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

A Serbian Film (2010) aka Srpski Film

4.5 / 5 Jan '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Srdjan Spasojevic
Written by: Aleksandar Radivojevic, Srdjan Spasojevic
Actors include: Srdjan Todorovic, Sergej Trifunovic, Jelena Gavrilovic
Genre: Horror, Drama
Length: 103 minutes
Banned: Australia

Review:
Well, this is the sort of film that seriously succeeds in being a disturbing horror film in nearly every sense of the word. It's got something to offend everyone, and it made me feel very uneasy and uncomfortable. It's difficult to watch because of subject matter, but since it's so well made and well acted it's almost more shocking. It's a film about a retired Porn actor called Milos who was known in the business for being able to get himself hard immediately. He needs money for his Wife and Son so he somewhat reluctantly signs on to do a mysterious art film. The thing is, they won't tell him what he's filming, he is just to show up and not ask questions. This will tackle just about any taboo you can think of, and it's stunningly horrifying. I did see "what happened" coming, it wasn't too surprising that way, but it was still mesmerizing none the less. I can't really "recommend" this, but if you can handle nearly anything in film and want to be disturbed you may want to see this one, I think it takes the cake.

Availability:  On Blu-Ray & DVD

Martyrs (2008)

4.5 / 5 Jan '11
Tagline: They did not finish to be alive...
Directed by: Pascal Laugier
Written by: Pascal Laugier
Actors include: Morjana Alaoui, Mylène Jampanoï, Catherine Bégin
Genre: Horror, Drama
Length: 99 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Yikes, well this is a different breed of horror film, and an effective one. We meet a young girl named Lucie who we see escaping some sort of torture area, she is bleeding, malnourished and had clearly been suffering. We learn that Lucie has a best friend Anna who has also had a rough go of things, the two are pretty inseperable. Flash forward a few years and we see Lucie go out for revenge against the family that kidnapped her and tortured her. I don't want to give more away but it really takes some demented twists and turns here. The story is graphically bloody, it's very serious in tone and it's very bleak and hard to watch in places. I can see why some might be divided on this, but I thought it was really well made, and actresses Morjana Alaoui and Mylène Jampanoï did a fantastic job. The first part is far more intense then the last, but the whole thing I thought was rather gripping. In a way it's treated like a mystery as parts of the tale don't unfold until later and that is what was so compelling. Now I think it would have been beneficial to let us in a little more on the bigger picture of what was going on but at the same time it wrapped up well enough. Definitely one of the best horror films from the last ten years that I've come across, recommended fo rthose looking for something disturbingly different.

Availability:  On DVD

Antichrist (2009)

3.5 / 5 Dec '10
Tagline: When nature turns evil, true terror awaits.
Directed by: Lars von Trier
Written by: Lars von Trier
Actors include: Willem DaFoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Storm Acheche Sahlstrøm
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Horror
Length: 105 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
For me this was a rather hit and miss film, the ending I quite enjoyed...okay well maybe "enjoyed" isn't the word...it made me uncomfortable. The beginning I found to be rather dry and up it's own ass (although very well acted) it was rather boring. It begins with the death of a couple's infant while they are having sex (I was shocked at how much we see here honestly), from there it's a downward spiral of guilt, shame and despair. It's a depressing film, and some of the creepy imagery is quite well created (especially the woods and dead animals). The ending was surprisingly demented and entertaining though people watching this as an art film will be disappointed, I thought it had good payoff. It does "cross the line" a few times into silly territory...I mean a talking fox? What was up with that? Oh well it's a strange hybrid of art film, disturbing gross out fest and well acted drama....it was worth watching but not something I'd probably watch again.

Availability:  On Blu-Ray & DVD

In A Glass Cage (1987) aka Tras El Cristal

4.5 / 5 Nov '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Agustí Villaronga
Written by: Agustí Villaronga
Actors include: Günter Meisner, David Sust, Marisa Paredes
Genre: Horror, Drama, War, Thriller
Length: 105 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Egads, this must have been the feel bad movie of the year. That being said, it's really an amazing picture about the atrocities of war and their lasting effects even after and it's told in a different way then I've ever seen before. It's so bleak and difficult to watch in places, this one will test and disturb, I doubt I'll ever forget it. The story is about a former Nazi/pedophile named Klaus who tormented little boys but is now clinging to life at home in an iron lung. His wife seems harsh and awful as well, and their poor little girl Rena lives with them too. A young Man called Angelo shows up at their house wanting to take care of Klaus but something isn't quite right with this arrangement. It's brutal, violent, explicit, humorless and in no way should this be watched by everyone. Still it's an impressively made and acted film that leaves one hell of an impression and does more than makes it's point. It's rare to see such a combination of exploitation/drama and horror but this is effective and worthwhile to the right viewer.

Availability:  On DVD