I saw Dogtooth a while back and yes it is very disturbing an incredibly awkward watching experience. Its a series of confusing set pieces that make little sense. Its one of those movies to endure rather than enjoy. I despise animal cruelty yet I stuck with it and that's just the tip of the iceberg as to where this film goes with its bizarre journey. Difficult to watch and difficult to recommend but nonetheless engrossing. You won't feel good by the end I guarantee it.

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Sharktopus - Roger Corman produced intentionally bad B-movie nonsense from the Syfy Channel.The storyline is the standard bio weapon experiment gone wrong guff,the dialogue is hilarious,and the acting is awful (Some intentionally,some not so much).
The cartoonish CGI creature is the star of the show as it wreaks havoc along the coast of Mexico,chowing down on a number of bikini wearing lovelies,a Great White Shark and a bungee jumper!Think you're safe from Sharktopus on dry land ? Well think again as Shartopus comes bounding up the beach on his tentacles in all his crappy glory!
It's bad,really bad,so bad it's good?Not really,but I did find myself enjoying it for some reason. 5/10

Chuck and Buck

Rubber (2010)

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This is really a strange movie. Not as good as I expected but this was pretty well made & quite an interesting watch with a bit unique & funny beginning where they "clarified" it's a homage to the 'no reason' films. As the film progress it becomes darkly funny at times but the problem comes when it tried to become too smart with the content & develop some satires about the industry in the process. Perhaps I was expecting it to be more cheesy as the film centers around a killer tire with psychokinetic power. Overall, not for everyone but still worth a watch for sure.

>>: B

The Killer Must Kill Again (1975)

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A simple but bit different Giallo treat where a hired psycho-killer is running after for his stolen car which was supposed to be dumped in the river, as it has a dead body in the trunk.

>>: B+

Hereafter (2010)

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A very decent moving drama about 3 people living in different countries whose lives become shattered & later connected in a common ground as they had near-death experiences or the loss of a loved one. The tsunami strikes scene in the beginning quite convincingly portrays the horror of the disaster and as I read in the news few days after the very recent devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the film was withdrawn from all theaters there. A spokesperson from the WB studio said the film's terrifying tsunami scenes were 'not appropriate' at this time.

>>: A-

What a shame. That was the only part I liked in this sleeper.

Paul (2011)

It was just fun...nothing special, but entertaining. Predictable, cliched and kinda silly, but if you like the people involved you should enjoy it. The endless Star Wars/Spielberg references got a bit old by the end, but whatever. No fall out of the seat laughing moments, but still amusing enough.

I just saw Alien Planet, now while this is not a horror movie, it do have giant aliens so I will take the liberty to post anyway. The movie is basically a mock nature documentary from another planet, with aliens made by various biologists and the like. Two robotic probes are investigating this environment. thought the movie was great, it was made for Discovery Channel and is basically a wonderful speculation on how alien life might look. My favorites are the sea walkers, seven stories tall creatures who walk on a living sea that will eat you given half the chance, as in the sea will eat you, not the walkers, they are harmless...unless they step on you that is.

Serbian Film..............for those who are looking for extreme flicks, this will do the trick. Sick shit. Not for everyone but I really liked it.

Madman (1982)

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>>: C+

I, Madman (1989)

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I always love this sorta stories, kind of reminded me The Dark Half (though I guess it came out years before TDH) as a character from a book comes alive or starts a killing rampage in the 'real' world. Marvelous idea.:)

>>: B+

Virus X (2010)

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>>: D

The House With Laughing Windows (1976). As the credits first start rolling, with the tortuous opening scene and that discomfiting dialog, The House With Laughing Windows threatens to be a viciously mean gore fest. But this simply not the case. Instead, this is a slow burning Gothic giallo that encumbers an originality in film that is rarely enjoyed.

The story was an original take on a painting of a saint, but the weird twists and turns are like a giallo turned on its head. But unlike a typical giallo, the story never churns out gratuitous nudity or gore, nor does the story flout storytelling believability in the face of style. In other words it is pretty convincing on its own. That said, it is not without its own special brand of viciousness, for there is one scene whose brutality is more felt than seen.

The acting was more than a notch above the standards for the genre, which almost demands that the audience flinch a time or two from acting so bad that it elicits responses that are almost out of some primal form of self defense. Instead every performance is a fairly accomplished one. Maybe having a solid story did not necessitate the need to detract from it with woeful performances, who knows?

Director Pupi Avati (any kid in the states with that name would not have made it through middle school) deserves rightful accolades for this fine piece of work. First and foremost is that he creates a continually building sense of atmospheric dread, allowing the story to find itself instead of being driven with gratuitous action, not that there is anything wrong with some eye-popping gratuity. Amazingly, this atmosphere works side by side with its stylish filming. The photography was amazing; excellent shot composure; appropriate use of sepia tones; expert use of shadow; stellar pans; and what could only be thought of as an ingenious jigglescope that emoted a discombobulating tremble down the spine. Then there was the audio and its brilliant capacity to startle the crap out ya even when you know something is up. It all comes together to create this sublime giallo.

Though not for everyone, this mysterious little gem is a must see for any giallo or even horror fan that can muster up a little patience as this flick slowly builds to its dramatic and diabolical end.
d

I watched IT yesterday :3

ok, so we watched Human Cenitpede last night.........anyone else see it? What did you think????

The Road (2009). The Road is one of those rare movies that could steal the fun out from underneath a perfectly innocent game of hopscotch. The real question is, why in the heck would anyone want to see a movie as bleak as this one? Yeah, like sign me up for a companion journey through a desolate, desperate Hell where from moment to moment we cannot understand why people don't just pop right off the nearest cliff. The answer, I think, is that this movie hits the essence of a post-apocalyptic world like no other. This is no action adventure, there are no heroes, this is a grim drama about a fear that the Bible has been using to mop up gatherers for a couple of thousand years now.

The story is dark dark dark. What we are to privy to are choices that no man should face, conditions that challenge our sense of humanity, almost as if civilization were just some contrived notion for the benefit of bureaucratic inefficiency. Just what will man endure, and worse, what depraved abominations will his feral nature allow in order to survive another day? This movie does have its thankfully tender moments, and they work because they only seem logical for the moment, making this an emotional roller coaster ride that the viewer might not have been ready for. For the squeamish, this movie is simply not for you. There is no gratuitous violence and gore, but gore and violence and depravity more than make up the movie's constitutional import.

The acting was phenomenal. The two central protagonists, played by Viggo Mortensen and child actor Kodi Smit-McPhee, create a chemistry that is not only palpable, but believable. Each worships the other, mostly for all the right reasons, but in doing so their characters are put to the test of human endurance. This endurance is not without its cracks, and it is through these flaws that the characters seem all too real, and their plight all too painful. The rest of the cast enjoy rather limited, but not insignificant, roles. Robert Duvall's brief appearance is a powerful one, and Charlize Theron's role not only provides a much needed optical respite, but also lends to the film's dreary journey as her character sees the veritable nature of existence in all of its abject weight.

The direction here was magnificent. Taken from a novel, the technicalities are reported to have kept to the main theme of the story without having distorted it too much in order to transfer it from page to film. The photography was amazing. It captured the cheerless landscape with a loathsome eye, adding heft to our protagonist's journey that would break the back of the heartiest of lumberjacks. By the time our eyes have adjusted the barren and colorless landscape, a timely flashback abruptly reveals the nightmare that we are living, almost mean in character but a necessity all the same. Some of the scenes were as breathtaking as they were heartbreaking. And the score was perfect, dancing between desolation and a cruel glimmer of hope, moving the viewer deeper and deeper into the trappings cinematic empathy.

By this movie's end, though you will be emotionally exhausted, you'll have just enough energy to make sure that the pantry is fully stocked, and sadly, you might even be moved to set aside a number of bullets equal to that of your family.
d

"The Ruins" (2008)

Plot: IMDB
A group of friends whose leisurely Mexican holiday takes a turn for the worse when they, along with a fellow tourist embark on a remote archaeological dig in the jungle, where something evil lives among the ruins.

Phantom's Review: I have not read the book this movie was based on, but I sure hope it was better than this loser of a film. Annoying, unlikeable characters, cliche' ending and no real "scares". The concept was interesting but the film didn't deliver.
--

To Catch a Killer (1992)

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>>: B+

Dear Mr. Gacy (2010)

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>>: B

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I Drink Your Blood (1970)

>>: B+

Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror (1998)

Hellraiser IV: Bloodline (1996)

Pinhead: "Do I look like someone who cares about what God thinks?"

Howling IV: The Original Nightmare (1988)

>>: C-, C, C

Tonight going to watch Phantasm Quadrilogy in a row! Except the 1st part, haven't seen any of the Phantasm sequels yet.:)

Lebanon (2009). Lebanon begins with an expansive image that leaves the viewer wondering what its message could possibly be. The remainder of the movie is then spent in the grimy housing of war. This is a movie that is unfairly criticized by some, all because the standards of filmmaking are not strictly honored. On the contrary, the wise filmmaker knows when to stick to the rules and more importantly, when to break them. In Lebanon, writer/director Samuel Maoz wisely chooses to leave the character's backstories without flesh, and it is with this deficiency that the matrix of the movie finds its puissance. No matter though, for there will always be the loudly unimaginative set that revel in inane blather.

The story is not very fresh, but again it is in the telling that lends its original feel. Hot, wet, dirty and suffocating, the setting is perfect for a genuine feel of war. Our players are far from heroes and all the more believable because of it. Even the bad guys are fairly portrayed.

The acting was solid on all accounts. Though there are no memorable performances, these guys conveyed their parts in the tightest of environments without a glitch.

As his first full production film, Maoz does a spectacular job orchestrating a war movie that has something new to add to the genre. The photography was limited but wonderfully captured, its polarity almost lending weight to the psychological stress of war. Our narrowed view of the plagues of war are fully developed, with scenes that alternate between repugnance and humiliation. The sound was a constant reminder of the dreadfully destructive forces of mechanized combat, along with the difficulties of performing in horrific circumstances. The sparse score was splendidly askew and apropos for the story.

The end of the movie is a thankful breathe of fresh air, but just enough to let us once again contemplate the irony of human intelligence in the face of our primal behavioral patterns.
d

I watched When A Stranger Calls (1979) the other day. I was surprised at how much of the 2006 remake was derived from the original. I honestly can't say which I prefer more.

I LOVED the Howling IV, really all of the Howling movies were pretty sweet in my book

Broken. One of the better movies I have watched recently.

Haven't seen those sequels before. Overall I enjoyed it very much. A very decent franchise that could offered lot more & still can.
One of the most impressive things about the last & 4th part: Oblivion is the way they were able to incorporate so much unused footage from the original (19 years earlier!) into the film. Despite the time difference, the new film and the old footage work together perfectly, and that is a really cool thing to behold as well as might be quite emotional for some of the cast & the crew members, specially Michale Baldwin who played Mike.

>>: B+

I Spit on Your Grave (2010):

Quite a good remake. It added enough new material to make it worth watching. As someone else mentioned, the kills do start to take on a Saw-like quality which I thought didn't really seem that fitting. I know she just went though a very traumatic experience, but would a pretty normal seeming writer suddenly come up with these plans? Maybe, but it seemed like a stretch.

Maybe in the directors cut they reveal she was infact the author of the Saw screen play :-)

"The Good Guys And The Bad Guys" (1969)
-Robert Mitchum, George Kennedy

Plot: IMDB


Marshal Flagg, an aging lawman about to be retired, hears that his old nemesis, the outlaw McKaye, is back in the area and planning a robbery. Riding out to hunt down McKaye, Flagg is captured by McKaye's gang and finds out that McKaye is no longer the leader of the gang, but is considered just an aging relic by the new leader, a youngster named Waco. Waco orders Mackaye to shoot Flagg, and when Mackaye refuses Waco abandons both of them. Flagg then takes Mackaye back to town only to find out that he has been "retired", and when he sees how clueless and incompetent the new marshal and the city fathers are, he persuades Mackaye that it is up to the two of them to stop Waco and his gang from ravaging the town.


Phantom's Review: Entertaining, light hearted western adventure. Plenty of action and humor and the two lead actors do a great job. My only complaint was a truly God awful song that was played over the opening credits and during a few key scenes. Other than that, this is a enjoyable move.

Return of the Living Dead (1985)
Funniest shit ever.

Hell yeh dude awesome movie. I just watched Night Of The Demons 2 for the first time. Definitely a good sequel. Still havent got to see the new one yet.

Piranha '10 ... fun cheesy remake.

I watched some of team america world police the last night and that was some pretty funny.

I really need to be more open minded and look for the bigger picture apparently. ;)

Neighbors: Not exactly either John Belushi's or Dan Akroyd's best performances, but a pretty funny movie nonetheless.

Siren (2010)

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>>: D

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

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First time viewing:o Awesome fun in an extraordinary way.

>>: A-

Season of the Witch (2010)

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>>: B

Age of the Dragons (2011)

>>: F

Fight for Your Life (1977)

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>>: B+

You spelled A++++++ wrong :-)

Oops! You got it right, ferox:D. It was surprisingly entertaining. I haven't heard of it before. Just out of curiosity last night gave it a watch...great fun but that kid murdering scene in the wood was really brutal.

Now going to watch Night Train Murders and planning to download The Candy Snatchers & The last house on the beach soon.

Fast Times At Ridgemont High

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Spiral (2007) Adam Green and Joel Moore from Hatchet team up again to create this awkward psychological thriller which hits all of its marks in a spectacular fashion. But unlike Hatchet, which was written and directed by Adam Green, Joel More has got his sticky fingers deep in this film and not only stars in it but is also its cowriter/director. Sounds scary on paper, but it works splendidly to fashion a movie that rightly gets Hitchcockian nods. Care must be taken in reading much about it, and don't watch the trailer unless you like to have your movies ruined in spectacular fashion. Just take my word that it was great, a completely different genre from the pair's earlier splatter fest comedy.

The story works as a nasty little mystery that needs no tired tricks to keep the viewer guessing. The polarity of its characters help fuel the psychological tension and puts some chewy meat on this story's bones. Spiral also works fabulously to prig your imaginations to do some of the work instead of the cliched tricks of the typical shock thriller trade. Also, the story just happens, and though we know things will get dicey, the potential darkness never smells contrived. But when it does comes, though the signs are there, it still whips your comfy state of being into a discombobulated mind smoothie.

Joel More is awesome as the main character, as awkward and isolated a man as has ever found his way to film, and Joel's portrayal was nigh perfect. Amber Tambly nails her witty and bubbly character to a T. At first almost unbelievably nice, her flaws seeping through, showing us that her facade is also from a freshly scarred gash from the past. And Zachary Levi's portrayal of a dickhead boss that is surprisingly kind to Joel's awkward character also reveals a dark side that fuels this otherwise strangely patronizing behavior.

The direction was incredible. How two directors could work so well together blew me away. The photography was astounding. The way it captures emotional turmoil through its semi-jolting motion could not have been better. It was as close to getting the audience to feel the disturbing soul of our main character, maybe too close. The editing was superb, throwing the audience in the memories and dreams of the characters with a smooth violence.

All in all, this was a superb little flick that exploits all the right buttons and keeps the audience guessing, maybe even a little after the credits have rolled.
d

"X-men origins: Wolverine" 8-10

Liked the dark feel to it. And i liked that this one was all about wolverine.

The best in the series, imo.


Jackman is baaaaaad-asssss

Dead End (1937). Dead End is a movie whose message is just as pertinent today as it was over 70 years ago. Damned if you do and damned if you don't, where the damning all boils up around choosing to live an honorable life, which in this neighborhood means living in abject poverty, or taking the predatory route and living life like a rich hobo, never knowing when the heavies are going to come down on you. It revels in this catch 22, but not unnecessarily so. Adding fuel to the cooking pot are those old money folks as they stupidly agitate the social bomb by applying vicious geographical pressure.

This story opens in a wonderfully meandering fashion, slowly taking in the scene, observing the neighborhood from afar and ever inching closer until it seems safe enough to find its hooded intimacy. But even then we are not privy to any hints of a story, but instead that magical sense that we have plopped right down into a little slice of life, even before events show themselves to become noteworthy. And once the story gets going, Dead End never loses its storybook charm. The story's characters are all portrayed with a sense of realism, with the poor, rich, and mean all for want of something, usually what one of the other two classes has. Of course, those that reach out to grab up what he thinks will make him or her happy will be rewarded with a plateful of angst for all their efforts, with the usual moral of the story being just enjoy what ya have and avoid any tempting glances over the fence of life.

This movie is billed with Sylvia Sydney and Joel McCrae with top billing honors, but the rest of the cast, including an up and coming Humphrey Bogart, all turn out rock solid performances. Lesser characters are even giving small yet moving roles, unknowns and cameos allowed a brief moment to tug at the hearts of its audience and then just fall off to side again to toil in their draining efforts to scratch out an existence. Special mention should given to the Dead End Kids that were taken from the Broadway play Dead End. These kids were just amazing and seemed to have a greater future than that which fate has gifted them.

The technicalities were magnificent here, with top nods going to the direction. That slice of life feel was maintained throughout, and it allowed the story to unfold in a manner of its own invention. The black and white photography emoted a warmth that one cold almost feel, which was a nice relief form the dire dead end existence that this movie's denizens all wished to be relieved of. Use of light and shadow were near perfect, with shadow of course finding old Bogey's face with relative ease.

This story bravely ends a few scenes later than would be expected, and such a tactic works brilliantly in its favor, driving its message even further into the hearts of its audience, a timeless plea for humanity that has forever gone unheeded in a land where material silliness is sought after and the intangible majesty of life is taken for granted.
d

Night Train Murders (1975)

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Is it the movie that's got highest number of alternative titles? I love them all:D:

1. The New House on The Left
2. Second House on The Left
3. Don't Ride on Late Night Trains
4. Last Stop on the Night Train
5. Late Night Trains
6. Last House Part II
7. Xmas Massacre

>>: B

Secret Window (2004)

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>>: B+

Student Bodies (1981)

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I have no good reason why I haven't seen it before!

>>: B+

Closet Land (1991)

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A young Children book's writer (Madeleine Stowe) is interrogated by a ruthless secret interrogator (Alan Rickman). She is accused of embedding political messages in her children's stories. The entire movie takes place in one big room, with only those two characters. This is a slow burn but captivating drama-thriller that addresses the horror of political torture in a harrowing as well as kind of surreal way. As a two-character piece, both the actors did brilliant job. Recommended.

>>: A-