It's October baby....Horror flick time!

[AlbertV]

Watched a bit of horror this weekend, mostly Stephen King related:

Christine (1983): Always enjoy this John Carpenter scored and helmed adaptation about Arnie (Keith Gordon), a nerdy teen who buys a 1957 Plymouth Fury that's actually possessed. Great kill scenes of the bullies (even when the garage owner's death is more graphic in the book), and great performances by Gordon, John Stockwell (who later directed Kickboxer: Retaliation) and Alexandra Paul.

The Shining (1980): Need I say any more?

Carrie (2013): I actually enjoyed this modern updated version. Chloe Grace Moretz did pretty well as Carrie, but Julianna Moore was tops as her insane mother Margaret. I liked the little changes they did for the prom scene and the vengeance on Chris and Billy was much more exciting than the original IMO. Nice mix of CGI and practical effects for that particular scene. 

Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell (2018): Burt Gummer is back and now, he's in the trenches of the Nunavut region of Canada, where he learns that the Graboids and ABs are there. Teaming up with old friend Travis (Jamie Kennedy) and a new team, including the daughter of Kevin Bacon's OG character Valentine McKee (Jamie Lee Money), a facilities manager skilled with explosives (Slumber Party Massacre's Rob Van Vuuren), and a veteran pilot (American Ninja 3's Adrienne Pearce) to take down the creatures while Burt is infected with the cure being venom from a Graboid. Fun like its predecessors, has some comic bits that fit into the story. The second to last installment of the franchise. 

Edited October 11, 2021 by AlbertV

[Drunken Monk]

For some insane reason, I decided to pick the Child's Play series up where I left is many, many years ago. I watched Bride of Chucky (1998).
Gone are any horrific elements to this series. Instead, we're left with a shitty attempt at black comedy where the film makers consider dolls quipping back and forth for 90 minutes the height of hilarity. We get a few kills here and there but they're super tame and annoyingly boring. I'm sure that, back in the 90's, this was considered somewhat entertaining but it's definitely aged badly.
Needless to say, I won't be sitting down to watch Seed of Chucky any time soon.

[sifu iron perm]

On 10/3/2021 at 4:25 AM, Koravec said:

Titane- Just got out of the theater from this one. Still not sure what the hell I watched, as you will hear. But even so, didnt feel like it was abstract as others have made it out to be, while I felt like some of the movies metaphors had a pretty good effect on me, several other need some serious explaining for me lol.

Was enjoying the first act of this movie a whole lot more before it took the turn of her acting as a missing person to escape with a cop pretending to be his lost son... yea, didnt really think of it while I was shaking my head in the theater, but youd actually always hear stories of that happening in real life somehow. However with this plot direction the director is able to give some very interesting, and ‘peculiar’, character development. 

The main actress and actor are quite phenomenal. The main character is one creepy, ruthless b*tch. Reminded me a bit of Cronenberg’s Possessor that I recently saw and will soon drop my mini review for, with the ruthless female killer main character and inability to kill certain bodies in a scene or two in each. 

I actually wasn't super disturbed by this movie like I had anticipated. Debated whether I even wanted to see it based off the reviews and previews I took in beforehand. Even with both I still barely knew what I was getting. I wouldnt go into this one completely blind, Id make sure your even in the mood for this type of movie. 

I'll be watching it tomorrow at the London film festival! 

[DrNgor]

3 hours ago, Drunken Monk said:

Needless to say, I won't be sitting down to watch Seed of Chucky any time soon.

Not even to watch Brittany Spears and John Waters bite it?

[DrNgor]

3 hours ago, AlbertV said:

Carrie (2013): I actually enjoyed this modern updated version.

I thought that with the higher budget and advent of CGI, they could have gone closer to the book and have her come to close to wiping the entire city off the map.

[Koravec]

5 hours ago, sifu iron perm said:

I'll be watching it tomorrow at the London film festival! 

Tune back in for your thoughts if your not just speechless and confused

[Koravec]

V for vendetta- Finally watched this one. Including it as a horror or at least halloween related because the mask wearing antihero comes across as a bit spooky in his mystery and vengeful spirit. Weve constantly been confronted with this mask in recent years, whether at halloween stores or internet blackmail vigilantes. Figured it was about time I gave this movie a go. And man is Vendetta creepy regardless of being the good guy or not. You never see his face and is up there in strangeness as micheal myers or the like, just not as menacing given his justice vengeful intentions. Like a cross between Micheal Myers and Batman. The scenes hes in either meeting the protagonist in a dark alleyway or holding her captive in his underground lair paint him out to be a really out of touch, quite creepy individual.

I didnt think the movie was all that incredible, but I did enjoy it at parts, felt like it could have been told in half the time, especially with such little action scenes, but I can say that for far too many movies. 

Was really hoping for a somewhat nonstop swashbuckling thriller, but theres only two or three actual fight moments... The two fight scenes are way too enjoyable to be so few and far between.

[Super Ninja]

On 10/9/2021 at 5:00 AM, Koravec said:

The Possessor- Cronenberg flick. Probably better characterized as a thriller than a horror, though Ive heard it be categorized as a body horror which also fits. The cover art is pretty horror looking, also a creepy animated scene of a disintegrating body that resembles that poster. 

The possessor is no demon in this movie, but the main character here as she possesses particular individuals to carry out assassinations for her job. A bit of the movie Titane in this one, a bit of the spy film Anon. Almost a slasher as the murder scenes are brutal and grotesque. 

Watched it because an art curation poster I follow said it had the best set design hed seen for the year. I didnt notice much. For me the movie was Ok, but I wasnt too into it personally.

An early Sundance review gave it 10/10, I expected more.

[DrNgor]

Dark Angel: The Ascent (1994) - This is generally placed in the upper echelon of Full Moon movies, up there (albeit not quite as good as) The Pit and the Pendulum '91; Castle Freak; and Hideous! The film is based on the theological premise that the Devil and his angels are not Tempters and Destroyers in direct opposition to Heaven, but rather Punishers and Avengers in Heaven's employ. One such angel is Veronica Iscariot, who feels compelled to visit the mortal realm. She befriends a doctor who takes her on, all the while going about killing people whom she believes to be sinners. In a lot of ways, this feels like a dark, violent version of Enchanted, right down to the heroine emerging from the sewer and making outfits out of her host's furniture. Some of the acting is stilted and the main conflict isn't fleshed out--we're supposed to believe that the mayor is Evil Incarnate because the heroine says so, even though all we the viewer see is him on TV rattling off Right-Wing talking points. I did like the romance between Veronica and the doctor, though.

[Drunken Monk]

15 hours ago, DrNgor said:

Not even to watch Brittany Spears and John Waters bite it?

I’m afraid not. I’m not sure anything could get me to watch it. Though I hear Cult of Chucky isn’t bad at all.

[DrNgor]

Just now, Drunken Monk said:

I’m afraid not. I’m not sure anything could get me to watch it. Though I hear Cult of Chucky isn’t bad at all.

Curse of Chucky has gotten good ratings as a return to the franchise's serious horror roots. 

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

On 10/6/2021 at 3:55 PM, Drunken Monk said:

V/H/S 94 (2021) - For some odd reason, I thought this one was going to special. Turns out, I didn't enjoy a single segment. Not only was it painfully blatant that this movie had a microscopic budget, but none of the stories really said much. A monster here, a zombie there. A vampire here, a cyborg there. There's just nothing to it.
There's some decent gore and gore is definitely my thing. But it's not enough to distract from all the negatives.

 

 Yeah I just saw the first segment, Rat man? Thought it was kinda goofy lol. Guess I'll watch the other segments at another time. 

[Koravec]

9 hours ago, Super Ninja said:

An early Sundance review gave it 10/10, I expected more.

Yeah idk, seeing either pretentiousness or just viral hits get so much notoriety has always annoyed me. This one a little on the pretentious side, something like babadook or paranormal activity on the viral popularity side.

Wasnt bad by any means, it just didnt do anything for me, didnt particularly like anything about it. Wasnt really a fan of any of the actors’ time on screen.

Maybe that would change if I discovered a personal liking towards Cronenbergs style and understood the film better.
 

[Super Ninja]

1 hour ago, Koravec said:

Yeah idk, seeing either pretentiousness or just viral hits get so much notoriety has always annoyed me. This one a little on the pretentious side, something like babadook or paranormal activity on the viral popularity side.

Wasnt bad by any means, it just didnt do anything for me, didnt particularly like anything about it. Wasnt really a fan of any of the actors’ time on screen.

Maybe that would change if I discovered a personal liking towards Cronenbergs style and understood the film better.
 

Yeah, never understood why Babadook was so hyped.

The concept is great but the execution was nothing to write home about, that's how I felt about it. Brandon has big shoes to fill, gotta give him credit for trying. Antiviral also wasn't bad but I wasn't very impressed. 

[sifu iron perm]

16 hours ago, Koravec said:

Tune back in for your thoughts if your not just speechless and confused

Titane, London film ferstival at the Royal Festival Hall. What a screening and the sound was powerful enough to keep one on edge. 

I admit that I enjoyed the hell out of this film, sequence after sequence with its squeamish and pronounce mark on physical self-harm. This was quite a follow up for the Director's Julia Ducournau prolific acclaimed film Raw (20216), Titane- although a body horror-thriller that drifts off from its plot , which didn't tick me off as such, I was purely engaged with the fucked up and twisted imagery put in front of my eyes, I  hinted with a tint of humour to my friend that I felt like I'm watching a gaspar noe film but far from it. 

Titane was like mesh between a style /subject matter of the likes of Luc Besson  Shinya Tsukamoto (Tetsu/ Metal Fetishist) and even Cronenberg.

Supreised it took an award at Cannes but overall this was a wild Ass Film.

 

Budda Bless.

 

 

 

 

[Drunken Monk]

Body Cam (2020) - This one seemingly fell under most people’s radars. It’s not amazing by any stretch of the imagination, but it is slightly above average. When it’s good, it’s really good but its pacing and performances are off. Mary J. Blige cannot carry a movie.

The plot is fairly simple. There’s a ghost in the neighborhood offing police officers and criminals alike and it’s up to Blige to solve the mystery. The strengths of the movie lie in their ghostly scenes. When there’s spooky stuff going on, it’s great. Everything else is kind of dull, sadly. With that said, it’s worth a watch. You just won’t ever watch it again.

[Koravec]

Ready or Not [2019]- Pretty meh, considering its as straightforward as you would imagine. Kept getting the title and coverart for this and the Hunt confused for a little bit, both released around similar times about a woman being hunted by other people. I havent seen that one (also uninterested), but Id imagine this is like a cross between that and Knives out setting-wise since the movie takes place in the family of the groom’s mansion.

The main character actress looks like a cross between cara delevinge and margot robot, if not emma stone as well. Shes hunted by the family and runs through the ambiently lit halls of the mansion in a chic wedding dress. This is the highlight of the movie for me since its pretty visually striking. Other than that the protagonist’s redundant shrieking is just nerve racking (Im never hesitant of the mute button in moments like these), scenes are not made scarier because the scream is louder. Mostly more of a thriller, only made a horror by the last 20 minutes or so of the movie in a brief scene where the family gathers around the table and stereotypically chants “hail satan”, which gave me a chuckle and not much else. That small horror scene is only a fleeting moment, but soon enough, enough blood fills an entire room to make up for that lame buildup element. Not great.

[Koravec]

Ouija [2014]- Was going to add this in as an edit for my above review on the count of it not deserving its own post, refrained for the sake of neatness. This was a sucky watch, luckily had my phone to keep me distracted throughout. 

This movie is terrible largely in part that it lacks any suspense. Really went to prove to me how crucial build up and suspense are to horror. Crazy to me how the most sinister of paranormal activity was going on in this movie, but in such a straight forward manner that it has no effect on you. Reminds me why I was always so disappointed with the last Harry Potter movie. After all the HP films of voldemort being the “one who shall not be named” and built up about, is reduced to just some alien looking humanoid standing amongst the entire faculty of hogwarts and other wizards and creatures. Really took away the mystique and in turn a lot of the intimidating aura of the character.

Just learned they made a prequel to this, will not be watching that. This movie feels like it was made as a tv movie for a teenagers, or a bad netflix movie. Apparently it was mostly seen by girls under the age of 25 which certainly makes sense. 

[FightingFool]

Fourth Victim...Not so much horror but murder mystery instead, italian movie from early 70s. Wealthy man becomes widow too often, 3 have passed away in suspicious circumstances. And Carroll Baker, will she be "4th victim"?..Highly enjoyable flick which had seen from tube in bad quality but severin films released it recently...Carroll Baker was main female star in movie but not the most interesting/attractive one...

 

[DrNgor]

Python (2000) - I don't think anybody expected Anaconda to be as successful as it was. It certainly benefitted from a great cast, a PG-13 rating, an almost decade-long dearth of killer animal films, and dare I say the success of Scream. So it was only logical that in its wake, a slew of killer animal movies--including a handful of snake movies--would be made. I also don't think anyone expected these things to become permanent fixtures of the DTV and made-for-Sy-Fy markets, but it's been 23 years and here we are. Python was one of the earliest cash-in's. It's an obvious choice for a snake, although this one isn't very python-like, with all that acid spitting and biting. No suffocation here! The CGI is dire, as is to be expected. There is a lot of gore in the form of partially-digested remains of people being found by the authorities. The characters are fun enough that the film can sustain itself whenever they aren't in mortal danger. The cast is pretty good, too: William Zabka, Robert Englund, Casper Van Dien, and a cameo by Jenny McCarthy.

[Drunken Monk]

Orphan (2009) - A bit lengthy this one (that's what she said), but for the most part it's a solid "creepy kid" horror with excellent performances and some pretty tense moment. If you haven't already had it spoiled for you, I won't spoil it here. But the basic plot is that a couple adopt a child only to find out all is not what it seems.
The director plays with the idea of big scares, implying he's going to throw a number of cliched moments at us but then takes those moments in a different direction. It's quite a breath of fresh air. Don't go in expecting Paranormal Activity like jumps or even that much ultra violence (I can think of one brutal moment) but do expect a solid little thriller that escalates at a very good pace.

[Koravec]

Green Knight- Loved watching this one in theaters. Probably one of the more atmospheric movies Ive ever seen. One really creepy scene revolving around a ghost that was executed super well. That scene had me on the edge of my seat in how eerie and dark it felt. 

The actual green knight is like some kind of headless horseman tree hybrid. However Im unfamiliar with the actual green knight legend, I think its based off an old legend at least.

Some really bizarre and abstract imagery when in the instances it does occur, most notably that ghost sequence and a small scene of giants walking through the terrain (which I dont know what was supposed to represent, if anything).

You feel like the movie is onto something more complex by these few absurdities and one flashback scene until the story unravels where you see is just a really simple hero’s journey story throughout. 

[AlbertV]

20 hours ago, Drunken Monk said:

Orphan (2009) - A bit lengthy this one (that's what she said), but for the most part it's a solid "creepy kid" horror with excellent performances and some pretty tense moment. If you haven't already had it spoiled for you, I won't spoil it here. But the basic plot is that a couple adopt a child only to find out all is not what it seems.
The director plays with the idea of big scares, implying he's going to throw a number of cliched moments at us but then takes those moments in a different direction. It's quite a breath of fresh air. Don't go in expecting Paranormal Activity like jumps or even that much ultra violence (I can think of one brutal moment) but do expect a solid little thriller that escalates at a very good pace.

A prequel is coming out, Orphan: First Kill, with Isabelle Fuhrman returning to the role. 

[Drunken Monk]

Critters (1986) - I watched this one thinking it would be a case of "so bad it's good" but it's actually good! As far as plots go, it's almost insultingly simple: aliens attack! But the monsters are fun, the characters are great and the special effects are more than adequate.
My only gripe is that the film needs a little more violence. It's rather tame for a creature feature. But, if I recall correctly, the sequel ups the gore a little (and the boobs). I think I'll watch that next. Besides not catering to my love of blood and guts, this is a really solid movie. Not very cheesy too!
I think things get a little goofy once we get into Critters 3 and 4 territory but the original definitely holds up. Also, a young Billy Zane is one of the first Critter victims. That's what he gets for dating my future girlfriend, Kelly Brook.

[Koravec]

In The Tall Grass- Another Stephen King movie adaption. I initially started watching this a couple years ago (feels like longer) and hated everything I was seeing.

This was one of at least three horror movies recommended to me by one of my buddies, who I then learned didnt trust any of recommendations from lol. The first one he told me to check out was Blue Ruin which I found very straightforward and drab waste of time. He exclaimed how he heard there was news if them making a sequel for every other color (not even sure if these plans were true) and I was just thinking how unworthy I felt the runtime of this one alone was. The third was the home invasion movie, Hush, which I also simply have no interest in watching in the foreseeable future.

Anyway, I was over an hour into this one before I gave up too annoyed last time. Just scrolled pst this again and couldnt believe netflix held my spot. Without even bothering to go back and rewatch anything, actually feel like everything I saw up to the mark was mostly memorable considering how straightforward and little really happened so far. There are entire movies Ive seen recently that I dont recall so easily. 

Figured Id go back from where I left off as Ive continued to hear good things about this movie and plot twists near the end, why not see how it finishes for my short reviews here. 

The things making this movie so simple were some of the reasons initially making me dislike it so much. Felt the single-setting of literal ‘tall grass’ was cheap and little encompassing. Also found the main antagonist’s acting really cheesy and irritating. 

The movie seemed so contrived and pretentious at the end I found it a chore to even try to comprehend the story that was given. Feel like your average twilight zone episode would make more sense and be more engaging than this story.