Sonny Boy (1989)

3.5 / 5 Mar '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Robert Martin Carroll
Written by: Graeme Whifler, Peter Desberg
Actors include: David Carradine, Paul L. Smith, Brad Dourif
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller, Exploitation, Comedy
Length: 97 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This could be one of the weirdest movies I've ever seen. It's not particularly well shot, it feels very straight to video and with every minute it seems to get increasingly more bizarre. It's kinda like a mix of Bad Boy Bubby, Raising Arizona and Mad Max 2 only much cheaper and more mean spirited I suppose. The story is about a fat man named Slue who is sort of a mob syndicate for a backwards town (the whole thing is quite surreal in a way) and his lovely wife (?) Pearl (David Carradine in a dress with bad make-up...he would never pass). When they send their crime henchman the irritating Weasle (Brad Dourif) to do bad things he kills a couple and accidentally kidnaps their baby in their stolen car. The baby Pearl wants to keep as his/her own and they call him Sonny Boy. From there they abuse the heck out of the kid in every possible way (it's pretty nasty, they even cut out his tongue for his 6th birthday) and lock him away and feed him raw chickens and stuff. From there they decide he's a really good weapon so they start unleashing him to commit crimes for him. It sort of goes on from there in an insanely exploitative manner, but unfortunately it did feel like it went on for a little too long and it did try a little too hard to be weird. Still if you like films that make you not believe your own eyes this is a must see. Something tells me David Carradine would want to be remembered this way...

Availability:  Never been on DVD

Dead Calm (1989)

4 / 5 Jun '10
Tagline: A Voyage Into Fear
Directed by: Phillip Noyce
Written by: Charles Williams, Terry Hayes
Actors include: Sam Neill, Nicole Kidman, Billy Zane
Genre: Thriller
Length: 96 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I actually brought this over to my Folk's house to watch and they said they'd seen this at least 4 times and that it was amazing so how could I resist? For once I agree with them...okay well maybe I wouldn't watch this four times but it was a very exciting and thrilling flick. John (Sam Neill) and Rae (Nicole Kidman) are a couple who are trying to get their lives together while relaxing on a sailboat after a devastating car crash. Things are going amazing until Hughie (Billy Zane) turns up in a rowboat claiming that he is the lone survivor on his ship. He claimed that disease had killed all of the passengers aboard and that the ship was sinking and that he needed help. They take him aboard but something about his story doesn't seem to click with John (he's from the Navy I believe) so he goes to check out the ship he came from. From there it's all excitement pretty much and it's very tense as of course we find that Hughie isn't exactly what he claims to be. I liked that this plot did sort of edge on horror yet it also crams many exciting and frightening situations within. Very well done and should be the sort of thing that nearly anyone should enjoy.

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray

Cold Comfort (1989)

4 / 5
Tagline: It's not always safe to come in from the cold.
Directed by: Vic Sarin
Written by: Richard Beattie, James Garrard
Actors include: Maury Chaykin, Margaret Langrick, Paul Gross
Genre: Thriller, Drama
Length: 111 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I really love how unusual this film is...and it's rather uncommon, when I went to try to find a copy but everyone kept thinking I meant Cold Comfort Farm...sigh. Oh well, this is one lively Canadian picture, weird as all heck but a great cast and it's sheer strangeness make it a must see. The film is about a strange Father Daughter relationship between Floyd (Maury Chaykin) and Dolores. Floyd seems to erm be rather inappropriate with his Daughter and he clearly wants a piece of her. When Floyd comes across Stephen (Paul Gross) a stranded motorist in a ditch during a blizzard he is all to eager to dig him out. He brings him back to the house and gives him as a gift to his Daughter for her birthday. It's really very fascinating, I was very pleased that my friend Craig introduced me to this one because likely I'd have never come across it otherwise. One to keep your eyes out for, particularly if you like sleazy dramas, well worth the hunt.

Availability:  On VHS only unfortunately