Caribbean Challenge (Official, December 2020)

[flavo5000]

8. Voodoo Man (Saint Vincent And The Grenadines, 2014)
Ugh... This movie felt endless despite being really short. A guy has a crush on a girl at work and connects up with an obeah man who he pays $250 to cast a love spell to make the girl fall for him. Of course the whole thing is a scam, so most of the movie is just people making fun of this dumbass for falling for it. Like Curse of the Xtabai, much of the movie feels semi-improvised and not in a good way. It looks like it was shot on a camcorder from 1988 K-Mart and had the sound sourced from the same camcorder. It's really barely a movie.

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)
8. Voodoo Man (Saint Vincent And The Grenadines, 2014)

[jal90]

33. Lo que le pasó a Santiago (1995) [Puerto Rico] – This is from Mexico

Surprised about this one, which is as Puerto Rican as it gets. Director, actors, locations, production companies, it even got an Oscar nomination representing Puerto Rico...

[sol]

33. Lo que le pasó a Santiago (1995) [Puerto Rico] – This is from Mexico

Surprised about this one, which is as Puerto Rican as it gets. Director, actors, locations, production companies, it even got an Oscar nomination representing Puerto Rico...

It seems you're right. It looks like I came across this film instead when researching the film on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048307/reference

I have no idea why that one popped up instead. I'll reinstate the point for Bob.

[blueboybob]

Thanks for the work everyone. Even I didnt think they counted, but they were on a "Caribbean" list. Maybe they shouldn't be on that list?

[max-scl]

El telón de azúcar is considered Cuban on Filmaffinity:https://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film810295.html
Also here: https://www.cinematecacubana.com/Script ... oduct=1541
The director also grew up in Cuba and the theme of the movie is Cuban.

[sol]

El telón de azúcar is considered Cuban on Filmaffinity:https://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film810295.html
Also here: https://www.cinematecacubana.com/Script ... oduct=1541
The director also grew up in Cuba and the theme of the movie is Cuban.

OK, I have reinstated the film in Lu-Chin's total, but it might also be useful to submit an update to IMDb.

Updated pie chart while I'm at 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
6. La Gunguna (2015) Dominican Republic
7. The Caller (2011) Puerto Rico
8. Kafou (2017) Haiti
9. The Triangle (2001) Barbados

10. Bad Girl Island (2007) Bahamas



This movie about moviemaking from the Bahamas circles around a screenwriter who rescues an unconscious woman from the ocean and has a brief romantic fling with her before she disappears. Things only get stranger from there and while the whole thing is far too convoluted for its own good, the basic set-up is decent and some of the real world issues that the film manages to address towards the end are striking. Pretty silly ending though.

[flavo5000]

9a. Por primera vez a.k.a. For The First Time (Cuba, 1969)
9b. The Short Films of Khris Burton (Minuit Quarante, Nanny: Filminute, Maybe Another Time, Enopek, Je dois rester en vie, Tu veux (Joli Rouge Sound ft Gate), Orlane Ft Daly: Treve de Bavardages) (Martinique, 2013-2019)
9c. Soucouyant (Saint Lucia, 2015)
9d. Our Anguilla (Anguilla, 2008)
9e. Pieces of Jonestown (Guyana, 2010)
Time for some shorts! For the First Time is a charming doc that shows the reactions of villagers in a very small isolated town as they watch a traveling roadshow screening of Modern Times. For many of them it's the first film they've ever seen, and the sheer joy and delight of watching it gives me the warm and fuzzies inside.
Khris Burton is apparently a filmmaker from Martinique who's shorts have a polish and professionalism to them than many lower budget filmmakers from the Caribbean lack. Minuit Quarante and Nanny are both horror shorts. Nanny in particular in brief and mysterious but interesting. Je dois rester en vie is a short drama of a homeless woman while tu Veux and Orlane are both music videos which certainly suits Burton's style. Enopek is a very strange one that I'm still not clear on what was going on and Maybe Another Time is probably the best of the bunch just for how much story it packs into just one minute.
Soucouyant is an interesting, mysterious horror short from St. Lucia about a vengeful spirit that feels like its rooted in folklore even if it isn't. It makes good use of its time to build a sense of foreboding without relying on cheap scares.
Our Anguilla is a short film that seems to be made as an educational tool for kids in school in Anguilla, and it does indeed provide some informative details in an easy-to-consume format.
Pieces of Jonestown (the extended version) consists of shots of the modern-day remnants of the grounds where the Heaven's Gate cult once took up residence, now just open field and vegetation with locals describing their memories of what happened. It's rather eerie knowing what went down there and is something of interest to those who want a more intimate view of the Jonestown massacre than many of the talking head docs out there.

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)
8. Voodoo Man (Saint Vincent And The Grenadines, 2014)
9a. Por primera vez a.k.a. For The First Time (Cuba, 1969)
9b. The Short Films of Khris Burton (Minuit Quarante, Nanny: Filminute, Maybe Another Time, Enopek, Je dois rester en vie, Tu veux (Joli Rouge Sound ft Gate), Orlane Ft Daly: Treve de Bavardages) (Martinique, 2013-2019)
9c. Soucouyant (Saint Lucia, 2015)
9d. Our Anguilla (Anguilla, 2008)
9e. Pieces of Jonestown (Guyana, 2010)

[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
10. Bad Girl Island (2007) Bahamas

11. Detective Willy (2015) Dominican Republic



Some of the humour in this noir spoof is quite silly (loose chickens; eating excessively spicy food) but most of it works with some hilarious moments as the bumbling protagonist tries to requote Casablanca out of context and keeps referring to one woman as "Gilda". The film benefits the most though from a handful of exquisite black and white sequences in noir fashion with jazzy music as the protagonist every so often images himself in a noir.

[blueboybob]

37. Episode 3: 'Enjoy Poverty' (2009) [Dominican Republic] <---- does this count? Its about the Dominican Republic.
38. Pressure (1976) [Trinidad] <---- On the classics list, not sure if it counts.
39. Almacita, Soul of Desolato (1986) [????] <---- on the classics list but this movie is African

[Mario Gaborović]

Looks like I'll have to recommend 21 Days from St. Lucia again - because seems nobody new discovered it yet. That single watch qualifies as one entry as it's being 40 minutes long. A seal of approval from me and sol (I believe).
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6140742/

[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. El telón de azúcar (2005) 8/10 Cuba
5. Rue Cases Nègres (1983) 7/10 Martinique
6. ¡Vampiros en La Habana! (1985) 6/10 Cuba
7. Hasta cierto punto (1983) 5/10 Cuba
8. Cartas del parque (1988) 5/10 Cuba
9. En la otra isla (1968) 6/10 Cuba
10. Con todo mi amor, Rita (2000) 5/10 Cuba
11. Los refugiados de la cueva del muerto (1983) 4/10 Cuba
12. Cuba: Caminos de Revolución (2004) Documentary. TV Miniserie. 3 eps = 162 minutes. Cuba
13. Manuela (1966) 6/10 Cuba

14. The Harder They Come (1972) 4/10 Jamaica
15. Fuera de liga (2008) 6/10 Cuba
16. Abril: La trinchera del honor (1988) 7/10 Dominican Republic
17. Hecho con Sabor a Puerto Rico (2012) 5/10 Puerto Rico
18. La inútil muerte de mi socio Manolo (1989) 4/10 Cuba
19. The Terror and the Time (1979) 5/10 Guyana
20. En tres y dos (1985) 5/10 Cuba
21. ¿OVNIS en Cuba? (1997) 4/10 Cuba
22. De mi alma recuerdos (2002) 5/10 Cuba
23. Bazooka: Las Batallas de Wilfredo Gomez (2003) 7/10 Puerto Rico

[Cinepolis]

Looks like I'll have to recommend 21 Days from St. Lucia again - because seems nobody new discovered it yet. That single watch qualifies as one entry as it's being 40 minutes long. A seal of approval from me and sol (I believe).
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6140742/

Thanks for reminding me. Been wanting to watch that one for a little while now but eventually forgot about it.

1. Kafou (Haiti, 2017) - 6.5/10
2. 21 Days (St. Lucia, 2014) - 7/10

[fear of 13]

1. Juan of the Dead (Alejandro Brugués, 2011, Cuba)

[sol]

A seal of approval from me and sol (I believe).

Sure. I recall you recommending it to me during last year's Latin America/Caribbean combined challenge when I was trying to visit every region possible.

37. Episode 3: 'Enjoy Poverty' (2009) [Dominican Republic] <---- does this count? Its about the Dominican Republic.
38. Pressure (1976) [Trinidad] <---- On the classics list, not sure if it counts.
39. Almacita, Soul of Desolato (1986) [????] <---- on the classics list but this movie is African

37. Episode 3: 'Enjoy Poverty' (2009) [Dominican Republic] <---- does this count? – Dutch film about the Dominican Republic; ineligible like Life and Debt
38. Pressure (1976) [Trinidad] <---- On the classics list – about Trinidad immigrates, directed by Trini filmmaker, borderline but okay
39. Almacita, Soul of Desolato (1986) [????] <---- on the classics list but this movie is African -- looks like the film is from Netherlands Antilles, i.e. the Dutch territories in the Caribbean; as I understand it, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba would seem the most accurate label going by current naming; for the purposes of the pie chart/leaderboard I will just place it in 'Other'

Puts you on 38 points

[sol]

Just updated the leaderboard. Updated pie chart:

[Lilarcor]

Have to say I am particularly enjoying lurking this thread from the sidelines, both reading about the films, most of which are pretty obscure, and the colorful stats. Will definitely check out the St Lucia film at some point (perhaps even this month?).

[sol]

Have to say I am particularly enjoying lurking this thread from the sidelines, both reading about the films, most of which are pretty obscure, and the colorful stats. Will definitely check out the St Lucia film at some point (perhaps even this month?).

Oh, yes - please do. Great to see this challenge picking up after a slowish start. I notice that peeps has also recently watched the same film that flavo did from the Bahamas - though she is yet to officially log it here.

[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
10. Bad Girl Island (2007) Bahamas
11. Detective Willy (2015) Dominican Republic

12. Twelve Chairs (1962) Cuba REVISION



Later filmed by Mel Brooks and Leonid Gaidai, this less famous take is of interest due to the altered setting and period with the events taking place in Cuba during the first few months of Communist rule. The idea of grown men fighting over chairs and bumbling their way through stealing like little kids them is ripe material for satire and Gaidai's slapstick shenanigans work better, but this concludes quite well and has some real nail-biting tension.

[flavo5000]

10. De cierta manera a.k.a. One Way or Another (Cuba, 1977)
This one was interesting, a sort of hybrid of documentary and scripted acting, it seems to be trying to convey a lot of different ideas all at once. At times a revolutionary polemic that exposes how surface-level change doesn't mean anything if the core is still tarnished to what felt like a commentary on toxic masculinity (knowing this is from a female director may have colored my opinion here but I do think that's one thing director Sara Gomez was going for), it's a very messy film that's as frustrating as it is watchable.


11. Battledream Chronicle (Martinique, 2015)
This was a pleasant surprise. This animated film from Martinique takes place in a dystopian future where the downtrodden are forced into servitude by basically farming XP in a video game called Battledream where slaves must enter combat and die in real life if they get a game over. The story focuses on one girl who seeks to revolt and overthrow the dominant regime and reclaim the world for the people. In some ways, the premise is a little silly but the movie plays it totally straight. The animation is on the stiff side and character expressions are flatter than they should be which makes some scenes intended to be emotional read less impactful than intended. Still, the movie actually does a good job of world-building and the art designs are quite good with a pretty ambitious storyline and solid voice acting for the most part. It seems to be at least partially influenced by anime, particularly shows like Sword Art Online and MegaMan Battle Network (which was originally a video game) while still retaining a uniquely Martinique flavor to it. The tone is also not as manic as one would expect given the subject matter. If anything it's a little exposition-heavy and it really doesn't feature a very strong score even during some of the combat sequences which gives it a very different, more methodical feel to it than the hyper-excitable animation we usually see coming out of the US and Japan with this kind of subject matter. Overall, it's not perfect but a solid watch for fans of animation.

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)
8. Voodoo Man (Saint Vincent And The Grenadines, 2014)
9a. Por primera vez a.k.a. For The First Time (Cuba, 1969)
9b. The Short Films of Khris Burton (Minuit Quarante, Nanny: Filminute, Maybe Another Time, Enopek, Je dois rester en vie, Tu veux (Joli Rouge Sound ft Gate), Orlane Ft Daly: Treve de Bavardages) (Martinique, 2013-2019)
9c. Soucouyant (Saint Lucia, 2015)
9d. Our Anguilla (Anguilla, 2008)
9e. Pieces of Jonestown (Guyana, 2010)
10. De cierta manera a.k.a. One Way or Another (Cuba, 1977)
11. Battledream Chronicle (Martinique, 2015)

[blueboybob]

39. Ava & Gabriel: A Love Story (1990) <--- another one from Antilla. Not great

OK I think that is all the officials. I may find random ones, but I want to focus on documentaries.

[Mario Gaborović]

03. The Right and the Wrong (1970) - Trinidad and Tobago

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

SHOULDN'T BERMUDA BE INCLUDED AS WELL??

[sol]

SHOULDN'T BERMUDA BE INCLUDED AS WELL??

Geographically, Bermuda is not in the Caribbean, however, I'm not sure where else it could be included, so I guess we could add it in.

https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?coun ... &count=250

[jdidaco]

(Screenshots from 'La ultima rumba de papa Montero' & Santa Teresa y otras historias'),



5. La ultima rumba de papa Montero (The Last Rumba of Papa Montero, Octavio Cortázar, 1992) 9/10 (Cuba/Martinique)
6. Royal Bonbon (Charles Najman, 2002) 7.5/10 (Haiti)
7. Santa Teresa y otras historias (Santa Teresa & Other Stories, Nelson Carlo de Los Santos Arias, 2015) 9/10 (Dominican Republic)
8. Cocote (Nelson Carlo de Los Santos Arias, 2017) 7.5/10 (Dominican Republic)

“The style was strange. The writing was clear and sometimes even transparent, but the way the stories followed one after another didn’t lead anywhere: all that was left were the children, their parents, the animals, some neighbors, and in the end, all that was really left was nature, a nature that dissolved little by little in a boiling cauldron until it vanished completely.”

(Roberto Bolaño (from "2666") as quoted by Nelson Carlo de Los Santos Arias in 'Santa Teresa y otras historias')

Spoiler

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)

[jdidaco]

39. Almacita, Soul of Desolato (1986) [????] <---- on the classics list but this movie is African -- looks like the film is from Netherlands Antilles, i.e. the Dutch territories in the Caribbean; as I understand it, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba would seem the most accurate label going by current naming; for the purposes of the pie chart/leaderboard I will just place it in 'Other'

'Almacita di desolato' is from Curaçao (former Netherlands Antilles), it's entirely embedded by its culture, folklore and geography. And an extraordinary film it is.

[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. El telón de azúcar (2005) 8/10 Cuba
5. Rue Cases Nègres (1983) 7/10 Martinique
6. ¡Vampiros en La Habana! (1985) 6/10 Cuba
7. Hasta cierto punto (1983) 5/10 Cuba
8. Cartas del parque (1988) 5/10 Cuba
9. En la otra isla (1968) 6/10 Cuba
10. Con todo mi amor, Rita (2000) 5/10 Cuba
11. Los refugiados de la cueva del muerto (1983) 4/10 Cuba
12. Cuba: Caminos de Revolución (2004) Documentary. TV Miniserie. 3 eps = 162 minutes. Cuba
13. Manuela (1966) 6/10 Cuba
14. The Harder They Come (1972) 4/10 Jamaica
15. Fuera de liga (2008) 6/10 Cuba
16. Abril: La trinchera del honor (1988) 7/10 Dominican Republic
17. Hecho con Sabor a Puerto Rico (2012) 5/10 Puerto Rico
18. La inútil muerte de mi socio Manolo (1989) 4/10 Cuba
19. The Terror and the Time (1979) 5/10 Guyana
20. En tres y dos (1985) 5/10 Cuba
21. ¿OVNIS en Cuba? (1997) 4/10 Cuba
22. De mi alma recuerdos (2002) 5/10 Cuba
23. Bazooka: Las Batallas de Wilfredo Gomez (2003) 7/10 Puerto Rico

24. Las carpetas (2011) 6/10 Puerto Rico
25. EJKEI: Un documental sobre el skateboarding en Puerto Rico (2012) 5/10 Puerto Rico
26. La guerra necesaria (1980) 8/10 Cuba
27. Tango Bar (1989) 5/10 Puerto Rico
28. De tal Pedro tal astilla (1987) 6/10 Cuba
29. Los pájaros tirándole a la escopeta (1984) 5/10 Cuba
30. La Batalla de Vieques (1986) 5/10 Puerto Rico
31. Vals de la Habana vieja (1988) 4/10 Cuba
32. La bella del Alhambra (1989) 7/10 Cuba

[sol]

Leaderboard updated. Pie chart too:



Oh, and we are adding Bermuda into eligible countries. Forgot to add it in, but I'll include it in the next OP update.

[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
10. Bad Girl Island (2007) Bahamas
11. Detective Willy (2015) Dominican Republic
12. Twelve Chairs (1962) Cuba REVISION

13. Juan of the Dead (2011) Cuba



This has some truly uncanny moments, such as the protagonist and his friends harpooning a zombie who continues to crawl across the harpoon rope to them where they fail to kill him using vampire dispatch techniques and exorcisms. Most of the humour is hit-and-miss though, and while the political gags are the most unique/refreshing, they are infrequent - though it is very amusing when they begin to refer to the zombies as "well fed" dissidents.

[flavo5000]

12. Rockers (Jamaica, 1978)
An ICM comment compared this to Bicycle Thieves, but really other than the lead having his bike stolen, there's very little similarity. That's like saying Pee Wee's Big Adventure is basically Bicycle Thieves but with a creepy man child who has Satanic clown dreams. Anyway, I actually liked this one quite a bit. The screenplay is a little shaky but the soundtrack more than makes up for it. It's seriously bangin' and is easily nearly as good as The Harder They Come's soundtrack.

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)
8. Voodoo Man (Saint Vincent And The Grenadines, 2014)
9a. Por primera vez a.k.a. For The First Time (Cuba, 1969)
9b. The Short Films of Khris Burton (Minuit Quarante, Nanny: Filminute, Maybe Another Time, Enopek, Je dois rester en vie, Tu veux (Joli Rouge Sound ft Gate), Orlane Ft Daly: Treve de Bavardages) (Martinique, 2013-2019)
9c. Soucouyant (Saint Lucia, 2015)
9d. Our Anguilla (Anguilla, 2008)
9e. Pieces of Jonestown (Guyana, 2010)
10. De cierta manera a.k.a. One Way or Another (Cuba, 1977)
11. Battledream Chronicle (Martinique, 2015)
12. Rockers (Jamaica, 1978)

[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
10. Bad Girl Island (2007) Bahamas
11. Detective Willy (2015) Dominican Republic
12. Twelve Chairs (1962) Cuba REVISION
13. Juan of the Dead (2011) Cuba

14. ¡Vampiros en La Habana! (1985) Cuba



The basic idea is not half-bad here and there is some intriguing mumbo-jumbo involving a vampire scientist who has experimented on his nephew to suppress his vampire qualities. The overall film feels like a mess though, full of sexist and racist stereotypes and without a single likeable character in sight. Bits and pieces of the film certainly work though: cinema shenanigans; a drunk giving up booze after seeing a vampire disintegrate in sunlight.

[Mario Gaborović]

04. Reggae Sunsplash (1980) - Jamaica

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
02. In the Sky's Wild Noise (1983) + Coast Land (2020) + The Barima-Mora Passage (2020) - Guyana
03. The Right and the Wrong (1970) - Trinidad and Tobago

[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
10. Bad Girl Island (2007) Bahamas
11. Detective Willy (2015) Dominican Republic
12. Twelve Chairs (1962) Cuba REVISION
13. Juan of the Dead (2011) Cuba
14. ¡Vampiros en La Habana! (1985) Cuba

15. The Right and the Wrong (1970) Trinidad and Tobago



The basic story is decent and undeniably well-intended here, however, the performances are generally overwrought and the actor playing the plantation owner is very over-the-top. The film is also sprinkled with songs that vary from corny to just okay. The overall messages are drilled in very heavily with blatant speeches towards the end too. It is certainly curious to see Trinidad from decades ago on film though and some of the rapid fire editing is nifty.

[flavo5000]

13. The Triangle (Barbados, 2001)
Man, the acting here is laughably bad at times. The premise isn't necessarily a bad one and better movies have been made on it. This one just doesn't seem to be able to make up its mind whether it wants to be Poseidon Adventure or The Shining and in general just doesn't seem to know what to do with its premise beyond having Luke Perry be predictably greed and crazy. I will say that I find Olivia d'Abo charming despite all this. Although she will always be Garth's girlfriend in Wayne's World 2 to me.

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)
8. Voodoo Man (Saint Vincent And The Grenadines, 2014)
9a. Por primera vez a.k.a. For The First Time (Cuba, 1969)
9b. The Short Films of Khris Burton (Minuit Quarante, Nanny: Filminute, Maybe Another Time, Enopek, Je dois rester en vie, Tu veux (Joli Rouge Sound ft Gate), Orlane Ft Daly: Treve de Bavardages) (Martinique, 2013-2019)
9c. Soucouyant (Saint Lucia, 2015)
9d. Our Anguilla (Anguilla, 2008)
9e. Pieces of Jonestown (Guyana, 2010)
10. De cierta manera a.k.a. One Way or Another (Cuba, 1977)
11. Battledream Chronicle (Martinique, 2015)
12. Rockers (Jamaica, 1978)
13. The Triangle (Barbados, 2001)

[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. El telón de azúcar (2005) 8/10 Cuba
5. Rue Cases Nègres (1983) 7/10 Martinique
6. ¡Vampiros en La Habana! (1985) 6/10 Cuba
7. Hasta cierto punto (1983) 5/10 Cuba
8. Cartas del parque (1988) 5/10 Cuba
9. En la otra isla (1968) 6/10 Cuba
10. Con todo mi amor, Rita (2000) 5/10 Cuba
11. Los refugiados de la cueva del muerto (1983) 4/10 Cuba
12. Cuba: Caminos de Revolución (2004) Documentary. TV Miniserie. 3 eps = 162 minutes. Cuba
13. Manuela (1966) 6/10 Cuba
14. The Harder They Come (1972) 4/10 Jamaica
15. Fuera de liga (2008) 6/10 Cuba
16. Abril: La trinchera del honor (1988) 7/10 Dominican Republic
17. Hecho con Sabor a Puerto Rico (2012) 5/10 Puerto Rico
18. La inútil muerte de mi socio Manolo (1989) 4/10 Cuba
19. The Terror and the Time (1979) 5/10 Guyana
20. En tres y dos (1985) 5/10 Cuba
21. ¿OVNIS en Cuba? (1997) 4/10 Cuba
22. De mi alma recuerdos (2002) 5/10 Cuba
23. Bazooka: Las Batallas de Wilfredo Gomez (2003) 7/10 Puerto Rico
24. Las carpetas (2011) 6/10 Puerto Rico
25. EJKEI: Un documental sobre el skateboarding en Puerto Rico (2012) 5/10 Puerto Rico
26. La guerra necesaria (1980) 8/10 Cuba
27. Tango Bar (1989) 5/10 Puerto Rico
28. De tal Pedro tal astilla (1987) 6/10 Cuba
29. Los pájaros tirándole a la escopeta (1984) 5/10 Cuba
30. La Batalla de Vieques (1986) 5/10 Puerto Rico
31. Vals de la Habana vieja (1988) 4/10 Cuba
32. La bella del Alhambra (1989) 7/10 Cuba

33. La gran fiesta (1986) 5/10 Puerto Rico
34. Juan Melendez 6446 (2009) 7/10 Puerto Rico
35. Clandestinos (1988) 7/10 Cuba
36. 100,000 (2010) 7/10 Puerto Rico
37. Luisa Capetillo: Pasión de justicia (1995) 4/10 Puerto Rico

[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
10. Bad Girl Island (2007) Bahamas
11. Detective Willy (2015) Dominican Republic
12. Twelve Chairs (1962) Cuba REVISION
13. Juan of the Dead (2011) Cuba
14. ¡Vampiros en La Habana! (1985) Cuba
15. The Right and the Wrong (1970) Trinidad and Tobago

16. Atrapados (1981) Puerto Rico



Trapped in the basement of a collapsed high-rise building, a man and a woman speculate about what occurred (was it a natural disaster or nuclear attack?) while surviving on a lifetime's supply of canned food in this unusual drama from Puerto Rico. The dynamics shift and change between the pair nicely but the film is beset though by an overload of flashbacks and dreams which break up tension and destroy the sullen mood of the piece.

[fear of 13]

Spoiler

1. Juan of the Dead (Alejandro Brugués, 2011, Cuba)

2. The Caller (Matthew Parkhill, 2011, Puerto Rico)

[sol]

Leaderboard updated. Updated pie chart, with some big gains for Puerto Rico:

[sol]

Speaking of PR gains...

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
10. Bad Girl Island (2007) Bahamas
11. Detective Willy (2015) Dominican Republic
12. Twelve Chairs (1962) Cuba REVISION
13. Juan of the Dead (2011) Cuba
14. ¡Vampiros en La Habana! (1985) Cuba
15. The Right and the Wrong (1970) Trinidad and Tobago
16. Atrapados (1981) Puerto Rico

17. Tango Bar (1987) Puerto Rico



While the remnants of a plot exist here with a love triangle and some disagreement about fleeing the country, this mostly just consists of tango performances and live shows strung together. On the plus side, the music and dance moves in these sequences are great. Some of the humour is decent too as the performers interact with their audiences and crack wise, but it is hard to care about the characters with such a weak overarching narrative.

[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
10. Bad Girl Island (2007) Bahamas
11. Detective Willy (2015) Dominican Republic
12. Twelve Chairs (1962) Cuba REVISION
13. Juan of the Dead (2011) Cuba
14. ¡Vampiros en La Habana! (1985) Cuba
15. The Right and the Wrong (1970) Trinidad and Tobago
16. Atrapados (1981) Puerto Rico
17. Tango Bar (1987) Puerto Rico

18. Cocote (2017) Dominican Republic



The basic idea is decent here, especially with how the protagonist has to balance superstitious local customs with the Christian values he has come to cherish; the execution though is long and drawn out, full of repetitive mourning and prayer scenes. A single argument with his sister aside, it is really only in the final fifteen minutes that the film comes alive with a choice made. Some of the shots are certainly exquisite (see above) but the story is dullsville.

[flavo5000]

14. The Obsessed One (Suriname, 1974)
This ugly, mean rape/revenge grindhouse flick was made in Suriname, set in Guyana and is all-around fairly unpleasant to watch for several reasons. A guy is savagely beaten by some deranged hippies while his wife if raped and stabbed to death. The hippies go back to some sketchy apartment to chill and do drugs while the guy starts hunting them down one by one and killing them. The whole production looks like it was dipped in a barrel of shit and the filmmaking itself, while it does certainly capture that particular grindhouse '70s vibe, is pretty incompetent.

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)
8. Voodoo Man (Saint Vincent And The Grenadines, 2014)
9a. Por primera vez a.k.a. For The First Time (Cuba, 1969)
9b. The Short Films of Khris Burton (Minuit Quarante, Nanny: Filminute, Maybe Another Time, Enopek, Je dois rester en vie, Tu veux (Joli Rouge Sound ft Gate), Orlane Ft Daly: Treve de Bavardages) (Martinique, 2013-2019)
9c. Soucouyant (Saint Lucia, 2015)
9d. Our Anguilla (Anguilla, 2008)
9e. Pieces of Jonestown (Guyana, 2010)
10. De cierta manera a.k.a. One Way or Another (Cuba, 1977)
11. Battledream Chronicle (Martinique, 2015)
12. Rockers (Jamaica, 1978)
13. The Triangle (Barbados, 2001)
14. The Obsessed One (Suriname, 1974)