Trade (2007)

2 / 5 Oct '10
Tagline: You'll pay for this.
Directed by: Marco Kreuzpaintner
Written by: Jose Rivera, Peter Landesman
Actors include: Kevin Kline, Kathleen Gati, Alicja Bachleda
Genre: Thriller, Drama
Length: 120 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
While this actually started well, at first I thought it would be similar in spirit to Hostel seeing as how it was very violent, surprising and dark initially. Soon something changed and it became one of the most stupid contrived ridiculous films ever made. It's about the sex trade industry in Mexico, we meet two young girls who were flown in to Mexico in hopes of modelling work. They are kidnapped from the airport upon arrival pretty much, and also we follow a 13 year old Mexican girl called Adriana who is kidnapped off of her bike. The purpose of kidnapping the girls is to rape them, then sell them to areas in the US for more sex. Her 17 year old brother Jorge goes on a mission to retrieve his sister. Where it gets beyond moronic is brother Jorge goes on this unlikely friendship/getting to know you venture with a Man he randomly meets Ray Sheridan (Kevin Kline). It's overly long, and the downtrodden mood is quickly ruined by this silly buddy nature of it. Yet for all of my complaining I can't even seem to convey how much it sank into the depths of blah and it took so long to do so (the movie is sadly 2 hrs long). Somewhere in here is a good movie, if it had been completely rearranged and huge portions omitted but as is it was really a waste of time.

Availability:  On DVD

Forbidden Photos Of A Lady Above Suspicion (1970) aka Le Foto Proibite Di Una Signora Per Bene

3.5 / 5 Oct '10
Tagline: N//A
Directed by: Luciano Ercoli
Written by: Ernesto Gastaldi
Actors include: Nieves Navarro, Dagmar Lassander, Pier Paolo Capponi
Genre: Giallo, Horror, Thriller
Length: 93 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Well this is a sleazy little giallo from Luciano Ercoli and probably my least favorite of his but still a fun flick. Let's see what I can explain here, Minou wears crazy wigs, she is newly married to a fellow named Peter who her sex obsessed friend Dominique (Nieves Navarro) set her up with. Dominique (who also wears a weird wig occasionally) thinks being raped would be splendid, she seems to be into fetish stuff and well having sex with anyone who is nearby. She also might have had a prior relationship with Peter before setting Minou up with him. Minou is being harassed by a Man who claims he has evidence against Peter that could put him away in jail, and they only thing he'll take in exchange for his silence is extreme sex with Minou. Weirdo still, Minou seems to kind of like it in way... Oh it's very bizarre and irresponsible in many ways, it's also groovy and has some hilarious disco sequences and memorable dialog and the actors are superb. This won't be for everyone, but fans of this style of Eurosleaze should be entertained.

Availability:  On DVD

Blacker Than The Night (1975) aka Más Negro Que La Noche

4 / 5 Oct '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Carlos Enrique Taboada
Written by: Carlos Enrique Taboada
Actors include: Claudia Islas, Susana Dosamantes, Lucía Méndez
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Length: 100 minutes (approx)
Banned: Nope

Review:
I'm finding that I really do like Mexican horror lately, especially the films of Carlos Enrique Taboada, this being no exception. He has a rather unique stylish method to horror (often not showing the faces of who we are looking at), with elegant back drops and the stories often take a while to build up into something really horrific. The story is about Ofelia, a woman who's Aunt dies and leaves her a beautiful old house complete with strange housekeeper. Ofelia moves in her room mates: beautiful model Marta, average looking Pilar, and the also lovely Aurora. Aside from the fact that they don't seem to be getting along with the housekeeper very well the girls (minus Ofelia) seem to not like the black cat who comes with the house. Ghostly and strange things keep happening, but when the girls start dying suspicions turn to reality and even the housekeeper can't watch what happens next. It's not terrifying, and it's not extremely bloody but it is satisfying on a horror front and the characters are interesting and well shaped which makes this compelling. Very neato ghost story that seems to unfortunately be rather unknown, I found it to be a rewarding watch.

Availability:  On DVD

Her Vengeance (1988) aka Bloody Rose aka Xue Mei Gui

4.5 / 5 Nov '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Ngai Kai Lam
Written by: N/A
Actors include: Ching-Ying Lam. Elaine Jin, Pauline Wong
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Length: 87 minutes (approx)
Banned: Nope

Review:
This is one heck of a hilarious rape/revenge action packed Hong Kong film. Susan ticks off a group of bad guys when she has to ask them to behave in the night club she works at. To pay her back they take her to the cemetery and gang rape her. Now the copy I saw had questionable (yet comical) subs, so from this rape I think she got gonorrhea (though at first they call it A.I.D.S. yet they give the symptoms of VD)...at any rate she's not happy and neither is her vagina. She decides along with the help of her blind Sister and her former Brother-in-law (a wheelchair bound kung fu expert) to get her vengeance....even if it costs her more than it was worth. She lures these fellows out to deal them harsh and violent and bloody punishment and it's a real treat to watch. The person who made this must have loved Thriller - en grym film [Thriller: They Call Her One Eye], and the booby trapping scenes in this reminded me of Home Alone only of course way more inappropriate. I thought this was a laugh riot and it gave plenty of splatter and it's ridiculously easy to follow...this is a must for those who like excessive revenge films.

Availability:  On DVD
HER VENGEANCE

Der Amerikanische Freund (1977) aka The American Friend

3.5 / 5  Apr '11
Tagline:  N/A
Directed by:  Wim Wenders
Written by:  Patricia Highsmith, Wim Wenders
Actors include:  Bruno Ganz, Dennis Hopper, Lisa Kreuzer
Genre:  Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Length:  125 minutes
Banned:  Nope

Review: 
The cinematography is simply gorgeous and the music within perfectly suited.  Heck I like the cast too and the basic concept, I just felt like something very big was missing from this.  It's definitely more of a character study (which is fine) except a little more "why" info might have helped out significantly.  We meet Tom Ripley (Dennis Hopper) who is an art forger that is offered an opportunity to become a hit man.  Instead of agreeing to the task he suggests his friend who is a picture framer for the job.  See the picture framer has a deadly disease and a family to support (very Breaking Bad no?) so why wouldn't he jump at the extra chance for income?  Although this is interesting it's too stretched out and some more clarity would have been appreciated.  Still a very interesting '70s German thriller that should at least appeal to most though it wasn't my absolute favorite or anything.

Availabilty:  On DVD

Insidious (2010)

2.5 / 5 Apr '11
Tagline: It's not the House thats Haunted.
Directed by: James Wan
Written by: Leigh Whannell
Actors include: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins
Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Thriller
Length: 103 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I really did have high hopes for this 'un and I wanted to like it...I truly did. The plot (although derrived heavily from Poltergeist) is a relatively interesting one. A young couple move into a house with their two boys and one of the boys goes into some sort of unmedically explainable coma. Also ghosts start appearing and making Mom (Rose Byrne) appear crazy, but when they move the ghosts seem to follow! Of course they have to start calling in the stereotypical Paranormal experts to come up with the real reason for the coma. It is filled with Lewton Buses and it does go for the jolt for the viewer (it's just not something that I find works the best on me). Also the ghosts reminded me of Darth Maul, Ozzy, and of course some characters from the "Black Hole Sun" video which made me giggle more than it should have. It definitely seems like people are split on this one so I say see it and decide for yourself, it's effective for a particular sort of scare...I just wish I weren't immune.

Availability:  Still in theatres but I'm sure DVD and Blu-Ray will follow

In A Glass Cage (1987) aka Tras El Cristal

4.5 / 5 Nov '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Agustí Villaronga
Written by: Agustí Villaronga
Actors include: Günter Meisner, David Sust, Marisa Paredes
Genre: Horror, Drama, War, Thriller
Length: 105 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Egads, this must have been the feel bad movie of the year. That being said, it's really an amazing picture about the atrocities of war and their lasting effects even after and it's told in a different way then I've ever seen before. It's so bleak and difficult to watch in places, this one will test and disturb, I doubt I'll ever forget it. The story is about a former Nazi/pedophile named Klaus who tormented little boys but is now clinging to life at home in an iron lung. His wife seems harsh and awful as well, and their poor little girl Rena lives with them too. A young Man called Angelo shows up at their house wanting to take care of Klaus but something isn't quite right with this arrangement. It's brutal, violent, explicit, humorless and in no way should this be watched by everyone. Still it's an impressively made and acted film that leaves one hell of an impression and does more than makes it's point. It's rare to see such a combination of exploitation/drama and horror but this is effective and worthwhile to the right viewer.

Availability:  On DVD