Chainsaw
T
A very BAD man.
It is what it is
Posts: 90,480
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Post by Chainsaw on Oct 22, 2010 13:07:05 GMT -5
Just a thought, since we did a "What's your favorite death in the Friday the 13th series" deal earlier, since it's close to Halloween and since Biography channel showed Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy, what was your favorite death in the Nightmare on Elm Street series and the Halloween series? Elm Street: tied between Freddy pulling the girl into the TV in Dream Warriors("Welcome to Prime Time, Bitch!") and Freddy pulling Joey into the waterbed in Dream Master("How's this for a wet dream?"). Halloween: Well, Michael Myers didn't do too many over-the-top kills, but I'd have to go with in Part 4 when he shoved the shotgun through Kelly Meeker's chest and impaled her on a wall. Tendons. Puppeteer. Window.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2010 13:49:24 GMT -5
This is an honorable mention. Screw you all, I love this movie. Is it terrible? Of course it is, but that's the fun. It's just a bats*** insane movie.
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
Posts: 4,874
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Oct 22, 2010 13:51:55 GMT -5
I really like Freddy's Dead a lot, too. The remake makes me appreciate it even more.
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Post by YellowJacketY2J on Oct 22, 2010 16:07:53 GMT -5
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
Posts: 4,874
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Oct 22, 2010 20:24:58 GMT -5
I also got a review of Paranormal Activity 2 on my blog (after a big scare where I typed up the entire review on Facebook and thought that the damn thing nuked all my words into nothingness): ihrregistry.blogspot.com/2010/10/horror-nerd-cinema-bonus-paranormal.htmlThe short, short verison: I liked it, but not quite as much as the original, mainly due to the dad character being an even bigger prick than Micah occasionally is in the first movie. Get out of my yard, lame-o! I love you for posting that. One of my favorite movies ever. My favorite line of the film is this gem from Bruce Dern: "Hans! A fine name for a Christian! Hans Christian Anderson!"
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Post by DSR on Oct 22, 2010 21:54:48 GMT -5
VAMPIRE CIRCUS (1972) - Made while Hammer's popularity was on the decline, this is still one of their best pictures.
Our film begins with a regular human woman (she's hot, but other than that she's regular) leading a young girl (like 11) into a strange dark castle. Once inside, the woman gives the girl to Count Mitterhaus, a deceptively handsome vampire who promptly drains the young girl of her blood. With the Count's bloodlust sated, he's now got the other kind of lust on his mind, and proceeds to make love to his human familiar.
Outside the castle, we find that woman's husband, a schoolteacher, riling up the citizens of the town (Stetl is its name), telling them they must end the vampire's reign of terror. Following a brief but tense battle, the Count is staked (but not before cursing the people of Stetl to death), the woman lashed before she runs back into the castle, and said castle is prepared by the townsfolk to be burned down. The schoolteacher resolves to raise his and that woman's daughter alone, and Mitterhaus's last words to the woman are to contact someone named Emil.
After the credits (holy s***, we're only up to the credits!), we jump 15 years later, and the Count's shadow still looms over all of Stetl. Many townsfolk are dying of a horrible plague, and the people of surrounding towns keep a constant vigil, ready to shoot anyone that tries to flee Stetl. The town doctor manages a daring escape to get some sort of help regarding this plague, and leaves his son Anton to take of things while he's away.
Suddenly, a traveling circus led by a gypsy woman comes along to bring some light into the Stetlans' gloomy lives. There's a midget jester (the delightfully creepy Skip Martin), a strongman (Dave Prowse, who would go on to play the body of Darth Vader), an incredibly sexual charged routine with a man and a naked woman painted with tiger stripes (not sure I'd show this to MY children, but that's just me), a man that changes into a black panther and back, a pair of acrobats, one woman one man, who change into bats (they also share a Tomax/Xamot relationship in regards to pain), and even a small Hall of Mirrors.
While the Stetlans become enamored with the circus (one girl even letting herself be seduced by that panther/man), the feeling isn't exactly mutual. That panther/man turns out to be Emil, Count Mitterhaus's vampire compatriate, and the circus is here simply to gain revenge against the men who staked the Count by way of killing off their families. What's more, that gypsy woman who leads the circus is Mitterhaus's lover (and the ex-wife of that schoolteacher who's still living), though she looks completely different now.
The circus people begin luring the children of Stetl into that Hall of Mirrors, where they actually walk into a mirror and into the cave of Count Mitterhause. The vampires of the circus have their feast, but not without leaving some blood behind, as enough of it will revive the Count.
That daughter of the schoolteacher I mentioned earlier (her name is Dora) left the town somewhere before the 15 year jump of the credits, but she returned when she heard of the plague (and also because she misses Anton, whom she loves). When the gypsy woman realizes that Dora (her daughter) has returned, she decides that even her own daughter isn't off limits to Mitterhaus's need for blood. And, as the townspeople find out that the circus is responsible for their dead children, they get proactive. The final battle between the circus and the Stetlans leaves a large number of dead bodies on both sides.
There's a lot of awesome stuff going on in this picture. As mentioned, there's a few sex scenes with some gorgeous girls (and one ridiculously sexual non-sex scene at the circus). There's also several splashes of that trademark Hammer blood, of course. But there's also a willingness to break from conventions, both of vampire films and horror films in general. The circus performers walk around and perform in daylight, one of them transforms into a panther (that's a new one). And not only are children killed, the very first kill of the movie is a child. There's also a couple of animals killed.
You may have noticed there's a lot of sexual energy to this picture. The vampire's of this picture are very sexual beings, but they are so in a way that ADDS to their menace, rather than softens it. They're quite literally sexual predators, deceiving their prey regarding their intentions until its too late for said prey to realize what's happening. Count Mitterhaus is a perfect example, as (I've mentioned before) he's quite handsome, and he's got this vaguely David Bowie-esque charisma about him. Mitterhaus's portrayer, Robert Tayman, deserves a lot of credit for being able to pretty much steal the show despite spending most of the picture dead!
While I'm on the subject of actors, I also have to point out that I enjoyed it a great deal that this film does not use Hammer's normal stable of actors. You won't find a Peter Cushing or a Christopher Lee here, but the cast is still very very good! Only Anton, the film's protagonist, is kind of bland, but he still serves his function well. Everyone does an exemplary job.
Set design and writing are great, as is direction. The transformation sequences aren't all that, but there's one for Emil the panther/man that is incredibly simple yet still impressive to behold.
4.5 stars out of 5, a lot of fun! And (quick plug) SYNAPSE FILMS will be releasing VAMPIRE CIRCUS in a BluRay/DVD combo pack at the end of the year! I highly highly suggest you pick it up. If you're a fan of Hammer Horror, this is essential. If you're new to Hammer and want to experience the cream of their proverbial crop, you can't go wrong with this picture. CHECK. IT. OUT.
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andrew8798
FANatic
on 24/7 this month
Posts: 106,084
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Post by andrew8798 on Oct 23, 2010 2:57:49 GMT -5
Some news on the Hellraiser Remake
When asked about the film being PG-13, Todd had this to say:
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Post by GuyOfOwnage on Oct 23, 2010 5:37:12 GMT -5
Just a thought, since we did a "What's your favorite death in the Friday the 13th series" deal earlier, since it's close to Halloween and since Biography channel showed Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy, what was your favorite death in the Nightmare on Elm Street series and the Halloween series? Elm Street: tied between Freddy pulling the girl into the TV in Dream Warriors("Welcome to Prime Time, !") and Freddy pulling Joey into the waterbed in Dream Master("How's this for a wet dream?"). Halloween: Well, Michael Myers didn't do too many over-the-top kills, but I'd have to go with in Part 4 when he shoved the shotgun through Kelly Meeker's chest and impaled her on a wall. Elm Street: "How's this for a wet dream?" Perhaps not as creative as some of the others the franchise has to offer, but it still remains a personal favorite of mine. Halloween: The hot tub death in Halloween II. The Halloween series isn't known for being too gratuitous with its gore, but this scene was a bit of a shock at first, especially considering how tame the first film is.
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Bobeddy
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Made a Terrible Mistake
Posts: 15,154
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Post by Bobeddy on Oct 23, 2010 8:33:21 GMT -5
Just a thought, since we did a "What's your favorite death in the Friday the 13th series" deal earlier, since it's close to Halloween and since Biography channel showed Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy, what was your favorite death in the Nightmare on Elm Street series and the Halloween series? Elm Street: tied between Freddy pulling the girl into the TV in Dream Warriors("Welcome to Prime Time, Bitch!") and Freddy pulling Joey into the waterbed in Dream Master("How's this for a wet dream?"). Halloween: Well, Michael Myers didn't do too many over-the-top kills, but I'd have to go with in Part 4 when he shoved the shotgun through Kelly Meeker's chest and impaled her on a wall. Tendons. Puppeteer. Window. That was the first Elm Street movie I saw. I was 12, and boy that scene stuck with me for the next few nights!
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
Posts: 4,874
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Oct 23, 2010 11:08:49 GMT -5
VAMPIRE CIRCUS (1972) - Made while Hammer's popularity was on the decline, this is still one of their best pictures. Our film begins with a regular human woman (she's hot, but other than that she's regular) leading a young girl (like 11) into a strange dark castle. Once inside, the woman gives the girl to Count Mitterhaus, a deceptively handsome vampire who promptly drains the young girl of her blood. With the Count's bloodlust sated, he's now got the other kind of lust on his mind, and proceeds to make love to his human familiar. Outside the castle, we find that woman's husband, a schoolteacher, riling up the citizens of the town (Stetl is its name), telling them they must end the vampire's reign of terror. Following a brief but tense battle, the Count is staked (but not before cursing the people of Stetl to death), the woman lashed before she runs back into the castle, and said castle is prepared by the townsfolk to be burned down. The schoolteacher resolves to raise his and that woman's daughter alone, and Mitterhaus's last words to the woman are to contact someone named Emil. After the credits (holy s***, we're only up to the credits!), we jump 15 years later, and the Count's shadow still looms over all of Stetl. Many townsfolk are dying of a horrible plague, and the people of surrounding towns keep a constant vigil, ready to shoot anyone that tries to flee Stetl. The town doctor manages a daring escape to get some sort of help regarding this plague, and leaves his son Anton to take of things while he's away. Suddenly, a traveling circus led by a gypsy woman comes along to bring some light into the Stetlans' gloomy lives. There's a midget jester (the delightfully creepy Skip Martin), a strongman (Dave Prowse, who would go on to play the body of Darth Vader), an incredibly sexual charged routine with a man and a naked woman painted with tiger stripes (not sure I'd show this to MY children, but that's just me), a man that changes into a black panther and back, a pair of acrobats, one woman one man, who change into bats (they also share a Tomax/Xamot relationship in regards to pain), and even a small Hall of Mirrors. While the Stetlans become enamored with the circus (one girl even letting herself be seduced by that panther/man), the feeling isn't exactly mutual. That panther/man turns out to be Emil, Count Mitterhaus's vampire compatriate, and the circus is here simply to gain revenge against the men who staked the Count by way of killing off their families. What's more, that gypsy woman who leads the circus is Mitterhaus's lover (and the ex-wife of that schoolteacher who's still living), though she looks completely different now. The circus people begin luring the children of Stetl into that Hall of Mirrors, where they actually walk into a mirror and into the cave of Count Mitterhause. The vampires of the circus have their feast, but not without leaving some blood behind, as enough of it will revive the Count. That daughter of the schoolteacher I mentioned earlier (her name is Dora) left the town somewhere before the 15 year jump of the credits, but she returned when she heard of the plague (and also because she misses Anton, whom she loves). When the gypsy woman realizes that Dora (her daughter) has returned, she decides that even her own daughter isn't off limits to Mitterhaus's need for blood. And, as the townspeople find out that the circus is responsible for their dead children, they get proactive. The final battle between the circus and the Stetlans leaves a large number of dead bodies on both sides. There's a lot of awesome stuff going on in this picture. As mentioned, there's a few sex scenes with some gorgeous girls (and one ridiculously sexual non-sex scene at the circus). There's also several splashes of that trademark Hammer blood, of course. But there's also a willingness to break from conventions, both of vampire films and horror films in general. The circus performers walk around and perform in daylight, one of them transforms into a panther (that's a new one). And not only are children killed, the very first kill of the movie is a child. There's also a couple of animals killed. You may have noticed there's a lot of sexual energy to this picture. The vampire's of this picture are very sexual beings, but they are so in a way that ADDS to their menace, rather than softens it. They're quite literally sexual predators, deceiving their prey regarding their intentions until its too late for said prey to realize what's happening. Count Mitterhaus is a perfect example, as (I've mentioned before) he's quite handsome, and he's got this vaguely David Bowie-esque charisma about him. Mitterhaus's portrayer, Robert Tayman, deserves a lot of credit for being able to pretty much steal the show despite spending most of the picture dead! While I'm on the subject of actors, I also have to point out that I enjoyed it a great deal that this film does not use Hammer's normal stable of actors. You won't find a Peter Cushing or a Christopher Lee here, but the cast is still very very good! Only Anton, the film's protagonist, is kind of bland, but he still serves his function well. Everyone does an exemplary job. Set design and writing are great, as is direction. The transformation sequences aren't all that, but there's one for Emil the panther/man that is incredibly simple yet still impressive to behold. 4.5 stars out of 5, a lot of fun! And (quick plug) SYNAPSE FILMS will be releasing VAMPIRE CIRCUS in a BluRay/DVD combo pack at the end of the year! I highly highly suggest you pick it up. If you're a fan of Hammer Horror, this is essential. If you're new to Hammer and want to experience the cream of their proverbial crop, you can't go wrong with this picture. CHECK. IT. OUT. That movie sounds awesome. Thanks much for bringing it to my attention, and I'll most assuredly be picking up the DVD.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2010 11:35:51 GMT -5
Damn internet. The first episode of The Walking Dead leaked out, and i'm trying to force myself to wait it out for a change. So tempting.
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Post by Baixo Astral on Oct 23, 2010 11:47:37 GMT -5
Damn internet. The first episode of The Walking Dead leaked out, and i'm trying to force myself to wait it out for a change. So tempting. Join me in waiting - it's not going to be easy, but I'm hoping to go to the Halloween parade, watch the movie, then go to a midnight showing of Paranormal Activity2.
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Post by Baixo Astral on Oct 23, 2010 11:49:26 GMT -5
Probably the best place for this for all the UK crappers who are fans of the less sublime horror films. If you go to Poundland you can get a series of cult 1950s horror films for a pound each. I picked up the likes of ... Creature from the Haunted Sea The Thing from Another World The Screaming Skull King of the Zombies Invisible Ghost The Terror Attack of the Crab Monsters Fiend without a Face Indestructible Man Giant Leeches Now most of these are public domain but I thought it was pretty cool to have them in a collection. Also apparently Plan 9 from Outer Space is one of the ones available but sadly mine didn't have that in stock. My Halloween is set. Poundland is awesome - last Halloween I picked up lots of exploitation/b-movie/cannibal movies from the 70s.
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Post by anticonscience on Oct 23, 2010 17:26:30 GMT -5
There is a horror film festival this weekend (Thurs-Sun) hosted by Debbie Rochon. I REALLY wish that I could go but I've been really busy the last few days. I might go for the final day tomorrow, though.
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Chainsaw
T
A very BAD man.
It is what it is
Posts: 90,480
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Post by Chainsaw on Oct 23, 2010 17:40:54 GMT -5
Some news on the Hellraiser Remake When asked about the film being PG-13, Todd had this to say: Well, that's a good sign. But Farmer is NOT the studio. LOL.
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Post by DSR on Oct 24, 2010 18:36:52 GMT -5
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Post by YellowJacketY2J on Oct 24, 2010 19:56:18 GMT -5
I never did weigh in on my favorite Nightmare on Elm Street death.
Welcome to Prime Time, Bitch!
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Post by MysteryStingerfanTheater3000 on Oct 24, 2010 22:58:51 GMT -5
Just a quick heads-up, the original Nosferatu(1922) starts now on TCM, followed by a vampire movie marathon featuring, Vampyr(1932), Return of the Vampire(1944), with Bela Lugosi and Count Yorga, Vampire(1970).
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Post by Rorschach on Oct 25, 2010 1:28:15 GMT -5
I also got a review of Paranormal Activity 2 on my blog (after a big scare where I typed up the entire review on Facebook and thought that the damn thing nuked all my words into nothingness): ihrregistry.blogspot.com/2010/10/horror-nerd-cinema-bonus-paranormal.htmlThe short, short verison: I liked it, but not quite as much as the original, mainly due to the dad character being an even bigger prick than Micah occasionally is in the first movie. Get out of my yard, lame-o! I love you for posting that. One of my favorite movies ever. My favorite line of the film is this gem from Bruce Dern: "Hans! A fine name for a Christian! Hans Christian Anderson!" Even worse than Micah? I didn't think that was possible, outside of blatant parody. That means I'll probably end up skipping this. BLEH.
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Welfare Willis
Crow T. Robot
Pornomancer 555-BONE FDIC Bonsured
Game Center CX Kacho on!
Posts: 44,259
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Post by Welfare Willis on Oct 25, 2010 14:30:00 GMT -5
So Friday, I went to the Retrofantasma in Durham, NC. I just cannot recommend this enough to people in the central NC area. Held about once a month at the Carolina Theatre, Retrofantasma showcases great horror movies from the 60s- 80s. Past showings include The Beyond, Videodrome, and Silent Night, Bloody Night. The films are actually master prints from the studios themselves, in some cases not seen since their original run! This past Retro showcased the Halloween Tribute short film, Judith and a screening of Halloween III: SOTW and Terror in the Aisles. Now, Judith was a special showing as the owner of the Myers House (a Halloween museum in NC, made to look like the home from Halloween) was there. Great dude, a lover of the Smashing Pumpkins, and all around nice guy. Really cool little tribute film and I have to say I enjoyed the dialogue between Judith and her friend. Even told the owner I thought the dialogue was much better in this short then Zombie's Halloween. For more info on Myers House: www.myershousenc.com/Next came Halloween 3: SOTW. Now I won't do a review because we're all pretty familiar with the film. I will say that watching H3 in a theater with others is a totally different experience then at home. Laughter was heard throughout the film as Tom Atkins proved what a player he was. After a short Recess, we settled in for Terror in the Aisles. For those unfamiliar with the film, I can basically sum it up as being similar to the Boogeyman dvd that came out several years ago, i.e. a bunch of horror clips strung together. The difference here being that Terror in the Aisles was narrated by Donald Pleasance and Nancy Allen. Never released to dvd due to rights issues regarding the clips, the Carolina Theatre owner told us we were watching the only master copy of the film Universal Studios has left! While a little dry for my taste, it was a treat to see a more humorous side of Donald Pleasance. Also it's quiet weird to hear the term "Terror Film" used in the film instead of "Horror film". Really, this was my first visit to Retrofantasma and I had a lot of fun. It did my heart proud to see so many horror fans together watching some classic films. If you live in the area, do yourself a favor and check it out. In two weeks, Retro will be showing Alice, Sweet Alice and Happy Birthday to Me. I don't have to tell you whose going to be there! The Carolina Theatre: www.carolinatheatre.org/stage?tid=20
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