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Post by TheOriginalPinky on Oct 6, 2020 20:13:42 GMT
Yesterday I watched the following for the first time. Kind of a mixed bag, and the first one was a real stinker!
Girl on the Third Floor (2019) Yuk. Cliché’d haunted house tail, this time a former brothel that couple purchases to fix up. Did not like any of the characters (except for the dog), especially the male lead. Found myself rooting for the “bad guys”. Weird acting, and people just don’t behave that way. Stilted dialog, and it goes all over the place and has a horrid soundtrack. And the ending? Ugh. Don’t bother. 1/10 (for the dog) PJ Brooks
Visions (2015) Young wife develops precognition after motor vehicle accident. A year later, these young marries buy a vineyard, and young wife starts seeing visions, but husband is putting it down to PSD and the fact that she went off her meds because she’s pregnant. I kind of liked this movie, despite the actress playing the wife. She annoyed me. Neato ending where things are all put together nicely. Kudos for having Joanna Cassidy, who I love and I feel was always underutilized. She’s a good actress. 6/10 Isla Fisher Anson Mount Gillian Jacobs Eva Longoria
Delirium (2018) Guy is released from a mental institution where he is on 30 day home parole in a mansion he inherited from his father who had committed suicide days prior to his release. Starts out slow, and there are some very creepy moments. It then goes from 0 to 90 very quickly, and the rollercoaster ride is frightening! Had to let go of a lot of disbelief to enjoy it, but enjoy it I did. 7/10 Topher Grace Patricia Clarkson Genesis Rodriguez
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Post by TheOriginalPinky on Oct 6, 2020 20:18:45 GMT
Some thoughts on the films I watched so far: Midsommar (2019; Ari Aster) – I would say this is best enjoyed as a fun black comedy with some hilariously bizarre scenes. I saw it as a criticism of organised religion. Like Hereditary it’s over-directed and too leisurely paced to be really gripping, even though it looks gorgeous. Florence Pugh proves that her ace turn in Lady Macbeth was no fluke, this is one lady who can definitely act. 6/10 Psycho II (1983; Richard Franklin) – Decent sequel with a terrific Perkins. 6.5/10 Psycho III (1986; Anthony Perkins) – A bit cartoonish and clearly not to be taken too seriously. Still a fun slasher. 5.5/10 Bone Tomahawk (2015; S. Craig Zahler) – I had seen the second half of this years ago, decided to watch the entire thing now. Zahler is clearly a man with a unique vision, his laconic dialogue has a Cormac McCarthy-esque quality. I just wish the movie would’ve been more interesting visually. The low budget unfortunately shows. The beginning is also painfully slow. Emotionally it remained a bit distant and cold even though Kurt Russel and Richard Jenkins brought their A-game. I was less taken with Patrick Wilson’s performance, he did what was required of him but nothing more. 6/10 Psycho (1960; Alfred Hitchcock) – Well, it’s a classic and still holds up well if we exclude the ending which is obviously over-explained. 8.5/10 Haunter (2013; Vincenzo Natali) – This is a movie I didn’t really like much at first, but it grew on me after repeat viewings. The first act can seem a bit confusing and requires the viewer’s full attention and quite a bit of patience, but once it kicks into gear after about 30 minutes it becomes a fascinating time-loop-ghost story. 6.5/10 Based on your review, I saw Haunter the other night, and I liked it a lot!
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Post by theravenking on Oct 6, 2020 20:22:23 GMT
October 4 watched the following. Some nice surprises! The Cured (2018)Not your typical zombie movie. Being a zombie is a disease, and there is a cure, but those cured are discriminated against. Very low-key, deliberate, dark and moody piece done very well. Not action-packed, but more looking into how society functions after an epidemic where those cured were once monsters. 9/10 Ellen Page Sam Keeley Tom Vaughan-Lawlor Haunter (2013)Nice little ghost story with unusual bent where an almost 16-year-old girl keeps reliving the same day before her birthday over and over. Abigail Breslin as Lisa is very likable. Eminently watchable and enjoyable with an interesting twist. 7/10 Abigail Breslin Stephen McHattie Crooked House (2008)Originally a 3-part series from the BBC, it has been compiled into a 92 minute movie telling the story of a cursed house. Viewed it on Amazon Prime. Was very surprised at how much I liked it. There is no gore or cheap shots, it’s plain storytelling, and it works! 8/10 Lee Ingleby Mark Gatiss Glad you liked Haunter
I've seen The Cured, but it was too slow for my taste, or perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for it.
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Post by TheOriginalPinky on Oct 6, 2020 20:35:44 GMT
October 4 watched the following. Some nice surprises! The Cured (2018)Not your typical zombie movie. Being a zombie is a disease, and there is a cure, but those cured are discriminated against. Very low-key, deliberate, dark and moody piece done very well. Not action-packed, but more looking into how society functions after an epidemic where those cured were once monsters. 9/10 Ellen Page Sam Keeley Tom Vaughan-Lawlor Haunter (2013)Nice little ghost story with unusual bent where an almost 16-year-old girl keeps reliving the same day before her birthday over and over. Abigail Breslin as Lisa is very likable. Eminently watchable and enjoyable with an interesting twist. 7/10 Abigail Breslin Stephen McHattie Crooked House (2008)Originally a 3-part series from the BBC, it has been compiled into a 92 minute movie telling the story of a cursed house. Viewed it on Amazon Prime. Was very surprised at how much I liked it. There is no gore or cheap shots, it’s plain storytelling, and it works! 8/10 Lee Ingleby Mark Gatiss Glad you liked Haunter I've seen The Cured, but it was too slow for my taste, or perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for it.
I get that about The Cured. It's very low-toned, but for me, it was worth it. Kind of depressing, too!
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Post by theravenking on Oct 6, 2020 21:00:12 GMT
Some not so great new entries for me this time:
The Possession Of Hannah Grace (2018; Diederik Van Rooijen) – This is like the lousy version of The Autopsy Of Jane Doe. It starts with a generic exorcism scene and never really recovers relying on cheap jump scares and a predictable plot. 3/10
Psycho IV (1990; Mick Garris) – Clearly at this point the Psycho franchise had burned out with little new to offer. This tries to delve into Norman Bates’ childhood but Henry Thomas while a fine actor never even comes close to matching Perkin’s original performance. The latter is still around without having much to do just hanging around the phone chatting with a radio host (CCH Pounder). 4/10
Silent House (2011; Chris Kentis, Laura Lau) – Reportedly shot in one single take (although you can tell the film-makers actually cheated) this remake of a Uruguayan movie has a fine lead with Elizabeth Olsen, but plot-wise very little of interest going on, with most of the movie consisting of the characters stumbling through a dimly-lit dilapidated building. 4/10
and a fun rewatch:
Nightwatch (1997; Ole Bornedal) – Bornedal directed this remake of his own Danish surprise hit. A law student takes a job as a night-watchman at a mortuary and becomes the target of a serial-killer. I know people always say the original is better, but I actually prefer this US-remake. It was clearly riding on the Scream-inspired 90s slasher wave, and the killer is easy to guess, but it has a better than average cast (Ewan McGregor, Josh Brolin, Nick Nolte, Brad Dourif and an uncredited John C. Reilly), and some nice black humour. 6.5/10
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Post by Marv on Oct 6, 2020 21:36:31 GMT
Crawl...An ok disaster/monster flick with the alligators being the primary antagonist. I thought the characters made some really weird and unlikely decisions, especially the dad...but it was far less eye rolley than something like sharknado so props.
Assimilate...surprisingly enjoyable Body Snatchers ripoff. Everything escalates so quickly...even moreso than the characters are made aware of until late. Its also completely bleak but somehow doesn't feel depressing. Also...how do you say no to the hot neighbor whos like 'You can come to my bedroom if you like.' I mean Id have been dead ten minutes later, easily.
#Alive...Korean zombie flick about a guy stuck in his apartment building during the zombie apocalypse, struggling to survive. I really enjoyed it. Starts very fast and eventually slows down a bit, but a lot of the zombie action sequences felt thrilling and genuine. I like that they didn't have the man and his female survivor neighbor become lovers either. They came across as bonded over mutual survival and i liked that.
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Post by Sarge on Oct 7, 2020 3:54:27 GMT
Witches have more potential for horror than is represented in movies or pop culture and I hope that 2015's VVitch will inspire more like The Wretched that treats witches as dangerous terrifying things rather than cutesy tricksters at worst. I went in cold, not reading the description and would recommend you do because the movie assumes you did. mild spoiler A defiant teenage boy, struggling with his parents' imminent divorce, faces off with a thousand year-old witch. The first hour introduces all the players: the likable main character, his love interest, the local bullies, dad's new girlfriend; and leans on creepy noises and bodies ratcheting and crackling to make you uneasy but the last half hour is a proper swiftly paced tale of terror. The story and characters are recombinations of things you've seen before, vaguely reminiscent of 80's horror, but delivers a story that makes sense and characters who are more than caricatures. 6/10 Also watched Dreams in a Witch House from MOH and several Hulu shorts.
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Post by darkreviewer2013 on Oct 7, 2020 4:46:45 GMT
So far all the first time views I seen so far suck. Im finding solace in my repeat horror films like The Evil Dead and The Shining. The Evil Dead is unbeatable.
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Post by Marv on Oct 7, 2020 10:23:06 GMT
So far all the first time views I seen so far suck. Im finding solace in my repeat horror films like The Evil Dead and The Shining. I’ve had the reversal of that. I’ve mostly enjoyed my first time viewings so far and have watched an unusually large amount of ftv so far only a week into the challenge. I know the second half of the month will be full of repeats and ftv disappointments.
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Post by TheOriginalPinky on Oct 7, 2020 12:30:06 GMT
Witches have more potential for horror than is represented in movies or pop culture and I hope that 2015's VVitch will inspire more like The Wretched that treats witches as dangerous terrifying things rather than cutesy tricksters at worst. I went in cold, not reading the description and would recommend you do because the movie assumes you did. mild spoiler A defiant teenage boy, struggling with his parents' imminent divorce, faces off with a thousand year-old witch. The first hour introduces all the players: the likable main character, his love interest, the local bullies, dad's new girlfriend; and leans on creepy noises and bodies ratcheting and crackling to make you uneasy but the last half hour is a proper swiftly paced tale of terror. The story and characters are recombinations of things you've seen before, vaguely reminiscent of 80's horror, but delivers a story that makes sense and characters who are more than caricatures. 6/10 Also watched Dreams in a Witch House from MOH and several Hulu shorts. I'll have to see if I can get The Wretched. I loved VVitch.
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Post by Sarge on Oct 7, 2020 18:22:20 GMT
TheOriginalPinky The Wretched is on Hulu, just don't go in expecting that same level of storytelling or acting. So far Hulu has maybe the best selection of horror that I haven't seen yet, a number of movies that never got releases because of covid. The Babysitter: Killer Queen (Netflix). All (I think) of the cast returns although some like Samara Weaving have fairly small roles. Cole (the virgin victim in the original) is back to being a spineless paranoid wimp because no one believed his story about a cult trying to kill him. Cole's best friend and co-survivor, Melanie, has grown up and filled out, which is good because nothing fills out a threadbare plot like cleavage. In true 80's style, Melanie is dating a hunky jerk but casts suggestive glances at Cole and teases that he may be her true love. Melanie convinces Cole to skip school and go to a cabin at the beach where she makes her feelings known. But Cole's virgin blood is still valuable to the forces of evil and hijinks ensue. New at school is bad girl Phoebe who is so cute with her big eyes, button nose, and full lips that she could have been designed for a video game. Speaking of video games, randomly two characters face off in a Street Fighter-esque scene which really clashes with the aesthetic and tone of the movie. The pacing is brisk, the CGI bad, fairly bloody, with some humor; and if you are a fan of the original you will probably be entertained by the sequel. If you are expecting another good performance by Samara Weaving prepare to be disappointed. Emily Aly Lind, Melanie, seems to be channeling some cross between Weaving and Debbie Ryan which didn't work for me. To pull off that kind of edge you actually need some edge to your personality, and she doesn't seem to have it. Unfortunately I was interrupted and missed part of the final scene, so I'm not clear on why it ended the way it did, if anyone is willing to spoiler why Bee planned for it to all go wrong and killed herself I would appreciate it.
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Post by MooseNugget on Oct 7, 2020 20:34:28 GMT
Phantasm (1979) - First time viewing Terror Level: Medium This was a very interesting horror film with some out there ideas. I was probably decades since we've seen dead people actually used as slaves and the only one I can think of is White Zombie. It's probably been done several times but I just can't remember. The chrome balls are really cool. The creepiest part to me was when the gang ended up finding the white room with the teleportation device because it just seemed so out of place and it didn't belong there, you expect something to happen and it does. The Tall Man is creepy and I could see how he kind of inspired Slender Man. It's fun for what it is but not something I feel like I have to revisit. Well I guess I'm in the minority on that because there were several sequels. 6/10. Survive The Hollow Shoals (2018) - First time viewing Terror Level: High This movie is The Blair Witch Project if there were actual supernatural happenings in that film, and a lot of people criticize it for being too much like that film, but I'm absolutely fine with that as long as you have different ideas. It's not this all time classic film like Blair Watch but it's perfect if you're in the mood for a good horror movie. I think this movie's failing is that it's predictable after a certain point but I think that does add to the horror since you know this guy has taken his adventure too far and there's no way he's getting out. Brent McGhee does a decent job seeing this is his only time being an actor in a movie but he could have been more shaken up by what's going on. Like I said this movie does some of the things Blair Witch does but I think they added more urgency to this guy's situation as he's trying to rough it out in the woods and there's a point where he can't find any food. This is a really good horror film and I plan on bringing this up during our annual horror movie marathon. 7/10.
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Post by TheOriginalPinky on Oct 7, 2020 23:46:06 GMT
Today so far I've watched the following first time views:
The Wretched (2019) Reminded me in some ways of an 80’s horror flick, but better made. Brisk pace, not bored. More of a teen flick. Ending was ambiguous, but fun. 5/10 John Paul Howard Piper Curda Jamison Jones
Dark Touch (2003) Abused young child resides with kind neighbors after her parents and brother are killed. The young girl has telekinesis, and she actually killed her parents because they were abusing her. Very taut, dark and \ suspenseful. Quietly sinister. Except . . . the ending went too far. The actress who played the young abused girl was excellent. All the actors were good. Wish it had given me more. Another ambiguous ending. 5/10 Missy Keating Marcella Plunkett Pádraic Delaney
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Post by Sarge on Oct 8, 2020 0:03:22 GMT
Watching Piranha '78. I must have watched this back in the day but remember nothing about it except the swarm sound effect and I never rated it, so I'm counting it as a first watch. Enjoyable movie except most of the deaths are someone being an idiot, example, a guy sticks his arm in the water and gets bitten but leaves his arm in the water to be stripped by fish. It makes for a good visual but is unrealistic.
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Post by darkreviewer2013 on Oct 8, 2020 3:45:14 GMT
Happy Birthday To Me (1981) - 3/10 [FTV]
This is the fourth slasher I've watched thus far and by far the worst. In its defence, the murder mystery aspect did keep me guessing to the end and the final act isn't bad, but for most of its runtime the movie is a confusing slog and it suffers from the absence of a memorable killer. There are worse slashers out there and the movie is not devoid of creative ideas, but it didn't work for me.
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Post by darkreviewer2013 on Oct 8, 2020 3:53:53 GMT
Some thoughts on what I've seen: House (1986) - 7/10 [Repeat Viewing] By the mid-80s, campy horror-comedies had become a staple of the genre and this movie was the first that I know of to adapt that approach to the haunted house subgenre. Nice to see George Wendt from Cheers playing the bungling neighbour, even if he is a little under-utilised. The movie also features some old-school prosthetics and creature effects that serve to give it an Evil Dead II vibe at times. Pretty good overall. John Carpenter's Vampires (1998) - 6/10 [FTV] Carpenter's foray into the vampire western subgenre is a passable effort, but fails to ignite any great passion. As much an action flick as a horror movie, the standout scene involves a massacre early on in the film's runtime that is never matched by any subsequent events. James Wood is the chief highlight, playing the role of a violent and borderline sociopathic vampire-hunter. The dude was born to play assholes. Sleepaway Camp (1983) - 8/10 [FTV] I'd been meaning to get round to seeing this film for several years at this stage and am glad to have finally taken the plunge. Clearly modelled on the more famous Friday the 13th (replete with the mystery killer trope), this is a surprisingly fun little chiller. Fun and not to mention weird. I'd already learned about that ending long before seeing it, but my foreknowledge didn't blunt its effectiveness. The Keep (1983) - 6/10 [FTV] On paper, this film has a lot of things going for it - haunting visuals, a chilling soundtrack, a novel World War II setting, Nazi protagonists, some big name actors, a freaky antagonist and a unique storyline. The premise is certainly intriguing and the movie is mostly well-acted. What ruins it is the editing. The original cut was apparently over 200 minutes long, but the studio had it edited down to about 90 minutes, purging the film of large chunks of its character development in the process. The end result is a film that, though tantalizing novel, feels incomplete. Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (1988) - 7/10 [FTV] A radically different film from its better known predecessor, this derives its template from Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives as opposed to the original Friday the 13th. It's a horror-comedy with its tongue planted firmly in its cheek and a glorious celebration of cinematic tastelessness, awash with gratuitous nudity and over-the-top violence, that completely abandons the more sombre approach and tone of what came before. Very much its own thing, I quite enjoyed this. The Funhouse (1981) - 6/10 [FTV] Tobe Hooper's attempt at a straightforward slasher is a relatively by-the-numbers vehicle that takes its time to get going. The funhouse setting was clever and the killer is certainly disturbing to behold. The film displays some traces of the grittiness in which his more famous Texas Chain Saw Massacre is steeped, but it never comes close to achieving that level of brilliance. The Monster Squad (1987) - 6/10 [FTV] This is the kind of film I wish I'd seen about 20+ years ago. I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more back then. It's essentially a kids horror movie with some blood and guts thrown in for good measure. At 36, I didn't really feel myself to be the target audience for this kind of thing anymore. Horror Express (1972) - 7/10 [FTV] Reminded me of a Hammer film, though the science fiction-oriented plot a departure from their more traditionalist gothic approach. It's a fine film with a creepy monster, based upon the same novel that would later give rise to The Thing. Though far less visceral in its violence in comparison with that film, it is quite bloody by early 70s standards. It's also perhaps the only film wherein Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing are on the same side. The Keep is a strange one, but I always keep coming back to it. It’s a mess of a film, but I just find it hypnotic thanks largely to Mann’s stylistic brushes and the tangerine dream score. I might just re-watch it this month. I remember reading that the studio asked Mann to cut down his 3+hr film to 2 hrs, which he did, but the studio still wasn’t pleased, so they cut it to what it is now. The alternate ending was floating around. Then not helping matters the person in charge of the special effects/FX died. Scenes were still incomplete and he was the only one who knew how some of special effects worked. So instead of getting in a new SFX guy, they tried to figure it out themselves. You gotta think this limited some set-pieces too.... maybe the final 15 mins would have been way more expansive than how it turned out? I kinda feel the same way about Monster Squad too. Saw for the first time when I was in my late teens, and it didn’t do much for me. Outside of the monster fx. A friend lent to me, who was a big fan of it, but he grew up with it. Last time I saw it was a couple years ago at a cinema during a film festival. Actually enjoyed it more this time around, but I think it was just the atmosphere of the theatre of watching with what looked like mostly fans. The Keep definitely comes across as one of those movies that was ruined in post-production. It looks and sounds great, is very eerie and provides a novel setting and dynamic. I mean, many of the principal protagonists are a bunch of Nazis! It's one of the few horror movies out there that really could merit a remake - provided they found the right director. I actually reduced my rating of The Monster Squad down to 4/10. It has a nice 80s vibe and the premise isn't bad, but like you say it's just one of those movies you need to have grown up with. For me, being in my 30s and having no sentimental attachment to the film it never spoke to me.
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Post by MooseNugget on Oct 8, 2020 5:06:18 GMT
The Corpse Grinders (1971) - First time viewing Terror Level: None This is probably is the best Ted V. Mikels film I've ever seen but trust me when I say that's faint praise. While the premise of this company using human flesh for their cat food making those cat attack their owners is interesting the film is dull and mostly boring. It's cool to see cats attack people but there isn't that much to this movie. 2/10. Cat People (1942) - First time viewing Terror Level: Low I've always been interested in watching this film and it's on Hulu right now. Time hasn't been kind to this film because people will talk about the pool scene but it's not scary. Actually other scenes stood out to me more like when Dr. Judd kissed Irena and she transforms afterwards. That was shot so well and way more scary than other scenes. 7/10.
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Post by Marv on Oct 8, 2020 10:19:18 GMT
TheOriginalPinky The Wretched is on Hulu, just don't go in expecting that same level of storytelling or acting. So far Hulu has maybe the best selection of horror that I haven't seen yet, a number of movies that never got releases because of covid. The Babysitter: Killer Queen (Netflix). All (I think) of the cast returns although some like Samara Weaving have fairly small roles. Cole (the virgin victim in the original) is back to being a spineless paranoid wimp because no one believed his story about a cult trying to kill him. Cole's best friend and co-survivor, Melanie, has grown up and filled out, which is good because nothing fills out a threadbare plot like cleavage. In true 80's style, Melanie is dating a hunky jerk but casts suggestive glances at Cole and teases that he may be her true love. Melanie convinces Cole to skip school and go to a cabin at the beach where she makes her feelings known. But Cole's virgin blood is still valuable to the forces of evil and hijinks ensue. New at school is bad girl Phoebe who is so cute with her big eyes, button nose, and full lips that she could have been designed for a video game. Speaking of video games, randomly two characters face off in a Street Fighter-esque scene which really clashes with the aesthetic and tone of the movie. The pacing is brisk, the CGI bad, fairly bloody, with some humor; and if you are a fan of the original you will probably be entertained by the sequel. If you are expecting another good performance by Samara Weaving prepare to be disappointed. Emily Aly Lind, Melanie, seems to be channeling some cross between Weaving and Debbie Ryan which didn't work for me. To pull off that kind of edge you actually need some edge to your personality, and she doesn't seem to have it. Unfortunately I was interrupted and missed part of the final scene, so I'm not clear on why it ended the way it did, if anyone is willing to spoiler why Bee planned for it to all go wrong and killed herself I would appreciate it. Spoilers... Bee was phoebes babysitter years before and was involved, possibly at fault, in the car accident that killed her parents and left phoebe on the verge of death. Someone, presumably the devil, approached Bee in the hospital and offered to save Phoebe if Bee sold her soul, to which she did. So it’s kind of revealed Bee never really wanted to be evil but found herself on that path after this devil interaction...and I think seeing phoebe and cole come together made her realize the errors of her ways. I kind of wish they spent more time on this but I think Weaving had limited film dates.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2020 10:55:52 GMT
Watched a movie on YouTube but it didn't have a clear name. Hopefully somebody can help. Under the account YTS Movies it says Alter as the movie title. However as the film ends its as if the movie is called Trickster.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2020 11:00:32 GMT
Restarted the movie and apparently it's called The Terror of Hallows Eve.
It sucks btw
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