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

[Dead & Messed Up]

Continuing my speed run through 2011 horror(ish) films:

Burke & Hare was a slight but winning black comedy, thanks not only to its great cast but also to Landis's varied sources of comedy, from the sly to the goofy to the unexpected. A chase after a body in a barrel gets more laughs than it should thanks to how he frames and scores the chase. I would've liked a bit more with Burke and Hare learning how to justify the murders to themselves, but Burke's final monologue satisfies, as does its abrupt end. There's also plenty of fun in how the quest for medical knowledge de-sanctifies the human body; Doctor Nox (Tom Wilkinson) displays corpses for a crowd like he's Vanna White revealing letters.

Troll Hunter is admirable for trying to find a new source of horror in classic myth, but the film's characters lack the interest of what you'd find in a film like Cloverfield or Paranormal Activity, and the trolls themselves are a little too goofy looking to take seriously (although the final boss earns a bit of awe on account of its sheer size). One of the problems with found footage films is that it allows the creators to avoid things like interesting dialogue or traditional build of suspense - because, hey, it's real life, man. I like the idea of an entire bureaucracy devoted to hiding the horrifying truth about trolls, and it's hard not to enjoy the absurdity of a troll hunter trying to medically explain how they can turn to stone in the daylight. Reminds me of Blade explaining how vampires are "severely allergic" to silver, because burning alive in seconds is how allergies work.

Dylan Dog sucks so bad. Why do a noir horror film if the characters don't speak in interesting ways, and if the story is predictable, and if it ends up going in the exact same direction of movies like Blade and Constantine? And for that matter, why make Brandon Routh a private investigator? PI's should be grizzled, weary, hunkered down in their offices, ruined by life. He looks fresh as a newborn kitten (and about as threatening). Amazing to think that the same underlying material was produced in 1994 as the masterfully melancholic Cemetery Man.

[MadMan]

That's a good list, but if you were posting that in response to D&MU's post, I think he just wanted to know what movies were great from 2011.Oh. I don't think I've seen much from 2011, but I'm noting ones that are worth seeing at this point.

[Spun Lepton]

Vanishing on 7th Street wasn't bad. I was hoping for more of an explanation at the end, but that's okay. It works fine being ambiguous. The suspense around the moving shadows wears off after 45 minutes or so. Much too overdone. The shadow people remained eerie throughout, however.

The scene that really should've been removed or rewritten was ...

Leguizamo's hallway hallucination. Cheap switcheroo, that, on-par with "IT WAS ALL A DREAM!!" Almost killed the movie for me.

6/10

[Rowland]

Leguizamo's hallway hallucination. Cheap switcheroo, that, on-par with "IT WAS ALL A DREAM!!" Almost killed the movie for me.I thought that was the most unsettling scene in the entire movie, though i can understand the switcheroo you speak of being a source of annoyance for some.

[Spun Lepton]

James seeing his mother's shadow in the basement was the most unsettling moment for me.

[Rowland]

James seeing his mother's shadow in the basement was the most unsettling moment for me.I also got some chills from the repeated refrains of "I exist" by the shadows, which sorta frame the ambiguity of the darkness in a more existential context than the references to Roanoke and what have you.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I think the most disturbing scenes to me were the initial ones where suddenly everybody is gone and that is that and what are you gonna do about it?

I agree with Spun that the Leguizamo sequence was disappointing, although what makes it so disappointing is that, up to the end, it was incredibly tense. For me anyway.

Seeing that ghost emerge out of the tunnel's shadows as the lights were going out was eerie stuff.

[Dukefrukem]

I'm surprised at you guys. I feel like you're giving that movie more praise than it deserves. The mystery behind the shadows are the biggest intrigue in the plot but were any of you satisfied with the ending? Or the cheap deaths.

[Spun Lepton]

I'm surprised at you guys. I feel like you're giving that movie more praise than it deserves. The mystery behind the shadows are the biggest intrigue in the plot but were any of you satisfied with the ending? Or the cheap deaths.

Mild enjoyment is more praise than it deserves?

[Rowland]

I'm surprised at you guys. I feel like you're giving that movie more praise than it deserves. The mystery behind the shadows are the biggest intrigue in the plot but were any of you satisfied with the ending? Or the cheap deaths.When most horror movies are flat-out incompetent, I'm willing to cut a film with some genuine atmosphere, ambiguity, and ambition a bit of slack. My yay for the film was admittedly a mild one, but I liked more about it than I didn't.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I'm surprised at you guys. I feel like you're giving that movie more praise than it deserves. The mystery behind the shadows are the biggest intrigue in the plot but were any of you satisfied with the ending? Or the cheap deaths.

I liked the ending. I thought the movie was generally well-crafted and sometimes eerie, but also tedious. Certainly no-one on the board's too enthusiastic.

[Dillard]

The American remake of The Ring was surprisingly good (I have not seen the original). I've never liked Naomi Watts more. Though she isn't given a ton to work w in terms of character, she emotes her way through the part in a believable fashion. I was grateful that the gore was scaled back. And the story though it didn't need the second ending worked fine. I love the northwest setting.

The static-y, blurry, magnetic, and intermittent nature of video really works in presenting images of horror. Samara lives on in video form. She takes on the qualities of her medium, and it is truly terrifying to see her advance across the room in fits and starts. It's easy to think of cronenberg and especially Videodrome when watching this film with its uneasiness about technology.

Then, there was something magical about Rachel making the links between Samara's video and the physical locations of Samaras life that Rachel is visiting. The eeriness and unpredictability of the video interpretation of the spaces inscribe their feeling onto the actual space. It is as if Samaras vision of the world is forming the world that Rachel is encountering and living into. It speaks to the power of the artist to reorient, for better or for worse, the viewer's perception of the "real" world. Definitely above average.

[Rowland]

I like it better than the original.

[Bosco B Thug]

Psycho II is pretty cool. At least half of it is pure baloney, and its biggest success is making Hitchcock's film look like the most unadulterated totally esoteric art film ever in the history of film, but its second biggest success is taking an hour of nonsense and, in the last 20 minutes, rubbing it in your face that it actually has a design behind all the stupid that's actually pretty killer, and that the film is actually smart. An 80s throwback to convoluted, thoughtful old-school psychological thrillerd.

Also, that's totally a shot cribbed from a De Sica film.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Lucky McKee's The Woman has a climax that kept my jaw open for twenty minutes. My jaw hurt by the end. I don't know if what I just saw was a filmmaker wallowing in perversion or a filmmaker studying perversion with a keen eye. I want to fall in the latter camp, because Lucky McKee is a smart filmmaker, but this movie goes so far into the gutter of human behavior that its subtexts nearly get swallowed up whole.

This movie is not going to leave my head for a while.

Holy. Fuck.

[Rowland]

Its subtexts were a little too surface-level, sledgehammer-obvious for my taste, but it is a potent bit of cinema all-the-same. His use of music grated on my nerves a bit as well.

[Spun Lepton]

I've been interested in The Woman since I heard about it. The ending's really that bad, eh?

[Dead & Messed Up]

I've been interested in The Woman since I heard about it. The ending's really that bad, eh?

The ending isn't bad - it's cruel and aggressive and batshit crazy. It's a "good" ending, in that it's appropriate.

[Spun Lepton]

The ending isn't bad - it's cruel and aggressive and batshit crazy. It's a "good" ending, in that it's appropriate.

That's pretty much what I meant. "Hardcore" or something. :cool: Yeah, my interest in piqued. Maybe I'll have a double-feature with this an Martyrs.

[Bosco B Thug]

Nitpickingly, the thing that I'm having the hardest time letting go with The Woman is the beginning. That prologue - the wolf stuff/baby stuff/watching-the-woman-in-the-woods-with-the-McKeeish-fade-effects - was really bad. Maybe I won't mind it in a re-watch.

I also could've done without the final twist regarding their dog quote-unquote.

[Rowland]

Nitpickingly, the thing that I'm having the hardest time letting go with The Woman is the beginning. That prologue - the wolf stuff/baby stuff/watching-the-woman-in-the-woods-with-the-McKeeish-fade-effects - was really bad. Maybe I won't mind it in a re-watch.Honestly, I found that kinda hilarious. If it wasn't supposed to be, well..

I also could've done without the final twist regarding their dog quote-unquote.Yeah, that didn't feel earned to me, playing instead like unnecessary clutter in an otherwise potent climax.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Nitpickingly, the thing that I'm having the hardest time letting go with The Woman is the beginning. That prologue - the wolf stuff/baby stuff/watching-the-woman-in-the-woods-with-the-McKeeish-fade-effects - was really bad. Maybe I won't mind it in a re-watch.

I also could've done without the final twist regarding their dog quote-unquote.

Agreed on both counts, although the climax dog was worse to me than the opening, which is silly but at least sets up the movie as quickly as possible.

[Grouchy]

I loved The Woman as a whole and specially the ending. That McKee is a great, great, great director.

Regarding the final twist, I think while the film doesn't really needed it, what happens is that they must've wanted to keep it from the original novel where it probably has more of a set-up.

[Dead & Messed Up]

There's a bit of set-up, but it kinda devalues the story a little.

I think the story's more potent if he hasn't "trained" a human being previous to finding The Woman. Part of the (awful) fun of the story is how the family discovers and reacts to this intrusion in their life. If the Woman is just another crazy woman locked up in a cage, it dampens the drama.

Funnily, if you took out the dog-woman, the climax would be wholly intact. The teacher's killed by the dogs, the Woman still walks off with Darlin'. I see no way that the caged woman helps, unless the filmmakers were nervous that audiences wouldn't believe that the story could occur. "See, this is plausible - they've done it before."

Anyway. How about that Sean Bridgers? He's one of the most loathsome horror villains in a long, long time.

"Boys will be boys."

[megladon8]

I'm really interested in it, but I was not at all fond of May.

[Grouchy]

There's a bit of set-up, but it kinda devalues the story a little.

I think the story's more potent if he hasn't "trained" a human being previous to finding The Woman. Part of the (awful) fun of the story is how the family discovers and reacts to this intrusion in their life. If the Woman is just another crazy woman locked up in a cage, it dampens the drama.

Funnily, if you took out the dog-woman, the climax would be wholly intact. The teacher's killed by the dogs, the Woman still walks off with Darlin'. I see no way that the caged woman helps, unless the filmmakers were nervous that audiences wouldn't believe that the story could occur. "See, this is plausible - they've done it before."

Anyway. How about that Sean Bridgers? He's one of the most loathsome horror villains in a long, long time.

"Boys will be boys."
Yeah, you're right. The movie would end in exactly the same way. That's why I think it must be something that was in the original text.

The movie's fucking disturbing and so's Bridgers - and yet it's more human and smarter than most gorefests.

Disappointed to hear that anybody could dislike May.

[Bosco B Thug]

There's a bit of set-up, but it kinda devalues the story a little.

I think the story's more potent if he hasn't "trained" a human being previous to finding The Woman. Part of the (awful) fun of the story is how the family discovers and reacts to this intrusion in their life. If the Woman is just another crazy woman locked up in a cage, it dampens the drama.
Yep, this, very much so.

[Dukefrukem]

Which horror films from last year did you guys like the most?

You can now move I Saw the Devil to the top of my list. WOW. I need to figure out where it stands on my top horror films of ALL TIME. So impressed with this.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I made a 2011 list of horror(ish) ranked from worst to best for my blog.


14. The Ward
13. Dylan Dog
12. Hobo With a Shotgun
11. Trollhunter
10. Vanishing on 7th Street
09. Scream 4
08. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
07. Insidious
06. Burke & Hare
05. Fright Night
04. Red State
03. The Woman
02. Black Death
01. Attack the Block

But after duke raving about I Saw the Devil, the list feels incomplete. Very much looking forward to that one.

[Rowland]

But after duke raving about I Saw the Devil, the list feels incomplete. Very much looking forward to that one.I didn't care for it all that much, but it's worth a look for Choi Min-sik's performance.

[Dukefrukem]

It definitely deservers multiple viewings, which I do not think would hurt the enjoyment or overall first impression of the film. That is typically unheard of when watching horror or horror(ish) films. And let it be known that I’ve praised dark films before that have not met with approval here. Martyrs comes to mind; in that example I was more blown away by the imagery and heavy heavy use of violence that was shown to the audience. It wasn’t necessarily gratuitous because it was essential for the story ( I know some would argue that). I also thought the actresses in that movie deserved a huge amount of credit.

But I Saw The Devil is not only smart, but contains all the other elements of terror that makes it effective, often deceiving the audience for a moment, but not “twisting” the story. There is also some surprisingly FANTSTIC camera work, choreography and music to go along with the well thought-out story.

[Dukefrukem]

And when I say surprising camera work I don’t mean I didn’t expect it from before I started watching the movie based on the director and genre. I mean as I am watching the movie the camera does things that is quite remarkable and creative. A few examples include a 360 degree viewpoint of actors inside a moving car, and following an actor as they are jumping out the window.

[Ezee E]

Yeah, the 360 in the car is the shot of the year.

[Russ]

Yeah, the 360 in the car is the shot of the year.
Not a big fan of the film, but agree about the 360 shot. Worth seeing the film just to have your jaw drop at that scene.

[MadMan]

Possession (1981) breaks the "Completely fucked up meter" and then some. I will admit I'm not sure what the ending even means, but most of the film was greatly disturbing and quite powerful emotionally. The film manages to mix in both body and psychological horror, and the creature as depicted is smartly revealed and only shown in limited fashion, thus making it really creepy.

This was shown as part of a double feature on Friday night's TCM Underground as it was followed by Repulsion, but I think Possession has more in common with The Brood and Antichrist.

[Rowland]

I love Possession, that was easily one of the highlights of my 1981 marathon last year. And I see that TCM played the uncut version, so you got to see the whole fucked up shebang.

[MadMan]

Whoa that was the uncut version? That's excellent. I love that TCM has shown The Evil Dead II, Videodrome, and Possession uncut and commercial free.

[Dukefrukem]

Texas Chainsaw Massacre plays what?

[MadMan]

:lol:

TCM=Turner Classic Movies.

[Dukefrukem]

Ah. That channel I don't get. :(

[Bosco B Thug]

Breaking news: Anthony Perkins is an interesting director and Psycho III is a really interesting film. I recommend it wholeheartedly to those who attach some hope to horror sequels.

[megladon8]

Amityville II: The Possession (aka: this family is so fucked up, they didn't need the demon)

[MadMan]

Hey former Axis users, I discovered that psicon posts on Bloody Disgusting as brain dead. He just sent me a message. Cool.

[Spun Lepton]

Hey former Axis users, I discovered that psicon posts on Bloody Disgusting as brain dead. He just sent me a message. Cool.

Tell him to get his ass over here.

[MadMan]

Tell him to get his ass over here.Heh, I will.

[Dukefrukem]

GhostintheDarkness posts over there too, but he hasn't been on in a while.

[Dukefrukem]

I'm loving the logic discussions in the BOTHMC threads.

[MadMan]

Let's Scare Jessica To Death (1971) is a cult classic, and is incredibly creepy. I loved how the movie remains rather open ended, and the at times piano driven score is perfect, setting the film's eerie mood.

[Spun Lepton]

Let's Scare Jessica To Death (1971) is a cult classic, and is incredibly creepy. I loved how the movie remains rather open ended, and the at times piano driven score is perfect, setting the film's eerie mood.

Let's Bore the Audience to Death

[MadMan]

Let's Bore the Audience to DeathI have ADD and ADHD, so that statement amuses me. Not everyone can handle slow burning psychological horror, I guess :P

[MadMan]

Also, my write up for Equinox: http://madman731.blogspot.com/2012/02/ancients-will-swallow-your-soul.html

[Rowland]

Conversation been a little slow around here lately I see.

After being reminded of From Dusk Till Dawn's awesomeness in the Machete thread, I got to thinking about the DTV sequel directed by Scott Spiegel that I rather fondly recall watching many years ago, probably on HBO at 3am or something. Anyway, I discovered its Netflix Instant availability, and being kinda tipsy without much anything better to do, turned it on. Eighty-three minutes later, I have to say that by the standards of most modern, no-budget, DTV horror shit cranked out these days, it might as well be the Evil fucking Dead. Yeah, it's stupid and shitty, but with verve, and what I imagine has to be the largest number of hilariously superfluous POV shots in the history of cinema. Tsui Hark's in-the-sneaker-cam from Knock Out has nothing on this movie.

Might want to take this all with a grain of salt though, I may not be so forgiving were I to watch this while sober.

[Dukefrukem]

added to queue Rowland.

I just got January's issue of Rue-Morgue. Thought I'd post the 2011 in review like I do every year.

It really wasn’t a GREAT year for horror. Wasn’t terrible, but wasn’t great.

Best Feature Film: Trollhunter
Best Short Film: The Legend of Beaver Dam
Best Indie Feature: Stake Land
Festival Favorite: You’re Next
Best First Feature: Attack the Block
Best New Killer: Kyune-Chul (I Saw the Devil)
Most Original Concept: Rubber
Best Documentary: Machete Maidens Unleashed!
Best Film You Didn’t See: Red State
Best Monster: Trolls
Goriest Film: The Human Centipede 2
Goriest Scene: TIE; The Human Centipede 2 (Baby Squashing) & Hobo With a Shotgun (Kids torched on school bus)
Best Blu-Ray/DVD Package; Kuroneko
Biggest Disappointment: True Blood Season 4
Worst Cinematic Atrocity to Young your Retinas: Hatchet 2
Best Television: The walking Dead
Best Score: Stake Land
Best Poster: Hobo With a Shotgun
Best Fiction Book: Rotters
Best Art Book: The Art of Alice Madness Returns
Best Horror Imprint: Chizine Publications
Best Comic Book Series: Sweet Tooth
Best Graphic Novel: Done to Death
Best Comic Book Writer: Scott Snyder (American Vampire, Detective Comics, Severed)
Best Comic Book Artist: M. S. Corley
Best Video Game: Dark Souls
Best Trend: Fan-Made Movie Poster Art
Worst Trend: “Sexy” Zombies
Most Anticipated in 2012: Black Sabbath’s Forthcoming Album and World Tour
Least Anticipated in 2012: Ghost Rider; Spirit of Vengence

[Dead & Messed Up]

Trollhunter?

Okay, if they say so.

[KK2.0]

Trollhunter was on tv just now, first time i've watched it. The bad portuguese dub increased the cheese factor but it didn't grab my attention long enough.

which were your favorite horror movies from last year, damu?

[Dillard]

Thoughts on Pontypool? There are probably already thoughts somewheres in this thread. I'm Watching it tonight.

[Dukefrukem]

Thoughts on Pontypool? There are probably already thoughts somewheres in this thread. I'm Watching it tonight.

Its good, great tension through dialog. Meg is a big fan too.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Trollhunter was on tv just now, first time i've watched it. The bad portuguese dub increased the cheese factor but it didn't grab my attention long enough.

which were your favorite horror movies from last year, damu?

Mileage may vary on how "horror" some of the following are, but I'd say

Attack the Block
Black Death
The Woman
Red State
Fright Night
Burke & Hare

In about that order.

[D_Davis]

I really, really liked Trollhunter. I totally admire it's ability to stick with the premise and keep a straight face; it completely delivers on its set-up and premise. Also, the troll design was simply amazing. They managed to maintain fairytale-like qualities with the trolls, while also making them look natural and menacing. And those final shots with the giant troll are some of the most striking I've ever seen in any film.

[megladon8]

Wow. I am very impressed with the Fright Night remake. Really enjoyed it. I was never a big fan of vampire movies, but that's mostly because they usually don't do them the way I'd like to see vampires. Fright Night is the sort of vampire movie that reminds me how much I actually like vampire movies, and also reminds me how many vampire movies get it wrong.

Maintains an exciting pace, looks beautiful, and has a very cool that's-never-been-done-before-in-a-vampire-movie moment. I liked it much more than the original.


I have to ask what this moment was, because I thought of this comment while watching the movie and I gotta say, nothing really stood out that way to me.

It was a very god, cool, stylish little horror and Colin Farrell hams it up to the umpteenth degree. I thought it was a lot of fun.

But god-DAMN...that CGI. I just...ugh. I don't get it, why filmmakers continue to rely on this horrid "innovation" when CGI at its best still rarely matches the inherent weight and believable interaction between actors and make-up/animatronics.

[Adam]

Watched Brian DePalma's Sisters last night and it's sat really well. Margot Kidder especially blew me away - absurd French Canadian accents are my greatest weakness. Sort of sags around the middle but the final stretch with the tape the reporter is shown, William Finley's bizarre indoctrination ritual and the killer final shot pretty much sealed my love for the film. Passion sounds like it could be awesome and it might come out this year so here's hoping it's more Sisters and less The Black Dahlia

[Dead & Messed Up]

Trollhunter

::no characters say anything about who they are for forty minutes::

Guy: "Sorry I'm a Christian lolz."

[Dukefrukem]

I just watched Hard Candy. Wow. More tomorrow.

I also watched Shrooms over the weekend which was too predicable and therefor disappointing. More on that tomorrow as well.

[Ezee E]

Hard Candy was impressive after my first watch. Wonder if a second watch would do it as many seem to hate it here.

[Mr. Pink]

I have to ask what this moment was, because I thought of this comment while watching the movie and I gotta say, nothing really stood out that way to me.

It was a very god, cool, stylish little horror and Colin Farrell hams it up to the umpteenth degree. I thought it was a lot of fun.

But god-DAMN...that CGI. I just...ugh. I don't get it, why filmmakers continue to rely on this horrid "innovation" when CGI at its best still rarely matches the inherent weight and believable interaction between actors and make-up/animatronics.

I loved when he wore a flame retardant suit to burst into flames as part of his weaponry. I've never seen that before and dug it.

Yeah, there is definitely a lot of CG, but overall I couldn't hate them for it.

[Dukefrukem]

Hard Candy was impressive after my first watch. Wonder if a second watch would do it as many seem to hate it here.

The shock factor was what made the movie so enjoyable, but it wasn't filmed-to-shock like other movies like the Human Centipede or Hostel. Those movies were specifically created for the sole purpose of gratuitous shock values. In Hostel, there’s a scene where there is torture being performed on an Asian girl and when the torturer turns around the camera specifically focuses on the violence. Hard Candy shocks from mostly dialog and what isn’t shown on screen. But what makes it so believable is Ellen Page’s on screen presence, her brutality, maturity but yet still holding on to a teenage innocence. Her maturity as an actress shines through here and although I haven’t seen Juno, this has been her best performance I think I’ve seen.

Shrooms was a lot less complex than my initial assumptions were. More of an everyday slasher with predictable horror nuances. “Now remember, no cell phones allowed while we camp in the woods”.

[Grouchy]

Julia's Eyes - As exaggerated, unlikely and shock-based as this movie obviously is, I enjoyed the hell out of it. If you want to watch it, be prepared for Hitchcock homages galore (despite the supernatural elements, I think he'd be pleased with the wickedness of the story), absurd plot twists and a music score that makes it feel as if a ghost is going to pop out from your TV at every single second of screentime. If you think you can stomach all that, then maybe you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

It's no The Orphanage but it holds its shit together.

[MadMan]

Thread's been a little dead so I just thought I would link to my review of the original My Bloody Valentine: http://madman731.blogspot.com/2012/03/nothing-says-i-love-you-like-violence.html

I'm very interested in checking out the remake at some point. Mostly just because Tom Atkins is in it.

[Pop Trash]

Anyone else here a little "ehhh" on Zulawski's Possession? I can see why it has a cult following, but tonally it starts at like an 8 or 9 and winds up at a 12. Not a lot of room for nuance. Caught it at a DF with The Tenant and confirmed Polanski's film as the superior of the two.

That said, I could see changing my mind about it at some point.

[Russ]

Anyone else here a little "ehhh" on Zulawski's Possession?
No.

But you gotta admit, with no frame of reference for a first-time viewer, it's not exactly easy to get a grip on this film. This beautifully perverse, wonderful film.

It's a great "match-cut film". :pritch:

[Grouchy]

I think the over the top nature of Possession is precisely what its cult following likes the most about it.

The Tenant is a fucking masterpiece. That's an unfair comparison for any movie.

[Russ]

I think the over the top nature of Possession is precisely what its cult following likes the most about it.

The Tenant is a fucking masterpiece. That's an unfair comparison for any movie.
Dude. Don't short-change our beloved Possession. I dare say, I would compare it's lice-action to any others of its ilk.

Just sayin'



:)

[MadMan]

I found Possession to be powerful, disturbing, and really great. I haven't seen The Tenant yet, however.

[Spun Lepton]

Been sick and laid up on the couch a lot. I have watched ...

Fright Night -- 7/10. I had a few minor issues with the breakneck pacing, but aside from that, I quite enjoyed it. I liked most of the updates to the story, like, "Don't need an invitation when there's no house."

Splinter -- 8/10. It gets a bump from 7 to 8, just because they did a lot of really cool stuff on a tiny budget. I thought the monster being shot on shakey-cam started to get a little annoying near the end.

Muoi: The Legend of a Portrait -- 5/10. Not great, not bad, but it's filled with false scares and padding. There was a better story struggling to break through, but it never does. One blatant nod to Evil Dead made me smile.

Wake Wood -- Oh, did I say watched? More like fell asleep to. What a bore. I think I got 20 minutes into it before I was out.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Been sick and laid up on the couch a lot. I have watched ...

Fright Night -- 7/10. I had a few minor issues with the breakneck pacing, but aside from that, I quite enjoyed it. I liked most of the updates to the story, like, "Don't need an invitation when there's no house."

Nice. It's a fun one. Honorable as far as most Hollywood remakes go.


Muoi: The Legend of a Portrait -- 5/10. Not great, not bad, but it's filled with false scares and padding. There was a better story struggling to break through, but it never does. One blatant nod to Evil Dead made me smile.

I think my dad was talking about this yesterday. He thought it was pretty boring too.

[Bosco B Thug]

Important Slasher news:

Hell Night with kewpie-doll Linda Blair doing her best - ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Terror Train with white Abed - Dang more like it. This one deserves a sturdy reputation in the slasher genre.

[MadMan]

Important Slasher news:

Hell Night with kewpie-doll Linda Blair doing her best - ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Terror Train with white Abed - Dang more like it. This one deserves a sturdy reputation in the slasher genre.The only reason I have for watching Hell Night is Ebert bashing it. Otherwise it looks and sounds awful. Terror Train though seems to have promise.

Also Spun I'm still reminded that I haven't seen Fright Night due to lack of funds, and that I merely thought Splinter was okay/decent. I enjoyed it for what it was, but really two or three characters out of the main core in that film got on my nerves. That's one film that could have used a bigger budget.

[Yxklyx]

Brain Damage (1988) is a must see for any horror movie aficionado. It has gore, lovely NYC locations, a good script, fine acting and humour all tossed into a succulent concoction. I bet that Cronenberg loves this one.

[D_Davis]

I finally got my copy of Studios in the Horror Film: The Exorcist, ed. by Daniel Olson. It's a massive and heavy tome. Over 500 pages of essays and interviews covering all of the Exorcist films, and focusing on the first. Really nice - can't wait to dig into it.

Just checked the TOC, and it's got an essay by Thomas Ligotti comparing/contrasting WPB to HPL. Very cool.

[megladon8]

Lifeforce sucks something fierce. What a putrid piece of crap. It barely even has camp value (just a few scenes are laughably bad...the rest are just terrible).

Even Mathilda May's perfectly formed chesticles do not make up for the pile of stinking awful that was this movie.

[bac0n]

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil - it's more comedy than horror, but it spoofs slasher films the same way that Zombieland spoofs zombie films, so I might as well talk about it here. I gotta say, man - the movie is hysterical. It takes all the cliches which the slasher films shackle themselves with, and totally turns them upside down, with hilarious results. In particular the...

chainsaw rampage
...had me laughing so hard I about fell out of my chair.

[MadMan]

I still find Lifeforce to be good fun, a cool combination of sci-fi and horror, vampire and zombie subgenres, with a rather thrilling score. Its daft sense of pacing is what overcomes some of its rather cheesy elements.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Lifeforce sucks something fierce. What a putrid piece of crap. It barely even has camp value (just a few scenes are laughably bad...the rest are just terrible).

Even Mathilda May's perfectly formed chesticles do not make up for the pile of stinking awful that was this movie.

Yeah, I thought this one was just terrifically dull.


Tucker & Dale vs. Evil - it's more comedy than horror, but it spoofs slasher films the same way that Zombieland spoofs zombie films, so I might as well talk about it here. I gotta say, man - the movie is hysterical. It takes all the cliches which the slasher films shackle themselves with, and totally turns them upside down, with hilarious results. In particular the...

chainsaw rampage
...had me laughing so hard I about fell out of my chair.

My favorite bit was

The guy running straight into the tree branch and looking at the fly. It was hilarious, and then it was suddenly existential and sad.

Flick gets repetitive, but it had some very good gags toward the beginning.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Watched the 1920 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde last night. Very good perf from Barrymore, but the film is otherwise a little bland. It has none of the expressionistic pleasures of its German peers, and at this point, the story's just too damn familiar for me. Unfair to criticize the 1920 one for this, since it was one of the very first adaptations of the material, but I couldn't help getting bored. The film does improve in the last half hour, as it should.

Anyway,

1931 version > 1941 version > 1920 version

[megladon8]

I still find Lifeforce to be good fun, a cool combination of sci-fi and horror, vampire and zombie subgenres, with a rather thrilling score. Its daft sense of pacing is what overcomes some of its rather cheesy elements.


See, the pacing was one of the biggest problems. It was so inconsistent, and some of it felt downright amateur.

The beginning 20 minutes or so felt like it was on fast-forward.

[D_Davis]

I like Lifeforce. It has cool atmosphere and it's pretty weird.

[Spun Lepton]

Updates. Sorry I haven't been around much. I used to post a lot from work, but my new job has me actually *working* quite a bit, and my computer monitor is in the company owner's line of sight. I really like it there, so I'm not going to chance it. Been watching a TON of movies lately and lots of horror.

The Woman -- Pretty good! Not nearly as brutal as people make it out to be. The video you may have seen of the guy throwing a fit during the movie? What a fucking pussy. Seriously. If this got his panties in a bunch, he would've shit himself and died during Hostel 2. The actor playing the father was a perfect douchebag. The woman playing The Woman was also very good. There's a weird surprise in the final 10 minutes, but it's foreshadowed a little before-hand in a fairly vague way, so I gave it a Whatever pass. 7/10

The Dead -- Zombies in Africa. Starts off interesting enough, but becomes a repetitive bore around the half-way mark. So little conflict and drama. The ending is unsatisfying and predictable. 5/10

Shutter -- The Thai version, not the American remake. Pretty meh. Tons of meaningless jump-scares until it becomes convoluted in the final forty-five minutes. By the end I was really ready for the credits. Has a problem with casting one ridiculously hot woman as the "weird and awkward" chick. 5/10

The Human Centipede II: Full Sequence -- Well ... it's better than the first one, at least. That's really not saying much. Tom Six attempts to be "artistic" with this one, by shooting in black-and-white and giving the lead actor zero dialogue. But, given the material, it's all pretty laughable. Bonus: Instead of just hearing fart noises when people are ... ahem ... feeding the person behind them ... you see poo actually streaming down peoples faces. Six desperately wanted to trump the first. 4/10

Rare Exports -- It's the Norwegian movie where Santa Klaus is portrayed as a feral child-killer. Starts off at a nice clip, has a ton of really interesting ideas, and for a while looks to be the spiritual horror-comedy follow-up to Troll Hunter. But, late in the story they throw in an unwelcome twist and all the cleverness drains away. It then gets lost in dull CG-effects-driven bombast, completely losing the tone and atmosphere they worked so hard building. Major disappointment. And it ends on a really stupid note. 4/10

[Dead & Messed Up]

Updates. Sorry I haven't been around much. I used to post a lot from work, but my new job has me actually *working* quite a bit, and my computer monitor is in the company owner's line of sight. I really like it there, so I'm not going to chance it. Been watching a TON of movies lately and lots of horror.

The Woman -- Pretty good! Not nearly as brutal as people make it out to be. The video you may have seen of the guy throwing a fit during the movie? What a fucking pussy. Seriously. If this got his panties in a bunch, he would've shit himself and died during Hostel 2. The actor playing the father was a perfect douchebag. The woman playing The Woman was also very good. There's a weird surprise in the final 10 minutes, but it's foreshadowed a little before-hand in a fairly vague way, so I gave it a Whatever pass. 7/10

It's funny, because you're right. Hostel Part II is more out-and-out violent than this film. But I think it's because the misogyny of the father is so mundane to begin with (and because that misogyny arrives so pure in the son) that the film feels more confrontational and awful.

Hostel Part II is a bit more heightened of a premise and its violence is more fetishized and "arted up," if you will (the Bathory sequence, for example), so it's a little bit easier for me to dismiss.

Lucky McKee must be thanking God and Satan that the guy in the theater went off the way he did.

Also, gross on Human Centipede 2. Why bother?

[D_Davis]

I watched the first half of Human Centipede 2 today. It's a much better film than the first. Some of it is very well shot, and it's far more "entertaining" than the first. However, I turned it off right before the surgical procedures were about to start. I just didn't want to watch any more of the violence. I was curious, and thought I wanted to see it, but in the end I couldn't finish it.

[Dukefrukem]

I think it's streaming on Netflix. Im gonna check it out this weekend. That's good to hear DD.

[Spun Lepton]

Also, gross on Human Centipede 2. Why bother?

Because it's on Netflix Instant and I was drunk?

Seriously, though, I don't honestly know. I've always had a strange draw to films that want to push the envelope as far as disgust and brutality and depravity go. It's what drew me to A Serbian Film.

The thing is, I think The Human Centipede movies have the potential to be that, but Tom Six is just a generally poor storyteller, so they never make it beyond laughable exploitation. I can't take any of it seriously, especially when he tries to go overboard. It seems at once silly and desperate, as if Six knows he sucks at storytelling, so he attempts to make it up in "shock value." Did I mention the scene where ...

... a hysterical pregnant woman gives birth while attempting to start a car to get away from Marvin. The newborn falls under the gas pedal but she screams and mashes it down anyway. Squish. All in graphic detail. Yup.

(Go ahead, read it even if you haven't seen the movie ... it has no impact on the story.)

The thing is, it's simply because the story is so poorly written that these kinds of scenes lack any kind of impact. As a result, all I saw was a doll being squished, laughed and shook my head. "Oh, Tom Six, you such a dope." It also seemed apparent that Six watched A Serbian Film -- a legitimately disturbing film -- and decided he was going to one-up it. Hah! As if.

Will I watch HC3? If it makes it to Netflix, probably.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Ugh. There are a fair amount of films now where I say, "Wait a second, this isn't horror...this is just...awfulness."

[D_Davis]

Seriously, though, I don't honestly know. I've always had a strange draw to films that want to push the envelope as far as disgust and brutality and depravity go. It's what drew me to A Serbian Film.


But ASF is actually a good movie, with something to say.

[Dillard]

Going to see the v/h/s anthology tomorrow night. Will report back.

[Mr. Pink]

Finally got my hands on a copy of Death Spa (1986?). The first twenty minutes or so had me scratching my head, wondering why it wasn't regarded as a cult classic. Then the rest of the movie happened.

Starts strong, with a premise of a computerized health spa/gym going haywire and hurting/killing people, and then it turns into a muddled mess of a ghost story. I think. I'm not sure if the ghost was real, or if the guy running the computers was crazy and dressed up like his dead sister. Whatever. Here's a kill scene:

32m8J_1PIyY

The guy working out delivers one of my now favorite lines of dialogue: "Besides, I'm Beta. You're VHS."


Also saw Demons 2. More ass kicking from Bobby Rhodes and crazy demon action. They messed this one up, too, but it's (mostly) watchable, and even a little enjoyable.

[Spun Lepton]

Watched The Fly 2 on Netflix Instant. Didn't expect it to be able to touch Cronenberg's, and those expectations were met. That said, it's not bad if you're looking for an evening of mindless entertainment. The story is kind of flimsy, some of the actors are one-note, and it gets stuck in cheesy melodrama at times. There's a gruesome face-melting scene late in the movie that actually made me say, "Wow!" Cronenberg's gets a 10/10 from me, because I consider it one of the great 80s horror movies. This gets 6/10.

[Spun Lepton]

VyUd1QVyCnM

The face-melt scene, plus one other gruesome death that happens just a few minutes later. You probably don't need to see the movie now. :)

[Rowland]

Just watched The Human Centipede II. While it has a few notable merits, I vastly prefer the undervalued original.

[Spun Lepton]

The Gate is essentially a horror movie for younger audiences. That said, it seeks to scare the ever-loving shit out of younger audiences. And I'll be damned if it wouldn't succeed with many. This is the kind of movie to turn on for your 11 or 12 year old for Halloween. Story-wise, it's a mixed bag. It isn't always moving forward, but when it stalls, it stalls on some genuine scares. A monster under the bed. Scary parents. Startling telephone calls. Creeps hiding in closets. All very well-executed. The special effects are a mixed bag, sometimes terrible, sometimes jaw-dropping. The acting is generally kind of clunky, but younger viewers probably won't notice. I flip-flopped on the score a few times, but nostalgia finally got the better of me. Despite all its problems, in the end I admire how genuinely scary this kids horror movie attempts to be. It doesn't pull punches. For that, I give it 7/10.

[bac0n]

VyUd1QVyCnM

The face-melt scene, plus one other gruesome death that happens just a few minutes later. You probably don't need to see the movie now. :)

I'm sorry but if my face got acid spit on it, I hope would have the presence of mind not to pull my entire face off. But then again, maybe he was trying to preserve it so it could be stapled back on at some later time. Okay, never mind.

[MadMan]

I've never bothered to see The Fly II. However The Gate is one of those 80s horror cult films I haven't viewed yet that I do want to see.

Oh and I'm currently posting write ups from past Horrorfests dating back to 2008 on my blog at the moment. I'm about to hit the 80s-there would have been updates days ago, but I was busy all weekend and I've worked the past two days.

[Mr. Pink]

Revisited a movie that terrified me as a kid, Witchboard (1986). This one is actually not too bad. Respectable acting, aside from Tawny Kitaen, but we get a glimpse of her boobs, so that's okay. A few corny scenes aside, this one held my interest through to the end. Decent atmosphere, a few scares, and a plot you don't see very often (to this extent) make this worth a view.

[Rowland]

The Slumber Party Massacre, I'm sure someone has seen it. As early '80s slashers go, it's quite good, the presence of women in the writer and director roles readily apparent, and welcome. That said, it's still very much in the mold of the prototypical slasher, so only those versed in and to some degree appreciative of the genre are likely to really enjoy this.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I had a great time with Larry Cohen's The Stuff. Silly and gruesome, and surprisingly prescient right now, given all the hullabaloo about "pink slime" burgers. In no way is the film great, but it's got the same ragged ambition that makes God Told Me To and It's Alive so memorable. Michael Moriarty has a lot of fun playing the skeezy hero, and it's fun to see his naturalistic acting playing in such a comic book scenario (same way it was in Q). The final scene of the film is perfect.

Flick's on Netflix Instant, and it is highly recommended.

[Bosco B Thug]

Liked K. Kurosawa's Loft just fine. Not his strongest work, certainly, but with enough design to not make it a dud. As usual, Kurosawa comes up with a pointed existential talking point to prick at - as I gathered it, it's something along the lines of, "Immortality is overrated" (although again, it's weaker conveyed than in his stronger films, even the similarly larky genre-exercise Retribution).

[MadMan]

I had a great time with Larry Cohen's The Stuff. Silly and gruesome, and surprisingly prescient right now, given all the hullabaloo about "pink slime" burgers. In no way is the film great, but it's got the same ragged ambition that makes God Told Me To and It's Alive so memorable. Michael Moriarty has a lot of fun playing the skeezy hero, and it's fun to see his naturalistic acting playing in such a comic book scenario (same way it was in Q). The final scene of the film is perfect.

Flick's on Netflix Instant, and it is highly recommended.I'll have to check that one out. At some point I should rent God Told Me To.

[Raiders]

Liked K. Kurosawa's Loft just fine. Not his strongest work, certainly, but with enough design to not make it a dud. As usual, Kurosawa comes up with a pointed existential talking point to prick at - as I gathered it, it's something along the lines of, "Immortality is overrated" (although again, it's weaker conveyed than in his stronger films, even the similarly larky genre-exercise Retribution).

I really liked this a lot. I seem to be in the minority, but I found a lot to enjoy about it. I found it similar to Doppelganger in the way a lot of the second-half felt like a series of anti-horror moments playing off of Kurosawa's own ouevre. There were also some parallels to Vertigo I found quite interesting.

I have some thoughts here:

http://match-cut.org/showthread.php?p=14788

[Rowland]

I'll have to give Loft another chance someday, since I kinda hated it the first time around, but the copy I own looks like a severely worn-out, full-screen VHS transfer, so that probably went a long way towards deflating the experience.

[megladon8]

Want to give out a strong recommendation for the super-duper low budget indie flick Absentia.

Very effective, creepy, and the strength of the acting is really surprising. It's a movie shot with a Canon camera that is typically used for still photography. The reason the filmmakers chose to use it was to save on lighting and set up costs - almost the entire film was shot using the available lighting in the area they shot in.

But yeah, it was effective, with one gut punch of an ending.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Witchfinder General was pretty damned good. Easily one of the Price's best performances.

[Spun Lepton]

Just finished Triangle on Amazon Instant. Excellent film, although there are a few minor problems and the final five to ten minutes are a little shaky. I'd like to see what other folks thought of it.

(Major spoilers.)

So, she's supposed to have amnesia at the end? Like, the car wreck caused amnesia, but no other injuries? The filmmakers could've added a little more to the ending to make it apparent to the viewer that she didn't remember anything. Kinda flimsy, otherwise.

Kinda disappointing in the last 20 minutes, but overall not bad. Worth a rental. My score could go up upon further reflection.

6/10

[Bosco B Thug]

I really liked this a lot. I seem to be in the minority, but I found a lot to enjoy about it. I found it similar to Doppelganger in the way a lot of the second-half felt like a series of anti-horror moments playing off of Kurosawa's own ouevre. There were also some parallels to Vertigo I found quite interesting.

I have some thoughts here:

http://match-cut.org/showthread.php?p=14788 The ending's a pretty awesome direct homage.


I'll have to give Loft another chance someday, since I kinda hated it the first time around, but the copy I own looks like a severely worn-out, full-screen VHS transfer, so that probably went a long way towards deflating the experience. Yeah, that'd about do it. I'll wager you at least won't hate it the next time with a good copy, you just kind of have to be in the mood for a piffle.

[Morris Schæffer]

MANIAC (Lustig, 1980)

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/4773/maniac1980dvdripmano143.png

I couldn't think of a more appropriate picture than this one of Joe Spinell's absolutely feral, deranged serial killer. I had a feeling Maniac was going to be halfway tame by today's standards, but I was wrong. I also found it more effective, unsettling than I had expected. It's a pretty convincing, at times incredibly tense, serial killer flick even if it does suffer from retarded victim syndrome although that's a trope that possibly belongs to the genre. Really, Spinell is quite disturbing in this with that grotesque face of his that seems to be hellspawned from the likes of Jeff Goldblum and Ron Jeremy. A special mention too to Jay Chattaway's score which is discordant and unnerving. He would later compose for Star Trek: The Next Generation. I also never knew that the the victim of the infamous Shotgun kill was played by Tom Savini. It doesn't enrich my life to know that, but it is cool. I also found out Spinell is good friends with Stallone and took care of The Italian Stallion in the initial stages of the man's career. I found it comfortable to discover such matters, because it made Spinell seem normal, like a cool dude such is the efficacity of his performance here.

[Dukefrukem]

Wow!! What a score on Deep Red.

[MadMan]

Wow!! What a score on Deep Red.Its a great movie, but my favorite aspect of it is the score.

Good review, Morris. I failed to get to Maniac during my last Horrorfest. I should probably watch it before it gets taken off of Instant Viewing.

Cigarette Burns (2006) has a special kinship with John Carpenter's 1995 cult film In The Mouth of Madness. However, the two movies differ in that In The Mouth of Madness was apocalyptic, dealing with the effects of literature on the mind. Cigarette Burns is more so about cinema's ability to impact our lives, in this case being really negative since after all it is a horror movie (even though the length is only about 58 minutes long). I found Cigarette Burns to be quite good and particularly creepy-the low key score giving the film an added level of atmosphere. That last act where things go insane has quality levels of disturbing elements-however I have to say that Popcorn (1991)'s creepy short film>Cigarette Burns creepy film. The main cast for this was also a good bonus. Netflix Instant Viewing has a surprising amount of John Carpenter-I'm dreading watching The Ward, and I'm sure that Ghosts of Mars is really cheesy, but I want to see Masters of Horror: Pro-Life and I'll watch Village of the Damned after I view the original, first.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Udo Kier making a film out of his intestines is all kinds of win.

Pro-Life is awful.

Ghosts of Mars is awful...ly fun...in an awful way.

I'm trying to work my way up to watch The Hands of Orlac. Not that I'm expecting bad things, but I have to be in a certain type of mood to really enjoy silent horror films. It's like prepping for time-travel. Or something. I dunno. Maybe you guys know the feeling.

[Grouchy]

I like Ghosts of Mars a lot more than is reasonable to admit. It's funny how Carpenter can make a movie that's more of the same, completely formulaic in its plot and characters, but he's such an assured director that I enjoy it all the same.

[MadMan]

Udo Kier making a film out of his intestines is all kinds of win.:lol: yes, yes it is.


Pro-Life is awful.I keep hearing this, so naturally I will be that guy who thinks its good or decent.


Ghosts of Mars is awful...ly fun...in an awful way.Ice Cube just feels right for a John Carpenter movie. I for one would love to see John Carpenter make one more kickass movie with Kurt Russell and Keith David.


I'm trying to work my way up to watch The Hands of Orlac. Not that I'm expecting bad things, but I have to be in a certain type of mood to really enjoy silent horror films. It's like prepping for time-travel. Or something. I dunno. Maybe you guys know the feeling.Nah I have to get in the right/proper mood to watch silent movies all of the time. I have no problem with watching films in black and white, but since I've lived in the era of sound all of my life its far trickier with silent cinema. This is also why I am so woefully behind when it comes to 1910s-1920s viewing.

[Scar]

Ghosts of Mars is awful in an awful kind of way.

[megladon8]

Cigarette Burns is the best thing John Carpenter has done in the last, like, 18 years or so.

Pro-Life is absolute, utter shit. Quite possibly the worst thing Carpenter has done in the last, like, 18 years or so.

Ghost of Mars is indeed awful, but I'm in the "awful...ly fun!" camp. I like it.

The Ward was a big disappointment, and certainly not "Carpenter's return to form" as some reviewers made it out to be.

[Rowland]

Ghosts of Mars is awful by Carpenter standards, but if I had caught it on Syfy in the middle of the night for the first time and assumed that it was by some nobody, I probably would have considered it pretty fine by those standards.

The Ward is even worse, and it barely even resembles a Carpenter film, though the same idea about lowered standards if I hadn't known it was by him would probably apply here as well, which is to say that it's mediocre schlock at best. Most of the films it's inspired by are superior, even the unfairly maligned Identity.

I didn't care for Cigarette Burns, which struck me as a lot of great ideas mired by uninspired execution, though the gore was certainly a highlight. There are a bunch of those Masters of Horror episodes I prefer, and given Pro-Life's reputation, I never bothered with it.

The last Carpenter I kinda liked was Vampires, the last I really liked was the underestimated Escape from L.A., and the last I loved was Prince of Darkness.

[megladon8]

I actually quite liked the "MoH" episode "The Fair-Haired Child", which is one I've seen receive almost universal hatred on forums and review sites.

I thought it was darn creepy.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Ghosts of Mars is awful in an awful kind of way.

Probably true. I mean, I can't work up any convincing defense of the film.


Cigarette Burns is the best thing John Carpenter has done in the last, like, 18 years or so.

Pro-Life is absolute, utter shit. Quite possibly the worst thing Carpenter has done in the last, like, 18 years or so.

Agreeance.


The Ward was a big disappointment, and certainly not "Carpenter's return to form" as some reviewers made it out to be.


The Ward is even worse, and it barely even resembles a Carpenter film, though the same idea about lowered standards if I hadn't known it was by him would probably apply here as well, which is to say that it's mediocre schlock at best. Most of the films it's inspired by are superior, even the unfairly maligned Identity.

God, The Ward. The fuck was that, anyway?

Identity has some great stuff in it. I'm a really big fan of the opening fifteen minutes or so that introduces us to all the different characters, but it's hard to care once the twist pops up.

Also, the film's kind of in direct opposition to how therapy actually works.

On no PLANET would a therapist try to destroy alternate identities. The goal of DID therapy is to fuse identities into one, not destroy them. The whole idea is just stunning in its level of bullshit.

Obviously not a dealbreaker, but still.


The last Carpenter I kinda liked was Vampires, the last I really liked was the underestimated Escape from L.A., and the last I loved was Prince of Darkness.

Escape From LA is a goofy good time. I support you.


I actually quite liked the "MoH" episode "The Fair-Haired Child", which is one I've seen receive almost universal hatred on forums and review sites.

Means little to say this, but it's easily the best thing William Malone's done. Short, stylish, creepy good time.

[Scar]

Escape From LA, I can support. Actually saw that a few times in theatres. Its a blast.

[Winston*]

The twist and then its follow through in Identity is one of the dumbest things I've ever seen in a movie.

[Morris Schæffer]

Any fans of Fulci here? I recently got The Beyond and Zombie for, like, almost no money.

[MadMan]

Any fans of Fulci here? I recently got The Beyond and Zombie for, like, almost no money.I found The Beyond to be a really mixed bag, but I do want to see Zombie.

Also when it comes to Carpenter I do still need to see Vampires (yes I'm serious, heh) and also Escape From L.A. Oh and I'm still a huge proponent of In The Mouth of Madness, which I think is one of his best films. On the flip side of that I find The Fog to be kind of overrated, but still good.

[Dukefrukem]

The twist and then its follow through in Identity is one of the dumbest things I've ever seen in a movie.

Yup.

[Dukefrukem]

Any fans of Fulci here? I recently got The Beyond and Zombie for, like, almost no money.

Fuck no. For years I kept hearing how much better his films were than Raimi's. To my surprise :rolleyes: where these statements completely dead wrong . Each film crawls to a finish. The only scene that's worthy of any merit is the famous (you've probably heard of it by now) eye ball scene in Zombie. There's a reason why you got them for free.

[Dukefrukem]

According to iCheckmovies, I have 4 films (http://www.icheckmovies.com/lists/john+carpenter+filmography/psalbego/) left to watch in Carpenter's filmography.

Elvis
Christine
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Village of the Damned

[D_Davis]

Any fans of Fulci here? I recently got The Beyond and Zombie for, like, almost no money.

That's about the right price. You might have paid too much.

[Morris Schæffer]

:) I assure you I paid zero money for them.

Hey so about Videodrome, sort of mixed on that. I greatly prefer Cronenberg's more, well, normal movies such as A History of Violence and Eastern Promises.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Any fans of Fulci here? I recently got The Beyond and Zombie for, like, almost no money.

I don't like him. He sneaks some memorable imagery into his movies, but they're otherwise interminably dull films to me.

[Ezee E]

According to iCheckmovies, I have 4 films (http://www.icheckmovies.com/lists/john+carpenter+filmography/psalbego/) left to watch in Carpenter's filmography.

Elvis
Christine
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Village of the Damned
I have Elvis on my computer solely because of Sven's rave.

[MadMan]

:) I assure you I paid zero money for them.

Hey so about Videodrome, sort of mixed on that. I greatly prefer Cronenberg's more, well, normal movies such as A History of Violence and Eastern Promises.I tried to watch Eastern Promises recently, and made it through about 40 minutes before turning it off. I'll try again. I think way more highly of AHOV than many people do, and I found Videodrome to be great and one of his best films. I mostly love body horror Cronenberg, although I'm curious to check out his 90s films.

[Grouchy]

I'm forever split between Videodrome and Dead Ringers for Cronenberg's best film.

[Spun Lepton]

Videodrome is one of my all-time favorites. A crazy, brilliant, hallucinatory ride that continues to give on repeat viewings.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Oh, it's The Fly for me. Easy. Dead Ringers, The Dead Zone, and Existenz would be the runners-up. I didn't get much out of Videodrome.

[megladon8]

I would be torn between Videodrome and Dead Ringers for my favorite Cronenberg.

I also loved eXistenZ from day one. I've seen a lot of people flip-flop on this one. For the first couple of years after its release a lot of people talked bad about it, claimed it to be one of Cronenberg's absolute weakest efforts. I always thought it was pretty great, if a little too reminiscent of Videodrome.

[MadMan]

eXistenZ and Dead Ringers are two major Cronenberg films that I haven't seen yet. I finally viewed The Fly last Horrorfest (review can be found in my blog-shameless plug FTW!) and thought it was a great film, certainly top tier when it comes Cronenberg's work.

[Ezee E]

You horror fans watch American Horror Story at all? If not, you should. The Halloween episodes are as good as any horror movie in the past decade, and the show itself is simply what horror fans want. Can't wait to see where this is going.

[MadMan]

According to iCheckmovies, I have 4 films (http://www.icheckmovies.com/lists/john+carpenter+filmography/psalbego/) left to watch in Carpenter's filmography.

Elvis
Christine
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Village of the DamnedI forgot to mention that I found Christine to be pretty good. Review here: http://madman731.blogspot.com/2011/10/never-give-your-car-name.html

[Spun Lepton]

Glad you liked it, MadMan. The book is also good, if it interests you.

Christine has the distinct honor of being the very first R-rated movie I ever snuck into. The 2nd being Sleepaway Camp, which I watched on that same day. It was quite the day for me.

[Grouchy]

Glad you liked it, MadMan. The book is also good, if it interests you.

Christine has the distinct honor of being the very first R-rated movie I ever snuck into. The 2nd being Sleepaway Camp, which I watched on that same day. It was quite the day for me.
Sleepaway Camp in theaters must be a blast.

[MadMan]

Glad you liked it, MadMan. The book is also good, if it interests you.Oh I plan to read the book at some point. Which reminds me that I recently bought It, and I look forward to reading it before I get around to viewing the movie adaptation.


Christine has the distinct honor of being the very first R-rated movie I ever snuck into. The 2nd being Sleepaway Camp, which I watched on that same day. It was quite the day for me.Hah, that's pretty radical. Sleepaway Camp is one of the handful of major 80s slashers I have left to view. The others being Silent Night, Deadly Night, Happy Birthday, and April Fool's Day.

[Spun Lepton]

Sleepaway Camp in theaters must be a blast.

Well, at the time I was a little unimpressed, until the ending creeped the hell outta me.

[Spun Lepton]

Oh I plan to read the book at some point. Which reminds me that I recently bought It, and I look forward to reading it before I get around to viewing the movie adaptation.

The mini-series doesn't hold a candle to the book, IMO.

[Grouchy]

Well, at the time I was a little unimpressed, until the ending creeped the hell outta me.
Well, Sleepaway Camp is the only movie I can think of that is completely unremarkable until the end where it becomes unforgettable.

I haven't seen the first sequel, but I LOVE the title - Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers.

[Morris Schæffer]

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/55544

Panel discussion between the cast of Carpenter's They Live. I figured I might as well post this here.

[Grouchy]

Yesterday I showed Horror Express to my friends from the movie club. They DID NOT share my love.

What do you all think of this film?

[Morris Schæffer]

Yesterday I showed Horror Express to my friends from the movie club. They DID NOT share my love.

What do you all think of this film?

It's sort of cool that you've got Cushing and Lee together, and it's clearly (what I've read) in the vein of the celebrated hammer flicks, of which I've seen none, but it's a little shabby, somewhat cheap, ramshackle. Not bad in the least, but hardly a train ride filled with relentless terror. That said, I dug the way they discover just what the entity has seen over the years and the movie reminded me of the likes of The Thing, both the 1982 and 1951 version, but obviously more the latter than the former. I can't say the comparison does the Martin flick any real favors. But maybe all Hammer output is exactly like it. I gave it two stars.

[MadMan]

Yesterday I showed Horror Express to my friends from the movie club. They DID NOT share my love.

What do you all think of this film?Forget 'em. The Horror Express may only get *** from me (out of ****) but its still one of my favorite horror movies. The last time I made a list of Top 10 favorite horrors I think it even cracked the list.

Also TCM is airing Let's Scare Jessica To Death this Friday night. I've already seen it, but I'm tempted to tune in anyways. One of the more underrated horror films from the 1970s.

[Grouchy]

Morris, most of Hammer's output that I've seen is classier than Horror Express, which is unapologetically a B movie.

I dunno. I'm not arguing that it's a well-made movie, that's hard to defend, but it's so unusual and involved in its ridiculous premise that I think it should be loved.

[Irish]

Watched Tucker & Dale vs Evil. Surprised how much I enjoyed this. Really well paced and the death scenes were funny as hell. I think they lucked into some great casting. The movie wouldn't have been half as good without Wash & that kid from Reaper.

[Irish]

Also, does anyone know what movie Tucker & Dale was based on?

I seem to remember some slasher from years ago that featured three mutated looking guys killing teens in the woods, but I can't remember much about it. I want to say Hills Have Eyes, but that doesn't sound quite right.

[Rowland]

Also, does anyone know what movie Tucker & Dale was based on?

I seem to remember some slasher from years ago that featured three mutated looking guys killing teens in the woods, but I can't remember much about it. I want to say Hills Have Eyes, but that doesn't sound quite right.It's not based on any specific film, the horror genre is rife with the sort of spam-in-a-cabin/slashers-with-freudian-issues/rednecksploitation/etc. motifs that this film is spoofing. I thought the first half was amusing enough, but it grew pretty old for me well before the climax.

Might you be thinking of Wrong Turn?

[Irish]

Yes! Wrong Turn! That's the one. :lol:

Thanks, Rowland.

Edit: I agree it's a pretty one note joke, but the pacing and the humor (like Tucker worrying about the deposit on his wood chipper rental) pulled it out for me.

[Mr. Pink]

Watched Stake Land recently. Pretty good vampire movie. Reminded me of a mix between The Last Man on Earth and Zombieland. Bonus points for not having any effeminate vampires. 7/10.

[Dillard]

Question at y'all. What's the best horror film you've seen in the last year new or old. I'm looking at renting a chiller tonight.

[Yxklyx]

Question at y'all. What's the best horror film you've seen in the last year new or old. I'm looking at renting a chiller tonight.

Session 9

[Dead & Messed Up]

Question at y'all. What's the best horror film you've seen in the last year new or old. I'm looking at renting a chiller tonight.

The best I saw in the last year and half were

Haxan
Dead Ringers
Black Sabbath
Witchfinder General

I've seen more, but those come closest to the "chiller" label.

[MadMan]

I'll declare Possession (1981) a horror film, so yes that's the best one I've seen this year.

PS: My second pick is Let's Scare Jessica To Death (1971), which is also great.

[Irish]

The Chaser

It's not straight horror -- it's a cop chasing a serial killer -- but it's out of Korea & waaaaay over the top. Probably one of the best I've seen in the last year, horror or not.

[megladon8]

Watched Stake Land recently. Pretty good vampire movie. Reminded me of a mix between The Last Man on Earth and Zombieland. Bonus points for not having any effeminate vampires. 7/10.


Ugh this was such a steaming pile. The writing was laughably bad, and the acting from the two leads not much better.

[KK2.0]

sorry if posted already, but Rob Zombie debuted the trailer of his new horror film "Lords of Salem" at one of his concerts recently (cam footage).

http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3142350/here-it-is-kind-of-the-trailer-for-rob-zombies-lords-of-salem/

I didn't care for his remakes but I still love "Devil's Rejects" and i'm looking foward to a new original from him.


I also loved eXistenZ from day one. I've seen a lot of people flip-flop on this one. For the first couple of years after its release a lot of people talked bad about it, claimed it to be one of Cronenberg's absolute weakest efforts. I always thought it was pretty great, if a little too reminiscent of Videodrome.

You and Damu are probably the only people I know that enjoyed eXisteZ besides me. Maybe because I play videogames, but I thought his take on the subject was brilliant, it isn't a big budget flick with tons of fx but I found it to be a creative and smart flick about videogames, not something you see associated with it very often.

I remember reading a bad review from a game site, the guy complained about bad acting in it, when i watched the film I understood that the acting was a choice actually, since everyone within the game is another player and they need to play roles inside the world _ is a sort of MMO played inside the mind for those who didn't watch the movie _ it makes sense that most people aren't natural actors and their performances will look mostly forced. Had a blast with the film when I realized that.

[Grouchy]

You and Damu are probably the only people I know that enjoyed eXisteZ besides me.
Add me to that list. It's like a technological update of Videodrome in many ways.

[Spun Lepton]

Hey, I really like eXistenZ, too. I was in one of the test audiences for it. Glad to say there were no differences from the test screening and the final print. You have me to thank for that, I mean, since I filled my comment card with praise.

I'm quite fond of saying "Oh spores. Deadly spores."

[MadMan]

Hey, I really like eXistenZ, too. I was in one of the test audiences for it. Glad to say there were no differences from the test screening and the final print. You have me to thank for that, I mean, since I filled my comment card with praise.

I'm quite fond of saying "Oh spores. Deadly spores."I've always wanted to be in a test audience for a movie. Although if it was for anything Wes Anderson, QT, or Cronenberg related I'd probably be heavily biased.

Also Spun what movie is your avatar from? I feel like I should know this, but I don't....

Oh and on early Wednesday morning I watched Going To Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film. Pretty solid documentary, although its subject matter requires a much longer film that could have gone into more detail. Still they had interviews with John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Sean S. Cunningham, etc. so that was cool. I'm now reminded that there are at least five 80s slasher films I still need to view: Sleepaway Camp, Happy Birthday, April Fool's Day, Return To Horror High, and Slumber Party Massacre (available on Instant Viewing, too). Plus Prom Night and Silent Night, Deadly Night.

[Spun Lepton]

Also Spun what movie is your avatar from? I feel like I should know this, but I don't....

Student Bodies

[MadMan]

Student BodiesAh. Thanks to the Going To Pieces doc I finally heard about that one. Its now on my radar-I really wish that more 80s slashers were available on Netflix Instant Viewing.

[megladon8]

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark was a pitiful failure.

Del Toro, you really missed the mark on this one.

[Raiders]

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark was a pitiful failure.

Del Toro, you really missed the mark on this one.

Not sure it is fair to shoulder him with the blame.

[megladon8]

Not sure it is fair to shoulder him with the blame.


He kind of god-father'd the whole production, though.

It's a film that he'd been working on and developing for nearly 15 years. He gave the director's chair to another, but he conceived, wrote and developed the project almost entirely on his own.

The writing (which he was largely in charge of, as it's been his pet project) was pretty shabby, and not up to his usual standards of modern, deeply thematic fairy tales.

No, he's not 100% responsible, but it reminds me of Poltergeist in that the producer's hand was felt much more than the director's.

[Dukefrukem]

I just watched it after you and Jenn bashed it on FB, I didn't think it was as terrible as you are describing. For me, it was difficult to get past the small little things who speak like humans.... it was creepy as hell.

[megladon8]

I just watched it after you and Jenn bashed it on FB, I didn't think it was as terrible as you are describing. For me, it was difficult to get past the small little things who speak like humans.... it was creepy as hell.


I found them pretty laughable. I also kind of shook my head when I watched the making-of documentary on the DVD and saw all the work that went into designing individual looks and personalities for the creatures...when they all look and act exactly the same.

I could not tell the difference between the creatures, at all. Even when they showed screen shot examples of their different faces, they're nearly indistinguishable. How they expected people to notice this "hierarchy" of the fairies is beyond me.

And that little girl was atrocious. She really ruined just about every scene she was in.

I think it would have been much more effective if they had followed the route of the original movie, and not had a child. Just have the grown woman being terrorized by these little creatures.

Child actors so often make-or-break a film like this, and in this case, it was broken.

[Dukefrukem]

Yes I agree the girl was not very believable. Definitely pulled away from the experience. Little brat.

[Spun Lepton]

I'll echo Duke's sentiment that the remake wasn't as terrible as you say, Meg, but it wasn't particularly good, either. Creatures were shown too soon and too often to be even the least bit frightening. And yeah, the idea of tiny monsters -- even en masse -- seemed ill-conceived to me.

[MadMan]

Recently I revisited Halloween 4, and I liked it a little more than I previously did. Still the film is a bit of a mess-there's some good ideas, and the ending is fantastic, but its marred by poor acting and a pointlessly high body count. Myers is stripped of anything that made him scary/terrifying in the first two films, yet the psychological aspects are interesting. I imagine that if I liked this one more on a second viewing, Zombie's Halloween II would probably benefit as well after seeing that one again, too.

And I'm going to get to watch Sleepaway Camp, too thanks to YouTube. Sure its not the greatest format to view it in, but I take what I can get. This is partly preparation for a project where I cover slasher films this Horrorfest. Last year I reviewed/covered 31 out of the Top 50 Best Horror Movies I've ever seen. I think next year will be focused on either Hammer Studios films, or arguing why 90s horror is kind of underrated.

[Lurch]

Recently I revisited Halloween 4, and I liked it a little more than I previously did. Still the film is a bit of a mess-there's some good ideas, and the ending is fantastic, but its marred by poor acting and a pointlessly high body count. Myers is stripped of anything that made him scary/terrifying in the first two films, yet the psychological aspects are interesting. I imagine that if I liked this one more on a second viewing, Zombie's Halloween II would probably benefit as well after seeing that one again, too.

I consider the original Halloween to be one of the great horror films. However, I do not like any of the sequels or remakes.
Beginning with the original Halloween II, the Michael Myers mythology was completely ruined by the introduction of the "sister" plot This gave Myers a purpose instead of having him simply be a personification of evil. Also, amping up the gore and body count had the series treading into Friday The 13th territory and lessened the suspense so prevalent in the first film. Since the rest of the series used these features as their jumping off point, the films only declined in quality. Halloween 4 is probably the best in the series and made a valiant attempt to mimic Carpenter's original, but it still fell far short. It's ending was also quite interesting, but unfortunately the filmmakers chose not to pursue the set-up.
I hated Rob Zombie's remake and his follow-up was a complete mess.

[bac0n]

I found the ending of Halloween 4 forced, and, frankly, dumb. It had no reason, there was absolutely no setup, and it completely undermined my caring for the little girl. Ultimately, it seemed to serve only as sequel setup, and considering it was basically dropped in Halloween 5, was a complete waste of time, kinda like that guy who broke Myers outa jail at the end of Five who was never heard from again.

[Dead & Messed Up]

This Corman movie about a wasp woman is not a good movie.

Avoid.

I was hoping for something along the lines of A Bucket of Blood or Little Shop. No such luck.

Seriously. Avoid. Not funny-bad. Dull-bad.

[Dead & Messed Up]

This Corman movie about a wasp woman is not a good movie.

Avoid.

I was hoping for something along the lines of A Bucket of Blood or Little Shop. No such luck.

Seriously. Avoid. Not funny-bad. Dull-bad.

More...

Review time for Wasp Woman:


When you get right down to tacks made of brass, The Fly isn't a scary movie, because what can a fly do? I'll tell you what a fly can do. Nothing, that's what. No one's reaction to a fly has ever been "Run away before it settles on your forearm!" A bee is more intimidating because of the stinger, but they die after losing their stinger, which makes that whole stinger business a lousy defense mechanism. Once you get into wasp business, though, you're getting straight-up frightening, because a wasp can sting you two dozen times, go back to reading the Wall Street Journal, and fly back home for a delicious dinner with its wasp family.

And if you think that's scary, I doubt the world will ever be ready for a movie about the Japanese Giant Hornet, a species that entomologists refer to as "straight-up a[color=blackss[/color]holes."

Wasps are good enough for government work, though, and The Wasp Woman could've been an entertaining film. I would've like that very much. About the time he was working on The Wasp Woman, Roger Corman made some endearing no-budget larks like A Bucket of Blood and Little Shop of Horrors. They kidded themselves and, by doing so, found a way to approach the dreck at an angle. The Wasp Woman treats itself seriously, a big mistake for a movie that chooses to be about a woman who is also sometimes a wasp.

The woman, Janice Starlin (Susan Cabot), mutates into a wasp because she knowingly ingested a batch of untested wasp enzyme from a mad scientist she never properly vetted, so immediately she gains my sympathy. To be fair, though, she's the CEO and public face of a cosmetics company, and her looks are fading with age, which explains why she'd be interested in Dr. Zinthrop's rejuvenating wasp extract. What isn't explained is why Dr. Zinthrop would so readily accept her demand of being the first human test subject, since it's generally bad form to poison your only investor, but I guess we can file that into the overstuffed "mad scientist" folder.

After all, Zinthrop talks to his bugs in a loving voice, and he confides to a worried colleague that "they know who their friend is." Hey, guy, wasps are idiots. They don't even know they're alive, let alone that their owner should go on a date or at least do a Groupon. I may be biased, though, because I resist engaging with any character who, at some point, said, "You know, I think I'll take the job where I risk death by thousands of insect-stings on a daily basis." Later on, somebody warns him, "I'd stay away from wasps if I were you." Sound advice. I'd stay away from wasps if I were anyone at all.

Zinthrop's experiments with the enzyme involve making animals younger, which happens off-camera, by way of switching from a shot of a dog to a shot of a puppy. Later experiments show Zinthrop injecting guinea pigs with his solution, and that made me pray for a climax that involved a swarm of deadly flying guinea pigs. It'd be the most adorable horror climax ever. Instead, the film devotes most of its middle section to Starlin's underlings, who have nothing to do with wasp enzymes, wasp women or the potential devastation wrought by flying, stinging guinea pigs.

Roger Corman finds heroic ways to pad out the scant plot to feature length. The most notable involves Zinthrop getting his wasp-loving butt hit by a car. Starlin's underlings send out a private investigator, which launches the film into a needless montage of the man asking around town, in case we weren't sure how investigators work. He eventually tracks Zinthrop to a hospital where the scientist is found to have a serious case of brain damage. Luckily, that brain damage clears up like a bad headache, as brain damage does, and just in time for him to explain the plot, because it's not like the movie was doing too good of a job.

The movie waits for fifty minutes of its seventy-minute runtime before introducing the Wasp Woman, who looks uncannily like Susan Cabot with a Halloween mask on. I'm running out of energy here, so just a three more notes. (a) Scenes with adult actors wrestling with cat props will never not look silly. (b) Roger Corman supervised a remake in 1995, and it apparently wasn't much better. (c) Susan Cabot plays a woman of forty and a woman of twenty equally well, and it's a shame she never got more work. Were she alive today, I'd beg her to cameo in my upcoming film, The Four Guinea Pigs of the Apocalypse.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cNS30J8TRBE/T8FII_ybInI/AAAAAAAAA0g/fbHIdN_2EDE/s1600/End-Of-The-World-960x600-desktopia.jpg

[Spun Lepton]

I watched Trick 'r Treat for the 2nd time and realized I'd really misjudged it the first time. Pretty enjoyable b-movie fun.

I thought the werewolf episode was terrible the first time I watched it. This time around I noticed how subtly they were foreshadowing the twist. I still think it's the weakest of the stories, but decent enough.

I am still of the opinion that they should never have shown Sam's real face. Leaving his mask on would have made him much creepier in the long run.

[Scar]

I watched Trick 'r Treat for the 2nd time and realized I'd really misjudged it the first time. Pretty enjoyable b-movie fun.

I thought the werewolf episode was terrible the first time I watched it. This time around I noticed how subtly they were foreshadowing the twist. I still think it's the weakest of the stories, but decent enough.

I am still of the opinion that they should never have shown Sam's real face. Leaving his mask on would have made him much creepier in the long run.

Yes and Yes.

[Dukefrukem]

Yes. Love that movie. I want a sequel (more stories with Sam)

[MadMan]

I watched Trick 'r Treat for the 2nd time and realized I'd really misjudged it the first time. Pretty enjoyable b-movie fun.

I thought the werewolf episode was terrible the first time I watched it. This time around I noticed how subtly they were foreshadowing the twist. I still think it's the weakest of the stories, but decent enough.

I am still of the opinion that they should never have shown Sam's real face. Leaving his mask on would have made him much creepier in the long run.I agree on all counts, and I think it has the potential to be a new favorite horror film of mine.

The werewolf story kills off one of the movie's most interesting characters in Dylan Baker. Blah. Still it has Anna Paquin's lovely self, so that was nice.


Were she alive today, I'd beg her to cameo in my upcoming film, The Four Guinea Pigs of the Apocalypse.You should make this movie, DaMU. I would go see it, haha. Good review-Wasp Woman is one of the few Corman movies that I might avoid. Still the man's track record is mostly solid, and I bet that when he came up with that particular movie he thought it was a cool idea.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Trick 'r Treat is a blast. That one with the kids and the bus is genuinely horrifying.

[MadMan]

Trick 'r Treat is a blast. That one with the kids and the bus is genuinely horrifying.Yes. Especially considering what happens at the end: Sure that one kid who was nice to the girl was in on the prank, but he still didn't deserve what happened to him. You could argue that none of the kids involved warranted death, but I think one of the more chilling aspects of that segment is that you really don't feel sorry for the ringleader getting devoured.

Really though I'm reminded of one time where my friends and I went to a local house that was reported to be haunted. We probably just scared ourselves really, but you know there are just some places that are best left alone.

[MadMan]

I finally watched Slumber Party Massacre (1982) tonight. I doubt the sequels are any good, but I actually dug this slasher movie quite a bit. The fact that it was directed by a woman and written by two women is a stark contrast to the male oriented filmmaking of the sub-genre despite the fact that usually the main character of these films is a survival girl who fights the villain in the end. Sure the movie is a tad campy, but that's part of the appeal, I guess.

[Boner M]

If anyone cares, I interviewed Ti West (http://themusic.com.au/interviews/all/2012/05/31/ti-west-keeping-in-line/) recently.

[MadMan]

If anyone cares, I interviewed Ti West (http://themusic.com.au/interviews/all/2012/05/31/ti-west-keeping-in-line/) recently.Cool, although I haven't seen any of his movies so I don't have much more to add...

[megladon8]

Raw Meat is a very strange film, still thoroughly disgusting even at 40 years of age.

It's also burdened by terrible pacing, making this hour-and-a-half film feel like it slows to a halt at more than one instance.

Really, it's Donald Pleasance's atypical performance that makes the movie a decent, watchable horror. And a scene he shares with Christopher Lee (who is only seen in this one scene in the film) completely steals the show. I wanted a Lee/Pleasance movie.

[Dead & Messed Up]

If anyone cares, I interviewed Ti West (http://themusic.com.au/interviews/all/2012/05/31/ti-west-keeping-in-line/) recently.

Whoo! Excellent write-up, threads very well from info to quotes from the man.

[Boner M]

Whoo! Excellent write-up, threads very well from info to quotes from the man.
Thanks! I usually try and put more effort in when I'm writing about someone/something I'm actually a fan of.

[Pop Trash]

If anyone cares, I interviewed Ti West (http://themusic.com.au/interviews/all/2012/05/31/ti-west-keeping-in-line/) recently.

I almost view Ti West as some kind of charity cause. The fact that The Innkeepers, which while maybe not being MINDBLOWINGLYGREAT, only has a 5.6 on IMDB is depressing. It's gotta be sad to have to continue to defend your work all the time. Ultimately he might be a case of "losing the battle, but winning the war" and in ten years (or so) time he'll get a lot of accolades. He just has to hang tough.

[Boner M]

I almost view Ti West as some kind of charity cause. The fact that The Innkeepers, which while maybe not being MINDBLOWINGLYGREAT, only has a 5.6 on IMDB is depressing. It's gotta be sad to have to continue to defend your work all the time. Ultimately he might be a case of "losing the battle, but winning the war" and in ten years (or so) time he'll get a lot of accolades. He just has to hang tough.
With all due respect to the fine folk in this thread, horror fans are generally the worst. Granted, I'm pretty sure House of the Devil started out with a similarly dismal IMDb score before rising after word-of-mouth extended its audience beyond the mouthbreathing gorehound crowd.

[megladon8]

Great piece, Boner. Awesome you got to meet one of the best young filmmakers out there!

[Dead & Messed Up]

With all due respect to the fine folk in this thread, horror fans are generally the worst.

::shrugs::

It's true.

[Rowland]

Raw Meat is a very strange film, still thoroughly disgusting even at 40 years of age.

It's also burdened by terrible pacing, making this hour-and-a-half film feel like it slows to a halt at more than one instance.

Really, it's Donald Pleasance's atypical performance that makes the movie a decent, watchable horror. And a scene he shares with Christopher Lee (who is only seen in this one scene in the film) completely steals the show. I wanted a Lee/Pleasance movie.I hope you didn't blind buy this one too. That's two in a row I really liked that you haven't been impressed by. Want me to suggest a movie I didn't like? :lol:

[Boner M]

Great piece, Boner. Awesome you got to meet one of the best young filmmakers out there!
Alas, it was just a phone interview.

[MadMan]

I think I posted a link to my thoughts on Raw Meat via my blog in this thread back when I watched it on Netflix Instant Viewing last year. Anyways, here's a reprint:

Cannibalistic British Underground Tunnel Dwellers (http://madman731.blogspot.com/2011/05/cannibalistic-british-tunnel-dwellers.html)

Which reminds me that I think I wrote down on paper a review for Strange Behavior (1981) which I viewed around the same time thanks to TCM, yet I never bothered to post it online. It doesn't matter now since I'll be covering that film as part of the 21 movies (plus 6 or 7 series) that fall under the slasher subgenre this October. At least on some other site-I might post entries here. My blog was really helpful in me doing write ups for the horror movies I watched last fall.

PS: I think that statement should be amended to say "IMDB.com message board posters are the worst." But having spent some time on Bloody Disgusting, I can't completely disagree.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Hey, I was wondering if someone would be willing to look at a video comparison I made between The Mist and Night of the Living Dead.

Mostly, I'm still on the fence about adding subtitles that clarify the similarities. Some of them seem pretty obvious, but I think others are a little harder to explain just by sticking them next to each other. Any comments would be appreciated.

Let me know, and I'll send you the link.

[Dukefrukem]

Link me!!

[megladon8]

I'd love to see it too, DaMU!

[Dead & Messed Up]

I'd love to see it too, DaMU!

Cool! I'm sending you message at now!

[MadMan]

The only reason I still haven't seen The Mist is that I'm trying to find a copy with the black and white version. Which sounds way cooler, but I'll probably just view the color version this year and give up on my dream.

[Raiders]

The only reason I still haven't seen The Mist is that I'm trying to find a copy with the black and white version. Which sounds way cooler, but I'll probably just view the color version this year and give up on my dream.

It's $5.25 on Amazon for the two- disc edition with the B&W version. You're welcome.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0010X73ZG/ref=aw_cr_item_title

[Dead & Messed Up]

Meg, any questions or concerns about the vid?

I'm hoping to put it on my blog and make it public today, but I'd love to get your feedback, if you have any.

Thanks again for taking a look at it.

[Grouchy]

Why don't you just post the link here?

Regardless, I'll read it. PM me.

[Dead & Messed Up]

EDIT: I went ahead and made it official.

Z9NKxihsXVQ

Duke, if you're cool with sending me your actual name on the board or via PM, I'd love to give you a "thank you" shout-out in the clip descrip.

[D_Davis]

With all due respect to the fine folk in this thread, horror fans are generally the worst.

I'd agree, and add that genre fans, in general, are the worst. They tend to have very strict definitions of what they want and expect, and often feel entitled, like they deserve something just for being a fan.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Anybody see Deadgirl? I just did. Kinda wish I could unsee it.

[Spun Lepton]

Anybody see Deadgirl? I just did. Kinda wish I could unsee it.

I almost watched it a number of times.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I almost watched it a number of times.

It's one of those pit-of-human-behavior awful-people-being-awful movies. Potentially intriguing premise, but yeah. Keep not watching it.

[Spun Lepton]

It's one of those pit-of-human-behavior awful-people-being-awful movies. Potentially intriguing premise, but yeah. Keep not watching it.

Do said awful people get their just desserts?

[Dead & Messed Up]

Do said awful people get their just desserts?

Some of them do.

[Russ]

I'd agree, and add that genre fans, in general, are the worst. They tend to have very strict definitions of what they want and expect, and often feel entitled, like they deserve something just for being a fan.
I'm an old horror and genre fan and am somewhat bummed by being labeled as "the worst." I'm not exactly sure what you and Boner meant (although you did admirably elaborate on what you meant, and I suspect you mirror Boner's thoughts), mainly because I tend to view genre fans more like me, as opposed to more like "genre fans."

Am I making little to no sense? http://match-cut.org/images/icons/icon10.gif


I can't believe I just accused someone of mirroring any type of Boner.

[D_Davis]

In general. Of course there are specific ones of us that break the general rule. I'm an old genre fan as well!

But in general, I've found that genre fans are typically whiny, feel entitled, and like to put things in very small genre-boxes. This is something that we used to address a lot on Genrebusters. Genre fans (especially of long-running franchises) often feel like they are owed a certain kind of thing by the creators, when in reality they are not. The only thing the creator owes a fan is the promise that he or she will try their hardest to make the best possible thing they can. I've also found that they believe that their opinion of something should be considered by the creators simply because they are fans. Like they should be consulted or something.

In other words, I'm talking about fanboy culture, but I hate that term so I'm trying not to use it, but rather explain with other words what a fanboy is, because I think the problem is more serious than simply being defined by a derogatory word.

Spend any amount of time on genre-specific forums and you'll see what I'm talking about, but I'm sure you already know exactly what I'm talking about.

[megladon8]

While I do agree with D that fans of pretty much anything tend to be whiny, annoying and self-entitled, I have yet to encounter a group of people with such vitriolic racist, sexist, and generally hateful attitudes as gamers.

Gamers really are the worst.

[Spun Lepton]

While I do agree with D that fans of pretty much anything tend to be whiny, annoying and self-entitled, I have yet to encounter a group of people with such vitriolic racist, sexist, and generally hateful attitudes as gamers.

Gamers really are the worst.

In their defense, most gamers are adolescents. Stupid, sexist, hateful, and adolescence go hand-in-hand.

[Irish]

In their defense, most gamers are adolescents. Stupid, sexist, hateful, and adolescence go hand-in-hand.

That's true, but the hate & the rampant homophobia always takes me back.

When I first got into online gaming, I was surprised by the constant stream of "nigga" and "faggot." I thought everyone was either 12 years old, or crazy.

I couldn't believe that high schoolers and adults were using those words, because they really seem like stuff you leave behind on grade school playgrounds.

[Dukefrukem]

In their defense, most gamers are adolescents. Stupid, sexist, hateful, and adolescence go hand-in-hand.

hmmm

[Rowland]

I'm a gamer and I like horror movies. NNOOOOOO!

I've been gaming a lot more lately, and it's funny that my girlfriend almost seems to be judging me for it. She thought my obsession with horror was charming (we were watching Suspiria, Dead Alive, etc. on some of our first dates), but the gaming turns her off. I suspect much of it has to do with her associating gaming with an old roommate of ours, a community college dropout who would literally spend at least five hours a day playing Halo online, calling ten-year-olds fags and porch monkeys while eating "chicken niggers" (his name for chicken nuggets). We didn't live together long.

[Spun Lepton]

So, I watched Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter and Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. Final Chapter was everything I remember it to be, with the most brutal Jason there ever was and ever would be. (Funny how he was played by the guy who most resented the character, too.) I also noticed that Jason was partial to teleportation in this one. One scene he's in the kitchen, and the very next scene he's outside a 2nd-story window. There's also a moment where he throws a dog through a window on the 2nd story and in the very next scene he's in the basement.

Part VI was so light-hearted at times it never felt quite right. That said, I enjoyed it more than I did when I last saw it -- when it was in the theater. I find VI and VII to be the most depressing, because they were set to be ultra-gory, but were neutered by the MPAA.

Final Chapter and Part VI get 6/10 from me.

[MadMan]

It's $5.25 on Amazon for the two- disc edition with the B&W version. You're welcome.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0010X73ZG/ref=aw_cr_item_titleCool, and thanks.

Spun I love the Friday the 13th series. That said, I've never given any of the movies a rating higher than *** out of ****/an 85/100. They are all money grabs (the film's creators admitted as such early on) and some of the entries in the series suck or are mediocre (Part III is disappointing but I like it somewhat, Jason Goes To Hell and Jason X are both awful, and the remake/reboot could have been better). Which reminds me of my idea for the next Jason movie, which they wouldn't do simply because it would either cost too much money or its not too bad: have Jason kill people in a movie theater that gets built near Camp Crystal Lake. Oh and an African-American college age female and a nerdy guy with some knowledge of horror films would be the main characters. It could work.

I love both Jason Lives and The Final Chapter. Both are really fun, and both are the best the series has to offer. Jason being able to teleport was so frequent in the series that I think the creators just threw that in as a joke of sorts. They had to know it was ridiculous. But hey I'm rewatching the first one (I bought the cool box set with the first 8 films-the only ones really worth owning, Freddy V. Jason included) and guess what: his mom was really good at being able to magically be in front of most of her victims, too. Haha. I'm only spoilering this because it is a spoiler, even though if you are a horror fan and don't know that she's the killer in the first film you have been living under a rock all these years.

Besides at least the F13th series was largely consistent. The Halloween series went from being pretty great to giving us terrible films in Halloween 5, 6, and 8-and I don't have to view 8 to know it sucks, because it has Busta Rhymes fighting Michael Myers. That's just godawful. I'll turn in a final verdict on the ANOES series at some point, as I'll have to rent 5, 6, and 7. I'm not expecting a whole lot with 5 or 6, as I hear they are both awful. Bear in mind though I went into F13th Part 7 thinking it would be as bad as people said it was, and I ended up enjoying it.

[Spun Lepton]

Friday the 13th Part VII -- Semi-unfortunate. We've got Kane Hodder doing a great job with Jason. But the "psychic" portion of the story doesn't mesh well with the F13 vibe. As was the problem with VI, the teen characters are bland and flat, not even archetypical. A fairly bloodless endeavor, too, ruining any sense of macabre glee.

4/10

[MadMan]

Friday the 13th Part VII -- Semi-unfortunate. We've got Kane Hodder doing a great job with Jason. But the "psychic" portion of the story doesn't mesh well with the F13 vibe. As was the problem with VI, the teen characters are bland and flat, not even archetypical. A fairly bloodless endeavor, too, ruining any sense of macabre glee. I'll concede that some of the characters are awful, but lack of good characters didn't hurt Part 6 at all imo. The best character group is a tie between the ones in Part 2, and the ones in Part 4.

4/10BOOOO!!! Part 7 is fun, and I liked some of the kills. I agree that they needed more psychic teen throwing shit at people action, and hey man you know as well as anyone that the film was butchered by those godless fascist assholes at the MPAA. Because of the stupid Moral Majority the series was negatively impacted.

I rewatched the first film two nights ago, and I still dug it a lot. Tonight I saw Part 2, which is rather underrated and is still quite good/solid, and now I'm finishing up Part 3. Yeah I was wrong about Part 3: a second viewing makes me realize that it sucks. I was nice and gave it a 66, but I'm thinking 50 something or less now. The characters are all terrible, most of the kills are boring, and the final girl is beyond terrible. Jason should have won, damnit! Oh and I tried to watch the 3D version, but 10 minutes in the glasses were giving me a headache. Weak.

PS: Part 3 is so terrible, the box set doesn't even have any extras for it except for the theatrical trailer. Wow even the box set acknowledges that it sucks. My problem though is that the extras contain a "Lost Tales From Camp Blood" short for each movie, or at least most of them, but it jumps from Part 2 to Part 4. Um, okay, but wait its featured in Part 4. They're not too bad as far as shorts go, although the second part was much better and fit in more with the actual film series than the first part did.

[MadMan]

Tonight, while rewatching Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) I spotted with 54:38 minutes left in the movie a kid asleep with a copy of Jean-Paul Satre's "No Exit" on his lamp. Not only is that a really smart kid, but its also rather funny considering that by the end of the movie the kids are trapped in the camp by Jason.

Maybe its the booze talking, but I love this movie. The extras for it actually noted that Kevin Williamson admitted that Jason Lives was one of the inspirations for Scream. I believe it, considering the good campy humor and the fact that many of the characters in the film already know about the legend of Jason, among other things. Plus Jason Lives has my favorite kill:

DDiyYqQAFcE

Go to 1:50 and enjoy the awesome from there.

Oh and I'll continue to defend A New Beginning. Its got some wonderful dark humor, an excellent and rather disturbed Tommy Jarvis, and the kills are rather brutal. My favorite is when Roy Burns slices the redneck's head off as he's riding around on his motorbike. Hilarious.

[Mr. Pink]

Part five ranks above most of the others in the series for me. Overall it has the best cast of characters from any of the others in the series, which is tough for me to say, considering part 4 has Crispin Glover and Corey Feldman. I don't mind the reveal for the same reason I don't hate Halloween 3 for not having Meyers.

And this song destroys Alice Coopers' "He's Back" (though I greatly enjoy both).

FpBTSZXKktA&feature=related

Fun Fact: the retarded character in 5 went on to direct Evil Laugh - another precursor to Scream - featuring a horror geek that warns his friends they are living a horror movie.

[Rowland]

Rewatched Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness last night for the first time in probably a decade, enjoyed it far more this time around. Very schlocky, but in a charmingly demented, disarmingly old-school kinda way, and it helps that I'm now familiar with the writings of Lovecraft, to which this film is an obvious and affectionate shrine. Also, Carpenter as a filmmaker displays a lot more juice here than I've given him credit for over the years. Between this, my increased appreciation for Vampires upon a revisit last year, and the ever-awesome Escape from LA, perhaps I've shortchanged his '90s body of work. I now have an itch to give Village of the Damned and Memoirs of an Invisible Man second looks, and to finally seek out Body Bags.

[Dukefrukem]

Rewatched Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness last night for the first time in probably a decade, enjoyed it far more this time around. Very schlocky, but in a charmingly demented, disarmingly old-school kinda way, and it helps that I'm now familiar with the writings of Lovecraft, to which this film is an obvious and affectionate shrine. Also, Carpenter as a filmmaker displays a lot more juice here than I've given him credit for over the years. Between this, my increased appreciation for Vampires upon a revisit last year, and the ever-awesome Escape from LA, perhaps I've shortchanged his '90s body of work. I now have an itch to give Village of the Damned and Memoirs of an Invisible Man second looks, and to finally seek out Body Bags.

In the Mouth of Madness is my 3rd favorite Carpenter film behind Big Trouble and They Live.

[Grouchy]

In the Mouth of Madness is my 3rd favorite Carpenter film behind Big Trouble and They Live.
That's a great Top 3.

[MadMan]

Part five ranks above most of the others in the series for me. Overall it has the best cast of characters from any of the others in the series, which is tough for me to say, considering part 4 has Crispin Glover and Corey Feldman. I don't mind the reveal for the same reason I don't hate Halloween 3 for not having Meyers.Part 5 has some really dark humor in it, which the behind the scenes feature on the DVD explained. I caught that finally in a revisiting. Also it has some really awesome kills, and Reggie is one of my favorite characters in the series.


And this song destroys Alice Coopers' "He's Back" (though I greatly enjoy both).

FpBTSZXKktA&feature=relatedI liked and enjoy both songs, actually. Alice Cooper doing a song for a Jason film just feels right.


Fun Fact: the retarded character in 5 went on to direct Evil Laugh - another precursor to Scream - featuring a horror geek that warns his friends they are living a horror movie.Hah, awesome. I'll have to track that one down.

Okay so I finished this boxset:

http://shop.tcm.com/img/product/resized/499/00367842-600499_catl_500.jpg?k=a5e73151&pid=367842&s=catl&sn=tcm

Which is just basically a cheaper version that I purchased at Best Buy instead of the one that came with the hockey mask, and which is a more updated version of the classic boxset with the first 8 films. This boxset was clearly released before the remake back in 2009. The extras were really fantastic and its a pretty nice addition to my horror collection. Part 6 gets the same rating as it did before-an 85-and its great fun, a really entertaining film that is the best of the series. I still dig The New Blood, even though its lack of good characters really hurts that entry. Oh and once again I refuse to hate Jason Takes Manhattan, although it clearly reflected the series going to shit, which is what it did with Jason Goes To Hell and Jason X, the two worst films in the series.

Plus I recently bought both The Bad Seed and Trick 'r' Treat on DVD along with The Omega Man during Barnes and Nobles' two for one sale. I'm eager to revisit The Bad Seed as I recall it being quite good, and Trick 'r' Treat is easily a new favorite of mine, one that I watched last year. Someone needs to give the director of that one some funding to make a sequel, ASAP.

PS: In The Mouth of Madness is one of John Carpenter's best films. I blind bought my copy from Hollywood Video as it was closing for good, and I was really impressed.

[Rowland]

Carpenter's Village of the Damned still doesn't work exactly, but it's better than I dismissed it as being however many years ago it has been. It still bears Carpenter's trademark style and texture, only diluted and relatively uninspired by his standards. Furthermore, many opportunities for thematic nuance, psychological horror, and updated sociological relevance are either ignored, or intriguingly touched upon only to be left undeveloped or completely squandered. Still, the first act is legitimately solid, and the rest is a frustrating but watchable amalgam of mediocre shlock and unconvincing pretension, with Carpenter's brooding atmosphere and compositional prowess giving the film weight that it otherwise fails to earn, especially once the kids with their silly wigs, uninflected speech, and vacant death stares inspire as much amusement as fright. The climax is ridiculously over-the-top and silly, but it's an entertaining derailment all the same. This is probably for Carpenter completionists only, but at least it's a more respectable effort than its reputation suggests. And hey, Christopher Reeve is good!

[Raiders]

All I remember from Village of the Damned is the horrible, literal use of a brick wall as a visual design for a mental barrier against the children.

[bac0n]

That's a great Top 3.

Surprised that The Thing doesn't show up in Duke's top three.

[Dukefrukem]

Surprised that The Thing doesn't show up in Duke's top three.

F!

The Thing is so high on my excel list, that when I searched for "Carpenter" it starts searching in the cells below where I placed the cursor. The Thing is my 11th favorite film of all time.

Nice catch Bacon.

[MadMan]

My favorite Carpenter films are Big Trouble In Little China, The Thing, and Escape From New York. All which I happen to own, too.

[MadMan]

After years of procrastination and after months of leaving it on my Netflix Instant Viewing queue, I finally watched Tales From The Crypt: Demon Knight. I haven't had this much fun viewing a horror movie (although this one is more action than horror) since I first viewed Night of the Creeps. The cast is 90s terrific (William Sadler, Jada Pinkett Smith, Gary Farmer, CCH Pounder, plus the always underrated Dick Miller, and with Thomas Haden Church playing the asshole) and it has plenty of gore to spare. Not to mention the high level of entertainment value, which surprised me a bit. I figure I would like this one a lot, but I didn't think I would give it a really high grade, which I did unapologetically.

Too bad there never was a sequel, especially since the film ends with Jada heading off in that bus, and with the new Collector following her. If this movie was a western, then the sequel could be channeling Blaxploitation movies, which would be fantastic.

From what I remember Bordello of Blood was kind of awful, so I probably won't bother revisiting that movie even though I recall Dennis Miller being quite good in it. And no I haven't watched much of the Tales From The Crypt show, although I've been meaning to finally dive into it considering the amount of talent involved.

[Spun Lepton]

After years of procrastination and after months of leaving it on my Netflix Instant Viewing queue, I finally watched Tales From The Crypt: Demon Knight. I haven't had this much fun viewing a horror movie (although this one is more action than horror) since I first viewed Night of the Creeps. The cast is 90s terrific (William Sadler, Jada Pinkett Smith, Gary Farmer, CCH Pounder, plus the always underrated Dick Miller, and with Thomas Haden Church playing the asshole) and it has plenty of gore to spare. Not to mention the high level of entertainment value, which surprised me a bit. I figure I would like this one a lot, but I didn't think I would give it a really high grade, which I did unapologetically.

Ha! Funny. I just watched this the other night, too. Yeah, good fun.

TV show is worth checking out, MadMan, although later episodes start to stink. Bordello of Blood was a POS. Has anybody seen the DTV one that just popped up on Netflix recently?

[Kurosawa Fan]

Demon Knight is hysterical. Billy Zane has never been better. Admittedly, that isn't saying much. But still, he was great.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Demon Knight is hysterical. Billy Zane has never been better. Admittedly, that isn't saying much. But still, he was great.

He needs to be used more. He was also a blast in Titanic and Zoolander.

[Kurosawa Fan]

He needs to be used more. He was also a blast in Titanic and Zoolander.

Zoolander for sure. Titanic, not so much. At least, not intentionally so.

[MadMan]

Ha! Funny. I just watched this the other night, too. Yeah, good fun.Cool. I just couldn't believe how much of a blast it really is. The film could have been longer and it still would have gone by quickly.


TV show is worth checking out, MadMan, although later episodes start to stink. Bordello of Blood was a POS. Has anybody seen the DTV one that just popped up on Netflix recently?Well I'll have to check out the show. An anthology show like Tales From The Crypt or The Twilight Zone can only last so long before the stories start to get stale, though, so I'm not too surprised. I didn't know there was a recent DTV one on Netflix.

Billy Zane rocked this movie, although some love needs to go out to William Sadler, who played a wary hero pretty well. Its funny considering that his most famous performance is that of a villain in a Die Hard movie, but I like Sadler in this and Trespass far more.

Oh and Zane's cameo in Zoolander is hilarious.

gnZEdjxwCew

Plus

KeX9BXnD6D4

"Listen to your friend Billy Zane."

[Spun Lepton]

I found the uncut version of Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday on YouTube. Now, mind you, I had liked the uncut version for a long time, mainly because, I guess, the same old Friday the 13th formula was feeling stale when I'd seen it. I dunno. I defended it many times.

Having just watched it, I must admit now, it's bad. It's very bad. The core idea is bad. The story is bad and kinda boring. Many of the casting decisions are bad. The tone is all over the map. Some good, some so-so special effects.

The "references" to other horror franchises once seemed novel, now they seem lazy and a little pandering. Ooh, look, it's the actual Necronomicon prop from Evil Dead 2. How clever are we?

We get a little Jason at the beginning and a little Jason at the end. Jason Voorhees kills one person in this whole movie. Kind of defeats the purpose of calling it a Friday the 13th movie, doesn't it? At least Part 5 had Fake Jason and instead of a group of boring shlubs.

It wasn't as gory as I'd remembered it, even. One really gory bit about 1/3 in, one guy "melting" in the cheapest and most unconvincing way, and then some brain-popping near the end. Seriously, big whoop. Part 4 still wins in terms of viciousness.

3/10

[MadMan]

Thank you, Spun. Jason Goes To Hell is one of the worst in the series. If it wasn't for Jason X, it would be the worst. Part 3 also sucks. This is why I'm fine with only owning the first 8 films on DVD-they should have just shelved the series until Freddy vs. Jason.

[Mr. Pink]

We get a little Jason at the beginning and a little Jason at the end. Jason Voorhees kills one person in this whole movie. Kind of defeats the purpose of calling it a Friday the 13th movie, doesn't it? At least Part 5 had Fake Jason and instead of a group of boring shlubs.


Yeah, I've been wanting to re-visit this one (haven't seen it since it played in the theater), but then I remember Jason basically isn't even in it. What they tried in part 5 took balls, but this idea is pretty lame. Kinda sucks -- I was hoping I just didn't appreciate it as a teen, but I think I'll continue passing on a rewatch.



TV show is worth checking out, MadMan, although later episodes start to stink.

Shit. Is that the general consensus about the later episodes? I bought the entire series for dirt cheap on ebay but by the time I got to the last season my interest waned and I never finished it all. The first few episodes from season 7 were pretty boring, and probably half of season 6 sucked too.

But, yeah, there are a ton of killer episodes on the whole. Still one of my favorite tv series of all-time.

[MadMan]

I gave Jason Goes to Hell a 45, but it should have been a 35 the more I think about it. Really the best thing about the whole crapfest is one man:

http://www.digitribe.net/files/Duke.jpg

Screw the whole stupid mythology bullshit and everything. They should have just had Jason Goes To Hell be an epic battle between Duke and Jason, with some people in the middle who get killed off. That couldn't have a worse movie than what they actually went with.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Zoolander for sure. Titanic, not so much. At least, not intentionally so.

I think he knew exactly what he was doing.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I think he knew exactly what he was doing.

Perhaps, but Cameron is far too serious about that particular narrative to have pushed for that type of performance, and Cameron is such a controlling director, I'm not sure how much credit Zane should be given.