Topic: DVD Profiler random marathon

[Jimmy]

I have use Tom idea for a marathon and let DVD Profiler decide what I'll watch for the next weeks. My rules for the selection was simple : everything except teleseries, recent blockbuster and adult movie.

This is the result :

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The Devil's rain
An American Haunting
El Rey
I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer
The Wicksboro Incident
House of Frankenstein
Hooked
Tormented
The Card Player
Cannibal Apocalypse
Psychomania (never watch)
Cannibal Ferox
Silent Night, Deadly night
Manos the Hands of Fate (not the MSTK version)
Hell of the Living Dead
The Molesters
Garden of the Dead
Maniac
Tombs of the Blind Dead
Killing Machine (never watch)
Looker

I'll start tonight with The Devil's rain

[Tom]

Wow, you managed to list only movies I have never seen and most not even heard about. 

[Jimmy]

The Devil's Rain



Years : 1975

Director : Robert Fuest

Stars :

Ernest Borgnine
Eddie Albert
William Shatner
Tom Skerritt

Synopsis :

The Preston family owns a book that originally belonged to Corbis, who is a priest of the Satan Church, 300 years ago. He will do everything in his power to recover this book of great importance for him and his cult.

Viewing experience:

There was a period in the 70's when everybody wanted to make a film about the devil (The Exorcist, The Antichrist, The Omen, Abby, etc.) with varying results. This film is in the medium budget category, so don't expect The Exorcist or The Omen. However this doesn't mean it is bad movie.

The film is quite short (86 minute). The story is fairly simple to follow and the concept of the quest of a priest of a satanic cult who wants to recover his stolen property is interesting. He is not necessarily the bad guy in my point of view and this is surprising. This film is a good discovery for someone who like this kind of movie genre (seventies drive in movie). A good blind buy that I've made because of the DVD release company and William Shatner. I don't regret it one minute.

Postive points :

Ernest Borgnine is perfectly cast in the role of Corbis.
William Shatner overact as usual (That's why I like him).
The melting effect are greatly done.
The ending is surprising

Negative points :

Eddie Albert casting as an occult expert (I think of Green Acres everytime he is on screen).
The Satan Priest Make-up of Corbis is really bad.

Rating : 3,5/5
Movie trailer link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCcf_GYnyqs

P.S : This is my first try so if you have some sugestion for amelioration don't hesitate

[Najemikon]

Anyone who can use "amelioration" in a post should get a point! 

[DJ Doena]

Anyone who can use "amelioration" in a post should get a point! 

Because I have to look in a dictionary?

Point awarded!

[Kathy]

Anyone who can use "amelioration" in a post should get a point! 

Because I have to look in a dictionary?

Point awarded!

I thought I was the only one who had to look it up.  point awarded!

[DJ Doena]

I thought I was the only one who had to look it up.  point awarded!

But I don't speak some obscure english dialect as mother tongue.

[Jimmy]

An American Haunting



Years : 2005

Director : Courtney Solomon

Stars :

Donald Sutherland
Sissy Spacek
James D'Arcy
Rachel Hurd-Wood

Synopsis :

The story takes place in the 19th century. John Bell in a trial is found guilty of having made a loan at usurious rates to acquire a portion of the land of Kathe Batts. She is not satisfied with the sentence and she curse the Bell family. Gradually an entity attacks Betsy Bell, the daughter of John Bell. The following is the struggle of the family to protect her and try to overcome the curse.

Viewing experience:

This is another film that I've bought without knowing anything about it, but the subject seemed interesting to me. I must say that I've enjoyed the film up to a certain point who unfortunately ruined the film for me. I think the fault lies with Solomon, who wrote the screenplay: the Bell Witch is a « true story », but the reason of why it's happen in the movie have nothing to do with nothing. For those who don't know Solomon the only other film he has done is Dungeons & Dragons (2000), not a great reference. I have not seen the unrated version (I own the PG-13 version), but I think that the PG version is corect to tell the story and this is not something that I say often.

Postive points :

- The two main players (Sutherland and Spacek) are worthy of their status in the role of both parents
- Rachel Hurd-Wood is one of the best young actress I have never seen
- The special effects during the attacks are grandiose
- The film is one of the best in this genre in the recent years.Certainly better than "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" who  came out the same year.

Negative points :

I'm very serious about the spoiler don't look at it if you want to see this movie

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The end : Everything happens because John Bell had sexually abused his daughter, nothing in the film conduct to this conclusion. This is a complete invention and serves only for one reason make a contreversy where there is absolutely no need.

Rating : 4/5

Movie trailer : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxcfXDBqpUQ
More about the Bell Witch : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bell_Witch

[Jimmy]

El Rey


Years : 2004

Country : Colombia

Director : José Antonio Dorado

Stars :

Fernando Solórzano
Cristina Umaña
Marlon Moreno
Olivier Pagès

Synopsis:

The story begins in 1966 in the Colombian city of Cali. This is the story of Pedro Rey, landlord of a miniscule bar who protects and assists various small criminal. His life takes a turn for the better when he met a Peace corp worker, and he will embark on the traffick of cocaine. He become increasingly rich and powerful; control the police and the justice. But he is too confident and this mistake could be fatal to him.

Viewing experience:

I've bought this movie without knowing it because one of my favorite movies is « Goodfellas » and I like the films about the criminal life in general. This movie is the romancing story of Jaime Caicedo, Colombia's largely unknown first cocaine drug lord (I would have loved to let a historic link about him, but my search didn't arrive at something substantial). I've enjoyed the film, despite the limitations  imposed on me because of my language (the film is in Spanish with English subtitles). Even if it's a crime movie the violence are not ultra present, there are also a large part of the film that deals with the couple formed Blanca and Pedro Rey.

Postive points :

The story is well constructs and makes sense from the beginning to the end
The re-enactment of the seventies is well done
The soundtrack is filled with Latin music
No extreme violence when there are violence this is justify

Negative points:

The language barrier (the emotions are lost when we had to read everything)

Rating : 4/5

Movie trailer : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMitNYo0D3c

[Jimmy]

I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer



Disclaimer

I didn't want to take movie sequel in my marathon, but one is slip on the list and I will do it anyway. For those who ignore this film is the 3rd in a series who began in 1997 with "I know what you did last summer", as the film has been a success a sequel was made the next year (I still know what you did last summer). This sequel was poor and ridiculous and it was a failure. Eight years later a second sequel  was release directly on DVD.

Years : 2006

Director : Sylvain White

Stars :

Brooke Nevin
David Paetkau
Torrey DeVitto
Ben Easter

Synopsis :

If you have seen the first film you almost know the story, but let's go anyway. On July 4, a group of young make a bad joke at the city fair by simulating an attack by the Fisher Man. The joke turns against them when one of the pranksters is kill. They later make a pact to remain silent on the truth about the accident. A year later, a member of the pact receives the message that someone knows what happened. Who is after them? Who will survive?

Viewing experience :

I will be fast with this part. The experience was painful, one of the worst films that I own (the worst is Return of the living dead 5). Is it really one person who really wanted a sequel to "I still know what you did summer»? Why I spent $ 20 for that? And a lot of other existential questions have passed trough my head during those 90 minutes.

Positive points:

At least the picture looks better than the one I filmed with my camera 15 years ago

 Negative points:

- The cast is compose of nobody having only small TV appearances to their credits
- I hate the MTV editing
- A lot of illogical situations more than the norm in the horror film. For example the lead actress receives a text message on her cell phone, she shows it to somebody who is on a platform about twenty feet tall and wearing a welding helmet and he had no difficulty to read it on the screen. The first to die have is neck cut by a hook () and his friends think it is a suicide, wake up there is a killer who wants to make you pay for the last summer event.
- The only way to make the viewer jumping is the music (almost positive since I have fallen asleep)
- In the first two movie there is a logical (for this type of film) reason for the actions of the killer. Not on this one
- The killer is

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the zombie Ben Willis. It has nothing to do with the accident, why he wants to get a revenge on the teenagers?

Rating : 1/5 (I'm generous, watching the nightime infopublicity is more rewarding)
Movie trailer (if you really care) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NwP8MFZqlk

[Najemikon]

Sounds rough! One for Ebay?

[Jimmy]

Sounds rough! One for Ebay?

No I never sell any of my DVD. We never know maybe in ten years I will find it better (I really doubt it).

[Najemikon]

I find that fascinating. I know a lot do it, but I become insulted by bad DVDs. They sit on my shelf and laugh at me because they're stopping me putting something more worthy there!

Search for Najemikon on www.ebay.co.uk and you'll even find... Criterion editions...    "He never has!"

I hasten to add, the titles on sale are not "bad". In most cases they are beyond excellent. I just know I have no desire to watch them again and the proceeds go towards new titles.

So c'mon people! Roll up, roll up! One day or so left; I ship worldwide and have a 331 100% feedback; I'd do you a good deal, but I'm cutting my own throat as it is (gerrem while they're hot!) 

edit: proper link  http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/najemikon

[Jimmy]

The Wicksboro incident



Years : 2001

Director : Richard Lowry

Stars :

Bobby Harwell
Dan Brinkle
Kyle Nudo

Synopsis :

An old man (Lloyd) meets 2 filmmakers and he have an incredible story to tell them about an event who happens 45 years before. This event is the complete disparition of the entire population of the Texas states town of Wicksboro. They will go on a hunt to discover the truth about this and they will find more that they will hope for.

Viewing experience :

This movie is presented as a real documentary (think Blair Witch and you have a good idea). The idea is not something new, but at first it works. The actor who play Lloyd is credible when he told his story even if his story is a « conspiracy nuts wet dream ». The problem with the movie start when they find the old town and the truth. Untill than the story was interesting, but after that the 3 protagonists are chase and the documentary is hard to follow and to view. Since I'm a fan of The Invaders and The X-Files I'm not completly deceive by this film the concept is good. The movie could have been better if it was not made as a documentary, but as real movie.

One last thing : I have to say that I am not happy with the DVD of this movie, all the extras (commentary, outtakes and deleted scenes) are missing in action.

Rating 3/5
Sorry no trailer for this one

[Jimmy]

House of Frankenstein



Years : 1944

Director : Erle C. Kenton

Stars :

Boris Karloff
Lon Chaney Jr.
John Carradine

Synopsis :

The Doctor Nieman and the hunchback Daniel escape from prison and Nieman go on a search for the writing text of the Dr. Frankenstein. On their way they bring Dracula, the Wolf Man and the Frankenstein monster back to live.

Viewing experience :

In this movie Universal bring a lot of their monster stars to contribute for what to promise to be a great monter flick. The cast is the usual Universual players (Karloff, Chaney, Carradine, Atwill, Zucco, ...) and the effect (Dracula and The Wolf Man transformation particullary) are well done for the time. Sadly the movie don't keep its promises, nothing really happen and if you watch this movie for the Frankenstein monster you will be deceive. He is not the focus of the movie at all.

The only way that I will advise to get this one is with the « Frankenstein Legacy Collection ».

Rating : 2,5/5

Movie Trailer : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnFu4njuoew