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Immaculate (2024)
An interesting but underdeveloped spin on the nunsploitation sub-genre
Immaculate (2024) has a bit of a sad history, as it was initially canned during casting in 2014. Sweeny who auditioned during said casting, however, punted the project for a number of years and eventually got a director to revive the project. Strictly speaking Immaculate falls within the nunsploitation sub-genre. There is however slightly more meat to the main plot. The uneven and, at times, dead-slow pace is however more than slightly indicative of a plot-idea which eventually became the entire plot. The plot initially had a bit of an Umberto Eco mystery feel to it, but that fizzled out towards the end of the first act, when the secret project took on a more Spectre / Blowfeld (early organised crime in Bond films) set-up, ie an underground lair where a bizarre plan is being hatched. That said, it is not as bad as it sounds. The cinematography and practical gore effect kept the film within the genre and the script and acting (mostly by Sweeny) added a good measure of suspense and psychological terror to the mix. The elements however failed to find a sweet spot. A decent film but not really anything above average.
Headless (2015)
The first ten minutes was pretty enjoyable
This is the type of film which lends itself to a bullet point review:
1. "Found" as a film was a solid offering with a pretty decent backstory and it led to some unrealistic expectations of "Headless".
2. The first ten mins both identified potential, which was unfortunately not build upon, and demonstrated how long and boring a "one trick pony" film can become.
3. Visual effects was a hit and miss. Some of it was really good (eg deep stab wounds) and some really bad (eg those "money shot" eye popping scenes)
4. Cinematography was often disastrous, especially in as far as angles were concerned. The 70s effects / found footage elements were decent.
5. Acting, in general, was terrible and the dialogue on par with an average porn film.
7. Some of the most extreme aspects of the film happened off camera which somewhat detracted from the entire extreme cinema intention.
8. The total absence of suspense in a slasher film just made it feel long and boring.
9. The score was actually decent but in consequence of the paperthin script, rigid acting and dodgy cinematography, it stood no chance of creating any atmosphere in vacua.
10. Direction was all over the place, but I must admit that the script did not really create opportunities.
Otrazhenie tmy (2024)
A succubus movie is always an excuse for boobs and bums. This one is no different but it at least tried valiantly to provide a bit more
Succubus (2024, Russia). I want to start off by saying that I hated the film less than I thought I would. It is obviously not the first horror film with this title and in general and by merely dropping "Succubus " in the film title any logical person will already know that this will be a boobs and bums (sofcore / erotic) film, and that it will be laboriously and ineptly dragged along to the (anti) climatic showdown with said Succubus. So no spoilers here as that's the gist of the film. That said, the sets were proper and they definitely contributed to a eerie fantasy feel. All the film thus had to do (bar from keeping the sets, and the folks on and around the sets, in camera focus) was to sell a secret / plot twist which justifes me staring at boobs for about 90 minutes. Again,and despite the haphazard writing, this was done pretty convincingly. In fact, the acting even contributed somewhat to building and maintaining the suspense. The problem, which was always there, is how does one create an interesting twist for an erotic horror, specifically given the degree of attention the average viewer will in any event pay to the storyline? Armed with the brutally obvious and honest answer of "baffle them with bs", the film throws out a few underdeveloped, and sometimes not even causally connected, red herrings. Further, and in order to make sure that nobody gets totally stumped by said red herrings, they are explained away almost as they arise . This then brings us to the end where (as always) a thousand-odd year old deity falls into a trap set by the cast of "Days of Our Lives". It's here that I have to come in and say "not so fast, you might be in for a surprise". The problem is this surprise is the only potential surprise which comes up in these types of films and they in turn only exist as a foot in the door for the second installment of the franchise... So, basically nobody cares about the surprise. Despite all of this (and not for a lack of repetition), the effects, sets, atmosphere and outside cinematography really works and the acting is not horrible. So a solid 5.5/10. Not a 6 though and as I can only choose between a 5 and 6, it is unfortunately a 5/10.
Kaibutsu no kikori (2023)
A wonderfully chaotic ultra violent flashback with a bit of a haphazardly told story to it... Uniquely Miike
"Lumberjack the Monster" was first released at the Sitges Fantasy film festival in October last year (2023). Given the prominence of Miike as well as the dominance of Warner Brothers as the producers, one may pretty safely bet a few bucks on both parties expecting Sitges to be a great tool to market a successful premiere off. Unfortunately, Sitges was swamped with exceptional films (I kid you not, not less than 5 magnificent horror films). The long and the short is that "Lumberjack" just did not get any traction and probably not unfairly. In fact, "Lumberjack" ended up as a quiet early summer Netflix release. So the obvious question is, "is it that bad?". The good news is, no it's actually pretty good". The bad (or some might argue "better") news is, the film is a bit of an "unbalanced" balancing act. One immediately gets the impression that the length of the film was intentionally limited to the 80 minutes "action movie going crowd";sweet spot. It is unlikely that a future extended release is not foreseen, and releasing the 80 min theatre version "directly to video" (so to speak) was an opportunity missed , where a slightly longer Netflix release would potentially have resolved basic issues around character development and most of the unwanted "chaos" in story presentation. Now, it's true that Miike attained acclaim for just that, i.e. His effortless ability to create a chaotic pursuit of extreme violence in a uniquely artistic (and much loved) manner. Miike might have achieved cult status with such films (eg Ichi) but his repertoire and talents are extremely diverse and the intention with this film was clearly not to create a homage to "his" Asian Extreme genre It's simply not that type of film. Yes the book (on which the film is based) lends itself to instances of ultra violence, but it is essentially a psychological thriller / whodunnit. Miike, being Miike could also not merely push out a sleek 90s J-horror / thriller. Thus this balancing act to develop the back story and the characters. Miike sometimes makes use of clever mechanisms, such as the reading of the fairy tale, and other times het relies on interactions between main characters which occurred in the past and pops up in conversation, and unfortunately and obviously often necessarily, on flashbacks. Given the urgency / pace of the film, the actual person created through what we learn through the character backstory is conveyed through acting, tempo and atmosphere (mostly cinematography). Fortunately, all of this worked and worked well. No it does not fill all the holes in character development and storyline, but for me that is part of what makes it a Miike film. The violence is also signature Miike and OTT black comedy situations, like blood projecting out of wounds pops up without feeling out of place. The nods / homages to Gialo similarly was well placed and -executed. Even the slight body horror homage, which essentially forms the moral or philosophical basis for the film, was not overplayed or presented in a over-emotional or preachy manner. One can even call the plot and character development gaps an homage to 70s and 80s Japanese thrillers and horrors.
Thus, TL:DR: The film is very much something which Miike fans and, hopefully, everyone else will enjoy. It does not take itself too seriously and it should not. An entertaining, OTT violent whodunit with some plot holes and other slight issues but if they were not there, it would not have the film Miike was aiming for and it would definitely have lacked the needed soul.
Laid to Rest (2009)
A typical recipe slasher horror with a bit more high tech mask
"Laid to Rest" (2009), is a classic slasher film; facial deformity, mask, big knife, final girl, and all. People run, people hide, people die immediately after they have done something endearing or redeeming. Everyone tries to figure out who the killer is or why he is killing folks. Acting by Lena Kathren Headey (who later became famous as Cersei Lannisfer) largely carried the acting side of the film (think Jamie Lee Curtis in that other series). The kills were often essentially off-camera and there was not much gore (bar for the final kill). I could not really pick up on suspense building, but that is often par for the course for slasher films. In short, it was a pretty run of the mill slasher and gets a run of the mill.
Abigail (2024)
An interesting take on a pretty tired genre but the real could have been done much later
Abigail (2024), is a bit of a one trick pony which actually mostly worked. The horror film is created on top of a pretty stock standard "kidnapping of a minor from his / her scary mobster dad" premise. Initially (and despite the lazy writing) the film builds tension very well. The reveal however comes somewhat too "easy" and too early and from there onwards the film mostly falls back into a "killer picking off everyone one-by-one" film. On a positive note, there is a lot to like, both stylistically and from an acting point of view. The initial ,carefully created, suspense does not entirely fall flat after the reveal and the film remains mostly entertaining to the end. Worth a watch. 6.5/10.
Lowlifes (2024)
So close to being a game changer in the slasher genre, but opportunity missed
Lowlifes (2024, USA), despite being just another slasher film, has a bit of a twist which makes it kinda interesting. The problem here is that the writer then failed to make use of an ideal opportunity for a double whammy. Instead she decided to incorporate a bit of a moral lesson. Things got somewhat worse when the writer / directors decided to explain the moral lesson to us "as if I'm five". That said, apart from a script which tied the film's hands behind its back (and did so immediately after almost delivering a knock-out) the film was decently directed, really well acted (given the script restraints) ,and had some kick-ass blood and guts effects. Even the cinematography and cutting contributed in spades to atmosphere and tension. It's really sad that the script did not capitalise on a brilliant idea. With the correct and logical second reveal, even the lacking dialogue would not have prevented this film from being an 8/10 film. As it stands, 6.5/10. Ps nothing against the writer in general, as her work on "The Influencer" was solid.
Pandemonium (2023)
The horror of existentialism
Pandemonium (2023, France), at face-value presents three ostensibly loose standing stories which all lead to almost everyone, fairly or unfairly, ending up in hell and going through a Dantesque process of suffering.
At this level the story engages questions around the moral values, if any, of those who "judge" humanity and as such the potential irrelevance of human existentialism.
There is also space for interpreting the film. An example of this flows mainly from the final aspect around the reincarnation of the Anti-Christ and the immediately preceding remarks around time being a human construct and not being linear. In each story we experience loss by the protagonist of family members in different ways, but there is always loss and there is always either direct or indirect guilt on the side of the protagonist. The argument for the stories thus dealing with reincarnation is not totally far-fetched and provides a solid thread to combine the stories into one larger story.
The cinematography was clearly influenced by writer and director Alexandre Claudin (Quarxx)'s artistic and atmospheric intent, inter alia demonstrated through the homage paid to various genres of horror films through the three stories.
The acting, especially by (at the time) ten year old Manon Maindevide, was top notch. The writing left obvious lacunae in the individual stories as well as the connecting story. Some might see this as a weakness in the film but it served an obvious purpose , both in relation to the main theme of existentialism / life-death-afterlife and the meaning (if any) thereof, as well as how the viewer gets his or her head around this theme, i.e. Through personal interpretation. Definitely a very unique film. 9/10.
Late Night with the Devil (2023)
Found footage done perfectly till the final act when it flopped spectacularly
Drawing its principal inspiration from the 1980 incident between talkshow host, Don Lane, and magician turned skeptic, James Randi, 'Late Night with the Devil' presents a compelling found footage horror noir till almost right at the end. The ending is however so over-the-top that it totally destroys the credible "is this all created for ratings, or is this really happening' theme created throughout the film and digress into absolute and somewhat a lame 'deal with the devil territory'. Generally the film is very well directed with a plethora of homages to both 70s horror and 70s talk shows. The acting is mostly solid and the atmosphere is true to time. This could have been a masterpiece, but for the overindulging final act. 6/10.
Humane (2024)
Dystopian dilemmas captured in horror noir
Acclaimed Canadian photographer (and carrier of the infamous Cronenberg gene), Caitlin Cronenberg dipped her toes into (well longer than one minute) directing with the dystopian horror noir "Humane". The film is set in a world where overpopulation requires all governments to meet a culling target and the US opted for voluntary culling against payment. A dilemma develops when through a series of events four siblings are required to decide which one of them should be "culled". Events start to play out with some very cool gore and more than decent acting. The facial expressions captured in unobtrusive detail truly enhanced the "noir quality" of the film, but certain scenes were somewhat over-the-top resulting in almost slapstick comedy. All and all an enjoyable film. 6.5/10.
You'll Never Find Me (2023)
Classic horror theatre brought into a contemporary setting
With "You'll Never Find Me", Indiana Bell demonstrates that exceptional writing (especially dialogue) and acting, supported by atmospheric sound- and light effects, is all which is needed to create pure theatre. The minimalistic set (comprising the sparce interiior of a double wide) coupled with the very intentional use of sound (alternating silence and well-chosen dialogue, and a haunting score) truly carries the multilayered themes of this psychological horror with immense effect. A truly terrifying and engaginging visit to the dark recesses of the human condition; reminiscent of the writing of Poe, Jackson and Mamet.
Romancham (2023)
Hilariously funny and at times eerie
"Romancham" (Goosebumps) [2023, India], is a Malayalam satirical horror comedy.
The film is loosely based on "hauntings" experienced by writer & director, Jithu Madhavan, and six of his friends in a house which they shared approximately a decade ago. As such the group unleashes a spirit when they play around with a Ouija board and realises that the spirit can correctly "answer" almost any question.
Madhavan's direction coupled with exceptional acting, by a cast mostly consisting of Tik Tokers / Youtubers and underscored by a perfect soundtrack, creates truly human experience. Hilariously funny and at times very eerie. The film is pure cinematic enjoyment.
Megalomaniac (2022)
Beautifully Nightmarish
Megalomaniac" (2022, Belgium), is a film in the new French raw tradition.
Back story
The film follows the fictitious lives of the two children of the Butcher of Mons, the unidentified serial killer, who killed five women and left their body parts in 15 plastic refuse bags in streets in Mons, a city in Southern Belgium, during March and April 1997. The serial killer, thought to be Smail Tulja, who died in a Montenegro prison, was never caught and the investigation remains open.
Storyline
Felix (Benjamin Ramon) and Martha (Eline Schumacher), lives in the gothic family home left to them by their serial killer father. Felix follows in the footsteps of his father by murdering women at night. He further micro-manages every aspect of Martha's life by creating strict rules for her to follow. Martha works as a cleaner in a factory where she is sexually abused by co-workers, whilst the supervisor turns a blind eye. These events lead to Martha suffering ever-increasing psychological trauma, up to developing disassociative personality syndrome. The turning point comes when Felix accedes to Martha's request for a "pet" and he brings her a woman who is then chained up a bathroom, effectively as a pet. Martha's interactions with the "pet" gives an insight into her mental changes which culminates in Martha seeking revenge on her co-workers and involving Felix in her plan to do so.
Review
Karim Ouelhaj creates a nightmarish world where each scene holds a mirror to the ugliness of "humanity'. Inspiration from the scenes is taken from the Baroque era art works of Delacroix, Velázquez, Bacon, and Van Eyck, which gives the film the distinctive and visceral atmosphere of a never-ending nightmare. This nightmare world and the subtext, which includes the circle of the patriarchy, victim turning into monster, nature vs nurture, and the repetition of history, carries the film. The storyline itself, although uniquely told by focussing on imagery, remains intentionally underdeveloped. Schumacher's acting is superb, and Ramon is able to pull off the cold and calculated self-centred and almost vampirish, role to its full effect. Given the budget and three-week shooting time, the film is a masterclass is underground cinema. As such, the film is one to appreciate for its elements, more than a film which seeks to fully develop characters and storylines.
The Profane Exhibit (2013)
Moments of almost brilliance but way too many minutes of average viewing
The ten year wait is over, but how to review this extreme horror anthology? Let's start with the obvious. Extreme horror anthologies usually suck. Partly this is true of The Profane Exhibit, but then there are also moments (really just moments) of almost brilliance. For most of the directors, these little snippets (most are about ten minutes) do not present their best work or even their most extreme work. Overall it is better than I expected (yes I expected very little), but it's nothing special and falls way short of the 10 year hype. Two snippets stand out for watchable storylines and three for their unique viewer experience (yes there is an overlap). This film is probably only for a select audience. I'd say probably a 6/10 for an extreme anthology.
Romper Stomper (1992)
A cult classic blueprint for the Neo. Nazi / Skinhead / Cult genre
Having rewatched Geoffrey Write's 1992 Australian cult classic, "Romper Stomper" over the weekend, I felt a short review was in order.
Though essentially concerned with the violence and hatred (both racial and towards authority) without the neo-Nazi / skinhead groupings, the film is rather more complex. It thus fits into the "American History X" and to some extent "Green Room" category. A number of themes are explored, most pertinently, the need to belong in the more downtrodden / abandoned youth; the willingness to accept dogma merely not to lose that social tennant of human nature but also the need of group alpha to retain that following. This is done superbly and without wasting screentime or impacting on the overall pace. Though the violence is rather primal and filled with hatred, the cinematography and atmosphering use of Super 16, carries the film themes and the film never merely becomes another proponent of gratuitous violence merely for the sake of violence. Wright (also known for the excellent "Metal Skin" and "Cherry Falls"), did a phenomenal job on both the writing and direction side and the acting, from mostly a rather young and inexperienced cast, was top notch. The three main characters, Russel Crowe, Daniel Pollack and Jacqueline McKenzy (recently in Malignant) really provides career defining performances. Definitely worth a watch or rewatch.
La sconosciuta (2006)
A rather gritty thriller from an unlikely director
"The Unknown Woman" ("La Sconosciuta", 2006, Italy / Fance) is definitely not the type of film which Giuseppe Tornatore (Cinema Paradisso) normally writes and directs. Though essentially a gritty revenge film, Tornatore kept true to his film-making style by principally depicting complex human elements but without losing pace or authenticity. The film is beautifully shot, opting for flash-cut back flashes to depict the traumatic event but not squirming away from extremely violent assaults in current time. Kseniya Rappoport's stellar performance leads a very competent cast and performance. A worthwhile watch.
Shatter Dead (1994)
Interestling take on the Zombie genre but undeveloped
Like many, I've heard that Scooter McKray does great no-budget blood spatter scenes and eventually pulled "Shatter Dead"(1994) up for viewing. Though, the script is very light (if it even existed) and the philosophical message side plate shallow, the film does provide a very different take on the Zombie genre and deserves two points for (somewhat) developing the idea. Bar for the acting by the so-called villain (which was another one point to the tally, decent), the acting disappointed. Cinematography was another one point meh. This brings me to my little gripe with the film. Despite using a lot of the standard Zombie tropes (e.g. Stuck in a vehicle surrounded by Zombies), there was zero suspense in the film. Finally, yes, the blood splatter was pretty decent. 5/10.
O'Hellige Jul! (2013)
Memorable but low budget extreme pshyco slasher
To the best of my recollection, "O'Heilige Jul" ("Christmas Cruelty!") came out in 2013, i.e., before "Red Christmas" and is thus officially Norway's first Christmas horror movie. That said, the Norwegians have made some bloody decent slasher movies and are well known for having an "anything goes" attitude to making extreme horror (e.g., "Fritt Vilt" and "Dead Snow") "O'Heilige Jul!", though picked up by Unearthed was made on a US$ 220k budget and most of the key film crew, including the two directors (Magne Steinsvoll and Per-Ingvar Tomren) also had principal roles in the film. It thus sits firmly in underground filmmaking, and I tend to be more lenient on films made purely for the love of it and the burning need to "make a movie". Small budget films often must deal with constraints like shooting on inferior equipment, zero special effect houses being contracted and key personnel (e.g. Cinematographers and editors) not being industry professionals. It's clear that "O'Heilige Jul!", suffered amongst other things this exact list of constraints and the directors had to be ingenious in how they approached them. For instance, the anamorphic quality of the film (I assume VHS) was embraced to give the film a dirty, gritty (kinda like Schramm) and home-movie type (e.g. The first couple or minutes of Das Velangen Der Maria D.) atmosphere. Similarly, the obvious difficulties in the cutting room were embraced by exacerbating harsh cutting and cleverly adding some industry editing tropes. The film starts our serial killer Santa terrorising the captive member of a household and though it is brutal and fast paced, it is the foresight to cut away from some scenes which creates an additional layer of horror. The second act very successfully moved into character development placing the oddball dark comedy character development of the main supporting cast in juxtaposition to the calculated and sick character of the psychopathic killer. As an aside, the obsession and interaction with his daughter was written superbly. That said, the pace of the second act is way too slow create a cohesive whole and did not work in the greater movie. The third act is classic, though more extreme, final act psychopath slasher film, but with some well-scripted and -directed dark comedy sprinkled in and a great in-house soundtrack. The gore special effects needed a lot more work but did not destroy the film and at times worked pretty well (esp the knife work). Acting was much better than expected. All and all a very decent no-budget psycho slasher. 7/10.
Heojil kyolshim (2022)
Park Chan-wook showing of! Bravo!
"Decision to Leave" (Heeojil gyeolsim) is a 2022 romantic thriller set around an obsessive relationship between a police detective and a murder suspect (brilliantly portrayed by Tang Wei). The inspiration for the film was drawn from the theme song "Aetage" (Mist / Fog) and Park Chan-wook incorporates this theme into every aspect of the film, including dialogue, plot, soundtrack and especially cinematography and editing. The complexity of a number of scenes is mind-boggling; with various timelines and dream / actual sequences all taking place in the same shot / sequence. The film is much more demure and subtle than the films like the so-called Vengeance Trilogy. Park Chan-wook firmly controls the viewer's cinematic experience and does so almost "effortlessly". A true cinematic experience.
Triangle of Sadness (2022)
Satire presented in a smart and entertaining manner
"Triangle of Sadness" (2022), in its first act, relays the simple story of the interpersonal relationship between two fashion models who were gifted a cruise on a luxury private yacht. The second act expands by introducing additional role-players on the yacht and third act centers around the interaction between the survivors stranded on an Island after the yacht sank. As such, it is not the storyline which makes the film worthwhile to watch but writer-director Ruben Oslund's ability to weave satirical social commentary on even the most mundane subjects (e.g. The rich vs poor dichotomy and the battle of the sexes) into the story, and then to just let the camera take the role of a fly on the wall. Apart from Zlatko Buric (Pusher) who delivered a mini tour de force, the acting was competent enough though not spectacular. A fun film for a Saturday night.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Not as absurdly delicious as Swiss Army Man, but a close second
"Everything, Everywhere, All At Once" (2022, USA), is the Daniels' first feature film since their uniquely absurd "Swiss Army Man" (2016). Essentially the film focusses on one day in the life the matriarch of a Chinese immigrant family in LA. The first act builds a detailed picture of the contributing factors to her life having become empty and nihilistic, e.g., her conflicts with her husband, father, and daughter but also external pressures such as an IRS audit and a serious mid-life crisis. The second act is introduced by her suffering a meltdown / panic attack which forces her out of inaction. Her introspection is cleverly demonstrated through a deus ex magina process where she is both forced to and assisted in accessing the multiverse and to do battle with the physical personifications of her real-life struggles. The third act culminates in an "acceptance" of her place in the universe. The film is written and directed in such a manner as to create a multiverse which is unique, chaotic, absurd, and funny. The fight sequences are highly over the top and almost continues throughout the two later acts (picture Yeoh in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon). This however does not detract from the story and tends to underscore (similarly to the fight scenes in "Sucker Punch") the stubborn resolve of the matriarch and her "battle" to rediscover her persona. Direction is tight and focused and the cinematography top notch. Both Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis delivered sterling performances. 8.5/10.
Speak No Evil (2022)
Jordan Peele meet Marain Dora
Speak No Evil (Goscie), 2022, is essentially an indictment against the impotency of middle-class Western Europe; told through two families who meets during their vacations in Tuscany whereafter the Dutch family invites the Danish one to spend a weekend with them. The eerie and sometimes cringeworthy interaction between the couples during the second act is brilliantly written and acted and the direction retains the atmosphere throughout the second act. The third act is somewhat reminiscent of a Marian Dora film and does not seek to create a backstory but purely emerges the viewer into a largely visual experience of an incident depicting polar opposite human conditions. The climax is pure Dora and not for sensitive viewers.
Das Verlangen der Maria D. (2018)
Reviewed as a double feature with Pesthauch der Menschlichkeid
'Dead Centre of Desire' has been widely interpreted and various reviewers have alluded to Maria D being a play on the Marian Dora (and variations thereof) nom du plume. This might be taking things a bit too far as Dora tends to focus on a psychological aspect / defect of the human "animal". Unlike Melancholia der Engel and in keeping with most of his films neither 'Dead Centre of Desire' nor 'Blight of Humanity' presents themselves as complex cinematic works. The films are in esse someone holding up a camera (well someone who really knows how to get exceptional angles out of an SLR or mobile phone) to a scenario. Time is not wasted on creating a backstory or developing complex characters. The focus is on a scenario which will confront more than entertain. ''Dead Centre of Desire' does have a very distinct atmosphere and a more, dare I say, complex storyline than 'Blight of Humanity'. Dora wrote basic accompanying music which works well with the pace of 'Dead Centre'. The inside ('Dead Centre') vs Outside ('Blight') juxta positioning of the films is very interesting, and the detailed cinematography associated therewith rather beautiful. The raw violent third acts are also shared, but obviously the "human" condition which plays out, plays out consequently to different mental conditions. The films are true underground cinema, true Dora and as such not intended for all audiences.
Pesthauch der Menschlichkeit (2018)
Reviewed with Das Verlangen Der Maria D as a double feature
'Dead Centre of Desire' has been widely interpreted and various reviewers have alluded to Maria D being a play on the Marian Dora (and variations thereof) nom du plume. This might be taking things a bit too far as Dora tends to focus on a psychological aspect / defect of the human "animal". Unlike Melancholia der Engel and in keeping with most of his films neither 'Dead Centre of Desire' nor 'Blight of Humanity' presents themselves as complex cinematic works. The films are in esse someone holding up a camera (well someone who really knows how to get exceptional angles out of an SLR or mobile phone) to a scenario. Time is not wasted on creating a backstory or developing complex characters. The focus is on a scenario which will confront more than entertain. ''Dead Centre of Desire' does have a very distinct atmosphere and a more, dare I say, complex storyline than 'Blight of Humanity'. Dora wrote basic accompanying music which works well with the pace of 'Dead Centre'. The inside ('Dead Centre') vs Outside ('Blight') juxta positioning of the films is very interesting, and the detailed cinematography associated therewith rather beautiful. The raw violent third acts are also shared, but obviously the "human" condition which plays out, plays out consequently to different mental conditions. The films are true underground cinema, true Dora and as such not intended for all audiences. 8/10.
Occhiali neri (2022)
The most beautifully constructed colour saturated opening sequence followed by recent Argento giallo
As a well-documented Dario Argento fanboy, I really rooted for the film to be on par with his 70s and early 80s cult classics. The opening sequences (and most of act one) were indeed made up of beautifully colour saturated- and uniquely constructed scenes; shot in an elevated 'Profondo rosso' style. However, the too thin storyline, lack of suspense and ridiculous snake- and mauling sequences did not work at all and merely made "Occhiali Neri' another Argento homage to his earlier work. It's worth watching solely as a beautifully shot example of classic (albeit toned down) Argento Giallo, which makes it still deserving of a 7/10.