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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jul 13, 2014 14:56:33 GMT -5
A WTF production from the pre-code Hollywood years
Kongo (1932)
Walter Huston,Lupe Velez,Conrad Nagel,Virginia Bruce,C.Henry Gordon
D-William J Cowen
This is the plot and I'm not exaggerating
18 years ago Flint (Huston) had his wife stolen by another man Gregg (Gordon) who beat him unmercifully and left him a cripple.Since then Flint is living in the jungles of Zanzibar,the big bossman of his territory,keeping the natives in fear of him with stage magician tricks.He has a few henchmen,both white and black and a serving woman (Lupe Velez).He rules by sadistic methods.For example he pulls out the tongue of Lupe when she speaks out of line.Flint has been waiting his time for revenge on the man who crippled him.He learns of the daughter the man has with his ex-wife.He sends his henchmen to kidnap her out of a convent and has her spend 2 years in a whorehouse.Now Flint has her brought to him.He feeds her cheap liquor that brings on a fever,he has her whipped and raped.A white doctor (Nagel)stumbles upon the village.Is he the hero of the story?. No-he's addicted to BingBang root and can hardly stand.Finally Flint tricks Gregg to come to the village.He shows Gregg what he's done to his daughter.But Gregg has the last laugh.Its not his daughter,it is Flint's
When you think of MGM you think of wonderful musicals,Clark Gable,Jean Harlow.You wouldn't think they would produce one of the slimiest movies ever made.It just reeks of brutality,sadism,drug and liquor addiction,rape,burnings at the stake,fetid swamps,leeches and crocodiles.Am I missing anything?Oh yes,there's a chimp that follows Flint around that always tries to grab the actors even when its not in the script
This was actually a play.It then was brought to the screen as a silent film called West of Zanzibar with Lon Chaney.That version is supposed to be pretty notorious as well.Like a car crash,you can't help watching this film go through its paces.Theres some short clips on YouTube and the movie is available via Warner Archive.
For its cult appeal and its audacity its highly recommended
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Post by Hoosier X on Jul 13, 2014 15:19:25 GMT -5
West of Zanzibar is one of the greatest films of the silent era. I watched it late at night on TCM many years ago and it was like having a nightmare before going to bed. In addition to Lon Chaney, it also has Lionel Barrymore as the guy Lon thinks he is getting revenge against!
I've never seen Kongo, but it sounds appalling! (But in a good way.)
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jul 14, 2014 7:21:06 GMT -5
It's A Small World (1950)
Paul Dale,Lorraine Miller,Will Geer,Steve Brodie
D-William Castle
Harry Musk (Dale) stopped growing when he was 6.By the age of 12 he's constantly bullied at school due to his small size.His father (Geer) is forced to home-school Harry for his own safety and keep him indoors.His sister begins to hate Harry because she can't invite friends to her home.When Harry turns 21 he agrees to work for a travelling freak show but quickly changes his mind and runs away to a strange city.He meets up with a shoe shine man and learns the business.Living in a cheap hotel,he falls for his next door neighbor-a woman of questionable morality-named Buttons,because she wears dresses with buttons I guess(Miller).Buttons hooks up Harry with a pickpocketing gang.Harry dresses like a little boy and no one expects he's an expert.He's rolling in the dough now.He proposes to Buttons but she laughs in his face.So Harry calls the cops who bust the gang including Harry.The judge is lenient with Harry so long as he stays at a job with the circus.harry is hesitant but the circus also employs a nice looking little woman and they soon marry and live happily ever after with paying customers laughing at their size-THE END
The king of 50s exploitation,William Castle,with a touching morality tale as only he can present.Paul Dale as Harry only appeared in this movie as well as a munchkin in The Wizard Of Oz.The leader of the pickpocket gang is some woman who's at least 500 pounds.The movie has the same feel as the immortal Chained For Life.It's available via Warner Archive.Or maybe my synopsis is all you'll ever need. As a psychotronic movie,its 7 of 10 stars
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jul 14, 2014 7:45:37 GMT -5
Lust For A Vampire (1970)
Yutte Stensgaard,Ralph Bates,Barbara Jefford,Suzanna Leigh,Michael Johnson
D-Jimmy Sangster
The middle film in Hammer Studio's Carmilla trilogy between The Vampire Lovers and Twins Of Evil.In 1830, forty years to the day since the last manifestation of their dreaded vampirism, the Karnstein heirs use the blood of an innocent to bring forth the evil that is the beautiful Mircalla (Stensgaard)- or as she was in 1710, Carmilla. The nearby Finishing School offers rich pickings not only in in the blood of nubile young ladies but also with the headmaster who is desperate to become Mircalla's disciple, and the equally besotted and even more foolish author Richard Lestrange (Bates). Very routine Hammer vampire flick but it has a few things going for it.At least a dozen buxom maidens in low cut dresses with a few ending up in brief lesbian embraces before bitten by the beautiful Mircalla.And let me tell you,Yutte Stensgaard is gorgeous.A shame she did so little before leaving the acting profession.She's the spitting image of Spider-Man's Gwen Stacey.Count Karnstein poses as a doctor who covers up the vampire slayings by pronouncing all the victims had died of a "Heart Attack".And then you have the female headmistress who despite girls disappearing won't call the police to avoid a scandal.And you have Ralph Bates who looks like so many other dandy English actors who falls in love with Mircalla and refuses to believe she could be a vampire In the end the villagers storm the castle and set everything on fire.Really-how clever.4 of 10 stars 
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Post by travishedgecoke on Jul 14, 2014 8:19:38 GMT -5
Lust For A Vampire (1970)
Yutte Stensgaard,Ralph Bates,Barbara Jefford,Suzanna Leigh,Michael Johnson
D-Jimmy Sangster Lust for a Vampire's got a lot going for it, depending on your taste, I think. The Tudor Gates script is pretty solid. Had Pitt and Cushing not had to bow out, I think it would play a lot better, but, well, everything can't have Cushing. It's a very pretty film to look at. Good atmosphere, good color. |
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Post by paulie on Jul 14, 2014 11:27:01 GMT -5
I watched Videodrome Friday night. I found it thoroughly engaging but for the life of me I'm not sure exactly what happened. I'd be happy to hear any thoughts since I'm positive one or two of you have seen it.
Attachments:
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Post by Jesse on Jul 14, 2014 12:59:07 GMT -5
Suspiria (1977)
Dario Argento's visually stunning tale about an Amercian girl who goes to a German dance school and discovers that it's run by a coven of witches. The brilliant cinematography enhances the creepy atmosphere and the outstanding score compliments the mood perfectly. The special effects are both brutal and highly effective from the cringe worthy use of live maggots to the cliche bat flying in the window.
Demons (1985)
After receiving complementary tickets a group of movie goers are trapped in a theater with demons. Ridiculously fun '80s splatter-fest with tons of brutal gore and a kick ass soundtrack.
Throne of Blood (1957)
Akira Kurosawa's epic adaptation of Macbeth gives us a refreshing change of setting. Toshiro Mifune performance is outstanding throughout especially when he sees the ghost of Miki at dinner and his final scene when his army betrays him. Chieko Naniwa was also incredibly creepy as the evil spirit.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jul 14, 2014 17:10:14 GMT -5
I watched Videodrome Friday night. I found it thoroughly engaging but for the life of me I'm not sure exactly what happened. I'd be happy to hear any thoughts since I'm positive one or two of you have seen it.
I've seen Videodrome twice.When it was released in the theaters and about 15 years ago as well.Both times I was occupying a different state of consciousness and my thoughts cannot be trusted.But I know I liked it both times |
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Post by Jesse on Jul 14, 2014 17:21:19 GMT -5
Videodrome is absolutely crazy. Great performance from James Woods and definitely a must see Cronenberg movie.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2014 18:17:39 GMT -5
I love Videodrome. The exploration of our relationship to the media, the way our perceptions of reality are shaped and become our reality, is still vital. (Not that I want to see the still-rumored remake.) You might want to keep in mind that the whole film is from Max Renn's point of view. It opens w/his alarm going off, he's in every scene (if I remember right), and it ends...well, you know where it ends.
Remember what Brian O'blivion said at one point -
"Of course, O'Blivion was not the name I was born with. That's my television name. Soon all of us will have special names, names designed to cause the cathode ray tube to resonate."
Hi, I'm Jodoc.
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Post by paulie on Jul 15, 2014 9:20:17 GMT -5
I think I'll give it another look this weekend. My blu-ray version has a full commentary track from Cronenberg and Woods so that might be enlightening. I was thoroughly entertained just a little overwhelmed.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jul 15, 2014 10:45:07 GMT -5
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx (1972)
Tomisaburo Wakayama,Akihiro Tomikawa
D-Kenjo Misumi
In the second film of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, Ogami Itto battles a group of female ninja in the employ of the Yagyu clan and must assassinate a traitor who plans to sell his clan's secrets to the Shogunate.
I enjoyed the first of this series and this one is even better.The action is ramped up and the challenges Ogami faces get tougher and more inventive.We get this all female ninja squad who can swarm on a victim like a pack of pirahna and slice him up in seconds into cuts of prime beef you would see in a butcher's display case.Then theres a trio of warriors called "The Gods Of Death" each with a specialty weapon.One has metal claws for his hand that would make Wolverine proud.Theres a great scene where the warriors are out in the middle of a desert.Claw-Hand runs forward and slams his claws into the sand.The sands turn wet and red and Claw-Hands pulls his claw up which has embedded itself into the skull of hiding enemy.He proceeds to slam his claw into the sand two more times with the same results until his enemies rise from under the sand to face him directly.
The Lone Wolf and Cub evolve in this 2nd film.Little Daigoro is learning to count and can run around now.The baby cart is turning into an inventive rolling armory.Fast and furious fight scenes,beautiful camera work,great sets and costumes.I'll be ready for more 9 of 10 stars
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jul 15, 2014 11:04:07 GMT -5
High Anxiety (1977)
Mel Brooks,Harvey Korman,Cloris Leachman,Ron Carey,Madeline Kahn,Howard Morris,Dick Van Patton
D-Mel Brooks
Dr. Richard Thorndyke (Brooks) arrives as new administrator of the Psychoneurotic Institute for the Very, VERY Nervous to discover some suspicious goings-on. When he's framed for murder, Dr. Thorndyke must confront his own psychiatric condition, "high anxiety," in order to clear his name. An homage to the films of Alfred Hitchcock; contains many parodies of famous Hitchcock scenes from THE BIRDS, PSYCHO, and VERTIGO and more.
Within my top 4 favorite Mel Brooks films (The Producers,Blazing Saddles,Young Frankenstein)
I literally get a laugh a minute watching this movie.And after watching all the Hitchcock films last year,I'm enjoying this more than ever.Some of the parodies are direct like the Psycho shower scene or The Birds pooping in the park.Some are more subtle.For instance Cloris Leachman and Harvey Korman having coffee and cake with the camera under the glass coffee table looking up like the movie Rope.Or a camera shot of the mansion dollying forward to the living room window and crashing into the window startling the occupants.Hitchcock was able to avoid that from happening somehow.The only thing missing in this movie was a scene in a train
Gene Wilder is missed from these shennanigans but Korman,Leachman and Carey are priceless
9 of 10 stars
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Post by travishedgecoke on Jul 15, 2014 11:05:09 GMT -5
Watching Streets of Fire and how did this thing bomb and then never have a second coming either? Just a monster of a movie. Walter Hill is a hardcore filmmaker, the cast are brilliant, the movie looks gorgeous, music's excellent, and the action is both hard and nonstop. And, yet, no real love from any kind of general audience.
What kind of unjust world is this?
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Post by paulie on Jul 15, 2014 12:40:46 GMT -5
Watching Streets of Fire and how did this thing bomb and then never have a second coming either? Just a monster of a movie. Walter Hill is a hardcore filmmaker, the cast are brilliant, the movie looks gorgeous, music's excellent, and the action is both hard and nonstop. And, yet, no real love from any kind of general audience. What kind of unjust world is this? I always liked this movie. A guilty pleasure for sure. The turning of the neo-noir; musical, and romance genres on their head was perceived as disorienting at the time. I think that might have been the point. |
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