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Entries tagged with 'Thriller'
Posted Oct. 9, 2008,
Edgar Wallace Collection (Volume 2) On DVD!
By Dennis Dermody
For those with a thirst for crime films, out on DVD is: The Edgar Wallace Collection (Volume 2) (www.retromedia.org). In the 1960s, German studios cranked out many B-thrillers based on the mysteries of Edgar Wallace and his son Bryan Edgar Wallace. These two are perfect introductions. Curse Of The Yellow Snake (1963) mixes the Fu Manchu series with this story about a secret Chinese cult of the Fighting Hand operating in London set on taking over the world. They are led by Fing Su (Pinkus Braun), who is set on capturing a famous cursed idol the "yellow snake" to complete his plan for world domination. But he is thwarted by his half brother Clifford (played by familiar Edgar Wallace hero Joachim Fuchsberger) who hides the idol from him. Eddi Arent shows up as usual as comic relief in this crackling adventure. The Phantom of Soho (1964) is about a skull-masked killer (with glitter gloves) knifing victims in the seedy Soho section of London. Set around strip clubs and amongst seedy gangsters, this is more typical of the setting and complicated plot lines of the usual Edgar Wallace fare. While all of them are vaguely similar they're all a lot of fun too.
Posted Jun. 30, 2008,
Vantage Point Is Goofy But Enjoyable -- and Now Out on DVD
By Dennis Dermody
Vantage Point, a goofy yet enjoyable Rashamon-study of the assassination attempt on the United States President (William Hurt) at a peace convention in Spain, is out this week on DVD. We see the scene of the crime (at a town square) repeated from several different perspectives -- from Dennis Quaid, as a secret service agent who once took a bullet for the president; from Forrest Whitaker, playing a tourist with a video camera taping the incident; from Sigourney Weaver, as a TV producer; and a host of others, as the scenario repeats itself endlessly until it begins to come into focus. As the lens clears you see double-dealings, dummy presidents, wily terrorists, not to mention a little girl with an ice cream cone who figures into the nonsense. When it finally gets to a harebrained car chase around the city between Dennis Quaid and a rouge cop, all reason has been thrown to the wind. Director Pete Travis’s film has an annoying Groundhog Day repetition in the beginning, but eventually one kind of gets into all the crackpot coincidences and preposterous plot twists.
Posted Apr. 10, 2008,
Bette Davis Is The Nanny!
By Dennis Dermody
Finally picked up the new DVD of The Nanny from Fox Home Entertainment. The terrific 1965 British thriller features a fabulous performance by Bette Davis as the nanny from hell. Directed by Seth Holt, Bette is dowdy and prim, and takes care of a disturbed little boy accused of drowning his sister. But there's more than meets the eye in this chiller. Think The Nanny Diaries, only with a killer twist....
Posted Jan. 29, 2008,
PAPER TV: Colette and Jeremy Scott Throw Thriller Dance Party During PAPER's L.A. Project
By PAPERMAG Editors
Ain't no party like a Colette Dance Party and that's the truth! During PAPER's most recent L.A. Project, Sarah and Nadege of super-chic Paris boutique Colette teamed up with the wonderful-crazy designer Jeremy Scott to host a Thriller-themed dance party. Here's what went down.
Posted Sep. 17, 2007,
The Killing Kind
By Dennis Dermody
According to: DVD Drive-In, on Nov. 20th, Darksy Films will release one of my all time favorites: The Killing Kind, a twisted little psychological thriller by the late, great, Curtis Harrington, director of Night Tide, What's the Matter With Helen?, Ruby, Queen of Blood, among many other genre favorites.
The Killing Kind (1973) stars a young John Savage (The Deer Hunter) as a 21-year-old just released from prison for a rape (he didn't really commit) who lives with his smothering, doting, mother (Ann Southern) who runs a boarding house for women. And yes, the ladies start showing up dead... The movie features a great supporting cast: Cindy Williams, Ruth Roman and Luana Anders. I just love this one. It's perverse and perfect.
Posted Aug. 27, 2007,
Antibodies out on DVD
By Dennis Dermody
New on DVD this week is a curious serial killer movie called Antibodies, directed by Christian Alvart and filmed in Germany. The movie is given a deluxe two-disc special edition from Dark Sky and it's not half bad. The film's opening features policemen have a shoot out at the apartment of this creepy nude killer (Andre Hennicke) who targets young boys.
Norman Reedus even shows up as a doomed cop on the scene. Then the movie shifts to a country village where the local cop Michael Martens (Wotan Wilke Mohring) hears the news and is hopeful the killer is tied to the brutal murder of of young girl some time back which has turned the town suspiciously against each other. Martens, a deeply Catholic soul, has trouble at home -- his marriage is on the rocks and his young son shows signs of being a budding serial killer himself. Traveling to the city, he meets the murderer behind bars and before you can say Silence of the Lambs, a cat-and-mouse game between the psychopath and cop begin.
Taut and well shot, the film is full of creepy passages where the killer describes how he trapped and tortured his prey. There are nice clever shifts in the plot and on the second disc, there's a nice featurette with director Christian Alvart, who gives such a smart, impassioned, explanation for the way he shot the film; you find yourself looking back on the movie and liking it more in hindsight.
Posted Jul. 3, 2007,
Joshua: Watch Out!
By Dennis Dermody
Opening this Friday is Joshua, a sinister update of The Bad Seed in which a Manhattan couple, Brad and Abby Cairn (Sam Rockwell and Vera Farmiga), slowly realizing that there is something not quite right about their young son Joshua (Jacob Kogan).
As the Cairns are celebrating the birth of their second child Lily, their piano-playing prodigy son Joshua begins to slowly and subversively manipulate his parents' happiness. Director George Ratliff’s smart direction and wonderful cast help build the suspense with subtle, unnerving, grace. And the kid’s creepy blank stares really make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on edge. Especially those little flashes when Joshua’s mask drops and you glimpse the malevolence behind those eyes. Macabre and supremely chilling.
Posted May. 31, 2007,
Mr. Brooks (Dances With Dead People)!
By Dennis Dermody
Kevin Costner's new Indian name is Dances With Dead People in the freaky new thriller opening June 1: Mr. Brooks. Mr. Brooks(Costner) is a successful businessman, philanthropist, loving husband (to Marg Helgenberg), and father (Danielle Panabaker plays his secretive daughter). But he is constantly attending AA meetings, not to supress his urge to drink -- but to kill. His alter-ego (William Hurt) is always over his shoulder egging him on to give in to his sick desires. Unfortunately a shutterbug (Dane Cook) catches him in the act of murder and blackmails him to take him along on his next kill. Demi Moore plays a detective doggedly in pursuit of him. This sardonically twisted psychological thriller by Bruce A. Evans is the damnedest thing -- none of these elements should work but they actually do. It’s creepy and disturbingly funny. Costner is sensational, wryly amusing, but like a coiled cobra.