Three middle-aged distinguished gentlemen search for some excitement in their boring bourgeois lives and are approached by Lord Courtley who offers them an experience like no other. They don't yet fully realise he is one of Count Dracula's servants. They perform a ritual that goes awry resulting in the three men killing Courtley. However, the Count is successfully resurrected and now seeks revenge on each man for his servant's death. Following on from Dracula Has Risen From the Grave (1968), we open to the scene of Dracula's demise, however, this time featuring a new angle. Travelling businessman, Weller is thrown from his carriage and alerted by horrifying screams, leading him to the frightful sight. Witnessing the body turn to dust, Weller collects the robe, jewellery and a vial of blood for good measure (as any sane person would). We are then introduced to three gentlemen: William Hargood, Samuel Paxton and Jonathon Secker who are deemed 'respectable' figures in the community, devoted to charity work. But, in actuality, they head to brothels leading a secret life in an attempt to escape their dull lives. Upon our initial meeting of the group, I was quite shocked to see the true nature of their so-called work. Admittedly, it was an interesting aspect to explore the double life led by supposed upholding citizens. These men are certainly unlikable, which the actors did a phenomenal job at portraying as they revel in their ingenuity. Of the three men, I found Hargood the most disagreeable. His actions were horrendous, like his punishing of his daughter, Alice, when drunk for no good reason. Still dissatisfied in their lives, they meet Lord Courtley, a man known for partaking in acts such as a Black Mass. Intrigued by what he offers, they follow him to Weller's store to purchase Dracula's items and powdered blood. Meeting at an abandoned church, they begin the ritual, which entails (you guessed it) drinking the blood of Dracula. It is a pretty disgusting scene though likely nothing extreme by Hammer's standards but by all accounts, it was still a sick concept to witness. Although, when they each back out, Courtley drinks alone, falling to the floor in pain, begging for help. The frightened men instead beat him to death putting him out of his misery and flee the scene moments before Courtley's body morphs into none other than Dracula. Now risen a fourth time, he seeks revenge once more this time on those who killed his servant. It is interesting to note, that the original script featured no Dracula at all. There were difficulties in getting Christopher Lee to return and Courtley's character would've been a generic vampire upon his death, for the antagonist. Lee later agreed to star in the production and yet analysing the film closely it appears Dracula has less to do in the story and acts as more of an observer to the events, likely since he wasn't in the script, having to be worked in. Dracula's plan for revenge here is certainly a twisted one. Controlling and possessing the children of the gentlemen and using them towards each's demise is a very dark concept that explores the pure evil cunning of our Count. One by one, he gets a hold of the offspring of each perpetrator and sets in motion the means to their deaths. Whilst never acting upon the individuals himself, he commands the children to deal the blows, ultimately committing the deed and counting them off at a time in his bone-chilling voice, "The First", "The Second" and "The Third". Despite his triumph, Dracula is unaware Paxton's son Paul (not to be confused with the last film) is informed of the whole ordeal by Secker by letter and now sets in motion his defeat. Though we don't spend much time with Paul, his scenes towards the end are great with the de-sanctification of the derelict church and battle with the overwhelmed Dracula by the sights and cross. Overall, Taste the Blood is personally one of my lesser favourites mainly due to not being as memorable. I still enjoyed many aspects, especially Dracula's vendetta and the final confrontation plus, Lee is outstanding, alongside the fellow cast members. It's still a worthy watch in the series. For more, see the unconnected sequel Scars of Dracula (1970).
With the Allies poised to retake Paris from the Nazis, Col. Franz Von Waldheim conspires to sneak out by train all of the art masterpieces looted to bring back to Germany. But museum curator Mademoiselle Villard alerts the French Resistance, and soon railway inspector Paul Labiche is pressed into service. He reroutes the train and cleverly deceives Von Waldheim by renaming each train station along the way. The Train is a tremendous war film loosely based on the true events of the plundering and looting of French art by the Nazis to be shipped to Germany. Whilst holding some other true historical occurrences, like the French Resistance delaying the transport of a train holding art, this movie takes things further with added drama and action. Naturally, these exaggerations are for the appeal of entertainment values, which was quite frankly phenomenal, being much-welcomed implements to this masterpiece. Yes, I consider this motion picture to be one of the utmost greats in the war genre, which, funnily enough, ties equally with another train-oriented story I love, Von Ryan's Express (1965). Quite interesting to think my favourite war movies are centred around trains, even if they use them in very contrasting ways with Von Ryan showing them as a force for good, whereas this movie shows it as a force to overcome, as seen in the tagline. We follow a small group of resistance fighters, Didont, Presquet and the leader of the operation, Labiche who are tasked with delaying the shipment until the Allies arrive in their imminent Liberation of Paris. Labiche is easily one of the most captivating features of this adventure going from disapproving of the mission to being the one hammering it to completion. He is frequently put to the test over a multitude of occasions and not once does he break. He is pushed relentlessly but he's resilient, still coming back fighting even if he would prefer to stop. With France finally slipping through the Nazis' fingers, Colonel Franz Von Waldheim is more than determined to see that his paintings are delivered to Germany as he pushes his superiors to allow him a train. His single-mindedness makes him a force to reckon with for Labiche in his efforts to stop the locomotive's unceremonious journey. His attempts only infuriate him, making him all the more ruthless. His desperation and fury are displayed throughout the constant setbacks of this treacherous task as he mercilessly kills and orders the deaths of those who oppose him. There are plenty of extremely brutal and horrific deaths that initially and continue to shock me on my viewings. Director Frankenheimer uses this to have us question and contrast the value of art with that of human life. Frankenheimer's direction truly made this film the spectacle it is with many directorial choices fundamentally shaping its grand look. The artistic choice of a black-and-white format paid off tremendously, allowing the picture to be so well defined and detailed with a deep focus. Everything just pops and stands out making for an eye-catching product that leaves your eyes darting to every aspect, always noticing something new. Also, being before CGI, there was a much-needed reliance on physical attributes. Ultimately, this meant explosions were real, buildings are blown up and trains rammed into one another in one of the most notable scenes with the train collisions. It was truly an outstanding moment to see train upon train come crashing into one another knowing it was really done and naturally all in one take. Some of my other favourite scenes revolved around the duping of the Nazis aboard the stolen art train being led by Labiche. One scene involves people banding together to aid the resistance in disguising other stations to appear like they are heading to Germany despite really looping back around. Overall, I admire The Train for all it accomplishes. It delivers an engrossing, peak adventure that also happens to be the last black-and-white action movie made. It is heralded by a brilliant director, a stupendous lead and supporting cast, plus a heap of thought-evoking storytelling, with the cherry on top of glorious explosive action. This is a pinnacle work of cinema that I heartedly insist you check out.
"Ray" is a shadowy, enigmatic character with no traceable past. People in trouble often come to him for help, since he has a lot of important and powerful contacts. He refuses to be paid for his services; however, those seeking his assistance must promise him a favour. Sometime in the future, Ray will come to collect on that favor usually to aid him in another case. Stingray is a show that quite frankly took me by surprise and left me completely amazed. As I have stated many times I am a huge fan of the 1980s so naturally this show came up on my radar and it was no exception to fueling my admiration for the decade. The show shares plenty of similarities or themes recognisable in other 80s products such as Knight Rider (TV Series 1982-1986) being a man with no identity with a sleek black car or The A-Team (TV Series 1983-1987) being an aid for hire to those in need. All the while sharing similar elements Stingray holds its own identity, which it has undoubtedly ascertained over a plethora of attributes, starting with our lead. Despite having no official name, everyone refers to him as Ray on account of his car a 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and even at times people simply call him Stingray. Ray is a man of many skills that he relies on to complete his mission, like for instance, his competence in martial arts, which he uses against the countless oppositions he faces. He is equally an exceptional driver and has a knack for hiding his true identity, especially from officials like police or other members of the government. Being so highly trained, Ray can adaptively overcome the struggles placed before him and persevere till he helps his clients with their unique problems. One of the most engaging aspects of the show was the problems Ray is called upon for. There are many varying situations throughout the show that Ray must overcome from rescuing kidnapped individuals, locating missing people, investigating strange activities, infiltrating dangerous areas, stopping murderers and so on. In most cases it sounds pretty by-the-mill type scenarios to get hired for however this show makes them feel fresh and different. Although intersected among those styles of episodes are ones that are so unique and out-of-the-box crazy that it hooks you immediately before anything is even laid out. From a young client flipping like a switch and trying to kill Ray at the start of an episode, an infected man dying at Ray's house dragging him into a near horrific virus outbreak or someone driving a similar Stingray model car killing Ray's potential clients pretending to be him. These episodes where someone doesn't even hire him and he is drawn unwillingly into a perilous mystery are utterly thrilling. Equally, some episodes take new approaches in their storytelling like an episode where an old lady novelist writes a story that perfectly details the events of Ray's current mission. Just as the episodes take a fresh and out-of-the-box approach, so does every other department in its construction. I am mainly referring to the style of directing and cinematography on display. Throughout this show I was frankly entranced by the experimental camera angles, shots and editing present that was like something I had never seen before. It felt different almost like a student testing and experimenting with their methods on a project and I was intrigued. I would sit in awe as the directors took me on a journey to new heights in filmmaking. Be that as it may, some pieces can be a bit disorienting but even they lended to this distinctive style. Finally, I have to talk about the theme tune and intro. It is phenomenal. It is extreme 80s at its finest with a catchy tune to boot and a fantastic lineup of flashy imagery to get you pumped. Overall, I absolutely adore Stingray and I simply can't believe how many people haven't seen or heard of it before. I was thoroughly gripped by this series and consider myself so fortunate to have stumbled upon it. Everything on display from Ray to the car, the intro, the fighting, the action, is all extremely cool and just awesome. Plus all 25 episodes of the show are available on YouTube for free, making for some ideal and accessible viewing thanks to FilmRise Television.
Billy Tepper is the leader of a group of rebellious boys at The Regis School. He has already been expelled, from three prominent private schools. Billy, all their friends and many other kids at the school have very influential and prominent if more law-abiding, parents. His best friend, Joey Trotta, for instance, is the son of the Head of the New York Mafia. When terrorist, Luis Cali's father is put in jail, he heads for the school to put the son of the judge in charge of the case under hostage, only to find he has been removed. However, once he realises who the parents of the rest are, he decides the entire Regis School would be an even better bargaining chip. Toy Soldiers was one of those movies that came as a pleasant surprise. I had no idea of what to expect going in as I had seen nothing or heard anything about it, but was extremely intrigued and I saw many recognisable cast members. I had gauged that this film followed a bit of a Die Hard (1988) inspired vibe which seemed quite heavy in the 90s for some reason with films like Under Siege (1992), The Rock (1996), Con Air (1997), etc and many Die Hard sequels of course. Each one took inspiration from the idea of terrorists taking over 'blank' for such and such. They all put a spin on the idea, mainly with a new location to take place on from a battleship to an island, plane or in this case, a school and instead of a massive action hero-style figure thrown into the mix of a conflict, it's a school boy. Whilst taking influence from the other products, Toy Soldiers manages to feel different. It takes on its own style becoming in itself unique, and I love it for that. We follow a group of boys from the exclusive school and their introduction best displays their nature going forward as they play pranks and graffiti over the 'Regis' on the sign to 'Rejects'. These kids are troublesome, like the risk and danger but especially have difficulty with any authority, which only sets them up for their inevitable fight against the imminent terrorist threat. One teacher, Dean Parker, however, takes it upon himself to accept the challenge of making sure these kids graduate despite their mischievous actions or misbehaviours, especially Billy. Billy is our main protagonist and the ring leader of the miscreants causing the most pranks and rebellious nature in the school. Whilst it has gotten him kicked out of several other schools and has caused him trouble in this one, this time it is the much-needed quality that will not only save his life but the other 91 hostages. Once the terrorist group arrives led by the ruthless Luis Cali, Billy is launched into a frantic battle for survival aided by his friends, Joey, Snuffy, Ricky and Hank. Each member of this group of friends really comes together, each bringing a special skill or talent to the mission at hand like, for example, Joey sketching the faces of the terrorists to deliver to the outside FBI, army forces and Dean who works endlessly to ensure the kids return to safety. Working together using their ingenuity they can accomplish leaps and bounds in many field areas from finding escape routes, synchronising their actions to distract guards and gathering information to deliver to the outside forces waiting at the border. Unfortunately, their efforts are prohibited by the strict rules laid out by Luis, especially the one where they must all return at the bell every hour to be counted and if one person is missing, five people will die. Luis and others don't mess around as their horrific tendencies carry over to their occupation of the school as they fight off opposing forces trying to get in as well as their treatment of students who fail at following orders. I love the idea of kids fighting back against an evil force occupying their school. They really get their time to shine and make fools of the attackers plus there are some incredible action sequences in the film to admire with some fantastic thrilling segments to boot. Overall, Toy Soldiers is a gripping story that is full of highs, lows, explosive action, riveting drama and friendship. The cast is phenomenal and their characters are equally exceptional. If you love Die Hard or simply looking for a rollercoaster of thrills, then this is one to hop on to, especially since the whole film is free on YouTube.
Single mother to daughter Molly, DI Alex Drake has rapidly risen through the ranks of the Met and, in the modern world of 2008, skillfully uses psychological profiling to capture suspects. However, Alex is shot in the head by a mad gunman, suddenly awakening in 1981. Interacting with familiar characters, not just from her lifetime, but also from the detailed reports logged by none other than Sam Tyler. DCI Gene Hunt is back, flanked by his faithful sidekicks, Ray Carling and Chris Skelton, but will he be able to get on with Alex? Following on from the phenomenal show, Life On Mars (TV Series 2006-2007), we are brought an equally exceptional addition to this fascinating world that sees fatally injured cops transported into the past with no idea as to its reality or not. This time we are in 1981, where Hunt and team have vacated from Manchester to London and Sam Tyler has mysteriously disappeared. Thrown into the mix is our new protagonist, DI Alex Drake, who like us, is craving answers to this phenomenon as she is ripped from her world and daughter into a peculiar, alien land. Alex has an arguably greater affinity for getting back than Sam being a single mother who needs to get back to her young child. Alex equally has more going in her favour when hurtled into this setting having studied Sam's report of his experience when he temporerily returned to the modern day leaving all his findings and experiences to be analysed. She knows all about the characters like Gene as well as all the speculations of Sam's experience. Her skills in psychological profiling make her a force to reckon with as she fundamentally aids the team in cracking some of the harder cases. Upon her immediate arrival to this world, we are greeted with a marvellous introduction from none other than Gene Hunt himself who speeds onto the scene in his bright, gleaming red Quattro accompanied by Ray and Chris. The return of these characters from Life on Mars was simply awesome with each having slightly altered looks matching the times but with their same unaltered mannerisms. Gene is still arguably the best character across both shows with his frequent witty dialogue and unrivalled temper that is frequently put to use on criminals. Ray and Chris have grown too that only further develops throughout the seasons. I'd have to say I much preferred Ray in this series as whilst he was great, his 'rivalry' with Sam made him a bit unlikable, whereas he is extremely fleshed out here and given many occasions to show a more human side. Chris still has a childish naivety, larking about, offering plenty of spectacular gags. We are introduced to new members of the crew too, WPC Shaz and Sergeant Viv. Shaz represents the female side of the law during the time and she looks up to Alex, who takes charge, not taking the behaviour or comments of her peers. Viv works on the front desk delivering news to the Gov and overseeing any who come and go in the department from prisoners to contraband, etc. With each season, Alex undergoes new challenges from trying to save her parents from a car explosion whilst haunted by a creepy clown. Uncovering corruption in the workplace under the mysterious 'Operation Rose' whilst a man who knows all about Alex and what is truly happening in this reality lingers in the shadows. Or the investigation into Gene Hunt and his office by DCI Jim Keats who attempts to twist Alex's judgement to undo Hunt, uncovering what happened to Sam. Each season got progressively better with a slow start that picked up into a running speed. I loved how each season focused on one new narrative and 'bad guy' whilst keeping it overarching. I also love that the show's final season managed to wrap up the story of not only this series but Mars too, answering what this world is and who Hunt is in an outstanding finale that is unbelievably magnificent. Overall, Ashes to Ashes was a beautifully crafted continuation and conclusion to the plot line laid out in Life on Mars. The characters are equally entertaining as before and the new members stand beside them, delivering equal levels of quality. I was incredibly hooked and so glad to witness something so fresh and unique. So worth watching!
(Unfortunatly only the 2nd Season intro is available on YouTube so I cannot show the 1st and 3rd versions)
Series Trailers:
Hilarious 'Uptown Girl' Dream Sequence:
During the show, Alex sees many strange things but none so brilliant as the sequence where she dreams everyone performing a take on the 'Uptown Girl' music video. Absolutely hysterical!
Thirty years after the events of Blade Runner (1982), a new Blade Runner, L.A.P.D. Officer "K", unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former L.A.P.D. Blade Runner, who has been missing for thirty years. Blade Runner 2049 was a highly anticipated sequel to the cult classic movie that subsequently became the same thing. It flopped at the box office and yet grew that cult following like its predecessor and was overwhelmingly popular as well as highly rated. As time has passed many people have looked back and feel it has aged like fine wine. I see it constantly resurfacing on many various platforms, probably best seen through the countless 'edits' on YouTube, etc. They were my introduction to the film and they tend to rake in millions of views, just going to show how popular it is and continues to be. This sequel equally follows a similar style in regards to its dark, gritty tone and a slower pacing that drags down its momentum. This franchise is certainly one of the most depressing in the entirety of the sci-fi genre and whilst fascinating, it doesn't quite make it as your easy-going style movie. I'd consider it more an experience, a piece of art if you will. I have to say that 2049 is a masterpiece when it comes to its visuals, harking back to the original that shared in such beauty though I may argue I preferred this one's look better. A great deal has taken place over the past thirty years, to this futuristic L.A. with talks of big events like the Blackout that further enrich this world but also lay out foundations for the story at present and their effects on the mystery being uncovered by K. Our leading protagonist, K, is a Blade Runner with a mission to 'retire' outdated Nexus-8 replicants however, he too is a replicant from the Nexus-9 variant. During one of his usual missions, he comes across a strange anomaly. A box buried next to a dead tree. Its contents hurtle K down a mystery-filled path that has the potential to fracture what remains of civilization. Being a replicant leaves K to be repeatedly abused by peers, being called a "skin job", and he undergoes repeated 'baseline tests' to check his efficiency in addition to detecting any deviance. When not working, K returns home a holographic A.I., Joi, who is essentially a product made to cater to the desires of a customer and tell them what they want to hear. Despite all of this (and being a replicant), K shows genuine emotions towards her that blur the line in regards to our understanding of replicants' capability of emotion, which is seen as a human domain. I felt so sorry for K who shows such empathy for Joi giving her the best life she can have, buying her an emanator to move freely outside of the restricted house device. I loved their moments together even if her affection is essentially fabricated and says only what K wants to hear, I was still rooting for them. K's enquiries take him further in this investigation going as far as Las Vegas where he meets up with an older Deckard who he recruits to uncover the remaining pieces to the puzzle. Deckard's introduction was incredible and led to a phenomenal scene, and one of my favourites, where the pair fight in a bar as an entertainment system glitches around them randomly bursting into song as holograms and lights flicker. There are some gorgeous shots in this film especially the wider ones that give such scope and scale. Director Denis Villeneuve did a marvellous job bringing a perfect, fresh follow-up to Ridley Scott's film. Equally, Hans Zimmer's score is fantastic and a great supplement to the original work of Vangelis. Overall, Blade Runner 2049 is just as much of a masterpiece as its predecessor telling its own unique story heralded by exceptional actors and a competent director. I didn't go into great detail on the main mystery and story as it is best experienced yourself with no spoilers as it is quite a rollercoaster full of twists. It has quite a distinct aesthetic I love and touches on all sorts of messages/topics, mainly loneliness. I would highly recommend checking this one out. It is one you need to experience at least once in your lifetime.
Los Angeles, California, 2019. With towering skyscrapers looming over the dystopian mega-city, grizzled Blade Runner, Rick Deckard is called out of retirement when rogue Nexus-6 replicants steal a spaceship to get back to Earth. The order is crystal clear: Deckard must seek out the illegal replicants and destroy them before they locate their creator. However, as Deckard tries to fix the mistakes of those who want to play God, unprecedented, conflicting emotions cloud his judgment. Blade Runner isn't one of your typical movies but more of a piece of art to be experienced. It is certainly one that will require you to have an analytical mindset before watching it, as it throws plenty at you. There is a lot of visual storytelling alongside the laid-out story with plenty to be picked apart and dissected with all sorts of meanings behind every scene, action, etc. On my first viewing of this futuristic gritty film-noir-esque story, I was simply blown away by the visuals. Seeing a 'futuristic' 2019 where skyscrapers tower across L.A. with flames and lights covering the landscape as far as the eye can see was exquisite despite its dystopian reality. Equally, the phenomenal score of Vangelis brings a hauntingly beautiful element that carries the tone of this film throughout and is a true highlight. Such a summary can apply to the entire production with its beaten down, dark and dreary setting is still visually pleasing to look at with a lot of praise going to Ridley Scott's directing. His other film, Alien (1979), is one of my all-time favourites and has an equal style that carries over. We follow Deckard whose job is to destroy rogue replicants and although he is the protagonist he is not always displayed as a hero. He makes some poor decisions being flawed and in some scenes, he is framed as not someone simply doing a job, but being a killer. His destruction of replicants shows some truly graphic executions that further make us question his actions and the replicant's humanity. The replicant's story is an intriguing one mainly due to Roy Batty who is such a powerful villain and his hunt to meet his maker, be more human and protect his fellow replicants is so interesting. His 'Tears in the Rain' scene is one of the most incredible monologues I have witnessed in a film and is phenomenal. The other most important character is Rachael whom Deckard has feelings for despite being a replicant, which makes his job all the more conflicting. One of the most complicated parts of this film is its history of different cuts with there being a total of seven, but when discussed, five mainly come to mind. The key differences between them are the voice-over, the alternate ending and the unicorn daydream. The voice-over was an inclusion by WB after a poor screening with a test audience but was not what Scott wanted nor did Ford like the addition. It is an aspect not all that popular among fans being badly written and poorly spoken but also because it explains things in the movie dumbing it down for audiences. This was removed from the later versions, like the Final Cut, which I saw. It was funny having not known about the monologue beforehand, yet, whilst watching, I almost felt like scenes were missing one. I don't know if that's just me, but it was an interesting realisation such already existed. The alternate 'happy' ending of them driving off to a greener landscape was also a scene removed from the later versions, which I agreed with as it didn't really fit in with what came before. The most important addition was the inclusion of a scene where Deckard has a daydream of a unicorn, which fundamentally alters the whole movie considering the ending with the origami unicorn. It leads to the age-old debate, is Deckard a replicant or not? For me the answer is clear but what do you think? Overall, Blade Runner is a cinematic masterpiece that finally got its realisation with The Final Cut. It is a film I think multiple viewings are required to truly get it. I found myself repeatedly thinking on it after my watch and couldn't stop playing it over in my head. Any movie that gets you to think about it after it's done must be very impactful. It's not a film I'd put on any old time but certainly one I was glad to have seen. Also, check out the sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017).
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