Masters of Horror 1: Don Coscarelli's Incident's On and Off a Mountain Road

Left:Main Killa in Coscarelli's short;Middle: Ethan Embry and Breet Turner;Left:Don Coscarelli













Since I got fired, I got free time to watch some primetime and cable............. a lot more time. My colleague Kyle and I were so hyped about watching the "Masters of Horror", Mick GArris starting a series collecting all the great horror directors to direct one hour shorts. They were offered a budget and could do any project they wanted to. The first that aired in the first part of the series was by Don Coscarelli (Phantasm, Bubba Ho-tep). It was called "Incident On and Off Mountain Road". The story of a woman(Bree Turner) that crashes and finds another car that went off road. She goes see if the woman is okay and happens to run into killer.The story jumps into a the straight slasher formula which is by all means entertaining of following that troupe it goes into flashbacks of relationship she had with a survivalist played by Ethan Embry. He gives her lessons on what to do if a killer is after her or survivalist skills on what to do out in the woods. Then the story goes back to the mountain road where the killer is still after her and uses the lessons taught from her ex into action. As it unfolds it turns into a bloody macabre with a feminist lead. You go along the board of her getting killed because she is female, but Coscarelli sticks with this one for character development. The outcome is an awesome one. Angus Scrimm co-stars playing an over the top old man that gets is due. I loved how in the effect of Bree Turner's character sets traps for the killer it somehow backfires, making it more realistic and humanistic. Coscarelli gives this character confidence of its own to overcome the odds. Good Job!!!!!!!! I can't wait till the next one by my favorite out of the rest of the group set to direct, Stuart Gordon!!

A movie that just Entered My Top Ten List!!!! Le Jour se Leve AKA. Daybreak

Left: Clip of Jean Gabin and Arletty Right:Original poster for Marcel Carne's DayBreak.























I just saw Marcel Carne's "Le Jour Se Leve" (eng. trans. DayBreak) on TCM last night, it was apart of the international cinema night on Fridays, they do it every week. I'm always up for what TCM puts, they show some out of print stuff that I schedule for myself to record. They had a whole retrospective on Luis Bunuel and showed "The Exterminating Angel","Los Ovidaldos", and "Viridiana", it was awesome. I love that channel, always having Robert Osborne always wearing an Italian suit and groomed hair coming out of a staged lobby presenting movies. That must be the most coolest job ever. Sometimes I think he lives in that lobby and once all the camera crew leave their all like,"Goodnight Mr. Osborne", and hes all like,"I see y'all in the morning", and he crashes on that couch thats on the set. I doubt it, but that would be funny if he did. I would if I had that job. Anyway, back to the initial of a movie that just entered in my TOP 10 list, I have been familiar with Marcel Carne's previous work like "Port of Shadows" and "Children of Paradise", which is like France's "Gone with the Wind". I heard about this movie and just stumbled upon it on cable on Friday night and loved it. It stuck with me for a while and had everything I wanted in a film. Marcel Carne is apart of certain group of Poetic-realist movement that consisted of Jean Cocteau and Jean Vigo. As film can be poetry, this film displays that very well and tend to be poetic. Enough, of the sappy poetic stuff, what makes this films so perfect to you Aliye. Let get into the story, it stars Jean Gabin(A man that owns up to the title of a French Humphrey Bogart), playing a working man that ended killing this hustler/pimp. He then entraps himself in his apartment, while threaten to kill anyone who enters. The police hound him and he tries to detract every plan of them getting in. The police shoot down the door and windows,(rumor to be real bullets to capture real life) and he still won't budge and come out. The whole story doesn't stem from him trying to survive this, instead the film takes a non-linear approach and uses flashbacks to present a story of him falling in love and giving revelation of why he killed the hustler. Jacqueline Laurent co-stars(looking fine) who plays his love interest, he is also tempted by another love played by Arletty(also looking devilishly fine). The movie may sound boring, but it is not. From the opening to the last it is gripping. All this sub-love interest turns out to the fact that he killed this man. As beautiful as every frame and shot, it is true poetry and realism. I was so happy to see a print of this on cable or anywhere. As simplistic the storytelling can be, the camerawork is very innovative. It written great, but its style doesn't still the show but is a plus to adore while watching it. The use of long takes and fading in shots of objects being there and disappearing is useful for the flashbacks. The camera work where they go into the next room or down stairs and it is just one long take that the follows them behind a set. It's just genius and beautiful. I have to stop sweating on this movie and should make people see for themselves!!!!! Please and try to get a copy of this movie, you won't be disappointed. The other subject I want to add is Jean Gabin, he is just great. He pratically steals the show. The one thing that made me stay tuned to this movie is that it it opened up with a murder, how the hell could I resist. When you are done with the movie, it still leaves you with something. Even if you figure out the reason why he killed the man or the twist, it is still a movie that has a merit of watching again and again. I believe it is that perfect. When you already know the storyline, its still not compared to how it is executed. Please somebody check this out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Henri Langlois: Phantom of the Cinematheque (The Greatest Cinephile ever!!!!!!!)

I'm gonna open up with this review of the documentary based on the greatest cinephile ever, who revived so many classic prints of films that were lost in WWII and were entirely unavailable and thrown away after initial release. To get back to my point of opening the review with what Henri Langlois said in the film. He was asked the difference between a cinephile and a cinephage( Eng. Trans. Film nerd), the difference was that a cinephage comes into a theatre and with his notes waits until the movie ends and credits roll and he writes down the names. You ask him about the film, he has no opinion or knows nothing, he can just give you facts. Cinephile is different because you ask him what the movie was about he would have an answer. He said Francois Truffaut was true cinephile in that case. I hope I live up to that title and just not coping a field with stating my site "The 19 year old cinephile". I don't want to live up to Francois TRuffaut's standards, how can you and why would you. Just take his teachings and extend his view, don't just copy. Anyway, that part int he movie really impacted on me. I've been waiting to se this movie ever since I heard it's initial release at the Cannes film Festival last year. The Whitsell Auditorium presents and I saw it opening day. It always interest me to give a full explanation of what Langlois stood for and what other way to learn it then by cinema. I heard their was also another documentary made on him back in the 70's, but it was out of print. This examination doesn't succumb to a standard documentary, but rather an essay on him. The movie include rare footage and new interview footage of people that he influenced. From the French New wave of Claude Chabrol, Jean-luc Godard, Francois Truffaut, Jean Rouch, Agnes VArda and Eric Rohmer. new interview is also spliced into this essay from one of my personal favorites of the French new WAve, Claude Chabrol. He(Claude Chabrol) gets into on his childhood growing with Henri Langlois presenting these movies at the cinematheque. The whole line and mobs at the front and the packed theatres and marches. Chabrol, Godard and Truffaut whose to just sit up in the theatres and lie down on the floor just kicking it. The movie isn't only about the influence it had on the French New Wave, but Langlois captivating people internationally by showing movie from other countries and having so many people fro the film world of Hollywood like Nicholas RAy and John Ford. Langlois' enthusiasm to collect stuff from every director he asked, from the original dress of "Gone with the Wind", to the skeleton mom from "Psycho". He pretty much saved cinema, he never wanted to be filmmaker but to show the world its beauty. He made cinephilia cool. He is the original cinephile and the pope of a church that belongs to film only. One of the critics in the movie, I forgot who it was, but he said that young kids today don't know how important it was to have a theatre that had all these films that were hard to see. Today kids have access to anything, from DVD to VHS. not entirely true, because it my state there are still films that have not reached the stage of DVD and are still hard to get. A place where I'm from has not very many revival houses, but then again back in those days it only took one to start cinema revolution. I wish a theatre like that still existed today, I'll be going there everyday. In Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Dreamers", it was an autobiographical love letter to this theatre and Henri Langlois. Where that movie spoke of its effect, this talks about how it came to be and why it was something to fight for. I love this movie!!!!!!!! To rest who might be interested, go see it, it gets my approval!!!!!!! This Aliye Nyoka saying PEACE OUT!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, co-writer of "Monster Squad" still delivers the goods!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( I Concur with Kyle's review)

I just saw Shane Black's comeback movie after reading my colleague's review on it, that colleague being Kyle Burch ( A kid that goes to University of Portland and will later write more on my blog). I always loved Shane Black's movies from the start before "Lethal Weapon" and "The Long Kiss Goodnight", from where he co-wrote the screenplay to everybody's all time childhood movie "MONSTER SQUAD". Yeah! That movie never gets old.Now back to the review of this movie. I will start off I most critics that start the review of this movie. Apparently, the title is similar to Pauline Kael's book which is called "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang". Most of the reviews that I read of this movie always started to quote from Pauline Kael that talked about this title, why she coosed it and she always gives a quote that sticks with you for a while and may sound catchy but you can't stop thinking of it. You give more thought and thus it develops more critical reviews of another movie. This is no exception, even though I should be original and not do the same as other critics, but I don't care. Pauline Kael is an influence on me and it is cliche for other aspiring critics to look up to her, but I gotta say the woman can write. So anyway back to the quote she stated that she saw this tagline on a Italian poster for a movie and this came to mind,"(Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang) are perhaps the briefest statement imaginable of the basic appeal of movies. This appeal is what attracts us, and ultimately what makes us despair when we begin to understand how seldom movies are more than this." I love quoting other, it actually tries to make me look smart! As for the quote, the same goes for Shane Black's directorial debut. He is basically a writer that fell in love with himself and the genre he helped established, the action buddy movie. It's not a bad thing, because the movie tends not just spoof itself but love what it has created. Black also tends to comment on certain cliche's he also had to do during his screenwriting heyday back in the late 80's and 90's. The concept is very reminiscent of a movie he wrote called the "Last Action Hero", it to had a sense of humor for itself too. Even though that movie was not as successful and wasn't executed properly, I think he takes this concept into consideration and him at the helm of this project he is successful. He has conceived an original idea and the movie always falls into screenwriting 101 and shows that Black is the auteaur. Not saying that it gets pretentious, I believe its far from it. It has a story, sex, guns, witty dialogue, intrigue, everything that the title offers and what Kael said. It offers much more, it his a movie that is fairly original and exceeds most of what Hollywood actioners has to offers. There is so much going that you probably gonna have to watch it more than once on cable or late night or take another chance and see it on the big screen. It deserves that value. Henri Langlois said to love a movie qualities and forget about the defects, its pointless. This movie may have its fallbacks, and could be a near miss for some people but don't expect much out of it. At least you enjoyed it, but for the rest that sees a highly original film that might make you see more things once you go back again and again, have to it!! This is Aliye Nyoka saying see you later Masturbator!!!!!!!!!!

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a riot

"Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" hits the theatres in a time of holdiay movies, but its excitingly funny cast and fresh humor are just what this season needed. Right off the back, we are placed into the mood of this movie with an opening that will surely leave you cringing in your seat. From that point on, the movie manages to entertain with a mixture of mystery, comedy, and even a little action.

The movie is basically about a petty criminal named Harry (Robert Downey Jr.) who ends up in the "right" place at the wrong time. From this point on, he is thrown into the Hollywood world of sex, murder, and mayhem. He then encounters a gay private eye by the name of Gay Perry (Val Kilmer) and a sexy struggling actress by the name of Harmony (Michelle Monaghan). The movie has the perfect feel of an old mystery book written for the easily amused.

I will say that first time director Shane Black, best known for writing screenplays to the "Lethal Weapon" series and "The Long Kiss Goodnight," brings a lot of spunk to this film. He has a style that is completely original and unforgettable. This is the perfect film to showcase his amazing talents and we are sure to see much more of him in the future.

The acting in this film is superb. Robert Downey Jr., best known for his run-ins with drugs and jail, brings so much to this role, that it is impossible not to forget about his "bad" days. He manages to remain grounded in the believability of his character while at the same time balancing his excellent "dry humor" skills. Honestly, I feel that he is a comedic genius and deserves much more attention than he has gotten. While Ben Stiller and Adam Sandler's antics are getting old, Downey is most certainly on the rise. Val Kilmer surprised me here by actually doing a good job. As of lately, Kilmer's career has somewhat dissipated into nothingness with such roles in "Alexander" and "Mindhunters." Finally, he is given the chance to once again prove to us why he once was a great actor. He is extremely funny with his funny one-liners as the gay Gay. And lastly, how can I forget the sexiness of Michelle Monaghan? Her only other role that stands out to me is a young worker friend of Charlize Theron's in "North Counrty." Seeing her play that serious role and now this, truly shows that she has range as an actress. Though her role requires a bit of cheesiness near the end, she manages to be drop dead gorgeous and hot while at the same time being hilarious. I look forward to seeing much more from her in the future. And let's not forget that she does display a little T and A.

I will end this review by saying, ignore a lot of the big blockbuster crappy comedies that keep coming out and go see a fresh, hilarious, and completely absurd film that will have you laughing from start to finish. I give it a 9 out of 10. ---Aliye's Abercrombie & Fitch sidekick, KYLE

Back in the day when I was young and I'm not anymore but someday I wish......

Giaretta GianCarlo on the left screaming in Bruno Mattei's "RAts" and on the Right are two pictures of 1)Is Chris on far left and Giaretta in the middle and me on the right gving thumbs up.2)Giaretta just posing.

















I will tell my tales of a place I used to work at called Videorama, where I met Christopher Dennis Carson who conducted this interview that was used in a local paper and his gonna be the first interview displayed on this site. Plus i believe Chris did a good job and I'll introduce you to the man that taught me everything I know about movies and still has my back all the way in Chicago. I will also tell you many stories about how Chris stumbled upon this interview with a Euro-Trash star. It was a Haley's comet that night in North Portland.
Chris Dennis Carson grew up as kid with an appetite for Italian horror films, with help from his mother he endured the masterworks from Lucio Fulci, Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava, Mario BAva and Bruno Mattei. He also is a huge Charles Bronson fan and loves most of the "Death Wish" series. The kid grew up to be awalking IMDB. AFter getting a stint working two years at Movie Madness after getting fired for calling an obscenity to owner Mike Clark (Chris' story is funny and only he could tell it, which he will). Then afterwards headed to North Portland and worked at Videorama (then called Video Chest.) That's where I noticed him and he pretty much got me the job. It was a blast working with Chris and hanging around with him and hearing his stories and trading movie knowledge with him and watching over him when he was druk. Their were the down sides and that lead him to walk out of the job due to manageral conflicts. But before he did, during a time when he was going threw his baby mama taking his kids, his mother dying, going to jail, being on probation. That's when he noticed a woman come into the store, he was weirded out by her nad was trying to put his finger on who she is. Then when she comes up to the counter Chris asked,"I don't mean to be rude, but were in a movie". She was like," YEa.......", right before she could finish the sentence Chris spouted out,"You were in "Demons", the same womanwho was the first person to turn into a Demon in Lamberto Bava's "Demons". Chris started spouting off about how he grew up with "Demons" and Giaretta was taken by his attitude and loved the fact that the store had have a Euro-Trash section. I was standing their the whole time watching Chris buttering his own popcorn. Chris just went crazy and they started talking about Italian directors and the movies she's been in and the director's she worked with. I loved every minute of it, same as Chris(literallly). TO make a long story short and get into the interview, one of the mangers mentioned that their was a polaroid camera for shoplifters in the office. Chris said", YEahhhhh, hold on a minute", he got the polaroid camera took one of him and her and another one with me, Chris and Giaretta(which is the photo int he middle). That making some sort of history for me and adds a lot more history for Chris. After she autographed the store copy of "Demons", and Chris' copy on "Demons". Then Chris left the photo underneath a clear placement matt on the counter for all the customers to see. Then Chris would later conduct an interview with her in the store in the morning. I was graduating from high school at the time and Chris wanted me to make it but I couldn't. Anyway, to get to the interview, this is what came of it and Chris printed it in a local newspaper. I felt that it deserved better than that( even though my blog isn't any better) but i hope you enjoy. It brought back old memories!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Interview with Giaretta Giancarlo with Christopher Dennis Carson

Chris: How did you get in the horror film business?

Giancarlo: I flew to Italy and I was an actress: during the early 80's, horror films were a big thing there.

Chris: How was the make-up?

Giancarlo: Full horror gore makeup the whole time. It was psychologically very intense. It's a hard thing to stay in the stinky bloody makeup for ten days. We really got into the characters.

Chris:I bet the contacts were unpleasant.

Giancarlo: The contacts that I wore were bright orange, and they were difficult, but the biggest thing was my nails. It took five hours every morning to have those nails put on, and if you watch the movie (Demons), i'm the girl who goes into the bathroom with a pimple that explodes and infects everybody, so to do that effect, it was cottage cheese and milk under a plastic apprentice. Once that spilled on my clothes for, so I was in stinking spoiled-milk-stained clothes for five days.

Chris:Was Mario Bava in the film? Did you meet him?

Giancarlo: No, I didn't meet Mario. Lamberto was the director on that film, and the person that showed up was Dario Argento. He was the producer and he was on the set every day. And now Asia Argento is quite well known, but if you watch "Demons", it's her sister Thearella who also stars in the movie.

Chris: Asia is in Part Town, right?

Giancarlo:I think so, because Thearella gets killed.

Chris:You were in Lucio Fulci's "Murder Rock". Please tell me about that experience.

Giancarlo: It was great! The woman who played the mom in it, I think it was Anna Tanexis, had just come from playing the head of the dance studio. She was the mom in Prince's "Purple Rain". I know these movies seem really funny now, but she was a well-kwown Greek actress. It was the first time I ever saw the crew give an actress applause after the performance on a set. Then it clicked in me," OH!OH! That's what we're going for! You want to do good performances!" It was really good, but we had all been warned that Lucio had a ferocious temper, and we were told never to talk back to him. One guy tried it and man I tell you, it didn't work.

Chris: I've read that Fulci was a madman, and sort of a terror on the set of his films. In your experience, did you ever see him flip out on people?

Giancarlo: Yes, I saw him flip out on one of the young male actors, but you were well warned. In Italy you learn a lot about talking back directors, and now that I am a director, I hate it when people do it to me. You were told "Don't talk back to Lucio", and as long as you didn't, he was fine. Filmmaking is not a democracy.

Chris: Have you done any other film acting over the years?

Giancarlo:I was in Susan Sidelman's first film, the one that made her famous enough to do "Desperately Seeking Susan". I was in "Smithereens". I think my last film was something called "Mafia Bride" with Carol Alt. It's a mini series here, and it did really well. In 1992, I stopped acting and attended the American Film institute and graduated from there.

Chris: What are you doing thes days?

Giancarlo: I'm a film director, and I'm here in Oregon making my second film. it's called "White Patty". We're shooting here in August and September. So far, it's starring Kareem Abdul Jabar and Debra Wilson from Mad TV. It's a funky romp from the 70's about a young married woman woman falls in love with her child-abusing neighbor, and the screenplay was a Sundance finalist.

Chris:What's favorite horror film?

Giancarlo: My favorite film, it's not even a horror film; It's Hitchcock's "The Birds".

Chris:Who is your favorite horror director?

Giancarlo: George Romero.

Chris:Do you think David Warbeck would have made a good James Bond?

Giancarlo: At that time and place, yes; today, no".

Transcipt from August 2004

I would like to take this time to state the reason why I took the time to present this on my website. Not to long ago I was fired at Videorama two weeks ago on a Sunday. I started this website, because a friend told me I should look into it. i'm 19 and carry with a lot movie memorabilia and just personal memorabilia, and i have all these movie in my head i just have to express them some how. I would later persuade Chris to write reviews on this site, if not than I'll rely on other folks. During my week of unemployment, Chris called me on a Friday all the way the from Chicago after he heard I was fired. He called the store and told the managers that they were a bunch of bitches and said "I got you back dogg, even from all the way from Chicago......Nigga!". That made my Friday, I thought for doing that I honor him by putting up this interview for me and for other people. It captured a time in my life during high school that i liked, But of course the only constant is change. Alright, enough getting sappy. That's why the title of this post "Back in the day when I was young and I'm not anymore but somday I wish........", that's what I'm getting at. Then again I got nothing to complain I'm just 19 and I should move on and getting fired is not the end of the world. It just feels so good to look back. Enough, it's time to move on and get back to reviewing. You can hear me crying over the keyboard. I thank anyone for reading this. Aliye Nyoka saying "Good Night, and Good Luck".

The noirish beauty of "Elevator to the Gallows"

Thats a beautiful poster. About time they re-realeaed this movie cause it was out of print on VHS for a long time. Jeanne Moreau you the definition of beauty. The print was exceptional, Cinema 21 is a nice theater to be showing this movie. Enough, let's get to the movie. Louis Malle was young when he made(of course he was) and made an awesome debut predating even "A Bout De Souffle'"(Jean-Luc Godard's "BReathless", I don't even know why I used the FRench title. I don't speak French but I love the FRench title). The trademarks are their that pushed the FRench New WAve taking a simple noir story and turning it on its ear. Instaed of using jump cuts and camera movements behind the head the protagonist when their driving: Trademarks evident in Godard, but really its not all about him. Let's talk about Malle's style and where he got it from. Malle renders storytelling using close-ups in favor of Robert Bresson, the humanistic quality quos Bresson and using supense storytelling like Hitchcock or Sam Fuller. More on Malle, he is the most forgotten of the FRench New WAve and would never be in that category. While Jacque Rivette, Claude Chabrol, Francois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Eric Rohmer, Alain Renais and Agnes VArda are in that category, no one mentions Malle. It's like the rest are having junior high dance bumpin to "Mystikal", while Louis Malle is playing Magic the gathering by himself on the side of the cafeteria. Or probably that's just me, because he is most provocative of the group. The thing I' ve notice is that he is the only out of the French New Wavers to leave France and do commercial work for Hollywood from"Pretty BAby", to "Crackers"(Featuring a pimp named Boardwalk). The NW film center did a whole festival on him that was touring from the east coast to here to promote "Elevator to the GAllows". It was called "Risk and Reinvention", I like that title, theirs truth to that. He left an impressive resume, but always allowed himself to do a different movie everytime. i saw as much Malle films as I could during that festival. I would later review some on this site. Now back to "Elevator to the Gallows", the story Jeanne Moreau playing a wife of a rich business plotting to kill him and make it look like suicide. With the help of a lover she as an affair with to do the killing. THe execution goes smooth and you think it will a movie about them running and getting into adventures, but instead the plan goes awry ending into one hell of a night. Leaving Jeanne Moreau alone while she looking for lover on the streets and he's actually stuck in an elevator. The story takes on mutiple characters and multiple stories ending in a humanistic ending wiht a little help from Miles Davis. The score alone just makes you love the movie and respect the setting while Moreau is walking the streets all cute and fine!!!!!!!!! I love that girl. Moreau was in another movie by Malle I saw at the festival called "The Lover", the movie was beautiful and featured a setting that would seem cheesy but executed so elegantly by Moreau and Malle. Then check "Madamoseille", that movie will drive you insane. If wanna see Jeanne Moreau and all her cutenes than watch "Touchez Pas Au Grisbi", eng. translation, "Hands Off the Motherf**kin' Loot". (That's my version of it because I love the movie so much that I wish it was called that). Now back to "Elevator to the Gallows", the trademarks that helped established the FRench new Wave that was evident in this movie was the use mise en' scene. I never knew what that meant, but always loved the term and loved it when Godard used. I always wanted to use it and now I can. YEAHH!!!!!!!! Well, I'm not Godard, but to use it in this pretext I always took it as cinema of randomness. The movie turns its story into that concept and allows the atmosphere to flow into the audience. No doubt that it still tells a story, but exemplifies concepts the French New Wave wanted to make. Overall the movie is as close to perfection as perfect can get. I say that all the time, but I just love this movie. We'll miss you Louis Malle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! R.I.P. playa

Last Night at the GrindHouse film Festival, and One hell of a night

I woke up late and missed the 3:00 showing for "Fist of the White Lotus". Don't worry I own it on DVD and watched it a lot of times back in my youth(wait a minute I'm 19). But I really wanted to see it on the big screen, instead I saw the martial epic by Chang Cheh,"5 Masters of Death". Once again the Manchu dynasty has invaded the Shaolin temple and destroyed half the monks and gang. Now 5 only stand then come an awesome training montage and 5 staged battle between the 5 masters of Death and the men who dare invade their temple. Chang Cheh could ever present an epic with lavish Shaw BRothers production and a beautiful score. I didn't forget to mention the kung fu is soft like cream cheese, life is complete after watching this, all you need in life is DAvid Cheng, Ti lung, Alexander Fu Sheng, and Chang Cheh to make a Kung fu epic like this. I said many of times, but it's true. I arrived late at the showing and missed 15 minutes because I was coming from Cinema 21 seeing "Elevator to the Gallows", great double feature from French New Wave to Old School Kung fu. I would write a review about it later on the site. BAck to "5 masters of Death". From start to finish you get once again invested in characters and wonder in the end if they would live through the battle finale. Unfortunately, some characters make it and some don't. An awesome movie to end a great Film festival. To learn more about the great Chang Cheh check out this I found back in my high school days, it really helped me a lot with reports: http://changcheh0catch.com I asked the co-ordinator at the end of showing for what's the features for next year. He didn't know for sure and I gave him suggestions like"Mystery of Chess Boxing", and show "One-Armed Boxer" double featured with "Master of the Flying Guillotine". Then show some old school John Holmes films playing Johnny Wadd. Then show more blaxploitation greats life the "Black Gestapo" or "Cotton comes to Harlem". Probably show some more Fulci like "The Beyond". The Hollywood would always be remembered for that and still have my number!!!!!!!!

2nd Night at the Grind House Film Festival

Man, Pam Grier still looks fine. Aliye here, and just back from the Hollywood getting my triple feature on and saw "Executioners from Shaolin", "For a Few Dollars More", and "Coffy". I skipped Shogun's assassin because I seen as a kid a lot and really appreciate the uncut, subtitled versions of Lone Wolf and Cub. Don't get me wrong, I still find "SHogun Assassin" entertaining, but not on the big screen. The Japanese cuts show more beauty and scenery than the American cut dubbed version. Even though it serves its purpose as a party film(still you can the watch the Japanese versions with a bunch of friends) I just couldn't see it in theatres. The first film I saw was in the afternoon, "Executioners From Shaolin" , a beautiful martial arts epc from Lar-Keu Leung( Shaolin Master Killer). It was a movie that blends, not just dope kung fu, but a fresh sense of humor and melodrama. Lo Lieh, of course, playing the inevitable bad guy Pai Mei. The industructable Pai Mei invading the Shaolin Temple and killing the abbott, and leaving behind one student to lead his vengeance on Pai Mei. Lo Lieh is a great actor and is basically the Erich Von Strohiem of kung fu movies, he is the "man you love to hate". Pai Mei is one of the biggest bad ass characters ever to hit the screen.
After the feature I saw "For FEw Dollars More", what hasn't been said about that movie? SErgio Leone is a G!!!!!!!!!!!! Lee Van Cleef is badass, the score rocks, EAstwood kicks ass. i could go on. Plus Gian Maria Volonte is just a poetic bad guy playing Indio. I could go on and sweat this movie and not analyze it. I won't, out of the whole "Dollars" trilogy I can choose. i believe to watch them all simultaneously and just enjoy. Their all perfect. i could say that this is the most highly underrated of the trilogy. The opening shot in "For a Few Dollars more", is just genius. A pan widescreen of the landsape and you see a guy riding a horse in complete silence. All you can hear the horses feet. Then bam gunshot from nowhere and the guy is dead and falls off the horse. No close-up to see if he's alive, just the cameras stays like that and the opening credits are what opening credits should be. The style is there, but Leone was not looking at this film from the outside. He invoked characters that you get into and that justify the style. It is a movie that flows. You get invested in these characters so much, that Leone's style just passes through you and invites you to his movie. The scene I do love is the end when lee Van Cleef rides off to the sun and Eastwood counts the bodies finds out he's missing one. Then one of hthem is behind him and right before he loads his gun Eastwood just blast his ass. Then it cuts back ot Lee VAn Cleef on his horse riding off in the sun and he turns back and says," Any trouble, boy", Eastwood replies," Just having trouble with my counting". Need I say more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Coffy" is another excepetion of "what hasn't been said about this movie". But who cares. i was familar with this movie at the age of 14 and loved every minute of it. it was a pleasure to see this on the big screen, because you just don't get feel has do on TV. Especially the dialogue, that went on to influence "jackie Brown" and Tarantino's style. i prefer jack Hill's dialogue though because it has resonance of Shakespeare using street slang. Watching TArantino's revival DVD special on Jack Hill for "Switchblade Sisters", said that most of Shakespeare's trademarks are found in most of his movies. Jack Hill use to direct Shakespear theatre. The movie overall was shown at the upstairs theatre at the Hollywood, and I sat up close to Pam Grier's busty size. That right there stills the show for about a second and the audience just shuts up and gaze. Even the girls. Guys that brught their girls said,"DAmn give some of that brown sugar". Guys were pleased. BEfore the movie started was old school trailers for other blaxploitation movies that were real cool. "J.D.'s REvenge", that is awesome, starring the great Glen Thurman and Louis Gossit, directed by Arthur Marks. The whoole audience was laughing, but I found it so enjoyable. After that was an 70's mpaa label, rated R for adults or something. Then the trailer to "Shaft" starts playing and the theme music starts playing and at the end of the trailer the voice tagline was "If you wanna see Shaft, You better ask Yo' Mamma". Everyone was dying, and I was hootin and hollering. Then the movie played and the one thing I love about "Coffy" is the opening. Its the Roy Ayers music playing in the background while Willie walks into the club, and I know everyone single of dialogue from this entranace."Look over there. I plenty of tail. I got more tail than I can handle. I even got white tail. Waht you talking about ........." The whole is just great from start to finsh, and starting to repeat some the lines in the theatre out loud. Then listened to the soundtrack suppiled by Roy AYers. The opening title is just awesome. The title flies out the screen, and then "Coffy is the Color of your skin". The whole audience was reacting to it just as much as I was. The one scene i do love is at the end when she aiming the shotgun at Howard and he talks her out of shooting him, then the white woman shows up and she shoot him in the crotch. That was influenced by "King Lear". The last shot when she walks off in the sunrise on the beach and the Roy Ayers track "Shining Symbol". its start off,"Its not the End, Its the beginning". Then is blast into ," Revenge is a virtue, you stood while you could. You're a shining symbol". It's just perfect. Didn't mean to spoil it for you, but through the bloody mayhem, T&A, sex, drugs, and the N' word just look out for that scene. You might miss it. It's not a vital scene, because the all the violence and dialogue is done so well that you might overlook it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is Mr. Nyoka sayin 'Good Night, an Good Luck".

Salo:120 days in Sodom: A movie of Uncommon Horror

Face shot of Pier Paolo Passollini

Shots of two fascist Nazis sitting on girls courtesy of Pier Paolo Passolinni's "Salo: 120 Days of Sodom".

I recommend this film with caution. CAution that I will be a freak for liking this movie, and caution for people that don't know what their getting into. Everyone has the controversy of this movie and it's unattainable print. It was released by criterion, but they lost the rights to it quick. AS for other countries it's banned and only cut version are avaible in France. The lasy film by a man who was crazy as his movies, before he was murdered(some say it was young prostitue boy and others say it was by the mafia). The murderer's reason was unknown and Passolini died a horrible death. Some believe he was murdered because of this movie. I can't back the guy up, but he left an amazing resume of films that were hit and miss or controversial. How i got a print of this was a miracle and a lot of money. i really wanted to see this, becuase lately I've been on a Passolini kick. The man was more than a film director, he was a columnist, poet, novelist, critic, gay icon, pedophile, acticist and much more. Lars Von Trier praises him as influence, especially in Von Trier's "Idiots". He said that the last shot of group sex was influenced by "Salo". Von Trier himself went on a Passolini phase nad read all his works. not trying to follow Von Trier's footsteps, but this where i learned about Passolini. Enought about Von Trier, more about Passolini. A man that his career whith italian neo-realist depicting life of italian hillbilles. Even though he departs himself from the neo-realist of the 50's with Fellini, Rosselini, De Sica. I was watching Martin Scorsese's long documentary about his influence from italian cinema and the neo-realist group. He mentioned everyone from Rosi to Visconti and friend of mine brought the fact up that he did not mentioned Passolini. I believe he's apart of that group, others tend to convey him as just mere exploitation and not much more. People believe that he's nothing compared to the sophistication of the neo-realist films and that's why heis movies are not apart of that group. I for one disagree, and find his to be ambitious. After doing a ton of movies depicting the life of gangsters, pimps and prostitutes, Passolini wanted to adapt literature. His films were apart of a Literary series that he was going sought after until "SAlo". ADapted from a short storie from Marquis De Sade that had no ending so Passolini had to imprvised when adapting. The effect was a movie that gives an experience one will soon not forget. The film is basically a study on fascism and is about a group of bourgouise FAscist that take young kids, 9 boys and 9 girls, and take them to a secluded mansion where they must be subdued into any sexual act. THe movie takes off in three stage, the first on which is called "Antechamber of Hell" and shows the young boys and girls getting round up and taken to the mansion. Passolini spares no character development and gives no motive to the high officials. Nor any cliche characters that you look at and just suspect who will get out and survive. None of that comes true, later in the feature you'll discover their fate is horrible. The second is 'Circle of obseesions", where sodomy and rape is favored. They state in the first chapter of how the boys and girls will act out these sexual fantasies. A headmistress will be in a room with the kids and high officials, telling tales of drawn out fantasies and the kids must act on it or their punished. And you don't want to know what their punishment will be. The second chapter is "Circle of Shit", which eating feces is favored, thus Passolini will make you watch a wide shot a girl eating a turd. The scene is shot with tensity and not for schlock, in my opinion. The third chapter is called "Circle of Blood", where drinking blood is favored, their is a scene in here where they dress a boy in a wedding gown and have a wedding. The last, and thank god its the final chapter, is not really a chapter but the last scene which shows the fate of the young boys and girls and it is wrong!!!!!!! You wonder why sit through all this, I tell you it is an adventure for filmgoers. Not saying that it's art to be showing this, but to have courage to do it, theres something. The way I display this movie where it can't be like an exploitation movie like "Last House on the Left", where the tagling is "It's only a movie! It's only a movie!", it's because "Salo" can't advertise in that fashion and it shoudln't. I'm not saying it's a movie that is above "Last House", but has some element like it, but takes it a step further. the one thing i discovered while watching "Salo" was that Passolini was trying to invoke some sort of humor. Just a little bit, not a whole lot. After all this trauma and masochism he ends the movie with a operatic score while the kids are taking there punishment. Then he cuts it while it gets to serious, and goes to two young soldiers switching the operatic score with slow dance music. The two young boys start practicing there waltz on each other and the movie just fades out and the title "FIN" come up. I was just, what the hell. I doubt he was trying to invoke humor in that scene, but his intentions are unknown. While watching you wonder why the kids don't devise a plan to escape or fight back at. I waould of, well actually I don't know, hold up i would fight back at least and die rather than getting raped. I think thats how Passolini was exploring fascism, these kids conformed to every sick idea these aristocrats offered, not even on fight or anything. Just hoping that they lay mercy. That's just me getting angry, and that's probably what Passolini was trying point out. the other aspect I realized while watching it is that this felt like it actually happened. It felt like this could happen and that it actually did happen, probably some time or aonther a bunch of aristocrats did this and no one knew. Passolini was a great director, poet, and a bunch of other crazy things. Someone please dare themselves to watch this movie and talk to me about it, becasue i can't anyone of my friends to watch. Even though I shouldn't make any of my friends to watch it. i want someone to talk to about this. And if you have too man people in your house and you want them to go away just pop this in. Trust me, it will work. This is Aliye Nyoka saying "Good Night, and Good Luck"