What was the last movie you watched? Part 2

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The House That Screamed (AKA La residencia, AKA The Finishing School ~ 1969)

Spanish proto-slasher, with the great Lilli Palmer cast against type as the sadistically strict headmistress of a nineteenth-century French boarding school for 'troubled girls'. Wealthy families send their wayward daughters to Palmer's exclusive school to be taught the finer points of how to be ladies. Rule-breaking is not tolerated, and floggings are regularly administered by Palmer and her protégé, a senior student. A new girl arrives and soon discovers that several pupils have gone missing over recent months. The disappearances continue, the girls now seen to be being murdered by an anonymous knife-wielding figure.

The school itself is fantastically gothic, and there's plenty of hurrying along corridors by candlelight and running across moonlit courtyards. Although subtle, implications of lesbianism (between the headmistress and some pupils, and between some of the pupils themselves), as well as incest between the headmistress and her teenage son are unmistakable. There's a little female nudity, but hardly any blood - although the solution to the the mystery is suitably grisly and nightmarish. The film is often cited as an influence on Dario Argento's Suspiria. I don't know if Argento has ever confirmed that but I can see it. Fun watch. 7/10
 
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With it’s All-Star cast and stylish visuals, Dick Tracy really should’ve been a bigger hit than it was. But it was that awkward time where no one really knew how to make a successful comic film that wasn’t named Batman or Superman.

Supposedly the movie was originally going to run a little over two hours with more in-depth plot, but Disney nixed more than half of it and made Warren Betty release a discount version of what he originally filmed.
 
Crypt of the Vampire (AKA Terror of the Crypt, AKA Crypt of Horror ~ 1964)

Italian/Spanish co-production, based on Sheridan Le Fanu's novel Carmilla (which six years later would be adapted by Hammer as The Vampire Lovers). Count Karnstein (Christopher Lee) believes a 200 year old family curse has caused his daughter, Laura, to be possessed by an evil ancestor. He hires a young historian to examine the family records in the hope of finding a picture of this ancestor and a remedy for the curse. All this is interrupted by the arrival of a beautiful young stranger of around Laura's age, who following a coach accident is left with them to recuperate whilst her mother with whom she'd been travelling goes ahead on urgent business. The two girls quickly become close, implied to be more than just friendship. As the historian continues his investigations people around Karnstein castle begin dying. Laura is convinced the curse is true and that she is responsible. Count Karnstein is determined to either prove Laura innocent, or find some way to free her from the curse.

It's shot in black and white and has a fantastic gothic feel. Lee is of course the star, and it's nice to see him play a good(ish) guy. As an Italian/Spanish 1960s horror film every young female is inevitably stunning. The scenery is striking, and the sets (castle passages, a graveyard, family crypt) are fantastic. Like many Italian films of the time with international casts, the actors all spoke their lines in their own native languages, and the whole thing was dubbed into English later - although Lee provides his own voice. Although nowhere near as explicit as some versions of Le Fanu's story, this deviates just enough from the original tale to stay gripping in its own right. 7/10
 
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A Quiet Place: Day 1
9/10

A very entertaining prequel to A Quiet Place.

2 jumpscares including the predictable fake out from a dream except neither are flaws that diminish the suspense quality. The reason is that most of the suspense is great with the terrifying alien creatures being shown as terrifying antagonists that make humans terrified, fearful, and anxious.

A variety of action scenes with suspense including a high amount of chaos when the alien creatures begin their first attack on humans in the movie.
This is a PG-13 Science Fiction Post-apocalyptic movie that isn’t hardcore violent compared to Predator, Predator 2, Aliens, etc, except it still shows the violence including the alien creatures eating a corpse.


This movie isn't a frustrating PG-13 movie that wants to have its cake and eat it too while attempting to sanitize the violence by not showing it because of happening off-screen.




It’s not a plot hole or unbelievable that Reuben would change his mind for Samira and other patients won’t be eating pizza at a New York City pizzeria because of stated information.
Samira argues with Reuben because of good writing instead of it being a contrived drama scene, and why she stops arguing isn’t outright said by her because the writer of the movie respects the audience to understand why she quits arguing with Reuben without the reason being outright stated.

The movie gives a believable explanation of why Samira is pessimistic, and also why she lost her passion for writing Poems since the movie can naturally fit in dialogue about her being a published poet.
She is craving New York-style pizza from Patsy’s Pizzeria which the movie does give a believable reason for it.

Samira has a cat Frodo.
Cats do provide emotional support, and dispel feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and depression.

Samira knows the severe disease that she has so it’s unsurprising that she would have a cat for emotional support, and because the feeling of anxiety because of cancer is likely to be decreased somewhat because of the happiness of having a cat.
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The movie succeeds at showing Frodo to be a likable character.

The alien creatures are shown to have impressive speed greater than humans.

The movie gives information about the multiple locations including San Francisco that the alien creatures have invaded on Earth.



Also, the alien creatures can climb walls, windows, and glass panels similar to Scarlet Spider, Venom, and Spider-Man.
The alien creatures are similar to other animals that work in packs together, and the alien creatures are attracted to sounds made by humans, other animals, cars, etc.

Eric an English Law Student is shown to be a likable character, and when talking to Samira he provides a believable reason why he won’t go to a safe haven in New York City before going to the evacuation area for getting on a boat.

This is a science fiction post-apocalyptic movie that always succeeds at providing believable reasons for why human characters are using actions so it avoids that terrible writing cliche of characters making terrible decisions because it’s convenient for the plot or terrible writing.

This movie showed pets can be helpful during challenging times.

Similar to Predator, Samira Frodo, and Eric have the the challenging objective of having to move a long distance with the alien creatures being the main obstacles that can prevent them from getting on the boat before they get to the evacuation area,

The climax is suspenseful with high stakes and action.
The movie provides a believable reason why Samira stops being pessimistic.
 
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They finally did it and for the most part it works, its whacky and crazy and doesnt always make complete sense but theres a lot of fun to be had in here and the surprises.............oh they are so worth it, shhhhh no spoilers here though.
 
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The BikeRiders
9/10

This drama movie inspired by true events was hyped as GoodFellas on Motorcycles which it lives up to.

This drama movie succeeds showing realistic mortality for the human characters suffering realistic consequences for action scenes.

A character having to remove glass after breaking a car window with a bare fist, Benny needing a long time to recover from a severe foot injury, characters have visible damage after a fist fight, etc.

Johnny is a charismatic memorable leader of the Chicago Vandals that isn’t afraid of getting his hands dirty , Benny is a likable badass Motorcyclist that isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty also it was easy to root for Benny and Kathy to remain together.


This drama movie is set in 1965, and the movie succeeds with clothes, Motorcycles, and other things fitting this 1960s era set movie.

The love story of Kathy Bauer and Benny Cross is a realistic love story.
No love at first sight, no chemistry or connection, or any other nonsensical romance cliches for 2 characters that are in a serious relationship before they get married.

The movie shows a realistic serious relationship since Benny and Kathy that get married after a stated amount of time having to deal with realistic issues.
This movie maintains credibility being a drama movie that is inspired by true events because it would be highly unbelievable if Benny and Kathy had a constant smooth relationship with no adversity and no challenges since that’s entirely unrealistic.

Why Kathy is worried about Benny is understandable it’s not contrived drama, also it’s believable why Benny doesn’t use an easy solution.
Benny and Kathy have the expected challenging conversation scene which is a successful dramatic scene.


From what is shown the movie implies Kathy experienced physical attraction at first sight when she first sees Benny who is unapologetically himself that includes wearing a sleeveless t-shirt with his tattoos very visible along with his arms.

A glaring plot hole is avoided when Johnny gives a believable explanation to his right hand man in the Chicago Vandals brigade for why he grants permission to a member to expand the club after they fought because during a meeting he declined the member’s request.

It has thrilling scenes with protagonists riding 1960s era Motorcycles, and the Chicago Vandals is a memorable badass logo for the Motorcycle brigade.
A very memorable scene has the protagonists revving the Motorcycles with the movie giving an understandable reason for why the protagonists are doing that.

It’s life imitating art since most likely Johny got inspired to create the Motorcycle Brigade after he watched a 1953 movie that has Marlon Brando has a protagonist.

Why exactly Benny decides to make a change is believable because of great writing with the movie providing a realistic believable reason.

It does have the predictable movie cliche where you expect a character to be outside before another character goes outside of the shown inside location except that isn’t a flaw.

The movie does deal with the very dark issue that is rape because of an attempted rape scene showing the trauma of the realistic aftermath.

The movie doesn’t have a character explain turn in my colors said by a character is a Chicago Vandals member saying he or she is leaving the Chicago Vandals brigade because of respecting the audience.

The movie shows the change of the Chicago Vandals brigade becoming a terrifying illegal brigade.

The fate of the protagonists is stated so the movie doesn’t leave with cliffhangers.

The protagonists in The Chicago Vandals are very distinguishable including different hairstyles, and this movie does succeed in having a consistent serious tone showing the Chicago Vandals have a very wolf pack mentality.

This movie does show it’s unsafe to ride a Motorcycle without a helmet, however respects the audience to understand that risk without preaching it, or outright saying it.


A bittersweet ending is earned, and it’s a satisfying ending.
 
Satan's School for Girls (1973)

Spelling-Goldberg TV horror movie, starring Pamela Franklin, Kate Jackson, and Roy Thinnes*. A young woman suspicious of her sister's supposed suicide enrolls at the exclusive all-girl boarding school where she'd been a pupil to find out what really happened. It turns out her sister is not the only suspicious death associated with the place. As the investigation progresses more people start dying and it becomes apparent that the school is a cover for something else ('The Salem Academy for Women' might have been a clue to most viewers).

I remember seeing this on TV in my youth. The TV budget shows, but it's pretty atmospheric (lots of storm-lashed nights). Franklin, Jackson, and Thinnes, are fine. The great Lloyd Bochner hams it up as an eccentric, sadistic psychology professor. Interesting to see Cheryl Ladd (under her original surname Stoppelmoor) prominent as one of the pupils (she has several scenes with Jackson - several years before Spelling and Goldberg teamed them up again in Charlie's Angels). Unfortunately the story lets this down. It's really predictable, and the two twists can be seen a mile off.

5/10


*There was a remake in 2000, starring the late Shannen Doherty, in which Kate Jackson, a pupil here, took the role of the headmistress.
 

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