TM-2 Reviews

The Midnight Sky (2020)

Great special effects. Sound was awesome. Story ok.

[6/10 · 27 December 2020]

It was great to look at and the sound was awesome. Acting was mostly good. Story a bit out there but that's what the suspension of disbelief is for. A definite downer of a movie. I enjoyed it. My wife was in tears for the latter half. I suggested switching to something more upbeat, like Apocalypse Now or The Exorcist, but she wanted to see it through.



**********SPOILER ALERT*********

Ok, the guys flying back to earth and certain death made no sense. If you are restarting the human race again you need all hands on deck at the new place. Can't believe smart scientists would be so cavalier with the future of the human race. Next, we have one pregnant woman and the father of her child. When they get to 'eden', they are going to have to resort to incest to boost the population. Inbreeding will not be a good basis for the future of mankind.

Empires of New York (2020)

Loved the start...but became repetative.

[5/10 · 24 December 2020]

I was so looking forward to this and found the first episode really good. Thereafter I saw much of the same stuff repeated. Many of those interviewed were excellent. I learned a lot but could have been done in a shorter time.

Van Diemen's Land (2009)

Wonderful in every sense

[9/10 · 4 September 2020]

A beautiful, harrowing, grim experience. Loved the photography and sound. Music fits perfectly. Well paced for the subject matter. Took its time to let the horrors unfold gradually. A pitiless, well acted, realistic portrayal of folk descending into hell.

The Hunt (II) (2020)

Loved it.

[10/10 · 21 March 2020]

Just watched this and truly loved it. Mindless, popcorn escapism. It's not going to win any oscars...but who cares. People looking for deep social meaning, a razor sharp script and the like have a bit of the mark here. If you are looking for a very funny (it's brilliantly played straight) over the top, politically incorrect masterpiece...this is it. Flaws and all...it was really enjoyable.

Leaving Neverland (2019)

Horrendous

[9/10 · 1 May 2019]

Watched this last night. very heavy going and upsetting. Put things in place and showed how young boys could be molested and lie about it. Just awful. Entire families impacted. I have no doubt Michael Jackson used his money and persona to attract young boys and molest them. Never wanted to believe it, but this documentary filled in the blanks and now I know the truth. We were all duped.

Never Grow Old (2019)

Brilliant.

[10/10 · 17 March 2019]

Loved this movie. It sure is a downer but brilliant. Raw and brutal. Loved the acting and the atmosphere. Reminded me of McCabe and Mrs. Miller in terms of atmosphere. Nice to see John Cussak

They Shall Not Grow Old (II) (2018)

Awesome, just awesome.

[10/10 · 28 December 2018]

Haunting and profound. Puts a very human face on the horror of war. Learned so much about life and death. Technically brilliant and truly brings it alive. A great generation exposed to the worst humanity can do. It's a must see.

Rolling Thunder (1977)

Awesome 70s movie that wipes the floor with others in any decade.

[10/10 · 10 February 2018]

Loved this from my first screening. Great acting, great story and great action. Probably couldn't be made in Hollywood today because of the need to be politically correct. Thank god for the 70s.

The Butcher (2009)

Great throw-back to the basics

[9/10 · 7 February 2016]

I gave this a solid 9 for me. I REALLY enjoyed it. I have watched it several times, I liked the story of an over the hill guy who needs a break and isn't getting it. His mobster boss considers him past it and treats him with disrespect. Then the movie takes off and is as merciless as you will get. I watched the unrated version and it was definitely extra gritty and bloody. I own both and even without the ultra violence the R vision is a good watch. Eric Roberts plays his character to a tee and we can't help but feel for him as he navigates thru the game set in play. I deliberately stayed away from spoilers since its got a few twists and turns well seeing for the first time watching the movie.

Payback (I) (1999)

Great movie that has been chopped a bit.

[8/10 · 19 January 2014]

Spoiler Alert

Saw this movie in theater on release. Really enjoyed gritty and hard edged violence and performance of all the actors. When it was released on home video, I noticed many scenes had been softened thru some cuts. Spoiler coming. One example, of many, is the interrogation scene with the hammer. It was brutal and you saw the hammer hit toes and the bloody aftermath after each hit in close up. I recall thinking this was new territory for an r-rated movie and in its way was almost unwatchable. In all home video options and versions this has been trimmed to not show hammer to toe contact or the bloody aftermath at all. Nothing. There are other trims also but this one was so egregious it was blatant.

Spoiler Alert over.

So great movie that has been neutered. Goes for all versions including the inferior directors cut.

Django Unchained (2012)

Awesome

[10/10 · 31 December 2012]

Saw this yesterday. A modern classic. Up there with the best. Loved every frame and every word. Not since The Wild Bunch have we seen such bloody violence. Grim, funny, thought provoking and every cast member just right. Downright sick in places. This and Killer Joe have given me hope that American Cinema is not only not dead but alive and kicking!!!!! QT is getting closer to Stanley Kubrick in that he makes few movies, but when they appear they are masterful. For my money, I really look forward to a QT movie and didn't know what to expect from Django. Of course, I'd seen the good original (Nice to see Franco Nero pop up) and a few of the tawdry follow ons. What we got was a pierce of cinematic art. Truly a must see and begs to be seen often. Definitely not for kids or those who seek out political correctness.

Killer Joe (2011)

A modern masterpiece

[10/10 · 23 December 2012]

A great movie, a great cast and not for the squeamish. This is black comedy at its blackest! I really liked the movie and it is a credit to the actors that you really don't like their characters. They are scummy, nasty, vicious and pitch perfect. I believe this is a modern masterpiece and shows just how great William Friedkin can be. He nailed this and made a movie for adults. Well deserved NC-17. Appropriate for sure. Just once in a while Hollywood can make a truly awesome piece of cinema. Matthew M., who I never warmed to as an actor, was stunning! What a wonderful performance. Sick, creepy, debauched, mean, charming... I could go on. The other cast members were superb! While this will often shock folk and make them squirm for sure, it is movie making at its best. A must see! Don't take the kids.

The Naked Prey (1965)

Great chase movie

[10/10 · 20 May 2007]

This is the holy grail of chase movies. It is extraordinary how powerful this film is given it is almost devoid of the spoken word. Also, it is very gritty with overtones of nasty violence that are still not often seen to this day. This movie is thrilling from the beginning until the end....there is NO let up. It is exhausting to watch.

It is a shame that this movie is not released on DVD yet....don't know what they are waiting for. It is well worth watching and a reminder of the quality of movies a whole generation are not aware of.

Cornel Wilde was in a number of movies that pushed limits and only a handful are available (eg Beach Red).

Apocalypto (2006)

Stunning

[10/10 · 20 May 2007]

This is just an incredible movie! I watched it the other evening not knowing what to expect and was blown away by it. This movie is a 'must see' in my opinion.

This is a violent movie. However, given the context of human sacrifice (10,000-80,000 in 4 days for one ceremony and up to 250,000 per year --curtosy of Wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_sacrifice_in_Aztec_culture) it is hard to imagine how you could avoid the violent content. However, the movie is so much more than its violent content.

Scenery, acting, story and simple majesty are first class. Parts of it reminded me of the wonderful Cornel Wilde movie The Naked Prey. This is what movies should be like.

Seraphim Falls (2006)

Good revenge movie

[9/10 · 20 May 2007]

This is a great movie. Great photography. Great performances. Great action pieces. Good amount of the old 'ultra violence' ...well almost. Simple story, well told. I like westerns and this one is a good addition.....

The scenery is actually almost like a character ranging from frozen, snow covered mountain tops to arid desert. The performances by Brosnan and Neeson were good. Who would have thought that two Irishmen could have fit in so nicely into the roles. Well, I suppose it would be possible given the number of Irish and others floating around at the time. I especially like Brosnan's performance (interesting since I don't warm to him as an actor .... except in the Matador). Maybe he will continue to accept more challenging roles and hit them out of the park....I hope so.

Cannibal (2006 Video)

Not for the faint of heart

[8/10 · 7 January 2007]

I didn't quite know what to expect from this movie. As it turned out, it gave me more than I was prepared for.

This is a VERY graphic movie. In fact, it is the most graphic I have ever seen.

I discount documentary footage showing actual horrors from everything else. I don't view real carnage.....it has an ugliness associated with it that, for me, evokes a terrible sadness. I cannot sustain disbelief with reality and that is what a movie should allow you to do and a documentary shouldn't.

I enjoy a good horror movie and the more extreme the effects the better. In fact, I have a collection of the most outstanding horror movies in existence and think they are wonderful.

********SPOILER ALERT********

Cannibal is a re-enactment of a real event where two disturbed people find each other and carry out a mutually agreeable scenario....one will eat the other.

I should mention that there is significant homosexual content which is entirely in line with the real life event. Again this was quite graphic and somewhat unexpected. If I had taken the time to research the case, I would have been less surprised. While this may cause some to avoid this movie, I would say that it is part of the total experience and is essential to the story. Don't less this put you off.

I think the pace, amount of dialog (minimal), acting, photography are just right. This may prove to be a masterpiece......but will be awfully difficult for most.

Now cannibalism has been the focus of many movies; some good, some bad and some extreme. On a scale of 1 to 10 for extremeness, if cannibal was a 10, the next would be a 2 (my scale...yours may differ). This movie shows as much as you would ever wish to see. In fact, I don't know anyone who I would feel comfortable sitting watching this with. I would have trouble recommending this movie to all but a handful.

I think what makes this superb craftsmanship is that it is a movie but seems so realistic that you believe you are watching a real life event. It should be stated that the actual participants video taped the proceedings and this formed the basis for the movies accuracy.

This takes me back to my initial point and why this movie made me squirm...it is almost like watching a documentary of the real event and it is awfully disgusting.

********SPOILER OVER********

I recommend this to people with a strong stomach and constitution. This is not one for the kids or a date movie. While this is classified as a horror movie, I think that is misleading. The Devil's Rejects it isn't. It is way too extreme for that. It's like calling Salo a Horror movie.

This is like a trip into hell.

Bare Behind Bars (1980)

Sexploitation at it's best

[6/10 · 1 July 2006]

Possible Spoilers....if that is even possible with this movie...

Grimy, seedy, lots of flesh, girl on girl action, boy on girl action, hot sweaty bodies, penetration shots, masturbation shots, mutual masturbation shots, wet clothes, shower scenes, beatings, torture...this movie has it all! Not a date movie. Not a children's movie. This movie is 90+ minutes of the above. It was intended to draw a crowd based on being extreme. Even to-day, they just don't make 'em like this anymore.

There is nudity present almost continuously throughout the running time. That sounds like fun, but it's not. The girls don't look like they're having any fun with the material and it comes across rather sad.

More of a curiosity than a good evenings entertainment.

If you need to see a great example of exploitation this is a good place to start since you won't have to see any others.

Singapore Sling (1990)

Absolutely Wonderful

[10/10 · 25 June 2006]

I just finished watching this move, twice. I watched the Synapse DVD (absolutely awesome picture quality) and was delighted to see an adult tale, well told.

A comment on the Synapse DVD; the subtitles default to 'new' ones which cover up the original ones burned onto the DVD. According to Synapse, the original subtitles were not too good. I watched the movie with the default 'new' subtitles and while the content was good, they cover up a LOT of the movie. Hence the second viewing with the less obtrusive though inaccurate ones. The use of subtitles is actually quite minimal. However, in two scenes, they cover up some shocking footage better viewed with the less intrusive old ones. Enough of the DVD.

...........Possible Spoilers..........

I just loved this movie. I loved the photography, the extreme behavior, the brilliant acting...everything. The daughter, who I think was played by Meredyth Herold, was incredibly sexy and appeared constantly on the point of orgasm with the slightest provocation pushing her over the edge. What a stunning performance. People have compared this to what you would expect from John Waters etc. however, while I like his movies, nothing comes close to the beauty, acting, photography, atmosphere and sheer stomach turning quality of this work of art. (That goes for the infamous Pink Flamingoes regarding grossness also). I was also concerned that the movie was in Black and White. I shouldn't have been. Aside from making this one of the best photographed movies, ever..it makes the gross stuff even more extreme. And there is a lot of gross stuff; incest, cannibalism, sexual regurgitation, urination, torture, masturbation (with food ... and without), violence etc...and it looks just wonderful.

..........Spoilers Over........

This movie is for strong stomachs only. Some of the scenes will likely offend 99% of the viewing population. However, this is a movie of great physical beauty and is not to be missed. A pure work of art!! To think I didn't plan to watch this for several weeks after getting the DVD. Thank goodness I changed my mind. If you have a strong constitution, don't miss this movie. VERY highly recommended.

The Trap (1966)

Great movie

[9/10 · 12 February 2006]

This is one of my all time favorites. Can't wait for it to hit DVD...but with DVD coming up on 10 years maybe I'll be out of luck.

Oliver Reed and Rita Tushingham are just brilliant. It is like being transported back in time. Honestly, if you can see it do so. The wolf attack is scary and you never know exactly how it will end...and I'm not telling.

It is a lost classic in the true terms of the words. While I have not seen it for almost 35 years, it has stuck with me.

It is well worth searching out but thus far, I have been unsuccessful.

Rita Tushingham plays her part very well and you can't help feeling like you want to protect her from 'the savage brute'.

August 2016 update. (Many years from first review!)

Still waiting for a definitive or even good DVD or hopefully BLU Ray. I bought the PAL Italian version and thought I'd share my views:

I just got it. Not great quality but if, like me, you want to see the movie it is all that's really out there.

The Italian disc is PAL not NTSC so you need to have the equipment to play it of convert it to a playable file format. This may be the biggest hurdle for most in the US but maybe not.

The Italian disk is widescreen but NOT anamorphic which makes the image low quality Its a 4:3 image with the center portion having the image. It does play with wide black bars on ALL sides of the image on a 16:9 screen. You can magnify it if your TV allows this but you get a bigger fuzzier image. Watching on an iPad works mostly because of the size and aspect ratio. On the plus side it is widescreen so you see the whole movie.

Second, the colors are very dull and drab. I do not recall it quite like that.

The sound quality is stereo and I found sharp, crisp and of good quality. It was very easy to understand the spoken word. The music and sound effects had some very nice base and complimented the movie very well. This is where the disc shines in my opinion.

The movie is a TRUE classic with two of Britain's greatest stars. Rita Tushingham and Oliver Reed are great in this action adventure that has no real equal. That this movie isn't available on BluRay is almost criminal.

In summary, if you need to see this movie, this is your only option.

Pros: Great sound. Widescreen. Original English soundtrack

Cons: Non-anamorphic picture that has a dull / drab color scheme. Sharpness lacking

Evilenko (2003)

Awful...Awful....Awful

[2/10 · 12 February 2006]

I seldom vote a movie so low ....this got a 2 from me. I was sooo disappointed! The real story is soooooo much more interesting.

Why on earth the writer / director felt the need to take a real life story and then wrap it up in fictionalized nonsense is beyond me.

Imagine a story like in the movie Downfall about the last days in Hitler's bunker. As brilliant a movie as could be made. Imagine that instead of Hitler, it chronicled the downfall of a Mr. Hilter, a bad fictional character. Further imagine that what actually happened was modified to make a different story. Who cares about a mythical Mr Hilter an his stupid story when you have the horror of the story of Hitler and what his last days were. This is as bad an idea as what I can possibly imagine!

This movie is not about the mass murderer Andrei Chikatilo. This is about a Mr.Evilenko (Mr. Hilter)

If you want to see a much better movie about Chikatilo see Citizen X.

Sorry but this is pure trash (and I liked The Adventurers and Caligula)!

Tenement (1985)

Bloody Brilient!

[7/10 · 10 July 2005]

I bought this DVD last Friday because I was looking for some early 80's, politically incorrect, sex'n violence balance to the banality of to-days oh-so-correct trash that Hollywood spews out. As I scanned the shelves for something that would scream Independence, I came across 'The Tenament'.

You usually cannot go by what the cover says. They can't ALL be the 'most shocking', 'depraved', 'explicit', 'gut wrenching', 'gory', 'perverted'...well, you get the picture.

As I picked up 'The Tenament', I hoped the cover-art hype would be, for once, right on. The claim was it got an X certificate on release and it wasn't because it was a porno in drag! My wife saw the cover and excused herself. She knew I was on an odyssey to combat the effects of the sanitized hogwash we bathe in daily and was not quite ready to cleanse her brain. She has a much higher tolerance, being a woman.

I sat down with a very nice glass of chardonnay, dimmed the lights and fired up the DVD.....

I was in luck! This was definitely a find - a throwback to the days when you 'made a statement'. Sleezy sex, violence, gore, disco music, electrocution, did I say Gore?, slashings, drug use and other assorted bad stuff. They don't make 'em like this anymore! This is definitely an NC-17 or 'X' for real.

Talking of 'X', I really miss the category. I don't mind the porn industry but I'm ticked of they hi-jacked my favorite movie certificate. The Should have used 'P' (for Porn) or 'PPP'.

Afterwards I watched the directer interview. Roberta gave some very interesting anecdotes that indicated life during filming was just as bizarre.

Well, I'm re-balanced and ready to absorb more of the bland, bleached offal being forced on me by the media moguls.

Highly recommended. Watch the extras on the DVD. Not a date movie. Has multiple viewing potential.

The Browning Version (1951)

A wonderful character study

[8/10 · 4 July 2005]

I watched this movie and was riveted by it. It's about a man who, at the beginning of his life had unlimited potential and, in his declining years, realizes he screwed it up. Very sad and possibly close to reality for a number of people.

His wife is a shrew, who 'never lies to him' but uses the truth as a blunt weapon to remind him of all his failings. She is having an affair and everyone knows including the husband. He lives with the knowledge and does not confront the wife since she has enough to deal with being married to him.

Michael Redgrave is wonderful in this role. Wilfred Hyde-White is also first class as the headmaster who has no qualms in giving bad news then asking for favors.

The setting, an English School, evokes a time long since gone. Where manors and face were more important than meeting reality head-on.

Hope, while sparse, is there and perhaps is more realistic than one might expect.

Well worth watching - several times.

B&W, 1.33:1 (orig aspect ratio), wonderful criterion DVD.

High Tension (2003)

The worst form of castration....

[10/10 · 12 June 2005]

Updated:

Great News...I got my hands on a anamorphic widescreen (outstanding), original language (French), English subtitles (removable), unrated DVD.

WOW. It's a must see. After watching this DVD, I can give it the highest recommendation. OK so the plot has some issues, but I just 'luvved' this one!

However, having seen the movie as intended, I'm even more ticked-off at Lions Gate. See below for what they are giving the American audience.

Track down the import DVD (mine was a 2 disk Korean one)at all costs...you will not be disappointed!

Prior review:

For gore hounds this should be a 10. For the rest, this would be an easy 8. I give it a 4. What a real shame!

Sadly, Lion's Gate has done two unforgivable things:

1. Thet censored it from it's original NC-17 to an R.

2. They dubbed it.

Guys, either stop mutilating movies or get out the business and leave distributing movies to those who care. Once again, a studio thinks the US public are unable (or too dumb)to handle foreign movies with subtitles and are scared of the dreaded NC-17. Remember Sony and Young Adam?

To bad. Try to get it on the French DVD. Give the movie a miss unless you see it as it was intended.

The Beast in Heat (1977)

So much to offer, so little delivered

[4/10 · 26 April 2005]

I'm generally a fan of movies that cause the establishment difficulties. Give me politically incorrect and thought provoking movies any day. The premise of the movie - Nazi's (we all hate 'em) behaving badly (what do you expect) to naked women (can't get enough of them) - just grabs you by the "they can't possibly show a movie like that" short and curlies! Your not going to see 'The sound of Music' with a title like this!

However, this movie misses the mark in a number of ways. First the good news....there's some very nice looking flesh - and I'm not talking about 'the monster'! However, the DVD I watched suffered from the following: 1. NO original language track! 2. A poorly dubbed English sound track - complete with moving lips after the voice stopped. 3. No timing info etc to see how much was left to go. 4. Relatively poor picture quality - not enough to put me off but, given the sound, sure was annoying. One thought. These movies, while repulsive on many fronts, do not approach the atrocities actually committed under the Nazi regime. As such, these movies don't really get the message across. They are just an excuse to get some flesh and violence on screen and sadly miss the mark. I've always felt that a really GOOD exploitation movie could be made that titillates, shocks, scares, upsets, annoys, and generally drives the censors mad. Thus far, I have not come across one. For my money, the Isla movies are much better and more graphic. This is probably not a good date movie.

99 Women (1969)

Another Franco Masterpiece

[6/10 · 12 April 2005]

******Possible Spoilers******

I just finished the 'notorious' x-rated french version. It reminds me of Caligula where the x-rated stuff was added and is sooooo out of place. It looks like it was spliced in as an afterthought.

That said, I enjoyed Herbert Lom, though I'm pretty sure it was a 'stunt double' during the penetration shots. I bet he never knew he was in such a movie!

I can't help liking Jesse Franco. He tries so hard and I'm sure he could have done more mainstream work given the chance. I have seen much worse movies from so-called mainstream directors!

I was disappointed in the DVD. The x-rated version has no extras. It dropped the interview with Jesse and some other stuff found on the censored DVD (R-rated). Very sad. I thought they would make this a special edition.

If you like 60's & 70's euro-sleaze, you really can't go wrong with this one.

Not really a date movie, but if your date 'digs' it, the best part of the evening is just ahead.....