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A visionary and bizarre slice of Mexican arthouse cinema, We Are The Flesh is an extraordinary and unsettling film experience, a sexually charged and nightmarish journey into an otherworldly dimension of carnal desire and excess, as well as a powerful allegory on the corrupting power of human desire. A young brother and sister, roaming an apocalyptic city, take refuge in the dilapidated lair of a strange hermit. He puts them to work building a bizarre cavernous structure, where he acts out his insane and depraved fantasies. Trapped in this maddening womb-like world under his malign influence, they find themselves sinking into the realms of dark and forbidden behaviour. Mixing the graphic, powerful imagery of Gaspar Noe's Love and Enter The Void with the surreal, hallucinatory impact of Alejandro Jodorowsky, We Are The Flesh is a bizarre, psychedelic head trip, mixing intense, outrageously explicit imagery with a profound allegory on the nature of existence, to make this an unforgettable, boundary-pushing experience unlike anything you've ever seen.
New interviews with director Emiliano Rocha Minter and cast members Noé Hernández, María Evoli and Diego Gamaliel
A new video essay by critic Virginie Sélavy
Original theatrical trailer
Two short films by Emiliano Rocha Minter; Dentro and Videohome
Stills gallery
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic Anton Bitel, and a note from the producer on the film
Optional English subtitles
.1 surround and uncompressed stereo 2.0 audio options
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork
Toad Road (2012)
directed by: Jason Banker
starring: James Davidson, Sara Jones, Whitleigh Higuera, Jamie Siebold, Donnie Simmons, Scott Radar
Talk about a disappointment. I read many positive reviews on this film and perhaps I'm letting the hype get to me but this film was a big let down for me. I usually enjoy films like this. Reality based, excellent dialogue, I really cannot blame the writing at all. My expectations were to be scared in some shape or form. The movies it's been compared with were scary to me including The Blair Witch Project which is named on the cover. This one fell completely short in that regards. More of a bad trip than some entity out to get you in the woods. I think if I had I not read anything about this film I would have liked it more. Like I said the writing was perfect, the acting was well done no complaints there either. Most especially James Davidson and Sara Jones. These two had a very distinct connection while acting together in this film. The digital effects for the "gateway" to hell and other scenes were very cool as well. There were not a lot of effects in this movie but what there were worked very well with the shots. I also loved the shots, the camera work was visually creative in every sense of the word. I will be looking into more by the director.
The movie follows a group of youths who imbibe every drug they can get their hands on. Two in particular James and Sara who have fallen in love and want to run away together. Sara is a good girl with straight A's in school until she meets James and his friends. It isn't long before her life is spiraling out of control much like them and her new boyfriend. Then James begins to see the light at the end of the tunnel and wants out. Problem is he told Sara of this urban legend involving seven gates leading to hell. "No one has ever got past the fifth gate." Sara tells him trying to egg on her reluctant boyfriend who dismisses the whole thing as pure mythology.
All of a sudden Sara disappears not long after taking LSD with James and talking the walk down "Toad Road" the pathway through the 7 gates. Days pass and James wakes up alone in the woods. Or had it been days? And was he really there the whole time? The mystery is in the head of the viewer. That part I liked but I just wanted more in the creepy department. The walk down the road especially was just a bit of let down. I have a feeling this one will grow on me possibly in the future after a second viewing but my initial response was definitely a disappointment. Kudos to the actors and the writing of Jason Banker.
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http://demonsofcelluloid.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-house-on-cuckcoo-lane.html
The Movie Collectors Are Dying To Watch.
The House On Cuckoo Lane...Some believe it is a genuine snuff film. Some believe its existence is purely rumor. This is the video nasty every horror collectors wants. But you don't find this movie...this movie finds you.
Inspired by the paranoid visions of John Frankenheimer's The Manchurian Candidate and Seconds, the desert noir of Detour and the black and white widescreen beauty of Hiroshi Teshigahara's The Face of Another and Woman of the Dunes, Suture is one of great feature debuts - by writer-directors David Siegel and Scott McGehee - and a truly unique piece of cinema.
Roman Polanski’s “What?” is
probably one of the most accurately titled films to ever grace celluloid, but
what is it trying to say? “What?”
follows the journey of an American tourist in Greece named Nancy. The first scene of “What?” opens up with
Nancy fleeing a gang rape in a surprisingly, if not inappropriately, funny
scene. This escape leads her directly into a beautiful villa with a breath
taking view. The film’s exploits continue as Nancy is introduced to a plethora
of weird, wild, and seemingly dangerous characters, sometimes more than once;
déjà vu is it? This smorgasbord of characters is all connected by an ill and
eccentric man who is fighting off the cold hands of death. How does Nancy fit
into the mold and what the hell is going on? Good questions, let’s see if the
answer comes easily.
“What?” is an odd film, especially
in tone, it is something very special. Part laugh riot and part surreal sexual
fantasy vividly brought to life in its outlandishly crafted and gorgeously
framed style. It’s much less slap stick than Polanski’s previous comedy
“Fearless Vampire Killers” and it seems
to have a lot of moments that the audience probably didn’t know if it was okay
to laugh at or not. The humor is as dark as it is insane. For example one of
our characters, Alex, a retired pimp with syphilis seduces our lead and brings
her into his bizarre role playing fantasies which are probably brought on by
his deteriorating brain; this is also played mostly for laughs. The absurdity
never seems to stop, which makes for an entertaining and never predictable
film, but what is “What?” trying to get across? An overall message or theme? If
so, it doesn’t seem transparent, but saying that Polanski is no doubt a master
at his craft has not considered where his strengths lay, the perfectionistic
set, framing, and choice of cast. The
ending of “What?” seems to push this point further down your throat as we go
into a full meta aspect so late in the game, almost mimicking classic love
stories with bittersweet endings in the rain. Was our character Nancy an Alice
type wandering through a perverse Wonderland or is it all just an excuse to
make art.
Regardless of what anyone takes
away from the film, “What?” is worth a look if not just to see a well-made,
great looking film with a splendid cast of oddball characters who are willing
to get naked and weird. Newly released
and remastered in a gorgeous looking Blu-ray in might be time to finally check
it out and see it in all its glory.
Lung II (2016)
directed by: Phil Stevens
starring: David Chopping, Phil Stevens, Samantha Coppola, Angela Jane, Michael Kennedy, Bryant W. Lohr Sr., Colette McKenna The Movie: Stevens' follow up to a personal favorite...Flowers. Well all I can say is...well done. I friggn LOVE Flowers I've watched it probably ten times or more, it has become a movie I throw in and fall asleep to and while that sounds negative in my little world it is not. Staple films like Flowers have to be earned and awesome from either a cinematic aspect or a novelty aspect. I was excited and concerned when I saw a follow up was being made. Would it live up to my own expectations? Will it be as good as Flowers or dare I ask...better? I'm happy to say that Lung II was exactly what I wanted and yes better in a lot of ways. Horrific and disturbing to say the very least.
The Acting: Without the ability to verbally convey your emotions an actor is limited. Yet these folks did just that and pushed their expressions to the limit. There was never a time where I looked into one of their faces and was pulled directly out of the movie. Bad acting always pulls me out of a movie. None here.
The Script: There is no dialogue. One thing I love about these movies and something that sets them apart is the lack of speaking. I have a large collection of silent films from the 20s and before and seeing new films try and tackle this auditory obstacle is just icing on the cake. This is a viewpoint into the mind of a diseased man. His childhood, his life, his victims, he is lost. The Gore: Marcus Koch. Enough said.
The Score: Great score and sound work. Scores keep my attention right with a movie's emotional edges. There is nothing worse than a bad score or soundtrack in a movie. The sounds were so creepy and dismal they fit perfectly for every scene. The Shots: Yes the real beauty here. Surreal and atmospheric to say the very least. Black and white which for me is a favorite, never complain about any movie being shot in black and white. The shooting though was just spectacular and my all around favorite aspect of these movies. Not just a bunch of cheap "that angle looks cool" placements etc. You can tell Stevens really knows how to shoot a film and has a love for it. The gory scenes of disgust and revolt really were brought alive and the flashes within our protagonist's mind were just frightening. Well done sir. The Rating: 5 out of 5 Bloody Handprints. Just awesome sauce. Bloody, gory, and well made awesome sauce.
Years
before Lucio Fulci stained celluloid with his infamous gore fests he made a
much more coherent and reality based giallo craftily entitled “A Lizard in a
Woman’s Skin”. Lucio Fulci had been working for years in the Italian film
industry before Lizard, dabbling in nearly every genre from western to comedy.
Although this wasn’t his first thriller it was most certainty one that would
demand attention. Lizard has done just that and, thanks to Mondo Macabro’s
newly remastered Blu-ray release, it is bound to garner even more.
In a
world of intersecting ideologies taking place under the same roof, Carol,
(Florinda Bolkan, Don’t Torture a
Ducking, Flavia The Heretic), is the daughter of a wealthy and influential
man. She begins having strange dreams that are pointed out by her psychologist
to be repressed lesbian urges. One night,
Carol’s sexually liberated neighbor (Anita Strindberg, Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key) is murdered
violently in Carol’s dreams. The next day we realize that it has indeed
happened. We are plunged into a world of
deceit and confusion where things seem obvious at first but, as more players
and clues are unraveled, the waters are muddied and the truth is blurred. It is
up to our Police Inspector Corvin (Stanley Baker, Zulu) to solve the case.
“A
Lizard in A Women’s Skin” is a very progressive film for its day, containing
ample nudity with brief full frontal and some surprisingly realistic special
effects, some done by Carlo Rambaldi (E.T., Possession). Lizard is well rounded
in all facets but stands out in its camera work; using lovely locations and an
undeniable Italian style with split screens, POV, and wonderful framing in its
wide angles showing us great scope. Lizard’s performances, for the most part,
are well done even with the English dubbing. Be warned, however, the Italian
dubbed track adds different layers to the story. The script does purposely
mislead and is occasionally a tad bit sloppy but the plot manages to be
coherent and is unfolded in an interestingly enough fashion to be a winner.
Polish this all off with a wonderfully haunting track by Ennio Morricone and
you have yourself a very solid entry in the giallo genre.
As for
extras on the release I do not think an audience could rightfully ask for
more. A truly interesting piece was a 30
minute interview with Lucio Fulci conducted in 1994, two years before his
death. The Godfather of Gore seemed to open up quite a bit and, as a viewer, I
felt I learned more about the man than any other piece of media I have come in
contact with. Ported over from Shriek Show is the documentary made in 2003
which features interviews with the cast and crew. Any Euro horror film release wouldn’t be
complete without Stephen Thrower being involved and the 30 minutes we are given
from him is interesting, informative, and well put together, as his work always
is. The audio commentary on the release is just as informative, covering the
film’s locations and bit players with so much gusto that a college course on
Lizard would offer less. Rounding out
the release are trailers, an alternate opening, and an interview with a day player.
If you are a fan of well-made giallos, Fulci, and/or Italian cinema then I
would suggest picking Mondo Macabro’s release of A Lizard in A Woman’s Skin
up.
