The Last Movie You Watched? ver.2.0

My Halloween movie was Paco Plaza’s newest film “Hermana Muerte”, a nun horror flick (one of the better ones, I’d say), and prequel to “Veronica” by the same director.

After something terrible had happened in a convent during the Spanish civil war, the remaining nuns try to restore the place to its original order. Neophyte Sister Narcisa discovers soon after her arrival there’s something dark about the place - and the nuns.

This is a well made, carefully shot and well acted film that builds slowly, relying on atmosphere rather than garish, gory shocks. It also has a somewhat retro look to it. If you like calmly unfolding convent stories about religious beliefs, superstitions, and curses, with some heavy Catholic imagery thrown in, you should give this one a go. I thought it was much better than Plaza’s “La Abuela”. The final third is pretty intense.

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For October 31st, I opened a bottle of red wine and watched an ‘Ealing Studios’ favourite…

An excellent compendium of five spooky tales, which was the inspiration for the later ‘Amicus’ horror films…
My favourite tale is the last one, which features a ventriloquist’s dummy that may, or may not, be possessed…The ventriloquist is played excellently by Michael Redgrave.

One of the most horrifying things about this film, is the amount of cigarettes that the cast get through…
This was, after all, 1945…

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‘Frightmare’ (1974)

First time watch for me … and I thoroughly enjoyed it - Sheila Keith is phenomenal in this movie, and I intend to check out other Pete Walker films that she appeared in.

I love finding new old stuff, if you know what I mean? :wink:

I’m always saying that I’m not really a horror fan, but if it’s quality filmmaking, even low budget exploitation, with something interesting happening, I’m happy to give it a go.

Picked up the German mediabook blu ray release in a major charity shop haul last week …

A mixed bag of horror titles, giallos and even something from the dreaded Jess Franco (quality not guaranteed)

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Just re-watched 8 Mile, still think that final battle is one of the best showdowns in movie history.

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Last one i watched was 4 bullets for Joe blu ray

A bottle of red wine, and some mindless but entertaining jolly japes last night…great fun indeed! :wine_glass: :grinning:

Followed by one of the best DC animated adaptions I have seen, featuring the ‘Justice League’ - very entertaining from start to finish…
What happens when Superman suffers loss, and then becomes judge, jury, and executioner?
Blimmin’ good superhero action, that’s what…

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I caught this one on YouTube today. First time viewing (I meant to watch it in October but never had the time).

Gothic horror is just the best. That’s how this film got on my radar. Really period Gothic is my favorite thing, anything from the late 1700s through to the 1920s. Hammer Horrors are my favorite. But I was listening to the audio commentary for Crimson Peak last month, and del Toro cited this one. I ended up really liking it, but I had to give it time to unfold. Certainly watching it without sudden ads would be great, since it is so atmospheric. The loud banging sounds made me think of the classic The Haunting. I wouldn’t say this one has better cinematography, but I think it had a better story.

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i just rewatched that a couple weeks ago. really good film! and damn that little kids voice is haunting as hell

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Glad you enjoyed Frightmare. It’s a favourite of mine but then I like Pete Walker full stop.
Sheila Keith is also great in House of Whipcord.

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I will check that out - Thanks, Phil.

Just finished watching the Ennio Morricone documentary. It was amazing and I learned a lot of new things about the Maestro and his music.

We honestly need more SW related documentaries.

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I am a fan of the original 'Candyman’ (1993), so I sat down last night to watch this 2021 remake…
Well…when I sit down to watch a film, I expect to be entertained - not to be lectured to by a Director (Jordan Peele) who thinks that all the World’s woes are purely down to the ‘White Race’.

This film starts off pretty well, and seems quite promising…we have the obligatory Gay characters, so a box ticked there…I have no problem with that, despite the undeniable fact that it a ‘woke’ statement in the present day, added to appease a small minority.
As for ticking boxes, I don’t recall seeing any disabled characters, but I may have missed that one - Oh, of course, ‘Candyman’ himself, with a hook for a hand…silly me.

But then… we have the anti-white propaganda kick in big time, and I do mean ‘Big Time’.
Nasty white people are portrayed as racist, greedy, self-seeking, bullying scum of the earth.
The white police in this ‘hate leaflet’ posing as entertainment, are quite clearly fascists, with no redeeming features, and don’t hesitate when it comes to using their bare hands and feet to punch and kick an ‘innocent’ black man to death…sound familiar?

Later on, another black man is lying defenceless on the ground, and white police shoot him to death for no apparent reason other than the fact that they like doing that sort of thing…are you getting the picture?

Candyman’s victims - unless I’m mistaken - are all white folk; while the woes of the black neighbourhood (housing etc) are ‘simply’ the result of the ‘superior white race’ caring more about making a profit than the lives of ‘down-trodden’ poor people…the list of grievances and rants goes on and on…

For example: One black character comments: [on racial violence ] “Candyman is a way to deal with the fact that these things happened to us, are still happening!”

Another black character, a misunderstood artist, paints and displays a picture of a black face being beaten to death by a sea of white hands…

To sum up: Last night I really fancied a good horror movie - not to be at a seminar/sermon, where every opportunity possible was used (manufactured?), by the film-makers to air their grievances.
As far as I’m concerned, film-makers (of any colour, class, back-ground or upbringing) should keep their hidden (in this case, not so much hidden, as thrust in the viewers face!) agenda and political beliefs to themselves.

The film-makers of this ‘Candyman’ adaption, appear to have not only chips on their shoulders, but bloody big pieces of battered cod too…
They have across as being holier than thou, whilst preaching about the evils of racism…

Unfortunately, and to their detriment, the ‘Candyman’ film-makers have shown that they are as ‘blinkered’ as the next person. They are blissfully unaware of their own arrogant righteousness, unconcealed racism and bias, by attempting to suggest that such an abhorrent vice such as racism is, and has always been, one-sided - and that there is one skin colour, in particular, which is wholly and solely responsible for such a narrow-minded view…
No prizes for guessing which colour that is…

‘Candyman’ (2021)…What a wasted opportunity…a film that had so much potential, which was then hijacked by people with a bone to pick… :unamused:

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I think this is about pandering to a perceived demographic - if studios and distributors get ‘Bums on seats’, that’s all this is about.
These filmmakers are still working in an industry run by ‘da man’! … and if it didn’t suit that agenda, the film would never get financed or released.

I watched this film also, and found the ‘in your face’ box ticking, so blatant and tiresome … It’s the filmmakers who are insulting the audience’s intelligence in this instance.

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Last 10 outside the Spagvember films:

*110. Meyer: Cherry, Harry and Raquel 5/10
*111. Mackwndrick: Whisky Galore 6/10
*115. Gordon: Dagon 7/10
*116. Carpenter: In the Mouth of Madness 7/10
*119. Wang: Blue in the Face (cinema) 6/10
*124. Samurai Cop (cinema) 6/10
*127. Ozu: Family Story (cinema) 8/10
*134. von Steinaecker: Werner Herzog -Radical Dreamer (doc) 8/10
*136. Friedkin: Cruising (cinema) 6/10
*141. McQuoid: Mortal Kombat 6/10

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Pushover (1954)

Kim Novak plays a gangster’s girl. Police are trying to find her sugar daddy after he killed someone while robbing a bank. So they set up a surveillance team opposite her apartment and send undercover cop Fred MacMurray out to enter her life. For some reason 21 year old Novak immediately engages in very steamy talks with 46 year old MacMuray, which really seems odd (especially since gangsters usually are quite protective and jealous types, aren’t they?). If you can get over this possible weakness of the script as a departure point, the rest of the film is a very rewarding, tense little noir.

I love this genre for a number of reasons. One is the (sadistic?) “joy” to watch someone trying to somehow rectify an earlier mistake, or solve a problem created by pure chance, but with every move he or she makes gets deeper into trouble. It’s a standard theme in the genre, but if it’s well scripted, like here imo, I really get a kick out of it.

Watched it from the Indicator Columbia Noir Vol. 4 box set, and it looked gorgeous.

We started to watch another film from the set, Walk a Crooked Mile, but this one’s basically just a Commie scare promotional film, almost like a public announcement encouraging the audience to continuously spy on their neighbours just in case, so we lost interest after about 15 minutes.

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I have been working my way through loads of Bluray premieres that I’ve been saving up to watch during this festive season. :santa: :wine_glass:
My favourites so far are, in no particular order, the following:

FALL (2022)
PREY (2022)
SAW X (2023)
EVIL DEAD RISE (2023)
SISU (2022)
A HAUNTING IN VENICE (2023)
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 7: DEAD RECKONING, PT. 1 (2023)
THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN (2022)
HALLOWEEN ENDS (2022)
SCREAM 5 & 6 (2022 & 2023)

And, two major disappointments…

‘Candyman’ (2021)
‘Us’ (2019)

NOTE: Both of the above ‘propaganda’ films are written by Jordan Peele; a man seemingly with a huge chip on his shoulder towards anyone with light-coloured skin.

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I watched ‘The Batman’ (2022) last night, and loved it. Brooding, dark, with a haunting soundtrack…a great addition to the ‘Dark Knight’ universe.

Personally, I think that this is a step in the right direction for the franchise.

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I completely agree. I was pleasantly surprised and loved how it finally concentrated more on the “detective” part of Batman being called “the world’s greatest detective”.

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Without that Pattinson fella it could a been a real movie

Hard disagree. Pattinson was amazing in the part.

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