Undeadcow

Caught Don't Breath and really enjoyed it, not knowing anything about it in advance it was different than I expected but sleekly directed and tense. Maybe it's 'fake' but there's at least one really long elaborate take that was interesting with the camera trailing someone then pivoting around a room to catch their face then roaming into another room. Don't Breath is just wicked enough.

With a classic like Ghostbusters I'm not sure how well another installment could have been handled effectively but the new Ghostbusters movie was a disappointment. Jokes that are more cringeworthy than funny (and random, like about wonton soup) and the better ghost segments are too unevenly paced (I want a horror comedy, not a Melissa McCarthy standup) and even feel a bit too recycled from the first. I'd like to see them take another stab at it, even with the same group, because I think with some editing and more innovation it could have been a lot better.

Undeadcow

Dear Horror Movies,

It's ok for monsters to just be monsters. I hate how so many horror movies stop mid-movie to explain the dilemma and often in the most awkward mood busting of ways. How this isn't some atmospheric creepy unknown it's really the displaced spirit of a mental patient due to an experimental procedure accident, stems from a really specific fake cultural tradition, it's the remnant of a child molester after vengeful parents extract revenge, or how the specter is actually from nazi experiments in the basement (these were so much cooler when they were just horror movies). It's doubly annoying when this is discovered in some awkward implausible manner like the hero stumbling on detailed psychiatric records that are just there, a friend so happens to know the elaborate back story, and especially when searching the internet provides some pivotal explanation (last time I looked up evil clowns I was not so lucky at finding these sort of details, just odd porn). In the end the 'explanations' are more implausible than the fiend was to begin with and just offer some cop out ending (get the skull of apache warchief Mangas Coloradas to his tribal resting place). I love movies with lore and mythos but it's got to be well staged and not tacked on or cartoonish (Lovecraft horror is especially good at this).

JOE29

Yahoo! Made it past 50. Movies that is. Depending on work this weekend will tell how much more I can add on.

mrcellophane

Yesterday, I watched two films with silly monsters: Fiend Without a Face (1958) and Child's Play (1988). The first had invisible fiends that sucked the brains and spinal cords out of people and were later revealed to be large brains with little appendages and spinal cord tails. Of course, the latter had a possessed doll. Both were pretty awesome!

WillieMLF

Yes, I thought it was a really great idea that fell flat as it progressed. I found my list of movies to check out from 2 years ago, and it was one of the only ones I had not got to.

BobO'Link

I've never watched all 3 back-to-back. Sounds like it'd be fun! As a kid I *did* notice the similarities between the Universal and Hammer Mummy films. Other than The Mummy I pretty much wrote off the Hammer films as being "rip offs" and paid them little attention. How ill informed I was! I saw the 1999 version when it came out (new movie house sparked "movie wars" with a $2.50-$3 matinee which included film/popcorn/soda) and enjoyed it very much.

Once the month is over I may give that trio a shot.

The Man with the Golden Doujinshi

I'd never seen the first two as a kid but I knew what they were about. Then I got excited about being able to see part 3 on tv and then it turned into a weird movie that didn't have the killer I was waiting to see. I don't think I ever really made it more than 30 minutes into it each time I tried.

I like it now because I can watch it for what it is and not get hung up on it not really being related to the rest of the Halloween series like I did before. Now I like it better than most of the other Halloween sequels.

WillieMLF

I went to the theater and watched it. I felt is was done pretty well, but some of the characters were quite formulaic.

Undeadcow

Mexico Barbaro (2014), streaming on Netflix, is a lukewarm Mexican horror anthology that is worth watching if you're looking for something new but tends to be too far out to the point of sometimes feeling tedious - like they're just looking for the most insane looking thing or wretched twist - some are clever and some are so 'crazy' they're ineffective.

davidh777

I watched the third installment of the I Spit on Your Grave remake, which brought back the original character/actress but (not surprisingly) was not as watchable (relatively speaking, as they're all pretty excruciating, but the remake is pretty good for what it is). Being a masochist, I then rewatched the first two. Now I need a shower with a good steel-wool scrub.

I sent it to Chad, but I just sent it to you as well. Thanks to Hamilton Books for the amazing prize!

Trevor

shadokitty

I watched an old favorite for today's theme. It was the perfect opportunity to revisit Creepshow. I think my favorite line of the movie has always been 'Meteor sh*t'.

The Man with the Golden Doujinshi

It's why the D in Vitamin D stands for Dracula

Chad

It's now my favorite of the sequels. The whole film is just batshit crazy; how can you not love it? Tom Atkins hams it up like it nobody's business, killer robots, lasers, warlocks, rotting heads, Samhain mythology, etc. It's different.



I first caught it on TNT's MonsterVision and didn't realize Michael wasn't going to show up until his meta appearance on the TV in the film. Apparently missed the Joe Bob Briggs intro at the time, but definitely don't agree with his two star review.

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Revisited it this morning and forgot just how good it is. Catching the sequel and the "Just Desserts" documentary tonight.

Spiderbite

Quick recaps:

The Gorgon (1964) - Even with Lee and Cushing present, I found this movie to be quite tedious. Too much romantic drama and not enough monster!

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) - I have two favorite horror movies and I cannot decide which to chose as both of them are completely different. This movie's intensity is still frightening today and I challenge anyone to show me a better female performance in another horror movie. You truly think that Marilyn Burns lost her mind in this movie and was committed to an insane asylum never to make another movie again. She is fantastic in this. I was especially happy to finally be able to share this movie with my 12 year old son. I figured he could handle it (especially since he decided to dress up as Leatherface this year to scare trick-or-treaters) and has seen far worse bloodshed playing as Leatherface on the recent Mortal Kombat.

So since I shared him my favorite horror movie...we did a double feature with my other favorite and I introduced him to Psycho (1960). I love every inch of this movie but it couldn't be more different from TCM. But it does house the greatest male performance in a horror movie in my opinion. So much so that Anthony Perkins was haunted by this role being typecast forever after. And damn I love the score. Probably my favorite horror score ever.

So asking me to choose between Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is like Sophie's choice for me. I just don't know if I can pick one over the other.

Hush (2016) - I put more opinion in the subset review thread but this one took me out of it for several reason while watching it. Too many cliches or inconsistencies. But it is well made and has some tense moments and decent gore. But just too many problems to recommend it.

Stung (2015) - Again, I put more info in the subset review thread but this one thought it was smarter and funnier than it was. Terrible pacing but some great practical effects mixed with some awful CG effects. You can easily skip this one.

Baskin (2015) - Once again, more info in the subset review thread but I thought this movie was Amazeballs! Extremely well made and overly tense throughout. Green Room was tense but this movie blows it away in intensity for me. Actually, I hadn't felt a knot in my stomach through an entire movie like this since I saw Blue Ruin earlier this year. Yeah, I saw some whining saying it was overly gross but in my opinion they are missing the point. But I don't want to give anything away. Just see it and make your own opinion. If you like the original Hellraiser (or at least the concept of the Hellraiser movies), you should like this film.

numbercrunch

i agree with all of your movie summary comments spiderbite.

Spiderbite

It was really fun showing my kid TCM and Psycho. He actually watched The Gorgon with me as well. Needless to say, I know which was his favorite between TCM and Psycho. I think the whole mother/son personality thing was kinda confusing to him. He looked like he had been punched in the gut after TCM...kinda like I do every time I finish watching it for the umpteenth time.

Psycho is a movie that I think gets even better with repeat viewings once you know the twist and the older you get. You catch little things every time that you haven't seen before. I saw it as a kid and all I took away from it then was that I didn't want to take a shower for a month. It took awhile for me to fully appreciate it.

Doc Moonlight

I watched the Arrow Blu-Ray of "Black Sunday" today to listen to Tim Lucas' commentary.

It was a kind of bittersweet experience, because Tim announced earlier that his outstanding magazine "Video Watchdog" was ceasing publication. Tim will go on creating commentaries, but the future of "Video Watchdog" is unknown; i.e. whether or not it will continue as a digital publication. It's a sad week for genre fans.

Dick Laurent

Been slowing down watching movies. Halloween just not a happy day this year. This past August we had to put down our 15 y/o Australian Shepherd. Halloween was her favorite holiday. She loved trick-or-treating until it was too hard for her to walk so much at once. But then she seemed to like passing out candy even more. For the first time in probably 20 or so years we have yet to put out any Halloween decorations around the house. It seems this year the closer I get to Halloween the more depressed I get.

We're in a new house; last year was our first Halloween here. We set up the yard with a ton of decorations. Our Aussie gleefully helped on Halloween night. Many commented on her. The kids loved her. She looked like the happiest dog in the world. It was a great last Halloween with her.

This year we haven't put one decoration up. I'm struggling with whether to do it or not. It's just too hard being this close to her passing. I'm thinking we'll close up the house and just watch movies all night. And eat a lot of candy in her honor.

Undeadcow

Does May count as a 'Frankenstein' movie?

CrazyMat

SethDLH

I vote a definite yes

shadokitty

I'm sorry to hear that. I lost my grandmother 12 years ago on November 1. I honor her memory by enjoying Halloween, as Halloween is the day of the dead.

Shack

Just a note that everyone's favorite wildcard (okay, okay, my favorite wildcard) It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is on tomorrow, 8 pm EST on ABC.

Undeadcow

I randomly watched Inner Demons (2014) on Netflix streaming and maybe I just caught it in the right mood but it's top tier in my book. This is a smart documentary style film that lampoons substance abuse related reality tv (like A&E's Intervention) as a set up for a case of possible demonic possession. The gimmick is handled well and adds a lot of humor because so many people are looking at things rationally when it's potentially supernatural. The character driven aspects are well done with convincing characters and it all seems as plausible as a film of this nature could be. The reality tv parody is handled straight.

Rite of Spring (2011), also Netflix streaming, is a heist movie intermingled with pagan horror that hit the spot.