Blood Simple. (1984)

4.5 / 5 Jan '10
Tagline: Breaking up is hard.
Directed by: Joel Cohen, Ethan Cohen
Written by: Joel Cohen, Ethan Cohen
Actors include: Frances McDormand, John Getz, Dan Hedaya
Genre: Crime, Thriller, Drama
Length: 99 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This is one impressively bleak down-trodden first effort from the Cohen brothers, but it's also very impactful and interesting. I did stay away from this one for a while because of the words "film noir" which attach themselves to this picture. I was rather foolish in that as this was easy to understand and captivating pretty much from the moment it beings until the moment it ends. Frances McDormand was wonderful as Abby a cheating wife who's new feller Ray would do just about anything for her. The problem is Abby's rich ex-husband has hired a hitman to kill Abby & Ray but he gets a little more than he has bargained for. It's got tons of twists and turns and surprises around every corner but the sinking feeling it creates won't go away until the film is over. This has some nice blood, a great story and it's extremely memorable, a very cool film from team Cohen.

Availability:  On DVD

Special Effects (1984)

2 / 5 June '10
Tagline: Mary Jean is just dying to get into the movies... She's about to get her wish.
Directed by: Larry Cohen
Written by: Larry Cohen
Actors include: Zoe Lund, Eric Bogosian, Brad Rijn
Genre: Thriller, Horror, Drama
Length: 103 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This is a bottom of the barrel rip-off of Brian De Palma that has very little in the way of redeeming qualities. I was intrigued by this because I usually like Larry Cohen pictures, and I loved lead actress Zoë Lund in Ms .45. The thing was in that role she was mute...this is one of the only other roles she's starred in and with a voice it seems obvious why...she was not a very good actress. You will see her boobs many times, and watch her clumsily play two roles. She plays an actress who is strangled to death by the director of the film (it happens near the beginning of the film so I'm not wrecking anything). Her boyfriend looks guilty in the eyes of the Police so they focus on him. The thing is that the director video taped her death so he intends to use this footage to make his own film. Now they have the chore of finding a look-alike which of course they do quickly in order to shoot the rest of the scenes from the film. It's a lot like Body Double only a whole lot crappier from the bad music, stupid plot and neverending supply of dull moments. Very much not worth seeking out unfortunately, I really did think it would have been so much more.

Availability:  On DVD

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

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