Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
Posts: 4,874
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Oct 3, 2009 9:24:26 GMT -5
Knight Chills - Direct-to-video horror story about a nerdy man who plays Dungeons & Dragons, is rejected by the girl of his dreams, kills himself, and comes back from the dead as a knight in armor to seek bloody revenge against those who tormented him in life. Most of the characters are annoying burnouts and alcoholics, and ALL of the characters are played by people who can't act. The murder scenes are of the "hide everything with a fog machine and splash some corn syrup on the actor's face" so its not like they decided to do anything to make up for the stupid writing. Oh, and also the first half of the movie is watching these annoying people play D&D. So they spend the time establishing characters, they just suck at that aspect, too. An evil D&D-playing nerd wearing a knight's costume? I MUST SEE THIS MOVIE. I've seen the other two movies, and they're quite awesome. The Jenifer episode of Masters of Horror is something else. Since many of you are conducting your own little Halloween movie-fests, unfortunately I won't be joining in. Right now I'm working through the complete series of Tales From the Crypt and don't really plan on reviewing it until I've re-watched every episode (my review will be for the entire series). Though I will be watching AMC FearFest when that rolls around. No matter how sucky that gets, I will always watch it, guaranteed. Lastly, I just have to ask - has anybody here seen Zombieland besides me? There's a thread about the movie on the first page, and a few movie fans at large have seen it, but this is a movie that we as horror fans need to prop up. It's living antidote for the "all horror movies suck!" people that we deal with on a daily basis, and to expand on my earlier review, it's not just my new #1 zombie movie of all time but my #1 FILM overall of 2009 thus far.
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Post by YellowJacketY2J on Oct 3, 2009 10:35:38 GMT -5
I continued my 31 Days of Halloween both today and yesterday. These were the films I watched: Ice Cream ManPlot:Clint Howard plays a local Ice Cream Man, who, as a child, witnessed the town ice cream man murdered. He was sent to an insane asylum for a good chunk of his life. When released, he becomes the new ice cream man (supposedly, they don't do background checks for these fields). At night, he abducts children, people and animals, grinds them up, and serves them to the unknowing public. Review:Ice Cream Man turned out exactly as I expected. Not a good movie in technical terms, but entertaining in a cheesy way. There are shots that could make some feel queasy (mainly the customers unknowingly eating eyeballs in their Rocky Road ice cream), but not a whole lot. ICM doesn't go far out with the blood and dismembered body part shots. Instead, it opts to delve into the deranged mind of the Ice Cream Man, and follow the local kids on their quest to expose the Ice Cream Man as a killer. I was apathetic towards the kids' quest, but enjoyed the psychoanalysis of the Ice Cream Man. Not much time is given to the subject, but Howard plays it up by being very creepy. There's a scene where he visits the grave of the former Ice Cream Man, and sits down has a little Ice Cream picnic with his spirit. Once the credits rolled, I felt that it met my expectations. Nothing spectacular or even worthy of a purchase. But, an occasionally entertaining flick. Final Grade:
C+ Basket CasePlot:
Duane Bradley (Kevin Van Hentenryck) was born a Siamese twin. His other half, Belial, was deformed at birth, attached to his brother by the hip. Their father wasn't pleased with the "freak" Belial, and, after 12 years of searching, got three doctors to operate on them and detach Belial. The doctors thought they killed Belial. As it turns out, he's still alive, and telepathically speaks to his brother. Years later, Duane is out in New York City, checking into a seedy hotel. He also brought along a locked wicker basket. What's inside the wicker basket? His deformed brother, Belial. They're in New York to track down and murder the doctors who operated on them years ago. Along the way, Duane meets a beautiful receptionist named Sharon (Terri Susan Smith). They both hit it off well, and end up spending time together (since this is what adults do when they like each other). Belial doesn't take kindly to this, and throws temper tantrums. So, not only are the brothers here to do business, they also have to cope with each others feelings and space. Talk about brotherly love! Review:Basket Case is campy, cult horror at its best. It has gore, tits, weird characters, low-budget and it's in New York (that's a bonus). I loved the look of Belial, and, even though it's noticeable, thought the stop-motion of his movement was done well for a low-budget flick. Frank Henenlotter does a great job of directing, picking his spots for Belial to go batshit crazy on the doctors. Instead of rushing into the gore, he opts to bide his time and build up both tension and friction between the two brothers. I thought the love angle between Duane and Sharon was done perfectly. It didn't take up a whole chunk of the time, but played its part nicely. It also fit into the story, instead of being wedged in to please the women who were dragged to see it with their dates (though I'm not sure if any guy took a woman to see this for a date). It plays a pivotal role in the story, mainly in the friction between Duane and Belial. Without Sharon, the film wouldn't have worked as well as it did. I had a blast watching Basket Case. Not only was it fun, but it told a good story. The gore was good (and not overabundant), the acting was decent and the love triangle worked perfectly. Basket Case delivers. Final Grade:A-
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
Posts: 4,874
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Oct 3, 2009 10:36:36 GMT -5
I quite like Ice Cream Man. A lot of horror fans absolutely adore Basket Case, but it's just not my cup of tea for some reason.
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Post by YellowJacketY2J on Oct 3, 2009 10:37:46 GMT -5
I quite like Ice Cream Man. A lot of horror fans absolutely adore Basket Case, but it's juist not my cup of tea for some reason. I liked Ice Cream Man for what it was. A quick, fun movie. As for Basket Case, I'm obviously one of those horror fans that adore it.
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andrew8798
FANatic
on 24/7 this month
Posts: 106,081
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Post by andrew8798 on Oct 4, 2009 8:34:24 GMT -5
Update on the next Friday The 13th movie
Brad Fuller says on ShockTillYouDrop:
"I can't tell you anything about 3-D because New Line has not green lighted the movie because we haven't completed the script. So, we are waiting for the script to come in - then they'll budget- then they'll make a decision about 3-D. Having said that, I really hope that they decide to make it in 3-D."
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andrew8798
FANatic
on 24/7 this month
Posts: 106,081
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Post by andrew8798 on Oct 4, 2009 11:22:21 GMT -5
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Post by YellowJacketY2J on Oct 4, 2009 12:04:31 GMT -5
I just watched The Hills Have Eyes II (1983). I thought it was passable. Not as bad as some were saying. I'd give it a C.
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Post by DSR on Oct 4, 2009 15:24:46 GMT -5
I enjoy the hell out of Ice Cream Man. I thought it was pretty damn funny. It's another one of those movies Joe Bob Briggs introduced me to (and with Clint Howard as a special guest on the show, too).
Basket Case I enjoy quite a bit, too. I like that it has those slasher movie tendencies mixed with a sort-of Cronenberg-like Body Horror plot. And while I understand people might have a hard time enjoying a movie with such a poor actor in the lead role, I actually think Van Hentenryck's awkwardness in front of the camera matches Duane's social awkwardness perfectly.
Lastly, I re-watched Killer Klowns from Outer Space yesterday. Out of the horror/sci-fi/comedy hybrid, the movie is played mostly for laughs, but there are a few creepy moments (a clown trying to lure a little girl out of a restaurant, John Vernon's "dummy" scene). I was half-asleep when I put the film in, and even though I saw it before, it still managed to hold my interest and keep me up until the very end. Very fun picture.
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Post by tap on Oct 4, 2009 17:07:07 GMT -5
On Zombieland:
I liked it for what it was, but I couldn't help but compare and contrast it to Shaun of the Dead. If one were to reduce, then hypostatize, the cultural climate of both films, what would result is: England is a pub, America is a theme park. Both films are fun to watch, both films are funny, both films deconstruct the conventions of the zombie film. Yet, much like the amusement park, Zombieland can't help but provide depreciating returns. How many times can you ride the rollercoaster before it becomes boring? And at 81 minutes, the film doesn't even provide a lot of peaks and valleys to get excited about (besides the appearance that has been much discussed--that easily is the highlight of the whole picture).
Shaun of the Dead is like going to the pub. Sure, going to the pub is as just as repetitive of an experience, but it's BECAUSE of that familiarity that makes it such a rich experience. Shaun of the Dead is more inviting, with its likable, relatable characters, and actually has a sense of dread at the end. I wouldn't even call Zombieland a "horror comedy" because there are no scares. People we care about NEED to die or become zombies in these movies. Zombieland is missing that. How often do you tell stories about a good time out at the bar? Lots, I've found. How often do you talk about how cool a rollercoaster was?
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
Posts: 4,874
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Oct 4, 2009 23:26:48 GMT -5
Lastly, I re-watched Killer Klowns from Outer Space yesterday. Out of the horror/sci-fi/comedy hybrid, the movie is played mostly for laughs, but there are a few creepy moments (a clown trying to lure a little girl out of a restaurant, John Vernon's "dummy" scene). I was half-asleep when I put the film in, and even though I saw it before, it still managed to hold my interest and keep me up until the very end. Very fun picture. Man, that's a movie that I haven't seen in a LONG time. I remember being freakin' traumatized by it as a kid. I'll have to unearth a used copy somewhere on Amazon and see if it's still as weird as I remember it.
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Post by DSR on Oct 5, 2009 1:11:57 GMT -5
Lastly, I re-watched Killer Klowns from Outer Space yesterday. Out of the horror/sci-fi/comedy hybrid, the movie is played mostly for laughs, but there are a few creepy moments (a clown trying to lure a little girl out of a restaurant, John Vernon's "dummy" scene). I was half-asleep when I put the film in, and even though I saw it before, it still managed to hold my interest and keep me up until the very end. Very fun picture. Man, that's a movie that I haven't seen in a LONG time. I remember being freakin' traumatized by it as a kid. I'll have to unearth a used copy somewhere on Amazon and see if it's still as weird as I remember it. I found a brand new copy at my local Big Lots earlier this year (or sometime last year) for 3 bucks! You might wanna check one of those, if you've got one in your area. Oh, and also... Allow me to clarify that Knight Chills does not feature a D&D-playing nerd wearing a knight's costume. He dies and comes back as a knight. The nerd character completely disappears, and is replaced by the knight character. It's not quite as fun as it sounds. AND finally, earlier today I re-visited James Gunn's SLITHER, about an alien presence that comes to Earth and takes possession of most of a small southern populace. Very heavy Night of the Creeps vibe, but Gunn was intentionally going for a sort-of 80s horror parody format. It works well enough, the film is fun, but I don't think its ultimately anything really noteworthy. Some popcorn movies stick with you (like Tremors or the aforementioned Killer Klowns), but other than a fine cast (including Nathan Fillion, the lovely Elizabeth Banks, and the always entertaining Michael Rooker), this one doesn't seem to really resonate. Not a must-own, but a more than worthy rental, I guess. And, you'll notice that thus far I've been simply revisiting things I already own. I get paid on Friday, and I'll add some new stuff to my collection then. ;D
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Post by Maidpool w/ Cleaning Action on Oct 5, 2009 1:22:59 GMT -5
I like the weird shit going down in Slither though. I really like possesion/transformation types of horror movies.
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Post by DSR on Oct 5, 2009 1:50:06 GMT -5
I like the weird s*** going down in Slither though. I really like possesion/transformation types of horror movies. Don't get me wrong, I did like Slither, and I do like those kinds of movies, too. It just doesn't stand out from the pack the way that a Cronenberg movie does. Granted, something like The Fly or The Brood benefits from being a good 2 decades older than Slither, coming out when such a style was new. But I dunno, Slither feels like a horror/comedy paying tribute to the 80s in the midst of a wave of horror/comedies and tributes to the 80s, and I think it needed a little more to distinguish itself. Though thinking about the movie just now made me realize I may have judged it a bit more harshly than I meant to. It's definitely not merely forgettable tripe. The characters are genuinely funny and even though they occasionally annoy you (Mayor MacReady), you still root for them. Its overall more noteworthy than I gave it credit for.
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Post by mysterydriver on Oct 5, 2009 2:14:53 GMT -5
Slither is far from my favorite horror/comedy, but it had plenty of fun parts for me to enjoy watching it. It's too bad the movie was basically swept under the rug when in theatres. And by that, I'm just meaning ignored.
Sidenote: Gregg Henry as the Mayor was completely awesome. Especially the rant about the lack of Mr. Pibb.
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Ken Ivory
Hank Scorpio
This sorta thing IS my bag, baby.
Posts: 5,282
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Post by Ken Ivory on Oct 5, 2009 2:48:18 GMT -5
Saw VII, which kicks off the next trilogy in the series Heh?!
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
Posts: 4,874
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Oct 5, 2009 9:48:56 GMT -5
Slither is far from my favorite horror/comedy, but it had plenty of fun parts for me to enjoy watching it. It's too bad the movie was basically swept under the rug when in theatres. And by that, I'm just meaning ignored. Sidenote: Gregg Henry as the Mayor was completely awesome. Especially the rant about the lack of Mr. Pibb. I too enjoyed Slither quite a bit, mysterydriver. Like yourself, not enough to recommend it to everyone I know in the way I did with Sleepaway Camp (and thus got those very same people hating the movie before they even watched it, lol) but it's definitely a good little flick.
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Post by Bullhead on Oct 5, 2009 16:02:14 GMT -5
Lastly, I just have to ask - has anybody here seen Zombieland besides me? There's a thread about the movie on the first page, and a few movie fans at large have seen it, but this is a movie that we as horror fans need to prop up. It's living antidote for the "all horror movies suck!" people that we deal with on a daily basis, and to expand on my earlier review, it's not just my new #1 zombie movie of all time but my #1 FILM overall of 2009 thus far. Zombieland felt more like a weird cop-buddy movie than a horror movie. But I enjoyed it nonetheless. It definitely takes the zombie movie genre to new places. All the characters were likeable and, gasp, there were survivors at the end. But I think an almost-loveable-asshole character like Capt. Rhodes from Day Of The Dead would have made things a little interesting. But overall, I liked this movie a lot. Which for me, considering my taste in movies, says quite a bit. And in a Halloween related note, the local record store has horror movies on a seperate display in the front of the store. Selections include Zombie, Cannibal Holocaust, Cannibal Ferox, City Of The Living Dead and others. Someone at that store has a sick sense of humor. Which is why I love that place so much.
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Post by YellowJacketY2J on Oct 5, 2009 22:17:01 GMT -5
I was in the mood for a Friday the 13th film today, so I pulled one out at random from my collection. I watched Friday the 13th Part 3. I never got to see it in 3-D, but seems like it would be a fun time. Nonetheless, it's still an enjoyable Friday film. It has some fun characters (I always liked Shelly), some cool deaths and Jason discovers his mask. Not my favorite F13 film, but a good watch.
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
Posts: 4,874
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Oct 5, 2009 22:48:43 GMT -5
I was in the mood for a Friday the 13th film today, so I pulled one out at random from my collection. I watched Friday the 13th Part 3. I never got to see it in 3-D, but seems like it would be a fun time. Nonetheless, it's still an enjoyable Friday film. It has some fun characters (I always liked Shelly), some cool deaths and Jason discovers his mask. Not my favorite F13 film, but a good watch. Yeah, I bought the 3-D DVD of Friday the 13th Part 3, and I'll just say save your money on that one. I could NEVER figure out how to get the damn 3-D to pop, despite various remedies being mentioned (including wearing both sets of glasses at the same time).
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Post by YellowJacketY2J on Oct 5, 2009 23:34:12 GMT -5
I was in the mood for a Friday the 13th film today, so I pulled one out at random from my collection. I watched Friday the 13th Part 3. I never got to see it in 3-D, but seems like it would be a fun time. Nonetheless, it's still an enjoyable Friday film. It has some fun characters (I always liked Shelly), some cool deaths and Jason discovers his mask. Not my favorite F13 film, but a good watch. Yeah, I bought the 3-D DVD of Friday the 13th Part 3, and I'll just say save your money on that one. I could NEVER figure out how to get the damn 3-D to pop, despite various remedies being mentioned (including wearing both sets of glasses at the same time). 3-D never works at home. I've tried it with Freddy's Dead, Spy Kids 3-D, Adventures of Sharkboy, My Bloody Valentine and Lavagirl and Monsters vs Aliens. If you're going to see 3-D, see it in theaters.
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