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— DG PICK OF THE WEEK–
Guilty. I confess before the interrogation even starts. I am a huge fan of Hammer but for some reason I never made it around to this film until last night… and I was absolutely mesmerized by this. The final film in the Karnstein Trilogy, though more of a prequel, is the best of the three and one of the last great Hammer films. The bar had started to drop for the famed studio in the late 60s and early 70s. As a result Hammer started to over-sex their brand and modernize their horror films. You wouldn’t expect Tudor Gates (writer of BARBARELLA) to clean up his act after THE VAMPIRE LOVERS and LUST FOR A VAMPIRE, but he did just that for TWINS OF EVIL. Well… cleaner I guess is a better word. Anyway, this is a really strong script and an oddly fascinating film.
I will have a full review later this week but there are a few things you should know before you click the Blu-ray cover above to buy this good shit. Synapse, as usual, did a remarkable job with this release. Included is a feature length documentary exploring the Karnstein trilogy, a look at the props of Hammer films, deleted scenes, isolated music & effects track, theatrical trailer and TV spots, and more. Synapse went all in on Hammer and the results are bloody cool. You should also know that the Collinson Twins are smoking hot.
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK…
The Synapse label Impulse Pictures continues their tour through the kinky Nikkatsu collection with spine numbers 5 and 6, respectively. ZOOM IN: SEX APARTMENTS kind of sneaks up on you. Though it’s filled with all the depravity and humpin’ you would expect, director Naosuke Kurosawa created a really well thought out film for the genre. Also, if you are going to live in an apartment, try to find the Sex Apartments… just a little suggestion for all the swingers and singles out there. As for TRUE STORY OF A WOMAN IN JAIL, it’s not the best of the six films Impulse has released in the collection, but it still packs a pervy punch and worth every penny.
Take HIGH NOON, set it in space, and add a cool as hell Sean Connery doing his best Gary Cooper. Connery is a walking weapon of justice in this bad-boy. Director Peter Hyams took a very basic story and made it deep, dark, and all kinds of tough. Dig it, Bastards.
A Ken Russel classic finally makes its way to Blu-ray. Though the visuals look dated, the film is anything but. This film pushes boundaries and messes with the head in all the best ways. This is an intense, trippy ride. I am a sucker for WHORE, and THE DEVILS is Russel’s obvious masterpiece, but ALTERED STATES has to be in the conversation.
A film that was nearly shelved due to the death/murder/suicide/? of Natalie Wood, this flick gets better with each viewing. When I first saw it, for whatever reason I thought it was flat and really uninspired. After watching it again last week, I found myself really taken with just about the entire cast and thought the ending was fairly incredible.
This is the flick I point to when I say what a great director Michael Crichton could have been. WESTWORLD was cool, RUNAWAY is an 80s classic, but this flick from 1968 is a twisted conspiracy theory in the best Hitchcockian tradition. Too bad he never committed himself to making more films… damn writers.
I haven’t seen this flick so don’t blame me if it shits in your eyeballs but here’s what I know; the chick on the cover is rocking a wicked weapon and this is a tribute to 80s action films. Win/win, done and done.
Now THIS is a fucking Blade movie. This movie rocks and rolls with action! From some crazy Snipes-fu to nutty sword play, BLADE II is a wall to wall cannon of badass thanks to the creative direction from Guillermo del Toro. If they had locked up del Toro for all three films, we would have a classic franchise on our hands. Instead, we have a decent first film, this amazing second film, and then a giant shit-box called BLADE: TRINITY.
And last but not least… okay… probably least more than last is SPAWN. The hated hit from 1997. Despite an ending that literally farts in your face, I had fun with this flick that has made its way to my player multiple times since I caught it opening day on the big screen. Having said that, I was never a huge SPAWN fan, read the comics from time to time, but I couldn’t point to all the flaws of the film from the standpoint of comic-book correctness. All I know is this has moments that hypnotize with cool action, cool characters, but ultimately can’t pull everything together… but what a ride.
That’s it for this week, Bastards.
We’re back next week with: MEAN STREETS (Blu), GET THE GRINGO, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (Blu), HIGH NOON (Blu), and more.
Until then…
HERE’S TO GOOD WATCHING THIS WEEK, SALUTE!
THE WALL
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- [IN THEATERS NOW] THE BOY (2016) - January 24, 2016
- Cult Movie Mania Releases Lucio Fulci Limited Edition VHS Sets - January 5, 2016
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