Movies U must C - E to H

Movie Reviews - E

Eugenie… The Story of Her Journey into Perversion – Fresh faced Marie Liljedahl stars as Eugenie in this classic slice of unhinged Erotica from renowned smut peddler and all round cult legend Jess Franco. While many of the great man’s films are criticised for their ‘eccentric’ use of camera zooms and other technical misnomers, Eugenie is largely unique in the Franco cannon for its sleek, accomplished wide screen visuals and finely nuanced tone and stands today as an alluring, atmospheric, surprising, genuinely erotic Melodrama which remains gripping from start to finish. The story concerns the young Eugenie’s stay with kinky couple Madame de St. Ange [Maria Rohm] and Mirvel [Jack Taylor] on their private island where she is unwittingly drawn into their S&M perversities as well as other secret depraved goings on involving the mysterious, ambivalent figure of Dolmance [Christopher Lee]. In essence the film is a tale of innocence lost, or more specifically innocence stolen as part of an elaborate secret plan involving psychedelic sacrificial ceremonies, plentiful nudity and occasionally mild spanking. In marked contrast to its frivolous scenes of naked lesbian rub downs with Eugenie and Madame and the quirkily symbolic curtain tugging hi-jinks performed by Mirvel during his peeping tom activities, the film has the nerve to end on a wonderfully bizarre, surreally downbeat note. Apparently symptomatic of our heroines’ ultimate plunge into the depths of depravity and by turns despair, the extended climax [ooh-err!] has Eugenie nakedly wandering around a desolate, windy landscape, suffering eternal turmoil stemming from her discovery of the untoward manipulation she was subjected to. She has painfully come to acknowledge her complicity in the corruption of her innocence and has reached the point of no return. There you have it then; sun-kissed climate + breasts + uninhibited sexual freedom + sacrificial bloodletting = nakedness, existential angst and much waling. Eugenie is truly a film you have to see to believe and remains a remarkable, dreamlike cult classic of sexy cinema.

Trivia: Also known as ‘De Sade 70’. Originally released under the title ‘Philosophy in the Boudoir’ for its’ UK theatrical release. It was entitled ‘Wildkatze’ in West Germany. Director Jess Franco is also known as Jesus Franco. Christopher Lee was apparently unaware that Eugenie was an Erotic movie; his scenes were apparently filmed separate from any nudity or saucy goings on and then edited in with the naughty footage.

Directed by Jess Franco – 1969 – 92 minutes – Starring and Marie Liljedahl, Maria Rohm [The Blood of Fu Manchu], Jack Taylor [The Vampires’ Night Orgy], Anney Kablan, Paul Muller, Maria Luisa Ponte, Herbert Fux [Asterix and Obelix Take on Caesar], Nino Korda and Christopher Lee [Lord of the Rings, Dracula] as Dolmance.

If you like this you may also like: Vampiros Lesbos [1971] – Soledad Miranda stars as Countess Nadine Carody in Jess Franco’s sexy, eccentric, hallucinogenic cult favourite. The title says it all.

Reason U must C – It’s a surreal mix of dreamy, soft core Sex and wild psychedelic Horror, with philosophical pretensions thrown in for good measure. Plus the theme tune is astounding!

Find a Film: Search Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com - eBay.co.uk - eBay.com

Expect No Mercy - Formulaic but nonetheless thoroughly entertaining action thriller. Billy Blanks is a federal agent sent undercover into a high-tech martial arts school, The Academy. It is rumoured that the school is being used by its owner to train a private army of assassins who undertake contract killings for the highest bidder. Blanks teams up with teacher Jalal Merhi to break into a secretive wing of the school and find out what really is going on. Here they discover that an assassination is actually in progress and have to race to try to save the intended victim (the hilarious Sam Moses). The use of virtual reality for training and during the assassinations adds a really interesting edge to the film. Although the graphics are fairly basic (even for 1995), they somehow seem totally acceptable which makes this stand out from your normal buddy action movie. The film also combines the use of guns and martial arts in just the right measure to ensure that there is always something exciting happening to keep you entertained. And if you like scenes in which people dive from cars or buildings as they explode in the background you will not be disappointed.

Trivia: Billy Blanks brother Michael also appears in the film as the character Spyder. Bad guy Wolf Larson was the star of the 1991-94 TV series of Tarzan.

Directed by Zale Dalen - 1995 - 91mins - Starring Billy Blanks [The Last Boy Scout], Jalal Merhi, Wolf Larson, Laurie Holden [Fantastic Four], Real Andrews and Anthony De Longis [Masters of the Universe]

If you like this you may also like: Back in Action [1994] in which Billy Blanks and Roddy Piper unite to take on the mob. No Retreat No Surrender 2 [1988] extremely fun action movie with Max Thayer, Loren Avedon and Cynthia Rothrock combine forces to tackle a camp Russian Colonel.

Reason U must C - The final fight between Blanks and baddie Wolf Larson is extremely enjoyable and even includes the obligatory tearing off each others shirts for no apparent reason - excellent!

Find a Film: Search Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com - eBay.co.uk - eBay.com

Extreme Prejudice – Walter Hill’s Tex-Mex modern day Western featuring a to-die for cast of wonderful character actors. Nick Nolte is on great form as Texas Ranger Jack Benteen. Jack is after notorious narcotics kingpin Cash Bailey [an awesome Powers Boothe], an old childhood friend turned bad, who rules his Mexican domain like a tyrannical King. Jack’s lady friend had a past with Cash, who wants her to come and live with him in his Mexican fortress. Meanwhile a CIA funded Para-Military group led by Major Paul Hackett [the great Michael Ironside] are undertaking a major drug-bust operation, aiming to infiltrate Cash’s narcotics empire. However the Major might have a hidden agenda of his own. The scene is set for a climactic shootout of Wild Bunch proportions. Walter Hill is long overdue the recognition he deserves for his immense contributions to cinema; as an action director he is arguably without equal and he always manages to get the best out of his actors. His clear, concise, straight to the point style of filmmaking marks him as the last of his kind amongst the bloated, stylistically cluttered movies churned out by too many of today’s filmmakers.

Trivia: UK releases were originally cut to remove perceived animal cruelty; the stabbing of a rat. However this cut was waived upon the films’ DVD release after closer inspection revealed the cruelty to be faked.

Directed by Walter Hill – 1987 – 103 minutes – Starring Nick Nolte [48 Hrs], Powers Boothe, Michael Ironside [Scanners], Rip Torn [Men in Black], Maria Conchita Alonso, William Forsythe, Clancy Brown, Matt Mulhern, Gary Cervantes and Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister.

If you like this you may also like: The Long Riders [1980] – Walter Hill’s stupendously good Western featuring real life brothers [the Keaches, the Carradines and the Quaids] in the roles of the James, Younger and Miller brothers, for added authenticity. Streets of Fire [1984] – A later Walter Hill effort which contains elements of the Western despite nominally being a stylish, modern Action Thriller. Michael Pare, Amy Madigan, Willem Dafoe and Rick Moranis star.

Reason U must C - It features a superb cast of legendary character actors and boasts shoot-outs so bloody and adrenaline pumped they make other 1980s action films look like Mary Poppins!

Find a Film: Seach Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com - eBay.co.uk - eBay.com

Movie Reviews - F

52 Pick-Up - A criminally unknown Los Angeles set Crime Thriller which provides a welcome starring role for Roy Scheider. Scheider plays Harry Mitchell, a successful businessman whose wife Barbara [Ann-Margret] is running for city council. By rights he should be content with his lot, but Harry has a shameful secret; he’s been having an affair with a younger woman. Unfortunately for Harry, he’s been under regular surveillance from three extortionists who have considerately filmed his sexual liaisons and are now demanding a ransom in exchange for their keeping proof of his philandering under wraps. Harry decides not to pay; the blackmailers move to plan b. In a horrible, truly uncomfortable scene, they abduct Harry and place him in front of a video monitor. The monitor is turned on and a repulsed Harry is forced at gunpoint to witness the filmed killing of his mistress, which Alan Raimy, leader of the blackmailers, takes great delight in prolonging by pausing moments and playing them frame by frame. Harry has naturally been framed for the murder of his mistress; the blackmailers demand a yearly payment of $100,000 or they’ll send the ‘evidence’ to the police. Harry is determined to fight these men, refusing to back down and comply with their demands, but Alan Raimy is not a man to cross… 52 Pick-Up is an excellent, superbly acted and directed thriller which boasts three of the most memorable villains in cinema history; the callous, chillingly amusing Raimy, impeccably played by the underrated John Glover; the nervous, weak, ultimately sympathetic Leo, played with sweaty believability by Robert Trebor; the terrifyingly convincing Clarence Williams III as Bobby Shy, one of the scuzziest, scariest, mean looking, all-round sadistic Bastards to make an appearance in front of unsuspecting audiences. 52 Pick-Up will be too convincingly grimy for some audiences; director Frankenheimer depicts the harsh, seedy world of writer Elmore Leonard with considerable pervasiveness. Fans of dark Crime movies however should look no further.

Trivia: The film was originally heavily cut by the BBFC in order to obtain an ‘18’ certificate; 1 minute and 42 seconds of footage was removed, rendering the central snuff footage sequence incomprehensible. The video release was similarly cut; mercifully the film was passed uncut for DVD in 2004. The film features blink and you’ll miss it cameos from porn actors/actresses Ron Jeremy, Amber Lynn, Sharon Mitchell, Tom Byron, Herschel Savage, Lorrie Lovett and Barbara Summers. 52 Pick-Up was the second attempt to adapt Elmore Leonard’s novel; the first attempt was The Ambassador [1984], which starred Rock Hudson and was less than faithful to its source material.

Directed by John Frankenheimer – 1986 – 110 minutes – Starring Roy Scheider [Jaws], Ann-Margret [Grumpy Old Men], John Glover, Vanity, Clarence Williams III, Robert Trebor, Doug McClure and Kelly Preston.

If you like this you may also like: Seconds [1966] – An overlooked masterwork from director John Frankenheimer, Seconds is a truly unforgettable, disturbing Science-Fiction Thriller. Cat Chaser [1989] – Another Elmore Leonard adaptation that deserves more love. Directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Peter Weller and Kelly McGillis, Cat Chaser is a low key, hard boiled Crime Thriller set in the Florida Keys.

Reason U must C - It provides the underrated Roy Scheider with a rare leading role to shine in. It also features villains so scarily convincing they show up the supposedly fearsome likes of Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lector as the campy, hammy shams they really are.

Find a Film: Seach Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com - eBay.co.uk - eBay.com

Freaked – Bizarre, off the wall, little seen Horror Comedy from Tom Stern and Alex Winter. Alex Winter also stars as egomaniacal Hollywood star Ricky Coogan, who travels to South America with his best buddy Ernie [Michael Stoyanov] in order to act as the spokesman for a Toxic chemical company; the two of them end up giving anti-toxic chemical protestor and general Ricky Coogan-hater Julie [Megan Ward] a car ride. While driving, the three of them spot a garish looking Freak Show and naturally decide to go in and take a look. There they are captured by the Freak Show’s mad owner, Elijah C. Skuggs [Randy Quaid on top form], who turns the three of them into hideous mutant freaks with his freak making machine; Ernie and Julie’s bodies are morphed together into a hybrid of mutual hatred, while Ricky turns into a deformed monster reminiscent of Quasimodo crossed with a misshapen Gremlin. Plentiful inventive Comedy ensues when the three newly minted Freaks are taken to their new residence, a tiny shed from the outside which on the inside is big enough to contain all of Elijah’s many freaks. The freaks include a hilariously cast Mr. T as The Bearded Lady, a typically unhinged Bobcat Goldthait as Sock-head, a surprisingly excellent Keanu Reeves as Ortiz the Dog-Boy and Derek McGrath, wonderful as The Worm. Not forgetting Toad, Rosie the pin head, Cowboy [a literal ‘Cowboy’, superbly played by John Hawkes], the volatile Nosey [yep, a man with a colossal schnozz], The Frogman [a bloke in a wetsuit] and The Eternal Flame ‘Fire in the hole!’, a freak whose endless farting causes flames to endlessly cascade from his sphincter. The Freaks each tell their new companions about how Skuggs lured them and mutated them into what they are now via some hilarious flashback sequences, the funniest of which involves the recollections of a certain inanimate object. The Freaks ultimately unite in a bid to escape from Elijah Skuggs’ dastardly clutches and find a cure for what he did to them. Full of deranged set-pieces such as a Freak rendition of Celebrity Squares and packed with all out weirdness, including such delights as a pair of oversized, walking Rastafarian eyeballs in beanie hats who guard the Freak Show from inside the sockets of a huge rotating head modelled on the fiendish Skuggs, only to jump out when anyone tries to escape; not to mention a climactic melee between a giant mutated kid nick-named ‘Troll’ and the now similarly humongous mutation of Ricky in a grotesque Battle Royale showdown to end them all. Whether due to its un-PC subject matter or its wilfully un-commercial nature, Freaked is a tragically unknown and shockingly underrated gem of Cult Cinema which will appease fans of oddball Horror and OTT Comedies alike. Do yourselves a favour and give this misshapen freak of a film some love!

Trivia: Co-writer/director and star Alex Winter is best known for his role as Bill in the two Bill and Ted films. Co-writer/director Tom Stern cameos as milkman number 2. Keanu Reeves appears un-credited in the role of Ortiz the Dog Boy. Tim Burns, who appears in the film as ‘The Frog’, also composed many of the songs on the film’s soundtrack.

Directed by Tom Stern & Alex Winter – 1993 – 81 minutes – Starring Alex Winter [Bill & Ted 1&2, Death Wish 3, The Lost Boys], Randy Quaid [National Lampoon’s Vacation, The Last Detail], Megan Ward [Trancers 2 & 3], Michael Stoyanov, William Sadler [The Shawshank Redemption], Mr. T [The A-Team], Bobcat Goldthwait [Police Academy 2-4], Derek McGrath [Cheers, Dallas], Jaime Cardriche, John Hawkes [Deadwood], Alex Zuckerman, Brian Brophy, Jeff Kahn, Lee Arenberg [Pirates of the Caribbean 1-3], Patti Tippo, Deep Roy [Charlie and the Chocolate Factory], Joe Baker, Tim Burns, Morgan Fairchild [Friends] and Brooke Shields [The Blue Lagoon].

If you like this you may also like: Trancers 2 [1991] – Megan Ward stars as hero Jack Deth’s [Tim Thomerson] wife in this entertaining Sci-Fi sequel to Cult Classic Trancers. Co-starring Helen Hunt, Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton and Richard Lynch. The Mutations [1974] unintentionally hilarious horror in which Donald Pleasence attempts to mutate humans with plants - for no apparent reason. Freak show owner Tom Baker acts as his cover.

Reason U must C – It’s a riotously deranged and gleefully un-mainstream Horror Comedy with more than enough bad taste gags, inane silliness and bizarre imagery to sate the cravings of any hungry film buff.

Find a Film: Search Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com - eBay.co.uk - eBay.com

From a Whisper to a Scream – A surprisingly excellent Horror anthology and a remarkable debut for writer-director Jeff Burr, From a Whisper to a Scream contains horrifically grizzly shocks you won’t forget in a hurry. The first story is a morbid little tale about a Stanley Burnside [Clu Gulager], a middle aged man who lives with his sister; the two of them are considerably closer than your average siblings. Stanley develops a crush on a female work colleague Grace. She reluctantly accepts to go on a date with him but he isn’t her type. She tells Stanley this as he drives her home; Stanley responds by killing her. However Stanley has something else in store for Grace; her untimely death isn’t going to prevent him from consummating his love. Some time passes and Stanley thinks he’s gotten away with his morbid crime. However he has a horrible shock in store… This story is grim and contains a truly macabre twist. The second story concerns a wounded man who is on the run from debt collectors; he is saved and nursed back to health by a mysterious backwoods man who it transpires has potions which bring eternal life. When he discovers this, the man tries to blackmail his mysterious rescuer into telling him his secrets. The story ends with an extremely sick twist which is ingeniously nasty and shockingly effective. The third story is set in a travelling carnival, where a glass-eater falls in love with a young woman he meets and decides he wishes to leave the carnival’s employ. His boss, Snakewoman [Rosalind Cash], has other ideas and warns him that he will suffer the consequences if he leaves with the young woman. Another gruesomely effective twist caps this story. The fourth and final story is set in the Civil War and begins when a motley group of Soldiers led by Sergeant Gallen [Cameron Mitchell], are captured by a rabble of orphaned children with ghoulish plans in store for them. A horrifying tale of cannibalism and revenge, this manages the impressive feat of being even more disturbing than the previous stories! The stories are book-ended by a linking tale starring Vincent Price. This is a great Horror film which deserves to be far better known; seek it out!

Trivia: The film was initially re-titled The Offspring for its’ US release. The film received 1 minute and 45 seconds of cuts in the UK, trimming a murder from the first story and significantly toning down the entire final story, rendering it largely incomprehensible. The film would pass uncut today but is yet to receive a re-release in the UK. The US DVD is uncut and available from Amazon. Hammer starlet Martine Beswick cameos as ‘Katherine White’.

Directed by Jeff Burr – 1987 – 99 minutes - Starring Clu Gulager, Cameron Mitchell, Rosalind Cash, Vincent Price, Susan Tyrell, Megan McFarland and Terry Kiser. AKA: The Offspring

If you like this you may also like: Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III [1990] – Jeff Burr’s underrated addition to the no-holds-barred Horror franchise. The Toolbox Murders [1978] – Cameron Mitchell stars as a crazed murderer who messily picks people off using assorted items from his toolbox. The Omega Man [1971] – Cult icon Rosalind Cash co-stars as Charlton Heston’s love interest in this groovy hybrid of Sci-Fi and Blaxploitation Action, recently remade as the big budget, Will Smith vehicle I Am Legend [2008].

Reason U must C - It is that rare thing, a Horror Anthology in which every story is genuinely effective and horrific; all killer no filler.

Find a Film: Search Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com - eBay.co.uk - eBay.com

Full Contact – A totally unhinged blast of pure, adrenaline pumping carnage from start to finish, Full Contact stars a never cooler Chow Yun-Fat as bad-ass anti-hero Gou Fei. The story is set in motion when Fei reluctantly agrees to help his troubled friend Sam Sei [Anthony Wong] resolve some gambling debts by teaming up with the amoral Judge [Simon Yam] and his twisted crew, consisting of Lau Ngang and Psycho. The gang plan and execute a weapons heist; needless to say the heist goes pair-shaped as the gun crazy Ngang and aptly named Psycho begin nonchalantly blowing away every body in sight. Finally, the twisted Judge double-crosses Gou Fei and leaves him for dead, even convincing Fei’s alleged buddy Sam Sei to finish Fei off. Sam then takes it upon himself to steal the apparently dead Fei’s girlfriend Mona [Ann Bridgewater]. Needless to say, after miraculously surviving the various gunshots/ explosions inflicted upon him, Fei is mighty pissed off and he sets out for revenge against the double-crossing scumbags. One of the toughest Action films ever made, this is a flab-free, no-bullshit macho-fest utterly devoid of sentimentality or superfluous subplots and characters. It’s a straight up Crime thriller centring on amoral criminals with not a good guy in sight; even Chow Yun-Fat is a murderer and a thief and is only the film’s central protagonist by virtue of the fact that the rest of the characters are complete degenerate lowlifes even more rotten than he is. Ringo Lam directs the incredibly vivid mayhem like a man possessed, never flinching from any nasty violence inflicted on innocent bystanders and propelling the kinetic thrills into the stratosphere. Chow Yun-Fat is on God-like form in this, whether riding his motorbike while cheesy/cool rock music blares on the soundtrack or expertly dispatching multiple thugs with his balisong blade, he is quite simply a force of nature. The villains are all superbly played too; Anthony Wong is superbly sweaty and worryingly unpredictable as creepy loser Sam Sei; Frankie Chin gives a hilariously meat headed, slow-witted turn as Psycho; Bonnie Fu plays the sleazy, murderous nymphomaniac Lau Ngang to perfection; Simon Yam delivers a wonderfully bizarre, campy, psychotically off kilter portrayal of the strange, duplicitous Judge. If brutal, over the top thrills and deranged, darkly funny criminals sound like your bag, then make sure you give this unhinged Cult classic a spin.

Trivia: Full Contact Writer Nam Yin is director Ringo Lam’s brother and also has a small role in the film. The film suffered 8 seconds of cuts to receive an ‘18’ certificate upon its UK theatrical release in 1993. When submitted for video in 1998 the cuts were increased to 34 seconds; the cut footage consisted of butterfly knife twirling, sex and some bloody violence. The film finally passed uncut in 2004 for UK DVD release. The film was a box-office flop in Hong Kong.

Directed by Ringo Lam – 1993 – 96 minutes – Starring Chow Yun-Fat [A Better Tomorrow 1-3, Hard Boiled], Simon Yam [Young and Dangerous 1-3, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life], Anthony Wong [The Untold Story, Infernal Affairs 1-3, The Mummy 3] , Ann Bridgewater, Frankie Chin [The Prodigal Son, Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky], Bonnie Fu [The Enforcer], Chris Lee, Victor Hon [City on Fire, Young and Dangerous 3] and Nam Yin.

If you like this you may also like: City on Fire [1987] – Ringo Lam directs; Chow Yun-Fat stars in this superlative Crime Thriller which provided much of the inspiration for Quentin Tarantino’s inferior Reservoir Dogs. Hong Kong 1941 [1984] – Chow Yun-Fat stars in this romantic, brutally violent, generally underrated World War Two Drama

Reason U must C – Ringo Lam’s ultra-violent Crime Thriller is a pretension-free blast absolutely jam-packed with blood-soaked Action set-pieces.

Find a Film: Search Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com - eBay.co.uk - eBay.com

Movie Reviews - G

The Girl Who Knew Too Much – A truly delightful Giallo Thriller made with a pleasingly light touch by Italian maestro Mario Bava and atmospherically shot in silky black and white. The Girl Who Knew Too Much [wonderful title!] delivers an intriguing Mystery focusing on an alleged murder witnessed in Rome by attractive heroine/protagonist Nora Davis [Leticia Roman], a visiting tourist. Bava’s sly, involving direction playfully keeps the audience guessing with regards to the nature of the crime, which is portrayed from Nora’s viewpoint while she’s in a state of increasing wooziness. Bava also gleefully injects a welcome, quirky humour into proceedings with some élan. Far from upsetting the tonal balance, this only serves to increase tension and heighten suspense. Another plus point is American actor John Saxon, who stars as Doctor Marcello; his presence acts as a nice counterbalance to Roman’s heroine. The two actors’ interactions occupy a similar character dynamic to that seen in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic The Lady Vanishes [1938], wherein Margaret Lockwood has to convince Michael Redgrave that an old woman has gone missing despite a train full of people apparently claiming the old woman doesn’t exist. Here Roman’s fresh-faced mystery novel aficionado has to continually prompt Saxon’s weary realist, who has an increasingly hard time protecting her from her own active imagination and steadfast dedication to solve the murder case single-handedly. A stylish, surprising, highly enjoyable Mystery Thriller with a nice dose of Comedy, The Girl Who Knew Too Much is an underrated gem.

Trivia: The Girl Who Knew Too Much is obviously a reference to Alfred Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much films [1934, 1956]. The film was re-edited and renamed The Evil Eye for its’ original US theatrical release. The US version is longer than the Italian cut of the film, containing more tongue in cheek humour. Due to rights issues the US version is currently unavailable thus depriving people of hearing John Saxon’s voice.

Directed by Mario Bava – 1963 – 86 minutes – Starring Leticia Roman [The Man From U.N.C.L.E.], John Saxon [A Nightmare on Elm Street 1, Enter the Dragon], Valentina Cortese [The Adventures of Baron Munchausen], Titti Tomaino, Marta Melocco, Luigi Bonos, Robert Buchanan, Milo Quesada, Lucia Modugno [Danger: Diabolik!] and Gustavo De Nardo [Black Sabbath, The Whip and the Body].

If you like this you may also like: The Bird with the Crystal Plumage [1968] – Dario Argento’s directorial debut is a classic example of Giallo and remains one of his very best works. Tenebre [1982] – Another Dario Argento Giallo. This demented Horror Thriller features John Saxon in support and boasts several eye-popping gory set-piece killings.

Reason U must C – It’s a smart, fun Thriller with its’ tongue placed firmly in its cheek and full of nail-biting suspense. The insanely catchy theme tune will be stuck in your head forever!

Find a Film: Search Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com - eBay.co.uk - eBay.com

The Grifters – A dark, blackly comic look at a group of unscrupulous con artists and their fractured relationships with one another, Stephen Frears’ film is a stylishly low key, exceptionally acted treat; Film Noir served extra chilled. The film places a tight knit focus on three characters; Lilly Dillon [a superb Angelica Huston], her son Roy [John Cusack] and his current squeeze Myra Langtry [Annette Bening]. The relationship between Lilly and Roy is a skewered, deeply complex one and far from the typical mother-son dynamic; particular emphasis is placed on the fact that Lily gave birth to Roy at a very young age. When Roy first meets his mother in the film it is clearly their first get together for quite some time; their ambiguous, conflicted feelings towards one another makes it immediately apparent why they don’t see one another more often. Lilly pointedly despises and resents Roy’s deceitful new floozy Myra; she sees in her a mirror image of her younger self. To complicate matters, Lilly is also on the run from her unwieldy employer Bobo Justus [a frightening Pat Hingle], an unsavoury ‘bookie’ who is mad as Hell when he finds out she’s pulled a fast one and swindled from him. Myra meanwhile is devising various unconscionable schemes of her own. A mesmerising Noir Thriller which spirals inexorably until its painfully inevitable conclusion, The Grifters is a wholly convincing, powerfully resonant film which will stick with you discomfortingly much like the unsavoury Bobo.

Trivia: Martin Scorsese provides the films’ opening narration.

Directed by Stephen Frears – 1990 – 119 minutes – Starring Angelica Huston [The Addams Family, The Royal Tenenbaums], John Cusack, Annette Bening [American Beauty, Mars attacks], Pat Hingle [Batman 1-4], Charles Napier [Supervixens, The Blues Brothers], J.T. Walsh [Breakdown, The Negotiator], Steven Tobolowsky [Groundhog Day], Eddie Jones, Jeremy Piven [Grosse Pointe Blank, Entourage], Jimmy Noonan, Gregory Sporleder [The Rock], David Sinaiko, Lou Hancock [Evil Dead 2, Walker, Texas Ranger], Xander Berkley [24], Sandy Baron [Vamp], Noelle Harling, Jeff Perry and Gailard Sartain [Ali].

If you like this you may also like: Bloody Mama [1970] – Roger Corman’s downbeat, depression era Gangster Thriller starring Shelley Winters, Robert De Niro and Bruce Dern. Pat Hingle co-stars and steals the show. The Getaway [1972] – Sam Peckinpah’s classic Crime Thriller with Steve McQueen. Like The Grifters it was based on a novel by Jim Thompson.

Reason U must C – It’s an ice cool, pitch black Noir Thriller powered by exceptional performances.

Find a Film: Search Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com - eBay.co.uk - eBay.com

Movie Reviews - H

Hard Target – A balletic, excessively violent Action Thriller from director John Woo, Hard Target is one of countless films which utilises a variation of The Most Dangerous Game’s exciting premise; it is also the best. Van Damme and mullet star as Chance Boudreaux. An out of work sailor and drifter, he is hired in New Orleans by one Natasha Binder, who wants his help finding her missing father Douglas. When Douglas’s dead body is discovered, Chance smells foul play and investigates. He ultimately uncovers an illegal operation run by Emil Fouchon [Lance Henriksen] whereby bored rich men pay Fouchon to set up hunts in which men are the prey. Fouchon targets hobos and loners who are down on their luck and lack family ties; these men are willing to take the gamble of life or death, so desperate are they to reach the bag of money Fouchon entices them with. However, Fouchon made a mistake with Douglas Binder; he had a loving daughter; she now has Van Damme. When he starts poking around in Fouchon’s business enterprise, an all out war ensues and the ultimate hunt is on with Van Damme as the target. John Woo makes a glutton out of the audience, feeding us scene after scene of Action so wild and so explosive that it is hard not to have a manly orgasm. Watch as Van Damme ‘surfs’ a motorbike before jumping off it and over an oncoming car of goons, rolling over the pavement as the two vehicles collide in a fiery inferno behind him; witness Van Damme roundhouse kick a helmeted, motorbike riding thug out of his seat. The entire second half of the film is one long Action scene, with one chase, gunfight and Martial Arts rampage after another and boy is it enjoyable. It should also be noted that Van Damme doesn’t just kick people in the face in Hard Target, John Woo has him first kick someone twice in the face one foot after the other, then shoot them a couple of times with twin guns, before kicking them another couple of times and shooting them through a window. It’s incredibly violent, but also incredibly stylish and visually arresting. Woo is also in his element thematically; the scene in which a self-loathing, alienated down and out runs around town desperately begging nonchalant, uncaring passers by for help while Fouchon’s hunters close in on him is tragic, heart rending stuff. The supporting cast are excellent; Arnold Vosloo in particular is superb as Fouchon’s villainous, sadistic right hand man, Pik van Cleef, while Kasi Lemmons makes an impression as the detective and Wilford Brimley over acts a treat as Chance’s uncle Douvee. A special mention too for Lance Henriksen’s uber badass portrayal of the amoral Fouchon; the bulging veins in his forehead frequently give the impression that his head might spontaneously combust at any given moment. All in all this is a classic ‘90s Action film which is not to be missed; hunt it down!

Trivia: The film marked Hong Kong director John Woo’s US debut. Ted Raimi [brother of Sam Raimi, who produced the film] cameos in the film as ‘Man on the street.’ The American censors heavily cut Hard Target, removing 4 minutes of violence in order to grant the film an ‘R’ rating; this version is best avoided. The UK DVD is the uncut version. The film also exists in a 2 hour work print version which includes more dialogue, a love scene and some extended violence. The film’s writer Chuck Pfarrer also acts in the film, appearing as ‘Douglas Binder.’

Directed by John Woo – 1993 – 99 minutes – Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lance Henriksen [Aliens, Near Dark], Yancy Butler [Drop Zone, Witchblade], Arnold Vosloo [The Mummy], Kasi Lemmons [Candyman], Wilford Brimley [Cocoon, The Thing], Willie C. Carpenter, Robert Apisa, Mike Leinert, Douglas Forsythe Rye, Elliott Keener and Sven-Ole Thorsen [Lethal Weapon 1&3].

If you like this you may also like: Bloodsport [1988] – Van Damme’s breakout film is a highly entertaining Martial Arts tournament movie; it’s still one of his best films. Bolo Yeung is the villain. Wake of Death [2003] – Van Damme gives an excellent performance in this extremely brutal revenge movie. Not for the squeamish but a stylish, well acted Thriller.

Reason U must C – The film remains John Woo’s finest US effort and somehow manages to live up to its ultra cool tagline: ‘Don’t hunt what you can’t kill.’

Find a Film: Search Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com - eBay.co.uk - eBay.com

Hard Times – Charles Bronson is on career best form in this wonderful depression-era Action Drama from director Walter Hill. Set in 1933 New Orleans, Bronson truly shines as bare-knuckle boxer Chaney, while James Coburn gives one of his best performances as Spencer ‘Speed’ Weed, the shady fight promoter who takes Chaney under his wing. The film has a rich, atmospheric texture to its visuals, the camera poetically honing in on wholly believable locations which allow for total investment in the story and writer-director Hill maintains a thoughtful, contemplative tone which grips without taking the modern, fast-cut route. This is largely a wonderfully low key character study focusing on the likeable, enigmatic Chaney and his often fraught relationships with his long suffering girl friend Lucy [Jill Ireland] and the well meaning but self-serving Spencer. Action fans won’t be disappointed though, for there are plenty of sweaty, gritty, excellently choreographed fights throughout the film, all well executed by a fighting fit Bronson, who is clearly in great shape [he was 54 when the film was made]. The narrative gradually builds to a poignant, bittersweet conclusion, while the closing moments beautifully reaffirm the heartfelt emotional core of this truly underrated treat.

Trivia: The film was writer/director/producer Walter Hill’s directorial debut. Hard Times was released under the title The Streetfighter for its UK theatrical release. Co-star Bruce Glover is Back to the Future star Crispin Glover’s father. Co-star Jill Ireland was Charles Bronson’s real-life wife and co-starred with him in many of his films.

Directed by Walter Hill – 1975 – 94 minutes – Starring Charles Bronson [Once Upon A Time in the West, Death Wish], James Coburn [The Magnificent Seven, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid], Jill Ireland [The Mechanic, Death Wish 2], Strother Martin [The Wild Bunch], Margaret Blye, Felice Orlandi [The Driver, Another 48 Hours], Michael McGuire, Edward Walsh [Another 48 Hours], Bruce Glover [Chinatown], Robert Tessier, Nick Dimitri [Out For Justice] and Frank McCrae [Last Action Hero].

If you like this you may also like: A.W.O.L. [1990] – Hugely enjoyable Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicle which plays like a crossbreed of Hard Times and Rocky and is equally heartfelt. The Mechanic [1972] – Charles Bronson stars as an assassin who takes on a new protégé in the form of a young Jan Michael Vincent in this stylish, compelling Thriller from director Michael Winner. Jill Ireland co-stars.

Reason U must C – It showcases the great Charles Bronson and James Coburn at their absolute best.

Find this film: Search Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com - eBay.co.uk - eBay.com

Hardware - This fun but violent horror/thriller is set in a post-apocalyptic future, in which a scavenger collects some pieces of junk from the wasteland to give to his artist girlfriend on his return to the city. Delighted with the gift she sets about creating a sculpture with them, oblivious to the fact that they contain robotic remains of an android killer (Mk13). Slowly the robot begins to reassemble itself with household appliances returning to its former gory glory (Terminator-style) and sets out on a killing spree. That's it really, the story doesn't stretch much further than that! Despite its low-budget the film has a surprisingly polished feel to it and builds to an exciting and very bloody finale.

Trivia: Worth looking/listening out for are Iggy Pop as the radio DJ and Lemmy as a taxi driver. Director Richard Stanley went on to start directing the now infamously terrible Island of Dr. Moreau starring Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer before being replaced by John Frankenheimer.

Directed by Richard Stanley - 1990 - 92mins - Starring Dylan McDermott [Jersey Girl], Stacy Travis, John Lynch [Sliding Doors] and William Hootkins.

If you like this you may also like: Dust Devil [1992] was Richard Stanleys' next movie and he delivers more of the same slick action in this excellent story of a supernatural serial-killing hitchhiker. Westworld [1973] Michael Crichton directs Yul Bynner as a robot gunslinger with his wires crossed.

Reason U must C - A low-budget gory action treat from the talented Mr Stanley.

Find a Film: Search Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com - eBay.co.uk - eBay.com

Hercules in the Haunted World – Mario Bava delivers another masterpiece with this astonishingly vivid Fantasy. Reg Park stars as the heroic, muscle bound Hercules, who is forced to go on a quest into the underworld of Hades when his beloved Princess Deianira grows bedevilled. There he and his two companions are set upon by a sadistic stone giant, living vines which bleed, bubbling liquid pits of death and an alluring, seemingly imprisoned naked maiden whose flowing hair conceals her modesty and who is not what she appears to be. Hercules must acquire a golden egg and a stone with magical properties in order to save his beloved from her descent into the dark recesses of madness. Meanwhile one of his trusty companions, Thesus, has met a beautiful damsel in the underworld and decides to take her back home on their return voyage, despite her ominous warnings regarding the devastating repercussions such an act will entail. Christopher Lee co-stars as the main villain of the piece, the duplicitous Licos, the man responsible for Princess Deianira’s illness and whose aim is to become King for eternity, an event which will apparently only transpire if he is able to drink the blood of Hercules’ woman when the moon turns black. A wonderful mixture of Mythological Fantasy and Horror, beautifully shot in scope widescreen, Bava’s Hercules is another visual triumph for the maestro. His magical cinematography creates constantly striking visuals, often dripping with his trademark luminous multicoloured lighting hues, acutely stylising and pronouncing the Fairy tale tone while lending immeasurable atmosphere to proceedings. The Horror content is surprisingly juicy too; the evil Licos reveals blood drinking tendencies and also commands his un-dead servants to awaken in the film’s spooky climax and the various ghouls all eerily emerge from their soil graves and dusty tombs to beset Hercules, some flying at him through the air, all aiming to prevent him from saving the princess. Hercules in the Haunted World is a gloriously stylish, gorgeously vibrant entertainment from one of cinema’s grand masters; you’d be a fool to miss it.

Trivia: Reg Park was born in Leeds, England and was Mr. Universe in 1951, 1958 and 1965. Arnold Schwarzenegger was Park’s protégé and friend.

Directed by Mario Bava – 1961 – 82 minutes – Starring Reg Park, George Ardisson [Erik the Conqueror], Christopher Lee [Dracula, The Wicker Man], Leonora Ruffo [Goliath and the Vampires], Marisa Belli, Ida Galli [The Leopard], Franco Giacobini [Erik the Conqueror], Mino Doro [81/2], Rosalba Neri [Hot Bed of Sex, The Castle of Fu Manchu], Ely Drago, Raf Baldassarre [Erik the Conqueror] and Gaia Germani.

If you like this you may also like: Erik the Conqueror [1961] – An excellent Viking Adventure from Mario Bava; the cinematography is incredible, Cameron Mitchell is a great lead and it’s full of more scantily clad Euro babes than you can shake a stick at, including a pair of sexy German twins as the female leads.

Reason U must C – It’s one of the most exciting, colourful and visually astonishing Horror Fantasies ever made.

Find a Film: Search Amazon.co.uk - Amazon.com - eBay.co.uk - eBay.com