loved house of voices. a huge & welcome surprise after the hated martyrs. fite!
― katsu kittens (contenderizer), Tuesday, 22 April 2014 18:21 (ten years ago) link
Loved Martyrs. Had no idea I was supposed to care about House of Voices.
― Cronk's Not Cronk (Eric H.), Tuesday, 22 April 2014 18:23 (ten years ago) link
seems to be pretty divisive, with plenty of outraged detractors, though i'm not sure why. relatively subtle gothic mystery. worked for me.
― katsu kittens (contenderizer), Tuesday, 22 April 2014 18:34 (ten years ago) link
Maybe the two versions of the film significantly differ in quality? Maybe THat's why people differ so much? I saw the English version.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Tuesday, 22 April 2014 18:47 (ten years ago) link
Wow this plague town thing is pretty close to unwatchably bad, and that's coming from me, so
― Corpsepaint Counterpaint (jjjusten), Thursday, 24 April 2014 03:54 (ten years ago) link
Actually, fuck it, this is unwatchably bad, I'm throwing in the towel halfway through, which I never do.
― Corpsepaint Counterpaint (jjjusten), Thursday, 24 April 2014 03:55 (ten years ago) link
^ did this w/ helldriver yesterday (post-2005). dunno why i keep giving nishimura another chance.
― katsu kittens (contenderizer), Friday, 25 April 2014 02:49 (ten years ago) link
STAKELAND Frustratingly little of note happens. Why did this film climb the heap when there are so many similar stories?
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Sunday, 27 April 2014 14:44 (ten years ago) link
Oh man I hated that movie.
― carl agatha, Sunday, 27 April 2014 16:45 (ten years ago) link
I thought it was OK, iirc.
I still think the Indonesian (Phillipino?) cult section of VHS2 was one of the best, scariest and most inventive horror movies of the past several years.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 27 April 2014 18:32 (ten years ago) link
stakeland is terrible (and bad)
― katsu kittens (contenderizer), Monday, 28 April 2014 06:24 (ten years ago) link
XpYeah that Evans/Tjahjanto one was insanely brilliant.
― xelab, Monday, 28 April 2014 06:55 (ten years ago) link
Executive Koala (2005, Minoru Kawasaki)Salaryman (who happens to be a furry-style koala bear) becomes enmeshed in dark doings. A real chore. The poker faced absurdity is initially beguiling, but quickly wears thin. Similar to a Troma or Nishimura movie in that it offers little beyond reflexively smirking cruddiness.
13: Game of Death (2006, Chookiat Sakveerakul)Hapless reality show contestant faces bizarre & increasingly dangerous challenges (Thailand). Don't generally care for the dark-thriller-as-horror genre, but 13 had me on the edge of my seat all the way through. Solid performances, gut wrenching tension, and a welcome streak of vicious humor. Recommended, but not one to watch over dinner.
Helldriver (2010, Yoshihiro Nishimura)Yet another kitschy Japanese splatter movie from Sushi Typhoon. I'm beginning to think I must have been about Tokyo Gore Police: Nishimura's work is otherwise abyssmal. Helldriver does manage a few moments of inspired lunacy, but I couldn't even finish the thing. Drek.
Alyce Kills (2011, Jay Lee)Young woman loses her marbles after accidentally killing her best friend. A tightly focused psychological character study in the vein of May and Repulsion, graced, like The Seasoning House, with an unforgettable protagonist. Unfortunately, while Jade Dornfeld is excellent as Alyce, she can't overcome the senseless screenplay. Okay, but best approached w/ low expectations.
The Seasoning House (2012, Paul Hyett)Cat and mouse revenge thriller about a mute girl enslaved in a truly hellish Balkan brothel (UK). An effectively tense and disturbing (if rather repellent) nail-biter held briefly aloft by a remarkable lead performance. Though I'm not inclined to condem The Seasoning House, I can't imagine recommending it to anyone, either. Just not my cup of human trafficking.
Hidden in the Woods (2012, Patricio Valladares)Chilean film about a feral family, said to be quite savage. And savage it is! Unlike many "70's style" retro exploitation flicks, Hidden never succumbs to kitsch or homage. It's a bracingly raw and lurid piece of work, often evoking a particularly dark (modern) fairy tale, but ultimately a bit too satisfied with gleefully crude brutality as an end in itself. Gah, and why so much rape in movies these days?
Big Bad Wolves (2013, Ahron Keshales & Navot Papushado)Rogue cop & grieving father put the screws to a schoolteacher who may be a murderous pedophile (Israel). Wolves is a tight and blackly comic mystery thriller, elevated by vivid characters and sharp cinematography. While successful on its own terms, it left me cold and never quite lived up to its wonderfully dreamlike opening scene.
Miss Zombie (2013, Hiroyuku Tanaka)Japanese drama about a high-functioning zombie employed as a domestic servant. Avoiding horror almost completely, Miss Zombie is a patient, rather mournful film about human cruely and the possibility of something like redemption. Lyrical, slow-paced (but never dull), and ultimately quite moving. A very pleasant surprise in a tired genre.
― katsu kittens (contenderizer), Monday, 28 April 2014 07:28 (ten years ago) link
"All Cheerleaders Die" by Lucky McKee ("May," "The Woman") and Chris Sivertson ("The Lost," "I Know Who Killed Me") is a total blast. So much fun.
― Walter Galt, Monday, 28 April 2014 08:31 (ten years ago) link
Anyone seen Thale from maybe two years ago? It sounded interesting.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Monday, 28 April 2014 12:28 (ten years ago) link
That's the Norwegian guys discovering the fairy woman? I found it really slow. They work on building a sense of dread, but it seemed more like a fantasy than a horror film.
― Walter Galt, Monday, 28 April 2014 12:47 (ten years ago) link
from contenderizers list, im a huge fan of 13: game of death, didn't much like hidden in the woods, hated helldriver.
i remember liking stakeland quite a bit, but its been a while.
― Corpsepaint Counterpaint (jjjusten), Monday, 28 April 2014 15:11 (ten years ago) link
speaking of films with 13 in the title, and i know ive mentioned it before, but 13 Tzameti is really really worth seeing, but seriously DO NOT WATCH THE TRAILER as it is a huge idiotic spoiler for the film. French iirc, but not cut from the same cloth as the french extreme stuff really. tightrope thriller with horror elements, remade as the absolutely terrible "13" with statham and mickey rourke in america which should be avoided entirely
― Corpsepaint Counterpaint (jjjusten), Monday, 28 April 2014 15:15 (ten years ago) link
― Walter Galt, Monday, April 28, 2014 4:31 AM (6 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Cool, looking forward. I loved loved LOVED The Lost. McKee struck out with The Woman but I'm still into him.
Still really wanna see Thale. Thanks for the reminder.
― Khamma chameleon (Jon Lewis), Monday, 28 April 2014 15:21 (ten years ago) link
huh that is a split decision for sure, mostly love mckee, almost entirely hate sivertsons stuff. mainly this just makes me want to watch the woods and red again.
― Corpsepaint Counterpaint (jjjusten), Monday, 28 April 2014 15:27 (ten years ago) link
yeah, the woods is so good
― katsu kittens (contenderizer), Monday, 28 April 2014 15:45 (ten years ago) link
red too, even better perhaps
jjj u did not like The Lost??? The lead psycho's performance, if nothing else...!
― Khamma chameleon (Jon Lewis), Monday, 28 April 2014 15:57 (ten years ago) link
honestly im trying to remember the lost, my memory is that it was sort of grimy in all the wrong ways for me, although that might just be a jack ketchum thing more than anything else
― Corpsepaint Counterpaint (jjjusten), Monday, 28 April 2014 15:59 (ten years ago) link
Thx to contenderizer for the Miss Zombie recommendation, that was good.
― Slight damage to cover on top corner (chewed by a kitten) (Craigo Boingo), Monday, 5 May 2014 12:29 (ten years ago) link
Has anybody seen Jack & Diane? I'm not sure if it even belongs in the horror thread, and reviews weren't too kind to it, but the Quay Brothers connection if nothing else makes me want to give it a shot
― You guys are caterpillar (Telephone thing), Monday, 5 May 2014 14:35 (ten years ago) link
I guess the new Ti West is available via VOD? I don't have any idea whether that means we'll get it because I never order anything on demand but I'll figure that shit out in this case because Ti West is the business
http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/05/01/the-sacrament-ti-west-joe-swanberg/
― Now I Am Become Dracula (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Monday, 5 May 2014 14:45 (ten years ago) link
Moebius (2013, Ki-duk Kim)
well, I made it about halfway through this one. found it fairly silly, "almost absurdly on-the-nose" sounds about right. am I missing much if I don't wrap it up?
― original bgm, Monday, 5 May 2014 15:05 (ten years ago) link
My blog-thoughts on Moebius. Short version: Prefered it massively to Pieta, excatly because it's so silly. It does not takes itself seriously. I'm really surprised at contenderizer finding that it is a 'gorgeous film, exquisitely well crafted'. I thought it looked like ugly, cheap digital. However, this once again helped the off-the-cuff-ness of it all. I'd say check the last half.
― Frederik B, Monday, 5 May 2014 15:14 (ten years ago) link
thanks, and yeah, I found it sorta funny too. mostly dad's googling.
― original bgm, Monday, 5 May 2014 15:20 (ten years ago) link
I was massively disappointed by The Sacrament but to discuss why would spoil plot details.
Has anyone seen Proxy? Hearing very good things (my understanding is that it's closer to Repulsion than straight horror)
― Walter Galt, Tuesday, 6 May 2014 09:42 (ten years ago) link
couldnt make it past the first 30 min of executive koala.
― ohhhh lorde 2pac big please mansplain to this sucker (jjjusten), Tuesday, 6 May 2014 21:13 (ten years ago) link
Haven't seen any talk of Plus One on this thread but i thought it was creative and hilarious. I kinda wish they would've taken the concept a little but further but aside from parts of the poor-man's-Dawson's-Creek plotline I enjoyed every bit.
― Fetchboy, Tuesday, 6 May 2014 23:38 (ten years ago) link
Quite liked Magic Magic. Though I'm not really sure if the audience was supposed to know the cause of Temple's mental troubles.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Sunday, 11 May 2014 00:13 (ten years ago) link
i rubbernecked through the remake of the first one because i'm a masochist. two made me actively angry, rather than passively in a "well at least they haven't shit all over robocop in the 21st century yet" sort of way.
― strongo hulkington's ghost dad, Tuesday, 25 October 2011 01:26 (2 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― ♛ LIL UNIT ♛ (thomp), Sunday, 11 May 2014 21:29 (ten years ago) link
I too recommend Borderlands. They take a lot of conventions that could be annoying but worked it into something very good. Pretty creepy with an unsettling finish.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Sunday, 11 May 2014 21:35 (ten years ago) link
It had some really good claustrophobic scenes. I don't know why more films haven't used claustrophobia more extensively; The Descent was disappointing in that respect, felt like a missed opportunity.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Sunday, 11 May 2014 23:28 (ten years ago) link
I've always assumed it's simply because claustrophobia is hard to represent on film.
― The Thnig, Monday, 12 May 2014 14:01 (ten years ago) link
I'm not sure what way you are meaning. Tsukamoto's Haze is great for this. Obviously Buried did it.
I just wish Descent had more parts with people stuck in horribly tiny tunnels and get attacked by monsters.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Monday, 12 May 2014 15:02 (ten years ago) link
As the resident freak that loved "Rubber" and "The Oregonian" (because that disclaimer might be kind of important here) I really recommend that people give "Escape From Tomorrow" (the rogue Disney violating film) a shot. It's a glorious fantastic mess, and the horrendous awkward humor that people are so irritated by seems to magnify the creepy, and IMO intentionally so.
One of my favorite things I've seen this year. Not kidding. At the same time, I can see why people hate the hell out of it.
― Everyone is awful except you. Wait, no, you are also awful. (jjjusten), Wednesday, 14 May 2014 05:54 (ten years ago) link
At the same time, I can see why people hate the hell out of it.
― Cronk's Not Cronk (Eric H.), Wednesday, 14 May 2014 11:37 (ten years ago) link
is anyone watching penny dreadful?
― just sayin, Wednesday, 14 May 2014 11:41 (ten years ago) link
2nd ep was dope
― just sayin, Wednesday, 14 May 2014 11:51 (ten years ago) link
I'm interested; it doesn't show in UK until next week I think. I thought any potentially big show would be kept closer on the international airing dates. When a thread gets made its just weird when some people are several weeks ahead of the others.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Wednesday, 14 May 2014 13:54 (ten years ago) link
Ha Eric! Are you in the hated it camp? I'm always curious when we radically differ on stuff, since I think we have a pretty big taste overlap, esp within the horror stuff.
― Everyone is awful except you. Wait, no, you are also awful. (jjjusten), Wednesday, 14 May 2014 14:58 (ten years ago) link
Definitely in the hated it camp. I was going along with it for a little while, but it eventually got so wrapped up in puerile-whiny-dad B.S. If I wanted that, I'd just watch more Judd Apatow thx.
― Cronk's Not Cronk (Eric H.), Wednesday, 14 May 2014 15:33 (ten years ago) link
been on a kiyoshi kurosawa kick lately. how's his horror stuff outside of pulse and cure? love both myself. I think I'm most interested in checking out his penance tv series next.
― original bgm, Wednesday, 14 May 2014 15:34 (ten years ago) link
I've never seen that film and I know I've talked about this several times but it never ceases to amaze me how passionate people's film/tv responses are. There used to be a couple of films I hated when I was a teen insecure and dogmatic about how art/entertainment should be made, but after calming down about that, I can't think of a single film I hate. 93% of films range between annoyed, irritated, many different degrees of boredom but never hate.
I was actually laughing the other day imagining House Of Voices finishing on a cinema, most people saying either "that was boring" or "I actually kinda liked it" and Hal Jam still sitting down looking insane with fury.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Wednesday, 14 May 2014 15:45 (ten years ago) link
I'm sure I only hate or love about 5% of the movies I see too.
― Cronk's Not Cronk (Eric H.), Wednesday, 14 May 2014 15:48 (ten years ago) link
And then there's that select 0.05% of movies I love and hate equally.
The remaining 7% was for the range of like to love. Very few films I love.
I started the Penny Dreadful thread.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Wednesday, 14 May 2014 16:02 (ten years ago) link