Caribbean Challenge (Official, December 2020)

[sol]

Caribbean Challenge



GOAL
Watch movies from Caribbean. Discuss them.

Eligible Countries more than 300 titles listed on IMDb:

- Cuba
- Dominican Republic
- Haiti
- Jamaica
- Puerto Rico
- Trinidad and Tobago

Watch films from each of these countries for bonus challenge points!

Eligible Countries with less than 300 titles listed on IMDb:

25 other regions/countries

- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Aruba
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Curaçao
- Dominica
- Grenada
- Guadeloupe
- Guyana
- Martinique
- Montserrat
- Saint Barthélemy
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Martin
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Suriname
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- U.S. Virgin Islands

Note: While Belize, Guyana and Suriname are part of the Americas mainland, they all identify as Caribbean and are member nations of CARICOM. Linguistically, they also fit in better with the Caribbean than Latin America. English is the official language of Belize and Guyana, while Dutch is the official language of Suriname.

Most Caribbean countries have a very large number of co-productions. I would ask you to think carefully about whether you think that any co-productions really represent Caribbean cinema.

RULES
- Each feature film (over 40 minutes) counts as one entry.
- 80 minutes of short films or miniseries/TV episodes counts as one entry.
- Films must be watched one at a time and at single speed (not sped up).
- Rewatches are allowed and are good for the soul.
- Please include year of release when listing your viewings.
- Please indicate each film's country when listing your viewings otherwise your score will NOT be included in the leaderboard.

I reserve the right to exclude participants who intentionally number their viewings incorrectly. If you play the game, you're expected to play properly.

DEADLINE
Final results will be posted between 2:30pm and 4:30pm GMT on January 2 - at which point it will have been January everywhere in the world for more than a whole day. While you are welcome to post updates beyond this point, any such updates will not be included in the final results. Your choice whether you miss the deadline or not; besides, if it's January on your side of the world, shouldn't you be starting on one of next month's challenges?

OFFICIAL LISTS
- UNESCO - Puerto Rico: #712-726
- Cinema Tropical - Caribbean titles

NON-OFFICIAL LISTS
- Caribbean Classics - a curated collection from the Caribbean Film Database (this has been suggested to the mods for adoption)
- Essential Caribbean Films from the Caribbean Film Academy
- Travelling Caribbean Film Showcase
- Cinemateca de Cuba's Best Cuban films
- Intro to the Caribbean (Letterboxd)

This Challenge has never been held before in an Official capacity. Last year we had a combined Caribbean/Latin American Challenge that blocho hosted and 72aicm won with 116 points.

Any Fun Stats? Maybe. Certainly not if this Challenges gets very busy, but I would at least like to be able to present a pie chart. This is an example of the sort of pie chart that I am looking at.

This thread will be updated at least once every 48 hours (more often if I am around and feel like it). Please list new films seen in a new post.

Bonus Challenge: Get something in every column below... except the last column. The only way to do this is by watching something from each of the six largest film-producing Caribbean countries, something from one of the other countries and remembering to list the country with every viewing.

Any points in the "undeclared" column will not count towards your final score. You must declare the country when listing your viewings.

Participants

Rank	Participant	Count	CU	DO	HT	JM	PR	TT	OTH	Undeclared
1	Lu-Chin	55	36	3	1	1	12	-	2	-
2	blueboybob	39	17	2	4	6	4	2	4	-
3	sol	26	8	3	1	4	4	3	3	-
4	Mario Gaborović	24	8	1	1	1	3	1	9	-
5	jdidaco	22	7.6	3.4	3.2	3	1.8	1	2	-
6	flavo5000	21	4.2	1	1	2	1	1	10.8	-
7	Cinepolis	7	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	-
8	St. Gloede	5	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
9	pitchorneirda	3	1	-	-	-	-	1	1	-
10	fear of 13	2	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
11	allisoncm	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
11	blocho	1	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-
11	jocularities	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
11	ororama	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
11	peeptoad	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-
11	zzzorf	1	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-

[max-scl]

I made this list of Caribbean films in both Cinema Tropical lists:

https://www.icheckmovies.com/lists/cine ... s/max-scl/

[sol]

I made this list of Caribbean films in both Cinema Tropical lists:

https://www.icheckmovies.com/lists/cine ... s/max-scl/

You're amazing. Thank you!

[blueboybob]

I only have like 30 official checks right now. So Ill do those, but not sure ill get to 36.

[flavo5000]

I only have like 30 official checks right now. So Ill do those, but not sure ill get to 36.

Well, I've seen a couple comments from mods that the Caribbean Classics list in the OP Non-Official section is under discussion for being made official. So you could always get a jump on that.

For myself, I'm going to try to watch a genre flick from as many of the different countries as I can (some of them just have almost no film output at all, much less horror/sci-fi/fantasy etc.).

[sol]

Oh, this is fun. I currently have 22 titles lined up and was going to piggyback on the two of you for further recommendations. There's certainly quite a bit of stuff out there from the six biggest producers but recommendations are harder to come by.

Really looking forward to this challenge, by the way. Thoroughly enjoyed checking out as many Caribbean countries as I could during last year's combined Latin American/Caribbean Challenge.

[sol]

It starts! First in.

1. Plaff! (1988) Cuba



A woman is aggravated by not her only her relatives but also someone who keeps throwing eggs at her house in this comedy. It is a decent set-up and the mystery of who is throwing the eggs is both intriguing and spooky, however, the egg dilemma ends up only being a tiny part of the film. There is also some fun fourth wall breaking with the director pausing things and fake end credits. As with the eggs though, the fourth wall breaking feels infrequent.

[sol]

Adventures in the Caribbean

1. Plaff! (1988) Cuba

2. The Cutlass (2017) Trinidad and Tobago



While this never quite goes down a full Stockholm Syndrome route, there is lots to like how the villain of the piece here is revealed to be more scared and desperate than outright vicious; he is even honorable enough to never hurt or attempt to rape his abducted woman. All of the poetic voiceover narration makes the whole experience feel incredibly sentimental (a dying father subplot father too) but seeing the vast jungles of Trinidad is amazing.

Countries Visited: 2

[Mario Gaborović]

01. Faluma Ding Ding Ding (2012) + Lizzi Comes to Bridgetown (2013) + The Spirit of Mikvah (2015) + One More Time (2016) + Dear Mum (2018) + Liquid Gold: The Story of Rum in Barbados (2019) - Barbados + Black Doll (2018) + Don's Song by Lyndon Delano Moss (2019) - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines + Drunken Freestyle: An Interview with 2Pac (2011) - U.S. Virgin Islands

[sol]

Adventures in the Caribbean

1. Plaff! (1988) Cuba
2. The Cutlass (2017) Trinidad and Tobago

3. Third World Cop (1999) Jamaica



An attempted gritty action movie from Jamaica. Shot on video with amateur actors and some cringe-inducing dialogue, the film frequently feels cheap; it is also much more a police procedural drama (with lots of dialogue-heavy investigation scenes) than an action thriller. The action scenes are actually quite well done though considering budget constraints - and have aggressive characters quoting the Bible in thick Jamaican accents is rather unique.

Countries Visited: 3

[flavo5000]

1. Third World Cop (Jamaica, 1999)
Heh... I'm curious as to how many films sol and I share on our watchlists. Anyway, this is one I had on DVD forever and I pretty much agree with sol. The acting and dialogue are mostly awful and the SOV directing is very amateurish. As far as the Bible quotes, I just saw it as a ripoff of Pulp Fiction. Probably the most useful things to take away from this one are the solid soundtrack and the sense it gives of a more contemporary view of the street level Jamaican culture than the MUCH better The Harder They Come.


2. All the Devils Are Here (Bahamas, 2014)
Someone calls them vampires. But they spread more like zombies (a bite or scratch is enough to do you in) and they look more like those cave creatures in The Descent. Whatever they are, the movie uses them in a pretty standard, straightforward way with a mostly very predictable plot. It does have some nice goopy practical effects which I always appreciate and a legit funny dark sense of humor to it in places ("You motherfuckas really gonna leave me out here? Like the goat from Jurassic Park!?"). I also actually kinda liked the ending. The acting is pretty bad from several of the characters, especially the British guy and the guy with glasses, and the editing felt off at times. Overall, while I won't say this is a great movie, I think there are some positive things about it for horror fans if you can get over its flaws.

Spoiler

1. Third World Cop (Jamaica, 1999)
2. All the Devils Are Here (Bahamas, 2014)

[blueboybob]

1. Countryman (1982) [Jamaica] <--- It was ok, but not that great.
2. Confesión a Laura (1990) [Cuba]
3. Maruja (1959) [Puerto Rico]
4. Cecilia (1982) [Cuba]
5. Bim (1974) [Trinidad and Tobago]
6. The Man on the Shore (1993) [Haiti]
7. The Project of the Century (2015) [Cuba]
8. Third World Cop (1999) [Jamaica] <--- uh that was definitely a movie
9. Haitian Corner (1987) [Haiti] <--- good for what it was
10. Guantanamera (1995) [Cuba]
11. Dancehall Queen (1997) [Jamaica]
12. Sergio and Sergei (2017) [Cuba] <--- I really liked this one
13. Nothing More (2001) [Cuba] <--- ok watch
14. Juan of the Dead (2011) [Cuba] <--- it was trying too hard. And it failed
15. Tango Bar (1987) [Puerto Rico]
16. Demasiado miedo a la vida o Plaff (1988) [Cuba] <--- A silly film, but not good
17. Smile Orange (1976) [Jamaica]
18. Lovesickness (2007) [Puerto Rico] <--- worth a watch
19. Havana Suite (2003) [Cuba]
20. El techo (2016) [Cuba] <--- this one was also good
21. Nueba Yol (1995) [Dominican Republics]
22. Stones in the Sky (2002) [Cuba]
23. The Terror and the Time (1979) [Guyana]

[Mario Gaborović]

02. In the Sky's Wild Noise (1983) + Coast Land (2020) + The Barima-Mora Passage (2020) - Guyana

Spoiler

01. Faluma Ding Ding Ding (2012) + Lizzi Comes to Bridgetown (2013) + The Spirit of Mikvah (2015) + One More Time (2016) + Dear Mum (2018) + Liquid Gold: The Story of Rum in Barbados (2019) - Barbados + Black Doll (2018) + Don's Song by Lyndon Delano Moss (2019) - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines + Drunken Freestyle: An Interview with 2Pac (2011) - U.S. Virgin Islands

[Lu-Chin]

1. Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti (1985) 5/10 Haiti
2. La Operación (1982) 6/10 Puerto Rico
3. Demasiado miedo a la vida o Plaff (1988) 5/10 Cuba
4. Rue Cases Nègres (1983) 7/10 Martinique
5. ¡Vampiros en La Habana! (1985) 6/10 Cuba
6. Hasta cierto punto (1983) 5/10 Cuba
7. Cartas del parque (1988) 5/10 Cuba

[Mario Gaborović]

5. El Salvador: el pueblo vencerá (1982) 7/10 Puerto Rico

That's El Salvador, not PUR.

[sol]

1

Looking at your data drop:

1. Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti (1985) 5/10 Haiti / 52mins / I'll permit this since it's in the Caribbean Classics list, but seems American
2. La Operación (1982) 6/10 Puerto Rico / 40mins
3. Demasiado miedo a la vida o Plaff (1988) 5/10 Cuba / 110mins
4. Rue Cases Nègres (1983) 7/10 Martinique / 103mins
5. El Salvador: el pueblo vencerá (1982) 7/10 Puerto Rico / 80mins / listed as El Salvador only on IMDb
6. ¡Vampiros en La Habana! (1985) 6/10 Cuba / 69mins
7. El telón de azúcar (2005) 8/10 Cuba / 82mins / listed as France only on IMDb
8. Hasta cierto punto (1983) 5/10 Cuba / 68mins
9. Cartas del parque (1988) 5/10 Cuba / 87mins

If you are able to present a case for the films in red being considered Caribbean, I will include them in your count. As far as I can tell though, they don't really represent Caribbean cinema, so I currently have your score at 7 for this challenge. Happy to change this if you can make a case for the ones that I have omitted from your count.

Up next: interrogating eligibility in BBB's giant data drop.

Up after that: first leaderboard update

Up after that: first pie chart

[Lu-Chin]

1

Looking at your data drop:

1. Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti (1985) 5/10 Haiti / 52mins / I'll permit this since it's in the Caribbean Classics list, but seems American
2. La Operación (1982) 6/10 Puerto Rico / 40mins
3. Demasiado miedo a la vida o Plaff (1988) 5/10 Cuba / 110mins
4. Rue Cases Nègres (1983) 7/10 Martinique / 103mins
5. El Salvador: el pueblo vencerá (1982) 7/10 Puerto Rico / 80mins / listed as El Salvador only on IMDb
6. ¡Vampiros en La Habana! (1985) 6/10 Cuba / 69mins
7. El telón de azúcar (2005) 8/10 Cuba / 82mins / listed as France only on IMDb
8. Hasta cierto punto (1983) 5/10 Cuba / 68mins
9. Cartas del parque (1988) 5/10 Cuba / 87mins

If you are able to present a case for the films in red being considered Caribbean, I will include them in your count. As far as I can tell though, they don't really represent Caribbean cinema, so I currently have your score at 7 for this challenge. Happy to change this if you can make a case for the ones that I have omitted from your count.

Up next: interrogating eligibility in BBB's giant data drop.

Up after that: first leaderboard update

Up after that: first pie chart

ok I'll delete them, no problem. I put them because the curtain appears on the max list, and El Salvador appears on the unesco list as a film from Puerto Rico

[sol]

Spoiler

1. Countryman (1982) [Jamaica] 102min
2. Confesión a Laura (1990) [Cuba] 90min
3. Maruja (1959) [Puerto Rico] 120min
4. Cecilia (1982) [Cuba] 127min
5. Bim (1974) [Trinidad and Tobago] 100min
6. The Man on the Shore (1993) [Haiti] 106min
7. The Project of the Century (2015) [Cuba] 100min
8. Third World Cop (1999) [Jamaica] 98min
9. Haitian Corner (1987) [Haiti] 98min
10. Guantanamera (1995) [Cuba] 105min
11. Dancehall Queen (1997) [Jamaica] 98min
12. Sergio and Sergei (2017) [Cuba] 93min
13. Nothing More (2001) [Cuba] 90min
14. Juan of the Dead (2011) [Cuba] 92min
15. Tango Bar (1987) [Puerto Rico] 90min
16. Demasiado miedo a la vida o Plaff (1988) [Cuba] 110mins
17. Smile Orange (1976) [Jamaica] 86mins
18. Lovesickness (2007) [Puerto Rico] 81mins
19. Havana Suite (2003) [Cuba] 85mins
20. El techo (2016) [Cuba] 75mins
21. Nueba Yol (1995) [Dominican Republics] 106min
22. Stones in the Sky (2002) [Cuba] 94mins
23. The Terror and the Time (1979) [Guyana] 70mins

All good. While there are several co-productions here, all seem to have genuine Caribbean involvement.

Added up runtimes for all my own curiosity. Did you know that you spent 37 of the first 59 hours in December watching movies from the Caribbean? That's dedication for you.

[sol]

1. Third World Cop (Jamaica, 1999)
Heh... I'm curious as to how many films sol and I share on our watchlists. Anyway, this is one I had on DVD forever and I pretty much agree with sol. The acting and dialogue are mostly awful and the SOV directing is very amateurish. As far as the Bible quotes, I just saw it as a ripoff of Pulp Fiction.

So far we are 50% for watch-list overlap at best. I don't have All the Devils Are Here. Looks intriguing. Oh and yeah, the Bible quoting was certainly a tribute to Samuel L. Jackson; just sounded all sorts of funky with the very Jamaican accent.

[sol]

ok I'll delete them, no problem. I put them because the curtain appears on the max list, and El Salvador appears on the unesco list as a film from Puerto Rico

Huh, that's strange. I'll try to investigate why when I get a chance. Thanks for the quick response!

[sol]

Current Pie Chart:

Oops... forget Bahamas; this is what I originally posted

I might have to eventually group some of the small countries as "Other" since the pie chart generator that I use is almost out of rows already.

EDIT: Corrected Pie Chart

[flavo5000]

1. Third World Cop (Jamaica, 1999)
Heh... I'm curious as to how many films sol and I share on our watchlists. Anyway, this is one I had on DVD forever and I pretty much agree with sol. The acting and dialogue are mostly awful and the SOV directing is very amateurish. As far as the Bible quotes, I just saw it as a ripoff of Pulp Fiction.

So far we are 50% for watch-list overlap at best. I don't have All the Devils Are Here. Looks intriguing. Oh and yeah, the Bible quoting was certainly a tribute to Samuel L. Jackson; just sounded all sorts of funky with the very Jamaican accent.

It's on Amazon Prime if you want to work it into your watchlist later.

[flavo5000]

3. Tropic of Cancer (Haiti, 1972)
This is an odd one. It takes the glove killer giallo trope and places it in a Haitian voodoo ritual setting laced with a mind-altering drug plot. Parts of it are a little dull and feel like padding, particularly the dancing sequences that seem to exist just to show topless women. It does have some pretty creative, interesting kills though and the bizarre drug hallucination sequence mid-way through is pretty damn memorable (no spoilers on that one... ). Overall, this isn't a perfect movie or a hidden classic, but genre fans may find something to appreciate here.

Spoiler

1. Third World Cop (Jamaica, 1999)
2. All the Devils Are Here (Bahamas, 2014)
3. Tropic of Cancer (Haiti, 1972)

[blueboybob]

Spoiler

1. Countryman (1982) [Jamaica] 102min
2. Confesión a Laura (1990) [Cuba] 90min
3. Maruja (1959) [Puerto Rico] 120min
4. Cecilia (1982) [Cuba] 127min
5. Bim (1974) [Trinidad and Tobago] 100min
6. The Man on the Shore (1993) [Haiti] 106min
7. The Project of the Century (2015) [Cuba] 100min
8. Third World Cop (1999) [Jamaica] 98min
9. Haitian Corner (1987) [Haiti] 98min
10. Guantanamera (1995) [Cuba] 105min
11. Dancehall Queen (1997) [Jamaica] 98min
12. Sergio and Sergei (2017) [Cuba] 93min
13. Nothing More (2001) [Cuba] 90min
14. Juan of the Dead (2011) [Cuba] 92min
15. Tango Bar (1987) [Puerto Rico] 90min
16. Demasiado miedo a la vida o Plaff (1988) [Cuba] 110mins
17. Smile Orange (1976) [Jamaica] 86mins
18. Lovesickness (2007) [Puerto Rico] 81mins
19. Havana Suite (2003) [Cuba] 85mins
20. El techo (2016) [Cuba] 75mins
21. Nueba Yol (1995) [Dominican Republics] 106min
22. Stones in the Sky (2002) [Cuba] 94mins
23. The Terror and the Time (1979) [Guyana] 70mins

All good. While there are several co-productions here, all seem to have genuine Caribbean involvement.

Added up runtimes for all my own curiosity. Did you know that you spent 37 of the first 59 hours in December watching movies from the Caribbean? That's dedication for you.

I spent 59 hours not getting the Rona

[sol]

I don't have All the Devils Are Here. Looks intriguing.

It's on Amazon Prime if you want to work it into your watchlist later.

Is Amazon Prime meant to have the same content for all countries? It doesn't seem to be available on Amazon Prime AU.

3. Tropic of Cancer (Haiti, 1972)
This is an odd one. It takes the glove killer giallo trope and places it in a Haitian voodoo ritual setting laced with a mind-altering drug plot. Parts of it are a little dull and feel like padding, particularly the dancing sequences that seem to exist just to show topless women. It does have some pretty creative, interesting kills though and the bizarre drug hallucination sequence mid-way through is pretty damn memorable (no spoilers on that one... ). Overall, this isn't a perfect movie or a hidden classic, but genre fans may find something to appreciate here.

This is a film that I came across in my research for Haitian films to watch - and it is available online - but upon further research, I determined that it was more of an Italian film shot on location in Haiti as opposed to a film with significant Haitian involvement. The film is also listed as Italy Only on Letterboxd. I would like to watch it this month, but I don't know if it really represents Caribbean cinema. You've actually seen it though, so just curious about what makes this a Haitian film in your eyes.

[sol]

Adventures in the Caribbean

1. Plaff! (1988) Cuba
2. The Cutlass (2017) Trinidad and Tobago
3. Third World Cop (1999) Jamaica

4. Death of a Bureaucrat (1966) Cuba



A Kafkaesque comedy in which the protagonist's bureaucrat uncle remains a victim of bureaucratic red tape even in death. The deadpan dialogue is hilarious as the nephew is told that his uncle's body "has not been exhumed so it cannot be reburied" after he digs up the body himself. The film grows tiresome towards end as the hurdles become predictable, but an eclectic mix of comedy throughout keeps things chugging along. Solid ending too.

Countries visited: 3

[flavo5000]

I don't have All the Devils Are Here. Looks intriguing.

It's on Amazon Prime if you want to work it into your watchlist later.

Is Amazon Prime meant to have the same content for all countries? It doesn't seem to be available on Amazon Prime AU.

Oh, it may not be available in all markets.

3. Tropic of Cancer (Haiti, 1972)
This is an odd one. It takes the glove killer giallo trope and places it in a Haitian voodoo ritual setting laced with a mind-altering drug plot. Parts of it are a little dull and feel like padding, particularly the dancing sequences that seem to exist just to show topless women. It does have some pretty creative, interesting kills though and the bizarre drug hallucination sequence mid-way through is pretty damn memorable (no spoilers on that one... ). Overall, this isn't a perfect movie or a hidden classic, but genre fans may find something to appreciate here.

This is a film that I came across in my research for Haitian films to watch - and it is available online - but upon further research, I determined that it was more of an Italian film shot on location in Haiti as opposed to a film with significant Haitian involvement. The film is also listed as Italy Only on Letterboxd. I would like to watch it this month, but I don't know if it really represents Caribbean cinema. You've actually seen it though, so just curious about what makes this a Haitian film in your eyes.

Well, like with Sicario, despite the director not being Haitian, much of the supporting cast is beyond the three leads and the film revolves entirely around Haitian culture and voodoo rituals. Plus it was indeed filmed on location in Haiti.

[sol]

Well, like with Sicario, despite the director not being Haitian, much of the supporting cast is beyond the three leads and the film revolves entirely around Haitian culture and voodoo rituals. Plus it was indeed filmed on location in Haiti.

The Sicario sequel also had a Mexican production company and Mexican crewmembers attached. That's okay though. I do want to see Tropic of Cancer myself and it seems like a borderline case. If nobody objects, I will let you include it.

[sol]

Adventures in the Caribbean

1. Plaff! (1988) Cuba
2. The Cutlass (2017) Trinidad and Tobago
3. Third World Cop (1999) Jamaica
4. Death of a Bureaucrat (1966) Cuba

5a. Inside Reel: Eps.1 - 3 (2019) 27min Guyana
5b. In the Sky's Wild Noise (1983) 29min Guyana
5c. Coast Land (2020) 25min Guyana



More than just a series about the beautiful natural landscapes of Guyana, Inside Reel also looks at the animal species that live there and fishermen. Particularly interesting are the native moths and sloths. There are some great drone shots too. In the Sky's Wild Noise consists of an interview with assassinated Guyanese politician Walter Rodney that is spliced against his funeral procession and locals from Guyana in their day-to-day lives. Flooding and land erosion is the subject of Coast Land, with the documentary interviewing locals affected by rising water levels (unable to farm and harvest). There are no clear answers, but the film pushes towards open discussion as the only means by which to solve the issue. Which is probably true.

Countries visited: 4

[flavo5000]

4. 2012: Curse of the Xtabai (Belize, 2012)
Here we have Belize's first (and only?) horror movie. The plot involves the Xtabai, a sort of figure of Mayan folklore similar to the sirens of Greek myth. She's a kind of forest spirit that enchants men with her voice according to the myths themselves. This film seems to take some liberties with the legend though. This version of Xtabai seems to attack both men and women and is rather grotesque-looking as opposed to the supposedly beautiful demon of the myths. Anyway, this movie is incredibly low budget and amateurish. The dialogue seems to be improvised half the time, and the actors are definitely not great improvisors. Speaking of the actors, they're mostly pretty bad as one would expect (that scene with the mother confronting the police is almost laughable). The lead girl though is actually a pretty competent actor in many respects and seems to have potential as a career actress. The attack sequences are fairly unique-looking for this kind of low budget effort too with a camera that swirls around with weird, echo-y effects (perhaps meant to emulate the siren call?). Anyway, this is pretty much bargain basement stuff, but if you have a tolerance for this kind of thing, there are actually some positives to be found in here.


5. ¡Vampiros en La Habana! (Cuba, 1985)
I quite enjoyed this fun animated flick that involves American and European vampires converging on Cuba to get control over a formula that will allow them to live in the sun, and the nephew of the scientist who created it gets pulls into all the shenanigans. It has some great music and a pretty funny sense of humor at times. The animation style has a Hanna Berbera look to it but the content is definitely more targeted to adults.

Spoiler

1. Third World Cop (Jamaica, 1999)
2. All the Devils Are Here (Bahamas, 2014)
3. Tropic of Cancer (Haiti, 1972)
4. 2012: Curse of the Xtabai (Belize, 2012)
5. ¡Vampiros en La Habana! (Cuba, 1985)

[sol]

Adventures in the Caribbean

1. Plaff! (1988) Cuba
2. The Cutlass (2017) Trinidad and Tobago
3. Third World Cop (1999) Jamaica
4. Death of a Bureaucrat (1966) Cuba
5a. Inside Reel: Eps.1 - 3 (2019) 27min Guyana
5b. In the Sky's Wild Noise (1983) 29min Guyana
5c. Coast Land (2020) 25min Guyana

6. La Gunguna (2015) Dominican Republic



Always bringing bad luck, a pistol passes through several hands in this collection of interconnecting tales from the Dominican Republic. The best of tale involves a tense stand-off when a soldier is tricked by a group of conniving pool hustlers. There is also a great bit in which a loan shark gets more than he bargained for after threatening a Haitian man with the gun before he knocks it out of his hand. The rest of the subplots are less engaging though.

Countries visited: 5

[jdidaco]

Thanks for hosting, sol!

Sonia Calero & Roberto Rodriguez (and a broomstick!) in a very sexy pas de deux, one of the most unforgettable moments of Manet's 'Un día en el solar',



1. Un día en el solar (A Day in a Solar, Eduardo Manet, 1965) 8.5/10 (Cuba)
2. Rockers (Ted Bafaloukos, 1978) 7.5/10 (Jamaica)
3. Reggae Sunsplash (Stefan Paul, 1980) 8.5/10 (Jamaica)
4. Cuba feliz (Karim Dridi, 2000) 8/10 (Cuba)

Peter Tosh's "Stepping Razor" and the Rastas walking, one of my favorite sequences from 'Rockers',

If you are a bully
Treat me good
If you are a bully, a bully
I beg you treat me good

I'm like a stepping razor
Don't you watch my size
I'm dangerous, dangerous

[Lu-Chin]

Spoiler

1. Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti (1985) 5/10 Haiti
2. La Operación (1982) 6/10 Puerto Rico
3. Demasiado miedo a la vida o Plaff (1988) 5/10 Cuba
4. Rue Cases Nègres (1983) 7/10 Martinique
5. ¡Vampiros en La Habana! (1985) 6/10 Cuba
6. Hasta cierto punto (1983) 5/10 Cuba
7. Cartas del parque (1988) 5/10 Cuba

8. En la otra isla (1968) 6/10 Cuba
9. Con todo mi amor, Rita (2000) 5/10 Cuba
10. Los refugiados de la cueva del muerto (1983) 4/10 Cuba
11. Cuba: Caminos de Revolución (2004) Documentary. TV Miniserie. 3 eps = 162 minutes. Cuba
12. Manuela (1966) 6/10 Cuba

[sol]

Adventures in the Caribbean

1. Plaff! (1988) Cuba
2. The Cutlass (2017) Trinidad and Tobago
3. Third World Cop (1999) Jamaica
4. Death of a Bureaucrat (1966) Cuba
5a. Inside Reel: Eps.1 - 3 (2019) 27min Guyana
5b. In the Sky's Wild Noise (1983) 29min Guyana
5c. Coast Land (2020) 25min Guyana
6. La Gunguna (2015) Dominican Republic

7. The Caller (2011) Puerto Rico



This has a very decent premise and the film comes with much mysteriousness as it is initially unclear if our protagonist is being set up (perhaps by her abusive ex-husband or her new love interest) or whether a Frequency situation is really afoot. The movie becomes less dynamic when it settles one specific pathway, but it is still engaging from start to finish, topped off with a conclusion and final scene that is rather chilling to say the least.

Countries visited: 6

[sol]

Leaderboard and Pie Chart updated:

[sol]

Adventures in the Caribbean

1. Plaff! (1988) Cuba
2. The Cutlass (2017) Trinidad and Tobago
3. Third World Cop (1999) Jamaica
4. Death of a Bureaucrat (1966) Cuba
5a. Inside Reel: Eps.1 - 3 (2019) 27min Guyana
5b. In the Sky's Wild Noise (1983) 29min Guyana
5c. Coast Land (2020) 25min Guyana
6. La Gunguna (2015) Dominican Republic
7. The Caller (2011) Puerto Rico

8. Kafou (2017) Haiti



This thriller begins very well with great interplay and tension between the protagonists who really do not know each other as well as they would like. The contents of their car's trunk also comes with much sense of mystery. Once the mystery is revealed though, things become less dynamic and melodramatic as one of the pair is affected by it. Everything spirals towards a brutal and well done conclusion but it is an uneven ride getting there.

Countries visited: 7

[flavo5000]

6. A Minuscule Adventure (Guadeloupe, 2018)
This was actually a very cute, fun film that featured CGI bugs interacting in a live action setting. When preparing for the winter, a ladybug accidentally gets stuck in a crate that gets shipped to the Caribbean and fellow bugs head out to rescue him. My daughter actually liked this one a lot. It reminds me a little of things like Shaun the Sheep but with more emphasis on adventure and drama in how it uses cute little animals with no dialogue to convey emotion. I definitely recommend it for families for sure and will probably seek out the first one in the series as well.


7. Atrapados (Puerto Rico, 1981)
This was a bizarre, Bunuel-like parable of two people who become inadvertently trapped together when a building collapses on top of them leaving them stuck in a basement with no way out. They wax philosophical about the nature of society's creation, posit what has and will happen. They fall in love, sire a child with no gender, and the world continues without them. I'm not sure I totally enjoyed this, but it was definitely an original, sometimes funny, sometimes disturbing, sometimes perplexing film to watch.

Spoiler

1. Third World Cop (Jamaica, 1999)
2. All the Devils Are Here (Bahamas, 2014)
3. Tropic of Cancer (Haiti, 1972)
4. 2012: Curse of the Xtabai (Belize, 2012)
5. ¡Vampiros en La Habana! (Cuba, 1985)
6. A Minuscule Adventure (Guadeloupe, 2018)
7. Atrapados (Puerto Rico, 1981)

[blueboybob]

24. Young Soul Rebels (1991) [Jamaica] <--- this was in the "Caribbean Classics" list. Not sure why. Feel free to remove. Either way the move was ok.
25. Playing Away (1987) [Jamaica] <--- same as above. On the "Caribbean Classics" list. But not worth the watch.
26. Burning an Illusion (1981) [Jamaica] <---- see above. But better than those two.
27. Black Joy (1977) [Jamaica] <--- as above. Not good IMO
28. Babylon (1980) [Jamaica] <---- as above. Also not great.
29. The Sugar Curtain (2005) [Cuba] <--- as above. I liked this one. Good watch.
30. Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti (1993) [Haiti] <--- as above. Not good. Didn't like it.
31. A Successful Man (1986) [Cuba] <--- I didnt like it.
32. Lumumba (2000) [Haiti] <--- I liked the topic, but it just wasn't well done.
33. Lo que le pasó a Santiago (1995) [Puerto Rico] <--- Bad
34. The Last Supper (1976) [Cuba] <--- What a really interesting movie. Definitely worth a watch
35. Papeles secundarios (1989) [Cuba] <---- not good
36. One People (1976) [Suriname] <---- I liked this one. Good watch. Not many Suriname films as far as I know
37. Conducta (2014) [Cuba] <--- The thing that really hit me on this one was how I know this happens everywhere. Well done and sad.
38. Cocote (2017) [Dominican Republic] <--- I liked this one too. Would recommend.
39. Buena Vista Social Club (1999) [Cuba] <--- I think this movie is pretty well known. I am glad I finally watched it. Loved the music.
40. Life and Debt (2001) [Jamaica] <---- I liked it, but it was depressing.

[sol]

this was in the "Caribbean Classics" list. Not sure why. Feel free to remove. Either way the move was ok.

I was aware that there was a couple of non-Caribbean features from Caribbean nationals in the list. I didn't realise that there are so many. I think the fairest way to tackle this is similar to the guidelines that flavo is using. Is the film about Caribbean culture or the Caribbean experience? Is there cast/crew involvement from the Caribbean-born individuals? This my assessment of your latest big data drop from what I have read up about the films.

24. Young Soul Rebels (1991) [Jamaica]
25. Playing Away (1987) [Jamaica]
26. Burning an Illusion (1981) [Jamaica]
27. Black Joy (1977) [Jamaica] <--- as above. Not good IMO
28. Babylon (1980) [Jamaica] <---- as above. Also not great.
29. The Sugar Curtain (2005) [Cuba] <--- as above. I liked this one. Good watch.
30. Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti (1993) [Haiti] <--- as above. Not good. Didn't like it.
31. A Successful Man (1986) [Cuba] <--- I didnt like it.
32. Lumumba (2000) [Haiti] <--- I liked the topic, but it just wasn't well done.
33. Lo que le pasó a Santiago (1995) [Puerto Rico] – This is from Mexico
34. The Last Supper (1976) [Cuba] <--- What a really interesting movie. Definitely worth a watch
35. Papeles secundarios (1989) [Cuba] <---- not good
36. One People (1976) [Suriname] <---- I liked this one. Good watch. Not many Suriname films as far as I know
37. Conducta (2014) [Cuba] <--- The thing that really hit me on this one was how I know this happens everywhere. Well done and sad.
38. Cocote (2017) [Dominican Republic] <--- I liked this one too. Would recommend.
39. Buena Vista Social Club (1999) [Cuba] <--- I think this movie is pretty well known. I am glad I finally watched it. Loved the music.
40. Life and Debt (2001) [Jamaica] <---- I liked it, but it was depressing. – US documentary filmed in Jamaica

Which places you on 35 by my count.

[sol]

Adventures in the Caribbean

1. Plaff! (1988) Cuba
2. The Cutlass (2017) Trinidad and Tobago
3. Third World Cop (1999) Jamaica
4. Death of a Bureaucrat (1966) Cuba
5a. Inside Reel: Eps.1 - 3 (2019) 27min Guyana
5b. In the Sky's Wild Noise (1983) 29min Guyana
5c. Coast Land (2020) 25min Guyana
6. La Gunguna (2015) Dominican Republic
7. The Caller (2011) Puerto Rico
8. Kafou (2017) Haiti

9. The Triangle (2001) Barbados



Shot on location at and around Barbados, this boasts some spectacular exteriors, the ship interiors are appropriately foreboding and the film begins well with small but strange paranormal occurrences aboard the ship. Particularly striking is one friend trying to convince two others that they shared the same delusion about a door. As the film progresses though, it quickly goes downhill with madness and mayhem a poor substitute for mysteriousness.