Seen and not seen's, recommendations and queries on top films in general.

Started by GEWALTMONOPOL, December 29, 2009, 06:31:05 PM

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Balor/SS1535

Quote from: ConcreteMascara on January 17, 2022, 06:42:27 PM
The Beast Must Die - [dir. Paul Annett, 1974] - it's hard to give this a quick review without regurgitating what others have said, so fuck it. "Ten Little Indians" meets "The Most Dangerous Game", with a blaxploitation styled lead character. The uneven pacing is probably the movies biggest stumbling block, but overall it was a fun premise lead by Calvin Lockhart's hammy performance as a big game hunter and businessman so rich he can get a bunch of strangers to his chateau, force them to stay for days, while spying on them and hunting the werewolf amidst them. And I did really enjoy all of the old school surveillance equipment for the time it was in the movie. Of this "horror" movies I watched over the weekend this was definitely my favorite.

I love this movie, and have seen it a few times now.  Definitely a fun plot that keeps you guessing!  My favorite thing about it, though, is the "Werewolf Break" near the end.

ConcreteMascara

Quote from: Balor/SS1535 on January 17, 2022, 07:45:32 PM
Quote from: ConcreteMascara on January 17, 2022, 06:42:27 PM
The Beast Must Die - [dir. Paul Annett, 1974] - it's hard to give this a quick review without regurgitating what others have said, so fuck it. "Ten Little Indians" meets "The Most Dangerous Game", with a blaxploitation styled lead character. The uneven pacing is probably the movies biggest stumbling block, but overall it was a fun premise lead by Calvin Lockhart's hammy performance as a big game hunter and businessman so rich he can get a bunch of strangers to his chateau, force them to stay for days, while spying on them and hunting the werewolf amidst them. And I did really enjoy all of the old school surveillance equipment for the time it was in the movie. Of this "horror" movies I watched over the weekend this was definitely my favorite.

I love this movie, and have seen it a few times now.  Definitely a fun plot that keeps you guessing!  My favorite thing about it, though, is the "Werewolf Break" near the end.

Yeah that "Werewolf Break" is a fun gimmick. Fun is really how I'd describe almost all of the Amicus films I've seen so far. They take themselves seriously but it's not too serious and stuffy, they know they need to be entertaining too.
--------

Because my appetite for trash is limitless these days my buddy and I did a double feature last night.

First up, Night of the Demon - [dir. James C. Wasson, 1980], a bloody Bigfoot romp that delivers some memorable gore and a few titties and a killer finale. the whole movie plays as a flashback, which is always a dumb choice, but by 10-15 minutes in I completely forgot that set-up. the movie frequently switches between gory deaths, primarily unrelated to the immediate plot, and "college" kids trudging around in the woods. at times it feels like the movie is sleep walking, but it remains oddly compelling. the main character an anthropology professor whose taken his students out to this godforsaken part of California, is an anthropologist in the same way Indiana Jones is an archeologist. he does and takes whatever he wants with no regard for the lives of the things he's studying. it's hilarious. I don't think he'd do well in the year 2022. Overall, a very watchable I'm hoping to show at my next horror movie party, whenever that can happen...

And then it was The Halfway House - [dir. Kenneth J. Hall, 2004]... Holy shit, this thing is a fucking gem! Ridiculously trashy and stupid, shot on digital video in 2004. It doesn't look very good, the camera is out of focus more than a few times, and the music is some kind of goth butt-rock and awful electronic shit. BUT for all those failing, this movie is fast paced, it's got tits galore with a bunch of lesbian action, some fun practical creature effects, a few shots of passable gore, most acting on a Brazzers level, a horny priest who reminds of an off-brand Chris Parnell and most importantly Mary Woronov chewing the scenery left and right. Somehow this nightmare concoction, which should be repugnant trash on any other day, transcended into the sublime. so many things are so bad at once at any given time I was constantly giggling, but there's always enough good shit too to keep you invested. Yes, it's bad and dumb, but I found it extremely entertaining.
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ConcreteMascara

Last House on Dead End Street - [dir. Roger Watkins, 1973] - After so many fun and/or dumb horror movies in the last month I was really in the mood for something mean-spirited and miserable. Last House on a Dead End Street fit the bill. Admittedly I don't have some huge long standing interest in seeing this like some did when it was released on DVD or re-released as an easter egg on the Corruption Bluray. It only meaningfully came to my attention a year or two ago, but what I read about this grindhouse pseudo-snuff film piqued my interest. I watched the version that's available on the Corruption disc by Vinegar Syndrome. It's rough looking but it only really adds to the feeling. After a few minutes the first two things that stick out are how good some of the shot compositions are and how out of sync and mediocre the voice dubbing is. Both of these things are a constant throughout, but you eventually forget all about the dubbing and sync issues. Damn is this movie miserable! Almost every location is enough to make your skin crawl, most of the actors are rough to look at, most of the sex is anything but erotic, the music is surprisingly effective as are the warped voices later on. The plot itself, guy gets out of jail and decides to make snuff films to punish the world is really all I needed. It's just a loose vehicle to get to the depravity of the second half. I have to imagine a lot of the actors did not have fun filming this, the way they get beat on, blood covered, tied up, strung up, etc. all in the cold of upstate New York, or where ever it was shot.  By the end it was reminding me a lot in tone and miserableness of Kichiku dai Enkai which is one of my all time favorites. This isn't quite that good or ambitious but it's definitely my cup of tea. Real bad times vibes for when you need a reminder that horror films are supposed to show horrible stuff.

Final note, I watched the preview for Corruption after watching the movie and imagine my surprise when the whole thing was set to "Humanity Pt. 2" by Ennio Morricone aka that main creepy synth track from The Thing. I can't imagine Roger Watkins and Jamie Gillis got the rights for it for a hardcore porno, but since it's on the disc who knows?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9Doo9ajCyQ
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Lazrs3

Boiling Point. 2021.

Set in a London Restraunt, filmed in one take, it focuses on the head chef played by Stephen Graham and the stress of his life and all those working in the restraunt. Tension never stops, good film, made mewant to watch Shane Meadows films again.

online prowler

ConcreteMascara...

You mentioned

"First up, Night of the Demon"

Did you ever see director Jacques Tourneur's 1957 'Night of the Demon'? Mandatory.

ConcreteMascara

Quote from: online prowler on January 29, 2022, 01:58:45 AM
ConcreteMascara...

You mentioned

"First up, Night of the Demon"

Did you ever see director Jacques Tourneur's 1957 'Night of the Demon'? Mandatory.

I have not, I'll have to put it on my "to watch list". Haven't had much time for movies lately but here's a few thoughts on a few from the last month...

Titane - [dir. Julia Ducournau, 2021] - very enjoyable. it was not what i thought it was going to be. there is some extreme stuff early on and one scene that had me turning my head away, but on the whole it's an almost heart-warming film about broken people. best to go in blind if you can.

RoboCop - [dir. Paul Verhoeven, 1987] - every time I watch it I am reminded how perfect this movie is. Truly perfect.

Asylum - [dir. Roy Ward Baker, 1972] - I think this is my 3rd Amicus anthology film? I'm really enjoying this horror anthology set up with an overarching and unifying story. Yeah the violence and tits quotients are way down but it makes up for it with fun and British/European actors, some of whom are very good. Peter Cushing is always welcome but this one has Patrick Magee, Herbert Lom, Charlotte Rampling, and Britt Ekland too. This film won't change your life but it's certainly a pleasant way to spend a Saturday morning.

Raiders of the Lost Ark - [dir. Steven Spielberg, 1981] - I haven't seen this one in ages. Somehow my wife had never seen it at all. Enjoyed it more than the last time I watched it. This is the definition of a romp.

The Friends of Eddie Coyle - [dir. Peter Yates, 1973] - this is the antithesis of a romp. another one I haven't watched in probably a decade. I have to imagine this had some influence on Scorceses's  The Departed and maybe Tarantino in general. Although this is an almost entirely quiet and desolate affair. A matter of fact portrayal of the rigged game that is criminal enterprise. Robert Mitchum is of course amazing but I also really really enjoy Richard Jordan's performance as a slimy-ish ATF agent. The late '60s but really the '70s was the best era for miserable and depressing crime movies.

The Street Fighter - [dir. Shigehiro Ozawa, 1974] - finally watched this one for the first time but it was not an ideal viewing session. It was an old DVD with a lousy transfer. English dub only. and my buddy and I were so tired we couldn't really enjoy it. still a positive viewing experience but definitely one i need to upgrade and re-watch.

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer - [dir. John McNaughton, 1986] - an absolute classic of gritty depravity carried largely on the shoulders of Michael Rooker. However, Tracy Arnold and Tom Towles do a lot of heavy lifting as well to make this more than just an exercise in misery, with Arnold especially brining in the human warmth and tragedy needed to make it even better.

Stage Fright aka Deliria - [dir. Michele Soavi, 1987] - second viewing, still love it. My only complaint is the lead actress. she doesn't do much for me and I don't find her terribly sympathetic. David Brandon on the other hand is fucking great and I need to see more of his films.


and that's all she wrote.

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FreakAnimalFinland

Quote from: cr on December 06, 2015, 11:54:36 AM
THE SOUND OF INSECTS - RECORD OF A MUMMY (PETER LIECHTI, CH 2009)
I'm kind of obsessed by the text "miira ni narumade" by Shimada Masahiko since I first heard about it 15 years ago (if I remember right, it was a festival curated by Otomo Yoshihide). This is a film based upon this novel. In short, it's about going into the woods and commiting suicide from slowly and painfully starving yourself to death. Film itself is OK, not exactly what I imagined it could be. But I'm happy that all the text of the diary is there. Fictional, but based on a true story.

Haven't been watching that many good movies for long time. Happened to catch this one, and it was pretty unusual. I would think soundtrack could appeal to fans of experimental sound. Also the diary narration. It could probably work out simply as audio experience, without looking the actual movie, just listening it.
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AdamLehrerImageMaker

2001 (Kubrick)
The Damned (Visconti)
Teorema (Pasolini)
Army of Shadows (Melville)
Possession (Zulawski)
Dead Ringers (Cronenberg)
Videodrome (Cronenberg)
Crash (Cronenberg)
Psycho (Hitchcock)
Chinese Roulette (Fassbinder)
Sorcerer (Friedkin)
Jigoku (Nagakwaa)
In the Realm of the Sense (Oshima)
The Night of the Hunter (Haughton)
World on a Wire (Fassbinder)
Gummo (Korine)
The Night Porter (Cavani)
Mulholland Drive (Lynch)
Don't Look Now (Roeg)
Belle du Jour (Bunuel)
The Tenant (Polanski)
Alphaville (Godard)
Elle (Verhoeven)
Robocop (Verhoeven)
Halloween (Carpenter)
Nymphomaniac (Von Trier)
Pulp Fiction (Tarantino)
Maps to the Stars (Cronenberg)
Hellraiser (Clive Barker)
Out of the Blue (Hopper)
Taxi Driver (Scorsese)
Breaking the Waves (Von Trier)
Happiness (Solondz)
There Will be Blood (Anderson)
Fat Girl (Breillat(
Bully (Clark)
Eyes wide Shut (Kubrick)
Vertigo (Hitchcock)
Battle in Heaven (Reygad)
The Brown Bunny (Gallo)
Antichrist (Von Trier)
Inland Empire (Lynch)
The Piano Teacher (Haneke)
Irreversible (Noe)
Pusher 2 (Refn)
Trouble Every Day (Denis)
Dog Days (Seidl)
Paradise Faith (Seidl)
My Winnipeg (Maddin)
Storytelling (Solondz)
Clean Shaven (Kerrigan)
Buffalo 66 (Gallo)
Bad Lieutenant (Ferrara)
The Lovers on the Bridge (Carax)
Santanago (Tarr)
The Idiots (Lars Von Trier)
Pola X (Carax)
Blue Velvet (Lynch)
Eraserhead (Lynch)
Begotten (Merhige)
The Conversation (Coppola)
Out One (Rivette)
Straw Dogs (Peckinpah)
Salo (Pasolini)
Tenebre (Argento)
Driller Killer (Ferrara)
The Mother and the Whore (Eustache)
The Deer Hunter (Cimino)
SALO (Pasolini)
Sweet Movie (Makajev)
Demons (Matsumoto)
Come and See (Klimov)
Zigeunerweisen (Suzuki)
A Zed and Two Noughts (Greenaway)
In a Glass Cage (Villaronga)
Ms. 45 (Ferrara)
On the Silver Globe (Zulawski)
A Brutal Game (Brisseau)
Pixote (Babenco)
Mauvais Sang (Carax)
Joker (Todd Phillips)
The Untamed (Amat Escalante)
The Master (Anderson)
Holy Motors (Carax)
Twin Peaks: The Return (Lynch)
Too Old to Die Young (Refn)
Bone Tomahawk (Zahler)
Melancholie der Engel (Dora)


AdamLehrerImageMaker

Quote from: theotherjohn on March 04, 2022, 09:53:35 PM
Quote from: AdamLehrerImageMaker on March 04, 2022, 07:47:22 PM...

Someone's had a busy week...?

Lol, I am autistic in my list making. I keep a document where I chronicle my favorite films decade by decade, just pasted from that. Those are just my favorite movies I didn't watch any of them this week.

Balor/SS1535

Quote from: AdamLehrerImageMaker on March 04, 2022, 07:47:22 PM
2001 (Kubrick)
The Damned (Visconti)
Teorema (Pasolini)
Army of Shadows (Melville)
Possession (Zulawski)
Dead Ringers (Cronenberg)
Videodrome (Cronenberg)
Crash (Cronenberg)
Psycho (Hitchcock)
Chinese Roulette (Fassbinder)
Sorcerer (Friedkin)
Jigoku (Nagakwaa)
In the Realm of the Sense (Oshima)
The Night of the Hunter (Haughton)
World on a Wire (Fassbinder)
Gummo (Korine)
The Night Porter (Cavani)
Mulholland Drive (Lynch)
Don't Look Now (Roeg)
Belle du Jour (Bunuel)
The Tenant (Polanski)
Alphaville (Godard)
Elle (Verhoeven)
Robocop (Verhoeven)
Halloween (Carpenter)
Nymphomaniac (Von Trier)
Pulp Fiction (Tarantino)
Maps to the Stars (Cronenberg)
Hellraiser (Clive Barker)
Out of the Blue (Hopper)
Taxi Driver (Scorsese)
Breaking the Waves (Von Trier)
Happiness (Solondz)
There Will be Blood (Anderson)
Fat Girl (Breillat(
Bully (Clark)
Eyes wide Shut (Kubrick)
Vertigo (Hitchcock)
Battle in Heaven (Reygad)
The Brown Bunny (Gallo)
Antichrist (Von Trier)
Inland Empire (Lynch)
The Piano Teacher (Haneke)
Irreversible (Noe)
Pusher 2 (Refn)
Trouble Every Day (Denis)
Dog Days (Seidl)
Paradise Faith (Seidl)
My Winnipeg (Maddin)
Storytelling (Solondz)
Clean Shaven (Kerrigan)
Buffalo 66 (Gallo)
Bad Lieutenant (Ferrara)
The Lovers on the Bridge (Carax)
Santanago (Tarr)
The Idiots (Lars Von Trier)
Pola X (Carax)
Blue Velvet (Lynch)
Eraserhead (Lynch)
Begotten (Merhige)
The Conversation (Coppola)
Out One (Rivette)
Straw Dogs (Peckinpah)
Salo (Pasolini)
Tenebre (Argento)
Driller Killer (Ferrara)
The Mother and the Whore (Eustache)
The Deer Hunter (Cimino)
SALO (Pasolini)
Sweet Movie (Makajev)
Demons (Matsumoto)
Come and See (Klimov)
Zigeunerweisen (Suzuki)
A Zed and Two Noughts (Greenaway)
In a Glass Cage (Villaronga)
Ms. 45 (Ferrara)
On the Silver Globe (Zulawski)
A Brutal Game (Brisseau)
Pixote (Babenco)
Mauvais Sang (Carax)
Joker (Todd Phillips)
The Untamed (Amat Escalante)
The Master (Anderson)
Holy Motors (Carax)
Twin Peaks: The Return (Lynch)
Too Old to Die Young (Refn)
Bone Tomahawk (Zahler)
Melancholie der Engel (Dora)

A lot that I have seen, and more than a few that I really want to in the near future.  The Night of the Hunter is fantastic.

Theodore

Baxter (1989) : French movie. Baxter is a bull terrier and we watch his story with his narrative. Coming from a shelter Baxter changes a couple of homes / families before he finds "someone like him", as he tells us. A 12YO [?] boy who is obsessed with Hitler, especially his final days, and building his bunker in the near junkyard wasteland. So, it's not the usual 'lovely' dog story. Quite funny in the first half, the way french movies usually are, you have a smile. Then, things get an unexpected [?] turn. I liked it. Watched it on Netflix, from the Studiocanal archive, which mostly are good movies compared with most modern shit. - Netflix advertizes the 12YO -probably even less- boy as "young neonazi" ! Here we are ...
"ἀθάνατοι θνητοί, θνητοὶ ἀθάνατοι, ζῶντες τὸν ἐκείνων θάνατον, τὸν δὲ ἐκείνων βίον τεθνεῶτες"

ConcreteMascara

Quote from: Theodore on March 11, 2022, 03:21:51 AM
Baxter (1989) : French movie. Baxter is a bull terrier and we watch his story with his narrative. Coming from a shelter Baxter changes a couple of homes / families before he finds "someone like him", as he tells us. A 12YO [?] boy who is obsessed with Hitler, especially his final days, and building his bunker in the near junkyard wasteland. So, it's not the usual 'lovely' dog story. Quite funny in the first half, the way french movies usually are, you have a smile. Then, things get an unexpected [?] turn. I liked it. Watched it on Netflix, from the Studiocanal archive, which mostly are good movies compared with most modern shit. - Netflix advertizes the 12YO -probably even less- boy as "young neonazi" ! Here we are ...

I recently heard about this film and am trying to remember where. Thanks for the review, you've confirmed my interest!
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ConcreteMascara

Since Elden Ring released I've had no time for movies except one...
Graveyard of Honor - [dir. Kinji Fukasaku, 1975] - got my buddy the arrow bluray for Christmas but I can't really compare to the old transfer because it's been at least a decade since I've watched this and my last viewing I was definitely drunk. But unsurprisingly this looks and sounds great. The film itself and the main character are just as unhinged as I remember. Basically the antithesis of Shinoda's Pale Flower, but I like this almost as much. A lot of fun but it can be a tad confusing with all the time skips and large cast of characters. But if you want to watch someone completely blow up their life with violence, drugs and gambling, this is an enjoyable portrait.
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Balor/SS1535

Shut Up Little Man: An Audio Misadventure

A fascinating documentary about two twenty-somethings who decide to record the violent rants/fights of the drunk old men living in the apartment next door, and accidentaly create a pre-Internet viral cultural event in the process.  (Example audio: https://youtu.be/dRJVR6evsRU) Very entertaining, and only the highest recommendations.

They talk in the movie about the tapes they recorded being spread across the United States during the 1980s, so I was wondering whether anyone here encountered them in circulation?