The bedroom scene and the finale were nerve-wracking. Perhaps the most suspenseful intense sequences I've ever seen in a giallo
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31 Days of Horror (2020) - The October Movie Marathon
- Thread starter ThirstyFly
- Start date
1. Genuine (1920)
I hadn't seen this in several years, and that time I had seen the more widely available, heavily trimmed cut. This time I watched another version that's almost twice the length, though the video quality was sadly lacking. I remember almost nothing about my first viewing, but I don't think the longer runtime did much for it. The film has some really cool sets, looking just as demented as Caligari's if not more so, but that's about it. The film takes the most boring narrative paths it can at pretty much every turn, the first half is almost entirely sleep-inducing exposition, the characters are rote and unmemorable, and there's quite a bit of racism to boot. Kind of sad, given it's sort of a sister film to the great Caligari and I had hoped to discover a forgotten gem in the extended cut. An interesting historical curio, but not much more than that. 4/10
I hadn't seen this in several years, and that time I had seen the more widely available, heavily trimmed cut. This time I watched another version that's almost twice the length, though the video quality was sadly lacking. I remember almost nothing about my first viewing, but I don't think the longer runtime did much for it. The film has some really cool sets, looking just as demented as Caligari's if not more so, but that's about it. The film takes the most boring narrative paths it can at pretty much every turn, the first half is almost entirely sleep-inducing exposition, the characters are rote and unmemorable, and there's quite a bit of racism to boot. Kind of sad, given it's sort of a sister film to the great Caligari and I had hoped to discover a forgotten gem in the extended cut. An interesting historical curio, but not much more than that. 4/10
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Day 3 - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, 1920 (NEW)
I didn't originally have this on my list, but when there was another famous 1920 horror film to round out week one I had to go for the hat trick.
Compared to Caligari and Golem, kind of bland? Obviously, Barrymore's performance is the driving motor of the movie (both as Hyde and, late in the game, as the bedeviled Jekyll), but it's not quite enough to keep me engaged. Anything where he's not directly involved is just sort of set dressing and not particularly compelling. It just feels very conventional. Part of that is owed to its age, but like, the original novel was already 30+ years old at that point so it's not like the story is breaking new ground either way.
Shout out to the costuming and makeup, naturally, for making every step of the Hyde "transformation" throughout the movie interesting - it successfully walks the line between believable and unnatural. And there's some cool shots in there, like a particularly inventive one where Jekyll is having like... delirious hallucinations of a huge spider crawling into his bed. I can imagine that really fucking with 1920s audiences.
Worth the watch but doubtful something I'd return to. Tomorrow I think I'll knock out Haxan, which has been on my list for a while, and call it a wrap on the silent era.
I didn't originally have this on my list, but when there was another famous 1920 horror film to round out week one I had to go for the hat trick.
Compared to Caligari and Golem, kind of bland? Obviously, Barrymore's performance is the driving motor of the movie (both as Hyde and, late in the game, as the bedeviled Jekyll), but it's not quite enough to keep me engaged. Anything where he's not directly involved is just sort of set dressing and not particularly compelling. It just feels very conventional. Part of that is owed to its age, but like, the original novel was already 30+ years old at that point so it's not like the story is breaking new ground either way.
Shout out to the costuming and makeup, naturally, for making every step of the Hyde "transformation" throughout the movie interesting - it successfully walks the line between believable and unnatural. And there's some cool shots in there, like a particularly inventive one where Jekyll is having like... delirious hallucinations of a huge spider crawling into his bed. I can imagine that really fucking with 1920s audiences.
Worth the watch but doubtful something I'd return to. Tomorrow I think I'll knock out Haxan, which has been on my list for a while, and call it a wrap on the silent era.
Haxan can be dry at times, but the visuals are still hypnotic and impressive
My list (not quite done yet). I plan on going for the whole month, with possible multiple movies especially on weekends. Will update the post with blurbs.
Day 1. Ghostbusters.★★★½
Day 2. Zombieland 2. Positives: the doppelgang part. Rosario Dawson is always a positive. The post(ish) credit scene made the watching the movie worth it. And I'll say it's an enjoyable movie to burn through. But it did feel pointless. The first movie is enough.★★
Day 3. Aliens. First time viewing. Fun cast of characters. A lot more guns blazing compared to the first, but that's fine. I could have done without
★★★½
Day 4. Get Out. Fantastic movie. Just reminds me of how people like what we can do for you, but you don't actually value us as people. ★★★★
Day 5. Midsommar. ★★★★
The Lighthouse
Midsommar
Night of the Living Dead
Ghostbusters 2
Silence of the Lambs
Annihilation
Wicker Man
Shaun of the Dead
Suspiria (1977)
Nosferatu (1922)
Rosemary's Baby
Alien
Beetlejuice
Hagazussa
Pan's Labyrinth
The Thing
Onibaba
edit: going to do individual posts for extra thread activity
Day 1. Ghostbusters.★★★½
Day 2. Zombieland 2. Positives: the doppelgang part. Rosario Dawson is always a positive. The post(ish) credit scene made the watching the movie worth it. And I'll say it's an enjoyable movie to burn through. But it did feel pointless. The first movie is enough.★★
Day 3. Aliens. First time viewing. Fun cast of characters. A lot more guns blazing compared to the first, but that's fine. I could have done without
the mech vs mother fight at the end though.
Day 4. Get Out. Fantastic movie. Just reminds me of how people like what we can do for you, but you don't actually value us as people. ★★★★
Day 5. Midsommar. ★★★★
The Lighthouse
Midsommar
Night of the Living Dead
Ghostbusters 2
Silence of the Lambs
Annihilation
Wicker Man
Shaun of the Dead
Suspiria (1977)
Nosferatu (1922)
Rosemary's Baby
Alien
Beetlejuice
Hagazussa
Pan's Labyrinth
The Thing
Onibaba
edit: going to do individual posts for extra thread activity
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I started a few days before October started:
1. The Addams Family (1991): Still enjoy this movie greatly. The casting is so good (Julia, Huston, Lloyd and Ricci are all perfect for their parts). 4/5
2. Black Swan (2010): I love this movie. I love how the camera is very up close on the faces (especially Portman's) and how it's shaky and hand held like you're watching a war footage most of the time.
Aranofsky is so good at intense extended ending sequences. This and Requiem for a Dream both have great examples of this. The last 20 minutes or so of this are sublime.
Two subgenres of movies that I enjoy: a woman losing control and a performer/artist pushing themselves to the point of self destruction.
If you like this movie you will like The Red Shoes which shares some serious parallels with this. I'm sure there's some inspiration coming from there.
Other great movies about women losing control: Mother! from this same director, Rosemary's Baby and Repulsion from Polanski. All of these movies do a great job capturing women being attacked, abused and pushed to the brink by society around them. 4.5/5
3. The Exorcist (1973): Classic, forgot how much the theme music is similar to the beginning Halloween theme music. 4/5
4. Jurassic Park (1993): One of my favorite movies as a kid. I was watching it for the first time in a very long time and realized it's basically a family friendly horror movie. 3.5/5
5. Get Out (2017): Jordan Peele took Being John Malkovich turned it into a horror movie/one of the greatest movie commentaries on race in America.
A lot of movies about racism are historically based and very on the nose. Some are better than others but I can't remember any that were this creative up to the point when this came out. 4.5/5
6. Casper (1995): This movie is such a mess. It all takes place over about 24 hours and almost every scene feels extremely rushed and there's no time to breath or think about anything for the first 45 minutes. 1/5
7. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954): First time seeing this, it held up better than I expected. 3/5
8. House on Haunted Hill (1959): First time seeing this as well. It was very campy and fun. Price was great as expected. 3/5
1. The Addams Family (1991): Still enjoy this movie greatly. The casting is so good (Julia, Huston, Lloyd and Ricci are all perfect for their parts). 4/5
2. Black Swan (2010): I love this movie. I love how the camera is very up close on the faces (especially Portman's) and how it's shaky and hand held like you're watching a war footage most of the time.
Aranofsky is so good at intense extended ending sequences. This and Requiem for a Dream both have great examples of this. The last 20 minutes or so of this are sublime.
Two subgenres of movies that I enjoy: a woman losing control and a performer/artist pushing themselves to the point of self destruction.
If you like this movie you will like The Red Shoes which shares some serious parallels with this. I'm sure there's some inspiration coming from there.
Other great movies about women losing control: Mother! from this same director, Rosemary's Baby and Repulsion from Polanski. All of these movies do a great job capturing women being attacked, abused and pushed to the brink by society around them. 4.5/5
3. The Exorcist (1973): Classic, forgot how much the theme music is similar to the beginning Halloween theme music. 4/5
4. Jurassic Park (1993): One of my favorite movies as a kid. I was watching it for the first time in a very long time and realized it's basically a family friendly horror movie. 3.5/5
5. Get Out (2017): Jordan Peele took Being John Malkovich turned it into a horror movie/one of the greatest movie commentaries on race in America.
A lot of movies about racism are historically based and very on the nose. Some are better than others but I can't remember any that were this creative up to the point when this came out. 4.5/5
6. Casper (1995): This movie is such a mess. It all takes place over about 24 hours and almost every scene feels extremely rushed and there's no time to breath or think about anything for the first 45 minutes. 1/5
7. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954): First time seeing this, it held up better than I expected. 3/5
8. House on Haunted Hill (1959): First time seeing this as well. It was very campy and fun. Price was great as expected. 3/5
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3. The Mummy (1932)
Despite being one of Universal's only "original" movie monsters (no literary source material), Karl Freund's "The Mummy borrows liberally from the story of Dracula, with an undead aristocrat placing unwitting victims under his spell, including a beautiful woman, while being pursued by her love interest and a Van Helsing like doctor. I suppose turnabout is fair play then, as Coppola's Dracula would lift the love story from this decades later.
The film itself is a bit different from its contemporaries, as it focuses more on painting its "monster" as a man whose love has lasted centuries, and is now willing to throw it away to get what he wants. The Universal monster films would often hinge everything on the performance of its main monster, and Karloff is a commanding screen presence, exuding menace in every scene he's in. The setting also allows for a change of pace from the Gothic European castles of its contemporaries to a more unique and less artificial setting.
Unfortunately the rest of the film is rather plodding, with few scares and a bit too much exposition. Add in a half baked love story between the two main non Mummy leads and you ultimately get a good but not great chiller.
Despite being one of Universal's only "original" movie monsters (no literary source material), Karl Freund's "The Mummy borrows liberally from the story of Dracula, with an undead aristocrat placing unwitting victims under his spell, including a beautiful woman, while being pursued by her love interest and a Van Helsing like doctor. I suppose turnabout is fair play then, as Coppola's Dracula would lift the love story from this decades later.
The film itself is a bit different from its contemporaries, as it focuses more on painting its "monster" as a man whose love has lasted centuries, and is now willing to throw it away to get what he wants. The Universal monster films would often hinge everything on the performance of its main monster, and Karloff is a commanding screen presence, exuding menace in every scene he's in. The setting also allows for a change of pace from the Gothic European castles of its contemporaries to a more unique and less artificial setting.
Unfortunately the rest of the film is rather plodding, with few scares and a bit too much exposition. Add in a half baked love story between the two main non Mummy leads and you ultimately get a good but not great chiller.
Not at all, as it's pretty much THE template for every action-horror hybrid on the damn planet.
#3 - The Dead Zone (1983) (FTV)
Cronenberg is a legend in my eyes. He has this innate ability to blur the line between the real world and the supernatural to make you believe that one is just as possible as the other no matter how outlandish it may seem. That was certainly the case for his 1983 adaptation of Stephen King's The Dead Zone.
Christopher Walker plays Johnny Smith: a teacher who gets into an accident, goes into a five-year long coma, and awakens from it with psychic powers that allows him to see the moment a person might die or died in the past. Walken gives a great performance, and is the driving force behind the intensity of the film. I have to imagine if they got anyone else that couldn't convey the emotional turmoil the main character is going through, this could have been a very boring sit.
Again, the ability Cronenberg has to make you believe in the supernatural aspects that takes place in his films is another factor which made this so entertaining. There is also a great deal of focus of trying to understand the type of person that Johnny Smith becomes after waking from his coma, and I believe it's one of tragedy who feels like he has nothing left to live for. I think that's a factor which drives him towards using his powers, and what to do with the information he gains. And the ending of the movie is set up so well for what he realizes he must do to stop a greater evil being launched upon the world.
If I have any gripes with the movie, they are minor ones at best. I don't feel that the movie is particularly memorable outside of Johnny's power, and it has its moments of character building that can take you out of the film if you fail to relate to the plights of the main character. Although there is a villain, it's not one that has some building conflict between themselves and the main character. Finally, I wouldn't really call this a horror film per se. I see it more as a psychological thriller with one moment that could be considered disturbing or frightening, which could be a turn off for those expecting a Cronenberg horror film like The Fly, Shivers, or The Brood.
In all, The Dead Zone was a good film that I'm glad I finally got to see. I was a little disappointed that it wasn't more of a true horror film, but the acting was great, there's good moments of character building, and the last 10 minutes of the film were very satisfying.
7.5 scissors to the mouth out of 10.
Cronenberg is a legend in my eyes. He has this innate ability to blur the line between the real world and the supernatural to make you believe that one is just as possible as the other no matter how outlandish it may seem. That was certainly the case for his 1983 adaptation of Stephen King's The Dead Zone.
Christopher Walker plays Johnny Smith: a teacher who gets into an accident, goes into a five-year long coma, and awakens from it with psychic powers that allows him to see the moment a person might die or died in the past. Walken gives a great performance, and is the driving force behind the intensity of the film. I have to imagine if they got anyone else that couldn't convey the emotional turmoil the main character is going through, this could have been a very boring sit.
Again, the ability Cronenberg has to make you believe in the supernatural aspects that takes place in his films is another factor which made this so entertaining. There is also a great deal of focus of trying to understand the type of person that Johnny Smith becomes after waking from his coma, and I believe it's one of tragedy who feels like he has nothing left to live for. I think that's a factor which drives him towards using his powers, and what to do with the information he gains. And the ending of the movie is set up so well for what he realizes he must do to stop a greater evil being launched upon the world.
If I have any gripes with the movie, they are minor ones at best. I don't feel that the movie is particularly memorable outside of Johnny's power, and it has its moments of character building that can take you out of the film if you fail to relate to the plights of the main character. Although there is a villain, it's not one that has some building conflict between themselves and the main character. Finally, I wouldn't really call this a horror film per se. I see it more as a psychological thriller with one moment that could be considered disturbing or frightening, which could be a turn off for those expecting a Cronenberg horror film like The Fly, Shivers, or The Brood.
In all, The Dead Zone was a good film that I'm glad I finally got to see. I was a little disappointed that it wasn't more of a true horror film, but the acting was great, there's good moments of character building, and the last 10 minutes of the film were very satisfying.
7.5 scissors to the mouth out of 10.
I owned the soundtrack to this and loved it. It was my most anticipated film when I got all the NOES movies back in 2007, but I ended up not liking it at the time because
I really enjoyed Dream Warriors and was salty they killed them off so early
Funny thing is I actually bumped into Lisa Wilcox at a Jack in the Box in 2009.
I quite like Sadako 3D 2, and this is coming from someone who couldn't finish the first Sadako 3D.
Week One: A Trip through Bollywood Horror, with the Help of the Ramsay Brothers, Day 7 (Oct 3)
The Ramsay Brothers entered the 90s with their theatrical popularity beginning to wane, the result of a crowded marketplace that they had a big hand in overly saturating with the frequency of how quickly they were cranking out their own pictures, let alone their imitators. With a transition to TV programming in sight, prospects were drying up for their knack of capturing audiences the same way they did in the earlier part of the 80s. What was left to do, except to ride it out for as long as the situation allowed them to get away with, especially with a very liberal cribbing of A Nightmare on Elm Street in their sights after this film? Shockingly, the answer here with this film was to make a damn solid, straightforward horror film!
Owing more to Hammer than usual, the story centers upon the reign of terror that the vampire Neola (Anirudh Agarwal making another strong impression as the heavy, even with less dialogue than the already mostly silent role he had in Purana Mandir) has over the local area, and his fiercely dedicated followers being eager to find new ways of bringing more victims and/or acolytes into the fold. One such follower finds a hell of a fish to catch in the wife of the local Thakur, desperate to bear a child after months of trying unsuccessfully with her husband, and as it turns out, desperate enough to let Neola's dark powers give her one. But one knows how these kinds of bargains go, and the result is, on the surface, skirting dangerously close to the usual Ramsay formula. Yet even with the time skip that ages everyone up and sets up the same old dynamic we've come to expect, something seems a little off and in a good way for a change. With practically no comic relief in sight, a stronger character focus that manages to chart a pretty wild range of shifting allegiances, influenced by Satanic ritual or not, and an unexpected yet deeply welcome play that the female lead isn't immediately introduced while also giving her a far more fiery and feisty attitude that allows her to get her hands dirty as much as our male lead. If not as easily likable as a certain pair of protagonists as the film I keep talking about it in these subsequent reviews, their struggle is nevertheless compelling, to say nothing of the rest of the cast. Everything winds up feeling rather focused and engaging with the less this engages in the normal brand of crowd-pleasing antics and the more it, well, wants to be a meaty horror film.
This isn't to say that some bad storytelling habits don't crop up again here as they have in, well, all of their films, with a LOT of shortcuts being taken just to get to the next story beat that can occasionally feel a little too restless. This does crop up quite a bit in the final stretch in particular, as it barrels through to set up the extended climax only to start it without any warning whatsoever, but it's surprisingly easy to buy into when even that comes with a genuinely unexpected twist in the story that suddenly puts you at attention to see just how things will actually play out in the end, as the sense of safety that we often got with the previous films goes right out the window like Neola does on several occasions. Even with those shortcuts, though, the performances are on-point throughout to sell the drama and the terror, with a couple of choice moments that do feel welcome in slowing things down just enough to find some moments of mourning for those that don't make it to the final reels. The Hammer affectations also extend to the surprisingly tasteful approach to the violence and, shall we say, lustier elements, feeling far less sleazy and more like the work of some folks who wanted to tell a robust scary story. Even the musical numbers are genuinely plot vital and move everything along as they needed to, making their inclusion quite welcome indeed.
In aping elements of Hammer (and definitely ripping off the Friday the 13th theme), one of the last big theatrical stabs that the family unit made together manage to give the film a heft that was sorely needed to make it count. There is not a small irony in this being rooted in far older films than what a lot of their 80s output had targeted in their contemporary melding of Bollywood traditions and 80s American horror filmmaking, winding up as one of their most successful films from a creative standpoint. Even as Hammer would sputter to their own end, they still had a hell of a legacy for fans to look back upon fondly, which makes me wonder if the Ramsays had produced more quality productions that they too would have made a bigger impact on the world stage. As it stands, though, it does become somewhat easy to pick out the cream of their crop, and for the final film of this special week highlighting Bollywood horror films, it was sure nice to count this among those ranks.
7/38
The Ramsay Brothers entered the 90s with their theatrical popularity beginning to wane, the result of a crowded marketplace that they had a big hand in overly saturating with the frequency of how quickly they were cranking out their own pictures, let alone their imitators. With a transition to TV programming in sight, prospects were drying up for their knack of capturing audiences the same way they did in the earlier part of the 80s. What was left to do, except to ride it out for as long as the situation allowed them to get away with, especially with a very liberal cribbing of A Nightmare on Elm Street in their sights after this film? Shockingly, the answer here with this film was to make a damn solid, straightforward horror film!
Owing more to Hammer than usual, the story centers upon the reign of terror that the vampire Neola (Anirudh Agarwal making another strong impression as the heavy, even with less dialogue than the already mostly silent role he had in Purana Mandir) has over the local area, and his fiercely dedicated followers being eager to find new ways of bringing more victims and/or acolytes into the fold. One such follower finds a hell of a fish to catch in the wife of the local Thakur, desperate to bear a child after months of trying unsuccessfully with her husband, and as it turns out, desperate enough to let Neola's dark powers give her one. But one knows how these kinds of bargains go, and the result is, on the surface, skirting dangerously close to the usual Ramsay formula. Yet even with the time skip that ages everyone up and sets up the same old dynamic we've come to expect, something seems a little off and in a good way for a change. With practically no comic relief in sight, a stronger character focus that manages to chart a pretty wild range of shifting allegiances, influenced by Satanic ritual or not, and an unexpected yet deeply welcome play that the female lead isn't immediately introduced while also giving her a far more fiery and feisty attitude that allows her to get her hands dirty as much as our male lead. If not as easily likable as a certain pair of protagonists as the film I keep talking about it in these subsequent reviews, their struggle is nevertheless compelling, to say nothing of the rest of the cast. Everything winds up feeling rather focused and engaging with the less this engages in the normal brand of crowd-pleasing antics and the more it, well, wants to be a meaty horror film.
This isn't to say that some bad storytelling habits don't crop up again here as they have in, well, all of their films, with a LOT of shortcuts being taken just to get to the next story beat that can occasionally feel a little too restless. This does crop up quite a bit in the final stretch in particular, as it barrels through to set up the extended climax only to start it without any warning whatsoever, but it's surprisingly easy to buy into when even that comes with a genuinely unexpected twist in the story that suddenly puts you at attention to see just how things will actually play out in the end, as the sense of safety that we often got with the previous films goes right out the window like Neola does on several occasions. Even with those shortcuts, though, the performances are on-point throughout to sell the drama and the terror, with a couple of choice moments that do feel welcome in slowing things down just enough to find some moments of mourning for those that don't make it to the final reels. The Hammer affectations also extend to the surprisingly tasteful approach to the violence and, shall we say, lustier elements, feeling far less sleazy and more like the work of some folks who wanted to tell a robust scary story. Even the musical numbers are genuinely plot vital and move everything along as they needed to, making their inclusion quite welcome indeed.
In aping elements of Hammer (and definitely ripping off the Friday the 13th theme), one of the last big theatrical stabs that the family unit made together manage to give the film a heft that was sorely needed to make it count. There is not a small irony in this being rooted in far older films than what a lot of their 80s output had targeted in their contemporary melding of Bollywood traditions and 80s American horror filmmaking, winding up as one of their most successful films from a creative standpoint. Even as Hammer would sputter to their own end, they still had a hell of a legacy for fans to look back upon fondly, which makes me wonder if the Ramsays had produced more quality productions that they too would have made a bigger impact on the world stage. As it stands, though, it does become somewhat easy to pick out the cream of their crop, and for the final film of this special week highlighting Bollywood horror films, it was sure nice to count this among those ranks.
7/38
3) Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
If Pazuzu comes for you, I will spit a leopard.
That sure was a motion picture that played sequentially on my screen.
Gone is the realistic tone and mournful atmosphere, replaced by trite cartoon silliness and inane dialogue. It's painful watching Richard Burton attempt to deliver some of these nonsense lines with dignity.
It distinctly has that vibe of "Our film was a big hit so we have to do a sequel even though we have nothing to make it about". The result is boring combo of a few half-baked new ideas, inferior rehashes of the first film, and a whole lot of goofball antics.
Avoid.
If Pazuzu comes for you, I will spit a leopard.
That sure was a motion picture that played sequentially on my screen.
Gone is the realistic tone and mournful atmosphere, replaced by trite cartoon silliness and inane dialogue. It's painful watching Richard Burton attempt to deliver some of these nonsense lines with dignity.
It distinctly has that vibe of "Our film was a big hit so we have to do a sequel even though we have nothing to make it about". The result is boring combo of a few half-baked new ideas, inferior rehashes of the first film, and a whole lot of goofball antics.
Avoid.
That is amazing. Although not on the OST, I might need to pick up that Fat Boys: Are You Ready for Freddy 12" on vinyl.
I think that one was for NOES5?
Yeah I went to a Jack in the Box randomly and the woman who looked just like Lisa Wilcox/Alice there. I asked her if it was her and she was shocked that someone regonised her.
Week 1: The Unholy Trinity
One thing plenty (the majority) of horror movies get wrong is that they aren't good movies. In order to have a good horror movie, you need a good movie first.
Growing up, The Exorcist was always hailed by my family as the scariest movie of all-time, so I didn't gather the courage to actually watch it until I was an adult. The takeaway from that first viewing is that The Exorcist is a scary movie, but not in the ways that my family made it out to be. In fact, the scariest element of the film was the subliminal images of Pazuzu. It stuck with me until now and while watching it tonight, I was dreading that white, demonic face from popping up intermittently. It's still effective to this day.
Now down to the meat and potatoes.
Linda Blair might be the best child actress of all-time. Her portrayal of Reagan both before and after the possession is amazing. When she's talking to her mother before bed about the man she's been spending time with lately, it feels like an actual conversation between a mother and daughter. The facial expressions and vocal pitch changes are great.
The Exorcist isn't very scary. It's not. But there's so much going on between all of the characters that it doesn't need to be scary in order to be a good movie.
Father Karras' struggle to keep faith and his inevitable sacrifice to make amends with himself is beautiful.
Reagan looking up at Dayre's clerical collar and giving him a hug and kiss is beautiful. It's pretty much her saying "Thank God" without actually saying it.
The Exorcist isn't scary because of the demonic possession but because of the demons we live with everyday.
- Rosemary's Baby
- The Omen (1976)
- The Exorcist
One thing plenty (the majority) of horror movies get wrong is that they aren't good movies. In order to have a good horror movie, you need a good movie first.
Growing up, The Exorcist was always hailed by my family as the scariest movie of all-time, so I didn't gather the courage to actually watch it until I was an adult. The takeaway from that first viewing is that The Exorcist is a scary movie, but not in the ways that my family made it out to be. In fact, the scariest element of the film was the subliminal images of Pazuzu. It stuck with me until now and while watching it tonight, I was dreading that white, demonic face from popping up intermittently. It's still effective to this day.
Now down to the meat and potatoes.
Linda Blair might be the best child actress of all-time. Her portrayal of Reagan both before and after the possession is amazing. When she's talking to her mother before bed about the man she's been spending time with lately, it feels like an actual conversation between a mother and daughter. The facial expressions and vocal pitch changes are great.
The Exorcist isn't very scary. It's not. But there's so much going on between all of the characters that it doesn't need to be scary in order to be a good movie.
Father Karras' struggle to keep faith and his inevitable sacrifice to make amends with himself is beautiful.
Reagan looking up at Dayre's clerical collar and giving him a hug and kiss is beautiful. It's pretty much her saying "Thank God" without actually saying it.
The Exorcist isn't scary because of the demonic possession but because of the demons we live with everyday.
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1. Poltergeist (1982)
2. 1BR
3. The Blackcoat's Daughter
4. Halloween III: Season of the Witch
I've never been big on slasher movies, but despite that I've always really liked the first Halloween (and the 2018 sequel). I've never seen the third one, but hearing it moved towards being an anthology while also maybe featuring an entire season of witches, I was on board.
And then I watched it. Turns out it's a terrible fever dream of a movie. A terrible, boring, fever dream of a movie where nothing makes sense and everything happens because they somehow need to kill time for an hour and half. I mean the movie literally devotes some 15-minutes to a Bond-villain-esque plot dump, for no explained reason other than they were running out of time to give any kind of coherent context to what was happening. And even then it fails because the context is ridiculous.
The masks looked cool though, I guess.
2. 1BR
3. The Blackcoat's Daughter
4. Halloween III: Season of the Witch
I've never been big on slasher movies, but despite that I've always really liked the first Halloween (and the 2018 sequel). I've never seen the third one, but hearing it moved towards being an anthology while also maybe featuring an entire season of witches, I was on board.
And then I watched it. Turns out it's a terrible fever dream of a movie. A terrible, boring, fever dream of a movie where nothing makes sense and everything happens because they somehow need to kill time for an hour and half. I mean the movie literally devotes some 15-minutes to a Bond-villain-esque plot dump, for no explained reason other than they were running out of time to give any kind of coherent context to what was happening. And even then it fails because the context is ridiculous.
The masks looked cool though, I guess.
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Continued the ride I've been on the past two days but then dipped into a big slasher series...
3. Halloweentown High (2004) - 2 stars. We're trending downward in this series. Feels like they forgot to write anything for one of the kids that was crucial in the first movie, and we don't even go to Halloweentown in this one. It feels like they wanted to make a standard teen high school Disney movie but stuck the Halloweentown name in there to give it a bit more pull. It's the first one I would say is not worth your time. Hearing the fourth entry is disavowed by fans isn't giving me confidence it'll improve...
4. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) - 3.5 stars. My favorite entry in this series due to its mix of tried-and-true Jason kills and a hearty dose of meta humor. The writers knew this concept was getting sillier by the movie and so they acknowledge that, and the end result is a lot of fun. Not sure how many other movies in this series I'll watch this month, but you have to get at least one of these in.
3. Halloweentown High (2004) - 2 stars. We're trending downward in this series. Feels like they forgot to write anything for one of the kids that was crucial in the first movie, and we don't even go to Halloweentown in this one. It feels like they wanted to make a standard teen high school Disney movie but stuck the Halloweentown name in there to give it a bit more pull. It's the first one I would say is not worth your time. Hearing the fourth entry is disavowed by fans isn't giving me confidence it'll improve...
4. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) - 3.5 stars. My favorite entry in this series due to its mix of tried-and-true Jason kills and a hearty dose of meta humor. The writers knew this concept was getting sillier by the movie and so they acknowledge that, and the end result is a lot of fun. Not sure how many other movies in this series I'll watch this month, but you have to get at least one of these in.
2. Dawn of the Dead
My only exposure to any of the ''of the dead'' movies has been the 04 remake of Dawn. (shame I know) This series of films has escaped me over the years, as have many classics. I plan on going through most of the Romero films this year to right this massive wrong. Anyway..
What a fucking grand ole romp this was. What a film. This was just so fun to watch. About 5 minutes in I knew I would love this thing, and i did. A lot. Instant classic for me. I wont divulge into spoilers too, too much but I will say I was crushed at some of the deaths in this film. I had grown attached to these characters and there were a lot of tense moments that had me on the edge of my pillow. I was very annoyed at the ''disturbance'' about 2/3rd through the film. They had such a nice thing going. Sigh. The zombies, while a little silly looking, were pretty spooky, honestly. Very eerie ways about them. I much prefer the plodding, methodical zombie type over the athlete zombies, but thats just me. It makes me feel very claustrophobic, like your death is taking its time, but it is coming. I also like the zombie that looked like maynard james keenan. I just appreciate this film so much. I am a big fan of Shaun of the Dead and hearing where those sound effects came from was pretty cool.
Every actor in this film held their own. Ken Foree was a total badass in this movie. Easily my favorite character right next to Roger. This movie is so much better than the remake its not even funny. I was watching a review and someone had said that Romero films are made in the editing room, and I couldn't agree more. There's just a charm to this movie that I love, I want to watch some longer edits. Any recs? The soundtrack is awesome if not a little out of place at times but it really helps ease tensions. I am quite curious to watch the Argento cut and hear the Goblin soundtrack. I've seen the final scene with the Goblin music and I think it fits a bit better but I cant deny the charm that comes with the original song that was used.
I could go on and on but I am sure most of you have seen this masterpiece. If you haven't, I urge you to. You will not be disappointed. Man I love this movie. This is going into the yearly rotation.
Your impressions encouraged me to give this a rewatch. First watch, I was actually pretty lukewarm on it. Like "Day and Night are way better" lukewarm; idk, maybe I missed the eerie undead husks of the original, maybe the gallows humor didn't click.2. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
I figured since I watched Night of The Living Dead for my first film of the season, why not finish up the original 'Dead' trilogy, even if they are re-watches, it's an opportunity to focus on aspects of each film I haven't seen talked about as much.
In re-watching it, one of the elements that makes Dawn stand out not just from the other Dead films but most zombie films in general is just how likeable and relatable the ensemble of four are. Peter, Roger, Steven "Flyboy" and Fran are one of the best groups of characters ever in a post-apocalyptic zombie film, and not just because of their relatability, but also because of their cleverness and resourcefulness. All four of them bring something to the story, and contrary to the usual clichés of the genre, they're not dumb people, they're actually smart, and make choices that are rational and practical in securing the mall for themselves.
I like that their weakness isn't from making stupid decisions, but from the PTSD they are all dealing with the traumatic experiences they've suffered through to varying degrees. It's never brought up verbally, but it's clear Roger is suffering from PTSD and flashbacks regularly from the horrors he's experienced, both in the opening sequence and potential experiences before the story of the film begins. He doesn't make costly mistakes because of stupid decisions in the script, he's swinging through bouts of PTSD that are affecting the way he's handling situations, and Scott Reiniger's performance should be commended for how he plays Roger, those moments are there, and seem to be more something he brought to the character rather than something outlined in the script. Ken Foree's Peter is also struggling with the same demons as Roger, but is able to bury them inside of himself, and it's notable how many shots as the movie progresses show Peter casually drinking bottles of Jack Daniels and other hard alcohol to dull the pain he's going through.
I like Steven's arc of getting on Peter's bad side early by being careless with a gun, and ultimately winning him over by working with Peter and Roger and their plans to secure the mall. After tragedy strikes the group, Steven and Peter grow closer as they have to rely more on each other both for survival and their own mental health.
There's a short scene where Fran is sitting behind the glass window in Penney's, and the zombie of a hobby baseball player hobbles down next to her across from the glass, and they have a moment, just staring at each other, sadly. That moment stuck with me this time. One of the few criticisms that come up with Dawn is the appearance of the zombies in the film, mostly middle-class Pennsylvanians with blue face paint on. If they had more complex and grotesque makeup on, like what Romero and Savini went with in Day of the Dead, it would be easier to see the zombies in Dawn more as "the other", as just re-animated corpses. In being able to see who they once were, we have to confront the horrific truth that the zombies were and are us, they are your average folks that could be neighbors, co-workers or family members that have succumbed to being the walking undead. There's a sadness to them, because we can still see the humanity they used to be.
But revisiting changed my mind to seeing it as a masterpiece. Could be because I watched the Complete Cut this time, not sure how different it is from the theatrical version. But the two-&-half hours flew by. Honestly one of the best-paced, most relentless zombie movies ever made. The first hour is just nonstop classic scenes and intense scenarios. I really liked how Romero let the film marinate in the methodical mundanity of taking the mall and cleaning it up, the resourceful adaptations to turning the mall into a survivable location (ie vent ladders). That attention to process also helps to define the mall as a character in itself, a quality the remake utterly lacks. (The opening's police raid trounces the remake's opening chaos too). Romero creates a sense of a whole country in collapse better than most in the genre. World War Z had 150x the budget of Dawn of the Dead, yet its global apocalypse feels disjointed and fake compared to what Romeo does with a few fields, a few sets, and a mall.
But the characters are the glue. Given Night's overwhelming legacy, the genre so often resorts to its archetypal group structure. But not Dawn: not a weak link among Peter, Roger, Francine, and Stephen. Each is rich in distinct personality; each is smart, strong, and effective, only succumbing to mistakes or carelessness that organically emerge from their mental strain rather than poor writing.
I used to dislike the bikers, but now they felt...right. The ultimate truth of Dawn of the Dead, one reinforced by what's happening today: the thing worse than zombies is selfish idiots. And not the cowardly betrayers usually seem in the genre, but fuck-you-got-mine indulgence-over-logic assholes. So of course the embodiment of that ruins it for our rational survivors.
The larger disaster scale of Dawn of the Dead used to seem like it conflicted with the slow shambling nature of its undead. But the characters voicing "if they just organized...", "can't believe they let it get this bad..." rings as incredibly true justification in today's pandemic climate. Of course America would succumb to a zombie plague not because of undead deadliness, but because of political squabbling, ignorance, and letting it get bad while the plague spreads unabated until the time was too late to do anything.
3. The Brood (1979) - This was a solid film. The ending scenes really saved it for me even though I felt the child actress that played the daughter was a bit weak. The army of mutated children that just killed anyone based on Nola's rage were pretty creepy. I kept thinking about Don't Look Now whenever I saw them. The small amounts of body horror mixed in, especially at the climax, were well done.
4. Scanners (1981) - I decided to have a small Cronenberg marathon Friday night. I had only seen Videodrome before now, which I really liked, so I decided to watch more of his work. Scanners was definitely more sci-fi than horror, but like in The Brood there was some body horror mixed in. As a sci-fi film I enjoyed this, but as a horror movie both Videodrome and The Brood were far better.
5. Eraserhead (1997) - This was surreal. Definitely oozing David Lynch's style. I feel like I might have to watch this again sometime to really figure out how I truly feel about it. There was a lot going on and a lot to take in. It seemed to be about fear of parenthood, but I feel like there may be more to it than just that.
6. The Thing (1982) - I'm a big fan of John Carpenter, and this is my favorite movie I've watched so far for this marathon. There were so many memorable scenes and the creature effects were phenomenal. The isolation of the setting, as well as trying to figure out who was no longer human made for a suspenseful and fun watch.
Adding my list so far under spoilers so I can keep track.
4. Scanners (1981) - I decided to have a small Cronenberg marathon Friday night. I had only seen Videodrome before now, which I really liked, so I decided to watch more of his work. Scanners was definitely more sci-fi than horror, but like in The Brood there was some body horror mixed in. As a sci-fi film I enjoyed this, but as a horror movie both Videodrome and The Brood were far better.
5. Eraserhead (1997) - This was surreal. Definitely oozing David Lynch's style. I feel like I might have to watch this again sometime to really figure out how I truly feel about it. There was a lot going on and a lot to take in. It seemed to be about fear of parenthood, but I feel like there may be more to it than just that.
6. The Thing (1982) - I'm a big fan of John Carpenter, and this is my favorite movie I've watched so far for this marathon. There were so many memorable scenes and the creature effects were phenomenal. The isolation of the setting, as well as trying to figure out who was no longer human made for a suspenseful and fun watch.
Adding my list so far under spoilers so I can keep track.
1. House (1977) - This was quite the fever dream of a film. The editing was really unique and entertaining, and I feel a lot of the choices in editing made me enjoy the film much more than I would've otherwise. It was strange, comical, and very memorable.
2. Eyes Without a Face (1960) - This was a film I'd been meaning to watch for a while, and I really enjoyed it. I feel black and white really suited this, and color would have been a detriment, especially during the surgery scene. The mask also looked wonderfully creepy, and the mad-doctor-trying-to-fix-his-daughter plot was simple but really good.
2. Eyes Without a Face (1960) - This was a film I'd been meaning to watch for a while, and I really enjoyed it. I feel black and white really suited this, and color would have been a detriment, especially during the surgery scene. The mask also looked wonderfully creepy, and the mad-doctor-trying-to-fix-his-daughter plot was simple but really good.
#3
The Devil's Backbone
Ended up being like 20% horror movie, but I enjoyed the story and cinematography. The kids' acting is also quite good! One interesting aspect is that the story feels like a fable by the end with some lessons on guilt, greed, and violence.
Another noteworthy thing is that, as expected, the ghost is really well done. He feels so damn creepy, and the way the aesthetic hints at his demise was very cool.
The Devil's Backbone
Ended up being like 20% horror movie, but I enjoyed the story and cinematography. The kids' acting is also quite good! One interesting aspect is that the story feels like a fable by the end with some lessons on guilt, greed, and violence.
Another noteworthy thing is that, as expected, the ghost is really well done. He feels so damn creepy, and the way the aesthetic hints at his demise was very cool.
Ooh! I watched that last year. So damn good. What a wonderfully shot final scene. I'd love to see that one again.03. The Innocents (1961, Jack Clayton) ★★★★★
One of the few haunted house films that I've found genuinely creepy.
Yeah, Halloweentown 1 and 2 are fun but i dont care for High or Return. The Marnie recast was unfortunate lol
2. Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971)
I hadn't seen this in a number of years either, and since it's on the Criterion Channel now I took the opportunity to revisit it. It's definitely better than I remembered. There's a big difference between a character being haunted because they have a mental illness and a character being haunted by their mental illness and the irrational thoughts and fears that accompany it. This film is an excellent example of the latter. A palpable sense of dread hangs heavy in the hazy daytime atmosphere, even early in the film when the characters are talking and laughing together and there's peaceful music playing. Speaking of which, the score is phenomenal, aside from a few cues early on that I felt were a bit too much and should have been omitted to allow the tension to escalate more organically. Lampert's performance is great as she comes increasingly unraveled, due to exterior circumstances, her own mind, or both, though the line between them is very unclear. I've come to value these sorts of (mostly) calm, dreamlike horror experiences a lot as I've seen how rarely they're pulled off well. Also, the title and poster are frankly an insult to the film. 8/10
I hadn't seen this in a number of years either, and since it's on the Criterion Channel now I took the opportunity to revisit it. It's definitely better than I remembered. There's a big difference between a character being haunted because they have a mental illness and a character being haunted by their mental illness and the irrational thoughts and fears that accompany it. This film is an excellent example of the latter. A palpable sense of dread hangs heavy in the hazy daytime atmosphere, even early in the film when the characters are talking and laughing together and there's peaceful music playing. Speaking of which, the score is phenomenal, aside from a few cues early on that I felt were a bit too much and should have been omitted to allow the tension to escalate more organically. Lampert's performance is great as she comes increasingly unraveled, due to exterior circumstances, her own mind, or both, though the line between them is very unclear. I've come to value these sorts of (mostly) calm, dreamlike horror experiences a lot as I've seen how rarely they're pulled off well. Also, the title and poster are frankly an insult to the film. 8/10
My mom always talks about this being the scariest movie she remembers from her youth. I also have criterion channel, so I may finally watch it this month.
3. The Platform
AKA: Fuck you, got mine: The Movie. This is effectively a movie about a social experiment, and what happens when you randomize privilege. Basically takes the "if everyone knew what it was like they'd be nicer to everyone else" hypothesis and makes a horrifying premise out of it. Think of The Cube with some kind of communism theme. You understand why each of the characters does what they do you're seeing the flaws in the promoted system through the eyes and experiences of the main character. It's not scary in the traditional sense but more in the same way that Gerald's Game was scary. Not SCARY scary but suspenseful. In the end it turns out to be a pretty compelling film and it was nice to see something new.
9/10
AKA: Fuck you, got mine: The Movie. This is effectively a movie about a social experiment, and what happens when you randomize privilege. Basically takes the "if everyone knew what it was like they'd be nicer to everyone else" hypothesis and makes a horrifying premise out of it. Think of The Cube with some kind of communism theme. You understand why each of the characters does what they do you're seeing the flaws in the promoted system through the eyes and experiences of the main character. It's not scary in the traditional sense but more in the same way that Gerald's Game was scary. Not SCARY scary but suspenseful. In the end it turns out to be a pretty compelling film and it was nice to see something new.
9/10
#3 Hell House LLC - good/10
First time viewing. Saw it in the list of things on Amazon and remembered Violence Jacks post about it. don't really have much to say It. They did a good job of 'Is it haunted or a creeper dude?', and they did a good job with the relationships between the characters feeling real. Jacks post #395 has a much better review.
First time viewing. Saw it in the list of things on Amazon and remembered Violence Jacks post about it. don't really have much to say It. They did a good job of 'Is it haunted or a creeper dude?', and they did a good job with the relationships between the characters feeling real. Jacks post #395 has a much better review.
Day 2
Movie #2 - The Cabin in the Woods
Had already seen it once before and it was actually even better on this second viewing. Meticulously crafted with tons of little details to appreciate.
Day 3
Movie #3 - Sleepaway Camp
I had heard good things about this, and for most of the run time I really enjoyed it. Then the last five minutes came and fucked it all up. Homophobic, transphobic garbage.
Movie #4 - Ju-on: The Grudge (2002)
Not really sure what the fuck happened in this movie. Honestly we were still processing the shittiness of Sleepaway Camp and threw this on to help wash away the stink. We ended up talking through most of it and the story made absolutely no sense. The effects were cool though, so that is something.
Edit: Just read some articles in defense of Sleepaway Camp. I'm still not convinced on the more generous readings of the film but I am glad others were able to take something out of it, although a lot of scenes don't square with it. I may need to marinate on it for a bit more but honestly as soon there was the scene of the kids watching their dads have sex I said "fuck this" and was put in a bit of a mood as it was clear they were making this part of the reason why they were the killer, never mind the reveal with the aunt.
Movie #2 - The Cabin in the Woods
Had already seen it once before and it was actually even better on this second viewing. Meticulously crafted with tons of little details to appreciate.
Day 3
Movie #3 - Sleepaway Camp
I had heard good things about this, and for most of the run time I really enjoyed it. Then the last five minutes came and fucked it all up. Homophobic, transphobic garbage.
Movie #4 - Ju-on: The Grudge (2002)
Not really sure what the fuck happened in this movie. Honestly we were still processing the shittiness of Sleepaway Camp and threw this on to help wash away the stink. We ended up talking through most of it and the story made absolutely no sense. The effects were cool though, so that is something.
Edit: Just read some articles in defense of Sleepaway Camp. I'm still not convinced on the more generous readings of the film but I am glad others were able to take something out of it, although a lot of scenes don't square with it. I may need to marinate on it for a bit more but honestly as soon there was the scene of the kids watching their dads have sex I said "fuck this" and was put in a bit of a mood as it was clear they were making this part of the reason why they were the killer, never mind the reveal with the aunt.
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3. Ring 0 (2000)
Rewinding time back to Sadako's past, and seeing how she became the loveable onryō she is today. It is bit of a weird prequel (actually kind of feels like Carrie but with Sadako), but it does add some interesting depth to the character and the tragedy of her. I feel like Yukie Nakama did a pretty good job of portraying the sadness of Sadako.
Rewinding time back to Sadako's past, and seeing how she became the loveable onryō she is today. It is bit of a weird prequel (actually kind of feels like Carrie but with Sadako), but it does add some interesting depth to the character and the tragedy of her. I feel like Yukie Nakama did a pretty good job of portraying the sadness of Sadako.
Not too sure about the whole Sadako split into two people through. Feels like it just kind of complicates the backstory, but eh whatever.
#2. Cannibal Holocaust 2.5/5
After all the talk about this movie over the years, I had never gotten around to watching it. While much better than Green Inferno, I was pretty meh on this. It reached a point of being too gratuitous for me, and it just wore me down. Not to mention the animal scenes.
#3. Ginger Snaps 3.5/5
I really enjoyed my time watching this. The performances from Isabelle and Perkins were pretty good. It had some good laughs while being a pretty effective coming of age story involving werewolves.
After all the talk about this movie over the years, I had never gotten around to watching it. While much better than Green Inferno, I was pretty meh on this. It reached a point of being too gratuitous for me, and it just wore me down. Not to mention the animal scenes.
#3. Ginger Snaps 3.5/5
I really enjoyed my time watching this. The performances from Isabelle and Perkins were pretty good. It had some good laughs while being a pretty effective coming of age story involving werewolves.
3. Sadako vs. Kayako (2016)
For such an exciting title, the movie sure is a downer and slow. Instead of merging The Ring and Ju-on story setup in organic way, the movie decides to just re-establish the franchise respective premise with a new ruleset and then some out of nowhere character shows up and goes "Lets make them fight!!". So you got slow build ups twice, no pay off on both side of the franchise and a really comical 3rd act that just make you laugh at how bad it was.
1.5/5
For such an exciting title, the movie sure is a downer and slow. Instead of merging The Ring and Ju-on story setup in organic way, the movie decides to just re-establish the franchise respective premise with a new ruleset and then some out of nowhere character shows up and goes "Lets make them fight!!". So you got slow build ups twice, no pay off on both side of the franchise and a really comical 3rd act that just make you laugh at how bad it was.
1.5/5
Starting light with a night at the drive-in -
1. Hocus Pocus (3 stars)
Defining Moment: Which (or witch?) tone do you want to focus on? It's definitely the horniest single film in all of Disneydom, but also meant for kids, but also one of the campier projects of many youthful sleepovers. There is a pure joy, though, in the sisterly relationship, best seen when Midler's Winifred uses the word "amok" and Parker's Sarah (no confusion there) bounces up and down singing, "Amok, amok, amok." To cheat a bit, a close runner-up is Najimy's Mary riding a damned vacuum cleaner.
2. Beetlejuice (4.5 stars)
Defining Moment: The problem of choosing a singular moment has two branching paths - 1) how can you focus on a single character, and 2) how can you distill it when so many moments are classics? To try and thread an impossible needle, let's go with the first time Davis's Barbara gets out one use of "Beetlejuice" and Keaton's titular character screeches like a demonic cat. That sort of serendipitous combo of Burton and Keaton has been missing for so long that you can't help but feel overjoyed at it ever existing and despondent over the lack of it for so long.
1. Hocus Pocus (3 stars)
Defining Moment: Which (or witch?) tone do you want to focus on? It's definitely the horniest single film in all of Disneydom, but also meant for kids, but also one of the campier projects of many youthful sleepovers. There is a pure joy, though, in the sisterly relationship, best seen when Midler's Winifred uses the word "amok" and Parker's Sarah (no confusion there) bounces up and down singing, "Amok, amok, amok." To cheat a bit, a close runner-up is Najimy's Mary riding a damned vacuum cleaner.
2. Beetlejuice (4.5 stars)
Defining Moment: The problem of choosing a singular moment has two branching paths - 1) how can you focus on a single character, and 2) how can you distill it when so many moments are classics? To try and thread an impossible needle, let's go with the first time Davis's Barbara gets out one use of "Beetlejuice" and Keaton's titular character screeches like a demonic cat. That sort of serendipitous combo of Burton and Keaton has been missing for so long that you can't help but feel overjoyed at it ever existing and despondent over the lack of it for so long.
Film 03 – The Prey
The Prey is a 80s mutant redneck hillbilly slasher that is relentlessly inept and so lacking in plot that it has to pad out its already brief runtime with endless shots of wildlife in the woods. Woodpeckers, bears, millipedes, tarantulas, owls, vipers, butterflies, deer, frogs, newts, ants, raccoons and more all get their own little segment of film, as do rivers, rocks, mountains and several different types of cloud. At one point near the beginning an eagle definitely breaks the fourth wall with a pointed look to camera following some particularly inane dialogue between the Unappealing Young People Who Are About To Die. To be honest, the nature stuff is pretty much the only appealing element of the movie. It can't even conjure up a halfway decent score on the Low Budget 1980s Horror Film Degeneracy Scale; there's virtually no blood, the monster make up effects are terrible and there's only about five seconds of gratuitous nudity, at least in this 80 minute theatrical cut. (There is also apparently a 97 minute home release version that adds some bad guy backstory and several sex scenes, and cuts out six minutes of the random wildlife.)
The main problem with the film is that it doesn't appear to have been written. It feels like someone jotted down a few plot points and then they improvised everything else on location. Only they used actors who couldn't improvise. Or act, come to think of it. And as for the thunderously loud heartbeat sound effect that plays ever time we switch to the villain's POV, that's just bloody ridiculous. Though not quite as ridiculous as the scene involving the hunky park ranger badly telling a deer the wide-mouth frog joke, or the part where he just randomly starts playing the banjo to himself. Very odd.
Verdict: Although it redeems itself just slightly with a subtly horrifying (but still derivative) final minute, this remains a load of old rubbish that's not worth watching.
Film 04 – Edge of the Axe
The second slasher of the day is a much more competent and entertaining affair, with a twisty little plot that keeps you guessing until the end. There's a fun who's-doing-it element to the proceedings, as the biker/computer wizard main character and his new girlfriend try to work out the identity of the masked axe-wielding maniac terrorising their small northern California town.
A certain amount of tech-related suspension of disbelief is required to go along with a plot that has a late 80's home computer instantly accessing remote hospital records, and which seems to have a better text-to-speech function than is available even today, but it's all part of the fun. And I have yet to find out if it's true that the Cosmic Alien video game that features in the local bar really did have a program that 'skipped two beats every four frames' (thus making it impossible to beat), but I suspect the scriptwriters may have made that bit up.
The acting's ok, the characters are interesting and there's some fun deaths. The fact that the killer appears to be clairvoyant whilst also possessing the ability to teleport is not something to complain about I guess, as it's pretty standard for the genre.
Verdict: I enjoyed it. Not wildly original, but worth a watch.
Films I've watched so far
The Prey is a 80s mutant redneck hillbilly slasher that is relentlessly inept and so lacking in plot that it has to pad out its already brief runtime with endless shots of wildlife in the woods. Woodpeckers, bears, millipedes, tarantulas, owls, vipers, butterflies, deer, frogs, newts, ants, raccoons and more all get their own little segment of film, as do rivers, rocks, mountains and several different types of cloud. At one point near the beginning an eagle definitely breaks the fourth wall with a pointed look to camera following some particularly inane dialogue between the Unappealing Young People Who Are About To Die. To be honest, the nature stuff is pretty much the only appealing element of the movie. It can't even conjure up a halfway decent score on the Low Budget 1980s Horror Film Degeneracy Scale; there's virtually no blood, the monster make up effects are terrible and there's only about five seconds of gratuitous nudity, at least in this 80 minute theatrical cut. (There is also apparently a 97 minute home release version that adds some bad guy backstory and several sex scenes, and cuts out six minutes of the random wildlife.)
The main problem with the film is that it doesn't appear to have been written. It feels like someone jotted down a few plot points and then they improvised everything else on location. Only they used actors who couldn't improvise. Or act, come to think of it. And as for the thunderously loud heartbeat sound effect that plays ever time we switch to the villain's POV, that's just bloody ridiculous. Though not quite as ridiculous as the scene involving the hunky park ranger badly telling a deer the wide-mouth frog joke, or the part where he just randomly starts playing the banjo to himself. Very odd.
Verdict: Although it redeems itself just slightly with a subtly horrifying (but still derivative) final minute, this remains a load of old rubbish that's not worth watching.
Film 04 – Edge of the Axe
The second slasher of the day is a much more competent and entertaining affair, with a twisty little plot that keeps you guessing until the end. There's a fun who's-doing-it element to the proceedings, as the biker/computer wizard main character and his new girlfriend try to work out the identity of the masked axe-wielding maniac terrorising their small northern California town.
A certain amount of tech-related suspension of disbelief is required to go along with a plot that has a late 80's home computer instantly accessing remote hospital records, and which seems to have a better text-to-speech function than is available even today, but it's all part of the fun. And I have yet to find out if it's true that the Cosmic Alien video game that features in the local bar really did have a program that 'skipped two beats every four frames' (thus making it impossible to beat), but I suspect the scriptwriters may have made that bit up.
The acting's ok, the characters are interesting and there's some fun deaths. The fact that the killer appears to be clairvoyant whilst also possessing the ability to teleport is not something to complain about I guess, as it's pretty standard for the genre.
Verdict: I enjoyed it. Not wildly original, but worth a watch.
Films I've watched so far
#02 - De Lift (1983)
As a Dutchie, I had to include a Dutch horror this year. Dick Maas is a renowned cult director and this is, according to middle-aged Dutch people, one of his classics. I very much enjoyed this campy B-movie, the characters were somewhat fleshed out and likable enough, the location was very cool and honestly that elevator seemed scary (as far as elevators can be scary that is). There's some fun (although not many) kills and a silly techno-related underlying plot that was pretty dumb. 6/10
#03 - Death Spa (1989)
The location: A high-tech Health Spa with a control system with an urge to kill!
The sights: Leotards, knee-warmers, aerobics, and pretty people working out!
The lights: Bright and neon!
I know what you're thinking: what's not to love? well, unfortunately the plot is incredibly silly bordering on stupid, and the kills aren't that great either for the most part. 5/10
its held up pretty well some very tense moments and a nice pacing but some equally chilling moments which i think it partly due to how it was filmed
Film 4 - Edge of the Axe
The second slasher of the day is a much more competent and entertaining affair, with a twisty little plot that keeps you guessing until the end. There's a fun who's-doing-it element to the proceedings, as the biker/computer wizard main character and his new girlfriend try to work out the identity of the masked axe-wielding maniac terrorising their small northern California town.
A certain amount of tech-related suspension of disbelief is required to go along with a plot that has a late 80's home computer instantly accessing remote hospital records, and which seems to have a better text-to-speech function than is available even today, but it's all part of the fun. And I have yet to find out if it's true that the Cosmic Alien video game that features in the local bar really did have a program that 'skipped two beats every four frames' (thus making it impossible to beat), but I suspect the scriptwriters may have made that bit up.
The acting's ok, the characters are interesting and there's some fun deaths. The fact that the killer appears to be clairvoyant whilst also possessing the ability to teleport is not something to complain about I guess, as it's pretty standard for the genre.
Verdict: I enjoyed it. Not wildly original, but worth a watch.
Films I've watched so far
I like to pretend the computer in this is an underachieving relative to HAL 9000.
So just an update to what I've seen so far:
Day 1:
An American Werewolf in London
Really enjoyed this, way different from what I expected. Weird movie. 4/5.
Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island
It was alright, if you've seen scooby-doo you know what to expect. 3/5.
Zygote
Honestly disliked this, bad acting and the plot was pretty dumb. Creepy monster design at least. 2/5.
Day 2:
The Evil Dead (1981)
Much better than I expected, interesting camera-work too. Had a good time watching this with my brother. 3.5/5.
Day 3:
Fright Night (1985)
Easily my favorite so far, very good movie. A bit cheesy at times, but man was it a great time. 4.5/5.
Day 1:
An American Werewolf in London
Really enjoyed this, way different from what I expected. Weird movie. 4/5.
Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island
It was alright, if you've seen scooby-doo you know what to expect. 3/5.
Zygote
Honestly disliked this, bad acting and the plot was pretty dumb. Creepy monster design at least. 2/5.
Day 2:
The Evil Dead (1981)
Much better than I expected, interesting camera-work too. Had a good time watching this with my brother. 3.5/5.
Day 3:
Fright Night (1985)
Easily my favorite so far, very good movie. A bit cheesy at times, but man was it a great time. 4.5/5.
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5) Hostel (2005)
The last 30 minutes are great when they finally get to the point of the movie but that first hour eurotrip of watching 3 bros talk about fucking and calling everything gay is rough. Hostel screams 2005 which is a shame because with a better writer/director than Eli Roth it could have been a great movie.
I decided to partake! Here are the movies I've watched so far:
"The Color out of Space": Nic Cage doing Lovecraft. Surreal and off-putting. Enjoyed this one a lot but don't expect naturalistic acting or answers to everything.
"1BR": A young woman moves into a new apartment complex with very friendly neighbors. Things go poorly. An interesting flick that I think is a little too short and hastily executed for the story its telling, but is propped up by a strong performance from the lead actress.
"Girl on the Third Floor": A man buys a fixer upper house; unpleasant shenanigans ensue. Almost the opposite of "1BR" above, this is a movie with some really interesting and well executed ideas in it. There's some gross stuff. But that's all totaled by a completely charmless and bland performance from it's lead actor. I think part of that may be intentional, but even if so it doesn't land for me.
"The Color out of Space": Nic Cage doing Lovecraft. Surreal and off-putting. Enjoyed this one a lot but don't expect naturalistic acting or answers to everything.
"1BR": A young woman moves into a new apartment complex with very friendly neighbors. Things go poorly. An interesting flick that I think is a little too short and hastily executed for the story its telling, but is propped up by a strong performance from the lead actress.
"Girl on the Third Floor": A man buys a fixer upper house; unpleasant shenanigans ensue. Almost the opposite of "1BR" above, this is a movie with some really interesting and well executed ideas in it. There's some gross stuff. But that's all totaled by a completely charmless and bland performance from it's lead actor. I think part of that may be intentional, but even if so it doesn't land for me.
This sounds great, will add Gremlins 2 to the watchlist, and depending on my progress, might squeeze it in as a bonus view for this marathon or swap something out for it. Will probably be nice to have some levity in between the more heavy and bleak movies I have on the agenda. Not sure why I thought that there were more of the movies, but probably mixed it up with something else as I was scrolling through the list. There will apparently be a new animated series (prequel) released on HBO in 2021, however.
#4 The wailing
Will probably take some time to fully digest how I feel about this one, but I really enjoyed it, and feel like I will probably only grow to like it more as time goes on. The setting is so strikingly beautiful and just seeps atmosphere in every frame (lush rainy forests etc.). Despite the pretty long runtime, it has a really hypnotic pace that makes it fly by. The dry humor interspersed throughout the first half really makes the shocking and gruesome moments stand out more in contrast. While I feel like I was able to follow "the plot" pretty easily through all the twists and turns, there is a lot of room for interpretation when it comes to what sort of underlying themes it/the creators were really trying to convey. There is a lot of very interesting ambiguity and I imagine rewatches will be really rewarding as well.
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Day 2 Attack the Block
Didnt even know Boyega was in this. It was entertaining enough. Not horrible, but I wouldn't consider it anything to write home about. British slang is always fun to hear, considering I've mostly heard American slang my whole life.
Day 3 The Thing 2011
Speaking of horrible. This took everything I loved about the OG and threw it out. The lighting alone made the atmosphere feel nowhere near as drab as the original. Some of the body horror was cool I guess, but part of me now wishes I didn't even know what the alien looked like. So much for imagination lol. And I know there's only so much a separate outpost in Antarctica can do, but this prequel felt like it aped every beat of the original.
Didnt even know Boyega was in this. It was entertaining enough. Not horrible, but I wouldn't consider it anything to write home about. British slang is always fun to hear, considering I've mostly heard American slang my whole life.
Day 3 The Thing 2011
Speaking of horrible. This took everything I loved about the OG and threw it out. The lighting alone made the atmosphere feel nowhere near as drab as the original. Some of the body horror was cool I guess, but part of me now wishes I didn't even know what the alien looked like. So much for imagination lol. And I know there's only so much a separate outpost in Antarctica can do, but this prequel felt like it aped every beat of the original.
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I am looking for some modern recommendations. My wife doesn't do slashers so that's out. She really likes The Conjuring and the like and I am 'eh' towards them but don't hate them.
We have seen:
Hereditary - thought it was ok
Invisible Man - thought it was ok also
Some of my favorite horror movies are Halloween (1978) and The Exorcist.
Kind of tough, reading this post, to find movies we both may like, lol. Any recommendations are appreciated!
We have seen:
Hereditary - thought it was ok
Invisible Man - thought it was ok also
Some of my favorite horror movies are Halloween (1978) and The Exorcist.
Kind of tough, reading this post, to find movies we both may like, lol. Any recommendations are appreciated!
Under The Shadow
Housebound
Ready or Not
The Devil's Candy
The Hallow (2014)
Satan's Slaves (2017)
Sleep Tight