Movie Review - Payroll

Payroll

1961

The Cast

This is a many-layered story and it's this which keeps it riveting for the audience.  Johnny Mellors (Craig) is a career criminal.  He likes to have all the facts before hitting his mark.  The biggest mark of his career is the payroll of a large factory, over one-hundred-thousand pounds.  Unfortunately, on the day of the hit a couple of motorcycle police ride up just as they are about to put their plan into action.  Then to make matters worse, their inside man, Dennis Pearson (Lucas), informs them of the companies decision to employ an armoured car for the wage run.  Unable to turn down such a big score Mellors and his men start to stake out the armoured car...

This is only the beginning, some writers and directors would make a movie just about the heist.  Though, what Baxt and Hayers give the viewers is the aftermath of the heist itself.  So we have the police, chasing after the criminals, though evidence and clues are running thin.  A wife, hellbent on revenge.  Another wife, cunningly trying to get the better of every man in her life, who she pities, hates, and doesn't trust,.. just to get the money.  A man who cannot handle guilt and mentally breaks down.  All of these characters are well rounded and written.

The good thing is that the actors are brilliant in their roles and bring them to life.  Craig is believable as the leader of the gang.  This guy is methodical and cool.  Though if you get on the wrong side of him he will break you in two... without blinking.  Whitelaw is one of the strongest in the cast.  When she sets out on her mission of revenge the look on her face says it all.  This woman is a juggernaut with a one-track mind and will not stop until she has her revenge.  Francoise Prevost has an air of a clever and cunning woman.  Always thinking, always planning, who will do anything to better her life... but can she be more wily or slick as Mellors?  And, William Lucas does scared, anxious, and frightened magnificently.

But there's still more.  Director, Hayers, is great in his field.  There are plenty of interesting camera shots, angles, and iconic photography.  All of which add power to the film.  To be honest, this is a masterpiece in modern film noir, though it's old now as it was filmed in 1961 - it is still a great watch.

Now, I'm not a great jazz fan but the soundtrack to the movie is outstanding and used to it's fullest potential.  It has the power to pull the viewer in and make them feel the excitement and tension of a scene.  I was surprised by how much I liked this element of the movie.

I would recommend this to everyone.

I give this a Rip-Roaring Action-Packed Heist of 8.5 out of 10.

The Film Clip

Movie Review - The Long Memory

The Long Memory

1953

The Cast

The one thing Phillip Davidson (Mills) does wrong is fall in love.  On the night he decides to ask Fay's (Sellars) father for her hand he's in the middle of conducting some illicit business; that of smuggling a criminal out of England.  Mobster, Boyd (Chandos), who is funding the criminal's escape takes umbrage at the disrespect the criminal shows him.  Lashing out with a poker he strikes and kills him.  Davidson tries to stop Boyd's rampage and in the fight the boat catches fire.  The lifeboatmen pick up Davidson after he jumps off the boat, aflame.  Unfortunately, the survivors change their story so they won't be jailed for trafficking.  They all confirm there was no criminal onboard and that it was Davidson who struck and killed Boyd.  Davidson is jailed for twelve years.  Upon his release, he sets out for revenge on those who took those years away from him.

What stands out the most is the atmospheric and beautifully shot camera work.  Director, Hamer works well with black and white film.  The sequence where the freed Davidson steps off the train and is followed by a plain-clothed policeman is one of the most atmospheric I've seen.  It's brilliant.  Hamer sets the pace slow and this adds to the feeling of despair and loneliness, which oozes off the screen.  There's a bleakness that starts at this point and permeates most of the picture.  He is also very good at using the locations to add to the atmosphere...  The lone hotel, near derelict, on a sandy beach road... the wooden slatted cafe for the seamen and fishermen... the three beached barges slowly rotting.  He's also very adept at the iconic shot, such as a couple of shots of London Bridge.  And, especially the sequence where Davidson finally gets to Pewsey (Slater).  The entire thing is exquisitely structured and choreographed, though, it's the scene where Pewsey looks through the letterbox to see Davidson waiting in a doorway that holds the most power.  I never thought of Mills' as a tough guy or a hard man but when I watched this scene I thought, now that's somebody I wouldn't mess with.  Perfect acting with perfect direction makes a perfect scene.

Though Mills' is an outstanding actor, which he proves here, there are a few times when it gets just too melodramatic, in a soap opera way.  Luckily enough, this only becomes overpowering towards the latter part of the movie.  It does detract from the film's power, though I can forgive that because there are so many better acting sets within the film.

All the actors are good within their roles and there's even an eccentric hermit, Jackson, to keep it interesting.  One strange character is alright, because they are out there, and Michael Martin Harvey does a fantastic portrayal.  He doesn't go overboard and this makes the man more real to the viewer.  Even the lesser characters are full and rounded.  Take Mrs Pewsey (Hird), even though her husband has run off with a trollop, she still goes round to the trollop's house to warn him of Davidson's return.  While she's there, she takes care of him because he always gets a chest cold at this time of year.  Well thought out, written, acted and directed.  These little things only add interest to the viewer, add realism and strength to both the story and the film.

Then there's the story.  Though it's a revenge tale there's an added depth to even that.  When Davidson finally meets his first love, Fay, after his release he realises his perspective and feelings have altered.  This is a sobering, sad, and profound realisation.

I have to admit this has now made it onto my expanding favourite flicks list and I would recommend this to all thriller fans, revenge freaks, crime story lovers and drama aficionados everywhere.  Also, if you're a budding filmmaker, you could do worse than checking this out.

I give this Bleak Midwinter a Revengeful 7.5 out of 10.

The Trailer

Movie Review - An Eye For An Eye

An Eye For An Eye

1981

The Cast

Now, this film really takes me back to my youth, where you were a member of a video shop... or fifteen (I counted the cards I used to have)... and you would troll around them all to find a movie worth watching - at least it kept us fit.

This is pretty much your basic '80's action flick.  Where the good guy is out for revenge for the death of a lover, a family member, friend, or in this case a partner on the force.  The plot, like this one, would usually revolve around drugs trafficking.  Throw in a love interest and loads of exciting fights and you have the perfect mix.  This was the start of the "Leave your brain at the door" movies.  To be fair, it's nice to let enjoyment and excitement take you out of your daily routine.  I know I need it at the moment.

So in this story, you have Kane (Norris) and his partner, Dave (Kiser), heading to an undercover meet.  However, it's a trap and Dave is killed, in quite a nasty way.  From here on in Kane is out to solve the murder and get revenge for his dead partner.  This leads him and Dave's girlfriend reporter, Linda (Chao) into a world of drug trafficking...

So what makes this a film worth watching?

Well there is Chuck Norris, who to be honest, isn't too bad in this film.  He was just coming into being an actor in his own right at this time.  These types of characters, like the films, were ten-a-penny and you were lucky if they made it to two-dimensional, let alone three.  I have to believe that it's the likes of Christopher Lee (Canfield), Richard Roundtree (Captain Stevens), Matt Clark (McCoy), and even Mako (Chan) that elevated his acting up a notch or two for this movie.  The rest of the cast are solid actors and carry the film and the much-used scenario easily.

Next, there's the direction.  Steve Carver does a really good job with the camera work.  There are some really well-framed sections.  I loved the part where Kane goes to visit his sensei and master, Chan.  He parks his beautiful red Mustang and gets out.  This is all superbly framed in a long shot by an ornamental oriental fence.  Even on the drive up to his masters home, he is followed by a helicopter.  This is filmed smoothly; you have a side portrait of Norris driving and outside the passenger window you see the copter flying at his side.  There's also a nice sequence where Kane runs from his house, down his pier to his private jetty, opens his speedboats enclosure, jumps in and speeds away.  There is a lot in this film that Carver should be proud about.  Even the slow motion sections of the fight scene's work.  When a lot of martial arts opted to speed up the action, slowing it down works really well - especially when you have a master of the arts like Norris.

Carver also sets a nice rollercoaster pace for the movie.  He knows when to slow down to drive the plot and quicken it up to boost excitement and tension.  A Lot of filmmakers could take a few notes from this film.

The only thing in the film that irked me was the love interest, Maggie Cooper.  This was mainly for Sullivan's wooden performance.  In some scenes, she appears so laid back that she may have been sampling the product the bad guys were moving.

If you like your martial arts flicks and are not too worried about plot, then I would recommend this one to you.  It may not be intellectually brilliant but it is kick ass entertaining.

I give this a Chuck Norris Kick-Ass 5.75 out of 10.

The Trailer

Movie Review - Bound To Vengeance

Bound To Vengeance

2015

Production Companies:  Dark Factory Entertainment & Itaca Films

This is a strange film because even though it's good and it takes a different look at the kidnapping genre, it just doesn't quite work.  What the writers give the audience is a journey through the dark side of human trafficking.  When Eve's captor comes back to the basement room she's being held in a few days has passed.  As he apologises for his late arrival Eve grabs a brick she's worked free and beats the man bloody.  While he fights consciousness, she undoes the lock to her chain and chains her captor.  She quickly runs through the house and out the front door...  She finds she's stranded in the middle of a desert, with no other house in sight.  There are no keys in the van parked outside.  The phone isn't working.  And as she searches the house for food and clothes she finds Polaroids of other girls.  When she confronts her captor and threatens to kill him he tells her that she will be killing them too.  This then sets the pair on a road trip to free the Polaroid girls.

This opening sequence has some interesting camera shots, for instance, there's the scene where she's pulling the telephone cord trying to find the receiver.  It's not until the phone falls onto the floor that you realise the camera is on the phone.  There are also a few interesting camera angles which help to create a disturbing and disjointed atmosphere.  However, not all of the shots work, but it is nice to see a director trying to do something different.   There's also a lot of shaky camera work when it isn't even needed.  Most directors use quick cuts along with the shaky camera to build excitement.  However, in the scene where Eve has beaten Phil to a bloody mess and he hasn't got the strength to move, Cravioto incorporates this technique... and it doesn't work.  It would have been better to slow it down.  Have Eve search for the key.  Show Phil coming too.  Eve still searching.  Phil groggy with blood running down his face.  Eve pulls the keys from his pocket as he reaches out to grab her hand.  Eve shakes his grasp of easily and locks his leg into the chains.  But hey, that's just me.

However, not everything goes to plan as the pair go from one girl to another.  The inventive thing the writers have done here is to have the story unfold along the way.  I will say this, there are some twisted and people along the way.  It's also here that some of the elements and characters don't appear or feel realistic.

I think the reason this film doesn't work is that the director and writers were trying too hard to do something new and original and you can tell.  A lot of these little things distract the audience from the movie and the story.  This isn't good as you want to keep the audience involved and entertained.

As for the acting, both of the major actors are excellent in their portrayal of their characters.  Though I do prefer Tyson's coolness in the face of adversity bad guy.  He plays Eve just right to stop her from killing him.  There maybe a chance to escape and rectify this problem.  It's this matter-of-factness which gives the character a chilling feel.  The rest of the cast also do a great job though the first girl Eve tries to rescue does appear to be your standard stupid screaming slasher chic... though thinking about it this could have been satire... especially in the way she's dispatched.

If you like films like I Spit On Your Grave then you may enjoy this film.  It is worth at least one viewing if you're a revenge fan and the story is different enough to carry you through all the niggling little flaws and issues.

Movie Review - Dragon Eyes

Dragon Eyes

2012

After Dark Films / Signature Entertainment / Autonomous Films / Dark Castle Entertainment / Silver Pictures : After Dark Films / G2 Pictures / IM Global

2.25 / 10

I've been a fan of Jean-Claude Van Damme films since No Retreat No Surrender back in 1986, in fact, that's when my interest in martial arts movies started to grow.  To be honest, Van Damme has done some bad films in his time and this has to be one of the worst, though not because of him... Van Damme is the strongest actor in the cast.

This is a strange story of police corruption and gang warfare which flares up out of control when Hong, played by Cung Le is released from prison and drives into St. Jude.  So that premise alone should allow for great drama and martial arts action, especially as Cung Le is a mixed martial arts champion and the cast sports Peter Weller as the crooked cop Mister V.

However, the story is weak and full of plotholes, whereas the martial arts scenes are all fought in slow motion and is easier to spot the fakes and the fluffs - the thrown punches that miss their opponent.  The slowness also distracts from the action.  There was a reason some 80's martial arts films speeded up the action, they knew it made it more exciting.  Hence, you slow it down and it gets boring.  This was a major fubar by director John Hyams - the other was to try and make the film stylish and cool, it was too obvious and failed miserably.

Then there's the set's these are so cheap and tacky they look as if they were either abandoned buildings or somebodies garage.  Should have paid for a location scout, people.

It's Weller as the over-the-top Mister V and Van Damme as Tiano who actually appear to give a damn about the film as they both get into their characters pretty well, though it's nowhere nearly enough to raise this out of the toilet it should be flushed down.

Yet another movie that could have been so much better had things been done differently.

I wouldn't even recommend this to Van Damme fans as he's just not in it fo long enough.  If you're thinking of making a martial arts film then you could watch this to see how it shouldn't be done!

Video Nasty - Don't Ride On Late Night Trains

Don't Ride On Late Night Trains

AKA Night Train Murders.

(1975)

European Incorporation : Hallmark Releasing / Blue Underground / Shameless Entertainment

6.5 / 10

This is Italy's version of Wes Craven's The Last House On The Left, though I have to say I prefer this film.  For the main reason is there's no annoying music on this film.  Also, it's more throughout and deeper in psychological content.  The principles are the same, here you have two girls on their way out to the country for the Christmas holidays.  While on the train they meet the two thugs, who have previously mugged a street Santa.  Their attack is unbeknown to the girls so they are friendly with the two men.  Though as the train travels further they become more wary of the pair and the blonde woman the men have met.  When the train is stopped for a bomb search the girls hop off the train to board another.  It's not until they're on the move that the girls realise the trio had hopped trains too.  From here on in things get nasty, violent, and cruel.

It's these scenes that are the hardest to watch as they lead to the girl's deaths.  However, this isn't where the movie stops  It's the second half which treads on the unbelievable.  The evil trio is picked up by the girl's parents.  Who, when they realise what's happened, take their revenge.  It's the coincidence of the group meeting that stretches the boundaries of reality.

That said, that incident is the only issue I have with the film.

It's Macha Meril as the lady on the train that gives this film a nasty and depraved edge.  In the beginning, she appears to be a reserved nymphomaniac.  Though when they start to torture and rape the girls she's the one who's controlling the thugs, even though she's only known them for a matter of hours.  She is definitely twisted and coldly calculating.  She stole the show.

Even though you know what's going to happen and you probably know how the film will end, the director Aldo Lado does a fantastic job of weaving a subtle and disturbing story into a watchable film with believable characters.  It's nice that he doesn't go the exploitation route, especially in the torture sequences.  The reality of the scenes really strengthens the film.

I cannot say I really enjoyed this film as some of the scenes are disturbing, both visually and psychologically.  It is, however, truly watchable and does emote emotions.  It is a film that I may watch again... though not for some time.

Nergling - The Video Nasties Scare - Don't Ride On Late Night Trains

Video Nasty - The Witch Who Came From The Sea

The Witch Who Came From The Sea

(1976)

MCI / Matt Cimber Productions

7.75 / 10

After watching the film I can understand how it made the Video Nasty list; the director, Matt Cimber, chose to show Molly's sexual abuse at the hands of her father, who was mentally unstable.  Though most of these scenes are shot well and the abuse is suggested, sometimes very subtly.  It's the pivotal scene which is the most disturbing.  Robert Thom, the writer who also wrote Death Race 2000, added a nasty twist at this point.  It adds to the reason why Molly is so broken.  Cimber does tone it down a little but couldn't remove the scene entirely as, like I said, it's pivotal and adds to the story and character of Molly; it clarifies a lot of things for the audience.

That said, the film is felicitous and unfortunately still relevant today.  The film starts on the beach as Molly is babysitting her sister's children, Tad and Tripoli.  As she tells her nephews the stories of her seafaring father, their grandfather, she watches the men on the muscle beach, drinking in every inch of their bodies,   She drifts off into a daydream where they all die.

As the film progresses Molly keeps fading in and out of daydreams where the men in mind die, most in gruesome ways.  Then one morning she wakes up in her on-again-off-again lover's bed as he shakes her awake to tell her that two famous football players have been murdered.  One of her killer daydreams were of her sexual and murderous encounter.  This startles her but doesn't trouble her.

As the dreams keep coming, as do the deaths, the police start to close in on her just as she and her friends start to believe she's the killer.

Now, this is the strange thing for all but the last murder her dreams came before the murder, whereas the last killing is her dream - it occurs at the same time.  Apart from the last death you never see her commit them in her real life, just in her dreams.  This makes the film feel disjointed and I was left wondering if she really did carry them out or if some other force was at work.

Along with the memories of her abuse, which also appear in dreamlike sequences the entire film has an abstract impression.  This, in turn, gives the film more depth and power.  I'm not one for flashbacks and the like as they inevitably make a movie feel cluttered and sometimes incomprehensible.  So respect due to Cimber for making so many work comprehensibly to strengthen the story and film.

Millie Perkins, known for playing Anne Frank, does a splendid job of playing down her troubled past, though you can see the effects working free on her face.  You know she's troubled but not to what extent.

Lonny Chapman, who plays the bar-owner and on-again-off-again lover, is brilliant as the man who truly loves her and is worried for her but just cannot really help her.

There is so much in this film to like, I just wished that Cimber and Thom had gone for a more paranormal explanation for the murders since it appears impossible for her to have carried out a couple of them.  It may have made the film cleaner.  Even the poster, which when you first look at it emanates an exploitation vibe, is pretty true to the film and pulls images from a mermaid tattoo, Birth Of Venus by Botticelli, and her feelings towards men and her father.  The images are featured in the movie and once you see them the poster makes better sense.

Though I liked the film it did feel more like an art-house film than a thriller, though if you like revenge movies you may like this.  Just be warned, it may leave a nasty taste in your mouth, thanks to the aforementioned abuse scenes and the end sequence.

Not for everybody.

 Nergling - The Video Nasty Scare - The Witch Who Came From The Sea

Movie Review - Girls Against Boys

Girls Against Boys

(2012)

Floren Shieh Productions : Anchor Bay Films / Anchor Bay Entertainment

6.75 / 10

This little independent movie has a lot going for it.  A believable story line with realistic characters and situations, a strong and truthful story that is directed with care.

Danielle Panabaker does a spectacular job of creating a very believable victim of rape, Shae, who, with her new friend and work colleague Lulu, subtly portrayed by Nicole LaLiberte, take fatal action on her attackers.

Yes, this has been done numerous times, the last big budget version being The Brave One, starring Jodie Foster.  Though what this story gives you is the more nitty-gritty feel of real life.  Shae is an ordinary woman trying to make her way through life, she attends college and works a bar part-time.  There's a wonderful scene where she asks a colleague to take over for her and she walks away to catch five minutes as she's having a bad day.  Panabaker's walk behind the bar and in front of the bar speaks volumes of Shae's tiredness, dejectedness, and all over weariness of her life at this point.  Nicely acted and well directed.

While in the stairway she meets Lulu and they strike up a conversation.  When Lulu hears about Shae's day she decides to take her to a nightclub to take her mind off things.  At the end of the night, they go back to an apartment shared by a couple of men they met at the club.  Shae, worn out, chooses to go home.  Tyler, who paired off with Shea offers to be a gentleman and escort her home.  However, he doesn't take being rejected at the door to her apartment building and resolves to get what he think he deserves.

What I like about this film is the lack of graphic violence, most of the time the director Austin Chick, who also wrote the story, chooses to cut away.  This allows the viewer imagination to take over because we're not stupid we know what's going on, there's no need to depict it.

From here on Lulu takes over and becomes the dominant character in the newly formed duo.  She takes Shae to the police to report the crime, though they find them indifferent and unconcerned about the crime or the victim.  It's Lulu who decides on the course of action to take and she's the one to start the ball rolling.  Shae, still traumatised by the incident wonders around in a fugue most of the time.  It's Shae's state of shock which makes this a more plausible tale of revenge.

The resulting conclusion is pretty inevitable.

This is a slow, well thought out psychological thriller, which gives a breath of fresh air to a much-used storyline.

This isn't a pleasant film to watch.  You don't really root for the victim to have her revenge, as the story isn't just about Shae's rape and her resolution, but of her relationship with Lulu, who is broken in her own way.  This is a film that is made to make you think.

Well worth a watch once, though I don't think I'll ever go back to it, as it will stay with me for quite a while.