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 8, 2012 17:15:08 GMT -5
Enjoyed that review of The Loved Ones, DSR. I remember reading about it in Fangoria back in the day and, for some reason or another, completely blocking it out of my mind. Good to have the memory jog, and it sounds like an awesome movie.
Unfortunately, I'm also not as hardcore as I used to be with Halloween horror watching, although I have been taking in all of the Hammer Dracula films lately. Something about those flicks just scream "Halloween" to me.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2012 13:02:06 GMT -5
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Post by DSR on Oct 13, 2012 0:33:51 GMT -5
So, since I had Friday off, I decided to spend it watching Dario Argento's Three Mothers trilogy of films. Here's a quick review of part 3, just because...
MOTHER OF TEARS (2007) - Fans of Dario Argento have long awaited the release of this, the third and final chapter in his Three Mothers trilogy. Though, a large chunk of these Argento-philes have come to the conclusion the maestro's cinematic powers have weakened over the course of the past decade. Can Dario rise to the challenge of creating a film that reaches the lofty heights of SUSPIRIA, or even the less revered though still pretty good INFERNO?
A museum in Rome receives a mysterious urn excavated from the cemetery of an old church. The two women working at the museum decide to open the urn, and inside they find a trio of small statues and a red tunic with what appears to be pagan writing across it. One of the girls reads this writing, and is gruesomely butchered by a band of hooded people. The other girl, Sarah (Dario's daughter Asia Argento) is chased by an evil baboon, but ultimately flees to safety.
The tunic, it turns out, belongs to Mater Lachrymarum, a witch who is the titular Mother of Tears. Reading the writing on her tunic has restored her powers, and she is now responsible for a wave of destruction (murders, suicides, vandalism, etc.) sweeping Rome. Additionally, many lesser witches are arriving in Rome to join Mater Lachrymarum in seeing the destruction of the city.
Some of these "children" of the Mother of Tears have kidnapped the son of one Michael Pierce, the curator at the museum in which Sarah works. He's also Sarah's lover, so when he takes up the task of rescuing his son, Sarah, though reluctant, still winds up lending her help. Sarah finds herself at the home of one of the last ordained exorcists, Padre Johannes (Udo Kier, who was also in SUSPIRIA, though as a different character).
She learns from the man that the Mother of Tears is one of three powerful witches who had homes built in Freiberg, Germany, New York, and right there in Rome. The other two witches are long dead (yeah, sorry, SPOILERS for two movies that are over 30 years old) and that Sarah's own mother once battled Mater Suspiriorum (the Mother of Sighs), a fight which resulted in Sarah's mother's death, but also left Mater Suspiriorum weakened so that Suzy Banyon could kill her in SUSPIRIA.
More importantly to this film, Sarah learns that she has inherited some of her mother's white witch powers. And she'll need them in order to face the Mother of Tears in a showdown with the fate of the world at stake...
I have to admit at this point that my experience with modern Argento is limited to the two episodes of the "Masters of Horror" series he directed, "Jenifer" and "Pelts." I thought those were rather good, but a long way removed from the operatic nightmare-combined-with-a-fairy-tale style the man displayed at the heights of his success.
This film stays more in line with those two "Masters of Horror" episodes, and I don't think it's for the better. In SUSPIRIA or INFERNO, when something normally considered cheesy happens, it can be hand-waved by the fact that those films are more nightmarish, more over-the-top, they play by their own set of rules. MOTHER OF TEARS strives to be more realistic, so the audience feels that characters should behave more realistically. Which, at times is difficult, particularly when actors get a little hammy from time to time.
What's more, MOTHER OF TEARS displays far more nudity than it's two predecessors, which, in a way, shows how this is more of an "adult" film. Not in a pornographic way, but the film has a more adult viewpoint. Which is a bit jarring, since the two prior movies have, as mentioned, a more fairy tale sensibility to them.
I understand artists change over time, and I certainly don't expect one such as Argento to feel the need to retread old territory. But, at the same time, this is the third part of a trilogy, and it doesn't really feel akin to the other two. I didn't hate the film, mind you, but I could see why people expecting the Dario of old would be very upset with the incongruity. And even as a fan of horror cinema in general, MOTHER OF TEARS felt pretty generic.
2.5 stars out of 5. Not great, not terrible. Middle of the road. I miss the bold color pallette and the haunting prog rock.
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Gus Richlen Was Wrong
Patti Mayonnaise
Metal Maestro: Co-winner of the FAN Idol Throwdown!
Fun while it lasted
Posts: 38,465
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Post by Gus Richlen Was Wrong on Oct 13, 2012 11:28:41 GMT -5
Going to watch "Scream 2" and "Supershark" tonight and will have my reviews Monday at earliest.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2012 17:07:58 GMT -5
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andrew8798
FANatic
on 24/7 this month
Posts: 106,081
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Post by andrew8798 on Oct 13, 2012 23:27:45 GMT -5
I plan on checking out Cabin in the Woods real soon friend told me I would like it
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2012 23:32:01 GMT -5
I plan on checking out Cabin in the Woods real soon friend told me I would like it Damn, I keep holding that off.
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Post by DSR on Oct 14, 2012 0:17:24 GMT -5
I plan on checking out Cabin in the Woods real soon friend told me I would like it Damn, I keep holding that off. Stop doing that!
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Post by DSR on Oct 15, 2012 1:25:20 GMT -5
Thought I'd change my sig for the holiday season. Bunch of notable characters/celeb cameos from the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET series.
Sorry I didn't include Miko Hughes.
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Post by Sir Woodrow on Oct 15, 2012 3:31:35 GMT -5
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Post by DSR on Oct 15, 2012 3:59:09 GMT -5
Ever since someone mentioned your "Garbage Day!" looks like Conan O'Brien, I can't unsee it. ;D
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Post by Sir Woodrow on Oct 15, 2012 4:14:02 GMT -5
Ever since someone mentioned your "Garbage Day!" looks like Conan O'Brien, I can't unsee it. ;D I think it was Kash
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Post by 'Foretold' Joker on Oct 15, 2012 6:01:41 GMT -5
My horror film-a-thon is still moving at the speed of the grandpa in Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Invisible Man 1933 Phantasm Army of Darkness Tremors Lifeforce
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Post by Non Banjoble Tokens on Oct 15, 2012 13:17:14 GMT -5
I watched the original Mummy from 1932 starring Boris Karloff this morning. It was good, but I was really hoping that he would have stayed in his original mummy form for longer. I assumed in my head that he stumbled around wrapped in bandages and killed people for more of the movie. Instead of coming back all looking like Abe Vigoda. Not that minded his human form, I just would have liked more evil toilet paper man stumbling around killing people too. But definitely a good watch.
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Post by DSR on Oct 15, 2012 13:28:24 GMT -5
I watched the original Mummy from 1932 starring Boris Karloff this morning. It was good, but I was really hoping that he would have stayed in his original mummy form for longer. I assumed in my head that he stumbled around wrapped in bandages and killed people for more of the movie. Instead of coming back all looking like Abe Vigoda. Not that minded his human form, I just would have liked more evil toilet paper man stumbling around killing people too. But definitely a good watch. Yeah, the films sequels feature much more of what you were looking for. At least they're all solid choices. As for me, last night I watched my 31st horror film of the month: HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH. ;D
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2012 0:13:56 GMT -5
ComicBookMovie.com has the screencaps from the Evil Dead remake teaser reel. I'd link, but there is some SERIOUS s*** going down. By that, I mean implied tree rape, possessed people cutting their cheeks, arms, and even a freakin' tongue, and a dude with a chainsaw.
Eeep.
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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 17, 2012 9:48:53 GMT -5
I know I'm late commenting on it, but I agree with your assessment of Mother of Tears, DSR. Suspiria and Inferno are both unforgettable, and that flick is...just kinda there. Although the Mother of Tears herself does have some fantastic fake boobs.
Well, I caught V.H.S. last night, and...I wasn't terribly impressed with it. I thought two of the stories were quite good ("Tuesday the 14th" was my favorite of the lot, with "The Sick Thing that Happened to Emily When She Was Younger" being close behind), the rest of them were fairly forgettable. I definitely wouldn't put it in the same league as anthology classics like Creepshow or Tales From the Darkside. I'd give it ** 1/2 out of ****.
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Post by Michael Coello on Oct 17, 2012 11:25:17 GMT -5
So, besides the new Puppetmaster coming out next week, The Asylum has a new zombie movie prepiering on Syfy before Halloween, Rise of the Zombies, formerly known as "Dead Walking": www.syfy.com/videos/Syfy%20Movies/What's%20Hot/vid:2604570
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Post by mysterydriver on Oct 17, 2012 17:46:44 GMT -5
itunes.apple.com/us/book/50-plus-10/id473975492?mt=11 I don't think it hurts to mention my e-book "50 Plus 10 Horror Movie Survival Tips" that I wrote a couple years back... Speaking of horror, I haven't watched many horror films but have been reading "Death Troopers" which is a cannon Star Wars story that actually has daggone zombies. Seems interesting so far, but I haven't reached the reveal of the cliched creatures yet.
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StuntGranny®
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Not Actually a Granny
Posts: 16,099
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Post by StuntGranny® on Oct 17, 2012 18:55:00 GMT -5
I'm following the herd and attempting to do the "31 days of horror" deal this year. I've tried previously, but I always end up failing miserably. So far so good this year.
So far, I've watched...
- Night of the Comet - Creature From the Black Lagoon - The Mummy's Curse - The Mummy - Texas Chainsaw Massacre III - House on Haunted Hill (the original) - Masque of the Red Death - The Thing (remake) - Fright Night (original) - Fright Night (remake) - Satan's Little Helper - Sorority House Massacre - White Zombie - Inferno - The Burning - Subspecies - Child's Play - Blood Diner - Who Can Kill a Child?
And finally, today I watched Poultrygeist with my girlfriend. She had never seen it, so I enjoyed watching her various reactions.
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