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6) Theatre of Blood (1973) After watching House of Wax I felt like another Price mad revenge movie, and this one is for my money the best. It's often so unfairly judged for lacking subtlety as to cause the director to go on his own rampage against critics, as there's a lot of great touches in the background. I must have seen this six or seven times minimum, but I never before noticed that one of Lionheart's followers is drinking meths at the wine tasting. It also happens to be very funny, very mean, and the horrible things couldn't happen to a more horrible group of people. A movie that everyone should watch at least once. Fun factoid: this was the last movie of the great Jack Hawkins. Hawkins lost his larynx to cancer in 1966 but continued to act in speaking roles for the last seven years of his life with the aid of his friends Robert Rietty and Charles Gray, who would dub his lines.
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Sep 23, 2018 00:28
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1. In the Mouth of Madness (1994) How have I never seen this movie until now? It's extremely my poo poo! Really really dug this one. Awesome soundtrack, Lovecraftian monsters, and Sam Neill is always great. It looked fantastic; I loved the repeated shot of the dark alleyway and the whole red room set where he meets the author. I will definitely have to rewatch this one soon, but I thought it was right up there with The Thing. 4.5/5 2. A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) This one has been on my list for years. It was pretty creepy and atmospheric, but it didn't quite connect with me? I think I would have appreciated it more if I had watched it before the other Korean horror films I've seen, particularly the director's later film I Saw the Devil (which I loved). This one was pretty understated in comparison, but it's still a solid slow burn thriller. 3/5 Phenomena (1985) The horror thread said this one was bonkers, and they weren't kidding! The soundtrack was both jarring and awesome (Iron Maiden plus a Goblin score? Sure, why not!). My favorite bit was when Jennifer is saved at the end, not by her insect swarms, but by a chimp with a razor That got a good laugh out of me. All the weirdness just added to my enjoyment of it. 3.5/5
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Sep 23, 2018 00:52
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Jedit posted:
I expected this to mean he was dubbed in a handful of movies but its almost 20. It didn’t even slow him down really.
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Sep 23, 2018 00:53
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6. I Am Not a Serial Killer Maybe it was Max Records, maybe it was the desaturated colors or low-key cinematography but this movie might've been a little too indie for my tastes, and this is coming from somebody who loved Creep 2 not that long ago. This one is more core and less mumble, and it felt like a long episode of Eerie, Indiana mixed with Let the Right One In so I'll give it points for that. Put simply, it's the story of a sociopathic and socially stunted high school kid who investigates a series of murders a little too closely and uncovers something even more horrific and weird than a serial killing. It doesn't waste a lot of time with the "is he or isn't he", you know before the halfway point who's responsible, so most of the movie is a battle of wills between a good kid who feels nothing and a homicidal creature who feels more human than the protagonist. It's... pretty good? I wouldn't necessarily recommend it but you can do worse.
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Sep 23, 2018 01:02
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Day -9 - The Ring https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4x421eqlwQ This the movie that features the greatest horror of all: a student film so bad that it kills the viewer seven days after watching it. For an image so iconic that it launched a thousand knock offs, Sadako really doesn't do much in the movie. I misremembered her briefly appearing in the opening, but that just cuts away before anything hapens. She only appears at the very end of the film. That's not a problem since the real point of the film is that it was a race against time to track down a ghost, it just feels weird for something everyone would be copying within a year or two to only be on screen for about thirty seconds. There's something to be said for a supernatural monster having some set rules. It's not for every film, but for the story in The Ring where it's all about figuring out the monster it helps. In particular because there's only two rules that matter for the plot, there's some flexibility beyond that. It lets them drop creepy moments and visuals in that don't drive the plot. This reminds me a lot of It Follows which has a similar premise that taking an action sets the monster on the victim and then people try to figure the monster out before it's too late. Speaking of which, I feel that knowing the twist undermines the movie a bit. I know that there's no threat because I know the actual rules while the characters don't. This isn't a "Well, of course the main characters are safe!" thing, it's that as I'm watching the movie I know that the reporter is already safe from Sadako so she can just go home and relax for the rest of the week and nothing will happen to her. The sequels are real stinkers here. The movie already had a few stretches in it ("Oh by the way, I happen to be a bit psychic and I never mentioned it before.") but the sequels go so horribly off the rails that they're just unwatchable. I haven't seen Sadako vs. Kayako yet and I might check it out for my real challenge even though I have no hope that it'll be good.
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Sep 23, 2018 01:11
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8. Salem's Lot (1979) I just finished this book last week so it was hard to watch this without thinking about it in that context. I think that a lot of the decisions made to pare the book down to fit into a miniseries really help the story. While reading the last quarter of the book I was really frustrated how the characters were still loving around talking about Varney the Vampire and poo poo during daylight hours when then they could be wiping out the vampires they all agree are real. In this miniseries the vampire plague that hits Salem's Lot seems to come on a lot quicker, and it makes the characters actions seem much more believable. I liked how they made Barlow more of an Orlok rather than a Dracula, and James Mason steals most every scene he's in. 3.5/5 edit: Putting the Spielberg conspiracy aside I think this is the missing link that explains how the Tobe Hooper who did Chainsaw could also do Poltergeist a few years later. Movies seen: 1. Terrifier | 2. A Nightmare on Elm Street | 3. A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge | 4. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors | 5. Scream | 6. Mandy | 7. November | 8. Salem's Lot Drunkboxer fucked around with this message at 02:46 on Sep 23, 2018 |
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Sep 23, 2018 02:30
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 7)Creep 2 Don't know what the consensus is, but I liked it more than the original. The play between the two characters is pretty great. I wish the ending had kind of gone in a different direction really thought the twist was going to be her constantly trying to stop him from killing himself at the end, which would have been a neat subversion of the slasher. It's not perfect, though I think it really only falls apart at the end, and even then it's not bad. 3.5/5
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Sep 23, 2018 03:06
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10. Pumpkinhead (1988) I noticed that I’ve been watching a lot of recent horror and decided to expand and go back. I figured the 80s is prime territory for good horror. I saw Pumpkinhead on a list somewhere and I realized I never saw this cult film. I didn’t know much about it other than seeing the creature on the cover of a VHS box in a video store a long time ago (dating myself here). The creature is the highlight of the film and the practical effects work here is outstanding (it’s the work of Stan Winston). The story works on a simple level. A group of teenagers head out for fun in a cabin and on the way one of them runs over a kid with his motorbike in an accident. The kid dies and Lance Henriksen decides to summon the Pumpkinhead demon to get his revenge. He gets more than he bargained for and becomes linked to the demon as it goes on its rampage. I liked the vibe with the heavy use of orange lighting which gave a unique haunting atmosphere. The thing that kind sucks is you can tell they could have made a wider franchise expanding on the creature but the movie bombed and I heard the sequels they did make suck.  /511. House on Haunted Hill (1959)  Vincent Price is a horror icon and this one is probably his biggest work outside of House of Wax. He plays the proprietor of a haunted house who challenges a group of people $10,000 if they last (or survive) 12 hours. What I love about this film is just how drat charismatic Vincent Price is and how self-aware his character is. He constantly hint-hint, nudge-nudge the audience by subtly looking into the camera but never in a ways that breaks immersion or becomes blatant fourth-wall breaking. It takes a rare kind of actor to pull it off and bring the audience deeper into the film (and thus the house). The film itself is 50s horror with male characters going off to investigate something and the female characters coming across the ghost or whatever and screaming. Everyone investigates and writes it off as hysteria. Then once things become more serious more women scream and run around from horror to horror. Then Vincent Price comes back with his wit and presense and I really cannot describe how amazing he is in this film. Then it all comes together and the end and this is one film people should watch. /512. House on Haunted Hill (1999)  Yes, the remake is being watched after the original. I figure it might be worth it to watch it after the original to see how well it was remade (yeah, most don’t) but more importantly if any strengths from the original were respected. One thing I really do not like about horror from the late 90s is how damned dated they tend to be. From the soundtrack playing Marilyn Manson, the Blockbuster product placement, zany camera angles and shots and that casual misogynistic tone because “Hollywood culture” seeped into films back then. It all doesn’t build suspense or tension just reminds me of those drat awkward early teenage years. I didn’t even mention the Chris Kattan supporting role in a horror film. For those unaware, he was considered a rising comedic star on SNL, seemed to be cast in everything, and nowadays is equivalent to a sports draft pick bust of entertainment. It’s not a great film. I appreciate it using the effect of erratic movements and that head-shale thing in the vein of Jacob’s Ladder to elicit surreal scares. But the rest of the film lacks any of the suspense in favor of blood and violence and while I love Geoffrey Rush the fact is Vincent Price cannot be replaced. .5/5Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005), 8. King Kong (1976), 9. Halloween II (2009), 10. Pumpkinhead (1988), 11. House on Haunted Hill (1959), 12. House on Haunted Hill (1999)
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Sep 23, 2018 04:23
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- (4). The Forsaken (2001) Two pretty guys end up chasing down vampires in the Badlands in a road film. You've seen it before but have you seen it with half the cast of the turn of the century CW lineup, a MTV VJ, and set to Nickelback? This is one of those random films I saw somewhere along the line that I didn't have a big memory of. I saw it on one of the LGBTQ lists in Franchescanado's challenge and it made me curious so I decided to give it a look. For what its worth I don't see the gay subtext to it at all. The theory seems to be that because its two dudes roadtripping and hunting together and neither hits on the hot traumatized girl they keep roofying and knocking out they must be into each other (and it probably helped that the lead was playing a prominent gay character on Dawson's Creek so I imagine that left an impression in someone's head). I don't see it at all so I'm not going to count it to Franche's challenge. Its not a good movie, but its not a terrible one. Its just a basic by the numbers vampire story on the road, told from that era's thing where all the horror movies were pretty teen idols. I dig the road vampire stories like Near Dark, From Dusk Til Dawn and John Carpenter's Vampires. Just something about the chase and adventure feel of it works for me. I like those kind of horrors in general. Supernatural, Phantasm. For whatever reason I enjoy that idea of loading you car up to go hunt some monsters. This isn't as good as any of those things and it pretty clearly takes a lot from vampire ones, but like its one of those "good enough" to keep me engaged things. Third act when they settle down is very forgettable and lame but I was there for the... ride. But drat is it a slice of its time. I mean, freaking Nickelback? I felt like I should go be sneaking beers with my old douchey roommates. It was a trip. 3 (5). The Night Eats the World (2018) (also known as La nuit a dévoré le monde)  A young American desperately avoids all social interaction at a party in Paris, passes out, and wakes up having missed the zombie apocalypse. Unlike most zombie movie protagonists our boy doesn't go in search of his loved ones or survivors, become a kick rear end zombie fighter, or even turn on the radio. Sam just squats to the end of the world. I knew absolutely nothing about this going in. My Hoopla account has 3 rentals a month, I have 2 left in September, so I went looking and this had a high rating and caught my attention for some reason so I figured I'd give it a try. What's a horror marathon without blind picks? All in all this was a solid little flick. Less "horror" in the scare or even gore sense (although the zombies are pretty gory) than just this psychological profile of a guy who seemed like kind of a socially anxious dick in our very brief time with him pre-Z who sees the apocalypse as some kind of acceptable time to spend some me time or who is simply paralyzed with a new kind of anxiety. The premise seems a little light in theory, or like that old Twilight Zone episode of the dude who just wants to read. But its played very straight and somber. There's very little dialogue and I never catch the guy's name until half way through the film. Sam doesn't come off as depressed or even scared when he realizes what happens. He's not reveling in it or anything either. He just does the natural first instinct of locking the doors to be safe and then just never opens them. I mean, one of this guy's first instincts in the zombie apocalypse is to scrub the blood and viscera off the floors. Its not even his apartment. Anders Danielsen Lie (a Norweigan actor who I don't recognize a thing with him but he's apparently been in some acclaimed stuff, has an acclaimed mom, and Calvin Klein wife) does a good job with a solo and largely silent performance. As I said, its a very straight and subtle role of a man who seems to seek out isolation when there's humans, accept isolation when they're gone, and gradually get broken down by what is true isolation. I wouldn't call this a must watch or anything super original, but its a nice little piece unlike your usual zombie movie. I see online places compare it to 28 Days Later and Walking Dead it reminded me more of Last Man on Earth and I Am Legend. Its been awhile since I've seen the former (but this is kind of inspiring me to rewatch it) but that feels like the true predecessor to compare this too. Its certainly not there but its an alright little piece. And while its a French film with a Norwegian actor its entirely in English. But again, there's not a lot of dialogue anyway. September Tally - New (Total) 1 (1). A Cure For Wellness (2016) / - (2). Slither (2006) / 2 (3). Castle Rock (2018) / - (4). The Forsaken (2001) / 3 (5). The Night Eats the World (2018) /
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Sep 23, 2018 04:42
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#9 The House With A Clock In Its Walls 2/5 Emotionally Significant Magic 8 Balls It's a kids movie. In it's defense it is a very real horror movie and not fantasy with pumpkins. All the child actors are wooden and even the bullies aren't the scene chewing jerks I love. There's an excruciating scene where Cate Blanchett teaches Jack Black how to parent his orphaned nephew but the two are otherwise really good and do all they can to salvage the movie. Kyle MacLachlan is definitely in this movie. #10 We Are Still Here 2/5 Unethical Morticians I don't get the pacing and tone of this movie. Even after things go haywire it moves at a deliberate pace. There's some really good kills and gore but it's weird. It deserves credit for being a murderous haunted house and not some furniture slinging bullshit. House of the Devil is a better 70s homage and eventually speeds things along. #11 Dawn of the Dead (1978, Argento Cut) 5/5 Zombies Stealing Fountain Coins Amazing. Numerous zombies taking pies to the face, 2 balcony tosses, and a side car machete decapitation. Everything the bikers do is wonderful. The zombie extras are a riot. They can't quite decide if bullets make you slump over or knock you back and have a hell of a time wobbling on escalators. The gore is fantastic and the mall set piece is used to perfection. The Goblin score is great. They Shoot Zombies: 34/50 3 from 7 different decades: 2010s, 1980s, 1970s
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Sep 23, 2018 05:59
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3. The obligatory Mandy It's, uh, more conventional than I thought it would be? Metal as all hell that's for sure, and I had a good time watching it. It's got a bit of a pacing issue in that the coolest villains die first and then it's just some boring hippies.
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Sep 23, 2018 06:33
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I loved this thread last year but I was too late to really join in, so this time I'm in for 31. I figured I would start off with the one Halloween that I've neglected to see.  1. Halloween III Tom Atkins blesses this movie with one of the best staches in horror. As Dr. Daniel Challis he uses said stache to charm and seduce every woman he comes into contact with, except his ex-wife. He's shown drinking in almost every scene, but it doesn't seem to inhibit him in any way. He's almost the ideal concept of American masculinity. His drinking arguably even helps him stop Silver Shamrock, since someone who has been drinking is more likely to escape a car crash with fewer injuries than someone who is sober. The morale I took away from this movie is that drinking is good for you and it can help you save the world (kinda). As for the story, I initially got a vibe that this was going to be about mind control or something like Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I think it got a little carried away with trying to jam magic and technology into the story when only using one or the other would have made it flow a bit better and make a little more sense. I can see why it wasn't successful, but I thought it was fun and had some decent body horror. Not a bad way to start the challenge. /5
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Sep 23, 2018 07:02
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7- Castle Rock I am both a huge King fan, and a big Lost apologist, so I’ve been looking forward to this since it came out. I agree with what others have said in that it kind of loses itself in the end, but I guess it’ll depend on how later seasons go (although I feel like they said it would be an anthology show). Overall I really liked it, the only things I would complain about are not enough Terry O’Quinn, and hatever the hell was up with Scott Glenn’s hair 8- Timecrimes This was another rewatch for me, but also one I haven’t seen in years and my partner wanted something a little more psychological tonight. I really love this one, it’s a criminally underrated thriller. It’s a Spanish film about a guy who witnesses some weird poo poo and then gets caught up in time travel, but I t’s one where it’s better to not know stuff ahead of time so I won’t get into too much of a synopsis beyond that. Despite being about time travel, it’s very tightly plotted and small scale, and feel like a stretched out Twilight Zone episode. It also has one of my favourite movie scares (which the trailer spoils unfortunately), and then has a subversion of it later on in the film. Definitely recommend this one if you can find it (it’s on shudder)
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Sep 23, 2018 08:29
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 35- Fiend without a Face 1958 Considering that I first saw this on on Svengoolie's show on TV, it was a bit of a surprise to learn this one was considered so gory it was a miracle it got released. In the UK it earned an X certificate and it was still fussed in Parliament that it was released with even that. Story's pretty basic with mysterious deaths happening around a radar station and a connection turns up during the investigation to a retired scientist's telekinesis/thought projection experiments. I'm pretty sure this film's the winner for most distinctive monster. Soon as I saw the brain monsters with those adorable antenna, little me wanted one for a pet. I was going to name him 'smartybutt'. Amusing tidbit for this was during it's release in New York, they had a display with a moving brain monster prop which drew such a crowd it disrupted traffic and the cops got involved so it had to be removed. And yeah, I still would love a brain monster pet.  36- I Married a Monster from Outer Space 1958 I freely admit I sympathized hard with the monster in this one. The storyline here is after being married to Bill for a year, he doesn't seem like the same man Marge dated. Turns out for good reason as it's an alien impersonating Bill. The planet Space Bill's from is dying and the women of thier species are extinct so it's out of desperation they've come to Earth hoping to keep thier species alive. I really didn't like Marge all that much since she comes across dickish when she confronts Space Bill with what she knows. But then if I was in her place with a husband that looked as hot as Tom Tryon, I'd let a hell of a lot slide.
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Sep 23, 2018 13:02
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Parents (1989) This film started suckering me in right from the get go, but by the end I was somewhat indifferent. We are introduced to our main character, Michael, and his parents in the opening scenes as he and his family are moving into an idyllic 1950s suburb. This scene made me think of this films contemporary boomer-nostalgia films and made me think we were going to get a satirical rebuke of the 1950s myth. And we kind of do, but not really. Michael starts to think his parents may be cannibals and starts having weird dreams. The Dream scenes are very good, and we get his perspective on events he doesn't really understand, such as after seeing his parents having sex he dreams of them as monsters biting each other. We also learn his dad is a merchant of death as he is developing an Agent Orange type chemical at his work. The dream scenes are really well done and have a Lynchian vibe to them. The effects are really good too. What really holds this film back from being a true classic is it's inconsistent tone. It never really settles on of it wants to be a satire or a horror comedy or a straight up horror movie and these tonal shifts are really disengaging. Overall I would mildly recommend this movie as it does have some good scenes and it's interesting to see Randy Quaid play a role other than Cousin Eddie at this stage in his career. It's not an absolute classic but it's good enough for an 80 minute movie. Watched (5): Always Watching: A Marble Hornets story; Terrifier; Boys in the Trees, Creature from Black Lake, Parents
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Sep 23, 2018 14:03
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Let's get this started. Currently at Fantastic Fest. Once October hits my goal is to have less movies on my watch list the when I started. Probably impossible but it means I will be watching alot movies after they are mentioned in the thread. 1. Between Worlds (2018, FFest) - This was amazing and I don't want to risk spoiling anything. Nicolas Cage going crazy, what more do you need to know. 5/5 alligator T-shirts 2. Open 24 Hours (2018, FFest) - A movie about the horror of working the graveyard shift at a convenience store. Overall, it's a solid and has some interesting twists. Initially I couldn't decide if I liked it but the intensity and some good characters pulled me in. The ending was super cliche and according to the director they had two endings and this was the popular one. 3/5 dirty gastation bathrooms
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Sep 23, 2018 14:57
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2. The Legend of Hell House (1973) A group of psychic investigators are sent to Belasco mansion, nicknamed "the Mt. Everest of haunted houses" for its ability to murder psychics by the bushel. I'm led to wonder how the world of parapsychology can thrive under such harsh conditions, but this is a story that simply presupposes ideas such as mediums and hauntings, and then has its strong-headed protagonists butt those heads in arguments over the particulars of ghosts and electro-magnetic fields, as they each try out their own methods for getting to the truth of the supernatual goings-on. That isn't to say the movie is dull, however. It's very pulpy and has atmosphere in spades, mainly due to the equally beautiful and menacing gothic mansion interiors. Basically, whether you're into psychics or haunted houses, this movie has you covered.
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Sep 23, 2018 15:47
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MetalPriestess posted:
That monkey attacked Jennifer Connelly and bit off part of her finger IRL.
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Sep 23, 2018 16:53
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 12. Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972) Aliens from a far away Earth-like planet come to our planet with the goal of finding a nice place to live, but first they must establish absolute peace. It was an interesting idea, that the last surviving lifeforms from an Earth-like planet wouldn't actually be humans. Unfortunately the interesting concept isn't enough to elevate the human elements of the plot to an above average level. All the other characters, besides Tomoko (she has a black belt in karate) are just a bit too dull. Fortunately once it gets there, the kaiju action is done pretty well and features Godzilla and Anguirus teaming up to battle the cyborg reptile Gigan and the ultra-destructive King Ghidorah. The bloody (quite a bit of it actually) battle fills up the later part of the movie and is full of miniature buildings being destroyed, kaiju wrestling and was definitely pretty awesome. It's a slow movie overall but I think there is a pretty good payoff. I do wish that the producer didn't hate Godzilla vs. Hedorah so much because I really found myself missing the surreal and experimental feel that Banno brought the that film. This one just feels so straight-forward after that.
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Sep 23, 2018 17:01
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Hollismason posted:That monkey attacked Jennifer Connelly and bit off part of her finger IRL. In all fairness to the chimp, if I were a chimp and had to star in a Dario Argento movie I'd probably lose my poo poo too.
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Sep 23, 2018 17:10
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4/31. - The Shining I am embarrassed to admit I had never actually seen this movie in its entirety. Of course through pop culture and what not most of the best scenes had been spoiled for me as well as the overall theme of the movie. I was not aware that Jack was already an abusive dick before they even got to the hotel or that Danny had a special friend living inside his mouth. The lady in the bathtub scene legitimately creeped me out and that was before she turned into a hag. In general it would be cool to get a little more insight into what Jack was experiencing as he begins to lose his mind instead of until he’s pretty much fully gone, but otherwise I understand why this movie gets the acclaim that it has. I imagine this was terrifying in the theatre to 1980s sensibilities. I got kind of a Hitchcockian vibe from parts of it. 5/31. - Christine Watching both these movies back to back is interesting because the general plot is kind of the same except Jack was always an rear end in a top hat and Arnie was not. Both films portray show a fairly quick descent into madness for the main character. I actually enjoyed Arnie’s more and thought it was more effective. Then again I have been beaten over the head with “Here’s Johnny” for 30 years. Some really cool effects with the car but the movie really could use more Carpenter synth in the score. The bully character was hilarious and I really enjoyed the film.
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Sep 23, 2018 18:16
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I never really see Christine and Starman mentioned when Carpenter's body of work is being discussed. Starman in particular is a drat fine film but I am guessing it's because its the least Carpenter-esque of his films. That was a purely for-hire, mercenary job for him right? Was Christine the same?
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Sep 23, 2018 18:33
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James Woods Fan posted:I never really see Christine and Starman mentioned when Carpenter's body of work is being discussed. Starman in particular is a drat fine film but I am guessing it's because its the least Carpenter-esque of his films. That was a purely for-hire, mercenary job for him right? Was Christine the same? That's because they're low on the totem pole for quality of Carpenter, meaning they're just "Really freakin good". Dude made himself a very high bar to clear in his career.
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Sep 23, 2018 18:35
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4. The Haunting (1963) It was nice to see Russ Tamblyn as Luke in The Haunting who I remember from West Side Story. I didn't realize he plays Dr. Jacoby in Twin Peaks. Another neat West Side Story / Twin Peaks crossover is Richard Beymer who plays Tony and Ben Horne respectively. I liked pretty much everything about this film and found it effectively scary. The banging on the doors and walls got to me and I loved the scene with the hand. A real treat from start to finish. 5/5 - Outstanding 5. The Innocents (1961)  Much more than The Haunting, this movie gave me chills. Rather than bang on walls they opt for a quieter, more subtle approach by showing you things that aren't supposed to be there or for some reason feel off. I had goosebumps the entire time she was at the mansion. I liked that there's a little bit of ambiguity regarding the reliability of the main character's perspective. 5/5 - Outstanding Both of these movies rule and are the standard to which I will hold all future haunted house movies. [b/]6. The Thing (1951)[/b]  I was not expecting this movie to be as good as it was. In fact I thought it was awesome. I loved The Blob and I loved this, now I'm looking forward to Them! and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Any other suggestions of good 50s horror are welcome. 4.5/5 - Great! 7. The Fog (1980)  I decided to nix my rule about first time views only because there are quite a few movies that I would like to re-watch this October, The Fog being one of them. I'm revising the rule to a minimum of 31 first-timers plus re-watches. This is my 2nd time seeing The Fog and I have to say that I didn't enjoy it as much this go-round. That's not to say that I don't love the film. The ghost story monologue at the beginning is pure art and the premise of ghost pirates haunting a town for the sins of their ancestors is great fun. I like the slow pace and I also don't like the slow pace (i definitely fell asleep the first night I tried to watch it due to the late hour + beer). There are a few plot elements that were confusing as well such as the overly rapid way main characters establish The Fog as a real supernatural threat. I'm thinking specifically of the DJ lady and the Janet Leigh character. With that off my chest let me reaffirm that I really like The Fog 4.5/5
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Sep 23, 2018 18:59
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 13. Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) Subterranean nuclear testing pisses off the underground dwellers of Seatopia so they send the giant monster Megalon out to destroy Tokyo. Luckily an inventor has finished work on his robot, Jet Jaguar who must team up with Godzilla to defeat Megalon. Seatopia is upset that Megalon is outnumbered so they call in the help of Gigan from Nebula M (which I thought was already on the brink of destruction in the last movie). This film is pretty similar to the last one, Godzilla vs. Gigan, and it's use of recycled footage really annoyed me. I know recycled footage is present in almost every one of these films but they used stuff directly from Gigan, which was still very fresh in my mind. Fortunately Jet Jaguar was sweet and makes up for a lot of the shortcomings. The final battle was super cool with Jet and Zilla tag teaming the two evil monsters in some very fun ways. Overall I enjoyed this one despite the flimsy antagonists and recycled footage. I have two more films left in the Showa era of Godzilla films, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla and Terror of Mechagodzilla. After I watch those two I'm going to take a break from Godzilla to checkout some or all of the following: Matango The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms The X from Outer Space Goke, Body Snatcher From Hell The Living Skeleton Genocide Daimajin Mothra Rodan After I'll pick back up with the Heisei era Godzilla films.
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Sep 23, 2018 18:59
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8) Ghost Stories (2017) I remember hearing all the hype about this when it came out, but I could never find a theater near me that was showing it. It DEFINITELY lived up to the hype. Each story felt like a nice little bite sized morsel of creepiness, without needing a full story arc, and the overarching story managed to feel satisfying and not like just a shell for the anthology pieces. /5Watched (8): Puppet Master 4, Puppet Master 5, Terrifier, Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires, Martyrs (2008), Mandy, The Babadook, Ghost Stories
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Sep 23, 2018 19:01
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9. The Resurrected (1992)  I only recently became aware of this movie and I'm not sure why because it's an adaptation of a Lovecraft story that I quite like, and it's directed by Dan O'Bannon. As far as Lovecraft adaptations go it's surprisingly truthful to the original text. It has some good early 90s gore effects and even some stop motion skeletons. If you like goopy, fleshy, abominations glopping around and ripping skin off people this movie is for you. It's not quite as good as Re-animator or The Beyond but it's definitely good enough to be talked about more. 3.75/5 Demon House (2018)  I was looking for a horror-documentary in the vein of Cropsey or Killer Legends and found this. It's not in that vein at all, and is pretty much indistinguishable from an extra long episode of a ghost hunter show on Discovery or something. I'm not going to pretend I don't kind of like those shows sometimes but an extra long version of it really doesn't do the format any favors. The re-enactments are pretty loving funny though. 1/5 Movies seen: 1. Terrifier | 2. A Nightmare on Elm Street | 3. A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge | 4. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors | 5. Scream | 6. Mandy | 7. November | 8. Salem's Lot | 9. The Resurrected | 10. Demon House Drunkboxer fucked around with this message at 19:39 on Sep 23, 2018 |
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Sep 23, 2018 19:17
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Money Bags posted:[b/]6. The Thing (1951)[/b] Them! is an absolute favorite of mine, but if you want more 50s films, try Fiend Without a Face or The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms.
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Sep 23, 2018 19:44
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7. Hell House LLC II: The Abbadon Hotel - 1.5/5quote:Massive overreach on a weak premise. Non-linear storytelling and flashbacks were such a huge mistake, it completely kills what little tension they actually had. I've never seen someone so proactively sabotage themselves as the filmmakers have with this editing. 8. House of 1000 Corpses - 4.5/5 quote:Loses me a bit when it steps back from its incredibly charismatic main cast, but I loved this one otherwise. The perfect mix of trashy, campy, and horrific. It's funny to me that this movie has an infamous reputation for its gore, when 18 years later it doesn't even compare to the poo poo you see on cable TV.
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Sep 23, 2018 19:45
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Choco1980 posted:That's because they're low on the totem pole for quality of Carpenter, meaning they're just "Really freakin good". Dude made himself a very high bar to clear in his career. It's actually because no one wanted to watch a movie about a car that kills people.
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Sep 23, 2018 19:57
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 37- Invasion of the Saucer Men 1957 To me, this one's the quintessential Drive In B-movie film. We have the teenagers who are in the know about the alien invaders, the adults who refuse to believe them, story is an engaging blend of serious and silly, and the day is saved at the end. This one was remade by Larry Buchanan in 1965 as Attack of the Eye Creatures. It's okay and does have being in color going for it, but the '57 original's much better.
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Sep 23, 2018 20:07
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7. Body Melt (1993, Philip Brophy) This is an ultra low budget Australian film very much in line with (and obviously inspired by) early Peter Jackson stuff, namely Bad Taste. And a lot like Bad Taste it's imaginative and competently made despite its limitations. I mean it definitely looks and feels cheap, but that doesn't stop it from being creative and fun. It's not quite on the same level of Bad Taste (and it doesn't hold a candle to Braindead), but it's suitably adept for being a cheap 90s body horror flick. Oh, and it's incredibly GROSS. The gore effects are its strongest trait, and the director utilizes them expertly to gross us out at every opportunity. I don't want to spoil much 'cause it's a movie worth watching, but I'll mention there's one scene in particular that will make any expecting or new parents squirm: A pregnant woman, who's been taking the poison chemical, goes into a sort of early labor in which her placenta falls out of her and attacks her husband by stuffing itself down his throat. Then the woman's belly blows wide open and we see down into the dried out cavity. I was drinking some nasty cheap beer as I watched this and about a third of the way in I started getting literally nauseous. I only place about 50% of the blame on the beer.    (3.5 Vimuville capsules out of 5)
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Sep 23, 2018 20:32
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7. The Neon Demon 2016 | dir. Nicolas Winding Refn Style is substance. Beauty is everything.  I slept on this movie when it came out, despite being very excited for it, because no one seemed to agree about it. Turns out it was exactly what I wanted from the movie. I understand why people would dislike this movie--I'm baffled by how many people like Drive, but don't like art-house films--it definitely goes into horrific taboo places. However, I think that's the strong point: it's willing to indulge in it's macabre pleasure with beauty. Every frame in this movie is wonderful to look at, which fits in with it's theme of obsession with beauty. I also enjoyed the exploration of toxic femininity, something that I haven't seen in recent horror movies. There's a thread of predation throughout that gives off paranoid suspense in almost every scene. Recommended. 8. Motel Hell 1980 | dir. Fred Dekker It takes all types of critters to make Farmer Vincent's fritters.  I showed this to my horror movie group on Saturday. It's the most charming tale of cannibalism you'll see. Despite a horrific subject matter, this movie is full of charm. There's very little gore, and a smart goofy sense of humor throughout. The leads--Farmer Vincent and his sister Ida--are capable of being funny, sadistic, creepy, or goofy. The cast is really what holds the film together. There's a lot of fun things to talk about Motel Hell, but it seems to be getting more attention these last few years, and it's still a hidden gem for a lot of people, so I'll leave many of the surprises intact. It's mind-boggling that this movie only came out a year after Halloween and the same year as Friday the 13th. Highly Recommended. Movies Seen: Hell House, LLC | Dagon | The Bird With the Crystal Plumage | Critters 2 | Serial Mom | Monster Squad | The Neon Demon | Motel Hell Total: 8
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Sep 23, 2018 20:37
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Hannibal Rex posted:Them! is an absolute favorite of mine, but if you want more 50s films, try Fiend Without a Face or The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms. Thanks, I'll pick those up next trip to the library
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Sep 23, 2018 20:37
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Oh gently caress yes, I'm in. Failed the May challenge pretty miserably, but should have more free time on my plate this month barring the last couple weeks of my job placement and a mid-month trip to Disneyland. Actually going to take the September lead time this time around though just to give myself some wiggle room. And was already planning to go see Mandy with a friend tomorrow, so kicking off my third challenge in a row theatrically, barring anything I may or may not throw on tonight.  No particular gimmicks, just 31 movies or however far I make it, with no repeats from my previous October or May lists. Trash Boat fucked around with this message at 21:52 on Sep 23, 2018 |
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Sep 23, 2018 21:25
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CRAYON posted:
If you look close sometimes in the fight scenes, you'll spot shots where Anguirus or King Ghidorah are partially in shot from recycled footage from the last film. It's hilarious. Lurdiak posted:It's actually because no one wanted to watch a movie about a car that kills people. Their loss man.
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Sep 23, 2018 22:44
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Boy, I’m a cool person on a Saturday night spending all night watching horror movies. I decided to stay on the zombie kick and pick up on one of the movies that’s been lingering on my watch lists since at least last year. 4 (6). The Girl With All The Gifts (2016)  Its a generation into the zombie apocalypse and we have a generation of hybrid children who are infected but still act and appear to be human (until they get hungry). One such is Melanie who has a teacher who sees her as an innocent child, a scientist who sees her as a potential cure, and a soldier who sees her as a ticking time bomb. Only one thing to do. Road trip! Well after a “there’s not really any new ideas for zombies” commentary with the last one this one had some stuff I hadn’t seen. The “infected but human” wasn’t super new and while they were doing it well and I was enjoying it I wasn’t expecting much more than the standard. Then things started to definitely get a little different. Maybe it was the “let the zombie child out to hunt” thing or the ”zombie virus’ next stage are plants that release spores that will end the world” thing. But the movie gets points for keeping me on my toes. Its a well done film with good performances and good themes but I’m not sure how much I think its a horror. I mean, its got zombies ripping out people’s throats so I’m fine having it here on the list, but tonally it felt more like one those YA scifi action dystopia things like The Hunger Games or whatever that one is with the kids being decided by personalities or the one where they’re in a maze that’s an experiment to… I don’t even know what that one was about. To that end I suppose I just wasn’t the audience for it. Again, don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it. It just didn’t feel like it it belonged here in the horror section. That ending. I don’t even know what to say about it. The story (and actress) do a great job of making me totally unsure how I feel about Melanie and her actions. That happens throughout the film where like, I can totally see the teacher’s deal and empathize that Melanie’s just a kid born a certain way but also… scary zombie children who eat your neck out if you sweat too much! And man, Melanie. The genocide of all humanity is a kind of extreme choice to make spontaneously and unilaterally. I did enjoy that the storytellers didn’t really seem to be trying to tell me how to feel about that. I have no idea how I feel about it. I’m uncomfortable but that’s pretty much where everyone in the story seemed to be too. The teacher (who’s name I just can’t remember) crying for her fate as the last human left to teach the next species who ate hers was a very appropriate way to end the film. It was memorable if nothing else. I’m not sure it “made me think” or anything but I’m pretty sure I’ll remember this one. I was just kind of looking for something “lighter” to round out my night and this one got tangentially recommended by Fire TV because the teacher is Ryan Reynold’s love interest. So here we go. 5 (7). The Voices (2014)  Ryan Reynolds tries to convince us he can’t get a date by acting like he’s all sketchy and insane and talks to animals who tell him to do hosed up poo poo. Surprise, the cat’s a dick and a serial killer. Who would have imagined? Also Anna Kendrick is still into him anyway. See? Totally implausible. “Yeesh.” The most common thing uttered while watching this. Maybe “light” wasn’t the right idea but I did have fun with it, as hosed up as it was. There was something disarming and unnerving about it despite being a comedy. Reynolds just did a good job making Jeremy likable that I kind of wanted things to work out for him somehow and was almost surprised when poo poo went bad. I mean, I wasn’t REALLY surprised by the things he did. I just kind of hoped he wouldn’t. Anna Kendrick helps a lot by being Anna Kendrick. Sweet and humanizing and extremely likable finding a way to see past Jeremy’s general crazy and get through to his deeper crazy and fight it off. As the inevitability of her discovering Jeremy’s sins neared I kind of felt myself hoping that she’d turn out to be crazy herself and they’d live heavily ever after. It was weird and I wasn’t surprised when it didn’t go that way at all. I think I just really wanted it to somehow work out and for her not to die. All in all a fun watch as far as dark serial killing comedies go. I’d definitely recommend it if you’re in that kind of a mood. There’s a kind of sweet sincerity to it of all the poo poo Jeremy had been through and the struggles of his mental illness and the horror of taking his drugs forcing him to deal with real life without his comfort techniques. Even at the end the shrink is tied up and scared for her life and still seems to genuinely be trying to help and save Jeremy even once she’s safe and free of it. In conclusion, solid dark comedy and I think I have a crush on Anna Kendrick. And cats are psychopathic dicks. But we all knew that already. September Tally - New (Total) 1 (1). A Cure For Wellness (2016) / - (2). Slither (2006) / 2 (3). Castle Rock (2018) / - (4). The Forsaken (2001) / 3 (5). The Night Eats the World (2018) / 4 (6). The Girl With All The Gifts (2016) / 5 (7). The Voices (2014)
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Sep 23, 2018 22:54
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money bags posted:7. The Fog (1980) I also reviewed The Fog just a few days ago and I have to agree with this point. In my review I said there seemed to be about 15-20 minutes of film on the chopping floor somewhere that would really make this movie a homerun. The charismatic cast really saves a mediocre/lacking plot. It’s Carpenter so it’s still good but I’ll take Christine and Starman over The Fog, personally.
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Sep 23, 2018 22:58
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 8)Chernobyl Diaries It's not the worst movie, and it's hard to not to get atmosphere from a set based on one of the creepiest places on earth (it wasn't actually filmed there). Still once it's all abandoned hallways and radioactive zombie people tension is dead. I expected whatever was the menace to be more creative than what it actually was. 2/5. I'm feeling generous.
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Sep 23, 2018 23:14
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7. Scream 2 (1997) I watched the first Scream when I was in college and liked it just fine. Turns out, I liked this one just fine too! The thing I enjoyed about this sequel the most was the resultant media circus from the events of the first movie (a bestselling book, appearances on TV digest series, the movie of the movie starring Tori Spelling and Luke Wilson) but that's not to say there weren't other elements that I liked. This cast is a veritable Who's Who's of "Holy poo poo, that person from 90s television!" including a manic Timothy Olyphant and Sarah Michelle Gellar getting killed way earlier than I thought she would. The scares were light, the violence was palatable and there was less quippiness than I expected. Overall a fun watch.
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Sep 23, 2018 23:14
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