Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide is set for release on DVD November 1st, 2010. Prepare to be corrupted and depraved once more as Nucleus Films releases the definitive guide to the Video Nasties phenomenon – one of the most extraordinary and scandalous eras in the history of British film. For the first time ever on …
It is the second week of the contest, and this is traditionally when we first start feeling a little horror burnout. This year was no exception, but I managed to trudge through it and watch 13 films, and some were even good. The week started on a high note with Lucio Fulci’s City of The …
Strangeland Director: John Pieplow Writer: Dee Snider Starring: Kevin Gage, Dee Snider, Robert Englund 1998 United States | R| 85 mins The art of body modification is always an interesting subject. It is such a strong topic that divides people; the act of marking, piercing, or cutting your flesh to express yourself, to be closer to …
“There’s plenty of proof here that given a screenplay with real substance rather than just a bare-bones structure, Dolan could turn out to be a truly impressive independent film maker…” Heartbeats (Les Amours Imaginaires) Directed by Xavier Dolan Written, directed and starring Xavier Dolan, whose previous directing credit was the acclaimed I Killed My Mother …
Everything Must Go Directed by Dan Rush Based on a short story by Raymond Carver, Dan Rush’s directorial debut is a refreshingly alternative role for the usually type-cast Will Ferrell. Here, he plays a recovering alcoholic who relapses and subsequently loses his wife, his job and indeed his house as his ex leaves town, locking …
Cult Cinema: Volume 9 It’s common geek knowledge that Star Trek is a smarter version of Star Wars. However, this should not be the badge of honour that so many Trekkies wear with pride, since Star Wars is essentially what idiot kids dream about when they’ve eaten cotton candy instead of their Ritalin. Here’s the …
“The Mummy is a sprawling, exciting, and often funny action-adventure romp.” The Mummy Director: Stephen Sommers Writer: Stephen Sommers Starring: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, Arnold Vosloo 1999 United States | PG-13 | 125 mins When Stephen Sommers decided to revamp Universal’s original The Mummy starring Boris Karloff he wanted to keep the look of Imhotep from those …
Pin Director: Sandor Stern Writer: Sandor Stern Starring: David Hewlett, Cynthia Preston, Terry O’Quinn 1988 Canada | R | 103 mins Parents lie to their children. All the time. And it’s not frowned upon as it is just a part of growing up and the rules of parenthood, with the pressures of consumerism and Santa Claus …
Waiting For Superman Directed by Davis Guggenheim It’s been announced that action-consumed Zach Snyder will be directing the next Superman movie. This ostensibly has nothing to do with Davis Guggenheim’s Waiting for Superman, the “important” documentary about America’s failing public school system, which only borrows the George Reeves Superman for a short time, and only …
(500) Days of Summer begins as any other tale: boy meets girl. However, it attempts to twist the story, alter the roles and create an idea outside of linear timelines and mundane relationships. This is the attempt. Although there are wonderful parts, mainly Zooey Deschanel’s uncanny ability to be utterly charming and loveable at every …
“Pascal may not be a future Academy Award winner, but it definitely deserves an audience.” Bibliothèque Pascal Directed by Szabolcs Hajdu – Hungary’s entry for the 83rd Academy Awards, Bibliothèque Pascal is a film very much at home in Fantastic Fest. It is packed with fantastical, often stunning, imagery, terrifying human behavior–the second half of …
“The film deserves credit as for ditching the offhand misogyny of the original and turning The Housemaid into a class critique with a complex female lead.” The Housemaid Directed by Im Sang-soo – Kim Ki-young’s The Housemaid, released in 1960, stands as one of the most renowned films of Korean cinema. Kim’s film tells the …
“If you’re looking for entertaining camp you’re in the right class with Ghoul School.”. Ghoul School Director: Timothy O’Rawe Writer: Timothy O’Rawe Starring: William Friedman, Scott Gordon, Joe Franklin 1990 United States | Not Rated | 71 mins In the world of low-budget filmmaking it really doesn’t take much to make a horror film. All you …
“Slow building suspense and foreboding danger play the main tune in this Fucli thriller.” The Psychic (aka Seven Notes in Black) Director: Lucio Fulci Writers: Lucio Fulci, Roberto Gianviti, Dardano Sacchetti Starring: Jennifer O’Neill, Gabriele Ferzetti, Marc Porel 1977 Italy | Not Rated | 97 mins Lucio Fulci is probably best known to horror fans for …
The Grindhouse Wednesdays The Grindhouse Wednesdays series is an event that takes place on the first Wednesday of every month and features a different band performing live before screening a grindhouse classic. Their Mission: To raise money for HIV/AIDS Awareness while having fun, drinking cheap booze, listening to amazing music, and watching exploitation cinema (slasher, …
“filled with uninspired performances and bad, bad jokes.” Bigfoot Directed by Bob Gray 2006, Troma films It’s not every day you come across a movie as bad as Bob Gray’s Bigfoot. Shot on some of the cruddiest and taking no real pride in its form, Bigfoot, proves to be a frustrating, torturous experience in patience. Other …
“We woke up this morning and the movie was gone,” director Adam Green told Entertainment Weekly on Monday. “I’m bewildered and confused.” Only a few days after the release of Hatchet II, AMC theaters pulled the film and issued a statement saying: “At AMC theaters, we review all films in all of our theatres every …
Cry of the Andes Dir. Carmen Henríquez, Denis Paquette (2010, Canada, 90 mins.) Cry of the Andes begins by making a fairly serious promise. The opening scene, outside a shareholder meeting at Barrick Gold’s headquarters in Toronto, features a handful of activists doing the sorts of things that annoy reasonable people to no end: pontificating …
As the Poet Said Dir. Nasri Hajjaj (2009, Palestine, 65 mins.) Mahmoud Darwish was one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century. He is regarded as the Palestinian national poet. His poems – set to songs – have become Arab anthems. He is included in the appendix of literary critic Harold Bloom’s iconic book …
Inshallah Beijing! Dir. Francesco Cannito, Luca Cusani (2008, Italy, 54 mins.) Inshallah means ‘God willing,’ the implication of this title being, “God willing, we’re going to the Olympics in Beijing.” No other team in the world face the challenges that Palestinian athletes do in reaching the Olympics. Palestine isn’t an organized state, the bureaucracy is …
Zindeeq Dir. Michel Khleifi (2009, Palestine, 85 mins.) Contradiction and ambiguity are at the heart of Zindeeq. The term “zindeeq” can, apparently, mean both ‘atheist’ and ‘freethinker.’ However, M (Mohammad Bakri), the atheist filmmaker and character at the heart of Zindeeq, finds himself lost in a long dark night of the soul in the middle …
———— It’s Kind of a Funny Story Directed by Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden In case anyone thought mildly deconstructionist efforts like (500) Days of Summer might have signaled the end of the stereotypical “indie” quirkfest, they’re sorely mistaken, as It’s Kind of a Funny Story – surely the year’s most mistakenly presumptive title – …
“The Fury ends up being a lame followup to the pyschokinetic mastery of Carrie that De Palma hoped to cash in on.” The Fury Director: Brian De Palma Writer: John Farris Starring: Kirk Douglas, John Cassavetes, Amy Irving 1978 United States | R | 118 mins Brian De Palma solidified himself as a household name after …