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Darren Fisher (2465 KP) rated Siege (1982) in Movies

Dec 13, 2020 (Updated Dec 13, 2020)  
Siege (1982)
Siege (1982)
1982 | Action, Thriller
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Overlooked excellent grindhouse thriller.
I rented this out a lot back in the 80s. This film needs an official re-release desperately (remains only available on VHS and Laserdisc).
Siege motors along at a fast pace, no lulls, just scene upon scene of intense cat and mouse between a gang of murderous thugs and a group of people (in what looks like the most rundown and scuzziest building ever) who take in a survivor from the gangs previous assault. Shades of John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13 and a cheeky wink towards Escape From New York, the gang take on more than they bargain for when the ever resourceful victims strike back. Solid acting all round and a sucker punch of a twist at the end. This is a must see! Essential grindhouse viewing!

Trivia:
1# It contains the only existing news footage of the actual 1981 Halifax Police strike.
2# Aka Self Defense (USA), Night Warriors (Europe), New York 1991 (Various countries). Seige was the UK title.
3# The Japanese release has a further 7 minutes of extra 'day-time' footage. Although this is interesting it doesn't really add anything to the final cut. Personally I prefer the 'night-time' version as it evokes more menace and gets straight to the point.
  
Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
1981 | Horror
6
7.0 (27 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Overrated
Out of all of the old school horror films, Friday the 13th is probably the one I like the least. Whilst it’s a great concept being set in a camp by a lake, I think it’s rather poorly and cheesily executed. I’ve seen the original many times, but this is the first time I’ve seen any of the ‘original’ sequels and I’m afraid I didn’t think much of this either.

The main problem with this is that i found Jason to be rather disappointing. Admittedly I’ve grown up with the later version of Jason (hockey mask and machete), and whilst the machete makes an appearance, I don’t find this version of Jason very scary at all. He isn’t helped by the cheesy scenes, poor script and rather bizarre fade to white scenes. It’s a shame, as the deaths are actually rather inventive but as with all 80s horrors, they’re not nearly as gruesome as they could be. Either that or I’ve become numb to the deaths after the extreme and gory modern horrors that have been out since.

Despite all of the negatives, it is still a rather silly yet enjoyable film. Just not quite the classic it’s made out to be.
  
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
1986 | Comedy, Horror
6
6.5 (11 Ratings)
Movie Rating
I have a huge amount of respect for TTCM2, mainly for how different it is to its predecessor, which of course happens to be one of the most respected horrors of all time. Tobe Hoopers return is a welcome one, and his desire to not repeat his original masterpiece is a smart move. It results in a slice of 80s horror that is flamboyantly ridiculous, which still manages to keep its identity intact underneath it all. There's a lot less subtlety this time around - the brooding and implied violence we have seen before is replaced with more gore and Dennis Hopper dual wielding chainsaws with a third strapped to his back. It's weirdly great. The gore is significantly upped, and Leatherface is a little more cartoony. We're also introduced to Bill Moseley as Chop-Top, a fan favourite character who is a little too slapstick for my taste, but I can't fault Moseley for 100% commiting to the bit. Caroline Williams is a delight as this entries badass final girl as well.

TTCM2 is flawed for sure, but it doesn't fall into the rinse and repeat trap that so many sequels do, and it's easy to see why it has a strong following.