petermckn Reviews

Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot! (1967)

Wheres Django?

[9/10 · 10 September 2018]

The first Scalping and the first "acid western" It could be called a precursor to El Topo despite the English title 'Django ,if you live shoot." it doesn't have frank nero in it or anyone called Django its quite bizarre mexicans being framed, implied rape, the main character is actually dead or a spirit. He can't get revenge as the killers are dead. He cant get the gold because the gold is gone,so, what can he do? apparently get all sides fighting in a town to hate him. Its been called the most homosexual western I disagree but thats what its been called. Theres quite a few shootouts and some weird trippy 70s like camera work flashbacks going on its well worth checking out probably the best non-cannon django.

... If You Meet Sartana Pray for Your Death. (1968)

pew pew pew

[8/10 · 10 September 2018]

First of the sartana films ive watched and i wasn't disappointed. Its not a complex film and isn't very gory either but what it does have is lots of shootouts if you are looking for something to turn off your brain to its this film. Sartana is this badass guy trying to unravel everything he's deadly, he's quiet, he resembles Clint Eastwood, he plays poker like James Bond, has his own special pistol and he has his own unique style of clothing which makes him standout in the desert. I'm rating it high just because its a fun movie and what other reason is there to watch a movie in all honesty. Even has his own outcast side kick the coffin maker weird how they always seem to be the outcast in westerns.

964 Pinocchio (1991)

Japanese industrial noise punk nightmare

[5/10 · 28 April 2018]

I originally set out to watch this after watching Tetsuo the iron man as i craved more cyberpunk and i heard this was like it. Aspects of it are but a lot of it doesn't make sense in a bad way. The director said that its not cyberpunk at all its industrial noise punk.

It had me right up until the girl helping him turns on him after having a seizure and starts eating her own puke. The gore was nice i guess i think it would have been better on a a higher budget but its a lot of noise and shaky camera work. The film is based on a philosophical question the director came up with but i can't remember what it is as its not that obvious.

The ending he said is obvious its about two elements that are opposed to one another but when they join are in harmony. I actually liked the ending it was the one thing good about the film I recommend electric dragon over this if you want a better industrial noise punk film.

The Magic Pill (2017)

A documentary for Ketogenic diet skeptics

[9/10 · 28 April 2018]

The documentary several people and how their life has been affected by Ketogenic diet. There is an autistic boy whos' mother put him and a 'specific carb diet' A family of an Autistic girl, a cancer patient and a diabetic amongst others. My favourite part is regarding a south African sports scientist in a trial when the government tries to silence and destroy his credibility after suggesting a mother wean her baby on cauliflower and high fats. Its a well made and natural feeling documentary there's several professionals and it even shows you studys as well as explaining why we need to improve diet and change the way we handle agriculture. you will not be disappointed so check it out.

The Death King (1990)

Suicide sucks

[6/10 · 29 October 2017]

I am initially underwhelmed by Der Todesking (The Death King). So we are presented with 7 stories, one for each day of the week. Every story is depicting suicide, with cuts of a slowly decaying corpse(made from pigs guts and strawberry pudding) in between. So what we basically get is an anti-suicide movie made on a shoe- string budget it does work quite well for what its trying to achieve with the budget they had. However, Its a bit of a hit and miss with some of the stories some of the scenes tend to drag on and one day which was Thursday was just shots of the bridge in Germany called the suicide bridge. The director himself said that its very hard to capture what he had in his head due to the budget restraints. We also have a sneaky homage to the Ilsa films which are banned in Germany and a nice shootout at a cinema. The decomposition of the corpse looks great and its nice to watch you'd almost think it was real. The same skeleton was used from necromantic and the scene was shot at 1 frame per hour. As for sound, they repeat a rather depressing song over and over but it doesn't really get annoying. check it out if you're a film student or interested in the themes presented here but i can't recommend it personally.

Basket Case 2 (1990)

"I'm pregnant, I have been for the past 6 years"

[6/10 · 19 March 2017]

The sequel that was made by accident, basket case 2 is the sequel to the cult classic basket case(no duh). After the original, our protagonists are meant to be dead but that has changed and they were only injured. so the police are looking for the Bradley brothers and when they make their daring escape from the hospital they meet granny ruth and they are taken in by her family of well freaks and soon the media learns of them and the battle begins to silence them to keep themselves hidden. oh yeah also Belial finds a freak that looks like him and they have some awkward stump bumping which becomes important for the 3rd film. Is the film good? yes, it is a good film not amazing id say its an improvement on the original in a way as the violence is much better and the budget is much higher. The film is incredibly bizarre and shifts from what was a dark satire piece to what seems to be an open comedy with gore. When im told to describe this film to people I often say it's the muppets if the muppets were exposed to high doses of radiation. It is a fun film albeit extremely far fetched and it is what it is which is trash. A big pro in this film is the lack of constant screaming that the original suffered from. once thing I did notice was that Dwain's acting was a lot worse than the original. But everyones else is a lot better and the makeup for Belial is a big improvement. So, in conclusion, I would recommend to those of you who enjoyed the original or meet the feebles perhaps.

Basket Case 3 (1991)

please don't sing.....

[5/10 · 19 March 2017]

At the end of basket case 2 Dwain has lost his marbles a little bit and stitched Belial back on after accidentally killing Granny Ruth's daughter. so it begins with Dwain in a straight jacket getting released by granny Ruth and missing his brother he runs away. Belials girlfriend has lots of kids and Dwain approaches the police for help.

Is it any good? well as other reviews have stated the special effects in this movie are top notch great gore great costume design you can tell they had fun. The plot and writing are OK it's not the best but its a B movie so I can forgive it for that. A few things annoyed me, though. one the acting has gotten even worse. Dwain is terrible and you don't really care about him as a result. At one point one of the babies is crushed to death and no one cares which adds to humour I guess what really does it is the singing for me uuuurgh why did she have to sing. But you do meet Ruths son which is cool. I would recommend this purely for fans of the first 2 and people interest in the effects.

The Dance of Reality (2013)

I don't want to live in a world of dressed up dogs, it makes me sick.

[8/10 · 6 March 2017]

Jodorowsky is back in full swing and has certainly learned from his previous films. It is on par with the weirdness of holy mountain and has a somewhat coherent narrative at the same time without the pacing ever slowing down and managing to keep it to 2 hours long.

He creates a metaphorical world where we follow a young Jodrowsky and his father full of bright colours and some very quirky characters. There are his signature marks of male and female nudity bizarre imagery and amputees. I can't help but feel the film was more about his father growing up than about Jodrowsky as his father changes from the macho- Stalin worshipping God denying homophobic hypocrite to a broken god fearing hero of the people. Along with that we some real nice cinematography and is overall a great film it is not by any means for the casual movie goer as they would be repulsed by some of what goes on in this film.

Crying Freeman (1995)

once in a lifetime the perfect killer comes

[4 March 2017]

I expected more but it's not too shabby. As live action films come they are either amazing (lone wolf and cub), terrible (devilman) or goes unrecognised (Ichi the killer) but the crying freeman was neither. While I have not seen the animated version or read the manga for that matter I'm guessing that this swayed a lot from the basic story or was largely condensed. my reason for thinking this is because the story was so basic. A killer falls in love with a woman who sees his face and decides to let her live and the movie is about the consequences of his actions. What we get is your basic 90s action movie with lots of slow motion death sequences to make up runtime. It isn't particularly violent and in my opinion, it suffers because of this it almost feels like it was made for TV. That being sad it wasn't particularly bad for any reason but I can not fully recommend to anyone.

Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball (2010 Video)

even Vinny Jones sucked in this one

[2/10 · 4 March 2017]

oh Jesus this film where to start? I have never seen the original smoking aces but I saw this in a charity shop and thought why not the original is meant to be great. The plot itself I have no problem with bunch of killers hired to kill a guy they all want him but only one can cash in the reward. The writing, however was poor.

The blonde girl was like a really annoying version of Sheri Moon Zombie (who I don't mind)and all the stupid forced lines that her family make just really annoys me. Vinny Jones came across as some sort of softie and falls in love with this girl he has just met in a bar which makes no sense. The FBI seem more incompetent than the are in real life if that's possible.

The effects were god awful there are these terrible explosions that look like it was done in powerpoint. You know the kind that explodes and leaves no damage and it looks like it's just shoved on top of the background. There are CGI chairs blowing up which looks terrible and even the gunfire looks like a student project. This has put me off watching the original which is so highly regarded I like cheap B movies but this is abysmal. Would not recommend.

Basket Case (1982)

whats in the basket?

[8/10 · 4 March 2017]

I did not expect much going into this film but I'm going to sit through the trilogy and it's off to a good start. The plot is rather basic but bizarre the director made it as a joke and was hoping it would be quick at the box office but ended doing extremely well to his dismay. The film has some great creepy stop-motion animation of Belial and I just adore stop motion as so much effort goes into creating it. The acting is abysmal but I didn't care about the acting because I was having a good time and isn't that what really matters? My one gripe is the amount of screaming whilst not quite topping the ear ringing level of TCM. I managed to wake my flatmate up. The film looks low-budget but it has that grindhouse twinge to it that works. It has a noir feel to some parts of the film I especially loved the choice of the hotel. so I would overall recommend this film especially to those who enjoyed films such as ghoulies, gremlins, troll and critters.

The Wailing (2016)

not everything that moves breathes and talks is alive

[7/10 · 2 March 2017]

well, where to begin this film certainly is something else. Directed by the Korean director Hong-jin Na of the chaser and yellow sea fame (check them out guys) and overall this film is an improvement on his previous films. The story is about a rise in murders in a small town where people randomly are going crazy and killing their families so it seems. we follow a police officer who has heard rumours of a link between a Japanese man and the recent outbreaks of murders. While this plot seems simplistic enough it becomes more and more obscure. Some people don't like it on this basis but it's exactly my type of film. what you get is shamen, undead, black magic, possession,"ghosts" and dead crows of course. The film is quite long clocking in just over 2 hours but it is an easy watch while it is a slow burner it is not to slow and build upon the atmosphere and tension of never quite knowing what is happening. It's not for everyone I'd recommend to those of you into black magic and Chinese horror films.

Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41 (1972)

Even less exploitive than the previous

[7/10 · 7 August 2016]

Considered by most as the pinnacle of the series Meiko Kaji revises her role as prisoner 701: scorpion. She has become a bit of legend in prison as she has been kept underground for over a year in solitary. The cycloptic warden ( whom blames her for the loss of his eye) is being promoted and has an example made of her consisting of 4 people raping her in front of the other prisoners. She is then transported to another prison with several other prisoners whilst on route they escape thus the story begins.

The film focus even more on the art-house area of the film with underlying themes of feminism, human rights and is quite psychedelic in parts which can be expected from an early 70s film. The nudity is toned down a lot but there is still enough violence and action to keep people entertained throughout and quite a few twists. Sasori speaks even less than in the previous film uttering only a few lines throughout the film. Its highly enjoyable and well written and beautifully shot i particularly liked the waterfall of blood which was done with practical effects and looks great it is quite similar to Suspiria in terms of lighting but I actually enjoy this more. so check it out if you haven't already.

The Editor (2014)

The masters of low-budget films return with a budget bigger than ever before.

[9/10 · 7 August 2016]

Another great from astron-6, this time depicting the Giallo genre. It has references all over the place particularly to Bava, Argento and Fulci even Videodrome and from beyond also the mandatory Fathersday references. The plot is well written the basis being it's about an editor going insane. It has gore, it has style, it has amazing camera work, it has 10 times the budget of Fathersday, it has great makeup, it has hammy acting and deliberately bad dubbing and Steve Kochanski returns to do some animating. Along with the original crew, we are joined by Udo Kier, known for his role in the notorious video nasties Flesh from Frankenstein and Mark of the Devil, we also have Lawrence R. Harvey from Human Centipede 2 which makes for a fun movie. I still prefer Fathersday which is more a take on exploitation films but this is a great counter piece but more "family friendly" with amazing re-watch ability even if you don't watch Giallo or didn't like their previous movies give it a shot they have really stepped up their game and it is great fun to watch.

Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (1972)

Women In Prison Genre Done Right

[8/10 · 7 August 2016]

The woman in prison exploitation sub-genre doesn't exactly have the best reputation for example Bare behind bars and SS experiment love camp comes to mind but this is something different. Firstly It feels more like an art film by the way its shot. It uses interesting compositions and at lighting. The nudity in the film doesn't feel like its sexual well to me anyway maybe a sadist would see it differently. The initial rape scene in the film is done so it's not too graphic and hard to watch similar to the one seen in Lady Snowblood. On top of all that the writing is terrific, the motivation of the Sasori isn't revenge for the rape. It's revenge for the double crossing which drives her to put up with the struggles of prison life so that she might get out. What i love about the main character is that she hardly talks throughout the film and does all the communicating with her eyes. Which leaves you guessing what she will do next. The music is great and the movie is action packed with a satisfying ending the only part that didn't seem right was the random Lesbian scene which felt out of place but they justify it later. so give it a watch you won't be disappointed.

Dream Home (2010)

The dream is all she has left

[8/10 · 16 July 2016]

well lets start with the plot then.... the basic premise of the film is as a young girl the main character was kicked out of her house by the sea and since that day she has had a dream of buying it back. The problem being that houses are super expensive around the time it is set and several events tip her over the edge as she will do anything to accomplish her dreams.

The plot is extremely well scripted in my opinion and the gore effects are over the top. The camera work is pretty nice i particularly like the opening sequence with some stylistic shots of flats and apartments. The whole film is satirical and the people killed are considered evil in the directors eyes. All the characters are like typical people you would meet in Hong Kong adding a sense of realism furthermore the director says he got the idea from a news article so its based on real events. The music is all composed by the lead actresses band which is quite a nice touch.

In the end you are left with a controversial film with some nasty gore scenes with hints of black comedy and an original believable plot that stands out from typical slashers and will keep your attention throughout the film. It definitely merits a watch but it is definitely not for everyone.

Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl (1998)

quirky, offbeat little yakuza movie

[7/10 · 24 June 2016]

Shark Skin man and Peach Hip girl is a quirky little film based on a short manga series. The premise is that shark skin man is on the run from a gang he was a part of after running off with a load of money. On his path he meets peach hip girl who has run away from the hotel owned by her awkward pervy uncle and they decide to run away together. The film its self is a mixture of dark Miike humour with many offbeat moments of awkward silences. The henchmen are very slapstick and cartoonish like in many manga adaptations. Unfortunately, it suffers from having so many characters as they appear quite 2-dimensional besides the two protagonists. I also found some of the scenes were poorly lit which was quite annoying and there wasn't much in the way of shootouts besides maybe two. What it fails in plot it makes up in humour not everyone will take to it but i found it quite fun to watch and it paces itself extremely well so avoids getting dull. so overall id say give it a watch at least once it's worth your time but its not as amazing as the hype says would benefit from a few sequels maybe. Violence 3/5 Plot 2/5 Humour 4/5 Acting 4/5 Music 3/5

Violent Cop (1989)

more people need to see this movie

[9/10 · 1 June 2016]

This is one of my favourite neo-noir films. The film follows a cop in Japan who is violent hence the name violent cop. His partner is caught up in a drug dealing scandal leading to a search and well he turns up dead (no surprise) From then on its a search to uncover who killed him and who was involved the movie is incredibly gritty and dark. With the typical Japanese dark humour similar to Miike in style. What really makes this stand out is the combination of the acting and music it really helps influence the mood of the film. There is plenty of action and violence to keep you interested and you really care about the main character. It doesn't have one of your typical Hollywood action film endings either so if you haven't seen this great film watch it now. Story 4/5 acting 5/5 gore and effects 3/5 music 5/5

Lesson of the Evil (2012)

Worthy slow burner

[7/10 · 1 June 2016]

Takashi Miike seems to dabble in all sorts of genres but he returns to his dark comedic roots in this one. The story is about a teacher who appears nice but there is something about him. He is almost too nice and cartoony a real dream teacher. Everything is going great till certain characters begin to look into his past that's when things really start to move. The film is long being over 2 hours if i remember correctly. The film covers topics such as bullying, child abuse, multiple personality disorder and builds up to one crazy second half which i will not spoil at one point it gets quite surreal and whilst being violent is not very gory. Unfortunately, it does the possible sequel thing which i believe likely won't come. The only problem with the film is it may drag if you are in the wrong mood and the music gets a little repetitive the only song it plays is mack the knife the original and the American version. It is very cartoony in the acting style and almost feels like an adaptation of a manga or anime. story 3/5 acting 4/5 gore and effects 3/5

Father's Day (I) (2011)

Its cheap, Its nasty, Its great

[8/10 · 1 June 2016]

I dived into this film blindly several years ago not knowing what to expect other than several mixed reviews. The basic plot is a serial killer known as Chris Fuchman (pronounced fuckman) and guess what he does? that's right he rapes and kills fathers. What are his motives? He doesn't need any he is just a psycho. There is some weird prophecy and this badass called Ahab with a cool eye patch. A lot of the film sounds like it was shot on a camcorder but has a real cool grind-house feel to it. The acting is dodgy but you feel a good bond between the actors and its hard to not spoil the movie it has everything from incest to acid trips to demonic entities and lots of boobs for you kiddies out there. If you go in open minded you wont be disappointed but this isn't for the average movie goer it has one of the most painful looking penis mutilations I've ever seen in a film. However it also has one of the fakest I've seen as well. So if you have a couple of quid to spare its worth picking up a copy. Story 4/5 gore and effects 4/5 Acting 3/5

Kotoko (2011)

unusual and uneasy

[7/10 · 16 April 2016]

It's an uneasy film to watch it starts off quite shaky and gets worse as her sanity drops and the film gets very intense when it builds back up the shakiness is gone. Then everything seems pleasant and happy it has quite surreal elements and dream like scenes I wasn't a fan of the constant singing but its important to the character that she sings. There is some uneasy imagery during the breakdown sequences that will stay with you but the movie has a relieving conclusion not the happiest but the best possible outcome. The acting is top notch and you really feel for the character and her family. I didn't understand some things so I may need to re-watch not your average tsukamoto film but definitely a good drama about a devoted mother with a dissociative disorder.

Tokyo Fist (1995)

Amazing

[8/10 · 15 April 2016]

people compare this to raging bull I don't see any comparison other than it being a boxing film. The film it self has a basic plot of man is stalked by old friend, old friend steals girl, man goes crazy and decides to learn boxing. sounds simple right well if you know the director you know your in for a freaky acid trip similar to tetsuo the iron man not on the same level as its more believable. The violence is over the top and you need to work out some things on your own. In my opinion its more about the girl than either of the men but that's my opinion. I would also like to state that I hate boxing movies but I would recommend this film to everyone its fast paced and never gets dull also has that old grimy scan line look about it and some not bad cinematography so if your fan of the director and tempted to miss it due to the subject matter don't make that mistake.

Zombie (1979)

REALLY Overrated

[5/10 · 14 July 2014]

i bought this when i was little at a car-boot sale and thought it was great I re-watched it recently and man is it boring the second time and fell asleep. I think most the people on here are biased towards Fulci the movie gets boring after half an hour. The music is at least enjoyable to listen to and sets a good atmosphere.The gore is mediocre besides the scene where the door shard goes through a womens eye which i thought was cool at the time i hated the seen with the shark it is done awfully. although I preferred the sequel in the city but its unrelated Overall its OK to watch if you are bored but its not as good the second time.I would have liked to see a sequel even though i didn't enjoy it the most.