Horror

Started by TenseAndSober, April 22, 2003, 05:01:56 PM

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polkablues

Quote from: polkablues on March 24, 2020, 02:35:14 AM


For starters, the "controversy" around this movie was incredibly dumb. Which turns out to be fitting, since the movie itself is almost immeasurably dumb itself. I think it fancies itself a mischievous little scamp, with a sense of South Park-esque "both sides are equally ridiculous" nihilism, but in actuality it's more like a hack editorial page political cartoon where the symbolism is insultingly obvious and they label everything in the picture anyway, because the artist assumes everyone reading it is an idiot. The movie thinks it's a mid-90s Dennis Miller routine, when it's actually a 2020 Dennis Miller routine.

That said, I kind of liked it? Ignoring every aspect of the film's thematic belly-flop, it works exceptionally well as a silly, gory, propulsive action-thriller. Betty Gilpin kills it in this (you better fucking believe that pun was intended). There are a ton of great bit parts for awesome people like Macon Blair, Glenn Howerton, Ike Barinholtz, etc. It's a movie that you can have a fun time watching, then have a fun time eviscerating when you're done.

But god, it's dumb. It's so, so dumb. Damon Lindelof co-wrote this. That blows my mind. A person can be responsible for both The Leftovers and this. Just dumb as a bag of bricks, this thing. You should watch it.

Or if you just want an ACTUALLY good, not dumb at all version of this story, you can't do much better than Bacurau. It was pure coincidence that I watched these within two days of each other, but I'm very glad I saw them in the order that I did.

My house, my rules, my coffee

jenkins

it won the Jury Prize at cannes if you think polka is spouting nonsense

polkablues

It also just barely got beaten out as Brazil's submission to last year's Academy Awards, apparently.
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Jeremy Blackman

I watched The Hunt and genuinely, unironically liked it. The political stuff is objectively dumb, and the use of buzzwords tends to be cringey. But I disagree with Polka's assessment that it fancies itself a mischievous scamp. I'm sure there's a draft that leans more in that direction, but I think more than anything the movie in its final form knows how dumb it is and revels in that. It's a silly dark comedy that likes to have fun. Really it's an action comedy above all else.

Politically, I think it's a bit misguided in accepting hyper-hypocritical liberal elites as some kind of dominant cultural force. But to the extent that they do exist (and they do), I didn't mind seeing them skewered and enjoyed a few of those scenes quite a bit. When the film actually gets to its sincere message (mild spoiler), it's one of straightforward populism that is very easy to get behind.

To my surprise, I recognized and appreciated a lot of Lindelofisms, and this might be one of his best feature films, believe it or not.

polkablues

For those of you with Shudder subscriptions, the second season of the Wolf Creek TV series is finally available. I raved about the first season in this thread a while back, and one-and-a-half episodes in, the second season seems to be just as good.
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polkablues

Me raving about the first season, for reference:

Quote from: polkablues on January 14, 2019, 04:32:10 PM


I loved the first Wolf Creek movie. Loved it. A simple story, well-told. Brutal and efficient. And one of the most memorable villains in recent memory.

I HATED the sequel. I can't remember the last movie I had such a visceral negative reaction to. It took everything effective about the original and replaced it with ham-fisted plotting, sophomoric humor, and it reduced John Jarratt's iconic character to an obnoxious cartoon. It was so bad.

So obviously I approached the first season of the Wolf Creek television series with some trepidation. Part of what made Wolf Creek 2 fall flat was its episodic structure, which undercut any sense of connection with its characters and made it feel more like a series of random vignettes than a story. Would a six-episode television season fall victim to the same approach?

Spoiler: No, it did not. It's so damn good. It is, in fact, the best version of Wolf Creek to date (although I haven't seen the second season of the series yet, which is another self-contained story following a different set of characters). They did the smartest thing they could possibly do, which is to NOT focus it on Jarratt's villain, but to create a compelling protagonist and give her a massively satisfying character arc as they spend six episodes circling each other's orbits until it all comes to a head in a cathartic climax. Lucy Fry gives a fully committed performance, and is a primary factor in the success of this season. Despite the fact it was made for television, there is nothing held back in the graphic violence department, and somehow they always manage to keep the stakes high enough that the brutality always feels earned and impactful, never gratuitous.

It's currently available to stream with a Shudder subscription, and I highly recommend it. I'm hoping the second season shows up on there soon, because I'm ready for more.
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Reel

Oh, that's cool! I also really like Wolf Creek and was looking forward to the sequel, so it was disappointing to see it universally panned. I would've thought I could expect more of the same from the series if it weren't for your review!

Jeremy Blackman

That goes to the top of my list. Will check it out.

I've been watching a few things on Shudder...

The Furies - A very good low-budget horror movie. Not amazing but clearly a passion project. Worth seeing for a couple stunning practical effects.

Mayhem - Probably one of the best Shudder exclusives. Nothing innovative, but consistently fun. This will be some 13-year-old boy's favorite movie.

Better Watch Out - The kids from horror masterpiece The Visit reunite, and they're as charming as ever. I'm not sure this movie is good, but it certainly does go places. I was thoroughly compelled until one of the other characters became so extraordinarily annoying (intentionally so, to be fair) that I had to start fast forwarding.

The Room - Excellent premise but falls far short of its potential. Torn on whether to recommend this.

Belzebuth - Demonic possession is a subgenre that usually does not work for me at all. Just literally does nothing. Once you start getting into demonology science and telling me how everything relates to Catholicism, you've lost me completely. Regrettably, this film does all of the above.

polkablues

I love Better Watch Out, to be honest. Mayhem is good for Steven Yuen and Samara Weaving making a meal of the scenery, but it's way too stylistically hyperactive for my taste (also has a really gross casual misogynist streak). I still need to watch The Furies; it was impossible to tell from the trailer whether it was going to be interesting or awful. 
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polkablues

A few more lesser talked-about flicks that are worth checking out on Shudder:
Alena
Bliss
Cold Hell
Downrange
Let Us Prey
Monster Party
Southbound
Sweet, Sweet Lonely Girl
Terrified
The Transfiguration
Tigers Are Not Afraid



My house, my rules, my coffee

Jeremy Blackman

Nice list. I will definitely take a look at those. Almost watched Monster Party.

I think I agree about Mayhem. Steven Yuen and Samara Weaving were enough for me to like it, but I'm not sure the stylization was especially effective. It reaches for Fight Club but reminds me more of Lucky Number Slevin.

I would highly recommend trying The Furies. You will know within the first 10 min if it's for you. It is thoroughly low budget, but clearly made with care.

I can definitely understand your affection for Better Watch Out. That one performance is just too effective, though. I couldn't take it anymore.

Jeremy Blackman

I watched the first two episodes of Wolf Creek last night. The premier in particular was amazing. And uh... very glad I went in knowing literally nothing about the plot.

While I'm in this thread, I need to emphatically recommend two non-Shudder horror movies:

The Lodge – I really loved this movie. Might end up being a year-end favorite. Avoid spoilers!

The Platform – Cube meets Snowpiercer.

Reel

My free trial to shudder ended yesterday and I mostly used it to watch documentaries on there. I highly recommend "The Kane Hodder Story" if you're into Friday The 13th at all, it really changed my first impression of the kind of guy he was. I've never seen someone so dedicated to their craft, I gained a much deeper appreciation for what a great stuntman contributes to a film.

polkablues

Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on May 12, 2020, 11:13:13 AM
The Lodge – I really loved this movie. Might end up being a year-end favorite. Avoid spoilers!

Holy shit.

Holy shit.

This movie wrecked me.

Highly recommended if you're looking to feel like the protective lining of your soul has been chipped away for an hour and a half and then the contents thereof ripped out of your body in one fell swoop, leaving you a hollow shell of the person you previously were. I mean, goddamn. What a flick.
My house, my rules, my coffee

Reel

I watched 'Scream' again after recently seeing the original 'Halloween' and I'd never made this correlation between Randy and the little girl Lindsay before. How when people are dying all around them ( principal hung from the field goal, babysitter's corpse carried back into the house ) they can't peel themselves away from the TV.