Bobeddy
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Made a Terrible Mistake
Posts: 15,151
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Post by Bobeddy on Dec 7, 2023 9:04:18 GMT -5
Christmas Vacation, Christmas Story, and my all time favorite Christmas movie, Scrooged. I know A Christmas Story seems to be a massive deal in the US but it hasn't really made much of a footprint here in Ireland or the UK. I'd never seen it so I decided to give it a watch on Prime. It's got plenty of fun scenes and good gags throughout and the performances from Ralphie and his dad are especially strong. There's definitely a cosiness to it and the moment towards the end where the dad says there's still one more present is incredibly sweet. While I'm still confused that it's got enough of a following to air for 24 hours, I can certainly see why people like the film.
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Bobeddy
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Made a Terrible Mistake
Posts: 15,151
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Post by Bobeddy on Oct 31, 2023 20:21:38 GMT -5
Not for Halloween but for a con a few years back I went as a guy who couldn't figure out how to beat Doki Doki Literature Club. It was basically me in a suit with a Just Married sign around my neck and wearing a wedding ring, looking depressed while I carried around a completely hollowed out laptop with this image inside the monitor frame. {Spoiler}{Spoiler} It went down really well amongst those that got it.
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Bobeddy
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Made a Terrible Mistake
Posts: 15,151
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Post by Bobeddy on Oct 29, 2023 6:19:27 GMT -5
As a self-professed lover of all things Christmas, I would say anytime in the 20's date range in November is acceptable. So I suppose Black Friday out of the options available.
That date range also stands for earliest acceptable time to put up a Christmas tree. Any earlier and you're a maniac.
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Bobeddy
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Made a Terrible Mistake
Posts: 15,151
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Post by Bobeddy on Oct 18, 2023 4:41:42 GMT -5
The other two were theatrical screenings I hosted as part of the Cine Latino festival here in Minneapolis for their special midnight showings. Pan's Labyrinth is great, of course. We had a really big turnout for it, and I'm pleased that we only had seven disgusted walkouts during Pieces, which might be 'The Room' of college slasher movies.I've never thought of it that way, and that might be the greatest interpretation of "Pieces" I've heard. I love the part where the killer sneaks onto an elevator with a victim, with a running gas-powered chain saw 'hidden' behind his back... And who could ever forget the most passionately visceral exclamation of 'BASTARD!' ever?
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Bobeddy
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Made a Terrible Mistake
Posts: 15,151
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Post by Bobeddy on Oct 15, 2023 18:15:47 GMT -5
Hell House LLC was pretty decent. Liked the build up a lot, although I think the climax could've used a little more oomph. The Belko Experiment was fun too. I watched Hell House on Shudder about 3 months ago and had the exact same thoughts as you. In the last 2 weeks they added the Directors Cut which allarently adds that extra oomph to the climax. I can't vouch for it though as I've not yet gone back to check it out. On the Belko Experiment, I remember catching that in the cinema when it came out and it was definitely a lot of fun. I'm a sucker for a good death game flick.
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Bobeddy
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Made a Terrible Mistake
Posts: 15,151
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Post by Bobeddy on Oct 15, 2023 18:05:21 GMT -5
13 - Pulse (2001) I've always enjoyed a bit of J-horror and figured it was time to check out what's regarded as one of the greats within the sub-genre. Like with a lot of J-horror, I won't pretend like I fully understood everything that happened but that familiar sense of uncanny dread and creeping terror was very much pervasive throughout. It's also hilarious watching a movie about the Internet during its ealry adoption days, with some bits sounding like my parents wrote the script like "Print? Screen?" and "What's a bookmark?". Can't see myself rushing back to watch it like some of my favourite J-horrors but still an overall enjoyable and thoughtful watch.
14 - The Amusement Park (1975) A short film on the issue of elder neglect, directed by George Romero, this was lost for decades before being rediscovered in 2017 and has now been restored. This is a disorientating and chaotic attack on the senses, keeping you off kilter and uneasy like our protagonist. At times I thought it felt like a lower budget, less sprawling Beau Is Afraid. As a fan of Dawn of the Dead it was fun to hear some of the stock music used in that movie reappear here, not to mention the sudden appearance of aggressive bikers towards the end!
15 - Soft & Quiet (2022) I won't say too much as not to spoil for anyone that might want to watch it, but this is an uncomfortable movie in many many ways. Shot in a single take with the story progressing in real-time, it puts front and centre characters with some extremely unsavoury beliefs. This is a slow boil, with the film showing how 'harmless' rhetoric and big talk can escalate quickly into actions and, from there, terrible consequences.
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Bobeddy
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Made a Terrible Mistake
Posts: 15,151
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Post by Bobeddy on Oct 14, 2023 3:22:55 GMT -5
14. Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) She got freaked out by the beginning but then loved the music. I used to hate this, but it’s pretty legit. This is interesting. I watched Nightmare a long long time ago and really didn't care for it or saw what the big deal was. But given how seemingly universally it's loves I thought maybe I should give it another shot. I'm sticking to first time watches for this October watch but I think I'll give Nightmare a rewatch some time in December. House of 1k Corpses is the better horror movie. Devils Rejects is the better revenge/Explotiation film. If I can manage to track down House anywhere, I'll add it to the watchlist this month.
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Bobeddy
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Made a Terrible Mistake
Posts: 15,151
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Post by Bobeddy on Oct 13, 2023 6:49:21 GMT -5
11) House of 1,000 Corpses (2003) - First time watch, which is funny because in in the early 2000s I was super excited for this. I remember asking at the Lions Gates booths at Dragoncon 2001 and San Diego Comic Con 2002 when it would be released and the people I spoke to said they'd seen it, and they'd like it, but it didn't have a date. (They said the same thing in 2002 about Run Ronnie Run) When it finally came out in Spring 2003, I somehow missed the theatrical run and held out renting it because I was sure it was going to get re-released in theaters at some point. It only took two decades... I liked it. You can tell Zombie as a first time film-maker wanted to put all of his favorite movies into his movie in case he never got the chance to make a film again. Hyper-stylized and experimental, outside of a weak ending it's exactly what you'd want out of a Rob Zombie movie. Despite having seen Devil's Rejects a few years back, I've also not yet seen House of 1000 Corpses. If you've seen both, which one would you say is better?
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Bobeddy
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Made a Terrible Mistake
Posts: 15,151
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Post by Bobeddy on Oct 12, 2023 17:34:50 GMT -5
10 - V/H/S/85 (2023) I'd heard of the V/H/S series back when the original came out but never got round to watching any of them until I finally watched 94 a few weeks back. I thought it was fine but wasn't blown away. I'd heard positive buzz on this one so decided to check it out and I very much enjoyed this one more. Out of the 5 stories presented there was only one that I didn't vibe with, but the others shorts made up for that one missing the mark. It's always fun seeing the different approaches and styles the different directors take and it's made me want to check out some of the other more highly considered films in the franchise.
11 - Slumber Party Massacre (1982) I realised I'd not watched a straight up slasher so thought I'd best correct that. At times this almost feels like a parody, and in reading the Wikipedia afterwards I saw that it originally began life as a parody, which makes total sense. It's nothing groundbreaking but it's certainly an entertaining watch if you're not taking it too seriously. Then again, I don't know how anyone could take an extraordinarily average non-imposing guy wielding the extremely inefficient murder weapon that is a giant drill seriously. Watch it with some friends and enjoy the silliness.
12 - Tigers Are Not Afraid (2017) This is a bit of a strange one. I'm reluctant to call this a straight up horror as it's really more of a modern dark fantasy with some horror elements in it. But as the movie goes on those elements become more frequent and drastically more horrific. Also, this movie is BLEAK. Remove the fantasy/horror bits and it's still a movie about orphaned Mexican street children trying to survive amidst gangs and human traffickers. While it might not meet the strict classification of horror this was still a really good movie that is certainly worth a watch.
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Bobeddy
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Made a Terrible Mistake
Posts: 15,151
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Post by Bobeddy on Oct 10, 2023 9:42:15 GMT -5
About a decade ago I was in my early 20's, was in my final year of college and was unsure if I'd done the right course and what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I was studying and working part-time as a dishwasher in a restaurant, so I was stressed, tired and fed up. A lot of the media I was consuming at the time was fairly dark and bleak so at this particular low point, as silly as it sounds, watching something as overbearingly wholesome and optimistic as MLP:FiM actually helped a great deal. No specific examples from me, but "Mystery Science Theater 3000". MST3K was another show I discovered during college. I've strong nostalgia of watching full episodes late at night on YouTube feeling a sense of nostalgia for the aesthetic and vibe of the show. So double-nostalgia for me. Similarly, during that first year or so of the pandemic when lockdowns were strictly enforced here in Ireland, having NXT and AEW to watch was something to look forward to every week.
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Bobeddy
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Made a Terrible Mistake
Posts: 15,151
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Post by Bobeddy on Oct 9, 2023 18:32:38 GMT -5
I honestly thought I'd miss out a day by now, but so far I've managed to keep the chain going.
5 - Castlevania: Nocturne (2023) Okay technically not a movie, but considering myself and my girlfriend binged Season 1 in a day, I feel like it can be a sufficient substitute. I watched the original Castlevania series about 2 years ago and loved it, so I was really looking forward to this coming out. I like the group dynamic they've set up in this one. Right now I'm preferring Trevor over Richter and Dracula over Bathory but I'm conscious this is based off one season vs four seasons. That said I still really liked the show and the tease hook at the end of the finale got the proper reaction from me and I look forward to Season 2.
6 - The Exorcist: Believer (2023) My first movie in this challenge that I saw in the cinema. One of the things I love and find hilarious in the Conjuring-verse movies is how Christianity is treated like a freaking superpower and there's very much an 'Avengers assemble' moment in this that had me smiling big. But overall I was pretty cool on this one. It was nice seeing Ellen Burstyn again but I didn't feel too invested in our new main character. If anything I was more interested in exploring the backstory of his neighbour! I would have preferred more freaky little girl shenanigans to take place between them getting possessed and the parents considering they were possessed. Apparently it's getting a sequel, which I'm glad to hear because if this was a standalone then every single person in that took part in the exorcism was a freaking idiot. Hopefully the sequel can undo some of that.
7 - The Night Eats The World (2018) A French (though all dialogue is in English) zombie movie where our protagonist wakes up after a house party and Paris has completely succumbed to the virus. This is a bit of a different take on the zombie movie as it's more about him being holed up in the apartment building and focusing on surviving rather than escaping. It feels like a movie made during the pandemic but actually came out 2 years prior. It's a much more quiet zombie film than normal which I found interesting and I'd say it's worth a watch.
8 - Sinister (2012) I'd seen this mentioned in a bunch of recommendations so finally decided to check it out. Gotta say, I was pretty disappointed. I liked the home movies going from normal family stuff to murderous macabre inversions of them, but beyond that I wasn't feeling it. I didn't care about the characters so didn't feel concern when they were in peril, and while I enjoy a good 'spooky' movie a lot of the scares and the monster design seemed kinda hokey.
9 - Re-animator (1985) What a treat this turned out to be! I loved this movie. Looking at Wikipedia I can see the director went on to do Honey I Shrunk The Kids (one of my favourite films as a kid) and there's very much a similar vibe in this. It's like Honey I Shrunk The Kids meets Return of the Living Dead or Death Becomes Her. Everyone in the cast nails what they're supposed to be doing and there's just the right amount of hamminess and scenery-chewint. It's schlocky and zany and over-the-top and a lot of fun to watch.
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Bobeddy
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Made a Terrible Mistake
Posts: 15,151
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Post by Bobeddy on Oct 5, 2023 15:24:04 GMT -5
I don't know if I'll manage to do a horror movie a day, but I'll see if I can at least hit 31 in the month so it averages out. So far though, I am 4 for 4 and all ones that I've not seen before.
Oct 1st - Hellraiser (1987) Probably the most egregious gap in my horror watching history, which I finally decided to rectify. I was surprised at how little the Cenobites feature in the movie overall but really I shouldn't have been surprised seen as that's often how classic horror franchise characters start out. I wasn't massively taken with the movie overall. While the practical effects were great, I found most of the performances of the main cast to be pretty stilted and poor which really took me out of the movie. I'm glad I saw it but wouldn't be rushing back to watch it again.
Oct 2nd - Lake Mungo (2008) I'd seen this mentioned in a few horror recommendation threads on Reddit and figured I'd check it out. A faux-documentary about the experiences of a family after their teenage daughter drowns. This is a real slow burner that is more creepy than scary but what it does, it does very effectively. Maybe it's helped by the Australian accent but it was probably the most convincing performances of people pretending to be in a doc.
Oct 3rd - Scanners (1981) I've seen plenty of David Cronenberg's stuff but never the movie that really put him on the map. It's really more of a sci-fi thriller than a horror but, as expected with Cronenberg, when the body horror kicks in, it kicks hard! I also loved Patrick McGoohan in this, top notch B-Movie acting.
Oct 4th - Deadstream (2022) I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this. It was a fun take on the found footage genre and I loved how accurate they nailed the obnoxious YouTuber/streamer character. When the creepy bits start up, you do get nervy and there are some real laugh out loud moments in here. While sometimes I felt it got a little too goofy in parts, a constant source of laughs was hearing the main characters perfect terrified scream. Clearly done on a budget but a lot of charm and worth a watch.
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Bobeddy
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Made a Terrible Mistake
Posts: 15,151
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Post by Bobeddy on Sept 16, 2023 18:24:14 GMT -5
I listen to a fair few UK comedian podcasts and for the last while they've alluded to an A-list comedian that's a known 'wrong'un' but there were injunctions and legal threats so they couldn't risk saying who.
There's a lot of comedians on Twitter now coming out saying Brand was said wrong'un.
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Bobeddy
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Made a Terrible Mistake
Posts: 15,151
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Post by Bobeddy on Jul 27, 2023 10:22:05 GMT -5
Having spent well over a decade watching Supernatural, it was quite the revelation to hear an interview with Misha Collins and realise that his voice isn't anywhere near as deep and gravelly as the one he does as Castiel.
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Bobeddy
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Made a Terrible Mistake
Posts: 15,151
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Post by Bobeddy on Jun 28, 2023 19:03:00 GMT -5
Raising Dad ran for 1 season back in 2001 with Bob Saget as the lead. But it was also the first main roles for the two actresses playing his daughters, Kat Dennings and Brie Larson.
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Bobeddy
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Made a Terrible Mistake
Posts: 15,151
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Post by Bobeddy on Jun 28, 2023 15:56:38 GMT -5
Courtney Cox's first main role on TV was as a telekinetic teenager in the 1 season, 16 episode sci-fi show Misfits of Science from 1985.
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Bobeddy
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Made a Terrible Mistake
Posts: 15,151
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Post by Bobeddy on Jun 26, 2023 9:44:25 GMT -5
I saw the movie with my girlfriend over the weekend. We thought it was absolutely fine. By no means the worst superhero movie, not even close to the worst DC movie. All told we thought it was decent enough and had a good time.
When it comes to the effects work, for the most part the clips that I saw online where they looked absolutely horrendous, look grand on the big screen.
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Bobeddy
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Made a Terrible Mistake
Posts: 15,151
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Post by Bobeddy on Jun 5, 2023 5:04:18 GMT -5
If people are grumpy about Across' cliffhanger situation, then I am so glad Twitter and Social Media didn't exist when Empire Strikes Back happened lmfao We already had that with Infinity War’s big ‘ol cliffhanger. I don't think that's an exact comparison as when Phase 3 was announced Endgame was originally called Infinity War Part 2 so I think the majority of people knew that there would be some kind of loose threads hanging. Plus the overall serial nature of the MCU lender itself to the idea that not everything would be wrapped up in 3 acts. I think a better comparison would be the new Dune. I'd happened to read the week before its release that it was a Part One, but based off the level of angry murmuring once credits hit there, I don't think most people were aware.
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Bobeddy
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Made a Terrible Mistake
Posts: 15,151
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Post by Bobeddy on May 31, 2023 8:05:35 GMT -5
There going to replace it with Malk. How else will kids get their Vitamin R?
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Bobeddy
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Made a Terrible Mistake
Posts: 15,151
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Post by Bobeddy on May 25, 2023 7:24:32 GMT -5
While Flight is definitely the flashier and more useful of the powers, I feel like as soon as someone with powers becomes conspicuous then it's only a matter of time before some government or organisation is all over them trying to enlist them to their agenda through whatever means necessary.
With that in mind, I will take the power that will help make me inconspicuous and figure out the most noble way to make easy cash through invisibility.
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