Cockney vs Zombies (2012)

Cockney vs Zombies (2012)

Cockney vs Zombies (2012)

Film two of #Junesploitation and this wasn’t my first choice but I think Sean of the Dead would have been way too obvious.

Though this did have a similar scene to the pub scene and the guts being picked out of the belly of a character.

Loved the vulture right at the start, let you know the level of seriousness this was going to be taken at, though the title should have been enough.

Geezers, a heist, knees up, guns, and high-speed zimmer frame exploits, this had it all, even Chas and Dave.

It even had a few Carry On moments harking back to the time most of the older actors were making most of their work.

Full of Cockney stalwarts and British up and coming, I really hope everyone was having as much fun as they seemed to.

As would be expected with a film like this the effects weren’t top notch but were good enough to carry the film all the way through.

A laugh from start to end if you’re able to go into it looking for an hour and a half of fun as that’s all this was, a nice little escape.


Cockneys vs Zombies | August 2, 2013 (United States) 5.9
Director: Matthias HoeneSummary:

Watch Me When I Kill (1977)

Watch Me When I Kill (1977)

Watch Me When I Kill (1977)

This is my first watch in this year’s Junesploitation extravaganza!

A lot of face action going on in this twisty post-war Italian thriller, lot’s of close ups of actors emoting loudly toward the camera.

Pretty standard thriller with a couple of juicy red herrings to throw you off the trail.

Absolutely loved the taxi driver and main character shooting off in a taxi from the scene of a crime rather than staying and helping the police but then there wouldn’t have been much of a film if they hadn’t.

The Tango during the opening credits!

It wasn’t a straightforward film, especially with some of the subtitling, but it was an OK enough watch especially for a schlock film from the 70s, and those clothes brought back nightmares!

Couldn’t link the film to the title though, there was no ‘Peeping Tom’ vibe at all.

Showed Italy as a bit of a dump, all greys and muted tones, even the clothes were muted.

Another of those abrupt as hell endings which left a lot in the air really.

 


Watch Me When I Kill | September 3, 1982 (United States) 5.9
Director: Antonio BidoSummary:

Little Visitor & Other Abductions

Adam Szym. Oni Press, (168p) ISBN: . Horror, read 16/05/25, eBook ★★★★☆

Little Visitor & Other Abductions

Little Visitor & Other Abductions

The cover of this intrigued me when I saw it on NetGalley, and who doesn’t love a good old alien abduction? (and it’s put out by Oni Press who seem to be on such a great streak over the last couple of years)

Three interconnected stories involving aliens and their interactions with humans, all three are so strong as stand alones but the interactions between them and the end themes make this work wonderfully as a whole.

The black ink dark artwork with no colour is an excellent choice for such stark tales, the shadows are where all of the darkest acts of horror occur and this all plays out a bit like a pulp movie which in a way mirrors the first story, Little Visitor, where a communist film company tries their take on E.T. (the ameerican movie) but as the story unfolds a tragedy occurs and this is the story of that tragedy seen as flash backs, the whole story uses film techniques to great effect, strong and punchy visuals carry this along to it’s conclusion.

The next story, A Cordial Invitation, takes us to a New Year party in the middle of nowhere, with a twist, another that has a very filmic feel, almost Rocky Horror but with the horror amped up quite a bit. A sacrifice, a journey, a cult, what more could you want?

And the final story, Frolicker, is the most disturbing really as the strangers who encourage the violent thoughts into a teens head have been there before but this time they are more insidious, who are they and what is their agenda, Children of the Corn comes to mind here.

A brilliantly realised project, dark and haunting, otherworldly but firmly planted in a filmic tradition of graphic novels though this really seems to loan from film making quite strongly it turns it into a wonderful graphic experience.

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Meat Eaters

Meredith McClaren. Oni Press, (248p) ISBN: 9781637157923. Horror, read 22/04/25, eBook ★★★★★

Meat Eaters

Meat Eaters

This is another graphic novel from Oni Press and I love when they put something out for review as I’m rarely disappointed.

Ashley wakes up dead with no recollection of how it happened, and that’s just the start of her problems.

First thoughts are ‘am I a zombie’ but she still has her brains without an exclusive desire to eat brains.

The art style throughout is really strong and fun, supporting and expanding a really sharp story of those that dwell in the shadows.

There are a couple of bits of dialogue I really hope aren’t changed in the finished book, one is “It’s not that I have anything against people. I can play nice. I’ve worked retail.” We all feel that one.

Vampires, werewolves, and so much more which you just have to discover for yourself, I didn’t get it right…

Relax. It’s mostly horse. How dangerous can it be?

We follow Ashley and her clan, yes she becomes the leader of a werewolf clan, as they negotiate the world of darkness and the intrinsic of community college and late teen life.

Absolutely loved this and will be one I buy in hard copy when it comes out in July.

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bite Risk: Cold Blood

S.J. Wills. Simon & Schuster, (288p) ISBN: 9781398521001. Young Adult, read 17/04/25, Paperback ★★★★☆

Bite Risk: Cold Blood

Bite Risk: Cold Blood

This just sort of snuck up on me and I had to do a lot of chasing as soon as I saw it was coming up soon.

One of my favourite YA series of the last few years, Cold Blood is the finale of the Ripper series. Werewolves, evil mega-corporations, splintered society, and teens trying to figure their way through all of it with a doozy of a metaphor for puberty.

In this episode we see Sel and friends having to deal with a lot of the aftermath of Book 2 and their new abilities all while the Immutable groups grow stronger, throw a new problem in the mix and we get a brilliant adventure taking us deeper into the mythology of where Rippers came from through this is just hinted at by a passing phrase late in the book.

Sel has to come to grips with new powers from the bite of the Revenant and at times worries those around him with how little control he is showing and how much he likes the abilities he’s gained.

All the while the company that took over the research is now looking at a cure, what could go wrong? Well this is the core of what Sel has to deal with all the while dodging everyone who sees him as the greatest threat to the world there is.

Fast-paced and full of tense adventure this was a great finale to the series and the ending leaves the world of Rippers, Frozen Fever, megacorps, and a lot of what was hinted at the end of Book 1 wide open for a return.

I’d love to see some more of the world explored as there was so much more hinted at if you caught the references.

I received this from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review.

Predator (1987)

Predator (1987)

Predator (1987)

Right from the start you could smell the testosterone oozing from the screen, but in the right way.

This is another vehicle for the talent that is Arnold Schwarzenegger, as most of the 80s was. He did action but each of them seemed to have a little bit of a twist that took them just outside the run of the mill action films.

Team this up with John McTiernan who really knows how to direct a half decent action film (Die Hard!) and we have a marriage made in heaven.

What looks like a straight forward action blaster from the start, rescue mission that’s really a cover up for a CIA operation. Lots of gun fire, betrayals, and goodies win out in the end.

But the brilliant twist on this is the addition of one of the best sci-fi protagonists of the 80s, The Predator, and an excellent but sparse script moving the action forward and piling up the tension.

Completely forgot how much I enjoyed this film, and was lucky enough to see it in the cinema when it came out.

The alien proceeds to hunt the special ops group, upping their testosterone at every step, and knocking them off one by one.

Though still don’t really get the bit with Billy near the end, just a bit silly, but then again it is a silly film, good but silly.

The ending is an absolute classic, setting up further films for the franchise.

Predator | June 12, 1987 (United States) 7.8
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