films we just saw

streetrw · Post by **streetrw** » Fri May 30, 2008 12:55 pm

The weirdo obscurities pile up....

Most of Jean Rollin's movies seem to be dreamlike doodlings with naked lesbian vampire girls in creepy old castles. The Grapes Of Death is one of the few that isn't: it's a very cheap rural zombie movie with a few bits of gore (including a rather good severed head) in which pesticides lead to mass zombification. (I say "mass", but it's confined to a village of crumbling farmhouses.)

And whoever mentioned Maniac Nurses Find Ecstacy: Gee, thanks. This is a load of amateur camcorder toss in which a bunch of bored, sensation-hungry women maim, torture and kill for the hell of it. It's saddled with pages of ghastly exposition voiceovers, no-one can act, direction is of the point-and-shoot variety, and the script is atrocious. It's less a movie than a string of hugely uninteresting scenes bolted together with the odd bit of gore, stripping and catfighting. Some would argue that's the point - that's probably why it has the evil Troma logo in front of it. Memo to self - do a bit of research on this stuff before adding stuff blind to the rentals queue.

dangerous_jamie · Post by **dangerous_jamie** » Fri May 30, 2008 12:58 pm

streetrw wrote:Some would argue that's the point...

I would definitely argue that it is the point. Its a brilliant and hilarious piece of exploitation cinema.

streetrw · Post by **streetrw** » Fri May 30, 2008 1:06 pm

dangerous_jamie wrote:
streetrw wrote:Some would argue that's the point...
I would definitely argue that it is the point. Its a brilliant and hilarious piece of exploitation cinema.

Except for it being brilliant. Or hilarious. I'd rather take my eye out with a cake-fork than watch this again.

dangerous_jamie · Post by **dangerous_jamie** » Fri May 30, 2008 1:16 pm

streetrw wrote:
dangerous_jamie wrote:
streetrw wrote:Some would argue that's the point...
I would definitely argue that it is the point. Its a brilliant and hilarious piece of exploitation cinema.
Except for it being brilliant. Or hilarious. I'd rather take my eye out with a cake-fork than watch this again.

I wouldn't recommend that at all. Maybe you could just watch something else?

giles edwards · Post by **giles edwards** » Fri May 30, 2008 2:50 pm

Like Living Dead Girl -- fantastic counterpoint to Rollin's more exploitationy Raisins De Mort. Richard, you didn't go to Eurofest when Rollin was there did you, in 1996 I think it was? Grapes... on the big screen (and Living Dead Girl with the reels round the wrong way -- quite posibly with no english subs as well! Quite an event, those fests....)

Yeah, I have to say -- non-confrontationally -- that I'm no fan of Lloyd Kaufman's company aesthetic either. I do like his business sense, which is impeccable. And the guy's a charming raconteur.One of the genre's great characters. I just never figured why, for man who is a genuine cinephile, he plies his trade in such lowest common denominator stylings (and even the most die hard Troma fan wouldn't deny that half the fun is derived from the lowest common denominator trappings of the company's productions). Or at least I do know why -- "money" -- but it still puzzles me....

But then I was never a huge fan of HG Lewis either...for much the same reasons: notable and"enjoyable" to the extent they're pushing the boundries of taste and decency with enviable gusto, but lacking in most respects as actual cinema. Which, as I say about the rather erudite and whip-smart Kaufman, has always been a mystery to me.

dangerous_jamie · Post by **dangerous_jamie** » Fri May 30, 2008 3:03 pm

giles edwards wrote:Like Living Dead Girl -- fantastic counterpoint to Rollin's more exploitationy Raisins De Mort. Richard, you didn't go to Eurofest when Rollin was there did you, in 1996 I think it was? Grapes... on the big screen (and Living Dead Girl with the reels round the wrong way -- quite posibly with no english subs as well! Quite an event, those fests....)

Yeah, I have to say, I'm no fan of Lloyd Kaufman's company aesthetic either. I do like his business sense, which is impeccable. I just never figured for man who is a genuine cinephile, why he plies his trade in such lowest common denominator stylings (and even the most die hard Troma fan wouldn't deny that half the fun is derived from the lowest common denominator trappings of the company's productions). But then I was never a huge fan of HG Lewis either...for much the same reasons: fun to the extent they're pushing the boundries of taste and decency, but lacking in most respects as actual cinema. Which, as I say about the rather erudite and whip-smart Kaufman, has always been a mystery to me.

Being a pretty big Tromite I do agree with this.

The problem lies with the films they acquire rather than the films they make. The films they make, while full to bursting with fart jokes and sex scenes, always have some sort of socio-political message. where as the films they acquire can be just trash. Sometimes wildly imaginative, funny, well made independent features, sometimes just trash cinema. This is truer than ever in recent years (even though Tales From the Crapper didn't quite live up to expectations).

however, I don't think this applies to Maniac Nurses Find Ecstasy as it is brill.

streetrw · Post by **streetrw** » Fri May 30, 2008 5:10 pm

giles edwards wrote:Like Living Dead Girl -- fantastic counterpoint to Rollin's more exploitationy Raisins De Mort. Richard, you didn't go to Eurofest when Rollin was there did you, in 1996 I think it was? Grapes... on the big screen (and Living Dead Girl with the reels round the wrong way -- quite posibly with no english subs as well! Quite an event, those fests....)

I was there! June 1st, 1996. I don't know that Grapes.... was shown at that event, unless it was the last one on and I had to catch my train. My list has La Bete (Borowczyk), Les Deux Orphelynes Vampires (the then-new Rollin), The Living Dead Girl (with ten minutes from the first half of the movie apparently randomly re-spliced into the second) and Jess Franco's Faceless (no subs).

Yeah, I have to say -- non-confrontationally -- that I'm no fan of Lloyd Kaufman's company aesthetic either. I do like his business sense, which is impeccable. And the guy's a charming raconteur.One of the genre's great characters. I just never figured why, for man who is a genuine cinephile, he plies his trade in such lowest common denominator stylings (and even the most die hard Troma fan wouldn't deny that half the fun is derived from the lowest common denominator trappings of the company's productions). Or at least I do know why -- "money" -- but it still puzzles me....

Yeah, it's the "company aesthetic". It bugs me that anyone would actively and deliberately seek to put out movies that bad. I kind of feel insulted that, as a horror fan, I'm expected to have low enough standards for Maniac Nurses to be acceptable.

Bottom line: if I'd known it was Troma's I wouldn't have touched it.

dangerous_jamie · Post by **dangerous_jamie** » Fri May 30, 2008 5:26 pm

streetrw wrote:Bottom line: if I'd known it was Troma's I wouldn't have touched it.

As a Troma fan, I am mildly offended by this, Lions Gate release a lot of shit but I would judge every film based on Catacoombs.

Troma have released some real classics over the years, including Bloodsucking Freaks, the Toxic Avenger, Mother's Day and Graduation Day. And granted for every Bloodsucking Freaks there is a The Girl Who Returned, but thats irrelevant.

I seriously suggest you maintain an open mind until watching any of the films I have mentioned as classics, in particular Bloodsucking Freaks (if you are looking for a HGLesque goresexploitation flick, especially).

Also, re-reading my "you could just watch something else" post made me wince. Sorry, forum, for being such a whiney troll.

streetrw · Post by **streetrw** » Fri May 30, 2008 7:48 pm

dangerous_jamie wrote:
streetrw wrote:Bottom line: if I'd known it was Troma's I wouldn't have touched it.
As a Troma fan, I am mildly offended by this, Lions Gate release a lot of shit but I would judge every film based on Catacoombs.

I seriously suggest you maintain an open mind until watching any of the films I have mentioned as classics, in particular Bloodsucking Freaks (if you are looking for a HGLesque goresexploitation flick, especially).

Well.... my rule usually applies to ones Troma actually made themselves - Toxic 1-3, Nuke Em High 1-2, Tromeo and Juliet, Terror Firmer - I absolutely hated and detested them all. That's why I didn't go to see Poultrygeist even though it was showing just up the road. I haven't seen a lot of their pickups; I'll gladly pronounce one in particular to be stunning (Buddy Giovinazzo's Combat Shock aka American Nightmare), and a few others have been amusing (Evil Clutch, Rabid Grannies). I think Chopper Chicks In Zombietown was another of their pickups - it was okay but no better than you could expect. And that's the problem - there doesn't seem to be any desire to exceed expectations.

Lionsgate are the company, but there are loads of different directors, writers and producers. It's like knocking 20th Century Fox because not all their films are Aliens. Troma basically IS Lloyd Kaufman, and he's one of the few directors I just won't watch - his films have kicked me in the nuts too often to be given another chance. They're not funny, they're not that shocking - they're boring and childish, like a kid yelling four-letter words in church. Technically they're ugly - there's no style about them. Low-budget doesn't have to mean shoddy, and a good director will work around a lack of money, rather than celebrate it (or ignore it).

Sorry if I offended. Maybe I've just got the hump with a particularly lousy movie and needed to share, vent and warn (and Maniac Nurses IS utterly and irredeemably lousy - there's not a single level on which it clomes close to working). If you can find joy in these things, fine - but I can't. No hard feelings.

lupogirl · Post by **lupogirl** » Fri May 30, 2008 8:51 pm

Grindhouse wrote:if a tree falls down in a forest and no-ones around to hear it, does it make a sound? & if nobody goes to see Timber Falls would it make a difference?
the answer to that question is no! like Streetw's post on the matter this film does absolutely nothing new infact, you have see it all before many times in different movies about mountain folks & abduction,wrongturn is far superior to this at least that was scary,there bits of nastiness a few gore tricks,and the most absurd looking mentalist,with an uncanny resemblence to Nick Cave,well the good half any way the rest was all cropsy.
so if you fancy seeing timber falls,you dont need to save your £7 or more at your local cinema & wait for the dvd & if your really that insistent on seeing it,i will send you my ticket stub,just so you can trick yourself into believing you have seen it,because you have, you really have!

Thought the bloke looked more like a cheap version of Ryan Reynolds. Nice to look at but really dumb! Agree with the comments. Was mentally ticking off various films that this film have lifted ideas from. The mobile "No Signal" thing is getting pretty unoriginal. Mind you the whole film was pretty unoriginal. Doh!

mamawaldi · Post by **mamawaldi** » Fri May 30, 2008 9:08 pm

Snakes on a Train - Utterly awful. After about 10 minutes I'd addernuff.

Grindhouse · Post by **Grindhouse** » Sun Jun 01, 2008 9:13 am

lupogirl wrote:
Grindhouse wrote:if a tree falls down in a forest and no-ones around to hear it, does it make a sound? & if nobody goes to see Timber Falls would it make a difference?
the answer to that question is no! like Streetw's post on the matter this film does absolutely nothing new infact, you have see it all before many times in different movies about mountain folks & abduction,wrongturn is far superior to this at least that was scary,there bits of nastiness a few gore tricks,and the most absurd looking mentalist,with an uncanny resemblence to Nick Cave,well the good half any way the rest was all cropsy.
so if you fancy seeing timber falls,you dont need to save your £7 or more at your local cinema & wait for the dvd & if your really that insistent on seeing it,i will send you my ticket stub,just so you can trick yourself into believing you have seen it,because you have, you really have!
Thought the bloke looked more like a cheap version of Ryan Reynolds. Nice to look at but really dumb! Agree with the comments. Was mentally ticking off various films that this film have lifted ideas from. The mobile "No Signal" thing is getting pretty unoriginal. Mind you the whole film was pretty unoriginal. Doh!

Yep its all dumb in that film,even the stupid ending,& when the guy got his leg stuck in that trap.he just wussed out & when he got rid of his bullets from his gun,i said to myself your gonna be praying for them bullets soon.
In short dont go down to the woods, dont leave the tracks,dont have sex in them and dont listen to anybody you meet,and most of all never ever dump your bullets.and take a bigger gun,then you cant go wrong on nature trails.
common sense

rach · Post by **rach** » Sun Jun 01, 2008 11:12 am

the cottage - alright for a drunken sat night.

streetrw · Post by **streetrw** » Sun Jun 01, 2008 10:57 pm

Horror Movie Spoof In Not-As-Useless-As-Feared Shock!

Well, when I say "not as useless as feared", that's no indication that Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday The 13th is actually any good - but it's better than Scary Movie 1 despite going over much the same ground (specifically Scream and I Know What...). Firstly it doesn't go for the bad taste grossout and stoner gags (it's only a 15), and secondly some of the jokes are actually funny, though the best ones tend to be the background throwaway gags. Not great, but far better than I was expecting.

dangerous_jamie · Post by **dangerous_jamie** » Sun Jun 01, 2008 11:09 pm

streetrw wrote:Horror Movie Spoof In Not-As-Useless-As-Feared Shock!

Well, when I say "not as useless as feared", that's no indication that Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday The 13th is actually any good - but it's better than Scary Movie 1 despite going over much the same ground (specifically Scream and I Know What...). Firstly it doesn't go for the bad taste grossout and stoner gags (it's only a 15), and secondly some of the jokes are actually funny, though the best ones tend to be the background throwaway gags. Not great, but far better than I was expecting.

I remember really liking it when I saw it many years ago. Tiffany Amber THiessen makes everything good!