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Goals: 31 movies. Finish off the top 50 of They Shoot Zombie. 10 foreign language movies. 3 movies from 7 different decades.
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Sep 15, 2018 02:50
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Filmstruck Horror. Watch House and be sure to pick Filmstruck + Criterion when you sign up. Gutting the library is not worth saving $4.
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Sep 15, 2018 03:25
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TheKingslayer posted:7. Little Monsters (1989) Jedit posted:2) Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1941)
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Sep 21, 2018 07:29
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#1 The New York Ripper 4/5 Quacks The violence is so visceral and grotesque that the comedy never breaks the tension once it ramps up. The Donald Duck voiced slasher is one of the funniest things I have seen all year. It's absurd and creepy. The unexpected motivation for the killer was a hell of a thing. #2 Pumpkinhead 3/5 Dirt Bikes Lance is great and I love the mountain folk and mythology but the generic rear end in a top hat teens are a huge drag. This deserves a remake into something centered around the spooky mountain and not a slasher cabin. I am very sad the creature is a xenomorph instead of a dude with a pumpkin noggin. #3 The Predator 2/5 Foil Unicorns It's a dumb and very bad movie but not a bad time. It's as if Shane Black did a ton of punch up instead of trying to fix the awful story. The lead sucks and it's not a surprise the morons who signed off on this script would watch Narcos and decide Murphy is the star to bet on. #4 A Simple Favor 4 Martinis Before 5 O'Clock An enjoyable and funny thriller. The film's most interesting character goes missing but the story keeps going without falling apart. It is about 10 minutes and one plot twist more than it needs to be, like every thriller. The only real flaw is that the husband an underwritten dud rather than inscrutable. #5 Hellraiser 4+5 Sequels It's more disturbing than scary but the creatures are incredible and gross. Hardly any of Hell/Cenobite City is shown but the human drama isn't a let down. I like the dark Labyrinth scene even if the monster is very obviously a dude in a costume. #6 The Wicker Man (1973) 3/5 Medicinal Toads Christopher Lee and the eerie townsfolk are fantastic but the mystery loses a lot if you know where it's going. The 70s British atmosphere and folk music really stand out. This would make an amazing double feature with Harold and Maude. #7 Always Shine 2 Best Friends 5ever Davis is good but this does nothing for me. It's an ok character drama with a bunch of weird cuts and music stings to hit some checklist for an unsatisfying thriller. I wish the casting call horror story was developed into something more. The rest of the movie does not live up to the opening. #8 Zombi 2 4/5 Boroughs Overrun By Zombies Holy poo poo the shark fight! The story peaks early but this is better than other voodoo zombie movies. I like the eye stab but there are too many cuts to the wide shot where the prosthetic is obscured. Stick to the close up. The Beyond has the best story but I like every Fulci I've seen. Total: 8/31 They Shoot Zombies: 39/50 Turns out a lot of the Italian stuff is dubbed so I am not getting anywhere close to 10 foreign language films. 3 from 7 different decades: 2010s, 1980s
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Sep 22, 2018 05:23
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#9 The House With A Clock In Its Walls 2/5 Emotionally Significant Magic 8 Balls It's a kids movie. In it's defense it is a very real horror movie and not fantasy with pumpkins. All the child actors are wooden and even the bullies aren't the scene chewing jerks I love. There's an excruciating scene where Cate Blanchett teaches Jack Black how to parent his orphaned nephew but the two are otherwise really good and do all they can to salvage the movie. Kyle MacLachlan is definitely in this movie. #10 We Are Still Here 2/5 Unethical Morticians I don't get the pacing and tone of this movie. Even after things go haywire it moves at a deliberate pace. There's some really good kills and gore but it's weird. It deserves credit for being a murderous haunted house and not some furniture slinging bullshit. House of the Devil is a better 70s homage and eventually speeds things along. #11 Dawn of the Dead (1978, Argento Cut) 5/5 Zombies Stealing Fountain Coins Amazing. Numerous zombies taking pies to the face, 2 balcony tosses, and a side car machete decapitation. Everything the bikers do is wonderful. The zombie extras are a riot. They can't quite decide if bullets make you slump over or knock you back and have a hell of a time wobbling on escalators. The gore is fantastic and the mall set piece is used to perfection. The Goblin score is great. They Shoot Zombies: 34/50 3 from 7 different decades: 2010s, 1980s, 1970s
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Sep 23, 2018 05:59
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#12 Screamers (1981) 2/5 Specimens With Full Human Intelligence This is not great. The original adventure film or a full horror re-shoot/edit would be far more satisfying. There is some fun fishman brawling but the action is largely flat after the opening tacked on to the film. I love underwater shots so the Atlantis stuff is fun. #13 Rabid 3/5 Mall Santas Gunned Down The story isn't much but the action is really good. I think I like Chambers as a predator more than the epidemic rioting. The effects can't compare to Cronenberg's peak but they are fine for a Canadian b-movie. #14 Hellraiser 2 4/5 Skin Suits With Low Tensile Strength Still more gross than scary but it's a fun series. The Channard cenobite is creepy and awful. I'm glad the Pinhead VHS cover scared me away from renting this series as a kid. It's weird how much these movies feel like Labyrinth. The Goblin King was getting into some kinky poo poo after the musical numbers. #15 King Kong (1933) 4/5 Jaw Bones Snapping Like Celery This is great. It's fun to see shots switch between actors in front of a projector, close ups with partial full-scale creatures, and total stop motion with fake actors. I could live without most of the scenes before the island but it doesn't truly drag. #16 The Devil Rides Out 3/5 Smoking Goat Floors Christopher Lee saves this after a slow start and a lot of Satan talk that doesn't thrill me. The outdoor Satanic mass is a highlight. The effects are dodgy but I really like the blown up projector tarantula and the terrible car chases are endearing. Not my favorite Hammer but a nice change from all the monster movies. #17 Faust (1926) 4/5 Skeleton Men Riding Skeleton Horses It's not much of a horror film but the scope is impressive for the era. I love the miniatures and double exposures. The sets and costumes are so far ahead of everything else I've seen from the 20s. This is the first silent that makes me wish there was a real score instead of forgettable piano. #18 Hell Fest 2/5 Unexpected Onibaba Masks Not enough kills for a slasher. Not tense enough for a stalker. There are flashes of a great movie and one of the kills stands out but that's the only time this movie ever feels close to reaching its potential. It's not truly bad but it's not much better than the Final Destination sequel with only a few scenes at an amusement park. I need to watch Funhouse. #19 Maniac Cop 3/5 Expository Scenes In The Mayor's Office Shot On VHS Or Some poo poo I love the style and tone of the movie but the story is kind of flat until the third act. Maybe the sequels develop the trigger happy cop a bit more. The ending has great action and I want to see more from Lustig. #20 Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 5/5 Texas/Oklahoma Chili Cookoff Grand Champions This is an amazing comedy. Savini's gore is really good (the wall spewing guts is great) but hardly warrants a mention next to the insanity of everything in this movie. The Sawyer family is ridiculous and explored in far more detail than anyone would reasonably expect. The Leatherface performance is arguably restrained compared to his family and Dennis Hopper chewing the scenery. They Shoot Zombies: 40/50 3 from 7 different decades: 2010s, 1980s, 1970s Foreign Language: 1/10
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Oct 1, 2018 02:22
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LORD OF BOOTY posted:It really says something about how good TCM2 is that Savini gore is near the bottom of the list of reasons to watch it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIXRRm1Amas&t=90s
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Oct 1, 2018 03:08
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#21 The Howling 2/5 Lingering Shots of Burgers I don't think I get werewolf movies. The effects are really nice but this did nothing for me beyond an eerie vibe. American Werewolf In London is about the same with better gore and jokes and I don't love that either. #22 Hell Comes To Frogtown 4/5 Exploding Chastity Belts This is an insane movie that should not exist. It had a higher budget than They Live. How did this happen? The mutant frog costumes are gross and the action is pretty good. #23 Venom (2018) 3/5 Symbiote Bunnies The first act is really slow but it turns into a fun, strange movie. Body horror, homoerotic buddy cops, and some monster brawling. The symbiote has pretty good slime for something that's mostly (only?) cgi. #24 Venom (1981) 4/5 Snake Shipping Mix-Ups Klaus Kinski wrestles a rubber snake. That's all I need. The fish-eye snake POV shots are nice. I thought this was German for some reason and was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be extremely British. #25 Dagon 4/5 Smashed Statues of Jesus It's really slow until the characters reach land and the directing is hideous. The last hour is good enough to overcome this. It's a good spooky town full of creepy villagers and things escalate to a bizarre and unexpected conclusion. I need to watch Castle Freak. #26 Demonic Toys 3/5 Gunned Down Monchichis I'm a big of criminals stumbling into horror scenarios. I can never get enough of humans fighting puppets and this movie delivers. The toy destruction is all very satisfying. The creepy kid is not the best performance and the toy robot that shot lasers deserves better. #27 The Fly (1986) 4/5 Exploding Baboons Challenge #5: Birth of Horror This is really good. It's a straightforward monster movie that thrives on well-acted, sympathetic characters and great creature effects. I love the makeup for each stage of the Brundlefly transformation . Everything is oozy and disgusting. #28 Ringu 1/5 Secret Wells Challenge #1: Love Something You Hate I hate the remake. I hate this. It feels like a procedural and the mystery loses a lot when you know more than the characters at every turn. The well scene is great but I can live without the rest. I appreciate this film for spawning The Ring 2, the funniest and best time I have ever had in a theater. #29 Goosebumps 3/5 Runaway Ferris Wheels Better than a 20 year late cash-grab has any right to be. It's not my favorite small town monster takeover but it's a good time. Stine's creepy house is great. It's a shame the protagonist is the dullest boy alive and the abandoned amusement park is barely used. #30 Poltergeist 3/5 Lazy Housing Developers The endless parodies weaken the horror but this is good. I love the Amblin/80s time capsule. These are the special effects I grew up with and I still enjoy them. There are a few terrible composite shots that ironically would have aged better as objects hanging from a string.  #31 Phenomena 4/5 Chimps Operating A Chair LiftChallenge #7: The World Is A Scary Place. Weird and very good. The last ~15 minutes are hilarious. I love the phone falling down the hole and bringing the 20 foot cord with it. The metal soundtrack is a strange choice that doesn't match the action half the time but it works. I really like the spooky house and town. "Suspiria but not as good" is a summary I can't disagree with but it's a good movie. They Shoot Zombies 43/50 3 From 7 Decades: 3/7 Fran Challenges: 1,5,7
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Oct 13, 2018 09:33
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^I think the Purge, like Handmaid's Tale, is best when viewed as commentary using exaggerated, institutionalized versions of poo poo that already happens to various degrees and not as a warning of dystopia we can steer away from. #32 Goosebumps 2 2/5 Sony Brand Answering Machines I saw someone call this a high budget Disney Channel Original Movie and that might be kind. The kids in this are decent actors and the adults have all been great in other projects but it's so much less than the first movie. There are dozens of better movies about monsters taking over a small town. Also I did not get my free Goosebumps 2 slap bracelet at the theater. <  > #33 Creeptales 3/5 Hungry Snakeskin Purses This is a strange anthology with some really fun stories. Tom Kenny is the standout in a musical about a purse snatcher. The Sucker is a fun Tales From The Crypt-style short about an evil vacuum cleaner. More anthologies should throw in ~5 minute shorts between the longer stuff. #34 Castle Freak 3/5 Creepy Uncles My least favorite Gordon movie but it's fine. More Gothic horror than the effects heavy comedy of his 80s work. The titular freak is gross and there are some creepy scenes. I'm not a fan of blind horror protags but the daughter is pretty good in this. #35 Nightmare on Elm Street 2 4/5 Suggestive Pop Guns Challenge #2: Queer Horror “Did you actually go to a freshman English course in high school? This is not subtext.” This is a great campy movie and it's a shame the actor caught so much poo poo for it. Freddy as a demon of possession is an interesting take. The boiling pool and fence of flames are not amazing but I like a nice suburban slasher. Freddy breaking free of Jesse's body is disturbing and memorable. #36 Winterbeast 4/5 Plaid Sportcoats This is a fever dream. Absolute weirdo characters and goofy stop motion monsters that don't have any real theme. The editing is delightfully inept. Easily the best of the microbudget horror I've seen this month. #37 Nightmare on Elm Street 3 4/5 Young Staffers Accidentally Locked In Over The Holidays Probably the best kills of the series and some fun characters. Nancy adds a lot as an adult who actually believes the kid instead of dragging out the inevitable. Freddy's backstory is dumb and I don't even like the burial storyline. Stop-motion Skeleton Freddy is a wonderful choice and I am always here for an aggressively dated theme song. #38 Nightmare on Elm Street 4 2/5 Teenage Meatballs There are some nice kills (the cockroach is wonderful) and sets but Freddy's a cartoon and nobody wants to see the final girl taking him on in a street fight. I like some of the effects but the mirror was an incredibly lame plot device. No progress on They Shoot Zombies top 50. 3 movies watched from 4/7 decades. Challenges: 1,2,5,7
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Oct 18, 2018 02:29
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M_Sinistrari posted:There is a sequel, Intercessor which I have yet to see.
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Oct 19, 2018 07:19
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#39 Nightmare on Elm Street 5 3/5 Escher Churches There's a lot to enjoy in this mess. Freddy is a cartoon character and the quality of sets is all over the place but the final showdown is great. The Amanda Krueger history stuff might roll over to so bad it's good. The terrible rap over the credits is a delight. It's nice to see Raptor Kid from JP. #40 Halloween: H40: The Curse of Laurie Strode 4/5 Podcast Bribes Challenge #10 The kills are brutal and Prepper Laurie is interesting change from most genre savvy protags. The rando slashed teens are underutilized but what's there is well written. You can tell there were some edits but it's not like the movie needed more of the boyfriend. #41 The Birds 2/5 Pet Store Imposters Huge disappointment. There are some nice shots but the tension never comes together for me. It's a 2 hour B-movie and my least favorite Hitchcock. Compared to Psycho this feels like Hitchcock slumming it and not adding something new to creature movies. #42 Microwave Massacre 4/5 Lady Sandwiches With Mayo Microbudget insanity. The voice of Frosty The Snowman becomes a homicidal cannibal. Almost drifts into John Waters territory with the kitschy decor and bizarre relationships. #43 Tucker & Dales vs Evil 4/5 Forest Suicide Pacts Holds up 8 years later. The first half is funnier than the second but it's not a terrible drop-off. Lots of fun slapstick and callbacks. #44 Sometimes They Come Back 1/5 Unpaid Library Fines This movie sucks and I'm mad Lurdiak subjected us to it. The undead greaser bullies are almost good enough to make me recommend this movie. Those assholes love their work. #45 Night of the Demons 2 4/5 Blessed Super Soakers Very strange and enjoyable sequel. The horny teens are sympathetic and the nun is great. There's lots of action and little details that pay off. The hand painted crosses on the holy water balloons are a nice touch. #46 Vertigo 5/5 Strapless Bras Designed By Aircraft Engineers Hitchcock returns to form...5 years earlier. This is the rare movie that keeps going for 40 minutes after the expected ending and completely works. The visuals are perfect and Stewart is great. The tinted scenes and floating head are a little cheesy. 44/50 They Shoot Zombies 3 Movies Watched from 4/7 Decades Fran: 1,2,5,7,10
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Oct 25, 2018 04:22
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#47 Attack of the Killer Tomatoes 3/5 Helicopter Crash Ad-Libs Much better than I expected, but I have a fondness for late 70s comedy. There's a lot in this that looks and feels like The Muppet Movie. The undercover guy blowing his cover at the tomato campfire was great. #48 Wish Upon 1/5 Sluts For Wontons Fran Challenge: Let your stupid friend pick a terrible movie It's the monkey paw story with an unsympathetic protagonist. The PG-13 cutaways are unbearable. The ending might carry this to the lofty heights of so bad it's good. #49 Diabolique 3/5 Wicker Coffins There's a lot of good stuff in here but this is so much longer than it needs to be. It has slow noir pacing and a finish that feels like a Twilight Zone gag. Some twists become unsatisfying after 2 hours. #50 Se7en 5/5 loving Boxes Incredibly good. The back half is full of tension even knowing whodunnit and the ending. The Patriot Act subplot in a 1995 film might be the most impressive prediction of our dark future since BTTF2. #51 Minutes Past Midnight 3/5 Games Of Chupacabra Whac-A-Mole There's some fun stuff in here. The puppet short is made by really talented people. Feeder is a really good idea that doesn't feel developed enough. The chupacabra short is one of the better Evil Dead knockoffs I can remember. #52 Rosemary's Baby 4/5 Spoilers Because I Googled Tannis Root During The Movie Fantastic. It's great how the action isn't cackling evil but the unremarkable manipulation of Rosemary. "They promised you wouldn't be hurt, and you haven't been, really." Gorgeous colors, sets, and wardrobe. #53 The Love Witch 3/5 The production is wonderful. I love the costumes and set decorations. Robinson is great but the secondary cast are mostly duds. #54 Tales From The Hood(re-watch) 4/5 "Monster" Tattoos Someone loses a fight to a puppet! Like several funny episodes of Tales From The Crypt with a better host. The CGI is bad but in a charming way. #55 Tales From The Hood 2 2/5 It's not great. The CGI skeleton opening credits are very fun. I really wish the final short used nameless stand-ins rather than actual historical figures.
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Nov 1, 2018 05:44
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Wrap up! Biggest Surprise: Night of the Demons 2 Biggest Disappointment: The Birds Please Watch: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 Best of Scream Stream: Dagon, but Winterbeast makes for an amazing group watch. Managed to get up to 47 of the top 50 on They Shoot Zombies. I'll take down the last 25 of the top 100 by the end of May for sure. 1) The New York Ripper B 2) Pumpkinhead C 3) The Predator C 4) A Simple Favor B 5) Hellraiser B 6) The Wicker Man (1973) C 7) Always Shine D 8) Zombie B 9) The House With A Clock In Its Walls D 10) We Are Still Here D 11) Dawn of the Dead (1978) A 12) Screamers D 13) Rabid B 14) Hellraiser 2 B 15) King Kong B 16) The Devil Rides Out C 17) Faust B 18) Hell Fest C 19) Maniac Cop C 20) Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 A 21) The Howling C 22) Hell Comes To Frogtown B 23) Venom C 24) Venom (1981) B 25) Dagon B 26) Demonic Toys C 27) The Fly (1986) B 28) Ringu D 29) Goosebumps C 30) Poltergeist C 31) Phenomena B 32) Goosebumps 2 D 33) CreepTales W 34) Castle Freak C 35) Nightmare on Elm Street 2 B 36) Winterbeast C 37) Nightmare on Elm Street 3 B 38) Nightmare on Elm Street 4 D 39) Nightmare on Elm Street 5 C 40) Halloween (2018) B 41) The Birds D 42) Microwave Massacre B 43) Tucker & Dale vs Evil B 44) Sometimes They Come Back D 45) Night of the Demons 2 A 46) Vertigo A 47) Attack of the Killer Tomatoes B 48) Wish Upon D 49) Diabolique B 50) Se7en A 51) Minutes Past Midnight C 52) Rosemary's Baby B 53) The Love Witch C 54) Tales From The Hood A 55) Tales From The Hood 2 D
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Nov 2, 2018 00:00
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