What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Demoncrat]

The Third Saturday In October V (2023)

Meta slasher caper.
It's Antrum time again, as the orginal film is oooh, missing. This is the 4th sequel from 1994
Or is it?
These modern takes on the genre beginning with s are a mixed bag, but this one kept my interest, it's quite grotty in places etc and some of the dialogue made me smile. Aping MBV severely in structure, this one rattled along without much drag.
Undemanding.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Wild Card (2015)

When you have Simon West, the director of Con Air (1997) and 2012's The Expendables 2 among others teamed up with action star Jason Statham, the William Goldman scripted Wild Card isn't probably the film you think you'll get.

Instead of a potential action classic Wild Card is a Las Vegas set neo-Noir thriller about a reformed gambling addict who falls foul of the mob and hits the tables for one last round before they catch up with him.

Of course there's a few action scenes - all hand to hand fighting - and they are suitably violent but it's really a character piece, a drama with huge swathes of dialogue that you wouldn't normally expect 'The Stath' to come out with. There are some entertaining turns from Stanley Tucci, Milo Ventimiglia, Anne Heche and Hope Davis which give the film some mileage in the drama department, and i always love Las Vegas as a backdrop to movies.

Wild Card. Definitely not the film you think you'll get but i really like it. One to rank alongside Blitz (2011) and Hummingbird (2013) as an atypical Jason Statham film.

[Demoncrat]

Isn't it a remake of the Burt Reynolds flick Heat ?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

Isn't it a remake of the Burt Reynolds flick Heat ?

I believe so although i have never seen it.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Model for Murder (1959)

Keith Andes plays an American sailor in London who is drawn into a dastardly plot by Mayfair dress designer Michael Gough and his crooked chauffeur Edwin Richfield to steal valuable jewellery loaned to his salon for models including Hammer icon Hazel Court to wear on the runways of the West End.

A decent crime thriller this which may have been an influence on the classic Mario Bava Giallo Blood and Black Lace (1964) in that the opening half hour is very similar with one of the models murdered in the darkened fashion house and the police investigation taking place there with everyone a suspect.

The second half of the film is more crime orientated with Richfield carrying out the devious plan with accomplice Alfred Burke whilst smarmy Gough provides alibi's for them as Andes and Court try to uncover the plot.

Network's dvd presentation looks stunning and complements a very enjoyable slice of Brit Noir.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995)

Director Gary Fleder's dark, witty and cool take on the gangster heist gone wrong movie initially marked him out as one to watch but he never came close to the brilliance of this again.

The irrepressibly cool Andy Garcia plays Jimmy 'The Saint' a retired mobster who is called back by his former boss 'The Man with the Plan' (Christopher Walken in subdued but still chilling form) to do one last job. When it goes spectacularly wrong Garcia and his four associates (Christopher Lloyd, Bill Nunn, William Forsythe, Treat Williams) find themselves the targets of Walken's hit man Mr Shhh (Steve Buscemi)

As good as the story is and as visciously violent as it is, it's the wonderfully rich dialogue that propels this film along together with it's oddball characters and offbeat casting best represented by the now sadly departed Williams. His character the wonderfully memorable 'Critical Bill' has lines to kill for throughout this production.

The comparisons to Tarantino are inevitable and ill informed because this is a classic in it's own right despite the fact it was shockingly ignored on it's release but one i managed to see at the cinema and once again on dvd last night.

I would be desperate for a Blu-ray but seeing as it was produced and owned by (Rather than simply distributed) a certain jailbird i'm not holding my breath. See Dogma (1999) as another prime example of something we'll never get on Blu-ray.

[MrBarlow]

Deepstar Six. 1989.

The first of underwater marine life with a strange alien encounter to come out before The Abyss and Leviathan. Here we have a naval team setting up nuclear missiles and uncover a cave with a sleepy monster that wakes up and probably not in the best of moods.

Sean S. Cunningham takes the directors chair with this little sci-fi horror with a decent star cast who try to do the best they can with whats been given to them. Chris Walas designed the creature that part of it looks like a revamp of his design from The Fly II with a slight adjustment with the head and adding a tail. This is one I was not overly keen on as Leviathan and The Abyss have been watched a lot more but this is becoming a guilty pleasure to watch.

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[Demoncrat]

Beau Is Afraid (2023, Ari Aster)

It didn't feel like 3 hours, I will say that.
JP better be careful or he will corner the market for touchy weirdos
Ahem.
The same problem that I had with the last two ... I have with this.
Make of that what you will.
Visually he acquits himself again. The pictures would have been fun, I'll say that and no more.

[MrBarlow]

Homefront. 2013.

Jason Statham plays retired DEA agent living the peaceful life with his daughter until she stands up to a bully and things go pear shaped when her uncle the local drug lord James Franco steps in with his cronies and upsets the balance of a peaceful life.

Co written and produced by Sly Stallone, with a decent cast of Kate Bosworth as the school bully's mum who runs to her brother when her son gets knocked down by a girl. Clancy Brown as the Sheriff who makes people's business his need to know and takes a back hand at stuff. The film starts off well as to why Jason decided to retire and builds up well with Franco keeping calm with hooker Winona Ryder, some good decent fight scenes and a nice final act of Jason going full blown on the drug operation.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Boogie Woogie (2009)

An interesting, at times blackly comic look at a group of high rollers in the London art world.

A stellar ensemble cast, a funny script with some genuinely laugh out loud moments, drugs, sex, Boogie Woogie is a refreshing look at what could be construed as a pretentious and stuffy subject.

I liked this once again.