What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Frankie Teardrop]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I've seen the second one twice now. I would have watched it last October as a third viewing but didn't.

Why?

I thought it was too long so didn't bother.

True, true, I've been similarly put-off. The inclusion of a surprise guest appearance by twitchy Jack Taylor might've swayed me.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

True, true, I've been similarly put-off. The inclusion of a surprise guest appearance by twitchy Jack Taylor might've swayed me.

Swayed you?

Would have made it film of the year, nay, forever, for me.

[nosferatu42]

Nosferatu 2024/5 (Whatever it is this week...Who the f knows what day it is anymore?)

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(No plot spoilers)

Ok I don't do the actual cinema thing often, my horror film cinematic experiences are pretty limited.
But growing up as a second generation goth in the late 80's and having read Dracula a few times over the years, with the prospect of a new cinematic vampire blockbuster (maybe). I couldn't resist the pull.

I saw Coppola's version when it came out and also Interview with the vampire (and read that before i saw it), so anyway, this is kinda my thing.

Also I love both previous versions, so just putting that out there...

Anyway on to the actual film.

It is a thing of beauty, the visuals grab you and sweep you in, but if you go in expecting a Coppola style explosion of colour you wont get that at all, in fact this plays out as almost a black and white film, it is very low key.
There are moments when you are swept over landscapes but these merely set the scene, time and place, this film is focused entirely on the the intimate life of the characters.
There is a lot of snow and the film it reminded me of most in this respect was Batman Returns, with it's almost black and white snow scenes.

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I had heard this was more a Dracula adaptation than Nosferatu, but taking the film in as it unfolded it isn't, you really can't separate one from the other as they are instinctively linked by design, but this is more Nosferatu than Dracula. the story beats it omits are totally in line with the original Murnau film.

It is well played by all the actors and i found it to be spellbinding and interesting throughout, but I came out with certain issues and thoughts.

Firstly Holts version of the Harker character i found much more compelling than the hack job by Keanu Reeves.

The redesign of Nosferatu himself is more in line with Stokers original,and he comes across as a cruel bastard, which is what I always took him as from the novel, in the context of history which Eggers is obviously conscious of it seems sound.

Despite that i'm not sure it is Nosferatu, or at least what that version details.

Defoe is good, and strangely i got Cushing vibes off of him, not in appearance but more the way he was genteel and straightforward. I much preferred his portrayal of the Helsing character over Hopkins gammon.

The Renfield character is solid.

So then all beats covered.

Yes and no, there are deviations and surprises in the telling of the tale, so as a film I found it constantly engaging.

My only real gripes are this, Depp as Mina (whatever) gave a really good, committed performance, but I never felt a lot of sympathy for her character. There needed to be a bit more time with her in a normal state, as such if you were Harker I would think, god she's too much effort, what a drag.
She just seems miserable the entire time.

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The other issue was that I felt the Nosferatu figure was slightly under used.
He is imposing, spectral and menacing and there is a shadowy, nightmare feel when he is on screen.
But it felt as though it needed a bit more.

But these were just my impressions coming out of the cinema, on repeated viewings everything may fall into place.

I would say this, it is definitely worth seeing at the cinema, and you can tell Eggers has put a lot of thought into his version. In this day and age you really could not have expected a new remake of Nosferatu that is this artful and well made.

Despite my minor reservations it is a film that I have been thinking about a lot since I saw it on Thursday, so to me that is recommendation in itself.

8 1/2 out of 10.

[MrBarlow]

Blood Feast. 1963.

Herschell Gordon Lewis delivers something gory that at the start feels like a homage to psycho with a bathroom killing that even Hitchcock wouldn't go that far with a killing. So someone is bumping off women....standard but for what purpose? Even the police are baffled when they find the corpses mutilated and missing a limb or two. At the start we see who the killer is and they manage to figure it all out and why a book was left at the scene. A man who is into a Egyptian goddesses wants to bring one back in the present time. I never really give this much of a chance when I first watched it but came back to it and enjoyed it a bit more this time. Ok the acting isn't the best and dialogue but can be entertaining.

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I have misplaced a book I was writing down the unseen movies and this one is a Unseen film

The Werewolf And The Yeti. 1975

Paul Naschy joins a expedition in the Himalayas to discover a Yeti, unbeknown to him cannibal tribe is lurking about praying to a sacred Buddhist god, and they are also nymphos who kidnap him and turn him into a werewolf. I love a simple plot...except this drags on quite a bit with some nudity and a bit of a...bow chikka bow wow. I never thought i'd get a chance to see this one but after a small search round the net I came across it. Will admit I was on the verge of switching it off but stuck it out, nice little bit of a gore fest but not the greatest of acting in this.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Lovers Lane (1999)

An enjoyable direct to video regional slasher about the urban legend of a hook handed killer stalking victims making out in their cars on lovers lane.

Too late for the slasher cycle on the eighties which is unfortunate as Lovers Lane would have sat nicely in the mix especially seeing as it's actually more fun than many of them. It's low budget, no acting approach (aside from some newcomer called Anna Farris) made it feel like a throwback to years gone by rather than anything to do with Wes Craven's genre reinventing Scream (1996) and all the slick studio slashers that rode in on it's coat tails.

Plot twists and contrivances galore entertain rather than hinder things and despite the gore being economical i still rather liked this.

[Justin101]

I liked Lover's Lane too, but I honestly can't remember anything that happens

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Justin101

I liked Lover's Lane too, but I honestly can't remember anything that happens

Er' yeah, you may notice i'm a bit thin on the ground regarding anything that actually happens in the film with my review.

That was only a couple of weeks ago. I did like it though i know that.

[Nordicdusk]

Die Hard trilogy



Over the Xmas period I heard so many people talk about Die Hard and it was in the top 10 watched films on Ireland I'm not getting into the it's an Xmas movies it's not an Xmas movie but the power of suggestion got me in the mood for a bit of John Mclane so I sat down and watched the first three films back to back. No point going into too much detail on each one because we all know they are pretty awesome.

What I love about Die Hard is John Mclane although he is taking down terrorist organisations he is still relatable because he is just a good guy having a bad day and people are just a mild inconvenience to him along the way . He is flawed he is vulnerable he is covered in his own blood after 10 minutes of each film he is constantly getting his ass kicked but manages to get the rub of the green to get to the next inconvenient set of circumstances . Although I love all three films I especially love the banter between him and Sam Jackson always hilarious and they bounce off each other perfectly. Brilliant stuff always lifts the spirits and if you having a bad day just remember all least you have shoes on

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933)

Lionel Atwill gives one of his finest performances as Ivan Igor, curator and sculptor extraordinaire of a famous London house of wax who ends up disfigured because of a fire which is suspected of being arson by the police. Driven to madness he kills those he deems responsible encasing them in wax as exhibits in his new house of horrors wax museum.

One of the very first films produced in the two strip Technicolor process this is an outstanding example of early thirties horror that doesn't rely on, well, Universal monsters, to put it bluntly. Michael Curtiz, who would later go on to make The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and Casablanca (1942) among a career of notable movies now seen as Hollywood classics, pulls out all the stops with some fine sequences of suspense culminating in one of the most memorable sequences in the history of horror as a frantic Fay Wray claws at Atwill's face until it cracks open to reveal a horrifically scarred countenance beneath.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Alien: Romulus (2024)

An impressive entry into the Alien universe. I was quite wary of this as i really disliked the last film Alien: Covenant and find the whole universe of Alien vs Predator somewhat hit or miss.

Thankfully this was a return to form despite one or two early fears i had with the film being headed by such a youthful cast, not so much the actors themselves but always with the niggle that they were too young to have the experience in their interplanetary field of work. However i soon got used to them even if that niggle remained throughout.

The Aliens were used wisely with only facehuggers on screen during the first hour and they were utilised brilliantly and became a genuine threat to the teenage salvage crew with some excellent sequences of suspense as the parasites ran riot in their hundreds.

The Xenomorphs when they did appear were a constant threat and it was great to see a film that finally decided Xenomorph blood dripping like acid and burning it's way through a space craft was actually a significant issue rather than simply forgotten about as in all the other films. The set piece in the zero gravity lift shaft was superbly executed and terrifically tense.

My other niggle with the film and it lost serious marks for this was it basically rehashed the end of Alien Resurrection with one woman alone against a human / Xenomorph hybrid. It let down the earlier film for me and this did here but on the whole i rather enjoyed Alien: Romulus