Good, I think, but I'm still recovering.
I don't think I've ever seen a movie that captured the feeling of a nightmare quite as well as that. Outside of maybe the latter half of Requiem for a Dream.
Aronofsky, man.
31 Days of Horror (2020) - The October Movie Marathon
- Thread starter ThirstyFly
- Start date
Good, I think, but I'm still recovering.
I don't think I've ever seen a movie that captured the feeling of a nightmare quite as well as that. Outside of maybe the latter half of Requiem for a Dream.
Aronofsky, man.
8. The Wrath (2018)
A historical Korean film that has a good tale about a family trying to rid of a spirit after she kills all three sons during their wedding day. It is shot beautifully with some great lightning here and there (particularly the red when the spirit appears), and certainly felt tense as things really spiral downward in the later half of the film. Really like the exorcist guy too.
A historical Korean film that has a good tale about a family trying to rid of a spirit after she kills all three sons during their wedding day. It is shot beautifully with some great lightning here and there (particularly the red when the spirit appears), and certainly felt tense as things really spiral downward in the later half of the film. Really like the exorcist guy too.
15. Cold Fish (2010)
Sion Sono directs this thriller about a domineering man invading and upending the lives of a family who own a competing tropical fish store. There's quite a bit of gore as things take a dark turn.
Well shot and acted with the usual Sono touches and some dark humor. But at 2 &1/2 hours it's really drawn out. We spend nearly the entire time watching this meek family man cower as he's pulled into circumstances he could never have imagined.
The last half hour is cathartic in a sense, I just didn't enjoy the parallels the script drew between the two men, and who the violence is aimed at in the last 15 minutes. The ending is bleak as hell and fits the overall tone.
It's good, I just got bored for a stretch in the middle.
= 3.5 out of 5
16. Dead Ball (2011)
Cartoonish splatter film about inmates playing a deadly game of baseball. The poster image is much cooler than anything on screen.
Bad digital effects, and a very reserved tone for the genre. Nazi imagery, vomit and anal fisting are all here, and it's so boring I fell asleep 3 times.
= 1 out of 5
1- Black Swan = 3.5/5
2- Night of Body's Model = 3.5/5
3- Would You Rather = 1.5/5
4- Red Room = 3/5
5- Trick r Treat = 2.5/5
6- High Tension = 3/5
7- Excision = 3/5
8- Southbound = 3/5
9- Red Room 2 = 2/5
10- Tragedy Girls = 4/5
11- Dumplings = 3.5/5
12- What We Do in the Shadows = 4.5/5
13- Drag Me To Hell = 2/5
14- Patchwork = 3/5
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This just came out on Friday. I *highly* recommend it. My whole family loved it. Funny, sad, touching, surprising, and a fun ride from start to finish.
#9: Lake Mungo
Loved the mockumentary style that is used in this one, and the fact that it doesn´t have any recognizable (to me at least) actors helps sell the believability, as does the more subdued method acting. Liked the way it presents the situation with a balance between the supernatural and more skeptical mindset. Really effective depiction of the horror of grief in the context of losing a loved one, with a nice melancholic and mysterious tone. The few more traditionally spooky shots also work well and don´t feel out of place.
In terms of the mockumentary style, are there any other (good) movies that use a similar template? Maybe Noroi (have not seen it, but remember something that may suggest it would qualify)?
#10: a tale of two sisters
Extremely well shot with interesting use of camera work to tell the story, both in terms of the way the camera moves and how the shots are framed (reminded me of some of Ari Aster´s style in hereditary and to a lesser extent midsommar). The use of color also really stands out, with the contrast of the deep dark red wallpaper against shades of green that create an unsettling visual image straight out of van Gogh´s "the night cafe". The scary scenes to some extent feel like they rather belong in some other asian horror movie from the 2000s, but they still work pretty well, even if they are a bit out of place.
Did not predict the first twist ahead of time, but after that was revealed, the later twist(s) became immediately obvious, since it was the only way the story would make sense at all. Would probably be interesting to watch the first half of the movie again knowing how the ending plays out.
Leans a bit too heavily on domestic drama that is a bit overly reliant on a cliche set up for my taste, and the story relies on characters at times acting in an annoyingly petty way to set up the central conflict. Overall more memorable for the style and execution than for the story itself.
Loved the mockumentary style that is used in this one, and the fact that it doesn´t have any recognizable (to me at least) actors helps sell the believability, as does the more subdued method acting. Liked the way it presents the situation with a balance between the supernatural and more skeptical mindset. Really effective depiction of the horror of grief in the context of losing a loved one, with a nice melancholic and mysterious tone. The few more traditionally spooky shots also work well and don´t feel out of place.
In terms of the mockumentary style, are there any other (good) movies that use a similar template? Maybe Noroi (have not seen it, but remember something that may suggest it would qualify)?
#10: a tale of two sisters
Extremely well shot with interesting use of camera work to tell the story, both in terms of the way the camera moves and how the shots are framed (reminded me of some of Ari Aster´s style in hereditary and to a lesser extent midsommar). The use of color also really stands out, with the contrast of the deep dark red wallpaper against shades of green that create an unsettling visual image straight out of van Gogh´s "the night cafe". The scary scenes to some extent feel like they rather belong in some other asian horror movie from the 2000s, but they still work pretty well, even if they are a bit out of place.
Did not predict the first twist ahead of time, but after that was revealed, the later twist(s) became immediately obvious, since it was the only way the story would make sense at all. Would probably be interesting to watch the first half of the movie again knowing how the ending plays out.
Leans a bit too heavily on domestic drama that is a bit overly reliant on a cliche set up for my taste, and the story relies on characters at times acting in an annoyingly petty way to set up the central conflict. Overall more memorable for the style and execution than for the story itself.
15) Prom Night (1980)
This one started off promising but quickly grinds to a halt. The next hour it switches gears and is more focused on teenage drama than anything horror related. The last 30 minutes is fun even though only one of the kills is really memorable. Still, I enjoyed the film despite its flaws.
31 Days of Horror 2020: #11/31
The Ghost Galleon (1974) - ★★
If I didn't know better, I'd think I was watching a giallo. Maybe even a Black Lace riff, with all the models and scheming melodrama. A really boring giallo where everyone is immensely stupid and there's even worse dubbed acting than usual. Includes pointless flashbacks, such riveting dialogue as "I don't want milk, I want some water", and the most idiotic PR stunt that man has ever conceived.
When The Ghost Galleon is soaking in the atmosphere of its phantom pirate ship - creaking rotted wood, tattered sails and fog-swept decks, lanterns swinging in ocean gusts - you remember that Armando de Ossorio has indeed made Blind Dead films steeped in Gothic eeriness. When its infamous skeletal Templars emerge from caskets and prowl through sea fog, you remember that these hooded undead can be terrifying.
Unfortunately de Ossorio forgets all that far too often. His iconic creatures are reduced to molasses-slow creepers that barely seem threatening. Meanwhile we mostly follow a hapless Scooby-Doo cast that spends more time arguing than being hunted by blind zombie skeletons. What happened? How did we go from Return's siege horror to this dreadfully dull film?
The Ghost Galleon (1974) - ★★
If I didn't know better, I'd think I was watching a giallo. Maybe even a Black Lace riff, with all the models and scheming melodrama. A really boring giallo where everyone is immensely stupid and there's even worse dubbed acting than usual. Includes pointless flashbacks, such riveting dialogue as "I don't want milk, I want some water", and the most idiotic PR stunt that man has ever conceived.
When The Ghost Galleon is soaking in the atmosphere of its phantom pirate ship - creaking rotted wood, tattered sails and fog-swept decks, lanterns swinging in ocean gusts - you remember that Armando de Ossorio has indeed made Blind Dead films steeped in Gothic eeriness. When its infamous skeletal Templars emerge from caskets and prowl through sea fog, you remember that these hooded undead can be terrifying.
Unfortunately de Ossorio forgets all that far too often. His iconic creatures are reduced to molasses-slow creepers that barely seem threatening. Meanwhile we mostly follow a hapless Scooby-Doo cast that spends more time arguing than being hunted by blind zombie skeletons. What happened? How did we go from Return's siege horror to this dreadfully dull film?
10. Hubie Halloween (2020)
Surprisingly good Halloween-themed Adam Sandler comedy. Sure Sandler himself is as annoying as ever but the rest of the cast almost make up for it. I especially liked Steve Buscemi as the shady neighbour. As an SNL fan, I also enjoyed spotting all the former and current cast members (I think I counted 8). 6/10
11. Beast from Haunted Cave (1959)
A cheap film noir/horror hybrid by Monte Hellman. I liked the premise and the setting but the combination of the two genres was far from seamless and even at 65 min the film felt too slow at times. 4/10
Surprisingly good Halloween-themed Adam Sandler comedy. Sure Sandler himself is as annoying as ever but the rest of the cast almost make up for it. I especially liked Steve Buscemi as the shady neighbour. As an SNL fan, I also enjoyed spotting all the former and current cast members (I think I counted 8). 6/10
11. Beast from Haunted Cave (1959)
A cheap film noir/horror hybrid by Monte Hellman. I liked the premise and the setting but the combination of the two genres was far from seamless and even at 65 min the film felt too slow at times. 4/10
10. It Follows (2014)
A young woman is followed by an unknown supernatural force after a sexual encounter.
I remember the hype six years ago for this movie but never saw it. The premise seemed silly to me, and I didn't think it would be worth watching. I was wrong! It Follows is a fantastic modern horror film. There is a sort of tension rarely felt, an impending doom accomplished only by strangers walking slowly towards the screen. When you're dreading a stranger coming towards the lead actress and they aren't a threat, I'd say the effect worked wonders. The cinematography was excellent as well as the soundtrack.
👻👻👻👻 out of 5
after the gore splattered fun of inbred last night tonight is something a lot more traditional with #10 Crimson Peak ive been meaning to watch this for a while just hadn't got round to it
Edit: Crimson Peak is getting a veto and being moved to a bonus film its way too slow paced so tonights movie is instead Climax its A24 so should be good
Edit: Crimson Peak is getting a veto and being moved to a bonus film its way too slow paced so tonights movie is instead Climax its A24 so should be good
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10) Chopping Mall (1986)
Thank you, and have a nice day.
ED-209: The Movie.
Lightning causes clunky, laser-toting, shopping mall security robots to go on a rampage and hunt down some nondescript partying teens, accompanied by a wildly enthusiastic synth score. That's the film. If I haven't sold you on it simply by that description alone, I don't know what else I can do. As Dawn of the Dead will tell you, malls are a great horror setting, and frankly more slashers should make use of them. What really amused me was the malfunction didn't just make the robots homicidal, it also made them assholes. Imbued with slasher horror sensibilities, they needlessly stalk and fake out victims, plant bodies, and in my favourite moment of the film, tip over a janitor's mop bucket for no reason other than to be a dick. It could just shoot him on sight, but no, it feels the compulsion to mess with him then electrocute him. Classic.
It's extremely short, a mere 75 minutes, thus it does not try to be anything other than ridiculous Roger Corman schlock, and that was enough for me. Exceedingly stupid and exceedingly entertaining.
Recommended.
Thank you, and have a nice day.
ED-209: The Movie.
Lightning causes clunky, laser-toting, shopping mall security robots to go on a rampage and hunt down some nondescript partying teens, accompanied by a wildly enthusiastic synth score. That's the film. If I haven't sold you on it simply by that description alone, I don't know what else I can do. As Dawn of the Dead will tell you, malls are a great horror setting, and frankly more slashers should make use of them. What really amused me was the malfunction didn't just make the robots homicidal, it also made them assholes. Imbued with slasher horror sensibilities, they needlessly stalk and fake out victims, plant bodies, and in my favourite moment of the film, tip over a janitor's mop bucket for no reason other than to be a dick. It could just shoot him on sight, but no, it feels the compulsion to mess with him then electrocute him. Classic.
It's extremely short, a mere 75 minutes, thus it does not try to be anything other than ridiculous Roger Corman schlock, and that was enough for me. Exceedingly stupid and exceedingly entertaining.
Recommended.
#9. Friday the 13th (2009) - I've only watched three of these movies over the years (the 1st, 6th and 10th to be exact) and I've never been overly impressed with them. Jason is a dull nothing and the films don't have the style of something like Halloween to back up their nothing killer. Perhaps it's due to me going in to this film expecting the worst but I'm very surprised by how much I didn't hate them film. It's not great, not even good but it's OK. It is somewhat bolstered by the appearance of Sam Winchester which makes it feel an extended episode of Supernatural. It had a decent mix of likeable and very unlikeable character that you can't wait to see dispatched. What's more surprising is that visually, it looks pretty good. Not amazing but considering how the other movies; at least the ones that I've seen; have been pretty amateurish in that regard. Jason vs. the cop was particularly gnarly. The last segment in the barn did look like shit though with too much shaky cam. Definitely surprising although I'm not sure I'm a convert to this series yet.
I went back and watched a couple scenes, like the first family dinner, and it's actually pretty interesting. I think it would definitely make for a good rewatch.
Climax is on my list, but I'm looking for a movie to cut so I can slot in Scare Me and it's currently on the chopping block. So I'm interested to hear some opinions on it.
Let's see if I can remember what I've seen so far!
1) Invisible Man- Deserving of the acclaim it got. Disturbing and believable villian. Moss is great.
2) House of a 1000 corpses- This was a slog to get through. I remember when Rob zombie first started making these and they haven't aged well.
1) Invisible Man- Deserving of the acclaim it got. Disturbing and believable villian. Moss is great.
2) House of a 1000 corpses- This was a slog to get through. I remember when Rob zombie first started making these and they haven't aged well.
Have fun with Climax. It's..uh, it's an experience. Honestly the only modern horror movie to get under my skin as much as Texas Chainsaw Massacre
9. Phenomena (1985)
Tackling another film by Dario Argento, and hey it is Jennifer Connelly before she soon goes to a labyrinth! Certainly a interesting film that is also pretty gross at times. The protagonist having an ability to communicate with insects does bring in a more unique take in trying to figure out who the killer is. Something else that really stood out for me, was the soundtrack, which is quite memorable, and has some good rocking tune to it, which i don't know if it feels a bit off when used in the film, but it is still good. :P
Also, I guess this was a major inspiration for the Clock Tower series, which I suppose the opening scene is where the concept of the Scissorman was inspired by for example, along with the main character also being named Jennifer.
Tackling another film by Dario Argento, and hey it is Jennifer Connelly before she soon goes to a labyrinth! Certainly a interesting film that is also pretty gross at times. The protagonist having an ability to communicate with insects does bring in a more unique take in trying to figure out who the killer is. Something else that really stood out for me, was the soundtrack, which is quite memorable, and has some good rocking tune to it, which i don't know if it feels a bit off when used in the film, but it is still good. :P
Also, I guess this was a major inspiration for the Clock Tower series, which I suppose the opening scene is where the concept of the Scissorman was inspired by for example, along with the main character also being named Jennifer.
31 Days of Horror 2020: #12/31
Night of the Seagulls (1975) - ★★★
The fourth (and de Ossorio's final) Blind Dead is an enjoyable rebound from the dreadful Ghost Galleon. Night of the Seagulls swerves the series once again, placing its Templar undead in a story of eldritch folk horror and pseudo-Lovecraftian coastal rituals.
The film very much feels like a greatest hits encore. Tombs' misty Gothic ruins become the rural crags of a seaside hamlet. Galleon's ocean terror comes ashore with pagan sacrifices among the crushing surf. Return's town siege is compressed to a besieged-house finale. Night of the Seagulls isn't as eerie as the original or as gory and intense as Return, but commits to a hazy slow-burn of dark dreams, haunting omens, and whispering locals. As a last hurrah for the silent creeping dread of the Blind Dead, this is a success.
Night of the Seagulls (1975) - ★★★
The fourth (and de Ossorio's final) Blind Dead is an enjoyable rebound from the dreadful Ghost Galleon. Night of the Seagulls swerves the series once again, placing its Templar undead in a story of eldritch folk horror and pseudo-Lovecraftian coastal rituals.
The film very much feels like a greatest hits encore. Tombs' misty Gothic ruins become the rural crags of a seaside hamlet. Galleon's ocean terror comes ashore with pagan sacrifices among the crushing surf. Return's town siege is compressed to a besieged-house finale. Night of the Seagulls isn't as eerie as the original or as gory and intense as Return, but commits to a hazy slow-burn of dark dreams, haunting omens, and whispering locals. As a last hurrah for the silent creeping dread of the Blind Dead, this is a success.
Im dying to see this! Have they said if this is coming to streaming services?
The Burning isn't on there it seems. The other, being a Shudder exclusive, definitely is. I'll be checking it out. Thanks!
It should be
Watch The Burning on Shudder
Don’t get left behind – Enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Shudder's full library of films and series for 7 days.
www.shudder.com
Oh my! Thanks a bunch! Will check out once I finish this one! ^^It should be
Watch The Burning on Shudder
Don’t get left behind – Enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Shudder's full library of films and series for 7 days.
Bonus Short Film: Harpy (1979)
A man rescues a harpy and brings it home, where it begins to eat all of his food; things escalate from there. Excellent mix of live action and stop motion animation, great lighting in the environments that make the world feel strange and ominous. The harpy, of course, is suitably horrifying. It's comedic enough that it never feels truly scary or unnerving, but it's an odd, well-crafted, entertaining watch nonetheless. 7/10
Bonus Short Film: Stray Dogs (1985)
From the short film anthology Manhattan Love Suicides, but this was the only short I could find and I'm not sure whether or not the others qualify as horror. This one is extremely low-budget experimental queer horror in which a man stalks his painter crush to his home, is spurned, then falls apart in a bloody mess. Very short, very simple, cool industrial score accompanying it, feels like early Tsukamoto with an even lower budget. Pretty good for what it is. 6/10
Bonus Short Film: Limbo: The Organized Mind (1966/1974)
A cool, trippy, creepy journey through the mind with Jim Henson. "Hey, wanna see my evil thoughts?" 6/10
12. Blood Bath (1966)
There's at least a bit of competence to the direction - it was written and directed by Jack Hill (Spider Baby) and Stephanie Rothman (The Velvet Vampire), after all, which is why I watched it in the first place - but on the whole it's just a bunch of slapdash ideas that don't come together and aren't interesting. There are a couple of decent scenes, namely a shadowy chase scene that I imagine was heavily inspired by Lewton's horror films, primarily The Leopard Man, and there's some fairly nice lighting and sets throughout, but for the most part it's just drab, with dull performances across the board, and some attempts at humor that aren't funny. 4/10
A man rescues a harpy and brings it home, where it begins to eat all of his food; things escalate from there. Excellent mix of live action and stop motion animation, great lighting in the environments that make the world feel strange and ominous. The harpy, of course, is suitably horrifying. It's comedic enough that it never feels truly scary or unnerving, but it's an odd, well-crafted, entertaining watch nonetheless. 7/10
Bonus Short Film: Stray Dogs (1985)
From the short film anthology Manhattan Love Suicides, but this was the only short I could find and I'm not sure whether or not the others qualify as horror. This one is extremely low-budget experimental queer horror in which a man stalks his painter crush to his home, is spurned, then falls apart in a bloody mess. Very short, very simple, cool industrial score accompanying it, feels like early Tsukamoto with an even lower budget. Pretty good for what it is. 6/10
Bonus Short Film: Limbo: The Organized Mind (1966/1974)
A cool, trippy, creepy journey through the mind with Jim Henson. "Hey, wanna see my evil thoughts?" 6/10
12. Blood Bath (1966)
There's at least a bit of competence to the direction - it was written and directed by Jack Hill (Spider Baby) and Stephanie Rothman (The Velvet Vampire), after all, which is why I watched it in the first place - but on the whole it's just a bunch of slapdash ideas that don't come together and aren't interesting. There are a couple of decent scenes, namely a shadowy chase scene that I imagine was heavily inspired by Lewton's horror films, primarily The Leopard Man, and there's some fairly nice lighting and sets throughout, but for the most part it's just drab, with dull performances across the board, and some attempts at humor that aren't funny. 4/10
OP
OP
08) Cheerleader Camp (1988) [John Quinn] (Oct 8)
A team of cheerleaders begin to suspect all is not right at their summer camp when their friends begin disappearing.
Earlier in the month I referred to Nightmare Beach as half 80s boner comedy, half slasher. Well, Cheerleader Camp seems to have taken that as a challenge and it's probably 75% boner comedy and 25% slasher, and that's being generous with the slasher percentage... and the word "comedy".
I had high hopes for Cheerleader Camp due to starring Betsy Russell (the Saw series) and the awesomely 80s poster, but I only set my self up for disappointment. Neither scary nor funny, it's not even bad enough to be enjoyed on an ironic level. It's just boring and a waste of a perfectly cheesy poster.
Skip it. 1.5 / 5
Day 10 - The Invisible Man, 1933, and The Invisible Man Returns, 1940 (NEW & NEW)
A double feature tonight, too! Didn't originally have the sequel on my list, but I figured it'd be nice to squeeze a little Vincent Price in this year.
Starting with the original, though, and it's really impressive. It delivers on every front, and the balance between horror and comedy is perfect. When you see a pair of pants dancing down the street, it's funny, but that humor in no way diminishes the shiver Claude Rains sends down your spine when he promises to murder someone. He's gleefully mad in a way that feels modern, and it's absolutely a role made for him - what an iconic laugh!
But the rest of the movie is just as balanced. I love the townsfolk and the police, love the way it seems to exhaust every idea it comes up with. With a power like invisibility, it's easy to just gloss over the details, but it really revels in all the implications of the power. How much chaos you could cause. How much damage you could do. And it gets surprisingly brutal, like the train derailment and the murder of the policeman. And all that with truly exceptional, believable special effects!
My only real knock on it are the uninspired romance angle.
The sequel is... not QUITE a horror film. It's really more of a sci-fi romance murder mystery thriller type thing, hard to put a genre pin in it. I wavered a bit on including it, but it does play with the "slowly turning mad and murderous" theme so I figured it counts.
Price is the highlight here in an early leading man role, and he performs it well. He does a good job selling the swings between lucidity and insanity, so you can never quite tell where he's at and what he's going to do. Everything else feels like a step down from the predecessor. The character lacks the charisma of the original, there's less memorable humor, and even the special effects feel like a step down. It's fun enough, but it's always going to live in the shadow of the original.
WEEK 1 - 100 Years of Horror
Dr. Caligari, The Golem, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde | Bonus: Häxan
WEEK 2 - Creature Features
Dracula, Dracula's Daughter, Son of Dracula, Frankenstein & Bride of Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man & The Invisible Man Returns
A double feature tonight, too! Didn't originally have the sequel on my list, but I figured it'd be nice to squeeze a little Vincent Price in this year.
Starting with the original, though, and it's really impressive. It delivers on every front, and the balance between horror and comedy is perfect. When you see a pair of pants dancing down the street, it's funny, but that humor in no way diminishes the shiver Claude Rains sends down your spine when he promises to murder someone. He's gleefully mad in a way that feels modern, and it's absolutely a role made for him - what an iconic laugh!
But the rest of the movie is just as balanced. I love the townsfolk and the police, love the way it seems to exhaust every idea it comes up with. With a power like invisibility, it's easy to just gloss over the details, but it really revels in all the implications of the power. How much chaos you could cause. How much damage you could do. And it gets surprisingly brutal, like the train derailment and the murder of the policeman. And all that with truly exceptional, believable special effects!
My only real knock on it are the uninspired romance angle.
The sequel is... not QUITE a horror film. It's really more of a sci-fi romance murder mystery thriller type thing, hard to put a genre pin in it. I wavered a bit on including it, but it does play with the "slowly turning mad and murderous" theme so I figured it counts.
Price is the highlight here in an early leading man role, and he performs it well. He does a good job selling the swings between lucidity and insanity, so you can never quite tell where he's at and what he's going to do. Everything else feels like a step down from the predecessor. The character lacks the charisma of the original, there's less memorable humor, and even the special effects feel like a step down. It's fun enough, but it's always going to live in the shadow of the original.
WEEK 1 - 100 Years of Horror
Dr. Caligari, The Golem, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde | Bonus: Häxan
WEEK 2 - Creature Features
Dracula, Dracula's Daughter, Son of Dracula, Frankenstein & Bride of Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man & The Invisible Man Returns
Oct 10
11. Let's Not Meet (2018)"
Absolutely bad. Boring as fuck, and usually these microbudgets are usually mercifully short but this fucking thing was nearly 2 hours.
Just don't
11. Let's Not Meet (2018)"
Absolutely bad. Boring as fuck, and usually these microbudgets are usually mercifully short but this fucking thing was nearly 2 hours.
Just don't
Guess Scream 3 is off Tubi, meh, I kicking it out then. :P
On the other hand, those 5 films with Vincent Price on Shudder interests me. I might end up making a mini-theme out of those, since I feel like I am going on a good pace now.
On the other hand, those 5 films with Vincent Price on Shudder interests me. I might end up making a mini-theme out of those, since I feel like I am going on a good pace now.
The series has gone in so many directions that it's not easy to pin down at this point.
There's one where it was made by a '70s porn director, and it shows. There's self-referential horror-comedy. There's one in the vein of The Hidden. There's Jason vs. Carrie. There's full-on far-future sci-fi.
15. Honeydew *1/2 - Plays like a feature-length version of the dinner table scene in Texas Chainsaw Massacre... but slow and not scary.
16. Def by Temptation (1990) ***1/2 - Troma classic about a female sex demon with an all-black cast. Saw this as a kid, but it's even better than I remembered.
17. Anything for Jackson *** - Capably made haunted house movie about grandparents botching a supernatural ritual in hope of raising their dead grandchild.
18. Reunion ***1/2 - Ghost story about a mother and daughter packing up the family home for sale and uncovering skeletons in the closet. Blurs the lines between reality and delusion nicely.
19. AV: The Hunt *** - A variation on The Most Dangerous Game that got my blood boiling because it deals with Turkish men hunting an adulterous woman in hopes of "honor killing" her.
The 6th one is my favourite but none of them are groundbreaking. I did enjoy the crossover with Nightmare on Elm Street though.
Week Two: "If You See a Faded Sign by the Side of the Road That Says, "Fifteen Miles to the LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVECRAAAAAAAAAFT!", Day 14 (Oct 10)
Adapted from The Case of Charles Dexter Ward
Few careers in the worlds of both science-fiction and horror filmmaking have elicited as many pained "what ifs" as that of Dan O'Bannon, the deeply talented screenwriter and all too occasionally a director whose lifelong love of all things genre fiction would be in turn the fuel for some of cinema's most enduring images. Chief among them, of course, is the major hand he played in the creation of the Alien franchise, both for its story as well as a very important discovery he made when he managed to get his previous almost-collaborator HR Giger involved with the creation of the titular creature for one of the greatest of all movie monsters to ever come to life on the screen. Though not as widely acknowledged, he also turned in one of the all-time great zombie films in The Return of the Living Dead, a shot of punk rock anarchy that the shambling genre needed at the time, cleverly mixing riotous humor with genuinely bloodcurdling horror to terrific effect and created one of the major milestones of 80s horror filmmaking. Yet even with those successes under his belt, as well as writing the screenplay for Total Recall, he would get the chance to direct only one more film (this one, in fact) before work started to dry up for him. And behind the scenes, his lifelong battle with Crohn's disease raged on, its key role in creating one of the most shocking scenes in all of mainstream horror films doing little to assuage the pain he had been feeling for his entire adult life, claiming him in 2009.
Even before getting the chance to directly adapt one of Lovecraft's works, the influence the author had on O'Bannon was undeniable. The ancient machinations of civilizations long since crumbled yet alive in the worst possible way powered the entirety of the mythos for Alien. Though he had disowned it due to a dispute with his longtime writing partner Ronald Shusett at the time, the little seen yet underappreciated Dead & Buried felt very much like a precursor to a direct adaptation of one of Lovecraft's works concerning resurrection, with its somber seaside setting and the genuine dread of not knowing just who is your ally, even after all the years you think you've known them for. It is of little surprise that once he finally got the chance to work on one of Lovecraft's own tales, and one of his most famous ones at that, that O'Bannon was already well equipped to tackle such an adaptation. In what could only be described as more cosmic injustice for him simply existing, O'Bannon found himself up against producers not really getting why he was looking to make something more character focused and would eventually recut the film against his wishes once it was in the can. Throw in a tumultuous distribution deal that wound up having to sell the film outright to a DTV company due to the production company dying, and it's hard not to see O'Bannon as the protagonist in his own Lovecraft tale: helpless and powerless in the face of forces not meant for human minds to wield.
Yet even in its compromised form, largely as a result of cutting down on a lot of character building in an attempt to get the film to rush towards the gorier moments, it's not hard to see what O'Bannon had been going for here, doing well to stay rather faithful to the core of the strange tale of Charles Dexter Ward and his predecessor Joseph Curwen while also expanding it to give the film's story more of a emotional investment beyond stark terror once the pieces reveal themselves in their malformed glory. Even cut down, it's a surprisingly patient film in terms of setup, giving us quite a bit of time with our protagonist John March as his inquiries into the Charles Dexter Ward case start spelling out something far more sinister than someone wanting to be left alone to their own devices. The cuts do feel more pronounced when it regards March and Ward's wife Claire, having all the makings of a romantic relationship yet never feeling like any of it would ever be consummated in any way, but there is a nice emphasis on March's growing weariness and dread the more and more he gets involved in the matter at hand that manifests itself quite nicely in a nightmare sequence that acts as both his fears getting the best of him with all he had endured up to that point while also serving as a kind of omen should he choose to pursue it to what he can only pray is a logical conclusion. John Terry was an interesting choice for the lead here, giving March an air of suaveness that could have become insufferable had he not also invested a good amount of his role into the underlying fear he has that March has not yet quite understood the depths of, giving him a lot of intrigue.
Of course, the other side of the equation for the film's story must get a special highlight, as Chris Sarandon's turn as both Ward and Curwen gives him the opportunity to turn on his trademark villainous streak, someone you absolutely love to hate with just how good looking he is when it gets put up against the absolute depths of horror that he's more than willing to stoop to in his quest for a kind of immortality. Though not as prominently featured despite the dual role, Sarandon's presence elevates the film immensely with the diabolical edge he gives Curwen that makes him a threat even when he's safely off-screen and in a straight-jacket, while also giving Ward a kind of accidental conspirator quality that gives the story a good bit of drama as he realizes all too late just how over his own head he winds up in the end. It makes for good contrast on a story level, which the filmmaking follows suit with the first half being more of an outright detective story before quietly building up towards the terrors that wait underneath the old Ward estate, an extended bit of horror that knows damn well how effective darkness can be to telling its dark secrets as O'Bannon and his crew work marvels in letting the mind fill in all of the horrible blanks that the unlit margins hide, giving you just enough of the abominations for you to chew on to make things so very much worse than you want.
There are definitely issues beyond the re-cutting that feel inherent to the material, including the gory yet conventional climax that seems a little too pat and tied off with a ribbon, even if it is surprisingly faithful to the original novella in that regard (Lovecraft, for all his strengths as a writer, did often run into the problem of knowing how to end stories), but it speaks to how much of O'Bannon's intent and desire wound up on the screen regardless that this felt like a damn good adaptation regardless. Though not the first time the story had been adapted for a feature film, as the strange genesis of The Haunted Palace of Roger Corman's Poe Cycle can attest to, this absolutely did feel like the first time that anyone really get what Lovecraft was going for in his prose and found a satisfying way of conveying it visually. It's certainly gory and monstrous enough for horror hounds to enjoy on that level, but the gristle and grue don't overwhelm the chills behind the very idea of the tale itself, letting the viewer ponder the possibility of resurrection in all its terrible glory without needing abominations to do all the work for them. One can only imagine if O'Bannon had lived long enough to be able to cobble together a more definitive director's cut with the footage that was excised, even from faultier sources, since it's not hard to imagine how this could have easily been a real gem for not only Lovecraft on film, but for 90s horror films in general by very capably splitting the difference between visceral thrills and quiet dread. As it stands, then, O'Bannon at least was able to produce a qualified success that certainly succeeds more often than not.
15/38
Adapted from... well, it's right there, isn't it?
In my review of The Resurrected, I talked at length about Dan O'Bannon's career and how much of a shame it was that he didn't do more before his death. The very much alive Richard Stanley, on the other hand, cultivated a very different kind of reputation that led to the gloriously insane behind-the-scenes stories of the adaptation of The Island of Dr. Moreau that he was once slated... nay, even destined to direct, only to be fired shortly into the start of cameras rolling, sealing the film's fate as one that is far, far, far more fun to talk about it than it could ever be to watch it. In a sense, losing his big dream project was about the best thing that could have happened to Stanley, as he secured a very different kind of legacy after that, even as the experience shook him so bad that it would over a decade before he'd even seriously consider directing a feature film again. After making a splash with this first two films, it was hard to imagine that even in his undisciplined manner that he'd ever stay away from his profession and his passion. And what better way to stage a comeback than to take the opportunity to adapt one of Lovecraft's best-known tales?
Frequently adapted before to various degrees of success, The Colour Out of Space often gets throw into the conversation of being Lovecraft's scariest story of all. Divorced largely from the mythos he had otherwise crafted throughout his other tales, it nevertheless bore all the trademarks of his gift for premise and atmosphere, while also throwing in the nasty detail of this extraterrestrial entity that wreaked havoc on an otherwise fine family for no other reason than being whatever it is, keeping it a truly alien menace. The cosmic hopelessness was perhaps at an all-time peak with his prose throughout, painting a portrait of annihilation quite unlike anything that came before or since. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the bleakness of the material made it a tricky proposition on film in terms of adaptation, since it was a tough sell for a studio to have an entire family, a well-meaning one at that, be completely obliterated without a clear idea of what exactly was targeting them, leading to a lot of rewritten endings that spared at least one member of the family. At the risk of spoilers for a largely faithful adaptation, Stanley here isn't so skittish about those details.
Taking much of the original premise and choosing to compress the events of the film from the year the short story covered to a period that can be best described as a week and change, Stanley and company do rather good work in staying on course throughout. The first person narration is even preserved to a limited degree, acting as bookends for the story with the surveyor playing an important role throughout. But as was the case originally, the real story centers on the Gardner family, as we follow them down the spiral that they're soon to slide down when a meteorite hits their lawn and produces something that no one can properly describe. Early on, the groundwork is laid that the Color is to each person a different object or sensation altogether, giving each character a unique insight into what kind of effect it's having on them, which leads to some chilling moments where the sanity slips long enough to cause a little more damage than absentmindedness or coarser words among each other. It makes for good interplay once events start ramping up in increasingly graphic ways, but even as doom lies certain on the horizon, the film doesn't go entirely for full-bore visual stimulus until it absolutely needs to, making for a surprisingly restrained experience from a director who was once so well-known for starting at 11 with his films. Much will be made of the visual makeup of the film regardless, resembling a thriftier version of Annihilation with its intense colors and horribly mutated wildlife, but Stanley does well by Lovecraft's legacy to make the insanity much more than sick special effects or blinding light shows until they absolutely have to be.
On paper, there is a lot of fertile ground to cover here that Lovecraft didn't get to himself, as there's an inspired choice to make things not as rosy among the Gardners this time, centering on the uncertainty of matriarch Theresa being a recent cancer survivor that places a lot of stress on the rest of the family, especially with two older children nearing adulthood and a child who is very much not sure what to make of it all himself. It makes for a dynamic that keeps things quite interesting throughout, with pent-up frustrations and anxiety playing into the progression of their alien affliction. But I do wonder if the casting director here may have not gotten it right here, as something seems off with the dynamic in that it's hard to believe any of these folks to be related. It's hard to pin down for me exactly what the issue is, as the performances are generally good from all of the players, even as Nicolas Cage can slip into a bit of the old Vampire's Kiss accent when the crazy starts to really ramp up for his Nathan, but I can't help but feel a certain level of detachment from how their relationship is portrayed prior to the meteorite crashing that makes their fates a little less affecting than they might have been otherwise. It's certainly possible that Stanley is still trying to figure that part out after all this time, since it's an issue with his previous films, though it is admittedly less pronounced here than it was on those films, and the actors do engage with the material quite well.
Stanley did make this his own, as even with with his faithfulness to the source material, he ventures out into some really striking territory that wind up eliciting very strong reactions, including a particular instance of body horror that might already be a legit contender for one of the most visually and thematically disturbing instances ever committed to film. Even the bizarre touches like turning the Gardners into would-be alpaca farmers at the story's onset winds up feeling less like quirk for quirk's sake and more of an endearing detail that nevertheless turns out exactly the way that you knew it was going to. It's tricky thing to balance those elements, and for the most part, Stanley does quite well for himself for a hell of a cinematic experience. As I understand it, he has his sights set on adapting The Dunwich Horror as his next film, and if he's able to get as much out of that story as he did here, we might be in store for something truly unwatchable for all the right reasons for a change. Welcome back, Richard: it seems like you were missed all along.
16/38
Adapted from The Case of Charles Dexter Ward
Few careers in the worlds of both science-fiction and horror filmmaking have elicited as many pained "what ifs" as that of Dan O'Bannon, the deeply talented screenwriter and all too occasionally a director whose lifelong love of all things genre fiction would be in turn the fuel for some of cinema's most enduring images. Chief among them, of course, is the major hand he played in the creation of the Alien franchise, both for its story as well as a very important discovery he made when he managed to get his previous almost-collaborator HR Giger involved with the creation of the titular creature for one of the greatest of all movie monsters to ever come to life on the screen. Though not as widely acknowledged, he also turned in one of the all-time great zombie films in The Return of the Living Dead, a shot of punk rock anarchy that the shambling genre needed at the time, cleverly mixing riotous humor with genuinely bloodcurdling horror to terrific effect and created one of the major milestones of 80s horror filmmaking. Yet even with those successes under his belt, as well as writing the screenplay for Total Recall, he would get the chance to direct only one more film (this one, in fact) before work started to dry up for him. And behind the scenes, his lifelong battle with Crohn's disease raged on, its key role in creating one of the most shocking scenes in all of mainstream horror films doing little to assuage the pain he had been feeling for his entire adult life, claiming him in 2009.
Even before getting the chance to directly adapt one of Lovecraft's works, the influence the author had on O'Bannon was undeniable. The ancient machinations of civilizations long since crumbled yet alive in the worst possible way powered the entirety of the mythos for Alien. Though he had disowned it due to a dispute with his longtime writing partner Ronald Shusett at the time, the little seen yet underappreciated Dead & Buried felt very much like a precursor to a direct adaptation of one of Lovecraft's works concerning resurrection, with its somber seaside setting and the genuine dread of not knowing just who is your ally, even after all the years you think you've known them for. It is of little surprise that once he finally got the chance to work on one of Lovecraft's own tales, and one of his most famous ones at that, that O'Bannon was already well equipped to tackle such an adaptation. In what could only be described as more cosmic injustice for him simply existing, O'Bannon found himself up against producers not really getting why he was looking to make something more character focused and would eventually recut the film against his wishes once it was in the can. Throw in a tumultuous distribution deal that wound up having to sell the film outright to a DTV company due to the production company dying, and it's hard not to see O'Bannon as the protagonist in his own Lovecraft tale: helpless and powerless in the face of forces not meant for human minds to wield.
Yet even in its compromised form, largely as a result of cutting down on a lot of character building in an attempt to get the film to rush towards the gorier moments, it's not hard to see what O'Bannon had been going for here, doing well to stay rather faithful to the core of the strange tale of Charles Dexter Ward and his predecessor Joseph Curwen while also expanding it to give the film's story more of a emotional investment beyond stark terror once the pieces reveal themselves in their malformed glory. Even cut down, it's a surprisingly patient film in terms of setup, giving us quite a bit of time with our protagonist John March as his inquiries into the Charles Dexter Ward case start spelling out something far more sinister than someone wanting to be left alone to their own devices. The cuts do feel more pronounced when it regards March and Ward's wife Claire, having all the makings of a romantic relationship yet never feeling like any of it would ever be consummated in any way, but there is a nice emphasis on March's growing weariness and dread the more and more he gets involved in the matter at hand that manifests itself quite nicely in a nightmare sequence that acts as both his fears getting the best of him with all he had endured up to that point while also serving as a kind of omen should he choose to pursue it to what he can only pray is a logical conclusion. John Terry was an interesting choice for the lead here, giving March an air of suaveness that could have become insufferable had he not also invested a good amount of his role into the underlying fear he has that March has not yet quite understood the depths of, giving him a lot of intrigue.
Of course, the other side of the equation for the film's story must get a special highlight, as Chris Sarandon's turn as both Ward and Curwen gives him the opportunity to turn on his trademark villainous streak, someone you absolutely love to hate with just how good looking he is when it gets put up against the absolute depths of horror that he's more than willing to stoop to in his quest for a kind of immortality. Though not as prominently featured despite the dual role, Sarandon's presence elevates the film immensely with the diabolical edge he gives Curwen that makes him a threat even when he's safely off-screen and in a straight-jacket, while also giving Ward a kind of accidental conspirator quality that gives the story a good bit of drama as he realizes all too late just how over his own head he winds up in the end. It makes for good contrast on a story level, which the filmmaking follows suit with the first half being more of an outright detective story before quietly building up towards the terrors that wait underneath the old Ward estate, an extended bit of horror that knows damn well how effective darkness can be to telling its dark secrets as O'Bannon and his crew work marvels in letting the mind fill in all of the horrible blanks that the unlit margins hide, giving you just enough of the abominations for you to chew on to make things so very much worse than you want.
There are definitely issues beyond the re-cutting that feel inherent to the material, including the gory yet conventional climax that seems a little too pat and tied off with a ribbon, even if it is surprisingly faithful to the original novella in that regard (Lovecraft, for all his strengths as a writer, did often run into the problem of knowing how to end stories), but it speaks to how much of O'Bannon's intent and desire wound up on the screen regardless that this felt like a damn good adaptation regardless. Though not the first time the story had been adapted for a feature film, as the strange genesis of The Haunted Palace of Roger Corman's Poe Cycle can attest to, this absolutely did feel like the first time that anyone really get what Lovecraft was going for in his prose and found a satisfying way of conveying it visually. It's certainly gory and monstrous enough for horror hounds to enjoy on that level, but the gristle and grue don't overwhelm the chills behind the very idea of the tale itself, letting the viewer ponder the possibility of resurrection in all its terrible glory without needing abominations to do all the work for them. One can only imagine if O'Bannon had lived long enough to be able to cobble together a more definitive director's cut with the footage that was excised, even from faultier sources, since it's not hard to imagine how this could have easily been a real gem for not only Lovecraft on film, but for 90s horror films in general by very capably splitting the difference between visceral thrills and quiet dread. As it stands, then, O'Bannon at least was able to produce a qualified success that certainly succeeds more often than not.
15/38
Adapted from... well, it's right there, isn't it?
In my review of The Resurrected, I talked at length about Dan O'Bannon's career and how much of a shame it was that he didn't do more before his death. The very much alive Richard Stanley, on the other hand, cultivated a very different kind of reputation that led to the gloriously insane behind-the-scenes stories of the adaptation of The Island of Dr. Moreau that he was once slated... nay, even destined to direct, only to be fired shortly into the start of cameras rolling, sealing the film's fate as one that is far, far, far more fun to talk about it than it could ever be to watch it. In a sense, losing his big dream project was about the best thing that could have happened to Stanley, as he secured a very different kind of legacy after that, even as the experience shook him so bad that it would over a decade before he'd even seriously consider directing a feature film again. After making a splash with this first two films, it was hard to imagine that even in his undisciplined manner that he'd ever stay away from his profession and his passion. And what better way to stage a comeback than to take the opportunity to adapt one of Lovecraft's best-known tales?
Frequently adapted before to various degrees of success, The Colour Out of Space often gets throw into the conversation of being Lovecraft's scariest story of all. Divorced largely from the mythos he had otherwise crafted throughout his other tales, it nevertheless bore all the trademarks of his gift for premise and atmosphere, while also throwing in the nasty detail of this extraterrestrial entity that wreaked havoc on an otherwise fine family for no other reason than being whatever it is, keeping it a truly alien menace. The cosmic hopelessness was perhaps at an all-time peak with his prose throughout, painting a portrait of annihilation quite unlike anything that came before or since. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the bleakness of the material made it a tricky proposition on film in terms of adaptation, since it was a tough sell for a studio to have an entire family, a well-meaning one at that, be completely obliterated without a clear idea of what exactly was targeting them, leading to a lot of rewritten endings that spared at least one member of the family. At the risk of spoilers for a largely faithful adaptation, Stanley here isn't so skittish about those details.
Taking much of the original premise and choosing to compress the events of the film from the year the short story covered to a period that can be best described as a week and change, Stanley and company do rather good work in staying on course throughout. The first person narration is even preserved to a limited degree, acting as bookends for the story with the surveyor playing an important role throughout. But as was the case originally, the real story centers on the Gardner family, as we follow them down the spiral that they're soon to slide down when a meteorite hits their lawn and produces something that no one can properly describe. Early on, the groundwork is laid that the Color is to each person a different object or sensation altogether, giving each character a unique insight into what kind of effect it's having on them, which leads to some chilling moments where the sanity slips long enough to cause a little more damage than absentmindedness or coarser words among each other. It makes for good interplay once events start ramping up in increasingly graphic ways, but even as doom lies certain on the horizon, the film doesn't go entirely for full-bore visual stimulus until it absolutely needs to, making for a surprisingly restrained experience from a director who was once so well-known for starting at 11 with his films. Much will be made of the visual makeup of the film regardless, resembling a thriftier version of Annihilation with its intense colors and horribly mutated wildlife, but Stanley does well by Lovecraft's legacy to make the insanity much more than sick special effects or blinding light shows until they absolutely have to be.
On paper, there is a lot of fertile ground to cover here that Lovecraft didn't get to himself, as there's an inspired choice to make things not as rosy among the Gardners this time, centering on the uncertainty of matriarch Theresa being a recent cancer survivor that places a lot of stress on the rest of the family, especially with two older children nearing adulthood and a child who is very much not sure what to make of it all himself. It makes for a dynamic that keeps things quite interesting throughout, with pent-up frustrations and anxiety playing into the progression of their alien affliction. But I do wonder if the casting director here may have not gotten it right here, as something seems off with the dynamic in that it's hard to believe any of these folks to be related. It's hard to pin down for me exactly what the issue is, as the performances are generally good from all of the players, even as Nicolas Cage can slip into a bit of the old Vampire's Kiss accent when the crazy starts to really ramp up for his Nathan, but I can't help but feel a certain level of detachment from how their relationship is portrayed prior to the meteorite crashing that makes their fates a little less affecting than they might have been otherwise. It's certainly possible that Stanley is still trying to figure that part out after all this time, since it's an issue with his previous films, though it is admittedly less pronounced here than it was on those films, and the actors do engage with the material quite well.
Stanley did make this his own, as even with with his faithfulness to the source material, he ventures out into some really striking territory that wind up eliciting very strong reactions, including a particular instance of body horror that might already be a legit contender for one of the most visually and thematically disturbing instances ever committed to film. Even the bizarre touches like turning the Gardners into would-be alpaca farmers at the story's onset winds up feeling less like quirk for quirk's sake and more of an endearing detail that nevertheless turns out exactly the way that you knew it was going to. It's tricky thing to balance those elements, and for the most part, Stanley does quite well for himself for a hell of a cinematic experience. As I understand it, he has his sights set on adapting The Dunwich Horror as his next film, and if he's able to get as much out of that story as he did here, we might be in store for something truly unwatchable for all the right reasons for a change. Welcome back, Richard: it seems like you were missed all along.
16/38
I'm tired, but I need to catch up, so I'm gonna halfass this.
#8
Maniac Cop
Hmm. Not great. Not much to say about this one, because it didn't really leave an impression on me.
#9
The Exorcist III
I don't know if this was necessary, but it was better than I expected. The different voices and weird possessions, along with one of the final scenes with the priest were really fucking cool. Overall, I liked this one.
#10
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (rewatch)
I really didn't enjoy this the first time I saw it. All the screaming gave me a headache, and that made it hard to like it. This time, I still find all the screaming and loud noises to be more obnoxious than unsettling, but I can see why people like it. It really is... horrifying. I think the end feels a bit rushed and silly, but it's overall a good film. It's a good film I never want to see again.
#11
Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
This was silly. I loved some of the scenes, like the car chase at the beginning, the chase down the tunnel of lamps, and the scene where LG's face is put on the gal, but the last third feels like shlock. It's fun shlock! I love the chainsaw content, but I didn't think it was too great of a film. I think I'm done with TCM for the rest of my life.
#8
Maniac Cop
Hmm. Not great. Not much to say about this one, because it didn't really leave an impression on me.
#9
The Exorcist III
I don't know if this was necessary, but it was better than I expected. The different voices and weird possessions, along with one of the final scenes with the priest were really fucking cool. Overall, I liked this one.
#10
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (rewatch)
I really didn't enjoy this the first time I saw it. All the screaming gave me a headache, and that made it hard to like it. This time, I still find all the screaming and loud noises to be more obnoxious than unsettling, but I can see why people like it. It really is... horrifying. I think the end feels a bit rushed and silly, but it's overall a good film. It's a good film I never want to see again.
#11
Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
This was silly. I loved some of the scenes, like the car chase at the beginning, the chase down the tunnel of lamps, and the scene where LG's face is put on the gal, but the last third feels like shlock. It's fun shlock! I love the chainsaw content, but I didn't think it was too great of a film. I think I'm done with TCM for the rest of my life.
17. The Endless (2017)
Two brothers who left a cult 10 years ago, return after receiving a message from them. Strange events hint at something you can probably come close to guessing at from the title and poster art.
It's ultimately too reserved to really work for me. The big secret is well trodden ground, and despite a few moments of levity and darkness it's pretty boring overall.
The film is also just ugly with a grainy, desaturated and yellow tinged look. You'll also hear bad covers of House of the Rising Sun over and over.
= 2 out of 5
18. Unsane (2018)
Infuriating psychological horror about a woman committed against her will to a psychiatric hospital.
At first the film attempts to set up an intriguing scenario about trauma induced delusions and legitimate questions about for profit health care quotas. Then it abandons all of that for standard stalker movie where coincidences, characters acting like idiots and lapses of logic take over.
It's also very flat and dull looking, I don't know if using an iphone 7 to shoot it was the problem or just a weird choice by director Steven Soderberg.
Also, are co-ed sleeping arrangements common in psych wards?
= 1.5 out of 5
1- Black Swan = 3.5/5
2- Night of Body's Model = 3.5/5
3- Would You Rather = 1.5/5
4- Red Room = 3/5
5- Trick r Treat = 2.5/5
6- High Tension = 3/5
7- Excision = 3/5
8- Southbound = 3/5
9- Red Room 2 = 2/5
10- Tragedy Girls = 4/5
11- Dumplings = 3.5/5
12- What We Do in the Shadows = 4.5/5
13- Drag Me To Hell = 2/5
14- Patchwork = 3/5
15- Cold Fish = 3.5/5
16- Dead Ball = 1/5
We have a curfew around here on the weekends, so I have plenty of time to stay in and watch stuff. Such as...
11. Return to Sleepaway Camp (2008) - 1 star. Okay, this one is at least trying to sort of be a movie, so it's instantly better than 4. But not by much. It's a thoroughly grating experience with nothing but detestable characters screaming at each other for 80 minutes with someone occasionally getting killed. Some of said kills are amusing, but this is a rough go all-around. Not worth your time. And with the whole series behind me, my ranking is 1, 3, 2, 5, 4. But really, you only kind of should watch that first one.
12. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) - 4 stars. Phew, back to having some artistry in your film. While there is some gore throughout the movie, what really makes this thing tense is the atmosphere it creates. You really feel like the characters take a descent into a pit of madness that doesn't let up until the credits roll. Certainly a quintessential horror movie.
13. Twitches (2005) - 3 stars. After the past few days of depravity I needed a palette cleanser, so I queued up this Disney Channel movie. There's a fair amount of cheese and dated dialogue, but it's carried by fun performances and banter by our leads. I could see why it is another perennial Halloween Disney movie, so it's worth a go just to get in the spirit.
11. Return to Sleepaway Camp (2008) - 1 star. Okay, this one is at least trying to sort of be a movie, so it's instantly better than 4. But not by much. It's a thoroughly grating experience with nothing but detestable characters screaming at each other for 80 minutes with someone occasionally getting killed. Some of said kills are amusing, but this is a rough go all-around. Not worth your time. And with the whole series behind me, my ranking is 1, 3, 2, 5, 4. But really, you only kind of should watch that first one.
12. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) - 4 stars. Phew, back to having some artistry in your film. While there is some gore throughout the movie, what really makes this thing tense is the atmosphere it creates. You really feel like the characters take a descent into a pit of madness that doesn't let up until the credits roll. Certainly a quintessential horror movie.
13. Twitches (2005) - 3 stars. After the past few days of depravity I needed a palette cleanser, so I queued up this Disney Channel movie. There's a fair amount of cheese and dated dialogue, but it's carried by fun performances and banter by our leads. I could see why it is another perennial Halloween Disney movie, so it's worth a go just to get in the spirit.
8. Green Room
9. The Ritual
10. mother!
11. Color Out of Space
You can tell they watched Annihilation (or at least listened to the score). But regardless of how much they might have taken from the visual and audio design, it still blends together creatively to create a really good adaptation of the source material. You don't often see straight Lovecraft adaptations done well, but this makes smart changes where it needs to while still staying very close to the material. I can kind of take or leave crazy Nic Cage, but it works well enough here.
I agree with Ridley327's take above that there's a certain detachment from the characters that makes it hard to invest in what happens to them. There's enough meat on the rest of the movie to carry it forward despite their flatness though. Ridley echoed a lot of my other thoughts too, so I'll stop here and point to his post above.
#10 - Dead Alive
I kick ass for the LORD!
Ha. Dead Alive was super gross and completely insane and I loved every minute of it. The exaggerated characters and acting was hilarious. Those scenes with the priest and the lawnmower were brilliant. This was such a good time, glad I finally got around to it after hearing about it for so many years.
I kick ass for the LORD!
Ha. Dead Alive was super gross and completely insane and I loved every minute of it. The exaggerated characters and acting was hilarious. Those scenes with the priest and the lawnmower were brilliant. This was such a good time, glad I finally got around to it after hearing about it for so many years.
Actually just rewatched this today. It will never be topped.#10 - Dead Alive
I kick ass for the LORD!
Ha. Dead Alive was super gross and completely insane and I loved every minute of it. The exaggerated characters and acting was hilarious. Those scenes with the priest and the lawnmower were brilliant. This was such a good time, glad I finally got around to it after hearing about it for so many years.
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Not yet. A24 really likes to keep films in cinemas. Still waiting for First Cow to release in UK lol
Saw it at TIFF last year, but didn't think much of it beyond Ehle's performance (2.5/5).
17. The Endless (2017)
Curious if you've seen its (better) prequel Resolution... This movie doesn't reasonate nearly as much without seeing that one first.
Bonus Short Film: The Black Tower (1987)
This is one of my favorite kinds of horror. Something that on the surface is so simple and not directly threatening, but so inexplicable that it becomes terrifying. Smith employs some very clever editing to convey the impossible nature of the tower as well as the narrator's state of mind. There's a scene with a tree vertically dividing the frame; cars pass behind it and don't come out the other side, even the audio abruptly cutting out. Another scene depicts the narrator running across the inescapable tower everywhere he goes by intercutting shots of the tower in different locations to the rhythm of the narrator's footsteps. The consistent rhythm of the editing and the general lack of focus on people in favor of mostly static shots of environments helps to emphasize the stark, imposing, immobile-yet-mobile nature of the mysterious black tower.
I've been reading Ligotti lately and this definitely feels like the sort of thing he would write, with something just being somehow mundanely wrong but with no intent or even consciousness behind it, with the people who observe it being left merely to wonder and worry. 8/10
Bonus Short Film: Au secours! (1924)
I love creative updates on turn-of-the-century trick films, and this seems like one of the earliest examples that clearly can't be categorized as a trick film, but is deliberately riffing on them and their frequent focus on horror. There's some remarkably experimental editing here, and it's pretty impressive that it's all in service of an irreverent comedy-horror rather than a high-brow surrealist art film that you'd be more likely to see that sort of thing in at the time. The only other Gance films I've seen are both versions of J'accuse, but based on those it's not surprising he was able to do something so innovative in this sphere. If I have one problem with it it's that the humor in the intertitles isn't as effective as the visual humor (as is often the case in silent comedies), but Au secours! definitely feels like an important puzzle piece in the development of horror, comedy, and horror comedy films. 8/10
This is one of my favorite kinds of horror. Something that on the surface is so simple and not directly threatening, but so inexplicable that it becomes terrifying. Smith employs some very clever editing to convey the impossible nature of the tower as well as the narrator's state of mind. There's a scene with a tree vertically dividing the frame; cars pass behind it and don't come out the other side, even the audio abruptly cutting out. Another scene depicts the narrator running across the inescapable tower everywhere he goes by intercutting shots of the tower in different locations to the rhythm of the narrator's footsteps. The consistent rhythm of the editing and the general lack of focus on people in favor of mostly static shots of environments helps to emphasize the stark, imposing, immobile-yet-mobile nature of the mysterious black tower.
I've been reading Ligotti lately and this definitely feels like the sort of thing he would write, with something just being somehow mundanely wrong but with no intent or even consciousness behind it, with the people who observe it being left merely to wonder and worry. 8/10
Bonus Short Film: Au secours! (1924)
I love creative updates on turn-of-the-century trick films, and this seems like one of the earliest examples that clearly can't be categorized as a trick film, but is deliberately riffing on them and their frequent focus on horror. There's some remarkably experimental editing here, and it's pretty impressive that it's all in service of an irreverent comedy-horror rather than a high-brow surrealist art film that you'd be more likely to see that sort of thing in at the time. The only other Gance films I've seen are both versions of J'accuse, but based on those it's not surprising he was able to do something so innovative in this sphere. If I have one problem with it it's that the humor in the intertitles isn't as effective as the visual humor (as is often the case in silent comedies), but Au secours! definitely feels like an important puzzle piece in the development of horror, comedy, and horror comedy films. 8/10
10. Terrifier
I think this movie was a little better the 2nd time around. Art seems like a decent new horror icon in the killer clown vein and the movie is very condensed. It gets to the point relatively quickly and has an unsettlingly dark sense of humor about everything that Art does. Even the interview at the beginning was pretty unsettling.
8/10
I think this movie was a little better the 2nd time around. Art seems like a decent new horror icon in the killer clown vein and the movie is very condensed. It gets to the point relatively quickly and has an unsettlingly dark sense of humor about everything that Art does. Even the interview at the beginning was pretty unsettling.
8/10
10. Zombie (1979)
Zombie aka Zombi 2 (aka Zombie Flesh Eaters also I guess lol) is a interesting film, being a Italian sequel of sort to Dawn of the Dead. It does live up to be quite gruesome, and I ended up look away from that that eye gouging moment, cause damn did they let that sink in. The make up work for the zombies is really great too, especially for the ones that rises from the ground, and certainly looks nasty. Overall, definitely a enjoyable ride that leads into a nice standoff against a horde of zombies by the end. The opening scene is really good at setting the mood of the film also. That shark vs zombie fight early on is pretty silly, but hey it is an amusing addition to this film.
Zombie aka Zombi 2 (aka Zombie Flesh Eaters also I guess lol) is a interesting film, being a Italian sequel of sort to Dawn of the Dead. It does live up to be quite gruesome, and I ended up look away from that that eye gouging moment, cause damn did they let that sink in. The make up work for the zombies is really great too, especially for the ones that rises from the ground, and certainly looks nasty. Overall, definitely a enjoyable ride that leads into a nice standoff against a horde of zombies by the end. The opening scene is really good at setting the mood of the film also. That shark vs zombie fight early on is pretty silly, but hey it is an amusing addition to this film.
No, I wasn't aware there was an earlier film until I looked this up after viewing it. It wasn't even on my list, I saw it mentioned recently (in this thread?) and gave it a chance.
Nearly had this on my list this year, glad I didn't include. Thanks for taking that bullet Thirsty!