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Post by Anonymous Andy on Oct 3, 2021 21:38:06 GMT
Good advice all, thanks!
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Post by Captain Spencer on Oct 4, 2021 2:36:16 GMT
Hosts (2020)
A family invites their neighbors over for Christmas Dinner, unaware that the young couple just got possessed by demons.
There's no tongue-in-cheek to be found in this British production. It's depressing and unrelentingly grim, and maintains this tone right to the end. It is stylishly shot, with brief images that pay tribute to The Shining and Night Of The Living Dead. At first the story gets bogged down with scenes of lengthly mundane dialogue, but once the terror begins it's quite the thrill ride. So overall, fairly good.
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Post by Sarge on Oct 4, 2021 5:25:14 GMT
Watched Hammer's The Mummy. Mummies are too often used for comic relief and I've never found them scary. This movie just doesn't do anything for me. It's brightly lit, the score is dramatic and more fitting to an adventure movie. Karloff's makeup looks cheap. Also watched The Hole, 1999, which is better than I remember.
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Post by darkreviewer2013 on Oct 4, 2021 6:23:44 GMT
I watched Curtains (1983; Richard Ciupka), an excellent underrated little scary movie. I hesitate to call it slasher, because although it is about a masked killer picking off actresses in a remote country house, there is very little blood. It has some nice surprises and some brilliantly atmospheric scenes like a dream sequence featuring a creepy doll and an attack on an ice skater on a frozen lake. It's largely well-shot, well acted and has a beautiful musical score. It's a movie I've been meaning to watch for some time but I'm not sure whether I'll have the time to get round to it this year with so many other horror movies to watch or re-watch for the challenge. Glad to hear your nod to the score. I love 70s and 80s horror movie soundtracks, so that'd be a selling point for me.
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Post by darkreviewer2013 on Oct 4, 2021 6:27:44 GMT
Not sure if or where I read or heard it, but I remember that it was brought up, years ago, that of all the films that were made, based upon his books, the David Cronenberg version of The Dead Zone, was supposedly the favorite film of Stephen King. Of course, I guess this has been mentioned or said of many of the other films that were based of King and his work, but he does seem rather critical of some of the most well known or loved movies, like The Shining (I think he prefered the tv-film from the 90s). I believe that's correct, I think King did say The Dead Zone was his favorite adaption at one time. He also loved the 1976 version of Carrie (and for me, that is a rare case of liking the movie better than the book). King also liked the ending to the The Mist (2007) more than the ending to his own original novella.
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Post by darkreviewer2013 on Oct 4, 2021 6:30:04 GMT
Watched The Witches (Roald Dahl adaptation from 1989 with Anjelica Houston) last night and am on the fence about whether I should count it towards the challenge. Any thoughts? It's more fantasy than anything else but I personally think the freaky witch makeup and body horror stuff leans it in the horror direction as well. Freaked me out as a kid. I was absolutely traumatised when we were made watch it in primary school. The teachers seemed much amused. Embarrassing when I think back on it. I was a sensitive, sheltered child.
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Post by stefancrosscoe on Oct 4, 2021 11:28:33 GMT
Freaked me out as a kid. I was absolutely traumatised when we were made watch it in primary school. The teachers seemed much amused. Embarrassing when I think back on it. I was a sensitive, sheltered child. Why would you think it was embarrassing to be scared? Hell, I was scared when my mum read me the book when I was a kid, also probably due to how good she was at reading (making certain voices and also focusing closely on the details of the Witches and their gruesome appearance) but yeah, when I saw the film later on, I thought it lived up to how I had envisioned the witches image/looks, and it sure gave me the creeps. But then again, I was only 6-7 years old, and my knowledge of horror films was not exactly to big back then. Somehow, I kind of miss those naive days, when the "simpler" stuff from books and movies would really frighten me, and follow me for a long while afterwards. I guess my imagination were the one who did most of the job, scaring me, but yeah, the book/movie sure had a helping hand in doing so as well.
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Post by stefancrosscoe on Oct 4, 2021 11:37:12 GMT
Not sure how others feel, but about 4 days in, and for me, the real "job" starts now. The weekend felt like a nice warm up, where I was trying to just figure out where to look for certain unseen titles, and also finding the balance of when I like to watch the movies, how many I would like to see a day, and yeah, I am surely more of a night owl, as watching movies in broad daylight, that is not something I would do much this month. The time is also another reason, and I like to have something to look forward to, even if it might be quite tiresome, from time to time, but it is very motivational and fun to keep following the progress and reading upon what everybody else is watching.
Also, good news (for me) two of the suddenly removed channels, feauturing tons of horror movies, are somehow back, and I guess they might have been taken down for a certain time, and got the all clear to come back. However, there is always the possibility one or several might disappear again, and yeah, somehow, I kind of like to put in a bit of "work" to find other promising channels, but sooner or later, one just has to pick out a few films, and then just move on.
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Post by sostie on Oct 4, 2021 12:21:19 GMT
This year's challenge will probably be made up of mostly FTVs
Malignant (2021) This seems to be a bit of a divisive film. The first two thirds is well made but standard fare, but the last third is what makes this film. It went from creepy to insane. Part of me wished the whole film was like that last third, but not sure it could sustain it that long. Can't remember the last horror film that left me grinning from ear to ear as much as this did. 8/10
Escape Room: Tournament of Champions (2021) An unremarkable sequel to an OK film 5.5/10
Werewolves Within (2021) More a whoisit than a whodunnit. Great fun 7.5/10
Don't Breathe 2 (2021) One of my favourite sub genres - turning the tables on home invaders. A lot more engrossing than I expected 7/10
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Post by moviebuffbrad on Oct 4, 2021 17:49:54 GMT
Probably the slowest start for me yet. Four days and nada. Life stuff + catching up on some non-horror stuff before I dive in.
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Post by moviemouth on Oct 4, 2021 18:23:10 GMT
I'm watching Man's Best Friend (1993) and it is dumb fun. It has this weird tone that shifts between horror and a Turner and Hooch type movie.
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Post by moviemouth on Oct 4, 2021 18:23:53 GMT
Watched The Witches (Roald Dahl adaptation from 1989 with Anjelica Houston) last night and am on the fence about whether I should count it towards the challenge. Any thoughts? It's more fantasy than anything else but I personally think the freaky witch makeup and body horror stuff leans it in the horror direction as well. I'd count it. I count it as well. It is family film, that is a mix of fantasy, comedy and horror.
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Post by moviemouth on Oct 4, 2021 18:35:17 GMT
Watched Hammer's The Mummy. Mummies are too often used for comic relief and I've never found them scary. This movie just doesn't do anything for me. It's brightly lit, the score is dramatic and more fitting to an adventure movie. Karloff's makeup looks cheap. Also watched The Hole, 1999, which is better than I remember. I rarely find horror movies scary in general, but I do think Hammer's The Mummy is the creepiest of The Mummy movies. I just think it just lacks in other areas, such as creating a compelling script. The actual Mummy stuff I have never found that interesting in general. The Karloff version is a bit better in regards to the storytelling and I think Boris Karloff is a better Imhotep than Christopher Lee. The main strength of the movie is the performance from Peter Cushing. Still a much better movie than Horror of Dracula imo, which I find very bland. I have mixed feelings about Hammer horror movies in general. The Mummy 1999 works because it embraces the comedy and adventure aspects and doesn't sell itself as a horror movie. It sells itself as an Indiana Jones type movie and it does what it does quite well. It relies heavily on the chemistry between the characters to work as well as it does. I even think it has the creepiest moments from any of The Mummy movies that I have seen. They are seldom moments, but they are there.
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Post by stefancrosscoe on Oct 4, 2021 19:00:32 GMT
Just a quick question, not sure if this one counts (or not), and I will not bother spending 55-60 minutes on something that will not be included into the listing of watched horror films. But the one I have been really wanting to look up, is Pulse Pounders (1988) and where The Clergyman (1987) starring Jeffrey Combs is surely the one I really want to see, and then I also found the Trancers short film, called City of Lost Angels (1988). That is 2 out 3, yet the Dungeonmaster 2, I just cannot find lying anywhere. Not sure if it is actually available, but yeah, my question is, will it be okay, to include Pulse Pounders, even if I am not able to search up the 3rd missing part? We are talking about 50-60 minutes of horror entertainment, and kind of want to see it, as I have had it in my watchlist for as long as I can remember.
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Post by moviemouth on Oct 4, 2021 19:10:15 GMT
Just a quick question, not sure if this one counts (or not), and I will not bother spending 55-60 minutes on something that will not be included into the listing of watched horror films. But the one I have been really wanting to look up, is Pulse Pounders (1988) and where The Clergyman (1987) starring Jeffrey Combs is surely the one I really want to see, and then I also found the Trancers short film, called City of Lost Angels (1988). That is 2 out 3, yet the Dungeonmaster 2, I just cannot find lying anywhere. Not sure if it is actually available, but yeah, my question is, will it be okay, to include Pulse Pounders, even if I am not able to search up the 3rd missing part? We are talking about 50-60 minutes of horror entertainment, and kind of want to see it, as I have had it in my watchlist for as long as I can remember. It is listed as horror on IMDB. www.imdb.com/title/tt0293905/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0That makes it automatically count.
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Post by stefancrosscoe on Oct 4, 2021 20:06:17 GMT
I am well aware that it is a horror release. However, what I am asking for, is would it count, if you end up watching an unfinished anthology film, even if it only misses out the last and supposedly shortest part (The Dungeonmaster 2), yet includes two other short films, which should make it run for about 50-60 minutes of time. And I think the time factor is also something that is important, as stated in the opening thread: * Films must run 50+ mins.Well, I think I might just give it a go, and see where it takes me. If it is not alright to include, then so be it, and I will not put into my list of seen horror films this month. But I have been wanting to see it, for so long, and well, better to have watched 2 out of 3, rather than nothing at all.
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Post by moviemouth on Oct 4, 2021 20:11:10 GMT
I am well aware that it is a horror release. However, what I am asking for, is would it count, if you end up watching an unfinished anthology film, even if it only misses out the last and supposedly shortest part (The Dungeonmaster 2), yet includes two other short films, which should make it run for about 50-60 minutes of time. And I think the time factor is also something that is important, as stated in the opening thread: * Films must run 50+ mins.Well, I think I might just give it a go, and see where it takes me. If it is not alright to include, then so be it, and I will not put into my list of seen horror films this month. But I have been wanting to see it, for so long, and well, better to have watched 2 out of 3, rather than nothing at all. I was being a lazy reader. I apologize. I read it over and I am not sure whether it can be counted. I say count it though.
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Post by stefancrosscoe on Oct 4, 2021 20:30:23 GMT
I was being a lazy reader. I apologize. I read it over and I am not sure whether it can be counted. I say count it though. No worries. I just did not want to repeat the "mistake" (I think I once did, from a former Horror Challenge) of including films, which might not be counted at the end as full movies. But yeah, I think it should be okay, since there seems to be no easy (or possible) way of finding the last and third part, which seems lost for now. However, if that last Dungeonmaster 2 part, should suddenly re-appear intact (most likely not anytime soon), I would of course loved to see that one as well.
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Post by moviemouth on Oct 4, 2021 20:35:28 GMT
I was being a lazy reader. I apologize. I read it over and I am not sure whether it can be counted. I say count it though. No worries. I just did not want to repeat the "mistake" (I think I once did, from a former Horror Challenge) of including films, which might not be counted at the end as full movies. But yeah, I think it should be okay, since there seems to be no easy (or possible) way of finding the last and third part, which seems lost for now. However, if that last Dungeonmaster 2 part, should suddenly re-appear intact (most likely not anytime soon), I would of course loved to see that one as well. This is an interesting situation though. I mean it was a whole movie, but 30 minutes or so has been lost and maybe forever. That is why I think it can be counted. It isn't your fault that the full movie doesn't exist anymore, but the remaining run-time sounds like it is at least 50 minutes, which qualifies it as a feature length movie. I believe 45 minutes is the cut off of when a movie is considered a short film.
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Post by Marv on Oct 4, 2021 22:50:15 GMT
Ghoulies II...watched it...definitely more fun than the first film. I dug the demons designs and how they each kind of had their own vibe to them. Felt very gremlins inspired. So did the first one but this one even more so since it took a lot less of the warlock stuff and a lot more of just mischievous little creatures. Didn't care for the big one coming to eat them at the end. And i thought the humans were mostly jerks...even the ones we were supposed to like.
The Collection...didn't realize this was a sequel until after...then i remembered seeing the cover are for the Collector and it makes sense. I thought i mightve seen this one once the opening massacre starts but it was actually that a coworker mentioned this film to me years ago and talked about that club scene...so when i saw it i thought i had seen it but its all based on the memory of a conversation. Weird how that works. Anyway...too much torture for my taste but not bad overall. Its also from the early 2010s and torture flicks were all the rave. I dont think ive seen the collector so maybe ill add that one to my list...even tho it'd be working backwards.
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