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Basebf555
Feb 29, 2008

The greatest sensual pleasure there is is to know the desires of another!

Fun Shoe

Nemesis Of Moles posted:


Tonight will conclude the Classics Week with Nosferatu, the original version, though I was tempted to sub it for the Herzog version earlier this week, I think I'll stick to the theme.


Have you never seen the Herzog version? If not please, please watch it. Its so goddamned good. I'll be watching and I'm sure posting about it sometime next week.

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Random Stranger
Nov 27, 2009



Basebf555 posted:

Have you never seen the Herzog version? If not please, please watch it. Its so goddamned good. I'll be watching and I'm sure posting about it sometime next week.

I like both versions of Nosferatu, but I think it's better to watch the silent version before the updated one just for the context.

Nemesis Of Moles
Jul 25, 2007

Random Stranger posted:

I like both versions of Nosferatu, but I think it's better to watch the silent version before the updated one just for the context.

This was my thought too, but I can put it to the other folks I'm watching with and see what they say

Basebf555
Feb 29, 2008

The greatest sensual pleasure there is is to know the desires of another!

Fun Shoe
Oh yea I didn't mean to suggest you leave either one out entirely. There are some shots in Herzog's version that are taken directly from the original so I'd say both is the way to go.

Nemesis Of Moles
Jul 25, 2007

Basebf555 posted:

Oh yea I didn't mean to suggest you leave either one out entirely. There are some shots in Herzog's version that are taken directly from the original so I'd say both is the way to go.

I'll go ahead and add it to the Bonus Round movie list!

NuclearPotato
Oct 27, 2011

Franchescanado posted:

EDIT: I added MST3k movies on Netflix and horror movies on Hulu Plus to the movie list.

Good to know, otherwise I'd never be able to get through this! :v: I've only been able to get through three movies thus far, and two of them are documentaries:

Oct 2: Nightmare Factory:
Saw this one after seeing a recommendation in this thread. I really liked this one, particularly the behind the scenes footage on Evil Dead 2. (Which bums me out because I had to return the DVD I checked out from the library, since I bet I would've loved the commentary there.)

Oct 3: Nightmares in Red, White and Blue:
This one, I didn't enjoy nearly as much. I feel like I would have enjoyed a documentary on the evolution of horror movies around the globe a bit better. (Actually, the most notable omission that I noticed in this was that period back in the mid 2000's where the big thing in horror that wasn't Saw we're remakes of Japanese horror movies).

Oct 4: MST3K: The Killer Shrews:
I forgot about the Junior Rodeo Daredevils short that played before this one, which is surprising, since it's the most entertaining part of the episode. This is almost entirely on the movie itself, which is a wretched, barely audible slog without the riffing. I probably would have fallen asleep if I watched this movie without the riffs, which isn't something I can say normally.

Next up is probably Evil Dead 2, which luckily for me, is free on Amazon Prime Instant Video. :toot:

Franchescanado
Feb 23, 2013

If it wasn't for disappointment
I wouldn't have any appointment

Grimey Drawer

NuclearPotato posted:

Oct 3: Nightmares in Red, White and Blue:
This one, I didn't enjoy nearly as much. I feel like I would have enjoyed a documentary on the evolution of horror movies around the globe a bit better. (Actually, the most notable omission that I noticed in this was that period back in the mid 2000's where the big thing in horror that wasn't Saw we're remakes of Japanese horror movies).

You'll probably enjoy the Mark Gatiss History of Horror documentary. I have a link to the full series in the movie list. It concentrates more on the older movies, but it's a bit more thorough. Plus, Gatiss is a really good host. I like a person that can share their interests and it becomes infectious. After watching, I binge-watched all of the original Universal Monster movies.

NuclearPotato posted:

Oct 4: MST3K: The Killer Shrews:

"Automatic pilot can't play Dixieland jazz on them banjos like I can!"

InfiniteZero
Sep 11, 2004

PINK GUITAR FIRE ROBOT

College Slice

Basebf555 posted:

Have you never seen the Herzog version? If not please, please watch it. Its so goddamned good. I'll be watching and I'm sure posting about it sometime next week.

Score extra points by watching both versions. The German and English versions are more than just a soundtrack change and were filmed at the same time.

Lurdiak
Feb 26, 2006

I believe in a universe that doesn't care, and people that do.


Random Stranger posted:

I like both versions of Nosferatu, but I think it's better to watch the silent version before the updated one just for the context.

Why not go for a hat trick and watch Shadow of the Vampire afterwards? If nothing else, you get to see John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe chew scenery at each other.

Green Crayons
Apr 2, 2009
The story so far:

October 1
(1) The Cabin in the Woods: Perfect movie to kick start the Halloween season, for obvious reasons. 5/5 meta analysis.

October 2
(2) ParaNorman: Excellent kids-friendly movie -- great visuals, great story, great characters, pretty good humor. 5/5 family fun.

October 3
(3) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974): Hoooooly smokes. This was the first time I've actually seen this, and I was surprised at how good it was, considering when it was made (one of the first slashers, if I'm not mistaken?). Yeah, yeah, Leatherface is what everyone knows (seriously that last scene is great visuals), but the bargain basement James Franco psychopants (blanking on the character's name -- was it ever said? -- but Leatherface's cohort that the gang meets on the road) was definitely the scariest part of the movie. Leatherface is just disturbed. James Franco wannabe wants to hurt you. 4/5 chills.

(3) Nightmare Before Christmas: I don't need to say more. 5/5 pumpkin kings.

October 4
(3.5) The Devil's Carnival: An hour-long, low budget, horror musical that I found on Netflix. Yup. That's about all I can say for it. Clocked in under an hour, so I'm not even counting it as a full movie for the challenge. 2/5 Emilie Autumn solos.

(4) Friday the 13th (1980): A classic, so it gets watched. Would have preferred that the end cut short about two minutes, so there is no waking up from the hero's "dream." (Drowned zombie Jason actually existing and compelling his mother to kill, only to arise and kill the main hero once his mom is dead would have been an excellent way to end the movie. And also probably the series.) 3/5 ch-ch-ch, ah-ah-ah's.

(5) Evil Dead (2013): Saw this in the theater, and thought it was pretty good. This was my second viewing, and I thought it was even better than the first time around. Yeah, there are some flat characters, some dialogue is forced, but god drat the practical effects, tone, and creepiness factor are all turned to 11. This is a Scary Movie. 4/5 split tongues.

October 5
(6) Scream: I'll be watching all four of these, so I thought I'd go ahead and start muddling through. This is definitely the best of the series. Nothing new to say about this one. 4/5 Discount Ghostface masks.

October 6
(7) Beetlejuice: The second Burton film to make the list. I really enjoy this one -- it's campy in parts, but that's part of its charm. Plus all the actors really make it work. 3/5 terrifying(ly bad) sculptures.

Sdoots
Nov 3, 2013

I did this and could have stopped it, but nothing in nature ever follows a gaussian curve. Sure, they'll tell you that it does. They say that every five minutes someone dies in a car accident, but how often are there seven hundred and sixty one armless and legless corpses in one hangar?
I really enjoyed V/H/S, so I started with the sequel. In general, I think I prefer 2. If you cut the weak finale of 2 and replaced it with 10/31/98, and get the "I like you" bit in there somewhere, you'd have a hell of an anthology.

Really dug the "Safe Haven" story. It looked like it was going to be one of the weaker bits initially, and then stuff starts happening. And then stuff REALLY starts happening.

The amount of good content in ABCs of Death was greatly outnumbered by the garbage. Even watching it in pieces over several days, I felt like it was a chore. Not sure I would recommend it.

Still thinking about Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. It certainly wasn't what I was expecting. Super uncomfortable to watch, yet fascinating.

Thinking of either The Den, whatever Friday the 13th or Elm Street I can find on Netflix, or something else entirely.

Does the Netflix version of The New Blood have the full sleeping bag scene?

Darthemed
Oct 28, 2007

"A data unit?
For me?
"




College Slice


I feel like there's a weird progression of appreciation to The Ring. For the first viewing, you're trying to piece together the details of the back-story; after a rewatch or two, when all the details have been assembled, there's a nice sense of pay-off. But watching it after that point, the inconsistencies really start to stand out, and what could be an exploration of dark secrets turns into a bunch of 'why is this happening/why would the character react like this?' moments. Also, Hans Zimmer's score is uninspired and aimless. Even without comparison to the original, there's a lot of issues dragging the movie down. I do like the use of blue tint, though.

Green Crayons
Apr 2, 2009
I thought The Ring remake was better than the original. By a wide margin.

:dealwithit:


I do think your synopsis of repeated viewings is on the nose, though.

Pigbog
Apr 28, 2005

Unless that is Spider-man if Spider-man were a backyard wrestler or Kurt Cobain, your costume looks shitty.
I preferred the American version of the Ring as well, though to be fair I haven't watched either since high school (and the remake scared the bejesus out of me at that time.)

forever whatever
Sep 28, 2007

Hitting the wall.
So far:

1. V/H/S - B+. One of the better found footage movies I have seen. The first 'found' film is the best.
2. You're Next - B. Interesting take on the traditional slasher film.
3. The Cabin in the Woods - B+. Funny, likeable characters.
4. Cabin Fever: Patient Zero - F ah hahaha so loving bad don't bother.
5. Several episodes of 'Are you Afraid of the Dark' on Amazon Prime - A, for nostalgic reasons although I think it's held up really well and contains elements of horror that make it compelling even as an adult.
6. The Bad Seed - A. Intense, great dialogue. Also seemed quite deep from a psychoanalytic perspective.
7. The Den - C+. Would have gotten a better score but the execution of a neat idea was weak, given every character in the film besides the protaganist...

Next I'm watching The Conjuring. I hear it's good...

If I liked The Bad Seed, which came out in 1956, are there other cerebral horror films from that era I would appreciate?

axelblaze
Oct 18, 2006

Congratulations The One Concern!!!

You're addicted to Ivory!!

and...oh my...could you please...
oh my...

Grimey Drawer
I've found which version of The Ring you prefer largely depends in which you watch first. Both are about equally good and equally flawed but in different ways so whichever you watch second will suffer because you'll notice certain aspects seem missing while others seem not as good.

HUNDU THE BEAST GOD
Sep 14, 2007

everything is yours

forever whatever posted:

If I liked The Bad Seed, which came out in 1956, are there other cerebral horror films from that era I would appreciate?

Quatermass and The Pit, Them!, The Thing From Another World, The Man With The X-Ray Eyes, Donovan's Brain, The Night Of The Demon, Carnival of Souls, Whatever Happened To Baby Jane, The Innocents, can't leave out Village of the Damned if you liked The Bad Seed

Random Stranger
Nov 27, 2009



I got drat lucky that I watched Ravenous yesterday since this week's We Hate Movies podcast spoiled it in the first ten minutes. I can't really complain about spoiling a fifteen year old film, of course, I'm just glad I saw it then.

Day 7 - Right after I finished watching Cronos, I put on an interview with del Toro and he said something that really summed up the movie: the monster is the pitiful character in it (he also compares it to Twilight which I think is hilarious). And it really brings home the theme of the movie. This is a tragedy. It's a tragedy to become a vampire, something that even movies where the vampires are the monsters and villains often fails to convey.

It's the story of an old antique dealer, his wife, and their granddaughter dealing with their lives being overturned. The dealer finds a mechanical device created by a sixteenth century alchemist that can grant eternal life. The old man accidentally triggers it and it changes him while creating a need to use it further. Making things worse, dying criminal is after the device.

The mix of Spanish and English threw me a bit since there didn't seem to be a rhythm to it. I feel like it would have been better to just stick with Spanish just for consistency.

As you'd expect from a del Toro film, there's a lot of striking images in it. The bathroom scene is amazing to watch and the look of the film is incredible.

I was expecting more action in the movie, but that's not really a strike against Cronos. It's a sad, slow decline at the end of a life.


I'm not sure what I'll watch next but I think I want to watch something lighter. Maybe The Legend of Hell House...

K. Waste
Feb 27, 2014

MORAL:
To the vector belong the spoils.

axleblaze posted:

I've found which version of The Ring you prefer largely depends in which you watch first. Both are about equally good and equally flawed but in different ways so whichever you watch second will suffer because you'll notice certain aspects seem missing while others seem not as good.

They are quite different movies. Ringu takes a lot of its cues from The Shining, and it's not really about the MacGuffin tape as it is the horrific uncovering of histories of violence. The Ring, on the other hand, is literally about an evil virus tape, and with its bluish/greenish hue and abstract score is explicitly harkening back to The Matrix. The American film is very much about a fear of post-modernism and technology, which is fitting because in many regards it's a scene-for-scene remake in which all trace of the 'original' is lost.

Week 1
1) Re-Animator (1985)
2) Isle of the Dead (1945)
3) Full Moon High (1981)
4) The Innkeepers (2011)
Week 2
5) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
6) Galaxy of Terror (1981)

7) Lair of the White Worm (1988)

This movie is even better than I remembered it being. Can you believe this is the only Ken Russell movie I've seen? You also can't get much better than ol' school Hugh Grant and Peter Capaldi.

HUNDU THE BEAST GOD posted:

Quatermass and The Pit

This. Quatermass and the Pit a.k.a. 5 Million Years to Earth, is loving amazing.

Choco1980
Feb 22, 2013

I fell in love with a Video Nasty

axleblaze posted:

I've found which version of The Ring you prefer largely depends in which you watch first. Both are about equally good and equally flawed but in different ways so whichever you watch second will suffer because you'll notice certain aspects seem missing while others seem not as good.

I'm kinda a Ringu nerd sometimes, and of all the adaptations, I think I like the Korean The Ring Virus best. Then again, I'm also a fan of Rasen so I might just be an outlier regardless.

whatshesaid
May 6, 2007
:spooky:
Just finished The Appearing. Garbage. And Dean Cain, wtf? The exorcism scene is straight ripped from Emily Rose...which I can say without shame that I love. I watch every exorcism movie out there, but the only ones I can say I love are The Exorcist (duh), The Last Exorcism, and The Exorcism of Emily Rose. The Appearing was a cheap rip-off of Emily Rose, and I was unable to appreciate it. Next I think will be Sinister, as it's been a while since I've seen it. I found a new Halloween-themed movie, All Hallows' Eve. I'll probably watch it tonight.
What are your favorite Halloween movies? My top contenders: Halloween (original), Trick 'r Treat, Night of the Demons (original), and the delightfully goofy Satan's Little Helper.

Franco Potente
Jul 9, 2010
Tonight was An American Werewolf in London, which was a lot of fun. Great transformation effects, lots of funny parts, but the story itself kind of peters out in the last few minutes. Good film, maybe not a great one (but then, I've never been a huge fan of werewolf movies).

CopywrightMMXI
Jun 1, 2011

One time a guy stole some downhill skis out of my jeep and I was so mad I punched a mailbox. I'm against crime, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.
Movie 7: The Mummy (1931)

This is a tight movie in terms of pacing, plot, and run time. The story is really straightforward. This is a rare blend of horror and romance that doesn't seem to happen too often anymore but was somewhat of a staple in Universals heyday. I also need to praise the set design in this one, as well as the fantastic makeup job done on Karloff. Even without the badges Karloff comes off as imposing.

Apparently they're rebooting this one soon and the subtitle will be "The First Monster." This is quite ironic, because of all the classic Universal monsters the mummy is the most recent one. The modern study of mummies didn't begin until the early 20th century, and they weren't really considered to be monstrous until the 20s and 30s.

Dr.Caligari
May 5, 2005

"Here's a big, beautiful avatar for someone"
The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism, was actually good. Really good. It has a great surreal, gothic atmosphere and keeps a good pace. The shots of the carriage ride to the castle were particularly surreal and creepy. A touch of Poe, Bava, and some cheese makes for a great time in this one.

Dr.Caligari fucked around with this message at 04:12 on Oct 8, 2014

Nemesis Of Moles
Jul 25, 2007

whatshesaid posted:

Just finished The Appearing. Garbage. And Dean Cain, wtf? The exorcism scene is straight ripped from Emily Rose...which I can say without shame that I love. I watch every exorcism movie out there, but the only ones I can say I love are The Exorcist (duh), The Last Exorcism, and The Exorcism of Emily Rose. The Appearing was a cheap rip-off of Emily Rose, and I was unable to appreciate it. Next I think will be Sinister, as it's been a while since I've seen it. I found a new Halloween-themed movie, All Hallows' Eve. I'll probably watch it tonight.
What are your favorite Halloween movies? My top contenders: Halloween (original), Trick 'r Treat, Night of the Demons (original), and the delightfully goofy Satan's Little Helper.

I think Trick R Treat is like, objectively, the best Halloween movie ever made. There's just something perfect about how it captures the general spirit, look and feel of the concept.

weekly font
Dec 1, 2004


Everytime I try to fly I fall
Without my wings
I feel so small
Guess I need you baby...



I saw Ringu about a year before I saw The Ring and thought it was garbage which might be why I'm so much more inclined to the latter. Plus I think the plot makes more sense, warts and all.

Lurdiak
Feb 26, 2006

I believe in a universe that doesn't care, and people that do.


I thought The Ring was a really bad nonsense movie when I first watched it and that opinion has not changed on repeated viewings.

Justin Godscock
Oct 12, 2004

Listen here, funnyman!
So far,

1) V/H/S/2 (2013)
2) The Exorcist (1973)
3) You're Next (2011)
4) Silent Hill: Revelation (2012)

And now

October 5 - Return of the Living Dead Part II (1988) - I saw the original the other summer and realized a few days ago I never saw the sequels. Probably going to check out Part 3 at some point because after that it looks too lovely to waste on them. This film takes out the pitch-black humor of the original and cuts away from some of the more gory moments to appeal to the underage crowd (also, a kid protagonist who isn't too bad to be honest). It's worth a watch but a definite downgrade from the original

:spooky::spooky:/4


October 6 - The Haunted World of El Superbeasto (2009)

Imagine a John K cartoon if the man was hopped-up on meth. That's the best way I can describe this one and the shock of seeing cartoon bewbs goes away very fast. Also, we get it, Rob Zombie: you have a hot wife, we don't care anymore. I appreciate the style and the world is nice enough but holy drat does this movie not let up. I wasn't too sure if this counted but it's Rob Zombie and has a bunch of horror/monster supporting characters so I let it slide.

:spooky:/4

October 7 - Troll Hunter (2010)

Another found footage movie and one I heard a good deal about. First thing I want to mention is Norway is loving beautiful and it felt like a travel commercial at times, really want to go one day. The film is obviously a modern-take on the folklore of trolls about how the government basically regulates and controls them by hiring hunters to track, contain and destroy them. A troll hunter is followed by a film crew who stumble upon his actions thinking he is an unlicensed bear hunter. Many hijinx ensue as we find out more and more about the troll situation in Norway. As far as found footage movies go, this one isn't necessarily scary but instead an interesting modern hard fantasy take on trolls.

:spooky::spooky::spooky:/4

Justin Godscock fucked around with this message at 05:44 on Oct 8, 2014

Choco1980
Feb 22, 2013

I fell in love with a Video Nasty
Movie Seven: Alien 2: On Earth (1980)

Thelma is a telepathic spelunker (!) who finds herself, alongside the rest of her caving gang, stuck underground with a killer extraterrestrial that found its way to earth by hitching a ride on a space probe. Still a better sequel than Prometheus. :rimshot:

I sat down tonight looking through my files for something cheesy and terrible to watch. To put things in perspective, my first choice was something I turned down because of its lack of language options (no subtitles) but was something that's not even on imdb. because it's apparently porn. This on the other hand surprised me. It's really not any worse than say, the works of Lucio Fulci. Sure, it's painfully obvious it's trying to cash in on Ridley Scott's Alien, but at the same time I get the impression the filmmakers were actively trying to make a good film along the way. Despite its terribly bad pacing issues, the film is full of a strange energy, and uses its surroundings incredibly effectively to create a sense of inhuman dread and claustrophobia. Also, there's a few gore shots that are crazy over the top as well. Also, the filmmakers knew they had next to no budget, and wisely decided to avoid 95% of their chances to show what the creature actually looked like, keeping its strangeness to our imaginations. Despite how crappy and cheaply made this film is, it somehow still works. Also, I have no idea how I've so far ended up with two psychic cave monster films so far this year without knowing either of them were such.

:spooky::spooky::spooky:/5

SALT CURES HAM
Jan 4, 2011
Oct. 3: The Last Days on Mars (2013, dir. Ruairķ Robinson, d.p. Robbie Ryan)



(Between personal stuff and being probated I got a little behind, so time to play catchup.)

This actually wasn't bad. I was a little surprised at how... decent it was, really; it's nothing groundbreaking, but it's a pretty fun little movie.

I livetweeted while I was watching it and was told in response to one of the tweets that it cribs from a lot of space movies; maybe I'm just less familiar with space movies than I should be, but really, the thing that stuck out the most to me is that this film is pretty much British Alien (1979, dir. Ridley Scott, d.p. Derek Vanlint). Not in the sense that Leviathan (1989) is Submarine Alien or Contamination (1980) is Italian Alien, but this movie actually kind of seems to understand what made Alien work so well; it tries really hard to build a similar dynamic with its characters, but falls slightly short due to having a slightly overloaded cast. It tries really hard to use cramped spaces for tension like the famous air vent scene in Scott's film, but again, fails to stick the landing; most of the time, the cramped spaces are used to build Liev Schreiber's characterization, which creates some interesting subtext, but when it actually does use the claustrophobia for horror, it's just a simple chase scene.

The biggest thing that keeps TLDoM from really achieving greatness is, unsurprisingly, the monster itself. Or rather, the monsters themselves. There's something inherently horrific about being trapped inside, essentially, an engine of destruction hellbent on turning everyone else into more of itself, while still being aware and conscious and using the last shreds of will you have left to beg your former friends to kill you; the problem is, one, the monsters look pretty dopey, and two, it doesn't really do anything with the psychological aspect of it until the very end. It's fun watching astro-zombies shank dudes with power drills and scissors, but it's not scary, and it just feels like a lot of wasted potential, especially given that it heavily cribs from a movie that lands that perfectly.

Still, though, I didn't feel like I wasted 90 minutes. It was well-shot, very well-acted, decently written, et cetera. Certainly, nothing about it offended my sensibilities; I just wish I had more to say than "holy poo poo this is literally British Alien but not as good."

Final Grade: C+

Closing Thoughts:

- Schreiber's space PTSD is one of the most interesting little bits of characterization in the movie. I really wish they'd gone into more depth with it, but at the same time, I feel like that would have cheapened it.

- I was expecting this to be a lot more violent than it was, honestly. Alien ripoffs tend to go for the extreme gore over atmosphere, but this was weirdly tame; if it weren't for the cursing, I'd say this would be a good film to show young teens around Halloween, and even in spite of that I'm tempted to recommend it as such.

October Challenge Table of Contents
Oct. 1: The Den (2013) (B) / Oct. 2: The Town that Dreaded Sundown (1976) (C) / Oct. 3: The Last Days on Mars (2013) (C+)

SALT CURES HAM fucked around with this message at 09:08 on Oct 11, 2014

STAC Goat
Mar 12, 2008

Watching you sleep.

Butt first, let's
check the feeds.

Double bill again tonight to play catchup since I didn't watch a new movie yesterday (the 6th). I did re-watch Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight which has always been a fun guilty pleasure of mine. Maybe its just because I grew up sneaking episodes of the show when my parents weren't looking as it was some of my first exposure to blood and boobs but I always got a kick out of the Cryptkeeper. I even have his Christmas album. And I enjoyed this movie, I even think I saw it in the theater. Billy Zane puts in a fun performance, the basic demon design is pretty solid and walks the line between camp and scary, and I enjoyed the story and mythology it built up. I really kind of wish it had gone the way of most horror movies and spawned a sequel with Jada Pinkett fighting another wacky demon. In another reality Demon Knight would have been one of my favorite bad horror franchises of every worsening sequels that I kept watching anyway.

But I've seen it like a dozen times so it doesn't count for the list. So tonight (Oct 7th) i had to make sure and double time it to stay on pace.


#6: Re-Animator (1985)


Somehow I've gone my entire horror loving life without seeing this one. I chalk it up to my parents not letting me rent it when I was young due to it being X rated or something and by the time I was old enough to get it myself it had built up some mythical idea in my head and I've spent a decade or two worried it would disappoint. But finally took the plunge.

Fun little flick. I didn't LOVE it but that's probably just because of the expectations and the fact that its not terribly original 30 years later. Still, it was an original enough little story with some unexpected twisted humor and fun performances and affects. I wanted to watch an older film since I had only been watching movies from the last few years so far and this delivered in bringing in that old 70s/80s charm that the horror genre had back then and which hooked me in the first place as a kid. I've never seen Jeffrey Combs that young but he was as fun and manic as ever. And I doubt I'll ever forget that zombie rape scene. My parents made the right call.


#7: The Lords of Salem (2012)


Jumped back into the last few years after I couldn't find another 80s flick I was interested in tonight but I think it had a very classic, 80s feel to it that made it fit the night idea for me. Part of that is probably that I had to watch it in SD since I couldn't find an HD playing of it. But the Salem setting, the moody tone, the slow tense pace, the dress and style of the movie that makes it unclear what decade it was set it. It all had me feeling like I was watching The Fog or Halloween or another one of those moves from that era I loved. I love The Devil's Rejects so I had solid hopes going in even though I didn't love his Halloween or House of 1000 Corpses, but this felt like another step forward in the resume of Zombie as a director. I didn't know him capable of that tense pacing and mood but he had me on the edge of my seat and jumping not only at the actual jump scares but also at other innocuous things like Heidi opening a refrigerator in the dark.

It got a little weird at the end and I'm not really sure what I think of it. This might be a movie i have to rewatch before I decide how I feel about it. The crazy church imagery coming out of nowhere and weird rear end demon kind of threw me for a loop but I was completely focused on watching it play out. Like a lot of Zombie stuff it seems like its very much tuned into the hardcore horror fan with elements and shots and imagery I feel like I've seen somewhere else and which made me really enjoy it because it felt familiar and like it belonged. But I'm not sure it came together well enough to be one of those greats Zombie is obviously inspired by.

And I was impressed with Sherri Moon. I've never seen her really have to act too hard so a role like this that demanded her to be normal and really break down over the course of the film surprised me. By the time she fell off the wagon I was completely sympathetic for her and found myself very nearly yelling at the TV to tell her to not go in there or to get the hell out of her apartment. In the end I walked away with that old feeling. I don't really believe in ghosts and witches and demons, but if I ever even slightly suspect my house is haunted I'm staying with friends or family for a few days before I get some sleep, a headshrink, or a priest in there. Just in case.

So in the end I think Rob Zombie succeeded in creeping me out, which I assume was his goal.

The Tally
Pre-October Warm Up
V/H/S (2012) / V/H/S 2 (2013) / Sinister (2012) / Quarantine 2: Terminal (2011) / State Of Emergency (2011) / We Are What We Are (2013)
Week 1: Oct 1st to 7th
1) Insidious (2010) / 2) Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) / 3) Enter Nowhere (2011) / 4) The Nurse (2013) / 5) American Mary (2012) / Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995) / 6) Re-Animator (1985) / 7) The Lords of Salem (2013)

STAC Goat fucked around with this message at 09:47 on Oct 8, 2014

Untrustable
Mar 17, 2009





So far...

Event Horizon
Wishmaster
Wishmaster 2
House on Haunted Hill
Fright Night (remake)
Rigor Mortis

The movie for tonite was Trick 'R Treat, a very underrated horror anthology in the style of something like creepshow. I can't think of a bad segment in the film Except maybe the werewolf one.

Vakal
May 11, 2008

STAC Goat posted:


#7: The Lords of Salem (2012)


There's actually a novel version of Lords of Salem that is a pretty quick read if you enjoyed the movie. The events in both are pretty much the same, except the book doesn't even bother trying to suggest that anyone might be getting a happy ending.

flashy_mcflash
Feb 7, 2011

Oct 8 - Open Windows

While I admire what Vigolando is trying to do here, namely attempting to show how the internet (specifically a stand-in for Anonymous) can manipulate many disparate people and situations remotely, but the plot is much too convoluted to work. Though this is far slicker film than The Den, it feels emptier, largely because the acting is so uneven from everyone but Elijah Wood.

Sasha Grey puts in an atrocious performance even by her standards, though weirdly I thought she had some actual life in the fake movie trailer/preview towards the beginning of the film where she was supposedly pretending to act. Elijah Wood was drat good though, and I continue to be surprised by his acting choices.

This was probably more of a thriller than a horror but I watched it so whatever.

Whatever I was going to watch tonight is on the back burner because I need to watch The Loved Ones to wash away the string of bad movies I've watched so far.

flashy_mcflash fucked around with this message at 14:57 on Oct 8, 2014

Jay Dub
Jul 27, 2009

I'm not listening
to youuuuu...
Oct. 1: From Beyond
Oct. 2: Re-Animator
Oct. 4: Night of the Living Dead

Oct. 5: The Stuff

I'll be honest, I was expecting more of a horror film out of this one, but goofy sci-fi throwback works for me too. The concept of an ice cream-like substance that turns consumers into mindless drones is a really fun one, especially when rejecting the stuff causes it to straight up attack your face. Lots of cool camera tricks and simple effects to make the stuff come to life, and at times it comes across as a version of The Blob by way of They Live. It's too bad that the movie limps across the finish line, though, as it never seems to reach a satisfying conclusion for its anti-consumerist message.

:geno:"Let's get back at the guys that sold this Stuff."
:geno:"Okay."

Paul Sorvino shows up near the end as a super right-wing military guy, and I wish the film had made better use of him. As awful as his character is, it's just fun seeing Paul Sorvino appear in schlock like this. Overall, I enjoyed The Stuff, but it's clear they were running thin on material by the end.

Oct. 6: Leprechaun

Wasn't too crazy about this one. I'd like to burn through a horror series I'd never seen before this month, but after watching Leprechaun, I don't know if I can make it through five more of these. Warwick Davis is fun as the Leprechaun, but mostly this film just bored me. I give zero shits about the characters or the setup, and none of the kills struck me as particularly interesting. (Then again, if those are my complaints, this probably isn't the genre for me.)

Does putting the Leprechaun in space and/or The Hood make the series any better, or at least more entertaining? Or am I better off finding another series to marathon?

Franchescanado
Feb 23, 2013

If it wasn't for disappointment
I wouldn't have any appointment

Grimey Drawer
So far:

1st: Nightmare Factory
2nd: The Town That Dreaded Sundown
3rd: Shivers
4th: ABC's of Death
5th: Re-Animator
6th: Creepshow 2

October 7th: Nosferatu (original)

Everyone was talking about it yesterday, and it's been a few years since I've watched it, so I put this on. There's nothing I can say that hasn't already been said. This movie is still creepy, unnerving, and visually engaging, and I feel like I should watch it more often than I do.

When I was eight years old, my favorite show was Are You Afraid of the Dark? on Nickelodeon. I could handle the show most of the time, but there was one episode that scared me to my core: The Tale of the Midnight Madness. A beautiful old theater is running out of business. An eccentric old man (Dr. Vink! With a vuh-vuh-vuh!) claims he has the answer: play an old horror movie, and the business will boom. The movie: Nosferatu. It's a hit, the theater booms, but there's a catch: at night, Nosferatu the vampire escapes the movie and kills the people of the theater. Dark poo poo for a show for children. If you've never seen the episode, you should. It's one of the best (and on Amazon Prime)

I didn't see the real Nosferatu until much later, and I was too old for it to have a real effect. Still, I love this movie, and my introduction to it was terrifying.

:spooky::spooky::spooky::spooky::spooky:/5

October 7th Bonus Round: Virgin Witch

I was in the mood for schlock, and I found this rough gem on Netflix streaming.

Two sisters are hired by a modeling agency for a weekend photo shoot, but it's really a recruitment for new witches for a coven!

Despite the premise, I have a hard time calling this an exploitation movie. There's a lot of nudity, but there's only a few sex scenes (mainly for initiations to the coven), and it's never really graphic. It's not trying to be crazy or memorable like a Corman movie. It's a slow burn, boring in parts, but it does have some surreal moments and fun use of color and lights. Not a complete waste of time. It has horror elements, but I'm not counting it towards my 31.

:spooky:/5

Nemesis Of Moles
Jul 25, 2007

Finished off Classics Week with the 1922 Nosferatu.

Which was kinda dull and in dire need of an edit! But an incredible achievement for the time. The count is chilling in every scene he is in, and the plague imagery (and outright text) was a great touch that really added to the impact of the film, but drat, you could cut like, 50% of this and lose nothing at all. Still, glad I watched it. Onward to SLASHER WEEK

Basebf555
Feb 29, 2008

The greatest sensual pleasure there is is to know the desires of another!

Fun Shoe

Franchescanado posted:


When I was eight years old, my favorite show was Are You Afraid of the Dark? on Nickelodeon. I could handle the show most of the time, but there was one episode that scared me to my core: The Tale of the Midnight Madness. A beautiful old theater is running out of business. An eccentric old man (Dr. Vink! With a vuh-vuh-vuh!) claims he has the answer: play an old horror movie, and the business will boom. The movie: Nosferatu. It's a hit, the theater booms, but there's a catch: at night, Nosferatu the vampire escapes the movie and kills the people of the theater. Dark poo poo for a show for children. If you've never seen the episode, you should. It's one of the best (and on Amazon Prime)

I didn't see the real Nosferatu until much later, and I was too old for it to have a real effect. Still, I love this movie, and my introduction to it was terrifying.

loving hell yes, that episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark really made a strong impression on me. If you're of a certain age Are You Afraid of the Dark along with a few other shows and probably the Goosbumps books were probably your first introduction to horror. Especially with how heavily edited horror movies were when they were shown on T.V. back then, a really good episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark could be just as scary to a kid as anything else.

flashy_mcflash
Feb 7, 2011

Fun fact, the lead dude from AYAOTD is now a weatherman.

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Amber Sweet
Apr 30, 2009
Are You Afraid of the Dark? is most certainly the first thing that got me into horror as a kid. I LOVED it, but it still terrified me. I was a wimpy rear end kid, I admit it, and I didn't sleep well because of my fears. It was because of THIS motherfucker that made my mom forbid me from watching the show anymore

Quicksilver. I searched for a Q on my bedroom wall (this monsters tell tale sign) every night before I went to bed for years, utterly terrified I would find one behind a poster or my mirror. Upon rewatch, I have no idea what made him so terrifying to me, but goddamn.

Another episode that made me freak my poo poo was The Bookish Babysitter, but only because of this bastard

Who only shows up for like 5 seconds and is never explained or mentioned again.

I rewatched a few episodes recently, and MAN. It really brings you right back to like, 1994. The hit of nostalgia is intense. This series has aged really well, it's like stepping back in time. The opening also still ridiculously effective and STILL gives me that creepy feeling. I love it.

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