Fatal Attraction (1987)

3.5 / 5
Tagline: On the other side of drinks, dinner and a one night stand, lies a terrifying love story
Directed by: Adrian Lyne
Written by: James Deardon
Actors include: Glenn Close, Michael Douglas, Anne Archer
Genre: Thriller
Length: 119 minutes
Banned: Malaysia

Review:
If something seems too easy then there is probably something terribly wrong with it. Well that seems to be the lesson here as Alex (Glenn Close) enters the life of colleague Dan Michael Douglas. See Dan is happily married though when his Wife & Kid are away for the weekend he invites her over for a sex romp. Once the family is back Dan doesn't want anything to do with Alex, but Alex doesn't take no for an answer. She obsessively stalks (and is great as a creepy psycho) and torments him appearing everywhere determined to destroy him (or have him back who knows?). The acting definitely makes this worth your while and well I think the lesson isn't a bad one either. I think my biggest complaint is that it's longer than it really needs to be. Still worthwhile for those who like scary psychos!

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray

Angel Heart (1987)

3 / 5 Jul '10
Tagline: It will scare you to your very soul.
Directed by: Alan Parker
Written by: William Hjortsberg, Alan Parker
Actors Include:  Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Length: 113 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Well I kinda thought this would be a really good film, heck nearly everyone seems to think so. I'm in the minority here as I didn't really see anything refreshing, shocking, horrific or even scary. Just naked [Artist440936] if that be your pleasure. Well okay there is a plot, Private Dick Harry Angel ([Artist84952]) is called upon by Louis Cypher (how original...in fact that was a bit too much of a clue for me). Angel's mission is to find a fella called Johnny Favorite who definitely doesn't want to be found. When people start turning up dead and he starts witnessing some strange things, the story gets thicker. It's got a fair bit in common with [Film5479] (which came out the same year) only I kind of liked the other film a bit better although neither wowed me to be honest. I will give this credit for being nicely filmed and relatively well acted I suppose and it creates a decent atmosphere. I just thought it needed more meat, more excitement and a bit more of a surprise, especially considering the hype that follows it around.

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray

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

Dark Tower (1987)

2 / 5 Dec '10
Tagline: In a city that never sleeps... this building is a nightmare.
Directed by: Freddie Francis, Ken Wiederhorn
Written by: Robert J. Avrech
Actors include: Michael Moriarty Jenny Agutter, Carol Lynley
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Length: 91 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This was a rather predictable ghost story with beyond stupid effects and lackluster straight to video acting (even though Jenny Agutter is usually very good). She plays the widow of a apartment building that her husband had built. He's now around in ghost form attacking those who peep at her changing or those who try to get in her way. Some of the deaths were kind of fun, towards the beginning of the film I had higher hopes but as it dragged on and on it became painfully obvious that they just gave up. Such an unoriginal concept and it was truly impossible to even care what the resolve was (what was with the mask by the way?). Oh well it's really not worth digging out of any vault, leave it hidden where it is or be bored to tears.

Availability:  Not on DVD

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

5 / 5
Tagline:  Vietnam can kill me, but it can't make me care
Directed by:  Stanley Kubrick
Written by:  Stanley Kubrick, Gustav Hasford
Actors include:  Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Matthew Modine
Genre:  War, Drama, Action
Length:  116 minutes
Banned:  Nope

Review: 
If you only ever watch one war film, I think this should be it.  It's not typical in many ways but I think that's why it's so unique and disturbingly wonderful.  It very much focuses on the soldiers and develops personalities for them, it deals very much on the emotional level of war.  The first half of the movie we watch the soldiers go through training in the Marine corps and the taunting and humiliation of a particular recruit named Pyle.  See Pyle is a bit slower than the others so they are mercilessly cruel to him which leads him to the snapping point.  Then the second half of the film follows another recruit by the name of Joker who joined the military for one reason, to write but it ends up that he has to kill of course.  As the soldiers are thrust into Vietnam we see how hellish the environment must have been and the atrocities within.  It really does cover everything and demonstrate that war is hell in a clear and shocking yet entertaining manner.  If only more war films were like this one, so very impactful, shocking and unforgettable.

Availability:  On Blu-Ray & DVD

The Untouchables (1987)

3.5 / 5 Jan '11
Tagline: Never stop fighting till the fight is done
Directed by: Brian De Palma
Written by: Oscar Fraley, Eliot Ness
Actor include: Kevin Costner, Robert De Niro, Sean Connery
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Length: 119 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I really was surprised how cheesy this was, I'd always heard it was an amazing picture. Now to be fair it's entertaining, and rather well made though overproduced. The soundtrack is distractingly bad, I don't know what Ennio Morricone was thinking but it cheapened some otherwise powerful scenes. Kevin Costner takes on the role of Eliot Ness, the good cop who assembled a team of "Untouchables" who were out to bust Al Capone (Robert De Niro looking like BH90210's James Eckhouse). Sean Connery was very likeable as a tough Irish cop who was honest, but had some strange ways of getting people to co-operate. The crew were immune to threats, and bribes but of course Capone's team were out there to show them that they aren't as "Untouchable" as they thought they were. It was very laughably cliche (baby in carriage going downstairs during a gunfight?), but at least rather violent. The sets are incredibly detailed and the suits as well (Giorgio Armani created the wardrobe) and although I didn't find this to be the classic I was expecting it was worth watching, it just wasn't Brian De Palma's strongest effort.

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray