My favourite new old films of 2012!

Didn't watch nearly enough movies to compile a worthwhile Best or Worst list of last year's releases, even if I wanted to. But over the holiday season, I was honoured to be asked to compile a very different kind of list for the Rupert Pupkin Speaks movie blog.

Mr Pupkin is currently asking esteemed writers and bloggers, and me, to write about their favourite new discoveries of 2012, but, only films that were made more than twenty years ago. Older films that impressed us that we hadn't seen before.

With two exceptions, my choices haven't been reviewed on this site, so you're invited to head on over to Rupert Pupkin Speaks to find out what else nearly made it onto Black Hole Reviews. You'll also find a wealth of discoveries made by dozens of other explorers in the weird wide world of classic and not so classic cinema.

My favourite film discoveries of 2012

2013 Movies

I have done my list of movies I am most looking forward to seeing for the upcoming year for a while now. 2013 seems like it will be another amazing year for movies. I have a list of around 30 movies that I am already looking forward to seeing in 2013 but for writing sake I will limit it to these top ten (in no order).


Elysium - Neil Blomkamp follow up District 9 should be a good one. Matt Damon and Jodie Foster add star power the story about the rich vs. poor. In this instance the poor people all reside on a damaged earth and the wealthy live in a space station. I am eager to see what Bloomkamp can do with this movie.

Star Trek Into Darkness - I used to be just a Star Wars guy but J.J. Abrhams changed that somewhat when he released the massively entertaining Star Trek in 2009. It has been 4 long years and now he is finally putting the final touches on the sequel. I am expecting just as much fun this time around, and looking forward to seeing who the new (or old) villain is.





The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - I am interested in whatever director Peter Jackson touches. I found The Hobbit to be very entertaining and am eager to see it again. Now we have to wait to see even more from Jackson with The Hobbit sequel coming out much later this year.

Only God Forgives - Count me in for anything that re-teams Drive mastermind Nicolas Winding Refn with awesome actor Ryan Gosling. I really loved Drive and this one seems like it will be a good ride. All the plot details I can find is that it is about a Bangkok police lieutant and a gangster settle their differences in a thai boxing match, count me in! This is a very short clip of the movie (it is all that is out right now):



The World's End - Comic duo of  Nick Frost and Simon Pegg reunite with director Edgar Wright (all three made Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz together). I love anything that these three make together and I see no reason why this will not be another amazingly funny and well done movie.

Sin City. A Dame To Kill For - Sin City was on of my favorite comic book adaptations of all time. I am very excited to see what Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller do this time around. It has been 7 long years of waiting but I feel they will do the movie justice.

Thor: The Dark World / Iron Man 3 - I will lump these two together because Marvel films are sort of interconnected anyway. The first Thor was a real treat, and a movie I did not expect to like as much as I did. I think Chris Hemsworth was perfect for the role and is a underrated actor. Iron Man 3 should be a nice bounce back movie after part 2 left me somewhat disappointed  Shane Black is now taking over the directorial duties and I can't wait to see what he does with Tony Stark in this installment.




Man Of Steel - I feel that we haven't had a good Superman film since Superman II was released way back in 1980! Superman Returns (2006) left me with a bad feeling, since it was suppose to reboot Superman. I feel for Zach Snyder because Superman is the hardest of all heroes to do well. He only has a few interesting villains. The trailers for the movie seem interesting and taking thing is a much different direction. I am eager to see what they do with Superman in this one.




A Place Beyond The Pines - A movie I did not think would be on this list but the trailer looks just amazing. Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper star in this crime drama. I feel this could be a really good movie from the look and feel of the trailer. Anything with Gosling and Cooper seems to be really well done of late and I feel this could be another movie to add to their impressive lists.




This Is The End  - I already wrote a blog about Seth Rogen's directorial debut that stars tons of his friends who party while the world ends. Looks to be comedy gold. Click HERE to read that blog.



Others: Machete Kills, Pacific Rim, G.I. JOE: Retaliation, Kick Ass 2, World War Z, The Great Gatsby, 42, The Wolverine, The Lone Ranger, Anchorman: The Legend Continues, The Wolf of Wall Street, A Good Day to Die Hard, The Hangover III, Monsters University.

Filmlog 2012

Total Number of Movies Seen in 2012: 221
Total Number of Movies Seen in 2011: 218
Total Number of Movies Seen in 2010: 223

My Movielog for 2012:

1. Jeff, Who Lives At Home (2012) -- B
2. Django Unchained (2012) -- A-
3. Les Miserables (2012) -- B
4. A Christmas Story (1983) -- A-
5. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) -- B+
6. The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945) -- B-
7. Scrooged (1988) -- B
8. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) -- A
9. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) -- B
10. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) -- B+
11. A Christmas Carol (2009) -- B-
12. Lincoln (2012) -- B+
13. Die Hard 2 (1990) -- C+
14. Die Hard (1988) -- A
15. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) -- C-
16. You Only Live Twice (1967) -- B-
17. Home Alone (1990) -- B
18. Thunderball (1965) -- B
19. Hugo (2011) -- A-
20. The American Scream (2012) -- B-
21. Elf (2003) -- B
22. Silver Linings Playbook (2012) -- B+
23. From Russia With Love (1964) -- B+
24. Goldfinger (1964) -- A
25. Moonrise Kingdom (2012) -- A (2)
26. Superbad (2007) -- B+
27. Skyfall (2012) -- A- (2)
28. The Princess Bride (1987) -- B
29. Game 6 (2005) -- C
30. Bernie (2012) -- B-
31. Get the Gringo (2012) -- B-
32. Mansome (2012) -- C
33. The Shining (1980) -- A
34. Halloween III. Season of the Witch (1982) -- B
35. Halloween II (1981) -- B-
36. Halloween (1978) -- A
37. Cloud Atlas (2012) -- B+
38. Phantoms (1998) -- D
39. Wreck-It Ralph (2012) -- B (2)
40. TerrorVision (1986) -- C-
41. The Fog (1980) -- C+
42. Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland (1989) -- D
43. Argo (2012) -- A-
44. Pee- Wee's Big Adventure (1985) -- B+
45. Seven Psychopaths (2012) -- A-
46. Sleepaway Camp II. Unhappy Campers (1988) -- C+
47. Shaun of the Dead (2004) -- B+
48. Project X (2012) -- D
49. The Toxic Avenger (1985) -- B
50. House 2. The Second Story (1987) -- B-
51. Children of the Corn (1984) -- D
52. The Innkeepers (2012) -- C
53. House (1986) -- B-
54. The Sound of Music (1965) -- B+
55. Hotel Transylvania (2012) -- C-
56. Dredd (2012) -- B-
57. Looper (2012) -- B+
58. End Of Watch (2012) -- B
59. Haywire (2011) -- B-
60. Toy Story 2 (1999) -- A-
61. Finding Nemo (2003) -- A-
62. Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) -- B+
63. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) -- A+
64. Raising Arizona (1987) -- A-
65. Clue (1985) -- B
66. Sleepwalk With Me (2012) -- B (2)
67. Westworld (1973) -- C
68. The Bourne Legacy (2012) -- B-
69. The Neverending Story (1984) -- B-
70. ParaNorman (2012) -- B
71. Body Double (1984) -- B
72. Premium Rush (2012) -- C+
73. Expendables 2 (2012) -- B-
74. VIdeodrome (1983) -- B
75. Jaws (1975) -- A+
76. The Raid. Redemption (2012) -- B
77. Just Cause (1995) -- C+
78. The Campaign (2012) -- B-
79. The Shark is Still Working (2007) -- B-
80. Dying to do Letterman (2011) -- B-
81. Casper (1995) -- C+
82. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) -- B
83. Singin' in the Rain (1952) -- A
84. An American in Paris (1951) -- B+
85. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012) -- B
86. High Anxiety (1977) -- B-
87. Superman IV - The Quest for Peace (1987) -- C
88. Total Recall (2012) -- C-
89. Ruby Sparks (2012) -- B
90. Batman Returns (1992) -- B
91. Field of Dreams (1989) -- A-
92. Superman III (1983) -- D
93. Family Plot (1976) -- B
94. Under the Boardwalk. The Monopoly Story (2011) -- C+
95. Contagion (2011) -- B
96. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) -- A
97. Savages (2012) -- C
98. The Trouble With Harry (1955) -- B
99. The Watch (2012) -- C-
100. Notorious (1946) -- A-
101. Frenzy (1972) -- B
102. Office Space (1999) -- B+
103. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) -- A-
104. Battle Los Angeles (2011) -- C-
105. The Dark Knight (2008) -- A+
106. Batman Begins (2005) -- A-
107. Beats of the Southern Wild (2012) -- A-
108. The Pirates of Penzance (1983) -- C+
109. Mallrats (1995) -- B
110. WALL-E (2008) -- A
111. ted (2012) -- C+
112. Brave (2012) -- B
113. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) -- B-
114. Leprechaun in the Hood (2000) -- D
115. Evil Ed (1995) -- C
116. Goon (2012) -- B-
117. Charade (1963) -- A-
118. Wrath of the Titans (2012) -- C
119. Independence Day (1996) -- B-
120. Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope (2012) -- B
121. Rango (2011) -- B+
122. Super 8 (2011) -- A-
123. The Others (2001) -- C+
124. A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011) -- B-
125. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012) -- C
126. Man On A Ledge (2012) -- C
127. Young Adult (2011) -- B
128. The Trip (2010) -- B
129. Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) -- B+
130. Prometheus (2012) -- B-
131. The Myth of the American Sleepover (2011) -- B-
132. Men In Black III (2012) -- B-
133. Larry Crowne (2011) -- C
134. Snow White & the Huntsmen (2012) -- B-
135. Spider-Man 2 (2004) -- B+
136. Moonrise Kingdom (2012) -- B+
137. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) -- A
138. Let's Go to Prison (2006) -- C+
139. The Lord of the RIngs: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) -- A
140. Winters Bone (2010) -- B
141. 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984) -- B-
142. Up (2009) -- A
143. Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004) -- A-
144. Pretty In Pink (1986) -- B
145. Dark Shadows (2012) -- D+
146. Aliens (1986) -- A-
147. Alien (1979) -- A
148. Lilo & Stitch (2002) -- C+
149. Iron Man 2 (2010) -- B-
150. The Thing (2011) -- C-
151. The Avengers (2012) -- A- (3)
152. Bambi (1942) -- B
153. Everything Must Go (2010) -- B-
154. The Help (2011) -- B+
155. The People vs. George Lucas (2010) -- B-
156. Safe (2012) -- C
157. Lockout (2012) -- C
158. Bill & Ted's Excellent Journey (1989) -- A-
159. Army of Darkness (1992) -- A-
160. Cabin in the Woods (2012) -- A (2)
161. J. Edgar (2011) -- C+
162. Once Upon A Time in the West (1968) -- A+
163. Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope (2011) -- B+
164. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011) -- B-
165. War Horse (2011) -- B
166. Dial M For Murder (1954) -- A-
167. Evil Dead II (1987) -- A-
168. My Name Is Bruce (2007) -- B-
169. The Hunger Games (2012) -- B
170. Safe House (2012) -- C+
171. Chillerama (2011) -- D-
172. The Sitter (2011) -- B
173. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) -- B
174. The Muppets (2011) -- B+
175. Clerks II (2006) -- B+
176. 21 Jump Street (2012) -- B (2)
177. Win Win (2011) -- B-
178. Submarine (2010) -- B
179. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) -- A-
180. Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey (2011) -- B-
181. Edward Scissorhands (1990) -- B
182. The Artist (2011) -- B
183. Wanderlust (2012) -- C+
184. In Time (2011) -- D+
185. Austin Powers In Goldmember (2002) -- B
186. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) -- B
187. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) -- B+
188. The Rum Diary (2011) -- D+
189. District 9 (2009) -- A-
190. Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) -- B
191. Deadfall (1993) -- D
192. Cashback (2006) -- B+
193. Quarantine 2: Terminal (2011) -- D-
194. The Slumber Party Massacre (1982) -- C
195. Woman In Black (2011) -- B-
196. Anonymous (2001) -- C+
197. Chocolat (2000) -- B+
198. Special When Lit (2009) -- C
199. Best Worst Movie (2009) -- B+
200. Real Steel (2011) -- C+
201. Chronicle (2012) -- B-
202. Drive (2011) -- A-
203. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011) -- B
204. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) -- C-
205. The Grey (2012) -- B-
206. They Live (1988) -- B-
207. The Producers (1968) -- A-
208. The Descendants (2011) -- B
209. Hesher (2010) -- B-
210. Necessary Roughness (1991) -- C
211. A Hard Day's Night (1964) -- B
212. The Ides of March (2011) -- B
213. Sideways (2004) -- A-
214. History of the World: Part I (1981) -- B
215. Burke and Hare (2010) -- C+
216. Beginners (2011) -- B
217. See No Evil. Hear No Evil (1989) -- C+
218. That Thing You Do! (1996) -- C
219. Silver Streak (1976) -- B-
220. Warrior (2011) -- B+
221. Blazing Saddles (1974) -- A+

Top Movies of 2012

These are the movies that I saw in 2012 that made me really enjoy being a cinema lover. I can't say these movies are for everyone, I can't say I have seen every movie in 2012 (I did see 55 movies released in 2012), but what I can say is that these movies really stuck with me and are movies that I am sure to watch again and again. I hope in 5 or so years  I can look back at this list and say I still enjoy these movies.

I thought this year was packed with so many well done movie that I would expand my usual list of 10 to 20. All the movies on my list received better then a B grade by me.

The one's that almost made the cut..


20. Wreck-It Ralph - This was my favorite animated film I saw this year. I grew up playing video games and I was happy to see that this movie threw in many of my favorite video game characters. The story has a nice message and voice acting is amazing. I saw this twice.








19. 21 Jump Street - One of the best comedies in 2012, 21 Jump Street shines because Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum play so well off one another. The movie has some gut busting moments but is also smart and self aware.












18. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Having only seen this once I would really love to go back and take it all in again. I cannot imagine the pressure on this film to live up the LOTR movies. This is a smaller story but still has great acting and looks amazing. Looking forward to seeing the rest of the story.










17. Ruby Sparks - Perhaps the least well known movie on this list. Ruby Sparks does a great job of showing the highs and lows of an adult relationship. The premise is great and the movie has many laughs.












16. Silver Linings Playbook - The movie has just same amazing performances. Cooper and Lawernce are really top notch. I found myself laughing a lot but the movie also looks at the serious side of mental illness. I also give it points for all the football elements.












15. End of Watch - Best cop movie I have seen in a long long time. Gyllenhaal and Pena shine as partners showing what it is like working as a cop. This movie gets really tense and will have you on the edge of your seat. The best part of the film is the interaction between the two cops.













14. The Raid: Redemption - This is some non stop action packed fun! If you appreciate some mind blowing action you should see this movie. It had me just jaw dropped with what goes on in this movie. Probably the best action movie this year.












13. Cloud Atlas - This movie just struck me because of all the care given to each and every scene. I cannot say that everyone will like it as much as me. The movie has some amazing performances and if you are open minded you will enjoy what it has to offer.












12. Safety Not Guaranteed - I feel this smaller indie movie held its own with being of the best movies of the year. Mark Duplass and Aubrey Plaza shine and the story will keep you wondering how the ending will play out. This is a fun movie that also shows a lot of imagination.











11. Lincoln - Hands down filled with some of the best individual performances I have seen in all of 2012. Daniel Day Lewis is Lincoln, he embodies every element of our 16th president. Sally Field is amazing in her small time on the screen and Tommy Lee Jones shines as the grumpy senator. The movie just look amazing, they really paid attention to every detail. And to top it off it was directed by Steven Spielberg.








My Top Ten Releases in 2012:

 10. Seven Psychopaths - Writer/Director Martin McDonagh strikes again with the cleverly written Seven Psychopaths. McDonagh wrote and directed In Bruges in 2008 and comes back with another killer flick. Sam Rockwell and Christopher Walken steal just about any scene they appear in. The movie is a script writers dream. The cast in amazing the stories are amazing. I just wish I could have seen this one a few more times.










9. Looper - Rian Johnson continues to impress, he did the well done movie Brick and now is back with a very cool and interesting look at the time travel/sci-fi genre. I really enjoyed just about every aspect of Looper. It has great acting by Joesph Gordon Levitt and Bruce Willis is good as well. The movie will keep you wondering how it will all end.

 8. Beasts of the Southern Wild - This is a poetic and heart breaking look at bayou community on the verge of going underwater. The movies young actress gives perhaps on of the finest child performance in movie history. Quvenzhane Wallis as Hush Puppy is just amazing and soulful  I never would have thought a movie like this would be on my list, but when you see greatness you recognize it.

7. The Dark Knight Rises - Probably my most anticipated movie in all of 2012 was this one, I was eager to see how mastermind Christopher Nolan would end the fantastic trilogy. I am happy to say that this movie was well done and greatly satisfied me for the end of his movies. While seeing this movie I cold literally feel my heart beating not knowing what would happen. Would they kill off Batman? The ending nearly left me in tears, this is how you do a superhero movie in the modern day. Kudos to Mr.Nolan for his trilogy of amazing films.









6. Django Unchained - Thank you Quentin Tarantino for making such amazingly written and directed movies. In many years I will be telling my children (when they are old enough) that I saw these movies in a theater. Django just has the slick and smart dialogue you would expect from Tarantino. Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, and Samuel L. Jackson all deserve some love come awards season and of course the man behind the words Tarantino, the mastermind just continues to amaze in everything he does. I just wish I could have seen this a few hundred more times.

5. The Avengers - Joss Whedon, what an amazing 2012 you had! I and all the kids who grew up reading comics want to thank you for finally doing the movie that no one thought would ever happen. You not only did that but you made me so good! The banter between heroes, the villain  and of course the Hulk! This is easily a movie I will watch again and again just because the pure unadulterated fun of it. I saw it the day in came out and then a day later, yes it is that kind of fun. Marvel did a marvelous (ha) job of setting this movie up ever since Iron Man. Once again thank you for just nailing this movie and making me feel like a kid again.

4. Argo - Argo is somewhat based on true event that happened in 1980 when six Americans were trapped in Iran. I love movies about movies and this movie is about pretending to be a fake science fiction movie to help get these people out of danger. I am a huge Ben Affleck director. I have loved every movie he has directed to this point and Argo continues his roll. This movie looks so much like it was filmed in 1980. The look of everything is vintage, down to clothes and cars. Affleck is smart in taking the sort of timid role in the film, the really great acting comes from the duo of John Goodman and Alan Arkin. Affleck once again hits it out of the park.






3. Skyfall - I have never been a huge fan of the Bond films, this has to do with me not seeing them all and growing up during the Pierce Brosnan years. But that all changed when I saw the pure brilliance to Skyfall. I was totally taken in by the movie: the acting, the direction, the look of everything. The movie is a different and new take on Bond.  While I enjoy the newness of it all, I also really like that they reference the past a lot, showing us that Bond is new but also doesn't forget his roots. A new Q shows up but as I have said before a great villain makes for a great movie. Javier Bardem shines as the villain Silva and makes you feel that he has power and can threaten Bond and especially M (Judi Dench). Some say this is not the typical Bond but this is a new and improved Bond in my eyes. I would love to see more movies like this in franchise.

2. Moonrise Kingdom - The brillance of Wes Anderson is on full display in this coming of age comedy with an all star cast. The cast is amazing but no more so then the two main children played by Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward. The couple runs away together to be free and in love and the rest of the island they inhabit seems to be looking for them. This is probably the most visually stunning movie I saw in 2012. I love the style and detail to attention Anderson fills up every frame of the movie. He is a master at making his movies look exactly how he wants, and no other director currently has his style or look. The film has a lot of heart and Bruce Willis gives a good performance, to go along with Looper, Willis was on a roll in 2012. When the credits rolled on Moonrise I was sad because I didn't want this movie to end, I just wanted it keep going for a long time.

1. The Cain in the Woods - And to think this movie was delayed for a long while. Not a tough choice as my #1 movie but when I really thought about what movie had the biggest impact on my viewing experience it was this one. Joss Whedon who was a cult favorite to many (Buffy and Firefly) became the nerd god when he penned this movie and also directed The Avengers, and he totally earned it. This movie is made for people like me, people who watch those old 80's horror flicks but this movie has something to say about the audience watching and how they impact the movies they so love. This movie was advertised in a way that you have really no idea what is in store for you when you go and see it. I think that is partly while I enjoyed it  so much. I have seen so many movies that it feels like I can predict the entire movie from the preview, Cabin not only threw me for one loop the motherfucker did it twice. There is absolutely no way to predict what will happen in this movie and for that it was refreshing and it earns my #1 movie of 2012.

THE AMITYVILLE HORRORs - based on a true story?

The most shocking aspect is that it's still presented as a true story...

A great premise for a horror film... A young family find a dream house but they've barely got enough money for it. Huge rooms, sea view, boat house... too good to be true. Then the estate agent tells them why it's all so cheap. A year earlier, six members of the same family were killed inside. But despite this, they can't pass up such a bargain and move in.

But the Lutzs' new home has starts to effect them all, especially the father (James Brolin) who can't get warm and gets very attached to his axe. Their priest (Rod Steiger) can't sanitise the house, warned off by a swarm of flies and then a mysterious illness. Their little girl tells them of an imaginary friend, a red-eyed pig. Visions and window-slamming become increasingly ferocious until they can't stay in the house any longer...

I first saw this around February 1980 in a suburban London cinema. But. The Amityville Horror really didn't work for me. I jumped when the cat leapt up at the window and that's all. It would have been cheaper to get someone to burst a paper bag behind me.
Even as a teenager, I needed (what I now know to be called) internal logic, even in a supernatural horror film. I just couldn't work out what I was supposed to be frightened of. A haunting? Poltergeists? Demonic possession? The mysterious events each hint at a different supernatural problem. 

James Brolin and Margot Kidder

After seeing Suspiria, The Omen, Carrie and The Exorcist, maybe my expectations were set too high. Maybe that's why the hype had stressed that this was all based on a true story. The only real edge The Amityville Horror has is if the audience believes that they're witnessing a reconstruction of some scary shit that actually happened. If any of this happened to you or me, it would be scary. 

This is now an extremely common way of unsettling audiences while inviting their curiosity. To say the film is based on a true story. Leading our imaginations to believe that every event we witness actually happened.

1980 UK poster 

But why did I think it was a factual account back then? When I first saw the film, I was already under that impression. Checking back through the adverts (posters, print and radio), only the book actually used the 'true story' claim. The movie advertising cautiously held back on such claims, while not dissuading the many magazine articles that repeated the claims that the book made were true.

The book had previously been a huge bestseller before the film was made, and had "a true story" printed clearly on the cover. Despite scepticism from serious newspapers, it made a great story for less fussy news outlets and magazine coverage.

This elaborate radio advert from 1979 (broadcast across London) really pushed the fact that the story is all true. I found this scarier than the film...

Despite such shaky foundations, this movie house of horror became a huge hit and spawned more books, many movie sequels and some truly awful TV movies.

After being so disappointed with the first film, I avoided most sequels, except one on TV. The continuing spin-offs indicated that it all still worked for many other people.


For me, Poltergeist (1982) presented a family in a very haunted house far better (a burial ground was also one of the many possible causes mentioned in the Lutz's book). Of course Tobe Hooper's film had well-realised scares, the full weight of Industrial Light and Magic behind the visual effects, and a story with far more consistent internal logic. And no silly stories about it being based on fact. I loved it.

Decades later, I actually got angry to find that I'd been duped. When I heard of a more concrete account of the Lutz's haunting, that it was an orchestrated hoax. Stephen Kaplan's book, The Amityville Horror Conspiracy. Himself a serious paranormal investigator, Kaplan was invited to check the Long Island house for paranormal activity when the Lutzs moved in. He agreed but then had his appointment cancelled. He became suspicious, and continued monitoring news reports and the many accounts of what happened presented by the Lutzs.

Yes, George Lutz bought the house. Yes, the family before them were murdered. But everything that happened to them in the house has many other explanations (smells, cold, changes in behaviour). Some of it was probably from their little girl's nightmares (the pig-demon). Kaplan notes how the details of how the Lutz's story changes in various news articles at the time, and even in various early editions of their famous book! he also fails to find any consistency in the timeline they describe.

Kaplan was concerned that stories like the Lutzs' gave paranormal research a bad name, being investigated and presented with such little care. Crucially, the late Stephen Kaplan's book is out of print, while the many other Amityville books continue to spread. There's more money in ghost stories.

2005 remake poster

After reading it, I was confident that the The Amityville Horror had been well and truly debunked. I was beyond astonished when the Ryan Reynolds remake appeared in 2005, and even had "based on the true story" on the movie posters. How could they say that? Changing "a" true story to "the" true story makes it all better? Not even the original movie poster had "true story" on it.

The remake is certainly scarier, half naked Ryan Reynolds is certainly sexier, and Chloe Moretz outacts the rest of the cast, even aged 8. The film adds many events that were never in the Lutzs' book. And after seeing Kaplan's evidence, such as a floor plan of the house, I laughed out loud when the cupboard under the stairs became a gigantic mausoleum. Who knew the Lutz's had their own Tardis in the basement?

My latest hope for truth was this new documentary in 2012, My Amityville Horror, a feature-length interview with the eldest of the Lutz children who was there when it all happened. Daniel Lutz's mum and step-dad have now passed away, and I'd hoped that this would leave him clear to disavow what I'd assumed was a money-making publicity scheme to get the family out of financial difficulty.

I was seeking closure, but instead, Daniel confirms that the unexplained events all occurred, with an intense and convincing ferocity. Or is it violent desperation? 



In conclusion, my remaining interest is in the original DaFeo murders and the actual mysteries around that case. In one horrendous night, six members of the same family were shot dead in their bedrooms. But surely after the first shot, the others would wake up and move around? And how did the neighbours not hear it all happening? 

An entire family being murdered was a rare crime then. I wonder if this case inspired Thomas Harris' Red Dragon (first filmed as Manhunter in 1986). While Harris did intensive research to portray police work so accurately, what real-life murders did he also study?

As for the Lutzs' story, my remaining interest is the psychological health of Daniel. If something supernatural didn't happen to him, what did? Did his father throw him up the stairs, and not a ghost? This is what makes My Amityville Horror a very tense and interesting watch.

My full review of the documentary My Amityville Horror (2012) is here.

BREAKING GLASS (1980) - a pivotal time in music, fashion and politics

BREAKING GLASS

(1980, UK)

This was England

When Breaking Glass was playing cinemas in late 1980, I'd already seen Stardust, also a drama warning us of the machinations of the music industry, but set in the world of rock bands. Recently, I caught up with Slade in Flame which also preceded it. But I found this far more engaging, the main difference being the punk attitude and birth of several music genres. Back in 1980 though, this music could be heard all over the radio and even on Top of the Pops and the movie Quadrophenia (1979) had already captured the attitude effectively.

So instead, that month, I opted to go see the very different musical movies Can't Stop The Music and Fame, ahem. With the gift of retrospection I should've seen  Breaking Glass.

I remember songs from the soundtrack being in the charts and hadn't realised that singer/star Hazel O'Connor has been recruited for the film, which launched her as a pop act in parallel with the plot! The songs 'Eighth Day' and 'Will You' were the strongest, but it's fair to say her career as a singer and actor floundered soon afterwards.

Film Review, August 1980

The story is a small idealistic band being gently bludgeoned into shape as a pop product by a record company (an insight I'd like to see dramatised again in the present music industry). As in Stardust and Flame the various players all look deadly accurate, no doubt modelled on key characters of the time. What sets this apart is the year, 1980, a transitional time when British bands were finding their feet post-punk. New wave and new romantics were getting started and cheap electronic keyboards added a new important new sound to garage acts.

Janine Duvitski and Hazel O'Connor

Amazingly, this emerging minority music scene is reflected in a slickly-produced amply-budgeted movie. Smooth crane shots at odds with the grotty, non-spectacle of North London locations. We see the Camden Town that Withnail & I have only just vacated. There's added grottiness from the dustmen strikes and power cuts from the end of the 1970s which, synched with the nihilism of punk, suggested that society was breaking down.

Full page ad from Film Review, October 1980

The end of the 1970s also marked the rise of Oi! bands, music for skinheads, some of whom supported racist extreme-right organisations. The punk fashion use of swastikas had blurred their politics in the eyes of the media. So, in the movie, fictional post-punk band Breaking Glass take a visible and vocal anti-fascist stance, reflecting the time when young anti-Nazi groups emerged to face off against the rise in organised racist rallies around Britain.

While the story has few surprises and the dialogue more than a few unintentional laughs, the rare representation of the political, musical and fashion scenes are a valuable snapshot of what was going on at the pivotal dawn of the '80s.

Hazel O'Connor's many images includes one that predates the scary Pris (Daryl Hannah) of Blade Runner and a glowing circuitry suit and helmet before Tron had been made.

Phil Daniels plays the band's manager, linking this movie to Scum and Quadrophenia, making a violent and cynical trilogy of young people finding out about the system in place. Inexplicably, this was his last great role.

Jonathan Pryce (just before Something Wicked This Way Comes, Terry Gilliam's Brazil) has a good, but largely mute, supporting role as a deaf saxophonist. The enigmatic Jon Finch (The Final Programme, Frenzy, The Vampire Lovers) struggling to avoid TV roles. Jim Broadbent and Richard Griffiths have pre-fame cameos, as well as future feature director Jonathan Lynn. There's also the original Zaphod Beeblebrox (of radio and TV), Mark Wing-Davey, and Gary Tibbs just before he joined Adam and the Ants.

All this and a beginner's guide to rigging the pop charts...

Breaking Glass has recently been restored for DVD and blu-ray in the US, with a longer 'uncut' edition released on DVD in the UK. Unusually for downbeat British cinema, it was shot 2.35 widescreen.

TV in 2012

Top 5 Shows I Watched in 2012:

 1. Breaking Bad - I got into this show in the summer and was instantly watching it as much as I could on Netflix,  I am now almost all caught up on this season and cannot wait to see how the show ends. It was so good I was almost sad with each passing episode because I knew that meant I had less to watch. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul make this show a pleasure to watch.

2. The Walking Dead - Season 2 started pretty slow but really heated up towards the end and the group leaving the farm. This season has been a non stop thrill ride, they are not pulling the punches any more and going full on epic each and every episode. You cannot get attached to anyone because the show is not holding back and will kill off your favorite character in an instant. If you like tension, this one is for you.

3. Curb Your Enthusiasm - Larry David continues to impress and make me laugh to no end and this latest season of Curb was just as good as his others. The long time in between seasons can be hard  but whenever the show comes on I just love it. My favorite comedy show on TV! I know the show technically ended a few months before 2012 but I watched most of it in 2012, sorry schmohawk)

4. The League - The League isn't the type of humor that everyone will get or like, but I still enjoy this raunchy and smart comedy about guys who love to hate each other and all play in a fantasy football league. The show constantly is one upping itself in how funny (and sometimes gross) it can be. If you play fantasy football you can relate to these guys and how they obsess over every win and loss.

5. Girls - I love this show because of Lena Dunham, she really pours her soul into every episode. She stars and writes most episodes. This is a somewhat realistic portrayal of 20-30 year olds out of college trying to make their way in the world. The show can be hilarious (see Adam Driver as Dunhams on and off again possible boyfriend) but also shows that not everything about growing up is a joke. Look forward to seeing where they go with the show.