The Seventh Seal (1957)

This is one of the scariest movies I've ever seen, a story which victimizes its human beings because of their mortality and retains a wicked sense of humor while doing it. We're not quite in on the joke because we are the butt of it, and as we watch this entity (simplified here as Death) stalk its prey we realize uncannily that fear is internal, life is dependent and our time on Earth is short and unpredictable. Bergman's brilliant setting recalls a place and time when people could not materialize themselves but instead lived their lives in fear of being erased, and the troupe actors of the film seem simply content compared to the other more dramatic characters bent on chalking life up to its most serious interpretation. The film is comprised of and remembered by its symbols, but the undertones behind the imagery paint much more interesting pictures; when what is most blatant is not on screen, the mind conjures up more personal ideolgy. Brilliant mise-en-scene, poetic dialogue and terrific performances by Poppe, von Sydow and Ekerot are the highlights of the picture's aesthetic treasues, but the film is most special for the way it exercises the imagination.

Die Erpresser aka Acolytes (2008)

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An Australian thriller that starts out with three young teenagers named Mark, James and Chasely who One day in the woods discovers a man burying something in the ground. When the three start snooping around and find out what the man was hiding, they realize they have just stumbled upon a serial killer's hunting ground. Instead of going straight to the police with the evidence they've uncovered, Mark and James decide to blackmail the serial killer into killing the man who committed a horrible crime against the two boys years ago. Needless to say, all does not go as planned.

Quite a slow paced boring thriller with a nice plot.

>>: C


Someone's Watching Me! (1978)

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>>: B-

Pretty good. Not vintage Raimi but yes it plays like a homage to 80s horror, much like Grindhouse did for the 70s. One or two scenes seemed a bit stretched and outlandish (Evil Dead II-ish) when compared to the ending of the plot, but it was to be expected. Characterisation, usually a strong point in Raimi's flicks, was a bit of a let down. Overall, it was enjoyable.

That being said, I would have loved a R-rated version of this one.

Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Fantastic screwball comedy. Insane situations, slapstick, oddball characters...and a leopard to top everything off.

Cary Grant might overdo it a little in this one, but Katherine Hepburn is utterly perfect - especially impressive considering this is one of her very first comedic roles.

There's no question that it's a bit over-the-top, but this is a case where that's not a bad thing by any means. 100-odd minutes of non-stop laughter, and an undeniable classic of it's genre.

Love that flick!

Righteous Kill

De Niro and Pacino carried this film which was just your average run of the mill thriller. No real magic like Heat, decent enough watch but not something I'd buy or probably bother re-watching.

Book Of Blood

Clive Barker spin on the ghost story. I'm not the biggest fan of haunting flicks but this wasn't to bad.

Gran Torino
It was good...I mean I don't think it's the "best movie ever" like some folk seem to regard it as, but entertaining, and solid performances all around.

Return: If you haven't seen The Philadelphia Story, that would be a good follow up here. Also, for what may be Howard Hawks' funniest movie, try Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

For sure. Blows me away every time.

Have you read the book? It's been awhile for me but I thought the film did it justice

The scene in which Antonius is asking the witch-girl about to burned at the stake what she knows of the afterlife, and Jöns tells him "Who will take care of that child. God, the devil, the nothingness? The nothingness, perhaps?" and Antonius says "It can't be so!", with such a look of abandon, of suffocating fear on his face is so chilling I suddenly feel very small every time I see it. That one stays with me for some time.

I definitely agree.

It's not Hawks, but My Man Godfrey is another great one.

Nope not yet. I have it in my must-buy list for awhile now actually. Just havent managed to find the book anywhere near me.


The script and plot is almost tailor-made for a rated R flick. So much potential. I dare say if this was the 80s Raimi would ve done it.

Aren't you one of the folks who said at least two of the 3 "Evil Dead" flicks should have had a PG-13 rating? ;)

You must have me mistaken for Angra. :D

Yeh I used to see his books round all the time over here but now there harder to come by. I've been grabbing them as I see 'em recently.

I actually have several copies of that book (Vonnegut is one of my very favorites), and I'd be happy to send you one. Let me know.

Cool. Thanks, J. :)

My Bloody Valentine

Easy enough watch, fairly predictable but some decent set pieces and looks the part.

FRIDAY THE 13TH [remake]

I'm not totally against remakes ....Love "The Thing"....didn't hate Zombies remake of Halloween. At least he tried to give us some back story of MM.
But the remake of Friday the 13th was totally unnecessary. It added NOTHING new and even the kills were kind of ho-hum.

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Wonderful and brilliant. Alongside Coraline, ranks as two of my most favorite animes of all-time.

Had myself a little Vincent Price/Gene Tierney marathon the other night...watched:

Laura (1944)

Honestly? I was a bit let down. It's a damn solid film-noir, no question...but I had been led to believe it was the be-all-end-all flick of it's genre...and let's face it, it's not. The plot has some nice twists, but the characters are all severely underdeveloped. As much as it pains me to say it, Price wasn't even in top form here...he did a good job with the character, but had a tough time hanging on to the Kansas accent. I did enjoy it for the most part - and man, you have to love the score - but I was hoping for more.

Leave Her to Heaven (1945)

Wow...Tierney gives the performance of her career in this one. Brilliant little thriller, and a great character study of a disturbed young woman. Price is also fantastic in a supporting role as the district attorney and Tierney's jilted lover.

This one has lots of twists and turns and is probably one of the best movies of it's kind. A must see for sure.

Dragonwyck (1946)

Ah, an all-time favourite. Price probably gives his absolute best non-horror performance in this one, as the charismatic but shadowy aristocrat Nicholas van Ryn. It's the kind of performance that lights up the entire film: his presence permeates every moment of the picture, whether he is on screen or not. Anyone who just sees Price as a schlocky horror star has to check this one out, because it really proves that he was a master of the craft.

Price isn't the only draw though...Joseph Mankiewicz's direction builds a beautiful gothic atmosphere and gives us scenes filled with nerve-shattering tension. The only flaw in the film is some poor pacing at times, but it's easily forgiven.


Curiosity's sake: any here seen Hudson's Bay (1941)? It's the only other movie that they did together, and I'd love to get my hands on it.

Disney eh?

Will there be singing?

Terminator Salvation

It didn't blow me away, but it was a pretty good action flick. Still it was nothing on the first 2. And was that a cgi Arnie?


6.5/10

No chance in hell. Just watch it. ;)

SOLD!!!! :D

The Blue Angel (1930)

This is most often remembered for one performance, but the intense dramatic tension that occurs is a team effort, and Marlene Dietrich's performance would hardly have the power it does without Emil Jannings' painful breakdown. This is the kind of tragedy marked from scene one, and though its conclusion seems inrevitable it is not easy to watch, nor to shake off. Joseph von Sternberg shows masterful direction and a vision which hailed a story still risque by today's standards. It says something about a director when he can shoot Marlene and anyone else in the same frame and not have the former absorb complete audience attention. In fact, there's a perfect symmetry between her dangerous screen persona and Jannings' innocent one; the audience is forced into a situation where they must choose between enjoying the force of Marlene's cruel but sexy manipulation and helping a man too blinded by his own naivety find his way out of a terrible darkness. It's a classic story of hunter and hunted, of the power of the siren, of curiosity and the cat. And it's electric.

Duck Soup.
That's some funny stuff right there. Very enjoyable.

Had a bit of a movie marathon...4 days in a row. here's what i can remember that i saw

2001: screw all you nay-sayers. this movie is nothing short of stunning, the most impressive visual film EVER, now on my top ten.

The Streetfighter: this is the first Sonny Chiba movie I have ever seen, it was AWESOME! this is up there with Riki-Oh for my favorite Kung Fu movie, . If you havnt seen this yet, make an effort to do so. anyone got any god Sony Chiba recs, I think I really like this guy.

Out for Justice: This one was pretty sweet, more brutal than the usual Seagal flick, loved William Forsythe in this one.

Raw Deal: Classic Arnie.

Seven Samurai: my first Kurosawa flick, I was not disappointed

Yojimbo: also a great flick. i enjoyed finding all the things similar with A Fistful of Dollars.

Bangkok Dangerous (asian): looked cool, but is totally lame.

Brotherhood of War: good action sequences, far fetched characters and plot

I'll have to get around to it one day...

More films i saw and forgot to add.

True Romance

Surf Nazis Must Die

Rocky Balboa

The Omen

A Fistfull Of Dynamite

Watched two of my very favorites today with some friends:

Help! (1965)

The Old Dark House (1932)

I used to love Steven Seagal movies (I had a "thing" for him ::ahem:: ), but this was my least favorite. I personally think William Forsythe is one gigantic douchebag. His hammy overacting ruined The Devil's Rejects. He single-handedly sent that flick straight down the toilet.

Best Seagal movie, IMO, is his first, Above The Law.

Satan's Little Helper. If you can get over the unrealistic behavior of the characters in this low budget comedy thriller, then you should find that it is truly a killer little gem. This movie was a total crack-up. The costume selections were perfect. The shopping cart scene is classic, and it was shot in only 45 minutes. Bonus points!!! Ashe.
d

A Face in the Crowd

If all you've ever seen of Andy Griffith is his TV work, you'd be incredibly surprized by this savage 1957 film in which he plays a down and out bum suddenly thrust into the role of a media star. His nasty portrayal is light years beyond anything else he did. With a stellar supporting cast that includes Patricia Neal, Walter Mathau, Lee Remick and Anthony Franciosa this is a highlight of Elia Kazan's career.

Alky & Fortunato, if you've never seen it- hunt it down.


East of Eden
The movie that made James Dean a star. He almost seems too modern in this WW1 setting, but this story of intollerance is perfectly realized.


Boomerang
True story of a crusading DA who manages to save an innocent man being scapegoated by a police department desperate to solve a high profile murder case. With Dana Andrews, Lee J Cobb, Jane Wyatt, Ed Begley and Arthur Kennedy.

Three great films from director Elia Kazan, who gave us many of the greatest films of the 1950s. Startling to realize that right in the middle of McCarthyism, a high profile Hollywood director was making films about political treachery and intollerance.

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Watched the really wonderful Up yesterday, and it made me want to revisit this brilliant film. Together with Wall-E, these are three modern-day animes which I absolutely adore. Unquestionably, 3 of my all-time favorite animated films.

I am sure Zwoti would chime in with his list of recs, but check out Street Fighter 2 too. Very entertaining almost like the original.

I love this one, brilliant from start to finish, I really need to buy a copy of it. This one needs a Criterion Edition IMO.

Will do- in fact, I've been meaning to for awhile. I missed Kazan night on TCM didn't I...?

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I Know Where I'm Going! (1947)

A film with confident direction but which, to me, felt a little bit stale and didn't create much emotional resonance. The first fifteen minutes are my favorite; they are stylistic and snappy and say a lot about central character Joan in only a few brief scenes. From there, P&P employ an intentional change in pace and tone which in its first few scenes is very interesting; but after awhile I grew weary of Joan's selfish persona, and I didn't think much of her male counter-part, either. What kept me interested was the expert control of the picture visually, and the inventive audio mix which conveyed concentration, memory, and even unseen ghosts.

A Matter of Life and Death (AKA Stairway to Heaven) (1946)

A poignant disintegration of man-made divisions presented in both vivid technicolor and lavish black and white. What is so beautiful about the film is the way it avoids making heaven a place and instead uses it as a state of mind, something that defies time and space. While this most obviously enhances the set-pieces of the "otherworld", it also makes the scenes on Earth far more mezmerising; one can't quite place the locations in the film, and everything happens within dream-like cozy crevices- the floral beachside, the colorful library, even the warmly-lit operating room. This simplicity carries over to the people of the "otherworld" as well; P&P generate dozens of national representatives (based initially, maybe, on stereotypes) but challenge their fronts and expose them as nothing more than costumed human beings. Tremendous performances all round out an incredibly entertaining story full of rich visuals and grand ideas.

You did indeed.

I've been meaning to see this one for quite some time now, as well.

Queued!