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Southbound (2015)
A great low budget anthology film
I have always been a big fan of portmanteau films, especially those from Amicus or Tyburn. Lurid classics like Tales that Witness madness are pure exploitative fun, whilst From Beyond the Grave is a cast iron classic and one of my favourite films of all time. However, I've largely found myself disappointed by their modern equivalents. The VHS films, apart from a couple of segments, have been a let down and the myriad other low budget attempts have left me cold. Which brings us to Southbound. A film that does something genuinely new with the concept. Instead of the usual wrap around story each episode segues into the next. Not always too smoothly but in the main it works. Real care and attention has been given to ensure the disparate stories, from different writers and directors, all feel very similar. The film manages to deliver a real sense of otherwordlyness, some graphic violence and good performances. Its not perfect, some of the CGI is quite poor but thats understandable given the ultra low budget. And I for one am getting heartily sick of the squidgy analogue Carpenter-alike scores that every indie horror film seems to have these days. The sooner this trend ends, the better. A cross between the EC comics of the 50's and 60's and the more mind bending episodes of The Twilight Zone, Southbound is worth seeking out by fans of real horror films. A definite breath of fresh air 8/10.
The Revenant (2015)
Mostly a success
The Revenant -
Hot on the heels of the success of his Oscar winning Birdman, Alejandro González Iñárritu turns his hand to the Western with a tale of double cross and revenge. DiCaprio plays fur trapper Glass, who is gravely wounded during an attack by a bear (in a fantastic and utterly convincing sequence) and ultimately abandoned and left for dead by some of his companions. How his lust for vengeance keeps him alive is the crux of the rest of the story. First of all the film looks fantastic, with a real Kubrick/Barry Lyndon feel to some of the visuals. From the snow on distant mountains to the mist winding through the forest its a fantastic looking piece. The score, by Japanese legend Ryuichi Sakamoto with Alva Noto and Bryce Dessner is also great, sparse and haunting. It mirrors the landscape perfectly. The acting by leads Leo DiCaprio, an almost unrecognisable Tom Hardy and Will Poulter is universally great, with DiCaprio in particular giving a completely committed performance as the wronged frontiersman Hugh Glass. If I had to criticise I would say that not everything works, some of the dream/fantasy sequences seem a bit naive and contrived, and it could also have benefited from being maybe 20 minutes shorter. But although the story is pretty slight and one-note I didn't find myself checking the time at all. I actually preferred it to Birdman. Overall its now my second favourite weird and violent snow draped western, losing the top slot to the vastly underrated Ravenous 7/10
Landmine Goes Click (2015)
Not what you expect
The difficulty reviewing a film like 'Landmine Goes Click' is that its one of those rare films where the less you know going in, the better. The set up is that 3 American friends (a couple and their mutual best friend) are on a walking/climbing holiday in the beautiful and remote Georgian countryside. Things take a turn for the deadly when one of them accidentally steps on an old landmine, a leftover from the war that ravaged the country a few years ago. What happens from here is so full of twists and turns that to say any more would definitely spoil things so I will advise not reading much about the story (or watching the trailer) before watching. Needless to say the story goes off on brutal and twisted tangents throughout that definitely keep you interested. The direction, acting and cinematography are all solid, the real outbreak star being the gorgeous Georgian landscape. The film isn't perfect. Some scenes drag on a tad too long, and the pace dips a little in a couple of places. I also felt that it should have been 'nastier' but maybe thats just me. There is limited on-screen violence. Having said all this I do recommend the film to anyone prepared to try something different. It definitely makes you think as the credits start rolling. The film certainly doesn't go where you expect it to, and ultimately these days, thats high praise in itself.
6.5/10
Turkey Shoot (2014)
Oh dear...
The original Turkey Shoot is a fun Ozploitation film that rattles along at a fair pace and never seems to take itself too seriously. This remake is a po-faced turgid mess that is so badly directed even Uwe Boll would shake his head in disgust. Dominic Purcell can be good in the right role, but in this he looks downright ashamed to be here. And I don't blame him. The guy clearly needs a better agent. Long story short, he plays a wrongly convicted war criminal that is entered into a Running Man style TV show where he has 90 minutes to get to a destination whilst avoiding various assassins. And trust me that sounds far more exciting than it actually is. The film is a mess. The camera work is appalling, the direction is laughable, the script is infantile and there are huge chunks of narrative presumably missing. The action is badly filmed and choreographed, the characters are mere outlines and the acting ranges from poor to middling. Purcell himself seems half asleep. Not even worth a watch for curious fans of the original. Avoid like the plague.
Girlhouse (2014)
Just misses the mark, but not by much
Recent years have seen a glut of films attempting to capture the 80's slasher aesthetic, and most fail badly. The opening music here puts you in that mind but thankfully that's where it stops. This is a thoroughly modern take on the genre. Girl House is great on a technical level, its well shot and directed and the acting ranges from average to good, nobody gives a truly bad performance. The films best asset by far is the killer, once he dons his mask he becomes a fast and brutal juggernaut, with his attacks coming with a real sense of power, weight and savagery. Unfortunately (and bizarrely) for a slasher film set within the porn industry, Girl House is surprisingly light on both the sex and violence it actually shows. It also takes a little bit too long to actually get going. If it had a little bit more courage it could have been regarded as a minor modern classic of the genre. Still, in a sea of utter garbage like The Cross Bearer and Seed 2, this seems like a masterpiece. I for one would welcome a sequel.