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Recommend some very recent horror releases?

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Recommend some very recent horror releases?

Old 07-10-07, 11:57 AM
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Recommend some very recent horror releases?

There have been a slew of "pseudo"-horror movies of late that just came out on DVD. You know the ones with "The" and another word. The Messengers, The Abandoned, etc...

Just wondering if any of the recent ones of late are good for at least one scare or two?

"Dead Silence" , "Hannibal Rising", any worth at least a rental?
Old 07-10-07, 01:43 PM
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I might get killed for this, but, I thought "The Pulse" was actually not too bad.
"Wolf Creek" was pretty good too. "The Hitcher" remake wasn't bad (if you never saw the original that is...).
Old 07-10-07, 01:44 PM
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The Descent was great. Behind the Mask was entertaining.

Hannibal Rising? Avoid it.
Old 07-10-07, 02:37 PM
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thanks guys, but i am talking very recent, like within the last couple months.
Old 07-11-07, 07:22 AM
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thanks guys, but i am talking very recent, like within the last couple months.
yikes! not many great horror movies in the last couple of months that have come to DVD have been very good quite frankly. The horror genre has pretty much run out of ideas in the past 5-10 years with the exeption of the Saw franchise.
Althrough The Hitcher 2007 remake was a garbage movie compared to the original, like TallGuyMe said, It's decent as long as you don't watch the original first.
I bought Dead Silence on DVD when it came out but I havn't got around to watching it yet. I'll try & watch it this weekend & give you my opinion on the movie by monday.
The Hills Have Eyes 2 is coming out next tuesday (July.17th) and even throw its been shit on by the critic's I'm going to buy it based on my completest issues.
Old 07-11-07, 09:52 AM
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Originally Posted by scott1598
thanks guys, but i am talking very recent, like within the last couple months.
RichC2 mentioned Behind the Mask in the post above yours. I haven't seen it yet but it seems to be getting good reviews:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=28768
Old 07-12-07, 11:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Space_Monkey
RichC2 mentioned Behind the Mask in the post above yours. I haven't seen it yet but it seems to be getting good reviews:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=28768
wow space, that looks eminently watchable. i actually noticed this in stores, but thought it was a docu of some kind. i may have to seek out this rental. thanks again, looks like a good choice and maybe exactly what i was craving.
Old 07-12-07, 01:53 PM
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I just watched Dead Silence last night and thought it was excellent. A pretty basic ghost story, but it was well done and had a great ending.
Old 07-13-07, 02:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Nth Power
I just watched Dead Silence last night and thought it was excellent. A pretty basic ghost story, but it was well done and had a great ending.
on the contrary, this movie was absolutely dreadful with not one ounce of horror redemption. it was flat, the actors were terrible and i did not jump or get freaked out even the slightest. it was such a carbon copy of every bad horror movie/ghost story that has come out of Hollywood the past few years. this would be the bottom of an already bad heap.
Old 07-13-07, 03:49 PM
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Originally Posted by scott1598
on the contrary, this movie was absolutely dreadful with not one ounce of horror redemption. it was flat, the actors were terrible and i did not jump or get freaked out even the slightest. it was such a carbon copy of every bad horror movie/ghost story that has come out of Hollywood the past few years. this would be the bottom of an already bad heap.
Wow, it's interesting on how different our take on the movie was.
I agree the lead actor was weak, but I really enjoyed the rest of it. I thought there was some great tense moments and Mary Shaw was sufficiently creepy(although the tongue parts were a bit much). Ah well, at least the ghost wasn't a pale little girl with long dark hair covering her face?
Old 07-21-07, 02:52 AM
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The Host, which comes out on DVD this month, should be an obvious choice.

Hostel I thought was excellent. Well-acted, well-plotted, and well-made. Lots of sex and violence too.

And if The Descent is recent enough to mention, then The Hills Have Eyes deserves a mention too. The special effects in the unrated version are absolutely mind-blowing. It includes a fight scene that reminds me of Soul Calibur.

Last edited by dugan; 07-21-07 at 03:27 AM.
Old 07-21-07, 04:45 AM
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Although the ending was a bit of a cop-out, if you liked Hostel, check out "Turistas"
Old 07-21-07, 05:41 AM
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Also, "Open Water 2"... I actually preferred it to the original.
Old 07-21-07, 12:03 PM
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i bought "Behind the Mask"and it was ok. a fresh take, but didn't really get going till the end and even then it was tamer than many good horror flix. i like atmosphere and dread throughout and while the documentary angle was slightly new (reminded a little of "The Last Horror Movie" which i didn't like at all) and it still was a little flat, i think because of the amateurish actors.

"The Host" was great and i already have the R2. it seems to fit with other Korean gems, but is very accessible to any citizen of any country. it has that universal appeal, while still remaining true to Korean films.
Old 07-23-07, 02:42 AM
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The Abandoned (2007). I liked it a lot, and it has some great twists.
Old 10-15-07, 09:05 AM
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Originally Posted by Nth Power
Wow, it's interesting on how different our take on the movie was.
I agree the lead actor was weak, but I really enjoyed the rest of it. I thought there was some great tense moments and Mary Shaw was sufficiently creepy(although the tongue parts were a bit much). Ah well, at least the ghost wasn't a pale little girl with long dark hair covering her face?
Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 9:18 am Post subject:

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

Dead Silence 2/5

Advertised as "from the writers and director of Saw", it's pretty obvious what happened here. The gore aside, the creepiest part of the Saw trilogy was that little white doll that would often be a harbinger of awful things to come. As Tobin Bell's screentime increased in the inevitable sequels, the "Jigsaw" puppet became increasingly absent, which unfortunately, I feel, spawned this dreck, a sort of "Jigsaw" puppet spin-off movie. Granted, the swirly pasty-faced doll from "Saw" doesn't really appear in this movie, but what we do get is "Billy" a quasi-puppet-doppleganger and a script likely discarded as too lame to even taint the shambles of what remains of the "Puppet Master" franchise. In a nutshell, Mary Shaw, an old coot of a ventriloquist with a backstory right out of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" dies without any children, was buried with her 100 puppets, and even asked to be turned into a puppet herself post-mortem. Given the reveal as to how she ultimately died, its curious as to why the townsfolk would oblige ANY of her last wishes. Anyway, basically, if Mary Shaw appears to you, don't you dare scream, or she'll murder you by tearing out your tongue. The only saving grace of this movie is a great performance by former new-kid Donnie Wahlberg, playing a slouch of a detective trying to figure things out, and some cool sound effects that will shine if you have a decent surround setup. The movie attempts a "TWIST!" ending, which was obvious fairly early on in the film. Look, it's maybe worth watching, once, around Halloweentime, barely, although I can think of about 100 other movies that would scare you more.
Old 10-15-07, 02:12 PM
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Heh, I know a lot of people hated this movie. I guess it's just a guilty pleasure for me!
Old 10-15-07, 04:08 PM
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I dug the first Open Water...the second one sucked.

Loved both Hostels....but then again I like Eli Roth.

The Host, something I haven't gotten to yet, but the previews looked awesome.

I know it was asked for recent movies, but the Godzilla films Classic Media has been releasing are awesome. Not scary in the gore sense, but good ol' monster movie stuff.
Old 10-17-07, 01:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Nth Power
Heh, I know a lot of people hated this movie. I guess it's just a guilty pleasure for me!
I enjoyed Dead Silence too. It's not even in my top ten blind buys of 2007, but I found it entertaining enough to watch it again someday.
Old 10-18-07, 10:22 AM
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I know it isn’t a theatrical thing, but I’d recommend you pick up the Masters of Horror-Season One Box Set. Yes, some of the episodes aren’t all “good”, but it’s at least something a little different & you get some pretty good stories. It’s only 60 dollars & the bonus features alone are worth the purchase.

Yeah, I know the Masters of Horror has received mixed reviews & while some people like it & take it for what it is, an experiment, other hate it with a passion & think it’s one of the biggest insults to horror. I actually disagree; I think most of the generic remakes starring CW stars are an insult to the horror genre.

If you don’t want to spend 60 dollars on a blind buy, my top 3 choices from season 1 would be; Incident On and Off a Mountain Road, Jenifer & Cigarette Burns. That would be my “Best Of” season 1 anyway.

Pick Me Up is a solid entry but it ain’t exactly a horror episode & it’s more entertaining than “Scary”. Michael Moriarty (Law & Order) is one of the leads in the episode & the bonus feature of him being interviewed is a fu*king hoot. He’s such a loon in real life & he’s one kooky character. Larry Cohen even mentions that he’s hard to work with, but not while he’s around.

The only episode that was "bad" in season 1 was, Chocolate. It wasn't a bad made episode, it just wasn't that intresting.
Old 10-19-07, 03:16 PM
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Planet Terror is one I can't begin to recommend enough.

Same with 28 Weeks Later. It's superior to the original IMO.
Old 10-19-07, 09:31 PM
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Originally Posted by KillerCannabis
Planet Terror is one I can't begin to recommend enough.

Same with 28 Weeks Later. It's superior to the original IMO.

no way, I thoroughly enjoyed 28 weeks later but no way is it better than the original.

As for Planet Terror I though it was alright, I was actually a little let down by both grindhouse movies. I don't know why I just expected more. As for stuff recently released though planet terror and 28 weeks later are both ones you want to check out for sure.

I've heard good things about murder party but haven't watched it yet. I can't find any place to buy it.
Old 10-27-07, 12:37 PM
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Trying to slug my way through the 2006 Afterdark Horrorfest releases... 2 down, 8 to go...

Unrest - 3/5

Corri English (who is destined to play the younger remember-when-she-was-smokin'-hot version in the eventual "Britney Spears American Trainwreck" movie) plays Alison Blanchard a wait-listed med student about to embark on the first semester of classes, including everyones favorite, gross anatomy! The particular cadaver she is assigned to immediately gives her the creeps, which others disregard as the usual dissection day jitters, however it ends up being something much, much more. This movie suffers some in its pacing, but having actually been through a gross anatomy class I am sure that I enjoyed this flick a bit more than the usual horror fan despite some rather blatant inconsistencies. There is a rather cringe inducing scene where our heroine gets trapped while diving in a "cadaver tank", rest assured, that while it was necessary for dramatic effect, cadaver tanks, at least in THIS country, are not huge glass top-loading aquariums filled with floating bodies in formaldehyde that need to be snagged via hook like you were choosing a lobster at your local seafood restaurant. At any rate, it is a decent flick, certainly NOT the worst of the 2006 contributions to the After Dark Horrorfest as others might lead you to believe. Oh, and if want to see what a REAL cadaver tank looks like go here: http://www.wheaton.edu/ahs/Facilities/Anatomy%204.png



http://www.dvdspot.com/dvd.php?d=1039951858

=======================================================

The Gravedancers - 2.5/5

Three friends (including the literally block-headed Dominic Purcell from "Prison Break", and the uber-hot Josie Maran) converge onto the fresh gravesite of their best friend in order to pay their final respects. At night, of course. While boozing it up at the headstone, one of the group finds what is thought to be a condolence card containing an old poem that seems to imply celebrating life, and living in the moment. The three begin to dance around the graveyard, literally over three graves in particular. Turns out, the poem when spoken aloud, while dancing on graves, which is considered a major desecrating act, managed to piss off three nasty spirits who have roughly one month to annoy the hell out of their intended victim. (Wouldn't ya know, they just happened to be dancing in the section of the graveyard intended for burying the worst of the worst, the murderers, the rapists, the insane, the democrats) Initially the spirits start out as harmless pranks, banging pipes, an occasional tune played on the piano, but as the end of the lunar cycle draws near, the spirits become stronger, and their meddling becomes increasingly violent. 95% of this movie is actually pretty good, with some legitimate suspenseful supernatural moments. There is not a lot of gore here, but the three ghost reveals at the end are pretty damned creepy looking, with bulging eyes, and a frozen snaggled grin from ear to ear. The acting is passable, but nothing spectacular, save for a pretty good performance by Tchéky Karyo as a paranormal investigator. This movie is a bit schizophrenic, the 1st act playing as a slow-burn supernatural thriller while the second act as a rather capable homage to the Evil Dead movies. Sounds good, right? Wrong. Where this movie absolutely falls apart is during the last 3 minutes of the film where they decide to completely throw away the suspense and tension previously built up from the creepy ghosts and cool camera work, by incorporating some of the worlds worst CGI which completely takes you out of the moment and is just downright laughable. Had the ending stuck it out with the non-CGI baddies, I might have considered a 3.5/5 rating, but the finale is just so bad, it ruins all of the tension and fun stored up from the previous 95 minutes.



http://www.dvdspot.com/dvd.php?d=1305877041
Old 10-27-07, 01:47 PM
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Anybody mention Murder Party yet?
Funniest horror/gore fest I've seen in quite some time.

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read....=31028&___rd=1



The Tripper isn't bad, overall.

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=30904
Old 10-27-07, 10:48 PM
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Let me recommend WIND CHILL to you. Produced by George Clooney. I wrote a quick little Amazon review for it, my wife and I enjoyed it so much:


3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Brrrrr!, September 7, 2007
By Ethan D. Van Sciver (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

You never know what to expect with these little, under-the-radar horror dvds. On the rack, they all look the same, with pretty cover art that you suspect will end up having been the best part of the movie inside. Luckily, WIND CHILL is a very pleasant surprise! It's a very creepy, very well made suspense/horror film that ends as well as it begins.

Two students who meet through a "Need a Ride?" flyer on a college campus drive home together for Christmas break. The weather is miserable, snowy and bleak. The sky is grey, and the radio promises lots more snow for their long ride home. A stupid short cut is attempted through an unplowed back road, and the two are forced off the road and into a snowbank by a mysterious vehicle coming the opposite way.

Trapped in the snowbank, unable to hike back to any sort of civilization, and without cellphones, food or warmth, they prepare to survive the night with temperatures dropping to 30 below zero. And that's when they see their first shadowy figure.

I LOVE movies like this. There isn't much if any gross out, just a creepy, and appropriately vague ghostly mystery to survive while trying to hold out against below freezing temperatures with a companion you're not sure you can trust. The movie lost me at one point, during an overturned police car scene. Things became too clear, too "defeat the villain!" for me for a moment, (you'll see when you get there) but the movie snaps right back into place, and ends beautifully, sadly, and with the creepiness intact.

I'd like to give this a 5 star rating, my wife and I enjoyed it so much. But it isn't a perfect film, just a perfect way to spend an evening in your living room under a blanket!

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