Horror

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

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Reel

Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on June 19, 2021, 03:26:14 PM
I watched The Conjuring but could only get through an hour and a half. This movie takes itself Very Seriously. It's outrageously absurd propaganda for both The Warrens and the church.

This film really wants to tell us that:

– Society needs to stop ignoring demons and dark spirits.
– You're a naive idiot if you don't believe in them (and the Salem witches were real btw).
– Catholic objects are magic.
– Ed and Lorraine Warren were not grifters at all. Nope. Trust us. It was all real.
– Ed and Lorraine Warren sacrificed so much for regular people.
– Ed and Lorraine Warren are perfect humans with a perfect marriage.

(Lorraine Warren was of course behind the production of this whole franchise.)

This is truly one of the most morally bankrupt movies I've ever seen. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga should be ashamed of themselves — they do such a good job glorifying these detestable scammers. The writing does kneecap them a bit, though, because the Warrens end up looking cartoonishly sympathetic.


I started watching the first one too and didn't make it nearly as far, once I knew the whole film would be shot in shaky cam I was out.

Jeremy Blackman

Oh right, the shaky cam. I first noticed that when they were just sitting at their kitchen table. So gritty.

Jeremy Blackman

Anyone watching the Fear Street trilogy on Netflix? First one is okay, probably overrated, but has one scene of gore that might be an all-timer.

Not sure I can get through the second one. I'm finding all the camp stuff to be unbearable—just a copy/paste of tropes with no desire to comment on them or add much of anything. And one character (you'll know) is so insufferable that I tried to stay up late hoping I'd see her die and exit the narrative. Why they decided to include this character and performance in the movie is absolutely beyond me.

I heard the third installment is great though. We'll see.

WorldForgot

Yeah, I couldn't make it through the cavern sequences in the camp sequel. Had heaps of fun with the first one, as I don't tend to expect much from Netflix and this iz RL Stine, after all. Totally agree about it going through the motions. Much more conventional than part one -- and its teens aren't as interesting at the protagonists of the 1994 plot. In the first, you get more "horror flick" fun in the opening 30 minutes than 1978 can muster even after an hour.

Which iz such a shame because Summer Camp horror has potential for both cozy vibes and the dread of its landscape.

polkablues

I would classify the Fear Street trilogy as "better than they should have been for what they are," which is to say, Netflix Original adaptations of a millennial-nostalgia young adult book series. In short, it exceeded my very low expectations. Its juxtaposition of weekday-afternoon basic cable tone with some genuinely brutal and upsetting violence is something I don't think I've quite seen before to this extent.

I put all credit for what works about these films on the director Leigh Janiak, who previously made the tragically underseen Honeymoon, one of my favorite horrors of the 2010s. I'm hopeful that the success of these allows her to make more of that and less of this in the future, but either way I'm happy she's making movies.

Anyway, here are the two best horror flicks I've seen recently, both highly recommended:



I also checked out The Forever Purge in the theater (my first in-theater movie in 15 months), and I would recommend it if and only if you're already invested in The Purge as a series. I can't imagine watching it as a standalone film and getting anything worthwhile out of it, but as a continuation (and possible finale) to the series, it holds up its end of the deal.
My house, my rules, my coffee

polkablues

I'm allowing all the preceding Conjuring slander because The Conjuring 3 was the worst movie I've watched all year and the Warrens can go posthumously fuck themselves, but the first two in the series are immaculate, and two out of the three Annabelle movies were pretty good too.
My house, my rules, my coffee

polkablues

Saving my Malignant review for posterity, because if I can stop even one person from watching it....

polkablues [11|Sep 12:10 AM]:   I'm an hour into the new James Wan flick, and YIKES... this movie is baaaad
polkablues [11|Sep 12:13 AM]:   I'm not sure I've ever seen collectively worse acting in a major studio movie
polkablues [11|Sep 12:16 AM]:   They're trying to pass LA off as Seattle, but they're not even bothering to shoot around the palm trees
polkablues [11|Sep 12:18 AM]:   You get the sense that every person both in front of and behind the camera is there against their will
polkablues [11|Sep 12:20 AM]:   Paula Marshall shows up in one scene, and I said out loud, "Oh thank god, a real actor." PAULA MARSHALL, you guys
polkablues [11|Sep 12:20 AM]:   This is dire
polkablues [11|Sep 12:28 AM]:   Okay, I won't spoil it in case any of you are dumb enough to watch this, but the third act revelation is so batshit that I'm almost back on board
polkablues [11|Sep 12:44 AM]:   It has transcended simply being a bad movie and has become an embodiment of the very concept of badness. It is no longer a thing, but all things (bad). I am broken.
polkablues [11|Sep 12:46 AM]:   An hour ago, I believed no one should watch this movie. Now I believe that everyone should watch this movie, for I should not bear the burden of this knowledge alone
polkablues [11|Sep 12:48 AM]:   How am I supposed to sleep after experiencing that movie? Not just tonight, like... ever.
polkablues [11|Sep 12:50 AM]:   Anyway, I give it an enthusiastic two thumbs up (my eyes and firmly into my brain)

Honestly, no snark, no hyperbole, this was one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Breathtakingly inept in every facet.
My house, my rules, my coffee

Jeremy Blackman

Listen, nothing you said is wrong, but... I have to admire the big swing. That was one of the most joyful moments I've seen in a movie all year.

The acting was so consistently bad, especially from the lead, that I have to believe it was intentional in some way. And the cheap synth score. It seems to be going for the B-movie horror cult classic type thing, and it honestly kind of works.

Alma

So tempted to watch this next week now, I've seen so many wild reactions to it I want to see for myself.

WorldForgot

Malignant... Ought to be paired with The Snowman. In a certain sense, you can have fun at both. In Malignant, at least, you don't get the feeling that it's at the expense of the film. Reminds me of this year's Woman in the Window in that sense. Ludicrous genre excess is the intent and focus, not any elegant threading.

Its script doesn't totally gel, but each individual beat does (within the sense of its tone and rhythm), so you never feel that there's missteps so much as... Messy bits.

Spoiler: ShowHide

There's absolutely no logic to how those murders were pulled off - regardless of the twist. I'm fine with this. It's horror-trope-logic at a breakneck speed so instead of "work" put into the what or why, it's put into the how of presenting the flick and its ricochet of tone.

Totally get why people are satisfied with James Wan wielding the Fast franchise's action chops alongside a devious zaniness we've met before in B-movie genre fair as well as through his mainstream convention in Insidious.

Idk if I'll rewatch this alone. Possibly if a friend not into horror feels inclined to - I would.

https://twitter.com/erinmartina/status/1437923741607120896

Jeremy Blackman

I've caught up on some horror movies in the last few months. In order of favoriteness:


The Guest (2014) – Good God what a powerhouse performance from Dan Stevens. The amount of work he's doing here is incredible. One of those movies that reminds you how magical acting can be. An all-timer. [On Netflix]

Apostle (2018) – A prestige horror film that does not pull any punches and gets nasty when it needs to. Some hardcore stuff here—I had to turn away a couple times. I loved it. This might be one of the most underrated/underdiscussed horror movies I've seen. Was everyone talking about this at some point and I missed it? [On Netflix]

Goodnight Mommy – A chilling and sometimes bonkers entry in "elevated horror." Highly recommended.

The Rental – An excellent group-of-friends thriller.

[REC] (2007) – Mostly lives up to its reputation as a found footage classic. So much hysterical yelling, though.

Mama – Not particularly innovative, but well-done. Jessica Chastain's characterization is bizarre.

Lucky (2020) – This high-concept piece got a lot of buzz, and it's definitely interesting, but unfortunately it feels pretty limited by its budget.

Saint Maud – Started watching this but was so put off by the droll aesthetic and the central performance that I decided to skip.

In The Earth – This is basically an okay X-Files episode, just longer and more ineffectually indulgent. Never achieves what it's clearly going for.

WorldForgot

I dig Goodnight Mommy but haven't ever felt the want to rewatch since its theatrical release. This is the first I've heard of Apostle, which doesn't surprise me since I hardly open Netflix. Good to know it's there when i feel like a period piece horror, though!

Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on September 15, 2021, 04:22:22 PM
The Guest (2014) – Good God what a powerhouse performance from Dan Stevens. The amount of work he's doing here is incredible. One of those movies that reminds you how magical acting can be. An all-timer.

The Rental – An excellent group-of-friends thriller.

[REC] (2007) – Mostly lives up to its reputation as a found footage classic. So much hysterical yelling, though.


The Guest and [REC] are very rewatchable. I recommend [REC]2 if you dug the apartment conceit enough. It starts exactly where the first ends and adds more cameras in a translation of Alien->Aliens.

Gosh the Rental bored me to tears. I didn't find it incompetent, just hollow and dull.

Jeremy Blackman

Nice. Yeah, I can definitely understand not liking The Rental. Can't really articulate what worked for me. Maybe just Dan Stevens? (So much Dan Stevens on my list.)

Apostle is an absolute must-watch. I'm not going to claim it's a masterpiece, but boy is it an experience. The trailer gets super spoilery at 0:54 btw.

polkablues

I'd recommend giving Saint Maud another try. Yes, it's as humorless as a movie can be, but goddamn, as a psychological drama/horror, it sticks the landing so hard.
My house, my rules, my coffee

Alethia

I gotta agree with JB, I really disliked Saint Maude...except the last minute or so, which, I have to admit, kind of owns.