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James_Banner
Reviews
Late Night Drama: Starmaker (1974)
A Little Dated But Still Remarkable!
It's surprising that this episode was ever made. Ray Davies, front man of the Kinks, is known for his theatrical sensibilities and this episode showcases both his acting and songwriting talents extremely well. It's performed with what appears to be a live vocal (rather than simply lip- synched) so the performances are both fresh and a touch on the raw side. This episode is a rare treat for Kinks & Ray Davies fans and is well worth the trouble of hunting down. Some of the ambiance (ancillary dancers, sets) are steeped in the fashions of the day and they do tend to draw the attention away from the sheer brilliance of the script and music but Ray Davies and June Ritchie play against each other surprisingly well.
Famine (2011)
Not As Bad As Some Say...
This is the work of Ryan Nicholson, an accomplished makeup effects artist and the special effects makeup in Family are really quite good. Nicholson's work may remind some viewers of Tom Savini's work in the 1980s. While the cast is inexperienced most of them handled their lines just fine and most of the girls are absolutely gorgeous.
People who sit down to Famine with the expectation of a horror film may be put off because it's more of a comedy with elements of horror. Famine won't give you nightmares - it doesn't assault the senses the way Evil Dead does but it also isn't as successful at melding comedy & horror as Army of Darkness was.
Famine may suffer the most from the writing; the story (not the script) leaves a lot to be desired and the editing took the wind out of the sails for the suspense in one scene after the next so the climax is more like a mercy killing of this interesting feature.
I hope Ryan Nicholson will take a wider view of the talented people in the world and avoid trying to do everything himself next time. With a better story, I think Famine may prove to be a starting point of some great films to come from this talented man.
Dark Watchers: The Women in Black (2012)
Not As Bad As Others Say...
This is nowhere near "the worst movie ever made" or even a "bland school project". It is, in my estimation, a fairly good and somewhat serious dramatization of the Men In Black mythology as outlined originally in Gray Barker's "They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers" (1956) and its sequel, Albert K. Bender's "The Flying Saucers and the Three Men" (1962).
The acting is reasonably credible and it doesn't hurt that the leading ladies are young & beautiful. The camera work is above average and the cinematography is quite interesting and the black & white sequences are artfully employed. I really enjoyed the incidental music too and felt that it added a lot to the suspense.
If you're interested in the MIB mythology, I'd suggest giving this a view. It won't provide any revelations on the topic but I think it's a well-crafted film that deserves better reviews than it's getting here.
Suing the Devil (2011)
Nice Try But No Cigar
I'm a sucker for films revolving around the personage of the Devil, particularly the Devil portrayed in modern life, and I must admit that Malcolm McDowell delivers a creditable performance in this film but his brilliant work is diluted by co-star Bart Bronson's mediocrity and nervously shrill attempt at acting. Bronson was so bad it really was excruciating to finish watching this.
Cinematographer Tom Gleeson should be placed on probation for his work in this. The makeup department deserves a scolding as well, for allowing what were supposedly the highest prices attorneys in the world going to court without proper haircuts.
The countless theological 'sins' of omission in the dialog aside, the entire presentation resembles an after-school movie at a bible camp. The glib attempt to wrap up the work in a cute bow seemed ridiculous and the story itself lacks any credible tension between the principle actors.
It's a shame more time wasn't spent on the script and getting an experienced actor to play the part of Luke O'Brien because the sets were fine and Malcolm McDowell really did do the best with what he had to work with. With just a little more thought, this could have been something great ... but it isn't.
Cannibal Taboo (2006)
Not Bad At All!
I didn't seek out "Cannibal Taboo" expecting to see the "Citizen Kane of Gore" or even something in the "Evil Dead" caliber of film making. My expectations were considerably lower; I'd read that it's a sexploitation film with gore and I wasn't disappointed.
The actors & actresses knew their lines (they didn't even seem to be reading them off cue cards!) and the girls were all very pretty (which helps in any film that capitalizes on nudity). I thoroughly enjoyed the Lovecraftian references and the occult ritual scenes were both well-played and nicely photographed.
I think this film is a fine example of underground independent film making and I hope to see much more from both the director and the cast.