The Commune (2009)

The Commune comes across as an interesting mix between The Wicker Man (not the crappy remake) and Chinatown. Though I may not have been the biggest fan of The Wicker Man I could respect its gripping story and very twisted ideals. That said, Elisabeth Fies – writer/director/producer/actress/production designer –for The Commune threw a cog in the wheel and played with the ideas Noah Cross brought forth in the classic noir, Chinatown. What does any of this mean? Well, while The Commune may be a slow burn of a film, the payoff is more twisted than many mainstream horror fans will be ready for (and, almost without any blood at all – how about them apples?).

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Door Into Silence (1991)

If you want to see a perfectly entertaining premise completely wasted, I can’t recommend any film more than Lucio Fulci’s Door Into Silence. With a kick ass name and an actual legit actor (John Savage of The Deer Hunter), one would think they’re about to witness Fulci’s masterpiece, but sadly, that’s not what the audience gets. It’s too bad that someone with as many films under his belt as Fulci (56 directorial credits on IMDB), had to go out with this as one of his last films. That said, let’s take a gander at the story and tear this puppy a new one.

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Blackout (2007) – DVD Review

Have you ever wondered what Cube would be like in a single room, without any of the better traps or the fancy lighting of the boxy locations? Yeah, me neither, but that’s what you get when you watch Blackout. I swear, while I was watching this flick I kept hoping for it to move away from the ‘Cube on a budget’ thing it had going, and do its own thing. I’m not making this up, from the flashbacks, to the personal breakdowns, to almost copying the ending verbatim; Blackout owes the creator of Cube at least a writing credit.

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The Cremator (1969) – DVD Review

So, I just finished watching The Cremator, aka Spalovac mrtvol, and boy, that was not what I was expecting at all. After wandering online a bit, I was lead to believe that I was going to be watching a very dark comedy, or at least something so ridiculous that I would find humor in it. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. The Cremator is a very slow decent into the mind of a man who thinks he’s freeing the souls from those that he cremates and, in turn, allows them to be reincarnated as something better. Of course, all of this is set against the backdrop of World War II and Hitler’s rise to power (now, please tell me where the humor is in that?).

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Shuttle (2008) – DVD Review

I’m going to have a hard time writing my review for Shuttle, and this is why: I hate most films that play out like this (those with characters making stupid decisions just so they can die and twists that are supposed to be heartbreaking but instead are ho-hum), but Shuttle kept me entertained through most of its running-time (overblown exposition and all). So, Shuttle easily fits into the middle-of-the-road category where it’s not good, but not terrible, it’s just…there.

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Donkey Punch (2008) – DVD Review

I’ve heard some rumblings about a film called Donkey Punch. I finally managed to get my hands on a copy and check this bad boy out. Now, most of the reviews I had read were rather negative, but I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. Boy, was that a mistake. Donkey Punch is a lopsided thriller, which manages to keep away the thrills while boring the viewer with endless exposition and actors that are sometimes very hard to understand.

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Lady Snowblood (1973) – DVD Review

Lady Snowblood is one of those films people have heard about (simply due to its influence on Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill flicks), but many have not seen. It may be due to its foreign film stature (who wants to read subtitles anyway?) or the fact it’s just not very mainstream. Either way, you’d be missing out on one hell of a revenge flick that isn’t afraid to go into a darker place then most modern films dare.

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No Right Turn (2009)

No Right Turn is a very, very strong sophomore effort from writer/director David Noel Bourke. Somewhere between a straight-faced American mystery flick and a Guy Ritchie dark comedy you would find films like No Right Turn. A great ensemble cast and rich, focused storytelling really drive the film as the twists and turns start to come faster and faster until the last thirty minutes when everything to come to a head.

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Scrapbook (2000) – DVD Review

I’ve seen some crappy flicks in my life, as most of my friends can attest to, but I’ve never felt so deeply that a flick just never needed to be made as I do about Scrapbook. This film had no purpose being thought up and it definitely should have died in the stages seeking distribution. What a terrible movie. If all you want is viscous rape and terrible acting, then you’ve got to get your hands on this film. Everyone else, anyone with dignity that is, should stay far away.

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Diary (2006) – DVD Review

Want to see a Pang Brothers movie with a great look like The Eye or Re-Cycle with a generic story and an over-complicated twist ending? Well, then, you my friend are in luck! Diary, aka Mon seugn, is here and what a beautiful mess this thing is. As I just stated this film is gorgeous (as is almost any film from Oxide and Danny Pang), but there’s not enough meat to the story to keep many viewers interested.

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Naboer aka Next Door (2005) – DVD Review

Naboer is a psychological-thriller, written and directed by Pal Sletaune.  The film is centered around John (Kristoffer Joner) who just was dumped by his girlfriend Ingrid(Anna Bache-Wiig).  When Ingrid comes to John’s apartment to grab a few of her things, John attempts to discuss what went wrong with their relationship.  Ingrid’s attempts to ignore the questions, but she does engage in conversation and while they are speaking, there are car horn blasts outside and it just happens to be Ingrid’s new Boyfriend, Ake.  That takes the conversation to another level and John is furious that Ingrid had told Ake the private and intimate details of their now failed relationship.

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Assault On Precinct 13 (1976) – DVD Review

With the release of Assault On Precinct 13 in 1976, John Carpenter began a run unmatched by all but a few of the greatest directors. Over a six year period he made five of the greatest genre flicks ever with Assault On Precinct 13, Halloween, The Fog, Escape From NY, and The Thing. After the release of Dark Star, Carpenter was given free reign to make whatever kind of movie he wanted but only given a budget of $100k. Carpenter wanted to make a Western but the budget wasn’t enough to create the setting so he took the heart of a western story and set it in the present day.  Heavily influenced by Howard hawks Rio Bravo, Assault on Precinct 13 is one of the best 70’s action flicks out there and a worthy watch for anyone.

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Eyeball (1975)

There’s many words that I would use to describe the giallo films that I’ve watched. Uneven was not one of them until Eyeball, or it’s incredibly long Italian name Gatti rossi in un labirinto di vetro, came along. Umberto Lenzi has directed almost seventy films in his career, including Seven Blood-Stained Orchids, Man from Deep River, and Make Them Die Slowly. Where so many giallo films had a look that was completely their own (Almost anything by Argento or even Martino), Eyeball looked rather pedestrian.

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Taken (2008)

Sometimes films about revenge and redemption kick so much ass it’s hard to completely comprehend what just happened . Taken is a film about revenge and redemption (but, mostly about revenge). It’s basically the “what not to do” handbook when kidnapping young girls. Usually revenge flicks are by the numbers and culminate in the destruction of the bad guy and everyone learns a valuable lesson. Taken takes it a step further, making it so things aren’t only what you’d expect. In fact, the one event that pushes the rest of the film in motion is just the tip of the iceberg; there’s much more going on behind the scenes.

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The Man Who Laughs (1928)

The Man Who Laughs is one of those films that you’ll hear about and is highly influential (the Joker being one of the major ones if you can’t tell from the picture), but many people won’t take the time to search it out and watch it. That’s a shame, because The Man Who Laughs is an incredible film. From start to finish the audience is pulled into the world of the late 1600’s in England, and the lying, deceit, intrigue, romance, terror and thrills that surround Gwynplaine, aka The Man Who Laughs.

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An incredibly well-made fan trailer!

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Mad Love (1935)

Let’s start this off with a quick stroll down memory lane that most of you won’t care about. I remember popping in Casablanca and getting my first experience with Peter Lorre. The guy just had that presence that you can’t really describe, but when he’s on the screen you can’t look away. From there I wandered into The Maltese Falcon and into the film that cemented Lorre as a favorite of mine, Fritz Lang’s M. What does my history watching Lorre films have to do with anything? Well, I’d heard good things about Mad Love, but it wasn’t really until I found out that Lorre was in it that I went out of my way to watch the film, and I’m glad I did.

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One of the many, many incredible scenes from Mad Love.

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Play Misty For Me (1971)

Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut, Play Misty For Me,is a great early seventies thriller. Eastwood takes a fairly simple script and with deft direction that really builds the tension as it moves along and great performances from the cast turns out a pretty damn good movie. While the female stalker thing is a bit overdone now this movie is the one who started it all and although slightly longer than necessary it still holds up incredibly well.

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Alone With Her (2006)

Some films are just plain unnerving. One such film would be Eric Nicholas’ Alone with Her. Shot, clearly, on the cheap, Alone with Her builds tension so subtly that viewers don’t realize that they’re leaning towards the screen until a climax occurs and they almost crack their heads against the screen. I’m not saying I did that, but I can sure as hell see a few people I know hurting themselves with this one.

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Blind Beast (1969)

Once and a while a film comes along that really pushes the envelope on the emotional landscape that modern life has become accustomed to. Blind Beast, or Môjû, fits into this category with ease. Yasuzo Masumura’s dark tale is something of a screwed up spectacle as the audience is dragged along a story of love, betrayal, and what some would consider, insanity, which leads to each of the character’s downward spirals.

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El Ray De La Montana (2007)

I didn’t go into Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego’s 2007 thriller with very high expectations. It sounded like your typical done-a-million-times story of humans being hunted in the woods. These are usually enjoyable but don’t stand out in any way. A few things in this movie bothered me but the good far outweighed the bad and led to me having a pretty enjoyable hour and a half movie experience.

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Delirium: Photo of Gioia (1987)

Delirium: Photo of Gioia tries to be a bit more than a run of the mill giallo yarn, and on some levels it succeeds. Director, Lamberto Bava (son of Italian filmmaker, Mario Bava) created a film that was, in many ways, a step up from regular giallo films. By adding the psychological process in the killer’s mind, Bava was able to create a nightmarish story that uses effects in a very disturbing way. While this is all well and good, the story suffers, and the film never quite reaches its potential.

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88 Minutes (2007)

This film is directed by John Avnet and stars Al Pacino (Scarface, Heat, Carlito’s Way), Alicia Witt (Cecil B. Demented, Four Rooms), Leelee Sobieski (Eyes Wide Shut, JoyRide), and Amy Brenneman (Heat, Fear, Private Practice).  The film is about a forensic psychiatrist and college professor,  Dr. Jack Gramm (Pacino).  Dr. Gramm was celebrating the conviction of a murderer that he helped put away with his students.  The next day, he gets a phone call stating he has 88 Minutes to live.  Dr. Gramm then goes on to find his would be killer, with the help of his teachers aide (Witt) and his secretary (Brenneman).  During his search, he continues to get the mysterious phonecalls and other various obstacles.

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The Night Evelyn Came Out Of The Grave (1971)

The Night Evelyn Came Out Of The Grave makes excellent use of a man’s past to deconstruct his present, while creating a strong setting for a multi-faceted mystery that’s sure to make even the most jaded movie-goer crack a smile as the twists unfold. 

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El Nominado (2003) – DVD Review

El Nominado (The Nominee) is set in Chile, in the year 2006. The film is based around a reality show called, The Underground, where 10 people are dropped in the Andes Mountains and are put in a bunker 40 meters below ground with limited food and water, and NO contact with the outside world. Each week, the audience gets to nominate someone to be eliminated. Before they do get eliminated, they must face their worst fear….But, after someone gets eliminated they refuse to leave, and the bloodshed ensues.

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Madhouse (1981) – DVD Review

Many times I’ve spoken about the giallo film, and how entertaining they can be to watch. Be it from Argento, Bava, Martino or any of the myriad of other directors who have entertained us fans through the years, there’s many things that tend to stand out in these sorts of films. The mystery, the motive, the unknown murderer and hot women are pretty much staples (though they’re not all always there), but, as with any genre, you’ll be sure to come across a few hybrids that try to mix outside styles with the staples of what works so well within the genres boundaries. Sometimes they’re horrible. Sometimes they’re very good. Madhouse, aka There Was a Little Girl, falls somewhere in the middle.

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