What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Galaxy of Terror (1981)

A great looking Roger Corman Alien rip off about a space ship crew on a desolate planet where each member meets a nasty and usually gory death. Needless to say the best attack / death is the one that's totally un-PC.

The likes of Robert Englund and Sid Haig look bemused for the most part (Until Englund fights himself) at the illogical goings on but the pace is so fast i just didn't care about any misgivings other than the seemingly metaphysical ending which was just nonsense.

For once the great poster art doesn't lie. Remember that un-PC attack i mentioned earlier?

[Frankie Teardrop]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Galaxy of Terror (1981)

A great looking Roger Corman Alien rip off about a space ship crew on a desolate planet where each member meets a nasty and usually gory death. Needless to say the best attack / death is the one that's totally un-PC.

The likes of Robert Englund and Sid Haig look bemused for the most part (Until Englund fights himself) at the illogical goings on but the pace is so fast i just didn't care about any misgivings other than the seemingly metaphysical ending which was just nonsense.

For once the great poster art doesn't lie. Remember that un-PC attack i mentioned earlier?

Ha ha, always so much fun and gets better with every viewing. I reckon the psychedelic ending makes it though, and the maggot attack is actually sleazier than the poster! I'd be tempted to dig out its equally freaky sister movie 'Forbidden World' this afternoon if I didn't already have 'The Feast' and 'Blood Delirium' lined up and ready to go.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Giallo in Venice (1979)

Speaking of un-PC. Boxing night's entry into Decemberdike could be said to be not all that politically correct.

A very late entry Giallo which sees a detective investigate the murder of a young couple by... well that would be telling, whilst a Rayban sporting killer goes round committing seemingly random gory murders.

It's a strange one this. At odds with itself at times. Does it want to be a police procedural affair, a strong soft core sex romp or a very grisly horror film. It kind of succeeds in being all three whilst being occasionally clunky with it as well. Jess Franco would absolutely love it.

Daft yet enjoyable but be warned. This really isn't family viewing and i don't just mean 'cos of the gore.

The Blu-ray from Full Moon looked very pretty, especially in outdoor shots although there are some speckles at times, but on the whole i was impressed by the presentation.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

Ha ha, always so much fun and gets better with every viewing. I reckon the psychedelic ending makes it though, and the maggot attack is actually sleazier than the poster! I'd be tempted to dig out its equally freaky sister movie 'Forbidden World' this afternoon if I didn't already have 'The Feast' and 'Blood Delirium' lined up and ready to go.

I prefer Forbidden World. That would be great in HD.

Having now seen it once i'll be prepared for the 'ending' in future.

[MrBarlow]

Rampage. 2009.

A young man fed up with life and society goes on a shooting spree in his small town.

This was a blind watch for me and had no expectations for it to be good, this was a bit disturbing as the main anti-hero isn't giving a shit who he is gunning down, he even stops to speak to someone while re-loading his guns and carry's on his killing. The film does start off slow and shows the mentally breakdown of a person on a normal day and then a somewhat planned massacre that does have a twisted ending. Decent enough to watch but very amateurish camera work.

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[MrBarlow]

Rampage: Capital Punishment. 2014.

Three years after Bill Williamson went on the shooting rampage of his home town and disappearing, he takes over a news tv station and expresses his views on why he done what he did.

Like the first film we see snippets of Bill killing people then jumps back and forth to his planned heist then goes straight to the on street killing of sitting in a garden chair waiting for people to pass. There is a bit of a powerful moment in a interview about society yet can be contradicting. Brendan Fletcher returns to the role of the anti-hero with so many followers, not as violent as the first but certainly grabs your attention.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Ambulance (2022)

A cracking action thriller and return to his prior Bad Boys (1995) and The Rock (1996) form for director Michael Bay.

The film sees bank robbers Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II steal an ambulance in the aftermath of a bank job that goes wrong thanks to it turning into a gun fight on the streets of Downtown Los Angeles (Think that classic shoot out in Heat (1995) as a reference point). The resulting two hours is one long ambulance chase as the two make off through LA along with a paramedic (Eiza González) and a shot up cop as hostages as the LAPD, FBI and SWAT hunt them down.

Hugely enjoyable with some excellent action sequences not to mention some white knuckle tension which really grips. One sequence in which the ambulance is chased down the LA river system was brilliantly done with Gyllenhaal hanging off the side of the vehicle as Mateen II drove. Due to Covid restrictions and practically Guerilla filming techniques it meant the actors did many of their own stunts making these sequences more realistic.

At the time Bay called this a small film made during Covid. I'm not really sure Bay knows what a small film really is because Ambulance is non-stop action in the vein of the Jan De Bont nineties classic Speed.

Really enjoyable.

[MrBarlow]

Rampage: president Down. 2016.

Bill Williamson continuing his rampage around America goes after the one important person The President.

So our anti-hero has a target, I thought this would be interesting but at the start of the film we learn the president is already dead, so that was a let down, the F.B.I. are on the case...or two agents along with a crack team are the targets. The guy has a suit made of Kevlar which was used previously yet they still insist on using no piercing rounds. I don't know if it was lack of funds, weak script or both but this was a bit of a let down for the final instalment of the Rampage films.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

What better way of spending a late December afternoon when you've just got in from a cold and wet dog walk than a classic adventure yarn and a nice hot cup of mulled wine?

[MrBarlow]

Oliver. 1968.

A high-spirited, lively version of the well-known story, the film manages to fit in songs and dances without subtracting from the deeper issues in Dickens' novel. The times are depicted vividly well, with excellent sets and costumes, and the film works as both surface entertainment for the young generation...and us old foogies.

The acting is brilliant from Sir Harry Secombe as the workhouse master, Mark Lester as the young orphan who goes to seek his fortune in London, Jack Wild as the memorable character The Artful Dodger. Ron Moody plays the leader of the young boys Fagin and Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes. As this does have a good musical score from start to finish and some laughs, it does have the darker tone of Shani Wallis and Ollie Reed's death.

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