The Wing Kong Exchange (feat. Inferno)

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange (feat. Tenebre)

I have not heard of this film but after reading Fuji's glowing review I will have to find it. I just hope I don't get a high heel in my face.

Sent From My Awesome EVO 3-D.

Thanks buddy, if I can grab a decent sized copy of it I'll upload it here later on. In the meantime, here's another one you may not have heard of but should definitely check out....

Suspiria


​

A young American dancer travels to Europe to join a famous ballet school. As she arrives, she sees another student seem to flee from the school, only to be murdered a short time later. Meanwhile, the young American is trying to settle in at the ballet school, but hears strange noises and is troubled by bizarre occurrences. She eventually discovers that the school is merely a front for a much more sinister organization, a coven of witches.

​

Suspiria, released in 1977, is most likely Dario Argento’s masterpiece, a kaleidoscope of horror and a landmark achievement in Italian cinema. Unlike the accessible Tenebre, Suspiria does its level best to mess with the audiences minds, attempting to create a surreal film the likes of which would impress Luis Bunuel or Salvador Dali. Amazingly, more often than not it manages to do this while still maintaining some semblance of a straight-forward plot and a proper pace. While he had previously dabbled in giallo works such as The Bird with the Crystal Plumage and Four Flies on Grey Velvet, Suspiria was Argento’s first foray into straight up horror, and he certainly doesn’t disappoint. Using his trademark visceral style, he masterfully crafts not only a film with a great deal of tension and horror, but one with a flair for the dramatic as well. Long considered one of the scariest films ever made, it is just as powerful now as it must have been 35 years ago, which is no small feat considering its bizarre qualities. Beyond anything else, if any film proved that Dario Argento was an undisputed master of horror, it was most certainly Suspiria.

"I think I took this chick to prom."
​

Argento directed and co-wrote with his muse, Daria Nicolidi, and the result of their collaboration is absolute horror gold. As with many of his other films, Argento has a very deliberate style on display here, from the very beginning to the final shot. His choice and use of colours is excellent, bathing some rooms in stark red’s and white’s while alternately showing others in dark blues or bright yellows. Each of these colours holds a special purpose in the twisted lens of Argento, yet it appears that only he understands why each is used and when. He also resorts to some of his classic camera angles, which only further add to the surreal qualities throughout the film. I was particularly impressed with most of his blocking and framing as well, as almost every shot in the film looks incredible when paused. Meanwhile, the screenplay is actually pretty logical when you sit back and think about it, and there’s barely any wasted dialogue or scenarios. Even events that don’t necessarily seem to mean anything at one point all come back and are explained by the end, something that doesn’t always happen in Italian cinema. Cohesiveness was definitely the key here, and it was mastered by both Argento and Nicolidi, resulting in a full and complete film.

"Hall of the evil mustard light."
​

Jessica Harper is cast in the lead role of Suzy Bannion, the American ballet dancer who has absolutely no clue what she’s getting herself into by attending the school. For the most part, she does an exceptional job at portraying a headstrong, resourceful final girl although there are moments where her acting inexperience comes through. Luckily Argento is so busy doing nasty things to her and the other students that you don’t tend to notice any major shortcomings in her performance. Horror veteran Udo Kier pops up in a brief role as a creepy doctor, while noted foreign actress Alida Valli has some scene stealing moments as an instructor at the school and one of the witches. Speaking of them, the others are great as well, with Joan Bennet in particular giving a strong showing as Madame Blanc. Perhaps my favourite work in the film comes from Flavio Bucci, who plays the blind pianist at the school, Daniel. His scene where he’s unceremoniously fired is superb as is his subsequent murder in the square. Finally, I just have to mention Giuseppe Transocchi’s bit part as Pavlo, the hired hand at the school, because he’s just so freaky looking I couldn’t get him out of my head for quite some time after watching the movie!

"This is no time for synchronized swimming, we've got murders going on!"
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Make no mistake, Suspiria is completely and totally insane on every level, and awash in violence and bloodshed like few films you’ve seen before. As per usual, Argento wastes no time wiping out his first hapless victim, repeadtedly stabbing her before elaborately hanging her through a shattered stained glass window. Later on we’ve got a character killed and eaten by a dog, more maggots than I’d ever care to see again in my life and a scene that will really make you look at barbed wire in a totally new light. Through all of this, he keeps the horror at a maximum through both the above-mentioned camera and lighting techniques and the use of Goblin’s rich soundtrack. While Tenebre had some pretty cool tunes, Suspiria’s score is simply off the charts, with no less than three songs becoming instantly engrained in your head. They also add so much to the movie in order to make it even scarier than it already was which certainly goes to show that the songs were used effectively. If there’s one major problem with this movie, it’s that it seems to end rather abruptly and leave the audience wanting more. The fact that prior to that it was one of the most abhorrent and despicable bloodbath’s I’ve ever seen makes me worry about my sanity given I wanted to see more, but I’m going to go with it because that’s how I roll!

"Pretty sure she won't be making it to the sequel."
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Alright, so it’s not quite as accessible as Tenebre, but overall I think Suspiria is the better film. Not having seen it for so long gave me an almost instant re-appreciation for it and I truly believe that it’s Dario Argento’s masterpiece and a very important work of horror. It’s certainly not for everyone, least of all the squeamish, but if you can stomach the violence and your brain can take the craziness, you’ll definitely find it kicking all kinds of ass. We’ve still got a few more Argento films to get to before we’re done, but I can’t see any topping this one so I’m going 8.5/10 and jumping into a pit full of barbed wire until tomorrow.

"Tomorrow...what the fuck?"
​

 

[Wang Chung]

Actually i have heard of this one. Although i haven't seen it it is on my watch list.

Sent From My Awesome EVO 3-D.

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange (feat. Suspiria)

Actually i have heard of this one. Although i haven't seen it it is on my watch list.

Sent From My Awesome EVO 3-D.

It's definitely a weird one, but perfect for those nights when you're at work watching sleeping people.

That sounds creepy.

 

[Wang Chung]

It's definitely a weird one, but perfect for those nights when you're at work watching sleeping people.

That sounds creepy.

Yes it would. I have one that talk gibberish in her sleep. So it would he perfect

Sent From My Awesome EVO 3-D.

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange (feat. Suspiria)

Profondo Rosso AKA Deep Red


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A psychic who can read minds picks up the thoughts of a murderer in the audience and soon becomes a victim. An English pianist gets involved in solving the murders, but finds many of his avenues of inquiry cut off by new murders, and he begins to wonder how the murderer can track his movements so closely. With the help of a feisty reporter, he sets out to crack the case before he becomes another victim of this psychopath.

​

If Tenebre is Dario Argento's most accessible film and Suspiria his masterpiece, surely Profondo Rosso is his quintessential work. A giallo of the highest order, it single-handedly shows everything great about the genre while leaving out all of its lesser qualities. Released in 1975 during the height of the giallo craze, it remains the most well-known of these films to date and also one of if not the finest. Shot over a 16 week period in Turin, Italy, the city with the most practicing satanists in Europe (I cannot make this stuff up), it is also the most critically praised of the giallos, certainly a high honour. While other giallo films feature more outlandish killers or violent scenes, everything in Profondo Rosso is designed to create a maximum effect, and it works to perfection every single time. If you only see one giallo in your entire life, you'd better make sure it's Profondo Rosso AKA Deep Red AKA The Hatchet Murders. No matter what you call it, you won't regret the decision.

"Looks like someone's at about a 9 on the sweat scale."
​

The direction here is definitely Argento's best, which is no small statement considering his other films. Even from the beginning we can tell we're in for a real treat when he pulls back from an audience listening to a psychic just in time to drop some curtains in front of us, effectively closing off that scene forever. There's also an amazing shot near the beginning where two characters converse in front of a bar while the patrons inside remain frozen, as if in a painting as opposed to real life. As I've been mentioning the last couple of days, Goblin is as integral a part to Argento's films as the director himself. Here their soundtrack is quite simply marvelous, highlighting key moments in the film while also providing a great deal of feeling. The main title theme is one of my all-time favourites and a real feather in their cap. Finally, the screenplay, from Argento and Bernardino Zapponi, is easily the best in an Argento film. It weaves so many angles yet manages to keep them all balanced by the conclusion. Indeed, even the standard giallo trope that says the murderer doesn’t have to make sense is explained here; there is simply that much attention to detail on display.

"There's a killer on the wall."
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David Hemmings brings a considerable amount of talent to the lead role, and while he's not well known in American circles he definitely should be. Giving perhaps the best all-around performance in any Argento film, he deftly mixes humour, shock, fear and arrogance quite well. He also has some absolutely stellar chemistry with co-star Daria Nicolidi, who is also on fire throughout. There's a great moment where the two of them have an arm wrestling contest that quickly shows this chemistry, and there's more great examples throughout. As an on-screen pair, the two of them more than make the movie, but there's a great deal of strong character actors here as well, including Gabriele Lavia as Carlo. His introductory scene with Hemmings is yet another strong one in the film and further proof that this is more than just your average giallo; this one is taking itself very, very seriously. Glauco Mauri also has a decent turn as another man investigating the death of his friend the psychic, while the psychic herself is played with great zeal by Macha Meril. Her major scene near the beginning, featuring her totally freaking out, is really tense and never goes over the top, so kudos to her for an excellent performance in a very small role.

"I don't care who you are, this shit be fucked."
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The inspiration for the murder scenes in Profondo Rosso came from Argento and Zapponi, thinking of painful injuries to which the audience could relate. Their basic thought was that not everyone knows the pain of being shot by a gun, but almost everyone has at some point accidentally struck furniture or been scalded by hot water. This would prove to be very effective in ramping up the creep factor during the killings shown on-screen, particularly the brutal beating of a man who has his mouth repeatedly smashed into a brick fireplace. More than any other giallo, the violence here is as realistic as it gets, and it really hits close to home on several occasions, so obviously their approach worked quite well. Along with the killings comes one hell of a layered story that doesn’t reveal itself until the final possible moment, toying with the audience along the way with many clues and red herrings. I really enjoyed the scene in the house where Marcus (Hemmings) was slowly peeling back the wall to reveal the drawing, and agonizing over what it actually meant. This kind of emotional reaction to a film cannot be overstated enough; it simply does not happen in giallos very often. When the film is finally over and the main character stands reflected in a pool of blood, you almost want to watch it again right away to look for hidden clues that you’d be more aware of this time around. Seriously, I’m not joking when I say this is the best giallo ever made and one damn fine example of the genius that is Dario Argento.

"When good dolls go bad."
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Multiple versions of Profondo Rosso exist but I cannot stress enough the importance of watching the original, 126 minute Italian cut. Sure it's in Italian with English subtitles, but if you can handle that it's a way better movie. It's just a lot more coherent and gruesome this way, and is the way the film was intended to be watched in the first place, so do yourselves a favour and find this cut if you can. I can’t heap enough praise on Profondo Rosso, I hadn’t seen it in years and was instantly reminded why it’s considered such a classic. Run, don’t walk to your local source for movies and get this thing immediately, it’ll blow your goddamn socks off and no, I’m not kidding. I’m going to give it an 8.5/10 and prepare myself for tomorrow’s review by drumming really fast.

"Tomorrow...that's just fucking creepy."
​

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange (feat. Profondo Rosso AKA Deep Red)

Four Flies on Grey Velvet


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Roberto, a drummer in a rock band, keeps receiving weird phone calls and being followed by a mysterious man. One night he manages to catch up with his persecutor and tries to get him to talk but in the ensuing struggle he accidentally stabs him. He runs away, but he understands his troubles have just begun when the following day he receives an envelope with photos of him killing the man. Someone is killing all his friends and trying to frame him for the murders. Will Robert be able to figure out who this someone is before he becomes the final victim?

​

Four Flies on Grey Velvet is Italian director Dario Argento’s third film and the final one in his “animal” trilogy, following both The Bird with the Crystal Plumage and The Cat o’Nine Tails. While there’s no unifying theme among those three films outside of the animals in the title (and let’s face it, flies aren’t even really animals), what is common among them is their sense of style. Perhaps attempting to prove that he wasn’t just a thrill-kill director or a hack mystery writer, Argento sought in this film to take the giallo genre out a whole new window and for the most part he succeeds. Sure the standard tropes are there like they always are, but in the hands of the young and hungry filmmaker they take on a whole new meaning. By taking the protagonist and turning him into an almost anti-hero, Argento puts a bit of a western spin on things and before it’s all over we’ve gone through enough twists and turns to satisfy the hardiest of roller coaster enthusiasts. While I didn’t want to look at the bird or cat films of the trilogy, I felt it necessary to review Four Flies on Grey Velvet, as I think it best represents this period of Argento’s career.

"Come into my hi-hat said the drummer to the fly."
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Dario Argento directs and like his first two films manages to keep everything cohesive and tight. Even though he was still a young director it's easy to see the flashes of brilliance that would culminate in Profondo Rosso just a few years later. The script, by Argento, Mario Foglietti and Luigi Cozzi (who wrote and directed two of my favourite pieces of cine-trash, Contamination and Starcrash) is full of the usual red herrings and plot devices, but it all works quite well. Having seen some of his other works, I can honestly say I'm shocked that Cozzi managed to rein his insanity in for this one, but thankfully he did. Another really strong point in this film is the editing work of Francoise Bonnot (who previously won an Oscar for editing the Costa Gavras masterpiece, Z). From the opening scene it's clear that he's working at a very high level as he deftly intersperses several shot sequences into one awesome beginning. Along with his editing, the cinematography of Franco Di Giacomo gives the film a real polished and professional look and indeed it is the stronger of Argento's first two works (the other being The Bird with the Crystal Plumage). Finally, as with other Argento films, music plays an important part and here it's handled not by Goblin but by the great composer, Ennio Morricone. A couple of his themes here would be standout tracks in any giallo and really help to enhance the overall mood of the film.

"This is what happens when you go through my mail!"
​

Michael Brandon, who plays the main character Alberto, is not the greatest actor in the world but he's certainly decent enough to handle the role he's given. It also helps that he has some good chemistry with both several of the other stars in the film. Of particular note is his strong work with Jean-Pierre Marielle, who plays a gay detective, named Arrosio. This detective, who is not so subtle about his flirtatious ways, is actually a real highlight of the film and definitely the best character. Brandon also has really good chemistry with Francine Racette, who plays Dalia, a cousin of his wife. Unfortunately I think Racette should actually have been cast as the wife because the actress who plays her, Mimsy Farmer, is clearly only there because she's a blonde and "exotic" to Italian audiences. There's a few other strong character actors here as well, among them Oreste Lionello as The Professor and Gildo Di Marco as The Postman, two great comic relief roles. Finally, this film also features Bud Spencer, playing a character named Godfrey, or "God" for short, which is really cool considering he's a fucking GOD of Italian cinema. Sadly he doesn't have a whole lot to do, which is a terrible shame. In fact, the under-use of Spencer is a real detriment to this film; he's simply too strong a performer to have such little screen-time.

"Kind of like The Shining, without the snow or Jack Nicholson."
​

Unlike his later films, Argento has a remarkable restraint here, choosing to show very little actual violence at all. The film actually has a PG-13 rating, which is probably the only Argento one to be considered accessible to young adults! Rather than focus on violence, Argento keeps the twisted little plot at the forefront while taking a little time off for some good natured humour. This humour helps to keep the audience a little off balance so that when the violence starts up again it sometimes comes across as shocking even though it’s not grotesque. There’s also a great deal of tension in this film, particularly a scene where Daria is stalked through a house before being killed. The juxtaposition of the phone ringing while she walks up the stairs is classic Argento, as is the death sequence of her falling backwards down the stairs before being stabbed. While I also appreciated the depth of the story and the motivations of the killer, I did feel they sort of sped their way to it towards the end, almost as if they felt they were running out of time to properly finish the story. It’s a minor complaint but it does end up causing a few bad feelings before it’s all said and done. Thankfully those feelings aren’t enough to stop me from once again recommending a Dario Argento film, as Four Flies on Grey Velvet has more than enough good to outweigh the minimal bad.

"The better to see you with my dear."
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While not nearly as good as several of his later efforts, Four Flies on Grey Velvet still has a lot going for it. A strong thriller story, a bunch of solid acting performances and some superb technical work are only the icing on the cake here; you also get a chance to see a little bit of the young Dario Argento’s talents. More than anything else, it’s important to go into it remembering that, and looking for subtle hints of things later to come in this man’s storied career. We’ll be finishing up Argento’s stuff with something a little bit hotter tomorrow, but for today I’ll go 7/10 and try my best not to fall down the stairs or get stabbed with a hypodermic needle full of bleach.

"Next time...scream for your life."
​

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange (feat. Four Flies on Grey Velvet)

Inferno


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A young poet, Rose Elliot, buys a book from a local antique dealer, a diary in Latin of an architect, E. Varelli. She learns of the Three Mothers, and believes her apartment building is one of their houses. She pleads with her brother Mark, who is studying musicology in Rome, to come help her because she's afraid. Soon after, Mark's friend Sara reads the letter she sent and discovers that another of the mothers is living in their school, only to be killed for this knowledge. Soon Rose is killed as well, and Mark arrives determined to find out what happened to his sister.

​

Dario Argento’s Suspiria, released in 1977, had proven to be a pretty successful little picture for 20th Century Fox, as they had distributed the film under their International Classics imprint. Once they realized the success of the original, Argento and his muse and co-writer, Daria Nicolidi announced that Suspiria was only the first of three films, which they referred to as "The Three Mothers" trilogy. Realizing that he now had pretty much free reign to do whatever he wished, Argento approached the Fox investors and told them that the second of these three films, Inferno, would be his next project. The executives were only too happy to throw money at him (to the tune of about $3 million) and so Argento immediately began work on this follow up film. While it wasn’t as critically acclaimed or financially successful as Suspiria, Inferno was certainly indicative of Argento with a much bigger budget. Over the years it’s developed somewhat more of a positive critical response and is now lauded as one of the most underrated horror films of the 1980’s. I’m not sure if I’d go quite that far since there’s a lot of underrated 80’s horror gems, but it’s definitely got a certain sense of style and flair that’s undeniable. Slow to start but strong at the finish, Inferno represents perhaps the best example of what Dario Argento was capable of with little to no financial restraints.

"Check it out, a nice piece of pussy holding a pussy."
​

Argento once again directs from his own screenplay, though it’s well known in horror circles that Daria Nicolidi came up with the story for the film. She chose not to pursue screen credit after almost not getting it on Suspiria, something that clearly stuck with her. Rather than fight again for something like that, she preferred to let the work speak for itself, safe with the knowledge that it was indeed her project from the beginning. It’s unfortunate that she chose not to flesh out the screenplay with Argento this time around, because one of the main sticking points I had with Inferno is a lack of intelligent writing. There are several times in the script where characters motivations are completely unclear and many of them aren’t really fleshed out properly. There’s also some really bad dialogue, particularly in an early scene where a character asks if the “three sisters” are “those black singers.” However, almost all the shortcomings in the script can be remedied thanks to the excellent direction from Argento. Here he really makes use of the extensive budget, using multiple cameras to block out some tremendous scenes. The budget also allowed him to have some really expansive sets made, especially the hotel, which almost becomes a character of its own. From a technical standpoint, the film is nearly flawless, so it’s just too bad the script didn’t match.

"Probably too small for a swim but go ahead and give it a shot."
​

If you’re a fan of Dario Argento’s, you’re going to love this movie simply because you get to see so many actors from his previous films on display. For starters there’s Daria Nicolidi herself, in a small but crucial expository role. Her death sequence is also pretty nasty and one of the more memorable in the film. Not to be outdone by Nicolidi, Gabrielle Lavia (who played Carlo in Profondo Rosso) gets a great sequence as well, taking a knife to the throat and bleeding out like a stuck pig. Funnily enough, he also plays a character named Carlo here, so perhaps he just couldn’t answer to anything else? Anyhow, Alida Valli (Four Flies on Grey Velvet) also makes an appearance and plays her standard character to the best of her abilities. The stars of the film (or at least those that received top billing) are Leigh McCloskey and Irene Miracle, as the brother and sister duo of Mark and Rose Elliot. McCloskey made his name in soap operas (General Hospital, Santa Barbara, Young and the Restless) and it’s not hard to see why given his all-American looks. Unfortunately he’s also an all-American buffoon when it comes to acting and he honestly seems out of place in the film, especially when he’s crying about his heart pains. Meanwhile, Miracle (who also appeared in the first Puppet Master film) is decent but doesn’t get enough screen time before she’s unceremoniously dispatched (in another nasty death scene). Suffice to say, this is probably the weakest cast Argento had worked with to this point, which is another thing that hurts the film.

"Carlo always was a bit of a pain in the neck."
​

As an experiment in surreal horror, Inferno works very well and manages to be creepy quite often. There’s a real panache to the murders shown on-screen here, and they’re also shot in agonizing detail and over long sequences. The scene I mentioned earlier where Miracle is killed is just a perfect example of this, and no, I’m not going to spoil it for you. I will mention that you’ll never look at a guillotine the same way again (if you’ve ever looked at one before that is) and leave it at that. Outside of the murders, there are several other scary things in this film, including some of the nastiest cats you’ll ever see (and hear) and more rats than you can shake a butcher knife at. However, it’s not all fun and games here, as one of the previous strong points of Argento’s films becomes an extremely negative one here. I’m speaking of course of the music, which really bothered me, and not because it’s not good but because it’s just so out of place most of the time. While I’m sure Keith Emerson (of Emerson, Lake and Palmer fame) was doing his best to create a kick ass soundtrack in the vein of Goblin, and while he does a solid job it just doesn’t fit at all. In fact, I’d go as far to say as that it nearly ruined my enjoyment of the film, particularly in the final climactic moments where it’s just way too overpowering to help add to the tension. Anyhow, outside of that serious flaw with the music, the film is pretty good, although not near one of Argento’s best efforts. In fact, I’m kind of shocked given the budget he had on this one; perhaps he’s just more inclined to work with lesser means.

"Looks like someone's about to get...skull-fucked."
​

Inferno wasn’t nearly as successful as Suspiria but that doesn’t stop it from being an Argento film that’s worth checking out. Provided you go into it remembering that it couldn’t possibly hope to live up to the first in the series, you should find yourself being sufficiently mind-fucked (in a good way). Plus, it’s hard to remember a time when you get to see a master of the genre work with a bigger budget than normal, whether it worked out for the best or not. Definitely worth it as a curiosity piece, I’m going to give Inferno a 7/10 and say goodbye to Mr. Argento for the time being…we’ve got other worlds to conquer around here.

"Next time...V'Ger is slooooooooooow."
​

 

[Wang Chung]

Where do you find these films. Must be your foreign connection since I have not heard of them. Good reviews. Now I have more to add to my watch list.

Sent From My Awesome EVO 3-D.

 

[Fuji Vice]

Where do you find these films. Must be your foreign connection since I have not heard of them. Good reviews. Now I have more to add to my watch list.

Sent From My Awesome EVO 3-D.

Thanks, I usually just go searching for the more bizarre stuff and end up finding great movies like these. I'm moving on to the Star Trek franchise for the next couple of weeks, so hopefully there's a few people around here who have seen them.

 

[JakeYourBooty]

I just saw the new Trek last night and it was fucking phenomenal. Total badassary from all involved.

 

[Fuji Vice]

I just saw the new Trek last night and it was fucking phenomenal. Total badassary from all involved.

Going to see it this afternoon, but I'm doing the reviews in order so it'll be a bit before I get to it. Looking forward to the movie though.


Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

 

[Wang Chung]

Going to see it this afternoon, but I'm doing the reviews in order so it'll be a bit before I get to it. Looking forward to the movie though.


Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

Sweet can't wait to read them since I have seen all but the new one.

Sent From My Awesome EVO 3-D.

 

[JakeYourBooty]

I'm just waiting for you to review

 

[Fuji Vice]

Honestly don't think I've ever seen that but if I find a copy I'll totally review it.

 

[JakeYourBooty]

I've never seen it either but I want to after seeing it on VHS Rental shelves for years as I kid the image is burned into my brain.