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A doppia faccia (1969)
Where is my wife???
This movie exceeded my expectations. As a big Kinski fan I was a little hesitant to check this one out after reading all the reviews describing the volatile leading mans performance as being more reserved than what we're used to. One of my greatest joys is watching Klaus tear it up on screen totally unhinged ,particularly with Herzog directing. But despite the cautious approach to the role of a wealthy industrialist grieving over the loss of his wife, Kinski still dominates every scene he's in. Is she dead? Or did she escape the fiery wreckage of the car accident? Klaus is determined to discover the truth after seeing what he believes is his wife in an X-rated film. But it cant be his wife because she was burned to a crisp... or so we were led to believe. Along with the top notch performances from everyone each scene is set up perfectly, the lighting gives everything an otherworldly "outside" kind of atmosphere. The mist, neon lights, classical architecture in each location make each scene memorable. A giallo to be sure, even if its not your typical slice and dice ala Deep Red. Double Face dips its toes more in atmosphere and mystery than bloodletting, this film is highly recommended to fans of the genre as well as Kinski fanatics. Think Vertigo meets 8mm. Definitely worth a watch!
Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
Let it die
Went into this trying to be positive but ended up feeling betrayed as the credits rolled. The virus has infected every facet of entertainment and this once awesome franchise has been neutered to make way for bland female characters who nobody cares about. Politics poison a good story and that's exactly what's happened here. All political b.s. aside, the movie still suffers from bad writing and a story that goes nowhere. Arnold and Linda do next to nothing in this except to provide some bad lines. Avoid this bag of cringe and watch Terminator 1 and 2 instead.
River of Death (1989)
"I'll be the devil on your back!"
This movie kept my attention for the entire time I had it on. I consider this a small achievement on the part of River of Death considering what an incompetent film it is from start to finish. But is it horrible? Nope. Just pretty bad. This is like one of those movies on a Mill Creek dvd set you would find in a Walmart bargain bin. The set would probably be titled something insipid like "Jungle Fever" and River of Death would no doubt be the best movie out of the 7 or 8 random titles in the pack. Cannibals and Nazis should both be in more movies together I think, but even they couldn't save this misguided adventure yarn that felt like it was held together by silly string. One scene seems to begin and end in the middle of the next leaving the viewer going "What the heck? I thought he was flying the helicopter?" I'm not sure if the movie could have benefited from extensive storyboarding but it seems to me like there was no planning at all. Some scenes of people walking through the jungle were filmed with helicopter shots inserted from time to time and then there would be a shot of birds trying to fly out of frame to escape this stink bomb. And the writing was just bad...complimented by worse acting including a really hammy performance from Donald Pleasance. His character is shacked up with a girl that is about 5 decades younger than him and every scene with these two that called for physical affection made me cringe and laugh at the same time. Despite the movies near countless flaws, I still really enjoyed it. Would I recommend it? No...but fans of trashy jungle flicks may want to give it a go.
Hagazussa (2017)
Darkness of the Soul
I've been saying for a while now that we are in the midst of a horror renaissance. It goes without saying that horror (and maybe westerns) have been the most quickly written off genres, easily dismissed by a wide majority of modern movie goers, too easily satisfied with the seemingly endless tide of sequels, prequels and franchise reboots. Hagazussa is not a movie for the masses. This is a quiet, disturbing little folk tale that isn't just watched, its experienced. The images in this film are haunting, beautiful and utterly disturbing. If you cannot sit still for 15 minutes, do not bother trying to make it through this one. This movie is steeped in atmosphere and subtle horror. The trees, the sky, the mountains- every natural thing seems to take part in telling this tragic tale. And the music score conjures a sense of dread that at times feels like its choking you. As most users have pointed out, there definitely are some strong similarities to The Witch- I would also add Antichrist and The Wicker Man to the list of like minded titles. Highly recommended!
All About Eve (1950)
The definition of the word "classic".
Bette Davis (a true legend) deserves nothing but praise for her role as the aging actress Margot Channing in All About Eve. She simply chews up the script and spits it out making pure magic onscreen. To top it off the gorgeous Anne Baxter fully embraces the role of Eve Harrington, playing the role of a devoted fan turned star usurper sending Bette into a full frenzy. The old adage "They don't make them like this anymore" is exemplified by this film. In this script every other line is quotable, that doesn't happen anymore! Highly recommended!
Bad Dreams (1988)
Bad Dreams (and bad endings)
This movie had a lot of promise. I'm a sucker for horror that involves religious fanaticism, suicide cults...etc so when I caught the trailer for Bad Dreams I had to check it out. Richard Lynch seldom disappoints and in fact he was one of the highlights of the movie, playing the role of a Jim Jones type psycho pouring gasoline on his followers rather than passing out tainted fruit punch. The suicide pact is carried out early in the film leaving the cults only survivor locked in a coma for 13 years. The survivor Cynthia (played by 80s hottie Jennifer Rubin) wakes up only to be haunted by the charred zombie spirit of the dead cult leader. There are some decently choreographed death scenes and a pretty ok twist at the end, but everything culminates into a big pile of "meh" during the last act. The reaction of the police officer following the demise of the films antagonist is priceless and sums up this general indifference perfectly. Bad Dreams had a terrific first half but ends up sliding steadily downhill during the movies back end. It's disappointing because the performances from the majority of the cast are great. Maybe if more details regarding the cults beliefs/practices had been expounded on? Some additional cult weirdness could have elevated this flick and amped up the creep factor exponentially. It's not the Wicker Man but Bad Dreams is a slightly above average flick worth checking out.
La casa dalle finestre che ridono (1976)
A bit on the slow side but with a great ending.
Went into this one with high hopes. I'm a big fan of the giallo genre (I would not call myself an expert) having watched a good number of these over the years. I recently read some reviews about this one and found an inexpensive dvd copy online. Another reviewer compared some of the imagery in this film to the work of David Lynch and I would have to agree. Just don't go into this one expecting Twin Peaks. The definition of "slow burner" House With The Laughing Windows may have a little too much set up for its own good. Very atmospheric and at times creepy. I loved the fresco painted on the church wall and how the crazy artist responsible for depicting human "agonies" in various paintings hung over the entire proceeding in spirit like some bad dream. The films runs a little on the long side but if you can stick with it the ending is a huge payoff. Don't Look Now came to mind while watching this; even the protagonist looks a little like Donald Sutherland. I would recommend this one to die hard fans of the genre but less patient movie buffs may want to throw on something a little faster paced.