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With The Submission of Emma Marx, I have now seen four different variations of 50 Shades of Grey (2015), including the official version.

Fifty Shades of Grey (2015, dir. Sam Taylor-Johnson)

50 Shades of Greyness (2015, dir. Sam Taylor-Johnson)

The official one was just really good for an elementary schoolhouse sleepover. They showed side by side to zilch to the indicate that it was laughable, and Anastasia Steele was the worst English major ever to merely proper name a few problems with the picture show.

Old Fashioned (2014, dir. Rik Swartzwelder)

Old Fashioned (2014, dir. Rik Swartzwelder)

Old Fashioned (2014) was one of the most offensive pieces of garbage I've sat through all year. If you thought Fifty Shades was bad in its' portrayal of women, and then are you in for a surprise with that movie.

Pleasure or Pain (2013, dir. Zalman King)

Pleasure or Pain (2013, dir. Zalman King)

Pleasance or Pain (2013) could show more than the official one, just you OD'd on the massive amounts of erotica pretty speedily.

This moving-picture show tin show everything that the official one couldn't show and more even in the edited down to softcore version I watched, which was plenty for me. This has a Christian Gray who is willing to be lonely in a room with a woman whereas Dirt wouldn't practise that in Old Fashioned. Unlike Pleasure or Pain, this does a skillful job of not overdoing the sex and doesn't wear out its' welcome in general. That's not to say it doesn't have its' problems, merely it is still the all-time ane I have seen so far.

According to Jacky St. James in Ten-Rated: The Greatest Developed Movies of All Fourth dimension (2015), she read the volume Fifty Shades of Grayness, and was offended at the fashion the female character was portrayed, so she wrote the script for this flick. That'due south a good thing, merely it will lead to some stiltedness about the film.

Let'due south jump in.

Like a lot of movies, information technology doesn't really begin with the title card I put at the start of the review. This one starts and continues like a film noir in that it has a lot of voiceover narration by Emma Marx (Penny Pax). She is getting her butt paddled past this moving picture's Christian Grayness.

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He is William Fredricks who is played by none other than my favorite steak cutter from Erotic Ink (2011).

Erotic Ink/Love Is a... Dangerous Game (2011, dir. Eddie Powell)

Erotic Ink/Love Is a… Unsafe Game (2011, dir. Eddie Powell)

That's Richie Calhoun. No relation that I am enlightened of to urban cowboy Rory Calhoun.

Angel (1984, dir. Robert Vincent O'Neill)

Affections (1984, dir. Robert Vincent O'Neill)

The voiceover starts off with Emma request the audition if they are curious about how the person you think y'all were tin can vanish and "someone new is born." Information technology and then cuts to the bed with the title card on information technology. This is a bed made up for a couple who human action both as the "normal" opposite of Emma and Mr. Fredricks, only are also there to open the film with a sex scene. But outset he proposes to her. Nevertheless, unlike an opening impale in a slasher movie, this sex scene goes on for an inordinate amount of fourth dimension. I expected ameliorate here. Peculiarly when the balance of the motion-picture show does hold itself to a higher standard. I kept track, and it lasts close to 20 minutes. On the upside, it does serve a purpose. It is meant to show you very vanilla sex to contrast with the three other scenes that we get between Emma and Mr. Fredricks.

With that marathon done, Nadia (Riley Reid) decides to shove her engagement ring right in the face of Emma.

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I don't recall exactly what Anastasia was doing going to encounter with Grey, but Emma is going to see Mr. Fredricks to complete her masters thesis on gender equality in the workplace. It's because he hires a asymmetric number of women as employees. To exist exact, 97% of his 2,000 employees are women. She says to us that she has interviewed a lot of people "from female executives to male person nurses to transgender women battling the glass ceiling." If you lot are thinking that line felt a piddling forced, then you're right. It's a piffling Tasha Yar and Samantha Carter in early episodes of Stargate SG-i. Similar the overly long sexual practice scene, it too has a purpose though. It is supposed to make sure that BDSM doesn't mean a surrender of equality, that she is in somehow being manipulated into information technology, or that this means she is a pervert/abnormal. We'll get the aforementioned from him. He is also never portrayed as some sort of wounded deviant. They are both intelligent people with their own behavior, and are always treated as such. Once more, it tin feel forced at times, but it still works in the end.

Now we meet Mr. Fredricks.

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Since they have to save time to really have sex scenes, they become right to talking nearly how he likes to exist dominant and the enjoyment that can be derived from surrendering control to someone else.

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This is probably every bit good a time equally any to mention Penny Pax'southward voice. I mentioned that there is voiceover narration throughout this, simply I didn't mention that while Pax does a fine job when onscreen, she really does have a horrible vox for narration. It works for the character and when nosotros can come across her, but when it is disembodied, then information technology gets to you.

The conversation went well for Mr. Fredricks considering she goes home and masturbates. She wakes up the adjacent morning to Nadia bringing her a letter from Mr. Fredricks requesting her to accept advantage of an opportunity he is going to offering her, but only after she has graduated. He states explicitly that she is non to contact him till and so.

We now get a montage of the concluding four months before her graduation passing by equally she ponders how she will answer to giving upwardly control when she lives by such rigid control in her own personal life. That's when she gets a call from Mr. Fredricks. She wonders where he got her number.

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My words exactly.

Finally, the four months pass, so she receives her instructions about where to go and how to be dressed.

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I love this set up. The tabular array acts as both a distancing device between them because of where they stand at the beginning,…

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and information technology also keeps an equality between them through its' symmetry.

It wouldn't exist a Fifty Shades motion-picture show if it didn't take some sort of negotiation scene. The difference is that she actually knows everything in the certificate. Nosotros don't get stupid questions well-nigh barrel plugs. In fact, she recognizes that it is "a contract soliciting [her] for a BDSM relationship".  She says that isn't for her and gets upwards to go out. Nonetheless, he reminds her that despite what she is proverb, she did show upwards wearing exactly what he told her too, then he moves in to come across if his instincts are correct. They are as we know from the scenes that followed this 1 where she was very excited at this prospect.

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I also accidentally defenseless Penny/Emma with a nifty surprised look on her face.

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At present they have pretty vanilla sex till the very end when he adds a little BDSM chemical element in the form of a necktie that goes through her mouth to bind it.

We wake upward in bed only to go into a flashback about their further negotiations that they had the night before. They worked out an equitable situation, which includes a task at his company. It lasts for a few minutes, and that is the last we here of it in the motion picture. Very refreshing when a movie tin bear witness what it is supposed to exist almost, and doesn't have to pad itself out with stuff similar negotiations considering information technology wants to proceed its' R-rating. I dearest that he explicitly says "I won't chase you, although, I'll probably desire to." Not even Clay Walsh in Old Fashioned–a religious Fifty Shades–could exercise that. He also explicitly tells her that it would be fun to practise information technology at work, merely that as soon as work from 8 to five is over, she has no obligation to him until the weekends when they really have their fun. I mentioned it earlier, simply at times information technology does feel forced even though it's squeamish to hear.

She finds this whole affair exciting, new, and so unexpected from someone like herself.

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Of course it's no underground that the woman on the right is Jacky St. James making a cameo advent in her own motion-picture show. She did the same thing in Erotic Ink, which she didn't directly, but did write.

Erotic Ink/Love Is a... Dangerous Game (2011, dir. Eddie Powell)

Erotic Ink/Love Is a… Unsafe Game (2011, dir. Eddie Powell)

Upon her adjacent visit to his house, he is still easing her way into the world of BDSM, and she likes it.

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Emma and William develop a human relationship where they both bask BDSM that is a metaphor for not being aback of who you are, not surrendering your rights as a human being, and non accepting beingness portrayed or thought of as broken merely considering other people think you are a deviant. It's not surprising that this is the theme of The Submission of Emma Marx seeing as it is too present in Erotic Ink. There as well, the principal graphic symbol had a judgmental couple who she knew, and another unusual guy played by Richie Calhoun in her life that she was fascinated by. In this motion-picture show, it'south the soon to be married couple that is judgmental about her decision. However, they seem to get over it, and appear to go married. They also accept every correct to alive their life the way they choose.

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Only earlier Emma and Mr. Fredricks attain common happiness, he does throw her out because she begins to tell him that they are both deviants. He doesn't follow her like he promised. She discovers that in that location'due south zip really incorrect with her after spending time helping Nadia out with her wedding, and returns to him.

Of course Jacky St. James wasn't going to allow the motion-picture show end without recreating the near famous shot from L Shades that I included at the beginning of the review.

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I recommend this film. It is less of a typical pornographic picture, and more than of a political argument. If I have to cull between the horrific and abusive Old Fashioned, the tease and somewhat offensive 50 Shades of Grey, or the endless erotica of Pleasure or Pain, then I'll take The Submission of Emma Marx. Nonetheless, I am worried almost the sequels seeing as this does feel like a finished story.

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In this underrated horror film from the legendary Hammer Studios, a British archaeological trek travels to Egypt and makes the fault of inbound a mummy'due south tomb.  As often happens, it turns out that the tomb is cursed and everyone who sets foot inside of it is destined to exist tracked down and murdered by a mummy!

That'due south pretty bad news for some of members of the expedition.  Among those who are now on the Mummy'southward listing, at that place's Sir Basil Waldron (Andre Morrell) who, in the film'southward most effective moment, finds himself talking to a toothless fortune teller who cackles as she tells him, "You are going to die!"  (Needless to say, a seven foot tall Mummy is soon standing behind him).  So there's Claire (Maggie Kimberly), the linguist who translated the curse.  And at that place's the expedition's hilariously pompous fiscal capitalist, Stanley Preston (John Phillips), along with Stanley's son, Paul (David Buck).  And finally, there's poor Mr. Longbarrow (Michael Ripper), Stanley'south press agent.  If you've seen any other Hammer films from the late 60s, you'll recognize the bulk of the bandage and you will probably be able to guess anybody's fate from the infinitesimal they first appear on screen.

That, of course, is part of the fun!


Kickoff released in 1967 and oftentimes dismissed as beingness one of the lesser horror films to come out of Hammer Studios, The Mummy's Shroud is actually a pretty effective moving picture.  I watched it late last nighttime, with lights out and the audio of pelting pounding on the windows exterior and I have to acknowledge that, fifty-fifty if nothing nigh the film surprised me, it withal had plenty eerie moments that I institute myself watching for sudden shadows and the sound of heavily wrapped feet.

And why non?  Mummy's are scary!  Even if you don't know all of the grotesque details that get into the mummification process, Mummy'due south merely await frightening.  Information technology'due south the bandages, to exist honest.  The bandages continue you from knowing exactly who is doing the stalking just, at the same time, you lot know that if those bandages were unwrapped, you wouldn't desire to see what's hiding underneath them.  By their very being, Mummies are proof of the finality of decease.

And The Mummy in The Mummy's Shroud is frightening!  He towers over all of the "human" actors in the film and when he attacks, he does information technology with a sudden and brutal cruelty.  Perhaps the decease that disturbed me the most was the expiry of poor Mr. Longbarrow, who is literally lifted up off of his feet and tossed out of a window.  He crashes to the street below and, briefly, the screen is awash with Hammer'due south trademark crimson blood.  It'south a disturbing scene, both because Longbarrow is one of the few likable characters in the moving-picture show and also considering the Mummy could have only as easily and much more efficiently strangled him.  Instead, the Mummy had to be mean about it.

Seriously, at that place's zero more frightening than a sadistic mummy.

The Mummy's Shroud may not be one of Hammer's best films but still, it'southward an efficient little horror pic and one that, I think, many other horror critics have been a bit too quick to dismiss.


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2 things first:

ane. I saw the Television set cut of this movie, not the original Ten-rated version. I could see a few edits, but they were but during the sex activity scenes to bring information technology down from hardcore to softcore.
ii. I am assuming no 1 reading this is actually going to come across it so I am going to talk about the ending. If you are that 1 person that is going to see information technology, I recommend it. Go watch it.

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The flick opens up with a couple running through what looks similar a storage area of sorts. Perhaps a backroom of a museum or something. Immediately you know that this is not like other tardily night cable movies. It really has a upkeep, better actors, an bodily script, existent camerawork, etc. Presumedly someone is chasing them, but we never encounter them. They go far to a detail place where they kind of just requite up and she asks him to brand love to her as if information technology'southward their last twenty-four hour period on Earth. They do just that, merely this is miles above anything in the other movies I have reviewed. Information technology'southward like two people are actually having sex here. And I don't mean the difference between fake and unsimulated. Then the film cuts to a woman reading the story of these 2 characters before cut back to them. It zooms in on a door handle, their scared faces, then boom. The book is airtight.

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This is our master character named Paulina Connelly (Natasha Nice). She was reading a book past her favorite horror novelist named Wes Mueller (Richie Calhoun). Connelly writes children's books, but she would like to try her hand at a horror or thriller novel. Enter her dominate.

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He'due south a little frustrated because he just had a 23 year old lady try and pitch him her 300 page autobiography. He of course explained that she'southward 23, what life does she actually have to write virtually. Now Connelly sits down and drops the bomb on him that she would like to write a horror novel. He tries to talk her out of it saying that'south quite a shift because she started a series of books called "Molly the Magical Meerkat", just she's insistent, and he gives in.

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Now she goes to her sister and her husband to talk about her idea. They recall information technology's a terrible idea to want to write stuff like Wes Mueller. To them it'southward obvious that he'south not right in the head to write some of the stuff he does. The sis kind of reminds me of Lilith from Cheers. Anyways, we at present cutting to Wes Mueller and he does seem a little odd.

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Yeah, he'due south simply standing out in that location with his chainsaw. At that place's no caption given here. We just run into him out there belongings it with his eyes closed.

She cold calls Mueller and tells him she's a fan. Turns out he knows who she is crusade his niece is a large fan of her books. They have a few phone calls and we become more hints that Mueller is a little weird.

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Then it's back to the sis and her husband who inform her that Mueller was once in a mental institution.

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The girl on the right is Jacky St. James who wrote the script for the motion picture. She has written numerous films like this and directed many of them as well.

Believe it or not, there was no sex scene during any of that. Only now nosotros get 2 in quick succession. First, we find out that the sister and her married man are not so puritanical equally they seem. The sister knows about Mueller because she secretly reads his stuff. In fact, she has her husband sneak up on her as if he'southward going to kill her. Then they have sex activity.

Back to the dominate and we observe out Mueller dropped off a cactus for her. Earlier that chat goes anywhere Miss 23 comes in with a cookbook to pitch him. He points out that she is an English major, and so what does she know well-nigh cooking. She doesn't, but she does know a thing or two well-nigh how to get her fashion a la Infant Face (1933). Past that, I mean she sleeps with him. This scene, like all the sex, is well acted. Especially this ane considering all of her moaning and reactions experience faked. Considering the quality of all the other sex, I call back this was done on purpose since she is just using sexual activity to get what she wants. She'due south non really enjoying information technology.

Then something happens that would never happen in whatsoever of the other tardily night cable movies I have watched then far. The sister surprises Connelly while she is in the shower, but they don't join each other to go at it. She just drops off a gift, gives her a hug, and leaves. And then Mueller shows up correct after the sis leaves.

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They talk it out and she realizes that he really is okay. Quirky for sure. I mean part of his writing process is to go outside and mediate while belongings a chainsaw. He besides willingly checked himself into a mental infirmary for research. This is when we get the all-time scene in the whole movie. She gets the vivid thought to accept him over to her sister's place and do his best to freak them out.

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He keeps but cutting at the meat without eating it and giving psycho looks at them. Information technology's pretty funny.

Later on they've had their fun messing with her sister, they get dwelling house and accept sex.

Then we get the final scene of the movie when she returns to her boss with a manuscript for a new book. She wrote a romance novel based on her feel with Mueller. As the dominate points out, "people aren't always who they announced to be". That'south the ultimate lesson of this movie. That's when she leaves. He pulls out a movie of himself. Gain to cut off the head. Then we see a pic of the 23 year old with a homo, his head scratched out with a marking. He then places his own head over the other homo's. Yep, people aren't who they appear to be. THE END.

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Well, almost. After the credits roll, we get a quick shot of the sister coming in on Connelly and Mueller in bed together, screaming, and and so passing out.

I really enjoyed this one.