Recent Posts

First Time Viewing:

Alien Hunter (2003; Ron Krauss) - Typical B-movie, coming over like a mixture of The Thing and Arrival. The always reliable James Spader does his best to keep the movie afloat, but he is let down by the low budget and some weak dialogue.
5/10

Kill Me Again (1989; John Dahl) - Dahl's debut feature is a rather clichéd noir with Val Kilmer's washed-up private detective who's asked to fake the death of a woman (Joanne Whalley) who is on the run from her sadistic boyfriend. Whalley is tragically miscast as a seductive femme fatale and Kilmer has given far better performances in other movies. Only Michael Madsen manages to leave something of an impression as a violent thug, a role that would soon become his trademark.
4/10

The Nightmare (2015; Akiz) - After being hit by a car a German party girl starts experiencing disturbing visions of a weird gnomlike creature. Set in the Berlin rave party scene this is a trip best to be experienced with an open mind. The trippy visuals and the blasting techno score put you into the head of the main character, however the amateurish performances and the lack of a clear resolution mean that this won't be for everyone.
5.5/10

The 9th Life of Louis Drax (2016; Alexandre Aja) - A potentially intriguing concept is ruined by dull direction. The mixing of genres thriller, family drama and supernatural fable just didn't work for me.
4/10

Rapt (2009; Lucas Belvaux) - When a wealthy industrialist is kidnapped, the criminals must soon realise that he's not as rich as they assumed, meanwhile his family finds out all kinds of unpleasant things about the man's hidden private life. This is well-directed and convincingly acted, but a bit too cold and distant to deliver on the dramatic potential of the story.
5.5/10

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970; Jaromil Jireš) - This is considered to be a classic of the Czech New Wave. A teenage girl is transported into a surreal fantasy world with shades of Alice in Wonderland. A somewhat uinque experience but I would've preferred a more straightforward narrative.
6/10

TV

The Outer Limits - Season 3 (1997) - Some great episodes, but also a few misfires.
7.5/10

Repeat Viewing:

Nothing this week