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Just watched Dead Man's Shoes thanks to this thread. It was a refreshingly lean film compared to what I've been watching lately. I can't believe I didn't spot the ghost twist, especially since I was already looking out for the supernatural element after it was mentioned in the thread!. Depressing film, though. "He still is."  Glad to see Lake Mungo getting some love. I've only seen it once, but it's up there with my favourite thrillers. I think the Twin Peaks references help  . Although having read the last few pages of the thread, I can see it was a mistake to turn it off once it hit the credits. Oops.To contribute, another Australian film that always unsettles me is Picnic at Hanging Rock. It tells the story of the disappearance of a group of school girls and their teacher who go missing on a field trip in 1900, and the subsequent investigation made by police and a would-be love interest. I can understand why some people would just call it a straight drama or mystery, but to me there's always been a current of weirdness and potential supernaturalness to the film that sets it apart. Things like everyone's watch stopping once they arrive at Hanging Rock, or the way in which the teacher disappears up the rock as described by a girl who witnessed it, and the early implication that at least one of the missing girls somehow knew what was going to happen. There's a very unsettling vibe to it all. A sense of something horrible lurking behind the pretty cinematography that is never directly spelled out. I mean, it's pretty drat low on the horror scale, but I think it's eerie enough to warrant a spot.
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Nov 10, 2013 08:05
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Aphra Bane posted:To contribute, another Australian film that always unsettles me is Picnic at Hanging Rock. It's an amazing film. Kinda sad we don't get the novel's ending. They turn into crabs, I think
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Nov 10, 2013 15:30
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I am very surprised no one has yet mentioned Primer, a psychological cat and mouse thriller with a sci-fi twist. It has the single most intelligent handling of time travel in any film I've ever seen. I found the film confusing, unsettling and fun. Fun fact: It was filmed with an amazing 2:1 shooting ratio and was the debut for the director, Shane Carruth, a mathematician.
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Nov 13, 2013 01:56
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Arcysparky posted:I am very surprised no one has yet mentioned Primer, a psychological cat and mouse thriller with a sci-fi twist. It has the single most intelligent handling of time travel in any film I've ever seen. It very recently had its own thread.
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Nov 13, 2013 07:55
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The guy who directed the awesome short film Blinky has a feature film out now called The Last Days on Mars. It's in limited release and on demand. It's billed as a sci-fi thriller/horror so I'm almost obligated to see it, but the reviews are pretty mixed so far. Has anyone seen it?
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Dec 28, 2013 03:49
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It starts out with so much potential but ends up somewhat run of the mill. I still enjoyed it and Liev is always fun on screen.
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Dec 28, 2013 07:06
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Whoever mentioned Beyond the Black Rainbow, thank you. It's like it was made specifically for me. Or possibly by me. There is nothing I love more in a movie than crazy poo poo happening with no explanation as to why/how, and utterly impenetrable plots. It's like Cosmatos saw Inland Empire and thought it was too predictable. Also it was goddamn beautiful. The music & sound were pretty great too. I'm usually not much of a fan of music in movies but it was used very effectively here. I think I'm going to watch Upstream Color next. I'm going into it blind, which is always the best.
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Jan 31, 2014 04:59
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I saw "The Gift" on Netflix streaming and I think it's a rather decent entry in this genre. I'm kind of surprised I hadn't heard of it before, given the cast. Cate Blanchett is a single mom with psychic ability who gets embroiled in an unsolved murder in a small Southern town. Very strong cast with Cate Blanchett, Giovanni Rbisi, Greg Kinnear, Katie Holmes, Hillary Swank and Keneau Reeves doing a pretty decent job as a violent redneck wifebeater. It's kind of funny because it wasn't until near the end of the film that I realized that THIS was the film that Harold and Kumar's pervert buddies were watching to get a glimpse of Katie Holmes' tits. (I do have to say that scene, while brief, was epic.) I rather enjoyed this, my only knock against it is that a certain plot development seems rather obvious/telegraphed as you get into the later part of the movie. I actually liked the supernatural "chills up your spine" ghost story ending. Cheesy, but I love stuff like that.
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Jan 31, 2014 05:19
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RightClickSaveAs posted:The guy who directed the awesome short film Blinky has a feature film out now called The Last Days on Mars. It's in limited release and on demand. It's billed as a sci-fi thriller/horror so I'm almost obligated to see it, but the reviews are pretty mixed so far. Has anyone seen it? Just saw it and I gotta say I really liked it. Once things heat up its geniunely scary and intense, and it kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through to the finish. If you are a sci-fi horror fan I dont think you'll be disappointed. Spoilers regarding plot: The first reveal of the infected crewmember was really well done. His dried up mummy like features was so alien it got me off guard, as i was expecting some halfassed makeup job. My only gripes with this movie is that the other infected look more like the standardized zombie fare. Also theres an unexplored subplot where the infected are seen to be really fixated on a clear liquid that Kim spilled on the floor while fighting them. It would have helped to make the antagonists more memorable if they'd explored upon that further and maybe some more on the fact that they seemed to retain some intelligence and memories after being infected.
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Feb 1, 2014 22:22
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Conduit for Sale! posted:Whoever mentioned Beyond the Black Rainbow, thank you. It's like it was made specifically for me. Or possibly by me. There is nothing I love more in a movie than crazy poo poo happening with no explanation as to why/how, and utterly impenetrable plots. It's like Cosmatos saw Inland Empire and thought it was too predictable. Watch David Cronenberg's early films Stereo and Crimes of the Future.
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Feb 2, 2014 06:55
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Lord Krangdar posted:Watch David Cronenberg's early films Stereo and Crimes of the Future. I am definitely going to do that. I haven't seen all his movies, but I think I've seen a pretty good sampling. I didn't even know he did anything before Shivers though. Learn something new every day!
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Feb 2, 2014 07:49
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Shivers was the first feature length, IIRC.
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Feb 2, 2014 08:15
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Mouser.. posted:Just caught this on demand and figured I'd give it a recommendation: Thanks for the recommendation because this was a really good flick in my opinion and I'd put it up with Event Horizon and I'm really glad the "found footage" wasn't shaky cam or done in a horrible Cloverfield way. I also liked that Shartlo Copley is in it because he's such a goofy/fun/cool dude and I want to see him in more things. I'd double recommend it because I feel that it's worth it. It's also on Netflix Instant Demand!
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Feb 6, 2014 04:26
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GyverMac posted:Just saw it and I gotta say I really liked it. Once things heat up its geniunely scary and intense, and it kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through to the finish. If you are a sci-fi horror fan I dont think you'll be disappointed. It's water. The film is playing off the idea that water is the best sign of life in the universe. That's why there are repeated scenes of characters begging for a drink, and why the ones that have been left out longer look like mummies.
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Feb 6, 2014 07:14
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Street Soldier posted:
I really enjoyed this movie thank you for sharing it. Anyone else thinking about watching it please try and go into it without reading anything more than Street Soldier's description. Maybe I'm just bad at guessing endings but this one really surprised me and that's what really made the film for me.
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Feb 9, 2014 20:53
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Holy poo poo, Kill List was brutal. Brutal, unsettling, creepy, violent and devastating. I recognized some similarities with A Serbian Film, but I thought Kill List was a much better movie in most aspects. While the shootout in the sewers felt a bit misplaced, most of the movie had an atmosphere that brought me an inch short of nausea, and a great quiet-brutal-quiet dynamic. For a while I wasn't sure if I would watch it again (I finished it half an hour ago, so "a while" was like fifteen minutes), but now I'm pretty sure I have to. And this is a great thread. I'll see if I can go through it again and write some sentences about the movies I've seen, a lot of them are very good. Next up: Deathwatch, Ghostwatch and Night Watch, because why not. Hazo posted:Did you mix it up with "Death Tunnel" like I did years ago? Oh man, Death Tunnel, that was a loving laugh. Can't say I regret watching it, it was entertaining for all the wrong reasons.
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Feb 12, 2014 06:53
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Been searching for some movies that creep you out and get under your skin with atmosphere and tension (seriously I don't get why they attach the "Horror" genre to every movie that sprays fake blood everywhere), so I checked out Frailty after seeing it recommended in this thread. Gotta say, I wanted to like it but it felt so predictable and clichéd. Maybe it was the kid actors or something but I found it pretty boring, and the less said about that ending the better. Saw the twist coming a mile away and "He can really see their sins! The cameras were distorted! His face is all blurry!"  Would seem I'm in a minority though, so YMMV. Possibly been recommended already but if anyone has yet to watch The Conjuring I'd advise giving it a shot! Kind of Paranormal Activity-ish, but had a great story and atmosphere of its own. Gonna check out Triangle soon. Looks very interesting!
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Mar 1, 2014 08:07
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You can't watch Triangle without watching Timecrimes
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Mar 2, 2014 00:32
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The Conjuring has some decent actors in it, and it wasn't bad, but I thought it was a very bland and predictable, mediocre, 'safe' genre film. It also has kind of a happy ending, which isn't technically a fault, and I guess that isn't predictable, but after the rest of the movie not being anything special, I thought that it was just extra lame. I watch like 90% of mainstream horror movies, and I wouldn't recommend The Conjuring to someone who watches a lot of horror/suspense. Maybe if you aren't inundated with the genre it works better...
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Mar 2, 2014 00:52
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I loved the Conjuring a lot. In fact I thought it basically combined the best elements of Insidious 1 and Dead Silence. I definitely preferred it to Insidious 2 by a wide margin.
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Mar 2, 2014 02:17
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Why in the world would you spoil that?
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Mar 2, 2014 02:44
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HUNDU THE BEAST GOD posted:Why in the world would you spoil that? Sometimes I think that the nature of a criticism, if valid, can reduce someone's enjoyment of something. Since there's no accounting for taste, I don't want to poison someone against the film if they aren't a genre person.
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Mar 2, 2014 04:54
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I'v eyet to see timecrimes, but I really liked Triangle, and enjoyed all the little bits and bobs that you might otherwise not notice over the course of the movie. It's pretty cool.
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Mar 2, 2014 08:16
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Drifter posted:I'v eyet to see timecrimes, but I really liked Triangle, and enjoyed all the little bits and bobs that you might otherwise not notice over the course of the movie. It's pretty cool. I didn't like Timecrimes nearly as much as Triangle. I think it's more straightforward and less atmospheric, and sort of built to an anticlimax compared to Triangle, but I know plenty of people who disagree with me on that front.
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Mar 5, 2014 23:30
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Mackers posted:Been searching for some movies that creep you out and get under your skin with atmosphere and tension (seriously I don't get why they attach the "Horror" genre to every movie that sprays fake blood everywhere), so I checked out Frailty after seeing it recommended in this thread. I agree entirely, the film seemed to be exploring some interesting uncharted territory with the concept of these two boys having to deal with a dangerous and obviously insane father and the torment it put them through, that ALONE was some intense and fierce horror, the ending and introduction of the supernatural cheapened the entire experienced and changed what could have been a chilling psychological thriller into putrescent crap.
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Mar 6, 2014 06:37
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Jimbo Jaggins posted:You can't watch Triangle without watching Timecrimes Don't watch either, they're both trash.
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Mar 6, 2014 09:09
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Timecrimes owns. What the hell has happened to this forum.
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Mar 6, 2014 17:31
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HUNDU THE BEAST GOD posted:Timecrimes owns. What the hell has happened to this forum. Some people like cartoons, some people like horror. It's a story as old as time.
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Mar 6, 2014 20:27
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Timecrimes is essentially The Butterfly Effect but without the unintentional hilarity. It's like a fair to middling feature length episode of the 1990s Outer Limits. Triangle certainly has its flaws but it remains a wonderful little movie, far more interesting than Timecrimes.
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Mar 6, 2014 22:42
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ozmunkeh posted:Timecrimes is essentially The Butterfly Effect but without the unintentional hilarity. It's like a fair to middling feature length episode of the 1990s Outer Limits. Triangle certainly has its flaws but it remains a wonderful little movie, far more interesting than Timecrimes. Yeah, that's my take. I mean, Timecrimes pretty much ends up being it was him the whole time and he did all of that stuff because he saw that all of it had been done, but it was all done because he did it! and that felt like such a wet fart of a denouement to me. Triangle at least feels like it's a mystery that sort of builds and builds and keeps revealing pieces of the bigger picture all the way to the end. Triangle surprised me, Timecrimes didn't.
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Mar 7, 2014 02:37
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ozmunkeh posted:Timecrimes is essentially The Butterfly Effect but without the unintentional hilarity. That's probably the meanest thing I've ever heard said about a movie, but it's spot on.
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Mar 7, 2014 04:20
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RightClickSaveAs posted:The guy who directed the awesome short film Blinky has a feature film out now called The Last Days on Mars. It's in limited release and on demand. It's billed as a sci-fi thriller/horror so I'm almost obligated to see it, but the reviews are pretty mixed so far. Has anyone seen it? This movie was bad, and the only thing that could have saved it was if they recast Liev's character with Bruce Willis as John McClain from Die Hard, since it is essentially the same role except I might actually have smiled once or twice. There's nothing interesting about the setting, Mars could have just been any remote area on earth, they don't take advantage of it in any meaningful way. The "monster" is neither unique nor interesting Space zombies, wish I was making that up and it feels like an incredible waste since the movie never felt cheap to me and the sets were all well done, which is a huge disappointment considering the end product. Trite, sterile and joyless.
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Mar 7, 2014 04:53
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Marketing New Brain posted:This movie was bad, and the only thing that could have saved it was if they recast Liev's character with Bruce Willis as John McClain from Die Hard, since it is essentially the same role except I might actually have smiled once or twice. There's nothing interesting about the setting, Mars could have just been any remote area on earth, they don't take advantage of it in any meaningful way. The "monster" is neither unique nor interesting Space zombies, wish I was making that up and it feels like an incredible waste since the movie never felt cheap to me and the sets were all well done, which is a huge disappointment considering the end product. Trite, sterile and joyless.
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Mar 7, 2014 05:16
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Timecrimes felt like a short film that was expanded into a full feature, plus the twist was incredibly dumb. I watched the Skin I Live In the other night- it was cool how Almordavar took his ability to disturb (as we've seen in Tie Me Up Tie Me Down and Bad Education) and made it into a balls-to-the-walls psych thriller mindfuck.
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Mar 7, 2014 08:03
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Slackerish posted:I watched the Skin I Live In the other night- it was cool how Almordavar took his ability to disturb (as we've seen in Tie Me Up Tie Me Down and Bad Education) and made it into a balls-to-the-walls psych thriller mindfuck. There is nothing about this that I do not like. Well, except for the phrase "balls to the wall". Putting balls on walls just seems unhygienic, which isn't a quality I look for in movies. I'm going in blind so it had better live up to this description! Also Timecrimes actually made me angry. A big part of why I watch movies like this is because I like movies that gently caress with my head and subvert my expectations. Timecrimes was scene after scene of "Yup, that's about what I expected." I don't understand why someone would choose to make a movie about crazy time travel shenanigans and then make it so predictable. I had other problems with it, like how it was really drab and uninteresting looking, but the predictability of it was the main thing. I saw Primer back when it first came out so I don't remember it very well, but wasn't it basically the same thing as Timecrimes but way better? I should rewatch it. I just saw Upstream Color recently and I really liked it.
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Mar 7, 2014 08:44
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Calculations posted:
Surprised you describe the intense dread of the crew of the Icarus II, considering that within the first 30 minutes several members of the crew have voiced the (apparently unanimous) opinion that their survival is unimportant. To me the psychological threat in the movie is not fear but a seductive ecstasy that threatens to destroy the characters. And has destroyed the villain. If you remember Pinbacker ended the Icarus mission and presumably killed/sacrificed the crew after deciding the sun was God and that God didn't want humanity to survive. Searle and Kaneda similarly choose to die by looking into the sun. I can only think of one instance in the entire movie of a character choosing self-preservation over what they perceive to be correct action. That's not the behavior of people operating in a state of extreme dread. You could say the film builds a feeling of dread in the viewer, but that's different. The viewer is genre-aware and knows that the crew's decisions are likely to culminate in some sort of catastrophe, but the crew does not know this. Anyway, I also really like the film and just wish the writer had known what to do with the third act. It has to stand on the strength of its cinematography, atmosphere, and cast because the spare, tense writing of the first two acts loses the thread at the end. Arglebargle III fucked around with this message at 10:03 on Mar 7, 2014 |
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Mar 7, 2014 09:55
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I feel a post coming on about Timecrimes coming on because this is the Psychological Horror/Triller (Not Goreporn) + Sci-Fi-Thriller Films thread.
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Mar 7, 2014 15:38
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I just watched the Spike Lee remake of Oldboy and I'm wondering what other people's reactions to it were. It's been like 5 years since I saw the original, but I will be watching it again soon to compare it better. One thing that I was surprised at was that, unlike the original, I did not think that they did a very good job of making the main character appear to have aged. Also I cannot wait for Spike Lee to stop putting his obnoxious trademark dolly-shot in every movie he makes. The effect is kind of interesting, but it sticks out like a sore thumb and in this film you can actually see when Josh Brolin steps off the dolly. Otherwise I thought it was a pretty well done, if unnecessary, remake. One big change that I liked was the lack of hypnosis as a plot device. The movie seemed to work perfectly fine without it and the new ending that this creates is much better I think. The hypnosis required even more suspension of disbelief The violence in the remake is freaking insane. I'm not sure I agree with all the changes in the fights from a dramatic perspective, but people who like really brutal martial arts sequences are in for a treat. I caught at least one specific nod to something in the original that's not in the remake, the octopus in the fishtank at the first Chinese restaurant he goes to. Eating the octopus is actually one of my most vivid images that has stuck with me from the original.
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Mar 8, 2014 18:04
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Kill List is like having a literal nightmare. Martha Marcy May Marlene is kinda sorta like having a friend who joined the Manson family. Dogtooth is about a clannish, abusive family -- not as horrific as the other two, but pretty good. All three are worth watching.
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Mar 9, 2014 00:14
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HUNDU THE BEAST GOD posted:I feel a post coming on about Timecrimes coming on because this is the Psychological Horror/Triller (Not Goreporn) + Sci-Fi-Thriller Films thread. But since this thread is so loving big, I'm gonna go ahead and toss out some recommendations that may be repeats: Ghost Story (1981) - This is a slimmed-down adaptation of the Peter Straub novel, but it's creepy as gently caress if you're in the mood for the archetypical ghost story (who would've guessed?) that still manages to squeeze in some startlingly disturbing content. The men are essayed by a great cast of old-timer stalwarts and bonus points for the Borg Queen. Dark Skies (2013) - Those of you who didn't give this movie a chance last year should seriously reconsider. Yes, the shot of Keri Russell banging her head against the glass is hilarious out of context, but Dark Skies boasts an incredible sense of mood and wonderfully eerie sound design. I've seen this four or five times, and it never gets old. Apartment Zero (1988) - David Koepp co-wrote the screenplay for this unsettling slow-burn of a flick, starring Colin Firth and Hart Bochner as two mismatched roommates who develop an unhealthy friendship while a killer stalks the streets of Buenos Aires. Not much happens, but it's more about tone and mood anyway. I watched The Last Days on Mars based on a recommendation here, and I was pleased as punch. Nothing about space zombies is inherently stupid; it's like someone remade a certain maligned space zombie movie and got it right this time. Great visual effects. Also, Haunt and In Fear are available on the iTunes Store and they're both solid little flicks. The first is a revisionist haunted-house flick in the vein of Insidious, with surprisingly awesome parents and a family that doesn't hate each other, and the second is ... well, it's a low-budget road-horror flick that reminded me a lot of Dead End as a new couple finds themselves loss among some Irish backroads. Great thread. I should catch up with it more often. Snak posted:Oldboy remake. Keanu Grieves fucked around with this message at 07:03 on Mar 9, 2014 |
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Mar 9, 2014 06:54
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