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Hot Dog Day #89 posted:
I tried to watch this the other day. I went in knowing I probably didn't have the attention span to finish it, I stopped after the murder. Just really failed to make me care about anybody involved. I doubt I'd have given it glowing reviews of I stuck around either. Some decent makeup and really cool sets though. That eye in the ride wall was cool.
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Oct 16, 2023 00:18
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18. Night of the Creeps (1986) Thrilled me.  And hey, that’s Dick Miller, playing a cop named Walt Paisley!
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Oct 16, 2023 00:32
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 19) Frankenhooker (1990) Where'd you get this arm? This ain't your arm! This is one of my bitch's arms! Ha ha, what the hell, man? I think this might be a masterpiece.
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Oct 16, 2023 01:00
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43. The New Mutants (2020) Don't kill me for this one. I'm devastated to report that I'm going to have to become a The New Mutants apologist. Maybe it's because I came into this movie with rock bottom expectations. Maybe it's because I'm completely and utterly checked out of anything Marvel and have been outside of GOTG3 since Endgame so I didn't feel any kind of fatigue, and it's actually extremely easy to ignore that it's connected to Marvel at all. Maybe my love of horror, even weaker teen horror, overrode any disinterest towards watching something tangentially Marvel-related. Whatever it was, something compelled me to seek this movie out and watch it properly after seeing a scene (the scene where Rahne talks Dani out of suicide) on hotel cable that intrigued me, and I came out of it...liking it! A lot! I'm baffled! It has such bad reviews all around! But the thought that kept crossing my mind was that if this movie had absolutely zero Marvel connections and was released in the 90s it would be considered a cult classic. It's not a perfect movie, but give it an alt-rock needle drop or two and a longer opening description of how there are kids with paranormal superpowers being kept in a testing facility and you have a perfectly watchable "exceptional misfits fighting against the system" horror that would have fit right in. Like, what really separates this from The Faculty, for example? The horror scenes are genuinely disturbing, the faceless monsters are creepy, the zombie priest manifestation is freaky, and the chemistry between the kids is fun enough and surprisingly charming, even if that one kid has a Southern accent that waxes and wanes. It definitely moves too fast in the opening until the aforementioned attempted suicide and I think the script is flimsy in building up the dynamic between the group as a whole but the tension and unease and coldness of this hospital with a dark secret they're forced to stay in is very well-handled and there's a lot of warmth and empathy buried in there in surprising places. My mouth dropped open when Dani and Rahne shared a kiss because the entire movie I just assumed that the tender scenes they were sharing were unintentional bait or Gal Pal™ stuff. But no, they just had multiple adorable scenes together and Rahne is the one that helped Dani save herself and everyone else. I've seen no one talk about this at all, not even in passing! It was just one of many surprises, along with the horror and blood and twists, that the movie had to offer. If I didn't like Rahne so much I don't think this movie would have worked for me, but I did, so it did, dammit. They didn't even do something I felt would have been predictable and kill one of the kids for "stakes". I could knock the finale for going full CGI laser fight, like most Marvel productions, but at least the big thing the kids fought was foreshadowed and made symbolic sense as something that was considered in the story. Anya Taylor-Joy was really fun with a big sword, too. I'm almost mad that I liked this movie as much as I did. It's nowhere near the worst movie I've seen this week, let alone this month. I wish we lived in a world where more people were allowed to be risky with IP again, but at least horror remains the genre that is still allowed to be whatever it wants to be. Rating: 3.5 Episodes Of Buffy Out Of 5
Erin M. Fiasco fucked around with this message at 01:27 on Oct 16, 2023 |
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Oct 16, 2023 01:23
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 The Haunted Castle/Schloß Vogelöd, 1921 One issue in this marathon is that as I try to know as little about the movies before I watch them, I end up seeing some stuff that's only sort of horror related than straight up horror. With a title like The Haunted Castle, I was stoked for some ghost action. Turns out there are no ghosts and the hauntings are more about guilt and intrigue around a murder. I love anything with old mansions and stuff like that, so it was kind of disappointing there was hardly any horror at all. Bunch of rich people hang out in an old chateau to hunt, a count that is rumored to have murdered his own brother invites himself to the hunting party. Also the widow of the dead brother is there, as well as a priest that disappears one night. Everyone thinks it is the count that's behind the mysterious disappearance. There is one legit great horror scene when one of the guests has a nightmare about a big monstrous hand grabbing him from a window, but it is just a dream, so it doesn't really count. It is not a bad movie, I just expected more from the man that made such horror classics like Faust and Nosferatu.
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Oct 16, 2023 01:58
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44. The Void (2016) THE PSYCHO GOREMAN GUYS: Hey, do you wanna see some gross poo poo?? ME: Boy, do I!!!! Amazing effects. Incredible last act with a great-looking monster. Completely disgusting. Tense as hell until the astounding finale. What a good time! Would absolutely love to see this on a giant outdoor screen around some campfires with a bunch of people who didn't know what was coming. And people wonder why pregnancy unnerves me... Rating: 4 Triangles Out Of 5
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Oct 16, 2023 02:06
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Erin M. Fiasco posted:43. The New Mutants (2020) There are dozens of us!
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Oct 16, 2023 02:33
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 #12: Curse of the Werewolf It's fine This movie goes on for so long without any werewolf poo poo in it, 20 minutes in I was convinced it was going to be another lying title and the titular "werewolf" was actually going to be a Castle Freak scenario. But then five minutes after that, all the characters we'd met so far are loving dead. And then the rest of the movie is pretty blatantly Hammer's remake of The Wolfman. The main difference being that the werewolf lore is different, in this one sometimes a demon tries to possess people, and if you've got a strong soul you can fight it off but if you've got a weak soul it will fight back and take over at the full moon. And the strength of your soul is apparently based on the circumstances of your birth, so that entire first act is just setting up that the circumstances of this kid's conception was hosed up. Honestly the first act was my favorite part, it had a real fairy tale thing going on, if the story had just continued on in that vein I probably would've enjoyed it more. As it is, the Wolfman remake is fine. They try to replicated the iconic transformation shot with the guy's hands, but the hands are obviously fake so it looks bad and isn't even technically impressive either. IIRC Curse of the Werewolf is kinda important in werewolf movie history, it was the first big werewolf movie after the end of the Universal cycle and brought werewolfs back into culture a bit. Which is neat. But I wasn't super blown away by the movie. It's fine. ----------------
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Oct 16, 2023 02:43
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15/31 Phantom of the Paradise Parody/satire/horror/comedy/rock opera. Enjoyable enough. Maybe it just has too many parts to really excel in any one of them. I found the tone to be neither light nor dark enough; some of the comedy is too silly, even for parody. The only thing that really rings true is its damning condemnation of the music/entertainment industry. 5.81/10
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Oct 16, 2023 02:47
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Erin M. Fiasco posted:44. The Void (2016) you know how when you take a bunch of pictures with a group the person with the camera is like “now let’s do a silly one”? I love that Astron-6 was like “ok now let’s do a serious one” *~*~*~*~*~*~
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Oct 16, 2023 02:54
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20. Ravenous (Criterion Channel) - I was expecting good things since it gets a lot of praise in the horror thread but this didn’t work for me. I thought it was kind of a mess. The tone is all over the place, it’s oddly boring at times, and that soundtrack felt really out of place (and it was mixed loud as hell). 2/5 But hey, it got me the YOU WILL NOT LEAVE THIS HOUSE ALIVE challenge.  By my calculations I can clear five more challenges and not get a bingo
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Oct 16, 2023 02:57
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 #47.) Freaks (1932; Scream Stream; dir. Tod Browning) A slice of life from sideshow folk. The conflict between the intentions of the director and producers is almost literally visible on-screen, with the personhoods of the performers clashing with the advertised spectacle. Much more of a drama than the horror as which it was billed, the broad majority of the run-time is spent examining the interactions, relationships, and dynamics between the circus workers. Engagements, a birth, and a marriage are major events in the community, with the last of those essentially being the driving piece of the story. Being trimmed down significantly from the director's original cut, some characters end up with precious little screen time, but there's enough time spent with the main ones to really click with it when the finale of vengeance arrives. “Women are funny, ain't they?” Rating: 8/10
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Oct 16, 2023 02:58
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 19. Talk to Me A group of kids find a way to talk to the dead. The dead doesn't want to stay dead, however. Very well-done flick, looks great, the acting is great. Good soundtrack. Thumbs up. Creepy as hell. 4/5
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Oct 16, 2023 02:58
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Not vibing with Ravenous is fine but you are NOT allowed to criticize the soundtrack
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Oct 16, 2023 02:58
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Gyro Zeppeli posted:I'm so glad more people are watching Razorback this month, it's probably my favourite new watch for the challenge. That shot of the quarter of the house getting dragged away, TV still on and all, is so perfect. It seemed like a bunch of other people were watching it and it's perfect for that challenge, probably way better than Eight Legged Freaks which was my original plan. Edit: That shot was so great! twernt fucked around with this message at 03:17 on Oct 16, 2023 |
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Oct 16, 2023 03:07
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Mover posted:Not vibing with Ravenous is fine but you are NOT allowed to criticize the soundtrack  18: Deep Rising  History (90s, 5/5) I had this queued up for Dead and Buried so of course we aren't doing that challenge this year. I have wanted to see this movie since it came out, a d I know it's well regarded around here, but somehow I didn't know it was a Stephen Sommers movie until I was about halfway in, but looking back yeah it's real obvious. It's really everything you could want in an R Rated Stephen Sommers movie, great fun.
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Oct 16, 2023 03:16
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October 15 - Return of the Living Dead Part II Brains! BRAINS!  Some kids find a barrel of an army's chemical weapon, let the smoke out, and you won't believe what pops out of the ground! This is such an enormous step down from the original Return of the Living Dead. That movie is all anarchic chaos and gleefully punk. This movie is all suburbia and control, most of it is set in a suburb under construction. There's even a "happy" ending as the zombies have a weakness that can destroy them. There is a lot of standard 80s movie formula piled in here. Not just in the horror stuff, but in the characters and structure. And because it follows the formula so exactly, there aren't a lot of surprises for you. I was disappointed by the make up effects. They looked more Halloween store quality than horrifying or disgusting. The original movie was low budget but this somehow feels lower budget in the spots that matter and higher budget in the places that don't. And yet, I don't hate it. Part of that might because I've seen so many horror movies that just spin their wheels forever, but Return of the Living Dead Part II dives in head first, keeps a fast pace, and piles on the action. While the second half of the movie does have a bit of a problem where they go to new location and new location has been overrun so they go to the next location and repeat, there's always things happening. I don't think you need to see it if you haven't, but I didn't hate watching it. It's kind of the bare minimum of what I want out of a zombie movie, no more but no less.
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Oct 16, 2023 03:20
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12. The Bride of Frankenstein This was a rewatch but it's been at least a decade since I last saw it so I felt like I was overdue. Still a great movie with fantastic performances, cinematography, and editing. Pretorius is an iconic villain and seeing Karloff develop the character of the creature is a lot of fun. Still one of the best sequels ever made.
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Oct 16, 2023 03:57
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23.) My Best Friend's Exorcism (2022, Prime) Best friends Gretchen and Abby are just trying to navigate high school in the eighties and deal with the potential end of their friendship due to upcoming move, but when an evening excursion to a cabin in the woods leaves Gretchen feeling a little projectile-vomity, are they going to have a whole new meaning for Reganomics? i don't care if they're spelled different shut up Did you know that in 80s, all of the classic songs that have stood the test of time were playing on the radio ALL THE TIME? It's true! At least, according to basically every movie ever made. This movie is simultaneously kinda better than it should be, but still falls short of actually being good. The humor almost entirely landed flat for me in every instance, especially watching this so soon after Totally Killer which I felt had a great breezy tone to the whole thing. Where My Best Friend's Exorcism surprised me is that there are some actually pretty good horrific bits here and there, as well as being pretty drat scathing with regards to just how loving awful people can be around rape culture. Nonetheless, character motivations seemed to sorta come and go here, the goofy religious brothers slash aerobics instructors thing did not work for me at all, and it never really hits the heart it wants to go for in several places. I'm torn enough to say that this is a high Two out of Five French Diet Shakes but we don't do halfsies here. 24.) The Visitor (2022, Prime) Maia Eden returns to her hometown with her new husband Robert in tow, warmly greeted by many of the small town regulars who remained behind. But Robert begins to get a strange vibe about the place where his spouse grew up -- and it only gets weirder when he finds a painting of someone that looks exactly like him. And then another one. And another one. Who exactly is the titular Visitor named in all of this art and why does he resemble Robert so closely? "So what if we made Get Out but like, for white people?" is pretty much the entire vibe of this stinker. Like, sure, there's a little folk horror and religious horror and some truly absurd poo poo going on here, and I laughed out loud when someone slammed a door and caused the cross on the wall TO FALL UPSIDE DOWN, but the whole feeling of the wife brought her man to a spooky and unnverving situation where people seem fixated on him gave some serious Peele. Just, you know, not good. Do I rest all of this on the anti-charismatic black hole of entertainment that is Finn Jones? No, just most of it. Please don't make people getting killed by locusts this boring and name your possibly malicious spouse in your religious folk horror loving EDEN. At the very least I guess I can say I didn't see the incest baby coming. One out of Five Suspicious Pastors 25.) The Silent House (La Casa Muda) (2010, Rental) Laura and her father go to fix up the house of a family friend before he puts it on the market. The house is loving haunted, yo. This movie, as I know it at least, is mostly known for its gimmick of being shot in a single take. And for that, it's pretty good! There are some real effective spooky bits and clever editing tricks here, and the haunted house vibes are real good. Unfortunately the plot is complete nonsense and the single take gimmick also affords it some of the same problems bad found footage tends to have, which leaves even the brisk runtime here feeling like it's dragging its feet. I did particularly enjoy that, while being nonsense, the format of the movie does afford the plot some interesting color by way of making Laura an unreliable narrator in the story despite the entire thing being filmed with a verisimillitude that would normally train you to expect what you see to be the "truth" of what the story is showing you but it doesn't really make the actual meat and potatoes of it more clear. Still, well done gimmick and good spooks makes me feel generous! Won't bother tracking down the remake, though. Three out of Five Polaroid Flashes. 26.) Dark Harvest (2023, Rental) Every October, the boys must run. The creature is unleashed, and it's the boys' task to kill it before it can reach the church at the stroke of midnight. Destroying the creature, even at the cost of the lives of the boys who hunt it, will ensure prosperity for the town and the crops and an elevation of lifestyle for the boy who strikes the killing blow. But winning the run is only buying peace for another 364 days, before another run ensues. Dark Harvest is something like The Purge, The Hunger Games, The Warriors, and Pumpkinhead all tossed gently into a blender. David Slade still shoots a real nice lookin' moving picture, and while I think this movie has some pacing problems and is a little too obviously foreshadowing its turns, the atmosphere and some great gnarly kills courtesy of the murderous creature Sawtooth Jack -- looking for all the world like Sam from Trick 'r Treat's older teenaged brother with some impressive firepower to back up his violence -- go a long way. I feel like the period setting in the 60s really works for the small harvest town feel the movie goes for, and the entire thing has a nice magical-reality bent to it with the horror slasher creature being the focus of the town's yearly ritual sacrifice for prosperity. It turns what would normally be the hunter into the hunted, even if there's still plenty of fodder among the would-be killers of the run. The central romance falls fairly flat here, the characters are mostly pretty broad, and the actor playing the sheriff knocks the entire movie down a rating for me purely on how obnoxious his desire to be Michael Shannon is, but I'd still recommend this in a heartbeat to anyone looking for something that feels properly autumnal and violent. Three out of Five Shiny Brand New 1964 Cadillacs. 27.) They/Them (2022, Peacock) Things start off bad enough when Jordan is forced to contend that surprise: the gay conversion summer camp does not have bunking accommodations for gender nonconforming campers and is forced to instead bunk with the boys. But it's more than a little suspicious that the head of Camp Whistler, Owen, is insistent that he's not there to turn anyone straight or change who or how they identify, and won't be shoving god down their throats. This is all just an open conversation, right? Well, an open conversation and a masked killer rampaging across the camp grounds. They/Them is not a particularly good slasher movie, and is relatively broad in its portrayals of queer youth -- but it's the kind of movie that I'd pretty easily recommend. It's no spoiler to say that Kevin Bacon's Owen and the rest of the staff at the literal gay conversion camp are all loving goddamn scum, but seeing just how plainly awful these kinds of people can be is still sometimes important for folks who think that gay marriage made everything Good Forever!! somehow. Anyone who even has a whiff of queer theory isn't going to be all that surprised by the discussions and conversations in this movie, and it's pretty easy to root for the piece of poo poo who outs the trans girl and forces her to stay in the boys' cabin to get slaughtered so there's not really much tension to the kills. But as a teen drama and pushing back against those kinds of assholes, it's pretty satisfying! I'd probably watch it even without the masked killer doing violence, and I found myself really liking Jordan as a protagonist. Three out of Five Impromptu Pink Singalongs Total: 27 Watched: Saw X, The Vigil, Huesera: The Bone Woman, Deadtectives, Shutter, Demon Knight, The Frighteners, VHS 85, Totally Killer, The Nun 2, Deliver Us, Wolfkin, Challenges: 10/13 (Horror Adjacent [Deadtectives], "THAT GUY" [Demon Knight], CineD Poll [The Frighteners]) Bite-Sized [VHS 85] Samhain [Totally Killer], Space Picnic [The Nun 2], Exorcist@30 [Exorcist 3], Trauma [Poltergeist], FVJ SMACKDOWN [Friday the 13th] Animals BIG [Razorback]) History Lesson: 5/5 (1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s)  New to You: 6/6 (Saw X, The Vigil, Huesera: The Bone Woman, Deadtectives, Shutter, Demon Knight)  Around the World: 4/4 (Asia [Shutter] Europe [Wolfkin], Australia [Razorback] South America [The Silent House])  Horror is for Everyone: 3/3 (Female Director/Themes [Huesera: The Bone Woman] POC Director/Themes [Horror Noire] LGBTQties+ [They/Them]) 
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Oct 16, 2023 04:10
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 96) Asylum - 1972 - TubiTV I love the Hammer/Tigon/Amicus anthologies. You never get a genuinely bad bit, it's mostly 'not as strong as the others'. With this one, the wraparound is more integrated with the stories. A young psychiatrist is arriving to his post at an asylum for the incurably insane and part of his interview is to identify who he's replacing on the staff from the inmates as the former asylum head had a breakdown. The first story is the classic cheating spouse murders the other who get revenge on the cheaters from the afterlife. Second involves a tailor's commission going horribly wrong. The third has a woman's friend who's a bad influence turn out to be something more. The fourth centers on a doctor who claims to have given dolls life to do his bidding. Where this one raises the bar is in that the doctor really did pull it off and sends it off to kill when the interview-ee realizes the story was true only to find out the attendant he'd spoken with is the real former asylum head who kills him. Definitely a high recommend from me. I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints.
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Oct 16, 2023 05:08
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6. Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar (2023) This movie rules. Cinematic as hell, and fun to see those lovable metal maniacs after these years. It has a big whale kaiju thingy and other cool occult mayhem, and of course metal. And it's got heart.
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Oct 16, 2023 05:10
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 31. The Mortuary Collection quote:Fun in all the right ways! Clancy Brown channels his inner Angus Scrimm, and the wraparound story actually was productive while getting out of the way when it needed to. ½ / 51. [•Rec] 2. Attack the Block 3. The Wolf House 4. Bird with the Crystal Plumage 5. Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein 6. Perfect Blue 7. Juju Stories 8. The Invisible Man 9. Tetsuo: The Iron Man 10. Ringu 11. Pearl 12. Exorcist III 13. A Bucket of Blood 14. Labirynth 15. Slotherhouse 16. Stoker 17. Lords of Salem 18. MAY 19. Wild Things 20. The Lost Boys 21. Possessor 22. I Saw The Devil 23. Retribution 24. Clearcut 25. Don't Torture a Duckling 26. Carnival of Souls 27. Possession 28. Tigers Are Not Afraid 29. Gamera 2: Attack of Legion 30. Noroi: The Curse 31. The Mortuary Collection And that's 31 horror movies in the Month of October, with all challenges completed! Now I'm just gonna watch stuff for fun and not worry about it so much.
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Oct 16, 2023 05:12
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14. Evil Dead II (Sam Raimi, 1987) The first 30 minutes of this movie is basically a Tom and Jerry skit, and I am not complaining for a single second. The one thing I didn't absorb through cultural osmosis was how much this properly situated itself for the third part of the trilogy. It's nice to have some surprises left!
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Oct 16, 2023 05:14
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10. FREDDY VS. JASON (2003) – first viewing in over 15 years; unfortunately, the nostalgia of my high school days couldn’t save this, in fact it reminded me of the worst of 2000s American culture and what it did to my adolescent male brain. Well, here are the things I liked: - The setup. An intense opening monologue by Freddy explains his intent to resurrect Jason and send him off to Elm Street to restore fear – this is a simple, plausible way to get these two to meet up. I wouldn’t change a thing about it. - The ambiguous ending with Freddy winking at the camera is great - The fighting itself has some satisfying moments. And then........ there’s everything else. What largely doesn’t work is that a significant portion of the plot centers on a neighborhood conspiracy to lock teens away in a hospital to cover-up Elm Street’s history. We are meant to be engaged in the teenagers discovering this and rebelling against their parents (who are all enormous pieces of poo poo). But we do not care. Most scenes with the teens are aggravating. SCORE: 5.6 / 10 *** 11. X (2022) – ironically the movie I enjoyed and admire the most this season is one that leaves me at a loss for words. A rare slasher that is highly effective at all levels and leaves the viewer with something to think about. Pretend I wrote a thoughtful paragraph on the dynamic between our obsession with youth/beauty and the degradations of aging. I wonder if the lowest form of movie “criticism”, CinemaSins, would have its way with the sequence of events in the movie. IMO they hold up, unlike most slashers. Sure, the alligator appeared at just the right time in one scene, but that was set up earlier. Sure, the male adult performer was experienced in Vietnam, but that doesn’t make him super smart in all situations! Is X that “elevated horror” people are talking about, or schlock? The answer is yes. SCORE: 7.5 / 10 *** 12. 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE (2016) – the last ten minutes isn’t so much a pay-off as a shift into a completely different movie. The backbone of this movie is the tension between the three leads. It kind of does have that Bad Robot/J.J. Abrahms “feel” that is hard to explain. For instance, you just know that tub of acid isn't going to result in gnarly special effects - this is PG-13! Overall, a satisfying, adequate sci-fi horror thriller for normie-brained audiences. SCORE: 6.9 / 10 *** 13. FROM BEYOND (1986) – a nasty, gooey, gloppy neon pink thrill ride that doesn’t give a gently caress about how hosed up it is. The 80s, man. Slightly inferior to Re-Animator but certainly worthwhile. My immediate question was why the Doctor was a sleazy looking Italian in a bath robe – well… it didn't take much longer for my question to be answered. SCORE: 7.0 / 10
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Oct 16, 2023 05:42
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I am crazy backlogged on reviews. Been a blah week so haven’t been up much for writing but still been watching some. So sorry for the excess. 33 (46). The Ranger (2018) Directed by Jenn Wexler; Written by Giaco Furino and Jenn Wexler Watched on AMC+ A bunch of punk assholes encounter a psycho quasi cop rear end in a top hat and an 80s slasher happens. Its not bad. It captures its aesthetics although I think while trying to merge the 80s punk thing and the 80s slasher in the woods thing is an interesting idea I’m not sure either is able to really shine in the process. And the basic premise of the punks being shits who do thinks like spray paint trees and start forest fires serving as a very loose justification for our psycho killer doesn’t really work very well as a concept and kind of feels like it falls apart a bit with the last act reveals and weirdness. The last act is the most engaging part of the film and it ends strongly, but it also feels like it kind of undermines the previous stuff and ideas in the film. Be they the concept of family you are born with or family you find, or anti establishment punk attitude vs traditional respect for nature and rules, or whatever. I find it hard to really zero in on an idea here as it feels like the film has a bunch of them but none of them really ever get fully developed and end up taking a back seat to the ultimate reveal and stuff in the final act. But that isn’t to say that this is bad or anything. Its a very good directorial debut for Jenn Wexler who had been involved in a lot of movies coming out of the Larry Fessenden/Glass Eye/NYC indie horror film crew that helped produce Ti West and others. Is Wexler the next big name? I dunno. But I’m curious to see her latest film after this one and see what she’s got. This is also my second film this week with another Glass Eye Pix regular Chloë Levine and while she didn’t have a ton to do in Depraved she is the lead here and does a great job. Both are now on my radar. I probably would have gotten more out of this if I was into slashers. Or punk stuff. Or the 80s. Its all a lot of elements that are big with some people but not me. So maybe it all clicks better if you are into that stuff and Wexler’s amalgamation of them. But still, I enjoyed it well enough and at 77 minutes it hardly has the time to linger or get stagnant. And as I said, for as much I’m not sure all the parts blend together properly I do think they all kind of work on their own and even as an amalgamation. Punk kids in the woods is a funny and interesting concept even if there isn’t a deranged killer after them. And the final act is a strong finish that I think really raised my opinion for it. Always good to end strong. And always good to want to see more and I do want to see more from the parties involved here.  - (47). [REC] (2007) Directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza; Written by Paco Plaza, Luis A. Berdejo, and Jaume Balagueró Watched on Amazon Prime A favorite of mine. One of the best found footage by common sentiment. Probably one of my first real ventures into foreign horror and what they were doing outside America. It came along in that time when the internet was making it easier to get access to those films and my maturity had improved enough to get over some basic cultural gaps or subtitles. Of course I remember watching a copy of this I downloaded off Kazaa instead of just pulling it up on Amazon Prime. So we sure have come a long way for as much as the streaming era still has its issues and problems. But whatever. Still holds up and I think it does everything. Time its just a well paced fun use of the found footage format for the zombie genre that can often feel derivative but here feels pretty fresh even without the last scene twist. I love the apartment setting and I’ve said many times there should be more horror films set in apartments and urban settings. Its one of those symptoms of the lack of diversity in horror. And this film uses the apartment as a labyrinth and large setting that still feels claustrophobic so well. So much action just from running up and down flights of stairs and so much tension just from who might be behind a door or around a narrow hallway. And man do you not want to deal with zombies in a narrow hallway. And the basic setup of the film with the TV crew doing a puff piece on firefighters is very well done and established. I’m not someone who gets bothered by “why are they filming this?” but it does feel more established here at least for those who do get bothered. Although that camera man still probably could have helped more. C’mon, Pablo. So yeah a super fun watch I popped on when I was feeling real bad. And I’m looking forward to finally continuing through with this franchise. I think Paco Plaza and Jaume Balaquero are some of the most underrated horror directors around today. Their stuff kicks rear end and yet I guess there’s just not really a natural pipeline or fanbase for Spanish horror? I dunno. But two of my favorite active horror directors for sure and this is where it all started for me. Basebf555 posted:
 34 (48). Chiller (1985) Directed by Wes Craven, Written by J.D. Feigelson Watched on Internet Archive A Wes Craven film so outside the bubble that Wikipedia doesn't even have it listed in his filmography. I watched an old VHS recording rip taken off WTOG44 tv and hosted by Dr. Paul Bearer which was a fun and appropriate wrinkle. Its not very good. No real surprise there. Most of that can be chalked up to the TV movie nature of it. It feels low budget and just not that sharply made. I do tend to be able to see some of Wes in his TV movies. He usually inserts some of his oddball sensibility or shades of stuff to come in his career but I just don’t see it here. The premise is kind of interesting. A douchebag gets cryogenically frozen when he’s dying and then gets unfrozen and cured and “resurrected” and now he may not have a soul. Of course he’s a wealthy corporate nepobaby so he could have been a monster all along. Really, there’s no evidence presented that he wasn’t evil before. There’s no one who even really knew him besides his mom and his priest and they’re hardly the most unbiased opinions. Maybe this was always gonna be what happened when you gave this rear end in a top hat the corporate reigns. And put a pretty stepsister in his house. All his evilness and somehow him installing a peep hole in a closet feels borderline comical. I mean he’s a monster but what a lame one. I don’t think this is necessarily terrible or anything, its just not all that exciting. The premise feels potentially interesting but it plays out mostly like your typical tv movie. There’s just not much oomph here and I guess Wes films this one after Nightmare on Elm Street so maybe he was mailing it in? Well I don’t know how exactly this fit into his career for some reason its not even listed on his Wikipedia page. Actually Wes’ Wikipedia entry kind of sucks barely giving detail about the stages and steps of his career. Shame. Anyway this is a footnote on Craven’s career, a footnote deemed not important enough by Wikipedia or its contributors to be included. And really its not worth seeking out for any reason except my own completionist goal of seeing all his films. This is the second to last of his horror films I haven’t seen and there’s only a few other genre films I’m gonna try and fit in before the year ends. Hopefully they’ll be a bit better than this one but if they’re not that won’t be too bad since this was a totally fine if utterly forgettable watch. As long as I pace them out a bit.
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Oct 16, 2023 06:19
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 20. Dawn of the Dead (1978) I've never seen the original. I loved the remake, but never got around to the original. 2 hours long, and it was a doozy! The characters were pretty great, and you felt bad when they died. The idea of having a mall to yourself is awesome, especially late 70s malls. So much nostalgia is going on here. The random gang of raiders was a fun touch. The music was hilariously wrong for everything. This was way more fun than I was expecting it to be. Loved it. 4/5
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Oct 16, 2023 06:32
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Saturday night means Svengoolie night. Which if nothing else was a comfort on a night I was miserable, in pain, and freezing. Pure comfort horror. “Cozy horror”? I dunno. But well worth these rewatches and even helped me finally get some of my decorating completed way too late in the month.  - (47). Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) Directed by Charles Barton; Screenplay by Robert Lees, Frederic I. Rinaldo, and John Grant Watched on Svengoolie/MeTV Its funny how many times I’ve watched this considering I only saw it for the first time a few years ago, Only saw any of the Universal horrors a few years ago but back when I finally did this was really such a perfect sendoff to the classic monsters bringing Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr, and even Vincent Price together. And with the fun and silly comedy of Bud and Lou. That may not be for everyone but its right up my corny dad joke alley. And its a lot of fun set against these classic monsters. I guess Chaney felt like it made a joke of the monsters and was upset and maybe Boris Karloff didn’t take part for the same reason. But I feel like there’s a solid amount of respect in here. We’re not really mocking the monsters, we’re just sticking these two idiots into a Universal horror movie. Maybe the time since then helps me see that perspective since as much as I enjoy the Universals there’s definitely a certain amount they age and come off a little campy by default. I saw a millennial the other day say that the classic films from 80s like Nightmare on Elm Street, Poltergeist, and specifically Hellraiser that these movies have all “evolved into comedies” and I was personally outraged and offended. But it is probably the way of things. Time dooms most things to age in a way that the future generations will dismiss at some level out of hand because of the basic technical or societal steps forward we’ve taken or just because those movies have become more meme than movie for some. And to that end Abbott and Costello having fun and maybe at some level making fun of Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolfman might feel more natural and harmless today than it did back then. I dunno. I still think the jokes is on the guys and not the monsters. But I can grant a very different perspective than Chaney and Karloff. Then again maybe Karloff’s back was just not up to the Monster. But I digress. Its a super fun film that really hit the spot for me. Maybe it kind of drags a little in the middle? I’m not sure that masquerade ball scene serves a ton of purpose, and I’m not sure the subplot with the insurance investigator even registers in my memory. Its weird, like even now I’m barely remembering Joan as a character. I think my mind is just so focused on Bud and Lou and their bits and there’s so much of that early on that when the film tries to insert a deeper plot it almost bounces off. Like just have Lou wander around like a moron. Its worked so far. Then again maybe it was just me feeling bad and a little bit distracted getting decorations up. I dunno. But I still had a good time and think its a great film. Maybe not my best viewing conditions but also kind of the perfect comfort horror for me on a lousy, cold, painful night. STAC Goat posted:I have no idea what I’m doing for that one but I’m just gonna hope Svengoolie and the month makes it happen organically. If not I guess I watch some Abbot and Costello for Halloween. Basebf555 posted:
 - (48). Invaders from Mars (1986) Directed by Tobe Hooper; Screenplay by Dan O'Bannon, Don Jakoby, and Richard Blake (original film); Based on Invaders from Mars 1953 film by John Tucker Battle Watched on Svengoolie/MeTV I saw this one a couple of years ago and it didn’t really resonate with me besides a general appreciation for Tobe Hooper’s versatility as a filmmaker. I think that was my entire takeaway from that viewing. I think it kind of overshadowed the movie itself. It just happened to come at the time of my viewing of Hooper’s filmography that I felt like I got him and I guess that left the movie as an afterthought. I didn’t even much remember it so while I was a little ambivalent on whether I felt like rewatching a movie that didn’t do much for me the first time I also decided to just sit down, phones down, get under a warm blanket, and give it a “fresh view”. And I’m glad I did because I enjoyed it a lot more than I remembered or my first review would suggest. Its a kind of weird borderline goofy piece. Goofy is probably the wrong word. Its not really camp or silly, or at least doesn’t feel so by design. But there’s a broad approach to the story that is maybe intended to emulate the style of those 50s sci fi films that the original came from that definitely comes off kind of camp. Not so much that I was laughing at it but in a way that felt completely at home on Svengoolie and in my mood of the night of looking or something “comfy”. There’s a lot of fun performances. Karen Black’s school nurse makes some really questionable choices when the random kid starts telling her that aliens have invaded. A lot of trust in that kid you probably barely know. It would be borderline creepy if it didn’t turn out that it was actually Black’s kid. But again this kind of plays into the kind of broad vibe to this thing. Or like the way the military is just so casually introduced into the equation. Karen Black and her kid just sort of invite themselves into a general’s office and have a real easy conversation. Really everyone’s getting on this “alien invasion” beat real easy. And the puppet work and effects of the aliens is probably the biggest strength of this thing. Those are just really good aliens. And again, maybe a little campy with age but also just really drat good. And definitely worth the price of admission. So yeah, I dunno. Its probably a bit clumsy and maybe a little shallow. Its not a great film technically speaking. But its doing some really great effects and horror, the cast seem to really get what they’re going for, Hooper does a great job putting this all together, and it does feel in many ways like a throwback or a love letter to those old films that is fun and kind of funny but not mocking or silly. I really enjoyed it and I wasn’t feeling good so that’s a nice feat. So I’m glad I revisited it and made it a full double feature Svengoolie night  - (49). [REC]² (2009) Directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza; Written by Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza, and Manu Díez Watched on Amazon Prime Feeling bad, having a light Svengoolie movie night as comfort, and then not being able to fall asleep for hours I decided to pop the second REC on and see what happens. I’d seen this once before a couple of years ago but it hadn’t really registered very much with me. I think its a fine film. Perfectly good and entertaining but I do think its kind of flawed. I think the big problem is that it partly feels like a bit of a retread or extra footage of the great movie we’ve already saw. I don’t mind sequels of great films at all and in fact I really enjoy horrors that pick up where the last one left off. Nothing gets hurt by that for me and I’m always curious to see the story continue. And the actually continuing stuff really worked for me. I especially just really like the way they meld the zombie tropes with the possession ones. I’m a huge fan of both subgenres but there’s question they can both be derivative. But there’s something very fun and unique feeling about zombies who are really people possessed. I’m not sure how exactly it works mechanically but I like the idea of it. And that’s definitely the best part of the film for me. I think the worst part is probably the middle part of the film with the teenagers. Its not bad or anything, but it feels off the way it breaks away from the narrative and starts telling its own narrative. And if that narrative were especially different or went anywhere I’d be more into it but it really does just kind of feel like filler that you could completely remove without affecting the narrative at all. It just feels like they felt a need to pad the thing out, and maybe were curious to play around the idea of found footage from multiple perspectives. Which is sort of interesting but I dunno. As I said I don’t think its bad or anything, I just think the pacing of the film gets broken up by the awkward chapter breaks and shakily meaningful middle part. But again, I didn’t dislike this at all. At worst its derivative of a film I love. More of the same. More of something you love is still something you love. Maybe you love it less when you have too much of it or when its a little lower in quality. But its still not gonna be something you hate, right? At least not for awhile. So I’m curious to keep going with this because I do enjoy it but there definitely could be diminishing returns with each sequel. On the other hand I really do like the whole possession angle and I’m curious to see where that goes. Basebf555 posted:
STAC Goat fucked around with this message at 08:00 on Oct 16, 2023 |
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Oct 16, 2023 07:47
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15. The People Under the Stairs Poindexter (Brandon Quinton Adams) is a 13-year-old boy living with his family in a shabby apartment, who learns that they're about to be evicted. Leroy (Ving Rhames), a local thief, convinces him to help rob the landlords, who are apparently stashing away a fortune in gold coins. However, the landlords (Everett McGill and Wendy Robie) are an odd pair who keep their daughter Alice (A.J. Langer) under close watch, and their house is a bizarre fortress that's much easier to get into than to escape from. On top of the belligerent couple who are most enthusiastic about disposing of intruders, there are people lurking in the walls and cellars, and Poindexter (called "Fool", apparently after the tarot card and not just as an insult) quickly finds himself over his head. I remember this being promoted quite a bit (Wes Craven had Universal backing him, though it's still a pretty low budget film) and being rather indifferently received, though it's since become a cult favorite. I can see why; this is a very strange movie, as much a twisted dark fable as a traditional horror flick. Craven veers between scenes of horror and dark comedy, including a lot of outright slapstick as "Fool" dodges the Man and Woman (that's what the villains are called in the credits) and tries to fight back. McGill and Robie (both cast based on their work in Twin Peaks) are both superb, playing up the high strung insanity of their characters and being instantly hateable. McGill even dons a gimp suit several times when going after the intruders. There is of course a lot of commentary here about race, class, "family values", and the predations of landlords, and the fairy-tale tone helps keep you from questioning the story too much. The film's climax runs on a bit too long and all the coming and going in the house can get a little hard to follow, but it keeps itself together just from how fully formed its twisted world is. Absolutely worth watching. This counts for Horror Thread Poll Challenge- You Will Not Leave This House Alive. 
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Oct 16, 2023 09:02
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The Haunting (1999) Dir. Jan de Bont  “The Taj Mahal wasn't a palace, it was a tomb. And equally overdone.” Both Stephen King and Stephen Spielberg had their names taken off this thing, and by the third act it’s easy to see why: despite a promising start, it never develops into anything memorable. It over-relies on CG in place of atmosphere, and the writing has the distinct air of something that’s been rewritten several times and/or chopped up in the edit. Liam Neeson, who at this time is in his prime as an A-list actor, could be replaced with a wooden plank. There is however an astonishing amount of wows-per-minute from Owen Wilson. Nightmare on Elm Street II: Freddy’s Revenge (1985) Dir. Jack Sholder  “My dad thinks I'm on drugs. My mom thinks I'm crazy. And, you know, at this point, I don't know if I don't disagree with her.” While the first movie is a classic, I think this is the first really good one. The gay element, while obvious, is one thing. It’s just mainly a good movie because it keeps it menacing and mean-spirited, the practical effects and visual design rival or exceed anything else that came out that decade, and Mark Patton is excellent even besides his blood-curdling scream. Nightmare on Elm Street III: The Dream Warriors (1987) Dir. Chuck Russell  “Can I ask you a question?” “Why certainly.” “Who gives a gently caress what you think?” Slightly sillier than II, but again goes next level on practical effects for the era, and feels like a proper end to the series that the eternal search for More Money would deny us. They go all out here: There’s even a Harryhausen skeleton and a spooky nun. Nightmare on Elm Street IV: The Dream Master (1988) Dir. Renny Harlin  “I don't believe in you.” “I believe in you.” Well, it took four movies for the drill to start hitting bedrock, and this is a distinctly lesser film, especially in the first two-thirds, which feel very PG-13. I would compare this to Child’s Play III in terms of sequels running a little dry and relying on one-liners. The last act redeems it a bit in terms of scale and effects, but we’re beginning to turn Freddy into the protagonist. The Superdeep (2020) Dir. Arseny Syuhin  Aside from some great body horror, there’s not much to recommend here from this Russian film. From what I understand the very bad English dub is the only version that’s available on Shudder. The result is a story that feels incoherent despite how obviously simple it is. It’s also a little too slow. 1. Bats (1999) 3/5 2. The Bogeyman (2023) 3/5 3. Bride of Chucky (1998) 4/5 4. Dark Angel: The Ascent (1994) 3/5 5. Death Line 2/5 (1972) 2/5 6. Demons (1985) 3/5 7. Dog Soldiers (2002) 4/5 8. The Haunting (1999) 1/5 9. The Howling 2: Your Sister Is a Werewolf (1985) 4/5 10. The Lair (2022) 1/5 11. Matriarch (2022) 3/5 12. The Meg 2: The Trench (2023) 4/5 13. Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar (2023) 4/5 14. Nightmare on Elm Street II: Freddy’s Revenge (1985) 5/5 15. Nightmare on Elm Street III: The Dream Warriors (1987) 5/5 16. Nightmare on Elm Street IV: The Dream Master (1988) 3/5 17. Pet Sematary Bloodlines (2023) 1/5 18. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016) 2/5 19. The Power (2021) 2/5 20. Santo and Blue Demon vs. the Monsters (1970) 3/5 21. Slaughterhouse (1987) 3/5 22. The Superdeep (2020) 1/5 23. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) 1/5 24. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3 (1990) 3/5 25. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994) 3/5 26. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) 2/5 27. Willy’s Wonderland (2021) 2/5 Name Change fucked around with this message at 09:32 on Oct 16, 2023 |
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Oct 16, 2023 09:29
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House of Frankenstein (1944) Dr. Niemann (Boris Karloff) escapes prison along with his hunchback assistance Daniel (J. Carrol Naish). They plan to get their hands on Dr. Frankensteins research papers in order to create a new body for Daniel. In their travels, they accidentally revive Dracula (John Carradine) and thaw the Wolfman (Lon Chaney jr.). There's a love triangle between Daniel, the Wolfman and a gypsy girl also. Frankenstein's monster shows up for a while. Man this was a disappointment. I wasn't really sure what I expected but this was basically a series of vignettes where the monsters recreated a scene from a previous better movie. Dracula gets to enthrall a lady and sneak into her room by transforming into a bat, the Wolfman gets to transform, Frankenstein gets to carry someone while chased by people with torches. The production however is as good as other Universal monster movies of the time. The lighting, costumes and settings are all excellent, Karloff, Chaney and Naish all light up the scenes they are in, Carradine is really weak as Dracula though. Watch it if you are a Universal monster movie completionist, otherwise skip it.  FREDDY VS. JASON 20TH ANNIVERSERY CHALLENGE
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Oct 16, 2023 10:14
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#9: The Relic (Peter Hyams, 1997) Big lizard looks good when it's not in 90's cg. Pretty fun mix of sci-fi and SUPERSTITION! A little overlong. 3.5/5 [Big Animal, Decade (90s, 5/5)] #10: Friday The 13th: Part III (Steve Miner, 1982) Really wish the annoying goon got killed earlier. 2.5/5 [Free space?] #11: Rubber's Lover (Shozin Fukui, 1996) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8txBIo53CU Tetsuo's sleazier cousin. 3.5/5 [World (Asia) (3/4)] 
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Oct 16, 2023 10:26
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Mover posted:Not vibing with Ravenous is fine but you are NOT allowed to criticize the soundtrack Quite possibly the most inappropriate soundtrack I've ever heard. Totally destroyed any tension. It felt like this guy was about to show up at any moment: 
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Oct 16, 2023 12:45
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"this movie about cannibalism that has the final fight be a guy with a giant fork fighting a guy with a giant knife isn't taking itself as seriously as I'd expect."
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Oct 16, 2023 13:13
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 23. The Dreaming (1988) This was slow and atmospheric, maybe too much - I found it difficult to keep my attention. Towards the end the imagery gets more chaotic and violent and it is also a good looking movie so I'll have to try watching again when I'm in a more attentive mood, but this time around it was a bit of a snoozer.  31 Challenge: 1. Last Voyage Of The Demeter, 2. The Evil Of Frankenstein, 3. No One Will Save You, 4. The Meg 2: The Trench, 5. Mindwarp, 6. Damien: Omen II, 7. Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, 8. Black Belly Of The Tarantula, 9. Dracula 3000, 10. The Horror Of Frankenstein, 11. V/H/S/85, 12. Totally Killer, 13. 2001 Maniacs, 14. Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell, 15. Resident Evil, 16. Renfield, 17. Petey Wheatstraw, 18. The Fury, 19. Lust Of The Vampire, 20. Dead End Drive In, 21. Dark Harvest, 22. Seven Footprints To Satan, 23. The Dreaming Bonus Challenges: GOAT tape, GOAT house, FvJ20th,
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Oct 16, 2023 13:31
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Baron von Eevl posted:"this movie about cannibalism that has the final fight be a guy with a giant fork fighting a guy with a giant knife isn't taking itself as seriously as I'd expect." Oh come on. It's okay to embrace the schlock, but there's a middle ground between a musique concrète soundscape and dollar store Looney Tunes music. Friday the 13th movies are silly, but they aren't scored by an oompah band.
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Oct 16, 2023 13:48
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Crescent Wrench posted:Friday the 13th movies are silly, but they aren't scored by an oompah band. 
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Oct 16, 2023 13:59
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27. Unfriended: Dark Web (2018) Still feeling the aftereffects of my shots, so needed more junk food movies and I remembered watching the first Unfriended last year and being pleasantly surprised. And this sure was more of the same, basically a feature length creepypasta. I quite like these screenlife movies, and Unfriended in particular is so intentionally silly it kinda papers over the cracks of disbelief, even if it gets pretty convoluted near the end. Nobody putting their hand in a blender again was a letdown, though. "It is game night." 3 out of 5! Watched so far: Saw X, Wishmaster, F13 Part 6, One Cut of the Dead, The Exorcism of God, The Stuff, Razorback, The Curse of Frankenstein, Demon Knight, Freaky, V/H/S, Trick 'r' Treat, Goodnight Mommy. Matriarch, Last House on the Left, Phantasm, Dude Bro Party Massacre III, Exorcist: Believer, No-One Will Save You, VHS/85, Hellraiser, Totally Killer, Beaten to Death, Hellraiser II, Annabelle: Creation, Unfriended: Dark Web Gyro Zeppeli fucked around with this message at 14:49 on Oct 16, 2023 |
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Oct 16, 2023 14:12
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Crescent Wrench posted:Oh come on. It's okay to embrace the schlock, but there's a middle ground between a musique concrète soundscape and dollar store Looney Tunes music. Friday the 13th movies are silly, but they aren't scored by an oompah band. That’s fine, more bass clarinet for me then!
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Oct 16, 2023 14:17
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 97) Cloverfield - 2008 - DVD I remember the first time I saw the trailer for this. I really wasn't paying much attention until the Statue of Liberty's head went flying. Now I was intrigued. The film's essentially found footage of a kaiju stomping around New York City from the perspective of everyone running for their lives. Normally my big gripe with found footage is when everything's hitting the fan, why the hell are they still recording? It makes sense that with something so out of the norm as a real kaiju stomping around, considering our dependence on cell phones, a panic response could be to film everything as a reassuring action to cling to. Overall, this film works. There's believable chaos and reactions as the initial partygoers we follow try to make it to safety. The monster's more than just a lumbering giant smashing buildings as it has parasites dropping in waves off it's bodies actively attacking anyone they can. There are talks about a direct sequel in the works compared to the two other films that are more 'happens in the Cloverfield reality', last word at this time of writing has been in 2021, a script is in the works. I do recommend this one, but caution that some of the shakiness of the filming might cause queasiness and/or migraines to some.  98) Night of the Comet - 1984 - TubiTV This one's part of what I consider the 'Comet films' that were getting released around the time Halley's Comet was going to be visible, most memorable of them was this film and Lifeforce. Story begins with everyone preparing for the incoming comet that hasn't been by in 65 million years. Merchandising is in full swing, viewing parties are everywhere. Regina is stuck at work and can't be at her stepmom's viewing party, and her sister Samantha's stuck at the party until she has a fight with her stepmom and runs off for the night. A group of scientists go to a bunker as a precaution because the last time the comet swung by, there was an extinction event. Well, come morning it turns out the comet did cause the extinction event. Direct exposure, like being outside, turns people to dust. Anyone in somewhere enclosed by steel are fine. Anyone in between begins to desiccate slowly and become violent as their mental facilities degrade. Samantha was safe because she spent the night in a steel tool shed, and Regina spent the night in a steel reinforced projection booth. The girls eventually come across other survivors, including the scientists. However in the case of the scientists, forgot to close the ventilation to the outside on the bunker and they've all started to slowly desiccate. As I've learned during my time of techwork, the smartest people are very capable of the most stupid of mistakes. This one's pretty good. It shifts from lighthearted to darkly serious rather well. Definitely recommend this one.  99) Arachnophobia - 1990 - TubiTV I will never forget how all the horror magazines at the time were hyping this one up all the way until studio marketing called it a 'thrill-omedy'. This era of 'eww horror...but we still want the horror crowd's money' was a pretty sucky time for the genre. Story follows a new doctor moving into a small town to replace the retiring doc who starts having second thoughts about putting away his shingle. At the same time an undiscovered species of Venezuelan spider hitched a ride in the coffin of a photographer who died from the spider bite while on an etymologist's expedition. What follows is a lethal case of invasive species starting to spread. This one's a horror comedy that leans a bit more towards comedy until it remembers it needs to have some horror in it. This just gives it a different tone compared to more balanced horror comedies. Majority of the tension comes from the audience seeing the spiders crawling around while the character's done. It's a decent enough film and something perfectly fine for younger people to watch. I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints.
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Oct 16, 2023 14:27
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29. The Night Eats the World 2018 Directed by Dominique Rocher  BACK OF THE VIDEO STORE CHALLENGE No goofy AI "art" picture for this one because look at that poster. That is a handsome poster. Dead is the norm now. I'm the one who's not normal. This doesn't necessarily do anything new in the lonely survivor trying to maintain his grip on sanity after an apocalypse genre, but it does pretty much everything right. Sam, the survivor, isn't special or even all that interesting. This makes him easy to identify with, provided you are also a relatively boring white dude who just wants his tapes back from his ex girlfriend. The Night Eats the World does have a few really nice little moments. The highlights are the cat's betrayal and Sam's spiteful reaction, the realization of what happened to Sarah, and the interrupted floor cleaning. 👻👻👻👻/5 Personal Challenge 22/22 1. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989); 2. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995); 3. Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998); 4. Halloween: Resurrection (2002); 5. Halloween (2007); 6. Halloween II (2009); 7. Halloween (2018); 8. Halloween Kills (2021); 9. Halloween Ends (2022); 10. A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child (1989); 11. Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991); 12. New Nightmare (1994); 13. A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010); 14. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984); 15. Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985); 16. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986); 17. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988); 18. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989); 19. Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993); 20. Jason X (2001); 21. Freddy vs. Jason (2003); 22. Friday the 13th (2009) Individual Bonus Challenges 11/13 CineD HORROR THREAD POLL CHALLENGE - Halloween (2018) FREDDY VS. JASON 20TH ANNIVERSARY CHALLENGE - Freddy vs. Jason (2003) PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK…..IN SPACE!!! - Jason X (2001) BIRTH OF HORROR - Deadbeat at Dawn (1988) THE EXORCIST 50TH ANNIVERSARY CHALLENGE - Antrum (2018) HORROR ADJACENT - Caltiki, the Immortal Monster (1959) WHEN ANIMALS OF UNUSUAL SIZE ATTACK! - Razorback (1984) BACK OF THE VIDEO STORE CHALLENGE - The Night Eats the World (2018) ROB ZOMBIE 20TH ANNIVERSARY CHALLENGE - Halloween (2007) ”THAT GUY” CHALLENGE FEATURING DICK MILLER AND KEITH DAVID - The Premature Burial (1962) THE SAMHAIN CHALLENGE - Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) Meta Bonus Challenges 2/4 NEW-TO-YOU 6/6 - Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989); Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998); Halloween: Resurrection (2002); Halloween II (2009); Halloween Kills (2021); Halloween Ends (2022) HISTORY LESSON 4/5 - A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child (1989); Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991); Friday the 13th (2009); A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) AROUND THE WORLD 1/4 - Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000) Total 29/31
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Oct 16, 2023 14:39
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