|OT| 31 days of spoopy - 2020 edition

[MegaApple]

I'll finish one game from these. Help me pick one :

Non-PC

• Silent Hill 2
• Shadow Hearts
• Fatal Frame 2

PC

• Year Walk
• SOMA
• REmake HD
• RE2make
• Evil WIthin 1 and 2
• Darkwood

 

[Li Kao]

I vote Fatal Frame 2.
Spooked me enough at release to drop it after one session. The atmosphere is uguu

 

[Parsnip]

I've been meaning to rewatch Nightwatch, so maybe I'll do that during this month. And as I was just looking at imdb, I learned that the 1997 movie with Ewan McGregor seems to be a remake of a 1994 Danish film. Learn something new every day.

 

[Valdien]

Non-PC: I vote for Silent Hill 2. Shadow Hearts is an RPG, you definitely won't be finishing it anytime soon. But still a great choice for Halloween. The visuals, atmosphere and monster design will not disappoint. Oh, and an excellent OST!

Spoppy track:

PC: I'm extremely biased towards SOMA every time it gets mentioned but I'll vote for Darkwood instead.

 

[Deleted member 113]

I've been meaning to rewatch Nightwatch, so maybe I'll do that during this month. And as I was just looking at imdb, I learned that the 1997 movie with Ewan McGregor seems to be a remake of a 1994 Danish film. Learn something new every day.

It is. I happened to caught it at the cinema, and only learned afterwards that it was a remake.

 

[dummmyy]

Thanks FunktionJCB !!! I'm gonna rewatch Braindead this weekend!!!

actually, i'll probably watch everything you suggested, hahaha

Evil WIthin 1 and 2

here's my vote, MegaApple

 

[FeedMeAStrayCat]

I've been meaning to rewatch Nightwatch, so maybe I'll do that during this month. And as I was just looking at imdb, I learned that the 1997 movie with Ewan McGregor seems to be a remake of a 1994 Danish film. Learn something new every day.

At some point this month I'll be watching Night Watch for the first time, which is a 2004 Russian horror-fantasy-action movie. I've owned the DVD for well over a decade now and still haven't watched it, so I figured it's finally time lol but so many movies named Nightwatch or Night Watch or whatever hah

The Frighteneers, I haven't watched that since VHS days but man I loved that movie so much. Made me listen to Don't Fear the Reaper on repeat.

I used love love love Horror comedy when I was a kid, all the slashers, alien invasions and stuff like that.

Horror comedy is amongst my favorite genre

Also, The Frighteners! Only saw it for the first time a few years back (and then earlier this year again). It's pretty good and enjoyable! However, on my list for this month at some point is the behind the scenes documentary on the movie. I bought the Blu-ray earlier this year for specifically that doc. It's over 3 hours long and apparently an amazing look at movie-making in general.

 

[Parsnip]

At some point this month I'll be watching Night Watch for the first time, which is a 2004 Russian horror-fantasy-action movie. I've owned the DVD for well over a decade now and still haven't watched it, so I figured it's finally time lol but so many movies named Nightwatch or Night Watch or whatever hah

I think we have happened upon a nightwatchmen conspiracy.

 

[FeedMeAStrayCat]

Any other suggestions on some zombie films? thanks!

Zombie filmssssssss hmmm... I'm assuming you've seen the main Romero ones (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead)? All 3 of those well worth your time. There's also Land of the Dead, Survival of the Dead, and Diary of the Dead, but you can skip 'em (well Land of the Dead is still enjoyable I suppose.. it's been a while). Dawn of the Dead remake is good. The Beyond is great! Zombie aka Zombi 2 aka Zombie Flesh Eaters is enjoyable (I know some people love it, but for me it was merely good). Return of the Living Dead is definitely worth a watch, haven't seen the sequels but I believe the 3rd is also well liked. Train to Busan is great, I'm curious how the sequel is (and the animated thingy). The first two Re-Animator films are solid. 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later definitely worth your time. One Cut of the Dead is terrific. Cargo (2017) is a somewhat unique take, and I also watched it while I was in the hospital getting a blood transfusion during my chemotherapy. So that was a unique experience lmao World War Z is surprisingly enjoyable. The Resident Evil movies may be worth your time, depending on whether or not you can find them hilarious. Oh oh oh Cabin in the Woods is one of my favorites! Zombieland is worth a watch, dunno about the sequel yet. Night of the Creeps is good fun, though it's been some years since I've seen it. Obviously Shaun of the Dead if you haven't seen that yet, that's a classic.
_
As far as my progress towards my 31 Days of Spoopy, last films I watched were:
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (that's the 6th one) 2/5
Tales from the Hood 4/5
Killers Klowns from Outer Space 1.5/5

Ya know, Killer Klowns was a weird one for me. I just did not enjoy it. Nothing clicked for me at all, and I'm all about campy horror shit.

 

[Joe Spangle]

We watched 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose '. It was alright. Wasn't terribly scary but had some spooky moments. Fairly interesting story.

Also watched a shark film called 'Reef' and even though it was a pretty run of the mill shark film it did have some genuinely tense and spoooky moments. I don't like that feeling when you are looking into a deep murky ocean with no bottom in sight and something could be out there. It had a lot of those types of scenes. I think it counts for this thread.

Think we will watch something scary this weekend, maybe Conjuring?

 

[Deleted member 113]

Ya know, Killer Klowns was a weird one for me. I just did not enjoy it. Nothing clicked for me at all, and I'm all about campy horror shit.

It's funny how things are, and how tastes diverge. I love Killer Klowns From Outer Space!
I think I have 3 or 4 different Blu-Ray editions of the film.
It's one of those films me and my friends keep quoting scenes from whenever we are together.

There's a few films I would endlessly rewatch in a group: this one, Army of Darkness, Re-Animator, Idle Hands, ...

 

[FeedMeAStrayCat]

It's funny how things are, and how tastes diverge. I love Killer Klowns From Outer Space!
I think I have 3 or 4 different Blu-Ray editions of the film.
It's one of those films me and my friends keep quoting scenes from whenever we are together.

There's a few films I would endlessly rewatch in a group: this one, Army of Darkness, Re-Animator, Idle Hands, ...

Strangely enough, Army of Darkness is my least favorite Evil Dead film. I love the franchise, but for me it goes ED1 > ED2 > Remake > Army of Darkness. I still enjoy Army of Darkness, though, definitely Ash vs Evil Dead is also amazing.

 

[Li Kao]

New Humble Horror Manga

Humble Manga Bundle: Terrifying Tales by Kodansha

We've teamed up with Kodansha Comics for our newest bundle! Get comics like Dissolving Classroom, PTSD Radio, and In/Spectre. Learn more!

www.humblebundle.com

I'm chickening out !

 

[Deleted member 113]

Night #7:

Is there a novel that has received as many adaptations as Jack Finney's The Body Snatchers?
I always had a soft spot for this one. It was the 3rd adaptation (after two great ones in 1956 and 1978), done by an interesting, unusual crew.
It was directed by Abel Ferrara (a director whose work I enjoy, but he's not one you would expect to tackle an horror/sci-fi flick for a major studio), with script and story by a number of very talented people, including Larry Cohen (one of the great indie genre film directors, and a screenwriter for films like Phone Booth, Maniac Cop, ...), and Stuart Gordon (director of films like Re-Animator, From Beyond, and Fortress, and funnily enough, screenwriter on Honey, I Shrunk the Kids).

At just below 90 minutes, it's a mean, lean adaptation of this well know story. Taking place in a military base, and following a family falling apart, it's definitely an interesting take, that sadly was mostly ignored at the time of launch (although it has found an audience, and critical reevaluation since then).

And I just love Meg Tilly's utterly memorable "speech" scene.

Spoiler

It was a joy rewatching the film in HD (I hadn't watched it since its DVD release). I keep saying this, but there's something about rewatching films in a decent sized screen, on Blu-Ray. It makes for a very "film-like" experience, similar to watching a projection at a cinema. I love it!

---

For those who still use physical media, this film is part of a very awesome 4-film collection released by Warner, that is just plain awesome.
It collects 4 previously released titles in their Warner Archives series (Body Snatchers, The Hunger, Innocent Blood, and Wolfen), and whoever selected them to be combined deserves the biggest of high fives, because while not sharing any direct connections, they are all genre efforts that tanked at the box office, but all four are very interesting, and have since received some reevaluation, and gained a bit of a cult following. I rather like them.
I'll be surely rewatching the other films in the set in the coming days.

---

And with that, I reached the end of week 1, with a total of 10 films watched so far.
It was certainly... interesting. I have tried to accommodate the fact that my wife has been watching most of these films with me this year, which has resulted in me watching much more recent titles than usual (I'm a fan of older films; she's the opposite), and several horror comedies.
I'm yet to tackle most of the stuff I want to watch, including numerous Italian genre efforts.

 

[fantomena]

I think The Conjuring is my most rewatched horror movie. I have watched a ton of horror movies over the years, but The Conjuring is the one I have felt to be the most rewatchable. Didn't really care for the sequel sadly, only watched it once.

 

[Li Kao]

I think The Conjuring is my most rewatched horror movie. I have watched a ton of horror movies over the years, but The Conjuring is the one I have felt to be the most rewatchable. Didn't really care for the sequel sadly, only watched it once.

Oh that's a bad news, because I still have to watch the sequel. I'm right there with you on the first one, I'm sure its quality is debatable, but I found it very watchable. Not revolutionary, but very competently made.

 

[Joe Spangle]

I think The Conjuring is my most rewatched horror movie. I have watched a ton of horror movies over the years, but The Conjuring is the one I have felt to be the most rewatchable.

Thats good to hear, its on my list to watch this weekend.

 

[fantomena]

Oh that's a bad news, because I still have to watch the sequel. I'm right there with you on the first one, I'm sure its quality is debatable, but I found it very watchable. Not revolutionary, but very competently made.

Conjuring is not the best horror movie Ive seen, but for some reason I just find it really enjoyable and rewatchable.

Like, I think I liked Marianne (TV series on Netflix) better than Conjuring, felt way more scarier, but I will only watch it once.

Another example is the first IT movie (2017). I find it quite rewatchable, but still not a particulary good horror movie.

 

[gabbo]

Took in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark last night. It's not bad, felt a bit too much like IT Chapter 1 and like it wasn't sure if it wanted to be a straight ahead horror film or if it wanted to do an anthology format. Didn't really find any of it scary (though the red room creature was scary for how calm and pleasant it seemed). Fun to see the books kinda come to life, but probably aimed at someone with a few fewer years under his belt in terms of genre intake.
Would recommend, as there are way worse films to spend an evening on even if it's not the best or scariest film ive ever come across

 

[Deleted member 113]

Last night was... something.
I got ready earlier than usual, so I could possibly watch a longer film (or even make it a double-feature), and I had already "warned" by wife that last night, I wanted to watch something to my liking, so I was all ready to watch either a Giallo (probably Eyeball (Gatti rossi in un labirinto di vetro), since I'm yet to watch the BD) or In Fabric.

Then, our cat decided to crap itself (or, to be precise, decided to take a dump, and got a piece of poop stuck to the fur near her bottom), so we had to attempt to clean her. With a wet cloth, and a small amount of water. That was fun. My wife used gloves, but the cat destroyed them, so she got scratches on her hands, arms, and even a small puncture to the neck.

And so, when all was finished, it was now late as hell, and we resorted to watching something from Netflix again.

Little did I know that the cat's turd wasn't the only one I would see that night.

Night #8:

Needless to say, this one wasn't really my choice, and certainly not the one I expected to watch last night.
Yeah, me and Adam Sandler don't get along, comedy-wise. There's something about watching a comedy that doesn't make you laugh a single time.

What can I say positive about it? Well, the look is kind of decent (it's like someone successfully translated Scooby-Doo animation into live-action).
And... that was it.
Also, for some reason the main character speaks like someone with an intellectual disability, and I'm not sure many people will be able to follow what he says without subtitles.

Bring on the weekend (and better films), please.

 

[FeedMeAStrayCat]

Last night was... something.
I got ready earlier than usual, so I could possibly watch a longer film (or even make it a double-feature), and I had already "warned" by wife that last night, I wanted to watch something to my liking, so I was all ready to watch either a Giallo (probably Eyeball (Gatti rossi in un labirinto di vetro), since I'm yet to watch the BD) or In Fabric.

Then, our cat decided to crap itself (or, to be precise, decided to take a dump, and got a piece of poop stuck to the fur near her bottom), so we had to attempt to clean her. With a wet cloth, and a small amount of water. That was fun. My wife used gloves, but the cat destroyed them, so she got scratches on her hands, arms, and even a small puncture to the neck.

And so, when all was finished, it was now late as hell, and we resorted to watching something from Netflix again.

Little did I know that the cat's turd wasn't the only one I would see that night.

Night #8:

Needless to say, this one wasn't really my choice, and certainly not the one I expected to watch last night.
Yeah, me and Adam Sandler don't get along, comedy-wise. There's something about watching a comedy that doesn't make you laugh a single time.

What can I say positive about it? Well, the look is kind of decent (it's like someone successfully translated Scooby-Doo animation into live-action).
And... that was it.
Also, for some reason the main character speaks like someone with an intellectual disability, and I'm not sure many people will be able to follow what he says without subtitles.

Bring on the weekend (and better films), please.

I'm so sorry
First, for having to watch one of "those" Adam Sandler movies.
Secondly, for the kitty poop.

I really enjoyed In Fabric.
I do need to watch some more giallos as I really have liked what I've seen, but have seen a pretty limited selection so far.
__
Also watched Extra Ordinary yesterday and then Doctor Sleep with my partner.
Doctor Sleep is the first big surprise of the month, as I really liked it more than expected
Extra Ordinary was also pretty entertaining Will Forte always makes me laugh

 

[MegaApple]

I vote Fatal Frame 2.
Spooked me enough at release to drop it after one session. The atmosphere is uguu

Non-PC: I vote for Silent Hill 2. Shadow Hearts is an RPG, you definitely won't be finishing it anytime soon. But still a great choice for Halloween. The visuals, atmosphere and monster design will not disappoint. Oh, and an excellent OST!

Spoppy track:

PC: I'm extremely biased towards SOMA every time it gets mentioned but I'll vote for Darkwood instead.

Thanks FunktionJCB !!! I'm gonna rewatch Braindead this weekend!!!

actually, i'll probably watch everything you suggested, hahaha





here's my vote, MegaApple

Thank you for suggestions

 

[Deleted member 113]

Man, last night really didn't go through as planned.
After the previous night, I was so much looking forward to watching 3 (or even 4) films, especially since I received some really cool stuff to watch earlier in the day (a lot of "b movies", from Mexican slasher films, to Italian genre titles, plus several German BDs from titles like The Hitcher, the Ginger Snaps trilogy, ...).
But then, I ate something a bit on the "heavy" side at lunch, that made me unwell most of the day, and because I'm a very smart guy, I ended up eating some local spicy sandwiches at dinner, and the combination really did a number on my stomach.

So, I sadly watched a single film.

Night #9:

Another film I hadn't watched in 25+ years.
From director John Landis (An American Werewolf In London, The Blues Brothers, Animal House, and the music video for Michael Jackson's Thriller) comes this weird [UWSL]mishmash[/UWSL] of genres. A bit of an horror "rom com", with vampires, and... mobsters, the film is tonally all over the place. And, it was a box-office bomb.
But, while not always successful, there's something about the mess of clashing elements on display that appeals to me.
Truthfully, I usually "connect" with this kind of films, the "black sheep", the box-office bombs, the frequently critically panned films, because they usually dare to try something new, or different, and I do not necessarily connect with the A efforts, the box-office hits, the frequently polished (but soulless) efforts.

So yeah, while no masterpiece, I have a soft spot for this one. Besides the lovely night shots of Pittsburgh, soundtracked by classic tunes from Frank Sinatra and similar artists, there's plenty of things to like.
I mean, how can I dislike a film that has:
-the foxy French actress from La Femme Nikita playing a sexy vampire, with a lousy accent and frequently fully naked, that only dines on bad guys, particularly mobsters?
-the great Robert Loggia chewing all scenes he is in, including a scene where he is hitting on strippers while Prince's Get Off is playing?
-a lot of Easter Eggs for film buffs, in particular those who like the horror genre, from the plenty of film clips from Classic Universal Horror films, or Hammer films, to actual cameos from directors Dario Argento (Profondo Rosso, Suspiria, ...), Frank Oz (Little Shop of Horrors, The Dark Crystal, What About Bob?, and of course, also known for his roles as Yoda in Star Wars, and multiple characters in various The Muppets productions), Sam Raimi (Evil Dead, Darkman, Spider-Man, ...), and others.

---

On a side note, me and my wife have been debating the film we disliked the most from those we watched recently.
The decision has been between The Babysitter: Killer Queen, and Hubie Halloween. She says it was the former, I say the later.

Last night, she told me after the film ended "I think I disliked this one even more than the other two". I am now contemplating divorce.

 

[Deleted member 113]

HA Innocent blood! One of those movies I picked up at random over a decade ago during my main 'dvd buying phase'. (I no longer purchase dvds)

The whole movie lives and dies by the "Mobster becomes a vampire" premise. So the actor chosen are all typecast and ham it up..... so what? Just means that its another B movie horror flick. The rom com stuff was lame but MOBSTER VAMPIRE is what I remember.

So a win in my book.

Yeah, it's a really fun cast, full of character actors that frequently played mobsters, like Chazz Palminteri and David Proval, plus Robert Loggia having a blast. And... Don Rickles?!

I had a lot of fun revising the film (the Blu-Ray looks lovely!). I mean, I grew up watching many of these genre films in pan & scan, looking like crap, on VHS or TV showings (since many of them didn't get a theatrical showing here), and watching them on Blu-Ray, on a 55 inch LED TV looks very much like watching it projected on a small cinema screen, with grain, texture, the "theatrical experience" I never had with some of these, and as a film lover, it's just so extremely satisfying.

My wife really hated the film, though.

Tonight, I'm preparing for a small marathon of cheesy slasher films.

 

[Li Kao]

Isn’t Innocent Blood the one where the vampire drinks one of its victim while in a car and only leaves a small chunk of the throat ?

 

[Deleted member 113]

Isn’t Innocent Blood the one where the vampire drinks one of its victim while in a car and only leaves a small chunk of the throat ?

Well, there are people being drained of blood in cars, but the rest, not really.

Spoiler

It's about a female vampire who only "eats" bad people (in this case, she went for mobsters).
She would usually blow their heads off after draining them, so they wouldn't come back as vampires, but when she kills the leader of one of the crime families, she is interrupted before blowing his head, and as a result he returns as a vampire himself, and starts turning the other members of his family into vampires.

 

[Joe Spangle]

Last night we watched The Amityville Horror with Ryan Reynolds. It was alright. Had some tense creepy moments. RR was pretty good, only ever seen him in comedic roles. Overall it was good.

 

[Deleted member 113]

Night 10:

I'm starting to realize I may be turning into a miserable old bugger.
Every horror comedy I've checked this year has mostly went flat with me. This one was another one to add to the count.
I mean, there are some funny bits, the two main ladies are attractive, there's a couple of catchy tunes in the soundtrack, but I really didn't connect with it.
It doesn't help that one of the main characters has a very thick accent, and sounds like he is pretty much mumbling all his lines, when several scenes take place is noisy locations (like a nightclub), and there weren't any subtitles on the Blu-Ray.
So yeah, it was... OK. But, after reading some very positive reviews of the film, I can't say I was very enthusiastic of it.

Now this is more like it!
A charming, Mexican slasher from the late 80's, with a villain that seems straight out of the Blind Dead series of films, this one was rather fun.
There's some great practical effects on this one (done by the director himself), some hammy acting (some of these actors had a soap opera background), a strangely catchy soundtrack (that starts early on by sounding as early 80's Depeche Mode, and then starts turning a bit more cheesy, full of drum machines, but I dug it), and a few non-intended hilarious bits (that even my wife ended up crying in laughter, especially a small scene where the sheriff seems to be struggling to stop his car, just as he is leaving it )

On a side note, the awesome Blu-Ray by Vinegar Syndrome has a very charming interview with the director of the film, who seems like a very nice chap, and among the pieces of info provided he basically explained how he ended up going to spend a weekend in the US just to learn a few gore/practical effects technics to use in the film, because he found no one in Mexico to do them.

From a Mexican slasher film, to a US slasher (mostly) directed by an Italian, this one is a total cheese fest.
People behaving stupidly during spring break (most of it surely wasn't done for the film), tiny bikinis, gratuitous nudity, a killer dressed in black biker gear, with a penchant to electrocute people (frequently with a devise installed on... his bike), a soundtrack full of cheesy 80's pop tracks from mostly unknown bands (and an awesome, catchy track from frequent Dario Argento collaborator Claudio Simonetti, a former member of the band Goblin), and bright colours everywhere!
This one is the type of film that will either be a lot of fun, if you are in the right mood or you like the genre, or it will annoy you immensely.
I'm definitely in the camp that enjoys cheesy, stupid, and frequently just plain illogical genre efforts like this one, so I had a lot of fun revisiting it.

 

[FeedMeAStrayCat]

adds 3 more movies onto his watchlist
actually only adds 2 when he realizes he had already added Ladrones de Tumbas but knew it as Grave Robbers

 

[Deleted member 113]

actually only adds 2 when he realizes he had already added Ladrones de Tumbas but knew it as Grave Robbers

To make matters not at all confusing, this is the second film Vinegar Syndrome releases as Grave Robbers, with the other being:

Graverobbers (1988)

Cute waitress/hooker is romanced and wed to handsome stranger/funeral director. He, as well as most of the town prefer their women dead. She is the obvious candidate for that position, as his two previous wives were in terrible shape even for dead persons. She must be fleet of foot indeed to...

letterboxd.com

 

[FeedMeAStrayCat]

...........................................adds another film to watchlist

 

[gabbo]

...........................................adds another film to watchlist

If there is one things these years posts are good for it's finding movies to watch later/next year for this, that's for sure.

Last night got in another full film (had to cut Rosemary's Baby short the night before)
V/H/S/ 2
I've seen the first two films before, my wife had not. I remember this being more effective and less goofy (...mostly) at the time.
I still found the wrap around narrative to be the worst part. High on jump scares, low on tension overall Don't mind mumblegore, but VHS2 is, like all low budget anthologies, reliant on how good the individual stories are, and this was very uneven. I still like the cult story best, even if the demon looked silly.
First one is better, want to see the third just to see if maybe the framing narrative goes somewhere, since this seems to be building on something just not doing so in a very interesting manner

 

[Deleted member 113]

I usually write my comments in the next morning, so I can take a little more time writing, but this one will be quick.

Night #11:

Like I previously mentioned, I struggle with most modern films, particularly genre efforts, because of a number of things.
From the lack of colour (some directors apparently don't know you can use other colours that aren't dark blue, or grey; most films all look the same to me), CGI everywhere instead of sets and practical effects (sometimes, even actors), and a frequent lack of any ideas and originality (are people unable to do anything other than a remake/reboot/reimagining/... ?).

This new adaptation of Pet Sematary is one of the worse offenders in terms of everything I dislike about modern horror films.
Like most remakes, it's utterly pointless (it's doing the same thing, but worse than what was previously done). It's devoid of any ideas (the best the screenwriters could come up with was changing the gender of a victim, and changing the ending; there's an alternate ending on the Blu-Ray; it's sadly hilarious how both diverge from the previous adaptation, and for the worse; the only significant change they managed to make was to the ending(s), and it was for the worse). It's devoid of colour. There's plenty of CGI (because apparently you need shots of a CGI forest). And, it manages to throw in every cheap gimmick you can think of, for cheap jump scares, or to create what they think it's a suspenseful ambience. It's not. It doesn't work (at least for me).

Oh, and they fucking replaced the original title track from Ramones, with the most soulless, generic girl-sang pop cover.

At least, the other remake I watched recently (Child's Play) tried doing something different from the original, even if it was frequently unsuccessful. And was immensely more enjoyable than this crap.

A total waste of time.

 

[Deleted member 113]

Yesterday, I spent most of the day thinking about finally watching In Fabric.
Then, when I'm about to start watching it, my wife tells me the film doesn't look appealing.
So I thought: "I'll show you. I know what I'm going to (re)watch: Space Vampire Titties!!!"

And so...

Night #12:

35 years later, and I still can't believe this film was made.
I love Cannon Films. And few films represent their excesses like Lifeforce.

It absolutely blows my mind that currently, someone like John Carpenter (a brilliant director) is unable to find anyone to fund a film (not even for a budget of "peanuts", since even Blumhouse, who fund and churn crap after crap, turned him down a few years ago; funnily enough, they are more than happy to milk some of the films he made, like Halloween, and apparently they are now trying to reboot The Thing, and want him on board as a "producer" (basically, collecting a check), for name recognition). But Cannon was willing to drop a huge pile of money on Tobe Hooper, to make a film about a Space Vampire that walks around naked pretty much the whole film. Just think about it: picture someone, even a current big name director, going to a studio pitching a big budget film about Space Vampires. Naked Space Vampires.
More incredibly, this one has so many talent attached to it. The great Henry Mancini turns in a kick-ass soundtrack. Dan O'Bannon, hot out of Alien, and Dead & Buried, as a screenwriter. John Dykstra, and a talented crew, doing special effects. And plenty of acting talent like Patrick Stewart in front of the camera.

The end result is a glorious, insane, mind blowing mess, on an epic scale.
Words fail me to properly describe what's on display. Awesome matte paintings out of classic sci-fi, huge scale and production values, classic actors delivering the most inane dialogue imaginable, London blowing up, Steve Railsback schmooching with Sir Patrick Stewart, and Mathilda May's perky talents on full display.
It's a lot of fun!

I couldn't believe when in the late 90's, MGM released such a box office bomb on DVD, uncut. At the time, it was a glorious event. The film easily available, looking better than ever.
Fast forward 20+ years, and there's now several Blu-Ray releases of the film (I have 2 or 3 different ones myself ), the later of which a 2 disc set that provides... 4K scans of the 2 cuts of the film (the US theatrical version, and the version for international markets), and a ridiculous amount of extras. Just think about it: we still can't buy a legit Blu-Ray of Scorsese's After Hours, but we can see Mathilda May is 4K, in lavish fashion.

On a side note, the recent re-releases from 4K scans (released last year) look mind-blowingly awesome!

If you enjoy the film, the latest release by Arrow Films (a 2 disc set) is an easy recommendation. It looks and sounds better than ever, and the extras (including a 70+ minute documentary) are well worth a look.
This release is currently selling for £7,50 at their website:

Lifeforce Remastered Blu-ray | Arrow Films

Arrow Films

arrowfilms.com

Oh, as for my wife, she... fell asleep.
I'm considering "banning" her from future film watching sessions.

 

[Li Kao]

I have half a mind of re-watching Tremors and Critters.
And maybe the sequels. But I suppose they are dog shit.

 

[Deleted member 113]

I have half a mind of re-watching Tremors and Critters.
And maybe the sequels. But I suppose they are dog shit.

Critters 3 and 4 are a bit lame.

I actually had the Critters series in my list to rewatch this Halloween, since my wife never saw any of them, but since I recently bought a lot of stuff to watch I probably won't get to them.

 

[Deleted member 113]

After a crappy day, I just wanted to sit down, chill out, and watch my daily flick.
I thought: "I'm in the mood for a Giallo", so I set off to watch my copy of Umberto Lenzi's Eyeball.
There was only one problem: I... couldn't find it.
You see, since late July (my 40th birthday) I went a bit overboard with Blu-Ray purchases, and since I'm yet to store them, I have a big pile of boxes in a corner of my office (like, at least 3, if not 4 dozen), and the film wasn't where I thought it was (I probably placed it inside one of the bigger boxes).

So, I opened a few boxes, and looked for alternatives, something my wife wouldn't fall asleep to.
But, I kept finding crazier and inaccessible films like The Ninth Configuration, Phase IV, and similar stuff.

I finally hit the jackpot, and found a couple of Gialli starring the lovely Edwige Fenech, and so...


Night #13:

While far from being a top shelf entry in the genre, The Case of the Bloody Iris (Perché quelle strane gocce di sangue sul corpo di Jennifer?) is yet another Giallo starring Edwige Fenech (one of my cinematic crushes), and the always cool George Hilton.
It has all the typical trademarks of the genre: beautiful (and frequently undressed) ladies, stalked by a gloved killer (this time, the gloves aren't black!), shot with that 60's/70's "coolness" that Italians did so well, and so effortlessly. The pace is leisurely, the aesthetics immerse you, and the soundtrack is just pure cool. I mean, just listen to the film's main theme:



Again, it's not a high point in the genre (that would be Dario Argento's Profondo Rosso, in my humble opinion), nor is it the most fun (that would be, IMO, another Dario Argento film, Tenebrae).
But, it's the kind of "chill" film that's perfect to watch on a crappy Tuesday night.

Sadly, the UK Blu-Ray is very mediocre. It's probably the best way to watch the film at the moment, but a far cry from the presentation of other genre efforts also available on the format.
Whenever you see the name Shameless Screen Entertainment on a release, try to look for alternatives, because their releases are mediocre at best, and they like to present the films they release in "trashy" manner, from the crappy covers, amateurish custom-made trailers, everything.

 

[Joe Spangle]

Ok tonight we watched........Eight Legged Freaks!

Stupid film about giant spiders terrorising a small mining town. I actually think I saw this in the cinema way back when.
Its stupid but watchable. Not really a scary film (unless you have a real thing about spiders). Its got some grizzly-ish deaths but overall its more of a light comedy with a bit of action.

 

[gabbo]

Constantine and The Invisible Man (1933)
Two rewatches for me, two new ones for the wife. Constantine isn't really scary and isn't really Hellblazer either, but its soundtrack is great and it's still fun enough a time waster. Keanu Reeves always worth watching and Peter Stormare as Lucifer is fucking great. Probably could have been better if it was closer to the source and made now, given its 'dark and gritty' story and DC's initial cinematic approach.

Claude Rains is a voiceover for 3/4 of the film and he's amazing when he's represented by a pair of trouser on wires or bandages with maniacal laughter. He totally sells the idea of the serum driving his character mad, and he does it without every showing his expression. Also, come on it's 1933, those effects are still amazing now, they don't do practical like this anymore, despite still looking better than CG. .Like all the Universal monsters from that era, not really scary anymore, but great pieces of cinema and I will never not recommend any of them (except the Phantom of the Opera that Universal put out at the time which isnt near Lon Chaney's still-superior version)).

 

[Deleted member 113]

Night #14:

An OK, mostly harmless film, directed at a younger audience.
Not particularly funny, but not particularly dull either. It's just... OK.
It's the type of film that you watch, and pretty much forget about it the moment it's finished.

 

[lashman]

Peter Stormare as Lucifer is fucking great

the absolute fucking best .... worth watching for his performance ALONE

 

[Deleted member 113]

Another day with a short window to watch films, another random watch from Netflix.

This time:

Night #15:

Holy predictable thriller, Batman!

I'm rather fond of Luke Evans. OK, so he mostly plays the same role over and over again, but he is great at playing troubled characters.
But, this one tries to be clever, and naturally goes for a twist, but it's been done so many times already I called out the entire late portion of the film 15-20 minutes in (I kid you not; I actually told my wife "this and this will happen", and it went exactly as expected).

While the two main (and pretty much only) actors did a good job, and the film is decently shot, it really is an extremely forgettable affair.

---

On a side note, this was my 20th film of the month.
Still slowly going on my way to (at least) 50.

 

[dummmyy]

Watched Vampire Vs The Bronx. Was funny to see Mero outside of being Mero lol. But I agree, the movie was pretty forgettable, but seemed like a love letter to the Bronx and a huge fuck you to gentrification. Can't knock it! It had a few laughs, and some heartfelt moments, but I wouldn't have any interest in watching it again.

I watched Train to Busan for that zombie itch. That was a pretty good film! Some of the scenes with the military becoming zombies gave me a weird feeling of anxiety i hadn't really felt since watching The Road. Just tense, I guess hahaha. The characters in Train to Busan who are supposed to be frustrating are so annoyingly frustrating (in a good way). I really enjoyed it!

 

[Deleted member 113]

I watched Train to Busan for that zombie itch. That was a pretty good film! Some of the scenes with the military becoming zombies gave me a weird feeling of anxiety i hadn't really felt since watching The Road. Just tense, I guess hahaha. The characters in Train to Busan who are supposed to be frustrating are so annoyingly frustrating (in a good way). I really enjoyed it!

I have that one (and the animation prequel), and I was supposed to watch it tonight.
But, I received... 18 new films today, and my plans drastically changed.

 

[dummmyy]

18 new films today

Can't believe you kept us in suspense! Which 18 were they?

 

[Deleted member 113]

Can't believe you kept us in suspense! Which 18 were they?

A couple of them are not horror.

But, since you asked, here's the full 18 (16 titles, all UK releases, one of which is a 3 film set):

-Witchfinder General
-Borley Rectory
-The Libertine
-Black Society Trilogy (Shinjuku Triad Society / Rainy Dog / Ley Lines)
-Cruising
-Black Rainbow
-Dream Demon
-Deadly Manor
-Blood Tide
-The Wind
-Tower of London
-Bloodstone
-The Annihilators
-Hitchhike To Hell
-Daniel Isn't Real
-Satanic Panic

---

Since my wife is working tomorrow, and outside of the first film I'll be watching them mostly alone, I'll probably go for a night of campy/cheesy films, including Witchery, starring:

 

[Deleted member 113]

As usual, last night there was a bit of a last-minute change of plans.
No Hoff for me!

Night #16:

This one was interesting. It's nice to see a recent effort done by a director that isn't afraid to insert some style and personality to the proceedings.
A few scenes reminded me of Clive Barker, or even David Cronenberg's "body horror" period.

I was underwhelmed by the ending (the alternate ending featured on the Blu-Ray, while clearly never fully completed, goes in the direction I was expecting, which I would personally find much more interesting), but it didn't erase the positive impression I got from the rest of the film.

The cast is quite likeable, the film visually cleverly "hides" its low budget with some style and nice touches, and the soundtrack by Clark fits the proceedings rather well. Oh, and the cool intro credits are done by Shynola. Remember them from a number of cool late 90's/early 00's music videos?

Daniel Isn't Real is a good example that you don't need a big budget to do something cool and stylish.
This one is worth a watch.

Ah, Slashers.
I love them!
When they are good, they can be really interesting. And when they are bad, they can be a lot of fun (probably more so than if they are actually good ).

This one, one that came from the dying days of the genre's popularity (late 80's/early 90's), is a great example of the later. It's oh so stupid! But oh so fun.
Directed by José Ramón Larraz (Vampyres), this one is a collection of all the clichés typical of the genre. From characters doing all sorts of stupid stuff ("oh, lets pick up a random (armed) stranger from the side of the road", "oh, lets sleep in an abandoned manor that has coffins in the basement"), bad acting, gratuitous nudity, silly muzak soundtrack, and plenty more.

On a side note, the Blu-Ray looks great! It blows my mind that many well known films remain unavailable on Blu-Ray, or get mediocre transfers, while crappy, forgotten efforts are given the red carpet treatment.
I can assure you most popular films in the genre don't have a transfer as good as this one.

All in all, it was a fun late night viewing.

I should have stopped there...

Yeah, I was a bit tired yesterday, and was ready to call it a night after film 2, but since I ended up quite enjoying it, I decided to follow it up with another crappy, cheesy effort. Wrong move.

Beyond Darkness is another in a long line of The Exorcist rip offs directed by Italian directors.
But now, try to imagine The Exorcist not directed by William Friedkin, but by the director of... Troll 2.

I usually enjoy Claudio Fragasso's crappy, trashy films (they can be a lot of fun), but I don't know if it was because I was tired, but I found this one not "so bad it's good", but just plain... bad.
Crappy soft photography (and the UK Blu-Ray is rather poor as well; one of the worse transfers I've seen in a while on the format), crappy acting, crappy humourless script, this one really didn't connect with me at all.

I know I watched it on VHS decades ago, and I remember getting some enjoyment out of its crappiness, but after rewatching it last night, I'm not sure why.

This one is just plain bad, and worse of all, painfully boring.

 

[Deleted member 113]

Last night, it was director/screenwriter/producer Nico Mastorakis double-feature night.
Or, more specifically, "let's watch crappy films where barely anything happens" night.

Night #17:

A Greek island. Bad, dangerous winds (that make it a hazard to leave your houses). A killer on the loose.
Add to that, a cool cast featuring Meg Foster, Wings Hauser, David McCallum, Steve Railsback, and Robert Morley.
Should be fun, right?

Yeah, it's a bit of a drag. The film keeps repeating the same setup over and over again (the killer tries to enter from somewhere; the victim tries to leave the house to go find someone, or a phone; repeat this several times), making these scenes become less of a tension builder, and more like a running gag of sorts.
And then, an ending that is so stupid, it has to be seen to be believed (my wife was sitting next to me, and asked me "what just happened?").

Yeah, sadly despite the interesting location, premise and cast (some of it barely features in the film), this one is not very good.

Nico Mastorakis didn't direct this one, unlike The Wind (where he was screenwriter and director).
Here, he is "just" screenwriter and producer.

Blood Tide takes place on the exact same island featured in The Wind.

OK, so:
-pretty location
-the promise of ancient aquatic evils (Cthulhu? Dagon?)
-girls in very tight, short bikinis, and see through shirts and dresses.
-and then, a cast featuring:

+

Oh, and a gorgeous former miss USA (Deborah Shelton) is various states of undress:

There's no way this films blows, right?
Well, it does. Hard.

James Earl Jones chews every scene he's in (he sounds like a rambling drunk guy spewing random phrases most of the film), barely anything happens, and then there's a fake as hell monster that (thankfully) is barely shown near the end, and that's it. Oh, and there's a small bit of random incest.

Yeah, clearly last night's choices were not my finest hour.

 

[Deleted member 113]

Night #18:

Another Stephen King adaptation.
A slow-burning period thriller about guilt, this one is pretty much a Thomas Jane one man show, and he is awesome in this role.
I rather liked this one.

 

[dummmyy]

I rather liked this one.

Me, too! It's such a weird film, but it's dam good! I watched this last year and was surprised by how good it was! is? whatever lol.
Playoff baseball has been taking most of my time, so I've been a bit on the back end of watching films, but my partner has been watching a play through of Until Dawn and I've been getting into it while playing spelunky 2 or whatever. Until Dawn is dam creepy, too!