From Beyond is awesome and daft. Daftly awesome.
I'd somehow never seen Tremors before. I rectified this over the weekend. Tremors is also daft and awesome. In homage, I have been on the roof ever since.
― Vanishing Point (Chinaski), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 15:01 (three years ago) link
daft and awesome folk horror that absolutely blew my mind both visually and emotionally: pumpkinhead
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 15:27 (three years ago) link
otm. Pumpkinhead is dope.
― LaRusso Auto (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 15:30 (three years ago) link
I'd happily watch Lance Henriksen clean windows.
― Vanishing Point (Chinaski), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 15:33 (three years ago) link
Okay, will pencil in Pumpkinhead on my folk horror list, thank u all.
― OrificeMax (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 15:35 (three years ago) link
I feel like there's a bit of a Pumpkinhead resurgence in the air. I know Bloody Disgusting, for example, just did an essay on it as the best Halloween movie that isn't a Halloween movie, or something like that. Tbh, I've never seen it, since between the name, art, monster, (number of) sequels and cast it always seems to me just more video store detritus (like, say, Rawhead Rex). But I've heard enough good things that I'll probably dive in soon, too.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 14 October 2020 15:41 (three years ago) link
FTR here is the unwatched stack of films in my possession which I hope to render watched this month (cobbled together from other lists so their folk horror status may be nebulous):
The Phantom CarriageHaxanCaptain CleggThe Plague of the ZombiesThe ReptileThe WitchesQuatermass and the PitThe Devil Rides OutCry of the BansheeAnd Soon the DarknessBlood on Satan's ClawA Field in EnglandMidsommar
And also it's been long enough since I've seen The Wicker Man that I've basically forgotten the bulk of it so also that.
― OrificeMax (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 15:42 (three years ago) link
Maybe revisit Wicker Man before Midsommar...
― Nhex, Wednesday, 14 October 2020 15:43 (three years ago) link
We watched Rawhead Rex last October. It's actually half-decent? Like the story is interesting even if some of the production elements and especially Rex himself are underwhelming.
― OrificeMax (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 15:44 (three years ago) link
Just saw Pumpkinhead the other week myself. It's pretty forumlaic, but enjoyable. And of course, Lance Henriksen rules.
― peace, man, Wednesday, 14 October 2020 15:44 (three years ago) link
Rawhead Rex might be half-decent in sum, but very little of that decent stuff is decent in a row, iirc. Like, even teenage-me thought it sucked when it came out.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 14 October 2020 15:46 (three years ago) link
I tend not to sound off on genre movies all that often because I tend to forgive a lot of awfulness in lieu of what they get right (which usually leads to me cobbling together a better version of the thing in my mind). Like I also properly watched Jason Goes to Manhattan for the first time yesterday and thought it possessed the framework of a much better, non-Friday the 13th film and had enough hilarious ridiculousness to keep my attention (even though I recognize, objectively, that it's utter garbage).
― OrificeMax (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 15:59 (three years ago) link
manhattan is one of my favorite fridays for exactly that reason. i also love horror movies filmed in 1989-1990 a lot bc they tend to be great time capsules of a weird interzone of fashion and pop culture that's neither 100 percent '80s or '90s
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 16:02 (three years ago) link
YES. There's a visual element shared by horror movies from that period that hooks me every time no matter how terrible the movie is.
― OrificeMax (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 16:05 (three years ago) link
(Which I account in part to the fact that that was the precise time when I first started getting heavily into horror movies.)
― OrificeMax (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 16:06 (three years ago) link
Old Lunch, with the exception of the last three on your list, it's REALLY stretching the definition to describe those movies as 'folk horror', though most of them are well worth watching! I would also recommend The Witchfinder General, if you haven't seen it, which has the same kind of rural English nastiness as Blood on Satan's Claw, and is the better film.
The book English Gothic by Jonathan Rigby Is a v useful sourcebook for ye olde English horror movies to follow up on...
― Ward Fowler, Wednesday, 14 October 2020 16:08 (three years ago) link
I have seen and do love Witchfinder General!
― OrificeMax (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 16:10 (three years ago) link
(As may be obvious from the list above, I've also finally managed to snag most of the pre-'70s Hammer horrors so tackling those is a parallel and occasionally overlapping project alongside the folk horror jaunt.)
― OrificeMax (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 16:18 (three years ago) link
If you haven't read him, I'd very much recommend Robert Aickamn as a literary companion for that lot.
― Vanishing Point (Chinaski), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 16:46 (three years ago) link
Night of the Demon fits in well there.
― Bidh boladh a' mhairbh de 'n láimh fhalaimh (dowd), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 16:46 (three years ago) link
Night of the Demon also fantastic!
Aikman's on the list but a ways down. My Halloween reading list is currently focused on the early-20th Century weird horror collections I have yet to read (Clark Ashton Smith, Algernon Blackwood, Howard, the Lovecraft I've missed, etc.).
― OrificeMax (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 16:56 (three years ago) link
I really need to see Watership Down again, it must have been at least 20 years ago and read it for the first time too.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Wednesday, 14 October 2020 18:50 (three years ago) link
I think Barker's strong dislike of the Rawhead Rex film is what made him adapt his own stories as a director.
If you watch Haxan I'd strongly recommend the version with WS Burroughs narrating, I'm normally a purist who wants the original but his narration improves the film hugely.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Thursday, 15 October 2020 17:49 (three years ago) link
If the Phantom Carriage has the KTL soundtrack it is excellent but probably not best for your first watch.
― Mud... jam... failure (aldo), Thursday, 15 October 2020 17:58 (three years ago) link
My copies of both Haxan and Phantom Carriage are Criterion, no idea atm what the soundtrack options are.
Watched Eyes Without a Face for the first time last night (whattup again, Criterion). Boy, am I ever on a roll this October. I think I'd heard/read somewhere that it was gory and thought 'pssh, how gory can a movie from 1960 be?'. Well, minimally gory, tbf, but still shockingly so for the time. I wish they'd included the Horror Chamber of Dr. Faustus cut, as I'd like to see how extensively it was modified for the States.
― OrificeMax (Old Lunch), Thursday, 15 October 2020 18:04 (three years ago) link
EWAF a classic
― Nhex, Thursday, 15 October 2020 18:27 (three years ago) link
Yeah I got the Phantom Carriage with KTL, I wasn't that into it but it had its moments
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Thursday, 15 October 2020 18:46 (three years ago) link
EWAF is just tremendous.
― Mud... jam... failure (aldo), Thursday, 15 October 2020 21:19 (three years ago) link
Holy good god damn @ motherfucking Deathdream!!!! That was just about as perfectly-realized horror film as I've ever seen. There's a helluvalot going on thematically but it's handled so adroitly and economically. But then I'd expect no less from the director of Porky's.
Also, didn't realize this was a sequel to Faces (although I felt Clark did much more with those fantastic lead actors, sorry Cassavetes)!
This just scrambled over a lot of old favorites to claim a very high position in my all-time pantheon.
― OrificeMax (Old Lunch), Thursday, 15 October 2020 22:39 (three years ago) link
did a bit of reading following your recommendation and i am AWFULLY curious to see how this landed so solidly with you so i may test drive this and report back.
― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Saturday, 17 October 2020 18:49 (three years ago) link
There are more glowing reviews upthread, I realize now. BradNelson sez: 'it could be the best horror film of the ‘70s?' It's certainly a contender. I have no idea why it isn't more well-known. But it's up on Criterion Channel now, I believe, so someone recognizes its value.
― OrificeMax (Old Lunch), Saturday, 17 October 2020 19:08 (three years ago) link
(Was joking about it being a Faces sequel, tho, do not sue me.)
deathdream is fucking AMAZING
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Saturday, 17 October 2020 19:50 (three years ago) link
damn right it is
― Nhex, Saturday, 17 October 2020 19:51 (three years ago) link
Should've mentioned more about the acting, as everyone in it was legitimately great. It's amazing how much more effective horror can be when you have really solid actors portraying believable characters whose reactions and motivations are understandable relative to the horrifying situation they've been thrown into.
― OrificeMax (Old Lunch), Saturday, 17 October 2020 20:26 (three years ago) link
I like it okay but I always remember Ormsby talking in the commentry about making his son cry for one scene and he felt horrible about it. Ormsby also did commentry for Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things, another Bob Clark film that he intended to remake before he died.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 17 October 2020 21:01 (three years ago) link
Jess Nevins again. Largely the same material but the patreon one is more detailed and uses some different images.
Who wants to hear about some obscure Japanese horror movies from 1898-1949? Trust me, you won’t be getting what you expect. (Warning for those who don’t like long threads: this is a big one. Mute me for a little while if you don’t want me in your TL too much. Thanks!)1/— Jess Nevins (@jessnevins) October 16, 2020
A lot of his research comes from this bookhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43873891-carnal-curses-disfigured-dreams
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 17 October 2020 21:04 (three years ago) link
Love this cover by Jessica Seamanshttp://www.spectacularoptical.ca/store/wp-content/uploads/LostGirls-FINAL-web.jpghttps://www.instagram.com/_jseamans/
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Sunday, 18 October 2020 02:33 (three years ago) link
anyone seen either of these? planning to check em out as contenders for the Halloween marathon
https://letterboxd.com/film/the-burning-1981/https://letterboxd.com/film/viy/
― it bangs for thee (Simon H.), Sunday, 25 October 2020 04:59 (three years ago) link
Second film is amazing but mostly for the last scenes.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Sunday, 25 October 2020 05:06 (three years ago) link
The Burning has good gore, a good first half hour but it loses a lot of steam fast. But Jason Alexander and Fisher Stevens!
― Neanderthal, Sunday, 25 October 2020 05:10 (three years ago) link
Yeah Burning is light fun. Pre-Friday the 13th, right?
― Nhex, Sunday, 25 October 2020 05:13 (three years ago) link
Just after. It was Savini's next gig, I believe.
― OrificeMax (Old Lunch), Sunday, 25 October 2020 11:40 (three years ago) link
I just watched Viy for the first time last week! Common wisdom claims that it's all about the ending (which tbf is amazing) but I was hooked on the whole slow, pastoral Russian folktale vibe throughout.
― OrificeMax (Old Lunch), Sunday, 25 October 2020 11:42 (three years ago) link
ALSO, while I have appreciated the Lewton films I'd seen previously, I saw I Walked With a Zombie the other day and...it's kind of perfect? Barely a horror film in any conventional sense beyond just the sustained eerie mood, but I truly loved it. All of the performances are so muted and soporific (aside from the drunken brother who sorta raised his voice a couple of times), it was like I was walking with a whole cast of zombies. In the best way possible.
― OrificeMax (Old Lunch), Sunday, 25 October 2020 11:50 (three years ago) link
The Burning was the first ever Miramax film, btw
― Ward Fowler, Sunday, 25 October 2020 11:55 (three years ago) link
All of the Lewtons (especially the ones directed by Tourneur) are excellent. Cat People is in the queue of horror or horror-adjacent films I'm watching with my daughter (I think Diabolique is next; there are so many great movies!)
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 25 October 2020 12:50 (three years ago) link
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5DXUaqlgHn/Here's another Jessica Seamans piece but of Viy. You can get a print for 50 dollarshttp://landland.bigcartel.com/products?page=3
Part of the thing with Viy is that the effects in the film are so good I wonder why nobody else ever done that, it's frustrating! I totally dig the pastoral russian thing which is why I love those russian, czech etc fairy tale films but I think it drags in places. Vasilisa The Beautiful is an older russian fairy tale film that drags a bit but the horror stuff is great in it. I've been listening to the Mala Morska Vila soundtrack and it is the most beautiful thing. I really like the film but the soundtrack is magic.The 3d remake or reimagining of Viy is not good but there's something quite odd about it.
I reviewed those Lewton horror films upthread somewhere. Whoever argued with me about Seventh Victim was right in retrospect but I still think Leopard Man just isn't very good except a scene or two. Curse Of The Cat People is by far the best in my view.
Never seen The Burning but I may get the Rick Wakeman soundtrack someday.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Sunday, 25 October 2020 21:07 (three years ago) link
Isle Of The Dead is a bit underrated, it's a shame those Lewton films have been sluggishly coming out as singles in the bluray era, they really should be in boxed sets.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Sunday, 25 October 2020 21:08 (three years ago) link
if anyone wants to join I'll be screening Eyes Without a Face, Viy, The Innocents and Pulse (in that order, probably) online in high def starting at 7pm ET this Friday for all the quarantining would-be trick or treaters, if there's interest I'll share the URL on here
― it bangs for thee (Simon H.), Monday, 26 October 2020 15:04 (three years ago) link