Serial Killer, Crime/Thriller & Mainstream Reviews

Starring: Sam McMurray, Ann Magnuson, Sandy Baron, Elaine Hendrix, Bug Hall.      

Directed by Ian Emes 

Fabulous Films/Fremantle Media Enterprises

June 2019

The Munsters have a dilapidated, scary gothic mansion. It’s what they call home, but wolf boy Eddie feels, literarily, far from home. He misses Transylvania and his friends. Whilst the others – Herman in particular – are excited at the approach of Christmas, their son feels only maudlin and miserable. Undaunted, Herman, wife Lily, Grandpa, and Marilyn hatch a plan to make this the best Christmas ever. Lily involves Eddie in the festive decoration of the exterior of the house – including giant spider-webs and a guillotine constantly beheading snowmen – blissfully unaware there is a neighbourhood competition going on, and a very competitive previous winner. Grandpa uses his alchemy but inadvertently transports Santa and two elves to the Munster mansion. Although Herman in particular is ecstatic to meet Santa, Grandpa’s potions not only fail to return him to the North Pole, but make matters significantly worse. Can they save Christmas even though Santa has no presents to deliver? It looks even more unlikely when the elves become rebels and go to the local biker’s bar...

For anyone who has no idea what the Munsters are all about, it’s a happy but dysfunctional family of monsters. Herman is to all intents and purposes Frankenstein’s monster, Lily is a Goth vampire, and Eddie a werewolf. Marilyn is the only ‘normal’ member, being a beautiful blonde woman. The twist is that they believe Marilyn to be the one unlucky in looks, to the point she believes it herself. The series ran from 1964 to 1966, when the new Batman series arrived and grabbed all the ratings. There was a 1966 film called Munster, Go Home!, and The Munsters Revenge in 1981. Here Come the Munsters (1995) has a completely different cast from the series and previous movies. So when The Munsters Scary Little Christmas emerged the following year, the cast were ready to reprise their roles. But when one of them asked for more money the producers reduced the salary for the others, which upset them enough to decide not to do the film. Accordingly, a whole new cast was taken on. It will probably be seen as sacrilege by fans of the series, but to a casual viewer such as myself I didn’t really notice the difference.

This is a strange one to get to grips with, in terms of humour balance. Apart from the curious fact this is a Christmas film being released in the Summer, the dialogue and visual gags run hot and cold. There are some genuinely funny moments; one-liners and gags, my favourite being how Herman reacts when he walks past fire or a sconce: (pawing at the flames) “Argh, argghh!” The carol singers getting partway through a song and then screaming and running away when they see Herman is also well done (“I’m never going to hear one all the way through!”). There is a lot of silly stuff too, not least being when Santa is turned into different items by Grandpa’s alchemy – including a large fruit pudding with a hat.

It’s not giving much away to reveal that the Munsters win the decoration prize when it snows over their house. A gift from Santa. But when Santa offers a seat alongside him on the sleigh, you would think Eddie would be allowed to go, not Herman. The only thing that cheers Eddie up in the end is the surprise Christmas party Lily has arranged. This is the highlight of the film, as all their old friends turn up for a shindig: the Mummy, the Phantom of the Opera, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, the Invisible Man, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and many more. The costumes and make-up for these sequences are very good, and would probably look even better in their original film black and white.

This isn’t the best film in the world but it does hold your attention and offer some light-hearted entertainment. No extras.  

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019)

Starring: Ted Raimi, Ricki Lake, Traci Lords, Richard Schiff.     

Directed by Ivan Nagy 

101 Films

September 2019

Dennis Skinner would seem to be a normal friendly and unassuming man, but in reality he is a psychotic killer who skins his victims and wears their faces and - often a full body interpretation – to become that person (like you do). Prior victim Heidi is attempting to track him down. Getting steadily closer, she soon discovers he is a creature of habit. But Dennis is staying in a room rented to him by trucker’s partner Kerry. She feels deserted and Dennis has designs on her. It’s a coupling which doesn’t bode well when Dennis attempts to reveal to her his true self. Will Heidi catch-up with him in time for a final reckoning...?

This film was thought to have been lost (we should be so lucky!), but the master was painstakingly tracked-down and is now presented in a new 2K restoration, after being screened at London’s FrightFest film festival. Traci Lords as Heidi is one of the worst performances I have ever seen. It’s quite simply awful, dry and characterless. Ted Raimi is the brother of The Evil Dead and Spider-Man director Sam Raimi. Ted’s portrayal of Dennis would appear to be too laid back and friendly for this role, but I suppose that’s the point really; the character is your ‘everyman’ and only changes when he dons the skins of his victims. The most believable character in this story is Kerry, played by the very attractive Ricki Lake, best known for her long-running TV show which she presented to great acclaim, and her role in the film Hairspray.

Albeit this film has allusions to Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, at least there is an explanation for Dennis Skinner’s actions. It is revealed that when his mother died, his pathologist father performed the post mortem and pulled-off her face in front of him. He later returned to her body to wear her face. There is a scene wherein a mouthy work colleague is boasting of how he used to be a boxer and would have put down Mike Tyson with little difficulty given the chance. When he threatens Dennis, we later see our killer walking down the street wearing a complete suit of the man’s skin. He is mimicking the man both in accent and movements. Because this man was an African American it is now considered to be a tasteless racist moment, though it should be considered that the script has the man ridiculed in retaliation for being threatened, rather than any cultural difference.

It’s nice to see these post video nasty low budget movies – particularly when thought to be lost – but this one from 1993 is nothing to write home about. For curiosity’s sake it’s worth seeing once, but I doubt it will stand repeated viewings. I’ve given this an extra point for the special features. A Touch of Scandal is an interview with director Iván Nagy, wherein he tells the intriguing story of how he fled Hungry to America, took up photography and moved into directing low-budget films – before being involved in a scandal and falling-out with the industry. Other extras include Interviews with Ted Raimi, Screenwriter Paul Hart-Wilden, and Editor Jeremy Kasten; the Flaying Sequence outtakes and extended takes (overly long and dull), and a Limited Edition Booklet about the search for the film master.  

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019)

Starring: Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman.     

Directed by Bryan Bertino  

Second Sight Films

September 2020

James proposes to his girlfriend Kristen at a friend’s wedding, but it doesn’t exactly go the way he planned it. A romantic getaway strewn with rose petals and champagne turns into an awkward situation when they arrive at the house. The tension and frustration between them builds to sex; however, they are interrupted by a pounding on the front door. The young woman at the door is wreathed in darkness. She enquires after an unrecognised name and then leaves. James notices the bulb in the porch has been loosened. He decides it would be prudent to leave, and phones a friend to collect him because he has been drinking. But shortly afterwards decides to drive anyway. The young woman returns to pound on the door and refuses to leave. A frightened Kirsten manages to phone James and ask him to return, before the line is cut. This is just the beginning of a terrifying home invasion by three masked figures – and the couple’s only means of escape has been destroyed...

The film begins very much like a documentary. First there is a message which reads that it is inspired by true events which took place on 11th February 2005, when Kristen McKay and James Hoyt left a friend’s wedding reception and returned to the Hoyt family’s summer home. It states that the brutal events that took place there are still not entirely known. Secondly, there is the handheld camera shaking. We are shown a series of isolated houses and then the stilted conversation between the couple. Initially, it seems as though it is purposefully implemented to cause an off-kilter feeling of unease. But as it continues in other scenes you realise it is a mistake (particularly in close-ups) and proves a little distracting.

Whilst coming across as uninteresting on the included long interview, nevertheless, for a debut full film, writer/director Bryan Bertino constructs a taut little thriller here. Although it’s never mentioned during the movie, the invading characters were named by Bertino as Man in the Mask, played by Kip Weeks (a white sack with holes burnt in it – Friday the 13th Part 2 anyone?), Dollface, played by Gemma Ward (a theatrical-style manikin look), and Pin-Up Girl (a 1950s exaggerated look of a pretty young woman). All are somewhat creepy, but it is the body language which makes it work. There is very little movement, many of the shots being stationary with limbs limp and head very slightly hung. When there is action from these faceless intruders it comes in brief but quick – almost spasmodic – movements. It’s a successful manner of keeping their motives ambiguous. That is another thing: all through the film you are searching for a motive when there isn’t one. It’s only natural to assume revenge stemming from the wedding party, and so the intrigue keeps you guessing.

When this project was first completed it sat on the shelf of the film company for quite a while before they were convinced there was still an audience for a home invasion story with a pretty downbeat ending. “Why are you doing this to us?” “Because you’re home.” It is just as well they did, because the movie makes good use of long-shots and particularly of sound shocks, with unseen moving furniture, sudden banging and taunting noises which seem to be coming from all around the house. At one point Kirsten hides inside a closet, looking out through a slatted door closet – very much borrowed from John Carpenter's Halloween (1978). Not surprising when you consider the young director here was heavily influenced by that classic film.

This is a Limited Edition Blu-ray Boxset release of only 3,000 copies. It features new artwork and a poster, a Soft Cover Book with new essays by Anton Bitel and Mary Beth McAndrews, plus stills and behind-the-scenes images. Extras on the disc include: the choice of viewing the Theatrical or Extended Cut; 'Because You Were Home' – a New Interview with Bryan Bertino; 'Cutting Moments' – a New Interview with Editor Kivin Greutert; 'The Fighter' – a New Interview with Liv Tyler (Kristen); 'The Pin-Up Girl' – a New Interview with Laura Margolis; 'The Elements of Terror' – Interviews with Cast & Crew; 'Strangers at the Door' – Interviews with Director Bryan Bertino and Cast; 'Deleted Scenes'; and a 'Theatrical Trailer'.  

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2020)

Starring: Hailey Duff, Michael Ironside, Gonzalo Menendez.     

Directed by Rob Garcia 

TriCoast UK

May 2016

Allie and her group of young friends travel to an isolated ranch house owned by her father. An ex-military man acts as the caretaker, and he takes his job just a little too seriously. Resenting anybody being on the property, he overzealously and quite ruthlessly protects the land. Even the visitors he is supposed to be safe-guarding are, in his view, desecrating what he views as his own demesnes... the land upon which his family were killed...

Desecrated is closer to a thriller than an out-and-out horror, and so undoubtedly owes more to Deliverance than or Wolf Creek. As the viewer knows from the outset who the killer is, there is a Columbo-type feel to aspects of the format, and this knowledge removes any suspense there might otherwise have been. I’ve said before in my reviews that new or relatively inexperienced writer/directors tend to either create something original and fascinating on a meagre budget, or they churn-out hackneyed horror-by-numbers dross. I’m sorry to have to say that this movie falls fairly firmly into the latter category. What we are left with is a Ten Little Indians scenario where the players are nothing but canon-fodder. You just don’t care who gets killed, and that is due to no depth of character – even though the actors themselves are no novices.

It’s always great to see Michael Ironside, who has built up an impressive catalogue of villainous parts over the years. Here he is not the bad guy, and with only two or three relatively short scenes, doesn’t get the opportunity to be much of a positive influence on the film. You would think that a new director would want to make something a little different to get themselves noticed (pushing the boundaries); however, unfortunately, most seem to play it safe and, accordingly, are soon forgotten... or never attract the right attention in the first place.

This is not a bad movie in any single respect, it’s just a very average one with scenes similar to those we’ve seen in many other examples across the last twenty years or so. One more thing: the only true desecration takes place off-camera, when one of three men killed early on, removes rocks from a grave to place around a campfire.  

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2016)

Starring: Alice Lowe, Gemma Whelan, Kate Dickie, Jo Hartley.    

Directed by Alice Lowe 

Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment

June 2017

Ruth doesn’t go in for shopping. She’s on a killing spree instead. It is all the more bizarre when it’s discovered Ruth is pregnant and near the end of her term. The murders are both shocking and humorous in their execution. Furthermore, it is her unborn child who directs Ruth’s purpose. She hears its voice prompting her and offering her constant motivation for her acts. However, the deaths at her hands are far from random. Her husband and love of her life has recently died in a climbing accident. But was it an accident? It seems the others on the climbing expedition agreed to cut the rope holding him, to save their own lives...

Prevenge is a British black comedy from first time director Alice Lowe, who also wrote the script and played the main protagonist, Ruth. As if that didn’t keep her busy enough, Alice really was pregnant and could have gone into  labour at any time. Talking of labour, this proves if nothing else, that she looked upon this project as a labour of love. Because the dialogue is played straight it steers the film into a fly-on-the-wall documentary style; but then this is contrasted by the ridiculousness of the situations. 

The idea here is that the viewer should experience the ever-changing and conflicting emotions of Ruth, only to smile at the withdrawn and rather blasé manner in which she engages her victims in conversation before calmly dispatching them as if it’s the most logical action in the world. Some of the deaths are amusing, but the funniest scene is when Ruth knocks on the door to a house, posing as a charity worker, and the householder tries to get rid of her, incorporating some made-up self-defence moves when Ruth tries to kill her.

Unnerving is the word best used to describe this film, as it portrays events which could realistically happen. In essence, Ruth’s best alibi is the fact that she’s heavily pregnant, and so not really seen as a threat. It’s a very well-constructed film which is both original and compelling. It has already made its impact at the London, Venice and Toronto Film Festivals, and garnered some complementary reactions from the press.

Extras consist of a commentary by Alice Lowe, Cinematographer Ryan Eddleston, Editor Matteo Bini and Producer Vaughan Sivell; and a behind the scenes featurette called Post Natal Confessions.  

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017)

Starring: Sharni Vinson, Nicholas Tucci, Wendy Glenn, A. J. Bowen, Joe Swanberg.   

Directed by Adam Wingard 

Lionsgate Home Entertainment

January 2014

A man takes his girlfriend to the secluded Davison family estate of his parents, to celebrate the older couple’s 35th wedding anniversary. Also there, are a number of other adult family siblings and their partners. They have barely settled down for their first celebratory dinner, however, when a crossbow arrow comes in through the window from outside and hits one of the guests in the back. This marks the beginning of a relentless violent and deadly onslaught on the occupants of the house at the hands of unknown individuals donned in animal masks. The young Australian girlfriend immediately takes charge - attempting to defend the others and even fight back. But what is the ultimate motive of the attackers? Is it simply to instil terror and dispatch everyone in the house? Or is there another unknown objective...?

The DVD and Blu-ray releases of this film have undergone quite an intensive TV advertising campaign recently. Directed by Alan Wingard, it comes from the creative minds behind VHS, its sequel VHS2, and A Horrible Way to Die. To be brutally honest, nothing very much happens for the first fifteen or twenty minutes of the movie. It can be argued that the characters are being set up to be knocked down. However, there’s not much evidence of viewer identification with any of the cannon fodder on display. It is only after the mother hears footsteps upstairs that events begin to get going. The first section of the script appears to take the approach of a home invasion scenario. It reminded me somewhat of German filmmaker Michael Haneke’s Funny games; it’s curious I should bring that to mind when, in one of the commentaries, the writer and director of You’re Next invoke the name of the same film. Thankfully, this one doesn’t keep strictly to that theme, but veers off sharply into slasher territory.

It’s a much more enjoyable experience to watch from this point on. The young woman with survivalist skills is reminiscent of Joe R. Lansdale’s classic short story, Incident On and Off a Mountain Road, and in this case depends rather heavily on her boyfriend not being aware of them. The kills are nicely handled, being sometimes sudden and brutal, and at others purposefully drawn-out. The director has mentioned the presence of humour in the plot and situations. Not obvious set pieces (the whole thing is played very straight and serious), but little nuances. There was only one which made me smile: one of the masked men kills a middle-aged man in a neighbouring house, before sitting on the sofa next to him. It just looks so bizarre. There are a couple of points which didn’t make much sense. Why mark in blood on the wall "You’re Next"? It certainly doesn’t tie-in with the reason for the assault, which we discover near the conclusion of the film. It must surely be a time-line continuity error when the mother screams before being dispatched, and the others take seconds to dart up the stairs to investigate, and in that time the killer has had time to spell out "You’re Next" in elaborate blood-red lettering on the wall and then hide.

So, it has its shortfalls, but You’re Next is a pretty good film once it gets going. Extras are a little thin on the ground. There are two commentaries: one with the writer and director, and one with those two plus two of the cast. The making of… documentary is disappointingly short at only ten minutes.  

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2014)

Starring: Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Max Thieriot, Nicola Peltz, Olivia Cooke.  

Directed by Tucker Gates and Others

Universal Pictures (UK)

February 2014

After her husband is killed in a seemingly bizarre garage accident, Norma Bates collects the insurance money and moves with her seventeen year-old son, Norman, to a town called White Pine Bay. She buys a motel, and the two of them begin to tidy it up in readiness for their new life in the accommodation business. However, almost immediately things turn sour. The bitter previous owner attacks Norma and is killed by Norman. Norman wants to tell the police it was self-defence, but Norma believes the motel will be marred with bad publicity, so they dispose of the body. A consequence of this is they are taken a keen interest in by the local sheriff. Furthermore, Norman’s elder brother arrives looking for money and gets tied-up with drug trafficking. They also learn the motel has a dark past, a past which is about to catch up with them...

I had reservations about anyone messing with such an iconic character and film, but let me say from the outset that from the very first scene you are reeled in and taken along for the roller coaster ride of psychosis and intrigue. The magic formula for any story is strong characterisation and plot, and Bates Motel has been very carefully planned and thought through by the co-writers/executive producers. Freddie Highmore is an inspired choice for the young Norman Bates. His portrayal of an insecure introvert with flashes of rage, and spacing-out is utterly believable to the point that you can’t help rooting for him. He and Norma are anti-heroes in an environment where it seems nearly everyone is significantly more corrupt than they are.

What is really good about this show is that at all times there are several plot strands being played out. Just when you think things can’t get any worse, the stakes are raised even further. It’s pretty much edge-of-the-seat drama, which is curiously rare on TV. And underneath it all is the mother and son relationship. On the extras there is a Q & A panel, and it seems there is a difference of opinion among the cast over how risqué the relationship actually is. They start off very close, but events bring them even closer, so that the formula of budding psychotic and someone desperate to get real control over their life makes for an increasingly volatile concoction.

It’s been quite a while since an original TV drama came along that intrigued me so much that I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next (probably, it was Life on Mars). The season concluded by tying up nearly all the loose ends, but there is such confidence in this show that it has already been given the go-ahead for a second season. I sincerely hope the very high standards can be maintained.  

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2014)

Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin.  

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Universal Classic Cinema

May 2008

A woman, disillusioned with both her professional and private life, is entrusted by her employer to bank $40,000. Instead, she decides to keep the cash and use it to open a new chapter in her life. Hitting the open road, she drives for three days before pulling into a motel and requesting a room. The Bates motel is surprising empty. It is run by the strangely aloof but sometimes over-enthusiastic Norman Bates, aided by his vociferous and demanding mother. Too tired to read the early signs, the woman stays. She is soon to suffer the dire consequences of her mistake...

Everyone knows that Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is an all-time classic - and everyone is right. It unknowingly, I think, created a new horror genre, the slasher movie. But strictly speaking Psycho is not so much a horror as a thriller. It breaks all the moulds of standard convention. The most unheard of move at that time was to kill-off the star in the first half of the film. Movie-goers were quite naturally horrified. However, anyone who had taken the time to read the novel by Robert Bloch, upon which the film was based, would have known what was coming.

Psycho is dripping in style from start to finish, and has thankfully failed to age, except in terms of fashion and attitudes.

There is a direct link between this timeless classic and another granddaddy of the genre, John Carpenter's Halloween (which is also more about style than blood and violence). That connection is Janet Leigh (star of Psycho) and her daughter Jamie Lee Curtis (who debuted in the latter film).

Anthony Perkins is extremely powerful in his role as Norman Bates. This is a film which hinges on more than a tight script and intelligent direction; without the unbalanced intensity of Perkins' characterisation and acting prowess this could so easily have been reduced to derisible B-movie status.

There was a stilted attempt to resurrect Psycho as a franchise series of films on the back of the 1980s slasher explosion, but none of them shared the edginess of the original. What can I say but, everyone needs this DVD in their collection, particularly followers of suspense thrillers and classic horror.  

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2008)

Starring: Aden Young, Camille Sullivan, Julia Sarah Stone, Ben Cotton. 

Directed by Gary Sinyor

Strike Media

February 2018

Gemma and Will are naturally devastated when their young son is lost. Gemma undergoes a series of panic attacks wherein she almost totally loses her sight, and Will is convinced he can still hear the just discernible voice of their child calling to them. As they inevitably begin to fall out, Gemma takes up an offer from a man called Paul to stay at his Lake District getaway. Paul is amenable to the couple and seemingly allows them their space, while periodically popping-up to enquire if they "need anything". It turns out Paul has his own agenda; his obsession for Gemma moves him to manipulate them and attempt to take control of their lives...

The Unseen is not a horror film in the true sense. It’s barely even a psychological thriller. A crime drama would be closer to the truth. Something we might see in three or four parts on BBC 1 or Channel 5. The media blurb carries quotes which brandish such words as "Unsettling", "Disturbing", "Unnerving", "Engaging" and "Thrilling". Er… no. This film is overly long, dull and aloof. It’s impossible to be taken on a roller coaster ride of thrilling suspense when everything comes across so cold and uncaring. The bad guy has no personality and next to no motive for his actions. The husband, Will, is not much better. Only Jasmine Hyde’s Gemma carries any conviction, but her endeavours fall somewhat flat when she has no personalities to play to. The plot is reasonable enough, but its strands are somewhat contrived, leaving a few plot holes and unanswered questions.

The main protagonist here is an audio book voice artist, who it turns out is spotted and fantasised over after doing a live reading in a bookshop – although he lives miles away in the Lake District! Also, purely by chance Paul has audio equipment, supposedly for detecting the sounds of birds from a distance. Many occurrences are contrived to fit the plot, as opposed to building the characters and exploring how they might react to any given situation. In fact, for the majority of the film I assumed the lost child had been abducted. Gemma and Will frantically search the house for him, culminating in Will splashing through the Pool Room but no body being seen by the viewer. Consequently, when Gemma snatches open the front door and a car accelerates up the road at speed, it’s natural to believe an abduction has just taken place. There is no discussion or scene involving a funeral, so the tacked-on explanation that the boy had been accidentally locked in the Pool Room and drowned seems wedged-in awkwardly at contrast to the natural flow of events.

I love to watch and promote home-grown British horror or suspense material, but this one suffers from the same writer/director factor. It can be a blessing or a curse, and this one for me is closer to the latter. Having said that, it is not a condemnation of Gary Sinyor who I firmly believe will go on to better things.  

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2018)

Starring: Kamil Polnisiak, Nicolas Przygoda.

Directed by Adrian Panek

Eureka Entertainment

November 2019

Eight children are liberated by Russian soldiers from the Gross-Rosen concentration camp in Poland towards the end of World War II. They are left at an abandoned villa with no food or water supplies, and soon come to the conclusion they will have to venture out in search of sustenance. However, the dogs used by the German SS to attack and threaten the captives are roaming wild since their cruel masters were shot. The dogs are forever seeking entry into the villa, as humans are meat and food is very scarce. As the children grow weak and suspicious of each other, they seek to find a way past their besiegers...

Werewolf, directed by Adrian Panek, is released by Eureka Entertainment in dual format (Blu-ray and DVD). Much as it would appear to be so, this is not a horror film in the traditional sense. Rather, it is the horror of reality that affects normal people – mostly innocents – during or subsequent to war. Or, in this case, post-war survival. Therefore, you won’t be surprised to learn that there are no fabled werewolves. Instead, just wild and ravenous dogs which have been left to their own devices after the liberation of the camp. Of course, this scenario is more than terrifying enough in the real sense. In effect, this is an exploration of the human character in harrowing and life-threatening situations.

Terror comes from all quarters: the man-eating dogs, the lack of food and water, the brief return of a Russian soldier, and potentially dangerous people hiding in the hills. Events such as these change people. Some instantly return to instinct and greed, whereas others attempt to hang on to their humanity and plan a way out using logic and imagination. That is essentially what this film is about: character in adversity. It is a poignant story, well told.  

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2019)

Starring: Barry Newman, Dean Jagger, Cleavon Little.

Directed by Richard C. Sarafian

Written by Guillermo Cain (From an Outline by Malcolm Hart).

Fabulous Films/Fremantle Media

June 2019

Barry Newman plays Kowalski, a man who legitimately delivers cars. When he makes a bet that he can drive from Denver to San Francisco in under fifteen hours, he begins by committing a speeding violation and evading a police pursuit. When news of his exploits reaches the public through a radio D.J. called Super Soul, he soon becomes a local hero, representing the last free spirit of America...

The irony evident in Vanishing Point is that Kowalski (remember the 70's series Petrocelli?) does nothing wrong except break the speed limit, evade capture and endanger a few desert rats. As he crosses state borders very little information is passed on between police forces, so that wild assumptions of possible robbery or murder are made. The fact that the D.J. is championing his cause over the airwaves makes matters worse rather than better. However, it does bring help from unexpected quarters, those individuals with no love for the state troopers.

Through a series of brief flashbacks we learn that Kowalski was a decorated war veteran, a disgraced police detective and professional motorcycle and racing car driver. The love of his life was also drowned in a surfing accident; all this baggage of misfortune going some way to rationalise his pleasant but care-free attitude.

You'll need to search hard to find a better road movie than Vanishing Point. There are some nice camera angles and impressive small-scale stunts, but where this films succeeds most is in its sheer simplicity of style. The music, particularly in the first half, is a superb mix of rock and country. The director knows just when to remove the music altogether and allow us to savour the raw power of the white super-charged Dodge Challenger.

Vanishing Point is very much a product of its time (released in 1971), but still looks impressive today.

The new 2-Disc Blu-ray Edition from Fabulous Films & Fremantle not only cleans-up the picture and sound for a new audience, but allows you four ways to enjoy the film: The Original US Theatrical Version, this version with Super Soul Me Bonusview (Picture in Picture), with Director Richard C. Sarafian's Audio Commentary, and the Original UK Theatrical Version. Extras include: OA. 5599 - All About the Car; Built For Speed; 1970 Dodge Challenger Info; Trailers and TV Spots.

There is a kind of urban myth - or certainly an on-going debate - with fans surrounding the final scene. Was Kowalski aware of the trap and allowed himself to become a martyr, or did he genuinely not see it due to the sun being directly in his line of sight. Many would like to believe the former is true. Either way, I can thoroughly recommend this as supercharged escapism.  

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2002 - Updated 2021)

Starring: Michael J Fox, Jason Bateman

Directed by Rod Daniel/Christopher  Leitch 

Fabulous Films/Fremantle Media

September 2023

Fabulous Films/Fremantle Media Enterprises releases the 1980s cult comedy horror Teen Wolf (starring Michael J Fox), and its sequel Teen Wolf Too (starring Jason Bateman) on Blu-ray as a double feature boxset with bonus extras. In the classic original, a teenage nerd with no status suddenly discovers he originates from a long line of werewolves. His awkwardness, confrontation with the school bully, and his lack of friends is turned on its head when he transforms in the middle of a basketball match. After the initial shock of his fellow students, he becomes an ultra-cool icon: he has more friends than he can handle, all the girls want him (apart from the one closest to him), and his basketball skills improve tenfold – to the point his teammates begin to resent him. But Scott has lost touch with his original identity and wants it back. However, his basketball team are the underdogs in the championship final and everyone expects the wolf...
 

Teen Wolf (1985) was a low budget sensation which cost less than a million dollars but grossed $33 million upon its cinematic release. It’s simple but thoroughly entertaining fun. The script, which incorporated all of the essential ingredients for its format, was written at very short notice by Jeph Loeb and Matthew Weisman. They had pitched several ideas and were astounded when Teen Wolf was selected for immediate production. By this time Michael J Fox was hot property with the huge success of Back to the Future and decided not to do the sequel – citing the time spent in the make-up artist’s chair as the problem. Jason Bateman took over the central role in Teen Wolf Too (1987) as Scott’s cousin Todd, in what is essentially the same movie almost scene-for-scene. The main difference here is that Todd is in the high school boxing team and is obliged to fight the resident tough guy. This plays-out like a scene from Rocky! The sequel is a perfectly fine film, just not in the same league as Teen Wolf. Also, the make-up doesn’t look as natural on Bateman as it does on Fox.
 

There is a comprehensive documentary of Teen Wolf, which includes interviews with many of the cast and crew – including the writers. The extras on Teen Wolf Too include an interview with the director Christopher Leitch, interviews with co-stars Stuart Fratkin and Estee Chandler, and a look at the wardrobe of Teen Wolf Too with costume designer Heidi Kaczenski.
 

A final word about Mark Holton who played Chubby in both films with great aplomb. The films wouldn’t have been the same without him.  

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2023) 

Starring: Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo, Al Lewis and Butch Patrick.

Directed by Eal Bellamy 

Fabulous Films/Fremantle Media

July 2022

At a family reading of a will Herman Munster is delighted to learn he has inherited an English estate from an uncle. Now the new Lord Munster, he leaves his job at Gateman, Goodbury & Graves Morticians and moves his family from 1313 Mockingbird Lane to Munster Hall. The three remaining members of the previous Lord’s family are less than enamoured with the decision and when scaring them away fails, they resort to more desperate measures. This involves roping Herman into a dangerous two-family dispute – to be resolved in a sports car race. The other driver has been replaced and is out to kill Herman and wreck his Drag-u-la special. But Herman is more resourceful than expected and also uncovers a counterfeit ring...

The original black and white series of The Munsters ran for 70 episodes between 1964 and 1966, when it began to lose viewers to the Adam West Batman series. This was the first film outing for the show, and the first in technicolor. It was made straight after the series came to an end in 1966, screening at the end of the year as a support movie for Norman Wisdom’s Press for Time. The series creators Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher also produced and co-wrote this one. The full family is intact (Fred Gwynne playing Herman, Yvonne De Carlo as Lily, Al Lewis depicting Grandpa, and Butch Patrick as Eddie), aside from Marilyn (Pat Priest replaced by Debbie Watson). British comedian Terry Thomas is somewhat annoying, portraying a grown man acting like a little spoilt child, but John Carradine pulls off an intriguing butler somewhere between sinister and quirky.

Although this childish slapstick humour is not for me, the script is well-handled for a nonsense run-around. All of the characters are given something to do, rather than aimlessly following others around. Additional plot strands tie-up probably too well together, allowing Grandpa and Herman to embark on a spooky and dangerous snoop around to uncover the counterfeit money, and Marilyn to meet up with a gentleman who turns out to be part of the feuding family – the Munster’s long-time rivals. The car race itself is pretty zany, but an enjoyable romp reminiscent of Genervieve. It’s intriguing to see the Munster family’s horror cosmetics; on the whole they hold up pretty well.

All of those who enjoyed the series re-runs will undoubtedly love this one, but for newcomers it will perhaps appeal more to a younger audience. The only extra is a theatrical trailer.  

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022) 

Starring: Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern and Lee Tergesen  

Directed by Patty Jenkins

Second Sight Films

August 2022

Selby Wall (Christina Ricci) is a kind but shy and reserved young woman who lives with overly strict parents. She has no friends but takes to visiting bars desperate to make a connection. Against all the odds, she strikes up a friendship with Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron), a wayward and luckless ex-sex worker who is determined to put her life back on track. When they become more than friends, Aileen persuades Selby to leave home with the promise of fun and excitement. However, the money soon runs out and, feeling pressure to look after Selby, Aileen returns to prostitution. She is overpowered and brutally raped, finally managing to shoot the man dead with his own gun. This would undoubtedly be considered self-defence; it begins a cycle of robbery and death, most of which Selby is blissfully unaware of. But where will the killing end and what will it do to their uneasy relationship...?

This film is from 2004. Based on a true story, in reality Aileen Wuornos was America’s first female serial killer. Director Patty Jenkins – who helmed Wonder Woman (2017) – conveys the story with both distaste and heartfelt gravitas. The two women are poles apart in terms of background, temperament and attitude and yet come together, both looking for something new in their life. The performances are strong, particularly that of Charlize Theron. You can’t help feeling both horrified and touched by her portrayal. Wuornos was thrown-out on the streets at the age of thirteen to fend for herself. Her profession was a necessary means to an end. The sympathy is gradually mitigated and then overbalanced with violence and murder. It comes across as actions she felt obliged to carry out to keep them together. So, the balance is maintained in the film to suck you in and drag you along like a Bonnie and Clyde-type experience.

Almost 20 years on from the film’s initial outing, Monster gets a brand-new release on Blu-ray in a Limited-Edition Box Set. It incorporates a rigid slipcase, original artwork by Daniel Benneworth-Gray, a Soft Cover Book with new essays by Anton Bitel, Hannah Strong & Shelagh Rowan-Legg, Six Collector’s Art Cards and Special Features – including: an Audio Commentary with writer/director Patty Jenkins, actor/producer Charlize Theron & producer Clark Peterson; Making a Murderer: a new interview with Patty Jenkins; Producing a Monster: a new interview with Brad Wyman; Light From Within: a new interview with director of photography Steven Bernstein; Monster: The Vision and Journey; Based on a True Story: The Making of Monster; Deleted and Extended Scenes with director commentary; and the Original Trailer.

I noticed a few cameo appearances throughout the film, including Jason Voorhees himself Kane Hodder. The ending is inevitable, although very nicely handled. Personally, the enjoyment came through the strength of the characters and the heart portrayed, rather than any violence. The soundtrack is also nicely balanced by events in the movie.  

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022) 

Starring: Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Fabulous Films/Fremantle Media

September 2021

Fabulous Films Ltd/Fremantle Media Enterprises releases a 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray of the classic psychological thrillerCape Fear, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange and Juliette Lewis. Vicious psychopath Max Cady is released after a 14-year prison sentence for rape and battery, and begins an intensive terror campaign against his defence attorney Sam Bowden and his loved but unstable family. Cady appears to keep safely within the parameters of the law, and so Sam feels forced to take the law into his own hands. Events spiral beyond all sanity, resulting in a nightmare showdown in a houseboat on Cape Fear...

There are some interesting facts surrounding this film. It’s a remake of the 1962 cinematic thriller directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum – which is itself based on the 1957 novel The Executioners by John D. MacDonald. Both Peck and Mitchum have cameo roles in this version. Scorsese agreed a film swap with Stephen Spielberg, who was originally in line to make the film. Spielberg wanted Scorsese’s Schindler’s List, and Scorsese himself was happy with getting Cape Fear, as he wanted to avoid any controversy after Goodfellasand The Last Temptation of Christ. Ultimately, it was a good arrangement. Scorsese’s direction is creepy and chilling, ramping up the aspects of threat and menace, and utilising some unusual camera angles. Some scenes have a sense of unreality, reflecting the reaction of the victims who just cannot believe this is happening to them.

I have to admit I’m not a fan of Robert De Niro’s acting, but in this one his portrayal is suitably psychotic, being outwardly friendly or passive aggressive, and not just threatening or violent but manipulative – taking his time to achieve his goal. Both he and Juliette Lewis (the daughter) were nominated for awards. De Niro’s commitment to the role cannot be denied after he not only allowed his body to be heavily tattooed with vegetable oils which take a few months to fade, but paid a doctor $5,000 to grind down his teeth in order to appear more menacing. After shooting the film he then paid $20,000 to have his teeth restored. Personally, I feel that Jessica Lange’s performance lets the side down a little, without being too noticeable. It’s a film that is quite powerful and effective; the kind that you’re glad you watched but wouldn’t be on your regular repeat list.

What makes this more of an attractive purchase is the reversible sleeve artwork by Graham Humphreys, the double-sided fold-out sleeve art poster, and the extras which consist of The Making of Cape Fear, Deleted Scenes, Behind-the-Scenes on the Fourth of July Parade, On the Set of the Houseboat, Photograph Montages, Matte Paintings, Opening Credits and the Theatrical Trailer. 

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2021) 

Starring: Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal, Amidou and Ramon Bieri

Directed by William Friedkin

Entertainment One

November 2017

Four men from different parts of the world fall foul of the law in a big way (we see their individual stories) and end up in the Dominican Republic where, to earn the money they need to continue their respective journeys, they are obliged to accept a job driving two trucks carrying unstable gelignite across 200 miles of rough terrain to an oil fire which needs to be put out. The chances of success are very slim as the slightest jolt can signal instant annihilation. The job is made all the more difficult by the fact they don’t exactly see eye to eye...

40 years after its release Sorcerer gets a brand new launch – this time to generally rave reviews. Some say it is William Friedkin’s best work.

For many film fans Friedkin will need no introduction. He was the director of The French Connection (considered by many to be the ultimate crime thriller) and The Exorcist (one of the finest films ever made). By the time he proposed the notion of Sorcerer, in the eyes of backers, he could do no wrong. Universal Pictures and Paramount studios joined forces to welcome his new vision. Steve McQueen was first choice for the lead role. However, as he had just married he felt reluctant to jet off across the world for any length of time. Failing to convince the director to relocate to the USA, he pulled out and Friedkin went for Roy Scheider (who was currently popular with cinema audiences for his role in Jaws). Friedkin had a very solid arrangement for locations in the Dominican Republic.

Upon its initial release the film bombed. The majority of cinema goers were not overly enamoured, it seemed, and many critics were less kind. There were three main problems. Firstly, Americans weren’t attracted by the mostly foreign and unknown (to many) actors. Secondly, there were no heroes. Friedkin has never believed in them, citing that everyone is at least flawed. So all four main players are villains of one sort or another, allowing no audience relation or sympathy. In fact, the title Sorcerer is meant in the context of an evil wizard who manipulates events to his advantage – although much of what these characters try to do goes wrong, so you can’t even root for the bad guy. Mostly, it was down to bad timing though; it emerged in 1977 amidst Star Wars mania. The George Lucas film revolutionised overnight what cinema viewers expected from the experience.

Sorcerer was put on the shelf, so to speak, after around only two weeks and hasn’t seen the light of day until now. This is a momentous release (cleaned-up and presented on Blu-ray, with a reversible sleeve which gives the option of the film poster) because, although it’s not the best film you’ll ever see, it’s significantly superior to the treatment it originally received. We live in an age now whereby most individuals are prepared to give any film a try and judge it by its content and enjoyment factor, rather than on the year in which it was made, its budget or from what country it originated.

What you have to bear in mind is Sorcerer was done ‘for real’ – meaning there were no special effects. The trucks really drove along overhanging sheer drops, they really drove inch by inch across the dilapidated wooden swinging rope bridge, and they set real explosives to blow-up the huge fallen tree blocking their path. In fact, this last obstacle is overcome using a simple but clever timer device to allow them to be clear at the time of the explosion.

The screenplay to Sorcerer is by Walon Green, and is based on the novel The Wages of Fear, by Georges Arnaud. The music is composed and performed by soundtrack specialists Tangerine Dream. Friedkin asked them to score his next film after seeing them perform in an old church in Germany. The sound style sounds at times a lot like John Carpenter (no bad thing!), with a building of suspense and a definite relentlessness. There is no sentimentality here.

After ten minutes or so of abject confusion, the viewer begins to realise the background is being given to each of the four main character villains. The adventure really begins once we learn of the oil fire and the need for the sweaty gelignite. As with the minis escaping with the gold in The Italian Job, the main heart of the film is the potentially suicidal journey in the two trucks holding the explosives. The running time for this sequence goes by in a moment.

As an extra there is an excellent interview with William Friedkin wherein we witness his no nonsense manner and complete belief in the work he does. Friedkin says a lot of things that make sense, but we also capture an inkling of just why so many people couldn’t get on with the guy. It’s a real eye-opener and so gains an extra mark just for this inclusion.

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017) 

Starring: Joel McCrea, Fay Wray, Leslie Banks, Robert Armstrong

Directed by Cooper & Schoedsack

Eureka Entertainment

October 2022

Big game hunter, Bob Rainsford, is on board a ship which flounders on rocks in a strait when it is discovered danger marker buoys have been moved. As the ship sinks in shark-infested waters, Bob – the only survivor – makes for the nearest island where he is taken in as a guest of Count Zaroff. It materialises that Zaroff is a dedicated hunter too, but the connection soon turns to suspicion when two other guests – a brother and sister – reveal their party previously numbered four and the other two have mysteriously disappeared. By the time the terrible truth is known, only the beautiful sister (Fay Wray) is left. Zaroff hunts people, and Bob is challenged to survive until sun-up...
 

To celebrate the classic film’s 90th anniversary, Eureka Entertainment releases Cooper and Schoedsack’s The Most Dangerous Gamefrom 1932 on Blu-ray for the first time, as part of its Masters of Cinema series. This pre-code horror/adventure film, starring Joel McCrea and Fay Wray, is presented from a 2K restored scan. The film is adapted from the hugely popular 1920s short story by Richard Connell. So ground-breaking was the story that countless books and films wherein a human being is hunted-down for entertainment, information, money or a number of other reasons originates back to The Most Dangerous Game.
 

The film fully utilises the lavish jungle sets created for King Kong… whilst Kong was still being made! Many of the cast and crew worked on Kong during the day and The Most Dangerous Game through the night. This gives the film added gravitas. It’s easy with hindsight to dismiss Leslie Banks’ portrayal of Count Zaroff as pantomime-like, but in truth it is an intense representation of a character on the edge of madness. The movie proves to be a nice little pot-boiler; a claustrophobic horror/adventure. It even plays-out an elaborate final clash between hero and villain which was only referred to in the story.
 

There is a brand-new audio commentary by that regular double-act author Stephen Jones and author/critic Kim Newman. Kim Newman appears on many classic film release extras and he is equally enthusiastic and entertaining here, with his talk on the hunted-human sub-genre. Not so much an interview as an engaging talk on the subject, bordering on rhetoric. Along with Mark Kermode, Kim Newman is the best film historian/critic around. There’s also a brand-new interview with film scholar Stephen Thrower. A collector’s booklet featuring a new essay by Craig Ian Mann completes the piece, illustrated with archival imagery.
 

This is a good release. Buy yourself a piece of film history… before I set the hounds after you. 

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022) 

Starring: GWAR

Directed by Scott Barber

Acorn Media International (Shudder)

October 2022

Acorn Media International releases the Shudder exclusive Blu-ray This is GWAR, a feature-length Rocumentary by Scott Barber which charts the Metal/Art Movement band GWAR from its 1984 beginnings in Richmond, Virginia, USA. The collective of musicians, artists and filmmakers were originally known as Slave Pit Inc. – the intention being to raise money to make a movie based on some of their extreme comic art. The artistry and theatrics was the asylum which took over the music to a certain extent. Nevertheless, their antics soon made them fan favourites – being described in some quarters as the sickest band in the world. Costumes and props became increasingly more crazy and extravagant, including spraying the crowd with theatre blood and other fake bodily fluids. Using stage footage and interviews with the seeming cast of thousands who have been in the line-up, this is the story of the individuals who have kept the dream alive for more than 30 years...
 

Although as a Metal music fan I was well aware of the existence of GWAR, I never really got into their bizarre style. For me, the band – particularly in the early years – seemed to be more about the horror-fantasy schlock and blatant sexual connotations than the music. The balance being heavy weighted on the former. Compare this to an act like Iron Maiden, whose stage show is there only to enhance the effect of the music. This changed slightly when GWAR reached the 2000s, the improved musicianship attracting more interest from the record label. But it was still tempered by sometimes very explicit lyrics which the band refused to pull or moderate, resulting in bans and the ultimate loss of sales and backing.
 

No matter my feelings towards the GWAR act, I am more than impressed by the professionalism with which this story has been put across. There is no showing-off, grandstanding or ‘slagging-off’ of fellow band mates. It’s simply an earnest warts-and-all exploration and, indeed, explanation of what has occurred internally over the years. There is heartfelt emotion covering the entire gamut of situations. The GWAR members talk with enthusiasm, irony, regret, excitement and sadness. A couple of the contributors speak with tears in their eyes about lost compatriots and there is no doubt that they miss their friends from the band. As with the very popular from-the-heart Anvil documentary (2008's Anvil! The Story of Anvil), this one also has a genuineness about it.
 

There is a host of Special Features, which include: a Commentary track with Derks and Bob Gorman; Behind the scenes of a GWAR show; GWAR on Empire Records; The Legend of GWAR; Last Interview with Dave Brokien; A Message from the Scum Dogs of the Universe; Four Pillars of GWAR; Slave Pit walk-through with Michael Bishop; and GWAR from the outside. 

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022) 

Starring: BMG

Directed by George A. Romero

Acorn Media International (Shudder)

October 2022

Acorn Media International releases – for the first time on UK Blu-ray – the short film The Amusement Park from Night of the Living Dead director George A. Romero. Just short of 50 years after its completion, the film has been rediscovered and restored. It was released in selective cinemas in 2019, and now this Shudder Exclusive is available to a wider audience via retail sale and digitally. Martin (Lincoln Maazel) is an elderly man who purchases tickets for a day at an amusement park. What he believes will be an ordinary day emerges as a sustained nightmare, as he learns how the senior citizens are (mis)treated or ignored by the general populace in the chaotic surroundings of the crowds and rides. The release incorporates new artwork and a number of extra features...
 

The first thing you will discover when watching this curious movie is that the amusement park itself is an allegory for life itself. It exists in order to provide examples of obstacles, pitfalls and general ignorance the elderly come across in everyday life – in many cases, treated as second-class citizens, if they are considered at all. Bearing in mind when this was made (1973), it was not only an original idea but a very serious subject put across fairly dramatically. I’m not certain the central character’s reactions are entirely believable, and this is one drawback of having all the allegories of life in one location and on one day. However, it makes its point well. Right from the start there is a queue of elderly people having to trade their worldly goods for tickets and being right royally stitched-up.
 

A well-handled scene depicts a young couple entering a fortune teller’s tent, only to be shown in graphic detail what they will suffer in the twilight of their lives. There are two attempts to innocently converse with a little girl, only to be shouted at and threatened as if a potential sexual predator. It is telling that this example is given even back in 1973. I remember Tom Baker once stating in an interview that parents only allow their young children to approach two strangers: Father Christmas and Doctor Who. I’m not even sure this is the case anymore, and that’s sad. All of the interacting or peripheral people in The Amusement Park come across as strangers, offering the whole almost a documentary feel. It’s not entertaining but address a problem which still hasn’t been addressed/rectified all these decades later.
 

Extras include: an Audio Commentary by Michael Gornick; Re-opening the Park: with Suzanne Desrocher-Romero; Bill & Bonnie’s Excellent Adventure: with Bonnie Hinzman; For Your Amusement: with artist Ryan Carr; a Panel Interviewwith Suzanne Desrocher-Romero, Sandra Schulberg, Greg Nicotero and Daniel Kraus – moderated by Shudder’s Samuel Zimmerman; The Amusement Park official brochure; The Amusement Park script; and a Behind-the-Scenes photo gallery.  

Verdict: 3 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2022) 

Starring: Max Records, Laura Fraser, Christopher Lloyd and Christina Baldwin 

Directed Billy O'Brien

Bulldog Film Distribution

February 2017

John Wayne Cleaver (a nice name which suggests a sort of hero slasher!) is a 17 year old boy who helps his mother at the mortuary removing organs from bodies and replacing blood with embalming fluid. He has a somewhat unhealthy obsession with serial killers to the point he has a therapist (he even tells people that he has to be nice to them because he is actually thinking about killing them!). The town is living in fear as several people have been killed or gone missing. When John spots someone acting suspiciously on more than one occasion he surreptitiously follows the figure to a surprising revelation. But it’s one thing knowing who the killer is, it’s quite another doing something about it. Everyone treats John with distaste, mistrust or ridicule, so he is obliged to take matters into his own hands. However, the killer knows the enemy, and events lead to an astounding game of cat and mouse...

Christopher Lloyd is already a minor legend for his eccentric appearances in Taxi and Back to the Future, but the real star in this movie is Max Records. He perfectly portrays  a teenager who is an aloof (but not necessarily cold) passive-aggressive with the presence of a victim unless he has something to say. Although he doesn’t bond with anyone (his family and one friend quite plainly outsiders) you can’t help siding with him...  proving the acting is spot on.

There are obvious links to the excellent Donnie Darko: occasional black humour against a bleak subject matter (John uses an unwanted panda hat Christmas gift as a disguise in the latter stages), and the ‘nobody’ with sociopathic tendencies who uncovers corruption within a relatively small community whilst riding a bike! However, it’s a very different film with its own clever moments. I don’t want to give too much away, but there are plenty of surprises. I  particularly like the scene wherein John follows the suspicious hooded  figure as another person is apparently abducted, only to witness the revelation that the supposed victim is actually the aggressor.

John’s morbid fascination with killer and dead bodies is entirely conducive to the plot. The groundwork for the rather unusual finale is carefully laid out in plain sight, so that you can’t see the wood for the trees, so to speak.

There is nothing forced or contrived about I Am Not a Serial Killer; it flows with a real sense of professionalism. Even the kills are not the main scenes; there is no need for extreme violence and gore in a movie which so obviously feels comfortable in its own skin (which is ironic when you view the conclusion).

The film is a British/Irish co-production filmed in America. It has been almost universally acclaimed, and not without just cause. Director Billy O’Brien has done a sterling job (matched by a perfectly weighted score), and I’m certain we’ll be seeing more of Max Records (check out on the extras the test scenes filmed when he was younger).           

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017)

Starring: Simon Day, Michael Kitchen, Rhys Thomas, Paul Whitehouse, Lucy Montgomery and Nigel Havers.       

Directed Rhys Thomas  

BBC/Dazzler Media

April 2016

For the first time on DVD and Blu-ray, we have all three series of the Rock spoof, Brian Pern, starring Simon Day. Each series consists of three half-hour episodes (that’s nine in all) which chronicle the many trials and tribulations of a has-been Progressive Rock singer. It features a veritable host of famous guest actors, musicians and presenters, against a backdrop of home, studio and live venues. This long-overdue complete set is released by Dazzler Media. Let the fun begin…

Some people might say that this series owes its style origins to The Office. The only thing is, those people would be wrong. Without a shadow of a doubt, Brian Pern would not exist if not for the timeless success of the brilliant This is Spinal Tap (and maybe, The Ruttles). Rather than Tap’s premise of an ageing English Metal band touring America, we get the Rockumentary/mockumentary following the daily life of a Prog Rock star from the seventies, with potted histories and flashbacks to his earlier crazy days. Although it’s never said outright, you can’t avoid the fact that the character is modelled on Peter Gabriel of Genesis and a subsequent and quite different solo career. Brian Pern is often promoted here as being the first musician to use plasticine in a video, and the originator of World Music. As this is in effect a comedy played straight, there are plenty of situations which go disastrously wrong.

Series 1 – The Life of Rock With Brian Pern starts at the very beginning, poking fun at Rock’s origins. The period dominated by LSD comes complete with weird images which includes one of the worst sequences from Doctor Who in the 1980s, featuring a character karate-kicking an alien monster. There is a recurrent piece in all three series which is stolen directly from Doctor Who’s original 'Master Theme'. The point here is that, being a BBC show, the sky is the limit as regards to which old panel programmes, music presentations and news items can be dug out, dusted-off and manipulated for spoof purposes. There are appearances over the serial by such luminaries as Roger Taylor, Rick Wakeman, Rick Parfitt, Jools Holland, Noddy Holder, Chrissie Hynde, Paul Young, Roger Moore, Paul Whitehouse, Nigel Havers, Christopher Eccleston, Matt Lucas, Michael Kitchen, Simon Callow, Martin Freeman, Peter Bowles, Tony Blackburn, Cathy Burke, and many, many more.

Series 2 – Brian Pern: A Life in Rock is primarily about charity records and concerts, a musical play a la War of the Worlds, the Christmas album and tax evasion. I particularly like Pern’s radio interview by newscaster John Humphrys, in which he is asked some very pointed questions. Pern describes his charity record to save the rain forests, which has an ape singing backing vocals. When asked what he is going to use the money for, he explains it’s for bullet-proof vests to protect the gorillas from poachers. There is also Phil Collins playing the crashing drum piece from 'In the Air Tonight' over the top of the quiet intro to Led Zeppelin’s 'Stairway to Heaven'. The musical play is about Pern’s career, except without the music! The play becomes something quite different, and he can do nothing about it, as he is arrested. I particularly like the moment when Rick Parfitt is brought in to help him with his World Music album, but contributes only Status Quo-like 12-bar riffs.

Series 3 – 45 Years of Prog And Roll covers a potted history of the band Thotch, it’s albums and solo projects. A reunion concert is organised, and this spawns one of the best lines from Pern’s manager when he is originally against the idea: ‘Did you see the Rolling Stones at Glastonbury? It was like Last of the Summer Wine directed by George A. Romero!’ We also get to learn what the original members of Thotch really think of each other, and how they justify what they have become. The culmination of the whole thing is the reunion concert itself, which has some funny and bizarre moments, including the unwelcome appearance of an original member of Thotch, played at his mad thespian best by Simon Callow.

At some points the serial does suffer from diminishing returns, because you begin to guess what will happen in certain situations. However, overall, this is a highly enjoyable piece of comedic TV which will appeal to anyone who loves This is Spinal Tap, or simply wants an insight into the ridiculousness of the music industry.         

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2016)  

Starring: William Peterson, Kim Greist, Joan Allen, Brian Cox.  

Directed Michael Mann 

Optimum Home Entertainment

September 2011

Will Graham is an ex-crime scenes investigator, who retired after catching and imprisoning Dr Hannibal Lector. He was stabbed but affected by a greater extent after trying to put himself in the mind of Lector and as a result spending a short time in a mental facility. His friend and colleague, Jack Crawford, persuades him to return and head the investigation into a new serial killer, dubbed by insiders as The Tooth Fairy. After visiting the latest crime scene, Will visits Lector in jail in order to re-enter the required mindset, but Lector immediately begins to play mind games with him. When it is discovered that the killer has corresponded with Lector, Will sets up a sting with himself as the target. However, the plan goes disastrously wrong, and Will is left with only a few hours left before the next full moon killing...

I have fond memories of this film. Red Dragon, upon which this film was based, was by far the best book from Thomas Harris, no subsequent book involving these characters coming close. Similarly, this film knocks spots off those films which followed: the vastly overrated The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, and the inevitable Red Dragon inferior remake. This film, looking crisp and new on Blu-ray, simply exudes style. The direction by Michael Mann, is meticulous in making everything look slightly off-kilter. In each scene he uses a piece of architecture or furniture and has it take over the shot - even filming at table height or at acute angles on the street.

Also, the book has been expertly transposed, losing none of its tautness. There’s a constant feeling of time running out, highlighted by tints of colour indicating the present feeling portrayed. The acting is pretty much spot on - particularly Brian Cox as Hannibal, and William Peterson (of CSI) as Will Graham. You genuinely want to slap the reporter, and that’s the sign of good characterisation. We are more than halfway into the film before we see anything of the lifestyle of the killer and his tentative relationship with a blind woman, which soon turns sour.

This 25th Anniversary Edition contains the Original Theatrical Cut, and the Director’s Cut. There are a couple of nice special features too: The Manhunter Look featurette, and the Inside Manhunter featurette.          

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2011)  

Starring: Michael Rooker, Tom Towles, Tracy Arnold.       

Directed John McNaughton

Studiocanal

October 2011

Henry is a serial killer who moves from city to city, leaving behind a string of bodies, killed by various methods. He associates no importance to the process, although he realises it is important to keep on the move. Arriving in Chicago, he moves in with Otis, an ex-con buddy who is soon drawn into his dark world. When Otis’ s sister arrives in town looking for work, she is intrigued with Henry and, after hearing about some of his exploits, happily attaches herself to him and his sinister psyche. Henry begins to school them in his way of life, causing them to take a direction from which there  is no return...

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer was filmed in 1986 but, due to its bio docudrama approach and certain scenes of violence, it wasn’t seen in its entirety until 1990. I’ve seen the edited version of this film and, to be brutally honest, in terms of the number of scenes there’s not much difference. John McNaughton was a fledgling director at the time, and undoubtedly wanted to make a big impact on the movie business - although he admits that he had no idea what constituted an unreasonably brutal scene in the eyes of the censors. The opening montage of dead bodies in various locations is one such segment which had to be removed. Now that it’s back in place, it isn’t lengthy but it does somewhat change the structure of the entire film. Rather than have Henry tell his back story to the police in a scene arrangement which starts in the middle - as with the other, frankly awful, Henry Lee Lewis semi-fictional biography - what we get here is a more palatable linear tale of how the key character brings everyone down around  

him.

Henry is based on the notorious serial killer, Henry Lee Lucas. He is portrayed here as an almost totally emotionless individual, with cold inner rage and sexual frustration. Although acting performances are solid and convincing, this is not the type of film I normally enjoy. However, for anyone who loves this movie, there is a veritable plethora of extra features on this Blu-ray Special Edition. Alongside the expected Making of... documentary, there is a featurette on Henry Lee Lucas, an interview with director John McNaughton (which is so long that I fell asleep watching it), an exploration of the altered scenes, deleted scenes and outtakes with commentary, stills gallery, and original storyboards.          

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2011)  

Starring: Carmen Otero and Charlie Otero.      

Directed Marc Levitz  

Lions Gate Home Entertainment

February 2011

Charlie Otero was a teenage child on 15 January 1974 when he returned home from  school to find that his parents and two younger family members had been viciously murdered. These were the first victims of the serial killer who would later be known as B.T.K. (Blind, Torture, Kill). Thirty years later, after many more killings during the 1970s and 1980s, a man called Dennis Rader was eventually arrested and convicted of the crimes. He is currently serving several life sentences. This is the story of how Charlie Otero, day by day, attempted to put his life back together...

I fully expected this to be a dramatisation of real life events, but discovered it to be a feature length documentary. After a description of the horrific events of that fateful day in 1974, we begin with Charlie just being released from jail after a three and a half year stretch. According to those closest to him, he was allegedly manipulated to certain actions by his ex-wife. He briefly meets a couple of old friends, before attempting to go on with his life. Charlie has been in a dark place, but he comes across as vengeful and railing at the world, which is normal in my book, considering what he has been through. They are events which will never leave him.

After years of silence, B.T.K. resurfaces, sending a number of correspondences to the police. After a time, and before Charlie Otero can exact his own justice, the perpetrator is arrested. It never fails to amaze me how almost everybody who has unsuspectingly known a serial killer states how nice or harmless they seemed. Charlie and his surviving sister attend a number of preliminary hearings, and we get a sense of just what they have suffered and endured across the years. Matters spiral further when his son is seriously injured in a traffic accident, and doctors have no idea whether or not he will pull through.

There is a sort of closure for Charlie. Rader is convicted and sentenced (although he shows no remorse), and there’s good news concerning his boy. I have no idea why this is a docu-film, as opposed to a TV documentary, but it does incorporate most key points in Charlie’s life leading up to the sentencing of his parents' murderer. The subject matter means it’s not enjoyable to watch, but it is professionally filmed and edited. You feel naturally pleased that his life is making a very positive turn.            

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2011)  

Starring: Hilary Swank, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Christopher Lee.       

Directed Antti Jokinen 

Icon Home Entertainment

July 2011

A young woman attempting to pick her life up  after a less than acrimonious split with her boyfriend, is looking for a new apartment. She comes across one barely finished, but in a prime location and at a very reasonable price. The owner appears to be a perfect gentleman, but appearances can be deceiving. Very soon, she begins to get the impression that something is seriously amiss - particularly when she invariably wakes up in the morning feeling tired and unwell. As if that isn’t enough, she has a number of unsettling encounters with the landlord’s sinister elderly father. To convince herself she isn’t paranoid, she has a camera system installed. But she remains in imminent peril...

As I opinioned when reviewing Let Me In, news of  another outing from Hammer Films is genuinely cause for celebration. The company has a legendary reputation. The Resident has the huge added selling point of starring, alongside Hilary Swain and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, veteran actor Christopher Lee. Although Lee has been at pains to distance himself from his horror icon status over the years (for heaven sakes, WHY?), this is a coming home of sorts - and he proves quite beyond doubt, despite his advanced age, that he still packs a chilling punch.

Nevertheless, after tearing down the drapes and stripping off the wallpaper, this film is simply a stalker thriller, based in an apartment building. I have to say that this has been done a thousand times now; Pacific Heights, John Carpenter’s Someone’s Watching Me, Panic Room, and many in between. In terms of originality... well, it isn’t. However, it is competently plotted and well-structured, and even tense in all the right places. It’s just that it’s predictable and, consequently, the spark of enjoyment flickers and dies pretty early on. Simple ideas are often the best, but there is a limit.

Let’s see something more original next time, Hammer, it’s what we - and you - deserve.          

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2011)  

Starring: Asia Argento, Thomas Kretschmann and Marco Leonardi.       

Directed Dario Argento 

Arrow Films

March 2010

Anna Manni is a detective in Rome's Anti-Rape Unit. Whilst on the hunt for a serial rapist and killer, she is given an anonymous tip-off as to his whereabouts. When she arrives to apprehend him at an art gallery the elaborate classic paintings overwhelm her and she passes-out, hitting her head on a table. When she regains consciousness her gun has gone from her bag, but she doesn't know who she is and can't recall what happened. A man offers her money for a taxi to her apartment, the key for which she finds in her bag. As she begins to recover her identity, she is attacked and raped by the same man - the person the police are searching for - using her weakness around works  of art against her. The psychologist she is assigned to informs her she has Stendhal Syndrome, which causes intensive illusions in the presence of fine art. The killer begins to take an altogether unhealthy interest in Anna, finally kidnapping her and keeping her bound. However, when Anna manages to get the upper hand her police colleagues believe the killer is dead. But Anna isn't convinced... 

This is another of the current DVD releases of Dario Argento films, this time starring the director's daughter Asia Argento. The recently reviewed The Card Player was originally intended as a sequel to this movie, but ultimately it took on it's own individual identity. That was to prove a blessing of sorts, as The Card Player is in my opinion a finer film - aside, perhaps, from the predictable ending.

The Stendhal Syndrome feels like an extremely long viewing experience; although the running time is 118  minutes, the structure is that of three conjoined segments, each differing only slightly from the last. Anna is effectively made a victim three times, and it makes you wonder where her colleagues are all this time. You wouldn't think they would let her out of their sight, and as a previous victim in reality she would have been removed from the case and sent far away to undergo convalescence. Still, this is based on a novel, and it's necessary to suspend a little disbelief otherwise we wouldn't have a  story.

It's a reasonably good film, well acted, but the concept of entering a painting or having a dark figure emerge from one is not exploited enough for my liking. The scene in which she becomes the art she is  afraid of by painting herself, becomes superfluous as the character of Anna learns nothing from the experience.

Again, the packaging is good, with a double-sided sleeve, a collector's booklet and a poster. The disc extras are limited to a theatrical trailer, and some trailers from Argento's other films.          

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2010)

Starring: Stefania Rocca, Liam Cunninghan, Silvio Muccino.       

Directed Dario Argento 

Arrow Films

March 2010

A young woman is abducted, and police detective Anna Mari is forced to play a form of on-line poker against the kidnapper for the woman's life. Initially, the chief inspector had refused to involve the police in manipulative games, which culminated in the first captive being killed in front of their eyes via a video link which the experts cannot trace. But even when Anna convinces him they should play to buy more time, she knows she is no poker player. Aided by a disgraced Irish cop called John Brennan in the investigation to apprehend the killer the media has dubbed The Card Player, Anna soon realises she will need an expert player. However, somehow the killer knows that someone is playing in her stead. It isn't long before Anna becomes a target herself, and the killer isn't finished playing yet...

The Card  Player is one of a number of current DVD releases of Dario Argento  films from Arrow Video. Horror aficionados might know him through his older films such as Demons and Suspiria, or more recently by his contribution to the Masters of Horror anthology series. However, he has delved more deeply into police procedural murder mysteries/thrillers - a genre which he reportedly feels most  comfortable with.

This is a good representation of his dramatic suspense material, with Stefania Rocca and Liam Cunningham both powerful in their central roles. The use of computer crime, although heavily on the increase, is usually in the form of embezzlement, so the idea of the computer application being the unwitting channel for crime threw me back to the excellent Lynda LaPlante scripted Killer Net, in which a CD-ROM game was being controlled by a third party. This being the case, the film would also have worked well as an episode of any number of police detective serials.

The plot  motors along at a cracking pace, and the climatic scene is gripping, but I have to say it didn't take much reasoning to work out who the  killer was, particularly when a time discrepancy is explained.

Any fan of Dario Argento's work should welcome this release, as it contains a double-sided sleeve, a collector's booklet, and a poster. The disc itself contains a Making of... featurette, a gallery and ten minutes of trailers for his other films.         

Verdict: 7 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2010)  

Starring: Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Vincent Price. 

Directed Rowland V. Lee 

Fabulous Films/Fremantle Media

August 2017

With acting dignitaries such as Vincent Price, Boris Karloff and Basil Rathbone on parade here you would be forgiven for thinking Tower of London is a horror film in the vein of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum. Rathbone is of course best known for his portrayal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s super sleuth Sherlock Holmes in a number of films (I have the box set of these and for me he was the ultimate Holmes, with only Peter Cushing coming anywhere close).

However, this black and white movie dating back to 1939 is a purely historical piece dramatising the much despised ascension of Richard III to the throne. This was a blood thirsty time of scheming and treachery which makes contemporary manic machinations seem like a paltry skip through the daisies. Richard is sixth in line to the throne, but he has strong and lamentable ambitions to be king. He has a little cupboard wherein figures of those who stand in his way lead up to the current king. The film – with the help of a little poetic licence  – depicts how Richard ruthlessly planned and killed them one-by-one, including the king’s brother the Duke of Clarence (featuring a very young-looking Price) and his two young sons.

Boris Karloff plays the executioner Mord, confidant to Richard and the product of his murderous hand. In true Karloff style he has a bald head, grand bushy eyebrows and a club foot. He does much of Richard’s bidding, but a nice moment in which he appears to suffer a conflict of conscience regarding killing the boys is wasted in the blink of an eye. Rathbone is suitably nasty, manipulating everyone around him. The battle scenes are well-handled by showing great numbers rushing in to confront each other, and then concentrating close-ups on individual skirmishes.

The story was plotted by the history researching Robert N. Lee, who is the brother of the director Rowland  V. Lee. The film is well-constructed and tells its tale well, but I did rather feel like I was having a history lesson rather than enjoying an entertaining fictional movie.          

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2017)  

Starring: Ed Harris, Gary Lahti, Tom Savini, Amy Ingersoll and Patricia Tallman.       

Directed George A. Romero 

Arrow Films

April 2013

In this contemporary  people story, a troupe of travelling players arrive at the edge of town. They consist of King “Billy” William, his queen, a company of knights, various performers, and makers of arts and crafts. For a  small fee the pageant puts on an often violent display of jousting - in armour, but on motorcycles rather than horses - and hand to-hand combat with weapons such as the axe, medieval spiked-mace, and sword. The combatants are happy with their calling, but one knight, Morgan, has ambitions to be king. Furthermore, he has been approached by a promoter, who wants to commercialise the company. Morgan is enticed by the prospect of money, fame and women, and leaves. However, King Billy refuses to sell out his ideals, but when he is jailed for defending one of his company against a corrupt policeman, it seems the close-knit community of knightriders may be coming to an end. King Billy continues to believe that doing the right thing will see them through, and that those which have left will return. But will he be proved right...?

Knightriders is directed by George A. Romero, who is perhaps best known for the  horror classic, Night of the Living Dead. This was made in 1980, right after his zombie film Dawn of the Dead, and released the  following year, at the same time as the much better known John Boorman movie, Excalibur. But Knightriders isn’t a straightforward retelling of the Arthurian tale. Instead, it is a modern era reinterpretation of the concept. When you first start to watch this  film you’re tempted to think it a little silly; however, the more into the 147 minute running you get, the more realisation takes hold that this is all about honour, truth (as much to others as to yourself), and living life by a code. The ideals of King Arthur and Camelot are in place, and Morgan betrays Billy’s trust, as Lancelot betrays Arthur.

Ed Harris, Star of a host of blockbuster movies, such as Apollo 13, The Truman Show, and one of my favourites, The Abyss, plays his first key role here as King William. He puts in a sterling performance to the point that you can’t really think of  anyone who could have played the part quite so well. The part of Morgan is played by visual effects artist Tom Savini, and it’s surprising how good he is. Special mentions should also go to Brother Blue who brilliantly understates his performance of a Merlin closer to a witch doctor than a wizard, and to Patricia Tallman, whose character stands up to her controlling slob of a father and hooks up with one of the knights. Other viewers like myself might know her better as the telepath from Babylon 5, but she has also carved-out a successful career as a stunt double. Fans of horror author Stephen  King will be interested to know he has a superfluous cameo role as a  greedy heckler.

The ending is rather bitter sweet. Without  actually giving away the concluding events, King Billy holds on to his ideals, but comes to realise that his time has passed. We are living in a new age; it’s not necessarily better, but time has to be allowed to move on. So, something very different from what we have seen before, with the weighty actors required to pull off this strange tale. It’s a people story, and a very good one.

Extras  include a commentary by George A. Romero, Tom Savini, John Amplas and Christine Romero; separate 20-minute interviews with Ed Harris, Tom  Savini and Patricia Tallman; TV spots and Trailer.          

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2013)  

Starring: Pierre Clémenti and Jean-Pierre Léaud.      

Directed Pier Paolo Pasolini  

Eureka Video

July 2012

Toto and  Ninetto are accompanied by a talking crow who speaks truth and conscience to the point of annoyance. They travel the dusty road of  realism, coming across and interacting with actor-hippies, rioters, slum-dwellers, and taking on the roles of Franciscan friars in order to preach the word of God to the hawks and sparrows. Ultimately, this is a comment on the state of the then modern world through the eyes of an old and young man...

Hawks and Sparrows is one of an on-going series of world cinema releases from Eureka presented under the banner Masters of Cinema. This is a black and white subtitled film from Italy directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. It stars Italy’s comic actor of the time (1966), Toto, and Pasolini regular Ninetto Davoli. It’s presented in a new high-definition transfer, with newly translated English subtitles, and a very good illustrated booklet on the film, including comments from the director.

This  was considered at the time to be a widely acclaimed achievement. A sometimes political, sometimes philosophical statement on what you might call life, the universe and everything aimed at a society which was caught somewhat between religion and communism. It’s truly difficult to formulate a logical opinion one way or the other on this. Hawks and Sparrows swings menacingly between profundity and pretentiousness. It is at one moment humorous, the next ridiculously stupid in its outlook on life. The central scene displays how religion can become a circus, but minutes later has the key characters hopping around like penguins on hot coals in an attempt to communicate with the sparrows.

So the pendulum swings first one way then the other. I can see what the director was trying to achieve, but for me a movie is all about entertainment not political  statements.            

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2012)  

Starring: Pierre Clémenti and Jean-Pierre Léaud.       

Directed Pier Paolo Pasolini

Eureka Video

July 2012

While  his super-wealthy father is a neo-Nazi political mover in post-war Italy, attempting to out-manoeuvre his opponent, his son proves to be much more of an enigma. The young man is romantically engaged with the daughter of another decadently rich family. She finds him both fascinating and aloof, particularly when he refuses to accompany her on a demonstration because he has to do something important - the only thing he really loves. Meanwhile, in the mountains, miles from civilisation, individuals from a lost war have to survive any way they can. This means eating plants, butterflies, raw snakes, and even human flesh...

This release is another in the Eureka! Masters of Cinema series. It is also the second film in a row I’ve reviewed from Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini. Once more he’s being all meaningful with his allegories, so rather than a popcorn entertainment what we get is a political and moral statement on the world and society as a whole. Pigsty (1969) explores such animal instincts as greed, carnal lust, and the religious need to belong and be absolved. The film is described as a deranged parody, but for me this is an obvious Orwellian pastiche. The connection, albeit tenuous, to Animal Farm just can’t be ignored. The pigs actually describe the behaviour of mankind, and even many of the inherent conversations make references to these unfortunate animals.

The final scene describes the young man’s death at the hands (trotters?) of the pigs, but the major unanswered question is what exactly did the young man do each time he visited the pigs? Just  watch them? Play among them? Mistreat them? Or worse? When a handful of peasant villagers describe the incident it is with quiet reverence. In dying he becomes a martyr; even a messianic figure. This would certainly tie-in with the talk of Jews and fascism.

Pigsty means more than Hawks and Sparrows - or at least the meanings are clearer, but you still have to read between the lines of much pretentious nonsense. Modern viewers will no doubt describe it as a load of old tosh, and who’s to say they’re wrong? As with Hawks  and Sparrows, there is a very informative booklet and a short interview with the director.          

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2012)  

Starring: William Ash, Christine Bottomley, Claire Keelan, Stuart McQuarrie and Robbie Gee.       

Directed Mark Tonderai 

Optimum Home Entertainment

July 2009

Zakes and on/off girlfriend Beth are driving along the M1 late at night. It's raining hard and they're both tired and irritable. When a white lorry overtakes them the back slides up and for an instant Zakes catches a glimpse of a naked woman caged and screaming inside. He calls the police on a mobile but the number plate is too dirty to be read. Satisfied that the police will  investigate, Zakes pulls into a service station to put up the posters required for his job. Beth is disgusted that Zakes hasn't done more to help the captive woman, and elects to make her own way home. Zakes waits in the car for her to come to her senses, but when he spots the white lorry and a hooded figure, and finds her broken necklace, he realises with horror that Beth has been taken too. He trails the lorry, and what follows is a rollercoaster ride of terror and pain as Zakes determines to recover his girlfriend from a mysterious assailant...

I'm certain I've mentioned before how a film created by a first time writer/director can either be inspirational or insipid; delightful or disastrous. Luckily, this time around it's very much the former. The brains behind this gem is Mark Tonderai, and what's more he's British. The fact that Hush has been nominated for a British Independent Film award, may give you some insight into the standard we're talking about here. There's no doubting that, like the early scenes of Jeepers Creepers, this film owes a debt of gratitude to Duel (written by the great Richard Matheson and directed  by a young Steven Spielberg), certainly with the heavy use of the  lorry and the faceless driver. In fact, the hooded figure goes a long way to empowering Hush; you can almost see it becoming a franchise (yee, Gods!).

The small handful of characters are the most believable I've seen in some time. Not only do they react realistically to events, they are changed by them. At the forefront of these is Will Ash, whose portrayal of Zakes couldn't be more convincing. There's no compromising here; no making the character fit situations. Everything Zakes does throughout the film is based in truth; no more so than when he chooses not to involve himself directly until his own girlfriend is abducted. A few things in the context of the story are not explained, but that's fine, as a person in Zakes's position wouldn't necessarily learn everything that is going on. They would only be concerned with recovering their loved one. In this respect, it is a long time since a film has intelligently piled on layer upon layer of tension, so that you are literally biting your nails and sitting on the edge of your seat. It's simply wonderful when a film arrives which does this with such flair, because they are so few and far between.

Tonderai so obviously has a talented eye for good drama, suspense and action. The film is tightly edited, with good continuity. In this film he plays cleverly with our nerves. I think we should keep a close eye on his progress in the industry, because judging by Hush, he is already a force to be reckoned with.

There is a nice collection of extras too, with seven featurettes, a commentary, interviews with Mark Tonderai and William Ash, and deleted scenes. Buy it now.          

Verdict: 9 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2009)

Starring: Satoshi Tsumabuki, Kanningu Takeyama and Tatsuya Fuji.       

Directed Takahisa Zeze 

MVM

May 2011

Avian flu wipes out a little village in the Northern Philippines, and appears to spread to a poultry farm just outside Tokyo, Japan, when one of the residents travels to a wedding with a chicken as a gift. The authorities move in to contain the new outbreak, but many more people fall seriously ill, and it is spreading at an uncontrollable rate. As the public panics and natural order quickly dissolves, stripping Japan of its normality, a woman scientist arrives at the central Tokyo hospital with the directive to identify the virus. However, the pressure is on, with deaths now rising into the millions...
 

Let me begin by stating that, generally speaking, I’m not a big follower of natural disaster movies. It’s normally all about the spectacle rather than the inherent story (in other words, how other people are affected by events). The prospect of sitting through well over two hours of this scenario did not fill me with enthusiasm. I was, however, intrigued with how a Japanese director (in this case, Takahisa Zeze) might approach the depiction of a virus which could effectively break down a stable society.
 

The first part of the movie is somewhat slow to start, but that is probably due in part to too many characters being forced on the viewer practically simultaneously, and the fact that the initial inferred plot of avian influenza appears completely uninteresting (even if it does seem to spread from the Philippines to Tokyo and the rest of Japan).
 

Then a strange thing happens. The moment the virus is discovered to be something completely new, and not bird flu after all, events become much more personal as, conversely, the pandemic spreads. The handful of key characters emerge from the seeming cast of thousands, and suddenly we’re given realistic fictional people to identify with and care about.
 

The idea of the female scientist who is brought in to a hospital to help identify the virus having a past with one of the major doctors might conceivably be seen as being contrived (especially as neither of them look old enough to have much of a past), but it works, giving the isolated human events a central point.
 

Miraculously, the film turns into something very special, The vast majority of the actors are top notch and highly convincing in their reactions to a multitude of emotional traumas. You never at any point feel that a character is safe; many writers and directors are too protective of their main players, therefore inducing an involuntary predictability, but you never know here who is going to survive and who will perish.
 

Some people will need a box of tissues, as Pandemic cleverly tugs at the heart strings, and the film concludes on a thought-provoking touch of poignancy. Highly recommended, and worth sticking with though the first half hour of so when I wavered and very nearly prematurely wrote it off.         

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2011)  

Starring: Peter Ferdinando, Frank Boyce and Lorenzo Camporese.   Directed Gerard Johnson 

Revolver Entertainment

February 2010

Tony is a middle-aged, socially inept loner, who wanders the streets during daylight or night time hours searching for something to help fulfil his life. Secluded and inexperienced with people, he doesn't quite know what that missing ingredient is. It could be drugs, a man, a woman, or just plain company. But being a social outcast reaches new lows when a boy goes missing and the father accuses Tony of being a paedophile...

This is a low-budget movie partly funded by the National Lottery. It is filmed on location in and around a London estate and immediately identifiable tourist attraction areas such as Trafalgar Square, the Thames north side Embankment and Soho, managing in doing so to make them all seem a little seedy. I fully expected to quickly become bored with the proceedings, but conversely became curiously compelled to watch. This was in most part due to the considerable acting skills of Peter Ferdinando. The whole would be much lessened without his contribution; the character's entire demeanour and speech is spot on. He is completely devoid of emotions, no smiles or laughs, no frowns or anger. Just total detachment. I can't praise him enough.

There is a very dark and macabre humour inherent in this, which could easily be overlooked entirely by those with no sense of humour or who look on this entire venture as bad taste. In that case, I would suggest buying Disney's Bambi DVD instead. I for one appreciated the irony. When a man arrives at his flat to caution him about not having a TV licence, Tony is unfazed. That is until the man attempts to confiscate his TV, and is strangled with a wire flex for his trouble. The next thing you see is a foot in a dish as Tony begins to cut up and dispose of the body. Another priceless moment is when Tony wakes up with a man sitting up in bed next to him. Tony says good morning to him and asks if he wants a cup of tea - and you just know that he's dead.

This is the debut directorial feature from Gerard Johnson. As extras you'll find two of his short films: Mug, and an early truncated version of Tony, which nowhere near reaches the heights of the main feature. A very pleasant surprise.          

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2010)  

Starring: Jack Hedley, Andrew Painter and Andrea Occhipinti.       

Directed Lucio Fulci 

Shameless Screen Entertainment

October 2007

A serial killer is at large in New York. His penchant is for cutting-up beautiful young women. On his trail is a police inspector who is told by a couple of phone witnesses that he speaks like a duck. Subsequent taunting phone calls received by the inspector confirm this. An intended victim survives to tell the police about a man who is missing two fingers, who accosted her on the subway, but she was actually attacked after that incident and identifies the wrong person. When the man she identified is dragged from the water, having been dead for some time, it means he couldn't have been the killer. The inspector is back to square one. Then the killer makes another attempt on the victim who survived, and the pieces begin to come together...

New York Ripper is the first of many violent horror and exploitation films to be released by Shameless Screen Entertainment. It was previously banned and the prints ordered out of the country by the BBFC. In my opinion, it seems a strange marketing strategy to attempt to capture a retail audience of perverted sex and extreme violence mongers, with descriptions like vile and shocking, and quotes such as "The sickest movie ever made!"

As with Phantom of Death, another early Shameless release, I expected to hate this film, but was rather pleasantly surprised. The only really gruesome scene is the one in which a secured victim is seen to be sliced with a razor blade from the forehead and down through one eye. All other set pieces are no worse than many other horror films, such as a Friday the 13th flick or John Carpenter's The Thing, also released in 1982. Most of the victims are quickly dispatched (at least on-screen) and the killer is not seen in the same frame until the end of the movie. Perhaps it's just me, but scenes of a straight kill are considerably less disturbing than those depicting rape or prolonged torture, and luckily they are not present in this film.

There is more of a 1970s feel at play here, with a jazzy McCloud or The Streets of San Francisco soundtrack which proves curiously innocuous during the murder scenes, when you might normally expect menacing or at least creepy music. However, the notion of the killer speaking like a duck is intriguing and proves effective, enhancing the moments when the psychopath lets go. This works well as a murder mystery, suspects mounting up along the way before being whittled down as their stories are played out. I thought the killer might be Daffy Duck or The Penguin from Batman but, all joking aside, was relieved to discover there was a valid reason for the voice which also ties-in with the motive for the killings.

The violence of the murder scenes is not what should be emphasised in the marketing blurb, because it is merely an aside to a relatively good plot-driven murder mystery. This is New York Ripper's first excursion on to DVD in the UK and, like Phantom of Death, is certainly worth a look.          

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2007)  

Starring: Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston.      

Directed Clark Gregg  

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

March 2009

Victor Mancini is a self-confessed sex addict. He attends 'anonymous' group meetings, but only to find other sex partners. He works by day at a Colonial-Williamsburg-themed park - unable to take his role seriously - so that he can support his sick mother who is in a home. In addition, he uses a scam he adopted as a kid, whereby he fakes choking in expensive restaurants so that he can appeal for money to whomever 'saves' him...

You can never be sure how our mysterious editor's mind works, so I can't be certain, but I think I might have been sent this one by mistake. It's not the kind of thing I normally review. Personally, I think he sneaked it in among the horror films - but don't tell him I told  you.

Choke is a film which tries to be clever whilst seeming to be something quite light-hearted and mundane. The title, whilst linking to a recurring event in the film, is obviously also a sexual innuendo. On the surface this sometimes resembles an old soft core porn movie - perhaps Confessions of an Insecure Sex Addict, or more accurately Carry On Being Pretentious. I say that because there's the underlying story of con artist Victor's mother suffering from Alzheimer's in a home, thereby keeping the secrets of his childhood from being revealed. Anjelica Huston gives this part some much needed conviction.

This film has been described as a psychotic comedy, and it does have its moments. When his mother's diary is discovered, written mysteriously in Italian, Victor seeks the aid of a female doctor with the know-how to translate. She tells him he is an immaculate conception. He doesn't believe it, of course, but particularly at the home everyone dotes after him, no matter how he treats them. In fact, there is a fascinating twist in the relationship between the two which effectively brings the plot full circle.

Choke is a film which you might watch on Channel 5 late on a Friday night after returning from the pub, but it's not going to have much mainstream appeal.            

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2009)  

Starring: Rudolph Klein-Rogge.       

Directed Fritz Lang

Eureka Video

May 2004

Dr Mabuse The Gambler is the precursor to the recently reviewed sequel, The Testament of Dr Mabuse. Based on a novel by Norbert Jacques, this one follows the exploits of a criminal genius who stamps his authority on 1920s German society. Through strict rules and force of will, he terrorises the public and those thieves, murderers and counterfeiters forced to work under his control, because no one crosses Dr Mabuse and lives...

First shown in 1922, Fritz Lang originally made this as a two-part film (4.5 hours in its entirety). Rudolf Klein-Rogge plays the title character as he did in the sequel (incidentally, he also played Rotwang the scientist in Lang's Metropolis). Proof that timing is an important factor in all things comes in the fact that The Gambler depicts more violence in a decadent society than Testament, and yet it was the latter which was banned by the Nazis, Hitler having just been appointed chancellor.

With the sequel already out on DVD, it's giving nothing away to reveal that The Gambler ends at the point of Mabuse's fall into madness and incarceration into a mental asylum.

Once again full marks go to the incredible reconstruction job carried out in 2000 using the German and foreign distribution negatives. The digitally remastered picture and sound is as clear as you could ever want it. Who would have believed a few years ago that we would be listening to a 1922 film score in digital 5.1 surround sound!

Having said that, because this is a silent movie (with both German and English subtitles) there is an unnecessary need for constant orchestral blasting or piano maiming. Imagine over four hours of manic Keystone Cops-type music and you'll probably understand why I was driven to distraction. But as soon as you mute the sound your mind wanders, so it is necessary in hindsight as a focus. The documentary Mabuse's Music has Aljoscha Zimmermann demonstrate and rationalise Gottfried Huppertz's composition, but a central theme even with variations soon wears thin.

Other extra features include: Norbert Jacques, the Literary Inventor of Dr Mabuse; the Motives and Themes of Mabuse; a photo gallery; Facts and Dates; Biographies; and Imprint (restoration credits).

As often proves the case, I preferred learning about the background to the film much more than the feature itself, but this two-disc package will be a worthy addition to any collector's library of any old and rare films.          

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2004)  

Starring: Peter Lorre, Otto Wernicke.       

Directed Fritz Lang 

Eureka Video

October 2003

A series of child murders takes place and the citizens are in a state of panic, publicly condemning the police for their lack of progress. While an inspector follows his first solid lead in the investigation, the city's underworld decides to take matters into its own hands, the heightened police presence being detrimental to its nefarious business practices and street crime. The murderer is finally cornered within an office building, but the villains of the underworld are obliged to wait until after dark to break in and systematically search for their prey. Succeeding just before the police arrive, they drag him off to an abandoned warehouse where they conduct a kangaroo court, with the intention of issuing out their own brand of vigilante justice...

Although a decent enough film for its time, M, unlike Metropolis, certainly doesn't deserve the 'classic' label attached to it by many film historians. This is a fictional piece said to be based on Peter Kurten, the real life 'Monster of Dusseldorf'. Made in 1931, it was subsequently banned under the Nazis and didn't resurface until 1960. The running time had been reduced from 117 minutes to only 99, and the movie was released under the titles M - Your Murderer Looks At You, and M - A City Hunts a Murderer.

Viewing the film now, it comes across as strangely unbalanced; at one moment frantic with movement, and the next fixing for an eternity on one frame. There is so much rushed dialogue that it is virtually impossible to keep up with the subtitles, requiring you to scan-read the text. As you would think, this somewhat mars the comfortable enjoyment of watching a movie. And when white words occasionally appear on a light background, you might as well give up hope.

The visuals make their point well, and the themes explored are brave and inventive for the period. Condemnation of the police and mob rule tactics were probably what led to its ban. Peter Lorre is... well, Peter Lorre: creepy and strange. Having said that, the film is still average in my eyes. What really deserves special mention is the extensive restoration work. The massive cleanup of both picture and sound from the original 35mm print is nothing short of miraculous. Judging by the documentary, The Restoration of M - Peter Campbell, it was a painstaking process using the latest technology. This was undoubtedly a labour of love. The comparisons show that the recovered film prints were practically unwatchable, plagued by multiple scratches, creases and all manner of white blotches, as well as sound marks. Seeing evidence of the damaged goods you would never have thought the finished product was possible. I can't praise this marvellous work enough.

Other extras in this two-disc set, aside from the aforementioned, include an interview with writer and director Fritz Lang; a documentary on the man himself; a visual essay from film historian R. Dixon Smith; animated biographies, photo gallery, set designs, and an interesting feature commentary (for example, the nasty rhyme sang by the children at the start of the picture, was made famous by M, but actually evolved a decade earlier when a killer terrorised Munich).

Obviously, this release will not appeal to many casual film-buyers; however, if you're a collector of old movies (and there are plenty around) this will be an indispensable purchase. The remastering, plethora of extras, and packaging alone deserve more points than the film itself.          

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Starring: Armand Assante, William Baldwin and Chazz Palminteri.       

Directed Bobby Moresco 

Mosaic Entertainment

February 2005

In the gangland streets known as Hell's Kitchen a group of boys vow to support and protect each other. Years later two of them become involved in a money laundering scheme that goes seriously wrong, incurring the wrath of the local crime boss. When one of the group is discovered dead, supposedly of a drugs overdose, Frank learns the truth that he was killed. The most obvious suspect is the crime boss, but is it that simple?...

Crime lords, street gangs, drug dealers, Mafia mobsters or gangsters; they all meld into one messy blob as far as I'm concerned. Perhaps I'm not the best person to pass judgement on this film, because this is just about the worst genre there is. I think it's probably due to the fact the subject is all so clichéd, and One Eyed King is no exception. You can pretty much guess the events which will take place: stabbings, shootings, beatings, double-dealing and constant threats against the backdrop of strict Catholicism and strong family ties (yeah, right!) where they love their own like brothers until they turn their backs.

Characterisation is an even more convincing example of stereotyping. Italian (or Irish) Americans with slick-back hair (usually called Gino, Toni or Louis) put cotton wool in their cheeks and talk with dodgy Mafia-like accents.

All this might seem like rambling, but it gets my point across. This film achieves nothing in dispelling the myth. Predictable and monotonously conventional.         

Verdict: 2 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2005)  

Starring: Tilda Swinton, Goran Visnjic, Johnathan Tucker, Raymond Barry & Peter Donat.       

Directed David Siegel/Scott McGehee 

20th Century Fox

September 2002

A woman witnesses an argument between her son and a man with criminal connections. When she comes across the body of the man, she assumes her son murdered him and sets about covering it up. When an associate arrives at the house with evidence of a sexual connection (so to speak!) between the dead man and her son, the woman becomes the subject of blackmail. However, when she fails to raise the money quickly enough the blackmailer shows up again, only to end up saving the life of the woman's father who has suffered a heart attack...

The Deep End is one of those thrillers where something small escalates out of control. One indecision or mistake accumulates and conspires to confound all attempts to lay the problem to rest. It's been done before and we'll see it again.

My first thought after viewing The Deep End was, if the mother had conducted a proper heart to heart with her son in the first place then none of the subsequent events would have occurred. The idea of someone going to any lengths to protect their family has so much scope for exploitation with the love-conquers-all theme and the hunted becoming the hunter, etc.

Despite good reviews plastered all over the dvd cover this movie fails to deliver on any of this. Just when you think the plot is starting to take off the whole package comes to a juddering halt like a tired old jalopy. This film isn't exactly a nonentity, it's simply mediocre, a damp squib. It certainly would have benefited from a tighter script and less lacklustre performances. Imagine any one of a hundred weekday afternoon telemovies screened by Channel 5 and you won't be too far from the mark.          

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2002)  

Starring: Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan.       

Directed Mark Romanek 

20th Century Fox

February 2003

Si is a lonely man with no relatives or friends, who becomes obsessed with a family through camera prints he processes regularly whilst working at a one hour photo booth in a department store. When he learns via somebody else's prints that the man is having an affair, Si takes matters into his own hands...

Firstly, let me say that I'm not a fan of Robin Williams. In my opinion, he's one of those actors who is stuck in a single enactment of weakness and compassion, in the same manner that Jim Carrey can only do manic comedy. Having said all that, Williams pulls off a faultless performance and certainly the most natural since his fun-filled early start in Mork and Mindy. In fact, he carries the film, convincing me it would be nothing without him. I actually felt genuinely sympathetic towards the character who, with the best of intentions, goes about things the wrong way.

At the conclusion of the film we discover just why Si considers happy families to be so important. The revelation comes as a throw-away line, but it puts all the movie's motives into perspective. It's not the tightest script in the world. There's no outright resolution. The tale simply comes to an end without the audience discovering how the characters are affected, but it is compelling in its own way.

One Hour Photo is among those many films which lose much of their power after one viewing. However, as a family film which becomes a psychological thriller it serves its purpose well.          

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Starring: Takeshi Kaneshiiro, Mirai Yamamoto, Long Sihung.      

Directed Chi-Ngai Lee  

Ventura International

August 2005

Kenichi is a half-Chinese half-Japanese ex-member of the Taiwanese Mafia. He is both ostracised and held responsible for the killing of the Shanghai Don's right-hand-man, who was actually assassinated by Kenichi's old partner, Wu Fu-chun. Threatened on all sides by organised gangs from Taiwan, Shanghai and Beijing, Kenichi agrees to trace Fu-chun and hand him over. However, the situation is further complicated by the arrival of a young woman who says she can get him Fu-chun at a price. She appears to fall for Kenichi, but should she be trusted? The word is out that she's Fu-chun's woman and he wants her back...

Actually there's a lot more to this film than that, and that's undoubtedly its major downfall. I've got to admit I'm not a great lover of gangster movies. Sleepless Town is probably considerably more involved than most. There are some nice revelations and twists, but there's far too many players, making the plot confusing at times. That's not to say I didn't appreciate the look and feel of the movie, for which the director and cinematographer should feel proud.

Takeshi Kaneshiro (who was in House of Flying Daggers) plays the anti-hero part of Kenichi as a calm, somewhat cold fish that nevertheless you can't help liking. It's nice to see that occasional slip of the emotions which make him much more believable as a character.

The strangest thing about this film is the music. There's a repetitive theme reminiscent of what you might hear at a cheap French carnival. It is so far removed from the style of the movie that it simply doesn't fit at all. Likewise, the old song Unforgettable is played three times to montages of images which could easily have been cut entirely with no serious loss of plot progression. A rock-style Japanese song, used on the DVD's menus and the film's closing credits, would have suited as incidental music much better.

A lot of great films have emerged from East Asia during the last few years. I'm a big fan of Japanese horror (nobody does it better these days), and it's made me more open to sampling other genres from that part of the world. However, as I've already intimated, Mafia and gangs leave me somewhat cold. So, Sleepless Town gets a lower rating, but that's almost certainly down to the genre.            

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2005)  

Starring: Dominique Swain, Henry Thomas and Karen Allen.       

Directed Brett Morgen & Nanette Burstein 

Mosaic Entertainment

November 2004

A pretty young woman is mistreated and often kept prisoner by her brute of a husband, watched over and aided by his backwater friend. A local clairvoyant/witch tells her on a rare outing that her true lover is close and, although the road will be hard, everything will turn out for the better in the end. It transpires she is seeing a young and rich businessman who only feels connected to life when he is with her. Her husband's friend hangs around her like a puppy-dog and she eventually manipulates him into killing her husband and dumping his body in the swamp. She is now free, but she hasn't accounted for the friend's infatuation, and the difference in class between her and her lover could be a bridge too far...

Although this is a fairly average film, you do find yourself being drawn into events. It's probably due to Inez (Dominique Swain) who manages sexy, vulnerable and scheming in degrees with little difficulty. Even dirty and beaten-up she is alluring; and this is necessary because otherwise you wouldn't believe the possessiveness of Edgar (Henry Thomas; remember Elliot in E.T.?) or the crush of the husband's friend.

Karen Allen, the supporting star of many 1980s movies (including John Carpenter's Starman and Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark), plays the chain-smoking mystic with no time for her kids.

Check this one out if you have 97 minutes to spare, but don't go out of your way.          

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2004)  

Starring: Bill Pullman, Devon Sawa, Gabrielle Anwar & Joanne Whalley.       

Directed Anthony Waller 

Mosaic Entertainment

February 2003

Crane, a top criminal lawyer (with the emphasis on criminal), rapes his new secretary and then arranges to have her killed when she threatens to destroy his new posting as a judge. Nathan, a young man just released from jail for car theft, gets the job. He is looking for his real father who happens to be the lawyer, and befriends two women, one of whom happens to be the rape victim. Before even learning the identity of his target, Nathan decides not to go through with it, but an associate who desperately needs the money takes the down-payment and carries out the hit. When Nathan arrives too late to save her, he is blamed for the murder...

Were you paying attention there, because I'll be asking questions later. The fact is the above describes just part of this intricate plot. There are more twists and turns in this movie than... well, a twisty-turny thing. None of the action really succeeds in pulling off a surprise, and you can't help feeling that it's too predictable. However, the performances are strong and the pace rockets along, pulling you with it. Even the commercial rock songs mix well with the incidental music, all of which suit the mood of the piece well.

Behind the majority of the scheming is Crane, who manipulates most of the other characters into acting out his own private puppet show. He steers the hitman into the lap of gangsters, sends his illegitimate son into a police trap, and even manages a convenient divorce with his wife. But the reason why there is no such thing as the perfect murder is nobody can possibly foresee all events; there's always a random factor which materialises to confound the best planning, and that's what we get here.

In short then, a movie with far too many convenient coincidences, which nevertheless succeeds in putting its story across well.           

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Starring: Kari Wuhrer, George Wendt, Daniel Baldwin.      

Directed Stuart Gordon  

Mosaic Entertainment

April 2004

Sean Crawley is a young man with no attachments who earns money doing odd jobs. When Duke Wayne offers him a cash-in-hand job following a man day and night he jumps at the chance. Then Duke takes Sean to meet Ray Matthews, a local businessman who offers him $13,000 to kill the man. Although he is expected to fail, thereby seriously frightening the man, he messily and somewhat clumsily succeeds...

Whilst the realisation of what he has done haunts him, he discovers that the dead man had been investigating corruption surrounding Matthews and his shady building enterprises. When demanding his money, Sean is physically threatened and ordered to leave town. He tells them he has the dead man's evidence file hidden and refuses to tell them where it is, so they drive him to a remote ranch where they periodically strike his head with a golf club, hoping to turn him into a vegetable. Eventually escaping, Sean makes his way back to town where he gets treatment and a bed at a mission. Susan, the beautiful widow of Sean's victim works there, and they strike up a close relationship. But everything goes sour when she finds his file, and Sean is obliged to take his revenge against Matthews, Duke, and their cohorts.

On the surface King of the Ants is an average tale of corruption and murder, but I have to confess it grows on you, slowly hooking you so that, even though you guess roughly how it's going to end, you want to see it through anyway. I suppose it's the age-old David and Goliath story of the little man (the "Ant" of the title) rising up in the face of adversity. It's also about survival, endurance and revenge, base human instincts.

This could so easily have looked silly; so many films about local villains tend to drown in cringeworthy dialogue, but King of the Ants, by luck or good judgement avoids the normal pitfalls. In fact, at the start of the story the filming appears amateurish, as if handled by a technophobe with a camcorder, but this is soon forgotten when the rest is completed competently and on an increasing scale, considering the cast is very small. It almost makes you think it was done on purpose... but not quite.

One drawback is Daniel Baldwin, so smooth as the corrupt businessman that he almost slips over several times on his ice-coolness. However, it is good to see George Wendt (Norm in Cheers) playing the hard man Duke, in contrast to his more well known half-drunken slob character.

King of the Ants is not so good that you'll want to watch it on a weekly basis, but it's well worth going out of your way to view once... Best described as an unmistakably low-key but enjoyable romp.            

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2004)  

Starring: Robert Evans.       

Directed Brett Morgen & Nanette Burstein 

Momentum Pictures

September 2003

A young man is discovered at a poolside and offered a part in a film. He goes on to star in another picture, but dreams of entering into production work. Finally achieving this, he works for Paramount, lifting it from number nine to number one company, and in doing so saving it from the brink of collapse. Now an independent producer, the future looks rosy. However, the police set him up in buying pharmaceutical drugs, and suddenly no one will do business with the man. When attempting to secure independent financing at the Cannes festival for his next film, he is named as a suspect in the killing of another producer with whom he had done business. Although never tried, and later proved innocent, he finds himself at rock bottom. He is ejected from the Paramount office, and sells his beloved home retreat. Contemplating suicide now, the man books himself into a sanitarium, but soon realises he is the only one who can get his life back on track. After a desperate breakout from the secure unit, the man strives to get back his house and recover his life...

With a rollercoaster plot like this, it could only be contrived fiction, right? Wrong. The Kid Stays in the Picture is the true life story of Robert Evans, at 35 years plus the longest running producer at Paramount Pictures. You couldn't invent such a turbulent history as this, or one with as much lucky happenstance and sheer excitement. At first I thought I was watching the making-of, rather than the main feature. The entire biopic is narrated by the man himself; there is next to no acted dialogue, and only a handful of old film scenes, the majority of the project being constructed of stills only. This may sound extremely tedious, but you soon find yourself sucked into a life-story of glitz, glamour, wheeling, dealing, scheming, bullying, back-stabbing, and of course sex.

Most people will not have heard of Robert Evans, so here's a few high- and low-points of his career, some of which you might be able to connect with. He produced Rosemary's Baby, employing Roman Polanski as director. Frank Sinatra demanded that his wife, Mia Farrow, be released for his film, The Detective. She agonised over the decision, but when Evans showed her the dailies she decided to stay. Sinatra arrived on the set to serve her his divorce papers; Farrow had the last laugh when Rosemary's Baby was the smash hit of the summer, easily outgrossing The Detective. Love Story practically saved Paramount from self-destruction. Evans married the female lead, Ali McGraw, but later lost her to an illicit love affair with Steve McQueen. When Evans was at his lowest ebb, the new head of Paramount - a man to whom Evans had given his first break back in the sixties - offered the producer back his old job. And, stranger still, Jack Nicholson persuaded the owner of Evans' old house to sell it back to him. You couldn't make it up! At a book-signing he was attracted to a woman and asked her out for dinner. She laughed in his face and said, "You're 72, my last two boyfriends didn't add up to that!" Six months later they were married.

This will appeal to fans of Robert Evans' work and general followers of the film industry. There's some great extras for anyone interested in this sort of thing: a couple of award ceremonies, including the Lifetime Achievement Award; film of a personal pitch for Love Story; interviews with various film business people on their experiences of Evans; A gag reel featuring mainly Dustin Hoffman in Marathon Man (another of his productions); and a theatrical trailer. If you're only looking for whizzes and bangs, look elsewhere. This won't appeal to a mass mainstream audience, but it is refreshingly different and worth seeing at least once.          

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Starring: Billy Connolly, Judy Davis, Colin Friels, Wendy Hughes .       

Directed Mark Joffe 

Universal Pictures

December 2003

Steve Myers is a lawyer turned fisherman whose boat is struck by lightening and sunk during a storm. Seriously out of pocket and with no livelihood, he turns to the insurance company. Although he insists his cover is comprehensive the company refuses to settle, citing the incident an Act of God. Knowing he can't win against the corporations, Myers decides to sue God instead. The church is forced to defend the case in court, whilst Myers represents himself and the countless others conned out of their rightful entitlement by a convenient interpretation of the law. The subject becomes a media circus, but when Anna Redmond, a reporter who helps him and with whom he falls in love, is revealed to be a long-time nuisance campaigner against insurance companies, he nearly loses the case. Nevertheless, Myers decides to go for a moral rather than true victory...

The quotes from various periodicals which adorn the cover of this video call this film "Hilarious", "A comic gem", and "Simply divine". The truth is it's none of these, but it is mildly amusing. The idea is sound, if a little far-fetched, and the cast is generally good.

The main part is played by that well-known stand-up comedian monster of mirth... Astro as Arthur the dog. Oh, and Billy Connelly's in it too. All joking aside, the dog is a superbly well-trained animal whose friendly and adventurous nature proves an ideal tool for warming the audience to the main players as quickly as possible.

Let's face it, nobody likes money-pinching bureaucrats, so the subject matter partly endears us to the film even though we realise it's both nonsense and morally valid.

The most apt phrase which springs to mind is quirky. There is no attempt to upset any ardent religious people; in fact, it's made plain by Connelly's character that he is not suing God in the literal sense, but a company whose representatives are the clergy. It is a device with which to point out that the church is being used by the insurance companies as a get-out clause; that they should be insulted by this defamation of character, because God is in effect being blamed for every personal disaster.           

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Starring: Kurt Russell, J.T. Walsh, Kathleen Quinlan.       

Directed Jonathan Mostow 

20th Century Fox

March 2003

Jeff and Amy Taylor are driving across state towards their new home when, after a near-miss with another vehicle, they break down on a desert road. A truck arrives and it's decided that Amy will catch a lift to a diner phone a few miles down the road. Jeff soon realises that his new 4-wheel drive has been sabotaged, but when he arrives at the diner nobody has seen his wife. Amy has been abducted as part of an ongoing kidnapping and extortion ring, and it seems that everybody is in on it. Jeff himself is ordered to have $90,000 that he doesn't possess wired from his bank to procure his wife's release. So begins a deadly game of cat and mouse, as he attempts to seek out and free his wife...

Kurt Russell has been one of the best modern action heroes, particularly in the excellent John Carpenter flicks Escape From New York and The Thing, but that approach wouldn't work here and, thankfully, Breakdown doesn't attempt it. Russell plays an average desperate man literally driven to the edge by a series of hazardous events. We witness the tumult of emotions (particularly convincing at the point when be believes his wife to be dead) and occasional ineptitude when forced to take matters into his own hands. Okay, so hanging on underneath a moving lorry and manoeuvring along its side is far-fetched, but you do get the impression that fear and desperation oblige the character to take ever-increasing risks.

Don't get me wrong; in the great scheme of things Breakdown is nothing very special. It isn't a blockbuster or a low-budget cult film, but something in-between. It borrows from Duel, The Hitcher and displays many influences; however, you don't fully realise this until you've enjoyed watching it.

As a dvd package it's poor. You would think an effort would be made to enhance this release with as many extras as possible: isolated music track, star filmographies... anything. With only a theatrical trailer to its name, there is no value for money except as a budget release.            

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Starring: Robert Powell, T.P. McKenna, Dennis Waterman, Peter Vaughan, John Le Mesurier.       

Directed Various 

Granada Ventures

September 2004

With its eclectic mix of mystery, suspense and the supernatural, Thriller regularly enthralled Saturday night television audiences when it originally broadcast between 1973 and 1976...

Thriller is an early 1970s anthology series of hour-long suspense tales. This set of four DVDs contain a total of ten stories from the first series. The concept was created by Brian Clemens, who was well-known around this time for TV scriptwriting, his credits including The Avengers. Here he writes the majority of the material and supplies ideas for those few scripted by others.

This is very much a product of its time with very formal dialogue and a static upper-middle to higher class structure. There are plenty of giant country houses or rich city businessmen. Pretty much any working class character is a menial serving his or her 'betters'. However, it is rather refreshing at times to see problems combated in a gentlemanly manner, with no unnecessary violence or cursing. It reminds you of the old Raffles series and makes you wonder if the world was ever that civilised.

There is a veritable plethora of recognisable names and faces dotted throughout the series; among them, Robert Powell, T.P. McKenna, Dennis Waterman, Peter Vaughan, John Le Mesurier, Linda Thorson, Dinsdale Landen and Maureen Lipman. Thriller is not as bad as you might expect, but by today's standards it is long and drawn-out. These average stand-alone episodes range from the mildly enticing to the plainly awful. Although there are supernatural elements to some of the stories they are kept to a bare minimum.

Lady Killer has a con man worm his way into the affections of a lonely American woman and marry her in an attempt to claim the life insurance of his first wife. Possession has a couple move into a country house and soon discover the body of the previous owner under the cellar floor boards. Someone at the Top of the Stairs is a variation on The Picture of Dorian Gray scenario (and is "Marvellous!" which is a bad in-joke). Other stories include, An Echo of Theresa, The Colour of Blood, Murder in Mind, A Place to Die, File it Under Fear, The Eyes Have It, and Spell of Evil.

One more thing: why have the 'going to adverts' titles been left in? Surely they could easily have been edited out...           

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2004)  

Starring: Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh.       

Directed Brad Anderson 

Tartan Video

August 2005

Trevor Reznik (Christian Bale) is a machine operator; just one of a bored group of men. The difference is Reznik hasn't slept for nearly a year. Racked by extreme fatigue, his body is becoming increasingly emaciated. As a consequence of this his mind plays a series of warped tricks on him, until he seriously begins to doubt reality. As a result of his negligence a fellow worker suffers an accident in which he loses an arm. Reznik is alienated from the workforce, and his guilt soon turns to paranoia. As a series of Hangman notes appear on his fridge, he discovers the two people he can still rely on are not what they seem at all. Reznik believes someone is trying to exact revenge on him for the accident, but the real truth will threaten to tip him over the edge into insanity...

This is one of those films you feel compelled to watch; once you've pressed that play button you're not going to press stop until it's over. That's testament to the film's good plotting. There are layers upon layers which reel you in and immerse you in the so-called subterfuge until you're not quite sure if The Machinist is a contemporary thriller or a Chronenberg-like fantasy. I suppose it's a bit of both, but the closest film comparison in terms of style would be Donnie Darko. Especially the final revelations, and the fact that it leaves you thinking and trying to make sense of certain aspects. I prefer that in a film; I don't particularly like neatly tied-up packages.

Christian Bale (currently finding fame in Batman Begins) is near faultless in his performance here. The lengths he went to to get into character surprised even the writer and director. Simply put, Bale just stopped eating and wasted away, risking serious health problems, until he barely existed. I'm not sure a mere movie warrants those extremes, but you've got to give the man credit, because he pulls it off with aplomb.

For me, the best scene is when he takes the little boy on the ghost train. The way Bale reacts to the increasingly depraved scenes of death and violence, trying to protect the boy, are the film's only humorous moments. But it doesn't stay that way for long. I think if I'd been taken on that ghost train at a young age I'd have had a seizure too.

Extras are: Director Interview, Commentary by Director Brad Anderson, The Making of... featurette, Trailers and 8 Deleted Scenes.

A great and original film.           

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2005)  

Starring: Bill Paxton, Matthew McConaughey, Powers Boothe & Matt O'Leary.      

Directed Bill Paxton  

Paramount

March 2003

A man walks into the FBI building and tells Agent Doyle that his brother is the God's Hand killer. He tells the backstory which begins with his childhood. He and his brother live alone with their father. Everything is normal until dad tells them he has been visited by an angel. Apparently, the final battle between angels and demons has begun. The demons are already here in human form, and it is the family's task to destroy them. When the angel revisits, relaying a list of names, the killing begins...

When I watched the opening shot of Agent Doyle exiting his car wearing a stereotypical mean expression, and walking through a night storm to the FBI building, I couldn't help sighing. This was going to be another one of the multitude of tired cops and robbers films that Americans insist on doing so badly. Matters didn't immediately improve when I realised a small part of the early plot was similar to a short story I had written some years ago. Thieves! Plagiarists! Where's my money?

Ahem, where was I? Oh, yes, being dreadfully wrong. Frailty (The God's Hand Killer would have been a good title) quickly lifts itself from the mire and into the elite stream. As time passes it's becoming increasingly difficult for the horror genre to reinvent itself. This film leans more towards thriller, but there's a hint of a supernatural element hanging over the events.

The entire package is extremely effective, even though one of the twists at the conclusion is blatantly predictable. The script doesn't need to be totally original, because it's so well told. However, it's the strong central characters and the actors' corresponding performances that make the tale so convincing. Bill Paxton, making his directorial debut here, plays the angel-visited dad. The two boys, who play Adam and Fenton, are even better, both displaying genuine reactions. Their expressions alone draw you into the emotional mix. One sees his dad as a murderer and longs to run away, but he won't leave his brother behind; and his brother trusts dad, having no problem (only a strange fascination) with what is going on.

Every once in a while it's nice to be pleasantly surprised, and that's precisely what happened here.

Not for me.            

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Starring: Maren Pedersen, Clara Pontoppidan, Elith Pio.       

Directed Benjamin Christensen 

Tartan Video

September 2007

Haxan (from 1922) is a difficult one to quantify. Intending to primarily be a documentary describing the facts and legends surrounding the interesting subject of witchcraft and Satanism, it uses sketched depictions, models, animation and specially shot fictional film footage to lecture rather than entertain viewers, and suffers from getting caught between being a public information film and a Fritz Lang-type short.

You could be forgiven for thinking that this DVD contains two features. On the menus Haxan is listed as the main film, with Witchcraft Through the Ages sitting as a special feature. In actuality, they're the same thing. Haxan is tediously long at 104 minutes. Each line of subtitles seems to remain on the screen for an age, and I came dangerously (or should that be blissfully) close to falling asleep within the first five minutes. Furthermore, the original soundtrack is curiously unrelated in style to what is happening on screen. Rather than complimenting the piece it's manically fast and grating, which is almost certainly why we're offered two alternatives scores - one being the Brontt Industries Kapital in Dolby 5.1, the other by Geoff Smith in Dolby 2.0.

Witchcraft Through the Ages is the same feature, only mercifully 28 minutes shorter because of a narration replacing the subtitles. Although this makes the experience somewhat more palatable, William S. Burroughs' tone is conducive with the Green Cross Code Man instructing us on how to negotiate a crossing of the road, or perhaps an old piece of wildlife film covering the lions of the Serengeti.

In conclusion, Haxan does have its moments. The masks and costumes and the cleverly incorporated animations are impressive. Additionally, some of the live-action antics will make some people smile; particularly the Devil's shenanigans. However, the whole is unlikely to hold the attention of mainstream or even horror viewers, perhaps only appealing to those wishing to study factual references to witchcraft.          

Verdict: 3 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2007)  

Starring: Risa Goto, Yûko Natori, Takaaki Enoki, Yôko Ohshima.       

Directed Hideo Nakata 

Tartan Asia Extreme

October 2004

In 1954 a pregnant woman is the only survivor of a terrible plane crash. Although she later dies at hospital, the baby miraculously survives. She is healthy in every way except she won't wake up. Seven years later a little boy is in hospital with asthma. Against orders he wanders the corridors, and finds a sleeping girl in a secluded room. A nurse tells him the girl has never woken up since being born, and that she is a Sleeping Beauty. The boys looks up the fable in a book and then returns to her bedside, saying, "Wake up. I am a prince," and kissing her. This becomes a daily ritual, even after he is released from hospital. He returns regularly on the bus, bringing her wild flowers and a kiss. In 1972, as a teenage schoolboy he sees a flashback news report of the aircrash and is disgusted with himself that he could ever have forgotten. The ritual begins again. When she eventually does wake up she develops staggeringly quickly from a baby to a normal late teenager. They become very close, but then she drops the bombshell that she was told by someone in her sleep she would be awake for only five days...

What can I say about Sleeping Bride except that it's an unsung masterpiece. It isn't horror or fantasy, but it does have a thoroughly magical quality.

I thought this film from 2000 by Hideo Nakata had simply been thrown in to make the package look better, but this is without doubt the jewel in the crown of this 4-disc set. The balance and pacing couldn't be bettered; we are expertly taken though the emotions of sadness, melancholia, happiness, anger and pain with a gentle manipulation of the viewer. These are characters you really care about.

I enjoyed this one so much that I watched it again only two days later, and I can happily report that the effect was not diminished. Like Mary Poppins: "Perfect in every way."           

Verdict: 10 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2004)  

Starring: Sidney James, Diana Coupland, Terry Scott, June Whitfield.       

Directed Gerald Thomas 

Carlton Visual Entertainment

July 2003

When new neighbours move in next door, Sid fails to hit it off with the pompous civil servant, while Jean gets on with the wife like a house on fire (or in this case, like a shed on fire). Matters are further complicated when their son, Mike secretly starts dating the neighbours daughter...

Shenanigans aplenty and lots of running around ensue in this slapstick film version of the seventies sitcom series of the same name. Whilst hardly enthralled, I do have somewhat fond memories of the series. This film doesn't quite live up to its standards. For anyone who doesn't remember Bless This House, imagine a cocktail mix of Carry On capers, Terry and June (Terry Scott and June Whitfield are the neighbours), and Confessions of a Window Cleaner (Robin Askwith). What do you mean, you don't remember any of those either? Where have you been? Doing something useful with your life?

There's a veritable who's who rogues gallery of comedy names from the sixties and seventies. Aside from the aforementioned, we have Sid James (not at his best here), Diana Coupland, Peter Butterworth, Janet Brown, Bill Maynard, Wendy Richard (for anybody who's interested, she was in Are You Being Served before Eastenders), and countless others.

The slapstick elements, accompanied by guffaws and "oops" type sound effects make you wish for a hole to open up and swallow you. In other words, you feel embarrassed for the cast. However, this was often the style of comedy from the era. The throw away one-liners work best; for instance, Jean waking up Sid to tell him the job she wants him to do isn't urgent. This is timeless comedy, and the expression on Sid's face speaks volumes. In fact, Sid James plays the long-suffering father subsequently adopted by Geoffrey Palmer in Butterflies and As Time Goes By, and more recently, Robert Lindsey in My Family.

I doubt that this film will find much of an audience alone, and with only an extra trailer to its credit, will not tempt the causal buyer. I would package this with other films as an example of comedy from the period, or even better, with the Bless This House series.            

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Starring: David Alpay, Eric Bogosian and Charles Aznavour.       

Directed Atom Egoyan 

Momentum Pictures

October 2003

Switching between the past and modern day, we see part of the events surrounding the Turkish/Armenian massacre at Mount Ararat, and the present day making of a film of the events. Adding poetic licence, the scriptwriter makes Gorky, an Armenian painter, a character and this brings in an art expert with knowledge and speculation on the man himself. She has a son and daughter by two different husbands. The son's father died trying to assassinate the Turkish ambassador, but the daughter resents the story she is told about her father dying by his own hand...
 

The same dark story is told from so many different angles here that you quickly feel depressed enough to consider watching a party-political broadcast instead, or even eating a pot noodle (yes, that bad!). Charles Aznavour (yes, the guy who used to dance with himself) plays the film director, and Christopher Plummer plays a stone-faced customs man who stops the art consultant's son when entering the country, just so that he can blankly listen to his heartrending story.
 

The majority of films in this day and age will contain an element of humour, even if it's a wry comment or situational happenstance. It's all about light and shade. Without initial joy, how can you be taken by the sadness? People need to feel happy once in a while; it's what gets them through the trials and tribulations of everyday life. No such humour is to be found here. These are very serious themes; events which continue to shape the lives of the characters years after the event. Imagine Schindler's List and you won't be too far from the mark. At least Spielberg's film contained an underlying theme of hope, whereas this film prefers to stupefy itself in deep depression.
 

Many critics would find it simplicity itself to describe Ararat as pretentious or maudlin claptrap, but it doesn't quite fall that low. It is better than I expected. The characters appear to feel passionately about the past and how the new film might portray the apparent annihilation of the Armenian race. But would they really feel this strongly years later? In other words, do the Jews really still hate Germans, or just the idea of Nazism? Throughout history many nations have conquered and latterly been accused of mass slaughter: Turks, Greeks, British, Chinese, Romans, Americans... I can understand any race wanting to maintain its identity, but as one character in the film says, "Let's move on."
 

Not a bad film, by any means, but lacking that essential seed of hope for a bright future.           

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Starring: Jessica Alba, Hayden Christensen, Terrence Howard.       

Directed Joby Harold 

Icon Home Entertainment

August 2008

Clayton Beresford Jr., a successful young business tycoon living in the shadow of his deceased father, has a relationship with Samantha Lockwood, a woman in his employ, which progresses to the point where they want to marry. However, the tycoon has been keeping the affair secret from his domineering mother whom he knows will disapprove. So he decides to undergo a quick, private wedding ceremony and inform his mother afterward. No sooner has he achieved this than the hospital contacts him with news of a donor heart. Obliged to undergo a life-saving operation to replace his own weak heart, the young businessman finds himself awake during the operation but unable to move. Not only does he feel every cut, but he soon discovers that the people he called friends are not who he thought they were...
 

Awake is a conspiracy thriller which dips one toe in the realms of supernatural fantasy. Hayden Christensen (the adolescent Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels) is much more convincing here as a trusting successful businessman duped in love for a scheming gold-digger (played by Jessica Alba) and her greedy associates.
 

The idea of somebody waking up during surgery, unable to more or speak but subject to the feeling of every cut, is a solid and convincing premise which works very well here. I'd go so far as to say it's unnerving to watch the heart surgery scene whilst listening to his mind screaming out in agony and outrage.
 

The solid manner of moving the young tycoon character into the realms of fantasy is for the script to have his traumatised mind place him anywhere but in the operating theatre, thereby having him learn about the plot to see him off for his money. In this manner, his mind reflects on previous conversations and clues he should have recognised at the time.
 

Although predictable in places, Awake is a powerful thriller which should entertain (or at least keep interested) both mainstream and genre viewers.

Extras include Deleted Scenes; an Audio Commentary by writer/director Joby Harold; a Making of... Documentary; and a Storyboard to Film Comparison.           

Verdict: 8 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2008)  

Starring: Liang Zhang, Yung Pan, Shao-tien Hsiung.      

Directed Mou Tun Fei  

Tartan Grindhouse

September 2006

Black Sun tells the story of the Nanking Massacre. In the early stages of World War II the Japanese invaded the Chinese city in a bid to claim the territory...

Call me old fashioned but I've always considered the primary purpose of a feature to be to entertain, no matter the genre I'm watching. I'll admit up front that I'm not really a lover of war films (there are a couple of exceptions to the rule), but the Nanking Massacre is a real-life atrocity from history when a great deal of innocent people were raped, tortured or butchered (sometimes all three) by generals and soldiers with no humanity.

Serve me up any number of hack 'n' slash horror movies and I won't bat an eyelid (although plot should come before gore every time), but you'll forgive me for turning my nose up at the prospect of viewing a graphic and bloody reinactment of one of the worst moments in history. You can't exactly sit down with your bucket of popcorn or your bottle of beer and enjoy this. Okay, I know it's a film with actors playing roles, but it simply made me feel uncomfortable, as if I were helplessly watching the real event take place - especially when scenes were punctuated with black and white WWII footage. If director T.F. Mou's purpose was to shock with Black Sun, then he's achieved his aim; however, I can't help thinking if an historian wants to discover more about this dark chapter in time, why not just seek out the news reels.

No matter what the promotional packaging says, this is not a horror film in the conventional sense and will not appeal to cult fans. Tartan have released some great titles, but if this and Last House on Dead End Street are anything to go by then perhaps they should drop their Tartan Grindhouse range.

Not for me.            

Verdict: 1 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2006)  

Starring: Christopher Lee, Richard Greene, Howard Marion Crawford.       

Directed Jesus Franco 

Warner Home Video

September 2004

Everyone's favourite fictional Chinese tyrant is back (I think I can safely say 'favourite' because there isn't any more, is there?), and once again he has plans of world domination. Can't he just read a book when he's bored like normal people! Believe me when I say his new scheme is completely diabolical. In The Blood of Fu Manchu, he of the droopy moustache plans to poison all his enemies and anyone who has dared to criticise his dodgy accent (sirry iriot!). To achieve this aim he has kidnapped several attractive young women - all in the cause of science, of course (ahem) - and keeps them chained on the walls in skimpy underwear (sounds reasonable to me). A particular small snake from the Brazilian jungle has a poison which will kill a man but not a woman. Once bitten the woman becomes a carrier and can kill a man with a deadly kiss. The women are hypnotised into understanding the plot (or at least the paycheque) and sent to all the major capitals of the world. Top of the list is London, home of the stiff upper lip and tea on the terrace, and in particular the thorn in our bad guy's side Nayland Smith of Scotland Yard...

In Castle of Fu Manchu, an extract of opium and a lot of bubbling chemicals and equipment with huge levers allows our cheeky Chinese chappy to manipulate the oceans. As a demonstration of his power and all-round nastiness he sinks a (blue-tinted) liner. However, his glorified radiogram blows a valve, overloads and sends his installation to kingdom come. Moving his operation to the inconspicuous location of a huge Istanbul castle, he gives the world two weeks to comply with his (unspecified) ultimatums - probably "Watch my DVDs or I'll make more sequels!" By a happy coincidence two weeks is just long enough for our eminently civilised hero Nayland Smith to return from holiday, trace the fiend and put a stop to his shenanigans.

Richard Greene (looking for all the world like Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady) takes on the mantle of Assistant Commissioner Nayland Smith for these two adaptations, worn by Douglas Wilmer in the first three films. Reprising his role from those films is Howard Marion Crawford as every woman's favourite dish, Doctor Petrie (that's a joke, by the way!). Thankfully he's not such a bumbling fool this time, just very British as he complains about lack of tea and his aversion to going abroad.

If these films are supposed to be tongue-in-cheek it makes them easier to accept, if not they're too bad for words... but bad in a way that you can have fun criticising them. For example: the curved blades carried by Fu Manchu's men flap about like cardboard and they don't even make contact when someone is killed; a heart transplant is carried out on a sick professor with no life-support (so why doesn't he die when his old heart is removed, and why is it only a fraction of the size it should be?); and the dialogue is funny or cringeworthy in several places. The once which really make me chuckle was "He's dead." "What, completely?"

This is a single two-sided disc. In my review for Vengeance of Fu Manchu I said the films don't make for an attractive release singularly but they might prove more popular as two films packaged together. So here we are with just that, a two-sided single disc with Blood on one side (that would have been a nice marketing idea) and Castle on the other. Was someone listening? Nah.          

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2004)  

Starring: Christopher Lee, Douglas Wilmer, Maria Rohm.       

Directed Jeremy Summers

Momentum Pictures

October 2003

Our dastardly Chinese master criminal returns to the seat of his ancestors (and a very comfy seat it is too) in a province two days from Shanghai. He fakes an earthquake to seal off access to outsiders, before kidnapping a missionary doctor and his daughter, bringing them in across the mountains. Threatening the daughter, he persuades the doctor to surgically change a person to look like his enemy Assistant Commissioner Nayland Smith of Scotland Yard. Miraculously, 48 hours later the facial paint by numbers is completed, and Fu Manchu arranges a switch whilst Smith is holidaying in Ireland. The real Smith is transported as a prisoner to the Chinese province; meanwhile the impostor returns to London, commits murder and is promptly sentenced to death. The Chinaman intends to do the same to prominent law enforcement officers around the world as a demonstration of his power to the underworld. In this manner he will group all the world's main criminal organisations together under his leadership. But has the Fu Man bitten off more than he can chu? (sorry, I couldn't resist that one)...
 

Here we have another film based on Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu stories. All of the main characters return (Douglas Wilmer as the bogus Smith spending half the movie looking like a corpse freshly pulled from the grave), and the format is pretty much the same. Although this is set around the same period as the Sherlock Holmes tales, there is an element of overacting amidst the formal properness of the educated professional characters which reminded me of The Green Hornet with Bruce Lee and particularly the camp sixties Batman series, but without the fun. The many fight sequences are comical without intending to be so. Large, curved blades look to be cut from tin and have painted on bloodstains. Each fighter waits until his opponent is ready before attacking, and Fu Manchu's assassin henchmen go down like a ton of bricks under a good old British bunch-of-fives.
 

Surely this was money for old rope for our very own master of horror, Christopher Lee. He has very little to do, the main requirements for the part apparently being to look evil and occasionally tweak his moustache. Granted, his villainous part is a thinker rather than a doer, but it seems an incredible waste for such an accomplished actor. I'm sorry to say that the best thing about this film is the scenery which at times is stunning. With no extras apart from the trailer, these films do not appear an attractive purchase. Perhaps two films packaged together as a single release might have been worth a tenner of somebody's money.
 

According to the conclusion of this film, "The World will hear again from Fu Manchu." I feel another review coming on.           

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Starring: Christopher Lee, Douglas Wilmer, Rupert Davies, Roger Hanin .       

Directed Don Sharp 

Momentum Pictures

October 2003

A spate of kidnappings of young women take place in various countries, after which their fathers travel abroad for weeks at a time. It seems the men are all scientists or engineers skilled in the transmission of radio waves, being forced to work under threat of harm to their daughters. The villain of the piece plans to have constructed for him a piece of apparatus compact and powerful enough to direct masses of energy from one point to another. In doing so, he will possess a weapon with which to hold the world to ransom. And who should be behind this dastardly wicked and evil scheme? Why none other than Fu Manchu. What do you mean, you guessed that from the title?
 

On the case is Assistant Commissioner Nayland Smith (Douglas Wilmer) of Scotland Yard, with his regular companion Doctor Petrie (Howard Marion-Crawford), an eminent pathologist. In all but name they are Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson; Smith is too perfect for his own good, and Petrie is an educated but bumbling fool, prompting recall of the Basil Rathbone portrayal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character. For no other reason than it appears logical, Smith suspects his arch nemesis of the kidnappings. Can it be true? Could Fu Manchu (Christopher Lee) still be alive? You betcha stick-on-moustache he is! After two attempts at abduction are foiled in London (right outside the Tower!), the third succeeds, and it is then up to Smith to find the underground lair of Fu Manchu before terrible devastation is wreaked in the name of power.
 

The first demonstration of power is to be the destruction of the Winsor Castle (obviously, they only succeeded in setting it ablaze 25 years or so after the fact!). However, the Winsor Castle turns out to be a ship. The next main target is to be the international peace conference taking place in London. "Quick, men, on to the roof. Destroy that aerial before it picks up EastEnders."
 

The villain's underground headquarters is reminiscent of a Chinese temple, and the characters within this setting play very much like an episode of Thunderbirds in which Fu Manchu could so easily be The Hood. There's even a pit of peril, in this case containing snakes.

"Mister Tr...acy. I th...think we're g...going to need p...pod five."
 

"Okay, Brains. Off you go, Virgil. Be careful, son, he has a radio and he's not afraid to use it."
 

Watch it in glorious SuperOrientNation.            

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Starring: Christopher Lee, Nigel Green, James Robertson Justice .       

Directed Don Sharp 

Momentum Pictures

October 2003

At the end of the last film, he said the world would hear again from Fu Manchu and, unfortunately, it was no idle threat. So, what could possibly be the latest wicked and abominable scheme to originate from the Chinese mastermind we all love to hate? Apparently, he plans to bore the world into submission by subjecting the masses to an inane and pretty much pointless sequel. Only joking... I think. No, really the Chinese chappy embarks on a quest for the lost plot! At the beginning of the film Fu Manchu is beheaded for his crimes to humanity, in front of his arch enemy and all-round good egg, Nayland Smith. But if you can keep your head when all around you lose theirs, you'll discover that the executed man was only an impostor. And there I was hoping for the shortest film in the series yet!
 

This time he means to cultivate the Blackhill poppy for use as a weapon. To achieve this Fu Manchu continues his fetish for kidnapping professors and their daughters by taking Professor Muller to work on a secret serum previously known only to a religious order of the Himalayas. There's a bust-up at a museum when the Chinaman's henchmen arrive through the sewers to steal the papers which contain the required formula; it's going badly for the meagre security until the stiff upper lip of Assistant Commissioner Nayland Smith of Scotland Yard gives those Chinese a good piece of his mind. Nevertheless, Fu Manchu gets his claws on the papers and forces the professor to produce the dangerous liquid. A single pint of the extract of Blackhill poppy is enough to kill thousands of people. Above freezing it is harmless, but below freezing it proves lethal. That's a happy coincidence for our evil perpetrator whose demonstration of power, the town of Fleetwick, is suffering from a particularly cold spell. As a result, 3000 inhabitants and soldiers are killed. Fu Manchu then turns his attention further afield, and only Nayland Smith can stop him. Someone fetch that man a cape.
 

The main four or five characters return yet again for more set piece shenanigans. This is at best mediocre stuff. I think the oriental's masterplan is about to be revealed: he means to wear down us hardworking reviewers. After only three of these films, I'm hoping the world will see rather less of Fu Manchu.           

Verdict: 3 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Starring: Andrew Duggan, Joyce Van Patten and Yaphet Kotto.       

Directed Larry Cohen 

Anchor Bay UK

June 2006

When classic car salesman Bill and his wife Bernadette discover a rat in their Beverley Hills swimming pool a powerful black man arrives from nowhere to fish it out for them. The couple assume he is the pool maintenance man, but instead he turns out to be a rapist and thief wanted by the police. There is no cash in the house, and it soon becomes evident that Bill has borrowed more money than the couple have. The intruder, known as Bone, gives Bill a deadline in which to drive into town, withdraw some money and get back, otherwise he will rape and kill Bernadette. Bill initially complies, but then gets side tracked by a liaison with a strange woman who was molested by an old man when she was a child and seems determined to repeat the experience. When Bill fails to show up at the allotted time both Bone and Bernadette are aggrieved for very different reasons. They decide to go after Bill, intending to cause an "accident" and claim on the insurance. But Bone hasn't counted on the ruthlessness of Bernadette...

The moment I noticed that Bone was written and directed by Larry Cohen I somehow knew exactly what to expect. I wasn't far wrong. Lots of jazzy The Streets of San Francisco type music, pretty bland characters and a plot which could easily have been played-out in half-an-hour. In fact similar scenarios have been attempted much more successfully in long-running weekly serials, because the format is far too common to be self-sustaining. So we are forced to endure the stereotypical black villain story, and are informed through dialogue that Bone acts the way he does because it is what society expects of him (what?!). Larry Cohen's It's Alive trilogy of films about cannibal babies weren't quality pieces by any stretch of the imagination, but at least they had a hook. There was mystery, there was danger and there was sympathy, all qualities missing from Bone.

On the extras, Jack H. Harris explains how he turned from film maker to producer and could not obtain enough films to please the film company. Bone arose from his liaison with Larry Cohen. The film was shown to test audiences who didn't care, so it was decided they might be more successful with predominantly black cinema goers. Wrong again. Instead of catching the blatant hints that this was a rubbish film the pair remarketed the project as a dark comedy and romance (for fear of repeating myself again... what?!). This time they were apparently more successful - which probably means one blind man turned up at the cinema looking for the bakers.

Extras include the aforementioned comments from Jack H. Harris, a Commentary by Larry Cohen, a Featurette, and Theatrical Trailers. In short, Bone will bore modern audiences to distraction. You could say it's Bone-idle (yes, I did think of that one all by myself).           

Verdict: 2 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2005)  

Starring: Colin Firth and Mena Suvari.       

Directed Marc Evans 

Warner Home Video

February 2005

Ben awakes from a week-long coma to discover he has been in an accident in which his wife died of injuries sustained. As his whole life begins to fall apart he attempts to get it back on track by moving into an apartment building under repair. We also see him visiting a psychiatrist. His attractive neighbour strikes up a relationship, but Ben begins to see his wife in public places and is convinced she is still alive...

Trauma is a film which actively defies positive adjectives, except for perhaps it's not overly long. Maybe that's being a little too unkind, but there's definitely no spark.

"Gripping thriller..." says The News of the World quote on the packaging. Er, no, not even close. My Little Eye, also by director Marc Evans emerged into a bright light of film company hype which described it as original and a rewriting of the horror genre. It wasn't original; even back then Big Brother and other reality stuff wasn't new. As for rewriting the genre; it was basically a slasher movie, it simply took longer to show it's colours.

Similarly, in Trauma, you get the impression Evans thought he was making something special - a true psychological insight into how we tick, particularly after being traumatised. Believe me, although not derisory, it's certainly nothing special. Nor is it insightful; this idea has been tackled a handful of times before, and much more competently, by half-hour anthology shows.

It was obvious to me from early on that Ben was crazy, but just in case any viewer is particularly slow the fact is constantly waved in their face with ant-crawling dreams and a series of other set pieces.

Colin Firth and Naomie Harris deserve better material than this.           

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2005)  

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Ethan Hawke, Kiefer Sutherland and Olivier Martinez.       

Directed D.J. Caruso 

Warner Home Video

September 2004

A young man travelling with a stranger pushes him in front of a vehicle and takes his identity. A few years later a murdered body turns up in Montreal, Canada. It is seriously mutilated, but a forensic reconstruction is conducted under the orders of Special Agent Illeana Scott of the FBI. Meanwhile, a woman reports seeing her dead son, and when his body is exhumed her story is substanciated. A witness to the murder has sketched the recently seen son of the woman, who it turns out had a favoured twin brother. The killer is temporarily living his victims' lives because he wants to remove himself from his earlier life - in other words, any life is better than his own. Scott gets drawn to the witness, but is he the innocent in fear of his life that he portrays?...

It's easy to dismiss this film as another in hundreds of American-style cops and robbers. Granted, it's set in Montreal, Canada, where there's a large French quarter, but you still have your mean, gun-toting detectives and a hard-nosed FBI agent, played by Angelina Tomb Raider Jolie. However, it is different in that the killer's sole motive is to live another person's life for a while, choosing somebody with as little ties as possible, discovering a bit about them before murdering them and mutilating the body so it can't be recognised.

Ethan Hawkes is solid as the villain of the piece and Jolie, who I've never really thought has had much going for her in the acting fraternity, aside from her admittedly good looks, herself puts in a good performance here - managing at relevant stages of the film to appear both tough and vulnerable.

The epilogue scene serves as the main conclusion to the film and incorporates a clever twist. However, having said everything above, Taking Lives still comes across as a low-key TV movie, far removed from blockbuster status and having a budget look representing the change from the director's supermarket food bill.          

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2004)  

Starring: Christian Redl and Johan Leysen.       

Directed Robert Schwentke

Tartan Video

May 2004

A young policeman straight out of training school is caught at a drugs rave party. With his prospective career on the line, he finds himself being blackmailed into joining the Homicide squad. His insider knowledge is needed, but he soon finds himself well out of his depth. Somebody is killing people and removing the skin with their tattoos. He soon learns that the detective who coerced him has been looking in earnest over two years for his runaway daughter, after his wife was killed by a hit-and-run driver. The trade for classic Japanese tattoos by a talented but deceased artist hots up; some will pay millions and others will kill, but the artist's best work is on a woman still alive...

This is a German film with the option of English subtitles. Whilst I'm not a connoisseur of the German language I did listen for different emotions in the voices of the cast... and heard none. Even the movements of the actors were pretty staid, giving the impression they were simply going through the motions. The Homicide detective portrays the strong, silent approach, and the young policeman, almost the same in terms of moodiness, slouches his way through the movie tripping over clues, witnesses and informants as if this were a game of Cluedo.

Although the idea of trade in live tattoos is essentially sound, no one in the film shows any enthusiasm for the proceedings. Granted, in many American films there's lots of shouting and running around for no discernible reason, but here no one raises their voice for the entire duration and you feel like shaking some life into them.

I'm sorry, but with this being the case, why should I show any interest?          

Verdict: 2 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Starring: Monica Lopez, Leonardo Sbaraglia and Eusebio Poncela.       

Directed Juan Carlos Fresnadillo 

Momentum Pictures

October 2003

A bank robber is the only survivor of a passenger plane crash. A casino employee tracks him down and explains how luck is a real force passed from person to person. They team up, travelling to many illicit gambling or chance games played for high stakes, such as houses, cars and even people. The casino man now possesses the means to confront his corrupt and unnaturally lucky boss; but the game is Russian Roulette, and the old man has seen many opponents die. Meanwhile, a police detective is on the trail of the bank robber, and can't avoid getting caught up in the game...

It's difficult to know exactly how to quantify this film, and I'm not certain I want to try. Words don't come easily, because there's very little to describe: no multiple layers, no diverging or converging plot-lines, no interesting characters, no action or stunts, no humour, no suspense... Need I go on? I'm afraid there's not even enough here to stimulate the most complacent and accepting viewer of weekday afternoon TV films.

Another problem is the chaotic structure. The director clearly has no feeling for how scenes should be played out. Or perhaps it was an editing fault, in which case the whole thing should have been left on the cutting room floor. It's not the language which is to blame, although it can be a little disorientating to watch a Spanish film with English subtitles, only to have some characters switch to English and back again for no discernible reason. No, the cuts are far too abrupt and frequent, jumping from scene to scene, back and forth, before any real tension or cohesion can be realised.

As for the story... I can't even say with any conviction if I've accurately described the plot with my little synopsis, because this is one of those films you watch and think to yourself "What the hell was all that about?!" Give this one a miss.           

Verdict: 1 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Starring: Brad Hunt, Majandra Delfino and Mark Hamill.       

Directed Christian Otjen 

Mosaic Entertainment

October 2004

In the little US town of Reeseville a man is discovered hanged after his wife has died in childbirth. The dead man's brother-in-law, the local coroner and undertaker, suspects something more sinister. The prime suspect for murder is David Meyers, the dead man's son, who has returned home after 20 years away. While the sheriff wanders around warning people, and Meyers, a convicted felon, creeps people out with his quietly threatening attitude and daring ways, Iris, the sheriff's younger sister finds herself attracted to the bad boy. She makes the mistake of telling Meyers how the sheriff beat her last boyfriend to death when he got her pregnant, but Meyers may not be the most dangerous person in the town...

Reeseville is a very basic town-hides-secret scenario, with Meyers as the stranger who stirs up the mix. In reality he does little more than lurch about trying to look dangerous.

Even the presence of Mark Hamill as Zeek the undertaker does little to lift this from the surface of planet average. The very attractive Missy Crider is the only person in the film with any sort of personality.

So many films of this ilk are cram-packed with bland characters who are only going through the motions, their motivation obviously the pay cheque. Americans are seeing this sort of thing every day and they're seldom impressed, so why should we be? If you're going to film a very ordinary story, then you have to breathe some life into it.

I'm afraid that this is one of those films you watch hoping that something will jump out, hook you and gently reel you in; so it's doubly depressing when nothing much happens.           

Verdict: 2 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2004)  

Starring: Rudolph Klein-Rogge, Otto Wernicke, Gustav Diessl.       

Directed Fritz Lang 

Eureka! Masters of Cinema

March 2004

Dr Mabuse, the Gambler was a two-part silent movie made by Fritz Lang in 1922. Mabuse was a crime lord who caused a wave of terror, death and destruction through his hypnotic prowess and evil genius, before eventually falling into madness after seeing the ghosts of his murder victims and being incarcerated in an insane asylum. In this talkie sequel made ten years later Dr Mabuse has made no outward progress in the asylum, simply staring into space. Now his hand begins to jerk violently in writing motions, and given a pen and paper he proceeds to scribble nonsense. However his penmanship becomes gradually more coherent until it's realised that Mabuse's 30 pages a day are intelligent instructions on how to run a successful reign of crime through fear and confusion. When the described crimes begin to be carried out for real, Inspector Lohmann (last seen on the trail of Peter Lorre's child murderer in Lang's M) takes up the case...

Originally premiered in 1933 in Budapest, The Testament of Dr Mabuse had been banned in Germany and wasn't shown again until 1951 in a shortened version. It was around this time that Adolf Hitler became Chancellor and Goebbels Minister for Enlightenment and Propaganda (!). It was said that Hitler was a great fan of Fritz Lang's work. Ironically, not only was Lang Austrian, but he was also Jewish. Goebbels apparently approached Lang, telling him he was aware of the man's "shortcomings" but thought him such an accomplished film maker that he wanted Lang to head the new Film Institute. Lang foresaw the inevitable and fled the country. Afterward, the film was banned by the Nazis because it "posed a threat to law and order and public safety", and the original film was seized.

This film is considerably more enjoyable than you might think. The ghosts which appear to Mabuse are very well done considering the year, and there is good use of lighting, particularly in the finale car chase where the approaching trees and the roadway ahead appear somewhat sinister. For a 105 minute film there is constant movement and progression, with a lot going on. There is the police mystery of who is running Mabuse's crime organisation, although the viewer already knows; sympathy for the character Kent who has unwittingly become embroiled in the events of the spree, dragging in his innocent girlfriend; there are arson attacks, robberies, shootings, and the clever idea of flooding a locked room to subdue the force of a bomb about to explode.

Like M, The Testament of Dr Mabuse has been lovingly restored, the picture and sound digitally remastered. The documentary included as an extra is interesting, but the subtitles are often difficult to keep up with, especially when there is a crowd scene or characters are arguing, their speech accelerated.

This film will appeal to collectors of old masters, but I wonder how much casual interest it will garner.           

Verdict: 6 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2004)  

Starring: Scott Speedman, James Marsden, Sofia Vergara.       

Directed Tony Piccirillo 

Mosaic Entertainment

September 2004

Two gay men get together at a bar. Dan is invited back to Tom's apartment, where he is asked if he remembers meeting before. When the conversation turns weird Dan attempts to leave, but is rendered unconscious and tied-up. It soon materialises that Tom had given the HIV virus to his wife, who committed suicide when the news that she had aids was revealed at a hospital. Tom has only slept with one man in his life... Dan, and he is convinced Dan passed the virus to him, because it was the only time he was unfaithful to his wife. So Tom holds Dan responsible and vows that if the results of the aids test (a sample of which was taken while the man was unconscious) comes back from the lab positive, he is going to kill his captive...

Yes, it is as tedious as it sounds, I'm afraid. Although there are a couple of other locations used, and a few ultra-brief, confusing and frankly pointless flashbacks, the vast majority of the film takes place in one open-plan area. There are endless conversations between the two at Tom's place about everything from American football, through archeology, sex and responsibility to truth. In all probability, this story could have been told comfortably on film in under 15 minutes. I suppose the purpose of the constant chatter was the two characters trying to get inside each other's heads (ahem...), but it simply comes across as blatant time-wasting. The director might as well have filmed his empty purse for 90 minutes.

Another mistake this film makes is to reveal the entire plot minutes into the running time. The viewer is then obliged to watch the two players go through the motions whilst awaiting a revelation with a suitable impact that just doesn't happen. The 24th Day runs more like a theatre play, but if it had been the curtain would have dropped for the final time on the first night. Avoid this one like the plague. Even James Marsden (Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) couldn't raise this one from the mire.           

Verdict: 2 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2004)  

Starring: Jeanette Cronin, Ian Bliss, Vince Gil, Alex Menglet and Victor Rodger.       

Directed Antony Redman 

CDA Entertainment

November 2003

A gang meet in a restaurant to finalise their plans for an armed robbery on a diamond warehouse, planned for the next day. The restaurant staff decide to borrow their car, equipment and disguises and carry out the robbery today, and be back before the gang have finished their lunch. However, the plans go awry when one of the women is recognised by her uncle who owns the diamonds. They discuss an insurance scam between them, but it is interrupted when a third party arrives to take over the robbery...

What do you get when you cross a bunch of less than mediocre actors with a thin plot so porous you could strain your vegetables with it? Well... you get The Long Lunch actually. Thoughts of straining my vegetables keeps it fresh in my mind just how painful this is to watch.

Any good film maker would have severe difficulty filling only a twenty minute slot with merely this to work with. The emphasis here is on long. I thought I'd somehow slipped into another dimension where every minute lasts an hour. With no meat on the bones of the story, the vast majority of the running time is taken up with superfluous timewasting scenes.

The woman who leads the gang in the restaurant is having an open relationship with one of the men, but has a quickie on the video game machine with one of the others. Two of the men have a pointless gun-related argument about Elton John and Princess Diana. A man gets punched out because he releases another man's birthday present of a puppy for his daughter, fearing it will be eaten by Orientals. Gripping stuff, eh?

Try as I might, I just can't think of anything good to say about this disaster. A lame attempt to inject humour surrounding the restaurant staff's bungled robbery hits so far wide of the mark that they really shouldn't have bothered. Hang on a minute, I don't think they did anyway. Tilting their heads from side to side whilst making high-pitched Tweenie squeaking noises doesn't constitute humour in my book.

Proceedings become progressively more stupid as the film nears its end. Quite frankly, it comes as a significant relief when practically the entire cast of characters get shot or blown up.

Did you know you can put unwanted DVD discs to a multitude of good uses these days? How about a clock? A fetching pair of Bet Lynch earrings? A Frisbee? Or maybe just a beer mat?

Can you believe there are actually extras on this disc? Call me a non-completist if you wish, but I couldn't stomach watching the deleted scenes too. If I had anything to do with it a lot more scenes would have bitten the dust.

In case you haven't got the message yet, don't waste your hard earned cash on this nonsense. The single point is for the cast and crew remembering to turn up. On second thoughts, that wasn't such a good idea!           

Verdict: 1 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Narrator: John Rhys-Davies.       

With Peter Jackson 

National Geographic

December 2003

Join National Geographic in an exploration of the real world parallels to the events and characters brought to life in The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King...

As soon as I saw the cover of this DVD I couldn't help assuming the content would be a blatant cash-in on Peter Jackson's excellent, and more to the point popular, Lord Of The Rings trilogy of films. Was this just the pessimist in me? Not really, because to a certain degree that's exactly what it is. That's not to say this piece is without virtue. 

John Rhys-Davies (Gimli the dwarf in the aforementioned films) is used to narrate this Discovery Channel-type documentary, making connections between the characters and situations in The Lord Of The Rings with people and events from actual history. These connections are loose and spurious at best; not surprising when you think that virtually any fictional character can be compared with an historical figure if you delve deep enough into personalities and drives.

Here we have Aragorn the reluctant leader compared with William Wallace (Braveheart) for seeking an end result of freedom, with no power or glory. He is also matched with Theodore Roosevelt, both having exiled themselves. Roosevelt took up ranch work and over time learned how ordinary people lived their lives, which was invaluable when he became president. Gandalf is seen as a part reflection of William Cecil, advisor to Queen Elizabeth I, whose wisdom helped defeat the Spanish Armada, and also to Benjamin Franklin, inventor, statesman, advisor etc., remembered as one of America's greatest achievers. Wormtongue is seen as Rasputin, evil manipulator and so-called mystic, who

was advisor to Nicholas II of Russia.

The theme of optimism which permeates The Lord Of The Rings sees Aragorn's speech before the defence of Helm's Deep as a direct comparison to Henry V's rousing tirade, which inspired his cold, wet, hungry and ill English soldiers to overcome odds of four to one over the French at Agincourt. Churchill is also mentioned; in the Battle of Britain the RAF overcame similar odds against German elite fighters.

This is all very interesting, but without doubt the biggest attraction for any potential viewer is the great number of clips from the films, interspersed with snippets of interviews with the cast about their roles. Although the main menu which moves over a map of Middle-Earth looks great, extras are almost non-existent, consisting of a photo gallery and a quiz containing only eight questions! And while I'm quibbling, the running time is 51 minutes and not 60 as stated on the box.

If this was shown on any TV station and you stumbled across it, it would almost certainly maintain your interest until the end, but as for a commercial release... this will find itself in the bargain bin within weeks. Why settle for clips if you can buy the entire film (or three films). If you want to find out more about great figures in history, get out a library book or research on the Internet.           

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Starring: Robert De Niro, Frances McDormand, James Franco, Eliza Dushku and William Forsythe.       

Directed Michael Caton-Jones 

Warner Home Video

July 2003

Joey LaMarca, son of the respected Police Lieutenant Vincent LaMarca, kills a dealer in a drug-induced state. Vincent tries to be the father he has thus far neglected to be, by investigating the incident, bringing in his son and cleaning him up. However, an associate of the dealer wants the money he thinks Joey has stolen. When the lieutenant's partner is killed by the man whilst looking for Joey, everyone thinks the cop's son is responsible. This appears to be substantiated by the discovery of a gun with Joey's prints on it. Suddenly, nobody is listening to Vincent, and the media begins to dishonour his name...

Robert DeNiro has never particularly been my cup of tea. Here, he's not too bad. That's pretty gracious of me, don't you think? It's refreshing to see the man playing an honest and genuine law enforcement officer, without any of that steroid-waving, macho one-man-band exaggeration so prevalent to these kind of stories. All of the violence comes from other people, and that works fine. It's also unusual to have the woman in the broken marriage being portrayed as the guilty party, rather than the standard aggressive, drunken or workaholic husband.

Having said all that, this film still principally concerns drugs and shootings, and we've seen far too much of that already. I can't imagine many people - even avid fans of DeNiro - viewing this repeatedly, but it is just interesting enough to be worth seeing once.           

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Starring: Griff Rhys Jones, Mel Smith, Alison Steadman.       

Directed Michael Tuchner 

Carlton Visual Entertainment

July 2003

Henry Wilt is a a quiet, unassuming schoolteacher, constantly turned down for promotion, with a nagging wife who never listens to him. When a workman glimpses a woman's body just before cement is poured into a large hole in the ground on school property, and Wilt's crashed car is found near the scene, he is immediately suspected of the crime. Flint, the police inspector trying to make a name for himself, knows that Wilt's wife has been missing for three weeks and he's determined to break the man down and solve the case before his replacement returns from holiday. However, Wilt makes it hard work, telling a story so ridiculous that it simply must be the truth. But Flint can't see beyond his own aspirations of glory and promotion...

This film from the late eighties is an adaptation of the international bestselling book by Tom Sharpe. I remember reading it years ago on a recommendation and was suitably unimpressed. Humour, like all things, is objective; in this case you object to not being entertained! While that sounds harsh for what proved to be a popular novel, the comment doesn't so much apply to this movie.

You have to say that it's undoubtedly a masterstroke of inspired casting to have a successful comic double-act play the two pivotal roles. I've enjoyed the talents of Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones since the heady days of Not The Nine O'Clock News. Here, their dry wit, sarcasm and timed interplay beefs-up what amounts to a very average script. The humour seems somehow dated, raising no more than a smile here and there nearly 15 years down the line. The ones that work are practically throwaway lines. As Wilt is driven away by the police, one of his unruly students shouts out, "Don't tell the bastards nothing!" Wilt absently corrects the youngster with, "Don't tell the bastards anything."

The idea that Flint suspects Wilt of being the serial strangler does not become conducive to the plot until the contrived conclusion. Wilt's wife, having paddled ashore from a sandbank-marooned boat, makes a phone call from a church. Wilt, now released by the police, arrives to collect her. The owner, a vicar, tries to strangle her, but Wilt has his own problems when Flint turns up to exact his revenge.

This is a competently structured film which is sadly dated as a comedy. Extras are thin on the ground, with only a short featurette and a trailer. Expect to find this one in the bargain bin.           

Verdict: 5 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Starring: Jean-Hugues Anglade, Joaquim De Almeida, Cyrille Thouvenin and Sagamore Stevenin.       

Directed Louis-Pascal Couvelaire 

CDA Entertainment

July 2003

Four men drive a truck containing a mysterious cargo across the desert to a rendezvous known only to one of them. Curiosity getting the better of them, they discover countless bags of gold coins. The find exacerbates their clash of personalities, so that it's every man for himself as greed becomes the prime motive...

Oh... dear! [Can you be a little more specific? - Ed]. I had high hopes for this film, but two minutes in I knew we were in trouble. I expected Sweat to emulate the style of Mad Max, or more accurately its first sequel, The Road Warrior. That wouldn't necessarily have been a bad thing, providing it had something new to say; however, I don't think it's unreasonable to state that Sweat isn't even fit to be described in the same sentence as Mad Max.

The movie suffers from two fundamental setbacks. First, the plot, or lack thereof. The only reason why the film lasts more than 20 minutes is because of a half-hearted attack by two jeeps, an overheated radiator, a stopover at a camouflaged camp, and numerous arguments and cheap explosions. Second, the presence of an aggravating Frenchman. This character doesn't work as a tough guy, and has no clear-cut motive for acting the way he does. He seems to be annoying purely for the sake of being annoying. It would make more logical sense for him to use his companions, before dispatching them close to the destination.

It's not often I feel cheated out of time by watching a film (I'm pretty open-minded about most things); here I had to force myself to watch to the conclusion, hoping for a twist or revelation that just might bring it to life and make the whole thing worthwhile.

Oh, well. Hope springs eternal.           

Verdict: 2 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Starring: Vincent Cassel, Emmanuelle Devos & Olivier Gourmet.       

Directed Jacques Audiard 

Pathe

March 2003

Carla is a hard of hearing and rather insecure secretary in a contracts company. When her boss instructs her to employ herself an assistant (you can tell this is fiction, can't you!), she approaches the task like a dating agency. Paul turns out to be a criminal straight out of prison. When some old "friends" materialise to demand money from him, Paul arranges to work in their club until he has paid off his debt. However, old habits die hard. Carla finds herself dragged by Paul into discovering the villains' current scheme, and relieving them of their money...

Oh dear! Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! What, you want more? Sigh! Okay.

At one time I used to avoid subtitled films like the plague. That was before I learned non-English speaking dialogues do not necessarily relate to bad movies. The original Japanese version of The Ring, and the more recent masterpiece that is The Eye are two good examples. Unfortunately, this French film isn't another one. I was obliged to view Read My Lips in four sittings, as each time I started to watch it I felt myself slipping into a coma.

This is the kind of experience you need to set your alarm clock to endure; guaranteed, 10 minutes into it you'll be snoring contentedly. Dull? Bland? Pointless? Yes, all of those. There is a sense of going through the motions with no real drive or purpose in mind. It's difficult to know at whose feet to lay the blame: scriptwriter, director, cast; they're probably all equally at fault. It makes you wonder why they bothered. Bring back Power Ranger-Ninja Turtles, At least they were a lot about nothing. Read My Lips is nothing about nothing.           

Verdict: 1 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Starring: Nick Nolte, Timothy Hutton & Armand Assante.       

Directed Sydney Lumet 

20th Century Fox

March 2003

A police detective lures a man out the rear door of a nightclub and shoots him dead. He places a gun in the dead man's hand, before threatening a couple of lowlifes into backing his story. Al Reilly is a young lawyer whose first job for the D.A.'s office is to tie-up this "cut and dried" case of self-defence. Nobody expects him to dig deep; what he discovers is a conceited and thoroughly crooked but respected cop. In fact, it seems that almost everyone around him is a bigot on the political trail. It's difficult to know who to trust. And just to throw an additional spanner in the works, the wife of a gangland boss witness is Reilly's old flame...

Q&A is another example of an individual going up against the establishment. However, in this case it's a little more realistic, in that there's no good guy as such, and all the characters are various shades of grey. Nothing exactly goes according to plan either. There are plenty of disasters, and no happy outcome. In this manner, it's a little reminiscent of The X-Files: no aliens (only illegal ones) but plenty of internal cover-ups.

Nick Nolte copes well with a pretty run-of-the-mill script. His character manipulates everyone around him, amidst a city den of iniquity. Everywhere you look there's transvestites, racists, crooks and blasphemers, and it's obvious the setting is intended to spawn the hard-hitting bent cop, who sees himself as the untouchable judge, jury and executioner.

Although Q&A is set in America, and it's a world apart from the Britain of today, this film doesn't inspire confidence in law and order. There's no doubt that corruption does occasionally take place; however, our friends from across the pond do tend to be moderately obsessed with conspiracies. The fact that we've witnessed so many of these "plots", in effect belittles the overall impact of the film. And one more thing: modern day fictional gangsters/hoodlums leave me cold.

This is a movie you could comfortably sit down and watch on TV one evening, if you've got nothing more productive to do, but it's nothing special, and certainly won't stand repeated viewings. With no extras, it's another poor release.           

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Starring: Stephen Baldwin, Katie Griffin & Peter Gallagher.       

Directed John Flynn 

Momentum Pictures

December 2002

New York mobster Sal Veronica has a choice: testify against his mobster family or go to jail...

You haven't slipped into a coma yet, have you?! There are no prizes for guessing what happens next in Protection. Valuing freedom before loyalty he chooses the former and moves his family to a new area under the wing of the police witness protection scheme. When he enters into a business partnership with a new friend Sal (now using the surname Vincent) uses the connections of a local crime boss to get things moving. But you should never shake hands with a snake, because you might grab the end that bites. The crime boss double-crosses the partners and attempts to take control of the business.

However, super smooth Sal is having none of it. He threatens the boss and shows he's made of sterner stuff. Forced to extremes the boss discovers our dark hero's background and arranges for some old acquaintances to show up with guns and bags of vengeance.

I tried very hard to like this movie, but it's nothing that hasn't been seen a hundred times before: bad guy turns good, but turns bad to do good... if you see what I mean!

A hackneyed plot isn't helped by bland characters who inspire not one iota of sympathy. It seems that Sal is every woman's dream (he beds the wife of a man who has him investigated, his partner's wife continually eyes him up, and even his partner's teenage daughter lusts after him. Stephen Baldwin plays the main character cool; so cool, in fact, that he practically falls asleep standing up. I know how he feels.           

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2002)  

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Rosanna Arquette, William Forsythe.       

Directed Tony Cinciripini  

CDA Entertainment

April 2003

When three friends organise a robbery, their plans go tragically awry, culminating in Gloria's younger brother being shot and killed. She blames Johnny, who is imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. When Johnny is paroled, he returns to Hell's Kitchen - the streets of New York, trying to make a new life for himself. He teams-up with an ex-boxing champ, who agrees to train him, but a corrupt promoter takes him on. However, Johnny has the added problem that Gloria is gunning for him. Gloria has her own problems though. Her lover Patty, the person actually responsible for her brother's death, is immersed in a world of drugs and violence and has drawn Gloria's mother in, too...

Although Hell's Kitchen is one story, it actually consists of three segments which are very different in style, and incorporate three plot strands. The first depicts the robbery and what happens when it goes wrong. This is extremely hard going; as a reviewer I felt forcibly obligated to persevere. The characters' mothers get almost constant mention, if you get my drift. I'm not averse to swearing being used anywhere in fiction within its context, but there's so much effing and blinding in the film that without it the dialogue would be only half its length. Extreme violence, continual conflict, everyone and his uncle on drugs... Is New York really like this? And if so, do people really want to watch a fictional film which, certainly early on, appears to glorify it?

The second section follows Johnny's return to the streets, and Gloria's agonising relationship with her mother and Patty. Johnny is cleaner than clean. After boxing regularly in prison, he now seeks professional fights. Gloria turns up intending to kill him. Her mother and Patty have struck up a drug-induced violent sexual relationship, and she learns belatedly that Patty harbours a guilty secret. This occupies the majority of the running time. It's the getting to the point when everything is out in the open and three old friend's lives are at a turning point. Ironically, the boxing bout scenes are almost incidental to the plot, and yet they are easily the most impressive. It makes me wonder if it might have been better to centre on the boxing, and have Johnny's past threaten his shot at the title.

The final section comes in a series of vignetted epilogues. Each scene slowly fades out, making you believe the film is about to end, only to be followed by another, and yet another. Johnny, without really trying that hard, has turned everyone's life around. He has paired-up with Gloria, who is pregnant with their child. Gloria's mother is in rehab, and patching things up with her daughter. Patty is visited in a psychiatric hospital by Johnny, who wants to rekindle their friendship - as unlikely as this might sound, after being imprisoned for the man's crime and then almost being shot by him. But it seems Patty has an excuse for his misdemeanours: he was beaten as a child. Oh, Please!

I can see what Hell's Kitchen is trying to achieve: to overcome and climb from the ghetto of their youth. To build futures for themselves. I suppose, in that respect it succeeds. But don't expect too much from this offering, because you won't get it.           

Verdict: 3 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)  

Starring: Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman & Jim Caviezel.       

Directed Carl Franklin 

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

March 2003

An attorney with no prior knowledge of military court procedures is forced to defend her soldier husband when he is accused of summarily executing nine civilians in El Salvador. Soliciting the aid of the best ex-military lawyer around, she soon suspects a cover-up surrounding a covert operation. Refusing a deal places her life, and those closest to her, in danger...

This is one of those courtroom dramas which highlights the rebel in us all. For that reason alone it's far from original. How many celluloid underdogs have we seen go up against the government, the military, mobsters or any other establishment in an apparent no-win situation? That many? Well, there you are then!

However, I can understand the validity of wishing to clear a loved one's name and reputation at all costs, and that's the main strength of this film. Morgan Freeman eases his way through most performances with little sign of outward effort; nevertheless, you can't help but enjoy his understated example again here. Why his character has to be an ex-alcoholic though is beyond me, as this is practically the most overused strand of plot padding in American film history.

I'd like to say more positive things about High Crimes, but the truth is I'm struggling. It's watchable but mediocre fair. Even the inevitable twist succeeds little in jolting the nerves or getting the blood pumping. File under: Nothing New.           

Verdict: 4 out of 10

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2003)