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Help me choose a spoopy movie a day for October
- Thread starter Johnny Unusual
- Start date
I really want you to watch Frankenstein vs Baragon...
I think Funny Games is good but a lot of people hate it
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
I went into Funny Games not sure what side I'd fall on. I'm still conflicted. I think it both helped and hurt going in knowing the trajectory of the film; it helped me adjust expectation but I don't think the director wanted adjusted expectations. It's supposed to be an assault on them. But even knowing that, the latter half of the movie when essentially the worst thing happens... well, instead of saving that for the very end, it instead has the characters have to live in that world and I think this section is essentially about living in the suffering that most films edit out because in most films the focus is on plot propulsion. Funny Games really is more about mood and living in atrocity. Very much the opposite of fun and while I can think of films that are more violent or grotesque, Funny Games feels like it's being transgressive in a different way.
Yes, it makes some of the more obvious choices but more than that, it's about focusing on different things than, say, an Eli Roth movie, and is more about emotional devastation and violation. It's a very different kind of "this is not an easy watch" and it isn't but it was a fascinating and intelligent watch. Do I want to watch it again? Probably not. By design, it is not a viewer friendly movie and it is a movie admonishing you for watching it. In choosing to watch, you made a bad choice. That might seem like an unfair way to make art but I also think art is often out there to challenge... itself. I wouldn't call it entertainment but I do think it is art. And despite whatever Haneke thinks, I'm glad I finally watched it.
*Whew* Anyhoo, whatever happens next, it's sure to be more fun.
Tomorrow, what shall I watch?:
Annabelle - Did you ever want to see a killer doll movie where the doll... doesn't really do anything?
Dracula - Not that one. Or that one. Or even that one. It's by mockbuster maestros The Asylum. And Dracula is played by... Michael Ironside. Huh?
From Hell - If I watched that, will Alan Moore feel a strange itch in his soul? Because that might be an incentive for me.
Genocide (AKA War of the Insects) - A Japanese horror disaster movie from the 60s where ALL of the insects declare war on ALL of the humans. Far and away the frontrunner for me.
Super Dark Times - Some kids cover up an accidental death and then turn on each other.
Yes, it makes some of the more obvious choices but more than that, it's about focusing on different things than, say, an Eli Roth movie, and is more about emotional devastation and violation. It's a very different kind of "this is not an easy watch" and it isn't but it was a fascinating and intelligent watch. Do I want to watch it again? Probably not. By design, it is not a viewer friendly movie and it is a movie admonishing you for watching it. In choosing to watch, you made a bad choice. That might seem like an unfair way to make art but I also think art is often out there to challenge... itself. I wouldn't call it entertainment but I do think it is art. And despite whatever Haneke thinks, I'm glad I finally watched it.
*Whew* Anyhoo, whatever happens next, it's sure to be more fun.
Tomorrow, what shall I watch?:
Annabelle - Did you ever want to see a killer doll movie where the doll... doesn't really do anything?
Dracula - Not that one. Or that one. Or even that one. It's by mockbuster maestros The Asylum. And Dracula is played by... Michael Ironside. Huh?
From Hell - If I watched that, will Alan Moore feel a strange itch in his soul? Because that might be an incentive for me.
Genocide (AKA War of the Insects) - A Japanese horror disaster movie from the 60s where ALL of the insects declare war on ALL of the humans. Far and away the frontrunner for me.
Super Dark Times - Some kids cover up an accidental death and then turn on each other.
Can't vouch for any of the listed movies but this one sounds good.
ALL PEOPLE VS. ALL ANIMALS is a classic story structure
yeah, Genocide sounds good
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Genocide was a disappointment. I was hoping for something like Kazuo Umezi's work where all the bugs turn on humanity but it's more of a weird espionage thriller with a super bleak ending. Even then, while there is some goofy stuff, I was hoping for something more ambitiously weird. Not enough bugs. Apparently there was a Cinematic Titanic (the MST3k cast series Joel did before the new MST3k) for this one under the title War of the Insects. I'll have to watch that version some day.
Tomorrow...
Spawn - Man, I saw this in theatres. I remember the very bad CG.
All Hallow's Eve - The film that helped kick of the ultra-gory Terrifier franchise. Seems too nasty for me but Terrifier 2 was shockingly got good reviews. Of course, this isn't Terrifier 2...
The Fury - The other Brian DePalma telekinetic horror movie. It used to pop on Space a lot but I never actually sat down and watched it.
Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell - That IS a very good title.
The Boulet Brothers' Halfway to Halloween TV Special - I see the Boulet Brothers' pop up on Shudder content a lot. They are drag queens and this seems to be a variety show. It's 48 minutes, which is kind of an advantage...
Tomorrow...
Spawn - Man, I saw this in theatres. I remember the very bad CG.
All Hallow's Eve - The film that helped kick of the ultra-gory Terrifier franchise. Seems too nasty for me but Terrifier 2 was shockingly got good reviews. Of course, this isn't Terrifier 2...
The Fury - The other Brian DePalma telekinetic horror movie. It used to pop on Space a lot but I never actually sat down and watched it.
Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell - That IS a very good title.
The Boulet Brothers' Halfway to Halloween TV Special - I see the Boulet Brothers' pop up on Shudder content a lot. They are drag queens and this seems to be a variety show. It's 48 minutes, which is kind of an advantage...
I sat down to rewatch Spawn not too long ago; it’s in that unfortunate place where it’s better than I expected but not good enough to actually watch for fun.
Doesn’t open with Todd Macfarlane presenting you with clumsy metaphors about satan cuckholding your wife either, so that’s a mark against it
Doesn’t open with Todd Macfarlane presenting you with clumsy metaphors about satan cuckholding your wife either, so that’s a mark against it
The Fury is the most "Wait, this isn't a Stephen King adaptation?" movie I've ever seen.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
I had my choices locked down for the last two days but I need your help again.
Blood Quantum - No idea but despite the name, it is not an anime.
Rubber - It's the arthouse horror comedy about a telekinetic tire.
Ghost Rider - Bad news: Mark Steven Johnson directing. Good news: Nic Cage.
The Haunted Strangler - Oh, a Boris Karloff. Yes, his Frankenstein is good but I realized how amazing he is after his turn in the Burke and Hare-inspired thriller The Body Snatcher.
The Devil's Rain - Look at this cast... Ernest Borgnine, Eddie Albert, Ida Lupino, William Shatner, Tom Skerritt, John Travolta
Blood Quantum - No idea but despite the name, it is not an anime.
Rubber - It's the arthouse horror comedy about a telekinetic tire.
Ghost Rider - Bad news: Mark Steven Johnson directing. Good news: Nic Cage.
The Haunted Strangler - Oh, a Boris Karloff. Yes, his Frankenstein is good but I realized how amazing he is after his turn in the Burke and Hare-inspired thriller The Body Snatcher.
The Devil's Rain - Look at this cast... Ernest Borgnine, Eddie Albert, Ida Lupino, William Shatner, Tom Skerritt, John Travolta
I've only seen Ghost Rider of those choices and it's neither good nor bad enough to vote for when you've got a bunch of other more interesting choices.
This sounds like it could be fantastically cheesy and terrible.
Rubber
This is not a hypothetical
This is not a hypothetical
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
I went with Rubber, a film people found divisive. Appropriately, I am divided. I definitely think it is an interesting film and early on quite funny. Certainly idiosyncratic. My problem is I think this is something along the lines of one of those Adult Swim informercial blocks and it has a hard time sustaining itself as it goes down it's own particular rabbit hole of what, if anything, it is about. Apparently, the creator got bored with writing about the tire and just started... doing what the film becomes. I didn't hate it but I don't think I loved it either. It feels more like an experimental comedy and it both yields some interesting stuff because of it but I don't know if it completely holds together as something that's going to stick with me. If I'm wrong (and I have been before), I'll let you know. Definitely unique enough to be worth checking out, though. The speech at the beginning is my favourite bit, especially when the cop talks about Tobe Hooper's Excellent Chainsaw Massacre.
Tomorrow:
Halloween Kills - People say this one drops off severely from the last one. But you know what? I'm easy to please. I'd give it a shot.
Warm Bodies - The zombie romcom where humans and zombies team up against even worse zombies or something.
The Ghosts of Buxley Hall - I think with was a Disney TV movie. Turner Classic movies showed it as part of a "treasures from the Disney Vault" so maybe it's pretty OK.
Hour of the Wolf - Yes, the Ingmar Bergman film. I'm sure this is more existential horror but Criterion put it in their horror section so good enough for me. Besides, I've still only seen one Bergman film. Got to get better at that. Also, I'm pretty sure there's a SCTV sketch where Count Floyd shows the movie and then has to hype up it being scary as opposed to it being... a Bergman film.
The Last Matinee - Oh, this looks unique. A horror film from Uruguay about a killer who is targeting a horror movie audience, silently during the movie and only the projectionists daughter can stop them.
Tomorrow:
Halloween Kills - People say this one drops off severely from the last one. But you know what? I'm easy to please. I'd give it a shot.
Warm Bodies - The zombie romcom where humans and zombies team up against even worse zombies or something.
The Ghosts of Buxley Hall - I think with was a Disney TV movie. Turner Classic movies showed it as part of a "treasures from the Disney Vault" so maybe it's pretty OK.
Hour of the Wolf - Yes, the Ingmar Bergman film. I'm sure this is more existential horror but Criterion put it in their horror section so good enough for me. Besides, I've still only seen one Bergman film. Got to get better at that. Also, I'm pretty sure there's a SCTV sketch where Count Floyd shows the movie and then has to hype up it being scary as opposed to it being... a Bergman film.
The Last Matinee - Oh, this looks unique. A horror film from Uruguay about a killer who is targeting a horror movie audience, silently during the movie and only the projectionists daughter can stop them.
I vote for Halloween Kills only if you know for sure you're gonna watch Halloween Ends. I thought Kills was pretty horrid when I first saw it, but then after I watched Ends and really loved it, that retroactively made me appreciate Kills a lot more somehow. Otherwise uhhhh, Hour of the Wolf sounds like a cool time.
Well... It's sort of unique.
Hour of the Wolf
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Hour of the Wolf starts off seeming like any connection to the horror genre is sideways but by the end, the film really does go full on classic horror. It is still unmistakably a Bergman film with long quiet talking scenes, morose monologues and dark psychological portraits of a tortured protagonist. But then in the last act Bergman channels his nightmares (apparently several scenes are based on his actual nightmares) to make a full freak out. I'm not sure I can tell you everything it means (except some sort of shame related to sex, among other things) but it makes for a fascinating film.
Tomorrow:
The Possession of Hannah Grace - I don't know what it is about but I bet I can guess who gets possessed in this movie.
Leprechaun - In the words of Michael Myers "I'M THE LEPRECHAUN!"
Girl Vs. Monster - Seems to be a Disney channel movie where a Girl goes and versus an entire monster.
In the Mouth of Madness - I've always wanted to see this one. I'm a big fan of Carpenter and I love metafiction.
The Other Side of the Underneath - A freakout film by noted feminist theatrical director Jane Arden (not Canadian singer/songwriter Jan Arden).
Tomorrow:
The Possession of Hannah Grace - I don't know what it is about but I bet I can guess who gets possessed in this movie.
Leprechaun - In the words of Michael Myers "I'M THE LEPRECHAUN!"
Girl Vs. Monster - Seems to be a Disney channel movie where a Girl goes and versus an entire monster.
In the Mouth of Madness - I've always wanted to see this one. I'm a big fan of Carpenter and I love metafiction.
The Other Side of the Underneath - A freakout film by noted feminist theatrical director Jane Arden (not Canadian singer/songwriter Jan Arden).
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Sorry to say this since I know a lot of people were pushing for this one but I was a bit underwhelmed by In the Mouth of Madness. It is a movie I've long wanted to see, being a fan of Carpenter, Sam Neill and metafiction but for whatever reason, the film didn't click for me. I didn't dislike it but I think knowing generally where the film was going to go hurt it and for some reason I didn't like the hints of the explanation. I enjoyed it OK but I think the ideas would have freaked me out much more 20 years ago than today. I think it also doesn't help that while Neill is a good actor, I'm just not into his character. It actually feels written for Kurt Russell (of course, that could be because Carpenter has a particular tone with dialogue I would expect from Russell) and Russell's cocksureness falling away might be more effective. Idunno. Maybe I'll enjoy it more on rewatches. I think I'd just put this as mid-tier Carpenter.
What should I watch tomorrow?
Slaughterhouse Rulez - A teen horror comedy that's set in a British boarding school and also there are monsters and maybe one or two Edgar Wright regulars. But it's Britain so of course there are. It's a very close knits pool of actors.
Once Bitten - Early Jim Carrey and vampires.
Grimcutty - I wonder what kind of Rotten Tomato score this has... oh dear.
The Island of Lost Souls - It's Dr. Moreau but with Bela Legosi!
The Stendhal Syndrome - So it's a 1996 Dario Argento... I know that generally post 2000s Argento is bad and pre-90s Argento is generally good but I really don't know what people make of 90s Argento.
What should I watch tomorrow?
Slaughterhouse Rulez - A teen horror comedy that's set in a British boarding school and also there are monsters and maybe one or two Edgar Wright regulars. But it's Britain so of course there are. It's a very close knits pool of actors.
Once Bitten - Early Jim Carrey and vampires.
Grimcutty - I wonder what kind of Rotten Tomato score this has... oh dear.
The Island of Lost Souls - It's Dr. Moreau but with Bela Legosi!
The Stendhal Syndrome - So it's a 1996 Dario Argento... I know that generally post 2000s Argento is bad and pre-90s Argento is generally good but I really don't know what people make of 90s Argento.
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I saw this on cable way back in the day. It's cheesy and campy. I think you might be able to do better.
I can understand why you're upset but my post wasn't really firsting it.
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I think Stendahl Syndrome has a better than average (maybe best?) reputation for 90s Argento. Never seen it, always been curious. For reasons beyond me I rented his 90’s Phantom of the Opera as a child. (before I knew who he was) It was baffling to me (again, a child) and my mother did not let me finish it… (mostly for nudity reasons)
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Once Bitten is one of those so deeply 80s movies that it would be more charming if it didn't so often dive into "gay panic" gags. And for no reason, one very white actor (thankfully not in brownface) decided his character has an Indian accent. It's weird to see young Jim Carrey. I feel like there's a particular kind of "young lead" mold they are trying to fit him in that is supposed to be "funny" but his real weirdness only gets to slip out in a few scenes. The 80s music is relentless. Clearly, people had soundtracks to sell.
OK, what should I see tomorrow?
Apostle - I don't know much about it but I like Dan Stevens.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - From that brief literary fad "mash up monsters and a public domain novel". It was a very real thing that happened.
Halloweentown - The Disney thing.
I Was a Teenage Zombie - baby, Listen to Iron Maiden, baby, with me, ooh. I am seriously curious why this is one of the movies that is ALWAYS on the Criterion Channel.
Threads - Hey, a super depressing TV movie about people slowing dying through a nuclear apocalypse. Fun.
OK, what should I see tomorrow?
Apostle - I don't know much about it but I like Dan Stevens.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - From that brief literary fad "mash up monsters and a public domain novel". It was a very real thing that happened.
Halloweentown - The Disney thing.
I Was a Teenage Zombie - baby, Listen to Iron Maiden, baby, with me, ooh. I am seriously curious why this is one of the movies that is ALWAYS on the Criterion Channel.
Threads - Hey, a super depressing TV movie about people slowing dying through a nuclear apocalypse. Fun.
I thought that might have been older but apparently it's from the 80s. But I haven't seen it. Or I have seen it but I don't remember it.
Halloweentown is one of my partner's favorite Halloween movies. It's uh... it's a Disney Channel Original Movie alright. Fun fact: the mom is the same actress who played April O'Neil in the 1990 TMNT movie.