Rate the Last Film You Watched

[Professor Irony]

No Time to Die

Shockingly, I’ve pretty much wound up agreeing with what everyone else is saying; this is a very solid final outing for Daniel Craig as Bond that doesn’t feel its hefty running time, although I don’t think it quite measures up to the oddly perfect Skyfall. The film is at its best in the first half, with excellent action set pieces, particularly those in Italy and Cuba, but I think it loses its way a little into the last act. Despite the grand scale of the villain’s plan, it feels a bit nebulous and lacking an immediate sense of threat, while the final assault on the lair lacks the visual interest of what came before.

Interestingly, I think it’s often at its most charming when it’s being flippant, with some genuinely amusing exchanges between the characters, so perhaps this might point the way forward for the series in future.

 

[HWR]

31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Days IX-XII: Universal’s The Invisible Man Sequel Marathon: The Invisible Man Returns, (1940, Joe May) The Invisible Woman (1940, A. Edward Sutherland), Invisible Agent (1942, Edwin L. Marin), The Invisible Man’s Revenge (1944, Ford Beebe)

Having watched The Invisible Man for 2019’s marathon I decided to work my way through the sequels similarly to how I tackled Frankenstein last year. TIMR is a worthy sequel which sees Vincent Price in one of his first horror roles and some superb effects for the tome, whilst TIW is essentially more comedy than horror and sadly did very little for me.

IA is a wartime thriller with comedic scenes which was made during WWII and takes the series in an interesting direction, and finally TIMR is another solid sequel which sees a deceptive lead whose instability makes for some interesting interactions. 3.5/5, 1.5/5, 3.5/5, 3.5/5

 

[RadFemHedonist]

@HWR just curious have you seen Memoirs of an Invisible Man? One of my favourite films, directed by John Carpenter IIRC

 

[HWR]

@HWR just curious have you seen Memoirs of an Invisible Man? One of my favourite films, directed by John Carpenter IIRC

I have not but it looks like it could be a good watch so have added to my film backlog!

 

[HWR]

31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Days XIII: April Fool’s day (1986, Fred Walton)

A slasher film with black comedy elements, this was a fairly brisk watch as the mystery of the plot unfolded and the cast were dispatched. Overall nothing too special but it did have its moments. 3/5

 

[Adela]

Ley Lines (Nihon Kuroshakai: Ley Lines [日本 黒社会 LEY LINES]) is a 1999 Japanese film directed by Takashi Miike and the final installment of the Black Society Trilogy. The film continues the theme of including Taiwanese characters and Triads in the world of Japan. We follow two teenagers who have Chinese descent going to try and have a new life. This film has been quite well-received among many and seems to be everyone's favourite of the whole trilogy. Personally, I did find the characters to be interesting at times and the struggles they go through, but in terms of story, it's not my favourite of the trilogy. In fact, one of the two brothers is actually kinda unlikeable at times which doesn't help. I think overall it's a good film but I would say Shinjuku Triad Society: China Mafia War is my favourite story while Rainy Dog is my favourite in terms of character relationships.

Ley Lines is available to own on Blu-ray from distributor Arrow Video as part of the Black Society Trilogy collection.

3/5

 

[HWR]

31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Day XIV: It’s Alive Trilogy: It’s Alive (1974, Larry Cohen), It Lives Again (1978, Larry Cohen), It’s Alive III: Island of the Alive (1987, Larry Cohen)

A trilogy of films from director Larry Cohen which revolve around mutant babies going on killing sprees whilst their parents reel from the chaos. The films explore and commentate on themes of family life and social norms but for me didn’t offer much rewatch value overall. 3/5, 3/5, 2.5/5

 

[HWR]

31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Day XV: Crimson Peak (2015, Guillermo del Toro)

Described as a gothic romance this outing from visionary director GdT stars Tom Hiddleston and Mia Wasikowska who portray a newlywed couple who move into a gothic mansion wherein sinister plots and supposed haunting occur.

Whilst the sets and their design were quite a sight to behold I found the plotting and characters be a bit less impressive, though the creature designs here were also solid despite the reliance on CGI at times. 3/5

 

[HWR]

31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Day XVI: The Uninvited (1944, Lewis Allen)

A paranormal horror in which a pair of siblings find themselves living in a Cornish house that is home to supernatural events. Though of its time the film has its moments and some solid acting throughout. 3.5/5

 

[HWR]

31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Day XVII: Kwaidan (1965, Masaki Kobayashi)

A Japanese horror anthology film which is based on Lafcadio Hearn’s Japanese folk tales. The film clocks in at around three hours and comprises of four separate segments, with each offering something different whilst being very visually interesting, especially in terms of set design and direction. 4/5

 

[HWR]

31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Day XVIII: Universal’s Creature from the Black Lagoon marathon: Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954, Jack Arnold), Revenge of the Creature (1955, Jack Arnold), The Creature Walks Among Us (1956, John Sherwood)

Another set of films from Universal’s monster line up, this series offers some impressive underwater choreography for the time and the design for the creature is also quite iconic, with Ricou Browning portraying the role across all three films, with each offering an entertaining watch though the first sequel I felt was the weakest of the series. 3.5/5, 3/5, 3.5/5

 

[HWR]

31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Day XIX: My Bloody Valentine (1981, George Mihalka)

A cult-classic slasher film from the early 80s, MBV delivers some brutal moments as a deranged killer stalks a mining town, fully decked out in that iconic gear - gas mask and all. The cast here also felt a bit more fleshed out from a character perspective, at least compared to some slasher films I’ve seen, and the claustrophobic cave tunnel sequences also featured some nice camera-work. 3.5/5

 

[Winkuru]

31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Days IX-XII: Universal’s The Invisible Man Sequel Marathon: The Invisible Man Returns, (1940, Joe May) The Invisible Woman (1940, A. Edward Sutherland), Invisible Agent (1942, Edwin L. Marin), The Invisible Man’s Revenge (1944, Ford Beebe)

Having watched The Invisible Man for 2019’s marathon....

The first movie was on criterion service so i watched it yesterday as my 19th movie and it was suprisingly fun. The guy that played the mad doctor did a really good job with the part. I just loved how he basically killed random people for **** and giggles

 

[HWR]

31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Day XX: Troll (1986, John Carl Buechler)

A horror comedy in which the comedy rarely works but the practical effects and make up worked nicely and the story improved towards the second half. I have also watched the sequel before which is notorious for its “so-bad-it’s-good” reputation. 3/5

 

[HWR]

31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Day XXI: Ichi the Killer (2001, Takashi Miike)

A gritty, gory and disturbing action horror from one of my favourite directors Takashi Miike. Based on the manga of the same name by Hideo Yamamoto, Ichi is a dark story about a psychologically broken man who is manipulated and used to murder rival yakuza.

The film also incorporates black humour and Nao Ōmori gives a solid performance as the twisted Ichi, as does Tadanobu Asano as the sadistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara. 3.5/5

 

[HWR]

31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Day XXII: Critters (1986, Stephen Herek) & Critters 2: The Main Course (1988, Mick Garris)


A pair of creature-features produced by New Line Cinema which see a small town terrorised by ball-shaped hedgehog-like terrors from outer space. The films feature special effects work by the Chiodo Brothers who went on to produce the cult classic and personal favourite Killer Klowns from Outer Space. These first two films also share several cast members and were decent watches overall. 3.5/5, 3/5

 

[HWR]

31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Day XXIII: Critters 3 (1991, Kristine Peterson) & Critters 4 (1992, Rupert Harvey)


As has been the case with numerous film series’ over the years Critters kept coming back with its sequels. The third here stars Leonardo DiCaprio in his film debut, taking place outside of the Grover’s Bend setting of the first two films, whilst the fourth takes place in space and has Brad Dourif amongst the cast.

Critters 3 reminded me of Troll with its tenement setting whilst 4 marked a rare occasion wherein a horror film franchise taking the story into space actually fit the narrative. The two films also lead into each other which I wasn’t expecting to see and were decently entertaining romps overall. 3/5, 3/5

 

[HWR]

31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Day XXIV: Phantom of the Opera (1943, Arthur Lubin)

A story which has been adapted countless times in cinema over the past century or so, this was the second telling of the film in less than 20 years as a film had been made back in 1925 starring Lon Chaney. Though the colour and sets were impressive, I found the film to be weaker than the Chaney outing and a bit underwhelming. 2.5/5

 

[HWR]

31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Day XXV: The Mutilator (1985, Buddy Cooper, John S. Douglass)

Spoiler

Originally titled Final break, this slasher offers a familiar set-up involving a gaggle of college students and a revenge-fuelled killer. The effects and character interactions made up for the otherwise simplistic narrative. 3/5

 

[HWR]

31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Day XXVI: The Silence of the Lambs (1991, Jonathan Demme)

An acclaimed classic, this thriller deals with themes seen in many a horror film, especially surrounding Buffalo Bill and Hannibal Lecter’s behaviours. The film’s climax is also rather chilling and the overall narrative engaging, though I personally prefer Anthony Hopkins turn as Lecter in Red Dragon. 4.5/5