thanks deric & chris, needed a little support there
― The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to (contenderizer), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 21:47 (twelve years ago) link
a horror movie with no naming or understanding would be pretty boring, it would just be like an hour and a half of people dying and other people saying "why do they keep dying aaaaaaaagh!"
― congratulations (n/a), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 21:47 (twelve years ago) link
contenderizer, honestly you're the only person making any sense on that Kitty Pryde thread as far as I'm concerned
― Chris S, Wednesday, 16 May 2012 21:48 (twelve years ago) link
yeah, it's an odd idea, i admit. there are some recent-ish japanese films that tend in that direction, but it's not common in american cinema.
― The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to (contenderizer), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 21:49 (twelve years ago) link
yeah, but poltergeist is still ultimately a film about an evil that can be named and understood, about which things can be known. curious about the existence of movies in which that isn't allowed.
― The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to (contenderizer), Wednesday, May 16, 2012 5:44 PM (1 minute ago)
carnival of souls
― diamanda ram dass (Edward III), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 21:50 (twelve years ago) link
Alice Sweet Alice doesn't quite explain the uncanny nature of the evil at work iirc
― Chris S, Wednesday, 16 May 2012 21:52 (twelve years ago) link
which makes it much more disturbing
yeah, good point (re carnival of souls). arguably the shining, too.
― The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to (contenderizer), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 21:53 (twelve years ago) link
Isn't The Evil Dead and the sequel more or less irrational? It's been a while since I saw them, but what I most remember is some unnamed, unseen something swooping through the forest.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 16 May 2012 21:53 (twelve years ago) link
xp (spoilers) I mean, obv it's something to do with Alice but you have to completely fill in the blanks, nothing is ever spelled out
― Chris S, Wednesday, 16 May 2012 21:54 (twelve years ago) link
well, the evil dead movies open with the reading of a spell that's said to summon demons, and they close with the (failed) reading of a counterspell, so i'd say they exist in a well-mapped universe, even if the protagonists remain largely ignorant about the lay of the land.
― The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to (contenderizer), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 21:55 (twelve years ago) link
I thought of the shining as well
xp
― diamanda ram dass (Edward III), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 21:56 (twelve years ago) link
alice sweet alice is a straight up slasher flick, not sure what supernatural mystery is supposed to be at work there
― diamanda ram dass (Edward III), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 21:57 (twelve years ago) link
hard to talk about without getting spoiler-y but alice sweet alice's antagonist is pretty clear-cut
― diamanda ram dass (Edward III), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 21:58 (twelve years ago) link
wr2 the shining: Scatman Crothers/Dick Halloran might've been of some use -- he knew what the deal was wr2 the hotel and was coming to help after Danny called out to him telepathically -- but he got axe-murdered by Jack Nicholson/Jack Torrance before he could really do anything.
― Boris Kutyurkokhov (Eisbaer), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:00 (twelve years ago) link
though halloran was a cook and neither a scientist nor a clergyman.
xpost It was all a set-up for one of the better Simpsons gags.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:01 (twelve years ago) link
xp really? I got the sense with Alice Sweet Alice that SPOILERS there's a hint - after the reveal of the murderer's identity - that Alice was the one somehow orchestrating it all
― Chris S, Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:01 (twelve years ago) link
BTW, like the results so far, more or less. And for the record, "Blair Witch" deserves to place, but "Paranormal Activity" is much scarier. I know lots of folks who had trouble sleeping the night they saw it, ridiculous or no. Less so with "Blair Witch." Though both were A+ audience experiences. But of course we'll talk about this later.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:02 (twelve years ago) link
xpost "Paranormal Activity" features one of the all-time best useless experts! The dude walks into the room then goes, basically, whoa, this is out of my league, you're on your own, see ya!
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:04 (twelve years ago) link
Scatman Crothers/Dick Halloran might've been of some use -- he knew what the deal was wr2 the hotel and was coming to help after Danny called out to him telepathically -- but he got axe-murdered by Jack Nicholson/Jack Torrance before he could really do anything.
the book is fairly clear about the nature of the overlook's evil and its relationship to the "shining" shared by halloran and danny, but i'm inclined to treat the movie as a separate text. it's much more vague, absent much indication of a larger context in which things might be understood.
― The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to (contenderizer), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:06 (twelve years ago) link
This "unexplained and unexplainable malignant force unabatedly fucking up the lives of the protagonists" is at least part of what I love about films like Possession and Inland Empire and The Tenant. Yes, in each of those instances, there is some discrete rationale alluded to, but those rationales are vague and illogical and it's never made clear whether those films aren't just about the protagonists losing their minds.
― Bob Bop Perano (Deric W. Haircare), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:07 (twelve years ago) link
See also: most Fulci, which makes no fucking sense.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:09 (twelve years ago) link
Possession and Inland Empire and The Tenant.
excellent examples! was thinking of IE myself, but failed to mention it. dumb of me not to have considered the other two, as they were both on my ballot.
― The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to (contenderizer), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:09 (twelve years ago) link
― Chris S, Wednesday, May 16, 2012 6:01 PM (1 minute ago)
always read alice as SPOILERS just an emotionally disturbed girl getting a bad rap, but there's obv a lot of intentional misdirection on the movie's part to implicate her. final frame is ominous but imo more about the poisoning of her mind by the cruelty of those around her rather than any supernatural force at work.
― diamanda ram dass (Edward III), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:10 (twelve years ago) link
really loved that movie as a kid but it didn't hold up very well when I watched it again sometime in the 00s
― diamanda ram dass (Edward III), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:11 (twelve years ago) link
speaking about the shining ... do we think that that one is a lock for Top 10 or not?!? i know that that film has some pretty vocal haters around here.
― Boris Kutyurkokhov (Eisbaer), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:12 (twelve years ago) link
oh hell yeah, figure it for #1 myself
― The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to (contenderizer), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:13 (twelve years ago) link
^ oops, shut up, you
I bet, haters or no, it'll place high. But I really hope it's not #1.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:13 (twelve years ago) link
― Bob Bop Perano (Deric W. Haircare), Wednesday, May 16, 2012 3:07 PM (45 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
yeah I love this kind of approach. kind of like Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum
re: Alice Sweet Alice, yeah I considered that reading... what made me go with mine was Alice and the killer's penchant for wearing the same costume around and the killer happening to take out everyone that Alice had a grudge against (and then there was Alice's collecting all those trinkets related to the events as well). it's very subtle, kind of left open, which is what I like about it. the possibility is there, but you can't be certain of it
― Chris S, Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:15 (twelve years ago) link
shining will be top five for sure
― jesus christ (strongo hulkington's ghost dad), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:16 (twelve years ago) link
no offense dudes but duh
― diamanda ram dass (Edward III), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:36 (twelve years ago) link
50-plus ballots = no amount of challoping, strategic voting, and batshit insanity will keep all the expected movies from placing high
― jesus christ (strongo hulkington's ghost dad), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:47 (twelve years ago) link
I'm comfortable predicting a top ten showing for The Shining, but these results could be all kinds of wacked out. The top five is totally up in the air at this point, from where I'm standing.
― Bob Bop Perano (Deric W. Haircare), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:47 (twelve years ago) link
it didn't even occur to me to vote for the Shining tbh
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:51 (twelve years ago) link
my top ten is like zzzz kanon klassics plus two 21st-century outliers
― jesus christ (strongo hulkington's ghost dad), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:52 (twelve years ago) link
i tried very hard not to vote for the shining (for strategic reasons, mostly - i figured it was a lock no matter what i did), but in the end it felt too much like fronting to leave it off my list.
― The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to (contenderizer), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:55 (twelve years ago) link
same goes for alien and the thing
can anyone suggest good examples of movies that work like this? would love to see an entity/poltergeist/paranormal activity/insidious-type movie where the scientific and spiritual "experts" are completely useless.― The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to (contenderizer), Wednesday, May 16, 2012 9:30 PM (1 hour ago)
― The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to (contenderizer), Wednesday, May 16, 2012 9:30 PM (1 hour ago)
well there is the last exorcism SPOILER its a horrible pile of shit
― O_o-O_0-o_O (jjjusten), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:58 (twelve years ago) link
kinda feel like every movie about satan should end with our heroes succeeding and then satan going "oh lol wait i'm satan" and destroying them all
― jesus christ (strongo hulkington's ghost dad), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 23:00 (twelve years ago) link
The Shining totally mentally scarred me as a young'un, dunno why it didn't occur to me to vote for it. I'm sure it'll do fine, regardless.
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 23:02 (twelve years ago) link
i'm sure i've told this story before, but after the first time me and my sister watched the shining (ages 10 and 8, respectively), i wrote red rum with my mom's lipstick on the bathroom door so she'd see it in the mirror when she came out
my mother was not pleased
― jesus christ (strongo hulkington's ghost dad), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 23:04 (twelve years ago) link
actually i think she secretly kinda was but then we're a sick family
― Bob Bop Perano (Deric W. Haircare), Wednesday, May 16, 2012 6:47 PM (13 minutes ago)
if you look at the nom list, it's really not that mystical, a couple of them will be the ones that place in every ilx poll whether you want them to or not
― diamanda ram dass (Edward III), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 23:05 (twelve years ago) link
Seriously. There's way too much "winning" in those types of movies.
― Bob Bop Perano (Deric W. Haircare), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 23:05 (twelve years ago) link
rosemary's baby
― diamanda ram dass (Edward III), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 23:06 (twelve years ago) link
The Omen
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 23:07 (twelve years ago) link
SPOILERS: Satan becomes president iirc
― Roger Barfing (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 23:08 (twelve years ago) link
xxxxpost
Yeah, I mean...The Exorcist will probably show up in the top ten, but it could just as easily show up at 10 as it could at 1. And a third of the top ten could be total outliers. I mean, my top five has some popular choices and some stuff I think is kinda left-field that could show up around 50 or, if there's enough support, could wind up in the top 10. Who knows at this point?
― Bob Bop Perano (Deric W. Haircare), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 23:08 (twelve years ago) link