What was the last movie you watched? Part 2

[Luigi]

( not too bad if you fast forward through the songs).

 

[Luigi]

The Life of Chuck

Beautiful uplifting take on Stephen King, perfect viewing considering the current events in the world. Can easily see people calling this schmaltzy, but man, it hit me just right.

This movie was a who's who of Flanagan regulars.

7.5/10

Ballerina

Picks up big time when it goes full on Hot Fuzz/Resident Evil 4 in the second half. Holding out hope for a sequel despite the low box office.

7/10

 

[emielaen]

 

[Rozen Thorne]

 

[Rozen Thorne]

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Revenge of the Blood Beast (AKA The She Beast, AKA The Lake of Satan ~ 1966)

Michael Reeves' (Witchfinder General) first credit as director is a UK/Italy co-production, starring Barbara Steele and Ian Ogilvy. In mid 1700s Transylvania, Vardella - a hideous, murderous witch who has been terrorising the locals - is caught and executed. Before she dies she curses the village, saying she will return to wreak revenge on the descendants of those responsible for her death. Fast-forward 200 years and newlywed English couple Philip and Veronica (Ogilvy and Steele) are driving through the same region on their honeymoon. After spending a night at a shabby motel run by the seedy, lecherous Groper (an appropriate name, as it turns out!) they resume their journey next morning only to accidentally drive off the road and into a lake. As Philip reaches the shore a passing truck driver dives in to look for Veronica. However, all he can find is the ancient corpse of Vardella, the witch! The corpse revives and we soon find out that Vardella has actually merged with Veronica. The only way for Philip to save his wife is to exorcise Vardella, returning Veronica to her normal form. Meanwhile, Vardella begins killing the descendants of the original villagers, as she swore to do...

This was pretty much put together on a wing and a prayer, and was shot in just three weeks. Barbara Steele (by this time an icon of Italian horror) was offered $1,000 for three days work. She said that for $1,000 they could have her for one day, which they agreed to. But they got their money's worth - making her work 22 hours straight through. She was so p****d off that she didn't speak to producer Paul Maslansky for 10 years. This might explain why Steele mostly looks like she doesn't want to be there, and the complete lack of chemistry between her and co-star Ian Ogilvy, with them looking and talking like they'd only met hours before (which they probably had). Ogilvy (in his first film role) isn't too bad, and there's good support from John Karlsen as Count Von Helsing (sic), a local expert on 'witches, and how to execute them'. As for motel owner, Groper (Mel Welles), we see just what a scumbag he is when his hot niece (Lucretia Love) turns up to stay the night as she's frightened by what's going on, and he promptly jumps on her and tries to rape her! A scene that seems to be there solely to provide the obligatory topless nudity (we hadn't seen her before in the movie, and we never see her again). The biggest problem though is the out of place comedy in some scenes. This was apparently done by the 2nd unit at the behest of producer Malansky, including a ridiculous 'Keystone Cops' style speeded-up car chase that Reeves wanted to ditch, but had to keep because the film's runtime was already so short.

Reeves shows glimpses of how good he would become in his brief career (he died three years later at the age of just 25), and some things - the opening set in the 1700s, an attack in a church, the look of the witch herself - are quite impressive. But I think it's safe to say that if it wasn't for the involvement of Reeves and Steele (with their respective fandoms), the movie would be pretty much forgotten. 5/10

 

[squeekness]

Cleaner

 

[emielaen]

 

[Brutikus]

 

[LoganPool]

Saw the trailer for Nobody 2 in the theaters, and it looked really good, but had never seen the first one. Now we have. 8/10

 

[Rozen Thorne]

 

[squeekness]

Jurassic World : Dominion

 

[Ash J. Williams]

 

[Link]

Viimeiset (The Last Ones) is a modern Finnish western. I had high expectations based on the trailer, but it was mostly just trashy and ridiculous. Do Revenge was a positive surprise, even if it remixes elements from teen comedies from 20-30 years ago a bit too broadly.

 

[Rozen Thorne]

 

[Immortalfire]

Mr. Holland’s Opus

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Night Train Murders (AKA Last Stop on the Night Train, AKA Late Night Trains, AKA Don't Ride on Late Night Trains ~ 1975)

Italian rape-revenge horror directed by Aldo Lado. Margaret and Lisa are teenagers taking the overnight train from Germany to Italy to spend Christmas with Lisa's parents. Onboard they encounter two young thugs, Blackie and Curly. Although initially finding the men entertaining, they soon become wary of them and move further down the train. When the train is halted unexpectedly in Austria following a bomb threat, Margaret and Lisa take the chance to change to another train. However, as that train gets underway the girls discover Blackie and Curly have also changed trains - along with a seemingly respectable middle-class woman. The thugs begin to harass and assault Margaret and Lisa with increasing severity - egged-on by the mysterious woman - culminating in rape and death. In Italy Lisa's normally law-abiding parents eagerly await the girls' arrival - until they hear a news report of bodies found...

This is The Last House on the Left (1972) but (mostly) on a train. It takes every beat from Craven's film; young girls journeying happily, chance encounter with depraved psychos, rape/death, chance encounter with the parents of one of the girls, recognition of an item in the thugs possession known to have belonged to the girls, and ultimately vengeance. That said, it's well shot and well acted (shoutout for Irene Miracle and the late Laura D'Angelo as Margaret and Lisa - their first film roles). Like Craven's film it was banned in the UK in the 1980s as a 'video nasty'; yet surprisingly there isn't much blood or gore during the train journey (apart from one notorious scene) - nor is there that much nudity.

The first half does drag. I get we need to know Margaret and Lisa so that the violence hits harder, but it still could have been trimmed by 5-10 minutes. For me the best part is the third act, once Lisa's parents realise what has happened. That's where the tension goes up a notch. Gotta mention one early scene though; a group of rowdy, middle-aged German businessmen are singing marching songs. Blackie yanks their compartment door open and shouts 'Heil Hitler!' Whereupon the businessmen all respond loudly 'Heil Hitler!' with full Nazi salutes - before realising what they've just done and looking around anxiously

6.5/10

 

[MilkmanDan]

Albert Nobbs

 

[KaijuDude1992]

A somewhat decent Aussie shark flick. I was honestly kind of surprised that this wasn't worse considering how bad most of these low budget to no budget shark movies are but this one was actually pretty well made and well acted overall.

5.5/10



An okay cult flick with some solid gore and some really solid cinematography. The acting is pretty decent too considering the fact that its a pretty low budget film but the third act of this kind of went off the rails for me which is why I didn't like it as much as I wanted too in the end which was disappointing IMO.

5/10



Easily one of the most interesting, unique and original films I've seen all year and not what I expected at all. I definitely recommend going into this one as blind as possible and I promise you won't regret it.

7/10

 

[emielaen]

A ★★½ review of Mississippi Burning (1988)

Color and contrast. Almost intent to a fault. Though Hackman and the enemies are all as real as it was; either bias or vile, or both, and inclined to justify their actions. McDormand as a conduit of hatred and ignorance bred. Dafoe as white liberal assistance; naive though spirited, there but on...

boxd.it

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Murder Obsession (AKA Murder Syndrome, AKA Fear, AKA The Wailing ~ 1981)

Italian-French co-produced gothic horror/giallo, directed by Ricardo Freda, and starring Stefano Patrizi, as well as established Euro genre names of the time, John Richardson, Martine Brochard, Anita Strindberg, Laura Gemser (Black Emanuelle), and Silvia Dionisio (former wife of Ruggero Deodato).

Horror actor Michael Stanford (Patrizi) returns to his family home - a rambling gothic pile in Surrey, England - to see his mother (Strindberg) for the first time in 15 years. He brings along some of his filmmaker friends (including his girlfriend, Deborah (Dionisio)), as they intend to make a film in the area and want to scout locations. It soon becomes apparent that Michael is a troubled young man, having undergone intensive psychological therapy as a child for killing his father to protect his mother. The group haven't been staying at the house long when one of them is murdered. Michael fears he may have done it without knowing, as a result of the trauma of his youth. Soon there is another death, And a third. Meanwhile, Deborah has a dream/hallucination of being forced to take part in black magic rites in the cellars of the mansion, and believes there is a Satanic influence at work. As the body-count increases, the list of suspects dwindles, and Michael becomes more convinced than ever that he is responsible...

Other than the opening scene, the entire film takes place in the house and grounds of Michael's family estate, and we're firmly in 'gothic horror' territory (old mansion, isolated location, exploration of dark corridors/passageways by candlelight, storms, moonlit nights, and possible supernatural forces). But for giallo fans there is also an anonymous, black-gloved killer and numerous red-herrings. Patrizi is a bit wooden as Michael (and as his father, in flashbacks), but the rest of the cast are very good. Eurobabes Brochard, Strindberg, Gemser, and Dionisio provide plenty of nudity, and stalwart John Richardson looks to be enjoying himself as Oliver, the creepy-as-hell butler, who spends most of his time sneaking around house and grounds in the dark, clutching a lantern. There's quite a bit of gore (although some of the effects aren't great), the score (by Franco Mannino) is good, and the whole film is terrifically atmospheric. This was Freda's first film after a 10 year break (and also his final one) but he's still got it (anyone who has Laura Gemser topless within literally the first 15 seconds of the film clearly knows his audience ). There are two cuts of this; having seen both, the original Italian version is much better. It's six minutes longer and makes much more sense (as much as these things ever do!). 7/10

 

[Sculder]

Xin Shen bang: Nezha chong sheng / New Gods: Nezha Reborn (2021)
K.O. (2025)
Woman in a Dressing Gown (1957)
These Foolish Things (2006)
Janet Planet (2023)
Kenny Begins (2009)
Self Reliance (2023)
Hypnotic (2023)
Mehed ei nuta / Men Don't Cry (1968)
Depois do Universo / Beyond the Universe (2022)
Metskapten / Wild Captain (1971)

 

[ObiWanCon]

28 Years Later (2025)

 

[Mysteryman]

Cleaner, starring Daisy Ridley.

 

[Ash J. Williams]

The second one is The Bride from Hades.