31 day movie challenge for the summer months - Day 11

 

The Green Room. A young punk band go to an out of the way venue to play a show and to their horror find out it's a venue beloved of nazi (nazi doesn't deserve a capital N) skinheads. Instead of leaving like smart people would do they stay and to double down they play the Dead Kennedy's classic nazi Punks Fuck Off. Afterwards they walk into the green room and discover what the crowd of cunts they just played for are really like. Minutes later they're fighting for their lives.

A brilliant film but a BRUTALLY violent one. Something happens to an arm in this that you'll never forget and it's always going to be sad watching a film starring poor Anton Yelchin. But it rocks. It has wicked tunes, and the ending is very satisfying. What more do you need?

Fear Street part 2 : 1978

By rights, Fear Street part 2 should be subtitled 1980, not 1978. 1980 was the year summer camp terror hit the big screen when Pamela Voorhees got revenge for the "death" of her son Jason by butchering the inhabitants of Camp Crystal Lake. Soon after Cropsy painted the shores of Lake Blackfoot red with his garden shears and then Madman Marz was let loose with an axe on the teens of Fish Cove.If you've seen Friday The 13th, The Burning and Madman you'll know exactly what to expect from Fear Street 2 but there's plenty of modern touches too to keep the Netflix kids grinning.

Fear Street part 1 : 1994, ended with Sam (Olivia Scott Welch) possessed by the spirit of the witch Sarah Fier and Deena (Kiana Madeira) and her brother Josh (Benjamin Flores Jr) are at their wit's end. Only one person, Miss Berman (Gillian Jacobs), has successfully dealt with the evil haunting Shadyside before and it's a time she does not want to revisit but the least she can do is tell her tale in the hopes it might help. We flash back to a time of Blue Oyster Cult and The Runaways, when sex and drugs were fun and not dangerous. Wild Ziggy Berman (Sadie Sink) and her prim and proper sister Cindy (Emily Rudd) are stuck at Camp Blackwing for the summer. Cindy loves the place but Shadyside Ziggy is hounded by Sunnyvale bullies because she doesn't fit the camp mould. Cindy's fella Tommy (McCabe Slye) has a bruising encounter with the camp nurse and afterwards Cindy finds a strange map in the infirmary and her gang heads out into the night to figure out what it means. As they get close to the places marked on the map Tommy starts to feel kinda odd...

The hatchet to the face halfway through this will kinda take your breath away. It's a stunningly violent moment that really works because FSP2 has taken it's time and built up to it. Unlike part 1 we get to know the kids before we see 'em get bisected. It makes part 2 feel like a more confident film, one that trusts it's audience to lap up the atmosphere before they bay for blood. We know from part 1 that a proper ending in a trilogy installment isn't necessary so part 2 doesn't have to aim for one. It can set the stage and take it's time ripping it apart. It does so graphically. Brains splash, heads fly, chests splinter. No one expected a series of films based on a YA series from R.L. Stine to be this brutal and director Leigh Janiak takes advantage of streaming freedom to play with audience expectations of this type of horror film. The camp is full of teens, young and old, surely the young ones will be ok. Right? Wrong. This mostly implied (thankfully) carnage puts everything on edge. If that little bloke with glasses ain't safe, then no one is. 

Well one person is, a name you'll remember from part 1 but 16 years younger. The mention of his name will remind you of the characters from the first film who are being sidelined here and make you realise the film's one big issue. It's totally unnecessary. It's filler, a story that could be told in a 10 minute flashback stretched to feature length to create a trilogy. Don't get me wrong, it's fun, it's well made and excellently paced but it doesn't need to exist at all. Hopefully, like teen horror films tend to do, it will be the starting point for a whole bunch of fresh faced actors. F13 was an early Kevin Bacon film. The Burning introduced us to Holly Hunter and Jason Alexander. Scream give us the wonder that is Matthew Lillard and hopefully FSP2 will make stars of Sadie Sink and Ryan Simpkins (as rebellious Alice), the two standouts in a busy cast.

Fear Street part 2 : 1978 is streaming now on Netflix. It's fun, it's vicious, it doesn't need to be here at all but if it helps introduce a new audience to the wonders of early 80's slasher cinema then it can only be a good thing.

31 day movie challenge for the summer months - Day 10

 

The Commitments. 1991. I was 12. My brother was 9. The film had a 15 cert but the cinema in Roscrea was very lax about applying the law. We settled in to watch this new Irish film everyone was raving about. 

"Hello Ronan."

It was my teacher Mr Cooley. He was in the row behind us. The film started and so did the bad language. I'd never heard this level of profanity before. It was fuckin' deadly. Ma didn't think so. She was mortified by the idea that she was a bad parent for exposing us to this appalling swearing. If it was at home it would have been grand but the fact that my teacher was behind us had her head on fire. With every fuck she sank lower and lower into her chair. By the time the film finished she was more or less under the carpet beneath the seats.

30 years later the thought of this still makes me laugh

Black Widow

One of the biggest problems facing an action movie prequel starring a well known character is the fact that you know they just cannot die. No matter what peril they face the worst that might happen is a deep scrape or maybe a fractured finger. Predictability is a great way to sap the tension from a story but what if.......what if you lace the rest of the film with characters so likable that it would feel like a slap if anything happened to them? Black Widow does just that and does it very well indeed.

It's 2016 and in the aftermath of the Sokovia disaster and it's fallout the free Avengers have split up and gone their separate ways. Natasha Romanoff (Scarlet Johansson) is hiding out in Norway and living a quiet life, learning crappy Roger Moore Bond films off by heart, until she's attacked and nearly killed by an unknown warrior. A clue found in the aftermath of battle leads her to a safe house in Budapest where she's reunited with Yelena Boleva (Florence Pugh), a woman who was her sister until their deep undercover family was called back to Mother Russia from America 21 years previously. Now they are going to work together to destroy a face from their past but they can't do it alone. They'll need help from the people who completed their family of four, Dad, a super soldier called Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) and Mam, a spy by the name of Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) who knows all too well the hell Natasha & Yelena have both lived through.

Complaining about a CGI heavy climax in a Marvel film is like moaning that air is too airy. So let's not do it. It happens, it's big and loud and silly and it's very much the lesser part of the movie. After a 90's set prologue that feels like an action version of TV's The Americans and a godawful cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit the film sets out its stall, letting us know fast this one is going to be a standalone film, that the Avengers are nowhere to be seen. Natasha is capable of looking after herself as we've learned, she doesn't need help from gods or men with metal defences. She's not the only capable one, her sister is a hardy buck too and the second we meet her it's not hard to see how Florence Pugh is going to fit into the MCU's ongoing plans, with her open, expressive face (used so well in Midsommar) and her believable ability to snap and stab. When they meet it's business as usual with a tired ol' smackdown but it's the scenes that come after when they start to get to know each other again that give this film it's real thrills. 

The best parts of the MCU have always been the quieter, chattier moments. Sam and Cap getting to know each other in the Winter Soldier, the after party Mjölnir fun in Age Of Ultron, Thor and his new friends in Ragnarok, basically every time Peter Parker opens his mouth in the Spiderman films. Here they come in the form of two chats around tables, one between sisters and one as a family, complete with embarrassment and cringe courtesy of Dad and his inability to keep schtum. It's dad who's Black Widow's secret weapon. David Harbour's Alexei is a joy to behold. Pure untamed id, like the Hulk but in human form. The fact that his American super soldier counterpart has become famous and he hasn't is rotting him, left him insecure, he's out of shape, he looks like a wild man, he acts before he thinks and everything that comes out of his mouth is gold. He's a great addition to the party. Just wait for the earpiece joke. It's proper belly laugh stuff. Oh btw, he readies for battle in Russian wrestling style, like Zangieff from Streetfighter II, a pose that will make people of a certain age grin like fools.

His macho, unreconstructed ways give us an insight into the horrible backgrounds of Natasha and Yelena, when the latter gives him her entire gynecological history to shut him up during a helicopter ride. What starts as a joke ends in horror and hints at a grittier directional change from the usual family friendly franchise fun. The violence here feels that little bit more brutal, people are made to atone for the collateral damage created by years of heroics, their ledgers are written in blood, the film starts walking down the darker paths seen in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier and then.........that old Marvel formula kicks in and it all ends in the usual CRASH BANG WALLOP we said we wouldn't mention earlier. It's a shame. All that goodness dulled by a big dose of bland. 

Black Widow is out everywhere from tomorrow. It's a film that should have been made years ago. Natasha Romanoff deserved it. As it is it's a fine goodbye to Johansson and an entertaining hello to Pugh and Harbour. 

Till Death

The Academy Awards 2022.

There's a new award category and the winner is about to be announced.

"The Best Use Of A Dead Body award goes to...."

*drumroll*

"Till Death."

The crowd rises in a standing ovation.

There's no complaints or bitterness here. Most definitely not.

Emma's (Megan Fox) dying inside and it's written across her face as plain as day. Her marriage to Mark (Ireland's Eoin Macken) is a sham and the affair she's being having with his co-worker Tom (Aml Ameen) is just not working out for either of them and she ends things on the day of her and her husband's wedding anniversary. Mark knows she's been in pain for a while and knows his indifference to her is the reason. To atone he takes her on a trip to a secluded cabin far from the city they call home and a spark is rekindled. Until the next morning when Emma realises she's handcuffed to her husband's dead body.

S.K. Dale's debut feature film Till Death has a concept is as high as they come but it works because Megan Fox gives her all. It's nice to see her back onscreen after more than a few barren years that came about because of a couple of box office duds (Jennifer's Body was great though) and Fox herself voicing concerns about Transformers director Michael Bay which saw her blackballed by Hollywood. Her Emma starts off glacial, but soon that still exterior peels back to reveal a deep sadness that in turn becomes terror before brilliantly turning into flat out annoyance and Fox sells every aspect of her character as well as turning in a really physical performance involving much pulling, dragging, slicing, stabbing, roaring, shouting and all that jazz. Oh yeah, Emma's not going out without a fight. She's had enough of men thinking they can push her about.

Eoin Macken (and his body double) might be dead for most of Till Death's running time but his presence pervades the film. A king of gaslighting from beyond the grave and full of sleazy knowingness in life. From the second he opens his mouth he'll have you on edge. Does he know something? What did that look mean? Oh I don't like that smile. When the light leaves his eyes early in the story you'll be relieved but hereafter you'll find yourself muttering "oh you bastard" every couple of minutes as things start to reveal themselves. It's cleverly written, lean storytelling where every story beat reveals more about the characters onscreen and not a moment of it's 88 minute running time is wasted. Add in the never not funny scenes of Mark's body being hefted around the cabin or thrown down stairs and you have a winner here. It's amazing how darkly humorous (and handy) a dead Irish man can be.

Till Death is streaming online now if you use a VPN to access American film sites. Finger's crossed it will be the film to put Megan Fox back in the spotlight because on the basis of this she deserves it. Word of warning though - it's not for the squeamish.

31 day movie challenge for the summer months - Day 9

 

Let's be honest here. There was only ever going to be one pick here. My favourite western of all time. 

A masterpiece. 

RIP Richard Donner

Grand Parade, Cork, 1994. The O'Meara's are on holidays. the kind of holiday that dickheads call a staycation nowadays. The Savoy (?) cinema is showing the big film of the moment, Four Weddings And A Funeral. My choice of Beverly Hills Cop 3 has been instantly vetoed as too violent so Hugh Grant romcom it is. That is until the person behind the counter notices that my brother is looking rather small for a 15 year old so no weddings/funerals for us and a very pleased me. The other choice is Maverick. A western starring Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster. Fair enough. Let's see what it's like.

It rocked.

It was one of the many times the films of Richard Donner rocked my childhood. That flight through the sky above Metropolis with Kal-El and an awed Lois Lane. The reveal of One Eyed Willie's pirate ship at the end of The Goonies. Rutger Hauer's and Michelle Pfeiffer's well earned kiss at the end of Ladyhawke. The night we stayed up and got horrified by hanging nannies and impaled priests in The Omen and were thrilled by Riggs and Murtaugh taking on a ship full of evil South Africans in Lethal Weapon 2.

"DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY!"

Every Saturday my mother used to let us choose a film in the local video shop and we rented out The Goonies so many times that it took me until me mid 30's before I could watch it again. It's not a perfect film, tbh, it's not really a good one, but it was just so much fun. That was the connecting thing between so many of Richard Donner's films. Fun. The man knew how to make fun films. There were no arty pretensions, they weren't made to please critics or win awards. His films were made to entertain and that's why so many of them are remembered fondly 30 and 40 years later. There were duds of course, Assassins, Conspiracy Theory, the godawful Timeline but everytime he came back with a crowdpleaser. His last film, 16 Blocks from 2006, is often overlooked but it's a brilliantly put together and paced action thriller and Looper aside, the best thing Bruce Willis has done in 15 years.

Richard died yesterday. He'll be missed. A director whose movies had a genuine and profound effect on a whole generation.

31 day movie challenge for the summer months - Day 8

 

The Karate Kid. Or Aliens. Or Predator. Or Trains, Planes and Automobiles. Hmmm. Or Silverado.. The Untouchables maybe. OR KICKBOXER. I'm torn. Raiders?? Return of The Jedi???? The Sure Thing.....Fright Night!!!

Ah jesus, ok, The Karate Kid. Because of the ending. The good guy vs the bad guy. Daniel LaRusso has one chance to win the All Valley Karate tournament. His ankle is wrecked. His opponent Johnny Lawrence wants to destroy him. He adopts the crane pose. Johnny readies for blood. The ref blows the whistle, a foot connects with a face and boom. The end. No fucking around. Perfect.

Video Nasty Rewatch part 30 - Madhouse

Video nasty number 30 comes with a good pedigree attached. Director Ovidio G. Assonitis, in the decade before Madhouse hit, had his hands in some genuine horror classics like Who Saw Her Die?, The Man From Deep River, Beyond The Door and the absolutely batshit crazy The Visitor. It's soundtrack was scored by Riz Ortolani, the composer behind Cannibal Holocaust, The Hunting Party and dozens of giallo and poliziottesco films in the 60's and 70's. Then to top it off it ends with an onscreen quote from none other than George Bernard Shaw.

Does Madhouse live up to those standards though? 

Yeah, it actually kind of does. It's much better than you'd remember.

In the opening two minutes you'll see why it attracted the attention of the British Board of Film Censors back in 1983. Two young girls are in a dark room, one in a rocking chair and the other rocking the chair. The girl standing takes a stone and over the course of a very graphic 20 seconds starts to bash in the face of the other. It's a poor special effect but the scene itself is quite jarring, especially so early in the film and because it involves kids it was always going to get up the BBFC's nose. But it's not the only moment that annoyed them.

We cut to years after the initial scene. A woman named Julia is haunted by her childhood and only her job as a teacher in a school for deaf children is keeping her sane. As a child her sister tortured her and finally, as shown in the first scene, Julia snapped. Now her sister, still somehow alive, is calling for her from her bed in the psychiatric hospital where she's spent most of her life. Julia visits her, the meeting goes badly wrong and it's just the beginning of a new nightmare for her. And all who know her. 

This is one of the best nasties by far, and a film that really doesn't deserve its place on the infamous list. Yeah, it's quite brutal in places but it's a solid psychological thriller that mostly enshews gore, instead going for and succeeding in creating a creepy atmosphere of pervasive dread. One dinner table moment is without a doubt ripped off from a similar scene in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre but it's done without that film's camp melodrama and it's genuinely chilling as a result. Especially when we find out who's behind it. It even finds time for an affecting moment or two, especially the ones involving the kids in Julia's school. I have to say, scenes like this are a rarity in the horrible world of the nasties. None of the sordid and seedy sexual violence the nasties are known for is rolled out either. But it's a shocker near the end that caused all it's trouble really.

The killer (not a spoiler because there's always a killer in these films) uses a pet Rottweiler to do their nefarious bidding and said Rottweiler has a penchant for human flesh. Eventually it meets it's match when it's caught in a headlock and lobotomised with by a power drill right through the cranium. Like the first scene in the film it's a poorly done special effect (on an obviously fake dog) but the effect is once again very unsettling and because it, it landed a place on the director of public prosecution's desk and ended up being prosecuted under the obscene publications act. Only 21 years later did it finally see the light of day in this part of the world and it's one of the few nasties I'd recommend without caveats.

Next up - Mardi Gras Massacre. Oh dear lord. What an absolute dud. This will be fun.

31 day movie challenge for the summer months - Day 7

South Park The Movie. A masterpiece. 

It's fun and informative. Just listen to Mr Garrison.

16 films on TV to fall in love with this week

The Post   Sat   3/7   RTE1 @ 21.50

When the true depths of America's Vietnam war losses are exposed a new appointed newspaper owner and a seasoned newspaper editor must decide whether to publish their findings and face jail time or back down and face themselves. Steven Spielberg's drama is an interestingly tense look at a very turbulent time in American history. The cast is second to none with Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Carrie Coon, Sarah Paulson & Matthew Rhys amongst others firing on all cylinders.

Turbulence   Sat   3/7   Virgin Media Three @ 23.00

Ryan Weaver aka The Lonely Hearts Strangler is being transported by air across America. As tends to happen in films like this he escapes and the journey through the sky gets rather eventful. This 1997 thriller was derided on release but a fast moving storyline and a manic turn from an unhinged Ray Liotta turns it into silly Saturday night fun. Brendan Gleeson turns up in an early Hollywood part and Lauren Holly makes for a heroine you'll want to see survive.

Denial   Sat   3/7   RTE1 @ Midnight

An American professor called Deborah Lipstadt faces an uphill battle when she's accused of defamation after she calls an opponent to her work a holocaust denier in her new book. This might sound like a dull and worthy Oscar bait but instead it's a gripping and timely look at the absurdities of legal systems and the people who twist them to their own ends. Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson and Timothy Spall are all excellent.

Summertime   Sun   4/7   BBC2 @ 00.55

France, the early 70's. Delphine is under pressure to marry but she's keeping the secret that she's gay from her farming parents. Until one day she meets Carole who introduces her to a way of life she never thought within her grasp. A beautiful looking and splendidly acted film about a dark period in a young life that starts in one place and ends rather differently. Izïa Higelin & Cécile de France both do wonderful work.

Clash Of The Titans   Sun   4/7   BBC1 @ 14.55

A Greek warrior by the name of Perseus has annoyed the gods and now must literally face hell and high water in his efforts to save the woman he loves from a sacrificial death. Ignore the crappy 2010 cgi strewn remake, this 1981 adventure is the business. Filled with glorious effects work from Ray Harryhausen and a wicked cast that includes Harry Hamlin, Maggie Smith, Laurence Olivier and Ursula Andress, this is a perfect sunday afternoon watch. It may be a lil' too violent for the wee ones.

Moon   Sun   4/7   Great! Movies (formerly Sony Movies ) @ 21.00

After spending three long years working all alone on the moon with only a robot for company, Sam is coming to the end of his trip. Then he has an accident and things get....well they get weird. Sam Rockwell does amazing work in a film that's a grand example of hard science fiction, a story that asks deep thoughtful questions about human isolation and alienation without pretension. A rare treat in this genre.

Metal Heart   Sun   4/7   RTE1 @ 21.30

Twin sisters Emma and Chantal could not be more different if they tried. Emma is quiet, confused about life and channels her energy into her music. Chantal is adored by all, loves a party and has her future all planned out. Hugh O'Conor's debut feature film is a charmer, a funny and heartfelt look at growing up. Some lovely Dublin locations and effective turns from Jordanne Jones, Aaron Heffernan and Moe Dunford ensure you'll like this.

Notorious   Mon   5/7   Talking Pictures TV @ 21.00

To atone for the sins of her father a woman called Alicia Huberman delves into the world of espionage to investigate nazis living in South America. Of course, being that this is a Hitchcock film, she falls for her government handler too. 75 years old this year and still as enjoyable as it ever was, this thriller starring Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant is smooth as silk and full of tension, romantic and otherwise. Keep an eye out for one of the most famous kisses ever filmed.

Posse   Mon   5/7   TCM @ 23.05

A group of buffalo soldiers are home from war and weary from travel. As black cowboys they face hatred at every turn and surviving the wild west is a tough prospect but a quest for justice is keeping their fight alive. Mario Van Peeples directs and stars in this fine slice of western revisionism. It was not well received back in 1993 but it's a definitely a film worthy of re-evaluation. The cast makes it sing too with solid turns from Van Peeples, Blair Underwood and Tiny Lister.

Mommy   Tues   6/7   Film4 @ 01.15

Life is tough for Diane, she's looked down on in her job, her husband is gone and her teenage son is a constant source of stress in her life. Then two new neighbours arrive on the scene and dramatic change comes with them. Xavier Dolan's 2014 film is a harsh, troubling but deeply humane watch dotted with a surprising streak of humour. Anne Dorval, Antoine Olivier Pilon and Suzanne Clément do some wicked work here.

Lakeview Terrace   Tues   6/7   The Horror Channel @ 21.00

A newly married couple move into a quiet community and life is good. Their next door neighbour isn't one bit happy about the fact that they're an interracial couple though, and he's not quiet about sharing that fact. Samuel L. Jackson playing a bad guy is strange to see these days but he gets the job done well in an unsettling look at racial politics. Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington do well as the couple in question.

The Untouchables   Wed   7/7   ITV4 @ 22.05

It's the time of prohibition and Al Capone. 1920's Chicago was a bloody place because of both and now treasury agent Eliot Ness is putting together a team to enforce one and take down the other. Brian De Palma's boys own adventure is a brilliant way to spend a couple of hours. Action packed, exciting, even genuinely affecting in places and all laced with a magnificent Ennio Morricone soundtrack. Kevin Costner, Robert De Niro, Sean Connery and Andy Garcia all add to the mix.

Run Silent, Run Deep   Thur   8/7   Film4 @ 11.00

Commander Richardson is obsessed with revenge and his men are worried. Years before the submarine he was on was scuttled by a Japanese destroyer and now he has a chance for payback and his obsession is risking the men below him. A thoughtful film about the shades of gray that exist in wartime and the moralities involved. Great performances from Clark Gable, Burt Lancaster and Brad Dexter keep things moving nicely.

Man Of Aran   Fri   9/7   Talking Pictures TV @ 01.00

Life on Ireland's Aran islands has always been a tough proposition and this 87 year old docudrama shows us what living there was like in a pre electrical era. Yes, yes, we all know a lot of what's shown onscreen has been shown to be fictional since but it's still an affecting, almost poetic look at a way of life long gone that's packed with some astounding imagery.

Out Of Sight   Fri   9/7   BBC1 @ 22/35

A prison escape goes awry when Jack, a prisoner, bumps into Karen, a US Marshall and both become instantly smitten. What chance has a relationship when both parties are at odds with each other? Steven Soderbergh's romance/comedy/drama/thriller is one of the best films of the 1990's. A perfect amalgamation of star power and story. It's a joy. Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney have never been better while Don Cheadle, Steve Zahn and Ving Rhames offer memorable support.

Amy   Fri   9/7   CH4 @ 23.00

A feature length documentary about the wild and at times sordid life of chanteuse Amy Winehouse and the events leading up to her tragic death in 2011 aged 27. The format is the usual talking heads one but a lash of home video clips and interviews with her family and friends turn this into a deeply personal and upsetting watch that will grip you even when you know how her story ends. A true cautionary tale.

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31 day movie challenge for the summer months - Day 6

 

A movie from the 90's. So many to those from. Loads hitting classic status by now. Masterpieces from Kathryn Bigalow, Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Tarantino, The Hughes Brothers. So many. That all said I'm going for Under Siege. Colm Meaney rocking a mean polo neck. Gary Busey going full on Gary Busey. Gratuitous cake boobs. "GET MAH PIES OUTTA THE OVEN!" Seagal at his best and a Tommy Lee Jones performance for the ages. A perfectly compact slice of action cinema.