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Dagon vs. Body Snatchers is a secret Stuart Gordon double bill, as Gordon co-wrote the screenplay for Body Snatchers alongside long-time collaborator Dennis Paoli and Ferrara's writing partner Nicholas St. John, it also includes a story credit for one Larry Cohen. For me, Body Snatchers loses a lot of the punk energy present in Ferrara's other works, and its release soon after possibly his best film, Bad Lieutenant, leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I would also draw everyone's attention to the masterful performance from Meg Tilly, sister of Jennifer. Her turn from an unsuspecting homemaker and mother, to a sociopathic alien entity, is remarkably striking, and underpins the true drama and horror of the film. Having not rewatched either film as of yet, my current thoughts are leaning toward Dagon. While Body Snatchers is doubtlessly the more interesting and accomplished film, it doesn't quite stand out for me as a unique and complete vision in the same way Dagon is, and the goop is better.
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Jun 25, 2021 22:24
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| # ¿ May 22, 2024 11:19 |
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STAC Goat posted:Ok, now I legitimately feel like I failed at my job for not identifying that trick of the Random Number Generator. You're doing amazing, sweetie
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Jun 26, 2021 19:10
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Tarnop posted:Thanks for all you do, Goat! No one here wants you to burn out; far better to take a break and keep the fun going at a lower pace. If you need another before this whole thing is done then we've got your back. This! We love and appreciate everything you do here, Goat  giving you the gift of a break is the least we can do.
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Jul 9, 2021 18:48
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Excellent post, Goat!
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Jul 12, 2021 19:24
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TrixRabbi posted:I thought we had decided in favor of doing the thing where if a sequel gets drawn it reverts to the first in the series? We didn't do that with Class of Nuke 'Em High, so it seems unfair to start now. I'm also extremely excited to watch all these movies! And I'm especially excited for people to watch Strange Color, I'm not sure if it's going to be to everyone's tastes, but it's supremely ambitious and experimental in regards to its visual landscape.
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Jul 13, 2021 16:30
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Manhattan Baby vs. The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears vs. Enter the Void Beginning with Manhattan Baby, to get it out of the way, the film is incredibly dull and meandering. What dreamlike Fulci touches there are, are few too few and far between. The film also contains a real snake being killed, which is an instant veto from me. I'm not here to watch animal cruelty. Enter the Void was a lot more interesting and ambitious, but I had many issues. The most obvious issue is the length of the film, which I wouldn't necessarily have a complaint with ordinarily. The film uses its length to slow down and present a more free-flowing narrative, mirroring its soul-like wispy floating nature. The issue comes with the fact that I felt my engagement slipping quite severely. The film has a distinct structure that could lend itself well to an episodic format, but because the narrative isn't particularly bold, we as the viewers have precious little idea of where the film is headed at any particular point, and as a result, I felt my sense of investment nosediving frequently. My largest issue, and the thing that actually made me turn against the film, was the depiction of the sister character. I don't have an issue with sex or sexuality or sex work being depicted in the film. I do, however, have an issue with women being depicted as agentless doe-eyed naifs. When we meet the sister as an adult, she's seen clutching a teddy bear, a symbol of her innocence so unsubtle that it made me audibly groan. She is then sexualised and objectified by everyone she encounters, including her brother, with zero pushback or revealed preference or seemingly any choice made on her part. She exists in the film entirely to be a vessel for the desires of the men around her and nothing else. She seems to have zero personality, and she's also so central to the plot that she's practically the main character! This is just an unforgivable issue for me. Perhaps in working with English-speaking actors and relying on improvised dialogue, something was lost from Noe's initial vision. I can envision a version of the film in which the initial trauma of parental bereavement and separation could result in the kind of relationship depicted in the film, but it would take far stronger and more forceful performance to convince me of it, and instead what we get feels closer to leering and unjustified lasciviousness. Onward to Strang Colour, I love this weird film in all of its technical and artistic majesty. It's a masterclass in shot composition, execution, and editing, it's breathtaking, absolutely stunning. You could easily take any ten-minute fragment of this movie, release it as a short film, and I would be singing its praises. Does it work so well as a complete vision? I think there are certainly elements here where the cinematic playfulness overtakes niceties, like coherency. I felt unsure at several points of where the story was headed, possibly mirroring the experience of our protagonist, who is similarly lost, but I never felt bored or betrayed. In fact, some of the shots were so absolutely mesmerising that they still haunt me now. For me, it's an easy vote for Stange Colour, and while I didn't particularly enjoy the other films, I'm glad I finally got to experience Enter the Void. While it didn't work for me, I applaud it as a much-needed experiment.
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Jul 18, 2021 23:26
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I'm so excited for Raw vs. It Follows! If nothing else, that's going to be a fun double bill. I'm not sure how I'll vote just yet though, Raw probably has the more successful pedigree, but I think It Follows is the more entertaining experience.
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Jul 23, 2021 13:07
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Sorry to double post, but I just noticed that Angela Bettis, Juliet Landau, and Sheri Moon Zombie are all in The Toolbox Murders even if it's terrible I know I'm going to be in my own personal heaven.
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Jul 23, 2021 14:56
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I'll be voting for It Follows and Toolbox Murders. It saddens me to have to vote against the anime team, but this is an occasion where the OVA format presents its painful budgetary limitations in full. I was really hoping to enjoy Lily C.A.T., I'm not someone who is concerned about "rip-offs" or pastiches usually, if anything the idea of good properties being ripped off excites me, I want to see good ideas repeated. What could be more cool than The Thing in space, and with all of the myriad possibilities of animation behind it? Unfortunately what we get instead is a lot of talking, a lot of dull side plot, and a few cool moments to spice up the pot. It's just not enough. The Toolbox Murders, on the other hand, does an exceptional bait and switch with its lackluster reveal. While the eventual destination really isn't worth the price of admission, and whilst the immense talent here (Angela Bettis, Sheri Moon Zombie, Juliet Landau) is wasted, there was enough mystery and intrigue to happily carry me through to the end. I always love claustrophobic feeling films and films in which the space is a character unto itself, and Hooper here has expertly married the two, creating an apartment builing from hell that seeks to suffocate its inhabitants whilst simultaneously leaving breadcrumbs, hinting toward its eventual downfall. Again, I think where those breadcrumbs lead is a letdown, but I enjoyed the journey. Raw vs It Follows is a lot trickier. On the one hand, we have Raw, which is an anxiety-fueled body horror coming of age nightmare, that's slick, artistic, and immensely watchable. Then we have It Follows, which has, in my opinion, some creeky scenes. The pool finale for instance feels a little cheap, a little easy, I think it ducks some harder questions in favour of a more traditional monster-movie ending. However, I found It Follows to be the far more successful film when it came to exploring its subject matter, namely the nature of the "It". From the first moment we meet our female lead, she's being stalked, not by a monster, but by children, small boys to be precise. Her entire existence is spent within the ever-present gaze of the men around her, who treat her not as an individual in need of understanding and respect, but as a potential sexual partner and little else. On multiple occasions throughout the film, the men in her life show kindness and affection, but it's all predicated on their desire to sleep with her. This constant anxiety of not being able to trust those around you, and questioning the motives of even strangers in the far distance, is an ever-present part of life as a woman, and is reflected majestically in not just the monster, but also the extended cast, and it's done in such a rare and powerful way that I felt extremely moved during the stream. My own history with It Follows comes from watching it shortly after its release and being incredibly suspicious at the time that the film was sympathetic toward these male characters. I had taught myself, as with the female lead, to not trust these men, and by extension, I didn't trust the filmmakers. Revisiting the film now allowed me to put some of those demons to rest, and appreciate what the film was attempting to show beyond my own anxieties, and for that compounded revelation on top of masterful depiction, I have to vote It Follows. I felt moved by it in a way that Raw just did not touch.
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Jul 28, 2021 20:24
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In a tournament that's hosted Rodan without issue, I don't want to hear anyone say that Nausicaa isn't horror
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Jul 31, 2021 01:20
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Excellent write up, Goat 
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Aug 3, 2021 11:55
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It really is just an exquisitely beautiful film, I can't imagine many films beating it.       
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Aug 3, 2021 20:01
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I wanted to effort post for Nausicaa, but sad brain. While it's definitely a dry run for the Princess Mononoke and the later Miyazaki films, which obviously outstrip it in every way, it's worth remembering that this is Miyazaki's second feature film, and his first featuring original characters. Already we see many of themes that would live and blossom and develop in his later films, of community, of shintoism, of harmony not only with nature, but as a part of nature, and the seriousness with which Miyazaki holds and presents his ideas, even in what is ostensibly a children's film. Few kids films begin with nuclear apocalypse and end with ecological suicide, few kids films contain relatable villains with understandable perspectives, few films at all present animals and nature with the nuance and intelligence of Nausicaa. And all wrapped up in a fun action sci-fi fantasy package, with a feminist lead, and deeply impressive kaiju insects. I really enjoyed Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, as grueling as it is in places, it's a fun and meaningful film, depicting cycles of violence like few other films I've seen. For me, this is a very tight race, but I have to give my nod to Nausicaa. I'll always remember it as the first film that absolutely broke my heart and left me in floods of tears as a child, it taught me that cinema could be a medium of vastly powerful and moving emotions, and for that, I will always be in its debt.
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Aug 6, 2021 02:01
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Nausicaa advances!? Holy poo poo  I haven't seen any of the upcoming, except for Good Manners and I absolutely adore it. It maybe bites off more than it can chew with its branching plot, but it's a delightfully queer movie that felt relatable and real to me in its depiction of Sapphic relationships. There's also one incredible gore scene that I know people are going to love!
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Aug 6, 2021 11:37
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TrixRabbi posted:I only saw Labyrinth as an adult so can confirm with sober eyes that the movie is terrible. If you have childhood nostalgia more power to ya but maybe one of the worst films left in the entire pool. So sad to see people with nothing but pure ice running through their veins
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Aug 6, 2021 19:08
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Knife+Heart is easily one of the best films of this century so far, Mimic would have to do more than present a few bugs for me to vote against it.
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Aug 13, 2021 22:20
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Another week where I really don't have it in me to effort post, but I'll be voting Knife + Heart and Angst. Not only are they the better films from a technical and artistic standpoint, but I also just plain enjoy them more. And once we dive into themes, what does Mimic have to say? Don't breed mutant cockroaches? Don't trust scientists during a pandemic? Kids on the spectrum are weird? Whereas Knife+Heart is a tender and exciting exploration of sexuality, gender, sex work, homophobia, both internal and external, and is clearly analogous to the AIDs epidemic that swept the gay community during the '70s and '80s, all of that and it's also a surrealist fever dream, with bird clawed mystics in extradimensional pet stores. Mimic, on the other hand, has the guy from Alien 3 being somewhat memorable for a few minutes, and that's about it. The choice couldn't be more clear.
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Aug 19, 2021 18:21
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married but discreet posted:So Predation is going to get to draw an old movie again for the final, assuming that Let The Right One In wins? Traditionally in the final each team draws three films, right? Not that anything has a realistic chance against QaiFY.
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Aug 20, 2021 16:52
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Love the rad new av, MZ
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Aug 25, 2021 02:32
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Basebf555 posted:Just wanted to say thank you to STAC, who has really done us a huge service here. I think we all know there are many other posters, myself included, who probably would've come up with a reason not to take this thing all the way to the finish line. This was a real endurance test and STAC, you aced it. 
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Aug 27, 2021 22:16
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I did spot the mix up a couple of weeks ago, but I assumed I just didn't know how tournaments worked. Sorry! I have to say that I'm hype to see QaiFY reaching the final! No one else probably remembers this, but in the previous Bracketology tournament Cattet & Forzani were nominated but didn't recieve enough votes to enter, they just weren't well known enough, well now they're in the final! I've loved this husband and wife team of directors since I discovered Amer last year. They're self-taught filmmakers and genre cinema super fans, and it shows! Each shot is full of love and experimentation and passion. Their films are a catalogue of exquisite cinematography and Amer stands as perhaps their most experimental and most successful film, it's certainly my favourite film of all time, so not only am I extremely excited that I get to share it with you all, it seems extremely appropriate that it takes this spot in the final. Singapore Sling is my other favourite film of all time and for wholly different reasons. It typifies the two oppositional forces that I look for in films, but here are found in perfect harmony, namely gross depraved brutal and unsettling extreme goopy emotions and images, and then a sweet lightness, a kindness, a lack of malice with a sense of fun and good heartedness. It's a combination that outside of Sling I've only seen pulled off in Alucarda. Singapore Sling is a rare film that is both deep and thoughtful, but also profane and anarchic and irreverent, a comedy that bombards the viewer with extreme images persistently and constantly, but also holds them by the hand and whispers that it's all in good fun. Strange Color is maybe the weakest film on QaiFY so it makes sense that it takes this third spot. Here the experimentation of Cattet and Forzani doesn't find a harmony with its complex plot, resulting in a beautiful and enthralling failure? Perhaps failure is too strong a word, but it's clear that something is missing here. All that said however, each scene itself could be plucked from the whole, and loved and appreciated on its own merits as a short film, such is the remarkable attention to detail and relentless experimentation of this highly talented pair. For me, QaiFY sweeps all the categories here, but that really just reflects my own personal taste. I'll be curious to see how it fares against an equally powerful and deserved competitor in the ever wonderful Machete Zombie's One and Dones. I'd also like to thank you all for such a beautiful and incredible tournament. Each of you have done so much to make this experiment a fun welcoming and fulfilling experience. The biggest thank you though must go to Goat, whose tireless and awe inspiring diligence cements him as the true MVP of this tournament. Whichever team wins, we all know that Goat is the true King of Horror, may he reign forever in our hearts.
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Sep 3, 2021 11:13
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Oh I don't really pay much attention to what's being talked up by other people, I always just go with how a film affects me at a personal level. I feel like the anti-SMG in that way, all heart and no head.
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Sep 3, 2021 19:05
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Strange Color is a difficult film to effort post about because it is such a dense hallucinatory experience with an unreliable narrator. The whole film transports us into a warped mind, and the world warps around that perspective, like the shifting kaleidoscopic architecture of the film's intro. You'd really have to do maybe a scene-by-scene breakdown or speak in such sweeping terms that granular intricacies of shot composition are lost. For instance, the time loop sequence in which a man stabs his way out of himself, how to even begin describing that without delving into an equally dense metaphor? Near Dark on the other hand is a lot easier to discuss, and a lot easier to criticise as a result. The third act in particular is a bit of a mess imho, its where the film squirms so uncomfortably under its own premise that it introduces several painfully contrived plot beats, the blood transfusion, the chance encounter of the families, et cetera. It's a film that's conscious of its own runtime and attempts to sprint toward a happy ending, at the cost of everything that came before it. In contrast with Strange Color it's also a lot less ambitious too, a lot less beautiful, a lot less intricate, and while there are certainly iconic performances that left a large cultural impact, the film is just far more pedestrian. I think this is a theme when contrasting all six films. QaiFY is filled with films that stand outside of convention, and push the boundaries of cinematography, narrative structure, and cultural expectations. One And Dones feels more like a comfortable slipper, full of well-worn classics (and Def By Temptation). It might come down to a preference split, but I know for me that I always prefer films that push against boundaries, and challenge the expectations of the medium
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Sep 6, 2021 18:29
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I'm sure she's somewhere out there stomping her feet and pouting and not knowing why
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Sep 8, 2021 16:24
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But have you considered...?
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Sep 10, 2021 05:08
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| # ¿ May 22, 2024 11:19 |
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Congratulations to MZ! If it couldn't be the team I was rooting for, I'm glad it was you that picked up the crown, wear it well! You deserve it not only for crafting a wonderful team, but also for all the hard work and tireless effort you put in around here. And thank you so much to Goat for running such an incredible tournament! The fact that you maintained such a level of excellence and passion for nine months is beyond impressive, I have no idea how you managed it, but enjoy your rest, you've earned it! And I'll look forward to seeing everyone in the next tournament!
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Sep 10, 2021 16:33
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