Review #205: 'Flight of the Navigator' (1986)

In Florida, 1978, 12-year old David Freeman (Joey Cramer) goes looking for his brother in the woods and accidentally falls into a ravine. He awakes shortly after to find his parents gone from their home, and everything changed. When the police eventually locate his parents and re-unite them, it turns out that they reported David missing eight years ago. He is examined by doctors, but his brain starts to transmit images of an alien spacecraft directly into the computers. When NASA hear about it, they are quick to take David away for further tests, after a craft was discovered crashed into power lines. They soon learn that David's head is filled with information about the outer reaches of space, and David feels like he is being beckoned by something hidden in the confines of NASA.

This was an obvious favourite of mine as a child, as it was for many of my generation. Whilst I was re-watching, I was surprised by two things. The first is that I remembered next to nothing about the opening 45 minutes or so, yet as soon as David became the Navigator, it all came flooding back to me. And the second was that I couldn't believe how genuinely good the first half was. Playing out like an early Spielberg sci-fi, where all the grown-ups are suspicious and shady with their suits and broken promises, it builds slowly and is actually quite riveting in parts. The second half, however, although fun, just doesn't play well alongside the mature opening half. It introduces Max (voiced by Pee-Wee Herman himself, Paul Reubens - here named as Paul Mall), who after bonding with David, develops a silly voice and annoying laugh, a la Pee-Wee Herman.

It is quite ironic that what I loved about the film as a child is now the thing that I feel ultimately lets it down. Maybe I have become a grumpy old man at the ripe old age of 27. It doesn't completely ruin the film, just brings it down a peg. It's very disappointing, as the need to seemingly dumb down to appeal to a young audience being fed on quality like The Empire Strikes Back (1980), The Dark Crystal (1982) and E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982) around the same period just feels unnecessary. Not that it would have touched on those films, but it still could have been very good nonetheless. But apart from the sudden change of tone, this is a childhood favourite for a reason - it is fun, imaginative, and has a sympathetic hero in Joey Cramer's David. And if a film can survive an early appearance from one of cinema's true monsters, Sarah Jessica Parker, then good on it.


Directed by: Randal Kleiser
Starring: Joey Cramer, Paul Reubens, Veronica Cartwright, Cliff De Young, Sarah Jessica Parker
Country: USA/Norway

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie

Review #204: 'The Exterminator' (1980)

New York in the late 1970's was a grim and dangerous city to dwell. The city was bankrupt, both financially and morally. At one point in 1978, New York's electricity was shut down, causing incredible amounts of looting and other forms of violence (greater than the London riots of this year). So, inevitably, New York folk (if they weren't the pimps, drug pushers, and other assortment of criminals) were pissed off. Which brings us to The Exterminator.

John Easton (Robert Ginty) is a Vietnam veteran, back in his home town - a city so derelict, he probably wonders what has happened to his beloved country during his time "defending" it. His best friend is attacked by street thugs - a claw-trowel is gauged into his spine - and ends up in hospital. This obviously angers Easton who, seeing the lack of progress by New York's finest, takes it into his own hands to hunt and kill the attackers. With a pseudo-serial killer on the loose on the streets, it is down to detective James Dalton (Christopher George) to discover his identity.

The pissed off Vietnam vet film was relatively prevalent around this time - from Taxi Driver's (1976) Travis Bickle to First Blood's (1982) John Rambo, - the war veteran was understandably angry at the America they came back to. Whilst Eastman's character is essentially good (he seems very pleasant when not murdering the murderers), he does carry the angry-young-man ethics of a Bickle or Rambo. They are collectively fighting the injustices they see on their countries streets.

This film however, is not on a par with even First Blood, but it does have that late-70's and early 80's New York grime that I personally love. It's certainly not as charming as Basket Case (1982) - a very different "animal", and does not have the exuberant gravitas of Scorsese's Taxi Driver, but I enjoy the New York movie of these years. I do love a good bit of urban disintegration, decay, and the inhabitants of these kinds of environments. I just wish I could have been in that city at that time - the rise of American punk, the dirty cinema of transgression that made it's mark (quietly), with the films of Richard Kern, Nick Zedd, Lindia Lunch et al. I also probably would have had a shorter life, as I would have more than likely been shot or stabbed. But hey, it would be worth it to have those brutal nights in on 42nd street and the lines of grindhouse cinemas that adorned that street, where I could have watched those exploitation films that we here at 'The Wrath of Blog' just adore.


Directed by: James Glickenhaus
Starring: Christopher George, Samantha Eggar, Robert Ginty
Country: USA

Rating: ***

Marc Ivamy

Review #203: 'All That Jazz' (1979)

Bob Fosse was a dance choreographer, dancer, actor, director.... He directs here a fragmented, fantastical portrait of his life. The main focus is on a stage piece that Fosse is directing/choreographing, and this is littered with flash backs, and he seems to be guided by the ethereal Angelique (Jessica Lange), who is either simply an angel (as implied by her name), or some kind of guardian, who makes objective comments for his actions and desires. Fosse's alter-ego is Joe Gideon (Roy Scheider), who is a hard drinking, chain smoking "artist", moving towards collapse.

As we are privy to various flashes of his past, his womanising, and the consequences of these actions, we see him in the present, falling apart, his health deteriorating. Eventually he ends up in hospital, his loved ones around him, telling him essentially that they told him so. These sequences are played out in absolute fantasy. Song and dance numbers are played out by the people in his life in front of his hospital bed.

In a brilliant scene whilst Joe is in hospital sees a board of producers sitting around a table discussing the finances of the show whilst Gideon is under the knife getting open heart surgery. What is great about the scene is the obvious dichotomy of creation and money. The juxtaposition of the meeting and the surgery, seem to imply that the discussions involved money seem to literally rip out the heart and soul of creativity. The film also has a visual chapter-head for each sequence involving a montage of Gideons morning ritual of Dexedrine, aspirin, eye drops, followed by his catch phrase, "Show Time", as he looks into the mirror.

I'm not really much of a musical fan, but the fact that this focuses on an artist at breaking point, it's very 1970's downbeat attitude, and it's use of musical pieces placed firmly within fantasy, and dream context, makes it an endearing and exciting film. The closing number is particularly excellent, with its disco-like rendition (eulogy if you like) of The Everly Brothers' 'Bye Bye Love'. A fitting end to a seemingly incredible life, and a quite brilliant film. Bob Fosse did die shortly after the release of the film.


Directed by: Bob Fosse
Starring: Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange, Leland Palmer
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Marc Ivamy

Review #202: 'The Sword and the Sorcerer' (1982)

The early 1980's saw an upsurge - and/or resurgence - of the sword and sandals genre. Post-Star Wars (1977) genre cinema was dominant (as it is today), with very similarly themed stories set in far off worlds, fantastically realised historically-set narratives of kings, queens etc. We saw the likes of Conan the Barbarian (1982), The Beastmaster (1982), Hawk the Slayer (1981), Dragonslayer (1981), et al. The films are numerous, and most definitely varying in quality. At this time, The Sword and the Sorcerer was released into the already flooded market of fantasy cinema. It seemed that there were too many similar films being produced, and the style of these films rarely differed from each other. So here we are with one of those many films. I picked this one for the Childhood Memories Project as it was the one I least remembered. All I can recall of it was that I had seen it. And, as I watched this, it dawned on me the very reason that I had forgotten it.

The Sword and the Sorcerer tells the story of Talon (Lee Horsley), who has been given a lame three bladed sword, and he has to go on some kind of quest to save a princess or some such thing. Well, what a big steaming pile of generic shite it really is! The narrative pilfers much of it's ideas from the real-life story of Oliver Cromwell, who's political clout overthrew the English Monarchy for a period during the 17th Century. The lead villain of the piece is appropriately called Cromwell (Richard Lynch). Maybe it was the utter boredom that overcame me during the film, but the plot seem to be a series of sequences of the protagonists running from place to place, being captured and imprisoned, and escaping.

The influence of Star Wars was very evident in the cinema of the time, as the polarity of good and evil were so clearly defined. This film is no different. Determining the factors of these parallels was easy. You would simply have a clean-cut hero (naive, partially stupid, but in the possession of something magical), and a Darth Vader-esque villain, easily recognisable by monstrous looks, and a deep/weird/breathy vocal range. Whilst on the subject of vocals; why is it that in this period of genre nonsense, how is it that in medieval England do the dialects of England and America coincide? There's even a brother and sister; the brother with his English accent, and the sisters American one! Bottom line, do not bother with this film. If you are interested in this type of fantasy cinema from the period, watch any of the others mentioned at the start of this review - even Hawk the Slayer is superior, and that film is rubbish!!!


Directed by: Albert Pyun
Starring: Lee Horsley, Kathleen Beller, Simon MacCorkindale
Country: USA

Rating: *

Marc Ivamy

Review #201: 'Wings of Desire' (1987)

In West Berlin, still surrounded by the Berlin Wall, angels Damiel (Bruno Ganz) and Cassiel (Otto Sander) spend their time observing human life and comforting those in need of it. They compare their observations, and marvel at the joys, quirks and special moments that are experienced by humans. When Damiel overlooks lonely trapeze artist Marion (Solveig Dommartin), he falls in love, and the desire to leave his observational duties behind overwhelms him, and he ponders the idea of 'taking the plunge' and becoming re-born himself. He and Cassiel have also taken a special interest in visiting actor Peter Falk (playing himself) who is in town to shoot a World War II movie.

The opening half an hour of this film is simply one of the most beautiful openings to a film I've ever seen. It is incoherent, and drifts seemingly randomly from person to person, as we hear their inner thoughts and experiences. Damiel and Cassiel drift around a busy library that is full of fellow angels comforting those studying and seeking answers. Even those in distress seem to please Damiel, as it is one of the things that makes us human. His life so far has been full of mere observation, and he longs for pain, worry, or fear, or something that will finally allow him to actually feel something. As much as this film is about humanity, it is equally about war.

As Damiel and Cassiel walks the streets of the still war-scarred Berlin, they discuss how they witnessed the First Days. They saw the first river reach it's shore, and the very first animals appear. They talk about they both laughed when the first human appeared, being born in their image, and opening it's mouth to say its first word. Was it 'oh' or 'ah', they try to recall. But then they stopped laughing when the humans discovered war. The Berlin in Wings of Desire is still full of rubble and half-destroyed buildings, and the inhabitants are still very much effected by the war. Cassiel takes a special interest in an old man named Homer, who is looking for Potsdamer Platz. Laid to waste during war and still lying desolate, the man only finds a chair in a field and graffiti-stained walls. He wishes for an 'epic of peace'.

But as well as portraying the dark side of humanity, it also celebrates the best of it. When Damiel comes across Peter Falk at a coffee stand, Falk feels his presence. He talks about how when he is cold, he rubs his hands together to warm up, and how good it feels. Damiel watches him in awe, and longs for the taste of coffee and a cigarette. When Damiel finally takes the plunge, the film turns from beautiful sepia monochrome into fully-realised colour. It's the same effect done in A Matter of Life and Death (1946). It's a simple yet beautiful statement about how we can miss the things that are right in front of us, if we fail to just open our eyes.

It's a sentimental film that if anybody else's hands may have come across as patronising or whimsical. But Wenders directs with such as beauty and a poetry that it never feels preachy. He focuses on the basic human emotions and dissects them in such a complex way that is rarely seen in cinema - he also did a similar thing with his powerful Paris, Texas (1984). An absolutely wonderful film that is truly one of the most moving and beautiful I've ever seen, and a true and a honest depiction of the human spirit.


Directed by: Wim Wenders
Starring: Bruno Ganz, Otto Sander, Solveig Dommartin, Peter Falk
Country: West Germany/France

Rating: *****

Tom Gillespie

Review #200: 'Beneath the Planet of the Apes' (1970)

With the recent release of franchise re-booter Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011), it seemed like a good time to re-visit the sequels to the original Planet Of The Apes (1968) film. The original is enormously popular even now and contains many popular quotes, but the sequels I can remember little of. I watched them as a child, but cannot recall which ones I saw and even if I saw them in order. This is the first sequel, and carries on immediately after we watched Charlton Heston on his knees in front of the half-buried Statue of Liberty at the end of the first.

Taylor (Charlton Heston) rides off on his horse with mute simpleton (and co-incidentally beautiful) Nova (Linda Harrison). When being met by a giant wall of fire, Taylor goes to check it out only to disappear into the side of the mountain. Meanwhile, an astronaut on a rescue mission who has followed Taylor's path, John Brent (James Franciscus), has crashed on the ape-ruled planet, and discovers the apes plans to march on a mysterious underground city they believe may be run by humans. With the help of friendly ape Zira (Kim Hunter), he gets there first along with Nova, only to discover it is run by strange telekinetic humans in crap costumes that worship their God - a nuclear bomb.

While this was a perfect opportunity to develop and enlarge the franchise's mythology, the decision to introduce the mind-reading humans was a bad one. The best thing about the original was the role-reversal of the apes and humans, the former being vastly intelligent and powerful while the latter being silent and enslaved. The humans in there cheap-looking futuristic costumes and rather silly abilities, clash with the original's ideals. And the fact that so little action is focused on the apes takes the magic out of it. Though Heston does appear in what could be called an extended cameo, new lead Franciscus is simply a bland carbon-copy of Taylor's character and does not share the acting chops and gravel-faced talents of Heston. Franciscus would spend the majority of his career starring in Italian giallo films, namely Argento's The Cat O' Nine Tales (1971).

When I was ready to completely write the film off, however, then came the completely depressing and quite shocking ending, which certainly bumped the film up a few notches for me. But apart from that, the film is rather bland, silly, and does nothing to extend or improve upon the original, which still remains a very solid sci-fi film.


Directed by: Ted Post
Starring: James Franciscus, Kim Hunter, Linda Harrison, Maurice Evans, Charlton Heston
Country: USA

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie

Review #199: 'Vincere' (2009)

When beauty-salon owner Ida Dalser (Giovanna Mezzorgiorno) has a chance encounter with the young Benito Mussolini (Filippo Timi), she becomes enamoured by him. They cross paths a number of times - one at a political rally where Mussolini challenges God to strike him down if he truly exists; the other she sees him pass her store leading a mob of political activists; and again as he is escaping the authorities, when they share their first kiss. Attracted to his enormous power and political ideals, she sells everything she owns in order to fund his new political magazine. They get married, and he gives her a son. But when he returns from World War I, he marries another women, and his political status vastly grows. Mussolini denies knowing her and puts her under surveillance. When Ida refuses to deny their marriage, she is committed to a mental hospital and all documentation of their marriage is destroyed.

Only unearthed in 2005 by Italian journalist Marco Zeni, this is a fascinating story that was, for years, suppressed by the fascist regime. Both the story and the film is a terrifying portrayal of a country under a ruthless dictator in a turbulent time in Europe. It is not actually known if the story is even true, as all evidence was destroyed by Mussolini's agents. But as well as Ida's stubborn refusal to deny it, their grown son, Benito Albino Mussolini, always spoke out how he was the 'bastard' son of the dictator, and was also placed in a mental asylum. He spoke out until his tragic death at the age of 26. He is portrayed in the film (also played by Timi) at first imitating Mussolini at the insistence of his friends, and then later manically quoting lines from his speeches as he wanders open-robed around the hospital.

The film is a great story that is magnificently acted, beautifully filmed, and unconventionally directed by Marco Bellocchio. Words fly out of the screen shouting 'war!', strange women gaze into the camera whose identity we don't find out until much later in the film, and the film sometimes jumps forward years while only hinting at the events that have taken place in between. It's a brave and worthwhile decision, and although it does slide into a more conventional genre picture near to the end, it remains frequently gripping and anger-inducing. Mezzogiorno in the lead role is outstanding, and in the scene where she breaks apart as she enters her second asylum, she is both heart-breaking and strangely inspiring. Timi is a force of nature as Mussolini, nailing his mannerisms and ruling over his people with a steely disposition.

Vincere was tipped for the Palme d'Or at Cannes, but was overshadowed by the admittedly better films The White Ribbon (2009) and A Prophet (2009). But this is a fantastic film in its own right - insightful, powerful, and disturbing, and Bellocchio, a veteran at 71, is definitely a director to keep an eye on.


Directed by: Marco Bellocchio
Starring: Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Filippo Timi, Fausto Russo Alesi
Country: Italy/France

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #198: 'Night Mail' (1936)

From 1933, the GPO (General Post Office) Film Unit produced many documentaries, inspired by the likes of Nanook of the North (1922), to promote their service. The films had many talented British film-makers working for them, including the likes of Basil Wright and Alberto Cavalcanti (both on the production team here), and have recently been released in three DVD collector's editions by the British Film Institute. As well as producing some damn fine films, they are key works in understanding the mentality and living conditions of a Britain long gone, when we took pride in our work. They are both uplifting in their detail and wholly depressing given the state of Britain today. I'm only 26 and feel this way, so God knows what the old folk must think.

Night Mail follows the midnight postal train from London to Scotland, looking at various things such as the sorting room, the loading of the train, and the inspired way of collecting mail from various places by catching the bags at high speeds in a retracting net. The last ten minutes features a now famous poem by W.H. Auden, read to the music of Benjamin Britten, that is read rhythmically to the sounds of the train. Starting slow, it gradually picks up pace as the train gets faster, and ends at a breathless pace.

Finishing at around the 30 minute mark, it leaves a great impression regardless of its slight running time. As mentioned before, it manages to capture the spirit of old Britain, and of a time when our public services were actually efficient. Now, the Post Office seems to lose more mail than it delivers, and if you're lucky to catch a train that arrives on time, you have the pleasure in sitting near some gormless scumbag listening to his shit dance music out loud, or some lazy fat single mother who won't deal with their screaming baby. But anyway, the quality of the film-making is often overwhelming for a documentary short, using interesting camera angles, lovely cinematography, and informative narration. I was surprised to see that the average user rating for this on IMDb is 6.8, considering this is one of the best, and most important documentaries to come out Britain. Ever.


Directed by: Harry Watt, Basil Wright
Narrator: John Grierson, Stuart Legg
Country: UK

Rating: *****

Tom Gillespie

Review #197: 'The Streetfighter' (1974)

Takuma Tsurugi (Sonny Chiba) is a martial artist for hire, and at the start of the film, helps the soon-to-be-executed Taketi (Masashi Ishibashi) escape by giving him his 'oxygen coma punch' to the back of his head. He is rushed to hospital and is freed by some of Tsurugi's helpers. Later a group of gangsters try to hire him to kidnap the daughter of an oil tycoon, Sarai (Yutaka Nakajima), which he refuses due to them being Yakuza. Instead, he attacks the dojo where she is being held and is eventually beaten by the dojo master, who nevertheless hires Tsurugi to protect her. Soon he and Sarai are being hunted by the Yakuza, who have also hired Taketi to murder Tsurugi.

Recently this film and its two sequels were given a new lease of life by Tony Scott's True Romance (1993), where the two leads are watching a Sonny Chiba marathon in the cinema (scriptwriter Tarantino being clearly a fan). But Chiba has been huge in Japan and amongst fans of the martial arts genre for decades, and it's not difficult to see why. Chiba is simply a force of nature on screen, with his monkey-like fighting movements and often terrifying facial expressions. His character here is a nasty piece of work. He isn't all inner peace and fighting for the greater good. He fights for money, and will quite happily rip your cock and balls off to stop a rape. Tsurugi's repulsiveness is refreshing, and Chiba is so fascinating to watch in the role that you can't help cheering for him, even when he's beating up a group of innocent karate apprentices.

The plot itself is as convoluted and confusing as a lot of the Japanse Yazuka/martial arts films are, and near to the end I'd forgotten who half the characters were and what their purpose was. But with action scenes this good, I couldn't have cared less. The first film in the US to receive an 'X' rating solely for its violence, The Streetfighter revels in its over-the-top blood letting, and is all the better for it. Mouthfuls of teeth are knocked out, a skull is shattered in X-ray vision, and the aforementioned castration scene has Chiba gleefully holding the prize possession in the air once it's been removed. Big, stupid, and very gory fun.


Directed by: Shigehiro Ozawa
Starring: Sonny Chiba, Goichi Yamada, Yutaka Nakajima
Country: Japan

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

"We're Gonna Need a Bigger Budget"

'Cowboys & Aliens'

This month saw the release of the Hollywood blockbuster, ludicrously titled, Cowboys and Aliens. The inevitable story of alien invasion in the wild west. I also noticed whilst reading about the aforementioned film, of another release in 2010, Cowboys and Zombies. Whilst this film was originally titled The Dead and the Damned, it was released straight to DVD changed to cash in on the upcoming mega-budget movie starring Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and James Bond (Daniel Craig). It does share similarities in narrative terms, and particularly in it's genre mash-up of western and horror/sci-fi. This use of title and genre/narrative similarity has been appearing more frequently on the DVD bargain bin over the last decade. The ones I, at first, was aware of were I Am Omega (2007), to coincide with the Will Smith starring I Am Legend (2007), and Transmorphers (2007), an obvious lift from Michael Bay's Transformers (2007). What connects these last films is quite a substantial library of films all produced by film studio The Asylum. They have quite a lucrative business in producing cheap "knock-offs" of major studio output.

After struggling, since 1997, to produce cheap horror films for the video market, The Asylum (founded by David Rimawi, Sherri Strain, and director David Michael Latt), released H. G. Wells' War of the Wars (2005), in parallel to Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds (2005). Straight-to-DVD on the opening cinema release of Spielberg's mega-hit, it was a financial success. So they plundered on capitalizing on many other Hollywood money-makers. This was followed by The Da Vinci Treasure (2006), Pirates of Treasure Island (2006), Snakes on a Train (2006), AVH: Alien vs Hunter (2007). I won't insult your intelligence by also stating the films that these examples are imitating. These were quickly titled "mockbusters" in the media. Others released include Sunday School Musical (2008), The Day the Earth Stopped (2008), and Almighty Thor (2011), to name just a few. I was simply not aware of how many there were. But this is not a new phenomenon. Cashing in on a Hollywood blockbuster really exploded after the release of another Spielberg film, 1975's Jaws.

'Up From The Depths'

Roger Cormans' New World pictures produced in 1979, Up from the Depths. The film is about a "fish monster" that was released from the depths by what must have been a slight shudder of an earthquake on the reef bed. This killer monster is terrorising a tourist hotel in a tropical location. The manager of the hotel holds a fishing competition to capture the beast. Well the similarities to Jaws are obvious. Up from the Depths' limitations are abvious. Whilst awful, I think it has just enough histrionic charm to warrant a quite enjoyable lark. The film was produced in the Phillipines, where labour was very cheap, and President Ferdinando Marcos would generously offer the services of their army. It doesn't show in this film but it does utilise the exotic landscapes. There were of course other low budget film productions to adapt similar projects, such as Joe Dante's Piranha (1978), the absolutely farcical Barracuda (1978), and the Italian produced The Last Shark (1981), which was actually sued by Universal Pictures and pulled from cinemas for being too derivative of their multi-million dollar earning "exploitation" film. There are some good examples of this trend, John Sayles (early in his career) wrote the screenplays for both the aforementioned Piranha, and the brilliant-yet-ridiculous Aligator (1980), with his tongue firmly placed in his cheek. And it pays off in both of the films.

'Mac & Me'

After this of course was Star Wars (1977), which spawned many imitators on the margins of hollywood: Luigi Cozzi's Star Crash (1978), Battlestar Galactica (1978), and Battle Beyond the Stars (1980). This also instigated many more big budget films set in space, such as Disney's The Black Hole (179) and Tron (1982). The animated Starcrash: The Legend of Orin (1985), used the gimmick of 3D in the cinemas to try coax people in to see the same story again - my memory of the cinema visit, was some very sore eyes after the constant use of the old red and green spectacle. Fundamentally any Hollywood genre film that was a success, would be followed with more of the same. E. T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) was "mockbustered" with Mac & Me (1988); Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986) have been imitated an unbelievable amount - although it could be argued that writer Dan O Bannon lifted the story from Mario Bava's Planet of the Vampires (1965). To name just a few of the Alien-alike; Star Crystal (1986), Galaxy of Terror (1981), Creature (1985), Xtro II: The Second Encounter (1991), and Contamination (1980). Well you can see the pattern. These narrative, thematic trends continued well into the 1990's, and really can still be seen in cinema today.

'Battlestar Galactica'

It could be argued that with the advent of Hollywood funding genre pictures with increasingly large budgets, they too were working in parallel with the exploitation film makers such as Roger Corman, who had been producing these kinds of films for decades on very limited budgets, for drive-ins and grindhouse cinemas. Only the studios had the resources - particularly the money - to produce better looking films, with better distribution (this was the beginning of saturation marketing, and of cinema spaces/screens). Hollywood was also increasingly focusing on recreating the performances of the films' success at the box office each summer. But what happened in the process of a committee-based system, these films also became very derivative. It seems that the new Hollywood "Moguls" of the 1970's and '80's were the producers of B-Movies, and exploitation pictures, but they could wear the more expensive suits. Of course the exploitation film makers of the 1960's and 1970's had been in the business of imitation years before Jaws. As soon as a producer/director/studio had a hit, they would flood the market with similar product, and of course all other's would follow. Examples being the Woman In Prison strand (The Big Bird Cage (1972), Women In Cages (1971) etc.), the Slasher sub-genre following Halloween (1978), and hitting a new factory-produced height after Friday the 13th (1980) - which was distributed by big studio Paramount. Italian genre cinema production is notorious for it's capitalisation of contemporary cinema. Lucio Fulci's zombie output after George Romero's Dawn of the Dead (1978), is well documented (Zombie Flesh Eaters (1979) et al). Pretty much any blueprint sci-fi or horror film that has had any kind of success has been "recreated" by the Italians. Bellissimo!

The B movie, being produced as an A movie had an effect on cinema. The drive-in's and grindhouses of America were being closed and torn down, as the exploitationers were marginalised, and would eventually find their way on the straight-to-video market. Of course the quality of these films can't mimic to verve of the exploitation films from 1960 to 1986. The modern day equivalents produced by companies like The Asylum, just don't have the ingenuity of the film makers involved, and the down-right bravura of them, in the face of danger. Getting scars for their art, man! But I'm romanticising. The "mockumentaries" are bland. Their production values worse than most television productions such as Battlestar Galactica (2003 - 2009). And they are "safe". But I guess in a flooded market, you have to sell your product. After all, in America, isn't the pursuit of money/wealth, the dream of the nation? So, I'm wondering. Any wizard/super hero/vampire films recently?

Marc Ivamy

Review #196: 'The Reptile' (1966)

When his brother is mysteriously killed by a reptilian creature that causes him to foam at the mouth and turn green, Harry Spalding (Ray Barrett) inherits his cottage and moves in with his wife Valerie (Jennifer Daniel). Shunned by the towns yokels but befriended by the brilliantly bearded innkeeper Tom (Michael Ripper), Harry becomes interested in the rumours of the townsfolk dying from the 'black death'. When they alert the local doctor, Dr. Franklyn (Noel Willman), he dismisses any responsibility, and they become puzzled by his strange behaviour towards his daughter and his creepy servant. Is the black death really to blame? Of course not, it's a big reptile-human hybrid thing!

As good as Hammer's output was, they levelled it out with a lot of quickly made crap. They shot films furiously fast on a wafer-thin budget to serve as warm-ups to main features. While sometimes this produced some genuinely good stuff (The Plague of the Zombies (1966) - also directed by Gilling), often it did not. The Reptile served as an accompaniment to Rasputin The Mad Monk (1966), and it's place as a mere quickie is evident to see. It is hammily acted (usually a good thing), badly scripted, and has some quite shockingly bad make-up. And lead Ray Barrett clearly wasn't the most gifted of actors. However, the mysterious plot that remains a puzzle right until the very end almost saves it, but this still remains a very poor effort, though it's a nice enough way to pass 90 minutes.


Directed by: John Gilling
Starring: Ray Barrett, Noel Willman, Jennifer Daniel, Michael Ripper, John Laurie, Marne Maitland
Country: UK

Rating: **

Tom Gillespie

Review #195: 'Restless Natives' (1985)

This is one of those films that I almost blindly rented on video as a naive ten year old cineaste. I knew nothing about it, but remember that the film stayed with me long after viewing it. So much so, that I remembered it as an adult, yet had not seen it since that one rental in 1986. I absolutely adored the film as a youngster, and did not hesitate in telling all of my friends about it. And the chain continued, as I "turned on" my mates to this little Scottish gem of a film. But would the film charm me as it did back then?

The film focuses on Will (Vincent Friell) and Ronnie (Joe Mullaney), friends from Edinburgh who work together in a novelty shop. They both dream of bigger things. They start to hold up tourist buses in the highlands. Whilst they manage to get money from the American tourist, they also act them out in incredibly polite manner. Wearing clown and werewolf masks there highwayman charm filters into the tourism trade in Scotland, as floods of American tourists are flocking to coach trips in the hope of being robbed by these friendly folk heroes. However, one American tourist, Bender (Ned Beatty), who decides it is his duty to solve the crimes to the chagrin of the local police.

This film is absolutely wonderful. The leads are excellent, the script is sharp and funny. It has it all. It shows in some of the actors involved in this little British film. Not only the aforementioned Ned Beatty, but also cameos from Nannette Newman and Mel Smith. The naivety of the leads makes the film so much more charming, as they blunder their way through the newly found (secret) fame, as they gain international interest - including some brilliantly stereotypical Japanese television producers, who follow them round the highland roads filming ever movement. I would absolutely recommend this film to everyone, and their nans! Charming, beautiful and funny.


Directed by: Michael Hoffman
Starring: Vincent Friell, Joe Mullaney, Teri Lally, Ned Beatty
Country: UK

Rating: ***

Marc Ivamy

Review #194: 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2' (2011)

So the Potter machine is finally at it's end, with the decision to split the final book into two films proving a financial masterstroke. Ten years on from the first, the films have had a number of different directors, used practically every fine British actor there is that's still alive, and have ranged vastly in quality. They have also become extremely dark, with the 'love will triumph over evil' moral and the never-truly-threatening bad guys of the early two films being replaced with murdered house elves, tortured children, mass murder, and main characters being mercilessly killed in the blink of an eye. Author J.K. Rowling wanted the fans to grow up with Harry and mature with the books, and on many levels it works very well.

Part 1 left us with Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) having to bury one of his trusted friends, and Lord Voldemort (Ralph Feinnes), along with his Death Eaters, are closing in on Hogwarts. Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) have still got some horcruxes (pieces of Voldemort's soul, for those you haven't watched it) left to find, and arrive at Hogsmeade to find a way into Hogwarts, which is being run by the evil (?) Severus Snape (Alan Rickman). They find a way in thanks to Dumbledore's brother Aberforth (Ciaran Hinds), and are quick to take control of the school. But with Voldemort approaching, teachers and pupils alike must join forces in a climactic battle, while Harry scours the school for the horcruxes.

While Part 1 seemed to be stretched out and become rather slow in the middle section, Part 2 is action-packed. I'm not ashamed to say that I am a fan of the books, yet I was disappointed with the last one. After so long reading, the finale was anti-climatic and wasn't as dramatic or revelatory as I was expecting it to be. This is the main reason why Part 2 works so well. It extends the final showdown, making it rough, exciting and worthy of watching seven previous films, as Harry and Voldemort cross wands and fists. A slight disappointment though is the Battle of Hogwarts, which was a great section of the book. Giants, werewolves and stone men alike clash with the wizards and Death Eaters as Hogwarts is reduced to rubble. The build-up to it is great, but then the action shifts away to Harry, and his search for the horcruxes is less interesting than the battle happening around him.

It is as big a climax as you could hope for though, with every penny of the massive budget visible on screen. The special effects are virtually flawless, but the majority of the huge cast are give little or nothing to do. The likes of Emma Thompson, Jim Broadbent, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Gary Oldman, John Hurt, Julie Walters and David Thewlis, who are the pinnacle of British talent, are given little more than a few lines. I know, these were major players in previous films, but with this kind of talent reduced to little more than cameos, it makes it upsetting that we're stuck with Daniel Radcliffe for the duration (likeable as he is). Ralph Fiennes though, who only appears briefly in the previous films, is given a lot more to chew on, and revels in it.

A fitting climax to a memorable series of films. Although never achieving anywhere near greatness, Harry Potter notched up some decent films (forgetting the first two), especially Alfonso Cuaron's third instalment, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004). It will be interesting to see where the three leads go from this, as none of them are the most gifted of actors, and it's a wonder if they'll ever manage to shake off the phenomenon that is Harry Potter. 


Directed by: David Yates
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, Matthew Lewis, Michael Gambon, Helena Bonham Carter, Jason Isaacs
Country: UK/USA

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie

Review #193: 'Ice Cold in Alex' (1958)

Battle-weary alcoholic Captain Anson (John Mills) sets out across the Libyan desert after his British base is evacuated. Joining him is Tom Pugh (Harry Andrews), Anson's square-jawed and loyal friend, and two nurses Diana (Sylvia Syms) and Denise (Diane Clare). Joining them early on the road is Afrikaan-speaking Captain van der Poel (Anthony Quayle), a colossal man who seems rather attached to his bag who he claims contains bottles of gin. In their way are mine fields, thirst, swampy salt mines, the desert heat, and those bloody Nazis. Anson promises to quit drinking until he gets to Alexandria, Egypt, where awaiting him is an ice cold lager.

Possibly the best thing about this very good film is the real feel of the desert. Many of the old films glam it up a bit, but Ice Cold In Alex revels in the sweat, dust and dirt of the perilous desert. You can literally taste the dryness of their lips and the scorching heat on their back, and really feel their struggle. Also refreshing is the lack of token gunfights and action scenes that plagued many of the old war films. It is more concerned with the individual mental and physical struggle of the characters, and draws up tension in the small moments, such as Anson biting his lip and breathing hard as he slowly makes his way across the mine field. Another film that came to mind during these tense scenes is Henri-Georges Clouzot's The Wages Of Fear (1953).

I never realised just quite how terrific an actor John Mills was until I saw this. Even though his male co-stars tower over the little man, he is a raging mountain of frustration, anger and fierce dedication. It is a sublime performance. His co-stars are impressive too, with Quayle another standout as a man who may not be quite who he claims to be. Combining this with the impressive cinematography and intelligent script, it makes for an exciting and absorbing war film that manages to be quintessentially British yet as gritty a war film that I've seen from this era.


Directed by: J. Lee Thompson
Starring: John Mills, Sylvia Syms, Anthony Quayle, Harry Andrews
Country: UK

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #192: 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' (1975)

This is one of those films that I can't believe I had never seen before now. Also on this list are the likes of It's A Wonderful Life (1946) and The Great Escape (1963), but they will be seen all in good time. It's a shame I had waited so long to be honest, as it is quite possibly the most hilarious and brilliant comedy I've ever seen. There's not much to say about Monty Python that hasn't already been said, but it is well known that the group (John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin) were revolutionaries in the art of comedy, combining a number of elements to create an overall surreal and ingenious sense of humour.

The film is based loosely on the legend of King Arthur (Chapman) and the Knights of the Round Table. Arthur is on a quest to find the Holy Grail, and with his fellow Knights, encounters a number of dangerous and ridiculous obstacles along the way. These include a castle guarded by French knights with 'outrageous accents', the Black Knight, the Knights Who Say Ni, the Three-Headed Giant, the Rabbit of Caebannog, and the Beast of Arrrrrrggggghhhhh.

Whereas Life of Brian (1979) was a very intelligent and quite biting satire on religion, Holy Grail is pretty much just an excuse to be extremely silly. From the opening scene, where Arthur arrives pretending to ride on his imaginary horse while his squire bangs two coconuts together to make a galloping noise, you know that the film is not going to play by any comedy rules, and is certainly not afraid of being just plain weird. It plays out in an episodic structure, much like The Flying Circus, but the team are clearly at their most comfortable here and are certainly no slouches when it comes to comedy set-pieces. My favourite would probably be the famous Black Knight, who when Arthur has hacked three of his limbs in a brilliantly gruesome manner, is still trying to fight ("'tis but a scratch!").

The comedy comes from all angles - word-play, visual gags, surrealism, post-modernism, blink-or-you'll-miss-it background gags, and simply pulling silly faces - and they come thick and fast, including more laughs per minute than most comedies will be lucky to muster in 90 minutes. This is simply a brilliant film, and will forever remain amongst the greatest comedies ever created.


Directed by: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones
Starring: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
Country: UK

Rating: *****

Tom Gillespie

Review #191: 'Lessons of Darkness' (1992)

Werner Herzog does not make documentaries. He manipulates the truth in order create an artistic truth that channels reality in the way he feels it should be seen. The approach he takes with Lessons Of Darkness is a similar style to the quite brilliant Fata Morgana (1971) and the hypnotic, yet slightly meandering, The Wild Blue Yonder (2005). He does a similar thing yet not quite to the same style in the exquisite Grizzly Man (2005) and the solid Little Dieter Learns To Fly (1998). He has been often criticised for this, yet I feel it is what makes him one of the greatest and most interesting film-makers in history, and one of the best documentary film-makers of recent times.

His focus in Lessons Of Darkness is the desolate and ruined landscape of post-Gulf War Kuwait. His camera sweeps along the country with a fascination and curiosity from the viewpoint of a complete outsider. Herzog has stated that he regularly shoots his documentaries as if he were a visiting alien on his first day on Earth. The film is separated by thirteen different chapters, focusing their attention on burned-out military vehicles, weapons of torture, and most beautifully, the burning oil fields of Kuwait and the men given the task of putting out these massive fireballs.

About two-thirds of the film are dedicated to the oil fields, and they are a wonder to behold. Herzog's camera and almost philosophical narration given with that strange German accent portray it as almost a biblical disaster. The whole sky is literally scarred with black smoke, and the flames burn brightly for miles on end. As usual, Herzog becomes fascinated with the workers who are putting the flames out, always being transfixed by people put through extreme experiences. He shows them as they re-ignite the fires when they were just a jet of oil spurting into the air, and wonders if they have becomes engulfed by madness and a need to stay out of the darkness.

No-one makes documentaries quite as hypnotic and enticing as Herzog, and this is no exception. While not reaching the brilliance of Fata Morgana, Grizzly Man or Encounters At The End Of The World (2007), the film is still a fascinating portrait of a slightly neglected topic. He stays out of political viewpoints and only includes a couple of interviews, instead remaining as a mere observer. A fine example of why Herzog is one of the most prolific and original directors in cinema history, and possibly my all-time favourite director.


Directed by: Werner Herzog
Narrator: Werner Herzog
Country: France/UK/Germany

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #190: 'Animal Kingdom' (2010)

When 17-year old J's (James Frecheville) mother dies from an overdose of heroin, he contacts his grandmother Janine 'Smurf' Cody (Jacki Weaver) who he's rarely seen and moves in with her. She lives there with her three violent sons, Craig (Sullivan Stapleton), Darren (Luke Ford), and Pope (Ben Mendelsohn), who are part of a large Melbourne crime family. When Pope's best friend is shot dead by police at point blank range, the three brothers decide to take revenge and murder a couple of police officers. Things soon spiral out of control, and J is unwittingly dragged into a war between the brothers and the police.

If there was one word to describe this film, it would be brutal. Not in the overly-violent, exploitative way, but in the way that the film can deliver a sudden burst of violence that is both realistic and unpleasant. This is a seriously tough drama. Where most films become more exciting when action starts, Animal Kingdom just gets darker and more tense. And that is where its power lies. The film draws you in and leaves you waiting at the end of your nerve while you wait to see what happens to these basically nasty characters next. Yet even when you're half-expecting something to happen, it still manages to hit you with a shotgun blast that comes out of nowhere.

The main strength of the film is the stellar acting. Jacki Weaver received an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of a woman that is as powerful using her mouth and brain as her sons are with their guns and intimidation, and she is brilliant in the role. Relative newcomer Frecheville brilliantly underplays his role as a quiet teenager suddenly drawn into a world of violence and danger, and really comes into his own two-thirds into the film. But the obvious stand-out is Ben Mendelsohn as the terrifying Pope. At first glance, he appears to be a non-threatening, slightly weird looking middle aged man. But those eyes are filled with evil and mental instability. This is a 'bad guy' who is genuinely psychopathic, and is more threatening when he's being nice to you. He is reckless, evil and conniving. In most scenes, you don't know if he's genuinely being nice or waiting to strangle a character. His performance is simply stunning.

I'm very disappointed that this film hasn't been raved about more. Sure, it's critically-acclaimed, but it should be seen by more people. I've never felt a film has been so criminally underrated since 2005's outstanding The Proposition (coincidentally also an Australian film starring Guy Pearce). This film stayed with me for long after the credits rolled. Even though this world of drug-dealing and casual violence seemed alien to me, the story of isolation and fear can be felt by everyone. Highly recommended.


Directed by: David Michôd
Starring: James Frecheville, Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Guy Pearce, Jacki Weaver
Country: Australia

Rating: *****

Tom Gillespie