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Fran Challenge #9 - Terrorvision - The Anatomist I thought I'd do something a little different for selecting this one. What I did was search IMDB's genres for TV Movie and horror, then sorted by date. The Anatomist is the earliest surviving horror TV movie, coming in at 1956 (the 1961 date you'll find on some copies is when it was shown in the US).  The plot is easily recounted in rhyme: Up the close and down the stair, In the house with Burke and Hare. Burke's the butcher, Hare's the thief, Knox the boy that buys the beef. So I can honestly say I wasn't expecting the film to open with a profession showing off a Zulu's skull to his students and laughing about it. This was a stage play that was filmed for BBC. Alistair Sim originated the role of Dr. Knox in the play and reprised the role in this production. So it's an interesting artifact of that period of early television where moving theatrical productions into the small screen was a common event. The thing is, how many productions of The Anatomist have you seen lately? Yeah, this is second tier theater, at best, and the limitations of 1950's television haven't helped it. Let me hit the unfair technical complaint first. The audio is awful. The mics used didn't pick up many of the characters consistently and since they're talking in some especially thick accents, it's can be hard to tell what they're saying (insert joke about inaudible mumbling being an authentic Scots accent here). Even if this was a brilliant play, you wouldn't be able to hear it. As a play, though, it fumbles. There's focus on a love story between one of Knox's students and a girl who thinks studying human anatomy goes against God's will. Given that this is a movie about Burke and Hare, I think you can guess who wins that argument. There's a lot of time filling, people just standing around talking about things that don't matter. It's about forty minutes into the movie before Burke and Hare are really in it and start to do things. Apparently the playwright thought audiences would be more interested in Edwardian drawing room conversations than graverobbers who turn to murder when they can't fill their quota. And then they're caught instantly. They provide one body and people immediately realize they killed the person. Which means that the duo aren't central to a movie about their actions. The focus is more on Dr. Knox, but even then he's not a very interesting character. It's just a bizarre choice of structure. Which makes The Anatomist a pretty bad TV movie. It might be the oldest surviving example of a horror TV movie, but there's no need to go back to this one. Apparently this would have counted for challenge #13 since the first two acts take place on Halloween, though they don't mention it until the third act... Let me get a recommendation for challenge #12 while I'm at this. I'm probably going to reach it tomorrow and having a recommendation on deck will help. I'm going to reject any movie that I've already seen, and for streaming services I have Prime, Netflix, and Criterion.
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Oct 24, 2020 14:17
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45. Terrorvision (1986) Fran Challenge #9: TerrorVision  A family's new satellite system tunes into alien frequencies and beams down an intergalactic monster. Honestly, this is pretty fun. The monster is a goopy and weird, the grandpa is a survivalist prepper who does not live up to that term, the grandson is a preteen who carries around an assault rifle for most of the film, the parents are swingers, and the daughter is like if the decade was a person. All memorable fun characters. It's weird, and incredibly horny even though it is PG. I think it aged pretty well, though I wish it had less gay panic/ fag jokes. It only really has a few, but, still. 3.5/5 46. Spiral (2000) Fran Challenge #11: Öskur heyrðust um allan heim  A small town is overcome with a spiral obsession/fascination/infestation. The setup and general feel of the movie is unsettling, and the effects that do work are gross and goopy. (The effects that don't are ~ooOOoo~ 'a face floating on top of an image' level of cringe.) Overall, though, I found it really disappointing, and it drags pretty heavily in the last half hour. I think part of the reason this movie failed for me is that I'm a fan of the original work, the manga Uzumaki by Junji Ito. Ito examines the spiral concept in separate chapters, giving each the time it needs to develop as its own tale. The movie, on the other hand, jumbles them all together and leaves you either waiting for a conclusion, or wondering why we aren't learning more about specific storylines. I feel like it would have worked better as an anthology. I want to see more of the kids turning into snails! I want more of the attention-seeking girl and her otherworldly hair! I'm not even sure if we see what happens to the protagonist's dad, despite some buildup. 1.5/5 47. Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990) Fran Challenge #10: Run This poo poo Into The Ground  A couple traveling through Texas get menaced by a gas station attendant, and then, later, get to meet his whole family. I found it pretty disappointing. The 'creepy gas station guy' is a trope at this point, but I don't think it's done particularly well here. Viggo Mortenson is good as the least creepy family member, but I want more of him and more creepy. Grandpa is still there but I don't think we ever even see him when he's not in a blurry background shot. The movie spends far too long hunting through nondescript dark woods, and I just don't really think that a chainsaw is the best weapon for sneaking around the woods. After the high of the first movie, and the unexpected greatness in the second, this was a big step down. 2/5
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Oct 24, 2020 16:58
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graventy posted:46. Spiral (2000) I've seen the problem with the Spiral movie in other Japanese media that ties in with something: "You're already familiar with this, so we have to hit all the points even if they don't make sense on their own." It's cousin to the superhero movie problem of nudging you in the ribs with oblique references constantly.
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Oct 24, 2020 17:09
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Random Stranger posted:I've seen the problem with the Spiral movie in other Japanese media that ties in with something: "You're already familiar with this, so we have to hit all the points even if they don't make sense on their own." It's cousin to the superhero movie problem of nudging you in the ribs with oblique references constantly. I would buy that, except, according to several sources the movie was completed before the manga was finished. So it might just be them not having a clear picture of where everything should be going. I hope the animated series coming next year is good, because he's really good at telling creepy stories.
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Oct 24, 2020 17:18
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 Fran Challenge #3: Feardotcom#26 Pulse Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2001  I rarely talk about how "scary" a horror movie is or isn't, because I don't view that as a metric by which to critique. I also don't find movies scary. Usually. There are exceptions, like Pulse. It's a deliberately paced, visually gloomy ghost story that absolutely NAILS the creep factor. There's not a jump scare in sight. Rather it relies on unexpected, disorienting visuals and a dark ethereal vibe. There's an existential dread - a sense of spiritual terror - that runs through it. How many movies can you say that about? I do think it's about 20 minutes longer than it should be. The last act drags a bit. But that's a relatively minor complaint. This is as good as J-horror gets. 4.5/5 Fran Challenges (8/13): Films watched: 1. Halloween II (2009), 2. The Tomb of Ligeia (1964), 3. Eyeball (1975), 4. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995), 5. House of 1000 Corpses (2003), 6. Climax (2018), 7. Lifeforce (1985), 8. The Devil’s Rejects (2005), 9. Short Films, 10. Ginger Snaps (2000), 11. The Legend of Hell House (1973), 12. House on Haunted Hill (1959), 13. Us (2019), 14. The Lighthouse (2019), 15. Torso (1973), 16. Child’s Play 2 (1990), 17. The Masque of the Red Death (1964), 18. The Skin I Live In (2011), 19. Dante’s Inferno (1911), 20. 3 From Hell (2019), 21. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), 22. Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998), 23. Deadbeat at Dawn (1988), 24. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), 25. Found. (2012), 26. Pulse (2001)
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Oct 24, 2020 17:31
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Fran Challenge #12: Ourorboros Ask a fellow goon participating in this challenge for a wild card. The Clovehitch Killer (2018)  Suggested by Tarnop Teenager Tyler Burnside finds his dad is into bondage porn and suspects he's a serial killer. This was hard to watch, but I don't mean that in a bad way. From start to finish it's so tense and/or uncomfortable, whether it's Dad giving "the talk" or Tyler breaking in where he shouldn't. The dinner scene where Tyler brings his "girlfriend" over was hilariously awkward, but funny scenes always have a lurking threat of danger. Evil lying beneath the white suburban family dream is a well trodden path. This particular community is a super judgmental religious one and they could maybe have done more with that contrast - they pile in on in the first half but it's largely dropped in the second. All the cast are good, especially Charlie Plummer as perfect boy scout and goody two-shoes Tyler whose character arc ends with him cold-bloodedly murdering his father and then giving a flattering eulogy at his funeral. I enjoyed this one a lot, thanks Tarnop. Watchlist: Tenebrae; Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; Body Melt; In Search of Darkness; The Monster Club; Twilight; The Beyond; Scream Blacula Scream FC#1; Raw; The Invisible Man (2020); Hotel Transylvania; a bunch of shorts FC#2; Sharknado; Vampires vs. the Bronx; Dave Made a Maze; Gamera the Giant Monster; The Driller Killer; La Llarona; Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street FC#4; Pulse (2001) FC#3; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920) FC#5; Hostel FC#6; The Phantom of the Opera (2004) FC#7; Piranha (1978) FC#8; The Descent; Duel FC#9; Hellraiser 3 FC#10; Baskin FC#11; The Clovehitch Killer FC#12 (total: 28ish)
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Oct 24, 2020 17:42
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bitterandtwisted posted:I enjoyed this one a lot, thanks Tarnop. You're very welcome!
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Oct 24, 2020 18:02
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 28. Runaway Nightmare (1982) Dir: Mike Cartel Accidentally has a bit of a strong Lynch vibe. There's a whole lot of moves where the director (who is also the writer and editor and lead actor and) knows a film needs certain things like stunts or sound design, but doesn't know how to accomplish them. So you end up having multiple dinner scenes with people moving their lips, but minutes upon minutes of awkward silence. On a similar note, the stunt work is stunningly irresponsible. There's a scene where they have to show that the bulletproof vest is in fact bulletproof, so the director gets someone to shoot him with a shotgun while he's wearing it.  Fran Challenge #3: Feardotcom29. FearDotCom (2002) Dir: William Malone Someone had to actually do FearDotCom. The website that kills you being named feardotcom.com says just about all you'd need to know about it's understanding of newfangled internet technology. Lots of overestimating about what can actually be accomplished through the internet, which gives the film a sense of (accidental?) magical realism. The film makes some strange visual connections, like tying early Flash aesthetic to Joel-Peter Witkin/German expressionism and throwing a noir filter over the whole thing. Actually looks pretty great for the time, but the plot is nonsense. If you're willing to buy into the absurdity of a website being programed to hold conversations with you and make bugs crawl out of your hard drive, you'll probably get a little bit of enjoyment out of it. Friends Are Evil fucked around with this message at 18:20 on Oct 24, 2020 |
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Oct 24, 2020 18:15
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Fran Challenge #10: Run This poo poo Into The Ground #64:1991 Critters 3  Well this was bad. Critters in a building is a dynamite idea. IMO, the main strength of the concept is that you can have a lot of little vignettes where some critters get into an apartment and something fun happens based on the unique people or things in that apartment. Unfortunately, they decided that the building in Critters 3 is slated to be demolished so there's only like a half a dozen people living in it. So no fun. There are only two deaths. The only real Critters antics is they gently caress up a kitchen. What really kills the movie is that all the comedy is bad. Like, a lot of the comic ideas could work, they're just done so poorly. Like when they're trying to find weapons in an apartment and can't find anything but then a little old lady says "how about a butcher knife?" and pulls out a comically oversized butcher knife. That should be a decent gag, but the way the shot is set up, they don't have the entire knife in frame. The entire joke is the size of the knife, and it isn't all in frame. It's baffling. Most of the humor is like that. I gotta be honest, half an hour in I was thinking that I wasn't even gonna bother with Critters 4. And the decision became firmer until the very end, when they did a cliffhanger that actually has me interested in Critters 4. Which is very annoying because I have no faith that it will be a better movie but I still want to know where the story goes. 64 Movies Watched: Dracula, Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, King Kong, Son of Kong, The Bride of Frankenstein, Werewolf of London, Dracula's Daughter, Son of Frankenstein, The Mummy's Hand, Son of Ingagi 1, The Wolf Man, The Corpse Vanishes, The Ghost of Frankenstein, The Mummy's Tomb, Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man, Son of Dracula, The Mummy's Ghost, The House of Frankenstein, The Mummy's Curse, The House of Dracula, She-Wolf of London, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Godzilla, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla Raids Again, Five Short Films About Bigfoot2, Abbot and Costello Meet The Mummy, Horror of Dracula, Psycho, King Kong vs Godzilla, Blood Feast, Mothra vs Godzilla, The Creeping Terror, Ghidorah The Three-Headed Monster, Orgy of the Dead, Invasion of Astro-Monster, Ghidorah Horror of the Deep, Berserk!, Son of Godzilla, Destroy All Monsters, Dracula Has Risen From The Grave, All Monsters Attack, Taste The Blood of Dracula, Godzilla vs Hedorah, Nosferatu5, Feardotcom3, Godzilla vs Gigan, Dracula AD 1972, Godzilla vs Megalon, Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla, The UFO Incident, Terror of Mechagodzilla, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, King Kong, An American Werewolf in London 6, The Evil Dead*, Into The Lion's Den4, Blood Beach7, Critters, Tyler Perry's Boo! A Madea Halloween13, Critters 2, Critters 310* denotes rewatches Fran Challenges left: 8,9,11,12
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Oct 24, 2020 18:24
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4 is also bad but it a whole new and unpredictable way so like... its mildly worth it as a novelty. Mildly. But really Critters has a very steep peak at 2 and then sharp fall.
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Oct 24, 2020 18:27
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11) Mark of the Witch (2016) Summary: A young woman"s 18th birthday marks the beginning of a convoluted witch plot to (I guess) steal her soul and possess her body. There's a lot going on here. The Greasy Strangler has a small role and a sex scene. It's like Hereditary but with CGI witch battles. Someimes people get killed but then they're OK. Paulie Rojas (pictured) is the best element of the film. She plays both the target of the witches' plot as well as its orchestrator (in some scenes,) and lays down a performance that saves an otherwise unremarkable film. Verdict: 4 flickering light circles out of 10 Completed Fran Challenges: 1, 6, 8 Tubiween: 11/31 First viewings: 11/31 moths fucked around with this message at 19:11 on Oct 24, 2020 |
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Oct 24, 2020 18:45
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fran challenge#12: Ouroboros (recommended by debbie does dagon) 34)Images  In a gorgeous and ominous Irish country side a children's fantasy author deals with finishing her novel while being haunted:by mental illness and lecherous 70s men, mostly. Things turn murderous and our sense of reality is never on even footing. It's good, and a very moody film, even if it's not the best protagonist unsure of their reality movie I've ever seen. The cinematography accompanied by narration of the children's book works great. I'm not completely sure it all ties together, but highly recommend watching because it's got such a great mood. And susannah york is fantastic .5/535/31 haunt,bridge curse,#alive, the strings, amber's descent, papi ramirez vs giant scorpions, black lake, displaced, danni and the vampire, woman of the photographs, witches of hollywood, bleed with me, hell house, death drop gorgeous,A nightmare wakes, leni,occupants,last thanksgiving,threshhold, it cuts deep, cold wind blows, the return, ghost stories, cleansing hour,dracula’s daughter, cabinet of doctor caligari, the ring, dagon,uncaged,fall of the house of usher,extremity,dark night of the scarecrow, paranormal activity the ghost dimenion, the wailing,images
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Oct 24, 2020 18:52
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Gripweed posted:I gotta be honest, half an hour in I was thinking that I wasn't even gonna bother with Critters 4. And the decision became firmer until the very end, when they did a cliffhanger that actually has me interested in Critters 4. Which is very annoying because I have no faith that it will be a better movie but I still want to know where the story goes. Critters 4 is a bit better than 3, which primarily exists so people can remind Leonardo di Caprio that he was in it. While I'm here: I need assistance with the Terrorvision challenge. I cannot find Terrorvision or anything I haven't already seen on a streaming service, and Tubi is blocked in the EU. Anyone got any ideas? I have Shudder UK and Prime Video, and I have seen pretty much all the well known UK TV horror.
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Oct 24, 2020 19:03
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 54. The Ghost Galleon (1974/Spain) Fran Challenge #10: Run This poo poo Into The Ground The Ghost Galleon is the third entry in the Blind Dead franchise, and they are most certainly running this poo poo into the ground. Our story begins with a harried catalogue photoshoot, which introduces the conceit of the film. All of the women in this film are models, and as such, they largely spend the entire film in bikinis, because of course. A boat manufacturer decides to hire said models for a publicity stunt, in which they are to be stranded in the middle of the ocean in one of the new model speed boats, in the hopes that they will be rescued in the nearby shipping lane, and that the story will reach the press. I poo poo you not. Cue our titular Ghost galleon, as it drags a mist over the helpless boat, and lingers near it, with ancient unfeeling menace. The bikini models clamber aboard of course. I didn’t catch their names, and I’m not the writers even cared, as they receive zero character development. Onboard are the same Blind Dead we’ve grown accustomed to, and I really mean that, I’m certain that these are the recycled effects. Throughout the whole film I recall one decapitation, and while nice, it really feels like a wasted opportunity. The Ghost Galleon concept is so hauntingly wonderful, and the ship is so atmospheric, that it came as such a crushing disappointment that film doesn’t really utilise them. It’s not even so bad as to be complaint worthy. It’s just languid and mediocre. Also, cw for a horrible rape scene. 2/5  55. Dachra (2018/Tunisia) As the first horror film from Tunisia, I had a lot of high hopes for Dachra. The plot concerns a group of journalism students who are tasked with filming an exclusive story. Three of students decide to team up and investigate the spooky goings-on at the local psychiatric hospital, and from there discover an occult mystery which takes them into the heart of the woodland, where a strange commune of women sustain themselves on raw meat. The film has all of the potential to be a meeting of Texas Chainsaw and Suspiria, but it just comes out a bit James Wan. There’s a lot to like in terms of the grimy filthy set design, and the ever-present atmosphere of near-total nihilistic dread. In better hands, or with a few script tweaks, this could have been a favourite of mine. It’s all scuppered though by the reliance on some bleakly executed jump scares, and a plot so convoluted that I really stopped caring. When your mindfuck plot-twist elicits yawns, you know you’ve hosed up. 2.5/5 55.1 Lost Highway (1997/USA) Scream Stream This was one of the few films that I didn’t rewatch for the Bracketology thread, and I’m kicking myself now, as I have a lot to complain about. First, the positives, this is a Lynch film, and it’s packed with everything that entails. Beautiful and haunting cinematography. Stilted and uncanny performances. Warped plots that fold back in upon themselves. Sex, violence, the yawning eternal darkness that lies in wait beneath pristine suburban streets. The soundtrack also slaps. My issue is with the sexual politics, which range from misogynistic to downright SWERFy. There is a scene in which the Patricia Arquette character feeds Pete a story about a casting couch scenario, and the issues are numerous and layered. First, the sympathy in the scene is with Pete’s character, who is motivated by not only jealousy but also disgust at the mere mention of sex work. Then the film presents a titillating and disturbing scene in which Arquette strips at gunpoint. This was discussed in the stream, but the overall effect isn’t a horny movie, it actually presents sex as a source of anxiety, disgust, dissatisfaction, and death, so I don’t think it was Lynch’s intention to present a titillating film, but it also doesn’t across as sex-positive, or cast sex workers in a positive or even neutral light. It’s something that I worry about with this film, and I don’t think I’m educated enough to articulate my feelings exactly, but it did leave me worried about the intention. 4 /5 55.2 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986/USA) Scream Stream I honestly wasn’t paying attention to the film. For one, it’s a rewatch, and two, I got distracted by trans art corner over on the Discord. I will say though that I want Bill Moseley’s babies. Total: 55 Queer Interest: 28 Scream Stream: 8 new, 8 rewatches Fran Challenges: 12 | Horror Noire | Short Cuts | Feardotcom | Scream, Queen! | Silent Scream | Tomb of the Blind Spots | Dearly Departed | When Animals Attack | TerrorVision | Öskur heyrðust um allan heim | Ouroboros | Run This poo poo Into the Ground | Countries Visited: 22 | USA | Hungary | Portugal | Vietnam | Georgia | Switzerland | Nigeria | United Kingdom | Lithuania | Germany | Finland | France | Spain | Japan | Monaco | Ireland | West Germany | Czechoslovakia | India | Canada | Estonia | Hong Kong | Australia | Tunisia |
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Oct 24, 2020 19:06
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Jedit posted:While I'm here: I need assistance with the Terrorvision challenge. I cannot find Terrorvision or anything I haven't already seen on a streaming service, and Tubi is blocked in the EU. Anyone got any ideas? I have Shudder UK and Prime Video, and I have seen pretty much all the well known UK TV horror. Someone posted either this list (https://letterboxd.com/beingandslime/list/made-for-tv-horror/) or a similar one earlier in the thread, and I was having a hard time with finding something new-to-me on the streaming services too. But I was able to find several of the movies just randomly up on YouTube.
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Oct 24, 2020 19:21
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26. Stitches (2012) A teenager throws a birthday party for the first time since his last tragic party... with spooky results. A bunch of rear end in a top hat teenagers get killed by a clown at a party. That's it. The humour is not good. The kills are cartoonish, but somehow not in a good way? The characters are terrible. It's not even a full 90 minutes and it feels like they cut out important stuff. Like it just jumps at one point and forgets to include a few shots. Killer clowns are not scary or creative or even unexpected. It also manages to combine both a bad gay and fat stereotype into one character. 1/5
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Oct 24, 2020 19:21
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Jedit posted:Critters 4 is a bit better than 3, which primarily exists so people can remind Leonardo di Caprio that he was in it. Terrorvision is on YouTube! That's where I watched it. https://youtu.be/F_5TUg9GOCo
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Oct 24, 2020 19:28
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NUMBER 1 FULCI FAN posted:Terrorvision is on YouTube! That's where I watched it. Thanks. I've managed to source an alternative option, but I might look at this anyway later.
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Oct 24, 2020 19:47
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Ambitious Spider posted:
I'm sorry you didn't get more out of it. I've really been trying to give good recs, but I think I was a little overexcited to recommend Images. I have fond fresh memories of it.
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Oct 24, 2020 19:48
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#19) Threads - Fran Challenge #9: TerrorVision Made for TV mockumentary about what happens to the UK when the Cold War turns hot. It starts focusing on a young couple that's just found out about an unexpected pregnancy, and how they're trying to cope with that decision. However, the background news and protests shows that there's a good chance the US and USSR are headed to war. Eventually they do, and the UK is caught in the crossfire as they supported the US in the conflict. The initial family's struggles become a footnote in the movie's depiction of the absolute catastrophe of nuclear attack. And it's an extremely brutal look-you see limbs being amputated in a hospital with people screaming all over, bodies mangled and melted. You also see the aftermath over years as groups of people struggle to survive, where society crumbles and people are shot over scraps of food. Imagining this being aired on network TV in the 80's is kinda insane. That said, I think the fake documentary presentation somewhat cuts into the impact-while in the moment everything is extremely powerful afterwards it left me with a feeling of an extremely grim after school special as everything has an air of fakeness. It doesn't work as an actual documentary/found-footage because who would have filmed it? So the whole setup just seems unnecessary and like they wanted to add some level of gravitas by giving it a documentary feel, vs. "just" a movie. That said it's still very good, and still hits extremely hard. 3.5 / 5 #20) Halloween III - Fran Challenge #13: It's The Time of the Season for Spook-a-Doodles I basically watch this every October at some point. Initially maligned third movie in the Halloween series that's found a lot more popularity and esteem in the intervening years. Also, the only Halloween movie not to feature Michael Myers. What we do get is the touching story of a doctor who's estranged from his family and trying to get things back in order. Unfortunately, he uncovers a plot to melt the heads of kids across the country for...reasons. Honestly a lot of what happens doesn't make sense, but it also doesn't really matter cause this movie is a ton of fun. Tom Atkins is the most delightful sleazeball ever, and you also have androids, witchcraft, catchy tunes, awesome masks, and just a totally nonsensical ride. While it's not the best horror movie (that's The Thing fyi), it's one of my favorites. 4 / 5 Total: 20 1. In a Stranger's House / 2. The Loved Ones / 3. Scare Me / 4. Scare Me / 5. Egg / 6. Alien Abduction: Incident In Lake County / 7. i'm thinking of ending things / 8. The Clovehitch Killer / 9. Ganja and Hess / 10. Trilogy of Terror / 11. Short films / 12. Feardotcom / 13. Frankenstein '80 / 14. Boar / 15. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) / 16. The Oily Maniac / 17. The Cleansing Hour / 18. The Triangle / 19. Threads / 20. Halloween III
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Oct 24, 2020 19:55
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 Fran Challenge #11: Öskur heyrðust um allan heim 20. The Doll (2016) Netflix This Indonesian haunted doll movie is pretty by-the-numbers until the ending, but I like its look and overall tone. When I was looking for an image for it, I found a lot of folks dismissively calling it a Conjuring rip. And yeah, there are some definite similarities there. But at the same time, The Conjuring did not invent murder dolls or the concept of a medium who helps a haunted family. I also don’t care that much about originality when something’s as entertaining as The Doll managed to be. The movie is fun, the doll is creepy, and I didn’t see that ending coming. I also liked the actress who played the medium character (she was also in a movie called Tarot that I watched for last year’s challenge). Some of the effects weren’t the greatest, but that’s the kind of thing that mostly bothers me when I’m not engaged enough with a story. I’m definitely going to check out the sequels, but may not get to them this month unless I can finish a lot more of the challenges over the weekend. 1. Trick ‘r Treat (2007) 2. Threads(1984) 3. The Changeling (1980) 4. Theatre of Blood (1973) 5. The Devil’s Rain (1975) 6. House of the Devil (2009) 7. One Dark Night (1983) 8. Strange Behavior (1981) 9. Challenge #1: Black Box (2020) 9.5. Challenge #2: short films 10. Les Diaboliques (1955) 11. Leviathan (1989) 12. Madman (1981) 13. Biozombie (1998) 14. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) 15. Vampires (1998) 16. Scarecrows (1988) 17. The Rift(1989) 18. Witchboard (1986) 19. The Relic (1997)
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Oct 24, 2020 20:00
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Supremely busy this past week! I got my movies in but didn't have time to review them until right now. #22: The Boxer's Omen (1983)  The Boxer's Omen still rules. Once it gets going it's just a nonstop series of incredibly creative and fun effects sequences, and they're all great. This second time through I was thinking a lot about how impressive it is that the movie manages to keep itself feeling light and fun even with all the incredibly gross stuff going on. There's such a wonderful contrast between all of its elements. Sure you might forced to look at a tub full of actual guts, but then right afterwards they get put on a skull like a little wig. For every shot of a body covered in maggots and decomposing before your very eyes, you also get to see a super cute little bat puppet waddle around. It's so consistently charming that the gross stuff felt like even less of a big deal than I remembered and I think the movie's easier to recommend than I'd thought the first time through. The goofy poo poo is just as much part of the charm and experience as the multitude of legitimately impressive effects and shots. #23: The Innocents (1961)  Despite being made in '61, The Innocents has been one of the creepiest movies of the month for me. I legitimately shivered at one point late in the film, and the atmosphere the entire way through is so unnerving. These types of ghost stories are super hit or miss for me. I don't normally get excited about them, but I love this type of thing when it's done well. The child actors are so good! It's hard to imagine this movie working even a fraction of as well as it does with weaker actors in those roles. Especially with the little boy it's like you're legitimately watching a 40-year-old in a child's body. Although I'd imagine most people making a case for a more grounded reading of the movie's events, I think it's fun to look at everything more ambiguously. What's the point of enjoying a good ghost story if you aren't gonna open yourself up to some supernatural dealings? That said, I think the horror works however you choose to look at it. The film's shot absolutely beautifully. Pause at almost any point and you've got an image worthy of being framed. In particular I was blown away by the sequence of composited shots blending into each other. It's so masterfully done. Every time a new image draws your eye, the one you stopped focusing on fades away and gets replaced by something else. The entire thing is so seamless and impressive. It's almost hard to believe this wasn't made more recently. From what I can remember, this is the oldest movie that's legitimately spooked me, and there's some content that feels like it'd be controversial even now. Really excellent. #24: One Cut of the Dead (2017)  This was my second watch, and it was streaming to a decent sized group who had mostly not already seen it. I found myself very focused on expectation this time through. Although the first third of the movie is all completely necessary, it really is a tough sell. I have to imagine a good chunk of people stop watching before the big reveal. That said, I'm also not sure the movie would've worked better if the first bit was more engaging. I legitimately think that going through that part slightly unfocused is ideal. If you're paying too much attention to everything, the final 3rd of the film might not hit as hard initially. It's to your own benefit that you don't notice certain details, and forget about others. Still a super interesting movie when you already know its deal. It was almost more impressive the second time through because I had more time to think about process. Fran Challenge #3: Feardotcom #25: Unfriended (2014)  I had a really good time with this! I was lucky enough to get to watch it with a group, which I think makes it more fun. One of the people joining us had done a big chunk of the movie's animation, and that meant that I got details pointed out to me that I definitely wouldn't have otherwise noticed, and I ended up thinking more about the presentation than I might otherwise have. The implementation of the conceit is so good. I'm kind of annoyed that most of the things I'd heard about Unfriended before now have been negative. I don't think the plot is as interesting or tight as it could be, and I get why people would have issues with the movie as a whole, but it's so creative and well-presented! I work with computers for my job and I'm very used to seeing garbage interfaces in film, so it's an awesome change of pace to see things done as well and intentionally as they were here. Everything has personality! The mouse cursor is a character and its movement reflects Blaire's state of mind! The computer's clock keeps accurate time! Blaire uses the right-click menu to copy/paste poo poo because she doesn't know hotkeys! There are hidden jokes and fun details in every new window! I love this stuff. It's all way more detail-oriented than I expected, and it sells the conceit so well. Some of the deaths are better than others, but the little concepts behind them all are very fun, and combined with the interface flourishes I was very entertained. I think my biggest complaint is with the ending. Apparently there were multiple filmed, and the one chosen sounded like the least interesting of the bunch, unfortunately. I think it breaks the conceit in a very boring way, and it was kind of a let down after so many other creative sequences. #26: Prince of Darkness (1987)  The atmosphere is top notch and I'm having a real hard time coming up with a movie that feels analogous to this one. Prince of Darkness is extremely cool conceptually. It throws out a bunch of super interesting high concept ideas, and they all work. The writhing clumps of insects, the bug puppet, the basement set, the sentient ooze, the dream transmissions... any one of these things on their own could've been enough for the movie to have gripped me. For me things unfortunately start to suffer a bit near the end. It's disappointing that everything moves back upstairs and we have to spend so much time in more generic rooms and hallways. In a less interesting movie this wouldn't have bothered me, but I wish we got to marinade more in the spookier locations once everything really started to break down. Fran Challenge #8: When Animals Attack! #27: The Pool (2018)  I was not prepared. The Pool is the story of the unluckiest man in the entire world. Through a truly astounding sequence of unlikely events and coincidences, he's repeatedly put through increasingly distressing and horrific situations. His unlikely misfortune is incredibly funny and it's legitimately enjoyable how everything is strung together. It's almost like a video game in the way that everything has a use. No matter how dumb something is, it mostly all has a specific callback and mechanical function to aid in the ultimate goal of pool escape. You might be thinking that it sounds very easy to not get stuck in a pool, and I would agree with you. That's what makes this movie so fun to watch. Almost every single event in the film is incredibly unlikely on its own, and yet it all just keeps happening. It's so good. Everything falls in the pool. No exceptions. There's one particular animal death (no real animal was harmed) that's so incredibly over the top horrific that it wraps back around from upsetting to hilarious. Also, the way the movie starts to frame itself as a love story feels so wildly out of place in the best way possible. The ending credit sequence is wonderfully tonally inappropriate. The Pool is a super good group watch and I feel like it deserves some popularity. It's a great movie to yell at. Challenges (4/13): Movies Watched: 1. #Alive (2020), 2. Misery (1990), 3. Stay Alive (2006), 4. Blacula (1972), 5. The Wailing (2016), 6. 30 Days of Night (2007), 7. Dead Alive (1992), 8. Diabolique (1955), 9. Viy (1967), 10. Oculus (2013), 11. The People Under the Stairs (1991), 12. Murder Party (2007, 13. Phenomena (1985), 14. The VVitch (2015), 15. The Birds (1963), 16. The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001), 17. As Above So Below (2014), 18. The Wicker Man (1973), 19. The Midnight Meat Train (2008), 20. Creep (2014), 21. Creep 2 (2017), 22. The Boxer's Omen (1983), 23. The Innocents (1961), 24. One Cut of the Dead (2017), 25. Unfriended (2014), 26. Prince of Darkness (1987), 27. The Pool (2018)
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Oct 24, 2020 20:01
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Spatulater bro! posted:Pulse I'd really recommend Cure if you liked Pulse. Same director and just as high quality (I know some people in the horror thread actually prefer it).
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Oct 24, 2020 20:11
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Fran Challenge #12: Ourorboros #65: 2017 Happy Death Day  This movie would have flown completely under my radar if not for the constant universal praise it gets in all the various horror threads. And it lives up to the hype, it s avery good horror comedy. The main actress carries the movie super well, there's a bevy of possible suspects that keeps the mystery engaging, it doesn't drag at any points, it's just a really good movie on every level. Not much more to say Except for one thing. Its got one problem. The very last dialogue points out the similarities to Groundhog Day. On the one hand, I don't like that just because I think it's too meta and self aware and walking to the audience. If it had been brought up like halfway through, whatever, but as the very last thing before the credits I don't think it's a good note to end on. But on the other hand, I also don't like it because Groundhog Day is not the most obvious comparison. Sure, Bill Murray's character repeats the same day, but he doesn't die every time, there's no mystery, he's not murdered, and there's no ticking clock element. All they have in common is the time loop, and there's lots of time loop material. Why not have the character say "You know what your situation reminds me of? Puella Magi Madoka Magica." It's just as good of a comparison. And a more relevant reference for a college student in 2017. It's especially bad because there is a much closer comparison. And I'm sure I'm far from the only one who thought about it during the movie. The mid-2000s Taye Diggs TV show Day Break. It's about a character who repeats the same day on which they are murdered and they can only end the cycle by solving the mystery. Day Break is way more like Happy Death Day than Groundhog Day is. As I said before, I don't like the line. But if they're gonna have it, they should've said Day Break instead of Groundhog Day, and it is a fault in the movie that ends an otherwise very fun horror comedy on a slightly sour note. 65 Movies Watched: Dracula, Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, King Kong, Son of Kong, The Bride of Frankenstein, Werewolf of London, Dracula's Daughter, Son of Frankenstein, The Mummy's Hand, Son of Ingagi 1, The Wolf Man, The Corpse Vanishes, The Ghost of Frankenstein, The Mummy's Tomb, Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man, Son of Dracula, The Mummy's Ghost, The House of Frankenstein, The Mummy's Curse, The House of Dracula, She-Wolf of London, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Godzilla, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla Raids Again, Five Short Films About Bigfoot2, Abbot and Costello Meet The Mummy, Horror of Dracula, Psycho, King Kong vs Godzilla, Blood Feast, Mothra vs Godzilla, The Creeping Terror, Ghidorah The Three-Headed Monster, Orgy of the Dead, Invasion of Astro-Monster, Ghidorah Horror of the Deep, Berserk!, Son of Godzilla, Destroy All Monsters, Dracula Has Risen From The Grave, All Monsters Attack, Taste The Blood of Dracula, Godzilla vs Hedorah, Nosferatu5, Feardotcom3, Godzilla vs Gigan, Dracula AD 1972, Godzilla vs Megalon, Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla, The UFO Incident, Terror of Mechagodzilla, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, King Kong, An American Werewolf in London 6, The Evil Dead*, Into The Lion's Den4, Blood Beach7, Critters, Tyler Perry's Boo! A Madea Halloween13, Critters 2, Critters 310, Happy Death Day12* denotes rewatches Fran Challenges left: 8,9,11
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Oct 24, 2020 20:27
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I mean both of your references are WAY less culturally relevant than Groundhog Day, but isn't the point of the joke that she doesn't get the reference?
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Oct 24, 2020 20:51
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34. Schalcken the Painter, for Fran Challenge #9: TerrorVision  "The temptation of Saint Anthony. Saint Anthony, temptation, devils. You will imagine the devils. Begin." Another of those old BBC ghost stories - this one starts with a narrator telling us he's going to relate the story behind one of Godfried Shalcken's paintings. It's a shame that I couldn't find a higher resolution copy than the one on youtube because it's a very well-lit piece with a setting (primarily a painter's studio) full of interesting stuff and cool costumes. I found it surprisingly engaging but I absolutely would not expect the experience to be universal - you've got to be sold on the biographical excerpt premise for its own sake or it's going to bore you to tears. The climax is 100% going to make a jaded horror thread regular laugh and I'm only half-sure it's not intentional, but given the tone of the fawning by old Brits on IMDB I think it must have actually spooked some people when it aired. Recommended, but only if you're the sort of person who 1. enjoys dry British humor, 2. likes watching people paint, or possibly 3. are from England and over the age of 60. And I really do love the goofy ending; Cheryl Kennedy just goes for it while one of Jeremy Clyde or director Leslie Megahey has no loving idea what to do with Schalcken and the effect is marvelous.
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Oct 24, 2020 20:51
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graventy posted:I mean both of your references are WAY less culturally relevant than Groundhog Day, but isn't the point of the joke that she doesn't get the reference?
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Oct 24, 2020 20:58
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38. Werewolf of London (1935, Peacock) 40. The Wolf Man (1941, Peacock) I watched the next one between these, but they're so similar that they pretty much need to be discussed side by side. I'd never even heard of the first before. Both follow the same basic plot that everyone knows. Werewolf is a little bit sci fi (both our protagonist and antagonist are botanists, and the mariphasa plant's ability to prevent the transformation is critical to the plot), while Wolf Man is pure fantasy, chock full of fortune tellers and pentagrams. I liked Werewolf a bit more - while he also fails, Glendon is much more aggressive about trying to stop the transformation than Talbot, and he has a foil in Yogami, but they're both 5/5s. 39. She Wolf of London (1946, Youtube) One of the two Universal Monster movies (the other being The Invisible Agent) not to be on Peacock, this one is apparently vilified for being a freaking werewolf movie that ain't got no freaking werewolves in it. But everybody loves Cat People, so... In fact, it seems they don't even count this even though both of the non-horror Invisible films are in there. However, it hits all the right notes getting there and is beautifully shot. Sort of a combination of earlier, expressionist camerawork with a more evolved screen-acting. 4.5/5 Reminder to myself to start the next post with 41.
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Oct 24, 2020 21:06
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I am tired of this Day Break erasure, and it won't end until people stop using Groundhog Day as the only reference for time loop story lines.
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Oct 24, 2020 21:20
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A movie where Tre understands what she's going through because it turns out she's secretly a big fan of a japanese anime or some random Tay Diggs show from when she was in grade school feels like a very different film. Although it does make me think you kinda should watch the sequel.
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Oct 24, 2020 21:28
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Debbie Does Dagon posted:
I think it's very obvious that you're seeing sex and the women in the film through the warped lens of a wife killer who views both as things to possess and control. I don't think we're supposed to be sympathetic or even empathetic to how Pete feels about sex work and his girl's association with other men, but rather we're left to stew in his perspective because that perspective is what motivates his actions. Lurdiak fucked around with this message at 21:41 on Oct 24, 2020 |
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Oct 24, 2020 21:39
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Leatherface (2017) aka Leatherface Begins The origin of everyone's favorite massacre causin', chainsaw weldin', Texan is an awesome idea. Unfortunately, not only does this film drop the ball, it picks up the ball, drops it again, and then kicks it over the fence. This is just one bad film, that seems only to exist for the "shocking" twist. Plot: Young Jed Sawyer, after watching his family kill a couple of people, is taken from the family and put into an institution. Fast forward ten years, and Jed (who's been renamed by the hospital staff) escapes with a couple of other patients, and takes one of the nurses from the hospital. They're pursed by Sheriff Stephen Dorff, who, when not chewing the scenery left and right, is after them for revenge since Jed's brothers Drayton and Nubbins killed his daughter. The gang's made of Ike the psycho, the pyromanic Clarice, the somewhat rational member Jackson, the hulking, nearly silent, brute Bud, and the nurse Elizabeth. While on the run, they shoot up a diner, get chased down by Dorff, some of them die, until there's only two left. Then TWIST! The movie wants you to think Bud is the future Leatherface, but it's actually the Jackson, who takes a bullet to the face, disfiguring him It's all really stupid. Lili Taylor tried to give it her all as Verna Sawyer, but she's wasted in this film. One out of Five Chainsaws. Watched on DVD 1. Deep Rising 2. The Night Stalker 3. The Car 4. Land of the Dead 5. Bug 6. The Addams Family (2020) 7. The Gorgon 8. The Initiation 9. Sweet Sixteen 10. The Addams Family (1990) 11. Addams Family Values 12. Hubie Halloween 13. Trucks 14. Eaten Alive 15. Bigfoot (1970) 16. Night of the Lepus 17. Tremors 18. Army of Darkness (Theatrical Version) 19. Leatherface
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Oct 24, 2020 21:40
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Trying to catch up on my reviews… 21. Halloween 4 (1988) This one has some pretty good moments, but it kicks off that unfortunate run of Halloween movies centered around little kids. I don’t dislike kid-centric horror as a general thing, but they’re a hard sell for me when it comes to slashers. Jamie Lloyd is a pretty solid example of why. I was a teenager the first time I saw this one, and I remember getting a little bored because I never believed Jamie was in any real danger. She shows about as much agency as a kid that age can, but the movie spends too much time having her run around and scream for her foster sister. Rachel was fine, and I didn’t even mind her teen drama subplot. My guess is that the ending worked well as a standalone shock back when the movie first came out, but that part feels blunted by the way the series immediately backpedals from that last shot (and its implications).  22. Halloween 5 (1989) This is more of the same, except this time Jamie runs around screaming for her foster sister’s best friend. Tina is a slightly more interesting viewpoint character to me than Rachel was; it’s always fun to see the horror spotlight shift to someone who isn’t as much of a stereotypical good girl. Unfortunately all the teenage nonsense is badly paced enough to make this drag despite its fairly short length. Jamie’s psychic connection to Michael is not my favorite thing, but I guess it does give her something to do. So it’s less mystifying than the decision to saddle us with another young child for Jamie to wander around with. The ending is random and unsatisfying, and it’s a pretty good example of why filmmakers should focus on the movie they’re actually making instead of franchise set-ups. 1. Trick ‘r Treat (2007) 2. Threads(1984) 3. The Changeling (1980) 4. Theatre of Blood (1973) 5. The Devil’s Rain (1975) 6. House of the Devil (2009) 7. One Dark Night (1983) 8. Strange Behavior (1981) 9. Challenge #1: Black Box (2020) 9.5. Challenge #2: short films 10. Les Diaboliques (1955) 11. Leviathan (1989) 12. Madman (1981) 13. Biozombie (1998) 14. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) 15. Vampires (1998) 16. Scarecrows (1988) 17. The Rift(1989) 18. Witchboard (1986) 19. The Relic (1997) 20. Challenge #11:The Doll(2016)
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Oct 24, 2020 21:45
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Lurdiak posted:I think it's very obvious that you're seeing sex and the women in the film through the warped lens of a wife killer who views both as things to possess and control. I don't think we're supposed to be sympathetic or even empathetic to how Pete feels about sex work and his girl's association with other men, but rather we're left to stew in his perspective because that perspective is what motivates his actions. yeah I was going to say the OP was a weird interpretation. I don't think there's anything "tittilating" about that scene at all. It's pretty menacing. It's about what Pete's character feels. 99% of what I've seen DDD review in films is just sex/sex culture (which isnt a critique, I review movies based on how gory they are because I like gore), and that analysis is really gonna go wonky when applied to Lynch.
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Oct 24, 2020 21:51
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Debbie Does Dagon posted:I'm sorry you didn't get more out of it. I've really been trying to give good recs, but I think I was a little overexcited to recommend Images. I have fond fresh memories of it. I think I came off as more negative than I meant to. I liked it and I'm glad I watched it, and I think I'll probably watch it again at some point. Glad you recommended it, because don't know when I would have gotten around to it otherwise.
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Oct 24, 2020 21:59
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Fran Challenge #5: Silent Scream 13. A Page of Madness (1926) - Watched on Youtube  This film does some interesting things - the use of hyper-montage, painted sets, and stark lighting create a very ethereal atmosphere that was definitely ahead of its time. Because the filmmakers were trying to deliberately move away from naturalism, you get a lot of striking imagery and exaggerated expression of emotion, which makes it relatively easy to follow along for the first half of the movie or so. The problems start to arise toward the end of the film, and the ending in particular is completely inscrutable without either reading a synopsis before watching or being incredibly familiar with Japanese social customs, which is pretty unfortunate since it's kind of a lynchpin scene for the entire film. There's also the fact that this film is technically incomplete - it was meant to be accompanied by both live music and a benshi who provided some limited narration and commentary in place of traditional silent film cards. But the interesting thing is that there was no script for that narration that was actually "lost" in an absolute sense - the benshi's role is highly interpretive and improvisational, which is part of how their talent is judged, and they are essentially acting as both a narrator and a critic of sorts. I think a particularly ambitious theater group could actually do a live restoration of this film as it was originally intended to be presented. As it stands, this is an interesting artifact, but a hard movie to recommend as a blind watch. Also, random fun fact - Eiko Minami, who plays the dancing woman, is still alive at the spritely age of 110. 3 / 5 --- Fran Challenge #6: Tomb of the Blind Spots14. Psycho (1960) - Watched on Vimeo  I had probably absorbed about 50% of this movie through pure cultural osmosis before I sat down to watch it, which is part of the reason I'd never really bothered. I also, by some strange coincidence, managed to see the Gus Van Sant remake of it when I was in high school, and learning that it was almost exactly a shot-for-shot remake further dulled my interest in checking out the original. That was pretty dumb! This was excellent, and somehow tense even though I knew exactly what was coming at every turn, which I mostly credit to Anthony Perkins' genuinely incredible performance. He just glides between slightly charming, socially inept, and simmering with unresolved anger so easily that you can't help but be mesmerized by every scene he's in. I also didn't appreciate a lot of what the film was doing when I saw the remake as a kid - the shower scene functioning as a sort of baptism, the weirdly alienating / disorienting (and thematically appropriate) effect of the "lead" being killed halfway through, etc. It's also such a gorgeous movie - something about the grading and the alternating use of low and high-key lighting just makes it really stand out. This also prompted me to reconsider what Van Sant was even doing with his remake, which on the surface now seems like possibly the most unnecessary movie ever made. Was it an attempt to comment on the nature of mimesis and imitation? A failure of artistic vision by an inconsistent filmmaker? It's genuinely hard to say. But I'm glad I finally gave the original a shot. 4.5 / 5 --- 15. Lake Mungo (2008) - Watched on Amazon Prime  This was really neat and a testament to how small an obstacle limited technology can be for horror films as long as you've got a solid idea underneath. I wasn't expecting this to be so blatantly inspired by Twin Peaks, but I'm not complaining. The combination documentary / found footage approach worked really well, and documentary horror feels like a fairly unexplored subgenre in general. I think what sets this apart from a lot of similar films is how restrained it is - the early fakeout with the doctored footage is a clever way to get viewers to lower their guard, especially when it comes back into play later, and it's enough of a slow burn that the truly creepy stuff really just blindsides you when it comes. I like that it turns the central horror into a more existential thing instead of taking the more typical route, too. 4/5 Total Watched: 15 - Ganja & Hess | L'Inferno | Mandy | A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night | Phantasm: Remastered | Tigers Are Not Afraid | Videodrome | The Ninth Configuration | The Changeling | Knife + Heart | Train to Busan | The Lure | A Page of Madness | Psycho | Lake Mungo Fran Challenges Complete: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Decades Covered: 1910s, 1920s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 2000s, 2010s Countries Visited: United States, Italy, Iran, Mexico, Canada, France, South Korea, Poland, Japan, Australia Grizzled Patriarch fucked around with this message at 22:29 on Oct 24, 2020 |
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Oct 24, 2020 22:09
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Texas Chainsaw Seeing as this was co-written by Adam Marcus, who wrote/directed Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, it doesn't surprise me that this film starts off with a decent idea, then completely goes off the rails. Set as a direct sequel to the original 1974* TCM, the film starts off with a Sheriff arriving at the Sawyer family house immediately after the events of the first one, where a bunch of Sawyers, including Drayton, Grandpa, and Leatherface, are holed up. The Sheriff manages to convince them to turn over Leatherface, when a mob turns up, opens fire on the house, and sets it ablaze. The Sawyers are wiped out, save for an infant girl, who is taken in by a couple in the mob, and is named Heather. (I liked the idea of the Leatherface going into custody, and would have liked to have seen that idea expanded upon. But alas ...) Years later, a grown up Heather (played by a then 26 year old* Alexandra Daddario) receives a letter informing her that a grandmother she didn't know she had, Verna Sawyer-Carson, died and left Heather her mansion and everything within. Which includes a basement dwelling Leatherface, who managed to escape the assault on his family's home and find his way to the only relative he had left alive. Heather and her friends arrive, Leatherface escapes, kills a bunch of them, Heather learns the truth about her heritage, Leatherface and her accept one another, they get revenge on the people who murdered their family. Look, this is not a good film. Not by any means. But it is entertaining. It moves along a quick pace, and never drags. But it's also dumb. Really dumb. It wants to make Leatherface into the hero by having him kill people the movie wants the audience to hate. (There's only one person Leatherface kills in this film who could be considered "Innocent"). But despite several flaws, I liked this movie, even more than the 2003 remake. Three out of Five Chainsaws Watched on DVD *Okay, so this film is supposed to by a direct sequel to the original, which took place/was filmed in 1973/1974, and there's no indiction that they've changed that for this film. Daddario was 26 when this film was made, and since they never tell us how old her character is, one can infer then that her character is 26 as well. Which means that this must take place around 1999/2000. Yet at one point a cop is going through the Carson place, face timing with another character on a smart phone, which I pretty sure wasn't invented until at least a few years later. 1. Deep Rising 2. The Night Stalker 3. The Car 4. Land of the Dead 5. Bug 6. The Addams Family (2020) 7. The Gorgon 8. The Initiation 9. Sweet Sixteen 10. The Addams Family (1990) 11. Addams Family Values 12. Hubie Halloween 13. Trucks 14. Eaten Alive 15. Bigfoot (1970) 16. Night of the Lepus 17. Tremors 18. Army of Darkness (Theatrical Version) 19. Leatherface 20. Texas Chainsaw Davros1 fucked around with this message at 22:22 on Oct 24, 2020 |
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Oct 24, 2020 22:17
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23) FRAN CHALLENGE #12: Ouroboros - Häxan (1922) YouTube - First Watch I had never even heard of this film before I saw people here watching it for the silent scream challenge, but it definitely seemed like something I would be into. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a 'proper' way to stream it in the UK, and the Blu-Ray is US-only - but I was able to find a good quality version of it on YouTube. One of the benefits of it being in the public domain. I don't know exactly what I was expecting, but I definitely wasn't expecting it to have the feel of a modern documentary and I definitely wasn't expecting it to be so empathetic to the side of the witches, and to cast organised religion into such a bad light. The film looks amazing. There's so much amazing imagery of witchcraft and devilry that modern filmmakers would be a bit too embarrassed to put on screen so literally these days at risk of looking corny, but Häxan pulls it off beautifully. The final chapter - where the film then relates all the traits of witchacraft it has demonstrated to their equivalents in then modern 1920's society is the real lynchpin that makes this film something special. To not only call out the sexist attitudes of witch hunting and witch trials is one thing, but to not only relate it to 'modern' equivalents and then highlight that even modern society is still rife with the same kind of sexism and needs improvement is an amazing thing to see in a film that's nearly 100 years old. The biggest irony of this final section is that it relates many of the traits of witchcraft to the then more medical term of "hysteria" as a way of showing how then-modern society treats these things better. Of course, we now treat the term "hysteria" as also being a regressive sexist way to dismiss the legitimate problems of women, exactly as witchcraft was. I don't think this hurts the film, rather it does help strengthen it's final message that these forms of systemic sexism were still rife in the 1920's (as they still are in the 2020's!). Very happy I watched this one. I really hope either Criterion or Masters of Cinema are able to give it a good release over here one day. Slut. 4.5/5 24) Hereditary (2018) Blu-ray - Rewatch This is the second time I've watched Hereditary now. I remember the first time I watched it, in the cinema, it was really effective. The entire scene with Charlie's death and the discovery of her body is probably the most shocked I've been watching a film. It's a brutal sequence of events, made up entirely of things you are not seeing, and the actors' performances. This film then tries to go from that level of tension and drama to a group of naked cultists welcoming the arrival of a Demon King from Hell and... it works? Why does it work? Toni Collette. She takes her character through the various emotions needed to make the genre shifts work, and she gives a hell of a performance. What I like about Ari Aster's direction here is that he knows when to play something subtle, and when to shock you. He can build tension by having something creepy happening in the background, not called out by music or sound effects, so that it's already been on screen for several seconds before you notice it. At the same time he also knows when to suddenly cut to the rotting decapitated head of a main character for maximum impact. It's not quite as shocking to me watching it the second time, but it's still a hell of a ride. 4/5
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Oct 24, 2020 22:18
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Davros1 posted:Texas Chainsaw This and the next in the series (Leatherface) become much better movies if you disconnect them from the TCM universe and just take them as their own independant movies imo
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Oct 24, 2020 22:19
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| # ? Apr 23, 2024 15:05 |
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Fran Challenge #10 - Run This poo poo Into the Ground - Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II The "II" on the end of that title seems so out of place. This is the fifth film in the Heisei era series, the sixth film in the continuity since the 1954 always counts no matter how many times they reboot the franchise, and the twentieth Godzilla film over all. Yeah, I think this poo poo has been run into the ground.  Japan has responded to the threat of Godzilla the only way they know how: by building a giant bipedal robot to fight it. Meanwhile, some scientists find an giant egg on a remote island where Rodan lives and decide to bring it back to Japan to try to hatch it because that's definitely a great idea in a world where giant monsters who hatch from giant eggs attack Japan regularly. The egg hatches into a plant eating Godzooki and then Godzilla comes to town to get his kid. You know, I honestly didn't know Godzilla was a cuckoo. The baby Godzilla in this movie makes Godzilla's origin given in vs. King Ghidorah make no sense, but given how terrible that origin was I don't have any complaints. I can't say I care for the series finally taking the step I was worried about and moving toward having a Godzilla who is friend to all children. The last few of these movies I've had to watch the English dub in a pan and scan format from the disk I had (it was listed as widescreen but only the millennium film in the case was widescreen). Now I've got proper transfers and original Japanese language. And of course this movie has a ton of English dialog where virtually everyone learned their lines phonetically. As for the film itself, this was a real step down from Mothra. I feel like Mechagodzilla doesn't have a lot of personality and Rodan doesn't do much except fly past landmarks. The UN deciding to do warcrimes on Godzilla sure was something. But baby Godzillas are really bad in every movie they show up. I know that Godzilla baby shows up in the next couple of movies and I hope it's at least a proper giant monster next time. At least the psychics finally justified their continued existence in the movie series. Maybe the worst thing is that the giant monster action felt extra static after the sprawling, dynamic fights in Mothra. It was like there was one camera set up and they weren't going to vary from it. These movies live or die on those action scenes and this time they were a let down. Perhaps the worst thing is that Mechagodzilla's flying tackle was not tail propelled. BTW, I'm still looking for a recommendation for challenge #12...
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Oct 24, 2020 22:21
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