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Bumper movie review update - many new ones, some older titles that eluded me, a few different genres.

6/45, 2022 (****)
Thanks to a stray winning lotto ticket fluttering across the border, soldiers from North and South Korea meet up and bond in this really funny comedy. Entertaining from beginning to end.

The Cleaning Lady, 2018 (*****)
Fantastic, highly satisfying, unsettling psychological horror, can't believe I missed this one at the time. Superbly acted and written. Best to jump in with no expectations.

Kill Boksoon, 2023 (*)
Korean action movie featuring an ajumma assassin looking to retire from the business. In addition to its surprisingly awful casting and interminable runtime, film suffers from a massive identity crisis: one part John Wick, one part dark comedy, and another part mother-daughter coming-of-age coming-out drama. I blame Netflix.

Starry Eyes, 2014 (****)
Low-budget freakish horror and sleaze definitely not one for the milquetoast. Love the FL.

Christmas In August, 1998 (*****)
A terminally ill young man meets a girl. Romantic masterpiece that by the closing credits left me utterly stunned, so heartbreaking is its quiet understated poignancy. A classic of Korean cinema.

Art Museum By The Zoo, 1998 (****)
Another high quality Korean romantic comedy full of delightfully gentle and beautiful and, above all, relatable touches.

Unlocked, 2023 (***)
More Netflix commissioned nonsense. Actually the first act setting up someone gaining full access to a young woman's phone are skilfully directed with just the right amount of paranoia yet sadly credulity dissembles as fast as silly coincidences begin stacking up.

Infinity Pool, 2023 (**)
After a decent opening few scenes Infinity Pool quickly degenerates into an increasingly silly farcical mess. 

What Josiah Saw, 2023 (**)
Couldn't get past the 20-min mark. Dull, depressing, zero pay-off.

Island Of The Dolls, 2023 (*)
Atrocious Mexican horror film, not even one for the completist.

Switch, 2023 (***)
Saccharine romcom certainly has its moments in an It's A Wonderful Life kind of way. 

Orphan: First Kill, 2022 (***)
Far too much to live up to the original classic for which we never imagined any kind of sequel yet thanks to a laughably outrageous camp twist to the story I have to admit to really quite enjoying this highly unexpected revisit.

The Shrine, 2010 (**)
Initially promising as we follow the investigation into young Americans disappearing in a village in 'Poland' but sadly degenerates into a silly pastiche of Hammer House and Wicker Man tropes.

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BANDCAMP UPDATE: LA34 + LA102

A quick announcement that the audio recordings of Whitehouse Live Actions 34 (Chicago, 1984) and 102 (London, 2003) have been added to the Susan Lawly Bandcamp page and are freely available to download for the next few days. Also an option to purchase the entire discography has now been added.

USA 1983 TOUR : FINAL REHEARSAL RECORDINGS

Announcing a very special Bandcamp exclusive new addition to the page and freely available to all followers for one week, thanks once again for all the highly appreciated support!

USA 1983 Tour Final Rehearsal has only previously been released as an exclusive Come Organisation cassette entitled 'USA VII: Live Rehearsal' back in 1983, it formed part of the series of live recordings from the tour. Original copies of the cassette are now rare collectors' items.

It was recorded in London on 23rd March with William Bennett and Kevin Tomkins and was the final rehearsal session just before the first American tour beginning a few days later. Various songs and sounds are tried out throughout the rehearsal in preparation for the 6-week tour.

The version here has been carefully restored and remastered, each part representing a side of the cassette release, however as usual please bear in mind that these archive recordings are of varying degrees of sound quality depending on original recording conditions.

FINAL FOUR STUDIO ALBUMS AT BANDCAMP

The last batch of Whitehouse studio albums have now been added to the Susan Lawly page at Bandcamp. All four albums include rare bonus tracks!

GREAT WHITE DEATH (SPECIAL EDITION) (1985)

HALOGEN (1994)

QUALITY TIME. (1995)

THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS (1990)

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Quite a variety of genres this time around, most from great and much appreciated recommendations!

M3GAN, 2022 (****)
whoever designed and wrote for the doll is an absolute genius, all her scenes taken in isolation are absolutely spectacular, sadly the rest of the film is dumbed-down PG-13 trash with Hallmark Channel-quality acting - had to give extra star for inspired inclusion of Skatt Bros' classic 'Walk The Night'

Hospitals: The White Mafia, 1973 (****)
Luigi Zampa's remarkably disturbing drama and chief surgeon character study set in a big city hospital resonates more than ever despite its fifty years of age

Speak No Evil, 2022 (*****)
one of the most unsettling films I've ever seen, a living nightmare of helplessness to be involuntarily felt throughout the entire film

Triangle Of Sadness, 2022 (****)
despite occasional heavy-handed messaging, if taken as pure black comedy, you find a highly enjoyable film with some extremely memorable interactions and plot twists

The Menu, 2022 (**)
black comedy starts out so promisingly yet quickly (and unexpectedly) degenerates into a thriller-by-numbers with absolutely zero character development, so jarring that it recalls Robert Altman's Hollywood satire The Player

On Your Wedding Day, 2018 (*****)
I do love a good romantic comedy and Korean ones are the best: this is a particularly good one, very real and raw and relatable

20th Century Girl, 2021 (****)
cute and fun Korean romantic comedy with quite the sting in its tail

Piggy, 2022 (*)
opening credits' list of sponsors and backers was already a massive red flag but this is little more than an incoherent revenge horror with a porn-quality cast, also a huge no to thirtysomethings playing teenagers

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FOUR NEW ALBUMS AT BANDCAMP

 

Four new Whitehouse studio albums have now been added to the Susan Lawly page at Bandcamp. 

RACKET (2007)

TWICE IS NOT ENOUGH (1992)

NEVER FORGET DEATH (1992)

NEW BRITAIN (1982)

ASCETICISTS AT BANDCAMP

 

ASCETICISTS 2006 has now been added to the collection at Bandcamp.

BLACK FRIDAY 2022

 

Black Friday special!

Until midnight 28th November, the original (and best) master version of THE 150 MURDEROUS PASSIONS (part one) is free at Bandcamp - also 30% off everything Whitehouse and Cut Hands there using the code 'blackfriday22'.

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Hallowe'en horror film special. It's been several years since the last movie review post, good new movies seem to be becoming rarer and rarer so catching up with various recommendations and suggestions I've gratefully received. Happy Hallowe'en!

X, 2022 (*)
porn acting without the porn, 70s/80s retro horror without the horror or even the soundtrack

The Sadness, 2021 (****)
highly enjoyable sexually depraved horror from Taiwan, loved its energy, youthful verve, and Sadean monologues in final act

American Mary, 2012 (***)
Katharine Isabelle's talents are rather wasted on what is a fantastic body horror premise because, sadly, movie suffers from a catastrophic lack of attention to fetishistic detail

Hatchet, 2006 (*)
risibly poor low budget retro horror attempt, hard to believe there were 3 sequels (does that qualify it as a franchise?)

Ginger Snaps, 2000 (****)
Isabelle as the older sister absolutely steals the show in this highly original female puberty-centred horror from Canada only marred by the younger sister's pointless and distracting syrup - looking forward to visiting the sequels 

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MORE BANDCAMP LEGACY RELEASES

 

Two new Whitehouse studio albums have now been added to the Susan Lawly Bandcamp page. 

First up is 2001's legendary CRUISE (pictured) with a bonus track of a remastered version of the instrumental version of the title track that featured as the B-side of the original 12" single. Here available for the first time in digital format.

Secondly is 1981's harrowing and chilling BUCHENWALD album, there are also a few physical copies available too on the same page.