Tagarchief: Dungeon Classics

Dungeon Classics #37: Coffy

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

FilmDungeon’s Chief Editor JK sorts through the Dungeon’s DVD-collection to look for old cult favorites….

Coffy (1973, USA)

Director: Jack Hill
Cast: Pam Grier, Booker Bradshaw, Robert DoQui
Running Time: 90 mins.

‘Coffy is the color of your skin’, sings Denise Bridgewater in the opening theme of Coffy – a blaxploitation classic starring Pam Grier and one of Quentin Tarantino’s all-time favorite films. From the moment the stylish opening credits roll, it’s clear this movie is something special. Grier plays Flower Child ‘Coffy’ Coffin, a nurse whose sister’s life is shattered by heroin addiction. Fueled by rage, she sets out on a ruthless mission of revenge. Disguising herself as a drug-addicted prostitute, she lures street-level pushers into a trap – before blowing their brains out. But she doesn’t stop there. Determined to take down the real power players, she goes after the slick pimp and drug dealer King George, as well as the dangerous mob boss Vitroni. Directed by Jack Hill – an early collaborator of Roger Corman and Francis Ford Coppola before cementing his legacy as the king of blaxploitation – Coffy delivers everything the genre is known for: gritty action, bloody vigilante justice, and plenty of nudity, not least from Grier herself. While her acting faced some criticism at the time, her sheer star power is undeniable. She owns this film, elevating it beyond mere exploitation and securing its place in movie history as an absolute cult classic.

Dungeon Classics #36: Braindead

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

FilmDungeon’s Chief Editor JK sorts through the Dungeon’s DVD-collection to look for old cult favorites….

Braindead (1992, New Zealand)

Director: Peter Jackson
Cast: Timothy Balme, Diana Peñalver, Elizabeth Moody
Running Time: 104 mins.

Probably nobody predicted that the maker of New Zealand horror comedies would one day direct the epic The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Then again, perhaps people should have, because Braindead, Peter Jackson’s third film after Bad Taste and Meet the Feebles, is an exceptionally well made movie. It’s about the young man Lionel who lives in Wellington with his controlling mom (the movie’s real horror). When he takes his first date Paquita to the zoo, his mother (who has followed them of course) is bitten by a Sumatran Rat-Monkey. This turns her into a bloodthirsty zombie that cannot die, not even by dismemberment. Very soon, Lionel’s house is packed with these things and he has to get very inventive to get rid of them. Like iconic horror director Sam Raimi developed his trademark style with the Evil Dead movies, Jackson does so here: sweeping camera moves, inventive special effects (by Jackson’s partner in crime Richard Taylor), New Zealand scenery, the dead becoming alive, and lots of demented humor. And talking about Evil Dead, Timothy Balme’s Lionel certainly resembles its hero Ash when he wields his lawnmower in the infamous splatter finale (Braindead set the world record for most fake blood used in a movie). This has become a legendary moment in horror cinema, like the slapstick scene in which Lionel takes a zombie baby to the park. It is stuff like that that should have told us back then; this Jackson fella is gonna make it big someday.

Dungeon Classics #35: Sin City

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

FilmDungeon’s Chief Editor JK sorts through the Dungeon’s DVD-collection to look for old cult favorites….

Sin City (2005, USA)

Director: Robert Rodriguez
Cast: Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba
Running Time: 124 mins.

The cinematic masterpiece Sin City weaves together three interconnected hard-boiled mysteries filled with sex, blood, and violence, all set in the criminal haven of Basin City. With its noir-inspired silhouettes of men in long coats, gravelly voiceovers revealing inner thoughts, and splashes of color that contrast with the shadowy streets, every frame of this film is a visual feast. Each of the three stories revolves around tough, beautiful women with big hearts who find themselves in serious danger, aided by male loners. Bruce Willis plays Hartigan, an aging cop with a bad heart who is determined to protect young Nancy from a sadistic, murderous pedophile. Mickey Rourke portrays Marv, a psychopathic brute made of concrete, who fights on the side of good as he seeks revenge on the men who killed Goldie, a prostitute who gave him the night of his life. Clive Owen is Dwight, a mysterious figure who helps the women of Old Town cover up the murder of a corrupt cop, staving off a potentially bloody conflict. Robert Rodriguez’s adaptation of Frank Miller’s iconic comic series is one of the most successful graphic novel-to-screen translations in cinematic history. Shot and edited by Rodriguez himself, it’s a remarkable technical achievement. But the film’s brilliance doesn’t stop at the visuals, its cast and screenplay are equally stellar. Miller’s sharp, punchy dialogue, already compelling on the page, is brought to life perfectly by an ensemble of outstanding actors: Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Rosario Dawson, Benicio Del Toro, Rutger Hauer, Alexis Bledel, Elijah Wood, Michael Madsen, Brittany Murphy, and Clive Owen. The performances elevate the material into something extraordinary. Without a doubt, Sin City is Rodriguez’s finest work to date. It’s a true work of cinematic art.

Dungeon Classics #34: Dark City

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

FilmDungeon’s Chief Editor JK sorts through the Dungeon’s DVD-collection to look for old cult favorites….

Dark City (1998, Australia, USA)

Director: Alex Proyas
Cast: Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly
Running Time: 100 mins.

A man with memory loss is being hunted by both the police and a group of scary looking bald guys. The police suspect him of murdering prostitutes, and the bald men want him for the special gift he appears to possess: the ability to alter reality with his mind. Slowly, the man begins to unravel the frightening truth about the dark city he lives in and the creatures who govern it, creatures who – like him – are able to ‘tune’ and change this world at will. Alex Proyas (The Crow) has directed a very atmospheric and fascinating film that looks beautiful. It preceded The Matrix by a year, which has a similar mind bending plot, a surprise revelation half way, and a chosen one with special powers. But it is still distinct in many ways. The Matrix is very much a sci-fi action film, while Dark City is closer to a film noir detective movie. It features great performances by lead man Rufus Sewell, a sniffling Kiefer Sutherland, an engaging Jennifer Connelly, and a sympathetic William Hurt. It also features impressive special effects for what doesn’t feel like a mainstream film at all. Highly recommended.