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Re: I talk about horror movies I've seen

9999 — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 16:05:41 GMT

Author: 9999

Posted: 06/18/2018 20:05

Cool thread. I'm a huge film buff, so if you accept recommendations I'll be glad to give you some ideas.

Re: I talk about horror movies I've seen

Ben4 — Fri, 8 Jun 2018 20:24:07 GMT

Author: Ben4

Posted: 06/09/2018 00:24

It's been a while since I've posted, mainly because I've been super busy. Now that It's summer and I'm working instead of going to classes I actually have much less time for watching movies than I did during the year. A couple weeks ago I did rewatch a classic, that was probably the first horror movie I ever saw. I watched Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.

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Although I would call this Hitchcock's best movie, it is definitely the one that made the biggest impact on pop culture. And with a great director like Hitchcock at the helm, this is without a doubt a better film than any I've reviewed before, except for maybe The Exorcist. But how is it as a horror movie?

This brings up some questions regarding this movie. First of all is it even a horror movie? And second, is it scary? If I had to answer the first one, I would say kind of. In a lot of ways it is just an average Hitchcock thriller like Vertigo or Rear Window. All of the scenes that don't take place at the Bates Motel are scenes you could expect to see in any other older thriller movie, especially in the first act. The whole first act is really just a red herring to make the famous scene that everyone knows about know to be even more shocking for the first time viewers. But I think the Bates Motel, and the character of Norman Bates sets this apart from the rest of Hitchcock's work in terms of genre. The motel and the house are like the perfect horror movie setting. There are a lot of visuals in these locations that are unnerving and stick with you. I think the house from Texas Chainsaw Massacre took a lot of inspiration from The Bates Motel, although The Bates Motel is more subtle. The taxidermy birds, and then the bedrooms in the house and the cellar give off a very creepy vibe.

In answer to question two, is it scary, I have to say no. Maybe in 1960 this was the scariest thing ever, but today, it just isn't scary. Is this a bad thing? I don't think so. I watched this with my girlfriend who says she doesn't like scary movies and my 14 year old brother. Neither of them found it scary at all. I found my heart beating pretty fast in the scene leading up to the reveal in the cellar, even though I had seen it before. Although it isn't exactly scary, it is very suspenseful, as one would expect from the master of suspense.

Now to talk about the movie. I think every scene at The Bates Motel is pretty great. The shower scene is why this movie is so famous, but I don't think it is the best scene in the movie. The scene right after where Norman cleans up after his mother's crime is better in my opinion. Anthony Perkin's performance really sells it, and the score makes it unsettling to watch. I also love the climax, when the sister is looking around the house, and finds the bedrooms. The mother's bedroom is super fancy and decked out, but there is an imprint on the bed from the corpse. This is a perfect example of haunting, but subtle imagery. I remember this exact shot from when I saw this movie years ago. What I didn't remember is when she goes into Norman's room, and sees how crappy and terrible it is. He has creepy dolls, and sleeps on a cot. Then the reveal in the cellar is a pretty great scene.

So I would definitely recommend this movie, although don't expect it to be scary by today's standards.

Ranking:

1. The Exorcist (1973)
2. Evil Dead 2 (1987)
3. Psycho (1960)
4. Re-animator (1985)
5. The Evil Dead (1981)
6. Hellraiser (1987)
7. Society (1989)
8. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
9. The Descent (2005)
10. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
11. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
12. Army of Darkness (1992)
13. The Conjuring (2013)
14. The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015)

I retroactively decided that The Exorcist is better than Evil Dead 2. What do you think? Where would you rank Psycho?

Re: I talk about horror movies I've seen

badseed — Sun, 27 May 2018 00:11:15 GMT

Author: badseed

Posted: 05/27/2018 04:11

I think you'd like the reviews on http://www.houseofhorrors.com. They're similar in style to yours, not getting too complicated when discussing all the technical and philosophical (not that many of the movies so far fit that bill) aspects. Just very human reviews. In fact they've got every film you've done so far in their main section aside from the 21st century films, as the site hasn't updated since I discovered it 15+ years ago bar a failed news section that never really got going. But it's still one of my favorite horror sites because it's made by a horror fan for horror fans, and is a simple but effective introduction to the genre if you can navigate the pages that actually have content.

Re: I talk about horror movies I've seen

Ben4 — Fri, 25 May 2018 20:05:03 GMT

Author: Ben4

Posted: 05/26/2018 00:05

badseed wrote:

TCM is one that I've always appreciated but I was kind of over it mainly due to the fact that there is just so much damn screaming. However my (not so) recent re-interest in the genre brought a few conversations with others and now I truly think it's one of the greatest horror films ever. The screaming to me has now gone from annoyingly overacted in my eyes to extremely effective and realistic. It breaks into the top 3 personally out of the ones you've listed so far, a bit behind NOTLD and neck and neck with Re-Animator (though obviously in a historical importance perspective it's an easy #2).

I definetly will revisit it someday down the line. Looking back on it, I really feel like I would enjoy it a lot more now that I am more familiar with the genre. It has stuck with me just as much, and in some cases more than the movies I have ranked above it. It is a very memorable movie, undeniably.

Today I'm going to talk about another classic from around the same time, The Exorcist.

This movie is on the completely opposite side of the spectrum than something like Evil Dead 2 or Re-animator. The tone is much more serious and bleak rather than fun and humorous. Evil Dead 2 and Re-animator are basically fun cheesy 50's B-movies done with 80's practical effects and more gore. The Exorcist is almost like a serious character drama, with realistic characters. It feels like these events are happening to real people.

The horror movie elements are used very sparingly compared to some of the other movies I've talked about, but when they are used, they count. There are several parts of this movie that were genuinely disturbing, and made me gasp as I was watching. It also builds the tension very well, and the behavior of the girl gets more and more extreme as the movie goes on. It starts with her peeing on the rug in front of a bunch of guests, and escalates to her stabbing herself with a cross.

The end sequence of this movie is something worth talking about. It is one of the most iconic scenes in all of horror, or even movies in general. It has been copied and parodied so many times since, and yet watching the real thing is still very enthralling. Its pervasiveness in pop culture in no way ruins the experience. If you haven't seen this movie, you probably already know that an exorcism is performed on a possessed girl who spins her head around and vomits slime. But you would already know most of that from the title. How the scene ended completely surprised me in the best way possible.

The filmmaking is very of the time, which is a good thing for me. I would honestly compare it to The Godfather in its visual style and direction, although that is probably slightly to high of praise. One small detail that I really liked was the scenes when she is in the hospital and they are running all the tests on her. These scenes had a very tense and off putting feel to them even though nothing actually scary was happening.

Ranking:
1. Evil Dead 2 (1987)
2. The Exorcist (1973)
3. Re-animator (1985)
4. The Evil Dead (1981)
5. Hellraiser (1987)
6. Society (1989)
7. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
8. The Descent (2005)
9. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
10. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
11. Army of Darkness (1992)
12. The Conjuring (2013)
13. The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015)

Evil Dead 2 keeps the top spot by a very slim margin, but that movie is just so much fun.

Re: I talk about horror movies I've seen

badseed — Wed, 23 May 2018 14:39:17 GMT

Author: badseed

Posted: 05/23/2018 18:39

Oh my, I've missed a few...

I wasn't big on Blackcoat's Daughter either. I need to rewatch it as I've heard good things but it just dragged too much.

Can't say anything bad about Army of Darkness. It's not perfect but I love the way the trilogy went from scary to funny. It was actually my favorite film when I was like 13.

TCM is one that I've always appreciated but I was kind of over it mainly due to the fact that there is just so much damn screaming. However my (not so) recent re-interest in the genre brought a few conversations with others and now I truly think it's one of the greatest horror films ever. The screaming to me has now gone from annoyingly overacted in my eyes to extremely effective and realistic. It breaks into the top 3 personally out of the ones you've listed so far, a bit behind NOTLD and neck and neck with Re-Animator (though obviously in a historical importance perspective it's an easy #2).

Re: I talk about horror movies I've seen

Ben4 — Wed, 23 May 2018 00:33:05 GMT

Author: Ben4

Posted: 05/23/2018 04:33

Today I am going to talk about a classic I watched a few months ago, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

This movie, similar to Night of the Living Dead, or A Nightmare on Elm Street, or even Army of Darkness, is a beloved classic of the genre, that didn't quite hit me with the effect I was hoping it would have. I wanted to like this movie, but I just didn't. Perhaps it was the circumstances under which I watched the movie. I watched it on a tiny TV, before me and my roommate upgraded to the TV we have now, and I watched it with my roommate, who isn't as into old movies as I am. Also when I watched it was right at the beginning of my interest in the genre, and perhaps slightly before I truly learned how to appreciate the genre. But no matter what the reason, I overall did not think this was that great of a movie.

The movie wasn't terrible, and it had its redeeming qualities, but there were a lot of things that I didn't like about it. One of the biggest things was the acting. None of the performances are good, and some of them are pretty bad, mainly the weird guy who they pick up hitchhiking who comes back later. I also didn't really feel like the characters were interesting at all. Characters are not always the most important part of a horror movie, so this is forgivable, but compared to an Ash or a Herbert West, this movie doesn't really have anyone to root for. The main girl is pretty annoying, and you don't even really know that she is the main character until more than halfway through the movie by process of elimination (literally). I also found it annoying how much she screamed in the movie. It makes sense that a person in this scenario would scream, but it seemed like the movie was non stop screaming for at least half an hour.

Now to talk about the things that I did like about the movie. I think the strongest aspect of this movie is the visuals, particularly the set design. It is like a master class in spooky interior decorating. It reminded me of the Bates Motel in Psycho with all the taxidermy birds and then the bed with the imprint of the corpse on it, only everything is taken to the extreme. There are animal bones and feathers everywhere, and it does a good job of creating a spooky and memorable setting. I also liked the grandparents. Although most of this movie didn't scare me the way I had hoped, I think the scene towards the end at the dinner table when the grandpa has the hammer and keeps dropping it was pretty great.

So there you have it, these are my thoughts on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Perhaps my lukewarm reaction to this and other classics will prevent me from ever becoming a true horror buff. I think this is one that I should watch again someday with a different mindset. There were things I enjoyed, and I think in a second viewing I would probably enjoy it more. I would love to hear other people's thoughts on this movie. Do you agree with me or disagree? I would actually really like to hear your opinion, badseed, if you are still reading, because we seem to have similar tastes in movies.

Ranking:

1. Evil Dead 2 (1987)
2. Re-animator (1985)
3. The Evil Dead (1981)
4. Hellraiser (1987)
5. Society (1989)
6. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
7. The Descent (2005)
8. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
9. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
10. Army of Darkness (1992)
11. The Conjuring (2013)
12. The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015)

Re: I talk about horror movies I've seen

Ben4 — Sat, 19 May 2018 11:52:25 GMT

Author: Ben4

Posted: 05/19/2018 15:52

Today I am going to talk about a movie I watched about a week ago, Army of Darkness.

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To be completely honest, this one was kind of a let down for me. This is the third movie in the evil dead franchise directed by Sam Raimi, so my expectations were probably too high after how much I loved the first two. It was far from bad, and there are a lot of very fun moments in this movie, but I couldn't help having a lukewarm reaction to the overall movie. I might have to re-watch it sometime down the line.

The first evil dead movie is a straightforward horror movie, while the second one is a horror movie with some comedy elements to it. This movie looses the horror elements almost completely and is more of a fantasy/comedy. This in itself isn't necessarily a bad thing. For me the movie crosses the line between campy and silly, a line that Evil Dead 2 tightroped nearly flawlessly.

This one also felt a little cheap to me. Even compared to the last two, which were made earlier with a smaller budget. This one's effects are the most dated of the three, and the castle set to me was a little simplistic. It seems to me that tonally this movie was trying to be The Princess Bride for adults and with evil monsters. But the castle is just a little to cheap looking for me to buy it. The brunt of this movie falls to Bruce Campbell, who does a great job executing some of the corniest dialogue I've ever heard.

There were a lot of things that I liked about this movie, and there were plenty of fun sequences. I think my favorite part is when he finds the book and there are three of them and he has to chose which one. This scene was really fun. I also liked in the beginning when they put him in the pit with the monster. The end battle I also enjoyed well enough. There is one shot which looks like there are people off camera who are just throwing sceleton dummies at Bruce Campbell, and it is pretty great.

It is definitely worth watching, and it is pretty fun. I would just say to lower expectations a little bit after Evil Dead 2. But it is still pretty good.

Ranking:

1. Evil Dead 2 (1987)
2. Re-animator (1985)
3. The Evil Dead (1981)
4. Hellraiser (1987)
5. Society (1989)
6. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
7. The Descent (2005)
8. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
9. Army of Darkness (1992)
10. The Conjuring (2013)
11. The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015)

Re: I talk about horror movies I've seen

Ben4 — Sat, 12 May 2018 23:57:33 GMT

Author: Ben4

Posted: 05/13/2018 03:57

A few months ago I watched a strange indie horror movie called The Blackcoat's Daughter.

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My first reaction to this movie was an overall confusion. What is happening? Why are these things happening? This movie is selective in what information it gives out to the audience, and in my opinion, this does not work in the movie's favor. Once more things are revealed, it seems like a rather simple story, and I was left wondering why it even needed to be told. It was like more thought and effort went into the structure and nonlinear storytelling than to the actual story.

This film is a good example of style over substance. It does a lot to try and have a unique style, but this ends up making the characters feel flat, and I didn't really feel like I cared about anything that was happening. It's not that it was bad or anything, I just personally didn't find it interesting. It isn't stupid or annoying like some cheap crap like Happy Death Day or Truth or Dare, but it doesn't have enough character to elevate it to something great.

I don't have a whole lot else to say about this one. I wouldn't recommend it, although it certainly isn't bad. It just sort of exists.

Ranking:

1. Evil Dead 2 (1987)
2. Re-animator (1985)
3. The Evil Dead (1981)
4. Hellraiser (1987)
5. Society (1989)
6. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
7. The Descent (2005)
8. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
9. The Conjuring (2013)
10. The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015)

Re: I talk about horror movies I've seen

badseed — Tue, 8 May 2018 13:11:24 GMT

Author: badseed

Posted: 05/08/2018 17:11

Fun fact: The Evil Dead is the first horror film I learned about/wanted to see thanks to the internet. Somehow I never recalled seeing it at the local video store as a kid but in 2000-2001 when I first got internet access one of the first things I decided to use it for was horror web sites. Search engines brought me to HouseOfHorrors.com first. It was a cool little website that paid tribute to specific films. Strangely it never got updated (stuff like Cannibal Holocaust and Suspiria were supposed to be added but never were, even though they're still advertised as "coming soon" on the long abandoned but still intact and informative site that is totally worth browsing around even today). Anyway the webmaster's favorite movie is/was The Evil Dead.

And that was where badseed the movie buff was born.

Re: I talk about horror movies I've seen

Ben4 — Mon, 7 May 2018 23:47:08 GMT

Author: Ben4

Posted: 05/08/2018 03:47

badseed wrote:

But the thing I really love is how Gordon West transitions from despicable to the hero once the experimenting gets too out of hand. It's such a clever little film.

This is a very good point you bring up, and to be honest I hardly noticed that the change happened while I was watching. But I do remember when West shows up during the uncomfortable scene to stop it, and said something corny like "you've been given the power to bring back the dead and you're messing around with some coed? You're hardly a scientist" he seemed pretty heroic. As for the scene right before that, I do recognize that it was well done, and Barbara Crampton's performance elevates it from being to trashy. It is at least creative and memorable, and the actors are fully committed to it. It still just made me very uncomfortable watching it.

Now I'm going to talk about The Evil Dead (1981)

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Made by young, inexperienced filmmakers with a minuscule budget, this movie is a testament to making the best of limited resources. What Sam Raimi and crew lacked in money and experience, they made up for with vision and raw talent. The premise is simple, college kids go to a cabin for a weekend and accidentally summon demons who possess people, it takes old ideas, and makes it into something very original.

Bruce Campbell himself admits that he didn't know how to act when they made this movie, and his performance in the second one is a huge improvemen, but this doesn't take away from the enjoyability of this one. The true star of this movie is the direction. Sam Raimi shows his talent as a director in this movie with many creative shots. There are a lot of great horror visuals that will stick with you. My personal favorite sequence is when Ash goes down to the basement to get the shotgun shells, and blood starts coming out of the walls and into the projector, and the record player starts playing. Then when he goes back up, the close ups of his sweaty face create a very tense sequence.

This movie makes great use of its setting. While the cabin in the woods is a well used trope in this genre, this might be the best use of it. From when they first arrive at the cabin, there is a very eerie feel to it, with the swing hitting the wall that stops when Scott approaches the door. The design of the cabin is very unique and spooky, and is a big part in why this movie resonates so well.

Compared to the humorous tone of the second one, this one is more of a straight up horror movie. There was one scene that I laughed at pretty hard at, which was when Scott returns from looking in the woods, and is all bloody and clearly in a lot of pain. Ash then proceeds to yell questions at him and shake him. I don't know if this was meant to be funny, but I found it hilarious.

So, if you are into 80's horror like me, you've probably already seen this one. But if you haven't, watch it!

Ranking:

1. Evil Dead 2 (1987)
2. Re-animator (1985)
3. The Evil Dead (1981)
4. Hellraiser (1987)
5. Society (1989)
6. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
7. The Descent (2005)
8. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
9. The Conjuring (2013)

Re: I talk about horror movies I've seen

badseed — Mon, 7 May 2018 08:27:31 GMT

Author: badseed

Posted: 05/07/2018 12:27

Re-Animator is a film I appreciate more and more with age. To me it's one of, if not the best American horror film of the 1980s. The Psycho rip off score does still bug me a bit, but not as much as it used to. Regarding the cringeworthy scene I absolutely love it. Barbara Crampton is my favorite "scream queen" of the 80s and an absolute joy to look at naked (disgusting, I know, blah blah blah). But the thing I really love is how Gordon West transitions from despicable to the hero once the experimenting gets too out of hand. It's such a clever little film. While the sequels don't come close to matching the brilliance of the original I do still highly recommend them as well as the trilogy as a whole is fairly underrated in the overall cannon of horror films.

Re: I talk about horror movies I've seen

Ben4 — Sun, 6 May 2018 13:56:44 GMT

Author: Ben4

Posted: 05/06/2018 17:56

Last night I watched Re-Animator and I really liked it.

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This movie, like an Evil Dead movie, seems to know exactly what it is, and balances very well a comedic yet scary tone. It is basically a B movie, but it is very well executed in my opinion. Based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft, and in many ways inspired by the works of Mary Shelley, the story is about a scientist who wants to cheat death, by re-animating the dead. The only problem is they come back as mindless zombies if you wait too long after killing them to give them the serum. Just a heads up, there will be spoilers in this review, and if you haven't seen this movie, I would suggest seeing it before reading.

Director Stuart Gordon started out in the theater, and this, his first film, in many ways feels like a stage play. There are really only five main characters, with a few extra faces with lines here and there. Each of the main characters plays a part in pushing the story forward. The story is paced extremely well, and the progression of events is believable, in spite of a ridiculous premise.

There are some genuinely funny moments in the movie, like when Jeffrey Combs has a cat puppet on his back, or when he props up the disembodied head by impaling it on the thing on his desk (I don't know what those are called), or when the headless body is stumbling around. It is also very scary in my opinion, particularly at the ending when the decapitated doctor brings back all the disfigured dead back to serve his biding. This scene was very reminiscent of Night of the Living dead. There is also a scene that was very uncomfortable to watch, and to me actually made the movie less enjoyable. If you've seen the movie you know what scene I am talking about.

There is a lot of great gore and campy effects in this movie. One scene in particular is when Jeffrey Combs' character Herbert West decapitates the doctor with a shovel, and then reanimates the head and body separately. The effects are very of the time, but as someone who enjoys these kinds of effects, this was a positive.

For me what really made this movie was the final scene. When Dan is taking Megan through the hospital, and then they start working on her and it is just like the first scene where we meet Dan. Then we see Dan decide to use the serum on her. In a way, this movie is a tragedy, and it is about the fear of death, and unwillingness to accept death. At the beginning of the movie, Dan is a bright young med student, who wants to help people by entering the medical field. Herbert West is the mad scientist who wants to cheat death, and convinces Dan to go along and help him with his experiments. At the end of the film Dan has lost his fiancé, and has reached the point where he himself would use the serum, even after witnessing all the craziness using the serum caused in the first place. This ending elevated the movie in my eyes.

So while overall this is a very enjoyable movie, there are a few things that stick out in a bad way. One is a scene that will make you very uncomfortable, and the other is the score. It is literally just the score from Psycho. Literally. It's a little bit ironic since the villain of the movie is a plagiarist who wants to steal West's work, and then the score of the film was plagiarized from one of the most iconic soundtracks of all time. It's not a huge deal, but it is worth mentioning. Overall impression: watch this movie!!

Ranking:

1. Evil Dead 2 (1987)
2. Re-animator (1985)
3. Hellraiser (1987)
4. Society (1989)
5. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
6. The Descent (2005)
7. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
8. The Conjuring (2013)

I have decided that Night of the Living Dead was better than The Descent the more I think about both of those movies.

Re: I talk about horror movies I've seen

badseed — Sat, 5 May 2018 18:14:09 GMT

Author: badseed

Posted: 05/05/2018 22:14

Just discovered this. Really cool. I like the style of this. Might steal it one day on Facebook or something. The reviews are refreshing. Everything you've watched so far is must see in my opinion. Night of the Living Dead is the real standout though, easily #1 from the bunch and one of the true landmarks of the genre. After that it's a toss up between the rest as I think they're all in the 4 out of 5 star range, all awesome flicks with a flaw here and there but a blast nonetheless. I look forward to this continuing regardless of how good the next film is.

Re: I talk about horror movies I've seen

Ben4 — Sat, 5 May 2018 16:05:44 GMT

Author: Ben4

Posted: 05/05/2018 20:05

Today I am going to talk about Brian Yuzma's Society.

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The briefest description I can give of this movie is that it is extremely weird. It is possibly one of the weirdest movies I've ever seen. It is far from a perfect movie, but its qualities far outweigh its faults in my opinion. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and if your tastes are similar to mine you will too.

As a fan of 80s body horror type stuff, this movie was right up my alley. The movie's biggest strengths are its visuals and effects, especially at the climax. I also really like how the movie is paced. It doesn't get too scary too quickly, which gives the ending even more of a punch. But all through the film there are things to make you feel uncomfortable, or uneasy, even if you don't know exactly what is going on yet. The film has some very off putting sexual undertones, which in my opinion worked very well in making the movie scary in a unique kind of way.

The weakest thing about this movie is the script. It wasn't too big of a detraction for me, but there were a few moments with dialogue that sticks out. For example the word "butthead" is said more than once in the movie. This does have a payoff in the end, so it isn't to big of a problem. I think the line that stuck out the most was when one of the characters in the end says something along the lines of "the rich have always been sucking off the poor" which I found to be a little too on the nose.

Overall I would suggest this movie, mainly for how off the wall bonkers it is. It is one of the most truly bizarre experiences I've had, and I have tried not to give too much away in this review. It is best to go in with no expectations of what is to come. So if you have amazon prime, watch this movie!

1. Evil Dead 2 (1987)
2. Hellraiser (1987)
3. Society (1989)
4. The Descent (2005)
5. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
6. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
7. The Conjuring (2013)

Re: I talk about horror movies I've seen

bobbyb5 — Fri, 4 May 2018 04:26:41 GMT

Author: bobbyb5

Posted: 05/04/2018 08:26

I like reading your reviews. They get right to the point.
My experience with Night of the Living Dead probably explains why it really stuck with me to this very day. The first time I saw it was when I was probably 9 or 10 years old and my father took us to the Drive-in to see it. It was already old by this point, but was still a popular drive-in movie. Needless to say, it scares the shit out of a 10 year old. And this Drive-in we went to was right across the street from a cemetery, and I was even afraid of cemeteries when I was little. So you could imagine how freaked out I was. That drive-in theater is gone now, but every time I drive by that Cemetery I have flashbacks and start bugging out because of Night of the Living Dead.

Re: I talk about horror movies I've seen

Ben4 — Fri, 4 May 2018 01:36:09 GMT

Author: Ben4

Posted: 05/04/2018 05:36

Today I'm going to talk about Evil Dead 2.

The best word to describe this movie is fun. It is just a blast from beginning to end. The tone is so perfectly balanced between scary and funny. There are moments that will scare you, and moments that will make you laugh out loud.

I think the best part of this movie is when Ash is alone at the cabin for the first section of the movie. The scene where he disposes of Linda's corpse, the scene with his hand, the mirror jump scare, and the laughing scene are some of the most memorable scenes in the movie.

Once the others show up things are still fun, and you get some cool costumes as they have to face more and more demons. There is an obvious Night of the Living Dead influence with the strangers all stuck in the cabin who don't all agree about what to do. A lot of really cool surreal type stuff happens, like when the cabin starts bleeding, or when the trees start attacking. I don't think I've ever been caught off guard by the ending of a movie as much as I was by the ending of this one. I am looking forward to watching Army of Darkness.

Bruce Campbell's performance in this movie is great, and is much better than his performance in the first one. He fits the tone of the movie perfectly, and really sells the scenes where he is starting to lose his mind. If you don't enjoy watching him fight his possessed hand and smashing plates on his head, then you are probably not a very fun person. Sam Raimi's directing is praiseworthy as well. There are a lot of really cool shots, and with a bigger budget than the last movie, he was able to do more to achieve his vision.

So in conclusion, watch this movie! It's awesome.

Ranking:
1. Evil Dead 2 (1987)
2. Hellraiser (1987)
3. The Descent (2005)
4. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
5. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
6. The Conjuring (2013)

Re: I talk about horror movies I've seen

Ben4 — Wed, 2 May 2018 17:02:30 GMT

Author: Ben4

Posted: 05/02/2018 21:02

Yesterday I watched A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Overall, I was a little let down by this movie. This is one of those classics that everyone loves, but I found it a little bit underwhelming. Maybe it's because I watched it shortly after watching Hellraiser which I loved. I think for my personal tastes, that movie is more what I want from a horror movie than Elm Street was.

There were a lot of things that I did like about this movie. I liked most of the dream sequences, and how surreal it got at times. I really liked the part where Nancy is running from Freddy, and is running up the stairs, but the steps are turning into goo or quicksand or something. I liked the part when she unplugs the phone but it still rings, and then his tongue comes out of it. I liked the part when he was on fire and jumps on the mother, and then her skeleton slowly sinks into the bed.

The horror elements of this movie were all well done enough, but there were other elements that I didn't feel were as well handled. The character elements were a little lacking. For example in order to convey to the audience that the mother is an alcoholic, she is constantly seen holding a bottle of booze. I think that after the scene where Nancy calls her out for her drinking would be enough.

The ending is problematic too, since it in a way undoes what just happened in the climax of the film. It's like the anti "it was all a dream" ending. It's the "it's still a dream" ending. Something about her defeating him by turning her back on him, to in the next scene get taken away in a car that he is clearly somehow controlling seems counter productive, and makes pretty much everything that happens in the film pointless.

Ranking:

1. Hellraiser (1987)
2. The Descent (2005)
3. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
4. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
5. The Conjuring (2013)

Re: I talk about horror movies I've seen

Ben4 — Tue, 1 May 2018 16:43:22 GMT

Author: Ben4

Posted: 05/01/2018 20:43

I just watched Hellraiser and it was awesome.

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Where to begin? This movie had it all for me. It was about all you can ask for with a horror movie. Lots of gore, creepy visuals, intense sequences, cool costumes, everything. The movie has a very distinct visual style, and the effects look great to this day. The scenes where Frank is rebuilding himself are very cool and memorable. However the scariest things in the movie are the demons or whatever they are called, that are summoned by opening the box. They have a bdsm look that is super creepy.

If I had to name one flaw in the movie, it would be that at the beginning of the movie it seems like the main character is Julia, but then by the end of the film the main character seems to be Kristy. I think the climax of the movie would work even better than it already does if Kristy was made out to be more of a main character from the beginning. But this hardly detracted from my enjoyment of the film.

The movie has a great premise, which is probably why it spawned so many sequels. Even though there is a lot more that can be done with this premise, this movie balances that with having a rather simple story. It is paced very well, and isn't too scary right away. The first act of the movie is almost a slasher film with Julia as the villain, killing her victims with a hammer, but it transitions into the supernatural elements flawlessly.

So this one is a big recommendation from me. Probably the best horror movie currently on Netflix. It's gory, it's scary, and it's thrilling. What more could you want?

Ranking:
1. Hellraiser (1987)
2. The Descent (2005)
3. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
4. The Conjuring (2013)

Re: I talk about horror movies I've seen

Ben4 — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 20:25:15 GMT

Author: Ben4

Posted: 05/01/2018 00:25

Today I am going to talk about the 1968 classic, Night of the Living Dead.

This is the original zombie movie, and is also the first instance of many tropes used in horror films to this day. Strangers stuck in an old house without communication, having to work together due to a large threat, but still fighting amongst each other. The premise of the film is simple, the dead have risen and seek to eat the living, and our collection of characters are stuck in a house and need to decide the best course of action. Of course not everyone agrees on what the best course of action is.

One of the most memorable sequences is when Ben and those other two characters who's names I can't remember leave the house to try to get the gas. Due to an accident the truck explodes, killing the two in it. The two are then eaten. The other moment that is probably the best part, is when the girl from downstairs turns into a zombie and kills her parents.

I think the biggest negative of this film is how dated it is. Because of this some of the effects aren't great looking, and it is a little cheesy at parts. It isn't particularly scary by today's standard, but it is one of the films you need to acknowledge for its influence if you want to call yourself a horror buff. The ending of the film is perhaps what has made it stick with people, even though some of the other elements haven't aged as well. In the end, the scariest monsters of all are people. A simple idea like that sticks with you, and is scarier than any jump scare.

Ranking:
1. The Descent (2005)
2. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
3. The Conjuring (2012)

Re: I talk about horror movies I've seen

Ben4 — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 00:46:47 GMT

Author: Ben4

Posted: 04/27/2018 04:46

Well, I watched The Descent today, and it was pretty good. Spoilers for those of you who haven't seen this movie.

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From the beginning this movie catches you off guard by killing of two characters. One thing the whole movie does particularly well is that the characters are never stupid the way horror movie characters can be. Sure they do stupid things sometimes, but not ridiculously stupid things that wouldn't be realistic in a situation like this. The characters always feel like real people, even if some of them are underdeveloped.

I think the best thing about this movie is how well it uses its setting. The sets are fantastic, and while watching the movie, I thought it was filmed in an actual cave. It also makes you feel extremely claustrophobic, and afraid of what you can't see. They do a very good job of using the darkness of the cave to create a scary atmosphere.

The monsters are pretty creepy looking, they kind of remind me of orcs from Lord of the Rings. The sounds they make are also pretty spooky. It's incredibly fun to watch the girls fight these monsters too, and it gets pretty gory, which is a plus. It sets up all the characters as pretty badass climbers and outdoorsy people, so it isn't completely unbelievable that they can kick some ass when they need too.

The central drama of this movie is between the characters Sarah and Juno. In the end Sarah stabs Juno in the leg and leaves her to die because she found out that her husband who died at the beginning of the movie was having an affair with her. Juno is a complex character, with many flaws. On top of the cheating, it is really her fault that they are all trapped in an unexplored cave, and she accidentally kills one of her friends and leaves her there. However she also doesn't want to leave behind Sarah when they can't find her, and does her best to help everyone out. You can't help but feel sorry for her when she is left behind.

The title The Descent refers not only to their descent into the cave, but the main character Sarah's descent into madness. She experiences trauma when her husband and child die in a car crash in the beginning, and while in the cave, she is put through more traumatic experiences. She has to kill the one of her friends who was accidentally injured by Juno, so that she wouldn't be left for the creatures to get to her. There are actually two endings to this movie. The US ending which is the one I saw as it is the one on Netflix is she escapes and as she is driving away she sees the ghost of Juno. The UK ending keeps going, and shows that she is trapped in the cave, and that her escaping was a hallucination/dream. While the US ending feels a little like a cheap jump scare, I didn't mind it, because it shows that she is traumatized beyond repair, and will always be haunted by her past.

So I would recommend this movie. It was good.

I guess since everyone on this site loves making lists, I'll start making a list ranking the movies I talk about here.

1. The Descent (2005)
2. The Conjuring (2013)