The best part about this film is that it's shot in Greece. The city looks very nice and it's fun to see a giallo shot in Athens. Gialli are known for their exotic locations but I don't think I've ever seen one set in Greece.
Unfortunately, the rest of the film is a bit of a letdown. Incoherent, confusing story-line with more than a few rabbit holes, a bad balance of comedy and horror, even after expecting the usual bad dialogue I still came away amazed at the sheer awfulness in this one. I'll chalk that up to translation but that doesn't fix anything. One thing that I did enjoy is the inclusion of a traditional black-gloved killer with a shaving razor. I've seen quite a few of these films and this trope really isn't as common as those who stereotype the sub-genre would lead you to believe. It's always cool to see.
The camera work is more than adequate but the score is unmemorable. I found myself thoroughly bored.
One note though, that gold bust actually is hilarious. I wish I could have that as a decoration in my house.
A well made and adequate French thriller- many of the stylistic choices have me thinking of this one as a 'proto-giallo' of sorts, especially the camera work and amazing score. It can drag a bit but the chase scene in the latter half is well worth the wait. I haven't seen one quite this visually engaging since Lizard in a Woman's Skin. Gorgeous sets, sharp camera work, an engaging, psychedelic score, and of course, the beauty of the lead, all work in this one's favour. What works against it is the thin story-line and the clumsy dialogue- both things to be expected from early foreign thrillers such as this and therefore easy to overlook. The ending is rather good but almost feels tacked on. I wish they had done more to lead up to it during the film.
Overall, this tended to get better throughout, starting off weak and slowly getting stronger. Great find for fans of foreign thrillers and giallo enthusiasts in particular.
So confusing... but maybe i'm just dumb. it was a pretty nice looking film with the usual giallo antics of bad dubbing, lesbian sex, and often hilariously bad dialogue. honestly i found the main character hot as hell.
Apparently this is the most faithful screen adaptation of Dracula made so far. I haven't read the book in ages so i'd have to re-read to confirm that (which i just might do).
At any rate, besides that I've got to say that I was a bit disappointed- last time I watched this film I gave it a 10 out of 10 rating. I think I may have been struck by the appearances of both Christopher Lee and Klaus Kinski, both great actors and both in adaptations of Dracula that I had seen in the past. Unfortunately, like many of Franco's other films, the pacing is a bit languid. As many others have written, I did expect a sleazier film, however I rather enjoyed that it wasn't. I had already seen Vampyros Lesbos and that's all we need from this man in that field.
There may be no psychedelia but the giallo visuals are amazing. To truly have one of the great stories, like Dracula, filmed as a giallo piece is probably a wet dream of mine and so i'll chalk my high rating up to that as well. (And no, Argento's Dracula 3D does not count)
This time around I'm gonna have to deduct half a point because it wasn't quite as revolutionary as I thought, but it's still one of the best Dracula adaptations i've ever seen, barring Nosferatu 1979 of course. I've got to say I like it more than Hammer's Dracula, which I'd never been the biggest fan of.
Where Columbo started and a nice little slice of late 60's film that's already reaching towards the early 70's. I probably would have given this a lower rating had it not been connected to Columbo but it was still very engaging.
so very cheesy in the way that only 80's films can be. More of a straight up comedy than a horror with comedy elements. I can't say I exactly loved it but it wasn't a total waste of time.
Better than the first one by a hair but I'm still not a huge fan of the gratuitous 'action' sequences which are even MORE rampant in the sequel, so i'm giving it the same rating. This actually has more elements to the story and it's less confusing and jarring. I really enjoy the atmosphere at the beginning of the film. If you've seen the first and liked it be sure to watch this one as well, because although i wasn't the hugest fan of Demoni I definitely had a fun time with this.
Absolutely gorgeously shot. The landscape lends a very melancholy atmosphere and the sets and color palette just makes me want to die, it's so beautiful. Probably my favourite part about the film.
The story is amazing, it's fairly simple, which works in the film's favour because the real focus is on the mental duress that our main character is going through. A wild roller coaster.
I've just got to say it... it's better than Nolan's version.
A lot better than expected. Amazing acting from all the characters that spoke.. I actually enjoyed the undercurrents of drama, something i am not prone to in horror films like this. Otherwise, fairly generic, but with the character background I found myself quite engaged.
I was actually very pleasantly surprised by this. So without further ado, let's get into it.
Pros: The film is genuinely engaging. I did not feel bored or annoyed at all during the duration of this film and I honestly expected to.
Gorgeous cinematography. The camera work deserves a better film to go along with it so whoever that was, kudos.
Oh yeah, um also I have huge crush on Kobe.
Cons: I feel like they could have delved more into the first part, perhaps made that around half of the film. The initial story has a lot of material that could have been looked into more and would have made the plot more interesting. Sadly it devolved into formulaic slasher mode.
The jump scares and scary imagery are not well used. I could have done without them.
Overall I think this film is a lot better than most of the 'social media slashers' that have been coming out. I really like the idea of incorporating social media into the modern horror tropes because I think it can help contextualize the story and help people of my age and younger relate to these films, which in turn makes them that much scarier- but sadly a lot of the movies that attempt to do this just end up using the social media aspect as a gimmick, or the tech aspect is highly unrealistic due to using imaginary sites or programs that aren't even halfway believable. Luckily this one delivered a genuine and normal portrayal of the programs and websites people use.
On my second rewatch I upped this film half a star. It's genuinely pretty entertaining, and I think the first time that I saw it, I wasn't quite expecting such a "commercial" film. I think I was right on the tail end of finishing Venus in Fur in fact, so I was looking for something more... art-house.
At any rate, this film is highly entertaining, a slow burning thriller, the type that Polanski is so damn good at.
As always, beautiful, beautiful sets, lighting, and camera work.
I have no idea why people say that Depp was miscast, I thought he was fantastic.
Second time watching and I chose the Director's Cut this time. And I've got to say, I much prefer it. Quite a hallucinatory experience.
Once again, this film held my attention throughout and just flew by. It's absolutely hilarious but also suspenseful and, at times, terrifying. Meshing comedy with horror can be quite a difficult task, so this film is obviously firing on all cylinders.
Visually stunning, better pacing throughout the director's edition, wonderful score, and a dreamlike atmosphere. All of these things add up to make a film that's really quite appealing despite what others have said.
Many people have compared this film to 2004's Eyes of Crystal, and I have no doubt that Argento was influenced by said film, but one thing I do want to say is that Giallo has much cleaner and more precise cinematography, and that is a huge improvement over Eyes of Crystal's jerky and fast camera movement style. I know that it was popular in the 00's, and even up until only a few years ago, but it's always been a style I've hated.
At any rate, this isn't exactly a great effort from late Argento. A hell of a lot better than Dracula 3D, but what isn't?
Sleepless is much better than this, as is The Stendhal Syndrome and Trauma. Just about the only post-Opera film it does overtake is Phantom of the Opera, and again, what doesn't?
Giallo is honestly somewhat of a disappointment, especially considering the pretty involving beginning.
Visually however, it is somewhat of a treat. And for me, visuals are even more important than plot. What this IS lacking is atmosphere, pacing, and tension- in favour of gore and torture. Not a good trade off.
god i fucking love those transparent, glowing phones and radios that chick has.
Anyway, not as bad as many people say it is. I'm actually a fan of Tobe Hooper's later work (well, some of it).
I think people expect far too much of him based on the cultural impact of TCM and its just not fair. Tobe Hooper's films have always been rather fun and campy, while simultaneously making (sometimes rather heavy handed) sociocultural critiques.
As others have noted, Spontaneous Combustion has underlying themes relating to the way that the 50's atomic bomb influenced and informed the culture of the 80's. A lot of biting references to the 'nuclear family' and its place in society as well as how both the presence and absence can affect us as we grow up and become adults.
I honestly have no idea why most people say this started his downward slide cause its actually pretty good- a lot better than his remake of Invaders, that's for sure.
Really, really bad, but hilarious in that way that only cheesy 80's slashers can be. With the way the mother acts, this could have been taken as a light satire on the whole 'sex drugs and rock n roll' thing but I genuinely doubt there was any such self reflection present in the making of this movie. In fact I don't think there was a single joke the entire running length but I still found myself laughing pretty often. Well, other than when that comedian came out at the party. I wasn't laughing then.
Bad acting, bad dialogue, bad sets, bad cinematography. Classic case of 'so bad its good'... but not too good.
Every review I've read has said the same exact things about how the film is very different and disappointing for the director especially regarding the amazing cast so I'm not going to go into that; but I do want to say that the soundtrack reminded me of Klaus Schulze's for Angst (1983) which is possibly my favourite movie soundtrack of all time so it definitely has that going for it.
Other than that, this film started off as a six for me and it continued and ended in exactly the same way. No highs and no lows. Just a solid, standard American style 80's slasher, despite having been made in Italy. Don't think this will have anything about it that's reminiscent of giallo other than the base themes that the general slasher took from the genre because it does not resemble gialli at all.
I own a VHS rip and it still looks pretty awesome to me so that says something. Dated, but awesome.
As others have noted, the location is A plus and Mimsy Farmer is absolutely stunning.
This one had a lot of potential. The beginning was great, and I was really enjoying the film until things started to slow down around the middle. Unfortunately, they didn't pick back up, but instead deteriorated even further to a very unsatisfying ending. The camera work was that typical of 00's films as was the boring colour palette. Despite all of this, it did manage to rise above the typical police thriller. And it's still better than Argento's "neo-giallo" efforts.
Well, it's crap, but it's entertaining crap. A lot of people judge this movie very harshly because it was directed by Tobe Hooper and I can't blame them. This isn't a good movie. It's silly, it panders to the teen crowd with awful dialogue and stupid jokes. The crocodile is laughable. Bad CGI. But there a few moments I do enjoy, some nice cinematography and overhead scenes of the lake and forest. And if you're a fan of the campy teen scare scene you'll probably enjoy the beginning at least a bit.
Overall I'd say it's very middle of the road.
really not the biggest fan. i feel like i should have enjoyed this more, it's so heavily lauded, but it barely gives us a moment to breathe, much less empathize with any of the characters.
This is the tenth time I've seen this film so what follows are just a few thoughts I had during this re-watch.
The Ghost Writer is simple and minimalist, each line of dialogue is carefully measured and crafted; the whole thing is quite a slow burn but there are several blasts of realization coming in quick succession near the end that make it very worthwhile sitting through the full two hours.
The Ghost Writer is not lavish in any aspect- a simple but beautiful set, calculated camera shots, a stark realism with just a hint of theatre.
This is probably one of the best modern updates on the noir film. The whole thing has an atmosphere of the 60's noir film, or maybe it's just a bit closer to Polanski's own earlier remaking of the style, Chinatown.
My favorite films are, without falter, surrealist, baroque, and flagrant; but for some reason The Ghost Writer stands alone in it's style as one of my all time favourites.
Many people will compare it with Polanski's earlier films but to be honest I can't say that I like any other work of his more than this one (though some not quite less).
Simple and slow, but there's a lot underneath to discover.
Fun as only De Palma can be. Here he shines with the giallo and noir references. Some say it's more formulaic than his others and that it seems to lack personal spark. I agree. Femme Fatale is like a well oiled name dropping machine cloaked in gorgeous camerawork and stylistic flourishes. Maybe that's a bad thing but it's just so much fun I can't help but adore it. Maybe it's a guilty pleasure, maybe its something more. Sometimes watching De Palma's work feels like the cinematic equivalent of jerking myself off for two hours and giving myself a high five every time I spot a line or scene taken out of Vertigo or Rear Window or Mona Lisa or Suspiria. What does it say about me that I enjoy that as much as I do?
Comments 1 - 25 of 206
Movie comment on deUsynlige
nick121235
this film was so good but so emotionally heart wrenching i don't think i'll ever be able to watch it againMovie comment on Passi di morte perduti nel buio
nick121235
The best part about this film is that it's shot in Greece. The city looks very nice and it's fun to see a giallo shot in Athens. Gialli are known for their exotic locations but I don't think I've ever seen one set in Greece.Unfortunately, the rest of the film is a bit of a letdown. Incoherent, confusing story-line with more than a few rabbit holes, a bad balance of comedy and horror, even after expecting the usual bad dialogue I still came away amazed at the sheer awfulness in this one. I'll chalk that up to translation but that doesn't fix anything. One thing that I did enjoy is the inclusion of a traditional black-gloved killer with a shaving razor. I've seen quite a few of these films and this trope really isn't as common as those who stereotype the sub-genre would lead you to believe. It's always cool to see.
The camera work is more than adequate but the score is unmemorable. I found myself thoroughly bored.
One note though, that gold bust actually is hilarious. I wish I could have that as a decoration in my house.
Movie comment on Qui?
nick121235
A well made and adequate French thriller- many of the stylistic choices have me thinking of this one as a 'proto-giallo' of sorts, especially the camera work and amazing score. It can drag a bit but the chase scene in the latter half is well worth the wait. I haven't seen one quite this visually engaging since Lizard in a Woman's Skin. Gorgeous sets, sharp camera work, an engaging, psychedelic score, and of course, the beauty of the lead, all work in this one's favour. What works against it is the thin story-line and the clumsy dialogue- both things to be expected from early foreign thrillers such as this and therefore easy to overlook. The ending is rather good but almost feels tacked on. I wish they had done more to lead up to it during the film.Overall, this tended to get better throughout, starting off weak and slowly getting stronger. Great find for fans of foreign thrillers and giallo enthusiasts in particular.
Movie comment on E tanta paura
nick121235
So confusing... but maybe i'm just dumb. it was a pretty nice looking film with the usual giallo antics of bad dubbing, lesbian sex, and often hilariously bad dialogue. honestly i found the main character hot as hell.Movie comment on Nachts, wenn Dracula erwacht
nick121235
Apparently this is the most faithful screen adaptation of Dracula made so far. I haven't read the book in ages so i'd have to re-read to confirm that (which i just might do).At any rate, besides that I've got to say that I was a bit disappointed- last time I watched this film I gave it a 10 out of 10 rating. I think I may have been struck by the appearances of both Christopher Lee and Klaus Kinski, both great actors and both in adaptations of Dracula that I had seen in the past. Unfortunately, like many of Franco's other films, the pacing is a bit languid. As many others have written, I did expect a sleazier film, however I rather enjoyed that it wasn't. I had already seen Vampyros Lesbos and that's all we need from this man in that field.
There may be no psychedelia but the giallo visuals are amazing. To truly have one of the great stories, like Dracula, filmed as a giallo piece is probably a wet dream of mine and so i'll chalk my high rating up to that as well. (And no, Argento's Dracula 3D does not count)
This time around I'm gonna have to deduct half a point because it wasn't quite as revolutionary as I thought, but it's still one of the best Dracula adaptations i've ever seen, barring Nosferatu 1979 of course. I've got to say I like it more than Hammer's Dracula, which I'd never been the biggest fan of.
Movie comment on Unbreakable
nick121235
the only good superhero movie i've ever seenMovie comment on Prescription: Murder
nick121235
Where Columbo started and a nice little slice of late 60's film that's already reaching towards the early 70's. I probably would have given this a lower rating had it not been connected to Columbo but it was still very engaging.Movie comment on Microwave Massacre
nick121235
so very cheesy in the way that only 80's films can be. More of a straight up comedy than a horror with comedy elements. I can't say I exactly loved it but it wasn't a total waste of time.Movie comment on Dèmoni 2... l'incubo ritorna
nick121235
Better than the first one by a hair but I'm still not a huge fan of the gratuitous 'action' sequences which are even MORE rampant in the sequel, so i'm giving it the same rating. This actually has more elements to the story and it's less confusing and jarring. I really enjoy the atmosphere at the beginning of the film. If you've seen the first and liked it be sure to watch this one as well, because although i wasn't the hugest fan of Demoni I definitely had a fun time with this.Movie comment on Deadly Friend
nick121235
80's FrankensteinMovie comment on Insomnia
nick121235
Absolutely gorgeously shot. The landscape lends a very melancholy atmosphere and the sets and color palette just makes me want to die, it's so beautiful. Probably my favourite part about the film.The story is amazing, it's fairly simple, which works in the film's favour because the real focus is on the mental duress that our main character is going through. A wild roller coaster.
I've just got to say it... it's better than Nolan's version.
Movie comment on Desolation
nick121235
A lot better than expected. Amazing acting from all the characters that spoke.. I actually enjoyed the undercurrents of drama, something i am not prone to in horror films like this. Otherwise, fairly generic, but with the character background I found myself quite engaged.Movie comment on Friend Request
nick121235
I was actually very pleasantly surprised by this. So without further ado, let's get into it.Pros: The film is genuinely engaging. I did not feel bored or annoyed at all during the duration of this film and I honestly expected to.
Gorgeous cinematography. The camera work deserves a better film to go along with it so whoever that was, kudos.
Oh yeah, um also I have huge crush on Kobe.
Cons: I feel like they could have delved more into the first part, perhaps made that around half of the film. The initial story has a lot of material that could have been looked into more and would have made the plot more interesting. Sadly it devolved into formulaic slasher mode.
The jump scares and scary imagery are not well used. I could have done without them.
Overall I think this film is a lot better than most of the 'social media slashers' that have been coming out. I really like the idea of incorporating social media into the modern horror tropes because I think it can help contextualize the story and help people of my age and younger relate to these films, which in turn makes them that much scarier- but sadly a lot of the movies that attempt to do this just end up using the social media aspect as a gimmick, or the tech aspect is highly unrealistic due to using imaginary sites or programs that aren't even halfway believable. Luckily this one delivered a genuine and normal portrayal of the programs and websites people use.
Movie comment on The Ninth Gate
nick121235
On my second rewatch I upped this film half a star. It's genuinely pretty entertaining, and I think the first time that I saw it, I wasn't quite expecting such a "commercial" film. I think I was right on the tail end of finishing Venus in Fur in fact, so I was looking for something more... art-house.At any rate, this film is highly entertaining, a slow burning thriller, the type that Polanski is so damn good at.
As always, beautiful, beautiful sets, lighting, and camera work.
I have no idea why people say that Depp was miscast, I thought he was fantastic.
Movie comment on Raising Cain
nick121235
Second time watching and I chose the Director's Cut this time. And I've got to say, I much prefer it. Quite a hallucinatory experience.Once again, this film held my attention throughout and just flew by. It's absolutely hilarious but also suspenseful and, at times, terrifying. Meshing comedy with horror can be quite a difficult task, so this film is obviously firing on all cylinders.
Visually stunning, better pacing throughout the director's edition, wonderful score, and a dreamlike atmosphere. All of these things add up to make a film that's really quite appealing despite what others have said.
Movie comment on Giallo
nick121235
Many people have compared this film to 2004's Eyes of Crystal, and I have no doubt that Argento was influenced by said film, but one thing I do want to say is that Giallo has much cleaner and more precise cinematography, and that is a huge improvement over Eyes of Crystal's jerky and fast camera movement style. I know that it was popular in the 00's, and even up until only a few years ago, but it's always been a style I've hated.At any rate, this isn't exactly a great effort from late Argento. A hell of a lot better than Dracula 3D, but what isn't?
Sleepless is much better than this, as is The Stendhal Syndrome and Trauma. Just about the only post-Opera film it does overtake is Phantom of the Opera, and again, what doesn't?
Giallo is honestly somewhat of a disappointment, especially considering the pretty involving beginning.
Visually however, it is somewhat of a treat. And for me, visuals are even more important than plot. What this IS lacking is atmosphere, pacing, and tension- in favour of gore and torture. Not a good trade off.
Movie comment on Spontaneous Combustion
nick121235
god i fucking love those transparent, glowing phones and radios that chick has.Anyway, not as bad as many people say it is. I'm actually a fan of Tobe Hooper's later work (well, some of it).
I think people expect far too much of him based on the cultural impact of TCM and its just not fair. Tobe Hooper's films have always been rather fun and campy, while simultaneously making (sometimes rather heavy handed) sociocultural critiques.
As others have noted, Spontaneous Combustion has underlying themes relating to the way that the 50's atomic bomb influenced and informed the culture of the 80's. A lot of biting references to the 'nuclear family' and its place in society as well as how both the presence and absence can affect us as we grow up and become adults.
I honestly have no idea why most people say this started his downward slide cause its actually pretty good- a lot better than his remake of Invaders, that's for sure.
Movie comment on Hack-O-Lantern
nick121235
Really, really bad, but hilarious in that way that only cheesy 80's slashers can be. With the way the mother acts, this could have been taken as a light satire on the whole 'sex drugs and rock n roll' thing but I genuinely doubt there was any such self reflection present in the making of this movie. In fact I don't think there was a single joke the entire running length but I still found myself laughing pretty often. Well, other than when that comedian came out at the party. I wasn't laughing then.Bad acting, bad dialogue, bad sets, bad cinematography. Classic case of 'so bad its good'... but not too good.
Movie comment on Camping del terrore
nick121235
Every review I've read has said the same exact things about how the film is very different and disappointing for the director especially regarding the amazing cast so I'm not going to go into that; but I do want to say that the soundtrack reminded me of Klaus Schulze's for Angst (1983) which is possibly my favourite movie soundtrack of all time so it definitely has that going for it.Other than that, this film started off as a six for me and it continued and ended in exactly the same way. No highs and no lows. Just a solid, standard American style 80's slasher, despite having been made in Italy. Don't think this will have anything about it that's reminiscent of giallo other than the base themes that the general slasher took from the genre because it does not resemble gialli at all.
I own a VHS rip and it still looks pretty awesome to me so that says something. Dated, but awesome.
As others have noted, the location is A plus and Mimsy Farmer is absolutely stunning.
Movie comment on Occhi di cristallo
nick121235
This one had a lot of potential. The beginning was great, and I was really enjoying the film until things started to slow down around the middle. Unfortunately, they didn't pick back up, but instead deteriorated even further to a very unsatisfying ending. The camera work was that typical of 00's films as was the boring colour palette. Despite all of this, it did manage to rise above the typical police thriller. And it's still better than Argento's "neo-giallo" efforts.Movie comment on Crocodile
nick121235
Well, it's crap, but it's entertaining crap. A lot of people judge this movie very harshly because it was directed by Tobe Hooper and I can't blame them. This isn't a good movie. It's silly, it panders to the teen crowd with awful dialogue and stupid jokes. The crocodile is laughable. Bad CGI. But there a few moments I do enjoy, some nice cinematography and overhead scenes of the lake and forest. And if you're a fan of the campy teen scare scene you'll probably enjoy the beginning at least a bit.Overall I'd say it's very middle of the road.
Movie comment on La nuit des traquées
nick121235
One of Rollin's best. Gorgeous film.Movie comment on Goodfellas
nick121235
really not the biggest fan. i feel like i should have enjoyed this more, it's so heavily lauded, but it barely gives us a moment to breathe, much less empathize with any of the characters.Movie comment on The Ghost Writer
nick121235
This is the tenth time I've seen this film so what follows are just a few thoughts I had during this re-watch.The Ghost Writer is simple and minimalist, each line of dialogue is carefully measured and crafted; the whole thing is quite a slow burn but there are several blasts of realization coming in quick succession near the end that make it very worthwhile sitting through the full two hours.
The Ghost Writer is not lavish in any aspect- a simple but beautiful set, calculated camera shots, a stark realism with just a hint of theatre.
This is probably one of the best modern updates on the noir film. The whole thing has an atmosphere of the 60's noir film, or maybe it's just a bit closer to Polanski's own earlier remaking of the style, Chinatown.
My favorite films are, without falter, surrealist, baroque, and flagrant; but for some reason The Ghost Writer stands alone in it's style as one of my all time favourites.
Many people will compare it with Polanski's earlier films but to be honest I can't say that I like any other work of his more than this one (though some not quite less).
Simple and slow, but there's a lot underneath to discover.
Movie comment on Femme Fatale
nick121235
Fun as only De Palma can be. Here he shines with the giallo and noir references. Some say it's more formulaic than his others and that it seems to lack personal spark. I agree. Femme Fatale is like a well oiled name dropping machine cloaked in gorgeous camerawork and stylistic flourishes. Maybe that's a bad thing but it's just so much fun I can't help but adore it. Maybe it's a guilty pleasure, maybe its something more. Sometimes watching De Palma's work feels like the cinematic equivalent of jerking myself off for two hours and giving myself a high five every time I spot a line or scene taken out of Vertigo or Rear Window or Mona Lisa or Suspiria. What does it say about me that I enjoy that as much as I do?Showing items 1 – 25 of 206