Reviews

It's not often I feel The Urge to fast forward a movie, but this film created that urge. I saw it on the strength of "Robot Monster", which is one of my all time favourite guilty pleasure films. But this film, I think it only went for about 70 minutes, felt like hours. The most unerotic strippers ever - unattractive, moved like pack horses, and the music they stripped too, just what is these guys idea of erotic music, it sounded like it was from a Jerry Lewis movie, and they were stripping to it!?! (I like Jerry Lewis by the way). And these two comedians that link the strippers, the jokes must have been old when they performed them, but they went at every lame joke at 100 miles an hour, dragging every joke out, telegraphing every punch line, making me squirm and beg for mercy. And to top it off, I think the camera only moved twice, with just as many edits. A film that truley is...THE PITS. Do not watch this film expecting a so bad it's funny laugh, you'll simply want to kill yourself, I'm still trying to kick the Prozac.

This film is banned in Australia, the fact that I have a copy shows how pointless banning a film is. The fact that this film is a genuine masterpiece shows how putting this film in the category of bestiallity (bestiallity films are banned in Australia), is truley degrading of a film of this stature. The fact that I can't say I enjoyed this film is testament to it's power. To ban it because it is offensive misses the point. This film certainly does not titillate, it says something about the people who judge what we are allowed to watch. If they felt guilty for watching the film, they have issues they need to work out, if they were shocked by the film....that's the point.

After going through a difficult time in my life, I wanted a cathartic experience, and thought a notorious video nasty would fit the bill. The film does have 'difficult' subject matter, being rape, and the eventual revenge of her parents. But it doesn't really examine those issues. I found the wierdest thing about the film to be the odd soundtrack, and the comic relief of the two cops. These two elements should have been in a different film, as they never shared scenes with the girls story. The film uses a sentimental set-up, in as that the girls parents are home making a birthday cake for their little girl, whilst she is scoring dope before a rock concert. This is not presented in judgemental terms, she's a nice girl, full of life, likeable. The dope dealers are actually escaped con sadists. The girls are raped, tortured, killed. There is no gratuitous nudity, the rapes happen with a 'subtle' fadeout even. THAT shocked me, this is a video nasty! Still banned in Australia! Don't get me wrong, I didn't want to get off on a rape scene. But I was surprised by the films still strong reputation. The film did stay with me, I thought it was interesting, but I wasn't shocked.

Larry Cohen isn't a great director, but he is an interesting footnote to independent American cinema. He's been around since the early seventies, and others have hit hard times and hung up the clapper board. But not he. I'm not an admirer of his "It's Alive" films, which fed his family for many a year, but I love "God Told Me Too" and "Q - The Winged Serpent". And this film comes close to those. Cohen isn't a polished director, he isn't a particularly good director with actors. He prefers to get good actors and let them go.....which sometimes works for him, sometimes against. I recommend this film to people who like tales of mad doctors stealing peoples kidneys!

I assume this isn't the easiest film for people to see. It isn't on video (to my knowledge), doesn't turn up at cinema's. In Australia it turns up occasionally on our foriegn language channel as part of their "sword & sandal" series. And my God, Anita Ekberg. Already a fan of her....um, talents. This film offers a rare view of more of her talents than before. Her outfits are very sensuous. Given the chance to meet her, I think my manhood would have shrunk away, as she is a very powerful icon, yet watched from a far, she is an Amazonian entity to adore. For serious film fans, you shouldn't feel guilty for watching this "trash", as Sergio Leone's name can be glimpsed in the writers credits!

Truly the best, freshest, most truly independent cinema is coming from Iran - or at least was in the nineties. Time will tell. My favourite is "Salaam Cinema", a film I would love to see again. This film, from Iran's Goddard (I spose you'd call him) Abbas Kiarostami is in the docu-drama tradition. It uses the real people who took part in the real events portrayed in the movie, it uses a documentary style, but it is a film - not a documentary. I feel you could add, but is it not a documentary? Because at times, you just don't know. A truly great film because it really sucks you in, time passes, I have no idea how long it ran because it was over too soon. Magic!

As the old cliche goes, "If you only see one Hammer film, see this." It is their greatest achievement. They got the boobs and things happening after this film (which I like, don't get me wrong!) , but this film still manages to scare, and it's very tense. The film is played dead straight, as most ealy Hammer films were, as Good portrayed by Christopher Lee battles Evil, portrayed by Charles Grey. Lee tries to save the soul of his friend who has been seduced into a society of Satanists. Has one of the best climactic scenes of the sixties! I suggest you also check out a film from Hammer's rivals at Anglo Amalgamated titled "Burn Witch Burn" (aka Night Of The Eagle) (1962) made by an under valued director Sidney Hayers.

Jean-Luc Godard has my highest admiration. When he dies, as we all must, it will be a sad day, as he is an original thinker. And they are thin on the ground. This is probably my favourite of his many many films. Jean-Pierre Belmondo, as was usaul in the sixties, is dissatified with his lot in life and sets off across country. He has many adventures. It is rather funny. That's the plot. Sounds great doesn't it? (Irony) You see, the films lives in the telling, not the plot. The direction is fresh and spontaneous. It examines personal & global violence (remember Angola & Vietnam) - and it has wild use of colour. It is also a tribute to love, in the most non sentimental way. It's hard to praise a film that one thinks is breathtaking. It's so much easier to trash a film. But this is breathtaking, funny, visceral. It is no mistake director Sam Fuller has a cameo in this film . One of his more famous quotes goes thus; "Film is like a battleground, love, hate, action, violence, death...in one word , Emotion". Just take my word for it...SEE IT!

If you've been wondering what all the fuss is about Hong Kong cinema, but didn't know where to start, watch this very sexy very action packed film about a bunch of too beautiful to believe lesbian hit women. Sure, John Woo did make the best Hong Kong films around, but this is the sexiest. The female cast is mind boggling, they are so beautiful. And they are filmed so lovingly, the films colours seep of the screen. Yes, the sex/violence may worry some, but it just looks so damn fine. There is one watershed scene (for Hong Kong censorship), where a couple of women make out in a pool, after killing a guy, the bloody water spreading around them. I never said the film was subtle.