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geekpellets · 6 years

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Vampire Weekend

Vampire Circus This may be the first Hammer horror film I have ever seen. In Vampire Circus a Dracula-esque figure is killed, but vows vengeance on the community responsible. Years later a circus comes to town and people start dying. SPOILERS, it’s a vampire circus! GASP! Let’s start with the acting. The acting is quite good. Not the best, but it’s not really wrong either. The acting here is more akin to that of the stage than of film. It can take a while to adapt to that. That said, they really are trying and their performances are energetic. The child actors are worse, that’s usually to be expected. The acting of the Jester is particularly good, and perhaps the only genuinely creepy thing in this film. Hammer horror films are known for the light pink blood, which I hate. I’m not taking anything off for it here, though, because it’s their thing. There are proper effects, well designed, visually gruesome, but implemented in a way that would seem ridiculous compared to the effects that would be used 7 or 8 years later. The start of the film is awesome. I will give it that. In a span of 10-15 minutes people are killed and seduced, the towns folk are gathered, fuckin’, the count is killed and explosions, explosions, explosions.Nothing else in the film, lives up to these first 15 minutes. There’s a lot of filler in this movie disguised as Circus acts, and maybe it would be worth watching if they were genuine circus acts, but they aren’t, so I didn’t care. Like, we really gotta watch every damn fake ass circus act these people do? I think the first night gets the point across. There are moments the stand out between them, but these moments really could have been done without being sandwiched between unengaging circus act segments.The climax fails for two reasons. First because the first 15 minutes is superior to the climax, and second because the film wants to do action more than it wants to do genuine horror. It’s an action climax, but the film isn’t good at action scenes.Even in those first 15 minutes, the actual fight with the Count isn’t good. Had it done a more traditional horror/suspense climax as opposed to an action one, it wouldn’t have to rely on its weakest property. And can I just say, before this movie, I didn’t think of a vampire bite as an art in and of itself, but now I do because the vampire bites in this movie all look goofy as fuck. There are some cool effects in this movie, particularly involving mirrors, and some cool ideas, but ultimately I definitely not watch this one again. Salem’s Lot Salem’s Lot is about a town called...Salem’s Lot...that gets invaded by vampires, This is actually a mini-series, and it’s considered a classic. I was looking forward to it. I wish I had watched something else. I actually think I’ll make this one quick. In the first two hours of this movie, vampires are slowly, slowly, populating the city, and the main protagonist is living in another movie. I’m exaggerating a little bit, but damn, we have to wait for 2 hours for the protagonist to realize there are vampires and do something about it while he spends the rest of the time dating and talking about his book? That’s not for me. That’s a whole damn movie in itself. Worse, the movie kind of comes down to that relationship he starts of, and honestly I never felt any chemistry between him and his love interest even after two hours of prep. Her personality is girl, and she’s dating him because...and his personality is generic male protagonist. That said, there are good things here. I like the design of the vampires. I like the primary vampire, I’m always a fan of the Count Orlok design. Granted, watch vampire children float around windows is dorky looking, and Count Orlok moves with a stiffness and clumsiness that robs him of his fright. The physical action in this movie actually isn’t good either. I can’t suggest this one either. This movie was so slow, so dry, that I had to watch it over two days, putting me behind a little, which is why I’m writing this on a Tuesday. Probably should have watched the Rob Lowe series. The Hunger This is a vampire movie that was made in the 1980′s, where the best vampire movies were made, so this HAS to be good, right? RIGHT!? The film is about two immortals, one who has started rapidly aging, and a young scientist who specializes in studying the affects of aging that the immortals begin to take an interest in. David Bowie is a damn fine actor. This movie reminds me of Only Lovers Left Alive, but more focused, with better themes, more fascinating characters, and superior climax. For the record, there isn’t a single bad performance in this movie. In fact, this is a movie where the performances must carry the film, and they absolutely do. I don’t think I’ve ever sympathized with a vampire before, but I sympathize with David Bowie’s vampire. These characters express such subtle and complex emotions, a layers, quiet layers behind their actions. It’s fascinating. The whole movie is fascinating. The title is fascinating. Hunger for what? Blood? Youth? Companionship? All of the above? The interior decorator on the film did a great job. There are some beautiful shots. The film is uniquely directed and edited in a way tat is artful and interesting. The direction and editing alone grabbed me by the balls before anything else. This is also not a very gore-heavy film, but there is blood. The blood might be watery but the color is right. There are also other fantastic make-up and practical effects that I will not spoil, but the quality of the effects surprised me. I simply wasn’t expecting it from what is kind of a supernatural sex drama. And there is sex. There is nudity. There are exceptionally slobbery kisses that make me uncomfortable. There is David Bowie’s ass. I just don’t like watch slob kisses, it feels invasive, but it is something that actually comes up again later as an insightful character moment. The first half of the movie is paced near perfectly. The second half happens, perhaps, far too quickly. Simultaneously, the speed in which the second half happens could be reflective of one of the immortals fear and impatience. The Hunger is a movie that reinforces my belief that vampire movies truly reached their height in the 80′s. There is simply a string of vampire movies during that period that are not only excellent, but feel distinctly different from one another. The Hunger is a movie that I would definitely own, and would happily suggested if you don’t mind a horror movie that’s light on scares but heavy on intrigue and fine cinematography. The Reflecting Skin The Reflecting Skin is follows the life of a child who thinks his neighbor is a vampire, but she isn’t. I go ahead an make that distinction here because A.) It’s not Fright Night and B) Because there’s nothing supernatural about this movie and you shouldn’t get your hopes up. Some of the films I watch are horror movies in the typical way that one would expect. Some are less horror movies, and more “Fucked Up” movies. When I say “Fucked Up” movies, I don’t mean movies full of gore porn, or pretending to be snuff films, or snuff films, or with rape or other sexual encounter meant to shock you. I mean shit like Gone Girl. It’s hard to explain, but when something twists everyday expectations, everyday people, when people are physically or mentally trapped in a cycle of tragedy they can’t escape, that’s a Fucked Up movie. That is The Reflecting Skin. It is a series of tragic and horrifying events witnessed through the eyes of a child, and as this child retreats further and further into imaginary things he has convinced himself is real, we as the viewers recognize the child never had a chance, that everything was stacked against him, and that he will ultimately succumb to the cycle of tragedy that has afflicted everyone else, and THAT is The Reflecting Skin. This film is not going to be for everyone. First of all, it’s tone is weird. There are moments of brevity that take the form of some serious absurdity. I, personally, didn’t mind as I love absurdity. Also, even though the film seems grounded, the way it is shot, some of the characters, some of the designs and the acting leads me to believe that this is meant to be kind of a fable, kind of a dark fantasy, some hybrid of Stephen King and Wes Anderson. With that in mind, I didn’t mind the small, quick, changes in tone. If one looks at it as such a story, it is all too fitting, but again, that’s just me. The film is beautifully shot, with picturesque scenes all through out it. It almost makes an empty middle American county feel like some place you actually might want to visit. As I said, some of the acting is exaggerated, I believe it is directed as such. Almost all of it is good. I didn’t care for Jeremy Cooper’s acting so much, Jeremy Cooper being the young child we follow, BUT, he has a way with facial expressions that probably got him selected for the role. Especially towards the end. I believe his acting was flawed, but he was not untalented. Viggo Mortensen shows that he was talented and committed even then. Committed, because he see his ENTIRE asshole. It is not good. I get. Vulnerability. I did not need to see that. It’s not even his fault though. It’s not his fault his cheeks couldn’t hide his asshole. Sometimes it’s like that. We can’t all have proper cheeks. I think the film is well paced. I think the time between major scenes works to the movie’s advantage. I think the movie leaves some things to interpretation, but only some things. It answers most. As an individual that appreciates when something is left to the imagination, I have no problems with this. It is also suspenseful. Not just because you are wondering how the series of tragedies will affect our young protagonist, but because there is a genuine threat that feels both down to Earth and ethereal simultaneously. There’s no gore here. Well, there’s a minor amount of blood. There are no practical effects either. It’s not that type of movie, and if you are looking for that type of movie, this is not for you. But, if you are interested in a dark slice of life tale in middle America, this is definitely one worth seeking. It’s a buy from me. Just...beware the brown eye.

#Vampire Circus #Salem's Lot #The Hunger #The Hunger 1983 #The Reflecting Skin

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