Reynard
Sophomore
@reynard
Posts: 778
Likes: 425
 
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Post by Reynard on Oct 25, 2024 23:03:56 GMT
 Twisted Illusions (1985) - Absolutely no budget, shot on video anthology horror released in January 1985, making it one of the first SOV horrors. Other than that small curiosity value, there isn't much to recommend. Obviously shot by high schoolers in their parents' homes and some immediate surroundings, with friends for actors. Stories have some nice weird ideas, like when people from a pirate TV station start directly addressing the guy watching it, accusing him of being a jobless lazy bum, or a frustrated housewife who kills, first accidentally and then not, with a vacuum cleaner. Yes, the tone is darkly humorous which together with enthusiastic amateur acting makes it somewhat sympathetic. However, every story is very padded with stale dialogue, ultimately making even 65 minute or so running time feel quite long. Few cheap Halloween masks and syrup for blood takes care of the so-called special effects department. With 79 votes and no reviews in IMDb, this must be the most obscure movie I've seen in a while. Available in Sub Rosa's "American Gore Stories: Best of Shot on Video" two DVD set with three other SOV horrors that I'm yet to watch. This "ultimate edition" comes with widescreen framing (doesn't look bad), some making of/behind the scenes footage, outtakes, and still picture gallery. |
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Post by Prime etc. on Oct 26, 2024 7:43:11 GMT
VAN HELSING 2004 - Oh boy is this a bad movie. And it is a shame because the idea is good, the cast is mostly fine, but so many bad decisions. The director has never met a CGI effect he didn't like. That was evident with DEEP RISING. And then THE MUMMY RETURNS, the first movie where I felt completely overwhelmed by CGI. This movie is overloaded with CGI and some really busy confusing visuals. It's a literal eyesore. The cinematography is ugly ugly ugly. The script is not good either although it has some cute lines--especially when Dracula chides Igor for torturing a werewolf and says "'do unto others Igor..?'" and Igor replies "before they do unto me!" Unfortunately Kevin J O'Connor, who is a good character actor--is buried under awful makeup which is too close to the Frankenstein monster's. The guy playing Frankie manages a decent performance amid the digital chaos. Elena Anaya memorably chews the scenery to extremes as the head bride. The one big dud is Dracula--who I consider the worst post-2000 after the pimp street thug version of Blade 3. Roxburgh tries for a Lugosi impersonation at times but he lacks the physique to be imposing and comes across as a parody of Gary Oldman. Maybe it was deliberate but it doesn't work.
The vampire ball and the werewolf vs Dracula demon fight should have been great sequences--but overly busy action and the sped up video game physics completely ruins them. This could have been a pretty ambitious monster mash film if they just slowed it down, anchored the camera more, dialed down the computerized gymnastics and backdrops. What a testament to the failure of digital era filmmaking.
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Post by Captain Spencer on Oct 26, 2024 14:32:16 GMT
VAN HELSING 2004 - Oh boy is this a bad movie. And it is a shame because the idea is good, the cast is mostly fine, but so many bad decisions. The director has never met a CGI effect he didn't like. That was evident with DEEP RISING. And then THE MUMMY RETURNS, the first movie where I felt completely overwhelmed by CGI. This movie is overloaded with CGI and some really busy confusing visuals. It's a literal eyesore. The cinematography is ugly ugly ugly. The script is not good either although it has some cute lines--especially when Dracula chides Igor for torturing a werewolf and says "'do unto others Igor..?'" and Igor replies "before they do unto me!" Unfortunately Kevin J O'Connor, who is a good character actor--is buried under awful makeup which is too close to the Frankenstein monster's. The guy playing Frankie manages a decent performance amid the digital chaos. Elena Anaya memorably chews the scenery to extremes as the head bride. The one big dud is Dracula--who I consider the worst post-2000 after the pimp street thug version of Blade 3. Roxburgh tries for a Lugosi impersonation at times but he lacks the physique to be imposing and comes across as a parody of Gary Oldman. Maybe it was deliberate but it doesn't work. The vampire ball and the werewolf vs Dracula demon fight should have been great sequences--but overly busy action and the sped up video game physics completely ruins them. This could have been a pretty ambitious monster mash film if they just slowed it down, anchored the camera more, dialed down the computerized gymnastics and backdrops. What a testament to the failure of digital era filmmaking. I never saw Van Helsing, and that's because when I saw the ads I could tell it was going to be nothing more than a glorified video game with all that non-stop CGI. |
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Post by gspdude on Oct 26, 2024 18:16:44 GMT
 A Halloween Feast (2024) Horror-comedy. Lynn Lowrey is a murderous psycho planning a Halloween family dinner. Occasionally amusing, but totally absurd. 3½/10. |
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Post by Prime etc. on Oct 27, 2024 7:17:15 GMT
DEMONS - 1985 - Italian Evil Dead film about people trapped in a haunted movie theater. Gory with not much characterization or plot but entertaining anyway. The usherette of the theater reminded me of the creepy kid from Baron Blood and some other early 70s euro horror. Checked the credits--and it was her in fact.
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Post by gspdude on Oct 27, 2024 13:26:13 GMT
 Screamers(1995) What can go wrong with using self replicating robotic killing machines to fight your war? 7/10. |
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Post by Captain Spencer on Oct 27, 2024 13:54:31 GMT
DEMONS - 1985 - Italian Evil Dead film about people trapped in a haunted movie theater. Gory with not much characterization or plot but entertaining anyway. The usherette of the theater reminded me of the creepy kid from Baron Blood and some other early 70s euro horror. Checked the credits--and it was her in fact. Yep, that's Nicoletta Elmi. She was also the red-headed girl in Deep Red. |
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Post by taylorfirst1 on Oct 28, 2024 0:38:55 GMT
"The Witch" 2016
"Destination Inner Space" 1966
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Post by gspdude on Oct 28, 2024 12:57:20 GMT
 Kill, Baby... Kill! (1966) A Carpathian village is cursed with the murderous ghost of a child. A doctor, an investigator, and a sympathetic witch try to end the curse. 5½/10. |
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Post by theravenking on Oct 28, 2024 15:06:16 GMT
Screamers(1995) What can go wrong with using self replicating robotic killing machines to fight your war? 7/10. It's a fun B-movie, but nowhere near the level of the PKD short story.
Isn't that the poster for one of the sequels though? |
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Post by Prime etc. on Oct 29, 2024 7:20:24 GMT
Dana Andrews double feature
NIGHT OF THE DEMON - 1957
AIRPORT '75 - 1974 - Despite the absurd comedy bits and the singing nun who is hard to appreciate after the Airplane! version, the basic situation is pretty intense thanks to the convincing nervousness of Karen Black as the flight attendant forced to pilot the plane. Also Charlton Heston helps to sell the scenario by his authoritative dictates to her on how to fly. It is easy to take for granted but much of those moments are without even a window view to remind you that it is supposed to be in the air. This was the big season for disaster movies 50 years ago as Earthquake (also with Heston and George Kennedy) was released and then The Towering Inferno.
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Post by gspdude on Oct 29, 2024 13:17:42 GMT
Screamers(1995) What can go wrong with using self replicating robotic killing machines to fight your war? 7/10. It's a fun B-movie, but nowhere near the level of the PKD short story.
Isn't that the poster for one of the sequels though? "Isn't that the poster for one of the sequels though?"
Hadn't noticed that. Didn't know this movie existed, I'll have to put it on my list, thanks.
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Post by gspdude on Oct 29, 2024 13:36:28 GMT
 Baba Yaga (1973) aka Kiss Me... Kill Me. Carroll Baker is a witch who becomes obsessed with possessing beautiful photographer Isabelle De Funès. I like this movie, but brought it down a point due to some arty cinematography and an annoying soundtrack, although the sound track may have been hampered by my old dvd copy. 6/10. |
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Post by Prime etc. on Oct 30, 2024 6:44:57 GMT
WORLD OF THE VAMPIRES - 1960 --Mexican film with a suave vampire who has a bunch of vampire women and goons in cheap rubber masks to carry out his plan for world domination. But first he has to kill the last descendant of his archenemy, Colman. He plans to get revenge by turning his daughters into vampires and he does it to one. He then has her bite a family friend who has a theory of destroying vampires by playing certain music on a piano. He starts to turn into a vampire himself (starting with his hand--which looks like a werewolf claw). The vampire also has a pit of stakes in his lair--not so smart it turns out. Kind of goofy but atmospheric.
The vampires when cornered make seagull sounds.
BLOOD AND BLACK LACE -1966 - Had planned to rewatch something else but it came up first so....
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Post by gspdude on Oct 30, 2024 13:43:07 GMT
WORLD OF THE VAMPIRES - 1960 --Mexican film with a suave vampire who has a bunch of vampire women and goons in cheap rubber masks to carry out his plan for world domination. But first he has to kill the last descendant of his archenemy, Colman. He plans to get revenge by turning his daughters into vampires and he does it to one. He then has her bite a family friend who has a theory of destroying vampires by playing certain music on a piano. He starts to turn into a vampire himself (starting with his hand--which looks like a werewolf claw). The vampire also has a pit of stakes in his lair--not so smart it turns out. Kind of goofy but atmospheric. The vampires when cornered make seagull sounds. BLOOD AND BLACK LACE -1966 - Had planned to rewatch something else but it came up first so.... "WORLD OF THE VAMPIRES - 1960" Definitely going on my list! |
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Post by gspdude on Oct 30, 2024 14:10:28 GMT
 Maxxxine(2024). Mia Goth is fine as a woman in 1980s Hollywood determined to move from porn to mainstream movies, and letting nothing or no one stand in her way. Kevin Bacon(who I didn't recognize) is also good as a sleezy P.I.. There is also a serial killer on the loose. My favorite of West's trilogy, although it is probably the least horror of the three. 7/10. |
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Reynard
Sophomore
@reynard
Posts: 778
Likes: 425
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Post by Reynard on Oct 30, 2024 16:40:56 GMT
Halloween 9/10
Halloween II 8/10
Halloween H20 6/10
Hell Night 8/10
Nothing new to say about these, except that I liked Halloween II much more this time. Maybe because I watched it right after the first one, ~15 minute break in between.
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Post by Prime etc. on Oct 31, 2024 6:51:11 GMT
NIGHTMARE - 1964 - rewatch-- girl returns from a school after having bad dreams and continues to have strange visions.
THE UNNATURALS - 1969 - now I know i have seen this before and I had it saved as a file for some reason--and the thing had no English subtitles nor did it work properly so I gave up on it. Trying to understand why I had it there when I couldn't play it. It's unnatural.
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Post by Lebowskidoo 🦞 on Oct 31, 2024 11:20:59 GMT
The Old Dark House (1932), a little bit of retro spookiness for Halloween Day. 🎃 
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Post by gspdude on Oct 31, 2024 14:23:21 GMT
 The World of the Vampires(1961) B&W Mexican Vampire movie. Not a good movie, by any means, but a fun watch, kind of in a so bad it's good way. If I still drank and smoked weed I might've rated it higher. 4/10. |
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