2025-09-25

Streaming Kino: The 39 Steps (1935) - Alfred Hitchcock

One of grandmaster Alfred Hitchcock's earlier movies - and a real fun one.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - or maybe it's in the hands of the creator. Alfred Hitchcock has basically created beautiful movies throughout. Some might be a little more on the dark side, but all of them are charming, interesting, and exciting. "The 39 Steps" is a great mystery thriller that's more on the bright side of life, and it just oozes hitchcockian pep, natural charm, and suspense. Some of the more improvised looking scenes will probably put a particularly broad smile on your face.

Watch "The 39 Steps" (1935):

video source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-87HNuGmWM

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More information about "The 39 Steps" (1935):

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Review: Demoni 2 ("Demons 2", 1986, Lamberto Bava)

The battle was won. But humankind was never really safe. Someone makes a tiny mistake, and all hell breaks loose - again!

Yes, yes, and yes. We wanted more, and we got more. If you've seen the first "Demoni", then you pretty much know what the second one is all about. Who needs characters, when you can have hordes of scary, raging demons?

Cinema theatre was yesterday, now we have concrete apartment blocks and video tape. "Demoni 2" changes a couple of parameters, but otherwise uses the same recipe as "Demoni": Overdrive! The way it ties in with the original movie is very nicely done, and stylistically there isn't much of a difference. The good thing about "Demoni" and "Demoni 2" is that you get exactly what you paid for. It's wild, unhinged, in your face, loud, heavy metal, gory, slimy, gothic, demonic, hellish. 

"Demoni" wasn't a particularly intellectual experience, and "Demoni 2" is even less thought-provoking. It was never about deep psychology or evoking the viewer's forgotten traumata (or... was it?), but the second coming of the demons feels a little less charming, a little more wilful and off-the-shelf, lacking some of the quirkier quirks of the first one, so it maybe gets a little more lost in just blind activism.

But that doesn't mean it's boring. Oh no, far from it. The gore and nasty demons and everything is awesome as always, there are shiny muscles a-plenty, there's nice heavy metal music that's half adequate, and half irritating, and "Demoni 2" even manages to find a couple of new, inventive variations of the fantastic presentation of the titular monsters, using light and shadow, and a TV screen, to great, sometimes spectacular effect.

If you liked "Demoni", then "Demoni 2" is a no-brainer. If you didn't, you probably won't like "Demoni 2", too. If you've seen neither of the two, it doesn't really matter too much which one you watch first. Both "Demoni" are (almost) equally enjoyable, because the pacing and the visuals speak loud and clearly for themselves, as does the music, and the first part also works nicely as a flashback-sequel to the second part. Just remember: It's for your guts, not your brain.

Verdict: We're not done yet! 7/10

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090930/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demons_2

Trailer video:


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Streaming Kino: Carnival Of Souls (1962)

Herk Harvey's only feature-length directorial work is a weird, obscure little gem, that has gained a little cult following over the years. 

It's about Mary, who has a car accident that changes her life... It's a unique low-budget movie that maybe has a little flaw or two in storytelling, but also has "creativity!" and "vision!" written all over it. Its undead-ish modern-day "monsters" and occasional expressionist visuals predate some of the ideas seen in George A. Romero's "Night Of The Living Dead" (1968), and were influential on a number of filmmakers. The otherworldly mood of "Carnival Of Souls" is pretty much unmatched to this day. If you're a horror film geek, or film historian, it's a must-watch anyway. If you're not, just let yourself sink into the carnival, and enjoy the chills!

Watch "Carnival Of Souls" (1962):

video source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDfe-QHeUQo

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2025-09-24

Review: Night Of The Living Dead (1968, George A. Romero)

A mysterious outbreak turns people into mindless, ghoulish, flesh-eating monsters. Barbara, evading one of them, hides in a seemingly abandoned house. It turns out she's not alone, and the monsters within might be even more dangerous than those waiting outside...

There have been plenty of remakes and re-imaginings of the film, the best of which certainly is the 1990 version by Tom Savini and George A. Romero, and there are countless spin-offs and rip-offs, but nothing beats the bone-chilling original.

So this is where it all started, the one the set the rules for decades to come. Somehow, Romero had the idea to throw Richard Matheson's 1954 novel "I am Legend" (adapted to film as "The Last Man on Earth" and "The Omega Man"), EC horror comics, and the claustrophobic situation of "The Killer Shrews" (1959) together, to form one idea and script, and put it all on film, using little money and some help from friends.

The result is a very well made low-budget horror film with a somehow home-grown, hand-made feel - and a completely unexpected level of seriousness and depth. If you'd just quickly fast-forward through the movie, you'd maybe surprised by the big scope it has, but the real magic is in the detail, the dialogue, the tone. It's a great horror story with a (very) bleak ending - only this time, it's "us", not "them". There's basically no definitive bad guy that one could point at, and no hero that saves the day in the end - it's only us, being monsters, victims, winners, losers, strong, weak, good, and evil.

As in all good horror films, there's little to no romance in "Night Of The Living Dead". There's no place for juvenile heartbreak here, it's about the bigger picture. Romero had a razor-sharp eye observing psychological and social dynamics - the layout of the characters is like a simplified map of modern society. From the greedy businessman, who's tormented by fears of weakness, to the innocent kid that gets caught up in the action, and turns against its creators, every character in "Night Of The Living Dead" serves as an icon that represents an aspect of how humans interact. Everything is tied together by some great dialogue and acting, that feels authentic and well-grounded in reality, making it easy to identify with.

This thoughtful, sensible approach puts "Night Of The Living Dead" miles above pretty much all other zombie films. (Except, most notably, the other George A. Romero ones.) And it is what makes it a truly scary movie: It makes sense. From the moment Barbara is made fun of by her brother, in the cemetery, during the opening scenes of the movie, it becomes clear that a sensitive, thinking person was in control of this. The level of (black-and-white) gore is unprecedented for the time, and it leaves quite an impression to this day. Some of the editing and cinematography is both creative, and a nod to the era of silent films, and the pacing of the movie is dense, exciting, and steady. But all of the low-cost brilliance works wonders because the characters, the people in it, make sense. There is not a single dull moment in "Night Of The Living Dead", there is no plot hole, it's smooth as a clockwork, exiting, and thought-provoking, because the viewer can relate to pretty much every step along the way. Yes, it's us! Panicking, quarreling, fighting, trying to somehow get a grip on the situation, both on a personal, and on a social level.

"Night Of The Living Dead" from 1968 defines the modern zombie horror film, and is still easily in the top five of the genre. If not in top position.

Verdict: They're coming to get you - and they will! 10/10

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063350/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Living_Dead

Trailer video:

video source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVsbPBAWCGY

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Claudia Cardinale passes away at age 87

Oh no, more sad news. Italian goddess-actress Claudia Cardinale passed away just yesterday.

With a filmography spanning over more than 60 years, starring in more than 100 feature films, including such classics as Federico Fellini's "8 1/2" (1963), Blake Edwards' "The Pink Panther" (1963), Lucino Visconti's "The Leopard" (1963), Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968), and Werner Herzog's "Fitzcarraldo" (1982), she is one of the essential, classic actresses of her time.

Her beauty was legendary, together with Gina Lollobrigida and Sophia Loren she formed the "holy trinity" of Italian cinema sex-symbols of the 1950s and 1960s. She won numerous awards for her acting skills during her career. In her later years, she chose more demanding roles, and won Lifetime Achievement awards at the Venice Film Festival and from the National Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Russia.

According to reports, she died peacefully in her home in France.

Claudia Cardinale in "La Ragazza Con La Valigia" ("Girl With A Suitcase", 1961)
 

Claudia Cardinale (April 15, 1938 - Sept. 23, 2025)

R. I. P.


Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudia_Cardinale

2025-09-22

Review: Jack The Ripper (1988, David Wickes)

"Jack", the notorious, unidentified London ripper of 1888, is committing a series of horrific crimes. For Inspector Abberline and Sergeant Godley, in face of the bizarre atrocities, and the obstacles they have to overcome, the hunt for the killer becomes an increasingly personal experience, that leads them to circles of unexpected significance...

This two-part mini-series was produced for Thames Television and CBS, and broadcast on British television, exactly 100 years after the actual events. This gives us a certain indication of what to expect - some lines won't be crossed, the budget is reasonably big, and there should also be at least a good, if not top-notch, degree of historical accuracy, unless it turns out the movie (series) is some loose interpretation.

It turns out it's not - which is great. Where "Jack The Ripper" takes some liberties, is in the portrayal of the individuals, and it adds a bit of a surreal element to the story, but in every other regard it stays really close to historic fact. (Albeit offering a sort of solution to the case that is neither fully proven, nor generally accepted.) There are countless adaptations of the material, most of them being generous with injecting new ideas and dropping parts of the real story - this "Jack The Ripper" isn't one of them.

The original material certainly is exciting enough, and the movie basically just follows the history book, so it's inherently an interesting watch. The presentation of Jack leaving his ugly marks, the authorities chasing after him, and the public reaction to the events, is very authentic and convincing, it creates a dense, complete picture and atmosphere. The movie retains a moderate tone and pacing throughout, this "Jack The Ripper" doesn't zoom in to, and blow up individual detail, but is more like a protocol of the events.

In parallel with the crime story is a very personal portrayal of Inspector Abberline, who struggles between honest motivation, and throwing in the towel. Michael Cane gives the character some good dynamics, going through the ups and downs of success and failure, becoming the focal point of the story.

The entire movie is in fact very nicely balanced in all regards. It's authentic, with some flashy moments thrown in, and even a hint at the supernatural, which is a nice nod to the superstition of the time. The horror and violence is there, but it's kept at a tasteful minimum, being mildly explicit, but not more than absolutely necessary. We get a little bit of romance, but it's down to earth and unobtrusive. 

All in all, "Jack The Ripper" is super solid, above average TV thriller material. Focusing on the police's work in 1888, it's probably a little too tame and traditional for the hardcore horror geek, but it's a great horror-esque thriller with lots of chills, a shock here and there, perfect Victorian London setting, a great script (mostly) based on actual fact, shaped into a personal story, and a great performance by the pretty much always great Michael Caine.

Verdict: Great TV thriller, and a little history lesson - nice! 7/10

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095388/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_the_Ripper_(miniseries)

> Watch the full movie for free in "Streaming Kino"...

Trailer video:

video source:
 
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2025-09-18

Robert Redford dies at age 89

Legendary actor Robert Redford passed away just two days ago.

Countless colleagues from the film industry, and just as many from every other field of public life, are expressing their admiration, and sadness, in face of the loss. According to reports, he died peacefully in his sleep.

The well known, highly acclaimed, and universally liked actor, who played in timeless classics like "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969), "The Sting (1973)", "Out of Africa" (1985), or "The Horse Whisperer" (1998), which he also directed and produced, and many other great films, will be remembered as one of the originals of US cinema.

Still from "This Property Is Condemned" (1966)

Robert Redford (Aug. 18, 1936 - Sept. 16, 2025)

R. I. P.

 

Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c07p8yle7pet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Redford


2025-09-04

The Toxic Avenger (2023) trailer

In case you've missed it, here's the trailer for Troma's new, rebooting "The Toxic Avenger", filmed in 2023, released in 2025.

Actually it looks pretty cool. The casting, namely Peter Dinklage, Elijah Wood, and Kevin Bacon, seems super adequate to the material, with all three actors having their own sort of cult status in the fantasy and horror community, and it levels up the acting quality quite a bit in comparison to the 1984 original. The appearance of the new Toxie is really convincing, and the poster artwork (see e.g. Wikipedia, link below) very nicely sets its own, gritty, toxic, low-budget tone for the movie. "The Toxic Avenger" is getting good ratings on IMBD - all in all, it looks like this is a fun watch, while keeping the legacy and feel of the original intact. A reboot done right!

Have you watched the full movie? Did you like it?

Watch the official trailer for "The Toxic Avenger" (2025)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKe0pep35gQ

Troma Entertainment


https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1633359/ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Toxic_Avenger_(2023_film)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090190/ (original 1984 film)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Toxic_Avenger_(1984_film) 


2025-08-23

The Curse Of Frankenstein (1957) 4K restoration trailer

Hammer Films has just uploaded a trailer for their new 4K restoration release of the classic 1957 Lee-Cushing horror movie.

"The Curse Of Frankenstein" started the Hammer Films lineage of Frankenstein horror films, and an even longer list of great horror films featuring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. If you haven't seen "The Curse Of Frankenstein", you're missing out on some fantastic Frankenstein action, with some outstanding, meticulous acting by Cushing, and really some eye-popping visuals. Upon initial release, like many great films, it was panned by critics, but it was a financial success that spawned six sequels, and today is considered a cult classic, just like "Dracula", that was created just a year later by largely the same crew.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CDF6AyAwvk

https://www.youtube.com/@hammer


2025-08-02

Review: Emanuelle E Gli Ultimi Cannibali ("Emanuelle And The Last Cannibals", 1977, Joe D'Amato)

A bizarre incident at a hospital yields a link to a forgotten cannibalistic tribe of the Amazonian rainforest. Accompanied by a small team, investigative reporter Emanuelle tries to find the tribe and get a sensational story. It turns out not all members of the team share the same goals, and the law of the jungle is harsh, claiming many victims in cruel ways...

Director Joe D'Amato is sometimes hailed as the King of Sleaze. (Black) Emanuelle is the hottest journalist around, she's well known for her hard-boiled work ethic, and this time she meets cannibals in the jungle. Quite obviously, this movie is not for the kids, it's for adults, a half-erotic, half-horror production from the heyday of Italian exploitation cinema.

Before Emanuelle finds any cannibals, the movie shows us huge amounts of both male and female skin (pretty much every part of the body) in a seemingly endless row of medium-core erotic scenes. This might, or might not, be enjoyable for the viewer, but it's certainly expected from an Emanuelle movie, especially the Italian kind. If you like some vintage erotics, then it's probably a reasonably nice watch, but the amount of screentime is way beyond anything suitable for an adventure story.

In between all the nudity, we get little pieces of the story, and almost precisely at about half the runtime of the film, it takes a turn from erotics-heavy to hard adventure. The change in pacing is dramatic, and it becomes obvious that there's a real effort to make it a flashy, exciting deep jungle movie, complete with quicksand, nasty traps, hidden treasure, etc. Emanuelle and her team are trying to find their way through the wilderness in the usual manner, as seen in pretty much every such production, the animals are dangerous, the cannibals are deadly, ...

The material is great: The story has mystery, adventure, and cannibals, Laura Gemser's iconic, exotic looks perfectly round off the visual appearance of our jungle expedition team, the violence and gore scenes are sometimes gnarly, sometimes blunt, and certainly enough to provide noticeable shock value, there are a handful of nice zooms and edits adding a bit of an artificial touch, the film stock (mostly) looks great, fully saturated with a moody color grading (albeit quite dark in some scenes), the little ending "twist" nicely underlines Emanuelle's irresistible beauty and gives it a hint at the surreal - the design and atmosphere of "Emanuelle E Gli Ultimi Cannibali" is remarkably, and amazingly close to an actual fumetto per adulti come alive, both in aesthetics and in content, you can almost see the comic strip panels and feel the pulp magazine paper. If only...

Yeah, if only it was the entire movie. Before we can submerge ourselves in the primary-colored world of a good old horror comic, we have to sit through endless love scenes. A little bit of erotics doesn't hurt, and it's a classic ingredient of Italian pulp fiction, but in this case it's almost two separate movies in one. Maybe this sounds attractive for some viewers, but it just breaks the idea of both a satisfying erotic feature film, and a horror one. In fact, this split-theme movie format was used a couple more times, but it obviously wasn't successful.

"Emanuelle E Gli Ultimi Cannibali" is a bit of a wasted opportunity. If Joe D'Amato had devoted more of the runtime to telling the adventure story, this could've been among the top five oldskool jungle cannibal movies. Not as serious as "Ultimo Mondo Cannibale" (1977), not as disturbing as "Cannibal Holocaust" (1980) - but as a nasty, juicy comic strip that checks all the boxes with flying colors.

But, roughly speaking, it's just a ~45 minute movie that most people probably want to skip - and another one, that's actually pretty entertaining, if you like vintage cannibal horror. It still has some erotic scenes, but just the right amount to not bring everything else to a halt, and otherwise it's moving forward really quite steadily.

"Emanuelle E Gli Ultimi Cannibali" could've been a real classic, but as it is, it's a heavily mixed bag with basically two ingredients that don't necessarily mix too well. Or, that just aren't mixed well. What a pity. But if you can make it through a lot of skin-on-skin activity, you're rewarded with a nice little jungle shocker.

Verdict: Both a hit and a miss, if you like. The hit is good! 5/10

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075984/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emanuelle_and_the_Last_Cannibals

Trailer video:

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2025-07-23

Review: Das Boot (1981, Wolfgang Petersen)

German WWII submarine U-96 leaves port in France, to go hunting the Allies' cargo ships in the Atlantic. The fog of war also covers the sea - not everything goes according to plan, and especially the men's return to safe harbor becomes a journey through the depths of hell itself... 

This is a review of the 1997 "director's cut" release of "Das Boot" with a runtime of ~208 minutes. The full runtime of the original TV mini-series is ~308 minutes.

If this movie doesn't get to you, you're already dead. Never before, and never after, has the claustrophobic intensity, constant near-death situation, and emotional hardship of submarine warfare been captured on film as exciting, gripping, and moving, as in "Das Boot".

Based on the book of the same name, which was written by Lothar-Guenther Buchheim, who was the actual war reporter aboard the actual U-96, the movie is a wild ride through the up and downs (actually more downs) of war duty at sea.

It's very interesting that most people agree that "Das Boot" is an extremely realistic depiction of life on a German WWII submarine - while the film actually uses a good amount of artistic freedom, and some very artistic, near-surreal imagery. One example, that was explicitly mentioned by Buchheim, is the party scene featuring two oranges. According to him, this would never have happened in reality. Another one would be the breaking bolts - in reality, in a submarine, a single cracked bolt pretty much equals instant death. There are even more obvious examples, like the fake, fixed camera view of the boat's sail (tower), and many more.

But there is still a very high degree of realism in "Das Boot", higher than in any other submarine war movie. The accurate historical setting, the on-location filming at La Rochelle submarine bunker, the perfect recreation of the inside of U-96 featuring some spectacular near-first-person camera work, the thick atmosphere, with sweaty, unshaved faces, accurate dialogue, dumb jokes, and grinding work, and much more, and maybe most of all the actual, real story, as told by an actual eyewitness. 

Many scenes in "Das Boot" are artistic, stylized, but - with just one or two exceptions - still don't feel artificial or forced, because they still accurately illustrate the reality of the movie. "Das Boot" is extremely effective in that regard. We don't know how an old sea-dog Captain-Lieutenant (KaLeun) on harsh duty actually reacts, when suddenly presented with an excessive buffet of delicacies, but having him basically say nothing perfectly underlines the grim irony of the situation. We don't know how it feels when your submarine gets hit with depth charges, but flashing figures in the dark, screaming, pain, blood, and water all over the place certainly is an adequate interpretation.

Buchheim didn't like the movie. He was the actual man, aboard the actual boat. It's impossible to recreate the actual experience of being on board U-96 - but it's possible to find an emotional, and historically and physically correct translation of what it was like. Maybe "Das Boot" has a handful of flaws in accurate physical depiction, but historically it's authentic, and it hits the bullseye in every other regard. 

"Das Boot" perfectly, and very scarily, translates the sometimes silent, sometimes ear-shattering terror of undersea war, into movie format. It's not a documentary, but an artistic, condensed look at a war submarine patrol. The degree of realism is very high, it becomes easy to suspend all disbelief that might have been left - creating a highly intense movie experience.

What stands out among the many great aspects of "Das Boot", is the acting. Not only does director Wolfgang Petersen manage to portray pretty much the entire crew of the boat, giving more focus to some, but still not losing sight of the other members. Also, thanks to the individual acting performances, we actually do care for each single one of them. There is some over-dramatization, but by far most of the time it feels like we're seeing the actual, real persons. Juergen Prochnow plays the role of his life as the KaLeun, Klaus Wennemann sends chills down your spine as the chief engineer working himself almost to death, Erwin Leder as Johann "Das Gespenst" ("the ghost") makes you hold your breath, ... the list goes on, and even musician Herbert Groenemeyer, playing the war reporter on board, gives a surprisingly convincing and moving performance.

Nice special effects, perfectly edited, an overall pacing that very nicely balances phases of calmness with phases of hefty, terrifying action, Klaus Doldinger's masterpiece sound score, with gentle tunes and variations of the epic, anthemic "Boot" theme - basically, "Das Boot" does everything right. As has been explained, it is a little bit on the over-epic side here and there - but only if you're comparing it to an actual real-time documentary. As a commercial film production, it's pretty much perfect. Realistic enough to adequately represent reality and even provide some education, artistic and dramatic to make it powerful, attractive, and digestible.

So are we rooting for the Nazis now? No, we aren't. "Das Boot" isn't about politics, it's about men, war, and death. It's immensely captivating, but also deeply saddening. It could've been a US submarine, a Japanese one, it could've been any war, at any time. Comradeship, fear, loss, and making sense of the insanity are timeless, universal themes. We are rooting for people, humanity.

Based on Lothar-Guenther Buchheim's book, Wolfgang Petersen has created the definitive submarine war movie. "Das Boot" is the mark by which all such films have been measured, for decades, and will be measured, for decades to come.

Verdict: Jawohl, Herr KaLeun! 9.5/10

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082096/


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Das_Boot

Trailer video:

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Zombi 2 ("Zombie Flesh Eaters", 1979) 4K BluRay by Arrow Video

A couple of weeks ago, Arrow Video has published a trailer for a new 4K restoration of Lucio Fulci's zombie movie classic, to be released on July 28th 2025.

The trailer has some modern editing, and it reveals a lot about the movie, it's not just an enhanced version of the original trailer. (Which, to be fair, also reveals a lot about the movie.) 

In perfect 4K quality, all VHS tape nostalgia is gone, but it certainly looks fantastic, with an unprecedented amount of detail, and vivid, but still natural color grading. 

The upcoming BluRay release also contains several audio tracks (english / italian / original / remixed), interviews and commentary by members of the film crew and film critics, trailers and TV spots, the original screenplay titled "Nightmare Island", and other bonus material, plus a nice packaging with both original and new artwork, a poster, a booklet, and a set of still pictures. 

Watch Arrow Video's new 4K trailer for "Zombie Flesh Eaters" (2025-06-23):

Check out more details on Arrow Video's "Zombie Flesh Eaters" 4K BluRay release page:

https://www.arrowfilms.com/zombie-flesh-eaters-limited-edition-4k-uhd/16553796.html

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https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080057/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zombi_2










2025-06-14

Review: Salo, O Le 120 Giornate Di Sodoma (1975, Pier Paolo Pasolini)

In 1944, at the little Italian town of Salo, capital of the fascist, Nazi-puppet Italian Social Republic (1943 - 1945), four civil, powerful men are gathering for an event of unspeakable debauchery. With chilling calmness, they proceed through their decadent celebration - while the brutal humming of bomber planes flying above shakes the rooftops...

"Salo, O Le 120..." is a fictional tale, a loose adaptation of Marquis de Sade's The 120 Days of Sodom (1785 / 1904), set in real, historic fascist Italy near the end of World War II. It's also among the most controversial films ever made. 

On the mere surface, not too much seems to be going on in "Salo", except for some sick meeting that plays out in increasingly uncomfortable ways. But stopping there is like judging the iceberg by its tip. 

Technically, it's a flawless production. It's visually elegant, in part due to the beautiful setting in an Italian mansion, and in part due to the analytic, sometimes intrusive camera work, that uses a lot of symmetry and perfect side-shots. The acting is nuanced, precise, and highly intense at times. The dialogue is disturbing, the actions performed are even more disturbing, and the high level of realism is, yes, very disturbing.

Key to unlocking "Salo" is understanding the situation: By the end of 1943, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was already imprisoned, and Allied forces had entered Italian main land. In the movie, a group of rich, powerful people with inherent ties to the fascist republic are celebrating their own downfall. The bomber planes are literally above them, signalling the arrival of necessary, violent change. These people have nowhere to go, they know nothing else. Starting a new life is impossible, and would also mean questioning everything that led up to this point. Unable to let go, and trapped by who they are, there's nothing left but to uphold the facade, and go on and on and on, only to be replaced by their own kind...

Director Pier Paolo Pasolini was born in 1922, lived through World War II, was openly homosexual, marxist, and a couple of other things, and became an important intellectual figure of post-war Europe - he certainly had a word or two to say about Nazi Germany, fascist Italy, and "the powers that be".

This movie was clearly born from a strong vision, and it has a message. Nothing in "Salo" is made for the quick effect, everything serves the big, sad, stomach-turning picture. The stunning quality of it, the superbly composed imagery, the cold, detached stylisation, the deliberate, delicate timing, the slow, elaborate, disturbing dialogue, the shocking dehumanisation, perversion and violence - the utter, devastating cynicism of it all just has to be obvious to the viewer, as much as the immediate visceral effect.

This isn't nazisploitation. There's no doubt it's art, and it's on the good side of history. Yes, the cruelty is taken to extreme levels, and it fits the "golden age" time frame of Italian exploitation cinema - but "Salo" really has nothing in common with films like "La Bestia In Calore" (1977) or "L'Ultima Orgia Del III Reich" (1977). Not only is it a far (!) higher quality production, but also at no point does it enjoy or endorse the horrors it portrays. It's not voyeuristic, but painfully voyeuristic. It's not obtrusive, it's consciously indiscreet, invasive. It doesn't focus on the action, but on the motivation behind it, the perpetrators, every sad, sickening moment of their fading, fey existence. "Salo" isn't about individuals or story - it's about the psyche, about tolerance and empathy, or, the lack thereof, and how this translates into a system of dominance.

"Salo" might feel just slow on first contact, but as it progresses, the moderate, sometimes drawn-out pacing takes on a sadistic tone of its own, matching the content of the film. There's no turning away, it's an ugly, painful demise with a lot of collateral damage, all while an invisible, much bigger power is looming in the air...

When "Salo" is through with you, you'll probably want (at least) a minute of silence. It wasn't made with entertainment value in mind - it's a political and humane statement. It has a flow, it is mesmerizing, and it's a real shocker, but this is actual heavy, profound stuff. If you needed a reminder why you want compassion, not dominance, empathy, not fascism, this movie is a very, very convincing one.

Pier Paolo Pasolini was abducted, tortured and killed in 1975, presumably by political far-right sympathizers. Efforts to fully solve the case are going on to the present day.

Verdict: Stunning. Numbing. 8.5/10

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073650/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sal%C3%B2,_or_the_120_Days_of_Sodom

Trailer video:

video source:
https://archive.org/details/salo-or-the-120-days-of-sodom-1975-trailer

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2025-05-30

Top 10 really old horror films you must watch (2/2)

"Old" still doesn't equal "boring": Part two of "Top 10 really old horror films you must watch". 

In no particular order, here are five more great old horror movies. In case you missed the first five recommendations of this list, here's part 1 of the article.

Der Student von Prag (1926)


The first cinematic incarnation of "The Student Of Prague", a story loosely based on Edgar Allen Poe's "William Wilson", was made in 1913. It's a very nice watch, with some great special effects and atmosphere, but it's a bit limited in its vocabulary. Fast forward 13 years, to this 1926 adaptation of the material, directed by Henrik Galeen: The fantastic element is toned down a little, more implied than actually shown - but every other aspect is scaled up to the max. The advancement in storytelling is nothing short of mindblowing. This "Student Of Prague" has a little bit of unexpected gore effects, some dizzying, dynamic action, fully developed Expressionism (the German kind) visuals, a rhythm alternating between lighthearted and grave, natural acting, and so on - everything you expect from an eerie, exciting, and much (much!) more recent movie. Outstanding!

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0017438/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Student_of_Prague_(1926_film)

 

L'Inferno (1911) 


From the infancy of cinematic storytelling comes "L'Inferno", directed by Francesco Bertolini, Adolfo Padovan and Giuseppe De Liguoro. Cinema had been invented only about 15 years earlier, and its roots in stage play are clearly visible in the film. It's Italy's first full length feature production, it's a bit slow, but the longer you watch it, the creepier it becomes. Once you've gotten into the "zone", and begin to see "through" the old film stock, you can fully appreciate and admire the rich mise-en-scene, with lots of infernal decor and strong silent-era make-up and overacting. There are some special effects and montages that wouldn't be possible on stage, creating some bizarre imagery, and of course all of it is Dante Alighieri's "Inferno", meaning hell, from his "Divine Comedy", resulting in an interesting, moody, spooky watching experience.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0002130/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Inferno

Watch the full movie for free in "Streaming Kino"...


Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam (1920)

"directed by Paul Wegener and Carl Boese, is one of the archetypes of horror cinema. It's loosely based on the Jewish legend of the Golem, a clay statue, that is brought to life by sorcery. "The Golem" isn't the most experimental of German Expressionism films, but it's certainly expressionist enough, with the poster giving a surprisingly accurate hint at what you're about to see. It's a slicker version, more like a big scale fantasy epic, with lots of actors and large sets, and some powerful Golem action. The imagery is striking, and, from a modern viewer's perspective, might have some comic strip charm, the kind you'd see much later in movies by directors such as Sam Raimi, George A. Romero, or Peter Jackson.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0011237/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golem:_How_He_Came_into_the_World


The Bat (1926)

Not only in Europe, also across the pond in the US of A, a powerful cinematic language was evolving during the 1920s. "The Bat", directed by Roland West, takes a good hint from the German films of the time, but creates its own, streamlined aesthetic, more reminiscent of printed graphic design, or cutout art. It's a comedy, and a classic crime story with a super-villain, robbery and murder, and it's exceptionally moody, mystical, and beautiful. "The Bat" really is a fun experience, with brilliant use of darkness, light, and camera, nice chills, and the light-footed pacing of a good Hitchcock movie.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0016629/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bat_(1926_film)


Alraune (1928)

Alraune 1928 poster

"Alraune" translates to "mandrake", but the English title of the movie is "A Daughter Of Destiny". This film doesn't scream in your face at all. (Well, it's silent.) Quite the opposite, the horror is all beneath the surface. It's in the audacity of challenging God, and what could go wrong if you play with fire. Written and directed by Henrik Galeen, based on the eponymous 1911 novel by Hanns Heinz Ewers , "Alraune" is a mesmerizing, enchanting tale of science, morale, and responsibility. The beauty and elegance of some of the imagery is unreal. The eroticism, without being even remotely comparable to today's standards, will make the male viewer, and probably also the female viewer, blush. "Alraune" is dramatic, smooth, and sultry, best watched with a glass of red wine at room temperature - but you don't play God for nothing, and it all leads to a bitter end...

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0017621/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alraune_(1928_film)

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2025-05-29

Streaming Kino: Jack The Ripper (1988)

One of many adaptations of the "Jack the Ripper" material, this one stands out with great acting performances, suspense, and historical accuracy.

Michael Caine and Jane Seymour star in this two-part TV mini-series, turned into one 3-hour feature film. Do not despair at the runtime, you probably won't even notice the extra 90 minutes - it's a TV-friendly production, but still a very exciting ride. Some obvious effort went into creating a reasonably accurate picture of both the crimes, and the period. It's a captivating detective story, with flashes of horror, and some interesting character development.

Read full review...

Watch "Jack The Ripper" (1988):

video source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cnG9XlHfFQ

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2025-05-17

Streaming Kino: Assault On Precinct 13 (1976)

John Carpenter's first serious feature length movie, and a horror thriller classic.

With its nihilistic approach, violent action, and seriously creepy scenes of nightly onslaught, "Assault On Precinct 13" is a little too much horror to be just an ordinary thriller. Like a handful of other John Carpenter films, its based on an idea found in a Howard Hawks western movie, but it also takes a clue from George A. Romero's "Night Of The Living Dead" (1968). The result is an outstanding piece of eerie, terrifying atmosphere and suspense, that is easily on par with Carpenter's next movie, mega-hit "Halloween" (1978), if not superior.

Watch "Assault On Precinct 13" (1976):

video source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fbyNrdngx4

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2025-05-13

Top 10 really old horror films you must watch (1/2)

"Old" doesn't equal "boring". If you think it does, you're missing out on some of the best horror movies ever. 

Movies that not only have become iconic over time, for their historical value and contribution to cinema, but are timelessly scary and exciting. 

In no particular order, here are five (=part one, link to part 2 at end of article) out of ten really old horror films you must watch:

Nosferatu - Eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922)

When speaking about horror films, "Nosferatu" has a bit of singular place in history. It's basically in the lineage of "Dracula", but changes to some elements of the story (e.g. name) put it into a different context. And director Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau managed to create some striking imagery that is unmatched to this day. Combined, "Nosferatu" is the Dracula that defies Dracula. A universe, such as Dracula's, with countless variations on the myth, was never created for "Nosferatu". It's just this singular, otherworldly nightmare put on film, that is unparalleled in its sinister aesthetic quality. The full original title translates to "A Symphony Of Horror", which is an accurate description of the movie. This Dracula doesn't beguile or enchant - he just stares into your soul, and wants to eat it.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0013442/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nosferatu (with streaming movie!)

If you like to watch "Nosferatu" make sure it's a long (>90min) version (e.g. the one on the Wikipedia page).

 

Häxan (1922)

In this quite unique production, directed by Benjamin Christensen, we get an analytic approach to the alleged phenomenon of witchcraft - "Häxan" is the Swedish word for "witches". Being a somewhat scientific document, there isn't much of a story, it just goes through some chapters exploring the material, and giving some commentary. Material, in this case, being a reference to folklore, and "Häxan" being the most expensive Swedish film production at the time. Add one to one - it's to witchcraft movies what "Saving Private Ryan" is to WWII movies. Did you ever want to see the actual devil, the one you were scared of as a very little kid? In "Häxan" you do - and then some.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0013257/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A4xan (with streaming movie!)

 

Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)

Horror cinema wouldn't be the same without Dr. Caligari's infamous cabinet. Generations of filmmakers have looked at this movie as a guideline, and source of inspiration. It is basically the seed of the "psycho thriller", thus "slasher", genre, and a template for the modern script writer as well as the cinematographer. Also it's the most expressionist of German Expressionism films, almost completely dropping the ties with physical reality in its visual design. The psyche is everything, and everything is the psyche, in this creepy, pivotal masterpiece, directed by Robert Wiene.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0010323/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cabinet_of_Dr._Caligari (with streaming movie!)

 

Faust: Eine deutsche Volkssage (1926)

Another F. W. Murnau directed milestone of fantastic cinema, a drama of biblical proportions, and a stunning display of visual cinematic virtuosity. This adaptation of the classic Wolfgang von Goethe material is the "Star Wars" and "Lord of the Rings" of German Expressionism cinema. It opens with the Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse, riding through the misty clouds, looking... terrifying! And this is just the first minute of the movie. Rooted in religion and folklore, with overwhelming expressionist shapes of black and white, masterful use of composition, superimposition, and other effects, "Faust" is an array of beautiful, epic, nightmarish imagery that is guaranteed to crawl under your skin. "Faust", without a doubt, ranks among the top achievements in cinema history, and will forever do so.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0016847/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faust_(1926_film) (with streaming movie!)


Kurutta Ichipeji ("A Page of Madness", 1926)

Japanese experimental psycho horror film "A Page of Madness", directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa, is interesting, beautiful, and disturbing, all at the same time. Naturally, it has similarities with other productions of its era, but there's also a very distinct element to. The bizarre, stylized imagery, and the sometimes dizzying, unsettling editing is unique to Japanese cinema, and is still seen today in everything from "Tetsuo" (1989) to "Ringu" (1998) and beyond. "A Page Of Madness" is a groundbreaking, mesmerizing visualization of a mind falling apart at the borders between reality and imagination.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0017048/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Page_of_Madness (with streaming movie!)

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2025-05-12

Review: Faceless (1988, Jess Franco)

An act of revenge by an unsatisfied patient is the starting point for an ever darker series of events. An all too ambitious, reckless plastic surgeon goes to work, to fix the damage that has been done, and he needs... female skin!

Jess Franco has made a good amount of very-low-budget films - but this isn't one of them, it's among his highest-budget productions. A round of good actors, some of which are well known far beyond exploitation cinema, a couple more different settings than usual in his movies, some actual dialogue, proper editing - yes, this is perfectly watchable if you like a nasty mad-scientist shocker. 

"Faceless" is a french production, but it feels a bit like an Italian movie, an offspring of 70s gialli and fumetti neri. It's a variation of the same idea that Jess Franco had already used in "The Awful Dr. Orloff" (1962). "Faceless" seems to have mostly disappeared from common horror fans' consciousness, despite the fact that it features scream-queen Caroline Munro, veteran actors Helmut Berger and Anton Diffring, and even cult-icon Telly Savalas. Maybe it's because the movie was released in 1988, a couple of years after the heyday of Italian horror cinema, maybe it's because it's a little too polished, a little too much star power for a production that still would typically be watched by a niche, more "grindhouse"-oriented audience - "Faceless" is a bit of an oddity among the horror films of its time. It lacks the elegance of a classic giallo, or a gothic horror film, has some aspirations, but just can't match a big Hollywood production, and also doesn't fully commit to the cold realism as seen in e.g. "Maniac" (1980) or "Last House On The Left" (1972).

What it is, is a nice horror thriller in a metropolitan present-day setting, some good acting, and some not so good acting, beautiful women that show a lot of skin, some sexy sleaze, hints of quirky comedy, homophobia and Nazisploitation, and some strong, well made gore scenes that will make you react, and maybe stick with you for a while. (The eyes!)

It's reasonably exciting and suspenseful, albeit more due to the visible events than subtle writing or delicate timing, as seen in an Alfred Hitchcock movie. The sleaze doesn't max out, and there isn't an excessive amount of groin shots, so in that regard "Faceless" is a little (I said a little!) more accessible than expected. 

Overall, it's clearly a Jess Franco movie, meaning you don't win an Academy Award with this kind of stuff. It's got a respectable, above average production value, compared to similar works, but it's still low-cost exploitation cinema, pulp fiction for adults.

"Faceless" is a bit of a mash-up of different styles, and varying degrees of quality. It's a shocker, it has its moments, but also sometimes it gets a little lost in an uneven tone and hiccups in pacing. One moment it builds atmosphere, the next it's a little underwhelming. If you're looking for edge-of-your-seat levels of suspense, let alone depth or nuance, you probably better look elsewhere. If you like a gory, slightly-above-average horror thriller that doesn't require 100% of your attention, you've come to the right place.

Verdict: Nasty stuff. 6/10

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095125/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faceless_(1988_film)

Trailer video:

  
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2025-05-08

Dangerous Animals (2025) trailer released!

Roughly 24 hours ago the trailer for upcoming shark-killer-thriller "Dangerous Animals", directed by Sean Byrne, was uploaded to YouTube.

After a roughly 1 minute long teaser was released about a month ago, now there's the official trailer. It's a little more than 2 minutes long, with countless edits, and flashing imagery. Does it give away too much? There are a couple of frames from a lot of different scenes in it - it remains to be seen how much more surprises, and how much suspense the full movie can offer.

Starring Hassie Harrison, Jai Courtney, Josh Heuston, "Dangerous Animals" is set to be released on June 6th 2025 in the US.

Watch "Dangerous Animals" (2025) trailer:

video source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvwfHPtjO18
Rotten Tomatoes Trailers


2025-05-05

Streaming Kino: Riki-Oh ("Story Of Ricky", 1991)

Comic-adaptation "Riki-Oh" is a guilty pleasure that doesn't give you much time to catch your breath.

It's a cult movie, thanks to its unapologetic approach to both adapting the original material to live action film, and the on-screen violence. Where others might have changed the tone, director Lam Nai-Choi ("The Seventh Curse") chose to closely mimic the original, only with actors, latex, styrofoam, and large amounts of fake blood. 

"Riki-Oh" is a fast moving manga-style prison drama, with grotesque, funny, bizarre moments, and a lot of very brute, very gory violence. If you have a strong stomach, it's a highly entertaining watch.

Fun fact: Actors Fan Mei-sheng and Louis Fan Siu-wong, playing the master of the prison and Riki-Oh, respectively, are father and son in real life.

video source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlRfZ8-pgGY
Alin Sun

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2025-05-04

Review: Demoni ("Demons", 1985, Lamberto Bava)

The lines between cinema and reality blur, when a mask is found that carries evil. A movie theater becomes the battleground for hordes of bloodthirsty demons invading our world!

It's a mess. It's all over the place. A helicopter. (You'll understand.) We love it so much. 

"Demoni" drops all ballast, plays no games, and goes straight for the marbles. Which, in this case, are the games. It's not about uncovering and dissecting your innermost fears - or, only if they are an unhinged, feverish, surreal, and gory nightmare, that comes at you like a train at full steam. Where in other movies the aforementioned "marbles" would correlate to the underlying suspense, the dramatic arc, or whatever emotional effect the director intends to evoke in between the peak moments, in "Demoni" there is no such thing as an "in between". When the spectacle begins, it gets wilder and wilder, and pretty much doesn't stop until the end. 

The film-in-the-film concept mixes with some colorful outside world shots, there's plenty of action and gore, a bit of sleaze and bad lifestyle. And there's a notable lack of meaningful dialogue sequences, exposé, backstory, etc. - in "Demoni" it's all about the sonic and visual impact. The heavy metal music by Saxon, Accept, and others, used in the soundtrack, might seem a little off on first sight, but it's actually somehow accurate to the pacing of the movie, and also the stereotype that heavy metal music is inherently the devil's work. 

All of this hints at a message, a loophole in which "Demoni" is the very evil that it portrays, spilling over into the real world. But that's certainly a massive over-analysis. First and foremost, "Demoni" is a mash-up of countless themes from Italian horror cinema and fumetti (comics). Gothic demons emerging, some zombie-esque action, a helicopter (...), a hero with shiny muscles, ... If you've ever seen a fumetto like "Dylan Dog" or "Brad Barron", you get the idea. It's a lot.

And it works! There is some really awesome looking use of light and shadow, inventive and bizarre imagery, wild, scary make-up, some epic scenes of demonic onslaught, huge amounts of violence and gore, and so on, and it has a fast pace, so you don't spend much time thinking about all of the insanity.

"Demoni" is one of the most spectacular productions of 70s and 80s Italian horror cinema. Does it make sense, or even educate you? No! Beware! Does it keep you tied to the screen, asking for more? Oh yeah, big time!

Verdict: All hell breaks loose in "Demoni"! 8/10

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089013/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demons_(1985_film) 

Trailer video:

 

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2025-04-17

New "28 Years Later" (2025) trailer released!

Sony Pictures just released a new trailer for the upcoming sequel to "28 Days Later" and "28 Weeks Later".

The new one has a more aggressive (maybe annoying) editing than the previously released trailer - but it's still great, with a couple of different shots that give a little more insight into the upcoming movie.

video source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYGG55qwQZQ
Sony Pictures Entertainment


2025-04-03

Val Kilmer dies aged 65

Ouch. Renowned actor Val Kilmer passed away on April 1st, 2025.

Well known from films such as "Top Gun"(1986), "The Doors" (1991), "Tombstone" (1993), and "Heat" (1995), among many others, Val Kilmer played a significant role in the industry, and in the hearts of the audience. He will be sorely missed.
R. I. P.

Val Edward Kilmer (December 31, 1959 - April 1, 2025)

Image source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Val_Kilmer_Cannes.jpg/250px-Val_Kilmer_Cannes.jpg


2025-04-02

Streaming Kino: Quien puede matar a un nino? ("Who can kill a child?", 1976)

Don't even think about it. Or would you like to imagine how to kill a child?

That doesn't sound like a very pleasant idea. Thankfully, "Quien puede matar a un nino?" examines the subject only on a superficial level - otherwise it would probably be unwatchable. But that certainly doesn't mean it's a boring movie. Quite the opposite, in fact. It's creepy, scary, a little surreal, and still easily provocative enough to make you choke here and there. Unique, awesome horror classic from Spain!

Read full review...

Watch "Who can kill a child?" (1976):

video source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFQN-ykyyQs
World of Cinema

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More information about "Who can kill a child?" (1976):
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075462/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Can_Kill_a_Child%3F

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2025-03-26

Streaming Kino: Threads (1984)

No one will be spared. Nuclear holocaust isn't for the faint of heart.

"Threads" is a devastating, and highly realistic, depiction of what the effects of a nuclear exchange between the superpowers might look like. It's a masterstroke of shock-therapy, the ultimate horror that humankind is capable of, put on film without any comic or romantic relief. Regardless if you watch it just for the thrills - it will teach you a lesson, or two.

Read full review...

Watch "Threads" (1984):


 

2025-03-25

Streaming Kino: Demons ("Shura", 1971)

More darkness would mean just black frames throughout: "Demons" is the scariest samurai movie ever made.

In mesmerizing black and white images, at a slow pace, it tells a simple story of betrayal and revenge, in a traditional Japanese setting. But beware, once the abyss has opened, "Demons" goes all the way. It's a nightmare of pain and rage, put on film in the most elegant ways. Hauntingly beautiful and shockingly dark - masterclass cinema!  

Watch "Demons" (1971):

video source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8zuKRcxmsg

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More information about "Demons" (1971):
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165473/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshio_Matsumoto 

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2025-03-21

Terminator Salvation (2009) T-600 practical (no CGI)

Great Terminator design, before more detail and new head appearance was added by use of CGI. This look was never meant to be final. But it's dark and menacing nonetheless, reminiscent of the bleak style of "Shock Waves" (1977) or "Outpost" (2008). Notice the sloppy neck-to-shoulders situation of the mask - intentional or not, it makes perfect sense for an early, rugged humanoid Terminator model. Also, the motion-capture dot-suit is visible underneath the costume. 

Nice shot from (semi-)behind the scenes of "Terminator Salvation", and it would actually be a very intriguing idea to explore a more crude, decayed, "dead" Terminator design. Maybe something focused on the development of the T-600? Or about a last-ditch war effort, where the earliest, cheapest models are sent into battle?

Original practical T-600 design before adding CGI

Image source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=138eXRv15Ec

2025-03-19

Streaming Kino: Shock Waves (1977)

Ken Wiederhorn's super chilling Nazi zombie classic, featuring Brooke Adams in a major, and the legendary Peter Cushing in a minor role.

Very creepy 1977 movie "Shock Waves" wasn't the biggest success on initial release, but has since become a cult classic, and quite rightfully so. It's grindhouse cinema at its best. Exploitative, speculative, low-budget, gritty, bleak. The focus is less on the big action, but more on the nightmarish, claustrophobic situation of being trapped on a island, desperately trying to escape inevitable doom. 

As you can see in the preview picture, the undead Nazi soldiers look amazingly ghoulish. "Shock Waves" has a unique atmosphere, and is probably best watched late at night. If possible, the night before you take a boat trip to an island.

Watch "Shock Waves" (1977) (german language):


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More information about "Shock Waves" (1977):
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076704/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_Waves_(film)

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2025-05-07: video source https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jfbvd-Nhkao (FFFPlus) vanished, replaced with german version

2025-03-16

Streaming Kino: The Crazies (1973)

Bring your body bags: George A. Romero's chilling vision of the TRIXIE virus disintegrating society, and humankind eliminating itself.

The gritty original "The Crazies" movie from 1973 is a low-budget production with a big scope. The similarities to the later, and more dynamic "Dawn Of The Dead" (1978) are obvious. But "The Crazies" is more realistic, as there are no undead, and it creates an even bigger picture of how humankind handles the catastrophe.

A cult classic of virus outbreak-horror, "The Crazies" is an analytic dissection of social mechanics under extreme stress, and a template for many zombie movies to come. It's not a perfect production, but still a highly thought provoking and exciting thriller - essential viewing!

Watch "The Crazies" (1973):
 

 video source:
 
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More information about "The Crazies" (1973):
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069895/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crazies_(1973_film)

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2025-03-14

Streaming Kino: L'Inferno (1911)

Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy" is an essential piece of literature that has inspired countless other works. The first cantica (section, "song"), titled "Inferno", has been adapted many times in film. The 1911 version, directed by Francesco Bertolini, Adolfo Padovan, and Giuseppe De Liguoro, is the earliest of them.

If you're new to very old films, you'll be surprised by the richness and boldness some of these silent, black-and-white movies put on screen. "L'Inferno" was a big production, and a financial success. It's an important piece of film history, but also an impressive depiction of the underworld. Moral standards and technical possibilities were a little different back in the early 20th century, cinema was in its infancy, but that doesn't necessarily mean there's a lot of holding back. 

To this day, the imagery in "L'Inferno" is stunning, with beautifully decorated sets, strong use of light and shadow, inventive camera tricks and picture composition, and most of all an - obviously - far more traditional understanding of the rules and appearance of good and evil. It's more of a fresco on a church wall come alive, than the dynamic rush of modern horror movies. All of that combined makes "L'Inferno" an interesting, mesmerizing, and actually pretty creepy watch, both for the historian, and the horror geek. Maybe even for the casual viewer, who will be enlightened by its unfamiliar, sweet bizarreness. 

Watch "L'Inferno" (1911):

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More information about "L'Inferno" (1911):
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0002130/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Inferno

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2025-03-13

Review: Schindler's List (1993, Steven Spielberg)

It's 1943, Germany is a fascist country, World War II is raging, and businessman Oskar Schindler makes good profit of the situation. As the prosecution of Jews reaches his workforce, he begins to realize the humanitarian catastrophe that is going on, and his motivation turns from money to salvation.

Steven Spielberg is Jewish, and one of the best movie directors of our time. With "Schindler's List", he knows what he's talking about, and he has the skills and the means to create a movie that meets the highest standards in every regard. As a result, "Schindler's List" is a technically perfect production, and a deeply moving experience.

In it, we witness some of the numbingly atrocious practices carried out by Nazi officials and sympathisers, and the transformation of a pure businessman into an empathic, unselfish saviour. The depiction of the Nazi regime is scarily realistic, on all levels, with Ralph Fiennes giving a chilling portrayal of SS Commander Amon Göth. It goes hand in hand with the oppositional personal transformation of Oskar Schindler, played by Liam Neeson. The characterization of Schindler, a man between the lines, is handled with great care and precision. The acting in this movie is flawless, down to the last extra that has only seconds of screen time. 

Writing, lighting, set pieces, filming, editing - there's not a single frame in "Schindler's List" that feels wrong or weak. It's a visual feast in black and white, mimicking the style of 1940s cinema, but all elements of the film - successfully - serve one purpose: Tell the story. And it is a profound story that is full of horror, but also full of compassion and hope.

"Schindler's List" is a brilliant, outstanding movie. It has a bit of a flaw, though, the same way "Saving Private Ryan" (1998) has: It can't compete with reality. When millions are dying, there is no cherry picking. A historical background such as this will always be overwhelming, and putting an individual story of heroism at its center has potential to create distortion. In reality, for the vast majority of victims, there was no one there to step in and help. The situation in the movie is very bleak, but in reality, for 99.9% of those affected, it was even bleaker. If a director chooses to direct a movie about a serious, decisive historical event, his work will be, and has to be, judged in comparison to actual historic fact. Artistic freedom, even if used with great virtuosity, can be inherently inadequate.

Given the sensitive subject matter, that is inherently problematic to approach, "Schindler's List" is still, or maybe precisely therefore, an astonishing achievement.  While the movie does focus on individuals, it also manages to tie all the threads together, completing a big picture that is, in an cinematic sense, actually adequate to reality. We must not forget that it's still a dramatization, and there is a little bit of fiction in "Schindler's List" - but the end result is still so accurate, and so coherent, that there's just no point in arguing. 

"Schindler's List" is a massive success, both in terms of art and education.

Verdict: Utterly gut-wrenching, utterly beautiful. 9.5/10

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108052/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schindler%27s_List

Trailer video:

 

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