streetsofla Reviews

Natural Born Killers (1994)

A dazzling, post-modern masterpiece

[10/10 · 6 July 2001]

I was rather shocked by the amount of people on this page who gave this film a bad review. Sure Oliver Stone rams his `The Media creates heroes of killers' message right home with such a brutal and blatant force it hurts, but there's more to this than just it's deeper message. It's a film of style, and great style at that. He use's his trademark of crossing different films stocks, cutting from Technicolor to stark black and white and overlaying sound tracks all over the place, but here he goes for all out extremeness. Never before has a film looked like this, or even sounded like this. He crams so much into our faces in 5 minutes of this film than other directors have managed to do in their entire careers. And he does it so much style and confidence that one can't help but be impressed. Maybe this is Stone's greatest achievement, pushing together everything the nineties stood for into 2 frantic and hectic hours, before slamming it's audience back to ground with unrelenting force, maybe not. But still it beats the unforgivable waste which is `Any Given Sunday'.

Straw Dogs (1971)

A nerve-shredding, palm-sweating masterpiece

[8 June 2001]

Never before have I seen such a film which builds up the tension like this. Peckenpah slowly builds it up for over an hour before Hoffman is pushed too far and all Hell breaks loose. By the end of the film the audience has been forced through an orgy of violence, tension and, of course, rape. It's a shame that when people think of this film the only thing which comes to mind is the rape scene. This sequence, which is the reason why it's still banned in the U.K, is completely irrelevant. Having read the book, which is very good by the way, there is no scene equivalent in it, to the rape in `Straw Dogs'. Personally I can see no point to it, and it should have been cut. But even with it, Peckenpah has made a thrilling masterpiece which is un-like any of his other work. It cleverly combines elements taken from the western genre, suspense films, thrillers and the gothic horror genre. I just can't wait for the day it makes it's U.K debut on home video.

Ghostwatch (1992 TV Movie)

A Ghost in the Machine

[10/10 · 6 June 2001]

Ghostwatch is possibly the best programme the BBC ever screened, and without doubt, their most controversial. As I'm sure your all aware that the programme concerns Michael Parkinson, Sarah Greene, Mike Smith and Craig Charles investigating `The Most Haunted House in Britain'. The programme is set up as a live broadcast with Michael Parkinson and Mike Smith in the studio and Craig Charles and Sarah Greene at the Haunted house. The writer, Stephen Volk, cleverly builds up the tension, for about an hour, before unleashing all hell. Possessions, noises coming from the walls, strange marks appearing on the carpets, strange ghostly images appearing in mirrors and amongst the crew and just about every other form of subtle yet deeply unnerving effect is used. I, like thousands of others, was lead to believe this was all real. I had seen the T.V ads and read some stuff in the papers and, to me, it all seemed like it was going to be a factual programme about ghosts and ghouls. The BBC quickly banned the programme after it's one-and-only showing and never repeated it or made it available to buy. I have spent 9 years trying to find his programme and only recently I managed to lay my hands on a copy. Watching it again it still scared me and after all this time it still retains all it's impact. Which is a shame that it will never be shown again.

Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

A Disgusting Mess

[2/10 · 23 May 2001]

There are two main categories which the humble video nasty can fall into. High art, where the film uses excessive violence but in a way and for a purpose which has deeper meaning behind. These include the films `Last House on the Left', by Wes Craven and `Straw Dogs', by Sam Peckinpah. Then there's ones which simply exploit the genre, and rip off preceding classics. Cannibal Holocaust fits into the second one, although it's initial idea seemed very promising. It's story seems very cleaver, a couple of people go off into the dense rain forests in order to make a documentary about the local cannibal tribes. They are never heard of again, and only their video tapes remain. But it's through Ruggero's messy and shock provoking direction where the basic principle gets lost, and what remains is a vial, sick inducing mess of a movie. Ruggero only wants to show the audience the most violent things possible in the hope of making them feel sick and depraved, and in that sense he succeeds with flying colours. Repeated scenes of rape, torture, murder and, by far the worse, real-life animal cruelty ensue and destroy a perfectly good concept for a film, see `Blair Witch' they did the basic idea much better. Ignore all the others on this page, this is not high art, just another exploitation movie which thinks it's saying something of importance. Go and see `Straw Dogs' or `The Last House on the Left', they explore the themes of extreme fear and the human condition much better, and leave this film well alone.

Perfect Strangers (2001– )

Outstanding T.V

[10/10 · 18 May 2001]

I would just like to take this moment to withdraw an earlier comment I have made, Stephen Poliakoff is not the second greatest person working on T.V, he is THE greatest person ever to work on T.V and Perfect strangers is his masterpiece. Developing themes explored in his earlier work Shooting the Past, Perfect Strangers captures the magic and wonder surrounding such things as war stories, mysterious photographs, and dark secrets and hidden stories from family trees. But it's the way he tells these stories, using instantly likeable characters and beautifully worded passages to create a tale, which anyone with a childhood will instantly recognise and relate to. Although the programme is only a third the way through, the final part comes next Thursday, I feel it's safe to say that Poliakoff has created an everlasting programme which will be rediscovered and repeated for years to come. Perfect Strangers deserves to win all the BAFTAs and Media awards it will surely be nominated for.

The Keep (1983)

As Flawed as it is brilliant.

[8/10 · 5 March 2001]

The Keep is a very strange film in more ways than just its narrative. It is either one of those films which you love to bits or its one that you want to burn the original negative and then force to ashes down Michael manns throat so he chokes to death on them. I would have to say that I'm more for the first option. While not a perfect film it is still brilliantly unique and one, which I can not compare to anything else. Visually it's astonishing. Manns unique array of colours for the sky, the amazingly complex fort in which the evil monster lurks and, the dream like fantasy village which is placed at the bottom of the keep. What really lets this film down, and I mean really let it down, is its crappy 80s SFXs, which I can only compare to something which would be used in the `Power Rangers'. Also the characters seem a little flawed. None of them seem to have any depth and you end up never caring about any of them. The music, by a banned called `Tangerine Dream', also seems very 80s and would be better fitting in a Science Fiction film, such as `Blade Runner'. But if you can manage to put these things aside, Manns film is nothing less than amazing, as well as being incredibly intelligent, and one film which can't be easy forgotten. It's only really on second viewing, once you understand where the narrative is going, that the film's qualities begin to shine through. Although this film is never perfect it does have some astonishing moments and it's general overall structure and narrative set it far apart from anything else I've ever seen.

The Last House on the Left (1972)

Craven's finest film to date.

[10/10 · 27 February 2001]

This is without doubt Craven's finest film to date and its unlikely he will ever make a better film. Shot on a shoe string budget Craven and his partner Sean S Cunningham, the man behind Friday the 13th, have created an Ugly, disturbing but brilliantly made film. The Plot is loosely based upon an earlier film by a man named Ingmar Bergman called `the Virgin Spring', and that film is in turn based upon an old, Swedish legend about a girl who is on her way to church when a group of shepherds rape and kill her. Her parents soon hear about this and decide to take bloody revenge upon her killers. This is basically what `last house' is about. But once you scrape away the cheap looking surface you will find a film which underneath is a whole lot more complex and much more meaningful. Craven made this film as a metaphor for the recent war in Vietnam, and after the killing spree of infamous killer Charles Manson. The Vietnam symbolism can be seen with the girls parents, happy ordinary Americans, moving into uncharacteristic bouts of extreme violence in order to avenge their daughters death. Also after all the blood shed and carnage the parents have achieved nothing as their daughter is still dead. The film is also a complex study of serial killers, possibly the best(a long side "Henry:Portrait of a serial killer"). Craven never for once lets the audience sympathise with the serial killers but does open a window of insight into how they have the power to kill. In one particularly, and possibly best in the whole film, scene the serial killers toy with the girls as if playing with a favourite toy but once the game gets out of hand the killers look down upon the carnage with sadden confusion as if their favourite toy has become broken. This film is also a very important one in the genre of horror, if that's what genre this incredibly complex film can be pigeon holed into. Before it there was only one horror film which dealt with serial killers and that was `Psycho', which came nearly 12 years before it. If you compare the two films together `Last House on the Left' is by far the scarier and, in my opinion, the best. `Psycho's' main killer, Norman Bates, lives along in a run down motel which no one ever visits. The killers in `Last House on the Left' don't live outside of society. These are people who could live just down the road from you, who on the surface seem like nice ordinary people but, without warning, are capable of lashing out in to such acts as torture, rape and murder. This is where the films true element of horror comes from, the people with in it who are out of control but are accepted by society, as Mari's parents accept the killers into their home, with open arms. To be fair this film does have it's faults. Krug, played by David Hess and Mari, played by Sandra Cassel turn in excellent performances. Mari's friend, Phyllis Stone and the other two serial killers turn in average performances. Mari's parents came straight from doing T.V soaps, and it shows. And the police men, well the less which is said about them the better is all I can say. The sound and picture quality are slightly poor, but which can be forgiven due to the films budget. And the sound track , written by lead actor David Hess, although good in parts, the song `The road leads to no-where' comes to mind, is generally too happy and for that reason unsuitable for the films content. But these are minor quibbles for an otherwise brilliant film which should be seen by all who is interested by the horror genre. But it is rather violent and disturbing film as the tag line suggests ` To avoid fainting keep repeating, it's only a movie, only a movie, only a movie'.

Witchfinder General (1968)

A milestone in Horror and the British film industry.

[10/10 · 12 February 2001]

A masterpiece of Horror this is one of the greatest horror films ever made. From the eerie pre-credit sequence in which we see the beautiful English country which is then broken by the terrorflying sound of an echoing hammer ringing out. we then see a man standing on a hill putting together an set of gallows in which we see a supposed witch dragged out to and then hung, no last requests, no trial, just hung and then her body is left to swing in the wind. It's this bleak approach, this unflinching eye cast upon the brutal excustions of supposed witches which makes this film stand apart from other horror films of this nature. Although the film consists of several executions there is no sign of any witch craft taking place at all. It is through this we discover Matthew Hopkins a man who probably doesn't even believe in witches but uses their image to make money and to send innocent people to their death. This is where the real horror of the film comes from. Not from witches or the devil but through the horror of one man, Matthew Hopkins, and what he does for his own self greed and self gain. A milestone in Horror as well as British cinema, Whitchfinder general follows its accusations and visionary style through its moments of graphic violence and self revenge right up to its devastating end, And what a devastating end it is too. `You took him away from me, You took him away'.

The Tribe (1998)

Haunting, poetic and brilliant

[10/10 · 30 January 2001]

In a time when T.V programmes are either shoddy new ideas or made-over remakes of old classics it's nice to see something fresh, controversial and brilliant. The `Tribe' is probably the finest, original and engaging T.V film drama to make it's way on to our T.V screens in years. Written and directed by one masterful Stephen Poliakoff, the man behind such classics as, among others, the T.V series `Shooting the Past' and the excellent film ` Close my eyes', here comes the greatest, and sadly winner of no awards, T.V film of 1998. The `tribe' has one rare thing most T.V films now lack, a decent script. It's with this script he helps paint his vivid image of an underworld of modern suburbia in which a bizarre cult live, oblivious to the decaying and messed up world around them. They create their own world with their own rules to which Jamie has to learn to accept before he can even begin to understand them and their ways. It is also through Poliakoff's beautifully handled direction which he helps to create his dream like world where fantasy and fiction more often than not collide and slowly merge in to one. It is also in Poliakoff's use of a `Lock, Stock' style yellow filter which helps enforce the films dream like narrative and gives the film a feel which can only be compared to Stanly Kubricks final master work `Eyes Wide Shut'. But it is really down to the acting which really bring Stephen Poliakoff's film to life. Jeremy Northam and Anna Friel turn in excellent performances as usual as the property developer and the girl who seduces him. But it's Joely Richardson's `tour de force' performance which really steals the show. Her character is complex, powerful yet physically naked as we see what her real life is like outside of the one she created. She lives with her mother and father who couldn't really care less about her. It is for this reason she has created her own world where the troubles of everyday life are non-existent. The whole cult live in the centre of a big city yet are so detached from the other people who in-habit the city they feel truly free.This can be seen in the hippie symbolism at the beginning of the film. It is because of these such deep and complex story lines that I feel Stephen Poliakoff is the second greatest person working on T.V today, the first being Chris Morris. As this film was never released on tape means it is hard to find. But it is worth checking out if you can get hold of a copy as you will be in for a real treat.

Falling Down (1993)

Trying so hard to be Taxi Driver it hurts.

[3/10 · 29 January 2001]

Is it just me or is this film not very good at all? I mean all my friends seemed to like it but I just found it lame and rather boring. It had heaps of potential, man slowly goes crazy in middle of busy town with base ball bat and guns, but it didn't seem to go anywhere. I found it extremely frustrating for that the fact that it slowly built up, through Mr Douglas starting out with a base ball bat going up to him getting a bag full of guns and even a rocket launcher, but then before it could turn into a blood thirsty, all action shoot out it just ended. There was no going back to the brothel with a collection of carefully concealed guns as in Taxi Driver. Or a "say hello to my little friend" style shoot out as in Scarface. It just ended. They also had some of the most stupid action scenes ever put to film, Mr Douglas firing a rocket launcher down a sewer comes to mind, which brings the whole level of the film right down from serious hard hitting drama to silly, unbelievable nonsense. This is by far the best film from Joel Schumacher but bearing in mind his other films include "Batman and Robin" that really isn't saying much.

The Company of Wolves (1984)

One of my favourite films of all time.

[10/10 · 29 January 2001]

"Little Red Riding Hood" is a story loved and appreciated by most children all around the country. But never before has it been presented in this manner. Neil Jordan's "In the Company of Wolves" is a splendid film that blends symbolism, excellent performances, and fine art direction to create an extremely entertaining and intellectual piece of work. ~P~ One of the most fascinating aspects of "The Company of Wolves" is it's symbolism. The film's tie with Little Red Riding Hood-- especially the wolves--combine too create an allegory for adolescent sexual awakening and mature, beastlike sexual nature. The film is sprinkled with references, outright and hidden, to support this theme. Other scattered images prove to promote reflection on their meanings, something many films today do not even attempt. Performances in the film are also a treat. Angela Lansbury especially stands out as Granny, a world-wise woman with a tongue spilling wisdom, drivel, and humor. The other knock-out performance is that of Sarah Patterson as Rosaleen (Little Red Riding Hood). She emits a cool knowing of her budding sexuality and slowly grows until she is ready to embrace the forbidden territory of passion. The art direction of the film--costumes, sets, images--all contribute to its excellence. The costumes are all very period, and Rosaleen red cape seems to have even more special significance here (do we detect more symbolism?!?).The setting is very unique, a combination of surrealism, Disney, and the medieval period. The scattered images in the film--especially the ending--raise it high above many films available today. "The Company of Wolves" is a fascinating film chock full of Freudian symbolism, dazzling art, and winnign performances. If you aren't afraid to think a little bit about the pictures flashing before your eyes, you owe to yourself to hop to the local video store and rent this film...you wil NOT be disappointed!

Halloween (1978)

Sharp, blood-curdling scarefest

[10/10 · 29 January 2001]

Sharp, blood-curdling scarefest with a magnificant debut from Jamie Lee Curtis, who's career launched into even more slasher and horror flicks before propelling to become a famous (and arrogant...j/k!) celebrity. This is the pivotial film for the (later celebrated) Miss Jamie Lee Curtis. Halloween is a grand thriller that evokes fear aplenty. The suspense is top notch, the characters are actually sympathetic (albeit poor decision makers) for once, and unlike most latter day stalk and slash films, Halloween does a great job building atmosphere and mood which climbs from an lowly, unexpected beginning to a hair-raising, adrenaline rushing climax. Halloween is the film that started to all: This horror flick that paved the wave for hundreds, perhaps thousands of weak@$$ slasher films that foolishly tried to capitalize on the success of this precedented (much imitated) thriller. However, instead, these lame slasher movies inveigh into a whirlpool of obscurity... ~p~ You probably already know the notorious story but here goes... On Halloween Night in 1963, Michael Myers, (not the Saturday Night Live's Michael Myers) than 6 years old brutally murders his older sister with a kitchen knife. The pain is agonizing as Myers stabs his sister multiple times with a knife, until you collapses, lying in her own pool of blood... Myers is then taken to a mental hospital where he has been confined there for 15 years...but not for long... ~p~ On Halloween Night, 1978, Myers manages to break free from his incarceration and once again...he begins his unfinished killing spree eactly where he left off...at Haddonfield, Ohio... His particularly targeting a young, naive babysitter... ~p~ Dr. Loomis (the late British actor Donald Pleasance), Myers' psychiatrist is currently stalking Myers himself while the serial killer hunts down more victims, young and old...for his collection... Meanwhile, young, nubile Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), is the main heroine for this horror pic. She senses intimations of trouble when a stranger wearing a white mask begins to follow her every move... By Halloween Night, Strode gradually forgets about this taciturn man, but she tragically learns that it's a neccessity to remain precarious... ~p~ P.J. Soles (Rock and Roll High School Forever) is Strode's best friend in this movie. She's trustworthy...but rather dim-witted and has a couple of brief nudity scenes. Nancy Loomis (Assault on Precinct 13) is also an acquaintance of Strode. The three girls have decided to go for a night out, but Strode instead wanted to babysit a couple of downright naughty and out-of-control kids. The other two girls go out and have fun, you know, they act horny, have sex with their boyfriends...and get attacked by a homicidal maniac...whoops...gave away the plot twist...oh well... ~p~ Halloween is one of the most well-crafted horror films ever made. It is highly influential in its genre, and surprisingly, director John Carpenter does a great job fabricating a wonderfully fiendish masterpiece without having to resort to a high body count or gratuitous violence and gore. Halloween supposedly became one of the biggest independent films ever made, grossing receipts of over $55 million dollars at the box-office. Halloween is a persuasive horror film because it actually has a logical plot, semi-coherence, important dialogue, fine acting, and decent character angles. Also, director John Carpenter also takes care of the fact that the audience in this film is constantly feeling tense. Like the main character(s) in this film, Halloween, the viewer watching this movie feels consistently in danger to. This person wants to warn the character in this film to watch out...and whether he/she does follow the advice is to be determined... ~p~ Halloween, like a first-rate thriller, allows the viewer to vicariously feel the nerve-wrecking tension of many of the characters involved in this project. Halloween may not have a lot of action, but the continuous feel of jeopardy in this motion picture prevents Halloween from becoming a bore. Halloween is (shockingly) innocuous, tasteful, enjoyable, moderately horrifying, and providing plenty of goosebumps that will accompany u for restless, sleepless nights. Halloween is a film that most people will enjoy. You don't have to have a titanium stomach (unlike most gore drenched movies) to actually have the pleasure of delightfully being scared out of your wits for this horror film. Even 20 years later after Halloween was made, it is still a powerful and highly popular and rented horror video. Halloween scares the daylights out of the audience with **** out of ****.

The Wicker Man (1973)

Outstanding and highly underrated masterpiece

[10/10 · 29 January 2001]

This movie comes from a day when the focus was on the story and the characters involved in the story. You get none of that "Let's throw in some £50 million CGI FX to cover up this crappy screenplay" attitude towards filmmaking that you see today. The Wickerman's got to be one of the creepiest suspense movies I've ever seen, with excellent cinematography and a ton of camera tricks and pans that are just brilliant! Very atmospheric work. The soundtrack is appropriately creepy . It is just such a shame that this film was lost for so many years, manly due to British Lion who wouldn't disribute it properly. It was originally placed in a double bill with "Don't look Now" and within a year it had vanished from the cinema screens in the U.K. Cut to pieces by the distributer and over shadowed by "The Exorcist" on it's original release, it is only now that it is finally getting the reconigition it has always deserved.

Citizen Kane (1941)

Good, but not great

[8/10 · 29 January 2001]

Okay, I for one never got why this movie got so popular. It's okay, but there are so many better movies out there-from that time period. What about "Rebecca" that won Best Picture only the year before, and "How Green was my Valley" the one that "Citizen Kane" LOST to? Orson Welles came across as such a pudgy faced snob. I much prefered the performances of the supporters in this film. Joseph Cotten and Agnes Moorehead - you know, the ones that Welles kept trying to overshadow? They later both proved themselves. Joseph Cotten was never better than with Jennifer Jones in "Love Letters" "Portrait of Jennie" and "Since You Went Away." Welles later proved what a ham he really was by his horrible Mr. Rochester in "Jane Eyre." The guy never looked dummer. Agnes Moorehead, (whom Welles had already known from the radio show "The Shadow" certainly had a fabulous career. Most memorable to me as Endora on the show "Bewitched." Watch some other movies from the time instead of always watching this one again. You might be very surprised.