The Strangers (2008)

A couple are terrorised in their own home by three masked intruders
The director says he wrote the film about two years before Ils (Them) was released. Maybe so, but I’ll lay bets to say that his script altered somewhat after Ils’ release. After watching Ils I was wondering when a remake would take place and, barring a few minor plot points, The Strangers is that remake. But can it stand on it’s own?

Actually, there’s plenty of films about with common themes to this; Haneke’s masterly Funny Games springs to mind and you can even go back to the 60s to In Cold Blood. In fact the director said one the inspirations was Helter Skelter – the story of the Manson atrocities.

Anyhow, the film opens strongly with Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman arriving at a summer house after a party in a subdued mood as Tyler has just turned down Speedman's proposal. They are interrupted by a girl knocking on the door asking for someone called Tamara. Sending the girl on her way Speedman goes into to buy some cigarettes for Tyler and while he is away the terrorising slowly starts. In one of he most quietly impressive scenes in the movie we see Tyler lighting a cigarette when slowly, and without background music, a masked figure appears in a darkened corner of the screen and stares at Tyler’s back. It’s a genuinely creepy moment and is never bettered throughout the film. At this point I was looking forward to something a bit different but it quickly becomes a by-the-numbers horror, although there are still effective moments. The ending is one of those open ends which are starting to become incredibly passé, which is something I never thought I would find myself saying. But sometimes a film cries out for a more solid ending.
Still, it was a box-office success, and being an American flick, that’s all that counts. Look out for a sequel.

Faceless (1987)

After his sister has acid thrown in her face, a notable plastic surgeon vows to give her her face back whatever the cost. Suddenly beautiful girls start to go missing and a privare detective is hired to find one of the missing girls.
A quite restrained effort fron Senór Franco, Faceless has echoes of Franju's Eyes Without A Face and Franco's own Awful Dr Orloff amongst others. Bolstered by a decent cast this turns out to be a quite accessable film, although there is quite a few gore moments that are quite effective. The whole picture has a look of a 1980s Jackie Collins movie - in fact it is a definite 80's movie, which does add a tad to the naff meter as the 80s were exceptionally devoid of style or class.
Strangely the very last line, delivered by the follically challenged Savalas is dubbed in French, which is a bugger because it's possible that line could alter the proceedings; I will endeavour to find out. Apart from that the ending was notable for themad scientist type actually winning through, his sister getting her new face and all is well, while the private eye and the model he was looing for, supposedly the heroes one would have thought, end up trapped, presumably for good. Different.
Special mention should made for Anton Diffring in what I believe to be his final role, as an ex Nazi doctor, who used to perform atrocities during the war and now hides out in Spain. In a pleasureable nod, the doctor is led to the Nazi by none other than Howard Vernon as Dr Orloff; a nice touch.

Our Man Flint (1966)

In an effort to control the world, a group of scientists hold thew world to ransome by causing devastating weather conditions. Only one man can save the planet, retired super spy Derek Flint.
Firmly embedded in the American 60s ethos, this Bond spoof has its tongue planted exceptionally far into to its cheek. A very enjoyable and funny film which unfortunately runs on for about 15 minutes to long. With a bit of tightening up it could have been a classic as it does get lost in itself a little in the middle. But it's a minor complaint. Who can moan when James Coburn is in his "gee, isn't this great fun" mode.

What Have They Done To Solange? (1972)

Someone is killing a group of schollgirl friends in a particularly nasty way. Their teacher, who is also having an affair with one of his pupils, is suspected and so, with the aid of his wife, tries to work out the identity of the killer himself.
Part of Massimo’s unofficial schoolgirl trilogy this is sleazy giallo at its sleaziest, but damn fine it is too. Nicely filmed in London, the morally dubious story moves slowly but surely towards its climax, which I never saw coming although on reflection it seems obvious. You also have to get near to the end of the film to hear the name Solange, so don’t be thinking you’ve missed something. Rated.

Be Kind Rewind (2008)

While Mos Def is minding Danny Glover's video store, Jack Black accidentally gets his head magnetized and wipes all the videos in the store. Fearful of letting Glover down they decide ro remake a film for one of their customers, which leads to filming another and suddenly their films are more popular thanthe originals.
Michael Gondry’s films in the past have been something to treasure. Offbeat, they refreshingly walk an original path through today’s mainstream mire of movie monotony that seems to pervade the cinemas from across the ocean. Both ‘The Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind’ and ‘The Science Of Sleep’ were off-kilter pleasures that entranced long after viewing had stopped. On the face of it Be Kind Rewind looked like it was going to be similar but somewhere along the line it became one of the movies it poked fun at. That’s not to say it’s bad, far from it - it is a most enjoyable movie, it’s just that it lacks the preternatural enchantment that the aforementioned films had.

The Chorus (2004)

A failed musician comes to a tough boarding school for troublesome kids and turns their life around when he starts a choir.
This tries hard to be a heartwarming, poignant drama and nearly succeeds but ultimately it ends up lacking character interest as it features the teacher strongly far more than some of the children that are integral to its plot development. However, it is impossible to dislike and you do warm to Mr Mathieu, the teacher. And the music is perfect.

Who Saw Her Die (1972)

George Lazenby's daughter is killed and he goes on a mission to find the killer, undaunted by the amount of bodies piling up.
Reminiscent of the following year’s classier ‘Don’t Look Now’, this also revolves around a dead child whilst in the midst of a Venetian backdrop, but George Lazenby is no Donald Sutherland (but saying that, Sutherland has never played Bond, and never will, so there.) and he seems to sleepwalk through his role. However it’s yet another highly watchable giallo that’s neither one of the best nor one of the worst. There is an amusing bit right at the end where a character comes running shouting to Lazenby what is basically a disclaimer against any possible bad press from certain factions which is head scratchingly out of place and seems more damage limitation than plot. Mention must go to the superb Morricone soundtrack, one of his best.