Army of Darkness used to be one of my favorite films; in fact, I believe I saw it before I saw the original Evil Dead movies, and was initially disappointed by them in comparison.
That said, it was the mid 90's, and I was in my mid teens; With it's ramped up action and comedy, I think that teenage boys are exactly the target audience for the 3rd Evil Dead movie... How will it fare up now, while trying to look at it through adult eyes?
Showing posts with label Recommended. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recommended. Show all posts
Saturday, 25 May 2013
Army Of Darkness - Lisa's Review
*** SPOILERS ***
If I were to review this movie as a sequel to Evil Dead 1 & 2, then it probably wouldn't fare too well with matters such as consistency. I had never seen Evil Dead 1 nor 2 until recently, but I remember watching 'Army of Darkness' many years ago and enjoying it then. Such is the level of fog in my brain, I remember absolutely nothing about the movie apart from the fact I liked it, so I sat down again this evening to re-watch.
I was glad not to be disappointed and found that I still enjoyed the movie. For me, if taken as a standalone movie it is excellent, but you have to leave most of whats gone in the first 2 movies behind when you watch this one as the contradictions are endless. Ash's character (although still played by Bruce Campbell) has completely changed, although IMO most definately for the better. Where we start the movie with Bruce in the middle ages does not tally with the situation we left him in at the end of the second movie. Although he was sent back to this time, we left him hailed as a hero by villagers for slaying a demon. Army of Darkness has him pulled through a time portal and kidnapped by Lord Arthur, suspected of working alongside Duke Henry, who he is at war with.
If I were to review this movie as a sequel to Evil Dead 1 & 2, then it probably wouldn't fare too well with matters such as consistency. I had never seen Evil Dead 1 nor 2 until recently, but I remember watching 'Army of Darkness' many years ago and enjoying it then. Such is the level of fog in my brain, I remember absolutely nothing about the movie apart from the fact I liked it, so I sat down again this evening to re-watch.
I was glad not to be disappointed and found that I still enjoyed the movie. For me, if taken as a standalone movie it is excellent, but you have to leave most of whats gone in the first 2 movies behind when you watch this one as the contradictions are endless. Ash's character (although still played by Bruce Campbell) has completely changed, although IMO most definately for the better. Where we start the movie with Bruce in the middle ages does not tally with the situation we left him in at the end of the second movie. Although he was sent back to this time, we left him hailed as a hero by villagers for slaying a demon. Army of Darkness has him pulled through a time portal and kidnapped by Lord Arthur, suspected of working alongside Duke Henry, who he is at war with.
Monday, 20 May 2013
Week 105 - Army Of Darkness
Alternate Titles : Evil Dead 3, The Medieval Dead
Year: 1992
Reviews / Author Comments due: 25/5/13
Reason for Inclusion: Third part of Evil Dead trilogy
BBFC Status: Passed uncut in 1992
DVD: LINK
Feel free to use the comments section of this post to add your own reviews and thoughts about this movie.
Saturday, 20 April 2013
Run! Bitch Run! - Will's review
Before watching this weeks movie, I wasn't sure from the trailer if it were an parody of the rape revenge / exploitation movies of the 70's and 80's, or an homage to them.
In truth, it's a love letter to them.
In truth, it's a love letter to them.
Run, Bitch, Run - Lisa's Review
*** SPOILERS ***
So quite a recent one for review this week. Having seen the trailer for this one a while back, I thought it looked quite interesting. Reading the premis, you may think... interesting?? Are you sick in the head?... well possibly, but that aside, something which needs to be said about this movie is that although it is about a horrid subject matter, it doesn't seem to take itself too seriously in its style. This movie reminded me an awful lot of a Tarantino movie in its style and direction.
So the basic premis here is following 2 catholic schoolgirls as they go door-to-door trying to sell bibles to make money for their school. It becomes very clear right from the start that the movie is aimed primarily at a male audience, as the girls are pretty much every inch the 'fantasy' image of a school girl, complete with short kilted skirt, long socks and a full face of make-up.. having attended a catholic school, I can assure you, this is obviously not a reality. From this itself, I didn't take the movie seriously from the get-go and I think that's what allowed me to enjoy it for what it was. I'm a Tarantino fan and this reminded me of him all the way through.
Back to the premis.. one of our schoolgirls, Rebecca is a little rebellious, a little naughty.. just so much to allow you a good ogle at her walking around naked and enough to also point out that our other girl (Catherine) is the stereotypical 'good girl', telling her friend off for her brazenness and making her cover up. Soooo a good little catholic girl, a virgin obviously... I wonder who our 'Bitch' of the movie will be?
So quite a recent one for review this week. Having seen the trailer for this one a while back, I thought it looked quite interesting. Reading the premis, you may think... interesting?? Are you sick in the head?... well possibly, but that aside, something which needs to be said about this movie is that although it is about a horrid subject matter, it doesn't seem to take itself too seriously in its style. This movie reminded me an awful lot of a Tarantino movie in its style and direction.
So the basic premis here is following 2 catholic schoolgirls as they go door-to-door trying to sell bibles to make money for their school. It becomes very clear right from the start that the movie is aimed primarily at a male audience, as the girls are pretty much every inch the 'fantasy' image of a school girl, complete with short kilted skirt, long socks and a full face of make-up.. having attended a catholic school, I can assure you, this is obviously not a reality. From this itself, I didn't take the movie seriously from the get-go and I think that's what allowed me to enjoy it for what it was. I'm a Tarantino fan and this reminded me of him all the way through.
Back to the premis.. one of our schoolgirls, Rebecca is a little rebellious, a little naughty.. just so much to allow you a good ogle at her walking around naked and enough to also point out that our other girl (Catherine) is the stereotypical 'good girl', telling her friend off for her brazenness and making her cover up. Soooo a good little catholic girl, a virgin obviously... I wonder who our 'Bitch' of the movie will be?
Sunday, 14 April 2013
Week 100 - Run! Bitch Run!
Year: 2009
Reviews / Author Comments due: 20/04/2013
Reason for Inclusion: Homage to 70s and 80s exploitation / rape-revenge movies, such as Last house on the Left and I Spit on Your Grave
BBFC Status: Passed uncut in 2010
More Info: No Wikipedia Page, IMDB
DVD: LINK
Feel free to use the comments section of this post to add your own reviews and thoughts about this movie.
Saturday, 6 April 2013
Who Can Kill a Child - Will's Review
This weeks movie opens with 8 minutes of disturbing real-life footage (concentration camps, victims of Korean and Vietnam wars ect. ) all captioned to remind us how badly children suffer during such things. Grim stuff.
Then we cut to a happy beach scene... Where a dead woman washes ashore - having apparently been stabbed repeatedly, including in her thighs.
This is clearly the feel-good family movie of the year!
Who Can Kill a Child - Lisa's Review
*** SPOILERS ***
I read the title of this weeks movie and right away got completely the wrong idea about what sort of movie this was going to be. Since becoming a mum, I find any kind of child murder/torture pretty near impossible to watch, so I worried how I'd manage with this one. However, it seems I was wrong about the plot line here.
The first 5-10 minutes of the movie were very, very difficult for me to watch, even moreso because it is real documentary footage of atrocities including World War 2, Vietnam and several famines. This footage is horrid! Not anything I haven't seen before and something we should never forget, but it's still difficult to watch none-the-less. The footage concentrates on the effects on the children and gives the scarilly high number of deaths in these atrocities which can be attributed to being kids. I've always found footage like this difficult, obviously because we know its real, but since becoming a mother, any kind of footage involving children is guaranteed to start me off. Make it real and you have one depressed young lady on your hands. The footage is interspersed throughout with an eerie soundtrack of children singing. The tune will probably stay in my head for weeks to come (along with some of those images). The point? To get through to the viewer what children have been put through over the years down to us adults. The biggest victim is always the children. Who's to say they won't have had enough of it being that way some day... and so to the premis of our movie.
The first 10 minutes and this footage seems to be the reason for the on and off of the DPP list. It really isn't required to 'get' the movie, but it certainly adds strength to the premis.
I read the title of this weeks movie and right away got completely the wrong idea about what sort of movie this was going to be. Since becoming a mum, I find any kind of child murder/torture pretty near impossible to watch, so I worried how I'd manage with this one. However, it seems I was wrong about the plot line here.
The first 5-10 minutes of the movie were very, very difficult for me to watch, even moreso because it is real documentary footage of atrocities including World War 2, Vietnam and several famines. This footage is horrid! Not anything I haven't seen before and something we should never forget, but it's still difficult to watch none-the-less. The footage concentrates on the effects on the children and gives the scarilly high number of deaths in these atrocities which can be attributed to being kids. I've always found footage like this difficult, obviously because we know its real, but since becoming a mother, any kind of footage involving children is guaranteed to start me off. Make it real and you have one depressed young lady on your hands. The footage is interspersed throughout with an eerie soundtrack of children singing. The tune will probably stay in my head for weeks to come (along with some of those images). The point? To get through to the viewer what children have been put through over the years down to us adults. The biggest victim is always the children. Who's to say they won't have had enough of it being that way some day... and so to the premis of our movie.
The first 10 minutes and this footage seems to be the reason for the on and off of the DPP list. It really isn't required to 'get' the movie, but it certainly adds strength to the premis.
Sunday, 31 March 2013
WEEK 98 - Who Can Kill a Child?
Alternate Titles : Island of Death, Island of the Damned, Death is Child's Play, Would You kill a Child?, The Hex Massacre, Trapped
Year: 1976
Reviews / Author Comments due: 6/04/2013
Reviews / Author Comments due: 6/04/2013
Reason for Inclusion: "Island of Death" was at one point removed (then re-added) to the DPP list. It is believed that it was removed after someone watched this movie (See "Alternate Titles" above) and was re-added once the mistake was realised. It is possible though, that this film was briefly on the DPP list, then removed, then the other Island of Death added.Because the DPP list was not required to be explained or defended, we have no way of knowing for sure if this movie was ever a Video Nasty.
BBFC Status: Passed uncut in 2011
DVD: LINK
Feel free to use the comments section of this post to add your own reviews and thoughts about this movie.
Sunday, 17 February 2013
The Last Horror Movie - Will's Review
The strangest thing about this weeks movie is that it was released in an age of DVDs... The entire premise of the movie is that you, the viewer, have rented a VHS tape of a movie called 'The Last Horror Movie' only to find that (apart from the first scene) someone has recorded over it.
It really is important to the movie (especially the ending) that you buy into the 'recorded over' premise, but as far as I can tell, this movie has never been released on VHS, so a larger-than-average suspension of disbelief is required.
It really is important to the movie (especially the ending) that you buy into the 'recorded over' premise, but as far as I can tell, this movie has never been released on VHS, so a larger-than-average suspension of disbelief is required.
Saturday, 16 February 2013
The Last Horror Movie - Lisa's Review
So to a goody this week! YAY!! I have watched this movie before, but as its a relatively short one (an hour and 15 mins) it was easy to watch again.
So firstly I have to say, I don't know how swayed I was with my opinion on this movie, by how jaw droppingly delicious the actor is. I'm hoping not so, but I just thought I would state that upfront in case I've missed something and loved a movie that is monumentally terrible purely through the delight of a rare perv.
Anyways... back to the movie. This is the story of Max, a handsome, personable wedding videographer who has an interesting little sideline. The thing is... he's a serial killer. This serial killer sets out to make an 'intelligent horror movie' which challenges the viewer to think about their preconceptions and actual real-time reactions to what they are watching. It raises quite a few interesting questions about people who enjoy this kind of movie (people like me you could say). Of course, its all make believe and we all know that (I would have no desire to watch something I KNEW was real), but it does beggar the question, why on earth do we enjoy watching more and more realistic footage of people meeting brutal ends?
Although finding Max so visually appealing, I still feel there would be a common thread with the male viewer. I would be surprised if men did not find him personable, interesting and intelligent. That's the wierd juxtaposition (if thats the right word to use in this instance)... One minute you're watching him, nodding along to something he's saying, actually starting to like this guy... next minute you're feeling all judgemental (as he himself points out) and you're recoiling from the acts he is committing on screen... distancing yourself from it and him. Yet again, he reels you in.... again, he shocks you by his barbarity and lack of any kind of empathy. Its like a game of cat and mouse all the way through.
Sunday, 10 February 2013
Week 91 - The Last Horror Movie
Year: 2003
Reviews / Author Comments due: 16/02/2013
Reason for Inclusion: Temporarily voluntarily Withdraw by UK distributors following link to real-life double murder.
BBFC Status: Passed uncut in 2004
DVD: LINK
Feel free to use the comments section of this post to add your own reviews and thoughts about this movie.
Saturday, 5 January 2013
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre - Will's Review
What can I even begin to say about TCM that hasn't already been said?
Unoriginal though this sentiment may be; the first thing I'm going to say is 'if you haven't seen Texas Chain Saw; go watch it'. Although that seems a little redundant; if you like horror movies enough to have found yourself on the corner of the interwebs where people watch one every week, then you have almost certainly seen this one a couple of times already!
Unoriginal though this sentiment may be; the first thing I'm going to say is 'if you haven't seen Texas Chain Saw; go watch it'. Although that seems a little redundant; if you like horror movies enough to have found yourself on the corner of the interwebs where people watch one every week, then you have almost certainly seen this one a couple of times already!
With that in mind, I'm not going to be especially mindful of spoilers from here on in.
Texas Chain Saw Massacre - Lisa's Review
*** SPOILERS ***
This week I had the priviledge of watching one of my favourite horrors - Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Bit of an odd way I first saw this one. I never fancied it as I've never been a 'Slasher/Gore Fest' fan... that's not to say I don't like a bit of gore, I just like a story with my gore... something to make me think. I came home one night quite late, switched on the TV and this one was on. I was completely transfixed and unable to take my eyes off it. When it finished, I got my hands on a copy so I could watch it in its entirety.
So we've established I love it. Why should you watch it? This movie is gorey in places, yes, but not anywhere near as much as you'd expect. It has an uncomfortable, eerie feel all the way through.
Without going into too much detail, a group of young friends (Sally, Franklin, Pam, Jerry and Kirk)are travelling to visit Sally & Franklins grandfather as there have been reports of vandalism. During this process, they pick up a derranged hitchhiker who they manage to force out of their van after he slashes Franklin (who happens to be in a wheelchair) and himself. This is merely an introduction though, as he appears later with greater relevance.
They then stop at a petrol station, but find the pumps empty. They head onwards towards Sally & Franklins grandfathers home. Pam and Kirk are out together when they stumble upon a house where they mean to ask about where to get petrol. We have the old chestnut of the door being open but no-one answering. Why oh why do people always go inside?
This week I had the priviledge of watching one of my favourite horrors - Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Bit of an odd way I first saw this one. I never fancied it as I've never been a 'Slasher/Gore Fest' fan... that's not to say I don't like a bit of gore, I just like a story with my gore... something to make me think. I came home one night quite late, switched on the TV and this one was on. I was completely transfixed and unable to take my eyes off it. When it finished, I got my hands on a copy so I could watch it in its entirety.
So we've established I love it. Why should you watch it? This movie is gorey in places, yes, but not anywhere near as much as you'd expect. It has an uncomfortable, eerie feel all the way through.
Without going into too much detail, a group of young friends (Sally, Franklin, Pam, Jerry and Kirk)are travelling to visit Sally & Franklins grandfather as there have been reports of vandalism. During this process, they pick up a derranged hitchhiker who they manage to force out of their van after he slashes Franklin (who happens to be in a wheelchair) and himself. This is merely an introduction though, as he appears later with greater relevance.
They then stop at a petrol station, but find the pumps empty. They head onwards towards Sally & Franklins grandfathers home. Pam and Kirk are out together when they stumble upon a house where they mean to ask about where to get petrol. We have the old chestnut of the door being open but no-one answering. Why oh why do people always go inside?
Sunday, 30 December 2012
Week 85 - The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Alternate Titles : none. but note that the correct spelling has "Chain Saw" as two words (which is wrong) - the sequils and remake all corrected this.
Year: 1974
Reviews / Author Comments due: 05/01/2013
Reason for Inclusion: After being shown in the UK for 1 year with an 'X' rating, it was then banned by the BBFC for over 20 years. it upset the censors so much that the word "Chainsaw" was banned from use in any movie title in the UK for a while.
BBFC Status: Passed uncut in 1999 (reference impossible to find on new look BBFC website)
DVD: LINK
Feel free to use the comments section of this post to add your own reviews and thoughts about this movie.
Saturday, 15 December 2012
Freaks - Lisa's Review
*** SPOILERS ***
Here we are on the first week of our 'Beyond Nasty' launch. Fresh from the accomplishment of completing the 72 'Nasties' List, we're pushing on to other movies in a similar vein.
This weeks offering is 'Freaks'. I knew nothing of this movie when I started to watch it, so was surprised that it was made in 1932!! That probably makes it the oldest movie I've ever seen. From a bit of background reading I find out it was made with actual real-life circus performers who had deformations or where seen as 'freaks' at the time. It was commonplace to use makeup and costumes to achieve this look, so the use of real people caused a bit of a furore at the time, consequently leading to its banning for 30 years. I don't see the problem. Surely if you want to see these people as equal to us (which they are), then they should be able to make a bit of money from the situation, rather than a role go to a much less suited actor? Anyways...
I loved the style of this movie. It was indeed very odd, but captivating at the same time. I found the story pulled me right in and kept me transfixed all the way through. It didn't feel like I was watching out of any sort of morbid curiosity, but because the characters were real, the story interesting and I simply wanted to see how it all panned out. Another aspect I loved was the musical score in the movie. It reminded me of really old cartoons.
Freaks - Will's Review
Sadly, the directors cut of Freaks no longer exists; 30 mins or so were cut after a disastrous test screaming... One woman even threatens to sue MGM claiming that the movie caused her to miscarry!
Whether that's why the version that exists today seems a little oddly passed in the middle is hard to say; many films from that era seem to be missing a middle segment (how did they get King Kong back to New York anyway?) so the jump from flirtation to wedding may possibly have always existed.
What we do know that we are missing is an extended 'revenge' sequence, which originally included a castration!
In any case, Freaks, in it 63 min version was STILL banned in the UK for 30 years!
The most striking thing about the movie, is where it's sympathies lay: dislike it's sensationalist title and tag line ("Can a full sized woman ever truly love a MIDGET?") from the opening crawl the film sides firmly with the eponymous sideshow workers.
***Spoilers for an 80 year old movie follow***
Whether that's why the version that exists today seems a little oddly passed in the middle is hard to say; many films from that era seem to be missing a middle segment (how did they get King Kong back to New York anyway?) so the jump from flirtation to wedding may possibly have always existed.
What we do know that we are missing is an extended 'revenge' sequence, which originally included a castration!
In any case, Freaks, in it 63 min version was STILL banned in the UK for 30 years!
The most striking thing about the movie, is where it's sympathies lay: dislike it's sensationalist title and tag line ("Can a full sized woman ever truly love a MIDGET?") from the opening crawl the film sides firmly with the eponymous sideshow workers.
***Spoilers for an 80 year old movie follow***
Sunday, 9 December 2012
WEEK 82: Freaks
Alternate Titles : Forbidden Love, Natures Mistakes, Tod Browning's Freaks
Year: 1932
Reviews / Author Comments due: 15/12/2012
Reason for Inclusion: Banned for over 30 years.
BBFC Status: Most recently, passed uncut rated 12 in 2001.
DVD: LINK
Feel free to use the comments section of this post to add your own reviews and thoughts about this movie.
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