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
main protagonists of both films are essentially able to survive only because of their past traumas iirc
― 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
also the same guy who did music for Field in England did the score for Raw (Jim Williams). i love his stuff but have found him difficult to google bc his name is Jim Williams
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 18:46 (four years ago) link
RAW is great, would add to my list
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 30 October 2019 19:05 (four years ago) link
Happy Death Day was slight but fun
i think happy death day 2 is a significant downgrade from the first. i still liked it but i feel like the opening 20 minutes promised a more interesting movie than the one i got
― american bradass (BradNelson), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 19:07 (four years ago) link
FWIW I'm even down with horror comedy recommendations that lean like 90-10 in favor of comedy (a la Tucker & Dale).
― Feed Me Wheat Thins (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 19:08 (four years ago) link
oh since i can't stop talking about the final destination movies, one of the movies on my decade list would be final destination 5. tony todd returns to the cast, all the deaths are excruciating, and the twist ending turns the franchise into an ouroboros, not that you need to be familiar with previous final destination movies to enjoy it
― american bradass (BradNelson), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 19:13 (four years ago) link
Yeah, I'm all the time thinking about pulling the trigger on these budget-priced collections of horror series that have passed me by altogether. I'm just going to assume that running through all the Final Destination movies would probably be a better use of my time than Saw or oh say Leprechaun.
― Feed Me Wheat Thins (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 19:24 (four years ago) link
yes they're so fun, even the shittiest one is fun
― american bradass (BradNelson), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 19:25 (four years ago) link
FD 2 I thought was novel, in that they're aware of, and involve, the first movie's characters. Also that having that knowledge doesn't help them survive.
― the body of a spider... (scampering alpaca), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 19:35 (four years ago) link
I bought a Blu-Ray set of all six Resident Evil movies for like $10 a few months back and by the time I got to the last one my brain was dribbling out of my ears.
― shared unit of analysis (unperson), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 19:35 (four years ago) link
the fifth resident evil sequel, retribution, rivals event horizon for the best paul w.s. anderson film. i think it's brilliant
― american bradass (BradNelson), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 19:38 (four years ago) link
Sometimes this tack really pays off (as it did when I bought the Chucky set and slogged through those first three cinematic trash fires only to learn to my delight that the brilliance of the series lies entirely in the back half). But, yes, it's often a great way to underscore the essential futility of human existence.
― Feed Me Wheat Thins (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 19:41 (four years ago) link
imo the only bad child's play movie is the third one. 2 is extremely fun. greatest horror franchise of all time next to phantasm imo
― american bradass (BradNelson), Wednesday, 30 October 2019 19:42 (four years ago) link