Avaliações de junkySTL

Well, not the ENTIRE reason to see this film... but she was certainly the highlight for me. Why? Frankly because I didn't even know who she was until I saw this film (sad, considering her other work is extremely interesting).

At any rate, the plot is simple; high school students pressured by life decisions plan to steal the S.A.T. (which has various definitions assigned to it throughout the movie). It becomes an elaborate scheme and many people get caught up in it.

Including shinning Erika Christensen (from SWIMFAN and TRAFFIC).

There's the obvious collection of somewhat stereotypical kids (a stoner, a brain, two slackers- one more academically charged than the audience would like to believe).

At any rate, this movie plays well.

I actually loved it!

I supposed it was a bit more personal for me since my PSAT and S.A.T. were HELL!!!!!! And I sunk my teeth depe into a movie that blasted these types of standardized tests and the implications they hold (sexism, racism, placism, all of which are true of standardized tests and the current education system in general, sad to me... and me on the brink of being an English professor).

At any rate, the bottom line is this: You HAVE to admire a movie where one of the "heroes" of the film is a stoner who's so ultra-smart among his peers that he excells past all of them while convincing everyone around him that he's borderline stupid. Only Mtv could produce such a character, or such a film.

I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

And watch Johansson... She's gonna be a star if her smoldering performance here is any indication! She plays the best goth/metal/rebellious/finger-to-the-system/badgirl I've seen in film today...

I was first introduced to this film in a British Cinema class I took at the College of Santa Fe and it's haunted me ever since! Despite what the box claims, Orson Wells has a small part in the and of the film... but the real star is Alan Badel. The first segment, "In the Picture," deals with a museum attendant who's paintings have a real, and sinister, life of their own. The second segment, "You Killed Elizabeth," is not supernatural, and probably the film's dullest installment, but has some good character to it. The final segment, which shows Badel at his absolute evilest, "Lord Mountdrago," has Wells and Badel as political adversaries, and Wells' murderous dreams become real. Of all the small obscure murder mystery / horror gems to go unnoticed from Britain this is certainly the one I wish would receive more attention. It is chilling (my favorite segment remains "In the Picture"), well acted, and brilliantly scripted. Rent it if you find it at your video store! Watch it if it (miraculously) appears on television! Or simply go out and buy it (you won't regret it!). If you want to see the BEST horror anthology film ever, look no further than THREE CASES OF MURDER.

It sometimes boggles the mind to think of all the great finds Something Weird Video has unearthed in the past years. To date they've educated me in H.G. Lewis, Fredric Hobbs, William Grefe, Jack Weis, Doris Wishman, and Leonard Kirtman! But in the year of 1998-99 I was blown away when they discovered two un-aired television shows hosted by horror's classic (and best) genre stars; THE VEIL, hosted by Boris Karloff, and 13 DEMON STREET, hosted by Lon Chaney. Boris Karloff hosts a series of ten episodes of a horror series entitled `THE VEIL' from in front of a crackling fireplace in an illustrious castle room, filled with books and curiously macabre statues. Karloff plays his narrator as a somewhat curious man, who insists that all the tales he tells (stories he's `researched') are all true.

`Vision of Crime' is an interesting supernatural tale, though not very energetic. `Girl on the Road' begins like a Hitchcock crime-thriller, but ends on an almost William Castle-esque note. `Food on the Table' shows off Karloff's never-dulling acting skills, and achieves some pretty effective chills in its end. `The Doctors' is more of a moralistic story, and not so much horror. `The Crystal Ball' is entertaining, and has some cool imagery. `Genesis' has intriguing characters, a good plot, and some chilling imagery. `Destination Nightmare' is a bit too sentimental, and has very little horror imagery.

Also, `Destination' features Karloff narrating from a different room than his signature castle; a very 60's decorated library-looking room, complete with a map of the world for Karloff to stand in front of.

`Summer Heat' is simply a psychic crime-mystery with no horror in it at all. `The Return fo Madame Vernoy' is arguably the series' worst entry, being talkative and slow moving with next to no horror to place it in the series. And, finally, `Jack the Ripper' is a worthy entry, though the discriminating viewer might hunger for more of Jack the Ripper in the piece, instead of the irritating psychic who chases him. The `Ripper' segment also has an odd format change where Karloff hosts with a scattered opening segment, an interlude in the middle of the episode, and then a conclusion.

SWV's DVD presentation of THE VEIL is perfect! However, between the two horror series they've unearthed I would have to say that to my horror movie aesthetic 13 DEMON STREET is a bit better. Although THE VEIL is good, some of the episodes drag, and some are quite anti-climactical and disappointing, whereas I've never seen a 13 DEMON STREET I didn't enjoy.

Probably the reason for THE VEIL's fancy treatment, over 13 DEMON STREET's modest video release, is due to the psychological nature of the horror in THE VEIL over the more supernatural horror of DEMON STREET, which is more centered on ghouls, ghosts and demons.

Although I prefer 13 DEMON STREET (of which two episodes appear on the VEIL DVD) to THE VEIL, it is still a masterfully done series, with the wonderful Karloff as the master of ceremonies and occasional star. The ominously over-decorated room from which Karloff narrates, in front of his Dante-esque fire, never fails to creep

It sometimes boggles the mind to think of all the great finds SWV has unearthed in the past year. To date they've educated me in H.G. Lewis, Fredric Hobbs, William Grefe, Jack Weis, Doris Wishman, and Leonard Kirtman! But in the year of 1998-99 I was blown away when they discovered two un-aired television shows hosted by horror's classic (and best) genre stars; THE VEIL, hosted by Boris Karloff, and 13 DEMON STREET, hosted by Lon Chaney.

Boris Karloff hosts a series of ten episodes of a horror series entitled `THE VEIL' from in front of a crackling fireplace in an illustrious castle room, filled with books and curiously macabre statues. Karloff plays his narrator as a somewhat curious man, who insists that all the tales he tells (stories he's `researched') are all true.

`Vision of Crime' is an interesting supernatural tale, though not very energetic. `Girl on the Road' begins like a Hitchcock crime-thriller, but ends on an almost William Castle-esque note. `Food on the Table' shows off Karloff's never-dulling acting skills, and achieves some pretty effective chills in its end. `The Doctors' is more of a moralistic story, and not so much horror. `The Crystal Ball' is entertaining, and has some cool imagery. `Genesis' has intriguing characters, a good plot, and some chilling imagery. `Destination Nightmare' is a bit too sentimental, and has very little horror imagery. Also, `Destination' features Karloff narrating from a different room than his signature castle; a very 60's decorated library-looking room (?), complete with a map of the world for Karloff to stand in front of. `Summer Heat' is simply a psychic crime-mystery with no horror in it at all. `The Return fo Madame Vernoy' is arguably the series' worst entry, being talkative and slow moving with next to no horror to place it in the series. And, finally, `Jack the Ripper' is a worthy entry, though the discriminating viewer might hunger for more of Jack the Ripper in the piece, instead of the irritating psychic who chases him. The `Ripper' segment also has an odd format change where Karloff hosts with a scattered opening segment, an interlude in the middle of the episode, and then a conclusion.

SWV's DVD presentation of THE VEIL is perfect! However, between the two horror series they've unearthed I would have to say that to my horror movie aesthetic 13 DEMON STREET is a bit better. Although THE VEIL is good, some of the episodes drag, and some are quite anti-climactical and disappointing, whereas I've never seen a 13 DEMON STREET I didn't enjoy. Probably the reason for THE VEIL's fancy treatment, over 13 DEMON STREET's modest video release, is due to the psychological nature of the horror in THE VEIL over the more supernatural horror of DEMON STREET, which is more centered on ghouls, ghosts and demons. Although I prefer 13 DEMON STREET (of which two episodes appear on the VEIL DVD; `The Vine of Death' and `The Black Hand') to THE VEIL, it is still a masterfully done series, with the wonderful Karloff as the master of ceremonies and occasional star. The ominously over-decorated room from which Karloff narrates, in front of his Dante-esque fire, never fails to creep me out. Check it out if you get a chance.

This is an ultra-rare outing from New Orleans filmmaker Jack Weis, who's later work included the more widely received MARDI GRAS MASSACRE. Whereas MASSACRE took place in New Orleans the city, this film takes place in the bayous beyond.

The plot concerns a drab war veteran who seeks isolation in the swamps of Louisiana. However, when three robbers find out that he has a stash of money from his army days, they seek to rob him, only to kill him in the process. Ted, the war veteran, is not dead, however, and is revived by a snake woman named Damballa, who is constantly naked, and has yellow eyes. Together Damballa and Ted seek revenge on those who've wronged him.

This is easily one of the best movies I've ever seen. Weis was the king of demented cinema long before there was a David Lynch or Cronenberg, or Wes Craven. His depiction of Louisiana is one of a foggy, mystic, shrouded place where anything can happen, and does. And, although MASSACRE was a bit more exciting, CRYPT's scripting and FX soar above the film that followed it.The FX are impressive, and dated. The acting is as bad as it gets. And the style of the movie is pure Midnight Movie material, from one of the most underrated and unappreciated directors of our time (right up there with H.G. Lewis and Fredrick Hobbs).

Though known for many years as an alternate title for MASSACRE, CRYPT is its own movie entirely and is being distributed through Something Weird Video since 1998.

I should start off by saying that Kevin Lindenmuth used to be somewhat of an acquaintance of mine, and I still maintain that the man is one of the single most talented men out there, and will some day challenge someone like Barker, or Hooper's throne of horror. This movie is awesome, and was directed on a shoestring budget on weekends by Kevin and his friends, and was made right before his best film `VAMPIRES AND OTHER STEREOTYPES.' It contains three stories; one about a man who's lies become so bad they materialize and threaten his life, another story about a boy running from the law with an irritating phantom by his side, and, finally, a story about a man who's bitten by a vampire AND a werewolf. It stars all of Kevin's regulars; Mick McCleery, and Laura McLaughlin. It is hilarious right down to the last story, and succeeds on all levels as an enjoyable movie. Sure there are some minor horrific scenes, and some cartoon-ish gore, but the film is mostly a comedy. Be sure and watch the behind-the-scenes stuff at the end so you can see the cast and crew having just as much fun making the movie as you'll have watching it.

This time around it's not a Badham, or a Besson that tackles the now-popular female assassin formula, but B-movie great Fred Olen Ray. Ray has given us some truly terrible movies (1994's `ATTACK OF THE 60 FOOT CENTERFOLD') and some okay movies (like this one, and `POSSESSED BY THE NIGHT'). All in all Ray shows what he can truly do here in this VERY stylish thriller. Basically, Tara McCormick (Wendy Schumacher, one of the best looking women in Hollywood, and a good actress on top of that) is arrested for an attempted murder, and is recruited by the government to become a hit woman. The acting, for the most part, is subtle, and not over-done, like most of these movies. The action is right on the mark, and there's plenty of it. Basically, it functions not only as a good `NIKITA' clone, but also as a successful B-movie that over-comes its budget and delivers quality.

I gathered from this film, when seeing a preview for it, that it looked much like a male perspective on Luc Besson's `LA FEMME NAKITA' or John Badham's `POINT OF NO RETURN.' On viewing, I found that I was right. It's the story of Joe (Justin Lazard, who would later rise to notoriety in `big' films like `SPECIES II' and `UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: THE RETURN') who is a criminal, and gets busted by the cops on some kind of illegal transaction. He is then recruited to work for the government as a hit man by a woman named Mary (Rachel York), whom Joe hates/falls for. In the end Joe tried killing his government companions and attempts to `get out' of the system. Though the action scenes are impressive, and the action is constant, the film lacks substance, and looks very much like a made for T.V. film. However, the end of the film is original, and good. If you want to see what `POINT OF NO RETURN' would've looked like with a man instead of Bridget Fonda, then this is your movie!

I saw this film on video when it was picked up by Something Weird Video and distributed as LOVE HUNGER. Back in the 60's there was a popular sub-genre of film, called the `Swamp Movie,' another good example is Jack Weis's `Crypt of Dark Secrets.' LOVE HUNGER concerns a group of runaway crooks who shack up at an old man's cabin in the swamp, where the leader of the gang sneaks away each night to watch the daughter of a local bath. Soon the leader, Joe, and the daughter, Mara, fall in love and have to combat Joe's comrades who want their share of the loot and Mara with it. A pretty in depth love story, and lots of action and snappy dialogue to carry it along. Worth a look.

I love old adventure/fantasy movies like this, where the acting is over-done, the Technicolor is glowing, the art direction flawless, and the costumes so over-decorated you'd think it was Shakespeare In the Park. This one is no exception! It concerns a group of explorers who become stranded in the desert when trying to help a lost countryman. They save his life and are `welcomed' into the city of Atlantis, which, prior to common belief, actually sank into the sand. Once inside, however, they have to fight for their lives against a malicious queen, her servants, and the threat of an atomic bomb testing site near by. Elegant to the last frame, this is a movie to savor! Leave it up to Something Weird Video to preserve weird gems like this for people who love classic cheese ball movies that are made with passion and style.

Quite the dismal little film. It concerns a couple, who are blonde hair and blue eyed like everyone else in this Scandinavian future, who decide to get hitched just as the unnamed country they live in goes to war with another no-name country. The man of the couple, John Johnson (Anton Vrdoljak) gets shoved around and beaten down just about as much as any man can in a film, and yet still maintains his iron will and sunny disposition. I won't spoil the end, but it's pretty nihilistic. Watch it ONLY if you're in a good mood.

While, on first viewing, this film may seem a combination of other director's styles (Peter Jackson, Sam Raimi, etc.) Frank Grow proves he is his own monster, and his creativity is original. The film's plot centers around Manhattan, in 1995. All mental hospitals must cut their patient load by 1/5. LaRue (Will Keenan) is sent out onto the streets with a chronic reading disorder, and sent to the Love Hotel (where most of the inmate are being held). There he falls in love with a mute girl, who's obsessive mother dominates her life. To top this off, LaRue is given a roommate with turrets syndrome, and is chased by a prehistoric worm that inhabits peoples bodies and mutates them. This film is, to say the least, a crazy piece of work. Brilliant cinema, and creative genius at its best. The film's story is original, and dazzling. The FX, though budgeted, are impressive and effective. And the acting and scripting of the film is seamless. The film begins with craziness and never lets the viewer rest, which is the film's charm. And the message at the end of the film, amidst all the gore and drama, is beautiful. While there is tons of Hollywood waste dumped into theaters each year it is a shame to see a talent like Frank Grow, and a brilliant film such as this over-looked. This obscure gem has been hidden for well over four years now. The producer of the film, Anthony Bergman, actually gave me a copy of this film in late 2000 to view. Seek it out if you find it near you.

The recent flow of horror films from Japan will be greatly helped by this entry! Not only does it suceed as a good story, but the special FX and action does nothing to deter from this.

A girl, Junko, with pyrokinesis (the ability to set things on fire with mental strenght) takes revenge on some teenage, who run a snuff film business, and have killed the sister of one of Junko's friends. The first half of the film runs like a cop-thriller (like SEVEN) with two detectives tracking the killings of the teenagers, then the burnings that follow. The second half, however, lends itself more to horror-action sequences and could very well be some of the most beauitful footage ever filmed. Though a little slow moving, not so much, though, as other Japanese horrors such as the first RING film and TOMIE, it still manages a nice pace and suceeds on every level, not just as a genre film, but as a great movie all around.

Catch it if you find it near you!

When I first saw Danny Vendramini's thriller DESPERATE PREY (or REDHEADS as it was called back then), I was blown away with the film. This is one of those thrillers that begins with suspense, catches the audience in it's grasp, then never lets go.

The story concerns Lucy (Claudia Karvan), a young trouble-maker who lives in a sort of juvenile hall penitentiary for girls. She has been having a sexual affair with an older, wealthy head of a law firm. When her lover is killer while she is at his apartment, she flees the scene hiding the video tape she made of the evening, that includes the killer's identity. After escaping back to the penitentiary Lucy's friends become less and less as the killer methodically kills them one by one, searching for Lucy. To avoid death and find the real killer Lucy teams with her tempestuous lawyer Diana (Catherine McClements).

I saw this film when it premiered on the Starz network on cable as REDHEADS, and, even after repeated viewings, it still holds the same suspense and chills it did on first viewing. It was made in Australia, and released in very limited distribution in the U.S. but more U.S. thrillers should take the example set by REDHEADS. It has style, some of the best visuals and camera work I've ever seen, substance, the plot for the film is actually SMART, and human characters. Not every character is likable, but this is part of the film's charm.

The story of a man Lorenz Lubota (played by Alfred Abel) who chases a woman Pfandleiherin Schwabe (Grete Berger) who keeps escaping him and is, virtually, like a phantom. This drama is not as potent as Murnau's other attempts at heart wrenching dramatic cinema (such as TABU and SUNRISE). Much like SUNRISE this film suffers from a running time that could, easily, be cut in half. There are not as many interesting elements in this story as, say, THE HAUNTED CASTLE or FAUST. But still it is worth a look for any of Murnau's dedicated fans. It includes Murnau's usually study of human suffering and torment, and his supernatural imagery (a ghostly horse carriage, and a leaning city- much like Weine's CAL