Suspiria

Tuesday evening was spent with my good friend and fellow film afficionado Mike McKenzie at the GFT in Glasgow watching Dario Argento's "Suspiria" with a surprisingly good audience in tow! Although at times a scratchy looking print and with some of the violence trimmed, it was a fun experience watching a classic film in the cinema with like-minded fans! Hopefully a precursor to the forthcoming "Weekend of Italian Terror", with hopefully another good attendance! Remember go buy tickets! Like now!

Weekend of Italian Terror: Tickets are Go!

As per my previous post, tickets for this fabulous weekend of great Italian horror classics and special guests, Mr Bava and Mr Deodato, are now on sale over at the GFT. So show your support for events like these and get yourself up (or down) to Glasgow for the weekend! Plus you might get to see yours truly translate some of your questions for our special Italian guests!

Edinburgh Zombie Club!

Just heard about this from some Edinburgh based cult movie friends that the Edinburgh Zombie Club will be meeting as usual at the Brass Monkey pub in Edinburgh next wednesday the 27th May with this months movies being Abel Ferrara's "Ms.45" and Frank Henelotters "Basket Case". Everyone is welcome to come along an enjoy the fun! For more info go to their MySpace. Think I'll head along and see what I've been missing!

Bava and Deodato coming to Glasgow!

Now, how exciting is this! Ruggero Deodato and Lamberto Bava are both coming to Glasgow, more specifically to the Glasgow Film Theatre to introduce "Weekend of Italian Terror" on June 27th and 28th. In association with Arrow Video who are releasing their new "Masters of Giallo" collection, both legendary directors will be in town to do intros and a Q&A after screenings of Deodato's "Cut and Run" and Bava's "Macabre". Hopefully I can score a little interview with them as well, more on this to come!

June 27th - "House by the Cemetary" 9pm
June 28th - "Cut and Run" 5.30pm followed by "Macabre" at 8pm

More info and tickets - Glasgow Film Theatre

Source: Fangoria

Big Trouble on Blu-Ray

Coming soon to Blu-Ray, well August 4th to be exact....my geekness has gone into overload!!

Week 5 - Contributions

"What has been your best experience watching a genre/horror/cult classic in a movie theatre that otherwise you'd perhaps only seen on VHS or DVD?"

Erin

I saw Blue Velvet as a college assignment freshman year (1992) at the student union theater. It was supposed to be shocking us out of our conservative mindsets, creating new Weltaunshaungs, ways of seeing, blah blah blah. I loved being the only kid who had already seen it, probably 10 times or more by then, and watching everyone else get offended while I laughed at some of Frank's more outrageous statements. Fun to make the snotty professors (there were two of them) realize that all of us weren't bumpkins to whom they were bringing fire for the first time. My parents always let me watch whatever I wanted, so I didn't realize I was supposed to have been offended; it was just an awesome movie!

Kim (Cinebeats)

Seeing Argento's Suspiria in Berkeley sometime in the mid '90s was a pretty memorable experience because I just loved seeing it on a big screen, but the print wasn't that good and the audience was annoying. Another great experience for me was seeing the classic Jacques Tourneur film Night of the Demon. The print was terrific and there was practically no one in the audience but myself and the few friends who came with me. Everyone should experience Tourneur and Argento in a theatre.

Holger Haase (Hammer and Beyond)

The films didn't matter, but the company did so I have to say the fun filled weekend in Baltimore that I spent with the Eurotrash Paradise folks a few years ago (3?) in Baltimore.

Kingmob (Dear Bastards)

Bearing in mind that I live in a rather small town, exciting theatrical experiences are few and far between, but one in particular does stick out. I recall attending a midnight screening of Heavy Metal that was a lot of fun, as the crowd was composed of a nice cross section of fans, some who had been waiting to see the film again in a theater for a good long time, others who had seen it on its initial run in the early 80's; it was a great experience. I honestly can't recall the circumstances of the theatrical showing, perhaps in anticipation of the VHS release of the film? This would've been in the late 90's when it happened. It was a fun film to catch on the big screen, with an audience that was there to enjoy themselves.

Matthew (Double O Section)

Seeing The Wicker Man in a packed house at Los Angeles' Egyptian Theatre, I remember being awed that the movie was so unsettling, put people under such a spell, that there was Christopher Lee in a dress and a wig leading a crazy procession and no one was laughing! They were all too entranced or too creeped out. That's the power of cinema in action!

Ian Price

When in my youth I'd often sneak
Into a flea pit there to seek
A fantasy of creepy thrills
Designed to give the punter thrills.
Bela, Boris, Chaney all
Were welcome friends in the front stall
But as time flew - as needs it must
I found myself desiring just
A change of pace - a hint of colouTo satisfy my love of horror
And so it was, I must relate
I saw an X certificate.
Lee and Cushing made a mark
As I sat gibbering in the dark
Whilst watching with a rictus grin
My eyes devouring every sin.
Excired to a nervous stammer
I realised I'd witnessed Hammer.

And nothing was ever the same again.

Keith Brown (Giallo Fever)

Seeing the Grindhouse releasing print of The Beyond, complete with the trailer reel for Massacre Mafia Style, Cannibal Ferox and so on at Dead by Dawn horror film festival many years back.

RIP: Captain Chaos

Sad news reaches DVD Trash that Dom DeLuise, who will forever be Captain Chaos to me from the Cannonball Run movies that I made my Grandpa rent from the video shop every weekend, has sadly passed away!

Anyway enjoy some Captain Chaos and Kato! Daaannn, Daaaannn, Daaaannnnn!

Week 5 - The Roundtable

Following on from my post about watching Zombi in a movie theatre, this weeks Roundtable question is simply as follows:

"What has been your best experience watching a genre/horror/cult classic in a movie theatre that otherwise you'd perhaps only seen on VHS or DVD?"

Zombi Q & A

I very much enjoyed a screening of Lucio Fulci's Zombi at the Glasgow Film Theatre last night, with the added bonus of the star, Ian McCullough introducing the film and then doing a little Q & A afterwards! One snippet of nice info was that while he was over in the US doing the Chiller Convention, he was told that Zombi would be heading to Blu-Ray very soon!

Week 4 - Roundtable Contributions

Thanks as always guys, much appreciated. Week 5 might be up a little later than usual as it is my brothers stag weekend coming up at Loch Lomond, so I might need some recovery time.....

Joshua Lew (Cinema Cafe Podcast)

This one’s easy. Hands down without a doubt the greatest horror/genre movie icon is...Pumpkinhead, or maybe it's the movie villains with my favorite tagline, Rats: Hide the Cheese. In all seriousness though my favorite horror icon has always been Michael Myers. Sure most of the Halloween films are pretty terrible, but the ones that are good are great. So yeah, my vote goes to the man who wears the inside out William Shatner mask.

Kim Lindbergs (Cinebeats)

I really love super kriminals like Diabolik, Sadistik and the female Satanik. They're very iconic and represent a lot of what I love about Euro trash cinema!

Michael McKenzie (Land of Whimsy)

For me it's going to have to be the quintessential black-gloved killer who terrorised many an Edwige Fenech and Nieves Navarro in the scores of giallo movies produced in Italy in the late 60s and early 70s. I know that strictly speaking that isn't a conventional "killer icon" in the Freddy Krueger or Michael Myers tradition, since there were as many individual giallo killers as there were gialli, but I think it says something about the image of the unidentified killer dressed completely in black, often with a matching fedora, that it reappeared in so many films and even had an influence outside the genre. Think of the killer in David Fincher's SE7EN, for example, in the scene where Brad Pitt chases him through the rain-drenched alleyways of New York. Who is is he if not the iconic giallo killer reborn for a new generation?

Holger Haase (Hammer and Beyond)

Clearly Dr Fu Manchu in all its incarnations. I love the original books (at least the ones I have read so far) and I follow the good Doctor along in all his appearances whether it is on film, on radion or in comics (Master of Kung Fu). You just can't keep a bad guy down. Where's my elixir of life when I need it?

KingMob (Dear Bastards)

Of the Modern Era of horror films, I would honestly have to go with Leatherface, in spite of all the cross-dressing nonsense in TCM: The Next Generation, and other variations that the character has gone through in the remakes. The Leatherface of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a chilling creation, a leather-aproned psycho who could be lurking in any creepy old house you stumble onto in a remote area, ready to lay you out with a hammer to the head and string you up for meat.

Douglas Waltz (Divine Exploitation)

Okay, if I understand your question, you want me to not choose from the Universal classics or the slasher icons from the 80's and 90's. If that is correct, are there any true horror icons that stand up to the reputations of any of these characters? I mean, there is Jigsaw. I imagine he would count. But, one character that has been in multiple films like all these iconic characters that stands out?
I'm going to have to go with the answer that horror hasn't recently cultivated any character that deserves the same sort of respect that the aforementioned icons receive.
My answer is that I do not have one.

Ian Price

Bruce Campbell as Ash in EDI, EDII and Army of Darkness.
Tim Thomerson as Jack Deth in Trancers.

Keith Brown (Giallo Fever)

Beyond Jigsaw from the Saw franchise – none of which I've seen, so can't comment on – I'm not too sure who's left to choose from.

Damien from the Omen films, Regan from Exorcist and Exorcist II, the Sawyers from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre films and Hannibal Lektor are all recurring and or iconic characters, but might also be too mainstream to count as alternative.

Many of the other figure that come to mind are either one-offs or representatives of a type, like the zombie, the werewolf, Barbara Steele's dualistic monster-victims, and the black-gloved faceless killer.

A couple of figures that do come to mind beyond this are Dr Freudstein in Fulci's The House by the Cemetery and The Red Queen in Edouardo Mulargia's The Red Queen Kills Seven Times, both of whom I think have an interesting look and back-story / mythology.

Another, in a more reality-horror / arthouse than genre direction is Philippe Nahon's Butcher in Gaspar Noe's Carne, Seul contre tour and Irreversible.

Ghostbusters - The Video Game

Opening cinematic from the upcoming game - in stores June 16th, Enjoy!



Who ya gonna call?

The Roundtable: Week 4

"Outwith the classics: Dracula, Frankenstein and so on and outwith the modern icons: Freddy, Michael and Jason, who is your favourite or alternative Horror/Genre movie icon?"

Once again by email or comment get your replies to me by Wed/Thurs, thanks!

G.I. Joe: Resolute Update

He, if you are desperate to check out how the new GI Joe's are getting on vs. Cobra then go HERE and enjoy the action on Youtube or remember for US readers the whole 1 hour movie debuts tomorrow on Adult Swim at 9pm! Yo Joe!

The Roundtable: Week 3 - Contributions

Keith Brown (Giallo Fever)

I really can’t remember.

When I was a kid there were a lot of things that would freak me out, so I’m actually kind of glad that my parents would never let me watch any of the video nasties – the boxes for many of them were enough for me at that time.

In more recent years, since I got a DVD player and started buying, swapping and more recently downloading various genre movies I never dreamt of seeing when I first read about them, I would say I’ve become ever harder to shock.
I’d say that there are two things here.
First, in terms of images that shock me, which I find conceptually distasteful or which provoke me into wondering exactly why I’m watching them.
Second, images that make me actually close my eyes or switch a film off.

I wouldn’t say I have had any experience of the latter sort for a long time with genre movies – I would probably have to go for something like Brakhage’s Act of Seeing with One’s Own Eyes or an instructional video on basic autopsy procedure for that.

As far as the former is concerned, then I find that any Cannibal Holocaust, The Last House on Dead End Street, Farewell Uncle Tom, Forced Entry, The Defiance of Good, In a Glass Cage and Aftermath still have the capacity to shock on a repeat viewing, though as I said this is often more about the ideas and facts behind them.

One other thing I find here is how this affects my watching films with other people. While I’ve shown the more fantastical likes of Zombie and The Beyond to friends in my wider circle, I’ve tended to be wary of showing anything with a more realist slant or whose attitudes and approach are less PC. I’d be interested to hear of other people’s experiences in this regard.

Ian Price

30 Days of Night!

Matthew Bradford (Double O Section)

Just this weekend I had to shield my eyes during a scene in Crank: High Voltage in which a henchman has to slice off his own nipples to appease his sadistic gang boss. I was laughing and cringing at the same time. It's a gross scene, and nipple violence in general creeps me out. But the movie is a Grand Guignol comedy of inappropriateness, and all of the ultra-violence is skilfully played for laughs. It's either a work of inexplicable genius or the end of society as we know it. In either case, it's exactly what grind houses were made for, so it's sort of a shame we have to pay twelve bucks to see it in a cushy mall theatre. Doesn't quite feel right.

Michael McKenzie (Land of Whimsy)

Well, Pierce Brosnan singing in MAMMA MIA! recently made me cover my EARS, but unfortunately it doesn't count as a genre movie or an instance of me covering my eyes, so it looks like I'll have to go back a bit further. It's a toughie, but I'm going to have to go with Simon Callow whipping out a large prosthetic cock and showering the attendees of a lecture at the University of Cambridge with urine in CHEMICAL WEDDING, a rather badly made but strangely entertaining low budget British horror movie from 2008.

Douglas Waltz (Divine Exploitation)

I was watching Doris Wishman's LET ME DIE A WOMAN and they have some actual sex scene surgery in there. Yeesh! I had to cover my eyes or there was going to be some hurling. As it was I felt a little light headed afterward.
Bleah!

Holger Haase (Hammer and Beyond)

Must admit I am pretty thick skinned when it comes to being shocked by films. There are very few movies out there that as a whole shock the beejaysus out of me. To be shocked and shattered by an entire movie I’d have to go a few years back when I watched IRREVERSIBLE theatrically.

There are, however, always certain moments in films that can haunt me.
And for a shocking moment I just need to go back to last week when I watched Hammer’s STRAIGHT ON TILL MORNING. I gotta admit that I found the killing of the dog, though not visually graphic as such, pretty unsettling.

Louis Fowler (Damaged 2.0)

Recently, it was Grindhouse Releasing's reissue of Lucio Fulci's THE BEYOND. I forgot just how hopeless and spiritually brutal that movie really is. Its questions about the realities of a literal Hell really bothered me for days. I actually wrote a review based on these ideas for the website Bloody Good Horror -- HERE

Kim Lindbergs (Cinebeats)

Even though I watched it on cable TV (pay per view) I have to mention the great Belgium horror film Left Bank (aka Linkeroever; 2008). It's rare that I get surprised by a horror film and Linkeroever had some really startling scenes that brought to mind Polanski's The Tenant and Rosemary's Baby as well as the original Wicker Man. Linkeroever is a terrific film and I can't recommend it enough, but the ending will undoubtedly leave a lot of people scratching their heads. It's not availalable on DVD yet, but hopefully it will be soon. I do want to add that it's easily one of the best films of 2008 and I'm surprised it was ignored by critics since I personally think it's as good as Let the Right One In.

KingMob (BigSuckLoser)

The last film that I found truly unsettling or shocking would have to be Inside from directors Alexandre Bustillos and Julien Maury. I have a feeling that this film will be replaced later this month when Martyrs finally hits DVD in the States, but for now I'll stick with this one as the most shocking thing I’ve seen in recent years.

Inside makes great use of music, the unsettling drone of discordant noise had my teeth on edge without me even realizing it, and the visuals of everything you never want to see happen to a pregnant woman actually happening really unnerved me.

Erin

I can watch any old eyeball popping, intestine vomiting, bat full of nails to the head thing, but recently the 1979 Australian movie Thirst made me feel somewhat woozy because it featured so many scenes of human "cows" having their blood harvested and put in cartons for vampires to drink.

I also feel sick when I watch reaction videos to 2 Girls 1 Cup and the person watching is visibly trying not to puke.

Joshua Lew (Cinema Cafe Podcast)

For the horror genre I can't remember. The only one that comes to mind is Let The Right One In, but I saw that at the theatre, so it doesn't fit for the question. Maybe Visitor Q. I would say Salo, but I was just horrified rather than enjoy myself. Crank 2 is a genre bending film that I can see a lot of people hating but I loved it. But for dvd/blu-ray, I will have to go with the martial arts genre of films and choose the Thai film Chocolate. It basically has a young girl kicking all kinds of ass in with different forms of martial arts techniques. Weak plot but great action. Love that film.

The Roundtable: Week 3

Right, another week another roundtable, once again Wednesday/Thursday for your contributions via email or comments!

"What was the last genre movie, either recent or an oldie that you have caught on DVD/Blu-Ray, to actually shock you and make you cover your eyes for good reasons, not because the film was actually bad?"

Italian Film Festival - Glasgow

Anyone interested in Italian Cinema, should note that the Italian Film Festival begins tomorrow April 17th and runs until May 27th with many interesting and involving movies being shown around the country so check out your local arty cinema and see whats on! Being from the "Boot" (© Tony Soprano) myself, I thought I'd recommend a few to check out!

19th April - GFT@3.30pm

Wild Blood, directed by Marco Tullio Giordano and Starring Monica Bellucci and Luca Zingaretti

"Wild Blood has been a labour of love for writer/director Marco Tullio Giordana (The Best Of Youth) who brings a fresh eye to bear on the passion and politics of a true life tale from the fascist era."

24th April - GFT@6.30pm

The Girl by the Lake, directed by Andrea Molaioli and Starring Toni Cervillo (Gomorrah)

"One of the finest Italian debut features in recent years, Andrea Molaioli’s The Girl by the Lake is a tense, satisfying murder mystery with a powerful central performance from Toni (The Consequences Of Love, Il Divo) Servillo that won him the Davide di Donatello prize for Best Actor and the Pasinetti Best Actor prize at Venice."

29th April - GFT@6.00pm

Her Whole Life Ahead, directed by Paolo Virzi and starring Sabrina Ferrilli and Micael Ramazzotti

"Hands down one of the best Italian comedies in recent years"

Variety

Also remember that as part of the Alida Valli season, Dario Argento's Suspiria will be shown on the 26th and 27th of May at the Glasgow Film Theatre! One not to miss!

The Roundtable: Week 2 Contributions

Apologies if the topic was a little narrow this week, but Edwige and Brigitte are Eurodivas that deserve some discussion and merit. It was also interesting to note that Fenech's Giallo's are the main favourites for most, while I really dig her Eurosex comedy output with the "Insegnante" series and "Grazie, Nonna" (Lover Boy) in particular standing out!

Kim Lindbergs (Cinebeats)

This is a tough question because both ladies have appeared in some terrific films, but I'll go with Edwige in The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh (Sergio Martino; 1971) because it's just an incredible sexy movie with two of my favorite giallo regulars (George Hilton and Ivan Rassimov) and I'm going with Brigitte in Faceless (Jess Franco; 1987) because it also stars the fabulous Helmut Berger. As much as I like watching these ladies in just about anything, I especially enjoy seeing them teamed up with some of my favorite male actors.

KingMob (Dear Bastards)

Okay, I hope this admission doesn't get me drummed out of the club here, but I have to be honest and say that I don't think I've ever seen a film that starred Brigitte Lahaie, save for Calvaire, which I don't particularly recall her from. I'll be using this week’s results to compile a shopping list to see what I've been missing out on.

Edwige Fenech on the other hand, I've been going back and forth on this decision for a few days on this one, and I think I'd have to say Strip Nude For Your Killer. It may not be the best movie she's in, but I love her little bobbed hairstyle in this one, and I recall digging it when I watched it for all the sleazy elements on display.

Joshua Lew (Cinema Cafe Podcast)

Now this is a tough one. If I was stuck on a desert island, a great dream would be if I had the Weird Science equipment and some old magazine spreads of Fenech and Lahaie, but perhaps that's why such things are called dreams. For Edwige Fenech I would bring "The Case of your Bloody Iris" because I find that film the most entertaining of her work, or "5 Dolls for August Moon" because in my opinion that's where she's her most lovely. For Brigitte Lahaie, I have not seen many of her films nor of her early pornographic work so I can't attest to them, but the one I remember and enjoy is the Grapes of Death, a great zombie film with a great director (although admittedly the word great when used to reference Jean Rollin is debatable).

Kit Nygaard-Gavin

Edwige: Without a doubt the best films on Edwige's CV are the gialli she made in the 1970's. For sheer thriller quality the gialli she made for Sergio Martino are the best and indeed amongst the best in the whole genre. The guilty pleasure side of me however also professes to have a soft spot for FIVE DOLLS FOR AN AUGUST MOON. Not only is Edwige very cute, coupled with the wonderful Hammond organ score, but also it has all the qualities of a Bava film with its vibrant colors and mood. However if I had to choose a film it would be ALL YOUR VICES ARE A LOCKED ROOM - not least because it has Edwige but also due the presence of Anita Strindberg (despite the horrid wig) and also Luigi Pisitilli, Ivan Rassimov, and a pretty decent storyline and an interesting mystery to solve.

Brigitte Lahaie is less easy to categorise as most of her films are Rollin, porno, or both. Part of me would say FACELESS for the memories, not so much the presence of Brigitte, but of a weekend spent in south of Spain with its director speaking about his life, career, movies in a sort of Franglais that only Jess seems to speak in. Also, even though they are clumsy inserts, I have a soft spot for D'Amato's EMANUELLE AND FRANCOISE - but unfortunately the inserts with Mlle. Lahaie were not part of the original film and they actually sort of ruin it. For Brigitte quality, therefore I would go for THE GRAPES OF DEATH - which is one of my favourite Rollin films, together with Brigitte looking at her most attractive. Plus a decent interesting story line helps...

Mike Den Boer (10k Bullets)

“Since we can’t take either of the ladies with us to the desert island. My Edwige Fenech film would be La Pretora and my Brigitte Lahaie film would be La Maison des Phantasmes.”

Douglas Waltz (Divine Exploitation)

For Edwige I would pick The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh. Lahaie; anything that she's young in that is porn will suffice nicely.

Keith Brown (Giallo Fever)

I’ll start with the easier one, at least for me.

I haven’t watched much Lahaie beyond her work with Jean Rollin. From that it would have to be Fascination. Her naked form, wrapped in a cloak and wielding a scythe is one of iconic Euro-cult images. Beyond that I really like the period setting of the film, the way it feels like a contemporary take on Louis Feuillade.

I have watched a lot of Fenech by comparison and gradually come to appreciate her abilities as a comedian and actress over and above her tits and scream roles, fun though they may be.

Two films come to mind: Confessions of a Call Girl and Delitti Privati.

If I’m allowed the latter, as a TV series, I’d take it on account of featuring a more mature; yet still beautiful Fenech, taking risks with her star image over the course of six hours of material (i.e. more of her).

If not, then Confessions, as an early indicator that she was working at her craft; as its directed by Anthony Ascott / Giuliano Carnimeo it also works as a nice contrast to The Case of the Bloody Iris from a year or two earlier, being a more inspirational / less trashy entry.

Holger Haase (Hammer and Beyond)

Edwige Fenech: Definitely not any of her comedies. Yes, she looks great in them, but the films themselves are grating. I guess it would have to be STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER for that outrageous but fun final scene alone. As the saying goes: They just don't them like this anymore.

Brigitte Lahaie: FACELESS cause it as a) a genuinely great film, b) she is absolutely fab in it and - shame on me- c) it is the only one of her films that I have actually ever watched.

Michael McKenzie (Land of Whimsy)

"Golly, that's a tough one. I'm going to be slightly sneaky and select Sergio Martino's ALL THE COLOURS OF THE DARK for Edwige, purely because it also features Nieves Navarro/Susan Scott, who believe it or not I have always found vastly preferable to Ms. Fenech. As a rule, I tend not to be a huge fan of the "trashier" gialli, preferring the loftier aspirations of an Argento or Lado or indeed an early Fulci (who seemed to manage to combine elements of both trash and art in his films), but ALL THE COLOURS OF THE DARK is just weird and trippy enough for me to make an exception. In many ways it's the quintessential Edwige Fenech giallo, in that she seems to spend the entire film shrieking, fainting and on the brink of hysteria, but on the other hand I challenge anyone to name another film whose tone and atmosphere are anything like it.

As for Brigitte Lahaie, I must confess that, while I know exactly who she is, I spent a long time racking my brain for any films of hers that I'd actually seen, and ended up drawing a blank, even after reading through her entire filmography on IMDB. How sheltered am I?"