Amazon Prime Instant Video Rec

ARE WE NOT CATS
4/5

This is like a David Lynch film (think Blue Velvet) on crystal meth.
Beautiful cinematography and a great soundtrack provide counterpoints for some seriously subdued depravity.
I would label it a psychological horror film, but even that description isn't accurate as it's not terribly scary, instead just teeming with slow-build intensity and an implied sense of unease.
No gore, just people doing fucked up shit in the warm embrace of a dreamlike visage.

RIYL
Blue Velvet; Blue Ruin; May;

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Originally Posted by dookey67

FOUR of the APOCALYPSE just popped back up.
If you dig really f$%ed-up Spaghetti Westerns, then this will be your jam.
It's got more messed-up violence than you can shake a stick at (rape, necropheliac cannibalism, etc), all of it accompanied by a sun-shiny pop score which creates this strange balance of emotions. Yet despite the warped violence, it's a strangely poetic endeavor that rises above the director's usual schlock horror fare.
It was directed by Lucio Fulci, best known for Zombi (the film where a zombie fights a shark!) and The Beyond (the film which features the "classic" eye stabbing scene) as well as Don't Torture A Duckling; in short, Fulci is mostly revered for his horror films, so this is something of a departure.
Not for the squeamish, but if you dig ultra-violence, spaghetti westerns, and just warped/weirdness, this is a gem.
Made at the time when Spaghetti Westerns were fading in popularity (1975) it is one of my favorites of the genre as it really tweaks the conventions and pushes the boundaries of the genre's storytelling.

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Holy jesus! After your review I smoked some ganj and cued it up. It takes a minute to lull you into the supremely fucked up shit. Idk why but the ultra violence set to the poppy soundtrack just really worked. Def not for everyone but I actually thought it was pretty good(in a very fucked up way)

^Since you dug Four of the Apocalypse, then check out MANNAJA: A MAN CALLED BLADE.

It's got more of a Hammer Horror vibe in terms of the tone and visuals (at least the opening sequence) and is a bit darker and perhaps not as deranged as FotA, but it's another off-kilter, late period Spaghetti Western that is often overlooked.
It has a down-tempo theme song that lumbers throught the film and worms its way into your subconciousness. The action is great, and the story is bonkers good.
It was directed by Sergio Martino, who made a name for himself directing giallo (violent thrillers) films.

Catastrophe makes me laugh out loud, repeatedly every episode.

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Originally Posted by Woodsy

Catastrophe makes me laugh out loud, repeatedly every episode.

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Yep.

I need to go back and watch from the beginning again. The recent final season was superb.. what a great ending.

Plus she gives me a funny feeling in the trouser regions.

Was on a Ben Wheatley kick and watched a Field in England and Free Fire. FF was the better of the two, but Field had some cool parts. High Rise is a good one by him too but it's not on Prime anymore.

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Originally Posted by cdlv

Was on a Ben Wheatley kick and watched a Field in England and Free Fire. FF was the better of the two, but Field had some cool parts. High Rise is a good one by him too but it's not on Prime anymore.

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I feel that Field in England would have benefitted from having been seen on the BIG screen (I, too, saw it on Prime).

Wheatley's early film, Kill List, is great, imho. Dunno if it is streaming though.

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Originally Posted by PNWbrit

Yep.

I need to go back and watch from the beginning again. The recent final season was superb.. what a great ending.

Plus she gives me a funny feeling in the trouser regions.

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The main guy apparently is an alcoholic in real life and lost his 2 yr old son to brain cancer last year.

Amazing he is still going.

He co-writes it too.

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Originally Posted by dookey67

^Since you dug Four of the Apocalypse, then check out MANNAJA: A MAN CALLED BLADE.

It's got more of a Hammer Horror vibe in terms of the tone and visuals (at least the opening sequence) and is a bit darker and perhaps not as deranged as FotA, but it's another off-kilter, late period Spaghetti Western that is often overlooked.
It has a down-tempo theme song that lumbers throught the film and worms its way into your subconciousness. The action is great, and the story is bonkers good.
It was directed by Sergio Martino, who made a name for himself directing giallo (violent thrillers) films.

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I agree regarding soundtrack. It definitely slowly makes it way in. Plot for me was just ok.

DOOKEY- Thanks again for the awesome in-depth reviews. I've checked out some interesting flicks because of your recommendations

This showed up to rent or buy for a few bucks.

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The awe that mountainous landscapes evoke is universal, yet even in a place that is 75% mountains, few people venture into true wilderness. Martina Halik and her 60-year-old mother Tania attempt a bitterly cold 2300km ski trek from Vancouver to Alaska through the treacherous Coast Mountains; a journey that has been completed only once before, and never by a female duo. Their adventure is interspersed with unheard stories of high-altitude human endurance and passion: a group of nuns inhabiting a mountain retreat to be closer to God, a photographer who is later buried in an avalanche, an impassioned alpinist, a focused snow artist, a couple who have been living off grid in the mountains for nearly 50 years. What is it that leads these adventurous people to sacrifice everything – comfort, family, personal safety – for a life in the mountains? Shot in cinematic detail, This Mountain Life is a riveting and intimate portrait of human passion set high in the peaks of BC, Canada.

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THE BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR

This early '90s wuxia-styled kung fu epic is basically a doomed love story (a la Romeo and Juliet) soaked in a dazzling array of high wire acrobatics, swervy swordplay, psychosexual mayhem, and oppulent sets and costumes. And it's got plenty of splatterific ultra-violence to boot.

The subtitles are a bit off and some of the acting is over-the-top, but the sheer gonzo pageantry of the whole affair is amazing.

This is one of the seminal films of the genre and time-period in regards to the HK film renaissance of the '90s and ranks up there with Peking Opera Blues, A Chinese Ghost Story, the Once Upon A Time In China series, Iron Monkey, and Saviour of the Soul (amongst others).

If you like your action films to be fast and furious and a bit on the goofy side, but still exciting and alla that, then this one's for you.

A definite influence on Crouching Tiger/Hidden Dragon for sure.

When I opened my Netflix account in 2004, that was the first dvd I received. Excellent movie!


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Revisited the original ROLLERBALL (1975) last night.
Still holds up.
Interestingly detached/laid-back performances from James Caan and John Houseman and classic dystopian socio-political leanings (subdued examinations of the cult of personality, corporate culture, etc.) indicative of the sci-fi of that era (think Logan's Run, Silent Running, etc.).

I actually think it would make a good double-feature with The Running Man (another film I revisited recently, and which also holds up, imho).

:)

DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT waste you time watching the 2002 "remake" of Rollerball.
What a steaming pile of shit that is.
Poorly editied, removes any of the subtle social commentary of the original. Just pure crap.
I believe I saw it in the theaters and may even have reviewed it and vaguely recall thinking it was utter shit upon release, but my memory has faded and I figured I would watch it as a compliment to the original. Compliment it ain't.
Again, it's just bad filmmaking.
Reading about its creation online is kind of interesting as the director (John McTiernan, who helmed the undisputable classic Die Hard) scrapped the original script in favor of mindless nudity and violence and then had to do multiple reshoots to save the film (the reshoots didn't work). Waste of the cast and a waste of not only my time, but yours (should you disregard my initial suggestion and end up watching it). This film isn't even good bad (i.e. it's not campy or clever or unintentionally funny...it's just bland and one-dimensional).

They shall not grow old

and I notice that Terry Gilliam's The Man Who Killed Don Quixote is available to rent as of last night.

SUSPERIA (2018)
3.5 / 5

I am always skeptical of remakes of classics, in this case the remake of Dario Argento's gonzo, super artsy, super bloody 1970's Italian horror masterpiece. I was doubly dubious about this film, too, since the director, Luca Guadagnino, had never delved into horror before and is primarily known for deep dramas and romantic films, which immediately makes any true blue horror fan shake their head, not to mention that some of the early interviews with him about how he was going to approach the subject matter were a bit troubling, to say the least.
But I'm a horror film nerd and I always let my curiosity get the best of me. In this case, I'm glad I did.
Gotta say, it was much better than I expected.
I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least.
For starters, it's less of a remake than a re-imagining as the director takes the basic story from the original and not only tweaks it, but expands on it to include some of Argento's other mythology (The Three Mothers, to be exact). He also eschews Argento's lush, ultra-bright colors in favor of a darker, slightly more drab feel that gives the film a much more gothic and creepy vibe.
Granted, the new film has a few problems, most notably the sappy Thom Yorke score (the film would have benefitted from hiring Jonny Greenwood instead, imho, as the abrasive and intense score he did for You Were Never Really Here was pretty fantastic and his style would have fit the horrific undertones of the film much better).
I kinda recommend watching the original and then seeing this if you are a gung-ho horror nerd.

RIYL
Rosemary’s Baby; The Sentinel; The Lords of Salem

RONIN
4/5

Had not seen this film in a long time. Still holds up.
Very Old School spy thriller with some insane car chases that are up there with French Connection, Bullitt, and To Live and Die In L.A. (no CG Fast/Furious bullshit, either).
DeNiro kills and Jean Reno is equally on point (their chemistry is tight). The supporting cast is also solid.
Great dialogue and a cool MacGuffin (even if it kinda borrows from Repo Man and Pulp Fiction) make the film sizzle even more. Lots of little attentions to detail that weave in and out of the story and tons of double-crosses, too.
Rumor has it that David Mamet re-tooled the script and some of his trademarks do shine through, so if you dig Mamet, then you'll probably dig this.
If you've never seen it, do yourself a favor and check it out. They don't make action/thrillers like this that much anymore.
If you have seen it, well it's totally worth revisiting.

Frankenheimer knows how to film cars

See Grand Prix.

Just binged watched season 5 of Bosch. One of best shows on tv, imho.

^^agreed.

Can't decide if Chief Erving is a good guy or evil incarnate.

I know I am late to the game, but I am digging Deadwood.


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Originally Posted by HD333

I know I am late to the game, but I am digging Deadwood.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Finally watched Deadwood over the last year or so...really liked it too. Looking forward to the HBO movie.

Holy Fuck, guys ...... late?????? LATE?!?!?!? How about resurrected from the Giza Pyramid, cursed moldy mummy, dried up an blew away, missed the annual migration to stampede the mastodons over the cliff ......

Yeah; THAT late.

But drooling over the "movie" too.

Im gonna rewatch that Deadwood cuz my wife has not seen it.

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Originally Posted by PB

Holy Fuck, guys ...... late?????? LATE?!?!?!? How about resurrected from the Giza Pyramid, cursed moldy mummy, dried up an blew away, missed the annual migration to stampede the mastodons over the cliff ......

Yeah; THAT late.

But drooling over the "movie" too.

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So, are you saying I should checkout this “Deadwood” show? I’ve heard of it.

Rewatching deadwood and I think it’s better the second time around. Maybe I was too stoned the first time or something. Stoked for the movie.

Wait; you're only rewatching it FOR THE SECOND TIME?!?!?!?

Lol I know. Don’t know why I didn’t earlier. Swegen is just incredible.

Of Mics and Men

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHFxvsqMZMg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40a5UNO5T44

Wu is playing Red Rocks on Halloween.. if I didn't have kids that'd be a great show to go to...

Take yer kids. Wutang is for the children

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Originally Posted by Bobby Stainless

Of Mics and Men

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHFxvsqMZMg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40a5UNO5T44

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Only problem is that this is on Showtiime, not Amazon...
:eek:

ELITE SQUAD
4.5/5
Viceral. Brutal. Intense. While Elite Squad hits all the familiar tropes of your standard cop drama, it’s anything but standard. It manages to bristle with ultra violence and a sense of claustrophobic intensity which few other films of this nature ever capture. This is due in no small part to the Rio De Janeiro locale and the steamy, dangerous, cramped favelas where a good part of the action takes place. The film also unleashes some scathing commentary on police corruption and brutality, the likes of which makes anything you’ve heard or seen about American police forces seem like candy-ass amatuer hour.

RIYL: A Prophet, City of God, Gomorrah, Training Day


FWIW, the trailer really doesn't do the film any justice. The look is much richer, saturated in metallic sepia tones and dense colors and the action is way more kinetic...

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Originally Posted by mall walker

The Sopranos.

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Just binged watched this entire show over the past few weeks. What a great freaking show. I’m sad it’s over.

Catastrophe is funny as hell too. Started watching Sneaky Pete, but kind of lost interest after a few shows. Might try The Wire next.. it’s gonna be tough to follow up after the Sopranos though

It’s amazing how much spare time you have when you break a knee.

You will laugh at that statement about tough to follow after you watch the Wire.

Enjoyed watching The Barkley Marathons last night, about what is probably the gnarliest ultra on the planet.

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Originally Posted by mcski

You will laugh at that statement about tough to follow after you watch the Wire.

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Been watching The Wire recently. I don't understand a word of it.