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Reviews
The Entity (1982)
compelling study of female hysteria
The Entity isn't subtle about the nature of the supernatural phenomena it portrays - within the first few minutes Barbara Hershey's character is attacked sexually by the "entity". Thereafter the attacks repeat and escalate and the film revolves around questioning the cause of them - which involves psychiatric analysis of Hersehy's childhood and the possibility she is hysterically creating the attacks herself. What is especially good about this film is that - atleast for the first half - it avoids black and white views by any characters. Everyone is ambiguous about what is going on. Later on the serious special effects start and the lines are drawn between the metaphysical and the psychiatric/materialistic camps. This movie apparently predates POLTERGEIST by a year though it is quite reminiscent in the second half. The acting, writing, direction, and music in this film are very good -- a well-handled look at a difficult subject (a woman being repeatedly raped by an invisible entity.)
The Transporter (2002)
Despite Hong Kong director, same old action
Don't be fooled by directing credit for Corey Yuen, famed Hong Kong action director, or Luc Besson's production and script -- this is strictly Hollywood action fare, same old garbage. There is one fight sequence with some of that HK flourish, but the rest is tired formula mandated by studio. Also, Shu Qi is nice to look at but there are no sparks with the hero, and the obligatory love scene has no glimpses of her lovely figure unclothed, and is just awkwardly stuck into the movie with no reason other than it had to be there. Don't insult yourself - pass on this!
Blow-Off! (1987)
pretty decent hard-boiled noir porno
Blow Off! takes it's noir seriously, and pays homage to the past, while winking a bit at the genre - a form of deconstruction one could say. The script has its share of classic noir-like lines - my favourite being, "He had a personality like a turkey stuffed with sexual indiscretions." Plot is the old detective-paid-to- spy-on-woman-having-sex, with a twist something like in Chuck Vincent's The Voyeur. Who said porn went bad after '85?
All American Girls (1982)
Palatial French locations add a touch of class
This film was shot on location in Paris in some very classy and rich locations. In addition, the erotic stories told are also shot on location in places like Hong kong. Unfortunately, they only sent a cameraman out so the sound is dubbed in later (mostly just heavy breathing and slurping; they cleverly shot these scenes with next to no dialog) and is poorly done. But there are some interesting camera angles and the director likes putting sex scenes in public locales, such as the threesome which takes place on the stairs while quite a large gathering of socialites listens to a violin concerto a few feet away. A worthwhile effort.
Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out! (1989)
better yet - don't watch
This is a very bad movie - dry, boring, lame, technically inept. The script is very poor. I can't believe Monte Hellman actually directed it - or anyone, for that matter. The ONLY good thing about this film is Robert Culp, who rises far above everything else in his role as the detective. He's great.
Gina (1975)
A Canadian "Straw Dogs"
While Gina is a solid entry in the 70's film canon of chicks who get brutal revenge on men who rape them, it is also quintessentially Canadian (or, more accurately, Quebecois). All of the classic elements are there - the slow pacing which builds to the explosive last act, the electric guitar title music, the star getting naked, the gang-rape, the muscle car chase, the bloody finale...except in this case the setting is a town in Quebec in the middle of winter, the gang rides snowmobiles instead of motorcycles - and there is a film crew attempting to make a documentary expose on the local exploitive textile mill. Gina has a great socio-realist feel, AND a roaring purple Plymouth 383 Roadrunner. Yes!
Gan shi yan tan (1991)
Chinese 'hopping vampire' movie with hardcore scenes
This is a curious movie, juxtaposing the 'hopping vampire' genre with porn sex scenes. Fairly low budget yet convincingly looking like the period piece it purports to be, it is a semi-comedy that suddenly jumps to explicit penetration shots - the first one with a 'necrophilia' slant to it. Although not dubbed in English (it does have subtitles), it appears to have been filmed without sound and dubbed in whatever Chinese dialect later. Amidst the vampires and porn there is also a smidgin of kung fu and a little sorcery effects.