Strait-Jacket (1964)

4 / 5   Nov '09
Tagline: HER HUSBAND...HER ROOM... ......AND ANOTHER WOMAN
Directed by: William Castle
Written by: Robert Bloch
Actors include: Joan Crawford, Diane Baker, Leif Erickson
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Length: 93 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Castle has done it again, another amusingly dark black comedy/horror picture only this time his gimmick was having a star...actress Joan Crawford. She does a stunning job as Lucy, who gave her Husband 40 wacks and when she saw what she had done she gave his Girlfriend 41! Or so I think that's how I remember it..., at any rate Lucy does kill her hubby and girlfriend with an axe in front of their 3 year old daughter (who looks way older than 3). She ends up in an Asylum for 20 years and we catch up with her as she's released. Lucy moves in with her Daughter, Brother and his Wife to try to adjust to life as a sane person. Her Daughter has a nice young Lad she wishes to marry and needs her Mom to be sane so his Parents will approve. Lucy seems to be having some coping skills (especially as people seem to humourously be using axes and knives around her repeatedly) but could she be responsible for several people's disappearances? It's pretty gosh darned entertaining and it definitely has that good old Castle vibe with the wit and sets and everything. The ending does beat you a little over the head with obvious information...it left me feeling like they thought I either didn't watch the movie or I was entirely a Moron. I guess to that point the story is clear...very very clear! Still quite a nice little gem that actually goes a little further than I thought it might but I think that's what makes it so gosh darned charming.

Availabilty:  On DVD

Le Boucher (1970)

4 / 5 Dec '09
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Claude Chabrol
Written by: Claude Chambrol
Actors include: Stephane Audran, Jean Yanne, Antonio Passalia
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Length: 93 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
A deceptively simple little thriller that is elegant, artful and a real treat to watch. Our story is based around the blossoming relationship between a lovely teacher and butcher. As they are getting to know one another their small town is being gripped by the horrible news of Jack The Ripper style slayings in their area. It truly is quite beautiful, the scenery the care in which the film was shot, it does all add up to be really thoughtful and interesting. Although much of the film does focus on getting to know our characters it certainly doesn't feel like it's dull in any way, just rich and full of wonderful acting. If you step into this one thinking you are to watch a brutal horror film walk away, but if you are in the mood to watch something refreshing and simple then I'd highly recommend this. Honestly because I'd heard it hyped as a French Art film, I was leery of it but I think this is one that could be enjoyed by most anyone really.

Availabilty:  On DVD

Fear (1990)

3 / 5 Apr '10
Tagline: Your First Impulse Your Last Sensation
Directed by: Rockne S. O'Bannon
Written by: Rockne S. O'Bannon
Actors include: Ally Sheedy, Lauren Hutton, Michael O'Keefe
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Length: 90 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Well it's worth noting that this is one of the first of '90s thrillers involving a serial killer and psychic powers. Actually the plot although silly in a way is probably one of the best parts of this one. I was surprised at how poor the acting was in this, I expected more from Ally Sheedy! She plays Cayce a psychic who helps solve murder cases which has treated her quite well, only her new case is a challenge. See the killer she's trying to help nab just happens to also have psychic abilities (see what I mean by silly) and is trying to out do her by going after people in her life and controlling her. He uses his psychic abilities to find out what scares the person the most and tries to incorporate that into his means of attack which is kind of cool. Although it had the potential to be frightening, thrilling or even intense it never really went there. It was more Cayce freaking out in various settings while her visions took over. It's not really horrific enough to be considered a horror film, nor is it bloody nor do we see a heck of a lot really. Still some good ideas were here and I easily made it to the end of the film, it just wasn't as exciting as it should have been.

Availability:  On DVD as part of 2fer with Parents

Amsterdamned (1988)

4 / 5 May '10
Tagline: The city is murder
Directed by: Dick Maas
Written by: Dick Maas
Actors include: Huub Stapel, Monique van de Ven, Serge-Henri Valcke
Genre: Thriller, Horror, Action
Length: 114 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Ever since I heard the name of this film when I was a little girl I've wanted to see it...how could you not? Luckily it was as good as it's name, I found this to be a rather original and scenic thriller film thanks to dutch director Dick Maas (De lift [The Lift]). It's very cool that it was shot in the canals of Amsterdamned, it has an exciting speed boat chase, gruesome murders and intrigue! The idea is that there is a serial killer who is into diving and he lurks in the canals springing up at any time to collect his next victim. It's in the style of a who-dunnit, almost like a giallo film which is pretty neat. We follow around a Police Officer and his daughter as they try to figure out who the killer is and of course prevent the next victim from being claimed. This really does have a bit of everything, it's got a sense of humor even...they really made this an interesting little film that should appeal to most.

Availability:  On DVD (region 2 though)

In The Line Of Fire (1993)

4 / 5 Jun '10
Tagline: An assassin on the loose. A president in danger. Only one man stands between them...
Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen
Written by: Jeff MacGuire
Actors include: Clint Eastwood, Rene Russo, John Malkovich
Genre: Thriller, Action, Drama
Length: 128 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Although this does offer a ton of action packed excitement and some violence, it's not as awesome as it could have been. See it really didn't need to go over 2 hours in length and the romance thrown in seemed just that. Clint Eastwood plays secret service agent Frank Horrington who lives with regret because he didn't jump in front of the bullet that killed JFK but he could have. Now he's much older of course and despite everyone telling him to retire he's determined to help catch a killer who taunts him. The killer (John Malkovich) is rather cunning, a great shot and also is completely insane. The killer and Frank play cat and mouse for most of the movie until of course an exciting showdown involving rooftop jumping occurs. Frank of course has to battle the force and deal with hunches and adversity blah blah blah. It's honestly pretty fun and quite high budget, but trying to make it so "Hollywood" and throwing in that romantic junk with fellow agent Rene Russo was irritating. Definitely still worth watching, the good parts are high octane, and Eastwood is still really fun to watch, it just could have been so much more.

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray

Body Puzzle (1992)

2.5 / 5 Jun '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Lamberto Bava
Written by: Lamberto Bava
Actors include: Joanna Pacula, Tomas Arana, François Montagut
Genre: Horror, Giallo, Mystery, Thriller
Length: 95 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Well, I am typically a fan of Lamberto Bava but this wasn't nearly as good as I'd have expected. It did manage to have some nice scenes of gore and dismembered body parts if that be your thing. The story is rather dull (even though it's going to sound exciting). It's about a serial killer who removes parts from his victims (who is known to us right off the bat) sends them to a Woman. The Police scramble to solve the mystery, although it's no mystery to us making it feel pretty boring. It's very dry and wooden feeling, nothing special whatsoever. Although perhaps this would qualify as a giallo it probably wouldn't satisfy genre fans. I've definitely seen worse and cheaper, but I actually saw this when it first came out but totally forgot I ever watched it. That's not a good sign, and odds are within a year I'll forget again. Oh well, Lamberto's weakest still has a few decent qualities I guess.

Availability:  On DVD

Cruising (1980)

4 / 5 July '10
Tagline: Al Pacino is Cruising for a killer.
Directed by: William Friedkin
Written by: William Friedkin, Gerald Walker
Actors include: Al Pacino, Paul Sorvino, Karen Allen
Genre: Thriller
Length: 102 minutes
Banned: Finland

Review:
Wow what a gritty sleazy thriller and I'm a little shocked at how far this one goes, but I like it. Al Pacino is really wonderful as undercover detective Steve Burns who has a rather difficult task ahead of him. He is on assignment to find a serial killer who brutally stabs men to death after picking them up from gay s&m clubs. Steve must blend in with the people and of course ends up in some difficult situations, especially considering he has a girlfriend at home who he has to keep in the dark. It's quite exciting, and flashy and it even has one heck of a dancing sequence with Pacino. It's brutal and violent and well it's probably a bit too much for some. Really my only complaint was the ending, I had something else in mind but I suppose it all made sense and all of that. It's not Friedkin's best, but I think it's an interesting movie so long as the subject matter doesn't put you off.

Availability:  On DVD

The Psychic Killer (1975)

3 / 5 July '10
Tagline: First it drives you mad, then it kills and kills and kills!
Directed by: Ray Danton
Written by: Greydon Clark, Mikel Angel
Actors include: Paul Burke, Jim Hutton, Julie Adams
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Length: 89 minutes
Banned: Iceland

Review:
Oh dear, this is quite a film I suppose. It reminds me of Patrick I guess, only this film uses some sort of astral projection in order to get revenge. Arnold Masters is in a mental hospital for a crime he didn't commit. He makes friends with another in the hospital who gives him his magical charm when executed which teaches Arnold astral projection revenge. See Arnold is very mad at the people who killed his Mother and the Men who set him up to make him look guilty. One by one they die off in amusing ways (I give credit there, they did try with the deaths), but it's baffling the cops. See they are tailing Arnold and watching him go into trances while the murders happen, but will they be able to solve the puzzle before Arnold goes too far? It's rather slow and dry for the most part but it never really got to the level of being boring. The amusing deaths and strange story aren't exactly a must see but some will find this entertaining.

Availability:  On DVD

Passi Di Danza Su Una Lama Di Rasoio (1973) aka Death Carries A Cane

2 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Maurizio Pradeaux
Written by: Alfonso Balcázar, Arpad DiRiso
Actors include: Robert Hoffmann, Nieves Navarro, George Martin
Genre: Giallo, Horror, Thriller
Length: 84 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Well, this one started out a lot stronger than it finished but it never really made a good impression I'm afraid. It's ridiculous and with the dubbing the first bit feels like a comedy and really I did laugh a fair bit until it got excruciatingly dull. Oh sure there were many pointless song and dance numbers and it did have a fair bit of nudity and the typical giallo trappings but nothing to make it remarkable in any way. The plot is about a woman who witnesses a murder, the other people who witness the murder end up razored and caned to death...could she be next? They certainly didn't have special effects despite trying to do series of flashes of things that could add up to someone being murdered. It also wasn't satisfying in the least in the conclusion, it really felt like a pale imitation of better films. The story suffered, the music was dreck and it wasn't really worth bothering with despite the awesome title.

Availability:  On DVD

10 To Midnight (1983)

3 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: Back in town... with a vengeance!
Directed by: J. Lee Thompson
Written by: J. Lee Thompson, William Roberts
Actors include: Charles Bronson, Lisa Eilbacher, Andrew Stevens
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Horror, Crime
Length: 101 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This was cheese supreme, and although I thought the idea of combining a Charles Bronson flick with a serial killer concept was a good one. Everyone seems like they were phoning it in, even Bronson didn't seem like he could care less that he was in the movie. The serial killer at large is kind of amusing because he's a nudie, and watching him run around and kill people who are making out while naked is unusual. Bronson is the cop that is determined to catch the guy, even if it means toying with evidence that could get him deeper into trouble. It's just not exciting and although the killing part is okay the rest of the Police procedural stuff was pretty dull, and there wasn't enough violence to make this a good slasher either. The element of Bronson having a daughter was a bit interesting as of course the killer will want to target her etc. At least the last little bit is somewhat exciting but it definitely needed more punch.

Availability:  On DVD

Il Coltello Di Ghiaccio aka Knife Of Ice aka Detrás Del Silencio (1972)

2.5 / 5 Dec '10
Tagline:   N/A
Directed by: Umberto Lenzi
Written by: Luis G. de Blain, Umberto Lenzi
Actors include: Carroll Baker, Alan Scott, Ida Galli
Genre: Horror, Giallo, Thriller
Length: 91 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Meh...I'm actually usually rather fond of Umberto Lenzi movies but this one did nothing for me. It's a giallo indeed but it's missing the excess flair and nudity and violence. It involves a young Woman named Martha (relatively well acted by Carroll Baker) who is mute because of a railway tragedy that occurred when she was 13. She lives with her Uncle in the countryside, but when her cousin Jenny arrives things turn disastrous. Jenny turns up dead and soon they realize there is some sort of maniac killing young women around and maybe Martha could be next! It is a rather dry and humorless effort which didn't help with moving things along either. I also hate to say that there weren't really any surprises with this, I predicted what would happen and I was right, not too much fun in that. I really had expected more from this one but they can't all be winners!

Availability:  Not on DVD currently

Midnight Killer (1984) aka Morirai A Mezzanotte

3 / 5 Jan '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Lamberto Bava
Written by: Lamberto Bava, Dardano Sacchetti
Actors include: Valeria D'Obici, Leonardo Treviglio, Paolo Malco
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Giallo, Thriller
Length: 85 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Well it's definitely a later entry into the giallo field and it's one of Lamberto Bava's worst but it's certainly not terrible, it is at least stylish in a way. The fashions are awful, and it's missing the gratuity one would expect in this style of film. The deaths are decent and a bit of creativity is used, and the nudity quotient wasn't fulfilled much to my Husband's dismay. The beginning in this film is quite strong at least, it starts with a violent fight between a fellow named Nicola and his Wife. Nicola leaves the seen and flees to an ex-girlfriend's house who just happens to receive a phone call while he's there stating the death of Nicola's wife. It's of course a mystery and a few other girls are killed along the way. I think I might have rated it higher were the ending more satisfying, but it sort of cheapened the film I thought. You could do worse, especially during this time frame with this style of film but you could definitely do better too.

Availability:  I don't believe it's currently on DVD

Dirty Harry (1971)

4.5 / 5
Tagline: You don't assign him to murder cases, You just turn him loose.
Directed by: Don Siegel
Written by: Harry Julian Fink, Rita M. Fink
Actors include: Clint Eastwood, Harry Guardino, Reni Santoni
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Length: 102 minutes
Banned: Finland

Review:
I wasn't sure that I'd ever get into cop thrillers, I hate to say that I'd always considered them "boy" movies and so I've avoided. Once again I was wrong to do so for this was one action packed stylish thrilling flick! Firstly it's impossible not to love Clint Eastwood, especially as this Dirty Harry character who plays by his own rules. He says what he likes (iconic sayings of course), shoots first and asks questions later plus he's a bonafied hero that is afraid of nothing! In this story his major foe is a serial killer (very similar to the real live Zodiac killings) who happens to be an all around bad guy in every sense of the word (he's even freaky looking). He has to deal with a new partner, the force which is trying to make him play by the rules while stopping at nothing to try to nab the crook. It's purely awesome in nearly every way, and I can't wait to see the sequels if they are half as great as this film!

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray

Angel (1984)

3.5 / 5
Tagline: Honor student by day - hooker by night!
Directed by: Robert Vincent O'Neill
Written by: Robert Vincent O'Neill, Joseph Michael Cala
Actors include: Cliff Gorman, Susan Tyrrell, Dick Shawn
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Length: 94 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I was always intrigued by the cover which is what led me to rent this. She just looks rather young to be a whore doesn't she? Molly is a very productive 15 year old, she's on the honor role and has friends. By night she's a streetwalker on Sunset Blvd. making cash hand over fist. She's able to balance her life just fine until her whore friends start turning up dead. There is a serial killer about who is into necrophilia and slaying hookers! At this point a nice Detective steps in to try to help her from degrading herself and from being the next victim. It's not as exciting as the premise would have one believe but it does deliver on a rather odd concept. It's been quite a while since I've seen this and I would watch it again. I was probably about the same age as Angel when I watched it! A rather strange film that is exploitation even though it's supposed to be a warning against this sort of thing I think.

Availability:  Not on not DVD