I distinctly remember being stunned by the trailer for Julia Ducournau's Titane. It was hardly surprising, really, her debut feature, Raw, is one of my all-time favourite films. My prevailing feeling from Titane's trailer was one of wonder: how could this staggering barrage of imagery all fit into one film? Unfortunately, this reaction turned out … Continue reading Titane (Review)
Tag: extreme
Crash (1996) (Reissue Review)
Cronenberg's notorious adaptation of J.G Ballard's equally notorious novel has been shocking and delighting audiences in equal measure for over twenty-five years. This extreme, transgressive - yet unnervingly existential - drama confronts the viewer with a journey into apparent depravity as it explores ever blurring lines between sex, death and destruction. It is a chaotic … Continue reading Crash (1996) (Reissue Review)
Possessor (Review)
There is a new name in body horror, and it is Cronenberg. However, it is not David Cronenberg; it is Brandon Cronenberg. As, in his second feature, Possessor, Brandon steps beyond his father's shadow to make one of the most interesting - and just one of the best - films of the year. Though it … Continue reading Possessor (Review)
NastyPALs 16: Night of the Bloody Apes
A movie in which a man has his heart swapped with that of an ape in order to cure his leukaemia, only to be turned into a monster who goes on a bloody rampage! Oh, and it's also about female wrestling (Luchadores, to be specific).Yeah... This movie rules. You need to listen to this one … Continue reading NastyPALs 16: Night of the Bloody Apes
Harpoon (Review)
One of my favourite types of film can be roughly defined as the cinema of escalation: a narrative approach in which a potent central conflict is pushed and pushed to the point of extremity. If you want a concrete example of this, look no further than Rob Grant's terrific exploitation movie, Harpoon. Harpoon also fits … Continue reading Harpoon (Review)
1BR (Review)
So, it turns out, LA may have a dark side. In fact, perhaps, Hollywood is parasitic and, perhaps, the manufactured apartment communities are home to something deeply sinister... Okay, we've seen all these ideas before, but 1BR (shorthand for a 'One Bedroom' property listing) provides a really fun spin on these well worn tropes. The … Continue reading 1BR (Review)
Knife+Heart (Review)
It's been a great year for giallo throwbacks (with Piercing, In Fabric and now this). This, by itself, is a wonderful thing. For the uninitiated, giallo is a genre of Italian cult-films (primarily from the 70s), named after the yellow paper of detective novels and defined by their luscious aesthetic (full of 70s kitsch, gloves … Continue reading Knife+Heart (Review)
NastyPALs Episode 11: Don’t Go in the Woods… Alone!
Stephen and Adam take the deepest academic dive anybody has probably ever taken into the piece of trash that is 'Don't Go in the Woods... Alone!' Don't watch it and avoid those woods - unless you bring a friend, I guess. https://soundcloud.com/user-782108692/11-dont-go-in-the-woods-alone
Climax (Review)
You should probably be suspicious of people who tell you they like Gaspar Noé's Climax. However, few will be able to deny it is at least a very impressive piece of work - as it combines extremely long single shots with extensive improvisation and avant-garde camera work, while still managing to remain internally coherent (I … Continue reading Climax (Review)
Lords of Chaos (Review)
It turns out, the Norwegian Black Metal scene of the 90s was pretty intense. And probably not in the way you think. This feature from Jonas Åkerlund, presents the story of Øystein Aarseth (played rather excellently by Rory Culkin), better known to the world as Euronymous: pioneer of the Norwegian Black Metal scene and band … Continue reading Lords of Chaos (Review)
Assorted Opinions 