Games: Other Games : OT: The Horror Thread

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

I personally loved Carpenter's Halloween for being a legitimately creepy, scary film that utilized the holiday well without going completely overboard with it like Rob Zombie's version, though I don't hate that one as much as a lot of other fans do. I liked how it infused a foreboding menace (that being Michael Myers, of course) into everyday routine... a boring lecture at school, an innocent walk home, and a quiet afternoon in your bedroom. All the things that we do in everyday life that we take for granted day in and day out can be frightening if we all had our own boogeyman stalking us. I know what you mean regarding the music, but I always feel that it enhances what is already being felt naturally, which is pure dread.

The sequel is also pretty great, as well. There's some so-so parts that are kinda dumb (like the Michael Myers imprint on the lawn), but overall Halloween II is how I like sequels so I love it just as much as the original. I actually like the chase better in this one better than the original.

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Re: OT: The Horror Thread

I'm tossing out a couple of horror stories here. I'm not sure if anyone else will enjoy them, but I find them to be quite fascinating.

First off is a short (just a handful of pages) story called His Face All Red by Emily Carroll. I don't want to say anything about it due to its length, just that it's a nice horror take on the story of Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors. http://emcarroll.com/comics/faceallred/01.html I especially liked the use of repeating motifs in the protagonist's story being used to unsettle the reader; the smell of lilac, the protagonist's dreamless sleep, etc. And of course, the ambiguity is a gamebreaker on what you'll think.

Second is the TV series Sapphire and Steel, which aired in the late 1970s-early 1980s. It's about a pair of agents(?) played by David McCallum and Joanna Lumley. When things(?) appear(?), Sapphire and Steel are sent in to neutralize(?) the threat. It is a work of sheer surreal horror: writer P.J. Hammond never gives us much exposition, which means that you'll either be annoyed by never knowing what's going on, or creeped out of your skin because you never know what's going on. Appropriately, the main characters are in the dark as well: the show almost takes a detective format as S&S investigate each situation.

There are 6 stories ranging from 3-8 episodes, which allows the show to take its sweet time letting each story build dread as S&S try to figure out what they're dealing with.

I've heard that it is a big influence on The X-Files, although I haven't seen that. It may interest you if you like that show, though. Here's a fanmade trailer for the 4th assignment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlOSZXxdK8g

I quiched the Sultan of Brunei, in his bath!

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

I see that S&S is on Amazon Prime for free viewing, so I added it to my watchlist and I'll try to check out the first episode to see if it's anything that I'd get into. The way you describe it makes it sound like an obscure, creepfest of a show so I'm excited to check it out. What channel did it air on when it was first released?

For the meantime, I've been adding titles to my watchlist now that more horror titles are being added to Amazon instant steaming with the approach of Halloween around the corner. The Devil Inside (2012), which I had heard nothing but terrible things about hence the reason I never wanted to waste a DVD rental on it, was one said title I had added long ago and saw that was now available to watch on Amazon for free. Honestly, having just finished it now, it's not really that bad. Like The Exorcism of Emily Rose, it puts a new angle on the whole exorcism subgenre. This time, we're dealing with a found footage, almost mockumentary film about a girl trying to reconnect to her mother who is committed after having murdered people during an exorcism some odd years ago. The usual exorcism-film conventions are present, but I think it's the film's choice in presenting the material thru found footage (which I normally hate) that kept me interested despite my fatigue with these types of films. I also loved the abruptness of the ending and though it seems to be universally hated, I imagine it comes the closest to what a real ending to these types of found footage films would be IF they were happening in real life... as in, the ending isn't theatrical, it just happens when most final footage endings feel more theatrical in the final act than is probably realistic. Overall, this isn't nearly as bad as it's made out to be and you can definitely do way worse than this one IMO. 7/10

Oh, and Ava's Possessions (2015) was an awesome movie too. It's a comedy-horror that totally marches to the beat of its own drum, following a girl who was possessed as she attends Possession AA (wtf lol) as part of a treatment-over-prison plan and must unravel a mystery of what evil deeds she had done while she was possessed. It's on Netflix and though it looks kinda bad, it's actually pretty awesome in the way it sort of reinvents/deconstructs the possession subgenre of horror. I'd also give this one a 7/10.

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Re: OT: The Horror Thread

S&S aired on ITV (British television). The first assignment isn't the greatest, but it's creepy enough. It was meant to be a kids' show, and the first assignment reflects that by focusing on children and creepy nursery rhymes. Someone realized that it really wasn't suited for children and it got retooled a bit for the later assignments.

I must warn you that the pace can be very slow. As TV Tropes puts it, some of the episodes have the pacing of Star Trek: The Motion Picture on Thorazine.

Actually, the TV Tropes page does a very good job of describing the show and making it clear what the style is. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/SapphireAndSteel

I quiched the Sultan of Brunei, in his bath!

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year's. I recently got promoted at work and am planning a vacation this spring to the deep south again (yay!), so 2017 sounds like it'll be a promising year for me. I just hope that everyone remains in good health and spirits at home. I also hope the same for the rest of you and your families, as well. I've still been getting in my movies, of course, and I am back with a few reviews.



Mercy (2016) - Netflix original. Sadly, this movie completely committed suicide on me, tbh. It starts out as a drama about a dying woman who has four sons, two from a previous marriage and two fathered by her current husband who plans to snatch all her money and keep it from her two oldest sons. When the movie was wallowing knee-deep in these deep-seeded family issues about money and inheritance, I was really into the movie because the dread was immense and I knew nasty things were to come. Then, the home invasion aspect kicked in and things just got completely stupid. The storytelling wasn't the best, characterizations were assassinated, and aspects of the plot were just way too convenient and brushed over to be remotely believable. I was left feeling like this movie was a mess. 4/10, though talking about it now makes me want to give it something lower because I expected better of it. Get with it, Netflix...

Altitude (2010) - In the same vein as Mercy, this one also took a turn for the worse midway thru though not as detrimental. Honestly, I'm not sure how realistic the premise was to begin with: Do privileged rich kids get their own private planes to pilot across country? This is not a criticism by any means, I'm legitimately curious. Still, for what it was, this had a nice little Frozen-like thriller aspect going for it despite some of the characters being so incredibly grating. At least Jessica Lowndes channeled her inner-Ripley enough to make for a likeable lead character, but good luck in finding a likeable one from the rest of the characters. I was enjoying the flight from hell until the weird supernatural stuff kicked in and knocked the movie down a rating or two. By the end, I didn't walk away feeling disgusted with it like with the previous movie, but it could have been SO much better if it stuck with being a straight-up thriller and left the horror out of the equation. Oh well. 6/10.

Morgan (2016) - This movie was raked over the coals by critics, I guess. I don't see how people could not enjoy this, but I admit that I'm not a very discerning viewer. I am easy to please. It is rather reminiscent of Ex-Machina with some slasher/action thrown in for good measure, so I'm guessing that's why people hated it? Idk. What I liked better about this one compared to Ex-Machina is that the team of scientists grew to adore their creation a bit too much, which seems rather realistic and humane to me. It could work as a cautionary tale of sorts, but maybe I'm giving it too much credit. I really liked the storytelling and the smart, stone-cold protagonist who is basically a Ripley clone. A twist was thrown in to make things interesting, but unlike the previous two movies I reviewed in this post, I felt like this one worked very well with the story and didn't at all ruin or dampen the experience for me. 8/10

Into the Forest (2015) - I won't spend too much time on this one because I realized midway thru that this really wasn't so much a horror movie as it was a drama about two sisters surviving in their isolated home after a power outage. The two sisters were really likeable and it was an interesting movie, but it's just not up the alley of anyone who likes strictly horror movies. I still gave it a 7/10 despite its dumb ending, though.

You Better Watch Out (1980) (aka Christmas Evil) - I was surprised by this one because I was expecting it to be a slasher movie, but instead it was more of a character study akin to Maniac, Angst, and Don't Go In The House. I was watching and watching it expecting to see people killed, but nothing was happening. I wasn't bored in the least, though. When a massacre does occur at the church, I recognized one of the victims as Colleen Zenk-Pinter, who played Barbara on As the World Turns. Sort of funny how I can spot a soap opera star in an obscure horror from back in the day. 6/10

The Good Neighbor (2016) - This one was kind of soul-crushing and it succeeds at making you really hate kids today. It's a decent movie, don't get me wrong... it's just really mean-spirited in a psychological way. I gave it a 7/10.

Chopping Block (2016) - Amazon Prime selection. For a lesser-known horror-comedy (only 20 ratings here on IMDb, me being one of them), this one actually is really funny and endearing. A team of colleagues fired from a job plan to stick it to the man by kidnapping his daughter for a ransom. Little do they know that she's a final girl who managed to escape the killer, who comes after the group to finish what she started (yes, the killer is a woman... I think??? LOL). The slasher aspect to the movie could've been much better handled and defined, but the banter between the colleagues and just the overall comedy the movie had to offer was very adorkable and well-done for a movie of its nature. Recommended. 6/10

I have a few more that I need to review, but this will have to be it for now.

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Re: OT: The Horror Thread

Welcome back, Dano! Lol.

#VivaLaBull - Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

Thanks, Neil.

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Re: OT: The Horror Thread

I finally saw Don't Breathe recently and I really liked it (it is so the definition of a 3 out of 4 star horror movie). Watching it I was actually the most impressed by the directing of Fede Alvarez. I wasn't the biggest fan of his Evil Dead remake, but I really noticed in this one that he actually has a lot of talent as a director, and I think a really bright future ahead of him in film. Jane Levy and Dylan Minnette also made for two really strong leads, and Stephen Lang as the blind man was good too. Watching it though I was kinda put off by Jane Levy's character (so I don't know what to make of her being the final girl? Why couldn't Minnette be the final guy? Am I missing something? I know there was a younger sister, but he could have been there for her at the end like Levy's character would have wanted. I was getting serious Deep Blue Sea Dr. Susan McCallister vibes with Jane Levy's character and her as the final just didn't feel right?). Also, am I the only one who got The People Under the Stairs vibes with it? Maybe I just need to watch that film again (it has been years since I've seen that one), but I thought about that film the entire time. Anyways, I know critics have been giving glowing reviews to horror movies lately (I mean this is a real solid horror movie and nothing more), but it's great to see that this genre isn't considered the bastard child of cinema anymore, and movies like this are getting fair reviews. I'm not really sure it needs a sequel though (I mean maybe Fede will bring a fresh spin on things with the sequel idk).

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

omg I agree completely with what you said in your spoiler text. I was so angry when Alex was killed and Rocky survived. I wanted it to be the opposite so bad. Ugh.

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

Deep Blue Sea had so many shocks. Such a goddess of a movie. Susan is such a tragic, misunderstood hero.

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

I think it was the same for me. I probably would've thought that Alex was going to be a final guy based on the narrative, but I knew that the director had worked with Jane Levy before so I knew that she'd be the one to make it out alive... especially once it was revealed that the blind vet was in fact evil which was another development of that plot that disappointed me just because I felt like it was their tactic to get us to finally support Levy's character even though she wanted to rob the house in the first place. I did enjoy the movie and felt that the director did an incredible job at filming Detroit to be so run down yet so beautiful (assuming it's even filmed there... the cinematography was excellent nonetheless), but to be honest... the plot is very similar to another excellent Indie movie released two years ago called "Intruders" (aka Shut In - starring Beth Riesgraf and Rory Culkin) that I reviewed much earlier in this thread and that one got little to no love while people praise Don't Breath to the skies just because it's mainstream. Granted, both films commit some of the similar sins, but I saw Intruders first and loved it much more.

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Re: OT: The Horror Thread

looooved this movie. I didn't like alex being killed and the sperm scene. both parts were unnecessary.

White lightening+Black Hammer

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

Yuck, yeah... what the hell was with that? So gross. I hate to knock the movie because it was an okay thriller, but I wish I would've loved it more than everyone else did.

MORE REVIEWS... some being more wordy than others. I have things to say at times and I get a bit out of hand. Sorry in advance.

31 (2016) - I've waited a long time to finally see this, and it was well worth the wait for the most part. I don't dislike Rob Zombie's films the way a lot of fans do, though I admit the characters in his films are a way too trashy even for my tastes but that's usually the only criticism I have aside from maybe confusing plots that sometime make no sense. Yet, especially after the surreal and confusing Lords of Salem which I happened to like despite its weirdness, this was a very nice "back to the basics" film for him to churn out... I'd probably rank it as my third favorite behind the Halloween remake and The Devils Rejects. Creepy clowns, kickass women, (for the most part) straight-forward storytelling, and Sheri Moon Zombie in a cute top. If you've hated everything Zombie has had to offer so far, you'll probably hate this one too, but it's an enjoyable survival thriller if you can get past the first some odd minutes of trashy-character banter to start out with. 7/10

Ghost Team (2016) - My attempt at a horror-comedy fix. It starts out charming enough, but a plot-twist transforms the movie from amusingly spooky to quite lame in a fast hurry. I was left feeling quite disappointed and empty with it. 5/10

Intruder (2016) - What a lame movie. Our doe-eyed protagonist has about ten encounters with creepy dudes on Friday, and it turns out that one of them has decided to follow her home for the weekend to spy on the cute lil fox in her home. The rest of the creepos merely show up now and then to act as red herrings as the plot plods along ever so slooooooooooooooooooowly. There's so many things that don't make sense about this mess and I was hoping that a showdown at the end would make the snail's pace well worth it, but nope. Not at all. Avoid, unless you like perving on a hot girl in her natural habitat. Then this movie is for you. 4/10

I Know Who Killed Me (2007) - That Lindsay Lohan movie that apparently got tons of hate a few years back. I really liked it. It was a pretty good mystery, though getting immersed in it requires a lot of suspension of disbelief but honestly the supernatural elements are not any less ludicrous or unbelievable than the premises of It Follows or The Ring and those got universal acclaim so those who hate it for that can suck it. One can't tell me that a lot of the hate for this is not personal against Lindsay, who definitely made her bed but to punish an entire movie for her antics is a bit unfair (aside from Lindsay, I also found Julia Ormond and Brian Geraghty likeable in their roles). Not saying that it's deserving of tons of praise; just saying it's a decent and compelling mystery and rated much too low than it deserves on here. Seeing this makes me want a Lindsay comeback even more now. 7/10

Jeruzalem (2015) - I found this movie rather reminiscent of [REC], for a variety of reasons. A group of villagers quarantined in Jerusalem by officials with monsters trapped in with them, forcing our characters to fight for survival as they try to find a way out. I just can't decide if it's derivative or not for that very reason. It tries to solve the handheld camera by making the camera a pair of glasses, but it's still kind of stupid and distracting at times. It's worth seeing though, assuming you're not completely sick of the cheap found-footage gimmick by now after the countless that have come out over the past few years. You could do worse though. 6/10

Crush the Skull (2015) - A comedy-horror about a group of thieves breaking into the house of a sadistic serial killer. Yes, I did mean to write "comedy" in that description. Somehow through the grace of God (or the wrath of Satan ), the movie manages to pull it off for the most part despite still being a movie about an imposing serial killer turning the tables on the home invaders who are a funny bunch indeed. And surprisingly genre-savvy, as well. The plot isn't really original at all. In fact, it's almost identical to a cheap Amazon Prime movie called Bad vs. Worse released a few years earlier, but this one has more likeable characters and clocks in at a manageable 80 minutes compared to that one's overlong 106-minute runtime and I enjoyed the way the comedy and horror are handled so well together. It's positive attributes make the movie worth seeking out even though it's harder to find than the other option. 7/10

Goksung (2016) (aka The Wailing) - I have to admit, I have a huge aversion to watching [Iany movie exceeding 2 hours in length. If it dares stretch beyond that point, I always say that it better be really *beep* good because who has the time to watch a bloated pile of scenes that could honestly be condensed enough so to get to bed at a decent hour. Luckily, this supernatural thriller definitely earns its 2hr+35min runtime. There were some effective scenes of a demon prowling the woods that put chills down my spine, and you get to see the growth of the (at-first bumbling) main character as he uncovers the evils that have attached to his daughter, who is showing increasing signs of aggression/possession, and he mans up as he attempts to save her from imminent harm. I can't recommend this one more to anybody looking for legitimately spine-tingling movies, though be prepared to read subtitles. 8/10

Blair Witch (2016) - I'll conclude this round with Blair Witch, which I missed in theaters last fall, though it was not by a lack of want to see it. Sadly, though, I didn't care much for it. The only aspect of the movie that I liked was that it utilized the longstanding fan theory that the original trio of students from the first movie wandered into some other dimension, which was a terrifying way to interpret the movie and I will credit this for picking up at that angle. However, tying the main character of this one to Heather of the original was a BIG mistake. I could maybe buy this group of youngsters being huge fans of ghost-hunting or local folklore and wanting to experience the Black Hills Forest as the original trio did in a "One generation's tragedy is the next generation's joke" sort of way, perhaps. But, I'm sorry: I wasn't feeling the brother/sister connection in this AT ALL and it was not just because Heather was completely absent (does she even act anymore?). He just never felt even remotely convincing as Heather's brother; he only ever felt like an actor playing her brother, and the superficial reasons he made for taking himself and his friends out into the woods never made sense to me outside a superficial, perhaps clichéd(?) level. Add in the fact that every character in this was insanely unlikeable except maybe Lisa, who I did like, and the same found-footage garbage and you have the all-too-familiar cocktail for disaster that dooms most films of this ilk. Better than the *other* sequel I suppose, but still not good. 5/10

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Re: OT: The Horror Thread

Has anyone else noticed that Survivor's Jonathan Penner wrote the screenplay for The Bye Bye Man, the upcoming horror that seems to be subject of scorn and ridicule as its release date nears? The trailer looks a bit generic, and a January release date is rarely ever a good thing, but who knows really... it's definitely the underdog of horror movies these days just as Ouija: Origin of Evil was last fall. Let's hope there's something more to it!

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Re: OT: The Horror Thread

Dan, I've been running a secret I Know who Killed Me fan club for years now. Okay it's just me and two friends who like it <3 (it's actually very lonely), but we are fierce and mighty. It isn't a movie you say you like in public because the reaction to it was so vehement. You'd probably get jumped. It has some beautiful blue colors though and like you said it's interesting and entertaining.

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

Ooooooh I didn't know Penner wrote that movie. Interesting. I do want to go see it despite the fact that the trailers for it are so *beep* annoying.

Don't say it. Don't think it.
DONT SAY IT. DONT THINK IT.
DONT SAY IT. DONT THINK IT.
DONT SAY IT. DONT THINK IT.


Like bitch calm down.

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

Yeah I really don't like that trailer, either. I don't have adblocker or anything on my phone for Youtube ads so I'm always forced to listen to the first few moments of it and hate it every single time. There was another trailer earlier last year that got on my nerves too but I can't remember which one.

I have yet to see Underworld: Blood Wars and really wanted to go see that in theaters last week with Sherry if she was available, but unfortunately I might just pass it by until it comes out on DVD. I always feel like such a dip going to see a movie all by myself and what's the fun in that? In terms of the trailer, I always smirk whenever they say "[Kate Beckinsale's] back, in black", as though to imply that Selene didn't always wear black in the past but I admit that that's nit-pickiness on my part. I'm not much of a huge Underworld fan in all honesty (my favorite one has been the third one, the prequel), but they're okay for the fight sequences.

Has anyone heard a thing about Pitchfork (2016)? I've been looking for a few new slashers to watch and, before I saw its rating here on IMDb, this was the only one that seemed promising aside from Friend Request (2016) and who knows when that will get released in the U.S., if ever. Any recent or upcoming slasher recommendations would be appreciated because right now I have none other than these two.

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Re: OT: The Horror Thread

The Bye Bye Man is somehow actually over performing at the box office (it already doubled its budget), so maybe Penner will have another opportunity down the road to do something else. I expect the film to crash next week though since the reaction to the film has been pretty harsh (lmao at it having an embarrassing 3.7 on here already. Stay strong). I guess it could pull a Ouija and hold, but either way it will at least triple its budget. I wonder if Survivor fans are turning up in droves <3?

Dan, there's a film coming out called Don't Hang Up (which I guess is supposed to be a slasher?) which sounds good! It has up and comer Garrett Clayton.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3610746/?ref_=nv_sr_1 and https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B3sgYtNVp5E.

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A hot (and potentially gay ) guy sharing my name <33 Is that gonna be like I Saw What You Did or whatever that had Shawnee Smith in it? It looks interesting nevertheless

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I didn't like Don't Breathe at all guys. :/

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A hot (and potentially gay )


For sure potentially gay. Hayyyy <3


Is that gonna be like I Saw What You Did or whatever that had Shawnee Smith in it?


Omg Spookster <3. I didn't know you were a fan of 80's made for TV thrillers! I saw that one years ago. It had D.J Tanner in it too.

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

Yeah Don't Breathe has a icky plot and ending. The main thing I enjoyed in it was its suspense. I felt it really handled that well and it flowed really well. Sometimes those types of movies can get repetitive with how the movie progresses (since if it was realistic and everyone died in minutes there'd be no movie). I thought this one dragged the conflict out pretty well. I don't know if I explained that well lol

Yas Shrad <3 If it's horror, I'm there. Especially a semi-cheesey one with bad bitches like Shawnee in it. I totally forgot that DJ was in it too. Maybe I need to rewatch that soon.

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

Yeah it absolutely was well made! :)

And sista shred I'm gonna respond to your pm now. And bria's and everyone else that I suck at responding to.

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

I guess the new Friday the 13th movie got cancelled. Ugh I wanted to see what the Prisoners writer had come up with! I can't believe Paramount got the rights back and didn't do anything with the series. They will lose the rights in 2018, but it still sucks. There are some rumors that Rings not doing well with audiences and critics was part of the reason. I don't get how you can even compare the two series.

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

What was the new Friday the 13th movie going to be about? Was it a sequel to the remake, original series, or another remake?

Melissa: Is there an F5?
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Re: OT: The Horror Thread


What was the new Friday the 13th movie going to be about? Was it a sequel to the remake, original series, or another remake?


It was supposed to be another reboot 0_0. However it had the Oscar nominated writer of Prisoners penning the screenplay (and it was supposed to be a good script with good characters), and Mrs.Voorhees was going to be in it as well! It was originally rumored to be a found footage film, but that was nixed before the script was written. I was personally excited to see another Friday the 13th film since it's been so long since the last one (it'll now officially be the longest we have gone without a new Friday/Jason movie since 1980 since there's no way we get a new one until 2019 at the very least. Even the gap between Jason Goes to Hell and Jason X will be shorter!). I will never forgive Platinum Dunes and Rob Zombie for destroying the big three horror franchises (Friday the 13th, Halloween, and A Nightmare in Elm Street). Now the studios have no idea where to continue from. I think Nightmare is supposed to be getting another remake though? I know John Carpenter wants to produce another Halloween as well, but there's no news on that.

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

The big 3 are such messes. I remember when I first made my IMDb account, it was before Rob Zombie's Halloween remake was announced and at the time it was supposed to be Halloween 9: Retribution. I used to make threads with my ideas on how to connect the 4-6 and 7-8 timelines <3 (I think I even threw 3 in there just for the hell of it )

I feel like they could make another Friday the 13th movie, give it a unique title (Friday the 13th: Blah Blah Blah) and not outright declare it as a remake or a sequel and the viewer can decide which chronology its a part of. Everyone already knows Jason, so they don't need to show his backstory or anything reboot-y. Just throw in some slutty camp counselors and let Jason do his thang <3

Melissa: Is there an F5?
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Re: OT: The Horror Thread

Right, I agree. I just want to see the *ONE* and *ONLY* Jason out there slashing his way through a bunch of young adults. Love or hate the 'Friday' movies as one might, but more than likely they always delivered on the formula that we know and love. I wouldn't mind a legit sequel, but if they kept it ambiguous to let us decide if it's canon or not, I'd be alright with that too. I just want to see a slasher using the true-blue formula; madman stalking a group of young adults until one (or hell, even two) remains to defeat him in his tracks. Too many of the common-day ones mess with the formula too much and try to be clever when they're not really.

Sadly, for a movie like this to be made, the creators need to not care as much about critics or the casual viewers who hate anything they deem clichéd. There's something to be said that the past slashers that followed the formula more closely tend to be more talked about (and remembered more) than the ones that try to be clever and bog an otherwise simple storyline down with unnecessary baggage ("to make the film the same, but different" - screw that). None of the post-Scream slashers may have done well when they were released, but more people seem to like them now more than anything released after for staying true to what they were. Surprisingly, in the years that I've been watching these films, it seems that Scream itself has started to annoy fans these days and its meta-ness is amusingly working against it now 20-years later. It's becoming much more common now to see horror fans bashing it or calling it overrated - perhaps these fans are regretting bashing traditional slashers now given some of the sh!tty trends that have followed in horror... like torture porn which seems pretty disliked by a lot.

In terms of the "Big 3" messing around with the slasher formula:
The 'Friday' reboot seems to be disliked for its diversions - Jason keeping Whitney prisoner instead of hacking her to bits, making a male character a lead while killing off Jenna so we have no final-girl to pull for at all whatsoever in the finale, devoting a 2-minute (if that) flashback to the film that's name the remake took. Ok, that last point is more of a personal grievance, but still. I feel like if this wasn't a "Friday" movie, it would've been much better off.
Most were putoff that Rob Zombie delved too much into Michael Myers' upbringing over the slasher element in the 'Halloween" reboot and don't even get me going on that trainwreck of a sequel. Laurie was also not a very likeable character, especially not in the sequel though I do credit Zombie for having Annie (likeably played by Danielle Harris) survive the first one since she was a diamond in a pile of dung in the second. Laurie, not so much.
While I'm in the minority here, I felt like the 'Elm Street' one remained the most true to its source material of the big three (which is why I liked it). Yet, I agree that Rooney Mara brought absolutely nothing to the Nancy character which is the only big criticism that I have of that one aside from maybe her equally-boring boyfriend surviving the final encounter as well. If they're not a standout character (like Kirby Reed, who herself wasn't spared when she probably should've been) - KILL 'EM!

I don't feel like I'm being too critical of the "big 3" either, given that the "Black Christmas" one is also a remake on a classic and that one doesn't really do a whole lot wrong in terms of the formula; it's still mindless entertainment and I have the review from a couple months back to prove that I felt that way.

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Re: OT: The Horror Thread


Most were putoff that Rob Zombie delved too much into Michael Myers' upbringing over the slasher element in the 'Halloween" reboot


This was my biggest problem with it. Showing Michael as a little kid TALKING, being bullied at school, having a stripper for a mother and an abusive stepfather...not only was it all painfully cliché, but humanized him so that he was no longer "The Shape" from the original. I wrote a paper in college arguing against remaking classic films and devoted a portion of it to this very example. I should dig it up lol.

I don't think I've seen the NOES remake since it was in theaters but I don't think I really had strong opinions on it.

Melissa: Is there an F5?
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Re: OT: The Horror Thread

It's sort of an odd-duck opinion but I will say it, in regards to the Halloween remake. I really kind of liked the character development (or say destruction) of Sheri Moon Zombie's character. She starts out as a whitetrash mother, but it really seemed like she was turning her life around after Michael kills the rest of the family because it was a wake-up call to her. Then, I got shivers when she went out by her own hand after he continues his rampage at the hospital. It was heart-breaking and effective, though I'm sure a lot don't agree with me since *gasp* it's Sheri Moon Zombie and that was the end of the part of the movie most people hated. Still, after Baby in The Devil's Rejects, this was easily my second favorite Sheri performance just because of the tragic character arc and how well done it was. How would a mother live with the knowledge that her child was pure evil, assuming said mother is not evil herself like Mrs. Voorhees or Mrs. Loomis. lol

The NMOES remake is just inoffensive; I don't buy into the claims that *only* Robert Englund could play Freddy Krueger... I felt like Jackie Earle Haley did a serviceable job. I really think it could've been better if a different actress was in Nancy's role, but it's not bad either. Just there.

Movin' to FUNKYTOWN!

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

I think if Rob Zombie had quit after the first, the Halloween series would be perfectly fine today. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I think the Halloween remake has a lot of great stuff in it. I agree that the back story is cliche (with the abusive stepfather), but the structure of it is actually pretty great, and the scene with Wesley (the bully) is well directed, intense, and disturbing. Also, like Dan said, Sheri Moon probably gives the best performance of her career and the suicide scene (as well as the scene where she doesn't even recognize her son anymore at the hospital and probably feels like a failure) is actually sorta compelling for a horror movie? I like Sheri Moon. I liked her in The Lords of Salem too. Btw, I saw Halloween in the theaters when it first came out, and the version I saw was ridiculously well paced. I then got it on dvd when it came out, and it was the unrated version, and felt completely different. He had added scenes which slowed it down considerably, and the rape scene was just gross. However I can't defend Zombie when it comes to his Halloween 2. It didn't even seem like he wanted to make a slasher film (let alone a Halloween film) with that one. I heard he actually had to be pushed to add scenes (like bumping off Laurie's friends) to make it more of a slasher film so it didn't completely alienate its fanbase. He obviously had a vision for the sequel (which caused major rifts between him and the studio), and it's now hard for the series to continue after homeless Michael and all the other weird stuff he did with that movie.

Re: OT: The Horror Thread


aside from maybe her equally-boring boyfriend


Kyle Gallner was the only thing I remember liking about that movie . However I always think he's a bright spot in anything he's in, and an underrated scream king in general. Men of the genre sadly don't get as much attention, but he's been in quite a few horror movies. I think sista Tyler is also a fan <3.

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

I am. I love Kyle Gallstones <3 we discussed him on the hangout at one point. I love that guy.

Why wasn't Nancy a ballbuster in the remake? Was Nancy even in the remake? :/

I personally just don't like the Halloween/Nightmare remakes. I can never watch them through a second time. Friday, I've actually watched it a few times. But that's cause it's like Dan said, comfort food. It's not that hard to deviate from Jason even though they still managed to. It has its moments though. It's got the bitchy villainous main cast character that you want killed but lives til the end, a would-be final girl that isn't, some DECENT atmosphere and good scares and kills here and there. I get bored when I try to watch the other 2 of the Big 3.

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

Katie Cassidy was my favorite part of the 'Elm Street' remake, though she meets an early demise in the movie. Understandable though, given the source material. While I remember Kyle Gallner from A Haunting in Connecticut, I didn't really take much notice of him until Red State which I saw a couple years after 'Elm Street'. Still, we all got those actors we sort of enjoy for whatever reason in our movies. One for me would have to be Cam Gigadet, for reasons I discussed earlier in this thread along with the fact that he's just hot. He's been in a number of horrors/thrillers as well.

Rewatched a few classic slashers over the weekend and I want to talk about them:
- Just Before Dawn (1981) - I was reading the Wikipedia article about the movie and figured it was good time to watch it again. I know I tend to finger myself a bit over this one, but it's for good reason. No one else seems to talk about it and it's a bit more obscure compared to others so someone has to champion it and that can be me. The creepy whistling soundtrack, the beautiful yet ominous setting, the very likeable cast of young bucks, the fact that "Heart of Glass" gets stuck in my head for days straight after viewing it... there's tons to like about this one. I think what gets me is how the director wasn't consciously trying to make a slasher film to piggyback on the success of the others. I believe the director when he says that he had never seen the films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or The Hills Have Eyes before making it. He basically just had a vision (a stalk-and-slash version of Deliverance) and went with it... and thus an obscure slasher classic was born. I feel like this is one of the best films released of the time and has the most substance, though it admittedly borrows several elements from earlier films. Still, I couldn't help but bump my rating up from 7/10 to 8/10. The rating could be higher, but even I have to admit that it's a bit on the slow side which could drowse anyone not as fascinated with the movie as I am.
- My Bloody Valentine (1981) - First and foremost, I want to wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day! I decided to watch the original '81 film over the remake, which was decent as well but I hadn't seen the original in a few years. A coastal town filled with a bunch of rowdy young adults indeed makes for a perfect setting and cast; add in a love triangle for conflict and an angry killer bent on revenge and you've got your perfect Valentine's Day slasher. And the first hour or so of it is truly good, but as much as it breaks my heart to say it, I do feel it loses quite a bit of steam once the group relocates the party to the mines and it trades its charm for camp and stupidity, which is how I'd describe the backhalf of this one. Suddenly we have an antagonist who can pull off ninja kills and plant bodies *just right* so that they fall and scare the remaining soon-to-be victims. It's not like other classics haven't committed the similar slasher sins before (Mr. Christie's body falling at just the right time for Alice to find, for instance), but this one didn't even bother to give us a good final-girl chase/standoff so I can't even be too forgiving. Add in the fact that the killer's motivations make no sense (to me, anyway) and that ridiculous ending... yeah, good first hour, somewhat less last half hour. Overall, I had to keep my rating at 6/10 - it's got the fun down for sure, but it's just not one of my favorites.

Might rewatch a few more soon - I have my eyes on April Fools Day (which pissed me off on first view), Final Exam, and Hell Night. Anyone else who wants to rewatch something is free to hit me up for a movie date - I'm sure we could work something out.

As for now, we wait for the end of our message board.

Movin' to FUNKYTOWN!

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

So what is the big deal with The Human Centipede? I honestly quite liked it. I enjoyed the chase around the house when one of the girls tries to escape, the pool scene and the end stuff with the police getting involved. It's only gross if you think about what's happening to them lol. I read that the second is much more graphic. I don't have any intention of watching it.

#VivaLaIMDb Games: Other Games. You will be missed!

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

The only thing I've heard about the Human Centipede series is that they're pictures striving to be cult films, which turns off some horror fans who prefer the more organic approach to gaining a cult following. The way I understand that is that it's similar to someone who's become really popular over time. They're beloved for a reason and it took time for that fandom to happen. If a different person with just as good of looks and charisma shows up and demands, "Look at me, I'm popular too," some people wouldn't necessarily take to that sort of approach, which is purportedly similar to what the Human Centipede films are said to be. You can't be a cult film just because you call yourself one, basically.

I myself have not seen them to judge one way or another, not because I avoid them but rather I always forget to watch them on Netflix. They've been on there for a few years so I keep telling myself to get them watched before they disappear for good.

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Re: OT: The Horror Thread

Can you put the first one on your to watch list? Lol I don't get all the hate. I rather enjoyed it. You've gotta see it

#VivaLaIMDb Games: Other Games. You will be missed!

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

Sure, I'll try to watch it later on this week sometime. If not, early next week. It's about time to "springclean" this franchise off my watch list anyway.

Movin' to FUNKYTOWN!

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

Lol like it was for me with Poltergeist which was sitting in my to watch list for about 7 years

#VivaLaIMDb Games: Other Games. You will be missed!

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

Dan, I luv Just Before Dawn. Btw, I'm pretty sure the filmmakers used like half of their budget (cause you know they were looking for change under couch cushions to actually get the film finished) to use Heart of Glass. What nerve they had to use it . Don't they know you're supposed to write your own music for films like this?

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

You're right, Bobby. I'm not sure if you own the DVD of the film or not, but on the "Making Of..." documentary of this movie, the director who seems fairly no-nonsense as a person actually discussed how he felt that using the song was a waste of film's already-limited money. For whatever reason though it didn't sound like it was a decision within his power.

I had an itch to watch a sequel to The Legend of Boggy Creek today; I decided on Boggy Creek II: And the Legend Continues (skipping over Return to Boggy Creek unintentionally - oops!) with the intention of having something to fall asleep to since I only got two hours of sleep last night. I didn't realize at the time that this had a reputation of being one of the worst movies (horror or not) ever made. It still has a certain charm that was somewhat reminiscent of the original, but the problem was that it sort of meandered at a boring snail's pace until it decided enough was enough and ended. It was a mess of a film and it's disappointing that he decided not to stick with the style that made the first one (a dramatized documentary) so interesting, but instead opted for a fictional story about a professor and a group of students traveling to the sticks to investigate the Southern Sasquatch on their own. Biggest question of all though: Why did that one guy constantly take off his shirt??? I watched it on pretty poor quality on YouTube which may have hid many of the imperfections because during the dark scenes, I could barely even see the Fouke monster - reportedly very obviously a man in a suit, but I couldn't see it anyway so yay for poor quality (for once). It did help get me a nap in today though so it did its job just fine. 3/10

Movin' to FUNKYTOWN!

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

Bobby, if the new F13th was a reboot I think I am okay with that. The new one was supposed to have a found-footage component anyway right? I kind of wish they'd do just another sequel off the original franchise but just set it in the present day. I don't even care how much doing so will break canon rules... it's a complete mess anyway. I mean, Jason has survived it all, including a trip to Hell and space, so why not just embrace the villain's wacky history instead of parting ways with it? It doesn't seem like most of the horror sequels have been faring too well at all. The newest entries to the Resident Evil and Underworld franchises haven't been that well received either, though that's unsurprising given that most of those films are being made for the fanbases and not the critics. Critics can hate on Rings if they want, but I'm still excited to see it.

I have a ton of reviews written up and ready to post, but given the news of the board's imminent demise, I'll wait to post them on the new forum when my account gets authenticated.

For now, I can talk about a couple of my rewatches.
- A month or two back, I watched Sorority Row with Garrett but have neglected to talk about it on this thread... until now! I bumped up my rating from 5/10 to 6/10. I still think the killer reveal was kinda dumb and it seemed like the house mother was too detached from the story until Carrie Fisher (r.i.p. ) showed up at the end for her moment of badassery, but the movie on the whole is still wickedly entertaining for what it was. The fun was in the interactions between the sisters. When I first saw it a few years back, I wasn't expecting the dark comedy element so I wasn't a really huge fan. Knowing its overall tone going into the second watch made the movie easier to digest and I can honestly say now that I enjoy it for the mindless entertainment it is.
- I watched The House on Sorority Row last night/this morning and it easily maintained its 8/10 rating. It's one of my favorite slashers out of the 80s heyday. The actress who plays Morgan is so friggin hilarious with her horrid delivery, Jeanie's meltdowns and subsequent chase scene in the bathroom stalls was so well done, and Katie's sedative-induced hallucinations of the demised Mrs. Slater and sorority sisters was bizarrely creepy. Eileen Davidson, of course, is the shining star as the bitchy mastermind Vicky, just as Leah Pipes was in the remake. I was watching some of the special features on the DVD and that original downer ending described would have been epic had they opted to use it just because the last 10 minutes felt like it didn't pack nearly as much of a punch as it could've. Great movie from start to finish, regardless.

Movin' to FUNKYTOWN!

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

I recommend The Autopsy of Jane Doe.

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

Thanks for the recommendation, Mikey! Sounds like an excellent movie night for this weekend. It's gotten great reviews, I hear.

Movin' to FUNKYTOWN!

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

Hi Dan!!! My phone got turned by on today and I had a text from you. Hope all is well. :)

Sorry I missed Black Christmas. Like I said though, please always invite me!!! I loved our live commentaries back in the day lol.

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

I don't think this will get many fans around here, but I'll toss it out in case anyone is interested.

I just finished a TV show called Paranoia Agent. It's an anime directed by Satoshi Kon (best known for some very acclaimed movies like Perfect Blue or Millennium Actress, which are well loved in critical circles and ignored elsewhere). The basic idea sounds pretty silly: Cops investigate a series of assault cases in which the perpetrator appears to be a 12 years old boy wearing roller blades and carrying a baseball bat.

But the show isn't really about that. The key selling point of the show (for me, at least) is that each episode follows a different character (usually someone that will wind up as a victim), giving the whole thing an anthology feel.

While there's technically a running plot throughout, the show is constantly playing with narrative, animation styles, and genres to fit the character we're following. I could honestly say that throughout the show, I never knew what would happen next.

The recurring mood, though, is one of fear. A nice, moral woman's shot at marriage and happiness is threatened by her wild, prostitute roommate. A teenage girl finds photos on her father's computer of her undressing. An image conscious boy's class is sent images of him physically assaulting one of his classmates.

These things tear apart their carefully constructed little worlds, and that's what makes Paranoia Agent so frightening. Watching these characters lose their grips on reality because of things that matter to them falling apart is scarier to me than being hunted by any sort of reject from a slasher movie.

I'll admit that the show never quite comes together in a satisfying way, but every one of the thirteen episodes is worth watching on its own merits.

"A passionate celibacy is all that any of us can look forward to."

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

I remember it had a pink cute little doggish mascot that was actually pretty creepy and an intro with people with their mouth wide open laughing. Disturbing.

Re: OT: The Horror Thread

You look tired. You should get some rest.
You should get some rest.
You should get some rest.
You should get some rest.

Speaking of the fantastic opening credits with the laughing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBI2DMNFnv4

This is actually a full episode, but the opening alone doesn't come in 720p.

"A passionate celibacy is all that any of us can look forward to."
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