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Post by theravenking on May 5, 2021 14:40:11 GMT
 This seems to be an underappreciated supernatural thriller. Richard Burton plays a novelist with telechinetic powers who is assassinated at the beginning and a French inspector (Lino ventura) is trying to find out whodunnit and why. Burton is mostly seen in flashbacks, talking to a female psychologist played by Lee Remick, since in the present timeline his character survives having his skull smashed in, clinging onto life in hospital under heavy bandages. This is smart, gripping stuff, even though it offers no real solution (at least not to the question where Burton's character gets his powers from) and the bombastic finale is less exciting than the calmer, character-driven scenes which come before.
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Post by gspdude on May 7, 2021 13:29:45 GMT
 They Came from Beyond Space (1967) Meteors harboring alien intelligence land in England and begin possessing humans. The plot could be interesting if the plot elements weren't so far fetched. The Alien possessed humans quickly build a ultra modern complex while an alien plague develops in the surrounding area, and there doesn't seem to be a cop in the entire movie. There are a couple of British security agents, but they are quickly dealt with by the aliens. Fortunately, the aliens have a much tougher time dealing with a scientist, who quickly turns into James Bond in trying to thwart the mysterious alien plan. Kind of had the credibility of an Avengers episode, without the charm of Steed and Emma. And don't count on seeing the cat-suited babe in the poster. 4.5/10. |
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Post by Dramatic Look Gopher on May 8, 2021 3:29:50 GMT
 Shriek Of The Mutilated (1974) A college professor convinces some of his students to help him seach for the legendary Yeti creature. Although there is a surprising twist to the story, this is as bad as they come. A no-budget dud that has what is probably some of the most amateurish acting of all time. My family's home movies shot on 8mm film by my parents would be more entertaining to watch, I kid you not. This is an R-rated horror movie that's supposed to be gory, but the version I saw on Tubi didn't really have any gore. I'm guessing it's a hacked up TV version. This often gets confused with the made-for-TV Snowbeast, because of the Yeti storyline. |
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Post by Dramatic Look Gopher on May 8, 2021 18:41:08 GMT
 What Became Of Jack and Jill? (1972) Johnnie and his girlfriend conspire to kill his grandmother so they can inherit her house and money. The plan is to gaslight the old woman into thinking there is a major youth rebellion against the elderly, which includes mass extermination, in the hopes that she will suffer a fatal heart attack. This Amicus production does have some interesting ideas with the old gaslighting premise, and it is intriguing for a while, however it fizzles out to an unsatisfying conclusion. But overall not bad, and worth checking out. Certainly a product of its time as it examines the British mod scene. Made around 1970, but didn't get released until 1972. The story goes that Amicus made this particular film to break away from the standard horror formula and try something different. However, the studio executives found the subject matter too disturbing and dark, and as a result it was shelved for a couple of years until 20th Century Fox picked it up for distribution.
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Post by Lebowskidoo 🎄😷🎄 on May 9, 2021 13:43:45 GMT
Color Out of Space (2019)  Purple has never before seemed so terrifying.
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Post by Prime etc. on May 9, 2021 22:57:17 GMT
The Medusa Touch and They Came From Beyond Space have Jennifer Jayne in it---interestingly she also wrote the screenplay for Tales That Witness Madness.
Never would I have guessed she wrote that--a twisted bunch of stories which I think are more out there than the ones in Creepshow.
The tree story for example.
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Post by gspdude on May 10, 2021 14:57:00 GMT
 Puppet Master(1989) First time view for this, since the idea of puppets killing people seemed silly and I didn't think I'd like it. Turned out I kind of enjoyed it, not great, but not bad. It didn't take itself too serious so I was often amused (but it's not a comedy)though not often scared. And I also found myself liking most of the characters, particularly Dana(Irene Miracle) who, although rude, had a coolness about her. 6/10. |
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Post by stefancrosscoe on May 10, 2021 15:44:47 GMT
 VFW (2019) by Joe Begos A group of older war veterans, getting ready to head into their favorite bar, for a few drinks, share some war stories and have a blast, is all of a sudden overwhelmed, when a young woman on the run, seeks shelter from an army of violent dopeheads. And it is now up to the veterans, to take matters in their own hands, if they want to survive the night. Not a bad tribute, to the golden days of video movies during the late 70s, 80s and early 90s, and where it feels like it has a very heavy John Carpenter vibe to it, probably due to the plot and style, reminding me a bit of similar themed releases, such as Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) or his much later films, Prince of Darkness (1987). Anyway, it was quite nice, to watch all these older bad asses, gather around, to kick some serious ass, even though a few is written out, a bit too soon. Of course, I guess when it comes to guys like George Wendt, I bet his physical approach was kind of in the way, of having him been on the move, too much. But a nice touch, to see him get a drink in the bar, early on. I would rather watch these kind of retro b-movie 80s styled low budget films, with familiar and likeable character/villainous actors, of the 70s, 80s and 90s, such as Stephen Lang, Fred Williamson, William Sadler, David P. Kelly and Martin Kove, who kicks, crushes and destroys armies of assholes, for about 85-90 minutes, any day, any time, rather than having to sit through yet another generic and dull DTV/VOD piece of trash movie, starring guys like Bruce Willis, Kilmer, Snipes, Van Damme, Seagal, Lundgren, and so on. No, VFW turned out to be a fun, maybe not great, but still very enjoyable way of "wasting" a few hours of last night on, and I would not mind more of the same, featuring these cool dudes in action. 6/10
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Post by lostinlimbo on May 10, 2021 21:57:20 GMT
Shriek Of The Mutilated (1974) A college professor convinces some of his students to help him seach for the legendary Yeti creature. Although there is a surprising twist to the story, this is as bad as they come. A no-budget dud that has what is probably some of the most amateurish acting of all time. My family's home movies shot on 8mm film by my parents would be more entertaining to watch, I kid you not. This is an R-rated horror movie that's supposed to be gory, but the version I saw on Tubi didn't really have any gore. I'm guessing it's a hacked up TV version. This often gets confused with the made-for-TV Snowbeast, because of the Yeti storyline. Yeah, this one didn’t do much for me, and the out-there twist is really the only novelty. However it’s still better then the rough snoozer ‘Curse of Bigfoot‘ (1978) 😁.
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Post by lostinlimbo on May 10, 2021 22:26:16 GMT
VFW (2019) by Joe Begos A group of older war veterans, getting ready to head into their favorite bar, for a few drinks, share some war stories and have a blast, is all of a sudden overwhelmed, when a young woman on the run, seeks shelter from an army of violent dopeheads. And it is now up to the veterans, to take matters in their own hands, if they want to survive the night. Not a bad tribute, to the golden days of video movies during the late 70s, 80s and early 90s, and where it feels like it has a very heavy John Carpenter vibe to it, probably due to the plot and style, reminding me a bit of similar themed releases, such as Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) or his much later films, Prince of Darkness (1987). Anyway, it was quite nice, to watch all these older bad asses, gather around, to kick some serious ass, even though a few is written out, a bit too soon. Of course, I guess when it comes to guys like George Wendt, I bet his physical approach was kind of in the way, of having him been on the move, too much. But a nice touch, to see him get a drink in the bar, early on. I would rather watch these kind of retro b-movie 80s styled low budget films, with familiar and likeable character/villainous actors, of the 70s, 80s and 90s, such as Stephen Lang, Fred Williamson, William Sadler, David P. Kelly and Martin Kove, who kicks, crushes and destroys armies of assholes, for about 85-90 minutes, any day, any time, rather than having to sit through yet another generic and dull DTV/VOD piece of trash movie, starring guys like Bruce Willis, Kilmer, Snipes, Van Damme, Seagal, Lundgren, and so on. No, VFW turned out to be a fun, maybe not great, but still very enjoyable way of "wasting" a few hours of last night on, and I would not mind more of the same, featuring these cool dudes in action. 6/10 I re-watched this one recently. Enjoyed it. Probably not as much when I saw it at a film festival. The retro style is very rancid with everyone these day milking it dry, but I like you mentioned the seasoned cast & their chemistry kept it afloat. Dialogues can have its cringe moments, but their likability makes up for it. Basic story set-up with very little fat, but the over-the-top violence hits hard and it’s low-budget visual style is punchy enough. I just wish the lead bad guy was way more imitating, but I can see his weasel manner was purposely done. Comparisons to John Carpenter’s work are hard to shake in VFW. And the influences feel obvious right down to the music. When you go through director Joe Begoes’ previous films, it shows it’s nothing out of the ordinary. ‘Bliss’ gave me Abel Ferrara vibes (eg The Addiction, Driller Killer). ‘The Mind’s Eye’ reminded me of Cronenberg’s ‘Scanners’ and ‘Almost Human’ had me thinking of ‘Xtro’ and ‘Fire in the Sky’.
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Post by lostinlimbo on May 10, 2021 22:52:20 GMT
 Maybe I'm getting softer as I age, but time has been incredibly kind to some of the Amityville sequels. It's not a great film by any means (the acting is hacky and the whole thing is overly lit), but there are more than enough haunted house tropes and hijinks to keep things moving along. The garbage disposal scene and the guy under the crawlspace drowning in muck still get me every time. The presence of Patty Duke definitely helps make this better than it has any right to be. 5/10 From what I’ve seen I don’t mind some of the sequels post ‘The Evil Escapes’. The Amityville Curse was the only one I truly disliked.  And to think someone actually purchased this lamp to put in their homestead 😳. It looked evil even before it was haunted. Maybe if it looked like this, I might believe it 😉. 
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Post by Dramatic Look Gopher on May 11, 2021 3:15:42 GMT
Shriek Of The Mutilated (1974) A college professor convinces some of his students to help him seach for the legendary Yeti creature. Although there is a surprising twist to the story, this is as bad as they come. A no-budget dud that has what is probably some of the most amateurish acting of all time. My family's home movies shot on 8mm film by my parents would be more entertaining to watch, I kid you not. This is an R-rated horror movie that's supposed to be gory, but the version I saw on Tubi didn't really have any gore. I'm guessing it's a hacked up TV version. This often gets confused with the made-for-TV Snowbeast, because of the Yeti storyline. Yeah, this one didn’t do much for me, and the out-there twist is really the only novelty. However it’s still better then the rough snoozer ‘Curse of Bigfoot‘ (1978) 😁. Curse Of Bigfoot: Ha, I remember watching that one on late night TV when I was a kid. The interesting thing about that movie is that it was actually shot in 1958 with a runtime of only an hour long, but it didn't get any kind of a release. So basically it sat on a shelf for many years until sometime in the 1970s when new footage was shot and added on to make it 90 minutes long. Whether or not it actually got released in theaters after that, I don't know. But it sure made the rounds on television.
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Post by stefancrosscoe on May 11, 2021 10:52:54 GMT
I re-watched this one recently. Enjoyed it. Probably not as much when I saw it at a film festival. The retro style is very rancid with everyone these day milking it dry, but I like you mentioned the seasoned cast & their chemistry kept it afloat. Dialogues can have its cringe moments, but their likability makes up for it. Basic story set-up with very little fat, but the over-the-top violence hits hard and it’s low-budget visual style is punchy enough. I just wish the lead bad guy was way more imitating, but I can see his weasel manner was purposely done. Comparisons to John Carpenter’s work are hard to shake in VFW. And the influences feel obvious right down to the music. When you go through director Joe Begoes’ previous films, it shows it’s nothing out of the ordinary. ‘Bliss’ gave me Abel Ferrara vibes (eg The Addiction, Driller Killer). ‘The Mind’s Eye’ reminded me of Cronenberg’s ‘Scanners’ and ‘Almost Human’ had me thinking of ‘Xtro’ and ‘Fire in the Sky’. Oh yeah, the whole retro 80s thing, has probably been very overdone. But of course, as an 80s lover, I guess I can always stomach a few more, but still, what annoys me, is when a lot of people tend to underestimate the 80s, as just some "silly" and "cartoonish" parody, where everyone had big/goofy hair, wore new wavish clothes, there were neon signs, everywhere, and the entire decade was backed up by a minimalistic synth pop soundtrack. Sounds fun, but every now and then, there are thankfully a few of these retro 80s movies, which hits off, better or more effective, as they find the right balance or atmosphere, but without overdoing it, too much and too often. Sure, it helps out, having such a solid cast of people involved, as well. And I did notice a few kind of cheesy one-liners or attempts, like when Fred Williamson utters randomly something like "I am getting too old for this shit!", and there were probably a few others, but still, delivered with a certain charm to it. Yeah, the main villain looked a bit too skinny or scrawny, like an underfed b-movie version of Bill Paxton or James Remar, just without their classic bad ass charm and presence, but the fight scene with the big brawny biker, that was some intense shit, and almost a bit sad that they did not throw it on, a bit later, as I felt that was probably one of the most brutal and raw fighting scenes. I have not seen any of the directors others films, but I might pick up on a few, later on, if I someday "stumbles" upon them.
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Post by lostinlimbo on May 13, 2021 0:05:40 GMT
I re-watched this one recently. Enjoyed it. Probably not as much when I saw it at a film festival. The retro style is very rancid with everyone these day milking it dry, but I like you mentioned the seasoned cast & their chemistry kept it afloat. Dialogues can have its cringe moments, but their likability makes up for it. Basic story set-up with very little fat, but the over-the-top violence hits hard and it’s low-budget visual style is punchy enough. I just wish the lead bad guy was way more imitating, but I can see his weasel manner was purposely done. Comparisons to John Carpenter’s work are hard to shake in VFW. And the influences feel obvious right down to the music. When you go through director Joe Begoes’ previous films, it shows it’s nothing out of the ordinary. ‘Bliss’ gave me Abel Ferrara vibes (eg The Addiction, Driller Killer). ‘The Mind’s Eye’ reminded me of Cronenberg’s ‘Scanners’ and ‘Almost Human’ had me thinking of ‘Xtro’ and ‘Fire in the Sky’. Yeah, the main villain looked a bit too skinny or scrawny, like an underfed b-movie version of Bill Paxton or James Remar, just without their classic bad ass charm and presence, but the fight scene with the big brawny biker, that was some intense shit, and almost a bit sad that they did not throw it on, a bit later, as I felt that was probably one of the most brutal and raw fighting scenes.I have not seen any of the directors others films, but I might pick up on a few, later on, if I someday "stumbles" upon them. I do think it starts off with a bang, but sort of loses steam when it finally came to the final assault. The lead bad guy’s henchmen/ & henchwoman easily overshadowed him in presence and it made we wonder why they would even take orders from somebody like him. Especially when the woman openly criticises him. Well, at least he’s not as unbelievable as the one in ‘Defcon 4’. I guess it was all about the connections (especially for the drugs), and this dude had the right ones to keep him on top? VFW is probably his most accessible film. Bliss is just as well made, but seems to be a like it or hate it response. Little middle ground. I saw both at the same festival and came away liking VFW more. However upon a re-watch it switched around. As for his other two films (Almost Human & The Mind’s Eye). They’re interesting experiments, but rough around the edges e.g performances.
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Post by FridayOnElmStreet on May 14, 2021 6:30:53 GMT
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Post by FridayOnElmStreet on May 14, 2021 6:34:27 GMT
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Post by gspdude on May 14, 2021 11:24:43 GMT
Quite a line up of movies I've never seen. Which would you most recommend I try to track down?
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Post by Anonymous Andy on May 14, 2021 13:04:42 GMT
...Hulk Blood Tapes?
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Post by theravenking on May 14, 2021 13:12:39 GMT
 For some reason I thought this was directed by Kevin Smith, when in fact it was Eli Roth who committed this atrocity. I have a feeling one day Ana De Armas will look back at this and be embarassed that she decided to star in this train wreck. Keanu Reeves (in one of those so bad that it's almost good type of performances) plays an architect who one day when he's alone at home (his wife and kids have left) helps two stranded women who come knocking at his door. Soon the ladies turn out to be sadistic psychos and start playing disturbing games with Reeves' character. This might've sounded good on paper, but it's an unholy mess of a film. It's crude, unpleasant and dull. And no, not even a nude scene by Ana De Armas makes this worth watching. 3/10 |
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Post by theravenking on May 14, 2021 13:20:17 GMT
 My second viewing of this indie slasher movie. Sharni Vinson makes for a great lead and the movie itself is pleasantly violent and dark though not very scary. The supporting characters could've been fleshed out a bit better and the late twist is not much of a surprise. 6.5/10 |
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