The Collector (2009)

3.5 / 5 Apr '11
Tagline: He always takes one
Directed by: Marcus Dunstan
Written by: Patrick Melton
Actors include: Josh Stewart, Juan Fernández, Andrea Roth
Genre: Horror
Length: 90 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Huh....ok so if you like explanations and logic and all of that, steer clear you will hate this. Once I accepted that it doesn't matter why and that I'm not going to get to know I enjoyed it a heck of a lot more. What I can make out of it is that an ex-con desperately needs to pay off his ex-wife. To do so he plans a heist at the home of his employers but when he gets there he's greeted with a bit of a surprise. It seems that a crazier criminal beat him to the punch and has rigged the house with some of the most insane booby traps this side of Home Alone. It's definitely violent and bloody with torture galore, and some of the traps are pretty neato. It doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense how someone could have had the year it would have taken to set these elaborate traps and why. Oh well, if you just want some carnage and cruelty this will do just fine.

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray
The Collector [Blu-ray]

Lady In A Cage (1964)

4 / 5 July '10
Tagline: Do not see "Lady in a Cage" alone!
Directed by: Walter Grauman
Written by: Luther Davis
Actors include: Olivia de Havilland, James Caan, Ann Sothern
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Length: 94 minutes
Banned: Finland

Review:
Mrs. Hilyard (Olivia de Havilland) needs to have her hip replaced, in the meantime she has to use a cage-like elevator to get between floors in her house. Her Son has left her alone for a few days, so when something in her elevator malfunctions and she's trapped in there she's panicked. The elevator has a buzzer for help that rings a bell outside, instead of attracting help she attracts the attention of a bum who wants to rob her. Of course she's trapped so she can do nothing, but when more bad people that are more dangerous invade her house things go from bad to worse. Suddenly there are bodies, and total destruction and nobody will help. In a way it feels like a message to the audience that society sucks and won't help a suffering injured Woman, we'd rather rob her instead. Still it's rather shocking honestly and it goes further than I had expected. A rather cool concept with an intriguing execution and a wonderful leading lady...what more could one want?

Availability:  On DVD