My Favorite Movies

What can one say about Ichi the Killer? I do have to say, without a doubt, it is one of the most unique films I have ever seen. I was afraid going in, after hearing all of the hype, that it would be gore just for the sake of gore. But the way it is portrayed and the characters are what really drive the movie and make it stand out from other gorefests. It may be my sick personality, but I found myself laughing a lot throughout the movie. There is a lot of black humor in the film, which I enjoy. I would not consider this a horror movie by any means though, as I was not scared at all while watching it and it had none of the tendencies of a traditional horror film. The only thing that kept me from giving it 10 stars is the ending, which is a bit abstract, but I'm sure it was intended that way. But I would recommend this film to anyone, cause it's something everyone should experience. The only movie I could compare this to would be Dead Alive, and that is a very loose comparison. Just do yourself a favor and watch it.

If you thought David Cronenberg or David Lynch could make weird but interesting movies then see this horror comedy from 'The Lord of the Rings'-director Peter Jackson. There is a good chance that a lot of people don't like it or simply can't stand it, but I must admit I had a very good time watching 'Bad Taste'.

The story is about four guys from the New Zealand National Air and Space Defense League. They arrive in a small town in New Zealand that has been taken over by aliens. The aliens have disguised themselves as human beings. The four start a battle against the aliens.

The scenes are bloody, filled with gore but in a way it is so over the top it gets more funny than filthy. There is one scene involving alien-vomit that is really disgusting, but I was able to sit through. Although it is funny most of the time there is also suspense. The music helps with that and the camera that is always moving also helps creating a certain atmosphere.

Of course this is a movie where the heroes (almost) never get hit and the aliens every time, but here it is done with a reason. The shoot-outs are hilarious in their own weird way. If you can stand the gore and if you are a little open minded there is good chance you find something interesting in this movie.

Ruggero Deodato may be the most hated film director on the planet for his disturbing exploitation masterpiece that is Cannibal Holocaust. It's truly one of the few films that lives up to the hype its marketing gives it. The posters scream, "The one that goes all the way!" How true. "Can a movie go too far?" I think in this instance, yes. Cannibal Holocaust is now and will always be the most disturbing motion picture ever made. The brutality in what it shows and the unbelievable disregard for emotion that the film makers portray is enough to make you shudder without actually seeing the movie. Some of the displays in the movie are hard to even believe a human being could think up such vile and putrid acts, and they're shown in raw, uncut form. Deodato doesn't try to stray away from the action or try to censor with camera tricks. He sticks the camera right into the mix and displays some of the most shocking and nauseating images ever put to film. Of course it's perverse, and of course it's putrid, objectionable, and all other vile things you can think of, but despite all this, it's still an incredible film; a true landmark in movie history.

The movie begins with a TV program about the documentarians who go missing - Alan Yates, director; Faye Daniels, script girl and Alan's fiancé; and Mark Tomasso and Jack Anders, both cameramen. NYU anthropology professor Harold Monroe heads to the Amazon to lead the search "team," which consists of a hardened jungle guide and his young, talented assistant. They witness disturbing and shocking rituals by all three local tribes, the Yakumo, Yanomano, and Shamitari, which is the beginning of the moral stand Deodato takes. After gaining some trust with the Yanomanos, Monroe discovers that the documentarian troupe had been killed. Frustrated with the Yanomanos' hostility and brutality, Monroe trades the group's footage (possessed by the Yanomanos) for a tape recorder. Back in New York, he views the material and discovers who the real savages are. As the film starts out, we sympathize with these four who, for the sake of information, go into the jungle for research, only to be savagely mutilated by brutal primitives. However, we come to realize that the natives were the victims of civilized society by being tortured and exploited in incredibly grotesque and inhumane ways by the documentarians, which ultimately lead to their demise in an incredible, horrifying, and disturbing climax. The climax is all the more disturbing that Faye, the script girl, received the full blunt of retribution, when she was, in fact, seemingly innocent and took no participation in the evil (and actually tries to stop it). The trouble is that she's powerless to the three other men in her group. What Deodato's intentions were to include a character like Faye is unclear, other than maybe to heighten the disturbing factor of the film's climax.

It pulls no punches. There is no chance for you to escape. Every time you think you're finally safe, you're slammed with more and more visceral content. It never stops. However, Deodato does make these horrifying and disturbing images into a cinematic masterpiece. What separates Cannibal Holocaust from other exploitative sleaze (other than being competently made and well acted) is the inclusion of subtle social commentary. Had this been a film that was grotesque for the sake of being grotesque (like Lenzi's later Cannibal Ferox), it would be as reprehensible as many claim. However, the movie instead tests our ethics and our stomachs with some of the most realistically gruesome images ever portrayed on film. The message is simple: while we can think of outsiders and, in some cases, primitives as savages, our hate and discrimination can turn US into the savages (such as racist hate of minorities). The film makes us look into ourselves. We came from savagery, and savages we are. The pinnacle of this is during a scene where the film makers impale a young girl that they just raped, and are smiling at the disturbing result. This also reflects what incredibly visceral images we as humans can find as entertaining, and also suggests that the media stages their sensationalized footage (like the film makers in the movie). And if not, it condemns the media for focusing on the violence and exploitation of the news instead of trying for honest journalism. How is easily explained. The team's goal was to produce harrowing and nasty footage, all to make into a "documentary," and obviously, the more shocking, the more unbelievable, the more successful, and staged the footage to achieve this. The all too obvious irony is that this film is in itself morally reprehensible, and still has an incredible following and fan base.

Though it is an incredible film, it's obviously not for everyone, especially the animal activist, as six animals are actually killed on screen, which is probably the most controversial aspect of the film, and the worst part of which is that the animal killings are actually unnecessary, and have no ground in the plot or morals of the rest of the movie. However, the fake human violence alone, whether it's simple gore or horrific rape, is enough to make it the most brutal movie experience ever. Other mainstream shockers such as Texas Chain Saw Massacre pale in comparison to the savagery of what is Cannibal Holocaust. Never have I felt so depressed after viewing a film, which is amplified by Riz Ortolani's beautiful, flowing melody that shocks and disturbs at times by playing during the most disturbing parts of the movie. If you are able to stomach the film enough to see it, hopefully you'll be able to look past the violence, disgusting material, cruel animal killings, and the outright evil this film depicts and see the true nature of a political statement. The downfall of the cannibal genre, Cannibal Holocaust truly stands in a league of its own.

Juan Piquer Simon's "Pieces" is one of the most hilarious slasher movies ever made.In the early 1940's a little boy is caught by his mother while he is assembling a puzzle with a naked lady on it.The boy gets mad when his mother takes his puzzle,so he kills her with an axe.40 years later somebody butchers random college chicks with a chainsaw."Pieces" is a highly entertaining gore trash filled with enough blood to satisfy horror fans.There is for example a lopped off arm,a severed flying head and a knife through the mouth murder scene.The ending is incredibly surprising and hysterical.There is also a violent kung fu teacher and death by mirror.So if you're a slasher/giallo fan give this one a look-you won't be disappointed.

This movie, was the funniest thing I have ever seen. I watched it with tears of laughter in my eye, with no time to wipe them off, seeing a funnier, more dazzlingly inventive scene would immediately follow. I could not believe that the guy who made this is going to be directing the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Here's a short summary of some of the things I saw in it-

A baby zombie

Zombies having sex

A group of zombies being chopped up with a lawn mower

Talking intestines

A kung-fu zombie-ass-kicking priest

A zombie's head being embedded onto a lightbulb so it's face lights up like a Jack-O-Lantern

These things are saved for the last 40 minutes of the film, and the start is pretty slow, but once you get to the action, you've got a truly special film

I remember seeing the cover for this film at a local video store as a small kid, and I was scared just of the Santa Claus reaching his axe out of the chimney. Now, years later, I finally got around to renting this little holiday shocker. The film is about a young boy, Billy Chapman. It's Christmas Eve, and he's riding with his parents and baby brother to visit their grandfather (who is in a mental institution). While he isn't thought to speak, the grandfather tells Billy that Santa punishes the naughty kids while his parents talk with the doctors. This causes Billy to be afraid of Santa Claus. So, continuing on their drive, the family is stopped by a man in a Santa suit, who is a psychotic murderer/robber. The man in the suit ultimately kills both of Billy's parents, after raping his mother. Some odd years later, Billy is a now semi-older boy who is at St. Mary's Orphanage. He is abused by Mother Superior, the ruling nun of the house who loves "punishing" the kids. As Billy grows older, he lands a job at a toy store, thanks to Sister Maragaret, who is a nicer, more understanding nun. But as Christmas approaches and Billy is forced to wear a Santa suit for the job, flashbacks of his terrible encounter years ago return, and in a bout of psychosis, he goes on a rampage, slaughtering everyone who's been "naughty" this year.

I enjoyed this movie quite a bit actually, mostly because of the decent story and the unique and interesting ideas that are put into it. The murder of Billy's parents was pretty gruesome, and the killings Billy commits on his rampage are even more so. My favorite death sequence by far was the sledding scene, I thought it was very creative the way one of the sledders was executed, even though it's a little clichéd. The Sister Maragaret was the most lovable character in the film, because unlike the cold Mother Superior, she actually has a heart and cares about Billy, who experienced something a child never should have to. On the other hand, Mother Superior is hell bent on using her "methods" of punishment, which are usually cruel and inhumane, especially for a child. There are some laughable bits in this film, especially Billy yelling "naughty" at his victims, and the performances aren't wonderful, but it is a B-slasher film on most levels so these things are passable. The only minor disappointment was how the film ended, but everything that led up to it was just great.

This film's release caused an uproar of extremely angered parents, claiming that this film had completely ruined the entire Christmas spirit, simply because it portrays a killer dressed up as Santa Claus. I find that whole thing a bit ridiculous, it's an R-rated movie, so don't let your kids watch it! People are too touchy. It also received horrible reviews from critics all around, from Roger Ebert to Leonard Maltin, and everyone else that the film came across. It was ultimately banned two weeks after it's theatrical run in November 1984, and was shelved for two years and then re-released on an "uncut" VHS videotape.

To sum things up, "Silent Night, Deadly Night" is a bizarre, interesting, and somewhat unique horror movie. It is in the same league as the other average slasher films of it's time, but the premise of it all makes it stand out just a little more. While it isn't nearly as great as Bob Clark's 1974 film "Black Christmas", "Silent Night, Deadly Night" is a worthy effort in the genre, good fun holiday horror. Another very fun film to watch during the Christmas season
A very enjoyable flick. The kills are top notch, the acing is... passable. The setting is spooky ad the music is super duper great.

So rather Santa's raping you, strangling you with Christmas lights, or decapitating you, there's tons of Christmas bloodshed to go around.

You've Made it Through Halloween, now try and survive Christmas

I love this movie, it was scary, cool, and just...cool. It had nice gore FX, a scary as hell killer, which we still care about even though he is on a Frenzy, and the movie had good acting. Especially Robert Brian Wilson as Billy, It is too bad that he didn't go on to do bigger things. Anyway, I recomend this movie to just about anyone. And praise the lord that they are making a nice DVD version. But Avoid the Sequels at all costs!!!

Have a nice day and rent SNDN today!

"El Topo", is probably Jodorowsky's most talked about film next to "Santa Sangre". Like all his films it is bizarre and full of symbolism. El Topo is a cowboy dressed in black. He is out for vengeance, kind of like the Biblical God of the old testament. Him and his son ride through a town of massacred civilians. He wants justice and to win the heart of a girl, Mara. He gives up his only son, in an act that could be looked at like God, or even Abraham. He has to kill seven master gunfighters. After all the violence and carnage, he is injured and taken under the care of cripples, dwarfs and other various misfits. He is reborn, almost like a Bhuddist monk. He becomes like the new testament God, Jesus Christ. El Topo is now like a savior to the oppressed. He vows to dig a tunnel out of the cave so the cripples can live among the villagers. The town is taken over by religious fanatics. Poor villagers are branded with the religious icon by force. An upper class of elitists now dominate the town. "El Topo" is beautiful, and chocked full of violent and disturbing imagery. The film became a popular cult sensation in the early 70's. It was embraced by the likes of John Lennon, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson, Peter Gabriel and Pink Floyd. More recently celebrities like Marilyn Manson and the Coen Brothers have talked about being strongly influenced by Jodorowsky's work. "El Topo" is important, because it was the first midnight movie. If people could forget about "the Rocky Horror Picture Show" just for a second, they'd realize that this is one of the most important cult films. A bizarre and surreal western that can never be imitated. The only 3 surreal westerns I can think of to pre-date "El Topo" that have many similarities are Brazilian director Glauber Rocha's "Black God, White Devil" (1964) and his follow up "Antonio Das Mortes" (1969) and the Italian Spaghetti western "Django, Kill if you Live, Shoot" (1967).

Scanners is a film about a group of human mutants that are able to basically make people go mad, and finally they can make their minds actually explode. Supposedly created out of the scientific work of a scientist working on a product for pregnant women(or something like that), the scanners(as they are called) are divided into two factions. One is out to destroy all other scanners and the other works for the labs that created them. This is an intensely philosophical film filled with many thought-provoking questions and issues. Director David Cronenberg again uses the idea of the human body in an aberrated state as the focus for terror. He directs with style and suspense, and uses a lot more gore in this than most of his previous features. Don't let that keep you from seeing this film. the acting is solid all around with Stephen Lack giving a nice performance in the lead, and Michael Ironsides giving yet another chilling performance of dementia. He sure can play one sick and crazy guy! Patrick McGoohan plays the fatherly scientist with style and finesse. One of Cronenberg's best

would say that the movie is really a gem of an art piece. The use of excellent imagery coupled with pretty out-of-the-place background score tells us about the uniqueness of this movie. Stanley Kubrick has really applied a lot of thought into this.

The director wants the audience to feel something as bad not because he is showing it as bad but because it really is bad. The background music accompanying the ultra violent scenes is comical, and not dramatic or anything else that is commonly associated with such scenes. This gives the viewer an opportunity to feel the bitterness not because the music hints so but because he himself feels so. Viewer's emotions should arise irrespective of what the director is trying to show, and this is one of the greatest successes of the movie.

Another glorifying feature is the central idea of the movie. If a human is striped of the choice to choose from good and evil, he no longer remains a human, he becomes a clockwork. When Alex is brain-washed and "programmed" to choose only good, he wasn't accepted by the society and this shows the irony in the objectives of the British Government. The word Orange from the title presumably comes from the word "Ourange" that loosely means man. And hence the title is so appropriate to the movie.

The artificiality in dialogues and sets give the movie a unique feature and enhance the grip on it. This also means that the viewer has to get more involved. This is definitely one of the best technically shot movies, another masterpiece of Kubrick like the Space Oddessey.

For the uninitiated, set in near future Britain, the movie shows Malcom MacDowell as the head of a group of youngsters involved in sexual violence. Turn of the events leave the protagonist in the hands of the police. Worried by the growing number of prisoners the British Government devises a method of "programming" them so that they always choose the good. Alex is chosen as one of those on which the new system is to be tested. The rest unfolds as a saga of the very human characteristic.

Lastly, I would like to say that you may be compelled to leave the movie in between, but if you are watching it for art and cinematic experience, I recommend you to sit through.

I approached Sweeney Todd with trepidation, having been underwhelmed with most of Tim Burton's recent output and every screen musical of the last decade. The biggest problem I have with Burton's films is that his screenplays rarely manage to pull their disparate elements into a satisfying whole. Here, despite adapting the material to his own sensibilities and shortening the play by an hour, he adheres closely to Sondheim's book, resulting in the most dramatically satisfying film Burton has ever made.

I liked the adaptation of the off-off Broadway Hedwig and the Angry Inch, but have been left underwhelmed by all the recent big budget film musicals, so I'm glad to say that Sweeney Todd, wipes the floor with every major screen musical of the last decade, including the likable if over extended Hairspary. Most surprising is how shockingly gruesome the the film becomes in the second half. This must be the most blood drenched film since Shogun Assassin, with arteries spurting blood like like fountains as throats are cut, with the violence escalating towards the end leading towards a climax that is exhilarating, heartbreaking and satisfyingly bleak.

Unlike the dreary dirges Danny Elfman supplied for Burton's stop frame musicals, Sondheim's score is a joy to listen to from beginning to end, its dark romanticism sometimes reminding me of Bernhard Herrmann, perfectly fitting what is both a musical and a horror film in equal measures.

Depp and Bonham Carter are both excellent and it's down to their performances that I never quite lost sympathy with them in their descent into madness, blood lust and cannibalism.

Musical haters may not be converted as 75% percent of the dialogue is sung, but this completely dispatches any notion of cloying sentimentally the genre is often associated with.

Argento's best known film is probably his most expressive. This is a gem to look at with all it's lush Italian colors seeping out like a blood covered canvas. If you are looking for a horror film for intellectuals, this isn't it, but if you want something that will definitely impress you, you've found it. It concerns an old dance company in Freiburg Germany that is headed up by an old witch matriarch who leads the coven in diabolical methods. An unsuspecting student, played wonderfully by Jessica Harper, finds herself piecing together a mystery when she arrives at the school in one of the most enigmatic and beautiful commencements of a film to date. Argento has music, colors, and sounds reverberate like an opera for our eyes to dazzle. He scares us with the rain, the closing of an automatic airport door, and loose tree branches that resemble evil lurking beings. This is one powerful moment. From then on, subtle hints are explored, the supernatural, science, one's faith. Never can we guess what is truly hiding at the academy. One scene of the dance students in the hall is superbly done with loud music, hideous heckling demonic shrieks and strange appearances, this is fantastic eye candy!

decided to get this movie for my annual Hallowe'en scarefest, a week early...as the new one was out in theatres, I felt a need to see the original first, and bow am I glad I did...

The whole movie just blew me away, I turned off all the phones, chat programs and so on, and just let the story hit me. I think what is still with me after this is the sense of fear and utter WEIRDNESS that emanates from the movie...

And it all seemed so realistic...no hokey fountains of blood, no running into the shower, or overused cliches, just a bunch of kids that need to get some gas, meet some very odd characters (The Hitchhiker is superb) and then fall into the wrong place at the wrong time...

I think Hooper must have had some divine inspiration, because each of Leatherface's scenes is exquisitely planned and executed, from the first guy who gets dragged down, to Pam, to the encounter with Franklin and Sally in the woods (how chilling and scary was that, and yet how clever, to chase someone in the woods equipped with...a chainsaw) to the end.

Very, very unsettling as well, from the beginning to the final dinner scene, to the unforgettable whirling dance by Leatherface at the end.

Simply put, the best horror movie ever...if this doesn't scare you, then nothing will, sadly
But Hooper's CHAINSAW is more than just a classic horror film. With its print in the permanent collection at the NY Museum of Modern Art, it truly is a classic of cinema. I've shown this to Bergman fans, Tarkovsky fans and, yes, horror fans too - none of them have been prepared for its power, its inventiveness, its willingness to push the envelope of what cinema can do. And, with its simple story and powerhouse, unstoppable delivery, it is as open to interpretation as any piece of "modern art" - whether it be from the "vegetarian treatise" angle, or the post-Vietnam traumatised America school of thought. But, as I was on my first (of several) viewings, those I have introduced to this movie have been bowled over by the quality of the film-making, and the filmic techniques (soundtrack, editing, startling images) used by Hooper to capture his "waking nightmare" on screen. It is something I really don't think any other film has quite achieved, though many have tried.

Now, of course, there is a fluke element at work here. Hooper never came close to achieving anything like this again, and many, though not all, of the film's fascinating resonances are a product of the era and the filmmaker's unconscious sensibilities. What he obviously had as a director was the kind of daring to take the visceral power that cinema can deliver so well to the limit, to the the edge of acceptability, skirting on exploitation. That the film is so unrelentingly dark and so unbelievably sadistic in its second half, and yet fascinates even as it traumatises, is a definite testimony to the skill of its director. What could have been sleaze is instead a horrible nightmare experience, sure enough, but one that borders on the transcendental. Should be seen by ALL students of cinema at least once in their lifetime.

With this film, Argento raised the bar for Giallo's. With it's spanning plot, complete with highly inventive ideas and intriguing theme; Profondo Rosso is an absolute highlight in the sub-genre. The film follows a female medium who, while giving a lecture, senses the presence of a murderer in the room that is transmitting murderous thoughts to her. Pretty soon after, she is brutally murdered by an unknown assassin, under the watchful eye of Mark (David Hemmings); a professional piano player. As you would expect from Giallo, Mark then takes it upon himself to get to the bottom of the murder and, along with a nosey female journalist (Daria Nicolodi), he conducts his own investigation. However, things are never that simple and aside from trying to solve the murder, he also finds himself being pursued by the maniac...will he be able to discover the truth before it's too late?

Profondo Rosso is, in the collective eyes of the horror fanatics, Argento's number two (Suspiria being number one). I don't actually agree with that; as I think that Tenebre, Opera and Bird With the Crystal Plumage belong in front of this one, but Profondo Rosso is definitely up there, so who am I to complain? This film features a lot more bloodshed than anything Argento had made previously, and that is definitely a good thing. However, the plot does slow down at times, and it's not paced as well as Bird with the Crystal Plumage is. It's also somewhat wayward, with it spending lots of time on certain things, such as the investigation in the haunted house, and not a lot of time on other things that are just as important to the mystery. Despite there being quite a few death scenes, I do feel that Argento would have been better served either adding another one to increase the excitement, or maybe cutting the film down a little to make it run more smoothly. The murders that Dario does give us, however, are brutal to say the least! We've got a woman burned to death in a bath of scolding water, another woman smashed through a glass window, a man having his teeth smashed against a table (not too dissimilar to the 'curb' scene in American History X) and, of course, the final death, which has to be seen to be believed - an amazingly over the top scenario to say the least!

David Hemmings take the lead role in Profondo Rosso, and does a very good job of it. Hemmings is, of course, most famous for his role in Blow-Up, and his role here isn't too different from that one. Starring alongside Hemmings is Daria Nicolodi, the actress that has starred in a number of Argento's films (Opera, Inferno and Tenebre to name three) and also collaborated with Argento on another fine creation. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about. Also getting in on the fun is Gabriele Lavia, whom Argento fans will remember from Inferno (also, curiously, called Carlo). Dario Argento's direction here is nothing short of sublime. His use of the camera is more than assured and some of the camera angles and images that are presented on screen are amazing. Dario Argento deserves every piece of praise that he gets and anyone that sees this film will not find it hard to see why.

Overall, Profondo Rosso ranks as an absolute must see. It's one of the finest Giallo's ever made and is a career highlight for everyone involved. Highly recommended viewing for all.

Well, i could write an Hour about what i just saw at the Worldpremiere of "300". But i will just say that I'm completely blown away. The Trailer made no false promises, and the movie itself gave me even more of all the things I loved about the trailer.

But to put it all in to perspective: Almost all important cast-members were there. They were all in a good mood, but especially Gerard Buttler took really a lot of time to sign Autographs and give interviews. Although i watched it only on the Theaterscreen inside. :-) Finally everybody gathered around and we could begin.

I have to admit that the Movie started a bit slow, but i think i was just a little nervous because of my expectations. The thing is, this movie has really an unique style. It is NOTHING like Sin City. Don't even bother ! You have to "get used" to it. The Colors, the photography, the Backgrounds everything is just Mind-blowing but, and that's important, helps telling the story.

The Fightingscenes (YES!) were the absolute Highlight. Incredibly beautiful choreographed, and VERY well shot. That brings me to an important Point: At least half of the fights are not this common, hectic and bugging close-up, fast-cut and "I just don't know what's going on" style, they are filmed from quite a distance and perfectly long enough. A lot of people say :"It's more intense when fast" I'm telling you, these shots are REALLY intense. See for yourself. Another point: In every fight, there's not ONE guy, who's kind of waiting his turn. This is a real Battle you see.

The acting is superb, but you gotta' keep in mind, it's not "modern language". Sometimes it's a little awkward. Of course, Gerard Buttler IS King Leonidas and he isn't always shouting. But when he does, you get chills.

After the movie there were standing ovations, the cast and Mr.Snyder came on stage, they thanked everyone, we thanked them and then they were off. Wonderful evening.

I don't wanna write more. My Vocabulary is running out and i'm tired. See this movie and be stunned !

If you`ve ever heard of the director John Carpenter, you`ll be familiar with his works (of art), like Hallowe`en, Escape From New York, Assault On Precient 13, The Thing, They Live, and this movie, a mid 80`s classic starring none other than Carpenter`s favourite front man, Kurt Russell. Set in Chinatown, Los Angeles, its a modern day fable of good versus evil, Chinese black magic, the hero storms the castle type affair. Russell plays Jack Burton, a wise cracking long distance truck triver and all American hero, passing through Chinatown on some business. After a card game with old friend Wang Chi (Dennis Dun), Wang (now penniless thanks to Burton`s good fortune) pursuades Jack to drive him to the airport, to pick up his childhood sweetheart, a girl Wang has not seen since they were children. Its here the story begins, as Mao Yin, Wang`s girlfriend, is captured by a mysterious gang. The two form a pact to rescue the girl from the clutches of the evil Lo Pan, former crimelord of Chinatown, a myth who has apparently lived to the age of almost 200, with a little help from some black magic.

Thats it, I`m saying no more, cos I don`t want to spoil it. You`ve probably seen the movie anyway.

Its hard to pick a favourite John Carpenter film, very hard, but this one has it all. Its a great action movie, a great comedy, an original story, great lines, and even a love story, a perfect blend of what big screen entertainment should be. Its strange though, that the ending was left so open, begging for a sequel that was never made.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was a horrific realistic, and a genuinely terrifying film. This second is a strange (even stranger than the original) very sick ( a man forces a woman to wear her friends face??) and very budget blown (the appearance of Dennis Hopper).

We have Leather Face, Drayton (from the original we new him as old man) and Chop Top who is a new addition to the family who is (although probably the most deranged) a kind of funny and lovable character, he is very similar to the hitchhiker from the original except a Vietnam steel plated and (oddly) pale white skin colour.

A radio DJ (Stretch) gets prank called by two irritating gun ho kids in a car speeding down the motorway, but one of these prank calls just happen to be made at a wrong time as the two are chased by Leather Face in a opposite car and funnily enough kills them by chainsaw and its all been recorded on a live radio station. This makes Stretch closer to Lefty (dennis hopper) who is a family member of Franklyn (weelchair victim) in the original massacre wanting to hunt down the maniacs for revenge. The appearance of this recorded footage brings Lefty closer to catching the maniacs who is now out for Stretch for making the recording. The plot proceeds on to Stretch being held captive in the theme park style underground layer of the maniacs and Lefty roaring through chopping the place down with his chainsaw.

This is higher budget, meaning its got loads more action and the set pieces are even creepier and outstandingly made. The acting is pretty good as this time they had the money to buy proper actors. Although its unrealistic (living in an underground theme park layer filled with over 100 bodies used as props, people being chased in their car by a guy standing on top of his truck with a chainsaw on a bridge, the final battle between Dennis Hopper and Leather Face using chainsaws)its still a cult classic and very well directed. The original is superior but the second instalment is by far not a disappointment, more of a higher budget fun thrill ride with jumps, scares and even some funny parts which are hard not to laugh. The bad parts are the rushed beginning which we don't really know a thing about Lefty or why he's so mad and the fact that Leather Face now has feelings and becomes a little bit puffy at times. Apart from that all this "this is one of the stupidest films ever" nonsense is, quite plainly nonsense

you f*ck with Tony you f*ck with the best

This is one of my all time favorites.

If the movie has a flaw, it's that it comes at you like a raging bull. It doesn't so much engage the viewer as assault him. ''Scarface'' is as voracious and unyielding a production as Tony Montana himself. Nothing is left to the viewer's imagination.

Moroder's languorous synthpop fits the action to a tee. Like the chorus in a Greek tragedy, it wails and gnashes, broods and tugs, a constant reminder of Tony's inexorable fate.

Not so much a tale of caution as a disaster in progress, ''Scarface'' rips across the screen with the unstoppable force of a runaway train.

sail boat arrives in New York without a living soul but a zombie that attacks two guards from the Coast Guard. The daughter of the owner of the ship, Anne Bowles (Tisa Farrow), requests information about her missing father that was in the Antilles to the detectives that are investigating the crime without success. She meets the journalist Peter West (Ian McCulloch) and they decide to investigate what might have happened to her father. They travel to Matul Island with Brian Hull (Al Cliver) and Susan Barrett (Auretta Gay) in their boat. Once in the tropical island, they meet Dr. David Menard (Richard Johnson), who is trying to find a cure to a disease that brings dead back to life, turning them into zombies that eat human flesh.

"Zombie 2" is a horror classic of Lucio Fulci with a simple, but interesting screenplay. The unforgettable story begins like Nosferatu, with an empty boat arriving in a harbor with a zombie instead of a vampire; shows the naked body of two beautiful actresses, Auretta Gay and Olga Karlatos; is very gore, with a death that slightly recalls the famous scene of Buñuel in "Un Chien Andalou", when the zombie perforates the eye of Paola Menard; and has a very scary and impressive make-up, with zombies eating human flesh and biting and killing people. The sister of Mia Farrow, Tisa Farrow, has a good performance in this cult-movie. My vote is eight.

This is the splatter anticlassic all us sickos know and love. The non-plot is, well, pretty simple and it's only an excuse to cut loose with loads of very extreme gore and sadism. Fuad Ramses (Mal Arnold), an Egyptian maniac of pagan bloodlust, must serve up a "blood feast" to Ishtar, his horrible goddess of gory days gone by. Y'know, back when chicks used to get their hearts yanked out on altars IN BLOOD COLOR! How does he get the morsels for his feast? It's an easy guess! Tongues pulled out. Limbs cut off. Brains hacked out in a blood-splattered mess. It's the grand-daddy of all the sickest stuff you've ever seen, and even though it's pretty stupid and bad, it sure is fun! It's even funny on purpose (as well as the other way around). For those of you who dig this unsavory and depraved type of junk the way I do, find this bad mother as soon as possible and surrender to the forbidden pleasures of the first splatter-comedy ever! (I think...)

First things first:I'm a huge fan of Herschell Gordon Lewis.He has a very sick sense of humor that just can't be beat.You can tell that he takes great joy in film making.It always looks like everyone is having a ball.You can almost hear him yelling out in glee "More blood!" with a childlike gleam in his eyes. If this is your thing, you won't be let down by "Blood Feast 2". It's all I thought it would be and a lot more. Lots of blood ,guts, and skin...oh, yea,and, it's funny as hell too. J.P. Delahoussaye is almost as over the top as Mal Arnold was in the first one ,or Ray Sager in "The Wizard of Gore".The gore shots linger as Fuad almost affectionately fondles the goo.It's 100% pure Herschell Gordon Lewis directing at it's finest.

5/5 on the drive-in -freak-o-meter P.S.: Where's Sheldon Seymour? lol ;)



9/10 on the drive-in -freak-o-meter P.S.: Where's Sheldon Seymour? lol ;)

This movie has been on my Netflix queue for quite a while so I can safely say that I've wanted to see it since before Juno was out. This is the fourth Herschell Gordon Lewis film I've seen so far and only the second I've liked, the other was Two Thousand Maniacs. This, much like Two Thousand Maniacs, is a good movie. Not because it actually has substance and is well thought out, but because it is a lot of fun to watch and has become a cult classic.

Let's be honest for a minute here, when Herschell Gordon Lewis was directing films, he had no idea what he was doing. As a friend of mine said "he is the Ed Wood of gore films." I have to agree completely. The editing is always choppy and horrible, the music is poorly placed, the acting seems to be straight out of a junior high play, and nothing seems believable. This brings me to the gore. If HGL only got one thing right in his career, it was gore. The gore in this film is awesome and cheesy. He may have made bad films, but they sure are entertaining.

Sorry for going off on so many tangents, I'll get back to this movie. The story follows a TV reporter and her boyfriend who attend a magician's show of blood and dismemberment. They become suspicious of several deaths being linked to the show. It's a simple story but it is a lot of fun. I really like the magician theme. The bad acting factor definitely applies in this movie. I often wonder where HGL found these people. But as always, the gore is magnificent(no pun intended) and almost saves the movie. I had a lot fun with it.

See this movie if you're a fan of Herschell Gordon Lewis and you won't find much of anything new but it is a very good time. Go! Now!

John Carpenter's The Thing is hands down the best horror film ever made. Not only that, but it is also on of my personal favorite films of all time. What makes the movie so great? It's hard to put my finger on it. Everything just seems to work in The Thing, it's one of the rare occasions where everything just seems to fall in place. The film is even superior to Alien in creating a type of moody atmospheric hell. The fact that it's not only about the gore (which is wonderful btw), but it is able to create a paranoia that is unmatched in films. A truly wonderful film that is worshiped by all horror buffs, and anyone who has good taste in films.

Nearly 27 years and an endless amount of viewings later, John Carpenter's "Escape from NY" still ranks high among the chosen few, quintessential cult films of the 80's. This is, simply put, one of the coolest productions ever with legendary characters, ingenious plot and pitch-black humor. Kurt Russell, with eye patch and nihilistic 'you-don't-like-it-go-to-hell' attitude, plays the role of his life as anti-hero Snake Plissken, recruited by his authority-nemesis Bob Hauk to bring back the American president who crashed with his plane in New York. One problem though; ever since crime rose with 400% in 1987, New York has become one giant and demarcated prison where criminals determine their own "civilization". Offered no other choice, Snake infiltrates NY for his mission ?and for a personal race against the clock. Especially the first sixty minutes of this movie are terrific, since there constantly is the introduction of new and imaginative characters. Class-A actors play all these utterly cool characters, which makes it even more memorable! Apart from Kurt Russell, "Escape from New York" also stars icons like Lee Van Cleef ("The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"), Isaac Hayes ("Truck Turner"), Donald Pleasance ("Halloween") and Harry Dean Stanton ("Repo Man"). Even the smaller supportive roles are well distributed, with the underrated Tom Atkins as Van Cleef's sidekick and Adrienne Barbeau in a very sexy part. The downfall of America's number one city is atmospherically portrayed and Carpenter's own music score creates an excellent mood of despair. The action sequences are impressively photographed and John Capenter professionally camouflages that his film is, in fact, and independent production. My only slightly negative remark is that the story should have had a better, more explosive climax. Particularly because the first hour is so great, the ending seems quite tame. But, what the hell, this movie is a must for every film lover! In 1996, Carpenter also made "Escape from L.A." and even though it's good entertainment, it can't compete with "NY".

This is one of the best movies for anyone because if you like cheasy action movies with one liners then you'll love this, but if you're like me and think that action comedys like this are just pure pieces of art then you'll want to see this movie over and over again.

I have to admit after seeing escape from new york i wasn't that excited to see this because it just seemed like an update but it is so much better and will you keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

By the way Bruce Campbell is in this movie and has one of the best appearences in any movie ever created and if you look closely you can also see an appearence by the wwf wrestler Triple H even though he wasn't that popular when the movie was made

This scary and rather gory adaptation of Stephen King's great novel features outstanding central performances by Dale Midkiff,Fred Gwynne(who sadly died few years ago)and Denise Crosby and some really gruesome gore effects.Director Mary Lambert has a wonderful sense of visual style,and manages to make this one of the few versions of King's work that is not only worth seeing,but genuinely unnerving.The depiction of the zombie child Gage(Miko Hughes-later in "New Nightmare")is equally noteworthy,as what could easily have been a laughable character is made menacing and spooky.As for the people,who think that this one isn't scary-watch it alone in the dark(eventually with your squeamish girlfriend)and I guarantee you that "Pet Sematary" will creep you out.Some horror movies like this one or "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" shouldn't be watched in group.Recommended for horror fans!

Night of the Living Dead is a true classic and without a doubt Romero's best and most influential film.

Of course, being simply influential alone would not simply allow this movie to get a full-fledged star rating if it didn't pull through with it some quality at all, which it does in spades. In Night of the Living Dead, there is good pacing, surprisingly good acting from a list of no-name actors, and the most important part that sticks with the film to this day, the sense of dread in the film. In this movie to this day you get that feeling of hopelessness, people get attacked for no reason and nothing can save them. Whether it's family-togetherness, love between a couple, or even the law-enforcers at the end, this was all tapping into the uncertainty level people were having at the time and still today it has meaning. Topping this off with Romero's (at the time) large use of gore adds to the overall uneasiness of the film. Finally at the film's current times, there is a great subtle final nail in the coffin attack with the sad fate of the character Ben. Being the only sole voice of reason is shot, which, at the time of filming brought harsh realities of such other African-American leaders who were brought down unfairly such as Malcolm X or Martin Luther King, even if this wasn't the original idea Romero had.

Overall, no matter how cheesy some of this movie make look to modern eyes, Night of the Living Dead is a classic for offering horror without a shred of hope, forever influencing every horror movie in it's wake.

Dawn of the Dead is concrete proof that extreme gore and violence doesn't always equal a dumb movie and that the two can make very nice bedfellows indeed. This film is a rare thing in that it will please both gorehounds and fans of art cinema, and there isn't a vast amount of films that do that. Aside from doing what I've just mentioned, this follow up to Night of the Living Dead established George Romero as a household name in many a gore fan's home and his trilogy of zombie films will ensure for ever more that the name 'Romero' and the zombie film will always go hand in hand. The plot of this film follows four survivors of the zombie apocalypse that has ensued after the events of Night of the Living Dead as they hold up in a shopping mall to try and hide from the events going on in the outside world. However, this poses another problem, as once their home has been built up in the midst of the atrocities; will our hero's be able to give up all that they have built?

The commentary on society and the trappings of consumerism that Romero appears to be keen to implement in his film come off as being somewhat muddled, due to the fact that it's lost under the reality that what we see our hero's doing makes absolute perfect sense. This, however, is where the genius behind the commentary comes into play; it's a depiction of what people within a consumerist society would do in this situation, which makes the commentary all the more potent. Despite it being a film about zombies, Romero implements a sense of realism into the proceedings, which works due to the fact that he never overindulges in anything. Sure, the gore towards the end is over the top; but even that is realistic as it is what you would expect a zombie massacre to be. Because of his sense of realism, we are able to care for the characters that Romero has presented us with, even though we really know little about them. The audience is able to put themselves into their situation and we are constantly given the feeling that we are actually involved in the events on screen. This makes the ending of the movie more potent by way of the sense of security that Romero has lulled you into throughout the movie, and at the end; we really feel for what is happening to our characters and even though we want to see the massacre happen (as that's why we're watching the film at the end of the day), we sort of don't want to see it at the same time. This kind of mind-game isn't carried off successfully very often, but Romero has it down to an art form here.

The movie benefits massively from a great score by Dario Argento's house band, Goblin. In fact, with the obvious exception of Suspiria; I would even go as far as to say that this is their best work ever. The score blends so well with the happenings on screen that it's impossible to have one without the other. Some films have a superfluous score, or one that doesn't add anything to the film; but it's undeniable that the score of Dawn of the Dead not only adds to what we're seeing, but 'makes' it. As many people will be tuning in to see gore, I am pleased to tell you that this film doesn't disappoint in that respect. It's one of the goriest films ever made, with many sequences reaching a level of disgustingness that is rarely seen in cinema (intestine dinner, anyone?). As you are probably aware, Tom Savini did the make-up effects for Dawn of the Dead and it is the film that made his career and established him as the gore guru that he is often seen as today. The film is also notable for a certain line that has been quoted more times than any other line uttered in any other horror movie. I am of course talking about the fabulous; "When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the Earth".

Dawn of the Dead is undoubtedly one of the most important films ever made. It inspired a barrage of rip-off's that are still being made today and it stands tall on many a horror fan's list of favourite horror films. Dawn of the Dead is one of the most recent films to inspire a remake and, unfortunately, it turned out to be terrible. Not that it matters, as the original is where it's at; and this film is an undeniable masterpiece.

A very fitting quote from the film, which applies to more reviews here than it should do.

This film has it all and I have always preferred it to the previous instalments, which were somewhat lame in comparison, though 'Dawn' was indeed fun. I'm an 80s child as it happens, if I'd been alive and old enough to see 'Night' when it came out, I might have been more 'shocked', which is essential for a good zombie movie.

I honestly can't see the beef with this film, it's one of the greatest horror films I have ever seen. Sure the zombies might not be as convincing as the Italian versions with their 'Thriller' style make-up, but who cares? Not I!

Anyways, the story is a progression from the last film, where zombies have virtually taken over the whole world and only a handful of survivors remain. The film depicts a doomed species in a hopeless state of affairs that is truly apocalyptic. To top it off, some of the most arrogant, self-centered people (of those who remain) are trapped in an old army bunker; trying to escape amidst fighting each other. This really achieves a choking, claustrophobic atmosphere that 'Night' had but 'Dawn' failed; a mall isn't that confined, and..a gun store? Come on! All these people have are a few rounds and their wits to survive thousands of zombies - I'd be bricking my load!

To take the film up to true 'Classic' status, we are given some of the most memorable and lively characters put to film. The show stealer is Joseph Pilato as 'Captain Rhodes'; he..was...awe-inspiring! 'Memorable Quotes' should be filled with his script. He really does throw his all into the film and deserved an Oscar, or a new blood vessel! Two others come to mind; the sweet but crazed Dr. Logan, or 'Frankenstein' as Rhodes called him, who sadly passed away in 2000, and the zombie that he tames - Bub! They just don't make 'em like this anymore. (si