4th Annual N&G 31 Days* of Halloween (2022)
- Thread starter LeeVing
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LeeVing
Well-Known Member
I like the producer's cut of the 2.
There are some fan made cuts out there that pull from both and some cut footage that are actually a bit better than both.
EvanBenner
Well-Known Member
Fell a bit behind due to binging on Splatoon 3 all weekend, but back at it with spooky watch #8: Lust for a Vampire.
This middle entry in Hammer Horror's Karnstein trilogy is the most closely linked to its namesake inspiration (the classic vampire novella Carmilla), but I find myself disenchanted with this very loose adaptation.
Having recently read Carmilla for the Horror Queers podcast book club, I quite enjoyed the air of creeping unease and romantic tension present in the text. And while I do enjoy many of Hammer's own spins on classic vampire lore with their signature costuming and set pieces, I think it's the poor comparison to its source's potential that lets me down.
Compared to other Hammer films, from memory, this one feels more hectic in the writing and editing. It's also on the sleazier side and plays far more into the male gaze with the insertion of made-up Richard LeStrange as audience surrogate in place of the narrator Laura from the book. It's also nowhere near queer enough.
All this makes me feel as though now, in a time when atmospheric horror is at its fittest, is the perfect opportunity for a true Carmilla adaptation.
This middle entry in Hammer Horror's Karnstein trilogy is the most closely linked to its namesake inspiration (the classic vampire novella Carmilla), but I find myself disenchanted with this very loose adaptation.
Having recently read Carmilla for the Horror Queers podcast book club, I quite enjoyed the air of creeping unease and romantic tension present in the text. And while I do enjoy many of Hammer's own spins on classic vampire lore with their signature costuming and set pieces, I think it's the poor comparison to its source's potential that lets me down.
Compared to other Hammer films, from memory, this one feels more hectic in the writing and editing. It's also on the sleazier side and plays far more into the male gaze with the insertion of made-up Richard LeStrange as audience surrogate in place of the narrator Laura from the book. It's also nowhere near queer enough.
All this makes me feel as though now, in a time when atmospheric horror is at its fittest, is the perfect opportunity for a true Carmilla adaptation.
Hemotep
Well-Known Member
Day 13.
I forgot to post this yesterday.
House of Darkness
They missed a real opportunity with this one. Went in with no knowledge and it was intriguing throughout, but Justin Long was a bit grating. They could have built on some of the elements to make it into a great movie, instead it kind of ends right as it could have taken the next step.
I forgot to post this yesterday.
House of Darkness
They missed a real opportunity with this one. Went in with no knowledge and it was intriguing throughout, but Justin Long was a bit grating. They could have built on some of the elements to make it into a great movie, instead it kind of ends right as it could have taken the next step.
EvanBenner
Well-Known Member
Decided to knock out a movie that's been sitting on my watchlist for years with Feast (2005).
Creature feature horror comedy turned up to 11. A bar full of disagreeables gets besieged by vicious monsters, resulting in super goopy fun and oodles of gross practical effects.
It sets its unserious tone right from the start, which makes it go down all the easier. Every character gets their own profile intro, which is funny at first but the gag loses steam as each bit part gets their own jokey pause. Luckily, it doesn't take long for things to whittle down to the core cast. The rest is a fun, mean, and gory ride.
Creature feature horror comedy turned up to 11. A bar full of disagreeables gets besieged by vicious monsters, resulting in super goopy fun and oodles of gross practical effects.
It sets its unserious tone right from the start, which makes it go down all the easier. Every character gets their own profile intro, which is funny at first but the gag loses steam as each bit part gets their own jokey pause. Luckily, it doesn't take long for things to whittle down to the core cast. The rest is a fun, mean, and gory ride.
gaporter
Well-Known Member
MOVIE #9
Nightbreed (1990)
I think I expected this to be more straightforward horror, but I still greatly enjoyed it. Clive Barker's imagination is on full force here and I really liked seeing his vision brought to the big screen in such an uncompromising ways. As an actual story, it's kind of a mess, but it's still one of the better movies I've seen that tries to use some kind of monster as a stand-in for a marginalized group. That premise always has the potential to be rife with bad implications but I think it was handled well here. This was one of the more pleasant surprises I've gotten from a blind watch of something in a while, I'm almost mad I hadn't seen it sooner.
Rating:
boxd.it
Nightbreed (1990)
I think I expected this to be more straightforward horror, but I still greatly enjoyed it. Clive Barker's imagination is on full force here and I really liked seeing his vision brought to the big screen in such an uncompromising ways. As an actual story, it's kind of a mess, but it's still one of the better movies I've seen that tries to use some kind of monster as a stand-in for a marginalized group. That premise always has the potential to be rife with bad implications but I think it was handled well here. This was one of the more pleasant surprises I've gotten from a blind watch of something in a while, I'm almost mad I hadn't seen it sooner.
Rating:
A ★★★★½ review of Nightbreed (1990)
!!!!! Why in the hell hadn't I seen this sooner? They simply don't make them like this anymore, folks. I'm not sure I fully processed everything that was going on here, all I know is that I enjoyed the hell out of it. I think I was expecting more of a straightforward horror movie and instead got...
boxd.it
EvanBenner
Well-Known Member
In a surprising twist, the 10th installment in the Hellraiser franchise is markedly better than several of its precedents.
Hellraiser: Judgment (2018) reprises earlier attempts to place the cenobites in a detective noir plot, this time with a Se7en-style serial killer, instead using the Ten Commandments as an M.O. in place of the deadly sins.
Is it good? Not really. But it does make a significant effort to be more visually memorable than many of its predecessors. It at least exhibits style, if a little heavy-handed.
I'll probably rewatch the first 2-3 before the new Hellraiser installment hits Hulu on Oct. 7. As a franchise, Hellraiser has sooo many misguided or unsatisfying entries. I really hope for the new one to realize the missed potential of so many that came before, so that more cerebral entries can follow. Given the team behind The Night House (which was spiritually connected to the original Hellraiser) is behind the new movie, I am stoked af about what we're soon to see.
, which is decently mid-range for the franchise as a whole.
Hellraiser: Judgment (2018) reprises earlier attempts to place the cenobites in a detective noir plot, this time with a Se7en-style serial killer, instead using the Ten Commandments as an M.O. in place of the deadly sins.
Is it good? Not really. But it does make a significant effort to be more visually memorable than many of its predecessors. It at least exhibits style, if a little heavy-handed.
I'll probably rewatch the first 2-3 before the new Hellraiser installment hits Hulu on Oct. 7. As a franchise, Hellraiser has sooo many misguided or unsatisfying entries. I really hope for the new one to realize the missed potential of so many that came before, so that more cerebral entries can follow. Given the team behind The Night House (which was spiritually connected to the original Hellraiser) is behind the new movie, I am stoked af about what we're soon to see.
, which is decently mid-range for the franchise as a whole.
hype
Well-Known Member
Finally had a non crazy day again where I could fit in a movie so I smoked a bit and threw this on.. Jesus, what a ride! It was so well done and crazy as hell in the best ways possible. I'm so glad I went in completely blind on this one as it's a great ride from beginning to end and I still need to give it some thought and allow it to really sink in. @Hemotep explained it just enough a few pages back to not give anything away so I wont go into much other details other then saying Roth and Hall give some amazing performances just as I had hoped which I love seeing in the Horror genre especially! Once it ends the endless thoughts about it begin which will likely have me giving it a re-watch sometime this year for sure.
I can only see this rating go up as I get more time with it.
Hemotep
Well-Known Member
Day 14.
Beast
This was more entertaining than I expected. Before seeing it I thought it was very weird that Elba would take on what looked to be such a B role. But it manages to create a far more believable story (in part) with a good amount of tension and some quality jump scares. I had fun watching it last night, and it's the first one in a few nights that my wife hasn't said was terrible and stupid, lol.
Beast
This was more entertaining than I expected. Before seeing it I thought it was very weird that Elba would take on what looked to be such a B role. But it manages to create a far more believable story (in part) with a good amount of tension and some quality jump scares. I had fun watching it last night, and it's the first one in a few nights that my wife hasn't said was terrible and stupid, lol.
hype
Well-Known Member
Man, I meant to watch something a bit light last night and realized I hadn't seen this still so decided to finally throw it on. Light it was not haha.. This movie is just brutal and doesn't sugar coat anything which is how it should be in a film like this but ... damn. It has almost a documentary feel at times, especially when you see him watching his own disturbing kills on a recorded tape. It's not even an overly graphic or super bloody movie especially in todays standards but the realistic nature of the violence, especially the sexual violence almost sucks you in and makes you feel like you're watching real world events unfold in front of you which makes me understand why the rating board tried to give this an X rating originally. Michael Rooker as Henry was terrifying with his bleak deadpan delivery.
What makes it all even more chilling is that Henry Lee Lucas and Otis Toole were a real Serial Killing duo and actually were the ones responsible for killing John Walsh's young son in 1981 and is what drove him to become a leading victims' rights activist and eventually the host of Unsolved Mysteries where we all know him from or at least older people like me
.This is def. a very likely one and done view for me but it was very well done and constructed. I might eventually watch the Joe Bob version as i'm sure he lightens the tone quite a bit with the breaks.
Tough one to rate.....
On a brighter note I read a cool little random fact that Michael Rooker would wait at the exit doors of movie theaters when it was originally released and when someone would try and walkout early he'd pop out and scare them
LeeVing
Well-Known Member
#4.
The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)
A slow burn with some tension that I really enjoyed. Brian Cox is great as usual. I've had the score for years and owned this blu ray for about as long, but never watched it until now....this is a theme that will reappear many times, as I buy a lot of movies, but never get around to watching them.
And while my dad wasn't doing autopsies in our basement, I did grow up around dead bodies in the funeral home, so some parts were weirdly familiar.
The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)
A slow burn with some tension that I really enjoyed. Brian Cox is great as usual. I've had the score for years and owned this blu ray for about as long, but never watched it until now....this is a theme that will reappear many times, as I buy a lot of movies, but never get around to watching them.
And while my dad wasn't doing autopsies in our basement, I did grow up around dead bodies in the funeral home, so some parts were weirdly familiar.
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zomgbear
Well-Known Member
6. Demons (1985)
Rating:
The plot is absolutely ridiculous and makes no sense whatsoever - but I love the practical effects and its a pretty fun movie. The first half was a pretty good build up but the end middle seemed like they were running out of ideas on what could happen so it dragged a bit. Soundtrack is very 80s hair metal & electro funk so that was cool too.
Rating:
The plot is absolutely ridiculous and makes no sense whatsoever - but I love the practical effects and its a pretty fun movie. The first half was a pretty good build up but the end middle seemed like they were running out of ideas on what could happen so it dragged a bit. Soundtrack is very 80s hair metal & electro funk so that was cool too.
EvanBenner
Well-Known Member
I don't rewatch movies often, but I never pass up a chance to share the glorious Tetsuo: The Iron Man with the uninitiated.
This movie is damn perfection. Black and white industrial body horror with 100% practical effects, done on a student's budget over the course of ~2 years.
At 64 minutes with light dialogue and heavy visual vibes, it's an easy thing to throw on pretty much whenever. It also happens to be the source of my planned Halloween costume this year.
Gotta love how surprisingly queer this film gets too and does so without any sappiness.
Basically an extended early NIN music video.
Untouchable.
This movie is damn perfection. Black and white industrial body horror with 100% practical effects, done on a student's budget over the course of ~2 years.
At 64 minutes with light dialogue and heavy visual vibes, it's an easy thing to throw on pretty much whenever. It also happens to be the source of my planned Halloween costume this year.
Gotta love how surprisingly queer this film gets too and does so without any sappiness.
Basically an extended early NIN music video.
Untouchable.
gaporter
Well-Known Member
MOVIE #10
31 (2016)
In preparation for his new Munsters reboot, I decided to put on the only Rob Zombie movie I had yet to see. I got pretty much what I've come to expect from the provocative director, but unfortunately this probably ranks alongside 3 from Hell as some of his weakest work. I've always defended Zombie from the detractors who see him as nothing but another "torture porn" filmmaker, but this is one of the first times where it feels like he doesn't have much going on beneath the surface other than throwing a barrage of foul language and extreme violence at the screen. It wasn't terrible, and Richard Brake's performance specifically was amazing (honestly probably too good for the movie it was in), but I think Zombie just relied way too hard on his signature style for this to feel very fresh or exciting.
Rating:
boxd.it
31 (2016)
In preparation for his new Munsters reboot, I decided to put on the only Rob Zombie movie I had yet to see. I got pretty much what I've come to expect from the provocative director, but unfortunately this probably ranks alongside 3 from Hell as some of his weakest work. I've always defended Zombie from the detractors who see him as nothing but another "torture porn" filmmaker, but this is one of the first times where it feels like he doesn't have much going on beneath the surface other than throwing a barrage of foul language and extreme violence at the screen. It wasn't terrible, and Richard Brake's performance specifically was amazing (honestly probably too good for the movie it was in), but I think Zombie just relied way too hard on his signature style for this to feel very fresh or exciting.
Rating:
A ★★★ review of 31 (2016)
I'm usually a fan of Rob Zombie's work, but 31 definitely feels patched together from the director's worst tendencies. The film is practically all violence and vulgarity, with little room left for an actual story, and even then, for as extreme and envelope-pushing as it seems like this movie...
boxd.it
gaporter
Well-Known Member
MOVIE #11
Werewolf of London (1935)
Werewolf of London was Universal's first attempt at a werewolf movie, six years before The Wolf Man, and as such has the distinction of being one of the first werewolf films ever made. Although I think the studio did the concept better the second time around, this was still an enjoyable watch with some very cool makeup effects and editing tricks for the time it was made. I know old movies like this are something of an acquired taste, but I'm always amazed by the things we take for granted in modern movies that these early films pioneered with so much less to work with.
Rating:
boxd.it
Werewolf of London (1935)
Werewolf of London was Universal's first attempt at a werewolf movie, six years before The Wolf Man, and as such has the distinction of being one of the first werewolf films ever made. Although I think the studio did the concept better the second time around, this was still an enjoyable watch with some very cool makeup effects and editing tricks for the time it was made. I know old movies like this are something of an acquired taste, but I'm always amazed by the things we take for granted in modern movies that these early films pioneered with so much less to work with.
Rating:
A ★★★½ review of Werewolf of London (1935)
Werewolf of London, despite being regarded as one of the very first werewolf movies ever made, has had its legacy overshadowed by Universal's more popular and better-remembered second attempt at the genre six years later, The Wolf Man. This isn't too surprising, as The Wolf Man is the superior...
boxd.it
zomgbear
Well-Known Member
I've only seen this once but i was going to do a rewatch of this and watch the other 2 as well. I love the soundtrack.I don't rewatch movies often, but I never pass up a chance to share the glorious Tetsuo: The Iron Man with the uninitiated.
This movie is damn perfection. Black and white industrial body horror with 100% practical effects, done on a student's budget over the course of ~2 years.
At 64 minutes with light dialogue and heavy visual vibes, it's an easy thing to throw on pretty much whenever. It also happens to be the source of my planned Halloween costume this year.
Gotta love how surprisingly queer this film gets too and does so without any sappiness.
Basically an extended early NIN music video.
Untouchable.