Films and Recommendations - The Horror-The Horror 25/10/2009

[giles edwards]

Out of the Mondo cycle, I’ve only actually seen Africa Addio. I mean, if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen most of them. It’s a fascinating sub-genre but it’s probably up to the individual viewer to judge how much existential philosophizing, spurious anthropological didacticism or plain pastoral/elegiac sentimentalisation of slaughtered peoples/animal/land masses one can put one’s self through in the name of hysterical sensationalist exploitation masquerading as genuine social document. I mean, they *are* social documents, but more of the filmmakers and Italian film industry than of the countries of which they purchase stock footage to exploit.

As a vague off-shoot to voor’s suggestions, anyone into finding more about the giddy world of ‘mondo’ film should try and locate a copy of Kerekes’s and Slater’s Killing For Culture. It’s about a depressing a reference book/in-depth study as you’re ever likely to read. But it really delves deep, deep down into the ethically grey recesses of that breed of horror film.

[sherbetbizarre]

It’s about a depressing a reference book/in-depth study as you’re ever likely to read.

It does have some laughs though - especially the Faces of Death reviews.

[voor]

New Board, New Films - let's all try something different today!

And the film is:

House (Hausu) 1977: Perhaps the most amazing and unknown cult film from Japan - a bat-shit combination a haunted houser movie crossed over with an avalanche of creeped-out and funny imagery and as well as just plain bizarre fun. If you haven't seen this little gem before, seek it out now - I guarantee you will not know what hit you once it plays to the end.

[Alex J]

I'm surprised no-one has yet mentioned the legendary Spanish classic from 1973, A Bell From Hell. Not really a giallo, but likely to appeal to those of us who like giallo movies, as well as though who like mystery / revenge thrillers from the seventies.

[Team Banzai]

the sheer awesomeness of the trailer alone makes this a MUST see!!

http://www.youtube.com./watch?v=xzQ6C5HIp4k

x

[voor]

From the hidden depths of movie history, comes today's exquisite choice - we give you:

[/b]Mortelle Randonee: Rare treat from director Claude Miller with a script by none other Jacque Audiard (as well as his father Michel Audiard) - this is a brilliant adaptation of March Behm's terrific 'Eye Of The Beholder'. Forget the inferior 90's remake with Ewan Mcgregor and treat yourself to a melancholic dance of death for 120 minutes. Long unavailable in its' uncut form (due to being butchered to 98 minutes for the American release) it is being shown fully uncut at the BFI in January 2010 for their Audiard season. A must-see for anyone.

[voor]

Hello - just before Christmas, something unusual to fill your stocking:

Last Witness: Recently restored and released on DVD, this seminal Korean film has influenced just about every title out there - even some you didn't think would be possible! Clocking at an amazing 158 minutes, the film focuses on a police investigation into the murder of a man by the riverside - however the case ends up having more implications to the past than anyone can guess and it turns into a questioning of Korea's recent past as well as an exploration of human guilt and cruelty. Largely considered lost for a long time, the film was restored with the efforts of Korean Film Archive and some very prolific directors including Chan-Wook Park. You can now purchase it online in a limited edition with beautiful subs. If you enjoy Korean films and you have a hankering for something unusual, The Last Witness (director: Lee Doo-Yong) can be recommended without any reservations.

[Melvin Junko]

New Board, New Films - let's all try something different today!

And the film is:

House (Hausu) 1977: Perhaps the most amazing and unknown cult film from Japan - a bat-shit combination a haunted houser movie crossed over with an avalanche of creeped-out and funny imagery and as well as just plain bizarre fun. If you haven't seen this little gem before, seek it out now - I guarantee you will not know what hit you once it plays to the end.

It's gonna be at January's Midnight Movie at the Curzon Soho cinema I just found out, gonna be a UK dvd release sometime soon as well. Am downloading it now though as I don't wanna wait hehe.

[voor]

New Year, New Films - here's one to start the day with panache:

Eye Of The Tiger: Do you like 80's action films? Do you like Gary Busey? Do you like killer pick-up trucks decked out like Kit from Knight Rider? Do you like the song 'Eye Of The Tiger'? Well, all your prayers have been answered because here's 'Eye Of The Tiger' - an absolutely amazing but largely forgotten gem from 1986. Gary Busey is the hero who comes out of prison after having served a sentence for murder. But upon his return to his hometown , he finds that the place has been taken over by a gang of bikers and they do not take kindly to people sranding up to them.
Released by the short-lived 'Scotti Bros' label, the film is an amazing cornucophia of everything that made the 80's great - it is hard to believe some of the things that Gary Busey has to endure before he finally snaps and brings true vengeance down on the bikers.
An absolute must see!

[Grindhouse]

eye of the tiger,now that brings back memories of the days of vhs and the medusa video label.
this could easily double bill up with any number of movies,but i reckon it would play well with Stone Cold.

[voor]

No retreat, No Surrender - Onwards with the new and the forgotten.

Out of the mists of the past comes:

'Murder By Decree': Keeping with the appropiate Holmes-mania out there, here's a little reminder of a great film. Directed by Bob Clark (The genius behind The Night Andy Came Home ie Dead Of Night and Black Christmas) - this film has everything a Holmes fan could want: Murder, Mystersy, Jack The Ripper, Christopher Plummer, James Mason and his 'pea', David Hemmings as a dando-anarchist, Donald Sutherland with the best tache the world has ever seen and SIR John Gielgud showing the best of them out there how to do a small cameo for a cheque - with that booming voice of his on top form. Seriously folks imagine a Holmes mystery with slasher sensibilites and you're beginning to get a little close to Bob Clark's idea - 'From Hell' can eat its' heart out because the film did it first, did it better and did it more stylish and did it with the best damn cast money can buy!

[voor]

Another weekend, another under-the-radar curio.

This time from the very recent past.

'Arrivederci, Amore, Ciao' (2006): Who loves Stage Fright? Ok - 'Dellamorte, Dellamorte?' The man behind all those gems returns with an altogher different kind of scare film. Michele Soavi is back, ladies and gentlemen and boy does he rock with a tale prised straight out of 70's Italian crime movies. Alessio Boni plays Giorgio Pellegrion - an anti-hero straight from the hardest of pulp novels. Once a revolutionary, he returns to Italy from South America a disullisioned man who wants everything that's coming to him - and he's ready to use just about any method to achieve his aim! Pity the poor idiots who get in his way. Brutal, violent, stylish with perhaps one of the most killer soundtracks around, this is the film to brighten your week , to bring back a bit of Italian panache into your otherwise dull day. Highly recommended.

[MaxRenn]

Out of the Mondo cycle, I’ve only actually seen Africa Addio

Not sure it's really a mondo film, but you should try and see the late Leonard (brother of Paul) Schreader's documentary on rising crime rates in early 80s america The Killing of America. It's a very interesting, and very well done, but now looks like the product of some sort of alternate history.

Following the release of the film firstly American crime rates plumeted (as an aside the book Freakanomics has an interesting theory as to why this might have happened) and 9/11 changed the landscape of Western society's pop-fears, wiping out the inward-focused paranioas of the 70 and 80s (fear of race wars, class wars, the unemployed, etc, etc) into paranoias about shady outside threats, immigrantion, etc, etc).

Also the original Faces of Death is a comedy classic.

[voor]

The fight to promote the odd and the unloved continues. Today:

Messiah Of Evil (1973): Imagine if you will a never-before written H.P. Lovecraft story told with the most psyched-out and weird set design you are ever likely to encounter with an antmosphere as poetic and dreamy as any Jean Cocteau film and you would be very close to the nightmarish beauty of Messiah Of Evil. Directed by Willard Huyck and an uncredited Gloria Katz, this diamond in the rough is worth any horror fans time if only to gawk at what can really be achieved with a miniscule budget. Strange and unnverving from the get-go, the film only becomes more and more alienating and frightening, cultimanting in a number of set pieces that are sure to occupy your mind for a long while to come. Truly a brilliant but long-lost mini gem.

[giles edwards]

Out of the Mondo cycle, I’ve only actually seen Africa Addio

Not sure it's really a mondo film, but you should try and see the late Leonard (brother of Paul) Schreader's documentary on rising crime rates in early 80s america The Killing of America. It's a very interesting, and very well done, but now looks like the product of some sort of alternate history.

Following the release of the film firstly American crime rates plumeted (as an aside the book Freakanomics has an interesting theory as to why this might have happened) and 9/11 changed the landscape of Western society's pop-fears, wiping out the inward-focused paranioas of the 70 and 80s (fear of race wars, class wars, the unemployed, etc, etc) into paranoias about shady outside threats, immigrantion, etc, etc).

Also the original Faces of Death is a comedy classic.

Sort of forgot about The Killing Of America-- yeah, good call, sir. That's a terrific picture. I have the old Exploited DVD release of it, which I assume is uncut? Grim viewing, but always pertinent.

My suggestion for today is The Seven-Ups (1973):

Producer-turned-director Philip D’Antoni’s hard-nosed cop thriller is the mid-point between Lumet and Friedkin. The slow burn drama of Prince Of The City collides with bursts of tight, terrific action that, while not quite matching the intensity of The French Connection, honestly, blows Bullitt out of the water. The car chase conjured up here is a real jaw-dropper and inexplicably unheralded when discussing great vehicular mayhem.