What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Lord of Misrule (2023)

"He stands in the fields and waits"

Tuppence Middleton plays a new priest in an English village bathed in folklore whose daughter goes missing during the harvest festival. A desperate search begins, uncovering the areas dark history of ritual and sacrifice.

Despite director William Brent Bell's film being nothing particularly new - The first half being strikingly similar to the BBC mini series Mayday (2013) and the second half echoing that Scottish set film with the burning effigy that i can't recall the name of - Lord of Misrule is still a very good folk horror movie.

A slow burn thriller with a deliciously creepy atmosphere that gradually envelops then really takes hold thanks to an eerie soundtrack that constantly invades the speakers (Think Heilung mixed with strange ambient sounds) including a couple of genuine jump out of your seat moments from the rear speakers in a surround sound set up, to the woods full of haunting totems hanging from the branches to nightmarish glimpses of a dark manifestation throughout the film.

The paranoia escalates to the point of stifling the viewer come the final forty minutes which became slightly unbearable as you know something terrible is in store, but what exactly? I was genuinely tense to the point of becoming restless with anxiety. It's all so wonderfully macabre as ancient myth takes control over the modern day.

Tuppence Middleton is excellent (She usually is) as the priest (Not Phil Rickman's Merrily Watkins sadly) as is Ralph Ineson who plays the Lord of Misrule of the title in the village's Pagan ceremonies who takes the pageantry all too seriously in real life.

Lord of Misrule isn't a perfect film but is a far better than expected slice of modern day folk horror which takes in the classic tropes of harvest festivals, sacrifice and something in the fields watching,waiting until the time is right.

Oh, and the English countryside looks gorgeous on Blu-ray.

I'm pleased i took a chance in buying this.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Khartoum (1966)

Basil Dearden's historical epic based on the accounts of General Charles Gordon's defence of the Sudanese city of Khartoum from the forces of the Mahdist army, during the 1884?1885 Siege of Khartoum.

Shot in Ultra Panavision 70 this is an absolute delight for the eyes. The photography is breathtaking at times, in particular the many desert battle sequences and the assault on the ship sailing up the Nile.

Charlton Heston is excellent as Gordon in a subdued and complex performance compared to his work in other historical epics as is Laurence Olivier as the Mahdi as long as you can see past his 'blackface' makeup and slightly odd accent. It's always nice to see Richard Johnson in the classics too. Here he plays Gordon's aide Colonel Stewart.

Made following the success of Laurence of Arabia in 1962, a film set thirty years after the events portrayed here but in which Gordon's struggles are mentioned, Khartoum doesn't come close to that film's genius but remains a hugely enjoyable cinematic experience in it's own right.

The Eureka Blu-ray looks out of this world.

[MrBarlow]

Death Nurse. 1987.

A brother and sister duo of a private medical practice, take in patients, murder them and collect the bill from the state, when a county inspector visits them they feel threatened which complicates matters with their practice.

Pricilla Alden and Albert Eskinazi play the murderous duo who seem to know what they are doing medical wise then the psychotic side comes out and the money comes in. This was to have no association with Criminally Insane also filmed by Nick Millard (Nick Phillips) who uses the same house yet psycho nurse seems to have a dream about Ethel (also played by Pricilla Alden) from Criminally Insane. The writing is not bad but the dialogue deliverance is bad but did have one or two unintentional laughs. Onto the sequel now.

DeathNurseDVD.jpg

[MrBarlow]

Death Nurse 2. 1988.

Nurse Edith and her brother Gordon are back, killing more patients to feed the rats in the basement and collecting more money from the state.

Troll 2, Witchery, The Boogey Man 2 get a lot of flack for being horrible sequels, well this one isn't any better, feels like it's using the same plot as the previous film and using scenes from Criminally Insane again for another dream sequence. At the start we are treated to a death which was hilarious, a person stabbing another one obviously with a blunt knife till we we get a close up and see the blood. The acting is worse than before and the dialogue and very shaky camera work.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Saw IV (2007)

Watching these films back to back a few days apart is definitely the way to see them as so far they have all been one single story line. A story line i'm sure i didn't pick up on (Other than jigsaw himself and his issues) with characters returning from previous films that would slip by unnoticed had i watched them as they originally were released with the numerous flashbacks to previous entries not really registering as they should.

As it is Saw IV is a grim and bloody continuation of the story but seen as a singular entity doesn't have much merit aside from the gory trap set pieces (Of which there are several).

The Chicago Tribune suggested that 'The borderline pornographic violence will' turn your stomach and 'It's disconcerting to imagine anyone enjoying the vile filth splashing the screen'.

Come on, tell me that doesn't make it must see viewing?

[MrBarlow]

Bad Samaritan. 2018.

I had seen the trailer for this and wanted to watch it but completely forgot all about it, Robert Sheehan and his best mate Carlito Olivero. have a perfect plan, work as a valet, rob the house of the customers and return within a time limit. This time round David Tennant is the target for a break in only he has a few secrets of his own. This was a great tense thriller of cat and mouse with some bits of mind playing games thrown in and how one man seems to know some good ways at getting revenge on a petty burglar. Tennant was brilliant in this as the stable/unstable man who has a hostage Kerry Condor tied up and possibly other victims. This is one i'd happily return to viewing again.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by MrBarlow

Bad Samaritan. 2018.

I had seen the trailer for this and wanted to watch it but completely forgot all about it, Robert Sheehan and his best mate Carlito Olivero. have a perfect plan, work as a valet, rob the house of the customers and return within a time limit. This time round David Tennant is the target for a break in only he has a few secrets of his own. This was a great tense thriller of cat and mouse with some bits of mind playing games thrown in and how one man seems to know some good ways at getting revenge on a petty burglar. Tennant was brilliant in this as the stable/unstable man who has a hostage Kerry Condor tied up and possibly other victims. This is one i'd happily return to viewing again.

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Good finale in the snowy woods isn't there. Seen the dvd a couple of times.

[MrBarlow]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Good finale in the snowy woods isn't there. Seen the dvd a couple of times.

Yeah the finale with the pit and when the F.B.I head inside the cabin and you expect Tennant to be in the cage then you see exactly where he is.

[MrBarlow]

A-Haunting We Will Go. 1942.

Stan and Ollie end up up getting involved with crooks and a coffin that gets switched by Dante the Magician and try to get them switched back. The title is misleading, I was expecting the duo to be caught up in a haunted house but instead end up on a road trip with a gangster who is alive and well in a coffin to claim a inheritance and ends up being a prop in a magic show. Although the laughs are there from the start right up to the end, with the duo on stage with one climbing the rope and a smart alec kiddie in the audience putting them off their act.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)

An exploratory team travels to the jungle in search of the rare blood orchid, a flower unique to the region that blooms once every seven years. Obviously everything that can go wrong does go wrong including giant Anacondas after their lunch.

I decided to watch the dvd box set of Anaconda films in order to judge if they should be upgraded to the 88 Films Blu-ray box set. I know the first film like the back of my hand having seen it at the cinema then owned it on vhs and dvd. However the other three i suspect i've only seen once before.

I was pleasantly surprised by this first sequel in name only. Johnny Messner as the river boat captain and KaDee Strickland as one of the researchers were both likable enough to get behind whilst Matthew Marsden's boss scientist was the unscrupulous bastard we all love to hate and love to see eaten by Anacondas. The location photography was excellent and although the actors were probably playing their parts against hosepipes, the snake attacks were decent enough in their execution.

Although this was a box office success the next two sequels were direct to dvd so i'm expecting a bumpier ride but as far as Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid goes i had a good time revisiting it.