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What was the last movie you watched? Part 2

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Unsung Hero (2024)
The Longest Yard (2005)
Hansie: A True Story (2008)
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023)
Assassinio sul Tevere / Assassination on the Tiber (1979)
Gli infedeli / The Players (2020)
The Raging Moon (1971)
Totò lascia o raddoppia? / Toto Double or Nothing (1956)
The Wrong Paris (2025)
The Railway Children (1970)
 
Lady of Burlesque (AKA Striptease Lady ~ 1943)

Murder mystery starring the great Barbara Stanwyck as 'Dixie Daisy', the top act of a burlesque show. Someone is murdering the showgirls - strangling them with their own G-strings. The police are convinced the murderer is connected with the show, as every killing takes place on the theatre premises. After an attempt on her own life Dixie has no doubt the murderer will try again and starts to work with the other girls to identify and trap the killer.

Based on a 1941 book called The G-String Murders (written by notorious American burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee), restrictions of the time meant that more risque aspects of the original were toned tone, and elements of song and comedy were added (as part of the onstage routines). The mystery itself is pretty by-the-numbers, but Stanwyck and the rest of the cast are convincing as lifelong 'stage folk' - with Stanwyck doing her own dancing and singing (I found out later that she actually started out as a 'Ziegfeld chorus girl' at just 16).

Some of the comedy style is understandably dated and hard work now, and the 'provocative' dance routines are very tame! :funny: But Stanwyck is terrific as always. As I was watching it occurred to me that you could loosely remake this as a pretty entertaining 'slasher' ('Burlesque Bloodbath', maybe?). Interesting to think of Stanwyck as a 'Final Girl'!

Overall, 5.5/10
 
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I didn't realize that this is only the second film that I've seen Emma Thompson in. Pretty good thriller that doesn't break new ground in the genre, not to mention has a number of contrivances to it. Take the setting of Fargo, and implement a bit of Taken.

Thompson is good in it, but the real standout is Judy Greer.
 
Grotesque (2009)

Written and directed by Kōji Shiraishi (Noroi: The Curse, Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman, Sadako vs Kayako) this is one of the most infamous Japanese exploitation 'gore porn' films (often cited alongside the notorious Guinea Pig series). In the UK it is still banned outright. The BBFC have refused to even certify an '18' version with cuts, stating the film "features minimal narrative or character development and presents the audience with little more than an unrelenting and escalating scenario of humiliation, brutality and sadism".

So, of course it's freely available - completely uncut - on YouTube. Go BBFC.

The plot such as it is centres around a young Japanese couple on their first date. As they leave a coffee shop they're attacked by a man with a hammer. When they awaken they're gagged and shackled in a plastic-sheeting covered basement. For the rest of the film they are abused sexually, and subjected the most horrific, graphic, physical violence and torture . All full-screen and in glorious technicolour.

I can't really say much more about the specific content. If you're okay with extreme exploitation/gore, fine. If you're not, steer clear; there are plenty of reviews/posts around the internet from people who knew the film's reputation and thought they'd be fine with it - only to call it a day before the halfway mark. What I can say is that it's well shot, fantastically lit, and superbly acted by all three leads. The effects are also very convincing. That said, it is - by design - unrelentingly depressing.

I wouldn't buy it - I can't see what I'd gain from another viewing - but I do rate it 7/10
 
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An entertaining enough 80's action flick with some fun familiar faces and a pretty badass and memorable performance from Stephen Lang.

6/10

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As far as SK action flicks go it's a little on the forgettable side but the action scenes are pretty solid and well choreographed.

6/10

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If you enjoy seeing Scott Adkins just mow through a bunch of bad guys in a WW II setting for almost 2 hours than this is the movie for you lol.

6.5/10
 

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