Showing posts with label ITALY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ITALY. Show all posts

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Society (1989)


Society (1989)
Genre: Horror
Country: Italy | Director: Brian Yuzna
Language: English | Subtitles: None
Aspect ratio: Widescreen 1.85:1 | Length: 98mn
Dvdrip Xvid Avi - 624x336 - 23.976fps - 905mb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098354/

Bill is worried that he is 'different' to his sister and parents. They mix with other 'upper class' people while Bill is more down to earth. Even his girlfriend seems a bit odd. All is revealed when Bill returns home to find a party in full swing. Not for the weak of stomach.

Brian Yuzna established himself within the horror genre by producing splatter flicks such as the masterpiece Re-Animator and the pretty damn good From Beyond; but Society marks his first directorial project. It's a good one too! This film is unlike the likes of Re-Animator in that it doesn't work principally from lots of gore. There are some disgusting scenes on display; but the main focus of the film is always on the surreal element of the story. It definitely shares a Lovecraftian influence with Re-Animator. Bill Whitney is pretty much the normal teenage boy; but he's pretty sure his family aren't. He's paranoid that something unusual is going down with the society around him, but his psychiatrist is having none of it and puts it down simply to teenage paranoia. This is something more than paranoia, however, and after reviewing a tape his friend made, and having his friend die mysteriously, Bill is now certain that his fears are real. But it's hard to stand out from society; and society certainly isn't going to take his accusations lying down.

Society starts out like one of those teen comedies from the eighties; but somehow manages to build into a very surreal little film. I can definitely see why many didn't like it, but it certainly clicked for me! There are a lot of things that don't make perfect sense, the acting is terrible and the script is less than perfect - but it doesn't matter, because the imagination and inventiveness is here, and that is always the most important thing in horror. While there are films like this one in existence, there aren't any that are really similar to it; and that gives this film more standing in my view, as originality should be rewarded. Another positive element about this film is the way that it handles itself. The first hour is mainly concerned with the mystery behind 'society', but unlike many mystery flicks; this one always stays interesting. When it finally builds to it's effects-laden, disgusting finale - the audience really gets paid off, and if nothing else; you'll be captivated by what is on display. This film is a spoof on real 'society', but it keeps it's points close to it's chest and doesn't hit the audience in the face with them, thus giving this an element of intelligence.
 



 
 
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The New Barbarians (1982) Enzo G. Castellari

The New Barbarians (1982)
aka I Nuovi Barbari
aka Warriors of the Wasteland
Genre: Postnuke
Country: Italy | Director: Enzo G. Castellari
Language: English | Subtitles: none
Aspect Ratio: Cinemascope 2.35:1 | Length: 94mn
Dvdrip Xvid Avi - 720x304 - 23.976fps - 1.45gb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084424/

Two mercenaries help wandering caravans fight off an evil and aimless band of white-clad bikers after the nuclear holocaust.

The cover of this little stinker has a bunch of punkers (none of which are in the film) so i went into it expecting a punk rock style exploitation flick from the late 80's and instead discovered the funniest ROAD WARRIOR rip off ever! It's one of the tons of Italian knock offs of the early 80's so you know it's gonna be cheesy but this one is just ridiculous! Ultra cheap with plenty of action/violence and enough funny gore to satisfy any fan of 80s b-rated sleaze. Not to mention a ridiculous soundtrack! The only thing that's missing is some boobies. Not that there's no sex just not anything arousing in any way. Of course it takes place in the post apocalyptic future where a gang of ridiculously costumed barbarian types called the Templars set out to destroy the few humans left as punishment for the crime of being born. Cool enough plot for me! Basically this movie is pure shite but it's funny as hell especially when watched with chicks or people who are not fans of crappy movies. Trust me, seeing the expression on their face during the Templars initiation sense will make hunting this baby down well worth the hunt!
 










 
READ MORE - The New Barbarians (1982) Enzo G. Castellari

The Reincarnation Of Isabel (1973)


The Reincarnation Of Isabel (1973)
aka Riti, magie nere e segrete orge nel trecento...
aka Black Magic Rites & the Secret Orgies of the 14th Century
Genre: Horror
Country: Italy | Director: Renato Polselli
Language: Italian | Subtitles: English (.srt file)
Aspect ratio: Widescreen 1.77:1 | Length: 94mn
Dvdrip H264 Mkv - 853x480 - 29.970fps - 1.56gb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0122685/

In the cellar of the local cursed castle, Satanists are cutting out the hearts and drinking the blood of virgins in order to keep alive their Great Mistress Isabella Isabella Drupel ...

"Reincarnation of Isabel" is a great example of good Euro-trash. It triumphs over its obviously low budget through a combination of gore, unintentional humor, a great score, flashy camera work, and large amounts of gratuitous nudity. It is surprising that this movie has not received a cult status yet, being that it is better than many cult movies. Thanks must be given to Redemption (the company that put this out) for finding a print of this movie, which was long considered lost, and giving it its first domestic release ever.

The "plot" is as follows: A woman named Isabel is burned at the stake when the Inquisition comes to her small village. Apparently they are not too far off, either, because she actually was a witch. Her husband and another local take her body and put it in the dungeon of a castle. Flip to present day: The husband and some of the locals who were on his side have been reincarnated (no explanation is given), and through some twist of fate know it. The husband then attempts to reincarnate Isabel with the hearts of young virgins in some satanic ritual. There is actually much more to the plot (something to do with vampires, and many unnecessary characters), but it all becomes a confused mess. This lack of plot can be forgiven, though, because the plot is not what the movie is trying for.

"Reincarnation of Isabel" is one of the most enjoyable Euro-trash movies, containing everything one has come to expect from this genre. Well, not quite everything. This movie unfortunately lacks in violence and gore. After the violent opening, the movie contains no more realistic effects (it does, however, contain some unrealistic effects. For example, a few "witches" are scratched with sticks, which is fine and dandy (they were topless, after all), but the effect was so cheap it was unintentionally humorous. It was achieved through the use of rubbing a blunt club with wet paint on the end against the skin of the two "witches."). The fake violence was not the only source of unintentional humor; the subtitles were actually much funnier. On the plus side, the acting was surprisingly good and solid, the music was decent, and the direction was pretty solid. It should also be noted that "Reincarnation..." gets better with every viewing. It should be viewed at least twice to get the wanted effect.











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Friday, June 10, 2011

Le Cinque Giornate (1973)

Le Cinque Giornate aka Five Days of Milan (1973) Dario Argento
Genre :
Comedy | Drama | History | War
Country: Italy l Language: Italian l Subtitles: English (srt file)
Aspect ratio: Cinemascope 2.35:1 l Length: 116mn
Dvdrip Xvid Avi - 720x288 - 832mb

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069884/
 
Dario Argento wanted to do something different after completing the Animal trilogy. He wanted to do a film that got away from the confines of the giallo and was for the Italian viewer only. Dario decided for this kind of film to be a period piece called Le Cinque Giornate/Five Days in Milan(1973). Dario's work on the excellent Once Upon a Time in the West(1969) played a big part in the making of the movie.












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The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh (1971)

The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh
aka Lo strano vizio della Signora Wardh (1971) DVDRIP
Director: Sergio Martino / Country: Italy
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 / Color / 96 mns
Language: Italian / Subtitles: English (srt file)
File: avi / Xvid / 624x256 / 702 mo
Sergio Martino's "Lo Strano vizio della Signora Wardh" (1970) is a welcome addition to the list of giallos that had remained long unseen for me. Martino has done some of the most interesting of the 70's exploitation cinema (like "Torso" and "Mountain of the Cannibal God") and also an interesting spaghetti western "Mannaja." The giallo hasn't as hard-to-follow and confusing plot as it could have, there are not too many characters which makes their efforts and plot turns easy to follow. The story is simple and involves strange murders closely related to beautiful Wardh lady. There are some masterfully constructed mystery / giallo segments that look no less ambitious than those of Dario Argento. I mean mostly the garage scene and the "gas" scene near the end. These build the suspense well and involve the audience much better than some of the more gore-oriented works of the genre. Martino's film has also some stylish and violent murders but fortunately he didn't concentrate only on them. The locations are simply stunning, and the end twist is surprising and certainly original in my opinion. I think this is among the best of the giallo genre, on the same level with Mario Bava's "Blood and Black Lace", the films by Argento and Tonino Valerii's "My Dear Killer", for example, to name just a few.
 







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All the Colors of the Dark (1972)


All the Colors of the Dark
aka Tutti i colori del buio (1972) DVDRIP
Genre: Giallo
Director: Sergio Martino / Country: Italy
Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen / Color / 95 mns
Language: Italian / Subtitles: English (hardcoded)
File: avi / Xvid / 720x320 / 698 Mo
Jane (Edwige Fenech) has recurring nightmares of her mother's murder years before.She also seems to be followed by a knife-wielding,blue-eyed man of her nightmares.A neighbor talks her into going to a Devil worshipping cult where she is seduced,tattooed,and drinks the blood of a dog.She soon discovers that there is something more diabolical going on than she could have ever imagined."All the Colors of the Dark" by Sergio Martino is a visually stunning film.The score by Bruno Nicolai is superb as it provides plenty of eerie atmosphere.Both the disturbing dream sequence and the orgiastic Black Mass are well done although a little heavy handed with their symbolism.The cast is great with giallo regulars George Hilton, Edwige Fenech,Ivan Rassimov and Marina Malfatti to boost.There is very little gore,but plenty of gratuitous nudity.So if you are a fan of Sergio Martino's gialli give this gem a look.
 







 
READ MORE - All the Colors of the Dark (1972)
 
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