[psycho d]

The Lost (2006). This started out reeking of bad horror gone worse, but then something happened. This twisted affair was just askew enough to keep the viewer off kilter in order to entice interest. Good thing too, cuz this movie kept true to its discombobulating essence. Ray Pye was chillingly portrayed by Marc Senter, and this performance turned more and more powerful as Ray's world became less and less under his control. Somehow, a sense of raw, nascent evil emanates out of Ray that cannot be defined nor dismissed. Also discomforting was the hints at some sense of deja vu throughout the story. The acting was awesome, the direction strong. The soundtrack was perfect. The camera work and inventive use of differing films only added to the tension. And while the violence was intense it was never gratuitous. Overall this was an awesome entry to the sub-horror genre.

The Wild Bunch (1969). A mean film if there ever was one, this film almost uses it brutality of animals to depict the brutality that is man. Not that the men are themselves angelic here. The Wild Bunch are a band of men that are loathsome whilst loyal. And while banditry will never go out of style, our criminals here find themselves relics of a new age, and not getting any younger, they know it. The story itself portrays the "wildness" of the characters with aplomb. The direction was perfectly strong. With violence and imagery that was more than overbearing for its day, The Wild Bunch deserves to be in shelved in the 'classics' department. Ashe.
derek