Rate the Last Film You Watched

Saw the Aussie horror Red Christmas again and though there were some good scenes it wasn’t graphic enough for me - later found out on commentary track the director doesn’t like explicit horror 👎 another horror and miles better is the Spanish slasher Black Serenade or the Spanish title Tuno Negro and very underrated- so come on some UK company how about releasing it sometime?
 
I watched Dune.
It is definitely good, and it's faithful to the source material. However, Lynch and Jodorowsky went a little wild with it, and that was good. This was the opposite, and was trying to make it very believable and realistic. There were glimpses of oddities, like the pet scene and another few with the baron. I would have preferred it to be a bit more zany because that element is in the source material as well.

House Harkonnen was done really well, better than Lynch for sure. However, house Atreides was not as good. I didn't get the feeling of great honour and loyalty that they are supposed to represent. I did really like Jason Momoa as Duncan though; actually portrayed as a badass fighter like he is supposed to be! There was also not a single scene showing the inhabitants or life of Arrakeen which was definitely the biggest disappointment for me.
 
31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Day XXVII: Misery (1990, Rob Reiner)
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A claustrophobic horror film based on the Stephen King novel of the same name and featuring great performances from Kathy Bates and James Caan as an obsessive fan and terrified author respectively. 4/5
 
Heavy Metal (1981) Rewatch

Didn’t expect to be coming back to this so soon, but some friends wanted to see it. On repeat viewing, I think it’s the Harry Canyon / Long Tomorrow segment that holds up best though; it does a good job of transposing film noir genre tropes to a grotty future New York just slightly before cyberpunk really solidified, and I think it’s aged a bit more gracefully than most of the other shorts.

Having read some of the comics since I last saw the film though, I can appreciate how much the voice acting actually adds to the Den segment. In the magazine, Den feels like simple adolescent wish-fulfilment, with a nerdy teenager transported to a high-fantasy world where he suddenly becomes a musclebound hero, but in the film, John Candy maintains his high pitched nerd voice for barbarian Den's inner monologue, making it much clearer that the whole thing is thoroughly tongue in cheek.

Predator (1987) Rewatch

Despite having not seen Predator in a long, long time, my memory of it was pretty clear, although I still enjoyed going back to it. The story may be incredibly simple, with an elite special forces unit getting more than they bargained for during an attempted rescue mission in South America, but inside that framework, the film is absolutely meticulous in its execution. It takes place in a relatively small space, yet it feels big and bombastic, drawing out one of Arnie's best performances amongst a collection of one-note characters who are surprisingly sympathetic and memorable. Hell, Bill Duke might actually be the real MVP here, with his collection of nervous tics betraying his character's ever more fragmenting psyche in a very grounded way.

The God of Gamblers (1989)

A trend-setting Hong Kong blockbuster that sees Chow Yun Fat's legendary card-shark taken in by a petty hood and his friends, after losing his memory and regressing to a derpy, child-like state, this is a much sillier and more comedy-oriented film than I'd expected, but it certainly delivers good value, alternating between silent movie-esque slapstick and gun-fu action to surprisingly good effect. Some of the comedy does feel a bit cringey by today's standards, but it's a strong vehicle for CYF, whose charm and comic timing really carry the film through its occasionaly awkward diversions.
 
31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Day XXVIII: Yokai Monsters Trilogy: Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters (1968, Kimiyoshi Yasuda), Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare (1968, Yoshiyuki Kuroda) & Yokai Monsters: Along with Ghosts (1969, Kimiyoshi Yasuda & Yoshiyuki Kuroda)
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A trilogy of fantasy horror films centred around traditional Japanese monsters known as Yokai, these films are perhaps best remembered for their special effects, which still possess a charm to this day and are the real star of the show in between the human conflicts.

Y:SW ended up being my favourite of the trilogy as the Yokai have a more prominent role as characters with personality whereas in Y:100M and Y:AWG they appear more sporadically or towards the climaxes of the plot. The stories were also overall a bit less engaging than what Y:SW had to offer. 3/5, 3.5/5, 3/5
 
Professor Irony said:
Heavy Metal (1981) Rewatch

Didn’t expect to be coming back to this so soon, but some friends wanted to see it. On repeat viewing, I think it’s the Harry Canyon / Long Tomorrow segment that holds up best though; it does a good job of transposing film noir genre tropes to a grotty future New York just slightly before cyberpunk really solidified, and I think it’s aged a bit more gracefully than most of the other shorts.

Having read some of the comics since I last saw the film though, I can appreciate how much the voice acting actually adds to the Den segment. In the magazine, Den feels like simple adolescent wish-fulfilment, with a nerdy teenager transported to a high-fantasy world where he suddenly becomes a musclebound hero, but in the film, John Candy maintains his high pitched nerd voice for barbarian Den's inner monologue, making it much clearer that the whole thing is thoroughly tongue in cheek.
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It's a great movie, and while it certainly feels dated, I don't count that as a negative. It really embodies the look and tone of the Heavy Metal stories of that era, warts and all. I was always disappointed that we didn't get any more Heavy Metal anthology movies or series, though Love, Death and Robots has filled that gap in all but name now.
 
A Better Tomorrow II (1987) Rewatch

A hasty follow-up to the previous year’s smash hit, this sees the return of honourable gangsters Ti Lung and Chow Yun Fat, reunited to get revenge for the killing of a friend’s daughter. A famously troubled production, with director John Woo and producer Tsui Hark having a massive falling out over how to continue the story, the film lacks the breakout impact of its predecessor, and its plot is all over the place, flipping back and forth between different characters in the US and Hong Kong, but it’s all spread with such a thick layer of sheer camp that it’s still very entertaining. Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung are taking it all a bit too seriously, but Chow Yun Fat and (a convincingly aged up) Dean Shek clearly got the memo, and seem to be having a whale of a time seeing who can chew the most scenery. Whatever else you might make of it, the gun rattling finale is still a thing to behold as well.
 
Dai said:
It's a great movie, and while it certainly feels dated, I don't count that as a negative. It really embodies the look and tone of the Heavy Metal stories of that era, warts and all. I was always disappointed that we didn't get any more Heavy Metal anthology movies or series, though Love, Death and Robots has filled that gap in all but name now.
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I thought there was one more Heavy Metal animated anthology film? Or was that so bad that you pretend it doesn't exist? XP I'm not really a fan of the movie but thanks for reminding me to watch Love, Death and Robots (she says with the genteel antics and classical music of Maria Watches Over Us in the background 🤣 🤣 🤣 )
 
HWR said:
31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Day XXVII: Misery (1990, Rob Reiner)
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A claustrophobic horror film based on the Stephen King novel of the same name and featuring great performances from Kathy Bates and James Caan as an obsessive fan and terrified author respectively. 4/5
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Excellent film from Rob Reiner and the only one I like from him - his others are overrated
 
31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Day XXIX: [REC] (2007, Jaume Balagueró & Paco Plaza)
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A Spanish found-footage horror film which was one of the early successes of its type, [REC] sees a straightforward premise spiral out of control as an emergency firefighter call turns into a nightmare for a reporter and her cameraman. Like other found footage films I’ve seen this was a solid watch but I’m not sure how much rewatchability it’ll have. 3.5/5
 
Professor Irony said:
A Better Tomorrow II (1987) Rewatch

A hasty follow-up to the previous year’s smash hit, this sees the return of honourable gangsters Ti Lung and Chow Yun Fat, reunited to get revenge for the killing of a friend’s daughter. A famously troubled production, with director John Woo and producer Tsui Hark having a massive falling out over how to continue the story, the film lacks the breakout impact of its predecessor, and its plot is all over the place, flipping back and forth between different characters in the US and Hong Kong, but it’s all spread with such a thick layer of sheer camp that it’s still very entertaining. Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung are taking it all a bit too seriously, but Chow Yun Fat and (a convincingly aged up) Dean Shek clearly got the memo, and seem to be having a whale of a time seeing who can chew the most scenery. Whatever else you might make of it, the gun rattling finale is still a thing to behold as well.
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It's worth watching just for the "You don't like my rice?!" scene.
 
Yes, the rice scene is quite special... I will apologise to the rice ;___;

The French Dispatch (2021)

Wes Anderson‘s comic eulogy for a fictional mid-century current affairs magazine proves surprisingly lightweight viewing, but it’s definitely the most straightforwardly entertaining of his films that I’ve seen, and kept me laughing consistently throughout. It’s arguably also the most refined example of the visual style he seems to have spent his entire career perfecting, with every shot meticulously constructed to be one step removed from reality, making great use of still-life tableau in particular. The onslaught of sheer whimsy did begin to wear me down towards the 2/3 mark and I felt a bit like I’d had enough by the end of Francis McDormand’s segment, but Jeffrey Wright’s food-obsessed raconteur really pulled it back for me in the final act - in a film of uniformly great performances, I think his may well be the standout.

She Shoots Straight (1990)

An interesting attempt to marry the melodrama of a Heroic Bloodshed film with Hong Kong’s love for female action heroes, this film sees Joyce Godenzi’s senior police officer struggling for acceptance from her new family when she marries fellow detective Tony Leung Ka Fai, while butting heads with a violent gang of displaced Vietnamese ex-pats. Despite a few story beats that made me wonder whether the film was originally intended to be a comedy (Godenzi has four sisters-in-law, all of whom are detectives working under her), the plot is largely a ludicrously over the top tragedy, with Godenzi beset by such unending misfortune that it almost becomes comical. The film does shine in its meaty, surprisingly brutal, action set pieces, however, which burst into life with what feels like cocaine-fuelled excess, compared to the soapy storyline (“More guns! More punching! More sisters!”). Both Godenzi and Carina Lau (as the eldest, most hostile sister) are truly great action stars, it’s just a shame they don’t have a better script to work with here.
 
31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Day XXX: Paganini Horror (1989, Luigi Cozzi)
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An Italian horror film about a girl group who become owners of an unpublished score by composer Niccolò Paganini which inadvertently causes chaos when they record a music video in Paganini’s home. The premise is novel and it’s always nice to see Donald Pleasance appear but otherwise wasn’t anything special. 2.5/5
 
The poster for that is really great but shame that the movie doesn't seem to live up to it. I did finally found that movie on the arrow streaming site recently but i guess it's just better to apricate the poster and skip the movie.
 
And here's my whole Halloween list.

1.Hour of the Wolf
2.Duel
3.Gretel & Hansel
4.Rubber
5.Late Phases
6.Dust Devil
7.One Missed Call (2003)
8.C.H.U.D.
9.Theatre of Blood
10.Rawhead Rex
11.Demonia (1990)
12.Basket Case
13.The Wolf of Snow Hollow
14.The Devil’s Candy
15.Censor
16.Malignant
17.Planet Terror Rewatch
18.Happy Death Day 2 U
19.The Invisible Man
20.The Ghost of Yotsuya
21.Maniac (1980)
22.Deep Rising
23.Mausoleum
24.Bad Moon
25.Body Bags
26.Tetsuo: The Iron Man
27.Scream 2
28.Scream 3
29.Wicked City (anime)
30.Versus (Ultimate cut)
31.Carnival of Souls

Top 5

Theatre of Blood, The Invisible Man, Tetsuo: The Iron Man, Body Bags and Versus (well this actually didn't really fit the theme but i didn't feel like picking another film yesterday to replace it)
 
31 Days of Halloween 2021!

Day XXXI: The Exorcist III: Legion (1990, William Peter Blatty)
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One of the finest horror films ever made and a consistent favourite of mine, Legion delivers some superb performances from its stars, whether it be George C Scott’s multi-faceted turn as Lieutenant Kinderman or Brad Dourif and Jason Millers’ chilling portrayal of the Gemini Killer/Father Karras. It also has one of the greatest uses of a jump-scare with that hospital scene. 4.5/5

And so another marathon concludes, and my full list can be seen here:

  1. George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead (Cannes Cut) 4/5
  2. Demons 3/5
  3. Demons 2 3/5
  4. Zombi 2 3.5/5
  5. Maniac 3.5/5
  6. The House by the Cemetery 3/5
  7. Beyond Re-Animator 3/5
  8. The New York Ripper 3/5
  9. The Invisible Man Returns 3.5/5
  10. The Invisible Woman 1.5/5
  11. Invisible Agent 3.5/5
  12. The Invisible Man’s Revenge 3.5/5
  13. April Fools Day 3/5
  14. It's Alive Trilogy: It's Alive 3/5, It Lives Again 3/5, Island of the Alive 2,5/5
  15. Crimson Peak 3/5
  16. The Uninvited 3.5/5
  17. Kwaidan 4/5
  18. Universal’s Creature from the Black Lagoon 3.5/5, Revenge of the Creature 3/5, The Creature Walks Among Us 3.5/5
  19. My Bloody Valentine 3.5/5
  20. Troll 3/5
  21. Ichi the Killer 3.5/5
  22. Critters 3.5/5 & Critters 2: The Main Course 3/5
  23. Critters 3 3/5 & Critters 4 3/5
  24. Universal’s Phantom of the Opera (1943) 2.5/5
  25. The Mutilator 3/5
  26. The Silence of the Lambs 4.5/5
  27. Misery 4/5
  28. Yokai Monsters Trilogy: Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters 3/5, Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare 3.5/5, & Yokai Monsters: Along with Ghosts 3/5
  29. [REC] 3.5/5
  30. Paganini Horror 2.5/5
  31. The Exorcist III: Legion 4.5/5

To anyone reading these little summaries, happy Halloween!
 
The Killer (1989)

Often held as John Woo’s best film, The Killer sees Chow Yun Fat’s repentant assassin agree to one last hit as he tries to pay for an operation to restore the sight of a nightclub singer he accidentally blinded during a firefight. In an objective sense, this probably is the most focused of Woo’s films I’ve seen, cranking the melodrama up to 11 as it recalls classic early Hollywood’s moralistic gangster films in its redemptive arc, and finding an excellent foil for CYF in Danny Lee‘s driven, yet conflicted copper, who becomes his unlikely kindred spirit. I’m digging my heels in though; I just don’t like it as much as Hard Boiled.

Hard Boiled is little more than a comic book by comparison, three big set pieces tied together with the most bare-bones plot, but the melodrama in The Killer is just too much for me. It nearly gets away with it, but all the most important scenes keep amping it up until they’re made eye-wateringly ridiculous. It’s still absolutely worth seeing, I just don’t quite know how to process it.
 
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