"Masters of Horror" - The Black Cat

"Masters of Horror"

The Black Cat

2007

Directed by Stuart Gordon

This is the first thing that I have ever seen directed by Stuart Gordon. I know that he has a reputation for over the top gore, and this episode of "Masters of Horror" certainly delivers on that. I chose to watch this episode mainly for the fact that it was an adaptation of an Edgar Allan Poe short story, one of my favorite authors. It is actually a really good episode that combines the original short story with bit so of Poe's life. The narrative also follows the original short story very closely and Poe is portrayed as a man torn between providing for his wife and succumbing to his inner demons.

Rustin Allison

Sukiyaki Western Django

Sukiyaki Western Django

2007

Directed by Takashi Miike

This is a very stylish film that is a mixture of Japanese samurai and western film genres. Miike pulls this off very successfully. The mixture of swords and guns looks spectacular and there are some great fight scenes that involve them both. The colors of the film are very saturated and alternate between the contrasts of deep red and bright whites. I did enjoy the film. Miike always presents the unexpected and this film was not a disappointment.

Rustin Allison

Balls of Fury

Balls of Fury

2007

Directed by Robert Ben Garant

I went into this film with low expectations, and it was still worse than I expected. It did have some funny moments, but most of the humor just fell flat. This is surprising since it is created by the writers of Reno 911!, one of my favorite television shows.

Rustin Allison