Christmas has come and gone, and thanks to my beautiful wife and daughter, my movie collection is a little bit bigger. I received some pretty top grade flicks in the haul this year and some interesting films that I've still yet to check out. I'll give a quick run down on some of my favorites and then later on in the next couple of weeks I'll be reviewing the ones that really quench my insatiable and warped cinephile mind. I also included a choice image from each of the DVD's so enjoy the randomness of it all and I hope your Christmas was a blast.
Charade
Director: Stanley Donen
Year 1963
This is one of those films that, I hate to say, I've still yet to see. I've heard nothing but great things about the film though and I'm really looking forward to finally checking it out. The movie stars Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, two amazing actors, in what is described as a romantic comedy, thriller hybrid. I just finished up with a similar film, Arabesque, where Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren play a faint resemblance to Grant and Hepburn's characters and that movie was highly entertaining so I've got high hopes for this one.
Now I told you, no more Christmas sweaters.
Fathom
Director: Leslie H. Martinson
Year 1967
I have been blazing my way through the spy genre as of late and have tackled films from Modesty Blaise, to the two Flint films, all the way to some obscure Eurospy films like Fury in Marrakesh and a handful of Agent 077 films, so I'm highly looking forward to checking out the lovely and talented Raquel Welch as she dives into the genre. The film looks like an absolute blast and I can't wait to give it a watch. Welch plays a skydiver named Fathom Harvill who is approached to take on a secret mission of utmost importance. FUN.
The pilot thinks the view from here is just fine.
Humanoids from the Deep
Director: Barbara Peeters
Year 1980
Ever since I watched the crazy ass finale for this film on TV way back when I was a young lad, I've been dying to catch the whole bloody affair and finally my time has come. The film follows a group of wild and out of control aquatic hooligans as they rape, pillage, and basically massacre an entire population of a small fishing village. Sounds like a good time to me. Doug McClure of The Land That Time Forgot, The People That Time Forgot, At the Earth's Core, and Warlords of the Deep fame, takes top billing as Jim Hill who I only assume takes the fight to those damn dirty humanoid scum. I've enjoyed all of his previous roles, so I'm really looking forward to this one.
The reactions from seeing grandma get run over by a reindeer.
Icons of Horror Collection
Sam Katzman
The Icons of Horror Collection consist of four movies, The Giant Claw, Creature with the Atom Brain, The Werewolf, and Zombies of Mora Tau. I've only seen The Werewolf and Zombies of Mora Tau from this set and both were pretty great flicks, so I'm looking forward to cracking open the other half of this set.
Creature with the Atom Brain
Director: Edward L. Cahn
Year 1955
Creature with the Atom Brain features the diabolic stylings of an ex-Nazi scientist who lends a friendly hand to an American mobster by providing him with a small army of radio-controlled atomic-powered zombies. Sounds pretty crazy and I have really no idea what to think. I'll just have to watch it to find out, but I really enjoyed Edward L. Cahn's Zombies of Mora Tau, so maybe it will end up being entertaining.
The touch... the feel... of cotton. The fabric of our lives.
The Giant Claw
Director: Fred F. Sears
Year 1957
The Giant Claw.. Wow.. just from that picture below means an instant watch in my book. I mean where the hell are you going to see something like that in a film nowadays. They just don't make them like this anymore and wether that's a good thing or a bad thing, it doesn't really matter. The Giant Claw stars, you guessed it, a giant claw which happens to be attached to a big, angry ass bird. Again, see pic below. I have a strong feeling I'm going to be smiling a lot throughout this film.
Holy Shit!
The Werewolf
Director: Fred F. Sears
Year 1956
The Werewolf is actually a really solid addition to the rather large collection of wolf man movies. It follows a similar plot as most in the genre, where a lone man is haunted by an inexplicable and highly dangerous ability that enables him to transform himself into a blood thirsty animal without remorse. Steve Ritch plays the inflicted man who spends most of his time stumbling and bumbling through the woods, as he struggles to come to grips with each murder that he commits. It's a damn good movie with a classy feel that really reminded me of the old Universal Monster flicks. The film's definitely a great addition to the set and it's one of the main reasons I've been itching to add it to my collection.
Bruce Campbell, you leave that nice wolf man alone!
Zombies of Mora Tau
Director: Edward L. Cahn
Year 1957
I immensely enjoyed Zombies of Mora Tau when I first viewed it a couple of months ago. For some reason it doesn't get much love amongst the cinema circle, but I thoroughly enjoyed its camp flavor and atmospheric nature. The film holds close to its voodoo origins, yet presents the walking dead as cursed sailors who are doomed to guard the wreckage of their ship that has been rumored to harbor a legendary container of diamonds. The film moves along at a brisk pace as a group of intrepid treasure hunters attempt to recover the diamonds, while fending off the slow but menacing advances of the undead crewmen. If you're into zombies, I'd recommend checking it out. It's a fun little film.
Come here and give me a Christmas hug you old softy.
Return of the Living Dead 3
Director: Brian Yuzna
Year 1993
Zombies! More Zombies! I've been holding off on buying this film for a long while now and it's finally time to take its rightful place next to its brethren, Return of the Living Dead 1 and 2. Not having anything to do with the first two installments, other then containing the same toxic canister that reanimated the dead in the first two movies, the third installment breaks from the more comedic style of the original two and takes a more serious stab at the sub genre. Frankly I love it and I'm glad that they chose to do something different. Glad this baby is finally home where it belongs. Viva La Zombies!
Kind of beating a dead horse when your doing dental work on zombies.
Nirvana
Director: Gabriele Salvatores
Year 1997
Now here's a curious little movie that I'd not heard of until doing some research on different kinds of cyber-punk flicks. Nirvana kept creeping up on my radar, again and again, so I've been dying to get my hands on this film and see it for myself. It stars Christopher Lambert whose career has been all over the damn place, so I really have no idea what to expect from this movie. Lambert has done some pretty great science fiction and genre films like Fortress, Subway, and Highlander, so this could be another one of those cult hits that makes it on one of my favorite lists. Only time will tell, but you might be getting a full blown review if I end up really liking it. If nothing else, the screen shot below is enough to warrant a thumbs up from me.
Look at all the pretty colors.
OSS 117: Lost in Rio
Director: Michel Hazanavicius
Year 2009
Dear god, is there nothing more perfect then the overall tone of OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies, the first film in hopefully a long run of OSS 117 films. I've been counting the days to Christmas, until I was able to open up my copy of OSS 117: Lost in Rio, the sequel to one of my favorite films of recent memory, because this was the one DVD that I told my wife was a must have for Christmas. Luckily she heard my pleas and granted my wish, because it stands at the ready, next to my DVD player, waiting for the time when I call it to action. I'll definitely be reviewing both OSS 117 films, so stay tuned for that update in the near future.
What a spectacular view... to a kill. Cue Duran Duran.
Suck
Director: Rob Stefaniuk
Year 2009
Another interesting flick that came out recently, is the cleverly titled Suck. I've been hearing some good things about this film and I kind of went out on a limb when suggesting it as something I wanted for Christmas. I'm sure that I'm going to like it, but I thought the same thing with Repo! The Genetic Opera and that one just didn't float my boat. I probably should give that flick another chance though, because it did have such a vibrant style to it.
Anyways, Suck is about a band that hasn't really made it big yet, that is until one of their members gets mixed up with a vampire and becomes all sexified! Yeah, I said it. Sexified! There's a large mash up of celebrity rocker cameos like Alice Cooper and Henry Rollins, so at least the music influences within the film should be rather interesting to have a listen too. This is another one of those flicks, that if I really dig, will be getting a review in the coming months.
Malcolm McDowell is checking his list.. and checking it twice.
The Tingler
Director: William Castle
Year 1959
Ah, Tingler. The name just rolls off the tongue. You really can't go wrong with Vincent Price. Everything the man touches is gold and when you add to that already perfect equation, the directorial efforts of the legendary William Castle, well your in for a rather pleasant evening of fright and macabre filled acting. The story is actually pretty interesting, if not insanely out there.
Vincent Price plays a pathologist who comes to the conclusion that the fear that one feels during a scare is caused by a creature that lives inside us. Say whaaaaaaat? From that premise we're catapulted into a series of situations where Vincent Price is determined to provide the proof of this creature and obtain it any way necessary, even if it means MURDER. Like all Vincent Price movies, I can do nothing else but to highly recommend this for any horror movie cinephile.
Vincent Price didn't get what he wanted for Christmas. What a baby.
Well, there you have it. This was just a select handful of my Xmas Loot and hopefully you found something in there that might have peaked your interests and given you a inclination to hop on amazon.com and order it for yourself. Now I'm off to put one of these bad boys into the player and get lost in Christmas bliss. Later for now and Merry Xmas.
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