This film is terrible.As someone who once starts watching a film finishes it no matter what i have to say every minute seemed like an hour. The directors cannot be blamed each directing the best best they could considering.Neither can budget be blamed as it can with so so many bad horror films.What lets this film down is the truly bad writing.The acting is varied the guy from the burbs doing best the guy from the series the Dollhiouse the worst,once again again poor dialogue is to blame considering how good he was in Dollhouse.The best segment was Saxons which if shown as a Tales from the crypt episode would be considered poor.I now some people have rated this ten,my advice to them is watch more horror films like The Omen 1976,The Exorcist and The Sentinel. The Hammer and Amicus anthology films cannot be considered classics but usually had at least 2 good stories,and even the others were watchable.
Reviews
9 Reviews
My Name Is Bruce
(2007)
He Sold His Name For Money.
17 March 2009
From my summary it is obvious that i feel let down by this movie and by it,s creator Bruce Campbell.Lack of money can be blamed for many things such as bad effects,bad acting and bad props,but there is no excuse for such a poor script.
The fact that in the spoof sci fi movie he is doing Bruce acts better than he does in the rest of the movie shows what a pile of horse droppings this film is.As a Bruce Campbell fan who has liked the majority of his work from Evil Dead to Xena,i have to say he has let his fans down with poor poor effort.
If he has made half has much money has i suspect from this movie from DVD sales,and has half as much integrity as i hope he has he will plow the money into another much better movie that will deserve to have his name in the title.
The fact that in the spoof sci fi movie he is doing Bruce acts better than he does in the rest of the movie shows what a pile of horse droppings this film is.As a Bruce Campbell fan who has liked the majority of his work from Evil Dead to Xena,i have to say he has let his fans down with poor poor effort.
If he has made half has much money has i suspect from this movie from DVD sales,and has half as much integrity as i hope he has he will plow the money into another much better movie that will deserve to have his name in the title.
Pulp
(1972)
An unknown great
10 July 2008
i love this movie because of Caines Mike Hammer style commentary throughout,sometimes witty sometimes plain wrong his private musings are insightful and great.
The moment the film starts you just know its going to be quirky'which with most pictures would be the kiss of death.But with this movie it raises it above the average to very good.
In the acting stakes Caine is as strong as i have seen him in any of his 70s movies,as is Lionel Stander.But the pleasant surprise comes from Mickey Rooney who as an actor does not rate high in my opinion does a great comedic job sending himself up both as an actor wannabe gangster,and most funny height wise.
To right this off as just a comedy would be wrong,some poignant moments seem to show a country sliding slowly and surely into dictatorship.
You will either love or hate this film,i do not think there is an in-between.I think most people who give it a try knowing that it is not a mainstream movie will like it.
The moment the film starts you just know its going to be quirky'which with most pictures would be the kiss of death.But with this movie it raises it above the average to very good.
In the acting stakes Caine is as strong as i have seen him in any of his 70s movies,as is Lionel Stander.But the pleasant surprise comes from Mickey Rooney who as an actor does not rate high in my opinion does a great comedic job sending himself up both as an actor wannabe gangster,and most funny height wise.
To right this off as just a comedy would be wrong,some poignant moments seem to show a country sliding slowly and surely into dictatorship.
You will either love or hate this film,i do not think there is an in-between.I think most people who give it a try knowing that it is not a mainstream movie will like it.
The Last Valley
(1971)
Little known gem
18 May 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I first watched this film on TV 20 years ago while in my teens and loved it.And after watching it 20 years later i love it and understand it even more.
From the the opening titles you just know this must have been a labour of love for both director and actors.With a wonderful score that would have an Oscar in a David Lean film, this film has everything.
The total horror of the pillaging of a village at the beginning showed the the barbaricy of the times,compared to many historical films in which brutal deaths occurred mainly on battlefields.
The acting is superb Michael Caine pulling off being a character who can be both compassionate and brutal.His final speech showing that in different times his true nature is closer the former than the latter.The main surprise in this film to me was Omar Sharif who played the part best described as a sane man in an insane world,for me this is the greatest performance he has ever given.
This film is more relevant than it has ever been showing the futility of war between religions.
From the the opening titles you just know this must have been a labour of love for both director and actors.With a wonderful score that would have an Oscar in a David Lean film, this film has everything.
The total horror of the pillaging of a village at the beginning showed the the barbaricy of the times,compared to many historical films in which brutal deaths occurred mainly on battlefields.
The acting is superb Michael Caine pulling off being a character who can be both compassionate and brutal.His final speech showing that in different times his true nature is closer the former than the latter.The main surprise in this film to me was Omar Sharif who played the part best described as a sane man in an insane world,for me this is the greatest performance he has ever given.
This film is more relevant than it has ever been showing the futility of war between religions.
A classic.
26 February 2006
Just watched this on bbc 4 and just have to say i thought it was great.The story was well written.The writers letting the story flow and not trying to speed it up with unwanted action.The acting was superb from Firth and the rest of the great cast,Patrick magee giving a good performance in his small but pivotal role.The music at the beginning and the end was very good.Although i have no doubt i am probably looking at this through rose coloured glasses,and that there was a fair share of trash on TV in the 80s.This really puts the TV programmes of today to shame.Given a choice what my TV license fee should be spent on it would be this kind of programme not reality TV.Anyway i do hope the sequel will be shown on TV soon.
The horror is this trash was ever made.
25 August 2003
This film is really bad,so bad that even Christopher Lee cannot save it.A poor story an even poorer script and just plain bad direction makes this a truly outstanding horror film,the outstanding part being that it is the only horror film that i can honestly say i would never ever watch again.This garbage make Plan nine from outerspace look like oscar material.
The Night Visitor
(1971)
Change the films title to welcome visitor its that good.
13 July 2003
This film grabs you from start to finish.The clever way that Max Von Sydow,s character Salem executes his plan is engrossing.All the acting in this film is brilliant,but special credit has to go to Trevor Howard,s performance playing an ageing world weary inspector perfectly.It says a lot for the power of this film that although i have not been able to see it for over 10 years due to no dvd or video being available in the UK, it would still be in my top 20 movies ever.The plot was so good that i thought the ending would have to let it down,but instead turns out to be one of the best bits.
A forgotten masterpiece that far too few people have seen if the number of people that have voted for it is anything to go by.
A forgotten masterpiece that far too few people have seen if the number of people that have voted for it is anything to go by.
Big Trouble in Little China
(1986)
small classic in chinatown
26 June 2003
This film is rollercoaster of fun,never taking itself seriously,but simply moving from action sequence to comedy sequence and back again.Kurt Russell playing an indiana jones character with attitude,and Kim Cattrall plays the role of wisecracking damsel in distress perfectly. Even the end credits music was great,yet believe it or not this film flopped at the box office.I can only assume the movie going public of that year went to watch trash like The Color of money instead.
Deadfall
(1968)
A waste of time crime thriller.
15 June 2003
This may not be Michael Caines worst film,but it is almost certainly his worst performance.It has to be said the writing does not help him ,he comes across as a charmless cad with little to no humanity in evidence.Eric Portman as the sexually challenged partner in crime tries hard,but can find nothing in the script to help make a rounded character.Although caine was only in his 30s when he made this some of the physical abilities required in this crime movie would be beyond the efforts of a professional athlete.All in all a really bad movie with a dreadful if not deserved ending.Most movies have something going for them in this case it is the music.
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