Der Todesking (1989) aka The Death King

4 / 5 Mar '11
Tagline: N/A

Directed by: Jörg Buttgereit

Written by: Jörg Buttgereit, Franz Rodenkirchen
Actors include: Suzanne Betz, Gerd Breitung, Ingo Buesing
Genre: Horror, Surreal
Length: 74 minutes
Banned: Nope




Review:
This is most definitely an unusual film but not too unexpected if you are familiar with the works of Jörg Buttgereit. It's surrealistic in nature, and it's really seven little segments divided up by days of the week. In between it's spliced with scenes of a corpse decomposing which is gross but but fascinating. The theme is death, murder and suicide...anything very depressing. It at least does have a dark sense of humor which makes it rather entertaining to watch. I think the best segment was the bridge, it actually made me feel nervous! Very effective little film that manages to disturb and horrify without being downright gross (okay so except the decomposing corpse). The music was actually quite fitting too, it seemed to add a lighter tough. Recommended for people who are looking for a different sort of horror film with a bit of an artistic touch.

Availability:  on DVD

Kitchen Sink (1989)

3.5 / 5 Jan '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Alison Maclean
Written by: Alison Maclean
Actors include: Theresa Healey, Peter Tait, Annagretta Christian
Genre: Horror
Length: 14 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Very unique, stylish and surreal little short film from New Zealand. A woman sees a hair sticking out of her kitchen sink and she tugs on it, after much struggle she pulls out a mini monkey man thing. She throws it in water and it expands to human size and it sort of goes on from there. It was elegantly shot in black and white, and it really is one of those "what is going on here" sort of pictures which makes it quite interesting. If you come seeking answers...well you won't really find them but I do think it makes an interesting statement on obsession with changing people. Pretty neat little flick that made me think perhaps the folks who made Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus.

Availability:  Not on DVD I don't think

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

4 / 5
Tagline: Brace yourself amigos for a most triumphant video!
Directed by: Stephen Herek
Written by: Chris Matheson, Ed Solomon
Actors include: Alex Winter, Keanu Reeves, George Carlin
Genre: Sci-Fi, Comedy
Length: 90 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Another '80s movie involving a time machine? No way dude, yes way! Meet Bill S. Preston Esquire and Ted Theodore Logan, the gnarliest doofuses of the '80s! Trouble comes their way when they are on the verge of failing out of school if they don't pass history class (which means military school for Ted). Since the two believe their future to be in a rock and roll band called the Wild Stallyns they simply can't be separated. They get some help from a visitor from the future named Rufus (I had a cat named Rufus when I was younger) who needs them to pass history because if that band isn't formed his future is doomed! Rufus has a time traveling phone booth so they can snatch historical figures from the past for their test so they can pass! It's stupid sure but in a good way, it's also very funny entertaining, especially for kids I'd think.

Availability:  On DVD

Back To The Future II (1989)

4 / 5
Tagline: It's About Time.
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Written by: Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale
Actors include: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson
Genre: Sci-Fi, Comedy, Adventure
Length: 108 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
In the second part of the Back to the Future trilogy Marty McFly returns from the past only to be send on another adventure. This time he and girlfriend Jennifer and Dog end up taking the Deloreon to the future (2015 which is frighteningly not that far away). See Marty's future son Marty Jr. is about to commit robbery so they have to try to put together a plan to prevent this from happening. While this is going on, Marty buys a sports book from the future but when he brings it back to the current time it's stolen by a bully. Unfortunately the bully is smart enough to steal the time machine and alter time so guess what they have to do again... It's still a very entertaining part of the story, it's creative and I do believe anyone who liked the first one should definitely enjoy this one too (even if it's not quite as exciting). Still a definite '80s classic into one heck of an amazing trilogy!

Availability:  On DVD

The Phantom Of The Mall (1989)

3.5 / 5 Jun '10
Tagline: Be nice to Eric. Or Eric won't be nice to you.
Directed by: Richard Friedman
Written by: Scott Schneid, Frederick R. Ulrich
Actors include: Derek Rydall, Pauley Shore, Kimber Sissons
Genre: Horror, Comedy
Length: 90 minutes
Banned: Nope
Country: USA

Review:
So this was actually a heck of a lot better than I was expecting it to be. It's still got some major problems...extremely cheesy soundtrack, plenty of cutaway violence and a ridiculous sex scene, it's far from perfect. Still it's quite an amusing little take on the Phantom of the Opera story and they certainly tried with an obviously low budget. Eric had a beautiful home and a beautiful girlfriend named Suzi until some greedy mall builders who want his property burn down his house with him still inside. He's believed to be dead even though he's secretly just half burned and wearing a half of a mannequin's face. He lives in the secret areas of the mall and in the ducts I believe and let's just say he's pretty pissy. It does contain several creative deaths involving things would expect to see at the mall (escalator anyone?) and things one wouldn't expect to see (cobra in the toilet?). They don't show much but I don't think the special effects department was capable of more than what this did show. It was also cool to see so many shots from the Sherman Oaks Galleria mall in the '80s, very neat indeed. Oh and I should mention that Pauly Shore, Morgan Fairchild and Rob Estes are all relatively big characters in this too. It's better than you might think seriously, I had fun watching it at any rate.

Availability:  On DVD

The Woman In Black (1989)

4 / 5 Nov '09
Tagline: A spine-chilling ghost story
Directed by: Herbert Wise
Written by: Susan Hill
Actors include: Adrian Rawlins, Bernard Hepton, David Daker
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Length: 100 minutes
Banned: Nope

 

Review:

Everywhere I look people were saying this was scary so I knew I absolutely had to see it. I had to say that I felt let down, I mean there are parts that are atmospheric and even a tiny bit scary, but nothing that bowled me over or made me even feel uneasy. It's a long drawn out ghost story (seriously did this have to go on for so darned long) about a Lawyer who goes to a house on a Moore after a Woman dies to settle her estate. Everyone in town seems to be terrified of this woman and many advise him to stay away, but that doesn't stop him from going back...twice! The moores repetitively make noises (seriously how many times did we have to hear that to get the point) and he keeps seeing a strange woman. Most of the time is spent with this dull lawyer character (who isn't much of an actor) watching him play with the stuff in her estate...yawn! When things finally start happening I'm sorry but I just wasn't very afraid, but at least toward the end it really tried with at least one surprise. I do think this wanted to be scary, I think it set the right mood and everything, it's just the methods used were lacking (except the walking in the Moore...that one was creepy). I guess I just really expected more, but well maybe I'm a tough one to frighten?

Availability:  Not on DVD as far as I can tell but you can grab it here:
Part 1:  http://www.megaupload.com/?d=X9UE0IGV

Part 2:  http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6M2Y1LGR

Part 3:  http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3SQPLTJ7

Part 4:  http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XXOGXPBM

Part 5:  http://www.megaupload.com/?d=CC8BX7QL

Part 6:  http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GIQXMFDI

*as far as I know this is unavailable everywhere, if you are the owner of the copyright and wish this to be removed, I will do so immediately thanks & enjoy!