The Horror Thread - Part 4

[Kane52630]

Saw [REC] 4 Apocalypse yesterday and it drops the "Army of Darkness" camp from [Rec] 3 and goes back to a more serious movie like the first two. I tries to tie all the plot threads from the previous movies into this and it sorta works. It almost feels like Alien in a way with the "infected" instead of Xenomorphs...it's pretty good. However, I will say the ending was really disappointing. They had a lot of things built up to this moment and they dropped the ball.

 

[Heretic]

Watched Eat (2014), about a struggling (okay, failing) actress who picks up a rather odd new habit...eating herself (and not in the awesome way).

I was hoping that this would be a whacked out, disturbing film, given the premise...but it's intentionally goofy. The acting is pretty bad, which is only kinda sorta acceptable because the lead character is so shallow. There are some bits that are pretty funny though.

It's really pretty stupid.

 

[Heretic]

Watched The Canal (2014) which is on most Horror critics lists of "Best of 2014."

I have been putting off watching this for a rather stupid reason. I thought the female lead was Hanna Hall (of Zombie's Halloween) and assumed the movie couldn't be that good...but it turns out that it's Hannah Hoekstra (of nothing I've ever heard of).

No real spoilers inside that you wouldn't learn from reading the promo blurbs...

Spoiler

A guy is a film archivist who suspects that his wife might be cheating on him. Then she disappears.

It's kind of a mystery mixed with a typical Horror type story. There's definitely some suspense created, which is surprisingly rare considering that Horror is kind of built on that. I wasn't really fond of the end.

There's a few things that will remind people of other Horror films (including three separate things that reminded me of a certain modern classic Horror film). Another film it could be compared to is one of this year's best Horror films. So...to compare the two films...eh...this is better in some ways but ultimately the other film will stay with me longer and was a more satisfying film.

Good movie, worth watching, good suspense, not so great ending (in my opinion). Will it be in my Horror top 10 in a few weeks? POSSIBLY. There's still a few supposedly good movies I've yet to see.

 

[Heretic]

Watched What We Do In The Shadows (2014) a comedy mockumentary about a group of vampires (so...a tv crew is following them around, like a reality show). It isn't scary, but there are a few really funny gags. I agree with some reviews that say that the concept doesn't support a full length movie, so it feels a bit too long, but if you're into vampires and want a few good laughs at their expense, you should check it out.

 

[Black Narcissus]

The Babadook

One of the best films of the year. Believe the hype.

 

[Lunar_Wolf]

Gotta watch The Babadook.

 

[Heretic]

Yes, you do, Lunar. Probably the best Horror movie of the year (I may have liked Only Lovers Left Alive a bit more because of the guitars etc...but thats really only a Horror movie in that vampires are in it).

 

[Kane52630]

The Babadook is really good but for best horror movie it goes to Afflicted.

 

[Heretic]

I still haven't gotten around to Afflicted. The found footage concept is such a deterrent for me that I'm still trying to talk myself into watching it.

 

[Kane52630]

It's one of rare found footage movies that makes sense into why they were filming.

 

[chamber-music]

The Babadook was great.

I want to see [REC] 4 Apocalypse. I really liked the first two [Rec] films

 

[Heretic]

Watched Tusk (2014)

Are you ready for a comparison that you never thought you'd see in your entire life?

Great.

Kevin Smith is the Zakk Wylde of film making.

He's talented. He seems like a cool guy that shares many of my interests. In fact, what he does professionally is RIGHT up my alley and I should probably be a huge fan of his work. I even WANT to be a huge fan. It's just...I'm not. I can't seem to really enjoy what they do. They also both seem to be trying too hard to prove that they belong, like it's a gimmick.

Anyway...on to Tusk...

Spoiler

Once again, it feels like Smith is trying too hard to be cool. I see a lot of people saying that this idea is so unique...but it's basically The Human Centipede. The Human Centipede was better than this.

I'm not sure if it ever really tries to be a Horror movie because the whole thing seems rather goofy. Of course, in typical Smith fashion there are tons of quips that are intended to be humorous, but every time the film would normally try to create tension, it then starts back up with the nonsense. The villain COULD be a threatening character, but the movie isn't trying to create a sense of dread.

There's not a single likeable character in the film. even the characters we should sympathize with aren't actually good people.

The "secret guest star" stuff is just AWFUL. Like...maybe my least favorite scenes I've seen in 2014. I watch a lot of bad movies with bad scenes, but these were just painful to get through.

I half expected Smith himself to walk into the shot and pat himself on the back for being so clever and cool.

The point is...painful to watch for all the wrong reasons. One of the worst films of the year.

 

[Heretic]

Just watched Late Phases (2014)

Is it just me or are there A LOT of bigfoot and werewolf movies this year???

Anyway...this is about a cranky old blind veteran who has a run-in with a guy in a cheap Halloween costume...I mean, a werewolf.

No spoilers past the 10 minutes or so (there's one spoiler included, but I put that in blackout)...

Spoiler

The lead actor is basically the entire film. Fortunately HE does a good job with what he's given. After his first run-in with the werewolf he decides to take that sucker down the next chance he gets. His character feels real and the actor does a fine job.

Some of the other actors are kind of shaky.

My problem is that the lead character is kind of unlikable, being a needless jerk to everyone he meets. But, we all know cranky old guys like that, I suppose. However, pretty much everyone else is hard to like as well. The neighbors are catty and rude etc.

I won't spoil it...but there's one aspect that the film keeps going back to over and over...and then at the payoff its just brushed aside and forgotten in a second.

Also...and this is a bit of a SPOILER (but I dont think its major)..[BLACKOUT].but there is an assault in the film...like a guy assaulting another guy...and that mystery is soon forgotten about and never brought up again (I mean...I can GUESS the identity and motive of the attacker...but I don't recall it ever being brought up after the few scenes following it...maybe I'm wrong and just wasn't paying attention at that point). [/BLACKOUT]

Good character work from the main actor, and sort of an interesting take on fighting a werewolf, but not exactly an exciting roller coaster of a movie and some wasted scenes that seem to have been intended to mean more than they did before rewrites.

 

[Naked Shia]

I've seen ABC of deaths, and it was horrendous.

The babadook is every bit as great as everyone says it is. Well written, well acted, suspenseful... Really great.

I've seen the hills have eyes (aja version). The first part is not that great, because it doesn't succeed in making the characters credible, likeable or at least interesting. that said, as soon as the trailer is attacked, it becomes really really intense!

 

[chamber-music]

Saw the trailer for 'it follows'. Been hearing great things about the film.

 

[HighFivingMF]

Didn't care much for Babadook at all...

It Follows looks great though.

 

[Matt Mortem]

Let me ask all you horror buffs out there - Can a vampire still be scary? How can vampires still be scary? Or has pop culture de-fanged the movie monster?

 

[Jesse]

I thought The Strain on FX did a pretty good job of making vampires threatening again. Can't remember the last time I watched a recent scary vampire movie though.

 

[Matt Mortem]

I'm making a short film about a vampire, and I'm struggling with how to make it really scary. I've got some ideas, but I figured I'd ask the horror thread thoughts on how a vampire film can elicit fear.

 

[Kane52630]

30 Days of Night is all the answer you need.

 

[Black Narcissus]

Saw the trailer for 'it follows'. Been hearing great things about the film.

I hear it won't get a wide release. Keep hearing great things.

 

[Matt Mortem]

30 Days of Night is all the answer you need.

Always meant to watch that, but never did. I'll put it on my list.

 

[bullets]

Let me ask all you horror buffs out there - Can a vampire still be scary? How can vampires still be scary? Or has pop culture de-fanged the movie monster?

I remember Let the Right one in being scary. I wasn't a big fan of the remake , but it got good reviews. I'd say yes , you can still make a scary Vampire film. Also forgot Afflicted , that was a good one. No so much scary for me though. I don't scare easy. Dracula Untold was a superhero film. However It did have a genuinely creepy Vampire toward the beggining. I think it really depends on the filmmaker.

 

[Black Narcissus]

The main Vampire in Carpenter's Vampire was terrifying to look at. He was a **** villain though. But visually, he was top notch.

 

[Kane52630]

The Night Flier is another one good to see, I finally saw that this year.