Françoise finds Anna missing , with the creepy dwarf Gurth waiting outside with directions towards where to find her . Leading Françoise to the decadent castle of Morgana Le Fay ( Dominique Delpierre ) , Françoise finds herself unable to break the supernatural grip of this new place and hostess . Morgana is a goddess who rules over her kingdom and the grounds around her abode and Françoise finds herself with no exit available . Worse yet is the fact that Anna has become Morgana's eternal slave , and Françoise will be faced with the crisis of never being able to leave this alternate world outside the reality she calls home . Jealous of Morgana's blossoming transfixed love for the beautiful , alluring Françoise , her chosen " siren three " will secretly plot against the intruder so that she will be banished from the kingdom , or worse yet sent into the fold of the olders who would not accept the goddess ' offer of eternal beauty , left as an example for all the women caught within the confines of this fantasy world . I consider " Girl Slaves of Morgana Le Fay " to be the perfect embodiment of the male fantasy . 99 % of the film features women , naked under flowing gowns , or embracing in lesbian acts of lust . Utilizing the supernatural dream-like scenario set-up , director Bruno Gantillon can operate without restraint , allowed an opportunity to use any kind of mythical " gadget " at his disposal ( talismans , enchantment spells , a goddess / queen / witch who can grant eternal youth if they submit their souls to her ) . I personally enjoy the sight of beautiful women , although I found that under the power of Morgana , despite the constant nakedness and lesbian sex , there's this repressed sadness and depressing atmosphere . . Morgana has forced these women to make a choice without any sort of escape . Sure , for lovely women , the thought of eternal beauty is enticing perhaps , but limiting their options at having to remain under her jurisdiction removes the joy of love-making or sexual contact . There's one scene where dwarf Gurth commands the women under him to make-out and they do so with cold , bored expressions . . making out has become a chore , considering they've perhaps been doing this for many a year . And , we can see that Morgana rules with cruelty , often barking orders ( . . sure this might provide an erotic aesthetic , the idea of a woman ordering a multitude of nubile beauties to do this and that for her , as they soldier on without complaint , like robotic servants ) to her dwarf Gurth , hopelessly in love with his master ( . . and always rejected with coldly hostile insults ) and female underlings . The protagonist Mireille Saunin is quite a trooper . . she has a great lesbian sequence with Morgana's lead siren , a short make-out session with Michéle Perello in the barn which I thought was set-up nicely , and she's very attractive ( . . quite a sight for sore eyes , mostly either naked , or donning revealing clothing ) . Saunin is the ideal French innocent , overwhelmed by a strange and alluring world , which she finds both enticing and terrifying . I also felt Dominique Delpierre has an amazing presence on screen as Morgana . . a steely , domineering presence which grabs you when she appears . I think you truly feel that she has complete control and no escape seems possible unless the right kind of beauty can chink her armor , which is why I felt that the casting of such a lovely creature as Saunin as Françoise is ideal to the success of this erotic fantasy . I think the open-ending is quite stunning . . a decision Françoise chooses really provides food for thought . Would you pass up the opportunity to remain as lovely as you are for the idea of growing into a haggard , wrinkled lady ? |
436,523 | 9,938,570 | 66,380 | 8 | Vampyros lesbos | The Queen of the Night will bear you up on her dark wings . I guess you can look at " Vampyros lesbos " as director Jesús Franco's 70's modern variation on Bram Stoker's Dracula using Soledad Miranda as the seductive female lesbian vampire who took lessons from her master ( . . that being Count Dracula ) in capturing victims through a form of hypnotic lust , invading women through their dreams . You could say that Ewa Strömberg's Linda , an agent whose firm , Simpson & Simpson , is handling Dracula's will which would entitle that his inheritance of the Kadidados islands ( . . and everything on it ) be left to her , is Mina , the object for which Carody desires to " initiate into her inner circle . " Andrés Monales , as Linda's lover Omar , would be the Jonathan Harker , the one who stands between Carody and her paramour . There really isn't a strong candidate for Van Helsing . . it seems like Dennis Price , as scientist Dr . Alwin Seward , who runs a clinic and studies vampirism , would be , but he harbours a desire to be a vampire himself so he could obtain supernatural powers . Within Seward's clinic is Agra ( Heidrun Kussin ) , who is the Renfield of the film , except instead of madness , she's more overcome by a state of constant orgasm , wantonly desiring to return to Carody , locked up in Seward's clinic . Her husband is Memmet ( . . portrayed by the director in one of his typically bizarre roles ) , who works at a hotel which charters a small boat to ferry people to Carody's island . Memmet is actually a psychotic torturer ( . . who likes to sucker females into the hotel wine cellar where he binds them before the nasty business ) whose madness derives from the fact that Carody " changed " his wife into a lunatic only yearning for her touch . Paul Muller is given , frankly , a thankless role as Linda's psychiatrist who believes her rantings of being haunted by fantasies of Carody is merely bad sex . Carody's relationship to Dracula , subtly mentioned here and there in the film , comes from an incident near a castle she lived overcome by depravity and violence . Men were ravaging the village women , attempting to rape her ( . . this also provides the emphasis on why she hates men ) , dragging her from her castle . . Dracula killing the man on top of her , subsequently " adopting " Carody into his family . Carody mentions how she was the woman who made his life worth living and that he always desired her body , taking just enough blood he needed to survive finally turning her into a vampire . The Turkish locations are definitely highlighted in this film as Franco's camera embraces various aspects of his setting . But , the pleasure for me is Soledad Miranda . The many ways Franco shoots her , the character is all hers . Of her short few lead roles , I think this , " She Killed in Ecstasy " & " Eugenie de Sade " each display her hold on the viewer . Whether it be her very unusual stage act where she dresses a " human mannequin " for an audience before biting her assistant's neck , the way her face is lit , or the abstract camera angles ; it seems Franco wants you to see her as a very special creature , not meant for our world . Whether she's naked , in a bikini , or wearing lingerie on stage , Miranda is a showcase for our viewing pleasure . She's a dark-eyed goddess to me , a portrait on celluloid . I would definitely say Miranda's iconic accessory for this particular film is her red scarf . It's around her neck almost always . José Martínez Blanco is Carody's henchman Morpho , with dead eyes which stare right through you . The score only heightens the otherworldly nature Franco's direction brings to this fantasy . It's a vampire film , but I felt it embraces the erotic side rather than the violence often elaborated in Dracula adaptations . Sure , Carody's bites , but I think this is more about her seduction and entrapment over female victims she desires than the relishing bite on the jugular for flowing blood . I think the ultimate nourishment for a vampire like Carody is capturing the heart and soul of her victim , not their lifeforce . |
436,830 | 9,938,570 | 116,365 | 8 | The Scarecrow reviews " The Frighteners " | Frank Bannister ( Michael J . Fox . . great as always ) has a good thing going with his partnership with two ghosts as they con poor innocents to " exorcise " and replenish homes of ghoulish forces . What Frank doesn't see coming is a grim reaper type taking should from humans . He can see what victims will be chosen next by way of a number that forms on their foreheads . The reason behind Frank's unique ability to see and communicate with ghosts who didn't " go into the light " is that he went through a devastatingly traumatic experience when his wife was killed in a car crash caused by something he can't recall . She was found with a number cut into her forehead for which Frank can not recall . Frank's life will change forever when he " exorcises " the home of Ray and Lucy Lynskey . He sees a number appear on Ray's forehead and Lucy remembers this when her husband is taken from her thanks to a cardiac arrest . Frank can now communicate with Ray and this brings him to Lucy . Her belief in Frank is his anchor when all hell breaks loose as death stalks his next victim . . Lucy ! The film might be very interesting for Peter Jackson completists desiring to sample earlier works before his " Lord of the Rings " films . This film marks his American debut and you can see Peter's ability to use computer visual effects in such harrowing and awe-inspiring ways . The ghosts and how they move { well , particularly death as he " moves " through walls and such within the house of a woman named Patricia who was the partner-in-crime with serial killer Johnny Charles Bartlett ( Jake Busey ) } are especially impressive . There's a major twist towards the end that is excellent and it deals with the identity of Death , the soul sucking reaper . Death's mission and a particular partner of his bring much suspense to the climax as Frank and Lucy must stop him at all costs . We watch as Frank tries to rescue humans before Death takes their souls and that also provides some thrilling moments . The whole film is one long wild roller-coaster as problems arise worse for Frank as he has a nemesis in an agent for the FBI named Milton Dammers . Dammers is at the brink of complete breakdown and we can see in how he approaches people & is effected by certain behaviors ( such as women screaming . . it ails him ) . Dammers has been a part of varying cults , working for the FBI , all his career and we see the horrors of this job etched in his entire being . Dammers has this will so strong it's boundless to put an end to Frank's practices . He uses Lucy in many ways to do just that . I feel Dammers is in this film mainly as a fork in the road to Frank and Lucy's quest to stop Death and there are many moments where he causes complete conflict . Combs plays him quite freakish and he's memorable in every scene he's in . Dee Wallace as Patricia stretches madness and terror , but this particular character is much more to the inner story of Death's quest than meets the eye . Jake has that sinister , twisted chagrin that works well in his scenes as Johnny , the killer . But , the film's dynamic is Fox's energy and Trini Alvarado's ( Lucy . . I couldn't take my eyes off her she's so beautiful ) serene face . . they gel so well in their scenes together . I do feel that many might look too hard at the angles regarding the abilities for people to jump in and out of death by unusual ways ( particularly Fox's hero . . his ability to do this might be a bit of a stretch ) , and one might could dissect how Death does what he does and how he does it . But , if you just go with it , I'm sure many horror fans will be very entertained . |
436,148 | 9,938,570 | 78,077 | 8 | The Grapes of Death | A grape harvest festival , located in a wine region of France , yields an infected village . . those who drank wine made from a nearby vineyard , whose grapes were sprayed with a created pesticide , are infected with flesh-eating sores which ooze puss and blood , rotting their brains causing homicidal mania to the point that they turn on those they love . Traveling to meet her fiancé ( . . the very one responsible for making the pesticide causing the zombie plague ) at the village vineyard of Rubelais , Elizabeth's ( Marie-Georges Pascal ) train stops at a station picking up an infected passenger who murders her traveling companion coming after her . Fleeing the train , Elizabeth enters the vast landscape of a beautiful French countryside , with " rocks everywhere reaching to the sky like trees " , not knowing what terrors await her . Along the way she runs into an infected father who murders his infected daughter right before her eyes with a pitchfork ( . . before crushing him with their car she leaves in ) , an infected man pleading for help bashing his oozing forehead through her car window , a blind girl needing directions back to her native village , the devastated village with burning bonfires spitting flame throughout while dead bodies lay rotting in the streets , village zombies with violent intent , the blind girl's infected boyfriend , and a crazy beauty ( the ravishing Brigitte Lahaie . . her scene in a see-through nightgown pulling two great danes is quite a memorable image to say the least ) whose perfect naked body shows no signs of infection although she wears her lunacy like a badge of honor . Luckily for Elizabeth , she is rescued by two uninfected construction workers , Paul ( Félix Marten ) , with rifle in tow , and Lucien ( Serge Marquand ) with the necessary sticks of dynamite when needed . Making their way to the vineyard of her fiancé , Elizabeth will seek her love for answers to what caused such a horrifying ordeal . Tragic consequences ensue . Have you ever seen a sophisticated zombie gore film ? Rollin's take on the zombie genre isn't the same blunt instrument of grue that we often are used to seeing , although the French director does turn up the dial on delivering some nasty facial sores which release yucky colors and goo . The pitchfork scene is certainly a highlight . . and Rollin's camera remains on the victim's stabbed body as she dies with the pitchfork sticking out . The French countryside is utilized by Rollin well ( . . would you expect anything otherwise ? ) showing us a gorgeous unpopulated picturesque space , uninhabited by the zombie hordes . Certainly an alternative to the awful low budget bloodbaths that have glutted movie shelves since Romero's movies broke the cinematic mold for gory violence . Not to say Rollin doesn't display a few gruesome highlights despite the pitchfork scene . One wacky moment shows an infected citizen beheading his female lover , stuck to a door with nails through her hands , and blouse ripped displaying her breasts ! Oh , and Rollin adds to the hysteria of the scene by showing him planting a slobbery kiss to the lips of the disembodied head as he dies ! Lahaie sure captures your attention as well . . she disrobes in a completely gratuitous scene showing the two uninfected males that she has no sores . Pascal , as the tragic heroine , tries to show a woman losing her sanity as she bares witness to the non-stop parade of insanity occurring around her . I found her a bit over the top , but I guess we must look at what was happening and put her character's plight into proper perspective . Here's Lahaie , having arranged for the zombies to have their way with her , coming towards Liz with a lighted stick as flames threaten to burn her face . If that wasn't enough , she watches as an innocent falls prey to her infected lover , not being able to stop what will eventually happen . And , to cap it off , Liz must face the fact that her fiancé not only caused the plague but is also a victim of his creation . So , I guess I can see some heightened overacting ( . . pulling into her hair , screeching , with eyes bulging ) being feasible under the circumstances . At the very end , Pascal displays her character as a silent shell of her former self , no longer the young woman full of life at the very beginning . . Elizabeth has been put through the ringer . Although , " The Iron Rose " is still my personal favorite Rollin film , this may very well be his best one . I think " Grapes of Death " certainly shows a filmmaker who has taken complete command of his craft . |
436,827 | 9,938,570 | 283,693 | 8 | Zero Woman : Red Handcuffs | After she kills an American diplomat known for leaving dead women after rounds of sadistic sex , undercover cop Zero ( Miki Sugimoto ) is thrown in the pen to rot ( . . she is attacked by female prisoners during the credits ! ) . When a public political figure's daughter is raped and kidnapped by a group of hoods , Zero is offered a chance to redeem herself . . by infiltrating their gang , assassinating them , and retrieving the girl . It will not be easy considering their leader was just recently released from prison and is clearly unstable . . his face often twists into a homicidal rage when completely provoked . We witness just how uncontrollable his mania can be when a young member of his gang attempts to help their prisoner escape , bashing a bottle over the kid's head as blood squirts from the wounds . Zero is able to earn the gang leader's trust by helping him escape the clutches of cops who had him surrounded , getting access into the brotherhood , but suffers through a series of sexual attacks and physical abuse , while holding an amazing resolve , focused on the task at hand . Meanwhile , Zero's boss , President Nagumo's man in charge , follows the leads she provides , accompanied by a host of cops who plan to do what's necessary to quiet any type of possible scandal . If the idea that a scandal might come out , Nagumo will order the unthinkable to help his political career remain untainted . Zero may very will have to not only contend with the unhinged group of thugs , but those who hired her just so that a politician can keep his life free of scandal . One thing's for certain , director Yukio Koda knows how to deliver brisk action set-pieces featuring startling amounts of bloody violence . There's a definite amount of unpleasant sexual abuse towards female victims thanks in part to the nasty gang who often attack on a whim . . in fact , they only discover that they have raped and kidnapped the daughter of a major political giant only after consulting their " sis " , Sesum ( Yôko Mihara ) who provides them with a place to stay ( . . she's also one of the prisoners who attacks Zero in the opening ) . We see how unpredictable they can be when they besiege a group of school girls studying for a Shakespearian play , raping and abusing them in a very hostile manner , even setting the house on fire with them tied up and unable to escape . Miki Sugimoto is a rock of strength , an ice-queen avenger who is able to withstand quite a bit of punishment because of her profound devotion to fulfilling her duty as required . She's also stunningly beautiful and carries a confident , cool disposition which defines many heroine undercover assassins in Japanese action crime thrillers . The use of the red handcuffs is preposterous . . Zero is able to throw the cuffs locking whatever body part she so wishes as if a magician with an unprecedented marksman's skill . Lots of thick textured blood pours from bullet riddled wounds during shootouts and the hand cuffs even stab a throat causing gushing red . A pretty cringe-worthy torture scene also occurs as we witness techniques used to coerce information from one amongst the group ( . . using a blow torch , vice-grip , and water hose ) . This is over all far less disturbing than it could've been because of how director Koda lenses the attacks , cleverly showing less than appears yet still stirring up a reaction from the viewer . Such as the rapes , you witness the clothes ripped away , but Koda is able to keep actual penetration away from the screen , yet you still feel the intensity and terror felt by the victims and the despicable thrill captured on the faces of the tormentors . Shooting in some incredibly difficult angles , Koda also impresses with his impeccable camera-work . Despite familiar trappings we are accustomed to ( . . undercover operation to get a victim out of the hands of criminals using a cop with unorthodox methods ) , Koda films it all with style and skill . |
436,129 | 9,938,570 | 76,127 | 8 | Haunts | Herb Freed ( Graduation Day ; Beyond Evil ) directs this psychological melodrama ( . . with elements of a slasher ) regarding the effects on a small town , and especially troubled Ingrid ( May Britt ) , as a sexual predator stalks vulnerable women at night with a pair of scissors after raping them . Ingrid is haunted by memories from childhood regarding finding her mother dead in a bathtub and possible sexual abuse at the hands of " reliable " Uncle Carl ( Cameron Mitchell , whose role is minor until the enigmatic ending where he supposedly returns to Ingrid's home where memories of his own resurface after being away for a while ) . It seems that Ingrid is being stalked by the town stud , Frankie ( William Gray Espy ) , who even rapes her in her own bedroom , holding scissors to her throat . Ingrid is a deeply devout Catholic who is suffering hallucinations thanks to her past ( . . blood is a constant ) and seems incredibly uncomfortable around men . Husky voiced , alcoholic sheriff ( Aldo Ray ) is truly puzzled about the attacks plaguing his once quiet , sleepy little town , and is quite concerned for his citizens , innocent women who might venture out at night alone . Trying to sober up , the sheriff will attempt to find the killer , keeping his deputies on alert , watching the country roads and neighborhood streets at night , hoping to catch him in the act . Meanwhile , Ingrid battles with her conscience and religious convictions after being raped . The film also subtly hints at the idea that her mysterious Uncle Carl might be the one responsible for the attacks . Also , a mannerly , soft-spoken stranger from Baltimore , Bill Spry ( Robert Hippard ) enters town hoping to date Ingrid , who seems little interested in making relations with any man . Director Freed and collaborative writer Anne Marisse craft a very tricky tale here which takes it's time building the attacks around Ingrid's story . The attacks themselves really are the Macguffen as the film centers around Ingrid , and serve to actually heighten her trauma . Through the surrounding attacks in town , Ingrid , slightly stable on a slender thread , goes off the deep end with the scissor-murders influencing her hostile fantasies . The film seems to have three endings . The police cornering the sexual sadist in a saw mill . Ingrid's confrontation with Frankie as a bound Carl tries to free himself . And , Ingrid's fate and the reactions from the sheriff and Carl relating the truth to the viewer . Freed doesn't hurry himself and the film takes it's time developing so it might can become tedious for some viewers ( . . such as choir practice and a bar conversation between Spry and a local gal-pal of Ingrid's who is a potential victim ) . I think one might also find the last thirty minutes tiresome due to the complexities of Ingrid and what is real and imagined . I found it worthwhile and thought Britt's performance was a stunner . The score from Pino Donaggio really adds quality to the tragedy ever so present throughout the film . Freed does an exceptional job incorporating Ingrid's memories within her life at the present , with Donaggio's somber music adding the right touch at reflecting her deteriorating mental state . |
436,928 | 9,938,570 | 120,660 | 8 | Enemy of the State | A labour lawyer , Robert Dean ( Will Smith ) is embroiled in a controversial NSA cover-up when a former college pal from Georgetown ( Jason Lee ) leaves a recording of the murder of a Congressman ( Jason Robards ) at the hands of Thomas Reynolds ( Jon Voight ) the head of NSA because he opposed a Security act being passed regarding wire-tapping at will anyone they deem a possible threat against America . The disc is what Reynolds needs or it will certainly hit the fan in a major way . Reynolds tools all his resources putting his crackpot team of surveillance wiz-kids and footmen on the hunt for Dean , whose life is thrown into a tailspin thanks to his supposed ties with the mob and a source ( Lisa Bonet ) who gives him information from a Deepthroat named Brill . Brill , it turns out is Edward Lyle ( Gene Hackman ) , a former NSA man himself removed from the agency he loved after an Iranian cover-up in the early 80's which sent him underground . His identity is uncovered once Dean meets up with him in an unfortunate state of affairs leading to both being on the lam . But , having a skilled technician who understands the world of surveillance and security breach ( obviously , I was reminded of Coppola's THE CONVERSATION the entire time Hackman appears on screen ; I believe they even use a photo of Hackman from that film when they search his background files ) will lend Dean a helping hand in catching Reynolds and company making one false move or statement turning the tables on them in using their own methods on them . Exhausting , thrilling , pulse-pounding roller-coaster doesn't let up once Dean is on the run . Smith and Hackman make an ideal team and the film plays at the entertaining , fast-paced level of THE FUGITIVE where Dean is continually running for his life at every turn trying every way possible to remain one step ahead of his pursuers . We get a glimpse inside the world of those who sneak a peak into our privacy . . it's scary and we come to understand that this flick might just be a cautionary tale as well . The supporting cast of young Hollywood at the time ( Jack Black , Seth Green , Jamie Kennedy , Scott Caan , Jake Busey , Barry Pepper ) is enormous . One of Tony Scott's best films , this film may not be at all realistic , but is a hell of a lot of fun . |
435,993 | 9,938,570 | 483,607 | 8 | Doomsday | The Reaper virus devastated a portion of Scotland with England building a steel , reinforced barrier splitting apart Great Britain . With signs of the Reaper virus reawakening in London , and the photographic evidence of those who have survived on the opposite side , quarantined away from " civilization " , the British government ( . . or what's left of it ) desires for a commando unit , led by someone of great skill and leadership ( . . able enough to pull off such a difficult , seemingly impossible feat ) , to find the cure which has allowed those uninfected to survive where the Reaper virus had ran rampant . Selected to lead the team is one-eyed Major Eden Sinclair ( Rhona Mitra ) , a skilled marksman with no fear , always calculating her next move , with an ability to handle chaos when others might falter . She is seen at the opening as the little girl whose eye was shot by a soldier with a hair trigger and is sent away by her mother on board a helicopter to safety as the madness of frightened citizens seeking refuge from being quarantined are all around her . Eden wears a high-tech eye which works as a video recording device and camera . She also has a watch which feeds her information from the eye . The soldiers under her wear the typically black hi-tech gear and carry the elaborate rifles able to blast the enemy with range and precision . They enter the quarantined Scotland inside armored tank-vehicles with security cameras and weaponry equipped to handle an army of marauders and savages as the case will soon become . They encounter a society of leather-clad , immoral cannibalistic , barbaric punks with mohawks , facial make-up , and piercings , a direct representation of a world gone terribly wrong it seems . They seem to have a singular mission , to harm and destroy , and those who decide to infiltrate " their city " are slaughtered . Eden and her commandos ( . . or those left after the savages pick them apart ) are to find a Doctor Marcus Kane ( Malcolm McDowell , whose chilling narration opens the film , informing the viewers of the horrifying future as it unfolded before the true plot forges ahead ) who was working on a cure before murder and mayhem arises having him flee with men elsewhere . Kane's son , Sol ( Craig Conway , letting it hall hang out ) , is the psychotic leader of his fanatical army , actually holding his decent and scared sister , Cally ( MyAnna Buring ) prisoner , planning much worse for Eden . Cally knows where Kane is and will lead Eden to his location . What lies in wait for Eden is a now diabolically mad Kane , who has built a new life for himself and those who followed him out of Sol's city , living within the confines of a medieval castle fortress , adopting a new type of civilization away from the past , isolated from the memories of yore , building an empire which threatens anyone from the other side . Obviously director Neil Marshall was inspired by his beloved influences , creating a wonderfully wicked hodgepodge of Escape from New York , The Road Warrior and 28 Days Later . . This will be considered a travesty by some , ripping off films from the past , but I saw it differently , working more as a homage , gloriously embedding the viewer into a harsh climate of violence and despair , a grim post-apocalyptic nightmare where all hope seems lost and only the mad or infinitely corrupt survive . Eden is a symbol of strength , fortitude , smarts , and cool . . a charismatic and formidable opponent towards those who wish nothing but hostility and death towards those they consider responsible for the pitiful conditions brought on by circumstances out of control . Those abandoned and left for dead cry out by inflicting misery on outsiders who pose a threat to their way of life and purpose . Featuring a Reaper virus quite similar to the one released by the monkey in 28 Days Later . . Eden is a female equivalent of Snake Plisskin , even missing an eye and wearing a patch ( . . and has a locater device which is smashed to pieces not longer after entering the quarantined zone ) And Sol's punks are very reminiscent to the violent freaks and weirdos from The Road Warrior . There's something quite surreal about seeing an action heroine facing off with a vicious punk one moment , and a massive soldier in gladiatorial combat within a suit of armour , not long after . One moment freaks on motorcycles and a graffiti-covered beat-up bus ( hearkening back to Hill's The Warriors ) are after Eden , the next Kane's men on horseback with a suit of armour , swords in hand , with archers equipped with a bow and arrows . Then the masterfully designed chase on the open roads as Sol's gang ( . . in modified vehicles featuring their deranged style ) are after Eden and company ( . . driving a Bentley they found in an abandoned warehouse ) featuring bristling scenes where crashes are imminent , across a gorgeous picturesque countryside with winding roads . Bashed in heads , a bunny rabbit blown to bits by an automatic machine gun , a victim cooked over an open fire as Sol's people celebrate a cannibalistic feast , imaginative beheadings galore . . lots of ultra-violence in store for those who crave such things . Marshall adopts modern techniques which might repel many . . quick cuts and breathlessly paced camera work are featured during the action sequences whether it be hand-to-hand combat or cars crashing into each other . Solid cast featuring Bob Hoskins as Eden's guiding influence Bill Nelson bringing his usual commanding presence to the film in an almost thankless role , Alexander Siddig as the Prime Minister , a rather spineless leader for a nation who has been abandoned by the other parts of the world , and David O'Hara as Canaris , the cold-blooded lieutenant who truly calls the shots , using his boss as a tool , just waiting to take his place . Great role for Mitra who conveys confidence and quiet swagger , also having the precise look needed to fulfill the role demanded of her . The Reaper virus is a nasty plague where humans ' faces are bombarded with hideous sores and cause the hemorrhaging of blood . |
435,945 | 9,938,570 | 68,361 | 8 | The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie | Will six examples of wealth and manners ever be able to friggin ' eat ? ! Off of this idea alone , Luis Buñuel has a field day exposing and exploiting these characters in various ways while also having them awake from nightmarish situations which open them up like wounds . Such as how the three males of the group deal in drugs or how Don Rafael ( Fernando Rey ) , the one character poked at the most , sleeps with his pal's wife , or how the " always-hosting " couple escape from their window while the others await them downstairs to have a tussle in the bushes . But , Buñuel can not resist throwing the entire narrative off course by having certain people , out of left field , enter the film telling of dreams they had such as the soldier who interrupts the ladies at a restaurant with a tale about his ghostly mother commands in poisoning the man who claims to be his father but who actually is an impostor . Another even wilder scene consists of a soldier who is asked by his fellow officers to tell a dream to the six main characters ( . . whose meal is yet again interrupted by Military practicing maneuvers ) about meeting certain dead people he knew from the past . But , my two favorite scenes poke fun at Rafael . His country is a violent , barbaric society yet it's representative , Rafael , is in this country living a life of prestige and privilege . When confronted by the Military head regarding how uncivilized his country is , Rafael pulls a gun and shoots him ! Another scene has the six finally on their way to eating a cooked lamb only to being stopped by men who break in with machine guns . Rafael hides under the table , yet gets caught when he reaches up into his plate for the sliced lamb that was to be eaten ! And , the " Bloody Sargeant " gag is a doozy ! |
435,874 | 9,938,570 | 68,471 | 8 | Delirium | Psychosexual madness from director Renato Polselli regarding a psychotic impotent psychiatrist and his equally nutty wife who obsessively loves him to the point that she allows him to nearly strangle her to death ! Mickey Hargitay stars as Herbert Lyutak who preys on young women , his demented eyes crawling up their legs , crotches and necks until the urge to strangle them proves too great to resist . We see in an opening scene where he offers a young woman , barely past her teenage years , a ride home , stopping on the way , pursuing her as she runs for her life . Catching up to her , he bashes her with a branch , while gripping her throat tightly , ripping away her clothes , with a look of sheer rage on his face . . the inability to have sexual contact has created a madness beyond his control . We know right away what he's capable of . After this , he nearly murders his wife , Marcia ( . . the ridiculously sexy Rita Calderoni ) , who knows about his activities . Attempting to set himself up by tipping the police on alert for the perpetrator , someone else stabs a young woman in a telephone booth . Then , a whore , who was to be Herbert's target , gathers the knife used as the murder weapon wishing to talk to him , is drowned in the bathtub of her flat after being flogged repeatedly with a whip across the body . A suspect is a voyeuristic parking lot attendant , but he's merely an obvious red herring who actually eyewitnesses the Lyutaks ' maid being put to sleep by a suspect off-camera . Living with the Lyutaks is relative Joaquine ( Christa Barrymore ) who may in fact be Marcia's lover . All sorts of sleazy , sordid shenanigans are on display in this crazy , violent giallo with a cast who lets it all hang out , holding nothing back , their wacky characters unrestrained . Bulging eyes , rough sexual violence , and harsh behavior using all sorts of tools add to the devious fun . To enjoy this , you need to have a degree of tolerance towards tasteless acts and outbursts of insanity . Hargitay's eyes , how they chillingly stare down potential young victims , are certainly hard to forget , as are his treatments towards those unlucky ones he treats harshly . The real star is Calderoni , whose love-crazed wife harbours an unhinged passion for her man , and the film highlights certain bizarre sadomasochistic fantasies she has regarding her husband and those who live within their home . The violence isn't gory but uncomfortable to watch at times because it deals mostly with naked ( . . or skimpily clothed ) women being mistreated . Calderoni has quite a marvelous seductive presence and I couldn't take my eyes off of her . The mystery of who else , besides Hargitay , was killing , shouldn't be that hard to figure out . It's the outrageous behavior of the central characters which dominate this film . I watched the Italian version not the American one ( . . which alters the story regarding a violent tour through Vietnam which shaped Hargitay's dementia ) . |
436,230 | 9,938,570 | 403,358 | 8 | Night watch | This curse placed on a specific woman has caused a group of " people " known as The Others to split into two separate factions : The Force of Light and Darkness . During a bloody battle , the leaders on both sides declared a truce which has remained for hundreds of years . There's " policing " of this truce with both factions working to keep it intact by keeping an eye on each other to stay away from harming others . The film focuses on the Light Others as they keep the Dark Others in line . Their police unit is called Night Watch while the Dark Others have Day Watch . The truce hits a bump in the road when Light Other Anton commits a grievous sin when he kills a Dark Vampire trying to harm a child he was protecting under a watchful eye . This sets out an unfortunate unfolding of events as the dead vampire's lady seeks vengeance not only for killing her man but allowing herself to be turned into a dark one . She also craves blood and the Dark Others coerce her into seeking out the young child who seems to have an important role for both Other sides . The film has several mysteries that develop over the picture's running time . Who cursed the woman which caused the split of the Other ? Why is there a vortex forming a tornado over Moscow ? And , most importantly , how can damnation spurning from an eventful apocalyptic showdown between Light and Dark ( . . seen through the psychic abilities of Anton when he touched the woman with the curse on a subway ) be stopped ? Who is this young boy and why is he so sought after ? Yes , the film is plot heavy and times convoluted , but this is so extremely well crafted if the viewer can just be patient and hang with it they might find it a pleasure to behold . I sure did . It's visually stimulating , excitingly paced , and full of surprises . Some fascinating developments occur such as Anton's unique relationship with the young boy he is to protect , the friendship between Anton and a Dark Other vampire , and an airplane's possible crash into a vortex hovering over a specific building housing someone very important in every event that has taken place in the past and the future ( . . for this important person the director uses a clever visual trick by way of a metal bolt from an airplane ) . There are some things that bother me such as the whole framework of the Others and their supposed battle . Why have a truce at all ? Why not just wage a private war on earth until one comes out on top ? That answer might just come thanks to a bad decision Anton made before he found out he was an Other . . it has a lot to do with the Dark Others and their sinister plans . The ending leaves open many more films for the future . If they are as imaginative and entertaining as this one I'm in for a treat . |
435,794 | 9,938,570 | 382,810 | 8 | Little Fish | Tracy ( Cate Blanchett , brilliant as ever ) has been sober from a nasty heroin habit ( among other drugs ) introduced to her by mum's ex-beau , a once prominent soccer star , Lionel ( Hugo Weaving , who gives a haunting powerful performance ) . The film takes up after being sober for a while and working at a video rental in hopes to get a loan that will bring in internet gaming and perhaps her own ownership of said store . Her past credit problems halt those plans and finding a way to raise the money she needs is ever so difficult . She cares deeply for Lionel who , I'm sure , was a father to her in that time when she needed one . Yet , Lionel's life has descended because of his intense drug habit and his sugar daddy ( and homosexual lover ) Brad ( Sam Neill ) is retiring from the life of drug boss . His right-hand man , Steven ( Joel Tobeck ) wishes to go into business on his own , but behind Brad's back . Ray ( Martin Henderson ) , Tracy's brother wishes to pull drug deals with Steven and finds a partner in a returning friend from Vacouver , Jonny ( Dustin Nguyen ) . Jonny is Tracy's ex and the man responsible for a car crash that cost his best friend Ray one leg . Jonny was sent to Vancouver as a means for breaking his drug habit and perhaps starting some sort of career for himself . Once Jonny returns that flame is still burning between he and Tracy . Tracy and Ray's mum , Janelle ( Noni Hazlehurst ) , is really at her wit's end constantly worried that her adult children will break their sobriety and wind up back on drugs . Their pasts have caused much anguish and horror . Jonny's return only fuels that , not to mention , Lionel's troubles at going straight . She knows Tracy and Lionel have an unbreakable bond which might lead to her getting him drugs when he has no freebies coming his way . This " drugs and their effects " drama is supremely well acted by this marvelous cast without one faulty performance from the lot . It has a realistic feel to it and , most importantly , you care for these characters because the cast is able to make them human , not carciatures . My only real problem is a rather unresolved ending which leaves a lot of loose ends untied . |
436,950 | 9,938,570 | 1,139,797 | 8 | Let the Right One In | I often read how the horror genre has no hope and that it's practically dead or on life-support , then a movie like LET THE RIGHT ONE IN comes along and dispels such nonsense . It has the traditional vampire traits we're accustomed to , yet is presented in an unconventional , low-key way that's refreshing and spellbinding . . partially due to the wintry , depressing setting , while also hypnotic in it's visual presentation . Director Tomas Alfredson deliberately paces this movie , allowing the young leads and their stories to captivate and grip you . The blossoming romance of lonely scrawny Oskar ( Kåre Hedebrant ) , a quiet , reserved boy whose bullied by a mean little turd named Conny ( Patrik Rydmark ) , who , of course , runs with a couple of droogs allowing him to gang up on the kid , just mistreating him for giggles . Oskar , brimming with calm anger , imitates , with his knife , Conny in a victim's position , longing to pay him back for his aggravating antics day in and day out . Oskar befriends a new neighbor , a vampire " girl " named Eli ( Lina Leandersson , whose face will become an iconic image in horror for years to come ) who uses an older gentleman to get her a blood supply . . hunting humans around the surrounding area of the small city , the man uses an anesthetic to drop victims , stringing them upside , slitting their throat as the blood drains in a funnel into a jug . But Eli's serial killing supplier has become sloppy ( . . he fails in one attempt to gather blood in an isolated forest due to a dog which got away from it's owner , and unfortunately selects a basketball playing student whose awaiting friends in a gym room ) and is soon caught right before slicing a victim's throat , pouring acid over his face in a suicide attempt . As the film continues , Eli will forge a bond with Oskar while her predatory instincts leads to a series of events which will put her in danger . As far as Oskar's situation with Conny , he agrees to fight back thanks in part to a pact with Eli . . if his situation becomes difficult due to a strength in numbers scenario , she has promised to help him . I was thoroughly impressed with the central performances of Hedebrant and Leandersson who are the featured characters all the way through . What might frustrate some more impatient horror fans is the way the film is methodically paced paying special attention to Oskar and Eli , and their developing relationship and how these two become indebted to one another . While the film is off-beat in it's approach to vampirism , Eli is shown feeding on locals , her hunger causing great agony ( . . we actually hear a guttural growl when Eli is needing blood , and her face becomes discolored and drained of life ) as well as her amazing abilities to climb , not needing the same kind of winter wardrobe Oskar does ( . . it's rather amusing how she often walks barefoot with short-sleeve shirts , even moving around at times with no pants ) . The film pays careful attention to Oskar's reactions to his new friend and her unusual nature . . and their conversations are warm without being sugary , which is a difficult feat accomplished with skill . A very fluid camera , director Alfredson often shoots characters from afar , letting the events transpire from a distance , allowing the atmosphere and mood of the setting to make as much impact as the story itself . The entire environment , the characters and their home , achieves the same tone throughout . . bewitching but sad . At it's core , I felt the power of friendship is what makes this movie as appealing and alarming in equal measure . . appealing because of two lonely hearts finding a love for one another , but alarming in that their friendship is forged through blood and death . The ending , as Oskar's life is threatened , is a powerful yet horrifying scene because we in fact see what Eli meant by having the ability to help him if he could not defend himself . Kudos to the filmmakers for allowing this story a chance to work it's spell over us , but without the beautiful performances from the two young leads , it could only work to a certain extent , if at all . |
435,682 | 9,938,570 | 65,491 | 8 | Mark of the Devil | Herbert Lom is truly terrifying as hypocritical witch-finder Lord Cumberland who secretly rapes and humiliates women ( . . this is only shown once , but elaborated on by a local witch-finder he murders when his impotency is thrown in his face , damaging his ego ) , although he isn't quite adequate enough to finish his despicable deeds due to his impotency . He hides behind his stature as a magistrate towards dishing out punishment , through his " soldiers of God " , with a menace brooding underneath the surface . . through Lom's powerful presence , you can see the cold eyes of evil brimming to the camera lens . Udo Kier is his equal as his student , Christian , a young man who looks at Cumberland as a fatherly mentor whose ways are just . Their relationship becomes strained and complicated when Cumberland begins to torture innocent people convicted of crimes they did not commit , because of embarrassment due to his men's negligence . Christian has also fallen in love with a village waitress named Vanessa ( Olivera Vuco ) , a voluptuous commoner convicted of witchcraft by the local sadist Albino ( Reggie Nalder ) , for whom she wouldn't put out to . Albino takes offense to Cumberland's entering his region taking over as the head witch-finder , and soon their butting heads leads to his death . Christian sees the murder and his relationship with Cumberland deteriorates , especially when an aristocratic couple , and their son & daughter are arrested for witchcraft for merely having puppet plays for the village children , saying that the wooden toys were being given voices from the Devil . Soon Christian will mutiny against his master , releasing Vanessa who will , in turn , cause a revolt urging the people to stop the unnecessary torture haunting their village . Using the name of God , to exact torturous methods of cruel violence towards innocents , using labels such as " witch " and " sorcerer " is the heart of this depicting of events from a horrifying period of history . We get all the ugly details particularly when one woman is stretched , burning , and whipped as those torturing her seek a false confession admitting to the preposterous accusation of having been impregnated with Satan's child ( . . her claiming accurately that a Bishop molested her causing a pregnancy for which she aborted ) . When she doesn't admit to what they desire , her tongue is pulled out as blood pours profusely from her mouth . A very wealthy prince is gruesomely run through the ringer as the church wishes for him to hand over his inheritance to them . We also see what they do to him seeking to " release the demons from his body " . . all he has to do is sign over what is rightfully his to the church and be freed from the supposed evil plaguing his being . They lock his feet while having the poor young man sitting on spikes . He's sliced and burned on the ass as well . We get plenty of sadistic insights into their notorious ways of tormenting people hoping , they say , to cleanse their souls . " Disturbing " or " unpleasant " , perhaps even " nauseating " fits the bill when describing this film . . at any rate , the film creates an unflinching view of how witch-finders and their soldiers of torture mutilated and maimed their suspects . While I can not really call it entertaining , unless you find pleasure in seeing people tortured endlessly and gratuitously , I certainly found it enlightening . Lom deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Vincent Price when we talk about performances as witch-finders . Their cold and calculating approach in how they do their jobs , without remorse , is chilling . Powerful and seems realistic enough . Grim and tragic ending to quite a terrifying chapter in a barbaric , simple-minded period of man's existence . |
436,450 | 9,938,570 | 99,052 | 8 | Arachnophobia | Spielbergian flick that'll make your skin crawl . Not for those who get the creeps from the appearance of spiders , they are shot in practically every way imaginable by director Frank Marshall and his cunning cinematographer Mikael Salomon ( . . and I just LOVE the aerial camera-work shot from above ) . . they utilize lots of methods capturing the creeping crawlies and the victims they draw near . With a game cast who provide spirited performances , and this willingness to give the audience the heebie jeebies , ARACHNOPHOBIA is such a thrilling experience . It's really an old fashioned B-movie , with a polished and sophisticated look , well produced ( . . the funding alone for Venezuala must've cost a fortune ) , with the opening in the jungle , fabulous and really spooky because of the dreaded idea of coming in contact with hidden spiders yet discovered by man , really establishing the kind of dangerous spider our heroes would be up against . Daniels is perfectly cast as a city doctor , Ross Jennings , moving his family away from San Francisco hoping for a more peaceful existence in rural America . What he doesn't expect is a massive Tarantula ( . . which traveled from Venezuala inside the wooden casket of a local photographer bitten by the spider , killing him ) creating a breed of offspring with a domestic spider . The offspring set off to intrude upon unknowing locals around the area of Jennings ' home , biting unfortunates who have no idea that spiders are among them . Jennings will enlist the aid of spider specialists , James Atherton ( Julian Sands ) and his partner Chris Collins ( Brian McNamara ) to help solve the problems plaguing the town , leaving citizens dead under his watch including the former physician , Sam Metcalf ( . . notable character actor Henry Jones ) and a lovable neighbor , Margaret Hollins ( Mary Carver ) , who welcomed him to the neighborhood without bias towards his being an outsider . The beautiful irony of Jennings having arachnophobia provides quite an entertaining template for the character having to face his fears in the climax as he will have no other choice but to battle the spider responsible for the terror striking the area . Harley Jane Kozak really has good chemistry with Daniels , portraying his wife , Molly , who attempts to rescue him from his fear of spiders . John Goodman steals his scenes as an exterminator , a know-it-all who is often mistaken in regards to the locations of spiders and his knowledge about them . . Goodman's girth often engulfs the screen . Stuart Pankin has the role as Sheriff , Lloyd Parsons , who makes it quite known that he doesn't like outsiders intruding upon his town as if they own the place . Mark L Taylor has the role of Jerry Manley , the photographer who gets bitten by the Tarantula , his casket of which the spider hitches a ride . A very accomplished film for a first-time director , it's quite obvious that Spielberg had an influence during the production of ARACHNOPHOBIA , his own signatures ( . . such as the suburban , successful family whose picturesque life is disrupted by something sinister ) are recognizable . Sure to get under the skin , the shower scene where a spider crawls down a girls body , and the spider swarm at the end as they besiege Jennings home . Also , I think another success for the filmmakers was making the giant cob webs as eerie as the deadly spiders that made them . |
435,785 | 9,938,570 | 264,508 | 8 | Dagon . . one of the best of the decade | This might be a bit of a stretch , but I thought this was one heck of a wild ride . . in typically bizarre Stuart Gordon fashion . The brief synopsis goes like this , poor Paul Marsh ( Ezra Godden , those who have seen Gordon's Masters of Horror , " Dreams in the Witch-House " might recognize that he wears the same sweatshirt ) just wants to get help for his wealthy buddie when an enormous storm throws their yacht into a huge stone . Along with his lady-love Bárbara ( Raquel Meroño ) , they go ashore to this Spanish isle , but soon realize it is inhabited by " fish-people " ! After a supposed rescue attempt goes bust ( Bárbara stays on the isle to try for telephoned help ) , Paul returns to isle and finds his life in a bit of warped difficulty . . the people of the isle are after him and he has few choices of destination . Thankfully , he at least finds one normal ally in Ezequiel ( Francisco Rabal ) . . the one who tells him of what the hell happened to this place and the reasons to why many have gills and tentacles . In a sub-plot that makes more sense in the end , Paul has been seeing a woman in his dreams whose face surfaces on the isle which throws up more questions such as how this could even be and is it some sort of premonition . This film is really about how a man and his girl will ever be able to get off this isle alive with these hideous monstrosities chasing them or constantly on the attack . Most of the film follows Paul as he tries every possible way to not only defend himself against these creatures , but at the same time try and find an escape route out of this place . The problems stockpile as he discovers the mysteries of this place , his weird dreams , and what this " god of the sea " Dagon wants with his Bárbara . Ezra Godden has this rubber and animated face which can express confusion , horror , and delirium as he can not understand how he even got into this disaster . He presents him as mostly terrified { who wouldn't be ? } and struggling to continue his quest for escape and rescue of Bárbara . The creature effects are limited going more for what you visualize than throwing out constant cheap effects { . . it's clear that Gordon is working within a tight budget } . We do get shades of what they are under their enormous coats and hats which often shield themselves . A face here , or a tentacle there . . they often make an appearance and let us know that these " people " are not normal , but much different than we could possibly imagine . While , Gordon does reveal who they are like Macarena Gómez as Uxía Cambarro , the princess of her Cambarro family with her octopus tentacles for legs , he really wishes to keep the film around Paul's trying to free himself in the ever-present rain from such horrors on this isle . A fun treat for creature-feature fans . |
435,894 | 9,938,570 | 66,518 | 8 | The Vampire Lovers | Vampire Carmilla ( Ingrid Pitt ) , fulfills her duties for the Karnstein family by pursuing fresh female victims , intruding their dreams at night , draining their blood . Her first victim is the niece of General von Spielsdorf ( Peter Cushing , in a limited role ) whose set to marry fiancé Carl ( Jon Finch ) . There's a way for which the Karnsteins work . A Countess ( Dawn Addams ) , who carries a trustworthy face with an ability to easily deceive others into allowing daughter Carmilla ( . . often using an alias ) to stay with a fatherly figure with women in the household while she whisks away to see about a dying / sick relative . Both are guided by a mysterious , ominous vampire , always riding horseback with a sinister grin showing his fangs at the knowledge that other prospects for bloodsucking will be mistreated . Earning the family's trust , Carmilla goes to work , slowly seducing and hypnotically manipulating her prey , through the dreams and removal of blood , the victim slowly dies of anemia . After the death of Spielsdorf's niece , Carmilla sets her sights on the daughter of Roger Morton ( George Cole ) , another aristocrat whose business often keeps him busy , giving her time to slowly ravage his naive , innocent , and virtuous daughter Emma ( Madeline Smith ) . Madam Perrodot ( Kate O'Mara ) , Governess of the family , falls prey to Carmilla's powers as well . With the assistance of Baron Hartog ( Douglas Wilmer ) , someone who understands all too well what harm the Karnsteins can do , General Spielsdorf will hopefully end Carmilla's reign of terror . Another gorgeous , eye-openingly colorful Hammer production , this time giving those slobbering males some extra eye-candy to feast on . Like Barbara Steele's role in Bava's Black Sunday , Ingrid Pitt gets the iconic role of Carmilla , bearing the fangs & inhabiting the character as if born to play her . Pitt's seduction of innocents offers titillation , and she often bears her naked flesh displaying that stunning voluptuous body she had . Pitt , like Steele , has this presence that causes you to gravitate towards her . The film itself doesn't elaborate , though , as far as lesbian sex like more explicit Euro-trash vampire flicks in the 70's . Pitt does kiss Smith on the lips and there's this build-up to that as this sexual tension develops . The film shows Carmilla's growing attraction and love for Emma , qualities perhaps she desires . Pitt blessed figure is given the full treatment in some sumptuous gowns and there's no denying heads turn when she walks past . Few actresses who make their foray into horror achieve what Steele and Pitt did . I'd say this role was tailor-made for Pitt . Cushing fans might be a bit disappointed at his underwritten role . He does get to chop off a head as does Wilmer's Baron Hartog at the opening . The use of Christian imagery , such as the crucifix ( . . a Hammer staple ) are on display and Ferdy Maybe portrays a typical doctor who bah-hum-bugs the idea of vampirism only to fall prey to Pitt , and Harvey Hall makes the most of a small part as the Morton's butler who , for a little while , halts the whithering nature of Emma , only to falter at the lust for Carmilla . A breast bite is also revealed after Carmilla has killed her first victim . |
435,670 | 9,938,570 | 93,677 | 8 | Opera | A young theater actress reluctantly accepts her first major part in a staged play as Lady Macbeth thanks to the mishap of the production's diva falling in front of a moving car . A success winning her accolades , Betty ( Christina Marsillach ) finds instead horror as the one responsible for getting her to this point terrorizes her in cruel ways . First her stage manager boyfriend , Stefano ( William McNamara ) is viciously stabbed with a knife while she has to watch , rope-tied to a pillar in his uncle's vast mansion , keeping her eyes from closing thanks to needles scotch-taped under her eyes , with pricking a result if she blinks . Allowing her to escape , Betty again finds herself in this unfortunate position , when a specific gold chain is found on her Lady Macbeth wardrobe that had been torn to shreds by the madman after killing a series of crows which escaped from their cage in the equipment room , by the clothing designer who is first knocked to the floor by an iron and subsequently stabbed heinously by a pair of scissors ( . . to cap off this nasty scene , the chain falls into her throat with the killer having to cut open her throat to find it ; while not specifically elaborating this act , Dario uses the ripping sound of the scissors for optimum effect with the camera often retreating back to the victim's dead face ) . Having nowhere to turn , Inspector Alan Santini ( Urbano Barberini , playing him cold and bland at Dario's request ) promises to catch the psycho as Betty relies on her few remaining friends for comfort , the theater director Marco ( Ian Charleson , of GHANDI & CHARIOTS OF FIRE who would later die of AIDS ; A sad footnote , Dario revealed in an interview that Charleson informed him at the end of the shoot that he was HIV positive ) attempting the stage after a successful horror movie career despite being rejected by critics , and pal Mira ( Daria Nicolodi , Dario's former squeeze ) , her agent and confident . But , the serial killer is quite driven and a showdown between them will , of course , occur in the theater as Marco has added an interesting change to the production using the crows at his disposal . I think this is Dario at his most savage & nihilistic . Although he has certainly made later gruesome films ( . . such as his Masters of Horror entries and SLEEPLESS would suggest ) , this film really ups the ante in pure violence towards the victims of the psychopath . His method of forcing Betty to watch was admittedly a gag by Dario regarding the type of audience who like to look away from the more horrific parts of horror movies . I found myself rubbing my eyes every time she just has to blink ( . . brilliantly , Dario shoots the pricking from point-of-view achieving a tormenting effect from our perspective as if we were the ones with the scotch taped needles holding our eyes open ) . I like how Dario will show the widened eyes of Betty , horrified at what she's being forced into watching , as little blood tears down the needles when she has no choice but blink . The photographic work of Ronnie Taylor is impeccable , such as the crow's point-of-view shot in the theater at the end as it searches for the killer . Or , when the camera " travels " through rooms in the theater following the killer who wishes to see his muse from a box seat . Or , the dream sequence where we are taken into Betty's memory of an event regarding her mother's death by a certain killer , donning the same mask and gloves as the one causing her trauma at present . The highlight , in my opinion , is the peephole bullet-fire sequence , masterly staged by all involved as the camera follows a bullet which shoots through the eye of a victim , exploding from the back of her head , going through a telephone Betty planned to use to call for help . We even get a crow pecking the eyeball from the killer ( . . to add to this vicious scene , the crow is shown with the eyeball rolling around in it's beak ) . Only aspect I didn't care for , often pointed out by naysayers of the film , is the " final " ending which I personally felt was a bit unnecessary , but I guess Dario wanted to point out that Betty was indeed not like her mother , a woman with sadomasochistic tendencies which , in a twist , relate to why the killer torments our heroine . The rock music used during the violent scenes didn't bother me , because I felt that those moments of wicked graphic attacks needed a jarring thud which heavy metal can often provide . |
435,888 | 9,938,570 | 464,141 | 8 | The Orphanage | Laura's ( Belén Rueda ) beloved HIV positive adopted son , Simón ( Roger Príncep ) disappears and if she wishes to find him , will have to play a game with the ghosts of children she once knew as a little orphan girl , the victims of a secret tragedy . While those around her consider Laura's quest for the location of her son , through some idea that ghost children know where he's located , a lost cause , she will do whatever it takes to find him . Carlos ( Fernando Cayo ) , a doctor , tries , to no avail , convincing his wife Laura to abandon a foolhardy search that so often yields few answers . Yet , as she pursues Simón's whereabouts , horrifying truths about those children she once knew surface . This film follows Laura through the clues the children leave behind . The setting is at an orphanage , the very one Laura once lived as a child , for which she hoped to raise mentally handicapped kids . I guess the R-rating is for a minor few displays of disturbing images ( . . such as a key character's facial damage after being hit by a truck , a fingernail removal , & a broken bone protruding from the skin of Laura's leg ) which is a shame because this is actually a rather harmless ghost story regarding a woman's endless search for the son she adores . Dogged and determined , despite how others try to convince her that the mission was fleeting , Laura's pursuit brings such an emotional depth to this , and kudos goes to the performance of Rueda as the mother . I think Rueda brings that key mixture of motherly paternal love and warmth definitely needed and it's important that we care about this search . . the film hinges on our desire for her being rewarded . Although , the reward she receives may not be the way we would intend it to be , in the traditional sense , but it certainly packs an emotional wallop thanks in part to Rueda . Cayo , as the suffering husband who wishes to find their son , yet soon loses faith of ever finding him , while trying to heal , I think does a good job at pointing out how most of us , looking at the situation from a more grounded realistic view , would probably react to Laura's demand to continue . The film shows the influence of Guillermo del Toro as director Bayona obviously received a few pointers in the style because he has a visual command that beautifully swept me off my feet in how he photographs the film . This will try more impatient viewers because Bayona's film is a slow-burner , building the mystery , as layers are unpeeled . There's a creepy sequence with a medium , trying to find what is plaguing the orphanage , that I thought works really well , summoning the spirit of " The Changeling " . Other than the orphanage itself , the director makes good use of a lighthouse and beach-front as well . |
436,800 | 9,938,570 | 45,161 | 8 | The Sniper | Eddie Miller ( Arthur Franz ) is a deeply disturbed man , whose psychiatrist was away for two weeks , can not control the urges pulsating inside him . After a self-inflicted hand burn on a stove eye , Eddie is the ultimate example of a cry for help . He himself wishes to be locked away before the drive to kill is realized yet when this doesn't happen many female victims will suffer for it . That uncontrollable monster inside springs forth meticulously as Eddie chooses women who fit the type that represents his mother , ambiguously hinted at briefly . When Jean Darr ( the great Marie Windsor ) , a bar pianist is assassinated , two San Francisco detectives , Lt . Frank Kafka ( Adolphe Menjou ) and Sgt Joe Ferris ( Gerald Mohr ) face the pressure of catching Eddie before more killings arise . Yet , this task isn't easy and when a third victim is a prominent society woman , the press and frightened public is breathing down the police's back to catch the sniper , who sits on top of buildings patiently awaiting the perfect shot . Eddie has a harsh criminal record including a nasty attack on a woman with a baseball bat . But , bit by bit Eddie makes little mistakes that will inevitably feed the police leads in catching up to him including an incident at a carnival . Surprisingly frank in a professional manner , addresses sexual deviancy preaching the word against allowing sex offenders and predators ( . . peeping toms , etc . ) on the streets so easily . The film is handled with kid gloves thanks to good direction by the reliable Edward Dmytryk and intelligent writing . We see how the public can not get enough of the case as people always rush to crime scenes and such trying to see for themselves Eddie's handiwork . Arthur Franz is quite good as the killer , showing the agony tormenting him . . that festering desire to kill etched on his face and in how he carries himself . We also see how the case takes it's toll on the detectives really mounted with pressure to find the assassin . |
436,816 | 9,938,570 | 89,470 | 8 | The Scarecrow reviews " The Legend of Billie Jean " | Many might use labels describing this movie as " hokey " or " preposterous " or " manipulative " , but one thing I believe is achieved in this little cult fave is Helen Slater's terrific performance as the female heroine who gets her revenge against scumbag Pyatt ( Richard Bradford ) . It's interesting that this film works off a basic premise about a young woman who will have to take it to the road in order to get $608 for her brother's ( Christian Slater in his first film , and he really shows promise at such an early age ) motor scooter being damaged by Pyatt's son Hubie ( Barry Tubb ) . The film makes Pyatt completely evil and greedy milking Billie Jean's " Joan of Arc " image for all it's worth . He's a sign of corrupt greed , pure and simple and seems , in this film , to merely be a vile scum-of-the-earth with no soul . Helen Slater , on the other hand , brings effortless grace , strength , dignity , sexiness , and charisma to her role as Billie Jean . You can see why this movie has a little following because Billie Jean is a representation of poor , but rather happy neighborhoods while Pyatt , and especially Hubie , represent the very smell of greenbacks . What is damaging , I believe , is that there is hardly any room for a grey area in this film . Billie Jean is good . Pyatt is evil . Peter Coyote , a very fine and sadly underrated actor , brings a level-headedness and understanding to his role as a cop trying to stop the madness , but constantly dealing with Pyatt and his ideas of not paying the money that is rightfully owed to Billie Jean . The film works well as a road movie and the young cast is so good , we love watching them together on-screen . Yeardley Smith steals the film as Putter , whose foul mouth and overeating provide much humor . Putter is the type to just speak out loud what most might keep to themselves . Martha Gehman plays Ophelia , simple and honest driver of the car . She is pretty much the one Billie Jean can truly depend on when things tend to get chaotic . Then there Keith Gordon as the " hostage " who Billie Jean falls for . This is one of Gordon's finest hours ( along with some good work in " Christine " and rather ho-hum work in " Back to School " ) and it's quite a shame the film doesn't get recognized enough for others to see how good this young cast was in this movie . Dean Stockwell turns in a supporting role as Gordon's father . . their relationship is strained at best . I will admit that this particular scene where Billie Jean is called upon to " save " a little boy from his abusive father was rubbish , but it was a padding placed in the film showing that so many feel that this young woman is a symbol for troubled , wronged youth everywhere so perhaps it might not be hammered by critics too much . The film's ending as this statue erected by Pyatt with Billie Jean holding a gun in her hand as if she's a terrorist falls into the pit of flames that starts up accidentally when he trips over a burning candle could be considered a bit hokey as well . But , my solid rating is pretty much based on my love for Helen's phenomenal performance and the good young cast . The soundtrack really is quite good as well . |
436,527 | 9,938,570 | 113,361 | 8 | Huntress : Spirit of the Night | Tara ( Jenna Bodnar ) returns to Breckin , Northern Wales where she was born to attend her father's funeral . She was sent to America , because of her father's fear that a savage beast plaguing the surroundings of the area would harm her . Actually , thanks to a diary containing her father's recorded thoughts and newspaper clippings with photographs , given to her by butler Geoffrey ( Constantin Cotimanis ) , Tara discovers that a panther was behind a mass of slayings , shot by a Breckin citizen , with it's owner , a witch , cursing the female populace to carry the spirit of her beloved animal . Tara finds a young naked female being hunted by a village mob looking for a beast prowling the area killing citizens again , on her father's estate , and watches as the spirit leaves her body looking for a new host to rest . . in Tara does it find such rest . While actually being sexually repressed , Tara finds this primal spirit providing an extra motivation to embrace her carnal desires . Meanwhile , childhood friend , Michelle ( Blair Valk ) and crush , Alek ( David Starzyk ) wish to purchase Tara's father's estate . Michelle has a specific reason why she wishes to get her hands on the estate , having seduced Alek into finding investors interested in forking over the appropriate funds to do so . But , as Tara becomes accustomed to her surroundings , the atmosphere of it all enveloping her , she may wish to stay , even against the urgings of Geoffrey , worried about her well-being , and local antique-dealer , Ty Bodi ( Charles Cooper ) , a friend of her father's , who believes in the legend of the panther spirit , warning her of it's evil . Through Ty does Tara realize that the beast killed her mother . Also , Tara meets a photographer , Jacob ( Michael Wiseman ) who she falls for . He's in the area capturing wild life for a magazine , a cavern his temporary refuge and studio . She willingly accepts an offer to pose for him and does so provocatively , letting go of her inhibitions , the animal inside unleashing her from the cage holding her true self at bay . If Tara doesn't sell the estate , Michelle will try more lethal methods . . As a few others have already mentioned in the user comments section , I felt this is a loose variation on " Cat People " . The ravishing Jenna Bodnar has enough acting skill to tackle the role of an outsider transitioning to the new environs where folklore and superstition still remain in the hearts of many . I think , however , this works best as a piece of erotica because Bodnar has such a magnificent body , her figure so well-defined , and director Mark S Manos has the knack for arranging several set-pieces to showcase her " talents . " My favorite , besides the terrific cavernous photo session where lightning , rain , and a campfire enhance her naked flesh being bathed with water as it falls , is the first true night where Tara is caught up in a wave of lustful abandon , the animal inside emerging as she takes to a group of steps ( . . nice prop provided by the director so that Bodnar could work over it , her body barely confined within the silk robe , only a strap containing it ) set up in a room overlooking the wilderness , a lantern swaying to and fro . The director's camera covers every inch of Bodnar's body , up and down every curve . Carefully edited are the sex scenes . I think the director wishes for you to salivate over Bodnar , the story is of little consequence next to her " sexual awakening " as the spirit takes hold , ever so pushing her to embrace the dark side , chambered for so long . As a horror film , it isn't successful . I think the film uses the sexuality of " Cat People " , while neglecting the violence that derives from being consumed with the aggressive tendencies of the panther to hunt for food . It is mentioned in the film , through newspaper articles of recent attacks and the ever so glum Ty Bodi condemning Tara to leave at once . I cared little about the angle with Michelle and Alek . . although , Valk is incredibly sexy and has a very memorable disrobing before crawling on all fours on top of a piano . Unfortunately , though , her threesome with Tara and Alek is uninspired which is a shame since all are attractive . See it for Bodnar , she doesn't disappoint . She even turned me on moving her tongue down a butcher knife in a fantasy sequence . Executively produced by Charles Band ( . . my DVD carries his Full Moon label ) and filmed on stunning , richly lush Romanian locations . . there's an enchanting nature this location gives off that seems just right for an erotic fantasy . |
436,841 | 9,938,570 | 65,569 | 8 | Count Dracula | Franco's take on the Bram Stoker novel with Christopher Lee again portraying Count Dracula , except this production ( . . a meager one at best with Franco admitting in a recent interview that he had to front his own financing to finish the film ! ) is completely sub-dued from the acting to the presentation . Director Jesús Franco does exploit an obsession of his in this film . . his love for the use of a zooming camera lens . During moments of dialogue Jesús Franco loves for his camera's eye to hone in on the faces of his casts , and even lingers on the mouth of Dracula as his fangs become slightly visible . I do think that this technique can work , but , to be honest , Jesús Franco does tend to go overboard a bit . It does seem like he has inferior equipment . . his camera , at times , seems to have the jitters , and the focus & color occasionally obscure . But , I liked this film much more than I thought I would . I love the opening sequence with an elder Dracula " welcoming " Harker into his decadent castle . Dracula looks overwrought from the dead atmosphere of his ancestral home , where he belovedly speaks , with passion and authority , about his proud family and how they fought and won wars bravely . Yet , in that castle he remains , and I think that you can see it through Lee , a relic of a begone era . The blood of those in a completely different place far removed from home , will bring the youth he seeks . Like always , Lee can merely open a door and you stand at attention . That whole scene in his castle , before venturing off to seek fresh victims elsewhere nearby Van Helsing's mental institution , is probably my favorite of the film because it brings something different to the oft-filmed character , establishing this version of Dracula performed by Lee , as more than just a blood-sucker . If only Franco had been able to afford better special effects . He does use the location of Barcelona impeccably . I would've enjoyed a better confrontation between Lee and Lom , but to see them ( . . along with Kinski and Miranda ) in the same film , even if they were often filmed separately , is enough pleasure for me . For a long period of time in my youth , I only knew Lom primarily as Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus , the constant recipient of aggravation from Peter Seller's bumbling Inspector Clouseau . Since watching more 60's & early 70's horror , I've come to find Lom an icon of the genre . He can hold you captive with his mere presence , just as Lee . He's not as much a theatrical actor as this authoritative , commanding figure who draws you to him like a moth to the flame . I didn't mind Franco's constant zooming towards Lom's face because he has always delivers something interesting with his Van Helsing character . Lom is formidable and this really bodes well because there is a good portion of the film where Lee's Count is away from the screen . I think , in order to hold the viewer's interest ( . . or those who want to see Lee all the time ) , it's important to cast other interesting actors . This leads me to Klaus Kinski . I have to admit that I wasn't expecting this type of interpretation from Kinski as the often dementedly performed character of Renfield . Klaus , I don't think , ever finishes a complete sentence , preferring to show the terror on Renfield's face as he slowly awaits the arrival of Dracula . Even within a padded cell , you can see , through the facial mannerisms and hypnotic blue eyes of Kinski , Renfield's plight . Unlike past interpretations of Renfield , Kinski doesn't deliver deranged monologues about the Count , but channels the horrors of what he knows through silence ( . . often seen staring , almost mime-like in how he makes for the window of his cell as it faces the mansion with which his enemy resides ) and gesture . Soledad Miranda's exotic beauty is definitely put to good use as Lucy , Dracula's chosen source of blood . Fred Williams , as Lucy's fiancé Jonathan Harker , and Jack Taylor as Mina's fiancé Quincy Morris , are more or less secondary characters . They're important as vampire hunters , urged by Van Helsing to stop Dracula before he can harm other innocents . The lovely Maria Rohm ( Venus in Furs ) has the role of Mina , but she is used mainly on screen to scream when she sees Dracula . |
435,820 | 9,938,570 | 53,085 | 8 | The Mummy | An archaeological dig unearths the ancient Egyptian burial tomb of High Preistess Princess Ananka . Inside a secret burial chamber is the mummified corpse of Kharis ( Christopher Lee ) imprisoned for blaspheming the laws of their god in his attempts to bring Ananka back from the dead using the sacred Scroll of Life , because of his devoted love for her . John Banning's ( Peter Cushing ) father , Stephen ( Felix Aylmer ) doesn't heed the warnings of Mehemet Bey ( George Pastell ) regarding the desecration of his Princess ' tomb . Stephen , who removes the Scroll of Life from it's place , doesn't realize that in doing so opens the burial chamber door . Making matters even worse , Stephen reads text from the scroll which bring life back to Kharis as he exits his chamber . While Stephen is overcome with hysteria at what he just saw , Mehemet Bey takes command of the scroll and Kharis , vowing to kill the three who entered the sacred tomb of his goddess , removing precious artifacts that belong where they were placed . Returning to England , John's father slowly awakens from his emotional plight while resting in a nursing home , to inform his son of Kharis . Thinking his father still ill , John is concerned but bothered by such a statement . When placed in a padded cell after a frightened outburst , Stephen is attacked and killed by Kharis , ordered by Mehemet Bey , when the mummy intruded through a heavily shielded window . Later , John's uncle is strangled right before his eyes after Kharis explodes through his front door . John realizes that his father wasn't just raving madly , and faces the fact that he's next to die . While his testimony of his uncle's killer being in a " comatose state of living death " to the police makes him sound loony , John will attempt to face off with Kharis , only to be saved by his wife , Isobel ( Yvonne Furneaux ) who is the spitting image of Ananka . After the attack , Inspector Mulrooney ( Eddie Byrne ) will inform John about an Egyptian who lives not too far from the asylum where his father was murdered . Mulrooney tells him of a crate falling into a bottomless bog , carrying " relics " to the home of this Egyptian , for which John will take it upon himself to meet the man who is indeed Mehemet Bey . Bey will this time follow Kharis to the home of John in one last attempt to fulfill the goal of repairing the honor of his people for the desecration . It was finally cool for me to sit down and check out Hammer's take on the Universal Mummy series . Obviously , being a major Cushing fan , I enjoyed his starring as the archaeologist , with a bum knee he didn't get repaired , having to use his wits to defeat the much stronger undead foe . I was equally pleased with Pastell as Cushing's true foe , Mehemet Bey , who is actually controlling Kharis as a killing device . There's a great scene where John and Bey meet at the Egyptian's English home . . John attempts to ruffle Bey's feathers by attacking , in a wonderfully sophisticated manner , his beliefs which will incite his anger leading him to act against his nemesis , exposing his guilt . While the sets and props used for the Egyptian tomb and people look like exactly that ( . . which , unlike purists , didn't bother me the slightest , understanding Hammer's limited budget ) , I found Lee ( cutting that tall imposing figure as he bursts through doors and windows , strangling smaller victims with ease ) as the mummy , " swathed in bandages " and covered in bog mud , quite effective . Sure Jack Pierce's detailed mummy wraps for Karloff are superior to those in Hammer's film , but Lee still looks quite menacing ( . . and , a credit to his performance , where we can see only his eyes , he brings extra emotion during the scenes where Kharis sees Isobel , obeying her commands , the presence of love and sadness echoing what he felt as a dashing Egyptian servant so long ago ) and his bandages are decent enough . It's a tall order for anyone to match the Pierce design , whether it be werewolf or mummy , so I cut Hammer some slack . As far as the premise for this " re-imagining " , basically Hammer takes the best elements from Universal's Mummy series , combining them to create this entertaining effort . You have Kharis being controlled by a shadowy Egyptian hiding in secrecy as he orders his weapon of destruction towards " unbelievers " who dare desecrate the tombs of his people's civilizations . You have John's wife Isobel baring a striking resemblance to Ananka which the archaeologist will use to save himself from harm . You have the Mummy killing members of an archaeological dig with English police baffled as to what kind of fiend could commit such murderous deeds . But , ultimately , the success can be contributed to the big three , Cushing / Lee / Fisher joining forces once again bringing us yet another thrilling horror tale . The film provides a flashback to Ananka's burial and Kharis ' fate at trying to resurrect her ( . . with us getting to see a human Lee in Egyptian garb and face paint ) as John reads through his father's notes , speaking about their ways and beliefs . |
436,150 | 9,938,570 | 70,013 | 8 | Demoniacs | Four pirates ( . . labeled " wreckers " for they draw ships with light crashing into the shore to pillage them ) ruthlessly rape and assault two blond young women as they walk to shore , appearing from the darkness in nothing but gowns . Soon the Captain ( John Rico ) , already insane , is haunted by ghostly apparitions of those two girls they left for dead on the shore . Yet , somehow , the girls survive fending off yet another proposed attack by the pirates , making their way to the " haunted ruins " which holds a demonic presence , imprisoned by two guardians who can give them the power they seek in weakness needed for revenge . I really enjoyed this one , even if I was often left with my jaw open wondering what the hell was going on . I couldn't help but snicker when the twins make to the haunted ruins and are greeted by the female clown . Many would probably throw their hands up at that , but I couldn't help but love such an audacious move by Rollin to throw a modern image inside a film representing pirates . I loved the brothel pub hybrid with patrons fondling the gals as our clairvoyant Madam plays the piano when she isn't foretelling doom . I like how over-the-top the pirates are , even Tina ( . . let me stop for a moment and gain my composure ) who Rollin films in nearly every scene naked , delighting in her devilish ways . Take , for instance , the Captain who lifts his mug to drink with beer spilling out all over himself , or Bosco ( Willy Braque ) , always morose until he begins to trash the fisherman's bar and brothel . The film is Joelle Coeur for me . There's one image I'll always have to summon every now and then . Rollin's camera eyeballs a naked Coeur with her arms stretched to the heavens after their conquest and corruption of the innocence of two girls who had just lost everything . The camera slowly pulls away as she stands , enjoying every minute of the atrocities committed . How Coeur can't help herself as her men ravage their bodies , tearing their already shredded gowns , in a state of ecstasy . She craves this type of cruel activity , embellishes the evil they partake in . The wrecking is child's play compared to the rape and destruction of innocence . I liked how Rollin gets his skeleton and bat in the film , by using them as " decoration " in the brothel-pub . Oh , and I loved that winged creature statue in the brothel-pub as well ( . . I believe Rollin shoots one of the girl's apparitions next to it when they haunt the Captain ) . The ruins left me in a state of bliss , particularly how Rollin shoots the female clown guiding the girls to the " crypt-watcher " ( . . he looks like a Russian czar , or something ) down those massive steps . And , when the girls remove their shirts making their way to the prisoner's cell to release him . . One of my favorite techniques established by Rollin is how he follows his female beauties , either naked or clothed under a gown or shirt ( . . just long enough to cover their crotch ) , holding a candle to guide themselves , as they make their way to a specific destination . I also liked how the final sequence ends with water engulfing the main characters . Oh , and my favorite scene , besides the bedroom sequence where the Captain is fondling a bird he'd later rip into as Coeur slowly gets naked , is a certain character's death as a piano plays on it's own . |
435,978 | 9,938,570 | 449,059 | 8 | Little Miss Sunshine | A family riddled with problems ( each with their own little failures ) will go through hell or high water to get little Olive ( Abigail Breslin , who is absolutely delightful ) to a Beauty Pageant in California . The main problem is the yellow VW van they have to constantly push to jump-start , but also battling life's little miseries on this journey can become just as difficult . The cast is outstanding , and the film is very funny . . not just uproarious like that humdinger of a talent contest at the end , but through subtle painful ways truth can be just as humorous . Obviously , through reflection and bonding , each character will summon something strong in themselves to thwart the problems they face . |
436,422 | 9,938,570 | 24,360 | 8 | Murders in the Zoo | Startlingly violent , potent shocker for a 30's film stars Lionel Atwill ( doing what he does so well , portraying diabolical scientists with evil intent ) as an insanely jealous , very wealthy , big game hunter . . and animal scientist / zoologist . . Eric Gorman , who supplies zoo's with wild life he finds on safari trips , and his grisly actions towards those who dare desire to seduce his wife , Evelyn ( Kathleen Burke ) . In the opening of this film , he actually sows a man's mouth shut ( ! ) for attempting to kiss Evelyn , leaving the man to be food for the wild . Later , a millionaire , Roger Hewitt ( John Lodge ) begins an affair with Evelyn , only to die thanks to Gorman's use of Mamba venom . When Evelyn intends to inform the police of his murder of her lover , Eric feeds her to alligators ! Thinking his threat of being exposed is over , Eric finds himself in trouble with animal scientist , Dr . Jack Woodford ( . . western icon Randolph Scott , far from the stern , tall-in-the-saddle cowboy hero he'd later become , he's a smiling softy with a heart-of-gold ) whose place of employment has been besieged because of Hewitt's murder ( . . the snake having not been found ) and bad press causing closure . Gorman will go to whatever lengths necessary to insure his safety endangering Jack , his girlfriend . . and fellow scientist / lab associate . . Jerry ( Gail Patrick ) , whose father GA ( Harry Bersford ) is the zoo's curator , or anyone else who stands in his way . Charles Ruggles is perhaps the film's weak link , a bumbling , alcoholic press agent , Peter Yates , who is supposed to be the comic relief , but he provides a diversion which breaks the intense spell this has . Without Ruggles , the film provides a tour-de-force performance for Lionel Atwill channeling the same kind of malevolent and quietly deranged characters he'd often portray on screen . This is the perfect vehicle for Atwill , and he provides the film with a loathsome villain to root against . For Atwill fans ( . . like myself ) this is a must-see . His final scene , after releasing lions and tigers from their cages , is a doozy ! |
436,529 | 9,938,570 | 111,149 | 8 | It's not a story , Alex . It's a corpse | Three flatmates offer a room to a dangerous thief who has ran off with a pair of gangsters ' loot . When they find this guy ( whose name is Hugo , claiming to be a writer ) dead from , I'm guessing , overdose , they chop up his body and bury it so they can share the money . Juliet ( Kerry Fox ) is a doctor whose uses her feminine whiles to pit " chartered accountant " David ( Christopher Eccleston ) & newspaper reporter Alex ( Ewan McGregor ) against each other as greed becomes a seducing emotion overwhelming all three . When Alex and Juliet go on a mild spending spree , David goes berserk , hiding the remainder of the cash up in the attic and hermits himself up there drilling holes in the ceiling so he can watch the other two intently . Soon , the gangsters find their flat , but David has completely turned a bit wacko awaiting them to enter his lair . What will ultimately push these three into complete turmoil is when the police start fishing . The film gets really grim as David never quite recovers from chopping up and burying Hugo's body ( he lost a " drawing of straws " ) . We see three people plotting against each other until certain violence erupts as paranoia and corruption come to the surface . We see right from the very beginning as these three are interviewing possible candidates for their flat how crude and rude they can be . It doesn't surprise that these supposed friends could harm each other over A LOT of mullah . I say that if you don't like dark , dark comedies where people turn on each other or change twistingly into a different person then stay away . It's visually exciting thanks to Boyles ' impressive camera-work and the writing is a psychologically nasty piece of work . One question that did poke around in my brain was why they just didn't divide the loot amongst themselves and remove any form of angst or aggression . |
436,510 | 9,938,570 | 165,854 | 8 | The Limey | Definitive star vehicle for Terrence Stamp ( . . it seems he was born to play this role ) as a British " criminal man " , Wilson , who wishes to uncover the truth behind his daughter's death . Peter Fonda , a beleaguered rock'n'roll producer , Terry Valentine , is Stamp's target . Barry Newman ( . . of VANISING POINT fame ) is Fonda's " security guard " , Avery , an enforcer who protects the interests of his employer . Lesley Ann Warren is Elaine , a friend of Wilson's daughter he befriends as well as Luis Guzmán ( . . who portrays cook , Eduardo " Ed " Roel , another friend of Wilson's daughter's thanks in part to their acting class together ) who helps him on his pursuit for answers . Sure Wilson has thoughts of killing Valentine , but he'd rather find out the truth about his daughter before any attempts of settling a score . Great role for Nicky Katt as a hood Avery turns to when he needs dirty work tended to . Just as good a cast as you could ask for and director Soderbergh builds characterizations through a careful editing process going back and forth through time as Wilson dotes on his past regarding his daughter , while others surrounding Valentine ( . . such as Katt's Stacey and his partner , and DEA agents who have been tailing Valentine for helping push heroine ) have plans of their own he often gets in middle of . Within a tight 90 minutes , we get all we need to know about Wilson thanks to the way the film is directed and written ( . . good use of a film directed by Ken Loach starring Stamp as a young man living a rather poor , but happy , existence with his wife , before being sent to jail for petty crimes ) . I particularly was satisfied with the climax because while everyone is killing each other , Wilson is able to confront Valentine face-to-face with a much different result than we are used to in these types of films . To say this was an atypical revenge film would be an understatement , and that may be it's greatest strength . THE LIMEY also establishes Wilson as a fish-out-of-water character whose slang and language leaves many confused and bewildered , yet he leaves a lasting impression . My favorite scene would have to be Wilson's one-on-one with DEA boss Bill Duke , both out to get Valentine , for different reasons , attempting to understand each other . Lesley Ann Warren had a real chance to show just how good an actress she is when given a great part . . her work opposite Stamp , a quiet camaraderie that develops because of her fondness for his daughter , is subtle and effective . Also , Stamp's unusual bond with Luis Guzmán is actually touching . A really great movie if given a chance . Fonda's producer is rather sad , a relic needing companionship , always looking over his shoulder in fear that the boogeyman could come from behind any minute . Acted in a minimalist fashion , with quietly moving moments here and there . I think , at it's best , the movie shows a father's regret for not being a more vital figure in his daughter's life . |
436,012 | 9,938,570 | 113,241 | 8 | Habit | Sam ( Larry Fessenden , who also wrote , directed , & edited this feature ) is an alcoholic manager of a café , coming off a relationship that is lingering awkwardly , meets an alluring mysterious woman named Anna ( Meredith Snaider ) at a friend's Halloween party . They later meet for a series of passionate sexual encounters . . their first featuring an intense bite on Sam's lip by Anna . Soon Sam's friends begin to disappear one by one , while his physical condition begins to worsen . We see that Anna may just be a vampire when , during a sexual encounter in a hospital supply room she bites him lustfully on the arm . In another very quick moment which reveals even more about Anna is after Sam has spoken a dedication speech for his late father . . she has taken the face of Sam's past lover , Liza ( . . this is quick so you must notice it when it comes ; we can see that she has taken the identity of someone people at that function might've seen in Sam's life before ) . But , the most revealing aspect of Anna is how she hides her entire existence ( work , personal things , family ) only desiring to constantly have relations with Sam with most being of a sexual nature . But , even though Sam finds these certain developments out during time , including his worsening physical state , he does not seem to care as long as he can continue to have those moments with Anna . Horror fans might know Fessenden the most for his directorial effort , Wendigo , but I like this film even more . It has that " Martin " vibe ( the George Romero tale of a vampire ) with Fessenden using authentic NYC locations shooting and unfamiliars in the acting department . The cast is quite good for being unknown ( . . these are probably actors and friends he has worked with in the past ) , but the startling aspect of his story-telling to me is how graphic the sex is between Fessenden and Snaider . Snaider fulfills her role quite well providing a vamp who we might could understand why Sam wouldn't wish to relinquish his passion with her . The film's location work might remind many of indie directors like Ed Burns and Noah Baumbach who often like making films surrounding NYC and having " regular " looking people in them . But , I think this film is closer to Romero who likes using rather regular looking people who we don't see in films unlike those I named above . Much like " Martin " , this film feels like a documentary of a doomed loser who has finally found something exciting in his life , despite the consequences that might occur later . I wrote this bad review pretty much as a heads-up to horror fans who are looking for a different kind of vampire tale . " Habit " is quite a low-budget wonder where Fessenden provides us with realistic flats and the rather ordinary places that ordinary people might frequent in NYC . |
435,843 | 9,938,570 | 47,209 | 8 | Man in the Attic | Essentially an American re-working of John Brahm's masterpiece , THE LODGER ( . . itself a reworking of Hitchcock's silent ) , director Hugo Fregonese's MAN IN THE ATTIC is still a commendable , atmospheric take on the notorious Jack the Ripper with Jack Palance taking a crack at the infamous White Chapel serial killer , and completely mesmerizing in the role , in my opinion , displaying the tormented soul behind a calm exterior slowly beginning to falter as his infatuation and desire for famous dance hall actress Lily Bonner ( Constance Smith ) grows . This version is less subtle than Brahm's film with dialogue , behavior , and certain situations often implicating the mysterious lodger , Jack Slade , more than the previous incarnation . For instance , Helen Harley ( Frances Bavier , Aunt Bea on the Andy Griffith Show ) almost immediately suspects Slade of being the Ripper , never trusting him and always snooping about trying to prove that he is . The film has a scene where Slade talks about his mother to great length calling to our attention why he targets the hookers and female drunks which leave bars for their respected homes . An interesting difference in this film version is that Lily falls in love with Slade , even planting a kiss on him ( . . I love the reaction of Palance , completely taken aback and discomforted with such an embrace ) . There are many instances , though , where this is almost shot-for-shot similar to Brahm's film such as Slade's burning materials which could implicate him and the way the murders are set up which instantly bring to mind THE LODGER . The film opens with a White Chapel murder , followed by Slade asking the Harleys , William ( Rhys Williams ) and Helen for a room to let . Soon Slade becomes acquainted with their niece , Lily , bound for super-stardom , and the family dog who takes a liking to him . Slade is withdrawn and quiet , mysterious and creepy , leaving the house at night to supposedly work on his research of blood diseases at a nearby hospital ( . . he's a pathologist ; often working in the Harley's attic he's also paying for monthly ) . Soon Scotland Yard Inspector Warwick ( Byron Palmer , a poor contrast to the great George Sanders ) is passing by the Harley's to question Lily regarding the death of a former dance hall queen murdered by the Ripper ( . . also using his advantages as a detective to get a date with her ; himself interested with Lily after seeing her perform one of her lurid shows ) and locking horns with Slade who finds his terminology for murderers sickening and crude . This film , unlike THE LODGER , has Slade slowly getting more and more paranoid because of the nervous attitudes of those around him yearning for trust despite the fact that his behavior is indeed questionable . And , the finale changes drastically ( . . although , I rather like it about as well as the fantastic chase through the theater of THE LODGER ) with Slade leaving the theater , after halting himself from stabbing Lily out of his love and devotion for her , forcing through guards , grabbing a coach , driving horses down the streets of London as Insp . Warwick ( . . and the police ) are in hot pursuit . It's interesting comparing the performances between Laird Cregar ( . . who is nothing short of phenomenal ) and Palance , even though I often loathe such things . Palance is always nervous ( . . look how he fingers the rim of his hat while talking to Lily or others ) , or on end , for the most part , able to control his emotions , particularly around Warwick ( . . although , magnificently , Fregonese's camera is able to capture his detest for the inspector and his descriptions for Jack the Ripper , or murderers in general ) who challenges him the most . 20th Century Fox ( . . who also produced THE LODGER ) again produce an effective period mood , with wonderful sets and stunning noirish photography . This is an undiscovered gem that is not talked about near enough , which is a shame , mainly because the cast isn't as strong ( . . or as British ) as THE LODGER . Palance's faithful owe it to themselves to check this out . |
435,941 | 9,938,570 | 70,078 | 8 | From Beyond the Grave | Four tales of terror revolving around an antique store owned by the grim-looking Peter Cushing where various characters secure objects without paying the correct price with possible doom awaiting them . The first shopper , Edward Charlton ( David Warner ) is a smug , narcissistic know-it-all who procures a creepy mirror from Cushing which houses an evil spirit awakened when a séance takes place in the young man's pad . This evil spirit requires blood and , through hypnotic suggestion , forces Edward to bring female victims back to his place for slaughter so that he can become whole leaving the eternal prison that has held him for so long . Christopher Lowe ( Ian Bannen ) is an office manager stuck in a loveless marriage to Mabel ( Diana Dors ) where she constantly humiliates him in front of his son . He passes by Jim Underwood ( Donald Pleasence ) , a street salesman ( peddler ) using his participation in the war as a means to increase his sales . Chris pretends to be some kind of would-be war hero by stealing an Infantry medal from Cushing's shop and is invited to dinner where he meets Jim's darling daughter Emily ( Angela Pleasence , Donald's actual daughter ) . . who just happens to practice witchcraft and is more than obliged to off his wife if Chris so commands . But , she works freelance and perhaps someone else would like to use her services . . Reggie ( Ian Carmichael ) switches price tags on these little cases so that he can pay smaller price for classier box of the two . On board a train he meets clairvoyant Madame Orloff ( Margaret Leighton , playing her eccentric psychic to the hilt and beyond ) who informs Reggie he has an " elemental " on his shoulder . . this elemental must be removed before it takes over his host body . Not heeding to her warnings , Reggie returns home only to realize , after it tries to strangle his wife Susan ( Nyree Dawn Porter ) , that what Orloff said was true . In a ruckus exorcism scene , Orloff removes the evil from his shoulder as the house is destroying itself . But , despite the Madame's great efforts , the evil spirit might just find someone else to cling to . . William Seaton ( Ian Ogilvy ) seemingly purchases a sinister door ( the film sets up the possibility that William stole some of his cash back when Cushing was off to get a receipt ) which is to cover a stationary cupboard in his home . What William and his beautiful wife Rosemary ( the truly lovely Lesley-Anne Down ) do not expect is that , at the stroke of Midnight , behind the ominous door is a blue " ghost " room created by a man with evil intent . This spirit will seek Rosemary's soul unless William can find a way to harm him . Before each story , a thief is planning to rob Cushing only to find that the proprietor of this antique shop isn't anyone to be trifled with . Entertaining anthology from the always-reliable Amicus studios . Good fun for a dark , stormy night . |
436,744 | 9,938,570 | 843,302 | 8 | Retribution | A beleaguered detective , working a homicide case whose crime scene was disturbed by a flood which derived from an earthquake , is haunted by a mysterious lady in red , who might just be a victim he possibly murdered . . he can not remember ever doing such a thing , which makes her creepy visits to him even more bewildering . The film opens with a man drowning a young woman , dressed in red , in a salt-water pot hole leaving her as he drives away . This case evokes distress in Detective Noboru Yoshioka ( Kôji Yakusho , with quite an interesting face . . it seems like his years of working these cases , among other things the film will eventually reveal , show in not only the face but his demeanor ) who the film paints as the possible killer . A button and electrical wire , pointed out by the film in subtle sequences , allow us , at first , to believe he just might've been the one responsible , having selective amnesia in not remembering his involvement . I like how director Kiyoshi Kurosawa toys with me . . like a puppet at his command , I was led to and fro . Then , Kurosawa startles me by showing other murders carried out by a killer towards one they possibly care for . The murders start out one way ( . . a father sticks his troublesome , wayward son with a hypodermic of poison , an adulteress bashes her employer with a hammer ) then result with drowning in salt-water . I , at first , felt that the lady in red might've been a manifestation of guilt , but it seems later she might actually motivate others to kill ! That's another aspect of this tale that startles me . Along the way , the film always returns to Yoshioka , the catlayst who explores the identity of the lady in red which never fails to return to him , often frightening him with accusations of his murdering her . Who is this woman , really ? At first , Yoshioka believes she is the dead woman seen drowned at the opening of the film , but once her murderer is discovered , it still doesn't end . Through some digging , he finds out about a sanitarium which used corporal punishment towards unruly inmates involving heads being soaked in pans of salt-water . I found it amusing how the film will seem to let Yoshioki off the hook , regarding his possible involvement in a homicide only to bring the lady in red back to torment him . He has done something and this film cleverly shows us what . I will say that one must always keep Yoshioka's love interest Harue ( Manami Konishi ) in their minds throughout . If you can see , their relationship is missing something . It's distant , cold , empty . . something just isn't quite right with this picture . And , another little toy at Kurosawa's disposal is Yoshioka's partner Toru Miyaji ( Tsuyoshi Ihari ) who suspects him of misconduct . The lady in red is quite a creation of Kurosawa's . . she's not far removed from the others we often are accustomed to , but she resembles a corpse , just recently uninhabited rather than some spooky white with black eyeballs lunging from the darkness . Actually , she often appears in corners like those who perish to ash in Kurosawa's " Kairo " . Mirrors , flight , a crack in the wall . . the lady in red makes her presence known . I like how Kurosawa create's this depressing atmosphere , not unlike " Kairo " , where the skies in Tokyo are mostly grey and sad . Kurosawa said in a Q & A session on the DVD I watched that he shot this film in Winter , and the film works , I think , because of that . While I did find it baffling at times , this film sure held me at it's grip and I found it quite challenging . The fate of Miyaji , and Yoshioki's reaction and response to his sins , only add to this film's strange aura . |
436,888 | 9,938,570 | 716,941 | 8 | Family Reunion | Robert Perry ( Stephen McHattie ) has a major problem on his hands . . his son Bobby ( Daniel Terrence Kelly ) is a werewolf who turns at the fullness of the moon and has escaped numerous times from his room killing innocents in the night . On the run and sweating out Bobby's lycanthrope tendencies , Robert must also deal with his wife , Janice ( Patricia Tallman ) who is following after them , calling on a professional from an abuse center , Trudy ( Marilyn Rockafellow ) to assist her in finding them . But , Janice might not be who she appears , and there is indeed a reason why Bobby is going through his lycan transformations . . Tom Savini gets a chance behind to camera thanks to producer George Romero's influence behind the show , Tales from the Darkside . Lots of cool things in this episode for horror / Savini buffs , such as little Bobby's monstrous creations and his reading from Fangoria magazine , posters of Romero movies on Bobby's wall ( specifically " Creepshow " ) , Tallman as the ferocious mother who'd later be cast as the lead heroine in Savini's version of his mentor's " Night of the Living Dead " , Stephen McHattie , who'd become a staple in B-movie horror throughout the 90's , and some cool werewolf make-up add much to this particular episode . Creepy little effort from the make-up / gore master . And , in typical fashion for the show , it ends in a terrifying fashion ( ye one can almost find it oddly touching ) leaving open the idea of something grave towards others . |
436,688 | 9,938,570 | 420,087 | 8 | A Prairie Home Companion | A tender Altman etches a wonderful portrait of unique , lovable characters performed by a great cast in a film about a long-running radio program performing one last show before getting the Axe . Garrison Keillor scripts the film , but it's obvious that the film is still a continuing mold in the Altman tradition as the cast wings it showing quite a report often improvising in the ways they feel the characters should go . Obviously , there had to be some sort of collection of ideas regarding where the film's main arc ( about whether the show would ever make it past this show's supposed final performance ) would lead , but it treads the path many radio show programs go . . people sing and commercials are sung in between as proper sponsorship tags to keep the show on the air . You have Keillor himself doing the hosting , Woody Harrelson and John C Reilly as cowboy singers Dusty and Lefty ( they are so wonderful together and their " Bad Jokes " song is an absolute hoot ) , Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin magically so perfect together as sisters Yolanda and Rhonda , Kevin Kline as " Security Guard " Guy Noir ( this character is so marvelously inspired with Kline having him constantly looking in the mirror and using " noirish dialogue " as if trying to evoke Chandler , but not a very good Security Guard ) , Lindsay Lohan as Yolanda's daughter Lola ( surprisingly good , not bringing down the wonderful talent around her ) , & Virginia Madsen in the most fascinating role as an angel whose death came after hearing a penguin joke from the show . Also , in a supporting role where she seems to tie everyone together is GK's always present organizer Molly , played by Maya Rudolph ( in a very funny scene , Molly can not find the duct tap company's sheet so that GK can announce them on the air leaving him to come up with something as she swarms through the massive amount of papers ; thankfully , their sound man lends a hand as Rhonda comes up with a gag ) . There are lots of interesting things going on as all the characters do get their moments to grow on screen . It seems everyone of these actors get their just do and are allowed to bring peculiarities to the people they play . The film requires a demanding task from it's talented cast who must often sing . Tommy Lee Jones has a minor part as the " villain " of the film who represents the one who plans to end the show looking at it as a relic that belongs to a museum . The angel played by Madsen seems to be a metaphor from Altman and Keillor stating that we must all die some day , such as LQ Jones ' Chuck Akers and all things , such as the radio show , must end sooner or later . Surprisingly , the film often brings up spiritual matters whether in song or to certain characters ( such as an ambiguous ending leaving us curious about the fate of some characters ) . . it's as if Altman or Keillor is facing their own eventual inevitability that we all must sooner or later come to the end of our journey . But , ultimately , I don't think this film will hit the mark for those who don't love these unique characters and the typical Altman voyeuristic style of film-making . I did , so it worked for me . |
436,548 | 9,938,570 | 58,700 | 8 | Last Man on Earth | Quite entertaining little modestly budgeted post-apocalyptic horror flick starring Vincent Price as a lonely , beleaguered man fighting an everyday struggle with a world of vampires . Through moments of backstory ( Richard Matheson , unhappy with the final product from a screenplay , used a different name in the title credits ) , we see that a plague had infected civilization carried by the wind which started the vampire virus . The film is quite haunting as we see a civilization in crumbling scary quiet with Price seeking out other possible living members of mankind eventually finding a woman who has found a way to reverse the vampire plague raging inside . Price was a scientist trying to find a cure . In a haunting side-note within the plot is Price's old colleague always trying to get inside the house to kill him . The film is actually surprisingly effective thanks to an always reliable Price in the lead . There have been other film based on Matheson's novel , " I Am Legend , " but this is perhaps as close as we'll get to a quality version of the story . Potent scenes include Price's wife and child succumbing to the disease , Price having to flee a group of people who consider him a threat , and the final climax as Price tries to tell those who wish him dead that his blood is the real cure for the vampire curse . |
436,343 | 9,938,570 | 71,840 | 8 | Almost Human | Sensational Poliziotteschi from Umberto Lenzi , set in Milan ( Italy ) stars Tomas Milian , in a terrific ( . . and terrifying ) performance as a sadistic homicidal thug who is the mastermind behind the kidnapping of a politician's daughter for a major ransom . His scheme seems to be going without a hitch , but his psychopathic tendencies can only continue for so long before he eventually hangs himself at some point . Henry Silva , intense and smooth as ever , is the detective out to catch him . Ray Lovelock and Gino Santercole are Milian's accomplices . The delectable Anita Strinberg has a small role as Milian's doomed lover , whose vehicle and sexual favors are used on a regular basis . The beautiful Laura Belli is the innocent kidnapped by Milian whose fate doesn't have a very promising outlook . Luciano Catenacci makes the most of a secondary role as a dangerous Milan mobster for whom Milian has worked for . . Milian's dealings with Catenacci have been worrisome affairs due to his violent and unpredictable nature ( . . not to mention Milian's screw-up during a planned heist when he murders a street cop in cold blood ) . Guido Alberti is the politician Milian wishes to milk for half a billion . Strinberg was an employee of Alberti , and Milian's idea just came about out of sheer desperation for some cash . Milian creates quite a frightening persona in his unhinged hood , always tearing into his bubble gum , twitchy and unstable . . the kind of character that is spontaneous and destructive . The opening car chase through Milan is riveting as the police chase after Catenacci's hoods with Milian in tow , when a bank robbery goes awry . Those that consider Lenzi an unaccomplished director should take a gander at ALMOST HUMAN , because the pacing is incredible as is the emphasis on moving the story along without unnecessary set-backs . Ernesto Gastaldi's unpretentious screenplay focuses on the plot while also providing the cast ( . . particularly Milian , Silva , and Lovelock ) with chances to further expand their characterizations . The film is ultimately a showcase for Milian because the story itself derives from his impulsive and criminal activity . . he is the source for all the horror that takes place throughout , the lightning rod if you will . The aftermath , once the money drop takes place , is certainly shocking , perhaps leaving a bad taste in your mouth , but it shows that Milian's scumbag is devoid of humanity , with no moral compass other than his own goal of attaining wealth through any means necessary without being caught . Following the DIRTY HARRY model , Silva soon realizes that he must take the law into his own hands since going by the book hasn't helped keep a murderer off the streets . . appropriately downbeat ending even after revenge was served because so many were left dead by Milian's deeds . The most unsettling sequence would have to be the result of a massacre at the hands of Milian who attacks a bourgeoisie gathering , with even a little girl being shot and killed ( . . the " roulette by chandelier " with two women hanging , with their breasts exposed , as Milian opens fire is rather horrifying ) . |
436,013 | 9,938,570 | 37,635 | 8 | Dead of Night | A man is invited to a country house where a collection of people swap creepy stories from their past . That man is Walter Craig ( Mervyn Johns ) who has been having a bad recurring nightmare about this very day and the faces of those people in the house are fresh in his mind . During the film , he tries to dispel that his nightmare which consists of him killing an innocent man and punching a young woman is merely that . . a nightmare and nothing more . In this anthology , the ending has one of those cool , never-ending Freudian deals which leaves you with a sense of eternal dread for poor Walter . Tales include a mirror with a sinister hold on a poor soul , a young woman who finds a young ghost boy crying because of a fear that will come true , a golfer is tormented by a former competitor who after committing suicide from losing a bet , comes back to haunt him , and especially the final story about a ventriloquist who is dominated by his dummy ( this final one holds a very eerie performance from Michael Redgrave as the mentally ravaged ventriloquist Frere ) . As often in anthology films , certain segments are better than others , but each is intelligently told and well acted . |
436,814 | 9,938,570 | 24,188 | 8 | Island of Lost Souls | Edward Parker is an unfortunate victim of being trapped on Dr . Moreau's island of monsters . Moreau wishes to create human life from animal and needs to prove he's successful by seeing if his panther , now a woman , can feel human and connect with Parker . Parker , however , notices that Lota has claws where finger nails should be and finally suspects Moreau for the evil fiend he really is . Moreau wishes to prove the world that he can fully create a complete human being , but must find more parts to fully flesh out Lota to the point where she has no other noticeable animal traits . He plans to use parts from Parker , but sees opportunity on the horizon when Parker's love , Ruth , finds him thanks to Capt . Donahue boating her to the island . Ruth is too kind-hearted and trusting to realize what schemes Moreau has planned , but will understand just like her boyfriend just what kind of human monster the doctor really is . Montgomery , Moreau's aide , will also finally see the light and try to get Parker and company off the island somehow . Circumstances ensue when the monsters on the island , led by the " Sayer of the Law " , decide to revolt against Moreau having had enough of being tormented by him and his house of pain . The film has some real chills thanks in part to great photography and scary monster make-up . Bela was always good at creating vicious monsters behind hideous make-up and brings that knack to his Sayer of the Law . Laughton is a towering presence as Moreau . . he shows the madness that lurks underneath and we see the wheels turn through careful subtlety . The rest of the cast is handsome , but to see this film , it's all about Laughton and the monsters . Could've been a bit longer and the story doesn't quite get the full treatment it deserves . Moreau isn't quite the threat he should be ( the ' 77 treatment with Lancaster as Moreau and Michael York as the unfortunate trapped victim does explore the darker aspects of the story ) , but perhaps when it came out had something to do with it . |
435,827 | 9,938,570 | 57,197 | 8 | Jason and the Argonauts | Jason and his assembled crew of warriors and boatmen , in their ship Argo , guided by the statue of goddess Hera , face perilous danger and creatures of various kinds while seeking the golden fleece , often tested by the almighty Zeus and his gods looking down from the heavens . Escapist fare of the highest order with astounding stop-motion effects by the great Ray Harryhausen . . you could look at his films as a precursor to the special f / x bonanzas of the summer blockbusters of today's age . I was pleased with how well Ray's work holds up to the supposed superiority of today's computer effects . I think the definite highlight would have to be Jason's battle with the multiple dragon-headed snake , hydra . You also have the amazing metal " guardian soldier " statue , Talos who rises to strike the argonauts after Hercules removed a large pin from the treasure of the gods . The two winged harpies who were created by Zeus as punishment to a blinded prophet Phineas ( Dr . Who's Patrick Troughton ) are also cool as they flap and torment , caught in a net by Jason and his men as part of a bargain for directions to King Aeetes ' land of Colchia . And , the final effects sequence is quite dazzling as fallen skeletal warriors , victims of hydra who attempted to steal the golden fleece , given birth by Aeetes ' god Hecates , battle Jason and two of his men . Features Nigel Green , of all people , as the unlikeliest Hercules ever , nothing like the muscle-men who often portray the character , but he supplies the strongman with a boisterous attitude , cockiness and unwavering belief in his godlike gifts . Tod Armstrong is quite well suited in the role of trustworthy and charismatic leader of the Argonauts who put their full faith in him as they journey on dangerous adventures . Gary Raymond has the role of treacherous spy Acastus who dares challenge Jason , desiring himself to retrieve the golden fleece on his own terms . Nancy Kovack is the high priestess of the Colchian god Hecates , who falls in love with Jason helping him find the golden fleece , saved herself a couple times from certain death . |
436,141 | 9,938,570 | 89,153 | 8 | Flesh + Blood | King George has betrayed Martin and his men once they help him take a castle and it's treasured supply of gold . Captain Hawkwood threatens to kill them with canon fire if they do not vacate the premises without their weapons or the spoils they were to inherit . The Cardinal , who is indeed quite mad after seeing too many men dying in battle , finds a statue of St . Martin and tells their Martin he is to inherit fortune . Martin believing this " sign " , sets forth to seek vengeance on the king and captain for what they did to them . The King's son , Steven , is to wed virginal Agnes ( who has been in a convent ) , but those wedding plans misfire when Martin kidnaps her , holding her hostage while also causing heavy damage to the King and his accompaniment . It will be up to Steven to not only coerce Hawkwood to return to military duty but fight his father's war when George is deeply wounded in Martin's attack . Agnes will manipulate Martin sexually through her wares to not only stay alive , but so that she'll reach her beloved Steven safe and sound if not virginal . Verhoeven , and his cast , lets it all hang out in outrageous fashion with bucket-loads of violence and depravity . Rutger Hauer and company create a group of undesirable bunch that is hard to root for or against . They certainly relish in their roles as cutthroats ( they remind me of Ernest Borgnine , Kurt Douglas and company in " The Vikings " ) who love to swig their alcohol and swarm their women with an unhinged lust . Jennifer Jason Leigh proves here as Agnes she's willing to go a long way showing her entire nude body in various positions . Tom Burlinson , while bestowing Steven with intelligence and admirable traits , can show a snarl in the face of men he sees as vermin to be vanquished for what they have done kidnapping his bride and attempting the assassination of his father . The film is strikingly photographed with a marvelous rousing score from Basil Poledouris . I will say that this film knows no boundaries ( it is directed by Verhoeven who never strays from showing perversity and carnage ) and may not be for all tastes . |
436,522 | 9,938,570 | 64,789 | 8 | Venus in Furs | Jesús Franco fans consider " Venus in Furs " his grand achievement . It concerns the surreal odyssey of a jazz trumpeter who falls in love with the seductive spirit of a murdered young woman , Wanda ( Maria Rohm ) at the hands of three bourgeoisie types , Ahmed ( Klaus Kinski ) , Kapp ( Dennis Price ) , and Olga ( Margaret Lee ) who enjoy mixing violence with kink . Jimmy Logan ( James Darren ) discovers Wanda's body floating in the ocean becoming instantly attracted to her . Jimmy is a troubled soul who has found displeasure with his trumpet , even considering quiting his occupation as a musician . The desire and passion is missing , that is until a spark ignites when he finds a woman eerily similar to the dead woman he discovered . That is indeed the spirit of Wanda , returned to get revenge against those who left her for dead after their game of rough sex goes awry . Or , is anything we see even real , or just a series of images and stories flashing through the dreams of Jimmy , concocted at the moment of his death ? What we do know is that Jimmy's lover , singer Rita ( Barbara McNair ) realizes that her man is falling for another , and , despite her pleas for his love , knows their relationship may never recover . Like those Wanda returns to seek revenge , Jimmy is yet another casualty , desiring something he can not obtain . That's the best way I have to describe this film which uses the image of the lovely Maria Rohm , often partially naked , breasts uncovered , underneath a fur coat and wig , as a haunting tool towards those who long to embrace her . Director Jesús Franco admits that his main objective was to tell a story about a troubled musician and his love life with a lover of a different race . Producers pushed for the whole " Venus in Furs " idea . He also mentions in an interview that it wasn't his idea to edit those repeated images of Wanda to her victims , over and over , repeating throughout , calling it " gratuituous . " I think he does accomplish the idea that this trumpeter is at the moment of death reliving past occurrences and possible desires that were just out of reach . Every kind of visual trick is used , color schemes , slow-motion , penetrating zooms into faces , disorienting picture techniques as Jimmy runs for Wanda , and some very unusual uses of the dark and light . The settings for the film ( . . Jesús Franco reflects that he shot in several places like Rome and Istanbul ) are stunning and bring an atmosphere needed for such an erotic fantasy . The beach front is especially put to striking use . Attractive leads and an overwhelming melancholy and exuberant spirit in equal measure . I felt Jesús Franco achieves his goal regarding the musician and his difficulty separating the real from unreal by placing him within such a setting as the lively nature of Rio , a carnival with a people embarking on a journey of joy as he struggles to find his way . As odd as the death sequences were , they made sense to me this time around unlike my previous viewing . . a desire for such an unattainable beauty can haunt you to the point of death . |
436,026 | 9,938,570 | 65,856 | 8 | House of Dark Shadows | Dan Curtis , not as bound by restrictions regarding censorship and budget , brings the recurring storyline of centuries-old vampire Barnabas Collins and the tragic consequences of his presence and predatory behavior from the television soap opera to the big screen and shows that he has an eye for atmosphere , menace and dread in this Gothic melodrama . Nearly every important cast member either dies or is turned into a vampire as Barnabas seeks to make Maggie Evans ( . . the lovely Kathryn Leigh Scott , who has a great pair of legs ) as his bride for she resembles the love of his life who committed suicide when she found that he was indeed a vampire . Chained in a coffin and sealed await in a secret crypt by his father , Barnabas is freed by a slimy , greedy employee for the Collins / Stoddard family , Willie Loomis ( John Karlen ) looking for a precious necklace . Dr . Julia Hoffman ( Grayson Hall ) , a physician called upon by family matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard ( . . Joan Bennett , who is actually underused in the film ) to help solve the violent attack of a female employee , along with scholarly Professor T Eliot Stokes ( Thayer David ) , has studied the blood of the victim , believing she can cure Barnabas , subsequently falling in love with him during the healing process . Barnabas bites a family member , Roger Collins ' ( Louis Edmonds ) daughter Carolyn ( Nancy Barrett ) who in turn bears her fangs into her beau after being laid to rest . Jealous of the budding romance between Barnabas and Maggie ( . . her fiancé , Jeff , played by Roger Davis who becomes the hero once nearly the entire family has been turned into vampires , is away at Boston ) , Julia deliberately causes an increase in the serum dosage given to the vampire causing him to age into an old man . His identity discovered Barnabas will cause death and destruction towards anyone who dare stop him from making Maggie his bride . Karlen's Willie is his Renfield-like slave who must do as ordered by his master . Most of the cast from the soap opera at the time have a role in the movie , but this is Jonathan Frid's movie all the way . His tragic vampire actually walks during the day and is almost cured when Hoffman's betrayal causes devastating consequences leading to many unforeseen demises . Great locations selected by Curtis , old places with history , such as Collinwood , enhance the film but those familiar with the show will notice that the themes of the movie are depicted on there . Except in the movie's case the stories culminate within a certain amount of time instead of the lengthening of months on a soap opera . The film follows the basic familiar customs of Dracula . Crosses , objects plunged into the heart , mirrors not reflecting the vampire's image , are depicted in this film . I felt Curtis was really inspired , having this golden opportunity to fill his screen with graphic vampire killings and bloody fang wounds on the neck . Nancy Barrett is quite impressive as a vampire victim in a flowing white gown wishing to bite a kid relative , David Collins ( David Henesy ) while pursuing to bury her fangs in the neck of her boyfriend so he can share eternity with her . Curtis does show signs of a new filmmaker honing his skills , so music can be abrupt scene to scene and his camera-work at times can be a bit dodgy . But , there are also some astounding uses of the camera , like his shot from below Barrett as she bites her beau for the first time shooting up at her face , exposing fangs with a blood thirst so evident . The finale has my favorite set-piece inside a castle in ruin , the only place left for Barnabas to complete his wedding ceremony , featuring the terrific use of a wooden arrow from a cross-bow . I think this is a definite must for fans of the show , Curtis gave his audience exactly what they wanted . Great closing shot of a fallen Frid as the camera pulls away through the damaged hole of the dilapidated castle . The amazing backstory regarding how the cast were tirelessly working on both the show and this movie is a testament to hard work paying off ! |
435,924 | 9,938,570 | 58,567 | 8 | Blood and Black Lace | Models employed at a fashion shop are being offed one by one as a killer , donning black hat , gloves , and coat ( while also covering the face with a stocking ) searches for a diary of the first victim Isabella . That diary is of interest to most of the cast which paints the idea in our heads that any number of people might have an excuse to send Isabella to an early grave . This film is known as the model for future gialli ( Italian slashers ) with it's face-less killer coming from behind unknowing victims who have no idea that someone awaits them in the dark , quietly just out of sight to end them . This film , in my opinion , is style and color over substance . The story and the unveiling of killer ( s ) are merely okay if not too extraordinary . It's the way Bava sets up the sequences where the killer attacks , Bava doesn't seem to take an easy way out when it comes to framing a shot . Bava uses outside light as it flashes into rooms ( . . buildings ) superbly adding atmosphere to the proceedings . The pacing can be sluggish at times . . I have to admit there were moments where I was getting antsy . But , I just took in Bava's exceptional ability to artistically convey more in a scene than just a character running from another trying to kill her . It's the way Bava frames the prey and hunter . . how we are thrusted beautifully into the terror on their faces . The violence is also eye-popping considering when it was made . . sadistic with some nasty weaponry . |
436,970 | 9,938,570 | 40,979 | 8 | Drunken Angel | Akira Kurowsawa is not known for his subtlety . . of all his films I've seen , it's clear his goal is to overpower you . And , that is the case for DRUNKEN ANGEL , a somber , tragic tale of a Yakuza gangster , Matsunaga ( Toshirô Mifune ) , with tuberculosis , whose territory ( . . and moll ) in Tokyo is being taken right from under him thanks to a recently released thug , Okada ( Reisaburo Yamamoto ) . The film's titular hero is a cantankerous , but caring , physician , Doctor Sanada ( Takashi Shimura ) who attempts futilely to treat Matsunaga of his TB , but the gangster's influential criminal " friends " are a stumbling-block that ruin such plans . Sanada is the kind of man whose bark is worse than his bite . . those close to him know that his heart is tender even if he often raises his voice in anger at the ugliness around him . Rounding out the effective cast includes Michiyo Kogure as Nanae ( . . a loathsome tramp who leaves Matsunaga for Okada , seeing that her own situation would benefit better with the healthier , more established Yakuza gangster ) , Chieko Nakakita as Sanada's nurse Miyo ( . . Okada's meek wife who worries about his demands for her return knowing the kind of monster that he is , and the grief he has caused her ) , and Chouko Iida as Sanada's vocal but obedient servant . Shimura is a hoot as the loud , out-spoken , but relatively harmless , doctor who simply wants the best for his patients even though with cases like Matsunaga , he has his hands full . Mifune has one hell of a role as the alcoholic , miserable gangster whose stubborn pride and unshakable loyalty to his Yakuza boss render him a cripple with little hope . The intensity between Sanada and Matsunaga produces fireworks for the story because it's such a clash of volatile personalities . As I mentioned at the beginning , Kurosawa has never been the most subtle of filmmakers and you realize that his vocal concerns for a polluted environment come across in two separate ways . . the swamp in the middle of Matsunaga's territorial portion of Tokyo is often established over and over by the director pointing out , I felt , the cesspool of man's corruption to each other and the land itself ( . . there's even one scene where we see a businessman dumping trash into the pond , and Sanada warns kids not to drink from it due to infectious typhoid which derives from such filthy water ) . The pool is often the focus of conversation and Sanada frequently passes by it , and Matsunaga often peers away at it as he slowly rots away inside . Kurosawa uses Matsunaga as a symbol of tragedy . . a young man , dying , loyal to his clan , yet rejected as good-for-nothing . Matsunaga is in fact a martyr for Kurosawa because he uses him as an outcry towards organized crime and how aligning yourself to any gang , no matter how honorable you are at heart , can lead to a pathetic end ( . . Matsunaga's fate is really rather depressing and pitiable , his confrontation of a frightened OKada , whose cowardly true colors emerge , vomiting blood and hardly able to stand , much less battle anyone in hand-to-hand combat , seems so iniquitous ) . Yet , Kurosawa , at the same time , provides an inspiring message of possible hope through another case , a 17 year old girl with the same condition as Matsunaga , who faces her crisis in a different light , listening to Sanada , her fate the opposite . As typical of Kurosawa , many heartbreaking , engrossing , incredibly emotional moments throughout with Matsunaga the perfect catalyst to elicit sadness from the viewer , proving that a life of crime really isn't the answer to real prosperity . I'm pretty sure many will find Kurosawa's film quite heavy-handed , as if he were preaching to you , but I found DRUNKEN ANGEL to be yet another powerful experience . . especially the end . |
436,918 | 9,938,570 | 64,888 | 8 | The House That Screamed | Thriller set in a girl's boarding school for those females whose behavior is deemed as questionable and troublesome with Lilli Palmer as the " den-mother " Madame Fourneau , who runs the joint with a " firm hand . " Under her is " lieutenant " Desprez ( Cándida Losada ) who is sexually infatuated with a new arrival , Theresa ( Cristina Galbó ) . Theresa is ashamed of her dance-hall prostitute mother and Desprez takes it upon herself to ridicule the poor girl for it . Unlike many of the other girls , Theresa is mannered and kind . . but Desprez wishes to humiliate the girl because deep inside , I felt , she longs to own her . The film carries the lesbian sub-text as subtle as it can , but there's surface-level desire we can see on faces . It's clear Desprez truly wishes to ravish Theresa and when she begins to court Luis ( John Moulder-Brown ) , the son of Fourneau , secretly , jealousy and anger overcome her . Also , we see Fourneau smothering her son over his not associating with the girls , claiming he needs to remain inside so that he can not be tainted by what they might offer . There are hints of possible incest . . scenes where she caresses her son's hair often even kissing his cheek rather unmotherly points out the idea that there's a bit more to their relationship than meets the eye . The film does blatantly , in dialogue and behavior , show that these girls desire the grasp of a man sexually , even willing to make it with a rather scruffy carpenter who provides the school with wood every once in a while . There's a fantastic sequence where we see the girls during their sewing class chomping at the bit in longing for the sexual favors of the carpenter as one of them is making out with the man in the barn . . Desprez knowingly allows the girls each a chance to have it with the fellow under Fourneau's nose . Fourneau trusts Desprez implicitly , and she uses that trust to take advantage of the girls and her . Yet , with all this taking place in the film , this has it's disturbing elements as well . There's a killer amongst them that murders several of the girls with a knife . When the film introduces Theresa to us , Fourneau lets it be known that three girls had went missing . The film provides us with the reason as one girl plans a little rendezvous with Luis in the greenhouse and is brutally stabbed by someone from the dark . Closes with a really bizarre twist at the end explaining who the knife killer is and his / her unusual reasons / motives behind these murderous acts . There's a lot of sexual tension in this film . . you can feel it , the desire is so alive . Not a bad little movie . . warped , that's for sure . |
436,357 | 9,938,570 | 100,581 | 8 | The Sect | An evil , Devil-worshipping sect , led by their enigmatic leader Moebius Kelly ( Herbert Lom ) have dastardly plans for Mirian ( Kelly Curtis ) and it concerns unleashing evil on the world through a sordid type of birth . That's the best I can do to explain this baffling supernatural , surreal religious horror outing from director Michele Soavi whose camera is always moving , capturing the action of every scene . The way an unusual blue water flows in Miriam's house ' pipes or the POV of a rabbit as it moves throughout Miriam's abode . . Soavi's camera captures such action intensely . There are quite a few bizarre moments in this flick like Giovanni Lombardo Radice's stabbing of a woman , later having her heart found in his pocket in a subway as a looter tries to lift something from his coat leading to his suicide after police surround him after aborting the train . Or a bizarre sequence where Miriam's neck is picked at by a crane . Herbert Lom has the most interesting part as the sect's leader , who informs Miriam of why she was selected to carry out benevolent plans against the world and God . There's a hole in her house's basement with major significance to the plot as it works as a type of gateway . What occurs to Miriam's schoolteacher friend Kathryn ( Mariangela Giordano ) when her face is " attacked " by Moebius ' facial death shroud , and Frank ( Michel Adatte ) , Miriam's confident whose a doctor she depends on as her life is spiraling out of control , when he discovers what the sect is up to ( . . like Frank , we are an eyewitness to a very disturbing ceremony where a female victim's face is removed so that their leader can gain " new life " ) are also very strange occurrences within the film . Miriam soon finds herself on her own against the dangers of a sect wielding a power far greater than mankind has ever known . While , at first , I tried to make sense of it all , soon I just gave up and enjoyed Soavi's distinctive camera-work . . he really doesn't take an easy way out trying every type of visually innovative trick he can think of to make each scene memorable . And , there enough wildly imaginative ideas at work to keep one from getting bored . Very dreamlike , hypnotic score from Pino Donaggio seems to mesh well with Soavi's style and the film's strange subject matter . |
436,784 | 9,938,570 | 71,877 | 8 | Murder on the Orient Express | Samuel Ratchett ( Richard Windmark ) asks Poirot ( Albert Finney , having a field day as the sleuth ) to be his bodyguard after receiving several death threats . He is later found dead and Poirot discovers quite a secret . . Ratchett is indeed a notorious gangster Cassetti , the mastermind behind a kidnapping gone awry with the end result being the death of little girl Daisey Armstrong . Everyone on board is suspect as Poirot , with help by Signor Bianchi ( the wonderful Martin Balsam ) and Dr . Constantine ( George Coulouris ) , will pursue the truth through a complex investigation that gets muddied when clues of a possible killer emerge as a concierge suit ( a missing button from the suit is later found with a key to all the rooms hidden in the pocket ) is found as well as the dagger . Through a collection of testimonials from each passenger on board , Poirot puts together his case . This film , as slickly directed by Lumet , does show the viewer little cues before and after the murder takes place who might've possibly done it . The opening set-up with the Armstrong family is a bit elusive , but after you watch the interrogations , Lumet allows you to understand what that opening montage of clips and such means . This cast is simply awesome , definitely the best I've seen assembled and that alone is novelty to re-watch this over and over . I consider it one of the all-time greatest entertainments . A good old fashioned mystery to escape into for two hours . |
436,897 | 9,938,570 | 57,295 | 8 | Matango : Attack of the Mushroom People | Now this was quite a pleasant surprise . If you read the title , " Matango : Attack of the Mushroom People " , the idea of a film legitimately creeping you out with it's " under the skin " effectiveness probably wasn't as expected as a cheesy monster movie . This film's premise is simple . . a group of Japanese friends are on a yachting trip when their boat is viciously damaged by a major storm . They find , through a heavy fog , this island which has no known forms of life except growing mushrooms thereabouts and a massive derelict oceanographic ship overcome by moss and rot . There are some food rations and booze within that derelict ship , but a couple of the group steal more than their share . Soon , the relationships of these unfortunate souls deteriorate as hunger , jealousy , fear , and insanity overcome them . But , the deck becomes even more stacked when , one by one , each individual succumbs to the delicious mushrooms nearby the derelict and face the horrifying fact that in doing so , like a plague , their human bodies become ravaged internally which soon shows externally . . they , like others whose ships were caught in the current that affected our protagonists stranding them on the island , steadily grow into mushroom people ! The final climax as our hero , the professor , is trying to escape the clutches of these mushroom monstrosities ( . . the sound effects of echoing sinister laughter is eerie ) after his love-interest , a weak school clerk , is trapped within the lair of these creatures , is quite unsettling . Along with " Gojira " , this has to be considered director Ishirô Honda's finest hour . . he creates this incredibly disturbing experience that is hard to shake . I tried just to imagine the terrifying ordeal that would be if I were in that professor's shoes , trying to forge his way through the scary mushroom monsters closing in from every corner . I think the film , besides the mushroom monsters that rear their ugly heads at the end , works well at building the suspense thanks to this practically hopeless situation the characters find themselves in . . coupling that hopeless situation with a growing mistrust , anger & hidden feelings which come up to the surface away from their civilized world of modern Tokyo , as tension becomes so thick you can cut it with a knife and tempers flare quite often as pressure for survival squeezes them dry . |
436,975 | 9,938,570 | 65,932 | 8 | Blind Woman's Curse | Akemi Tachibana ( Meiko Kaji ) attempts to the keep the wishes of her slain father by not allowing her clan to continue the blood shed that is known to occur when rival Yakuza families desire total control . That becomes impossible when rival godfather Dobashi ( Toru Abe ) uses a traitor amongst the Tachibana clan , Tatsu ( Shirô Otsuji ) , and his thugs to kill off certain of their members while also planting narcotics within their village shops using the police to imprison many of the workers . What Akemi doesn't expect is another rival joining forces with Dobashi , a blind female master swords-woman , Aiko ( Hoki Tokuda ) seeking revenge for the murder of her brother ( . . Akemi also blinded her accidentally at the beginning of the film when Aiko attempted to save her brother during a sword battle between the Yakuza clans out of retribution for the slain leader of Tachibana's family ) . Another less intimidating Yakuza clan ( . . which is still a powerful , influential clan ) operated by the Aozora ( Ryohei Uchida ; a source of comedy relief , wearing a bowler hat and loin cloth whose body odor is used as an object of scorn ) also make occasional appearances in the village which works as an epicenter right in the middle of the various Yakuza clans . With Aiko assisting Dobashi and Tatsu in eliminating members of the Tachibana clan , Akemi , having withstood much strife due to the attacks against her people , vows revenge while also disbanding her Yakuza family so that they can live without harm . But , Dobashi soon realizes that Aiko is much more honorable than she first appears and he will also have to contend with another emerging adversary , Tani Shouichi ( Makoto Satô ) , a wandering loner who has disdain for injustice , whose rage is fueled by Tatsu's violence towards a kind restaurant owner , Ojiki ( Yoshi Kato ) and his daughter Chie ( Yôko Takagi ) . Director Teruo Ishii fuses the Samurai and Yakuza genres into a blood-soaked tale of violence , betrayal , and revenge with lots of animated characters . Kaji is the beautiful Yakuza leader who attempts to attain the peace in a ruthless society vying for more and more power . She's haunted by the image of the black cat , how such a feline was licking the blood from the slashed eyes of Aiko . Hoki Tokuda holds a blank expression yet equally impresses due to her masterful skill at realistically presenting a blind woman with intense concentration who defends herself well against opposing forces . What's really interesting is how you sympathize with both females , understanding Aiko's desire for revenge yet , thanks to Kaji's charm and likability , wish for her no harm . Satô is a welcome presence as an honorable sojourner who moves from village to village , town to town , fighting corruption and standing against wrong-doing , falling in love with the sweet / stunning beauty Takagi . Takagi is the virginal innocent who works dutifully for her soft-spoken and courteous father , Kato who stands against Abe's sadistic Dobashi and treacherous slimeball Otsuiji paying the price when doesn't serve or recognize them as respectable customers despite the obvious results for not doing so . Ishii brings back Tatsumi Hijikata as another lunatic , this time a hunchbacked performer who slaves lovingly ( . . and obsessively ) for his master , blind Tokuda . After several Tachibana clan members fall to her sword , Hijikata skins the dragon snake tattoos from their backs ! Abe perfectly embodies the diabolical crime-lord , a loathsome piece of work with a den of opium-addicted forced prostitutes and a gambling trade that swindles customers . Otsuji is just as contemptible and malicious as he is , seizing upon elder Kato with extra thugs . . many against one old man , and that was through a blind attack with Kato unable to properly defend himself . There's no need to worry because the finale allows Kaji , Satô and her fellow sword-fighters a showdown with Abe , Otsuji , and their army of hoods , in a grisly climax where lots of slicing leads to blood spray . I especially enjoy how the dual between Kaji and Tokuda ends , a proper close to a much anticipated sword-fight . Busy plot , plenty of unique characterizations , some of the usual Ishii depravity ( . . how he uses a black cat and Hijikata , in regards to the tattooed flesh skinned from victims has to be seen to be believed ) , interesting sword-fights , beautiful Asian women , some nasty villains to cheer against , and the expected blood shed all make BLIND WOMAN'S CURSE a must-see for fans of the Samurai / Yakuza genres . |
435,828 | 9,938,570 | 120,176 | 8 | The Spanish Prisoner | The con is on in typical , slick , entertainingly complex Mametian fashion as gullible , very naive , but kindhearted Joseph Ross ( Campbell Scott ) , who has designed a certain process for a hi-tech company ( Mamet doesn't elaborate on any of this since this is merely a toy to use for the con-game plot ) which someone else is seeking after ( Juliam Dell , portrayed by Steve Martin ) . What he finds himself in , despite doing nothing wrong but trusting the wrong people and bringing along material in a book he should've left hidden in the safe , is a spider-web where the spider is collecting his blood and he is weak at the escaping . As the film unfolds , he might just have a chance of escape thanks in part to unseen , outside forces . The problem that plagues him is that Joseph has no one to really trust since it seems that every time he does ask for a helping hand . . and it seems he receives it . . he is snake-bitten . Slippery as a bucket of eels , Mamet is at his usual clever best by allowing his protagonist to stick his head in the guillotine only to pull it out in the knick of time through some sort of creative twist of fate . Sure , the screenplay has it's share of contrivances . . I mean really could anyone run such a con-operation so skillfully without a snag and dupe a character such as Joseph so easily ? But , Mamet does it for the sake of entertainment and , at least , he has us watch with wonder at how he unwinds complex webs when it seems the hero has no hope or escape from the mess he finds himself in . Rebecca Pidgeon is quite fun as Susan Ricci , a woman only so eager to offer Ross her help when he has nowhere to turn and Ben Gazzara as Ross ' boss who seems oh so weary that his process will be lost forever when it Dell has the material he has sought after that is sure to bring foreign investors lots of moolah . Even the " FBI " play a part in the labyrinthine plot as it develops . It asks a lot from the viewer , but gosh it's fun . |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.