Category Archives: Occasional gore

2010, Acceptable Trash, Comedy, Gangs, Gay theme, Mayhem, Occasional gore, Super Hero, Suspense, Unusual, Violent, Vulgar

Kick-Ass (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Inspired by his love of comic books, high school student Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) decides to transform himself into a masked crime fighter — a decision that eventually thrusts the teenager into Internet stardom. Soon, Dave’s antics inspire a wave of would-be heroes to don costumes and live out their superhero fantasies. Nicolas Cage, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Chloe Moretz also star in this comic book adaptation from director Matthew Vaughn.

Thanks to my deep-tissue neurological torture-massage specialist Chris Smith (a movie fan) for recommending this outrageous sample of mayhem.

Except for Nicolas Cage, I recognized no other actor. Of course, many of the actors are teenagers. At first my reaction was, “Oh no, not a teenage film !” But stick with the film for awhile and you might enjoy the very, very violent fun in this satire on super heroes. In fact the violence is two things: extreme, and extremely unlikely. Scene after scene the daring duo (Nicolas Cage and the character playing his daughter) perform outrageously impossible feats of marital art, shooting, gun reloading, etc. Without digital techniques this film could not begin to exist.

I am reminded of the 2007 Clive Owen film “Shoot ‘Em Up” in which time after time he performs remarkably impossible shooting sequences. If you enjoyed one of these films, you will probably enjoy the other.

From time to time I really had to laugh at jokes and some slapstick. Warning: this film is not for everyone, and is certainly not for mature audiences, and in fact could easily become another outlandish cult film. Another warning: out of the mouth of the child super hero comes some very vulgar purple prose. Shocking!

Sadly, I enjoyed the spectacle. Shame on me!

2010, Based on true facts, French, Military, Occasional gore, Quiet, Religious Theme, Slow, Suspense, Terrorist Attack, Unusual

Of Gods and Men (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Awarded Grand Prix honors at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, this compelling historical drama relates the ordeal of seven French Trappist monks in the mountains of Algeria who are taken captive by Islamic fundamentalists. Before the monks’ abduction, they have ample reason to believe they may be in danger, but their assumption that there can and must be common ground between Islam and Christianity leads them to remain at the monastery.

Quiet, beautifully photographed, possibly inspiring (depending on your point of view), this film is an unusual gem. It is based on a true story which you will find in the Wikipedia article.

Notable throughout is the chanting of the monks. In fact the only other music that I can recall is Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake overture played on a tape recorder in an unforgettable dinner scene.

Among other things the film is a study in the characters of each of the monks, each of whom must decide whether to flee from death by terrorists or to stay at the monastery and accept his fate. In this respect there is a constant atmosphere of menace at war with the peace and quiet.

Kathy and I debated afterward about whether their decision to stay really did any good for anyone or had any meaning at all.

Normally I don’t like to include spoilers, but here I make an exception for a good reason. Do not avoid this film because you expect to see violence brought against the monks. You never see this violence explicitly. (However, you do witness a Croatian worker having his throat slit.) Rather that final violence is implied in the perfect photographic ending.

French with subtitles.

2009, Could Be Hard To Watch, Drama, Grim, Horror, Occasional gore, Suspense, Violent

Carriers (2009)

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From NetFlix:

As a lethal virus spreads across the globe, brothers Brian (Chris Pine) and Danny (Lou Taylor Pucci), along with Bobby (Piper Perabo) and Kate (Emily VanCamp), seek a supposed plague-free haven. But while circumventing those infected, the travelers begin to turn against one another. Real-life brothers Alex Pastor and David Pastor write and direct this apocalyptic chiller, which co-stars Christopher Meloni.

More apocalypse than horror film, this film about the human race dying of a plague really concentrates on two brothers and the two women traveling with them and their relations with one another. These relations are challenged to the extreme by the need to follow certain rules designed to keep them plague-free. Tough choices are made throughout the film.

Among the four travelers Brian (Chris Pine of Unstoppable (2010)) is clearly the leader. Actors Pine and Pucci carry their parts well.

Christopher Meloni of “Law and Order: Special Victims” fame, has a part as the father of an infected young daughter. His role is just a bit more than a cameo, but he does it well.

Children would be frightened by the sight of the dying and dead infected blood-encrusted victims. But the film is really about choosing between survival and whatever criteria we had for good human behavior in the pre-plague past.

Never a dull moment!

2010, British Mystery Series, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crime, Dark, Detective, Grim, Gritty, Kidnapping, Nudity, Occasional gore, Sadism, Serial Killer, Suspense, Torture, TV Series, Violent

Luther (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Idris Elba (“The Wire”) stars in this powerful television drama as Det. John Luther, whose personal demons complicate the chase as he searches for the evidence to convict mass murderer Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson), who is also his closest confidante. Luther’s marriage to the long-suffering Zoe (Indira Varma) is equally complicated, and after she leaves him, he pours even more frenetic energy into the pursuit of London’s most nefarious criminals.

So grim at times that wife Kathy left the room during certain scenes, this well-done detective series will hold your attention. Each episode is self-contained although throughout the entire series the super intelligent and equally psychotic Alice meddles with every plot. We almost did not get past the initial episode because Luther is seemingly so out of control it was messy to watch. However, we did continue and it did pay off.

It seems to me that TV series such as “Law and Order: Special Victims”, “Criminal Minds”, and the other wannabees are competing to be every more gory and explicit. In this respect “Luther” is no exception. In one episode the sadist kidnaps a mother, stores her alive in a freezer, drains her blood, and freezes her to death (which is where Kathy fled from the TV screen). Is this entertainment? At least NOT FOR CHILDREN !

And to think I enjoyed the series !

2010, Drama, Drugs, Gloomy, Grim, Occasional gore, Violent

Winter’s Bone (2010)

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From NetFlix:

In director Debra Granik’s unflinching noir drama set deep in the Ozarks, resilient teen Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) goes on the trail of her missing, drug-dealing father when his absence jeopardizes the family’s safety. Her deadbeat dad has a key court date pending, and Ree is determined that he show up — despite the objections of the insular Dolly clan. The film earned an Independent Spirit Award nod and won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.

Jennifer Lawrence superbly lets a light shine in a grim Ozark setting in which the standard livelihood is cooking crystal meth. Compared with all the other characters she is just too healthy looking, too normal size, too responsible, really too attractive. But she is not Hollywood, she fits right in.

In one sense you might describe most of the film as Ree’s searching and visiting one strange character after another looking for her dad Jessup. Even so, the journey is never boring, probably because every second feels so authentic (but then, I’ve never been in the Ozarks and, from what the film shows me, I will NEVER visit the Ozarks).

One odd fact: there is absolutely no reference to sex in the film.

Without giving anything away, please stay with the story and I promise you a happy ending.

2000, Could Be Hard To Watch, Dark, Drugs, Explicit sex, Gay theme, Grim, Horror, Nudity, Occasional gore, Sadism, Serial Killer, Suspense, Violent, Vulgar

American Psycho (2000)

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From NetFlix:

With a chiseled chin and an iron physique, Patrick Bateman’s looks make him the ideal yuppie — and the ideal serial killer. That’s the joke behind American Psycho, which follows a killer at large during the 1980s junk-bond boom. Bateman (Christian Bale) takes pathological pride in everything from his business card to his Huey Lewis CD collection, all the while plotting his next victim’s vivisection.

Opinions vary wildly on this controversial film. Despite the horror, I found myself laughing at the satirical approach to nonchalant mayhem. Moreover, in this vein I saw the obvious connection between this story and the TV series Dexter (2006) featuring a serial killer who kills serial killers.

Certain more objectionable parts were left in the uncut version that I got from NetFlix. Should I have felt guilty watching this film ? At any rate, let me just jot down some “notes” and let you decide. To help you form an opinion you might also read the Wikipedia article.

  • Christian Bale is a study in perfect acting. He put himself through intense physical training to look the part.
  • Much of the satire centers on the complete vapidity of the financial traders. They constantly try to outdo each other by creating fancy calling cards. At one point Patrick is so incensed that someone else’s card is nicer than his card that he goes out and vents his anger by murdering someone.
  • Another point of satire is the obsession about eating at the best restaurant, one-upping each other on begin able to get a prized reservation.
  • Reese Witherspoon does a great job as Patrick’s clueless fiancee. In one restaurant scene she babbles on about the personalities she spies while Patrick is drawing sadomasochistic pictures on the tablecloth.
  • Willem Dafoe is a totally different actor from his usual self. He successfully portrays a private detective affecting an exaggerated smile and cloying society manners.
  • Little by little I began to suspect that Patrick’s intimate circle of financial goons (who explicitly hated women) were all homosexual. Patrick calls this phenomenon the “Yale thing”.
  • As he prepares yet another victim for slaughter, he banters on and on to that unsuspecting victim about the marvels of some piece of popular music.
  • You never see damage being done to a human body. You may be there while it is happening, but you do not really see it. Just the very bloody aftermath. At one point you see a completely naked and blood covered Patrick running down a hall with a chain saw.
  • At one point Patrick really loses his grip and the film also seems to lose control.

My biggest disappointment was that I did not understand how the story ended. If anyone has the stomach to watch this blood bath, please tell me how Patrick gets away with his crimes. Did he kill someone who was pretending to be Paul Allen ? What happened when at the end he steals into an apartment being shown for rent only to discover that all his bodies stashed in the closet have disappeared ?

Not really a gore fest, but close!

2004, Crime, Detective, Mystery Film, Occasional gore, Plot Twist, Police Story, Psychological Thriller, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Stalker, Suspense, Violent

Twisted (2004)

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From NetFlix:

Female cop Jessica (Ashley Judd) is more dedicated to enforcing the law than most of her colleagues, since she feels she has a lot to make up for: Her father moonlighted as a serial killer. Could it be that the apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree? That’s what Jessica thinks when she finds herself at the center of her own investigation as past lovers inexplicably start dying at a breakneck pace.

Did I guess who-done-it ? No, I was wrong twice. Try your own luck.

Good acting, well shot in San Francisco, well-known actors, sexy! Could have been an hour TV crime show but the film is still a strong B+. Not a total waste of time.

2008, Conspiracy, Could Be Hard To Watch, Detective, Occasional gore, Plot Twist, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Violent

Tell Tale (2008)

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From NetFlix:

In this thriller inspired by Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” Josh Lucas stars as Terry, a single dad who’s kept alive by another man’s heart — a scenario that suits him fine until he discovers that the ticker’s original owner was murdered. Worried that he might come to a similar end, Terry embarks on a desperate search for the donor’s killer in this Michael Cuesta-helmed film produced by Ridley and Tony Scott.

At first I thought this would be a B-grade forgettable film and perhaps it is. However, it was compelling enough that I stayed glued to the screen. Your opinion would be appreciated if you ever watch this film. There are just too many other better films to watch.

While not offering any spoiler to this mystery plus vengeance film, it does seem that lately I have watched many films with a theme of organ transplant (“Repo Men”, “Never Let Me Go”, “Dirty Pretty Things”). I was a bit put off by the vigilante aspects of the film, but it is just a story.

There is one very gory scene toward the end which I cannot discuss without spoiling.

With my poor hearing and because there were no subtitles available, I had trouble understanding how the detective was complicit in the plot. Help would be appreciated.

2010, Could Be Hard To Watch, Cynical, Dark, Drugs, Grim, Occasional gore, Redemption, Suspense, Violent

Repo Men (2010)

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From NetFlix:

In the world of this sci-fi thriller set in the not-too-distant future, artificial organs are readily available to anybody with a credit card. But what happens if a buyer falls delinquent on his payments? Jude Law stars as an organ repo man who’s now fleeing his ex-partner after failing to keep up the payments on his own recently installed ticker. Miguel Sapochnik directs; Forest Whitaker and Liev Schreiber co-star.

Do NOT watch this film with your family in front of a cozy fire near the Christmas tree because “Repo Men” is easily one of the more gory and disturbing films I have ever seen. It is based on the novel Repossession Mambo by Eric Garcia. Having warned you, I now encourage those of you with strong stomachs to see this film. Jude Law, newly beefed up, and his partner Forest Whitaker portray chillingly a pair of opportunist thugs whose job is indeed to retrieve transplanted body organs from clients who have fallen behind on their outrageously expensive loans at more than 19% interest. You must be able to watch Jude Law use a stun gun to paralyze a “deadbeat” and then rip the client’s body open and reach in and pull out a heart, liver, kidney, or whatever. Perhaps you might prefer a Disney movie.

As with so many post-apocalyptic stories, there are abandoned, gritty sections of the city where the castoffs live. It seems most castoffs are hunted for their bodies filled with transplanted organs. For a similar situation see the film “Blade Runner”. Also note the theme of organ transplants in films such as “Dirty Pretty Things” and “Never Let Me Go”.

Before you click away from this description, I have to say that in a certain way this is a story of redemption. There is a point here. Whereas Liev Schreiber does a superb job as an amoral salesman for body parts, and whereas Forest Whitaker seems unconcerned about the ugliness of it all (after all, “a job is just a job”), Jude Law starts to regret and eventually realizes the horror of what he does for a living.

Because the ending confused me, I found it helpful to read the Wikipedia article. Perhaps reading the original book might help.

You have been warned!

2008, Acceptable Trash, Explicit sex, Gay theme, Love Story, Made For TV, Nudity, Occasional gore, Psychic Phenomena, Serial Killer, Suspense, Vampire, Violent

True Blood (2008)

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From NetFlix:

Mind-reading waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin, in a Golden Globe-winning role) dives into a complicated relationship when she falls for vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) in a world where the undead live openly and drink synthetic blood. Trying to improve their image and legitimize their finances, the out-of-the-coffin bloodsuckers hire PR firms and contribute to influential Republican politicians, among other tactics.

Get ready for two seasons of sex, violence, vampires in a well-made TV series of pure unadulterated fun and trash. From episode to episode the writers just get it right. A very young cast does a superb acting job. After watching for awhile I find myself thinking in a southern drawl. This is not gorn (gory porn). For a series on vampires, the writing is thoughtful and metaphorical. By metaphorical I mean that the premise of the series is that the United States is now in an epoch in which vampires are asserting their constitutional rights as is also the gay population. People now get addicted to the new drug of choice: vampire blood (known as “V”). Eventually characters get unwittingly involved with far-right groups out to attack vampires (and gays). Other oddities appear such as shape shifters. The sex is quite explicit and plentiful.

I LOVE TRASH !