I’ve seen worse but the endless Leone rip offs get tiresome pretty quick. It’s one thing to be a fan, or even to do an homage, but just re-jigging iconic scenes from someone else’s films comes across as lazy. Also, to be honest, despite the the odd bloody scene the story was all a bit slow and boring. In fact I found myself nodding off more than once. Not what you’re after in a horror film or a western. That said it is very nicely photographed. All in all it fits into the should have been better tray.[/quote]
Right, the film really comes across as totally empty, except for some good looking photography. Maybe better titled as Shallowwalkers
Also the director’s name is hilarious and seems too appropriate for this movie to be a real name.
Argento’s Dracula (2012) aka Dracula 3D ::)- Directed by Dario Argento and starring Thomas Kretschmann and Rutger Hauer.
Well I didn’t know this was released as Dracula 3D or that it was made to be a 3D move, but suddenly explains a lot. While it does have some great looking scenes in it with that old Argento color scheming, it just doesn’t quite get past the hump and always feels like some not very serious stuff… Not bad, not great- I’m not one to rate films in numbers typically, but it feels appropriate to give Dracula 3D a forgiving 3/5. I did briefly doze off a couple of times, so I guess I’m not being totally fair without a rewatch
Have been keeping up with my October regimen, just haven’t yet had a chance to post all the films the last few days…
An all-time horror heavyweight today: It’s The Exorcist (Friedkin, 1973). One of the greatest films ever made, leave alone the horror genre. Somehow, mrs.caress has never seen it, so the Power of Christ will be compelling her for the first time this evening. And, as a coincidental aside, her mother sucks ccks in hell (she’s not dead, she’s just a cnt).
The Family Frightener today is Devil (Dowdle, 2010).
More frantic first-person anthology action tonight in the form of the fantastic V/H/S/2 (2013). Not as uneven, overcrowded, misogynistic or riddled with nausea-inducing “shaky-cam” (for the most part) as its unkempt predecessor, and featuring a centerpiece segment in Gareth Evans’ and Timo Tjahjanto’s Safe Haven that singlehandedly elevates V/H/S/2 from “Yeah! Nice,” to “F*CK ME!” The latest film in the franchise, V/H/S: Viral, was released on VoD today and I’ll be giving that a spin on Saturday. It has a tough act to follow.
Today’s Family Frightener is a melange of recent animation blockbuster movie Halloween specials: Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space (2009), Scared Shrekless (2010), Monsters vs. Aliens: Night of the Living Carrots (2011) and Toy Story of Terror! (2013).
Film 21 for me took the term low budget British horror to a whole new level. Colin (Price 2008) was made for a reputed forty quid but, unfortunately, looks like it too. Hand held camcorder with only available light and a chronic lack of lenses and filters make this look exactly like what it is, a student film, and this detracts quite a lot from the film as a whole. It does, however, have its strong points and when these are to the fore the film is really quite impressive considering its limitations. The premise is a twist on the zombie film as we follow Colin, a newly transformed zombie, and the story follows him rather than the usual victims. It’s a nice idea and Price manages to convey the zombie’s inner human as well as showing his family and back story too. Not a great film by any means but a commendable effort for the money.
Film 22 couldn’t be more different. The Devil’s Backbone (Del Toro 2001) is only just a horror film really by weight of the ghost at its story’s centre but it is a beautifully crafted bit of cinema where all of its budget is on screen. Great performances, great characters, beautifully shot and, just like in Pan’s Labyrinth, expertly weaves the supernatural into the human world and shows the people as the real monsters. Good stuff.
[quote=“last.caress, post:1024, topic:405”]31 DAYS of HALLOWEEN - DAY 22
An all-time horror heavyweight today: It’s The Exorcist (Friedkin, 1973). One of the greatest films ever made, leave alone the horror genre. Somehow, mrs.caress has never seen it, so the Power of Christ will be compelling her for the first time this evening. And, as a coincidental aside, her mother sucks ccks in hell (she’s not dead, she’s just a cnt).[/quote]
Yes, a good idea that starts really well and contains a few decent set pieces throughout, but its limitations really cause the film to drag in several places. I haven’t seen it in awhile but I remember a house party sequence that really should’ve been ferocious and terrifying but to my recollection was painfully drawn out, pretty-much stopping the film in its tracks.
The above-mentioned V/H/S/2 includes a cracking “zombie-POV” short story, from Eduardo Sánchez (The Blair Witch Project).
Thank-you, gentlemen. She really is horrible. Think Elizabeth Báthory, but colder and less approachable.
This weekend I’m going with a trio of movies I’ve never seen, kicking off today with Horns (Aja, 2013), adapted from a Joe Hill novel and starring Daniel Radcliffe as a guy who sprouts horns which compel people to reveal their innermost secrets to him. Joe Hill abbreviated his middle name “Hillstrom” and used that as a surname so people wouldn’t know he’s Stephen King’s son. I dunno though, I think people might’ve gotten clued in eventually anyway:
My Family Frightener today is Frankenweenie (Burton, 2012). I’ve never seen that either.
Not been doing the 31 Horror film challenge, but have watched Troy Nixey’s Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (2010), a remake of a 1973 TV movie, and produced by none other than Guillermo del Toro provided a few decent fissions. It’s essentially the old “haunted house” set-up with modern-day special effects; actually not too bad (Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes as the clueless adults convince, as doe the child actor, Bailee Madison). The opening-scene could come out of a parody though, so on the nose it is with genre conventions. The feeling of predictability permeates, despite the professionalism of the work on display, and only the downbeat ending marks this out as memorable (although undoubtedly it shares this with the original, so the necessity of the film’s existence is, as often with remakes, brought into question).
[quote=“last.caress, post:1030, topic:405”]Joe Hill abbreviated his middle name “Hillstrom” and used that as a surname so people wouldn’t know he’s Stephen King’s son.[/quote]Well, as the saying goes, you learn something new every day.
I finally got around to watching my first horror movie of the month. (Sorry for letting yall down lol)
Its actually a TV miniseries Salem’s Lot 2004 starring Rob Lowe, James Cromwell and Donald Sutherland.
Not bad, reasonably faithful to the book, although they did change some things, nothing major. As with most made for TV movies, this film suffers from “TV movie syndrome”, with the biggest problem being that it looks and feels too much like a made for tv movie.
[quote=“Col. Douglas Mortimer, post:1033, topic:405”]I finally got around to watching my first horror movie of the month. (Sorry for letting yall down lol)
Its actually a TV miniseries Salem’s Lot 2004 starring Rob Lowe, James Cromwell and Donald Sutherland.
Not bad, reasonably faithful to the book, although they did change some things, nothing major. As with most made for TV movies, this film suffers from “TV movie syndrome”, with the biggest problem being that it looks and feels too much like a made for tv movie.
Watched the 2004 version some years back and had same impressions as Col. It was fairly faithful but still just not that good of a movie.
I actually just watched the 1979 TV miniseries a few nights ago. It was better than I remembered, but still not great. I hadn’t seen it since I was a kid - I remember excitedly renting it after having read the book years before and being totally let down.
The creepyness of certain scenes from the book still sticks with me today although I haven’t read it since a kid. Although the 1979 movie has its moments, it just never comes close to this feeling from the book. Despite its 3 hour running time, it manages to leave out many of the best parts which definitely should have been included.
I never knew this was a Toby Hooper movie until watching the other night, really surprised by this.
Salem’s Lot 04: Better than I expected Salem’s Lot '79: Not as good as I remembered
Roughly as good as each other at the end of the day (well, maybe a marginal preference for the Tobe Hooper version. Maybe). Both definitely have their moments but neither are entirely satisfactory taken at face value, and both pale massively in comparison to the book, which is an absolute colossus, a vampire classic second maybe only to Dracula and arguably Stephen King’s greatest work.
Merely IMO, of course.
31 DAYS of HALLOWEEN - DAY 25
Yet more anthology-based wackiness today in the form of the very latest entrant into the V/H/S franchise, V/H/S: Viral (2014). Pared down more than its predecessor (3 shorts plus a wraparound segment this time around) due to one short being cut from the movie at the last minute, it’s drawing mixed reviews at the moment. I’m looking forward to seeing for myself.
Today’s Family Frightener is The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror Episodes XVII-XX (2006-2009).
In general, most Stephen King adaptions for the big or small screen fall short of equaling the books. IMO, Salem’s Lot, It, Dreamcatcher, The Shining, Pet Sematery(?), and a bunch of others, fall far short of the books. But in some instances, I prefer the screen adaptations to the books…Carrie (1976), Christine, and possibly some others. I didn’t like Cujo in either book or movie form. I haven’t watched Under the Dome, but I really liked the book…but people seem to have a love it or hate it view of the book. Also, due to how prolific King is, he’s written a number of duds as well.
It seems quite the challenge to adapt King’s works.
Tonight I’m going for The Grudge 3 (Wilkins, 2009). Not a franchise which receives much love but I really liked the first two films in the series. I might be the only person in the world who liked the second movie. Still, despite enjoying these films - and their Japanese progenitors; I LOVE the 2002 Japanese Ju-on: The Grudge, still freaks me out to this day - I’ve never seen this third installment into the American wing of the franchise, despite having bought it a couple of years ago now. So, tonight’s the night.
The Family Frightener today is Paranorman (Butler/Fell, 2012).
Tomorrow, I’m going away for four days, won’t be back until Halloween itself. But, I’m taking a portable DVD player with me and still doing my challenge.
31 DAYS of HALLOWEEN - DAY 27
Monday, I’ll be watching the inconsistent-but-fun undead soldierfest Outpost (Barker, 2007). The Family Frightener will be Creature From the Black Lagoon (Arnold, 1954).
31 DAYS of HALLOWEEN - DAY 28
Tuesday, it’ll be the turn of the underrated The Last Exorcism (Stamm, 2010). The Family Frightener will be Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Siegel, 1956).
Wednesday, getting close to the actual day, I shall be going with the remake of Halloween (Zombie, 2007). Becomes very by-the-numbers as the movie progresses and even drags somewhat by the end but the Michael Myers “origin” stuff early on in the movie was done really well, I felt. The Family Frightener will be Scooby Doo: Camp Scare (Spaulding, 2010).
Following up on Wednesday’s movie, Thursday will host Halloween II (Zombie, 2009). One of Rob Zombie’s least loved pictures - even Rob himself didn’t care for it IIRC - but I like it. And 'tis the season, after all. The Family Frightener for Thursday will be Tarantula! (Arnold, 1955).
BTW, V/H/S: Viral was a let-down, sadly. I was going to write more on it but, halfway through, I decided I didn’t give enough of a tin sht about this film to continue. So I deleted it all. Basically: first short - The Great Dante (Gregg Bishop, Dance of the Dead) = Not bad, nothing to write home about though; second short - Parallel Monsters (Nacho Vigalondo, Timecrimes) = Very good, best of the bunch; third short - Bonestorm (Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, Resolution) = Interesting premise but bad camerawork, hateful characters and an unfinished feel largely scupper the project; wraparound segment - Vicious Circles (Marcel Sarmiento, Deadgirl) = Absolutely fcking dreadful, both in story and delivery, and singlehandedly ruins this movie. Sarmiento’s short for 2012’s The ABCs of Death - D is for Dog - was easily the best thing in that film, so this was an extra disappointment for me.
I downloaded another film last night which I’m really looking forward to but I’ll probably end up leaving it 'til next weekend now: Exists (2014) by Eduardo Sánchez, (co)director of The Blair Witch Project. It’s a “bigfoot” movie and I really want to see a good 'un, having been disappointed in the last couple of years by both The Lost Coast Tapes (Grant, 2012) and Willow Creek (Goldthwait, 2013). I’ve got a good feeling about this latest one, though. I like everything I’ve seen by Mr. Sánchez.
