Top 10+ Music, Movies, and Visual Art of the Week (2023) - Music Diaries

AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

TiggaTrigga wrote:

Why is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre a 7.3? And Halloween a 7.0?

Both were major touchstones and influences upon the slasher subgenre of horror.

Halloween features elaborate and intricately composed POV sequences. The camera work is more often than not a POV of the killer, but also constantly mocks and toys with that notion, hiding him where he should be in several instances (when a character he is "spying" on then looks back in a reverse or different shot/view, he is often no where to be seen), thus pitting the camera as not just him in the flesh but also the haunting presence of his lingering evil. It also reflects loneliness and emptiness, with little character and feeling, accentuated both by the camera work and cinematography (which is technically impressive yet without warmth, without art direction, or additional tools to add "atmosphere" or the usual "expressionist" tones/characterizations/personifications of the horror genre; it's there, empty, lingering, a stalking, voyeuristic "presence" without humanity, feeling). The camera work draws compositions and framing that allude/point/suggest towards his "motive" and "intent", but as an "abstraction" -- without further "humanity/characterization", without "personality" beyond the empty beholder and causation extending and alluding (through intricate movement, pointed framing) to said motives/intents. The emptiness and loneliness is further accentuated by the visual program of the film, beyond even just the empty and lingering presence and POV of the camera work (also, the quiet town and neighborhood, the general lack of "action", few people around in virtually every scene and location, the inhuman lack of communication and emotion from the antagonist). But perhaps above all, Myers and the camera POVs are perhaps a representation of the unknowable and the inexplicable, a void, an evil that can't be comprehended. Halloween also surpasses most of its imitators by the artistry in its scarier moments and murder scenes. Instead of cheap, gory thrills, Carpenter opts for a more subtly staged and shocking "stillness", conveyed through a profound and unsettling hyper-realism (no embellishment, no excessive gore or violence, yet expertly staged, shot, choreographed). Furthermore, Curtis only seems to survive because she is a virgin, which is perhaps lends something of a post-modern reflection upon horror cinema itself. All those murdered, it is suggestively posed (sort of a semi-hidden theme throughout) that they were killed because they were sexually promiscuous ... starting with the sister in the beginning (who is -- also suggestively and unnecessarily -- still mostly nude, overly sexualized by the film, only to swiftly and simply be murdered) and extending to each of those as common denominators before they meet their end, with Curtis, the lone virgin among them, barely surviving the evil that descended upon the town, as if her even mentioning that she likes that classmate (that her friend teases her about) and was perhaps starting to think of him as a love/sex interest (but then determined to cancel their possible date that her friend tried to set up behind her back), was very nearly enough to get her killed.
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TiggaTrigga

Rec: Salo or the 120 Days of Sodom. I'd consider it horror, probably the most depraved movie I've ever seen. I think it made the Sight & Sound list. Regardless: warning if you're sensitive to really disturbing imagery.

MadhattanJack
I mean, metal is okay, but...

Gender: Male

TiggaTrigga wrote:

Rec: Salo or the 120 Days of Sodom. I'd consider it horror, probably the most depraved movie I've ever seen. I think it made the Sight & Sound list.

I'd consider it "horror" too, though it's "political horror," and for some reason it rarely makes anybody's Top Ten list of political horror films — I suspect that's because everyone is so freaked out by the sexual degradation, they forget all about the fact that it's supposed to be an allegory for how the Italian people were treated under the Mussolini regime.

Meanwhile, AfterHours' top-ranked Rosemary's Baby is often considered a political horror film, even taking the top spot on some lists, but there's very little political content in it at all in the conventional sense — I think it's placed in that category because of what's been happening recently in the USA, with the abortion issue and other issues involving women's bodily autonomy.

As for me, I actually think W. is a horror film too, and in fact I consider that to be the scariest movie I've ever seen. A lot of critics/sites call it a "comedy" or a "farce," but for me personally, slasher movies, etc., are nowhere near as scary. I imagine it will be topped by whatever movies are made about the Trump Administration, though.

craola
crayon master

Location: pdx

AfterHours wrote:

craola wrote:

Any love for my favorite film, The Spirit of the Beehive by Victor Erice (1973)?

Original title: el espiritu de la colmena

Are you mentioning it because you consider it a horror film for the list I'm actively working on (above), or just in general for my overall "Greatest Films" list?

the general list. i wouldn't consider it horror. i'm not entirely sure how i'd classify though.
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AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

TiggaTrigga wrote:

Rec: Salo or the 120 Days of Sodom. I'd consider it horror, probably the most depraved movie I've ever seen. I think it made the Sight & Sound list. Regardless: warning if you're sensitive to really disturbing imagery.

I'm not sensitive to disturbing imagery, but I also am not inclined to find it worthwhile/interesting/justified for its own sake unless it is more aligned to an artistic purpose than just a filmmaker indulging in it and then "justifying" it as "art". I've never seen Salo so I can't claim any sort of "official" opinion over it, but it's just never been among my priorities and I can't promise it ever will. From what I've heard/read, I wonder if the film is really worth slogging through in order to experience its apparent (supposed?) allegory and Dante-esque symbolism (was this the only or best or even a compelling way to show that? Again I don't know for sure unless I see it myself, but...). Maybe I'll see it at some point though. It is something approaching a cult classic these days and some people swear by it. Cannibal Holocaust is another one where I would wonder if it's really worth it...
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AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

MadhattanJack wrote:

I'd consider it "horror" too, though it's "political horror," and for some reason it rarely makes anybody's Top Ten list of political horror films — I suspect that's because everyone is so freaked out by the sexual degradation, they forget all about the fact that it's supposed to be an allegory for how the Italian people were treated under the Mussolini regime.

Meanwhile, AfterHours' top-ranked Rosemary's Baby is often considered a political horror film, even taking the top spot on some lists, but there's very little political content in it at all in the conventional sense — I think it's placed in that category because of what's been happening recently in the USA, with the abortion issue and other issues involving women's bodily autonomy.

As for me, I actually think W. is a horror film too, and in fact I consider that to be the scariest movie I've ever seen. A lot of critics/sites call it a "comedy" or a "farce," but for me personally, slasher movies, etc., are nowhere near as scary. I imagine it will be topped by whatever movies are made about the Trump Administration, though.

Yeah, not sure if RB has enough political affiliation going on to really include it in such a list. It's a pretty thin sub-sub-genre anyway and there are probably other more prominent sub-genres that "political" horror films would fall more strongly under and be better classified as, I would think.

Funny take on W. Haven't seen it but that already made me laugh.
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AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

craola wrote:

AfterHours wrote:

craola wrote:

Any love for my favorite film, The Spirit of the Beehive by Victor Erice (1973)?

Original title: el espiritu de la colmena

Are you mentioning it because you consider it a horror film for the list I'm actively working on (above), or just in general for my overall "Greatest Films" list?

the general list. i wouldn't consider it horror. i'm not entirely sure how i'd classify though.

Thanks, I do intend to check it out. When? Don't know, but it's been poking at me for years.
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AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

INCOMPLETE / IN-PROGRESS

Working on this now... Recs welcome... Several familiar to me still need to be added below 7.3... Plus I'll most likely view some that are new to me and add those as well...

Re: Genre... Most of the inclusions shouldn't be controversial. However, some semi-arguable genre selections were included if their purpose was essentially the same to that of other horror films even if not as purely of the "horror" genre. More specifically, there are some (usually "psychological thrillers") included that I think should be listed as among horror or its direct subgenres (usually "psychological horror"), just as much as any other main genre tag, even if they aren't always given such credit by databases (such as by RYM, Letterboxd, whoever). Inland Empire is such an example that I've argued for in the past with such listings, but for a long time wasn't being given such credit by most (any?) databases (but has been rectified by RYM and Letterboxd).

BEST HORROR FILMS

8.5/10
<<<<<8.4>>>>>
Possession - Andrzej Zulawski (1981) [Original Cut, 123 minutes]
<<<<<8.3>>>>>
Rosemary's Baby - Roman Polanski (1968)

8/10
<<<<<8.2>>>>>
<<<<<8.1>>>>>
Psycho - Alfred Hitchcock (1960)
Lost Highway - David Lynch (1997) ***arguable genre selection***
Inland Empire - David Lynch (2006)
<<<<<8.0>>>>>
Repulsion - Roman Polanski (1965)
<<<<<7.9>>>>>
<<<<<7.8>>>>>
Dressed to Kill - Brian De Palma (1980) ***arguable genre selection***

7.5/10
<<<<<7.7>>>>>
Perfect Blue - Satoshi Kon (1997)
Funny Games - Michael Haneke (1997) ***arguable genre selection***
Mother! - Darren Aronofsky (2017) ***arguable genre selection***
The Kingdom - Lars Von Trier (1995)
<<<<<7.6>>>>>
The Birds - Alfred Hitchcock (1963)
Antichrist - Lars Von Trier (2009)
The Tenant - Roman Polanski (1976)
Peeping Tom - Michael Powell (1960) ***arguable genre selection***
<<<<<7.5>>>>>
Eraserhead - David Lynch (1978)
Hush... Hush Sweet Charlotte - Robert Aldrich (1965) ***arguable genre selection***
Get Out - Jordan Peele (2017)
<<<<<7.4>>>>>
Videodrome - David Cronenberg (1983)
Valerie and Her Week of Wonders - Jaromil Jires (1970) ***arguable genre selection***
Alien - Ridley Scott (1979)
What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? - Robert Aldrich (1962) ***arguable genre selection***
Don't Look Now - Nicolas Roeg (1973)
<<<<<7.3>>>>>
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari - Robert Wiene (1920)
Curse of the Demon - Jacques Tourneur (1957) [aka, "Night of the Demon"]
Carrie - Brian DePalma (1976)
The Shout - Jerzy Skolimowski (1979)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Tobe Hooper (1974)
Nosferatu - F.W. Murnau (1922)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers - Don Siegel (1956)

7/10
<<<<<7.2>>>>>
Rocky Horror Picture Show - Jim Sharman (1975) ***arguable genre selection***
Us - Jordan Peele (2019)
King Kong - Merian C. Cooper / Ernest B. Schoedsack (1933)
Taxidermia - György Pálfi (2006)
The Exorcist - William Friedkin (1973)
Candyman - Bernard Rose (1992)
Annihilation - Alex Garland (2018)
Suspiria - Dario Argento (1977)
<<<<<7.1>>>>>
The Witch: A New-England Folktale - Robert Eggers (2015)
Jaws - Steven Spielberg (1975)
The Silence of the Lambs - Jonathan Demme (1991) ***arguable genre selection***
Vampyr - Carl Theodor Dreyer (1932)
Cat People - Jacques Tourneur (1942)
Freaks - Tod Browning (1932) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
The Wicker Man - Robin Hardy (1973)
Halloween - John Carpenter (1978)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers - Philip Kaufman (1978) [remake] ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
Psycho II - Richard Franklin (1983)
The Devil's Advocate - Taylor Hackford (1997) ***arguable genre selection***
Black Swan - Darren Aronofsky (2010) ***arguable genre selection***
<<<<<7.0>>>>>
The Thing - John Carpenter (1982) [remake] ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
Beetlejuice - Tim Burton (1988)
Night of the Living Dead - George Romero (1968)
The Babadook - Jennifer Kent (2014)
The Omen - Richard Donner (1976)
Re-Animator - Stuart Gordon (1984) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
Jacob's Ladder - Adrian Lyne (1990)
The Shining - Stanley Kubrick (1980)
Hour of the Wolf - Ingmar Bergman (1968)
The Fly - Kurt Neumann (1958) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
Bride of Frankenstein - James Whale (1935) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
Frankenstein - James Whale (1931) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
The Evil Dead II - Sam Raimi (1987) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
Shaun of the Dead - Edgar Wright (2004)
The Fog - John Carpenter (1980)
<<<<<6.9>>>>>
Hellraiser - Clive Barker (1987) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
Dawn of the Dead - George Romero (1978) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
The Descent - Neil Marshall (2005) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
Gremlins - Joe Dante (1984)
Hausu - Nobuhiko Obayashi (1977)
Fright Night - Tom Holland (1985) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
Blair Witch Project - Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez (1999) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
28 Days Later - Danny Boyle (2002)
The Witches - Nicolas Roeg (1990) ***arguable genre selection***
Poltergeist - Tobe Hooper (1982) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
The Evil Dead - Sam Raimi (1981) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
A Nightmare on Elm Street - Wes Craven (1984)
Sisters - Brian De Palma (1972)
<<<<<6.8>>>>>
Scream - Wes Craven (1996)
Child's Play - Tom Holland (1988)
Godzilla - Ishirō Honda (1954) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
Dracula - Tod Browning (1931) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
Christine - John Carpenter (1983)
An American Werewolf In London - John Landis (1981)

6.5/10
<<<<<6.7>>>>>
Scream 2 - Wes Craven (1997)
Prometheus - Ridley Scott (2012)
The Cabin in the Woods - Drew Goddard (2012)
<<<<<6.6>>>>>
The Lost Boys - Joel Schumacher (1987) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
<<<<<6.5>>>>>
Alien: Resurrection - Jean-Pierre Jeunet (1997)
<<<<<6.4>>>>>
The Fly - David Cronenberg (1986) [remake] ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
Bram Stoker's Dracula - Francis Ford Coppola (1992)
<<<<<6.3>>>>>
Interview With the Vampire - Neil Jordan (1994) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
Nope - Jordan Peele (2022) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***

6/10
<<<<<6.2>>>>>
Saw - James Wan and Leigh Whannell (2004) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
<<<<<6.1>>>>>
Jeepers Creepers - Victor Salva (2001) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
Jaws 2 - Jeannot Szwarc (1978)
Psycho III - Anthony Perkins (1986)
<<<<<6.0>>>>>
A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3: Dream Warriors - Chuck Russell (1987) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
The Ring - Gore Verbinski (2002) [remake] ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
Let the Right One In - Tomas Alfredson (2008)
From Dusk Till Dawn - Robert Rodriguez (1996) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
<<<<<5.9>>>>>
The Lawnmower Man - Brett Leonard (1992) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
<<<<<5.8>>>>>
The Craft - Andrew Fleming (1996) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
Tremors - Ron Underwood (1990)

5.5/10
<<<<<5.7>>>>>
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master - Renny Harlin (1988) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
<<<<<5.6>>>>>
Pet Semetary - Mary Lambert (1989) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
<<<<<5.5>>>>>
Scream 3 - Wes Craven (2000) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
The Thing From Another World - Christian Nyby (1951)
<<<<<5.4>>>>>
The Happening - M. Night Shyamalan (2008) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
<<<<<5.3>>>>>
Event Horizon - Paul W.S. Anderson (1997) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***

5/10
<<<<<5.2>>>>>
Aliens - James Cameron (1986) [Original Theatrical Cut, 137 min / Extended Cut, 156 min: 5.0/10]
Child's Play 2 - John Lafia (1990)
<<<<<5.1>>>>>
Alien 3 - David Fincher (1992) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
<<<<<5.0>>>>>
<<<<<4.9>>>>>
Child's Play 3 - Jack Bender (1991) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
<<<<<4.8>>>>>
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives - Tom McLoughlin (1986) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge - Jack Sholder (1985) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***

4.5/10
<<<<<4.7>>>>>
<<<<<4.6>>>>>
Friday the 13th - Sean S. Cunningham (1980)
<<<<<4.5>>>>>
<<<<<4.4>>>>>
<<<<<4.3>>>>>
I Know What You Did Last Summer - Jim Gillespie (1997) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***

4/10
<<<<<4.2>>>>>
<<<<<4.1>>>>>
<<<<<4.0>>>>>
<<<<<3.9>>>>>
<<<<<3.8>>>>>
Jaws: The Revenge - Joseph Sargent (1987) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood - John Carl Buechler (1988) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
Friday the 13th Part 2 - Steve Miner (1981) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***

3.5/10
<<<<<3.7>>>>>
<<<<<3.6>>>>>
<<<<<3.5>>>>>
Friday the 13th Part 3 - Steve Miner (1982) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer - Danny Cannon (1998) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
<<<<<3.4>>>>>
<<<<<3.3>>>>>

3/10
<<<<<3.2>>>>>
Jaws 3-D - Joe Alves (1983) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter - Joseph Zito (1984) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning - Danny Steinmann (1985) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan - Rob Hedden (1989) ***tentative rating/may need revisit***
<<<<<3.1>>>>>
<<<<<3.0>>>>>
<<<<<2.9>>>>>
<<<<<2.8>>>>>

To Add/May Need Revisit First...
The Mummy - Karl Freund (1932)
The Blob (1958) / The Blob (1988)

Genre qualification?
The Terminator - James Cameron (1984)
Jurassic Park - Steven Speilberg (1993)
Seven - David Fincher (1995)
The Sixth Sense - M. Night Shyamalan (1999)
Signs - M. Night Shyamalan (2002)
Pan's Labyrinth - Guillermo del Toro (2006)

Need to see...
House of Wax (1953)
Black Sunday - Mario Bava (1960)
The Innocents (1961)
Carnival of Souls (1962)
The Haunting - Robert Wise (1963)
Black Christmas (1974)
Phantasm (1978)
Near Dark - Kathryn Bigelow (1987)
Ringu (1998)
Ravenous (1999)
The Others (2001)
The Devil's Backbone - Guillermo del Toro (2001)
The Orphanage - Juan Antonio Bayona (2007)
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Last edited by AfterHours on 08/17/2022 10:38; edited 29 times in total

AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

RE: Horror - Genre Qualification

Does anyone think any of these deserves to be classified as horror as one of its main genre tags?

The Terminator - James Cameron (1984)
Ghostbusters - Ivan Reitman (1984)
Jurassic Park - Steven Speilberg (1993)
Seven - David Fincher (1995)
The Sixth Sense - M. Night Shyamalan (1999)
Signs - M. Night Shyamalan (2002)
Pan's Labyrinth - Guillermo del Toro (2006)

Personally I think Seven and Sixth Sense (and perhaps Terminator) have probably the strongest cases, even if they're not listed as such among their "main" genre tags on RYM or Letterboxd. Thoughts?

What about Ghostbusters as a comic-horror spoof (I'm actually surprised it doesn't really tend to have something like this as a main genre tag). Thoughts as to why/why not? Why, say, Shaun of the Dead but not Ghostbusters?

Jurassic Park is maybe a weaker case than some, but perhaps should be considered in a similar vein as natural horror and "monster" horror as Jaws, King Kong, Godzilla and the like. Though in this case, maybe there is too much of a comical angle through too high a percentage of it? The "horror" case would mainly be made from the various T-Rex and Raptor sequences, and "Newman's" (Seinfeld reference) death scene with that smaller dino.

Any thoughts/arguments for any of these (or other borderline cases) is welcome as I work to fill out this list a bit more...
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AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

EXPLANATION: WHAT IS THIS LOG??? Go here: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/v...094#571094

For my criteria page, go here: http://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/vi...hp?t=15503

To visit my Main lists, go here:
Greatest Classical Music Works: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/v...hp?t=15098
Greatest Albums (Rock & Jazz): https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/v...hp?t=15276
Greatest Films: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/v...hp?t=15558
Greatest Paintings: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/v...hp?t=15560
Greatest Works of Art: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/v...hp?t=16117

Bold = Newly added
Bold + Italics = Was already listed but recently upgraded/downgraded

Top 10+ Music, Movies, and Visual Art of the Week(s): 8-1-2022 - 8-14-2022
Vertigo - Alfred Hitchcock (1958)
Possession - Andrzej Zulawski (1981)
Psycho - Alfred Hitchcock (1960)
Blonde On Blonde - Bob Dylan (1966)
The Devils - Ken Russell (1971)
Candyman - Clive Barker (1992)
Psycho II - Richard Franklin (1983)
Belle de Jour - Luis Bunuel (1967)
Rear Window - Alfred Hitchcock (1954)
Repulsion - Roman Polanski (1965) ...Interestingly, it appears that Scaruffi may be on the verge of officially upgrading this to 9/10 and downgrading Rosemary's Baby to 8/10 (per the 60s page but not so far per the artist bio page). Although I have had Repulsion as high as 9/10 too (roughly 10-15 years ago on listology) and although it is very impressive in all cinematic facets, upon revisiting it to "double check", I would have to disagree that it has a strong enough case for 9/10 (assuming Scaruffi completes the update). It is perhaps the first truly modern horror film (Psycho started the fire but Repulsion still looks and plays much closer to the hyper-realistic horror cinema that would later follow Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Exorcist, etc, and remain in vogue today). To be a 9, I feel its first half (while already strong) would have to be at least on par with its second half to reach such a level, and even then there would probably have to be additional development towards a higher peak beyond what it already attains. Repulsion today is still startling, unnerving, haunting, with a stunning performance by Deneuve and reaching a pitch of tension and paranoia interwoven with and developed from dozens of small nuances and details that speak to the hyper-realism of her condition far removed (even if influenced by) from the mocking black comedy, theatrical artifice and expressionist tendencies of Psycho. However (in order to attain a much higher rating than 8/10), I don't feel Repulsion says/expresses enough depth (additional layers of meaning, emotion/concept/themes) beyond what is a true masterclass in introversion/mental breakdown and the arrested development, repulsed retaliations of its virginal protagonist. Among its strongest points may be in its lack of explanation, its spontaneity (again, far removed from Psycho's "psycho-analysis"), motivations suggested but left ambiguous, suggested, never clearly drawn out for the audience. Fwiw, I'm not too opposed to it being maybe equal/slightly above Rosemary's Baby (which may be an 8.0-8.2 instead of 8.3+), as Repulsion is probably a touch more consistent in sustaining its tension, suspense, horror. Though again, I don't think it reaches the same accumulation, peaks of expressive depth, ambiguity, expanse of suggestion and meaning (hence, Rosemary's Baby usually holding the higher spot).
The Tenant - Roman Polanski (1976)
Suspiria - Dario Argento (1977)
The Omen - Richard Donner (1976)
Throwing Copper - Live (1994)
Niagara - Henry Hathaway (1953)
Christine - John Carpenter (1983)
Jaws - Steven Spielberg (1975)
28 Days Later - Danny Boyle (2002)
Hour of the Wolf - Ingmar Bergman (1968)
The Joshua Tree - U2 (1987)
Scream - Wes Craven (1996)

Top 10+ Albums/Movies/Visual Art for the Week(s) - Rated 2.8/10 to 6.7/10
Scream 2 - Wes Craven (1997)
Psycho III - Anthony Perkins (1986)
Nope - Jordan Peele (2022)
Let the Right One In - Tomas Alfredson (2008)
Tremors - Ron Underwood (1990)
The Thing From Another World - Christian Nyby (1951)
Child's Play 2 - John Lafia (1990)

FAMILIAR FILMS - RE-RATED:
Vertigo - Alfred Hitchcock (1958) 8.3/10 to 8.4/10
Possession - Andrzej Zulawski (1981) 7.4/10 to 8.1/10; 8.1/10 to 8.4/10
Psycho - Alfred Hitchcock (1960) 8.0/10 to 8.1/10
Candyman - Clive Barker (1992) 6.6/10 to 7.2/10
Suspiria - Dario Argento (1977) 7.0/10 to 7.2/10
Niagara - Henry Hathaway (1953) 6.8/10 to 7.0/10
Hour of the Wolf - Ingmar Bergman (1968) 7.4/10 to 7.0/10
The Witches - Nicolas Roeg (1990) 6.8/10 to 6.9/10
Poltergeist - Tobe Hooper (1982) 6.8/10 to 6.9/10
The Evil Dead - Sam Raimi (1981) 6.8/10 to 6.9/10
A Nightmare on Elm Street - Wes Craven (1984) 6.5/10 to 6.9/10
Scream - Wes Craven (1996) 7.1/10 to 6.8/10
An American Werewolf In London - John Landis (1981) 6.4/10 to 6.8/10
The Cabin in the Woods - Drew Goddard (2012) 6.5/10 to 6.7/10
Tremors - Ron Underwood (1990) Not Rated to 5.8/10
Child's Play 2 - John Lafia (1990) 6.2/10 to 5.2/10

NEWLY WATCHED FILMS - RATED:
The Devils - Ken Russell (1971) 7.5/10
Psycho II - Richard Franklin (1983) 7.1/10
Nope - Jordan Peele (2022) 6.3/10????? ... I don't usually rate this way, but I am (at least for the time being) giving this film the "benefit of the doubt". My actual cinematic experience of it was more like a 5.5/10, but there is also quite a bit of symbolism throughout that was more interesting the more I thought about it, and could possibly push it up to 7ish on a revisit. So this "6.3" is really a somewhat lazy middle ground between those two points (5.5 and 7). Even as I unraveled its symbolism, I am yet unsure if it was really all that effectively compelling in cinematic terms, but I'm holding out nope -- I mean -- hope (sorry). Examples abound, such as: the antagonist is probably symbolic of "white/slave-master oppression", such as the way harsher slave masters dominated their slaves. It is certainly no accident that none of the main characters are white and one could say each has been relegated in their trade in some way, and are situated at the outskirts of movie making (in both class and location). Likewise, when seen in the daylight, the antagonist is mostly white. Also, none of the inflatable figures the protagonists use as "decoys" are white, but all sorts of colors. It is also no accident that the main action all occurs on a ranch and at a fair (that is essentially a reconstructed old western movie town). The scenes with Gordy are symbolic of this master-slave relationship as well (perhaps even a chimpanzee as a sort of ultimate insult?). Along with Gordy, how the horses act, what they're used for, when and why, there seems to be commentary on how humans treat animals (as lower life forms) and this is likely being tied in with the commentary on master-slave relationships as like-minded and inhumane forms of oppression. Furthermore, the opening point of the film being the first piece of cinema of a black man riding a horse, and no one knowing who he is, is clearly being symbolized by these points and by eventual actions (with man and horse) in reaction to the antagonist, and being caught on film. The other point being made, may be also: "why does no one focus on the horse as being part of the scene, as equally important to the actor? They're only concerned about who the man is, if at all." The antagonist seems to act, as well, as a dual-symbol in that it also seems to be a commentary on the culture's obsession with spectacle (filming oneself, needing to film/capture things as spectacles instead of partaking in life) and the solution to the antagonist is further commentary on this point. Additionally, how the final act is filmed (you'll know what I mean when you see the movie) is further commentary on this and may be making a charge that the digital cinema of spectacles has become a sort of oppression in itself of great talents that have subsequently become marginalized unfairly, or perhaps the artistry and aesthetics that they taught through their art (such as Speilberg, Hitchcock, Kubrick... which this film itself is influenced by), is becoming forgotten and under-utilized by the ubiquitous application of digital filming. As this is a brand new film, with much dependent on its mystery as it unravels, I am just throwing these points out in vague terms so as not to include any real spoilers. They'll mean more in the context of the movie, but little if only read here without watching it.
Psycho III - Anthony Perkins (1986) 6.0/10; 6.0/10 to 6.1/10
Let the Right One In - Tomas Alfredson (2008) 6.0/10
The Thing From Another World - Christian Nyby (1951) 5.5/10

TOP 50 WORKS OF ART OF THE YEAR (2022)
Sistine Chapel: Ceiling and The Last Judgment - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1512; 1541)
Lorca - Tim Buckley (1970)
Rock Bottom - Robert Wyatt (1974)
St. Peter's Basilica - Michelangelo Buonarroti, Donato Bramante, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1626) [Architecture]
Brazil - Terry Gilliam (1985) [The Final Cut, 142 minutes]
Guernica - Pablo Picasso (1937)
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel (1997)
The Velvet Underground and Nico - The Velvet Underground (1966)
The Beethoven Frieze - Gustav Klimt (1902)
Daydream Nation - Sonic Youth (1988)
Citizen Kane - Orson Welles (1941)
Spiderland - Slint (1991)
Persona - Ingmar Bergman (1966)
North by Northwest - Alfred Hitchcock (1959)
Desertshore - Nico (1970)
Piano Sonata No. 20 in A Major - Franz Schubert (1828)
Isenheim Altarpiece - Matthias Grunewald [includes sculpture by Nikolaus Hagenauer] (circa 1512-1516)
The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa - Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1652) [Sculpture and Architecture]
The Gates of Hell - Auguste Rodin (1889 "Expressionist" Version) [Sculpture]
Laughing Stock - Talk Talk (1991)
Piano Sonata No. 32 in C Minor - Ludwig van Beethoven (1822)
Marquee Moon - Television (1977)
The Doors - The Doors (1966)
Blue - Joni Mitchell (1971)
Touch of Evil - Orson Welles (1958)
Symphony No. 5 in C Minor - Ludwig van Beethoven (1808)
Symphony No. 6 in A minor "Tragic" - Gustav Mahler (1904; 1906)
Les Demoiselles d'Avignon - Pablo Picasso (1907)
Europe After The Rain II - Max Ernst (1942)
Piano Sonata in B Minor - Franz Liszt (1853)
Sandham Memorial Chapel: The Resurrection of the Soldiers & War Murals - Stanley Spencer (1929)
Violin Concertos Nos. 1-4, "The Four Seasons" - Antonio Vivaldi (1723)
Symphony No. 4 in E Minor - Johannes Brahms (1884)
Symphony No. 8 in B Minor "Unfinished" - Franz Schubert (1822)
Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor "Appassionata" - Ludwig van Beethoven (1805)
The Sacrifice - Andrei Tarkovsky (1986)
St. Matthew Cycle: The Calling of St. Matthew; The Inspiration of St. Matthew; The Martyrdom of St. Matthew - Michelangelo Caravaggio (1602)
The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci (1497)
Y - The Pop Group (1979)
Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major - Ludwig van Beethoven (1820)
It's Such a Beautiful Day - Don Hertzfeldt (2012)
Apollo and Daphne - Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1625) [Sculpture]
Medici Chapel: The Sagrestia Nuova - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1555) [Sculpture and Architecture]
I Lie Here Buried With My Rings and My Dresses - Backxwash (2021)
Early Bourgeois Revolution in Germany - Werner Tubke (1987) [aka, "Peasants' War Panorama"]
Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morissette (1995)
Pieta - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1499)
David - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1504)
Moses - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1515)
Strange Days - The Doors (1967)
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Best Classical
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Last edited by AfterHours on 08/16/2022 22:08; edited 28 times in total