Sangre, cuchillos, y tetas --- Horror Film Discussion

[Irish]

Which is the biggest WTF from this week?

- Bruce Campbell is on twitter.

- Evil Dead is being remade.

- Diablo Cody is writing the script.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2011/07/evil-dead-remake-diablo-cody-polishing-script-for-first-time-director.html

This is one of those times I hope that everything I read online is a lie.

Edit: Okay, now I can't tell what the hell is going on. Campbell tweets about a remake, but other people are talking about a new evil dead film, as in Evil Dead 4 that's being written by Cody.

http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/45616/official-new-evil-dead-flick-its-way-diablo-cody-doing-revisions-script

[D_Davis]

Edit: Okay, now I can't tell what the hell is going on. Campbell tweets about a remake, but other people are talking about a new evil dead film, as in Evil Dead 4 that's being written by Cody.

http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/45616/official-new-evil-dead-flick-its-way-diablo-cody-doing-revisions-script

That'll be the first ED movie I never see.

[D_Davis]

That's true. I felt like, around the halfway mark, I'd seen enough of the shadow people and flickering lights, but I came around to enjoying

his stubborn refusal to clarify what the hell was going on.

Yeah - it was more of a parable or something, about something or other. :)

[Dead & Messed Up]

Yeah - it was more of a parable or something, about something or other. :)

A half-baked college student might theorize that the film...

...is some sort of microcosm of life, with the old folks getting older, the world leaving people behind, familiar faces disappearing, the days getting shorter, willpower fading into oblivion, and the torch of life being passed to the next generation...

...but I would never dream of drawing those conclusions.

[Dukefrukem]

Which is the biggest WTF from this week?

- Bruce Campbell is on twitter.

- Evil Dead is being remade.

- Diablo Cody is writing the script.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2011/07/evil-dead-remake-diablo-cody-polishing-script-for-first-time-director.html

This is one of those times I hope that everything I read online is a lie.

Edit: Okay, now I can't tell what the hell is going on. Campbell tweets about a remake, but other people are talking about a new evil dead film, as in Evil Dead 4 that's being written by Cody.

http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/45616/official-new-evil-dead-flick-its-way-diablo-cody-doing-revisions-script

Bah. You guys are already talking about it here...

[Dukefrukem]

Check out this Devil ripoff.

51KF3ZX76KM

[Dukefrukem]

Haha Nurse 3D Poster.. NSFW


http://www.liveforfilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/nurse-3d1-405x600.jpg

[Dukefrukem]

this looks great.

obo2dqdlSDk

[Pop Trash]

Half an hour into Insidious...does this get better? So far it kind of sucks.

[Boner M]

Half an hour into Insidious...does this get better? So far it kind of sucks.
I thought the first half was pretty good and then the rest turned to shit. Abort if possible.

[Pop Trash]

I thought the first half was pretty good and then the rest turned to shit. Abort if possible.

Think I'll watch the rest to have for a "worst of 2011" contender. James Wan really needs to study up on his Polanski/Friedkin/Spielberg/Raimi to see how to make a horror/thriller flick.

[Boner M]

The Whip and the Body was dire. Narrative has always been an afterthought in Bava's films, but at least his best ones flow gracefully enough from one set piece to the next - by contrast, this plays like a lesson in the pitfalls of over-relying on expository dialogue. Even the colourful overlighting, impressively moody at first, becomes akin to staring at traffic lights by the end. How does this hold a respectable rep in Bava's fimography? By far the worst of his that I've seen.

[Raiders]

'Salright guys... I'll continue on with my correctness on this Bava film. You all just continue to be wrong. I'll defend you when everyone else makes fun of you for it.

[Yxklyx]

The Whip and the Body was dire. Narrative has always been an afterthought in Bava's films, but at least his best ones flow gracefully enough from one set piece to the next - by contrast, this plays like a lesson in the pitfalls of over-relying on expository dialogue. Even the colourful overlighting, impressively moody at first, becomes akin to staring at traffic lights by the end. How does this hold a respectable rep in Bava's fimography? By far the worst of his that I've seen.

Yeah, I have a hard time believing Bava was very involved in this one. Maybe he just shot the footage and then left the project to others.

[Spun Lepton]

Narrative has always been an afterthought in Bava's films...

:|

[Grouchy]

We had a movie night with some friends recently and they were all surprised I didn't know about this '80s slasher film titled Sleepaway Camp. I genuinely didn't know about it, we put it in, and although it seemed pretty good for a couple of stoned chuckles, for most of the movie I couldn't understand what excited them so much about it. Then... the ending. Whoever has seen the movie here, debate.

Also saw The Wolfman remake. It pretty much sucked. Too much CGI. This is the same guy who will direct Captain America, so I hope that's better.

[Scar]

Also saw The Wolfman remake. It pretty much sucked. Too much CGI. This is the same guy who will direct Captain America, so I hope that's better.

The first time I saw The Wolfman, I did not care for it.

However, it has really grown on me like an incurable fungus.

[Grouchy]

The first time I saw The Wolfman, I did not care for it.

However, it has really grown on me like an incurable fungus.
Could be. Not that there's anything that's really wrong with it except how much like a videogame it looks.

[Boner M]

:|
An 'afterthought' in the sense that it takes a backseat to atmospherics. I would've thought this was an uncontested fact.

[MadMan]

Sleepaway Camp is one of the few truly "Big Name" slashers I have left to see.

The Whip and the Body appears to be one of Bava's lesser well known movies. I'll watch it eventually, but I would like to get to some of his other more well known films first. I think the next one I'd like to get my hands on is Twitch of the Death Nerve.

[Scar]

Could be. Not that there's anything that's really wrong with it except how much like a videogame it looks.

I remember after watching it the first time, all I could remember was the CGI battle at the end of the movie. And I was not happy. Subsequent viewings have tempered that view.

[B-side]

Anyone here seen this (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058213/)? It looks/sounds terrific.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Anyone here seen this (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058213/)? It looks/sounds terrific.

Holy jeans, look at that cast!

[Raiders]

Anyone here seen this (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058213/)? It looks/sounds terrific.

Many years ago. Rather disappointing from what I recall. A lot of histrionic, half-basked southern gothic horror. The film's prequel, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? was far more entertaining while having many of the same elements but with more comedy built in to the material. I'd be interested to revisit both though.

[Rowland]

The Whip and the Body was dire.This is the first Bava film I didn't like. It was also one of the first of his I saw, so I've always meant to revisit it, especially given the high regard it's held in by the likes of Tim Lucas, Ed Gonzalez, and Raiders, but almost everyone around these parts responding to the film with indifference kinda dampers that enthusiasm.

[Spun Lepton]

We had a movie night with some friends recently and they were all surprised I didn't know about this '80s slasher film titled Sleepaway Camp. I genuinely didn't know about it, we put it in, and although it seemed pretty good for a couple of stoned chuckles, for most of the movie I couldn't understand what excited them so much about it. Then... the ending. Whoever has seen the movie here, debate.

This was one of the first R-rated movies I saw in the theater. I snuck in to see it, too. Needless to say, the ending was ... off-putting.

Plus, and I still believe this, the gore-factor needed to be much, much higher. The story wasn't strong enough to NOT include gratuitous gore.

[B-side]

Holy jeans, look at that cast!

That's what I thought!


Many years ago. Rather disappointing from what I recall. A lot of histrionic, half-basked southern gothic horror. The film's prequel, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? was far more entertaining while having many of the same elements but with more comedy built in to the material. I'd be interested to revisit both though.

I've got that one on my hard drive. May watch tonight. Apparently Hush... was supposed to be a sort of follow-up featuring both Bette and Joan, but considering they hated each other, that didn't work out.

[Pop Trash]

Half an hour into Insidious...does this get better? So far it kind of sucks.

Surprisingly, this did get better. I think my initial dislike was more towards the vapid married couple. Once Lin Shaye shows up, it improves quite a bit. Fun (spoiler) unhappy ending too. Still not exactly a good movie, but not too shabby.

[megladon8]

I heard that Insidious was actually quite effective in the scares department.

Did I hear wrong?

[Pop Trash]

I heard that Insidious was actually quite effective in the scares department.

Did I hear wrong?

It's not bad. The bang-on-piano score was more annoying than scary. I also don't know why one of the baddies looks like a member of a Norwegian Black Metal band. But other than that it was pretty tense. The gas mask seance scene was way good.

[Grouchy]

Plus, and I still believe this, the gore-factor needed to be much, much higher. The story wasn't strong enough to NOT include gratuitous gore.
Agreed. Every death could have been a lot bloodier and the film would've only been better because of it.

[Ivan Drago]

The ABCs of Death sounds awesome. Whatever happened to Lucky McKee? Angela Bettis being on that list reminded me of him.

[Raiders]

Whatever happened to Lucky McKee?

What do you mean? He's still making movies. His newest, The Woman, premiered at Sundance this year.

[Rowland]

Speaking of Lucky McKee, his The Woods was a very fine movie that deserved better treatment and a wider, more appreciative audience. I liked it more than May, in any case.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Speaking of Lucky McKee, his The Woods was a very fine movie that deserved better treatment and a wider, more appreciative audience. I liked it more than May, in any case.

I prefer May's off-kilter progression and general weirdness, but I did enjoy The Woods as a stylistic excursion. I also dug on "Sick Girl," which was maybe the most idiosyncratic of the Masters of Horror efforts.

[Bosco B Thug]

Yeah, I wish I could get behind The Woods more, because I like it (love the Lesley Gore soundtrack), but it's a scanty tale with a weak finish, as I remember. May's confident and fuller.

Hoping for the best with The Woman, I hope it'll re-spark my interest in McKee.

[MadMan]

The ABCs of Death sounds awesome. Whatever happened to Lucky McKee? Angela Bettis being on that list reminded me of him.I think the director behind Hobo With a Shotgun along with Ti West and others are being included in the project. Nice.

[Dukefrukem]

Paranormal Activity 3 trailer (http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/25460)

[Dukefrukem]

http://blastr.com/assets_c/2011/01/CabinintheWoodsPoster-thumb-400x619-55584.jpeg

:lol: April 13, 2012 release date

[MadMan]

Now that's a movie, heh.

[megladon8]

[REC] 2 was the disappointment to end all disappointments.

It's not just "not as good as the first"...it's flat out bad.

The questions I was left with at the end of the first one were the GOOD kind of questions...you know, the kind where you want to know MORE because you're genuinely intrigued.

The questions I was left with at the end of this sequel were the ones that had to do with all the stuff that made no sense, all the stuff that was established in the first and thrown out the window in the second.

The first was chilling because (to me) it felt real. The characters felt like real people, like this was really happening.

The characters here feel like bad caricatures by a second-rate screenwriter. The SWAT team was like something out of a Michael Bay movie - the noble leader, the loose cannon, the quiet one who you know is going to die quick, the secretive commander who knows more than he's letting on, etc. etc. etc.

It was just bad, and devoid of any scares at all.

[Bosco B Thug]

I love this new trailer for Lucky McKee's The Woman:

PDOsyy8foPg

[megladon8]

Maybe my standards were temporarily lowered by the disappointment of [REC] 2, but I quite enjoyed Insidious.

It's actually quite frightening and unsettling, and very clearly James Wan's best work to date. It loses it a bit in the last 1/3rd, and its constant aping of Drag Me to Hell (including nearly identical book-ends) were definite detractors, but it's well-acted, well-written and smartly executed.

I dug it.


Paranormal Activity 2 was decent. I honestly didn't find it frightening in the least simply because all of the scares felt very "been there, done that" having seen the first, but story-wise it was an interesting way of continuing the legacy of the first film, despite a few instances of awkwardly written exposition.

Good, not great.

[Bosco B Thug]

McKee's awesome. The Woods is really stylistically superb. Still lots of issues dealing with a thin, choppy script and a thematic bite that only wavers in and out, but this is the DTV to watch if you want to lament what gets into theaters, or see what a horror movie with real individuality and effort behind it looks like. And, thought so both times watching it, the climax should've been far more drawn out and climactic.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Reviewed Vanishing on 7th Street for the blog. Repost, hi-kiba!


A story still stuck on its first draft, Vanishing on 7th Street is an intriguing concept that never fully develops into a great film. Director Brad Anderson is responsible for impressive slow-burn horror-thrillers like Session 9 and The Machinist, but those films centered on fascinating characters. Vanishing instead forms around its premise, leaving the core of the film curiously insubstantial. Such as it is, the story deals with the few survivors of a world-wide event that disappears the majority of the population instantly, leaving only their clothes. Among the few survivors are Luke (Hayden Christensen), Rosemary (Thandie Newton), Paul (John Leguizamo), and James (Jacob Latimore). In their new apocalyptic surroundings, they must avoid the threat of ghostly shadows that can kill them with one touch.

Although the film wants to evoke Kiyoshi Kurosawa's neo-classic Pulse, the characters' constant search for light and avoidance of shadow more closely resembles the 2003 misfire Darkness Falls, which featured endless scenes of people screaming at each other to "Stay in the light!" That film got old fast, and despite Anderson's efforts, Vanishing similarly turns repetitive. The opening of the film opens with a tantalizing look at a completely empty city, but the budget keeps the characters stuck in exactly one location, a bar, and most scenes feature someone scrambling for a flashlight or battery while fluorescents flicker ominously. Beyond the light, the spirits in the dark slink toward the heroes, moving with that languid pace that seems to be the speed of all horror movie monsters. Slow and implacable.

Why is all this happening? No one knows, but they know they need to escape somehow. In one effective set-piece, Paul and James separate, and Paul finds his way down to the sewers below the bar. Calling this route unwise would be underselling the idiocy, but Paul's likable enough to keep the circumstance frightening instead of infuriating. However, that's more a testament to John Leguizamo's natural charisma. His character, like the rest of the film's cast, lacks any sense of depth, existing as adjectives instead of people. Paul is kind. Luke is bitter. Rosemary is maternal. The film offers little of who they were before the plague, and their actions lack for anything beyond the most basic of character arcs.

This places too much of a burden on the style and concept, hobbling the film's momentum. Sure, the style works, with Anderson now and always a natural director of horror. His use of deep blacks and crisp, elegant camerawork give him an edge over most horror directors. Additionally, the bits of information offered after the initial catastrophe points to a world in which the days keep growing shorter, and more people disappear every day, and the threat of death becomes more and more inescapable. These details grant Vanishing an allegorical edge, in which the fantasy world becomes a microcosm of...hell, everything, in a way. Life, death, old age and new generations.

Were the film shorter, or even an hour-long TV feature, it may have been able to coast on those qualities. There's a Twilight Zone feel to its small cast and high concept, reminiscent of less moralistic, more open-ended episodes like "The Odyssey of Flight 33." I will admit, I enjoy the film referencing the mystery of Roanoke Island. For those unfamiliar, the first colony on the American island of Roanoke inexplicably vanished in 1587. The only clue to their disappearance was a single world carved on a tree: Croatoan. The word most likely meant that the settlers boated to nearby Hatteras Island, which the settlers called Croatoan Island, but ignore that. Let the word linger. Say it aloud, the way that Hindus say "Om" before their prayers. Croatoan. Croatoan. Don't think about what it means. Think about all that it could mean.

RATING: C+

[Rowland]

I dug Insidious as well Meg, and I have to say I'm rather relieved to finally see the high hopes I've held towards Wan's potential finally begin to be appreciably validated. There's a lot of silliness in the film that detracts from the foreboding atmosphere of the first act, but I prefer to see it as the filmmakers having fun with the genre, and I felt I was in confident enough hands to go along with the ride and have a good time.

And hey, everyone remember Mary Lambert, the director of both Pet Sematary films? I discovered that she directed the latest Asylum-produced, made-for-SyFY schlock-fest, Mega Python vs. Gatoroid, and since I recall her earlier horror films scaring me when I was a kid, I decided while intoxicated to give it a shot. This was a mistake.

[Rowland]

Good thoughts Damu, I pretty much agree with them all.

[Bosco B Thug]

the high hopes I've held towards Wan's potential *vomit*


And hey, everyone remember Mary Lambert, the director of both Pet Sematary films? I discovered that she directed the latest Asylum-produced, made-for-SyFY schlock-fest, Mega Python vs. Gatoroid, and since I recall her earlier horror films scaring me when I was a kid, I decided while intoxicated to give it a shot. This was a mistake. Don't recall Pet Sematary being very good, and, called it.

[Rowland]

*vomit*I found many redeeming facets in his otherwise deeply flawed previous genre efforts, and moreover, I simply liked the guy's sensibility after listening to his commentary for Saw.

Don't recall Pet Sematary being very good, and, called it.It probably wasn't, I haven't seen it since the halycon days of VHS. And yeah, I watch a wide array of genre films with an open mind, but I only watched this particular Asylum release because of the Mary Lambert pedigree. I'm not sure what you're getting at about me being the person most likely to watch lots of Asylum releases.

[Bosco B Thug]

I found many redeeming facets in his otherwise deeply flawed previous genre efforts, and moreover, I simply liked the guy's sensibility after listening to his commentary for Saw. Yeah, I feel bad being such a hater, but I find everything he puts out laughable (2 out of his 4 films), and in the exact same way, which is what makes me wish he'd just stop.


It probably wasn't, I haven't seen it since the halycon days of VHS. And yeah, I watch a wide array of genre films with an open mind, but I only watched this particular Asylum release because of the Mary Lambert pedigree. I'm not sure what you're getting at about me being the person most likely to watch lots of Asylum releases. Honestly nothing terrible - you watch lots of DTV stuff. :)

[Dukefrukem]

C+ is generous. That would suggest the movie is average which I do not believe it to be. I was bored to tears.

[Dukefrukem]

hahahaha

5jY5QCLHmfY

[MadMan]

Against my better judgment, I'm thinking of giving The Blind Dead a chance. Not sure if that one will be any good, but hey its on Netflix Instant Viewing so why the hell not?

I have yet to see Pet Sementary. I've read the book by King, and I think its great and quite creepy. Not sure how well the adaption translated any of that to the big screen.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Madman, this is the second time you've spelled Pet Sematary as Pet Sementary on this forum. I'm really trying to contain my giggling right now, but the consistency is what's killing me.

[MadMan]

Madman, this is the second time you've spelled Pet Sematary as Pet Sementary on this forum. I'm really trying to contain my giggling right now, but the consistency is what's killing me.Honestly I've stopped spell checking any of my posts. However, I did come up with the first five horror movies I should view for my Horrorfest 2011. Which I started back in 2008, I believe, although I think it was more 2009.

[Dukefrukem]

Honestly I've stopped spell checking any of my posts. However, I did come up with the first five horror movies I should view for my Horrorfest 2011. Which I started back in 2008, I believe, although I think it was more 2009.

FF and Chrome spell check for you.

[Dead & Messed Up]

FF and Chrome spell check for you.

"Sematary" qualifies as misspelled regardless. I just think that "Sementary" is amazing.

[Spun Lepton]

Against my better judgment, I'm thinking of giving The Blind Dead a chance. Not sure if that one will be any good, but hey its on Netflix Instant Viewing so why the hell not?

Tombs of the Blind Dead? I love that movie. Eurotrash at its finest.

[MadMan]

Tombs of the Blind Dead? I love that movie. Eurotrash at its finest.Alrighty then. Its a go.

Also due to noticing that this thread could use some more traffic, I'll try and do write ups for horror movies I watch this fall season. Even though that didn't go as well last year as I was hoping.

[Rowland]

Tombs of the Blind Dead has its moments, but I thought it was a pretty lousy slog for the most part.

[Spun Lepton]

Tombs of the Blind Dead has its moments, but I thought it was a pretty lousy slog for the most part.

It is slow to get going, but once the Templars rise, I think it becomes a ton of fun. Those Templars are creeeeepy.

[Spun Lepton]

Uncle Sam (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118025/) (1997), wrttien by Larry Cohen and directed by William Lustig has no excuse for being so, so, SO bad. Cohen is a capable storyteller and Lustig, well ... I guess Maniac was all right.

The tagline is "I Want You ... to DIE!" but it should've been "I Want You ... to be Bored and Sleepy." The first scene promises pulpy silliness, a slasher in the classic 80s fashion, filled with punny one-liners. But, no. After the opening scene we slog through almost 45 minutes of dull character development. I reiterate: NOTHING happens for almost 45 minutes. I nodded off a couple times, no exaggeration. And lets not fool ourselves, few of these actors are able to act well enough to carry a story, let alone the kid in the lead. Gah, he was awful.

Sam finally wakes up, and I prepare for the pace to pick up, but no. It continues to drag. Sam's "rampage" is nearly bloodless, his one-liners are unmemorable and repetetive.

The lighting and the comedy are flat. Scenes go on and on with no real story progression. Lustig overestimates himself, and there are a number of parts where the low-to-no-budget is blatantly apparent. One memorable moment is when we get an extreme close-up of Sam's eyes through his Uncle Sam mask and we can easily see the yellow contacts over his regular eyes. How do you miss something like that, Lustig?

Overall, I found myself fighting off sleep in order to finish it.

Avoid. 1/10

[Scar]

Scream 4 was alright.

Initial rankings: Scream>Scream 2>Scream 4>>>>>>>>>>>Scream 3

[MadMan]

Scream 4 was alright.

Initial rankings: Scream>Scream 2>Scream 4>>>>>>>>>>>Scream 3I almost think that Scream 4 is better or equal to Scream 2, but in the end I agree with this post. I love the series-I even liked Scream 3, despite it merely being decent at best.

[megladon8]

It has some very serious flaws particularly in the final third, but I really dig Insidious.

It's a good flick.

[Dukefrukem]

want to see this

xKhpPwPsmbg

[Dead & Messed Up]

I watched Full Moon's 1994 production of Lurking Fear last night, and it sucked, but during the explosive ending, I started singing the 1812 Overture, because I was drunk, and because I thought it was funny.

I synced up the two this morning. I guess I should say there are spoilers.

Z0auQdtkKro

[megladon8]

Oh man, we're getting a few great Criterion horror releases in the coming months...

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/812AThv4NbL._AA1500_.jpg

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/A1-9E1PJSgL._AA1500_.jpg

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81pZ9Z0%2BPnL._AA1500_.jpg

[MadMan]

Those look pretty sweet. I like the cover for "Island of Lost Souls" the best.

[Rowland]

Now available on Netflix Instant is one of the great unsung gialli, The Fifth Cord. If you're looking for dazzlingly stylized uber-sleaze of the highest order, with some really first-rate suspense setpieces scattered throughout, be sure to give it a gander.

[Dukefrukem]

I'm down. Added to queue.

[MadMan]

Tombs of the Blind Dead is no longer on Instant Viewing :(

Guess I waited too long.

The Fifth Cord, huh? I'll give it a chance. I was trying to watch Die Monster Die last night, but got tired and quit. Halfway through its still not particularly interesting, and not even Boris Karloff can fight off the boring.

[Boner M]

Who Can Kill a Child? was awesome, instantly one of my favourite horror films. Admittedly I balked at the blatantly exploitative decision to open a genre film with nearly 10 minutes worth of newsreel footage of wartime atrocities against children, but the film's allegory turns out to be surprisingly sound (albeit blunt), and lended gravity by top-notch pacing and elegantly moody filmmaking (that church scene!), with none of the crass zooms that one expects from the era. Just a really perfect mashup of a whole bunch of familiar elements and films (Planet of the Apes, Village of the Damned, The Birds, etc) to create a distinctive whole. Not to mention another testament to the fact that location is more crucial to the success of a horror film than pretty much every other genre.

The interview w/ Serrador on the DVD is funny. He plainly admits he liked the lead actress but not the actor (his original choice was Anthony Hopkins), and says it was wrong to open the film with the newsreel footage instead of placing it at the end (LOL). Has he done anything else worth a look? The Boarding School sounds pretty groovy.

[Grouchy]

Serrador's career seems to be swallowed by Who Can Kill a Child? He has done a couple of other things but that seems to be the only one that gets any talk.

By the way, he's the son of Narciso Ibáñez Menta, a famous Horror actor most remembered for inventing the format of the Poe anthology film before Vincent Price.

[MadMan]

Die Monster, Die! (1965) way too under-utilizes Boris Karloff, and while it has really gorgeous visuals it doesn't even feel like a HP Lovecraft film in the slightest. Most of the material reminded me of Edgar Allen Poe, instead, in terms of The House of Usher. Weak. Not enough interesting material to make this really worthwhile, and the last really good act aside it largely fails to build up any really creepy atmosphere. The guy who directed this made the much better, more satisfying and more engaging The Dunwich Horror later on, so just check out that one instead.

Up next for my annual Horrorfest is David Cronenberg's The Fly. I might try and view the original, too, but I can't imagine its better than the remake. One of those handful of instances where that's the case.

[Mr. Pink]

Up next for my annual Horrorfest is David Cronenberg's The Fly. I might try and view the original, too, but I can't imagine its better than the remake. One of those handful of instances where that's the case.

It might not be quite as good, but that would be more because Cronenberg's is so thoroughly awesome, and not because the original isn't good. It's a completely different beast, and it's probably just short of being equally awesome. It's more of a classic mad scientist sci-fi movie, where Cronenberg's is horror based. Definitely worth seeing, though.

[MadMan]

Cool. I'll have to check out the 1958 original and compare the two.

Oh and The Fly (1986) was equal parts disturbing, really freaky, and truly great. Its one of Cronenberg's best movies, and really feeds into many of his many themes. I still place A History of Violence and Videodrome above it, but it stands as one of his best movies.

Not to whore too much, but I posted a short write up about Die Monster, Die! on my blog (link in my sig).

[Grouchy]

Event Horizon is an Alien-style movie lacking tempo. It has great concepts, acceptable characters and enough of a B movie feel to be very entertaining. Yet it never really takes off despite a couple of great scary moments. I think this might have something to do with studio interference and deleted scenes, because there are long stretches of film where nothing very dramatic happens.

The Witches of Eastwick is pretty much an open stage for Jack Nicholson's eyebrow movements. Despite being directed by George Miller, it lacks the sense of wonder his movies usually have, instead becoming a pretty mundane and obvious chick flick with very little to say. The trio of actresses are great but their characters are pretty lame and the climax of the film is just a bore. Good-looking FX, but empty of any meaning or emotion.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Event Horizon is an Alien-style movie lacking tempo. It has great concepts, acceptable characters and enough of a B movie feel to be very entertaining. Yet it never really takes off despite a couple of great scary moments. I think this might have something to do with studio interference and deleted scenes, because there are long stretches of film where nothing very dramatic happens.

I rewatched this a few years back and found it very unsatisfying. The implications are frightening, but the movie abandons its mystery too quickly for gory goriness. By the end, I was just waiting for the damn thing to finish.

[Grouchy]

I rewatched this a few years back and found it very unsatisfying. The implications are frightening, but the movie abandons its mystery too quickly for gory goriness. By the end, I was just waiting for the damn thing to finish.
I agree. The concept (or the implications, like you say) is a lot better than the execution.

[Llopin]

The interview w/ Serrador on the DVD is funny. He plainly admits he liked the lead actress but not the actor (his original choice was Anthony Hopkins), and says it was wrong to open the film with the newsreel footage instead of placing it at the end (LOL). Has he done anything else worth a look? The Boarding School sounds pretty groovy.

Narciso Ibañez Serrador is kind of a hero around these parts. He's one of the greats of spanish horror. Although his works in cinema are brief and intense (check out La Residencia as well, it's pretty creepy), his TV series Historias para no dormir (1966-69) is considered a milestone of the fantastic here in Spain. The show was composed of short stories, some original, some borrowed from authors (such as Poe), always vividly filmed. I remember being very impressed when I was a kid and I watched the episodes, and most hold up very well. I suppose the concept was inspired by The Twilight Zone. The impact was huge considering it was the first program strictly interested on the genre.

Of course he wouldn't follow up on the horror trail: insanely enough, in his atypical career, he would continue to be an innovator of television programming, creating Un, dos, tres, the most successful and classic game show in the history of spanish TV.

[Llopin]

RE: Event Horizon

I haven't had the guts to revisit this flick in recent years, but I recall being scared shitless when I first saw it on the theater. My parents brought me to see it, expecting just another bland space movie, and they were baffled at the amount of carnage on screen. And the story/concept in itself, as you comment, is rather unsettling. I can perfectly remember the moment they play the "tape" of the poor bastards aboard the hell-bound missing ship - liberate tuteme ex inferis. Some genuinely spooky moments and Sam Neill in full-on weirdo mode.

[Grouchy]

I didn't know Serrador was behind Historias para No Dormir. I'll need to check that series out sometime.

[MadMan]

Honestly I enjoyed Popcorn probably more than I should, but certain elements were clearly borrowed from this movie by Wes Craven when he made Scream 2. Its an entertaining slasher movie that doesn't take itself too seriously, which was a good thing, but I find it more interesting that this movie was even made at all, considering by 1991 the genre had started to wane and people were losing interest in these types of movies. Which is why it bombed at the box office, sadly, even if it was indeed smarter and savvier than some of the other films of its type.

[Spun Lepton]

Early reports of Final Destination 5 were that they attempt a slightly new spin on the mythology, which is true. This time around ...

If you murder an innocent person, you are "given their time." Meaning, you will live as long as they were slated to live.

Unfortunately, they kind of fumble the ball by not going far enough with their new idea. The new rule allows them to write a somewhat more ... robust ... ? ... story, but in the end it's just another FD movie. They make that very clear with the final 5 minutes. That said, it's probably the best-written of the sequels. I give the filmmakers props for allowing the characters to slowly figure out the rules, rather than taking the shortcut the 3rd and 4th took by having the characters look the rules up on the Internet.

[MadMan]

Spun the trailer unfortunately spoiled that (I tried to avoid said trailer because I knew it would reveal all the good parts, but it popped up at several movies I went to see this summer). The Final Destination movies appear slightly amusing, but I imagine only the first two and Part 5 are really worth seeing.

Oh and my write up for The Fly (1986) is now up on my blog. This year I'm going to try and keep up with reviews for each of the horror movies I see during the fall season.

[Morris Schæffer]

Early reports of Final Destination 5 were that they attempt a slightly new spin on the mythology, which is true. This time around ...

If you murder an innocent person, you are "given their time." Meaning, you will live as long as they were slated to live.

Unfortunately, they kind of fumble the ball by not going far enough with their new idea. The new rule allows them to write a somewhat more ... robust ... ? ... story, but in the end it's just another FD movie. They make that very clear with the final 5 minutes. That said, it's probably the best-written of the sequels. I give the filmmakers props for allowing the characters to slowly figure out the rules, rather than taking the shortcut the 3rd and 4th took by having the characters look the rules up on the Internet.

Yeah, but it made so little sense for them turning on each other. Why not take out some innocent folks, unaware of any of this shit happening and thus also easy targets? but it's like you say, they didn't take the idea far enough. Had they done that, the focus would have shifted considerably to a bunch of unknown individuals being thrown under buses or knifed in alleys. So they kept things restricted to the principal leads, but bleh, that had a nasty smell to it.

As for Event Horizon, I don't think Paul W.S. Anderson will ever make a movie quite as satisfying.

[Spun Lepton]

Yeah, but it made so little sense for them turning on each other. Why not take out some innocent folks, unaware of any of this shit happening and thus also easy targets? but it's like you say, they didn't take the idea far enough. Had they done that, the focus would have shifted considerably to a bunch of unknown individuals being thrown under buses or knifed in alleys. So they kept things restricted to the principal leads, but bleh, that had a nasty smell to it.

It looked like they were setting it up so that the stand-in victim would have to die in the manner meant for the victim, which would have been acceptable, but then that was thrown out the window in the last 20 minutes.

[MadMan]

Write up for Popcorn is available. The toughest movies to review are the ones that really don't have any particular strong ideas and are in the "Meh-merely solid/decent" range.

Oh and Deep Red, for now anyways, is the best Argento I've viewed. I thought it was even better than Suspiria. The Goblin score is amazing, David Hemmings turns in an excellent understated performance, and its the first movie in a while that had an ending that left me completely stunned and flabbergasted. The last movie I saw that had a similar effect was Blow Out. That said, Suspiria has the better Goblin soundtrack and uses color in an even more amazing fashion, but I loved the sets and expansive use of the camera to build up the suspense.

Unfortunately the other Argento's I want to see are not available on Instant Viewing. Maybe when I can afford to spring for one DVD out at a time/Instant Viewing again, I'll get to those.

[Spun Lepton]

Continuing my "How bad are Hellraiser sequels, REALLY?" streak, I watched Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth last night.

Woof, what a spectacular failure. I disliked it when it orginally came out because I disagreed with the way they turned Pinhead into a slasher. This time around, though... wow. That's the least of this movie's problems.

Acting is very bad across the board, and the terrible dialogue doesn't help. The story has no direction, the filmmakers are unable to coherently convey what the hell is supposed to be going on. The final 20 minutes are bombastic nonsense. It's lit and shot like a made-for-TV movie, which is one of my biggest complaints about a lot of American horror from the 1990s. Make-up is shoddy, effects are cheap and silly.

2/10

[megladon8]

I actually rank Inferno second in the Hellraiser pantheon, and it's one of the (and the only good) STV sequels.

Hellraiser - 9
Hellraiser: Inferno - 7
Hellbound: Hellraiser II - 5.5
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth - 3.5
Hellraiser: Bloodline - 3
Hellraiser: Hellseeker - 3

Truly not one of the strongest series' in the history of horror, which is too bad because I believe the universe, mythology, and all the ideas inherent to the story and concept deserve much better.

It's sad that something with actual depth in its mythology and true potential for many, many different stories spanning time and space has such a shoddy track record, yet something like Friday the 13th - a guy in a hockey mask killing teenagers - took off so much more successfully.

[Mr. Pink]

I actually rank Inferno second in the Hellraiser pantheon, and it's one of the (and the only good) STV sequels.

Hellraiser - 9
Hellraiser: Inferno - 7
Hellbound: Hellraiser II - 5.5
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth - 3.5
Hellraiser: Bloodline - 3
Hellraiser: Hellseeker - 3

Truly not one of the strongest series' in the history of horror, which is too bad because I believe the universe, mythology, and all the ideas inherent to the story and concept deserve much better.

It's sad that something with actual depth in its mythology and true potential for many, many different stories spanning time and space has such a shoddy track record, yet something like Friday the 13th - a guy in a hockey mask killing teenagers - took off so much more successfully.

Yeah, I'm so afraid to ruin my experience with the first two by watching the sequels, 'cause I really liked them. But you pointed out the problem yourself. It's harder to make a good movie with depth than it is to churn out a bunch of slasher movie sequels.

[Spun Lepton]

Seriously considering doing a Netflix Instant Horror movie marathon for October this year. Like, 1 movie a day, and then maybe writing a quick review on each. Actually WATCHING one movie a day may require more drive than I've actually got, however. That's my only concern. Maybe I could make it 4 movies every week or something ... ?

Either way, what are some of the Instant options you folks could recommend, good or bad, or so bad they're good? I would prefer films I've not seen before, which doesn't leave me with many "good" options. :lol:

[megladon8]

Seriously considering doing a Netflix Instant Horror movie marathon for October this year. Like, 1 movie a day, and then maybe writing a quick review on each. Actually WATCHING one movie a day may require more drive than I've actually got, however. That's my only concern. Maybe I could make it 4 movies every week or something ... ?

Either way, what are some of the Instant options you folks could recommend, good or bad, or so bad they're good? I would prefer films I've not seen before, which doesn't leave me with many "good" options. :lol:


May I recommend Insidious as a recent release that is flawed, but surprisingly effective?

It has some big issues, but I've honestly found it one of the most memorable films I've seen this year.

[Spun Lepton]

May I recommend Insidious as a recent release that is flawed, but surprisingly effective?

It has some big issues, but I've honestly found it one of the most memorable films I've seen this year.

It's on Instant?

[Scar]

Watching Tremors for the first time in a long time. Love this movie. Is it wrong that I can identify the calibre of Bert's Elephant Gun? Its actually a shotgun, an 8 bore shotgun loaded with slugs. And if he actually shot real cartridges with it the way he shoots it in the movie, he'd break his face, maybe his wrist, and the gun would go flying.

Anyways, great movie. :lol:

[Scar]

It's on Instant?

Nope.

[megladon8]

Sorry, I don't have Netflix so I don't know what's on Instant.

I just wanted to throw that out there as a horror to try to check out if you can.

[Scar]

Sorry, I don't have Netflix so I don't know what's on Instant.

I just wanted to throw that out there as a horror to try to check out if you can.

Eh, he can come over and watch it with me. I've got it on one of my hard drives.

[Spun Lepton]

I am interested in seeing it.

[megladon8]

Eh, he can come over and watch it with me. I've got it on one of my hard drives.


I'll bet you do!

Huh huh huh huh huh huh huh...

http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/886/27298butthead.jpg

[Spun Lepton]

Hee hee, yeah, yeah, hehe-heh! Hard drive, get it? Heehee-heh! Yeah. That's cool. /Beavis

[MadMan]

Watching Tremors for the first time in a long time. Love this movie. Is it wrong that I can identify the calibre of Bert's Elephant Gun? Its actually a shotgun, an 8 bore shotgun loaded with slugs. And if he actually shot real cartridges with it the way he shoots it in the movie, he'd break his face, maybe his wrist, and the gun would go flying.

Anyways, great movie. :lol:Its one of my favorites, although I think the sequel is slightly better. The last two entries in the series are best forgotten, really.

Also :lol: in regards to the Beavis and Butthead jokes. Reminds me that the show is returning.

Oh and yesterday I found the two disc SE of the original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre at Half Price Books for only $5.00. I ended up paying even less because it was their 20% off Labor Day sale. I should be slightly disturbed that I've viewed that movie three times now.

[Mr. Pink]

Oh and yesterday I found the two disc SE of the original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre at Half Price Books for only $5.00. I ended up paying even less because it was their 20% off Labor Day sale. I should be slightly disturbed that I've viewed that movie three times now.

I read and re-read this because I couldn't figure out what's so disturbing with seeing the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (only) three times. :lol:

[Mr. Pink]

Oh, I saw Red State last night, too. Really liked it. That premise is severely underused in horror.

[MadMan]

I read and re-read this because I couldn't figure out what's so disturbing with seeing the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre (only) three times. :lol:I should have rephrased it to mean "Its disturbing that I've viewed TCSM at least three times." Its held up pretty well after three viewings, although just like any other horror movie or comedy its effects wear off after numerous times watching it.

[Spun Lepton]

I should have rephrased it to mean "Its disturbing that I've viewed TCSM at least three times." Its held up pretty well after three viewings, although just like any other horror movie or comedy its effects wear off after numerous times watching it.

I've watched the original TCM numerous times. And I've seen the 2nd at least 3 times.

"It's a dawg eat dawg world, and from where I sit there just ain't enough damn dawgs!!"

[Spun Lepton]

So, I put together a list of Netflix Instant horror movies that I had already queued up, plus a few more. 31 movies in 31 days. Some of them look exceptionally bad. I might swap some of the titles around before October, still plenty of time to consider. My rules were that I can not have seen any of them.

31st is Bride of Frankenstein, regardless of what else I swap around. I hear nothing but greatness, and I really do love the original Frankenstien.

I'm wondering if I should make this into some kind of writing project, too.

[Mr. Pink]

I've watched the original TCM numerous times. And I've seen the 2nd at least 3 times.

"It's a dawg eat dawg world, and from where I sit there just ain't enough damn dawgs!!"

NAM LAND!!!!

Damn, I love the second one, too.

And Halloween-themed movies don't get much more perfect than Bride of Frankenstein. Movie is fuckin' sweet.

[Mr. Pink]

Attack the Block is really good. It's like the R-rated, UK version of Super 8.

[megladon8]

I don't know what it is, but I never fell under Bride of Frankenstein's spell.

I think the original is far superior.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I don't know what it is, but I never fell under Bride of Frankenstein's spell.

I think the original is far superior.

Same here, but I have Bride on my Netflix queue, so we'll see what a rewatch does.

[MadMan]

So, I put together a list of Netflix Instant horror movies that I had already queued up, plus a few more. 31 movies in 31 days. Some of them look exceptionally bad. I might swap some of the titles around before October, still plenty of time to consider. My rules were that I can not have seen any of them.

31st is Bride of Frankenstein, regardless of what else I swap around. I hear nothing but greatness, and I really do love the original Frankenstien.

I'm wondering if I should make this into some kind of writing project, too.That's what I'm doing currently, although I will throw in some library and local video store rentals (stupid Netflix trying to make me pay $15 something for having both Instant and regular viewing). I drew up a list somewhere, but its subject to change. Also I'll probably post here my Top 50 list, without any commentary, although I did do write ups for 30 of them.

[Rowland]

Those of you with Netflix Instant should check out the Chinese horror film Dream Home. I didn't like it, but I can't deny that it delivers the goods in a manner I bet many here would appreciate. And Boner dug it too, so there's that.

[Grouchy]

http://wearemoviegeeks.com/wp-content/thirst1.jpg

I don't know who were the Thirst naysayers, but I'm glad to say they were very wrong. I was afraid that, given the lunacy of the subject matter, it would just be a showcase of the man's cinematick bag of tricks like Lady Vengeance and Cyborg. But Thirst is more profound than those two films and it tells us a story about loneliness and fetishism wrapped in a sci-fi vampire movie. It deserves a more careful watch - I was under the influence of some Hobbit weeds when I watched it - to see if it is as good as I thought it was, but right now I'd rank it third after Oldboy and Mr. Vengeance.

Frozen, not so good. Well, ok. These survival films are easy to write, but they are also easy to write themselves into a corner. Not much after the ferry cart stops makes a helluva lot of sense and, although it's true that people in mortal danger are gonna behave less than smart sometime, this is a case where everyone behaves a little too dumb. I think it's an entertaining film, but if it was a good one, I wouldn't have been laughing so much at parts that were meant to be serious.

[Rowland]

So hey, that House of the Devil movie is kind of a masterpiece, whatever reservations I had the first time around being virtually nullified with a repeat viewing, and my appreciation for West's first two features has only gained in the rearview. Best to pretend the abominable Cabin Fever 2 never occurred, and yeah, I cannot wait for The Innkeepers.

[Raiders]

Best to pretend the abominable Cabin Fever 2 never occurred

Pretty sure West has done that himself.

[Spun Lepton]

When I found the 2008 remake of It's Alive on Instant, I thought, "Why would they remake THAT? It couldn't possibly be worse than the original." But, I was wrong. So very wrong.

This movie was doomed very early on, the moment some fool thought, "Let's play this script seriously." No camp, nothing tongue-in-cheek in a story about a killer baby. All parts are played in earnest, and the actors do all right with the material they're given.

That said, the material is abominable. It's a terrible bore through the first 45 minutes before the baby starts attacking people, mostly off-screen. And in the final 20, characters start making decisions that make little to no sense other than to force the story to end in a way that was probably settled on long before the script was written.

For example. (I'm sorry, but I'm not going to spoiler this, because I would hope you don't want or plan to see this terrible bore.) Daddy comes home, finds Mommy's mind has finally gone bye-bye, she says the feral baby is the cause. Until this moment, Daddy has had NO KNOWLEDGE of what the kid was doing. He finds some evidence that she might be right, but NO BABY, no definitive PROOF. He goes into the basement and finds a lot of blood and dead bodies, gets a glimpse of what MIGHT be a baby, or it might not be. Meanwhile, Officer Friendly and his soon-to-be-dead partner have shown up to the house. Officer goes down into the basement through an outside door, finds Daddy covered in blood next to the pair of dead bodies. Daddy says THE BABY DID IT. A few other things happen from there, but, ultimately, Officer Friendly BELIEVES Daddy with little to no concrete evidence. Naturally, the officer is attacked by babykins soon afterward.

We don't get a good look at the baby until the final 5 or 10 minutes. And that sucker LOOKS feral. We're talking pointed teeth and all. Why was nobody's reaction upon first seeing this kid, "AAAUUUGGHH!! WTF!!!"

*sigh*

1/10

[KK2.0]

I've watched Clive Barker's The Midnight Meat Train a couple of days ago, it's a curious mess of a movie, part times terrible, part times cool, the bits where they stick to the short story are actually decent, the ones they invented to fill space are mostly terrible, except for Vinnie Jones, the killer isn't much of a character in the book but he actually composed a terrific villain, sinister and over the top at the same time, he and some CRAZY action horror set pieces invented by Ryuhei Kitamura and his cinematographer saved the movie for me, too bad the glue that connects those parts is so weak.

[transmogrifier]

I don't know who were the Thirst naysayers, but I'm glad to say they were very wrong. I was afraid that, given the lunacy of the subject matter, it would just be a showcase of the man's cinematick bag of tricks like Lady Vengeance and Cyborg. But Thirst is more profound than those two films and it tells us a story about loneliness and fetishism wrapped in a sci-fi vampire movie. It deserves a more careful watch - I was under the influence of some Hobbit weeds when I watched it - to see if it is as good as I thought it was, but right now I'd rank it third after Oldboy and Mr. Vengeance.

As wrong as you were about The Shawshank Redemption, you are right on the money here. Gorgeously whacked, with little interest in either commenting on the vampire genre (an unfortunate preoccupation with many vampire movies these days as meta becomes standard) or Nolanizing it (draining it of the fantastic and weighing it down with portentuous HUMAN DRAMA WITH THEMES), but rather just luxuriating in it.

[MadMan]

Considering that I really enjoyed the original Its Alive, I'm not particularly interested in viewing the remake.

[MadMan]

In my never ending quest to whore out said blog, I finally completed a write up for Deep Red (and shamelessly used the same image for it that is in Rowland's avatar). At some point I'll finish Dead and Buried, although I'm starting to think about skipping it and going straight to Cronos instead.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Oof. I misjudged when the H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival was being held - it's happening this week, and it's gonna include theatrical screenings of Cast a Deadly Spell and Cast a Deadly Spell...

AND the newest film from the team behind The Call of Cthulhu

AND a print of the long-thought-lost supernatural drama Berkley Square (1933), the film that inspired H. P. Lovecraft to write "The Shadow Out of Time."

Arggggh, I wish I could go! :D

[MadMan]

Bummer, man. I'd like to go to one those festivals sometime. Call of Cthulhu was a really good movie.

[Ezee E]

There's going to be a [REC]3...

Trailer (http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=21052)

Looks stupid. I even liked 2 a ton. But I won't bother with this.

[Grouchy]

What d'ya all think of The Crazies? The '73 Romero one. I started out really enjoying it but it's a film that's all kinds of frustrating. It seems to shy away from any kind of dramatic chatarsis moment, instead focusing almost completely on military intelligence and their response to the plague. I don't know if this was done for budgetary reasons or to offer a film that's not simply a remake of the Dead saga with psychos instead of zombies, but it didn't get to me.

Shyamalan's new brainchild Devil is a mixed bag. I enjoyed the fact that it's a B movie with a Twilight Zone angle and a very short runtime. But some of the choices the writers made just ruined it for me. Ramirez has to be the worst choice of v.o. narration I've ever seen - the guy just explains the movie and often foreshadows what's going to happen in the inmediate next scene. I don't get what was the point of doing that. The ending is also disappointing, but that's customary for this type of film.

[MadMan]

I actually prefer the 2010 remake of The Crazies. Sure I like the original, but I was a bit disappointed with it as well. I'm sure that's one movie that could have used a bigger budget, and the Vietnam War aspects were better covered by Romero in his far superior NOTLD and Dawn of the Dead. The reason I like the remake is not only due to the fact that the acting is much better, but also because its a completely different take on the original. Where as the original was more sci-fi/action to a degree, the remake was more horror movie oriented and had some really creepy/disturbing moments that were well executed. Still, the original is worth viewing regardless.

[Spun Lepton]

I think the writer/director of Grace (Paul Solet) may be vegan, because it's made abundantly clear that the leads are into veganism and "natural" health, while they view doctors and hospitals as backwards and wrong. "More women die giving birth at hospitals than at midwife clinics!" A doctor and the mother-in-law who supports the doctor end up being the evil-est and most-wrong-est characters in the story. You can tell the doctor is evil because he drinks MILK. Oooh nooo!! Also...

... every character who is even slightly critical of tofu or tempeh or natural childbirth ends up dead.

From the IMDb: After losing her unborn child, Madeline Matheson insists on carrying the baby to term. Following the delivery, the child miraculously returns to life with an appetite for human blood. Madeline is faced with a mother's ultimate decision.

It's essentially a zombie baby that looks and sounds like a normal baby. All this natural-childbirth-vegan-antimilk-ness creates a zombie baby, making all the director's pro-vegan posturing somewhat ironic. Maybe the director is slyly critical of all that hoo-hah? I doubt it, but who knows? THE BABY DRINKS BLOOD and attracts a ton of flies. These plot-points are beaten to death. I've summarized the majority of the 2nd act for you.

Overall, boring. A lot of attention is given to minor details, many close-ups on needless moments; the midwife scratches the same spot on her desk over and over, somebody scrapes tempeh off her fork, slow-zooms on the baby monitor, etc. It ... drags ... every ... thing ... out ... to 80 minutes. And by 80 minutes in, you're ready for the boredom to end.

Performances are strong. Dialogue sounds natural. Lighting and composition are appealing. The color-scheme is simple and dramatic.

4/10
Not recommended.

[MadMan]

I never thought Grace looked all that good.

Also Dead & Buried and Cronos thoughts in my blog. I think for the time being I should just rename the link in my sig "Horrorfest 2011." I haven't wrote about anything else since June.

DB was fairly solid, btw, and Cronos was great. I can tell that I'll be a fan of early Del Toro.

[Spun Lepton]

Del Toro's one of the best modern horror filmmakers.

ALL RIGHT! So, I talked about watching one horror film from Netflix Instant every night in October, thinking that I might write a short review for each. Here's the list I came up with. I would appreciate any warnings / praises for any of the films listed. My only rule was that I could not have seen them before.

NETFLIX INSTANT HORROR MARATHON 2011!!

Week 1: Sat 1st - Fri 7th
ZOMBIES!!
The Horde (2009)
Colin (2008)
Sugar Hill (1974)
Undead or Alive (2007)
Doghouse (2009)
DIEner (2010)
Dance of the Dead (2008)

Week 2: Sat 8th - Fri 14th
PSYCHOS!!
Santa Sangre (1989)
Dream Home (2010)
The Comedy of Terrors (1963)
The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
Deranged (1974)
Red Dragon (2002)
Theater of Blood (1973)

Week 3: Sat 15th - Fri 21st
MORE MONSTERS!!
Altered (2006)
Shiver (2008)
Mullberry Street (2006)
The Thing with Two Heads (1972)
Interplanetary (2008)
Dark Floors (2008)
Vampyr (1932)

Week 4: Sat 22nd - Fri 28th
SUPERNATURAL!!
The Baby's Room (2006)
Deathdream (1974)
Burn, Witch, Burn (1962)
Deathwatch (2002)
Black Death (2010)
R-Point (2004)
The House of the Devil (2009)

Week 5: Sat 29th - Mon 31st
GRAB-BAG!!
Let Me In (2010)
Daybreakers (2009)
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

[Rowland]

Dream Home (2010) *½
The Masque of the Red Death (1964) **½
Red Dragon (2002) *½
Vampyr (1932) ***
Black Death (2010) ***
The House of the Devil (2009) ***½
Let Me In (2010) **½
Daybreakers (2009) **
Bride of Frankenstein (1935) ***½

These are regrettably the only ones I've seen. Santa Sangre and Deathdream are both strong contenders on my must-see list.

[MadMan]

Del Toro's one of the best modern horror filmmakers.I want to see The Devil's Backbone next.


ALL RIGHT! So, I talked about watching one horror film from Netflix Instant every night in October, thinking that I might write a short review for each. Here's the list I came up with. I would appreciate any warnings / praises for any of the films listed. My only rule was that I could not have seen them before.Sweetness. Nice list. Some of those are on mine, I think. Ratings:

Dance of the Dead (2008)-85=This one is a new favorite of mine. Love the prom setting and the teen characters are realistic as teens.
Theater of Blood (1973)=75 or something. Its a good movie, Price is awesome as usual. Plus Ms. Peel is in this, too.
Altered (2006)-83 or 84, I believe. Underrated movie that has some really creepy moments. I liked it a lot when I viewed it last year for Horrorfest.
Vampyr (1932)-85=Classic, really eerie, well made and quite unique. One day I'll buy it on Criterion.

[Spun Lepton]

I watched one of the runners-up from my upcoming movie marathon.

The Thaw (Lewis) is heavy-handed in its global warming message, but outside of that, it's surprisingly good, with some flaws.

From the IMDb: A research expedition to the Arctic discovers that a melting polar ice cap has released a deadly prehistoric parasite.

The cast of mostly-unknowns do a very good job. The dialogue sounds natural, and their slow descent into all-out panic is believable. The special effects are, for the most part, very well done. There is an explosion that seems a little off, but the gore is effective. For example, in one scene, a character digs eggs out of his arm with a pocket knife, making me squirm.

The story takes a little too much time to get going, but it builds at a steady pace, and by the end it's pretty engaging. Multiple nods to The Thing are apparent.

There are a few problems. First, the timeline is a little fuzzy. Events seem to happen fairly quickly, but as the story goes on, you realize that more time has to have passed for the story to unfold the way it does. One character finds an extensive journal about the parasites (with diagrams!) that could not have been written in a day, or even a week.

There was also one moment that really bugged (hah! get it!?) me. It's not a major spoiler, but I'll spoil it anyway.

One character decides to chop off his infected arm. It's a reasonable decision, seeing he'll die a horrible and painful death for certain if he doesn't do something. It's made quite apparent there is gasoline at the station, but when they chop it off, they make no attempt to cauterize the stump, he just bleeds and bleeds. That annoyed me.

Overall, not bad! I can't say I was at the edge of my seat, but it was an interesting enough diversion, mildly pleasing.

6/10

[MadMan]

Never heard of that one, Spun, but it reminds me of Splinter-http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1031280/ from 2008, which was a solid/fairly decent horror movie.

[Grouchy]

Both Cronos and The Devil's Backbone are priceless. Those films made a huge impact on me.

[MadMan]

So today I broke down and rented some horror movies from my local Family Video. Hey I'm still a sucker for their 2 for 1 deal, and actually their horror collection isn't half bad. I was hoping against hope they had the original Sleepaway Camp, but they didn't.

Rentals:

*The Hills Have Eyes (original)
*High Tension (no idea if there's another copy that's different or something)
*Slither (which I just watched, and review is pending. Needless to say, it was great and really disgusting. Loved it.)
*Undead (that one should be fun)

[Dead & Messed Up]

I remember thinking Undead was crap. Just a bunch of screaming and yelling. Impressive given the tiny budget and DIY ingenuity of individual scenes, but that just makes it a demo reel, doesn't it? A shrill demo reel?

Blagh.

I've been watched the MST3K of Tormented quite a bit lately, and I think it's because I actually sorta kinda like Tormented.

[MadMan]

Well I'll find out what I think of it when I get to it after I view High Tension. Gonna go with the unrated French version simply because dubbing in a horror movie would annoy me, for the most part. It almost ruined the wonderful kung fu vampire movie Mr. Vampire for me a couple years back, although I guess I let it slide since kung fu movies are always dubbed.

The Hills Have Eyes (1977) was rather solid, and somewhat disturbing-however it lacked the true raw power of Craven's superior Last House on the Left. Still I liked its 70s grindhouse style, and the fact that Craven utilizes the creepy outdoor elements-the desert at night looks rather eeire.

[Spun Lepton]

I've begun my marathon, although I've already deviated from my list. I just couldn't bring myself to watch Colin. Not that either of the ones I watched last night were any better, I'm sure. I'm just gonna put up ratings for now. Gonna leave my signature alone for now, too.

This week's theme is zombies. If I finish my required 1 movie every night, I've allowed myself a 2nd, as long as it fits the theme.

The Horde -- 5/10
Blood Creek -- 3/10
Bonus: The Quick and the Undead -- Could not finish. 0/10

[MadMan]

Blood Creek didn't look particularly good, especially judging from the synopsis and its cover.

I finally rented The Hitcher (1986) and I'm interested in finding out what The Cat People remake from the 80s is like.

PS: 300th post in this thread. Wahoo.

[Yxklyx]

A couple of promising reviews of The Thing up on imdb.com.

[Dukefrukem]

A couple of promising reviews of The Thing up on imdb.com.

:eek:

I'm gonna see it regardless.

[MadMan]

Much like with the AOES remake, I'm hoping to be proven wrong and that the new Thing movie (its a prequel, right?) turns out to be good. The previews make it look decent, I'll admit that.

[megladon8]

What is AOES?

You mean A Nightmare on Elm Street?

[MadMan]

What is AOES?

You mean A Nightmare on Elm Street?Yep. Just like the rest of America I'm getting really lazy.

Right now I'm watching the loose 1980s remake of Cat People after watching the trailer, which makes it look crazy. Plus the theme song is "Cat People (Putting Out The Fire)" by David Bowie, which is great. The cast is good, too. Seems that in the 1980s making good/great remakes of the older horror/sci-fi movies was all the rage (John Carpenter's The Thing, Cronenberg's The Fly, and I hear The Blob remake is good as well).

[Dukefrukem]

What is AOES?

You mean A Nightmare on Elm Street?

Wow I can't believe you got that. :lol: I was thinking to myself... AOES? AOES?? Google came up with nothing. Advanced Orbital Ephemeris System? An Open Ended Sky? Actinometry Optical Emission Spectroscopy?

[MadMan]

I wonder if thinking that the loose remake of Cat People, made in 1982, is just as good and maybe even a little better than the original is a controversial opinion. Although granted in the original they were forced to make the sexual elements very understated/not seen onscreen, where as in the remake they were highly explicit. As previously noted, the 1980s was all about awesome remakes. Too bad that hasn't been the case really with the 2000s, although Dawn of the Dead (2004) and The Crazies (2009) are good-well DOTD has gotten good buzz, I haven't seen it all the way through yet.

[Grouchy]

Shouldn't it be ANOES?

I mean, if it should be anything.

[MadMan]

Shouldn't it be ANOES?

I mean, if it should be anything.Heh I knew I was missing a letter.

The Hitcher (1986) was actually really quite good, and I dug how the film properly utilized the desert landscape in a way that The Hills Have Eyes quite didn't do. Plus Rutger Hauer is really goddamn creepy, and always manages to pop up out of nowhere. I'm reminded that I should really see Duel sometime.

Undead was kind of amusing and entertaining, but I was still disappointed regardless. It wasn't boring like Die Monster, Die! yet I was left unsatisfied. Oh well. I'm going to the video store again today to grab more horror movies, and this weekend I hope to get back to my Netflix IV queue.

[Spun Lepton]

Undead was kind of amusing and entertaining, but I was still disappointed regardless. It wasn't boring like Die Monster, Die! yet I was left unsatisfied. Oh well. I'm going to the video store again today to grab more horror movies, and this weekend I hope to get back to my Netflix IV queue.

Yep. Undead has its moments, and it's actually quite impressive the kinds of SPFX they were able to produce on 2 desktop PCs. But, it's kind of directionless, and there is one especially irritating character.

[MadMan]

Yep. Undead has its moments, and it's actually quite impressive the kinds of SPFX they were able to produce on 2 desktop PCs. But, it's kind of directionless, and there is one especially irritating character.I agree with all of this, although I must add that I found pretty much all of the characters annoying and or boring. Even Marion. In a zombie movie characters are usually the strongest element, so when one gets that wrong you know its in trouble.

Rentals for the weekend:

*Dead Snow
*ANOES 4
*Hatchet
*H20

[Spun Lepton]

*Dead Snow
*ANOES 4
*Hatchet
*H20

Dead Snow -- Well shot and acted, but the story goes nowhere.

Hatchet -- I think it was DaMU who mentioned that the upbeat likeable, almost sitcom-like characters meeting ultra-horrific deaths makes for a conflicting tone, and I would agree. That said, it does have one of the most impressive gore moments I've seen in a long time. (Open wide!)

[MadMan]

Dead Snow -- Well shot and acted, but the story goes nowhere.

Hatchet -- I think it was DaMU who mentioned that the upbeat likeable, almost sitcom-like characters meeting ultra-horrific deaths makes for a conflicting tone, and I would agree. That said, it does have one of the most impressive gore moments I've seen in a long time. (Open wide!)I'm fully prepared for both movies to be rather gory and violent.

Currently I'm a bit behind on my review backload, but I have a couple write ups already sketched out. Cat People will be a bit tricker to review.

Oh and H20 was really rock solid, and I loved the nods and homages to the first film. Really though I'm glad that it ignores the Halloween 4-6 timeline all together. Honestly the original, Halloween II, III, half of 4 (despite being mediocre it has its moments), Halloween H20, the remake, and the psychological elements of Zombie's H2 (also mediocre, but still worth a viewing anyways) are the only ones really worth owning or seeing. I figure that at some point this month I'll get some booze and view Halloween 8-after all, I sat through the terrible Halloweens 5 and 6. While the series isn't as bad as I previously though, its lack of consistency and the fact that only the original is great is rather notable. I find it interesting that the Friday the 13th series is actually better overall imo, even though there isn't a single great one in the series.

Also I'm curious to see how the ANOES series turns out. The first and third are really good, the second one was bad.

[Rowland]

I mentioned this in the New Release Database thread, but one of this year's After Dark Horrorfest releases, a scarecrow-themed number called Husk, is actually really solid. I bet many here would dig it, so I recommend a rental.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Anyone want to give me a rundown of the best obscure horror films that are available on Netflix Instant Viewing? It'd be much appreciated. As a novice, I can't tell good from garbage going by descriptions and covers.

[Spun Lepton]

Anyone want to give me a rundown of the best obscure horror films that are available on Netflix Instant Viewing? It'd be much appreciated. As a novice, I can't tell good from garbage going by descriptions and covers.

I'll take a look when I get home.

Session 9 is still on Instant, isn't it? That's a lovely little flick.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Anyone want to give me a rundown of the best obscure horror films that are available on Netflix Instant Viewing? It'd be much appreciated. As a novice, I can't tell good from garbage going by descriptions and covers.

I don't know how obscure I'd have to get, but I'll try to get this ball rolling.

Trick r Treat
Session 9
House of the Devil
Cronos
The Toxic Avenger
The Ugly
Dagon
Stuck
3 Extremes
The Resurrected
Vampyr
Werewolf of London
The Golem
I Bury the Living
Bride of the Monster
A Bucket of Blood

The rest of them I'm either cagey about recommending or uninterested in checking out. Lotta trash in that Instant category.

[MadMan]

I don't know how obscure I'd have to get, but I'll try to get this ball rolling.

Trick r Treat
Cronos
Vampyr
A Bucket of BloodThese are the only ones I've seen off that list. Cronos is the best of that bunch.

I agree with DaMU, though-lots of crap on the IV queue. Netflix should maybe consider adding even more titles.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I don't know how obscure I'd have to get, but I'll try to get this ball rolling.

Trick r Treat
Session 9
House of the Devil
Cronos
The Toxic Avenger
The Ugly
Dagon
Stuck
3 Extremes
The Resurrected
Vampyr
Werewolf of London
The Golem
I Bury the Living
Bride of the Monster
A Bucket of Blood

The rest of them I'm either cagey about recommending or uninterested in checking out. Lotta trash in that Instant category.

Thanks for the quick replies, everyone! Struck the ones I've seen on this list. I'll look into the rest. I'm looking for scary as opposed to schlock or comedy with gore.

I appreciate the help guys. Rep will be coming.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I should add that I really liked all of the films I've seen from that list.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Cronos
The Ugly
Dagon
Stuck
3 Extremes
The Resurrected
Werewolf of London
The Golem
I Bury the Living



Very interested in these. This is a solid start. Thanks again, DaMU.

[Ezee E]

Definitely go for 3 Extremes...

They're all pretty good for one. The first definitely elicits a certain response from people that always leads to good discussions, whether you like or dislike.

[megladon8]

I wouldn't say that any of them are scary, but they're all great choices for sure.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Werewolf of London. I actually greatly prefer it to The Wolfman.

[Dead & Messed Up]

There are a few more silent horrors on Instant, but the interface can make it hard to find them, short of direct searches:

Faust
Nosferatu
The Cat and the Canary
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
The Phantom of the Opera
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920)

Some of these are pretty esteemed classics, though, so again.

[megladon8]

Has anyone here seen the horror comedy The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu yet?

I'm interested but wary. The consensus seems to be that it's enjoyable enough, but nothing special. Every once in a while I come across a review that compares it to Shaun of the Dead, and I can't help but feel it was probably the director's mom or something.

[Mr. Pink]

The Ugly is one of my favorite/best horror movies of the 90's. I'd consider it just a general favorite also.

[Rowland]

JT Petty's entire ouevre is on Instant View. The Burrowers is merely solid and I haven't seen S&Man, but Mimic 3: Sentinel is very good (fucking amazing by DTV horror standards), and Soft for Digging is something of a minor masterpiece.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Well, Netflix wasn't working last night, so my wife and I watched The Spiral Staircase, which I had recorded on our DVR last Halloween. Not a horror movie, per se, but it was as close as we could get last night without Netflix. Pretty disappointing overall. It could have been a very good film had they focused more on killer rather than the relationships between the people living in the house. Instead, the mood they set up is lost along the way, and by the time they tried to amp up the tension, it was too little too late. Plus, their attempt to cast suspicion on everyone in the house was a bit silly, as was the final "twist." It's a shame, because the story had potential, and the camerawork was superb at times.

[Dukefrukem]

3 Extremes is great. Trollhunter is also Streaming.

[megladon8]

So Jen and I have begun to stock up for our October of Horror festival.

So far we have in line to watch:

Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (1977 / George Barry)
Laid to Rest (2009 / Robert Hall)
Midnight Movie (2008 / Jack Messitt)
Mimic: Director's Cut (1997 / Guillermo del Toro)
The Ugly (1997 / Scott Reynolds)
Stake Land (2010 / Jim Mickle)
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973 / John Newland)
Burn, Witch, Burn! (1962 / Sidney Hayers)

We also plan to go see Paranormal Activity 3, and will be watching season 2 of "The Walking Dead"!

[D_Davis]

Has anyone here seen the horror comedy The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu yet?

I'm interested but wary. The consensus seems to be that it's enjoyable enough, but nothing special. Every once in a while I come across a review that compares it to Shaun of the Dead, and I can't help but feel it was probably the director's mom or something.

The guys on the HPPodcraft (who also helped with the recent Call of Cthulhu and whisperer in Darkness films) said it's OK.

That's some great info, I know.

[megladon8]

The guys on the HPPodcraft (who also helped with the recent Call of Cthulhu and whisperer in Darkness films) said it's OK.

That's some great info, I know.


Speaking of which, have you seen Call of Cthulhu (the silent film)?

Sorry if you've spoken of it before, I don't remember.

I thought it was pretty great.

[MadMan]

Death Bed: The Bed That Eats I want to see that movie, heh.

Also I forgot to mention that I recently watched and enjoyed ANOES 4: The Dream Master. Sure it was a bit cheesy, but I sort of like Freddy as being more cruel and inventive than normal. Plus the girl being turned into a bug and then crushed scene was fairly creepy and disturbing. Not a bad entry in the series, fairly solid, and its too bad that Harlin wasn't invited to do another one. I'm not sure what I'll think of #5, but I love the first one and even the remake, disliked the second one, and thought highly of the third one.

[Spun Lepton]

I want to see that movie, heh.

Also I forgot to mention that I recently watched and enjoyed ANOES 4: The Dream Master. Sure it was a bit cheesy, but I sort of like Freddy as being more cruel and inventive than normal. Plus the girl being turned into a bug and then crushed scene was fairly creepy and disturbing. Not a bad entry in the series, fairly solid, and its too bad that Harlin wasn't invited to do another one. I'm not sure what I'll think of #5, but I love the first one and even the remake, disliked the second one, and thought highly of the third one.

I caught all of the NOES movies in the theater from part 3 and on. They get progressively worse from there. Freddy's Dead is terrible.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Has anyone here seen the horror comedy The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu yet?

I'm interested but wary. The consensus seems to be that it's enjoyable enough, but nothing special. Every once in a while I come across a review that compares it to Shaun of the Dead, and I can't help but feel it was probably the director's mom or something.


The guys on the HPPodcraft (who also helped with the recent Call of Cthulhu and whisperer in Darkness films) said it's OK.

That's some great info, I know.

It's "OK" in that it's not objectionable. Just finished it a little while ago, and while I thought the production value was reasonable and the actors were amiable and the story was serviceable, the end result was negligible. Shaun of the Dead comparisons are unfair. The movie has neither the wit nor the style of Wright's picture...although it has a hint of the humanism. The ending promises a second adventure in the Mountains of Madness, which I actually wouldn't mind, but that's just because I like the concept of a comedy-adventure series set in Lovecraft Country. I wouldn't necessarily want these guys at the helm of that ship.

The highlight was a comic book interlude that highlighted the history of Cthulhu. If you're Instant Watchers, go to the 15 minute mark, watch that, and then call it a day.

[Dukefrukem]

So Jen and I have begun to stock up for our October of Horror festival.

So far we have in line to watch:

Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (1977 / George Barry)
Laid to Rest (2009 / Robert Hall)
Midnight Movie (2008 / Jack Messitt)
Mimic: Director's Cut (1997 / Guillermo del Toro)
The Ugly (1997 / Scott Reynolds)
Stake Land (2010 / Jim Mickle)
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973 / John Newland)
Burn, Witch, Burn! (1962 / Sidney Hayers)

We also plan to go see Paranormal Activity 3, and will be watching season 2 of "The Walking Dead"!

Great lineup. I thought Stake Land was fun. Not great but worth watching. Love the main character.

This weekend will also be the start of my own little Halloween festival. I plan on watching:

Friday

The Thing 2011

Sat/Sun

Sunshine Blu-ray
Evil Dead Blu-ray
Dark City Blu-ray
30 Days of Night Blu-ray
I Am Legend Blu-ray
28 Days Later Blu-ray

[Dukefrukem]

also

xWWATh905tk

[MadMan]

I still want a Trick 'r' Treat sequel. Also that video was both creepy and touching all at once. I liked that Sam popped up out of nowhere.

[Scar]

Watching Trick R Treat again, and enjoying it. Two quibbles:

1) They never should've unmasked Sam.

2) WHY THE FUCK DOES A DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUN MAKE THE NOISE LIKE A PUMP SHOT GUN WHEN YOU LOAD IT!? FUCK YOU SOUND GUYS!!!!

[MadMan]

Watching Trick R Treat again, and enjoying it. Two quibbles:

1) They never should've unmasked Sam.

2) WHY THE FUCK DOES A DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUN MAKE THE NOISE LIKE A PUMP SHOT GUN WHEN YOU LOAD IT!? FUCK YOU SOUND GUYS!!!!In regards to 1, I thought it was a really creepy and surprising moment.

As for 2, you should at some point dedicate a thread to covering unrealistic or in-proper use of weapons in the movies.

And hey someone on RT reminded me of back when you led the lynch mob against bkb111. Those were the days.

[Scar]

Sure, it could go in the photo album....

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/315567_10150404501726703_50250 1702_10101264_376764151_n.jpg

[Dukefrukem]

Watched:

Sunshine, Dark City and Devil's Rejects last night. Love them all.

[Rowland]

I think I'm gonna spend the next two weeks until Halloween catching up with some silent "horror" films. Likely contenders so far include The Hands of Orlac, Genuine: A Tale of a Vampire, Der Golem, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Phantom Carriage, A Page of Madness, Faust, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Phantom of the Opera, The Lodger, and a repeat viewing of Nosferatu. We'll see if I feel up to typing anything out about them, the combined forces of school and work have diminished my drive to write considerably.

[MadMan]

Looks like he was trying to skullfuck you, Scar :lol:

When it comes to 1920s silent horror I'm woefully behind.

[MadMan]

Has anyone here seen Innocent Blood (1992)? It was actually fairly solid, and entertaining, although the humor nor the overall movie went far enough. I'm still waiting for a vampire movie that satisfies some huge overall questions I have about them.

And speaking of vampire movies, Horror of Dracula is playing right on TCM, followed by the original House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler, House of Wax, Curse of the Demon, and very later on A Bucket of Blood. I've seen all of them, and like them all a great deal, even if none of them crack my Top 50 Horrors List. Which I'm current posting with commentary on another site-when I'm finished there, I'll post the list here. I rented HOD from my local library, and AMC used to air House on Haunted Hill every October, and I saw "Bucket" on my local cable channel a couple years back. The rest I've previously seen on TCM.

[Russ]

Watched it: Bubba Ho-Tep
Enjoyed it: immensely
Loved it: the fucking score

[Grouchy]

I'm still waiting for a vampire movie that satisfies some huge overall questions I have about them.
Such as? I'm curious about this.

Saw Innocent Blood about a million years ago. It's silly but fun.

[MadMan]

Such as? I'm curious about this.

Saw Innocent Blood about a million years ago. It's silly but fun.I had them in my head, but they vanished. Although I am a bit curious about whether or not how far a vampire would go to be a "normal" person, or at least as close to being one as possible.

Yeah IB was a bit silly, but the ending left me with a smile on my face. Plus it had a couple of actors that latter ended up on The Sopranos. I wouldn't have minded a sequel, but I guess it'll never happen. I was surprised that Landis directed it, as I discovered it while wandering through my local video store late at night.

Even though I have Netflix and even use RedBox, there's still something to be said about wandering through a DVD/Blu Ray rental store.

[Grouchy]

I had them in my head, but they vanished. Although I am a bit curious about whether or not how far a vampire would go to be a "normal" person, or at least as close to being one as possible.
What do you mean? They are vampires. There's not going back. Technically, they died.

You mean like in Blade where a character has some sort of cure for vampirism so that he doesn't go apeshit over drinkin blood all the time?

[megladon8]

I quite enjoyed the director's cut of Mimic (though I have never seen the original cut to compare).

It was sad to watch the documentaries on the BluRay about how del Toro got totally screwed by the Weinstein's. The end product is nothing like what he had intended - even the director's cut doesn't come close, but is unfortunately as close as we'll ever come.

It was going to be much darker, less action-y, and the ending he had planned was quite chilling.

I enjoyed the movie nonetheless. I thought it was a really cool idea.

[Rowland]

Oooh, this is the first I've heard of a director's cut for Mimic, neat. I've always liked the original well eough, which is clearly a very flawed, compromised film, but it's so fucking gorgeous, and pretty creepy for at least its first half before it morphs into a serviceable Aliens clone.

[megladon8]

Oooh, this is the first I've heard of a director's cut for Mimic, neat. I've always liked the original well eough, which is clearly a very flawed, compromised film, but it's so fucking gorgeous, and pretty creepy for at least its first half before it morphs into a serviceable Aliens clone.


Yeah, it's only available on BluRay at this point, but I got it for $10 on Amazon.com so it's not the usual "feed your children, or buy a BluRay?" price.

del Toro's video prologue (which you access in special features, it doesn't play before the film) is great.

del Toro does some of my very favorite commentaries. I love his track on Blade 2.

[D_Davis]

Speaking of which, have you seen Call of Cthulhu (the silent film)?

Sorry if you've spoken of it before, I don't remember.

I thought it was pretty great.

Yeah, it's pretty good.

[MadMan]

Lately I viewed Christine (1983), and really dug it a lot. Granted I haven't read the book, but I can tell it was a really good adaption of the Stephen King novel. Too bad Carpenter and Cronenberg only directed one adaption of King's books, although maybe it makes more sense that Cronenberg only made one.

Also the Dawn of the Dead remake was really good, one of the best horror remakes I've seen. Most of the film's tone is relentless, followed by scenes of calm that are just masking the underlying fact that at any moment a zombie could pop up and eat you. However, I was not a fan of the stuff in the end credits-usually that sort of thing works, but here I would have rather been left wondering what happens to them instead of knowing that they get eaten when they land on the island.

Jake Webber deserves more work, btw. He's a good actor. It was weird seeing Sarah Polly all grown up-the last movie I saw her in was that one from Gillian-the Adventures of Baron whatever his long ass name was, when she was little.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Watched The Ugly tonight. Overall, I dug it. Very cool filmmaking. Maybe a bit overboard and film school-ish at times, but for the most part it was effective. It should be the official film of this website, with all the match cuts. Story was fairly rote, and the script got silly at times, but the tone and atmosphere was unique enough that it didn't bother me too much.

Solid first rec. Wish I had more time to watch movies this Halloween season, but I'll get to as many on that list as possible.

[Robby P]

'Tales from the Dark Side: the Movie' was on TV last night and it brought back so many childhood memories. The third segment in particular I think is still a really effective story. It gave me nightmares when I was younger and it still holds up today.

[Dukefrukem]

http://blastr.com/assets_c/2011/10/Vampires12Pics-thumb-464x640-74233.jpeg

[MadMan]

Hah, love that chart.

Robby I saw that they aired the Tales from the Darkside movie, but since I never watched the show I didn't stay up to tune in.

Okay so after three attempts to finish it I'm actually going to finally get through Pulse (2001). It took a while for me to really get into the film's mood, but now I'm hooked and its probably one of the creepier movies I've ever seen. I'll report back after I'm finished.

[Russ]

Okay so after three attempts to finish it I'm actually going to finally get through Pulse (2001). It took a while for me to really get into the film's mood, but now I'm hooked and its probably one of the creepier movies I've ever almost seen. I'll report back after I'm finished.
Fixed.

;)

[MadMan]

Hah.

Anyways, it was a really good movie, well made and creepy, of course. I liked the score, which only added more to the scenes, and the color scheme was an excellent touch. Not sure if I'm going to rent more J-horror this season, though, as I think I'm going to focus on viewing what's on my Netflix IV queue for the rest of the month. Plus I have at least 7 movies left on my DVR.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Anthony DiBlasi's Cassadaga shows that he's a competent stylist eager to tell genuine human stories in a horror context. It also shows that he hasn't nailed his craft just yet. The story focuses on Lily (Kelen Coleman) who loses her kid sister in a car accident. She recuperates in the Florida town of Cassadaga, home to countless psychics and mystics, and she may have some type of sixth sense herself. She's now given to visions of a ghostly woman who's connected to a sadistic murderer; he turns his victims into living puppets. This premise strikes an uneasy balance of ghostly suspense and gutter-gore, and the one unifying device is an overbearing score that shrieks during jump scares and groans during torture. The town of Cassadaga was seemingly chosen for its name rather than its possibilities (although an early seance scene evokes plenty of dread), and the film traffics in too many hoary cliches. The climax alone makes room for a murder fetish chamber, a truck chase, a Texas Chainsaw flight through the woods, and a tearful ethereal reconciliation. I guess a town full of psychics wasn't interesting enough.

C

Note: DiBlasi produced The Midnight Meat Train and directed Dread. The latter similarly drug its feet through excessive scenes of human suffering, but it had a focus and a dark aesthetic that I admired in retrospect.

[Spun Lepton]

Short reviews for these are forthcoming in my Marathon thread.

The Ward -- 3/5
Paranormal Activity 2 -- 4/5

[Dukefrukem]

That Ward grade isn't low enough.

[Spun Lepton]

That Ward grade isn't low enough.

Sounds like you need to re-adjust your scales. Try watching Colin or DIEner and get back to me.

[MadMan]

I made the mistake of watching The Changeling (1979/1980) late at night. Damn that movie was really freaky, and it also features an excellent performance from George C. Scott. My only one issue with the movie is my usual issue with most haunted house movies: why the hell don't the people just leave? Although I guess if they did then we wouldn't have a movie. Love that chilling final shot. This one stands a pretty good chance of cracking my Top 50 next year, along with several other horror movies I've seen this season.

[Spinal]

Slant Magazine's 25 Best Horror Films of the Aughts (http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/feature/the-25-best-horror-films-of-the-aughts/281)

Some sketchy choices, but #1 is solid.

[Scar]

Slant Magazine's 25 Best Horror Films of the Aughts (http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/feature/the-25-best-horror-films-of-the-aughts/281)

Some sketchy choices, but #1 is solid.

I was initially surprised by the addition of Halloween II, but that movie has really grown on me.

[Boner M]

The top ten is kinda perfect, makes me certain that I underrated Halloween II.

[Boner M]

Trouble Every Day is bizarre omission though.

[Scar]

The top ten is kinda perfect, makes me certain that I underrated Halloween II.

I think the main reason I was initially put off from II is kind of silly in hind sight: Mikey without his mask during parts of the movie.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Hey, that's my number one, too!

Some good choices, some coming in at right angles, and a couple that seem designed to make the reader go, "Hey now wait just a minute here fellas."

[Spinal]

I would never have thought to bother with Zombie's Halloween movies. Now, I'm kind of curious.

[Rowland]

I knew that Ed loved the director's cut of Halloween II, but I still didn't expect it or the likes of Martyrs and Inside to perform so well.

25. The Orphange n/a
24. Drag Me to Hell **½ (felt that I should have liked this more, will revisit someday, but still pretty confident that I prefer the invention and tactility of old-school Raimi)
23. Visitor Q n/a
22. Suicide Club ***½ (a pleasant surprise given its polarizing reputation, my first mind-searing exposure to Sono, before I knew who he was)
21. The Human Centipede (First Sequence) *** (underrated)
20. A History of Violence *** (like the movie, not sure it belongs on the list)
19. Let Me In **½ (might be underrating this, can't get over the feeling that it plays like a beautifully produced cover song that is discordant in the details)
18. The Strangers *** (like this more in retrospect, the first hour is gangbusters, not sure the ending works)
17. The Mist *** (like this more in retrospect, the first hour is gangbusters, not sure the ending works)
16. Them *** (a surprise; like this more in retrospect, the first hour is gangbusters, not sure the ending works)
15. 28 Weeks Later ***½ (better than the Boyle original, would like to revisit)
14. Let the Right One In ***½ (not that I'm inherently opposed to remakes, but thank goodness this ranked above the remake)
13. The House of the Devil ***½ (loved this even more with a recent revisit, West should be a hero to horror aficionados)
12. Bug **½ (felt that I should have liked this more, will revisit someday, but still pretty confident that its plunge into the deep-end doesn't work somehow)
11. War of the Worlds *** (the first hour is gangbusters, pretty confident the ending doesn't work)
10. Wolf Creek ***½ (old rating, not so sure about this one, should revisit)
9. The Devil's Rejects ***½ (yeah, it's pretty great)
8. Antichrist **** (impossible to pin down, deeply disquieting and prankishly invigorating, often at the same time)
7. The Descent *** (yeah, it's pretty bad-ass)
6. Halloween II ***½ (blurs physical and emotional traumas, lyrical and haunted)
5. Martyrs **** (traumatizing, brilliant)
4. Audition ***½ (still my favorite Miike, its rigidly formal first-half a crafty bait-and-switch, not unlike 13 Assassins come to think of it)
3. Inside ***½ (surprised this ranked so high, it's almost perfectly crafted, and viscerally ferocious)
2. Inland Empire **½ (felt that I should have liked this more, will revisit someday, but still pretty confident that it would have worked better with an hour or so left on the editing room floor)
1. Pulse **** (empathize with complaints of technophobia and narrative opacity, still almost perfect for what it is, makes my blood run cold)

Can't say I flat-out dislike a single entry, which probably says more about my overly lenient taste than the list itself.

[Winston*]

Dig these:
24. Drag Me to Hell (though could go either way on this one)
19. Let Me In
14. Let the Right One In
12. Bug
10. Wolf Creek
8. Antichrist
7. The Descent
4. Audition
2. Inland Empire
1. Pulse

Do not dig these:
25. The Orphanage
20. A History of Violence (may revisit this)
17. The Mist
15. 28 Weeks Later
11. War of the Worlds
9. The Devil's Rejects

[Spun Lepton]

Fucking Suicide Club and Human Centipede. :frustrated:

[Bosco B Thug]

I fart in The Orphanage and French New Wave Horror's general direction. I begrudgingly admire Martyrs, but very begrudgingly. The less I hear ever again about the Let the Right One In movies, the better. Yes, I am an ass.


Oh, also: I watched about thirty minutes of the Unrated Director's Cut of Halloween II and I can't say I was feeling it at all, which surprised me endlessly as I was full of openness towards the film when I watched it in the theater.

I could feel each and every addition made to the film, every extended conversation and every new bit of imagery, and I felt like I just needed to watch the Theatrical Version again or I'd begin to hate the film.

For example, the pit of bodies in the hospital sequence is just too much. I actually LIKED all the dialogue scenes - Laurie with her new family, Laurie with her friends, I even loved the banter between comedic-Loomis and his agent - buuut I don't need them to be endless.

[Rowland]

Which ones on the list would you say you did like, Bosco, I mean outside of the ~6-ish range?

[B-side]

I like Rob Zombie's Halloween films. That is all I can contribute, really.

[Dukefrukem]

Only a few I haven't seen. Added them to my queue. good list. It's missing Alienand Night of the Living Dead and The THing. Not sure how you can miss these.

25. The Orphange n/a
24. Drag Me to Hell 90
23. Visitor Q n/a
22. Suicide Club n/a
21. The Human Centipede (First Sequence) 70
20. A History of Violence 87
19. Let Me In 88
18. The Strangers 44
17. The Mist 88
16. Them n/a
15. 28 Weeks Later 59
14. Let the Right One In 89
13. The House of the Devil 90
12. Bug 80
11. War of the Worlds 48
10. Wolf Creek 80s
9. The Devil's Rejects 80s
8. Antichrist 90s
7. The Descent 90s
6. Halloween II 60
5. Martyrs 90s
4. Audition *90
3. Inside n/a
2. Inland Empire n/a
1. Pulse 80s

[Kurosawa Fan]

It's missing Alienand Night of the Living Dead and The THing. Not sure how you can miss these.


It's a list of the best horror in the aught's. The films on the list had to have been released in 2000 and beyond.

[Dukefrukem]

It's a list of the best horror in the aught's. The films on the list had to have been released in 2000 and beyond.

Doh. I just copied Rowland's list.

In that case, no High Tension?

[Bosco B Thug]

Which ones on the list would you say you did like, Bosco, I mean outside of the ~6-ish range? Afraid that wouldn't be much, though I like all these films:

23. Visitor Q - possibly, would have to re-visit
22. Suicide Club
20. A History of Violence (not horror...)
17. The Mist
13. The House of the Devil
12. Bug
9. The Devil's Rejects - possibly, would have to re-visit
8. Antichrist
7. The Descent
4. Audition
2. Inland Empire
1. Pulse

Martyrs was good, and Inside wasn't bad, but I'm just not into the whole "artsy carnage" trend.

[megladon8]

Stake Land was just totally awful.

What a disappointment.

[Rowland]

Stake Land was just totally awful.

What a disappointment.Thank you. One of the worst I've seen this year, the praise is baffling.

[megladon8]

Thank you. One of the worst I've seen this year, the praise is baffling.


Yeah, I don't get it either.

I was hoping for something much more cerebral, with it coming from Larry Fessenden and his troupe.

It was a poorly written, poorly acted, cliché-ridden mess. It's dumb, but it's not even "dumb fun"...it's just bad.

That narration...*shudder*

[D_Davis]

I was initially surprised by the addition of Halloween II, but that movie has really grown on me.

I still swear by Zombie's Halloween. That movie scared me - for reals.

Haven't seen II yet.

[D_Davis]

And Drag Me to Hell is a raging piece of shit. F that movie in the A. Stupid, stupid, stupid movie.

[D_Davis]

I fart in The Orphanage and French New Wave Horror's general direction.

Yep. That movie was absolutely crap. Crap, crap, crap. Not scary, just utterly stupid. I would like to punch that movie in the junk.

[megladon8]

I'd love to hear what you think of H2, D.

I liked it more than the first one.

[Scar]

Yep. That movie was absolutely crap. Crap, crap, crap. Not scary, just utterly stupid. I would like to punch that movie in the junk.

Booooo.

[D_Davis]

Booooo.

You mean, Boooo-urns?

[D_Davis]

I'd love to hear what you think of H2, D.

I liked it more than the first one.

I keep hearing this. I need to watch it.

His H1 is entirely misunderstood, I think. His Michael Meyers is a powerful, evil force.

[D_Davis]

I would never have thought to bother with Zombie's Halloween movies. Now, I'm kind of curious.

I've seen the first one, and it is awesome. The entire prequel part is great, and his vision of Meyers is menacing. Great film. Brutal and horrific.

And I like it better than Carpenter's original. I like Carpenter's original, but Michael doesn't really scare me like he does in Zombie's film. Zombie transforms him into a terrifying representation of pure evil.

[Spinal]

In that case, no High Tension?

That is one of the 25 worst films of the aughts. Maybe bottom 5.

[Spun Lepton]

I was hoping for something much more cerebral, with it coming from Larry Fessenden and his troupe.

It was a poorly written, poorly acted, cliché-ridden mess. It's dumb, but it's not even "dumb fun"...it's just bad.

Were there any vampire deer? Fessenden's hard-on for monster deer must've made its way into this.

Also, poorly written? NO WAY, GET OUTTA HERE!!

[D_Davis]

That is one of the 25 worst films of the aughts. Maybe bottom 5.

Yes. Dreadfully dumb.

[Spun Lepton]

Just finished House of the Devil. It's good. Moves at a pretty brisk pace, given that not a whole lot goes on in the first hour. Acting is solid all around. Always happy to see Dee Wallace and Mary Woronov getting work.

It stumbles in its final half-hour.

I'm confounded how three people and a demon could stand in a circle around a tied up girl, and she manages to slip free and escape while they're watching her. That whole moment was glossed over. It also annoyed me that she ran upstairs instead of outside.

[Spun Lepton]

And Drag Me to Hell is a raging piece of WONDERFUL. L that movie in the H. Lovely, lovely, lovely movie.

I agree.

[Rowland]

I'm a fan of Zombie's Halloween films, but I wouldn't argue that his interpretation of Michael necessarily represents evil; if anything, I'd say it dilutes that quality which is much more prominent in Carpenter's vision of the character, at least until JC mucked it up himself with his screenplay for the sequel. Zombie goes out of his way to characterize Michael in a more tragic fashion, thus lending him some degree of empathy, if not sympathy, so that even his volcanic eruptions of violence, which are indeed terrifying in their primal ferocity, are revealed as the existential repercussions of a raging psyche.

[D_Davis]

Just finished House of the Devil. It's good. Moves at a pretty brisk pace, given that not a whole lot goes on in the first hour. Acting is solid all around. Always happy to see Dee Wallace and Mary Woronov getting work.

It stumbles in its final half-hour.

I'm confounded how three people and a demon could stand in a circle around a tied up girl, and she manages to slip free and escape while they're watching her. That whole moment was glossed over. It also annoyed me that she ran upstairs instead of outside.

I call that movie, "Girl walks around, a lot. And then walks around, some more."

[D_Davis]

I'm a fan of Zombie's Halloween films, but I wouldn't argue that his interpretation of Michael necessarily represents evil; if anything, I'd say it dilutes that quality which is much more prominent in Carpenter's vision of the character, at least until JC mucked it up himself with his screenplay for the sequel. Zombie goes out of his way to humanize Michael and lend him some degree of empathy, if not sympathy, and even the volcanic eruptions of violence, which are indeed terrifying in their primal ferocity, are revealed as the existential repercussions of a raging psyche.

By putting a human and somewhat sympathetic face on Michael, Zombie's vision is all the more evil and horrifying. Also, Zombie's vision is a more terrifying and menacing force. Zombie's Michael is powerful and intimidating, where as JC's original feels small and weak.

[D_Davis]

I agree.

Yeah. It is, seriously, one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Absolute trash. I hated myself for having spent money on it.

[Spun Lepton]

Yeah. It is, seriously, one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Absolute trash. I hated myself for having spent money on it.

I'm begging you to calm down, D.

:)

Also, people seem to throw around "one of the worst movies I've ever seen" without ever having witnessed the utter shite that is DIEner. I'm telling you, it's so bad it'll recalibrate your opinions on every horror film you've ever seen.

Give it a try. Go on.

I dare you.

[Rowland]

By putting a human and somewhat sympathetic face on Michael, Zombie's vision is all the more evil and horrifying. Also, Zombie's vision is a more terrifying and menacing force. Zombie's Michael is powerful and intimidating, where as JC's original feels small and weak.I suppose it depends on how one defines evil. I probably listened to Pleasance's rantings about evil a few too many times while growing up to avoid interpreting the term through that prism. :lol:

And sure, Zombie's Michael is more physically imposing (almost absurdly so to be honest) and thus menacing in that respect, but the very quotidian nature of Carpenter's Michael renders him a creepier, more indelible presence for me.

[D_Davis]

I've seen, and own, Wild Beats! Attack!

I don't think I need my position on horror films recalibrated.

:D

[D_Davis]

I suppose it depends on how one defines evil. I probably listened to Pleasance's rantings about evil a few too many times while growing up to avoid interpreting the term through that prism. :lol:

And sure, Zombie's Michael is more physically imposing (almost absurdly so to be honest) and thus menacing in that respect, but the very quotidian nature of Carpenter's Michael renders him a creepier, more indelible presence for me.

I understand this POV.

If I had a choice:

Down path A is JC's Michael

Down path B is Zombie's Michael

I would choose path A because he looks small and wimpy, and I feel like I would have a chance.

Path B scares me. I don't ever want to face that Michael. No chance in hell I'm escaping. He would rip me to pieces, and not even break a sweat.

[Spun Lepton]

I understand this POV.

If I had a choice:

Down path A is JC's Michael

Down path B is Zombie's Michael

I would choose path A because he looks small and wimpy, and I feel like I would have a chance.

Path B scares me. I don't ever want to face that Michael. No chance in hell I'm escaping. He would rip me to pieces, and not even break a sweat.

You wouldn't even know JC's Michael was down path A. You'd see Zombie's Michael "rockin out" and "angstin'" in the middle of the street in path B, decide to take path A and then WHAM! JC's Michael would stab you in the back of the head.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Okay, to catch up:

I had no interest in seeing Stake Land. Good to know that I don't have to divert my attention.

I admired the first half of Zombie's first Halloween film, but I just wasn't enamored of how he had to re-tell the first film. I understand the position he was put in, and it felt like he crawled halfway out of the shadow of Carpenter's film. But just halfway.

I agree with Davis about so many things, but the hate for Drag and now Orphanage bum me out. I almost had man-tears at the end of the latter film.

High Tension was stupid. I disagree that it's one of the worst of the aughts, but it's certainly one of the most disappointing horror films I've ever seen. What a waste.

Yeah, I don't get Fessenden's thing with deer. Did a deer trample his parents? He should do what a normal person does. Make a vigilante persona out of deer imagery and go out and fight crime. The Hoof. Or maybe The Faun. "I am the forest!"

Glad Spun enjoyed The House of the Devil. It's really just an exercise in horror formalism...but what a fantastic exercise.

[Winston*]

Yep. That movie was absolutely crap. Crap, crap, crap. Not scary, just utterly stupid. I would like to punch that movie in the junk.

I think you should boycott all future movies from that distributor. :)

[D_Davis]

I think you should boycott all future movies from that distributor. :)

Maybe just the director and producer. I am pretty much done with Del Toro. ;)