What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

I had to turn it off after 20 minutes as it was so tiring but I guess it's better than the Chelsea Flower Show. I'm afraid I'm just not built for comedies.

UPDATE: Well, I finished it and chuckled occasionally so maybe I was just in a bad mood on the first attempt and I've bumped it up to 2 stars. It was still tiring though. All the way through the film I had this feeling that it would make an excellent (short) series rather than a feature - but then I feel that way about most comedies.

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The Whisperer in Darkness (2011)

The evocation of a 1930s Universal-styled film is perfectly realised and the film is filled with dread and the threat of cosmic horror. The Whisperer in Darkness has a much slower pace than The Call of Chuthulu but it does reward the patient. The only issue is the CGI creatures at the end; mechanical or stop-motion would have been more effective and better fitted the period but I assume that a limited budget made this impossible.

mglw'nafh fhthagn-ngah cf'ayak 'vulgtmm vugtlag'n

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The Call of Cthulhu (2005)

After watching the "making of" documentary I'm bumping Cthulhu up to 5 stars as what they accomplished and how they pulled it off was really amazing.

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In Order of Disappearance (2014)

Norsk Fargo!

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The Signal (2014)

When I reviewed William Eubank's Love, I wrote: "A must watch film for those bored by the CGI, inane dialogue and weak characterisation and plots of modern science fiction movies". Why did you ignore me, William? WHY!

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47 Ronin (2013)

I'm only 8 minutes in and I feel I've seen enough to be able to rate the film. If it gets any better than half a star, I'll eat my dog.

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The Diabolical (2015)

diabolical adjective
2) BRITISH informal
disgracefully bad or unpleasant.

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Coherence (2013)

I'm sure there's a decent Twilight Zone episode hiding behind the cast of deeply irritating, self-absorbed fuckwits. People like this are the reason I don't do dinner parties. The problem was that I disliked them so much I didn't pay much attention to the plot until their twatishness receded and by then it was too late. I have a feeling I'll have to watch it again :(

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Nurse 3-D (2013)

I don't think I've ever frowned quite as much during a film.

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So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films, Volume 1, 1963 to 1973 (2015)

Author: Troy Howarth
Year: 2015
Publisher: Midnight Marquee Press Inc.
Format: Soft-cover (28cm x 22cm)
Pages: 233

What Troy Howarth has attempted with So Deadly, So Perverse is pretty amazing; a two volume history of the Gialli which includes all of the major releases in the genre as well as a large number of the lesser known examples. Given that the definition of a Giallo film twists and turns like the plot in one of the films, it's not surprising that you may find a favourite missing due to it not hitting Troy's definition of a Giallo.

Starting with a series of articles on the roots of the Giallo, including a piece but the legendary screenwriter Ernesto Gasdaldi, an article on the Italian pulp books that inspired the genre and an explanation of the term Giallo and what films in the book have been included, what has not been left out and why. The book then moves on to a year-by-year analysis of over one hundred films.

Each film's entry starts with some basic details including title (and alternative titles), cast and crew and home video availability (please note that, as in most reference guides, the DVD/Blu-ray release information is now out of date and many of the films now have higher quality releases available). This is followed by a spoiler-less synopsis of the plot, Troy's opinion of the film and then some brief background details of notable members of the cast and crew. Some films take only half a page whilst other, more important works are allowed several pages including full colour photos and poster reproductions.

A terrific encyclopaedia of Giallo with an impressive number of titles, many of which I've never heard of. Troy's opinion, whilst personal, is never overbearing and always tries to find the positive points in even the most derivative of films.

If there is a fault it is that there is no index that lists which page a particular film appears on (only the year it was made). Add to this is the fact that the year is only printed at the start of each chapter and not the top of each page and you have an amazing resource that hides the film, for which you are looking, deep within labyrinthine list of other suspects. Much like a Giallo then :)

Highly recommended and essential for fans of the Giallo.

Thaco (2008)

Four friends nerd-out over AD&D, GURPS, life and pizza.

Possibly incomprehensible to non-role-players (if you cannot figure out why the title "Thaco" is spelled incorrectly, this may not be the film for you), short, cheaply made, full of hammy acting and in-jokes but good fun for those of us of a lawful-evil disposition.

-- Bolus Gutbucket: Lvl 9 Lawful-Evil Dwarven Warrior (weapon of choice: a cursed, senile Bastard sword)

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