9/17/2018

REVENGE (2017) (Review)

Title: Revenge
Writer/ Director: Coralie Fargeat
Cast: Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz (as Matilda Lutz), Kevin Janssens, Vincent Colombe
Min: 108
Year: 2017 (released in the US 2018)

Beautiful, American born Jen (Matilda Lutz) is in a secret relationship with married and wealthy French man Richard (Kevin Janssens). Together, they are on a secret getaway at a house that he owns in the middle of the desert. There, he will later meet up with two of his hunting buddies, Stan (Vincent Colombe) and Dimitri (Guillaume Bouchède). But, they end up arriving a day early, surprising the couple.

That night they have a fun night of drinks. Jen dances provocatively, as the men have their eyes on her body. The next day, while Richard is away, Stan tries to get Jen to have sex with him, claiming that by the way she was dancing, she was coming on to him. When she shoots him, he gets pissed off and rapes her. Dimitri sees what is happening and does nothing, ignoring what is happening. When Richard comes back, Stan tells him what has happened. Richard tries to pay off Jen, so that she won't tell anyone. To which she responds that she will tell Richard's wife everything. They chase after her. But, as they reach a cliff, Richard pushes her off of it. She falls and lands on a tree becoming impaled. She doesn't die, though, and soon she begins her revenge on the three scumbags.

Revenge is a French (that has both English and French dialogue) rape-revenge movie that has been receiving much deserved massive critical adoration. It is without question the best movie of the sub-genre since Abel Ferrara's masterful Ms. 45 and one of the very best movies of the year. In fact, the flick is a modern genre masterpiece that will be studied and talked about in the years to come.

Writer/ director Coralie Fargeat has made one of the most exciting and breathtaking directorial debuts in the genre in many a moon. It is has a strong and true feminist view which sets apart from many of the most renowned movies this kind, all of which are made by men. Her message is clear and very much in key with the current world of the "me too" movement. It clearly states that no matter how a woman is dressed or however one might perceive her behavior to be, no is fucking no, and that is the end of it. So, don't be a fucking scumbag.

At the beginning of the movie, the camera ogles and worships the beauty of Jen. The way her body is framed and centered on acts as the male eye. But, she is more than a sex object. And, as she begins her bloody vengeance she becomes a strong and powerful character, that we cheer on as she takes on the pieces of shit who wronged her in such horrible manners.

Fargeat is also great at breeding tension. The camera follows the hunted and the hunters, raising the blood and getting your pulse going. You hope and cheer as she offs the next asshole, and one worries that she doesn't get herself hurt or worse. The camera also always makes the environment clear and easy for the audience to understand, adding to the suspense. The pitch perfect editing and cutting, many times back and forth, further adds to pulse pounding, edge of your seat feel.

Beyond that, the movie is beautiful to look at. I am only referring to Lutz' inherit beauty. The movie's colors pop and blister, especially in the desert heat. Fargeat also makes the violence extremely graphic, including some of the most blood spraying squibs you are likely to see and sets drenched in splattered blood.

All four of the actors are excellent. Our three villains are detestable male chauvinist pigs, bought to reality by the actors portraying them. They never enter the realm of camp or of over-the-top indulgence. Janssens, in particular, makes for villain that you cannot wait till he gets his comeuppance.

Lutz, though, is the movie's true star. And, this film never let's you forgot that. She is the centerpiece and the heart of the story. As such, the actress does an amazing job of bringing Jen to life. This is a tour-de-force role and the single breakthrough performance of the year, so far.

Revenge is an unbridled masterpiece. It takes the rape-revenge movie into feminist territory that it has long flirted but never fully committed to. The movie is expertly directed and edited. Intense and brutally violent, it grabs your attention and never lets it go. Beautiful to look and with a never more appropriate than now theme, the flick is a timely masterwork. With excellent acting and a career defining performance by Lutz, it achieves cinematic success after cinematic success. Available on DVD and Blu-Ray and exclusively streaming on Shudder, there is no excuse for fans of revenge and quality, but bloody, genre film-making to miss this one.

4 out of 4

DEATH WISH II- Special Edition, Shout Factory (Blu-Ray Review)

3:48 PM Giovanni Deldio No comments

Title: Death Wish II
Director: Michael Winner
Writer: David Engelbach, Brain Garfield (characters)
Cast: Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Vincent Gardina, J.D. Cannon, Anthony Franciosa, Ben Frank
Year: 1982
Min: 91 (unrated), 88 (R-rated)

Blu-ray released by: Shout Factory

Specs:

Sound: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Image:

Resolution: 1080p Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Plot-Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) has moved on with with his life and is living in LA. He is dating radio reporter, Geri Nichols (Jill Ireland). His daughter Carol (this time played by pretty Robin Sherwood) has been going through therapy and finally seems to have begun to show some signs of recovery. Kersey takes both Geri and Carol to the fairground. He goes on line to get some ice cream and, then, a street gang picks Kersey's pocket. He catches up with one of them and roughs him up. But, that guy doesn't have his wallet. Kersey lets the scumbag go.

Soon there after, the gang breaks into Kersey's home, where they brutally gang-rape the maid, Rosario (Silvana Gallardo). When, Kersey finally gets home, he gets knocked out. They then kidnap Carol. One of the gang members take one final, brutal blow to the head of Rosario, leaving her dead and naked on the floor. Meanwhile, at their hideout, Carol gets raped by one of the gang members, while the others look on. After he is done, she runs and jumps out the window. Her body falls on a gate spike, impaling and killing her. Despite everything that has occured, Kersey gives no information to the cops and instead decides to go after the gang, himself, with his trusty gun.

Review- The sleaziest and nastiest of the Death Wish sequels, the second entry has long lived in infamy. It is also genuinely the best sequel in the series. A violent, taut revenge thriller that stands as the type of mainstream action film that would never be made today. An early hit for the legendary Cannon Films, it has become a cult classic and, now thanks to Shout Factory we can see it unrated finally. But, more on that later.

The acting is solid, although not much character development is given to the villains. We get what is need to further tell the story and that's it. As such, the bad guys are multi-ethnic gang members, who include among their ranks a young Laurence Fishburne. The main scumbag is Nirvana (Thomas C. Duffy), but all we need to know is that the bad guys are sick perverts and criminals. There is no redeeming them, and they simply need to die.

Bronson is his genuine badass self, taking shit with great calm. He just does what he needs to, IE finding the gang and pumping lead into them. His interactions with Ireland's (his wife, at the time, who does a good job here) character of Geri adds some light moments to the grim film. Vincent Gardina returns in the role of Frank Ochoa, from the first film. He comes from NY to look for Kersey and gives some of the film's best laughs.

Returning director Winner shows some nice style with some good, fluid camera movement. The movie is a bit slow at times. But, it is more interested in being a captivating revenge thriller, than an all out action film, unlike the entries that followed. As mentioned before it also very sleazy and admit ably mean-spirited. The intense violence is upped considerably from the original which didn't really have any graphic blood-letting.

This is most evident in this unrated cut. For years US fans have heard about this longer and more graphic unrated cut. To earn an R-rating in the US three scenes were cut down. The first two are the very nasty rape scenes, including a longer take on Rosario's nude, dead body. Yes, the rapes are, indeed, worse and harder to look at in the unrated version, than they ever were before. Also, Carol's gory implement is slightly longer and in more looming detail.

Picture- This is definitely an upgrade from the earlier MGM Blu-ray release. There is still a decent amount of grain, but there isn't anyway you were gonna fully get rid of that. The improvement comes in form of the excellent colors. They are more lively than before and detail is excellent. This is the best this movie will ever look and as such stands as a superb picture transfer of an 80s exploitation, action film.

Sound- The stereo sound is good. Dialogue sounds clear and isn't drowned out by other sounds. Jimmy Page's soundtrack (in case you don't know he did the film's cool score) and the action scenes sound aggressive enough to give it a little extra kick in the ass.

Extras- You have the option of watching Death Wish II in either the R version or the aforementioned unrated cut. For many Death Wish that might have been enough reason to buy this Blu-ray, but Shout Factory again deliver the goods in the extra feature department.

As, it also has brand new running commentary over the unrated version by the author of Bronson's Loose!: The Making of the Death Wish Films, Paul Talbot. He really knows what he is talking about and gives fans a plethora of interesting and fascinating facts. He talks about the ratings problems, what was cut from the R, about the cast, etc. He talks about everything you want to know about the movie. This is a definite must listen for fans of the film, franchise, and Bronson, himself.

It also has the film's theatrical trailer and TV spot, the later of which is not mentioned in the back of the packing but is included.

On top of all of this, it also has a reversible cover, that features two different movie posters of the film.

Final Thoughts- Death Wish II might just be the sleaziest and dirtiest entry in a mainstream action franchise ever. It's also violent, badass, and holds your interest throughout. The best of the sequels in the series, it is finally given a US unrated release. And, it is a stellar one at that. Featuring the best picture it ever had, or likely ever will with a good sound quality, it hits the marks in the aesthetic aspect of the disc. There isn't a whole shit load of extras, but what there is excellent in nature. For Bronson and Death Wish fans this Blu-ray as an absolute must have!

Movie: 4 out of 5
Picture: 4
Sound: 3
Extras: 3.5

Bound to Vengeance

1:32 PM Giovanni Deldio No comments

Title: Bound to Vengeance
Director: J.M. Craviato
Writers: Kieth Kjornes and Rock Shaink. Jr.
Cast: Tina Ivlev, Richard Tyson, Amy Okuda, Bianca Malinowski, Stephanie Charles, Dustin Quick
Year: 2015
Min: 93

Eve (Tina Ivlev), who is chained in the basement of a house, hits her captor, Phil (Richard Tyson) with a brick. She manages to successfully free herself, but soon realizes that she needs to go back inside the house, which is in the middle of nowhere (of course!), to get the keys for the van parked outside. She looks throughout the house and stumbles upon pictures of various other girls, all of whom are also held prisoner but in various other houses and buildings. She soon forces Phil to show her where each of the girls are located, but it doesn't take her long to realize the nightmarish conditions that they are each held captive in.

I am a sucker for a good revenge film and Bound to Vengeance more than fits that bill. This solid and well crafted exercise in savagery is one of the year's best horror flicks. Writers Kieth Kjornes and Rock Shaink. Jr. manage to tell a story that sucks you right in, even if the road isn't completely new. Despite this it does manage to feel fresh enough where it never comes off as a rehash of anything you have seen before. There are enough interesting elements in the story to make it shine and standout.

Craviato's directing works well with the script slowly tying in nicely edited flashbacks with the present. They converge strongly with each other, as well as play off of each other with a nice contrast. We get to see Eve in "happier" days. It also adds a stronger punch to a revelation towards the end of the film. The director also masterfully builds suspense and tension. This reaches its maximum peak at the nail-biting climax. It becomes almost unbearable as your heart will be racing faster and faster. Craviato also does not flinch when comes to showing violence. Like most good (and bad, for that matter) revenge films, the bloodletting plays for keeps. Bludgeonings, blood spattering squibs, and impalings round out the mayhem.

But, it's the two leads who really propel the film to levels of excellence. The beautiful Tina Ivlev plays a tough and determined heroine. We feel for her and are firmly on her side. She manages to add pathos and emotion so as not be a simple revenge driven killing machine. As her character goes through an increasing emotional and physical hell there is a psychological development that she plays to perfection. Meanwhile, Richard Tyson plays a sleazy, conniving, and tricky son of bitch that makes for a villain you want to see suffer. He is perfect for this role. The supporting cast also do nice work, even if their roles are considerably smaller in length.

Bound to Vengeance is just what fans of revenge films are looking for. It ends up being a more satisfying viewing experience than the more well advertised I Spit on Your Grave III: Vengeance Is Mine. It tells a compelling and well plotted tale with a good dose of nasty violence. Accompanied by excellent performances and extremely solid and strong directing, it is one of the best revenge films in recent memory.

**** out of ****

Trailer to Soska Sister's VENDETTA Gets Released!

5:28 PM Giovanni Deldio No comments

The other day the poster to the latest film, Vendetta, (see above) from the awesome and talented as hell Twisted Twins, Jen and Sylvia Soska, was released. Today the trailer to the movie was launched by IGN. This is their latest via WWE Studios. The last film they did for the studio was the superior sequel See No Evil 2. This revenge film starring Dean (Lois and Clarke) Cain and WWE superstar The Big Show, looks totally badass, and I, for one, cannot wait to see it!!

Click on the following link to be able to see it for yourself, then let me know your thoughts on it! http://m.ign.com/videos/2015/05/06/vendetta-trailer-debut

I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE 2 (2013) Review

4:21 PM Giovanni Deldio No comments

I have another review up at best-horror-movies.com today. It's for the highly anticipated and brutal rape-revenge sequel I Spit On Your Grave 2. I know a couple of you guys really wanted to hear my thoughts on it; so if you go to http://www.best-horror-movies.com/review?name=i-spit-on-your-grave-2-2013-review you can read them there.

Death Sentence

12:48 PM Giovanni Deldio No comments

Director: James Wan
Writer: Ian Mackenzie Jeffers (based on the novel of the same name by Brian Garfield)
Cast: Kevin Bacon, John Goodman, Kelly Preston, Jordan Garrett, Stuart Lafferty, Aisha Tyler
Min: 105
Year: 2007

Nick Hume (Kevin Bacon) is an executive with a good family life. One night he and his oldest son, a hokey playing teen, stop a gas station. The son goes in and a gang come in and rob and kill the man behind the register. Then son then gets gets throat slashed by a machete wielding member, as part of his initiation. When, the district attorney tells Hume that he can give the scumbag a guaranteed sentence of 2 to 3 yrs, if he agrees to a lower charge, Hume decides to take manner into his own hands. When he kills him, the gang leader, brother to the deceased swears war on Hume and his family. But, the gang may soon learn that they have fucked with the wrong man.

James (Saw) Wan's ultra-violent revenge thriller works well as a throwback to the 70s movies of this type. The script is very (and I do mean very) loosely based on the novel of the same written by Brian Garfield. Garfield wrote this book as a sequel to his classic Death Wish (which is the book the masterpiece starring Charles Bronson was based on). There is little to nothing to do with that book, but this film works regardless of that.

There is little new or original material that the film adds to the sub-genre, but it is in the handling of the subject-matter that makes it work so well. First and foremost, Bacon gives one of my favorite performances I have ever seen him do. He is loving as a father and badass as a scum-killing motherfucker. His decent into vigilantism is well done,

as he is disgusted at first, but by the end becomes a cold-blooded killing machine. I enjoyed the rest of the cast, as well, with Goodman coming off as a suitably sleazy gun-dealer and higher-up to the gang.

Wan gives the movie a washed out look that fits the proceedings. The pacing is fast and furious and the movie never fails to grab your interest. The violence is bloody and exceptionally well handled. Gory squibs, head shots, throat slashing, stabbing, and, best of all, a shotgun amputation manage to give the type of blood-letting that I so like to see in this type of movie and something made by Wan.

It should be noted that the DVD has a director's unrated cut, but there is no extra gore. Instead it is all exposition, which somewhat slow the film down. Though, they don't hurt the movie, it's the theatrical cut that is the superior version.

This is actually my favorite Wan movie. While, Saw might be the better movie; this one holds up much better to repeated viewings. It's ultimately a solid, bloody, and kick-ass movie, with one hell of a climax. If you have never seen it, you owe yourself a favor of viewing of it.

**** out of ****