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Post by Lebowskidoo đŠ on May 11, 2020 12:37:41 GMT
Watched 13 Cameras (2015) and the sequel, 14 Cameras (2018) back-to-back. My God, the skeezy landlord, Gerald, is so gross and freaky looking. It was unsettling!
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Post by stefancrosscoe on May 12, 2020 4:58:10 GMT
Creature (1998) by Stuart Gillard Over the last few days, I ended up watching each of the episodes of the mini-series that I think is based on one of Peter Benchley's novels, and is called Creature (1998). It is about 3 hours long, and where Craig T. Nelson and Kim Cattrall must find a way to destroy a mutated shark, which was born through some rather experimental warfare stuff, back in the early 70s, but then later on escaped into the ocean, and now 25 years later on, it is back, angrier and hungrier than ever! I remember watching it on norwegian television back in the late 90s and early 00s, specially during the summer, along with my dad. He loved the total cheese factor and we both laughed out at several times, specially of all the silly stuff over-the-top things that takes place. I mean, here we have a "shark" taking a walk, climbing up the stairs, or even decided to go all the way up into the top of a three, then only to lower itself from a branch, upside down, so it can wait for its potential next victim. And, yeah, there is still some very funny stuff going on here. The negative thing, is that as so many other very long mini-series, I thought the first half was actually very well paced and enjoyable, and of course not seeing too much of the shark-creature as well, however during the second half, things sadly do end up getting a bit too drawn out, specially the last 15-20 minutes or so, was just a total random and overlong scene, that, well I guess they just either ran out of ideas or time, so just had to make use of what they got. The positive is that some of (I think actually Stan Winston is involved here) close ups of the shark-thing, specially after it first arrives on land, and tries to breathe with its lungs, that was damn fine work by the special effects team. And I would have liked if they kept the shark "more hidden" and not reveal too much, so often. But, I guess in order to get a hold of the viewers, they just had to sell it for what it was, and it was surely not Jaws (1976), but more a b-movie turned into a 3 hours version. I also really enjoyed that adventurous and feel-good entertainment it had going, that and surely Kim Cattrall who looks so good in that diving gear, and even better without it. Over all, I thought it had a good cast of actors, and some of the special effects where very impressive at times, but all in all, it was not a great miniseries, but a more enjoyable one, that I often do re-watch or come back to, specially during the summer. 5,5/10
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Post by lostinlimbo on May 13, 2020 1:28:01 GMT
Resurrection (1999) - Russel Mulchay I have only seen this very typical late 90s crime-thriller once before, and this one surely tries hard in style and tone to "cash in" on the success of several serial-thrillers of the mid 90s, such as Se7en (1995) and Copycat (1995). But there is also a bit of The Silence of the Lambs (1991) vibe going on strong, at least a few times, I think. Of course, this is probably a far more low budget or tv-movie made film, that still manages to be, well, maybe better is not exactly the right word when it comes to Christopher Lambert and his acting, but compared to so much of the awful films he usally makes, I think this one of the few times I was left postively surprised. It is fast paced, gory, nasty, stylish, and at times very funny, but I just wished there was a bit more, how should you say, originality to the script and its characters, because, I am not saying a "great" movie lie between the pages or something like that, but it could surely have become a little more sharper in both tone, and story. Lambert sure does his best, but again, it kind of feels a little to over-the-top, and which brings some of the more overused thriller cliches into being almost unintentional funny, than what they were meant to be. Of course, there is lots of walking cliches in this one, the tragic main character, his caring and lonely wife, their sad backstory, the wisecracking partner and sidekick, the angry and explosive police chief, the douchy asshole co-workers, the creepy looking killer with his huge bug eyes and constant intense stare, the grungy green-grey use of colors, the constant heavy rain showering the city and streets, and showing far too much of all these horrible dead bodies or body parts, and yeah, sometimes those who are not even dead, just dying and, well, I tend to prefer movies such as Manhunter (1986), specially when it comes to not show "everything", all the time. Let the fantasy or imagination play their part, because what you often do not see, is way more scary or effective (or so I believe), than being constantly thrown all these horrific and gory images of mutilated bodies and victims of the killer. Also, when I think of wandering cliches, the serial killer is quite a piece of "work" himself, I mean the religous themes, the use of numbers, digitals and other obvious clues, such as windows or walls, being smeared in with blood in huge red letters "COME FIND ME!" and then Lamberts charactert begin this long and very serious speech about that this means the killer is serious and will surely continue on with his murdering, and it just, well, was so laughable and funny (sure not meant to be) that it felt like a parody of the crime-thrillere genre at times. Another reason to why I have a certain soft spot for the film, is that one of my favorite directors, David Cronenberg also has a small part in here, as a local priest. Nothing huge or really special, but I thought it was nice little role from Cronenbergs side, and he did it pretty good. The one thing I would have really liked, and I think could have done this movie a huge favor, was surprising the viewer with a bit a of a shock, and I do not mean more blood and gore, but because somewhere along the way, especially when Lamberts character began discussing with his wisecracking partner and friend, about how he "admired" the intellect of the serial killer, and his partner, I always hoped or suspected would turn out as the bad guy, and he for a few moments looked very creepy, when Lambert started the whole admiring part, but sadly I guess that whole potential just got thrown away, and it was back the more creepy looking, sterotypical Hollywood serial killer kind of type, and again, that is why I love Manhunter and constantly brings it up, as how I wished more thrillers would deliver their serial killer. Brian Cox looks just like a "normal" guy, with a very non-normal way of personality, while most of the Hollywood serial killer figures looks like they just stumbled out of the assembly line for "movie serial killer" or "creepy movie monsters", and they just do absolutely nothing for me. They are rarely ever scary or impressive, just most of the time dull and I have seen them so many times over, so just come up with something a little different, as I like to think normal is way more scarier or unsettling than having yet another cheap looking rip-off of the legendary Dr. Hannibal Lecter (the Anthony Hopkins version). Anyway, I enjoyed the movie, not great by any means, but entertaining and surely one of the better films that Christopher Lambert made during the late 90s. 6/10 I watched this the first time a couple years ago (which I posted some quick thoughts in this thread), and again a few months back after picking it up on dvd. For a âSe7enâ rip-off itâs fairly well-made and very engaging. I would say itâs definitely one of Lambertâs better films, even though he might be the filmâs weak link with his overacting in certain moments. I wasnât overly distracted, yet I had a snicker from time to time. Itâs beyond cliched in how the story beats play out, but never did I found it boring... in spite of the familiarity. Mulchay executes with enough excitement and mystery to pull you along, even if the budget looks cheap/tv quality and his usual directorial flashes are kept in check. The dour atmospherics really harked back âSe7enâ... so maybe his stark, and straight forward styling was deliberate here? Only because he made âSilent Triggerâ a couple years before it, which looked very low-budget, yet had his signature directorial flashes. As for Robert Joy, he made for an excellent serial killer and the mask was pretty creepy. Funnily enough it reminded of David Cronenbergâs performance in âNightbreedâ, right down to the mask.
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Post by lostinlimbo on May 13, 2020 1:46:25 GMT
Castle of Blood (1965)Hypnotic slow-burn b/w gothic horror seeping with tragic melancholy and feverish macabre as the dead are forced to relive past sins (their grisly deaths) the same night every year, and draw in anyone who happens to find themselves within the same walls. Interestingly the film is bookend by having Edgar Allan Poe at a tavern interacting with Georges RiviĂšrâs lead (a sceptical journalist who questions the truth/context of Poeâs tales). This leads to a bet with Poeâs counterpart to spend a night in his deserted haunted Blackwood castle on All Soulsâ Day. The atmospheric story builds nicely, very dream-like and it had me intrigued to where it was heading in spite of the run-of-the-mill backstory. Although it surprises with a good finale shock. As for the cast, Barbara Steel perfectly brings a gamut of emotions. Sheâs centre of attention to everyone and the only spectre who sympathetically wants to help, but the likes of Margrete Robsahm and Arturo Dominici were a nice counterbalance with their cold, nurtured turns. The relationship between Steele and Robsahmâs characters was somewhat vague, so Steele killing her when Robsahm passionately throws herself onto her was kinda out-the-blue. But I read in the english dub version cuts out exchanges between the two, especially a love making scene which would make Robsahmâs actions, and her murder less startling in the scheme of things.
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Post by FridayOnElmStreet on May 13, 2020 5:47:20 GMT
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Post by FridayOnElmStreet on May 13, 2020 5:48:11 GMT
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Post by FridayOnElmStreet on May 13, 2020 5:48:34 GMT
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Post by FridayOnElmStreet on May 13, 2020 5:48:51 GMT
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Post by FridayOnElmStreet on May 13, 2020 5:49:07 GMT
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Post by FridayOnElmStreet on May 13, 2020 5:49:33 GMT
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Post by FridayOnElmStreet on May 13, 2020 5:50:00 GMT
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Post by FridayOnElmStreet on May 13, 2020 5:50:15 GMT
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Post by stefancrosscoe on May 13, 2020 10:26:39 GMT
I watched this the first time a couple years ago (which I posted some quick thoughts in this thread), and again a few months back after picking it up on dvd. For a âSe7enâ rip-off itâs fairly well-made and very engaging. I would say itâs definitely one of Lambertâs better films, even though he might be the filmâs weak link with his overacting in certain moments. I wasnât overly distracted, yet I had a snicker from time to time. Itâs beyond cliched in how the story beats play out, but never did I found it boring... in spite of the familiarity. Mulchay executes with enough excitement and mystery to pull you along, even if the budget looks cheap/tv quality and his usual directorial flashes are kept in check. The dour atmospherics really harked back âSe7enâ... so maybe his stark, and straight forward styling was deliberate here? Only because he made âSilent Triggerâ a couple years before it, which looked very low-budget, yet had his signature directorial flashes. As for Robert Joy, he made for an excellent serial killer and the mask was pretty creepy. Funnily enough it reminded of David Cronenbergâs performance in âNightbreedâ, right down to the mask. I am glad there are more out there who seemed to find joy in this movie, and I think along with The Hunted (1995) it might sit down as two of Lambertâs better or more "unusual" films, and I guess that is why I so much enjoyed watching them in the first place. Russell Mulcahy seems to be a name that just keeps on "following" me, and rarely a bad thing either, and I do notice it is surely not the first time he and Lambert have worked together, as the duos finest hour, I think has to be the first Highlander (1986) movie, which for me still looks stunning in places, and I always kind of wondered why Christopher Lambert did not hit bigger on in the movie business, but I guess maybe some bad luck or choices in pickin roles, or something like that may have had their part in play of how things turned out. Silent Trigger I have yet to watch, but since it stars Dolph Lundgren and that movie poster and also title of the film sounds kind of bad ass, it sure makes me want to have a closer look of it. You know, it is nice chatting up with you once more, as I think we had a few conversations or more, back in the day, when the action/adventure section were still alive. But now it seems like that one is gone or just deleted from this site? Still, I am very glad to see that the horror section is up and running, and hopefully it will continue like that for as long as possible. It is funny how you bring up Cronenberg and Nightbreed, as I re-watched it a few weeks/month back ago, and I loved David and his incredible creepy performance, way more menacing and evil than any of the "monsters" in the film, and I kept wondering how it would have turned out, if the film had been done as a mini-series over 3-4 episodes, as I could not get enough of the whole atmosphere, the underworld and, yeah I really enjoyed it.
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Post by stefancrosscoe on May 13, 2020 10:35:56 GMT
FridayOnElmStreet they sure knew how to make striking and incredible cool looking movie posters back then, even when they hit the 8th film, it just kept on coming and even though it is surely very "misleading" I guess, in many way, as most of the film I think takes place inside a boat, but I really enjoyed the whole tone it had, so no problem for me, what so ever. You know, it could have been a pretty cool idea to have a Jason vs Officer Matt Cordell from the Maniac Cop franchise have a go at each other, and some of the movie posters from that series, do have a certain resemble to that of the Jason takes Manhattan, or so I think. But I guess Matt Cordell was not as famous or well know at that time as guys like Jason or Freddy.
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Post by Lebowskidoo đŠ on May 13, 2020 13:19:34 GMT
Dude Bro Party Massacre III (2015)
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Post by lostinlimbo on May 13, 2020 15:04:36 GMT
I watched this the first time a couple years ago (which I posted some quick thoughts in this thread), and again a few months back after picking it up on dvd. For a âSe7enâ rip-off itâs fairly well-made and very engaging. I would say itâs definitely one of Lambertâs better films, even though he might be the filmâs weak link with his overacting in certain moments. I wasnât overly distracted, yet I had a snicker from time to time. Itâs beyond cliched in how the story beats play out, but never did I found it boring... in spite of the familiarity. Mulchay executes with enough excitement and mystery to pull you along, even if the budget looks cheap/tv quality and his usual directorial flashes are kept in check. The dour atmospherics really harked back âSe7enâ... so maybe his stark, and straight forward styling was deliberate here? Only because he made âSilent Triggerâ a couple years before it, which looked very low-budget, yet had his signature directorial flashes. As for Robert Joy, he made for an excellent serial killer and the mask was pretty creepy. Funnily enough it reminded of David Cronenbergâs performance in âNightbreedâ, right down to the mask. I am glad there are more out there who seemed to find joy in this movie, and I think along with The Hunted (1995) it might sit down as two of Lambertâs better or more "unusual" films, and I guess that is why I so much enjoyed watching them in the first place. Russell Mulcahy seems to be a name that just keeps on "following" me, and rarely a bad thing either, and I do notice it is surely not the first time he and Lambert have worked together, as the duos finest hour, I think has to be the first Highlander (1986) movie, which for me still looks stunning in places, and I always kind of wondered why Christopher Lambert did not hit bigger on in the movie business, but I guess maybe some bad luck or choices in pickin roles, or something like that may have had their part in play of how things turned out. Silent Trigger I have yet to watch, but since it stars Dolph Lundgren and that movie poster and also title of the film sounds kind of bad ass, it sure makes me want to have a closer look of it. You know, it is nice chatting up with you once more, as I think we had a few conversations or more, back in the day, when the action/adventure section were still alive. But now it seems like that one is gone or just deleted from this site? Still, I am very glad to see that the horror section is up and running, and hopefully it will continue like that for as long as possible. It is funny how you bring up Cronenberg and Nightbreed, as I re-watched it a few weeks/month back ago, and I loved David and his incredible creepy performance, way more menacing and evil than any of the "monsters" in the film, and I kept wondering how it would have turned out, if the film had been done as a mini-series over 3-4 episodes, as I could not get enough of the whole atmosphere, the underworld and, yeah I really enjoyed it. Maybe âHighlander 2â was the kiss of death for Lambert? I think âResurrectionâ was the last decent thing Lambert did... starring wise, although I gave âDay of Wrathâ a favourable rating, but I donât remember any of it. Looking through the 90s he had some alright films; Fortress, Gunmen, Mean Guns and The Hunted. I do have a soft spot for Highlander 3 and Mortal Kombat. I definitely recommend âSilent Triggerâ. In spite of its limited locations it surprised me how good it turned out, although there were a few niggles. It didnât disappoint on the action front either, and provided some effective story twists and stylish camera framing. You wonât be disappointed by the poster artwork, because it lives up to it. Itâs cool to see you back in the swing of things. I always enjoyed our chats via the action/horror/cult/music boards. But true, it did start on the action board talking about all things action and of course ragging on Steven Seagal . A lot of the threads/posts from the genre boards (action, comedy etc) were moved into the film general board. To find them, you need to use the search bar. Below is the link for your âLast action film you watchedâ thread. IMDB2.freeforums.net/thread/9675/last-action-film-watchedI need to give âNightbreedâ a rewatch... seen both cuts of the film, but I never seem to gel with âem. Starts off great, but it kind loses me the further along the story goes. Never had the issue when reading Clive Barkerâs book. Nonetheless the scenes with Cronenberg never left my mind.
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Post by forca84 on May 13, 2020 19:34:11 GMT
"A resurrection" (2013) Not awful. But limited by a low budget. A Teen's dead Brother comes back from the Grave against his teen tormentors. I'd only recommend if you are a big Mischa Barton or Devon Sawa fan. Much of the violence is offscreen or implied.
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Post by stefancrosscoe on May 14, 2020 8:53:51 GMT
Maybe âHighlander 2â was the kiss of death for Lambert? I think âResurrectionâ was the last decent thing Lambert did... starring wise, although I gave âDay of Wrathâ a favourable rating, but I donât remember any of it. Looking through the 90s he had some alright films; Fortress, Gunmen, Mean Guns and The Hunted. I do have a soft spot for Highlander 3 and Mortal Kombat. I definitely recommend âSilent Triggerâ. In spite of its limited locations it surprised me how good it turned out, although there were a few niggles. It didnât disappoint on the action front either, and provided some effective story twists and stylish camera framing. You wonât be disappointed by the poster artwork, because it lives up to it. Itâs cool to see you back in the swing of things. I always enjoyed our chats via the action/horror/cult/music boards. But true, it did start on the action board talking about all things action and of course ragging on Steven Seagal . A lot of the threads/posts from the genre boards (action, comedy etc) were moved into the film general board. To find them, you need to use the search bar. Below is the link for your âLast action film you watchedâ thread. IMDB2.freeforums.net/thread/9675/last-action-film-watchedI need to give âNightbreedâ a rewatch... seen both cuts of the film, but I never seem to gel with âem. Starts off great, but it kind loses me the further along the story goes. Never had the issue when reading Clive Barkerâs book. Nonetheless the scenes with Cronenberg never left my mind. You might be right about Highlander 2, but I still think it is nowhere near being among the "worst" movies of all time candidate (as somehow many like to label it), as it packs lots of fun. Fortress, Gunmen and The Hunted are also all very enjoyable action films, but I guess he just could not find the "right" time or place, and just ended up as a bit of a Van Damme "light" version, but still I think Lambert had a pretty good run of DTV releases far into the 00s. Yeah, Steven Seagal is quite a chapter of potential discussions, and I just never seem to be amazed at that man and his many DTV movies. It is like a bad habit, I know it is not good for me, but somehow I just cannot stop watching his absolute trashy films, they just contain so much laughable moments, and, I actually am planning on re-watching a few of his "DTV classics" very soon, so it might be time to bring up the Last action film watched thread, once more.
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Post by teleadm on May 15, 2020 17:13:45 GMT
Last week seen two movies that I remember from my old movie books of horror, fantasy and science fiction movies: Donovan's Brain 1953. A brilliant brain surgeon/scientist who has so far only experimented on small ape brains get's a surprice chance to work on a human brian when a small aeroplane crashes nearby. The victim is a billionaire named Donovan. The scientist manages to keep the brain alive, but the brain also begins to send out signals and begins to control the scientist. Through the scientist he continues to do his shady affairs, as it turns out Donovan wasn't a nice man at all, but a billionaire (millionaire in the 1950s), who became rich through blackmailing politicians and other officials... It waves between Science Fiction and Film Noir, and was quiet interersting The Night Walker 1964, an is-she-or-isn't-she going insane horror chiller thriller from William Castle. Starring movie legends Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor in their last of three movies they made together (married once, but this was 13 years after they divorced, actually this was Stanwyck's last cinema movie). She is haunted by her blind dead husband, and the dreams that she has...
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Post by stefancrosscoe on May 16, 2020 9:19:25 GMT
Black Scorpion (1995) by Jonathan Winfrey "You can't be the Black Scorpion, because you're the whitest woman I know!"I somehow "accidentally" ended up with three Roger Corman produced movies last night, The Nest (1988), Behind Closed Doors (1994) and Black Scorpion, where I think the last one, surely was the most enjoyable and fun, and of course it had probably a bit much to do with the fact that the stunning Joan Severance starred as the beautiful cop-turned to vigilante/super hero that of the Black Scorpion. I guess, if Corman had gotten the rights to do his version of a Catwoman movie back in the 90s, this is pretty much what it would look like, sleazy, campy, sexy and very much a fun and wild ride. Sure, there is no hiding the fact that several of the scenes seems very much "borrowed" from what Tim Burton did a few years earlier on Batman Returns (1992) but I would think it also pays a bit of a homage or tribute to the classic Batman series of the 60s as well. Anyway, in this film you have a pretty solid cast, and beside the stunning Severance in the lead, you get several familiar faces and names such as Bruce Abbott and Rick Rossovich, but also the ridiculous Stephen Lee, who plays the typical angry and stressed out police chief, who always seems to have a cigarette in his mouth, and then you get the laughable black "butler/sidekick" that is Argyle (Garrett Morriss) who seems to go all the way for this over-the-top Bill Cosby kind of performance, and yeah, of course the evil main villain, the Breathtaker who pretty much looks like he has just "jumped out" the last episode that of Power Rangers, and well, all in all I actually really enjoyed this film. It might not be among the all time "great" super-hero movies, but heck, I rather sit through this kind of entertainment than to bore myself to death, with another generic 3 hours of CGI filled modern super-hero stuff, that, well just do absolutely nothing for me, what so ever. Black Scorpion I think actually got made into several films, even a tv-series, but the first film is probably the best one, and I remember I had seen it, back in the late 90s on night cable, but forgot about the title, so it was very fun when I finally got around to look it up, and realize it was the movie I had been searching for, so long and I am just glad it hold up, so well. 6,5/10In the Heat of Passion II: Unfaithful aka Behind Closed Doors ( 1994)A pretty much very typical and clicheed 90s erotic soap opera thriller, which has a rather familiar cast of names along the way, and I had seen it back in the early 00s on late night cable, but somehow forgot the title, and after doing a bit of "research" I found it again. The plot revolves around a rich middle aged woman in a wheel chair (Lesley-Anne Down, and her greedy and distrustful husband (Barry Bostwick) who plots along with his wifes sexy step-daughter, to get rid of his wife and get to her money. However, things soon turn nasty and the clichees just stroll along on the assembly line, and when it tries to play "smart", during the last 15-20 minutes (or so) it just seems like it does so, because it runs out of time, not ideas and it feels very hasty and cheap. There's is a bit of the classic over-the-top sex scenes, thrown in every now and then, and only missing the sleazy saxophone so often played in the background, and, well, I guess I have now seen it, a second time around but also for the very last time as well. Beside the sexy Teresa Hill as Casey, I really liked the whole creepy shallow art-deco mansion, as it was really a cool looking place, but sadly the plot did never reach its "potential" and, well, I guess it is a pretty decent made tv-movie, but seeing all these talents being wasted, maybe a better writer/director could have done things a bit differently. 4,5/10
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