What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Frankie Teardrop]

TOUCH OF DEATH – As I've said before, I feel quite drawn to movies from the end of Lucio Fulci's time as a director. Granted, they don't all have the flyblown atmospherics of 'The Beyond', but very often carry themselves quite well in the 'wacky charm' department. 'Touch Of Death' is no exception – in fact it's a bizarre film, a black comedy made by a guy who always seemed more at home with stark brutality. Needless to say, the 'stark brutality' on display here works more than the 'black comedy', although both are pretty grating for various reasons. It's about some kind of playboy bachelor-about-town (played by Brett Halsey, obviously well and truly washed up by this point) who funds his gambling habit by killing rich widows. Apart from being a ridiculous murdering bastard, he has other problems like owing thousands to a shady underground horse race fixing racket, and, more strangely, being followed around by an apparent imitator who seems to be killing people in the same manner, but then leaving evidence around heavily implicating said murderous playboy gambler man. Confused? Don't be, turns out (spoiler alert, not that you'll care) that this second killer is in fact Halsey's shadow. Literally - “where's my shadow gone?” Halsey cries at the film's high point. See above for answer, Brett. Yeah, so 'Touch Of Death' is not a very sensible movie really, but who ever came to Lucio Fulci expecting something that made sense? The other things seem more important – the gore, the weirdness, the rampant obsession. All of these qualities are present in 'Touch Of Death' to varying degrees. There's some pretty vicious but fake looking gore in the film's first half, with chainsaw limb amputations and over-the-top face meltings. Weirdness has been pretty much covered, except to add that Halsey's character seems to talk to and seek advice from a tape recorded voice in places – no, couldn't work that one out either. The obsessiveness, well, 'Touch Of Death' is breathtakingly misogynistic. I don't know whether it's Fulci trying to goad his audience (which probably had about three people left in it by 1988), but the film is utterly fixated on the long, drawn out deaths of women who are all physically deformed in some way. And of course, Fulci being Fulci, his camera really leers over this, making the film seem truly obnoxious when it isn't dawdling or being confusing. The enigma of all of this is – are we witnessing a dark journey into the psyche of a twisted artiste, a commercial toss-off made by someone who really didn't give a f*ck any more, or a movie that was ultimately intended as something of a wind-up... or shades of all three? 'Touch Of Death' is a foul, foetid filling wrapped in a thin crust of threadbare TV-esque aesthetics – wanna take a bite?

[Make Them Die Slowly]

Skinheads (1989)

A low rent bunch of Neo Nazis skinheads attack an old Jewish couple, beat up a young black kid then kill a black man in the first ten minutes of this exploitation film whilst their leader sprouts Nazi ideas and the rest of the gang act like shaven headed bikers from an old AIP flick.

Heading out of town to escape the heat of their crimes the gang kill a black college kid at a cafe and then pursue his friends into the backwoods...

This is great fun with a Hitler worshipping main bad guy, a gang of dumb arse goons and Chuck Connors rambling on in a semi demented state about fighting Nazis on the beaches of Normandy. If that isn't exciting enough it has a woman getting off watching her boyfriend rape a girl, various shooting and stabbing and , I shit you not, a crucified skinhead being attacked by a bear! Pure genius.

[Make Them Die Slowly]

Jungleground

Mid 90s action flick which features Rowdy Roddy Piper and nicks elements of The Warriors and The Most Dangerous Game. I like these old action films where everyone has an Uzi except some bloke who always has to make do with a length of chain and somehow avoids all the bullets to be killed when his chain becomes tangled in either gearing of some sort or electrical wires. Fun stuff.

[Demoncrat]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

TOUCH OF DEATH – As I've said before, I feel quite drawn to movies from the end of Lucio Fulci's time as a director. Granted, they don't all have the flyblown atmospherics of 'The Beyond', but very often carry themselves quite well in the 'wacky charm' department. 'Touch Of Death' is no exception – in fact it's a bizarre film, a black comedy made by a guy who always seemed more at home with stark brutality. Needless to say, the 'stark brutality' on display here works more than the 'black comedy', although both are pretty grating for various reasons. It's about some kind of playboy bachelor-about-town (played by Brett Halsey, obviously well and truly washed up by this point) who funds his gambling habit by killing rich widows. Apart from being a ridiculous murdering bastard, he has other problems like owing thousands to a shady underground horse race fixing racket, and, more strangely, being followed around by an apparent imitator who seems to be killing people in the same manner, but then leaving evidence around heavily implicating said murderous playboy gambler man. Confused? Don't be, turns out (spoiler alert, not that you'll care) that this second killer is in fact Halsey's shadow. Literally - “where's my shadow gone?” Halsey cries at the film's high point. See above for answer, Brett. Yeah, so 'Touch Of Death' is not a very sensible movie really, but who ever came to Lucio Fulci expecting something that made sense? The other things seem more important – the gore, the weirdness, the rampant obsession. All of these qualities are present in 'Touch Of Death' to varying degrees. There's some pretty vicious but fake looking gore in the film's first half, with chainsaw limb amputations and over-the-top face meltings. Weirdness has been pretty much covered, except to add that Halsey's character seems to talk to and seek advice from a tape recorded voice in places – no, couldn't work that one out either. The obsessiveness, well, 'Touch Of Death' is breathtakingly misogynistic. I don't know whether it's Fulci trying to goad his audience (which probably had about three people left in it by 1988), but the film is utterly fixated on the long, drawn out deaths of women who are all physically deformed in some way. And of course, Fulci being Fulci, his camera really leers over this, making the film seem truly obnoxious when it isn't dawdling or being confusing. The enigma of all of this is – are we witnessing a dark journey into the psyche of a twisted artiste, a commercial toss-off made by someone who really didn't give a f*ck any more, or a movie that was ultimately intended as something of a wind-up... or shades of all three? 'Touch Of Death' is a foul, foetid filling wrapped in a thin crust of threadbare TV-esque aesthetics – wanna take a bite?

Review!!! TOD is unique.

Warlock III: End Of Innocence (1999, Eric Freiser)
Unlike the first sequel, this has the whiff of Italy about it imho. Stylistically and thematically all over the place. Ashley Laurence (who is at least 5 years too old for the part) inherits a house. Nae sign of Phil & Kirstie here though
Bruce Payne scrabbles for crumbs. Enjoyed it for what it was.

[Demoncrat]

Wolf Cop (2014, Lowell Dean)
Canuck critter caper. A sozzled cop (called Lou Garou ) discovers a family trait that will keep him busy at the barbers every full moon . Enjoyable schlockfest. Sequel beckons!!

[Demoncrat]

Super Mario Brothers (1993, Morton/Jankel)
Man, there are some films that make you reevaluate your very existence.This is not one of them. From the tape box. Dennis Hopper's hair.... and people say Troll 2 is terrible
Away from me with your anodyne spud u like cinema.... and haste me back to the catacombs .... where I belong
Imagine HPL's The Outsider ....clutching The Darkside
That sort of thing

[J Harker]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

Super Mario Brothers (1993, Morton/Jankel)
Man, there are some films that make you reevaluate your very existence.This is not one of them. From the tape box. Dennis Hopper's hair.... and people say Troll 2 is terrible
Away from me with your anodyne spud u like cinema.... and haste me back to the catacombs .... where I belong
Imagine HPL's The Outsider ....clutching The Darkside
That sort of thing

Feck you talking about man??

[Demoncrat]

Unsurprisingly I'm not enjoying this rather lacklustre kids film from the 90s.
I try and find something in everything I watch that makes it an enjoyable experience. This isn't easy sometimes ....

[Demoncrat]

Well someone got electrocuted.
But that's about it.
Pity it wasn't Roxette

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

Well someone got electrocuted.
But that's about it.
Pity it wasn't Roxette

Oy! I like Roxette. We'll have no electrocutions here.

One of my fave Swedish bands along with Opeth, In Flames, Amon Amarth and Katatonia.