Now Screening - What Are You Watching Right Now?

[Barry]

Yes both of those films are all the better for being in black and white, too. They knew how to do creepy back then, horror on a psychological level instead of the hack and slash, blood and gore that is the modern version of the genre.

Check out the black and white horror movies of Val Lewton mad in the '50s: Curse of the Cat Woman, I walked with a Zombie. Atmospheric and creepy; the 'horror' is all down to suggestion - never explicit, only implied. As you say, they knew how to do' creepy' back then.

These days it seems to be only the Japanese who can do horror without it being 'in your face'. Hollywood should take some lessons from them.

[walpurgis]

Two excellent b&w horror films spring to mind.

The sixties Japanese Classic 'Onibaba': https://www.eurekavideo.co.uk/moc/onibaba

And Roman Polanski's bizarre 'Repulsion': http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/repulsion/

[Spectral Morn]

The Arrival (1996)

Watched this lowish budget Sci-Fi thriller this afternoon - not seen it in years - and enjoyed it greatly. Charlie Sheen is the hero and this is an intelligent alien invasion film with great effects when required and quite good aliens. I suspect most of the budget went on the underground base and alien weapon scenes - a rotating sphere capable of sucking items, buildings etc into a singularity.

Most of the 'terribly good' (1) films the sci-fi channel shows and produces could learn a great deal from this film re how to do a lot, well, with not much money.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Arrival_(film)


Regards Neil

(1) Awful piles of festering dung, with awful effects, crap stories, crap acting - just terrible.

[Macca]

The Arrival (1996)
re how to do a lot, well, with not much money.

.

Absolutely. Look at the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Nothing to it in terms of budget or effects but it is genius good. Always makes me laugh after watching a really crap film when the credits roll and you see how many hundreds of people were involved in making it - did no-one at any point pipe up and say 'err...excuse me but this is complete shite.' ? These people must never have seen a decent film in their lives so their benchmark for excellence is something like Police Academy IV. It's the only explanation.

[Spectral Morn]

Absolutely. Look at the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Nothing to it in terms of budget or effects but it is genius good. Always makes me laugh after watching a really crap film when the credits roll and you see how many hundreds of people were involved in making it - did no-one at any point pipe up and say 'err...excuse me but this is complete shite.' ? These people must never have seen a decent film in their lives so their benchmark for excellence is something like Police Academy IV. It's the only explanation.

I agree. The amount of dung and mega dung that gets made is just awful - what a waste of money.


Regards Neil

[struth]

My Movie for tonight is the 1957 Basil Dearden classic, The Smallest show on Earth starring Bill Travers, Virginia McKenna, Margaret Rutherford, and Peter Sellers. Smaller roles for Leslie Philips, Sid James and Bernard Miles.

Film is about a couple who inherit a cinema but, alas it is an old Flea Pit called the Bijou. They decide, madly to try and make it work but pretty much everything is against them, including Sellers as the drunken projectionist.
Many of the films shown were actually made for this production, and there is a lovely scene I remember when the old staff of Rutherford, Sellers etc watch a silent film with the former playing the piano.quite touching really and reminds me of my grandfather who had 3 silent cinemas back in the day.

Sack Mrs Fizakally!!! Sack Mrs Fizakally!!...she's the only one that knows how this place works...

[struth]

Now on to Howard Hawk's 1943 sabre rattler AIR FORCE starring John Garfield, John Ridgely and Gig Young....

[struth]

The Arrival (1996)

Watched this lowish budget Sci-Fi thriller this afternoon - not seen it in years - and enjoyed it greatly. Charlie Sheen is the hero and this is an intelligent alien invasion film with great effects when required and quite good aliens. I suspect most of the budget went on the underground base and alien weapon scenes - a rotating sphere capable of sucking items, buildings etc into a singularity.

Most of the 'terribly good' (1) films the sci-fi channel shows and produces could learn a great deal from this film re how to do a lot, well, with not much money.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Arrival_(film)


Regards Neil

(1) Awful piles of festering dung, with awful effects, crap stories, crap acting - just terrible.

Not seen that one yet Neil, but will try to soon.Sounds interestng

[Spectral Morn]

Not seen that one yet Neil, but will try to soon.Sounds interestng

It was showing on the Horror Channel but is available as a DVD or Blu Ray. I would avoid the follow up film which is not very good.


Regards Neil

[struth]

It was showing on the Horror Channel but is available as a DVD or Blu Ray. I would avoid the follow up film which is not very good.


Regards Neil

I've put the DVD in my Amazon basket Neil, so when I next get something I'll slip that onto the order.sounds interesting, and if I don't like it my son will.

In fact I better check he doesn't already have it