What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Lynch Mob (2010)

The FBI release a paedophile into witness protection in return for info on bringing down a notorious mob boss. Unfortunately for all involved they move him to the rural town of Lynchburg, Georgia. A small community with a terrible secret - a centuries old curse that turned the inhabitants into flesh eating cannibals.

Lynch Mob is a film that takes in a lot of genres and in places does have a Soprano's feel to it, along with some strong brutality, gratuitous nudity, a child molester as a twisted anti-hero, topped off with the living dead, and combines it all into a brilliantly entertaining piece of low budget cinema. A fine script, which is extremely witty in places, and well written characters ensure you are drawn into things from the first minute and the tightness and pacing keeps you involved throughout.

I've seen a few low budget gems recently but i can honestly say none have been as thoroughly entertaining as this.

Highly recommended.

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

LYNCH MOB – Quite a fun indie horror which pitches mobsters against the cannibalistic denizens of a small hamlet. In probable homage to '2000 Maniacs', the latter are undead ghosts because of an ancient curse cast against them for being horrible slave murderers back in the day. A creepy mob informer whose taste for torture is one of his more wholesome predilections is hiding out in the small, small town... pretty soon he realises that if he wants to keep alive it's not just the cops who he has to strike deals with. 'Lynch Mob' goes on for a bit long, but doesn't feel too padded. There's lots of splatter, most of it quite effective. The tone is darkly comedic but doesn't strain too far in the direction of broad laughs, which would always be a temptation with this kind of material. Nice to see Tony Darrow playing true to form again. I'm always a bit disappointed that he never quite manages to match what must've been the pinnacle of his career, the 'Street Trash' end credits theme. “I'm gonna eat your fockin' eyeballs like grapes” he sang back then, and sadly 'Lynch Mob' isn't a musical (although it could've been a pretty good one), but even so I'm pretty sure at least someone here gets their eyeballs munched at some point, or failing that some other part of their anatomy. Worth checking out.

We both enjoyed it, Frankie.

[Frankie Teardrop]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

We both enjoyed it, Frankie.

I may even have bought it after reading your recommendation, can't remember. I must've had it a while before sticking it on the other day, and was pleasantly surprised as I couldn't figure out where it had come from... been noticing that with a few DVDs recently, like "I can't remember getting that". I used to binge buy a lot more than I do now, so perhaps that's where the answer lies.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

I may even have bought it after reading your recommendation, can't remember. I must've had it a while before sticking it on the other day, and was pleasantly surprised as I couldn't figure out where it had come from... been noticing that with a few DVDs recently, like "I can't remember getting that". I used to binge buy a lot more than I do now, so perhaps that's where the answer lies.

I've started to binge buy a bit more this year. You can possibly tell that from todays post in the Bought thread from me.It's fun, but nothing to expensive just in case things are woeful.

[Frankie Teardrop]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I've started to binge buy a bit more this year. You can possibly tell that from todays post in the Bought thread from me.It's fun, but nothing to expensive just in case things are woeful.

The only one of that particular haul I've seen is 'The Redwood Massacre', which I was a bit scathing about in my review from last year. It's quite gory though, and also has quite a funny bit where there's a flashback scene to when the killer murders his entire family, which shows him laughing like a massive comedy madman with an axe... small fry really, but out of place enough to seem a bit zany.

[Mojo]

EATEN ALIVE
Aka DEATH TRAP, this follow up to Tobe Hooper's TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE doesn't quite reach the heights of that classic, but still has a certain claustrophobic atmosphere of its own, interspersed with some gruesome ( and some quite bizarre ) moments, all held together by a manic performance from Neville Brand.
Having seen this one a couple of times before, Arrow's blu ray is a revelation - the EC style colours ( particularly the reds! ) popping from the screen. Indeed, seeing clips from Dark Sky's previous dvd release, the upgrade in quality is astonishing.

THE PERFUME OF THE LADY IN BLACK
Mimsy Farmer stars as a woman who begins suffering from strange visions and hallucinations, leading to a gruesome finale in this bizarre cross beteeen ROSEMARY'S BABY and the cannibal movies from Italy in the 70s.
Raro's blu rays can be a bit hit and miss, but this is a terrific looking edition, with wonderful colours and detail.
Not your typical Giallo, but well worth viewing.

[Make Them Die Slowly]

SWEET SUGAR.

Early 70s WIP film that has a fluffy sense of fun to it amongst the usual shower scenes, whippings and cat fights. It is also slightly mad with prisoners blowing up machines to measure orgasms, torture by having cats thrown at people and a voodoo sub plot and a mad scientist one too.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

The only one of that particular haul I've seen is 'The Redwood Massacre', which I was a bit scathing about in my review from last year. It's quite gory though, and also has quite a funny bit where there's a flashback scene to when the killer murders his entire family, which shows him laughing like a massive comedy madman with an axe... small fry really, but out of place enough to seem a bit zany.

I watched it last night actually.

It was reasonably well done. Good locations and an impressive hulking brute killing machine and decent camera work. It didn't really gain much interest until the sixty minute mark when a cliched local type appeared brandishing a shotgun and then something must have clicked with the film makers that they were boring everyone shitless because it took a great upturn in momentum and actually became marginally thrilling.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

John Wick (2014)

Keanu Reeves is one of those actors whose career always seems to be on a slow downward spiral until some shit hot action film reignites his Hollywood flame. Point Break (91), Speed (94) and The Matrix (99) all brought him back from the verge of acting obscurity and John Wick is the latest example.

Sliding slowly away following the release of final Matrix film Revolutions, suddenly he's back tearing up the screen in a masterclass of bullet strewn violence.

There's not much in the way of plot - Some Russians he used to work for kill his dog, so Wick kills them, and that's it basically, yet somehow it works where the plot heavy Man from U.N.C.L.E. for example, didn't.

The film is an assault on the senses from start to finish. Turn up the volume and let the sub woofer throw you from your couch as the bullets scream, cars roar, neon lights tear at your eyeballs and Marilyn Manson's excellent Killing Strangers brutally pounds your eardrums to mush. John Wick isn't a film for sensitive souls, nor for next door neighbours.

I look forward to 2017 and John Wick: Chapter Two. As for Keanu? Can't wait to see him staring meaningfully into the distance in Refn's forthcoming The Neon Demon.

[Make Them Die Slowly]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

John Wick (2014)

Keanu Reeves is one of those actors whose career always seems to be on a slow downward spiral until some shit hot action film reignites his Hollywood flame. Point Break (91), Speed (94) and The Matrix (99) all brought him back from the verge of acting obscurity and John Wick is the latest example.

Sliding slowly away following the release of final Matrix film Revolutions, suddenly he's back tearing up the screen in a masterclass of bullet strewn violence.

There's not much in the way of plot - Some Russians he used to work for kill his dog, so Wick kills them, and that's it basically, yet somehow it works where the plot heavy Man from U.N.C.L.E. for example, didn't.

The film is an assault on the senses from start to finish. Turn up the volume and let the sub woofer throw you from your couch as the bullets scream, cars roar, neon lights tear at your eyeballs and Marilyn Manson's excellent Killing Strangers brutally pounds your eardrums to mush. John Wick isn't a film for sensitive souls, nor for next door neighbours.

I look forward to 2017 and John Wick: Chapter Two. As for Keanu? Can't wait to see him staring meaningfully into the distance in Refn's forthcoming The Neon Demon.

Fantastic film, action porn.

[J Harker]

Just got back from Batman v Superman.
Snyders sequel to Man of Steel is bigger, louder and flashier than its predecessor but is it better? Afraid not.
I enjoyed it but there were some serious issues. Being such a new film I'll keep plot details to a minimum. The film actually starts during Superman and Zods battle from the end of the original, seen from Bruce Wayne's perspective. Seeing the admittedly massive collateral damage caused the Dark Knight gets it into his head that Superman is just too powerful and too dangerous to be flying around unchecked. I don't want to give anymore away suffice to say we next get introduced to Jessie Eisenbergs totally doolally Lex Luthor and soon after we get Gal Gadots Wonder Woman.
So the issues? Character motivation.
Batman is hellbent on Supermans destruction. Why? Why so badly? Ok there was a lot of collateral damage caused in Man of Steel, one of the big criticisms of the film, i get that. Doesn't make it Supermans fault.
Superman had been here since he was a child, Zod coming to earth was the problem. Zod wanted to turn Earth into the new Krypton, not Supermans fault. A lot of destruction was caused in the battle, of course it was, it was inevitable. Surely Batman is intelligent enough to have seen all that.
Lex Luthor, whats his deal? Buggered if i know. His motivation is simply not explained. Does he want Superman dead? Does he want Batman dead? Why? What for? At least in Bryan Singers Superman Returns, Kevin Spaceys Lex had a plan. Crap one maybe but a clear plan. Here Eisenberg just seems to be causing trouble for no particular reason. He doesn't seem to want anything.
I'm not sure why Wonder Woman was in the film at all, all i can assume is it a way of introducing her for future films.
The film is long and sprawling but it just seems to struggle under its own weight at times. Better character development and motives would have made all the difference. I suppose it helps that before Marvel attempted Avengers they had all the characters introduced with solo movies first but its still saying something that Joss Whedon was able to fit all his characters into one movie comfortably with a nice coherent plot. First time around anyway.
There appear to be rumours of a much longer directors cut and done right this could actually be a good thing.