Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Jun 28, 2010 11:29:36 GMT -5
As usual, I have very little to add here {having not seen 1.) a single TWILIGHT picture, 2.) a SyFy original since MAN-THING, or 3.) a recent PG-13 remake} I'm just going to add a crap-tastic review that doesn't particularly add anything to the discussion: HAUNTED HOUSE OF HORROR (1969) - Okay, stop me if you've heard this one before: a bunch of drunk and/or stoned teens-twentysomethings are bored (and a little horny), so they decide to investigate a creepy and secluded old house (and make out a bit). Meanwhile, there's a strange older man lurking outside the house, and it isn't long before one of the youths ends up dead at the hands of an unseen knife-wielding maniac (in an incredibly gorey scene, I might add)... Probably the most intriguing thing about this movie is the use of this slasher-movie blueprint about 5 years before BLACK CHRISTMAS's debut (and about 9 years before HALLOWEEN would kickstart the Age of the Slasher). The second most intriguing thing about the picture? Well, lets rewind a little and discuss the older man... Paul Kellet is his name, and he's been having an affair with one of the girl's in that group of kids, a brunette named Sylvia. Sylvia is desperate to break her relationship with Paul, but Paul shadows her wherever she goes. As Sylvia and her friends explore the supposedly haunted house, she gets frightened, and one of the boys escorts her out of the house and kisses her before she leaves on her own. Paul follows her secretly, but once she hitches a ride back home, Paul doubles back to the old house. Gary (sort of the defacto lead character) winds up the slasher's victim, and his friends (with negative records as a result of previous drug busts and the like) decide to dispose of the body and disavow any knowledge of his whereabouts. Paul knows all about this, and worries that a lighter she had given Sylvia might've been left at the house, and thus could be used as evidence against one or either of them, so he goes back to the house a few days later. {Spoiler}Paul, who has been stalking Sylvia obsessively and seemed extremely jealous of her canoodling with another man (boy), is pretty much the primary suspect. And in his later investigation of the old house...ENDS UP THE NEXT VICTIM OF THE KILLER! This is the second-most intriguing thing I was talking about. ...So that, along with some good music by Reg Tilsley, is pretty much the cream of the crop as far as this film is concerned. The rest? Some scenes with the police questioning those youths (one of whom the almost 30-year-old FRANKIE AVALON), a large amount of suspicion between this group of friends that one among their ranks is the killer, an incredibly slowly paced middle section, and an anticlimactic finale (though with a few moments of cringe-inducing gore). 2.4 stars out of 5. Overall, a pretty boring picture, but something of an interesting curio. (Finally, sorry if this review was confusing. It's been awhile since I've written one.) Damned if THAT doesn't sound refreshing. Even though you say it's boring...believe it or not, DSR, I've been feeling kind of burned out on horror lately as well, and writing weekly reviews for my blog site doesn't help. In turn, I'm turning back to where it all started for me...slasher films. For that reason, this movie is intriguing to me based on the merit that I haven't seen it alone. Add in some good gore scenes and I might just try to track this thing down. Actually, that movie kind of sounds like Twitch of the Death Nerve. Slasher in its kill scenes, semi-complicated and confusing mystery in everything in between. As usual, I'm probably wrong in that assessment.
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Post by DSR on Jun 28, 2010 12:14:42 GMT -5
Actually, that movie kind of sounds like Twitch of the Death Nerve. Slasher in its kill scenes, semi-complicated and confusing mystery in everything in between. As usual, I'm probably wrong in that assessment. I suppose the comparison has some merit. Aside from the murder scenes, I was largely unimpressed with TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE, too. But I am always at least a little intrigued by pictures that utilize a very slasher-esque premise before the actual Slasher Boom began.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2010 1:03:49 GMT -5
WHERE IS THE MR. PIBB?! I told your secretary to pack Mr. Pibb. It's the only Coke I like. Damn Brenda exploding like a water balloon, worms driving my friends around like they're damn skin-cars, people are spitting acid at me, turning you into cottage cheese, and now there's no f***ing damn Mr. Pibb?Gotta love Slither.
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Chainsaw
T
A very BAD man.
It is what it is
Posts: 90,480
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Post by Chainsaw on Jun 30, 2010 3:03:24 GMT -5
WHERE IS THE MR. PIBB?! I told your secretary to pack Mr. Pibb. It's the only Coke I like. Damn Brenda exploding like a water balloon, worms driving my friends around like they're damn skin-cars, people are spitting acid at me, turning you into cottage cheese, and now there's no f***ing damn Mr. Pibb?Gotta love Slither. I like yer style, Dude. I'm still embarrassed I never supported this when it was in theaters by seeing it. Biggest mistake I've ever made as a horror fan.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2010 11:02:19 GMT -5
WHERE IS THE MR. PIBB?! I told your secretary to pack Mr. Pibb. It's the only Coke I like. Damn Brenda exploding like a water balloon, worms driving my friends around like they're damn skin-cars, people are spitting acid at me, turning you into cottage cheese, and now there's no f***ing damn Mr. Pibb?Gotta love Slither. I like yer style, Dude. I'm still embarrassed I never supported this when it was in theaters by seeing it. Biggest mistake I've ever made as a horror fan. Yeah, I wasn't really the horror fan I am today back then, so I ended up missing it, but caught it on TV maybe about a year later and loved the hell out of it. Then again, I love the horror/comedy genre. You can get a helluva lot of fun with it.
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Welfare Willis
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Post by Welfare Willis on Jun 30, 2010 14:03:58 GMT -5
Okay fellas, I've made the hard decision to get rid of my vhs tapes. I'm going to transfer them to digital then I guess trash them. Since I'm a packrat I got some semi rare stuff like the Halloween II tv edit, Nightmare on Elm Street Annivarsary (like the laserdisc it comes with extra footage), Night of the Demons 3, etc. The only thing is I hate to get rid of the hard copies! Sure, I don't need some of the tapes like the Friday the 13th sequels, but some have cool box art (Prom Night, for example). Any one have similar experiences?
Also I can't decide to sell them or trash them. I can't imagine the more common ones having value.
Welp, I'm transferring the bonus disc of the NOTLD vhs 25th annivarsary set.
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Post by DSR on Jul 1, 2010 16:20:11 GMT -5
Hey guys, thought I'd share my recent purchases:
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET Infinifilm Edition (Seen the movie numerous times, and didn't really feel the need to pick it up, but it was 5 bucks for this edition at my local Big Lots. Besides, I'm kind of interested in the documentary THE HOUSE THAT FREDDY BUILT: THE LEGACY OF NEW LINE HORROR.)
DRAG ME TO HELL (4 bucks at my local video store)
THE HUNGER (3 bucks, plus it has David Bowie as a vampire)
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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 Jul 2, 2010 10:06:50 GMT -5
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET Infinifilm Edition (Seen the movie numerous times, and didn't really feel the need to pick it up, but it was 5 bucks for this edition at my local Big Lots. Besides, I'm kind of interested in the documentary THE HOUSE THAT FREDDY BUILT: THE LEGACY OF NEW LINE HORROR.) Everyone says that particular release is just epic. You'll have to let me know how that is. No-sold Ju-On superreview Part III is POSTED: ihrregistry.blogspot.com/2010/07/rage-and-fury-omnibus-part-iii-ju-on.htmlThe THIRD time I've reviewed this friggin' movie, and IMHO, it's the best, as well.
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Post by DSR on Jul 2, 2010 13:12:47 GMT -5
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET Infinifilm Edition (Seen the movie numerous times, and didn't really feel the need to pick it up, but it was 5 bucks for this edition at my local Big Lots. Besides, I'm kind of interested in the documentary THE HOUSE THAT FREDDY BUILT: THE LEGACY OF NEW LINE HORROR.) Everyone says that particular release is just epic. You'll have to let me know how that is. Will do. However, last night I watched DRAG ME TO HELL and THE EXORCIST III. DRAG ME TO HELL was pretty good. Really liked Alison Lohman's character (helps that I have a bit of a crush on her as an actress). I generally don't care for Justin Long (don't ask why), but he managed to be okay. The actual horror elements were well done, but Raimi's bizarre attempts at comedy just felt weird and a little out of place. And I saw the twist ending coming a mile away. {Spoiler}Also, if I was Lohman's character, I probably would've been PISSED that that fortune teller guy waited 'til after I spent 10,000 dollars on a ceremony that did nothing to tell me I could just give the button to somebody else free of charge. That might just be me, though. Anyway, 4-ish stars out of 5. EXORCIST III was a better story, but I did feel that it dragged quite a bit. But there were excellent performances by George C. Scott (I wasn't expecting the film to be so...funny) and Brad Dourif (which, by now everyone in these threads should know he's awesome). I don't have a whole lot to say about the film right now, but it was very well done (though I read an interview with Dourif saying WB screwed director Blatty out of making the film the way he truly wanted...ah well). 3.5 stars out of 5.
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Chainsaw
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It is what it is
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Post by Chainsaw on Jul 2, 2010 13:28:47 GMT -5
My favorite thing about Drag Me To Hell is that it plays out like a Tales From The Crypt comic all the way through, with it's oddball humor and ironic ending that you can see coming a mile away. It's also funny, because by the end of the movie, Lohman's character goes from being hapless to being kinda unlikeable. I think there was a better way to end the movie, but the way it played out works alright too.
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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 Jul 2, 2010 13:31:35 GMT -5
EXORCIST III was a better story, but I did feel that it dragged quite a bit. But there were excellent performances by George C. Scott (I wasn't expecting the film to be so...funny) and Brad Dourif (which, by now everyone in these threads should know he's awesome). I don't have a whole lot to say about the film right now, but it was very well done (though I read an interview with Dourif saying WB screwed director Blatty out of making the film the way he truly wanted...ah well). 3.5 stars out of 5. If I remember right, wasn't it going to be a straight-up adaptation of Blatty's novel Legion, only the studio didn't feel that would sell and kind of force-fed an Exorcist connection into it? At any rate, it's still my favorite movie in the series by a MILE.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2010 13:43:16 GMT -5
*sneaks in* *sneaks out, giggling*
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Chainsaw
T
A very BAD man.
It is what it is
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Post by Chainsaw on Jul 2, 2010 21:31:50 GMT -5
*sneaks in* *sneaks out, giggling* Damnit! So, I got a good deal today. I tried out this new store, Ultimate Electronics, that opened where out Circuit City is. It's kind of an interesting place, same color scheme as BB, the layout's all over the place, but they have nice little viewing stations for different TV's and movies. Also, they sell pool tables. Yeah....so, anyways, they had a damn good deal on Blu Ray DVD's from Anchor Bay and Lionsgate, and I was able to get Near Dark, My Bloody Valentine ('81), and Grace for about $25 total. And I don't have any of them yet. I would have gotten Behind the Mask, but it doesn't look like there's any supplemental material on it. First thing I'm gonna do is replace the cover for Near Dark, because of the shitty Twilight-ing of Adrian Pasdar and Jenny Wright. Ugh.
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Post by DSR on Jul 2, 2010 22:52:31 GMT -5
EXORCIST III was a better story, but I did feel that it dragged quite a bit. But there were excellent performances by George C. Scott (I wasn't expecting the film to be so...funny) and Brad Dourif (which, by now everyone in these threads should know he's awesome). I don't have a whole lot to say about the film right now, but it was very well done (though I read an interview with Dourif saying WB screwed director Blatty out of making the film the way he truly wanted...ah well). 3.5 stars out of 5. If I remember right, wasn't it going to be a straight-up adaptation of Blatty's novel Legion, only the studio didn't feel that would sell and kind of force-fed an Exorcist connection into it? At any rate, it's still my favorite movie in the series by a MILE. Couldn't tell ya. Dourif, in the interview I've read, is a man of very few words. At any rate, its been too long since I've seen the original EXORCIST, so I can't really judge. EXORCIST II was a colossal bore, and I don't care to see any of the other EXORCIST movies. I felt like she was just hapless throughout the movie. Nothing goes well for her all the way to the end. Although maybe I thought she was likeable simply because the old gypsy lady was purely annoying throughout the movie. Lamia, yeah that was spooky. But the gypsy was just a bitch who wouldn't go away. *shrug* EDIT: By the way, after putting up that quick post earlier in the day (right before I headed out for work), I wound up thinking about it a few times over the course of the day, and I believe I'd switch the star ratings for the two movies. EXORCIST III gets 4-ish, DRAG ME TO HELL gets 3.5. Granted, that's no big change, but the more I think about it, the more I like EXORCIST III, and the less I like DRAG ME TO HELL. *shrug...again*
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andrew8798
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on 24/7 this month
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Post by andrew8798 on Jul 2, 2010 23:29:52 GMT -5
Weinsteins already causing havoc:
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Chainsaw
T
A very BAD man.
It is what it is
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Post by Chainsaw on Jul 3, 2010 0:43:55 GMT -5
Weinsteins already causing havoc: At this point...why? The Weinsteins need to give it up.
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Welfare Willis
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Post by Welfare Willis on Jul 3, 2010 7:21:00 GMT -5
Can I say I'm not looking forward to Scream IV at all? Scream III wasn't nearly as good, but it did tie the series up. I realize I'm coming from a hypocritical position considering my love for all those 80's slasher sequels, but does Scream IV really come with something fresh?
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Chainsaw
T
A very BAD man.
It is what it is
Posts: 90,480
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Post by Chainsaw on Jul 3, 2010 8:07:28 GMT -5
Can I say I'm not looking forward to Scream IV at all? Scream III wasn't nearly as good, but it did tie the series up. I realize I'm coming from a hypocritical position considering my love for all those 80's slasher sequels, but does Scream IV really come with something fresh? The idea about the plot that I'm gathering from the slim details is intriguing, but it really feels like another desperate grab. The news about Hayden's character stands as a perfect example between the difference between what Hollywood thinks of this generation to the last.
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Post by Sir Woodrow on Jul 3, 2010 8:24:11 GMT -5
And the Weinsteins wonder why they're falling fast.
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Post by DSR on Jul 4, 2010 14:21:03 GMT -5
Last night I caught SLEEPAWAY CAMP II: UNHAPPY CAMPERS as part of a local movie station's Saturday night horror programming. Thought it was kinda boring (though the commercial breaks every 10 minutes don't help). I few moments were pretty cool, though, like the "Freddy" and "Jason" getting killed part. And there was a reference to "Charlie and Emilio" that I thought was kinda...cute? Seems like the only word that really fits.
I guess I'd give it 2 stars, but its not really fair considering it was on TV with a lot of profanity bleeped (they kept the gore, though, go figure). Next week they're showing SLEEPAWAY CAMP III, but I doubt I'll watch it. There's a couple other channels with horror flicks on Saturday nights, and one of them is showing HORRORS OF SPIDER ISLAND. I'll probably catch that instead.
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