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

[Ezee E]

I rewatched Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom yesterday. Damn you guys for trying to convince me it's anything less than amazing. Spielberg is in top form with the first three Indiana Jones movies as far as having inventive setpieces, and it's so much fun. Capshaw is intentionally annoying, and it's quite hilarious to watch. And shit, the movie is effectively terrifying too. Holy crap, how was this PG? They have slaves drinking blood, Indiana Jones punching cigarette women, and hearts being torn out of chests.

****

[Grouchy]

I rewatched Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom yesterday. Damn you guys for trying to convince me it's anything less than amazing. Spielberg is in top form with the first three Indiana Jones movies as far as having inventive setpieces, and it's so much fun. Capshaw is intentionally annoying, and it's quite hilarious to watch. And shit, the movie is effectively terrifying too. Holy crap, how was this PG? They have slaves drinking blood, Indiana Jones punching cigarette women, and hearts being torn out of chests.

****
It's the movie that started the discussion towards PG-13.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Also, the final forty minutes of that movie is one of the best sustained action sequences ever filmed.

[Ezee E]

Also, the final forty minutes of that movie is one of the best sustained action sequences ever filmed.

Exactly. The progression from the temple to the outside i s seamless. Maybe the best action-adventure pieces there is.

[MadMan]

Temple of Doom is too uneven to be great, but I still enjoy the hell out of it. Also the rope bridge sequence might be my favorite scene in the entire series.

[Kurious Jorge v3.1]

Berberian Sound Studio - thoughts?

[Ezee E]

Berberian Sound Studio - thoughts?

At the Stanley Film Fest!

[Rowland]

I haven't seen it yet, but it's on my radar.

So I'm about halfway through rewatching The Evil Dead for the umpteenth time, and after being vaguely underwhelmed by my last viewing a few years back, I'm struck again by how much I love this movie, more so even than the sequel that most fans prefer. It helps as well that the remastered Blu-ray transfer is gorgeous, especially in relation to its DVD counterparts.

[Kurious Jorge v3.1]

At the Stanley Film Fest!

It's worth checking out. Its very clinical, understated psychological horror. Also, if you are a fan of the band Broadcast, their soundtrack for the film is spot-on, especially the music cue in the end scene.

[Winston*]

Also, the final forty minutes of that movie is one of the best sustained action sequences ever filmed.

All that mine car / water stuff is awful IMO. Looks like a theme park ride.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Bah!

::waves hand dismissively::

[MadMan]

I enjoyed Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974) last night. Its a pretty entertaining action/horror movie with a badass lead character and a decent amount of quality sword fights. And vampires, of course. Too bad there were never any sequels.

[Dead & Messed Up]

NEVERMIND.

[Dukefrukem]

Why did you remove it already? :(

http://www.notebookforums.com/content/type/61/id/366011/flags/LL

[Dead & Messed Up]

Needed to fix some things.

But I'm done now.

And you can enjoy.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEtZsGQwgyU

I recommend watching with the annotations off the first time through. More fun that way.

[Grouchy]

Why did you remove it already? :(

http://www.notebookforums.com/content/type/61/id/366011/flags/LL
I need to know what's this from. Uncle Boombee?

[EyesWideOpen]

I decided to rewatch the Evil Dead series before I saw the new one since it had been over 10 years since I had seen them. I'm through the first two now and I'm amazed how irrelevant the sequel makes the original. Ash started being the focal point of the Evil Dead series and every single aspect of the character is from the sequel forward. There is nothing that makes him stand out in any way from the actors in the first film other then he is the last one alive. The first film is just an average 80's horror film with enough Raimi-isms in the camera work and effects to make up for the poor acting and script. Thankfully in the second film Raimi actually starts to do stuff with Ash and fully develops the Evil Dead world and really amps up the Raimi style. I wonder if Raimi had used House (Hausu) for inspiration on the sequel because I get alot of the same vibe from both movies.

[Dead & Messed Up]

There's something to Ash insofar as he's constantly bested by flimsy bookshelves.

[Dukefrukem]

James. Fantastic! Your best video yet. I suspect this will get tons of hits.

You should make a 2nd video with the remake in the top right hand corner.

But a couple of omissions James!

The tracking shots with projectiles is a common theme in all three movies. The axe the eye ball and the arrow.
And rising from the grave is a common theme in all three movies. You could even mention there's a similar shot in the first Spider-man at the very end when his arm comes through the pile of bricks. 2:18


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euJvz0shUlo

[Raiders]

I need to know what's this from. Uncle Boombee?

The TV series The River.

[Dukefrukem]

I want to buy these (http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3191039/11-alternate-horror-posters-that-will-blow-your-mind/) :(

[MadMan]

That last part of your video DaMU is the coolest. I only own Army of Darkness though so until I get the rest of the trilogy I won't be able to do what you suggest.

And Duke those posters are pretty sweet. And now Bloody Disgusting is following me on Twitter, heh.

[megladon8]

Jen and I had a great time with Tucker and Dale vs. Evil.

[MadMan]

Subject to change since some movies might leave instant viewing, and its months ahead. But I made a list of Netflix Instant Viewing horror movies that I will try and view from August-November:

Horrorfest 2013 Instant Viewing Edition:

1. Tucker & Dale vs Evil (2010), slasher/comedy
2. Insidious (2010), ghost/demon
3. V/H/S (2012), anthology
4. Red State (2011), crazy people
5. Identity (2003), slasher
6. Land of the Dead (2005), zombies
7. Stake Land (2010), vampires
8. The Faculty (1998), aliens
9. The Hole (2009), demonic
10. The Ward (2011), ghosts
11. Session 9 (2001), ghosts
12. The Prophecy (1995), angels/demons
13. The Innkeepers (2011), ghosts
14. Poltergeist II (1986), demons
15. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986), slasher
16. The House of the Devil (2009), demonic
17. The Masque of the Red Death (1964), demonic
18. Mimic (1997), creature feature
19. Audition (1999), crazy people
20. Humanoids From The Deep (1980), creature feature
21. Bloody Birthday (1981), slasher
22. Bay of Blood (1971), slasher
23. Slugs (1987), creature feature
24. Deadly Blessing (1981), demonic
25. A Horrible Way To Die (2010), slasher
26. Carnosaur (1993), creature feature
27. Nomads (1986), ghots
28. Baron Blood (1972), slasher
29. Hatchet For a Honeymoon (1970), slasher
30. Dust Devil (1992), slasher
31. Splatter (2009), undead
32. 5 Dolls for an August Moon (1970), slasher
33. Shallow Ground (2004), supernatural

[Rowland]

Hey, you know what wasn't so bad, given its reputation? The Cave, which I wrote a brief blurb about at Letterboxd:

As far as directorial one-offs of disreputable genre fare by otherwise successful and accomplished assistant directors are concerned, this unfairly maligned creature feature makes a better case for Bruce Hunt (Dark City, the Matrix trilogy) deserving another chance at the helm than Resident Evil: Apocalypse did for Alexander Witt (most of Ridley Scott's post-'80s career, lots more). Horror fans will know the drill, but this is solid comfort food that improves in the rearview, with convincingly cavernous sets that predate Neil Marshall's otherwise superior The Descent, a judicial interweaving of largely passable CGI and practical creature effects, robust cinematography and editing (that admittedly leans towards incoherence a few too many times), and passable performances from a nondescript ensemble led by what develops into a surprisingly compelling turn by Cole Hauser of all people. Also, I like that the screenwriters set this beneath the Carpathian Mountains without making a point of it, if you get my drift.

[Dukefrukem]

I blind bought the Cave back in college. I remember it being very bad before I threw it out.

[Rowland]

I blind bought the Cave back in college. I remember it being very bad before I threw it out.That seems to have been the general consensus. I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it, but as something I turned on for background noise purposes, and with essentially rock bottom expectations, it struck me as unexpectedly watchable.

[Dukefrukem]

I can't believe how little movies I've been watching lately...

[Dead & Messed Up]

Welp, finally bought The Cabin in the Woods, mostly because of incoming birthday money. I've been trying to limit my purchases in the past few years to horror films that I think are among the absolute best, be it of all time or of their respective years.

It looks nice sitting next to Kill List, Attack the Block, Monsters, and The House of the Devil.

[MadMan]

Welp, finally bought The Cabin in the Woods, mostly because of incoming birthday money. I've been trying to limit my purchases in the past few years to horror films that I think are among the absolute best, be it of all time or of their respective years.

It looks nice sitting next to Kill List, Attack the Block, Monsters, and The House of the Devil.I own Attack The Block on DVD-it was a gift but not the rest. I have Kill List and The House of the Devil on my queue (one DVD, one instant) and I watched and loved Monsters last year.

As for Cabin in the Woods, I have this strange non-desire to view it. The only reason I can think of watching it now is so that I don't have the ending spoiled for me.

[megladon8]

I was very disappointed wth both Kill List and Attack the Block :(

[Dead & Messed Up]

I was very disappointed wth both Kill List and Attack the Block :(

And now I'm very disappointed with you.

So disappoint.

[Rowland]

I want a Martyrs blu-ray that I don't have to import from Canada for $20 which doesn't even include any extras. And Inside as well while I'm at it.

[megladon8]

And now I'm very disappointed with you.

So disappoint.

Kill List kind of bored me, and the ending lost all impact when I called it the second "it" came on screen.

Attack the Block was incredibly standard fare. I didn't get the hooplah around that one at all.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Bringing in a V/H/S discussion from the Top 10 Thread,

Scar, further breakdown?

I loved the succubus one and the girlfriend-skyping one, and I seriously dug on the haunted house one at the end (where they end up smacked by the train). The one with the hotel-hopping stalker was kinda meh, and I remember the slasher one being tedious. Which one did you hate?

[Dukefrukem]

Yeh but the skype one was very obtuse. I didn't understand exactly what was going on at the end.

All of the stories had great ideas, with the exception of the woods one.

The Hotel Stalker one is clearly the best. My boy Ti West does slow burn awesome.

[Scar]

Bringing in a V/H/S discussion from the Top 10 Thread,

Scar, further breakdown?

I loved the succubus one and the girlfriend-skyping one, and I seriously dug on the haunted house one at the end (where they end up smacked by the train). The one with the hotel-hopping stalker was kinda meh, and I remember the slasher one being tedious. Which one did you hate?

Succubus one was wonderfully creepy. The skyping one was pretty good. Loved the haunted house one. I recall actually enjoying the hotel one, and absolutely despising the slasher one.

So, after actually remembering all the stories:

One great creepy one.
A pretty good one.
Loved one.
An alright one.
An Abomination.

Hopefully the abomination doesn't ruin the experience. I'll rewatch it, and try to skip that one.

[Irish]

Bringing in a V/H/S discussion from the Top 10 thread

Ok, just to clarify: If someone liked "Creepshow" and "Tales from the Crypt" and maybe had a soft spot for stupid shit like "Tales from the Darkside," would "V/H/S" be worth the time?

[Dukefrukem]

No.

Those examples are much better than VHS as a whole.

[Scar]

Ok, just to clarify: If someone liked "Creepshow" and "Tales from the Crypt" and maybe had a soft spot for stupid shit like "Tales from the Darkside," would "V/H/S" be worth the time?

I wouldn't call VHS stupid shit, save for one of them. Definitely check it out when you get the chance.

[Rowland]

Only two of the shorts in VHS worked for me, and the ugly handheld format grew dull well before the end. Even though I had no idea what happened in the webcam short until I read about it online, I liked that it at least subverted this aesthetic issue with the Skype device. The ABCs of Death is better.

[Spun Lepton]

V/H/S
1st story -- Good.
2nd story -- Blew.
3rd story -- Meh.
4th story -- Meh.
5th story -- Good.
Wrapper -- Blew.

[Dukefrukem]

Spun, either you mixed up the stories or you really thought the Camping Trip one is better than the Honeymoon one?

[Rowland]

I thought the premise of the threat in the camping trip one was really clever, it was just executed poorly and didn't mesh well with the lame slasher satire.

[Spun Lepton]

Spun, either you mixed up the stories or you really thought the Camping Trip one is better than the Honeymoon one?

Yes. Because West's entry was the most mundane and predictable of the group. I didn't much care for the slasher one, but I did like the "why can't I film you?" angle.

[Winston*]

I thought the first nighttime surveillance scene in West's one was the most genuinely unnerving part of the anthology. Too bad the short completely undoes itself with its dumb ending.

[Winston*]

The worst segment was the wraparound segment. So irritating.

[Scar]

I thought the first nighttime surveillance scene in West's one was the most genuinely unnerving part of the anthology.

Yes.


Too bad the short completely undoes itself with its dumb ending.

I wouldn't go that far, but it definitely lessened the segment.

[Winston*]

Yes.



I wouldn't go that far, but it definitely lessened the segment.

OMG theyre lesbians WTF!

[megladon8]

Really didn't like The Woman.

And I'm really not sure what McKee & Ketchum were trying to say, with every male character a rapist chauvinist and every female character the victim of mens' perverted violence. It's obviously satirical...but of what?

[Dead & Messed Up]

I don't know if it's necessarily satirical (or, at least, that it wants to be outright funny), but it's definitely an extreme version of family abuse, and the sad facts of how easily households can be controlled and dominated, and how cruelty can just become a part of things, like brushing your teeth. In that way, it plays with ideas that might be more difficult to sell as a traditional picture. My dim memories of the film are that you do briefly see other men who seem to be living well-adjusted lives, and you meet the female teacher who's empowered and happy...

which makes her victimization especially hard to watch

...and so I hesitate to say that the film's making any overarching judgments of gender outside of the household. Although I can understand such readings, giving McKee's reputation as a feminist director.

In terms of the whole abuse-gone-amok, the most horrifying thing to me was how

the boy, being brought up in that environment since birth, has actually become more evil than his father. Because this whole way of behaving isn't just second nature to him, it's first nature.

Anyway. Damn shame you didn't like it.

[Winston*]

Satire is an odd word to describe it. There's no real direct social commentary in it. It's a grotesque. The misogynistic implications of the Pygmalion plot heightened to a horrific extent. I found it invigoratingly unpleasant.

[megladon8]

I honestly don't remember there being a male presence in the film that wasn't predatory.

Even the older male teacher out for a smoke break with the young female teacher under the bleachers makes inappropriate comments and innuendos.

[megladon8]

Any horror fans who are either unaware of or unsure whether they should pull the trigger on the new Scream Factory Blu Ray re-releases of classic 80's horrors, they are totally worth it.

Received Prison and the double-whammy of Terrorvision and The Video Dead yesterday. Awesome transfers, bevvy of extras, fantastic cover art (including that cool see-thru interior plastic with more art on the inside), and they all come with a second disc of the film and extras on DVD.

[Rowland]

Any horror fans who are either unaware of or unsure whether they should pull the trigger on the new Scream Factory Blu Ray re-releases of classic 80's horrors, they are totally worth it.

Received Prison and the double-whammy of Terrorvision and The Video Dead yesterday. Awesome transfers, bevvy of extras, fantastic cover art (including that cool see-thru interior plastic with more art on the inside), and they all come with a second disc of the film and extras on DVD.I already own their releases of From Beyond and The Funhouse, and I'll be picking up The Fog and Electra Glide in Blue when they're released in a few months. Maybe Lifeforce too. Good stuff.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Have not, but I don't think any amount of transfer quality or features would convince me to buy The Video Dead.

[megladon8]

Got a region free DVD/BluRay player today, so we can finally watch our R2 copy of the Irish horror/comedy Grabbers!

[Irish]

Any opinions on the "Crazies" remake from 2010? I just saw a trailer and it looked pretty good.

[Derek]

Any opinions on the "Crazies" remake from 2010? I just saw a trailer and it looked pretty good.

It's quite a bit overrated here, but it is a surprisingly good and teh Olyphant brings it.

[Dead & Messed Up]

It's decent. Olyphant's good, but the surprise is a side-player portrayed by Joe Anderson. He's fighting his own crazy throughout the film. Easily the most compelling element of the film.

[MadMan]

I liked The Crazies a lot. rouge's review of it is better than anything I could write about it. One of the better horror remakes imo.

[Spun Lepton]

Any opinions on the "Crazies" remake from 2010? I just saw a trailer and it looked pretty good.

Head and shoulders above the original. It doesn't aspire to be anything more than pure entertainment and it hits the mark perfectly.

[Irish]

Very cool. Thanks for the rec, guys. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.

[Dukefrukem]

Very cool. Thanks for the rec, guys. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.

One of the few instances where the remake is much better than the original.

[MadMan]

Very cool. Thanks for the rec, guys. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.Awesome. Crazies (2010) spoilers:

And I was even more amused because the truck station that they end up at is one I've visited. Plus they walk up to Cedar Rapids, which is where I live heh. Oh God the zombies are coming heh...well they weren't really zombies.

PS: Did you catch the video clip during the edit credits with Bruce Aune? He's the anchorman for CR's local KCRG Channel 9, so it was funny to see him reporting the news about the disaster and everything.

PPS: I checked and apparently a nuclear blast wouldn't cause the local Palo nuke plant to meltdown, although maybe the small fictional town wasn't close to Palo. Still I'm pretty sure a nuclear explosion would be noticed. I didn't mind too much though...

[Irish]

@MadMan: Holy shit that is WILDLY cool. I had no idea those were real places, or the newscaster was a real guy. That's awesome.

[MadMan]

@MadMan: Holy shit that is WILDLY cool. I had no idea those were real places, or the newscaster was a real guy. That's awesome.I'm pretty sure the town in the movie is not a real Iowa town, however its certainly based on your typical rural Iowa town. I've been to plenty in my lifetime, especially the ones where I have relatives.

Yeah I've even met Bruce in person. He seems cool, I guess. I posted a little bit about Cedar Rapids when I did a thread in OT asking people about where they live. Its not the greatest place in the world, but it is my home-and I've posted plenty about the local bars in the Drunk Thread, of course....

[megladon8]

Grabbers was awesome. A lot of fun. Very funny.

[Irish]

Help a poster out again:

Top Five Zombie Movies Ever Made

Particularly interested in hearing from people who consider themselves hardcore fans of the genre.

[Grouchy]

I'm afraid most of the lists are gonna have pretty much the same movies in them.

As for me:

1. Dawn of the Dead
2. Night of the Living Dead
3. Braindead
4. Dellamore Dellamorte
5. Re-Animator

[Spun Lepton]

1. Dawn of the Dead (orig.)
2. Night of the Living Dead (orig.)
3. Dead/Alive (a.k.a. Braindead)
4. Return of the Living Dead
5. Shaun of the Dead

[D_Davis]

1. Dead Alive
2. Biozombie
3. Dawn of the Dead '04
4. Return of the Living Dead
5. Re-Animator

[Bosco B Thug]

1. Day of the Dead
2. The Night of the Living Dead
3. Dawn of the Dead (78)
4. Dead/Alive (Braindead)
5. The Return of the Living Dead

Omitted I Walked With a Zombie cuz Irish might mean "fun" or zombie horde films.

[Dukefrukem]

Help a poster out again:

Top Five Zombie Movies Ever Made

Particularly interested in hearing from people who consider themselves hardcore fans of the genre.

5. Tie! Shaun of the Dead / BrainDead aka Dead Alive
4. 28 Days Later
3. Dawn of the Dead (04)
2. Dawn of the Dead (orig)
1. Night of the Living Dead (orig)

edit: DD/Grouchy are right with Re-Animator. Also very good. Night of the Creeps good. Return of the Living Dead good.

[Dukefrukem]

I googled Dawn of the Dead images and found this. It's funny to me because you can totally see the non-makeup skin on the guy falling to his knees... but it's an official released photo.

http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Third_Party_Photo/2009/10/01/dawn_dead2__1254411465_6543.jp g

[Dead & Messed Up]

Cemetery Man
Dawn of the Dead
I Walked With a Zombie
Night of the Living Dead
Re-Animator

Unranked.

[Ezee E]

Dawn of the Dead (2000s)
28 Weeks Later
Zombie (aka Zombi 2)
Night of the Living Dead
Dead Snow

[Rowland]

Zombie (aka Zombi 2)
Pfft.

Zombi 3


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnv-eIiWKMs

[Dukefrukem]

Pfft.

Zombi 3


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnv-eIiWKMs

Ugh. I hate those movies so much.

[Dukefrukem]

ANd if you want some great campy awesome zombie fun (after you watch Dead Alive of course) check out Undead. I own this.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQrpx13SK7k

[Spun Lepton]

Pfft.

Zombi 3


Oh my sweet Christ I must find this movie!

[Rowland]

Oh my sweet Christ I must find this movie!They don't make synapse-imploding crap like they used to.

[Spun Lepton]

If we're highlighting some extremely bad zombie movies, allow me to present a couple.

BOTH VIDEOS ARE VERY NSFW


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RUCuLnsLeA

And one of my all-time favorite bad movies ...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SetTVz-690k

[Rowland]

My friends and I were fond of Nightmare City back in the day:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_oy0mhWFBQ

[Spun Lepton]

My friends and I were fond of Nightmare City back in the day:

I bought that stinker for $5 on DVD, used. Watched it once. Yeah, it's bad.

It was all a dream!

Wait, no it wasn't!

Wait ... YES IT WAS!!!!

hehe ...

[EyesWideOpen]

I remember one of my friends buying Undead from the first Comic-Con I went to. This was before it got a US release and he was all excited for it. It was terrible.

[Dukefrukem]

Your face is terrible.

[Dead & Messed Up]

The only thing I liked about Undead was that bit with the soda can.

[Scar]

Oh my sweet Christ I must find this movie!

I will see what I can do when I get back home this afternoon.

[Skitch]

VERSUS

[megladon8]

I'm late to the game on the "Top 5 Zombie Movies", but it shouldn't matter much since my list is unfortunately fairly by-the-numbers.

The reason being that 99% of zombie films (I've seen a lot of them, so it's not like I'm posting my top 5 of 6) are absolutely fucking terrible (use of the F-word necessary and poignant). Seriously, some of the very, very worst excuses for cinema I have ever seen have been in the zombie movie sub-genre.

Night of the Living Dead ('68)
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (aka The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue)
Dawn of the Dead
Return of the Living Dead
Fido

Let Sleeping Corpses Lie is a criminally underseen masterpiece, and if there is one single thing you take from my post, it isthat you must see this movie.

[Dukefrukem]

ah I forgot about Fido. Nice.

[Grouchy]

Let Sleeping Corpses Lie is a criminally underseen masterpiece, and if there is one single thing you take from my post, it isthat you must see this movie.
This is true, by the way.

And although it's fairly obvious if you do a little search, Dellamore Dellamorte and Cemetery Man are the same (awesome) movie.

[megladon8]

This is true, by the way.

And although it's fairly obvious if you do a little search, Dellamore Dellamorte and Cemetery Man are the same (awesome) movie.



Glad someone else here has seen and loved this.

Jen and I were taken aback when we saw it. We hadn't been genuinely creeped out by a zombie movie in years, but this one did it.

The first zombie by the creek, his creepily inhuman turn...*shudders*

And the scene in the cemetery basement was tense as hell.

[Rowland]

City of the Living Dead and The Beyond both feature zombies, and I'm a big fan of those. Didn't used to be, but Fulci has grown on me over the years.

[Grouchy]

I think the reason why it's so underseen is that it just doesn't look like a good movie. It's an obvious attempt to cash in on the success of Dawn of the Dead, except that they managed to make a terrific film that's ten times creepier than the Romero - which, granted, doesn't really aim for scares.

I saw this sometime in 2011 where I used to go to a bar that screened Horror films every Tuesday. I went every week with my friends mostly to get drunk laughing at incredibly bad movies like Blood Freak (which, by the way, is a riot) or the Paul Naschy werewolf saga - except we all had to agree that this was actually very good.

[megladon8]

It also has totally random, right-out-of-nowhere boobies in the first 30 seconds!!

[Dead & Messed Up]

Watched The Funhouse and Phantasm II. Don't have the energy to say a lot right now, but briefly: the former was an uninspired but unobjectionable re-dressing of TCM in carnival clothing. The best sequence - the subversive and intriguing opening that fuses old-time Universal horror and explicitly sexual slasher tropes - primes the viewer for the new-stuffed-inside-the-old spirit, but it also makes the rest of the movie kinda superfluous. Certainly by the time

a carnie hooker gives Frankenstein a handjob

I felt like the movie was just hitting the same idea over and over. Some reasonable suspense in those ducts.

Phantasm II was a decent sequel that nonetheless made me pine for the more free-associative style of the first. Weirdly, despite its straightforward approach, II didn't say much the first film didn't already communicate. I was hoping for more depth and surrounding mythology for the ol' balls of death. Instead, I got Diet Raimi. Not bad, fine in a pinch, but you can't beat the real thing.

[Rowland]

I'm a big fan of The Funhouse, but I agree with your indifference to Phantasm II, it was enough to turn me off from bothering with the later sequels.

[Dukefrukem]

I made a thread in the 2013 section, but Dark Skies is a must see for horror/terror/alien lovers.

[MadMan]

Top 5 Zombie movies for me would be:

1. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
2. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
3. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
4. 28 Days Later (2002)
5. Re-Animator (1985)

Let Sleeping Corpses Lie is pretty great, but it doesn't make the cut for me. Versus is good as well. A new favorite zombie flick of mine is Dance of the Dead (2008) with a quality cast of kids and some good jokes.

[megladon8]

I loved The Funhouse.

I found Phantasm II to be the worst of the series, yet fans quite often cite it as the very best.

[Grouchy]

A new favorite zombie flick of mine is Dance of the Dead (2008) with a quality cast of kids and some good jokes.
I know I saw that but it blurs together with too many zombie-comedies film for me.

[megladon8]

The Town That Dreaded Sundown is an utter mess with a few inspired moments sprinkled throughout.

It reminded me of the original Last House on the Left in its completely inappropriate musical score and humorous moments. But while The Last House on the Left was a fabricated story, this film is a retelling of true events and even presents itself as a full-fledged documentary, so the screwball music and goofy moments (cops cross-dressing and feeling each other's fake boobs! What a lark!) seem all the more icky and ill-conceived.

The crimes themselves are surprisingly brutal and starkly shot. Opening with an initial attack on a couple parked in a lover's lane and culminating in a fictional chase and shootout (which was actually written in by lead actor Andrew Prine, as the real story was significantly more anti-climactic), the film has scenes and moments of true tension and dread.

But it continues to shoot itself in the foot with inconsistent tone (and even intent), which unfortunately outweighs any positive elements the film had to share.

[MadMan]

I know I saw that but it blurs together with too many zombie-comedies film for me.Fair enough. I just like it because its a fun movie and I was surprised that the kid actors were actually good for a change. That's a nice touch.

Yeah The Town That Dreaded Sundown is merely decent at best. But man was the bag headed killer really creepy-and a great inspiration for Jason's costume in Friday the 13th Part 2.

[Spun Lepton]

So, by pure chance, I stumbled across a copy of a horror film that I briefly worked on (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1839454/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) a couple years ago. I've only watched the first five minutes and so far it's been painful. There were rumors floating about that the couple in charge of the production had lied about having insurance, which, if true, was a pretty stupid move on their part. That might also account for its crappy distribution. Well, that and from what I've seen so far, it looks pretty bad.

I think I'm going to treat it like this week's Netflix movie and review it, but put the review here because, well, it's not on Netflix!

[Spun Lepton]

I'm not going to review it. It took three sittings to get through it. Just to quickly summarize: no story structure (which I knew going in because I read the script), laughably pretentious, painful narration, and ultimately boring as fuck. They also scrapped the ending that was in the script for something that made even less sense.

On the up-side, the shots where I held the boom mic were used. Sound was crisp and the mic didn't dip into the shot. Success?

[Skitch]

Great success!

[MadMan]

Poor Spun, heh...

[Dead & Messed Up]

Posted some thoughts about John Dies At the End, book vs. movie, on mah blog. Reposted:

Imagine Joseph Campbell invaded by Lovecraft monsters and sprinkled with National Lampoon humor, and you have some idea of the tone of sci-fi/horror novel John Dies At the End. The book is a sharp, silly story that unexpectedly deepens as it develops, and the one-damn-monster-after-the-other pacing allows almost no downtime between its bursts of violence and adolescent jokes. Sometimes the two connect, like when the heroes attempt to escape a meat monster (built entirely out of cold cuts) and are cut short by a doorknob that magically turns into a penis. What're they supposed to do, twist the knob? Don't be gay.

The heroes of the novel are David and John, freelance ghost-busters who discover a strange drug they call "soy sauce" that gives its users telepathy and partial omniscience. Cool, right? Unfortunately, the soy sauce connects in some oblique way to an enigmatic being called Korrok, who's currently drawing up ominous plans for life, the universe, and everything. One of the best moments in the book is the reveal of what exactly Korrok is, in large part because the reveal also gives Korrok an unexpected sense of personality. Against Korrok's manipulations and monster emissaries, David takes small but tenable steps toward some kind of maturity.

At times, the book's storyline threatens to spin apart - author David Wong (an alias for Jason Pargin of Cracked) originally started the story as an online serial, and the enormous, haphazardly-explained bestiary (snake women, trans-dimensional scorpions, zombies) suggests someone fearful of losing the shortest of attention spans. Luckily, the constant invention keeps events fast-paced, and the heroes respond with an admirable, pop-culture-infused deadpan. An example: after discovering an enchanted doorway, John refers to the wasteland they find on the other side as "Shit Narnia."

The novel's overstuffed, generous quality feels like a perfect fit for Don Coscarelli, the filmmaker behind the kooky Phantasm series and the improbably dramatic Bubba Ho-Tep. The latter deserves extra mention: an adaptation of a short story by the prolific Joe R. Lansdale, Bubba juggles memoir, American history, mummy attacks, and jokes about male organs. The film makes you laugh, and then it involves, and then the film makes you laugh again because it got you involved. With Bubba, I gained a deep respect for Coscarelli, who found sincerity and a little bit of truth in a story about a corpse that sucks souls out of the buttholes of old people.

John Dies At the End, unfortunately, doesn't quite match the success of Bubba Ho-Tep. In order to make the movie work as a hundred-minute feature, Coscarelli inevitably removes much of the near-500-page novel. What sucks is that so much of what he removes feels essential to the novel's heart and ideas, and what remains feels superficial, with only slight hints of the story's dramatic impact. The steps of the journey remain loosely intact, but the path is gone. Some of the more notable changes:

In the novel, the events of John Dies At the End take place over the course of a couple of years. In the film, the story's compressed into a few days (if even that).

In the novel, there's much more emphasis on the tentative relationship between David and love interest Amy. In the film, they pass few words, and their kiss at the end feels perfunctory.

In the novel, there's a trip to Las Vegas that leads to a disastrous monster invasion. In the film, this extended sequence is completely gone. Although the sub-plot's exclusion makes sense, given time and budget restrictions, dammit, it hurts to see that piece yanked out of the puzzle. In the novel, it's an important sign that David and John are up against something far beyond their level - there's a mortal toll to their fight with the creatures. In fairness, the film's story functions without the Las Vegas adventure, and non-readers won't know something's missing.

This leaves what is arguably the most vital omission - the loss of an important late-novel twist. This twist (a satisfying and sad reveal on the page) is hinted at by the opening scene of both film and movie. The scene hinges on a philosophical riddle: if you first replace the head of an ax, and then later replace the handle, is it the same ax you started out with? In other words, does full renewal signify the end of something, or is it simply a sign of how transitory existence is? Think of fixing a car piece by piece until there aren't any old pieces left. Think of how the human body's fully replaced, on a cellular level, every seven years. Are you thinking about it? Confusing, right? While we're at it, what is the sound of one hand clapping?

With the surprise at the end removed, the opening loses much of its importance and becomes just another piece of weirdness. The sequence is vivid, for sure (chopping off a zombie's head is always a good way to get the ball rolling), but Coscarelli may have been wise to skip the opening scene altogether and use that time later on, to build a firmer relationship between David and Amy.

Beyond all that, the largest problem with the movie is...well...Coscarelli puts on a good show. He threads Wong's narration in and out of the film without running into information overload. He draws in a fantastic cast. Heavy-hitters like Clancy Brown and Paul Giamatti chew into smaller roles, while Chase Williamson nails the flippant acceptance of David Wong. Coscarelli's camera switches effortlessly between frenetic action scenes and sequences of slow-mounting dread. Some cheap computer effects in the finale notwithstanding, this is a good-looking film, and the style feels just right for the never-quite-serious, never-a-total-joke style of the novel. There are even a few ties to Coscarelli's Phantasm series, with a black bar as a signpost to other dimensions, and a helmeted hero wielding a flamethrower.

Maybe with time, the changes to the story will seem less upsetting and more understandable, and I suspect non-readers will dig on the film's undeniable ambition and goofy qualities. I hope they do. John Dies At the End isn't a bad movie. It just feels like the Cliff's Notes version of itself.

[Morris Schæffer]

Tom Woodruff Jr. and Alec Gillis ask for your support in funding a sci-fi horror flick that will consist entirely of practical creature effects.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/62718

I didn't know the thing 2011 was all practical FX until the studio decided to interfere. Why would they do that?!

[Spun Lepton]

Good article, DaMU. Thanks for not giving too much away about the book. I do plan to read it one of these days.

[Spun Lepton]

Tom Woodruff Jr. and Alec Gillis ask for your support in funding a sci-fi horror flick that will consist entirely of practical creature effects.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/62718

I didn't know the thing 2011 was all practical FX until the studio decided to interfere. Why would they do that?!

I was skeptical, but damn if they don't make a great pitch.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Yeah, that does look great (damn convincing gorilla, too), but I think a huge factor here is how skilled Alec Gillis is on the page and behind the camera, and he's relatively untested. If he and Woodruff were able to enlist a James Gunn type, I'd be 100% behind this.

[megladon8]

I kinda dug Pandorum.

I mean, yeah, bad dialogue abounds and some of the action is incomprehensible due to quick-cutting, but the set design, monsters and overall mood of the thing made me dig it (I guess in the same way that I still dig Event Horizon despite its many, many shortcomings as well).

While I saw one of the little twists coming...

...that Quaid was the psycho who had woken up previously.

But I didn't call the final bit about their journey.

It wasn't too good, but I enjoyed it. If that makes sense.

[Skitch]

Pandorum gets better with every viewing. I was kind of meh on it in the theater, it was too dark. Bluray cleared that up, crystal. Its no masterpiece, but I quite enjoy that flick.

[Dukefrukem]

I love Pandorum .

[Rowland]

I wouldn't go out of my way to watch it again, but Pandorum was better than I expected, especially when you're as in the dark as Ben Foster for the first half or so, and while the script grows increasingly derivative as the twists are piled on, the intrigue remains pretty involving throughout. Nice production values too.

[Skitch]

Beings that you're giving it a moderate yay, I recommend you give it another spin sometime. It played so much better the second time around.

[Irish]

Random question of the week: What's your favorite horror that takes place in a single (or near single) location? (Eg: The Thing, Evil Dead, etc).

[Grouchy]

http://www.impawards.com/1976/posters/tenant.jpg

That tagline is pretty hilarious. It actually predates the Samantha Geimer case.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Dawn of the Dead takes place pretty much all in that mall after the first twenty minutes, but that film seems more a mix of horror/action/dark comedy. In terms of scare quotient, probably The Haunting.

[Ezee E]

The Shining.

[Winston*]

Alien

[Skitch]

The film Below is pretty awesome.

[MadMan]

Night of the Living Dead (1968).

PS: 500th post in this thread. I've been slacking.

[Spun Lepton]

The Thing is my favorite movie, so that would probably be my answer.

[Yxklyx]

The Shining.

[Irish]

I wouldn't go out of my way to watch it again, but Pandorum was better than I expected, especially when you're as in the dark as Ben Foster for the first half or so, and while the script grows increasingly derivative as the twists are piled on, the intrigue remains pretty involving throughout. Nice production values too.

I watched this because you guys talked it up a bit, and your post pretty well captures my thoughts. It maintains interest all the way to the end, but at the same time I couldn't help but feel like this was the blueprint to a better movie. It throws around a whole bunch of interesting ideas, none of which are fully explored.

Loved Foster & Quaid & the production values go a long way to making it work. Disappointed they were so shallow and derivative when it came to the creatures. They're basically a generic boogeyman: Morlocks, Reavers, Rhakghouls, whatever.

Still a pleasant surprise as I went in blind. Dismayrd the critics thrashed it so heavily, especially since it's a big step above generic sci fi actioners like "Lockout," "Predators, or any of the "Resident Evil" movies. They didn't make any kind of great movie or anything, but shit, at least this one was trying to do something interesting.

[Skitch]

And it still feels like it improves on rewatches. :pritch:

[Mr. Pink]

If The Thing qualifies, that would be my pick. Honorable mentions to Suspiria, Evil Dead Trap, Night of the Living Dead, and Black Christmas.


Saw Hatchet 3 the other night. Wouldn't recommend it unless you liked the first two, since it's more of the same cornball jokes, bad acting and relentless gore. I enjoy the blatant throwback nature of the series, though, and it does just enough right to keep me watching. The killer is such a hulking badass it's hard to turn away from.

[Lucky]

The Descent

[Irish]

This week's random question: What one horror movie would you recommend to someone who says they don't like horror movies? How does that movie best represent the genre? How does it appeal to people who are biased against horror?

To think of it another way, pretend that all horror on earth will be destroyed next week. What's the one movie you save for future generations?

PS: Awesome responses to last week's question. I wouldn't have thought of a lot of those (@Skitch, I grabbed a copy of "Below" and will watch it soon).

[Dukefrukem]

Either Scream or the Thing (JC's of course).

The Thing because it inflects most of it's terror around the build and what ISN't shown on screen, misdirecting the audience, but also because it is quite gory at times. The practical effects are exquisite. It's also a meeker ending in the horror movie sense rather than a happy ending.

Scream because its a lighter horror movie, in the sense where it has a comical style, and it's a screenplay that essentially makes fun of the genre that it lives in, but still delivers a great climax, great characters and decent acting.

[Skitch]

PS: Awesome responses to last week's question. I wouldn't have thought of a lot of those (@Skitch, I grabbed a copy of "Below" and will watch it soon).

Totally underrated gem in the rough, look forward to your thoughts!

As for this weeks questions...you kind of asked two. Cabin In The Woods can break down some walls for non-horror fans. I've seen it happen, and it's beautiful. If I had to save one, The Shining. Sure, many debate it even being a horror movie, but I've also forced my anti-horror friend to watch it and he came off loving it. I also forced him to watch Silence of the Lambs and Seven in the same night, under the excuse that he must watch them or else he can't judge them. He loved all three, but maintains they're thrillers, not horror. True of the last two, but I still think The Shining is a horror film; its certainly is terrifying to me.

[Dukefrukem]

Random question of the week: What's your favorite horror that takes place in a single (or near single) location? (Eg: The Thing, Evil Dead, etc).

I could name stuff already said, The Thing, Evil Dead, Alien, CITW.... but I really dig 2LDK.

MC aka the Axis is what turned me on to it way back in 05.

Also, does the Mist count?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUXUkb34Dms

[Skitch]

I suppose The Mist was in a single town.

I forgot about 2LDK! Fun stuff!

[Spun Lepton]

This week's random question: What one horror movie would you recommend to someone who says they don't like horror movies?

I wouldn't. In my experience, people who say they don't like this genre or that genre aren't open to anything and will dislike everything you suggest.

[Grouchy]

I wouldn't. In my experience, people who say they don't like this genre or that genre aren't open to anything and will dislike everything you suggest.
This is true.

But my answer to both questions would be Night of the Living Dead. It's near impossible to dislike that movie.

[Scar]

Jess loves Cabin in the Woods, so that's a start.

[Dead & Messed Up]

While I agree with Spun in practice, in theory I'd probably recommend Poltergeist, because it's a funhouse ride of a movie that's frightening without being excessively violent, carries the Spielberg name and a PG rating, and has a strong, genuine emotional core with the family.

If I could only preserve one for the future, it'd be either Nosferatu or Alien. The former because it's pretty much ground zero for cinematic horror (Caligari's great but too stage-derived). The latter because it contains every kind of fear there is: cosmic horror, body horror, slasher sequences, and a haunted house environment. Its villain evokes fears of rape and disastrous pregnancy, before it evolves into something with reptilian, insectile, and piscine features. And the film fuses all of these and somehow feels singular.

[transmogrifier]

A quadruple feature:

Insidious - Yeah, I don't find made up paranormal myths all that exciting. Just give me a simple vengeful spirit and get on with it; don't try to get me interested in astral projection and silly little spirit communities in The Further. Starts well and Rose Byrne is an excellent audience surrogate, but then Patrick Wilson gets in on the act and it all becomes just a little silly and worse, not scary. (43)

Lake Eden - what does it say about me that the most most uncomfortable I felt during any of these four movies was when Fassbender goes to confront the youths right near the start, and is met with hostility. He just stands there, all social training out the window, and can do nothing but walk off, emasculated. The rest of the film is tight and tense, but I think the ending is botched. I like the general idea of it, but the film fails to set it up in a way that provides genuine moral complexity; rather it just comes across as "Well, what did you expect from these lower-class people?" (65)

Isolation - killer cows! And done completely straight, unlike the atrociously horrible Black Sheep. The first half is the best, before it starts to half-arsedly try to explain what is going on and then spends all its time trying to make a monster scary without ever really establishing the parameters of the hypothetical threat. (57)

Inside - the most expertly constructed of the four, with some indelible shots and nightmarish imagery. I actually thought the backstory reveal cheapened it all a little bit, and I think the film would have been even more effective if the true purpose of the invasion was kept hidden for much longer. (68)

Is it a coincidence that (don't click unless you have seen them all)
all four movies have downbeat endings, with the protagonists to one degree or another essentially losing the battle (Inside the most obvious of the bunch, Insidious and Eden Lake try for a little ambiguity but still they are screwed, and Isolation the most arguable). Is nihilism the new cliche, or has it always been this way in horror?

[megladon8]

I thought Isolation was inspired.

[MadMan]

With a bit of editing and some further tweaking here's my review of Strange Behavior, which I wrote when I saw the film back in October 2010:

Strange Behavior (originally written 10/30/10, entered 7/2/13):

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_j4twdnk8ZvI/TFxQB_iPiQI/AAAAAAAAC0c/PWT3tWakVmw/s400/strange+behavior+killer.jpg

As much a slasher movie as it is a sci-fi "Science gone amok" movie, the under rated cult film Strange Behavior is a rather odd, and thus stands out from its brethren. By the time of Strange Behavior's release, slasher movies were a large part of the horror genre and 1980s was about to usher in the sub-genere's heyday. Created a year after Halloween clone Friday the 13th, Strange Behavior has been somewhat forgotten, perhaps because of its weird plot. Or maybe the numerous slasher movies that followed left more of an impression upon viewers.

Having now seen way more 80s slasher movies since viewing this film, I now realize even more how unique and original this movie really is. Weird experiments taking place at a local college are resulting in the studies' willing guinea pigs killing people at random. What it all really means is a mystery, however someone is maybe pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

http://blog.ctnews.com/meyers/files/2011/12/strange2.jpg

The film's dreamlike 80s pop style soundtrack, well executed by Tangerine Dream, only makes this movie feel and seem even more bizarre. However the film doesn't seem to go far enough with its commentary on conformity and leaves behind the science implications in favor of gory yet well crafted terror inspiring moments that really fail to be scary if you have viewed a horror movie before.

What really sticks out in my mind is how the film ends-the last act is really quite unexpected. Considering that it was fairly well made and is clearly smarter than most of the slasher films that followed, Strange Behavior is rare gem. I thank TCM for airing the movie when they did back in 2010, and I hope that more people get a chance to check out a most welcomed addition to the slasher genre. 82

[Spun Lepton]

FYI: The Blu-ray of the Evil Dead remake is on sale at Target for $20. Tin case. I couldn't resist.

On that note, having finally watched a nice copy of the movie, I'm as surprised at anybody to say that I really like it! There are one or two eye-rolling moments (the battery), and a couple of painful lines, but overall it is some sick fun. And HOLY CRAP did they get away with a ton of gore for an R-rating. Definitely a worthy addition to the series. 7/10

[megladon8]

FYI: The Blu-ray of the Evil Dead remake is on sale at Target for $20. Tin case. I couldn't resist.

On that note, having finally watched a nice copy of the movie, I'm as surprised at anybody to say that I really like it! There are one or two eye-rolling moments (the battery), and a couple of painful lines, but overall it is some sick fun. And HOLY CRAP did they get away with a ton of gore for an R-rating. Definitely a worthy addition to the series. 7/10



Completely agreed!

Jen and I found this and Fright Night to both be very pleasant surprises that began as "Jesus H. Christ why are they doing this???" projects.

[Rowland]

I've been surprised by how many indifferent and even straight-up antagonistic responses I've seen to Evil Dead, since I still consider it the most fun, if you could call it, that I've had in the theater this year.

[Irish]

Kinda shocked by these posts.

Lemme ask you guys this: If I enjoyed "Army of Darkness" far more than the original two "Evil Dead" movies, will I enjoy this remake? Also, how badly will I miss the presence of Bruce Campbell? (I'm one of those people who watches "Burn Notice" solely because Campbell is on on it.)

I'm curious as hell now because of Spun's raves & Megladon's & Rowland's enthusiasm.

[Scar]

Kinda shocked by these posts.

Lemme ask you guys this: If I enjoyed "Army of Darkness" far more than the original two "Evil Dead" movies, will I enjoy this remake? Also, how badly will I miss the presence of Bruce Campbell? (I'm one of those people who watches "Burn Notice" solely because Campbell is on on it.)

I'm curious as hell now because of Spun's raves & Megladon's & Rowland's enthusiasm.

It is nothing like Army of Darkness. AoD is slapstick fun times, while ED13 is brutal bloody horror.

[megladon8]

Yeah, of Raimi's films, the remake has the most in common with the original, due to its being all-out horror. Completely devoid of the slapstick nuttiness that took place in the second, and became the lifeblood of the third.

That being said, that's where the similarities end.

Honestly, what I found most admirable about the remake is that it doesn't even attempt to remake the events of Raimi's trilogy.

There's a cabin in the woods, and an evil book. That's all there is that echoes the original(s).

The cast of characters is completely different, the events that transpire are different and unique.

It may not have Bruce Campbell, but it has Jane Levy, and she's kind of a revelation. Really, really awesome performance.

[Scar]

Irish, if you want humor, go watch Cabin in the Woods.

[Irish]

It is nothing like Army of Darkness. AoD is slapstick fun times, while ED13 is brutal bloody horror.

Yeah, of Raimi's films, the remake has the most in common with the original, due to its being all-out horror. Completely devoid of the slapstick nuttiness that took place in the second, and became the lifeblood of the third.

That being said, that's where the similarities end.

Honestly, what I found most admirable about the remake is that it doesn't even attempt to remake the events of Raimi's trilogy.

There's a cabin in the woods, and an evil book. That's all there is that echoes the original(s).

The cast of characters is completely different, the events that transpire are different and unique.

It may not have Bruce Campbell, but it has Jane Levy, and she's kind of a revelation. Really, really awesome performance.

Wow, holy shit. That's cool. I can go in with different expectations. I'm gonna watch this tonight if I can dig up a copy.

[Irish]

Irish, if you want humor, go watch Cabin in the Woods.

Seen it, dug it, might have to see it again. I didn't get as much out of it as some of people here, so I'm left with this vague feeling I missed out on something.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I was more lukewarm on Evil Dead. I didn't think that Fede Alvarez really carved out a fresh approach to the material; it feels like Evil Dead's basic premise and spirit re-interpreted through Platinum Dunes.

I did enjoy the final twenty minutes.

[Rowland]

Am I mistaken in recalling Soavi's The Church as not having a good reputation around here? In any case, I went into it with high expectations, and was pretty disappointed. It has some great moments (the intro to the church is a keeper), and Soavi maintains enough of a dreamy atmosphere throughout to keep me reasonably engaged, but I was surprised by how sloppy and dull much of it was. Soavi took the project over from Bava, who was developing it as another Demons sequel, which Soavi considered beneath him and so insisted it be a standalone film. Sorry, but Demons > The Church. The best thing the film has going for it is this:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvY4q99VR1s

[MadMan]

I've finalized my August Horrorfest lineup, which will be a short dress rehearsal for September and October:

1. The House of the Devil (2009, Ti West)-Demonic-Netflix Instant Viewing
2. The Inkeepers (2012, Ti West)-Ghosts-Netflix Instant Viewing
3. Beneath The Darkness (2012, Martin Guigui)-Slasher-Netflix Instant Viewing
4. The Tail Man (2012, Pascal Laugier)-Supernatural-Netflix Instant Viewing
5. John Dies at the End (2012, Don Coscarelli), Monsters-Netflix Instant Viewing
6. House of a 1000 Corpses (2003, Rob Zombie)-Slasher-Family Video
7. The Devil's Rejects (2005, Rob Zombie)-Slasher-Family Video
8. The Cabin in the Woods (2011, Drew Goddard)-Slasher/Meta-Netflix Instant Viewing
9. Wolf Creek (2005, Greg McLean)-Slasher-Family Video
10. Rouge (2007, Greg McLean)-Killer Animal-Family Video

And yes I'm aware that some of these were on my list last year. Damn backlog. Plus I'll be trying my best to watch more films this year from Jean Rollin, Mario Bava, Dario Argento and others.

[Dukefrukem]

Yeh there's no humor in the Evil Dead remake. I thought it was lousy, sloppy and poorly paced. It reeks of Diablo Cody, someone new to the horror genre. The imagery is good. There's good ideas, but it's pieced together terribly.

Apparently no one feels pain towards the end. And it's quite distracting. (the car scene at the end? Gimme a break)

Ash cut off his hand in a desperate attempt to survive the demons he already knew could possess him. There's no convincing me the blonde girl would come to the same conclusion given the circumstance. IN fact, no girl would do that.

[Spun Lepton]

Ash cut off his hand in a desperate attempt to survive the demons he already knew could possess him. There's no convincing me the blonde girl would come to the same conclusion given the circumstance. IN fact, no girl would do that.

They were the EXACT same circumstances, Duke. In fact ...

... in the moments before she cuts it off, you can see the "possession" moving up into her face, and she seems to fight it off. And even if it hadn't, you couldn't tell me that after seeing all her friends succumb to it, she wouldn't fear she was next on the list. Ridiculous.

At the end, I really wanted a moment where Mia sticks her stump into the fire, just to cauterize it. But, eh. I'll forgive that.

[Spun Lepton]

Am I mistaken in recalling Soavi's The Church as not having a good reputation around here? In any case, I went into it with high expectations, and was pretty disappointed. It has some great moments (the intro to the church is a keeper), and Soavi maintains enough of a dreamy atmosphere throughout to keep me reasonably engaged, but I was surprised by how sloppy and dull much of it was. Soavi took the project over from Bava, who was developing it as another Demons sequel, which Soavi considered beneath him and so insisted it be a standalone film. Sorry, but Demons > The Church.

Agreeds on all counts. I loved The Church when I was a teen, but when I watched it in my 30s, it seemed clumsy, sloppy, etc.

[Dukefrukem]

Spun sure, but I just didn't buy that the character's personality would have leaped to that final decision.

[Spun Lepton]

Spun sure, but I just didn't buy that the character's personality would have leaped to that final decision.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I'm just still wrapping my head around how the cabin's previous tenants thought it was a good idea to discourage people from reading the book not by hiding it, but by wrapping it up in barbed wire and setting it carefully on a desk. Coulda buried it, coulda tossed it into the woods.

I know, I know, horror movie.

In general, I think that prologue was a bad idea.

[D_Davis]

Irish, if you want humor, go watch Cabin in the Woods.

Or Tucker and Dale versus Evil, which I liked more than Cabin.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Or The Cabin in the Woods, which I liked more than Tucker and Dale.

[Spun Lepton]

Or Scary Movie 2 which I ... aaaacccckkk!!!

[Irish]

:lol:

[megladon8]

How did it reek of Diablo Cody?

[Irish]

Dug "Tucker vs Dale." They got an impressive amount of mileage out of what was really a very thin premise.

I'm gonna wait for the Spun Lipton RiffTrax for my next horror/comedy experience, I think.

[Irish]

How did it reek of Diablo Cody?

"Diablo Cody" literally translates to "Bad Writer" in Spanish.

[megladon8]

"Diablo Cody" literally translates to "Bad Writer" in Spanish.


:lol:

Seriously, though, I'm confused by this comment from Duke.

Not only because the film doesn't have a single Cody-ism in its entire runtime but also because...why?

[Spun Lepton]

:lol:

Seriously, though, I'm confused by this comment from Duke.

Not only because the film doesn't have a single Cody-ism in its entire runtime but also because...why?

Ehhh ... there were a couple lines that sounds Cody-ish. I know somebody lamented being "the devil's bitch."

[Dukefrukem]

:lol:

Seriously, though, I'm confused by this comment from Duke.

Not only because the film doesn't have a single Cody-ism in its entire runtime but also because...why?

It's the least inspired horror script I've ever watched (if you can watch a script). She was trying waaaay to hard to throw in all these homage references. Like D&MU said, why was the book bound in barbwire? Shouldn't they have at least thrown it in the cellar? The movie just chugged from one scene to the next with barely any segway. They're like little short movies all tied together. It reeks of Diablo Cody because it plays like someone writing a horror script for the first time. Which is funny in itself because I think she wrote
Jennifer's Body.

[Dukefrukem]

Ehhh ... there were a couple lines that sounds Cody-ish. I know somebody lamented being "the devil's bitch."

OMG yes. And the scene where the possessed girl is screaming about fucking. I seem to remember something like that.

[megladon8]

But where are you getting her from?

She had nothing to do with the script.

Her involvement with the remake took place before the director came on, and then her material was scrapped and he and his friend wrote their own script.

[megladon8]

It's the least inspired horror script I've ever watched (if you can watch a script). She was trying waaaay to hard to throw in all these homage references. Like D&MU said, why was the book bound in barbwire? Shouldn't they have at least thrown it in the cellar? The movie just chugged from one scene to the next with barely any segway. They're like little short movies all tied together. It reeks of Diablo Cody because it plays like someone writing a horror script for the first time. Which is funny in itself because I think she wrote
Jennifer's Body.


Diablo Cody didn't write it.

Again.

Diablo. Cody. Didn't. Even. Touch. It.

Why are we associating her with the final product when she was involved for 5 minutes when the movie was in pre-pre-production, then that version was scrapped and all new people brought on board?

[Dukefrukem]

Umm it wasn't scrapped. What are you talking about?

[megladon8]

Umm it wasn't scrapped. What are you talking about?


Yes it was. Diablo Cody had absolutely nothing to do with the final product we got.

Show me her name one single time in the credits. She doesn't even get a "Special Thanks" at the end.

She was not involved with this movie, in the final form we got.

[Dukefrukem]

She was. I don't know why you think she wasn't.... maybe because she is indeed uncredited, but she was the one that finalized the script. Diabo Cody finalized the script. Diablo Cody finalized the script.

[Rowland]

The only element that struck me as remotely Cody-like was the name of the dog.

As for funny Cabin movies, nobody has nominated Cabin Fever yet?! :cool:

[Dukefrukem]

The only element that struck me as remotely Cody-like was the name of the dog.

As for funny Cabin movies, nobody has nominated Cabin Fever yet?! :cool:

Jesus that movie isn't funny. It's an atrocity. Except the pancake scene. That was funny. But I don't think it was supposed to be.

[megladon8]

She was. I don't know why you think she wasn't.... maybe because she is indeed uncredited, but she was the one that finalized the script. Diabo Cody finalized the script. Diablo Cody finalized the script.


Ah yes, you're right. I thought her involvement was before pre-production, but it was after writing. But my point remains - she is completely uncredited, she has stated herself that her involvement was cursory at best, and all she did was basically put her stamp of approval and say "yeah, this script is movie-able".

Being brought in to finalize is not "writing the script", and her involvement does not mean that any uttering of the word "fuck" or "bitch" is attributed to her.

She's even said she basically came up with the drug angle and that's that.

It seems like your hatred for Cody was first and foremost before watching the movie.

[Dukefrukem]

So first you say she wasn't involved in the final product whatsoever, now you're auguring semantics with what I call writing?

[Spun Lepton]

Meg, I'm pretty sure she was brought on as a script doctor at one time. How much of her stuff was retained in the final product, though, who knows? And, as I'm biased, I'm going to attribute the two or three lines I didn't like to her. Just like I attributed all the stuff I disliked about Indiana Jones 4 to George Lucas. :D

That said, I didn't get a sense that there were no segways, it all flowed pretty nicely. I didn't get the sense that it seemed like a first-timer's script, either. It was nothing more than it needed to be.

[Rowland]

After some research, the most credible information I came across is that it seems she was brought in to "Americanize" the dialogue, since English was not the first language of the writers. I would have never figured that she had anything to do with the film without being told in advance, and if Meg is correct that she came up with the drug angle, then I give her credit for coming up with one of the best changes.

[Dukefrukem]

After some research, the most credible information I came across is that it seems she was brought in to "Americanize" the dialogue, since English was not the first language of the writers. I would have never figured that she had anything to do with the film without being told in advance, and if Meg is correct that she came up with the drug angle, then I give her credit for coming up with one of the best changes.

Which would explain:

Abomination Mia: I will feast on your soul!
Mia: Feast on this, motherfucker.


Possessed Mia: Why don't you come down here and let me suck your cock, pretty boy?

Possessed Mia: Kiss me you dirty cunt!


:rolleyes:

[Ezee E]

She had involvement like QT did on Crimson Tide.

[Rowland]

Possessed Mia: Why don't you come down here and let me suck your cock, pretty boy?

Possessed Mia: Kiss me you dirty cunt!I thought these lines worked really well, especially within the context of the detox angle.

[Dukefrukem]

Well that's why you gave it 4 stars and I gave it 2.

In Meg's defense, I was critical of Diablo Cody's involvement when I heard she was working on the script. And in my defense I liked Juno.

[Ezee E]

It was a good movie for me. The problems were mostly in character motivations taking too long to "want to leave." They should've wanted that the second 50 cats were hung in the basement.

[Spun Lepton]

I thought the lines in question worked just fine. I mean, how would you expect a demon to talk? It harkened back to The Exorcist for me. Also, did anybody else notice ...

... when the door blew open and Mia stood there screaming in the wind, that you could faintly hear some of the original Evil Dead voices?

[megladon8]

So first you say she wasn't involved in the final product whatsoever, now you're auguring semantics with what I call writing?


Yes, which I even said in my previous post I was wrong about.

And you even admitted above that your judgment was clouded by her involvement.

Raimi's films had similarly vulgar lines to what you posted, so I don't see why one is OK and the other isn't, aside from just not liking it due to Cody having been, in some way shape or form, involved.

[megladon8]

I thought the lines in question worked just fine. I mean, how would you expect a demon to talk? It harkened back to The Exorcist for me. Also, did anybody else notice ...

... when the door blew open and Mia stood there screaming in the wind, that you could faintly hear some of the original Evil Dead voices?


I loved that :D

[Scar]

I do not have a problem with the demon's dialogue. As already stated, The Exorcist has dialogue that will make a sailor blush.

[Winston*]

Except the pancake scene. That was funny. But I don't think it was supposed to be.

What do you think that scene was in the movie for then?

[Scar]

What do you think that scene was in the movie for then?

Serious business.

[Rowland]

Pancakes ARE serious business.

[megladon8]

I do not have a problem with the demon's dialogue. As already stated, The Exorcist has dialogue that will make a sailor blush.

Your mother sews socks that smell?

[Scar]

Your mother sews socks that smell?

Precisely.

[Dukefrukem]

What do you think that scene was in the movie for then?

I honestly don't know. When I first saw that scene it confused me. It's totally out of it's element when compared to the tone of the rest of the movie.

[Dead & Messed Up]

For what it's worth, popular and important screenwriters do uncredited polishes all the time, and Cody's lack of recognition on IMDB does not mean some of her revising wasn't retained. Proper attribution is a complicated game in Hollywood. Lindelof gets co-writing credit for reworking the third act of World War Z, and Joss Whedon gets no credit for reworking all the dialogue in Speed.

I don't care about any of this, though, because I didn't detect much - if any - of her "voice" in the finished product.

[Irish]

About to watch now. If this freaka me out as much as "Insidious" then I'm coming back here and yelling at all of you.

But especially that Megladon.

[megladon8]

About to watch now. If this freaka me out as much as "Insidious" then I'm coming back here and yelling at all of you.

But especially that Megladon.


I didn't even know you'd seen Insidious. I wanna hear your thoughts!!

After the movie, of course!!

[Irish]

Really dug the "Evil Dead" remake, even though I was disappointed by the third act.

Very long thoughts here: http://matchcut.artboiled.com/showthread.php?4627-Evil-Dead-(Fede-Alvarez)&p=487883&viewfull=1#post487883

Meg, I posted some very brief thoughts about "Insidious" in the film's old thread here (http://matchcut.artboiled.com/showthread.php?3458-Insidious-(Wan-2011)&p=482839&viewfull=1#post482839). Basically: The first half was incredible, the second much less effective.

Gotta admit, though, for WEEKS afterwards, sometimes late at night when I heard a small noise, or the breeze blew a door shut or whatever, the first thing to pop into my head were creepy images from "Insidious." I always had to look over my shoulder and flip on a few lights when that happened.

[Irish]

Also, as a public service announcement:

segue - a transition between topics

Segway - that dorky, two wheeled scooter you wouldn't be caught dead on. Trademarked.

-- example: http://i.imgur.com/jADi8EL.jpg

[Dukefrukem]

I suck at the English language.

[Irish]

I suck at the English language.

I hate it. Words like "pogue," "fugue" and "segue" all share similar spellings but only one has a weird pronunciation.

From now on, I think we should collectively agree to pronounce "fugue" as "fug-way" and "pogue" as "pog-way."

Stupid English language. /homer

[Spun Lepton]

Picked up Mama on Blu-ray and watched it on Saturday. Effectively unnerving for a good amount of time, although at times it felt a bit like it was spinning its wheels. Mama herself remained unapologetically creepy until they started giving her more and more screen time, which was fine. I actually had to turn on the lights after a particularly effective jump-scare. Recommended. 7/10

[MadMan]

While doing my Top 20 Horror Films of the 2000s list for my blog I came across a screencap from Ginger Snaps that DaMU used when he posted his list on this site. Nice (and no I didn't use it heh).

[MadMan]

My thoughts on House of the Devil (whoring myself out I know, but still): http://madman731.wordpress.com/2013/08/01/2013-horrorfest-presents-the-house-of-the-devil-2009-ti-west/

[MadMan]

I tried watching Beneath The Darkness tonight. 23 minutes in and I was bored of out my mind. The characters are one note and dull, the supposedly shocking opener fails to elicit anything from me, and there was no sense of style or....anything. Maybe I'm just spoiled from my Ti West double bill. Needless to say unless I can afford booze tomorrow night I'm not going to be finishing it on Instant Viewing.

[Spun Lepton]

I watched Event Horizon for the first time since it was in the theater. It's okay, but I can't get anywhere beyond that. The "haunted spaceship" idea isn't a terrible one, and it's handled with some interest. For a while. Then Sam Neill rips out his eyes and the whole story turns silly. Suddenly he has superhuman strength and spouts laughable lines like, "She went through a dimension of pure chaos. Of pure ... evil." Imagine that, and ENTIRE DIMENSION devoted to EEEEEEVIL! We also have to suffer through one character's unbelievable survival tactics, having (1) unbelievably survived an explosion to (2) jettisoning himself BACK into Neptune's atmosphere AND finding the Event Horizon after free floating away to (3) survivng a SECOND ordeal where he's blown away from the Event Hoirzon's hull just in time to climb into the airlock when it next opens. Give. Me. A. Break.

5/10

[MadMan]

"She went through a dimension of pure chaos. Of pure ... evil." Imagine that, and ENTIRE DIMENSION devoted to EEEEEEVIL!I can't stop laughing at this part. I want to venture into a dimension of pure chaos and evil. Sounds like fun for the whole family.

[Spun Lepton]

So the version of Hatchet 3 that I rented through Amazon was RATED R, which would explain why it was so anemic compared to the first two. Kind of annoying, considering it wasn't nearly good enough to watch again. Way to shoot yourselves in the foot, Dark Sky Films.

[Dukefrukem]

I watched Event Horizon for the first time since it was in the theater. It's okay, but I can't get anywhere beyond that. The "haunted spaceship" idea isn't a terrible one, and it's handled with some interest. For a while. Then Sam Neill rips out his eyes and the whole story turns silly. Suddenly he has superhuman strength and spouts laughable lines like, "She went through a dimension of pure chaos. Of pure ... evil." Imagine that, and ENTIRE DIMENSION devoted to EEEEEEVIL! We also have to suffer through one character's unbelievable survival tactics, having (1) unbelievably survived an explosion to (2) jettisoning himself BACK into Neptune's atmosphere AND finding the Event Horizon after free floating away to (3) survivng a SECOND ordeal where he's blown away from the Event Hoirzon's hull just in time to climb into the airlock when it next opens. Give. Me. A. Break.

5/10

You're taking the movie too seriously. Event Horizon may be Anderson's best film.

[Spun Lepton]

You're taking the movie too seriously. Event Horizon may be Anderson's best film.

1) The movie takes itself pretty seriously.
2) That's a sad statement about Anderson's career.

[Dukefrukem]

The film does sure. But you're getting sucked into the logic of the movie. I mean, a guy floated out of an airlock and survived.

[Spun Lepton]

The film does sure. But you're getting sucked into the logic of the movie. I mean, a guy floated out of an airlock and survived.

It doesn't really help your case to point out more flaws, but ironically, you could conceivably survive being exposed to the vacuum of space for as long as the character did.

http://www.newscientist.com/blog/space/2008/06/how-long-can-you-survive-in-vacuum-of.html

[Dukefrukem]

Yes I know it's technically plausible. But very improbable. I would attack that before I attack a guy fumbling around in zero G.

[Spun Lepton]

Yes I know it's technically plausible. But very improbable. I would attack that before I attack a guy fumbling around in zero G.

http://i.imgur.com/L3J6n.jpg

[D_Davis]

I love the first 2/3 of Event Horizon, before it becomes Hellraiser in space.

For a really great story that is somewhat similar, although more for-reals serious and theological, I highly recommend the book Ship of Fools, by Sean Paul Russo.

[Spun Lepton]

I love the first 2/3 of Event Horizon, before it becomes Hellraiser in space.

Right. Which is about the time Neill's character rips out his own eyes.

[Dukefrukem]

http://i.imgur.com/L3J6n.jpg

Oh gimme a break. Your argument is silly to begin with. I'm not saying you should love this film, I have the same reaction to it as DD, but you're attacking the film for logic when the scene you're describing is more believable than the scene I described.

[Dukefrukem]

Just don't pull a fucking Qrazy on me with these lame fucking memes.

[Spun Lepton]

Oh gimme a break. Your argument is silly to begin with. I'm not saying you should love this film, I have the same reaction to it as DD, but you're attacking the film for logic when the scene you're describing is more believable than the scene I described.

No it's not.

[Dukefrukem]

No it's not.

Yes it is.

[Dukefrukem]

Don't got see Gravity then. Whatever you do.

[Spun Lepton]

Yes it is.

All right. First, if he didn't suffocate from using his air tank for prepulsion, the odds of him finding the Event Horizon (which they had already established as being VERY DIFFICULT for their even their RADAR) are so minimal that it's unbelievable. You think the explosion sent him straight above the ship or something? Not bloody likely. Even if he knew where the Event Horizon was, the chances of him using a MacGuyvered rocket to rocket back into Neptune's atmosphere and reach it are minimal at best. Not to mention the speed he would gain on his way back down to the planet would splatter him against the hull.

[Dukefrukem]

Where's our MC resident physicist? You think opening a portable air tank in a vacuum would generate enough force to "splatter him against the hull"?

[Spun Lepton]

Maybe not, but he's moving toward Neptune, which exerts gravity, which would increase his speed.

[MadMan]

This entire argument is making me glad I watched The Prophecy (1995) last night instead of Event Horizon.

[Rowland]

Now I WANT to rewatch Event Horizon. I suspect/hope that I'd still be a fan.

[Spun Lepton]

Keep in mind I was able to suspend disbelief for the idea that they could "open a black hole" inside the ship without the ship imploding because of FUTURE SCIENCE! If they had put a little effort into the guy set adrift finding the ship again due to FUTURE SCIENCE, I probably wouldn't have had a problem with it.

I also did a little reading on the movie and discovered the original script called for tentacled aliens, giving the movie a Lovecraftian angle. I can't help wonder how much better the film would've been had Anderson not come in and screwed it up by changing it to, THE SHIP WENT TO HELL!!

[Dukefrukem]

It's a fine movie for what it is.

[Spun Lepton]

Also, I really wish they had given us a scene where they make it apparent that the ship had given Neill's character his superpowers. Just some kind of clue that it was going to happen. It was just plain silly the way it played out.

[Dukefrukem]

Agreed there.

[Spun Lepton]

Damn it, Duke. Take the bait.

[Dukefrukem]

Nope too late. Discussion is resolved. Next argument! :D

[MadMan]

The Man Who Laughs was really cool. Joker inspiration FTW. I watched it on YouTube so the copy was crappy but I didn't care. I'm now two reviews behind although I'm not sure if Man Who Laughs or Prophecy are horror movies. Eh they can count.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Wait, is it too late to say that I agree with Spun, and it's a promising movie that is almost calculating in how precisely it squanders every single opportunity to be something genuinely good?

I think the big issue is that the flick had glimmers of smartness in its outset, but it devolves. Something like a Resident Evil, you know the brain-dead stupidity you're getting into - when Jovovich jump-kicks a dog, you can't say the film isn't satisfying its core interests.

What a goddamn shame that they use wormholes and quantum mechanics to basically prefigure Dark Castle "classic" Ghost Ship - incidentally, another horror picture with the sole highlight of brief, vivid carnage.

[MadMan]

Here's my review of The Prophecy if anyone is interested: http://madman731.wordpress.com/2013/08/16/2013-horrorfest-presents-the-prophecy-1995-gregory-widen/

[Morris Schæffer]

So this new Horror flick "You're Next" is supposed to be really ace.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/youre_next_2011/

Horror Seems to be on the rise with this and The Conjuring.

[Dukefrukem]

Meh, both movies looked extremely generic to me.

[MadMan]

You're Next looks great. The Conjuring looks okay.

[Q & T]

I saw the Evil Dead remake. Did not enjoy it very much.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I saw the Evil Dead remake. Did not enjoy it very much.

A fine opinion, wise and true.

[Winston*]

So this new Horror flick "You're Next" is supposed to be really ace.


It's not.

[Q & T]

A fine opinion, wise and true.

I really didn't like how bland looking the movie was.

[MadMan]

I saw the Evil Dead remake. Did not enjoy it very much.When the hell did you get here? Welcome.

[Q & T]

When the hell did you get here? Welcome.

Five years ago.

[Dukefrukem]

Horror lover?