“The Sorcerers” is the second of three films directed by Michael Reeves, who died shortly after making the third (“Witchfinder General”). This film stars Boris Karloff, Ian Ogilvy, and Catherine Lacey, and involves an elderly hypnotist who develops a device allowing remote control of another person’s mind, controlling that person’s actions even from a distance.…
“Hammer House of Horror” can be seen as the last offering from Hammer Studios, at least in their classic period. It ran for one season of thirteen episodes, each one telling a different horror tale. While none of the episodes were bad, there was some variety in quality as there is with any television. In…
“Seconds” is a thriller and science-fiction (of sorts), directed by John Frankenheimer (known for “The Manchurian Candidate”, “Birdman of Alcatraz”, and “Ronin”) and starring Rock Hudson. It tells the story of an older man in a life he doesn’t like, having a mid-life crisis. He is approached by a mysterious company that offers him a…
“The Machinist” is a psychological thriller directed by Brad Anderson and starring Christian Bale. The main character Trevor (Bale) is a machinist who at the start of the film is clearly unwell. He is severely underweight and does not seem to sleep. The movie follows him through his working day, his evening visits to a…
I have to say, I am rather fond of found footage movies. You need to go into these with the presumption that all characters you are about to see are going to die (there are exceptions to this rule, but they’re rare) but they can be fun and creepy to watch. There is always the…
“The Outrage” is a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s “Rashomon”, as a western. It follows the original story reasonably closely, and while it is not as good as “Rashomon” it does have a lot to recommend it. The story involves a crime, where a woman is raped and her husband killed. Difficulties arise at the trial,…
“Jesus of Nazareth” is a four part miniseries directed by Franco Zeffirelli. It tells the gospels account of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. It boasts an impressive array of stars in both major and minor roles and is one of the best depictions of Jesus seen on screen. There are some parts of…
“Us” is written and directed by Jordan Peele, two years after his directorial debut in feature films, with “Get Out”. “Us” concerns the Wilson family, who go on holiday to California. They stay in the childhood home of the mother. Adelaide (Lupita Nyong’o), who remembers a childhood traumatic event at a seaside carnival. When the…
Gene Hackman had an acting career spanning the second half of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. Winner of two Academy awards, over his career he had many other awards and nominations. I consider Hackman’s performances to be grounded and real, so in memory of a great actor, here are some of my favourite…
“In Bruges” is a crime thriller with dark comedy elements, and stars Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, and Ralph Fiennes. It involves two hitmen arriving in Bruges, after a job that has gone wrong. They have been instructed by their boss to stay in Bruges until he contacts them. Ray (Farrell) is appalled by this, as…
Eclectic Assemblage 