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The Living and the Dead
2008-02-18 22:36:00
Schizophrenia is a common showcase in thriller/horror films. They create these one layered villains and slap the illness on them to give some insight or explanation for their deeds. Director Simon Rumley pulls out all the stops in delivering us a new kind of mental and medicinal evil.The story is an unfamiliar one. After the father of an ill family goes bankrupt, he must leave to take care of his assets, thus leaving poor James in charge of his mum. This is such a saccharine thing to do, but then he is plagued by his ill mother who is bedridden. Determined to keep her healthy on his own means, and becoming the man of the house in the process, he decides to lock the nurse out and quit taking his medication. This begins a spiraling decay of character as reality is blurred with nightmares.This is but another film to bring the Oedipus Complex to the cinemas but with horrifying context. This isn't a children's tale. There is nothing to grab your attention other than the acting and the ...
More About: Living , Dead

Schramm
2008-02-18 09:29:00
Before Christopher Nolan ever directed Memento, German auteur Jorg Buttgereit utilized the reverse chronological technique in his masterpiece Schramm. Unlike Memento, Schramm is not a film revered by cliché college film students. Instead, Schramm is a treat for those looking for artistically merited murder, sadomasochism, and sexual deviance. Not many directors are able to treat the subject in a way that Buttgereit has. Many have criticized Schramm for its lack of murders and body count. I found this argument irrelevant as the film main focus is the day to day life of Schramm. We see the obsessions of this killer and how they build up to his actual killings. Schramm is obsessed with masturbation and penis mutilation. He is unable to participate in normal sexual acts so he prefers to satisfy himself after his victims are either dead or drugged. Schramm captures a similar isolationist feel as Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. In both films the protagonist seems even more...

Storm
2008-02-17 19:38:00
It is quite a challenge to make a film work in many different genres. (For a good example, See; Save The Green Planet!) Storm starts off with a nifty scene involving a fiery vixen running through the streets holding a cube of unknown origin and contents. All they know is that it must not get in the wrong hands.The plot kicks off with a Matrix type of feel. We meet Donny AKA "DD", he is a perverted, alcoholic who bathes in his success and spoiled existence, ergo, the average citizen. His life is suddenly shattered when this warrior woman crashes into his life quite literally. From this point on, Donny is sent through time travel, comic-book adaptations in the style of a classic Goosebumps story (Attack Of The Mutant anyone?), and finally into personal territory.While the plot is confusing as all hell, it eventually falls into place. It appears to be a grand scheme, a puzzle, even. Prepare for a lot of textures to this film. While not being a homage, it has similar scenes to great fil...

Foxxy Madonna VS. The Black Death
2008-02-16 16:27:00
Imagine an award winning short film. I can, I've reviewed many. Just imagine watching one, where you are confused as to how it has a 9.6 rating on IMDB. That is exactly my emotions towards this film. To name off the things i disliked about this film would be most of my review. To start off, the film calls itself an "exploitation" film. Note this, Foxxy Madonna doesn't exploit anything except maybe a mute, but he is the only thing worthy to talk about.This film is a brash, and juvenile attempt at making a blaxploitation film as well. I guess the director didn't realize that Foxxy Madonna should have been black. The only character that could have brought any urban feel to this film was the token black character, "The Black Death ". Of course, by making him urban, they just have him running around on camera with a gun calling Foxxy a "Bitch". The film has been applauded for it's inventive action scenes. Does this include the horrible shot gunfight scene? Which lasted two minutes?No ...

Forklift Driver Klaus
2008-02-16 16:06:00
"The First Day On The Job"Forklift Driver Klaus is without a doubt, one of the most entertaining and visually magnificent shorts ever. There is only one problem to this claim, it is an instructional video. It was released in Germany as a parody/spoof of the safety videos. Never has one shown you what not to do in such vivid blood and GORE-o-VISION. Apparently, there is a series of these. My interest is peaked.The beginning shows the poster child of factory workers. Meet Klaus. Klaus is well-groomed, well-mannered, and well-taught. This is the day when he first gets his forklift operating license. He begins his first day of work bright and early, whistling a happy tune. Surely nothing could go wrong. Then the film stops it's serious route and goes for a more Final Destination feel. We watch as the worst freak accidents occur around Klaus.Why? For breaking the set rules. The film is a parody but indeed has a valid point. Never break the rules in a work zone! Doing so could lead to yo...

The Night Porter
2008-02-16 09:44:00
Before I start this review I would like to begin with this quote about The Night Porter from Pulitzer prize winning Film Critic Roger Ebert: "as nasty as it is lubricious, a despicable attempt to titillate us by exploiting memories of persecution and suffering." Knowing this is a good enough reason alone to watch The Night Porter. It seems as if Roger Ebert was so disgusted with himself for liking the film and feeling it had artistic merit that he had to somehow redeem himself with an emotionally fueled review.I will admit that I both enjoyed the film and felt it had much artistic merit. The film was directed by female Italian auteur Liliana Cavani, starring (the English stars) Dirk Bogarde and Charlotte Rampling. Not a bad line-up for a fan of European films of the 1970s. In 1962 both Bogarde and Rampling starred in another dark Third Reich tale, The Damned, directed by Luchino Visconti. Having seen The Damned gives an especially appropriate introduction to watching The Night Porte...

Interview with Alvin Ecarma
2008-02-16 02:07:00
Alvin Ecarma is the director of the TLA/Unearthed release of LETHAL FORCE.SS: What inspired you to make this spoofish film? Did you just wake up one day and decide to make the mad-cap action blast "LETHAL FORCE?AE: I was a couple of years out of film school and I had spent the intervening time hustling my short films and spec scripts. When those went past their freshness date, I decided it was time to make a feature using Robert Rodriquez's "El Mariachi" as a model. And concurrent to all this, I had been compiling a dossier on people in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area who had skills that would come in handy for a project like this, and I also had become friends with Teddy Chao and the Johns Hopkins Film Society in Baltimore, Maryland. So my desire to make a film and finding a core crew to make the film with dovetailed together nicely into A Perfect Moment, never to happen again.The script itself is born out of my affection for action movies of all sorts with an emphasis on H...
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The Thin Red Line
2008-02-15 22:07:00
The Thin Red Line (directed by Terrence Malick) is quite different than most World War II combat films (or the combat film in general). The film comes out more as a collage of images and poetry lacking most conventions associated with related material. This is no surprise as Malick accomplished similar things in The Badlands and Days of Heaven.Malick was able to refresh the stale World War II film with a somewhat anti-war approach. Most films dealing with the second World War to at least some extent glorify war. As everyone knows, America won World War II therefore, going into The Thin Red Line you expect a triumphant victory at the end. Instead, the war ends with another company of soldiers going into war. The war never ends also in the respect of all war in general. The is the chaos of man just as in the chaos of nature (which is brought up in the film). I found the ending of The Thin Red Line to be very human. Unfortunately it wasn’t the most uplifting.The sacrificed soldier by ...

No More Souls: One Last Slice of Sensation
2008-02-15 19:16:00
Hellraiser is one of many horror film franchises that start off with a great start then just bog down into un-entertainable mush. This is a short film shot on high def for around a couple thousand dollars. Keep in mind it is only 5 minutes long. Seems a bit pricey for only 5 minutes eh? Well, the plotline follows the leader of the cenobites named "Pinhead". Quite an iconic figure he is. Well this time, he is old and is not Douglas Bradley.(NOTE: He is missing his pins because he was being "emo")(NOTE 2: The above comment was a horrible joke)Trust me, i was moaning too. Mankind has gone extinct leaving no more souls to torture, no more pleasure, and the fear that his followers will turn on him. Whats an immortal being to do? Well, he decides to open the puzzle box himself. We know what happens now. Only problem is, is the execution of the scene. Instead of getting the chain-gang, we merely have a Caesar-esque stabbing that is no worthy of the often-beautiful slayings in the Hellraise...
More About: Souls , Slice

Rape & Death Of A Housewife
2008-02-15 15:17:00
Most films that have to do with rape, take the subject on a more visceral approach, adding violence, often revenge, and over-the-top antics. Many of these films are deemed as “exploitation” films. When you have a film like R&DOAH, it seems very genre bending in order to classify it. Its age, quality, and subject matter adhere to the policy of being an “exploitation” film but it is of a new breed. When you hear the title, you think nothing but it being a sensationalism film using rape as a factor for erotic means or even shock, but Noboru Tanaka's film is much more than that.The plot follows three young kids and young adults, who have had their brief run-ins with the law, but remain to be “good kids”. They are social misfits and are the kids who have had 12 jobs in 2 years time. They frequently try to squirm sex out of hapless females and drink a lot. Sound familiar? It seems some things don’t change. The title alone gives away the ending for the most part. It stil...
More About: Death , Rape

Interview with Christopher Alan Broadstone
2008-02-15 03:50:00
Christopher Alan Broadstone recently agreed to an interview with Soiled Sinema. He is best known as the aspiring filmmaker of the award winning trilogy "3 DEAD GIRLS!"SS: Thanks for doing this interview. How did you get started with your filmmaking and what advice would you give to any would-be independent filmmaker?CAB: I was born in Oklahoma City and raised in Dallas, Texas. Many years ago I moved to L.A. with my band, THE JUDAS ENGINE. Although TJE had a CD under its belt, was playing gigs regularly, and had a new demo recorded, it was brutally murdered by circumstances about eight months after our arrival in California. I was suddenly a lost soul and too burned out to pursue music anymore. My only opportunity lay in some good luck I’d had in meeting two professional film producers. They read the unpublished (at the time) manuscript of my novel PUZZLEMAN, liked the story, and wanted to get it into script form ASAP. I took the challenge and launched into an endless screenplay wr...
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The World's Greatest Sinner
2008-02-15 03:08:00
Blasphemy in cinema has a severe consequence most times. Recent films like The Golden Compass or even semi-newer films as Bruce Almighty. It can kill a film, or only strengthen its status and reputation. The effect is a unpredictable wild card that is a force to be reckoned with. Timothy Carey's shoe-string budget personal masterpiece "The World's Greatest Sinner" is the most blasphemous film i have ever seen.The plot follows an everyman insurance salesman who gets bored of the game and decides he wants to do something new with his life. Accompanied with Satan dubbing over a snake as the narrator, Hilliard goes from being in a band, getting into polotics, and eventually giving himself and everybody as their own god. The cult hysteria is shown in full force as a harsh reminder of an era when mankind was so gullible as to follow another man, ruining their lives in the process.It's a very weird experience to hear Carey being referred to as "God". Even the stitched insignia of God on...

3 Dead Girls!
2008-02-14 20:47:00
Christopher Alan Broadstone's trilogy of award-winning horror shorts is now available on a single edition. Each film has an intense philosophical tone to them with throbbing soundtracks and little perks on the end of the initial stories. No story has been told the same way. Broadstone makes sure of that.The first short is entitled "SCREAM FOR ME". The plot ripped from the summary reads as followed. "One killer becomes a victim of another more brutal and insane then himself" You ever watch a film about a serial killer and just want the worst possible outcome to happen. To challenge the irony itself is a big no-no on the cinema screen. What starts off as a tale of "love" (Note "River's Edge for the inside meaning of this) and this boy's murder of someone he "loves", this is when we meet the Madman (Tony Simmons).This "Madman" is one of the classic redneck stereotype. Tony Simmons does a horrifying job as playing this maniac. I'd greatly like to see Madman be in a feature length fe...
More About: Girls , Dead

Irreversible
2008-02-14 05:25:00
Irréversible is a film that might put off some audiences. I personally think it's brilliant and a contemporary masterpiece. The film utilizes a nonlinear narrative format allowing the viewer to discover what led up to the films disturbing and brutal opening scenes. Irreversible was written and directed by Argentina-born French director Gaspar Noé.During one of the early scenes in the film, a mans face is crushed at a gay bar with what looks like a fire extinguisher. The scene is essentially one continuous and unrelenting shot that forces the viewer to be engulfed in the violence. I don’t think that it would be an exaggeration to say that this scene is one of the most intense scenes ever committed to celluloid. Unlike most films featuring violence, Irreversible doesn’t allow the viewer to feel safe or comfortable.The film also features a rape scene that lasts almost 10 minutes. Nothing about this scene is entertaining or erotic. The rapist is a gay psycho pimp that is obviousl...

The Creek
2008-02-13 07:10:00
I try to approach independent horror with an open mind, taking in all atmospheric qualities and the simple urge to create; this is what starts film off most times. Writer/Director Erik Soulliard takes a very common tale and puts a slightly different spin on it.One thing that amazed me with the film is how similar is was to a novel i had read when i was a child. Author Gary Brandner writes a book about three high school friends who re-unite at their high school at the reunion of the death of a classmate. Note that Gary also wrote the novel that inspired THE HOWLING.So the plot as you may have guessed is basically a retelling of the ole' old friends die hard tale, but with a transparent green-skinned Billy-friend-ghost killing off people or does he? A revenge tale done right for the new generation. The acting starts off pretty amateurish but gets better throughout the running time. Expect a beauty and talent in actress Kathryn Merry as "Angel".While featuring a great ghost character,...
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Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
2008-02-13 06:56:00
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me may be David Lynch’s most disappointing film. Long time lovers of Lynch and Twin Peaks even hated it. Fire Walk With Me explores the life of Laura Palmer leading up to her death. Most Twin Peaks fans would agree this was not necessary.Probably around half the characters from the TV show never make an appearance in Fire Walk With Me. The film also takes a more serious tone than the quirky TV show. For a feature length film, the quality isn’t much different than TV. Fire Walk With Me features naughty things likes boobies and cracked open skulls. Laura Palmer’s Father is not exactly the best role model. Fire Walk With Me is still “Lynchian.” The film has the feel of your typical Lynch film. I assume since Twin Peaks was canceled Lynch decided the only way to get out all his perverse TP fantasies would be to do a film. Big names like Kiefer Sutherland and David Bowie appear. Neither of which should have entered Lynch’s Midwestern wor...
More About: Twin Peaks , Twin

Skull & Bones
2008-02-13 03:58:00
Enter the appropriately named director T.S. Slaughter, director of the gay "HOMO-cidal" film SKULL & BONES. Upon getting my screener copy i had no idea what i was in for. It is impossible to say this film is a horrible film, while i was damn near entertained, i only had a few annoyances.You meet Nathan and Justin, two gay sex buddies who live a dull life in a local university. Due to their love for serial killers and their hatred for Ivy League preps, they take it upon themselves to rape and humiliate anyone who dare crosses them. What makes this film so special is its use of political incorrectness and its avid conspiracies being thrown into the mix.Nathan and Justin are pretty normal guys who live and lust. Justin is the underling and looks up to Nathan. This is shown in several horribly acted segments. "You are SOO awesome, Nathan". Derrick Wolf who plays Nathan is an absolute blast to watch. From his maniacal laughter and his Peter Sarsgaard sounding voice, he is but a pilla...
More About: Bones , Skull

At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul
2008-02-11 05:28:00
At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul was the first Brazilian horror film. Not a bad introduction for the Brazilian horror genre. Coffin Joe( or Zé do Caixão) is a man not to be reckoned with. Those that negatively cross his both end up dead in seconds. Coffin Joe’s bloodshot eyes foreshadow the deaths that he is responsible for. Coffin Joe makes Bela Lugosi look like a thieving gypsy.Mario Bava was obviously a huge influence on At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul. Bava’s Black Sunday would go great with a double feature screening of At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul. Both films feature great early 1960s special effects and cheese evil. At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul is quite extreme for it’s time(as was Black Sunday). Coffin Joe has no problem blinding someone with his bare hands(with a bloody mess as a result). Bava had no problem letting the blood flow freely with Black Sunday.Coffin Joe opens At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul with an intense and philosophical spee...
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Tribute to Roy Scheider
2008-02-11 04:50:00
I had been thinking awhile about which person deserves a tribute to post on Soiled Sinema. After hearing of the death of this fellow American, i realized how much of an influence he had on my life. As i look around my colorful room, i see an original JAWS stuffed animal, my JAWS boxers, and my JAWS DVD set. Roy Scheider , along with the two other leads, made this movie, not the shark.As i look on his Wiki article, i see now that he was scheduled to play John Rambo in First Blood. Pretty funny coincidence as i just re watched the new Rambo film. This would have been an interesting future to see. Who knows? Roy might have done it better. He sure did have the charisma.The two roles that i see Roy Scheider as, are "Herr" Benway in Cronenberg's film Naked Lunch and Brody in Jaws and Jaws 2. He definitely brought an essence to both films. Dr. Benway was a genius creation of Burroughs and was brought to screen with the perfect cast choice. Schieder. In fact, Roy Scheider should have been i...
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Devarim
2008-02-09 03:03:00
Devarim is the first film I have viewed from Israel. It takes a realist aesthetic to provide a very intimate look into the lives of three Israeli’s and their hang-ups entering middle age. Devarim is sort of like Federico Fellini’s I Vitelloni except more centered around desperation and less flamboyant. Director Amos Gitai seems to have also taken cues from the Italian neorealists, French New Wave, and even German New Wave.The shot composition of the film is very standard(reminding me of Fassbinder) and used to focus the scenes on the intense(yet for the most part monotone) drama between characters. Many shots featuring no dialogue and a character simply walking down the street in a lonely way. Most conversations in Devarim are quite dark as suicide and the inevitability of death are discussed quite often. It is interesting seeing personal drama Tel Aviv while knowing that the IDF is trying to hunt down "militants" in the same city. These topics are only briefly discussed.D...