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Post by GuyOfOwnage on Jun 23, 2009 1:57:53 GMT -5
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Jun 23, 2009 10:49:59 GMT -5
*sniff* While these threads have always been awesome, I really feel that the last one is where we really hit our stride, and became what I envisioned them to be when I made the first one. People posting reviews like mad, a horror hall of shame...and, of course, all manner of bitching about Rob Zombie. So much thanks to all the WC horror faithful - you know who you are. All joking aside, I occasionally go through these spells where I become convinced that I really have nothing of value to add to this discussion and disappear for a while...but the awesomeness of these threads keeps bringing me back for more. And with that, it's hall of fame time. As per usual, good ol' TR has kept track of who, by and large, the WC horror faithful consider to be reeking of awesomeness. Previous inductees: Alfred Hitchcock Clive Barker Sam Neill Stephen King Tony Todd Thomas Harris INDUCTION #7 "CCCCCCCC RRRRRRR OOOOO AAAAAA KKKKK......" TAKAKO FUJI Robert Englund and Kane Hodder have made themselves cult icons by playing one character and completely making the role their own, not only playing a role but attempting to understand the nature of the evil character they were portraying. Induction #7 is another actor in that vein – Takako Fuji, an actor in a very popular international horror series who, for whatever reason, does not get her just desserts in the credit department. Rorschach once made the valid point that it’s a little weird that many horror fans hold Gunnar Hansen in a higher esteem than Fuji, even though Hansen only played HIS famous character once, while Fuji has taken on her iconic horror role a grand total of seven times. It is indeed very peculiar; Fuji not only brings her character to life with great aplomb, but her role is just as physically demanding as Hansen’s portrayal of Leatherface was. Fuji has had a busy acting career in her native Japan since becoming a member of the Ein Theatrical Company, gaining ground early in her career in voice-overs and in stage work. But in 1999, director Takashi Shimizu chose to cast her as the villain in two short films about a mysterious ghost attacking two teenage victims. The role required a very distinct, herky-jerky style of movement, and Fuji, a trained contortionist, fit the bill. A year later, Shimizu was given the green light to produce two direct-to-video films bringing the concept of the vengeful ghost to life, and the character that would make Fuji an international star was born. Ju-On: The Curse 1 and 2 became huge hits in the V-cinema market, and in both films, Fuji’s portrayal of the vengeful, tragic character of Kayako Saeki is the glue that holds the films together. Characters bob and weave through the films, but Kayako – throat slit, crawling on the floor toward her victims, making her unmistakable, trademark ‘clicking’ noise, a cruel reminder of the way she met her end in life - is the constant. In every film that she portrays Kayako, Fuji makes an impression that cannot be duplicated; her mannerisms and movements are so distinct and out-of-this-world that many even think that CGI is involved in some way. Nope, it isn’t. Fuji has gone on to play the role four more times – twice more in Japanese films, and twice in the American Grudge films. While she was replaced in the recently released Grudge 3 and has admitted to growing a little tired of the role, she has also admitted that she would gladly take on the role of Kayako Saeki again if director Shimizu was involved in some way and wanted her back. Kayako ranks as one of the more frightening villains in horror history, particularly in the last ten years. The Ju-On and Grudge series have grown into a legitimate franchise, and without talented actor Fuji portraying its legendary villain, the series would have had a much tougher road. Recently, Fuji was reunited with director Shimizu for the After Dark Horrorfest feature Reincarnation.
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Jun 23, 2009 10:59:15 GMT -5
INDUCTION #8 “Horror is the future. And you cannot be afraid. You must push everything to the absolute limit or else life will be boring. People will be boring. Horror is like a serpent; always shedding its skin, always changing. And it will always come back. It can't be hidden away like the guilty secrets we try to keep in our subconscious.” DARIO ARGENTO One of the most immensely talented visual stylists as well as the creative mind behind not only one but SEVERAL films that can lay claim to being among the greatest horror films of all time, Dario Argento is a true legend in the horror genre. Born in Rome in 1940, Argento comes from a film family. His father, Salvatore Argento, was a film producer and executive. Choosing to skip college, Argento began a career as a writer, collaborating on a spaghetti Western film before his directorial debut, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, which was released in 1970. Argento’s debut as a filmmaker contained several characteristics (many of which had been perfected by Mario Bava, his filmmaker idol) that would define his career – a gloved killer, a chilling murder mystery plot known as the ‘giallo’ thriller, and shockingly graphic murders that hadn’t been widely seen before Argento’s arrival. After The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Argento churned out several more giallo thrillers before turning his attention to supernatural horror, releasing his masterwork Suspiria in 1977. Dark, oppressive, and atmospheric, Suspiria still stands today as one of the very finest horror films of all time. Inferno followed in 1980, a semi-sequel of Suspiria that continued the story of the vengeful “Three Mothers.” While initially meeting mixed reviews, Inferno is now viewed as one of the best horror films of the ‘80s. Argento returned to giallo films after Inferno, directing Tenebre, Phenomena and Opera in the succeeding years – three films that are now viewed as classics of the genre. He made his transition to Hollywood films with 1993’s Trauma as the godfather of Italian gore collaborated with American makeup effects master Tom Savini for the first time, and in 2007, his career came full circle with the completion of the Three Mothers trilogy with the release of Mother of Tears. While some critics cite the sameness of several of his giallo thrillers as a negative, Argento’s track record cannot be ignored. A furious integrity as an artist, a stunning visual eye, and a knack for creating the absolute best murder set pieces around are the hallmarks of Dario’s legendary career. His most recent film is 2008’s Giallo, starring Adrien Brody.
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Jun 23, 2009 11:05:18 GMT -5
INDUCTION #9 *insert unnerving, jarring music here* GOBLIN Goblin are an Italian progressive rock band formed in the 1971 and consisting of keyboardist Claudio Simonetti, guitarist Massimo Marente, bassist Fabio Pignatelli, drummer Walter Martino and vocalist Tony Tartarini. Their sound is influenced by artists such as Genesis, Yes, and Emerson, Lake and Palmer; a very distinct, experimental sound is the shining quality of Goblin’s music. To horror fans, however, Goblin is immortal for their work in the area of their soundtracks for a few of Dario Argento’s kickass films. In 1975, the band was approached by Argento to collaborate on the score for his upcoming film Deep Red, the story of an American jazz pianist who witnesses a brutal murder in Rome. A thoroughly tense and unsettling murder mystery, Deep Red was in need of a score that peels back the layers of the mystery right along with its protagonist, and the band succeeded on all counts. Several of the key scenes in the film feature spectacular use of their landmark score, particularly the tease-and-deliver murder scene of one of the case’s inspectors. After establishing a good relationship with Argento, they were approached again for his next film – the legendary Suspiria. Goblin’s score for the film is now considered one of the finest scores in film history. The movie itself is the story of darkness, fear, a nightmare world of oppression, and the score has a lot to do with establishing the mood of the film. Very unconventional and thoroughly unsettling, their eerie-yet-somehow-catchy Suspiria score has even occasionally been performed by Billy Corgan onstage at concerts. The band would enjoy a thoroughly successful period after the release of Suspiria, recording one final score for a classic horror film – 1978’s Zombi (known to American audiences as Dawn of the Dead) before splitting up, although two of the band members would collaborate on the soundtrack for Argento’s Tenebre. 18 years later, Goblin reunited and recorded the score for the first Dario Argento film of the 21st century – 2000’s Sleepless. The score was a huge hit, showing that the band could still compose after such a long time apart. Today, Goblin is still busy cranking out music, and earlier this year took to the stage again for their first concert appearance in 32 years.
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Post by DSR on Jun 23, 2009 16:06:51 GMT -5
Some awesome inductions there, TR. Glad to see Argento and Goblin inducted at the same time. While they don't exclusively work together, that director and those musicians' careers are so intertwined that its difficult to think of one's success without the other. Deep Red and Suspiria would've been completely different (and not as spectacular) movies without Goblin's music.
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Post by Rorschach on Jun 23, 2009 18:11:47 GMT -5
*Applause*
Let's hear it for the class of Thread #4! Those are some very deserving inductions, TR. I'm working on a school report right now, but I should have reviews of both STORM WARNING and THE BROOD up before too long. I was actually saving THE BROOD for this thread, but I just watched STORM WARNING last night so I'll do the double shot thing and knock them both out at once.
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Post by DSR on Jun 23, 2009 18:15:23 GMT -5
My most recent viewing...
HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP (1980)
The close-knit fishing community of Noyo has a lot on its plate lately: their annual Salmon Festival is fast approaching, and they've got a big industrial fish-canning company looking to put a plant in their town, promising new jobs and greater numbers of fish (and they'll be twice the size)! Perhaps the most pressing news, though, is the mysterious explosion of a fishing boat and the slaughtering of all of the town's dogs...except one.
That one dog belongs to Johnny Eagle, a young Native American man who's often been vocal about his dislike of the idea of that canning company coming to town. The rednecks in Noyo are quick to point their fingers of blame for the explosion and the dogs at young Eagle trying to scare the cannery away. The truth, though, is something far worse...
Remember that promise of more and bigger fish from my first paragraph? Well, the cannery's got their own scientists tampering with the DNA of the local fish. The scientists don't know it yet, but when certain lifeforms in the waters eat those superfish, it causes a kickstart in their evolutionary process. The result?
Gill-Men. Horny gill-men. And their horny for human women.
Humanoids from the Deep is a gory, nudity-crammed homage to 1950s monster movies, 1970s ecology movies, and 1980s bodycount/slasher movies, all in one go! The film crams in every cliche that all three types of movies have to offer (I mentioned the rednecks, the industrialists, and the Indian...there's also horny teenagers, a spring-loaded cat that I should've seen coming but didn't for some reason, and far too many more for me to list). The thing is, all of these cliches are worked in in such a way that they sort of make sense, and even if they don't, the film moves at such a quick pace that you hardly notice it!
Another thing I liked about this movie is that its willing to play against the rules. While it's clearly influenced by a few different eras of horror filmmaking, getting them all to gel together cohesively results in a film that subverts the rules of the subgenres while using them so effectively. Further, within the first 15 or so minutes, we see a young boy (like, 11-ish) and several pets die bloodily. As much as audiences are willing to accept libidinious teenagers getting sliced up, kids and animals are generally off-limits unless you want to alienate audiences (most readers of the book Cujo were upset by the death of the boy, and were relieved that it didn't happen in the movie, likewise Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives never lets harm come to any of the children attending camp). When this rule break occurs in the first act of Humanoids... it becomes apparent that nobody's safe. Which adds to the tension when we see some POV shots from the gill-guys' perspectives on a mother and her baby through the window of her house.
Lastly, while Humanoids... works wonderfully as an exploitation picture, the use of all of those cliches (in addition to the exploration of the previously merely implied threat gill-men pose in films like Creature from the Black Lagoon) seems less like an oblivious thing than it does an attempt at a satire of exploitation cinema. The fact that I found it in the comedy section of my local FYE seems to indicate as such, too, though the comedy is of a mostly straight-faced variety, so it might be difficult for some to detect that satire.
At any rate, I think the film works both angles very effectively. Its fun, its smart, its gory. It's also incredibly hard to find on DVD but if you see a copy somewhere I highly recommend picking it up. Kudos to director(s) Barbara Peeters (and the uncredited Jimmy T. Murakami, who filmed the gore and nudity), producer Roger Corman (I know I've said towards the end of the last thread that producers really aren't the "creators" of the movies they've produced, but this one quite clearly has the Corman hallmark about it), humanoid designer and makeup artist Rob Bottin, and everyone else involved. Great, solid picture. I give it 4.4 stars out of 5.
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andrew8798
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Post by andrew8798 on Jun 23, 2009 18:26:28 GMT -5
Was just thinking about this
what ever happen to just having a good time at the movies? It seems people can't enjoy themselves no more.
Saw HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP on IFC last year I enjoyed it
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andrew8798
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Post by andrew8798 on Jun 23, 2009 18:28:44 GMT -5
Also if you ever get the chance check out Creature from the Haunted Sea it's a weird little movie but if you like any of Corman films you will enjoy this one. The film is in public domain so it shouldn't bee too hard to find
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Post by DSR on Jun 23, 2009 18:31:57 GMT -5
Was just thinking about this what ever happen to just having a good time at the movies? It seems people can't enjoy themselves no more. Saw HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP on IFC last year I enjoyed it Not sure what you mean by that first part. Also, there's a mid-90s remake of Humanoids from the Deep that I haven't seen yet, but it tones down the gore and nudity a lot (so I'm told) so I'm not quite as interested in seeing it. I've heard of it, but have yet to actually seek it out.
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andrew8798
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Post by andrew8798 on Jun 23, 2009 18:44:51 GMT -5
Never knew there was a remake. And I'll try and explain that first part With mind less action movie and horror movies it seems like people are too picky now a days They don't how to have fun no more at the movies. I can remember going to any horror movie with a group of friends or a date just got into the movie didn't worry about any problems we had.
I don't know maybe I'm just having a bad day and making something that's little into something bigger. But now a days it seems that people have the opinion that unless a movies wins a bunch of awards the movie sucks. It just seems like people don't enjoy themselves no more
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erisi236
Fry's dog Seymour
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Not good! Not good! Not good!
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Post by erisi236 on Jun 23, 2009 18:51:52 GMT -5
Since it just came out on DVD recently does anyone have any thoughts on that new Friday the 13th? It was a pretty worthy effort I thought, it was weird that it was a reboot, but kind of really part 2 1/2 cuz it was around that backwoods sack mask era. I certainly liked it better then say JGtH or Part VIII, but it still wasn't anything like the great ones, the thing is I can't really express why, which is odd. Something was off tho' maybe it was the pretty bland even for Friday victims, or the pretty good but not terribly memorable kills, or maybe the inexplicable way the title was 25 minutes into the film but something wasn't right. Oh, and I know it's a Friday film, but there seemed to be an excess of nudity, I mean really it has it's place, but not in every scene involving a gal, topless surfing? Anyone have anything to add?
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andrew8798
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Post by andrew8798 on Jun 23, 2009 18:54:21 GMT -5
I liked it didn't care how they did the DVD and Blu-ray versions where on the DVD just a few extras and everything else on Blu-ray
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Post by VenomFang on Jun 23, 2009 18:56:35 GMT -5
^They are doing the same thing for Trick r Treat when it comes out.
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Post by Rorschach on Jun 23, 2009 20:36:08 GMT -5
Never knew there was a remake. And I'll try and explain that first part With mind less action movie and horror movies it seems like people are too picky now a days They don't how to have fun no more at the movies. I can remember going to any horror movie with a group of friends or a date just got into the movie didn't worry about any problems we had. I don't know maybe I'm just having a bad day and making something that's little into something bigger. But now a days it seems that people have the opinion that unless a movies wins a bunch of awards the movie sucks. It just seems like people don't enjoy themselves no more They took away the best place to enjoy low budget cinema at (the drive in) and in general, it really doesn't seem like Hollywood is even trying anymore. Most of the best horror films I have seen in the past year came from overseas, places like Sweden, Norway, Japan, Hong Kong, France, and Thailand. Over here, we're content to sift through the archives and remake what came before, original thought be damned. And yeah, there have been those remakes that I've enjoyed, but at the same time, the bar isn't set that high to begin with, so when something DOES disappoint me, that usually means it is an abject failure in my eyes. That being said, I also have to throw ticket prices and the state of theaters into the mix as to why I don't (or can't) just enjoy a movie anymore. At nearly $10 a pop, a movie needs to really be good in order for me to justify spending that kind of cash to see it. When it isn't, I feel that much more ripped off by it. Take into account that in most theaters these days, you really have to struggle to focus on the film, what with all the screaming kids running around, and the cell phones going off, and the teens talking over the movie....and it's just not as FUN and relaxing to go to the movies anymore.
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Jiren
Patti Mayonnaise
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Post by Jiren on Jun 23, 2009 21:25:03 GMT -5
The F13th remake was absolute garbage
To be honest I haven't watched any horror movies in a while, the last thing I watched was "Drag me to Hell"
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Post by DSR on Jun 23, 2009 21:28:21 GMT -5
Never knew there was a remake. And I'll try and explain that first part With mind less action movie and horror movies it seems like people are too picky now a days They don't how to have fun no more at the movies. I can remember going to any horror movie with a group of friends or a date just got into the movie didn't worry about any problems we had. I don't know maybe I'm just having a bad day and making something that's little into something bigger. But now a days it seems that people have the opinion that unless a movies wins a bunch of awards the movie sucks. It just seems like people don't enjoy themselves no more They took away the best place to enjoy low budget cinema at (the drive in) and in general, it really doesn't seem like Hollywood is even trying anymore. Most of the best horror films I have seen in the past year came from overseas, places like Sweden, Norway, Japan, Hong Kong, France, and Thailand. Over here, we're content to sift through the archives and remake what came before, original thought be damned. And yeah, there have been those remakes that I've enjoyed, but at the same time, the bar isn't set that high to begin with, so when something DOES disappoint me, that usually means it is an abject failure in my eyes. That being said, I also have to throw ticket prices and the state of theaters into the mix as to why I don't (or can't) just enjoy a movie anymore. At nearly $10 a pop, a movie needs to really be good in order for me to justify spending that kind of cash to see it. When it isn't, I feel that much more ripped off by it. Take into account that in most theaters these days, you really have to struggle to focus on the film, what with all the screaming kids running around, and the cell phones going off, and the teens talking over the movie....and it's just not as FUN and relaxing to go to the movies anymore. I have a far different set of circumstances precluding my enjoyment of the cinema. For one thing, while our local drive-in is awesome, they play what the Cinemark plays, so there's no b-pictures to be had. For another, my friends refuse to go to the drive-in because they're assholes. Similarly, I'm the only one out of my friends that likes horror movies, so going to see them isn't likely to happen (unless I pay for everybody). When I do make it to the theater to see something, I don't have the unpleasant crowds you do. Must be a pretty respectful city I live in, I guess. And we always go to the matinee showings, so its only five bucks a person. Beyond that, while I've often said I have nothing against the concept of a remake, there's nothing particularly interesting playing on either the remake side or the "original thought" side. Most of my movie-watching is DVDs anymore, simply because when I buy the damn things I get whatever variety I feel like. I actually have this idea that when I get my own place, I'm gonna take the living room/entertainment room/whatever you wanna call it, and paint a bigass mural all the way around to make the room look like a drive-in theater. I've always loved Drive-Ins, and I've had this idea for awhile now. Who knows when I'm actually gonna get to see it through, though.
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andrew8798
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Post by andrew8798 on Jun 23, 2009 22:02:08 GMT -5
Always did want to go to a Drive-in
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Jun 23, 2009 23:12:10 GMT -5
Since it just came out on DVD recently does anyone have any thoughts on that new Friday the 13th? It was a pretty worthy effort I thought, it was weird that it was a reboot, but kind of really part 2 1/2 cuz it was around that backwoods sack mask era. I certainly liked it better then say JGtH or Part VIII, but it still wasn't anything like the great ones, the thing is I can't really express why, which is odd. Something was off tho' maybe it was the pretty bland even for Friday victims, or the pretty good but not terribly memorable kills, or maybe the inexplicable way the title was 25 minutes into the film but something wasn't right. Oh, and I know it's a Friday film, but there seemed to be an excess of nudity, I mean really it has it's place, but not in every scene involving a gal, topless surfing? Anyone have anything to add? I personally thought the flick was pretty damn good. Kept in tune with the spirit of the franchise (read: tons of excess nudity and violence), which was my biggest fear with the thing. For some reason, I saw them toning down what Friday the 13th was all about in favor of the usual style of PG-13 horror flick, which DEFINITELY didn't happen.
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Tehboobz wants Ewa Sonnett
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She's busty...she's Polish...and she will be mine!
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Post by Tehboobz wants Ewa Sonnett on Jun 23, 2009 23:30:58 GMT -5
Hey all! Finally got a bit of time to sneak on here real quick and post a few times....
As far as Storm Warning goes, I got it for $3.00 at my local trade-in place, and thought that it was a fairly decent little horror flick. Not quite as gnarly as some of the torture porn stuff, but at the same time, not quite as soft as the usual "husband/wife" in peril movies usually are. There's some nasty things in it, to be sure, but I'll let Rorschach fill you in on the rest. It's a worthy rental, or purchase for the right price, but I wouldn't run out to get it brand new.
Plus, the chick in it looks a lot like Gina Carano, which is never a bad thing.
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