What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[MrBarlow]

The Last Heist. 2016.

A bank that's closing down is targeted by a gang of robbers, what should be a straightforward robbery takes a turn when a customer turns out to be a wanted serial killer.

This may be a low budget action/thriller movie with some suspense but when you have a serial killer who wants a moment of your time then it may be a good ride. Ok the robbers plan a good pay off heist but when they are being knocked off one at a time it's either bail out or team up but that never quite happens. Henry Rollins does manage to keep this from sliding off the tracks.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Standoff (2016)

A young girl unwittingly takes photos of an assassin (Laurence Fishburne) doing a hit at a cemetery during a funeral. Realising he's been seen he pursues the child to a nearby farmhouse where she finds the sanctity of former soldier Thomas Jane.

To give Standoff credit where it's due it's title doesn't lie. This is basically Laurence Fishburne's hitman at the bottom of the stairs and Thomas Jane's troubled combat veteran and the girl at the top of the stairs in what could easily have been a fifties quickie studio western.

Admittedly the premise kind of works except not for the whole ninety minute movie. There is suspense but it's difficult to sustain. Fishburne and Jane are easily good enough to hold the whole thing together and are capably aided by Ella Ballentine as the girl but the lack of anything substantial happening for the seventy minutes taking place at the top and bottom of the staircase means the film seems repetitive. Having said that the film is well directed and the characters well realised with the dialogue believable whilst the three leads mean it's never boring, but due to it's single location and lack of action i doubt i'll revisit this again.

[Dave Boy]

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SOMEWHERE IN TIME (1980)

Christopher Reeve travels back in time to 1912 after seeing a picture of an actress (Jane Seymour) in a hotel archive.
This is a realy good movie. Romantic, tear jerking and another excellent score by John Barry.

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BRONCO BILLY (1980)

Good fun movie which for me carries with it some nostalgia.
I saw this movie at the cinema while on holiday in Weymouth with my parents. I can tell you the exact date. Tues 5th August 1980.
I wrote some dates down of films I saw in my 'Star Wars Stormtrooper Manual'!
Two days later I saw The Empire Strikes Back at the same cinema.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Hot Enough for June (1964)

Dirk Bogarde plays an out of work writer recruited by British Intelligence to be a courier in Czechoslovakia. (He thinks he's got a job with a glass company) It's not long before the Czechs are onto him and have him under surveillance from the lovely Sylva Koscina.

A spy spoof released the same year as Goldfinger, this is slight but still a bit of fun and even has a Bond joke during the first ten minutes which is nicely done. The Czech locations are good and give the film authenticity whilst Bogarde cheerfully sends up his own image of the period as much as that of James Bond. However Robert Morley steals the show (When doesn't he always?) as the British Intelligence boss - think M from the Bond films, but you you know, it's Robert Morley.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The Sea Wolf (1941)

"Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven.”

A cracking nautical melodrama from soon to be Casablanca (1942) director Michael Curtiz in which Edward G. Robinson plays the tormented captain of a seal hunting ship - eerily titled The Ghost - who takes on board rescued writer Alexander Knox and escaped convict Ida Lupino.

Based on the book by Jack London this grips throughout as Robinson seems to enjoy breaking the spirits of his crew before mutiny ensues. It's a wonderfully complex performance as you both hate him and feel sorry for him at the same time all the while not being able to take your eyes off him. At times this borders on horror with the cruelty he serves up.

The film is beautifully atmospheric with swirling sea fogs and great photography and lighting, basically a Film Noir at sea as the aptly named Ghost slips in and out of fog banks - i thought about John Carpenter's film a lot whilst watching this.

Part of the HMV Premium Collection. This is well worth checking out.

[trebor8273]

Old ghost face is at it again bumping people of at the filming of stab 3 with the gole of getting Sydney out of hiding , just what does this ghost face want with Sid?

While not a patch on the first two and comes of a little rushed was still fun to be had even if the new characters are mostly unlikable but we still have the trio of Sid, Gale and depending how you look at it the very unlucky or luck Dewy!

Now watching

[iank]

I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle. Neil Morrisey buys a secondhand bike, unaware it got bloodied when a bunch of bikers attacked a bunch of Satanists, and soon finds he's purchased more than a lemon... he's purchased a bike with an insatiable thirst for blood! This very silly 1990 British comedic horror spoof is practically a Boon movie, with Morrissey in the lead and Michael Elphick and David Daker both in the cast as cops. Very silly, very odd, but strangely watchable.

[MrBarlow]

Black Sabbath. 1963.

A anthology of tales presented by Boris Karloff.

A nurse steals a ring from the body of a dead medium only for her to be tormented.

A woman receives obscene calls from a man she believed to be dead.

A count stumbles upon a family with the intent to destroy a vampire.

I will admit the story about the woman receiving the calls is a bit weak and seemed to lack the suspense and tension. The vampire story was a bit better and does have the feel of chills especially seeing the face at the window. But the story of the nurse and the medium really did creep me the "F" out, from the start with how the medium died, the nurse trying to relieve the dead body of jewellery and then the horror starts.

The Gothic sets and atmosphere are definitely the main draw here, and the way that Bava lights up every scene with his trademark use of lighting and colours is absolutely stunning. This is certainly one of those film to watch in the dark and enjoy.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by MrBarlow

Black Sabbath. 1963.

A anthology of tales presented by Boris Korloff.



I will admit the story about the woman receiving the calls is a bit weak and seemed to lack the suspense and tension. The vampire story was a bit better and does have the feel of chills especially seeing the face at the window. But the story of the nurse and the medium really did creep me the "F" out, from the start with how the medium died, the nurse trying to relieve the dead body of jewellery and then the horror starts.

The Wurdalak is my personal favourite. In fact it's one of the best things Bava's done in my opinion. On occasions i've just watched that story and none of the others.

[MrBarlow]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

The Wurdalak is my personal favourite. In fact it's one of the best things Bava's done in my opinion. On occasions i've just watched that story and none of the others.

Korloff as the narrator is amazing even at the start but his face at the window certainly very haunting.