This came out in 1980, in the 'second wave' of American slasher films, along with Friday the 13th, Prom Night, Terror Train, etc. Silent Scream stars Rebecca Balding (damn cute in this one, eyecandylicious) who was on the tv sitcom Soap I believe. And she does a pretty decent acting job here as well.
The movie is worth a watch for the really pretty interesting backstory of the Engels family, but is otherwise cliche-ridden, with empty-brained college students, cheesy music (some of it outright stolen from Psycho) and lame sexploits with poor dialogue. There is nothing artistically stand-out about this one, but it's one saving grace is the storyline about Victoria Engels (played rather well by Barbara Steele) and her 'brother' and mother. The movie is set on the Calfornia coast in a creepy mansion (a boarding house for college students).
There are a few good and predictable scares, and a sinister secret passage way and room in the mansion that works well. The homicide investigation subplot is dumb and rather shoddily thrown in to break the tension. The two cops are boring and useless. The main and only highlight is Barbara Steele's character, and I'll only say this if you decide to watch it (it's on Netflix instant play): she never utters a word.
Not the best, and certainly not the worst, slasher film ever made.
Showing posts with label mini movie reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mini movie reviews. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Bajo la Sal
A good Mexican psychological thriller? Is it possible? Help me out, does one exist?
Mexican thrillers usually have that Catholic moral undertone to them and this one's no different. But this movie, despite it's sluggish plot and fairly predictable killer (although for reasons I didnt predict), turns out to be worth watching because, despite its flaws, it is a suprisingly moving story. The characters are just beautifully drawn and you sink into their tragic lives and something just clicked on a deeper level for me. This isnt Saw. It doesnt attack and entertain in a non-stop thrill ride like that one. In fact it fails as a thriller/horror in that sense, and miserably. Some might find it boring. Maybe because Ive been sick and dealing with flooded basements for over a week, therefore more open to invasions of such sentimentalities, This movie is melancholic and dark and weird, especially the 'Doll Sequences" and the little burgeoning love affair between the two young characters that is quickly snuffed out.
Worth a look, if you can find it.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
The Card Player
I have some mixed feelings about this movie. There were a couple of suspense scenes of pure genius in this movie. Particularly, one at Det. Anna Mari's home where she sees the killer's reflection in a bowl and chases him outside and then returns to her dark house (Horror movie heroines hate well-lit rooms!) and notices her gun missing from where she just laid it on the table. That scene worked quite well. And also the scene where Romo-- the video poker whiz-- follows the beautiful girl through the alleyways of Rome who was paid by the killer to bring him to the Two Doors.
After that, it's downhill. I don't know much about Italian culture-- Im guessing there was a craze on video poker there while the rest of the world fell for Hold 'Em and Omaha-- but there really is no such thing as a video poker whiz. Video poker is a game of pure probability. There is no other skill involved beside playing the percentages over and over. It's rather a dull, simple game. The idea that the police needed someone to "beat" the killer at poker was misinformed. Of course it is a moot point anyways, after further plot developments, seen coming a mile away.
I guess the killer's identity was fairly obvious from the beginning. Det. Anna Mari spurns his advances in the opening scene. Her love affair with the alcoholic British detective is also flat and unconvincing. Some of the clues and false clues thrown in are interesting. The Diologue is even more annoying than usual for Argento. The movie was remarkably less bloody than most Argento films, and this is not necessarily a good thing.
I guess the days of wildly inventive movies with lush colors and a frenetic Goblin score are over. Oh well.
After that, it's downhill. I don't know much about Italian culture-- Im guessing there was a craze on video poker there while the rest of the world fell for Hold 'Em and Omaha-- but there really is no such thing as a video poker whiz. Video poker is a game of pure probability. There is no other skill involved beside playing the percentages over and over. It's rather a dull, simple game. The idea that the police needed someone to "beat" the killer at poker was misinformed. Of course it is a moot point anyways, after further plot developments, seen coming a mile away.
I guess the killer's identity was fairly obvious from the beginning. Det. Anna Mari spurns his advances in the opening scene. Her love affair with the alcoholic British detective is also flat and unconvincing. Some of the clues and false clues thrown in are interesting. The Diologue is even more annoying than usual for Argento. The movie was remarkably less bloody than most Argento films, and this is not necessarily a good thing.
I guess the days of wildly inventive movies with lush colors and a frenetic Goblin score are over. Oh well.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Sleepless
While not his best giallo-- it's several marks under his better ones, like Deep Red, Tenebre, Phenomena, Four Flies On Grey Velvet-- this movie entertained me and gave me a few chills and cringes. The murder scenes are not particularly original, but they are definitely cringe-worthy. A face gets smashed over and over again against a wall. A woman gets repeatedly stabbed in the mouth with an English Horn. Etc.
Max Von Sydow, as the retired and senile homicide detective, is a bit of a quirky character but I didn't find him wrongly cast here, as one reviewer stated on Amazon. I enjoyed his odd one-sided conversations with his pet bird, Marcello.
While I was 90% certain of who the murderer was early on, there was still enough ambiguity in the characters to throw some doubt there. His camera work was, as is typical for Argento, inventive and phantasmagoric. The camera swirls in and out, revolves around scenes, moves in and out. The lighting is also strategically dim in all the right places.
The ending was a bit goofy, and the murderer's tell-all confession before his death reminded me of a bad impression of Matt Damon for some reason. Bad dubbing and sometimes silly dialogue, almost a trademark of Argento films, didnt distract me enough from the interesting mystery story involving a murderous dwarf obsessed with a nursery rhyme and plenty of believable red herrings.
And a nod for Goblin's score as well. Personally I rank this score in the top 3 scores for Argento films, after Deep Red and Suspiria.
Max Von Sydow, as the retired and senile homicide detective, is a bit of a quirky character but I didn't find him wrongly cast here, as one reviewer stated on Amazon. I enjoyed his odd one-sided conversations with his pet bird, Marcello.
While I was 90% certain of who the murderer was early on, there was still enough ambiguity in the characters to throw some doubt there. His camera work was, as is typical for Argento, inventive and phantasmagoric. The camera swirls in and out, revolves around scenes, moves in and out. The lighting is also strategically dim in all the right places.
The ending was a bit goofy, and the murderer's tell-all confession before his death reminded me of a bad impression of Matt Damon for some reason. Bad dubbing and sometimes silly dialogue, almost a trademark of Argento films, didnt distract me enough from the interesting mystery story involving a murderous dwarf obsessed with a nursery rhyme and plenty of believable red herrings.
And a nod for Goblin's score as well. Personally I rank this score in the top 3 scores for Argento films, after Deep Red and Suspiria.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
The Devil's Tomb
...some uninspired dialogue, some stock characters, a confused recurring flashback sequence (which adds little to nothing to the overall story and breaks up the flow of the only thing worthwhile to the movie, which is some decent action in the underground archeological setting), a terrible ending, crap blows up, the demon is contained, some really stupid scenes with the possessed characters with bad skin conditions... sometimes you shoot them they die, sometimes they stay alive, really inconsistent.. an almost titillating lesbian scene with a gory kiss, but it doesnt last long enough... Click, the computer nerd, was the only character with any personality, everyone else was flat and boring...Henry Rollins as the priest was utterly useless to story and gave an even worse than expected acting performance... might have even been an in-joke on set when they decided to have his character's mouth taped up. Three words: DONT SEE IT.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
End of The Line
It kicked arse!
WoW.. what a strange, ultra-violent thrill ride of a movie.. some bad acting, the usual horror movie cliches... but the setting and story were pretty original, the violence was extreme but not pointless to the story and had emotional power to it (when the pregnant woman begs her husband to kill/save her).. the scares worked for me... I was pretty tense the whole time. And the demons at the end (of the line), worth the wait.. and some nice eye candy along the way.
WoW.. what a strange, ultra-violent thrill ride of a movie.. some bad acting, the usual horror movie cliches... but the setting and story were pretty original, the violence was extreme but not pointless to the story and had emotional power to it (when the pregnant woman begs her husband to kill/save her).. the scares worked for me... I was pretty tense the whole time. And the demons at the end (of the line), worth the wait.. and some nice eye candy along the way.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
The Wicker Man (1973 version)
There is just something about this film. I know that's corny and a cop out, but if the Farrelly brothers can get away with it (regarding Mary) then I suppose I can too. There is just something about Sergeant Howie. There's just something seriously weird and addicting about this movie.
The music is odd and light, airy, yet mysterious. My favorite song is, not suprisingly, "Willow's Song". A lovely, slightly melancholy lilt to it. Made more so by Sergeant Howie's torturous few minutes fighting those deepdark urges that momentarily consume him, bringing out a full sweat as he is drawn to the wall opposite Willow's room, where she sings her song and dances in the buff.
Without the consummate acting of Edward Woodward, this movie might not have worked, at least not as well. When he finally realizes he's been duped the whole time, and sees, and I mean, really fucking sees, The Wicker Man-- he exclaims, "Oh Jesus Christ!". It is a really powerful moment. But he only gets that faceless tower of wood stareing blankly down at him, and the uniform gaiety-- a hallmark of all that are blindly and wholly swayed by any religion-- seen on all the dancing faces of the townsfolk during their demented May Day celebration.
Best Hammer Film? Quite possibly.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
P2: mini review
I really enjoyed the first half of this, but I feel the last half was way too predictable and standard "girl-gets-revenge" fare. Everything was set up nicely, the acting was good, especially the guy playing the security guard (with only a few over-the-top moments from him.) The elvis bit was fun and creepy at the same time, lending the bad guy some depth, but not too much. Funny how she was going to let him live even after all he'd put her through until his true colors came out and he called her a "stupid fucking cunt." Works every time with most women.
It really pulls you in, even when the bad guy is revealed very early in the movie. That's a move you can only make if the character is well-developed and acted, which for the most part was. But past the mid-way point everything becomes inevitable and you're just waiting for the pieces to fall in place.
First half and Thomas' character-- B+
Second half- CWorth a rent for sure.
It really pulls you in, even when the bad guy is revealed very early in the movie. That's a move you can only make if the character is well-developed and acted, which for the most part was. But past the mid-way point everything becomes inevitable and you're just waiting for the pieces to fall in place.
First half and Thomas' character-- B+
Second half- CWorth a rent for sure.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Short Movie Reviews
Tenebre– 2nd time watching this, and still not sure if I like it or not. It lacks the visuals of a Suspiria or Deep Red (a movie Im trying to get off Blockbuster Online but apparently I have to wait 100 years), or Inferno. There is a fine twist in the end, even though I partly suspected it all along. There are some great murder scenes as well: Peter Neal’s fiance getting her hand chopped off, then spraying blood all over the wall, or the escapade with the vicious dog chasing the girl all the way into the killer’s lair. Plenty of throats getting slit, and even a fake throat slashing in the end. Another perhaps weak link is the score, which may be just a matter of opinion anyway. I absolutely love Goblin’s work in Suspiria and Deep Red, adding even more frenzied layers to those movies, but in Tenebre, the music just didn’t seem as inspired to me. Grade: B-
The Orphanage– This movie is insanely good, utterly captivating, almost a ghost story about absent ghosts. It’s more about paranoia and guilt than about the supernatural. But you dont know that until the end. Ghosts haunt for sure, but maybe all they are are memories, echoes from the past. Awaiting dissolution. The motif of the treasure hunt is subtly used throughout this film to highlight the idea that ghosts speak in riddles. And that clues in the game lead to answers, and that answers lead to revelations. In this case, the revelation is as poignantly sad as anything I can remember in a film, although my memory isn’t world-class. From our human perspective, only melancholy is the truly honest bend to the lense. Grade: A
The Spiral Staircase– saw this on TCM the other night, without much hope for a spectacular viewing experience for a horror movie made in 1945. But I was somewhat suprised here, although I can’t say I was utterly impressed with the film. It definitely had its moments. And might as well be the missing link from film noir/B&W horror classics to the giallo and slasher genres to come much later. Although no outright slashings occur (the method of murder is audience-friendly strangulation), there is a considerable number of brutal murders here, and all of them, women. Had to of been a milestone for American film. {will check to see if not a British made movie} I know that M, by Fritz Lang came ealier, and dealt with a serial killer. And i havent seen the hitchcock movie about jack the ripper. As one of the hosts for The Essentials mentioned, “Inky Black” helps to make this movie effective. But also the generalized creepiness of the cottage, the neverending thunderstorm, the almost goofily psychic old woman, who senses that one of her own sons is the killer. The characters are nicely drawn and devoid– mostly– of melodrama. The quirky Mrs. Oates is a nice minor character, who has some delightful drunken moments. The red herrings are laid out like clockwork, but the killer’s identity was way too easily discovered. And thank god for small miracles: Helen got her voice back! Grade: B
Blow Out-- Recently watched this again after many, many years, and I have to say, it may be De Palma's best. Stylistically, it definitely owes something to Dario Argento, plus the story hinges on an incredible coincidence, that being Travolta's character being on that bridge making sound recordings at the exact time of the botched frame up of the Governor of Pennsylvannia, who is running for the Presidency. What was meant to be just a way to ruin his reputation, turns out to be an assassination.The gunman (Lithgow) only shoots out the tire of the car as a means for the crooked reporter (Franz) to get some film showing the politician with a phony prostitute (Allen). What starts as a small crime, distasteful certainly, but not utterly diabolical, grows into something much more, thanks to the inate pyschopathic tendencies of Lithgow's character. It all reminds me of the hijinks of Fargo, where one man's greed and foolishness escalates by uncontrollable forces into multiple murder. And the ending is perfect noir or giallo fair, with the B-slasher film Jack Terry is sound man for finally getting its perfect scream, caught on wiretap during Sally's murder near the end of the film.
Blue Velvet-- How many get that this movie is a parody of happy ever after endings? It plies you with the stench of sexual and criminal darkness for nearly 2 hours then hits you with the love triumphs over all ending, the cute return to the same images the film started with. The suburban platitudes of blue skies, robins in the air, hope for all. Whether the anger is intentional or not, I dont know, but maybe Lynch is a sentimental cornball after all. Two quotes are the heart of this movie. One is from Frank Booth addressed to Jeffrey Beaumont:"You're the same as me." And one from the aunt at the end ofthe movie: "I could never eat a bug." There's truth to the first and falsity in the second.
The Orphanage– This movie is insanely good, utterly captivating, almost a ghost story about absent ghosts. It’s more about paranoia and guilt than about the supernatural. But you dont know that until the end. Ghosts haunt for sure, but maybe all they are are memories, echoes from the past. Awaiting dissolution. The motif of the treasure hunt is subtly used throughout this film to highlight the idea that ghosts speak in riddles. And that clues in the game lead to answers, and that answers lead to revelations. In this case, the revelation is as poignantly sad as anything I can remember in a film, although my memory isn’t world-class. From our human perspective, only melancholy is the truly honest bend to the lense. Grade: A
The Spiral Staircase– saw this on TCM the other night, without much hope for a spectacular viewing experience for a horror movie made in 1945. But I was somewhat suprised here, although I can’t say I was utterly impressed with the film. It definitely had its moments. And might as well be the missing link from film noir/B&W horror classics to the giallo and slasher genres to come much later. Although no outright slashings occur (the method of murder is audience-friendly strangulation), there is a considerable number of brutal murders here, and all of them, women. Had to of been a milestone for American film. {will check to see if not a British made movie} I know that M, by Fritz Lang came ealier, and dealt with a serial killer. And i havent seen the hitchcock movie about jack the ripper. As one of the hosts for The Essentials mentioned, “Inky Black” helps to make this movie effective. But also the generalized creepiness of the cottage, the neverending thunderstorm, the almost goofily psychic old woman, who senses that one of her own sons is the killer. The characters are nicely drawn and devoid– mostly– of melodrama. The quirky Mrs. Oates is a nice minor character, who has some delightful drunken moments. The red herrings are laid out like clockwork, but the killer’s identity was way too easily discovered. And thank god for small miracles: Helen got her voice back! Grade: B
Blow Out-- Recently watched this again after many, many years, and I have to say, it may be De Palma's best. Stylistically, it definitely owes something to Dario Argento, plus the story hinges on an incredible coincidence, that being Travolta's character being on that bridge making sound recordings at the exact time of the botched frame up of the Governor of Pennsylvannia, who is running for the Presidency. What was meant to be just a way to ruin his reputation, turns out to be an assassination.The gunman (Lithgow) only shoots out the tire of the car as a means for the crooked reporter (Franz) to get some film showing the politician with a phony prostitute (Allen). What starts as a small crime, distasteful certainly, but not utterly diabolical, grows into something much more, thanks to the inate pyschopathic tendencies of Lithgow's character. It all reminds me of the hijinks of Fargo, where one man's greed and foolishness escalates by uncontrollable forces into multiple murder. And the ending is perfect noir or giallo fair, with the B-slasher film Jack Terry is sound man for finally getting its perfect scream, caught on wiretap during Sally's murder near the end of the film.
Blue Velvet-- How many get that this movie is a parody of happy ever after endings? It plies you with the stench of sexual and criminal darkness for nearly 2 hours then hits you with the love triumphs over all ending, the cute return to the same images the film started with. The suburban platitudes of blue skies, robins in the air, hope for all. Whether the anger is intentional or not, I dont know, but maybe Lynch is a sentimental cornball after all. Two quotes are the heart of this movie. One is from Frank Booth addressed to Jeffrey Beaumont:"You're the same as me." And one from the aunt at the end ofthe movie: "I could never eat a bug." There's truth to the first and falsity in the second.
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