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436,560 | 9,938,570 | 67,713 | 9 | Scars of Dracula | Paul ( Christopher Matthews ) , a consummate ladies ' man , has the misfortune of being caught with the burgomaster's daughter by the father himself . Trying to evade his guards , Paul winds up at Dracula's castle when he can not find shelter anywhere else when his horse carriage was driven way too far from his village . Simon ( Dennis Waterman ) , Paul's brother , and his gorgeous girlfriend Sarah ( Jenny Hanley ) , seek out of their village to try and find him not knowing what evil lied ahead . This is continuing right after " Taste the Blood of Dracula " and we watch as a bat swoops over the remaining ash of the Count releasing blood from it's mouth . That very blood will revive Dracula back to his former bodily state where he can again unleash terror on the countryside using servant Klove ( Patrick Troughton , " Dr Who " fans might remember him as the second Time Lord ) to bring him victims . A specific bat , the one that fed the ashes of Dracula blood , does much for the Count such as killing , spying , and sending messages to it's Master . Can Dracula's reign of terror be quenched ? Or , will he now have enough weapons to continue his blood-lust and evil ? By far , the most sadistic and violent of the Hammer vampire films to that point , this is by far Christopher Lee's best rendition of Dracula . He's able to really be vicious and nihilistic , almost like a released animal from it's cage at times . His eyes are blood red as he prepares to take a bite out of females who wander into his midst , and his bat tears into the faces of his enemies and foes . The ending is quite a hoot involving fire which starts from a bolt of lightning as Dracula squares off with Simon . |
436,651 | 9,938,570 | 60,701 | 9 | The Diabolical Dr . Z | Those of the scientific community ( mainly three in particular , doctors Vicas , Moroni & Kallman ) who berated Dr . Zimmer ( Antonio Jiménez Escribano ) , whose experiments concerning mind control procedures which have the ability to cease the violent tendencies in the criminal element ( for a while Z worked on monkeys amongst other animals before an exhausted escaped convict dumped right in his lap ) they vehemently disagreed with , cause him to ultimately die of stress when they threaten to stop him from completing his work . Zimmer caused a major outburst at the conference where he proposed a chance to use a convict on death row ( . . a human being ) as part of testing his theories before them proving that he could change human behavior . His daughter , Irma ( Mabel Karr ) , goes mad from the loss of her father and hatefully vows revenge against the main three culprits she considers the cause of her father's death . Using a pretty actress who goes under the stage name " Mrs . Death " , with these long fingernails , named Nadia ( Estella Blain ) as an instrument to possibly seduce the three doctors one at a time , Irma has a plan in place while adopting her father's controlled convict Hans Bergen ( Guy Mairesse ) as the muscle ( . . he is often used to kill when Nadia fails in her part of the scheme ) . Irma will fake her own death by running over a hitchhiker who resembles her , burning the body with a specific ring she's known for wearing , in her car driving into a pond . Meanwhile , an ally ( . . of sorts ) of her father's work , Dr . Phillippe Brighthouse ( whom Irma sleeps with ) who attended the conference Dr . Z was ridiculed at , lends a hand to two Scotland Yard detectives working the case of Irma's supposed death and the sequential murders of the doctors who " killed Irma's father . " Phillippe and Nadia had begun a love affair when Irma kidnapped her , using the experiments to control Mrs . Death's will . Will Phillippe find Nadia in time to save her before Irma decides to dispose of her ? Can the detectives and Phillippe silence the blind rage of Irma before more people come to violent harm ? Can Phillippe stand a chance against convict Bergen ? Fantastic mad Scientist / revenge thriller , beautifully photographed in moody B & W by Alejandro Ulloa . Thankfully , this is a focused , finely paced , well crafted thriller which doesn't wander from it's story staying on course delivering the goods . I particularly like how Franco shoots Mable Karr's face in angles which show hints of the dementia thriving behind her beautifully , sweaty reconstructed face ( her face had been burnt during Irma's attempt to push the flaming car into the pond containing the look-a-like hitchhiker ) . |
435,923 | 9,938,570 | 56,931 | 9 | Children of the Damned | Little Paul is specially gifted as are other kids around the world ( six to be exact ) brought together because the UN is fascinated with their intellect . . bad mistake . As in the previous VILLAGE , these children are conceived through a female without sexual activity as the source of childbirth . Whatever these children are , they have the power of mind control and can force others to do their will . Two British scientists , Tom and David ( Ian Hendry and Alan Badel ) wish to study them , understand what makes them tick and why they are so advanced in intelligence . Yet , other governments are worried about these children as they are different and not understanding something always increases fear & paranoia . The six unite on their own and barricade themselves in an abandoned church creating a unique weapon that runs off of solar power and produces such strong sound waves it kills anyone whose ears are open to it . We see their power early on when two of Colin's ( Alfred Burke ) men are attempting to find them in the church . One shoots the other and leaps from the balcony at their command afterwords . Susan ( Barbara Ferris ) , Paul's aunt , is the adult they use as a beacon between the humans and themselves . She's their voice / mouthpiece . . their spokesperson . Because of their unique abilities to see and hear through each other no matter how far apart they are ( . . not to mention , their abilities to read the thoughts of others and have the power to manipulate minds ) , governments decide they must be eliminated as these children seem to pose too great a risk to be left alive . But , attempts at execution fail when it's realized that the sound device can kill when some men walk into the church . Tom is able to shoot the device but also kills one of the children . Exiting with some of the kid's blood , it is analyzed and seen as being not of this earth . Through further study a renowned doctor informs Tom and David that these children have the cells of man advanced a million years . The climax shows the military planning an attack on the children . David tries every way possible to stop further violence just wishing others would question the children's purpose on the earth . The answer exposes our urge to push the trigger without much thought . In hindsight , we often wish to eliminate what we don't understand . What a pleasant surprise ! I can't believe I'm saying this ( because I'm such a fan of VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED ) , but this is actually on par with the original if not slightly better . The film's got a good head on it's shoulders . We , the human race , are put in question this time as the children are more motivated through survival because they are often threatened by those who wish to kill them right away without attempting to understand them . Though-provoking little sci-fi picture uses dialogue instead of special effects to get it's point across . |
436,599 | 9,938,570 | 140,384 | 9 | Blind Beast | Aki ( Mako Midori ) is a famous model for an artist who frames her in all forms of sadomasochism such as being nude within tied ropes and buckled chains . A friend of that artist actually sculpted Aki's body with which , through gossip , beckons a blind sculptor to the gallery . Aki finds this man , Michio ( Eiji Funakoshi ) , fondling the statue with extreme delicacy , touching every part with passion and care . Later , Michio uses a false identity in getting a job as a masseuse so that he can get into Aki's apartment . As he massages her , Michio can not resist groping her private no-no areas and is told to leave . What Aki doesn't expect is Michio using a drug to knock her out as his mother assists in a kidnapping . Aki awakes inside Michio's own personal gallery where plaster casts of body parts , he has felt through various encounters with women , protrude from the walls creating a creepy surreal landscape . Aki tries desperately to escape , but the only door is locked and encased with iron . She will not be allowed to leave unless she poses for what he confirms will be his greatest sculpted work . . he wishes to feel her body inch for inch and sculpt it . Aki simply wishes to leave , but even when she almost escapes his clutches , Michio's mother ( Noriko Sengoku ) prevents her from fleeing . Seeing very few chances for freedom besides being his model , Aki will use manipulation , through sexual advances to virginal Michio ( while also tapping into the mother's obsessive love for her son , the only male she has had close contact with over the years ) to separate the son from his mother . Mother loathes Aki and sees her as nothing but a slutty harlot who uses her nakedness for greedy pay-off . Aki still just wishes to leave , but Michio slowly grows more and more obsessed with her pushing away the mother who has taken care of a blind child by herself for many , many years . The shattered relationship ends in a scuffle and tragedy as the mother tries to kill Aki with Michio interfering . The more notorious portion of the film is the last 30 minutes as Aki will be raped and sodomized by a vengeful , heartbroken Michio who realizes that his beloved model was merely deceiving him so that his relationship with mother would deteriorate offering her a possibility of escape . Not allowing Aki to leave , they slowly bond through animalistic , continual sex which descends more and more into sadomasochism and violent depravity . . or as Aki put it , " . . descent into a nonhuman abyss . " It starts through biting into each other's skin , grows into being tied up by rope and whipped , before descending into bruising and knife-stabbing . They even drink each other's blood from the knife-wounds . But , the magic of this disturbing tale is that director Yasuzo Masumura doesn't really show you anything much . . he uses the sounds of the objects hitting and penetrating the flesh creating the act in your own mind . Seeing somewhat normal people grow more and more mad ( Aki even goes blind ! ) through the pleasures of pain as they stretch the boundaries of what the human anatomy can take is the raw power of this film . The warehouse gallery is quite a bizarre , unusual , yet poetic setting for this groundbreaking masterwork . |
435,858 | 9,938,570 | 468,492 | 9 | The Host | A member of the US military orders his Korean counterpart to unload lots of formaldehyde ( bottles upon bottles ) into the Han River of Seoul with a type of enormous mutated marine life form emerging as a result . In the opening of this film , a mass of people at the banks of the Han River are attacked by the monster as it rampages . Hyun-seo ( Ah-sung Ko ) is abducted by the monster and taken to a pit inside a certain sewer system with her father Gang-Du ( Kang-ho Song ) " infected " with the monster's blood supposedly when it is cut during the attack on an American . That American contracted some sort of virus which sends the government into an uproar with Gang-Du and his family quarantined . When Gang-Du receives a cell-phone call from his daughter , he'll try to break free with his family to find her wherever she may possibly be . We watch as poor Hyun-seo struggles to come up with a plan of escape as another little boy is dropped into the pit with her . . the monster begins dumping bodies there while also using it as a hideaway and sleeping spot . With the government and medical personnel all over the place ( not to mention police looking for them ) Gang-Du and his family will search endlessly for their beloved Hyun-seo . When Gang-Du is recaptured after a tragedy towards his father , we also see a very destructive paranoia towards a supposed virus develop . An American doctor orders a Korean medical staff to " disect out " the virus from Gang-Du's brain when it seems that they can not find any location of a virus present in anyone near the monster's initial opening attack . If Gang-Du will ever survive , he'll have to flee again . . and the idea that his daughter is still out there has not left his thoughts despite being cut into once . Now THIS is a monster movie . . a scary creation that director Joon-ho Bong is not afraid to unleash on viewers countlessly . There are some great sequences where it chases various people while the city of Seoul is thrown in a state of turmoil . This flick is very reminiscent of " Gojira " and being based on an actual event regarding the dumping of dangerous chemicals into the Han River only heightens the drama . Also , a great film about the power and dynamic of family and what lengths they'll go to rescue one of their own . |
436,567 | 9,938,570 | 60,794 | 9 | Kill , Baby . . Kill ! | Want to understand how to direct a film with style and atmosphere ? Well , in " Kill , Baby . . Kill ! " you are the student because the teacher is showing you how it's done . Exceptional cinematography , dreamlike score , and fluid camera-work heighten this unusual ghost story about victims forced to commit suicide by a vengeful spirit in the shape of a girl ! ! Melissa ( Valeria Valeri ) , the girl ghost , suffered a horrible death under a bell-tower tugging the rope trying to summon help . Her demise is most unfortunate for the town where that fateful day took place during a festival where drunken townsfolk did nothing to save Melissa . It is said that Melissa's death has opened a curse where villagers are afraid to even leave their homes with many exiting town for greener pastures . The silence of this town with it's decrepit skeletal remains of buildings that once stood , now cobwebbed , shrouded with fog that seems to live and breathe , while pockets of light shine through the open cracks and crevices , is a chilling reminder of how vibrant society can be taken away when a curse invades the hearts and minds of a people . Giacomo Rossi-Stuart portrays Paul , an outsider called in to do an autopsy on this women who committed suicide . He finds a coin in her heart and a frightened public hiding away from sight . He's a non-believer who feels that the entire town knock-kneed with superstition and can not accept the supernatural element everyone persists exists . He meets Monica ( Erika Blanc ) , a woman who came to town to visit her parents ' grave-site , but is much more important to the current ghost story than she could ever imagine as her very dreams are penetrated by some evil force . Soon , two other characters play an important part in the mystery behind Melissa's evildoing's . . the crazed Baroness Graps ( Giana Vivaldi ) and a sorceress ( Fabienne Dali ) , both of whom understand her power and how to control it . A chilling Gothic masterwork . |
436,909 | 9,938,570 | 93,777 | 9 | Prince of Darkness | Father Loomis ( Donald Pleasence ) wishes for Prof . Howard Birack ( Victor Wong ) and his class ( . . along with some other students majoring in other scientific fields ) to use scientific data by way of technology and computers in deciphering what the ancient text written means guarding a mysterious green , circulating liquid inside a canister predating millions of years . The Brotherhood of Sleep was a secret sect of Catholic priests who guarded the canister also re-writing over the text during a many years so that it could not be understood by the outside world . Whatever is inside that canister , the Brotherhood wished it to stay there . Loomis only realized all of this once the elder priest guarding the room dies . What they discover is , I believe , that an anti-god ( the negative side of God ) roaming the earth was condemned to darkness while his son , Satan , was placed inside the canister . . that very canister containing the green liquid is he . Weird occurrences around the church begin surfacing such as derelicts surrounding the building watching in a gaze ( . . killing anyone that might exit the church ) and insects such as ants and worms collecting on windows amongst other things . Jesus Christ , the text announces , was an extra-terrestrial who tried to warn others but was killed . Jesus ' disciples were able to successfully cover it up by fabricating the truth using the false doctrine by what we read in the bible . Now Satan is growing powerful . . the canister is no longer able to hold him as the liquid splashes in the mouth of a student zombie-fying her . She subsequently " turns " other students into zombies by passing the liquid from her mouth to theirs . A small group remains , led by Brian and Catherine ( Jameson Parker & Lisa Blount ) along with Birack , Walter ( Dennis Dunn ) , & Loomis trying to find away out of the church when it seems that another student ( . . with a specific mark on the arm signifying her as the chosen vessel for the remaining liquid ) is chosen as the host for Satan himself ! It seems that there's no escape . Satan invades the chosen host like a parasite invading a foreign organism taking it over . To top all this , Satan wishes to free his master from the darkness ( . . using the mirror as an entrance into the world ) . A premonition " signal " is sent to many as they sleep verifying a certain event to take place traveling to them from light years in the future ! To be honest , the film is quite confusing and demanding , but also quite creepy and haunting . Who the figure is in the premonition is a powerful image that stays with you . The idea that the evil Prince of Darkness awaits the chance to enter our world condemning it is a scary aspect , but seeing our heroes trapped inside while demonic possessed humans await them outside and inside is just as frightening . The story is so convoluted , though , it's no wonder many don't care for it . The story regarding the evil our characters are up against and the dialogue ( scientific gibberish ) spoken by Birack & his students can be exhausting for those who can not understand it . But , the film has enough terrifying aspects , I believe , to retain interest . In my opinion , it's one of Carpenter's scariest , most effective horror films on his impressive resume . I'm guessing some may find the strong religious subject matter , heavy in the cryptic jargon between the characters , who also use scientific language frequently , might turn many away head-scratching . Hell , I'm not even sure my explanation of the synopsis is absolutely accurate . Probably a film many might return to over and over just to see if they can penetrate it further than the last time . |
436,787 | 9,938,570 | 67,588 | 9 | Play Misty for Me | Disc Jockey David ( Clint Eastwood in one of his finest performances ) is quite the swinger , but he gets what's coming to him . . a psychopathic chick , Evelyn ( Jessica Walter , who is the epitome of creepy , twisted stalkers ) he beds who makes his life a living hell . While constantly stalking Dave , Evelyn has quite the tendency of showing up at his doorsteps always forcing herself on him . When Dave's old flame , Tobie ( Donna Mills ) , returns to Carmel , they fall back in love which throws Evelyn into a complete frenzy . Solid suspensor may've lost it's impact thanks to countless clones and imitations . This may also be considered dated , but I really thought the whole addition of the Monterrey Jazz Festival was cool . The jazz is also a fine element Eastwood ( who loves the music ) adds as a special ingredient to the film background music . But , without Walter's dynamic performance this film couldn't fly . It seems that nearly every actress ( especially Glenn Close in " Fatal Attraction " ) has rehashed Walter's performance , but she stands at the top of the heap . The film's photography from the great cinematographer Bruce Surtees is stunning as he frames some magnificent long tracking shots and good angled close-ups . The film is really lean and doesn't waste a whole lot of time setting up the plot and Eastwood , always considered wood by critics , shows his disc jockey terrorized by Evelyn as conflicted and annoyed . He just wishes to start afresh with Tobie , but has committed the mortal sin of sleeping with the wrong person . |
436,501 | 9,938,570 | 71,970 | 9 | The Parallax View | After a Senator is assassinated ( he was a popular candidate on the hinges of running for the presidency of the USA ) , those people surrounding him high on Seattle's Space Needle are being killed one by one . While the Warren Commission proclaims the hit as a work of a lone assassin ( who falls to his death when being chased ) , we see that Bill McKinney is hidden out of place with a smirk ( and gun he is putting away ) and leaving posthaste . It seems like the one who falls to his death was a decoy for McKinney . To keep those silent who were at the scene of the crime , phony " accidental " deaths are staged . Warren Beatty , a renegade reporter , is visited by Paula Prentiss ( a former lover ) who claims that her life is in danger and that he must search for the ones responsible for the Senator's death . He doesn't take her seriously until visiting Prentiss ' dead body in the morgue . Beatty will have to uncover the identity of the assassin and the truth behind who is pulling the strings over the numerous killings taking place . The question is will Beatty stay alive long enough to find out the truth ? What unfolds as Beatty persues the truth is truly terrifying . It all leads to a mysterious corporation called Parallax who hires assassins through a unique questionaire ( the corporate title is " Division of Human Engineering " which shows it's possible recruits a montage of clips to see how they respond to the images on the screen ) . Absorbing , tense political thriller makes all the right moves at a good pace . Well acted , not to mention well photographed . A real gem . If this has the atmospheric feel of " All the President's Men " , that is because most of the same technical people from this film ( director and designer ) were behind the creation of that masterpiece . |
436,096 | 9,938,570 | 80,661 | 9 | Dressed to Kill | Along with Body Double , De Palma's definitive homage to his greatest influence , Hitchcock , an answer to PSYCHO , brilliantly tongue-in-cheek from the daft title to the answer of who the killer REALLY is , the director is at his very level best , crafting one incredible set piece after another . The contemporary theme of " gender politics " is utilized beautifully here and the whole idea of why the killer commits the grisly razor blade murder ( . . and stalks a second victim , played by Nancy Allen ) is quite brilliantly executed . Unfortunately , like Hitchcock's masterpiece PSYCHO , De Palma's " cat is out of the bag " and everyone knows the identity of the killer . MAJOR SPOILERS Watching it for the first time in years , I grinned so many times at little sly moves conducted by De Palma in word and visual image , setting up the twist at the end so wickedly . Such as how bored house-wife , Kate Miller ( Angie Dickinson ) discovers after her sexual encounter with a complete stranger that he has a venereal disease , rushing deliriously in panic from his room . It's a sly move because you are horrified at the fact that she harbors that " sin disease " , believing this discovery will move throughout the rest of the film , only for her to meet her doom at the hands of a female with blond hair , black coat , and shades , slicing her with a glimmering razor blade . But , the way the tryst itself is executed was a wonder to behold . The way De Palma expresses on the side of the screen images of various items Kate lost along the way , them returning to her mind ( . . glove in the art museum , panties in the taxi , wedding ring left in her lover's room ) , how she initiates contact with the potential exchange with the lover without saying a word , how she attempts to slightly fight away her desire for the tryst , and her eventual terror for even instigating the frivolous sexual encounter at all . The way the transsexual killer's identity is discovered is also one hell of a doozy . We watch as Kate's psychiatrist , Doctor Robert Elliot ( Michael Caine ) listens to a feminine voice from his answering machine , a " client " on how she will be seeing another doctor , plans to have a sex change , and admits to borrowing his razor , threatening something criminal . Elliot has this recording , must meet at the police station with a hot-head , very disgruntled police detective , Marino ( . . De Palma regular , Dennis Franz , perfectly cast ) , and conceals her identity . . why does he do this when it's basically a confession ? The exciting " race against time " angle , involving prostitute Liz Blake ( . . the gorgeous Nancy Allen , in a role tailor made for her , who charms in a winning performance , bringing an amazing likability to a provocative character ) who is told by Marino , in a very hostile way , that she is the chief suspect because of accidentally grabbing the murder weapon at the scene of the crime ( . . in the wrong place at the wrong time , she was at the elevator with a male client , who runs away , as the doors open to reveal Kate reaching out for help , the killer hiding ) . She has 48 hours to save her skin . . to find evidence of the mysterious female killer , Kate saw in a mirror ( . . cleverly established by De Palma ) , while also being hunted by the psycho herself . There's an amazing set piece where Liz is stalked by the killer to a subway where she also is confronted by a gang of thugs and is painted into a corner when a police officer , a none-too-friendly exchange between these two , exits , leaving her to potentially fall prey to either one or the other . Her blossoming friendship to science wiz , Peter ( . . Keith Gordon , in a role he's often typecast , a brainy geek with some nifty inventions that come in handy along the way ) , the son of the slain Kate , is also a marvel of plot convention . . together they are able to discover the killer's identity in a thrilling climax as Liz infiltrates Elliot's office , disguising herself as a new client in need of counseling ( . . her attempted seduction produces a smoldering sexuality Allen easily conveys ) to retrieve a patient's name from his appointment book . I recognize that many will always consider De Palma nothing more than a rip off artist with considerable skill , deftly able to use the cinematic toys at his disposal , but films like DRESSED TO KILL are so entertaining in their own right . . it's the bravura way De Palma concocts his ideas and unleashes the surprises in such a heavily stylized way , executed with marksman's precision , understanding how to cleverly / cunningly use gimmicks to tell developing stories . Like Hitchcock , De Palma uses visuals to communicate with the viewer , but unlike the master director , is able to incorporate seedier elements and enhance his films with the color / allure of more provocative characters and settings ( . . such as New York City , and the people who live there ) . Like this cheeky title , De Palma perhaps used " BODY DOUBLE " as a joke regarding his use of such a person in Dickinson's steamy shower scene . Two scenes rather bother me : ( 1 ) regarding the protracted explanation of why the killer murdered and the psychological events that brought it about ( . . obviously a direct homage to the similar sequence at the end of PSYCHO ) and ( 2 ) the nightmare sequence at the end . . I felt neither is really needed , although these are ways to engage the audience , giving them extra when all is over , said , and done . |
436,442 | 9,938,570 | 435,625 | 9 | The Dark | I got existential with this film . It reminded me greatly of " The Blair Witch Project " where we see these characters unknowingly entering certain horror . . we know what will happen , but they have no idea what certain doom they willingly will be entering . You can not fault anyone but one and that is the guide who takes them into an " undiscovered " tavern ; that would be Juno ( Natalie Jackson Mendoza ) . The others believe they are taking a trip into a known cavern , and the fun of entering is very lively on their faces . These thrill-seekers have did all sorts of wild things such as rafting down rough currents over dangerous rocks . . but those experiences won't even compare to what waits for them in the dark . We see these young women leaving their off-road vehicles just like those three documentarians about to enter in the woods of Burkettsville , but they will enter a whole other territory where you can not see the sky above . Sarah ( Shauna Macdonald ) is the main character of the film for we see what has occurred to her already . Sarah is indeed a tragic character we can latch onto for her husband and daughter were taken from her in an awful car crash . We see the dreams of watching Sarah's daughter blowing out the candles of a birthday cake . . this would never happen , but it provides peace when there isn't much in reality . One might ask what the point of this is , but it matters more when one views director Marshall's bleak ending to this film . Sarah follows her supposed guide into what she believes to be a friendly cavern , but never realizes what she will become during that very trip inside a completely different cavern than she was led to believe . This film shows a sign mid-way as the girls encounter a major problem . They follow a small passageway further into the cavern . When that hole caves in , the girls must find another exit . Once they discover Juno's secret of being closed in a supposedly uncharted cavern , that's when the terror of being trapped starts to swim deep in their minds . That feeling of hopelessness increases when they discover something sinister awaits them as they continue . They will find that this cavern has lots of paths that stop at deep drop-offs where they will have to rope-climb to get from one place in the tavern to another . . it's the only way if they seek to find an exit . Once they begin to rope across from one place to get to the other side , there's a grave discovery . . someone had once been in the cave when they find a rope-locking device attached in the rock ! They are not the first to have been in this cave and the device they find is over 100 years old ! Soon , the true horror begins as they travel inside this portion of the tavern and encounter creatures that seem human , but act anything but . They have the appearance of a possible species of bat . They can only detect movement with sound . They don't seem to have the ability to smell or see . That may be any of the women's only way of combating the evil that longs for their flesh . Yes , these creatures are meat eaters ! And , when they eat , they enjoy it with a feverish intensity . Marshall's film is as grim as grim can be . If one group of climbers couldn't make it out , why should the ones we watch escape ? There's a glimmering hope when Juno , amongst any that survive the initial carnage that occurs as the creatures run amok on them out of nowhere , finds markings perhaps telling them a possible way out . But , they would have to make it past those creatures which may not have certain senses available , but do move fast and seem to know how to climb all around the tavern . I started thinking about these women who are not victims by choice because they trusted Juno for whom seemed somewhat trustworthy before this situation . I tried to understand their terror . That hopelessness ran deep within me because these unfortunates have been placed in a dire state with little chance of survival . |
435,796 | 9,938,570 | 76,299 | 9 | The Last Wave | David Burton ( Richard Chamberlain , quite good ) is a lawyer , more adept at handling corporate taxation ( . . and suffers from unusual dreams which bother him seeing this aboriginal man shrouded in darkness ) , who is called on to take a case concerning a group of aboriginals charged with the murder of one of their own named Billy . . we see that he tries to steal stones with ritual painting on them and is killed when a leader of an aboriginal tribe named Charlie ( Nandjiwarra Amagula ) uses a " death bone " to stop his heart . Meanwhile , revolving around David , bizarre weather patterns effect Sydney such as rain beating down polluted dirt and rock-sized hail during bright blue skies ( with no sights of clouds , such as the one that hits a school in central Australia ) , not to mention , a " deformed " rainbow which is split ( ! ) into groups . As David pursues the case he finds that he is far closer to the weird events taking place than he could ever realize . One aboriginal named Chris ( David Gulpilil ) appears to him in a dream holding a stone with blood and he finds that this man is one of those he is to represent at trial ! He finds that it's quite possible , after some strange meetings with Charlie and conversations with Chris , that he very well might be linked to a spirit named Mulkurul and that his dreams are actual premonitions of possible horrors yet to come . Absorbing apocalyptic drama builds it's story methodically and is completely original and unpredictable . With Peter Weir in charge , the film is visually arresting as we see these very overwhelming images of possible doom towards civilization , but the film's most compelling angle is certainly David's journey to find that monumental truth that plagues him as he questions Charlie and Chris countlessly , at first to help his men get off from a crime they didn't commit , and ultimately to find out what he has to do with anything catastrophic that is occurring or might occur later . |
435,764 | 9,938,570 | 67,690 | 9 | Daughters of Darkness | Euro-horror tale about what occurs when Countess Bathory and her " female companion " become " involved " with a troubled couple at a very elegant hotel . The husband is supposedly unkind towards his wife , who becomes seduced / bewitched by Bathory . I thought it was fantastic , but do believe many might be turned off by the rather icy presentation ( I wasn't ) . When anyone ever mentions EBath around me , from time to time , I will always think of Delphine Seyrig . She epitomizes theatricality in a good way . I love one scene , after the burial of a specific person , when the Countess opens her cape , as the camera pulls , back draping over her new acquisition . I think one can see the exact , pain-staking detail by the director and film-making collaborators to orchestratingly compose each and every scene . . I respect the approach given to the film and think their efforts work splendidly . I found each female lead exuding their own type of beauty . . and feel it's pretty difficult to take your eyes away from them . AS far as our male lead , I particularly found one scene fascinating as a layer is slightly unpeeled when he contacts " his mother " on the phone . One might just see why he's in such mental turmoil just from this slight gaze into his life before his courtship and marriage to Daniele Ouimet . I didn't think Ouimet needed to bring any acting into this film , I felt the director was using her beauty , hypnotic ( . . a term I throw around a bit too much , but that's the reaction I felt so I use it here ) as it was , to frame artistic shots within the frame with John Karlen . I also liked how the director won't reveal Countess as a vampire , per se , instead showing her blood drinking in one particular scene ( . . probably my favorite of the film , when Seyrig isn't given the camera to do her thing ) from afar . One thing that many might criticize ( . . that doesn't bother me ) is the deliberate slow pacing . This is an atypical horror film . . it's more stylized art film ( . . for instance , what the director does with a red scarf as it drapes over a colorful lamp with the room dimmed a specific hue ) where presentation from scene to scene is just as important as the characters , and what their goals are , within the scene . A user friend on the IMDb horror message board I felt was exactly right when he mentioned how Seyrig modeled her character after Dietrich . The way she moves her hands is exquisite , how she smoothly delivers her dialogue , how seductively she takes over the conversation and mood of each gathering , and the way she is dressed . She's an amazing sight , and I won't soon forget her " departure " from the film . |
436,443 | 9,938,570 | 98,273 | 9 | Sea of Love | Detective Frank Keller ( Al Pacino , in a perfect star vehicle ) is a middle-aged lonelyheart , recently divorced , whose ex is married to his partner . He begins thinking about his mortality as his 20 years of duty on the force has come up and longing for a female presence in his life has weighed on the mind . He's on a case regarding a swinger who was shot in the back of the head while listening to an oldie record 45 titled , " sea of Love " . A chance meeting with another detective from another precinct , Det . Sherman ( John Goodman in a terrific performance ) points to a possible string of killings as they find both their cases have the same MO . They decide to work together when they find that prints match from both of their cases and both males had put poems in the singles-ads . Frank wants to try this himself , with both he and Sherman believing the killer is a female with wrath towards ladies ' men as the motive . Keller , after going through several dates with many women who answer the ad ( . . which came from a poem Frank's mom wrote ) , begins a steamy love-affair with a sexy divorcée into kink . That female is Helen Cruger ( Ellen Barkin , heating the screen ) , and she has Frank feeling like a teenager . But , Frank begins questioning their relationship when he begins noticing little signs that may point to Helen possibly being the very killer he's investigating . This is true center of the story and a conflict plaguing Frank who is just head-over-heels for Helen . I must say this is one of my favorite Pacino performances because he wears weariness like a badge on his face . I felt Pacino plays him right showing a cop really damaged by a failed marriage and hitting the point in his life where he could retire from the force which brings up his age which torments him . Then this seductive gal comes along and throws him for a loop , rejuvenating him . I think Barkin is flat-out hot as the love-interest . I think she provides just the right amount of mystery that has us questioning her much like Frank eventually does . The film has a great dynamic between Pacino and Goodman which only makes it even better . |
436,250 | 9,938,570 | 85,333 | 9 | Christine | Arnie Cunningham ( Keith Gordon , who has never been better ) finds a junker Plymoth sitting in a yard for sale . It is shown at the opening of the film to have smashed one automaker's hand with it's hood while suffocating another with carbon monoxide . So we know what Arnie doesn't . . that this car whose name is Christine isn't your ordinary Plymoth . Something deep within this car is evil and it grips a demonic hold on whoever drives it . Dennis ( John Stockwell ) , a star football player , tries to warn his best friend to not buy this hunk of junk , but Arnie can not resist it's pull . Arnie's parents do not approve of buying it and his resistance towards them begins here . Arnie is shown as sweet and self-deprecating . He is mistreated by three bullies in machine shop , and the leader plans to assault Arnie , and Dennis who takes up for him with a switchblade knife . They take their anger out on Arnie when he and Dennis report them to the autoshop teacher , by destroying Christine . . that will be quite a mistake ! The film's main conflict , however , is Leigh ( Alexandra Paul ) . . a hottie who becomes Arnie's love interest . She is truthfully Christine's main nemesis other than the thrill bullies for she comes between the car and Arnie . You see , anyone who comes between Christine and her man must be punished . I believe Christine gets better every time I watch it . Now , I know the story and / or idea of a car with demonic powers ( . . not to mention her hold on whoever is the rightful owner ) might be regarded as silly , but there's something so compelling about it . I guess what comes out the creepiest is Keith Gordon's transformation as the film continues . He's so self-deprecating and timid , we love him at the beginning which makes what Christine does to him even more tragic . We watch as he begins to resist his parents ( using foul language towards them in defiance ; even attack his father ) , turns away from possible love with Leigh { who deeply cares about him } , barking at those who wish to insult his " lady " , growing apart from Dennis , and seeing this evil slowly overcome him . We truthfully see what Christine does to those who " become hers " . The film also shows that she can repair herself after serious damage is inflicted on her . When the gang of bullies smash her to smithereens , Arnie { . . by this time almost completely psychopathic } gives her the extra push to reshape her torso so that they could seek revenge towards those who hurt her . Despite it's reputation , the film isn't graphic for Carpenter wishes to ratchet up the suspense instead of bloodying the screen . We watch as Christine chases down each of the three who caused her and Arnie harm and the car's wrath brings on an investigation directed toward Arnie . That detective is played by Harry Dead Stanton . Dennis and Leigh ( who both have now realized how evil Christine is thanks to Leigh's near choking death thanks to the evil car ) must try and save Arnie before the car destroys him . But , can Arnie be saved ? Ultimately , the film is about obsession . Arnie becomes obsessed with Christine and vice versa . But , perhaps Christine finds certain suitors who are weak and need affirmation from someone when life deals them a bad deck . Certainly in Arnie's case , Christine awakens something sinister , though at first he simply gains courage by asking out Leigh and facing overbearing parents . But , by the end we know that the quiet , hurt young man who just wanted more out of life is erased and all that is left is a monster a certain girl created . |
435,679 | 9,938,570 | 224,077 | 9 | School of the Holy Beast | Boy , this sure doesn't hold back when casting a scathing view of the Catholic church . No stone is unturned . Everything is in this film . Duck for that kitchen sink because the hypocrisy and secrets hidden within the abbey of the church of nuns examined here is riddled with sin and deprivation . The kick is that , through Norifumi Suzuki's magnificent direction , this isn't just a cheapo exploit flick , but a legit art film . The film's protagonist , Maya , to me isn't very different that Nami , the Scorpion in the Female Prisoner film , except she infiltrates a dirty convent seeking answers regarding her mother's fate within the confines of what was supposed to be a religious community of believers . Where a dirty cop is behind the ills of Nami , a bitter priest , Father Kakinuma ( Fumio Watanabe ) is the man responsible for what ails Maya . The Priest and the Vice Abbess , a woman seething with lust running through very loins . The fact is this flick exposes the ugly truth of what could occur behind the closed walls of a hidden place secretively inactive from the outside world . Here's this modern girl , Maya ( the yummy Yumi Takigawa ) who we see enjoying the pleasantries of life before entering the repressed innards of a community harboring hidden immorality under a cloak of righteousness . She is the offspring of that very lust and sin that lies quietly buried underneath the cloak , and through her , will those iniquities be exposed . Though , when you threaten to expose hidden dirty old secrets , there are bound to be consequences . Her very life will be threatened by not only the Vice Abbess , but a " witch-finding nun " sent into the convent by Kakinuma to put an end to a thorn in his flesh which could finally awaken the monster he really is . Kakinuma is quite a character . . hidden underneath bushy long hair and thick mustache , not to mention this cloak which removes our eyes from a horrifying act that occurred from the past , is this menacing quiet beast who seems to be a loving man of God who any nun or God-fearing Christian could confide in when dealing with problems of the flesh , is , himself , holding rather unpleasant feelings toward everyone including the Lord he serves . He seeks answers from God ( " Where is God when man needs him ? " ) while constantly bedding nuns who revere him . What sins are hidden within this convent : lesbian lovers keeping their love-making secret from everyone , a Mother Superior who confiscates sex photos she masturbates to , nuns who enjoy the sight of women being whipped ( director Suzuki often pulls his camera in on their faces as they look on wide-eyed with enthusiasm ) , the persecution room ( readily used such as the case when Maya is being tortured with thorny vines twisting around her body , piercing her flesh as a nun on each side pulls with all their might ) , a nun who stole money from the Vice Abbess so that she could pay for her father's hospital bills for which she receives a rape from Kakinuma , etc . The torture scene where Maya is being treated to thorny rose vines is rather hard to watch as director Suzuki tightens the camera on how they slide back and forth underneath her breasts . But , what follows is actually both unpleasant and beautiful . . the nuns collectively slap Maya across the face with bouquets of roses as Suzuki shows her face whipping to and fro in slow motion as petals fall poetically like snow around her body . It's quite a feat to create such a scene which can alternately compel and repel . And , that whipping scene , the first one inside the infamous persecution room , is amazingly photographed as Suzuki's camera goes berserk following the action as the two nuns , caught by a spy , eating sausages . The most horrific sequence in the film , the witch-trial of a pregnant nun , who was raped by Kakinuma , is quite a dazzling moment in the film . We see her agonizingly put through the ringer , whipped with blood stripes opening on her skin , salt water poured in her mouth ( . . forced to swallow an entire pail ) , and held inside a chair as the clock ticks with this container under her legs ( with a gold crucifix at it's center ) ready for urine to flow . If she urinates , this poor soul will be condemned as a witch . Not just your run-of-the-mill nunsploit , although I'm not an expert in the subversive sub-genre , I'd be hard-pressed to expect another to be any better than this one . Lots of breasts exposed as well as unceasing stabs at Catholicism . . . there's a vehement anti-Catholic attitude that permeates throughout and use of Christian iconography ( the use of a crucifix to kill , the destruction of a Virgin Mary statuette , blood puddling down a portrait of THE LAST SUPPER ) in exploitive ways . Certainly not for all tastes . . some will find this film very offensive . Maya , an unshakable force to be reckoned with , will unleash her revenge on those responsible for her mother's demise . |
435,925 | 9,938,570 | 62,885 | 9 | The Devil Rides Out | Hammer studios scores a knock-out with this superb supernatural horror flick starring Christopher Lee as Duc de Richleau who finds a battle on his hands with a Satanic cult , led by Mocata ( Charles Gray ; played the villain Blofeld in DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER ) . Richleau had a war pal who died and so he took over fatherly duties for the man's son , Simon ( Patrick Mower ) , who is being pursued by the cult to become a follower of Satan . Richeau , a devout man who understands the methods of the dark magic , must stop them from taking Simon . Mocata has a powerful gift and that is of controlling weak minds . The key to the evil forces ' power is direct eye-contact . . you , in a sense , give over yourself when that form of contact is connected . Things get even more complicated when Richleau's other war pal , Rex ( Leon Greene ) finds that another has yet to have been " re-baptized " in the Satanic cult named Tanith ( Nike Arrighi ) for whom he falls in love . Mocata uses Tanith as his medium and can control her from a long distance . Tanith doesn't wish to harm anyone , but the evil commanding inside her is too strong to control . The Eatons have a home nearby where the Satanic cult hold a place of worship . Richard Eaton ( Paul Eddington ) thinks all that Richleau tells him is gibberish and is skeptical . His wife Marie ( Sarah Lawson ) is Richleau's niece and she does , albeit reluctantly , believe what her uncle speaks regarding the cult . But , it's only through action where Marie and Richard begin to understand what Richleau and they are up against . There are quite a few moments of peril for Richleau and Rex as they must somehow keep Simon and Tanith away from the clutches of Mocata and his group . It's proved in ritual that Mocata has the ability to summon Satan . If this flick were in anyone else's hands , it might turn out as a silly , campy horror film . But , in the capable hands of Terence Fisher with Lee leading the way FINALLY having an opportunity to be a heroic figure , this flick is played seriously with optimum effect . Charles Gray was well cast as the chief villain for he has a foreboding , yet sophisticated , presence that works well . At hindsight he might even look like a gentleman . . it's when he's able to practice his devil worship that we see his pure evil . Squeezing every ounce of tension at their disposal , our heroes will have to remain in a " circle of safety " as they are tempted to move out via fake manipulation showing them images that are not really there playing on the inner fear of each individual . Adding the final scary piece is when Mocata kidnaps the Eatons ' little girl for a sacrifice to their Lord . |
435,930 | 9,938,570 | 98,360 | 9 | Violent Cop | How apt the film's title really is ! A blood feud enrages when a detective and drug lord's assassin lock horns . Corruption is plaguing the police force as Azuma's ( Beat Yakeshi ) colleague , Iwaki ( Sei Hiraizumi ) , is helping deal drugs for a drug lord , Nito ( Ittoku Kishibe ) Nito's assassin , Kiyohiro ( Hakuryu ) is targeted by Azuma because Iwaki is found hanging from a bridge by his neck through a noose . Azuma soon frames him with planted drugs , locks him in a room at the police station where he batters the man , even almost putting a bullet in him . Losing his job as a cop , Azuma is attacked from behind by the assassin with a cat-and-mouse ensuing with the result being an obvious bloody showdown . Director Kitano's amazing debut certainly echoes Dirty Harry in Azuma's unorthodox methods of handing out justice . Except Kitano's detective often obtains information through beating those he interrogates senseless . Usually , though , the ones he smacks around deserve a bit of punishment for their thuggish behavior & criminal activities . In one scene , Iwaki is trying to smooth things over between a gigolo and a girl he got pregnant ( . . for whom he also physically abuses ) . . in typical Azuma fashion , the detective beats the gigolo up right in the hallway of the police precinct ! One of my favorite scenes concerns a drug pusher with info Azuma needs regarding who he's selling dope for , in the bathroom of a discotheque . . Azuma continues to repeatedly slap this joker until the guy finally cracks revealing the drug lord as a restaurateur named Nito . What I found most fascinating was just how the assassin Kiyohiro and Azuma are similar . They are actually , in my opinion , cut from the same cloth , just on opposing sides of the law . Both carry themselves without fear of what lies in front of them . . with a cold , steely expression , the two exact punishment to those that oppose them . One , Azuma , uses violent methods to extract the information he needs or to put a person in their place . The killer , Kiyohiro , dutifully removes the thorns from his employer's side . Neither flinches when facing an obstacle or opponent and will hurt you bad if need be . But , both men have a hair trigger and are easily willing to wipe somebody out . It's appropriate that the cop will lose his job and go vigilante as it seems both he and the assassin are fated to meet in a gunfight to the death . Almost like the OK Coral is the vehicle lot where these two stare down each other before the shooting begins . The film has moments of startling violence interspersed with subtle humorous touches of Azuma and his faithfully law-abiding , naive partner , Kikuchi ( Makoto Ashikawa ) . Kikuchi , appears anyway , to be very by-the-book , patiently dealing with his often unhinged partner who can uncork at any moment stomping a suspect or insider who knows something of importance regarding their case . One particularly breathtaking sequence involves the chase of a criminal with information on drugs running throughout the city , after bashing and killing a police officer over the head with a baseball bat . Azuma , unflinchingly , runs him over with the car he's driving ! If you are familiar with Beat's characters in films , his cop is the same . A stone face hiding the obvious emotions present inside , unshakably like an impenetrable rock , his cop uses blunt force to speak for him . Sure a smile cracks every once in a while , mostly at his partner's ways , but Azuma buries most of what other cops wear on their sleeve . There's a scene I found amusing where Azuma is told he's fired as the detective stares down his chief without batting an eyelash with the camera lingering on him seemingly forever . The opening of the film really sets the tone for how our " hero " works as a police officer . . a group of mean kids harm a beggar on a street corner minding his own business . Azuma follows one of them to his home . He invites himself in to the kid's house to his mom's bewilderment . And , Azuma subsequently smacks the kid around telling the brat to turn himself in ! Something I also found amusing was how Azuma almost always walks . . everywhere , it seems , in this film he's trotting to this or that destination on foot . The film also shows another problem Azuma has to deal with . . a mentally retarded sister who doesn't turn away from men wanting sex , and we see what her brother does to one fellow who took advantage of her , getting thrown down the steps , his body pouring into the street as Azuma slaps the back of his head , kicking his shin as both men walk to a bus stop . When Kiyohiro kidnaps her , getting the poor girl hooked on heroine , Azuma's decision regarding her need for a fix is truly haunting . Like most of Kitano's future characters , whose lives revolve around crime , his violent cop here is a doomed character fated for only one certain outcome . Also , this film cleverly shows that even if one major crime lord is removed by deadly means , there's always another waiting to take his position . . and that goes for corrupt cops as well . |
435,943 | 9,938,570 | 58,606 | 9 | Spider Baby | Bizarre cannibal comedy regarding a family of mental savages under the " parental supervision " of Uncle Bruno , The Chauffeur ( played with heart and gusto by the great Lon Chaney , JR ) who just wants them to quit killing passersby . You have Virginia ( Jill Banner , who despite her insanity is oddly sexy ) who loves spiders so she often behaves like one and eats them ! You have poor Ralph ( Sid Haig , such an inspiring bit of casting ; steals the entire film ) whose condition has worsened to the point where he behaves like an animal . And , the quietly demented Elizabeth who seems all too innocent and peppy until we see the monster pop out of the closet . Bruno seems the sanest of the clan of oddball weirdos and promised his brother that he'd never let anyone take them away to be probed by the public at large . Yet , it was only a matter of time before their wealth would be exposed ( . . although , one wouldn't think they had any money at all considering the way their place of residence has become so ruined by uncare , decay , and time ) by other more normal family members ready to cash-in . Those " distant relatives " are the Howes , Emily and Peter ( Carol Ohmart & Quinn K Redeker , the cousin who tells us his story regarding the trip to meet this group of nuts ) who use an attorney , Schlocker ( Karl Schanzer , quiet a weaselly character who wreaks of pomposity and snobbery ) to inform the family that they stand to lose everything because of their unfortunate conditions due to family inbreeding which slowly turns functioning human beings into mental deficients . Ann ( Mary Mitchel ) is Peter's love-interest who becomes a target of the family when they deem her a threat at exposing their deep dark secrets from downstairs . The film has little sick jokes which come from the woodwork towards the end which gives this twisted little black comedy an air of unpredictability that is priceless . . in a sick way that is . Seeing Sid Haig mutting around like a dog is truly reason enough to see director Jack Hill's cult classic , but Jill Banner as the Spider Baby is truly hard to turn away from . She has a scene where she ties up Peter in her " spider web " with plans to kill him like a bug . Now in this scene she pulls up her dress to expose this pair of lovely legs , kissing Peter delicately on the cheek with her tongue ever so gliding on his face . . you forget for a moment that she's crazy and find yourself , like Peter was , in a state of lustful abandon . But , Chaney , Jr . has an endearing , beautifully realized scene where he dotes on the notion of his family being taken away from him ( . . and breaking the oath promised to his brother ) and you see these tears just well up . . it's actually rather touching . And , his singing the theme song is just terrific . If you are into strange cinema , SPIDER BABY is a must . |
436,086 | 9,938,570 | 100,369 | 9 | The Pit and the Pendulum | The Grand Inquisitor , Torquemada ( Lance Henriksen ) , known for his public executions and torturous methods of those he and his foot-soldiers deem heretics and witches , is overcome with lust when he gazes upon the naked body of baker Antonio's ( Jonathan Fuller ) lovely wife Maria ( the stunning beauty Rona De Ricci ) on trial for being a witch after halting the never-ending whipping of a boy child in front of a crowd of people . The film shows Torquemada's battle with his desire for Maria and how Antonio will try to save her , which will not be an easy task . I think the main success of this film is Lance Henriksen's powerful performance as the sadistic , psychotic Inquisitor . While his chosen men , Gomez ( Stephen Lee ) and Dr . Huesos ( William J Norris ) bask in the joy of making others suffer , Don Carlos ( Tom Towles ) drunk with the role of captain riding his horse with great pride , and Francisco ( Jeffrey Combs , who looks like a bookish accountant tending to his recorded testimonies of sin and acknowledgments of witchcraft as if he were an IRS agent seeking debts owed by clients ) logging the accused , very business-like , with little remorse , Torquemada is completely serious in his role as executioner and judge wielding his power as if he were the mighty hand of God striking down anyone he so chooses . Henriksen's always intense and frighteningly believable . . I do feel that he best represents what kind of monster those Inquisitors were like during this horrible time in history . While we often watch as his victims suffer , thanks to director Stuart Gordon and screenwriter Dennis Paoli , those who mistreat get their comeuppance in the end . It's fun watching Torquemada fall prey to his own madness , guilt , hypocrisy & buried iniquities which surface and confront him in a fantastically realized climax . Frances Bay steals every scene she's in as accused and imprisoned witch Esmeralda , who befriends Maria and gets revenge on hecklers and executioners when she's set at the the stake to burn with the use of gunpowder . Mark Margolis ably portrays the abused torturer Mendoza , a puppet Torquemada ( . . and his goons ) uses to do his dirty work ( . . he has these nasty Christ-like wounds on his hands which Torquemada gave to him as punishment as a reminder of what can happen when you " sin " ) . Stuart Gordon's wife , Carolyn Purdy-Gordon ( . . as an ancestor of one Torquemada deems a heretic as his torturer whips the skeletal remains of an unearthed corpse ! ) gets you-know-what again ( . . he likes to murder his wife on film in devious ways ) and it's quite a grisly fate . . she is strangled by a rope over the back of an executioner as her child watches helplessly . Oliver Reed has a very memorable cameo as a visiting Cardinal , with quite the taste for drink , who brings orders from the Pope for Torquemada to end his violent methods , meeting a horrifying end ( . . yep , the dependable wall entombment ) . I also loved the preposterous , but ingenious , way one escapes the swinging razor-sharp pendulum which closes in to his body thanks to rats . That pit of spikes , underneath a trap door where the poor victim lies as the pendulum swings , is also put to good use . And , I think that Gordon utilizes Rona De Ricci's beauty and innocence quite well . . she's certainly a sympathetic figure we root for as it seems her fate is doomed because of the trap Torquemada has placed her in . But , this is Henriksen's movie . . he's a force of nature and Gordon ideally shoots him in sinister ways . You do not want this man pointing you out of a crowd for the possibility of consorting with the DEVIL , that's for sure . |
436,858 | 9,938,570 | 45,546 | 9 | The Beast from 20 , 000 Fathoms | A prehistoric dinosaur , Rhedosauras , is awakened from it's North Pole icy prison by atom explosion testings , and follows the Arctic current to NYC destroying whatever lies in it's path along the way . Scientist Tom Nesbitt ( Paul Hubschmid ) who survives an avalanche which kills his fallen colleague , tries to tell others of the creature he saw and is disbelieved by everyone proclaiming his story as a momentary lapse of reason during a traumatic occurrence . Nesbitt tries to convince Paleontologist Thurgood Elson ( Cecil Kellaway ) of what he saw , and is yet again rejected , but finds an ally in the professor's assistant , Lee ( Paula Raymond ) who persuades him to seek out a surviving eyewitness who can corroborate his story . When he does , finally convincing Elson that there might just be a living dinosaur ( . . and such a scientific discovery worth seeking after ) , they will attempt to persuade Colonel Jack Evans ( Kenneth Tobey ) to keep watch over the coastlines for the beast could surface at any moment risking the lives of innocent Americans . When the Rhedosauras attacks a Massachusettes lighthouse , among other damaged wreckage along the way , Evans will humor Nesbitt and Elson , despite how his superiors and peers might react at such a request , and send a small vessel into the oceanic depths with Elson himself hoping to find the dinosaur under water . He does , and with a price . Soon the Rhedosauras surfaces NYC and causes panic and destruction to buildings , vehicles , and people with civilians running for their very lives as the beast moves through the streets on a rampage . When Evans orders his military men to fire upon the beast , he doesn't know that the Rhedosauras ' tissue is diseased . . when anyone , including Evan's men , come in contact with the dinosaur's blood a viral plague causes major sickness and death . Nesbitt believes that the only means of destroying the dinosaur without spreading the virus into the air , is through a radioactive isotope blasted through a wound inside it's bloodstream , disintegrating the tissue . Ray Harryhausen's first film on his own is a must-see for creature feature fans . The dinosaur attacks a lighthouse , takes a ship underwater , eats a police man , destroys buildings , and rips apart a roller coaster in the harrowing finale . As always , Tobey , although in not as lucrative a role as he would be in " It Came from Beneath the Sea " , shines once again as the reliable pillar of knowledge and strength as the military colonel . As is a staple in monster movies ( . . well the good ones anyway ) Hubschmid is the model handsome , extremely likable heroic scientist with charm and manners , and the lovely Paula Raymond fills the usual role of beautiful scientist who motivates , assists , and falls in love with him . Kellaway is simply delightful as the engaging paleontologist with a glowing smile and cheerful attitude , which makes his fate all the more sad because he's such a lovable character . I have always felt that a creature feature , a really solid one , needs a good cast to match the effects of Harryhausen , and " The Beast from . . " is such a movie . Thankfully , the characters are well developed and seem to know what they're talking about thanks to swell writing and dialogue that isn't too cerebral , yet smart enough to make the plot believable . A serious approach and a superb creature causing some major damage to New York City really raise this above the other films that would follow . Along with " Them ! " , " The Beast from . . " is one of the all-time greats in the monster movie genre . I'm a major fan of stop-motion effects and I think others who are will lap this film up . It has stunningly realized f / x for a movie made in ' 53 such as the lighthouse's destruction and when that poor cop is chomped on , eventually gulped . I read elsewhere that the Godzilla remake from Emmerich favors this film more than the Tokyo fire-breather and , after finally watching " The Beast from . . " I definitely concur . |
436,509 | 9,938,570 | 37,794 | 9 | The House of Fear | Murder is an insidious thing , Mr . Watson . Once a man has dipped his fingers in blood , sooner or later he'll feel the urge to kill again . Wealthy members of a prestigious club , known as The Comrades ( . . retired friends without ancestral heirs , live together in a Scotland castle ) are being bumped off by a mysterious killer who leaves a small envelope entailing a number of orange pips with the next victim's name on it ( . . the pips are the number of the members left alive after the recipient's death ) . . the murders are rather hideously presented , the victims bodies horribly disfigured to leave no identification , except certain little items which each member carried on their person , whether it be a signet ring or a familiar tattoo . An insurance man calls upon Sherlock Holmes and Dr . Watson to solve the case because the members still alive changed their policies so that each other would receive their inheritance in case they wound up dead . Arriving to the castle , Holmes is quite baffled by a series of events while bodies continue to pile up , but soon little details ( . . such as the murder of a tobacconist , suspicious footprints , a body removed from it's grave , an empty tobacco case ) emerge and he , along with Watson , whose life is threatened multiple times , soon piece together the clues in order to uncover a brilliant , but flawed , scheme that will lead them to a murderer . Great dark house chiller with a really nifty finale as Holmes and Watson discover a sinister plot that almost works , with certain minute mistakes unraveling as they put together the clues available . Poor Watson and soon arriving Scotland Yard detective , Inspector Lastrade ( . . series regular Dennis Hoey ) often play patsy to the wily Holmes who must embarrass them at times when pointing out their bumbling mistakes at pointing fingers at who they believe to be the killer , when all the details haven't been assembled together . Nigel Bruce is wonderful comic relief as Watson , often assigned to watch over the Comrades when he has trouble even protecting his own neck . The film has a gallery of suspects , with lots of interesting characters among the Comrades , all a bit suspicious in one way or another , with motive to kill . Aubrey Mather in a colorful part as the affable , soft-spoken Alastair and Paul Cavanagh as the obviously questionable surgeon Dr . Simon Merivale who represents the film's most blatant suspect ; he's mentioned early on as perhaps behind the slaying of his wife , and Merivale is often seen reading a murder mystery as if teasing Holmes to catch him in the act . Basil Rathbone is perfect as you'd expect in the role of Holmes , this time showing a degree of puzzlement due to just how many suspects there are , knowing with his inquisitive mind that there's something feasible which explains the odd nature of how the murders are set up and reasonable answers behind the destructive appearances of the bodies when found as if the work of a fiend . Director Roy William Neill provides an ominous mood through effectively noirish B & W photography , using the darkness of night , often following Watson running around trying to catch a killer while Holmes is elsewhere . There's a touching scene at the end between Holmes and Watson ( . . which just describes why Rathbone and Bruce were so wonderful together as the investigating duo ) as they celebrate a job well done while Inspector Lestrade ( . . who had to be led by Holmes like a horse to a water trough ) gets the credit by the press . You can see at times how much fun Rathbone has with Holmes at the humorous expense of Bruce's bumbling Watson , smoking away at his pipe . I think this is one of the finest examples of Holmes / Watson under the elegant treatment only the Universal Studios could provide . Watson's work opposite an owl during a grave-digging sequence is hilarious , as is his scene shooting a pistol , aimed at anything that slightly moves . |
436,014 | 9,938,570 | 31,951 | 9 | Son of Frankenstein | Stunning sequel to " Bride of Frankenstein " has the son of Baron returning to the castle and being met by villagers with less than welcome salutations . The village nearby is so traumatized by the monster's rampaging violent past that even the name of Frankenstein gives them the willies . Bela Lugosi stars as broke-necked Ygor who has a secret he bestows upon Baron Wolf Frankenstein ( Basil Rathbone , who is nothing short of outstanding ) . . the monster that was said to be dead is in fact alive and intact in a secret location only they know about . Wolf sees this as an opportunity to make this creature humane while studying what makes it tick through careful research , assisted by butler , Benson ( Edgar Norton ) . Lionel Atwill stars as Herr Inspector Krogh , a policeman who knows first-hand what power the monster has since his own arm was pulled from the torso thanks to Baron's creation . He now has a fake one attached with limited mobility to offer . The conflict within the film is provided by Lugosi's sinister Ygor who has formed a bond of friendship with the monster and when Wolf is able to resurrect the creature from a comatose state , the creature is able to kill certain members behind the hanging of the broke-necked fiend ( his sentence was for grave-robbing ; in an inspired scene Ygor is being questioned by his peers in regards to what Wolf is up to in his laboratory where the broke-necked fiend pokes fun at them for not finishing what they started ) . Despite good intentions from Wolf , Ygor has complete control over the monster and soon the violence that erupts will bring the village down on him . He becomes a bundle of bad nerves as Krogh is often probing him not to mention Ygor's murderous activities . Josephine Hutchinson is given a thankless role as Wolf's worried wife who wishes to leave because of this unsettled fear and seeing her husband behaving out of sorts doesn't help . . she is quite good and makes the most of the role . But , ultimately , you return to Karloff who just understands how the monster ticks bringing human traits and life to the monster . I feel that the other " Frankenstein monsters " pale in comparison because he is played merely as an emotionless beast killing and maiming . Karloff makes him human and shows pain and angst in his face ( the best scene , in my opinion , is when the monster sees his reflection in the mirror and is terrified at the sight ) . I think those who question Lugosi's skill need to see this film especially . I think " Son of Frankenstein " gives Lugosi a chance , much like his primitive Sayer-of-the-Law in " Island of Lost Souls " , to express himself . Lugosi provides us with an evil , sly creature who knows how to manipulate those around him in various ways , often using his rough exterior to an advantage . It's easy to see others deeming themselves superior to someone who looks so ragged and nasty like Ygor , but he has cunning and knows how to control situations just because he is frowned upon as inferior . The film has amazing massive sets , some fascinating moments such as the " interrogations " between Krogh and Wolf , and the cast really bring this up to a high level . Not to mention , the film explores the innards of the monster and how his simplemindedness can be used against him , case in point being how Ygor has gained his trust and how he can use the monster to do evil deeds for him . Probably the most underrated of all the Frankenstein films . . and perhaps , the best . |
435,754 | 9,938,570 | 222,368 | 9 | The Nameless | I think what makes THE NAMELESS so terrifying is the fact that it's grounded in realism . . the idea that a flock , perverted by the deranged fundamental ideas of a very sick man , are arranging this diabolical plan to achieve an imagined profound state ( . . synthesis ) through the absolute act of evil , in turn , causing an innocent to suffer even more . The group is called the Nameless , those who choose not to have a human title ( . . it , in essence , removes them from purity and humanity , free to commit atrocities , not bound by laws or morality ) completely embracing immorality and evil , following the pathological ideals of Santini ( Carlos Lasarte ) . Claudia ( Emma Vilarasau ) is the tormented victim of the film , her young daughter kidnapped , reporting to the morgue to determine if the devastated corpse of a female child is her own . A bracelet of her daughter , Angela , was found by the corpse , and Claudia accepts the loss as best as she can , but five years later , still in deep mourning , her phone rings with a voice claiming to be her child , begging for help . Claudia , finding a beach house , from the directed voice across the phone , discovers a boot and various photos all over the place . Confused and distraught , Claudia confides in recently resigned detective , Bruno Massera ( Karra Elejalde ) , the one who worked on her daughter's case , for help . Another unexpected ally emerges , Quiroga ( Tristán Ulloa ) , a tabloid journalist / photographer , whose establishment was sent a tape with Claudia's phone number on it . Soon Bruno hits the pavement , Claudia often in tow , trying to uncover the whereabouts and background on the Nameless . An aspect that really makes Jaume Balagueró's THE NAMELESS such an intense experience is the fact that this cult could be everywhere , lurking in the shadows , close nearby , because the people involved look like normal , regular folks you pass on the streets , in bars , and elsewhere . There are examples of these cults throughout history , willing to kill themselves or others at the command of a charismatic leader who spellbinds them . The film is an investigative thriller following three lead characters in pursuit of a dangerous group who may be leading them into a trap . Convenient clues throughout the film , left for the characters to discover , perhaps motivate Claudia and Bruno into a spider's web , heading for a confrontation with the epitome of menace . What's really scary is how willing this group is at killing . The opening of the film displays the depths of their malice , as we see a coroner and Bruno around the destroyed body of a girl who was tortured while still alive , practically unrecognizable the corpse is so pulverized . The fate of Claudia's obsessive ex-boyfriend , Toni ( Pep Tosar ) , a grisly site left for her and Bruno to discover . The fate of another who discovers their lair and is systematically slaughtered by the group using box cutters . Despite the cult's activities , the ultimately unsettling moment ( . . along with Claudia's discovery of Angela , no longer the loving , sweet little girl she once knew and her actions as the screen fades to black ) is when Claudia meets Santini . . in an asylum after being sentenced for the rape and anal violence of two boys . His chilling ramblings about learning from those in concentration camps ( . . a symbolic link between the Nameless and Nazis ) while feeding Claudia riddles awaken us to the fact that those under him were manipulated and mentally captured by a raving , but intelligent madman . The scene is haunting because of Lasarte's performance of Santini . . you loathe this roach , but can not take your eyes off of him , a completely unpredictable monster with a way of commanding an audience . Jaume Balagueró's film is incredibly depressing , and bleak as can be , but fascinating and unnerving . . like Claudia and Bruno , we are led down a really dark path into an abyss of insanity and see how something innocent can be polluted by the depraved ideologies of a twisted belief system . Extremely well acted ( . . you truly feel for Claudia and Bruno , both victims of loss ) and the direction is solid thanks in part to Jaume Balagueró's control of the viewer ( . . or , me , at least ; I found it quite gripping ) following the sequence of events which will change Claudia's life forever . |
436,778 | 9,938,570 | 377,800 | 9 | Don't Come Knocking | One day , out of the blue , western star ( this is ironic that he's a western star since in our modern times , the American western genre is quite quiet ) Howard Spence ( the terrific , laconic Sam Shepard , who also wrote the screenplay ) rides off from his movie set in Utah . He calls up his mother ( Eva Marie Saint ; she's wonderful every moment she's on screen ) for whom he hasn't spoken in nearly thirty years and asks if he may come for a visit to see her in Nevada . He finds out , through conversation with mama , that he may have a child he never knew existed . So , after a little while with mama , Howard heads off for the little town of Butte , Montana ( where most of the film , lovingly photographed by Franz Lustig , takes place ) to find his old lady love , Doreen ( Jessica Lange ) . He indeed finds that he has a son , troubled with booze , melancholy , & bitterness named Earl ( Gabriel Mann ) who sings nights at a pub . He also finds out , through fate , a daughter named Sky ( played by the simply wonderful Sarah Polly , who portrays the character understated ) for whom carries around the remains of her mother in an urn . There are , of course , laws that state you just can not leave the set of a film , so the producers send off " detective " Sutter ( Tim Roth , hilariously subdued ) , a by-the-numbers blank just trying to do his job . . and quickly , with order . Another inspired bit of casting has Fairuza Balk as the funky , cooky , punky girlfriend of Earl ( she calls him , " Early " ) named Amber . One of my all-time favorite films is a collaboration between director Wim Wenders and writer Sam Shepard called Paris , Texas , and this film plays in the same vein . It's about a man who ran out on everyone , through a haze of time ( Howard even tells Doreen that time just went by so fast ) , trying to set things right as his career has hit the skids . He has come across guilt and loneliness . I fell in love with this movie mainly for how it is shot ( the cinematography is perfect for fans of westerns ; I believe we see the John Ford influence in Wenders ' western pictures ) and the casting . The film's soundtrack is mostly country tunes and some strumming on a guitar which provides an easy-going feel that plays off the atmosphere and structure of this character piece . It took 3 years to write and 5 years to finish according to Wenders . Butte is the main focal location as we see Howard walking the streets of a simple country town set in amongst a Montana that seems ordinary and comfy . Fans of Fairuza Balk will love to know that she steals every scene she's in and Sarah Polley has never been more beautiful . |
435,712 | 9,938,570 | 417,072 | 9 | R-Point | Those who liked " Deathwatch " may wish to check out this ( even better ) Korean ghost tale from director Su-chang Kong about a group of South Korean troops in Vietnam searching for a missing group they heard a distress signal from . Once they get up to a location called R-Point where these old Temple Ruins are located ( signifying in a different language that anyone with blood on their hands would be cursed ; it's stated that this location goes untouched by either the North or South Vietnamese ) weird things start to occur . They meet people , actually talking to them in conversations , only later finding their dead corpses . They set-up a base-camp at an eerie dilapidated castle and try their damnedest to find the soldiers . . but even finding their own way out of R-Point seems impossible . Soon various soldiers loose their grip on sanity . . we soon learn that ghosts and guns can only lead to a heap of trouble . There's possibly even some possession involved as well . I thought it was good and creepy . The setting amongst the grass-infested ruins and castle just adds to the eerie atmosphere of the ghosts often appearing from the dark . |
435,902 | 9,938,570 | 67,134 | 9 | The Fifth Cord | Exceptional giallo thriller from director Luigi Bazzoni starring Franco Nero as a boozing news journalist , Andrea Bild , who is assigned a story regarding various individuals who are murdered on Tuesdays representing a specific horoscopic point of birth by a killer whose chilling voice diabolically whispers on a recorded machine his plans of executing chosen prey with anticipation . The selection of the killer all tie into an inner circle of wealth , as the film introduces us to an important doctor , Richard Bini ( Renato Romano ) , his crippled , wheel-chair bound wife , Sophia ( Rossella Falk ) , a French businessman , Edouard Vermont ( Edmund Purdom ) who doesn't realize that his up-coming marriage to Isabel Lancia ( Ira von Fürstenberg ) is what is ultimately fueling the the unusual murder spree , and Andrea's ex-lover Helene ( Silvia Monti ) . What Andrea soon realizes is that he has ties to all those who are chosen for annihilation , and , despite being so wasted he couldn't hardly stand , doesn't have an air-tight alibi during the time each individual was killed . He's soon removed from covering the story , approaching his editor angrily , threatening to kill him for being taken off . . and , in doing so becomes an even greater suspect when his editor is found dead , dying of a heart attack as someone chased after him with a knife in the bushes near the newspaper office . To truly clear his name , and motivated and driven to bring the real killer to justice , Andrea will not stop until the madness is over . And , as each body is found , a glove with an extra finger is missing at the crime scene of every subsequent victim who is discovered , with the final chosen perhaps being Helene's own son ! What Andrea discovers is quite a perverse side to those involved with the victims killed , Edouard and Richard's extra curricular activities regarding their enjoyment in watching a couple , a race car driver and underage prostitute whose father likes to watch in hiding , making out in a secret establishment . In a sub-plot , Andrea has a on-again / off-again sexual relationship with a lovely fashion model who is the sister to the race car driver and he still carries feelings for Helene . Very important is the attack of a certain character , Lubbock ( Maurizio Bonuglia ) in a tunnel and how he communicates with Andrea regarding supposed threats from an unknown person harassing him with phone calls and letters . But , Lubbock is a key character in this film for , unlike the other victims killed on Tuesday , he was attacked on Monday . An image that means everything in the grand scheme of things is Lubbock's reaction to Edouard and Isabel's loving embrace at a fancy restaurant . The creepy voice delightfully explaining how he / she couldn't wait to strangle and kill accompanying a fish-eye lens into the restaurant at the very opening of this movie sure sets the tone for this well crafted giallo which definitely benefits from the talents and artistic eye of cinematographer Vittorio Storaro ( . . who turned down working with director Michaelangelo Antonioni as a favor to his pal , Bazzoni ) who was red-hot and on his way to great success ( . . but , he had already achieved this with Bernardo Bertolucci's masterpiece " The Conformist " ) . The exquisite camera set-ups , the masterful way he shoots characters from long distances in stunning locations exploiting beautifully empty spaces ( . . a massive flight of steps , a long tunnel , desolate ruins of skeletal warehouses ) , how the lens at times looks like a spying mechanism , a type of eye that's looking at the world from a different point of view all give this a thumb up over Bazzoni's contemporaries . But , to limit the film's execution to just Storaro is taking away from what everyone accomplishes , from the editing on down . I will say that while the twist wasn't that surprising , the finale ( . . from the moment Helene calls her son Tony about locking the doors only to discover that the killer is inside the house , to Andrea's chasing him into the ruins of decaying buildings where they scuffle often throwing each other through glass ) is a nail-biter . And Morricone's musical accompaniment only adds to the visual work and tense sequences where danger possibly awaits Andreas . And , finally an actor of the caliber of Franco Nero , called Mr . Bill by almost everyone , in the lead as our troubled and fallible hero searching for the truth while confiding in the very police inspector tailing him , puts the final jewel in the crown of a gem giallo , and it comes highly regarded from yours truly . This is a must for giallo fans . The eerie sequence concerning Sophia , alone in her room up-stairs on the floor crying for help as a killer turns out the lights with only the flaming fireplace guiding her , is definitely a high-light . |
436,935 | 9,938,570 | 86,984 | 9 | Body Double | An out-of-work actor , Jake Scully ( Craig Wasson , quite good in a rare starring role ) , struggling after a broken relationship and a career marred by his claustrophobia , is allowed to stay in the fine , palatial home of another actor , Sam Bouchard ( Gregg Henry ) . Jake is a certified peeper and Sam introduces him to a gorgeous woman across the way who likes to flaunt her naked body in front of an open window . Jake frequently peeps at her during his stay , but never imagines that this woman's life would be in jeopardy . An " Indian " who works for the satellite company , repairing a dish on the woman's property , spies and follows her . The woman's name is Gloria ( Deborah Shelton ) and Jake takes a particular interest in her himself , but wishes ultimately to protect her from the Indian . In a long , marvelous sequence ( which is , in my opinion , some of De Palma's best work as a director ) , Jake follows Gloria to the mall and beach apartments worried for her life when he spots the Indian , in his Ranger , right behind her . At the beach apartment , Gloria was awaiting a certain someone . . when he doesn't show , she heads to the beach only to have her purse stole by the Indian as Jake pursues him . Once they make it to a tunnel , Jake freezes in fear because of his paralyzing vertigo . The Indian gets away with a pass key that can open Gloria's home . This sets off a harrowing , and ultimately haunting , sequence where the Indian enters Gloria's home , taking her jewelry as Jake looks on in a state of horror . Instead of calling the police , Jake tries to play hero with Gloria being killed by the Indian thanks in part to a nasty use of a drill . Jake couldn't help her because the house's dog attacks him . This haunting aspect looms over Jake for he could not heroically ride in like a knight in shining armour and save the woman he cares for . This set-piece is the catalyst for the rest of the film as Jake desperately desires to redeem himself after the loss of Gloria . This entails a porn star named Holly Body ( Melanie Griffith , who is good in her short screen time ) who may've played a part in the murder and didn't even know it . And , a possible revelation might prove that Jake was playing a part in a very dangerous plot not of his doing , but because of his faults . I fell in love with De Palma's camera-work in this film . Not just that , but the amazing editing work and the twisty story which kept me on edge . I was repulsed at how De Palma unapologetically and blatantly rips off Hitchcock , but what he does with the themes from VERTIGO & REAR WINDOW do make up some wonderful visual set-pieces . But , this film is the anti-thesis almost of REAR WINDOW as the hero isn't able to save the woman he loves because he was simply too far away , while also oh so close . Using the paralyzing shock of vertigo and claustrophobia plays the most important role in this film because Jake is damaged by this . It affects his life in such traumatic ways . De Palma has a field day with the pornography business , submerging and propelling the film often into sleaze . Dennis Franz has a small memorable role as Jake's film director . The " Relax-Don't Do It " porno video is a highlight . |
435,830 | 9,938,570 | 100,150 | 9 | Miller's Crossing | Tom ( Gabriel Byrne ) is Leo's ( Albert Finney ) right hand man and intelligent voice of reason . Being the city's top gangster , Leo depends on Tom's advice . The pot is stirred when Leo's moll , Verna ( Marcia Gay Harden ) has a pesky brother Bernie ( John Turturro ) who is stealing from rival mob boss , Casper ( Jon Polito ) . Casper wants Bernie dead and will clear Tom's gambling debts with a local shyster Lazarre if he'll complete the task . Tom has another problem besides his debt and that is his sleeping around with Verna . Casper makes it known that he wants to be head honcho of the city and offers a partnership with Tom if he'll switch sides . Casper even tries , and fails , an attempt on Leo's life sending goons with tommy guns to kill him . Leo does lose his position , but won't go away . It appears that Tom has switched sides , but things are always uncertain in a Coen brothers film . The story unravels as circumstances surface such as Dane ( JE Freeman ) , Casper's heavy who doesn't trust Tom and follows him . You have Bernie who is indeed a thorn needing removal even towards Tom . But , one figures that the " cool-under-pressure " Tom has a scheme brewing that will benefit himself first . Leo seeks blood for the death of one of his men , tailing Verna . Also , a pal of Bernie's , Mink ( Steve Buscemi ) plays a special part in certain key moments in the way the plot carries out regarding both Tom and Verna's annoying , thieving brother . As in most film noir , the characters are all flawed , imperfect and corrupt . . there's no one who escapes unscathed without at least one skeleton poking it's head from the closet to wink . The protagonist , Tom , isn't exactly the kind of hero one roots for as he is , it seems , merely out for himself . But , the motivations of Tom and his manipulation , without the blood caking in the cracks of his hands , is the real reason to check out this nasty piece of work that represents the noir genre dutifully . The photography , and era detail are flawless . The complex story as it unwinds is a lot of fun . Twists abound and many characters will just about have Tom licked when it seems a guardian angel rescues him from underneath the tightening noose . |
436,413 | 9,938,570 | 58,283 | 9 | The Scarecrow reviews " Lady in a Cage " | Olivia de Havilland ( in a performance that could've easily been hammy , but instead is completely true and heartbreaking ) portrays Cornelia Hilyard , a widow with a bad hip who uses an elevator to move from one floor to another . On one unfortunate day , her son leaves for a few days ( there is a sad angle to his life that we see in little increments as mother does little overbearing things which etch subtly on William Swan's Malcolm's face ) , and during an accidental power failure , Cornelia is trapped in her elevator and her alarm bell doesn't seem to attract anyone for assistance . Her constant bell ringing does bring one visitor , unfortunate for Cornelia it is a wino played by Jeff Corey who seeks a relationship with Ann Sothern's ( who is very good ) Sade , a hustler . The wino escapes Cornelia's home with a toaster for a quick sell at a pawn shop where the sadistic pack of wolves led by an evil James Caan ( who is simply brilliant in an inspired method performance ) as Randall Simpson O'Connell notice him . They see possible riches so they follow the wino ( who has enlisted the aid of Sade ) to Cornelia's home . From this point on , we must watch in horror as Cornelia dangles in this contraption while Caan and his gang terrorize Sade and the wino while mocking her . . and taking her possessions from the house . They decide to it might be wise to kill the wino and Sade , not to mention ending the life of Cornelia . Cornelia , however , has tricks up her sleeve . Seeing Caan harassing de Havilland I feel is the most powerful part of this film . . that and the unfortunate tragedy of Cornelia's son who can not accept his mother's overbearing ways { there is also perhaps hints of incest which might even broaden the the tragedy of the entire film } . The film has us in an unpleasant position . . we are on-lookers to a poor woman's fate for she has nowhere to go and is almost at the mercy of heathens who have this nihilism that is unpleasant . The film itself is so uncompromising I found myself surprised at how early it was made . 1964 ( or perhaps even 1960 ) was perhaps an example of how films would begin to leave the normalcy and comfort of feeding audiences only happy subjects and endings when the world was anything but . Caan and his bunch are a representation of the youth culture abandoned by society . . perhaps that's why the rage and hostility towards the older sect comes from . Caan's Randall informs Cornelia he's been in reform schools and institutions since he was 9 . One can perhaps see why he's so willing to smash and maim . . there's such pain there that can only surface through volatile means . Cornelia is a victim not only of health and age , but because of her wealth . That wealth only fuels Randall's will . The film , I believe , is a masterwork that was way before it's time . It has not aged at all . |
435,832 | 9,938,570 | 64,002 | 9 | Alice's Restaurant | A moment in the life of a folk singer , Arlo ( Arlo Guthrie ) who spends time trying to make it in the music biz by doing the bar scene while also frequenting at a hippie commune / restaurant derived from a former Catholic church . His many numerous acquaintances are a major part of this story as we get to know those who hang around the commune . Arlo also pays visits to his ailing father , Woody . We see the humor , tragedy , and response towards living the hippie lifestyle . Alice ( Pat Quinn , who is simply delightful ) runs the kitchen at the commune often tired of her man , Ray's ( James Broderick ) constant decisions to bring more and more off the street for her to cook for . She's the surrogate mother for those that choose this way of living , but often yearns for more . The tragic element of the film is Shelly ( Michael McClanathan ) , a young man trying endlessly to kick a nasty drug habit and loved almost as a son by Ray & Alice . We see in a love-making scene that Alice also cares for him sexually . They try their damnedest to keep him off the pipe , but seeing the agony of that decision leads us to believe it's only a matter of time before he caves in . Through Arlo's narration , we get some witty interludes such as the " littering " sequence where Deputy Obie ( William Obanhein ) obsessively goes completely by the rules in exact , hilarious detail . The sequence where Arlo goes in for his numerous tests to see if he's fit for Vietnam is also quite funny ( in that sequence , there's a hilarious cameo from a young E Emmet Walsh as a fast-talking test-giver ) . But , the film depicts the characters and dialogue with such richness , intelligence , and heart . . there isn't a false note amongst the cast . The film's subject matter and portrait of this lifestyle rings true . The narration is marvelous and the film keeps that tone pretty much throughout . |
436,489 | 9,938,570 | 90,180 | 9 | To Live and Die in L | Secret Service Agent Richard Chance ( William Peterson , who is brooding with intensity ) wants counterfeiter Eric Masters ( Willem Dafoe , wonderfully slimy with an underlying menace ) really bad for the murder of his partner Jim ( Michael Greene ) , who was two days to retirement . They had been working hard on a case against Eric and Jim had found the location where he was creating the " funny money " . Unfortunately Jim goes there alone and Eric was hidden along with his " iceman " Jack ( Jack Hoar ) plug him . Assigned a new partner , John Vukovich ( John Pankow , an actor I think has always been underrated ) whose father and grandfather were cops , Richard will do whatever it takes to bring Eric to justice . But , Richard's blinded need for revenge causes many goofs and problems as he doesn't operate through proper channels ( especially when Richard steals money from an FBI agent he believes is just a hood ) . Richard has an informant , Ruth ( the sexy Darlanne Fluegel who has a steamy sexual encounter with Peterson as both appear in the throes of quiet lustful abandon ) he keeps out on parole who often feeds him bits to work from especially concerning specific targets he presently goes after . She , however , may've set up Richard with a bogus hood who is supposedly carrying hard cash for a diamond trade-off which leads to his and John's foiling a FBI sting . In a humdinger of a car-chase through the streets and freeways of LA , Richard and John try to elude an army of FBI agents out to catch them . That money they attained from the FBI agent Richard and John thought was a hood , is what they plan to use to pay an up-front cost to Eric for funny money so that he will be caught in the act . The meeting is arranged and everything seems to be in order , but this isn't a typical by-the-numbers cop drama and ends in tragedy . John Turturro has a memorable role as a bag man for Eric who gets caught carrying the funny money , but after being sprung by Richard to show him where the new counterfeit factory is located , escapes by duping the agent ( . . using a supposed sick daughter in the hospital as a means to trick Richard ) . Debra Feuer has the role of Bianca , a lover of Eric's who also assists him in various duties regarding his counterfeiting practices . Dean Stockwell has a role as Eric's dirty lawyer . Steve James has a role as a street worker for Eric who supplies his people with the funny money turning quite a profit for them both until one tries to betray the other . Of note is Robby Müller's fantastic photography of LA really bringing a color and grit to the look of the city at this time in the mid-80's . Müller , who also lensed Wim Wenders ' Paris , Texas a year prior to this film , really has a way of showing the lights from a distance and steam from the city allowing us to feel the energy and atmosphere of LA . Also , Wang Chung's electronic score provides a thumping beat that matches the intensity and energy of the film's pace and style . |
436,386 | 9,938,570 | 373,981 | 9 | Control | Inside a fictitious underground subway system ( the entire film is set in a real Budapest subway transit , but what occurs within it is all fiction ) ticket inspectors go through the torments and doldrums of daily life when dealing with the unruly , disrespectful , and cruel public who often don't pay for their tickets . The film's protagonist , Bulcsú ( Sándor Csányi ) sleeps on the platform of the station and one wonders what keeps him from leaving . In a certain scene , we get an answer when a former associate , now the leader of a certain team in an organization , asks Bulcsú where he's been since " not finishing his work . " That work isn't necessarily provided to us , nor does it need to be . . all we needed to know was that the daily strife of competing with others up the corporate ladder was too stressful . He quit when he could've possible been at the top . . the idea of failure sent him running to the underground subway and the fear of what might lie ahead for him keeps Bulcsú inside . Bulcsú also meets a young woman in a bear costume who is the daughter of a train conductor . Bulcsú doesn't know that she is " Uncle " Béla's ( Lajos Kovács ) daughter and both are quite enamored with each other . There's a hooded killer pushing victims in front of on-going trains and a runner nicknamed Bootsie ( Bence Mátyássy ) who never pays for a ticket , sprays whip cream in the faces of the inspectors , and openly challenges them to catch him . You have a gang that considers themselves the best inside the subway transport organization whose head leader ( there are set groups who operate different sections of the underground subway system ) named Gonzo ( Balázs Lázár ) challenges Bulcsú to the deadly " railing " competition ( which goes practically unseen . . we really get more of an understanding of this deadly game when Bulcsú is running from the hooded killer later ) consisting of two people running behind the last passenger train having to not only miss all the wires and cables , but also escaping the Midnight Express train behind them . All this and so much more ( such as the tragic character Laci , portrayed by László Nádasi , who succumbs to the mad aggression the public places on them by slicing the throat of a civilian who punches the inspector when asked if he had his ticket ) inside the tunnels of this setting . Vividly sketched characters , the various public debacles that fall on men ( and the women who are able to hang on ) trying to do their jobs facing a public who hates them , the unpredictable nature of staying too long in the tunnels , and a solid cast all create a very fascinating and entertaining film . Director Nimród Antal has an incredible visual eye always coming up with various stylish ways to frame shots of things , events & people within the subway . There's an undeniable atmosphere created within it and Sándor Csányi as Bulcsú is really good at expressing the somberness of his character which really meshes with the flow and tone of the film . |
435,965 | 9,938,570 | 71,675 | 9 | It's Alive ! | A family is riddled with tragic repercussions when a baby is born a mutated monstrosity with an urge to rip the throats of victims after it escapes the hospital . Starting with the hospital staff in the delivery room , Frank and Lenore's ( John P Ryan & Sharon Farrell ) monster baby goes on a rampage , attacking citizens in Bevery Hills including a milk man . Frank and Lenore's names are released to the media as the parents with their life taking a turn for the worse . Not only do they have to deal with having such a monster baby , but knowing that it's killing folks in the Beverly Hills area and that people look at them strangely as if they were at fault somehow . There's a killer monster baby out there , somebody's got to take the blame so why not point the accusing finger at the parents , eh ? Frank loses his lucrative public relations job ( . . kind of a sense of irony here , considering Frank's life is a public relations nightmare ) and Lenore is slowly growing mad . As the police issue a man hunt , researching scientists wish to study the child , although the pharmaceutical company who created certain pills Lenore was taking during her pregnancy wish for it to be dead . . destroyed beyond recognition so that any kind of scientific study would not yield results damaging the precious reputation of the medication issued by any big name company . While their eleven year old son Chris ( Daniel Holzman ) remains with a friend , Charley ( William Wellman , Jr ) , the couple try to cope somehow with the various traumas put upon them . But , the baby wishes to find mommy and daddy . . You know it's been quite a while since I last saw this , but I never remembered Larry Cohen's pinnacle of monster / killer baby flicks ( . . honestly , when you hear the moniker , " killer baby flick " , what's the first movie that pops into your head ? ) being as depressing and thought-provoking as this viewing turned out to be . A nice little twist at the end pointing out that perhaps a plague was developing across the nation , and questioning whether or not certain medications or radioactive elements cause abnormalities and various deformities to born children , really give this flick a surprising sub-text not often associated with these type of films . The performances , from Ryan and Farrell as the tormented , agonizing parents who didn't ask for the problems forced on them , really won me over . There are scenes where Farrell as Lenore attempts to return to a sense of normalcy that her family's lives had , with those around her ( . . and us ) noticing that she's deteriorating emotionally and psychologically . . this burden of not being able to hold a child you carried in your womb for 9 months and the fact that everyone wishes to kill it certainly is displayed to the viewer through Farrell's crumbling demeanor and burdened face , attempting to smile with nothing but sadness behind it . There's one terrific scene for Ryan ( . . although , he has many when the film pointedly expresses his aching and thoughtless determination to kill the beast which has caused so much pain to his family ) where he . . in the sewers with the police searching for the baby . . is face to face with his monster child realizing , through tear-swelling eyes , that he can not kill what it essentially his son . I think that's another aspect that impressed me . . the idea that society looks at the deformed and ugly as inhuman only fit for death , while the parents see a child of theirs with a right to live regardless of how it was born . I felt Cohen did the right thing by hinting at the monster baby without elaborating in great detail what it looks like . Through visual tricks , Cohen keeps the baby from being completely visualized , escaping ( . . mostly ) giggles and chuckles from an audience . I do think , believe it or not , that the film holds it's own thanks in part to the serious tone and interesting subject matter , performed admirably with a straight-face . There's no doubt , though , that the film was made on a cheap budget , but I felt Cohen overcomes that thanks to the performances and script which I think work . |
436,946 | 9,938,570 | 74,963 | 9 | Next Stop , Greenwich Village | Slice-of-life piece about a young Jewish man , Larry Lapinsky ( Lenny Baker ) , with designs on being an actor , struggling not only to make ends meet so he can carry out his profession and grow as an actor through a studio teacher , but also overcoming the domineering presence of his overbearing , at-times maniacal mother ( " She invented the Oedipus complex " says Larry ) Fay ( Shelley Winters , outstanding as always ) . The setting is Greenwich village in the 50's amongst the art crowd where Larry becomes immersed in the lifestyle . We see how his life changes as Larry becomes good friends with several various people ( a young Chris Walken as a poetic Lothario who enjoys bedding all kinds of women ; Lois Smith as a suicidal painter ; Ellen Green as Larry's love-interest Sarah ; Antonio Fargas as a gay wannabe actor whose whole life is one big lie ) . It's a breath of fresh air , this movie , and a break from the doldrums of typical Hollywood cinema . This is the kind of film that allows actors to spread their wings and create vivid , realistic characters . The film feels so fresh and authentic . You really are a vital part of these people's lives and dreams thanks to Mazursky's intelligent portrait . You can really see how much Mazursky loves New York City ( specifically Brooklyn and Greenwich Village ) and these people that live there . Jeff Goldblum has a very funny role as a smart-mouthed struggling actor whose loud-mouth is like a leaky faucet which can not shut itself off . |
436,535 | 9,938,570 | 29,453 | 9 | Pépé le Moko | Pépé le Moko ( Jean Gabin ) , an elusive gangster ( with a special gift as a master thief ) hides out from the French authorities in the labyrinthine Algerian Casbah . The citizens within this place assist their local celebrity because he represents that anti-authoritarian way of life against the government outside their city walls . A paid informer within the city , Régis ( Fernand Charpin ) , has concocted the perfect plan to draw Pépé out of the city by using the gangster's best friend , Pierrot ( Gilbert Gil ) as bait . By using a fake note stating Pierrot's mother was sick just out of the city , he will be cornered by police and arrested . That plan doesn't exactly go as planned because Pépé doesn't leave the Casbah and Pierrot returns badly wounded ( . . eventually dying ) . Killing Régis doesn't take away the agony of losing a brother ( their relationship modeled that of family ) and the only true thing that helps bring Pépé out of his sadness is a growing love affair with a Parisian nicknamed Gaby ( Mireille Balin ) . Unfortunately , he has no further use for Algerian Inès ( Line Noro ) who loves him dearly . Pépé even tells her that he has been bored in their relationship for some time describing tying her to the very Casbah for which he wishes to escape . This triangle will certainly open a possibility for Pépé's downfall . Yearning for Paris , Gaby represents a " different landscape " for Pépé who just wishes to escape Casbah's cage he's boxed in . This is a quintessential french noir and Gabin is the European actor who represents a symbol of the stylish gangster films from this golden age of crime film . As he often does , Gabin plays his gangster as cool , dashing , charming & mysterious only conveying to us little elements a bit at a time . He IS the film and it's style matches how he plays Pépé . But , as many noir have always tended to operate , Pépé is a crook and must be denied true love . A man with past mistakes ( . . and , let's not kid ourselves , Pépé had made many in his long life of crime ) will certainly reap what he sows . It's interesting to note that the man who eventually traps Pépé is the smallish , yet cunning , Inspector Slimane ( Lucas Gridoux ) . . a cop who knows Pépé's exact locations , chats it up with the criminal , but faces off with him saying that he will be the one to catch him . He's the very man who schemes the perfect plan to nab the gangster by using the man's bounding love against him . |
436,880 | 9,938,570 | 417,243 | 9 | Vital | A troubled , enigmatic amnesiac , Hiroshi ( Tadanobu Asano ) , who lost his memory and beloved Ryôko ( Nami Tsukamoto ) in an accidental car crash , discovers that the one he's assigned to dissect in his medical class is her ! Ikumi ( Kiki ) , whose adulterous lover and medical professor committed suicide after she rejected his love towards her , desires Hiroshi but finds that he is overwhelmed by Ryôko's memory . Ryôko's memory unravels in Hiroshi's mind as he continues to dissect , articulate on paper every vital organ , and study her . . it seems that , through this type of thorough examination , he can feel emotionally whole . There's this place he goes where Ryôko exists ( imagine an ideal , idyllic beach setting or inside a forest whose beautiful , lush trees stretch endlessly towards the sky for miles ) that feels so real , but it's a fabrication he will have to return from . This unhealthy obsession develops which engulfs his life . . he grows more and more distant from the outside world as Ryôko takes center stage . It seems that Hiroshi was partaking in a form of sexual strangulation with Ryôko that he now continues with Ikumi , but when doing such a dangerous thing he seems to travel to the place where he's the most happy . . where Ryôko awaits and wishes for him to stay . Everyone around Hiroshi are disturbed at his obsession with Ryôko's body as he often continues his dissecting work into the night causing discomfort towards the students assigned to her ( he often harasses them by staring , charging at them when they clown around , or causes intense pressure when they seem to mess up ) and the professors who believe he's too attached . By the time the class is over , only Ikumi remains there and that's because she loves him in an unhealthy way . . it's as if she is competing , and losing , with a dead woman clinging to the hope Hiroshi will snap out of it . The question is , how do you let go when you are that close to someone ? When that spirit of someone feels and seems to real that you wish to stay right where they are , how can one truly escape that ? When life outside of Ryôko doesn't even have that same passion and joy , why would Hiroshi wish to leave her side ? You know , this is a beautiful , challenging , and ultimately rewarding film about somehow letting go of the person you love when their memory comes rushing back to you . That overwhelming desire to hold them , love them , cherish them , and just cling them . . I think , through this unusual and unique premise , that we experience those things through Hiroshi . Director Shinya Tsukamoto is quite multi-talented . . he was in control of writing this very elusive work , editing it which wildly swings from reality into the fantasy created by the character Hiroshi , and beautifully photographing it . It's a stunning film , very moody and visually rich . The film does have very odd behavior by the central characters , mainly Hiroshi and Ikumi , who are dealing with their own obsessions and violent emotional tendencies and Tsukamoto doesn't hold back peering into their dementia . But , yet , despite their forays into the bizarre , this is still a very sad and effective tale of loss & acceptance that I found quite spellbinding . Very good performances from the male actors who played the fathers of Hiroshi and Ryôko , both deeply mournful of the loss of a young girl whose death was too soon . |
436,577 | 9,938,570 | 67,204 | 9 | The Hired Hand | Harry Collings ( Peter Fonda ) decides it's time to head back to a home where a wife of his he left behind resides ( he has been traveling for seven years as a hired hand making ends meet and moving to the next town ) . Arch Harris ( the great Warren Oates ) has been riding with Harry pretty much seven years and tags along when his design to ride to California goes bust . . a third party is killed by a mad husband claiming the young fellow was in bed with his wife . Harry and Arch get revenge on the shooter , blasting holes in his feet . They do not count on repercussions and hope that after burying the young man , whose sights were so set on the ocean water of California , they can leave this whole mess behind . Once Harry and Arch make the distance to the farm place of Hannah ( Verna Bloom , very good ) things are a little sticky at first . I mean your husband up and leaves you with child and then reappears seven years later . . how would you react ? Still , deep inside the love for Harry burns as bright as ever . Arch begins to feel out of place ( . . or in the way ) after a while and decides it's best to let Harry , Hannah , & their daughter Janey ( Megan Denver ) begin a new life together . Harry and Hannah find that renewed joy and love that had been kept separate for so long , but it will be tested yet again when the past comes haunting back . . the man whose feet Harry shot has taken Arch captive and wants him to return or else he'll cut off all his fingers and toes , eventually killing him . The thought of seeing Harry ride off again with the uncertainty of what will happen to him is too much to bear . But , Harry just can not sit back and let them slowly kill Arch . . Sad , somber , beautiful film is about romance and love lost then regained , but also about the strength and bond of friendship . Perhaps a bit slow-going for more traditionalist western fans wanting shootouts and faster pacing . The photography of Vilmos Zsigmond is absolutely stunning ; a western has never quite been framed this way before . The performances are top-of-the-line and the film is made with heart and care for the characters . But , I won't lie , the visual work from Zsigmond is the main reason to give this western a try . |
436,893 | 9,938,570 | 456,630 | 9 | Reincarnation | We'll stay together forever . College Professor , Kazuya Omori ( Shun Oguri ) claims the lives of eleven victims ( including his wife , son & daughter ) before committing suicide in a hotel in 1970 , the 45th day of Showa . Movie director Ikuo Matsumura ( Kippei Shiina ) is motivated to create a portrait which focuses on the lives of the victims , shying away from the murderer . In a sense , his screenplay , " Memories " fashioned from memoirs and items involving those unfortunate victims whose fates were sealed on that day , is a testament or way of honoring them . Actress Nagisa Sugiura ( Yûka ) is selected to portray the little girl who was killed by her father , Omori and as soon as the script is delivered to her , strange occurrences plague her . She sees memories of that horrifying day , often reliving them as if drawn into that specific time . A college student , Yayoi Kinoshita ( Karina ) is having dreams of a specific hotel , and in her pursuit for that location , realizes it is the hotel where the eleven murders took place . Are these specific events related or mere coincidence ? We watch as the film dedicated to the victims is recreated with poor Nagisa experiencing more and more horrifying occurrences . Both Nagisa and Yayoi will discover terrifying truths about why they experience these visions . . they do correlate with that hotel and we watch in disturbing detail as those events from 1970 unfold . I think both " Ju-on : The Grudge " & " Marebito " were stepping stones to reach Takashi Shimizu's masterpiece , " Rinne / Reincarnation " . He takes " cryptomnesia phenomenon " ( . . or the idea of a " past life " , viewed as a symptom ) and spins it as an unpleasant horror tale where those who are the proponents ( " the human body is just a vessel " ) of this are stuck with having to carry the burden of reliving the same grim fates of their predecessors . The significance of the little boy's red ball , the little girl's eerie doll , and even the Professor's 8 mm video-recorder all are distinct images that Shimizu uses to optimum effect . In an amazing feat , Shimizu runs three different events occurring at the same time simultaneously , depicting the calculated events of Omori and those he killed in one sequential span of screen time . . Nagisa running through a crucial scene for Matsumura , Yayoi finding the hotel she's been searching for and discovering more than she could ever want to know , and Omori's video-recorded carnage viewed by Nagisa's agent ( after an incident Nagisa ' relived in her dream , she found Omori's video-camera in her bed ! ) . The final closing minutes as Nagisa discovers whose reincarnated spirit represents her and those who seek after her is quite unsettling and haunting . Actually the whole movie is quite wicked and disturbing . This was an amazing experience . . more horror films should be this smart and gripping . This film doesn't hold back on child violence , either , as we see what Omori actually does to his son and daughter with a large knife . |
436,758 | 9,938,570 | 142,257 | 9 | Horrors of Malformed Men | Let me just start by saying this film is crazy . . but , I had such a thrill and few films leave me as breathless with my jaw hanging in shock as " Horrors of Malformed Men " . It was like the door to an asylum of depravity and insanity was opened and we bare witness to the madness that springs forth . It starts out rather conventional . A young man , Hitomi is placed in the cell of an asylum and remembers the image of a seashore and the tune of a lullaby . A bald prisoner tries to murder him in his cell , but our protagonist gets the better of him and escapes . He meets a female circus performer who he heard humming the lullaby tune from his memory down a street from the institution . This circus performer was about to reveal the whereabouts of the seashore location he seeks , but is stabbed by a knife in the back . He is framed for her murder and flees . On a train he sees the photo of a recently deceased heir to a fortune named Genzaburou who looks exactly like Hitomi . After Genzaburou's burial ceremony , Hitomi assumes the man's identity having the surprised family believing his death misdiagnosed . Strangely , both Hitomi and Genzaburou have a specific scar on their foot and our protagonist notices the seashore from his memory nearby where his new identity lives . As Hitomi tries to falsely lead others who knew Genzaburou astray , continuing to remain in this new identity becomes quite exhausting . . how long can Hitomi continue this charade . Hitomi is told that across the sea on an island lives Genzaburou's father . Hitomi's wife is murdered by a poison , and his secret lover is supposedly getting threats through letter so he decides to take a trip to the island and that's where the film takes a detour into insanity . . The film really doesn't get good until Hitomi , his assistant ( who may be more than he appears ) and lover ( . . along with their man-servant who is of major importance and a voice that brings answers to some things left unanswered back at Genzaburou's estate ) land on the island where he finds his father , web-hands and dancing in some state of lunacy , who has turned normal women and old men into " malformed " animalistic primitives conducting all forms of depravity and unhinged behavior ( . . not to mention , the way that many are covered naked in forms of paint , chalk , feathers , etc ) . Some of them , in cages , eat grass from the madman's hand , making animal noises ! The madman explains what motivated this island of the bizarre and odd , speaking of his wife's adultery and his own web-hands . He plans , the nut , to turn loose his malformed army on the normal , enslaving them so that they can experience what it's like to feel his anguish . He also answers an important question that has troubled Hitomi . The film also explores an incestial relationship that blooms between Hitomi and the Siamese woman he separates from a creep the madman " sown " onto her , that culminates into " fireworks " at the end . Really , this film has to be seen to be believed . . especially the closing hour on the island . It's like nothing I've ever seen before . There's a lengthly " reveal " segment where everything that has occurred gets fitting explanations specifically Hitomi's missing history and how his life as a medical doctor was thwarted by betrayal which resulted in his attempted murder in that asylum . The " human chair " , " human fireworks " and , especially , the scene where a woman , imprisoned in a cave , has to eat the crabs which had spent a few days munching on her lover's corpse , are just highlights of many surreal sequences in this truly one-of-a-kind film . |
436,371 | 9,938,570 | 94,336 | 9 | Withnail and I | Two down-on-their-luck actors awaiting that chance to be on stage must overcome the obstacles of poverty while also battling various addictions . Withnail ( Richard E Grant who is excellent ) and Marwood ( Paul McGann who also narrates ) are pretty fed up with the city and take to the countryside for some rest and relaxation from their horribly unkempt , rat-infested flat in London . Surviving there will be easier with Monty ( Richard Griffiths ) furnishing food and wine hoping to land in the sack with Marwood who finds that his good ole pal Withnail has told his uncles lies regarding their " relationship . " Sufficed to say , Marwood is placed in a difficult predicament when Monty advances his feelings of sexual adoration one night with a drunken Withnail in the other room . The film provides us with the hilarious drug-dealer , Danny ( Ralph Brown ) who supplies them pot as they often lend him a place amongst them in their dirty flat . The film's mystery is will either of these two ever make it in the acting world or struggle to lead a normal existence with actual money lining their pockets . The film's narrative thread is thin , but the film is a droll comedy on the aspects of surviving on literally nothing but ingenuity from day to day dreaming that the letter will come to inform them of that major part which might change their lives forever . The leads are terrific and the dialogue rich . Witty and introspective , the film looks like it cost as much as the lead characters have in their pockets . That's an appealing quality I think . |
435,890 | 9,938,570 | 109,592 | 9 | Dellamorte Dellamore | A caretaker for Buffalora cemetery has the difficult task , along with his mute subservient simple-minded assistant , to keep the dead ( . . who rise from their graves days after their demise ) from leaving their new homes , using specially marked bullets which split apart their skulls on impact . The job weighs on him as a lovely widow returns to the grave of her much older husband , turning his world upside down . . her otherworldly beauty shakes him out of the daily grind of blasting holes in the skulls of the undead . But , when she becomes a victim of an unfortunate error caused by his hand , our dark hero's " life " follows a downward spiral . What a film ! If the ending doesn't leave you breathless , Anna Falchi as the unattainable muse our hero Francesco Dellamorte ( . . played dead-pan by the handsome Rupert Everett ) covets deeply , with fate always snatching her from his grasp , will . I have to say that Falchi must be considered one of the most beautiful women to ever grace a horror film , in or out of clothes . I would even agree that sex in cemeteries isn't exactly the most erotic choice for a locale , but thanks to the attractive leads , these moments are actually highly charged . Visually , the film , scene to scene , offer one dazzling , brilliantly conceived set piece after another . Such as the ossuary with the walls of skulls , roots & skeletal bones as Dellamorte and Falchi's " She " kiss while their heads are covered by veils was just stunningly realized . Or , the amazing silhouetted kiss with the massive backdrop of an enlarged moon . The Grim Reaper , as he forms from the burning pages of phone books ( . . Dellamorte's favorite reading material ) , warning Dellamorte against " taking his job " . Dellamorte's shower interrupted by zombie cub scouts , and an enraged male nun ( ? ! ) , trying to receive help from his assistance Gnaghi ( François Hadji-Lazaro , nyah ! ) whose immersed in his television program . The mayor , always concerned with keeping his role in office , being attacked by his dead daughter's angry severed head when he wouldn't blessing in her marrying Gnaghi ! Zombie Claudio exploding from his grave on a motorcycle with mortal girlfriend allowing him to feast from her flesh , furious when Dellamorte wished to put an end to her undead beloved . It seems that the film leaves some cold because of the macabre comedy such as the killing spree that ignites supposedly by Dellamorte on live humans . But , I think , the film , through an enigmatic , existential script , shows the disturbing plight of a man burdened with a career that has denied him of a life that perhaps doesn't ( . . or never has ) exist . A theme that never dies is the denial of love for Dellamorte . He's teased by the idea of love when Falchi returns , in various forms as other characters , but is always left wanting . That ending which leaves the jaw-dropping , " what the . . " feeling I think is hinted at during Dellamorte's " chats " with Death . His final moment with the Grim Reaper , as Dellamorte decides to leave the only place he's truly ever called home , has Death asking him , " Where are you going if you don't understand the difference between life and me ? " Ahhh , such food for thought once you add that statement to a visual touch igniting that question , as Dellamorte and Gnaghi pursue what lies at the end of a tunnel . What " life " has this cemetery man ever known other than the job of sending the dead back where they belong , just yearning to return and ending up back in their graves ? Besides the more difficult material presented , zombie fans ought to get fulfilled by plenty of gory attacks such as the use of Dellamorte's pistol as it blasts through heads and the way a spate sticks into the skull . There's a very violent sequence where Dellamorte shoots hospital staff and a nun come to check on an old pal of his , comatose on the verge of death , which might leave a few people disturbed . . even though it seems played as tongue-in-cheek . And , even before this a massacre leaving several dead by Dellamorte's hand seemed like a dream , until the police detective came pounding at his door with the news ( " At time I get ahead of my work " ) . And , a gag the film plays with is the police detective who never suspects Dellamorte despite evidence of possible wrong-doing . There's also some very quotable dialogue , often thought-provoking and interesting . There's laughs aplenty through poor Gnaghi , with his ugly looks and rather untidy manner . . . he's such a lovable ( . . and devoted ) character , though . Some of the effects are flawed such as the little balls of flame where string can easily be seen , or some zombie heads which get destroyed . I guess this could be a bit heavy-handed and outrageous for some , but I found it Gothic bliss with non-stop visual imagery and an unpredictable nature I loved . It's quite wicked , though , and not for everyone . I think this will be Soavi's considered masterpiece like SUSPIRIA was for his teacher Dario Argento . The snow globe that closes the film adds the perfect touch of mystery that leaves you pondering on what you had just finished watching . |
435,853 | 9,938,570 | 71,408 | 9 | Deranged | A film inspired by the notorious killer , Ed Gein has Roberts Blossom portraying Ezra Cobb , a man who slowly grows sociopathic after his mother dies . We see more of how Cobb becomes crazy rather than his killing which comes out towards the end . I felt the film is completely a black comedy playing off the absurd gimmick of documentary even having a narrator popping in at times to tell us this and that about Ezra . It's straight-faced , but one can see this is supposed to be parody . I'm pretty sure many might find this film a tasteless exercise sending up a sick individual who did horrible things , but I felt the filmmakers were stating that Ed Gein was an absurd person , quite deranged and aloof . He was quite simple-minded and a shut-in from the outside world where his whole being swirled around the care of his mother . The " mother complex " one associates with Norman Bates in PSYCHO is played to the hilt here as we see Ezra seeing images of mom warning him about sin and it's curse to those who commit acts of lust . The film really has a weird vibe ( as I'm sure we would all feel weird if we peered into Ed Gein's nights at homes with his dead skin and body parts . . and dear old mama ) once Ezra begins to bring home corpses and chats away with them believing whole-heartedly that they were quite alive . He even admits to having bodies in his house to neighbors who laugh it off as if Ezra is just joshing with them . That whole " not taking Ezra serious " attitude may've cost lives because once he admits to holding the body of a missing waitress ( we see what happens to her when she tries to escape Ezra's clutches while throwing the corpses at him in desperation only to receive a femur bone to the skull ) he is on a dark path to kill as many as it takes for fresh skin . The film really has only two disturbing death sequences , the waitress and a beautiful young girl , operating the register of a department store ( she is the girlfriend of Ezra's neighbor's son ) who almost gets away until she walks right into a bear trap her boyfriend's father just planted down . I think what makes this such a unique experience is that the film starts as a very dark comedy showing how goofy a man completely cut-off mentally from those around him , living in his own created world , can be in a realistic way . The bodies in his home is absolutely abnormal obviously , but somehow seeing this man joyous with these lifeless shells of former people is fascinating in a sordid , sad sort of way . He never much had a chance of a normal life because of his unfortunately sheltered upbringing , specifically with how he was told by his mother that females were nothing more than sluts with disease . The film then takes a very disturbing , ominous turn once Ezra begins selecting and destroying innocent women who have no ill will towards him and seem comfortable around him . The film lives and breathes because Blossom is absolutely convincing as an Ed Gein sociopath . I accepted completely as this strange , quiet man whose little normalcy dissolves when he wishes to preserve the corpses in his home . The film is also quite well made despite a very low budget which can often either be a hindrance or a blessing . In this film , using unfamiliar faces is indeed an asset as I felt it was as if we were watching real people in a grotesque situation no one could've imagined . I'm sure the Ed Gein situation was the same way . |
436,603 | 9,938,570 | 779,496 | 9 | Pelts | A fur-company owner , Jake ( Meat Loaf ) is an abusively nasty bastard to his employees and lusts after a stripper , Shanna ( Ellen Evusie ) unattainable to him because of not being a strong fixture in the market place . Father and son fur-trappers , Jeb & Larry ( John Saxon & Mical Suchánek ) find these remarkably beautiful pelts from these mysterious raccoons who were caught around the remnants of a past civilization nearby a creepy old lady's home . These pelts have the strange hypnotic power to make those who come in contact with them commit grisly acts to themselves and others . Despite the ghoulish violence that Jake finds awaiting him when he goes to meet Jeb and Larry , his allure and desire to possess and manufacture the pelts is too much to resist . When members of his staff start enacting violence to themselves , Jake still won't give in because the idea of finally gaining wealth , success , and Shanna overwhelm everything else . It will all come to a head when the coat for Shanna to model is completed and brought to her by Jake as they finalize their proposal together . Gruesome , nasty Argento effort packs a punch for a Masters of Horror episode . Original story , even if it's a bit off-the-wall , gives Argento an opportunity to enter supernatural territory again while also allowing him to let it all hang out in extreme gore . One man slices into his stomach with a pair of shears , one woman uses a needle to thread her mouth , eyes & nostrils shut resulting in suffocation , one sticks his head in an animal trap after bashing another's face in with a bat , and another removes his torso skin with a blade . And , the icing on the cake . . another female unfortunately has her hand removed when it gets caught in the door of a service elevator ! This just proves that Argento hasn't lost his touch regarding shocking graphic violence . Certainly strong stomachs required . |
435,786 | 9,938,570 | 69,390 | 9 | All the Colors of the Dark | Unrelenting suspensor about a woman so tormented by her nightmares ( after losing a child stillborn when her boyfriend Richard hit a tree ) , she's willing to try anything including black mass ritual performed by a Satanic cult introduced to her by a neighbor , Mary . Her sister , Barbara has tried to get her psychiatric help from Dr . Gordon , but Richard sees this as a silly waste of time . Jane's trauma is so disorienting , she believes a psychopath has emerged from her nightmares and manifested himself into reality . Shades of " Rosemary's Baby " is obviously present throughout the film particularly the photography of the black mass rituals , but they are none the less chilling to watch . I think what worked so well for me was the idea of this poor , frightened woman not be able to separate herself from this demented stalker with blue , piercing eyes . The film's location plays greatly into the style of the piece , but Martino's surreal lens really creates this foreboding that gets under the skin as characters { the Satanic High Priest , especially } literally grab toward the viewer . The camera loves to slide up and down Fenech's wonderfully silky body { one of the best scenes in the film is a steamy shower shot up her body as she wets herself with only a shirt on } , but it's her performance as the paranoid , nearly crazed Jane that really sells this film . Hilton is good enough given very limited screen time . |
436,792 | 9,938,570 | 734,598 | 10 | Night Call | An elderly cripple is terrified of night calls from an ominous voice and demands answers as to who it is . What is truly unsettling is who / where the calls derive from . It's not surprising that one of Twlight Zone's superior tales comes from the pen of Richard Matheson and is directed by the great Jacques Tourneur . Gladys Cooper is ideally cast as an incredibly worried and fussy old woman , wheel-chair bound and , without visits from her hired help , Margaret ( Nora Marlowe , portraying the loyal every-woman who tries to reason with her burdensome employer ) , rather lonely and melancholy . . she has no one and , through the incredible direction , we feel her terror at night when that moaning caller desires communication . She's on the bed , and who awaits across the line ? The level of spookiness and the dread that slowly builds is a credit to a talented crew of experts in their field . The finale , our answer to who it is that frightens Elva Keene , adds icing on the cake , carefully and richly executed to deliver chills down your spine . The reaction of Cooper ( . . she deserves equal credit with the greats involved in this terrific episode ) is perfect ; her horror truthfully realized . Yet , it doesn't stop there and the story follows Elva , whose past mistakes still haunt her , as she confronts that caller , ending rather sadly for her . It's the idea of " missed opportunities " which close this story and Elva , through her dismissal of the unknown voice which beckons her , loses a chance at getting a peace which has eluded her . The story really is gripping thanks to the mystery at the heart of it , and Matheson's work provides director Tourneur with the perfect kind of tale to display his gifts using night and shadow as a device to blanket poor Elva . Bathed in darkness on her bed , Cooper's scared eyes reveal a terror explicitly conveyed by Tourneur's intrusive camera . The telephone itself is also heavily focused on . . it's a symbol for which haunts Elva , not knowing when it will ring and what will be said across the line . This episode , as short and concise as it is , is a testament to what Twilight Zone is all about . I watched this during Sci-fi channel's New Year's Day Twilight Zone marathon , so I recommend watching this in proper form in the box set if one has it because commercials constantly break the flow and certain trimmings for time are evident . I also recommend watching it late at night for supreme effect . |
436,068 | 9,938,570 | 50,634 | 10 | The Cranes are Flying | While Boris ( Aleksey Batalov ) is off to fight in war against the Germans for his Mother Russia , his beloved Veronika ( Tatyana Samojlova ) marries his conniving cousin Mark ( Aleksandr Shvorin ) in a moment of weakness shortly after her parents were killed in an air raid over Moscow . Through various trials and betrayals , Veronika will await word or letter from Boris no matter how long it takes , holding hope that he will return to her . Powerful piece of film-making boasts simply incredible photographic work by cinematographer Sergei Urusevsky . Some of the many magnificently framed , moving shots include the scene where the camera follows Veronika through a crowd of loved ones saying goodbye to each other as she rushes through the mob of bodies to say goodbye to Boris . . and doesn't quite reach him even as we watch Boris looking impatiently into the swarm without luck . The sequence after the air raid where Veronika walks up the standing stairs circulating up the destroyed building she once called home and the scene where Mark makes his lustful move on Veronika as another air raid continues just outside the building as wind rustles the curtains and flashes of light emanate inside are just two of MANY examples where Sergei Urusevsky shows his genius at framing images that will last forever on film . But , without the power and tragedy of the story regarding how war can forever shape the destiny of a couple who dearly , deeply love each other , this film couldn't hold up with the beauty of the visual alone . Together , however , we're left with an amazing film . . simply a haunting masterpiece from the Soviet Union after Stalin breathed his last breath . I feel honored just have beheld such a great film . |
436,848 | 9,938,570 | 52,561 | 10 | Anatomy of a Murder | Long time former DA , Paul Biegler ( Jimmy Stewart , simply amazing ) is told by his buddy , Parnell ( Arthur O'Connel , simply wonderful as the boozer trying to keep sober because of the privilege of being asked by Paul to partner up with him ) to take a case concerning the murder of an Inn bar owner , Barney Quill . The one responsible , Army man Lt . Frederick Manion ( Ben Gazzara ) says he had couldn't control the impulse to kill Quill who had just a while before abused and raped his wife Laura ( the lovely Lee Remick ) . Laura's character will be questioned and we do see she can be a flirter ( mainly the way she behaves toward Paul ) . We also see that nasty streak that rises in Manion when someone seems to be offering lusty remarks or other ways of behavior toward his wife . These actions will leave opposing questions in the viewers mind to whether they are honest with Paul or holding back certain truths . Parn does some nosing around and finds out something regarding Mary Pilant ( Kathryn Grant ) , a certain young woman Quill brought down from Ontario , Canada . Quill's bartender , Al ( Murray Hamilton ) , knows certain things about the possible rape that could also hold a key to the guilt or innocence of Manion ( . . and how Laura might behave when loaded a bit with drink ) . Paul's opposing prosecution is two cunning lawyers who really give him one whale of a time during the trial . Asst . State Atty Gen . Dancer ( George C Scott . . his moments opposite Stewart are magic ) will assist newly appointed DA , Mitch Lodwick ( Brooks West , who shows his weariness of battle with Paul in that courtroom which can often wring sweat from any brow ) , who beat Paul soundly for his position . Outstanding courtroom drama . . the best of it's kind . Eve Arden produces wonderful chemistry with Stewart and O'Connel , as Maida , Paul's secretary who hasn't received a check in some time , but stays pat with him hoping this case will bring them some kind of monetary gain . Joseph Welch is inspired casting ( a real judge who brought down Joseph McCarthy ) as Judge Weaver , the one man who exasperatingly tries to control his courtroom which can often turn into a circus with heated fireworks as both sides ' attorneys duel . The film was quite controversial at the time for it's adult content along with specifics regarding taboo subjects at that time . |
435,709 | 9,938,570 | 101,276 | 10 | Afraid of the Dark | A young boy , Lucas ( stunning , haunting performance from young Ben Keyworth ) who is slowly going blind , dreams up a horrifying nightmare about a serial slasher of blind women nearby his London home ( . . with a graveyard located outside his window , no less ) . It seems to take shape when he places his thick-lensed glasses on which might mean that the impending surgery of his eyes has created such a subconscious fear it has taken shape in reality . A poor dog , Toby , becomes a victims of this . Those in reality , Tom Miller , a locksmith ( David Thewlis ) , a window washer , and photographer Tony ( Paul McGann ) all seem to become foreboding possible killers in the horrifying fantasy . Lucas ' step-dad Frank ( James Fox ) , in reality a florist , is a cop on the case of the slashings of the blind women in his nightmare . Mother Miriam ( Fanny Ardant ) is pregnant in reality with perfect sight ( . . who says she would rather be the one going blind rather than her son ) but blind in the nightmare which has the young lass worried for her safety . . and later the child after it's born , although the film paints the possible picture he'd rather harm the infant than keep it safe . Rose ( the beautiful , fine-figured Clare Holman ) is Frank's daughter in reality on the verge of marriage with Tony , but in the nightmare also blind , married to someone else blind , who is possibly threatened by Tony , anything but the person in real-life . In the nightmare we follow the boy as he canvases the area around where the serial slasher might frequent , but watch his unusual , cold manner about things . . he's an observer who seems almost unphased at the terror occurring around him . His voyeuristic activities has him seeing people from a different perspective because . . and this is the powerful aspect in the nightmare I think . . most are blind except Frank , the policeman , an ice-cream vendor who lusts after Miriam , the locksmith , window washer & photographer . So obviously he sees what the innocents do not . . how certain people truly are . In the reality , we also see a cut-away Lucas who seems like Waldo amongst a group of people existing as if he's not there . I don't think he is for the most part . . his on-coming blindness and the pregnancy about to take place take shape over everything else . The surgery is also the main event that truly terrifies him . . the doctor who will have the knife is a scary blind hobo in Lucas ' nightmare ( one of his eyes has an albino white tint for extra ominous effect ) . I'm afraid this flick will be frustrating to many who might not attach to the lead character who can be quite creepy , and detached , for most viewers . I saw this as an interesting approach seeing him as a young boy struck with fear losing his sight , both mentally and physically . I think this film goes into some dark psychological places . . treads onto that territory of fear using blindness and impending blindness as catalysts to tell the dark tale . The slasher , the glasses and what they see when Lucas puts them on and removes them , and the knitting needle which seems to be his weapon of protection . . all seem to represent symbolic images of the blindness he fears of . |
436,903 | 9,938,570 | 21,814 | 10 | Dracula | I know that over the years many do not consider Tod Browning's Dracula film to be as great as reputed to be , but I just continue to love it each and every time I view it . I certainly believe this is a crash course in how to shoot Gothic horror the real way . The opening is just astounding with all the cobwebs , possums , the lady vampires and how they submit to their awakening master , and Lugosi appearing for the first time in all his splendor . His eyes , as the light glistens upon them , wreak of power and lust . . whoever faces these eyes have to submit their will to his . Few weak minds , if any , can outlast the power of Count Dracula . Such richly macabre dialogue stands etched in horror lore from , " I bid you welcome , " to " The blood is the life , Renfield " . . each line becomes so eerie when rolled off the tongue of Lugosi . Some consider Lugosi's performance hammy , but I just revel in the way he stretches his dialogue . . it becomes so quotable . Lugosi was simply born to play this creature of the night and when someone says Dracula , some might think Chris Lee , but most envision Lugosi with his vile stare that penetrates the very soul . His equal , let's just admit it , is Dwight Frye as the crazed Renfield , once quite a sane , intelligent , soft-spoken office type reverted to a blood-thirsty maniac because of Dracula . It's that fiendish , stark-raving madness that is so intensely memorable . . no one can match this performance , so why even try ? But , it's the way director Browning and cinematographer Karl Freund set up creepy darkened shot after creepy darkened shot of Dracula waiting out in the darkness commanding others to do his bidding that makes this such an endearing horror classic . Some might think Edward Van Sloan might be a bit too theatrical as Van Helsing , but I can't imagine anybody else in that scene where Dracula tries to pull his rival towards him with mind control only to find his adversary's will is too strong even for him . My favorite scenes , to be honest , occur in Transylvania before the film settles in London because the castle and way Lugosi is shot are so burned in my mind . Just the way Dracula looks inside his decrepit abode on the stairwell as he stares at Renfield with that fiendish blood-lust so apparent or where we see an armadillo climbing from a coffin with this skeletal hand peeking ever slightly out . Or , the scene where Renfield receives his ride on the horse carriage as Dracula hides enough under a black cloak to remain anonymous . . each Gothic set-up is a hypnotic entrapment for the fan in love with the moody set up of atmospheric horror . I watched this with the Philip Glass score and must say I prefer it . . something majestic occurs when we hear the eruption of strings as Dracula appears . The score , for me , takes away the " creaky " criticism that so often accompanies one's insult towards it . |
436,248 | 9,938,570 | 77,914 | 10 | Martin . . The Scarecrow says Wow . | I'll be honest , when I got my DVD in the mail from netflix I never thought this film would knock my block off like it does . I think this is an amazing achievement from George A Romero in just how to shoot a very scary , ultra-realistic horror film which feels like some documentary filmmaker decided to follow this family of nutcases with his camera . . well mainly supposed vampire Martin and his " vanquisher " Uncle Tada Cuda . George does a little trick to set up the possibility that Martin is indeed a vampire by filming certain scenarios in black and white photography with a younger , shorter haired Martin facing certain ordeals like his family who wish to stop him or a possible blood feast . Still , George always offers that it is simply delusions put in his mind by a bizarre family . Cuda seems completely transfixed with stopping Martin , the vampire while Christina , Martin's cousin , thinks this is all nonsense . The creepy portions of the film exude such eeriness for the way George photographs Martin's devious planning , bloodletting , and clean-up . The decision to shoot the film independently and as low budget as possible gives it a street-crud that really only brings this up to such a high degree of excellence . In showing this psychopath search out for victims in this quiet , boy-like manner , we can understand how he gets away with his nasty deeds . Keeping the film contemporary inside this little junk-suburbia , it feels like someone just picked a disturbing subject and began shooting his twisted activities . What also works is using unrecognizable faces with these people who like like average Joe's . . it's a trait that always seems to work in Romero's films . They really look like next-door neighbors and Martin looks like your basic kid around the block . What adds a level of creepiness to Martin is his job at taking delivery groceries to an assortment of housewives and older women places him in a position to map out future victims . Also , Martin often goes for the kill at night which George photographs with a Gothic realism that is quite frightening . The best examples of this is the first crime in the film where Martin attacks a woman in a street-car of a train . She fights as hard as she can , but Martin drugs his victims with a hypodermic before any of the other funny business . We see him take advantage as she fades away and it is grotesque in that Martin seems completely overwhelmed by the bloodlust as if he really was a vampire . Martin , it seems , rejects certain labels his family has cursed on him such as being a " Nosferatu " { . . he often makes it known that " there is no magic " } , but does believe he is 84 years old . Romero lets you decide for yourself which is just terrific in itself . This is a film that really gets under the skin and stays with you . A powerful work of art by a very accomplished director . |
436,447 | 9,938,570 | 63,426 | 10 | Petulia | Archie Bollen ( George C Scott , very good ) is a square peg in a very circular world . He seems to be a Waldo amongst flower children . There's a scene I find humorous ( . . while others might find strange and / or pathetic ) that shows Archie in the middle of a crowd of hipsters dancing in a psychedelic hall as some band was playing with weird-colored strobe lights flashing throughout . What makes this film so great is that he has no business having any connection whatsoever with " young-married " Petulia ( Julie Christie ) . She has this feeling for him that spurns from an operation she watched him perform on a young Latino child named Oliver . Oliver , as the film would confirm later , is caught under a speeding car and it has everything to do with Petulia and her volatile , unpredictable , " quick-to-rush-into anger " husband David ( Richard Chamberlain ; he's unfortunately the unsung actor here because all the roles are so great that Chamberlain can be forgotten until his character changes Petulia's life through a horrible beating ) . Archie's previous married life to " Polo " ( Shirley Knight who is outstanding as the conflicted wife ; clearly , her work on here outshines everyone . . even Christie in my opinion ) wasn't a bad one , but something was missing . He felt suffocated , not to mention , there was no joy . When he can not get rid of Petulia , he succumbs to her charms and beauty . This film shows their unusual relationship , specifically how their differences bring them peculiarly closer because of this transfixing , overwhelming attraction that morphs into love . I have to say that Richard lester's direction just floored me . The way he edits the lifestyle of that period in San Francisco life and how he captures the people in that era . . it's just Wow . I wish films like this were made today . It just vibrated off-screen to me and I was completely hooked to it's charms and visual fervor . The performances are already superb to begin with , but how Lester brings the past within the frame-work of the present . . it's so fresh and innovative . This movie just wreaks of craftsmanship . A masterpiece . |
435,736 | 9,938,570 | 61,065 | 10 | The Face of Another | Disturbing portrait of a disfigured man graveling in self-loathing at the circumstances presented to him wearing bandages covering his face severely burned after a disastrous fire . Mr . Okuyama ( the great Kurosawa regular Tatsuya Nakadai ) is a client of psychiatrist ( Mikijiro Hira ) who offers the troubled man a chance at a new face thanks to an elastic procedure used from the mold of another's facial features . Okuyama is a melancholic pity-party who dwells on his unfortunate condition to the point where he polarizes everyone around him . When he experiences what it's like to have a human face replacing the monster everyone was rejecting ( the film shows the creeped-out expressions of others at the sight of Okuyama in bandages ) , Okuyama " allows the mask to take over " as his doctor begins to worry about how this new found freedom will effect his patient psychologically . Okuyama makes it clear to his doctor that he keeps the mask on as a way of attempting to unmask his wife's betrayal . There's this running commentary that has Okuyama constantly berating his wife feeling she'll leave him for someone who still has their looks . . their face . His scathing views on her every move clearly shows the wear any wife might have trouble enduring . As the new man , Okuyama will set out to seduce his wife seeing if she'll in fact betray him . Meanwhile , a scarred beauty ( Miki Irie ) who hides that bad side with her hair tries desperately to provoke response from her brother who seems uncomfortable with much interaction . A hint of an incestuous relationship between these two is at the forefront of their story as she , much the same way as Okuyama , is quite self-conscious of the scar that labels her a monster . Boy , there are those certain few films that completely overwhelm me . I just can't shake this powerful work of film-making from director Hiroshi Teshigahara regarding the masks we all wear and how , if given a chance , we might react when given an opportunity to experience another life separated from the one we currently live . It takes a deep , penetrating look at identity as well according to how we as a public respond towards others who are burdened with imperfection that shows outwardly . I felt it also looks at the scars inwardly . . no matter how attractive the mask might appear outwardly , if the soul is scarred then the person will still be ugly . So many themes , though , such as trust ( Okuyama's mistrust in his spouse , played by Machiko Kyô , who appeared in such classics as " Rashômon " , " Ugetsu " & " Floating Weeds " ) and dissatisfaction with your existence in this world are touched on . Extremely well acted with thought-provoking , intelligent , rich dialogue that remain with you after the film's haunting ending . The mask make-up work , and how the procedure is played out , is astounding . |
436,504 | 9,938,570 | 83,798 | 10 | Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid | Gumshoe dick Steve Martin is called on by lovely Rachel Ward to find her missing father , a cheese manufacturer . When he finds a list containing names , people put a licking on him to keep those names from turning up in the wrong hands . An exhilarating , amazing , and rewarding film experience for Classic Movie fans , most of the key characters in this plot are played , through astonishing editing by Bud Molin , terrific cinematography by Michael Chapman , marvelous period costumes from Edith Head ( her final film for which this is dedicated ) , by classic film stars such as Ava Gardner , Bette Davis , Barbara Stanwyck , Ray Milland , Humphrey Bogart , Cary Grant , Ingrid Bergman , among others as they are confronted through meetings and conversations from detective Martin . The flawless , seamless ability to place Martin in scenarios with so many stars of the great films from the 40's and 50's is such a pleasure to behold . Sure , many might feel some of the comedy falls flat , but I think Martin ( . . and Ward & Carl Reiner who also directed ) is perfectly cast . His scenes dressed as a woman are hilarious especially when he kisses Ward and confronts James Cagney ( . . from his role in " White Heat " portraying his mother ) . |
436,853 | 9,938,570 | 74,156 | 10 | Assault on Precinct 9 , Division 13 | Director John Carpenter's ode to Howard Hawks , " Night of the Living Dead " amongst others is really well made on a low budget . Carpenter , I'm sure , has a metaphor regarding the youth drones who kill without emotion ( perhaps making a statement about how he depicts America's descent into violence . . has a potent point in our culture today , actually ) together as a collective not afraid to die in the process . Clearly , Darwin Joston's Napoleon Wilson ( really as inspired nickname which just works beautifully ; he always promises to tell others who ask him how he got the name later ) is a lovingly created character Carpenter came up with in writing the film and certainly seems to be the precursor to Snake Pliskin later in " Escape from New York . " Napoleon is always asking if anyone has a smoke , but often no one does . He is to be transfered with two other prisoners , but one of them is infectiously sick so they stop off at a police precinct ( Precinct 9 , Division 13 ) operated by newly appointed Lieutenant Ethan Bishop ( Austin Stoker ; perhaps another " Night of the Living Dead " homage making a black man the chief hero of the picture as he is intelligent , courageous , and thinks well in difficult situations ) . Two other females are still working at the precinct as it is almost completely emptied in the move to another precinct . One is Leigh ( Laurie Zimmer ) , a female perfectly molded from the archetypal Howard Hawks films who doesn't blink at danger coming her way and is not afraid to use a gun if need be . The other is Julie ( Nancy Loomis ) , a telephone service operator who is not strong when danger is present which is why she will probably not be able to survive once threatening circumstances strike . There a sad irony to the whole conflict to the attack that circumvents on Precinct 9 against those unfortunate to be inside there . A little girl is shot point-blank by a gang member of the Cholo's . . it's in a cold , non-emotional way which leaves a bitter taste . That curdling evil murder points out to us that the Cholo gang is completely cut-off from feeling anything remotely human . They simply serve their own cause to kill anyone that doesn't represent whatever cause they believe in . Why they do what they do is not explained which might drive some viewers crazy , but I think that doesn't matter much in Carpenter's whole grand scheme of things . Why did certain kids open fire on the school of Columbine ? Why do killers attack innocents in the first place ? It's not an easy question to answer . The dead girl's father kills the one responsible for her death and is targeted by the Cholo . He enters Precinct 9 so traumatized he can not speak . Hence , the terror lying in wait for those inside Precinct 9 commences . The film works from " Rio Bravo " ( . . or perhaps " Night of the Living Dead " ) in regards to our handful of heroes being trapped in a building against a legion of zombie-like Cholo gang-members . They are on a quiet street in an abandoned precinct ( not to mention the location is in a violent part of LA according to how Carpenter sets his film up ) against an onslaught who have so many stationed all over surrounding it . We watch as the heroes will have to use their brains to figure out how they'll be able to defend themselves with barely any weaponry ( this precinct is cleared of most of it's weapons ; the transfer was to be completed the very next day ) . Bishop will have to release Wilson and another prisoner , Wells ( Tony Burton ) after many were shot to death as they were attempting to get back on the prison exchange bus in the back of the precinct . Bishop and Wilson form a quiet camaraderie as they fight those marauders outside . . there's respect here that isn't perhaps present when either are around their peers . Interesting developments occur between Wilson and Leigh as well . I liked this particularly because if you read between the lines they fall in love during the crisis , but speak without saying too much . Yet , they know how they feel about each other and need not say it out loud . The film works best as an action pic about which group will out-smart the other . The Cholo gang work well to try and keep anyone from noticing their strikes against the precinct . They remove all the bodies and any other evidence of their attacks . The Cholo gang is calm and methodical . . they have a goal and do everything in their power to achieve just that . Our heroes inside have to come up with an intelligent counter-attack . . and do it fast because they are the ones at the disadvantage . |
436,538 | 9,938,570 | 68,416 | 10 | What Have You Done to Solange ? | Catholic School teacher Enrico Rosseni ( the very cool Fabio Testi ) and a student he's in love with are on the verge of having sex in a canoe when she partially sees the murder of a fellow classmate take place . A psychopath is murdering members of a clique of girls who behave naughty outside the school grounds by stabbing them vaginally in secluded areas nearby a maid's abode . Enrico's marriage to German school teacher Herta ( Karin Baal ) has been on the decline for some time and his virginal student Elizabeth ( the simply lovely Cristina Galbó who is so wonderful in her limited screen time ) is such a tender , lovely sweetheart his heart melts for her . But , the killer ( who dresses as a priest and perhaps heard the confessional of the certain girls he wishes to murder ) has been following Liz and can not take the chance of her remembering something of importance . Her life is in danger . When the killer drowns her in the tub of a secret love-nest she holds with Enrico , the case takes a unique turn . Liz was not killed the heinous way the other girls died and Enrico loses his job . . this gives him added incentive to pursue who killed the young woman he was in love with . Better yet , weary and troubled Inspector Barth ( Joachim Fuchsberger ) will need all the help he can get in order for the madness of murdered Catholic girls to end and enlists the aid of Enrico ( . . after he himself is no longer deemed a suspect ) to assist him . Herta , finding that her husband had not officially taken Liz's virginity , wishes for their marriage to rise from the ashes and pledges to help him find the beautiful 18 year old's murderer . The title plays a major role in why the murders are occurring and the reasons they are directed at the specific females hunted down and stabbed in such a nasty way . The vaginal stabbings is a painful reminder of something that possibly happened to a sixteen year old girl named Solange ( Camille Keaton , the constantly raped avenger in the notorious " I Spit on Your Grave " ) . Enrico will have to find the truth about Solange in order for the killing to stop and answers to arise . Stunning , disturbing & ultimately compelling giallo impacts because of the vicious nature of the crimes and who they are occurring to . I must admit that the photo of the first victim with the knife buried in her vagina certainly shook me and that image allows us knowledge that this killer is committing this act with a passionate intent . The photography is first-rate , the developing mystery is outstanding , the final result is truly not only tragic but powerful . The cast is really good . This film had me under it's control from the get-go and I was held until the end . And , what's most interesting about this film is that , in a sense , you'll gain an understanding at exactly why the killer is committing such gruesome crime against the victims when everything falls into place and that may be it's greatest success . One of the finest examples of the Italian giallo . |
435,981 | 9,938,570 | 405,296 | 10 | A Scanner Darkly | Substance D and how the drug has caused societal collapse with nearly everyone experimenting ( . . or totally hooked ) on it . Our main character is Bob Arctor ( Keanu Reeves , perfectly cast ) who has a " split-brain phenomenon " where the two hemispheres of his brain ( the right and the left ) are " competing " with each other . He is supposed to be undercover , but is actually studying himself ! Arctor is a tragic victim because in dwelling with these drug-induced people he's narcing , he has himself fallen under the destructive spell of the Substance D drug . This is where , through the marvelous animated process presented , Arctor battling the disorienting and conflicting thoughts . Through the artform of the film , we can properly see how the drug effects the user in a hallucinatory way . Charles Freck ( Rory Cochrane ) is the extreme example of the devastating effect the drug can cause in the opening minutes as he calls James Barris ( Robert Downey Jr . ; he's nothing short of brilliant in this film ) for assistance . Freck can not seem to remove these ugly green bugs crawling throughout his body . We later understand , through Barris , that the drug is causing these bugs to appear . We see a different form of this ugly vision in Arctor when he watches Barris ( and his other druggie pal , Ernie , portrayed by Woody Harrelson ) shape into a bug . Winona Ryder is the fifth important character of the piece because Arctor is her boyfriend , yet the running joke is she won't put out for him . She seems to be deep into dangerous operations thanks to the Substance D drug , but perhaps Donna ( Ryder's character's name in the film ) has a greater role than anyone can realize regarding the drug . But , ultimately , I look at this film as showing one particular tragic victim , Arctor , who is being used by others to try and thwart an overwhelming drug . There's a U-turn this film takes towards the end I never seen coming which will use Arctor yet again , but this time his role ( he'll be exploited with his barely functioning brain ) will be infiltrating a certain place facilitating the manufacturing , growing , and distribution of the drug . . by an organization which adds just the right disturbing touch to this " paranoia-future " science-fiction film . |
436,839 | 9,938,570 | 66,516 | 10 | Valerie and Her Week of Wonders | You know I looked at director Jaromil Jires's film from a different perspective , hoping to perhaps take an " outside the box " view regarding the bewildering madness which continues for 80 minutes . I felt that Valerie's situation was a thirteen year old , blossoming with curiosity about sex , in a sexually repressed , deeply religious peasant village . Her one escape is the fantasy world of dreams / nightmares which unlock all the inner wonders and feelings brimming inside the young virgin , just having her first experience of adulthood through a period . Missing parents , a grandmother with worsening health , a theatrical troupe passing through , servant girls who blissfully enact in sexual pleasures with the village hunk , and a priest with his army of nuns . A vampire ( . . who could possibly be her father ) who desires Valerie , a " brother " named Eagle ( . . an " assistant of the vampire who goes against his master's wishes when he returns magical ear rings to Valerie he had swiped while she slept ) who always saves her , a younger form of her " granny " who is sexually driven and always a threat to her existence , and other countless characters drift in and out of the dream for the film's duration . . these characters could very well represent troublesome realities that awaken in metaphorical forms , both hostile and serene . At any event , this dream / nightmare is Valerie's terrain , and , no matter what " predator " threatens to either harm or threaten her sexually or by any other means , she is always given passage to escape . Again , this is also her terrain and Valerie is the central motivating character that everyone covets or desires . At one point or another , those main characters she confronts , from Eagle to her youthful granny , make an attempt to ravage her . Another interesting aspect I noticed was the gloomy marriage of a peasant girl to a much older , wealthy farmer . . perhaps this is another sad reality plaguing Valerie for I'm never sure , myself to be honest , if what we ever see ventures into reality ( . . that's what I love most about this film : the idea of not knowing if anything we see is actually real or all concocted through the dreams of a young or old woman looking back at what she would've desired and never ultimately received ) . Through the lens of director Jires , Jaroslava Schallerová as the heroine of the film , is shot seductively . A mere thirteen years old , Schallerová has an angelic beauty that is evocatively photographed . . I felt it was crucial to this film's success that she have an innocence and purity that would off-set the sin and danger all around her , threatening to corrupt what she has . Jaroslava Schallerová spends a good portion of the film in flowing gowns with the arm straps dropping to expose her tiny developing breasts . . I found this a bit alarming and daring considering the fact that she is still a girl , but artistically we must be aware of what others desire and covet . If she were an ugly duckling ( . . which she very well could be in reality , but this is Valerie's fantasy so she's pretty and creates yearning from those in her dreamlike world ) no one would bother her . But , this is Valerie's dream and she is at the forefront of every action that takes place in this film . That's about all I got folks , because what we see for 80 minutes sure had a grip on me . Overflowing with one incredibly bizarre sequence after another , I felt entranced by what this fantasy delivers visually . Cobwebs , chickens , vampires ( . . especially the very dead looking " Weasel " with his black cape always wrapping around someone as if shrouding them from Valerie's sight ) . . ugliness and beauty often intertwined and separated in Valerie's unique world . Jire's film in unbridled , flooding you and me with remarkable visions , both macabre and stunning . I will say , though , that this film's often sensual depiction of Jaroslava Schallerová might be off-putting to many . An amazing experience I plan to enjoy again in the near future . It's nearly impossible to grasp everything in one single sitting . |
435,860 | 9,938,570 | 353,969 | 10 | Memories of Murder | Two rural detectives , their chief & a well-educated Seoul detective search for a serial killer who specifically chooses certain victims when it rains , using their own undergarments to bound and strangle them while he rapes their tied up bodies . We watch as the rural detectives , who often use rough tactics to secure their admittance of guilt from those they question , try to find the killer and how the effected the city detective is when attempts to catch him often fail . We see their dogged , weary pursuit of suspects and the exhaustive , emotional let-down when each is ruled out by one way or another . When a possible suspect emerges , and seems the ideal candidate fitting the profile of the rapist who nearly murdered one living victim ( . . and also requested a specific song only on the nights the murders took place , not to mention the fact that he started working at a factory right before the murders ) , they believe that their misery might finally end as they await a DNA semen report from America possibly pinpointing him as the murderer . But , is this suspect the murderer , and better yet , can the rural detectives keep from exploding in anger when they interrogate the suspect ? It'll all come to a head when the city detective looses his suspect after falling asleep on his watch and yet another young woman is horribly butchered in a much more heinous manner during one of the town's common blackouts . . the detective will take his suspect to an isolated location claiming him guilty even though the American lab results may say otherwise . Powerful , haunting , gut-wrenching , & heartbreaking . . we see how these men fail at their methods despite giving their heart and souls to the case day after day . Developed obsessions with possibly suspects even have the detectives at each others ' throats . The film is quite absorbing as we see how each detective loses a bit of their humanity as they cripple at the leads that fail them or at an eyewitness who perishes accidentally during a horrible train accident . The Korean leads all bring much to their roles . . during the film each character is fleshed out and exposed of their flaws at trying desperately to catch a killer against many odds such as unavailable forensic techniques or civilians trampling over crime scenes . Beautifully crafted by director Joon-ho Bong who adds many humorous bits sprinkled throughout so that the achingly tragic story will not be such a burden to sit through . Bong respects the victims by not dwelling on the murdered bodies too long . |
436,540 | 9,938,570 | 57,078 | 10 | The Whip and the Body | The suicide of a jilted fiancé holds a scar over the House of Menliff as the black sheep who left her returns , Kurt ( Christopher Lee , who is simply outstanding in his limited presence . . even dubbed he holds you under his ominous spell ) wanting to reclaim his heritage , but receiving scorn from his ailing father ( Gustavo De Nardo ) . His real lover , and sadomasochistic partner , Nevenka ( the luscious , ravishing Daliah Lavi ) has married his brother Christian ( Tony Kendall ) who Kurt has always hated . Christian is the caring , straight-as-an-arrow son . . the direct opposite of Kurt who seems to cast a malignant shadow over his family . Kurt and Nevenka carry on their passion in a scene where he slashes her with a horse whip and we see that she likes it very much . There's a history of this as we can see . She claims to hate him , but he's perhaps merely a male mirror image of her own ugly side she tries to hold imprisoned in herself . Someone kills Kurt with a dagger . . the very dagger that was used by the love he left to stab herself with . This death will haunt the rest of the characters as Kurt reappears to Nevenka setting off a growing madness in her as no one else seems to see his presence , but her . When the patriarch , Count Menliff is killed by the same dagger in the same fashion as Kurt , the idea that Kurt's ghost has returned becomes a looming , frightening possibility . Among the other melodramas , Christian is actually in love with servant girl Katia ( Ida Galli ) , maid Giorgia's ( Harriet Medin , the mother of the female suicide that Kurt left to suffer ) daughter . Losat ( Luciano Pigozzi ) is the manservant spooked by the terrifying circumstances emerging after Kurt's demise is often walking the grounds and family mausoleum expecting to find specters . We also call into question whether Kurt's ghost is real or simply imagined by a grieve-stricken ( . . and guilt-stricken ) Nevenka harboring a secret love for the murdered aristocrat and now coming face to face with the inequities she's kept buried inside . Fantastic Gothic masterpiece from one of our treasured Horror directors . . the lush color photography is jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring . Every frame of this film looks like it was lifted from one painting or another . Superb uses of red and green , especially when Lee's " ghost " appears to Nevenka . Sure , the whipping S & M aspect adds a naughty flavor to the proceedings , but it's the way Bava brings this castle setting to life with his camera and artistic eye that makes this such a pleasure to behold . I loved how Bava returns to the muddy boots and the prints they leave behind without showing who is treading the floors with them . I think this is Bava's finest film . I hope in time ( . . and I believe it already is starting to gain an official . . and rightfully deserved . . following ) this film will be mentioned more and more as a classic horror film to be seen . It really is a Gothic horror fan's wet dream . Great atmospheric trappings are benefited by a grand , sweeping score . If there ever was a director who painted a canvas using the cinematic form as his paint brush , it was Bava . And , the way he shoots faces as the characters seek out Kurt in the darkened rooms of the castle at night . Or , the way Bava lights the family crypt as others dare step inside to possibly find Kurt's ghost within . See how Bava uses a tree vine whipping in an open window reminding Nevenka of her sordid past with Kurt . Not only does Bava use color , but symbolism describing the passionate , yet violent , nature between Kurt and Nevenka . Lavi's captivating beauty is wonderfully shot , often in her room , engulfed in darkness , the wind roaring , her frightened eyes constantly veering right & left . . she's completely at the mercy of Kurt's presence . I feel Bava establishes the fact that , even though Kurt's dead , his hold over this family is long-lasting , especially Nevenka , who keeps pronouncing her hatred for him even though she's in denial of her true feelings . Perhaps Kurt's spirit did truly live and breathe , even if it didn't exactly manifest in our realm , he certainly was real to those still living within the confines of the castle . This is truly a masterpiece . |
436,541 | 9,938,570 | 67,656 | 10 | Bay of Blood | A husband hangs his wheelchair-bound ancient wife of wealth and is subsequently stabbed viciously . A developer , illegitimate son , and heiress ( with her patsy husband who obeys her every command ) all wish to secure the dead woman's land and bay for there's quite possibly a very lucrative tourist future in the area . Four young , horny adults make the mistake of stopping by the dead woman's empty home and fall prey to a killer spying on them . A neighboring couple who live nearby are against any development laying concrete over a place once dear to them ( the husband , an avid bug collector , worries that it will disrupt his chances to collect any future insects . . his wife , a supposed clairvoyant reads doom in her cards ) . The film shows the ongoing bloodshed committed by certain individuals who attack from behind so that they can gain the inheritance of prestigious land all to themselves . One killer uses a spade to tear open a beautiful Scandinavian woman's throat , shortly after burying that blade into a young man's face ( . . and subsequently pulling it out ; a very impressive gruesome sequence that puts a lot of slashers to shame ) . A young couple having sex get sandwiched when the killer decides to place his spade away for a moment using a spear , thrusting it into the male's back through the unfortunate french chick on bottom . . the spear kill in Friday the 13th Part 2 pales in comparison . One woman gets beheaded , one is stabbed in the stomach with a pair of scissors , there are nasty strangulations , and a shotgun blast that puts everything about the gain of wealth by any terms in perspective . The granddaddy of all slashers , this is Mario Bava unhinged letting loose his greedy characters to kill and maim . Nearly every last character is corrupt and dies . The ones who commit the final act of violence may prove that Bava was allowing this particular film to be so gratuitous as a means to poke fun at those loathsome heirs graveling for the scraps of their dying rich relatives . |
436,138 | 9,938,570 | 98,253 | 10 | Santa Sangre | A young man escapes an insane asylum and " meets up " with his arm-less mother . As a young boy , Fenix ( Axel Jodorowsky ) was a performing magician for a circus where his father was a portly knife-thrower and his mom did acrobatics while dangling by her hair way in the air . His mother , Concha ( Blanc Guerra ) , is the leader of a cult whose church is named Santa Sangre and has enshrined their tabernacle with the arm-less mannequin of this female who was brutally murdered and raped by two men while fighting them . Her sanctuary was bulldozed , but that wasn't what really harms her . Her husband , the knife-thrower , was seen often flirting with the tattooed lady who made her message known that she desired him greatly . As they are about to have passionate sex , Concha burns them both with acid ( he receives his in the crotch for his act ) . Dear ole husband retaliates by cutting off Concha's arms as Fenix watches in horror as he slits his throat as no hope for a decent life after his scarring . The film provides Fenix with a paramour . . a sad , deaf mute named Alma ( Sabrina Dennison ) who has the misfortune of being under the care of the tattooed lady . As Fenix sees the bodies of his parents taken away , he's mentally wounded and perhaps any hope for a normal life is in doubt . However , inside Fenix's mind , Concha has found a place to flourish . As a young adult , the director AJ masterfully creates a surreal , unpredictable portrait of one man's madness as he is the arms for his mother who is now a performing artist . Someone finds the tattooed lady , now working as a hooker , and slaughters her graphically . Any woman who dares to try to lure Fenix into a lustful sexual relationship are to be exterminated because Concha will not allow anyone to take her boy away from her . In an interesting twist , anytime Concha desires for him to kill , Fenix can not control what his hands do . He fights and fights to no avail . She has created a link to his mental willpower so strong , Fenix is a tragic victim . I was blown away by this film because we see what lies inside Fenix's fractured , tortured mind . He was stained mentally at such a young age , from seeing an elephant die ( this is a constant in the film and a haunting scene ) to his parents ' ultimate falling out . His visions become so surreal , we never know what is real and what isn't providing us with the fact that Fenix is a tarnished soul in need of rest from his weary trauma . Graphic , colorful , and truly unforgettable . . AJ is a true artist who is not afraid to bleach his screen with the macabre , bizarre , and strange . |
436,901 | 9,938,570 | 76,786 | 10 | Suspiria | American New Yorker Suzy Bannion ( Jessica Harper ) finds that the prestigious European ballet school she is attending could very well be operated by practicing witches ! It seems certain females who might've gotten a bit too close to the truth of where the teachers were meeting inside the school at night , meet grisly ends . Even a blind man , whose dog bites the nephew of Madame Blanc ( Joan Bennett ) , meets a grisly fate . . his dog mysteriously tears his throat out ! When Suzy's new school pal , Sara ( Stefani Casini ) comes up missing ( we watch as someone pursues her within the darkened school as she meets a horrible death getting trapped in wire with her throat slashed by the murderer's blade ) , she must find out the truth about this school or her life might meet the same fate as the other victims . Suzy also suffers from health problems once the portly female cook ( with Blanc's nephew by her side ) blinds her with the reflection of sunlight bouncing off a butcher knife . Argento , thanks to the supernatural aspects of the story , is set free of the limitations a giallo holds him to . The marriage of the Goblins ' thrilling , unnerving score and his vibrantly effective use of color creates a very unique experience . The opening grabs you instantly even before you enter the world of Suzy . . we see how genuinely vicious this mysterious killer is . Built to scare the hell out of the viewer , Argento attacks the senses with graphic attack sequences where it seems the killer will never stop penetrating his knife into the victim's torso . Developing the story of the school and the evil deep within it's center , Argento gives the viewer an outrageous finale where chaos ensues when Suzy meets the killer . Alida Valli is almost unrecognizable as Miss Tanner , a tall , brutish teacher who seems as if she were secretly a Nazi foot-soldier . And , horror icon Udo Kier has a minor role as a psychiatrist who once had Sara as a patient . |
435,718 | 9,938,570 | 74,621 | 10 | Healter Skelter | Stunning , matter-of-fact television film runs around three hours but holds it's grip the entire time . Steve Railsback is absolutely mesmerizing ( . . and terrifying ) as Charles Manson , the cult leader claiming to be Jesus Christ and commanding his followers ( four of them mainly ) to murder rich " pigs " in California . Most notable was pregnant actress Sharon Tate , famous director Roman Polanski's woman , along with others in the house that horrible night . Along with those were the La Biancas , also unfortunate chosen victims of the Manson followers . Along with Railsback chilling portrayal was Nancy Wolfe as Susan Atkins who will bring eerie goosebumps as she describes in luridly evil ( yet coldly and unapologetically ) detail how she murdered Sharon Tate as she begged for herself and the unborn baby she was carrying . Not to mention how she describes the " gurgling sound " that a victim makes choking in their own blood . We also hear about how a fork was used to carve " war " in Mr . La Bianca's torso . Another interesting ( . . and good ) casting choice is Marilyn Burns in the important role of Linda Kasabian . . the young follower who would be the ultimate voice that put away five cold blooded killers . George DiCenzo portrays DA Vincent Bugliosi , the man whose life would certainly be effected by the immense strain of putting together an extremely difficult case against Manson . . who was the lynch-pin in causing a rest in the fear so many were feeling . The film covers in pain-staking detail the events before , during , & after the case ( even the mass media aspects revolving around the case ) . |
436,282 | 9,938,570 | 50,894 | 10 | Revenge of Frankenstein | This is the 1958 sequel to the wonderful first film , Curse of Frankenstein . It stars Cushing as the Baron , saved from certain head-chopping thanks to a badly paralyzed Karl who is promised a brand new host body with his brain being transplanted into it . Assisting Baron is Dr . Kleve , but the experiment hits a snag when the body irritates during the final stages of the procedure with the body going out of control damaging one cell in the brain . In an impromptu fight with a drunken janitor of Baron's laboratory , Karl's body is again damaged , this time his body receives paralysis like before with tragic results occurring in the aftermath . It's interesting that the culprit behind all the tragedy of the film is the man who Baron pays to sweep the floor , but he does more snooping and lounging than his own job . He motivates most of the action , first spying on Baron and Kleve when they move Karl to a certain room in the surgery building of the doctor's practice , showing Baron's " goods supply girl " Miss Conrad where they keep Karl , and even providing the poor who seek Baron's help info on where the parts the doctor uses come from . The film is well executed , I think , because this time the end results did work and it is not exactly Baron's fault for the tragedy that will eventually occur . But , Karl's failure to heal his body before leaving his bed is really the turning-point of disaster for Baron . The film takes an interesting detour from the first film showing Baron as a much more sympathetic person . . still determined to see his experiments through , but no longer mad as he was willing to do anything to continue his work . But , I think the film's statement regarding Baron's work is as long as he continues playing with the laws of man in trying to create like God in the name of science , he'll always most surely hit some sort of snag . |
436,561 | 9,938,570 | 24,184 | 10 | The Invisible Man | One could say that Claude Rains ' invisible man is just as much the Universal Studios monster as any of the rest of them for his madness is so unhinged and wacky he even turns over a woman's baby carriage in a nearby village during quite a temperamental outburst . Claude Rains stars as a scientist who invents this formula to create invisibility . The problem is that he uses a certain chemical which affects sanity and creates this ever-growing madness that quickly unleashes a violent wave to just about anyone that draws near . Imagine the difficult position for the police who must try and stop him and the doctor's rampage of violence . He even causes a train to collapse over a cliff and throws two hunters ( . . looking for him ) over also . He wishes for Dr . Arthur Kemp ( William Harrington ) , a colleague , to assist him in his murdering ways and ultimately to gain wealth and prestige through the power he can wield being invisible . Kemp is in an unfortunate situation because he has little choice but to because Rains ' doctor can kill him without his knowledge . Only his lady love Flora ( Gloria Stuart of James Whale's film " The Old Dark House " ) can perhaps tap into the once human part that might still slightly exist inside this evil shell . The police will seek the help of Dr . Cranley ( Henry Travers ) who was Rain's employer for guidance in how to stop the man's rage of terror . James Whale really brings a great film together using stunning special effects considering when it was made . He infuses humor into the piece , including the screeching Una O'Conner as a hotel proprietor's snooping wife . The invisibility is quite a showcase and we feel and see the very terror that can wake from it being used on the wrong person not in the right state for such an experiment . Claude Rains has quite a challenge . . he has to make his presence known without being shown on screen at all until the very end and express himself through voice only . Whale is up to the task of creating the difficult part of having this man go throughout the film invisible through cunning and wit . The dialogue is key and the pacing of the film is excellent . This film may very well be Whale's true best film . I think it is . |
436,552 | 9,938,570 | 58,557 | 10 | Seance on a Wet Afternoon | Chilling masterpiece from Bryan Forbes about a supposed medium , Myra , whose hold on her husband Bill is so tightly gripped he's willing to kidnap a wealthy man's child to prove her gift legit . It's quite evident Myra is deeply wounded and a bit off-her-rocker , but Bill's love for her is so entrenched he'll sacrifice everything to do as she commands . " You miss all the good things in life just because you won't reach that bit further to touch the truth . " This is what she truly believes especially when Billy wishes to put an end to this fiasco , but Myra's undying devotion to her cause for making people believe her " gift " is definitively real . The true key to the entire film is Arthur . . a child that died at childbirth which is the true ingredient behind Myra's descent into quiet madness . We must not forget that , despite early success in the whole strategy put in place by her , the mastermind is quite disturbed . Evocatively photographed and stunningly acted ( Attenborough is especially outstanding as Billy , a man who so wishes to stop this from going further , but whose deep devotion to the woman he so cherishes is willing to carry it out all the way ) , you are instantly pulled into the plot and how this seemingly perfect plan will inevitably fall apart . Last but not least is Kim Stanley as Myra , the main character of the picture whose vacant eyes display cold reserve as if she really doesn't quite have control of what she is doing and saying . The person she once was isn't here , but somewhere in a morass of guilt and sorrow . . the longing for her Arthur is always out in the open painfully . |
436,694 | 9,938,570 | 76,740 | 10 | The Wages of Fear | Incredibly underrated and very intense re-imagining of " Wages of Fear " has four men , forced from their respected countries having fled to this Latin American village due to criminal activities , who wish to seek enough monetary gain to get out of the hellish poverty-stricken wasteland they inhabit . In order to see their wishes fulfilled , these four men will have the terrifying duty of carrying old crates of nitroglycerin across rugged terrain 200 miles to a massive oil fire . The four men to try and accomplish this are Roy Scheider , Bruno Cremer , Francisco Rabal , and Amidou . The photography is superb and the story involving these men and their nearly impossible task of somehow making it through such heavy ordeals as damaged elderly bridges , bad weather & muddy swampy earth will have your stomach tied in knots . The sequence regarding the swinging bridge immersed in a battlefield of unfriendly rain is a harrowing highlight as is how these characters will get along with each other so that they can make it to their destination . The overall power of the film hinges on those very difficulties that occur to our characters . A major work of unheralded greatness that should be appreciated more than it is . |
435,950 | 9,938,570 | 52,811 | 10 | Mania | Shocking , surprisingly potent horror feature about the possible downfall of Edinburgh anatomy professor Dr . Robert Knox ( Peter Cushing with one eyelid collapsing ) who illegally accepts murdered bodies from supposed graverobbers Hare & Burke ( Donald Pleasence and George Rose ) . Burke and Hare's scheming of killing and supplying works until they murder Knox's apprentice Chris Jackson ( John Cairney ) , Chris ' prostitute lover Mary ( Billie Whitelaw ) , and especially well-liked young Jamie ( Melvyn Hayes ) . Cushing as the cold , logical doctor who abandons emotion because it just gets in the way of his work , and Pleasence as cruel scoundrel Hare are both chilling in their own way . This film should be quite an interesting pairing with the 1987 film , " The Doctor and the Devils " because both films deal with the same themes yet change in certain ways . In " Flesh " there's a positive outlook for Knox who comes to the understanding of what he was doing wrong because he had abandoned any emotion when it came to accepting any corpse those two brought him only thinking about science and leaving away the conscience . In " Devils " , Timothy Dalton's anatomy professor was always sympathetic to the plight of those around him and always had emotion present on his face . Yet , Dalton's doctor's outlook is a bit gloomy in that film . Also Julien Sands and Twiggy ( representing the characters played by Cairney and Mary in the " Devils " version ) have a much better outcome in their film than the pupil and prostitute in " Flesh and the Fiends . " This is quite a well made chiller , atmospheric and quite stunningly violent for the time it was a made . |
436,779 | 9,938,570 | 80,516 | 10 | The Changeling | Superb ghost story starring George C Scott as a recently widowed pianist who moves to Seattle in an old mansion . That mansion is haunted by the restless spirit of a male child who will not stop until Scott seeks out the truth regarding his demise . The truths Scott finds along the way are quite stunning . Trish Van Devere plays Claire Norman , the woman who was his Realtor , and assists Scott in his pursuit of the truth . Melvyn Douglas ( outstanding in his limited work on screen ) is Senator Joseph Carmichael , someone who might have more to do with the ghost's identity than realized . It's everything I expect a good ghost story to be . The camera visuals and lighting of the house ( especially that spooky attic Scott finds hidden and closed up where the ghost child's room was ) are splendid , but the special effects are also solid . But , it's how the story develops that really worked for me . It isn't merely a special-effects laden exercise , but a legitimate mystery as well . Most ghost stories wish to show off their fancy effects , but this film slowly lets it's spooky stuff happen throughout the film more carefully . Scott is very good ( not just sleep-walking like a lot of once-prominent actors tended to do in horror of the 80's ) and his traumatic character's past is etched in pain on his face . A perfectly executed film on all counts . |
436,293 | 9,938,570 | 57,128 | 10 | The Haunted Palace | Warlock Joseph Curwen ( Vincent Price ) is burned alive by the worrisome folk amongst the village of Arkham as they catch him in the middle of his almost giving a hypnotized innocent girl over to his monster summoned by the Necronomicon . If Curwen finishes this process , the monster gods from the " other world " will be freed to roam the earth once again like they did at the beginning of time . Before going up in flames , Curwen puts a curse of the village and their generational offspring vowing to return to seek vengeance on those culprits behind his being burned alive . That comes 100-or-so years later as a descendant of Curwens , named Charles Dexter Ward ( also Price ) with his wife Ann ( the beautiful Debra Paget ) arrives in Arkham to see his ancestor's castle due to his receiving it in a will . The descendants of those who set Curwen on fire warn Charles and Ann to not go to the palace because it is haunted . Charles , quite bemused at what he believes is gibberish from the guilt and suspicious minds of a townsfolk riddled with fear , goes to the palace anyway . . and finds out the hard way that they were correct . A painting of Curwen seems to house the powerful spirit of the deviant and almost immediately the gentle , courteous Charles is taken over by the more dominant forceful warlock who , in time , will almost gain complete control over his host body . Ann sees her husband slowly disappearing and the monstrous Curwen crudely demeaning her trying his damnedest to force her away from the castle . . in truth , Joseph has his assistants Simon ( Lon Chaney , Jr . , whose presence is often put to good use when Corman sets the right light to his face providing some ominous creeps ) who poses as the caretaker and Jabez ( Milton Parsons ) remove the coffin of his mistress , Hester Tillinghast ( Cathie Merchant ) from the graveyard so that he can resurrect her soul bringing the corpse back to life . It's Curwen's wish to complete the ceremony using Ann as the beast's bride ! Will Ann be able to save Charles , buried almost completely away deep inside or will the warlock gain complete control with Charles never to return ? Ann's only ally is the levelheaded Dr . Willet ( Frank Maxwell ) who has a hard time believing in the village's age-old terror . This should be every Gothic horror fan's wet dream . . dripping with pure atmosphere thanks to this excellent fog-shrouding cemetery which leads to the eerie , decadent Curwen manor . Price brings two multi-faceted performances often showing Curwen taking over Charles with facial expression . . it's quite remarkable to watch . Seeing Chaney , Jr . in a Corman Gothic Haunted House flick where moody lighting is used to increase fear in the audience is just a dream come true for me . The age and years of strain from alcoholism actually forms a formidable demeanor on Chaney as he appears from the darkness . . it's all about how Corman introduces him to us ( . . a really terrific scene has poor Ann searching for Charles at night , quite frightened encountering a darkened Chaney in the distance silhouetted scaring her as he approaches with the light showing us his face ) . The scenes where Curwen gets his revenge is a nasty bit of violence that rather raised my eyebrows . . Corman really shows the warlock setting poor Gideon ( yes , the one who always dies , the great Elisha Cook , Jr . with his bulging horrified eyes and shivering quiver ) on fire and arch-nemesis Edgar Weeden ( Leo Gordon ) is attacked by the monster he kept in a locked room , stolen from Curwen's manor when the warlock releases him . The film features marvelous sets such as Arkham , the village with the fog striding on it's streets and especially the Haunted Palace itself with it's expansive rooms and secret doors leading to a creepy chamber holding the Tillinghast coffin and Necronomicon ritual spot where the Lovecraftian god-beast awaits it's release from a well . The film is mostly a success because it has the magical collaboration between two major geniuses , Corman and Price both giving us their all . You just can't go wrong with this flick if you love Gothic horror . It deserves greater mention than it seldom gets . |
436,627 | 9,938,570 | 454,932 | 10 | Roman | Roman ( Lucky McKee ) is a welder who lives a pretty monotonous existence while he obsesses after work over a young , beautiful woman ( Kristen Bell , her name is never mentioned , but Roman calls her Isis ) who walks nearby his apartment everyday . He fantasizes about her and can not stop thinking about this woman . A chance meeting between the two has possibilities of romance . She is quite a charmer , with this radiant glow and unflappability which works awkwardly opposite the aloof , slumbering quiet of Roman . What comes out is mostly compliments because he can not help staring endlessly into her face , waxing poetic in his heart for her . She stops by his apartment at his request and Roman handles her leaving badly because the idea of exiting from his sight at this point in time seems too much a burden to bear . But , in wrestling " Isis " to the ground , he accidentally strangles her . With options limited , Roman places her body on ice in his bathroom . Then , the film at times almost forgets about her . A new woman enters the picture , Eva ( the truly wonderful Nectar Rose , who is a revelation in this part ) . . a sexual dynamo obsessed with death and conversations about it . Death is the topic that plays the heavy part over the story . It's everywhere and Roman can not seem to escape it . Roman , every Sunday , extracts a major body part ( arm one Sunday , leg the next week ) of the girl and spends a day with it at a lake off the beaten path in a secluded spot where the possibilities of being caught is almost nil . He spends his time with each part as if it was Isis right there with him slurping a beer like the first time they ever met on the apartment rooftop . Isis is his girl on this day , while Eva slowly becomes the other vital part of his life during the rest of the time . She's unusual , a little weird , but has an air of spontaneity . . this encapsulating aura that pulls you in her orbit . Through her spirit , we see bits of humanity slowly emerge . The woebegone nature we were seeing at the opening is changing as he awakens from his emotional purgatory . But , Eva's strong feelings about death , talking about and discussing it , analyzing why people are sore afraid of it makes him very uncomfortable . Obviously , the topic of death is something Roman would truly care about avoiding , but Eva is persistent that he get with the program and not turn away from it . Being close-minded is something she can not tolerate . The keys to this film I believe are the main emotional punches to the gut of the title character , Roman . Two women impact his life . . and their lives end in tragedy . One didn't wish to die and another embraced it without backing away . The film comes to a head when Eva completes her artistic project allowing Roman to feast his eyes on the results . They impact him in ways he would never imagine . |
436,235 | 9,938,570 | 64,904 | 10 | Hatchet for the Honeymoon | A handsome sociopath named John Harrington ( Stephen Forsyth , perfectly cast ) , stuck in a bad marriage with a wife who holds her fortune over his head like a badge of honor , enjoys murdering females before they wed . Taking place in Paris , John has a breeding ground to work from since marriages occur frequently there . Only adding to that is the fact that he operates a wedding boutique founded by the mother he adored . . John has the provided extra motivation to slay . Disturbed by this calling of his name , after each kill John gets closer to seeing the face of she who haunts him . Does he really want to see this , though ? Using a hatchet as his weapon of slaughter , John incinerates the bodies in his flower hot-house . His wife's vicious overbearingness only presses the madness underneath his calm exterior . An inspector ( Jesús Puente ) , on the case to find who is killing all the brides-to-be , hounds John passing off little verbal jabs poking about the idea that he's a prime suspect . To add to John's paranoia is the ghost of the wife he kills and buries in the hot-house flower garden . It seems her presence looms over him like a shadow and she associates ( . . and is seen ) by those around John . He's also " visited " by a young boy devastated by the sight of his mother collapsing after someone attacked her . We ought to know who that boy is and the fact that this visual horror might've lent a hand in John's descent into killing . Bava's a master at creating lucid nightmares and images that haunt and remain with you . There's a scene every Hitchcock fan would love after John kills his wife . After completing this task , before he could take her body from top of the stairs the inspector comes knocking at his door . The missus's dead arm is dripping blood on the carpet below as John tries to work his nemesis out of the room . And , how he evades the question about hearing a woman screaming from the inspector is also very ingenious . Bava also lenses a fascinating sequence with John alone as he caresses his mannequins . They are lifeless , but he doesn't seem to care . . John holds them with this kind of deep cherish relishing the silence that exudes from within the room . Also , the way Bava photographs the hatchet as if providing a lustful allure . . it's as if the camera embraces this weapon of execution . I mean just watch how John holds the hatchet in his hand . . it's like holding the woman you love . Lastly , Bava's decision to have us be a part of John's madness and despair is another important creepy part that makes this whole film quite an experience . This is an amazing piece of film-making . . a truly bizarre masterwork of genius . |
436,938 | 9,938,570 | 67,927 | 10 | The Vanishing Point | You know I can not really answer the question that is posed to cross-country car deliverer , Kowalski ( Barry Newman ) towards the end of the film by a man he made a daring , ridiculous bet with stating he could take a car from Colorado to California in 15 hours , but there's no doubt in my mind , he knew the answer as he drives his car into certain death in the final climactic scene . You might wish to wring my neck for just tossing the climax to you in such a forward way , but I don't think most viewers will expect Kowalski to make that deadline after committing the felonies he breaks along the way . There's a look on Kowalski's face that shows peace with this smile of almost gratitude for having made his long journey . Or , at least that's the way I gaged his reaction at the end as he knew his time was up . The question is . . Why even bother trying to make an exhausting trip so far in such a short time to begin with ? I have my opinion as I'm sure others do . Perhaps , the film offers to each individual a chance to make their own mind up regarding why our hero decides he must try and achieve the impossible task he sets out for . I felt it was a way of proving to himself he could achieve something to fulfill an unsatisfied existence that has been , for the most part ( I'm speaking in regards to the flashback sequences offered us sprinkled throughout the film ) , full of tragedy and sadness . I think the film appears at the start to be just a racing-against-time chase film with cops in hot pursuit , but it takes on a greater meaning to me anyways . Cleavon Little has an interesting role as Super Soul ( an interesting name , isn't it ? ) . He's a deejay who almost becomes K's spiritual guide along the way . K represents something to different people . Some look at him as the " last American dream " , others as nutty as a fruitcake . I think he's only on this journey for himself - - this calm exterior hides loneliness I think and loss ( the young lover who dies in a surfing mishap ; seeing a young druggie almost raped by a cop-partner he had on the force ) . I think the loneliness part is briefly fulfilled by Charlotte Rampling's mysterious hitchhiker ( her scenes were cut in the American version , but I watched the European one ) towards the end . I love the film for what it shows . . the American landscape allowing a car and it's driver room to navigate and live . In the time-span available , K does just that . |
436,534 | 9,938,570 | 60,668 | 10 | Marat / Sade | The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum at Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade . The title pretty much sums up this powerfully visualized " play " , set in 1808 , during France's supposed success rate at educating the insane . This play by de Sade which is a scathing dissection of the French Revolution using Marat as the voice for the war as the Marquis takes the role against it . Morality obviously being this is a play from Marquis de Sade is also under the microscope as those that are insane fulfill certain roles under the celebrated masochist's direction . Monsieur Coulmier ( Clifford Rose ) is the mediator watching de Sade's behavior regarding what his script can and can not say . Blasphemy in this supposed golden age of France can not be warranted so Coulmier , with the assistance of nuns and guards inside , try to keep the deranged - - and de Sade - - in check . The play itself is told through not only the characters written on page , but from the insane themselves who often intervene on their own behalf . The ending is a fine slap in the face of the so-called success the French asylums seemed to have employed as the maniacs , after finishing , attack all the normal folk inside ( two aristocratic women are audience members inside the cell - - what were they thinking ? ) as Marquis relishes the chaos with glee . The staged film is disturbing , bleak , but profound and spellbinding . The way the camera moves throughout the cell ( and several shots through the bars and on the darkened audience outside the cell ) is hypnotic and deeply luridly fascinating . The cast is so good , they really convinced me I was watching a directed play using loonies ! |
436,812 | 9,938,570 | 90,329 | 10 | Witness | John Book ( Harrison Ford in perhaps his best film as an actor ) discovers through the eye-witness of a young Amish boy , Samuel ( Lukas Haas ) , that cops have murdered one of their own because said slain had uncovered a drug ring taking place with confiscated materials used to create speed . Unfortunate for John , he goes to a man he believes he can trust , Chief Paul Schaeffer ( Josef Sommer ) , but doesn't know he's actually the mastermind behind the whole operation . Book is fired upon by Lt . McFee ( Danny Glover ) , the cop who slit the throat of the cop . Book , bleeding profusely , flees with Rachel ( Kelly McGillis , who is excellent ) and her son Samuel to their Amish residence in order to keep them from possible harm . Book has been bleeding so badly , the Amish doctor will have to heal him and this opens the door for the film's " fish-out-of-water " theme never utilized better than in this film about a man who discovers the wonderful people in a village often criticized and slanted because of their differences in living in regards to society . It's always present , though , that Schaeffer would not rest until he finds Book and the child . . their operation would ruin him . An important piece to Book's whereabouts lies in his partner Carter ( Brent Jennings ) who knows where he is . Schaeffer obviously understands their relationship is tight and needs to squeeze the information of Book's location from him . The film's main centerpiece is the growing bond between Book , an outsider , and Rachel . We can clearly see that this will never come to complete fruition because their worlds are so far apart , but we understand this love that permeates when they are near each other . It's a beautiful thing to watch slowly develop because upon Book's arrival , the village were quite worried of what troubles he might bring to their peaceful co-existence . The violence Book comes from is stagnant in one particular scene where John breaks the nose of a trouble-maker wishing to cause emotional distress the Amish people just desiring to go home . Eli ( Jan Rubes , who is wonderful ) tries in many ways to tame John , but he can not stand by , as the Amish people have , and see them mistreated because of who they are . His reaction is seen as immoral , but there seems to be an understanding that takes place here . We see that John absolutely cares for these people and when someone wishes to poke fun at their modest and quiet ways , it brings out the worst in him . I think the film's true beauty is how director Weir casts a respectful eye to the Amish way of life rather than the jokingly scornful way they are often portrayed . As most films of Weir are , this is magnificently photographed with a haunting lyrical score . The film also shows the clashing of two different ways of life as Rachel shows throughout her growing attraction to John . A suitor possibly for her is Daniel Hochleitner ( Alexander Godunov ) , but the film thankfully stays away from him clashing with John over Rachel . John knows where Daniel stands and vice versa . We actually seem to see a camaraderie form between the two during a sequence where all the men band together and build a barn for a newly married couple . Book's being able to use his abilities at carpentry brings him a workman-like tolerance from the village despite being not one of them . Slowly but surely , John has been appreciated and loved by all as they accept him with the understanding that he will eventually go , but be remembered fondly . The final twenty or so minutes is the eventual encounter of Schaeffer and his two cop cronies trying to find John so they can silence him for good . John has found out that his partner was killed and threatened Schaeffer's life . In the confrontation , Schaeffer and John will meet and this shows a stand-off against the violence that has existed for too long . John wishes for the killing to stop after his successful survival against McFee and Fergie ( Angus MacInnes ) . I think this is another great example that the 1980's was the decade of Harrison Ford . Hit after hit starred Ford and " Witness " is simply another fine example of marvelous work . Weir frames some magnificent shots of the green fields ( I call them " The fields of life " ) and the camera lovingly captures the landscape of a peaceful group of people who just want to live without the outside corruption . Perhaps a little of what they live rubbed off on John . . I believe it did . |
436,010 | 9,938,570 | 58,333 | 10 | Death has no Master | Death himself , cloaked in red , delivers a plague to a village under the rule of the cruel , corrupt Prince Prospero ( Vincent Price , in one of his finest roles ) . Prospero is offended by two villagers who ridicule the way he treats their people and decides to imprison them keeping them in a dungeon alive temporarily thanks to the pleading of the father's red-headed daughter , Francesca ( Jane Asher ) . Prospero fancies Francesca , who is quite homely at first , and wishes to corrupt her innocence and purity . Gino ( David Weston ) is Francesca's beloved and Ludovico ( Nigel Green ) is her father and both are to partake in a devious game plotted by Prospero where one will die among the two in a " poisoned dagger " deal where each will choose from a group of blades cutting themselves until one receives that bad one that will end their life within five seconds . Ultimately , the film is about Prospero's devilish reign over everyone as he seems to hold the power over who lives and dies . Or , does he ? What Prospero doesn't know is that Red Death has his own plans and everything that has occurred from the plague that kills almost all the villagers to the capture of Francesca . . it's a plan devised by Death to show Prospero his fate . A universal theme of " good versus evil " is employed skillfully by director Roger Corman in arguably his finest film using Satanism as the source of the evil and love as the source of good . Prospero and the woman of his castle , Juliana ( Hazel Court ) , are " duelling " for Satan's affections and Corman often uses dream-like surrealism to show their desire for the vile one's favor . Juliana even takes the mark of the upside-down cross , burnt to her chest , to hopefully become Beelzebub's bride . We watch as Prospero shows no pity on villagers who wish to lodge in his castle and even certain aristocrats who just wish to barrier themselves from the red plague ravaging the countryside . We also see the wealthy denizens as they scrap for their host's truffles and humiliate themselves often for Prospero's sheer amusement ( one sequence shows them mimicking animals at Prospero's command ) . Prospero relishes misery , specifically from God-fearing Christians , and he often uses people he deems of lower value as entertainment for his visitors . An excellent example is two miniature people , Hop Toad ( Skip Martin ) and Esmeralda ( Verina Breenlaw whose voice is dubbed by an older woman ) who perform recitals for them . When Esmeralda accidentally tips over a glass of wine on slimy aristocrat , Alfredo ( Patrick Magee who portrays him as a devious toad ) , she is slapped by him rashly . In a moment of pure vengeful delight , Corman shows good triumph over evil when midget Hop Toad gets the better of Alfredo tricking him into a gorilla suit during a masquerade ball Prospero was putting together . But , the film is about fate and death . We all shall meet that point and time and Prospero's about to meet Death face-to-face . The ending where Prospero can not control the horror that will come to him is quite satisfying . Corman used sets from the film " Becket " while making this film in England and provides us with a lavish look , magnificent color , really wonderful surreal nightmarish sequences . . that's just inside the castle . Death is photographed inside an eerie fog and the film's final sequence where we hear a collection of " deliverers " talk in jest and sadness of their unfortunate duties of taking souls as they wander is a fine artist rendering of a great story adapted from Poe's magnificent macabre tale . Price as the evil prince and the way Corman films the depravity really provides a template for that finale where everyone who inflicts their cruelty must meet their own cruel fate . |
435,922 | 9,938,570 | 55,304 | 10 | Pit and Pendulum | A nobleman from England , Francis ( John Kerr ) comes to an old castle once occupied by a torturer of the Spanish Inquisition , now lived in by his son Nicholas ( Vincent Price ) . Francis is at the castle to find out about how his sister , Elizabeth ( Barbara Steele ) died and to visit her final resting place . It seems that Francis was informed of his sister's death months after the fact . Nicholas is still grieving in his heart over his wife's untimely demise , but seems to be hiding something and Francis is too intuitive a fellow not to notice . Nicholas tells Francis that his sister died of a " blood illness " , but once her attending physician arrives , Doctor Leon ( Antony Carbone ) , he says otherwise . Leon tells Francis that his sister died of shocking fright with her heart stopping . There is a torture chamber in the castle once used readily by Nicholas ' father Sebastian and he believes that the malignant , benevolent atmosphere took hold of Elizabeth eventually killing her . Nicholas is ashamed and burdened by his father's . . and the castle's . . past . Before the moment Elizabeth died , she uttered the name Sebastian for which shook poor Nicholas ' fragile state to the core . Early in Nicholas ' young life ( . . when he was merely 10 years old ) he curiously made his way into father's torture chamber . Hiding in a dark corner when his father enters in with his mother and uncle , young Nicholas witnesses a horrifying sight it has haunted him since . But , to add to Nicholas ' misery is some freaky occurrences which offer the possibility that Elizabeth's ghost has manifested itself within the house . Harpsicord playing ( her specialty ) , her voice heard by the maid who was cleaning , Liz's room ram shackled after much noise , etc . Soon , Nicholas will hear his name being beckoned by the voice he believes to be Elizabeth's . But , what Nicholas doesn't know is that there is more than meets the eye and his mental state , which has been severely torn apart slowly over a tormented time , might not can take it . The pendulum sequence when Nicholas has been lost and another identity / personality takes his place placing poor Francis in certain peril is incredibly tense and accomplished with craftsman skill . Corman's lavish , flavorful sets and unique use of color only add to the overall effect of the film . I love how Corman orchestrates flashback sequences . He closes the camera's eye in on a character retelling a past occurrence . The eye opens on the memory as Corman , acknowledging to us that it is of a different time , tints the screen a unique cloudy blue . The film has atmosphere to spare and Price & company are fun to watch . I love the twist at the end , but the pendulum sequence ( as I already mentioned above ) is the real knock-out of the film . I'd say TPatP has one of the greatest final 20 minutes in horror history . In my opinion , it just doesn't get much better than this . |
436,172 | 9,938,570 | 86,979 | 10 | Blood Simple | Abby ( Frances McDormand , so beautiful and young ) decides to have a torrid affair with Ray ( John Getz ) , her husband's employee . She is just plain tired of her husband , Marty ( Dan Hedaya ) who runs a beer joint in Texas and is a little nutty . Loren Visser ( M Emmet Walsh's finest hour ) is a slimy PI who takes photographs of Ray and Abby together in a cheap motel bed . Loren is a porcine swine who will do just about anything for money and is willing to take as many lives as possible so that no trace of his crimes lead back to him . Marty is sick to his stomach with the adultery and calls on Loren to assassinate his wife and lover , erasing every trace of their existence . But , Loren has been eying Marty's safe which holds a lot of cash from the beer joint business . . Complex , ultra-stylish neo-noir is beautifully photographed by MEN IN BLACK director Sonnenfeld on a tight budget . The southern drawl and location of Texas add atmosphere and a fresh take on the corrupt layers of old school noir where no one comes out unscathed and everyone has a skeleton in their closet . Joel and Ethan Coen show right away their abilities to develop a jerky plot which can shift into a different gear when it concerns motivational violence and betrayal . Especially interesting is how Marty seems to be the one who betrayed by all sides suffering because of those around his orbit . But , Marty's downfall is even consorting with the likes of Loren who has the appearance of an alligator with eyes slightly above water with intentions of striking it's prey . What happens to Marty makes up the macabre aspect of the plot . . it is what ultimately sets up the confrontation between Loren and the star-crossed lovers . |
435,914 | 9,938,570 | 87,004 | 10 | The Brother from Another Planet | A black skinned alien , who doesn't utter a single word yet understands what others are saying , crashlands in Harlem . He meets various people , such as some quirky , interesting black characters in a bar setting who would befriend him even though he doesn't say anything to them . He often sits or looks on as people just chat away . He has gifted abilities such as his touch being able to repair equipment magically , the way his right eye can be removed and used as an image recording device , can heal wounds , or how anything solid object he embraces with his touch can speak from the noise of a past incident . In Harlem , he's introduced to racism , poverty , lust , drugs , crime , sex , among other things as two alien " police " ( played by director Sayles and his frequent actor David Strathairn ) are trying to locate his whereabouts so they can " haul him in . " The film show our alien's particular interest in two tragic dope-pushers ( . . and abusers ) and how their plight might result from wealthy uptown types . I think ultimately , the film is a candid fish-out-of-water view of Harlem's plight from a babe's point-of-view . Introspective tale regarding Harlem and how it is viewed by many ( a beat cop who chats with our alien , two white men from Indiana who get lost , etc ) . I thought the film was on target using comedy as an avenue to expose what had happened to Harlem over the years . Particularly interesting is listening to the men in the bar as they often are our real insight into how Halrem has changed over the years . Joe Morton is really amazing because he has to be convincing without a line of dialogue . Having us believe he's from some other planet is not the easiest task , but it's a credit to the actor and his director that this flick accomplishes it . Just a brilliant indie from acclaimed writer / director Sayles . |
435,954 | 9,938,570 | 18,528 | 10 | The Unknown | Alonzo , the " Armless " ( the master of expressionistic cinema , Lon Chaney ) is in love with assistant Nanon ( the alluring Joan Crawford ) . Nanon grows tired to the brink of psychological woe because of men's desires to grope her with their hands . Malabar , the Mighty ( Norman Kerry ) , a Strongman who works for Antonio Zanzi's circus wishes to forge a relationship with Nanon , but when he attempts to embrace her , the phobia she has pushes her away from him . Zanzi is Nanon's father and his disgust towards Alonzo heightens when the Armless one attempts to woo her . Trying to bludgeon Alonzo , Zanzi is pried away by Malabar . Alonzo vows to his ally , Cojo ( John George ) , that no one will have Nanon but him . We soon find out that Alonzo actually has a harness underneath his clothes which hide his arms from others and that he is secretly homicidal with one of his hands having two thumbs ! This two-thumbed hand leaves quite an indelible mark on others , especially when Alonzo murders Zanzi . Feeling he's closing in on Nanon's love , Alonzo will make the ultimate sacrifice by having a delicate operation which proves how far his obsession has taken him . But , what he doesn't know is Nanon has relinquished her phobia and has accepted Malabar's plea of love for marriage . The scene where Alonzo discovers from them their plans for marriage , his face twists in a state of madness , anguish , and horror ( Chaney's expressive facial emotion is powerful ) . The morbid attempt at retribution from Alonzo towards Malabar ( who is planning a certain stunt regarding horses pulling his arms on treadmills ) will ultimately spell his doom . This silent film is breathtaking mostly because of Chaney's commanding performance . His abilities to use his feet ( throwing knives , wiping the sweat from his brow , and especially LIGHTING CIGARETTES ) just makes his performance even more amazing . The film's bizarre nature only brings this film a much deserved notoriety . An astonishing , unforgettable work from Tod Browning . |
436,525 | 9,938,570 | 73,582 | 10 | Deep Red | A vicious stabbing silhouetted on a wall , the bloody butcher knife thrown to the floor , an unsettling children's tune chanting away on a record player , and a pair of children's legs walking onto the scene of the crime . . Argento masterly introduces us to the central event where all the other events that come after contribute to . A psychic announces at a parapsychology session in a theater that she senses the volatile thoughts and feelings of deeply disturbed person . This person leaves the theater , with Argento shooting from POV as he rushes to get away . We know exactly what she " sees " because we were witnesses , slightly , ourselves to the grisly murder of someone not yet determined . Later this psychic is brutally murdered by a psycho in a raincoat with a hatchet . From the street below her apartment , a pianist / professor , Marcus Daly ( David Hemmings ) sees her face slammed through her window thanks to the harsh blow of the hatchet to the back of her head . Briskly moving to her apartment , he finds her hanging over a broken piece of window glass dead . Something irks him , an image he believes was a painting , that he feels is a vital clue in discovering the killer . Morbidly curious as to why this psychic was killed , Marcus decides to pursue the psycho's identity not only putting his own life in danger but other innocents as well . . his pursuit will undoubtedly lead to the murders of those who might find out who the killer is . A house with a hidden room holding a secret , a drawing of a bloody stabbing , a book containing the photo of the specific house , a writing on a bathtub as steam provides a nearly-dead victim a chance to identify a certain fact important to finding the killer all assist Marcus in his pursuit . But , his pursuit gets others inadvertently killed because someone is truly motivated to keep a secret that has remained buried for quite a long time . A woman is stabbed with her face immersed in boiling bathtub water . Another victim gets a knife plunged into his neck . And , an important victim , whose forced into perhaps killing Marcus so that the killer's identity would remain unknown , is dragged by a truck , his head hammering into a concrete sidewalk , before being crushed under another car's tire . A supporting character , Carlo ( Gabriele Lavia ) , Marcus ' boozing , depressed , troubled , homosexual pal , has a major role in the film , as does his unflappable mother . Argento builds the mystery by uncovering each layer , one step at a time , with consequences for those who find out too much . A variety of camera techniques , a throbbing , groovy rock score from Goblin , good chemistry between Hemmings ( . . much more likable and endearing than his rather soulless artist in Antonioni's Blow-up ) and Daria Nicolodi ( . . as sassy , sexy , and tough-talking liberal reporter Gianni ) , and some spellbinding set-pieces ( . . especially when Marcus is inside the infamous , deteriorating mansion which is a shadow of it's once palatial state , just teeming with spooky atmosphere ) really make this a winning giallo thriller . Some fantastic sequences include the discovery of a corpse , Hemmings face reflected from a pool of blood , and an eyeball isolated in the darkness of a closet . I watched a rather inferior , lower quality transfer in pan'n'scan format , and highly recommend seeking out the wide-screen version instead . Deep Red should be seen in the proper way , where Argento's work can most appreciated . Probably Argento's most intricately plotted , delicately structured film to date . |
436,562 | 9,938,570 | 46,876 | 10 | Creature from the Black Laggon | The finding of a large amphibious hand leads a research team in a quest to find any form of fossil of past life . . perhaps extra remains to back up the hand . What they do not expect is a living , breathing gillman who will kill anyone who threatens or draws near his habitat . In a fascinating developing angle , the gillman takes on an infatuation for the incredibly sexy Kay ( Julie Adams ) . David ( Richard Carlson ) is the head scientist , and love of Kay's life , who was called to the expedition by Carl ( Antonio Moreno ) whose village help assisted in finding the fossil hand . Mark ( Richard Denning ) , who is funding this expedition , becomes obsessed with catching the gillman because not only does it provide proof of existing undiscovered life , but sure to bring a heavy profit . Yet , one by one members of the Rita boat crew are being killed by the gillman as do various members of the scientific team which bring David to an unfortunate decision . . leave their locale for safety forgetting the new discovery . Complications ensue when the creature blocks their passage out with a massive tree and Mark's desperation causes conflict . But , the major suspense comes from the gillman's desire to steal away Kay posing quite a threat as he tries to sneak on board various times . The underwater photography is magnificent , the rubber suit is excellent providing us with quite a monster , and the film is well acted . The fact that this film is intelligent made by a group of filmmakers desiring to make a good film , not just some sort of hokey nonsense to make profit . One of the very best , if not the best , Universal monster movies made . |
436,140 | 9,938,570 | 46,911 | 10 | The Devils | Nicole and Christina believe they have committed the perfect murder of a lover and husband who was anything but the tenderhearted , most loving person in the world . That man is Michel , a principal of a male boarding school his wife Christina paid for with her wealth . Michel holds everyone at bay because he has this powerfully vile hold over everyone from his perpetually " walking-on-egg-shells " wife to the teachers under his watch . He is really abusive toward Christina who is weak with an exterior so shaken with fear she suffers from a heart condition . What makes the opening of this film so fascinating is Clouzot doesn't show the building of the set-up for murdering Michel , but we hear through their dialogue this planning of the event for quite some time . What is also jarring is that Nicole and Christina seem to be friendly with one another which is startling since Nicole is Michel's lover . There's an instance when Nicole is about to share what Michel told her in bed regarding his wishes for his wife's demise to Christina ! It is quite interesting that Nicole is the instigator of the actions that soon occur regarding how they set-up Michel and kill him . We watch as this whole scenario takes place which leaves little doubt that Nicole and been premeditating how to kill Michel for quite some time . One mistake of course is deciding to include Christina in her plans to the whole set-up and murder since she's so weak-kneed that any little minute ordeal would throw her into a frenzy . Once the deed is indeed over and they toss Michel's body in the nasty , murky pool beside the school , it's all about someone discovering it . That tricky part really ratchets up the true tension in the story . Christina , who is finding it unbearable waiting day after day as that body is supposedly waiting on the bottom undiscovered , has the pool drained but , to her horror , no body is found . Where did that body go ? Who removed it ? Was he dead ? Throughout the film , Nicole and Christina deal with the underlying guilt from their deed and mistrust which starts to loom over their " relationship " like a rain-cloud when going to the police station often becomes a topic of conversation . A detective makes things even worse as he represents a constant reminder that their crime is always on display as awaiting that final axe to chop never goes away . Christina is also a devout catholic which only adds to the luggage of guilt already weighing her down . Good casting , very intelligent story-line ( that develops after the " perfect murder " rather than focusing on it as what usually takes place in mysteries ) , and a suspenseful build-up with questions abound that keeps the viewer guessing at what will happen as that body stays missing . Though clues of his existence as a living man seems possible , the film is slippery at actually showing him while pulsating the theme of Christina's inner strife at what she has done . Great film-making in every possible way . |
436,557 | 9,938,570 | 67,361 | 10 | Lizard in a Woman's Skin | Lucio Fulci's " Schizoid " pulls you in so many directions you know you are watch a filmmaker at his finest point of his career . While I feel other later films were shoddily plotted and illogically unbalanced , this film is right on the mark in every moment . It takes a unique premise using dream logic , the mind's subconscious , blackmail , adultery , lesbianism , and a murder of a hippie socialite and Fulci weaves a web of unpredictability any giallo or horror fan would dream of . The film opens with a dream from Carol Hammond ( Florinda Bolkan ) concerning her delirious trip through an orgy of naked people standing trying to flee but finding herself in the arms of a woman ( the always luscious Anita Strindberg ) . As she tells this to her psychoanalyst , Carol seems to be ridding herself of buried desires in an attempt to " free " herself from the bondage of depravity . But , one such dream shows Carol murdering the woman and it turns out that this occurrence actually happens to the very next door neighbor for whom she speaks of . Soon Carol is the main suspect when the police and detectives find her fingerprints all over the weapon used ( . . not to mention , her fur was by the dead woman's bed ) . Little elements emerge , however , that might save Carol such as these notes she took moments after her awakening from the dreams . Another development shows that her husband Frank ( Jean Sorel ) had access to her notes , understood a point of entrance into the dead woman's pad , could place certain things in the dead woman's room that belong to Carol , and had a motive for seeing his wife put away for murder . . he was having a two year passionate love affair with another woman . Another major development has two possible witnesses at the scene of the crime , one of whom actually chases Carol twice in attempt to kill her with a knife ( in one inspired sequence , Carol raises the ire of a nest of bats in an organ loft as she hid from the one chasing her ) . Is or is not Carol the killer . . that is the main question at the heart of this marvelously deranged , colorful , and thoughtfully designed giallo . I'm a big fan of the use of dream logic and what lies within the human mind as it pertains to a murder mystery . Loving Hitchcock's " Spellbound " about an amnesiac trying to unlock key memories that will answer a puzzling mystery , Fulci uses the same general idea regarding dream logic but moving it in a bizarre , lurid direction . This great movie yields one surprise after another as so many possibilities seem to unfold from what felt like a forgone conclusion . Thanks to Fulci and his collaborators , this film will shock you right up until the end . In my opinion , Fulci's finest film . |
435,974 | 9,938,570 | 67,386 | 10 | Malpertuis | A sailor stops by his old town , realizes his family's home had been removed , attempts to find his sister , gets stuck in a bar fight over a dance hall girl , gets hit across the skull knocking him unconscious , awakening in the home of his bedridden uncle , Cassavius ( Orson Welles ) . The sailor is Jan , portrayed by blonde headed , blue-eyed , scrawny Mathieu Carrière ( Born for Hell ) , and he , at first , just wishes to leave but his demanding uncle has something of importance to tell him regarding a will which could prove profitable if he decides not to leave . Within the house are an eccentric group of oddballs , all attempting to appease their master , hoping to leave Malpertuis once Cassavius kicks the bucket . Even still , Jan has no desire to stay until a ravishing red head , Euryale ( Susan Hampshire who plays multiple roles , presenting an astonishing range , making three specific characters completely unique and different , a multi-faceted performance that deserves praise ) , his cousin , arrives , throwing his life into torment . The proposition in Cassavius ' will is for those inside Malpertuis to remain until one couple survives , gaining the inheritance . Relatives and hired help , the greedy vultures they are , remain , awaiting for the chance to gain the giant piggy-bank and property entitled if they can outlast their peers . Meanwhile , Jan decides to trek through the halls , mysterious rooms , and spiral staircases of Malpertuis , a massive ring containing an army of keys , hoping to unlock the secrets of the place , hoping to understand Cassavius . Along the way , Jan discovers that Malpertuis may be much , much more than just a mansion , and those people within it's walls could be more than they appear . The film incorporates dream logic which has you wondering what Jan might experience next . We are , in a sense , on the same surreal journey as Jan is , experiencing what he does , bombarded by unpredictable behavior , always yearning to learn more . Lots of symbolism , and director Harry Kümel ( Daughters of Darkness ) establishes the importance of faces . . through the multiple characters portrayed by Hampshire ( . . as not only Euryale , the one Jan desires and seemingly can not touch , but also his beloved sister , Nancy , and a lusting Alice who openly engages him for sexual favors , longing to be " human " , despite what she " really is " ) , we realize that what we are seeing isn't a real world as we know it . The mansion itself ( . . the astonishing spiral staircases and endless rooms / halls ) is a veritable maze , about as maddening as the unusual characters which inhabits it's domain . We keep discovering , like Jan , new things regarding the characters that remain in Malpertuis , and what their true relation to him ( . . in a dream , faces of people that exist often derive from those you have contacted in real life ) . Harry Kümel's visual style is magnificent and his camera vividly captures the nuances of this remarkable habitat observing what Jan sees . Everything from the art direction ( . . every room produces a different kind of mood , and yields a startling color / atmosphere all it's own ) to the editing ( . . the way Kümel is able to feature three Hampshires in one single room is awe-inspiring ) , everything's first-rate , developed with top-notch skill . Color me impressed because I hadn't ever heard of it's existence until just recently , and I'm thankful I had an opportunity to see it . I watched the director's cut , dubbed into French with English subtitles . Orson Welles , entirely in bed , commands the screen moving very little . . it's simply amazing how much presence he had . Hampshire is positively divine , her beauty hypnotic at times . The twists at the end ( . . who these people are is revealed not once , but twice ) really dazzle , but the pace slowly develops so many might grow impatient , but I couldn't wait to see what was gonna come next . |
436,254 | 9,938,570 | 220,827 | 10 | Sleepless | I feel " Sleepless " is a fine example of how to make a giallo and make it right . The red herrings , the reasons behind why and how the killer works , the violence which is jarring and graphic , the strength of having a legend , Max Von Sydow , as the central sleuth detecting , and the great finale which is actually quite satisfying . You'll have detractors saying that this has such familiarity to it , but I felt this is a completely original story in it's own merit while exhibiting the traits fans of this genre know and love . The film concerns killings from the past and how they connect with a fresh crop of new killings . It is said that a killer dwarf ( ! ) was behind the death of three women , one being the mother of Giacomo ( Stefano Dionisi ) . . viciously slain by a musical instrument . It is stated that Ulisse Moretti solved the case which ended when a dwarf named Fabritiis decided to commit suicide instead of tolerate the scorn of others lying guilt at his feet for the slayings . The fresh killings bring that case back to fruition and Moretti begins to suspect he was wrong in fingering the dwarf . It seems the killings are following a pattern from a nursery rhyme book with animals . After each female is killed , a cut-away picture of an animal is left by their body . Giacomo , who had left the area , returns at the invitation of an old school chum , Lorenzo ( Roberto Zibetti ) . With Moretti , Giacomo go on their own investigation and make some startling discoveries on the way . During the course of the film , Giacomo will also have a passionate affair with a talented harp player , Gloria ( Chiara Caselli ) . This film has some very nasty killings such as a poor woman who gets her face bashed up against a wall , a man who receives a gold pen inserted in his skull , not to mention some knife slayings for good measure . The train sequence in the opening ( . . not to mention what happens shortly afterward ) is very well done . There's an inspired sequence where a ballerina is beheaded during the intermission of a " Swan Lake " concert . I love how the film develops over time as we discover the connection between the animal rhyme book and the slayings , not to mention who the killer really is . Everything comes together in such a thrilling was . An essential giallo , and one of Argento's finest films . |
436,304 | 9,938,570 | 185,937 | 10 | The Blair Witch Project | We are going to die out here . Hard to believe it's been practically a decade since " The Blair Witch Project " was all the buzz , revolting some with how it would not give in allowing us to see what is terrorizing these three unfortunate would-be documentarian filmmakers , causing some audience-goers to almost up-chuck at the dizzying , skakey camera work ( . . but , if you think about it , this only gives this piece merit , these are amateur filmmakers who have yet to truly master the right form of precise camera-movement ) , and leaving many furiously duped at how producers claimed it was real , that footage of vanished film students had been found and pieced together for our benefit . Watching it for the first time since , hell , 2000 I guess , I was surprised at how this gave me the creeps . It was as if I were with them , deep into the woods lost , the sinister trappings of wilderness imprisoning me . I envisioned just what it would be like , there in that tent hearing noises out in the distance , even those giggly sounds of children brought chills up and down my spine . . particularly when you see and hear the slight pounding on the exterior of the tent . I mean , snapping twigs and sticks out in the darkness actually gave me the willies . At first , I could understand how three film students , Heather , Josh , & Michael would find their little adventure such a thrill . . it was like a vacation with the goal of capturing a documentary for an extra grade in school lifting their average of say to possibly a This documentary , as seen early on , seems to be little more than to photograph and convey the legend of some Witch who supposedly haunts the woods . It's treated with rolled eyes as locals share what they know second-hand about it , providing our students with fuel for later laughter . I enjoyed how , as this continues , the camaraderie deteriorates eventually leading to shouting matches and ridicule . I found this actually rather believable and realistic , it worked for me . I could see a couple of people I either barely know , or know just from reputation , getting lost with yours truly as the guide with these sort of reactionary emotions and situations happening . These are just people with everyday jobs hoping for brighter futures facing unforeseen horrors which spiral out of their control despite the fact that getting lost in the woods in our modern age shouldn't happen . Is it some mythical witch behind the spooky noises and unusually shaped rocks and stick-men ? The film sure paints a picture of this in the final moments as Heather and Michael enter an eerie dilapidated house with children's hand-prints and ritualistic symbols inscribed on the walls as Josh cries for their help . The basement with a person standing with their face to the wall as a camera falls helpless to the ground after a hard thud sure opens up the scary idea that something truly disturbing was happening away from the camera . I like not knowing because I could just imagine the horrors taking place as if it were me being treated to a rude awakening that far from the civilization I know lies in the heart of the wilderness evil has freedom over those unlucky enough to enter it's domain . I know that a lot of f-king people hate this with an absolute passion , but this sure worked for me . . I mean just think about it for a minute : lost in the woods , sounds and voices in the distance , you have heard about a supposed witch haunting the woods , one amongst your party is kidnapped with his agony just out of reach echoing the wilderness , and rocks ( . . not to mention something bloody wrapped in a napkin , neatly intertwined within sticks , cloth & string ) formed in a specific manner warning you that you are not alone . It sure would have me peeing in my pants . |
436,234 | 9,938,570 | 63,671 | 10 | Targets | Byron Orlok ( Boris Karloff , essentially playing himself , but wonderful to watch in every moment he's on screen . . WHAT A VOICE THAT MAN HAD ) wishes to retire from making movies after seeing a screening of a Gothic horror he made called " The Terror " ( . . a Roger Corman quickie ) that made him quite depressed . He deems himself a relic or museum piece . In an alternating story is a young man named Bobby Thompson who appears to be one of those smiling relics from television , but what seems to be a modest , quiet , and obedient person is merely a facade that masks a lurking evil that will finally burst out in a calm rave of violence as he guns down his family ( and an unfortunate grocery deliverer in the wrong place at the wrong time ) , and then perches himself on a tower sniper-shooting passing motorists on the highway . For a final assault , Bobby will hide behind the screening of Orlock's " The Terror " waiting for the right moments to open fire on innocents watching the film from their vehicles . This is where the two alternating stories unite as Orlock decides to give one last guest showing at the screening of his new movie before calling it a day . The film follows Orlock's time before his scheduled appearance at the drive-in , just discussing with director Sammy Michaels ( Peter Bogdanovich , who used this name to honor Sam Fuller who played a major role in developing the screenplay of this film as a favor demanding not to be given a screenwriter credit ) why he wishes to leave the business and how he feels regarding his career . He just wishes to close this chapter in his life explaining that the horrors in the cinema can not compare with what is occurring in reality . That statement gives the other story a twisted sense of irony as we ultimately see that Orlock is indeed correct . I think what makes this film so powerful is the unflinching realism of the sniper and his activities . We watch as Bobby completes his tasks before taking all the lives of his victims . He goes to the gunshop purchasing his ammo . We see him chewing his candy bars . When he murders his wife ( . . as she is about to kiss him ) and mother it stopped my heart . There's something jarring about watching this man buy all these bullets and knowing that these will be used to harm innocent people who have no idea what awaits them . Bogdanovich paints this exactly as it should be . . it doesn't matter how normal or likable a person appears to be , we just don't know what sinister thoughts are churning deep inside . But , to see him operate his path of slaughter in this cold , work-man like ease is even more alarming . When he shoots , it's as if he is killing animals he normally hunts . . does he even distinguish the two ? Here's an idea . We all escape through horror films because we can watch others experience horror in the safety of our automobiles at a drive-in . Take that comfort and safety away as this madman rests his rifle through the opened hole of the theatre screen and that provides a horror all too real . |
436,533 | 9,938,570 | 79,813 | 10 | Gabba Gabba Hey | Fascist principal Miss Togar ( Mary Woronov , who is lensed by expert photographer Dean Cundy as if she were ten feet tall ) has a plan to turn her high completely square . Complications ensue which challenge that goal in delightful rock'n'roller Riff Randell ( PJ Soles who lights up the screen - - she's got a hot bod , too ) who is an obsessive fan of the punk band THE RAMONES . Pal Kate Rambeau ( Dey Young , whose big rimmed glasses and nerdy role can not hide her stunning beauty ) joins forces with Riff to put an end to the supposed crisis of killing rock'n'roll for good which is Togar's desired mission . Vincent Van Patten has a hilarious role as Tom Roberts , a success at everything , but getting laid . Kate is crazy about Tom . . if only he could pull his head out of the sand and see it . Clint Howard steals the film almost ( honestly , who can steal this film away from Soles ? ) as Eaglebauer , " the supplier " who can get everyone almost anything . His office is located in the boy's restroom ! Paul Bartel is also hilarious as a music teacher who becomes an ally of Riff's when he enjoys a concert of THE RAMONES . A raucous high school romp that defies all rules of normalcy . . and I loved it . It's like someone just says , " Let's make life fun for 1 ½ hours . " The film really is anarchy . . a plot-less chaos lovingly adoring THE RAMONES with all it's heart ( even if they are horrible actors , they have an opportunity to gain new audiences with this film ) . The ending pretty much sums up the film as a whole . . Riff and her classmates take over the high school and one massive party begins . To be honest , I didn't want the party to end ! Not conventional in any way whatsoever , this film just let's loose a frenzy . Accompanied by a great rock soundtrack featuring some of THE RAMONES best songs , this film allows a viewer to accept a time in life when war didn't dominate headlines and people just had a good time . Those , I guess were the days . |
436,682 | 9,938,570 | 57,603 | 10 | The Three Faces of Fear | Trio of macabre terror tales from Italian Horror Master Mario Bava , with the great Boris Karloff opening and closing the anthology . This is a minor review for the newly restored Italian Language version , The Three Faces of Fear . In " The Telephone " , an evil voice across the phone terrorizes a beautiful young woman , Rosy ( Michèle Mercier ) threatening her life . Who is the voice across the phone ? Could it be Frank ( Milo Quesada ) , a man who has recently escaped prison , put there by Rosy ? Rosy is so terrified , she'll call a former lesbian lover , Mary ( Lidia Alfonsi ) to stand by her side . But , who exactly is that person with such supposed malicious intent across the phone ? This not one but two twists which are a doozy ! In " The Wurdalak " , Count Vladimire d'Urfe ( Mark Damon ) is passing through a specific area when he comes across the headless torso of a Turkish killer with a certain dagger stuck in it's back . That dagger belongs to the patriarch , Gorca ( Boris Karloff , quite sinister ) who may be a wurdalak , a bloodthirsty corpse who yearns for the blood of those he loves the most . d'Urfe soon meets Gorca's family and falls in love with the lovely Sdenka ( Susy Andersen ) who , along with her brothers , tries to warn the Count to leave the premises before Gorca returns . Gorca told his children upon leaving to find the Turk that if he didn't return in five days at the stroke of Midnight he would probably be a turned wurdalak . When Gorca returns , with a very creepy disposition , d'Urfe watches as he slowly turns the family into wurdalaks hoping to at least save Sdenka . But , Gorca will not rest on his laurels until his whole family joins his side . . In " The Drop of Water " , nurse Helen ( Jacqueline Pierreux ) steals a very valuable ring from the finger of a dead Countess who fooled around with the spirit world , holding séances every Friday night . The Countess ' maid ( Milly Monti ) tells Helen she just didn't die of a heart attack , but was frightened to death by the spirits . Helen , after returning to her apartment , is tormented by the spooky sounds of dripping water , creaking doors , and . . the demented stuck grin of the dead Countess coming towards her ! Each tale is filled to brim with style , color , eerie chills , and atmosphere . Seeing Karloff in great form as a vampire , through the artistic Gothic eye of Bava is thrilling . I think the final two are Gothic triumphs , while the first is a fine little unraveling thriller where those who wish to deceive another will fall on the sword . The third tells us that we should never steal from the dead . I felt the second tells us that family is important ( a little bit of black humor for you kind folks , forgive me . ) . Probably the best horror anthology ever made ( . . although , I'm sure fans of " Dead of Night " might think otherwise ) . |
454,720 | 11,228,318 | 1,040,687 | 1 | If " No Moose Is a Good Moose " is a typical " Laurel and Hardy " cartoon episode , then I'm not sure I want to see any more | Just discovered this , the fifth episode of Hanna-Barbera's " Laurel and Hardy " s cartoon series , on the Saturday Morning Blog as linked from YouTube . Both comedians were dead by then so Hardy is voiced by Jim MacGeorge and Laurel is voiced by the owner of their likeness-Larry Harmon . In this one , they are hunting for a rabbit . Unfortunately for them , they keep running into a moose . That's all I'll say for the plot line of this four-minute short and just say how lame the whole thing was for me . This was a typical ' 60s low-budget television enterprise that was produced to capitalize on the revival these , and other classic film comedians , were experiencing during this decade when TV made many of them popular all over again . As such , you'd wish some quality time was spent on making these cartoons reasonably entertaining but no , with the lack of money and preparation all you get here is some repetition of movements ( espcially during chases ) and waste of dialogue that hardly passes for witty ( the closest comes with Stan's reply after Ollie says he can't hear anything from a rabbit whistle : " Rabbits don't make any sounds " - or something like that ) . You don't even get to hear Ollie's " Here's another nice mess you've gotten me into ! " here . So in summation , this " Laurel and Hardy " cartoon episode-No Moose Is a Good Moose-was a complete waste of time for me . |
453,735 | 11,228,318 | 151,993 | 1 | Plane Dumb features the worst in racial stereotyping | While credited as a Tom and Jerry cartoon , this is not the cat-and-mouse team but an earlier Mutt-and-Jeff rip-off featuring them going to Africa and disguising themselves in the stereotypical burnt cork makeup to try to blend in . While the dialect humor is mostly lame , there is a brief musical sequence involving " black skeletons " that was entertaining . I have to ask however , how could Tom and Jerry still have their makeup stay on even after being dumped in the water a couple of times ? One of many entries produced by the Van Beuren Corporation for distribution by RKO Radio Pictures before RKO made a deal with Disney . Only worth seeing if you're an animation buff or is interested in how certain ethnicities were stereotyped as entertainment way back when . |
454,034 | 11,228,318 | 17,843 | 1 | Easy Virture is one of Alfred Hitchcock's very lesser works | Don't expect typical Hitchcock touches in this early silent of his called Easy Virture since this isn't even a suspense film but more of a melodrama about a divorced woman who can't escape her past , a past in which her then-husband discovered her painter's infatuation with her , which he mistakes for an affair , and gets shot by him but survives though the painter later commits suicide ( which I wouldn't have known about if I hadn't read the synopsis on the DVD case back ) . Shamed by the courts , she flees to France where she falls in love again , marries , and returns to England where her mother-in-law automatically gets suspicious of her . What I just described is something ( at least the mother-in-law part ) that I've seen on many TV shows and movies that usually ends with the woman winning everyone-or almost everyone-over . Not this time . Personally , I found this mostly boring and some scenes ( like the about-to-be-ex-husband " hitting " the painter with his cane that looked so fake ) so ludicrous . The only interesting camera angle I saw here was when it cut to the top of the judge's wig before he looked up and his face came in close-up . This happened twice . It probably didn't help that there were no music or sound effects on the DVD I got . So if you're an Alfred Hitchcock completist , by all means see this . Otherwise , worth avoiding . |
454,146 | 11,228,318 | 58,826 | 1 | This " Milton the Monster " cartoon entry was enough for my curiosity . . . | Being a frequent seeker on the Saturday Morning Blog , I discovered this ' 60s television cartoon series there in their Halloween sites . The episode shown was called " The Hearse Thief " which concerns Prof . Weirdo and Count Kook's searching for the one who stole their funeral car . Milton is the chief suspect since they found him driving it without permission . With the standard limited animation of this era , the movements were very stilted so that's one minus here . Then there's the lame jokes so another minus . And finally , the characterizations were beyond dull for me so that's one more strike for me . They're out concerning whatever interest I initially had in seeing this rare showing of this forgotten cartoon series . So with that , I'm giving " Milton the Monster " 1 star . . . |
454,957 | 11,228,318 | 210,595 | 1 | This version of " Buck Rogers " is one of the most amateurish things I've ever seen | This early film version of the comic strip " Buck Rogers in the 25th Century " which was drawn by Dick Calkins ( who appears as himself in the beginning at the drawing board ) and published by the John F . Dille company , is a very amateurish 10-minute short with stilted writing , monotonous acting , and laughable special effects done on obvious models of spaceships during the battle scenes . Despite that , those models probably made a mint at the 1934 Chicago World's Fair when they were displayed near the screenings . The publisher's son , John Dille , Jr . portrays the title character with his girlfriend playing leading lady Wilma Deering and magician Dr . Harlan Tarbell , who's also the director , playing scientist Dr . Huer . This is the kind of film that cries out for either Joel or Mike and the ' bots from " Mystery Science Theater 3000 " to make their own commentary about the shoddiness of this whole enterprise ! I discovered this on the Matinée at the Bijou blog which ran an article about this rare piece of film history . Watch this on YouTube at your own risk ! |
453,943 | 11,228,318 | 159,615 | 1 | Open the Door Richard was a complete waste of time for me | In a sketch performed in front of a nightclub audience that provides scattered laughs throughout , a drunk in top hat gets thrown out by a bar proprietor along with a ladder the drunk brought in . He constantly tries to get his roommate Richard to open the door to no avail . He also climbs the nearly closed ladder for no particular reason . The end . A couple of things to mention : IMDb lists Stepin Fetchit as playing Richard but he doesn't appear here , and despite the title of this short , no song of the same name is performed which is what I expected when I discovered this on Internet Archive . So on that note , what I just watched was a complete waste of time for me with nothing funny to recommend here . |
454,936 | 11,228,318 | 313,557 | 1 | Santa's Enchanted Village is another of K . Gordon Murray's piece of . . . well read below | Like Santa's Magic Kingdom that I reviewed last year , this was another ineptly made children's holiday short produced by schlockmeister K . Gordon Murray and filmed on location at a Santa's Village in California and Illinois . For one thing , the narrator claims that to make Santa feel at home , each of the village made in his name has a " North Pole made of real ice " . Really ? Even in summer ? Seeing an adult in a giant Stinky the Skunk costume brings a creepy vibe especially in close-up . And don't get me started on the adult-in-a-wolf costume who complains of his ulcer to Santa ( who laughs at his expense ! ) because of his sixteen-hour work days without Stinky helping , who has an out-of-tune accordion playing whenever he walks , and tells Stinky at a children's puppet show ( which is real ineptly performed here ) how he " works his butt off for the Children of the Universe " . LOL ! And how about those teen elves who look like they've never been at a rock ' n ' roll concert ? Not to mention the repetitious marching music ( which would have been at home at a Nazi parade ) when the skunk and the elves make their toys . Those pre-teen kids sure take their time running away from Stinky during the puppet show . ( And one of them actually decides to strike a conversion with him ! ) And one more thing , the skunk's and Puss-in-Boots ' voices are really amateurishly and annoyingly banal ! Makes me wish " Mystery Sceince Theatre 3000 " was still on the air so I can hear what Joel or Mike and ' bots would comment on as this really monotonous piece of junk was unspooling in their Satellite of Love . . . |
453,797 | 11,228,318 | 313,559 | 1 | Santa's Magic Kingtom is awful but mercifully short | Through some links at Cartoon Brew , I discovered the name K . Gordon Murray who was known for some of the schlockiest films of the ' 60s and early ' 70s . Santa's Magic Kingdom was the first of these I found on YouTube . It basically takes place in Santa's Village in the summer in either the Midwestern or southern California U . S . since it was filmed in those places . There's also Puss in Boots , the Easter Bunny , Stinky the Skunk ( familiar to Murray enthusiasts ) , the Ferocious Wolf ( really a softie ) , and " the greatest magician of all " Merlin . It seems an ogre ( a wooden dinosaur in one scene ) is threatening to make the children bad " like me " so Merlin tries to put a stop to that while everyone watches . Then we hear a sappy song from the princess about " whistlin " as this painfully amateurish short mercifully ends . The obvious bad dubbing of the voices do not match the faces here at all and every scene screams " one-take " . Makes me wish " Mystery Science Theater 3000 " was still on the air because this one definitely calls for riffing by Joel / Mike and the ' bots . Merlin , especially , deserves all the talking back with his attitude ! Avoid at all costs . |
454,721 | 11,228,318 | 352,157 | 2 | All Amateur Ecstasy was a pretty lame short I found on atom . com | Just watched this very brief short on atom . com . Three women in separate rooms all seem to be reaching orgasm . There are constant cuts between all three of them . In addition , a man is watching one of them ( the woman is at work so the man is supposedly her boss ) . And then . . . they all sneeze ! The end . I suppose if I didn't halfway think of wanting to see something erotic , I probably would of thought this was really funny and maybe when I think of this later I will . But being up real late , I was just not really thinking this was even remotely funny . I guess I'll give this one a 2 . Sorry , it's just how I feel right now . It was cleverly filmed , however . . . |
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