The Slayer (1982)

Director: J.S. Cardone

Starring: Sarah Kendall, Frederick Flynn, Carol Kottenbrook, Alan McRae

Two couples become stranded on a rugged isle, and are haunted by a supernatural beast, drawn to the wife of one of the couples, who dreams of its killings.

Kay is an artist whose recent work is being criticized for being too abstract. Her inspiration comes from nightmares she’s having about a beast pursuing and attacking her. Together with her husband David, her brother Eric and his wife Brooke, the four of them go on vacation to a secluded island.

Kay is still plagued by nightmares and this causes tension between her and the rest of the party. However, things soon take a horrible turn which sees them fighting for survival.

The early 80’s saw the release of dozens of slasher movies. ‘The Slayer’ might sound like an all-out slasher movie, but the film is unusual in the sense that we never get to see the antagonist. Even when the killings start, we don’t see the killer. There are also only four characters in the film, so not really a slasher in the true sense.

Due to the small cast we got to know all the characters better, allowing us to root for them. There were a few nicely done suspenseful moments as well. In general, though, the film might disappoint fans of the genre for lack of gore, and an unseen villain.

Would I watch it again? Not sure. Maybe.

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen

When a simple jewelry heist goes horribly wrong, the surviving criminals begin to suspect that one of them is a police informant.

I know I’m in the vast minority here – and you can crucify me for saying this – but I hated this movie. Quintin Tarantino’s movies require an acquired taste, and I guess I haven’t acquired that taste yet. I found this utterly boring and quite annoying, actually.

So, most of the film is set in a warehouse. The Reservoir Dogs are a bunch of thieves. A Heist – which is not shown to the audience – went wrong, and now the thieves are trying to figure out which one of them is the “rat”, who alerted the cops. They suspect one of them is an undercover cop, so the film sees the men talking, yelling, swearing, talking, yelling, swearing, talking, yelling, swearing…oh, whatever, I hated this! I swear, almost the entire movie revolved around these men arguing about who the rat is!! Ugh, enough already; this is so not my kind of entertainment!!

I mean, need I say more? There was nothing else happening here, and very little was actually shown to the audience. For most parts, the viewer had to envision what happened. I quickly loose interest in movies with too much dialogue. Add a couple of swear words in every single sentence and I’m tempted to hit the STOP button on my remote.

When they had that 5-minute conversation in the beginning of the movie about tipping in a restaurant, I should have stopped already. I don’t normally enjoy neo-noir crime movies. Did I enjoy ‘Reservoir Dogs’? Well, the answer to this is obvious: it’s a resounding NO!!

‘Reservoir Dogs’ received 36 award nominations, winning 13.

Would I watch it again? NO.

Godzilla Minus One (2023)

Director: Takashi Yamazaki

Starring: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Sakura Andô

Post war Japan is at its lowest point when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster, baptized in the horrific power of the atomic bomb.

If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know by now I’m no Godzilla fan. Yet, every time there’s a new Godzilla movie I find myself watching it – maybe hoping there would finally be one that I enjoy. And such was the case with ‘Godzilla Minus One’. I think the biggest reason I enjoyed this blockbuster ‘Godzilla’ is the fact it was not made by Hollywood. I also enjoyed the fact this movie was not set in modern times. Another reason I enjoyed the movie more than the American versions, was the fact I liked the characters. (Most of the characters in the Hollywood films are bland and one-dimensional).

‘Godzilla Minus One’ starts in 1945 during World War 2. Koichi Shikishima is a Kamikaze pilot who abandoned his duties and pretended his plane was faulty. When Godzilla attacks a military base and Koichi freezes up when ordered to shoot the creature, Koichi is blamed for the deaths of the soldiers. This, together with the fact he abandoned his initial mission, sees Koichi being branded as a coward.

Returning home, he finds the city in ruins, having been bombed. He meets Noriko, who found a baby and now cares for it, and reluctantly allows her to stay with him because she has nowhere to go. Koichi finds a job disposing of landmines that were planted in the sea during the war.

Although a monster movie, the film also concentrates on character development and human drama. This allowed me to root for the characters in their fight against Godzilla. Godzilla is a giant, ugly sea monster and the film showed no mercy when it came to destruction and human casualties – just as it ought to be when a giant prehistoric creature attacks a city.

After causing unimaginable destruction, the authorities must now devise a plan to kill the monster. While the film’s first half was pretty much character driven, the second half delivers more action as the fight against Godzilla ensued. I absolutely loved the film’s toned down score (as opposed to the loud and bombarding score of most of the Hollywood blockbuster movies). In fact, the score was absolutely stunning. The visual effects are also incredibly good!

The film is also a display of heroism in the face of disaster, and an enemy almost impossible to defeat. I must be honest, I did find Godzilla’s ability to produce heat rays causing atomic bomb like destruction maybe a bit too much, but that’s just my opinion and it was still all good. This is a very entertaining movie.

At the box office, ‘Godzilla Minus One’ earned nearly $116 million on a budget of around $12 million. The film received 97 award nominations, winning 41 including the Oscar for Best Achievement in Visual Effects (well deserved!).

In Japanese.

Would I watch it again? Yes.

Night School (1981)

Director: Ken Hughes

Starring: Leonard Mann, Rachel Ward, Drew Snyder

Women in the evening curriculum at Boston’s distinguished Wendell College do a lot to get ahead in life. But there’s someone who will go to even greater heights. Someone will do anything to get a head: a killer whose modus operandi is the ritualistic decapitation of victims.

‘Night School’ might give the wrong impression the film is set at a night school. It is not; neither are the murders committed at the school. As it turns out, most of the victims are all from Wendell College, the night school.

I’m surprised by how good this 80’s slasher actually was. It has style and substance and made for an interesting whodunit murder mystery.

The film starts with a young teacher being beheaded at school after everyone had gone home already. Lt. Austin (Leonard Mann) is called to the scene. As he investigates, more murders take place – the one more bizarre than the other. They all have one thing in common, though: each victim’s head is found submerged in water.

We meet Professor Vincent Millett (Drew Snyder), who has a personal interest in the girls at the college. Eleanor (Rachel Ward) is one of his affairs. Thought to be Vincent’s only love, she is insanely jealous of him. Their relationship is taken to the next level when she announces she is pregnant.

Wendell College administrator Helene Griffin also has an interest in the girls (erm, make that a personal interest, as well), and then there’s the somewhat mysterious Gary, a peeping tom with mental issues, who works at a restaurant.

The suspense is well crafted. All the characters in the film served a purpose, and were not merely added to become victims. Most of the characters were well fleshed out, and I rooted for them. Although it might seem obvious at times who the killer might be, there are interesting reveals during the final act. ‘Night School’ is actually a darn good movie that I somehow missed back in the day.

Would I watch it again? Yes.

American History X (1998)

Director: Tony Kaye

Starring: Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D’Angelo

Living a life marked by violence, neo-Nazi Derek finally goes to prison after killing two black youths. Upon his release, Derek vows to change; he hopes to prevent his brother, Danny, who idolizes Derek, from following in his footsteps.

By the time the film ends, it feels like a good movie. I however can’t deny the fact that ‘American History X’ was mostly an unpleasant viewing experience. With all the racist remarks and foul language, it really was not a pleasure to watch. I’ve said this so many times before but can’t stress it enough: I hate any kind of racist depiction in movies. In this day and age I don’t want to be reminded of racial issues. We are – or should be – all equal.

What I admire about the film, though, is its good script, good character development, good photography, and good performances by the entire cast. Edward Norton, especially, was fantastic, and he owned every scene he was in.

Edward Norton stars as Derek, an arrogant neo-Nazi who was jailed for cold-bloodedly shooting hijackers. Derek’s younger brother Danny is a kid with an attitude, and is quickly following in the Derek’s footsteps.

When Danny’s history teacher asks him to write a paper on Derek – called American History X – Derek’s life is told through backflashes (shown in black and white) as Danny writes the paper. With Derek now being released from prison, he is a changed man. His girlfriends and friends are still part of a gang destined to ‘set things right’ in America.

‘American History X’ deals with many different issues – mostly racism – and due to its subject matter, I did not really enjoy the movie. This is not my kind of entertainment. As mentioned, the ending almost made me believe this was a good movie in its entirety, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

‘American History X’ received several award nominations including an Oscar nomination for Best Lead Actor (Edward Norton).

Would I watch it again? No.

Exhuma (2024)

Director: Jae-hyun Jang

Starring: Kim Go-eun, Choi Min-sik, Lee Do-hyun, Yoo Hae-jin

The process of excavating an ominous grave unleashes dreadful consequences buried underneath.

Note: this review might contain spoilers.

An American family contacts Hwa-rim (Kim Go-eun), a shaman, when their baby son has a mysterious illness. Hwa-rim helps people who need to rid their homes and families of ghosts, demons, or supernatural beings. She discovers the baby’s illness is due to a curse from the grave.

On behalf of the family, Park Ji-Yong (Kim Jae-cheol) shows Hwa-rim and her partner Bong-Gil (Lee Do-hyun) the location of the family’s Grandfather’s grave. Accompanying them, is feng shui expert Kim Sang Deok (Choi Min-sik) and funeral home owner Ko Young Geun (Yoo Hae-jin). The grave is in a remote location on a mountain, and there is no name on the grave. The family now wants the grave relocated, but on arrival Sang Deok senses something evil.

Hwa-rim performs rituals to ward off evil spirits, and the grave is excavated. The coffin is to be cremated. When one of the diggers kills a snake with a human head, evil spirits are unleashed and shortly after it starts to rain. Apparently, cremation can’t be done when it rains as it will prevent the grandfather’s spirit from smoothly moving upward.

When a custodian at the funeral home opens the coffin, a vengeful spirit is unleashed. Now, the Grandfather’s spirit targets his family members, but when the coffin is cremated, the curse is lifted. However, later it is discovered there was a double burial on the grave site, with a large coffin being buried vertically underneath the Grandfather’s coffin, and this is when things start going terribly wrong!

‘Exhuma’ is a creepy film with a constantly foreboding atmosphere. One never really knows what to expect. There were a few confusing moments, but in general this is a good movie. The make-up and visual effects are very good. ‘Exhuma’ reminded me of a cross between the Korean film ‘The Wailing’ and the Cantonese film ‘Rigor Mortis’.

Although it is still too early for awards, the film already received nominations for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress.

In Korean.

Would I watch it again? Maybe.

Spartacus (1960)

Directors: Stanley Kubrick, Anthony Mann

Starring: Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons

The slave Spartacus survives brutal training as a gladiator and leads a violent revolt against the decadent Roman Republic, as the ambitious Crassus seeks to gain power by crushing the uprising.

Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) has been a slave since the age of thirteen. He is among a handful of slaves selected by the Roman Lentulus Batiatus (Peter Ustinov) to be trained as gladiators. (I absolutely loved Peter Ustinov in the role of Batiatus; he was fabulous!)

Slaves are treated like animals, and those in power have no feelings for them whatsoever. They would have slaves kill each other purely for entertainment. Spartacus makes friends with the slaves, and when an opportunity arises, they overpower the guards and manage to escape. Now, the slaves are building their own army in revolt against the Romans.

Laurence Olivier stars as Crassus, a wealthy Roman senator and the film’s main protagonist. Jean Simmons stars as Varinia, also a slave and the love interest of Spartacus. I enjoyed the developing romance between Spartacus and Varinia. The film follows Spartacus as he builds his army and plans to avenge the Romans, even if it seems impossible to fight against such a mighty power.

From all the costumes to the magnificent sets and thousands of extras, ‘Spartacus’ is an incredible production. In a time before CGI, the scale of the production is jaw-dropping! The film apparently had a cast of 10,500 members (with all the extras). Today the extras would simply be added with CGI in post-production. And this is why I enjoy older movies so much; it was real film making. On every level, ‘Spartacus’ is a film of epic proportions. It’s hard to believe this film was made more than six decades ago!!

If I had to compare ‘Spartacus’ to more recent films, movies like ‘Gladiator’, ‘300’, and the TV series ‘Rome’ comes to mind.

‘Spartacus’ received several award nominations and won Oscars for Best Supporting Actor (for Peter Ustinov), Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, and Best Costume Design. All of these award are well deserved! Back in 1960 the film earned $60 million on a budget of $12 million.

Would I watch it again? Maybe.

Taxi Driver (1976)

Director: Martin Scorsese

Starring: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd

A mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action.

There really is one character here that matters, and that’s taxi driver Travis Bickle (very well portrayed by Robert de Niro). From a character study point of view, this is an effective film, but if it’s an entertaining movie you’re looking for, ‘Taxi Driver’ is not a good option. I’m sorry, but I was not entertained by this slow (yes, and boring) movie, no matter how high the acclaim.

26-year old Travis gets a job as taxi driver. He works long hours – mostly at night when the “filth” (as he calls it) roam the streets. When he notices a woman one day that seems ‘different’ to the rest of the people he quite literally stalks her, and finally asks her out. This is Betsy (with a rather annoying portrayal by Cybill Shepherd). When she agrees to go out with him (not that it took much convincing) he takes her to a theatre that shows porn movies! Needless to say, that date did not go well!

I must be honest, I never really rooted for Travis. I found him pushy and arrogant; even obnoxious. He is a hypocrite and a liar and he never really had good intentions. Then again, I suppose this behaviour added to the character study. He clearly is disturbed, and in that regard the character is well set-up. As the viewer, we have to understand this guy does not think or reason the way normal people do. (In his opinion, there was nothing wrong with taking a girl to a porn movie on their first date!)

The film does take its time before anything of significance happens, though, and I yawned several times. I kept wondering when something exciting was going to happen. I almost stopped watching at the 30-minute mark, but decided to sit it through. Around the 1-hour mark there’s promise of something eventful happening, but alas, I would have to wait unit the final act before the action arrived. Even then, I did not agree with Travis’ methods, and definitely never rooted for the guy.

‘Taxi Driver’ is another example of a highly acclaimed, multi-award winning movie I believe will loose its appeal with the new generation. Its just too slow, and not even all that interesting…

‘Taxi Driver’ received 43 award nominations, winning 22. It received Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (for Robert de Niro, and I agree on this one), Best Supporting Actress, and Best Original Score. At the box office, the film earned $28.6 million on a budget of $1.9 million.

Would I watch it again? Nope!

The Sound of Music (1965)

Director: Robert Wise

Starring: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker

A young novice is sent by her convent in 1930s Austria to become a governess to the seven children of a widowed naval officer.

The Nuns at the Nonnberg Abbey in Salzburg are not convinced free-spirited Maria (Julie Andrews) is ready to be a nun. The Reverand Mother then sends Maria to naval officer Captain Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) – whose wife recently died – to look after his seven children.

The children are between the ages of five and sixteen. With Georg running the house as if he is on one of his ships, the children are subjected to a very strict upbringing and not even allowed to play. At first, it seems like its going to be a daunting task for our inexperienced young heroin, but as she gets to know the children – and they her – a strong bond forms between them.

When Georg goes away to visit Baroness Elsa Schraeder (Eleanor Parker) – whom he intends to marry – Maria and the children get a chance to be adventurous. In the process she becomes a mother figure to them. I enjoyed Maria being a free-spirited yet strong character who never allowed Georg to intimidate her, and she always voiced her opinion.

The love story was predictable, I suppose, but it is a beautiful and romantic story and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I must say, for a three-hour long movie, it was surprisingly fast-moving and I was never bored. On the contrary, I enjoyed every moment very much. The film took a very different direction during the third act, which I never expected, and it was wonderful.

‘The Sound of Music’ boasts fantastic sets and production design, beautiful costumes, good cinematography, good and funny dialogue, and superb performances. I absolutely love this delightful movie!

‘The Sound of Music’ received 31 award nominations, winning 18 including Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Sound, Best Film Editing, and Best Music. It also received Oscar nominations for Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, and Best Costume Design.

On a budget of $8.2 million, the film earned $286.2 million.

Would I watch it again? Yes.

The Survivor (1981)

Director: David Hemmings

Starring: Robert Powell, Jenny Agutter, Joseph Cotten

When an airline pilot survives a crash that kills all 300 passengers, he works with a psychic and a priest to find the culprit behind the incident and pacify the souls of the victims.

‘The Survivor’ is not to be confused with 1984’s ‘Sole Survivor’, which is also about a plane crash leaving only one survivor.

I’ll start by saying ‘The Survivor’ had the potential to be so much better, but no thanks to the director’s vision of the film and choppy editing, I found the film difficult to follow at times. There literally were moments in the film where I had no idea what the hell was going on. To add to this, many scenes were so dark that one could hardly follow the action.

After a confusing start of various images edited together, a plane crashes, killing everyone on board except pilot David Keller (Robert Powerll). Not being able to remember anything since taking off, David is trying to find out what happened.

Clairvoyant Hobbs (Jenny Agutter) – a rather strange character in her own right – seems to have some sort of connection with the victims, and contacts David. She feels she was somehow involved with the accident. I didn’t fully understand this character, nor their quest for answers. At times the film seemed to have a supernatural edge, but when the reveal came it had nothing to do with supernatural powers. Speaking of which, I can’t say I agree with the twist ending.

‘The Survivor’ has a confusing premise and I won’t be surprised if I forget this in an instant.

Surprisingly, the film won an award for Best Screenplay. It also received award nominations for Best Lead Actress, Best Achievement in Sound, Best Achievement in Production Design, and Best Achievement in Cinematography. I think I must have missed something here…

‘The Survivor’ might be classified as a horror, but there’s no horror here. Thriller at best.

Would I watch it again? No.