Any movie with the words, ''QUENTIN TARANTINO PRESENTS:'' on the front cover is going to be in my collection. As soon as I came across Hell Ride I had to get it. Sure, I wasn't expecting Pulp Fiction, but with the cast and the concept I had high hopes. And it delivered. Sort of.
The second directorial effort from Larry Bishop also casts him as the lead character, Pistolero, leader of the Victors motorcycle gang, who is accompanied by his faithful sidekicks The Gent (Michael Madsen|) and Commanche (Eric Balfour). It is a revenge tale, stemming from the murder of Pistol's ex girlfriend at the hand of rival motorcycle gang, the Six-Six-Sixers. There is tension in the camp of the Victor's also, and it's hard to trust anyone.
Hell Ride is an homage to the free spirit motorcycle movies from the 60's, as well as revenge flicks and all things Grindhouse. It's gritty, violent and at times, trippy. For me, that's what makes it a cool movie. It also has that Tarantino influence, and I feel if he had written and directed this movie it would have been a masterpiece. But he did produce it, and the end result is an enjoyable B movie with some flaws, however, they aren't distracting and some even add to the charm.
So these flaws, you ask? For a start Larry Bishop isn't a convincing bad ass here and some of his acting is laughably bad. However, good performances from the supporting cast carry him fine. Another flaw is some pretty terrible dialogue from time to time, but there's enough good dialogue to keep it interesting. It is a film that's a little rough around the edges, and it tries to be a little more cooler than it actually is, but it's still cool enough to get the old Grindhouse fire burning.
It really is a fun film though. To start with the cast really has that cool factor going on - Madsen, Jones, Hopper, Carradine and Balfour is a cool ensemble. The visuals are also stunning if you dig the whole Grindhouse look, and the desert settings really give it a bad ass biker movie feel. At times, it may seem like a pastiche of influences being interwoven, but overall it's worth a watch and it's one that I throw on when I can't sleep.
What I really dug was the Six-Six-Sixers. Huge compliments to Larry Bishop for the concept because they really are cool, especially Vinnie Jones' character, Billy Wings. In addition to that there's hot chicks, boobs, great music, motorcycles and lots of violence. Check it out for nothing more and nothing less. Realistically, many of you will hate this. I get a kick out of it.
Neveldine/Taylor are directors who definitely have their haters. As writers, they tend to split opinion as well. Personally, I love them and if their name is attached to anything then I'll check it out. Pathology wasn't directed by Neveldine/Taylor and it doesn't look like a movie they'd direct either. It was written by them however, and if you didn't already know it was them who wrote it then you wouldn't think it was their work. It's a smart movie, which focuses on story and the development of characters, exploring humans darkest desires, as opposed to their usual ridiculous fun action movies. To think they got the idea for this when they were drunk as well...
Pathology follows a group of medical students, who have come up with a little game to pass the nights - committing the perfect murder. Ted Grey (Milo Ventimiglia) is new to the class, and finds himself drawn into the murderous fun escapades.
I seen this in an empty theatre on a Tuesday afternoon with 2 friends back in 2008. We were blwon away by it and it's become one of our favorites ever since. It's a dark, twisted thriller full of sex and murder but don't let that put you off (not that it would I'm guessing), because it's a very intelligent movie. It's immoral, mean spirited and nasty. That's why I love it.
Violent fun that exceeds expectations of another mindless, fun popcorn movie. It's a wonderful thriller with a black little heart.
Hey guys, I have a new blog that I will also be updating regularly. Fear not though, I won't be leaving my baby The Funhouse, but I'll be using my other blog to talk about and review the types of movies I don't cover here. What inspired me to do this you ask? There could be only 2 men...
MEL GIBSON & CHARLIE SHEEN
If you're interested in reading it then here's the link:
Here are some future movies I'm very excited about. As this list is running off the top of my head the list is not in order of anticipation of excitement, it's just me writing down nonsense as it comes to me. Hope you enjoy.
1. Bubba Nosferatu
I'm one of the many people who adores Bruce Campbell and rates Bubba Hotep as a timeless masterpiece. I also adore the work of Don Coscarelli. Ever since this project was first discussed I've been praying that one day it would come into fruition - well it's announced finally and appears to be Coscarelli's next project. Good news - FINALLY. Bad news - Bruce won't be reprising the role of Elvis. Paul Giamatti is involved though and I'm going to give it a chance anyway. Bruce would be the icing on an already delicious cake, but if it ain't to be then so be it. Rumor has it Ron Perlman will star.
2. Frankenstein's Army
Another Nazi horror about zombies. We've seen them before but another one won't hurt anyone. Another thing that excites me about this is that it's the first feature length from Richard Raaphorst, who has worked with Brian Yuzna and Stuart Gordon in the past. For that reason alone I'd watch it but after seeing the trailer I'm very excited.
3. Dredd
I thought Stallone's Judge Dredd was a fun, entertaining cheesy movie, but I'm in the minority. However, this new one does look awesome. I mean, it looks a lot like The Raid in some aspects, but if the fight scenes and action are even half as good as The Raid then we're on to a winner.
4. Berandal
Gareth Evans sequel to The Raid. According to interviews the action is only going to get more gung ho, with car chases and all sorts being added to the mix. I can't wait!
5. Zombie A-Hole
Dustin Wayde Mills is a young director who will gain cult status one day. Mark my words. He's the the psycho that brought us Puppet Monster Massacre and he's a cool guy on top of that. I have the luxury of knowing him on Facebook and we've chatted movies. We more or less share tastes. He's told me about some of his future projects if his current features made on no money budgets take off and they sound amazing. He reminds of an early Peter Jackson - making disgusting and hilarious movies with friends just for the fun of it. Zombie A-Hole looks tonnes of fun and should be a blast.
6. Corpus Christi
Any movie written, directed or both by Richard Kelly excites me. If I had a gun to my head and made to pick my all time favorite movie, there's a 1/5 chance that I'm going to say Donnie Darko. All of his movies to date have kicked ass and he's one of Hollywood's most exciting writers and directors. I have no idea what to expect from Corpus Christi and I'm going to leave it that way and be surprised when it finally hits screens.
7. Machete Kills
I can wait for the sequel to Sin City if it means a Machete sequel. Especially one with a cast consisting of Trejo, Mel Gibson, Charlie Sheen, Amber Heard, other hot chicks, Tom Savini and possibly, Tony Jaa. Hell yes!
8. Django Unchained
This is my most anticipated movie. When I hear of a new Tarantino project I obsess. He's my all time favorite writer and director and I adore every single movie he's ever made. He just makes cool genre pictures that appeal to the masses. I'm expecting a pastiche of film influences as per usual, but that's why I love QT.
9. Sin City 2: A Dame To Kill For
It's been in the works for so long I don't expect to see it any time soon. However, it is certain to happen one day. We might all be dead by then though. Anyway, I can't wait for it as the first movie is a masterpiece. Every time I watch it I'm blown away.
10. How To Survive A Garden Gnome Attack
Not to take anything away from this project as it does look awesome and from the same dude who brought the world the excellent kiddy horror, Monster House, but I feel the concept of killer garden gnomes should be used more in horror. The only time I've seen killer garden gnomes was in an anthology movie. Point I'm trying to make? MORE GARDEN GNOMES IN HORROR. R.L. Stine should write scripts because he saw the potential in garden gnomes when writing Goosebumps novels.
11. Tyrannosaurus Rex
I like Rob Zombie's films but I still think he's capable of better. He does have great ideas however, and this one is his best. He says it's a movie he really wants to make, yet he's held it off to make a hockey movie first and that's after the release of Lords of Salem and a new album and inevitable tour. We'll be waiting awhile, but until then dream and look at this awesome poster:
12. Hemlock Grove
This is a mini series for Netflix directed by Eli Roth based on a graphic novel with the same name. I can't wait for this. It's a who-dun-it story about the murder of a young girl set in a small town (Twin Peaks, anyone?). However, there's a lot more going on and to be honest, I don't know what to expect. It really does sound interesting and bizarre.
13. The Green Inferno
I'm just so happy that Eli Roth is directing again. You know for a fact it's going to get a worldwide release and will be R Rated. His gross should allow him creative freedom to make a really disgusting movie for the masses. The Green Inferno is a cannibal movie based on the fake sequel to Cannibal Holocaust, so I suspect it'll be bloody. I love Eli Roth. He has his haters but I'll defend him to the grave.
14. Thanksgiving
Please just hurry the fuck up already...
15. Return of the Killer Klowns From Outer Space
It's a crime that this isn't the 25th sequel to the original classic. They should just have kept churning them out. Killer Klowns is godlike.
16. Clown
This was originally a fake trailer with Eli Roth's name attached, but it was really by a guy named Jon Watts. It got such a positive response that it's now been given the green light and is expected next year. The premise is fantastic and I think it has the makings of a horror classic.
17. Jack Brooks Monster Slayer 2
This is another one we may need to wait some time for. According to Jon Knautz, his next movie will be a dysfunctional dark comedy about a family. I can't wait for that either. It's good to see a little genre switch up and experimentation by a young filmmaker. But I want to see Jack Brooks kicking monster ass again in the near future. If you haven't seen the first then check it out right now.
18. The Fast & The Furious 6 Fast Five was an excellent slice of testosterone cinema and an excellent progression of the series. It was probably the best installment yet and the final chase scene was out of this world. I can't wait for the next movie and I hope for more of the same - fast cars, macho action heroes, awesome action, hot women and witty banter.
19. I, Frankenstein
Warring clans? Frankenstein? Bill Nighy and Aaron Eckhart? Yep, I'm sold. A funny story about this one too. One day, my friend Andy and myself went to Glasgow shopping and had a few beers. We picked up a couple of comics and I, Frankenstein was one of them. Anyway, we ended up drunk, I was sick on the train on the way home all over the carriage and we had to bolt before we got caught. I left my I, Frankenstein behind and regret it to this day. Hopefully the movie will make up for it.
20. Twisted Metal
Based on a video game based on vehicular combat. homicidal maniacs and directed by the Brian Taylor half of Neveldine/Taylor, a directing duo who are prepared to put their own safety on the line to get the magic shots. A movie based on this game is perfect for one of these guys and I'm 110% sure it's going to be out of this world awesome, action packed, violent and full of adrenaline.
There's a lot more and I could go on, but twenty's plenty for now. What are you all looking forward to?
The winner of the Grindhouse trailer competition and the best of the fake trailers to be adapted so far (I have high hopes for Thanksgiving though). Hobo With A Shotgun is the debut feature from Jason Eisener (who also directed the excellent short Treevenge) and it's a fun, violent, blast (literally) that delivers justice... ONE SHELL AT A TIME!
Hobo With A Shotgun is a genre fans wet dream. It's not only a tribute to the exploitation films of the 70's and 80's - it's exploitation at it's most exploitation-y and it's a helluva lot of fun. It stars genre favorite Rutger Hauer as a hobo who decides to go all vigilante and clean up the streets of ''SCUM TOWN'' with a shotgun.
You get a good feel for what the movie is going to be like near the beginning. It starts off very beautiful with the Hobo entering the city on the train. It's a bright opening and we get an immediate feeling that the Hobo is a nomad, just looking for a place to start a better life. But he's chosen the wrong city and when he arrives there's brawls, bum fights and a pretty inventive decapitation, where we get introduced to villain The Drake and his two brats Slik and Ivan. The blood rains and never stops pouring from then on out and we're treated to some beautifully nasty shit throughout. This isn't a basic vigilante movie though and it hits us with some nice surprises, namely, The Plague - demon assassins responsible for the death of Christ and Abe Lincoln, and the new cult heroes of exploitation cinema.
Aside from the violence and laughs, there is a lot of sweet moments here between the Hobo and Abby (a prostitute with a heart of gold). In the midst of all the carnage, this gives the film a little something more. Furthermore, it's a visually stunning piece of work with a kick ass synth soundtrack reminiscent of 80's John Carpenter.
An instant cult classic and an exciting debut for a young director with a bright future. It's an insanely fun, violent ride from start to finish. One for the beer and pizza nights. This is the type of film you'll want to show all your friends and then they'll go show their friends. Some will love it, others will be repulsed by it but no one will ever forget it.
American Psycho is without doubt, one of the greatest movies ever to grace the universe of cinema. Based on the excellent (and even more shocking novel) by Brett Easton Ellis, it stars Christian Bale (in his greatest performance to date) as Patrick Bateman, a wealthy executive banker who's obsession with materialism and desire to be better than his peers is only outweighed by his thirst for blood. It's dark, it's chilling and it's laugh out loud hilarious.
American Psycho is more than just your basic movie about a deranged killer; it's a satirical take on the New York Yuppie culture of the 80's, as well as social structure and societies obsession with materialism. Bateman represents a man wanting to fit in, a man who feels the need to outdo his peers and a man who needs to fill the emptiness inside him by committing atrocities. And when he doesn't get what he wants he throws hissy fits of extreme proportions.
Everything in the film is representative of something - materialism, commercialism, megalomania, social status, the state of society.... There's a lot of depth here and it's presented to us in a violent and very funny way. If you don't want to read too much into its themes then you can still enjoy a hilarious dark comedy full of memorable scenes, dialogue and a performance by a terrific actor who embodies the character so well you forget it's acting. Christian Bale was Patrick Bateman and he made Patrick Bateman one of the coolest, most lovable characters in the history of cinema.
Contrary to what you might think, this film isn't all that violent. There is blood and some maniacal scenes, but it has just the right balance of violence, funny, chilling and thrilling. It's a modern masterpiece that deserves to be held in the same esteem as Psycho (because it's much better than Hitchcock's classic). For me, this is one of the best movies of all time. I love Patrick Bateman.
Do you like your movies a little on the nuts side? Does a zombie movie set in a supernatural forest with Yakuza, martial arts, swords and ULTRA-violence interest you? Then look no further than the cult classic by Ryuhei Kitamura - VERSUS.
Versus is hard to describe because it's so friggin' nuts. Basically, zombies vs Yakuza, an evil spirit of an old Samurai. Another review I read described it as Night of the Living Dead, Mortal Kombat & Highlander with elements of early Peter Jackson and Sam Raimi. I can see all of these influences. It's a genre bending, pastiche that favors style over character development and deep story. It's full of good humored violence, funny characters and constant action. The plot is thin but it's so entertaining it doesn't need one.
Versus is a blast. I mean, zombies, ancient spirits, Yakuza, shoot outs, sword slicing, martial arts, splat and a kick ass soundtrack, set in a forest... What's not to love?
