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Below is a list of films that Yellow Trigger films highly recommend. Most of these were, at one time, featured under the Babble section of our website.

The Abandoned -- This very atmospheric horror film from Spanish Director Nacho Cerde', is definately at the top of my list of best recent horror films. Not many people know of Nacha Cerde', but if you have you most likely have seen this movie. With earlier films, Awakening, Genesis and Aftermath, you have to be a fan to know his work. The idea was inspired by the double aspect's of everyone's lives. I find this film very hard to explain, but even harder to forget. Amazingly atmospheric and extremely creepy this is right at the top of my suggestion list for avid horror fans.

Baby Blues - This is one of those movies that came out of nowhere, but I’m glad I caught it. Baby Blues is by newcomers Lars Jocobson and Amardeep Kaleka and follows, a mother (Colleen Porch) suffering from postpartum depression. The mother cares for her four children by herself, while the husband drives a truck, to put food on the table. One evening the mother snaps and becomes driven to kill each of her children. It ends up being thrown into the oldest son, Jimmy’s, hands to protect the family from their murderous mother; hiding anywhere they can over the large family farm.
This movie has amazing cinematography and direction for a low budget independent film. Also, the filmmakers did an awesome job bringing the reality of the situation to the screen, making parts seem too realistic and somewhat disturbing. The acting in some scenes was a little on the over-the-top side, but the total performance made up for it in the end. Overall, this is a great little known film with amazing direction, acting, atmosphere and depth. Supposedly, in the beginning, it says that it is based on a true story. Although, this would not surprise me, I haven’t really looked into this being a true account of an actual event. I see these filmmakers making a name for themselves in the near future, so I definitely recommend this picture.

Brick

Brick was one of those movies that I was excited to watch for a very long time and it definitely did not let me down. Brick follows Brendan (Joseph Grodon-Levitt, in probably one of the best roles of his career) as a loner that strong arms his way into an underground high school drug and crime syndicate (led by Lukas Haas of E.T. fame) to investigate the sudden and bizarre disappearance of his ex- girlfriend Emily (Emilie de Ravin from the show Lost).
This was one great film in the way high school and the characters were perceived. Rian made us look at this film like a modern day Film Noir, set in high school, with teenagers. I remember watching this and thinking what an awesome fresh look it was at the Film Noir genre. Many people have tried to tackle the Film Noir genre with a modern sheen, but there was something about this film that just seemed more of an homage than a re-telling. Also, just like Cashback, the filmmaking and direction is amazing and well thought out. This is most likely one of my favorite movies for the last decade. It would be safe to say, that it is that high on my list of “must see movies”.

Cashback

Cashback was one of those movies that made me want to work harder at directing. Sean Ellis is an amazing technical director, as well as character director. Cashback is about a Young Man named, Ben (Sean Biggerstaff from Harry Potter fame) and a bitter breakup that causes him to fall into a bout with insomnia. He takes a graveyard shift job at the local supermarket where his imagination gets the better of him.
Like I mentioned before, this movie is amazing and so well shot and directed. There is one scene, in particular, which takes place in the snow that I thought was so amazing. It’s probably the single most scene I think about when mentioning this movie. The opening scene we’ll have you hooked into finishing the movie; I guarantee it. Overall, this was a great movie about what one man goes through after a painful breakup. This film is definitely recommended if you are looking for a good independent film with an actual pay off. Sean Ellis’ next project is the horror film, Broken, which is included in the After Dark Horror Fest. After Dark Horror Fest is on their third year of the 8 Films to Die For collection and should start up again in January 2009.

Happiness of the Katikuri’s -- Director Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer, Fudoh, Crows Zero, Gozu, Dead or Alive trilogy) tackles this story about a close knit family that opens a bed and breakfast in the mountains. After their first guest commits suicide, they decide they must hide the body in their backyard to avoid bad press from their newly opened investment. Little do they know that’s not the last time they would have to carry out the same act.
Told through many different genre’s (including musical interpretation, horror and comedy) this is one of Takashi’s triumphs as a director. This was the first movie I ever watched by Takashi Miike, and I became an instant fan the following day. I started getting my hands on as many Miike films as possible (which is a feat in itself, considering he’s made 60+ films in a little over a decade) and I have to say, he rarely disappoints. I think when your biggest American fans are Quentin Tarantino and Eli Roth (he even has a cameo in Hostel), you have to be doing something imaginative and original.
Overall, this movie is a very fun watch and is a great way to get into Takashi Miike. His movies are usually hyper-violent and very blunt, but this movie has a nice mix of his humor and directing style. After watching this, if you become a Takashi fan, check out Fudoh: the Next Generation and the Dead or Alive series.

Hard Eight (aka. Sydney) -- Originally titled, “Sydney” this film from Boogie Nights director Paul Thomas Anderson is an amazing, captivating drama. Sydney (Philip Baker Hall) is the name of one of the main characters of the film, who is veteran gambler that spends most of his life in casinos. One day he happens across John (John C. Reilly), a down and out loser with nothing to his name, and tries to offer help in return for conversation. John accepts after making sure he isn’t trying to have sex with him and accompanies him to Reno, Nevada. Sydney teaches him the tricks of his trade and even helps him find love within a waitress named, Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow). After he is sucked in by “the life” and realizing his new girlfriend is a hooker, things begin to get flipped upside down.
I love Paul Thomas Anderson and everything he does. He can film a flower blooming and I would watch it. He’s amazingly technical and a great story teller. I could imagine having a conversation with him would be very interesting. With that said, this is probably one of my favorite PT Anderson movies; right next to Boogie Nights. Also, if you’ve seen Boogie Nights, you’ll notice a bunch of references to characters that appear in that film. This movie has great characters (check out Samuel L. Jackson as Jimmy), development and is an enjoyable film. So, if you like Paul Thomas Anderson movies (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood) then check this out…you will be happy you did.
A little side note: PT Anderson was enraged with the name change, saying it made it sound like a midnight movie on Cinemax.

Irreversible -- I tried to remember when and how I first heard of this movie, but somehow I bought it one day and watched it that same night. I have to say that this movie totally stuck with me for weeks. I couldn't stop thinking about it, or talking about it to everyone I came across. The movie takes place in one night in the slums of Paris and is told in reverse. If your familiar with "Memento", the story is structured the same way; starting at the end and ending at the beginning of the story. Pretty much this is a movie about revenge and what one man goes through to get it. After Marcus (actor Vincent Cassel) discovers his girlfriend has been brutally (and I mean brutally) raped, he gets a tip from a bystander and goes on a rampage through Paris to catch the person who carried out the act.

What sounds like a simple story, is realistically told through the imagination of Gasper Noe (I Stand Alone, Carne, Destricted). Gasper is an amazing filmmaker with a a inventive technical side, so if you're a filmmaker, you'll be blown away by the camera technique. If you like disturbingly real, but gripping cinema, this is definately a movie for your Friday night. I do have to include a WARNING in this review, however; this movie is horrifying beyond belief and there are scenes so real, they will stick with you. If you've seen this movie and I say, "Fire Extinguisher". It's usually answered with a, "Oh, man, I know! and a slight cringe. Also, the rape scene is not for the faint of heart. It's BRUTAL. Very Brutal. The movie made people throw up, pass out and walk out in drones from the theatre. It's that intense.

However, with all that said, this is still at the top of my favorite movies of all time list. It's real, disturbing, extremely technical, and Gasper Noe knows how to tell it in a way an artist paints on a canvas. If you can handle crazy, disorienting, disturbing films, this is definately one you'll watch again...but, you'll most likely fast forward through the rape scene.

Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer - Before I even start this review, I must say that I am so glad to actually see a horror film using no CGI. It’s such a breath of fresh air to see good ol’ creature and gore effects the old fashioned way. It almost rockets you back a couple decades.
With that said, on with the review: When Jack Brooks (Trevor Matthews) was a child, he watched his whole family get brutally murdered by a bloodthirsty monster. Fast Forward to when Jack is a young man, and a plumber, with an annoying girlfriend. He has a horrible temper, and a problem coming to terms with his past, which he tries to regain through therapy sessions, which go nowhere. While helping with a plumbing catastrophe at his college Professor’s (Robert Englund) house, he unknowingly unleashes an ancient curse…which is further unleashed by the Professor in a curiosity attempt. With this curse, the Professor changes into something else, unleashing hell upon the small town college. Jack decides to take matters into his own hands, hence the title of the film.
Even though this movie was a little slow in parts (for a horror-comedy), I really enjoyed my time watching it. The main actor is really funny as the temper ridden college plumber and Jon Knautz did an great job as a first time director. He has a slight resemblance to the Ash character from the Evil Dead series. Which in many points, this film reminded me of a lighter version of Evil Dead. Robert Englund was overly disgusting as the “cursed” Professor, which made me have flashbacks of Danny DeVito as the Penguin in “Batman Returns”. Like I said before, the effects were awesome and made me reminisce back to the eighties, where prosthetics and SPFX were an art form and CGI meant nothing. Overall, I recommend this film for pure entertainment value. Also, if you’re a fan of the Evil Dead series or just eighties horror in general, this is one for you. One little side note: Jon Knautz is planning a sequel to this film, which is said to start up in the middle of next year (2009). So, this is a treat for anyone that loved the first.

Machine Girl (aka. Kataude mashin garu)

There are some movies that come along that I eagerly await with drool spilling out of my dropped jaw…Machine Girl is one of these movies. When I first heard rumblings about this film, at the end of last year, I was hooked; waiting for a possible trailer release or anything to entice me further. I mean, come on, when you push the movie as being similar to a female version of Robocop, but ten times more bloody…you pretty much have me at “hello”.
Machine Girl is helmed by director, Noboru Iguchi; who has directed a handful of movies in Japan, but wasn’t known here (in the states) until this picture. The story follows Ami (Minase Yashiro) who takes care of her younger brother because her father committed suicide for being accused of murder. Unbeknownst to her, Ami’s brother has accrued quite a debt from an older boy at school; who happens to be the son of a Yakuza leader. The brother doesn’t pay, so he is attacked by the older boy and his gang of ridiculous kids. Ami tries to defend her brother, but gets taken hostage by the Yakuza clan. They torture her and end up chopping off her arm…in an extremely bloody scene. Shortly after, Ami escapes and is taken in by the husband/wife duo that own a car repair shop. They nurse Ami back to health and even give her a kick ass, tank-destroying (if that’s even a word) machine gun for an arm. So, she sets out for revenge…
Okay, this movie was made purely for entertainment value…and that’s exactly what you’re going to get. There is no complicated storyline, the acting is decent and some of the CGI effects are done on a small budget. However, with that said, this is a very bloody and gory film that is a very fun watch. At times it seems like it is almost a parody of its own genre, but that doesn’t kill the straight forward way the actors deliver their performances. Anyway, I recommend this film to anyone that is tired of being promised gore and being let down…don’t worry, this film shoves it in your face. If you’re not into blood and gore (ie. Braindead aka. Dead Alive, Evil Dead 2, Army of Darkness or any other film that delivers gore in an overly comical way) skip this and rent something else. If you’re a true horror/sci-fi gore hound pick this DVD up immediately.

One Night Stand

I originally stumbled across this movie when I was in film school 10+ years ago. I had become an instant fan of Mike Figgis (Timecode, Leaving Las Vegas, Cold Creek Manor) after watching Leaving Las Vegas in a seedy dollar theatre outside Atlanta, so I had to pick it up and give it a watch.
The story follows a Los Angeles commercial director, Max (Wesley Snipes), while he’s visiting his friend Charlie (Robert Downey Jr.) in New York who has just been diagnosed with AIDS. While visiting he runs into a woman named Karen (Natassja Kinski) and is immediately attracted to her. After they attend a concert, and are almost brutally attacked by a mugger, they decide to spend the night together for comfort. One thing leads to another…hence the title. Max returns home to his family (yeah, he’s married with a kid) and acts like the event never took place. A year later he returns to New York, because Charlie has taken a turn for the worse and is on his deathbed. Coincidently, he runs into Karen again, who is married to Charlie’s brother Vernon (Kyle McLachlan). Let the drama ensue!
Okay, let me just throw in here that I’m not a huge fan of erotic dramas. But, this movie is so much more than that. It has substance and awesome direction (thanks to Mr. Figgis). I’m also not a huge fan of Wesley Snipes, but he does an amazing job in this movie…probably the best I’ve ever seen him perform. Also, the cast is top notch with many familiar faces. The story is very well played out and it even has a twist ending that is a definite must see. If you’ve never seen a Mike Figgis film, I highly recommend you do. Not only is he a great director, but a great writer and musician (he does most of the musical scores for his films). There is quite a bit of sex in this movie, but how can you not have that with a title like, “One Night Stand”. I can assure you that the movie is not just sex and “one night stands”; it has perfect character development and intriguing drama.
Overall, I highly recommend this film and any other thing Mike Figgis does. You will not be disappointed.

Re-Cycle -- Re-cycle is the story of a romance novelist (Angelica Lee, who first worked with the Pang Brothers on “the Eye”), Ting-Yin, whom takes a different direction with her writing and tries her hand at a paranormal story. She begins to witness visions of a long haired woman and eventually is sucked into a surreal world, made up of paranormal forces, zombies, suspended fetuses (yes, fetuses) and some very creepy moments. The world seems to be made up of all abandoned things and people from past ideas and stories, which Ting-Yin seems to be implicated in creating. Ting-Yin, with the assistance of a young girl, must find her way through the obstacles and characters of this new world to find “the Transit.”
The Pang Brothers (Danny and Oxide, filmmakers of the original “The Eye”, “C+ Detective” and “the Messengers”) directed this visually stunning film that, in my opinion, is one of their best pictures to date. The concept, I thought, was very strong and fascinating and I haven’t seen it done before (so, that’s always a plus). For the first half hour or so, I wasn’t sure where Danny and Oxide were taking the film, but once Ting-Yin is cast into the dreamlike world of the abandoned, it takes on an entirely different tone and begins to get very interesting.
I highly recommend this film to anyone that is thirsting for a fresh storyline, or is a fan of Asian or even cult cinema. Better yet, if you’re a fan of the Pang Brothers this is a must see. You will not be disappointed.

Rabid Dogs (aka Kidnapped) -- Mario Bava (Twitch of the Death Nerve, Black Sunday, Kill Baby Kill, Planet of the Vampires), best known for his surreal horror films directs this gritty thriller about three criminals that take a man and his sick child hostage, in an attempt to flee from a botched robbery. Most of the movie takes place in the hostage’s car, or a car, but don’t let that steer you away.
This movie is one of Bava’s best. It has a great story, well developed characters (for the scenario) and an ending that is way ahead of it’s time. The great thing about this movie, and the biggest problem with most director’s today, is even though this is out of Mario Bava’s element it still has the same great camera technique as his previous films. Most director’s, when they move genre’s, they lose their artistic eye and tend to focus more on making it look like it was directed out of that genre; hence, Sam Raimi. Raimi directed some of the most artistic horror films in the last few decades (The Evil Dead series), but lost his artistic style when he moved onto a “Simple Plan”…but this conversation is best left for my “Vent” section.
Anyway, Bava hold’s true to his artistic style and brings an awesome thriller, definitely worth your time. Even though made in 1974, it was unable to be released until 1996 due to seizure for bankruptcy. I’m just glad it finally got to see the light of day….and I’m sure you will too.

Rooms for Tourists (aka. Habitaciones para turistas)

When I first received this DVD (almost 2 years ago) and popped it into my DVD player I was thrown off by the menu screen. It was displaying scenes from the movie and it looked very cheap with bad acting…boy was I wrong.
The story takes place outside Buenos Aires with five city girls and a rundown hostel. The five girls are waiting for a bus to get back to the city, taking refuge in a hostel in the middle of nowhere. The characters that take them in seem very strange, but are pretty much hospitable. Well, that takes a turn for the worse once night falls and the girls seem stuck with crazed psychos.
For such a small budget, and for being filmed over four years, this film was very well done. The movie was filmed in black and white, but I think that was to help cover up the digital video look, I’m assuming, because there was no real reason to use black and white. Nothing was cheapened from the low budget; even the effects were really good. Also, the suspense was top notch and somewhat reminded me of an old school Italian horror slasher. There is one scene in particular, with a shotgun, that blew me away (no pun intended). The Director, Adrian Garcia Bogliano, is definitely a person to watch when it comes to the horror genre. Supposedly, he has done quite a few films, but this is the only one we’ve been blessed with in the states. He has a unique style, and from this movie alone, is one of the director’s I would stand behind and support.
Overall, I totally suggest this movie to horror fans and anyone that would like to see what Hostel should have been like (sorry, Eli Roth…maybe you could learn a few things from Adrian).

Satan's Little Helper

This film, directed by Jeff Lieberman (Blue Sunshine, Squirm, Just Before Dawn) follows a naïve young boy by the name of Dougie (Alexander Brickel) who is jealous of his sister’s new boyfriend, considering he was so close to her before she left for college and came back attached. Dougie is obsessed with a video game called Satan’s Little Helper and even dresses up as the main character of the game for Halloween. After Dougie finds that his sister is too busy with her new boyfriend to spend time with him he takes to the streets (in costume) to find Satan, in hopes (just like in the game) that he will help to get rid of the new boyfriend for him. Dougie ends up running into a real serial killer, dressed as Satan and ends up running the neighborhood with him thinking he is the character from the game.
This movie has a really small budget, but they used the budget well and delivered a very entertaining movie. I thought the idea of taking a movie like Halloween and making it a dark comedy from the killer’s perspective was a great idea. It didn’t come off cheesy or comical, it just worked. Some of the acting was a little on the lame side, but the story totally overshadows the small nicks in the films low budget armor. I’m not a huge fan of this director, but there are some directors that do that one movie that stands out in the mass sea of horrible pictures, and this is definitely Jeff Lieberman’s one film.
Overall, I recommend this movie for anyone that wants a fresh look at the slasher genre. This delivers up some great scenes (and disturbing scenes) and has an equally good ending (which is hard to find these days).

Session 9 -- Director Brad Anderson tackles this eerie paranormal flick about a "clean-up" crew sprucing up an old abandoned asylum. This was one of the many digital films to come out amongst the "experimental"digital era. I heard the Director wrote the script around the the setting (the Danvers Mental Asylum), after constantly driving past it day after day. Simple, but excellent horror flick.

Waking the Dead -- Honestly, I picked this movie up because of the title and the artwork on the coverbox. I found this movie to be much more than that. Billy Crudup gives one of the most amazing dramatic performances, I have seen on film. Keith Gordon (The Chocolate War, The Singing Detective and "Dexter") directs this story, from author Scott Spencer's book, about a man driven to the brink of insanity, after starting to see visions of his alleged dead girlfriend. The idea for this story is very simple, but it's the performances of the actor's that drive this movie for me. With a cast which includes: Billy Crudup, Jennifer Connelly, Janet Mcteer, Sandra Oh, Molly Parker, Hal Holbrook and a interesting deleted scene with Ed Harris; you don't want to miss this powerful drama.

Wet Hot American Summer -- This is probably one of my most watched DVD's, by friends and family. Director David Wain and Writer Michael Showalter make one of the funniest movies in years. It's (supposed) to take place on the last day of Summer Camp in the early eighties and it spoofs camp movies from those years as well. Ever since I saw this movie, I've been watching everything these two guys put out...and for the most part have not been disappointed (check out the Baxter - excellent movie by Michael Showalter with a post Dawson, Michelle Williams).

Your Vice is a Locked Room and I Only Have the Key (aka. Tuo vizio e' una stanza chiusa e solo ie ne ho la chiave, Il)

This film follows Oliviero, a pretentious burned out author, who's mind is screwed up by his deceased Mother. He also has a fond attraction to humiliating his wife for party guests (which is shown to us in the beginning of the film). His wife fears what he is capable of doing to her, so she lives in discomfort. A young woman is murdered and Oliviero is suspected by the police. Amidst all the happenings, Oliviero's neice pays a visit to the estate and seems like she is there more than just to visit. All the while, someone spys on the estate and a black cat named "Satan" watches the chaos.

This movie is one of my favorite all time Giallo's. Also, with an ending like an Edgar Allen Poe story, you can't go wrong. If you're not aware of what a giallo is: A giallo was originally coined to describe a series of mystery/crime pulp novels. Their yellow covers contained whodunits, much like their American counterparts of the 1920s and 1930s, and this link with English language pulp fiction was reinforced with the Italian authors always taking on English pen names. The film genre that emerged from these novels in the 1960s began as literal adaptations of the books, but soon began taking advantage of modern cinematic techniques to create a unique genre which veered into horror and psychological thrilling. These films, particularly such 1970s classics by directors like Dario Argento or Mario Bava, are only defined as "gialli" in the English language usage of the term; they are not called such in Italy, where they are usually described as thrillers instead. The tension in this film alone, is enough to hold the viewer's interest.

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