Saturday, October 6, 2012

October Movie Challenge 2012 (10/6)

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2012 (benefitting FRIENDS OF CHILDREN) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to let me know how much you would like to pledge per film. Your donation is tax deductible, 100% of goes directly to aid the kids, and seriously, even a penny per film helps. Thanks in advance!



#18
Shallow Ground (2004) (1st viewing) d. Wilson, Sheldon (USA) 97 min.

Man, this starts off so strong that it’s really a shame when it submarines itself through an overabundance of unresolved ideas and plot holes, capped by one of the most terrible and pointless “shock endings” I can recall. Great style, performances, atmosphere and visuals, but just runs out of gas in the final act. Still, I’m eager to see what else writer/director Wilson has up his sleeve, so I thank my good friend Gert for making the introduction. (Note: This is NOT the Danny Boyle flick starring Christopher Ecceleston and Ewan McGregor.)





#19
Unknown Terror, The (1957) (1st viewing) d. Warren, Charles Marquis (USA) 77 min.

Ah yes, the 50s. When you could throw some bwanas into an island cave, start filling it with bubble bath foam masquerading as “a lethal virus” and call it a day. On YouTube.





#20
Twisted Nerve (1968) (1st viewing) d. Boulting, Roy (UK) 113 min.

Solid little Brit chiller about a sociopath (Hywel Bennett) who pretends to be mentally impaired in order to bluff his way into Billie Whitelaw’s boarding house and get close to fetching Hayley Mills. Bernard Herrmann’s whistling theme was later appropriated by Quentin Tarantino to be used by Darryl Hannah’s Elle Driver in Kill Bill. On YouTube.





#21
Gathering, The (2003) (1st viewing) d. Gilbert, Brian (UK) 87 min.

Alternates between annoying, confusing, boring and preposterous. The concept about a group of lost spirits, damned for rubbernecking at Christ’s crucifixion is an interesting one, but nothing interesting is done with it and Christina Ricci rings uncharacteristically false throughout. Courtesy of the Lewisburg public library.


Total Movies: 21
First Time Views: 21
Money Raised for Friends of Children: $173.25

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