Goth, Love of Death (2009)

Title - Goth Love of Death (original title - Gosu)
Director - Gen Takahashi
Language - Japanese
Genre - Horror, Drama







"The Difference between you and me is the same as the difference between those who kill and those who are killed"
Kamiyama to Morino




Based on the Manga of the same title 'Goth, Love of Death' is tale about about identity & friendship.
The film opens with the discovery of a body, posed and dressed as if it is still alive, the only sign of harm to the body is that the left hand has been removed.  Amongst the gathering crowd is Morino who notices Kamiyama a boy from the same classes as her.  After the discovery of a second body Kamiyama and Morino meet up, both of them are fascinated by the murders and they decide to look into them, not to find out who is doing them but to see the next body's and to see why the kill is doing them, a task that is made easier when Morino finds a note book belonging to the killer.

Goth, Love of Death follows Morino & Kamiyama as they meet and find a common interest in the 'left hand murders' and, as the film unfolds it focuses on the difference's and similarities between the two characters and the murder.

When the film starts Morino is a quiet outsider, always reading and never saying more than a few words to each other, when she is a the murder scene's she is just an observer.  When she is alone a darker filter is used.  By contrast Kamiyama is one of the popular ones, everyone knows who he is and he is never alone but he seems to prefer to be alone, he is filmed through a bright filter.  The two characters are brought together by their shared interest in in murders, this interest, in both cases are caused by events in both of their pasts, in Morino's case her sister had hung her self whilst trying to play a prank & in Kamiyama's case his little sister had found a dead body on a couple of occasions.

As the film progresses it focuses on the growing friendship between Morino & Kamiyama and on their investigations into the murders.  Morino is portrait as a victim, from finding the body of her sister to the fact she looks simaler to the murder victims and, in one sceen lies in the spot of one of them so Kamiyama can photograph her, this is one of the few scene's that Morino is shot in bright filter.  It is hinted during the film that there is something she is hiding about the death of her sister and this is explained at the end of the film (I won't say what due to spoilers), this is a small sub plot that is more important to the manga version, I will go into this a bit later.
Kamiyama is portrait in a similar way to the murderer and, at the beginning of the film it is possible that he is the murderer.  He also seems to know more about Morino's past than he is letting on.

The film version of Got Love of Death does do the manga justice although it is shortened and in doing so it loses a bit of something.  In the manga the 'left hand murders' are only one of a set of murders that Morino & Kamiyama get involved with, most of which end with Morino almost being the next victim (or the intended victim) and most end with the murders escaping.  As the manga unfolds we find out more about Morino's past and, although it does pay a part in the film it is a vital part of the end of the manga.  The film does a good job of putting the mystery of Morino's past across but some parts don't really need to be in the film for example there is a scene where Morino receives a mysterious phone call from someone who knows about her past, in the manga this turns out to be from the final murderer but it is never really explained in the film.

The Pace of the film is slow, there is no urgency even when Kamiyama is looking for Morino when she has been taken by the killer, but there does not need to be, Kamiyama & Morino are not looking for the killer to stop him, they want him to continue his work so it does not matter that more people will die and, when Morino is captured Kamiyama is looking for her body so he has no need to rush.

Over all Goth, love of death is a good mystery film and is a change from the usual detective or 'CSI' type film & a good Manga

Bathory, Countess of Blood (2011)

Title - Bathory, Countess of Blood
Director - Juraj Jakubisko
Language - English
Genre - Gothic, Biography



"Marriage is a beauty and love is a sin" Elizabeth's Mother









Elizabeth Bathory has become as much a part of the Vampire myth as Vlad the Impaler.  Elizabeth was a Hungarian countess who live in the late 16th/early 17 century and she ruled her court in the absence and then after her husbands death, during her life there were a number of strange death's that were rumored to be Elizabeth's doing, these led to rumors that Elizabeth was bathing in the blood of her maid's.  It was also rumored that Elizabeth never aged, the legends end with Elizabeth being bricked up in her own palace, when the bricks were removed it is said that there was no body.  It is also said that Elizabeth is in the Guinness book of Records as the most prolific murderess.

Bathory, the film is a fictional biography of Elizabeth  Bathory with a twist, I can't say to much with out giving away spoilers but I'll give the review with out giving to much away.

As I've said Bathory is a fictional biography about the life of Elizabeth Bathory, it is split into three parts, each representing one of the three people who influenced or directed her life, these are:
Part 1 - Ferenc, Elizabeth's huband
Part 2 - Darvulia, A healer/witch who helps and advises Bathory
Part 3 - Thurzo, a Lord who is after Bathory and her land after the death of her husband.


The film is narrated by a monk who spends the majority of the film watching the events in Bathory's court and reporting her actions to the Catholic church.  Although he he does play a more important role in the final part of the film I found his narration at the beginning a bit annoying

Part one follows on the early life of Elizabeth from the arranged marriage to Ferenc to her accidental poisoning (more on this later).  It sets the mood of the film by showing Elizabeth & Fenric happy and then the loneliness as Elizabeth holds the court together and tries to protect the women of the court from the lords of the court whilst her husband is at war, to help run the court Elizabeth has to project a strong ruthless visage which means that most people are scared of her which only aids the loneliness she feels.  Elizabeth strikes up a friendship with an artist who was captures by Ferenc and given to Elizabeth to paint her portraits.  During the time Elizabeth spends with the artist she reviles that she has been acting as a nurse, healing people from the court with herbs and medicines in way's that some would class as witchcraft, she also reveals that she has an unknown disease that can, at times debilitate her.  In return the artist reveals that he is great Italian painter Caravaggio who was captured whilst fleeing Italy after killing a man.  Part 1 comes to an end when Ferenc returns from battle and is told that Elizabeth & Caravaggio are having an affair, Ferenc attempts to poison Caravaggio but Elizbeth is poisoned instead.

Part 2 started when Ferenc summons Darvulia to cure Elizabeth form the poison meant for Caravaggio.  Darvulia is a witch with the power of premonition and she tell's Elizabeth that she can help her with the other illness she suffers from, she gives Elizabeth a medical drink that does stop the symptoms of the illness and Elizabeth keeps Darvulia as an adviser.  through out the second part body's of women from the court start to appear and Elizabeth is seen bathing in a red liquid.  Caravaggio is also imprisoned at the beginning of the second part but is helped to escape.  At the end of the second part Ferenc dies.

Part 3 Focus' on the plans of Thurzo who is a lord that we have met earlier in the film, after Ferenc's death he is attempting to blackmail Elizabeth into marring him promising her protection, Elizabeth instead turns to her other relative in Transilvaina.  Throughout the third part there are more bodies found and a number of maids disappear.  The strain of running the court and defending her self from the accusations of witch craft and the plots of Thurzo take a strain on Elizabeth causing the to hallucinate this is made worse at the end of part two and the beginning of part three when she believes the has been betrayed by Darvulia.
There is a small reprieve for Elizabeth when she goes to Italy with other members of her family and is reunited for a short time with Caravaggio. the reprieve is short lived as Thurzo increases his threats against her and, not long after she returns from Italy Elizabeth is informed of Caravaggio's death.

There is not much more I can say about the plot with out giving away some of the plot twists, some of which are more surprising if you already have knowledge of the Bathory legends.

Bathory is an interesting take on the life of Elizabeth Bathory and is a good film, I would advise that you stick with the annoyance of the monk as he does play a small but important part at the end of the film.
The story is good and it is interesting on how it focus' on the people who influence Elizabeth's life and lead to the legend that is Elizabeth Bathory, the Countess of Blood

Zombie Strippers (2008)

Title - Zombie Strippers
Director - Jay Lee
Language - English
Genre - Horror, Zombie













How do you improve a Zombie film?  Set it in a pole dancing club and cast Jenna Jameson and Robert Englund and that's Zombie Strippers.

As in a number of films, pesky government agents spill a chemical virus which starts to infect the local strip club turning pole dancers in to flesh eating zombies  that the clients have to fend off.  That's the film I expected and, on one level that is Zombie Strippers but there is another level to this film.  As I watched I started to think that something was a bit odd, some of the speeches were a bit strange and didn't fit the expected level of a film about a Zombie infected strip club.  There was also something a bit familiar about this film, but I knew I had not seen it before.

As I've said Zombie Strippers starts off like most normal zombie films, there is an infection and people turn in to zombies, in this case mainly the strippers but then the film takes a turn, an infected stripper takes to the stage and puts on a show that the punters love, she makes more money than any of the strippers have made before.  This leads to the strippers taking sides, those who want to make money and chose to get themselves infected, not caring that they will probely end up eating a punter who was only expecting a lap dance.  The set of strippers chose to remain humans, they see the strippers as the monsters they are.

I have to admit I did not work out why Zombie Strippers was familiar until I watched the extras, I think I was distracted by pole dancing routines, or maybe the final battle where Jenna Jameson fires billiard balls from her nether regions, but when saw the extras it clicked, Zombie Strippers is a retelling of Eugene Ionesco's play 'The Rhinoceros'.

In 'The Rhinoceros' people start turning in to rhinoceros and running rampage through the town.  There is no reason for people to change into rhinoceros, they just do and, at the beginning of the play some of the towns folk even refuse to believe the it is happening but, as the play continues and more people turn the discussion turns to whether is the new way of life and if being human old hat.  The question of choice is raised when character who hated the Rhinoceros' start turning, are they choosing to follow the newest fashion or have they been brainwashed by the masses.  Those who do not change are scared of being left behind and being seen as different.

In Zombie Stripper the rhinoceros have been replaced by the zombies and the need to fit in has been added to with the promise of the extra money the zombies can make but Zombie Strippers still follows the same themes and the struggle to remain an individual, not a zombie.

After saying all that if all you want is a film with zombies and scantily clad women than Zombie Strippers provides, but if you want something a bit more then leave you brain on and appreciate Zombie Strippers  on another level.  Either way enjoy

Under the Mountain (2009)

Title - Under the Mountain
Director - Jonathan King
Language - English
Genre - Sci-Fi/Fantasy


"It's just a creepy old house"
"Then why don't we check it out"
"Because it's a creepy old house"
Ricky & Theo







I remember watching a series when I was younger, it was called 'Under the Mountain' and I haven't met many people who remember it.  I didn't remember much about, just that there was a brother & sister who had glowing stones and they were fighting against thing's that looked like men but were something else, some type of slug i thought (I remember there being lots of slime).  I also remember that it creeped me out.
I decided to try and find the series and failed but what i did find was this, a modern remake in the form of a film.  I sat down to watch it, expecting to be disappointed, things are never as good as you remember them & this was a remake of the thing I remember.  Here's the review.

After the Death of their Mother, twins Theo & Rachel are sent to live with their Aunt & Uncle who live on the edge of a lake on a dormant volcano.  On the other side of the lake is rundown house where 7 members of the Wilberforce family live.  The Wilberforce's are seen watching the twins who go into the house to try and find out what is happening, they over hear the Wilberforce's say that if the twins find the 'Fire Bringer' then they will have to 'make them dead'.  Needless to say the twins meet the Fire Bringer, an man call Mr Jones (he has no first name & no ID) who tell them that he & the Wilberforce's are from different worlds and that the Wilberforce's are working with other creatures called Gargantuan's to feed off the world, he gives them a stone each which contains a power which can be used to defeat the Wilberforce's and there allies but they can only be used by twins who have a special connection.

Under the Mountain is a childrens film and covers such topic's as acceptance, Theo has trouble accepting his mother death & refuses to acknowledge the link he has with his sister.  It's also a film that says that it's OK to need help, the stones won't work fully until Theo & Rachel work together, they also need to get help from the Mr Jones & there cousin Ricky on a few occasions.  The film also looks at loss, Theo & Rachel are sent to their Aunts because their Dad has a break down after the death of their Mother, Theo has trouble coping with the death and over compensates by trying to keep Rachel out of danger by doing everything himself .  Mr Jones is also coping with the death of his own brother and of the lose of the Twins he had previously tried to get to defeat the Wilberforce's, this makes him under estimate Rachel & Theo.

The has a 12 rating because it is, like the original series very atmospheric, the Wilberforce family, when in human form move quietly and speak with a strange monotoned voice, the effects used when their human form slips or when they attack are CG but work well reminding me a bit of the T2000 from Terminator 2.  The Wilberforce's house & the cave's under the volcano have an orgainic feel similar to the H R Geiger inspired 'Alien' movies and the scenes where the Wilberforce's are slightly reminiscent of the Predator movies (althogh tamer, this is a children's movie after all)

So I found that I was pleasantly surprised, the film is as atmospheric as I remember the original series being and I would recommend giving it a watch.

Rhinharts Rant - The BBFC and the Banning of Films

This blog comes off the back of the announcement that the BBFC has refused to give a rating to 'the human centipede second cycle', I know this was announced a couple of months ago but as this is a new I was not able to publish this any earlier.

I would like to start by saying that I am not against the rating system, there needs to be an easy way for people to tell who a film is suitable for and, other than reading through the plot on the back of the box or on line a rating system is a good workable system.  What I do find my self wondering is if there is any advantage in the refusal of a rating and there for the banning of the release of any one film (in the UK).

In the past the BBFC has refused to rate films that they feel are in bad taste or that may offend or result in any other form of distress the viewer even going as far as publishing a 'video nasteys' list, that is a list of the the worst films that had been made.  This seems to suggest that the BBFC don't think that the viewer is unable to make up there own mind about what they think is suitable or even turn off the film if they find the material disturbing in any way, after all the BBFC have provided the rating system to help us decide what we want watch.

Over time almost all of these films have been been released with minimal or no cuts and these films are now easily available to ever one making the banning almost irrelevant, as the films were only kept from the audience they would offend for a few years.  The banning of the film's has, if anything helped the promotion of them when they have finally been released as the BBFC and the press had both announced that the film was first banned and why it was banned and then there was publicity when the films were finally released which then would have made some people curios as to what the film was like and if it did deserve to be banned.

In the current era of Internet shopping and streaming/downloading the banning of a film is even less relevant. if the BBFC refuse to certify a film that ruling is only valid in the UK, the film can still be sold in other countries and can, there for still be obtained by people in the UK although, I should probably point out it is illegal to buy a film for viewing in the UK that has not been passed by the BBFC.  There is also the fact that, even if the film is not on sale anywhere it still exists and can easily find itself on line where there is less regulation, if some buys a film that is 18 rated then they can monitor who watches it & if some one under 18 tries to buy an 18 rated film then a shop can not sell it to that person but if that person goes on line and finds the banned film there may be not way of stopping them from viewing it and, lets face it if some one wants to see a film they will find a way of seeing it so surely it is better that the person sees a rated film that may have been very slightly cut than a film on line that has had no vetting.  There is also the problem that the file you download may not be the film you think it is, some one may have renamed a file or it may be a virus.  I would also like to point out that, as long as it is the owner of the copyright who puts the film on line it is legal to show it although it may be subject to other laws such as the obscene publication act.

I think that in this day and age the out right banning of a film would be pointless and could cause more problems.  A better solution may be to create a new rating for the banned film and let the public decide for them selves after all I'm sure there are plenty of people who find porn offencive and they a don't go out buy it.

As a foot note, it has been announced this week that a remake of 'The Evil Dead' is under way, this was one of the films that was on the 'Video nasteys' list, I wonder if they will include the 'tree scene', the very scene that got the film banned in the first place & if they do how will the BBFC react to it

Rhinhart out.

Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. (1998)

Title - Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P,D.
Director - Lloyd Kaufman & Michael Herz
Language - English
Genre - Action, Superhero, comedy

"If, when the Dragon jumps through the hoops of Saturn the tiger feeds on the nubile and the monkey rides the jaguar then the evil one will rise" Ancient Japanese prophecy









Kabuki - An ancient form of Japanese stage play in which the actors move with slow exaggerated movements and speak via strange sounds.

There is a prophecy that says that every 1000 years the Dragon will pass through Saturn's ring and, if the correct chain of events occurs then the evil one will rise to rule the world.  It is the job of the Kabukiman to stop this from happening.

The ceremony to pass on the Kabuki powers is started but the chosen one is murdered, investigating the death Sgt. Harry Griswold finds himself at a Kabuki play when a a number of armed men open fire on the cast, whilst comforting one of the wounded cast Harry becomes the recipient of the Kabuki powers.

Even with the help of Lotus, the granddaughter of the previous Kabukiman, can Harry master his new powers, over come his fear of heights and stop the evil one from rising?

Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D is a move from the American studio 'Troma' and is their second superhero (the first being the Toxic Avenger) it take aspects from American superhero and cop movies and mixes it with a comedic view of Japanes culture, Kabukiman is able to call on a number of weapons such as fans and the ability to shoot chopsticks from his robes.  Kabukiman is a funny, violent seemingly low budget movie that doesn't take itself to seriously and is a good watch if you want something that doesn't take to much thought, maybe for a quiet night in with a few lagers (drink sensibly, Rhinhart is not responsibly for liver disease or drunken behavior)

Rubber (2011)

Title - Rubber
Director - Quentin Dupieux
Language - English
Running Time - 79 Min's
Genre - Horror, grind house, WTF

"In E.T. why is the alien Brown, no reason.  In love story why do the 2 main characters fall madly in love, no reason.  In JFK why does the President get shot part way through, no reason....All great films contain an element of no reason" Paraphrased from Lieutenant Chad.







A crowd gathers on a hill to watch a film.  A tyre rises from the ground and we watch as it learns to move and kill.  A police Lieutenant knows what is happening but it is not going to plan.  Why, no reason.

Rubber is a film that clams there is no reason to it, but which also explores the nature of films, that is, to be watched.  As the crowd gatherers to watch an unknown film we watch the 'birth' of the films main character, Robert, a car tyre as he (it) rises from the ground and makes his (it's) unsteady way across the sand.  Robert soon finds that he can't roll over some thing and that he is not heavy enough to flatten most thing so he blows them up with his telepathy.

When the crowd on the hill go to sleep so does Robert and when they wake so does Robert showing that he is the representation of a film, Robert is the reason the crowd are on the hill but he would not exist if they were not there showing that the film exists for the audience but then taking the narrative further, a film is a safe form of entertainment but if the film, or Roberts life, is being created as the audience watch what happens if some continues watching longer than they should?  this is answered as Robert becomes obsessed with a woman named Sheila who is heading to the nearest town and one spectator keeps watching for longer than he should.

If you want a film with lots of deaths that follows the normal formula then Rubber is not for you.  If, however you want something different and surreal and where a tyre can blow up peoples head and you don't need answers to all the questions then give Rubber a go and remember weather you like it or not it doesn't really matter.