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MacheteZombie posted:Day of the Dead is one of my other favorite zombie flicks. I like it more than Dawn. If it's sreaming somewhere, I'd watch it sometime soon. I missed it when it was on Netflix.
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May 25, 2017 16:23
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Franchescanado posted:If it's sreaming somewhere, I'd watch it sometime soon. I missed it when it was on Netflix. Right now its available with a Shout Factory add-on to Prime, which you can pick up a 7day free trial for and cancel before you get charged anything. Day of the Dead is my favorite Romero film(full disclosure: I've never seen Martin). It's a lot more intense than Dawn and the characters are more compelling than Night of the Living Dead in my opinion.
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May 25, 2017 16:27
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Basebf555 posted:Right now its available with a Shout Factory add-on to Prime, which you can pick up a 7day free trial for and cancel before you get charged anything. I think I'll do it. It's also only $3 a month, and I can then watch Night of the Demons and a bunch of other horror movies I've missed.
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May 25, 2017 16:31
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Oh drat Shout Factory has a channel? Man that's gunna be tempting even with my Shudder backlog
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May 25, 2017 16:51
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MacheteZombie posted:Oh drat Shout Factory has a channel? Man that's gunna be tempting even with my Shudder backlog It's not Scream Factory, which is their horror specific brand, its Shout Factory, so its a mix of everything. Right now they have a lot of Herzog up, including Nosferatu.
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May 25, 2017 16:53
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Basebf555 posted:It's not Scream Factory, which is their horror specific brand, its Shout Factory, so its a mix of everything. Right now they have a lot of Herzog up, including Nosferatu. A lot of fun horror from the 80's and a lot of Godzilla. Edit: Honestly, the Herzog is worth it alone for me.
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May 25, 2017 17:00
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I went to add Shout Factory and Day of the Dead through Shudder just popped up. I couldn't find it an hour ago to save my life. 
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May 25, 2017 17:18
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Day if the Dead is on Shudder
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May 25, 2017 21:16
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Hollismason posted:Day if the Dead is on Shudder Same thing happened to me when I searched for it though, it came up as only free through Shout Factory, when it should have told me I have access to it through my Shudder subscription.
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May 25, 2017 21:23
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MacheteZombie posted:Oh drat Shout Factory has a channel? Man that's gunna be tempting even with my Shudder backlog They've got a lot of MST3K and Godzilla up, a good horror selection and even some director's commentaries from their physical releases, good stuff. Ads though.
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May 25, 2017 21:42
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10. The Den Holy poo poo, this movie was a surprise with how good it was. It's about a young woman who's using a video chat service called The Den (think Chatroulette, if you remember what that is) for a school project. One day, she sees a young woman murdered through the chat she's having with her. From that point on, her friends are targeted one by one, until she's the last one on the chopping block... This movie is sort of found footage; it's shot entirely through webcams and phone cameras, like you would use to chat with someone online. That's kind of a neat gimmick, and one they use pretty effectively. The gore is pretty good in this movie and a lot of the shots, a lot of the stalking, is pretty well done, too. It's got a spooky and atmospheric vibe throughout the entire thing, up to the very end. There's a twist at the end, too, and one that doesn't feel hamfisted or just thrown in there because you've gotta have a twist. It has an implication that's fairly horrifying and is well-done all around. 8/10 11. Tales of Halloween Do you like horror anthologies? Look no further! Tales of Halloween has ten--count 'em--ten stories within it's 90 minute run time and they're each interesting in their own way. They're from a multitude of directors, including Darren Lynn Bousman, Lucky McKee, and Neil Marshall. There are also performances by Barry Bostwick, Joe Dante, John Landis, Adrienne Barbeau, Sam Witwer, as well as many others. Each of the stories are interlocking in some fashion and have a wide variety of subject matter; in one story, the Devil himself teaches a young boy how to pull off a Halloween prank; in another, a masked spree killer has to fight off an alien invasion; in a third, Sweet Tooth, a boogeyman who is peaceful, as long as you offer him some candy, isn't left his offering... Tales of Halloween is loving delightful. Some of the stories were spooky, some were funny, and some were just fun. It's got blood and guts abound, as well as laughs and lots of heart. It's an endearing sort of film and an honest joy to watch. I'd recommend it to just about anyone, but especially all of you folks reading this thread. It's not pure horror, though; it's a horror comedy, but it felt like to me that the horror came first, at least most of the time. 9/10 12. Kristy Have you ever wondered what it would be like to stay at college over a holiday while everyone else went home? Kristy follows that sort of pattern, when a girl (named Justine, not Kristy) stays at school over Thanksgiving break, as she's at school on a scholarship and can't afford to go home over the break. Her roommate, who was going to stay over with her, suddenly leaves to go spend the holiday with her father, so Justine is left all alone, except for a solitary security guard. On Thanksgiving night, Justine heads to a convenience store to grab a snack, but meets an odd woman in there who calls her Kristy. When Justine leaves and gets back to her dorm, things begin to turn a little odd. After taking a nap, she wakes up, hearing odd noises, and the lights begin to flicker. She goes to check it out, but a bunch of pictures of other students in the hallway have all had their eyes scratched out. In her room, her laptop is playing a snuff film; Justine discovers that the Wi-Fi is out and then the security guard is murdered, leaving Justine all alone, as four killers converge on her, urging her to "run to God." Kristy is a pretty damned solid movie. Justine is a good character and a nice strong female lead in a horror movie. She's not overly stupid and she doesn't survive on pure luck. She uses her head, utilizing her wits as her greatest weapon in her fight for survival. This is another unsettling movie, because who hasn't seen a mysterious person in a sweatshirt, hood up, face covered, and thought they were a serial killer? poo poo, where my wife and I work, there's a woman who regularly comes in that looks exactly like one of the killers from this movie; that poo poo is spooky, even if that lady is super nice. Kristy is definitely worth checking into; I thought it was a solid movie, a good stalking film that didn't rely on tons of blood and guts to try and scare you. It did it through atmosphere and anticipation, which I think horror movies need to do more often. Sometimes, I'm in a mood for a killer disemboweling teenagers with fishing knives, but sometimes, I just want a killer who is making you look every which way for where he is, wondering how he's going to appear next. 8/10.
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May 26, 2017 07:40
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Bonus Movie : The Black Coats Daughter This showed up on Amazon Prime so I decided to give it a go. I'm glad I did. We don't get mean spirited horror that often, but this one sure is. I'll say that the acting, directing, and cinematography is really good. I don't want to spoil anything but I was overall really impressed with it as a first film from Oz Perkins. Who is Oz Perkins? Anthony Perkins son! He also wrote and directed I am the Pretty Thing that Lives in the House which I have not seen yet. I really look forward to more of his horror efforts. Hopefully , we'll see more work from him.
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May 27, 2017 02:51
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7. Warlock (1989) This is a fun movie, kind of like Terminator or Highlander, you got a couple guys from another time. They end up in present day 80s, one of them is the titular Warlock! Who does entertaining stuff and must be stopped by the good guy, who is also entertaining (Richard E. Grant). Then you've got your Sarah Connor, if Sarah Connor was a funny jokester who also "wasn't even supposed to be here today" as Dante from Clerks says. It's way better than Critters, that's right, I said it. Well paced, fun script, some cool effects, solid stuff. I don't know how it took me so long to see Warlock, was a video store staple when I was a kid, this movie is fun times. Also pretty metal.
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May 27, 2017 16:08
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17. Frightmare (1974) - Another entry in the "cannot possibly live up to the name" list. It does not live up to the name. It's not a bad movie, but I think the premise would have been better served by some trace of tension or mystery and they're totally absent. The result is a film where you know exactly what's going on in the first fifteen minutes or so and the characters aren't really interesting enough to carry it. It needed either a little more runtime or a lot more editing to flesh out a cast this size. This is too bad, because there are some good performances. Sheila Keith in particular is great so I would recommend giving it a watch if you're into murderous old ladies.
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May 27, 2017 17:44
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18. Get Out (2017) - I wish I'd caught this in theaters because it's great, and has a few scenes I can imagine getting really solid audience reactions. Every performance is solid, but my standout favorite is definitely Allison Williams who I have never heard of before. Also, it is of course hilarious: 
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May 28, 2017 03:01
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? - Weird Frankenstein Movie I Dreamed About (1993) A hundred years after his creation, Frankenstein's creature has become a suave pipe-smoking gentleman who entertains guests on occasion and is comfortable with his status as a medical curiosity. But when he invites several prominent intellectuals to his manor to discuss his latest book, people start dropping dead. Is he truly a monster after all, or does his gorgeous maid have something to do with it? This movie loving sucked. The tone is all over the place, as it can't decide if it's a straight farce or a racy whodunnit. It's obvious it wants to be Clue, but that movie knew it was a comedy first, second and third. The makeup and acting on Frankenstein(as he calls himself) are pretty solid, but it's in service of the laziest kind of visual gags you can imagine. Oh, he's acting suave and reading the newspaper despite being a monster, how crazy! The killer also becomes apparent after the second death, which kind of deflates the tension of the rest of the running time. There's also a bizarre after-credits meta gag involving a more grotesque and "realistic" Frankenstein's monster watching the film and declaring it to be stupid. I agree, dude. 
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May 28, 2017 19:37
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Busy weekend! Some short reviews: 16. City of the Living Dead Another Fulci zombie film. I loved the effects, the gore was visceral and gooey, and it was a much more relaxed pace than I'm used to. I really liked it.  17. Your Vice Is A Locked Room and Only I Have the Key Fun Italian half-giallo, half Edgar Allen Poe adaptation (European horror really loves The Black Cat, huh?) It's pretty mean-spirited, explores all types of manipulation and abuse. I really loved the two female leads, though. Satan is a good cat name.  18. Child's Play I hadn't seen this in years. Still not my favorite. The first one is a decent slasher, but I just don't find dolls that scary.
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May 28, 2017 21:44
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4 - The Fly II (1989) Before Seth Brundle died tragically as a result of his experiments, he impregnated his girlfriend. But his son, now the property of a shady scientific corporation, carries his mutant fly DNA. Can the unnaturally rapidly-aging Martin continue his father's work and find a cure, or will history repeat itself? Jesus, what a stupid loving movie. Everything about it screams DTV, but it was actually released in theaters. I know this because I have a very distinct memory of seeing it at the drive-in with my parents when I was 6. This movie is directed by Chris Walas, the effects guy from the original, and well, he's pretty good at special effects, not so much at directing. Everyone in this film acts and looks like a daytime TV actor. The Cronenberg Fly had a very naturalistic feel to both the performances, story and the sets. Seth Brundle and his tragedy felt very human and very personal. Here, everyone is a stock B-movie character, stiltedly overacting the hell out of their obvious dialogue while completely evenly lit and caked in obvious makeup. The scientists who supervise Martin's childhood are comically evil and seem to actively hate him. Eric Stoltz is a complete flatline as the lead. Every location feels like a cheap set, except when it's obviously just an empty factory during the final sequence. The music is bad and obvious, and the script is super weak. For some reason the evil corporation thinks creating hosed up animal-human hybrids is way more valuable and scientifically interesting than actually mastering workable teleportation. There's definitely some good special effects in this film, even if they're not filmed or lit appropriately all the time. Lots of genuinely disgusting goo all over the place, shockingly graphic gore, and disturbing creature designs. Although the worst creature in the film is the fly itself, which looks less like the pathetic disturbing freak it was in the last film and more like some kind of knockoff Aliens action figure design. I mean it's well executed, and even though they show way too much of it and let you realize how poorly articulated it is, it's a pretty impressive beastie, but it's such a goofy "cool" monster design. Anyway, this movie is just tons of buildup to the fly monster running around and killing tons and tons of people who you have zero sympathy for in graphic detail. And it works fine as that, I suppose, but it's a pretty awful sequel to a genuinely timeless remake. The ending is totally stupid, but at least that one creature design is genuinely horrifying and a great note to end on. Too bad it and those gore effects couldn't be in a real movie.  
Lurdiak fucked around with this message at 03:56 on May 30, 2017 |
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May 28, 2017 23:25
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I´ve had a lot less time than I anticipated this month so I am not sure if I will be able to make the 13 but I will try. 1. Lights Out (2016) I've been watching David Sandberg's Youtube horror shorts for years so I might be giving him too much leeway but Light's Out is pretty good for a first film and I feel like it shows a lot of potential. The gimmick of a monster that can only be in darkness is not an entirely new one, Darkness Falls from the early 00s used it as well for one, but I feel like this film used it's gimmick a lot better. So much that you begin to really pay attention to the placement of lights in every scene and Sandberg makes sure that where the ligths are and how they work is always established well before things start happening. Diana is absolutely terrifying when she's a silhouette with glowing eyes lurking in the shadows, highly reminiscent of the pirates from The Fog, but as soon as we get a good look at her and her actual features she becomes a lot less scary. There is something a bit off about the ending that I can't quite put my finger on and on the whole the films treatment of mental illness is quite skeevy but on the whole I feel it's good enough that I am actually excited for Annabelle 2 despite having seen Annabelle 1. 2. Mask of Satan/Black Sunday (1960) My only problem with this film is that it begins far too strong and never quite reaches the brilliance of the opening scene where the iron Satan mask is nailed into the witches face before they try to burn her. The rest of the film is great and absolutely drenched in Gothic atmosphere but it never quite reaches those heights again. The film seems to make no distinction between vampires and witches which was actually very common in folklore, especially in Eastern Europe where they were seen as being one and the same, but not something you see in films often. 3. Deathdream (1974) A soldier returns home from Vietnam, despite reports that he was killed in action, a changed man. He has become anti-social, surly, and prone to burst of violent anger. He also needs to drink human blood to keep his body from decaying. I really liked this film. I don't understand how it is obscure enough that I only heard about it last year despite being a lifelong horror fan. It feels like it should be at least a cult classic. It has some really striking imagery like Andy wearing black leather gloves and sunglasses at night and the frenzied bulging eyes and blood covered mouth with clenched teeth once he really gets into the bloodlust. I really like that the film never explicitly explains why Andy is back or what exactly he is. His mother wishes he'd come back and he does but there is no exposition to explain why her wish came true, it just did. 4. I Walked With a Zombie (1943) Another film that leaves thing ambiguous. We know Jessica is catatonic but it is never made clear whether this is actually the cause of a voodoo curse or just a tropical fever. The films offers several explanations for the events some supernatural and some rational but all of them plausible and in conflict with each other. Who is Carrefour? Is I was expecting this film to be a lot more racist, since zombie films from that era tended to be really racist. There is a bit of the "the blacks are superstitious and primitive" but it all comes from the mouths of the white descendants of slave owners who admittedly are the main focus of the story. Aside from the hulking bug-eyed zombie Carrefour and the mysterious black clad saber-man the native characters are all humanized and shown as being decent people. 5. Tales From the Crypt (1972) A somewhat strange film. It is of course based on the EC horror comics but since it is an Amicus production so everything is quite British. It feels a lot more austere and serious than the comic it's based on. Instead of a gleeful pun spouting ghoul the Cryptkeeper is a monkish figure played by a very stern Sir Ralph Richardson. There is still a slight undercurrent of camp in the stories themselves that shines through the veneer of stuffy Britishness. It is of course an anthology and the frame story is a group of people getting lost in a crypt and encountering a mysterious man who shows each person a horrifying vision involving them. My favorite story is the one involving Arthur Grimsdyke (Peter Cushing), a drat near saintly old man who makes toys for children and takes care of numerous dogs, being persecuted and eventually driven to suicide by his rich neighbor who is personally insulted at the thought of a poor person living in the same street as him. Of course Grimsdyke doesn't stay dead for long and when he does he's one of the creepiest looking undead I've ever seen with nearly white skin and empty gaping eye sockets. The weakest story I find is the one about the wish granting Chinese statue. The final punchline is good but maybe I've just seen far too many iterations of the Monkey's Paw to not be bored by it. 6. The Evil Dead (1981) My favorite film, ever. I've probably seen it at least a couple dozen times but this was only my second time seeing it on the big screen. I think I might be the only person that likes it far more than Evil Dead 2 or Army of Darkness. I remember being blown away by it the first time I saw it, then I watched Evil Dead 2 and it just felt like a less funny and less scary version of the same film. Then I saw Army of Darkness and like number 2 I liked it a lot but felt it didn't compare to the suberb original. Now the first one was made by beginners for barely any money and it shows but much like with the Texas Chainsaw Massacre the rawness actually adds to the film. The monster make-up is primitive and basic but looks really creepy and the more advanced and complex effects in the latter films feel like they've aged a lot worse possibly because they were far more ambitious and out there. My favorite scene in the entire film is near the end where Ash is simply walking around the cabin while the soundtrack and camera go crazy. The actual monsters make no appearances but the supernatural presence in the cabin is shown almost entirely through strange camera movements and sounds. Like one shot where Ash walks across the room and the camera, suspended from the ceiling above him, follows and each time it passes the beams in the ceiling it makes a strange wooshing sound. There is also another shot where Ash appears to be literally standing on top of the lens. Just a fantastic film even if the acting is atrocious and some of the shots are a bit out of focus.
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May 28, 2017 23:52
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Deathdream is loving awesome and more people should watch it because it's just a really great horror film. I highly recommend searching out the edition that has the extended ending sequence. It's a favorite film of the horror thread. Here it is on youtube but in a very bad quality Spoiler of course. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfBY8HHJm8w Hollismason fucked around with this message at 04:58 on May 29, 2017 |
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May 29, 2017 04:56
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I watched a bunch of Masters of Horror episodes. I'm just including them all as my 23rd entry in the Challenge. I have two more lined up for an even 25. H.P. Lovecraft's Dreams in the Witch House, directed by Stuart Gordon Great to see Gordon do Lovecraft once again. This story goes to some dark places. It stars the main character from Dagon, Ezra Godden, so as far as I know 100% of this guy's career involves him wearing a Miskatonik University shirt. It's a nice mix of sci-fi and more traditional haunted house kinda stuff at first, and then once the Lovecraft poo poo really kicked in I was pretty surprised by how far Gordon was willing/able to go. As it turns out Masters of Horror really doesn't pull any punches, but this was the first one I watched so I was a little surprised at how intense it was. Give Gordon 30 more minutes and a slightly bigger budget and this could have easily been a feature film. The Black Cat, also directed by Stuart Gordon Now this was just fun as hell to watch. It's the Jeffrey Combs show, he plays Poe himself and a regularly drunken Poe at that. Some of the scenes seem to have been directly transplanted/lifted from/into the stage play Nevermore(not sure which came first), but then the way Gordon takes the Black Cat story and fits it into Poe's life is genius. The visual style of the piece is also really a standout, Gordon shoots everything with a sort of shadowy, hazy effect, which aside from looking really cool also pays off at the end in a way that is maybe not unexpected but still awesome. Just another note that Masters of Horror really seemed to allow the filmmakers complete freedom in terms of blood and gore, there's a particularly gnarly scene in this one that would be right at home in a legit Gordon film. A few more episodes to come...
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May 29, 2017 15:17
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I've been watching movies but forgetting to actually post in this thread, so apologies for the big block of reviews. I've still got a few to get through so I'll do them in chunks. The Fly (1986): Despite being a fan of the original, I've somehow gone my entire life without seeing this, mostly because it never seems to show up on any streaming services. It's been a long time since I've seen the '58 version, but this feels like a bit of a slower burn in the beginning, which was pretty surprising. Goldblum is excellent as always, and Davis puts out a good performance too; I don't think this movie would be nearly as effective if not for how their relationship is handled. There's enough humor and tenderness there to really sell the way things unfold, and it just adds to the horror. While I've seen pictures of the fly monster before, the "in-between" stages were new to me, and wow, that is some gnarly makeup work - probably one of the more repulsive things I've seen in a Cronenberg movie, though my reaction to it wasn't as visceral as some of his other body horror. I think the birth dream might be my favorite scene, but there are a lot of excellent shots to choose from. 1/2 Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970): Czech surrealist horror that plays out with a sort of fairy-tale logic that is pretty unique. A little hard to follow in some places, and the plot is pretty vague to begin with, but it mostly ends up coming together, and you can see a lot of influence from stuff like Frankenstein / Dracula / Nosferatu mixed in with more traditional Central / Eastern European folklore. A lot of the film has a sort of soft, gauzy look, and I saw some review that described it as having a 70's softcore aesthetic, which is maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but not entirely off the mark. There are certainly a lot of interesting shots, with a distinct gothic vibe, a fairly subdued palette, and some complex compositions that make certain scenes feel like a Dutch renaissance painting. It's also interesting how insistent the movie is at keeper the viewer at arm's length from its central character - we really only get to see how other characters perceive Valerie, and her own thoughts / intentions / feelings remain pretty opaque, which I suppose is appropriate given that the film is, at its core, about a girl's sexual awakening filtered through the perspectives and desires of others. Dead Ringers (1988): That was quite the opening scene. I liked this one a lot - like The Fly, it feels much more ...human, I guess? compared to some of Cronenberg's other work. It's essentially a character study with the more existential horror of the situation serving as a backdrop, and I think it was a pretty restrained choice considering how easy it would be to turn this into a much more run-of-the-mill horror piece. Irons is incredible here, and I can't believe he didn't get an Oscar nomination for this role - you can instantly tell which of the twins he's playing at any given moment, except when the film is deliberately trying to play with expectations or as they begin to merge. The technical side of the equation is just as impressive, and it resists the urge to do any flashy shots to let the audience ooh and ahh over the dual performance - it feels completely natural, and judging by how many movies I've seen gently caress that up, it must be a lot harder than this makes it look. Favorite shot here might have to be in the operating room with all of the surgeons in red gowns (and now I retroactively see what the Hannibal show was referencing). Bujold puts in a killer performance as Claire, which is even more impressive when you consider that she has to hold her own against Irons. And drat, that ending. It's not the most horrific Cronenberg by any stretch, but I think it might be one of his best. Haxan (1922): Some very impressive visual effects here - the flying scene is pretty incredible for the time, and the craftwork sets for images of hell and the divine cosmology were great and obviously involved a ton of work. Generally speaking, the cinematography here finds a way to do a lot even when there isn't much to work with. As a documentary, I'm not sure that it is all that informative unless you don't know much at all about the history of witchcraft, but the decision to dramatize it keeps it interesting even when you aren't learning anything new. It feels a bit disjointed, with multiple threads that don't really add much or lack any kind of satisfying context / resolution, though a few of them add a little dose of humor, but it's still worth watching for the visuals alone.
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May 29, 2017 22:02
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19. The Rambler (2013) - A man gets out of prison and starts hitchhiking to reach his brother's place for the promise of a job and shelter. He makes some friends, meets a girl, and has lots of adventures along the way. Short on traditional niceties like linear storytelling and resolution, with a moderate dose of surrealism to replace them. It reminds me of Cemetery Man in some ways, but it's not quite as light-hearted and definitely not as good. But then, not many movies are. Lots of fun to look at with some solid practical effects. I have no idea who I would recommend this to, really, but if you like it we can be friends.
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May 30, 2017 06:59
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Grizzled Patriarch posted:
It's cool that you watched this. It's such a brilliant oddity.
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May 30, 2017 15:19
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12. The Vampire Lovers - Another solid entry into my month of movies. Ingrid Pitt and Madeline Smith were delights to watch. Peter Cushing was also enjoyable as the General and it was interesting seeing him play someone who needed a vampire hunter's help this time. The movie moves at an incredibly slow pace as Ingrid slowly seduces young women and drains them of life. To keep you entertained during these long stretches the movies throws copious amounts of breasts at you, which was nice. I enjoyed staring at the set dressing more often though, and coating everything outside in a hazy fog is always a good choice. Overall it was a simple but solid flick.  The cat with it's tongue hanging out during it's one scene was also the best. 3.5/5 13. A Lizard in A Woman's Skin - What a doozy. Fulci knocked this out of the park. "A woman dreams of her neighbor's death the same night the neighbor is murdered. Did she do it or is she being set up?" was basically all I knew going into this. The opening wet dream sequence was incredible, beautifully shot (much like the whole movie). The red bed will stick in my mind for weeks probably. Loved the way the movie weaved through various suspects and their stories knitting an insanely psychedelic crime tale. The hippy girl was cast really well and I loved her bit part (especially her painting scene). Ennio's score is also top notch and the way it blends in out of the diegesis was expertly executed. This is a wonderful giallo that any fan should check out if they haven't already. I wish more movies were like this.   4.5/5 (I just read about who Fulci got dragged to court for the dog scene, lol) Previous Watches: 1. Black Sabbath, 2. The Asphyx, 3. Street Trash, 4. Serial Mom, 5. Graveyard Shift, 6. Dracula A.D. 1972, 7.Horror Express, 8. The Mummy, 9. Brides of Dracula, 10. Pieces, 11. Tombs of the Blind Dead And that's my 13! I also watched Alien Covenant and Demons 2 during the month but didn't count them since I pre-selected most of my list. Thanks to the folks that suggested which Hammer Horror films to check out!
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May 30, 2017 16:11
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Masters of Horror Part 2: Cigarette Burns, directed by John Carpenter This was a bit of a disappointment. It has some strong ideas, but for the most part they felt recycled from In the Mouth of Madness, and the performances are very mediocre considering the talent involved. I usually enjoy Norman Reedus, but he was pretty lovely here. Going in I figured he'd make a good sleezy PI, but he really was not convincing in the role. A lot of his lines called for more intensity and he felt like he was sleepwalking through it all, which I'd normally assume isn't the case when an actor gets a rare opportunity like playing the lead in something directed by Carpenter. Even Udo Kier is completely wasted, not sure what the point even was in getting him if he's not gonna be able to do anything. The climax is decent, but again, it feels too close to At the Mountains of Madness. So I'm not sure why you'd ever watch this when you could just watch AtMoM instead. Incident On and Off a Mountain Road, directed by Don Coscarelli I definitely enjoyed this more than Cigarette Burns, just not as much as either of Stuart Gordon's entries. It's interesting to see just as kind of a precursor to the "slasher picked the wrong girl to terrorize" subgenre that has become popular within the past several years. The design on Moonface was great, and I loved the way he was shot. Always very stylized, as if we're supposed to see right away that this guy can't be real, he's out of a movie. This is two worlds colliding, and Mooface's is the world of the B slasher flick. The more grounded world of Ethan Embry's survivalist nut doesn't really work as well, mostly because its rushed and doesn't get enough time to develop in a convincing way. So Embry ends up playing a pretty lame stereotype that he's not really the right person to sell with such limited screen time. Angus Scrimm gets a really fun little role, and the ending is pretty slick too, so all in all I'd recommend this one.
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May 30, 2017 17:02
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5 - Scream 4 (2011) Sydney Prescott returns to Woodsboro during her book tour, only for teens to start getting stabbed again. Who's the sicko going around as Ghostface this time? And who cares? This movie was stupid. Everyone knows I'm not the biggest fan of meta-horror, and this is meta-horror about something that was already meta. The theme this time is making fun of modern remakes that ride the line between pointless escalation and staying true to the original, I guess. A good half of the characters feel like a parody of other characters in previous Scream films, including the killers. Which might be the point, but it just makes it harder to care about them. I dunno. There's some ok kills I guess, and it's fun to see Neve Campbell continue to be about 30 times more competent at fighting masked killers than everyone else in this series due to sheer experience. I always find myself thinking "Just kick him!" about Ghostface, since he's got such a short range weapon and is rarely physically imposing, and everyone just tries to fight him hand to hand like an idiot. So it was satisfying when Sydney kicked him over and over and over in one sequence. I don't know who this movie was for, in the end. Maybe it was just Wes Craven having some fun with the cast one last time. I just wish he hadn't tried to be hip to what the kids are into while he was doing so, because everything in this movie having to do with the internet and teens felt horribly out of touch. As slick as the production was, I wasn't very engaged at all. 
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May 30, 2017 18:56
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19. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), dir. Tobe Hooper This is a truly special horror movie. I'm going on record to say that it's probably one of the few perfect horror movies. I first saw this on VHS when I was 12 years old. My cousin and I would rent horror movies, usually a classic slasher. We rented The Texas Chainsaw Massacre because we knew it was "one of the most disturbing films ever". We were aware of Leatherface from cultural osmosis. (This was also right before the remake came out, which I would see about a year after it was released.) My cousin suffers from issues with mental health, which was starting to become prevalent in his life around this time (puberty). When it came time to watch the movie, he actually had to go rest and be alone. So I sat on his parents bed, as every other TV already had DVD players, and watch TCM alone. I believe there's something added to watching certain horror movies on VHS, and I'd say it does add to TCM's atmosphere. The version I watched last night was a 40th anniversary remaster, and I was happy that I could see the colorful static of the film stock. This was a special occasion. I like to surprise my friends with horror movies they haven't seen before. One of my best friends had never seen TCM; he said it's too disturbing for him, having seen parts of the remake. However, I'm an rear end in a top hat*, and wanted to show him that he's missing out on one of the greatest movies ever made. I don't watch TCM very often. I say I don't want it to lose it's punch or charm, but maybe I can't handle the first act regularly. It masterfully shows the signs of death, decay, heat, and lunacy. The soundscapes are Lynchian. The camerawork is disorienting. It's tense as gently caress. I know exactly what happens during the hitchhiker scene, but I was still nervous throughout. I felt like I was watching a series of vignettes about the dark side of Texas and the different forms of mania that all collide into a crazed finale, when our last relatable character has her mind broken. The real horror isn't that she's stuck in a room full of deranged cannibals that make furniture and clothing out of her friends, it's that these villains act so mundane about the horror. This is just their life, she's an inconvenience. They're just a weird family unaware of how weird they are. Grandpa's basically a mummy, but they barely bat an eye. I'm also surprised I've never read an argument about the meta-narrative of the horrors being imagined by Franklin, the handicapped brother. He's the center focus of the camera and the plot until they get to his father's abandoned house. He's then left behind. The heat's gotten to him, the hitchhiker encounter has made him think about violence, mortality, and his capabilities for hurting himself or others. His first reaction is to spite everyone, to mock them, spit their names. The first two of his friends that leave him to go gently caress in the woods are the first to get killed by a giant ugly monster (Franklin imposing how he/others feels about himself in the image of Leatherface, but also empowers him with strength, speed, and a giant destructive phallic weapon). Next to go is the sister's boyfriend, who has been distracting Sally from spending a family vacation with her brother. Then, the ultimate punishment to Sally for taking Franklin for granted is Franklin to die himself ("Sally would hate herself if/when something ever happened to me!"; selfish victim-mentality) and then for her to be menaced first by Franklin's horror avatar (Leatherface) and then an existential punishment ("You're lucky you have a good family and nice sibling, this is what you could have for a family"), but allowing her to ultimately survive because 1) he still loves his sister, and 2) so she could "learn her lesson" instead of just being killed...I don't think it's an end-all interpretation, I'm sure there are holes, but I find it interesting nonetheless. I needed this refresher. It's always great to be reminded of horror movies that deserve their title as GOAT. While I appreciate The Exorcist, it doesn't really scare me or give me a feeling of experiencing greatness. The Texas Chainsaw deserves all the praise it gets.  *(Brief story: I've been friends with this guy since high school. His parents are missionaries, so he didn't grow up watching horror. He didn't start drinking until he was almost twenty, though he's always smoked  . He's very susceptible to horror's rhythms--suspense, outright shock, grotesque effects, etc. When we were 21, I managed to convince him to attend a midnight showing of Night of the Creeps with me, without him having any prior knowledge. I told him it was a funny horror movie. While I laughed at the movie, he was bug-gently caress terrified. He does not like bugs, slugs, or things that are indescribably weird. Night of the Creeps made him understand horror. A month later, I convinced him to attend another midnight movie with me: The Evil Dead, which did more damage than Creeps. It also pushed him past understanding horror into loving horror. It's now his favorite horror movie, and it got him to trust me when it comes to recommending the genre. This is also the same friend that watched Maniac Cop with me during the challenge.)
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May 31, 2017 14:38
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24. The Resurrected Woah, this one was a doozy. Thanks to whoever recommended it, that was like 2 weeks ago and I've forgotten who it was. Who'd have thought that one of my biggest discoveries during this challenge would be Chris Sarandon? I was aware of the guy of course, but mainly from Child's Play and other little bit parts. But then this month I watched Fright Night, and now this... This is probably the best film I've seen that's based on a Lovecraft story and not directed by Stuart Gordon. It's actually very faithful to Lovecraft's story, at least compared to most other Lovecraft adaptations like From Beyond or Re-Animator. As such its packed with Lovecraftian standards; stories within stories, bizarre experiments going on behind closed doors, strange rituals and horrific monstrosities that defy description. It's all here. Sarandon hams it up in the best way possible, and once you realize where the movie is going he becomes far and away the best character. The special effects are really effective, although they're shot in such a way that whatever flaws there may be are covered by quick cuts and tricky lighting. I read a little bit about the movie and Dan O'Bannon, who directed it, apparently hated it so much that he disowned it. That's sad, I wish O'Bannon could have lived long enough to gain more of an appreciation for his own work, he seemed to be somewhat of a perfectionist. And tonight is the main event.....From Beyond. Since the challenge ends tonight and I've already written so much about From Beyond, I'm just gonna tell everyone to check it out of they haven't. It's one of the best times you'll ever have watching a movie.
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May 31, 2017 14:39
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13. Clown From producer Eli Roth comes a movie about a real estate agent that just tried to do a good thing for his kid. After the clown for his son's birthday party suddenly can't make it, Kent finds a clown costume in a house he's readying for market. He throws it on to become Dummo the clown and performs at his kid's party. The next day, he can't get the costume off. The wig has become his own hair, the suit is fused to his skin, and the red nose is well attached to his own schnozz. He tracks down the brother of the house's former owner, who has since died. The brother informs him that he is wearing the skin and hair of the Cloyne, a Nordic monster that feasts on children. Kent has been rather hungry lately... This movie was okay. There was a lot of gore and children get killed. That's all I can really say. I was pretty neutral on this movie and I don't think I'd watch it again. 4/10.
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May 31, 2017 14:49
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 Just a reminder, this is the last night for the May Horror Challenge The challenge will officially end in approximately 20 hours from this post, at June 1st, 6AM (EST) That means that you can't watch any movies after that point. The thread will still be open for final reviews posted, and they'll be accepted by June 1st, Midnight (EST). Then we'll do a tally-up of who fulfilled the challenge and we'll make fun of all the losers. Make your last horror movie a great one! Basebf555 posted:24. The Resurrected He's been in a lot of stuff you've probably seen, at least The Princess Bride, Tales from the Crypt Bordello of Blood, Nightmare Before Christmas, Dog Day Afternoon, The Sentinel. Still, he totally steals the show in Fright Night and Child's Play. Basebf555 posted:I read a little bit about the movie and Dan O'Bannon, who directed it, apparently hated it so much that he disowned it. That's sad, I wish O'Bannon could have lived long enough to gain more of an appreciation for his own work, he seemed to be somewhat of a perfectionist. Machete Zombie told me about O'Bannon's screenwriting book. It's a little pricey, but I want to get it. Dude's been attached to a lot of great stuff. Also, I've never seen The Resurrected, so I'm gonna add it to my list. It's going to be weird when this challenge ends. I have over a hundred horror movies ready to stream, but now I feel like I should watch "regular movies".
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May 31, 2017 14:55
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Franchescanado posted:It's going to be weird when this challenge ends. I have over a hundred horror movies ready to stream, but now I feel like I should watch "regular movies". I'm actually ok with it, its only 5 months until October and this challenge definitely served its purpose as far as just making that wait not feel like an eternity. And also, just like in October, focusing so much on horror caused me to build up a backlog of other stuff, and not just with movies but t.v. shows too.
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May 31, 2017 15:01
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Basebf555 posted:I'm actually ok with it, its only 5 months until October and this challenge definitely served its purpose as far as just making that wait not feel like an eternity. Yeah. It also made me really appreciate Amazon Prime, which up until now I thought was superfluous with Netflix's catalog. Searching for horror movies made me find a bunch of titles I really need to watch. Their interface is just lovely for finding titles. I was looking at your Letterboxd, and I've never seen Lawrence of Arabia because I can't devote 4 hours to a movie. I think I might try, though.
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May 31, 2017 15:04
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Franchescanado posted:I was looking at your Letterboxd, and I've never seen Lawrence of Arabia because I can't devote 4 hours to a movie. I think I might try, though. This is an odd place to discuss Lawrence, but gently caress it its gonna be closed tomorrow anyway. Lawrence of Arabia can, if necessary, be watched in two sittings. There's an intermission that happens about 2/3 of the way through at a pretty convenient place narratively speaking, so it wouldn't be hard to stop there and jump back in the next day without feeling like you've ruined the "experience" or whatever. The visuals that Lean captured in that movie have still yet to be topped in my opinion. There is simply very few filmmakers who are willing to go to the lengths that he did to shoot those desert scenes.
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May 31, 2017 15:11
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Basebf555 posted:This is an odd place to discuss Lawrence, but gently caress it its gonna be closed tomorrow anyway. I mean, it's off topic, but like you said, it's the last day of the thread and some discussion won't stop people from putting in their reviews. I remember reading that Lean, years later, would watch the movie in theaters and ask to be allowed into the projection booth so he could edit the print directly--he always found flaws in the film and always wanted to improve it. I'll probably watch it soon. I have a few Bergman's loaned to me that I need to watch, and I kinda want to tackle all of Harmony Korine's features.
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May 31, 2017 15:25
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I wasn't able to get around to all the movies I was planning, but over all it was a really fun month. Here's a recap of my scores (because I spent time making these drat icons and I want to get some more use out of them): Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth   Hellraiser: Bloodline Bride of Re-Animator   Sweet, Sweet Lonely Girl  The Uninvited   The Blob   5 Dolls for an August Moon  The Living Dead Girl  They Live   The Good Son  The Mystery of the Wax Museum   Hex   Alien: Covenant  Ravenous   The Blackcoat's Daughter 
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May 31, 2017 15:27
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I appreciated your icons and thought they were an awesome addition to the reviews! Anyway here's my complete challenge list on Letterboxd complete with the reviews from this thread: https://letterboxd.com/basebf555/list/may-horror-movie-challenge/ I have a few other horror related lists up there too. Basebf555 fucked around with this message at 15:42 on May 31, 2017 |
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May 31, 2017 15:31
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Yeah, I thought the icons were great! Really added a fun flair to the thread and your posts.
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May 31, 2017 15:39
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I wish I'd thought of the icons, instead of lame /10 scores. After seeing you do it, I couldn't copy it, since that'd also be lame.
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May 31, 2017 16:02
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Leavemywife posted:I wish I'd thought of the icons, instead of lame /10 scores. After seeing you do it, I couldn't copy it, since that'd also be lame. Lurdiak was also doing it. I thought it was awesome, I just prefer my GIF hunt for my reviews.
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May 31, 2017 16:35
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