This month’s poll to decide two of the films to
be reviewed in June was an incredibly close affair, and it seems only
appropriate that it ended in a tie. From day one Umberto Lenzi’s notorious
departure into the ‘Green Inferno’ Cannibal
Ferox (1981) led the way, much to my horror and disgust. I was hoping it
would fade quietly away and I wouldn’t have to pack my bags for a sojourn into
the jungle, but it powered on throughout the month to finish comfortably in the
top two. The more interesting race was for second place; with Cannibal Ferox strutting effortlessly
ahead, a battle of epic proportions broke out between Night of the Hunter (1955), Django
(1966) and Frogs (1972). For the
majority of the month it seemed that Charles Laughton’s disturbing
western/noir, replete with Robert Mitchum’s powerhouse acting display would
take the plaudits, but in the last week Franco Nero’s spaghetti western anti-hero
Django, dragged his coffin into contention and blew away the competition with
the Gatling Gun concealed within. In the end Django tied with Cannibal
Ferox and the result was an unlikely double for Italian cinema. I’d like to
say thank you to all those who took time out to vote, and I hope you enjoy the
reviews that will be forthcoming. Here are the full results for the month of May;
01 Cannibal Ferox (1981) - 11 votes (32%) 02 Django (1966) - 11 votes (32%) 03 Frogs (1972) - 7 Votes (20%) 04 The Night of the Hunter (1955) - 7 votes (20%) 05 Marathon Man (1976) - 6 votes (17%) 06 Serpico (1973) - 6 votes (17%) 07 Alice in the Cities (1974) - 5 votes (14%) 08 Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? - 5 votes (14%)
You know you asked for it when you devised this amusing monthly list! Careful, the more your friends and readership knows just how much having to watch some of these titles offends you, they may just try and torment you for the sheer fun of it!
I for one value the fact that you appreciate excellent cinema as well as the bad. Not to say that bad ain't bad and shit ain't still shit. Doesn't matter how you shake it, you can't spruce up a pile of crap, and I still haven't met a pile of the stuff that I actually enjoyed staring at! I love it when you zap films beloved by genre fans everywhere!
Forgot to include in that last comment that I always try and go easy on you. Plus, I'd actually like to hear your thoughts on the greatest dental phobia inducing film of all time THE MARATHON MAN. A bleak film if ever there was.
And Sidney Lumet is arguably one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, certainly one of my favorites. And I mean this in the best of ways, Shaun my boy: SERPICO would have been a slight departure for these here hallowed pages, seeing that it received multiple Academy, BAFTA, and Golden Globe nominations, not to mention the Globe it garnered for Mr. Pacino in the Best Actor category. Hell, it's score was even nominated for a damn Grammy. Now that would have been a first for The Celluloid Highway!
If you're feeling like sneaking a classic in from time to time, please do so. Hey, you at least know I'll read it!
Nice one, I'm looking forward to reading what you have to say about these Spaghetti classics. I like the poll idea too, maybe I'll borrow it? In the meantime I'm adding you to my blogroll at Lost Video Archive. Keep up the good stuff.
@ Greg - Yes I've built a rod for my own back here I think, much as I'd like to keep my mouth shut on the films/filmmakers I dislike it's nigh on impossible for me. I think CANNIBAL FEROX is only beloved by those who were lobotomised long ago! I can think of another two dental phobic films in addition to Mr. Olivier's ad hoc efforts in MARATHON MAN; LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, and also THE DENTIST with Corbin Bernsen, a low rate early 1990's horror flick which may quite easily have passed you by. I wish it had passed me by, but I watched a lot of worthless garbage in the 1990's. I'd love to review both MARATHON MAN and SERPICO, but to do so soon would defeat the object of the poll, so I guess I'm going to have to put those two on the backburner for a bit. But if you remind me a few months down the line Greg, I'll certainly review them...Many thanks for your continued support :-)
@ The Goodkind - Many thanks for the kind words, most appreciated. By all means feel free to use the poll idea. I shall be sure to check out Lost Video Archive and follow your endeavours...cheers!
This should be an amusing read. Maybe Shaun has bit off more than he can chew this time - but it's good to know that he's keeping abreast of things...
ReplyDelete(Sorry - but I'm hoping for a 'CF' review chock full of offensively dumb cannibal puns...) ;)
I'm still sulking about this!
ReplyDeleteYou know you asked for it when you devised this amusing monthly list! Careful, the more your friends and readership knows just how much having to watch some of these titles offends you, they may just try and torment you for the sheer fun of it!
ReplyDeleteI for one value the fact that you appreciate excellent cinema as well as the bad. Not to say that bad ain't bad and shit ain't still shit. Doesn't matter how you shake it, you can't spruce up a pile of crap, and I still haven't met a pile of the stuff that I actually enjoyed staring at! I love it when you zap films beloved by genre fans everywhere!
Forgot to include in that last comment that I always try and go easy on you. Plus, I'd actually like to hear your thoughts on the greatest dental phobia inducing film of all time THE MARATHON MAN. A bleak film if ever there was.
ReplyDeleteAnd Sidney Lumet is arguably one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, certainly one of my favorites. And I mean this in the best of ways, Shaun my boy: SERPICO would have been a slight departure for these here hallowed pages, seeing that it received multiple Academy, BAFTA, and Golden Globe nominations, not to mention the Globe it garnered for Mr. Pacino in the Best Actor category. Hell, it's score was even nominated for a damn Grammy. Now that would have been a first for The Celluloid Highway!
If you're feeling like sneaking a classic in from time to time, please do so. Hey, you at least know I'll read it!
Nice one, I'm looking forward to reading what you have to say about these Spaghetti classics. I like the poll idea too, maybe I'll borrow it? In the meantime I'm adding you to my blogroll at Lost Video Archive. Keep up the good stuff.
ReplyDelete@ Greg - Yes I've built a rod for my own back here I think, much as I'd like to keep my mouth shut on the films/filmmakers I dislike it's nigh on impossible for me. I think CANNIBAL FEROX is only beloved by those who were lobotomised long ago! I can think of another two dental phobic films in addition to Mr. Olivier's ad hoc efforts in MARATHON MAN; LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, and also THE DENTIST with Corbin Bernsen, a low rate early 1990's horror flick which may quite easily have passed you by. I wish it had passed me by, but I watched a lot of worthless garbage in the 1990's. I'd love to review both MARATHON MAN and SERPICO, but to do so soon would defeat the object of the poll, so I guess I'm going to have to put those two on the backburner for a bit. But if you remind me a few months down the line Greg, I'll certainly review them...Many thanks for your continued support :-)
ReplyDelete@ The Goodkind - Many thanks for the kind words, most appreciated. By all means feel free to use the poll idea. I shall be sure to check out Lost Video Archive and follow your endeavours...cheers!