What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Fear City (1984)

A definite step up from the likes of the grimy and dark Driller Killer, this third feature from Abel Ferrara is bathed in cool nigh time blues and greens, although this is still a fine piece of exploitation in it's own right.

Starring Tom Berenger, Billy Dee Williams and a scene stealing early performance from future star Melanie Griffith as a stripper in a Manhattan club where the girls are being hunted down by a serial killer.

Sexy and visceral in it's portrayal of violence, this is my favourite of Ferrara's seventies and eighties output.

[nosferatu42]

I haven't seen Fear city but my favourite early Ferrara is Ms.45, in fact i think it's my favourite of all his stuff, nun with a gun.

[Dave Boy]

No Blade of Grass (1970) poster.jpg
NO BLADE OF GRASS (1970)

A virus caused by pollution causes wheat, maize, rice and all members of the grass family to die. The virus spreads across the world causing famine, anarchy and even cannibalism. A family attempt to leave the mayhem in London by escaping North to a secure farmhouse. A long the way they have fight their way through roadblocks, biker gangs and renegade soldiers..

This movie hits quite close to home with all that is going on in the World at the moment. When I watch this movie, the nostalgia that goes with it is from Alan Frank's SCI FI NOW book (1978) which my mum and dad bought for me at the time. It is one of the films that attracted my attention with a picture of gun toting bikers and I always wanted to see it.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Barb Wire (1996)

Seeing as Casablanca is my favourite movie of all time you'd be forgiven for thinking i'd hate this sci-fi dystopian future (It's the year 2017) comic book in all but name remake.

But i don't, in fact i really like Barb Wire.

Pamela Anderson is a large part of why i love this film. Throughout the nineties she was pretty much the ultimate rock chick and she performs that role to the maximum in Barb Wire. Sporting a series of leather and pvc fetish style outfits that barely hide her ample charms throughout, this role was practically made for her. The owner of a flash nightclub in the grungy city of Steel Harbor (The last free city)(Where Die Cheerleader regularly perform it seems) she drips with a seedy sexuality, even if her role in the film is more asexual as no one comes close to being romantically involved with her, but she uses her sexuality for her own mainly monetary gains moonlighting as a bounty hunter when it suits her and is as tough and cynical as they come. The opening minutes where she performs a sexy strip sequence at a rival club before stylishly murdering a loud mouthed punter with a stiletto heel sums her up to a tee.

It's not just Anderson, the support cast are great. When i say great i'm not talking Claude Rains and Ingrid Bergman great, but B-movie sci-fi trash great. The bald Udo Keir is a lot of fun as Barb's loyal nightclub manager as is Xander Berkeley in the role of Claude Rains' police chief. Steve Railsback makes for a deliciously fun Nazi-esq Colonel, and Temeura Morrison is good if a little underused in the gender switched role that Bergman played as Rick's former lover in Casablanca. It's a pity that Victoria Rowell (In the Victor Laszlo role) is almost a footnote in proceedings but Clint Howard's cameo as a crooked bail bondsman makes up for it.

The movie looks great and has a crunching soundtrack which is let down only by Anderson's hubby at the time, Tommy Lee, and his Godawful Planet Boom (Why couldn't they have used a Motley Crue song i ask?). The story itself is, well you probably know the story, but sci-fi macguffins like bio-weapon plans and retinal scan avoidance contact lenses enter in also as the movie builds to a terrific action packed forty minute finale involving armoured vans and cranes high above the city harbor. It's an exciting third act in which Anderson performed quite a lot of the stunt work herself, which surprisingly comes across as realistic and refreshingly CGI free for the most.

I'm not going to pretend Barb Wire is a good movie and those that don't like still won't like it twenty five years down the line, but it's a fun movie and you can tell the cast know it's just meant to be fun rather than a serious remake of one of the most renowned films of all time. Basically Barb Wire is to Casablanca what Showgirls is to All About Eve.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Top review, Dem!

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs

Top review, Dem!

Thank you.

[Justin101]

I just read that on Letterboxd and I'm already thinking about MusicMagpie to find a copy

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Justin101

I just read that on Letterboxd and I'm already thinking about MusicMagpie to find a copy

I've still got the vhs with it's leather look lace up top.

[Justin101]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I've still got the vhs with it's leather look lace up top.

Haha I remember that!

[trebor8273]

Had too see if it's bad as the critics make out, usual don't agree with critics , but they are right with this pile of poo. Absolutely dreadful nothing good to say about it, hard to say who's to blame as their is so much wrong there's plenty of blame to go around , but the young actor if you ocan call him an actor is beyond awful. Do yourself a favour and give it a miss,sticking pins in your eyes would be more fun. Sure Disney knew what a stinker it is and that's why it went to Disney plus . This will win every award at this year's razzies! 2/10

Now watching.