The Daily Movie

Penitentiary (1979)

2011-10-10T10:23:00.000-07:00

As a child I remember friends of my mother’s talking passionately about the Penitentiary movies; to hear the tales of these movies you would think they were the best films ever made. These friends were fairly middle class with aspirations to go higher in the class system, as a child our family worshipped this couple, but as an adult I come to realise that this couple had absolutely no class at all. Never have I been so sure about the low standards of these friends than after recently watching Penitentiary, undoubtedly one of the worst “cult” movies I have ever seen.

It’s hard to know where to start with this movie because to be honest with you it’s all kind of a blur. Following the story of Martel “Too Sweet” Cardone (Leon Isaac Kennedy), from the outside world into prison; once inside Too Sweet through bullying decides it’s important to fight in the prison boxing team, from here on out it’s all kind of….Yawn.

The House of Mortal Sin AKA The Confessional Murders (1976)

2011-10-10T10:22:00.000-07:00

Also known as The Confessional Murders, Pete Walkers 1976 movie The House Of Mortal Sin gained Walker unexpected notoriety both during the year of its release, but a further 8 years later when having appeared on video for a couple of years, the movie found itself banned in its native England. Why did the movie find itself outlawed in the UK? Because it committed the ultimate sin, in delivering horror spills it also had a rather hostile stab at the often believed corruptness of the Roman Catholic Church, something they simply would not allow to happen.

Quid Pro Quo (2008)

2011-10-10T10:20:00.001-07:00

It’s a hard achievement in this day and age to make a movie for just five million dollars (two and a half million pounds) yet popular television network HDNet’s movie wing have been doing that quite successfully now for the last two years. Although specialising in documentary movies, they do occasionally make movies prime examples being Redacted, and Diggers; now comes very different tale in the form of Quid Pro Quo.

David Hess Dies At 69

2011-10-09T03:10:00.000-07:00

American actor/songwriter David Hess has died of a heart attack aged 69.

Horror movie fans across the globe will today be awakening to the news of his death, a modern day audience in

mourning.

Die Screaming, Marianne (1971)

2011-10-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

I recently started looking at the work of British rough trade director Pete Walker, an individual who during the 1970’s tried to adapt the British horror/thriller genre to be more modern, picking up current issues and giving them a funky twist. Die Screaming, Marianne released back in 1971 was the movie that really put the director on the map, with

its twisted tale of bizarre practices, betrayal, incest, deception, and mental illness.

The Comeback (1978)

2011-10-06T10:42:00.000-07:00

From acclaimed and heavily criticised British director Pete Walker came the 1978 movie The Comeback, a story in which a pop star plans to make a return to the industry after a bad relationship goes wrong. Starring a real life pop star Jack Jones who stars as Nick Cooper, the story to some level was close to home as Jones himself was planning a comeback album, of course his story was far different to Nick Coopers.

British horror of this era was somewhat tale in comparison to American and European horror, Pete Walker single handily changed this making British horror far more extreme, while this would now be welcomed it almost became the death nail for British horror with most of Walkers films becoming either heavily censored or completely banned like the movie Frightmare. The Comeback is one of Walker’s best received movies, but also the movie seen least of all of the directors work.

Frightmare (1974)

2011-10-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

Few movies stick in mind, especially when it comes to horror. I was given a somewhat liberal upbringing in which from a very early age I was allowed to see horror movies. As a result by the time I reached my mid-teens I was immune to the effects of visual movie horror. But in the early 1990’s I remember classic TV station showing the world premiere of a movie by unusual director Pete Walker called Frightmare, although made nearly 22 years earlier it was the first time that the movie had been allowed to be seen in the UK since its release, the governing body (the BBFC) deciding it was too much for innocent eyes and ears to be subjected too.

Wrecked (2011)

2011-10-05T12:31:00.000-07:00

When Rodrigo Cortes thriller Buried became a box office smash last year with very little investment, it was inevitable that several clones would follow. The first out of the starting gate is Wrecked.

Adrien Brody stars Ray, a man who awakes at the bottom of a ravine, with a severe case of amnesia. Having gone off the road into the ravine, he looks around and sees the dead bodies of his two fellow passengers. His leg is broken, so travelling away from the scene is not as easy as he hopes, that is once he manages to free himself from his car. As day turns to night, and once again, Ray is haunted by a combination of his memories that blur the lines of reality causing him to battle against both the outdoors, and his mind.

The House with Laughing Windows (1976) La Casa Dalle Finestre Che Ridono

2011-10-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

Made in 1976 The House With Laughing Windows may sound like a silly title for a movie but believe me there is no humour in this beautiful looking horror tale that has become one of the most acclaimed Italian horror thrillers in history. While low on the gore front La Casa dalle finestre che ridono to use its proper title is at times so disturbing

that it literally trounces on the entire American horror output for this sort of movie.

Starting as it means to go on the movie opens with a naked man hanging from a ceiling while knives are seen repeatedly launching into his face and body, the camera lens sepia in its colour. While I assume the change to sepia was designed to cut down on the blood side, this trick actually makes the movie look far worse, and offers a pretty horrific opening, in fact possibly one of the most horrific openings of any movie. This little addition is not helped by the creepy voice of Bruno Legnani (Tonino Corazzari) recounting in an almost spellbinding way how he loves painting the colours of yellow, the yellow of his blood.

Zeder (1983)

2011-10-05T12:25:00.000-07:00

While I had been familiar with the writing of Pupi Avati who wrote one of my favourite Italian horror movies Macabre, as a director I had somehow avoided his work. Avati received much acclaim for his incredibly dark movie The House With Windows That Laugh aka La Casa Delle Finestre Che Ridono in 1976; but his later work Zeder (1983) was much more commonly seen and cemented his career as an Italian legend.

Book of Revelation (2006)

2011-10-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

It may to some men seem like a dream come true, as dancer Daniel is plucked out of his normal everyday life and taken to a secret location where for twelve days he is used by a sex toy for three women, but Book Of Revelation delivers a grim enough image that anyone that has a fantasy such as this might just forget about it.

Weird looking American star Tom Long heads up the cast in Book Of Revelation as the dancer Daniel. Daniel is happy in a relationship with his fellow dancer girlfriend, one day he heads off into the town looking for her cigarettes when he suddenly disappears. His girlfriend is distraught, as is his dance coach, bigger issues are also a foot because this was the night their latest show Osaka was due to begin. Twelve days later Daniel is dumped in the middle of nowhere and returned to his normal life, he struggles to put the pieces of his life back together. As he takes one day at a time we learn to deal with rape from the perspective of a man.

The L-shaped Room (1962)

2011-10-05T12:16:00.000-07:00

Having searched for many days for accommodation, Jane Fossett (Leslie Caron) arrives in the wrong end of town, and to the residence of landlady Doris (Avis Bunnage). An “Alien” in London, Jane comes from France and finds herself all alone, and with a dark secret. It’s 1962 and single women do not find themselves pregnant out of wedlock, well those that do are hidden away from the world. In Doris’ lodging house however in the misery of her

predicament she finds herself in a new family, but the dramas are far from over.

Apollo 18 (2011)

2011-10-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

Apollo 18 is a story based on a fictitious 18th mission, a mission that nobody ever got to hear about, because during that flight something went terribly wrong. The small crew launch out into space, with one flying over the surface of the moon the other two head down to the surface in order to carry out a range of missions set out by the American Government. When strange things begin to occur, they head off out across the moons surface looking for answers, what they find is an abandoned Russian space vehicle, a lot of blood, and a body.

I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of done with these found footage movies, I say that, but after watching Apollo 18 I’m thinking, maybe, just maybe I can tolerate a few more.

Saint AKA Sint (2010)

2011-10-04T11:12:00.000-07:00

When the man who directed The Lift (1983) and Amsterdamned (1988) makes a movie, you better pay attention. Both movies traumatized a generation, possibly for ever, I still have friends too scared to step into an Elevator as a result of Dick Maas’ image of horror. Needless to say when I heard that Saint (aka Sint) was going to be shown at this years Frighfest, I was incredibly excited.

Kidnapped (AKA Secuestrados) 2011

2011-10-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

After a flurry of home siege movies, Kidnapped is a new Spanish offering, that has more than a passing resemblance to some of the big genre classics. A family move into a new high security house, but rather amazingly become victims of a home siege on the very first day they move in. While the husband and one of the captor’s head out into the night to get cash, the Mother and Daughter are left to cope with the more dangerous assailants.

Kidnapped (AKA Secuestrados) has a lot to it, a lot that is slightly different, including some nice split screen storytelling made famous by Brian DePalma’s Carrie back in 1976. The use is well placed, not over the top, and a nice way of keeping the movie in real time, in periods where much is going on.

Troll Hunter (2010)

2011-10-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

A group of school student filmmakers are making a film about a series of brutal killing at the hands of wildlife in more rural areas of Norway, they soon however get to hear about Hans, a transient hunter who is hunting in the areas of the killings, much to the annoyance of the local hunters. The students try to get to talk to Hans on a number of occasions, but are dismissed by the man. One night however they follow him, and make a startling discovery, Hans is a troll hunter, hired by the government to control the very real presence of trolls in Norway.

Troll Hunter is a great movie, a nice mix of comedy and the more serious stuff, which was without a doubt a hit for the 1000 strong audience that rolled in to see it.

Panic Button (2011)

2011-10-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

Four individuals have won a contest on social networking site all2gethr.com, the prize a trip of the lifetime luxury all expenses paid visit to New York, which includes their own private jet. To make good use of the trip, the host plays games with the winners based on their social networking activities, it’s at this point that things start to go wrong. The group’s activities very much effect what happens down on the ground, as failure to answer questions correctly or comply, could lead to the death of a family member or friend. Trapped 30,000 feet in the air, all the players can do is play the games, or live with their consciences.

A Lonely Place to Die (2011)

2011-10-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

Five mountaineers head out into the wilderness for some intense climbing. At the most remote spot, they hear a strange vocal noise, upon investigation they find a pipe sticking out of the ground, a breathing pipe. Beneath the pipe is a chamber containing a young Serbian girl, having freed her from her tomb they attempt to take her to the nearest town, but it seems their discovery is part of a deadly game, and now they must become hunted in order to try and get the girl to safety.

Sennentuntschi: Curse of The Alps (2010)

2011-10-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

While searching for wild mushrooms, a boy with a mirror guides a little girl to a small patch, while picking she also horrified to find a body. The body leads detectives back to the 1960’s an unsolved case that is crying out to be solved.

Inbred (2011)

2011-10-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

In a “give back” style care operation; two carers take four youngsters on a weekend retreat in the small Northern village of Mortlake. But upon arriving they all find the locals a little less than “normal”, and when two of the kids find animals being burned alive they feel the need to intervene, an action that becomes their undoing.

The Innkeepers (2011)

2011-10-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

The Yankee Peddler Inn is closing, a one time majestic hotel has been so unpopular in recent years, and its rooms lay empty almost every single night. Claire (Sarah Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) are the hotels last staff, and managing the final weekend between them. Obsessed with the fact that they believe the hotel to be haunted the duo decide to spend the weekend loading images and sound onto a website that proves the hotel is haunted, and not just something they personally believe. This weekend, they are about to be proven right, or are they?

Kill List (2011)

2011-10-02T13:04:00.000-07:00

Jay (Neil Maskell) is struggling, it’s been 8 months since he deposited £40,000 into the babk account he shares with his wife, and they’ve been spending it like there’s an endless supply of cash. Wife Shel (MyAnna Buring) wants more cash though, and puts pressure on Jay to get back to work, it takes a lot of fights to persuade him back to work, and when best friend Gal (Michael Smiley) tells Jay of the money he has been earning, its that last final incentive to go back, Jay and Gal’s work however is not the normal 9-5 type job, they are hired killers. And while they get the job done, its blatantly obvious that one of them gets more of a kick from killing than the other.

The Most Beautiful Movies Ever Made: Drive (2011)

2011-09-30T04:42:00.000-07:00

Today’s movie is the 2011 smash hit Drive. The story ticks all the boxes, it is not only visually stunning, but it has an incredible soundtrack and while being incredibly dark, has a beautiful storyline of a love that never really gets chance to reach fruition.

The story follows an un-named wheel-man who participates in a robbery that goes tragically wrong. On a parallel to

this incident (although completely related) he meets the beautiful Irene and falls in love with both her, and her son.

The Divide (2011)

2011-09-30T03:32:00.000-07:00

Xavier Gens director of Frontier(s), new film The Divide finds a group of people trapped in a basement after the world above them is destroyed in some sort of assumed nuclear attack. When the explosions and buildings above have fallen down, the group find themselves unofficially competing for who is going to be top dog, in this new underground world.

Fright Night (2011)

2011-09-30T03:30:00.000-07:00

When you’re in the movie business it does not matter how successful you’re film is, there must always be things that you can see in a movie after it’s made and improve upon them. For Tom Holland he had the opportunity to work magic twice in 1985 he worked solely as writer and director of Fright Night, in 2010 he got the chance to go back and breathe new life into his cult classic, with the aid of screenwriter Marti Noxon. Many dreaded the remake of Fright Night, a movie that is no better, or no worse than the original, and by choosing not to remain faithful to the origins, it really is a different film altogether.