i love the invitation bc it aesthetically and psychologically nails how trauma trains your brain to both 1) find suspicion and dread in everything and how that's horrible 2) respond usefully to actual new traumatic situations. never seen a movie do that before
― american bradass (BradNelson), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:12 (four years ago) link
imo: who cares
predictability in and of itself isn't a fatal flaw (MIDSOMMAR is very predictable, for ex.) but the film had nothing else going on in the design, the characters, the direction, just... anything. All it had was it's setup/premise, and that was not enough.
xp
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:12 (four years ago) link
... it's also really beautifully shot
never seen a movie do that before
in this case you really should see You're Next!
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:13 (four years ago) link
the invitation is great and has nothing in common with you're next other than people being in a house
― karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:13 (four years ago) link
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, October 30, 2019 9:13 AM (twenty-six seconds ago) bookmarkflaglink
i've seen you're next, it's not the same thing
― american bradass (BradNelson), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:14 (four years ago) link
for one, the invitation isn't playing it for laughs
I don't consider that a fault
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:16 (four years ago) link
neither do i, i'm just that the approaches are profoundly different
― american bradass (BradNelson), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:17 (four years ago) link
i'm just saying*
fans of The Invitation and You're Next might also enjoy Monster House
― Simon H., Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:18 (four years ago) link
lol
― Feed Me Wheat Thins (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:19 (four years ago) link
main protagonists of both films are essentially able to survive only because of their past traumas iirc
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:20 (four years ago) link
I think I fell out of step with the current crop because I saw a few too many films with the House of the Devil template (very well-maintained buildup hampered by a fumbling, kinda shitty denouement) and was tired of getting burned by what seemed to be a trend.
― Feed Me Wheat Thins (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:21 (four years ago) link
there were so many of those in the 00s. Oculus, The Strangers, etc.
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:23 (four years ago) link
You're Next has a little in common with Ready or Not, but not The Invitation. Invitation (which I love) really gets a lot of mileage out of the lack of twist. You suspect something is going on early on, but you are so primed for a twist that you spend the movie wondering if that's what actually going on or if they are going to pull the rug out from under you.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:23 (four years ago) link
House of the Devil, too.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:24 (four years ago) link
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, October 30, 2019 9:20 AM (one minute ago) bookmarkflaglink
can't argue with this without spoiling both films so:
SPOILERS
the "past trauma" in you're next is that she grew up in a survivalist cult. this trauma does not destabilize her relationships with anyone in the family (who she's just meeting iirc), it just is extremely fuckin helpful when shit goes down. the invitation's central trauma is the much more visceral and mundane trauma of the main character's kid dying. there's also very little time spent *dwelling* on the actual nature of the situation they're in in you're next, so there's none of that self-doubt and feeling-like-you're-going-crazy energy, which is what gives the invitation its excruciating tension, *even if you know what's going to happen*
END OF SPOILERS
― american bradass (BradNelson), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:25 (four years ago) link
otm. in you're next, her background is like the punchline to a joke you didn't know was being told. But backgrounds in Invitation inform everything.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:34 (four years ago) link
OH: Starry Eyes is another recent one I saw and liked a lot. I understand opinions are mixed on that one.
― Feed Me Wheat Thins (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:36 (four years ago) link
starry eyes is one of those movies i thought was great but it freaked me out so bad i’ll never watch it again
― american bradass (BradNelson), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:37 (four years ago) link
the "past trauma" in you're next is that she grew up in a survivalist cult. this trauma does not destabilize her relationships with anyone in the family (who she's just meeting iirc), it just is extremely fuckin helpful when shit goes down.
I thought there was more to it than that (isn't it implied that her family is dead)? Been awhile since I saw it and the wiki summary doesn't mention it, maybe I'm misremembering.
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:39 (four years ago) link
Starry Eyes is great. Beautifully gross in a few unusual ways.
― Simon H., Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:45 (four years ago) link
Stuff that I loved from the last decade, in rough descending order:
Under the SkinLeviathanThe Killing of a Sacred DeerClimaxGet Outmother!You're NextThe Cabin in the WoodsThe CraziesIt FollowsThe Neon DemonLet Me In
Yeah, I stan "elevated horror" bullshit, I guess. Hell, throw Stranger by the Lake up there near the top, too.
― Pauline Male (Eric H.), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:53 (four years ago) link
Watch Ready or Not if you want to see a You're Next where everything related to the protagonist is done much, much less effectively.
― Pauline Male (Eric H.), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:54 (four years ago) link
Cabin in the Woods is great fun, yeah
that rounds out my top 10!
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:57 (four years ago) link
i watched mother! for the first time recently. most annoying movie i’ve ever seen
― american bradass (BradNelson), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:58 (four years ago) link
the crazies is def undersung and awesome
― american bradass (BradNelson), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:59 (four years ago) link
MIDSOMMARHereditaryYou're NextGet OutCabin in the WoodsIt FollowsThe VVitchA Field in EnglandUnder the SkinMandy
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 30 October 2019 16:59 (four years ago) link
most annoying movie i’ve ever seen
I'm sure nearly every title in my list is that very thing to at least a few people.
― Pauline Male (Eric H.), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 17:01 (four years ago) link
Re: mother! (and It Comes at Night, IIRC?), my curiosity is always piqued by (horror) movies about which there is absolutely no critical consensus.
― Feed Me Wheat Thins (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 17:02 (four years ago) link
Look, I maintain that my all-time favorite horror movie is Possession and I'm certain I will eventually be slugged by someone for having suggested it to them/suggested that it was a horror film so I am onboard with divisive, lofty films of the genre.
― Feed Me Wheat Thins (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 17:05 (four years ago) link
Agreed on Luz being a miss.
Watched zombie musical Anna and the Apocalypse yesterday. Refreshing body count for a movie that tilts more towards the musical than genuine peril (i.e. zombies are respectful of the choreography). Liked it more than Slaughterhouse Rulez, a Pegg/Frost comedy/horror that struck me as tonally off.
Good lists above. I'd include The Void maybe in my own list.
― the body of a spider... (scampering alpaca), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 17:08 (four years ago) link
I loved mother! and hated ICAN lol
― Simon H., Wednesday, 30 October 2019 17:09 (four years ago) link
Thanks for reminding me of Baskin's existence. I saw the trailer, wanted to check it out, then forgot all about it. I'll be renting that soon.
― shared unit of analysis (unperson), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 17:18 (four years ago) link
Liked it more than Slaughterhouse Rulez, a Pegg/Frost comedy/horror that struck me as tonally off.written and directed by the lead singer of Kula Shaker!
― now let's play big lunch take little lunch (sic), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 17:27 (four years ago) link
Wut
I mean, you could also say 'the son of Hayley Mills' but still: wut
― Feed Me Wheat Thins (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 17:32 (four years ago) link
Where's the love for RAW? that movie was excellent. does Upstream Color count? I loved that one too.
idk about a "top 5" -- many of my faves from the last few years (memorable movies i remember liking) have already been listed. Us, Get Out, Under the Skin, Mandy, Field in England, VVItch, Hagazzusa, Midsommar, Hereditary
and I thought A Quiet Place was pretty much dumb as hellloathed this movie for a number of reasons, partially bc it was indeed dumb as hell
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 18:25 (four years ago) link
LL's short list basically contains my favourites too, except I'll add that A Field In England is absolutely incredible (and more of a pastoral exploration of magic and national identity than horror) and I really didn't think The VVitch was all that
― imago, Wednesday, 30 October 2019 18:32 (four years ago) link
I worship Upstream Color but beyond the first 15 minutes I wouldn't consider it even horror adjacent
― Simon H., Wednesday, 30 October 2019 18:32 (four years ago) link
i would cosign the frontrunners recent mini-trend in horror/action-comedy films: Happy Death Day 1/2, Escape Room, Crawlthey're fast fun watches and tend to shy away from implicit misogyny
― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 18:33 (four years ago) link
Oh and Green Room obv
― imago, Wednesday, 30 October 2019 18:33 (four years ago) link
imago otm! i don't care if it's horror, i loved it and the soundtrack is perfection imo. forgot to add green room, loved that one too. i watched it twice!
i wasn't sure about upstream color, that's why i separated it. just a movie i liked then.
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 18:34 (four years ago) link
xxp add Cabin the Woods and maybe Train to Busan to that list.
Also recommending A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night as a best of the decade
― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 18:35 (four years ago) link
I wondered about A Girl Walks Home... too, hadn't heard anyone mention it in a while.
Final Girls, anyone?
― Feed Me Wheat Thins (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 18:38 (four years ago) link
i forgot about raw!!! it's so gross and perfect
― american bradass (BradNelson), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 18:39 (four years ago) link
I Am Not A Witch (which is not quite horror but contains palpable elements of it) is my 10s witch movie of choice.
Oh wait, PREVENGE! Maybe more slasher than horror but who's keeping score
― imago, Wednesday, 30 October 2019 18:41 (four years ago) link
I believe perhaps Brad : Starry Eyes :: me : Green Room. I thought it was goddamn astounding but I don't know if I can put myself through that again for at least a couple years. Exceptionally rare that a horror film leaves me shook.
― Feed Me Wheat Thins (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 18:41 (four years ago) link
I had totally forgotten about the existence of RAW. I'm glad I solicited recommendations!
― Feed Me Wheat Thins (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 18:43 (four years ago) link
the only movie that left me truly shook in the last few years that i can remember is Are We Not Cats, aka the movie where the woman eats her own hair
RAW is indeed super gross and also perfect
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 18:44 (four years ago) link