What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[MrBarlow]

Malatesta's Carnival Of Blood. 1973.

This was a bit of a oddball horror, a family take up work in a carnival to seek answers on a missing child, what they don't realise what they are getting into with the owner. There isn't much of a plot and seems to go up and down in bits even with Hervé Villechaize showing up giving out some random quotes that can seem to be a laugh. It does have a creepy atmospheric tone around it from start to finish and I enjoyed it.

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[MrBarlow]

Dark August. 1976.

A girl is run over, her father puts a curse on the man and now he seeks help.

This was a slow burner from start to finish yet had me wondering what will happen, will the guy ever be rid of the curse or will it befall him, just when you thought he might be free then the film swings a curve ball in the way and it's like magic versus magic. The acting may not be the greatest but gotta admire the scenery of Velmont. This doesn't much on the jump scare but more in depth of paranoia and torment.

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[nicholasrope]

Originally Posted by MrBarlow

Halloween Kills. 2021.

Evil dies tonight...I'm gonna be saying that when I sleep I just know it. surely by now the man in the mask would have met his maker but the makers decided to let him have one more round, this time not with Laurie but with Tommy and a lynch mob.

So Michael survived the fire...sorry spoiler there, where he was hiding surely the shutters were metal and would have heated up and burned his hands? To survive a fire all you need is a William Shatner mask as that seems to be a good breathing apparatus. Clothes a little black but really not burned, I have worn overalls like him and believe me they aren't fire resistant.

Laurie, Karen, and Allyson arrive at the hospital, I thought Halloween II but the makers swung it in a different direction but more like Lynch Mob HQ, at least Kyle Richards, Nancy Stephens and Charles Cyphers return to their roles 40 years later. Anthony Michael Hall takes on the role as Tommy, I'm not sure if it's Hall's acting or he was told to overact but he piratically became annoying to the point of, Michael please whack him out. Jamie Lee Curtis and Will Patton share some screen time together and able to have a laugh. There was some subtle notions taken from the previous films that doesn't actually drag on and some guilt ridden conscience that harbours over a character. Maybe I can try and warm up to this one.

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The main problem I had with it was that they made him to be supernatural. I believe if I remember correctly that Jamie Lee Curtis's character mentions it at the end.

I rather enjoyed the 2018 version and I'm interested in the 3rd part.

[nicholasrope]

Sing

Animation which sees a Koala Bear run a singing competition which involves a Pig, Porcupine, Elephant and a Mouse. It's rather amusing.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Movie as good as before, I purchased the Blu-Ray because I was interested in the features. Got a good Easter Egg reveal which will make things interesting for the next time, I watch it and it does mention how they managed to incorporate Harold Ramis at the end. This was what I was after however I was hoping for more of a tribute.

Sing 2

Some of the main characters are back and this time they are doing a stage show in an equivalent of Las Vegas. Not as good as the original but if you are afraid of heights, they actually do a scene you may not like lol.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Amityville II: The Possession (1982)

Although superior to the dull 1979 film this is pretty unremarkable stuff. Basically a prequel it tells of the murders that turned the Amityville house into a home for ghostly squatters.

At times Italian director Damiano Damiani gives the film a more European feel than expected with some nicely crafted prowling camera work but for the most this is standard supernatural stuff until we get to the finale when some brilliant gory special effects work kick in in gloriously graphic spaghetti style.


Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)

Probably the least John Carpenter style film i've ever seen. Last night was my second viewing (The first was on a plane way, way back). It's certainly very enjoyable, Chevy Chase, as always is good with the comedic aspects of the production and i laughed a few times, however i do think he's less successful as leading man / action hero material.

Carpenter ensures the action zips along and some of the effects are genuinely excellent, plus Sam Neill makes for a fun sneery villain, but this is as mainstream as John Carpenter gets so don't expect anything remotely resembling the classic Invisible Man film from the forties.

[MrBarlow]

The Child. 1977.

A film I have never managed to watch all the way through and tonight I managed it with a little help from my friend Caffeine and managed to enjoy it a bit better than I thought.

Set in the middle of somewhere or nowhere a woman takes up a job as a nanny to a 11 year old Rosalie who has a secret, she is friends with the dead who look after her. This does seem a bit low budget but does has a doom and gloom atmosphere that blends in well with a 70s horror film. The first half is more slow character building then takes a turn and becomes a decent chiller, I feel bad that I have avoided this for a long time, yet it may not be for everyone's taste.

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[MrBarlow]

Blood Of The Vampire. 1958.

Why do I feel I have watched a Hammer Horror Rip-Off from American International Pictures about a so called tale of vampires yet there are no vampires in this, this should have been called "The blood of the victims".

Aside from all that above, this was interesting, Mad scientist performing experiments with a deformed assistant (slight rip-off from Frankenstein), nice Gothic toned prison atmosphere and a plot that manages to stay on it's path without going off the rails with some decent acting, one that i may watch again at some point.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The Girl on the Bridge (1999)

Utterly charming tale of a middle aged carnival knife thrower who talks the lovely Vanessa Paradis out of throwing herself from a Paris bridge and persuades her to be his assistant in his knife throwing act.

A film about relationships, both Paradis and Daniel Auteuil are terrific as the story examines their deepening feelings for one another although this is slightly hampered by Paradis shagging anyone she can get at each of their ports of call during a tour of the south of France.

Marianne Faithful warbles away on the soundtrack and the gorgeous black and white cinematography gives the air of a classic forties romance in this elegant, amusing, dreamy treat.

[MrBarlow]

Battle Royale. 2000.

Education fails, students running riots, the Japanese government creates the B.R. Act, class of pupils are selected and forced onto a deserted island for three days, one objective: Kill each other till one student is remaining.

Based on the novel by Koushun Takami which Japan's government tried to ban and failed, Kinji Fukasaku made the film which was also attempted to be banned and again failed. Right from the start we are thrown into the film with a game been played and a little girl having a sinister smile while reporters stating she has survived.

What the makers did was add in a memorable actor Takeshi Kitano as the teacher who has no guilt on sending the kids to their death and even kills two before the game starts before doing knifing a student as he had that done to him. As from having the good blood splatter, there is a good piece of drama placed in when the students are called out and a few stating they are still friends with a nice bit of a good background score. All the way through the acting and cinematography is done brilliantly .

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[trebor8273]

Originally Posted by MrBarlow

Battle Royale. 2000.

Education fails, students running riots, the Japanese government creates the B.R. Act, class of pupils are selected and forced onto a deserted island for three days, one objective: Kill each other till one student is remaining.

Based on the novel by Koushun Takami which Japan's government tried to ban and failed, Kinji Fukasaku made the film which was also attempted to be banned and again failed. Right from the start we are thrown into the film with a game been played and a little girl having a sinister smile while reporters stating she has survived.

What the makers did was add in a memorable actor Takeshi Kitano as the teacher who has no guilt on sending the kids to their death and even kills two before the game starts before doing knifing a student as he had that done to him. As from having the good blood splatter, there is a good piece of drama placed in when the students are called out and a few stating they are still friends with a nice bit of a good background score. All the way through the acting and cinematography is done brilliantly .

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Which of the 10000 arrow versions did you watch!