I am really hoping to catch Tigers Are Not Afraid at the big screen. It is a 2017 film from Mexico that is just now getting a broader (ie non festival) US release. Looks like it is the same vein as earlier del Toro stuff.
Ah, I can totally get what Emanuel is saying. And while I may not agree with it directly, I can fully appreciate his passion on the issue. I think there are probably a lot of folks who - for whatever reason, and many of it might be wholly unjustified (by any reasons of real life, acting ability, associated movie, appearance, voice, etc.) - find certain actors grating in work that they take part in. Handmaid's Tale was a disappointment for all kinds of other reasons, so at least there I don't feel like you missed out. I'd be only randomly interested to see It Chapter 2 (but NO, I will never accept that that grammatical mistake is any way intentional or endearing), but only if it happened to be airing on TV/stream or I happened to catch it (and not fall asleep) during a plane ride. I more just curious to see the end product than have any desire to enjoy it as a horror film.
Hey! Have you all had a look at One Cut of the Dead yet? No? DON'T read about it, just find a way and meet me back here, okay? Yes? Join me in a spoiler tag, STAT!
@toothaction OCOTD is so popular here in Austin people have made and wear Spoiler: SPOILER POM! pins and t-shirts.
Thanks, One Cut Of The Dead is so good! At this moment I'm on day #2 of Fantastic Fest, where One Cut played last year. Fantastic Fest is 8 days filled horror and genre films, so I'm seeing a several new horror movies this week like The Cleansing Hour, Saint Maud, Sweetheart, and The Lodge (from the director of Goodnight Mommy). The genre stuff at FF is a wide variety, like last night had Takashi Miike's new film "First Love", where Miike was here to present and do a QnA. And we saw the world premiere of "Jojo Rabbit" with Taika Waititi doing the intro and taking questions. I gotta say Taika is pretty cool and down to earth, he showed up at 4pm and left after 2am all the while hanging around the lobby for hours just sitting and chatting with anyone who walked by.
Watched The Final Girls and Velvet Buzzsaw over the weekend. Both were horror-lite, I guess, but enjoyable. The Final Girls was funny. I enjoyed the weird premise and meta-vibe of the slasher flick. Was surprised it was PG-13...not that it seemed like an R-rating. It felt like a bad tv-movie in one or two spots due to awful "outdoor" CGI, but is recommended. Velvet Buzzsaw was pretty good. Gyllenhaal was entertaining as Morf and I enjoyed Toni Collette in her platinum bangs. Next up: The Apostle, Overlord and Hereditary
My wife and I always plan to watch a horror movie every night in October, but we fall off pretty quick. Here are my takes on a few we tried: Jaws: Good effects, good cast, slow pace, pseudo-science. Godzilla King of Monsters: We've probably all seen this by now. Good CG. Good monster designs. Human dialog sections entirely skipable. Rampage: Some of the CG looks almost photo-real. Fun monsters, bearable watch time. Rock is Rock. Negan is Negan. IT Chapter 2: I was distracted by how much more likable the kids were than the adults. Just watch Chapter 1. Midsommar: It tried to capitalize off the success of Hereditary, but it was off in the wrong ways. Hereditary works because it feels so REAL until the end, but Midsommar lets you know you're a tourist in crazytown start-to-finish. One-Cut of the Dead: I didn't finish it. Sorry, guys. I enjoyed the first 20 or 30 minutes, but didn't see a compelling reason to watch the rest. Train to Busan: Beautiful photography, but very tropey. Almost entirely predictable, if you've ever seen a zombie flick. Reanimator: Over-the-top in every aspect, and quite silly. If that's the kind of movie you're looking for, it's worth a watch.
Haven't watched a single spooky thing all month. Totally slipping. As I mentioned in the streaming thread, I'm intending to watch at least one half of one episode of Creepshow - found out m'man Rob Schrab directed a segment - but I didn't even make my usual list this year. The Devil Doll on Halloween, as ever, but that might be it. Hadn't heard about Velvet Buzzsaw before, but the two actors mentioned will probably get me through the door. OH! Just remembered... Gingers crossed that Parasite screens near me, I'll definitely break the tension embargo for that!
@Smotemotem If you have the channel Turner Classic Movies be sure to check them out on Thursday nights, they are showing horror films from the past 98 years. Each Thursday night has a theme - 10/3 Witches, 10/10 Satan, 10/17 Ghosts, 10/24 Zombies, and 10/31 is all horror all day & night.
Also watched Phantasm: Ravager last week. It's the final installment in the series from 2016, fifth overall. As far as Phantasm is concerned and the combination of weird, nonsensical imagery, it worked. It had spheres, the Tall Man and Reggie (our ice cream man hero), but it also had ugly CGI and a lame plot. It was not a great finale to an odd series, but I've been wanting to watched for a while anyway. Spoiler: Ending Discussion As far as endings, it was open-ended, so there could be more films. I know Angus Scrimm passed away, but they didn't end it on another "Come here, boy!!" scene, so who knows. Do we need more? Probably not.
I finally watched the Suspiria remake last weekend. Thoroughly meh. In my mind I kept needling Thom Yorke over his frequently hokey/middling soundtrack, asking "WWJD (What Would Jonny Do)?" It's so hard with these big-budget made-for-streaming movies, now. Seems the makers and "studios" would like us to take them seriously as capital-C Cinema, they sometimes even release 'em in theaters for further such legitimization, but somehow they always come off like better-than-average TV movies. Always a little garbagey.
^ Huh. Guess I was blinded by the hype I ignored. And bamboozled by the in-theater experience. Not that my viewing Suspiria 2019 as a werk ov exsellenz isn't, in my mind, an exception to the rule you've laid out above. The rule is a pretty solid assessment of these modren methods. In the face of Goblin, I'd have gone somewhat invisible, too, FWIW.
I'm trying to think of a horror film remake that wasn't meh. I'm struggling to name one . . . Any suggestions?
The Thing, Nosferatu the Vampyre, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Fly . . . Suspiria Top o' me head and out the door. Potentially longish list to follow, ha!
Fuck me, yes. That's two good ones right there. Maybe I should of said in the last ten years or so . . .
Other great ones mentioned. And I'm with David. Suspiria was great. Tilda Swinton played 3 different roles. Watch it just to see that insanity alone!!!
Oh no, I thought he was the opposite of invisible, too often- obtrusive. I really didn't want to feel like I was watching a Thom Yorke music vid, and I did, a couple times. Also some very clumsy transitions, I felt.
With it being the Halloween season now and subsequently being in and around the Salem, Massachusetts region every so often...I can't help but continuously think of The VVITCH. That movie is so damn good it's ridiculous. They portray colonial New England and it's Puritanical folklore exquisitely. Also Black Phillip is bae.
Agree with all of this. Speaking of which (vvitch) I'll being seeing the Lighthouse tomorrow. To say I'm excited would be the understatement of a lifetime.
I'm holding off on seeing the Lighthouse until it's on dvd or digital. I too was (and still am) eager to see it, however I've read several people write how it's almost a black comedy and not necessarily a 'true' horror film. I was getting a huge psychological 'effing-with-you' vibe from the trailers, so I guess I just have to look at it from a different angle.
