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

[Ezee E]

Right. I think it's totally appropriate, and necessary really, to judge films based on the context of where and when they were made. I can accept that Charlton Heston played a Mexican in 1958, but I would expect people to respond differently if a white actor put on makeup to play one today, unless there was some specific reason for it.

[Qrazy]

Meg is right. D talking about eating dog has nothing to do with anything.

[Winston*]

Saw the original Godzilla. Genuinely good movie. Kind of comically on the nose in its allegory but it works it. The girl in it is pretty much the worst actress I've ever seen though, she keeps smiling in all the dramatic scenes.

[Grouchy]

Really? You'll entitle me to a thought? Thank you kind sir!

D, just to clarify, I think your opinion is risible goofy and wrong, but it's really nothing personal otherwise. I just see you're far too passionate about it for me to keep going.

[D_Davis]

D, just to clarify, I think your opinion is risible goofy and wrong, but it's really nothing personal otherwise. I just see you're far too passionate about it for me to keep going.

Actually I'm not - no big deal, man. Really.

[bac0n]

Saw the original Godzilla. Genuinely good movie. Kind of comically on the nose in its allegory but it works it. The girl in it is pretty much the worst actress I've ever seen though, she keeps smiling in all the dramatic scenes.

Yeah, she is pretty much standard cry at everything window dressing, but the film is so wonderfully shot, and Takashi Shimura & Akihiko Hirata give such powerful, understated performances that I'm willing to overlook her shortcomings.

[BuffaloWilder]

It's a great film, but I love the one or two more obvious goofs - they're so strange, even for a film from fifty years ago or more, that they just can't help being mentioned.

When Odo Island is under siege, and it cuts to a wideshot of the island from afar, and we're given a pretty plain, obvious view of what looks like a plastic helicopter being batted about by the wind resting against a pretty damned realistic model island. Then, later on when the fire trucks are raising through Tokyo, and Godzilla sends them spiralling into a wall, the camera suddenly and abruptly cuts to an amazingly obvious shot of what are basically dolls in firemen's uniforms in a plastic fire truck being rammed into a wall - this one's strange because we'd seen before in the movie they'd had the means to film a car going end over end, and had done so pretty well. So, what happened here?

[Winston*]

The toy-esque imagery in those sequences was a conscious choice to thematically illustrate the fragility of our lives and accomplishments in the face of a such overwhelming force. In the face of a nuclear attack, we are mere dolls for fate to play with.

[BuffaloWilder]

I had that train of thought, too - and then I said naaaah, probably just a bum effects shot.

[Derek]

Not to sidetrack, but this is consistent with your review of Pixar's Cars as well (a review I've always had some issues with -- but I still haven't seen it, so what the fuck can I say? ).

Yeah, I tend to always take issue with films, especially modern films, that harken back to the glory days of America when things moved slower, you could walk the streets at night without any fear and the gays and blacks knew their place. It's an ultra-conservative sentiment that whitewashes history.

Obviously not in this thread, but I'd be curious to hear what issues you had with it, especially because I find it hard to believe you wouldn't find the 50s montage anything short of repulsive.

Well, early 80s is still quite a ways away from where we are today, but I believe some people were upset with the way Pacino/Scarface portrayed Cubans.

[megladon8]

I do often wish life moved a little slower.

[bac0n]

my guess is it's nothing so high art. More likely that they ran out of budget. Director Ishiro Honda had a mere fraction of what the folks who made King Kong had to work with, which was, among other reasons, why they went with a guy in a rubber suit for the monster.

[Boner M]

Anyone seen the British TV movie Ghostwatch? I remember some people raving about it as 'the scariest film ever' on the IMDb horror boards when I posted there back in the day, and though I can see how one would hold that view, I gotta say that time (and the flurry of faux-reportage supernatural films made since) has not been kind to it... it's got some spooky moments and good performances, but overall its impact has been considerably dulled.

[Winston*]

my guess is it's nothing so high art. More likely that they ran out of budget. Director Ishiro Honda had a mere fraction of what the folks who made King Kong had to work with, which was, among other reasons, why they went with a guy in a rubber suit for the monster.

I was not being serious with my post.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Personal victory: facilitating an enormous conversation/argument in my work bullpen about The Descent.

[balmakboor]

Anyone seen Messiah of Evil by Huyck and Katz? It is featured in the new Film Comment and sounds really interesting, possibly great. Netflix doesn't carry it, but I can buy it for $16.00. Is it worth it?

[balmakboor]

Personal victory: facilitating an enormous conversation/argument in my work bullpen about The Descent.

Checked out your review of Under the Dome, the first King I've wanted to read in a while. Nice blog btw.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Checked out your review of Under the Dome, the first King I've wanted to read in a while. Nice blog btw.

Thank you! It's a great read, especially the first two-thirds or so.

[megladon8]

Jen and I watched the first half of Triangle last night.

This movie better pull a total U-turn soon, because so far it's one of the most predictable movies I've ever seen.

Every single twist in plot that has occurred so far, Jen and I called in the first 5 minutes of the movie.

I feel like I have the whole thing figured out already.

[megladon8]

So yeah, Triangle was horrid.

I could go into lots of detail, but it would all pretty much come down to this - it makes no sense, and its attempts at twists and mind-fuckery are incredibly stupid, constantly betraying itself.

Very bad.

[Rowland]

I'll be returning Maniac (spectacularly grungy and immersive serial killer opus) to Netflix tomorrow, and shall hopefully receive Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), The Black Cat (1934), and The Raven (1935) in time for the weekend, all on the same disk! All first-time viewings, so I'm pumped.

[megladon8]

I freaking love Prince of Darkness.

I mean LOVE it. Like, it's probably in my top 15 of 20 horrors of all time.

Absolutely masterful.

[Raiders]

I freaking love Prince of Darkness.

I mean LOVE it. Like, it's probably in my top 15 of 20 horrors of all time.

Absolutely masterful.

You should be proud of your correctness.

[megladon8]

You should be proud of your correctness.

One of the coolest looks at science vs. religion I've ever seen. I think I've seen it more than a dozen times and I could watch it again right now.

Sure, there are flaws. The mustache being one of the larger ones. But none of them bother me enough to detract from the movie.

[Spun Lepton]

I consider Prince of Darkness one of Carpenter's lesser successes. I don't think it completely fulfilled its potential, but was still tense and entertaining. It's also grown on me over the years.

My favorite scene has always been, "I have something to tell you, and you're not going to like it."