Topic: Jimmy's 2009 Horror Marathon

[Jimmy]

This movie got me in the mood to watch another Darian Caine movie that wasn't include in my marathon pool. But since it's my marathon I can do whatever I want and cheat a little bit

[Jimmy]

Title : Lust for Dracula (2004)

Overview
Mina Harker (Misty Mundae) isn't the happiest of Hollywood Hills wives even though she's married to wealthy pharmaceuticals magnate Jonathan Harker (Julian Wells!). The depressed Mina longs for Jonathan's love and the happiness a child would bring them, yet the arrival of the beautiful and mysterious Dracula (Darian Caine) - seductive vampire servants at her side - will change their lives forever. Dracula offers Mina the existence she so desperately craves - one that is immediately threatened by Mina's sister, Abigail Van Helsing (Shelly Jones). Van Helsing seeks to not only destroy the monstrous vampire but also covet Mina's seemingly perfict life and husband Jonathan. As these troubled individuals move closer towards their destinies and a final battle with Dracula, blood will be spilled, souls will be destroyed, and true love will become undying.

My Impression
A more than welcome change of pace for me, since even if I like horror this isn't really my favorite genre and after a while they tend to all look alike. With an erotic vampire theme movie we are more in my usual territory. This isn't the first time I review this one and my opinion haven't really change, except for the fact that I've appreciated it even more this time. I've really more seen this time the artistic quality of this film, sure it's a weird vampire movie by itself but it possess a dreamlike visual poetry that make it more than a softcore film. Of course being a tony Marsiglia's production this isn't that surprising.

You can read my previous review for more detail.

Rating :

Movie Trailer

[Jimmy]

I will be absent today and tomorrow, so I will watch nothing. It's the 60^th wedding anniversary of my grandparents today

Back to my breaking record pace monday.

BTW, I've watched The Curse of Lizzy Borden 2 yesterday but didn't see the need to write a new review for it.

[Najemikon]

You have a good time, Jimmy. Why not watch something with them as a treat for their celebration? 

[Jimmy]

A couple of times, I've think to watch those with my grandfather. But I'm not too sure that his wife would agree to that


Maybe that could be a fun time to him and a good memories of his young years, since he had probably watch the real thing on stage.

[Achim]

But I'm not too sure that his wife would agree to that

I have found time again that grandmoms are way cooler than we give them credit for... (Of course, I don't know your grandmom and she might actually be rather offended.)

[Jimmy]

Sorry for the break, I was abducted by my baseball simulation again

[Jimmy]

Title : This Darkness (2003)

Overview
When world-famous genetic engineer Dr. Van Helsing discovers the secret to immortality, his world is ravaged by true-blood vampires.

My Impression
Non sense and poor vampire movie, where the vampire attack an university professor because he had found a serum to became immortal and want it (sorry but vampires are suppose to be immortal they are no reasons for them to want the serum). Of course the vampire can live in the day, but they are cannibals also... I forgot you must shoot them in the head to kill them...

Completly lame and poorly acted... But the catacomb like place where they had filmed the end on a Florida beach is really beautifull and creepy.

Rating :

[Jimmy]

Title : Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

Overview
Michael Rooker is unforgettable as Henry, a soft-spoken loner with a cool exterior masking an inner rage that boils at blast furnace intensity.

When fellow ex-con Otis invites Henry to move into his Chicago apartment, he becomes a willing participant in Henry's senseless, random killing sprees. Meanwhile, Otis' unsuspecting sister, Becky (Tracy Arnold) is smitten with Henry, whose broken childhood mirrors her own.

Masterfully directed by John McNaughton, HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER is a chilling character study of a mass murderer that continues to shock and disturb twenty years after its debut.

My Impression
Now I'm happy that my favorite horror movie was selected for this marathon. I know that some will disagree that this film is an horror movie, but for me it's the most frightening film I've ever seen (as you know I'm only frighten by the movie that could happen in real life). This movie is an evidence that it's possible to make a great film without a budget (100,000 $ for it). The acting is great and really convincing, seriously this is the best work of Michael Rooker and Tom Towles is the perfect choice to play Otis Toole. The movie doesn't always show the violent murder, but the result and this is scary to see only the dead victim and an echo of the murder action. Of course some murder are shown and the familly murder is the scarier thing I've ever seen on screen (I'm certain that the people who had seen the film understand) it's so realistically filmed and possible with all the crazy people living outside. The way Michael Rooker play Henry you had no choice to think that these kind of psychopat live a perfectly anonymous and normal life in reality.

Really nothing negative to say about this film (even the music score is frightening). They had changed some little fact about the real story by exemple the real Becky was the 12 years old niece of Otis, but I'm not sure that it's a bad thing since at one point enough is enough.

Rating :

[richierich]

I'll have to give Henry another viewing, watched it several years ago and do not remember it favourably. Your review tells me i should give it a second chance   

[Achim]

I'll have to give Henry another viewing, watched it several years ago and do not remember it favourably. Your review tells me i should give it a second chance   

It's not everyone's cup of tea. It is a scary view into a killer's mind, someone who lacks emotion and just floats along through his life, with the killimg being a form of entertainment (there is no other apparent motivation). The scary thing about this film is that not only could this happen, it probably is happening somewhere right now...

[Jimmy]

Title : Pony Trouble (2005)

Overview
Tune in, turn on and freak out as Cindy and Donna take you on a wild ride into America's most obsessive, sexy and freaky pop-culture power trip!

My Impression
Honestly I've had definitely no idea of what the movie I just watched is about , but I'll try to resume...
This is about some teenagers who had win a contest to appear on a TV reality show in the future. The title of this show is the Pony Game and that consist of wearing paper mache horse head and playing with My Little Pony toy. The players are supposed to adopt the personality of the Little Pony they are (girls toy are sure an unknown and weird world to me ). Meanwhile a group of girls participant go in a canadian forest because they want to see a fairy (of course our forest are well known to be full of fairies when the Wendigo doesn't scare them) and they go there dress in fairy costume. I've forgot to say that some boys play also and one of them wear a baby costume. At the end they will fight some cyborg, some will die, one of the girl will find the Rainbow of Might and everyone will return to sing the happy song... The film end the same way it had started with a girl in underwear who whip and make love to a Care Bear. At one point they eat a guy this is the only possible reason why this is label as an horror movie.

I've nothing to add except that this film is problably awesome to watch on drugs

Rating :

[Jimmy]

Title : Clean (2005)

Overview
Follow a dangerous killer and fellow murderers attending a snuff party. Unbeknownst to them, our anti-hero has an agenda to clean up his godforsaken life. The hunters become the hunted and learn the true meaning of fear!

My Impression
Awesome and original movie from my province, seriously what were you expecting from me... I had a lot of respect for all the Canadian filmakers who make their films without the need of government subsidy (they are so rare in our money sucking entertainment industry) and who probably make a better profit because they take chances. But since this isn't a political forum, I'll review the film (but I could write pages about those money leeches)...

Like I've said the film theme is original, a serial killer who decides to redeem himself by killing a group of killers. Of course none of the actor are well known (very appreciated since we always see the same actor over and over here), but the principal character was familliar to me. Not as an actor but as a singer, it's Marco Calliari the first singer/guitarist of Anonymus (a pretty good alternative rock band from our province) and now doing a solo career in italian. I was surprise since he is a very good actor, not something that I can say for all the actors in the film but we had to understand that the movie was filmed in english and not in french. Talking of french, it was fun for one time to understand everything perfectly since no one talk with an accent. Of course this is only true for me, Sebastien and Eric

The special effect without being great are well done and are old school like I prefer them. The film doesn't have a boring second and it goes real fast. I like the score also that made me remember the good time when I was partying at l'Express (an alternative bar who doesn't exist anymore from my city).

Sometimes I'm proud to be a French Canadian and this film is one of those time      

Rating :

[Jimmy]

Title : Don't Answer the Phone! (1980)

Overview
A Vietnam veteran/photographer terrorizes Los Angeles by going around strangling young women in their homes while taunting psychologist Lindsay Gale by calling her radio call-in show to describe his misogynistic ways. Meanwhile, the police detectives are close behind the psycho hoping he'll slip up and make a mistake.

My Impression
Another personal favorite of mine, it's the movie I've bough the most often (five times : the original VHS released, the first dvd released by Rhino (the only dvd I've thrown in the garbage with all the violence and nudity cut), an uncut bootleg on dvd-r, the uncut version released by Deimos Entertainment and, finally, another uncut version in a 8 movies set). This is the kind of movie that doesn't had a lot of blood, in fact the mood of the film is created by the great performance of Nicholas Worth (who had sadly died not too long after the released of this dvd). No blood doesn't mean that this movie isn't violent, in fact I seriously doubt that you will appreciate it if you are a woman (all the victims are women and their killing is not really pleasant). Like I've said Nicholas Worth made this movie by his interpretation of the murderer (he can switch really fast to a good guy to a creepy guy to a complete psycho). It was also great to see James Westmoreland again in a first role (he is credited as Rad Fulton in The Undertaker and His Pals one of the first movie I've reviewed here). of course a lot of beautifull women appear also like Pamela Jean Bryant (Playboy Playmate of the month of april 78), Susanne Severeid, Denise Galik, ... Another note worthy cast member of this film is Chuck Mitchell, the name probably doesn't ring a bell for you but if I say that he had played Porky Wallace I'm sure that you know who he is.

Certainly not a bad film and a must in every film collection if you are a fan of crime horror film.

Rating :

[Najemikon]

Sometimes I'm proud to be a French Canadian and this film is one of those time      

Jimmy, have you heard about Pontypool? I heard Mark Kermode review it last week and it sounds interesting. Confused a few people here because Pontypool is a place in Wales, but anyway...

It's essentially a zombie movie, but infected, not undead. Victims catch the virus through words! Sounds bizarre, but apparently it works. There's an interesting sub-text about going on as well: you don't catch the virus if you speak French! Read into that what you will...

You might be able to download the podcast here actually if you fancy a listen (it's the second one down): http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/fivelive/kermode/rss.xml