Phil’s Top 5… Low Budget Films

Phil’s Top 5… Low Budget Films

by Phil Hobden Other Cr*p Top 5

In a new semi-regular feature each week Phil takes a lookout a different movie related Top Five… this time out: Low Budget Films.

Yup sub $300k movie making at it’s finest.  And bloodiest. It’s no surprise that it’s horror that tends to shine in this budget level, with scares and blood taking the place of cast and effects.  Here are my top 5 low budget films.

Close but no cigar: El Mariachi, Cube, Brick, Bad Taste, Paranormal Activity, Halloween

 

5 – The Evil Dead
Sam Rami followed in The Texas Chainsaw’s shoes , delivering one of the most famous ‘video nasties’ on the 80’s with The Evil Dead, a movie whose characters and legacy still carries on today.  See the original uncut version for the full on Evil Dead experience.

 

4 – Night of The Living Dead
Romero launched a genre with Night of The Living Dead, tacked race politics and scared the bejesus out of people. Night was years ahead of its time and spawned two equally impressive sequels. Today it stands as a key influencer on modern TV and movies.

 

3 – Clerks
Love him or hate him (and mostly hate with his latest few films), Kevin Smith pulled a blinder with Clerks – a mostly one location comedy with memorable dialogue and even more memorable characters.  Made with credit cards, luck and a degree of bullshit Clerks still stands up today as a damn funny, raw movie.

 

2 – Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Whilst it has dated badly, the original TCM was and still is somewhat of a phenomenon.  Banned in the UK for over twenty years, Chainsaw broke new ground in horror filmmaking with it’s raw handheld style, a style that would influence films like Evil Dead and Blair Witch years later. 

 

1 – Blair Witch Project
Like TCM before it, the directors of Blair Witch would never top their debut film, a film which for a long time was the most profitable movie ever made (overtaken latterly by Paranormal Activity). It launched a sub genre (the found footage film) and showed what you could do with no money but a great idea, presented alongside a one of cinemas best marketing campaigns. Like it or hate it, it changed filmmaking.

 

 

 

 

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Phil’s Top 5… Video Nasties (Films banned by the BBFC)

Phil’s Top 5… Video Nasties (Films banned by the BBFC)

by Phil Hobden Other Cr*p Top 5

Each week Phil, from Phil’s Quick Capsule Review, takes a look at a different movie or TV related Top Five.  This time out: we take a look at the infamous video nasties of the 80’s – the 74 or so banned films by the BBFC ranging from the iconic to the toilet.

Close but no cigar: The Burning, I Spit On Your Grave, The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue, Tenebrae, Driller Killer, Last House On The left

 

5 – The Beyond
Lucio Fulci Zombie film with a plot “borrowed” from Micheal Winners “The Sentinel” cemented his position as the king of the video nasties. It’s original release had suffered 9 cuts totalling 1:39s.  Released uncut in 2001. 

 

4 – Faces Of Death
Yes it’s terrible. But Faces Of Death and its is it/isn’t it real documentary video footage set a bench mark of the kind of OTT exploration rubbish that would become legendary when, in reality, it should probably have been forgotten. Cut initially by 35 minutes on it’s UK release, it’s still unavailable uncut.

 

3 – Zombie Flesh Eaters
The eye!  Yes another Fulci Zombie film, this time a kinda sequel to Romero’s Dawn Of The Dead was marketed as ‘Zombie 2’ (DOTD was called ‘Zombie’ in some countries) in some countries.  Heavily edited by almost 2 minutes in the UK on it’s cinema release, the film was finally released uncut in 2012.

 

2 – Cannibal Holocaust
Ruggero Deadato Cannibal film became legend with it’s close to the mark featuring gratuitous GENUINE animal butchery that saw the filmmaker in court.  Over 7 minutes were trimmed initially and the film is still unavailable uncut in the UK (although a almost uncut version can be purchased)

 

1 – The Evil Dead
Yes Sam Rami’s The Evil Dead was a ‘banned movie’ back in the day, even though compared to many on this list it was pretty tame.  It was cut by other 1min 30 secs on it’s initial releases finally seeing an uncut release in the UK in 2001.

 

 

 

 

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The 25 Best… Horror Films of All Time

The 25 Best… Horror Films of All Time

by Phil Hobden Best... Other Cr*p

In our continuing regular feature, Phil (of Phil’s Quick Capsule Review)  along with podcaster Josh Morris, Writer Mike Parkin, Grosse Point Geek’s Will Strong and Motion Picture Manic Jamie Robinson breakdown the 25 Best Films Of a particular genre… 

This time out: The Best Horror Films of All Time

 

The close but no cigar Films: Dawn of The Dead, You’re Next, The Blair Witch Project, The Pact, Grave Encounters, Let The Right One In, The Evil Dead

 

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Phil’s Top 5… Video Nasties

Phil’s Top 5… Video Nasties

by Phil Hobden Other Cr*p Top 5

Each week Phil, from Phil’s Quick Capsule Review, takes a look at a different movie or TV related Top Five.  This time out: we take a look at the infamous video nasties of the 80’s – the 74 or so banned films by the BBFC ranging from the iconic to the toilet.

Close but no cigar: The Burning, I Spit On Your Grave, The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue, Tenebrae, Driller Killer, Last House On The left

5 – The Beyond
Lucio Fulci Zombie film with a plot “borrowed” from Micheal Winners “The Sentinel” cemented his position as the king of the video nasties. It’s original release had suffered 9 cuts totalling 1:39s.  Released uncut in 2001. 

4 – Faces Of Death
Yes it’s terrible. But Faces Of Death and its is it/isn’t it real documentary video footage set a bench mark of the kind of OTT exploration rubbish that would become legendary when, in reality, it should probably have been forgotten. Cut initially by 35 minutes on it’s UK release, it’s still unavailable uncut.

3 – Zombie Flesh Eaters
The eye!  Yes another Fulci Zombie film, this time a kinda sequel to Romero’s Dawn Of The Dead was marketed as ‘Zombie 2’ (DOTD was called ‘Zombie’ in some countries) in some countries.  Heavily edited by almost 2 minutes in the UK on it’s cinema release, the film was finally released uncut in 2012.

2 – Cannibal Holocaust
Ruggero Deadato Cannibal film became legend with it’s close to the mark featuring gratuitous GENUINE animal butchery that saw the filmmaker in court.  Over 7 minutes were trimmed initially and the film is still unavailable uncut in the UK (although a almost uncut version can be purchased)

1 – The Evil Dead
Yes Sam Rami’s The Evil Dead was a ‘banned movie’ back in the day, even though compared to many on this list it was pretty tame.  It was cut by other 1min 30 secs on it’s initial releases finally seeing an uncut release in the UK in 2001.

 

 

Phil’s Top 5… Low Budget Films

Phil’s Top 5… Low Budget Films

by Phil Hobden Other Cr*p Top 5

In a new semi-regular feature each week Phil takes a lookout a different movie related Top Five… this time out: Low Budget Films.

Yup sub $300k movie making at it’s finest.  And bloodiest. It’s no surprise that it’s horror that tends to shine in this budget level, with scares and blood taking the place of cast and effects.  Here are my top 5 low budget films.

Close but no cigar: El Mariachi, Cube, Brick, Bad Taste, Paranormal Activity, Halloween

5 – The Evil Dead
Sam Rami followed in The Texas Chainsaw’s shoes , delivering one of the most famous ‘video nasties’ on the 80’s with The Evil Dead, a movie whose characters and legacy still carries on today.  See the original uncut version for the full on Evil Dead experience.

4 – Night of The Living Dead
Romero launched a genre with Night of The Living Dead, tacked race politics and scared the bejesus out of people. Night was years ahead of its time and spawned two equally impressive sequels. Today it stands as a key influencer on modern TV and movies.

3 – Clerks
Love him or hate him (and mostly hate with his latest few films), Kevin Smith pulled a blinder with Clerks – a mostly one location comedy with memorable dialogue and even more memorable characters.  Made with credit cards, luck and a degree of bullshit Clerks still stands up today as a damn funny, raw movie.

2 – Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Whilst it has dated badly, the original TCM was and still is somewhat of a phenomenon.  Banned in the UK for over twenty years, Chainsaw broke new ground in horror filmmaking with it’s raw handheld style, a style that would influence films like Evil Dead and Blair Witch years later. 

1 – Blair Witch Project
Like TCM before it, the directors of Blair Witch would never top their debut film, a film which for a long time was the most profitable movie ever made (overtaken latterly by Paranormal Activity). It launched a sub genre (the found footage film) and showed what you could do with no money but a great idea, presented alongside a one of cinemas best marketing campaigns. Like it or hate it, it changed filmmaking.