Dedicated Horror Nerd Thread

[Ampersand]

I guarantee you there are no fist-pumping moments in V/H/S. Dejected head-shaking, yes. So without further ado: read me whine about this new anthology found footage film, which I'm fairly certain was produced For Bros, By Bros. It's horrible, so please do me a favor and gander at this most prolix diatribe.

http://nessuntimore.blogspot.com/2012/0 ... -adam.html

[parapet]

Dejected head-shaking, yes.

That's a shame, mostly was only looking forward to Ti West and David Bruckner's portions, but I really don't know anything about it. Maybe i'll watch it tonight.

[nautical hyperblast]

D:

[Ampersand]

Also, got this from AICN, but it'll be cozier here:

[parapet]

v/h/s was pretty bad, yeah. i generally like anthology horror even when half of it is shit, but i think i only really enjoyed the one set in the woods. never really feel cheated since they're shorts and all, but for establishing a "anthology concept" as it's credited, there were plenty of ill-fitting uses of the set restrictions (skype) and only two of the stories actually looked like they were shot on vhs.

[hiddenicon]

yeah, i dont get where the community love for VHS is coming from. a couple of neat visuals but ugh... i was fairly psyched for it too.

not a guy who needs likeable characters, but the fucktardic bros in this thing make bradley cooper seem nebbish. bulk of the segments were fiercely misogynistic minus any commentary on the fact. the woods story that parapet liked was the only one stylistically interesting, but wholly ineffectual from a horror standpoint. i liked the energy of the final segment, but heaps of cheap cg and a lazy ending undercut its pace.

[hiddenicon]

looks like most of my issues were covered in ampersands review.

[Ampersand]

This morning: glance hesitantly at my words about SPIRITS OF THE DEAD (1968) and pray that they'll help you avoid your inevitable fate at the hooves of some incestuous ghost horse. It's a Poe anthology film with segments by Vadim, Malle, & Fellini, and it might just be the best of them all.

[Ampersand]

This eve: ever wondered what one of the dudes behind The Blair Witch Project has been up to in the intervening years? I wondered, and so watched Eduardo Sanchez's ALTERED (2006), SEVENTH MOON (2008), and LOVELY MOLLY (2012). Come read or else deer carcases will fall from your ceilings and hungry Chinese ghosts will try to eat you. Promise.

[Bob511]

You're way too kind to Seventh Moon.

[someguy]

After seeing it again last night I'm still impressed with Absentia. For the most part it's a good example of how to make a proper horror movie on a microbudget (the thing cost around 50k). I know Mike Flanagan secured funding recently for a feature-length expansion on his Oculus short so hopefully that'll go well for him.

[Ampersand]

You're way too kind to Seventh Moon.

Meh, it's not something I see myself returning to, but in the moment it was entertaining enough. It does seem to drag pretty bad there near the end for a movie under an hour and a half long. Again, I think most of my appreciation is based on the visual style alone, take that as you will.

And yeah, I really need to sit down and watch Absentia soon. Everything I've heard has been good.

[someguy]

I liked your Hotel review &

But about Lovely Molly, the thing with me is (these are spoilers) it got too absurd towards the end. I know it's evident that Molly had fucked up family issues but when she's talking to the air thinking it's her dead father, turns into a whimpering baby when 'he' comes by, bites a chunk out of her boyfriend's face and buries a deer carcass in the basement/rips it back out and fondles it I can't seriously believe that no one would even try to get her some sort of help. Once Molly's sister not only didn't do anything after her sister threatened to cut someone open like a fish but left her alone for over a day (same with Molly's husband) I was done with the movie. It felt like Sanchez had the big bloody climax in mind since the beginning and just had to connect the dots to that point even if all logic and plausibility were thrown out because of it.

[Ampersand]

I liked your Hotel review &

But about Lovely Molly, the thing with me is (these are spoilers) it got too absurd towards the end. I know it's evident that Molly had fucked up family issues but when she's talking to the air thinking it's her dead father, turns into a whimpering baby when 'he' comes by, bites a chunk out of her boyfriend's face and buries a deer carcass in the basement/rips it back out and fondles it I can't seriously believe that no one would even try to get her some sort of help. Once Molly's sister not only didn't do anything after her sister threatened to cut someone open like a fish but left her alone for over a day (same with Molly's husband) I was done with the movie. It felt like Sanchez had the big bloody climax in mind since the beginning and just had to connect the dots to that point even if all logic and plausibility were thrown out because of it.

Thanks, someguy.

Yeah, I definitely understand your issues, but they didn't affect me in the same way. I guess, on the one hand, I don't really care if my horror films make perfect sense and all the characters react logically/rationally-- in some ways that might spoil the horror. I prefer them to feel consistent in the type of nightmare images they're trying to produce, which are sometimes more symbolic than rational. And yeah, often that can be at the expense of things like plausibility-- the deer scene is incredible, but it doesn't have a the same effect if no one is there to observe it. I suppose he could have made some bizarre plot contortions to make it work on the level you want (she's institutionalized-- and then escapes!) but to me that sounds way hokier. If I had to take issue with the plausibility of most horror films then I wouldn't have many horror films to enjoy.

Secondly, the stuff you mention there didn't seem like a huge stretch to me. Her husband misses most of the truly crazy stuff, and he is prepared to call for help after the lip chewing scene but gets talked down by the sister. The sister is obviously more complicated, but I got the feeling that she was pretty fucked up by the abuse as well-- perhaps to the extent that her guilt/latent psychosis prevented her from acting? I dunno... I think the coda sort of affirms part of that. Like Molly, she is susceptible.

[RoyalCheese]

Im gonna have a week off during the last week of October (which includes my birthday) and Im gonna put together a mini festival for myself of horror films I havent seen or seen in awhile. I dont know how many Ill end up watching. But Id like to get a good selection to at least choose from.

So far I have:

Cronos
Lets Scare Jessica to Death
Re-Animator (seen)
Possession
Rosemary's Baby (seen)
Salem's Lot
The Stuff
Dark Water (original)
Silent Night, Deadly Night
Lord of Illusions (seen)
In the Mouth of Madness (seen)
Martin
Messiah of Evil
The Unholy
Ghosthouse
Parents
Blood Diner

the actual 31st Ill be watching classics such as Dawn of the Dead, The Shining, Exorcist etc.

[kranky]

i think i wouldnt mind if halloween just went away.

[kranky]

this past one i was giving out candy wearing a monkey mask and some smart ass kid was like "what are you supposed to be"

i'm monkey mask guy isn't that enough now. i'm an adult.

[DisposableGriot]

looks like most of my issues were covered in ampersands review.

Ditto. Convinced me I don't need to give it a second chance, and that the issues I had with it before would only be more glaring with fresh eyes.

[Ampersand]

My Octobers are usually insane. I do at least one horror movie per day all month, but historically it averages out to quite a few more that that. This year it'll probably be even crazier because I'm thinking of settling on a theme for the flicks and trying to write a blog review every day.

Similarly, this Christmas I'm planning on a month-long sojourn into all of the yuletide flavored horror films + the BBC's Ghost Story for Christmas collection.

Right now I'm in the midst of a Sequelthon. I've never seen any of these sequels but am rectifying that for my next series of blog posts.
I watched these yesterday:
1. Fright Night 2
2. Howling 2
3. Howling 3
4. It's Alive 2
5. It's Alive 3
6. Night of the Demons 2

and will be watching these Thursday-Friday:
7. Boogeyman 2
8. Basket Case 2
9. Basket Case 3
10. Exorcist 2
11. Exorcist 3
12. Prom Night 2
13. Hills Have Eyes 2
14. Poltergeist 2
15. Poltergeist 3
16. Amityville 2
17. Amityville 3
18. Return of the Living Dead 3

You've never experienced real tedium until you've spent an entire day on your couch watching werewolf movies.

[Poptone]

so basically you're an inveterate masochist.

[Ampersand]

Basically.

[RoyalCheese]

The Howling III is one of the oddest and most terrible horror films and yet I had insane amounts of fun watching it. Its so bizarre, it cant be missed.

[Ampersand]

The Howling III is one of the oddest and most terrible horror films and yet I had insane amounts of fun watching it. Its so bizarre, it cant be missed.

Yeah. I thought The Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf was as nutty as you could get, and I was so quickly proven wrong.

Simultaneously difficult to believe/totally typical that the same dude directed both of them.

[Ampersand]

This dreary afternoon @ my blog: written in a late night stupor, behold-- Renato Polselli's BLACK MAGIC RITES (1973). The film makes as much sense as I do at 2:00 a.m. on a night brimming with debauchery of the BMX Bandits and ginger ale variety.

[BlackSugar]

as far as I remember, amityville 2 was a pretty terrible movie but the part when the son does his thing was absolutely terrifying. like his face spooked me for years

[ifear]

the BBC's Ghost Story for Christmas collection.

o/

[Ampersand]

the BBC's Ghost Story for Christmas collection.

o/

\o
I am awfully excited about these ones, especially in light of the fact that I've been getting way into M.R. James and English supernatural fiction in general over the past year.

Also, status update on my Sequelthon: shit's done. It blossomed into 19 films because Ulli Lommel is an asshole and tricked me into watching a totally different cut (read: travesty) of Boogeyman 2. The Poltergeist sequels were the low points. I quite liked the Basket Case sequels, Night of the Demons 2, Prom Night 2, and Amityville 2, but in truth I was impressed that this wasn't half as grueling as I'd imagined it to be. I'll have the first post up on my blog maybe today? Maybe.

[Poptone]

I watched Intruder last night, which was really rewarding. 1989 slasher from the guy who co-wrote Evil Dead 2. It features both Raimi brothers hamming it up, inventive kills, and is self-aware enough to have fun with all of it.

I loved the goofy attempts at being arty, such as one shot that appears to be from inside a rotary phone someone's dialing.

[Ampersand]

I loved the goofy attempts at being arty, such as one shot that appears to be from inside a rotary phone someone's dialing.

I'm pretty sure I spit out whatever I was eating/drinking when this happened, in total glee.

[ifear]

the BBC's Ghost Story for Christmas collection.

o/

\o
I am awfully excited about these ones, especially in light of the fact that I've been getting way into M.R. James and English supernatural fiction in general over the past year.

there's a couple of other bbc m.r. james adaptations that aren't part of that series - a view from a hill, number 13 and two versions of oh whistle and i'll come to you my lad. they aren't all great, but worth watching all the same.