Harvest Lake is another excellent example of when talented artists successfully merge exploitation with art film aesthetics within the frame work of the horror genre. If you enjoy beautiful and lyrical film experiences, "Blood on Satan's Claw" comes to mind, this will be a wonderful addition to your collection. Stock horror conventions are quickly stripped away and paint fresh artistic stokes into a film that almost feels more European than American. With excellent performances by a solid leading cast, beautiful cinematography and some unsettling imagery, this is a well-crafted piece of cinema showcasing a new voice and tone in the genre. Seek this film out. It's no clone.
Reviews
4 Reviews
Grindhouse
(2007)
Go for Planet Terror, Leave before Death Proof
4 April 2007
The first half of Grindhouse is really fun. Planet Terror delivers the goods with a furious pace and a ton of laughs. My only complaint is the film is not a 70's period piece. The look is totally Lucio Fulci but Rodriquez includes minibikes, cell phones, etc. The scratched up effects are fantastic.
Death Proof is also not a period film but unlike the previous film it's a complete bore. Tarrantino must of thought his writing could entertain audiences for the first 60 minutes. It doesn't. It's dull. VERY DULL. People were leaving the theater it was so bad. The actors keep talking about the movie Vanishing Point over and over. I wish I had been watching Vanishing Point. Why did they put his film last? Must be his out of control ego. I've liked all his previous work, but this is just awful. I feel sorry for Kurt Russell. He deserves better. For some reason they ditched all the cool scratch effects that Planet Terror had. I don't get it. This should of been just a trailer. Seems Quentin needs to watch some of the Grindhouse movies before trying to make one.
Death Proof is also not a period film but unlike the previous film it's a complete bore. Tarrantino must of thought his writing could entertain audiences for the first 60 minutes. It doesn't. It's dull. VERY DULL. People were leaving the theater it was so bad. The actors keep talking about the movie Vanishing Point over and over. I wish I had been watching Vanishing Point. Why did they put his film last? Must be his out of control ego. I've liked all his previous work, but this is just awful. I feel sorry for Kurt Russell. He deserves better. For some reason they ditched all the cool scratch effects that Planet Terror had. I don't get it. This should of been just a trailer. Seems Quentin needs to watch some of the Grindhouse movies before trying to make one.
Souless, Cliché, Dull
17 September 2004
Visually interesting, but falls flat in the originality department. This tedious excercise in technique wears thin after the opening battle. Jude Law has the charisma of burnt toast, but in his defense this film contains some of the worst dialogue I have ever seen on the big screen. In fact the script is so poor that it keeps taking you out of the film, and had me thinking about work, bills, my dogs, etc. There are many moments that scream bluescreen. Paltrow is as wooden as they get. This could of been saved by snappy film noir dialogue or over the top camp. My only complaint on the technique is that Black & White film (sorry, computer) would of helped because it looks like Turner colorized black and white. Just a big dull cliché mess. I would rather break my femur than sit through this endurance test again.
Delinquent School Girls
(1975)
Sleaze Masterpiece
3 September 2004
It's simply amazing how such a low budget production can rise to the platonic model for low brow greatness.
The production knew how to pack every frame with a plethora of breast with all cup sizes represented, and continually lay on one sleazy scenario after another. The attention to detail is amazing. Several of the girls take a swim and the camera lovingly lears at the giant breast from an underwater POV. At one point the film cuts abruptly to a giant breast bouncing on a trampoline.
This film is currently only available on an old Vestron Video VHS tape. It should be sought after, restored, and released on DVD.
This ranks up there with the best works by Russ Meyer.
The production knew how to pack every frame with a plethora of breast with all cup sizes represented, and continually lay on one sleazy scenario after another. The attention to detail is amazing. Several of the girls take a swim and the camera lovingly lears at the giant breast from an underwater POV. At one point the film cuts abruptly to a giant breast bouncing on a trampoline.
This film is currently only available on an old Vestron Video VHS tape. It should be sought after, restored, and released on DVD.
This ranks up there with the best works by Russ Meyer.
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