Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

American Horror Story (AHS): Hotel is the latest in the wonderfully gratuitous horror anthology series
drawing on The Shining, Psycho and Salem’s Lot to name a few; but does it
measure up with its predecessors? Starburst
finds out!

AHS: Hotel centres around LAPD Detective John Lowe (Wes Bentley) investigating
a series of murders all connected by the Ten Commandments. The investigation
itself, as well as his own crumbling personal life, draws him to the Hotel
Cortez, which is riddled with its own secrets including: The Countess (Lady
Gaga) a decades-old vampire who is manipulating the hotel’s new owner (Cheyenne
Jackson), the dysfunctional relationship between receptionist Iris (Kathy
Bates) and her ex-drug addict son (Matt Bomer), the legacy of the hotel’s
original owner, James Patrick March (Evan Peters) as well as the vendetta of
ex-Blaxploitation actress Ramona Royale (Angela Bassett). Their lives
intermingle as Lowe draws closer to the Ten Commandments Killer.

To start with, sincere credit must go to Lady Gaga’s
acting ability. In what could have been a largely superficial capacity, she
creates a character with all the seductive, campiness of Julie Newmar and
Delphine Seyrig (Daughters of Darkness being
a heavy creative influence); you can’t predict whether she will kiss you or rip
your throat out! In fact, AHS has
always been blessed with an excellent regular cast: Sarah Paulson, Kathy Bates,
Evan Peters, Angela Bassett and Denis O’Hare are always challenged to do new things
with new characters and it is always entertaining.

However, Hotel
feels more predictable than previous series; the premise of haunted inhabitants
in a haunted building is very reminiscent of the first series (whether this is
intentional, with AHS becoming a
shared universe) Hotel needs more
unpredictable meat on its metaphorical bones.

Overall, Hotel
is not the best AHS series, but is
certainly not the worst either. Is this a good series to draw in new fans?
Absolutely! The performances make up for the slightly repetitive storyline and
the extras are standard fare with behind-the-scenes featurettes to explore the
series further.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL /  CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: RYAN MURPHY / SCREENPLAY: VARIOUS / STARRING: CHEYENNE JACKSON, EVAN PETERS, LADY GAGA, KATHY BATES, SARAH PAULSON / RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 24TH
 

In series 1 of Hakkenden:
Eight Dogs of the East, Shino and Sosuke set out on a mission to collect 8
beads which, when revived, would resurrect the spirit of an ancient princess.
In season 2 the characters continue on this mission, having learned that more
than one of the beads already lie with their friends. 

If any one word could be applied to Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East it would be “wistful”. This is especially true of series 2 in which a sense of longing defines many of the characters and stories that the main characters encounter across the thirteen episodes on offer. Usually this manifests in unfinished business that the character of the episode needs to complete, whether it be to hone their craft, gain their freedom or return home.

One of the complaints that can be found in our review of series 1 is that the main plot didn’t feel very prevalent, to the extent that it appeared to be an afterthought at times. Series 2 addresses this somewhat. It does this by having more story arcs that unfold across multiple episodes rather than single episode stories. This gives Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East a greater flow in its second series. There are also more episodes that feel important to the progression of the main plot and the quest to gather the eight beads that will resurrect the princess.

Sadly in series 2 the show seems to have forgotten the cast that it spent the first series carefully building up. To be fair to the creators juggling the cast would be no mean feat considering there are 8 beads and 8 people to hold them. However series 2 feels less like an ensemble piece and more like a show with two main characters and a lot of guests. People who played a big part in series 1 find themselves only making much of an impact in one or two episodes in series 2.  Thankfully the two characters that the show does remember to focus on are still strong. They have well defined personalities and they have a very believable bond which underpins the show.
Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East is as much a fairy tale as the first series was. The main cast feels neglected in this series but Hakkenden makes up for it with longer story arcs that helps this series feel less fragmented than its predecessor. The main plot does move along but viewers may find themselves disappointed that more hasn’t been resolved in terms of story after 26 episodes. Despite that it is still worth checking out for people who enjoyed the first series and want to see where it is going.

HAKKENDEN: EIGHT DOGS OF THE EAST / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: MITSUE YAMAZAKI / SCREENPLAY: OSAMU YAMASAKI / STARRING: GREG AYRES, LERALOD ANZALDUA, EMILY NEVES, ANDREW LOVE / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
 

There is always a perception whenever the following words ‘The Cannon Group Presents’ appear on screen in a film that it is going to be something exploitative. The Wicked Lady, Michael Winner’s 1983 remake of the classic Margaret Lockwood drama, is about as typical a Winner film as you can get and as expected, he does find a way to expose his ten pound of flesh whenever he gets the chance, as there are several moments where nudity and sex play a part in the proceedings. There’s less buckle and not enough swash in this film, which earned Faye Dunaway a Razzie nomination for Worst Actress back in the day.

That said, considering the critical drubbing it got in 1983, the film is not all that bad. The cast is worth watching the film for with the likes of Dunaway, Alan Bates, Oliver Tobias, Glynis Barber (post Blake’s 7 and pre-Dempsey And Makepeace), Prunella Scales and John Gielgud (who looks as bemused in what is going on in this as much as he was in Bob Guccione’s Caligula (1981). Jack Cardiff’s name also lends a bit of weight to the remake, given his prestige and legend as a cinematographer. However, the end result could have done with a little more subtlety and belief in the material which it is based on (the book Life and Death of the Wicked Lady Skelton by Magdalen King-Hall)

The film starts with Caroline (Barber), who is scheduled to be married to Lord Ralph Skelton (Elliott) and invites her sister Barbara (Dunaway) to be her maid of honour at the wedding. Before she’s even had a chance to get measured up for her corset, Barbara has convinced Ralph to be her husband and starts imposing herself. Lady Kingsclere (Scales) beats her at cards, taking all the money Ralph has given Barbara, to which Barbara challenges her using a brooch as the prize. However, Kingsclere beats her again. Barbara decides to take up the mantle of a highwaywoman and decides to steal the brooch from Kingsclere, thus beginning a reign of terror amongst the coach riding upper classes……

The Wicked Lady in the hands of Sam Mendes or Tom Hooper would carry more resonance (and who is to say there isn’t going to be a third version of this film down the line, as the time could be ripe for it given the adaptations of things like Pride And Prejudice and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy previously. But, all things considered, this is Michael Winner’s Wicked Lady. The sex scenes feel a little too by the numbers, seemingly tacked on for commercial gain and don’t really add anything to a potentially enjoyable adaptation. Like a lot of the Cannon output, which in recent years has undergone a reassessment (and their best film, Runaway Train (1985) is finally getting the acclaim and exposure it well and truly deserved all those years ago), the film is full of potential, but let down by poor creative choices and input. Worth a look if you want to trace Cannon’s history and filmography

THE WICKED LADY (1983) / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: MICHAEL WINNER / SCREENPLAY: LESLIE ARLISS, MICHAEL WINNER / STARRING: FAYE DUNNAWAY, ALAN BATES, JOHN GIELGUD, DENHOLM ELLIOT, PRUNELLA SCALES / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Kakeru is a high
school student who along with five other teenagers is suddenly pulled into the
Red Night, a plane shifted world tinted with crimson where crystal towers
stretch up to the sky and an imprisoned young woman is guarded by hideous
monstrosities known as the Black Knights.

That’s
the setup, and for most of the 12-episode series that’s pretty much all you
get. The story, such as it is, meanders aimlessly between fight scenes and
lengthy character exchanges that go nowhere, each interspersed with weak sapphic
interplay, jiggling boobs and gratuitous upskirt underwear shots so frequent
that they would actually get tedious even if you’re into that kind of thing.

It’s
as though someone came up with a basic premise of dual dimensions and a sextet
of Chosen Ones being periodically pulled into a crimson Silent Hill, but then
didn’t bother to develop it into an actual story. It would have helped to have at
least spent some more time developing the characters rather than their esoteric
abilities, but what brief back stories we get do little in the way of expanding
or even explaining their personalities.

While
the regular fight scenes with the Black Knights and their inexhaustible army of
expendable mooks offer some degree of peril for the characters, none of them
are interesting enough to make you actually care whether they live or die,
while the rules by which everyone’s abilities operate are so inconsistent that it
becomes difficult to become invested in anything that’s going on.

The
plot ambles along with little in the way of genuine development until late on
when everything becomes unsatisfactorily resolved in a cluster bomb of
expository nonsense and arbitrary bullshit, including the actual reason why
these characters specifically were pulled together into this ethereal
nightmare, something the story didn’t previously even hint at. It’s made even
worse by those imparting the knowledge having been aware of the true extent of
the situation from the very beginning, but just didn’t bother telling anyone.

The
late-on central revelation actually had the potential to allow for some
introspection into the nature of good and evil or free will and destiny, and
offer some meaningful insight into precisely what it is that makes us human, but
the cack-handed manner in which it was executed leaves it as just another example
of nothing happening throughout the series that forms even the slightest bit of
coherence.

11eyes /
Cert: 15 / Director: Masami Shimoda / Screenplay: Kenichi Kanemaki, Mayori
Sekijima, Mie Kaga / Starring: Daisuke Ono, Mai Goto, Yuu Asakawa, Oma
Ichimura, Showtaro Morikubo / Release Date: 19^th September
 

Seth (Dominic Monaghan) is a lonely guy working in a dog pound. One day he sees Holly, a beautiful woman he went to school with, and starts to become unhealthily obsessed with her. He begins to stalks her, then captures and imprisons her in a cage in basement of the dog pound.  Having read her diary, he claims to know her and says he’s trying to ‘save her’. At first, Holly seems like an innocent victim; scared and crying and hoping she’ll survive this. Then an interesting twist occurs that changes the whole dynamic of the film. Just who is controlling who?

Pet is fresh and innovative. From the little things, like the use of barks in the soundtrack, to the unexpected twists that keep you wondering what exactly is going on. Monaghan’s acting is solid. At first, you think Solo’s is rusty, then realise it’s on purpose and you appreciate why.

There are some moments in the film that will truly make you wince (the question ‘why that finger?’ might arise). Despite some gore, the film is more of a thriller than a horror, as Monaghan himself said in the Q and A after the film. And just when you think it’s over, there’s a great twist at the end that makes this film memorable.

PET / DIRECTOR: CARLES TORRENS / SCREENPLAY: JEREMY SLATER / STARRING: DOMINIC MONAGHAN, KSENIA SOLO, JENNETTE MCCURDY, DA’VONE MCDONALD / RELEASE DATE: TBC

The
Devil’s Toy Box is Allen Kellogg’s sequel to his
2011 debut 7 Nights of Terror, an
information era horror which put seven unlucky reality show contestants in a
haunted house. Kellogg’s sequel is a savvy slice of spooky fun and a nice
expansion of a relatively straight forward but well-played debut. As a sequel,
it feels like the Rec 2 or Grave Encounters 2 kind of move, taking
the haunted house idea and giving us plenty of what we’d expect and a nice
amount of what we don’t.

Kellogg himself returns as Carter, the sole
survivor of the first film, last seen getting mowed down by a speeding car.
After nonchalantly passing it off as a non-fatal, Kellogg zealously kicks into
his story with genre awareness and generally well-executed scares. Perhaps more
importantly Kellogg, along with co-star/writer Spencer jay Kim, has created
some watchable characters, with plenty great actors to fill their boots. Sure
Kellogg himself is more on the Tarantino side of director/actors, but he does
well enough.

The
Devil’s Toy Box is initially more interested in
geographical horror than it is screamy CGI-induced ghost faces. When the film
seamlessly appears to move characters between realms (this is the Rec 2 vibe we mentioned)  it can get really chilling. It’s a confusing
terror, one that disorientates the audience until we have, like the characters,
lost track of where everyone is. Lots of the credit goes down to editing since
a film comprised of multiple camera feeds could easily get messy, but
thankfully never does.

Kellogg pulls every trope out the book but
he does so with a group of characters who appear pretty smart and react
accordingly, in groups. The crew also venture back every night to a local motel
where they unravel their recordings. It gives the illusion of control, a kind
of safe haven from the horror, but leaves us in a suitable state when the
film’s boundaries are increasingly transgressed by the assailing spirit. The
film loses interest in boundary horror the further it goes, relying on pop-up
faces for most of the screams in the demented cluster-fuck finale.

Still, it’s an impressive sequel with a
whole bag of demented treats and some great writing. The Devil’s Toy Box takes the groundwork in Kellogg’s 7 Nights of Terror and pushes everything
further, proving he can make a surprising entry to the overcrowded documentary
horror genre.

THE DEVIL’S TOY BOX / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: ALLEN KELLOGG / SCREENPLAY: ALLEN KELLOG, SPENCER JAY KIM / STARRING: ALLEN KELLOGG, MEREDITH JOCHAN, SPENCER JAY KIM, ASHLEY BOSSARD, SEAN MANOS, LARRY NEHRING / RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER: 3RD
 

The
Devil’s Woods is Anthony White’s debut feature film
and the latest release from Irish distributor Left films. It’s a woods film,
the same kind of woods film we’ve been subjected to for years and with so many
great variations, it’s tough to stand out. With the upcoming release of Adam
Wingard’s Blair Witch, there’s renewed
interest in the subgenre, and a lot of retrospective love for a location that’s
continually grasped our collective interest.

White’s film spends a good amount of time
introducing its group of potential victims, and perhaps too long putting them
into position. It’s sometimes slow and the acting can wobble, but for the most
part the cast do well with what they have. White does best when he figures out
what he wants his film to be, but by then too much time has passed and too many
characters have been unceremoniously offed. Left specializes in
rough-around-the-edges films with too little gore to be shocking and not enough
story to be interesting. The Devil’s
Woods suffers from exactly those issues.

What’s frustrating is that White has the
bare bones of a decent folk horror (The
Wicker Man’s animal masks and weird locals et all) but doesn’t quite exploit
them as much as Paul Scott’s eerie acoustic soundtrack does.  The Devil’s
Woods is also remarkably tame in its scares and gore, notching only two
real gruesome moments and a lot of plain-Jane scare tactics. Much of the
botched horror comes from badly edited action and too much low-quality shooting
in boring interiors. There’s a real strain here between the jumpy horror beats
of any old woods horror, and the slow folky vibes of something like Kill List. White cuts around the effects
that he can’t afford pretty well, and is smart to reserve his most gruelling
kill for the shock ending. Some of the best images come from the final act,
where White, serving as cinematographer as well, pulls of a genuinely thrilling
woods chase which achieves more tension than the rest of the film put together
thanks to simple framing and depth of field.

White’s debut is sometimes confusing, and
not particularly ambitious, which is dangerous for a debut film. However,
there’s potential in the last act that proves he can navigate a climax, but
overall, The Devil’s Woods is too
scarce for its short runtime.

THE DEVIL’S WOODS / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: ANTHONY WHITE / STARRING: STEPHEN CROMWELL,  RICHARD MASON, AOIFE KING, EOIN QUINN / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
 

Following the murder of his wife and son at the hands
of gloriously named supervillain Vandal Savage in the year 2066, time traveller
Rip Hunter returns to 2016 to assemble an eclectic group of superheroes in a
last ditch effort to save humanity and prevent Savage from conquering the
world.

Fans
of parent series’ Arrow and The Flash will already be familiar with Hunter’s
squad; Ray Palmer (Atom), Jefferson Johnson and Dr Stein (both halves of
Firestorm), Mick Rory and Leonard Snart (Heat Wave and Captain Cold), Carter
Hall and Kendra Saunders (Hawkman and Hawkgirl), as well as the welcome
resurrection of Sara Lance (White Canary) – but the question remains: with such
an abundance of Marvel/DC products onscreen, can this PG equivalent of the
Suicide Squad find its place amongst an already oversaturated market?

The
answer is a resounding YES. Greg Berlanti (Arrow,
The Flash, Supergirl) knows his audience and isn’t afraid to give them what
they want: a colourful, funny and action-packed series that doesn’t pretend to
be more than it is and employs the talents of its collective cast to full
effect

The
series itself only consists of 16 episodes, but thankfully the story moves at
such a pace that there is no time for any filler episodes. Plenty of humour
punctuates the fight scenes, which grow thrillingly more inventive as the
season progresses towards an explosive finale. Whilst overall light and
family-friendly in tone, don’t be lulled into a false sense of security; it
only takes until the second episode before the team suffers the loss of one of
their own. Inevitably with such a large ensemble there is a healthy dose of
romantic subplots peppered with tension that divides the team and threatens the
mission. 

Arrowheads
will be pleased with the regular cameos from the originals (a doff of the cap
in particular goes to Stephen Amell’s portrayal of a battle-hardened Oliver
Queen in standout episode ‘Star City 2046’), as the team lurches unsteadily
from one time period to the next. Arthur Duvall is a swaggering bundle of
charisma as leader Rip (Duvall himself knowing a thing or two about time travel
shenanigans thanks to his stint as Dr Who’s assistant Rory opposite Matt
Smith), and his interactions with ship’s computer Gideon are a continuous
highlight.

As
with all shows where time-travel is the central theme, the omnipresent warnings
of doom should the timeline be disrupted become a little wearing, though
there’s enough spice to prevent it resembling an old episode of ‘Crime
Traveller’ (look it up, millennials). Savage, Chronos and the Time Masters are
effective antagonists, though the series has yet to replicate the true villainy
of Arrow’s Biggest Bad, Slade Wilson.

With
DC’s cinematic exploits delivering one critically mauled production after
another, it‘s the Arrowverse that continually provides the strongest
competition to the Marvel juggernaut. ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ is a fine string to
that bow. 

LEGENDS OF TOMORROW SEASON 1 / CERT: 15 DIRECTOR AND SCREENPLAY: VARIOUS / STARRING: ARTHUR DARVILL, VICTOR GARBER, BRANDON ROUTH, FRANZ DRAMEH, DOMINIC PURCELL, CAITY LOTZ / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
 

Mild
mannered Sherman Klump is a renowned geneticist. He’s also very fat. His
work in the development of a serum which will make people thin becomes more
urgent when he falls for Carla, a teacher new to his college. Whilst she
seems equally enamoured with Klump, he fears that his weight is a barrier
to romance and decides to try out the DNA altering concoction on himself.
It works, and Buddy Love, Klump’s loud, brash and lithe alter-ego, is
unleashed. The struggle between Sherman and Buddy for dominance leads to all
manner of comedy mayhem.

As
a remake of the classic Jerry Lewis film, this 1996 Eddie Murphy remake is
a lot better than you might expect. As Klump and Buddy Love, Murphy excels
in what might be one his best (several of his best?) roles. His portrayal
of the cerebral professor, a cheerful, kind man unhappy in his body,
is gentle, sympathetic and at times unexpectedly moving. Buddy provides
him with a character closer to the bombastic performances we’re used
to, and it’s hilarious.

But
it’s the introduction of Klump’s family over a dinner date with Carla, delightfully
played by Jada Pinckett Smith, which elevates the film with a scene
of comedy perfection. With the aid of some incredible Oscar-winning make
up from Rick Baker, playing his own father, brother, grandmother and, best
of all, mother, Murphy is next to unrecognisable beneath mounds of latex
but creates distinctly different and brilliantly realised characters. It’s
a technical miracle, the family interaction is seamless with Murphy playing
most of the people around the dinner table, and it is joyously funny.

It’s
not the only stand out scene. A scene in a comedy club where the vile stand
up picks on Klump with a series of fat jokes it turned on its head when
Buddy returns and literally wipes the floor in a reminder of why Murphy
was also one of the best stand-ups around.

Perhaps
what surprises most is how touching it is. Buddy is such an endearing
character and his weight is seen, ultimately, as a problem for other
people, not his. It’s fat Sherman who gets the girl, not ‘sexy’ Buddy.
Acceptance of who you are is the message, and it works without being cloying.

Plus
it has one of the best fart jokes ever put on screen and credit outtakes
which will leave you in pain you’ll laugh so hard.

Taking
the best elements of the film and ratcheting them up a few notches without
hanging much of a plot around them does not a great sequel make, so it’s
a shame that the 2000 follow up lacks the first film’s charm. Smith is gone,
and Janet Jackson is the new love interest, Carla who we cared about in
the first film resigned to a line in the script describing her as ‘just a
friend.’

This
is a showcase of Murphy’s skill as an actor, for sure, with the entire film
revolving around him playing Klump, Buddy and his entire family who, as
the title suggests, feature throughout, but it’s less involving and, consequently,
not as funny.

But
there’s no denying the brilliance of Murphy in what amounts to some of his
best ever performances across both films.

THE NUTTY PROFESSOR / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR: TOM SHADYAC / SCREENPLAY: DAVID SHEFFIELD / STARRING: EDDIE MURPHY, JADA PINKETT, JAMES COBURN, LARRY MILLER / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

THE NUTTY PROFESSOR 2 / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR: PETER SEGAL / SCREENPLAY: BARRY W. BLAUSTEIN, DAVID SHEFFIELD / STARRING: EDDIE MURPHY, JANET JACKSON, LARRY MILLER, JOHN ALES / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

As 1986’s Dead End Drive-In begins, we’re told just a few
years later in the 90s the world has gone to hell, the economy is in ruins,
food is scarce and crime is rampant. 
Gangs drive the streets, fighting each other and salvage crews for the
‘rewards’ of things like car parts after accidents.  In an effort to curb crime, the police and
the owners of some drive-ins conspire to trap unemployed young people, then
give them easy access to food, drugs, booze, crappy movies and music.  In short, everything they need to keep
entertained, accept their fate and not try to escape.  Crabs is the charming nickname given to
Jimmy, who opens the movie engaging in some risky jogging (maybe it’s a thing
in the crime-ridden future, we’ll probably know soon enough).  Crabs is a pretty simple guy – he just wants
to keep fit, make some money and, uh, get to know his girlfriend, Carmen.  So he ‘borrows’ his brother’s beloved 56
Chevy and decides to take Carmen to the drive-in. And get in with two tickets
on the ‘unemployed’ rate.  It’s not long
before his car has fewer wheels than needed to drive home.  Stranded at the drive-in, the owner tells
Crabs and Carmen not to expect to leave any time soon.  Carmen settles into the new world pretty
quickly but Crabs just wants to get back to his life outside the electrified
fences that surround them.

Made during the first wave of
Ozploitation flicks, Dead End Drive-In takes inspiration from many of
the post-apocalyptic genre films around in the late 70s and 80s, especially the
homegrown Mad Max series.  A similarly
low budget film, it’s got a great done-on-the-cheap production design that
helps build a sense of heightened reality. 
The premise might be pretty much flimsy nonsense but the slum of the
drive-in is beautifully realised and feels convincingly lived in.  Social commentary abounds in this microcosm
of society of the time too, on race, consumerism, the way people can be conned
into thinking what they’ve got is good, even the evils of fast food.  It might not be subtle satire on the
contemporary culture, but it’s not done with a sledgehammer either and doesn’t
get in the way of a good time.

We could argue not much
happens for a long time after Crabs and Carmen get to the drive-in, director
Brian Trenchard-Smith seemingly saving his meagre money for explosive stunt
set-pieces at the end.   It’s intensely
1980s as well, which is apparently not everyone’s thing, so be warned. The
acting is fine, though sometimes we imagine this could have been what a Very
Special Episode of Heartbreak High about dropping acid could have been
like.  These are generally very minor
points though in what’s for the most part a hugely fun and entertaining minor
genre gem.

DEAD END DRIVE-IN / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: BRIAN TRENCHARD-SMITH / SCREENPLAY: PETER SMALLEY / STARRING: NED MANNING, NATALIE MCCURRY, PETER WHITFORD, WILBUR WILDE / RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 20TH