absolutebadasses

One year after the brutal murder of her mother, Sidney Prescott and her friends are terrorized by a new killer : Written by Kevin Williamson & Directed by Wes Craven SCREAM is the BEST HORROR MOVIE in the last 25yrs : From that shiver inducing Dimension Film logo before the film starts, it’s smart edgy blood soaked script, the shocking start to the movie that nobody saw coming & the great Homages to horror movies of yester-year the film always delivers and to this day continues to blow my mind : Scream totally re-invented the genre from a director who already owned the scares in the 80s with his freaking great horror A Nightmare on Elm Street but unlike Elm Street Scream uses horror cliches and a whip smart script that’s incredibly funny yet utterly terrifying at times : The way Craven used horror films as the backdrop to Scream was a pure joy to watch, pictures such as Elm Street, Friday 13th, The Exorcist and of course Halloween got nods and even Wes makes a brief cameo as a school janitor dressed in that iconic Freddy Sweater, that small moment alone made me smile sooooooo much : Also let’s not forget the contribution it’s young fresh cast made, stars that were not household names such as Neve Campbell, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, Jamie Kennedy & Skeet Ulrich all helped Craven’s blood lust come to life and create a new horror franchsise : The scene in the movie when Randy explains to his drunken friends about the Rules on How to Survive a Horror Movie whilst watching Halloween is one of my favorites, he pauses the film stands before the TV and tells his audience….. No.1 : Never have Sex…. No.2 : Don’t drink or do drugs…. and finally never ever ever say “I’ll be right back…” it’s sheer brilliance : I remember watching SCREAM in New York when it was released in the cinema, I didn’t know anything about the movie – I came out 2hrs later shouting, laughing and looking over my shoulder for Ghostface for the rest of that evening, what a movie BUZZ ★★★★★

Ripley is rescued by a deep salvage team after being in hypersleep for 57 years during which time LV-426 has been colonized, but contact has been lost. A bunch of colonial marines along with Ripley are sent to investigate : Written and Directed by James Cameron ALIENS is the BEST MOVIE SEQUEL OF ALL TIME, it was filmed back in 1986 for $18 million (yep your reading this right) and in my opinion it even betters Ridley’s first movie for pure action, suspense and incredible effects : For my latest rewatch I decided to revisit the Aliens Special Edition which contains a VITAL 17 minutes of extra footage : those extra scene’s really do add to the great characters that we have grown to love and hate over the years, adding much more depth and filling some of the theatrical release plot holes such as Newt’s backstory, more stunning panning shots on LV-426, extra scenes involving the marines and more of Hudson’s badass humor : One thing that doesn’t get mentioned too much is the film’s terrific action score by the late composer James Horner, considering the time restriction and conditions Horner found himself in during filming his atmospheric, bruising and deliciously heart thumping score certainly left it’s mark, receiving an Oscar Nomination and contributes greatly to Cameron’s movie : One of my favourite scenes in the movie is when Ripley takes it upon herself to go and rescue the marines after Gorman decides to have a meltdown, it’s a hand in the mouth moment that’s exhilarating to watch as she’s straps Newt in and takes control of their vehicle, but in fairness each and every scene in ALIENS are so damn good : There’s no doubt if your a fan of the franchise and have not seen this special edition then and get out and buy a copy & of course it’s just another excuse to submerge yourself in some mind blowing scifi by one of the masters of the genre James Cameron ★★★★★

Olivia De Havilland (1916 – 2020)

Posted by absolutebadasses on July 26, 2020

Posted in: Views. Tagged: academy awards, actress, author, errol flynn, film website, films, gone with the wind, hollywood, livvie, love films, movie blog, movie icon, movie star, movies, olivia de havilland, olivia de havilland 104, oscars, star of the screen, writer. Leave a comment

Aweful News : the Iconic Movie Star Olivia De Havilland has died aged 104 : in my eye’s they don’t come much better than Livvie, a Golden Age Beauty who graced the screen in over forty feature films, winning two Academy Awards and starring alongside some of the very best in the movie world : One of my favourite quotes of hers was in 1999 where she commented over Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother “I want to follow her example and live many years longer. I consider every birthday a victory” well Livvie you sure did, rest in peace Legend……

John Saxon (1935 – 2020)

Posted by absolutebadasses on July 26, 2020

Posted in: Views. Tagged: a nightmare on elm street, black christmas, bruce lee, enter the dragon, films, horror, horror movies, john saxon, john saxon actor, tenebrae, westerns. Leave a comment

Sad News : the wonderful New Yorker JOHN SAXON has died : as an actor John worked in the movies since the mid 50’s and is mostly know for starring in Westerns and Horror Movies, he will always be remembered for playing small but significant roles in the likes of Black Christmas, Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street, alongside Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon, opposite Clint Eastwood in Joe Kidd and Dario Argento’s horror masterpiece Tenebrae : John’s birth name was Carmine Orrico, he could speak Italian and had a black belt in Karate that became pretty useful for his tough guy movie roles – he died in Tennessee aged 83

My Mount Rushmore of Film Directors

Posted by absolutebadasses on July 26, 2020

Posted in: Views. Tagged: bluray, cinema, cinephile, digital media, dvd, film, film actors, film addict, film directors, film website, filmmakers, follow, follow my blog, genre, hollywood, james cameron, like, love, martin scorsese, mount rushmore of film directors, movie blog, movie collection, movies, passion, photos, quentin tarantino, steven spielberg. Leave a comment

As you can tell from this movie blog or my social media feed I was born a Cinephile, I have this passion for all things film : I watch, collect and talk about the movies, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly things that I’m passionate about : My love stretches to every genre, from the western to scifi, from the 30s to modern day, Cagney to DiCaprio, Foster to Hepburn, Movies are my crush, my excitement and I’m at my happiest surrounded by them : Last year someone posted a question “What is your Mount Rushmore of Film Directors?” I know we all have different views on this and that’s more than fine, but for me the four filmmakers and their respective filmographies that have consistently made me tick, given me the goosebumps & excelled in their work are Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Quentin Tarantino & Martin Scorsese what’s yours?

Amulet (2020) – Movie Thoughts

Posted by absolutebadasses on July 25, 2020

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: Alec Secareanu, amulet movie, amulet movie 2020, amulet review, Anah Ruddin, Carla Juri, decaying house, demonic, film blog, horror movie, Imelda Staunton, love movies, my thoughts, possessed, Romola Garai, Romola Garai amulet, scary. Leave a comment

A homeless soldier is sucked into staying in a decaying old house and falls for a young woman who’s lives their with her dying mother : Written and Directed by Romola Garai AMULET is my kind of movie jam, a slow burning, bat shit crazy demonic horror that’s tangled up in atmosphere, flashbacks and haunting performances by the likes of Alec Secareanu (God’s Own Country), Carla Juri (Brimstone) and Anah Ruddin who gives an unforgettable performance as Mother : The movie is quite mysterious, a bit like a jigsaw the pieces fit together the more you watch and during the picture’s second half you find which direction the story is taking and watch in horror as it’s pace & tension is ramped up, the mind twisting insanity is nearing boiling point and you find yourself uncomfortably enjoying it all play out : I found the whole movie quite creepy & unnerving, from the interior of the decaying house, the gory & unsettling finale to a rather delicious performance by the sinister looking Imelda Staunton AMULET really does a number on you : A superb horror that will leave it’s mark on the genre for sure ★★★★

Elisabeth Moss – Top 4 Movies

Posted by absolutebadasses on July 24, 2020

Posted in: Views. Tagged: 1982, actress, born on this day, elisabeth moss, elisabeth moss born on this day, elisabeth moss top 4, films, her smell movie, mad men, movies, photos, shirley movie, the childrens hour, the invisible man, the kitchen movie, tv. Leave a comment

Since I had the pleasure of catching a breathtaking performance from her on the Westend in The Children’s Hour alongside Kiera Knightley back in 2011 Elisabeth Moss has quickly become one of the best character actors on the big screen : her versatility & charisma has lent to film roles of a gritty and exciting nature, a bit like the great Jodie Foster she can turn her hand to pretty much anything : she can play the victim of abuse turned mobster in The Kitchen, play a cranky drug taking old writer in Shirley or rock the stage as Becky Something in the brilliant Her Smell : she is an incredibly unique, quirky and utterly mesmerising actress : Here’s Our Top Four Movies : 1. Her Smell (Alex Ross Perry) : 2. Shirley (Josephine Decker) : 3. The Kitchen (Andrea Berloff) : 4. The Invisible Man (Leigh Whannell)

Swallow (2020) – Movie Thoughts

Posted by absolutebadasses on July 24, 2020

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: actor, actress, Austin Stowell, Carlo Mirabella-Davis, cinephile, David Rasche, Denis O'Hare, directors, Elizabeth Marvel, film fan, film geek, films, Haley Bennett, like, love, movies, swallow, swallow 2020 movie, swallow banner, swallow movie, swallow review. Leave a comment

A young housewife in what seems to be a perfect marriage develops the irresistible urge to swallow objects and material – WOW just WOW Carlo Mirabella-Davis !! Swallow is a facinating directorial debut that gripped me from the getko, the energy that flows through Haley Bennett and into Hunter her onscreen persona is quite simply astonishing : When Hunter starts to Swallow my first impression was “Please don’t do that” I was angry, confused at why this young lady would do such a thing, why she would risk her life? But it got me thinking Hunter is trapped, innocent, has no friends or family and has nobody there to hug her close and tell her everything will be ok : If her lowlife controlling husband, bad inlaws and the swallowing wasn’t bad enough Hunter then decides to track down William a rapist from her past who’s played brilliantly by Denis O’Hare, their confrontation in William’s kitchen is so bloody TENSE I felt my heart pounding ready to burst out of my chest like something from Ridley’s Alien movie, such a simple, emotionally charged scene with these two brilliant actors nailing it : Overall Swallow is one of the darkest and most liberating movies of 2020, it’s a real thought provoking picture that will no doubt upset many, terrify others and quite simply blow the majority away with it’s raw, quirky style and captivating subject matter ★★★★½

Relic (2020) – Movie Thoughts

Posted by absolutebadasses on July 17, 2020

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: aussie movie, australian horror, Bella Heathcote, blog, Emily Mortimer, film blog, filmmaker, films, horror movie, instagram, like, love, movie blog, movie website, movies, Natalie Erika James, Natalie Erika James Relic, relic 2020, relic movie, Robyn Nevin. Leave a comment

A daughter, mother and grandmother are haunted by a manifestation of dementia that consumes their family’s home – RELIC directed by first timer Natalie Erika James is an Aussie horror that really does effect the way you look at the difficulties of coping with family illness as you watch Emily Mortimer’s character Kay attempt to unravel her mother’s dementia whilst trying to survive the advances of their spooky family home : Along with it’s real scary moments such as Bella Heathcote’s character Sam stuck in the walls of the house in a frighteningly unreal 20mins and the overall creaks and groans the house is making throughout I really found Relic to be like watching a family member grow old, slowly becoming frail, starting to loose their faculties & climbing the ladder towards eventual inevitability, the scariest thing imaginable and Natalie Erika James captures this perfectly with her meaningful, alarming slow burner of a horror movie that makes you think and contains one of the strangest yet genius finale’s in many a year ★★★★

The Severed Arm (1973) – Classic Rewatch

Posted by absolutebadasses on July 16, 2020

Posted in: Movie Reviews, Reviews. Tagged: 70s, 70s horror movie, Angus Scrimm, b-movie, Deborah Walley, director, filmmaker, films, horror movie, John Crawford, like, love, movies, Paul Carr, scary movie, slasher, slasher horror, the severed arm, the severed arm movie, Tom Alderman. Leave a comment

Trapped in a cave, five men cut the arm off of another companion in order to ward off starvation. After they are saved, their victim seeks revenge on them one by one – THE SEVERED ARM is quite the rarity a 70s slasher movie that I had not seen or heard about until yesterday – Directed by Tom Alderman who’s short filmmaking career ended with this movie, and a cast including John Crawford, Paul Carr and the delightful Deborah Walley (1960’s Gidget Goes Hawaiian) – WOW !! what an incredibly atmospheric slasher, that contains some moody inventive camera work, a screamingly good synth score and a whole bunch of gruesome gore scenes (especially that severed arm moment later in the movie), I really enjoyed Walley’s turn as Ted’s daughter Teddy, as an actress her face lent to 70s slasher so well and I’m surprised she didn’t do more in the genre, also I loved the twist in the movie’s finale albeit a little predictable but it is well executed – If like me you love visiting these wildly odd B-Movie style slasher movies with a side plate of revenge and gory fun then The Severed Arm is worth the watch ★★★★

Kelly Preston (1962-2020) RIP

Posted by absolutebadasses on July 13, 2020

Posted in: Views. Tagged: actor, actress, behind the scenes, films, films on set, for the love of the game, gorgeous, jerry maguire, john travolta, kelly preston, kelly preston RIP, like, love films, movie star, movies, photo, twins. Leave a comment

Devistating news the wonderful actress Kelly Preston has died aged 57 : Kelly was know for her work in the movies such as Twins, For the Love of the Game, Nothing to Loose, Spacecamp, Jerry Maguire, Jack Frost & so many more : she is the shining light in those movies and I will always remember her for that beautiful radiant smile x

When Nyles and a reluctant maid of honor Sarah have a chance encounter at a Palm Springs wedding, things get complicated as they are unable to escape the venue, themselves or each other – PALM SPRINGS is one of the brightest, sweetest, funniest romantic timeloop comedies in the last 100 years PLUS i’m now crushing on Cristin Milioti and her incredible eye’s that hypnotize like Kaa from Jungle Book, her super chemistry opposite the legendary Andy Samberg is pure feelgood magic – the movie also stars Peter Gallagher, Camila Mendes and J. K. Simmons and if you really really really want cheering up then please get and watch Max Barbakow’s BRILLIANT movie it will make you laugh till your eye’s water ★★★★½

A covert team of immortal mercenaries are suddenly exposed and must now fight to keep their identity a secret just as an unexpected new member is discovered – I’m always excited to see a new action movie, especially one that’s based on a graphic novel with such a cool premise…. I’ve not read the novels so I went in blind and was pleasently surprised by the overall darkness of Gina Prince-Bythewood‘s THE OLD GUARD – obviously we all know about the action prowess of the Fury Road star Charlize Theron playing Andy the leader of the Immortals, her action scenes are without doubt the best bits in the movie but I also enjoyed watching the emergence of KiKi Layne ACTION STAR her screen time especially opposite Theron as Nile were fun to watch, the plane fight scene between the two being a definite highlight – the style of the action and the films flashbacks as we discover more about the team and Andy’s friendship with fellow warrior Quynh were exciting, Chiwetel Ejiofor was his usual high standard taking on the role of Copley and I was also impressed with Harry Melling’s villainous turn as Merrick, not that I should have been surprised as the Harry Potter star is also very good in the Coens The Ballad of Buster Scruggs – Overall The Old Guard is an enjoyable action romp, yes I’ve seen better but the director’s vision and exciting style in this genre has given me high hopes for a possible sequel in the near future ★★★½

A young couple having trouble with their relationship take a trip to the families Beach House only to find their getaway turns into a struggle for survival – Jeffrey A Brown directorial debut THE BEACH HOUSE is my kind of movie jam, a slow burning chiller with enough going on to keep you interested and then WHAM BAM all shit rains down – It’s impressive how Brown keeps everything so damn eerie, from those opening 10mins to the final ten you really are biting your fingernails and sat on the edge of your seat in anticipation at what’s coming next, the drug induced scene is freaky in an almost uncomfortable sort of way and that cellar and beach scene messes with your mind – However the real payoff with The Beach House is that you have no idea how it’s all going to play out and more importantly what the actually shit is going really going on…. from Jeffrey Brown’s original story, it’s idealic yet sinister location but most of all Liana Liberato & Noah Le Gros innocence & fear driven performances make this one helluva trippy, atmospheric ride and a delicous horror gem that I’d highly recommend ★★★★

Joe a trucker who’s pretty down on his luck meets a mother who can contact spirits whilst suffocating – NICOLAS CAGE is the most charasmatic, entertaining actor out there, he loves dipping his toes in the odd blockbuster but equally the guy loves to star in low budget thrillers that pay the bills, keeps him busy and helps young interesting filmmakers get their films seen by a bigger audience – the latest of these is Maria Pulera’s BETWEEN WORLDS a rather Lynch-esque thriller that’s weird yet engaging and has elements of the supernatural and is strangely erotic whilst showcasing the infamous Cage meltdown that’s still bloody great to watch – I loved the film’s story and little homages to Twin Peaks & David Lynch in general and it’s cast including the exciting German actress Franka Potente & the sexy Aussie Penelope Mitchell give exciting performances alongside the outrageous and at times out of control Nicolas Cage – Overall Between Worlds is certainly worth a watch, especially if like me you love the genre, the trashy at times low budget feel and of course CAGE who in my eye’s is always worth 90mins of ones time ★★★½