MichiganJ wrote:The region free Shameless DVD is available at Amazon.uk for a song: (Except those by the Bee Gees for reasons unknown.)
I have the Shameless disc, and while the reviewer is a bit worried about the DVD length compared to that at IMDB, the film feels complete.
Cool. I did not realize it was currently available under another name (this is what is so maddening about tracking these movies down). I found a trailer from Shameless:
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MichiganJ wrote:The film is certainly intriguing, but decidedly not for all tastes.
Another I just watched, and loved, is The Perfume of the Lady in Black, which is an intense exploration of madness on par with Repulsion. (The two would make an interesting double bill).
Wasn't prepared for the ending, although I should have been. Really great.
Perfume of the Lady in Black is an incredible film and Mimsy Farmer hits all the right notes. Great cinematography, scoring, and excellent sense of mood.
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Farmer is also great in Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1972) and Autopsy AKA Sunspots (1975). Just curious, what version of Perfume did you get? Mine is R2.
Mr. Arkadin wrote:
Perfume of the Lady in Black is an incredible film and Mimsy Farmer hits all the right notes. Great cinematography, scoring, and excellent sense of mood.
I absolutely agree on all counts. Mimsy is great, as is the entire cast. That little "Alice" girl gave me the creeps.
Mr. Arkadin wrote:Just curious, what version of Perfume did you get? Mine is R2.
It looks like they have a lot of great stuff and it's all R1! I did not think Body Puzzle was still in print. They also have the 70's Picture of Dorian Gray, Fellini's The Clowns, and plenty of other goodies I'd like to sample.
I've had my hands full the last few weeks, but I have seen some interesting gialli lately:
Double Face AKA Liz and Helen (1969)
Problems begin when Klaus Kinski discovers his wife Helen seems more interested in her friend Liz than honoring their marriage vows, but the fun doesn't stop there. When Helen's car is smashed in a roadside accident, she is presumed dead, but Kinski stumbles upon a cheap porn film with a veiled woman who looks like his lost bride. As his world crumbles, he dives headlong into the abyss to discover the truth.
Kinski is always fun to watch and it's nice to see him play a protagonist for a change. Nice visuals and great score with twisting logic that holds your interest. A
Il Mostro AKA The Monster (1977)
Valerio has hit bottom in the newspaper trade, reduced to writing a lonelyhearts column and answering letters from frustrated housewives. When a serial killer begins stalking the rich and famous, he alerts our wannabe journalist to every crime, allowing Valerio to scoop the other tabloids and climb to the top of the heap, but the price is heavy.
I saw this long ago in Italian with a pan & scan print, but it has recently come to Amazon in widescreen with subtitles and is even more amazing now. A character driven plotline with deep social ramifications, The Monster is cinematically different from most gialli in that there are not a lot of crazy camera angles and blood and gore are kept to a minimum, but the themes are just as fresh today in a world of social media that favors sensationism over truth. A+
The Bloodstained Shadow (1978)
A professor returns home to Venice, where a string of murders begins. His brother, the local parish priest recieves threatening letters and the siblings must face events from the past to solve the crimes.
I liked Antonio Bido's Watch Me When I Kill AKA The Cat's Victims (1977) for its original story, but this film is not of the same caliber, as Bido steals literally and liberally from the best of the genre--Bird With the Crystal Plumage (1969), Deep Red (1975), Don't Torture a Duckling (1972)--and presents them as his own ideas! He even tries using The Goblins for the score, but to no avail. Avoid unless you are in need of sleep. F
Appreciation of actor Vittorio Gassman seems to be growing at SSO, but there's a good chance you haven't seen one of his best films, as Anima Persa AKA The Forbidden Room (1977), is relatively unknown outside of its native Italy, despite the star power of Gassman and Catherine Denuve in the leading roles.
A character driven Giallo in the melodramatic vein (no gore or blood), Dino Risi's masterwork opens with a young man (Danilo Mattei), who journeys to Venice to study painting. While staying at his aunt (Denuve) and uncle's (Gassman) home, he discovers that their marriage is under an incredible strain, due to the fact that an insane man (Gassman's brother), tormented by guilt, lives in the attic. The root of the conflict lies in the death of Denuve's child ten years earlier, with each character shifting blame on the other as the young man attempts to solve the mystery.
This incredible film is a bona fide lost gem waiting for rediscovery, with amazing cinematography, a haunting score, and above all a great story, marvelously played by great actors. You can watch the whole film on YouTube if you speak Italian. There is a subtitled fandub floating around for English lovers.
Meeting the dysfunctional family, exploring the house at night:
Alas, I didn't check the youtube clips last night, I didn't realise they weren't in English and I don't speak Italian, too bad. Maybe it'll get a release one day
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
I've dealt with them and quality and service are good.
Here's more info on what's available and the film itself from Love Lock and Load. There is a nice review link on the first page and the poster DementedUK shows how he's rebuilt the film and added subtitles. Unfortunately, there are a lot of great movies that have never been released outside of their native countries, or do not have English subs. These guys usually make a composite from the best resources they can find and add subs:
If you do, I'd love to hear what you think about it. It's a pretty gripping story. On my inital screening, my wife came in the room halfway through the film, sat down and watched it straight through to the end, which never happens in our house! Michiganj saw this one recently, so maybe he will chime in here.
You're tempting me, I think I shall have to give in, I'll let you know. I just hope you won't get me stuck on a whole new genre, heaven knows I'm easily encouraged.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
I would definitely and highly recommend Anima persa. While it is giallo, it is very unusual in that there is no sex nor graphic violence, and plays more like an art house horror movie. The slow build allows for plenty of atmosphere, and the mystery offers plenty of unexpected but reasonable twists.
While all of the acting is quite good, particularly by the three leads, I was most impressed by Deneuve, who really has made some really interesting choices in her acting career. Next time around, I may do a double-bill with Repulsion.
With the production values so high, and stars like Deneuve and Gassman, it really is puzzling why Anima persa isn't better known.
