Spooky Isles Review - Asylum (1972)

Another review from this blog's own creator on The Spooky Isles. Why not pop along, have a read and maybe leave a comment / like on Facebook.

http://www.spookyisles.com/2013/10/asylum-1972-review/

Pop over and meet our great friends at The Spooky Isles

Please pop over to the The Spooky Isles website where, amongst other great articles and reviews, you'll find this blog's very own author reviewing the 1939 classic The Dark Eyes of London.

Clicky the link to visit the site. http://www.spookyisles.com/2013/10/the-dark-eyes-of-london-1939-review/

Trashy Trailers #11

In celebration of the Troma-tic week I've had so far (see what I did there!?)

CSAFR brings you this weeks Trashy Trailer straight from the wheelie bin of Tromaville.

Tromeo & Juliet

Escape from Tomorrow

If I'm being totally honest, it really doesn't matter what the storyline of Escape from Tomorrow is about because the story behind the filming will be what sells it to an audience. For those who do not know, Escape from Tomorrow is a bizarre fantasy-psychological horror, the majority of which was shot in and around Disney World and Disneyland in the US. The key point about all this is that the filmmakers did not have permission from Disney to film within their parks (or indeed distribute the film post-production) and so the cast and crew simply paid to enter the park each day and, under the guise of just being a normal family on a day out, set about filming all the scenes they needed as tourist went about their normal vacations around them.

The film centers around Jim, a family man, and his wife and two children. Jim is stressed because he has a whole world of troubles waiting for him when he gets home from his holiday so decides to make the most of his last day at Disney. From here, things start to get a little Lynchian, with It's a Small World figures faces twisting into ghoulish grins and even his own son transforming before his eyes (see the still form the trailer above).

Whilst the film is fairly slow-paced, it does allow us to witness Jim's slide into apparent madness in minute detail. The use of monochrome through is beautiful and adds a malevolence to the Disney park that would otherwise not be available had the director gone with a full colour film. The cast actually do very well with the bizarre situation they must have found themselves in and play their parts well, especially the two children who succeed in both being normal annoying small children and creepy aryan-esque characters.

If I were to pick out one flaw with this film, it would be the last 20 minutes or so, where we are completely immersed into the sci-fi/horror element of the film and it is obvious we are no longer in the theme park but on a set. I found myself becoming so used to seeing the sites and sounds of Disney that I found it a little jarring when suddenly we were so obviously no longer in the park, but maybe this is just a personal issue rather than one which will be troublesome to all viewers.

Providing that Disney do not suddenly go all out to pull the plug on this film (I'm sure the Distributors breathe a sigh of relief each day when a letter from them doesn't arrive on their doormat!) then this has the potential to become somewhat of a cult-classic down the line, if not for the film's story, then certainly for the voyeuristic value alone.

Trashy Trailers #10

This week's Trashy Trailer features zombies, sex and violence. 

The three key ingredients of every staple diet!  

Carl's Alternative Film Reviews brings you: 

Johnny Sunshine Maximum Violence

Video (like all the others on here!) NSFW.

Cherrybomb

Cherrybomb sees the cream of young British talent (Rupert Grint, Robert Sheehan & Kimberley Nixon) as young, bored and slightly sex-starved Irish teens desperate to rebel against authority in this story-heavy flick. Those hoping for action or over-the-top scenes may find that this film is a little conversation-heavy, but actually, what it lacks in action it more than makes up with creativity and great scriptwriting.

It was refreshing to see a film in which the director(s) actually direct, relying on technique and invention rather than effects and which the actors truly looks like they've thrown themselves into their characters, creating true chemistry, especially between Grint and Nixon). Cherrybomb was funny when it needed to be, touching at times and dark at all the right moments without ever over-complicating the story development.

I have heard some compare this film to Skins, with his stark portrayal of teen-angst but I think this comparison doesn't do Cherrybomb justice. Every aspect just seems to work and that's a rare treat and a fabulous tick in the box of British film-making. Yes, it's simple and yes, it's slow-paced but the combination of great performances, beautiful visuals and uncompromising realism makes it delightful  and original addition to home-grown cinema.