same director who made bugcrush made the ruins, which is mediocre but not badly done given the material. (i think it's just hard to make spindly vines scary on screen.) next he is supposedly making this.
― hellzapoppa (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 13 December 2009 21:04 (fourteen years ago) link
I guess if you wanted sauna to make "sense" it would be frustrating
but it's like a folk ghost story or fable
black metal horror is a pretty good approximation
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Sunday, 13 December 2009 21:09 (fourteen years ago) link
Why did people not like it? Well, I saw it at a horror movie festival, where audiences seem to favour fast-moving thrill rides involving zombies and unstoppable serial killers. Nothing wrong with that, but it really isn't what Sauna is about.
― Soukesian, Sunday, 13 December 2009 21:40 (fourteen years ago) link
the ruins was p terrible irrc - might have worked better as a short story but there really isnt anywhere to go (lol) w/the concept visually imo
― ^_^ (_² ÷_X +_- (Lamp), Sunday, 13 December 2009 21:41 (fourteen years ago) link
needed mobile man-sized plant monsters running around
― krampus activities (latebloomer), Sunday, 13 December 2009 21:44 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah the book is better but it's really a much different deal than the movie, conceptually. a lot of the movie was just like O NO PLANTS. i did like the scene where the girl goes crazy and starts slashing herself, that was freaky enough. but mostly it was zzz.
― hellzapoppa (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 13 December 2009 21:45 (fourteen years ago) link
(in the book, it's a guy who cuts himself open, but i guess any excuse to get a naked girl into a horror movie -- even a self-disemboweled one)
― hellzapoppa (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 13 December 2009 21:46 (fourteen years ago) link
yah also realistically casting a bunch of semi-retarded c-grade actors probably doesnt help w/creating a sense of tension and desperate isolation - most of the time it felt like they had half-forgotten why the got stuck @ this terrible day spa
― ^_^ (_² ÷_X +_- (Lamp), Sunday, 13 December 2009 21:49 (fourteen years ago) link
house of the devil was pretty good... quite a slow burn
― (9/9/8/9) (cozwn), Monday, 14 December 2009 11:14 (fourteen years ago) link
I know this falls just outwith the timescale (2002) but I always enjoyed marc evans' 'my little eye'
did anyone ever see 'switchblade romance' (2003)?
― (9/9/8/9) (cozwn), Monday, 14 December 2009 20:01 (fourteen years ago) link
Just watched martyrs -- pretty good -- thanks for the recommendation! -- is consensus that sauna is the one to watch next?
― Philip Nunez, Monday, 14 December 2009 20:20 (fourteen years ago) link
the subs on my dl of sauna didn't work :*(
― (9/9/8/9) (cozwn), Monday, 14 December 2009 20:36 (fourteen years ago) link
ha! i had to scroll through the subs for martyrs in a separate text file while running the movie in another window
― Philip Nunez, Monday, 14 December 2009 20:42 (fourteen years ago) link
speaking of malefic girl schools, anybody seen innocence? not sure how "horror" it is tho I've heard there's some creepy dread to be had― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Saturday, 31 October 2009 15:12 (1 month ago) BookmarkWaaay xpost: "Innocence" is creepily surreal, rather than horrific, but a great movie. Reminded me a lot of Robert Aickman's oblique 'strange tales'.― Soukesian, Tuesday, 17 November 2009 21:55 (3 weeks ago) Bookmark
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Saturday, 31 October 2009 15:12 (1 month ago) Bookmark
Waaay xpost: "Innocence" is creepily surreal, rather than horrific, but a great movie. Reminded me a lot of Robert Aickman's oblique 'strange tales'.
― Soukesian, Tuesday, 17 November 2009 21:55 (3 weeks ago) Bookmark
I watched Innocence recently. No, it's not horror. It's a dreamlike fantasy about child/girlhood, which is depicted as both an idyll and a prison from which eventually the girls crave escape, even though the outside/adult world beyond the walls is full of foreboding. There is a creepiness to it, oddly haunting too, but it's vague and dreamy. Quite light on narrative. Watch alongside Picnic at Hanging Rock, Voice of the Beehive, The Company of Wolves, Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, maybe even The Virgin Suicides.
― DavidM, Monday, 14 December 2009 20:53 (fourteen years ago) link
I'm assuming you mean the spirit of the beehive, and not that we should invite the twee 80s pop group to watch innocence with us
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Monday, 14 December 2009 21:12 (fourteen years ago) link
sauna - two brothers, one a cartographer and the other a sociopathic military man, join an expedition to determine the new borders of finland and russia after a war in the 1500s. the group gets literally and figuratively bogged down in a creepy swamp village and the ghosts of their wartime crimes close in. arthouse horror, but not excessively pretentious. it moves slow and doesn't hold your hand to explain details, so I can understand why traditional horror fans might get turned off, but the thing's absolutely beautiful. cinematography, set design, acting, script are all on point. there's not much plot and the ending is cavalier about resolving any of the issues raised - almost like they ran out of time and said, well, let's end it here. but I appreciated its sense of total desolation, reminiscent of stalker, hour of the wolf, or come and see, in how it sets you down in a wasted, godless no man's land with no hope of redemption.
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Monday, 14 December 2009 22:22 (fourteen years ago) link
switchblade romance also known as haute tension and I see it ws mentioned upthread
just about to watch 'the woods'; psyched
― (9/9/8/9) (cozwn), Monday, 14 December 2009 23:26 (fourteen years ago) link
thought the woods ws OK not amazing; can def appreciate what the ppl above see in it tho
had to stop watching martyrs cz it ws actually srsly freaking me out
― cozwn, Tuesday, 15 December 2009 23:44 (fourteen years ago) link
agree w/jjusten, captivity ws enh; diet saw at best
― cozwn, Tuesday, 15 December 2009 23:47 (fourteen years ago) link
just watched the last 2/3 of martyrs... I think someone in lamp's other thread called it pseudo-intellectual; nothing wrong w/a little symmetry tho it is def v.cute, as edward says, in the way it finds 'a way out of its narrative challenges'. beside the point however, it ws very good but tht first 1/3 is freaky and the last 1/3 is some bleak diet catherine breillat
― cozwn, Wednesday, 16 December 2009 00:56 (fourteen years ago) link
oh man, i don't feel qualified to judge it on that level being a) not fluent in French and b) having to follow the dialogue along in a separate text filebut was very impressed by the effects/makeup by what seems like a low budget movie.
― Philip Nunez, Wednesday, 16 December 2009 17:29 (fourteen years ago) link
so just watched "feed" and "1408"
feed was maybe ok i think (wow super gross, never scary at all really, but eh idk i think it worked on some level i cant quite articulate), 1408 was one of those missed opportunities that just infuriates me - build up was kind of good, and then the rest of the movie happens. how the fuck do you screw up a haunted hotel room locked door thing?
i think what i have learned is that john cusack needs to stay the hell out of scary hotel rooms (yeah im looking at you identity you overblown piece of shit)
― DANGER: DO NOT EAT SHAMELESS DONG (jjjusten), Wednesday, 20 January 2010 08:49 (fourteen years ago) link
btw should i just roll this over to 2010, or do people want to bother with a new thread?
― DANGER: DO NOT EAT SHAMELESS DONG (jjjusten), Wednesday, 20 January 2010 08:50 (fourteen years ago) link
for aussie film fans i def recommend this hilarious doc:http://www.smartartists.com.au/not-quite-hollywood/nqh-poster.jpg― banned, on the run (s1ocki), Thursday, October 22, 2009 6:48 PM (2 months ago)
http://www.smartartists.com.au/not-quite-hollywood/nqh-poster.jpg
― banned, on the run (s1ocki), Thursday, October 22, 2009 6:48 PM (2 months ago)
i never OTM people, but i will here. one of my favorite things i saw last year (not a horror film obv, but WOW, just goddamn brilliant and tons of fun). on netflix on demand last i checked, if you do such a thing.
― DANGER: DO NOT EAT SHAMELESS DONG (jjjusten), Wednesday, 20 January 2010 09:14 (fourteen years ago) link
1408 was one of those horror movies that just ended up being funny, because it wanted to be "scary" but wasn't - also see that Number 23 movie with Jim Carrey, that reminded me of something 10 year old girls would watch at a slumber party.
― sarahel, Wednesday, 20 January 2010 09:18 (fourteen years ago) link
Number 23 is in my most hated movies ever go to list.
― DANGER: DO NOT EAT SHAMELESS DONG (jjjusten), Wednesday, 20 January 2010 09:20 (fourteen years ago) link
Watcher in the Woods which I did see at slumber parties when I was 10, is better than Number 23
― sarahel, Wednesday, 20 January 2010 09:23 (fourteen years ago) link
but was very impressed by the effects/makeup by what seems like a low budget movie.
― Philip Nunez, Wednesday, 16 December 2009 17:29 (1 month ago)
the fx guy who did martyrs committed suicide shortly after it came out
director laugier was slated to do the hellraiser remake but sounds like he's off the project
interesting interview w/ laugier here: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/39602
It's not a likeable movie. Even me, myself, I hate the film.
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Wednesday, 20 January 2010 15:56 (fourteen years ago) link
I'd just as soon see this thread continue. It's low-traffic enough that it's nice to have all the answers in one place. Maybe change the numbering on the title though. (2005 & beyond...eg)
― WARS OF ARMAGEDDON (Karaoke Version) (Sparkle Motion), Wednesday, 20 January 2010 17:01 (fourteen years ago) link
new title - ought to work
― DANGER: DO NOT EAT SHAMELESS DONG (jjjusten), Wednesday, 20 January 2010 17:10 (fourteen years ago) link
Watched Quarantine this past weekend. What a waste of time.
― what of the fuck you talkie bout (Pancakes Hackman), Wednesday, 20 January 2010 17:14 (fourteen years ago) link
this is one of those times where i really wish i could say "well you should see the original which they screwed up" but the remake is such a carbon copy that i doubt you'd like REC either.
― DANGER: DO NOT EAT SHAMELESS DONG (jjjusten), Wednesday, 20 January 2010 17:56 (fourteen years ago) link
Thanks guys for the Sauna and Martyrs recommendation. It was very good. What you guys suggest would be even better?
"the fx guy who did martyrs committed suicide shortly after it came out"this is bummer! i hope it had nothing to do with the movie
― Philip Nunez, Wednesday, 20 January 2010 18:42 (fourteen years ago) link
didn't like Sauna. i admire Annila for trying something different. beautifully made and acted, but the J-Horror tropes seemed out of place in such an austere, almost-Shakespearean drama about brothers and guilt.
i'll recommend these:Coming Soon(2008) - the old "haunted film" thing, but with a clever twist. assured first film by the writer of the Shutter. intense without being too gory, and very commercially accessible, this could be a calling-card movie for Thai horror - if it's picked up by the right people (anyone but Lionsgate). only out on R3 (SG?) DVD right now. may have made the festival circuit.
The Chair (2007). co-ed moves into a house that may be haunted. yeah, yeah, yeah. and for a while this plays out like a first draft of Paranormal Activity. Brett Sullivan (who directed the first Ginger Snaps sequel) has some nifty new tricks up his sleeve, though, and the story ends up going somewhere quite unexpected. The Chair is one of the most effective horror films I've seen in some time, thanks in no small part to the brilliant sound design. everyday sounds are tweaked throughout to fray your nerves so that the shocks, when they come, hit hard. oh, to be see this in a theater with a sweet sound system! the scenario is inventively freaky, with more than a nod to Poe's oft-filmed "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar," but believable characters sell the weirder plot turns. with better promotion, this one (which picked up a slew of major festival awards) could and likely would have enjoyed the same phenomenal word-of-mouth success as PA. Instead, the ever-clueless Lionsgate, in their infinite idiocy, packaged it as a Saw clone. they've done a fine film a tremendous disservice.
Red Velvet (2009)Murder Loves Killers Too (2009)a pair of unconventional slashers that demonstrate just how quickly shot-on-DV horror is coming of age. the slashing is actually the least effective part, though i'll credit both directors for coming up with ever ghastlier ways to slice, dice and otherwise dispatch their casts. handsaws seem to be in vogue. Red Velvet sets itself apart not only by looking fantastic - there are sequences here that wouldn't be out of place in the most vivid dreams of a Bava or Argento - but by devising an amusingly bent framing story. it's more Scream than Sorority House Massacre, in other words. but it doesn't smack of smug, self-conscious/righteous Cravenisms (or would they be Williamsonisms?) can't quite sustain itself through the not-so-shocking reveal, but a noble effort. MLKT is even stranger, plowing through its slasher mechanics early on, in an almost desultory rush. when the ensemble has been whittled down to the killer and the Final Girl, MLKT prolongs their cat-and-mouse games with nail-biting efficiency. and then it gets weird. gonzo, even. i don't know what genre to ascribe to the rest of this movie, but it's all very, very entertaining. if you pick up the DVD (and you should), don't miss the extra where deadpan director Drew Barnhardt recites the roster of alternate titles FOR 14 MINUTES! the movie's a treat, but this is absurdist cinema at its finest.
― Mr. Hal Jam, Wednesday, 20 January 2010 19:13 (fourteen years ago) link
Red Velvet was shot on 35mm, not DV. my mistake. and the very Bava-esque color saturation in many sequences is an homage to Pierre et Gilles, according to the director.
― Mr. Hal Jam, Wednesday, 20 January 2010 19:38 (fourteen years ago) link
really? it was pretty seamless for me... unless you're referring to the abrupt ending, then I agree. it's like 80 minutes of brooding then 5 minutes of everybody going apeshit.
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Thursday, 21 January 2010 15:01 (fourteen years ago) link
referring to the abrupt ending, yes, but also to the sporadic visions of lank-haired girl ghosts spitting up black stuff. filth, as per the original title, i assume. visually, it all just seemed a little too "Samara goes to Finland," and didn't jibe with the unique mood Annila spent so much of the film's running time carefully creating.
― Mr. Hal Jam, Thursday, 21 January 2010 19:46 (fourteen years ago) link
I've read similar comments from others, but I can only say those images didn't strike me as being a straight J-Horror quote. Made me think of the medieval spooks and demons from M. R. James' stories, and that seemed entirely in keeping.
― Soukesian, Thursday, 21 January 2010 21:13 (fourteen years ago) link
Seconding (thirding?) this. I liked it a lot, but watching it at home on laptop was much more effective than seeing it in a theater. It's basically a feature length YouTube video.
lol. doing this now. alone (with only the youngest kid at home). it's not that great but WHY THE FUCK do i always watch this (and blairwitch project and...) when i am alone? at night? in the dark? cause i'm stupid i guess. okay, HUSBAND COME HOME NOW. LIKE FUCKING PRONTO.
― Nathalie (stevienixed), Thursday, 21 January 2010 22:08 (fourteen years ago) link
I always watch movies on my laptop with headphones and it can be much scarier than a television.
― Jacob Sanders, Thursday, 21 January 2010 22:20 (fourteen years ago) link
I know! Also, uh, what the fuck is up with that ending? Kinda dud. But the rest was scary. Not original at all, badly acted, but it still got me excpetionally scared. Husband is home now. Thank god. lol
― Nathalie (stevienixed), Thursday, 21 January 2010 23:31 (fourteen years ago) link
man this thread is an absolute goldmine, although i only posted on it at the time to hate on The Mist (and saved taunting J0rdan about liking P2 for AIM). i just went nuts and added about 20 movies mentioned here to my queue, since the wife and i have a tradition of watching horror flicks on Valentine's Day.
― Dr. Algernod Goon (some dude), Thursday, 28 January 2010 16:46 (fourteen years ago) link
haha now that is a tradition i can get behind!
― Shower to the sheeple! (jjjusten), Thursday, 28 January 2010 18:03 (fourteen years ago) link
Baby Blues (2008)A rural mom with a downright lethal case of PPD chases her children around the family farmstead with a meat cleaver while her husband is away on business. Her eldest boy squares off with the murderous matriarch after witnessing the systematic slaughter of his weaker siblings, and tensions escalate as survival instincts clash with familial obligations. This is a lean, mean movie, nasty but undeniably effective, that "goes there" - again and again, pulling absolutely no punches. Which makes it one to avoid if you can't abide injury to beasts and children. Alongside Baby Blues' maniac mommy, the murderess from Inside comes off as reasonable and lenient. i'd say she makes Susan Smith seem like Mary Poppins, too. but that would be in bad taste.
I Sell the Dead (2009)An odd one. Amer-indie horror guru Larry Fessenden is in front of the camera, as half of a Burke & Hare-styled resurrectionist duo (Dominic Monaghan is his younger partner). Their grave-robbing misadventures, as related to an inquisitive priest, are a motley assortment of Hammer Horror motifs, tweaked with a thoroughly modern comic sensibility. The tone is odd but endearing. I could have done with more sauce, but this IFC find is sure to delight anyone who shares the filmmakers' genuine affection for the vintage chills of the Lee/Cushing era.
― Mr. Hal Jam, Thursday, 28 January 2010 18:40 (fourteen years ago) link
this is pre-2005, but all the heads are here so I'll ask... anybody have opinions about douglas buck's family portraits? always wanted to see it, but nobody talks about it much.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0463310/
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Thursday, 28 January 2010 18:45 (fourteen years ago) link
Rogue is showing up tomorrow and i am excited/a little worried its going to suck
― Shower to the sheeple! (jjjusten), Thursday, 28 January 2010 18:47 (fourteen years ago) link
i mean killer croc movie should be enough to pretty much dash any expectations of good, but yknow its the Wolf Creek dude, so ???
― Shower to the sheeple! (jjjusten), Thursday, 28 January 2010 18:49 (fourteen years ago) link
i keep almost watching family portraits and then just never getting around to bumping it up the queue, id be interested on what people think of it too
― Shower to the sheeple! (jjjusten), Thursday, 28 January 2010 18:50 (fourteen years ago) link
was Family Portraits the first formal appearance of Cutting Moments? that was one BRUTAL short! can't remember where i caught it - it has been anthologized several times - but i know it wasn't in the context of FP.
― Mr. Hal Jam, Thursday, 28 January 2010 18:54 (fourteen years ago) link
Rogue isn't bad. looks great - both the movie and the croc. but it's too stingy with its onscreen mayhem, and falls short of the other Aussie killer-croc flick, 1987's Dark Age.
― Mr. Hal Jam, Thursday, 28 January 2010 18:57 (fourteen years ago) link