What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

CHARLIE'S FARM – Two guys and two gals – some of whom are really quite annoying – set out into the countryside to find 'Charlie's Farm', rumoured to be the site of bad things that happened back in the eighties. They want to go camping, and the place of a former massacre obviously makes for great tent pitching ground in a slasher flick. You couldn't really get more generic if you tried, could you? 'Charlie's Farm' takes a while to get going. It's tolerable at first, with its inevitable excursions into stock territory – for example, the bar full of unwelcoming locals who won't talk about 'what happened back then' but turn out to be necessary plot devices. This kind of thing does provide a slightly better alternative to yet more shots of a car going along a road in the middle of nowhere, but, midway through the run time, it all becomes a bit of a trudge. Thankfully, things are enlivened by some crazier interludes, with bits of gore and flashbacks showing the cruel farm owners and their tormented son, who seems to spend his time on a rocking horse next to soon-to-be murder victims. These latter scenes are actually quite grim, and foreshadow 'Charlie's Farm's final act, which blossoms into gory violence and claustrophobic hopelessness as dicks are cut off and shoved in mouths, throats are slit in leering close up and jaws are wrenched savagely from pleading faces, all courtesy of a giant with a knackered mug and a huge weapon. It's a pay-off worth sticking around for if you like these kind of twisted vibes. 'Charlie's Farm' acquits itself as a worthwhile piece of DTV dreck, and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes to pick up cheap bits of plastic from Supermarkets, Poundland and Cex (a kind of trinity which marks out the spiritual homeland of trash like the film under discussion). Had it been keener on the vile stuff before the end and a little sharper round the edges generally, then it could've been an anti-classic – as it stands, it's a well put together, slightly flawed diversion, but one which bodes well for the future of its makers.

Seems we agree on Charlie's Farm, Frankie.

[iank]

Blood Beach. A sunny beach in California becomes the centre for a swathe of disappearances, and it soon becomes clear that there is some kind of monster lurking beneath the sand, and pulling its victims under! The great John Saxon co-stars in (and is the best thing about) this mildly diverting early 80s B movie horror. He also gets to utter the film's best line - also used as the movie's tagline:
"Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water... you can't get to it!"

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Werewolf: The Beast Among Us (2012)

Set in a 19th century Transylvanian village, a young man studying under a local doctor joins a team of hunters on the trail of a wolf-like creature.

Universal return to their Gothic roots in this fast paced, action packed tale. Coming across as a less messy version of Van Helsing (2004), this may lack the star power of Hugh Jackman but it plays out as less of a derivative cash in on the Universal legacy.

The team of bounty hunters are a rag tag bunch of actors including Ed Quinn and Scarface's Steven Bauer with Nia Peebles in the obligatory role of doom telling wise woman. Hell even Stephen Rea pops up in possibly his goriest role yet as a doctor / mortician type.

Being a Universal film the production looks great. Filmed in the Dark Country, the streets look uncannily like those from 1922's Nosferatu and give the film a realistically authentic look thankfully, whilst never shaming their legacy of monsters and mayhem. The only slight drawback being the way CGI morphs with excellent practical effects work. The creature make up is great, did they really need CGI?

As the credits roll, hopefully you'll have enjoyed this as much as i did third time around with the final thought that although not a classic by any stretch of the imagination Werewolf: The Beast Among Us is a decent 90 mins entertainment and should be lapped up by Universal completists.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

7 Men from Now (1956)

Classic Budd Boetticher directed western starring Randolph Scott and Lee Marvin.

Boetticher has a style all his own. Unlike say John Ford who is at home playing out events over vast areas and times, Boetticher keeps his films small. His work tends to feel more personal. In this case Scott tracking down the 7 men responsible for killing his wife in a botched heist. The Lincoln County range wars for example are just not his thing. That's not to say 7 Men from Now is small scale, it isn't. Boetticher liked to film in an area known as Lone Pine in the Californian hills. An area where every type of land is available for western film making, from plains to forest to hillside terrain. There's nothing worse than a studio bound western of which there are many. The script by Burt Kennedy who went on to become an accomplished director in westerns (The Train Robbers, The War Wagon etc) is a pacy affair. Gripping in it's simplicity. It's clear the Scott and Marvin will come to blows and that their friendship throughout is strained and sinister to say the least, but the script and direction keep you on edge none the less.

The film, a Batjac production, was originally meant as a vehicle for John Wayne, but he was still making The Searchers for Ford so suggested Randolph Scott. Scott, like James Stewart, isn't an action tough guy like Wayne, he's more an everyman and thus comes across as a more intriguing prospect and less likely killer of men than Wayne or Clint Eastwood portray. Marvin on the other hand, well i suppose he plays a young Lee Marvin. Full of swagger as the trade mark anti-hero.

7 Men from Now is an excellent example of a fifties western. Not too talky and full of action.Recommended.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Eye in the Sky (2015)

Set in several locations around the world, this follows events in Kenya where several high profile terrorist leaders congregate in one location, perfect for a planned 'raid and capture' move. However, they move and are followed to a different location where a UK national, radicalised as a teenager, is confirmed amongst their number and is one of the most wanted members of Al-Shabaab, an African terrorist organisation.

With the house in a different area of the city, and now with two men being fitted with explosive vests for suicide detonation, the only option now becomes a strike from a Reaper Drone, which is operated by two young pilots in Nevada, but events are complicated when a young girl sets up stall selling bread outside the house perimeter walls. While the military and political personnel try and come to a decision, the clock is ticking.

The film introduces all sorts of moral, ethical and philosophical questions, with Helen Mirren's character, a colonel who has been tracking the radicalised Brit for six years, desperate to launch the Hellfire missile but, along with the Lieutenant-General (brilliantly played by Alan Rickman in his final screen role) in the COBRA meeting, finds herself frustrated by the politicians who are increasingly concerned by collateral damage and the propaganda war they are waging with Al-Shabaab and the wider Muslim world.

Events basically take place in real time, switching between the British Northwood headquarters, an office somewhere in Whitehall, the cabin in Nevada where the pilots sit at the controls and then on the ground in Nairobi. Also, various other people, from the US attorney general, US Secretary of State (on a visit in Shanghai) and a very ill British Foreign Secretary in his hotel room after hastily leaving an arms fair in Britain are all involved in the decision over whether or not to launch a missile that would potentially save 80 lives, but kill or injure those in the vicinity of the house.

Eye in the Sky is as tense as films come, extremely cerebral, thought-provoking, and timely. It makes you realise the level of decision-making that goes into each drone strike, almost asking 'what would you do?', whilst not giving any easy answers. The entire cast are superb, with Mirren in a role originally written for a man, Aaron Paul brilliant as the young drone pilot, and Somali actor Barkhad Abdi, who came to prominence in Captain Phillips, again superb as part of a terrific ensemble cast. Very highly recommended.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Great review, Nos.

You've made me really want to see this now. Look forward to the dvd.

[keirarts]

The sinful dwarf

A down on their luck couple are looking for a cheap guest house to live in while hubby's writing career takes off. They manage to stumble on a shoddy little dive run by a faded cabaret act and her dwarf son Torben. Little do the couple know, mother and son are making a few quid kidnapping young woman, shooting them up with heroin and leaving them perpetually stoned on filthy mattresses in a hidden room in the attic. Torben and his mum make a few quid letting punters up to screw the girls brains out. The young wife is gorgeous and has a cracking set of tits so greasy little Torben sets himself a task to capture her for his collection.
There comes a point when you genuinely believe you have seen everything then a film like this comes and shows you something new. Apparently unwanted based on the featurette included with American fans claiming to have been traumatised. Perhaps they watched the XXX hardcore porno version with added penetration? Personally I must admit now to actually enjoying the film. Torben, a children's television presenter before and after he made this scuzzy little flick is memorable as the dwarf and the film has a very desolate atmosphere that sticks with you, a little like House of whipcord for me in that respect. Worth checking out.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by keirarts

The sinful dwarf

Personally I must admit now to actually enjoying the film.

Me too. It's not a regular watch i admit but i do like it.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Yeah, I really like The Sinful Dwarf too - I may upgrade my DVD copy at some point.

[gag]

Face a very under rated britsh gem with ray winston, robert Carlyle, Dalmon Albarn and lots of other famous actors.
One of those films where if it was showing eg in a friends house on tv even if you walked in half way through you still got to sit down amd watch rest of it....