What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS - . It's commonly spoken of as John Carpenter's 'last good film, but they'll be saying that about 'The Ward' in a couple of years.

I like The Ward. I've seen it a couple of times and really enjoyed it on both occasions.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Kelly's Heroes (1970)

Donald Sutherland was a damn fine actor and appeared in some damn fine films from early horrors such as Fanatic and Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (both 1965) to major roles in the like of Klute (1971), The Eagle Has Landed (1976), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) and the wonderful Eye of the Needle (1981). In fact he never stopped working right up until his death with his career gaining resurgences in the 90's with the likes of Outbreak, A Time to Kill and Space Cowboys and the 2010's with The Hunger Games series.

Yet my favourite role of his has always been that of the spaced out tank commander 'Oddball' in Brian G Hutton's brilliant, funny, action packed classic WWII heist movie Kelly's Heroes.

The absurdity in his eyes as he delivered lines such as "I'm drinking wine and eating some cheese and catching some rays...you know!" whilst literally doing just that in the midst of battle is something to behold.

It's cinema like this that keep people alive across the decades, farewell Donald Sutherland.

Burning bridges last forevermore.

[MrBarlow]

The Game. 1997.

Second Michael Douglas film for today, here he plays wealthy banker Nicholas "Nick" Van Orton who isn't exactly a nice person, Sean Penn is the little brother who gives him a birthday present, a card with a company logo o participate in a mysterious game. Nick accepts the challenge but what starts out as something small leads to something big.

David Fincher created a tone when he made Se7en that kept the attention of the audience, here he manages to create that same tone with twist after twist after twist. What you see is a man put through his paces and just when things start to go right we are given a unexpected curve ball right to the end then we are given another curve ball. Throughout the film the acting is great from everyone on board and some dark humour with the name "Seymour Butts" that made me instantly think of The Simpsons, there is humour in this but just mostly dark humour that doesn't derail the film off the track. One to watch but not over and over.

large_reLfX4fIasqLXCdgZ7vnnYWYhe3.jpg

[MrBarlow]

Catacombs. 1988.

A monk is possessed and is sealed into the catacombs of a monastery in the 17th century and is kept known to the monks about what went on the usual denial when someone brings it up and is told it happened somewhere else. Jump forward a few centuries and a young woman comes along to do research and the demon is awoken.

Monastery's are meant to be a place of sanctuary yet still has it's secrets, how the monk was possessed is never explained and the battle to free the monk at the start goes t@ts up which is what we would expect and released very easily. The acting is not that bad for this and some do take the film serious enough to not make too cheesy and possibly inspired one or two movies and borrows some elements from other films. This is not one of those masterpiece movies but certainly entertaining enough to enjoy.

curse-iv-3.jpg

[MrBarlow]

Beetlejuice. 1988.

Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis play a happy married couple The Maitlands until they unexpectedly die and now family Catherine O'Hara' Jefferey Jones, Wynona Ryder and Glenn Shadix move in and the couple want them out and turn to bio-exorcist Michael Keaton who becomes more troublesome than the couple wanted.

Michael Keaton plays the lead character and isn't on screen much but when he is, he steals the show thanks to Tim Burton's creative direction and comedic writing that makes you love the character even more. The film does have strange humour and dark comedy that makes this still laughable today. Seeing Beetleguise pop up on the tv when the Maitlands try to block a door and you know your in for plenty of laughs.

nnl6OWkyPpuMm595hmAxNW3rZFn.jpg

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Die Screaming, Marianne (1971)

Marianne, (Susan George) a nightclub dancer, is on the run from her father, a retired corrupt judge as played brilliantly by Leo Genn, who lives in a villa in Portugal with Marianne's half-sister Hildegarde (Judy Huxtable). In order to get their hands on Marianne's inheritance from her mother on her upcoming 21st birthday the judge will stop at nothing to make sure Marianne gives it all over to him...or something.

I think i enjoyed this more last night than previous viewings. helped no doubt by the new 2K restoration on 88 Films Blu-ray which meant outdoors scenes on the Portuguese coast (Of which there are hundreds) look superb.

Walker seems heavily influenced by the Italian giallo thrillers of the time rather than any typical British thriller, especially with it's delightfully lurid title. Although there's a lot going on here much does appear to be style over substance even if much of that style - including a desperate finale as George attempts to claw her way out of a boiling sauna juxtaposed with Genn losing control of his car on a dangerous coastal road - is well crafted.

Despite this delicious ending Die Screaming, Marianne lacks thrills for the most part and much of it feels flat and disjointed. Thankfully the main cast of George, Genn, Huxtable, the likable Barry Evans and the less likable Chris Sandford are all watchable enough to just about maintain interest throughout.

[MrBarlow]

The First Omen. 2024.

Nell Tiger Free plays a young nun Sister Margaret, sent to Rome to work in a orphanage, while there she is concerned about a young girl Carlita who has drawn the attention of another priest and dwells into her background.

To some the Omen is a classic well to me it is anyway and we are given little explanation at the start of the film but then as the film goes on it explains Damien and the Anti-Christ. Here we get to see the lead up to the birth of Damien. The film doesn't rely on jump scares and goes in depth of psychological and does have a homage to The Omen with two kills that are similar.

Right at the start we are thrown in with Ralph Ineson playing a young Father Brennan and his character role that leads up to warning to Robert Thorn and his son. All the characters are well written including Bill Nighy playing the Archbishop. The way the film is made is does give us a curveball then another then the twist to WTF. This was different to what I had expected but certainly worth a watch.

movie_image_1857.jpg

[Justin101]

Weirdly, I was going to watch that last night but felt too hot and bothered so I watched Wayne?s World for the 500th time instead

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Barbarian Queen (1995)

Boring is not a word that can be used to describe Barbarian Queen. Clunky, cheap and devoid of acting talent it may be but boring it is not. In fact it's slender 70 min run time absolutely flies by.

Lana Clarkson gives her all and handles the numerous fight scenes as gamely as she does being tied naked to a rack and tortured. As for the rest of the cast? Well memorable isn't a word that springs to mind but they all look great in their animal skin bikinis (the gals) and loincloths (the guys).

Plots may come and go but big breasted warrior women kicking ass are really all i came to see so in that respect Barbarian Queen is quite a recommendation.

[nicholasrope]

Originally Posted by Justin101

Weirdly, I was going to watch that last night but felt too hot and bothered so I watched Wayne?s World for the 500th time instead

Been there, I remember planning to watch Snake In A Eagle's Shadow, one Saturday Night during Lockdown, it was that blooming hot, I switched to Under Siege and it was a really enjoyable evening