What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Demoncrat]

Sudel Bolong (1982, Sisworo Guatama Putra)

Another take on this Indonesian legend. Yet again, a family is plagued with the bint with severe lumbar problems ahem. Less showy than other retellings, this still had moments of sheer lunacy as befitted the source material.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

A superb modern blockbuster. Well scripted with thrilling aerial sequences and a great cast.

Filmed in dual aspect ratios - the flying sequences are full screen 1.90:1 and look amazing - with an incredible Dolby Atmos surround sound track which is brilliantly immersive.

A wonderful cinematic antidote to the constant deluge of superhero films.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

I've just seen a 'like' JHarker gave me for a post back in August. It was a follow on post from his Top Gun: Maverick review. A review that finished by saying the film was 'An event' rather than a 'Time passer' and i wholeheartedly agree.

I was loving it the same way i loved other event films when i first saw them.

I don't get the same buzz from seeing many films of the so-called blockbuster variety nowadays.

The last one was probably Jurassic World (2015) with it's shameless dino smackdown of a finale.

Speaking of which...

[J Harker]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I've just seen a 'like' JHarker gave me for a post back in August. It was a follow on post from his Top Gun: Maverick review. A review that finished by saying the film was 'An event' rather than a 'Time passer' and i wholeheartedly agree.

I was loving it the same way i loved other event films when i first saw them.

I don't get the same buzz from seeing many films of the so-called blockbuster variety nowadays.

The last one was probably Jurassic World (2015) with it's shameless dino smackdown of a finale.

Speaking of which...

Yes mate. Your positive review inspired me to go back and dig out my thoughts on the film. I realised I'd neglected to acknowledge your response.
I'm glad you enjoyed it Dem, it provided one of the best cinema experiences I've had in some time. The only other in recent months was Thor, Love and Arsefodder. My tweaking of the title will tell you what I thought.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

...Sadly can't compete. There's too much going on, too many characters, too many strands of a story which actually isn't all that interesting anyway.

It's main issue was that in extended cut form (I haven't seen the theatrical cut yet) two hours and forty minutes is far too long.

The dinosaurs are pretty much relegated to a back seat because of the need to give the main cast of every Jurassic film to date (Plus newbies) something to do and enough screen time to do it.

Having said that it was a joy as a fan of the films to see the return of Sam Neil, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum even though Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard have been fine top lining the first two Jurassic World films and were equally fine here.

It lacked the spectacle to make it a truly great blockbuster with only two set pieces standing out in the whole 160 minutes - The chase through the Maltese streets and the final smackdown which was fun and needed even if it lacked the sheer joy of the one in the first JW film.

My overall feeling as the credits rolled was one of satisfaction and enjoyment but it took a while for those feelings to hit me full in the face.

[Dave Boy]

come_to_the_stable_UKquad.jpg
COME TO THE STABLE (1949)

Two french Nuns travel to a small town in New England called Bethlehem. Here they try to raise money to build a childrens hospital.
The movie follows the two as they attempt to buy land and property.

I stumbled across this movie and real glad I did. I thought it was a great movie. The Nuns are so likable and the movie is a drama with a lot of humour along the way because of the situations they get in. To everyones surprise, the Nuns drive around in a Jeep as one of the Sisters drove one in WWII.
Great Christmas movie and one I will be visiting from now on.



Murder_by_Proxy_poster.jpg
MURDER BY PROXY (1954)

While drunk and with no cash, a man accepts money to marry a girl.
He wakes up in a strange appartment, with the girl gone and blood on his coat. He sees a news paper with the girl he met on the cover. She has gone missing and the girls father has been murdered.
He sets out to clear his name and unravel the mystery.

Early Hammer Film directed by Terence Fisher.
Lots going on in this movie. You have to concentrate on all the story strands and even then you lose the plot of what the hell is going on!

[Frankie Teardrop]

Get a couple more in before we run out of year.

BLOODY BLOODY BIBLE CAMP – This slasher homage is full of pretty yucky humour, the kind I usually can’t stand, so I was surprised that I liked it. You can tell what happens from the title alone – some kids go to a bible camp plagued by a past full of mystery slashings, then find that history repeats itself. After a graphic curtain raiser, we’re forced to put up with an hour’s worth of irritating pricks and priestly Reggie Banister before a splattery denouement with Ron Jeremy as Jesus. It works because of its relentlessly nasty attitude and obsessive vulgarity, kind of like John Waters on an off day doing a Troma movie and somehow everything working out. And a slightly weird thing is that, even though it’s a modern day HD cheapie, there are points when somehow the look and feel of a genuine shadowy eighties slasher come through, with accompanying nihilistic tonal shift.

MUTANT HUNT – Ignorant Frankie Teardrop recently misattributed a Tim Kincaid flick (the awesome ‘Breeders’) to David DeCocteau in one of his typically sloppy write-ups, so, if you’re out there Tim, I’m back, ready and willing to compensate with a glowing appraisal of your pile of trash, ‘Mutant Hunt’. I mean that as a sincere compliment, because ‘Mutant Hunt’ is wild. There’s almost too much giddiness to even make a start, but let me try to summarise – a hot Judith Hann imitator decked out in what resembles a kinky suicide vest wants to ignite an uprising of homicidal cyborgs whilst another villain does something else and a guy with a Pat Sharp hairdo tries to stop them both. That’s the skeleton, but the meat on this turkey is beyond ripe. Lines full of bad poetry spill from every mouth before their owners end up in fight scenes that look like they were choreographed by the residents of a retirement home. People run around and do the same things over and over as if they’re in an endless bad dream, one full of gloopy android melt-downs, stiffs in shades and the world’s most pointless special effect, an arm elongation you could probably do yourself with a cardboard tube and a rubber hand. The film looks as cheap as f@ck and yet its scumminess is awesome, deriving as it does from the dereliction of eighties New York, a harsh place to be no doubt but so atmospheric when captured on equally grotty celluloid. And despite the complete shoestring, there’s an undeniable aesthetic driving it – the sets, abandoned warehouse interiors decorated with mannequin parts, are flooded with primary hues, as if a foundation art class were trying to imitate Bava. Awesome – there, I’ve used that word three times in one write-up, it must be good. Actually it’s awful, but you know that already, and you know whether it’ll hook you or whether you’ll just toddle off and put on another Halloween sequel. Yet another film that’s an acquired taste, but that’s what it’s all about. The Blu ray from VS looks impeccable, vivid and swarming with unhealthy grain (in the best possible way).

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Lust for a Vampire (1971)

A finishing school for young women provides the location for this sequel to The Vampire Lovers (1970) Sadly for everyone involved said school is right next to the ruined Karnstein Castle where the nefarious Count Karnstein is about to bring back the vampire Carmilla.

Something tried and trusted that i'd not seen on Blu-ray before for Christmas Eve.

Lust For a Vampire is a bit of a rerun of The Vampire Lovers (1970) although not quite as good. Lacking the presence of any Hammer regulars - ie Cushing or Lee, the film feels like a rush job in a way. Mike Raven stands in for Christopher Lee, mainly because he looks a bit like him, although the producers opted to use shots of Lee's eyes in key sequences and probably most galling for Raven.

The most memorable sequence involves the blood soaked resurrection of Carmilla, delightfully played by Yutte Stensgaard, erotic and creepy all in one, it's one of the iconic scenes in Hammer's celebrated history. As well as Yutte the film has a high quota of beautiful women, with Suzanna Leigh as the films heroine and Pippa Steel, Judy Matheson and Luan Peters as members of the school resplendent in flowing white robes throughout.

Grisly moments rear their head throughout the film and it comes across as less of a Gothic horror than Hammer's first real plunge into exploitation, a plunge which ignores Hammer's previous vampire lore such as how can vampires walk around in broad daylight?

Having said that Lust For a Vampire is a film i've watched a lot over the years. It is sexy and it is fun and director Jimmy Sangster always keeps things interesting in that comforting Hammer sense - torch wielding mobs and so on look so much better on Blu-ray.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

Get a couple more in before we run out of year.

BLOODY BLOODY BIBLE CAMP – This slasher homage is full of pretty yucky humour, the kind I usually can’t stand, so I was surprised that I liked it. You can tell what happens from the title alone – some kids go to a bible camp plagued by a past full of mystery slashings, then find that history repeats itself. After a graphic curtain raiser, we’re forced to put up with an hour’s worth of irritating pricks and priestly Reggie Banister before a splattery denouement with Ron Jeremy as Jesus. It works because of its relentlessly nasty attitude and obsessive vulgarity, kind of like John Waters on an off day doing a Troma movie and somehow everything working out. And a slightly weird thing is that, even though it’s a modern day HD cheapie, there are points when somehow the look and feel of a genuine shadowy eighties slasher come through, with accompanying nihilistic tonal shift.

I have this on dvd. It's title is changed to Sin (How original) for the UK.

Certainly one that i consider a keeper.

[Frankie Teardrop]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I have this on dvd. It's title is changed to Sin (How original) for the UK.

Certainly one that i consider a keeper.

I remember reading your review actually, I think it tipped me into getting it. Ditto on it being a keeper, although I didn't know it had a UK release, and frankly I was surprised to see it on blu in various territories.