19.6.10

way of the dragon (1970)


AKA Meng long guo jiang. Return of the Dragon. Fury of the Dragon. Revenge of the Dragon.
"What I want, I get. And I want that restaurant!"
Tang Lung (Bruce Lee) arrives in Rome to help run a restaurant and is told the mafia are after the property. Unable to defeat Tang, the gangsters hire the best martial artists they can find to fight him. It is left to Colt (Chuck Norris) to showdown with Tang in the Colosseum.
This starts out as a fish out of water style comedy, but a third of the way through switches to what Bruce does best, action and lots of it.

torso (1974)


AKA I corpi presentano tracce di violenza carnale. Carnal Violence. The Bodies Presented Traces of Carnal Violence.
"They were just dolls."
A serial-killer is on the loose, dismembering beautiful young girls on the Italian University campus. The only clue is a distinctive red scarf. American student Jane (Suzy Kendall) and some friends decide to decamp to an uncle's villa in the country, but unfortunately for them so does the killer.
Beautifully photographed chiller, that provides a number of heart in the mouth moments. An underrated Giallo, that deserves more exposure.

cobra verde (1987)


"I don't trust shoes."
Its Nineteenth Century Bahia, and the bandit Francisco Manoel da Silva aka Cobra Verde (Klaus Kinski) is given the job as overseer on lord Octavio Coutinho's (José Lewgoy) sugar plantation. When Cobra gets all three of Octavio's daughters pregnant, he is sent to West Africa, to buy slaves. Being the only white man in the area brings many pressures and leads to abuse, torture and whilst Cobra reacts by raising a rebel army, it is obvious he is going insane.
The film that broke Herzog and Kinksi's relationship. This is a contemplative piece, with Kinksi using all his brooding majesty to hold the attention.

taxidermia (2006)


"Let's grunt together because lifes too short."
Morosgoványi (Csaba Czene) is a lowly soldier stationed in a remote Hungarian farmhouse during WWII, and spends much time having sexual fantasies about the women who live there. Thirty years later we follow the story of Balatony Kálmán (Gergely Trócsányi), Morosgoványi's son, his fall and attempted rise again, as a professional speed eater. Another thirty years pass and we meet Balatony Lajoska (Marc Bischoff), a taxidermist, who spends his time working or feeding his father, an overweight blob and his equally overweight cats.
Hilariously sick and outrageous but visual feast. The story of three extraordinary stories of three generations. From the opening shots of a man expelling fire from his penis, you know this is going to be something different!

18.6.10

5ive girls (2006)


"The devil is a liar, a trickster, and a thief... but he ain't a Latin major."
St. Marks catholic boarding school takes in five troubled teens, Alex, Mara, the blind Cecilia, Leah and Connie, who are overseen by the strict headmistress Miss Pearce (Amy Ciupak Lalonde) and Father Drake (Ron Perlman). The girls are soon fighting demons and have to uncover the truth about the school...
Run of the mill modern horror, with feisty females kicking demon ass.

plan 9 from outer space (1959)


AKA Grave Robbers from Outer Space.
"Can your heart stand the shocking facts about Graverobbers from Outer Space?"
Aliens land in an LA cemetery and enact 'plan 9' re-animating the dead to take over the world. Who can stop them? Why an intrepid airline pilot who lives nearby that's who!
Classic film from the 'so bad its good' stable. Marvel at the ingenuity of Ed Wood as he makes a passable film for what looks like all of $20.

the girl in the picture (1986)


"I do love her. It's just the word that's wrong."
Alan (John Gordon Sinclair) is a photographer working in a family portrait studio, dreaming of getting further with his art. He lives with Mary (Irina Brook), but the relationship is in a malaise and she splits up with him. Alan tries to find consolation elsewhere, but Mary is never far from his thoughts, but she seems less keen on a reconciliation.
A light, charming and very low key romantic comedy for those who love Bill Forsyth films.