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PretentiousHipster
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Re: Racketboy Month of Horror 12: 80 Weeks Later

by PretentiousHipster Fri Oct 15, 2021 10:35 am

Watched The Night House. It goes for a great setup, quite terrifying actually. Rebecca Hall's performance was fantastic as well, showing the increasingly toxic behavior with being obsessed with solving something. The problem is that the conclusion of it felt quite illogical in a bad way, almost like a cop out.
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Re: Racketboy Month of Horror 12: 80 Weeks Later

by Nemoide Fri Oct 15, 2021 2:59 pm

I haven't been posting too much lately, but I'm in the swing of my normal Halloween habits! I set upmy mood table, have been reading and watching spooky things, listening to Halloween music, and eating themed junk food!

A few highlights of movies I've watched:
Candyman (2021) - So I've only ever seen the first Candyman movie before this and I thought it was a worthwhile sequel. It builds on the Candyman lore and modernizes things in a way I appreciated. It follows an artist who's built his reputation on racially/politically charged works; he hears about the story of the Candyman and decides it would be a good idea to incorporate that into his work. Unfortunately, he doesn't fully understand what he's dealing with, so horror ensues. I don't want to say anything too spoilery because it's still new IMO it's totally worth watching if you like the first one! Maybe I should check out some other movies in the series.

WNUF Halloween Special - I've heard very good things about this since it was released but it took me until now to actually make the effort to watch it (I got the blu-ray via Vinegar Syndrome). It presents itself as a taped-off-TV Halloween special from 1987 featuring part of the evening news and a special feature in which a reporter goes into a haunted house where murders occurred years before and hold a seance (potentially an exorcism too). Unless you fell off the turnip truck yesterday, you won't *actually* think this is an authentic TV special, but it's a generally fun movie if you're the kind of person who likes to watch compilations of 1980s commercials on YouTube (I sure am). Unfortunately it has some graphic animal violence which really upset my girlfriend, folks who don't like that might want to be aware of that beforehand.

Hatchet (2006) - I remember reading about this movie in Rue Morgue when it first came out: I was never *quite* convinced that it would be my cup of tea but after watching it, I'm glad I saw it. It's got some poorly-aged 2006-humor, the plot is pretty thin and the killer doesn't really make sense, but it DOES offer some amazingly gory kills. If you like practical gore effects and classic slasher movies, this one's fun. I was rolling my eyes at some parts, but the movie makes up for it.

Night of the Creeps - I never saw this one because I'd typically confuse it with Night of the Demons, which I wasn't a huge fan of. But this movie feels like it has it all! It's got space aliens, 1950s/urban legend throwbacks, great practical effects, and a story that feels like it fits well into the genre without being too cliche by combining a variety of b-movie tropes. Sometimes it feels like it's reveling a little too much in its references to other films (almost all of the characters are given last names referencing a horror director) but IMO this is a worthy part of the pantheon of 80s horror.

House/Hausu (1977) - This was a rewatch, but you guys all know about House, right? If not, you should watch House. It's bonkers and wild in the best way.
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Michi
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Re: Racketboy Month of Horror 12: 80 Weeks Later

by Michi Fri Oct 15, 2021 5:24 pm

The Prey

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A group of horny kids go camping, they're stalked by an unknown foe and a bunch of bad thing proceed to happen.

That's it. That's the plot. So it's basically as cookie-cutter as cookie-cutter can get and they padded out the rest of the movie with a bunch of nature documentary footage. Which is awesome if you like watching bees, but not so awesome if you want the plot to move forward in any way.

The film's backstory is actually far more interesting than the movie itself. The feature was made by a couple that had only previously worked in porn, so I guess it shouldn't come as much of a shock that the movie has no plot. But surprisingly, their version is also bereft of any sex. I say "their version" because their production company took one look at their cut and seem to have went "WTF, that can't be right," and added an additional prologue with some sexy-times themselves.... approximately 2 years after the movie officially wrapped and then released that version... but only to the international market. The American version they released remained free of the shoehorned in sex just recently. Weird stuff.

But other than it's oddly dark finale, it's a rather bland bloody camping outing. Unless you really dig nature footage.
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opa
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Re: Racketboy Month of Horror 12: 80 Weeks Later

by opa Fri Oct 15, 2021 10:17 pm

I watched Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (the silent film from the 20's). I'd recommend it if you're into the old stuff. I'd probably rate it 3.5/5.
I think I like Nosferatu more.
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Re: Racketboy Month of Horror 12: 80 Weeks Later

by dsheinem Sun Oct 17, 2021 12:02 am

I always like to pop in these threads a bit - horror watching is still requisite around here every October.

This year I am trying to watch some more of the old Universal classics that I've never seen as that continues to be a real blind spot in horror for me (but getting better).

So far I've watched:
Dracula
Dracula's Daughter
Son of Dracula
The Creature from the Black Lagoon
Revenge of the Creature
Malignant
Halloween
(2018)
The Thing From Another World
Hour of the Wolf
Halloween Kills


I had the joy of screening The Thing From Another World early this month to the campus and community at my weekly screening event and next week we'll be watching Suspiria, so I am doing my part to spread the love of horror to the masses. (I've attached the flier for the series if anyone is interested in what else I am showing).

screenings.JPG
screenings.JPG (110.25 KiB) Viewed 4224 times

Also, any recommendations for recent horror-themed games that can be beaten in a couple of hours or so?
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prfsnl_gmr
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Re: Racketboy Month of Horror 12: 80 Weeks Later

by prfsnl_gmr Sun Oct 17, 2021 11:53 am

dsheinem wrote:Also, any recommendations for recent horror-themed games that can be beaten in a couple of hours or so?


DSH! Great to see you popping in here! I’d appreciate your thoughts on Malignant. I thought it was a lot of fun, but my wife hated it.

For short horror games, I recommend Paratopic:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/897030/Paratopic/

It is a surreal first-person horror game that can be completed in a single sitting. It is frequently on sale (I paid $2 for it), and I thought it was really cool. Like a PS1 game designed by David Lynch. Along with Fatum Betula (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1281 ... um_Betula/), which I haven’t played yet, it comprises this strange, very recent sub-genre of “haunted” PS1 games.

I am way behind on my movie reviews - I’ve been watching horror, I swear! - and I’ll try to get some up later today.

…..

OK…a few reviews!

Brain Damage (1988), from Frank Henenlotter (the director of Basket Case), tells the story of a young man infected by an ancient parasite, name Aylmer, that will get you high in exchange for you helping him eat human brains. It is a pretty direct allegory for drug addiction. Like Freddy’s Revenge, however, the movie features a lot of homoerotic undertones and Aylmer might also be viewed as an allegory for the main character’s burgeoning homosexuality. Despite being exceptionally campy, gory, and gritty, the movie is actually quite thought-provoking, and if you watch it, it’s worth reading some modern criticism of its themes. Duane and, presumably, Belial from Basket Case also have a short cameo, and Frank Henenlotter‘ NYC is just as gritty as ever. (Available for streaming on Kanopy.)

Creep (2014) is a found footage horror-comedy about a videographer who accepts $1000 to spend the day filming “Josef” who claims to be dying of cancer. The film is, according to Josef, a video diary for his unborn son. Over the course of the day, however, Josef’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic, and it becomes apparent that Josef is not quite who he claims to be. Mark Duplass is outstanding as Josef, the titular creep, and the movie leans much harder into comedy than horror. At a lean 77 minutes, the movie never wears out it’s welcome, and my wife and I both really enjoyed it.

Creep 2 (2017) finds Mark Duplass, once again playing the titular Creep, facing a mid-life crisis and burned out by the “job” he once enjoyed so much. Fortunately, one of his Craigslist ads is discovered by a young videographer, played by Desiree Arkhaven. with a failing YouTube channel about the weird and damaged people you can meet through Craigslist personal ads. She is more than a match for all of his strange and off-putting behavior and reignites his lust for life. The movie is, once again, a found footage horror -comedy movie that leans even harder into comedy. All of the performances are excellent; I frequently laughed out loud; and I really can’t recommend Creep and Creep 2 highly enough. (You really should watch both movies sequentially, and both movies are available for streaming on Netflix.)

prfsnl_gmr’s Spook-tacular Horror Month Movie List
Murder to the Tune of Seven Black Notes (a/k/a The Psychic) (1977) - :D
Brain Damage (1988) - :)
Creep (2014) - :)
Creep 2 (2017) - :D


prfsnl_gmr’s Horror Movie Month Pre-Gaming…of Death!
The Fly (1958) - :|
Cam (2018) - :D
Werewolves Within (2021) - :D
When a Stranger Calls (1979) - :|
Uzumaki (2000) - :)
Malignant (2021) - :)
Triangle (2009) - :)
Lair of the White Worm (1988) - :(
Nightbooks (2021) - :)
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Michi
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Re: Racketboy Month of Horror 12: 80 Weeks Later

by Michi Sun Oct 17, 2021 9:08 pm

Yay! Dsh dropped by! I like your movie picks so far this month!

Here's my next one....


Berserker

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An ancient Viking Berserker is on the rampage at a remote campground somewhere in Utah.

Wut?

Yeah, I'm not gonna lie. I watched this movie solely so I could see how the hell the writers managed to shoehorn in an ancient cursed Viking terrorizing a bunch of horny teens in the middle of the Midwest. To their credit, they don't too as bad a job as you'd think. But unfortunately the Berserker doesn't live up to it's hype (he only manages to kill two of the six horny teens, the lazy bastard), the effects are kinda crappy and the movie is horribly bogged down by pacing issues, namely a chronic case of "Lets aimlessly wander around in the dark" -itis. But I did get to watch a grown man wearing a brown bathmat wrestle a grizzly bear though. So the movie wasn't a total wash.
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prfsnl_gmr
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Re: Racketboy Month of Horror 12: 80 Weeks Later

by prfsnl_gmr Sun Oct 17, 2021 11:25 pm

Tonight’s film was Midsommar (2019). Directed by Ari Aster, who created the very solid Hereditary a few years earlier, Midsommar is about an American couple that doesn’t realize their in a bad relationship not realizing, until WAY too late, that they’re in a horror movie. When they visit a small, rural village in Sweden and witness an elderly couple throw themselves off a cliff to their grisly deaths as part of a religious ritual, it should have been pretty obvious. When their friends mysteriously disappear one by one, the circumstances were practically holding up a “THIS IS A HORROR MOVIE AND YOU’RE IN IT” sign. But…Nope. They just kept being sure there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for everything. The next thing they know they’re either officiating or being sacrificed in all sorts of depraved pagan rituals. All kidding aside, Midsommar was an enjoyable folk horror film that, while good, didn’t quite live up to the hype. (Midsommar is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.)

prfsnl_gmr’s Spook-tacular Horror Month Movie List
Murder to the Tune of Seven Black Notes (a/k/a The Psychic) (1977) - :D
Brain Damage (1988) - :)
Creep (2014) - :)
Creep 2 (2017) - :D
Midsommar (2019) - :)


prfsnl_gmr’s Horror Movie Month Pre-Gaming…of Death!
The Fly (1958) - :|
Cam (2018) - :D
Werewolves Within (2021) - :D
When a Stranger Calls (1979) - :|
Uzumaki (2000) - :)
Malignant (2021) - :)
Triangle (2009) - :)
Lair of the White Worm (1988) - :(
Nightbooks (2021) - :)
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Ack
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Re: Racketboy Month of Horror 12: 80 Weeks Later

by Ack Mon Oct 18, 2021 8:50 am

Oh man, Berserker. Michi, I'm sorry.
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Michi
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Re: Racketboy Month of Horror 12: 80 Weeks Later

by Michi Mon Oct 18, 2021 6:25 pm

Ack wrote:Oh man, Berserker. Michi, I'm sorry.

Thank you, Ack. It’s comforting to know that someone understands my disappointment.
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