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Post by prettynami on Aug 8, 2019 20:58:09 GMT -5
Can't wait till October... I've been stockpiling a few movies myself... I have some DVDs and Blu-Rays that have been collecting mold that I will give a go. Hoping I don't get any real stink burgers, but I bought this one Seth Green movie for like 50 cents in a bin to torture friends with and I am sure its terrible (I think it's called "The Attic Expeditions"). I've also picked up some more recent ones from my local libraries book sale room.
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Post by DSR on Aug 9, 2019 6:15:59 GMT -5
Hey y'all, Happy 7th Anniversary to this here thread! Started on August 9th, 2012! Big ups to everybody comin' in here and discussing horror throughout the years!
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Post by Jumpin' Jesse Walsh on Aug 10, 2019 12:02:08 GMT -5
Mr review of Eaten Alive (1980)
To some extent, being a horror fan means you’re willing to subject yourself to seriously repulsive shit, but we all have our boundaries and those are valid. As for me, my boundaries sit somewhere around the Italian cannibal films of the ‘70s and ‘80s. The actual cannibalism is the least offensive part about them. The true yuck factor instead comes from watching white Europeans living out of their racist, colonial ideas of indigenous culture and its people on film. That’s already gross enough, but adding onto the shit sundae is the glorification of sexual assault and legit animal slaughter these films try to pass off as entertainment. Just a huge nope from me.
So that leads me to Eaten Alive, which lazily throws out all of those cliches on a pretty regular basis. I’m never going to watch Cannibal Holocaust, but it does seem like it’s trying to keep up the appearance that it’s Saying Something. If Eaten Alive has anything to say at all, it’s not interesting. All of the assorted unpleasantries are on display⏤rape, animal mutilation, castration, and, you guessed it, gut-munching⏤but they’re really there just to be there. For much of its duration, there’s no reason for any of this stuff to happen. Worse, the film doesn’t even have the decency to uses it own footage. That’s right: it borrows footage from other cannibal films of the era. Sigh.
What separates this film from the dozens in its genre is its cult storyline, inspired by the then-recent Jonestown massacre. “Inspired” is the nicest way of putting it, mind you. It doesn’t even bother to hide that its capitalizing on a real-life tragedy. Surprisingly, more time is spent on the cult over the cannibalism. Unsurprisingly, the cult is comprised with the most temperamental and reactionary human beings in existence. I’m not sure how much of it is intentional, but these people wholeheartedly believe any news they’re given without even checking for evidence. It’s really laughable. All bad movie cults are like that.
I’m aware it sounds like I’m dragging this film to filth, and I totally am in parts, but it’s not an outright disaster. It can be pulpy and unintentionally hilarious as any other exploitation flick. Unfortunately, it still dabbles in a lot of stuff I don’t like on a moral level, and I’d like to think that’s not on me to look past it. What bugs me about this entire genre, above all else, is that it’s selling sexual violence towards women and the depiction of indigenous people as savages as “edgy” when there’s really nothing edgy about upholding harmful, centuries-long beliefs on either subject. I can only consider it a good thing that the genre went the way of the dinosaur.
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Post by KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!! on Aug 11, 2019 8:37:59 GMT -5
I watched Zero in and Scream (1971) yesterday to cap off Something Weird Video's Sharpshooter Triple Feature. A more accurate title for Zero in and Scream would be Hairy Vaginas and Occasional Shooting. IMDB does not define Zero in and Scream as horror, but damn it, it is about a guy with a sniper rifle killing people so I'm going to count it. When released it got an X rating and was considered erotica though it is hardly erotic. I posted the DVD cover rather than a poster for the film as I honestly couldn't tell if a nipple or other naughty bit may be present on the posters. Even the stills from the poster material looks grainy so you can imagine how crappy the picture quality is. The plot follows a guy named Mike around. He goes to a fully nude strip club, but is presented as a loner. He hits on one of the all nude dancers who keeps shooting down his advances. Finally she gives him a pity invite to a party she is having later that night. At the party an orgy breaks out in the pool. Mike just sits around and watches. Weirdo. People start leaving the party and the last guy there tells Mike to leave. The guy who kicked Mike out then gets in the pool and starts plowing the woman who invited him. I should mention that these very un-erotic sex scenes go on for an agonizing amount of time. The movie only runs 63 minutes, but I wouldn't be surprised if each sex scene last about 10 minutes. Also, many of them are witnessed with most of the screen black so you can only see through Mike's sniper lens. Needless to say Mike shoots the guy who kicked him out after observing one such sex scene. The majority of the movie is spent on similar situations and Mike listening to news reports about the killings as he caresses his gun. It is worth noting that Mike only shoots men in sex acts. At one point he even observes two lesbians going at it only to leave them both alive. However, as the film winds down he reveals himself to that same woman who invited him to the earlier orgy/party. He talks about how beautiful women are, but as soon as men get on them they turn ugly. Typical psycho stuff. Mike tries to rape her, but cums in his pants instead. He says he never killed a woman before, but he'll kill her. Then he just sort of leaves. Later Mike is aiming to shoot the woman from afar. I won't ruin how it ends, but it is pretty predictable. All in all I'd say it is about what you'd expect from the C picture of a Something Weird triple feature. Absolutely the weakest picture, but also possibly the weirdest.
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Ultimo Gallos
Grimlock
Dreams SUCK!Nightmares live FOREVER!
Posts: 14,333
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Post by Ultimo Gallos on Aug 11, 2019 12:34:06 GMT -5
I watched Zero in and Scream (1971) yesterday to cap off Something Weird Video's Sharpshooter Triple Feature. A more accurate title for Zero in and Scream would be Hairy Vaginas and Occasional Shooting. IMDB does not define Zero in and Scream as horror, but damn it, it is about a guy with a sniper rifle killing people so I'm going to count it. When released it got an X rating and was considered erotica though it is hardly erotic. I posted the DVD cover rather than a poster for the film as I honestly couldn't tell if a nipple or other naughty bit may be present on the posters. Even the stills from the poster material looks grainy so you can imagine how crappy the picture quality is. The plot follows a guy named Mike around. He goes to a fully nude strip club, but is presented as a loner. He hits on one of the all nude dancers who keeps shooting down his advances. Finally she gives him a pity invite to a party she is having later that night. At the party an orgy breaks out in the pool. Mike just sits around and watches. Weirdo. People start leaving the party and the last guy there tells Mike to leave. The guy who kicked Mike out then gets in the pool and starts plowing the woman who invited him. I should mention that these very un-erotic sex scenes go on for an agonizing amount of time. The movie only runs 63 minutes, but I wouldn't be surprised if each sex scene last about 10 minutes. Also, many of them are witnessed with most of the screen black so you can only see through Mike's sniper lens. Needless to say Mike shoots the guy who kicked him out after observing one such sex scene. The majority of the movie is spent on similar situations and Mike listening to news reports about the killings as he caresses his gun. It is worth noting that Mike only shoots men in sex acts. At one point he even observes two lesbians going at it only to leave them both alive. However, as the film winds down he reveals himself to that same woman who invited him to the earlier orgy/party. He talks about how beautiful women are, but as soon as men get on them they turn ugly. Typical psycho stuff. Mike tries to rape her, but cums in his pants instead. He says he never killed a woman before, but he'll kill her. Then he just sort of leaves. Later Mike is aiming to shoot the woman from afar. I won't ruin how it ends, but it is pretty predictable. All in all I'd say it is about what you'd expect from the C picture of a Something Weird triple feature. Absolutely the weakest picture, but also possibly the weirdest. The Zodiac Killer is fun. Someone tracked down the director,I think it was the director,and got a long interview. The film was made to catch teh Zodiac Killer lol. The director thought the film would lure out the killer.
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Post by KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!! on Aug 11, 2019 12:53:57 GMT -5
I watched Zero in and Scream (1971) yesterday to cap off Something Weird Video's Sharpshooter Triple Feature. A more accurate title for Zero in and Scream would be Hairy Vaginas and Occasional Shooting. IMDB does not define Zero in and Scream as horror, but damn it, it is about a guy with a sniper rifle killing people so I'm going to count it. When released it got an X rating and was considered erotica though it is hardly erotic. I posted the DVD cover rather than a poster for the film as I honestly couldn't tell if a nipple or other naughty bit may be present on the posters. Even the stills from the poster material looks grainy so you can imagine how crappy the picture quality is. The plot follows a guy named Mike around. He goes to a fully nude strip club, but is presented as a loner. He hits on one of the all nude dancers who keeps shooting down his advances. Finally she gives him a pity invite to a party she is having later that night. At the party an orgy breaks out in the pool. Mike just sits around and watches. Weirdo. People start leaving the party and the last guy there tells Mike to leave. The guy who kicked Mike out then gets in the pool and starts plowing the woman who invited him. I should mention that these very un-erotic sex scenes go on for an agonizing amount of time. The movie only runs 63 minutes, but I wouldn't be surprised if each sex scene last about 10 minutes. Also, many of them are witnessed with most of the screen black so you can only see through Mike's sniper lens. Needless to say Mike shoots the guy who kicked him out after observing one such sex scene. The majority of the movie is spent on similar situations and Mike listening to news reports about the killings as he caresses his gun. It is worth noting that Mike only shoots men in sex acts. At one point he even observes two lesbians going at it only to leave them both alive. However, as the film winds down he reveals himself to that same woman who invited him to the earlier orgy/party. He talks about how beautiful women are, but as soon as men get on them they turn ugly. Typical psycho stuff. Mike tries to rape her, but cums in his pants instead. He says he never killed a woman before, but he'll kill her. Then he just sort of leaves. Later Mike is aiming to shoot the woman from afar. I won't ruin how it ends, but it is pretty predictable. All in all I'd say it is about what you'd expect from the C picture of a Something Weird triple feature. Absolutely the weakest picture, but also possibly the weirdest. The Zodiac Killer is fun. Someone tracked down the director,I think it was the director,and got a long interview. The film was made to catch teh Zodiac Killer lol. The director thought the film would lure out the killer. Yeah I was reading in the trivia section of IMDB that they even had questionnaires at the first screening. Investigators analyzed the questionnaires answered in hopes that one would be the killer. If someone had similar handwriting they were even planning to confront the person in the lobby. The Zodiac Killer is a fun little oddity. The Sex Killer is under an hour and pretty forgettable. I’m surprised no other movie has used that title that I’m aware of. Sex and violence are natural sellers and you have them right up front with that one.
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Ultimo Gallos
Grimlock
Dreams SUCK!Nightmares live FOREVER!
Posts: 14,333
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Post by Ultimo Gallos on Aug 11, 2019 21:00:59 GMT -5
The Zodiac Killer is fun. Someone tracked down the director,I think it was the director,and got a long interview. The film was made to catch teh Zodiac Killer lol. The director thought the film would lure out the killer. Yeah I was reading in the trivia section of IMDB that they even had questionnaires at the first screening. Investigators analyzed the questionnaires answered in hopes that one would be the killer. If someone had similar handwriting they were even planning to confront the person in the lobby. The Zodiac Killer is a fun little oddity. The Sex Killer is under an hour and pretty forgettable. I’m surprised no other movie has used that title that I’m aware of. Sex and violence are natural sellers and you have them right up front with that one. Any time I find a SWV dvd I dont own and it is cheap I grab it. I got one of their martial arts film on DVD. The film is crap. But it has 5 hours of trailers. Too bad some of the Image released SWV dvds are OOP and getting pricey.
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Post by KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!! on Aug 11, 2019 21:07:19 GMT -5
Yeah I was reading in the trivia section of IMDB that they even had questionnaires at the first screening. Investigators analyzed the questionnaires answered in hopes that one would be the killer. If someone had similar handwriting they were even planning to confront the person in the lobby. The Zodiac Killer is a fun little oddity. The Sex Killer is under an hour and pretty forgettable. I’m surprised no other movie has used that title that I’m aware of. Sex and violence are natural sellers and you have them right up front with that one. Any time I find a SWV dvd I dont own and it is cheap I grab it. I got one of their martial arts film on DVD. The film is crap. But it has 5 hours of trailers. Too bad some of the Image released SWV dvds are OOP and getting pricey. I can relate. A while back I saw a lot of 20 SWV DVDs on eBay that I’m kicking myself for not getting. It was only like $90. But that’s the good thing about there being so much great weird stuff on DVD now. My interest are broad enough so that I can keep hunting for other deals and hopefully another one like that SWV lot pops up. It takes patience and sometimes those deals never come, but there is just so much awesome video that I’ll never be able to watch anyway I’m quite content 1996 Me would be jealous anyway haha.
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Ultimo Gallos
Grimlock
Dreams SUCK!Nightmares live FOREVER!
Posts: 14,333
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Post by Ultimo Gallos on Aug 17, 2019 22:27:25 GMT -5
The Mutilator-6 outta 10
Heard about this film since about 88. Saw it was on Shudder. And it was the uncut version.
Opens with a kid accidentally killing his mom. Skip ahead kid is in college. Him and friends us fall break to go-to his home.
This film takes an hour to get goings. The last 20 minutes were great.
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mystermystery
Dennis Stamp
Still in the White Hummer
Posts: 4,324
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Post by mystermystery on Aug 19, 2019 18:39:50 GMT -5
I swear I didn't know. Beast of the Water appeared on my Hulu suggestions and I was in the mood for a monster film. It's about an Indian tribe that supposedly lived by the Fountain of Youth, speaking of the balance of nature. In the 1700s, the white man came to claim their land and had their proverbial wheels balanced by the Enniuatti (water spirit) and now in modern time an old professor who has spent his career studying said tribe is finally close to not only tracking them down, but the fabled Fountain of Youth, too. I know, convenient that the Fountain of Youth is in America. When his college refuses his new research and cuts off all funding, he makes the desperation move to take funding from a pharmaceutical company that would love to sell Fountain Fluid for Insulin prices. Leaving behind his team of students and fellow scientists, he's escorted by a "Security" team on his adventure. Well, one mildly Congo-ian video chat later, the company decides to send his team in with a new Security team...and that's when it happens. In walks Ethan Carter the 3rd. EC3 playing Harris, the head security man. He's a horrible actor. But, he has a second in command. That man is named Bateman (Yeah, I know) and that man is played by Tyrus AKA The Funkasaurus. They are not good actors, but at the very least, you assume this means the monster might have a few good fight scenes. You would be wrong in that assumption. Note, I've included the poster that I didn't know existed until googling the movie after watching it.I The movie is a step-by-step movie held back by its budget but unable to really do much beyond having a very charismatic Native American actor. The Water Spirit has a good design that they don't mind showing with the seeming gimmick that it can drown you by touch, isn't a big fan of being shot, and is very judgmental towards potential victims or survivors. EC3 is some rough acting, y'all. Tyrus is not good. However, there is one actor who is the equivalent of placing a mannequin on screen and dubbing words over its motionlessness. When that character died, it literally took me an extra moment to figure it out because he showed no daggone reaction whatsoever. This thing is not very good and I'm still in awe at the blatancy of the sequel tease. I don't recommend it.
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Post by Jumpin' Jesse Walsh on Aug 21, 2019 20:40:02 GMT -5
My review of House on Haunted Hill (1959)
House on Haunted Hill is William Castle gimmickry on its grandest scale. Come on, let’s face it: this move is downright silly. By modern standards, it’s not scary at all. There are so many points in the story that make me go “Wait, what? Why?” It’s literally your town’s haunted house attraction put to film, with all of the campiness and unconvincing special effects that usually go along with that. But, once it’s all settled and done, will you have a good time? Yes, you’re probably going to have a good time.
Once you accept it as a ridiculous gimmick fest, the film definitely works. The atmosphere is fantastic. The titular house is almost as much of the big star as Vincent Price himself. It’s comprised of secret passageways, lavish bedrooms, a tub of acid if you’re looking for a place to unwind, etc. It’s the stuff of pure horror fantasy. I, for one, would love to live here. It’s never made clear how much of the goings-on in the house are the supernatural or just plain hokum. I don’t think this is an entirely intentional decision, but I like it.
Unsurprisingly, Price is the standout of the cast. I’m admittedly not as familiar with his work as I should be, but he has a style that’s just effortlessly cool. He doesn’t need to dish out these snappy one-liners every minute or constantly mug to the camera. Everything he says drips with sarcasm and sardonic wit. There’s a point toward the end of the film where he openly speculates in front of his guests how he could explain the night’s events and it feels like he’s still trying to screw with their heads. Even when he seems earnest, it still feels like he’s casting shade on somebody.
Your opinion on House on Haunted Hill may depend on how you feel about the plot twist in the film’s last third. I think it fits right along with the film’s objective to be completely off-the-wall at every turn, but I can understand how someone can think it’s a bunch of convoluted bullshit. I mean, when you really think about the twist, nothing about the fateful turn of events quite adds up. I highly doubt anyone involved in the making of it thought too deeply though. Like any good haunted house attraction, this film is here to purely entertain, not explain.
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Ultimo Gallos
Grimlock
Dreams SUCK!Nightmares live FOREVER!
Posts: 14,333
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Post by Ultimo Gallos on Aug 22, 2019 1:28:07 GMT -5
My review of House on Haunted Hill (1959) House on Haunted Hill is William Castle gimmickry on its grandest scale. Come on, let’s face it: this move is downright silly. By modern standards, it’s not scary at all. There are so many points in the story that make me go “Wait, what? Why?” It’s literally your town’s haunted house attraction put to film, with all of the campiness and unconvincing special effects that usually go along with that. But, once it’s all settled and done, will you have a good time? Yes, you’re probably going to have a good time. Once you accept it as a ridiculous gimmick fest, the film definitely works. The atmosphere is fantastic. The titular house is almost as much of the big star as Vincent Price himself. It’s comprised of secret passageways, lavish bedrooms, a tub of acid if you’re looking for a place to unwind, etc. It’s the stuff of pure horror fantasy. I, for one, would love to live here. It’s never made clear how much of the goings-on in the house are the supernatural or just plain hokum. I don’t think this is an entirely intentional decision, but I like it. Unsurprisingly, Price is the standout of the cast. I’m admittedly not as familiar with his work as I should be, but he has a style that’s just effortlessly cool. He doesn’t need to dish out these snappy one-liners every minute or constantly mug to the camera. Everything he says drips with sarcasm and sardonic wit. There’s a point toward the end of the film where he openly speculates in front of his guests how he could explain the night’s events and it feels like he’s still trying to screw with their heads. Even when he seems earnest, it still feels like he’s casting shade on somebody. Your opinion on House on Haunted Hill may depend on how you feel about the plot twist in the film’s last third. I think it fits right along with the film’s objective to be completely off-the-wall at every turn, but I can understand how someone can think it’s a bunch of convoluted bullshit. I mean, when you really think about the twist, nothing about the fateful turn of events quite adds up. I highly doubt anyone involved in the making of it thought too deeply though. Like any good haunted house attraction, this film is here to purely entertain, not explain. In 84 or 85 the local UHF channel aired House on Haunted Hill. Was the first time I remember seeing Price in a horror film. It is still my favorite Price film. Sure it is cheap and a bit cheesy but I love it.
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Sephiroth
Wade Wilson
Surviving
Posts: 28,884
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Post by Sephiroth on Aug 26, 2019 6:06:38 GMT -5
According to Twitter its #InternationalDogDay and while most horror fans would think of Cujo, I'm going to highlight this late 90's piece of schlock. I imagine many on FAN will remember it, as I recall it being a tv movie that aired on USA and was promoted endlessly on RAW. For those of you who saw it back in the day-congrats, the late 90's were an awesome time! But at the same time-oh, you poor thing. My heart weeps for the two hours you will never get back.
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Post by Jumpin' Jesse Walsh on Sept 2, 2019 15:48:54 GMT -5
My review of Sleepaway Camp (1983)
Sleepaway Camp is basically the John Waters version of Friday the 13th. It follows the exact same concept, then spikes the camp chili with a tab of acid. It’s in turns funny, strange, unnerving, and altogether so off its rocker that I’m surprised it even got made, let alone released in theaters. As you probably know, it also boasts one of the most discussed endings in cinema history, which is worth a separate essay alone.
I’ll get to that ending a little bit later in this review but first: I’m always stricken by how this movie is really, really f***** up. The world of Camp Arawak is a dark one, littered with bullies and sexual predators. The latter, with how casual and light-hearted it approaches the subject matter, is beyond the pale. There’s literally a scene where the pedo chef declares his intentions to molest the new kids to the laughter of his fellow staff members. I’m never sure how much of this movie is intentionally bonkers but nevertheless: what the actual hell?
It makes sure the kids aren’t let off the hook as doomed innocents, either. In fact, these are some of the meanest kids to grace a slasher flick. Meg and Judy are unrelenting in their quest to spite Angela for merely existing (though, of course, Angela is revealed to be even more vicious). Rivalries are much more common in this camp than friendships. It’s always boys vs. girls, younger kids vs. older kids, kids vs. adults, etc. Unlike the twentysomethings masking as teens in Friday the 13th, most of the campers are actually kids, which makes them and the interactions between each other a lot more authentic.
Certainly, however, just as authentic is the ending, which I’ll now discuss in earnest. My overall feelings are mixed. It’s definitely out of left field. I don’t think anyone can’t deny that. I’m just not a fan of the “gender identity as a twist” trope because that can, and often does, go down a lot of troubling roads. There are loads of interesting things the film can say about gender and sexual identity, but I ultimately don’t trust a horror film circa 1983 to handle that delicately. I did stumble upon an editorial on Dread Central about whether Sleepaway Camp is transphobic and homophobic and the verdict was that, yeah, it definitely is. But if there’s anything progressive it has to say, it’s that forcing kids into traditional gender roles is dangerous. Obviously it’s also dangerous to link that to murder, but the true extent of Angela’s trauma can loosely represent the feelings of anguish that can emerge from such an abusive upbringing.
You’ll hear you need to watch Sleepaway Camp just to see the ending, but that’s oversimplifying it. The entire movie is bananas. It has a sense of undecipherable weirdness that warrants several rewatches. It deserves all of the hot takes it gets on the Internet. You definitely need to watch it, and not just for the ending.
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mystermystery
Dennis Stamp
Still in the White Hummer
Posts: 4,324
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Post by mystermystery on Sept 2, 2019 16:26:26 GMT -5
TONE-DEAF (2019) from Director Ricky Bates Jr.
It follows a definitively Millennial woman who breaks up with her less than stellar fella and is fired from her job just before Free Lunch Friday, her seemingly favorite part of employment. Everyone (and by that I mean her equally millennial friend and her embracing-hippy-roots mother) encourages her to get away from the big city and go off the grid for a vacation to recharge before re-entering the workforce.
It also follows a definitively Baby Boomer man who has recently lost his wife and is renting his house out as a way to lure someone in because he's decided his life is over (especially with his son encouraging him to move into an assisted living home) and the one thing he never did that he really, really wanted to...was kill someone.
So, we get a lot of generational squabbles, fish-out-of-water comedy, some straight up 4th wall breaking for extra rant initiative, lucid dreams that I'm about 80% sure I did not properly interpret, and it all adds up to a wild dark-comedy slasher film.
A couple of the set-ups don't pay off that well but it plays with the situation created and delivers an enjoyable watch.
Oh, and it has the most heartfelt 'tripping on drugs' scene I've witnessed in quite a while.
3.5 out of 5. 7 out of 10. A Venmo out of Cash Only.
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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 Sept 2, 2019 19:13:13 GMT -5
Yeah I was reading in the trivia section of IMDB that they even had questionnaires at the first screening. Investigators analyzed the questionnaires answered in hopes that one would be the killer. If someone had similar handwriting they were even planning to confront the person in the lobby. The Zodiac Killer is a fun little oddity. The Sex Killer is under an hour and pretty forgettable. I’m surprised no other movie has used that title that I’m aware of. Sex and violence are natural sellers and you have them right up front with that one. Any time I find a SWV dvd I dont own and it is cheap I grab it. I got one of their martial arts film on DVD. The film is crap. But it has 5 hours of trailers. Too bad some of the Image released SWV dvds are OOP and getting pricey. One of my prized possessions is the Something Weird DVD Sampler which is a ton of vintage trailers, mostly movies that Something Weird has in it's library. Like 42nd Street Forever but tons sleazier. I found out about some crazy movies from there, and I always love watching it from time to time.
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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 Sept 2, 2019 19:17:19 GMT -5
My review of Sleepaway Camp (1983) Sleepaway Camp is basically the John Waters version of Friday the 13th. It follows the exact same concept, then spikes the camp chili with a tab of acid. It’s in turns funny, strange, unnerving, and altogether so off its rocker that I’m surprised it even got made, let alone released in theaters. As you probably know, it also boasts one of the most discussed endings in cinema history, which is worth a separate essay alone. I’ll get to that ending a little bit later in this review but first: I’m always stricken by how this movie is really, really f***** up. The world of Camp Arawak is a dark one, littered with bullies and sexual predators. The latter, with how casual and light-hearted it approaches the subject matter, is beyond the pale. There’s literally a scene where the pedo chef declares his intentions to molest the new kids to the laughter of his fellow staff members. I’m never sure how much of this movie is intentionally bonkers but nevertheless: what the actual hell? It makes sure the kids aren’t let off the hook as doomed innocents, either. In fact, these are some of the meanest kids to grace a slasher flick. Meg and Judy are unrelenting in their quest to spite Angela for merely existing (though, of course, Angela is revealed to be even more vicious). Rivalries are much more common in this camp than friendships. It’s always boys vs. girls, younger kids vs. older kids, kids vs. adults, etc. Unlike the twentysomethings masking as teens in Friday the 13th, most of the campers are actually kids, which makes them and the interactions between each other a lot more authentic. Certainly, however, just as authentic is the ending, which I’ll now discuss in earnest. My overall feelings are mixed. It’s definitely out of left field. I don’t think anyone can’t deny that. I’m just not a fan of the “gender identity as a twist” trope because that can, and often does, go down a lot of troubling roads. There are loads of interesting things the film can say about gender and sexual identity, but I ultimately don’t trust a horror film circa 1983 to handle that delicately. I did stumble upon an editorial on Dread Central about whether Sleepaway Camp is transphobic and homophobic and the verdict was that, yeah, it definitely is. But if there’s anything progressive it has to say, it’s that forcing kids into traditional gender roles is dangerous. Obviously it’s also dangerous to link that to murder, but the true extent of Angela’s trauma can loosely represent the feelings of anguish that can emerge from such an abusive upbringing. You’ll hear you need to watch Sleepaway Camp just to see the ending, but that’s oversimplifying it. The entire movie is bananas. It has a sense of undecipherable weirdness that warrants several rewatches. It deserves all of the hot takes it gets on the Internet. You definitely need to watch it, and not just for the ending. I can't recommend enough the Sleepaway Camp episode of How Did This Get Made. It's Paul, June, and Jason basically losing their mind for an hour and change about how bananas this movie is, and trying to unravel the family tree in it. It's a thing of beauty. www.earwolf.com/episode/sleepaway-camp/
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Ultimo Gallos
Grimlock
Dreams SUCK!Nightmares live FOREVER!
Posts: 14,333
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Post by Ultimo Gallos on Sept 2, 2019 21:24:21 GMT -5
Any time I find a SWV dvd I dont own and it is cheap I grab it. I got one of their martial arts film on DVD. The film is crap. But it has 5 hours of trailers. Too bad some of the Image released SWV dvds are OOP and getting pricey. One of my prized possessions is the Something Weird DVD Sampler which is a ton of vintage trailers, mostly movies that Something Weird has in it's library. Like 42nd Street Forever but tons sleazier. I found out about some crazy movies from there, and I always love watching it from time to time. I got that dvd. Great look at the stuff SWV owns. Used that DVD as background noise at 3 Halloween parties so far.
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Post by DSR on Sept 2, 2019 23:26:42 GMT -5
Extra Weird DVD sampler is indeed a thing of beauty!
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Post by DSR on Sept 3, 2019 0:33:22 GMT -5
Sorry to double-post, but with September upon us, I'm now counting down the days to my month-long horror-thon in October. I figured now is as good a time as any to tell y'all about what I'm lining up for the month. As I've mentioned previously, I think I've watched the least horror movies from the current decade (2010-2019) of any decade in the history of horror film. I thought I'd use this October to rectify that a little bit. I do have some flicks already from the decade that I might revisit, but I'll talk briefly about the new stuff I've acquired. Everyday I check out BrodietheSlayer's horror film tournament over in the Games Section of this here forum. I look up each film on the daily list on eBay to see if I can find it on DVD (yes, I'm one of the people who hasn't upgraded to Blu/4k). If it's a.) under 5 bucks (because I'm trying to not spend all of my money) and b.) available as disc only (since I'm out of space on my DVD shelves) I add it to my Watchlist. At the end of the week, I buy roughly $10 worth of DVDs from my Watchlist. This might not be the best way to find the best stuff the decade has to offer. But it's what I'm doing. Here's what I've picked up thus far, in no particular order: SILENT HOUSE MEGA PIRANHA BATTLEDOGS LET ME IN HARD RIDE TO HELL INSIDIOUS DEATH KAPPA MY SOUL TO TAKE SAW: THE FINAL CHAPTER ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER HISSS THE BEAST OF XMOOR AS ABOVE, SO BELOW UNFRIENDED CURSE OF CHUCKY GET OUT (we're not this far in the tournament yet, but I wanted to get this one anyway) Feel free to share your thoughts on my recent pickups (spoiler-free, please!) or discuss your plans for October horror watching.
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