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Post by thwhtguardian on Oct 8, 2024 7:14:27 GMT -5
Went with another Werewolf flick for last night's viewing: The Silver Bullet (1985) Based on one of my favorite Stephen King novellas Cycle of the Werewolf (which had some awesome art by Bernie Wrightson) the film mixes that classic Americana feeling of an 80's coming of age story set against a Werewolf stocking a small town in Maine. It really shouldn't work as a mashup but it's actually really good with some fun performances from Gary Busey and Corey Haim and some pretty decent Werewolf effects. |
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Post by EdoBosnar on Oct 8, 2024 10:50:49 GMT -5
Went with another Werewolf flick for last night's viewing: The Silver Bullet (1985)
Based on one of my favorite Stephen King novellas Cycle of the Werewolf (which had some awesome art by Bernie Wrightson) the film mixes that classic Americana feeling of an 80's coming of age story set against a Werewolf stocking a small town in Maine. It really shouldn't work as a mashup but it's actually really good with some fun performances from Gary Busey and Corey Haim and some pretty decent Werewolf effects. Silver Bullet is a decent movie, but I'm sorry, the werewolf suit is pretty comical. I remember back in high school, when I saw it in the theater with a few friends, we were joking that it looked like an angry teddy bear.
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Post by Jeddak on Oct 8, 2024 17:39:58 GMT -5
Gods of the Deep - 2024 - I went into this one knowing nothing about the movie, and I'm glad I did. If I'd known beforehand what (who) was going to appear halfway in, it would've spoiled a cool reveal.
A man-made (well, something-made) structure is discovered deep underwater. A new super-sub is sent down to see what's inside. They find something, and try to bring it back up. Things don't go well.
The movie starts out strong. It moves quickly, the sub is claustrophobic and dimly lit, adding to the unease, and if the crew isn't given any real depth, at least a couple of them are likeable. The effects for what they find inside the portal were pretty good. On their way back, the conflicts between the crew combined with the threat of what they found, which isn't just a physical threat, made for some intense moments.
But they don't nail the ending. What they found is never really explained, which could have worked, but then there are some odd psychic/supernatural happenings which kind of muddy the water further. There could've been a more satisfying resolution, even without explaining everything. I wish they'd leaned into the existential dread more. And they had to go for the last big shock for an ending, which felt cheap.
Overall, I enjoyed the film. It's a fairly successful attempt at a modern take on this particular sub-genre. (Trying to avoid spoilers, here.)
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Oct 8, 2024 20:16:19 GMT -5
The First Omen (2024) is a prequel to the Omen series, in which we see the events leading to the birth of Damien (the antichrist).
Did we need a prequel to The Omen? No, we did not. As we know from the start what's going on, it's pretty hard to surprise us viewers. On the other hand, the film is quite engaging on its own, and I really liked the cast. The main character kicks serious a## (for an aspiring nun). There are also some pretty scary moments, not in the jump scare category, but rather in the pure horror vein. The sense of evil surrounding the conspiracy to bring the antichrist into this world life is quite convincing in its subdued way... Boy, did I hate those guys!
The climax was a little "meh", I thought, as it veered into more familiar tracks. It almost felt like the film was suddenly the pilot a TV series, which was a jarring change in tone. But I enjoyed the cameo of Gregory Peck (in a photo!) and that of a Lee Remick substitute.
I'd say this is a bit like the Exorcist Dominion prequel. Not a necessary film, a bit light all things considered, but decent in its own way. Extra points for the cast.
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Post by codystarbuck on Oct 9, 2024 0:35:01 GMT -5
My latest was another werewolf flick....squaddies vs werewolves: 2002's Dog Soldiers, directed by Neil Marshall.
The film starts with Kevin McKidd (Trainspotting, and an early favorite to play Thor), as he undergoes the SAS Selection process, where he is trying to evade a hunter team, with dogs, led by Captain Ryan (Liam Cunningham, long before Game of Thrones). The eventually catch him, after nearly 24 hours on the run. Ryan then hands Cooper (McKidd) a pistol and tells him to shoot a dog. He refuses, even as he is given a direct order, saying he won't kill a dog for no reason. Ryan fails him and he is RTUed (Returned To Unit). His squad then goes out on a training exercise, in the Scottish Highlands, where their opponents are special forces (SAS, the Paras, or Royal Marines). However, they come across another camp, what appears to be their opponents' lie-in, but no enemy; just weapons and damaged equipment. They find Captain Ryan, wounded and in shock. They treat him and end up on the run from something vicious and strong. The run into a woman, in a land rover and she helps get them out, to a farm house, in the area. Then, it turns into a siege of the farmhouse, as the soldiers fortify the house and battles against a pack of werewolves. It turns out that Ryan was sent there, with his team (SAS) to find a live werewolf and capture it, for study. They failed. Cooper and his squad were to be the bait. Their weapons had only training blanks. They arm themselves with the special forces weapons for the fight.
The film was done on a low budget, shot in Luxembourg, to take advantage of tax incentives. Neil Marshall made his name with the film, leading to directing episodes of Game of Thrones, the films Doomsday and Centurion, the 2019 version of Hellboy, and an episode of Westworld and a couple for the revamp Lost in Space. The film makes good use of prosthetics, when they finally reveal the full werewolves and strategically gives you snippets, to build suspense and anticipation. The night setting also helps hide the edges of things, so they get a lot of bang for the buck.
Sean Pertwee (son of Doctor Who's Jon Pertwee and Alfred, on Gotham) is the squad leader and he, Cunningham and McKidd carry the acting side, though everyone in the squad, plus Emma Cleasby, as Megan, all hold their own and are believable in their roles. They had good military advisors and the actors sound and act like trained soldiers, which adds to the realism.
A sequel was proposed, but financing has fallen through on a couple of occasions.
Great film and a nice change of place from your average werewolf film, crossing that with a bit of Predator, a bit of Zulu, and some smart choices.
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Post by commond on Oct 9, 2024 9:21:48 GMT -5
Mad Love (Karl Freund, 1935)
Brilliant performance from Peter Lorre. I believe this was his Hollywood debut, and he steals the show in what would have been an otherwise unremarkable film. It's not a bad adaptation of The Hands of Orlac, but it feels rushed at times. There were 15 minutes cut from the film which may account for the pacing issues. Cinematographer, Greg Toland, of Citizen Kane fame, was partially involved in shooting the film, and it's certainly pretty to look at times, but really it's Lorre and those bug eyes that make this worth watching. Lorre notwithstanding, Robert Wiene's silent version is a superior film.
Zombi 2 (Lucio Fulci, 1979)
This is one of Fulci's better known films. It was produced as a sequel to Zombi, Dario Argento's re-edited European release of Romero's Dawn of the Dead. Apparently, Italian copyright law allowed anyone to make a sequel to a film, which is wonderfully sleazy. The film is great anytime the zombies appear on screen, but a bore otherwise. I do like the fact that it was set on a Caribbean island and that voodoo plays a part in the story, but it's a bit of a slog until the zombies appear. English stage and screen actor, Richard Johnson, does his upmost to lend gravitas to the film, but the highlight of the first 45 minutes or so is the gratuitous half-naked scuba diving scene that turns into a zombie vs. shark battle. It's worth checking out that scene even if you're not interested in watching the film. I'm growing to love Fulci endings, and this one is a great nod to Romero. I like the Gates of Hell trilogy better than this, but this gets a lot of love among zombie film aficionados.
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Post by driver1980 on Oct 9, 2024 9:26:50 GMT -5
Zombi 2 (Lucio Fulci, 1979) This is one of Fulci's better known films. It was produced as a sequel to Zombi, Dario Argento's re-edited European release of Romero's Dawn of the Dead. Apparently, Italian copyright law allowed anyone to make a sequel to a film, which is wonderfully sleazy. The film is great anytime the zombies appear on screen, but a bore otherwise. I do like the fact that it was set on a Caribbean island and that voodoo plays a part in the story, but it's a bit of a slog until the zombies appear. English stage and screen actor, Richard Johnson, does his upmost to lend gravitas to the film, but the highlight of the first 45 minutes or so is the gratuitous half-naked scuba diving scene that turns into a zombie vs. shark battle. It's worth checking out that scene even if you're not interested in watching the film. I'm growing to love Fulci endings, and this one is a great nod to Romero. I like the Gates of Hell trilogy better than this, but this gets a lot of love among zombie film aficionados. I have seen this. It’s one of the thankfully rare times in my film-viewing life where there’s a vast gulf between my expectations and the film itself. Based on what I had read, I thought I was going to be seeing one of the greatest horror films ever. When it was over, I thought, ‘Was that it?’ |
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Post by driver1980 on Oct 9, 2024 9:29:49 GMT -5
The First Omen (2024) is a prequel to the Omen series, in which we see the events leading to the birth of Damien (the antichrist). Did we need a prequel to The Omen? No, we did not. As we know from the start what's going on, it's pretty hard to surprise us viewers. On the other hand, the film is quite engaging on its own, and I really liked the cast. The main character kicks serious a## (for an aspiring nun). There are also some pretty scary moments, not in the jump scare category, but rather in the pure horror vein. The sense of evil surrounding the conspiracy to bring the antichrist into this world life is quite convincing in its subdued way... Boy, did I hate those guys! The climax was a little "meh", I thought, as it veered into more familiar tracks. It almost felt like the film was suddenly the pilot a TV series, which was a jarring change in tone. But I enjoyed the cameo of Gregory Peck (in a photo!) and that of a Lee Remick substitute. I'd say this is a bit like the Exorcist Dominion prequel. Not a necessary film, a bit light all things considered, but decent in its own way. Extra points for the cast. I got some enjoyment out of this, but I’m afraid that last 10-15 years have featured a lot of films which are very much like this. There’s derivative - and then there’s derivative. Unless a new angle can be done, I don’t think I will be interested in the future. At this point, such films are just like “clones” of each other, with the usual stuff such as untrustworthy priests (or cardinals or whatever) and dark secrets pertaining to institutions, often leading to very familiar finales. |
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Post by Jeddak on Oct 9, 2024 17:03:32 GMT -5
Burial - 2022 - So the description for this movie talks about Allied soldiers transporting a mysterious cargo at the end of WWII, being attacked by Nazi werewolves. I says to myself, gee, that sounds like fun.
Well, not so much fun, but it's a good movie, some intense action and suspense as the Soviets are stalked in a forest, even as they deal with conflict amongst themselves. The violence is brutal, we see the suffering a war brings to civilians, there's torture and a lot of death.
But werewolves? Did you know that in the last days of the war, German leaders exhorted their people to do whatever they could to harass the encroaching Allies, including guerrilla warfare? They called these fighters werewolves.
That's right. No supernatural shape-shifters here. The only horrors in this film are the horrors of war. And I don't think I can justify calling the movie even horror-adjacent.
It is a good movie, though.
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Post by Calidore on Oct 9, 2024 20:00:50 GMT -5
My latest was another werewolf flick....squaddies vs werewolves: 2002's Dog Soldiers, directed by Neil Marshall. The film starts with Kevin McKidd (Trainspotting, and an early favorite to play Thor), as he undergoes the SAS Selection process, where he is trying to evade a hunter team, with dogs, led by Captain Ryan (Liam Cunningham, long before Game of Thrones). The eventually catch him, after nearly 24 hours on the run. Ryan then hands Cooper (McKidd) a pistol and tells him to shoot a dog. He refuses, even as he is given a direct order, saying he won't kill a dog for no reason. Ryan fails him and he is RTUed (Returned To Unit). His squad then goes out on a training exercise, in the Scottish Highlands, where their opponents are special forces (SAS, the Paras, or Royal Marines). However, they come across another camp, what appears to be their opponents' lie-in, but no enemy; just weapons and damaged equipment. They find Captain Ryan, wounded and in shock. They treat him and end up on the run from something vicious and strong. The run into a woman, in a land rover and she helps get them out, to a farm house, in the area. Then, it turns into a siege of the farmhouse, as the soldiers fortify the house and battles against a pack of werewolves. It turns out that Ryan was sent there, with his team (SAS) to find a live werewolf and capture it, for study. They failed. Cooper and his squad were to be the bait. Their weapons had only training blanks. They arm themselves with the special forces weapons for the fight. The film was done on a low budget, shot in Luxembourg, to take advantage of tax incentives. Neil Marshall made his name with the film, leading to directing episodes of Game of Thrones, the films Doomsday and Centurion, the 2019 version of Hellboy, and an episode of Westworld and a couple for the revamp Lost in Space. The film makes good use of prosthetics, when they finally reveal the full werewolves and strategically gives you snippets, to build suspense and anticipation. The night setting also helps hide the edges of things, so they get a lot of bang for the buck. Sean Pertwee (son of Doctor Who's Jon Pertwee and Alfred, on Gotham) is the squad leader and he, Cunningham and McKidd carry the acting side, though everyone in the squad, plus Emma Cleasby, as Megan, all hold their own and are believable in their roles. They had good military advisors and the actors sound and act like trained soldiers, which adds to the realism. A sequel was proposed, but financing has fallen through on a couple of occasions. Great film and a nice change of place from your average werewolf film, crossing that with a bit of Predator, a bit of Zulu, and some smart choices. Love this movie. It's worth mentioning also that the banter between the soldiers is hilarious enough that the IMDB quotes page is huge.
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Post by Calidore on Oct 9, 2024 20:10:41 GMT -5
the highlight of the first 45 minutes or so is the gratuitous half-naked scuba diving scene that turns into a zombie vs. shark battle. Behind-the-scenes story: The originally-assigned stuntman coincidentally fell ill the day he was supposed to fight a shark underwater, so the zombie was played by the shark's trainer. And that's how I learned that "shark trainer" is a job. For this scene, he used a tiger shark because they're the most aggressive, but made sure it was well fed first, and also thoroughly drugged just to be sure.
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Post by Jeddak on Oct 9, 2024 20:31:56 GMT -5
The Gorgon - 1964 - a Hammer film I've never seen. But it's got Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, directed by Terence Fisher. Should be good, right?
There are positives - a lovely score, evocative sets; it feels like a Hammer film. But Lee is only in half the movie, though his character is fun. Cushing has more screen time, but his character seems ambivalent, ineffectual. Only later do we learn why he's acting the way he does. I didn't buy the love story at all. The human identity of the Gorgon is apparently supposed to be a mystery, but there's only one possibility. And it is kinda convenient that everybody knows the legend of a Greek monster moving to England 2000 years ago, though it does let us have the conspiracy of silence among the villagers.
The biggest problem with this film is the monster. The Gorgon, in its monstrous form, is barely seen. Yes, her first appearance is effectively creepy. But even in human form she's not really there, since she doesn't know her true self. So the monster is missing; we don't know what she wants, why she's here. Dracula casts his shadow over the movies he's in. Cushing's Frankenstein is the main character in those. But there is an emptiness at the core of this film.
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Post by MRPs_Missives on Oct 9, 2024 20:44:43 GMT -5
The Gorgon - 1964 - a Hammer film I've never seen. But it's got Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, directed by Terence Fisher. Should be good, right? There are positives - a lovely score, evocative sets; it feels like a Hammer film. But Lee is only in half the movie, though his character is fun. Cushing has more screen time, but his character seems ambivalent, ineffectual. Only later do we learn why he's acting the way he does. I didn't buy the love story at all. The human identity of the Gorgon is apparently supposed to be a mystery, but there's only one possibility. And it is kinda convenient that everybody knows the legend of a Greek monster moving to England 2000 years ago, though it does let us have the conspiracy of silence among the villagers. The biggest problem with this film is the monster. The Gorgon, in its monstrous form, is barely seen. Yes, her first appearance is effectively creepy. But even in human form she's not really there, since she doesn't know her true self. So the monster is missing; we don't know what she wants, why she's here. Dracula casts his shadow over the movies he's in. Cushing's Frankenstein is the main character in those. But there is an emptiness at the core of this film. I've not seen the movie, but I on the Mego of the Monster  which I picked up when it was on clearance. -M |
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Post by Hoosier X on Oct 10, 2024 0:05:15 GMT -5
The Unknown (1927)
Geez Louise I love this movie! I’ve been watching it over and over for decades. Lon Chaney, Joan Crawford, Tod Browning and it’s only 50 minutes!
It’s so disjointed it’s more like nightmare than a movie.
And that scene where poor murderin’ Lon finds out that Joan isn’t scared of arms anymore after Lon blackmailed a surgeon so he would amputate his arms … and so now Joan is going to marry the strong man … AND they waited for him to return to the circus so he could attend the wedding … that look on his face … well, it’s one of my favorite moments from all world cinema, right up there with Harold Lloyd hanging off the clock and the baby falling out of the refrigerator in Dangerous Living.
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Post by codystarbuck on Oct 10, 2024 0:33:33 GMT -5
Tonight's entry is The Abominable Dr Phibes, starring Vincent Price as the demented doctor of musicology and theology, who enacts his twisted revenge of the surgical team that attended his late wife. One by one they die a death inspired by one of the biblical plagues, in rather elaborate and stylish fashion. The film is almost leisurely in pace, as the intricacies of the murders takes center stage. We juxtapose with Phibes and his mechanical orchestra, as he plays organ on a descending platform, in an art deco hall.
The film is set in the 20s and the art deco sets are a joy to behold, from an era where craftsmanship was still as important as mass production. Great cast, with Caroline Munro appearing in photos, as the doctor's late wife, then in the flesh, as he joins her, with the last of his revenge. Joseph Cotton is Dr Vesalius, the attending surgeon, while Terry-Thomas is one of his colleagues. Phibes is assisted by his beautiful and silent servant, Vulnavia, played by Virginia North who is all the more striking in her silence.
It's billed as a horror/comedy, though the comedy is the weakest art. Most of it comes from John Cater, as the Scotland Yard superintendent in charge of the department, where Inspector Trout investigates.
The film as an AIP production, the people who produced the Edgar Allan Poe adaptations, directed by Roger Corman, with Vincent Price. Due to the nature of the murderer, Price is rather restrained in his performance, compared to other roles. Cotton has always been a somewhat flat performer, to me, somewhat emotionless in his delivery of lines, which works for the stern doctor. Peter Cushing was supposed to play Dr Vesalius, but the decline in his wife's health (she died that same year), but he did appear in the sequel, The Return of Dr Phibes.
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