posted
So many new discs laying around, but for some reason i settled for re-watching this :
The Company Of Wolves (1984)
Is it a horror film, a Little Red Riding Hood type of fairy tale, a coming-of-age story perhaps, or is the whole thing supposed to be a metaphor for a young girl's sexual awakening ?
Probably all of the above.. but more importantly, it is atmospheric, surreal, visually stunning, and breathtakingly beautiful to behold.. Isn't that just how every movie should be ?
And the fine folks at The Cannon Group sure knew how to make a spectacular trailer for this one : www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcs-HB1Y1n4Posts: 2176 | From: The Netherlands | Registered: Jun 2011 | Site Updates: 0
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The Houses Of Halloween - A decent road horror following a group of friends as they travel from one haunted house attraction to another. Eventually getting stalked by a bunch of psychopaths. 6/10
Monster House - Watched every Halloween for the last 8 years. Wouldn't be the same without now. 8/10
Selfie From Hell - As naff as its title. 4/10
Tales Of Halloween - I enjoyed this even more this time around. Ten tales in 90 mins. Most of them revolve around trick or treating so you have all the nostalgia feels plus nasty tales and gross effects. Definitely will be making this an October staple. 8/10
Leprechaun Returns - That was too much fun 7/10
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Plays out very much like a cross between a low-budget Poltergeist and Paranormal Activity (especially part 5; The Ghost Dimension), when a dysfunctional family is plagued by an ancient evil entity that followed them home after it was awakened by the young autistic son during a family trip to the Grand Canyon. The boy has the ability to communicate with the entity (much like Carol Anne did in Poltergeist), and in the third act they call in a psychic medium to help them cleanse the house of evil spirits (again, much like Tangina did in Poltergeist).
The Darkness relies too heavily on 'what-are-those-strange-noises-coming-from-inside-the-house' type of scares, and the climax is just too silly, and pretty much identical to the aforementioned Paranormal Activity 5. The cast (including Kevin Bacon) is capable enough though, but i expected better from Australian filmmaker Greg McLean, director of Wolf Creek.
[ 18. October 2020, 07:54: Message edited by: Johnny Roarke is reckless ]
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aTomiK
.... has green eyes as well....
Member # 6575
Why, oh Why? Vince Vaughn as Norman Bates... oh the horror
The Driller Killer (1979) rewatch 6/10
Sleazy art house psycho drama horror classic from Abel Ferrara still kinda works
Peeping Tom (1960) 7/10
The British Psycho. Cool stuff, i loved the cinematography plus the lighting looks amazing!
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Straight from the underground, Lief Jonker's DIY splatter-fest Darkness was quite a sensation among fans of extreme horror back in the days when we were still trading German gore films on VHS and the latest in South American autopsy tapes.
Storywise there are some similarities between this and Phantasm 2 when some sort of vamipre plague is devouring complete towns, much like the Tall Man did in the second part of that franchise. Our lone hero (whose name seems to shift from Tommy to Tobe throughout the film) is out for a vengeance, although it's never made clear what or who exactly he's chasing.
Needless to say, the story isn't what matters most and is set up in such a manner that the makers could include as many blood drenched splatter-scenes as their budget (or talent) would allow. But in a rare instance for such DIY efforts, Darkness actually has a nice apocalyptic feel to it, which is quite an achievement.
In 2019 word got out that Arrow Video was preparing a 2K restored blu-ray release, but for some reason it never materialized. The so-called 'Vampire Version' from the now defunct Barrel Entertainment (as pictured above) still remains the best possible option to see this in all its uncut glory. Director Lief Jonker was heavily involved in producing the special features for the dvd, but unfortunately never made another film.
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Helen_S
Hiding behind the shower curtain.....
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quote:Originally posted by Helen_S: That sounds fun
Ideal for Christmas eve, right after the family dinner
Anyway.. also watched these two, far more accessible films that had their debut on Dutch public access TV here last weekend :
It ; Chapter 1 (2017)
Decent enough remake with a cast of talented youngsters, updated high-tech special effects, and the 'sculpture' of floating children near the end of the film was a nice touch, but i didn't feel it was necessarily better (or worse) than the 1990 TV version.
Cult Of Chucky (2017)
Set in a mental institution, this allows for a whole parade of offbeat characters to function as possible victims for the Chuck, who -apparently- can now multiply himself in this direct follow-up to Curse Of Chucky (2013), which has an extremely stylized look. Alex Vincent once again returns as Andy, plus there's a surprise appearance by another recurring character in a post-credits scene that longtime fans of the franchise will get a kick out of (although the Imdb claims this scene is only included in the unrated version).
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Still highly entertaining 'The Breakfast Club meets Invasion Of The Body Snatchers' hybrid, with one scene directly lifted from The Thing. High art it ain't, but a fun thrill ride nonetheless. Rare example of a mainstream horror movie from this time period that i actually like !
The Visit (2015)
I've never been much of a fan of M. Night Shyamalan's films, and this is no exception.. simply didn't like it. The teenage girl in the lead was okay, but the rest of the cast was pretty annoying. The one decent scene occurs when the sister and brother are skyping with their mom and find out the truth about the people they've been staying with for the past week.. Better see 1988's Grandmother's House instead !
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Helen_S
Hiding behind the shower curtain.....
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posted
Dr. Terror's House Of Horrors (1965) - 8/10 The House That Dripped Blood - 10/10 and Asylum (1972) - 8/10 Posted about those 3 in 70s thread
The Haunted House Of Horror - I liked this bonkers Tigon film a bit more this time around now that I know there's no actual haunted house. There are things that bug me a bit about it like all the jokes aimed at the girl with a bit of weight on her and that one who broke up with her married man lover cos she wants a younger man. Yet whines on after a party and during a spooky house visit over and over that she wants to go home to have a coffee. Good grief. The characters were all a bit nuts and the eventual reveal of the killer and the whole ending was really tense. Nasty stuff! 7/10
The Body Stealers - Bonkers and goofy as all hell but quite enjoyable. Leans more sci fi than horror. I loved the opening where the parachuters just disappeared and I was fascinated by how the main guy's (who was such a James Bond wannabe) cardigan kept on opening and closing from shot to shot. 6/10
The Beast In The Cellar -
"A leopard? In Lancashire?"
This horror/drama was blooming marvelous. I remembered it a bit wrong. I thought it was pretty much a two person play between the 2 elderly sisters, wonderfully played by Beryl Reid and Flora Robson. While there was a lot of that going on there was other interesting characters coming and going and a few really eerie murder scenes. The ending is both creepy and heartbreaking. 8/10
Virgin Witch - I put this down as my worst watched film of 2008. As I'm currently rewatching the films in my Tigon coffin boxset thought I'd see if it really was as bad as all that. It was worse. I'm no prude but I really despise when they do stuff like this. Make a film of filth and just tack one part on like the Sabbat here and call it a horror. ___off! 1/10
Echoes Of Fear - When the pet mouse is the best part of your horror film... 4/10
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aTomiK
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Member # 6575
Ok, i watched it but it´s totally unnecessary remake.
Slither (2006) 7/10
James Gunn debut and yeah, it´s pure Shivers/Night of the Creeps rip but it´s fun and very well made.
Solamente nero aka The Bloodstained Shadow (1978) 5/10
A decent giallo but not among the best of the genre.
The Cave (2005) 5/10
Another decent flick with nice cinematography and pretty cool monsters. Sadly the characters lack depth and it´s PG-13.
The Children (1980) 8/10
Now this was crazy and fun low-budget flick. Loved the locations and the atmosphere.
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aTomiK
.... has green eyes as well....
Member # 6575
Damn this was bad. Back to the drawing board guys!
Sleepwalkers (1992) rewatch 5/10
I enjoyed the first 30 mins or so but then the movie takes a bad comedy turn and the magic is gone.
Mausoleum (1983) 7/10
Simple low-budget demon possession film but damn Bobbie Bresee is hot and there´s lots of cool John Carl Buechler f/x here.
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Helen_S
Hiding behind the shower curtain.....
Member # 5804
posted
The Beast Must Die (1974) - 10/10 and And Now The Screaming Starts! - 10/10 Posted about those 2 in 70s thread!
The Blood On Satan's Claw - Mildly disappointed with this watch. Still found it suitably weird and entertaining but through the middle parts found myself looking at the clock way too often. Not the quality film I remembered it as. Music's great for the most part. There were some bits that woulda fit more on Laurel and Hardy. 6/10
Scooby-Doo! And The Goblin King - It was a laugh 7/10
The Ascent (2019) - I think this film about a special ops team having to choose between a battlefield and a neverending staircase woulda made a great 20 minute short but was a little dull at 100 mins. 5/10
Witchfinder General - This is my Dad's favourite horror film and he took my Mum to see it at the time. He oddly didn't even mention it to me though till I was in my 20s. So I bought it for him and watched and everytime since I can't help but laugh at the thought of him taking my Mum to see this. She wouldn't watch it with him again, shudders and says it was too horrible. She's the total opposite to me when it comes to films. She'll watch some on occasion but only like those lifetime kind and she can't get her head around how people can watch the same films over and over haha.
Anyway she is right about how horrible it is. Everytime I watch this I feel like a need a bath afterwards. There's torture, rape and killings. The lowering of the woman down into the fire is particularly shocking and awful. But the worst is just how frightening Vincent Price's portrayal is, utterly repugnant. I can usually laugh along with his nasty characters but not in this. What a *******. Tigon's masterpiece. 10/10
Hellions - With this being on the horror channel a lot I've ended up watching it the last 3 years. Short and sweet little horror following a teen who has just found out she's pregnant being hounded by a bunch of little shi..Hellions on Halloween night. I still don't get the ending though. 7/10
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later - Always had a soft spot for this one. Bumping my score up a little.7/10
Hatchet - I wasn't keen on this when I first watched, but went back to it a couple years later and it just wouldn't be the same without it around this time of year now. 7/10
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aTomiK
.... has green eyes as well....
Member # 6575
A disappointing Australian giant wild boar flick. Forget this one and watch Razorback instead.
Double Exposure (1982) 6/10
Pretty basic slasher thriller but the cast is interesting featuring lots of pretty women and you can also see Nick the **** from Bachelor Party somewhere there
Prom Night (2008) 2/10
Horrible!
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Helen_S
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posted
13 Ghosts (1960) - I'd seen the average remake but a first time watch for this original. Much better. 7/10
The Ghost (1963) - This might be my favourite Barbara Steele film. Perfect October film. 9/10
St. Agatha - I was just expecting this to be a crappy little Psycho Nuns timewaster but it was surprisingly rather good. Very creepy, beautiful lighting and Mary/Agatha was very good. So dark and dreary though that I just needed a fun horror next. 7/10
Which led to
Offerings - This is a massive ball of craptastic fun. A few watches later and I still can't get over just how much it's a blatant rip of Halloween right down to at times near identical music and at others sounding like a kid learning to play the Halloween theme. I don't know whether to boo or applaud at the brazen cheek of it all haha. 6/10
Creepshow - Repost from last year - Oh wow. I have seen this film so many times but this is the first time that I am completely head over heels in love with it! I've always liked and enjoyed it in the past but something was stopping me seeing just how special it is. Whether it was the fact I've always been a little iffy with a lot of humour in my horrors, the structure or the stories themselves. I do not know. But EVERY SINGLE THING worked for me tonight.
Every story is great, the wraparound is a hoot, the cast are fantastic. I particularly enjoyed Hal Holbrook and I don't think I ever noticed just how much Stephen King puts into his role here. Amazing. The whole thing just feels so epic. By the time I got to the last story (which is one of the grossest segments I've ever seen, I'm still scratchy) the first story felt like 3 years ago!! My Dad loves using the I WANT MY CAAKE at birthdays haha. I love that I love this now. Aww, special night. 10/10
The Secret Of Marrowbone - Maybe a touch too long but enjoyed it overall. A good old fashioned haunted house/mystery. 7/10
Halloween (1978) - I put this on at 10:40pm so it would take me into Halloween 10/10
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Helen_S
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posted
Gonna make a pumpkin pie before I get stuck into today's films. Have a good day everyone Posts: 4057 | From: uk | Registered: May 2007 | Site Updates: 0
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Helen_S
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Virus aka Hell of the Living Dead aka Night of the Zombies (1980) 5/10
Fun zombie trash from Bruno Mattei.
Halloween H2O: Twenty Years Later (1998) 6/10
Decent film but not as good as i remembered.
Halloween: Resurrection (2002) 2/10
Pure crap
Prince of Darkness (1987) rewatch 9/10
Didn´t wanna end the month with low note so i rewatched this Carpenter classic as a bonus film.
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Helen_S
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posted
Fright Fest - Okish, too all over the place though. Found my mind wandering a lot. 5/10
Halloween Is Grinch Night - This is the first time I've seen this. I wasn't liking it much to begin with, a bit corny. But then it went into all this weird imagery and singing sperms and I loved it 6/10
Spring (2014) - 30 minutes in and I was wondering why a friend had sent me this road trip drama for Halloween But then it got weird but not like monstered out rarrr weird. But retaining what it had already began with and expanding on it with the twist. I feel like this had vibes going on that Gareth Edwards' Monsters was going for but wasn't that successful with imo. This was a lot of things, body horror, road film, a tale of grief, the need to escape, longing and romance. I thought it was beautiful. As much as I can be a sicky wanting a nasty ending, when done right I relish a heartwarming one like this. 8/10
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Helen_S
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Hotel Transylvania - 8 Halloween (2007) - 6 Mr. Halloween - 4 Halloween II (2009) - 8 FirstBorn (2016) - 6 Dracula (1958) - 9 The Row (2018) - 6 The Brides Of Dracula - 10 The Phantom Of The Opera (1962) - 8 Patient Zero (2018) - 7 Dracula: Prince Of Darkness - 10 Dracula Has Risen From The Grave - 8 The Terminator - 9 Taste The Blood Of Dracula - 8 Terminator II: Judgement Day - 9 Scars Of Dracula - 8 Ghost Stories (2017) - 6 Dracula A.D. 1972 - 5 The Abandoned (2006) - 6 The Satanic Rites Of Dracula - 8 The Crimes Of Stephen Hawke - 7 The Legend Of The 7 Golden Vampires - 8 The Hound Of The Baskervilles (2002) - 8 Never Hike Alone - 6 Never Hike In The Snow - 7 The Houses Of Halloween - 6 Monster House (2006) - 8 Selfie From Hell (2018) - 4 Tales Of Halloween - 8 Leprechaun Returns - 7 Dr. Terror's House Of Horrors (1965) - 8 The Haunted House Of Horror - 7 The Body Stealers - 6 The Beast In The Cellar - 8 The House That Dripped Blood - 10 Virgin Witch - 1 Asylum (1972) - 8 Echoes Of Fear - 4 The Blood On Satan's Claw - 6 The Beast Must Die (1974) - 10 Scooby-Doo! And The Goblin King - 7 The Ascent (2019) - 5 Witchfinder General - 10 Hellions - 7 Halloween H20: 20 Years Later - 7 And Now The Screaming Starts! - 10 Hatchet - 7 13 Ghosts (1960) - 7 The Ghost (1963) - 9 St. Agatha - 7 Offerings - 6 Creepshow - 10 The Secret Of Marrowbone - 7 Halloween (1978) - 10 Spooky Bats And Scaredy Cats - A Halloween Tale - 8 Trick 'r Treat (2007) - 10 Season's Greetings (1996) - 8 Halloween III: Season Of The Witch - 10
1st - 5th November:
Fright Fest - 5 Halloween Is Grinch Night - 6 Spring (2014) - 8 Cold Skin - 7 This Is Halloween - 7 Halloween II (2009) - 8 V For Vendetta - 9
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