What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[MrBarlow]

The Crucifixion. 2017.

American journalist Nicole looks in to the story a nun who died during a exorcism in Romania.

Based on the true story that happened in 2005, this film takes a deep look and pairing of the journalist and a priest who try to find answers and beliefs that a demon was able to go from one host to another. this was a bit like The Exorcism of Emily Rose, a priest on trial for murder during a exorcism and people slowly finding religion. There was suspense during the film and some predictable jump scares but this was a decent film to watch, there is good acting and some good cinematography involved. Worth a watch.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

How do you rate a film like this? A film that in no way could ever be as good or groundbreaking as the first two films in the series - The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Realistically you can't because in no way does it compare to either. In fact it's not as good as the underrated Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, however it does come out favorably compared to the two later movies - 2009's Salvation and 2015's Genisys. Thankfully what Dark Fate does do right is ignore anything that happened after T2 and is happily a sequel to that 1991 classic.

For me it commits the crime that all CGI heavy blockbusters do nowadays, be it Marvel, Fast and Furious or whatever by throwing literally everything at the screen assaulting the viewer in what are now almost cartoon like action set pieces and this film commits that crime with it's big finale. A finale that doesn't come close in my opinion to a freeway set piece much earlier in the movie and it in itself is a mess when compared to the driving set pieces in Judgment Day and Rise of the Machines.

The films other issue for me is that bar an early appearance that lasts just a few seconds the main reason i have for watching these films, their star Arnold Schwarzenegger, doesn't show up for an hour, but when he does the film becomes so much more compulsive viewing. Schwarzenegger may be getting on a bit these days but he's still a superstar and very much a screen presence, in fact so much more than anyone else in this film including Linda Hamilton although she's also very good and their scenes together are always captivating.

Of the other main actors, Mackenzie Davis and Natalia Reyes were fine but Diego Lunas as the big bad Rev-9 Terminator had me longing for Robert Patrick from T2 who played a similar role with far more steely determination and a stronger fear factor. I'm not even going to go into the John Connor debate. Let's just say that due to the current climate the pandering to diversity wins out over actual plot development.

I didn't dislike this film at all, in fact i rather enjoyed it and much preferred it to the other cartoon like blockbuster movies i've watched recently (Birds of Prey and Wonder Woman 1984) but it doesn't hold a candle to the first two films and makes me wonder if i'll ever return to it when i could watch two stone cold classics instead.

[MrBarlow]

Don't Leave Home. 2018.

Artist Melanie creates sculptures based on missing people, she is hired by a Irish painter to do sculpture on a religious artifact that he once painted for a family and their daughter who mysteriously disappeared.

This was a intriguing little number, there is no gore or violence, just based on somewhat haunting psychology and more what is real and what is imaginary, like looking into some one's nightmare. The film is very slow paced but does pay off in the end, with some decent acting from the main cast, this is definitely one to watch with no distractions and a open mind.

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[Dave Boy]

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MAD MAX 2 (1981)

Excellent sequel. You know, when watching this movie I began thinking of the time when action sequences like in this movie were filmed for real.
Real stunts, car crashes, fire and explosions. The huge explosion of the refinary was awesome. The time and effort to rig that explosion. There is no way now that would be filmed for real, it would be CGI.
Some movies I have seen, you can tell straight away that it is CGI fire or an explosion.
Like the original movie, all real driving stunts and crashes..
What the hell has happened to modern movie making? "sigh"

[trebor8273]

A archaeologist along with his daughter are hunted by a group of Gargoyles after stealing a skull and a corpse. Obviously made for tv and despite it's short comings I enjoyed it. Watch out for a young Scott Glenn in a early role.



Enjoyed it more than I thought I would, not as good as the original but enjoyable , here it's straight out horror with none of little comedy. Biggest changes are too the Evil Ed character whom is quite annoying and unlikable here and Peter Vincent is now a Vegas showman/ illusionist. Watch out for Chris Sarandon in a cameo.



After a tragic fire at a local bar , a number of bizzare and gruesome deaths take place . Nothing great but enjoyable enough .




Gordons professional career is cut short just before he is about to be sent too the major leagues. He is soon approached to coach the Ducks once again whom are representing America in the junior goodwill games, new members are added to the team which have to learn to get along but the greatest threat to them is the Icelandic team. Think I liked this more than the first.


Next up.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Deadly Friend (1986)

A lesser effort from director Wes Craven in that it's not as popular as say A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Hills Have Eyes and of course Scream, but Deadly Friend is still a whole lot of fun.

The film follows teenage computer genius Matthew Laborteaux, as he transplants a hard drive of a sadly destroyed robot (Think Johnny 5 levels of awesomeness) into the brain of his girlfriend, accidentally killed by her abusive father. Kristy Swanson plays the girl who then goes on a neighbourhood killing spree.

This seems like Craven's riff on both Frankenstein and the previous years Re-Animator with it's ideas and whilst it lacks a little in genuine scares there's a lot to enjoy here, especially one of the craziest kill sequences in 80's horror as Swanson does away with a nasty crone across the street using a basketball, and it all culminates in a wild finale in a morgue.

[gag]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Deadly Friend (1986)

A lesser effort from director Wes Craven in that it's not as popular as say A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Hills Have Eyes and of course Scream, but Deadly Friend is still a whole lot of fun.

The film follows teenage computer genius Matthew Laborteaux, as he transplants a hard drive of a sadly destroyed robot (Think Johnny 5 levels of awesomeness) into the brain of his girlfriend, accidentally killed by her abusive father. Kristy Swanson plays the girl who then goes on a neighbourhood killing spree.

This seems like Craven's riff on both Frankenstein and the previous years Re-Animator with it's ideas and whilst it lacks a little in genuine scares there's a lot to enjoy here, especially one of the craziest kill sequences in 80's horror as Swanson does away with a nasty crone across the street using a basketball, and it all culminates in a wild finale in a morgue.

Wes Craven made a few lesser films but just as enjoyable in they’re on way.

[MrBarlow]

Amityville: The Awakening. 2017.

Joan a single mother moves to 112 Ocean Avenue house with her two daughters and comatose son, Joan is aware of what happened in the house 40 years prior, soon her oldest daughter Belle discovers the secret and what may be her mother's intentions of living there.

This was a strange one with the plot, I thought this was a sequel yet it mentions both original and remake of the film, it seems like the house was empty after The Lutz family fled and by passes the sequels that were made, even at the start when we see the inside of the house you know all hell is going break loose.

Jennifer Jason Leigh plays Joan who is desperate for her son to get well and tries to do what any parent would do and be closer to the best help for her child. This was a lot better than the spin off movies I watched earlier this year with some good jumps scenes added in and some good visual effects, worth a watch.

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[gag]

Run Netflix

This has been getting decent and reasonable reviews online, IMDb, letterboxd etc,

A nifty little thriller about a mums love for her daughter, only a little too much.
Her daughter was born prematurely, fast forward 17yrs Chloe wheelchair bound with lots of health problems ( the girl who plays Chloe kiera Allen uses a wheelchair in real life first person for that type of role with the disability in 70yrs)
It also helps with the suspense and atmosphere in the film,
She is the second female wheelchair-using actress to star in a suspense film. The first was Susan Peters in 1948..
It's slowly paced we'll made and acted and the music score helps give it suspense, tension, and atmosphere, something happens that makes Chloe suspect that her mums up to / or hiding something, it then becomes like a cat and mouse of Chloe trying to find out what? There's a few elements of Stephen king style of misery in it, but can't say much more without giving the storyline away, but it's definitely a film that's recommend and shines above vast majority of films today.

[Graveyard]

This is a kind of hammer movie, I didn't expect to see. A nice thriller with a acid jazz soundtrack.

The main character can be a little annoying sometimes, but still worth a watch.