Support NeoGAF

Blader · Oct 16, 2016

Poltergeist
Sorry Tobe Hooper, but this thing has Spielberg written all over it; no way he was *just* a producer on this. Like E.T., this movie makes me weirdly nostalgic for 80s suburban home life -- just the way things looked or were lit, the layout of the home, toys on every surface, food in the bed! Now, as for the movie itself, I was surprised and glad to see how quickly it just jumped into its haunted house plot, and how quickly the characters just bought into it. There are ghosts, they're real, they're fucking with us, let's go to work. It was paced nicely, JoBeth Williams is great (everyone else is fine but their characters feel pretty thin), and the practical effects were astounding. I dug it.
7/10

House on Haunted Hill
Just bad. Sometimes comically bad, usually boringly bad. Would've been a great MST3K episode. On its own merits, I didn't really enjoy it at all, though I'll give a point for Vincent Price who is charismatic and fun to watch or listen to as ever.
4/10

NLCP Gaming · Oct 16, 2016

Do anyone know if a Final girls sequel is coming out? One of my favorite horror movies

Fancy Clown · Oct 16, 2016

23) Lisa and the Devil - (Mario Bava, 1973)

"I was not introduced to the fifth guest, Maximilian."

Lisa and the Devil is a far more confusing and layered viewing experience than one might be used to with a Bava flick--and not confusing in a "withholding all the crucial information until the end" kind of way ala Bay of Blood--because this story relies heavily on allegory and symbolism in order to make any sense of what's going on. And while I was watching it was frequently about as lost as Lisa was in the dream world Bava has conjured up here, it's not a mindless trance, but surprisingly smart film, and is captured in a strikingly eerie and sombre way. There are the usual killings and hauntings one might expect in a Bava film, but they are used in service of a story and tone that is so unlike everything he's done up to this point, but it all works together in a really magical way. And even when you aren't sure what the hell is going on, you're pulled along by the gorgeous visuals, Telly Savalas's wonderful scenery-chewing performance, and the mysterious gravity to many of the scenes that seem to be hinting at some sort of greater significance and sadness behind these character's mysterious torment in this waking nightmare. There's no real twist or aha moment where everything suddenly makes sense at the end (although it does feel at times like a particularly trippy Twilight Zone episode, in terms of its moral irony and its final scene), but after the credits rolled the more I thought about it the more I was able to peel away some of the layers and figure out what it was getting at. Lisa and the Devil may be an odd duck in Bava's catalogue, but this dreamlike mystery is one of his stronger films. It's a tough film to describe really, but "Alice in Wonderland in a haunted house" might be an apt description for this one.

mariachi507 · Oct 16, 2016

NLCP Gaming said:
Do anyone know if a Final girls sequel is coming out? One of my favorite horror movies

The filmmakers stated that it all comes down to the success of the film. Since it was only a limited release and was primarily put out on vod it's hard to find any figures. There's nothing announced at this time.

BioHazard · Oct 16, 2016

#29 Dark Water (2002)

So glad Arrow Video put this one out, the Blu is fantastic. The atmosphere and creepiness level of this is just great. Pretty tame by j-horror standards but it can definitely get under your skin. Watch when it's raining.

4/5

#30 Grave Encounters (2011)

Despite being a big found footage horror fan.apologist, I somehow never got around to seeing this one. I did enjoy the idea of it kind of being a mockumentary about one of those ghost-hunting shows, so the found footage "gimmick" is appropriate. Took longer to get going than I would have thought, and overall it seemed the film dragged a bit. But, it definitely had some good scares and atmosphere. Maybe it was more original in 2011, but watching it now, it has some predictable story beats. Enjoyed the Blair Witch style distortion of time and place.

3/5

List of films so far

Linkhero1 · Oct 17, 2016

BioHazard said:
#29 Dark Water (2002)

So glad Arrow Video put this one out, the Blu is fantastic. The atmosphere and creepiness level of this is just great. Pretty tame by j-horror standards but it can definitely get under your skin. Watch when it's raining.

4/5

#30 Grave Encounters (2011)

Despite being a big found footage horror fan.apologist, I somehow never got around to seeing this one. I did enjoy the idea of it kind of being a mockumentary about one of those ghost-hunting shows, so the found footage "gimmick" is appropriate. Took longer to get going than I would have thought, and overall it seemed the film dragged a bit. But, it definitely had some good scares and atmosphere. Maybe it was more original in 2011, but watching it now, it has some predictable story beats. Enjoyed the Blair Witch style distortion of time and place.

3/5

List of films so far

Really enjoyed this one back when I watched it.

BattleMonkey · Oct 17, 2016

Too bad about Grave Encounters 2

canoli2006 · Oct 17, 2016

14. The Spiral Staircase (1945)

I'm a fan of film noir so I was curious to see if there were "horror noir" films and there certainly are. This was a good film and more of a murder mystery thriller in a mansion. It's free to watch on YouTube.

15. The Babadook (2014)

Been waiting awhile to see this one and I enjoyed it very much. Great all around performances, atmosphere, and tension. The kid is really annoying.

Linkhero1 · Oct 17, 2016

BattleMonkey said:
Too bad about Grave Encounters 2

I've seen it on Netflix numerous times while browsing their horror category but never dared to click on it. Is it really that bad?

Fox Mulder · Oct 17, 2016

#15 The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)

Great atmosphere and direct sequel to Curse of Frankenstein.

Frankenstein doesn't seem to go for revenge at all though, and sets up a successful legit medical practice under a different name while making continuing his work on a perfect creation. He isn't even a huge asshole like the first film.

Through no fault of his own really due to the incompetence of the poor and women, shit goes bad and you feel for the guy he worked on.

karasu · Oct 17, 2016

It reminds me of The Babadook in that there is this huge psychological tease until the end and when it finally gets there nothing happens!

DeathoftheEndless · Oct 17, 2016

13. House (1977)

I like my fair share of weird movies, but I did not like House (1977). Its a wacky '70s Japanese movie about girls staying at a creepy old woman's house. Its filmed in a bunch of different styles and a lot of weird shit happens, but I found it pretty grating after the first half-hour or so. None of the characters or even their death scenes grabbed me, so I was left with a horror comedy that is neither creepy or funny. And I didn't like the score, which is unfortunate because it repeats constantly.

afternoon delight · Oct 17, 2016

DeathoftheEndless said:
I like my fair share of weird movies, but I did not like House (1977).

I no longer trust your opinion, dog with red eyes.

mariachi507 · Oct 17, 2016

14. Pieces

Hahaha, holy shit this was a blast! It was my last entry in what I called the "trilogy of sleaze" along with The Mutilator and Blood Rage with Pieces standing at the top of the pack. As expected, there is a load of shocks and gore which can be both disturbing or hilarious depending on its depiction. Much of the plot and characters don't adhere to the rationale, but unlike similar expoitation films, I feel that is part of the design here. Yes, there is a murderer stalking young women at a university, so dothe police let everyone know so that they can evacuate to safety? Not at all, they just keep a lid on it and send in an uncover which results in numerous more murders occurring. However, these are the kind of victims who are so oblivious that they don't realize that a man who is dressed in all black, wears gloves and a hat, keeps his face covered, and hides a chainsaw behind his back might not be such a nice guy. The ineptness is part of the fun, and along with the general randomness (Hello Mr. Kung Fu instructor) it's a combination that brings us something very special indeed.

Verdict: 8/10

Steamlord · Oct 17, 2016

DeathoftheEndless said:
13. House (1977)

I like my fair share of weird movies, but I did not like House (1977). Its a wacky '70s Japanese movie about girls staying at a creepy old woman's house. Its filmed in a bunch of different styles and a lot of weird shit happens, but I found it pretty grating after the first half-hour or so. None of the characters or even their death scenes grabbed me, so I was left with a horror comedy that is neither creepy or funny. And I didn't like the score, which is unfortunate because it repeats constantly.

Ridley327 · Oct 17, 2016

October 16, film 1

Prior to the reliable blockbuster work he would become known for, Tony Scott tried to make the argument that he could just be as artistic and accomplished technically as his big brother Ridley with The Hunger. On the second point, it is hard to argue with the results that Scott gets here, as it's a rather immaculate film from a purely technical standpoint, with every shot looking like a million bucks and is nigh infallible in presenting its actors at perhaps the best they've ever looked on film, which is no small feat considering that two of its stars are the eternally beautiful Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie. But with the emphasis on overwhelming the viewer with so much beautiful texture, it falls on Scott to deliver on the depth and meaning of the imagery, which I can say quite frankly does not happen at all. Falling into the trap that so many self-consciously "artistic" filmmakers are wont to do, the constant barrage on the visual senses fails to connect on an emotional or an intellectual level, making the film often feel like a rather expensive music video in its most memorable scenes and a lot of B-roll for a perfume commercial otherwise. The overwhelming self-seriousness often leads to unintentional laughs at the film's expense, as it tries to so hard to say something, anything, while falling flat on its face every single time. There's nothing inherently wrong with making the viewer do some work, but there's so little to engage beyond the admiration of the production values. What makes it all so strange is that the thematic subject matter that it deals with should have been a knockout for a filmmaker that wanted to explore it, but Scott treats the material here as he does the wallpaper of the apartment building that most of the film takes place in: as something to hang on the walls. It's hard not to like the film for its considerable technical merits, but it's virtually impossible to admire it for any other reason.

ThirstyFly · Oct 17, 2016

Yeah, I didn't care for House either. I couldn't believe a movie that weird managed to be that boring. I was really disappointed with that one.

Pieces on the other hand... fantastic.

InaudibleWhispa · Oct 17, 2016

Rosemary's Baby
Atmosphere is what I look for most in a horror. A film that is confident enough to take its time; to drop hints and nods until they're dripping off you. That lets you imagine what might be happening rather than showing it in loud or graphic detail. I'm very happy that Rosemary's Baby turned out to be the film I'd hoped it would be. Mia Farrow is Rosemary, a woman who seemingly has the perfect life. Her husband is a handsome actor and they're just setting up a place to call home and start life as a family. They're introduced to their comically nice neighbours (too nice, Rosemary later points out). From the get go these bright moments of fresh white paint, lovemaking and hip new couches are clouded by Rosemary's imperious husband and moments of suspicion, particularly from the neighbours who seem to want to inject themselves into every facet of the couples lives with an ulterior motive.

Rosemary is ultimately trapped and being smothered from all angles; the overly-polite neighbours with a secret, and her husbands continued moments of control and condescension. All angles collide when Rosemary is raped, resulting in pregnancy. "Don't worry Ro, you weren't raped by an inhuman monster, you were raped by me in your sleep" her husband practically says without the admission of guilt or wrongdoing. The intense paranoia and anxiety for both Rosemary and the audience ramps up from this point on, still with restraint and no gaudy attempts at literal terror. Rosemary gradually gets more and more fragile and subservient, mentally and physically, to the cause and to her husband, as she's subjected to unorthodox treatments until she's exhausted to the point of perceived insanity, which only traps her further. Rosemary's Baby is a movie about what it means to be a woman in 1960's America as much as it is about supernatural suspicions and I wish it was less relevant today.
5/5

The Wicker Man (1973)
I've never seen a film like The Wicker Man. It's not often you can say that about a horror, or very many movies at all. I've of course seen movies about small towns with a secret, of which I am fond, but nothing that commits to the sheer insanity witnessed in this one. In some ways The Wicker Man is a simple film. A policeman visits a small island settlement off the coast of Scotland to investigate the reported murder of a local girl. The general look of the film is pretty dated, even for its time. The tight budget is clear and the cinematography and editing is basic, but the imagery on show is anything but. It's all elevated by the cavalcade of imaginative and bizarre characters and events we see take place as it progresses.

The film is in no rush to reach a conclusion, and in the meantime we get to experience island life and its colourful cast of liars and nutters, often through literal song and dance. Penis shrubbery, midnight orgies, Christopher Lee watching a snail, and a jar of foreskins... what should be a surrealist mess is actually a quite clear picture of a town totally and utterly dedicated and seduced by their religion. Of course our protagonist policeman isn't, and therein lies the great sense of unease as we watch the outsider, himself dedicated to religion and under illusions of control as a result, desperately try to make sense of it all and get to the bottom of a seemingly heinous crime before it all unravels in an astonishing finale. I could come up with a lengthy list of words to try to describe The Wicker Man... quirky, sinister, unsettling; but they're much too quaint. You just have to see it.
4.5/5

Violence Jack · Oct 17, 2016

#20 The Church (FTV) (1989) - Just what the hell was this supposed to be? It's got a great soundtrack, good gore, and some impressive set design. Outside of that, everything else in this movie sucked. I tried looking at it as a kind of precursor to the Demons movies, and that didn't work. The story is a lot of nonsensical gibberish with random stuff happening to the people trapped in the church. It feels like there's pieces of a coherent story here, but something got lost in translation. Not the worst FTV of this year, but really close. I expected much better from Soavi.

Rating: 4.5/10
Genre: Religious/Occult Horror

Rhomega Beta · Oct 17, 2016

18. The Haunting (1963)

Inspired by the Nostalgia Critic's review of the 1999 remake. This is a great haunted house movie that keeps its cast small. It works best because it doesn't really show anything, keeping the haunting to sounds, sensations, and Eleanor's increasing insanity. The cinematography is great, like the camera going up the spiral staircase, or Eleanor running down the hall and screaming...at her own reflection. Great movie, I do recommend it.

Full list

Changing my schedule around because some of the movies I wanted to see aren't rentable like Krampus, It Follows, and Son of Dracula, but I've found replacements, and I'm still on track for 31 movies this month.

Penguin · Oct 17, 2016

Penguin said:
11. Scout's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse - This is your basic teen drama with a zombie trapping. It's not awful, but also just kind of there.

12. We're Still Here - Really good movie that kind of took the haunted house/mysterious town trope and combined them into something with survivor's guilt.

13. Sweet Home - I enjoyed this though don't consider it much of a horror film. More like a game of cat and mouse.

14. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

Really fun movie. It's a different take on the slasher genre, more of an examination of the "magic" behind these killing sprees. It's different than Scream, but still as good. Though the climax is eh since turns into what you'd expect from an actual slasher.

15. Frankenstein's Army - Recommended to me based off of my love of the vs Dead movies. It's an okay monster/haunted attraction type movie.

16. Prophecy - This is just a strange movie. It seems to wanna have a message, but underlined by racism and other things. A freaky looking bear.

17. Deathgasm - A decent enough movie. The whole demonic thing was cool.

18. Fender Bender - Kind of an old school slasher film. Interesting workaround and ending.

19. The Forsaken
- A pre-Twilight teeny vampire movie. The leads make it fun.

lordxar · Oct 17, 2016

Combat Shock. I've never actually watched a Troma film before. I tried the Toxic Avenger but it was too awful. So this actually surprised me. Probably not exactly horror but its on Shudder so whatever

I was surprised at how good this was. Yea its got low budget written all over it but the story it tells is pretty good. This doesn't even gloss over anything it just keeps hammering you with how shitty things are for this soldier in post Vietnam life. The ending was pretty brutal too. Overall I liked this a lot.

This was on last years mandatory list but I couldn't finish it. I hadn't watched many silent films at that time and this didn't hold my interest at all back then. Now I had a good time watching it. The day and night scenes divided by yellow and blue color was a nice touch. The angular doors and oddly shaped rooms was pretty cool. I mean you can almost see the plywood used to make the sets but it all worked very well.

Ridley327 · Oct 17, 2016

October 16, film 2

The Lost Boys is certainly the crowd-pleaser type, filled with an attractive cast of actors, a lot of slick production values, special effects and taking the visual aspects of the horror elements and subtracting the more inherently horrific qualities and merging them with more overt humor. That doesn't make it a particularly good horror film, but for what it is, it's more than serviceable. It dances along the edge of essentially being a bloodier version of The Goonies for its main plot, which makes sense given Richard Donner's involvement along with Corey Feldman's goofy turn as half of a vampire hunter duo, but Joel Schumacher seems a bit more interested in the usual Joel Schumacher things: good looking guys, just a smear of homoeroticism (what exactly was Corey Haim doing with a poster of a nearly shirtless Rob Lowe in his room, hmm?), ridiculous sets, colored lighting up the yin-yang and a lot of motorcycles. Why a vampire needs a motorcycle when they can just fly around, I'm not sure, but I don't think that Schumacher and company were that interested in anything other than looking cool. The humor does work pretty well, especially a silent gag involving the procurement of holy water, and you can tell that a lot of the cast are having fun while trying to not get devoured by the set design. The soundtrack is probably the best part, with a killer theme song (THOOOOOOOOOOOU SHAAAAAAAAAAAAALL NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANT) and a cute selection of covers from then-current acts. Speaking of, I'm not sure it was intentional at all, but having your vampires have a big altar to Jim Morrison is a nice way to establish them as being truly irredeemable, so there's a lot of points in that too. Bottom line: it's a decent blockbuster style film that flirts with popular horror elements and doesn't outstay its welcome. Its worst crime is that it's entirely harmless, which I suspect won't make it super memorable in the long run, but there are certainly far worse way to spend an evening in.

Film for October 17: A family outing to catch Shin Godzilla before it leaves theaters puts a bit of a wrench in the works for timing, but I wouldn't be a good programmer if I hadn't accounted for such possibilities! Clocking in at just over an hour long, Tetsuo: The Iron Man is often hailed as one of the most important films of the body horror genre, with its gritty industrial visuals and mind-rending concepts combining to create a film that looks like nothing else. This has long been on my watchlist, and it's about damn time that I dive into its madness.

gabbo · Oct 17, 2016

#13 The Exorcist

This was a version I hadn't seen, with all of the previously deleted scenes from the VYNS and various special editions edited back in. Probably the best 'slow burn' horror film ever.
I have never found this film frightening, and my girlfriend felt much the same (this being her first viewing), though it is highly disturbing and troubling at times. Young girl is possessed by a demon (I will never accept the name given by the shittastic first sequel as canon. I do like III and Shrader's Dominion a lot though) and the lengths her mom goes to in order to help her, and the two priests tasked with ridding her of the possession.

The acting, sound effects, special effects, music, all create a terrifically tense and bleak atmosphere that is generally unrivaled in this genre, even among 'serious' horror films.
It may not, to me, live up to its moniker of the 'Scariest Film of All Time', but to deny that it is a well made, thought provoking and at times chilling would be a lie. It's iconic and parodied and riffed on for a reason. Always recommended.

GhaleonEB · Oct 17, 2016

#15: Housebound | via Netflix instant

A rewatch from last year, this time with my wife. I was going to watch Carpenter's Village of the Damned, but I'll save it for tomorrow night; this was mentioned earlier and got me wanting to see it again. More thriller than horror, it strikes one of the best balances between tense and funny I've ever seen; Marsha and I were alternately squirming off the sofa and laughing out loud. Delightful characters all around, the mom and daughter in particular having such great and authentic chemistry. The story zigs around several times, so as long as you don't go in with your heart set on one thing, you'll probably enjoy the ride.

One of my favorite films from the last marathon, and again this year.

***** out of five

walkmetothelake · Oct 17, 2016

OP

---

Film #31 - The Old Dark House (1932)

Rewatched as a bonus film requirement for another challenge I'm participating in. It's okay still.

Film #32 - Eaten Alive (1976)

Hooper's post-Chainsaw output is so wild, wow.

Film #33 - Malevolence (2004)

I wish this was more eventful than it actually is. The description and some of the reviews had me fairly interested but this doesn't do all that much with what it has. I loved the throwback score and it elevated things quite a bit at least.

I'll probably watch the prequel out of curiosity at some point.

excelsiorlef · Oct 17, 2016

mariachi507 said:
14. Pieces

Hahaha, holy shit this was a blast! It was my last entry in what I called the "trilogy of sleaze" along with The Mutilator and Blood Rage with Pieces standing at the top of the pack. As expected, there is a load of shocks and gore which can be both disturbing or hilarious depending on its depiction. Much of the plot and characters don't adhere to the rationale, but unlike similar expoitation films, I feel that is part of the design here. Yes, there is a murderer stalking young women at a university, so dothe police let everyone know so that they can evacuate to safety? Not at all, they just keep a lid on it and send in an uncover which results in numerous more murders occurring. However, these are the kind of victims who are so oblivious that they don't realize that a man who is dressed in all black, wears gloves and a hat, keeps his face covered, and hides a chainsaw behind his back might not be such a nice guy. The ineptness is part of the fun, and along with the general randomness (Hello Mr. Kung Fu instructor) it's a combination that brings us something very special indeed.

Verdict
Film: 5/10
Enjoyment: 9/10

Pieces is incredible.

I saw it for the first time completely at random. A horrible lowfi transfer was on some random 5 disc horror collection I bought.

Then my roomate at the time bought be the special edition completely at random not knowing it had become on of my favs.

I was lucky enough to see an actual film print of it in a theatre during Halloween a few years back.

Divius · Oct 17, 2016

#17 - Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Sleepy Hollow is a bleak, moody and atmospheric Gothic tale of supernatural murders in a small town. The production design, costumes and sets were all amazing. The visual aspect of the movie is definitely the best part; it really is a beautiful looking film. The appearance of the headless horseman was impressive every time he was on screen; truly menacing, thrilling and scary (even moreso when he's Christopher Walken). The story movies along as expected, with some twists and turns along the way that surprise no one. Most of the supernatural stuff was handled well. The somewhat generic but fine performance by Depp didn't annoy me as much as he usually does. 6.5/10

EmpressInYellow · Oct 17, 2016

Still a bit behind, but the most recent film was What We Become.

Summary - A family in a small Danish suburb is forced into an increasingly desperate survival scenario after the outbreak of a mysterious illness. When the government quarantines the area and imposes martial law, the family members strive to cope in their own ways. Unfortunately, the illness is your typical zombie virus, and things deteriorate in the expected fashion.

Thoughts - This feels like a very...Scandinavian take on the typical zombie formula. It's very restrained, focusing for most of the film on the dynamics of the family and the growing claustrophobia of the quarantine rather than the usual zombie story beats. Even though you know from the very start what's going on and where it's heading, the film still takes its time letting things play out. I found the quarantine situation and the reaction to it interesting enough in and of itself that I didn't actually mind the relative lack of zombies.

Of course, once the zombies do come out in force, the film falls into fairly predictable, conventional story beats. The ending is, to be honest, a little weak and generic. The rest of the film isn't bad, though.

mariachi507 · Oct 17, 2016

excelsiorlef said:
Pieces is incredible.

I was lucky enough to see an actual film print of it in a theatre during Halloween a few years back.

That's really awesome, I never get a chance to watch any of the classics on the big screen around here.

Divius said:
#17 - Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Sleepy Hollow is a bleak, moody and atmospheric Gothic tale of supernatural murders in a small town. The production design, costumes and sets were all amazing. The visual aspect of the movie is definitely the best part; it really is a beautiful looking film. The appearance of the headless horseman was impressive every time he was on screen; truly menacing, thrilling and scary (even moreso when he's Christopher Walken). The story movies along as expected, with some twists and turns along the way that surprise no one. Most of the supernatural stuff was handled well. The somewhat generic but fine performance by Depp didn't annoy me as much as he usually does. 6.5/10

I was just reading that Black Sunday is Tim Burton's favorite movie and was the main inspiration behind the visual style in Sleepy Hollow. It's definitely the best part of the film and looks fantastic. I also agree with you about how menacing The Headless Horsemen is. I can still remember being a kid and seeing the trailer for the first time during the preview's for another movie. It scared the shit out of me.

Fancy Clown · Oct 17, 2016

24) The Beyond - (Lucio Fulci, 1981)

"And you will face the sea of darkness, and all therein that may be explored."

Although The Beyond is the second in Fulci's Gates of Hell trilogy (following City of the Living Dead) it feels like a regression in a lot of ways--okay, almost every way--from the previous film, unfortunately. Fulci films are known for having their fair share of goofiness and things that don't make sense, but The Beyond tipped a little too closely to having more than its fair share of those elements. It lacks the driving pacing, relentless foreboding, and excellently built up sequences of escalating tension that made City of the Living Dead so great, and instead has sort of meandering dialogue scenes that make no fucking sense at all ("We have carte blanche but not a blank check" is literally a line from this movie), and though the nightmarish scenes are good, they often don't have the build up that made the ones from City so memorable and tense, and sometimes go on too long to the point of being silly (a tarantula scene comes to mind). And while the zombie filled finale is a more sustained sequence of tension, it's rendered silly by the fact that despite the gun wielding character knows to aim for the head, he continues to plug zombies in the body and act surprised when they don't die until he delivers headshots (which he is shown as quite capable of getting). The movie is still fun though, as it is completely batshit with some very memorable visuals, the sepia tinted opening is quite evocative and well done, the ending is great, and the on location New Orleans filming lends the film a nice, thick atmosphere. I can see why this one is so popular at midnight screenings, since it would be a fun one to watch drunk with a bunch of people, but I do think its a step back from the work Fulci put in to City of the Living Dead and Don't Torture a Duckling.

afternoon delight · Oct 17, 2016

Fancy Clown said:
The Beyond - Lucio Fulci, 1981

Agreed on all accounts! I feel like it's last half hour more than makes up for the preceding film though.

lordxar · Oct 17, 2016

If memory serves I was advised to watch Gates of Hell in reverse chronological order. I thought the third kind of sucked after the first two.

Typographenia · Oct 17, 2016

DeathoftheEndless said:
13. House (1977)

I like my fair share of weird movies, but I did not like House (1977). Its a wacky '70s Japanese movie about girls staying at a creepy old woman's house. Its filmed in a bunch of different styles and a lot of weird shit happens, but I found it pretty grating after the first half-hour or so. None of the characters or even their death scenes grabbed me, so I was left with a horror comedy that is neither creepy or funny. And I didn't like the score, which is unfortunate because it repeats constantly.

House feels like a celebration of film as a medium. There are so many techniques from pixilation, compositing, framing with shapes, and just an overall playfulness with what film can do that it really won me over. It is certainly not the most frightening thing I've ever seen, but when you have a character named "Kung-fu," it's hard not to at least warm to its charm.

If you have the criterion version, I strongly recommend watching the interviews on the disc. Some great stuff in there.

Fancy Clown · Oct 17, 2016

afternoon delight said:
Agreed on all accounts! I feel like it's last half hour more than makes up for the preceding film though.

I just wish the dude would try to go for headshots in the zombie siege. YOU KNOW THATS THE ONLY WAY THEY DIE. That headshot was really something though.

lordxar said:
If memory serves I was advised to watch Gates of Hell in reverse chronological order. I thought the third kind of sucked after the first two.

Yeah, I've heard the last one is heavy on atmosphere but light on everything else. I just wish I had bought the blu of City of the Living Dead instead of The Beyond, but I figured Beyond had the better reputation and thus was a safer buy.

Ridley327 · Oct 17, 2016

I feel like there should a bounty to collect for anyone that can accurately describe what happens in the story of The House by the Cemetery. Even for Fulci, it's incomprehensible.

Steamlord · Oct 17, 2016

That bat though

MattyH · Oct 17, 2016

#17 The Conjuring 2 - totally missed this at the cinema and it hit dvd in the uk today so picked it up while shopping.I loved the first one so im hoping this impresses me

Divius · Oct 17, 2016

That is a solid review.

MattyH · Oct 17, 2016

Divius said:
That is a solid review.

gonna give impressions tomorrow

ThirstyFly · Oct 17, 2016

So I decided to sub in Phantasm III. I'm about half way though it and I regret everything.

iPaul93 · Oct 17, 2016

Linkhero1 said:
Really enjoyed this one back when I watched it.

Same here.I'm in the mood for a decent horror movie and I guess I'll watch it tomorrow.

CharminUltra · Oct 17, 2016

Ridley327 said:
I feel like there should a bounty to collect for anyone that can accurately describe what happens in the story of The House by the Cemetery. Even for Fulci, it's incomprehensible.

Haha I know rite? Half of the characters feel so pointless.

HOWEVER I do love the ending. I like to think of the movie as more of an atmospheric dream piece than anything else. I only recommend it if you're going full Fulci.

Divius · Oct 17, 2016

Dr. Freudenstein is my spirit animal

Violence Jack · Oct 17, 2016

#21 Kill List (FTV) (2011) - I'm not quite sure what to feel about this one. It started off slowly introducing the characters, but I couldn't make out what they were saying during most of the film (Shudder really needs to start adding in a subtitle option). But once it got to the actual assassinations, the film got better and more tense. The last 20 minutes of the film were pretty crazy. Then came the final name on the list, which I thought was way too obvious. I still don't understand why

his wife was laughing after he stabbed her and their son.

Maybe it was meant to be left up to interpretation. I found it to be pretty good overall, and I'd watch it again (with subtitles).

Rating: 7.5/10
Genre: Crime Thriller/Occult Horror

Fancy Clown · Oct 17, 2016

25) Cure - (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 1997)

"Who are you?"

Who are you? Who are you? Who are you? This question comes up a lot in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's metaphoric, philosophical, dreamlike take on the serial killer genre. But Cure is not a "who-dunnit". Who is responsible for the killings is revealed quickly, as are how the killings are done. But why are these killings taking place? That's the real question, and the conclusions are unsettling to say the least. Although this is certainly not a traditional horror film by any stretch --as it's really closer to a Tarkovsky film in its philosophical interrogations, its increasingly dilapidated and monochromatic settings, the hypnotic atmosphere, and use of long, wide angle takes-- it is probably the most unsettling film I've watched all month. From the dispassionate and utterly casual scenes of violence, to its bleak view of modern society, Cure will certainly haunt me for long after I've seen it. It's also a highly ambiguous and elliptical film, so those looking for easy answers will likely find this frustrating, but I find its openness only enhances how chilling it is. It really makes you think. Who are you? Well, if you are a person who deep down in your darkest subconscious wished Tarkovsky made a Japanese horror flick, then watch Cure immediately.

pitcairn55 · Oct 17, 2016

17/10/16
Film 20
My Bloody Valentine (1981)

It’s 1981, when men were miners and women weren’t allowed to go down. The mine, I mean. There was a rule apparently. Anyway, it’s a slasher flick from the 80s and so naturally some fun-loving young people are being murderised for giving in to their throbbing biological urges. Actually it’s not just young people - anyone associated with the celebration of Valentine’s Day in this little town with a big heart is liable to feel the killer’s wrath.

I liked this a lot. There’s some fantastic 80s hairdos, some terrible 80s acting, and the gas-mask wearing, pick-axe wielding, Darth Vader impersonating killer is actually pretty sinister. The mine setting for the climax of the movie is very effective and the good guys aren’t all universally dislikable.

The only problem I have with the movie is the disappointing lack of gore, at least on the 15-rated version that Netflix are streaming in the UK. It’s jarringly obvious where scenes have been hacked about, and indeed sometimes the cuts render what remains almost nonsensical. I might have to try and hunt down an unmutilated version at some point.

Films I've watched so far

John Rabbit · Oct 17, 2016

Linkhero1 said:
I've seen it on Netflix numerous times while browsing their horror category but never dared to click on it. Is it really that bad?

Grave Encounters 2 stops just short of retroactively ruining the first film.

Divius said:
#13 - Wait Until Dark (1967)
Very tense tight scripted thriller with some hitckock-esque elements led by a terrific performance of Audrey Hepburn and a strong supporting cast. Hepburn is classy and elegant as always, and it's easy for her role to be overacted or gimmicky but she pulls it off. The climax of the movie is definitely the best part; great butt-clenching nail-biting finale. 7.5/10

I watched this with my wife (who's a big Audrey fan but had never seen this) because of this thread. I agree with this synopsis 100%. That climax....jesus.

ThirstyFly · Oct 18, 2016

16) Phantasm II (1988) (Oct 16)

Continuing on with the Phantasm series, which I started during the marathon last year, Phantasm II is the one that suffered from the dreaded studio involvement. Oddly enough, I think their tinkering actually helped. The sequel is more straight forward and linear than the original and the recasting of Mike (aka “BOY!&#8221

was an improvement over the original – although this wouldn't become as apparent until the third movie in the series where the original actor returns.

One thing I found interesting is that they played it more straight in regards to the humor of the original. It's kept mostly serious (in that cheesy 80s way) until the crazy 3rd act when it really goes nuts. Boy, there was some sweet sphere action in this one. Those fuckers are brutal.

While it's not a classic, and I'm not even sure if I'd say it's a good movie, but I enjoyed it. Recommended if you're into silly stuff like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.

Rating:

out 5 "What's in the basket?"

17) Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994) (Oct 17)

I was going to save this for next year, but since I had fun with Phantasm II and was curious to see where they went with it, I figured I may as well squeeze in Phantasm III. Boy oh boy, was that a bad idea.

There's a fine line between silly and stupid, and boy, this one trips on that line constantly. First we have the actor switch-a-roo and all their obvious tricks to hide that as well as the face of the non-returning cast member. Then we have the addition of the dumbest new characters, the new boy, Psycho Kevin McCallister and Rocky, the militant, nunchaku wielding woman who just happens to hang around in mausoleums for whatever reason. Boy, the silliness level is off the charts on this one.

I can't really say I cared for it, boys. Like the others, it's open ended but at least the first 2 had some kind of finality to them. This just feels incomplete and the whole story comes off as pointless as nothing is resolved with even more questions are raised. And I don't know how they managed to make a bald ice cream man with a ponytail even more of a creep, but boy, they did it.

Boy.

Rating:

out 5 "What's in the basket?"

RIP Angus. You were awesome in all of them.

lordxar · Oct 18, 2016

Total modern day shit fest of a remake/sequel that does nothing for the original. This has modern shock where the original had a cool story, original kills and a fun atmosphere. This has Robert Englund but he doesn't help at all. The tits don't help either.

Support NeoGAF

31 Days of Horror 6 |OT| The October Movie Marathon

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Crashing this plane... with no survivors!

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Member

Similar threads