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Retro Futurist posted:This is actually what I loved about it. Where Hereditary plays a lot on the viewer not knowing what the hell is going on and the terror that instills, Midsommar broadcasts absolutely everything in advance, from all the prophetic art to characters just outright saying what's going to happen later. In an age of twists thrown into everything I really loved seeing something just wear it's heart on its sleeve like that and be so open about it. I think I'd be more in your camp if the runtime was closer to The Wicker Man, a film that wastes no time. In The Wicker Man, the opening credits are the main character arriving on the island and then within 2-3 minutes he's meeting with creepy townspeople. Midsommar has us hanging around with these sad sacks in their apartment for 20 minutes before it even gets going. It could've been more streamlined.
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Oct 10, 2019 17:36
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Retro Futurist posted:This is actually what I loved about it. Where Hereditary plays a lot on the viewer not knowing what the hell is going on and the terror that instills, Midsommar broadcasts absolutely everything in advance, from all the prophetic art to characters just outright saying what's going to happen later. In an age of twists thrown into everything I really loved seeing something just wear it's heart on its sleeve like that and be so open about it. Same. I think one of the first images we're shown is an illustration of a bear and there's all these allusions to fire and even images of bears on fire, and the whole thing is a steady march towards inevitable poo poo Hitting The Fan. It's like that Hitchcock quote about telling someone there's a bomb under the table, drawn out to 2+ hours.
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Oct 10, 2019 17:39
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8. Horror Noire A fantastic documentary that I had shamefully not yet seen. It does a great job of tying together the evolution of African-Americans in horror with the changes going on in American society since the 1930's to the present.  9. Attack the Block  A movie mentioned in Horror Noire which inspired me to watch it. A great "kids fight aliens" movie set in a housing block in London which features good cinematography, an interesting monster design and characters with a bit of complexity and even a bit of a character arc for the lead. The blood and gore isn't overused, but when it is used it looks excellent. quote:1. The Shining [5/5 Spooks]
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Oct 10, 2019 17:39
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 #64) Mansion of the Doomed (1976), a.k.a., The Terror of Dr. Chaney, a.k.a., Eyes, a.k.a., House of Blood, a.k.a., Massacre Mansion, a.k.a., Eyes of the Living Dead Tubi. Presented by Charles Band Productions, despite the year. Make-up by Stanley Winston. Lance Henriksen's name in the opening credits. This might be good? After causing a car accident that costs his daughter her sight, a doctor begins looking to give her a transplant of working eyes. But where to get them? Better harvest them from unwilling donors. That's the ticket. Not great, but not terrible. Actual sets, good lighting, varied costuming, earnest acting, and background tai chi are all in effect. And one woman delivers a pitch-perfect Navi "Hey!". But it never rises above being just alright. Stan Winston does a convincing job of creating gaping holes for eyes, and that might be the highest accomplishment in the film. I guess if you're really hungry for a flip of the premise of Eyes Without a Face, this is where it's at, but outside of that and a young Henriksen (who doesn't get much screen time), there's no strong arguments to recommend it. rating: 5/10"Wait a minute, this isn't the way to Disneyland, this is the way to the ocean!"
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Oct 10, 2019 17:46
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16. Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel (2018) - New To Me #8 This was very underwhelming and felt flat and silly compared to the first. The TV interview segments, the walk through the house - everything felt cheap. The whole movie felt like a poor rehash of the first movie, which I really liked. Movies So Far - 16: Rewatches: 4 - Deep Red, One Cut Of The Dead, The Endless, Train To Busan New To Me: 8 - Dolls, Borderlands, Child’s Play (2019), Memory: Origins Of Alien, Who Can Kill A Child?, The Seventh Curse, Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde, Hell House LLC 2 Finally Watching Owned Movies: 4 - Werewolf Of London, She-Wolf Of London, Isle Of The Snake People, Creature From The Black Lagoon
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Oct 10, 2019 17:56
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Franchescanado posted:SUPER SAMHAIN CHALLENGE #3: Horror Noire  #14. The First Purge (HBO Go) A new political party has taken power in the US, the New Founding Fathers of America, and they conduct a trial run of an experimental "end to law" on Staten Island one night. Residents are paid $5,000 to stay on the island, and incentivized with extra money to loot, pillage and even murder other residents, so that the NFFA can make the case to America that "the Purge" needs to go nationwide. When the night initially doesn't go as planned, one small group gets swept up into an NFFA plot to goose their numbers by sending in mercenaries to kickstart waves of violence. I'd intended to watch Ganja & Hess last night for this challenge, but I was in a bit of A Mood last night, and a movie about violent insurrection against oppressive armed government forces and racists seemed more palatable than a slow, somber, experimental film about vampires. Maybe later. ANYWAY... I hadn't watched any of the Purge movies to this point, and I was surprised by how much I liked this version. It was slick and well paced, the characters were a bit thin but all of the actors were really committed to the concept, and I liked the world-building in the beginning setting everything up. I really dug the scenes of people going through the bog-standard medical examination ahead of signing up for the Purge, the idea of this night being set up as a tightly controlled bureaucratic web of red tape and miscellaneous b.s. to be given the green light to murder each other. I also really dug the scenes where everyone had the special camcorder contact lenses at the start, so that everyone was walking around with LED lights in their eyes, looking like the new robo-Chucky doll. It feels like the Purge is more of an action movie series than a horror series at this point, but giving the minor antagonist "Skeletor" glowing purple eyes helped him seem like an unearthly presence, like he was a slasher villain that wandered into the Escape from New York prequel. (Hell, that may have just been the studio logline.) I had a lot of fun with this, and it was cool to see a second big budget, African-American helmed and led action(/horror) film that had snuck out of the major studio system, even in the year of Black Panther. Are the other Purge movies as fun as this one was? If so, I may have to check out the remaining films or the show.  /5Watched so far: The Curse of Frankenstein, Villains, Horror of Dracula, You're Next, House on Haunted Hill (1959), Halloween 4, Army of Darkness, A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), The Fly (1986), Joker, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Beyond the Gates, The First Purge
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Oct 10, 2019 18:03
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I like all of The Purge movies, but The First Purge is head and shoulders above the rest. It's easily the best movie in the series by a big margin.
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Oct 10, 2019 18:07
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Class3KillStorm posted:Are the other Purge movies as fun as this one was? If so, I may have to check out the remaining films or the show. Not really, no. Election Year has some interesting stuff in it but First Purge is clearly on a different level than the others.
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Oct 10, 2019 18:08
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Class3KillStorm posted:Are the other Purge movies as fun as this one was? If so, I may have to check out the remaining films or the show. Definitely check out The Purge: Anarchy. It’s where the series starts to get blatant about “no this is literally class warfare.”
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Oct 10, 2019 18:08
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 15. All The Colors of the Dark (1972) Dir: Sergio Martino (Shudder) Can't believe I made it this whole challenge without watching a single giallo yet. This film goes to some very strange occult places bolstered by the typical giallo dream logic and does it with glorious panache. You could certainly compare it to Rosemary's Baby, but I think there's something weirder and vaguer at play than in Rosemary's Baby. The aesthetics of this movie are on point, with gorgeously psychedelic cinematography and some of the best Italian horror music this side of Goblin. There's a Grails song called All The Colors of the Dark I've been listening to for years that I didn't even realize was a cover until I saw this movie. Wraps up a bit too nicely for a film this psychedelic, but I still love it. Watched: 1. Candyman 2. The Wailing 3. Spookies 4. One Cut of the Dead 5. Viy 6. The Driller Killer 7. Tammy and the T-Rex 8. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives 9. Scary Movie 10. Ice Cream Man 11. Freaks 12. The Hills Have Eyes 13. Spider Baby 14. Lady Terminator 15. All The Colors of the Dark
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Oct 10, 2019 18:14
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17. Halloween 3: Season of the Witch Watched On: HBO Now This movie has had a late-career renaissance after the critical drubbing it was given upon its release. As someone with no nostalgia for Michael Myers outside of enjoying the first Halloween movie last year, it's definitely an undeserved reputation. However, this movie is REALLY dumb, like down to its core conceit. Cochran's plan relies on so many insane moving parts and is seemingly executed for no real reason that the whole thing becomes laughable. There are moments of genuine horror in this, mostly having to do with the robotic employees of Silver Shamrock, but it is all wrapped up in dumb nonsense. Tom Atkins is the perviest character I've ever seen in an 80s horror movie (WHICH IS SAYING SOMETHING) and all of these flirtations are fruitful. He misses relevant plot because he's having sex with a college student! He's the worst. It was definitely a fun watch and I can why it was so polarizing upon release. Definitely recommended if you want to watch a real dumb horror movie this October.
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Oct 10, 2019 18:37
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I got weirded out when I saw the top half of that poster since Kill Baby Kill is my film for tonight.
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Oct 10, 2019 18:49
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Clayren posted:9. Attack the Block I love the design of the aliens in this. John Boyega is great too and it's easy to see why he ended up in Star Wars.
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Oct 10, 2019 18:56
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 #65) Shriek of the Mutilated (1974), a.k.a., Mutilated, a.k.a., Scream of the Snowbeast Tubi! Yeti horror! The "Popcorn" song in an early party scene! Exemplary '70s fashions! A field trip to find abominable snowmen! Made me laugh several times, from the man covered in blood lazily sipping a beer while lying in a bath with his clothes on to the enthusiastic applause for the piano song about the yeti. Felt kind of like a stiff, self-serious northern version of Boggy Creek II, with flashback recollections of encounters with the yeti, the professor taking students on a field trip to find the monster, bad monster costumes, and some surprisingly nice landscape photography tucked away in the boredom. Burst out laughing the first time I got a good look at the monster, and every time after that, so that was a plus. Towards the end, they kept dropping in the original song that the main theme from The Shining adapts, which was another source of laughter. The cascade of twists at the ending came out of nowhere, and were all absurd. Eh. Too long between laughs to justify it, but it could have been worse. And it does deliver on everything promised on the poster. rating: 4/10"They said there would be no more field trips!"
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Oct 10, 2019 19:17
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Franchescanado posted:SUPER SAMHAIN CHALLENGE #2: Dead & Buried  13 (15). Q (1982) Available on Prime, Showtime, Shudder, and Tubi. Strange and gruesome deaths are happening in Manhattan and a grizzled cop and petty crook both end up stumbling on the reality that the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl has taken up roost in the Chrysler Building and is preying on the rooftop sunbathers and window washers of New York. When Larry Cohen died earlier this year I realized I had never actually seen any Cohen films before. I went and watched The Stuff and had some mixed feelings on it and have been meaning to dig deeper ever since. I was going to watch Its Alive but I was just feeling lazy last night and didn’t feel like working the DVD. But this one was just a click away so the laziness of modern technology won out. All in all this was probably the “soft” viewing I was in the mood for so it was a good choice (although I imagine any Cohen would have fit that bill). It was an alright movie, not a great one. It actually didn’t feel super horror. It was more of like a buddy cop action or something, but I suppose that’s kind of par for the course with monster movies. David Carradine and Michael Moriarty are fun, even if Moriarty isn’t exactly paying a good guy. The whole “cult” plot didn’t really go anywhere but I guess it was in service of the final cutesy scene. The effects are… adequate. The stop motion clay stuff obviously doesn’t really hold up but it has a charm that bad CGI doesn’t. Maybe that’s just my age and nostalgia? I dunno. A lot of my enjoyment of the movie probably did come down to nostalgia because my favorite part of the film was just New York City. It was just the city I grew up in and loved showed very true. That’s not a super rare thing in tv and film, but in horror it seems like New York is always this absurd hellscape. This was just 1982’s New York, the place I grew up, and I found myself just enjoying the noise and crowdedness and the cramped apartments with absurd layouts and those old painted over radiators that will spit out steam and burn you in the winter. I love NY. I can’t think of another horror film set in that place vs some weird sci-fi idea of “New York” and even if you don’t have the nostalgia I do I think the realism of it probably help to make the film feel more natural. And of course Midtown Manhattan is the place where a dragon could fly around eating people and not only would most people not notice but the cops would just be like “Eh, a flying dinosaur? Ok, lets go kill it.” All in all a fun little watch. Kind of the same way I felt about Stuff. I think I get the vibe of Cohen. September Pre-Game Tally - New (Total) 1. NOS4A2 (2019); - (2). Splice (2009); - (3). Drive Angry (2011); 2 (4). The Twilight Zone (2019); - (5). Event Horizon (1997); - (6). BrainDead (2016); 3 (7). The Dark Tower (2017); 4 (8). The Collector (2009); 5 (9). The Bad Batch (2016); - (10). Rose Red (2002); - (11). Salem’s Lot (1979) October Tally - New (Total) 1. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920); 2. Nightmare Cinema (2018); 3. Dead of Night (1945); The Queen of Spades (1949); 5. Tragedy Girls (2017); 6. House of Wax (1953); SUPER SAMHAIN CHALLENGE #1: 7. The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016); 8. In the Tall Grass (2019); 9. The Night of the Hunter (1955); 10. The Thing (1951); - (11). The Thing (1982); 11 (12). The Thing (2011); - (13). Halloween (1978); 12 (14). Dracula (1931); SUPER SAMHAIN CHALLENGE #2: 13 (15). Q (1982);
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Oct 10, 2019 19:42
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Gripweed posted:I like all of The Purge movies, but The First Purge is head and shoulders above the rest. It's easily the best movie in the series by a big margin. When I rewatched the series in anticipation of The First Purge I was most surprised that the first one held up better, I think because it's issue on release was that it didn't explore the concept enough but in light of the sequels it's a pretty solid capsule story that lays on the class warfare themes. The Purge: Anarchy inversely wasn't as strong as I remembered it. But The First Purge is by far the best of the series, just a whole other league.
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Oct 10, 2019 19:52
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10) The New Kids (1985) Two orphans (with military training!) get send to live with their uncle who owns a Christmas-themed amusement park in Florida. When one of them refuses the advances of the local jocks things go bad. I really liked this one. The two siblings have pretty decent chemistry, the jocks are total assholes (one of them asks the girl out on a date to a dog fight!) in the best/most entertaining way and the big final fight in the amusement park is fantastic. 3.5/5 11) Alucarda (1977) I love horror movies with satanic themes but this one didn't really work for me. It has a few good scenes but the movie manages to be boring with a sub 80 minutes runtime. 2/5 12) Evil Dead 2 It's Evil Dead 2. 5/5 13) SUPER SAMHAIN CHALLENGE #2: Dead & Buried - God told me to (1977) A rewatch. I really love how bonkers the movie goes in the second half. The first half does a good job introducing the mystery and setting up the main character but the real fun starts later. 3.5 / 5
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Oct 10, 2019 20:14
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 #66) Blood of the Vampire (1958) Tubi. Not released by Hammer, but it sure feels like one of theirs, thanks to the costuming, the bawdiness, bright red blood, big gothic sets, and a script by Jimmy Sangster. A great demonstration of how that successful formula can feel rather hollow without someone like Cushing, Gough, Lee, or Reed there to drive things forward on the force of their charisma. Donald Wolfit puts in a good turn as Dr. Callistratus, the film's 'vampire,' but it's a good third of the way into the movie before he appears. Much of the movie takes place in a hospital for the criminally insane, which allows for lots of grimy set dressing and make-up, and it's that atmosphere which was responsible for most of the film's appeal, to me. In some ways, it felt like the basis for Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, what with all the laboratory experimentation on patients that was taking place, and the coercion of a medically-trained inmate to assist. Unlike that one (as far as I remember), it also has a number of moments of stupendously British stupidity. And a character named Auron. I'd only recommend this to Hammer completionists who've already worked their way through the studio's actual catalog. rating: 6/10"Firstly, the commission are getting disturbed at the number of deaths in this establishment. You must do something to cover it up."
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Oct 10, 2019 20:46
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19: Resident Evil Damnation The weakest CGI Resident Evil movie. Instead of the standard dual protagonists setup, Damnation goes all Leon S Kennedy all the time. Which is to it's detriment. Being able to switch between the two leads give the other movies more energy with faster scenes and more switching of locations. And there's less humor since you don't have the two leads bouncing off each other Especially since it's all in this post-Soviet country. Instead of the mix of locations of the other movies, you just get more of this fake Eastern Europe All of that together and Damnation just drags. Especially the final battle sequence, which should be awesome with Tyrants fighting Lickers. But it goes on for so long, and the Tyrant vs Licker stuff gets super repetitive. A Licker jumps at a Tyrant which easily crushes it's skull/neck like five times. There's definitely some good moments. The Ada Wong vs the president fight is great. Some moments in the aforementioned Tyrants vs Lickers are pretty good. But over all I'd say Resident Evil Damnation isn't just for Resident Evil fans, it's just for Leon S Kennedy fans. Give it a try if you really like Leon S Kennedy, and think that whenever he's not on screen the other characters should be saying "Where's Leon S Kennedy?" Except he doesn't even ride a motorcycle so you aren't even gonna get the Leon S Kennedy material that you want.
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Oct 10, 2019 21:20
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Two nights ago was Midsommar but last night was....Clive Barker night! Hellraiser Amazing what a creative mind can do with a limited budget and one set. I've logged this film(and Candyman) for every October Challenge I've participated in, so it's kinda tough to come up with new things to say about it. You hear a lot about the best werewolf transformation scenes, but Hellraiser has a "reconstitution" scene that can't really be described, it has to be seen. One of the grossest and goopiest scenes in horror history. The balance of Cenobites vs. Frank's shenanigans is perfect here, and I think that started to become a major issue as the sequels went on. Either too much Pinhead, Pinhead acting inappropriately, or not enough Pinhead and a boring B story. But here(and with Hellraiser II as well), the story is just as engaging when Pinhead is off-screen as when he is on it. By all rights Julia should've become an iconic horror villain but it just wasn't to be.  Candyman I'd probably consider this to be a better all around film than Hellraiser, and maybe that's because Barker didn't direct. But for me Candyman is THE best horror film made in the 90's, bar none. The characters, the setting, the score, the fantastic performance by Tony Todd, there's just no flaws here that I can see. And in a movie this stylish and creepy, who'd expect it to also have one of the finest jump scares in the genre? If you've seen the movie I'm sure you know the scene I'm talking about. This is an absolute must-see for any horror fan, and it's on Netflix so no excuses. Watched: 1. Child's Play(1988) 2. Child's Play(2019) 3. VHS: Viral 4. Tales From the Crypt 5. (SAMHAIN CHALLENGE #1)Viy 6. House of Frankenstein 7. Van Helsing 8. The Shining 9. Salem's Lot 10. Poltergeist 2: The Other Side 11. Pumpkinhead 2: Blood Wings 12. The Ravenous 13. Alucarda 14. Horror of Dracula 15. Dracula: Prince of Darkness 16. Midsommar 17. Candyman 18. Hellraiser
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Oct 10, 2019 21:35
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5. One Cut of the Dead Absolutely great to go in blind! Was anyone else on edge waiting for another twist in the last stretch? 6. The Gate I think I saw part of this on TV over 20 years ago, but drat if I can remember anything about it except the giant demon near the end. Right from the opening it's Extremely 80's: kid with one of the two 80's kids haircuts and a jacket loaded with astronaut patches, giant suburban house no one can afford these days, one of those shaggy dogs that I literally haven't seen since the 90's started, etc. Did people stop wanting sheepdogs? Of course, you know right from the tone the movie sets that it's going to have a happy ending - even the poor dead dog that gets carried around like a giant gross stuffed animal is alive again!. --- Does anyone have recommendations for movies like The Gate, Evil Dead 1 and 2, The Mist, etc. where it's a non-stop series of creepy stuff happening? Not just one evil ghost or killer, but something that's causing the protagonists - and me, the viewer - to stay on their toes because literally anything could be coming next?
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Oct 10, 2019 21:44
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Okay, so last year I managed to watch 31 first viewings and fulfilled all of the Fran challenges, but still wound up with this Aunt Martha av because I didn't have the time to post my last batch of write-ups, so it's probably not a good sign that it's already the 10th and I'm only just now getting to my entry post. Whatever, I'm still in for 31 first-time viewings. 1. Dude Bro Party Massacre III - An eighties slasher spoof from the 5 Second Films crew, some of the humor just didn't land for me (e.g. the reveal of the reason behind the one dude's fear of puppies or the bag of oranges reveal at the end). Fortunately, they just pack the jokes in pretty much nonstop, so if one thing doesn't work for you, there's something coming up that might be more your style in literally just seconds. Definitely worth a watch. 2. One Cut of the Dead - What can I say about this movie that hasn't already been said already in this thread, aside from, you know, literally anything about the plot. I have to echo every other review though and say go into this as blind as possible. This might be the most enjoyable movie I watch all month. 3. Hereditary - The pervasive aura of dread that hangs over this entire movie is almost smothering. Even before the film gets its wheels in motion, the tension in the family already has you on edge. Once tragedy strikes and things start falling apart, it only gets worse. An excellent, if exhausting, film that I'll want to revisit someday, but definitely not too soon. 4. SUPER SAMHAIN CHALLENGE #1:THE BEST MONTH - VIY - I really enjoyed the stage play-like qualities of the scenes in the tomb as our protagonist fails his way through his task. What really caught me about this movie, however, is how much it reveals about the Soviet view of agrarian life, the clergy, and Ukrainians generally. While I enjoyed this overall, I think I liked it more as an historical artifact than as a stand alone film. 5. The Ranger - After a run in with the law that ends with a police officer being stabbed, a group of punks flees the city for upstate New York to hide out in the secluded cabin previously owned by the deceased uncle of one of the group. Someone up thread said that there are plenty of better options for punk horror and they were right. The whole thing is a pretty flat, unsatisfying affair with thinly written characters and amateurish performances. Also, is this supposed to be a period piece? Everyone's using walkmen and boomboxes to play cassettes, but all the vehicles in the movie felt newer than that. So far the worst of the month. 6. Phantom of the Paradise - This is one that I've wanted to check out for a while, and it did not disappoint. A seventies rock retelling of the Phantom of the Opera and Faust, with a dash of The Picture of Dorian Gray thrown in for good measure, this is a unique and stylish film. The movie is always a little tongue in cheek, but it commits to it's premise and gets pretty crazy by the end. The whole subplot at the end regarding Swan's eternal youth seemed like a joke to me, since the whole time I was watching the movie I couldn't help but think that Paul Williams looked like someone's 60 year-old aunt, but then I found out he was only in his early thirties at the time, so maybe it wasn't supposed to be quite as ridiculous as it came off. Also, while I really enjoyed this movie, the character of Beef has not aged well. 7. The Perfection - More a thriller than a horror film, but it still counts. Plus, there's some brief but effective body horror in the first third. Ultimately, it's a decent enough movie, if not anything particularly remarkable, but it should be noted that if you have issues with themes around sexual abuse/assault, this is definitely not the movie for you. 8. SUPER SAMHAIN CHALLENGE #3: HORROR NOIRE - THE FIRST PURGE - While I've only previously seen the first two Purge films, this one was definitely the most overt in its political messaging, making the class warfare and racial violence the main horror of the film. This one skews a bit more toward action than horror, but the character of Skeletor makes for a good slasher villain, who appropriately winds up being a minor threat when compared with the state-sanctioned violence being conducted by various militias and white supremacist groups throughout the film. 9. Body Bags - A bit of tonal whiplash, going from The First Purge to this, but it was good to watch something light-hearted afterwards, and this anthology is definitely not looking to take itself very seriously. You can tell that John Carpenter is having a blast in this as the host of the wrap-around segments, and the segment that he directs is hands down the best of the three. This is also a film with some really stand-out performances, including one from Mark Hamill in the final segment featuring a pretty classic take on the old "body part replaced with one from a killer" storyline, and an even better turn from Stacy Keach in the second segment as a man obsessed with his thinning hair. All in all, this film has a remarkably stacked cast for a horror anthology. 10. SUPER SAMHAIN CHALLENGE #2: DEAD AND BURIED - NEW YEAR'S EVIL - R.I.P. Louisa Moritz. The host of an L.A.-based music show is being menaced during a New Year's Eve special by a caller on the request line who claims he'll be committing a murder at the moment each time zone celebrates the New Year, with the fourth target to be the host herself. It's an interesting early entry into the slasher genre in that we primarily follow the killer, with no effort being made to obscure his appearance or hide his movements from the audience. We're along for the ride for his crime spree and it's not until the denouement that we start to understand the significance of who the killer is and what his motives might be. That said, it's not so interesting that you're missing out if you don't track this down. This is a decent rainy weekend watch if you need some time to kill, but that's about it. 11. Child's Play (1988) - Somehow I've managed to never catch the first entry in this series, despite having seen some of the sequels. This one does a good job of making Chucky feel like he's a threat. He's much more prone to being passive and allowing those around him to think he's a doll, although you still get enough of Brad Dourif voicing the character to really give him some personality. Additionally, the effects work on the doll is really well done, in particular the scene in which we see Chucky drop the doll act and turn on Karen when she threatens him. I'm glad I finally got around to watching this one.
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Oct 10, 2019 21:50
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11. Unsullied Super Samhain Challenge 3 Unsullied is written, directed, and produced by former Tampa Bay Buccaneers All Pro Simeon Rice. I wanted to use this movie for a couple of challenges last year (local and first time director) but never got around to watching it. I became aware of this movie when Rice was doing promotion on the local radio station I listen to on the drive in to work. He stated that his goal was to gross $1 million dollars which the radio host scoffed at and said he would accomplish with ease. It earned about half that at $510k. Since this movie is probably unknown to most, a brief plot synopsis is that a young black woman’s car breaks down in the woods and she is then pursued by 2 rural white men (also lends itself to the Samhain Challenge) who hunt and eat women. Unsullied is pretty universally panned on all the usual sites, so I did not have high hopes going in. After the first 10 minutes I thought I might be in for a surprise! The cinematographer actually does a solid job early on providing well lit interesting and vibrant shots. This must have used most of the budget however, because after that everything falls apart. It’s impossible to tell if the acting is bad because the script is very much so and I’m sure it’s tough to deliver such stilted lines. The lightning in the later parts of the movie are so poor you can hardly make out anything going on and the entire movie is entirely too quiet and often has a random echo. The antagonists, who are supposed to be avid hunters who live in the Florida wilderness, look like they were both brought in fresh from the GQ model assembly line and can only be recognized as rural by their camouflage hats with the word “HUNTER” embroidered on them. Some highlights include: while running from the bad guys, our leading lady somehow is able to start a fire in the woods despite having no tools to start a fire. And then also stealthily puts it out despite having no way to do so. Additionally, during the kidnapping scene, our heroine is asked if she has a boyfriend and when she says no, they pronounce that’s “what they wanted to hear” and proceed to kidnap her. So if she had a boyfriend it wouldn’t matter that she’s already trapped in your truck? You would have let her go because she isn’t single? I could go on and on about how bad this is but instead I will list the things I actually enjoyed about it: it’s shot locally here in Florida so the woodland scenes are a lot more diverse and colorful than most that are shot in Georgia. Also, the city scenes are shot in my hometown so I recognize a lot of the locale. Sadly I can’t even say there are the makings of a good movie here. Unfortunately, Unsullied is a ton of half baked ideas put to film by a ill equipped director who is in over his head. Fortunately for Simeon Rice he will probably get in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday, because I don’t think he will be making any more movies.
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Oct 10, 2019 22:06
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Basebf555 posted:You hear a lot about the best werewolf transformation scenes, but Hellraiser has a "reconstitution" scene that can't really be described, it has to be seen. I knew absolutely nothing about he original Hellraiser going in (the only one I had ever seen is Inferno), and that is the scene, so early on, that let me know I was in for a magical ride.
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Oct 10, 2019 22:13
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#6) Better Watch Out (2016, first watch) This...was kind of fun. It's probably best to go into it unspoiled, but suffice to say that the movie the trailer presents isn't quite the movie you get. The trailer makes it look like The Strangers meets Home Alone, but it definitely twists away from that. The acting isn't fantastic, the special effects are mostly satisfactory, but we had a good time watching it. Directed by a guy named Chris Peckover, and I'd probably give something else he'd end up directing a shot. The only other movie listed as his is "Undocumented," which from the description sounds like found footage + torture porn, which doesn't exactly draw me to it. On the other hand, it's got Peter Stormare. 3.5 swinging cans of yellow paint out of 5 #7) Fallen(1998. first watch) I somehow never caught this one either on first release or on video, and I'm glad I took the time to rectify that. It's a nice little supernatural thriller, and it's got a pretty fantastic cast. I've always got a soft spot for Elias Koteas playing an rear end in a top hat. 4 carefully arranged breakfast tables out of 5 #8 and #9) The Wicker Man(1973, rewatch)The Wicker Man(2006, rewatch) My partner had never seen either the '73 or '06 Wicker Man, and she's also a fan of batshit crazy Nicholas Cage flicks, so this was an obvious pairing. The original is such a beautiful classic. Edward Woodward just acts the poo poo out of the repressed cop character, and never manages to become particularly likable. I feel like the entire movie is such a product of the 70's, from the pastoral imagery to the music to the casual nudity. The '06 remake...is not. My partner actually really liked it for whatever reason. Then again, she thought the original Texas Chainsaw was boring and NOES was boring and trite.  ? Kidding. Anyways, my biggest annoyance with this movie is that the first hour and change just feel so loving boring. Cage runs around being a dick and occasionally hallucinating weird poo poo. I find the last 30ish minutes when he starts really chewing that scenery to be the most entertaining part of the movie, and probably not for the reasons the director was aiming for. Speaking of, I'm always a little shocked that this was directed by Neil Labute, who can definitely do quality films if he's inclined to.5 Christopher Lees in a dress and wig out of 5 ('73) 1 HOW'D IT GET BURNED HOW'D IT GET BURNED HOW'D IT GET BURNEDs out of 5 ('06)
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Oct 10, 2019 22:21
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9. The Curse of La Llorona With this I complete the Conjuring Universe, which is probably a little above the Dark Universe in terms of success/wasted potential. Here we have a classic Mexican folk tale turned mediocre jump scare film. La Llorona, or the weeping woman, is about a mother who drowns her children in a fit of despair, and now roams the world seeking children to replace the ones she lost. Linda Cardellini (who is the best and deserves better roles) plays a widowed social worker with two kids who end up targeted by the spirit. For some reason the kids spend a good fifteen minutes or so getting spooked and attacked and *not* telling their mom, which made no sense to me. The movie seems to be aiming to be a Babadook type emotional wringer, with jump scares. Jump scares, ok, but Babadook you are not. /510. Alucarda  An odd name choice for a film with a decided lack of vampires. Maybe Mexico is unfamiliar with the Alucard<>Dracula history? This 85-minute movie gets right to business and within mere moments we are making blood pacts and frolicking and participating in orgies. The speed helps distract from the fact that nothing really makes a whole lot of sense, and the plot never really fully comes together. But it goes places, and it goes places fast, which makes it entertaining at least. /5(rewatch) What We Do in the Shadows  A New Zealand 'documentary' about a group of vampires living in Wellington. It's a lot of fun and funny and just an all around good time watching a movie. Plus I learned there's a spinoff show about the inept cops, so really it was a double-win. .5/5
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Oct 10, 2019 22:24
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The October thread owns because now I know that Simeon Rice directed a horror movie 
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Oct 10, 2019 22:27
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LifeLynx posted:Does anyone have recommendations for movies like The Gate, Evil Dead 1 and 2, The Mist, etc. where it's a non-stop series of creepy stuff happening? Not just one evil ghost or killer, but something that's causing the protagonists - and me, the viewer - to stay on their toes because literally anything could be coming next? A bunch. A few faves: In The Mouth of Madness Demons, Demons 2, The Church From Beyond Demon Knight SLiTHER The Eyes of My Mother It Follows The Ruins The Thing Jacob's Ladder Cemetery Man Hellraiser 1 & 2 The Innocents Cast A Deadly Spell
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Oct 10, 2019 22:29
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 #67) Return of the Killer Tomatoes! (1988) a.k.a., Return of the Killer Tomatoes: The Sequel After today's picks so far, I wanted something that would make me laugh on purpose. I can only remember pieces of the original, despite seeing it less than a year ago, but this sequel was kind enough to refresh me with clips in the opening credits. And now I know why this seems so much more widely liked than the first. Once the movie gets rolling, it goes into Airplane!-style joke-joke-joke delivery, with John Astin being delightful as a mad scientist and George Clooney being, uh, present as the hero. Tomato-to-human transformation is the main gimmick, but it didn't get explored as much as I was expecting. Started off with some meta jokes, but moved from that mostly into simpler gags as things went on. I might not be as warm on it coming back, but it was nice to run into a film that was so confident in its silliness. rating: 6/10"Fuzzy tomato... FT. That will be your name. FT."
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Oct 10, 2019 22:47
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#20: Get Out rewatch   more like  ! Because it's good, folks!What really makes Get Out work is that it's built on that universal experience of being extremely uncomfortable in a social situation. Everyone is being very nice, but you just know you're not fitting in, and you know everyone else knows. You're getting that exaggerated chumminess from people who are trying to put you at ease but it just makes it worse because you don't feel comfortable with these people being that friendly. It's such a great thing to build a horror movie on. Another thing that works really well is the TSA guy. Every scene at the house is so uncomfortable and tense and off, the movie needs comic relief. But if it happened at the house that would ruin it. So you get the comic relief somewhere else. The TSA guy gives a chance for the audience to laugh, without ever letting up the tension at the house on the main guy. Who knew the bisexual black doctor from Childrens Hospital would be so good at making movies? Also the chick who plays the girlfriend is super hot So yeah, Get Out, would recommend.
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Oct 10, 2019 23:14
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9) Super Samhain Challenge 3: Horror Noire (2019?) Wasn't keen on this. Also be warned that it spoils the entire of Get Out, so if you haven't watched that yet don't watch this first.
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Oct 10, 2019 23:18
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Basebf555 posted:But for me Candyman is THE best horror film made in the 90's, bar none. 
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Oct 10, 2019 23:25
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Alfred P. Pseudonym posted:The October thread owns because now I know that Simeon Rice directed a horror movie 
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Oct 10, 2019 23:28
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 SUPER SAMHAIN CHALLENGE #3: HORROR NOIREquote:Watch a film mentioned in Horror Noire that you haven't seen before  16. Tales From The Hood (1995) Dir. Rusty Cundieff (Amazon VOD) Another one I've been putting off for years. When I saw clips of this in Horror Noire earlier this year, it immediately piqued my interest. As is the case with pretty much every anthology film, the quality of each segment varies, although I think these ones make up a stronger, more cohesive package than most. It helps that they all have a fairly consistent tone. First two segments are absolutely the strongest, but the other two still have interesting moments. About the only thing that doesn't hold up is the wretched CG at the end of the wraparound segment. Definintely not subtle, but when you're dealing with themes like police brutality and white supremacy, subtlety is for chumps. Watched: 1. Candyman 2. The Wailing 3. Spookies 4. One Cut of the Dead 5. Viy 6. The Driller Killer 7. Tammy and the T-Rex 8. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives 9. Scary Movie 10. Ice Cream Man 11. Freaks 12. The Hills Have Eyes 13. Spider Baby 14. Lady Terminator 15. All The Colors of the Dark 16. Tales From The Hood Friends Are Evil fucked around with this message at 23:56 on Oct 10, 2019 |
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Oct 10, 2019 23:48
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I have access to the following streaming services, please recommend me a giallo movie that isn’t Blood & Black Lace: HBO Go Amazon Prime Shudder
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Oct 11, 2019 00:36
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Xenomrph posted:I have access to the following streaming services, please recommend me a giallo movie that isn’t Blood & Black Lace: I just watched All The Colors of the Dark, so that's the first thing that comes to mind. I think Cat O'Nine Tails is on Prime? Knife + Heart is influenced by giallo.
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Oct 11, 2019 00:43
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Xenomrph posted:I have access to the following streaming services, please recommend me a giallo movie that isn’t Blood & Black Lace: Prime has several Argento giallos. Deep Red, Opera, and Tenebrae. All three are excellent.
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Oct 11, 2019 00:50
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Popelmon posted:10) The New Kids (1985) I watched this earlier this year and it’s such a hidden gem. James Spader is such a great rear end in a top hat villain in it.
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Oct 11, 2019 00:56
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Xenomrph posted:I have access to the following streaming services, please recommend me a giallo movie that isn’t Blood & Black Lace: Aside from the obvious Argento movies: The Bloodstained Butterfly (more classy than the average giallo!) Death Laid an Egg (haha) Your Vice Is A Locked Room And Only I Have The Key (watch it to prove you're not a poser) Short Night of Glass Dolls (pro tip giallo) The Girl Who Knew Too Much (very cute) Dressed To Kill (Americans can do it too)
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Oct 11, 2019 01:15
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 #68) The Curse of the Living Corpse (1964) Tubi. Written and directed by Del Tenney, whose The Terror of Party Beach is also on Tubi. Roy Scheider's first feature film! A black and white gothic live burial/posthumous revenge piece, into which Vincent Price could have easily been slipped without disrupting the tone. The dead man's will stipulates that his associates must care for his tomb, or die in the manner of their greatest fears, which is a pretty dope set-up. Once a shadowy figure in evening wear starts hanging around the tomb, the inheritors start getting killed off. Could the culprit be the lawyer, who stands to get all of the money should all the inheritors be dead at the end of the year? My expectations weren't high, but this came through and impressed me. For as many schemes as were going on, they were decently easy to follow, and the monochrome filming let them get away with some quick but gruesome shots that might have pushed the envelope too far for standard audiences of the time. Felt something like an expanded version of Paranoiac, which had come out the year prior. The atmosphere was built and maintained with style, the police characters brought humor without overpowering the mystery, the pacing and action balance were solid, and the score was in the vein of old-fashioned suspense radio programs. All in all, I was quite pleased with this, and as a bonus, it has Candace Hilligoss (the lead from Carnival of Souls) in one of her two other film roles besides that one. rating: 7/10"The body is a long, insatiable tube, in need of drink and relaxation."
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Oct 11, 2019 01:17
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