The WC Horror Thread Part 3: In 3-D!

[Welfare Willis]

May 15, 2009 12:39:35 GMT -5 GuyOfOwnage said:

May 15, 2009 11:14:41 GMT -5 Lick Ness Monster said:

Mears was a very good Jason, 'Schach. Although as DSR once said about the movie as a whole, they managed to replicate a pretty simple formula without snorking it up too much. The same is true with the role of Jason, as I'm not one of the "OMG it ain't Kane Hodder" fans. As long as it's somebody big and brutal, I'm happy.

I agree, Mears' Jason was really well-played. He reminded me a lot of Kane's Jason, with a few little quirks of his own. And to be honest, I think a lot of the "OMG it ain't Kane" disappeared following FvJ. As opposed to Kirzinger replacing Hodder, I think fans were more accepting of a new guy playing Jason this time around.

Yep, We'll always have a soft spot for Kane, but everyone has moved on from this.

[andrew8798]

Another 3-D horror movie

Snakes on a Plane and Final Destination 2 director David Ellis will follow-up his work on the fourth 3-D Final Destination film with another 3-D project – this one a sci-fi horror film called Humpty Dumpty.

The movie details the story of a creature who unleashes his rage on the world, embarking on a murderous rampage after his alien mother is abused by two rednecks in the Deep South.

Billy Majestic is writing the script.

Former New Line exec Mark Ordesky is producing with Darryn Welch of Instinctive Film and Suzanne de Passe and Madison Jones of the iDream Co. Fabienne Villette will co-produce.

U.K. sales and finance entity Intandem Films is exec producing and handling worldwide sales on the pic, which is slated to go into production in September.

Don't think I will be checking this one out

[Rorschach]

May 15, 2009 17:46:24 GMT -5 andrew8798 said:

Another 3-D horror movie

Snakes on a Plane and Final Destination 2 director David Ellis will follow-up his work on the fourth 3-D Final Destination film with another 3-D project – this one a sci-fi horror film called Humpty Dumpty.

The movie details the story of a creature who unleashes his rage on the world, embarking on a murderous rampage after his alien mother is abused by two rednecks in the Deep South.

Billy Majestic is writing the script.

Former New Line exec Mark Ordesky is producing with Darryn Welch of Instinctive Film and Suzanne de Passe and Madison Jones of the iDream Co. Fabienne Villette will co-produce.

U.K. sales and finance entity Intandem Films is exec producing and handling worldwide sales on the pic, which is slated to go into production in September.

Don't think I will be checking this one out

No...that title HAS to go...unless this is a murderous mutant egg man on a rampage through Dixie, you can't just call it Humpty Dumpty.

Hey...that gives me an idea...DSR, would you be interested in bankrolling a movie about a mutant egg-man rampaging through Georgia? DIXIE DUMPTY....I can see it now! Of course, we could get Troma to pitch in with SFX and whatnot, since that would TOTALLY be their kind of film.

[Big DSR Energy]

May 15, 2009 20:11:24 GMT -5 Rorschach said:

May 15, 2009 17:46:24 GMT -5 andrew8798 said:

Another 3-D horror movie



Don't think I will be checking this one out

No...that title HAS to go...unless this is a murderous mutant egg man on a rampage through Dixie, you can't just call it Humpty Dumpty.

Hey...that gives me an idea...DSR, would you be interested in bankrolling a movie about a mutant egg-man rampaging through Georgia? DIXIE DUMPTY....I can see it now! Of course, we could get Troma to pitch in with SFX and whatnot, since that would TOTALLY be their kind of film.

a.) I think I would prefer if the project was sort of a period horror film, taking place in medieval England and stuff. Sort of Roger Corman's Poe cycle meets old school nursery rhymes.

b.) I do not have money for this bankrolling you speak of, but I'm willing to be a part of this production, and I've got access to cameras, lighting equipment, and other such periphernalia we'll be needing. Send me a script.

[Big DSR Energy]

Also, I hate to double post (really, I don't hate it, but shut up, I'm talkin' here!), but I recently received a DVD of the Dario Argento picture Phenomena!

I'm not going to go into details on this one, but I think Phenomena is my new favorite Argento picture. It's got a lot of the Argento trademarks that I liked in Suspiria, but without all that ballet getting in the way of my enjoyment of the picture. Plus, while I have nothing against Jessica Harper, I prefer Jennifer Connelly all around. And also, I automatically have to love a movie that prominently features both Donald Pleasance and a chimp. And the whole final half-hour or so is just fantastic! 4. 5 stars out of 5.

<And, as an aside, I'd like to throw a nomination in here for the band Goblin for TR's horror hall of fame to start out the next thread...whenever we get to it.>

[Lick Ness Monster]

May 15, 2009 22:39:07 GMT -5 Big DSR Energy said:

And, as an aside, I'd like to throw a nomination in here for the band Goblin for TR's horror hall of fame to start out the next thread...whenever we get to it.>

Duly noted.

While Phenomena isn't my favorite Aregnto flick, it's actually the movie that Dario himself likes the best out of his own work. The man could basically do no wrong during that glory period (1975-87), and Phenomena is no different.

The last half hour is some really electric stuff; that's the thing about Dario's movies, especially when you compare them to the huge spate of "mystery killer" movies today, where 90% of the time you leave the theater feeling ripped off. Climaxes in Argento's movies are, in general, friggin' epic; the only exception I can really think of from his glory period is Opera.

I REALLY wish they would have gone with the original ending to that movie (in which the opera singer ISN'T faking it when she says she is exactly like her mother, and that she is sadistically in love with the movie's killer, leading to the new pair escaping the police). Why it was changed to the sunnier, extremely lame Michelle McCool-ish "loving life" ending is a mystery to me; maybe Dario just got cold feet that people might not have liked his dark, more open ending. Had they gone with the original plan, I dare say that Opera, not Suspiria, would be considered his greatest film.

And finally...I work a third shift job, and when Friday night rolls around, I'm dead tired. Wasn't able to stay up and watch The Howling on Fear Friday last night, but it inspired me to pull my DVD out of the woodwork and give it another go. I've always considered it to be kind of a mediocre flick; there's parts I really like about it (well, okay, ONE part - Elisabeth Brooks. Good lord was she hot), but there's also A LOT of cheese. Which ordinarily isn't a problem, but Joe Dante was shooting for a pretty straight-laced werewolf flick.

The ending is also unintentionally hilarious. I know I've posted it on here before, but the Dee Wallace-Wolf looks like a humanoid yorkie dog (credit to tehboobz for that phrase). Too funny.



But, to me, the funniest part of the movie's last six minutes is after the live TV transformation when the one guy watching on the tiny television says in the most UNIMPRESSED voice imaginable "Oh boy." And then to sweeten the deal the newscast cuts to a dog food commercial. ;D

Anyway, The Howling is a decent flick, with an interesting premise, but unfortunately, it fails in execution. Brooks' hotness automatically pulls it up a star, however, so ** 1/2 for The Howling.

[Welfare Willis]

May 15, 2009 22:39:07 GMT -5 Big DSR Energy said:

Also, I hate to double post (really, I don't hate it, but shut up, I'm talkin' here!), but I recently received a DVD of the Dario Argento picture Phenomena!

I'm not going to go into details on this one, but I think Phenomena is my new favorite Argento picture. It's got a lot of the Argento trademarks that I liked in Suspiria, but without all that ballet getting in the way of my enjoyment of the picture. Plus, while I have nothing against Jessica Harper, I prefer Jennifer Connelly all around. And also, I automatically have to love a movie that prominently features both Donald Pleasance and a chimp. And the whole final half-hour or so is just fantastic! 4. 5 stars out of 5.

<And, as an aside, I'd like to throw a nomination in here for the band Goblin for TR's horror hall of fame to start out the next thread...whenever we get to it.>

Yes, I quite enjoy the film as well. While we are on the subject of Argento again let me say that I watched Mother of Tears (Uncut) over the weekend and I enjoyed it.

Really the first word to come to mind watching Mother of Tears: Brutal. There were moments in the film I had a very visceral reaction to what was happening onscreen. Argento's camera technique still puts younger directors to shame and he is on his game here. The music is once again wonderfully done.

So what's bad? Well I had a few minor complaints. I'm not a big fan of cgi. While Dario rarely uses it in the film when he does it's noticable. CGI is only good when you can't tell when some one used cgi. I felt the parts with the spirit of Asia's character mother were hokey. Finally, I was not crazy about the Mother of Tears. While the actress playing her certainly was beautiful I prefer her in costume then without. Although boobies were enjoyed.

Still I think it's a worthy successor, but to finish out the trilogy? I don't know. It's still worth your time to check out the uncut version.

[Lick Ness Monster]

Mother of Tears is decent, but nothing to write home about. The first murder scene is brutal and perfect, but a lot of what happened afterward felt like a letdown. I held the first two chapters of the "Mothers" trilogy in VERY high regard; I truly hoped that this would be the Star Wars trilogy of the horror genre, and thus, I expected something pretty epic for the big finale. Mother of Tears is just lacking that "epic finale" feel, and mostly, just feels like another damn horror flick. Not bad, but nowhere near what it could have been.

[andrew8798]

Title change - Final Destination: Death Trip 3D is now

The Final Destination

[Lick Ness Monster]

Since I'm home on Saturday night with nothing to do, I'm kicking back with a couple old favorites - the original Japanese Ju-On (the very first direct-to-video film) and the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Should be an evening of quality.

Any other sad sacks out there tonight?

[thump]

May 16, 2009 20:02:02 GMT -5 Lick Ness Monster said:

Since I'm home on Saturday night with nothing to do, I'm kicking back with a couple old favorites - the original Japanese Ju-On (the very first direct-to-video film) and the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Should be an evening of quality.

Any other sad sacks out there tonight?

Oh yeah, I'm spending the evening with Joe Spinell and The Last Horror Film. If I have enough energy, I'll also revisit Maniac.

As for Argento, I like Mother of Tears, but I don't think it feels like Argento. It feels like a batshit Italian movie, but not classy Argento movie. I have to say, I hate the fake boobs though. I don't think the Mother or Tears should have icky looking implants.

Phenomena is a favorite of mine, but I don't have anything to add that hasn't been said. It has one of the great haunting Argento/Goblin scores.

[Rorschach]

May 16, 2009 20:02:02 GMT -5 Lick Ness Monster said:

Since I'm home on Saturday night with nothing to do, I'm kicking back with a couple old favorites - the original Japanese Ju-On (the very first direct-to-video film) and the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Should be an evening of quality.

Any other sad sacks out there tonight?

You know it. I'll probably be watching DOG SOLDIERS and THE DESCENT. An evening with Neil Marshall sounds pleasant. Well, not as pleasant as getting a girl, but as close as I come these days.

*SIGH*

Well, hell, since I'm here, I may as well throw this review in here:



SPLINTER (2008)

Starring: Paul Costanzo, Jill Wagner, and Shea Whigham

SPLINTER is one of those creature features that makes me really wish the ol drive through near where I live was still around: it would be PERFECT for that medium. As unabashedly simple a movie as they come, SPLINTER is the tale of two young lovers who run afoul of a pair of criminals first, and something much, MUCH worse later.

SPLINTER opens with a shot of a lonely gas station attendant sitting in a lawn chair, and not doing much of a damn thing...until he sees something moving in the grass. He steps forward to investigate further when all of a sudden, something rushes through the grass and weeds ans leaps upon him, causing him to shriek, and the screen to go black.

We then meet our lead couple Seth (Costanzo) and Polly (Wagner) who just want to get away in the wilderness for a weekend alone on their anniversary....but the problem is, Seth is just NOT an outdoors type of guy. This leads to him suggesting, after breaking one of their tent poles, that the couple head back to a hotel, and nicer, more Seth-friendly accommodations. Polly agrees, and before long, the two have repacked their nice SUV and are on the road back to civilization. This leads directly to them crossing paths with the desperate criminal couple named Dennis and Lacey, played by Whigham and Rachel Kerbs respectively. To say that these two called to mind a less vicious Mickey and Mallory is an understatement, though I would read that more as a tribute to Woody Harrellson and Juliette Lewis than anything else...I mean, they're not exact replicas of the NATURAL BORN KILLERS couple, but it's close enough to ring little bells of familiarity, if you get what I'm saying.

Anyway, this desperate couple wastes no time in kidnapping the yuppies, and making them change their route to benefit Dennis and Lacey's itinerary. In my mind, the scenes here in the SUV are some of the most tense in the film, and it's a testament to SPLINTER that this film could have been all about these four and this hostage situation and it STILL would have been an excellent film. That's how good these four are in their roles, and what kind of chemistry they have together. For Lacey and Dennis, there IS no "good robber, bad robber" routine...either of them could legitimately snap and kill you on a whim...or either could be your best friend in the world. The fact that a monster comes into play is only icing on the cake, and only serves to add even more tension to the situation.

Of course, as I said, SPLINTER does not try and re-invent the wheel, so the usual cliche's are there: the car breaks down, the two couples step out to repair it, and have their first encounter with the monster. Dennis and Polly stay by the car to fix it's flat tire, while Lacey drags Seth over to investigate what she swears is the corpse of her long lost doggie. Of course, we learn that Lacey is on a massive come down from some very powerful drugs, and what she sees is a a roadkill...which happens to be infested with some very weird spikes. Lacey forces Seth to try and save her "dog"...and Seth ends up having a very close call with the spikes, while back at the car, Dennis has had his own encounter with one of the splinters while taking off the damaged tire.

Eventually, the two couples decide to seek repair for their damaged car at the nearest gas station...which just so happens to be the one that we saw the attendant getting attacked at earlier. Before you can say "John Carpenter's THE THING", the monster, possessing the body of the dead attendant, has killed one of the four, and trapped the other three people inside the gas station. What follows in the rest of the movie is a pretty tense little standoff, and some pretty creative scenes of gore, carnage, and man vs. alien creature combat.

To say any more would be spoiling things, but I think SPLINTER is a worthwhile film, with an awesome creature that's different enough from anything else out there to at least merit a watch. I enjoyed the hell out of it, and thought it was a fun monster movie, myself; then again, I wasn't expecting it to be as good, or as fun, as it was. Color me surprised, and impressed.

*** out of five.

[Big DSR Energy]

On my way home from work yesterday, I stopped into the local Big Lots since they have 3 dollar DVDs all the time, and today I grabbed Legend Films's release of the original LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. I figured the combination of Roger Corman's 2-day long, flying-by-the-seat-of-our-pants production and the wit of MST3K's Mike Nelson on a special commentary track would be a winning pair.

And it was. While I think Nelson works better with his MST/Rifftrax compatriots giving him more to play off of, he's quite funny on his own. Though, surprisingly (to me, at least), I found myself laughing more at the jokes already in the movie than at Nelson's commentary. It's an utterly silly movie from start to finish, nothing is honestly played as "Horror" at all. The jokes are often corny, but I can't say with any certainty whether I laughed because of their corniness or in spite of it.

At any rate, I really enjoyed the sort of DYI, improvisational feel of the whole experience. 3.5 stars out of 5. Very fun, with or without Mike Nelson.

[Rorschach]

This one should get TR talking.....



THE GRUDGE 3 (2009)

Starring Gil McKinney, Shawnee Smith, and Aiko Horiuchi

So it's been five years since the original GRUDGE came stateside, and in that time, Kayako has racked up the body count in her home country and made her way to the American city of Chicago via an exchange student who survived the cursed house of the Saeki clan, only to die at the hands of Kayako when the student returned to her Chicago tenement building, proving that you can NEVER escape the curse of Kayako... only prolong your inevitable doom.

That building has now been taken over almost wholesale by Kayako and her clan, to the point where the residents who haven't been killed are fleeing in droves. One such person who was driven not only away, but also insane with fear and paranoia, is that exchange student's little brother Jake, who is under the care of a Dr. Sullivan (Smith) who is very skeptical of Jake's story of an invisible woman who can walk through walls and wants nothing more than to kill him deader than last week's dinner. Jake pleads desperately with Dr. Sullivan that Kayako is real, and that she's coming for him...but this being a horror movie, do you expect that she listens to him?

Hell no...and it doesn't take long for that familiar croak to emanate from the speakers once again, and Kayako to claim yet another victim...all before Dr. Sullivan and the guard can make it to Jake's room in time to save him.

Cut back to the apartment building, where we meet our core family of Max (McKinney), his little sister Rose (Jadie Hobson) and his college age and leaving home soon sister Lisa (Johanna E. Braddy). Max is the super of the newly cursed building, and is reminded on a daily basis by the owner that if more people don't start moving in, he's going to lose his job. This would spell disaster for Max on several levels, as Lisa is leaving and taking her income with her, leaving Max to be the sole caregiver for Rose, who has a very bad lung condition, and big medical bills. Max is stuck between a rock and a hard place, because he can't do anything to keep the old residents, who are just terrified of the place, and new residents aren't exactly clamoring to get into a complex where such graphic killings occurred. In order to save his job, and the complex, Maxx needs a miracle. One might just be coming, as we cut to...

Japan, where we meet a young lady named Naoko, who is fighting with her husband over some slanderous rumors that have been slung her way at work. She is convinced that the only way to stop these rumors, is to go to the place in America that her co-workers are harrassing her about, and seeing if what they say is true...that the same curse that infects the Saeki house is now infecting a tenement in Chicago. Why Naoko cares so much about this is a mystery that must be preserved, so I won't go into it much further here, save to say that she is VERY personally invested in the strange case of Kayako AND the Chicago building.

THE GRUDGE 3 is a strange film...one that I personally could have gone forever without them making. I was fine with how things ended up in part 2 and didn't think this series needed a third installment. But this film...though it takes a little while to get going, it won me over through it's central mystery, and through the slow burn metamorphosis of Max, who becomes more and more and more like Kayako's sinister husband Takeo throughout the film, culminating in a genuinely shocking third act that I have to confess, caught me flat footed and elicited an "Oh CRAP!" moment from me.

The acting is decent all around, though nothing great, and I notice that they have a new lady playing Kayako...though the only reason I noticed is because there IS enough of a difference to be noticeable to someone who is a fan of the series, and someone who payed close attention to series regular Takako Fuji. The new Kayako, whose name is Aiko Horiuchi, does a commendable job, and though long time series fans like myself will notice the difference, the average viewer will not be able to...she's that good at playing Kayako.

The makeup and gore effects are outstanding, and there's just enough nastiness to keep the gore-fans entertained throughout the buildup of the plot.

My only real gripe with the movie, honestly, is that even THIS film couldn't bring itself to close the book for good on the series. A definitive ending would have been nice...and I can't help but deduct a star for that open-ending that didn't NEED to be open. Yessir, I have to throw a bullcrap flag on the end of the movie, but other than that, it is a decent ride, and a solid entry into the series.

*** out of five. Would have been four, but that ENDING...man.

[GuyOfOwnage]

Being the slasher aficionado that I am, I decided to pick up this little documentary the other day:



I watched it when it originally aired back in 2006, and I remember it being pretty good.

[Lick Ness Monster]

The Grudge 3 sounds like a killer time, even without Fuji and Takashi Shimizu himself involved in any way. I haven't seen the film, but it sounds like the new people in charge of the series did more than just go for a quick cash-grab with it, and actually put some genuine effort into the story and all-around "creepy factor" that has SOMEHOW managed to get under my skin with all SIX incantations of Grudge that I've seen thus far. Yup, even Ju-On: The Curse 2 scared me on some level.

And I actually like the decision to make the American films more streamlined than the Japanese ones, which jumped around in time like a Tarantino film. The gimmick was very fresh and original in those first four films (as the trick hadn't been used much in horror films), but admittedly, it was starting to get a little stale by the time Ju-On: The Grudge 2 rolled around (you know, while it's really quite simple, it must be confusing to virgins of the Grudge series just WHAT movie is what by just reading them).

Anyway, I really want to see this new movie, and your review convinced me that I should. Kayako, regardless of who's playing her, is one of my three favorite villains in all of moviedom. What a great character.

Since I haven't thrown up a review on here in a while, and I'm starting to run a little dry on the well of flicks to review, I'm trying something different today.

Yup, TR is really scraping the bottom of the barrel and reviewing a DVD special feature (although it HAD been released as a stand-alone VHS years ago), but one that should be must-see viewing for horror fans. Also, since it's not a fictional film, no star rating this time (which I'm sure everyone will lose sleep over).

So last night, with nothing to do and no friends to call, I sat down and watched The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. And no, not the 2003 Michael Bay-produced remake. The original one. The GOOD one. TCM is definitely a polarizing movie; it seems that people (even horror fans, and not just regular people) either love it or hate it, with really no middle ground. Personally, I love the film; I just saw it for the first time four years ago, and the pure, crummy rawness of the entire 84-minute running time results in some truly captivating stuff. It's SO low-budget that it looks like a documentary, and that only serves to heighten the suspense of the proceedings; Leatherface is someone who could be out there at this moment. As Rorschach once said, he's not magical or mystical or occult like other horror villains, he's just one freakin' deranged human being. Also notable in the film is its complete and utter lack of a coherent arc. This story is just THERE, for the viewer to take what they will out of it, and to attempt to make sense of the beastly man with the mask of human skin in whatever way they can.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Shocking Truth is, to my knowledge, the best documentary on not only the original film, but the sequels in the franchise as well. As a compendium on the series, it's right up there with more recent favorites like Halloween: 25 Years of Terror and His Name Was Jason.

The film itself went through many title changes before the shooting began; my personal favorite was Head Cheese, with the film's ACTUAL title just being one of the "dummy" titles they had used for the scripting process. In the end, the filmmakers realized that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre would probably look best on a drive-in theater's marquee, and the rest is history.

Obviously, The Shocking Truth delves into the real life inspiration for the film. To this day, it still astonishes me that so many people actually BELIEVE that the events depicted in this film, blow-for-blow, actually happened. Needless to say, I've been in countless conversations with people about this film who, at some point, say, "you know, they never caught that guy," to which I say, "funny, especially as to how THAT GUY never existed."

Nope, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is inspired - very loosely - on the exploits of Ed Gein, truly one of the most deranged figures in the history of American crime. Not a serial killer in the traditional sense (his actual body count only reached two), Gein was instead more a ghoul. Raised by an extremely religious mother who brought him up to believe that all women were immoral whores, Gein himself developed a fixation with his mother over time and extreme sexual deviation. After the death of his mother, he made frequent forays into his local cemetery, digging up corpses in an effort to create a suit made of women's skin (yup, Gein also inspired Thomas Harris' character Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs). Gein's exploits had been frequently told to Hooper as a child, and the true story had a great effect on him. Thus, in an effort to replicate something that scared him most, Tobe Hooper created Leatherface.

There are some VERY disturbing pictures in relation to Gein; not only of the deviant's ugly mug, but of the squalid house that he called home. It also includes a shot of one his honest-to-God VICTIMS, as when police raided Gein's house to arrest him, they found his second victim strung up, split down the middle, and hanging from his ceiling.

But the overall impression that I got from watching The Shocking Truth was appreciation. I had read many times about how low-budget this film was, but I truly did not appreciate what Hooper and his small bunch of actors went through making this film until watching this featurette. For starters, filming took place in the middle of summer - in the middle of a Texas summer, with temperatures sweltering at or above 100 degrees, oftentimes in enclosed spaces with no air conditioning for long 12-14 hour shoots.

The movie's famous "dinner time" scene was one continuous 26-hour shoot, just one of many aspects of shooting the film that was very hard on actress Marilyn Burns. The actress herself seemed to have endured many of the hideous tortures she went through in the ACTUAL film, including Hooper making Burns leap off a 10-foot scaffolding to simulate the effect of leaping out of the window after the dinner scene. The limp in the ensuing chase wasn't acting, and neither were the cuts in the chase scene after Franklin's death.

The documentary also pulls no punches in regards to the tragic tales of just how little the actors involved got paid. Desperate for a distribution deal, the financiers behind the film struck a deal with a mafia company. As a result, the speculative shares of the net profits that had been promised to most of the actors never came, despite the film being one of the most successful independent motion pictures of all time.

While the majority of the documentary centers on the first film, it also delves into the stories of the sequels; until watching this, I had never known that Hooper's ORIGINAL vision for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 had been so heavily truncated, as he says that "sometime, they will release my own cut of the movie." I personally think that the cut that is out there right now is pretty damn good, but I can't wait for Hooper's own cut. Also interesting in the tales of the sequels is how the studio withheld the release of TCM: The Next Generation to take advantage of the sudden, unexpected stardom that had come for Matthew McConaughey and Renee Zellweger, and the ensuing drama.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Shocking Truth made me sad, particularly as it related to the actors from the original movie; indeed, this troupe put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into an extremely low-budget project, and walked away with really nothing to show for it despite its legendary status in the annals of cult cinema and its smash-hit success story. But despite that sadness, TCM: The Shocking Truth is, I believe, a great conversion tool for critics of the original film; under these circumstances, director Hooper and his acting crew truly managed to capture lightning in a bottle, and craft a film that is STILL talked about 35 years after its initial release. This is must-see viewing for TCM buffs and aspiring film-makers alike.

[Rorschach]

May 17, 2009 10:03:26 GMT -5 Lick Ness Monster said:

The Grudge 3 sounds like a killer time, even without Fuji and Takashi Shimizu himself involved in any way. I haven't seen the film, but it sounds like the new people in charge of the series did more than just go for a quick cash-grab with it, and actually put some genuine effort into the story and all-around "creepy factor" that has SOMEHOW managed to get under my skin with all SIX incantations of Grudge that I've seen thus far. Yup, even Ju-On: The Curse 2 scared me on some level.

And I actually like the decision to make the American films more streamlined than the Japanese ones, which jumped around in time like a Tarantino film. The gimmick was very fresh and original in those first four films (as the trick hadn't been used much in horror films), but admittedly, it was starting to get a little stale by the time Ju-On: The Grudge 2 rolled around (you know, while it's really quite simple, it must be confusing to virgins of the Grudge series just WHAT movie is what by just reading them).

Anyway, I really want to see this new movie, and your review convinced me that I should. Kayako, regardless of who's playing her, is one of my three favorite villains in all of moviedom. What a great character.

Since I haven't thrown up a review on here in a while, and I'm starting to run a little dry on the well of flicks to review, I'm trying something different today.

Yup, TR is really scraping the bottom of the barrel and reviewing a DVD special feature (although it HAD been released as a stand-alone VHS years ago), but one that should be must-see viewing for horror fans. Also, since it's not a fictional film, no star rating this time (which I'm sure everyone will lose sleep over).

So last night, with nothing to do and no friends to call, I sat down and watched The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. And no, not the 2003 Michael Bay-produced remake. The original one. The GOOD one. TCM is definitely a polarizing movie; it seems that people (even horror fans, and not just regular people) either love it or hate it, with really no middle ground. Personally, I love the film; I just saw it for the first time four years ago, and the pure, crummy rawness of the entire 84-minute running time results in some truly captivating stuff. It's SO low-budget that it looks like a documentary, and that only serves to heighten the suspense of the proceedings; Leatherface is someone who could be out there at this moment. As Rorschach once said, he's not magical or mystical or occult like other horror villains, he's just one freakin' deranged human being. Also notable in the film is its complete and utter lack of a coherent arc. This story is just THERE, for the viewer to take what they will out of it, and to attempt to make sense of the beastly man with the mask of human skin in whatever way they can.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Shocking Truth is, to my knowledge, the best documentary on not only the original film, but the sequels in the franchise as well. As a compendium on the series, it's right up there with more recent favorites like Halloween: 25 Years of Terror and His Name Was Jason.

The film itself went through many title changes before the shooting began; my personal favorite was Head Cheese, with the film's ACTUAL title just being one of the "dummy" titles they had used for the scripting process. In the end, the filmmakers realized that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre would probably look best on a drive-in theater's marquee, and the rest is history.

Obviously, The Shocking Truth delves into the real life inspiration for the film. To this day, it still astonishes me that so many people actually BELIEVE that the events depicted in this film, blow-for-blow, actually happened. Needless to say, I've been in countless conversations with people about this film who, at some point, say, "you know, they never caught that guy," to which I say, "funny, especially as to how THAT GUY never existed."

Nope, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is inspired - very loosely - on the exploits of Ed Gein, truly one of the most deranged figures in the history of American crime. Not a serial killer in the traditional sense (his actual body count only reached two), Gein was instead more a ghoul. Raised by an extremely religious mother who brought him up to believe that all women were immoral whores, Gein himself developed a fixation with his mother over time and extreme sexual deviation. After the death of his mother, he made frequent forays into his local cemetery, digging up corpses in an effort to create a suit made of women's skin (yup, Gein also inspired Thomas Harris' character Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs). Gein's exploits had been frequently told to Hooper as a child, and the true story had a great effect on him. Thus, in an effort to replicate something that scared him most, Tobe Hooper created Leatherface.

There are some VERY disturbing pictures in relation to Gein; not only of the deviant's ugly mug, but of the squalid house that he called home. It also includes a shot of one his honest-to-God VICTIMS, as when police raided Gein's house to arrest him, they found his second victim strung up, split down the middle, and hanging from his ceiling.

But the overall impression that I got from watching The Shocking Truth was appreciation. I had read many times about how low-budget this film was, but I truly did not appreciate what Hooper and his small bunch of actors went through making this film until watching this featurette. For starters, filming took place in the middle of summer - in the middle of a Texas summer, with temperatures sweltering at or above 100 degrees, oftentimes in enclosed spaces with no air conditioning for long 12-14 hour shoots.

The movie's famous "dinner time" scene was one continuous 26-hour shoot, just one of many aspects of shooting the film that was very hard on actress Marilyn Burns. The actress herself seemed to have endured many of the hideous tortures she went through in the ACTUAL film, including Hooper making Burns leap off a 10-foot scaffolding to simulate the effect of leaping out of the window after the dinner scene. The limp in the ensuing chase wasn't acting, and neither were the cuts in the chase scene after Franklin's death.

The documentary also pulls no punches in regards to the tragic tales of just how little the actors involved got paid. Desperate for a distribution deal, the financiers behind the film struck a deal with a mafia company. As a result, the speculative shares of the net profits that had been promised to most of the actors never came, despite the film being one of the most successful independent motion pictures of all time.

While the majority of the documentary centers on the first film, it also delves into the stories of the sequels; until watching this, I had never known that Hooper's ORIGINAL vision for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 had been so heavily truncated, as he says that "sometime, they will release my own cut of the movie." I personally think that the cut that is out there right now is pretty damn good, but I can't wait for Hooper's own cut. Also interesting in the tales of the sequels is how the studio withheld the release of TCM: The Next Generation to take advantage of the sudden, unexpected stardom that had come for Matthew McConaughey and Renee Zellweger, and the ensuing drama.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Shocking Truth made me sad, particularly as it related to the actors from the original movie; indeed, this troupe put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into an extremely low-budget project, and walked away with really nothing to show for it despite its legendary status in the annals of cult cinema and its smash-hit success story. But despite that sadness, TCM: The Shocking Truth is, I believe, a great conversion tool for critics of the original film; under these circumstances, director Hooper and his acting crew truly managed to capture lightning in a bottle, and craft a film that is STILL talked about 35 years after its initial release. This is must-see viewing for TCM buffs and aspiring film-makers alike.

Poor Gunnar Hansen...(interestingly, this documentary is where I learned that I had been pronouncing his name all wrong; it's Goo-NAR, not Gunner as I had been saying it...THE MORE YOU KNOW!) it was hard for me not to feel sorry for the big lug when they discuss the "dinner scene" and how his outfit was absolutely SOAKED with sweat, yet he was forbidden from changing it or washing it, lest something happen to it during that process.

And when they talked about how BAD he reeked after a while...yeah, definitely added to the "realism" of the scene, in my opinion. Which is another strike the PD remake had against it...for no matter HOW much sand you throw in your lenses, Nispel...you'll NEVER replicate Hooper's raw and nasty look, nor the real life fatigue and desperation of actors who just want this film to be DONE. PD's remake was too slick on ALL levels.

Another great chuckle that I have every time is when Edwin Neal talks about his "accident" with the gunpowder and flashpaper in the van, and then getting the HELL kicked out of him by Jim Siedow in front of the pickup.

MAN...Neal can tell a hell of a story.

[Lick Ness Monster]

Yeah, I just noticed last night that I'd been mispronouncing Gunnar Hansen's name all these years as well.

I know this movie has its critics, even among fellow horror fans, but I'll just repeat something you once said - this is a movie that you either respond to immediately, or you just don't get it at all. I myself love it, and I wasn't even young when I first saw it, which is a testament to its awesomeness.

I think from now on I shouldn't venture out of this thread; earlier today I had the temerity to suggest that the new Star Trek, while a decent movie, isn't the holy grail of cool that everyone else seems to think it is. And it went over just as well as I anticipated. Better to just stay here where I'm (relatively) safe.

[Rorschach]

May 17, 2009 18:36:42 GMT -5 Lick Ness Monster said:

Yeah, I just noticed last night that I'd been mispronouncing Gunnar Hansen's name all these years as well.

I know this movie has its critics, even among fellow horror fans, but I'll just repeat something you once said - this is a movie that you either respond to immediately, or you just don't get it at all. I myself love it, and I wasn't even young when I first saw it, which is a testament to its awesomeness.

I better stay in this thread where I'm (relatively) safe; as of this moment, I'm getting bitch-slapped in the Star Trek thread for daring to suggest that it's not the "OMG Best movie ever!!1!!" that everyone thinks it is.

Haven't seen STAR TREK yet...but I know better than to cross the Trekkies. They will attack with a vengeance when their "thing" is questioned. Was wondering where you got to, though.

[Lick Ness Monster]

May 17, 2009 18:38:52 GMT -5 Rorschach said:

May 17, 2009 18:36:42 GMT -5 Lick Ness Monster said:

Yeah, I just noticed last night that I'd been mispronouncing Gunnar Hansen's name all these years as well.

I know this movie has its critics, even among fellow horror fans, but I'll just repeat something you once said - this is a movie that you either respond to immediately, or you just don't get it at all. I myself love it, and I wasn't even young when I first saw it, which is a testament to its awesomeness.

I better stay in this thread where I'm (relatively) safe; as of this moment, I'm getting bitch-slapped in the Star Trek thread for daring to suggest that it's not the "OMG Best movie ever!!1!!" that everyone thinks it is.

Haven't seen STAR TREK yet...but I know better than to cross the Trekkies. They will attack with a vengeance when their "thing" is questioned. Was wondering where you got to, though.

Yeah - hopefully the other thread posters don't mind, but I'm going to talk a little non-horror for a bit here where my opinion is at least a little (I think) more respected. *caution-SPOILERS ahead*

Okay - this new Star Trek movie starts off really, really good, and the script surprised me by spending a lot of time actually building up the characters as likable people. But halfway through it, a boiling point is reached between Spock and Kirk leading to Spock banishing Kirk form the Enterprise, and while the incident itself isn't the instigating factor...instant jump the shark moment. The movie had actually been a humorous, fun, character-focused piece up until this point, but from that point on the movie turned into EVERY other damn action movie to come out in the last five years (complete with the Michael Bay-influenced "ADD cam"), and I found myself BORED by it where just minutes earlier I had been enthralled.

HOWEVER...I think that what will eventually happen to the popular opinion of this movie is going to be similar to what happened with Iron Man and Bay's Transformers. With both of those movies, the respective fanbases had their initial nerdgasm, but then re-appraised the movie looking at it a bit more critically, at which point they noticed their MANY faults. And I believe the same thing will eventually happen to Star Trek version 2K9.

*SPOILER, and NON-HORROR RANT over*

I promise I won't do that too often, WC horror faithful. Please don't send Jason, Freddy, Michael, Leatherface and the Tall Man after me.