Movie Review - Hands Of The Ripper

Hands Of The Ripper

1971

The Cast

This film has got me wanting to read the story that spurned it.  I've always liked the psychological idea of hereditary madness and this is a pretty good example of that... but with a possible twist.

Jack the Ripper is being chased down so he runs to the safety of his mistress' house.  Still caught up in the killing fugue, he attacks and kills his mistress in front of their young child.  Years later the child has become a young woman, Anna (Rees) and is helping an old woman to run a medium scam, pretending to be the dead family members and friends of the clients she entertains with her seances.  It's at one of these meetings that her path crosses with Dysart (Godfrey)... a pervert who buys her virginity from Mrs Golding (Bryan).  However, things take a nasty turn when he tries to force himself on her and Mrs Golding comes to her rescue.  Mrs Golding is killed, but who is the murderer?

The thing I liked most about this story is its darkness.  Not only do you have a psychotic killer, but a doctor who is willing to overlook the murders so he can view and record the killer's moods.  He's even willing to team up with a miscreant to get his results.

There's nothing bad about this movie at all.  It could have been stronger had the director opted to add a darkness to the atmosphere.  For me, it was a little light, especially when considering all the bleaker subject matters.  Though there are some really good shots in the film.  The ending in the whispering gallery at Saint Paul's is very well done.  As is the "Oh My God!!!  That's gonna leave a mark," moment when Dr Pritchard (Porter) pulls the sword from his side.  The moment when the bloody sword hangs from the doorknob, swaying and banging, will stay with me for a while.  Very iconic and well thought out.

Another thing that may have strengthened the film is the hinted at possession of Anna by her father Jack The Ripper.  If this had become a story arc on its own then it would have opened up a few more possibilities for twists and turns.  It would have turned it into a full horror film by doing so.

However, this is a good psychological thriller based on The Ripper mythos.  I would recommend this to everyone.

I give this a Ripperriffic 6.5 out of 10.

The Trailer

Movie Review - The Wrong Mother

The Wrong Mother

AKA:  Deadly Devotion

2017

The Cast

Parents, Kaylene (Marcil) and Drew (Snedden) were having problems conceiving so they went down the in-vitro fertilization path and were lucky enough to have twins, Zoey (Richardson) and Toby (Dodson).  Years later, Kaylene is out biking when she's hit by a car.  While in Hospital she meets Vanessa who has been assigned as her nurse.    When it comes time to return home, Vanessa informs Kaylene and Drew that it may be hard for them to find a career.  But if they want then she can come and care for Kaylene at home as her contract at the hospital is nearly over.  Since the two women get along well Vanessa is employed to look after her.  However, it soon becomes evident that Vanessa may have a different agenda.

This is a pretty standard thriller that is let down by a few niggling things, which should have been ironed out before filming.

Firstly, there's Kaylene's sister, Samantha (Bond).  There are times when this character feels as though she's only there to drive the plot.  For example, right from the start, she's very confrontational with Vanessa.  This, in itself, isn't a bad idea, and needed to be handled better for it to work.  Though Samantha actually challenges the nurse on what her sister is being medicated with, with no expertise on the subject.  Samantha reckons washing Kaylene's hair is the best thing you can do to aid her recovery... which really isn't the case if the patient is dealing with a concussion.  Then she just happens to have a friend who agrees with her, that she is being overmedicated and that he wouldn't prescribe these drugs.  The trouble is, we're not even told if he's a doctor or just a knowledgeable nurse:  For all we know, he may have gotten his doctorate as IWannaBADoctor.com (This is TV Movieland anyway!).  Besides, what one Doctor prescribes another wouldn't as there are so many drugs to choose from now.  Another thing, did Samantha give this person Kaylene's medical history so he could make a professional diagnosis?  DAMN! - I really thought about this too much.

Secondly, there's the jump of believability that Kaylene has.  She goes from accepting Vanessa is doing right by her and her care to suddenly distrusting her totally.  But the trouble with this is that they don't fire Vanessa.  Surely, if there was a shadow of a doubt that something wasn't quite right about her you'd fire her arse.

Then there are the kids.  I'm sorry, but if you're a close and loving family then the kids will want to see their mother at the earliest opportunity.  However, Toby and Zoey, are only all too happy to not bother her.  If it had been me, I would have been sneaking in to see her.  You don't even see them at the hospital with her.  If the writer and director had added a couple of extra scenes with the kids it would have made the story a little more believable and relatable.

What this story really needed was time.  Somebody should have taken the time to take a breath and address the errors or inconsistencies of this story being filmed.  Both the story and the directing of this movie needed to be tightened up.  The acting, on the other hand, is above average, except for Elizabeth Bond who is a little wooden at times, and not totally credible.  

I'd recommend this to the thriller fans, though people who like mystery and whodunnit's need not watch as there's no mystery in who the bad guy... or gal... is.  This is one of those afternoon movies to watch while you're off work sick.

I give this an in-vitro-average of 5.25 out of 10.

The Trailer

Movie Review - Fatal Trust

Fatal Trust

2006

The Cast

This film actually surprised me by how good it was.  Now I'm not saying it's brilliant, I'm not!  Though for a daytime TV movie this is good fare.

Kate (Johnson) and her son have suffered the violent loss of a lover and father so she decides it's time to leave the city and head home, where her sister, Jessica (Alt), runs a diner.  As she's pulling into town, she passes an accident where a woman has died of a heart attack while driving.  As time passes, Kate begins to learn that this isn't the first heart attack in the small town.  Could her new boss, Dr Lucas (Haydn-Jones), be behind the deaths in some way(?)   So she sets out to find out the truth.

Here is the first thing I think could have been better.  It would have been a stronger storyline had we not been shown the killer at quite an early stage in the film.  Had the writer and director decided to make this into a whodunnit with lots of twists and red herrings this would have been a brilliant movie.  It wouldn't have been that difficult to do as the person who's playing the killer is so normal it would have been difficult to guess.

The other thing would be her relationship with her son.  There's just too little here.  At times, you even forget she's a mother.  Who know's there may be some of these scene's laying on the cutting room floor.  I just think it would have strengthened her character and added a few heartwarming and tearful scenes.  This, in turn, could have branched off a story arch where they, as a family, developed more - especially the climax, which was over a little too fast.  With an added threat to her son, the director could have ramped up the tension so the audience was on the edge of their seats.

Those are my only quirks as the film is well directed and acted throughout.  There is one scene which is especially great.  After killing an elderly resident, the killer sits back while sipping tea.  It's the exhale of their deep breath, the look of calm satisfaction, and the shudder of utter bliss, which gave me the shivers right down to the bone.

If you love your thrillers without the mystery element then I'd recommend this film to you.  It's an engrossing and entertaining way to waste an hour or two.

I give this a watchable 7 out of 10

The Trailer

Video Nasty - Madhouse

Madhouse

AKA:  There Was A Little Girl

1981

Overseas FilmGroup

Megastar Films / Dark Sky Films / Film 2000

3.25 / 10

This film is crying out for a remake and with today's special effects it could really make this as special as it should be.  Though it's the story that writer and director Ovidio G Assonitis along with writers Stephen Blakely, Roberto Gandus, and Peter Shepherd crafted which needs better representation than this film was given, surprisingly enough from Assonitis, who's direction especially at the end turns this into a nearly unwatchable farce instead of a horrific psychological thriller.

This is the tale of twin sisters, Julia who is played by Trish Everly (The Good Sister) and Mary Sullivan played by Allison Biggers (The Bad Sister).  During their childhood, it was Mary who was the dominant sibling and tormented, teased, and tortured Julia whenever she could.  This behaviour sent Mary to the psychiatric hospital where Julia chose to forget about her.  After developing a severe skin disease Mary asks to see her twin and Julia grudgingly agrees, after some cajoling from their Uncle, Father James.  The meeting goes as expected with Mary getting angry and attacking her sister while cursing her that she'll make her sorry.  After she escapes the institution she and her faithful pet Doberman start to invite Julia's friends to their birthday party... by killing them.

When the climax arrives and everything is revealed you will need to hold onto your sanity and accept the unbelievable in the incredulity of a twist which was only manufactured to shock.  Though for spoiler reason's, I cannot say what this is, you won't and cannot miss it.  If this twist had been written and filmed better than it would have made an otherwise okay and average movie better... and not worse, as it did.

The acting is pretty standard and average until you get to the finale then you enter the lunatic and stupid, which I will put down to Assonitis' direction.  Though I think Dennis Robertson as Father James should have won an Oscar for the "Most-Over-The-Top Acting Role In A Movie...  EVER!"  It is really gleefully bad.

Assonitis also has trouble with pacing the film and this gives the work a disjointed feeling.

However, the evil Doberman is the best thing in the film and some of the attack scenes are even better as they used a real dog as well as a prop set of jaws (which can look a little awful).

I would only recommend this film to lovers of bad B-Movies but be warned you do need to stay to the finale to see the best scene.

Nergling - The Video Nasties Scare - Madhouse

Movie Review - Aurora Teagarden Mystery: A Bone To Pick

Aurora Teagarden Mystery

A Bone To Pick

2015

Lighthouse Pictures / Muse Entertainment Enterprises : The Hallmark Channel / Muse Distribution International

6.25 / 10

Being English, the title of this movie threw me at first... "The Aurora Teagarden" sounds like a place you would go for a nice cuppa cha while sitting in beautiful floral surroundings...  But no "Aurora Teagarden" is the name of the leading character - poor girl.

That aside, this is a good way to pass an hour and a half.  Aurora "Roe" Teagarden, played nicely by Candace Cameron Bure. is a member of a mystery group dedicated to "Real Murders".  One of the members, Jane Eagles (Barbara Wallace), invites Roe round to her house so she can borrow a book on female killers, as this had been her "Real Murder" discussion subject.  A few days later she learns of Jane's death and is surprised to find herself in the will as the beneficiary of her house.  It's when she finds the hidden human skull that a mystery starts to reveal itself to her... and her friends...

It's hard to say why I enjoyed this film because some things annoyed me, such as Lexa Doig's character, Sally Allison, who is grating on the nerve and at times I wondered why the two were friends, let alone besties.  This isn't Doig's fault though as she did a more than an admirable portrayal of a strong, independent, and intelligent woman on Andromeda.  But here, she's not such a likeable character.  Though that may be the strong point of this series as it's not relying on characterisations as much as others do in this genre; they're a little more like everyday people, rather than "feel-good" representations.

Another thing which was annoying was how simple the mystery was, I pretty much had it solved at the skull, as I would think most would since previous scenes are so heavy handed at giving you the clues.  I couldn't really believe that it took Roe so long to figure it out.  This is more like a Columbo movie as it's not really about the mystery it's more about the trip to get to the reveal.  At least there's still some mystery here, unlike Columbo.

All of the cast give a solid and equal performance and portray their characters well; none outshines any of the others.  Director Martin Wood does a nice job of keeping the pace steady throughout, which works well with this type and style of story.

If you like your characters to be more "normal" in your mystery movies then you will like this; if you don't mind about the easy solve mystery because you prefer the drama more then this will really be your cuppa cha'.  At least worth one viewing... on a wet and miserable day - English Summertime - when you can't make it out into the Teagarden.

Movie Review - Northern Lights

Northern Lights

2009

Stephanie Germain Productions / Mandalay Television / Alberta Film Entertainment / Nora NL Productions : Lifetime Television / Tandem Comunications

6.25 / 10

The surprising thing about this movie is the quality of the cast and the acting within.  I was mostly surprised by Leann Rimes who can hold her own in the female lead here and fits in well.  I've heard her superb vocal ability and never knew she has thespian talents also, based on this film I would quite happily watch anything else she's done.

The only cringeworthy scene was when Meg Galligan (Leeann Rimes) tells her mother Charlene (Rosanna Arquette) that her father, Charlene's true love, is dead.  Arquette goes way over the top at this news and totally wrecks the scene; though to be fair, Mike Robe who directed should've stepped in to give her some better direction and tone down the theatrics a little - sometimes less can be better.

That said, the rest of the film is very well acted by all, though I have to say Jayne Eastwood who portrays Mayor Hopp is on top form.  I first saw her in Haven as the no-nonsense coroner, and she has the same kind of believable tenacity in this role also, a joy to watch as she brought a smile to my face.

Robe does a decent job of keeping the mystery and suspense rolling as the story of the new Cheif Of Police Nate Burns (Eddie Cibrian) in Lunacy, Alaska finds he has a fifteen-year-old murder case to solve; worse yet, the murder victim is his love interests, father; worst still, it seems that most of Lunacy could be the potential killer.  You're never too sure as the viewer as not many clues are given, in fact, you have to be pretty observant and quick-sighted to spot and remember a certain scene to work out the killer's identity before the Chief of Police.  The resolve of the story is quick, it may have been better to slow this section down and create a little more tension.

Not having read the Nora Roberts novel I cannot say how well it's been adapted, though in its own right Janet Brownell the Teleplay writer does give the audience one hell of a story filled with believable and interesting characters.

If you like murder mysteries then you should like this one, it is definitely a curl-up with your loved one on a Sunday afternoon movie, while the world passes by outside.  Worth at least one viewing.

Video Nasty - Absurd

Absurd

(1981)

Filmirage / Metaxa Corporaton : Medusa Pictures / Wizard Video

4.25 / 10

This is the Italian interpretation of John Carpenter's Halloween.  Though, writer George Eastman (who also star's as Mikos Stenopolis) gives the killer a different backstory.  It's this back story which places this film into the thriller genre rather than horror,  Mikos had taken part in some drug trials which a priest was overwatching.  These drugs gave Mikos' blood an ability to coagulate at a rapid rate.  This makes him nearly invincible.  Unfortunately, the drugs also drove him insane.

Mikos stumbles into town and when anybody crosses his path they are compensated with a grisly death.

There's not much else to the story and that's what makes the title of the movie so perfect.  This is an absurd story and film.

There's also very little to love about the movie.  The acting is average.  Sadly the worst actors are the two leads.  Annie Belle as Emily is okay for most of the picture but there are sometimes when she's wooden and stiff.  Her best parts are when she's strapped up in traction.  This isn't all her fault, her character isn't very well written.  In fact, all of the characters seem to be run-of-the-mill and a little dull.

Even though George Eastman wrote the story he decided to give the villain, whom he portrayed, no words.  Which may have been a good thing.  Though Eastman didn't have to worry about fluffing his lines he didn't add much to the character but size... the man is huge.  There were some scenes that could have added to the character.  Even the great non-talkers, Michael Myers and Jason Vorhees, appear evil and psychologically broken; this comes down to how the actor carried himself, he let his body act.  For example, one great scene from Halloween is when Michael lifts a teenager up and then pins him to a wall with a carving knife:  As the man hangs there Michael watches silently, then cocks his head to one side; this little action speaks volumes.  There's nothing like this in Absurd.

The special effects are passable though not great.  This can also be said for Joe D'Amato direction.  Even the music by Carlo Maria Cordio is similar in style to Carpenter's electronic soundtrack.  For the majority of the movie this music is annoying, though surprisingly, it works really well with the end chase scene.

The climax of the movie is pretty decent and does give the audience an iconic shot, which sends a shiver down the spine and they will remember.

This isn't a classic movie and nowhere near to becoming a cult.  If you like Halloween and Friday 13th then you could give this a look-see, it's worth at least one viewing.

Nergling - The Video Nasties Scare - Absurd

Movie Review - The Equalizer

The Equalizer

(2014)

Columbia Pictures / LStar Capital / Village Roadshow Pictures / Escape Artists : Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

7.75 / 10

This is not the Robert McCall I grew up watching and that isn't a bad thing.  I like the idea that writer Richard Wenk and director Antoine Fuqua reenvisioned the 1980's character for the modern era.  As always Denzel Washington is superb and brings a new dimension to the character of The Equalizer.

Robert McCall is a warehouse worker in a D I Y retail store who at work helps his fellow employees, though out of work he's a solitary character with a habitual routine that verges on obsessive compulsive disorder.  Each night he goes to the same diner and sits at the same table and orders a cup of water, into which he drops a teabag.  While there he reads a book, he's on number 97 of the top 100 books to read before you die.  He has a conversational relationship with one of the prostitutes that use the diner as a way station.  This relationship becomes stronger and when she comes in battered and bruised McCall takes it upon himself to help her out...

From here on in you begin to learn of McCall's secret past as the action and violence amps up.  McCall is a dark man who keeps his feelings in check though you never get to find out what makes him such a cold and logical executioner.  This may be because there are more works in the pipeline, I hope so as this was an enjoyable movie.

The only irksome element of the story and movie is the relationship between McCall and the prostitute Teri, played by Chloe Grace Moretz.  As I previously stated, their relationship takes on an extra vitality.  However, when she's hospitalised, he goes to the hospital though never makes contact and this is the last we see of her until the end; and this appears to have been an afterthought to give McCall a more humanistic presence.  I think if the characters had more scenes together throughout the movie this could have help to detract from McCall's cold robotic personality.  Maybe this wasn't the director's vision.

There's nothing in this film that hasn't been covered in other movies but that doesn't stop this from being an entertaining 132 minutes; It kept my attention so well that it really doesn't seem that long a film.

If you enjoyed the series, or like action films, or love Denzel Washington (or all three), then this film will be right up your street.