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tibby · 2 years

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i keep getting followers on letterboxd despite the fact i haven’t logged a movie there in over four months. anyway since i can’t just make unlisted posts there here is a brief review of just some of the movies i have watched since the first of june:

paul mccartney really is dead the last testament of george harrison, ★★: absolutely terrible film filled with absolute nonsense but also the greatest thing i’ve ever witnessed. the whole movie is about how much george harrison hated faul (fake paul, who replaced real paul mccartney when he died) but at one point he just starts being like “ringo was dumb as shit and had no fucking talent.” incredible animation.

snow white a deadly summer, 0 stars: i can’t remember if i actually logged this one but i also can’t be bothered to check. half the scenes took place at night but they just dimmed the exposure. also had nothing to do with snow white besides the stepmother talking to an evil version of herself in the mirror. which they never explain btw.

secrets in the water, ★: this wasn’t meant to be a comedy but it kind of was.

shark side of the moon, ★★★★★: at a certain point in my tubi original viewing experiences i have to stop ranking them based on quality and start ranking them on the sheer concept. and russians sending humanoid sharks to the moon during the cold war who then form a shark super army intent on taking over the earth and also for some reason there’s a shark that looks like a human who gives birth to baby sharks. all the sharks spoke english in russian accents btw which is weird because there was only one 100% human on the moon and he was a russian man who didn’t interact with them. anyway. lifechanging film.

the andy baker tape, ★★: the stars are mainly just because i think it’s sort of righteous when youtubers get murdered.

cries of the unborn, minus a million stars and plus ten million aborted children: steven 15 great kid you should see him play lacrosse he's always on his phone texting tweeting he doesn’t even know half the kids i can’t remember the last time we had a real conversation it’s like his phone is surgically attached to his head.

the invitation, ★★: i mean everyone keeps saying it’s just ready or not meets get out meets vampires if none of those things were good and it’s kind of true. one star for nathalie emmanuel giving it her all and one star for the two sexy vampire women.

a lifetime movie starring heather morris that i forgot the name of, ★: heather morris can’t act.

the quiet ones, ★: olivia cooke babygirl you were never gonna get an oscar for this but i respect you for trying.

ouija, ★★: olivia cooke babygirl you were never gonna get an oscar or a glaad award for this but i respect you for trying.

ouija: origin of evil, ★★★: did elizabeth reaser and lulu wilson and that one guy watch mike flanagan kill someone? they’re good actors but his refusal to let anyone else on his payroll is kind of concerning

alone in the ghost house, ★★★: each star represents the only good moments in the movie, which were arguably the three greatest moments in the history of cinema. the first is when they bring in this psychic and the cameraman asks her if she was in a coma on september 10th 2001. the second is when the psychic rolls around on the grass and talks about how it’s so cold in reference to the ghosts but one of the guys is just like “well yeah you were just lying on the grass.” the third is when the psychic opens a seance by stripping and doing a belly dance.

tow, ★: imagine being a tubi original film starring kane hodder that advertises yourself as a slasher and not only are you NOT a slasher film but you are also boring.

blonde, 0 stars: i watched this movie with my friend on teleparty, making it the only film i watched semi legitimately, and it was not worth it. i missed the first 40 minutes and i didn’t lose anything for it. ana de armas is trying for her oscar but at what cost. there’s a talking fetus in it. charlie chaplin jr is made out to be a sociopath for no clear reason. the amount of times i said “what” during this film is staggering.

house of wax, ★★: objectively not good but a lot better than i thought it would be and kind of an unsettling concept. sad that paris hilton and her boyfriend weren’t the final girl & boy and instead it was the folger’s incest commercial twins.

fifty shades of grey, 0 stars: there has never been a movie character as dumb as anastasia steele.

fifty shades darker, ★: christian grey gets into a plane crash and won’t go to the hospital and is surprised when everyone is in his apartment all worried about him. which is kind of drake walker core so it deserves a star for that.

do revenge, ★★: i think i’m like insane because this movie was not good and everyone is treating as if it is when it’s just like if someone tried to make thoroughbreds or heathers politically relevant but failed miserably. also failed miserably at rg/wf and subtle attempts to rip off mean girls. that said alisha boe is the sexiest woman alive and camila mendes should egot.

rush for your life, ★★★: perhaps too high a ranking but when it’s a tubi original produced by marvista the bar is on the floor so an actually somewhat decent movie is always a delight. they blew their budget on cameras and production design so the wardrobe is all from shein but keeya king was a lead that knew she was too good for this movie but she still gave it her all anyway.

marrowbone, ★★★: i avoided watching this movie for ages because i knew it would be bad and i didn’t think my best friend and my wife would change that. they didn’t but the ending is funny as hell. anya really said stay mentally ill baby <3

the lamp: just believe, whatever my ranking was when i logged it like a year ago: i’ve seen this movie three times now, which is the same number of the globes that the main character has in his house. who needs three globes?

homoti, ★★★★★: it’s gay E.T. what’s not to love.

mac and me, ★: i think watching this back to back with homoti while stoned out of my mind was either the best or worst idea i’ve ever had. still not sure.

friend request (2016), a million wasps: NOT the one starring brian from the breakfast club. i honestly don’t remember much of this movie and i doubt it was very good but wasp elevator 2022 experience.

#long post

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you-cant-spell-subtext-without · 3 years

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so get this. I was gonna roll around in Tombstone related fluff today - but no, no - this post came across my dash so Now We Are Gonna Discuss the Carnal Consumption of Meat as it appears on That Show Supernatural. YEAH BUDDIES!

(also my sincere apologies to OP of the inspiration post who innocently tagged it with “lunch date!” because I am about to go Elsewhere, cursedly).

Let’s all go meat man, after the cut!

This analysis centers primarily on 5x14 Bloody Valentine. The title of course is a semi-homage to a 3D Slasher Film Jensen starred in circa 2009.

Which I will be renting soon I guess. ,[<- parasocial panda GET BACK IN YOUR ENCLOSURE]

Also Its Really Fun that the trailer for Said Cinema ends with “nothing says date movie like a 3-D ride to hell” [are you also thinking of Cas pulling Dean out of hell, or are you normal?] ***unironically the teaser for 5x14 is -

EXT. SIDEWALK - IN FRONT OF ALICE'S APARTMENT BUILDING

RUSSEL

First date.

They then eat each other. Literally they eat each others flesh. They also do it while dirty talking about it. SPN IS A SHOW

ALICE Ugh! I've been so alone. So empty...

RUSSEL I know. Me too.

ALICE I want you, Russel---All of you... inside me...

[they both take bites out of each other, Alice chewing on a piece of Russel's flesh]

****Remember this detail, as it is important.

ANYWAY, it’s truly Cursed that not only are we doing an homage to this 3-D Jensen Horror Date Flick but also this episode is specifically centered on Valentine’s Day. The day honoring romance and love Now Coopted by Hallmark, everyone, that is the day spn writers chose to introduce us to

Sir Horseman of THE Biblical Apocalypse Famine.

Canonically, we are aware that the show is drawing from the book of Revelations in its depiction of the Four Horsemen. Here’s what it says about Famine -

"When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come." I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.”

-Revelations 6:5

Famine holds scales (used to weigh out grain in times of food scarcity). Spn’s depiction is represented as hunger, a bottomless pit of need. It consumes souls (demon and human alike).

Cas describes Famine a little more poetically:

CASTIEL

"And then will come Famine riding on a black steed. He will ride into the land of plenty... "

"... and great will be the Horseman's hunger, for he is hunger. "

"His hunger will seep out and poison the air. "

***Consider a prior season in which we are introduced to the Seven Deadly Sins. Which are the sins associated with hunger?

Gluttony

and Lust.

***this is also important

Back to the episode. Case cold open, and we find out that Alice was a Nice Girl. In that she didnt drink, smoke or

have premarital sex.

***So Alice’s hunger for the sin of Lust caused her to succumb to it; and her demise was presented as Gluttony (literally eating her partner’s flesh). HMM

Famine’s presence is affecting the town, and Cas is not immune.

DEAN

And when did you start eating?

CASTIEL

Exactly. My hunger-- it's a clue, actually.

***They lay it out a little more in case you missed it ->

SAM

I thought famine meant starvation, like as in, you know, food.

CASTIEL

Yes. Absolutely. But not just food. I mean, everyone seems to be starving for something--Sex, attention, drugs, love...

***this is so important. but of course because its spn and our textual narrators are generally unreliable (even in a Ben Edlund episode, yes I know)

we get a red herring

CASTIEL

Right. The cherub made them crave love, and then Famine came, and made them rabid for it.

***but that’s not accurate. they didn’t get married or become obsessed with each other (remember the cursed coin in 4x08 Wishful Thinking and the unconditional love wish? not what happened here). they had premarital sex. they did the thing Alice considers wrong, and dark, and sinful. and then they ate each others’ flesh.

DEAN

Okay, but what about you? I mean, since when do angels secretly hunger for White Castle?

CASTIEL

It's my vessel-- Jimmy. His, uh, appetite for red meat has been touched by Famine's effect

***mad lad Jimmy Novak’s hunger is for...red meat? He is starving for red meat? You are telling me that the Novaks, red blooded conservative religious midwestern Novaks, ate RED MEAT SO SPARINGLY that Jimmy Novak was LITERALLY starving for it?!?! No way. Absolutely no way. This is a man who was such a religious zealot he STUCK HIS HAND IN BOILING WATER and accepted an angel of the lord into his own body but his secret hunger was for fucking ground beef?

give me a damn break.

to me this is an absolute coverup. Because Cas’s burger consumption is not related one iota to his vessel Jimmy Novak.

it is a representation of Cas falling. Cas’s cravings for meat represent his growing (and very much prohibited) feelings for...humanity (Dean Winchester), and they are presenting as Gluttony in the form of his downing more and more copious amounts of red meat.

SERIOUSLY, consider this - at one point the depiction is so desperately carnal that he is eating raw ground beef with his bare hands. It is fucking uncomfortable. and it is SUPPOSED to be. Famine stirs up hunger for the prohibited. For the sinful. That which we are starving for but do not believe we can ever have, so we lust and we lust and we LUST after it, but should we allow ourselves even just a taste of what we have been ravenously craving, we binge it until we ourselves disappear into the oblivion of our own sinful, dark desires.

Since You Want More Examples of why this cant possibly be hunger for Cheeseburgers and Cheeseburgers alone, Consider Famine’s effect on Dean. Remember his doctor kink?

**when its revealed that Doctor Corman has succumbed to Famine’s poison by drinking himself to death, Dean - very uncharacteristically by the way - reacts by saying out loud

DEAN Thanks. Crap! I really kind of liked this guy.

***please note that Doctor Corman says the following to Dean in the prior scene they have together -

DR. CORMAN [to Dean]

Agent Marley, you just can't stay away.

****was that a flirtation?

***Also, Dean doesn’t want to go out and chase tail for Valentines Day.

SAM

I mean, what do you always call it-- Uh, unattached drifter Christmas?

DEAN

Oh, yeah. Well... be that as it may...I don't know. Guess I'm not feeling it this year.

SAM

So you're not into bars full of lonely women?

DEAN

Nah, I guess not. [takes a sip of his beer] Ahh. What?

SAM

That's when a dog doesn't eat-- That's when you know something's really wrong.

***oh look we are relating things to eating again. sex/lust to gluttony. hmmm hmmm hmmm

ANYHOW - *takes deep breath*

this is also the Episode Where This Scene Lives

****JACKTING JOICES

oh and speaking of jacting joices, this is also the Dean Notices Cupids Crotch Episode.

frAckles, I am once again asking why you only permit celestial beings to hug you from behi-[gunshots]

but Dean isn’t hungry. Why? Famine has the explanation, and we get it after Dean immediately runs inside after Cas heads in to complete his portion of their plan barely giving him any time to do so because he misses him that much.

FAMINE

I disagree. [Famine moves closer to Dean and touches him] Yes. I see. That's one deep, dark nothing you got there, Dean. Can't fill it, can you? Not with food or drink. Not even with sex.

DEAN

Oh, you're so full of crap.

FAMINE

Oh, you can smirk and joke and lie to your brother, lie to yourself, but not to me!

***not Dean making all of those homophobic/homoerotic jokes every time he’s in danger or feeing uncomfortable; not that, that can’t possibly be what Famine is referencing, right?

I can see inside you, Dean. I can see how broken you are, how defeated.

***not THIS parallel:

AMARA:

You're a mystery. I can see inside your heart. Feel the love you feel, except… It's cloaked in shame

You can't win, and you know it. But you just keep fighting. Just... keep going through the motions.

***not the motions of performative heterosexuality!!

***Dean’s not hungry because in his heart he truly believes that he can’t actually have what he hungers for. That Thing Which This Episode Overtly but Also Very Clearly Made Obvious. It’s an angel riding shotgun [I did Do That and I am Not Sorry], eating a burger in the front seat of the impala. But, I’ve deviated from the meat of this essay [gunshots] [this time just for the bad joke].

BONUS

there’s Exists another episode in which a man ravenously consumes red meat; eventually succumbing to eating raw beef with his bare hands in the season prior to this one.

Yes Supernatural the Show That Brought Us Not One But Two Scenes of Persons Carnally Consuming Red Meat With Their Bare Hands.

This episode is a MOTW - the man in question is a rougaru - a monster that starts out as human but due to some specific genetic disorder (hmmm hmmm hmm crack in THE chassis hmmm hmmm) soon begins to be extremely hungry - “for everything, but eventually long pig.” AKA human flesh.

Wanna know the kicker?

Episode’s called Metamorphosis.

(GIF by jackttwist)

I’ll see myself out.

[DOUBLE BONUS for extra credit:

if you really wanna wild out, go watch the scene of Jack the rougaru looking at himself in the mirror in 4x04 - and then meander on over to 7x01 and check out God!stiel looking in the mirror as the leviathans writhe inside him over there. It’s worth the walk.]

***oh and @lilac-void im tagging you in this one because in exchange for your KIND creator content nomination I guess I will respond by cursing you with an Honorary tag in this, a Meat Meta. you’re welcome slash I'm sorry XO [but seriously thank you again for your kindness and appreciation; it really motivated me to sit down and get moving on making more content <3]

#yes I did do a meat meta #and what of it #destiel #spn #spn fandom #supernatural #spn family #myspnmeta #my spn meta #hellerism #deancas #longpost #spn analysis #spn 5x14 #spn bloody valentine #meat meta #<- I do not even want to know or see what else that tag would lead to

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slasher-party · 4 years

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Behind the Mask: Welcoming Leslie Vernon & Taylor Gentry for Asks!

J: From the beginning of time, mankind has created and shared cautionary tales in every medium: plays, books, campfire stories, tapestries, sculptures, even cave drawings. And when movies were first being made in the late 1800s, they were no exception to this rule. It took less than a decade after the creation of cinema for the first 'scary movie' to come out, and the century that followed brought to life black lagoon creatures, bloodthirsty counts, and abominations of science who redefined humanity's understanding of terror.

In the 1970s, Leatherface first lifted his saw, and the Prowler made his first phone call, kickstarting the slasher genre that we now know and love. It's a simple formula: a misbehaved group of teens, a brave young girl, and a terrible monster. But through this formula, we were given stories that kept us up all night, made us fear the deep end of the pool, and had us thinking twice about staying out too late on Halloween night.

Around the 2000s, the genre began to change, but one man stayed convinced that these slashers had found the key to unlocking the secret of human fear. He took it upon himself to modernize the slasher-movie formula and reawaken the evil that his predecessors embodied, all while keeping their traditions.

(Warning: Spoilers for Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon ahead!)

J: To kick things off, I should be clear: this is one of my favorite movies. Ever. If you love slashers like we do and you haven’t checked this film out, you’ll definitely want to stop reading here and go put it on. Trust me: you do not want this one spoiled! Now, into the review.

V: The mockumentary styling of the majority of the film was a brave new departure from normal Slasher-types, and I honestly adored it. Found-footage movies tend to not be as immersive to me, but this one found its way into my heart very quickly.

J: The cinematography was a huge part of what made this movie so fantastic. You have these abrupt shifts between their documentary footage and reality that were so well executed. You also get cameos from some of the best in the business: Kane Hodder, Robert Englund, and Zelda Rubinstein! I felt extra special recognizing Kane on sight~

V: In the universe this movie takes place in, every slasher’s legacy is real. Every murder, every survivor! It all happened, and was broadcasted for the world to know. How people don’t live in fear already at this point... I will never know. Leslie Vernon, with a giant mass of murderous icons to follow, is a self-proclaimed slasher newbie. Throughout the film, we find out Leslie is planning a very big, very special day: his return from beyond the grave - to haunt Glen Echo as a living legend.

J: And if you’ve made it this far into the review I assume you already know: Leslie hires a film crew to document his rise to infamy, claiming to be stalking a group of teens with a survivor (final) girl among them. In the end, his real target was the woman he had hired to make his documentary: Taylor Gentry. And she is an incredible addition to the survivor hall of fame.

V: She may not have understood everything right from the get-go, but she filled Leslie’s expectations perfectly in the end - he had been watching her for a long time, he claims, and everything he was meant to become relied on her. The two unknowingly worked in tandem until the final curtain, and it was everything the new Slasher could’ve hoped for. Honestly, very romantic???

J: To me, the best thing about this film is the way it comes across as a love-letter to everyone who adores the genre. It’s packed full of references, insider terminology, characters hinted to secretly be slashers we know, and it’s all tied together with the shiny, red, charismatic ribbon that is Leslie. He’s fun, he’s funny, he’s traditional, he’s a genius. His goal was to show the world that mass communication and modern culture had not killed the slasher way of life, and I believe whole-heartedly that he accomplished that goal.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with great honor that we begin our welcoming ceremony for the Glen Echo slasher himself. The one and only Leslie Vernon!!

“Well, I think the real honor here goes to me,” the man gushes, hand on his chest as he approaches us, his letter held gently in the other, “I’m thankful to be acknowledged and recognized for my work! Heh, this is like receiving some kind of slasher Grammy~” Leslie chuckles. “But I digress. Thank you everyone for your interest in my work - I promise not to disappoint…~”

V: And every dark must come with its fair share of light - he would agree he couldn’t have done any of this without her. So it’s our pleasure as well to be introducing, alongside the Harvest Murderer himself, Miss Taylor Gentry!

Taylor steps up beside Leslie, bundled up in a turtleneck sweater and armed with nothing but a home video camera. She avoids the slasher's eyes, but gives him a silent nod of acknowledgement before thanking the hosts. “Thank you, for inviting me. I’m, just as interested in these answers as… everyone else,” She shrugs briefly, managing a smile. “I think this footage might start to make up for… what happened with my last attempt at a documentary. I might ask a few questions of my own; if, that’s alright. ehem...” -- Leslie bites his tongue as she speaks, sort of looking aside, “Hey, I uh,” he speaks up after a moment, rocking side to side with his hands in his jeans pockets, “I’m sorry I… stole your film, the first time. I hope you understand, heh, it… had a lot of info I couldn’t have getting out.” He explains, almost shyly. “...I wanted it to be published- I did! So. I’m sorry. And- for- nearly strangling you to death. Heh...” She nods, hugging herself but keeping her eyes down. “Job requirement. Right.” “Yeah- yeah! It’s all just part of what we’re meant to do.” He slings his arm around her and shakes her a little. “No hard feelings. It’s an amazing documentary; I just… gotta do some editing for you, that’s all~” “For ten years?” Taylor questions pointedly, stiff in his embrace. “Al-right, so I had to lay low a long while; I’m sorry! Sheesh… they don’t make cards for this, Tay - I’m doing my best here.” Leslie near whines, tilting his head down toward her. “... Well, I’m sorry, too.” Her shoulders fall. “For… stabbing, and crushing, and... burning you…” “Hey, it’s all part of the job.” He reassures her lightly, offering a smile. “I’m proud of how well you handled it all. It was flawless - just like I knew it’d be.” The man muses, reminiscing fondly.He turns her to face him, practically gushing. “...You gotta remember how I said EVERYTHING I do relies on ‘her’; the only thing you crushed was my pre-existing expectation of you! You nailed it!” Taylor tries her best to hide it, but a smile breaks through her tough exterior. Unsure of whether or not it’s a compliment she should thank him for, she opts for a flustered nod instead, involuntarily beaming. J: Looks like the two of them are gonna get along just fine! Les & Tay are officially open for asks!

#behind the mask #leslie vernon #taylor gentry #leslie ask #slasher ask #this took a while but there's a lot of hidden stuff in this fandom #gonna do a post on all of that soon!!#so stoked about this addition!

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tlbodine · 5 years

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A Decade of Horror Recommendations: Millennium Edition

After my 2010s horror recs post, @comicreliefmorlock asked me to do some for older films. So I figured I’d just work my way backward.

The lists might get a bit shorter and less diverse as I go back in time as I’m not as well-versed in older horror films, but I’ll toss out some recommendations for what I’ve seen and maybe some will be new to you anyway :)

Long post under the cut!

2000: A Surprisingly Good Year for Horror

Maybe we don’t think of the Y2K year as a big one for the horror genre, but it was still riding the tail end of the slasher/teen horror revival. Some must-sees:

Final Destination: I’ve written pretty extensively about this movie and it’s no surprise that I like it a lot, even if the sequels get downright ridiculous. The original still stands on its own feet.

Ginger Snaps: Maybe one of the best werewolf movies, period. Smart writing and a strong female cast as an added bonus.

American Psycho: Did you know this came out in 2000? I honestly always thought it was older, somehow, maybe because by the time I watched it in college it seemed like everyone had seen it. Fun fact: did you know it was directed by a woman?

What Lies Beneath: Part psychological horror, part drama-thriller, and sporting a surprisingly A-list cast. It has some well-worn tropes, but it’s a solid watch.

Battle Royale: Speaking of movies that seem like they’re way older than they are, did you know Battle Royale only came out in the year 2000?

There were a smattering of Asian imports in 2000 but none of them quite got their feet under them. I will make a shout-out/honorable mention here for Blood: The Last Vampire, an anime film that’s pretty well-known and gets referenced a lot.

2001: The Beginning of the End (for a little while)

Some solid stand-alone titles came out this year, but it also was the start of when the 90s revival started to dwindle down, I feel, with plenty of disappointments to go around. Scary Movie didn’t help much (and it also launched a whole trend of really awful spoof movies, which tried real hard to kill the comedy genre for a long time, imo). Anyway, some recs!

Jeepers Creepers: The director is an unfortunate sack of shit, but the movie is quite good. The first part, which draws heavily from a true story, is especially chilling.

Thirteen Ghosts: An underrated gem. The plot twists too much for my liking, but the ghost designs are super cool and the whole concept of the house is neat. A+ for originality.

The Devil’s Backbone: Maybe my favorite Guillermo Del Toro film, and a damn good ghost story to boot.

Suicide Club: A Japanese import that feels a bit ahead of its time in terms of pop culture (and internet culture especially). Features a couple of squick-heavy scenes I still struggle to watch (but, like, in a good way).

Ichi the Killer: Another Japanese import and my introduction to Takashi Miike, who makes me more viscerally uncomfortable than just about anyone.

It’s also probably worth mentioning From Hell, the Johnny Depp movie about Jack the Ripper, which many people enjoyed. I personally strongly dislike the film for reasons I can’t fully explain.

2002: Wait, That’s When That Movie Came Out?

I feel like 2002 was a big year for me in the “movies I enjoy but didn’t watch until years later” department, probably because I was a teenager with minimal access to decent cinema. It was also a rocking good year for Japanese horror.

28 Days Later: A movie that brought about the return of zombies in a big way, and also introduced (or at least popularized) fast zombies. Also it’s super scary.

May: I don’t even know if May counts as horror, but it’s a dark, quirky movie that I try to make everyone watch because I love it so much.

Ghost Ship: Honestly the bulk of the movie is pretty forgettable, but the opening scene is one of my favorite moments in gory cinematic history.

Signs: M. Night Shyamalan’s last decent movie or his first shitty one, depending on who you ask. I liked it a lot when I first watched it, and it started to fall apart more and more as I got older.

Ju-On: The Grudge: One of the better-known Japanese horrors and one whose tropes still get referenced and re-used. Skip the 2004 remake and watch the original trilogy.

The Ring: Probably the best-known Japanese horrors and maybe the import that put “Japanese horror” into public consciousness.

There was a lot of shlocky dreck in 2002, some of it decent (Cabin Fever) and some of it downright awful (Pinata: Survival Island/Demon Island). I should also mention Red Dragon, based on Thomas Harris’s novel of the same name, which quite a few people liked (I’ve only seen it once but I recall being underwhelmed). Also an honorable mention to Dog Soldiers, which I have not seen but which I hear frequently recommended as an A+ werewolf film.

2003: Wow that’s a lot of dreck

Look fam nobody said these film recs would be objective. There were a ton of horror movies that came out in 2003, I just didn’t really like hardly any of them. Some exceptions:

Willard: The movie that made me want to start keeping rats as pets, which says more about me than it does the film. It’s a great movie, though, the first thing I ever saw Crispin Glover in (and god, he’s amazing), and one of the few films that I think is better than the book.

Identity: A pretty decent psychological horror starring John Cusack. Watch this and 1408 together as a double-feature for maximum fun factor.

House of 1000 Corpses: Look, if you’re reading this blog, you probably already have an opinion one way or another of Rob Zombie. The movie’s on the list because it’s arguably historically important, not because it’s objectively good.

A few other notable moments from 2003 included a Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake (just watch the original, but if you insist on a remake, this is one of the better ones), the second Final Destination film (the last good one in the franchise), the Jeepers Creepers sequel, Freddy vs Jason, Darkness Falls, and Dreamcatcher. Like I said, there were lots of movies that came out this year, I just don’t think they were very good.

2004: Oops we created torture porn

I was in college at this point, which meant I was watching less horror than at any other moment in my life (I had a roommate who really hated scary movies) so maybe that’s why I haven’t heard of the majority of movies that came out that year. Or maybe they were all just really bad, hence why I still haven’t seen them. Hmmm. But! A few shining stars:

Saw: Obviously a classic. I’m lukewarm about the franchise, but the original is an excellent film and well worth watching, especially given the impact it would have on the next many years of horror cinema.

Shaun of the Dead: Hilarious, and honestly one of my favorite zombie films of all time.

Dumplings: A Korean important you likely missed in 2004 but may have seen in a Three Extremes compilation. Well worth the watch if you’re not squeamish.

Otherwise 2004 was pretty lackluster. Some forgettable franchise installments, some shlocky creature features, some unnecessary remakes. Lots of titles I’m unfamiliar with, though, too, so somebody tell me if I missed a big one that year!

2005: Ehhhh

Just a couple important titles this year too:

Hostel: Not a great movie. In fact, pretty damn campy. But an important one to watch to understand the torture porn genre.

The Devil’s Rejects: See above re: House of 1000 Corpses. Hit or miss but a well-liked film by Rob Zombie fans.

And you know what, I think that’s actually it. I mean there were other movies -- a remake of The Fog, the infinitely predictable Hide and Seek, the second Saw installment, and of course Doom. But it just wasn’t a great year for horror, imo. One shout-out here though for Wolf Creek, which is on my to-watch list; I haven’t seen it so I can’t vouch for it, but it does get recommended to me a lot.

2006: Mostly more of the same

Did we seriously have a Saw movie every year in the 2000s or what? No wonder everybody got sick of them and thought all horror was torture porn for a while. Talk about market saturation.

Anyway, some shout-outs:

Stay Alive: This movie is ridiculous, but I love it a lot. It’s about a video game that kills you in real life, and is a more successful video game movie than most actual adaptations.

ReCycle: An Asian import. I missed this one entirely when it came out, but it’s one of my favorites to have discovered in later years. It’s a seriously cool movie, both fanciful and deeply uncomfortable. Content warning for abortion, but it’s not what you think.

Otherwise, just some mostly soulless remakes (The Omen, The Hills Have Eyes, The Wicker Man), some franchise installments (Saw III, Final Destination 3, The Grudge 2). I will give an honorable mention to Black Sheep, which is so-bad-it’s-good ridiculous, and to that cult favorite Slither.

2007: Wait, is horror getting good again?

Well, not quite, but we’re back on the map with some promising additions in a year where the genre seemed to be struggling to rediscover its identity:

The Mist: One of the better Stephen King adaptations.

30 Days of Night: A divisive entry in the canon, but a pretty interesting piece to study for anyone interested in vampires.

28 Weeks Later: Not exactly a direct sequel to the earlier 28 Days Later, and probably not as good of a film, but pretty good in its own right.

1408: Watch this one with Identity (see above) and enjoy a night of John Cusack going crazy in hotel rooms.

The Orphanage: One of my favorite horror films of all time, both deeply unsettling and agonizingly sad.

Paranormal Activity: The highest-grossing film of all time thanks to its low budget. Also what we can blame for the burst of popularity in the “found footage” style.

Dead Silence: A movie that still frequently gets recommended and delivers some solid spooks. I’m not as fond of it as a lot of people, but it deserves a mention for how often it gets referenced (and for playing “killer ventriloquist dummies” straight as a trope).

Trick r Treat: A Halloween classic.

Of course the year brought us another Saw and another Hostel, a contentious Halloween reboot, another stab at I Am Legend (often adapted, rarely well), and a smattering of other sequels. I have not seen The Girl Next Door but based on how rarely I hear it recommended compared to the book, I imagine I’m not missing much. Borderlands was OK but, for my money, forgettable. Oh, there was also Grindhouse, a double feature which I quite enjoyed (I saw it in theaters, where it came with a warning for length, which I found amusing) but which history does not seem to have remembered positively.

2008: Did Somebody Order a Recession?

Back to slim pickings, although I admittedly have not seen most of the films released that year (I was pretty damn broke in 2008, so maybe that’s why). Still:

Let the Right One In: Skip the later English remake, you cowards, and watch this with subtitles. It’s so good. SO GOOD. An unexpected twist on the vampire story, and kind of a romance to boot. Sort of. In a really messed up way.

Cloverfield: A couple things are neat about Cloverfield. One, it was an early adopter and trope-setter for found-footage movies. Two, it successfully spawned a franchise where none of the movies feel related at all. Three, it launched with some really cool viral marketing that was utterly ahead of its time. On the downside, the shaky cam may in fact make you vomit if you get seasick easily.

Repo! The Genetic Opera: A classic. Also may in fact be the only film of its kind, or at least the only rock-opera scifi-horror that comes to mind.

I haven’t seen Pontypool, though it’s on my watch-list -- I’ve heard it’s quite good. Ditto Tokyo Gore Police which delivers, to my understanding, exactly what it says on the tin. Speaking of movies I didn’t see, can we take a moment to appreciate that a film called “Sauna” with the tagline “cleanse your sins” came out this year? Jfk 2008, are you OK?

2009: Why are all the best horrors comedies this year

It really does become obvious just how much the genre was floundering to figure out what it was doing the latter half of the decade, because the movies are so weirdly hit-or-miss. I do have some favorite hidden gems, though, alongside a couple well-known recs:

Zombieland: A genuinely funny feel-good zombie comedy-horror, feeding right into a growing cultural fascination with zombies.

Jennifer’s Body: Is this a comedy? Is this a horror? What is this? I’m not sure how to classify it but I sure do like it.

Antichrist: Ok I don’t know if this is a recommendation per se, but if I had to watch this with my own eyes, I’m making y’all watch it too. Have you ever wondered what it might look like to watch a filmmaker have a psychotic break while making a movie? That’s almost literally what this film is.

The Human Centipede: This is a cop-out because I have not watched these movies and I in fact refuse to watch these movies because the premise is fucking stupid, but I will acknowledge the historical, ah, importance? of this film in the greater scheme of 21st century horror.

Dread: One of my favorite movies, and the film I recommend to anyone who wants to watch a torture film done right. I love the shit out of this movie. Please go watch this movie.

Grace: Deeply disturbing and pulling approximately zero punches. It’s one of the best films to tread the “horrors of motherhood” territory, which is saying something because that’s very fertile (ha, ha) ground.

I actually have not seen Drag Me to Hell or The Last House on the Left, although people have recommended both to me. Anyone want to chime in with how good they might be? I also want to make a shout-out to Daybreakers, which I feel like nobody ever talks about but which actually has one of the most fascinating vampire concepts I’ve ever seen on film. The movie itself is kind of boring and forgettable, but the idea is really neat.

And that wraps up my journey through the 2000s in horror. Next decade: The 90s, coming right up!

#horror movies #film recs #movie recommendations #horror #horror by the decade

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cinemasnob412 · 5 years

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The Definitive Surviving Girls Of FRIDAY THE 13TH

Inspired by an article featured on VHSRevival.com I’ve decided to compile what I consider to be the definitive ranking of the FRIDAY THE 13TH series’s “final girls”. If you’re not well versed into what makes a slasher film “final girl” so special let’s break it down in simple terms: she’s gotta be the smart one, the “pure” one and in a perfect world would go head to head with the big baddie during the film’s finale, ultimately coming out on top, but not successful enough to make it through a sequel. With the ground rules set, here’s a look at the FRIDAY THE 13TH films’ worst to best “final girls”. Warning, there may be spoilers to follow.

12 - Amanda Righetti - Whitney - FRIDAY THE 13TH (2009)

I’ve never kept it a secret just how much I dislike any FRIDAY THE 13TH film post-Paramount. 2009′s reboot has a few good things going for it: Julianna Guill and a pretty aggressive Jason Voorhees (Derek Mears). In all reality they’re about the only two positives I can come up with off the top of my head. What it’s lacking though is what really made the original set of FRIDAY THE 13TH films so enjoyable. Marcus Nispel’s film leans more into TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE territory than it does FRIDAY THE 13TH. It’s also short on a likable and true to form “final girl”. Righetti’s Whitney character, while by all accounts is the smart and “pure” one, is too reliant on her co-star Jared Padalecki’s Clay character to be considered Jason’s nemesis this go-round.

11 - Lexa Doig - Rowan LaFontaine - JASON X (2002)

New Line Cinema’s entries into the FRIDAY THE 13TH cannon are my least favorite of the bunch. Along with JASON GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY, 2002′s JASON X feels almost nothing like a Jason Voorhees vehicle. Too bad for Lexa Doig, whose Rowan LaFontaine character exhibits all the “final girl” traits, but does so in a pretty terrible film.

10 - Monica Keena - Lori Campbell - FREDDY VS. JASON (2003)

Monica Keena’s Lori Campbell character is really unnecessary in a film like FREDDY VS. JASON. If Jason was going to have an adversary to challenge him throughout the film’s final reel it needs only be Freddy Krueger (Robert England) right? Final girl fail!

9 - Kari Keegan - Jessica Kimble - JASON GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY (1993)

Adam Marcus’s JASON GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY is not even a true FRIDAY THE 13TH film in name. It sure as hell isn’t a true FRIDAY THE 13TH film in content either. With body-swapping, newly revealed Voorhees bloodline ties and not a teenager in sight, JASON GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY is just a complete mess. Kari Keegan’s Jessica Kimble character, like the film she appears in, is a “final girl” by default only (she’s the last girl standing, so I guess that makes her pretty “final”). Her contributions to the “final girl” club are minimal. I guess she does get to stab Jason in the chest with a medieval dagger, that’s pretty cool, right? No!

8 - Jensen Daggett - Rennie Wickham - FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN (1989)

Ah! Finally, the Paramount Pictures contributions to the Voorhees legacy. 1989′s FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN is easily the weakest of the first eight films, as is the “final girl” character of Rennie Wickham (Jensen Daggett). She dresses like a forty year old mom who’s given up on life, is more of a fragile character than usually required to be an imposing, and victorious “final girl”. It’s not all Daggett’s fault. In reality she's ultimately a victim of lousy writing and poor creative choices by the film’s director, Rob Hedden.

7 - Adrienne King - Alice Hardy - FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980)

FRIDAY THE 13TH purists may cry foul with this one. Hear me out. As a die hard fan I love Adrienne King’s Alice Hardy. She’s the perfect “final girl”. The only real drawback to her character is that she never gets to actually go toe to toe with Jason Voorhees. In fact, the one and only time (not counting the first film’s dream sequence finale) she comes face to face with Mr. Voorhees (in 1981′s FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2) she takes an ice pick to the temple! Her “final girl” days were over at that point.

6 - Lar Park Lincoln - Tina Shepard - FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD (1988)

In 1987 when Paramount Pictures and New Line Cinema couldn’t come to an amicable agreement on potentially featuring both of their marquee horror icons in one film, Paramount forged on with another “versus” idea. Jason versus “the new blood” (I guess that’s what they meant by that title) Tina Shephard (Lar Park Lincoln). Tina fits the mold of the “final girl” perfectly. Add to that fact that she also comes equipped with almost supernatural, telekinetic powers, and old Jason was in for one heck of a showdown in his sixth outing, and the seventh overall FRIDAY THE 13TH film.

5 - Kimberly Beck - Trish Jarvis - FRIDAY THE 13TH - THE FINAL CHAPTER (1984)

Ask me now, ask me in one hundred years, what is the best FRIDAY THE 13TH film? Hands down, 1984′s FRIDAY THE 13TH - THE FINAL CHAPTER. Joe Zito’s film has everything the series has come to be known and loved for. In the fourth entry, Kimberly Beck’s Trish Jarvis, along with her younger brother Tommy (Corey Feldman) put a (temporary) end to the hockey masked killer. Trish is fierce and just as brutal with old Jason as he is with her. She protects her brother, faces her fears head on and ultimately holds her own quite well against Crystal Lake’s most famous resident.

4 - Dana Kimmell - Chris Higgins - FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3 - 3D (1982)

By 1982, the slasher genre’s “final girl” had become well defined. The third FRIDAY THE 13TH entry runs with that established characterization with no hesitation. Dana Kimmell’s Chris Higgins not only finds herself alone, one on one with the seemingly unstoppable force that is Jason Voorhees, but the film, halfway through clues us in that she’s sort of been through this before, having had an encounter with Jason in her younger days that she can’t quite completely recall. Maybe it was her earlier experience with Jason that prepped her for her Higgins’ Haven redux. She hangs the big fella, whacks him in the back of the noggin with a log and a shovel, stabs him in the leg and even tattoos him in the dome with a full on swing of an ax. She thinks and works quickly, constantly keeping herself one step ahead of Jason throughout the entire final reel of the film. Kimmell’s “final girl” would definitely top the list if it were not for our final three candidates.

3 - Jennifer Cooke - Megan Garris - FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI: JASON LIVES (1986)

Jennifer Cooke’s Megan Garris character is not so much a “final girl” as much as she’s the partner in crime with the sixth film’s “final guy” Tommy Jarvis (Thom Mathews). Why so high on the list then? For starters she’s hot. That counts for something, right? Seriously though, she’s one tough cookie. Not content with just going along for the ride, Megan helps Tommy along the way, compiling all the necessities to return Jason to his watery grave once and for all (?). She even steps in to save the day when Jason gets the best of Tommy during the film’s finale, on the water Crystal Lake fight scene. Just as Dana Kimmell’s Chris Higgins character did in the third film, Megan leaves a permanent mark on Jason’s infamous hockey mask (thanks to her quick thinking and a readily available boat propeller), something that would visually define Jason’s trademark mask throughout the seventh film.

2 - Melanie Kinnaman - Pam Roberts - FRIDAY THE 13TH PART V: A NEW BEGINNING (1985)

I know what you’re thinking. “But Pam never fought Jason, she fought the impostor, Roy”. Well, factually speaking you’d be right. And if you took what I said about Adrienne King early and applied it here, then theoretically Melanie Kinnaman’s Pam Roberts should also be lower on the list. I say you’re wrong though. Kinnaman’s final showdown with Roy (Jason impostor or not) is the stuff of FRIDAY THE 13TH legend. She’s tough, protective of her younger costar (similar to Kimberly Beck in FRIDAY THE 13TH - THE FINAL CHAPTER) Reggie (Shavar Ross) and aggressive when it comes to taking on the masked murderer intent on putting an end to her. She wields a chainsaw for Pete’s sake! Plus, let’s not forget she looks pretty darn good doing all of this!

1 - Amy Steel - Ginny Field - FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2 (1981)

Amy Steel’s Ginny Field is one bad ass chick! Her showdown with Jason is pretty standard fare when you stack it up against the others in the series. What sets her apart though is her quick thinking and use of psychology to take on Jason when the chips are down. Tricking Jason into thinking she’s his beloved mother by donning her rotten sweater in an effort to strike the death blow on the confused Voorhees may have worked had it not been for one false move. No biggie though, she still lays the smack down on him by way of a machete in the shoulder blade that not only saves herself, but her boyfriend Paul Holt as well, who is in a life or death struggle with the maniac until she lands the fateful whack. Like the character of Tommy Jarvis in the later films, it would have been great to see the Ginny Field character return to do battle with Jason again. Amy Steel has talked about her willingness to return to the series, so maybe, fingers crossed, us fans will one day see the return of the greatest “final girl” in FRIDAY THE 13TH history. A boy can hope!

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amplesalty · 3 years

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Christmas 2020: Day 1 - Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out! (1989)

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…

a baster for the turkey!

Well, it’s December 1st once again and we’re already about a week removed from people arguing the toss about whether or not they should be allowed to use the F word when singing a particular festive favourite (no, not that F word...) so that must mean it’s time for some more holiday film fun times. As ever we open with a horror movie in an effort to continue on from the Halloween marathon which I actually gave a pretty fair shake to this year. Not quite the full 31 as in 2019 but pretty close when you factor in the bonus Stand posts.

Can’t help but feel there was some unfinished business in that regard though, plus I didn’t talk about the recent Friday the 13th we had in November which led me to watching the next one along in the series that was new to me; Part VII. And, surprise, I actually kind of liked it? I think my expectations are just rock bottom so it had a pretty low bar to clear. That and it had the gimmick of having him face off against this psychokinectic girl so that’s a big change from another cast of interchangeable horny teenagers.

Which actually brings a whole new level to the way watching Day 1 of this Christmas marathon is meant to bridge over from Halloween as, even though Friday the 13th wasn’t officially part of that, Silent Night Deadly Night 3 kinda follows a vaguely similar idea.

It sure has been a while since I looked at this series. I got through the remake first oddly and then the first two original movies but then it’s been in the wilderness for the past 5 years. I didn’t realise it had quite so many sequels, it gets up to part 5, so now I feel obligated to actually finishing this at some point.

It kinda ditches the whole ‘killer Santa’ thing for the most part and serves as something of a direct sequel to 2 in that it features the killer Ricky Caldwell, but sadly not played by Eric Freeman which I feel really sums up the movie as it really lacks the feel of the first two movies. That certain campy, cheesy quality. It opens up very differently with this girl in a dream where she’s being chased by Ricky through very non descript white hospital corridors before reaching some sort of safety with Santa Claus, who then promptly pulls a knife on her while she’s telling him all the gifts she wants this year. The whole dream sequence gives it this very surreal feeling but it doesn’t really last before we settle into generic slasher villain tropes.

The reason for likening it to Friday Part VII is that the girl here, Laura Anderson has some psychic abilities of her own. Apparently Ricky has been in a coma since the events of the last movie and a Dr Newbury is running experiments to see if someone can communicate with Ricky through their dreams. Laura seems to making some sort of connection as the image of Santa is coming through real strong, even going so far as to see the events of the first movie play out again when the crazed Santa flags down Ricky’s parents car before killing them both. Because it wouldn’t be a Silent Night Deadly Night sequel without using copious amounts of stock footage from that first movie.

It’s not really as bad as Part 2 where I think the footage totaled to something ridiculous like 40 minutes and also created some sort of weird continuity wormhole where scenes from the first movie were playing out as a different movie inside a cinema in the second.

At least we get to see the deaf priest being gunned down in front of the orphanage though. Still love that scene after all these years. I don’t remember the kid having blood splatter on him either, that makes it so much worse!

What they also make liberal use of here though is the KARLOFF and Jack Nicholson movie The Terror which I guess they’re free to do since it’s public domain. Doesn’t exactly inspire much confidence in your own movie though when archive footage of The Terror is outshining you but can you really compete with KARLOFF?

This one guy is riveted.

There’s some other padding on show as well, such as this one scene where the doctor and this cop are trying to follow Ricky to where they think he’s heading next, only for the cop to go into this whole sales pitch about mobile phones because he gets a discount on his bill if people sign up with his referral. What?!

I feel like Ricky does shift completely from the maniacal killer in Part 2 to something more in line with a Jason Vorhees or Michael Myers, this lumbering brute who seems oblivious to pain and injury. It’s just an utterly polar opposite character to go from Eric Freeman chewing scenery for fun to this completely mute guy, save for him creepily whispering Laura’s name a few times. Ricky does have a pretty cool look here though, I guess if you’re not able to get someone able to deliver Freeman’s level of...energy, why not make it part of the character?

Ricky has undergone some form of reconstructive brain surgery leaving him with some form of dome on his head that shows his exposed brain and also seems to fill with blood at some points during the movie. Bleeding from the brain can’t be good, surely? The design puts me in mind of The Thing from Another World or The Hills Have Eyes. Not that they have brain domes like that but that sort of strange cranial shape and odd face.

Friday Part VII did a much better job of following through on its promise of a ‘Jason vs Carrie’ scenario since the girl in that actually used her powers to save herself. Here, the girl doesn’t really do anything? Like, i’m not even sure what her abilities are outside of having this link to Ricky during the experiments. She has this premonition at the end where her murdered Granny encourages her to use her powers to save herself but all she really does is lay there with a pointy stick with Ricky just falls on whilst trying to get her.

She is kind of an interesting ‘final girl’ though since she’s also blind so that makes her even more vulnerable. I do like the idea though that she has something of a helping hand in that respect as this big showdown takes place at her Granny’s house where she spent lots of time as a kid so she knows where everything is. That’s not really developed very well though, that would have been a cool way to level the playing field a bit and have her able to outmanoeuvre Ricky as she knows little shortcuts and stuff.

Aside from the lack of real campiness/cheesiness, the other big thing missing is just any sense of urgency whatsoever. The girl playing Laura is just truly terrible and never reaches the level of panic one would imagine she should be going through. She screams sure but it feels like the kind of scream normally reserved when you find an unexpected spider on your bedroom wall, not when someone has shanked your Grandma. In general everything just feels really slow, none of the kills have any weight to them and Ricky doesn’t ever feel like a threat. He was never an imposing guy in 2 from a physical point of view but he had that real unhinged quality about him where you never knew what he was capable of. Without that, Braindead Ricky can’t hope to match up to the prescence of a Vorhees or Myers. Much like how this movie cannot compare with the two that came before it. It was still kinda fun in an absurdist way to see how weird it was but it lacks the real standout moments like Santa being killed at an orphanage or GARBAGE DAY!

At least it has boobs though so our old friend Santa Tor can make his return as well.

#Christmas 2020 #Silent Night Deadly Night #Silent Night Deadly Night 3

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frontproofmedia · 3 years

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DOLO FLICKS: Ranking The Friday The 13th Franchise From Worst to Best (#8-5)

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Published: November 01, 2020

In the second part of this three-part series ranking the Friday The 13th franchise, we take a look at a majority of the first few films.

Many of the films in this portion can be interchanged with one another as this group of movies has many similarities. Some of the films could go down in my rankings in the future should I re-watch the series again in the near future.

It’s possible that a majority of Friday The 13th enthusiasts may find issues with this part of the list as these films were not ones that I watched growing up. There is no nostalgia for these movies, and these rankings are based on how I feel about the movies in the present day.

Let's Start Part Two!

8. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3

RELEASED: AUGUST 13, 1982

DIRECTOR: STEVE MINER

APPROXIMATELY 12 KILLS

The third Friday The 13th film stands alone as the only movie in the franchise made to be specifically seen in 3D. There are many shots that are intended to be seen in 3D throughout the film, and watching them today; it feels outdated.

This is also the first Friday The 13th to have the same director as the previous film in Steve Miner. The film takes place just a day after the events of the second film as it shows some news footage describing the murders from the previous movie.

The plot doesn’t feature your typical camp counselors, but instead follows a group of friends heading to a friend's cabin for the weekend.

This third entry into the franchise is best known for being the movie where Jason finally gets his infamous hockey mask.

As far as kills, the movie has two that stand-out with one character getting his head squeezed to death ending in a 3D eyeball effect in a kill that is so bad that it turns out to be good. The best kill in the movie is when Jason takes his machete and splits a character in half who is doing a handstand.

Unfortunately, while this Friday The 13th does have some memorable kills, it also has some of this worst acting in the entire franchise.

When the character Chilli finds Shelly dead, she runs away yelling in what can only be described as a comical attempt at being scared.

“Oh, God, No. Shelly’s Dead. He’s Dead. Oh my god. Oh my god.”

Much like the beginning of the movie using footage from the second film, the ending of part three is similar to the original Friday The 13th with the corpse of Ms. Voorhees taking in the final girl Chris, played by Dana Kimmell, into the water in what turns out to be just a dream.

The third Friday The 13th feels like a film that can only be loved by those who grew up with movies.

7. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART V: A NEW BEGINNING

RELEASED: MARCH 22, 1985

DIRECTOR: DANNY STEINMANN

APPROXIMATELY 22 KILLS

The controversy continues as this entry is usually placed as one of the worst entries in the series.

The fifth installment of the franchise suffers from fan expectation of having Jason as the main antagonist in the film. 1982s Halloween III: Season of the Witch, which was derided for not having Michael Myers at the time, now has a cult following.

A New Beginning doesn’t have the following of Halloween III, but the movie has its moments that make up for not having the real Jason.

The film follows an adult or teenage Tommy Jarvis, played by John Shepard, who is at a camp for troubled youth. Jarvis has issues dealing with his past encounters with Jason and has sporadic fits throughout the movie.

Danny Steinmann directed A New Beginning, and with his background in pornography, there are many scenes with extended nudity. Taking Jason’s place (spoiler alert) is paramedic Roy Burns in one of the most obvious turns in history.

In the first third of the film, a character is killed at the youth camp with an ax, and it turns out that kid was Burns’. Burns then decides to dawn the hockey mask with a blue design and become a copycat killer of Jason.

Many of the kills in the film are unique, including one using a belt and a stick that is wrapped around a character's head until he dies. Some of the characters in the movie are put in just to add to the kill count.

While Friday The 13th: A New Beginning doesn’t have Jason, the movie still feels like the standard Friday The 13th, including the kills and characters.

6. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2

RELEASED: APRIL 30, 1981

DIRECTOR: STEVE MINER

APPROXIMATELY 9 KILLS

The second installment in the Friday The 13th franchise is a fan favorite that features the bag-head version of Jason. The bag-head version of Jason is a unique entry in the series and stands out for being different.

The film itself features Jason venturing outside of the Crystal Lake campgrounds to get revenge on Friday The 13th’s original final girl, Alice Hardy. We spend a few minutes with Alice before she meets her fate after finding Mrs. Voorhees’ severed head in her refrigerator and is then killed by Jason.

In this installment, we follow a group of camp counselors that are going through counselor training. Jason takes his time taking down each would-be victim, including a memorable machete to the face kill to the character Mark who is in a wheelchair.

After getting hit by the machete, Mark is shown going backward down a large staircase in the wheelchair, adding something unique to the kill.

Friday The 13th part 2 arguably features one of the best final girls in the entire franchise in Ginny, played by Amy Steel. During the climax, Ginny finds Jason's shed and shrine to his mother in the woods.

Ginny impersonates Jason’s mother by putting on her sweater and calling his name, allowing him to be distracted enough to be seemingly killed with a machete to the shoulder.

The ending of the film shows a deformed hillbilly version of Jason blast through a window, grabbing Ginny.

The second film hits many of the same beats as the original, but it does enough on its own that many prefer its predecessor.

5. FRIDAY THE 13TH

RELEASED: MAY 9, 1980

DIRECTOR: SEAN S. CUNNINGHAM

APPROXIMATELY 10 KILLS

The original Friday The 13th is a monumental film in horror movie history as it helped spark the slasher movie craze that was prominent throughout the 1980s.

It was initially meant to be a rip off of 1978s Halloween, which would then feature an anthology series telling different horror stories with the Friday The 13th title. However, the success of the film allowed for a continuation of the Voorhees storyline throughout the series.

Many of the kills in Friday The 13th are tame for today’s standards, as many are left below screen for the audience.

However, famed special make-up effects artist Tom Savini adds his touch to the movie with some kills that still hold up today. The under-the-bed kill featuring Kevin Bacon’s character is still one of the best kills in the franchise.

The preferred version of the movie is the unrated version that has extended kills.

What makes the original stand out to this day is the final act with the battle between Alice, our final girl, and Pamela Voorhees. You see your standard final girl template with her running into dead bodies and fighting off Mrs. Voorhees.

Eventually, this leads to Alice grabbing a machete and cutting off Mrs. Voorhees' head.

Some of the mythology here is confusing with Friday The 13th as Mrs. Voorhees is taking revenge on camp counselors for allowing her son to drown due to their negligence; however, Jason takes his revenge for the death of his mother.

Did Jason actually drown?

One of the final scenes in the movie shows Alice out in the middle of the lake in a canoe, and a moment of peace seems to pass through the film.

Then Jason pops out of the lake dragging Alice with him.

The sequence turns out to only be a dream, but its effectiveness caused many future installments to duplicate it.

Friday The 13th, with its over-the-top characters and memorable final act, the film still holds up as one of the best in the franchise.

(Featured Photo: New Line CInema/Platinum Dunes)

#HF #Friday The 13th #Horror #Film Review #Ranking

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simplylove101 · 4 years

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2020 Horror Challenge: [17/?]

↳ “Yes, I've always dreamed of a little girl just like you.” Sleepaway Camp (1983) dir. Robert Hiltzik

Plot: Angela Baker, a shy, traumatized young girl, is sent to summer camp with her cousin. Shortly after her arrival, anyone with sinister or less than honorable intentions gets their comeuppance.

Starring: Felissa Rose, Jonathan Tiersten, Karen Fields, Christopher Collet, Katherine Kamhi, Paul DeAngelo, & Mike Kellin

Okay, this movie.... was completely bonkers! lol I had to wait to write this for a minute so I could wrap my head around what I just watched cuz wow. The ending had been hyped for me because I decided to check it out after hearing how radical the story was considered in the In Search of Darkness documentary I watched and I guess I just had to see for myself if it would shock me too. Well, it did. lol Idk how spoilery I should get because the movie’s main hook is centered around that last scene. But you also can’t completely get into your full thoughts about the movie without getting a little spoilery. I think it’s simple to say that it’s been called problematic, at least with how it was handled. But it does what it is meant to do, which is to shock you. Now, the movie does also have some absurd yet quite creative kills with a cast that was actually in the age range of what they were portraying so that mixed with the plot twist is what I think helps hold its legacy among the classic slashers to this day. There’s major cringe but eventually you either embrace the true campiness of it all or not. That was the thing about the 80′s. It was a time of horror cinema where people were not afraid to do different stuff, so in that regards, there’s something to admire about it. I will say this is a watch that’ll take a minute to forget. lol

#sleepaway camp #horrorchallenge2020

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beastlondoninfo · 4 years

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The Best Horror Movies of 2020

All of us love films, irrespective of how previous or how new or what kind all of us love films. Why? As a result of films are entertaining they provide us story. Now there have been many automobile films made, however which one is the perfect automobile film? We'll choose automobile films primarily based on the automobiles within the film, the automobile scenes, and the racing. The Best Horror Movies of 2020

10. Sizzling Rod Lady (1956) - I'm not certain whether or not this film was meant to be an anti-hot rodding film or not. The plot is not a lot guys brother dies, town needs to cease scorching rodding and the children nonetheless need to race. Since that is 1956 there needs to be a rooster sport proper (it was a legislation in 50's Hollywood). Within the film there are a couple of 32 Fords (really plenty of 32 Fords), a 56 Chevy, a 56 Ford, 55 T-bird, and an Olds 88.

9. Dying Proof (2007)- The primary half of this film possibly appear a bit boring, its largely speaking and only a bunch of women consuming in a bar (not even a wild bar social gathering, only a group of three ladies consuming) however then it will get good, with a 71 Chevy Nova used as a weapon and later a automobile chase with a 69 Charger and a 70 Vanishing Level Challenger. The film is supposed to really feel like a 70's Slasher film crossed with Vanishing Level. Should you're a Mopar man test this one out!

eight. Street Racers (1994)- This film is named Street Racers nevertheless they is just one quick race within the film, and a pair of Automobile Chases. The film opens with a Automobile chase between a 56 Chevy being chased by the cops 56 Buick all to a badass Rockabilly music! There may be greaser violence (not Grease greaser violence however just like the Outsiders with a 90's humor twist), there may be nice Rockabilly music from Glen Glenn, Hasil Adkins and Johnny Reno!

7. Thunder Street (1958) - Let me inform the story, I can inform all of it... Really let's let Robert Mitchum inform you the story he can do it higher. This film starring Mitchum is about Operating Moonshine in Tennessee within the 50's and making an attempt to not get caught be the revenuers. It has plenty of loopy automobile chases that includes a 50 Ford Coupe, 57 Ford Fairlane, a 56 Chevy undercover automobile that may rip off automobiles bumpers and a music in regards to the film carried out by Mitchum himself! 6. Dazed and Confused (1993) - I have been Dazed and Confused for thus lengthy its not true! Which sadly that music just isn't on this film (it was suppose to be and Jimmy Paige was for it however Plant wasn't). This film is form of just like the 70's model of American Graffiti besides it is the primary evening of summer time not the final and the principle character is getting into Excessive College. Anyway they is a automobile chase between a 64 Buick and 72 Chevy Truck, there's a 70 Chevelle SS 454, 70 GTO Decide, Ford Maverick, 37 Oldsmobile and a 74 Trans Am!

5. Tales of the Crypt: King of the Street (1992) - OK I lied this one just isn't a film; it's an episode from HBOs horror collection Tales of the Crypt. Why is that this film on the record? WHY ISN'T ON THE LIST? As quickly because the episode opens we're greeted with a 69 yellow Chevelle SS road racing a 69 Crimson Dodge Charger to a rocking music by Warren Zevon. Later we get a automobile chase with the Chevelle SS and a police automobile and on the finish a Road race with the Chevelle SS vs. a 57 Chevy Gasser! There's a nice soundtrack by Warren Zevon, nevertheless solely one of many songs "Roll with the Punches" has been launched the opposite "Dangerous Street, Wretched Street" is simply discovered as a canopy by a band known as Insurgent Son.

four. Sizzling Rod (1979) - This film is difficult to search out, it was a made for TV made out of 1979. It in all probability has essentially the most Drag Racing scenes out of any film I've seen! The film has a Road race between a 65 Hemi Plymouth and a 69 Olds Cutlass at first, later a hemi powered 41 Willys Coupe Gasser, a couple of humorous automobiles, and rocket powered Humorous Automobile and tons of Drag Racing scenes on this film!

three. Vanishing Level (1971) - Kowalski is a supply driver who's delivering a 1970 White Dodge Challenger from Colorado to San Francisco. He does it by rushing the entire time and creates the world's largest automobile chase! Being pursued by the police the entire time!

2. Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) - Who wants plots? This film would not! All we want is a Driver, a Mechanic, a Lady, a man with a GTO, a 55 Chevy gasser and some random hitch hikers to make a terrific automobile film! This film is all about automobiles and nothing else! You get to see and listen to a pleasant 55 Chevy nearly each scene in addition to a GTO. The film opens with a Drag Race and ends with one!

1. American Graffiti (1973) - Was this actually a shock to any of you? Nothing however traditional automobiles, cruising, nice music, humor, a couple of races and plenty of enjoyable! We get a pleasant however piss yellow 32 Ford powered by a 327, a 58 Chevy Bel Air additionally powered by a 327, a woman in a 56 T-bird and a Black 55 Chevy (really the identical one from Two Lane Blacktop). This film actually is all about automobiles, not coming of age. The film ends with a terrific showdown between the 32 Ford and the 55 Chevy!

Irrespective of how a lot we concern, we hold coming again for extra. Moviegoers for over a century now have change into more and more demanding, and moviemakers have by no means stopped stretching the chances of visible leisure. There are two the reason why the cinema display screen is so huge, defined one film critic. One: it is as a result of there's lots of people watching it. Second: it is to place every particular person into film itself, as if he had been carrying a pair of digital actuality goggles and it was him within the lead function. Think about if this know-how had been utilized to the horror style.

Think about placing your self within the lead function of those horror movies, identified for his or her most artistic plots of sudden twists. Shall you survive the digital realm of terror?

In 2007, a movie adaptation of the comedian e-book mini-series "30 Days of Evening" (IDW Publishing, 2002) despatched shudders up and down the backbone of viewers throughout the US. It starred U.S. heartthrob Josh Hartnett and Australian actress Melissa George. The story begins within the northernmost city of Barrow, Alaska, identified for its 67 days of winter darkness. A tribe of vampires aboard a seaborne tanker stranded amidst thick ice floes stumble into the peaceable city and, profiting from the extended darkness, wreak havoc and feast upon its inhabitants. A handful of survivors trapped in Barrow huddle and scurry to flee detection by hiding within the attic of one of many deserted houses. What makes this movie very fascinating just isn't the vampires, however the predicament that compels the human spirit to protect and defend its personal even when bleached underneath insurmountable supernatural odds. This Senator Worldwide-Columbia Photos movie was directed by David Slade and Sam Raimi, the director who labored on the "Spiderman" footage starring Tobey McGuire and such horror classics just like the "Evil Useless" trilogy and "The Grudge."

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iamdanielyoon · 6 years

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Blade Runner 2049 Review

***/*****

B-

80%

9:30pm

2D Digital

10/17/17

--------------------------

Notes:

Mostly empty theater but there were possibly 15 people in the 160 seat theater.

Got seats in row C, seats 11 and 12. Smack dab in the middle and a place where the screen was close enough to fill most of my field of vision.

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Audiences, and critics, called the original Blade Runner an esoteric film. Never before has a film been characterized so aptly. Wes Anderson is niche. David Fincher is focused. Steven Spielberg is talented. J.J. Abrams is new cinema. I hate to be so condensed in my perspective of them, but I’ll chalk it up to the short attention spans present in the online world. I hope I got my point across, though. All of these attributes I attributed to each of these accomplished directors can be seen as positive or negative. I, personally, am a fan of all of the directors I mentioned. I haven’t loved all of their works, or even seen all of their works, to be honest, but I do acknowledge their ability in crafting stories (although I have finished viewing the filmographies of J.J. Abrams and David Fincher). Their narratives have a distinct flair and I respect the craft they bring to the industry.

The connotation attached to the term ‘esoteric,’ however, was that the film was meant for those who liked noir & sci-fi stories. The film is not like Looper (2012) or Star Trek (2009), far from it. So don’t expect anything like that sort of thing going into it. The film is, at its core, a detective story. In terms of mature film, the Coen brothers can be comparable in terms of pacing, I suppose. But where the Coens have fascinating dialogue and well-executed editing, Blade Runner (1982) was more of a plodding crime story. It meanders and it doesn’t pander. It is for a specific set of people yet the film has been a major influence in the sci-fi genre, in all mediums. In this rare instance, the scathing, often empty, certain critiques of CinemaSins on the film were accurate. The fantastical visual imagery of its time nonetheless does not make a sufficient story, a well-told narrative or a propelling plot. Critics and audiences complain about that in cinema to this day and yet they gladly overlook those faults in this film.

So let’s get my thoughts on the original Blade Runner out of the way. I watched The Final Cut (2007): the one recommended by Blade Runner 2049’s director Denis Villeneuve. Like films of the past that had dark, gritty, grimy, seedy sci-fi worlds, Blade Runner had great production design. Ridley Scott is a flawed director, one who has had his fair share of duds and head-scratchers, but one thing you cannot deny is the man’s attention for detail and his extensive use of practical effects. The props used in The Martian (2015) were gorgeous. Blade Runner is no different. To cut my thoughts on the original short, here are my thoughts in a nutshell: Overrated; interesting sound design; weird parts; strange change in atmosphere/tone in final act (something I believe CinemaSins touched on) and overall a mediocre experience.

What’s lovely about this film is the fact that this film remains grounded within a future of that universe. Time has not been altered or changed to reflect modern tastes. Touch screens and head-up-displays that are prominent in our modern cinema have very little to do with the established world of Blade Runner. The Voigt-Kampff test is a technology that was interesting in the sense that it remains iconic and fascinating from a filmmaking perspective. And this film adds new vehicles, weapons and a great cinematographer to its established universe and polishes out the rough edges that were present in the original.

Blade Runner 2049 stars Ryan Gosling in his second role in which he actually gets to show that he can act (the first being La La Land (2016)). Most of the time, people submit that acting, in its best (see Oscars) form is subtle. Other times they suggest that powerhouse, extremely emotional performances like Hugh Jackman’s from Prisoners (2013) is what constitutes a great performance. While I do realize that acting requires immense talent, incommensurate kinds of methods for getting into character, a cooperation between all the major filmmakers involved, and more, I lean more towards James Franco’s performance in 127 Hours (2010) than Colin Firth’s in The King’s Speech (2010). #JamesFrancowasrobbed. But rarely do I say that the casting for a film was impeccable. Sometimes certain performances win over the people, sometimes it’s a great chance for actors to branch out, sometimes there are surprises from left field, but in a few rare cases, it’s hard to see anyone else in a role. Ryan Gosling is great for K, Harrison Ford returns in good form as Deckard, Bautista brings something truly unexpected in his role and there is an integral character with a small role overall that is pitch perfect. After I saw her and Robin Wright’s subtle acting it cemented my thoughts on the film in the acting sphere. It’s superbly cast. The small important character was the actual performance that I was most pleased by in this film, however. Jared Leto was interesting as the eccentric, blind, rich man… I think.

Hans Zimmer’s talents are squandered in this film. He’s been able to collaborate to great effect in films like The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), as flawed and bad as it was, and the first two Kung Fu Panda films (2008 & 2011). But instead he’s to do his rendition of the original film’s compositions. He’s got to do Vangelis, again. Thirty-five years later. I get it. People like the original’s score. People worship Zimmer and Blade Runner, sometimes they happen to do both. For the original Blade Runner, that composer’s sound was an iconic part of it, sure. Doesn’t mean it was timeless. Hans Zimmer got a lot of flak for making his own version of the Batman theme in The Dark Knight trilogy, and the world is all the better for it. Here, he is boxed in the world of Blade Runner. Here, he is chained by the fans of the original. The film suffers because of those fans. Instead of going in new directions like Giacchino for Jurassic World (2015), Star Trek (2009), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) or Rogue One (2016); instead of bringing back the composer that he previously collaborated with in 2015 for Sicario, Johann Johannsen, we are given a bland fan offering. There are moments when I notice the film’s music is about to head to something great, and then it veers towards synth sci-fi. Film score snobs, music critics and whoever else may heap praise upon Zimmer and his Dunkirk (2017) collaborator Ben W. for this film, but I won’t be one of them. Zimmer and his new buddy (Zimmer worked well with Junkie XL in Batman V Superman (2016); Junkie XL previously crafted a great score for Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)) are forced to placate the appetites of voracious fans instead of going in bold, new directions. I dislike the music. You might like it. And you’re free to do so. Music, I find, is a far more divisive medium concerning tastes than film. So go nuts and go crazy for all I care. Yo Yo Ma spoke about music that sounded good to him. The music in the Blade Runner universe doesn’t sound good to me. For more perspective on how the original film’s sound and soundtrack are layered and the like, you can see Nerdwriter1’s video on the matter.

The cinematography is so darn good. When used right, the visuals in a film can heighten the action, improve the pacing and make meaning of everything. The locked camera of Jackie Chan and Hong Kong directors make the action far more interesting than in Hollywood blockbusters with people flailing around in darkness (See EFAP’s video on Jackie Chan). Blade Runner 2049 reunites director Denis V. and cinematographer Roger Deakins. I’m just going to state for the record that I’m a fan. A big fan. I want to watch every film Deakins has ever done because seeing his work in this century’s films, I’m truly blown away. Directors need to work with a bunch of people to block and all, but a cinematographer like Deakins makes the final product that much better. Everything moves with purpose. The camera work is streamlined and masterful. I can’t really express in words how he does what he does besides a few interviews Deakins has done himself and a video by Tony Zhou (Every Frame A Painting, a truly artful man with a way with words. And a quick message to Zhou, if he somehow stumbles across my writing: Please come back to your channel and continue to do video essays. Please. We all miss you. Come back. Please.). The visual artistry of this film is profound. Denis and Roger should continue to work together for as long as possible.

The story of Blade Runner 2049 has a similar progression to its predecessor, in certain aspects. Its broad narrative is an investigation with mystery in a sci-fi setting. Whereas the previous film meanders, wastes time with its groundbreaking visual effects (there are shots of the iconic buildings that are just viewed from different angles with synth music blasting) and overall the plot devolves in its final act (turning into a slasher film, as noted by CinemaSins, I’m not calling CS good or critic-worthy but they occasionally do make some valid points)—this film is much more focused. This film finds a solid story progression but it too finds ways to slow down its story. There are lulls in between the acting, the spectacle, the visuals and the narrative. Although the argument can be made that the lulls are necessary, how you react to them can be a large indicator of what kind of moviegoer you are. If you perceive The Revenant (2015), Memento (2000), No Country For Old Men (2007) or Gravity (2013) as niche, indie, weird, dumb or boring, Blade Runner and its sequel are definitely not for you. Of note: all the previous films I mentioned in that sentence are ones I enjoy. Note: I enjoy them. You don’t have to. You can have your own dang opinion. You’re free to express that... For the most part. Anyways, on the bright side the film finds philosophic ideas to explore, interesting sci-fi settings to discover and the like… but I found it to be more of a specifically satisfying affair. Like the original Blade Runner, Rogue One, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), The Avengers (2012) and Terminator (1984), I understand why people like this film. But it doesn’t mean that I have to. I respect the craft and artistry. I do. But it’s not something that connects with me. It’s not that it falls flat. It’s just that the sum of its parts do not add up to a greater whole. I shouldn’t be analyzing a film based on math but I’m just trying to make a point. BR 2049 is exceptional filmmaking… but it’s rare in its appeal. It’s finely tuned, for the right group.

TL;DR: Not for me, but I respect the craft. 3/5 stars

#Blade Runner #Blade Runner 2049 #Review #Film #Cinema #Movie #Discussion #2017 #October #Movie references #Text #Long #80%#B-#3 stars #3/5 #Sci fi #Blockbuster #denis villeneuve #Thoughts

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brendanmoviedate · 7 years

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"Nobody will ever notice that. Filmmaking is not about the tiny details. It's about the big picture."

All through 2015, I’d been hearing about people doing a new-movie-a-day challenge starting January 1st and ending December 31. It seemed like a great idea for clearing through my watch list and an excuse to get out to the theatre more.

So for 2016, I decided part way into January that I was going to go for it. By that point, I was only a few movies behind, so how hard would it be to catch up and get to 366 (I just had to pick a leap year for this) by December 31? Well, by April, I was about 15 movies behind, and this was with watching three or more films every Saturday while my girlfriend was in class. Still, I was confident - my girlfriend would be going to school in London starting in September, so I’d have lots of free time to cram in some extra movies.

Flashforward to October, and an outdoorsy summer and month-long trip to the UK found me around 80 movies behind pace. Not good. I thought about giving up, but I’m too stubborn and foolish to let go of stupid things like this. October was rough. I watched movies all weekend, every weekend. I found the movies on my list that were less than 90 minutes, so as to pile on an extra film or two. By the end of the month, I had watched 100 films in 30 days. Halfway through December I reached 366, capping out at 374.

What did I learn?

This type of challenge really fucks up your decision-making abilities

When trying to decide between going out and watching a movie, or reading and watching a movie, or doing chores and watching a movie, or grabbing a meal at a restaurant and watching a movie, watching a movie always seemed like the right choice, just to get me closer to that goal of 366. Every time I chose to do something other than watch a movie, I felt anxious that this could have been the one movie keeping me from reaching my goal. It was rough. I’m only now getting over this feeling and it’s already March (spoilers: I’m never going to do this again).

The “only new movies” clause really stung

There were so many times when I wanted to watch a recent favourite, but couldn’t justify it. Mad Max: Fury Road, 22 Jump Street, Nightcrawler, Sicario, et al. kept beckoning me, but I would invariably choose something new.

Peak TV takes a backseat

With only a few minor excpetions (Veep, Silicon Valley, Game of Thrones), my TV watching for the year plummeted. I was already behind on shows like The Americans, Orphan Black, and Fargo that I really wanted to watch, but multi-episode seasons would eat up too much prime movie-watching time.

You don’t always watch what��s good, only what’s available

Netflix is so diluted at this point with direct-to-video releases and Netflix originals starring Adam Sandler that finding something of quality to watch was always difficult. Often I’d find myself watching a mid-2000s action movie instead something from my iMDB list just because it was on Netflix. Other times, even if I film I’d wanted to watch was on Netflix, like Son of Saul or Leviathan, I’d watch The Book of Eli because I was already too worn out by a day’s worth of watching movies.

A movie-a-day only really makes sense for those who can watch a movie a day

Work+girlfriend+dodgeball+hockey+friends meant I had only two or three days a week to squeeze in movies, necessitating regular marathons. It really defeats the purpose of the challenge and wears out the viewer on a physical and psychological level.

Korean thrillers are awesome

I watched a number of excellent films from some of Korea’s best directors, mostly in the horror and/or thriller genres. Bong Joon-ho’s Memories of a Murder and The Host, Kim Jee-woon’s The Age of Shadows, Na Hong-jin’s The Wailing, and Yeon Sang-ho’s Train to Busan all explored well-trodden movie tropes from fresh perspectives and made choices that North American filmmakers would normally shy away from. All of these films are classics that I can see myself revisiting over and over again. Of these films, Memories of a Murder is probably my favourite, serving as a Zodiac-like look into the futility of murder investigations. I should also mention Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden here, but I’ve talked about that masterpiece twice already.

Brian De Palma is an underrated master

Unabashedly fixated on voyeurism in his films, De Palma constructs tightly scripted, twisty plots that focus on peeping, spying, surveilling, and stalking as a means of telling a vast breadth of stories. His films are sleazy in all the right ways, but he brings to his low, almost uncomfortable, subject matter a brilliant technical understanding of film. Raising Cain, Body Double, and Dressed to Kill are all great examples of his craft, but it’s 1981′s Blow Out, starring a never-better John Travolta that is the perfect synthesis of his methods and methodology. The use of sound, split-screen, and split-diopters to focus on foreground and background at the same time is as captivating as the plot.

The worst movies were unfunny comedies

This probably shouldn’t have come as a surprise to me, but the worst kind of movie is an unfunny comedy. Not necessarily comedies with unfunny jokes (which, don’t get me wrong, are also nigh unwatchable), but comedies without jokes whatsoever. The films I’m talking about are those that are considered comedies because they weren’t serious enough to be dramas or tense enough to be thrillers, but instead just some stuff happens to the characters that provides a minor conflict or misunderstanding before an uninspired resolution. Fortunately, I only saw a couple of these, but they were painful enough to leave scars - The Overnight and the deliberately ironically titled The Comedy. The less said about The Overnight, the better, but I’ll at least faintly praise The Comedy for being a deliberate joke on its audience by being so gleefully unfunny.

I’m finally on board for the Fast & Furious franchise

After a meh first instalment and a horrible sequel, this franchise was as good as dead to me. With Furious 7 dominating the box office and positive word of mouth for the series finally drowning out my doubts, I decided to hop back into the franchise with the third instalment, Tokyo Drift. This film wasn’t by any means great, but it was engaging and personal in the way that the first two weren’t. When the next film cut back to Vin Diesel and company, I was slightly disappointed, as the band of thieves dynamic didn’t really meet my needs. However, it was Fast 5, when the franchise got a Dwayne Johnson injection, that it became an over-the-top superhero team-up movie. This film was absolutely insane, culminating in a getaway chase with a giant vault tied behind the vehicles demolishing half of Rio. The next two films failed to live up to Fast 5, but still featured cartoonish lunacy in the form of a wedge car vaulting other vehicles into the air and Dwayne Johnson flexing out of a cast.

The films of the 70′s and early 80′s continue to impress me

We’ve all heard that the 1970′s were the true golden age of cinema. Godfather this, Annie Hall that. But there’s so much more of value than the masterpieces everyone lauds. Sorcerer, Possession, The Warriors, Marathon Man, and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three are all vastly different films, but all have incredible performances, perfect pacing, and are utterly captivating. Sorcerer, about a group of drivers carrying unstable dynamite through treacherous jungles, and Possession, featuring Sam Neill as a spy watching his wife’s character slowing change into something else, both stayed me long after they were over, due to their incredible suspense and shocking outcomes.

Lilo & Stitch might be my favourite Disney movie

The Disney Renaissance died after the release of Mulan, with Tarzan, The Emperor’s New Groove, and Atlantis: The Lost Empire failing to capture imaginations the same way Aladdin or Beauty and the Beast did. Combining this decline with my bumbling journey through adolescence, it’s only natural that I’d didn’t give them a chance. So it’s with great regret that I did not see Lilo & Stitch until 2016. This film has all the heart and morals of a typical Disney film, but it’s incredibly funny as well. This was one of the movies I laughed at the hardest last year, mostly due to the antics of Stitch, who seems part koala and part centipede. This will easily get a rewatch over any of the Renaissance films. I wonder if a live action remake is in the works.

Return to Sleepaway Camp is as boring and tone deaf as Sleepaway Camp is fun and outrageous

Sleepaway Camp is a notorious cult classic, featuring campy performances and low tech slasher violence as well as one of the most genuinely shocking and disgusting reveals I’ve ever seen in a film. The image of it's final frame is forever burned into my brain. Naturally, the film garnered a few poorly conceived sequels with no one from the first film involved, which were easy enough to ignore. However, what I couldn’t help but be intrigued by was a “true” sequel from the original writer-director, featuring at least a handful of the original cast. If ever I regret watching a movie, it’s this one. Return to Sleepaway Camp reeked of desperation and ineptitude, from a director who had been far removed from filmmaking for the 25 years since his debut was released. It’s shrill, loud, derivative, boring, and featuring a twist so outrageously apparent for the whole film, it felt like a big “fuck you” to whomever watched and liked the first film.

The Purge movies are getting increasingly closer to being worthy of their own premise.

The first film in the Purge series was a missed opportunity. Setting up a brilliant premise, where all crime is legal for one night a year, the filmmakers foolishly decided to confine the film to within a single house for an uninspired home invasion thriller. The Purge: Anarchy brought the action to the streets for some expanded world building and introduced Frank Grillo as the new face of the franchise. But it wasn’t until the third film that real characters and an interesting plot developed. The Purge: Election Year is topical, disturbing, and more visually interesting than the previous films; if the series continues in this upward direction, I’ll be completely on board for the annual purge.

As I said earlier, this experiment was taxing, making me feel the crunch of a deadline for an entire year. But despite those struggles, I’d qualify it as a success. For each bad and mediocre film I watched, I watched two that I liked. I found a bunch of classics that I’ll be sure to return to over and over, and a bunch of directors whose filmographies I can make my way through.

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20thcentutygeek · 7 years

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Evolution of the horror movie scare

As usual, before I start I have admit that I am not an expert in Horror films (despite the many, many films I have watched). This blog, as with all of them, is just my opinion and I am happy to be challenged and on anything I propose. In fact, I welcome your comments and feedback. So, let’s get stuck in.

From the earliest days of cinema Horror has been a popular genre. With films like The Golem (1915), The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1919) and Nosferatu (1922) people loved being scared. Over the course of the next century the genre evolved and changed to reflect the fears of society. Also, upping the ante again and again on what the films could show to elicit fear and scares. Each generation has films that they claim are the best in genre and are the peak of fear. The question is, who is right if any of them?

I am a big fan of horror movies and enjoy the varied sub-genres for different reasons, expecting different things from them. However, there is a core conceit, I should feel a sense of fear when watching the film. It’s how that fear is evoked that might change. For example, the tension built up in the first half of ‘Halloween’ (1978) creates a sense of fear that elevates the events of the second half of the film. While the notion of Freddy Krueger in the first Nightmare in Elm Street (1984), a killer you cannot escape, is scarier than many of the actual ‘scares’ in the film. The film plays for blood rather than tension.

Since these films were released the genre has altered several times. The 80’s were filled with slasher films and low budget high gore video nasties. There were entries into the genre in the mid to late 70s that can be considered ‘classic’ films. However, the genre has always been fuelled by B-movie fare. It was these movies that became much of the output in the 80’s. unfortunately this meant that the genre was at a low point going into the 90’s. It was pulled from the doldrums by Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson with Scream (1996).

The film was a huge success and made Horror a viable commercial prospect again. As is always the case, Scream was followed by a litany of poor imitators. It also opened the channels for the ante to be upped once again. As we had had the video nasties of the 80s in the early 2000’s we were introduced to torture porn with SAW (2004) and Hostel (2005). The popular films source of scares had shifted again, now to victims literally being tortured or under threat of torture. The mechanics of the torture device might be clever but the scare had become simple and base.

I’m not a fan of these films. In fact, I find them tedious and a slog to watch. In my opinion, the acceptance of these as milestones in modern horror is the moment that the craft of creating tension and paying off with a scare was dropped. However, they were not the only films that changed the course of the genre during this period. The Blair Witch Project (1999) introduced the low budget high tension scares of the found footage format to the mainstream. It also introduced the notion of moving the focus of a threat or scare from the films characters to the viewers. This combination of excessive gore and direct viewer threat has been the main thrust of horror films for the last decade.

Things have started to change in recent years. Directors like Adam Winguard and Ti West have started to reintroduce the slow burn horror movie (House of the Devil 2009, You’re Next 2011). Are we at the start of another shift in horror? Could films like ‘Get Out’, ‘IT’, ‘Annabelle: Creation’ or even ‘Split’ drive the shift into the next iteration of popular Horror?

All these shifts and varying films are filled with different types of scares but do some work better than others? I understand that different people are effected by different scares but I also think that the art of a well-structured scare has been lost. The majority of horror films of recent years have all made the same mistake, in my opinion. There is a belief that the scare needs to be directed at the audience. This has been done over and over with loud musical stings and jump scares. Don’t get me wrong, these can be effective when used in the right place and sparingly. However, they have become the standard go to shorthand for a movie scare. By the third time something jumps out at me with a thump of noise, I check out. The other issue is that by directing these scares at the audience more than the characters they take the audience out of the experience rather than bringing them in. why should we care about a character surviving if we as the audience are continually put in their place?

It should be remembered that Horror films, like all forms of entertainment must contain a variety of elements to work. Some jump scares are fine, as long as they are accompanied by the building of tension and some well-placed reveals. The other elements that are more important are characters that matter and the audience cares about. It should be these characters, that we grow to love, that are under threat and to which the scares are directed. Fearing for these characters, I believe, is more effective than an audience directed scare. The final element is the context of the scare within the story. A scene can be well constructed, look great and have excellent effects but if the story is poor or makes no sense then everything else is for nothing.

All those different types of horror films that have been popular and fallen out of favour. All those masters of horror that have brought something new. They’re all valid and all deliver something worth watching as both movies and examples of Horror history. However, for all the differences the things that remain constant are at the heart of all good films. A good story, filled with characters we care about that is filmed well. Within that a good writer and director can introduce any types of well-constructed scares and the audience will be terrified.

What are the examples you think of that manage to blend all of these elements to make a great Horror Film?

#Horror #Halloween #Reviews #Movies

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