The Horseman (Steven Kastrissios, 2008) - Even though this is basically a student film with a cast of nobodies, this is a really great revenge movie that rises above the limitations the cast and crew were working with. Peter Marshall goes the route of George C Scott in Hardcore, doing anything he can to follow the trail of his daughter's killers through the underworld of pornography, only he goes too much darker places with no intention of turning back. Really dark and disturbing but ultimately rewarding, reminded me a lot of some of the more recent korean revenge flics.
The Stranger's Gundown (Sergio Garrone, 1969) - More commonly known as Django the Bastard. I've wanted to see this ever since I realized it was a major influence on Eastwoods highly underrated High Plains Drifter (one of his very best westerns imo) and this didn't disappoint. One of the few in the genre to successfully weld the western and horror genres together, this is about a man who may or may not be resurrected from the dead to seek revenge on the men who killed him and his fellow Confederate soldiers. Stalking his killers by placing a cross with their names carved in it in front of their homes while they are still alive was a nice touch.
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (Luc Besson, 1999) - This is a very ambitious attempt at a period piece and one that succeeds more often than not. Besson wouldn't know subtle if it shat on his face but that doesn't help him from delivering 2/3rd of a pretty intense action-oriented film. The final act though, when he actually tries to say something and give insight into whether Joan was actually a recipient of divine inspiration or just crazy is an absolute mess and derails everything the movie had been building on. Overall a good time though.
Turkish Delight (Paul Verhoeven, 1973) - I love how Verhoeven fucks with his audience, at first you think you've been tricked into watching a disturbing slasher, then you are thrust into a perverse tale of a man seducing woman after woman and collecting items and cataloging them in a scrapbook, only to again switch things up again and settle into what is ultimately a very sweet yet very erotic tale of two young people falling into a whirlwind romance. The movie succeeds not only because of Verhoeven's imaginative direction but also because of the great charismatic connection between Rutger Hauer and Monique Van de Ven. Honestly one of the best love stories I've seen and the Rutger Hauer/Paul Verhoeven combo has to be one of the most underrated director/actor collaborations ever.
Mothra Vs. Godzilla (Ishiro Honda, 1964) - I guess this is when the Godzilla movies really started to get silly, and I don't really mean that in a bad way as they're still very entertaining. But giant moths and 12" tall singing twin girls and badass baby caterpillars, its amazing that they were only a few movies in and that was the best idea they could come up with as a nemesis for the big guy.
King Kong (Merian Cooper & Ernest Schoedsack, 1933) - Sick day from work double monster bill. Still the best Kong movie ever made and shockingly this might also still be the most violent on-screen Kong as here there's no sympathetic feelings toward the beast and he just eats the fuck outta anyone in his way. Seeing this on bluray is a revelation, it looks really good and doesn't suffer in the way that a lot of hi-def prints of movies with a significant amount of stop-motion animation do.
Watched a bunch of other stuff recently too, most of which i've seen before but don't feel like doing a write-up on; Demolition Man (bluray, so much fun), Kill Zone (the Wilson Yip one, really good), Coraline (not as good as in theaters but still a good take on the Alice in Wonderland story), Soylent Green (on blu), Death Race 2000 (blu), Michael Clayton (underlooked modern day classic)
Also finally watched the first season of Friday Night Lights. Excellent stuff, really well-acted all around to where you really give a shit about just about everyone which is quite an accomplishment for such a large cast. I don't really care about that crippled fag though, does that make me an asshole? Can't wait to plow through the rest of the series.
