Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)

Been one of my favourites since I first watched it a couple of years ago. I hadn't seen it in close to a year, and it's even better than I had remembered. I can think of very few films that have had such a lasting impression on me. From the very first scenes with the haunting score, and the beautiful (and menacing) scenery, to the haunting final scene, this film is captivating.

-10/10

Nosferatu, Phantom der Nacht (1979)

I might get a lot of shit for saying this, but I actually enjoyed this version more than the 1922 version (that's not to say I don't respect the original for everything it did for the genre, just that I was more captivated by this version). The entire film plays out like a terrible nightmare, and Kinski is completely terrifying in his portrayl of Count Dracula.

-9/10

I'm intrigued by this one. Might look it up and check it out.

he's so bad

they call him baus

they call him baus

baus nigguh

I agree, I'm a big fan.

"Fear itself - The sacricfice" 7/10

This Fear Itself series seems just as good as Masters Of Horror.

The big difference is the less known directors and a slightly smaller budget.

Timber Falls


Very familiar story about a very attractive couple caught up in unpleasantness in the countryside when out hiking. I think some half decent acting makes this one slightly better than average.

This makes me want to see Masters of Horror LESS than I did before...

Wuthering Heights (1992). Yikes, what am i doing watching a romance? In a word, the dark shadow that is cast over these victims of chance gives this classic story purchase in the realms of wickedness. What a delightful collection of what should be unlikable characters, mean and selfish they were. And yet, the emotional torment that is of their own making ignites the screen. Ralph Fiennes kills it as the love turned sour peasant, a peasant that ultimately makes good on his wealth, bad on his his soul. Juliette Binoche also plays Cathy with aplomb, commanding the demise of Wuthering Heights by turning her back on her heart. And everyone is left to suffer. With dialog that could not be bettered, the acting was stellar, the direction solid. The scenery could not have left but a stronger backdrop of beauty for such a dismal tale to unfold. Merci beaucoup.
d

If you can somehow track down Ringo Lam's 1988 film School on Fire, you must watch it.

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead


Ive always loved this film, primarily it works so well due to the performances of Tim Roth and Gary Oldman as they struggle to come to terms with their scripted lives, punctuated with swift back and forth word games. Probably the weaker parts of the film are those scenes which take place within Hamlet itself, but its a clever little take on a major play's minor characters.

Inglorious Basterds

I must be in the minority but I could not stand this film. I really wanted to enjoy it, I usually love Tarantino but I couldn't even finish this. Got to the bit with the actress in the bar with the fake Nazi officers and was almost asleep. It was a relatively good beginning and the first scene with the bastards was alright but for the most part I just found it to be a serious of very mundane conversations, the majority of which I was having to read. Whilst I admire his descision to stick to reality in the languages (if nothing else) it just wasn't for me. I'm very glad I didn't pay to see this in the cinema.

From Beyond the Grave (1973)

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/1...dthegrave1.jpg

or should we call Little Antique Shop of Horror?

Anyway I think this is Cushing's one the finest roles (as the Antique shopkeeper). He alone would make this worth watching; so calm, so polite, and his little monologue at the end was marvelous!

The best segment was the Elemental, pretty effectively scary.

>>: A-

Citizen Kane (1941). That this flick adorns the moniker of the greatest film ever produced turns out to be its curse. Such a charge can only set it upon a teetering pedestal that is bound to fall. The celluloid Sword of Damocles cuts deep. Too bad, for this really was a great flick. With groundbreaking cinematic techniques copied throughout the ages, its influence is renown. The story itself almost bought the farm with that annoying beginning. After suffering through it the movie settles down tremendously, transmogrifying into a wonderfully woven story. The ending, subtle though it was, almost smelled as if contrived. The acting was mostly phenomenal, but a glitch here and there was duly noted. The direction and camera work were fabulous. Overall a great watch, just don't expect to see the greatest movie ever created. It is no such creature.

13 Tzameti (2005). God praise the French. Their passion, when not obsessing over romance, is a solid punch to the heart. This flick strikes hard. Shot in wonderful black and white, the beginning slowly hints of a mystery soon to be revealed. As the secret finally emerges, it downshifts into second and jams the accelerator never to be let off. The result is exhilarating, with an ending that does not malinger- our emotions can do that. The story centers on our central character, a young 22 year old man as he embarks on his twisted fate. The acting does not disappoint, with subtle hints of his torture emanating with aplomb. The direction is competent, the camera work impressively stark. Probably not the best date movie, its awards were well deserved. Merci beaucoup.
d

The House on the Edge of the Park (1980)

http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/mov/video/i.../92/199992.jpg

>>: B+

Have you seen the documentary "The Battle Over Citizen Kane"? If not, make it a priority...gives you a whole new outlook on the movie.

Toy Story 3

brilliant

Pontypool - 2008

Seen this compared to The Signal, which I enjoyed, so decided to give it a go. Definitely has an interesting take on infection and viral spread, little bit confusing though. I liked it for the most part, not really exceptional but I didn't get bored and it kept my attention.

The fact that it takes place pretty much entirely within a small town radio station I'm a bit on the fence about though. This might be a reason why some people might not like it and get very bored. I got tired of the same setting sometimes throughout myself, but I don't think it would have been the same movie at all if it wasn't. Something about not knowing what's going on outside other than the phone calls and the helicopter reporter, made me feel like I could relate to the characters by being confused as to what was happening and the disconnection to the outside world.

The ending was very underwhelming to me though, and seemed to not fit right with the rest of the movie. Last couple minutes almost felt comical. Overall it was alright, and I like seeing movies try to break away from the norm. Didn't use shock scares, or gore (although it has one pretty good scene), and relied more on suspense, which I like as well.

Two good ones for you
 

The White Ribbon-This film has been universally praised and I agree, it is not a "horror" film in the traditional sense. However, it goes behind closed doors and exposes the dark side of human nature. The white ribbon turns black. Great movie.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo-A fast paced thriller with brains.

A previous post here slammed(?) Inglorious Basterds. You are not alone. I hated this movie with a passion. Completely self indulgent crap. Rewriting a tragedy beyond my comprehension for fun. Garbage. The worst was Life is Beautiful, using concentration camps for cheap laughs. I dont get why so many people liked that one either.

cheers from urdevil

You're not going diss Ilsa She Wolf of the SS are you?

The Gift (2000). An average flick this would have been in lesser hands, Raimi instead takes an average concept and infuses it with his creepy magic. Having Cate Blanchett at the helm was also a boon. In fact, coupled with Raimi's gift, Cate catapult's this rather mundane story into a wonderful watch. Her restrained expressiveness is magic in itself. Giovanni Ribisi's performance, though limited in screen time, was no less impressive. The rest of the cast was equally adept, with even the wooden Reeves offering an above average performance. Though simple in story, this one deserves to be seen by virtue of its sublime direction, intriguing camera work, and incredible acting. Ashe.

Ilsa who?
 

Just kidding. I would never diss Ilsa. Ilsa is not in the same category as the two I mentioned. They pretend to be high concept but arent. Ilsa wasnt trying to be anything more than a film made to shock people. If I sounded cranky I apologize. See White Ribbon itll give you chills.

The devil has spoken

Evilspeak 1982

The Book of Eli (2010)

Visually awesome, well acted and some great action scenes...but the message was too heavy-handed for me. I expected more.

Reeker (2005)

Awful. Predictable, clichéd, and dismally acted. I'll admit that the Reeker itself looked pretty decent (Barring than the horrendous CGI), but otherwise I saw nothing to make this worth watching.

The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (1972)

http://content8.flixster.com/movie/1...891726_pro.jpg

>>: B+

Brothers (2004). A tour de Force of acting, direction, editing, and camera work. No over the top gadgets need be implemented to unravel this wonderfully believable flick of a family whose chair is kicked out from underneath them. The story is about putting the pieces back together, that intangible glue that is either present or not, whose presence is a requisite salve for a familial rent. And just when things begin to heal, the unthinkable happens. As stated, every aspect of this flick comes together perfectly. From grandparents to the young children, the acting was top-notch. They must have a film school in kindergarten. The direction was more than competent. The editing: sublime. The camera work was busy and intense, with close-ups that divulged that which cannot be told. The score was always there for emotional support. A wonderful watch that is probably too much for Hollywood and its sheep-like audience. Merci beaucoup.
derek

Toy Story 3 (3d)
Pointlessly 3d IMO, only maybe two small scenes actually felt like they used it...a flower, and some drops on a glass window...other than that I was most impressed by the actual titles.
It was maybe better than the second one, not as good as the first. I don't see fans of the overall series getting let down. Decent way to end the series.

Cutting Moments
 

Finally saw this. Nasty is not a strong enough term. I had heard about this short for a while. It lives up to its reputation. I actually cringed. I was shocked and offended. I like this flick. Next more guinea pig.
Cheers from the devil

The Wolfman 2010
 

Finally got this from NetFlix and I was a little disappointed. I liked it overall, just thought it could have been done better as far as the story.
Not that I wanted a direct copy of the 1941 classic, but I thought, at times, this one veered too far away from the original.

I thought the CGI was over the top as well. Certain parts looked too cartoony.
Maybe I'm being to picky, I don't know.
Anyway, the wife and I liked it, I think I was just expecting too much from it.

Clash of the Titans (2010); Enjoyed this, loved the CGI, but couldn't help thinking it took itself too seriously. Remembering the first one (i did like the homaage to it in this film), I found myself missing the quirkiness of the original. How can a film that f***s up mythology so badly try to be dark, brooding and serious. Did think Fines was cool as Hades, Neeson was weak and there was a distinct lack of other Gods. Demi-god Io was so bloody smug, I just wanted to swing for her everytimme she appeared on screen.
It was OK to watch once but get the bloody facts right! IT WAS BELLEROPHON-OK Hollywood!

DeadSnow and this film is freaking good

The Crazies
 

Just finished watching this with the wife and I thought it was really good. I'd seen the original years ago and this stayed pretty true to it.
The acting and effects were better obviously, Romero's budget on the first one was really small, and obviously couldn't have had the effects the new one does.

This movie scared me at parts, and got me thinking as much, if not more, than the first one did about the worth of human life in the face of contamination threatening human kind.

Good movie, IMO. Best I've seen in a while.

Innocent Blood (1992). Bloody good entertainment this was. This one has it all, sans the stuffiness born of prudence. Beginning with some full frontal nudity, how are we to not like this horror comedy? And there is so much to like, including a wonderful cast peppered with multiple cameos and incredible horror homages. Even some of the myths are flagrantly flouted for fun. The acting was fine for what it was- entertaining. The direction of Landis was stylishly proud of its genre. With lots of blood and beautiful shots of a nocturnal Pittsburgh, the camera's lens settles in nicely. When the ending threatened to be cheesy, it answered with crackers. Ashe.
d

Dark Water (2005)

Just watched The Elephant Man very sad movie, directed by David Lynch and a great input from Freddie Francis.
http://www.horror.com/forum/picture....&pictureid=487

The most shocking part of this movie, based on a true story.

Years ago I was in London doing a solo walking tour of all the Jack the Ripper murders. There's a store front that used to house a freak show, and The Elephant Man would sit in the window. It's now an Indian Sari shop.

White of the Eye (1987)

http://a.imageshack.us/img69/6049/woteye1.jpg

>>: B+

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)

http://l.yimg.com/eb/ymv/us/img/hv/p...mallposter.jpg

>>: B

Exiled (2006). So stylish was Exiled that the Italians must be jealous, with Sergio Leone buzzing in his grave. A simple story set in Macau, the restrained dialog and general lack of facial expressions cannot diminish the loyalty that these men have towards each other, even when they have been ordered to act otherwise. Between wonderfully orchestrated concerts of claustrophobic bullet symphonies are beautifully drawn out scenes utilizing the mundane aspects of life to help further the bonds of ancient friendships. And all of this, action and drama alike, drawn forth by the devils of fate, where one can either choose his fate or be torn apart through lack of choice. The acting was great for what this was, with the wickedly beautiful Josie Ho acting as the mostly silent, secret force that foments the deadly events to come. Johnny To's direction was phenomenal in his ability to allow things to come together almost by fate. Everything about this film oozes a style reminiscent of John Woo though a step ahead of even this master of action.
derek

The Eclipse (2009)

http://l.yimg.com/eb/ymv/us/img/hv/p...mallposter.jpg

A slow moving romantic drama with a very little bit of horror element.

>>: B-

The White Ribbon (2009). Michael Haneke's superb works exist on level not available to Hollywood. He uses subtle visions to evince the sources of historical evil, and as such his works can almost appear as trumped-up dishes of self indulgence. But if caught up in the realm of this crafty direction, his movies are nothing shy of masterpieces. Enter The White Ribbon. In watching this, the viewer is aware that something spectacular is happening in this slow paced and gorgeously shot film, but in flouting cinematic convention it can seem to fall flat. This is not a movie so much as the director's vision as to the framework that was to support the evil of the the first half of the century in question. In doing such, the restrained birth of iniquity in the story can be fully appreciated if not felt. The story was wonderfully woven, and the acting was top notch. A special nod goes to the children, for without their performances this film would not have worked. The direction and camera work needs no special mention, for this is a Haneke flick and all of his genius is employed. One word on the dialog: frank. If looking for a flick that follows directions like a chick reading a map in the passenger seat, then stay away from this flick, otherwise enter cautiously.
derek