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9 (11). A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014) Found on Kanopy and Hoopla  A beautiful young vampire roams the streets of a worn down town hunting for food and encountering other lonely inhabitants such as a douchebag drug dealer, an aging prostitute, a hopeless junkie, and a beat down young man. Came into this with a lot of hype and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it. It was a nice little film, especially considering it was Ana Lily Amirpour’s first and was clearly done on the cheap. There’s a lot of skill and creativity evident in the film and while I think the style and pacing occasionally veered to the “did I doze off?” side of “slow” for the most part i think it worked for a nice little story. I have zero problem with foreign films (and I’m really enjoying that these marathons are making me seek out films from around the globe) but I always find it a little odd when I’m not familiar with the culture in the film. Like, I get the western influences of the film but were they over the top or is that the feel a real Iranian town has? And was Arash a greaser? Is that a thing in Iran or was he just kind of weird? I thought the whole film might be set in the 80s for a time but the pimp and the rich girl both seemed kind of modern so I don’t know. Was Arash’s whole rockabilly thing and the Girl’s 80s thing a stylistic choice or just how Iranian kids do? All in all I’m glad I watched, will probably give it another watch some time, and its got me interested to watch The Bad Batch later in October and get a better sense of Amirpour’s ability and development. I see she’s direction episodes of Legion and Castle Rock and while I enjoyed those I can’t quite single out her episodes as noteworthy. - (12). Vampire in Brooklyn (1995) Found on Amazon Prime and TubiTV  Wes Craven directed film starring Eddie Murphy in a tweaked version of the classic Bram Stoker story of a regal vampire looking to find and seduce one special woman (Angela Bassett) who holds a special key to his history. A loaded cast and a classic director that doesn’t remotely live up to the sum of its parts. The review earlier got me interested. I’ve seen this at least once way back in the day but holy poo poo, this is 23 years old? I’m so loving old. TheKingslayer posted:As for the writing, the general plot points they want to hit are good and the changes they've made to the lore of vampires to accommodate their story are as well. But... things just sort of happen for the sake of the plot and Max only has vampire weaknesses when convenient, like when Max is in a van full of crosses unaffected but minutes later crosses in a room bother him. Besides that I’ll mostly echo your review. Its not without its elements. There’s a 90s Dracula adaption in here starring Bassett and Allen Payne and a decent horror comedy with Kadeem Hardison and John Witherspoon but they’re both trying to happen at the same time and Murphy is jumping back and forth between them and it drags as a result. I too enjoyed Hardison’s performance most of all, but I’ve always been a fan. I too found the classic Murphy “playing other characters in makeup and fat suits” thing really gratuitous and unfitting for the film. There’s basically like 30 minutes in the middle where he’s just bouncing characters all in the name of getting the story back to the exact same place it was when the sequence started. Its super dumb and pointless. And the entire ending sequence which should be this epic battle has a whole comedy comic relief interlude with Hardison and Witherspoon. I can almost appreciate the idea of it if I put it in that Shakespearen context but it didn’t work at all. And yeah, Bassett’s Rita is just kind of an idiotic, irrational damsel in distress most of the film. I suppose most Rita/Mina versions I’ve seen are kind of like that a lot. Its a pretty archaic story in that regard, I suppose, where there’s always a man or men fighting to save her instead of her being the active protagonist. I’m actually a little surprised there’s no direct Van Helsing stand in here (although I suppose Zakes Mokae’s character is filling that role) but that was probably a good choice to not make it a direct Dracula adaption but just a vampire story that follows the pattern. I always liked Payne but his character doesn’t have a lot going on and “Justice” is such a perfect 90’s name for a movie cop. In the end I don’t think its worse than most of the horror of that era. Craven’s one year away from kind of critiquing the whole thing with Scream and Murphy’s like smack dab between Boomerang and The Nutty Professor as if he was having an identity crisis during this film. I can buy the explanations that both give about creative differences and contractual obligations but it also kind of feels like a weirdly notable turning point for both guys’ careers. Murphy would move on to that career renaissance with the catsuit and makeup routine that fell flat here and while Craven never really does a lot after Scream it does kind of mark a change in these kinds of 90’s horror to a genre trying a little harder. I think I might try and sneak another one in since I’m not feeling too tired. Hey, its the weekend and I’m running out of time before I have to start filling my challenges. 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) / 6 (8). Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010) / 7 (9). Jug Face (2013) / 8 (10). Coherence (2013) / 9 (11). A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014) / - (12). Vampire in Brooklyn (1995) STAC Goat fucked around with this message at 10:28 on Sep 30, 2018 |
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Sep 30, 2018 07:43
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Franchescanado posted:
#6 / 31 - Planet Terror (2007) ★★★★☆  This one was a rewatch for the first time in a pretty long while. I'm really fond of this movie on the whole; everything from the bizarre dialogue to the endless parade of celebrity actors to the completely insane and yet utterly non-horrific gore just works for me on some base level and makes me incredibly happy. I will say, however, that there's one thing that stuck out to me as odd. For all of its supposed being a grindhouse movie, I can't think of a single grindhouse movie that actually resembles this. The closest thing that I can think of that even might count is Night of the Creeps, and I would frankly say that more than anything this movie's DNA is shared with stuff like Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky, which postdates the period by quite a while. Actual grindhouse movies, for better or worse, never went quite this hard on the gore. Also, I could have really, genuinely done without the whole bit with Quentin Tarantino wanting to get his dick wet. The turn towards black comedy kinda got me, but that was seriously just genuinely too gross. Also also, this is probably obvious to some extent given that it's a Robert Rodriguez movie and that man loves Austin the way most people love their family members, but this movie is set and was shot in Texas, the state I live in. watchlist with links WeedlordGoku69 fucked around with this message at 08:18 on Oct 7, 2018 |
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Sep 30, 2018 07:54
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Watch a film that takes place in the state* you currently live in
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Tarantino seems to have a really weird thing about personally embarrassing himself and making himself look like a jackass, and I guess in a movie that balls out nuts and gross he just kind of took that really far. I do agree that scene is really out there and a bit much, but I think by that point the whole film has just pushed me into a state of "I give up." I always get a kick out of the "reel missing" gag, though.
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Sep 30, 2018 07:57
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Aliens (1986) Theatrical Cut Director/Cast Commentary So James Cameron made a Vietnam War movie about aliens that was generally a "more is better" version of Alien and another significant bar-raiser for science fiction that other filmmakers are still loving up the basic details on to this day. It really hurts to know Bill Paxton has passed away when you listen to this commentary where he is an outsized, beloved presence based on the camaraderie of the commentary recording. It's also funny contrasting Ridley Scott with James Cameron. Scott barely talks about film nerd poo poo at all, and mostly discusses how he tried to get his desired storytelling effect. Cameron and his other set people will go on and on about camera technology and other technical details. Unlike Ridley, who's quite collaborative in his approach, Cameron is also clearly a general who wants to see the characters come out as he planned them, but he's unafraid to say that and only barely avoid throwing shade on the Alien 3 production's story direction. Sigourney Weaver is very much a missed presence on these recordings. 
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Sep 30, 2018 08:24
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 73- The Brainiac 1962 - DVD This one's a must see just for the monster alone. Film begins with inquisitors passing judgement on Baron Vitelius who's been up to all sorts of things the Inquisition frowns upon. As he's going through his torture and eventual burning at the stake, he swears by a comet passing in the sky that he will return and get revenge on the inquisitor's descendants when that comet passes in the sky again. We all know where this is going. The dubbing's not so great on this one but I give it a pass because of how wild this one gets at points when the Baron's going all balls out for revenge.  74- Torture Garden 1967 - PRIME This one's a nice all around anthology. I adore how much Burgess Meredith hams it up as Dr. Diablo, it's a refreshing change from the usual stoic demeanor from the other 'hosts'. The stories are all pretty tight, not a weak one on the batch.
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Sep 30, 2018 08:52
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STAC Goat posted:Tarantino seems to have a really weird thing about personally embarrassing himself and making himself look like a jackass, and I guess in a movie that balls out nuts and gross he just kind of took that really far. I do agree that scene is really out there and a bit much, but I think by that point the whole film has just pushed me into a state of "I give up." That gag loving owns. I really like the movie on the whole, hence 4 stars.
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Sep 30, 2018 09:30
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“I’m just not going to fall asleep right now. I hate staying up this late with another film but I won’t fall asleep and I’ll just end up watching a couple of episodes of something just as long as a movie. I’ll just find something light. Maybe like a dark comedy or something. Oh, you know what’s been on my radar for awhile? It stars John Waters and Traci Lords. Seems like its gonna be one of those movies. That could be good.” - Me, roughly 90 minutes ago. 10 (13). Excision (2012) Available on Shudder  Annalyne McCord is a disturbed young woman who is obsessed with blood, gore, gruesome surgeries, and… cannibalism? She’s messed up and its hard for us and her family, school, and peers to know how much of that is just teenage misfit angst and insensitive people to it and how much is genuinely worrisome. Holy poo poo. Ok, right off the bat. The supporting cast of this film includes John Waters, Malcom McDowell, Traci Lords, Ariel Winter, Ray Wise, and Roger Bart. Its a loaded cast and with that sort of pedigree you’d probably expect what I was expecting, a dark comedy. And early on that’s definitely what we’re getting. The over the top judgmental mom judges her over the top malcontent teenage daughter in public and an educator makes a snarky comment. McCord’s Pauline concocts a scheme to lose her virginity and it causes teenage high school drama. Its oddly toned but its kind of in the realm of what I’m expecting. But that gives way towards the second act of the film and it starts to resemble a film like Ordinary People more than a horror. It becomes clear that Pauline’s sick obsession is rooted not only the terrible self loathing instilled by her cruel and hateful mother but in her desperate desire to come to terms with her younger sister’s cystic fibrosis and to find a way to help her, in Pauline’s mind by becoming a surgeon. A goal that he parents are happy to point out is unrealistic given her behavior and life path but which we can see is born out of her love for her sister and twisted understanding of death that surrounds her. Honestly, going into the third act I was prepared to say this didn’t really feel like a horror film to me. There clearly was a horror element to it. Pauline has vivid fantasies - many of a sexual nature - about slaughtering bodies, bathing in blood, and even cannibalism. They’re super hosed up, as is her constant sexual arousal by them. But its purely fantasy and at no point does it seem like she’s gonna start going all slasher or anything. In fact the one act of violence she engages in feels rather justified. Sure, it was wrong and not the actions of a rational person. But to roughly paraphrase Pauline “sometimes someone deserves to be smashed in the face.” And who can argue with that, even if we agree it maybe shouldn’t be acted on? But then holy loving poo poo. Pauline’s TRUE intentions and plans start to come into view and when they do its a loving tidal wave of realization and horror. I stared at my TV for 10 or 15 minutes just muttering “nooo… she’s not… oh my god… nooo…” And like, the absolute horror of the action aside (and oh yes, this movie earned its “horror” status in those 15 minutes) there’s immediately this huge horrifying realization that we LET THIS HAPPEN! We saw the warning signs and we were just making excuses and rationalizations for them. Holy poo poo, how do you know when someone really is out of their motherfucking minds like this? I see reviews that describe this movie as shocking for the sake of it, and I can see that for the first couple of acts of the film and Pauline’s fairly gratuitous gory fantasies. But the third act really does pull into view the bigger picture of how disturbed she is and how they really weren’t gratuitous at all. On its own I think the final scene more than justifies this movie if you can take sick, twisted, dark stuff. But there really is a larger subtext at play that comes into picture retroactively once Pauline finally snaps. In fact Pauline’s gruesome, sexual, but sterile fantasies end up reminding me a lot of The Voices and how Ryan Reynold’s own mentally ill character perceived his horrible actions in a more serene way to rationalize following through on them. This movie is definitely a memorable one. A good one I dare say. A twisted, messed up one. Definitely not the “light” fare I was looking for right before bed. Maybe even watch it with The Voices since I’m definitely noticing some similar themes and presentations of a violently disturbed mindset. I think its safe to say this is THE movie so far of my marathon. It left the biggest impression and gave me the most to think about at least. 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) / 6 (8). Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010) / 7 (9). Jug Face (2013) / 8 (10). Coherence (2013) / 9 (11). A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014) / - (12). Vampire in Brooklyn (1995) / 10 (13). Excision (2012) LORD OF BOOTY posted:That gag loving owns. I really like the movie on the whole, hence 4 stars. I think it becomes a bit much once they get to the facility and stuff like that starts happening, but it all happens so fast and wild that it holds together. But I enjoy the film as well and its one of those multi watch movies I'll put on in the background during the day in October. STAC Goat fucked around with this message at 10:28 on Sep 30, 2018 |
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Sep 30, 2018 10:25
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Alien 3 (1992) 2003 Special Edition Effects Team Commentary I really don't care for Alien 3 no matter how hard I try or how many different cuts I watch. The entire concept--the setting, the theme, the story--is just a massive misfire, no matter what the effects guys they got for the commentary tracks want to say to the contrary. The set is a big part of the alien movies capturing your attention, and the sets here don't. It doesn't come off like a world you could live in, it comes off like a funhouse sewer. Really wish they had gone with wooden planet. There's too many characters, most of them die before they get developed, and by the end there's so many bald white guys running around you lose track of them. It's really unclear how many of them are even left at any given time, there's a seemingly limitless supply. I find nihilism childish, and the nihilism here turns a two-and-a-half-hour movie into a slog. It was also done no favors by studio fuckery and comically bad composite shots.  Worse yet, there's no compelling logic for almost any of the shots to be done in such a way to require composite work. Compounding my dislike of these are the effects guys gushing over them. Alien and Aliens are timeless, and Alien 3 is forgettable iconoclasm. Pretty soon I'm going to move on to stuff I haven't seen enough times to just want to watch the commentary. The commentary track is actually fairly weak here, in that there are several minutes at a time where no one says anything, usually when someone is monologuing. And boy is there a lot of monologuing is this movie, so much so that you forget there's an alien sometimes. First-rate acting in a second-rate movie.
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Sep 30, 2018 10:26
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SMP posted:This any good? I googled it and it seems like there's an 11 hour version of this documentary that covers Hellraiser I and II. My review from earlier in the thread: quote:I kicked off the challenge last year by watching Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser 2, so I thought it would be cute to watch this to kick off this year. Leviathan is, simply, a documentary about the making of Hellraiser (I watched this on Shudder, which I guess doesn't have part 2 up). They get the majority of the cast, crew and production staff to talk about it (minus Clive Barker and the actress who played Kristy, which sticks out like a sore thumb). It's a fairly pleasant watch; there's lots of behind the scenes photos, in-depth discussion of the effects and designs, and everyone involved with the first one sounded like they enjoyed working on it and had good memories. It was interesting, but I have to imagine if you're a Hellraiser superfan, you probably already know all this stuff.
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Sep 30, 2018 12:21
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BrendianaJones posted:The Endless The Endless is a followup to resolution?! Alright, that's definitely next on my list
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Sep 30, 2018 13:01
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Ambitious Spider posted:The Endless is a followup to resolution?! Alright, that's definitely next on my list Yeah, it's not a "sequel," but it intersects with Resolution in some interesting ways.
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Sep 30, 2018 13:39
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 75- Mr. Sardonicus 1961 - DAILYMOTION One of the few regrets I have is that I missed out on the gimmick films in thier heyday. I've regularly said if I ever win Lotto, I'd be opening up a theater or drive-in that showed old horror films and I would definitely do the old gimmick films with the gimmicks. The gimmick for Sardonicus was choosing his fate after seeing all the horrible things he'd done and how he became who he was. I've heard mixed whether there really was a merciful ending filmed. Castle's flip flopped on this and there's tons of speculation for either argument. I doubt there ever was one filmed simply because compared to older films like the silents, completely lost film footage doesn't happen so much as it did before and it would've turned up by now or we'd have more people remembering filming it. This one's worth a watch just for Guy Rolfe's performance, he really sells Sardonicus' back history.  76- Reptilicus 1961 - VUDU Here we have Denmark's only kaiju. There is a Danish version and the English version that were both filmed at the same time with some differences. Main one is Reptilicus flies in the Danish version and spits acid venom in the English one. I don't know if it's true or not, but I remember it being said that a substantial portion of Denmark's national budget allegedly went towards this film. Makes no sense to me since I would think that'd be reflected in better effects.Even as a kid I found this one cheesy so it's perfect for a bad movie night. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M68wG0LRkE
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Sep 30, 2018 14:54
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M_Sinistrari posted:The gimmick for Sardonicus was choosing his fate after seeing all the horrible things he'd done and how he became who he was. I've heard mixed whether there really was a merciful ending filmed. Castle's flip flopped on this and there's tons of speculation for either argument. I doubt there ever was one filmed simply because compared to older films like the silents, completely lost film footage doesn't happen so much as it did before and it would've turned up by now or we'd have more people remembering filming it. Sure you don't think William Castle would lie to people about a film he shot! That's patently absurd. In fact, here's Castle's patent specifically on how absurd that idea is. Just from a cost standpoint, there's zero chance the mercy ending was ever shot.
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Sep 30, 2018 15:11
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Franchescanado posted:
I didn't realize Frank Henenlotter was gay until I saw him on this list that Fran linked to. It's a pleasant surprise because I already had Basket Case 2 on my list! 13. Basket Case 2 (1990, Frank Henenlotter) Source: DVD (Netflix)  I can tell Henenlotter begins by designing grotesque creatures and then molds a story around them. Nothin' wrong with that. He's the kid in school who would draw bizarre monsters on his trapper keeper. But while most of those kids probably went on to be philosophy majors or something, Henenlotter has successfully realized his ideas into films. He's a singular, uncompromising director. You can tell that the movies he creates end up precisely how he wants them, for good or bad. Basket Case 2 is the sort of movie that would be difficult to disappoint me. I'm admittedly a sucker for well done practical creature effects, and this film has them in droves. I like how it doesn't try to imitate the story of the original but rather takes the idea in an entirely new direction. Where the first film featured one creature that we didn't see very much, this film fills nearly every scene with deformed freaks for us to ogle at. It revels in its odd creations. Something interesting to note here is the gay subtext. The protagonist's struggle throughout the film is to feel "normal" by denying what he really is. It's a film about coming to terms with being different, and dealing with the outside world that's set out to other-ize you. And it's hard to not notice the similarity between "basket case" and "closet case".   (3 wicker baskets out of 5)
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Sep 30, 2018 15:27
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Franchescanado posted:
I knew I was going to end up watching more than 31 movies so I figure I will do these challenges outside of my 31 count. Starting with the most recent first because it is the most convenient. John Carpenter’s The Ghosts of Mars I was certain I was going to be typing this review about how I could actually see a good movie hidden in there and that the negative reviews were a bit overblown. Woof. This movie is bad bad bad from top to bottom. For having such an experienced cast there isn’t a good performance in the whole movie. In fact, if I had been tuning in randomly, you could have convinced me that this was actually a late night Skinemax movie. It has a very early 90s look which is fine except it was made in 2001. The score on the other hand is very symbolic of the time period as a nonstop barrage of numetal instrumentals. If I have to find one positive about this movie, I guess the concept isn’t really too bad? Humans have colonized Mars and in he process of blowing open a mine, find an already constructed tunnel that ends with a door that is mysteriously sealed. They call in a scientist who foolishly touches the seal,causing it to disappear and releasing Martian spirits that inhabit human hosts turning them violent against non possessed humans, in order to reclaim the planet. The execution is severely lacking, unfortunately. We aren’t clued in to what’s going on until the movie has plodded alone for an hour. The Martian possessed zombie people look like they are supposed to represent some sort of Native American/African tribe as I’m sure that’s what the “hidden” meaning of this movie was supposed to be. There is almost no intentional comedy except for one scene where a dude accidentally cuts his own hand off, which is probably the best in the movie. My favorite scene of unintentional comedy happens when one of the hero team ask another member to toss him a “detonator” which hits him square in the chest but doesn’t explode for... reasons, and then explodes after it is again thrown. Ghosts of Mars is like some horrible mix of Army of Darkness, Pitch Black, and He-Man. In short, this movie looks bad, sounds bad, has poor effects and performances by the cast. It’s dreadful.
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Sep 30, 2018 15:52
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#6 - Monkeyshines: An Experiment in Fear (1988) - IMO this is a really well put-together film, so I was surprised to learn about George A. Romero's unpleasant experience with studio interference and their final cut, causing the director to practically disown it. The alternate ending did not change the outcome of the paralyzed main character, it merely added in an unrelated scene with Stephen Root's character (a younger Milton from Office Space!!) , so I don't know what all the fuss is about that either. Are animals eligible for acting awards? The female monkey was outstanding - no sarcasm - that is a make-or-break type of thing, if it just looks like the monkey's "acting" by performing tricks it isn't convincing. The real life intelligence of her shone through. This is a solid, claustrophobic horror film about our inner animal nature boiling out like a vat. A slight ding: the monkey doll, a placeholder for the real monkey, getting tossed around at the end looked very much like, well, a doll 7/10 #7 Alien (1979) - a sci-fi horror landmark, and perhaps the best of the genre. It is hard to comprehend how many things could have gone wrong to seriously damage this masterpiece - dated 70s future sets, bad alien costume, cliches, male/female stereotypes and gender roles, etc. But Ridley Scott pulled it off and avoided errors that most other directors would have made. Unfortunately I can thank the folks at RedLetterMedia for laughing at the alien and its "happy birthday!" pose, oh well. 10/10
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Sep 30, 2018 16:05
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13. The Curse of the Werewolf 1961 | dir. Terence Fisher | rental Very little werewolf for a werewolf movie!  A Hammer film starring Oliver Reed as a werewolf should be an amazing film. There are fun moments. It's surprisingly bloody. The cast is good. The setting is great. The production looks as good as any other Hammer film. It really all falls short in the writing and structure. This is a 93 minute film. Oliver Reed doesn't make an appearance until around 50 minutes in. He doesn't get to start letting loose and allowed to explore the character until an hour in. The majority of the run-time is a linear back story that begins with a beggar being imprisoned for fifteen years, and then transitions to the mute girl who grows up as the prisoner's caretaker only to be imprisoned herself, and then sexually assaulted, and then escaped. Then the story shifts to her caretakers, an elderly couple who brings her unwanted child into the world. Eventually he'll become our main character, but we have to watch him grow up first. While it's never boring, necessarily, it's completely unnecessary to the story at hand. We know the humble couple loves their son despite being cursed to become a werewolf. And yet we get so much of it before the focus even shifts on him. When we do get our half hour with Leon (Oliver Reed), it's mostly spent with him disturbed by the possibility of transforming. Reed puts in great work, but it feels like it never goes anywhere, since we really only get two segments with him as a werewolf wreaking havoc. There is of course a romance, but it feels shoe-horned in more than explored. There is a sense of tragic isolation throughout the film. The beggar's tale is one of cruel isolation as unfair punishment; the jailer's daughter is mute and secluded and only wanted for her beauty, she dies bearing a child she doesn't want; Leon has been cosmically screwed for existing, and is further punished for being an outsider, and possibly because his family is poor? They don't seem poor, but everyone treats him like it anyway. Overall, it's such a short movie that it's worth it to get some good moments with Oliver Reed and to see how Hammer approaches werewolf films. It's a shame that this didn't get multiple sequels like Dracula and Frankenstein and the Mummy, I would have really liked to see Hammer deliver what could have been the ultimate classic werewolf film. Their aesthetic and atmosphere is perfect for it. Soft recommendation. Movies Seen: Hell House, LLC | Dagon | The Bird With the Crystal Plumage | Critters 2 | Serial Mom | Monster Squad | The Neon Demon | Motel Hell | Vampyr | Possession | Under The Skin | Martyrs | The Curse of the Werewolf Total: 13
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Sep 30, 2018 16:24
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7. Suspiria 4000 Reloaded Seen it multiple times before on the small screen, but this one is absolutely a movie for the theatre. The experience reminded me of seeing well-known pictures in real life. Van Gogh's Starry Night isn't particularly big and I'd say you can fully appreciate it without having seen it in its original form. Jackson Pollock's One (Number 31), some say it looks neat but if you see it for real, it's fuckoff huge and actually standing in front of it, taking in the vast canvas, is more or less required to properly judge it. That's Suspiria! The movie also really benefits from being loud as gently caress, if the whispers on the soundtrack aren't at nearly ear-splitting volume you're not watching it correctly. Overall I'd say go dropkick your loved ones out of the way to see it on the big screen. One thing that's been bothering me about the movie is that it starts out so strong that the rest of the movie can't quite live up to it. Imagine if the movie had been about Pat and not Susie, with pretty much the identical story progression as it is, but actually ending with Susie arriving at the academy and ultimately Pat's murder. I guess nobody expected the beginning of the movie to be this good, but makes me wonder what could have been. Previously: Creepshow II, Monster Squad, Mandy, Shock, Devil Fetus, Black Cat
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Sep 30, 2018 16:34
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6) Cropsey FRAN CHALLENGE #1: Love Something You Hate Seen on: Tubi For as much as I enjoy horror and the supernatural, the one subgenre I typically avoid is true crime/psychological horror - i.e., horror movies that do not have supernatural or fantastic elements and focus solely on real events. Maybe it's hypocritical, but I generally don't enjoy watching the suffering of real people (or the adaptations of the suffering of real people), as compared to actors playing fictional characters. With this in mind, I decided to give Cropsey a watch, as this was on a to-view list I had for last year's challenge but I considered it an absolute last pick if I went through every other movie on my list. I probably wouldn't have watched it this time either had it not been for the challenge. Cropsey is not a horror film per se, although it's listed under the genre at the site I watched it at, plus a lot of the hits I found on Google place it in the genre (if you guys consider it not to be, I'll watch something else for the challenge). It's a documentary that starts out with discussion of the urban legend of the boogeyman "Cropsey," the typical hook-for-a-hand madman that parents used to threaten their kids with to keep them out of places they shouldn't be in. The filmmakers reminisce about Cropsey on Staten Island, where they grew up, and then dovetailing that into "but he was real," focusing on the case of convicted child kidnapper Andre Rand and the disappearences of five children on Staten Island during the '70s and '80s; Rand was convicted of kidnapping and murdering two and suspected of taking the other three. As far as documentaries go, it's competently made, but it felt contrived in a lot of parts. There is, of course, question of whether Rand actually did the things he was convicted of; he claimed to be innocent and at one point tells the filmmakers he'll speak with them but later changes his mind. Going into the last third of the film, they start tossing around a lot of accusations against Rand (including devil worship) that just feels kind of over the top. There's even a visit to a spooky dark abandoned place in the third act that ends with a jump scare, just to set up "today's kids are doing the same things we are." News footage of Geraldo Rivera doing an ambush visit in the '70s at the mental institution where Rand worked and children were held is legitimately heartbreaking. There are families interviewed in the film that never had their children found, and they've had to live with the pain of that for decades; the film feels like catharsis for some of these folks. I can't say I found this entertaining to watch, although I understand the fascination behind films like this that ask "why do people do terrible things?"
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Sep 30, 2018 17:34
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Still watching stuff, got kinda behind on write ups.. 21. Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell (1968) The premise of this movie is really strong. A plane, carrying an assassin, politician, and potential terrorist crashes after brushing up against something alien, putting the surviving crew and passengers to the test of staying alive. Unfortunately for them the alien has other plans. The design of the alien was kinda meh but the way it snatched bodies was super sweet. My problem with the movie comes from everything that happens after the alien gets it's first human vehicle. I just didn't find it that engaging and felt pretty bored. The ending was pretty cool and didn't pull any punches, but I don't think it was enough to make up for the middle parts.  22. Genocide (1968) Really not sure about this one. It's a weird movie with a lot going on and ultimately I don't think I enjoyed it. The ending has stuck with me though, definitely shocked me. I would still say that you should check this out if you like Japanese horror. It's really weird and definitely worth giving a shot, and apparently some people really love it.  23. The Boxer's Omen (1983) The Boxer's Omen is a surreal occult horror masterpiece. I seriously think this might be one of the best uses of mysticism I have ever seen in film. Yeah it's over the top and insane, but it's so over the top and insane all the time that it sucks you into the world, and weirdly feels believable. A lot of the effects are frankly awful, but it never hurt the viewing experience. In some ways the seemingly bad effects made it seem even more like some guy had a weird experience with the occult and just needed to make a movie to warn people about it. Like, don't dabble in this stuff, be willing to sacrifice, be willing to suffer for enlightenment/protection from evil. Nothing comes for free, your actions have loving consequences, like having to pull needles out of your eyes for the chance to be invincible. drat, I really liked this movie.
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Sep 30, 2018 17:58
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Random Stranger posted:Sure you don't think William Castle would lie to people about a film he shot! That's patently absurd. In fact, here's Castle's patent specifically on how absurd that idea is. My personal opinion, it was never shot but drat I've listed to some intense arguments that it was.
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Sep 30, 2018 17:59
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married but discreet posted:7. Suspiria 4000 Reloaded This was exactly my experience watching it on the big screen last year. It was just eye-opening, and like watching it for the first time. Much of the film's artistry is lost on the small screen at a reasonable volume.
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Sep 30, 2018 19:10
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9) Behind the Mask: the Rise of Leslie Vernon (DVD) This was... fine. I thought that it would be a lot more compelling given the concept: a documentary team covers a serial killer in real time as he explains his whole process. But eh, it didn’t grab me too much. The latter half definitely was better, but the first half had a lot of cringe worthy moments to me. Watched (9): Puppet Master 4, Puppet Master 5, Terrifier, Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires, Martyrs (2008), Mandy, The Babadook, Ghost Stories, Behind the Mask: the Rise of Leslie Vernon
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Sep 30, 2018 19:24
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Franchescanado posted:11. Under The Skin Glad you liked it! Loved the write-up, makes me want to watch it again thinking about some of the things you mentioned. I wasn't super hot on it and wanted to hear some thoughts about it and you shared some very interesting points.
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Sep 30, 2018 19:33
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 77- Mill of Stone Women 1960 - PRIME First time watch on this one. I had the ending figured out early in the movie, not because the story's badly handled but this is the curse from watching waaaaay too many horror films. The cinematography in this one is good. I genuinely felt creeped out when we see the the mill museum in motion. Overall, I liked this one.
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Sep 30, 2018 19:40
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16. Re-Animator - 3.5/5quote:Love a good gooey movie. Nothing quite like a liberal application of blood. The crazy thing about this movie is that it kinda feels like a slow burn, but it's not at all. It's a fairly fast paced with plenty of blood and guts along the way, but the finale is just that wild in comparison.
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Sep 30, 2018 21:04
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Franchescanado posted:
16. Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (1982) aka Night Warning, watched on Youtube  I picked this off one of the lists Fran posted specifically because I'd never heard of it before. I was expecting schlock (and got plenty of it) but was pleasantly surprised that there was also a pretty interesting film in there. The protagonist is caught between his batshit Oedipal aunt and an irrational homophobic detective. Surprisingly progressive for 1982, I think. There are some points, especially in the climatic killing spree, where it feels like a John Waters movie without the jokes. Bill Paxton is in it in one of his earliest performances -back when he only played dimmed witted bullies. Overall I enjoyed it, but it does seem to drag a bit in the middle. I wish I knew what the hell either of the titles mean. 3.75/5 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 | 11. Pumpkinhead | 12. Prom Night | 13. Tales from the Crypt | 14. Carnival of Souls | 15. The Fly II | 16. Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker
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Sep 30, 2018 21:09
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 12. Cat People (1982) (watched on blu-ray) Irena (Nastassja Kinski) travels to New Orleans to meet her brother Paul, who she hasn’t seen since they were both young children. Paul (Malcolm McDowell) is a total psycho creeper, who immediately makes sexual advances on his sister. Irena finds out before long that they are both members of an ancient race of cat people, who have the power to transform into leopards - or rather, they turn into leopards when they have sex with regular humans, and then must kill someone in order to change back (usually the unfortunate person they just had sex with). Paul tells her that their race is incestuous for this reason - they do not transform if they mate with each other. Gross. The original Cat People from 1942, directed by Jacques Tourneur, is one of my favorite horror films of all time. The goofy title implies a b-movie monster story, and that is basically what the studio was expecting, but Tourneur and producer Val Lewton instead produced a brilliant and thoughtful film about the consequences of repressed sexuality, as well as the fear of the “other”. It’s a masterpiece. This remake mostly drops the ball on everything the made the original such a good film - the ambiguity surrounding Irena’s curse is nowhere to be found, it leaves out the xenophobia aspect entirely (Irena is now from Canada instead of Serbia), and any subtlety regarding sex is thrown out the window in favor of what is basically softcore porn. Also I don’t really understand why the incest stuff was added - I don’t think it added anything to the story other than making it a little grosser. It’s a shame about the strange and slightly repulsive script, because on a technical level this is a really well-made film. The acting is good, especially from Kinski (Klaus Kinski’s daughter!) and McDowell. Some of the cinematography is really beautiful, especially the surreal dream sequences with the leopards in the red desert, but there are some excellent shots throughout the film. Most of the music is pretty good too, with a very ‘80s-sounding score that features David Bowie singing the main theme. There are even some surprisingly decent (and gross) special effects. The best scenes from the original film - Alice walking alone through the park, and later swimming in the pool - are replicated here, and they are both pretty well done. They come pretty late in the film though, way after it already lost me. There is no way I can recommend this, especially when the original is so superior. Movies Seen: The Witching Season | Lifeforce | Terrifier | Unsane | I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House | From Beyond | 13 Ghosts | The Ritual | Child's Play | Twice-Told Tales | Beyond the Gates | Cat People (1982) Total: 12 gey muckle mowser fucked around with this message at 11:35 on Oct 1, 2018 |
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Sep 30, 2018 21:16
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 15)Endless I really enjoyed it, both on its own merits and as a follow up to Resolution. It expands the mythology a bit but not enough to take away the mystery. Good stuff. 4/5
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Sep 30, 2018 21:53
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Franchescanado posted:FRAN CHALLENGE #2: Queer Horror 14. The Old Dark House 1932 | dir. James Whale | rental I chose this film because I really love James Whale as a director, he's done a few of my all-time favorites, and yet there's many of his films I haven't seen. He was openly gay, and he claims it never affected his career, and yet he also was frustrated by being relegated as a horror director despite many attempts to branch out.  This is a Dark and Stormy Night At A Spooky House film, which are favorites of mine. The set design delivers chills for the old house, and the lighting is perfect, casting shadows throughout. It's one of the best-looking Whale films I've seen. This film is content with finding it's suspense with a cast of eccentric strangers, center of which is the owners of the house, a brother and sister and their silent disfigured manservant. It has a lot in common with The Fall of the House of Usher, and feels like a major influence on the Addams Family, Spider Baby and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. There are supernatural hints throughout the film, but the horror comes from the secrets behind the house's wall. I'm a little conflicted with Boris Karloff's turn as the mute and disfigured manservant with alcohol-fueled rage--that description doesn't disappoint, and it delivers some of the most tense moments-- but he's still a lumbering monster without a chance to show off more nuance. The cast is wonderful. The characters are a fun bunch that reflect the modern 30's, which is refreshing from the period pieces from this era, and they perform with energy. I couldn't ask for better for this story. There is an interesting sub-plot between Charles Laughton and Lillian Bond, where she basically acts as a paid beard while he remains single. It's explained that he wants to remain single after his wife died, but there is some odd word choices when Lillian Bond's character explains the situation, including using the term "gay" as a double entendre, in a time when it was just starting to be used as a term for homosexuality. There's also some ideas one could infer about Horace's reasons for having to live with his sister in her house, both of which he dislikes. There aren't any direct themes, at least one first watch, of homosexuality, but there certainly is a major theme of rotting away from fear and repression. Really, this film delivers on everything I wanted. Recommended! Movies Seen: Hell House, LLC | Dagon | The Bird With the Crystal Plumage | Critters 2 | Serial Mom | Monster Squad | The Neon Demon | Motel Hell | Vampyr | Possession | Under The Skin | Martyrs | The Curse of the Werewolf | The Old Dark House Total: 14 Fran Challenges: 1 Franchescanado fucked around with this message at 22:26 on Sep 30, 2018 |
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Sep 30, 2018 22:10
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VHS Double-Feature Part 2! 9.  Dolls So it occurred to me after three VHS tapes in a row without trailers, that this is the way VHS rental copies are supposed to be. Maybe somebody can correct me, but I guess it'd make sense for real VHS rental-only copies to be trailer-free since the establishment owner already paid the distributor a premium for a special copy. All I know is that my local mom-and-pop's VHS tapes always had trailers, and Dolls was no exception. Tracking issues aside, this was a better quality copy than either of my previous tapes, or maybe that was just Stuart Gordon's cinematography with its high contrasts and bright colors. Yes, this is a Gordon/Yuzna production and if you haven't somehow seen it already then get on that poo poo. It's probably my favorite Stuart Gordon movie, the creature effects on the little dolls are great and the movie is like a dark modern-day Grimm's fairy tale. I appreciate that it's a tale of totally irredeemable assholes getting their comeuppance, even if it's at the hands of creepy dolls and a dubiously "kindly" old couple. This was just as much of a delight to watch on VHS as it was the first time, though obviously the blu-ray is leagues better. Seriously do check it out, there's decent gore and blood with the trademark Stuart Gordon dark humor, but it's also probably family-friendly enough to put non-horror fans at ease. 10.  Maniac Cop 2 Oh holy poo poo, I heard that Maniac Cop 2 was leagues better than the first but I didn't expect this. And I really enjoyed the first, this one just had way more balls-out action and elevated Matt Cordell to legendary status as "Literally Jason Voorhees But Also a Cop". It clears up the ambiguity from the first movie, namely is he or isn't he a goddamn zombie... yeah he totally is. The few kills there are are great, but mainly it's just fun to see Robert Z'dar tearassing around and terrifying everybody. Watching this now just makes me want to see a Maniac Cop franchise reboot, I mean if any franchise needs a modern take it's this one. Especially with its themes of police corruption that it mostly just glosses over and uses as a backdrop to the carnage, a modern reboot could delve into that deeper. I'd seriously put Robert Z'dar right next to Kane Hodder for his Iconic Hulking Monster Walk alone, he absolutely steals every scene he's in and it's a shame he's mostly known for his speaking roles where he does a... less-than-stellar job. He needed more stunt roles and Silent Force of Nature roles, he could've been huge. Also that loving Maniac Cop rap out of nowhere https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDpzGiP-PrU
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Sep 30, 2018 22:40
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Franchescanado posted:
With so many foreign-to-me movies on that list, I randomly picked one I could find on YouTube and the winner was..... Fear No Evil  Two-hit wonder (and allegedly gay director) Frank LaLoggia (the other film being Lady In White bring us this very serious and ambitious movie about the battles between God and Lucifer. As part of this movie's huge ambition is it's exposition sequences, which is where this movie starts with a segment and voice over narration describing God's problems with Lucifer, and then sending his archangels to combat Lucifer on Earh. Lucifer in this feature is played by Stefan Arngrim  Lucifer, incarnated as a boy named Andrew, seems to be a confused character. Of course, at his baptism as an infant, things go awry. But then we jump forward to his high school years where he is getting straight A's and being pretty well behaved for horror movie high schooler. His reserved attitude gets him noticed by the school bully. This leads us to the most memorable scene in the movie where all the boys are getting done with gym class and head to the showers. The camera does not shy away from a shower room of full frontal nudity where the jocks start to harass Andrew and are going to teach him a lesson by kissing him (?)  Something happens during the kiss which we the viewer aren't really made clear about. Does he electrocute him? Shows him some scene of past horrors, ala The Green Mile? Who knows. The human incarnated archangels meet up with each other and their is a show down in an ancient, incomplete castle (which also gets it's own lengthy exposition via a tour steamer passing by as Lucifer listens on) . The only other thing I have to say about this movie is the soundtrack is unbelievable and can't help but wonder if he paid for the rights to use music by The Talking Heads, the Boomtown Rats, The Ramonesand the Sex Pistols /5
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Sep 30, 2018 23:03
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17- Little Shop of Horrors Man I love this movie. It's a bit bittersweet though, really made me miss Rock Moranis, John Candy, and a Steve Martin who cares. This is a great movie though. I love the music, I love the effects, I love the cast. There's really nothing about I don't like. And yes we stuck to the happy ending, I just like it better
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Sep 30, 2018 23:25
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10) The Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954) The last great Universal monster picture, this tragic tale of home invasion was a huge influence on many movies that followed it, most notably Michael Haneke's Funny Games. OK, this is a minor wind-up. But the great strength of the Universal horror movies was always the pathos they engendered for the monsters. The Gill-Man is no exception; on the one hand he's responding to a bunch of asshat Americans getting up in his poo poo, and on the other he wants to get his end away with Julia Adams. Another interesting point is that while Creature was shot for 3D, and indeed was a pioneer of the format, there's very little use of the obvious cheap trick of throwing things at the screen. The effect is chiefly used to lend depth to the superb underwater sequences. Fun factoid: everyone remembers the famous scene where the Gill-Man is carrying off Julia Adams in her white one-piece swimsuit, right? But its a false memory created by the posters - Adams does wear the suit, and the Gill-Man does carry her off, but in separate scenes. Jedit fucked around with this message at 23:13 on Oct 1, 2018 |
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Sep 30, 2018 23:27
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10) Curse of the Puppet Master Puppet Master movies have to have some sort of likeable or lovable character. Or at least have Toulon in it to fill that role! This one had nothing. It had the puppets, sure, but they were barely even in it until the last bit. The best thing I can say about this one is it was short. 11) The Devil's Candy This one was great. As a contract to the above movie, this one I think worked really well for having a short runtime. It was well-paced, well shot, and most importantly of all- the portrayal of "metalheads" in a movie didn't make me cringe as much as usual. Very recommended. Watched (11): Puppet Master 4, Puppet Master 5, Terrifier, Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires, Martyrs (2008), Mandy, The Babadook, Ghost Stories, Behind the Mask: the Rise of Leslie Vernon, Curse of the Puppet Master, The Devil's Candy
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Sep 30, 2018 23:54
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Retro Futurist posted:17- Little Shop of Horrors I get liking the happy ending better on some level but you have to admit getting rid of Don’t Feed Plants is insanity. It’s the big closing number.
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Oct 1, 2018 00:01
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Retro Futurist posted:17- Little Shop of Horrors God drat, for a second I thought Rick Moranis had died and my heart unexpectedly dropped.
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Oct 1, 2018 00:02
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Franchescanado posted:Not only is this okay, but it's encouraged. Yeah, I just set that up as a limitation for myself. Whenever I do these, I mostly try to focus on covering my horror blind spots.  15. Repulsion (1965). Directed by Roman Polanski Saw via: Netflix DVD Put this one off for ages because Roman Polanski is a bad person. The dude could make a hell of a horror film, I'll say that. Repulsion's such an intimately crafted pressure cooker of a film that it kinda makes me mad I like it so much. The cinematography is next level poo poo, impressively claustrophobic and unnerving. I know hundreds of people have made this point before, but there's something cruelly ironic about a series of incredible films about the horror of being a woman viewed by men (this and Rosemary's Baby) being made by a known sexual predator.
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Oct 1, 2018 00:18
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Friends Are Evil posted:Yeah, I just set that up as a limitation for myself. Whenever I do these, I mostly try to focus on covering my horror blind spots. If it makes you feel better, both those movies predated the predation and also the murder of Sharon Tate.
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Oct 1, 2018 00:28
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| # ? Jun 4, 2024 17:16 |
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I'm so hyped, been saving up everything remotely horror related for the last year for this. My rules, have to be new to me, going for the 31 again. Here's my list right now. I'll probably add cool stuff I find in the thread to it. I'll be making wheels online and spinning to choose which one.
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Oct 1, 2018 00:38
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