What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Stephen@Cult Labs]

I was thinking to myself "I though Bruce Campbell was in Black Friday". Didn't realise there was another film with that title

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

5 Against the House (1955)

A truly odd little tale about four older law students who come up with a surefire way to rob a real Nevada casino, Harold's Club.

One of the first heist films and the first to feature a casino. The ending is quite gripping but the scheme itself seemed just a little ridiculous and highly improbable.

Good performances from Brian Keith and Guy Maddison bring a bit of gravitas whilst Kim Novak is sultry to the max. I wasn't expecting the film to be as much a study of post-traumatic stress disorder as it turned out to be but at least it gave reason to some of the character's actions and you can see why it became an influence on the likes of Martin Scorsese in later years.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

I just watched the 'Cinema Sins' YouTube video on this (I half watched the film a few days ago, not paying it full attention because I was caught up doing something else) and I thought this observation was funny:

[iank]

The Children. Two related couples get together over the holiday season, only for a virus to turn their little kids into homicidal maniacs. This late 2000s British horror flick was great on first watch but doesn't really stand up to repeated viewings IMO, mainly because the characters are so dull and mostly unlikeable.

[Nordicdusk]

Running from the law four men from different parts of the world hiding from their past exploits end up in a village in Latin America. When an opportunity pops up they reluctantly offer their services but the job isn't easy or straightforward and could cost them their lives. They must transport a shipment of nitroglycerin across an extremely hostile environment in order to stop an oil fire.

Sorcerer is a very intense ride the first hour is a bit of a slow build up but once the job is underway it really is edge of your seat stuff. That rope bridge scene really gave me the old sweaty palms watching the trucks lean so far over Jesus wept.

Every scene is shot beautifully and I can only imagine filming was as bumpy of a ride as the film itself. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking at times but not only beautiful it's also deadly and it's going to try it's best to kill you.

The star of the show has got to be the soundtrack in just absolute outstanding one I will definitely add to the vinyl collection.MV5BZTE4Zjc2MWQtZTYzNS00ZjJmLWFhYWUtMGI0M2ZkOWRhYWJjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjYzNDExNzU@._V1_.jpg

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Nordicdusk

Every scene is shit beautifully

Eek!

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Hitcher in the Dark (1989)

Josie Bissett plays a hitch hiker who gets a ride in the RV of mother fixated Joe Balogh and ends up his prisoner in this travelogue of the US state of Virginia.

Bang average psycho thriller (see what i did there - mother fixated, psycho...oh never mind. The puns are as bad as the film) from Umberto Lenzi in which bugger all happens because when there's mainly only two people and they are stuck in a motor home all film what exactly can be done. Sure Balogh trims Bissett's hair to make her look even more like mother and rapes her, certainly it's a bit sleazy but far too tedious to be shocking.

I've seen some good films this Decemberdike horror fest. This wasn't one of them.

Go watch Campanile's Hitch-Hike for a proper spaghetti thriller about hitch-hiking.

[Nordicdusk]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Eek!

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[Frankie Teardrop]

AMERICAN NIGHTMARE – I’m writing this over Christmas, when many reflect on times past and the way we were. I’m thinking about the early noughts, about coffee houses and bars, about people sat around on sofas in those coffee houses and bars, hanging out, maybe philosophising about their greatest fears and desires, but mainly just hanging out. There’s lots of hanging out in ‘American Nightmare’. If an uncomedic version of ‘Friends’ with even more anaemic characters could be retooled as a slasher movie, the result might resemble ‘American Nightmare’. Debbie Rochon’s in it – she plays a nurse on a murder rampage. You keep waiting for her story to take form, but no, she’s just a nurse who happens to be into murder. She flits in and out – I’ve already mentioned that this is mostly about ‘friends’ sitting on a couch. They listen to their favourite radio show. What kind of DJ calls themselves ‘Caligari’? Someone who wants to discuss some really profound shit. He’s annoying. Little islands of strangeness float by – someone trips out at a gig in the woods, Rochon teases Caligari with her hot tales of knife sex whilst stabbing at (her? / someone else’s?) leg in a car. But mostly people just sit around as if they’re in a cheap, doomed version of Central Perk. I like the hazy feeling of indies of a certain vintage that only just hold together. I’m writing this over Christmas, a time for forgiveness, but ‘American Nightmare’ is a Halloween movie.

DARK TOWER – A strangely well-cast beast – Jenny Agutter, Michael Moriarty, Kevin McCarthy - though the vibe is more ‘Juan Piquer Simon on an off day’. I don’t refer to the splendiferous Simon of ‘Slugs’, but the blander, more basic guy behind ‘Cthulhu Mansion’ or something. My JPS comparison is a little off the mark when you consider that in this case the director’s chair passed from Ken Wiederhorn to Freddie Francis, both of whom disowned, but that’s another story. ‘The Dark Power’ lacks bite. There are too many scenes where people blather on, and it’s all obvious stuff at the end of the day – a new office block is haunted etc. Shreds of atmosphere phase in and out, long corridors and engine rooms hum with spectral presence, there’s a little bit of silliness to oil the pipes; aside from these crumbs it’s worth watching for Agutter and Moriarty. Look at Agutter’s eyes – do they often seem slightly crazed? It doesn’t matter that she does little to redeem her boring role, there’s always a basic magnetism. Moriarty reins it in, but in the end can’t help wandering around mumbling to himself like a bus station drunk.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

AMERICAN NIGHTMARE – I’m writing this over Christmas, when many reflect on times past and the way we were. I’m thinking about the early noughts, about coffee houses and bars, about people sat around on sofas in those coffee houses and bars, hanging out, maybe philosophising about their greatest fears and desires, but mainly just hanging out. There’s lots of hanging out in ‘American Nightmare’. If an uncomedic version of ‘Friends’ with even more anaemic characters could be retooled as a slasher movie, the result might resemble ‘American Nightmare’. Debbie Rochon’s in it – she plays a nurse on a murder rampage. You keep waiting for her story to take form, but no, she’s just a nurse who happens to be into murder. She flits in and out – I’ve already mentioned that this is mostly about ‘friends’ sitting on a couch. They listen to their favourite radio show. What kind of DJ calls themselves ‘Caligari’? Someone who wants to discuss some really profound shit. He’s annoying. Little islands of strangeness float by – someone trips out at a gig in the woods, Rochon teases Caligari with her hot tales of knife sex whilst stabbing at (her? / someone else’s?) leg in a car. But mostly people just sit around as if they’re in a cheap, doomed version of Central Perk. I like the hazy feeling of indies of a certain vintage that only just hold together. I’m writing this over Christmas, a time for forgiveness, but ‘American Nightmare’ is a Halloween movie.

I actually like American Nightmare and own it on dvd. Seen it loads of times over the years. Love the movie references in the coffee shop chatter.