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gey muckle mowser posted:Yeah I was proud of that one, haha. I'm glad people seemed to like the challenges in general, I put some effort in to avoid overlap with the challenges Fran tends to use in October. Which is hard when Spooky Bingo has 36 of them. As we finish up this year's May Challenge, which was excellent, I do want to mention to everyone that Fran has passed the torch to me(at least for this year) and I will be running the October Challenge. I'm in the process of putting together the bonus challenges and if anyone wants to PM me some suggestions I'd appreciate the contributions. I do think I'm leaning towards doing something more in line with what you did rather than Spooky Bingo, if only because this is my first time doing something like this and I think the smart move is to keep things a little simpler. I have a few ideas though that I'd definitely welcome opinions on, and hey if people really feel strongly about Spooky Bingo then you can let me know that as well. First, I like the idea you had of giving people a subset of challenges that can be applied to other challenges, i.e. you can watch one film and it can apply to multiple challenges. So I think it would be good to continue that. Secondly, I personally love rewatching my favorite classics in October, so I plan to give people a bigger opportunity to do that within the challenges. Maybe a mix where not every challenge can be completed with a rewatch, but more than we've had in the past. Third, I'm wondering what people's thoughts are on the timing of when we post the challenges. I know people have expressed in the past that they want them right away so they can plan things out, but would it be even better to know them like a week or two in advance? It's a minor issue but I'd be happy to just do it however the majority want it done. Anyway more to come obviously because we're still 4 months out.
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Jun 1, 2023 15:49
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Wrap Up Post I was going to watch another horror movie, but I wound up being in the mood for a drama so I watched The Conversation instead. That movie rips! Did you know that Gene Hackman is a really good actor? And since it's my birthday, I got the real horror of looking at Gene Hackman's hairline and mine back to back for a while. ~*~*~*spoooky*~*~*~ Anyway, here is a wrap up post so gey muckle mowser doesn't have to hunt through the giant pile of my bad posts. 1. Horror High : The Addiction (1995) : a very solid movie of its type, but a kind of movie that I personally don't enjoy watching. Still very glad I've seen it though. 2. Tales from the Cryptids : Indigenous (2014) : incredibly generic movie that technically has a chupacabra. It sure was in front of my face for an hour and a half. 3. Holy Terror : Tumbbad (2018) : Polytheism seems like easy mode for horror movies, but this ruled so works for me. Still debating growing a mustache. 4. Fresh Hell : Project Wolf Hunting (2022/2023 depending on region) : Fun and ridiculously gory even if I whined that the monster is "only" a punch-man. 5. Shooting Zombies : Don't Look Now (1973) : I think I fundamentally misunderstood what the challenge meant by "highest" lol. Still a great movie and I'm glad I watched it. Turns out my mom of all people is a huge fan. 6. Drawn and Quartered : Seoul Station (2016) : way better than "animated prequel" should ever be, at a solid B+, A- level. 7. Woke in Fright : Kadaicha (1988 but also '85) : Well no one objected so I'm counting it. Too late now. Not a very interesting film, but it had (poorly realized) colonialist themes, is from Australia and came out in the 80's so I got to check a lot of boxes. 8. Second Chance : Ringu (1998) : Still not really a fan but I didn't know who Hiroyuki Sanada was when I first watched it, and that guy rules. So at least some upwards movement in my estimation. An actor I like got a paycheck! 9. Challenge of the Dead : Survival of the Dead (2009) : The best thing you can say about this film is that it's got not one but two (2!!!) actors from Patriot in it. So you can kind of zone out and thinking about quadruple-flanged duct converters and plumb-jointed sprangle screws. 10. Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things : Slash/Back (2022) : A movie I love more for the potential than the execution, but I loving love the potential so it gets a pass despite some dire CGI and mixed performances from the kids. 11. It's-a Me! : Death Laid an Egg (1968) : Lol. It's an incredibly giallo-giallo that's also about a 60's futuristic poultry farm. loving rules. Meta-challenges : 12. History lesson : Completed (with an extra to make it contiguous, because c'mon) 60's (Death Laid An Egg) 70's (Don't Look Now) 80's (Kadaicha) 90's (Ringu, The Addiction) 2000's (Survival of the Dead) And then a mess of stuff in the 10's and 20's. 13. Geography Lesson : Completed Africa (Saloum) Europe (Death Laid an Egg, Don't Look Now) Asia (comically stacked)* Oceania/Australia (Kadaicha) North America (Slash/Back, among others but that's the one I want to count) Then there were 5 random movies (Honeymoon, Legion, Cooties, Shortcut, 15 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Bigfoot) I did before the categories were released for a total of 17 movies. A svelte total, but I have another project that's making me watch mysteries so that split my attention. Lots of fun! Thanks to mowser for running it and looking forward to October! *Don't wanna back-seat challenge here, but maybe having literally half of the world's population in one category isn't very equitable
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Jun 1, 2023 16:19
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Post challenges day 1 and no earlier imo And yeah especially for October it'd be nice to have a bunch of challenges that are rewatch-eligible I watched 13 movies to fit all this year's challenges but didn't actually write anything, but I did get to continue my tradition of ranting to someone about Triangle so I'm satisfied. Let me at least throw some ratings down tho: The Stuff (1985): 7.5/10 "I don't think you're quite as dumb as you appear to be." "No one is as dumb as I appear to be." Evil Dead Rise (2023): 8/10 "Destroy it! It's called the Book of the Dead for a reason!" Nocebo (2022): 8.5/10 "Anyway, didn't you say it's all bullshit?" "What I said was, it's all in the mind." "What isn't in the mind?" Child's Play (1988): 8/10 "Well John, it's been fun, but I gotta go. I have a date with a 6-year-old boy." The Outwaters (2023): 8.5/10 (yeah I said it) "Feel over there. It feels like there's currents running under it. It feels kind of good." Under the Shadow (2016): 7.5/10 "There's so much more to you than meets the eye, there's so much more to you than meets the eye, there's so much more to you than meets the eye, there's so much more to you than meets the eye..." Clearcut: 8.5/10 "Indians give me the creeps. It's like they know something we don't." Deep Red (1975): 7.5/10 (shame about the animal cruelty) "A maniac, who else? It's always a maniac, and they never catch them!" Perfect Blue (1997): 9/10 "It was so boring! Why do all psycho-thrillers made in Japan turn out that way?" The Last Broadcast (1998): 7/10 "We did a webcast, simulcast, cast cast cable cast that really was pretty poor if you ask me." The Exorcist (1973): 9/10 "In the meantime, try not to worry." "How?" Dawn of the Dead (1978): 9.5/10 "They got one big advantage over us. They don't think." The Queen of Black Magic (1981) rewatch:  /10 (seriously, that ending)
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Jun 1, 2023 16:40
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VROOM VROOM posted:Feel free to give it a rewatch before reading this to see if you can piece it together, but Triangle is one of my GOATs because (massive ending+rewatch spoilers) "time loop" is just what it wants you to think until the end, where it turns out that Jess and her kid are loving dead. The beginning of the movie at the house actually happened, as did the car sequence+crash at the end, and they died. The part where Jess abuses her kid also happened, but the movie hides this from you until the end because it wants her to be a sympathetic character on a first watch. But in death Jess refuses to accept responsibility for her actions and let go, so she keeps trying to cheat Death to get her son back. Hence the story of Sisyphus. The cab driver at the end is literally Charon. This is pretty tantalizing, I may have to hold off on reading your spoiled section until I actually rewatch to see if I come to similar conclusions myself. So don't be surprised if you suddenly get tagged in the horror thread months and months down the road... Basebf555 posted:As we finish up this year's May Challenge, which was excellent, I do want to mention to everyone that Fran has passed the torch to me(at least for this year) and I will be running the October Challenge. I'm in the process of putting together the bonus challenges and if anyone wants to PM me some suggestions I'd appreciate the contributions. Thanks in advance for the October challenge. (And enjoy the breather, Fran.) Of what you're brainstorming right now, I think my priority request would be finding ways to allow for more rewatches. Whether this means a smaller set of challenges for October or just allowing rewatches to qualify for more challenges I am not as particular about. I don't have strong feelings on announcing them early, just so long as they go up when the thread does. I do see October 1st is on a Sunday, so that might be a good opportunity to put it up a couple days early to give us an extra weekend, at least.
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Jun 1, 2023 16:57
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 33. Nightmare Sisters [1988] RW It's a David deCoteau CLASSIC! It's real hard to be horny demon babes, bumbling nerds, sorority jocks getting their comeuppance and that ultra dirty low budget 80's feel. Listened to the commentary this time and it was David and Linnea just having a good time shooting the poo poo about the production and talking about people that arent really around anymore. Four   34. Kill Her Goats [2023] FW Lotta tits. Whole lotta tits. Not much movie, but a whole lot of tits. One and a half  35. The Manitou [1978] FW This one is definitely a weird one. I kinda just chose it at random and didnt know what I was getting myself into, but it was a San Francisco treat to have a surprise SF movie and then it had weird demons from native origins and then a kinda cool third act with all the special effects and stuff. Not bad, but a bit stilted and too long, but that third act really pulls it together in weird ways. Two and a half  36. Kids vs Aliens [2022] FW Not bad. That boxart is pretty dire, but once the movie started cooking it turned out to be a real throwback to some 80's kid horror adventure pics. They even got kid death which rules! Three  37. The Lost Episode [2011] FW Michael Rooker apparently directed this. I hope he thinks it was worth it. Half a  38. Video Violence [1987] FW I was ready for this one not to do anything for me, but dammit if it didnt win me over completely at the end with it's ending and the reasoning behind it all. One of the better SOV films I've seen. Three  39. Targets [1968] RW A classic paranoia thriller, too poignant and very very well done picture from Bogdonavich. Five  40. Berserker [1987] FW I was on board on paper and some parts worked fairly well for me, but otherwise it was super flat and by the books. I did enjoy the bear fight though and like I said there was some good stuff in here that worked well, but otherwise it was flat. Could've been the acting, could've been the script, the direction or the awkward tone going on that never found its footing. It just didnt have that thing to really make it spin. Two and a half  41. She Dies Tomorrow [2020] FW Really loved this one. I kept waiting for that leap in logic, but the logic of this movie is extremely existential and combative with your perception of the world and of yourself. Sometimes it might have felt like it was about to trip over itself and become absurd, but I was right there with the characters lock-step and wanted to continue this journey. A very interesting movie. Four  42. Man's Best Friend [1993] FW Cheesy, weird, dumb and kinda entertaining. It moved at a steady pace so I was never truly upset with the movie and it did go to some fun places with the tree gag and the unfortunate demise of a mail man. I thought it worked! Two and a half  43. WNUF Halloween Special [2013] RW I really disliked this one initially, but I've come around to it. So much so that I bought it on blu-ray so that definitely must be a sign im fully on board with the pastiche of the 80's/90's its invoking and doing a good job with it. Three  44. Hellraiser: Deader [2005] FW Not as bad as the last one, but this one was also dog poo poo. One  45. Linnea Quigley's Horror Workout [1990] FW I love Linnea, I love exercise and I love horror, but I didnt fully love what this was going for. I did really enjoy the clip show of her career thing she went with and it works for the most part, but it starts to fall apart here and there at the seams. It's a bit shabby, but I bet it would work a lot better with a crowd. Two and a half  46. Malum [2023] FW I didnt even know this was a remake of the directors first feature, but so it was. I like this one a fair amount. Some excellent build up and tension, with a bit of a soft ending that I didnt think they knew where they were going with it overall. The lead was great and so was the first half of the movie. There was just something a bit more visceral I guess that I needed from this cult/ghost/monster movie. Dunno, I might give this one another go in the future because its a great premise. Three I'll be back to fill things in. dorium fucked around with this message at 23:58 on Jun 2, 2023 |
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Jun 1, 2023 16:59
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Basebf555 posted:First, I like the idea you had of giving people a subset of challenges that can be applied to other challenges, i.e. you can watch one film and it can apply to multiple challenges. So I think it would be good to continue that. I liked this a lot too and I always like decade specific challenges to get people out of their comfort zone.
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Jun 1, 2023 17:41
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Yeah, I'm also big into the idea of more challenges that allow rewatches, especially for the October challenges, since October should be more about watching the classics. As for when the challenges should go up, prior is fine, the 1st is fine too, either works really. And thank you to gay muckle mowser for setting this whole thing up for us!
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Jun 1, 2023 20:52
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Kazzah posted:#31 Infinity Pool (2023), first watch But I'm sleep deprived so my brain is only at like half functioning right now. So maybe I read it all wrong.
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Jun 1, 2023 20:52
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Thanks for participating everyone! I will be going over the results and selecting a random winner this weekend.
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Jun 2, 2023 03:23
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gey muckle mowser posted:Thanks for participating everyone! I will be going over the results and selecting a random winner this weekend. Thanks so much for hosting the challenge!
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Jun 2, 2023 03:29
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Xiahou Dun posted:*Don't wanna back-seat challenge here, but maybe having literally half of the world's population in one category isn't very equitable While we're at it, there's also an entire continent missing.
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Jun 2, 2023 05:38
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Xiahou Dun posted:*Don't wanna back-seat challenge here, but maybe having literally half of the world's population in one category isn't very equitable Population didn't really factor into it, like the Africa/Middle East region has ~triple the population of North America but produces a tiny fraction of the number of horror films. I debated breaking it down further but I think that would mostly result in people ignoring the more difficult regions. e: one thing I would do differently is instead of having North America and Central/South America, make the two regions US/Canada and then Mexico/Caribbean/Central/South America. The point of that challenge is to get people to watch stuff from other countries + cultures, and a Cuban film shouldn't count the same as an American one. Or even leave out the US and Europe entirely, it's not like there is any effort involved in finding films from those regions. gey muckle mowser fucked around with this message at 14:31 on Jun 2, 2023 |
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Jun 2, 2023 14:13
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might be even easier to go “watch six films not from the US, UK, or Canada”—even the dedicated Anglophone will hit like fourish and be forced to start to looking at Gambia or wherever
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Jun 2, 2023 15:01
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Pretzel Rod Stewart posted:might be even easier to go “watch six films not from the US, UK, or Canada”—even the dedicated Anglophone will hit like fourish and be forced to start to looking at Gambia or wherever I'm pretty sure I can find six Australian horror movies. Six films not in English might be interesting though.
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Jun 2, 2023 15:07
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ah I meant each from a different country! so you check off Ireland and Australia and now ya gotta watch some Czech thing from 1973
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Jun 2, 2023 15:09
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Pretzel Rod Stewart posted:ah I meant each from a different country! so you check off Ireland and Australia and now ya gotta watch some Czech thing from 1973 You can do that challenge fairly easily without watching a movie not in English. Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, and finish off with Jesus Franco's Count Dracula.
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Jun 2, 2023 15:21
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Jedit posted:You can do that challenge fairly easily without watching a movie not in English. Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, and finish off with Jesus Franco's Count Dracula. I gotta be honest I can't imagine that there is a person who is that dedicated to never ever reading subtitles, but also at the same time desperately wants to finish all the October Horror Challenge Thread thread challenges. A person who is willing to try a Nigerian horror movie, but The Ring is just too foreign for them. Gripweed fucked around with this message at 15:28 on Jun 2, 2023 |
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Jun 2, 2023 15:26
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I think anyone who's going to engage in these challenges is enthusiastic about making a good faith effort to seek out new stuff and explore film from cultures they aren't usually exposed to. I haven't seen anyone rules lawyering the challenge as it stands.
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Jun 2, 2023 17:37
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Here's my wrap-up post: Only 15 films total - I had planned on watching way more and maybe even targeting 31, but this was a busy month at work and also all I really wanted to do with my leisure time was play Zelda. Still, I finished all my own challenges so I'm happy with it! All first-time watches except for Ringu. Highlights were Angel's Egg, Faust, The Manitou, and The Boxer's Omen (even though it made me physically ill). Nothing was truly terrible, but Lokis and Spoonful of Sugar were the weakest films I watched. Total: 15 Watched: Lokis, a Manuscript of Professor Wittembach | The Manitou (Challenge #3) | Spoonful of Sugar (Challenge #1) | Faust (Challenge #5) | The Medium | Ringu (Challenge #8) | The Boxer's Omen | Magic (Challenge #10) | Clearcut (Challenge #7) | The Meg (Challenge #2) | The Suspicious Death of a Minor (Challenge #11) | Birth of the Living Dead (Challenge #9) | Angel's Egg (Challenge #6) | Gaia | Influencer (Challenge #4) Challenges: History Lesson: 6/5 - 1920s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2010s, 2020s Geography Lesson: 5/5 - Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, Asia, Africa
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Jun 2, 2023 21:20
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 ANNOUNCEMENT! To select a winner, I wrote the names of everyone who completed the challenge in blood on a scroll of parchment (twice if you also finished the bonus challenges), burned it, then buried the ashes at a crossroads at midnight. A few hours later, a rat with a human face entered my bedroom, crawled onto my pillow, and with a voice like fingernails scraping the lid of a coffin, whispered a name into my ear… …congratulations to Crescent Wrench! Check your PMs, I’ll need your info to send your prize (and possibly this creature that has been following me all day, it’s very unsettling). Thanks again to everyone who participated!
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Jun 3, 2023 20:03
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thanks for running it! this is my second horrchall after October and they’re always fun—they’re the main thing that gets me actually watching movies
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Jun 3, 2023 20:09
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Mazel tov, CrescentWrench! Don't let Brown Jenkins steal your soul away to the dream depths of Khadath.
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Jun 3, 2023 20:26
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gey muckle mowser posted:
 Wow! Obviously this is just a little luck and a cherry on top, because I've been looking forward to these challenges ever since I got hooked on them a couple years ago. Thanks again for all the effort curating this!
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Jun 3, 2023 20:28
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Congrats Crescent Wrench!
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Jun 4, 2023 08:05
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Man I really fell off the challenge in the second half of the month, because a bunch of work poo poo came up. But at least I did get everything done: 13 movies watched, and all challenges completed. Challenges Completed (11/11): 1. Horror High (Mandy) 2. Tales from the Cryptids (Suburban Sasquatch) 3. Holy Terror (Saloum) 4. Fresh Hell (Knock at the Cabin) 5. Shooting Zombies (Psycho) 6. Drawn and Quartered (Hellboy Animated) 7. Woke in Fright (Tales from the Hood) 8. Second Chance (Braindead) 9. Challenge of the Dead (Hood of the Living Dead) 10. Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things (M3GAN) 11. It's-a-Me! (Bay of Blood) Additionally I watched Black Friday! and Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum. History Lesson (Complete): Psycho (1960), Bay of Blood (1971), Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron (2007), Mandy (2018), Knock at the Cabin (2023) Geography Lesson: (Complete): North America (Psycho), Europe (Bay of Blood), Africa (Saloum), Australia/New Zealand (Braindead), Asia (Gonjiam) Breakdown:  1 movie 2 movies 2 movies 5 movies 3 moviesAll movies were first watches for me, except for Braindead, which I had seen back in the 90s. As always, the challenges were great. It's always nice to be forced out of your comfort zone. I definitely wouldn't have thought to watch Psycho or Saloum on my own, and both ended up being movies I really enjoyed. If I had to pick one favourite, it would probably be Braindead, because it was just so incredibly hosed up and hilarious. Thanks for organizing once again, gey muckle mowser. This is always something I look forward to, and it's always been a very fun time. So, looking forward to October!
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Jun 5, 2023 11:42
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