What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The Mummy's Curse (1944)

The fifth and indeed final film in the regular Universal Mummy series. Lon Chaney plays Kharis the mummy in once more in a film that continues on from The Mummy's Ghost (also 1944) even though the action swings from Massachusetts to Louisiana. The reason it's odd is because Kharis apparently dies in the Massachusetts swamps but is resurrected from Louisiana swampland.

Although never coming close to the classic Karloff original, both films feature the shambling mummy quite heavily which is always welcome and definitely adds to their appeal. In fact The Mummy's Curse adds a female mummy, Ananka, played by Virginia Christine, who also rises from the swamp in a stunning sequence which for me is the highlight of the film. The rest of the cast aren't what you'd call memorable although Kay Harding leaves us with a wonderful saucy look as the credits role.

Whilst this breaks no new ground it is very entertaining with it's slender 61 minute run time ensures there's no time for any filler (Other than the obligatory ancient Egypt recap) and thankfully it zips along at a fair pace.

[Dave Boy]

"The Devil's on the loose, and he's dancing with The Mummy"!

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Dave Boy

"The Devil's on the loose, and he's dancing with The Mummy"!

You were right about the scene where Ananka rises from the ground and goes into the swamp. It's terrific and i'd forgotten all about it.

I was trying to figure out how the actress breathed when she was buried in the soil. There was no obvious air line.

[Dave Boy]

According to Virginia, they buried her only leaving her face uncovered. They used burnt cork to cover her over. After a soaking with water it looks like earth.
Just before action they covered her face.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Dave Boy

According to Virginia, they buried her only leaving her face uncovered. They used burnt cork to cover her over. After a soaking with water it looks like earth.
Just before action they covered her face.

That's good to find out, cheers, Dave.

[MrBarlow]

Deep River Savages. 1972.

Ivan Rassimove plays John a photographer in Thailand and ends up being captured by a tribe, but the daughter of the chief takes a shine and slowly initiates him to join them.

The one that started all the cannibal movies and directed by Umberto Lenzi who went on to do another cannibal movie later on his career, for a film of this genre with the horror we may expect it is also touching. I never really got on well with this film and never managed to make it all the way through to the end but managed it this time. The film does drag on and the gore is very limited but you can also feel the torture of John through the initiation tests of being tied up and having spit darts at the body and tied up underneath a blazing sun. If I put my mind to it I may watch this again.

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[MrBarlow]

Axe. 1977.

Three criminals arrive at a small town and begin to torment the locals and then take a shine at a small house where a girl lives with her disabled grandfather and begin to torment them until the young girl fights back.

A small budget independent movie that appeared on the "Video Nasties" List that seemed to have nothing going for it but still manages to be entertaining. Ok the acting is lacking something but for a 65 minute run time this never drags on and still manages to hold your attention. The setting is a isolated farm house that gives off some Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibes especially with a wheelchair bound Granddad but there is no back story to the two characters but you certainly want to hold on to see how the revenge part unfolds.

Axe.jpg

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Species: The Awakening (2007)

A direct to dvd sequel with good characters and a sympathetic human / alien hybrid as well as solid direction and storytelling plus some great effects. I always enjoy Ben Cross performances and he's as good here as he was in The Unholy (1988), although as with that film it's probably best to keep him away from churches as things never go well.

Although Helena Mattson is no Natasha Henstridge she still does well in what is a pretty hard role as the hybrid however the less said about Dominic Keating's Australian accent the better.

Production values are high and director Nick Lyon also treats us to some lovely cinematography of various Mexican skylines. Meanwhile a terrific monster mash finale mean Species: The Awakening is a far better than expected fourth film in the series.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Thanksgiving (2023)

A year on from a Black Friday superstore riot that ended in tragedy a masked killer terrorizes the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts, but is there a connection to the murders?

An enjoyable if extremely slick modern slasher movie from director Eli Roth that harks back to the eighties slasher cycle with it's outrageous violence. But a day on from watching it the characters are utterly forgettable - other than the masked killer - and the only things that genuinely linger in the memory are the crazy opening riot and one or two kill sequences.

Yet for all it's nicely executed gore it lacks the exploitative elements of the films it would love to be lumped in with and it's darkly comic streak of black humour felt more like a cinematic cousin of 2017's Secret Santa than classic slasher fayre like My Bloody Valentine and Rosemary's Killer and despite thoroughly enjoying the experience it had the cinematic nutritional value of a Big Mac.

[J Harker]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Thanksgiving (2023)



A year on from a Black Friday superstore riot that ended in tragedy a masked killer terrorizes the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts, but is there a connection to the murders?



An enjoyable if extremely slick modern slasher movie from director Eli Roth that harks back to the eighties slasher cycle with it's outrageous violence. But a day on from watching it the characters are utterly forgettable - other than the masked killer - and the only things that genuinely linger in the memory are the crazy opening riot and one or two kill sequences.



Yet for all it's nicely executed gore it lacks the exploitative elements of the films it would love to be lumped in with and it's darkly comic streak of black humour felt more like a cinematic cousin of 2017's Secret Santa than classic slasher fayre like My Bloody Valentine and Rosemary's Killer and despite thoroughly enjoying the experience it had the cinematic nutritional value of a Big Mac.

Interesting. I don't care much for McDonalds. In fact breakfast is the only thing i an especially fond of, and even then it has to be a sausage and egg mcmuffin.
That said I can't count how many times I've enjoyed a BigMac.

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