|
Kikka posted:I just got done watching eXistenZ, Session 9 and Kairo. Really hard to pick a favorite from these ones!
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2012 04:04
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 9, 2024 21:11 |
|
|
I just watched a film called The Double Hour streaming on Netflix. Italian film about a woman who meets a man while speed-dating and their amicable courtship stumbles upon an attempted robbery. I suggest going in blind because of its twisty path, but the film at its heart is a character study on guilt and the way it preys on the brain. Nicely acted and directed.
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2012 04:21
|
|
|
Acht posted:I'm pretty certain I don't get what Martyrs tries to do, but if someone can destroy this, please do: I'd have to watch the film again to go really in depth on this stuff, but I think I have a pretty good interpretation of the ending. Before I get into what the last line means, let me address the cult's purpose. They're not just investigating whether there is an afterlife, they're investigating whether there is some transcendent value to the experience of extreme violence/pain. The afterlife part is just their hypothesis on what they will discover through their experiments. Their ideas have real world analogues, by the way. Obviously the film makes reference to real life martyrs (those photos the Mademoiselle shows Anna are real) but there's more. In his book Heaven and Hell Aldous Huxley discussed the polar extremes of the human mind's experience (the mind's heaven and hell, or the "antipodes"). He said there was a thin line between experiencing the transcendent state of timeless peace and the nightmarish state of pure awful terror, and that humans throughout history had sought the former state through drugs, religious rituals, art, fasting, or extreme pain. This theme also shows up in Clive Barker's Hellraiser (The Hellbound Heart) and probably a million other things, you get the point. Now, the cultists are all elderly. Presumably they have been working at their task for a long time, devoting their entire lives to their ongoing experiments. Over the years they have no doubt theorized and fantasized about the endgame: how mind-blowing would it be to finally know the answers to every big question of the afterlife, or the meaning of human existence, or the secrets behind transcendent states of mind? So they finally succeed in their experiments, and Mademoiselle gets to hear all the secrets from her artificial martyr's lips. We don't hear what Anna says, but it doesn't really matter. No mere words could ever fulfill the fantastic expectations that the cultists have built up. Remember the Mademoiselle doesn't get to experience the transcendent state that Anna does, she only gets to hear about it secondhand. The Mademoiselle is inevitably disappointed, and her life's work appears cheapened; a terrible cheat against nature which has succeeded but has not fulfilled her longing. To put it in another way, consider the Star Wars prequel effect. A kid watches the original Star Wars films, captivated by the mysterious idea of the Force, for example, speculating and fantasizing with their friends as they play Jedi and Sith. Then they grow older and the much hyped Phantom Menace comes out. They finally learn the secret source of The Force: its caused by tiny life-forms that live in people's bloodstreams called midi-chlorians. I think we all know the collective nerd-rage that took place after that film came out. The transcendent mysteries were ruined by the mundane explanations. But not just that specific explanation, any answers would inevitably have been disappointing. The fact is, mysteries and ambiguities have more power to entice the imagination than answers. Now Star Wars is just a movie series, but apply that kind of disappointment to the questions humans have asked themselves for their entire existence. So back to Martyrs: the Mademoiselle kills herself in the end, warning the cult to "keep doubting". She has realized, too late, that the mysteries of human existence and experience have a value beyond existing to be answered. Learning her prized answers vicariously through a vile cheat has cheapened them, and she can't go on living with that knowledge. In her last act, she spares her comrades the same fate and witnesses to them the value of doubt over certainty. Now to apply this interpretation of the ending to the larger subtext of the film. I don't think the movie is damning the audience for watching it, as others have suggested. Rather the second half of the film leads the audience to ask whether there is a transcendent aspect to extreme violence and pain, and whether that is why they entice us so much. Then the ending of the film asks us to consider that maybe we don't want to know the answer, but we should "keep doubting" or keep questioning anyway.
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2012 04:36
|
|
|
Lord Krangdar posted:Words about Martyrs.
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2012 00:33
|
|
|
Kikka posted:I almost deemed Session 9 as a direct-to-TV quality horror short, but I was pleasantly surprised by the course it took. It was a refreshing change to not have anything supernatural about a horror movie at all, and this movie pulled said change very well. I rewatched Session 9 for the first time in five years the other day, and while it didn't hold up as well as I'd hoped (there are place in the middle where the movie doesn't seem to know what it's supposed to be doing, and some things aren't built up as much as they should be), I still really like it. Gordon's "I AM loving AWAKE!" line is delivered with such heartbreaking sincerity and terror that it almost makes the whole movie for me. And Jesus Christ, Simon's voice is so unsettling that I was jittery walking through the complete darkness of my garage afterward.
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2012 02:14
|
|
|
adamj1982 posted:I didn't think it was possible, but you have kind of changed my mind, just a little bit, about that movie. That explanation should be included as an insert in the dvd or something, it really made me consider it in a way I hadn't after watching. I think many people, such as myself, are so put off and disgusted by the end of the film we just want to turn it off and forget it. The explanation is in the title of the movie. I'm not saying it's totally obvious, but it doesn't need all that much outside of the movie to understand what it refers to.
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2012 02:19
|
|
|
HUNDU THE BEAST GOD posted:The explanation is in the title of the movie. I'm not saying it's totally obvious, but it doesn't need all that much outside of the movie to understand what it refers to. I thought the expectation vs reality angle was interesting. That's all After being impressed by "The Changeling", I was recommended "The Stone Tape" and "Ghostwatch", any thoughts on them?
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2012 04:15
|
|
|
adamj1982 posted:I didn't think it was possible, but you have kind of changed my mind, just a little bit, about that movie. That explanation should be included as an insert in the dvd or something, it really made me consider it in a way I hadn't after watching. I think many people, such as myself, are so put off and disgusted by the end of the film we just want to turn it off and forget it. Cool, glad to have made you consider the film a different way. Ya it's a pretty draining film even for someone like me who likes it.
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2012 04:38
|
|
|
adamj1982 posted:I thought the expectation vs reality angle was interesting. That's all Ghostwatch is a fun little movie. It's a real slow burner though. I'd say jump in and give it a shot, but keep in mind it rrrrrreally takes its time to get where it's going. Depending on your friends, you might want to watch it alone, because there's a good chance they will start talking over it after the first twenty minutes.
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2012 17:10
|
|
|
mysterious frankie posted:Ghostwatch is a fun little movie. It's a real slow burner though. I'd say jump in and give it a shot, but keep in mind it rrrrrreally takes its time to get where it's going. Depending on your friends, you might want to watch it alone, because there's a good chance they will start talking over it after the first twenty minutes. I'd agree, with the added endorsement that Ghostwatch owns. I have been meaning to see The Stone Tape, as I love Nigel Kneale (as everyone should).
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2012 17:18
|
|
|
HUNDU THE BEAST GOD posted:I'd agree, with the added endorsement that Ghostwatch owns. I have been meaning to see The Stone Tape, as I love Nigel Kneale (as everyone should). Yeah, I've been meaning to see The Stone Tapes too, but couldn't find it streaming anywhere. Looks like you can buy it in a three pack with A Warning For the Curious and Year Of the Sex Olympics (???) on Amazon for under $30 US. If you could switch out Sex Olympics for, say, Whistle and I'll Come to You, that would be an awesome block of creepy movies. However, Sex Olympics sounds good for different reasons: quote:"(1968) Brian Cox, Leonard Rossiter, Suzanne Neve, Tony Vogel. Bizarre drama about Earth in the distant future. Overpopulation is a big problem so television has been filled with gluttony and porno programs in order to put people off food and sex. It is also the year of the Sex Olympics. However, when TV ratings fail, a reality-based show is introduced in which a real-life couple is deposited on a remote island with no modern conveniences. Considering this was a British TV feature, itŐs amazing to see nudity and gore. Intriguing subplots make this a most unique piece of filmmaking. From a b/w kinescope." Brian Cox in the 60s in what I'm guessing will be a loopy social critique that will probably have at least one scene approximating a freakout on a Soma holiday? Yes please.
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2012 17:51
|
|
|
Year of the Sex Olympics is exactly what it sounds like, a good companion to Nicholas Roeg's Performance and Peter Watkins' Privilege - musty and trippy. Lots of fur-lined interiors and awful haircuts.
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2012 18:00
|
|
|
HUNDU THE BEAST GOD posted:Year of the Sex Olympics is exactly what it sounds like Please make this the new thread title, because this makes me giggle.
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2012 18:05
|
|
|
mysterious frankie posted:Yeah, I've been meaning to see The Stone Tapes too, but couldn't find it streaming anywhere. Looks like you can buy it in a three pack with A Warning For the Curious and Year Of the Sex Olympics (???) on Amazon for under $30 US. If you could switch out Sex Olympics for, say, Whistle and I'll Come to You, that would be an awesome block of creepy movies. The BFI are going to release all of the Ghost Story At Christmas BBC productions on DVD: http://www.britmovie.co.uk/forums/latest-dvd-releases/112149-bbc-ghost-stories-christmas-bfi-dvd-release.html
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2012 18:39
|
|
|
By Ghostwatch are you guys talking about the BBC 90s TV special? Because that and Incident at Lake County scared the hell out of me as a kid
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2012 21:00
|
|
|
TomWaitsForNoMan posted:By Ghostwatch are you guys talking about the BBC 90s TV special? Because that and Incident at Lake County scared the hell out of me as a kid I know the art director who did Ghostwatch - need to get some stories out of him about that.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2012 10:26
|
|
|
It's been a while since I watched The Stone Tape, but it reminded me of 60s/70s Doctor Who episodes: A neat "slow burn" idea, marred by a terribly low budget. Especially the appearance of the supernatural towards the end looks extremely unconvincing and skirts dangerously close to tipping everything from scary to ridiculous. I did like the general  theory though, that ghostly apparitions are "recordings" in the stone (of houses or caves or whatever) that get replayed occasionally under certain unknown circumstances. Or as one scientist in the movie puts it, ghosts are "a mass of data looking for the right interpretation"EDIT: Also n-thing Ghostwatch. If you get a DVD, make sure you get the older 2002 BFI edition, which has an audio commentary, a booklet, the script and other goodies. This is the one you want...  ...not the newer version, which has no extras.  Dave Syndrome fucked around with this message at 11:41 on Aug 23, 2012 |
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2012 11:35
|
|
|
I feel like the Saw films get a bad rap. The first one is definitely a more psychological movie than the others, and has a completely different tone. I consider the later films to be very dark comedy. There is a certain catharsis to them that rings true. Like 6, where the final choice of forgiveness or revenge is put in the hands of the widow/child. The point of Saw isn't just to watch people die in increasingly horrible/ridiculous ways. You can escape the trap, and it's always a trap of your own making. I'd like to echo love for The Button. I don't consider it a horror film, but the moral choice question is interesting and takes up much less of the movie than you'd think. I didn't expect them to go where they did with it and it kept surprising me throughout. And to include something new for the thread, I'd like to recommend Splice. It's a movie about a pair of scientists who end up creating a hybrid humanoid that ages at an accelerated rate. They raise it in secret instead of terminating its life. A decent Netflix watch, although I feel like the ending was a bit of a let down. The scenes with the young Dren (the creature) are really neat though.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2012 13:41
|
|
|
Saw II is better than the first one. It actually realized the series' concept, whereas the first Saw didn't have enough ideas to fill its running time, and filled in the gaps with a by-the-numbers old detective/rookie movie.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2012 14:54
|
|
|
Halloween Jack posted:Saw II is better than the first one. It actually realized the series' concept, whereas the first Saw didn't have enough ideas to fill its running time, and filled in the gaps with a by-the-numbers old detective/rookie movie. I remember seeing Saw in the theaters and thinking was a low budget cash in on Se7en that got caught in limbo for a decade. Was really unimpressed. Saw 2 didn't impress me either, but at least it was unintentionally funny and... the needles. Oh god, the needles. oiseaux morts 1994 posted:The BFI are going to release all of the Ghost Story At Christmas BBC productions on DVD: http://www.britmovie.co.uk/forums/latest-dvd-releases/112149-bbc-ghost-stories-christmas-bfi-dvd-release.html That's terrific! I'd love to own a clean copy of the original Whistle and I'll... That movie never fails to get under my skin, even in broad daylight. Has anyone seen the remake? Does it measure up at all to the original adaptation from the 60s?
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2012 15:54
|
|
|
mistaya posted:The point of Saw isn't just to watch people die in increasingly horrible/ridiculous ways. You can escape the trap, and it's always a trap of your own making. In theory this is the case. In practice the series breaks this rule so many times with so many characters in so many ways that it's practically meaningless. That said, the first movie did an okay job of conveying the sense of terror you'd have if you woke up in an abandoned bathroom chained to a toilet with a stranger and a dead body, even if it was amateurish as all hell at points and kept breaking the claustrophobia by flashing back to other areas outside the room (Panic Room had the same issue). sethsez fucked around with this message at 00:52 on Aug 24, 2012 |
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2012 00:49
|
|
|
sethsez posted:In theory this is the case. In practice the series breaks this rule so many times with so many characters in so many ways that it's practically meaningless. Actually... You may be onto something, and I love Panic Room. EDIT: Also, you guys bitching about Martyrs: Can we all agree Martyrs aspires to be more than torture porn, even if it doesn't achieve it? While Martyrs is, admittedly, too hardcore for this thread, it's a very political film, constructed to numb you with mechanical, repetitive violence. This may only work on seasoned horror fans, but it's very rare that a film gets you to analyze certain undesirable aspects of a genre. Keanu Grieves fucked around with this message at 02:43 on Aug 24, 2012 |
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2012 02:40
|
|
|
I've long forgotten the details of Martyrs, I'd have to find my notes but my lingering impression is that it was dull with mediocre writing and poor directing. Having meaning doesn't save a movie if it fails on the basics.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2012 05:07
|
|
|
mysterious frankie posted:Yeah, I've been meaning to see The Stone Tapes too, but couldn't find it streaming anywhere. Probably not the best version, but here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veGrGk0uBd4
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2012 15:52
|
|
|
adamj1982 posted:Probably not the best version, but here you go: Its also on amazon for $2 http://www.amazon.com/The-Stone-Tape/dp/B00350I20W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1345821672&sr=8-2&keywords=stone+tape
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2012 16:23
|
|
|
wormil posted:I've long forgotten the details of Martyrs, I'd have to find my notes but my lingering impression is that it was dull with mediocre writing and poor directing. Having meaning doesn't save a movie if it fails on the basics. And I never said having meaning "saves" Martyrs. I said it shouldn't be lumped in with "torture porn" because it aspires to be something more.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2012 16:47
|
|
|
 Dead Man's Shoes quote:A genre-defying film blending horror, supernatural elements, comedy, and social realism. Set in a Midlands village, it explores the underbelly of contemporary rural Britain in communities where crime is unchecked and drugs, intimidation, and power games are blandly accepted as the fabric of daily life. This movie is intense and disturbing, and I love it.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2012 07:16
|
|
|
Dead Man's Shoes is terrific and Paddy Considine can be intimidating as hell. "What the gently caress are you looking at?" "You, ya oval office!" It sure is a long way removed from the Andys. 
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2012 11:20
|
|
|
God, I love Dead Man's Shoes. Paddy Considine is amazing in it and it's fairly grounded. Just a terrific movie all around and it definitely fits with the thread. I don't really want to put anything in spoilers in case people mouse-over them (there's a fair bit that even if it wouldn't sound spoilerish would be ruined) but if you haven't seen it you definitely should.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2012 17:18
|
|
|
I'm nthing the recommendation for Dead Man's Shoes. It's utterly fantastic, but be forewarned: There's more than a little hosed-up poo poo in it.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2012 18:40
|
|
|
adamj1982 posted:I thought the expectation vs reality angle was interesting. That's all The Stone Tape is great, well made and put together, and Jane Asher is phenomenal. An intense and nervy performance. I really liked the details, like one of the researchers is a solid skeptic so he doesn't hear a thing. It gave a sort of depth and believability to the concept which heightens the affect. Ghostwatch is one of my favourite things. hosed me up for weeks. There are three stand-out moments: Pipe's reveal in a crowd scene as Craig Charles walks past at speed, Pipe's reveal in the bedroom and the cameraman swinging back and he's gone and realising the tape is looping and the truth of what's going on outside in the street. The domesticity and thus relateability of the house, the use of household names, the measured pace and sudden acceleration, such a great piece of storytelling. It almost couldn't work now because of increased celebrity cynicism and DVRs with live pause. The reaction it had at the time with things like 'Points of View' and the paratrooper making GBS threads himself are fascinating.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2012 22:03
|
|
|
I love Dead Man's Shoes but at no point does it qualify as horror. It's a reasonably straight-forward revenge flick.
|
|
#
?
Aug 26, 2012 23:42
|
|
|
BuckarooBanzai posted:I love Dead Man's Shoes but at no point does it qualify as horror. It's a reasonably straight-forward revenge flick.
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2012 01:25
|
|
|
jeremy oval office posted:I think it belongs in this thread because of the hallucinogenics scene and its fragmented structure. It's definitely a psychological thriller, as well as a revenge flick. The movie can be rather scary at times. (not a spoiler, just a good scene) http://i.imgur.com/S8TrM.gif
|
|
#
?
Aug 27, 2012 08:24
|
|
|
Here's a good one. Well, it's not good, exactly, but it's creepy and atmospheric and the good qualities it has balance out the mediocre acting — and I'm pretty sure The Machinist was pretty heavily "inspired" by it. And it's available on Netflix!
|
|
#
?
Aug 28, 2012 16:33
|
|
|
I've avoided Mr. Brooks for the longest time because, well, Dane Cook and Kevin Costner. I finally got around to watching it recently. While I enjoyed it, for some strange reason, I got the nagging sense that the plot seemed so very familiar. So I did some googlin'. Mr. Brooks (2007) - IMDb Dexter (TV Series 2006) - IMDb Oh, okay, makes sense. If you're familiar with the previous spoiler and don't want to spoil yourself any further, stop reading now and just give it a watch. Seriously, this had everything to scratch your itch. William Hurt plays Head Harry to Kevin Costner's Dexter. In fact, the method with which the movie addresses how Mr. Brooks talks to his id is vastly superior to how Dexter talks to Harry.The overall theme of the film also mirrors Dexter's season 2 arc of using AA as a cover to battle his addictions.Now that I've seen this movie, no matter what direction the show takes in its final seasons, this will always be my "preferred" ending for Dexter; he has his victories on the surface but inside he's still battling the urge to kill. Also, he lives in fear of being murdered by his progeny because the urge to kill is genetic.
|
|
|
#
?
Aug 31, 2012 18:04
|
|
|
I cant believe we have a thread about psychological horror and nobody has mentioned David Lynch's Lost Highway. Its my favorite Lynch movie and probably the scariest movie I've ever seen. There isnt any explicit horror to it, but it has this insidious quality that still makes me uncomfortable whenever I think about the movie for too long. It manages to perfectly capture the atmosphere of an unsettling dream. You always feel on the very cusp of understanding whats going on but just arent able to put things together. Its what I imagine going insane feels like. Plus it has a phenomenal soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI61MEUT_ak Mr.48 fucked around with this message at 08:17 on Sep 1, 2012 |
|
#
?
Sep 1, 2012 08:12
|
|
|
Fun fact: that Bowie song is what inspired Lynch to make Lost Highway in the first place.
|
|
#
?
Sep 1, 2012 17:38
|
|
|
HUNDU THE BEAST GOD posted:Fun fact: that Bowie song is what inspired Lynch to make Lost Highway in the first place. I did not know that. That's fantastic.
|
|
#
?
Sep 1, 2012 17:55
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 9, 2024 21:11 |
|
|
Ya know, I"ve seen pretty much every Lynch movie but Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive and I feel like I need to fix that today.
|
|
#
?
Sep 1, 2012 19:47
|
|
