Screen Queen-Some of what I'm watching this Month

East West
Starring:Sandrine Bonnaire Oleg Menshikov Catherine Deneuve Sergei Bodrov Jr. Meglena Karalambova Atanass Atanassov Erwan Baynaud Tatyana Dogileva Grigori Manukov Tania Massalitinova Bogdan Stupka Ruben Tupiero
Director:Regis Wargnier
Run time:120 mins

Despite having deneuve plastered all over the cover her’s is little more than a cameo. That aside, I loved this film with great performances by all of the main players and Deneuves presence just adding the icing on the cake. It is the story of a French couple deceived into returning to Stalinist Russia. the country of the husband's birth and their subsequent attempts to escape. Lushly photographed and acted this true story really brought home the reality of Russian under Stalin. Highly recommended.
**** Stars
Buy East-Westat Amazon.com

Hellbent
Starring:Dylan Fergus Bryan Kirkwood Hank Harris Andrew Levitas
Director:Paul Etheredge-Ouzts
Run time:80 mins

When will I ever learn? Gay films with cheap budgets equals crap! This one was particularly dire and despite the novelty value of being the first Gay horror film, it had little to recommend it. It’s plot centres around Halloween in West Hollywood as a group of friends go out to party but end up terrorised by a madman intent on killing them all. Think a Camp version of Scream but with a 10th of the budget. The only things that made it remotely bearable was a couple of decent looking men and its mercifully short running time of 80 mins. Don’t waste your time!
* Stars
Buy Hell Bentat Amazon.com

Fascination
Starring:Adam Garcia Jacqueline Bisset Alice Evans Stuart Wilson James Naughton Vincent Castellanos
Director:Klaus Menzel
Run time:99 mins

The only thing fascinating about this film is how the hell did Jacqueline Bisset get involved in this ghastly crap heap of a thriller. Can she really be that desperate for work? I can’t remember when I saw acting so bad and a plot so dire . The only thing that prevented me slipping into a coma of boredom or cutting my wrists was that the producers wisely making yummy Adam Garcia, wear less and less clothes as the film progressed. Obviously this last minute ploy was a vain attempt at preventing at least the gay members of the audience and teenage girls from stampeding to the exits! If you have the choice of root canal work or watching this film, book the dentist quick!
** Stars
Buy Fascinationat Amazon.com

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