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1. We’re All Going to the World’s Fair Marble Hornets walked so this could trot. The first half of this movie is probably the scariest a horror movie has felt since I was a teenager, as it supercharges the feeling of reality that powered films like Blair Witch and Paranormal Activity. But the nature of creepypasta is to just hint at some terrible thing and let your traitorous mind fill in the rest and I’m not sure that works so well in a film. As creepy as the beginning is it began to be clear that it’s not going to escalate that far and like with MH by the end I was just kind of feeling bored of hearing leaves crunch and the camera jostle. Still, excited to see how Jane Schoenbrun and others can evolve the form in the future. 3/5
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May 1, 2022 05:56
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Gripweed posted:I vaguley remember people counting The Green Knight for last year's challenge, was that legit? I know it's by A24 and has a big scary monster so I assume it's pretty close to horror at least. I’d call it dark fantasy more than anything but it’s solidly horror-adjacent enough to count for this thread
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May 1, 2022 06:12
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Hell yeah! I have slept on these challenges until last October, so I'm excited to get involved for spring. I way way overachieved with 71 movies in October, but that's not happening this time. So I'll say 13+ horror movies in general, as well as significant completion of whatever the challenge(s) are if possible. EDIT: Oh, great, the challenge is 13 categories of movies to hit, so my goal will be to complete the challenge with my first 13 movies, and anything on top of that is a bonus. Crescent Wrench fucked around with this message at 16:58 on May 4, 2022 |
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May 1, 2022 07:27
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1. Noroi: The Curse (Challenge 1: Folk Horror) I was really excited to watch this for Bracketology, and then Koji Shiraishi's team got the boot. That just meant I could watch it whenever I wanted! Aside from the most classic of found-footage issues where the characters are way too invested in the camera in the midst of peril, it was very successful. I prefer supernatural horror because it generally doesn't have to follow pre-set rules about silver bullets or headshots. Noroi gives the audience enough to sketch out the mystery of what is happening, why, and how to deal with it while hardly ever giving the answers outright. That's really all I need for something like this. Samfucius fucked around with this message at 12:04 on May 19, 2022 |
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May 1, 2022 09:27
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I already saw a couple things from Panic Fest 1. Presence (2022) directed by Christian Schultz  Two friends/business partners get invited to a week-long yacht voyage by a potential investor. One of them seems to have brought a presence onboard with them. The story tries to do way too much too late for this to really work out, and I don't know how much of that is because of the super-slow pacing (felt a lot longer than 82 minutes; I'd say even less than that but for some reason there's also a postcredits scene?) *** Not my least-favorite of the festival thus far, because up next was 2. Bitch rear end  Tony Todd introduces us to a VHS tape depicting a tale of the "first black masked serial killer" Bitch rear end, in an all-black Saw knockoff where characters trying to rob a place get more than they bargained for and are forced to play games against a killer out for revenge. Has its occasional moments that are above the more-frequent instances where you'll check your watch or check off a trope, but yeah doesn't bring much to the table otherwise (aside from one of the games being giant Connect 4; can't say I've ever seen that in a horror film!). Though I can't help but be happy that Todd's current run of cameos that still end with him getting top billing at least got to include this one, where he's like a Cryptkeeper/Rod Serling figure and clearly having fun with it for the few minutes you see him ** 3. Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes  In a month where I got to see We're All Going to the World's Fair, Hatching, Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Northman, The Sadness and Nitram, this was never going to be my favorite despite being extremely my poo poo and (I believe) being done extremely well. If I'd seen it any month but April or May it'd have stood a drat good chance of it though. Normally I get why people are aggravated by hearing "go in blind", but I really wouldn't know how to describe this without spoiling it. Never knew where it was taking me till the final minute, yet completely enjoyed the ride ***** 3/13+ (Presence 2022, Bitch rear end, Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes)
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May 1, 2022 11:48
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3/13 - We Are The Flesh (2015) This one's been on my list of 'I need to get around to watching that' for a while, and so with the May challenge, why not now. Gotta say, after several years of putting it off... I'm kinda disappointed. We Are The Flesh feels less like a movie and more like a checklist of things that a modern 'shocking' movie needs to have. I feel like the best comparison would be something like A Serbian Film, not necessarily in terms of content, but in terms of 'here's the checklist of hosed up stuff I want to put into my movie'. All of that would be fine, of course, if the full purpose of the movie was to just be 'that hosed up movie', but just like with ASF, there's an insistence on an overarching plot and ~~SERIOUS THEMES~~ that feels at odds with how exploitative the rest of the movie is. Like, it's absolutely fine to make a 'shocking movie' for the sake of making one, but if you're including sections where someone looks dead into the camera and says the theme of the movie in order to make sure the 'plot' is progressing, you've created a muddled mess. Is it a narrative-free arthouse picture about the base desires of human existence? Is it a retelling of a modern perverted Garden of Eden with more jizz flying throughout the air? I suspect you know as much as the director did. Multiple times I thought about a generation of filmmakers watching New French Extremism cinema and learning all the wrong lessons -- less of the Martyrs approach of violence as meditation and commentary, and more the Haute Tension approach of 'lol look a blowjob from a severed head, isn't that hosed up'. Beautifully shot, well acted, the rest is absolute nonsense. If it wasn't for the countless scenes of unstimulated sex and the long, lingering closeups on penises and vaginas, I can't imagine the movie would be remembered for much of anything.  
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May 1, 2022 17:38
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1 The Sixth Sense is still a classic. Even knowing and attempting to forget the twist its still such a lovely, scary and tremendously successful film that you remember there was a point where M. Night was given the space to kinda breathe and just make a movie before he got too puffed up by the press and fans and gassed himself up too hard. You know that feeling you get when you're watching a movie that has really been thought about and considered so there's this air of stability throughout and you just move along with a movie and dont necessarily need to poke around the edges at what they're getting at, you're just engrossed with what the mood and setting the movie is building for you to live in. All of that is still very much intact in this movie, divorced from the decades of meme's and press it all works exceptionally well. Just a very good way to start off this horror trek. It's been awhile, but its still a bona-fide classic with terrific performances from every actor. Haley Joel Osment is just outstanding, Bruce delivers a muted, quiet and very solemn performance that still works despite what you'd normally expect from a guy like WIllis at that time and Toni Collette is just building the foundation of a career here in America where she will be the high point in almost every project she joins from then on.  out of 52  Even at what I thought was going to be a brisk runtime (of 103 minutes) this movie was a complete slog to get through. Just like trudging through mud, especially the third act. There's a couple high points of Gabriel Byrne playing what is ostensibly a Pete Venkmen of the Vactican or the cool subway whipping scene, but the movie just drags so hard and the editing is so egregiously late 90's and maddeningly confusing at times. There is probably a decent movie in here somewhere, you got freakin' Patricia Arquette throwing every shade of manic at the screen, but it just doesnt work. I dont know if its an overall tone, the technical aspects of it or that I just lost interest for long stretches (again at a 103 min runtime), but I kinda expected more from this rewatch (which to be fair I havent seen since the early 2000's and probably thought it was a lot cooler back then as a teenager). out of 5
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May 1, 2022 18:27
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1/13+ Matango (マタンゴ) 1963 Directed by Ishirō Honda  “The weak restraints of society disintegrate in the face of the will to survive in harsh circumstances.” Matango, aka Attack of the Mushroom People, is one of those horror movies in which people are the real monsters, or at least some of the real monsters. When they find themselves stranded on an island with limited fresh water and food, seven people quickly decide to fight amongst themselves. If you're not sure about the message here, one of the characters just blurts it out while walking on the beach. Ishirō Honda spends a lot of time building up atmosphere and tension which is great. When things inevitably go sideways, it's a lot of fun. 💀💀💀1/2
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May 1, 2022 18:44
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 1. The Exorcist (1973) (dir. Wiliam Friedkin) blu-ray re-watch - Extended Director's Cut I've seen this movie many times over the years, but I recently read the novel for the first time and thought this would be a good time to revisit. The two are pretty similar - the novel dives a little more into Chris' fear of death and Karras' crisis of faith, and Detective Kinderman's role is diminished in the film, but they hit all the same beats. I enjoyed the book a lot more than I was expecting to, and honestly can't say which I liked better. If you like this film and haven't read Blatty's novel, I definitely recommend it. This really holds up as genuinely scary I think, but most of the horror is from Chris' point of view as she helpless watches her daughter succumb to what starts as unknown illness and turns into a nightmarish possession that brings her to the brink of death. If Ellen Burstyn's performance wasn't as good as it is, I don't think this film would be nearly as effective. I doubt anyone reading this needs much convincing to watch this movie, but if you've never gotten around to it then don't hesitate, it holds up extremely well. 5 exorcisms out of 5 Total: 1 Watched: The Exorcist
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May 1, 2022 20:06
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Awesome - I'm in for 13 this year, going to keep it loose but hopefully tackle some movies I have but haven't gotten around to watching yet! https://letterboxd.com/smitster/list/halfway-to-halloween-2022/
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May 1, 2022 21:13
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1. The Berlin Bride A 16mm 80’s throwback whimsical magical realism doll fetish horror movie. Stale genre for sure, but this one’s real fun, just pure visual storytelling, gorgeous to look at and listen to. Also really nice to see someone remember the 80s through something other than the Stranger Things nostalgia lens. 2. Frankenstein Created Woman He sure did! Peter Cushing is a delight as usual, but as much as I’d like to really enjoy Hammer horror movies, they just never really do it for me. I’m always left unsatisfied and wanting more. They’re never lurid, gruesome or wholesome enough to really be enjoyable, a cheap intermediate between Universal horror and giallo. A watch for Bracketology, which y'all should consider for insipiration if you don't know what movies to do. 3. No One Gets Out Alive This one’s a Netflix horror so you know exactly how it’ll look like, and it’s algorithmically determined to be a mixture between some other successful movies you liked. It does have some neat visuals, a likeable protagonist and some interesting ideas, but they’re mostly left unexplored and don’t really fit together in a meaningful way. There’s worse ways to spend <90 minutes though. 4. Hellbender A coming of age gone bad movie, some Lords of Salem, some Raw, lots of witchy goodness. The visuals are a bit uneven, with some scenes looking far better than others, but it does a whole lot with it’s low budget, and is just very charming to boot.
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May 1, 2022 22:37
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This is a post, I am watching a horror movie right now!
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May 2, 2022 01:33
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4/13 - Follower (2022) Great premise, aaaaand... that's about it. I try to watch 'new' horror stuff as regularly as I revisit the classics, and this one had a pretty good plot synopsis. Unfortunately, the writing is pretty terrible, and the main cast is perhaps the four most unlikeable human beings I've seen in a movie in a long time. The one saving grace is that the movie is just over an hour long, so I didn't waste an entire evening with it, but I can't say I'd recommend it to anyone. The one neat element I did enjoy was that Instagram usernames appear on-screen at times, and those are actual accounts you can check to see photos and videos of alternate angles of events. I thought that was pretty cool for a home viewing audience, but I'm gonna be honest, if that happened in the theater and everyone simultaneously whipped out their phones to check social media, I might go Joyce Summers right there in my seat.
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May 2, 2022 01:47
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#2 - Godzilla Raids Again My first time watching this one. The original Godzilla/Gojira is a masterpiece; six months after its release, a sequel was rushed out and you can really, really feel how quick and cheap its production was. It feels like two scripts stapled together and the phenomenal score of the original is replaced by a lot of silence (not in an artistic way; it feels unfinished.) The jump from the first movie's existential horror to this one's "and now, dinosaurs wrestling" is pretty funny and it's the formula most of the series would follow from here on out. It's one of those sequels where a character says "here's footage from the previous incident" followed by a long clip that shows how much better the first movie looked. I'm an absolute sucker for people in monster suits wrestling and knocking over cardboard buildings so I'm obviously into the big fight scene, but the rest of the film surrounding it is painfully slow and so obviously cheap. The Anguirus suit rules. This was not a good movie but it gets some points for the Godzilla vs Anguirus fight and the scene of the pilots looking through a Dinosaur Lineup to figure out what kind they saw. #3 - Queen of Earth An unnerving, intense and invasive portrait of a narcissist unraveling. Elisabeth Moss really is the best at portraying someone on the brink of a major breakdown, both sad and scary. One of those psychological thrillers where it's pretty obvious early on that things aren't going to end well. No healing, no redemption, just a gradual slide into darkness. Elisabeth Moss and Katherine Waterston are incredibly strong here as two halves of a failing friendship, each pushing the other further into unhealthy spaces. The pettiness, guilt, resentment, and desire of this friendship is painful to watch (in a good way!) A True Jar Jar Fan fucked around with this message at 04:42 on May 2, 2022 |
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May 2, 2022 02:22
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 1) After Midnight - 2019 - Shudder Best I can sum up my feelings after watching this is 'Yeah...whelp.' I really did want to like this one as much as several of my friends did. The cinematography was good, the actors were good, the effects were good. The monster design was really nice. But the film assemblage...just didn't work for me. Storyline is Hank and Abby have from what we see is a contented relationship until she suddenly disappears for several weeks leaving behind a note that says 'I had to leave, I'm sorry'. While she's gone, a mysterious creature starts clawing at the door and no one believes Hank about it. One would think with that set up there'd be a solid horror film here, but instead it had me more thinking 'Jesus tap dancing Christ on a crutch would it kill people in a relationship to actually loving TALK with each other' than getting drawn into wondering was the monster all in Hank's head, was the monster Abby, or was it some local legend come to life. I even would've taken the monster was a psychic manifestation of a crumbling relationship. What we get is relationship drama with a splash of 'oh, here's a monster'. It made me think of Beatrix Potter's Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit where after going on with the good and bad rabbits, there's a sudden 'This is a man with a gun' pops out of the blue. Instead it's a load of 'stuff that if they actually talked over during the ten or so years they're together' would've cut the film down from its 83 minute runtime unless they did more with the horror aspects. If I want to watch relationship drama where two people might be growing apart, I can go look on my Facebook to see what drama's going on amongst my friends. At least with that, there's no animal death and I have some forewarning that someone's going to end up at my place on the couch. Overall, I wouldn't say it was horrible or a waste of viewing time, but it just didn't work for me as a horror film.
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May 2, 2022 03:51
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#1 One Cut of the Dead Wasn't intending this, but a friend from out of town was over, needed a movie to throw on, One Cut of the Dead it was. It's good.
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May 2, 2022 04:00
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1. Nightmare Weekend 1986 | dir. Henry Sala Vinegar Syndrome blu-ray    The script is a ridiculous mess, but the film is ambitious and creative. There is a computer program that uses metal orbs to manipulate people (through ingestion), but also is capable of manipulating space, electronics, and inanimate objects seemingly across great distances. The man that created it wants to use it to cure mental and physical illnesses. His assistant wants to use it to weaponize people. His daughter uses it for video games. (Sorta. She has a computer named George, which has a hand puppet interface that has AI, which communicates to the supercomputer, APACHE, which does all the actual sci-fi horror shenanigans.)  There are a group of women that have been lured by the assistant under the pretense of an experimentation in relaxation (and horniness), who are actually going to become victims of APACHE. A majority of the film is their vacation of hook-ups and dates. The other majority of the film is the daughter of the program's creator experiencing love for the first time, but that gets complicated with more reveals and complications. As simple as the story is, it's all very convoluted and murky. Things happen for a while without much explanation, and instead of creating intrigue (because it never for once feels like we will get an explanation) it just creates confusion. The movie does look good. The film stock gives it an authenticity, there's some nice uses of natural lighting in the outdoor scenes, and the film is mostly framed well. The locations and sets are all good a feel lived-in. I think the movie shines most when it's doing a kill scene and the finale where it finally goes bug-nuts for a bit. The biggest criticism to weigh against it: get to the crazy poo poo sooner. The script doesn't feel like they wrote with budget limitations in mind, and they clearly have more ideas than they can logically work around, and I wish they had let their ambitions go even further and weirder. There are some attempts at giving the girls personalities beyond their nudity, and while the actresses do come off as charming, their characters never go beyond feeling shallow. Not a good movie, but a charming, weird movie. Total 1 New To Me: Nightmare Weekend Franchescanado fucked around with this message at 13:29 on May 2, 2022 |
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May 2, 2022 13:04
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Tagging in with the specific subgoal of clearing out my Shudder watch list. I haven't really dug in to it and it keeps growing so I'm exclusively going to be watching from that.
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May 2, 2022 14:15
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FYI everyone challenges will be going up tonight, I originally wanted to do it by noon today but I’m getting sucked into some stuff for work and will be busy until the evening.
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May 2, 2022 14:46
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Franchescanado posted:1. Nightmare Weekend I need to get this Blu-ray. I also find the film really charming but the last copy I watched was super dark and crappy.
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May 2, 2022 15:19
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Both of these are for Bracketology 2. Night of the Living Dead (1990)  Everything that Savini changed for this remake was a major step down, especially the ending. The special effects were also a huge disappointment: you'd expect this to be a practical showcase if nothing else and I stead everything is grey and floppy. Tony Todd worked his rear end off while every other actor confused screaming with acting. I was not impressed. There were still good parts, but that's because they were the same as the original. 3. Strait-Jacket  A real joy of a schlock-fest. The twist is so predictable it's almost insulting, but you won't have time to care because Joan Crawford puts the film on her back and aims for the stars. That woman made a career out of having the craziest eyes in Hollywood. I didn't mention this in my original post but outside of Bracketology (which I have no control over) all of the films will be new to me. Samfucius fucked around with this message at 12:10 on May 19, 2022 |
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May 2, 2022 15:44
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4) Goddess Of Love (2015) I only rated this 2 stars because I would have loved to catch this on Cinemax at 2am when I was like 16 years old. Other than that it was pretty garbage. 2/5
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May 2, 2022 16:37
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 #2. Escape Room (2019) (Starz) A group of strangers get invited to a bizarre escape room, which turns out to have very real, deadly stakes. Can they figure out why they were invited? And will that help them survive the game? Was feeling kinda bleh last night, so I wanted something that wasn't going to make me think too much or need to necessarily devote 100% of my attention to the film/TV. "Babby's First Saw Movie" by way of Cube seemed like an ideal fit. I wasn't expecting to be engrossed in the film, but it worked well enough. It has some fun and creative trap sequences - I really liked the initial oven room and the upside-down bar set was really fun as well. That said, some of the sequences went on for too long, especially the ice cabin room, which makes the middle parts feel a little draggier than they needed to. I also particularly hated the scene in the trippy TV room[spoiler], mainly because it hits on several of my most hated film cliches - namely [spoiler]the fake distorted visuals and voices and the whole "strobe light" effect getting sprayed everywhere. I dunno - a film like this lives and dies on its various trap-room scenarios, and the standout ones aren't enough to offset the terrible ones here. I can deal with the fairly stock characters and weak performances if the big exciting suspense sequences are fun and exciting and scary; sadly, I can't say that about at least half of them here, so I can't give this better than a middling score.  /5Watched so far: Night of the Living Dead (1968), Escape Room (2019)
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May 2, 2022 16:50
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gey muckle mowser posted:FYI everyone challenges will be going up tonight, I originally wanted to do it by noon today but I’m getting sucked into some stuff for work and will be busy until the evening. Good, after last time's bollocks I'm not watching anything until the challenges are up.
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May 2, 2022 18:13
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4. The Outwaters I can narrow down the found footage films I like down to two hands on a generous day, and those I love down to one with likely a finger to spare. This is one I love Two bros and two friends camp in the Mojave after giving a surprise visit to the bros' mom. Things seem fine outside of the frequent earthquakes they've grown accustomed to, despite being unnerving each time. Then things get weirder. And bloodier If Ben Wheatley took you to hell, but the sun still had the guts to shine briefly every now and then throughout your trip so you didn't even have the kindness of being able to look away from what's been done ***** 5. Masking Threshold  A compelling unique experimental film done by random visual imagery over audio only (careful to never reveal the main character's full face) of a man's gradual descent into madness trying to cure his own tinnitus, a thing few others believe is even real and nobody else believes is as severe as he claims Considering I hadn't even heard of Panic Fest till a week or two ago, I'm overjoyed at how two days in I've already found myself seeing three features from it I love and would have completely missed out on otherwise (the other two being The Outwaters and Dawn Breaks Behind The Eyes). Can't wait for them to get distribution so more eyes can see them hopefully ***** 6. When the Screaming Starts  Cute mockumentary that gets you thinking it's going to be a knockoff of Behind the Mask: Rise of Leslie Vernon (a "documentary" about an aspiring serial killer) that takes a turn when you discover the guy doesn't want to do any killing himself, he just dreams of being a Manson 2.0 who pulls the strings and gets the glory. Problems naturally arise when his "family" feels used and killers start stealing the spotlight, some intentionally and some accidentally Never reaches the height of BtM obviously, nor does it compare favorably to other better features at the festival, but still not a bad way to spend almost 90 minutes. A wonderful chaotic dinner scene is the highlight, and the "family" is magnificent **** 6/13+ (Presence 2022, Bitch rear end, Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes, The Outwaters, Masking Threshold, When the Screaming Starts)
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May 2, 2022 18:48
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Ah May, that time again for a fierce competition featuring over the top performances, derivative writing, elaborate showpiece moments and plenty of screaming queens, I am STOKED for the Eurovision Song Contest. wait... luckily, I'm also stoked to watch a bunch of horror movies so I'm in for 13 at least. My theme will be Eurovision Horror, so I will be watching only (recent) European movies all from different countries. In addition, I'm also going be doing a Junior EuroHorror Contest, where I will try to watch a short film from every European country. First off: [Short 1] Hand in Hand Switzerland, 4m Remember that time when everyone suddenly obsessed over Trump weird jerky-power move handshake? Well this short does, and expands it into horror. Simple & short, still I was positively surprised with how weird it got, and a fun ending to boot. Solid start. [S2] Hasta la Vista, Baby Belarus, 6m A fun night in the snow ends in horror for a young couple. It looks a lot better than what IMDB's extimated budget of $27 would suggest, but it's pretty obvious where things are going. Still not bad for a student film. [1] La Nuée (The Swarm) France, 2020 A single mother runs a struggling grasshopper farm in the French countryside. When she finds accidentally finds a secret ingredient to stimulate the grasshopper’s growth and her luck turns. I liked this a lot, mostly a slow burn (if this was American it would definitely be an A24 movie) focusing on the psychological state of the main character who slowly becomes more and more obsessed with her insects, and the toll it takes on her relationship with her children, especially her daughter. However, there are also plenty harrowing, gory moments and the finale is striking. Strongly recommended!
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May 2, 2022 19:00
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 1.) Psycho Alfred Hitchcock | 1960 | Blu-ray I was a bit nervous before watching this because I’ve seen the shower scene parodied numerous times as a kid, and I had the twist spoiled by, of all things, a MAD magazine parody of the Cathy comic strip. But that concern was pretty silly, because it’s a fantastic film. I did not know that an embezzlement kicked the movie off, which I think was a neat premise. The setting is nice and creepy, Anthony Perkins is fantastic as Norman Bates, and I really liked the final scene. A really great film. Rating: Total: 1/13 New: 1 Rewatches: 0 My Letterboxd list (in progress)
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May 2, 2022 19:07
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Late to the party but count me in for at least 13! In October a lot of my time is taken up with rewatches of my all-time favorites so I like to use May as a chance to check out some of the new releases I may have missed and just new-to-me stuff in general. I started off my challenge this weekend with a slasher I've been meaning to get to for a while now....  Intruder(Shudder) Scott Spiegel is a name I wasn't really familiar with, but from what I can tell on his wikipedia page he's a good friend of Sam Raimi. He helped Raimi write Evil Dead 2, and he's done some cameo roles in films like The Quick and the Dead, Drag Me To Hell, and Spiderman 2. He was also a producer for the Hostel series and directed Hostel III. Anyway I think he does a solid job here in his feature film directing debut. Intruder is a solid slasher that has some surprisingly brutal gore effects, plus it has that giallo/whodunnit aspect that I think always adds an extra boost to a slasher. Apparently the killer was completely spoiled in all of the marketing for the film. In fact, marketing was probably what Intruder is most known for because they tried to claim that Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell were featured roles in the movie when actually they're barely in it. But hey, we all know you had to be willing to pull some dirty tricks if you wanted to stand out at the video store back in 1989. Intruder will never make any "best slashers of all-time" and if not for the Raimi connection it would surely be a completely forgotten film by now. But as something to watch on a Saturday night with a pizza and some beer, you can do a hell of a lot worse.    1. Intruder
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May 2, 2022 19:18
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2/13+ Mill of the Stone Women (Il mulino delle donne di pietra) 1960 Directed by Giorgio Ferroni Watched on Shudder  Mill of the Stone Women is interesting because it was apparently the first Italian horror film shot in color. It takes full advantage right away with fantastically lurid red opening titles. The exterior shots can be a little murky, but the interiors are full of interesting color. Anyone who has seen a horror flick or two can guess what makes the carousel of murdered women extra creepy. The atmosphere and the fact that there's more than one gruesome secret at the mill bumps this up past average. 💀💀💀1/2 twernt fucked around with this message at 19:34 on May 2, 2022 |
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May 2, 2022 19:19
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3 I dont know that Bubba Ho-Tep holds up as well as I remember it being when I first saw it back when it came out. Campbell is still charming as heck, but there's a certain pace to this movie that feels both limited on a script level and editing wise very meandering. Its still kinda fun and a great premise, but it needs a stronger script and maybe better editing just for pacing. out of 54  It's a classic! What else is there to say that I havent said for the last couple years. I can put this one on like its a warm bath and just let myself fall into it. That ending still hits like a gut punch and you still find yourself shouting at certain characters and cheering on others. Probably still the ultimate zombie movie that very few are able to get that manic and trapped feeling just right the way George and co. did. out of 55  This was kinda neat. that third act really kinda fumbles around a bit, but that's a purely budget thing I thought just watching it. Jack Palance and Martin Landau carry this movie on their backs across the finish line. Maybe if there was more structure around what the Alien wanted, more paranoia and hide more in the shadows. The movie sorta worked here and there, but it was definitely a low budget creature feature more than anything else. out of 5
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May 2, 2022 19:51
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Two days into the month and I already have a huge backlog of movies to review. Can’t finish a job until you start it. 1. Magic (1978) Directed by Richard Attenborough; Screenplay by William Goldman; Based on Magic by William Goldman Watched on Kanopy A popped this on expecting a killer puppet movie and boy did I have the wrong read on that. No real surprise given the direct and cast of this that it was a lot more. No Chucky running around here, just a chilling and well done psychological thriller and character study. Hopkins is of course great but I give a ton of the credit to Ann Margaret and Burgess Meredith. The film had a hard time hooking me early. There’s something to that 70s style that feels a bit drab and almost made for tv quality that I have a hard time tapping into. That and our main character was being purposely mysterious about what was going on with him or his little buddy Fats. Things really started to speed up for me when he first starts to get humanized and we start to really see him and his psychosis with the delightful Margaret and then really hits the fan with the really incredible Meredith “Make Fats Shut Up For Five Minutes” scene. Tense as hell and incredibly well acted I was hooking from that point on. The film even managed to trick me a little so even when I was pretty sure what was happening and what wasn’t real I went and second guessed myself. Well done killer puppet movie. I’m a few days removed so I admit this film has faded a little. Some of that is probably that for as good as it is its also a little familiar. Magic has a rep as a cult classic and there’s no real mystery there as its clearly one of the first to go to this story, or at least with this level of talent behind it. And it largely holds up. There is that 70s aesthetic though. I don’t know what to call it but I’ve seen it a few times. And there’s just the reality of time. In 1978 this was probably a genuinely mysterious variation on Psycho or something. Now you can kind of see where its going because you’ve seen it before in other stories. Its still very well done and Hopkins’ performance alone makes it worth a watch. I think the most striking thing is that I didn’t notice at first but as the film goes on it really hit me that Fats looks like Anthony Hopkins. I don’t know if he always did and I just didn’t notice, if they tweaked the doll a little as the movie goes on, or if Hopkins’ appearance and demeanor changed to get closer to the doll. Or all of the above. But the most chilling part of the film is very late in when everything well and truly gone off the rails and Fats seems to have taken control and I looked and realized how much the two of them looked alike. Obviously intentional to the metaphor and theme and incredibly well executed. That journey alone is worth the price of admission.  - (2). A Quiet Place (2018) Written and directed by John Krasinski; Story by Bryan Woods and Scott Beck Watched on Paramount+ I saw this a few years back and enjoyed it a bunch so I was curious to see how it held up. Criticism on it seems harsh online sometimes. I guess I get why. Its a slow play that puts the emphasis on the characters and sentimentality instead of the monsters and action, and there’s definitely a horror audience that just wants monsters killing people sometimes. I’m a character and story guy myself. And granted Kasinski isn’t super subtle with a lot of his writing. He’s hanging guns on the wall all over the place and even Chekhov would have told him to chill and get a new trick. But it works and they pay off well. And as obvious as they are they’re not beaten over your head. They’re just spotlighted and then paid off. And don’t people love some quote about subtlety and cowards? Its really just about the characters of course. People seem to get caught up in analyzing their decisions and strategies that way people seem like they go about watching zombie movies like they’re planning their own survival plan. That’s not what this is about. Its not a story of how they survived, its a story of why they’re surviving. The impact of it, the mistakes, the emotional stress and trauma of all of this. Parents doing their best to protect their children in a world so unsafe for them. Children just trying to understand any of this at the same time they’re trying to figure out their parents and their places in the world. I role my eyes when someone starts talking about how they should live under a waterfall, not because that just seems like a problem in itself but because like that’s not the point. Sometimes characters are dumb. Sometimes they make mistakes and fail. And they have to live with it and move on and learn and heal. And that’s what the film really is. Along with some very good tension and jump scares. It would probably be unfair to call this a “first time” for Krasinski since he’s no amateur struggling to pull a film together. He’s got all the money and resources he needs here. Still it would also be unfair to not acknowledge its his first time out and its a pretty good job. Yes, the foreshadowing is obvious and yes they’re jump scares. But they work. There’s tension and gravitas and you get to know and care about the characters even as they barely say a word. And its a tight, well paced package that still worked for me even knowing how everything was gonna go. I wouldn’t call it one of my favorites or anything but I had a good time with it once again and it definitely does some unique stuff well.  2 (3). A Quiet Place Part II (2020) Written and directed by John Krasinski Watched on Paramount+ I wasn’t really sure I wanted to watch a sequel if I’m honest. The first film’s story feels very well self contained and at no part of it do I think “I want to see more of this world” or “I want to see more of these characters.” Its not that I didn’t enjoy them or care its just that once we get past that first film’s story and unique hook we struggle into falling into standard survival/zombie movie tropes. And sure enough, that’s kind of where we are. Now I like zombie/survival movies well enough so like I wasn’t mad about it either. But its also not breaking any new ground here. Krasinski does a good job not repeating himself and instead turning the sequel into a more action orientated film and splitting the focus in an even way that does still feel at least partially connected. Again, not subtle but well enough executed. And everyone does a good job. Cillian Murphy isn’t exactly playing a new character as the traumatized survivor who’s given up but has to learn to care and fight again. But he works his way into the film and cast well and I was glad the film doesn’t try and add too many other characters into the mix. The vision stays fairly focused even as it expands and that helps. And again, the film is tightly paced and doesn’t wear out its welcome. But I definitely felt some fatigue on the whole thing and I didn’t think the characters and story were as engaging as the first time through. I guess in some small ways its Aliens to Alien. I mean not that good but that kind of transition. And some people prefer Aliens. I prefer Alien. This one probably would satisfy the survival movie prepper crowd a bit more and it definitely has more of the monsters. None of that’s necessarily a bad thing to me but its also just not really what I liked about the first film. They still do try and focus on the characters and family and do a solid enough job of showing the growth of them and their journey. I really don’t have anything to criticize the film for. I just also don’t have anything really to praise it for either. Its a perfect good sequel.
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May 2, 2022 20:34
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I lied, I got done with work early so it's  CHALLENGE TIME Some of these are oldies but goodies taken from Fran's old threads, some are new. If you aren't sure if a film qualifies for a particular challenge, just ask in the thread or via PM. If you need any suggestions I'm sure the thread will be happy to recommend something as well. Challenge rules: - Each film must be new to you - You can only complete one challenge per film, even if the film would qualify for more than one - In your write up, mention why the film fits the challenge (if it's not immediately obvious)  1. Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched- Watch a folk horror film - OR Watch the documentary Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched  2. Scream, Queen! - Watch a film by a LGBQT+ director - OR Watch a film that deals heavily with LGBQT+ themes. You will need to include these in your write-up.  3. Rated PG- Watch a film rated PG or PG-13 - OR Watch the film Psycho Goreman  4. Music of the Night- Watch a horror musical - OR watch a film that heavily features music and/or musicians as part of the plot  5. Behind the Screams- Watch a documentary about a horror film or filmmaker - OR watch a film where the characters are making a horror film (e.g. Shadow of the Vampire, New Nightmare, etc)  6. The King in Yellow- Watch any giallo or giallo-influenced film 7. Short Cuts- Watch 60+ minutes worth of horror short films and review them.  8. A Perfect Getaway- Watch a film from a country you've never seen a film from.  9. Hidden Gems- Watch a film from Franchescanado's Letterboxd list of Horror Film Hidden Gems (Fran since I assume you have seen all of those, you are exempt and can instead watch whatever you want for this challenge!)  10. The Price is Right- Watch a film featuring Vincent Price  11. Horror Noire- Watch a film directed by a black filmmaker - OR Watch a film with themes that predominantly relate to POC. You will need to write about these themes in your review.  12. All Hail the King- Watch a film based on the works of (or written by) Stephen King  13. Sins of the Past- Watch a film released before 1950
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May 2, 2022 20:35
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5/13 - The Last Matinee (2020) 6. The King in Yellow I just wrote way too many words about this movie in the Horror Thread, so rather than clutter up two different threads, just go read it here and then go watch this movie.
PKMN Trainer Red fucked around with this message at 23:14 on May 2, 2022 |
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May 2, 2022 20:51
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gey muckle mowser posted:I lied, I got done with work early so it's YAY! quote:
However will I do this?
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May 2, 2022 20:54
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STAC Goat posted:However will I do this? Watch the new Firestarter, maybe? gey muckle mowser posted:I lied, I got done with work early so it's A few of these coincide with stuff I had already planned out, so that's cool. Great work, GMM!
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May 2, 2022 21:01
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2: Koko Di Koko Da Perfect Getaway This is listed as a Danish/Swedish film, and looking through the lists online it doesn’t look like I’ve seen any Danish horror so I’m counting it. As one can expect from the region, this movie is bleak. It starts with the horrifyingly banal death of a child, then picks up 3 years later with her parents going on a camping trip, where they get caught in a time loop while constantly being menaced by a troupe of evil weirdos. I appreciated how subdued it was, it’s not overtly gory or anything like that, the horror is a lot more nihilistic than that, especially the ending which was pretty unique. Instead of breaking out or doing a fakeout or anything, they make an attempt that fails and then just kind of slump and give up. It was a good metaphor for grief but definitely not something to watch if you want any cheer.
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May 2, 2022 21:04
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Can I get some run-downs on some of the best horror movies released in the past, say, two years (2020 to now)? Just looking for stuff I've missed. I've seen: Titane Lamb The Green Knight (if we're counting that; I would personally call it dark fantasy and not horror) Censor Last Night In Soho Candyman PG Promising Young Woman (more thriller/dark comedy, but whatever) Malignant Old Halloween Kills Willy's Wonderland (terrible) Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin Fear Street (part 1) (might watch the others) X 5cream I'm pretty good about theatrical releases, but I have missed a lot of streaming releases. You can suggest whatever on whatever streaming service, I'll figure it out. Franchescanado fucked around with this message at 21:31 on May 2, 2022 |
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May 2, 2022 21:28
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Franchescanado posted:Can I get some run-downs on some of the best horror movies released in the past, say, two years (2020 to now)? Just looking for stuff I've missed. You’ve hit most of my favorites, but here’s some stuff that I liked that’s not on that list (might be going back slightly more than 2 years, but these are all 2020 or newer on Letterboxd) The Night House Host Murder Death Koreatown Caveat In the Earth Fried Barry VHS 94
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May 2, 2022 21:38
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I started writing you some recommendations but then saw you had seen some of them, so here's a shorter list: - Sputnik - His House - Freaky - Hunter Hunter - VHS 94
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May 2, 2022 21:38
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Franchescanado posted:Can I get some run-downs on some of the best horror movies released in the past, say, two years (2020 to now)? Just looking for stuff I've missed. My criteria was that I sorted my Plex by 'Horror' and 'Releases since 2020', and these are the movies that I didn't immediately groan when I saw listed: A Banquet A Classic Horror Story Antlers Anything For Jackson Bloody Hell Caveat Freaky Fresh Fried Barry Hellbender Host Meander My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To Possessor Relic Scare Me Silent Night Slaxx Spontaneous Spree Sputnik Suicide Forest Village The Advent Calendar The Dark and the Wicked The Empty Man The House (although it’s probably more horror-adjacent) The Last Matinee The Night House The Power The Sadness The Special The Wolf of Snow Hollow Werewolves Within You Won’t Be Alone
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May 2, 2022 21:42
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