Seen and not seen's, recommendations and queries on top films in general.

[ConcreteMascara]

Last night:
The Stendhal Syndrome [dir. Dario Argento 1996]

It's probably the best of the post-Opera ones worth watching. I hated Trauma but am due for a re-watch of Stendhal... and Sleepless.

I'm interested to see Trauma just for the Brad Dourif action. Any thing that made you hate it in particular?

This past weekend I picked up some Blu-rays of movies I'd already seen and some new ones.
Friday
Slugs [dir. Juan Piquer Simón, 1988] - now referred to as SLOOGS by my partner and I. This was my second viewing and I enjoyed it even more than my first. This movie has very high entertainment value between the premise itself, the explosive gore, the explosions and the occasionally absurd dialogue. It's not as WTF as Pieces but it's got a similar energy. If you enjoy The Blob, Slither or '50s creature features, you'll enjoy this.

Sunday
Space Cop [dir. Jay Bauman & Mike Stoklasa, 2016] - I only got into RLM a few months back but I really dove in head first. Watching their various series is one of the reasons I've been watching so many movies since March. After seeing some behind the scenes stuff about Space Cop I figured I'd give it a shot, even though what I've read about it didn't make it seem too great. Well it's pretty silly and dumb, but being knee deep in RLM content already, I was able to meet the movie on it's own wavelength. I think if you're not an RLM fan this could border on tedious but I found enough to enjoy to keep it from being a slog. And there were some genuine laugh out loud moments. There's a lot of stuff done well but the script is definitely what holds it back the most.

The Sect [dir. Michele Soavi, 1991] - After Stage Fright and The Church my hopes were high for this one and I was not disappointed. This felt like the most unique vision of those 3 films and it had some really incredible imagery. Almost every frame is rich with details ripe for dissection. Again the script was actually good as were most of the performances. The gore was more limited but still very effective, but the spooky factor was higher. Special mention to what happens in a fish tank and the insane basement in the protagonist's home. There were also some unexpected similarities to Stuart Gordon's Dagon. My only gripe was the tone of the ending, but that's pretty minimal. Very excited to re-watch this one.

[absurdexposition]

Last night:
The Stendhal Syndrome [dir. Dario Argento 1996]

It's probably the best of the post-Opera ones worth watching. I hated Trauma but am due for a re-watch of Stendhal... and Sleepless.

I'm interested to see Trauma just for the Brad Dourif action. Any thing that made you hate it in particular?

Ah, it's been too long to really say. Maybe it just didn't click. I'll wait for your review and see if I should give it another chance ;)

[ConcreteMascara]

last night:
Deep Red [dir. Dario Argento, 1975] - I can't remember anymore if this or Suspiria was my first Argento film.... or was it it Tenebre?? I saw them all for the first time around 2010-2011 when I was drinking constantly so I guess I'll never know. I can remember specifically watching them just not the order of when it happened. Anyways... I didn't even get to finish Deep Red last night but it still gave me that warm fuzzy feeling all over. There are many times I'd call this film fun, even oddly pleasant. Granted those moments are sandwiched between murders, conversations regarding the nature of perception, stalking and peek-a-boo spooks, but they are there. Daria Nicolodi is so ridiculously charming it's absurd, and somehow, despite being an insecure asshole, David Hemmings character is likeable too. They're a great pair and if it wasn't for them it might be harder to follow Argento on all of his detours here. But having watched this movie so many times now I don't even second guess the serendipitous path Hemmings follows to the identity of the killer. All the other great things about the golden era of Argento are here too, but I can't overstate how much I enjoy interaction of the characters when I watch this now. Too bad most of the interactions were never dubbed in English.

[ConcreteMascara]

Tuesday night:
Savage Streets [dir. Danny Steinmann, 1984] - was excited to see this one based on the trailer, Linda Blair as the lead and Steinmann at the helm but wound up a little disappointed. Mostly this stems from my assumption that there would be a higher level of savagery and more gore. This is not that kind of movie. There is some "savagery" throughout the runtime, especially the gang rape, but as far as vigilante justice goes, that's relegated to the last 15 minutes of the movie. I was also confused by Linda Blair's performance when things start to go awry in her revenge plan against the big baddie. She plays it terrified and confused when seemingly she's still got the upper-hand. That being said it still ends with a man on fire and vengeance complete. Worth noting, there's a ton of nudity, a few cat fights and trashy dialogue throughout. I feel like I might enjoy this more on a re-watch with adjusted expectations, but I don't think I'll be rushing to do that either.

[ConcreteMascara]

Tuesday night:
Curtains - [dir. Richard Ciupka, Peter R. Simpson, 1980-1983] - well the history of this film is almost as brutal as the "transfer" my friend and I watched last Tuesday. We watched it on Amazon which must have sourced it from a DVD that sourced it from a VHS that was left out in the sun. Many scenes were so dark and blurry you couldn't tell what was happening. It even obscured some of the tits! On the hilarious side, the presentation of the ratio aspect was wrong so the yellow-tipped boom mics were clearly visible in about half of the film. We were howling with laughter. The movie itself is pretty interesting visually and plot-wise. since it's cobbled together from the original film and apparently 3 years of re-shoots it doesn't make much sense but there are many effective stand alone scenes. I definitely haven't seen anything quite like it before. Some of the acting was good too and the women, from what I could make out seemed attractive enough. And who doesn't like a movie actors being murdered? While it certainly was no StageFright I would definitely watch again and soon. Hoping to pick up Synapse's blu-ray which looks fucking amazing compared to the sludge VHS transfer I watched.

[ConcreteMascara]

Sunday:
Dolemite Is My Name [dir. Craig Brewer, 2019] - not always a big fan of biopics, but they can be fun when the truth doesn't get in the way of a good story. i'm also totally inexperienced with blaxploitation films. but I watched very positive review of this on RLM and it seemed like a fun entry into both. I grew up on a steady diet of Eddie Murphy movies as a kid so its nice to see him do something good again for the first time since Bowfinger. And while I know they took liberties with the story of Rudy Ray Moore and Dolemite, the way it was told was pretty fucking hilarious. I really thought this was laugh out loud in a lot of parts, and I was chuckling throughout the rest. Wesley Snipes was particularly funny too. I picked up Petey Wheatstraw on bluray a month or so ago but haven't watched. much more excited to do that now that I have some context.

[host body]

Not a movie, but I think this fits here: started a pretty ambitious project. I'm watching Sopranos from start to finish while listening to the Talking Sopranos podcast by Michael Imperioli & Steve Schirripa, who played Chris Moltisanti and Bobby Baccalier in the show. I've been a sucker for everything related to the mafia since I was a kid, and as a genre mafia flicks seem to have more or less gone by the way of westerns. Not dead, but not exactly relevant either. I did watch Sopranos when it originally aired, but as I was a teenager and it was on TV I missed a whole lot of episodes. I've since rewatched it partly, basically every time it was rerun on TV and been meaning to watch the whole thing at some point. I read about the podcast, where Michael & Steve go through the whole show episode by episode analyzing them and telling stories about making the show with guests ranging from actors to writers from the show. Not sure if David Chase has been a guest yet, but I sure hope they get him for the final episode.

I'm 3 episodes in, and I'm both suprised how funny the show is and kind of bummed out I waited this long to watch it. It feels like I'm watching a long movie, as it was shot on film and there's really no cliffhangers, cheeseball moments or drawn out scenes that usually annoy me with american TV shows, even so called prestige TV. While naturally older mafia classics like Godfather parts 1 & 2 or Wiseguys are in many ways more impressive, I still think there's a case to be made for Sopranos to be the best mafia fiction ever made.

[ConcreteMascara]

Not a movie, but I think this fits here: started a pretty ambitious project. I'm watching Sopranos from start to finish while listening to the Talking Sopranos podcast by Michael Imperioli & Steve Schirripa, who played Chris Moltisanti and Bobby Baccalier in the show. I've been a sucker for everything related to the mafia since I was a kid, and as a genre mafia flicks seem to have more or less gone by the way of westerns. Not dead, but not exactly relevant either. I did watch Sopranos when it originally aired, but as I was a teenager and it was on TV I missed a whole lot of episodes. I've since rewatched it partly, basically every time it was rerun on TV and been meaning to watch the whole thing at some point. I read about the podcast, where Michael & Steve go through the whole show episode by episode analyzing them and telling stories about making the show with quests ranging from actors to writers from the show. Not sure if David Chase has been a guest yet, but I sure hope they get him for the final episode.

I'm 3 episodes in, and I'm both suprised how funny the show is and kind of bummed out I waited this long to watch it. It feels like I'm watching a long movie, as it was shot on film and there's really no cliffhangers, cheeseball moments or drawn out scenes that usually annoy me with american TV shows, even so called prestige TV. While naturally older mafia classics like Godfather parts 1 & 2 or Wiseguys are in many ways more impressive, I still think there's a case to be made for Sopranos to be the best mafia fiction ever made.

It's funny my partner and I just started watching The Sopranos for the first time last month. I was surprised by how goddamn good it was. Like you I watched some episodes here and there as a kid but never watched consistently. We're going very slowly through it because I typically want to watch movies over shows but it's nice to see something so loved at the time hold up now. The podcast sounds interesting, I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the post!

Last night:
Samurai Spy - [dir. Masahiro Shinoda, 1965] - second viewing of this one and damn is it enjoyable. The visual style, which is substantial, feels like it must have had some influence on manga and '80s and '90s. The use of silence during action scenes to emphasize the sneaky ninja combat is very effective and Tetsuro Tamba is so fucking good as the big bad. The exposition dump at the beginning feels makes things feel more confusing as they are, so don't be discouraged by that if you watch it.

[ConcreteMascara]

last Friday:
Terminator 2: Judgment Day - [dir. James Cameron, 1991] - while the budget might be bigger and the effects better, this just doesn't even come close to the original for me. it is always amazing to me how much charisma Arnold has though. It overcomes a multitude of sins. Edward Furlong on the other hand is insufferable for the most part. As a kid he seemed so cool, but kids are idiots, and now it's hard to see him as anything other than a shit stain. While T2 is definitely a fun movie, it feels like a bloated popcorn flick instead of a lean, mean sci-fi thriller like the first. As far as James Cameron sequels go, I definitely prefer Aliens to T2.

Monday:
Society - [dir. Brian Yuzna, 1989] - my first viewing, this was a lot of fun. between the credit sequence and the box art I had a pretty good idea of where the movie was heading from the start, but I was surprised by the amount of restraint exercised before the climax. and while the last 15-20 minutes are pretty fucking awesome, I was definitely hoping for more tits and ass before it, especially from previous Playboy centerfold Devin DeVasquez, but it's a relatively minor quibble. I have a feeling this is one I'll enjoy more on second viewing when I can soak in the details instead of waiting for the reveal. Also, there is a fair amount of tonal shifts at times, but it actually works somehow. it almost plays like an alternate reality version of Less than Zero.

[ConcreteMascara]

Sunday
Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance - [dir. Kenji Misumi, 1972] - despite watching a shitload of samurai films over the years I never got started on this infamous series. now I'm left wondering why, why did it take me so long. Undoubtedly a much pulpier story than a lot of criterion samurai stuff, probably due to its manga roots. this one does not skimp on the sword fighting and has way more blood and gore than I expect from a '60s or '70s samurai film. and despite the fact I normally hate flashback heavy movies, it didn't bother me at all here. If you think Kurosawa is too boring, Gosha too long winded or Kobayashi too political, this will probably hit the sweet spot. For my taste its not the greatest piece of chambara cinema, but it's definitely a lot of fun. Looking forward to getting some use out of my criterion channel subscription again and watching the rest of the series.

[drohen]

Mr.Cleaver Low budget horror with lots of practical effects. About some gutter punks who party in the wrong abandoned warehouse. Has these really weird sequence that tells the backstory from the perspective of a contortionist child who is played by an obvious adult. Weird voice over effect makes the sequence hilarious and creepy.

Want to watch some of the movies by James Bell veryfinecrapvideos.com/. Anyone seen this stuff?

[ConcreteMascara]

Last night
Burial Ground aka The Nights of Terror - [dir. Andrea Bianchi, 1981] - my first viewing... this went from dumb to dumb and fun to dumb and fun and weird real quick. Something like Zombi and Tombs of the Blind Dead had a dumpster baby, with a healthy dose of sleaze. What really helps this movie is things keep happening. The action, albeit slow in one sense, is non-stop. There's no exposition either which is a plus. The zombies look like a perfect cross between Fulci's zombies and the Blind Templars, not as gross as the former, and not quite as shambling as the latter, but surprisingly resourceful. Despite being extremely tired when I watched this I enjoyed the whole thing and never dozed off. Recommended!

And let me recommend Chris Sienko's excellent review which got me watching the first place: https://letterboxd.com/el_sienko/film/burial-ground/

[ConcreteMascara]

between listening to a lot of Anatomia, playing Nioh and watching Burial Ground the other day I've been in a mood for a lot zombie action. So what better film to turn to than Zombie Flesh Eaters aka Zombi 2 aka Zombie aka aka aka aka. Decided to watch it with the Troy Howarth commentary, one of two authors to write big ass books on Lucio Fulci. Holy fuck does this guy have an absolute torrent of info to deliver. My guy knew the bio of every person who flashed across the screen for a second or more and mixed in a lot of on set anecdotes, history of Italian cinema and Fulci and even comments on the impact into it. He does not stop talking for the entire film. It was a little bit like a shotgun blast to the head but I really can't complain and appreciated his prepared thoroughness. I also watched some of the more recent extra that are part of the set I have, some of which I'd seen before, and just reveled in Zombie for a few days.

Saturday night was The Return of the Living Dead by dir. Dan O'Bannon [1985]. I tried to watch this once before in college but I was so incredibly high I couldn't handle it's combo of horror and comedy and fun. I could barely handle staring at the wall.... Anyway seeing it now for the first time properly, I recognized so many lines of dialogue from goregrind and electro-industrial and speedcore tracks. had me chuckling. The movie is legitimately funny, with Clu Gulager being the highlight. But I really liked Don Calfa the mortician as well. A lot of the zombie effects/makeup were non-existent, but some of the stuff looks really great. I can easily see how this movie loved by so many and how it would be influential if you saw it young. Also, real quality titties in this one too.

[ConcreteMascara]

The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue aka Let Sleeping Corpses Lie - [dir. Jorge Grau, 1974] - Second viewing of the best and only English countryside zombie film I've ever seen. A slow burn, but such a delightful one. I kept thinking about the Red Riding trilogy whenever Arthur Kennedy was being a tremendous asshole, which is the entire time he's on screen. Did Northern English cops really get to run their towns/cities like little fiefdoms in the '60s and '70s? It certainly appears that way between this film, which plot wise is admittedly far from reality, and Red Riding. But I know dick about the history to real make a comment about accuracy.

[FallOfNature]

Locked inside for the week due to getting covid tested. Got through quite a stack of films -

Unhinged - Russell Crowe goes insane. Good.
Bio Hunter - anime demons tearing shit up. Not bad.
Spasms - bland film about a telepathic snake. Some ok body horror scenes.
High Tension - Better the second time 'round. Overhyped but alright.
Samurai Reincarnation - Sonny Chiba and co. Weird film with terrible english dub.
Touch Of Death - Weak moment for Fulci. Trash.
The Machinist - a modern fave.
The Being - Giant mutant creature on the poster, maybe 2 mins of it in the film. Don't bother.
Candyman - childhood favourite, still entertaining for the nostalgia factor but a bit overly dramatic at times
Candyman 2 : Farewell to the Flesh - Couldn've done way more with the New Orleans setting but falls pretty flat
Eliminators - cyborgs, hillbillies, a ninja...and it's from Full Moon
Nobody - Bob Odenkirk as a badass. Not bad.
House 2 - should've stopped after the first one
Fear City - Abel Ferrara directed. A guy kills ladies of the night using nunchuks in greasy 80's New York. Not bad.
Bad Boy Bubby - "get off the road ya fuckin' poofter bastard"
Possessor - Decent. Cronenberg's son. Worth a watch.
Psycho Goreman - Garbage.
Stagefright - can't fault Soavi or killers in owl masks
The New Barbarians - Mad Max 2 from wish.com and Fred Williamson.