|
Post by Captain Spencer on May 20, 2018 15:17:08 GMT
Very well said. The Funhouse is indeed strong on atmosphere with plenty of substance, and it conveys a strong sense of dread. Also Rick Baker's makeup effects on the Gunther creature is a major bonus. Have you seen Hooper's Eaten Alive aka Death Trap -76'? This is perhaps his most bloody film from his early career, which he then topped with Texas Chainsaw 2. He still manages a fantastic atmosphere and while the violence is more graphic than Chainsaw or Funhouse, he still makes it as disturbing as heck and some of the horror scenes are very original. It is chock full of a swampy atmosphere, dread and weird characters. Eaten Alive is also very Lynchian in style too, which I would't be surprised if David Lynch would have gotten some of his own ideas from.
Hooper was a horror force to be reckoned with for about 10yrs and even though Spielberg used him for a directorial front for Poltergeist, I think he was very lucky to have his creative input on board, in spite of the rumors that Hooper didn't really direct it. Hooper knew how to illicit strong performances from his cast and also understood the visual language of cinema.
I did see Eaten Alive once a long time ago. My memory is a bit fuzzy on that one, but I recall it had a gritty and raw feel to it similar to Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I need to pay it a revisit soon. As for the Poltergeist saga, yeah there were so many rumors circulating about what actually went on behind the scenes. It's been said that Spielberg wasn't satisfied with Hooper's directing so Spielberg took over most of the directing, or that Spielberg took over the direction because Hooper was battling a cocaine addiction, or that Hooper did direct it all but had Spielberg constantly looking over his shoulder and giving him advice. And on and on. But whatever the truth is, I have no doubt there was a lot of creative input from Hooper.
|
|
|
Post by forca84 on May 21, 2018 0:36:24 GMT
Watching "Camera Obscura" on Syfy On Demand at the moment. A Chiller original film.
Chiller never became HD and a majority of the films shown were crap. Occasionally some gems were shown. They played some classic TV shows sometimes. They were slowly acquiring decent stuff. But as soon as they srarted showing blocks of Reality shows I knew the channel was slowly dying. It may not have been the greatest channel. But I miss it.
|
|
|
Post by forca84 on May 21, 2018 0:47:48 GMT
Watching "Camera Obscura" on Syfy On Demand at the moment. A Chiller original film.
Chiller never became HD and a majority of the films shown were crap. Occasionally some gems were shown. They played some classic TV shows sometimes. They were slowly acquiring decent stuff. But as soon as they started showing blocks of Reality shows I knew the channel was slowly dying. It may not have been the greatest channel. But I miss it.
|
|
|
Post by stefancrosscoe on May 21, 2018 8:00:42 GMT
The Haunting (1963 film) This one I also highly recommend viewing stefancrosscoe especially to watch in comparison to the remake . IMPO - Both these films have such a solid storyline . It's very interesting that the 1963 version had very little to no special effects except the classic " things that go bump in the night " feel which still makes this film quite eerie yet effective . Also the house / mansion wasn't overly embellished like the remake was but it still was a very beautifully impressive yet eerie mansion estate just the same . Thanks so much stefancrosscoe for your replies here too . I guess I will have to try an look the original one up, as I am not exactly too updated on horror films from the 60s, and I really should be doing something about that but there is just so little time but I think I might find room for it sooner or later. I for once think that some of the better made or the ones I enjoy the most of haunted house horror films, are not the ones with most impressive and big budget special effects going all crazy all the time, but the ones which slowly builds up with, as you said it a eerie/atmospheric tension and vibe, and makes great use of its scenery/location instead of relying too much on CGI and cheap jumpscare moments, which sadly far too often turns what could have been a potentially good movie into just another mediocre/forgettable one. Anyway, always nice to be hearing from you, and that you are enjoying your horror movies as well. Take care and be sure to enjoy springtime.
|
|
|
Post by stefancrosscoe on May 21, 2018 8:20:45 GMT
10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
I remember being a little disappointed with Cloverfield, having heard so much great stuff about it, but it was just ok in my book and so I did not expect all that much out of this one which seems to be taking place a while after the first one but of course is filmed/told in a very different way. It opens up, actually not all that different to the swedish survival thriller Försvunnen in which a woman is being attacked on the road in her car, then wakes up only to realize that she is now held hostage by a mad stranger. Of course in 10 Cloverfield Lane it stays pretty much on the same location throughout the film and the budget is of course on a whole other dimension as well, so there and then the similarities dies out.
I was mostly impressed by the acting and the plot, it was really refreshing to see John Goodman deliver such a fine role again, specially having seen him in movies like Once Upon a Time in Venice (2017) where he just looked ill and depressed, which I can not hold against him as it was just another piece of garbage VOD/DTV Bruce Willis turd and I really hate watching actors who I like wasting away their talent on stuff like that, but here in Cloverfield Lane he was back at what he does best with a chilling display as this rather seemingly not so stable yet very up to date on the whole doomsday preaching conspiracy threats and in which he have built himself a "safe house" against all kind of enemies to make sure that no one can get in, but more important nobody can get out as well and this is where his new guest is being brought in, after he have "saved" her from the end of the world.
I was all ready to give the film a 7/10 but then the final part pretty much screw that up as I thought it was a poor way of finishing off such a good thriller and I was more annoyed by how it all went down, and John Goodman was a far better and more scary/intimidating character than any of the forgettable creatures they lashed out in the last few minutes, and looked like something out of a Transformers/Michael Bay movie and while it did leave off with a possible "cliffhanger" or I guess continuation is more fitting, I am not sure I will be that interested in following as I had hoped this movie would be more of a stand alone feature, ending there and then.
6,5/10
|
|
|
Post by stefancrosscoe on May 21, 2018 8:42:02 GMT
Primeval (2007)
The whole creature feature genre have not exactly been been the most impressive when it comes to handing out good or even remotely enjoyable killer croc features, and where some have been barely at "best" below average and where the ones I liked more are the two Alligator movies made in the 80s and early 90s. While not great they were very watchable as silly but fun b-movies.
Primeval starts up rather poor, the editing and extremely annoying shaky-cam promises only bad things to come, however the film do turn for the good (or better than what I had feared) as it becomes quite an enjoyable adventure-thriller with the usual pack of people in this kind of movies. The rugged american hero, his beautiful female companion who often gets into trouble, the "funny" sidekick, the creepy german hunter, the whimpy british guide and so on. In all of this, the biggest star of the show is an old and very angry killer croc named Gustave who really likes to eat people (lots of them) and to make sure he can eat even more, we are told that he throws up his food, so he can continue the dinner party for as long as he likes.
The film opens up by saying it is "based upon a true story", and it turns out there really is a huge man eating crocodile named Gustave which is to be said having eaten more than 300 people or more. Looking up one some videos lying around on Youtube, that creature sure is huge and scary looking, no question about it. Sadly, the one in the 2007 movie is not even remotely close.
The acting was not all bad and the action scenes were mostly done rather well, but I kind of wished they would have gone for something like the Val Kilmer/Michael Douglas adventure-thriller The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) or Anaconda (1997), but instead we got a rather average b-movie which was okay entertainment but not something that really is all too memorable in the creature feature genre.
5/10
|
|
|
Post by morrisondylanfan on May 25, 2018 23:41:56 GMT
Hi all,I recently got a "new" VCR and have been catching up on un-watched Vids,with one of them being one of the first Gialli I heard of: Nothing Underneath (1985): Mixing telekinesis and Giallo fashion house, the writers disappointingly keep the intriguing mystery on hold by having the main guy lose interest in finding the killer of a family member,to instead indulge in (softcore) sex. Thankfully, director Carlo Vanzina makes up for the flaws in the plot with a very glossy, pristine style that has the murder-set-pieces snap with razor sharp editing,and a slow-motion final that is worthy of comparison to four flies. 7/10.
|
|
|
Post by stefancrosscoe on May 26, 2018 10:19:51 GMT
I remember picking up a scandinavian DVD copy of Nothing Underneath back in 2010 or 11 through a shortlived Giallo series which I think lasted for a few years but then faded away, which was a shame as they did put out some very good and enjoyable hard-to-find releases on DVD. What I remember most of the film was that it began in some nature park/resort in america, and before you know it we are in Milan where beautiful fashion models are getting cut open and Donald Pleasance makes a nice little appearance as well. I think I rated it a 6/10, but it might climb up to a 7 with a rerun.
|
|
|
Post by stefancrosscoe on May 26, 2018 10:38:26 GMT
Aliens vs Predator: Requiem (2007)
I thought I had seen some of it years ago but it turned out I got it mixed up with Aliens vs Predator (2004), anyway I did not expect much from the second one, however it actually did start up rather "promising". I have always liked it when sci-fi and horror films are located in cozy little small town cities and this one takes place in a very atmospheric area. The "story" (I really do not remember all that much from the last film but I guess the cliffhanger gets fulfilled in part two) is that the Predator infected with the Alien parasite dies and a space ship or shuttle crash lands into a forest not far away of a small town, and before you know it people are getting killed all over the place.
As mentioned earlier, I thought the film began rather "well", compared to what I had feared but as we soon get to meet up with some of the main leads, it becomes a little to obvious that it will not continue for very long. The characters are not much likeable at all, and the overused cliches and sterotypical figures come and go throughout the films length and the closest thing this film has when it comes to a hero is through one of the Predators, and not any of the annoying and almost braindead humans we are supposed to "cheer" for. A lot of the plot centers around the Predator which fights and kills lots of Aliens, often in very dark and crappy movie scenes which makes it hard for the viewer to actually see what goes on but it gets tiredsome very soon. There is no real tension to be found and some of the poor attempts of references to the old classics (both Alien and Predator franchise) are delivered in clumsy and badly timed manners.
On top of that someone thought it was a good idea of doing a hybrid crossover by making a Predalien creature, partly Predator and partly Alien, but it just do not work all that well. I wish they had invested a little bit more time and effort in trying to give us some likeable characters that we actually feel or care for, instead it seems most of the money was wasted away on special effects and not much on writing and acting. I was almost ready to hand out a very kind 5/10, but the last 25-30 minutes was a complete mess and had it lasted a little while longer, it might had gone down to a 3/10.
All, in all not as bad as I thought it would be but I think it is safe to say (for my part that is) that this is the weakest relase of the whole Alien/Predator franchise.
4/10
|
|
|
Post by deembastille on May 26, 2018 11:01:54 GMT
Superstar
God.
|
|
|
Post by mszanadu on May 26, 2018 19:39:39 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Morgana on May 26, 2018 21:53:37 GMT
Burying the Ex (2014)I only bought this because of the name of Joe Dante, and well ok, I admit, because of Alexandra Daddario too. Anyway, the last "new" Dante picture I saw was of Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003), which I found to be a horrible movie, and I was very disappointed to learn how this once talented guy who used to made one great movie after another during the 70s and 80s, ended up with these big budget soulless CGI turkeys starring "talents" such as Brendan Fraser and Jenna Elfman. Anyway, Burying the Ex comes with a not so groundbreaking plot, where we have some whimpy guy called Max (Anton Yelchin) being bossed around by his psychotic girlfriend Evelyn (Ashley Greene), and one day he ends up meeting the free-spirited and sexy I Scream seller Olivia, played by Alexandra Daddario, and that means serious trouble as Evelyn do not appreciate any competition towards her one true love. In a weak moment, poor Max decides to declare his everlasting love for his psycho girl, and in some freakish way, along with the "help" by some random statue lying around in his horror related shop, it later on goes to show that "true" love can survive anything. To cut a long story short, the psycho bitch suddenly dies, only to come back from the dead to make Max's life a living nightmare. It is not a very good movie, there is just too much cheap or vulgar slapstick "comedy" going on, and after a while with farting jokes, throwing up jokes and a extremely annoying and unfunny fat douchy sidekick (who we are gonna believe is screwing around with the hottest women in America 24/7), you end up with a rather poor and forgettable horror-comedy surrounding a theme/plot that has been done many times before. It was a nice touch to watch Dick Miller show up here, not a big part, but still it was nice of Dante. I wanted to like the film, because of Joe Dante and him making another horror related movie, but this was not an impressive work, and while it never became boring, and I think it deserves a: 4/10 The Terror. Great mini-series by AMC. The acting was fantastic as was the writing. Loved it.
|
|
|
Post by mszanadu on May 26, 2018 23:31:28 GMT
|
|
|
Post by xystophoros on May 27, 2018 2:43:17 GMT
Beyond Skyline
I saw the first one years ago, and all I can remember is that it was shitty. This sequel was pretty good by genre standards, with an energetic cast led by Frank Grillo, who basically played the same character he did in The Purge: The tough cop who knows how to handle himself and keeps his group calm under pressure.
Noel Gugliemi, the guy who ALWAYS plays Mexican gangsters in every movie, was in this briefly but he was just a regular dude, not some cholo saying shit like “We’re gonna fuck you up, holmes! Yo Hector, look at this pendejo!”
I’d call this a science fiction/horror/action movie. The aliens were well designed even though the whole reason for coming to Earth didn’t make sense. Like the new Alien movies, this one featured some bizarre anti-Darwinism by saying the human race was “seeded” on Earth by a more powerful and intelligent species. It’s weird because these films aren’t discounting Darwinism on religious grounds, more like the idiot scriptwriters got stoned one night and thought they were the first to come up with the idea that humans were seeded on this planet.
|
|
|
Post by Lebowskidoo 🦞 on May 27, 2018 13:19:04 GMT
IT's taken me this long to finally see IT?!? So great!
|
|
|
Post by morrisondylanfan on May 27, 2018 23:11:21 GMT
I remember picking up a scandinavian DVD copy of Nothing Underneath back in 2010 or 11 through a shortlived Giallo series which I think lasted for a few years but then faded away, which was a shame as they did put out some very good and enjoyable hard-to-find releases on DVD. What I remember most of the film was that it began in some nature park/resort in america, and before you know it we are in Milan where beautiful fashion models are getting cut open and Donald Pleasance makes a nice little appearance as well. I think I rated it a 6/10, but it might climb up to a 7 with a rerun. Hi Stefan,with Underneath,I've been surprised that despite it being a pretty well known Giallo (I used to see the Video in loads of rental shops) it has not gotten the Arrow/88 Films etc treatment. With it going from the US to Milan,I liked how the blending of those locations, (it was shot with non-looped sound in Italy and Canada standing in for the US) gave the flick a bit of a dream-logic vibe.
|
|
|
Post by stefancrosscoe on May 28, 2018 15:43:52 GMT
It seem that the only DVD copy of it lying around is the danish/scandinavian copy which I own. It have also been re-released along with two other italian giallo features in a tripple edition called Psycho Killer Collection 2 along with Torso and Obsession. Not sure when Arrow or if 88 Films will ever give it a go, but the Anotherworldentertainment release is very good in picture and sound quality and I think it even comes with some bonus features as well. Hm, it seems like the2008 release of theirs is out of print and as it look it might be the only copy ever released to DVD, or at least of that I know. Well, expect the one mentioned earlier as part of a three films in one deal, which is not that bad I guess, considering all films are more than good entertainment. Yeah, I quite enjoyed the locations and scenery in Nothing Underneath, and for me I think it is one of the better made mid 80s giallo films but one which you rarely hear people discuss or talk about much.
|
|
|
Post by gspdude on Jun 2, 2018 13:42:03 GMT
Psychout for Murder (1969) On YT. Giallo in which a young woman is committed to an Asylum to minimize a scandal and save face. Upon release she seeks revenge. Adrienne Larussa is gorgeous. Movie 6/10, Miss Larussa 10/10.
|
|
|
Post by Captain Spencer on Jun 2, 2018 14:27:01 GMT
Psychout for Murder (1969) On YT. Giallo in which a young woman is committed to an Asylum to minimize a scandal and save face. Upon release she seeks revenge. Adrienne Larussa is gorgeous. Movie 6/10, Miss Larussa 10/10. Sounds intriguing. I might seek that one out.
|
|
|
Post by gspdude on Jun 7, 2018 16:46:25 GMT
Monsters (2010) FTV On TubiTV. Interesting plot, well shot, Title characters could've used some more screen time. 7/10.
|
|