The Horror Thread - Part 2

[GENERAL RAAM582]

Carrie (Original) 7.0/10

 

[66 Face]

Just watched +1 (2013) which is a pretty cool movie with an awesome concept that kept my attention locked, but ultimately is a bit under-baked.

First...this is a Sci-Fi film, not Horror (though it does have a few Horror elements and is a bit Twilight Zone-esque). It seems like the only place this is getting any attention is on Horror websites, so I'll discuss it here.

Here's the deal...David visits his girlfriend Jill at her fencing competition, but then allows himself to be kissed by the girl who just beat her in the tournament. Jill sees this and dumps him. David spends the rest of the film trying to win her back while insanity unfolds around him.

The first problem is that you're then supposed to sympathize with David and root for him as he tries to win back Jill...but I was on her side of the argument, and got even more so as the film progressed and his tactics get more manipulative and darker. However, he is never presented as anything but the sympathetic hero trying to win back his girlfriend.

So, there's this massive party. Both Jill and David are there, separately, and David brings his horny friend Teddy who just wants to get laid...and lucky him...his dream girl is there!

Then the concept kicks in. After most of the party moves outside, a meteor crashes. The lead characters realize that somehow, there are now doubles of everyone, doing exactly what they were doing 20 minutes ago! David uses the knowledge he has of the last several minutes to try to win back his girlfriend's duplicate. The stakes are raised as the two parties get closer to meeting face to face.

As I said, this movie is quite entertaining from start to finish. However, while David is unlikable, the film barely even touches on something far more interesting...social outcast Allison. She fits in nowhere and seems to identify with no one...and now she has an exact duplicate of herself. This story is glossed over in passing, and likely should have been the emotional center of the film. As presented, her character is not defined enough to leave an impact. The issue with the massive party possibly meeting up was also more interesting than creepy David, who mostly avoids the conflict to chase his duplicate girlfriend around. Unfortunately, the film focuses on his story and leaves the rest of the characters as background filler, though even with that they carry more emotional punch than his character. I would have rather have seen how the events impacted Teddy's dream girl (who appears to be deeper than just a party skank, but that isn't explored at all)...or any number of the other characters who get only a moment of screen time. OR, had they actually addressed David's scheming ways it could have been interesting.

I actually do recommend this movie, it is fun to watch. However, I came away feeling like there were a lot of missed opportunities to make a really great film. It COULD have been one of my favorite movies of the year, had they not made some rather stupid decisions on story elements. I still liked it, but feel like I was robbed of the emotion that the set-up promised.

It actually looks really good. Does it get CW-ish?

 

[Heretic]

It actually looks really good. Does it get CW-ish?

+1 doesn't really get overly sappy...there is some welcome comedy, and obviously the main story is a guy trying to get his girlfriend back...but aside from the fact that the main actor is the least intriguing person in the film and I actually wanted to see his ex move on without him, it doesn't get too bogged down in emo weeping or anything. It is too busy moving around to different characters and sprinting through the chaotic story (this is a good thing, the insanity of the concept is the movie's strength...I just could have used more of the outcast and dream girl and less of the main star). I definitely didn't get a CW vibe from it.

As I said, I DO recommend it! The concept and potential alone made it one of the most fun watches I've had this year. When you watch it, I'll be happy to discuss in detail what bothered me, but I can't really get into it without spoiling plot points. But it is certainly a fun, interesting movie.

It reminds me a bit of this years Sci-Fi/Fantasy Upside Down, in that it took an awesome concept but that it rushed through details to it's story (which was not thought through quite enough) and made some dumb character/plot decisions. (Note: Upside Down is a very stupid adventure romance movie about a world with split gravity...so the poor, exploited people on the ground look up, and see the tops of buildings etc in the rich, corporate run world above...and a girl from the over world meets a guy from the below world in the area where the separate gravities meet, and they fall in love but can't live on the same "world". AWESOME concept...but I felt dumber after watching it.)

 

[Heretic]

Just watched We Are What We Are.

I absolutely loved how it took its sweet time to get to where it was going. It was a slow burning story and the tension and horror mounted...and then the end came and it was over the top and out of character just for the sake of being shocking. All of that great work over the course of an hour and a half...just to blow it at the end. Yeah...it was shocking...but it was so at the cost of the entire film's character arcs. A slight tweak to that end and even a few of the details would have worked. The actresses playing the two daughters were great, just really excellent casting as they also physically embodied their parts well. I immediately recognized the actress playing the younger one (who isn't as young as her character) as she was the only bright spot in this year's horrid The Last Exorcism Part 2, and she'll be in Sin City: A Dame To Kill For. I would love to see her have a great career.

 

[StarLord]

I liked the ending.

Anyway, the eldest daughter Iris played by Ambyr Childers has also been in The Master, Gangster Squad and 2 Guns. She's hot.

 

[chamber-music]

Just watched +1 (2013) which is a pretty cool movie with an awesome concept that kept my attention locked, but ultimately is a bit under-baked.

First...this is a Sci-Fi film, not Horror (though it does have a few Horror elements and is a bit Twilight Zone-esque). It seems like the only place this is getting any attention is on Horror websites, so I'll discuss it here.

Here's the deal...David visits his girlfriend Jill at her fencing competition, but then allows himself to be kissed by the girl who just beat her in the tournament. Jill sees this and dumps him. David spends the rest of the film trying to win her back while insanity unfolds around him.

The first problem is that you're then supposed to sympathize with David and root for him as he tries to win back Jill...but I was on her side of the argument, and got even more so as the film progressed and his tactics get more manipulative and darker. However, he is never presented as anything but the sympathetic hero trying to win back his girlfriend.

So, there's this massive party. Both Jill and David are there, separately, and David brings his horny friend Teddy who just wants to get laid...and lucky him...his dream girl is there!

Then the concept kicks in. After most of the party moves outside, a meteor crashes. The lead characters realize that somehow, there are now doubles of everyone, doing exactly what they were doing 20 minutes ago! David uses the knowledge he has of the last several minutes to try to win back his girlfriend's duplicate. The stakes are raised as the two parties get closer to meeting face to face.

As I said, this movie is quite entertaining from start to finish. However, while David is unlikable, the film barely even touches on something far more interesting...social outcast Allison. She fits in nowhere and seems to identify with no one...and now she has an exact duplicate of herself. This story is glossed over in passing, and likely should have been the emotional center of the film. As presented, her character is not defined enough to leave an impact. The issue with the massive party possibly meeting up was also more interesting than creepy David, who mostly avoids the conflict to chase his duplicate girlfriend around. Unfortunately, the film focuses on his story and leaves the rest of the characters as background filler, though even with that they carry more emotional punch than his character. I would have rather have seen how the events impacted Teddy's dream girl (who appears to be deeper than just a party skank, but that isn't explored at all)...or any number of the other characters who get only a moment of screen time. OR, had they actually addressed David's scheming ways it could have been interesting.

I actually do recommend this movie, it is fun to watch. However, I came away feeling like there were a lot of missed opportunities to make a really great film. It COULD have been one of my favorite movies of the year, had they not made some rather stupid decisions on story elements. I still liked it, but feel like I was robbed of the emotion that the set-up promised.

I agree David wasn't likeable and I didn't feel sympathy for him either. I thought he was very creepy.

The fact that the Australian actor who plays David in +1 also played the creepy homicidal yuppie leader in The Purge didn't help as well. I kept thinking this guy would make a good Bateman brother in the American Psycho tv show they are planning.

I thought the Allison subplot was very luckluster as well.

I enjoyed the movie and thought it had good ideas but there was definitely some things they could of done better.

It actually looks really good. Does it get CW-ish?

It isn't really CW like. The film is more like a episode of The Twilight Zone or Outer Limits.

 

[CashforStash]

Just watched Candyman for the first time this morning.

Damn was that a good movie, really surprised I hadn't seen it until now.

One of the few horror films where I personally believe the antagonist should of been at least nominated for a Oscar (Tony Todd)

 

[Kane52630]

Yeah, Tony Todd was great as Candyman and I LOVE the music by Philip Glass.

 

[<(o_o)>]

Just watched Candyman for the first time this morning.

Damn was that a good movie, really surprised I hadn't seen it until now.

One of the few horror films where I personally believe the antagonist should of been at least nominated for a Oscar (Tony Todd)

There are 2 other sequels to watch now.

 

[souvlaki]

Got excited when I saw Nightmare on Elm Street was on AMC in 15 minutes... then I realized it was the remake. This has been happening to me with Amityville Horror as well like multiple times the last few weeks and it's really obnoxious. Oh well, I guess I will make an attempt to watch this. Wish me luck.

 

[BH/HHH]

Got excited when I saw Nightmare on Elm Street was on AMC in 15 minutes... then I realized it was the remake. This has been happening to me with Amityville Horror as well like multiple times the last few weeks and it's really obnoxious. Oh well, I guess I will make an attempt to watch this. Wish me luck.

To be fair I can se why on the ANOES remake but I think the Amytiville remake is better than the original. The original always felt really flat to me, pretty boring too.

 

[StarLord]

To be fair I can se why on the ANOES remake but I think the Amytiville remake is better than the original. The original always felt really flat to me, pretty boring too.

Me too.

I also think it has Reynolds' best performance yet.

 

[Heretic]

I agree David wasn't likeable and I didn't feel sympathy for him either. I thought he was very creepy.

The fact that the Australian actor who plays David in +1 also played the creepy homicidal yuppie leader in The Purge didn't help as well. I kept thinking this guy would make a good Bateman brother in the American Psycho tv show they are planning.

I thought the Allison subplot was very luckluster as well.

I enjoyed the movie and thought it had good ideas but there was definitely some things they could of done better.



It isn't really CW like. The film is more like a episode of The Twilight Zone or Outer Limits.

Yeah, all of the subplots are lackluster. I wish some extra time would have been given to them to properly develop.

 

[Heretic]

I liked the ending.

Anyway, the eldest daughter Iris played by Ambyr Childers has also been in The Master, Gangster Squad and 2 Guns. She's hot.

Ah...I haven't seen any of those (2 Guns is based on a comic, so I might get around to that). Neither of the actresses playing the daughters are difficult to look at.

 

[BH/HHH]

Me too.

I also think it has Reynolds' best performance yet.

Yeah he's really good in it actually. I quite like Reynolds especially in comedic roles so I would say its his best serious performance. Maybe it's the beard ha ha.

 

[Piper Maru]

Just watched Candyman for the first time this morning.

Damn was that a good movie, really surprised I hadn't seen it until now.

One of the few horror films where I personally believe the antagonist should of been at least nominated for a Oscar (Tony Todd)

Tony Todd is an amazing actor. If you ever get a chance, check out the X-Files episode titled "Sleepeless". It's the 4th episode of Season 2.

 

[Heretic]

I hate to admit this...but I actually watched the last two episodes of the Food Network's Halloween Wars (a pumpkin carving, edible treat competition show) because Tony Todd and Danielle Harris were the guest judges.

 

[GENERAL RAAM582]

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning 7.0/10
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) 8.5/10
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) 9.0/10
Texas Chainsaw 3D 6.5/10

 

[redhawk23]

I hate to admit this...but I actually watched the last two episodes of the Food Network's Halloween Wars (a pumpkin carving, edible treat competition show) because Tony Todd and Danielle Harris were the guest judges.

I love Halloween Wars. The teams this year are all really terrible compared to the first too years though.

Last year Tom Savini was a full time judge which was fun.

Some of the guest judges are awful though because its clear they have to work in the thing they are currently working on and mention it on air.

Either the first or the second year they had Rutina Wesley from True Blood. At one point she gave her opinion of one of the food displays as "I like this one because it looks like this guy is getting chased. It reminds me of how I get chased a lot on True Blood, so I like that."
(That pretty much verbatim)

 

[Heretic]

I love Halloween Wars. The teams this year are all really terrible compared to the first too years though.

Last year Tom Savini was a full time judge which was fun.

Some of the guest judges are awful though because its clear they have to work in the thing they are currently working on and mention it on air.

Either the first or the second year they had Rutina Wesley from True Blood. At one point she gave her opinion of one of the food displays as "I like this one because it looks like this guy is getting chased. It reminds me of how I get chased a lot on True Blood, so I like that."
(That pretty much verbatim)

The ones so far this year do seem really lame in comparison to what I saw previously (though I wasn't watching every week). I haven't really thought that any of them were worthy of tv.

And I'm fine with the heavy-handed promo. It is eye-roll inducing, but I get it.

 

[Tony Clifton]

Childs Play 2 as we speak. A really good horror sequel in my opinion. Good Guy Toy warehouse scenes are still some of my all time favorite horror movie moments.

 

[BH/HHH]

Just watched Halloween H20 for the second time in about 3 weeks mainly cause I watched 2 and 3 last week so I felt like watching it again. Plus the missus likes the Halloween films so that added to my decision.

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

Last night was out of town so had to deal with what AMC had playing so watched the Friday the 13th remake (which I like) the NOES remake which reminded me why I didn't like it again, and Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare which is my least favorite in the nightmare series.

Today was The Nightmare before Christmas, The Legend of Sleep Hollow (Disney cartoon narrated by Bing Crosby) and Sleepy Hollow ('99) which is one of my favorite Burton flicks.

 

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

Freddy's Dead is so bad.

 

[TheDreamMaster]

Freddy's Dead is so bad.

I actually like the scenes with human Freddy, his childhood and his father and all that. I could take or leave the dream demons, I like the concept, but it needed a better sequel to work.