Just when you thought you wouldn’t read any more Jaws reviews…

I like independent film politics, you know, the stuff Lloyd Kaufman is preaching. And Roger Corman has said in some interviews that it was Jaws (1975) that killed the independent genre productions because the majors found out what they were doing and turned into something bigger and better. This reason alone was enough for me to stay away from this evil film by Steven Spielberg. The fact that I don’t like his movies in general didn’t help either. I didn’t even find depth in Schindler's List (1993). And I regret spending my cash to see the boring Artificial Intelligence: A.I. (2001) and the ridiculous War of the Worlds (2005) in a movie theatre.

But now the time has come. I finally decided to watch every film in the entire franchise. As the above paragraph reveals I am not an expert (quite the contrary I would say) so this article should be read as a reviewer’s journey and nothing more than that.

Wikipedia tells me that the first film was based on Peter Benchley’s same-titled novel, which in turn was based on some shark attacks from 1916. The success of the novel and then the first film (considered by many to be the first high-concept blockbuster flick), spawned sequels, video games, theme parks and merchandize of every kind; which generated hundreds of millions of dollars. Go ahead and read the reviews of the four films.

 

Movie Review: SexWorld (1978)

Directed by Anthony Spinelli

Movie Review by Greg Goodsell

It would follow that Michael Crichton’s sci-fi epic Westworld (1973), a theme park for adults with anything-goes pleasure androids would eventually get the triple-X treatment. It took director Anthony Spinelli and his organized crime cohorts three years to mount SexWorld, but the twain between mainstream and porno would never meet. Whereas Westworld jettisoned James Brolin and Richard Benjamin on a futuristic hovercraft, the lower middle class folk ferried to SexWorld have to settle for a smoky ol’ bus, with a “SexWorld” banned hastily stapled to the side. As smut scholar Robin Bougie would note in his essential volume “Graphic Thrills: American XXX Movie Posters, 1970 to 1985,” there was no substituting Hollywood with Inglewood this time around.

Fright Nights Horrorant Film Festival 2015 – Part 2 The Features

Do you remember last year when I did a big-ass reportage (in four parts no less) on the 1^st Fright Nights Horrorant Film Festival? Yes, Greece’s sole annual and international Horror Film Festival. Well, what do you know, since then I became a columnist for their website. And what do you know; I am now a member of the Jury that will give the Short Films Awards!

Now that the 2^nd edition of the festival has wrapped, I present you the reviews of the features that I watched. I tried to watch as much celluloid as I could, but not everything because first there were two screens (running different films simultaneously) and then I am (still) a human being. I think. Enjoy!

Thursday 12^th of March 2015

This day kicked off with last year’s award-grabbing The Battery (2012), and Les Diaboliques (1955) which was part of the French Horror Special. On Screen 1 The Babadook (2014) was the official opening film, while on Screen 2 people watched Phantasmagoria (2014). The night ended with Domo (2014) on Screen 2, but I was having a blast on Screen 1 the film reviewed bellow.

Another (2014)

This is the first feature film by writer/director Jason Bognacki (he made shorts previously) and it is about Jordyn [TV actress Paulie Redding] who is the devil’s daughter, which works as having an alter ego which is sexier and has more abilities.

The first half is very much a film that if it was directed by Dario Argento it would now be praised as a masterpiece. The second hand is more about the supernatural but in such a dreamy fashion that Jess Franco would be proud. The finale is very Roger Corman, and that can only be a good thing.

Fright Nights Horrorant Film Festival 2015 – Part 1: The Shorts

Do you remember last year when I did a big-ass reportage (in four parts no less) on the 1^st Fright Nights Horrorant Film Festival? Yes, Greece’s sole annual and international Horror Film Festival. Well, what do you know, since then I became a columnist for their website. And what do you know; I am now a member of the Jury that will give the Short Films Awards!

This first article will present you all of the short films. These were running before the features. Obviously I watched these in advance. I would do the same for the features and I will watch as much celluloid as I can, but not everything because there are two screens this time around (running different films simultaneously). Enjoy!

C’Est Entre

This is an interesting horror/comedy; with perfect timing for comedy, and excellent post-production; it looks like a good student film.

Abel

This one has magnificent use of the camera (and the cinematography in general), with outstanding performances.