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Thanks for the reminder that The Resurrected has been on my watchlist for ages. Would you consider that one October-worthy?
Welcome To Our Nightmare III: Terror, Wooley... and TAKOMA!
I think I would. It's been a few years but it's "The Case Of Charles Dexter Ward" but set in like 1989 or something, with Chris Sarandon as the titular character.
(consider this your cue to post your annual skeleton-related content)
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From Beyond is so, so horny and I don't know why. There's quite a few Lovecraft adaptations and inspired stories that just have to go in that direction.
From Beyond is so, so horny and I don't know why. There's quite a few Lovecraft adaptations and inspired stories that just have to go in that direction.
WARNING: spoilers below
Crawford has been seriously injured and Katherine starts having sex with him, not only without his consent (because he's unconscious) but also not caring that he's in pain.
I think that it does something really different with the idea of
WARNING: spoilers below
a female character being sexually aggressive and it's not horrifying because she's ugly or old or a demon or whatever, but because of her decreasing empathy for the people around her. I honestly found it to be a really interesting role reversal gender-wise, with her character being this mix of the scientist who is blinded by their obsession (usually this is a male character) and the seductress. And then Crawford is put in more of the female love interest position, especially in terms of his personality being more passive.
I overall found it to be a really pleasant surprise. I'm looking forward to revisiting it.
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Guys, I'm sorry, but I'm watching Fatal Games and the gendered nudity is basically a parody.
Long, lingering shots of fully nude women in the shower. (At one point the camera just . . . pans over them all).
Then cut to the men's locker room where one nude character is mostly obscured by a carefully placed, clothed actor. The guy in the shower we can see unobstructed is showering while wearing a jock strap?! (Please, someone shatter my understanding of the male locker room by telling me you all shower in jock straps).
With no exaggeration, I think one of the characters has been naked for like 75% of her scenes (shower, sauna, being chased around by the killer while naked).
Anyway, after a fun, flirty first little sex scene, it's just turned into horror-for-unimaginative-pervs. And it's ruining the joy of watching Olympic hopefuls get skewered by javelins!
Long, lingering shots of fully nude women in the shower. (At one point the camera just . . . pans over them all).
Then cut to the men's locker room where one nude character is mostly obscured by a carefully placed, clothed actor. The guy in the shower we can see unobstructed is showering while wearing a jock strap?! (Please, someone shatter my understanding of the male locker room by telling me you all shower in jock straps).
With no exaggeration, I think one of the characters has been naked for like 75% of her scenes (shower, sauna, being chased around by the killer while naked).
Anyway, after a fun, flirty first little sex scene, it's just turned into horror-for-unimaginative-pervs. And it's ruining the joy of watching Olympic hopefuls get skewered by javelins!
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Guys, I'm sorry, but I'm watching Fatal Games and the gendered nudity is basically a parody.
Long, lingering shots of fully nude women in the shower. (At one point the camera just . . . pans over them all).
Then cut to the men's locker room where one nude character is mostly obscured by a carefully placed, clothed actor. The guy in the shower we can see unobstructed is showering while wearing a jock strap?! (Please, someone shatter my understanding of the male locker room by telling me you all shower in jock straps).
With no exaggeration, I think one of the characters has been naked for like 75% of her scenes (shower, sauna, being chased around by the killer while naked).
Anyway, after a fun, flirty first little sex scene, it's just turned into horror-for-unimaginative-pervs. And it's ruining the joy of watching Olympic hopefuls get skewered by javelins!
Long, lingering shots of fully nude women in the shower. (At one point the camera just . . . pans over them all).
Then cut to the men's locker room where one nude character is mostly obscured by a carefully placed, clothed actor. The guy in the shower we can see unobstructed is showering while wearing a jock strap?! (Please, someone shatter my understanding of the male locker room by telling me you all shower in jock straps).
With no exaggeration, I think one of the characters has been naked for like 75% of her scenes (shower, sauna, being chased around by the killer while naked).
Anyway, after a fun, flirty first little sex scene, it's just turned into horror-for-unimaginative-pervs. And it's ruining the joy of watching Olympic hopefuls get skewered by javelins!
For those of you who have not seen it, as my girlfriend had not, my next "movie" was 1977's Halloween Night is Grinch Night.
We were on the sofa just scrolling through some recent videos I had saved to watch, mostly music and she exclaims, "Halloween Night Is Grinch Night?! What the hell is that?!"
And when I explained to her that it was a lesser but fun animated Grinch story from the 1970s - that's trippy as hell! - she said "We must watch it."
I said, "Now?" and she said, "Right now."
And so we reveled in the macabrely psychedelic for twenty-six minutes and had a lovely time.
I probably don't need to tell you were high as kites. But it was still good Halloween viewing.
So now, for you, the 'weenophile that you are, I present for your viewing pleasure, Dr. Seuss' Halloween Night Is Grinch Night.
We were on the sofa just scrolling through some recent videos I had saved to watch, mostly music and she exclaims, "Halloween Night Is Grinch Night?! What the hell is that?!"
And when I explained to her that it was a lesser but fun animated Grinch story from the 1970s - that's trippy as hell! - she said "We must watch it."
I said, "Now?" and she said, "Right now."
And so we reveled in the macabrely psychedelic for twenty-six minutes and had a lovely time.
I probably don't need to tell you were high as kites. But it was still good Halloween viewing.
So now, for you, the 'weenophile that you are, I present for your viewing pleasure, Dr. Seuss' Halloween Night Is Grinch Night.
Here is a short film that I enjoy:
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So I have decided to go full Bava this month, meaning all of his (horror) films. In reverse chronological order, which gives Black Sunday its rightful place as the headliner of this festival. Most of these will be re-watches but it's been far too long since I've seen most of them.
So I started with his last, Shock (1977). This is about a mother (Daria Nicolodi) who is having strange nightmares/visions, and whose son appears to be channeling his late father's spirit in unhealthy ways. Not Bava's best but a decent enough swan song.
Next was Rabid Dogs aka Kidnapped (1974). OOF. I own this on dvd but have only watched it once and now I remember why. This belongs to that early-70s "everything and everybody sucks" movement, and is a pretty good example of it, but my tolerance for that stuff has dwindled over the years. Three bank robbers take a man and woman hostage as they run from the cops. Predictably, the robbers are the absolute worst as they repeatedly threaten to molest the woman, or kill the sick child. Did I forget to mention there's a sick child in the back seat? Yeah, this one is no picnic.
This is not a negative review, however. 90% of the film takes place inside the car, and as a suspenseful one-setting assault on the nerves it's very effective. So I'd actually recommend it if you're in the market for this sort of thing.
So I started with his last, Shock (1977). This is about a mother (Daria Nicolodi) who is having strange nightmares/visions, and whose son appears to be channeling his late father's spirit in unhealthy ways. Not Bava's best but a decent enough swan song.
Next was Rabid Dogs aka Kidnapped (1974). OOF. I own this on dvd but have only watched it once and now I remember why. This belongs to that early-70s "everything and everybody sucks" movement, and is a pretty good example of it, but my tolerance for that stuff has dwindled over the years. Three bank robbers take a man and woman hostage as they run from the cops. Predictably, the robbers are the absolute worst as they repeatedly threaten to molest the woman, or kill the sick child. Did I forget to mention there's a sick child in the back seat? Yeah, this one is no picnic.
This is not a negative review, however. 90% of the film takes place inside the car, and as a suspenseful one-setting assault on the nerves it's very effective. So I'd actually recommend it if you're in the market for this sort of thing.
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This is wrong in so many ways.
"Hello, children! Follow the sexy witch to an absolute MOUNTAIN of junk food." This is why Gen X turned out like we did.
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So I have decided to go full Bava this month, meaning all of his (horror) films. In reverse chronological order, which gives Black Sunday its rightful place as the headliner of this festival. Most of these will be re-watches but it's been far too long since I've seen most of them.
So I started with his last, Shock (1977). This is about a mother (Daria Nicolodi) who is having strange nightmares/visions, and whose son appears to be channeling his late father's spirit in unhealthy ways. Not Bava's best but a decent enough swan song.
Next was Rabid Dogs aka Kidnapped (1974). OOF. I own this on dvd but have only watched it once and now I remember why. This belongs to that early-70s "everything and everybody sucks" movement, and is a pretty good example of it, but my tolerance for that stuff has dwindled over the years. Three bank robbers take a man and woman hostage as they run from the cops. Predictably, the robbers are the absolute worst as they repeatedly threaten to molest the woman, or kill the sick child. Did I forget to mention there's a sick child in the back seat? Yeah, this one is no picnic.
This is not a negative review, however. 90% of the film takes place inside the car, and as a suspenseful one-setting assault on the nerves it's very effective. So I'd actually recommend it if you're in the market for this sort of thing.
So I started with his last, Shock (1977). This is about a mother (Daria Nicolodi) who is having strange nightmares/visions, and whose son appears to be channeling his late father's spirit in unhealthy ways. Not Bava's best but a decent enough swan song.
Next was Rabid Dogs aka Kidnapped (1974). OOF. I own this on dvd but have only watched it once and now I remember why. This belongs to that early-70s "everything and everybody sucks" movement, and is a pretty good example of it, but my tolerance for that stuff has dwindled over the years. Three bank robbers take a man and woman hostage as they run from the cops. Predictably, the robbers are the absolute worst as they repeatedly threaten to molest the woman, or kill the sick child. Did I forget to mention there's a sick child in the back seat? Yeah, this one is no picnic.
This is not a negative review, however. 90% of the film takes place inside the car, and as a suspenseful one-setting assault on the nerves it's very effective. So I'd actually recommend it if you're in the market for this sort of thing.
And now, my formal apology to @stillmellow. While I still think Freddy vs. Jason is an unwatchable movie, I was wrong, completely wrong, about...
So. I had seen this as a teenager and just thought it was dumb and not scary. And then I saw it again, man, maybe 14 years ago, and I thought it was even dumber and even less scary, I think.
Because somehow, someway, it went over my head both times that Friday the 13th Part VI wasn't even trying to be smart or scary slasher... it was trying to be a parody. It is really a Horror-Comedy. And a fairly funny one.
Now, I realize that everyone else apparently did get the joke. I've read about the film's production now and I am aware that it was fully intended to be funny and to poke fun at the whole series, which had gone off the rails and alienated fans and critics. But somehow, I just completely missed it before and thought that this corny-ass movie was trying to play it straight and it just came out silly. When, in fact, it is campy as hell and completely over the top and winks at the audience constantly - I mean, the moment when the Crazy Old Undertaker looks directly into the camera and says, "Some folks sure got a strange idea of entertainment"
- and subverts so many of the tropes of the series up to this point and the genre in general.
I mean, I got a hoot out of this moment in the corporate paintball war scene (which to be honest, I still struggled with at first until I just embraced how silly this movie was willing to be) where Jason comes upon the paint-baller who has a machete for the brush and his paintball gun and, of course, the guy shoots him in the chest with a paintball (cuz what else was he gonna do?) and Jason just looks down at it like, "What the hell?..."
... and then rips the guy's arm off just cause he wants the machete.
There were really so many chuckles in this movie. And yet, it also kinda works in a weird, very meta way as a Friday the 13th movie. I mean, that's a question that crossed my mind, does this movie actually count as an F13 when it is actually a parody of F13? I mean, so many subversions, like nobody getting naked, and instead of an old car that won't start the final girl has a brand new red Camaro, or how 'bout the little girl falling asleep reading Jean-Paul Sartre (?!) and, hell, the silliest thing ever when the guy's face getting smashed into the tree pulls the bark off in a smiley face (which were very big in the 80s) configuration.
But there are also some legitimate (though brief) moments of suspense and, in a way, better stalk-'n'-kills than Part IV (which I have already said in my rankings, I think sucks). And I enjoyed the scene with the woman walking by the windows with Jason mirroring her outside. I actually thought she was gonna survive but man, she got the worst of it. And I liked the scene with the little girl praying, they totally Chekov-gunned that scene.
Now look, to be honest, I'm never going to put this movie ahead of the first two films, which I think are legitimate Horror movies and the best of the series. But if you remember my ranking, I did kinda like Part VIII (Manhattan) because it was so silly. And this is where that started. I just hadn't realized and hadn't watched it in too long. So I'm never gonna pull this one out to get scared but when I want a Horror-Comedy or a Horror-Parody, when I just wanna have fun with the genre and laugh, I will definitely watch Jason Lives again.
So. I had seen this as a teenager and just thought it was dumb and not scary. And then I saw it again, man, maybe 14 years ago, and I thought it was even dumber and even less scary, I think.
Because somehow, someway, it went over my head both times that Friday the 13th Part VI wasn't even trying to be smart or scary slasher... it was trying to be a parody. It is really a Horror-Comedy. And a fairly funny one.
Now, I realize that everyone else apparently did get the joke. I've read about the film's production now and I am aware that it was fully intended to be funny and to poke fun at the whole series, which had gone off the rails and alienated fans and critics. But somehow, I just completely missed it before and thought that this corny-ass movie was trying to play it straight and it just came out silly. When, in fact, it is campy as hell and completely over the top and winks at the audience constantly - I mean, the moment when the Crazy Old Undertaker looks directly into the camera and says, "Some folks sure got a strange idea of entertainment"
- and subverts so many of the tropes of the series up to this point and the genre in general.I mean, I got a hoot out of this moment in the corporate paintball war scene (which to be honest, I still struggled with at first until I just embraced how silly this movie was willing to be) where Jason comes upon the paint-baller who has a machete for the brush and his paintball gun and, of course, the guy shoots him in the chest with a paintball (cuz what else was he gonna do?) and Jason just looks down at it like, "What the hell?..."
... and then rips the guy's arm off just cause he wants the machete.
There were really so many chuckles in this movie. And yet, it also kinda works in a weird, very meta way as a Friday the 13th movie. I mean, that's a question that crossed my mind, does this movie actually count as an F13 when it is actually a parody of F13? I mean, so many subversions, like nobody getting naked, and instead of an old car that won't start the final girl has a brand new red Camaro, or how 'bout the little girl falling asleep reading Jean-Paul Sartre (?!) and, hell, the silliest thing ever when the guy's face getting smashed into the tree pulls the bark off in a smiley face (which were very big in the 80s) configuration.
But there are also some legitimate (though brief) moments of suspense and, in a way, better stalk-'n'-kills than Part IV (which I have already said in my rankings, I think sucks). And I enjoyed the scene with the woman walking by the windows with Jason mirroring her outside. I actually thought she was gonna survive but man, she got the worst of it. And I liked the scene with the little girl praying, they totally Chekov-gunned that scene.
Now look, to be honest, I'm never going to put this movie ahead of the first two films, which I think are legitimate Horror movies and the best of the series. But if you remember my ranking, I did kinda like Part VIII (Manhattan) because it was so silly. And this is where that started. I just hadn't realized and hadn't watched it in too long. So I'm never gonna pull this one out to get scared but when I want a Horror-Comedy or a Horror-Parody, when I just wanna have fun with the genre and laugh, I will definitely watch Jason Lives again.
Easily my second favorite of the franchise, but it's a virtual tie with Part 2. I think it's the first one I saw and I always enjoy the hell out of it.
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Love Part 6. Now it’s time for you to rewatch Part 4 in the wake of the Prowler and realize it’s groovy too (Zito+Savini is a winning combo. Every time.)
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Love Part 6. Now it’s time for you to rewatch Part 4 in the wake of the Prowler and realize it’s groovy too (Zito+Savini is a winning combo. Every time.)