Hi all,I hope everyone had a good weekend,and after a little delay due to offline things, I saw:
Auteurs in '94 week:
Besson's Leon. 9
Crossing the pond for the first time (to film exterior scenes)and the first of his titles to be in English, writer/directing auteur Luc Besson & his Thierry Arbogast thankfully keep their crisp Cinéma du look stylisation intact, targeting the flats Leon and Mathilda live under being painted in over-saturated yellow (also the same colour as Stansfield's suit.) Locking on Leon teaching Mathilda his skills, Besson continues to build upon his glossy, low-angle take-downs,brilliantly tracking the duo round corridors taking out targets, which stain the yellow walls with bursts of red dots.
His first fictional film since Nikita, (1990-also reviewed) the screenplay by Besson takes the espionage assassin training of Nikita, and twists it into examining the relationship Leon has with Mathilda, after Leon finds his training to stay completely detached from others, (a recurring theme for Besson) to start snapping at the edges from his need to care about Mathilda's survival. Joining Leon after her family are killed, Mathilda continues Besson's major theme of strong female characters, with the loss of her innocence by being around so much death, leading to a confrontational maturity.
Reuniting with Besson from Nikita,Jean Reno gives a gripping performance as "the cleaner" Leon, with Reno mixing a cool dead-pan Noir loner swagger to successfully performing another assassination, with a restrained gravitas to the concern of keeping Mathilda alive. The first time he worked with Besson, Gary Oldman gives a thrillingly maniacal turn as baddie Stansfield, whilst Natalie Portman makes a incredible debut as the mentally mature with a punk edge Mathilda, who learns Leon's profession.
Soavi's Cemetery Man 8
Complimented by detailed extras such as a booklet by Alan Jones and a commentary from the director and co-scriptwriter, which stands out as the director goes into detail on the care taken to light the night time scenes clearly, that fail to appear on screen due to the shockingly poor transfer Shameless give the film, where the blacks appear as blemished blobs, and the frame-rate jitters during fast camera moves.
The last big name to appear in the final wave of Italian genre cinema, directing auteur Michele Soavi ends his run of Horror creations on a high note. Building on the surreal dream logic of The Sect (1991) Soavi & cinematographer Mauro Marchetti twist the chills with a sharp comedic streak. Cracking open the cemetery with bikers rolling out of the grounds, (a recurring theme for avid biker Soavi) Soavi glides round the grave yard in ultra-stylised whip-pans struck to Dellamorte and Gnaghi killing the revived corpses/ zombies.
Digging pulpy splatter effects designed by Sergio Stivaletti across the screen, Soavi bounces Italian gore with a quirky, off-beat comedy atmosphere, rising from talking zombie heads bobbing around the grave yard, demonic-looking bikers, and grotesque spit Gnaghi throws on everyone.
Unearthed from Tiziano Sclavi's comic, Gianni Romoli's (who worked with Soavi on The Sect) adaptation lines the horror of Gnaghi (a wonderfully lively François Hadji-Lazaro) and Dellamorte treatment of zombie killing as a mandatory part of the job, with a comedy spike, driven in by the odd couple exchanges the duo, and the growing unreliability of Dellamorte (a great, dry wit Rupert Everett,who dubs his own voice) being able to tell the living and the dead apart, leading to a excellent, bitter sweet twist ending for the cemetery men.
Uncle Jess's Downtown Heat 6
Getting filmed in 1990 but stuck in legal issues until 1994 due to a long court case after a falling out with long-time producer Marius Lesoeur, (who claimed he owned rights to the script) which ended in Marius losing the case and the film going to studio E.L.M.T, which went bust shortly afterwards. Freed from all the problems from being seen, the eventually release revealed this to be a restrained, polished tune played by co-writer/(with Michael Katims) directing auteur uncle Jess Franco.
Playing his trademark button-bashing trombone zoom-ins against a sun-lit city and buzzing Jazz clubs, Jess disappointingly keeps his distinctive quirks limited to a welcomed encounter with New Age Punks as Steve's wife lays dead with mice's walking over her,instead spending the majority of the time trying to fit in with the glossy video Thrillers of the late 80's, which Jess glides over with a flat atmosphere.
Becoming more anti-drugs in this era (a real change from his past decades!) the screenplay by Uncle Jess and debut co-writer Katims clips the thriller of tension with moralising lectures on the bad drug habits of the victim and her former friends, which also tugs Steve's search for his wife/later revenge from moving with the slickness Jess is trying to achieve. Running rings round the rest of the cast,Lina Romay brings much needed sparks to the flick as Melissa, (wrongly credited as Angela on IMDb) thanks to her off-beat New Wave Punk being paired with a rough-edge empathy for the troubles going on in the downtown heat.
Reichardt's directing debut River of Grass 10
Laying out the cards of Cozy's life on the screen in a opening photographs/ narration montage, co-writer/(with Jesse Hartman) directing auteur Kelly Reichardt displays a remarkable procession on the grounded themes which would span her future credits. Filmed in the part of Florida Reichardt grew up in on a mix of film, 8MM and in 4:3 aspect ratio, Reichardt & cinematographer Jim Denault drives a early intimate Mumblecore, rural atmosphere, made up of fragmented jump-cuts and jagged panning shots missing the cut-off points in conversations, which brings a in the moment closeness to the up close and personal (such as Reichardt visibly holding the camera in the back of the car during Lee and Cozy's drive, creating the impression of eavesdropping on their arguments.
Setting out a path for future recurring themes on Cozy and Lee's lovers on the run, the screenplay by Reichardt and Hartman brilliantly holds a unreliability over the couple on their certainties of having committed murders. Draining the burning passions and closure usually offered in the Lovers on the Run/Road Movie genres, the writers give a grittiness to the dialogue,that increasingly covers the dead-ends the couple encounter in their broken attempts to change lanes on the roads and in their lives (a recurring theme for Reichardt.)
Miike's Bodyguard Kiba 2. 7.
Karate-chopping this straight to video flick in 62 minutes, (the credits play over twice!) directing auteur Takashi Miike displays a growing confidence in continuing to build upon a number of his major themes. Working with his future regular editor Yasushi Shimamura for the first time, Miike draws a line in the sand in the ways of the underworld, as the Heroic Bloodshed-inspired Kiba keeps his cool black shades and sharp suits on when taking tribal-dressed gang members down with swift moves hit in slow-motion.
Whilst his later major theme of LGBT has yet to blossom, Miike here stylishly lays out other things, cooked up in important conversations round dining tables, and the wonderful, jangly hyper-stylised head-turning visit to a strip club.
Continuing a collaboration with Miike that would last until 2006,the screenplay by Hisao Maki (who died in 2012) follows the direction Miike goes in, with a compact adaptation of the Ikki Kajiwara and Ken Nakagusuku's Manga, high-kicking pals Tetsu Daito and Naoto Kiba trying to keep their karate dojo open by doing off the books side jobs, leading to Kiba finding himself once again getting hired as a bodyguard.
Lam's Burning Paradise 10
Returning from a two year break with the first departure he had made from Heroic Bloodshed since his directing debut Esprit D'amour (1983-also reviewed) directing auteur Ringo Lam takes the distinctive, hard-knuckle, on the street fights of his Action past, and twirls them into spectacular Wire-Fu.
Although the movie would sadly end up being the second biggest flop at the box office he had in a row, Lam makes the continued expansion of his recurring themes and motifs into a smash hit, spanning his ultra-stylised whip-pans into fluid swords and spears chopping horses in half and decapitation of warriors held in the pit, all pinned by Lam's expertly held crisp tracking shots on Sai-yuk's Wire-Fu battles to take down Elder Kung.
Bathing Yuk before battle (a recurring image in his films) Lam bathes the audience in dazzling, bright colours which even turn paint into a weapon for one set-piece (!)thanks to the burning reds and oranges splattered on the caves of the Red Lotus Temple, fittingly turning it into a living cave, thunderous lines of red run across the sadistic face of Kung.
Continuing to work with Lam, Yin Nam is here joined by co-writer Wan Choi Wong making his last script credits with one which combines Lam's recurring themes with a supernatural flourish. Giving Chinese folk legend character Sai-yuk a modern battle warrior status, the writers superbly tie Lam's theme of bloodshed heroism to Sai-yuk attempting to take all Kung can throw at him in order to free fellow prisoners and save his love Tou-Tou from being held as Kung's sex slave.
At first appearing to be united with Kung in dishing out torment, Chun Lam makes her lone film appearance as Brooke (bit of a odd name for this historical setting!)a great turn, continuing Lam's theme of lustful femme fatales, who in this case actually has a change of heart. Chained up by Kung as his slave, Carman Lee gives a terrific turn as Tou-Tou, whose screams for Sai-yuk's survival are hardened by Lee into a brave push back against Kung. Completed with a evil cackle,Wong Kam-kong gives a excellent End of Level Boss boo-hiss turn as Kung, while Willie Chi makes his debut as Sai-yuk, who Chi has brimming with a never say die optimism of saving the burning paradise.
Mexican Horror fest:
Basil Rathbone's final film:
Autopsia de un fantasma (1968) 7
Pulling the curtain back with a opening puppet show,co-writer/(with Mario Hernandez/ Carlos Pinar and Pedro de Urdimalas) director Ismael Rodriguez & cinematographer Carl Carvahal string a unrelenting zany atmosphere, where the cracks from a low budget are covered by the throwing everything at the wall inventiveness, from a farting robot, a "Fembot", a riff on James Bond,to a breeches wearing ghost/his buddy a talking skeleton, two adults who for no explained reason talk like kids,and to top it all off, ghosts who wear Klan-style clothes!
In such a scatter-gun approach, the script is a rag-tag stop-start collage, as Satan's offer to a ghost Canuto Perez (played by a camp John Carradine and Basil Rathbone) a chance to secure a good place in heaven,goes off the rails thanks to every other random creation being thrown on top of the autopsy of a ghost.
Locura de terror (1961) 5
Loud enough to make those in the cheap seats go deaf, German 'Tin-Tan' Valdes gives a brash performance as Otero, whose physical comedy is handled by Tin-Tan in a bombastic fashion that literally goes up the walls, and never comes down to give the Horror element a needed shot of being scared.
Supported by invented low-fi effects melting layers of muscle down to the bony plans of a Mad Scientist, director Julian Soler & cinematographer Raul Martinez Solares attempt to make a answer to the Abbott and Costello 'Meet the Monsters' series stumbles, partly due to large parts of Tin-Tan's act (such as blacking up) now falling flat,but also because the horror of the Mad Scientist gets pushed right off the stage, leaving it burnt out,instead of offering insanity horror.
La marca del muerto (1961)6
Stalking the next targeted victim in a tracking shot down a foggy side-street Jack the Ripper-style backed by a immerse score from Gustavo Cesar Carrion, co-writer/(with Jose Maria Fernandez Unsain) director Fernando Cortes & cinematographer Jose Ortiz Ramos brew a refined Gothic Horror atmosphere, balancing smooth panning shots across the lavish Malthus household, with Mad Scientist chills of striking close-ups on the faces of the next victim jabbed with blood draining machines in a lab kept hidden behind the walls of the upper class Malthus image.
Revived by a relative 70 years after being frozen in time, the screenplay by Unsain/Varela and Cortes at first welds a playful Sci-Fi edge, bubbling from Malthus stating that advancements in science means that he no longer needs women (no mention over why men are left out!) to be killed in order to use their blood to be immortal. Spending the first half setting up the Malthus's interest in finding other ways, the writers sadly just completely drop all those plot lines unresolved, instead going for a straight to the point ranting Mad Scientist. Playing two roles, Fernando Casanova (what a name!) gives a great, devilish charm turns as the Malthus's with the mark of death.
Night of 1000 Cats (1972) 2
Scrolling round a crumbling castle with the meow of cats in the air, co-writer/(with Mario A. Zacarias) director Rene Cardona Jr. & cinematographer Alex Phillips at first look like they are aiming for a Gothic Horror with a hot jet-set couple surrounded by countless vicious fur balls.
Appearing to have purchased footage by the yarn,Cardona Jr. Throws every chance for Gothic shocks or sleaze aside, in exchange for dire helicopter stock footage, which only lands for plodding slow-motion footage to replace it with. In the handful of moments the screenplay by Cardona Jr. & Zacarias has the chance to get the main relationship to progress, they just leave them both dressed chic and looking at each other, until the 1000 cats dump them in the litter tray.
Cry of the Bewitched (1957)5
Filmed on location under a roasting Cuban sun, director Alfredo B. Crevenna & cinematographer fire up a scorching hot atmosphere in the sugar plantation, flaming up in stylish wide-shots spanning Yambao performing voodoo rituals. Whilst treating voodoo with some level of respect (no scenes of chickens being killed!) the screenplay by Julio Alejandro and Julio Albo sadly does not match the simmering mood Crevenna casts, by being rather dry, as Yambao arriving with the spirit of a murdered sorceress brings little growth in tension to the plantation.
Surprisingly appearing naked, stunning Ninon Sevilla brings the film to life with a excellent performance, hypnotising the viewer with the swing of her hips in lively dance numbers, being matched by Sevilla bringing out a passion to Yambao's sways of revenge on the cry of the bewitched.
Other flicks!
Edgar Wright's directing debut:
A Fistful of Fingers (1995) 5
While the performances from the game cast leans on the amateur hour side of things, writer/ directing auteur Edgar Wright takes successful shots at what would later become major themes. Splashing pulpy animated credits on the screen for his shot in Wells, Somerset (and some in Poole) Spaghetti Western, Wright quick-draws with editor Giles Harding a early aim at what would become a signature editing style in his works, using the staples of Spaghetti Western for fluid whip-pan shoot-outs, which take parting shots on crash-zoom-ins towards outlaws mysteriously disappearing out of frame.
Although the friendship between cowboy Walter Marshall and the Indian Running Sore lacks the thoughtful, focused touch that would feature in later male friendships of his future works, the screenplay by Wright has a handmade, zany inventiveness, thanks to a scatter-gun approach of gags holding talking "horses" made up of paper mache heads on mops,with sped-up Sam peckinpah riffs and a argument over the Butch & Sundance ending,all for a fistful of fingers.
A Reencarnação do Sexo (1982) 10
From the eyeful on Celia's favourite pass time in the opening minute, co-writer/(with Giovanni Boccaccio) director Luiz Castellini & cinematographer Claudio Portioli thrust a sizzling sleazy atmosphere into the lap of the viewer, stacking the screen with (soft) sex scenes, which hit a peak at stylishly framing the corners of the screen, on the possessed by her boyfriends spirit Patricia getting vengeance by twisting the various new lovers to a heart-attack climax.
Displaying a welcomed ambition to not just do a skin flick, Castellini bounces the raunchy sex on a psychotronic Gothic Horror axe! Stealing music from the likes of Vangelis and grinding it down until it turns into scrambled Prog Rock, Castellini unleashes a outstandingly bonkers atmosphere which leaps out from the plant pot Patricia's (played by fittie Patrícia Scalvi-who delivers the ripe dialogue with a relish) dead boyfriends head is buried in,and jumps around the reflecting tracking shots following Patricia taking a axe or knife to her next victim, along with a killing via dildo. In the midst of Patricia's revenge, close-ups on the possessed, murderous lustful state of Ligia (played by sexy Ligia de Paula) which lands on Celia's (played by fellow sexy fittie Celia Santos) seeping suspicions on the reincarnation of sex.
Torero (1956) 5
Set at a time when Luis Procuna is contemplating retirement, director Carlos Velo & cinematographer Ramon Munoz go back to the the earliest days of Procuna's dirt poor childhood,which run with a underlying homoerotic tone of boys in their pants attempting to look macho, by re-enacting bullfights. Displaying the scars Procuna has gotten over the years, but not passing the slightest comment on the animal abuse featured, (the final bull appears to fall down dead)the "documentary" element presents Procuna as a chisel star, who in poorly staged/ clearly staged sequences is carried by adoring fans from the bullring to his house.
Our Evil (2017) 9
Backed by a nerve tugging Industrial grind blended with circus howl (!) score from composers Guilherme Garbato and Gustavo Garbato, debut writer/editor/director Samuel Galli & debut cinematographer Victor Molin make a mesmerising ring act. Crossing wires with each other on the "Dark Web", Galli (whose sister Gabriela was set designer) plugs Arthur and Charles first encounter with a moody Thriller atmosphere, struck by upward camera angles on Arthur creating the impression of a hard man, and the sterile, clean slate appearance of Charles making him a loner who kills anyone that even tries to get under his skin.
Glimpsing at Charles not only being a Dark Web professional hitman, but also a rather keen amateur serial killer, Galli slices into the Torture Horror of the early 2000's, but instead of going for the jugular, brilliantly carves a more cerebral image, subtly linking Charles acts with the underlying hate Arthur has for them,which he must keep hidden from Charles. Swimming to a long flashback into Arthur's early life, Galli loops stylised turns into surrealist Horror, lit in dream-logic pristine whites on Arthur becoming enlightened to the gift he has, which pops from a great designed demon monster clawing with a excellent sharp jolt from Charles performing his job.
Coiled round the superb unsettling calm Ademir Esteves gives Arthur and the razor-edge anger Ricardo Casella's holds Charles on, the screenplay by Galli brilliantly uses their vastly different personalities to criss-cross different styles of Horror, via the short,sharp,shocks delivered by the blunt Charles hitting the visceral rush, whilst the quiet, contemplating Arthur seeps the spiritual light he holds into the battle of defeating our evil.
The Curious Dr. Humpp (1969) 8
Greeting the viewer in the waiting room for the doctor with a eyeful of top quality boobage, writer/co-director(with Jerald Intrator) Emilio Vieyra injects the flick with a gloriously steamy, sleazy atmosphere, twirling on slick panning shots down the bodies of Humpp's nymphomaniac patients/ hostages, which land on erotic overlapping lesbian sex and handfuls of welcomed more boobage. Displaying ambition for this to be more than a skin flick, the directors & cinematographer Aníbal Gonzalez Paz splash the mask of Dr. Humpp with groovy Psychotronic Horror.
Giving Humpp instructions from a talking brain, the directors cross the sleaze with a delightful anything goes horror atmosphere, taking in Humpp going full Mad Scientist mode to take fluid from the couples having sex in order to avoid transforming into a monster, with Humpp having his villa/ underground science lab surrounded by masked zombie monster henchmen. Entering from a outsider prospective, the screenplay by Vieyra holds the weird horror madness on screen with a neat escape edge, charged by the prisoners/ hostages having to pretend to be nymphomaniac, whilst planning how to free themselves from the curiosity of Dr. Humpp.
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There's also a brief appearance by a performer who appeared with everyone from Judy Garland to James Stewart--Jimmy the Crow, one of Hollywood's most famous bird actors. Not great, but if you're in the mood for fluff, it might be worth a watch.
