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I have been waiting for this thread all month. Last year I made it up to ~17 films before tapping out (life has a habit of taking over) but this year I will try to make a solid effort to get to at least 31 films before the end. That way I should be able to balance life and this challenge and hit my goal. If prizes are involved and I'm in the running just let it be known I'm in Canada. 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016) The original Conjuring was a bit of surprise in 2013. Not only for being really drat good horror it was a raw throwback to the 70s style where modern demonic possession and haunted houses were the two popular subgenres. I rewatched it prior to this challenge to catch up because I plan to watch the whole Conjuring universe this challenge (so it doesn't count, just new horror movies for me). It relied on jump scares more often than not but the very solid direction by James Wan somehow made it all work. The sequel is more of the same but with success and bigger plans it loses some of the rawness so the jump scares are more pronounced. I liked the story and honestly the build in the beginning of the possession was really solid (but not as intense and manic as the original). One little thing about Conjuring 2 that I didn't like was it REALLY nails you over the head that its set in 70s London where-as the original was more nuanced and I honestly forgot it was set in the 70s and went with it. Also, near the end it starts to fall apart because shared universes are a big thing nowadays. Blatant set-ups to films like The Nun feel like to get the rest of the story buy another ticket (a flaw of shared universes). Overall, it's a fine start.  .5/5
Justin Godscock fucked around with this message at 14:30 on Sep 16, 2018 |
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Sep 16, 2018 14:19
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Going to quickly chime in on the Rampage discussion. I saw it last summer and while it is a fun movie I also went in with very low expectations. Don't expect to see a film up there with the recent Godzilla and Kong films because it is a "bad" movie but one that knows that and has honest effort to make it enjoyable. Jeffrey Dean Morgan also completely hams it up in the movie playing almost a parody of Negan the entire film (he even does that little lean Negan does when he's talking down to people). I know someone just posted about it but I just finished watching it myself and, yeah, it was a Netflix blind choice as well. 2. Terrifier (2016) This really is a no-nonsense splatter slasher flick. It tells you its about a killer clown that stalks/kills women and right away it does all that with the blood/gore in bucket loads. It's low budget exploitation that has a few kills that made me go "holy poo poo, they went there". Is there a story? Well, kind of, women go out at night and get murdered by a killer clown and everything just links back to that. Seriously, if anyone wants some cheap and good gorey fun this Halloween this is the film. /53. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) A pallete cleanser was needed for my next one. I think the comedy style of Abbott and Costello needs no introduction. Two guys, one a goofball and the other a straight man, get into all kinds of scenarios and hijinks. It's iconic, influential, still hilarious and to this day Abbott is the definition of a "straight man" in the world of comedy. The two had a few movies where they encountered the Universal Monsters and this was the first one. Them interacting with Bela Lagosi's Dracula, Lon Chaney Jr's Wolfman and Glenn Strange's Frankenstein's Monster. You cannot get more Halloween than that lineup so I figured this one would be good. It's funny, it's classic Abbott and Costello and it's fun seeing them interact with the Universal Monsters using their classic routine where Costello sees them and by dumb coincidence they "disappear" when Abbott comes in. At the same time it's pretty awkward seeing Bela Legosi on the screen at this point in his career because he really does not look healthy and seems to go through the motions (his opiate addiction was very much there by this time). Aside from that little downer, a good little bit of horror-comedy overall. /5
Justin Godscock fucked around with this message at 03:14 on Sep 17, 2018 |
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Sep 17, 2018 03:11
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4. Split (2017) M Night Shyamalan has been on a huge upswing as of late after bottoming out with poo poo like The Happening and The Last Airbender. The first film he made that started his comeback was part of the challenge for me last year (The Visit). It was a good effort with suspense that had a twist at the end that was surprising but made sense (I seriously cannot state how important that final part is) even though you knew something was up the whole time. I have to give it to James McAvoy because he really nailed his role out of the park. It's not so much that he depicts different personalities but rather levels of dominance and superiority ones have over the others in subtle ways that I really cannot explain. It's just that good of a performance. The film is a psychological thriller that has heavy themes on mental illness and childhood trauma between McAvoy and the protagonist that are uncomfortable at times because they feel so raw. They share more in common than they think and the movie really goes nuts in the final act that seems so drat outlandish until it's revealed the movie is a sequel to Unbreakable where "real" superheroes exist and brings it all together. I know it's pretty much common knowledge what that spoiler is (there is a sequel coming out in January that will be marketed on it) but someone might not know and this is the final Halloween to watch it without that knowledge. Justin Godscock fucked around with this message at 21:04 on Sep 18, 2018 |
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Sep 18, 2018 04:28
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5. The First Purge (2018) I know the series is polarizing online because some people don't like the premise or the fact the politics are not subtle in any way (the third film released in 2016 was subtitled "Election Year"). I like the series. It's campy, ridiculous, fun and have a morbid Halloween-esque vibe because of how the population counts down to this one night where they wear masks and get into mischief. Though more of the murdering and rampaging kind. The First Purge is a prequel to the first three and shows how the Purge (one night a year where all crime is legal from 7pm-7am to allow societal frustations to vent) came to be. Like the series has been the politics here are not subtle at all. The film flat-out opens up with a new party made up with people who want to make America great again came to power and even has a line about how the NRA started to fund them. So, yeah, as someone who always enjoyed politics I get a campy kick out of stuff like that. The movie is what it is advertised as the first Purge with the protagonists trying to survive the night for the most part. It is mindless, violent and the politicals are even MORE blatant and unsubtle than any of the other entries the NFFA (the fascist party) sends militia dressed as KKK (complete with hoods and logos) to shoot up the low-income neighbourhoods. There are so many other bits that will remind you of Charlottesville and Trumpism I cannot even begin to describe.. I enjoy this kind of over the top political poo poo even if others might not. There is a bit of story there to show how the Purge came to be but it really exists in dialogue from NFFA scenes in between the violence. /5
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Sep 18, 2018 23:50
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Not to be "that guy" or anything but the rules clearly state that family-friendly monster/Halloween movies that are G/PG and not scary to anyone over the age of 7 are not disqualified. Ernest Scared Stupid and Hocus Pocus are stated as examples and anything similar are more than fair-game.
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Sep 19, 2018 00:07
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6. Trick R Treat (2009) ...Wow, I am honestly a little ashamed to say it took me this long to watch this one. I remember when it was advertised when 300 went on home video, its shelving and release two years later when it became a cult film. This is an amazing Halloween film because its like those scary stories you heard around the time that blew your childhood minds at the end with the twist. But these are all very adult stories and holy poo poo how things just end up with little details early on in the stories making sense. I really don't want to talk of this movie more because the blinder you go in watching it the more impact it will have. Though I will say its about a small town in the middle of Halloween with the usual children going house to house, teenagers having Halloween parties, adults having their fun and all the typical goings on but with really morbid and horrifying stories to go along with it. Complete with every story wrapping around with one another. Please, watch this one if you haven't already. /5
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Sep 19, 2018 06:35
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Franchescanado posted:
7. Wolf Creek (2005)  I'm not a huge fan of the torture porn sub-genre of film. I liked the first few Saw movies when they had mystery, originality and a great antagonist in Jigsaw. After that, though, the Saw films and the subgenre it spawned just relied on annoying protagonists screaming for 10 straight minutes while being tortured with the blood and gore getting more and more extreme. There wasn't anything to it and it just became this morbid peep show that I couldn't be a part of. Another argument that really drove me up the wall was "Oh, real life is just like that" which is so bleak and nihilistic a view that I really cannot be a part of it. I love horror, but drat. Roger Ebert was a massive critic of the subgenre and in the 2000s when this subgenre flourished he would single out individual films to criticize. A popular one is his review of Chaos (2005) where he attacks the quoted argument above. It's honestly great reading and a critical hit of an argument. But, anyways, Wolf Creek was one of the films he singled out and is usually included in his Hated Movies collections. I figure that's more than enough to qualify for the Fran Challenge. Wolf Creek is a low budget Australian grindhouse style horror movie. It has no-name actors, shaky cam, washed colors, improvised dialogue and a general care-free attitude towards language and subject matter. The typical trademarks of the subgenre. It's the usual story about some 20-somethings going on a road trip in the middle of nowhere, getting stuck and have to deal with crazy psychotic Bogans (Australian rednecks) who put them through hell. The first half of the movie is a slow build. We see the characters, don't get to know much about them other than they are travellers to a remote area of Western Australia when their car breaks down. A seemingly friendly Bogan comes to help and lifts them back to his place for the night with the plans to fix their car in the morning. So, yeah, pretty cliched so far. The rest of the film is where the torture comes in and it's your usual screaming in darkness with flashes of brutality and uneasiness at how grim it is all getting. It didn't make me a fan, I can't say I'll add more 00s torture porn to the challenge but I didn't think this one was bad in an alarming way. It horrified me, for sure but I can't say I'll recommend or take anything away from it. /5Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005) Justin Godscock fucked around with this message at 22:12 on Sep 19, 2018 |
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Sep 19, 2018 22:06
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Pick a film from a horror sub-genre* that you don't like, and watch it.
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I was really surprised at how good Friday the 13th 2009 was as far as modern horror remakes go. I would recommend anyone give it a watch because it has a scary and brutal Jason who no-nonsense tears through the cast. I am really surprised people don't talk about it more because I honestly would rank it above at least half of the F13 sequels (maybe a little more). I also read somewhere that Blumhouse has been trying, unsuccessfully, to get the rights to do their own take. If their version of Halloween is as good as it looks I really want them to give every 70s/80s slasher series a shot. Justin Godscock fucked around with this message at 23:45 on Sep 19, 2018 |
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Sep 19, 2018 23:42
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8. King Kong (1976) King Kong (1933) is a classic and mandatory viewing for those interested in the giant monster genre. It’s become an influential piece of cinema and keeps being revisited. Kong: Skull Island (2017) is the second in a planned crossover with Godzilla which so far looks very promising with Godzilla: King of the Monsters set for 2019. The previous remake was King Kong (2005) by Peter Jackson which was a bit of a watch (3 hours) and a huge love letter to the original which I too enjoyed. But, there is one remake that seems to keep being forgotten and that is the remake from 1976. Maybe it’s because King Kong climbs the original World Trade Center which even before 9/11 was frowned upon because it’s the Empire State Building that’s iconic. I still remember pre-9/11 this was what everyone remembered and complained about. I’ve never seen it, just all the ones I already mentioned, so I decided to watch it. The movie opens with a crew surveying oil who go to an island shrouded with a thick, never-changing mist. The reasoning is they see signs of oil in satellite images and decide to investigate. The reasoning for this is the 70s energy crisis is going on and the movie is being current for the time. When they get there, they find the tribals who worship Kong and decide the blonde white girl would make a suitable sacrifice and give her to Kong. So, basically, the outline for the 1933 King Kong thus far. The movie relies on pretty much every single special effects trick you can think of prior to computers coming on the scene. Roto-scoping, guys in rubber suits, massive animatronic ape hands, matte paintings, models and all kinds of practical effects are tossed onto the screen. It gets a little distracting after a while and dates the movie quite a bit in parts. This was also a year before Star Wars which was able to bring all those techniques together into a cohesive vision. The biggest problem I had with this movie is it really does not have any of the creative adventure that made the original (and even the 2005 version) memorable. Kong fights a giant snake once in this movie: that’s it. No T-Rexes, no bug attacks and no crazy jungle adventures and even the final scene in New York doesn’t make up for it. Maybe a limitations on special effects at the time (a LOT of effort was put into Kong as well) but I see why this is the forgettable Kong. /5Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005), 8. King Kong (1976)
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Sep 20, 2018 04:53
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9. Halloween II (2009) I’ll get it out of the way: Rob Zombie is a polarizing filmmaker. His film The Devil’s Rejects is considered a horror classic (watch it if you haven’t) but everything else is shaky at best. I find his strengths to be visuals, atmosphere and vibe but where he really fails is dialogue and characters. For some reason he feels the need to have way too many characters being complete dicks instead of having a normal range of emotions. His run with Halloween is usually seen as mediocre at best because gone was the spooky origins of the John Carpenter original and replaced was splatty slasher stuff. I wasn’t a big fan of the 2007 Halloween for that reason because it just became another slasher film instead of something sinister that made the 1978 film work so well. Halloween II is the sequel to that film that I remember dropped out of nowhere and nobody was too excited over. I’m watching it because it’s actually the one Rob Zombie film I have not seen and I figure I should complete his filmography. After watching this I wonder how Rob Zombie would have done an original slasher movie in the 70s/80s style. He has clearly a unique vision (I love the general, not movie, Halloween spirit he puts into his works) and a love for brutal violence and to see it try to co-exist with Michael Myers just doesn’t work. I liked what he was going for with his Halloween stories with an examination of the killer, his beginnings and the brutality that follows. But it is really, really hobbled by being associated with Michael Myers who was always more a spectre than a big dude breaking down walls and stabbing someone as hard as they loving can. Oh, and there is a Weird Al cameo in this movie out of nowhere. Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005), 8. King Kong (1976), 9. Halloween II (2009)
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Sep 21, 2018 05:22
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10. Pumpkinhead (1988) I noticed that I’ve been watching a lot of recent horror and decided to expand and go back. I figured the 80s is prime territory for good horror. I saw Pumpkinhead on a list somewhere and I realized I never saw this cult film. I didn’t know much about it other than seeing the creature on the cover of a VHS box in a video store a long time ago (dating myself here). The creature is the highlight of the film and the practical effects work here is outstanding (it’s the work of Stan Winston). The story works on a simple level. A group of teenagers head out for fun in a cabin and on the way one of them runs over a kid with his motorbike in an accident. The kid dies and Lance Henriksen decides to summon the Pumpkinhead demon to get his revenge. He gets more than he bargained for and becomes linked to the demon as it goes on its rampage. I liked the vibe with the heavy use of orange lighting which gave a unique haunting atmosphere. The thing that kind sucks is you can tell they could have made a wider franchise expanding on the creature but the movie bombed and I heard the sequels they did make suck. /511. House on Haunted Hill (1959)  Vincent Price is a horror icon and this one is probably his biggest work outside of House of Wax. He plays the proprietor of a haunted house who challenges a group of people $10,000 if they last (or survive) 12 hours. What I love about this film is just how drat charismatic Vincent Price is and how self-aware his character is. He constantly hint-hint, nudge-nudge the audience by subtly looking into the camera but never in a ways that breaks immersion or becomes blatant fourth-wall breaking. It takes a rare kind of actor to pull it off and bring the audience deeper into the film (and thus the house). The film itself is 50s horror with male characters going off to investigate something and the female characters coming across the ghost or whatever and screaming. Everyone investigates and writes it off as hysteria. Then once things become more serious more women scream and run around from horror to horror. Then Vincent Price comes back with his wit and presense and I really cannot describe how amazing he is in this film. Then it all comes together and the end and this is one film people should watch. /512. House on Haunted Hill (1999)  Yes, the remake is being watched after the original. I figure it might be worth it to watch it after the original to see how well it was remade (yeah, most don’t) but more importantly if any strengths from the original were respected. One thing I really do not like about horror from the late 90s is how damned dated they tend to be. From the soundtrack playing Marilyn Manson, the Blockbuster product placement, zany camera angles and shots and that casual misogynistic tone because “Hollywood culture” seeped into films back then. It all doesn’t build suspense or tension just reminds me of those drat awkward early teenage years. I didn’t even mention the Chris Kattan supporting role in a horror film. For those unaware, he was considered a rising comedic star on SNL, seemed to be cast in everything, and nowadays is equivalent to a sports draft pick bust of entertainment. It’s not a great film. I appreciate it using the effect of erratic movements and that head-shale thing in the vein of Jacob’s Ladder to elicit surreal scares. But the rest of the film lacks any of the suspense in favor of blood and violence and while I love Geoffrey Rush the fact is Vincent Price cannot be replaced. .5/5Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005), 8. King Kong (1976), 9. Halloween II (2009), 10. Pumpkinhead (1988), 11. House on Haunted Hill (1959), 12. House on Haunted Hill (1999)
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Sep 23, 2018 04:23
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13. What We Do in the Shadows (2014) This is a mockumentary horror-comedy from New Zealand by Taika Waititi (known more as the director of Thor: Ragnarok) that I imagine is well known around here (it has a cult following). All I have to say is this is a really delightful and funny film with some of the most entertaining characters I've seen in film in a long time. Not only are they entertaining and witty but grow to have your sympathies as the film goes on. It's about a group of vampires living in an apartment flat with the usual drama and bickering roommates tend to have (and some extra problems only vampires could relate to). I don't want to say more about this one because it's really something to enjoy the less you know about it. If you love witty banter, the mockumentary style, sudden gorey moments and New Zealand cinema this is for you. /5Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005), 8. King Kong (1976), 9. Halloween II (2009), 10. Pumpkinhead (1988), 11. House on Haunted Hill (1959), 12. House on Haunted Hill (1999), 13. What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
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Sep 24, 2018 02:15
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14. Ghostbusters (2016) Oh yeah, it's this film. The one that caused a massive Internet backlash between hardcore Ghostbusters nerds and trolls who get angry at the sight of a female lead. We all know the story behind it and I'm merely addressing the elephant in the room. That all being said: this is not a good film. It has none of the comedic genius and timing the original had (even the second one) and it's just so drat dull. Even though it got the blessings of Dan Ackroyd (who spent 20 years trying to get Ghostbusters 3 made and settled for the 2009 video game) and has cameos from all the surviving Ghostbusters plus Annie Potts and Sigourney Weaver it just doesn't work at all. The script is lifeless with no jokes ever landing and the story is just...bleh. Kate MacKinnon (a very talented comedian) just has no luck and this is yet another film featuring her that is dragging her movie career down. Buy the 2009 video game and enjoy that, it's really drat good and a literal third Ghostbusters entry. /5Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005), 8. King Kong (1976), 9. Halloween II (2009), 10. Pumpkinhead (1988), 11. House on Haunted Hill (1959), 12. House on Haunted Hill (1999), 13. What We Do in the Shadows (2014), 14. Ghostbusters (2016)
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Sep 25, 2018 01:50
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They made it into a Netflix show a few years back (it's still running). I watched a few episodes and it's not bad but, yeah, the series has run out of steam.
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Sep 25, 2018 02:17
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15. Bride of Chucky (1998) This one is known for shifting the Child's Play/Chucky series more towards black comedy but keeping up with the bloody slasher kills and wise-cracking doll. It actually works quite well but the movie suffers from being made in 1998 (pretty much any horror movie made in the late 90s is going to feel that way). Rob Zombie and Coal Chamber are in the soundtrack, constant pop culture references and a self-aware tone define this movie. It takes me back but the shift is quite jarring if you weren't there. Though I will say a greater focus on Chucky is welcome (Brad Dourif really made that character) and the kills are all nicely done I always liked the bottle to the mirror ceiling that sends shards down. /5Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005), 8. King Kong (1976), 9. Halloween II (2009), 10. Pumpkinhead (1988), 11. House on Haunted Hill (1959), 12. House on Haunted Hill (1999), 13. What We Do in the Shadows (2014), 14. Ghostbusters (2016), 15. Bride of Chucky (1998)
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Sep 25, 2018 21:42
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Franchescanado posted:Actually what you're looking for is Gremlins 2. Joe Dante even didn't want to make a sequel to Gremlins and only did so after being given complete creative control and going nuts with the sequel. It all worked out.
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Sep 25, 2018 21:54
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Hopefully this one isn't too much of a reach. I also plan to do the third challenge but living in Alberta it's going to be a little tight. Not a lot of movies purely film here with the Edmonton skyline in the background of every shot so I'm going to reach a little and pick a film that had some of it filmed here. It's also not going to be pretty either because every drat movie I've researched thus far are wilderness-heavy films like The Revenant and Open Range (not horror) so it's going to be near-basement horror.Franchescanado posted:
16. Seed of Chucky (2004)  I'm submitting this one for the challenge because of the gender confusion subplot in the film regarding the child of Chucky and Tiffany. I really do not like this film because by now they decided to go full-on with the black comedy and self-awareness and the horror badly suffers from it. It's just a plain weird film to boot because it cannot seem to decide if it wants to be a slasher movie (there are slasher kills) or some strange drama between Chucky and Tiffany with their kid in the middle. I also don't really get the story because it cannot seem to decide if it wants to be the sequel to Bride of Chucky or some fourth-wall breaking film like New Nightmare. It all just doesn't work out, Chucky's charisma and wise-cracking cannot make up for it. I'm likely going to move onto the DTV Chucky movies for the rest of the challenge because they went back to pure horror and I really need some of that. /5Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005), 8. King Kong (1976), 9. Halloween II (2009), 10. Pumpkinhead (1988), 11. House on Haunted Hill (1959), 12. House on Haunted Hill (1999), 13. What We Do in the Shadows (2014), 14. Ghostbusters (2016), 15. Bride of Chucky (1998), 16. Seed of Chucky (2004)
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Sep 26, 2018 21:54
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Franchescanado posted:
17. Nightbreed (1990)  I watched the Director's Cut of this one. I know I said before it was going to be tricky finding a horror movie filmed/set in Alberta. But not only did I find one but I found one that just screams my home province right down to having an Oilers/Flames game on a TV in the first 10 minutes. Then it just doesn't stop there because the location of Midian where all the monsters are is "north of Athabasca and east of Peace River" which puts it in northern Alberta but instead he drives west into the Rockies. The rest of the quote is "...near Shere Neck and north of Dwyer" but they both don't exist. I mean, wow, I just had to get that out before talking about this film. It's about a guy who has been having nightmares about this demonic settlement called Midian and after a meeting with his therapist where he informs him he is a psychopathic killer goes there. The movie itself is low-budget 80s Canadian horror with a surreal setting benefiting from Clive Barker's vision and a great supporting performance by David Cronenberg. I really cannot describe how great Cronenberg was with his trademark deadpan weirdness and it wouldn't be low-budget Canadian horror without him. The imagination and originality is remarkable and the usage of practical effects is amazing to create this surreal dark world. I really believed there was this hidden world of monsters under a cemetary in the mountains and you start to feel for them. /5Edit: Holy crap, I just realized I am over half-way towards my goal of just 31 movies and it's not even October yet. I am going to just keep going here. Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005), 8. King Kong (1976), 9. Halloween II (2009), 10. Pumpkinhead (1988), 11. House on Haunted Hill (1959), 12. House on Haunted Hill (1999), 13. What We Do in the Shadows (2014), 14. Ghostbusters (2016), 15. Bride of Chucky (1998), 16. Seed of Chucky (2004), 17. Nightbreed (1990) Justin Godscock fucked around with this message at 00:42 on Sep 28, 2018 |
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Sep 28, 2018 00:32
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18. The Axe Murders of Villisca (2016) Watched on: Netflix Based on the true story of the unsolved axe murders that happened in Villisca in 1912. The biggest thing I didn't like about this film was it contains painful amounts of "let's relate to the millenials!". The lead girl has a sex recording leaked around her high school in an attempt to be topical and everyone is on Skype. That sort of thing. There really just isn't anything original here either. The group of teenagers decides to investigate the haunted house and spirits begin their possessing and old sins come out. It's just very paint by numbers and there is no real cohesion either at all. Though it made me seriously consider finding a documentary of the actual Axe Murders of Villisca which might be better (plus, might as well expand my challenge and get a documentary in there). .5/5Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005), 8. King Kong (1976), 9. Halloween II (2009), 10. Pumpkinhead (1988), 11. House on Haunted Hill (1959), 12. House on Haunted Hill (1999), 13. What We Do in the Shadows (2014), 14. Ghostbusters (2016), 15. Bride of Chucky (1998), 16. Seed of Chucky (2004), 17. Nightbreed (1990), 18. The Axe Murders of Villisca (2016)
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Sep 29, 2018 00:42
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Franchescanado posted:
19. Ghosts of Mars (2001)  Watched on: iTunes John Carpenter is a man who needs no introduction. His works in horror are legendary from Halloween, The Thing, The Fog, They Live even his non-horror works like Escape from New York and Big Trouble in Little China are gold. Though once the 90s came along he went into a bit of a dry period with both critics and audiences and his fanbase started to wonder if he was losing his touch. He basically bottomed out with Ghosts of Mars which was a dud and put him into semi-retirement for almost a decade. So, this is my submission for this Fran Challenge. Ghosts of Mars stars Jason Statham and Ice Cube and has 90s low budget mainstay Natasha Henstridge. This movie is very different from John Carpenter’s work because while he is known for suspense, tension and maybe a little cheesiness at times this movie is pure camp and cheese. Rain that fell on a newly terraformed Mars awakens microorganisms that infect colonists and turn them into some kind of zombie cult. The movie then becomes a mix of sci-fi, action and horror as a group of police officers sent to pick up a inmate must team up with him to survive. Ghosts of Mars is like the B-movie at the end of a double feature. The one where you watch something campy and cheesy after an exploitation flick with blood and gore. That’s what I watched it as and it’s honestly not a terrible film but wow is it cheesy and dated. /5Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005), 8. King Kong (1976), 9. Halloween II (2009), 10. Pumpkinhead (1988), 11. House on Haunted Hill (1959), 12. House on Haunted Hill (1999), 13. What We Do in the Shadows (2014), 14. Ghostbusters (2016), 15. Bride of Chucky (1998), 16. Seed of Chucky (2004), 17. Nightbreed (1990), 18. The Axe Murders of Villisca (2016), 19. Ghosts of Mars (2001) Justin Godscock fucked around with this message at 04:22 on Oct 1, 2018 |
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Oct 1, 2018 03:09
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20. Haunters: The Art of the Scare (2017) I said a few posts ago I was considering watching a documentary. I couldn’t find the one I wanted so I went for something different. This is a documentary about the people who build haunted houses and scare houses for Halloween. Interviews include people behind McKamey Manor (a bit of a lightning rod amongst enthusiasts because they actually go hands-on with their guests and you need to sign a waiver before going) and Halloween Horror Nights. I really wanted to watch something more Halloweeny in real life and seeing how a group of my friends and I are planning on going to a local haunted house soon this was way more than appropriate. The film shows two different sides of haunted houses. The traditional ones where dudes in bloody clown masks jump from doorways and the more extreme ones like McKamey mentioned above. The film shows the passion of both sides and what they think about one another and it’s really something like this I needed to watch to get more excited for Halloween now that October is here. /5Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005), 8. King Kong (1976), 9. Halloween II (2009), 10. Pumpkinhead (1988), 11. House on Haunted Hill (1959), 12. House on Haunted Hill (1999), 13. What We Do in the Shadows (2014), 14. Ghostbusters (2016), 15. Bride of Chucky (1998), 16. Seed of Chucky (2004), 17. Nightbreed (1990), 18. The Axe Murders of Villisca (2016), 19. Ghosts of Mars (2001), 20. Haunters: The Art of the Scare (2017)
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Oct 1, 2018 05:56
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Spatulater bro! posted:You had a date during your sick day? He got better.
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Oct 2, 2018 03:32
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21. Annabelle (2014) At the start of this challenge I said I was looking to get into The Conjuring Universe and kinda put it off. I figured with October now here I might as well get into it. The Conjuring Universe is the rare shared universe that has succeeded thus far (along with MonsterVerse). The main series is The Conjuring with films like Annabelle and The Nun being about the entities that main characters have encountered. Annabelle is the same as the rest of the series in that its a throwback to 70s horror. But what made it really personal to me was that my mother, who passed away last year, was responsible for introducing me to horror. I remember she showed me The Birds when I was younger (and complained because “the women always scream while the men do everything”), which made me seek out Psycho and other Hitchcock classics. She also talked about how The Exorcist scared the loving poo poo out of her (being raised Catholic in 70s Quebec will do that to you). I love and miss her and honestly watching this series thus far made me feel a lot like she must have had back then. It just captures just this raw 70s horror vibe I cannot explain and makes me wonder if I would have watched these films with her. Annabelle is about the entity that was first introduced in the first Conjuring movie at the beginning. This one obviously a prequel relies a little more on jump scares but the weird thing about these movies so far is they actually work some of the time. Yes, there are moments where the scene cuts to another with a loud music boom but even small things like a running child suddenly turning into this demonic woman after hitting a closing door was simple but well done. The characters share the same realistically portrayed couple (right down to the small arguments and compromises relationships have) as the Conjuring films as well and made everything feel more grounded by having human characters responding to this demonic intrusion. /5 Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005), 8. King Kong (1976), 9. Halloween II (2009), 10. Pumpkinhead (1988), 11. House on Haunted Hill (1959), 12. House on Haunted Hill (1999), 13. What We Do in the Shadows (2014), 14. Ghostbusters (2016), 15. Bride of Chucky (1998), 16. Seed of Chucky (2004), 17. Nightbreed (1990), 18. The Axe Murders of Villisca (2016), 19. Ghosts of Mars (2001), 20. Haunters: The Art of the Scare (2017), 21 Annabelle (2014) Justin Godscock fucked around with this message at 04:28 on Oct 3, 2018 |
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Oct 3, 2018 00:59
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Dwayne Johnson knocked Doom during an introduction piece he was giving at the Oscars (or Golden Globes, it was an awards show). That should tell you how bad it was that even Dwayne Johnson will trash it during an awards show. I remember people defending the movie because of the FPS scene at the end. But here's the thing, if you have an hour straight of crap a novelty piece will not redeem it. It's fun to watch on YouTube but do not watch the movie for it.
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Oct 3, 2018 02:47
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Franchescanado posted:
1985 has a drat good selection of horror. Day of the Dead, Friday the 13th Part 5, Nightmare on Elm Street 2, Fright Night, Howling II, Lifeforce, Re-Animator and Return of the Living Dead. If I didn't mention your favorite I'm sorry but when it comes to the 80s you will forget something. But, I decided to go for one that I heard a little about (plus I saw most of those and my rule was no re-watches just freshness) and decided to pick something off the beaten path. All I knew going in from what I read back then was that it was a fun black comedy-horror romp and I'm up for that. 22. The Stuff (1985)  Yeah, the movie is very 80s not just in horror but in politics. It’s about a new product called “The Stuff” which is a yogurt-like product taking the nation by storm by being low calorie and the effort by the ice cream industry to stop it by hiring an industrial spy to figure out the secret recipe. It’s very Ronald Reagan in how it goes about this and the film is pretty much part political satire of its times in addition to low-budget 80s camp horror. It has Wall Street types hiring the industrial spy (played by Michael Moriarty) who speaks their language about takeovers and market share who really brings this movie together by being silver-tongued in how he interacts with everyone. From the PR people behind The Stuff to disgraced executives bought out by The Stuff he is able to bring together a campy kind of mystery where you know something weird (and probably messed up) will be revealed. Well, it does and it gets a total Invasion of the Body Snatchers vibe very fast. But, like I said it has that ever present self-aware 80s commentary about consumerism and adherence. The conspiracy and mystery get more and more intense then the Where’s The Beef old lady cameo happens with Abe Vigoda in the same bit. Like I said, this movie is self-aware and campy and that’s why I was having a blast with it though the political satire fades as the film goes on. It has some pretty terrible (in a good way) practical effects that also adds to the film's tone. Like I said before, the lead is an industrial spy who also is true to his word and needs to investigate further. The ending scene then becomes action where the industrial spy reveals he is really reporting to the military and they move in and exterminate The Stuff. This is where the final bit of 80s cheese kicks in and a bunch of Nam veterans (“We lost that war at home, sonny”) enter. It really clashes with the conspiracy present in the film before but then loops around and becomes 80s cheese again where America wins always. This is a difficult film to review because it alternates between serious and absurd so often. That makes it the perfect satire in a way. /5Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005), 8. King Kong (1976), 9. Halloween II (2009), 10. Pumpkinhead (1988), 11. House on Haunted Hill (1959), 12. House on Haunted Hill (1999), 13. What We Do in the Shadows (2014), 14. Ghostbusters (2016), 15. Bride of Chucky (1998), 16. Seed of Chucky (2004), 17. Nightbreed (1990), 18. The Axe Murders of Villisca (2016), 19. Ghosts of Mars (2001), 20. Haunters: The Art of the Scare (2017), 21 Annabelle (2014), 22. The Stuff (1985) Justin Godscock fucked around with this message at 06:07 on Oct 5, 2018 |
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Oct 3, 2018 23:19
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All I remember about Halloween Resurrection is Busta Rhymes fights Michael Myers. My definition of a "bad movie" has always been you will forget all of it except for the part that is just plain stupid. The movie sucks.
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Oct 3, 2018 23:59
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LORD OF BOOTY posted:Motherfucker I have to try and find something from 1994, which to my knowledge was basically a dead zone for horror movies New Nightmare is a good choice but, yeah, until Scream comes along 90s horror is a barren wasteland (unless you like lovely 80s horror sequels, some of which are DTV, as a "bad movie night" option).
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Oct 4, 2018 00:20
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Random Stranger posted:
You might have given Disney an idea for their Predator reboot.
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Oct 4, 2018 00:48
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: Remember when I said I would kill you last?
: *HISSSS*
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Trash Boat posted:Did a rewatch of the full Three Flavours Cornetto/Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy over the last couple of nights (Shaun of the Dead being my most recent previous viewing two Halloweens ago, and Hot Fuzz and The World's End not for about 4-5 years). I remember watching Shaun of the Dead at 19 and anyone who does so in the 18-25 age range will have an existential crisis after watching it. While it is very much a horror-comedy the themes of interpersonal relationships, responsibilities and growing up are so very powerful in the trilogy that I still remember the impact they had on me over a decade later. If you saw this movie recently after seeing it earlier like I did and sympathize with Pete more than you are doing well in life. I mean, Shaun and Ed did come home drunk from the bar at 4AM and blasted loud music with a sleeping roommate in the house. To Pete's credit, when he finds out the reason (the break-up) he calms down and tells them to keep it down. I might have to rewatch this film now. Anyways, the trilogy even took different perspectives of the issue. Hot Fuzz is a tale about not growing up TOO much and learning to have fun in a personal life. Nicholas Angel cannot switch off, it hurts his relationships and after watching dumb cop movies with Danny does he learn how to relax a little. It makes him a better cop as well by developing interpersonal communications. The World's End has less fun and goes into some depressing dramatic territory by showing a deadbeat 40-year old that peaked in high school and whom his very successful friends cannot relate to and despise. Though it flips the tables by having Simon Pegg being the man-child and Nick Frost being the responsible one. THAT right there made me realize I was going to see a different and more depressing kind of movie. gently caress, the trilogy is being watched soon.
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Oct 4, 2018 19:20
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23. Gremlins (1984) I think I might have committed the biggest sin any 30-something in this thread has confessed to: I have never seen Gremlins. I've seen all the usual 80s nostalgia flicks like Back to the Future, Ghostbusters and Indiana Jones and others but not this gem from Joe Dante. Well, time to fix that. This is a great flick because honestly even though it was made in 1984 it really does not feel dated or aged at all. The practical effects all hold up, the 80s-ness isn't overwhelming and above all else the directing and photography is so well done it is now timeless. I won't bore anyone with the details because you all know the story. A man brings a Mogwei (the creatures) back home to his family and all seems well. The creature is friendly but has strict rules over no sunlight, no water and especially no feeding after midnight. The cynic would say "well, all of this could have been avoided if the shopkeeper explained what would happen". But, would you believe it? Then if you didn't take the implied warning seriously then the results are your learning experience. It's a thought I had watching this and might have been the food for thought for kids about knowing where there is danger when it is not super freaking obvious. I won't say anymore. As one might expect, none of these rules are obeyed or taken seriously and hell breaks loose. The final third is a non-stop sequences of madness as the creatures run wild over the small town. There is so much black comedy here as well that it made me grin. This is a great film. /523. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)  Might as well make it all up and watch the sequel as well. I said earlier in the thread that Joe Dante did not want to make a sequel to Gremlins. He felt there was nothing more to be told though Warner Bros spent the rest of the 80s trying to get a sequel done. Eventually, they told Dante they would give him complete creative control in exchange for returning. That was enough to get him to return and he made a film that was not only more comedic and meta but seemed to give a middle finger to the entire idea of a sequel to Gremlins. And it is awesome. This movie is just plain nuts and as Seanbaby once said “There is nothing more lovable than a movie that just plain doesn’t give a gently caress.”. Christopher Lee as a mad scientist? A Grandpa Munster lookalike giving dry commentary? The not-at-all-subtle Trump Tower jabs (in 1990)? The non-stop movie parodies? Gizmo being more than just cheap comic fodder? This movie decided it didn’t want to play along with anyone or any trend and it is just plain glorious to watch. The practical effects are back and the creative genius is expanded upon by not just having a bunch of reptilian Gremlins but an entire drat cast of creatures. It’s difficult to not watch the final half of this movie with a giant grin. I mean, holy crap, I’m sorry I never saw this one before. /5 Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005), 8. King Kong (1976), 9. Halloween II (2009), 10. Pumpkinhead (1988), 11. House on Haunted Hill (1959), 12. House on Haunted Hill (1999), 13. What We Do in the Shadows (2014), 14. Ghostbusters (2016), 15. Bride of Chucky (1998), 16. Seed of Chucky (2004), 17. Nightbreed (1990), 18. The Axe Murders of Villisca (2016), 19. Ghosts of Mars (2001), 20. Haunters: The Art of the Scare (2017), 21 Annabelle (2014), 22. The Stuff (1985), 23. Gremlins, 24. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1984) Justin Godscock fucked around with this message at 06:27 on Oct 5, 2018 |
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Oct 5, 2018 06:08
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Faces of Death was also a big deal on early P2P networks at the time though a lot of times it was a subtitle for stuff you'd find on LiveLeak today.Spatulater bro! posted:Also from the OP: https://letterboxd.com/thenomad/list/video-nasties-vn1-the-72-banned-films-in/ I'm being That Guy but the Challenge was one of the 72 on the list and this is the list. So I would think you can throw a dart at this board and whatever it lands on will count even if it is Faces of Death. But there are some notable horror titles on there like Zombi 2, Cannibal Holocaust, I Spit on Your Grave and even the original Evil Dead. Justin Godscock fucked around with this message at 21:32 on Oct 5, 2018 |
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Oct 5, 2018 21:24
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25. An American Werewolf in London (1981) Yet another 80s horror classic I have not seen yet. Yes, we all know John Landis’ terrible judgment involved in the filming of the Twilight Zone Movie. If you want to know about that one please Google it because I’m not going to derail this fun challenge. But I always liked his films from this era. He was able to mix black comedy, meta filmmaking without being obnoxiously fourth wall breaking and fun characters who talked to one another in unique dialogue. This film is also known for being Rick Baker’s entry into legendary make-up of the werewolf and his victims. The film is about two Americans (Jack and David) back-packing across Europe starting in northern England and working south towards Rome. Along the way they stop in a small town where the locals seem off and hostile towards them. They decide to leave but ignore their advice of staying on the road and “avoiding the moors”. Obviously they ignore this and are savagely attacked by a creature. Jack is killed and David is put in hospital with bite wounds. From there the film shows him meeting a nurse in hospital, the curious doctor investigating what happened and the eventual turning during the next full moon. There is also another subplot with Jack returning as a corpse only David can see which is so deliciously morbid I won’t say anymore. All with a very dry British wit and dry humor towards this little thing called a werewolf that might be attacking someone in the garden (the reactions towards the werewolf attacks are black comedy for this reason). The film is honestly amazing because while it’s known for the werewolf scenes (particularly the first transformation) the characters and pacing are so well done it brings you deep into the movie. /5Franchescanado posted:
26. The Evil Dead (1981)  I never saw The Evil Dead for one very simple reason: it had a special sticker on the VHS box saying that Blockbuster would not rent it to anyone under 18. So I got my first taste of Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell horror with Evil Dead 2 in high school and since then became a massive fan of Ash and the Boomstick. But for whatever reason I never got around to watching the original for one reason or another (even though I did see the 2013 remake which I do recommend). Time to end that. The Video Nasties were a moral panic in the UK in the 80s over low-budget horror with lots of blood/gore being sold on VHS when the home video market was in its infancy. There is an actual list of 72 films that were considered to be so horrible they were banned for sale in the UK. The one I decided to watch is the one that, as mentioned, took me too long to watch so here it is. Evil Dead is the original “cabin in the woods” film. A group of young people go out to stay in a cabin and encounter an evil beyond their comprehension. This one is notable as the start of Sam Raimi’s career and it’s clear why he began what he is today. The sheer amount of raw attention to detail, cinematography and practical effects despite budgetary limitations is astounding. I also noted he really expanded a lot upon (because Evil Dead 2 became a re-imagining of this film's ideas) what he achieved in this original in the sequels and even the TV series (worth watching) in terms of imagination but you all knew that. /5Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005), 8. King Kong (1976), 9. Halloween II (2009), 10. Pumpkinhead (1988), 11. House on Haunted Hill (1959), 12. House on Haunted Hill (1999), 13. What We Do in the Shadows (2014), 14. Ghostbusters (2016), 15. Bride of Chucky (1998), 16. Seed of Chucky (2004), 17. Nightbreed (1990), 18. The Axe Murders of Villisca (2016), 19. Ghosts of Mars (2001), 20. Haunters: The Art of the Scare (2017), 21 Annabelle (2014), 22. The Stuff (1985), 23. Gremlins (1984), 24. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), 25. An American Werewolf in London (1981), 26. The Evil Dead (1981)
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Oct 6, 2018 04:28
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mobby_6kl posted:^^^ I actually saw it last summer when I was doing a big superhero movie kick to get hyped up for Infinity War (yes, it's not MCU but I tossed some "other Marvel" in there). Blade 2 still holds up. It's a fun creature romp with Del Toro's strengths all at play and Wesley Snipes will forever be Blade. But, the film falls apart in the final third because there are some dumb story twists and I kinda checked out after it. I really do have to give the edge to the original Blade because as someone said it's such a perfect comic book movie. It's a marvelous origin story that has some amazing world-building and excellent performances by Snipes and Dorff. The CGI is pretty late 90s terrible but that's really a small thing to complain about when the film itself is so drat great. I don't recommend watching Blade Trinity: it sucks still even with Ryan Reynolds giving a pseudo-Deadpool performance in it. Justin Godscock fucked around with this message at 22:15 on Oct 7, 2018 |
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Oct 7, 2018 22:00
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27. Escape from Tomorrow (2013) I decided to take a break from blood, gore, killers and creatures and go for something more cerebral. For the next film in the challenge I’m going for some surrealistic psychological horror in the form of a trip to Disney World. Escape from Tomorrow is a film that got some infamy on release because it was filmed guerilla style in Disney World and Disneyland by the filmmakers. Anyone who knows Disney’s reputation knows they are very strict on the IPs and the Disney Parks are of no exception. The filmmakers had to take great pains to avoid getting caught including filming the whole movie on the types of cameras tourists would use. The film is about a family going to Disney World and on the last day the father starts to have a mental breakdown and sees disturbing images and experiences bizarre things. The film follows the basics of psychological horror in that you really aren’t sure what is real and what isn’t which to me is pure horror. The protagonist is a father who got fired from his job on the last day of his Disney vacation and tries to have fun with his family regardless but is obviously now having an existential crisis. What I love about this film is that anyone who has had any kind of significant tragedy or crisis in their life knows that kind of psychological limbo you get into where you do and think things that make your cringe hard later in life. This film plays on those fears with a sharp contrast of happy Disney visuals to good effect. You can slowly feel the father falling apart and the costs to his family. Then the movie gets really, really weird and insane in the final third which I was not expecting at all. I’m not even sure it really happened which is psychological horror for you. /528. Creepshow (1982)  Creepshow is a horror-comedy anthology series directed by George A Romero that is an homage to the EC Comics of the 40s and 50s. It starts off like any series of horror short stories where the first ones are kinda tame, have some shock imagery, but don’t really have a story. I admit I felt disappointed after the first two stories. Then they pick up becoming more and more personal and character driven. All of a sudden I felt more captivated into knowing what happens next. The Crate short story in particular is the highlight of the entire movie mixing pitch black comedy, campiness and good old fashioned creature effects and corn syrup/red food coloring as blood. /5 Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005), 8. King Kong (1976), 9. Halloween II (2009), 10. Pumpkinhead (1988), 11. House on Haunted Hill (1959), 12. House on Haunted Hill (1999), 13. What We Do in the Shadows (2014), 14. Ghostbusters (2016), 15. Bride of Chucky (1998), 16. Seed of Chucky (2004), 17. Nightbreed (1990), 18. The Axe Murders of Villisca (2016), 19. Ghosts of Mars (2001), 20. Haunters: The Art of the Scare (2017), 21 Annabelle (2014), 22. The Stuff (1985), 23. Gremlins (1984), 24. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), 25. An American Werewolf in London (1981), 26. The Evil Dead (1981), 27. Escape from Tomorrow (2013), 28. Creepshow (1982)
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Oct 7, 2018 22:43
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 I DID ITI have officially completed my challenge of 31 movies. Wow, I knew I could do it and I think I am going to keep going here. Seriously, I am beyond pumped that I set a goal and finished it and I thank everyone here, especially the ones organizing this, for motivating me to keep watching. Happy horror everyone, and good luck! 29. Microwave Massacre (1983)  This is such a trashy movie. The acting is bad and the dialogue is beyond cheesy. It's honestly only a little bit above a porno movie with a budget and a soundtrack. It's also really cringey 80s in terms of the number of sex jokes and "sexual situations" because it's flat-out sexual assault a lot of the times (something that really hurts any 80s sex comedy). It made for some hard watching early on to the point where I was considering picking another title for the challenge. But, I figured if I start I should just keep going and if it's poo poo then it's poo poo then. This is the kind of movies "bad movie nights" were made for. It's crap, it's cheesy, it's intentional and it's something you just witness instead of watch. It's about a guy who kills his wife, discovers he loves the taste of human flesh and the cannibalism that follows. It's a bad movie like I mentioned but the greatest crime here is the practical effects are garbage. It's mannequin parts with red paint most of the time and it's insulting because it's what you look forward to movies that are this bad. This just a sleazy movie that made me feel unclean watching it and I'm usually a fan of this kind of stuff if done right. /530. Venom (2018)  I saw this one was watched by others earlier in the challenge and nothing was said so I'll take that as it's valid. Plus, the film is pretty much horror at times with the symbiotes as nightmarish creatures. I actually liked this one. It is flawed because you can tell it got focus grouped, re-edited and re-shot to death (the story is a patchwork of scenes leading to the big showdown at the end) but if it wasn't for Tom Hardy it would be something I'd skip. Tom Hardy is quickly becoming one of those actors that's a real workhorse because every movie I've seen him in he is trying his damned hardest to play his role. It's not Daniel Day-Lewis intense but he invests himself harder than you'd think and here. Anyways, Venom is more of a wise-cracker in this film but in a morbid and mocking way which is how I pictured him in the comics. He does bite heads off and stab dudes and honestly it made me forget the terrible Topher Grace Venom. I'm kinda at a loss for words here because all I can think about is stuff that belongs in the superhero thread and I don't want to derail by talking MCU/Sony drama. So, in closing: better than I expected, Tom Hardy is great and if Sony figures things out I would like to see more. /531. Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)  I figured I was long overdue for another giant monsters smashing cities movie. I really liked the original Pacific Rim. It had the right amount of cheese, awesome action and Del Toro's classic creature feature direction was all on point. The sequel does require watching the original because it has a bunch of story threads that weave and develop in this one. It's clear this movie was made for the Chinese film market. It's a bit of a trend in Hollywood to make silly action movies that make little sense (China loves them) which is why we had two Dwayne Johnson action flicks in 2018 that fit the bill. So we have a bunch of dialogue in Mandarin and most of the action set in Asia. I didn't mind, to be honest, because this is a trend that is going to go away because these kind of films aren't making bank. Anyways, without spoiling anything the film is about a resurgence of the Kaiju and a new world that has rogue Jaeger operators trying to make sense ten years after Pacific Rim. The final battle of this movie felt appropriate for completion of this challenge. Just a big brawl in a city between multiple Jaegers and a super Kaiju that made me both smile and fistpump knowing I did it. Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005), 8. King Kong (1976), 9. Halloween II (2009), 10. Pumpkinhead (1988), 11. House on Haunted Hill (1959), 12. House on Haunted Hill (1999), 13. What We Do in the Shadows (2014), 14. Ghostbusters (2016), 15. Bride of Chucky (1998), 16. Seed of Chucky (2004), 17. Nightbreed (1990), 18. The Axe Murders of Villisca (2016), 19. Ghosts of Mars (2001), 20. Haunters: The Art of the Scare (2017), 21 Annabelle (2014), 22. The Stuff (1985), 23. Gremlins (1984), 24. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), 25. An American Werewolf in London (1981), 26. The Evil Dead (1981), 27. Escape from Tomorrow (2013), 28. Creepshow (1982), 29. Microwave Massacre (1983), 30. Venom (2018), 31. Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)
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Oct 10, 2018 07:35
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I liked it too but it really is a part of 2000s torture porn film so if one doesn’t like that the film might not be for you.
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Oct 11, 2018 02:54
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I just wanted to quickly add that I'm likely going to have horror films as a "rewatch". My plan was for the 31 challenge to include nothing but new horror and since that was met I figure the overrun will have me rewatching horror film I haven't seen since high school 15+ years ago. 32. Lights Out (2016)  This movie is based on a YouTube short that I do recommend watching because it’s simple and effective in what it tries to do. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNbJE0y29_c It went viral and of course Hollywood had to adapt it into a feature film. The results are what you would expect. The film has a lot of jump scares (though I will say the shadow creature thing moving when its dark is effective) and a family drama plotline that gives the creature an origin. This is where the film doesn’t work because the simplicity of the short in how paranoid it makes you feel when the lights go out as a kid. The film trying to be a film giving an origin to it removes a lot of the tension and suspense of just not knowing. /5Franchescanado posted:
33. The Ritual (2017)  My submission for the Fran Challenge. This one was made in Britain and clearly not just “set” there because holy crap are the leads English as gently caress when it comes to their dialogue. So, I think it counts. The film is about four guys that decide to go hiking in Northern Sweden as a big adventure getaway. Well, there is another reason but I won’t spoil it because it’s a surprise that’s more powerful if you don’t know. The emotional impact as the film goes on is way more intense with it as a mystery going on. As you might imagine they encounter strange occult things and quickly everything goes sideways. I liked this one. It’s a simple film of backpackers encountering evil in the woods as a pretty cliched set-up but the whole “lad” dynamic worked and holy crap was the creature design great. I also admit I have a soft spot for horror set in the woods because I remember as a kid I would go camping constantly in the fall. The strange sounds at night mixed with the Halloween season brings me back. .5/5Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005), 8. King Kong (1976), 9. Halloween II (2009), 10. Pumpkinhead (1988), 11. House on Haunted Hill (1959), 12. House on Haunted Hill (1999), 13. What We Do in the Shadows (2014), 14. Ghostbusters (2016), 15. Bride of Chucky (1998), 16. Seed of Chucky (2004), 17. Nightbreed (1990), 18. The Axe Murders of Villisca (2016), 19. Ghosts of Mars (2001), 20. Haunters: The Art of the Scare (2017), 21 Annabelle (2014), 22. The Stuff (1985), 23. Gremlins (1984), 24. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), 25. An American Werewolf in London (1981), 26. The Evil Dead (1981), 27. Escape from Tomorrow (2013), 28. Creepshow (1982), 29. Microwave Massacre (1983), 30. Venom (2018), 31. Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018), 32. Lights Out (2016), 33. The Ritual (2017) Justin Godscock fucked around with this message at 07:17 on Oct 12, 2018 |
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Oct 12, 2018 07:14
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I am so glad I started this challenge back in the middle of September because I knew the latter half of October was going to make it difficult to go on. I did manage to bang off a few at the beginning of this week before getting slammed with other priorities. Like I said before I'm in the overrun because I hit my goal of 31 and am going for a personal best. 34. Halloween (1978)  Yes, the classic itself. I haven’t seen this one since high school over 15 years ago and I figured after completing the challenge I should open a bottle and go back. This is an amazing film for one reason: atmosphere. Michael Myers isn’t some supernatural being (which is why I hated the sequels) but rather pure evil that is also devilishly smart. I used to think it was “dumb” that Michael Myers could drive and plan things out but now I realize that’s what makes him terrifying. He is evil but intelligent and him not speaking isn’t a sign of weakness but rather he simply doesn’t want to emphasize on a basic level by speaking to another human being. He just wants to kill and is aware enough to know what he needs to do to achieve just that. It’s frustrating to watch this film at times because it does so much right that latter slasher films couldn’t achieve (the small town Halloween ambience works so well too) so they just upped the blood/gore in compensation. Not that I am complaining about a good splatter flick but there is really skill here that is envious. God drat, this is a classic and I really hope the Blumhouse film captures the spirit of this gem. /535. C.H.U.D. (1984)  The classic 80s cheesy and campy monster movie. I wanted to see this one because it’s a bit of an injoke on a local radio station where they blame any weirdness in the city on “The C.H.U.D.s” then play the iconic theme. I knew of this film before that and decided I needed to watch it because I listen to the station on my morning commute. The film sets up the mystery of the C.H.U.D.’s as being responsible for the disappearance of the homeless population and characters investigating them. It’s got an 80s NYC vibe with the typical tropes of film set in that era with a wet NY (it's always wet back then) with a homeless population being subjected to something the government cooked up. Very cheesy with a good creature design. Not bad. .5/5Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005), 8. King Kong (1976), 9. Halloween II (2009), 10. Pumpkinhead (1988), 11. House on Haunted Hill (1959), 12. House on Haunted Hill (1999), 13. What We Do in the Shadows (2014), 14. Ghostbusters (2016), 15. Bride of Chucky (1998), 16. Seed of Chucky (2004), 17. Nightbreed (1990), 18. The Axe Murders of Villisca (2016), 19. Ghosts of Mars (2001), 20. Haunters: The Art of the Scare (2017), 21 Annabelle (2014), 22. The Stuff (1985), 23. Gremlins (1984), 24. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), 25. An American Werewolf in London (1981), 26. The Evil Dead (1981), 27. Escape from Tomorrow (2013), 28. Creepshow (1982), 29. Microwave Massacre (1983), 30. Venom (2018), 31. Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018), 32. Lights Out (2016), 33. The Ritual (2017), 34. Halloween (1978), 35. C.H.U.D. (1984) Fran Challenges: Justin Godscock fucked around with this message at 23:24 on Oct 19, 2018 |
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Oct 19, 2018 23:09
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Franchescanado posted:
36. Carnival of Souls (1962)  A part of me wanted to re-watch The Shining for this challenge but enough people were talking about Carnival of Souls that made me want to change my mind. This is a great independent film. It’s low budget but you would never guess it because everything is just shot so sharply and simply with good performances that draw you deeper into the film. The story is your basic psychological horror about the protagonist not knowing what is real or not but it’s so early in the genre it really is a pioneer in what it achieves. It explores trauma and fear of what it can bring and changes in one’s life by focusing on a woman dealing with a car crash. She has a hard time connecting with others despite escapes from the harsh reality and gains a new understanding from unwanted experiences. It really is a deep character study and I’m glad I was able to add another psychological horror to my challenge. /5Franchescanado posted:
37. The Exorcist (1973)  I mentioned earlier in this thread that my mom introduced me to horror when I was a young teenager. She grew up with Alfred Hitchcock and introduced me to Psycho and The Birds and to this day I consider her the one that made me a horror fan. But there was one movie that she was afraid to recommend to me. Not because it was offensive or anything but because it scared the “ever loving poo poo” (her exact words, no joke) out of her and didn’t recommend it lightly. For one reason or another I never got around to watching it and now I think it’s time. She passed away last year and in a way I’m watching this in memory of her. This is a powerful film. I mean, holy crap. I’m not just talking about the demonic possession scenes we all know so well (like the vomit scene) but how intense all the performances are. You just believe the actors are these characters dealing with something they really, really do not understand and it scares them on a primal level. Their relationships and attachment to reality are testing and mixing it with the clinical and sterile medical science scenes is an act of brilliance. Then the exorcism itself gets underway and it’s something else. What I enjoyed about this movie is that it challenges religion without getting “ACKTUALLY” about it. It has human characters who have their foibles without becoming exaggerations of themselves. They have their reasons of believing what they believe and when confronting a very real and physical depiction of what they were told to fear it becomes an existential moment that they need to confront as per their faith. God drat this is a great film and every bit unnerving as it is creepy. /5Franchescanado posted:
38. Summer of '84 (2018)  The first thing I will say is this film really took a cue from Stranger Things with 80s small town horror. I really could not help but think of that series while watching this at first. But then the film gets underway and it really does try to do its own thing and merely exists in the genre with Stranger Things. The film is about a group of young teenagers in small town America dealing with the usual anxieties and issues of love and friendship. While at the same time they suspect there is a serial killer in town and decide to investigate it. The film builds as a mystery thriller and once it gets going it is just all on. I really don’t want to say anymore because like any mystery thriller its best if you go in knowing little. /5Total: 1. The Conjuring 2 (2016), 2. Terrifier (2016), 3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 4. Split (2017), 5. The First Purge (2018), 6. Trick 'R Treat (2009), 7. Wolf Creek (2005), 8. King Kong (1976), 9. Halloween II (2009), 10. Pumpkinhead (1988), 11. House on Haunted Hill (1959), 12. House on Haunted Hill (1999), 13. What We Do in the Shadows (2014), 14. Ghostbusters (2016), 15. Bride of Chucky (1998), 16. Seed of Chucky (2004), 17. Nightbreed (1990), 18. The Axe Murders of Villisca (2016), 19. Ghosts of Mars (2001), 20. Haunters: The Art of the Scare (2017), 21 Annabelle (2014), 22. The Stuff (1985), 23. Gremlins (1984), 24. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), 25. An American Werewolf in London (1981), 26. The Evil Dead (1981), 27. Escape from Tomorrow (2013), 28. Creepshow (1982), 29. Microwave Massacre (1983), 30. Venom (2018), 31. Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018), 32. Lights Out (2016), 33. The Ritual (2017), 34. Halloween (1978), 35. C.H.U.D. (1984), 36. Carnival of Souls (1962), 37. The Exorcist (1973), 38. Summer of '84 (2018) Fran Challenges:
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Oct 23, 2018 22:50
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The only thing I didn't like about the original Halloween 2 was they decided to make Laurie Strode related to Michael Myers which to me takes away Michael's mystique. He supposed to be pure evil and not human. But as a horror sequel in the 80s it isn't a bad film.
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Oct 24, 2018 22:20
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