What was the last movie you watched? Part 2

[squeekness]

Civil War

 

[Dave McFly]

Transformers One loved it would see it again bring on the 4K disc release

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

The Case of the Bloody Iris (AKA Why Are Those Strange Drops of Blood on Jennifer's Body?, AKA Erotic Blue ~ 1972)

Giallo directed by Giuliano Carnimeo, and starring queen of the 70s Eurobabes Edwige Fenech, along with George Hilton. A call girl is murdered in the elevator of a high-rise apartment building whilst on her way up to meet a client. In the small hours of the next morning one of the people who found the girl's body is murdered in their own apartment in the same building. Police are called but can find no motive and nothing to link the two victims. Meanwhile, the apartment in which the second victim was killed is re-leased (remarkably quickly!) to two young models (Fenech and Paola Quattrini). As Fenech is menaced by a mysterious figure in black, more seemingly random killings occur...

In true giallo fashion logic isn't a major consideration here, what matters is the look and the style, and on those fronts this delivers. The locations (filmed in Genoa) are perfect, and the cast are good. George Hilton (not the greatest actor, but he epitomised that 'Italian playboy' look) is fine as the building's architect, Giampiero Albertini is entertaining as the Police Commissioner, and Paola Quattrini is in equal parts annoying and funny (a combination that gets her character a well-deserved slap!). As for Edwige Fenech, what can you say that hasn't been said a thousand times. She was in that Sophia Loren/Gina Lollobrigida class of 'the camera loves them', jaw-dropping.

Lines you wouldn't hear in a film today... Photographer (looks at picture of a potential model for an ad campaign): 'She'd be great! Black, but not too black.' Police Commissioner (to one of the building's residents, a lesbian): 'It's a shame to see a girl like you wasting her talents. Try the opposite sex. That's what we're here for.' Ah, the 70s! This movie hasn't got the greatest plot, nor the highest amount of gore, tbh; but the kills are good, and it meets the genre standard for sex and nudity. 7/10

 

[psylockolussus]

Transformers One

 

[MilkmanDan]

Daybreakers

 

[Sculder]

The Crow (2024)
Justice Ninja Style (1985)
Murder Death Koreatown (2020)
Detective Knight: Rogue (2022)
Detective Knight: Redemption (2022)
Detective Knight: Independence (2023)
QT8: Quentin Tarantino - The First Eight (2019)

 

[ObiWanCon]

Hellboy (2004)

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Resident Evil

I know these films aren't exactly great, but I've always thought this first one a pretty solid action-horror - largely due to Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez. And the dogs.

 

[Dave McFly]

just saw Beetlejuice Beetlejuice a 2nd time this time with my family we had SO much fun!

 

[psylockolussus]

Knives Out
Glass Onion

 

[Frodo]

SPEAK NO EVIL ( 2024)

 

[Ash J. Williams]

 

[emielaen]

 

[Brutikus]

 

[squeekness]

Bram Stoker's Dracula

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

A Candle for the Devil (1973)

Spanish horror directed by Eugenio Martin (best known for the previous year's Horror Express, starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing). Two spinster sisters in their 40s run Spain's answer to the Bates Motel (formerly a convent) in an unnamed mountain village. Although regarded locally as pillars of respectability, their rabid religious convictions see several young female guests 'checking out' early. Enjoy topless sunbathing? Mini-skirts? Or (God forbid!) 'hotpants'? Don't bother making long-term plans. English tourist Laura (Judy Geeson) arrives at the inn to meet her sister (an early victim) who was already staying there. When told that her sister settled her bill and left that morning, Laura decides to take a room for herself whilst she tries to trace her. Although Laura is what the sisters deem 'respectable', some other young women who also take rooms are not. After a third apparent disappearance Laura tries to persuade the authorities that something is very wrong at the inn. However, this puts her on a collision course with the sisters, and a real threat to her own safety.

Geeson - given star-billing - is okay (her role doesn't require much), but the honours go to Aurora Bautista and Esperanza Roy as batcrap crazy sisters Marta and Veronica. Bautista comes off as particularly unhinged. Her God is decidedly 'Old Testament', and she spends her free time gazing at paintings depicting His wrath and sinners burning in hell. There's some nice commentary on hypocrisy (Veronica's secret lover, Marta's enjoyment of watching young men 'skinny-dipping' (after which she deliberately walks though dense, thorny undergrowth in an act of self-flagellation)). The killings are quite good, and this uncut version features a fair bit of nudity. However, the body-count could be higher, the plot isn't exactly original, and none of the side-characters make much of an impression (although it is nice to see genre actress Lone Fleming as an ill-fated 'hussy'). 6/10

 

[KaijuDude1992]

 

[ObiWanCon]

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

 

[NDX]

Flash Gordon

 

[Lobo]

Val really should have won an award for this.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Who Saw Her Die? (1972)

Italian/West German produced giallo, directed by Aldo Lado. Italian sculptor Franco (George Lazenby) is separated from his wife Elizabeth (Anita Strindberg). He lives in Venice, she lives in London. His young (maybe 10) daughter Roberta comes to stay with him. However, Franco, whilst a loving father, is not too hot on keeping tabs on her in this city that she doesn't know at all. He lets her out at night on her own to go to the shops, as well as letting her go off and play with children she's only just met, that he doesn't know at all. One afternoon he and Roberta are out for a walk. She sees a group of children playing and wants to join in. He says no. Then he sees his girlfriend, and the emphatic 'no' becomes a quick 'go on then'. Franco and 'bit of stuff' then head back to his apartment and spend the rest of the afternoon in bed, without even telling Roberta they're going. Clearly a few hours later, girlfriend has gone and Franco is doing some sculpturing. It's only as he takes a break and pours himself a drink that he suddenly remembers... what's-her-name, and goes frantically searching for her. Long story short, she's dead, floating in a canal. Cue much soul-searching from Franco ('I feel like it's my fault!' No kidding! ) to his estranged wife who has now arrived for the funeral. Completely unrealistically, she doesn't blame him in the slightest. Jesus, it's only as I'm writing this now that I'm realising just how bad this was.

Okay, police investigation seems to be going nowhere, so amateur sleuthing is the order of the day. Similarities are spotted with other child murders (how they know that Roberta was murdered is never explained; there's no mention of any injuries etc on the body)... and suddenly we're looking at a pedo conspiracy that seems to reach the highest levels of society. Wow. It just gets more ridiculous as it goes on. Lazenby (long-haired, moustachioed, and looking positively emaciated) isn't bad, Strindberg is fine but doesn't really get much to do, Adolfo 'Thunderball' Celi is pretty good as a dodgy international art dealer, photography is good, editing is bad, music (by Ennio Morricone) is eerie, Venice looks nice, killer is pretty obvious from about the halfway mark. 4/10 (mainly for the unintentional laughs).

 

[blueharvest]

 

[Brutikus]

 

[3rdstone]

His Three Daughters

A great little drama which at times almost feels like a stage play, since it takes place mostly indoors. The story is about a dying parent and his daughters gathered around him during his last days at his apartment, in which one them (Lyonne) have been staying with him for a while. All three of them are quite different characters with different lives, which makes place for some drama and conflicts. Excellent acting by Coon, Olsen and Lyonne here and a great film over all. Having parents in their mid 80s (and always worrying for them these days) I can relate to much here. Although my brother and I would be having way less conflicts lol. A personal favourite from this year.

Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters (2022)

A documentary about Mignola from his early career as an inker at Marvel through his breakout with Hellboy, including the filmings and up til today. An interesting story about an aspiring comic book artist (and later writer as well) who found his very own unique niche. Mostly told by Mignola himself but with lots of comments from people in the business. And of course people like Del Toro and Ron Pearlman is here as well. I didn't know very much about Mignola, just read some of his comics and watched the Hellboy flicks hence this was personally interesting. Recommended if you're a fan of Mignola's work, but maybe also if one find the comic book industry back then interesting.

 

[Batgirl0202]

6/10

Entertaining but still a letdown after the first two films...