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

[Spun Lepton]

Xtro feels like it would've fit better in the exploitive 70's. There's definitely a sense of misogyny, as the women are all relegated to birthing vessels for the aliens, thus their fates appear to be much MUCH worse than any of the men's. The final scene pretty much drives the mean-spiritedness home, too. That said, for what it is, it's never boring. Its pace is surprisingly brisk. Where it lacks in story (and boy does it lack), it makes up with weirdness and WTF'ery. It also references pretty much every alien movie of its era, especially Alien. 6/10

[Irish]

Pretty sure I'm the last person in the world to know about this, but just in case:

http://www.reddit.com/r/TrueHorror

[MadMan]

NSFW dawg.

[dreamdead]

Rewatched Cronenberg's The Fly. In some ways it's wonderful with how compact the storytelling is, just jumping right into Goldblum's scientist and Davis's attraction to his discovery and not laboring that relationship for half an hour, as most films today would. That said, some of their attraction skirts implausibility a little too much as it needs parsed just a bit more in spots. The initial love scene comes off without the pathos since their relationship isn't quite justified. Cronenberg's better in exploring the bodily repercussions of the pregnancy and Goldblum's gradual disintegration. The unease that's achieved in the dream sequence remains gutwrenching, and many of the effects still hold up remarkably, with only the final fly looking mechanical.

Overall, I probably overrated the film a bit when I first watched it, but it remains solid generally.

[Spun Lepton]

The Fly was one of Cronenberg's few attempts at mainstream cinema and I thought he did a fantastic job. Keep in mind, though, that I'm biased, since Videodrome is one of my favorite movies.

[Irish]

In some ways it's wonderful with how compact the storytelling is, just jumping right into Goldblum's scientist and Davis's attraction to his discovery and not laboring that relationship for half an hour, as most films today would. That said, some of their attraction skirts implausibility a little too much as it needs parsed just a bit more in spots. The initial love scene comes off without the pathos since their relationship isn't quite justified.

So wait, you liked the way the movie jumped into the romance, but didn't find that romance plausible?

I haven't seen it in awhile, but from memory, the first two-thirds of the movie are all about the leads. The last third is an over the top Cronenberg body horror fest. I didn't think the two parts really meshed together well, but it's still a good movie. (At least, the two parts are successful in and of themselves, even though they don't really form a cohesive whole).

Thinking about it now, it's probably one of the best of the 1980s. A rare remake that took its goofball subject seriously all the way through. It might be up there with Alien and The Thing in terms of effectiveness. I just wish it bridged the gap between nerd love and gross out a little better.

Of course ... it's no Videodrome, but then nothing is. Videodrome is in a class by itself. I just saw that for the first time about two months ago and good God ... What an incredible fucking movie. Paired it up with a first time viewing of Repo Man, which made for a world class weekend of movie watching.

[dreamdead]

So wait, you liked the way the movie jumped into the romance, but didn't find that romance plausible?

I haven't seen it in awhile, but from memory, the first two-thirds of the movie are all about the leads. The last third is an over the top Cronenberg body horror fest. I didn't think the two parts really meshed together well, but it's still a good movie. (At least, the two parts are successful in and of themselves, even though they don't really form a cohesive whole).

Thinking about it now, it's probably one of the best of the 1980s. A rare remake that took its goofball subject seriously all the way through. It might be up there with Alien and The Thing in terms of effectiveness. I just wish it bridged the gap between nerd love and gross out a little better.

Of course ... it's no Videodrome, but then nothing is. Videodrome is in a class by itself. I just saw that for the first time about two months ago and good God ... What an incredible fucking movie. Paired it up with a first time viewing of Repo Man, which made for a world class weekend of movie watching.

More that I liked how the story jumped into Goldblum's belief in his project and didn't belabor an initial discovery and process; similarly, the film's opening scene pairs Goldblum and Davis together at the scientific expo. It's a clever bit of concision and shorthand precisely because it skirts a more conventional opening thirty minutes of tracking these two separate narratives--instead, every arc of the film is contrasted against the ease with which these two characters bond. Yet, despite all that, Cronenberg is almost a little too eager to close the circle of attraction by having them sleep together on their second or third encounter with each other. While Goldblum's character likely can't do any better, Davis's is already seen struggling against a former beau and so the idea that she'd slide so easily into another quick relationship seems undeveloped.

I do treasure how seriously The Fly treats its themes. These are committed actors and committed direction throughout--and I agree that the last third feels less connected overall. The random arm-breaking in the bar, and the floozy who seems indifferent to that display of unnatural power (plus, no return to whether or not he could have impregnated her?), feels less connected, and the film relies more on action film tropes in the last third. Davis only pops up to tell Goldblum to stop after he's vomited bile on whathisface's hand and foot--said character recovering enough to slow the teleportation--Davis being initially unable to pull the trigger until she in fact does. It's a bit more cliche-ridden.

I prefer Dead Ringers , which explores similar themes but has a less transparent final act.

[megladon8]

Jen and I thought Trollhunter was great fun.

Incredibly well paced, and had some great, tense moments.

Hans (the hunter) was a charismatic and likable lead.

Fun movie.

[Dead & Messed Up]

More that I liked how the story jumped into Goldblum's belief in his project and didn't belabor an initial discovery and process; similarly, the film's opening scene pairs Goldblum and Davis together at the scientific expo. It's a clever bit of concision and shorthand precisely because it skirts a more conventional opening thirty minutes of tracking these two separate narratives--instead, every arc of the film is contrasted against the ease with which these two characters bond. Yet, despite all that, Cronenberg is almost a little too eager to close the circle of attraction by having them sleep together on their second or third encounter with each other. While Goldblum's character likely can't do any better, Davis's is already seen struggling against a former beau and so the idea that she'd slide so easily into another quick relationship seems undeveloped.

In her scene that leads to sex, Davis seems to be coy about the situation; there's little suggestion that it's love so much as a dalliance. I find it completely plausible, and I wonder if there's also a subcurrent of her jumping to another guy to increase her distance to Stathis. "I've moved on, look at this guy I've got now" and so on. That said, her interest in Seth seems genuine, if not full-blown by that point. I don't think it necessarily closes a circle.

Completely agree about the opening concision. It's clever how Brundle's essentially laying all the pipe the story needs and doing it to impress a girl. The opening is superficially about him demonstrating a world-changing invention but mostly about him trying to get a girl back to his place.

I do treasure how seriously The Fly treats its themes. These are committed actors and committed direction throughout--and I agree that the last third feels less connected overall. The random arm-breaking in the bar, and the floozy who seems indifferent to that display of unnatural power (plus, no return to whether or not he could have impregnated her?), feels less connected, and the film relies more on action film tropes in the last third. Davis only pops up to tell Goldblum to stop after he's vomited bile on whathisface's hand and foot--said character recovering enough to slow the teleportation--Davis being initially unable to pull the trigger until she in fact does. It's a bit more cliche-ridden.

I prefer Dead Ringers , which explores similar themes but has a less transparent final act.

That question about the floozy is a good one, re: possible pregnancy. The random arm-breaking doesn't seem incidental. In the first scene, he asserts to Ronnie that he's the best man in the room. She buys it and comes back with him. He's trying to once again prove that he's the best man in the room, but it's a pale imitation, him relying on animal strength instead of his personality, him contracting a drunk bimbo instead of a Geena Davis.

I agree that the climax offers a couple of cliches, but I think that the groundwork leading up to them makes them work really well and reminds us of why they're cliches to begin with. In particular, Stathis's slow transformation from a William Atherton sleaze into a truly sad and lonely man who really cares for Ronnie into a borderline heroic. Him saving the day feels completely earned. Her spontaneously jumping in is more contrived, for sure.

Davis pulling the plug, so to speak, feels like the only possible conclusion to the arc of the story. And her hesitation makes complete sense. When Brundleflypod puts the gun to his head, he's reminding her that there's still some Seth in that monstrosity. Of course that would make her hesitate. And I'm not terribly clear on how that's a cliche. How many films end with a woman hesitating before putting a shotgun to the man she loved?

[MadMan]

Spun watches these modern horror movies that I never hear about until he reviews them here. Then I want to see them just so I can actually comment properly.

[Irish]

Wait, Jug gets 5/10 but Xtro got 6/10? Hmmm, what's up with that Lepton?

:P

[Spun Lepton]

Wait, Jug gets 5/10 but Xtro got 6/10? Hmmm, what's up with that Lepton?

:P

Xtro was 1980s exploitation. I grew up on that shit, so I'm biased.

[Rowland]

No, you're right. Jug is okay, Xtro is fantastic.

[Dukefrukem]

[megladon8]

Goes to show why horror films are always in demand - it's a consistently safe bet that they will profit (and very well).

[Spun Lepton]

Low-budget genre pictures build studios.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Goes to show why horror films are always in demand - it's a consistently safe bet that they will profit (and very well).

Yep. The sad converse of that is that literally everybody makes low-budget shitty horror films because they're such a safe bet, and it's up to the fans to sift through the mess.

Also, graphic must've been made before World War Z.

[MadMan]

I was just thinking about how I love both comedies and horror films and yet each genre gets bashed a lot.

[megladon8]

Final Exam was wretched. Its reputation as some undervalued 80s Classic is dumbfounding.

Boring, incoherent, and features a scene played for laughs in such poor taste I was shocked.

[Irish]

http://vimeo.com/95303442

Uhhhhh .... New Rob Zombie shooting this fall?

[Spun Lepton]

Looks like the video was taken down, Irish.

[Irish]

Bummer. I just watched it like 20 minutes ago. Hm. Try here:

http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/768...l-horror-movie

Also, a poster:

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Show Spoiler

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[Spun Lepton]

Welp, looks like I'm watching Superbeasto tonight ...

[Skitch]

I just watched a recent Netflix add called Gothic. 80s cult flick about Lord Byron starring Gabriel Byrne and Julian Sands. I think it melted my brain.

[Spun Lepton]

I just watched a recent Netflix add called Gothic. 80s cult flick about Lord Byron starring Gabriel Byrne and Julian Sands. I think it melted my brain.

I rented that Back Inna Day and I remember wanting to punch somebody when it was over.