That US Image/Hemdale DVD is the only one worth having. I agree with you. I was absolutely horrified when I heard the new soundtrack for The Terminator.
Currently approx. halfway through Rollerball (Jewison, 1975).
And to finish the dystopian viewing, weâll watch a game of roller ⌠no _foot_ball of Phil Hâs Leyton Orient
Final day of my dystopian Easter weekend, and so far Iâve watched They Live (Carpenter, 1988) and Elysium (Blomkamp, 2013). Next up hopefully will be Robocop (Verhoeven, 1987)
Finishing off my dystopian Easter weekender now with Dredd (Travis, 2012). Seventeen dystopian-themed movies in four days, with time enough to squeeze in a Tom Hanks film too. Not bad! I failed to squeeze in three Iâd planned for, though: The Road (Hillcoat, 2009), Loganâs Run (Anderson, 1976) and Battle Royale (Fukasaku, 2000). Another time, maybe.
After the Orientâs spirit lifting victory yesterday I treated myself to a viewing of Daughters of Darkness last night. My favourite Belgian vampire film. A small category I know, but still a cracking little film.
Very small, you know another one?
(Yes, I had to look it up )
Talking about the director, Harry KĂźmel, most of his fans think The Coming of Joachim Stiller is a better movie. Itâs not a vampire movie, not even a real horror movie, but itâs quite unsettling. It was originally made for TV and I remember many young viewers were frightenend by the outlandish atmosphere
KĂźmel made also Malpertius, a film with Orson Welles. But it also seems to be a bit rare.
I re-watched Daughters of Darkness last year. A good film with some strong scenes, but some parts are too constructed. 7,5/10
It can be watched, in three parts, on You Tube:
1982âs The Scarlet Pimpernel, with Anthony Andrews⌠and Ian McKellen, whom I forgot was the main protagonist. He makes it worth seeing, in sort of a sniveling Roddy McDowell type role. Though lavishly produced, the film sags and strains like an old ship. The action is minimal. And surprisingly, very little horse-riding or carriage-chasing. -Though it seems half the movie takes place at a Paris-gate, with Andrews and his gang fooling the same guard-crew repeatedly, using props and disguises to smuggle people out of the city.
And we barely get a sense of âthe guillotineâ being frighteningly sinister. Aristocrats couldâve just as easily been shot in the head.
Downton Abbeyâs Julian Fellowes has a great role as Englandâs Crown Prince, but is utterly underused. Soâs Jane Seymour for that matter⌠with black hair. It doesnât do anything for her. And if youâre not a McKellen fan, the movie probably wonât do anything for you either.
https://www.movieposter.com/poster/b70-3706/Long_Days_Dying.html
THE LONG DAYâS DYING (1968, Peter Collinson)
I was attracted by the title, plus the name of the director that sounded vaguely familiar. Turns out that he was also the director of A Man Called Noon.
This war movie is quite different. I guess it was meant to be an arthouse war movie. There are intense, seemingly interminable close-ups and long silences and instead of dialogue we get men speaking to themselves in whatâs probably supposed to be an equivalent of James Joyceâs stream of consciencenouss techniques. The story is about three British soldiers and a German captive and their trek through the European countryside. It was no doubt supposed to be very meaningfull, but I have no idea what it means.
Self-indulgent and sleep-inducing, but I read the film has its defenders (but these type of movies usually have)
And, the unforgettable, âThe Italian Jobâ (1969), with Michael Caine.
Peter Collinson directed some good films, including âFrightâ, âStraight On Till Morningâ, and the 1974 version of Agatha Christieâs âAnd Then There Were Noneâ.
He died aged 44, from lung cancer - well before his time.
Iâll need to check out âThe Long Dayâs Dyingâ, at some point, but thereâs no rush. There are too many other good films out there to be discovered.
Havenât seen any of these, as far as I know. Maybe The Italian Job, but donât remember anything
âThe Italian Jobâ (1969).
An unforgettable opening theme sung by Matt Monro, accompanied by one of the best car chases ever, in one of the most iconic 60âs British films ever, with a cast of actors to die forâŚMichael Caine, Noel Coward, Benny Hill, Irene Handl, John Le Mesurier, and Rossano Brazzi.
http://blog.cincinnatimini.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/italian-job1.bmp
Well, one to watch then âŚ
At least less good than expected. It was ok, but nothing special.
âLONE WOLF McQUADEâ (1983)
Starring Chuck Norris, and David Carradine, I hadnât seen this this ultra-cool, modern-day, âSpaghetti Westernâ influenced martial-arts epic, for goodness knows how many years. The haunting main theme, by Francesco De Masi, has always stayed with me.
Chuck Norris plays Ranger, J.J. McQuade, who takes on ruthless drugs baron, David Carradine.
Barbara Carrera provides the love-interest
There is a definite sense of âgrandeurâ to this extravaganza. When the action literally kicks off, it is sensational. Steve Carver, the Director, did a nut-crackinâ job on this.
Itâs not surprising that the whole endeavour has more than a hint of âSpaghettiâ influence behind itâŚSteve Carverâs favourite film is âOnce Upon A Time in The WestââŚ