oof. that was rough.
― PHEAR MY POORAPULT (jjjusten), Thursday, 29 October 2009 06:29 (fourteen years ago) link
will add more thoughts once i have time to digest it, but i can say that that is some bleak, bleak shit right there.
French movies sort of own this thread, huh.
― cough syrup in coke cans (Eric H.), Thursday, 29 October 2009 12:16 (fourteen years ago) link
THE ORPHANAGE is hands down the best I've seen this half of the decade. THE STRANGERS is terrible boring conventional bullshit.
― DavidM, Thursday, 29 October 2009 15:18 (fourteen years ago) link
wow the last 30 minutes of martyrs are just so brutal. i dont think id really put it in the horror category (as weird as that seems considering, well, everything about it) - idk what to call it. it isnt scary per se (uh certainly disquieting dont get me wrong).
really having trouble working my way around it. really good though.
― PHEAR MY POORAPULT (jjjusten), Thursday, 29 October 2009 16:28 (fourteen years ago) link
was talking w/a friend of mine about these sort of characteristics of new foreign (to me) horror films. there is def a totally different thing going on depending on whether yer talking about france/UK/spain/aussie, but all of them are simultaneously blooming, whereas the american stuff is sort of flailing around and retreading, and the asian extreme stuff seems to be caught in a rut.
― PHEAR MY POORAPULT (jjjusten), Thursday, 29 October 2009 16:31 (fourteen years ago) link
god i hate the term asian extreme but at least its a placeholder (and works better than j-horror).
asian X-TREME
― ADVANCED CHORD CHANGES (HI DERE), Thursday, 29 October 2009 16:32 (fourteen years ago) link
The Strangers is effective but forgettable and completely contentless.
Got The Woods waiting on my hard drive, hadn't heard of it before this thread, but I'm quite excited about it now. Also, Bruce Campbell!
― Ok Abacus (chap), Thursday, 29 October 2009 16:32 (fourteen years ago) link
― PHEAR MY POORAPULT (jjjusten), Thursday, October 29, 2009 2:29 AM (10 hours ago) Bookmark
yep.
― you just freaked out more than our director of lols (Pillbox), Thursday, 29 October 2009 16:35 (fourteen years ago) link
First 2/3 def. has enough (fucking freaky as shit) traditional macabre elements to qualify it as trad horror imo. Last bit is def on its own arthouse thing, tho. Absolutely loved this btw.
― you just freaked out more than our director of lols (Pillbox), Thursday, 29 October 2009 16:42 (fourteen years ago) link
okay so I just read about Inside and um... yikes
― ADVANCED CHORD CHANGES (HI DERE), Thursday, 29 October 2009 16:46 (fourteen years ago) link
there is a reason I don't watch these but tbh I love reading about them
there is def a totally different thing going on depending on whether yer talking about france/UK/spain/aussie, but all of them are simultaneously blooming
Any recommendations? I've already added Inside and Martyr to my queue, but haven't seen any mention of specific Aussie or Spanish movies yet.
― A polar bear you can see in a snowstorm (rockapads), Thursday, 29 October 2009 16:52 (fourteen years ago) link
aussie: wolf creek obv.
― you just freaked out more than our director of lols (Pillbox), Thursday, 29 October 2009 16:55 (fourteen years ago) link
for aussie/NZ stuff you should prob start with Wolf Creek
spanish - maybe rec? i have to think about this one a little more tbh
xpost hah yep
― PHEAR MY POORAPULT (jjjusten), Thursday, 29 October 2009 16:58 (fourteen years ago) link
lots of peeps rep for "the nun" on the spanish side, but i havent seen it so
― PHEAR MY POORAPULT (jjjusten), Thursday, 29 October 2009 16:59 (fourteen years ago) link
― ADVANCED CHORD CHANGES (HI DERE), Thursday, October 29, 2009 11:46 AM (12 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
OTM
― how rad bandit (gbx), Thursday, 29 October 2009 17:00 (fourteen years ago) link
Here is generally how it breaks down for me:
Brilliant, worthy of canonization: The Descent, The Devil's Rejects, Martyrs
Almost there (great, but terminally flawed): Strangers (first half is the most awesome, scariest shit - second half, not so much); Haute Tension (that fucking twist - ugh); The Mist (Marcia Aspie Harden)
Highly Watchable: Drag Me to Hell (maybe this deserves top rating - on the fence about this), Hostels 1+2, The Hills Have Eyes (this & Dawn of the Dead are the only remakes worth watching), Dead Snow (boring as shit until the zombie freakout occurs; is hence thoroughly entertaining), Trick R' Treat, 28 Weeks Later, Slither
In a class of its own: Inland Empire
Shitbox: Saw movies, most remakes, most horror films (sad but true)
Have not seen: Paranormal Activity, Inside (will have seen both by weeks end), Rec, The Children, Home Movie, The Orphanage, Voice, Deadgirl, The Woods, Les Revanants
― you just freaked out more than our director of lols (Pillbox), Thursday, 29 October 2009 17:27 (fourteen years ago) link
Inside is way better than I'll ever be willing to give it credit for.
― cough syrup in coke cans (Eric H.), Thursday, 29 October 2009 17:33 (fourteen years ago) link
inside is one of those movies that's totally riveting but you watch the entire time with O_O that expression on your face. i think the thing with the cop at the end was especially O_O
― jØrdån (omar little), Thursday, 29 October 2009 17:35 (fourteen years ago) link
Drag Me to Hell (maybe this deserves top rating - on the fence about this) - I'd grant Grindhouse this same status (both features + trailers)
― you just freaked out more than our director of lols (Pillbox), Thursday, 29 October 2009 17:38 (fourteen years ago) link
Highly Watchable - also, add to this: Hatchet, a thoroughly entertaining bit of self-aware slasher-camp
― you just freaked out more than our director of lols (Pillbox), Thursday, 29 October 2009 17:45 (fourteen years ago) link
Hard Candy, with Ellen Page, is more of psychologicall thriller than horror, but I liked it a whole lot. Basically a two-character movie.
― (nutty nuggets at HEB) (Eazy), Thursday, 29 October 2009 17:52 (fourteen years ago) link
When done well, which sadly is not often, horror is my favorite genre. From the above recs I added Martyrs, Woods, Wolf Creek, Them, Deadgirl and The Strangers to my Netflix queue.
I enjoyed The Mist (it's better in B&W if you have a choice). Agree the ending would have been better if left after running out of gas/seeing the monster thingy walk by, etc.
Drag Me to Hell was OK (not scary at all, though). The CGI was at times cartoonish. But it doesn't take it self to seriously either. Don't think I'd recommend it to someone who's not already a big Raimi fan.
I only saw The Descent once a few years back. I thought it was great, and one of the scarier movies I've seen. I didn't find the CGI monsters to be that bad.
Trick R Treat was a solid movie. Again, not really scary, but it was entertaining and well made. It captured Halloween well (if that makes any sense).
As far as older films go, I saw David Cronenberg's The Brood last week. Some of the acting in that movie is subpar, but there were scenes that creeped me out, so if you haven't saw it yet, I'd recommend it (especially for Cronenberg fans). Not sure how popular this film was when it came out.
Was Scanner's good?
― musicfanatic, Thursday, 29 October 2009 18:04 (fourteen years ago) link
I guess Dead Snow isn't out yet in the States as a DVD. But will check that one out as well.
― musicfanatic, Thursday, 29 October 2009 18:06 (fourteen years ago) link
Patrick McGoohan RIP is excellent in Scanners. Also there is head exploding.
― Philip Nunez, Thursday, 29 October 2009 18:09 (fourteen years ago) link
One last thing: I can't believe Land of the Dead got positive reviews. Pretty much one big waste of time (and I'm a huge fan of Romero's). Diary of the Dead was better, but not really that good either. There's a new one out (or soon to be out anyway) called Island of the Dead. I don't have high expectations but I'll probably end up checking it out on Netflix.
― musicfanatic, Thursday, 29 October 2009 18:10 (fourteen years ago) link
I watched Drag Me to Hell only yesterday. About as scary and as clunky as a fairground ghost train, but it gets by on sheer enthusiasm and a likable performance from the lead. Forgettable though.
All this Mist love mystifies me. No atmosphere to it at all, just dead.
― DavidM, Thursday, 29 October 2009 18:21 (fourteen years ago) link
The Brood is maybe Cronenberg's best, outside of The Fly.
― cough syrup in coke cans (Eric H.), Thursday, 29 October 2009 18:23 (fourteen years ago) link
LOL I finally watched Devil's Rejects last night expecting i dunno what and it was mostly a comedy right? With some awesome tunage that gave me renewed respect for Rob Zombie's collection of 70s LPs. Terry Reid!
― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Thursday, 29 October 2009 18:25 (fourteen years ago) link
About as scary and as clunky as a fairground ghost train - see, this is what I loved about it. It totally felt like a relic from a bygone era that probably never existed to begin with. For that, it succeeds on style points alone imo.
― you just freaked out more than our director of lols (Pillbox), Thursday, 29 October 2009 18:29 (fourteen years ago) link
Saw Saint Ange (Martyrs director's earlier film) on Netflix instant watch last night. It's quite slow & remarkably similar to Orphanage in places which is interesting since it came out earlier. Can't really recommend it though it does have another bizarre 3rd act switch involving subterranean lairs.
― xcixxorx, Thursday, 29 October 2009 18:37 (fourteen years ago) link
The Brood is maybe Cronenberg's best, outside of The Fly.― cough syrup in coke cans (Eric H.)
I love The Fly, but if you're in the mood for a horror movie, I think The Brood's better. I always thought The Fly was a tragic love story (with a few gross parts peppered in).
There's one scene in The Brood that was pretty shocking. I won't give it away for those who haven't seen it. But for those who have, it's the one in the school with the teacher. I don't think they'd be able to film that scene in front of kids today. My jaw hit the floor.
― musicfanatic, Thursday, 29 October 2009 18:42 (fourteen years ago) link
trick r treat was pretty rad - kinda o_O that it went str8 2 video on demand considering. wrt to martyrs idk - the more i thought about after watching the more vivid and terrible some of those images were the last half hour of them finally breaking her will probably be one of the lasting cinematic moments from this decade 4 me
the end of martyrs has a truly horrifying clarity to it~~~
also watched antichrist which made me think of martyrs which i guess revels in the obliterating rather than the purifying nature of pain. it has some pretty amazing images too but its dreamy and cheap. i really disliked it
― legit 40 (Lamp), Thursday, 29 October 2009 19:00 (fourteen years ago) link
I read the Wikipedia synopsis of Martyrs--I don't think I can sit through it. As much as I want to love horror movies, I am a wuss when it comes to gore. I think that's why I like ghost movies best, though they are more rare among horror flicks it seems.
― WARS OF ARMAGEDDON (Karaoke Version) (Sparkle Motion), Thursday, 29 October 2009 19:09 (fourteen years ago) link
I'd def add Wolf Creek to my list, somewhere near the top. For some reason, I thought that came out in '04.
― you just freaked out more than our director of lols (Pillbox), Thursday, 29 October 2009 19:14 (fourteen years ago) link
i'll always rep for this flick, it's a good spooky ghost flick with little gore (ok it's from '02 but still..)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyJcIgmi8Qs
― jØrdån (omar little), Thursday, 29 October 2009 19:16 (fourteen years ago) link
The Brood is one of the best horror movies ever! Everybody should see it. Agree that the acting's wooden, but it's Cronenberg: what do you expect. Plus it suits the tone.
Drag Me to Hell is fantastic, one of the best horror flix I've seen in forever. Not at all scary, but a blast from beginning to end. Plus second Pillbox on Slither (goofy but fun) and The Hills Have Eyes remake (suprisingly great). Also loved Haute Tension and had no problem with the twist. And Wolf Creek. Grim as shit, but very well-made and genuinely unsettling.
Descent and Devil's Rejects are both solid, interesting films, but I didn't love either. Descent is crippled by bad story logic in the second half (why are things that depend on scent and sound so completely incapable of smelling or hearing ANYTHING, EVER?), and Rejects by horribly annoying dialogue that becomes insufferable long before the film ends. And, man, that final shot/scene is such a botched opportunity. Just shoot it all in slo-mo, blast Free Bird and run to credits as the splatter flies. How fucking hard is that?
Will also poo on Inside/A l'interieur while I'm here. Fun to watch, in a hands-over-the-eyes grossout kinda way, but man that shit was silly! Cheezeball politics, half-baked satanic symbolism, big reveals that come as no surprise at all, wooden & obvious delivery of everything. It's kinda fun, but the combination of deadly serious & grimmm tone plus the bonka-bonk goofiness of the material just didn't work for me. Final scene is marvelous, though.
Did like the French Frontier(s), which is similar in many ways (especially WR2 knucklehead political subtext), but better simply because it doesn't take itself half so seriously.
Speaking of taking shit way too seriously, anybody see that English chav-horror flick Eden Lake? Very well done, great acting and cinematography, but damn that pissed me off to no end.
Haven't seen Martyrs (I think I've had enough of the pure suffering/annihilation of beautiful women as fetishized aesthetic spectacle). Or Trick 'r Treat, which I guess I should rectify immediately.
― from alcoholism to fleshly concerns (contenderizer), Thursday, 29 October 2009 19:16 (fourteen years ago) link
I'll check it out, thanks for the rec. (xpost)
― WARS OF ARMAGEDDON (Karaoke Version) (Sparkle Motion), Thursday, 29 October 2009 19:16 (fourteen years ago) link
Haven't seen Martyrs (I think I've had enough of the pure suffering/annihilation of beautiful women as fetishized aesthetic spectacle). - it goes so far beyond the usual parameters of "torture porn" as to be securely in its own category. I can understand wanting to avoid this film, but you should not do so b/c you see it falling into easy genre trappings.
― you just freaked out more than our director of lols (Pillbox), Thursday, 29 October 2009 19:21 (fourteen years ago) link
below!!!! lol it took me most of that movie to understand it was supposed to be set during wwII
― legit 40 (Lamp), Thursday, 29 October 2009 19:21 (fourteen years ago) link
I thought Them was a lot more effective than The Strangers (pretty similar plots).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAWEvZh8flg
― Darin, Thursday, 29 October 2009 19:25 (fourteen years ago) link
all that talk about sinking german ships and the british sailors and american subs can be misleading...
― jØrdån (omar little), Thursday, 29 October 2009 19:25 (fourteen years ago) link
I'll give Martyrs a shot eventually. Intended to watch it earlier this year as a part of a catch-up session on "endurance horror", but got burned out after watching Frontier(s), Imprint, Inside, Singapore Sling and Eden Lake in a couple days. Only so much a man can take.
P.S.: You've seen Singapore Sling, right?
― from alcoholism to fleshly concerns (contenderizer), Thursday, 29 October 2009 19:29 (fourteen years ago) link
I mean, it's reaching back a ways (1990), but it doesn't get talked about or seen anywhere near enough.
― from alcoholism to fleshly concerns (contenderizer), Thursday, 29 October 2009 19:31 (fourteen years ago) link
yah no obv im retarded its just thats the only thing i really remember abt that movie - realizing it was supposed to be ww2 - that and trying to remember what other movie i saw that one chick in before
xxpost
― legit 40 (Lamp), Thursday, 29 October 2009 19:31 (fourteen years ago) link
singapore sling is greek right? have not seen, will check out
― PHEAR MY POORAPULT (jjjusten), Thursday, 29 October 2009 19:32 (fourteen years ago) link
it's got half the main cast of lock stock and two smoking barrels and zach galifiniakkis (sic) also
― jØrdån (omar little), Thursday, 29 October 2009 19:33 (fourteen years ago) link
whoa waht
― PHEAR MY POORAPULT (jjjusten), Thursday, 29 October 2009 19:34 (fourteen years ago) link