The Horror Thread

[Piper Maru]

That was actually the one scene in the film I'm not too fond of. Once again my people being misrepresented by Hollywood as child murdering Satanists. It's like depicting all Jews as greedy, money grubbing busybodies. Or depicting blacks as always eating fried chicken and watermelon and washing it down with grape Kool-Aid. Or all Asians as being bad drivers. It's very prejudiced.

Other than that, a really well made horror movie.

STOP IT!
[YT]fFENgb2zOn4[/YT]
It's time...

 

[GENERAL RAAM582]

The ending was boss! x2

 

[Thundarr]

The Wicker Man will never be beat for pagan style witchcraft in a horror film.

That wasn't witchcraft. Paganism? Yes. But not witchcraft. No witch would ever sacrifice a human being to the Gods. It would violate the witches' highest law, "Do no harm". The only way one who truly professes to be a practitioner of The Craft would do such a thing would be if he or she were totally insane. But the same could be said for many religions, not just Witchcraft. Except that, unlike other religions, The Craft doesn't lace loopholes and exceptions throughout their teachings.

 

[JOlsen]

That wasn't witchcraft. Paganism? Yes. But not witchcraft. No witch would ever sacrifice a human being to the Gods. It would violate the witches' highest law, "Do no harm". The only way one who truly professes to be a practitioner of The Craft would do such a thing would be if he or she were totally insane. But the same could be said for many religions, not just Witchcraft. Except that, unlike other religions, The Craft doesn't lace loopholes and exceptions throughout their teachings.

For fairness' sake that entire town was insane trying to use witchcraft to make their crops grow.

 

[Thundarr]

For fairness' sake that entire town was insane trying to use witchcraft to make their crops grow.

Fair enough. It would never work though, not with the human sacrifice. Such evil deeds are not rewarded by The Gods, but are in fact thrown against them threefold. Likely, as punishment for such a heinous act, their next crop will yield only one third the produce of the last one. Or perhaps Fate will cause a family of three to burn to death in a house fire. Such is the way of The Craft.

 

[redhawk23]

That wasn't witchcraft. Paganism? Yes. But not witchcraft. No witch would ever sacrifice a human being to the Gods. It would violate the witches' highest law, "Do no harm". The only way one who truly professes to be a practitioner of The Craft would do such a thing would be if he or she were totally insane. But the same could be said for many religions, not just Witchcraft. Except that, unlike other religions, The Craft doesn't lace loopholes and exceptions throughout their teachings.

Which iteration of "The Craft" are you speaking of in your criticisms of these portryals, because Wicca as it is currently organized was developed less than 100 years ago. These story tropes have existed in film and literature longer than the religion has. It is a bit disingenuous to compare most presentations of witchcraft in media to stereotypical or prejudiced portrayals of other religions and or ethnic groups in that those are purposefully made to disparage those groups.

On the other hand there are a lot of terrible presentations of the modern religion, groups being used as the "monster of the week" on various cop shows and the like, which I totally understand taking issue with.

 

[Man in the Suit]

I do not understand how bland and terrible the "You're next" trailers are.

The movie has quite a bit of humor and wit but the trailer show almost none of that. A lot of the humor is essentially in the setup and introducing the characters so they could seriously show some of this in the trailers, the contrast of the humor with the attack on the family and it would spoil nothing while giving a proper sense of what the film is.

Terrible marketing as is though.

That's how Lionsgate sold Cabin in the Woods and people were like "WHY IS THIS FUNNY??? FUNNY = HORRIBLE!"

People, man...

 

[Thundarr]

Which iteration of "The Craft" are you speaking of in your criticisms of these portryals, because Wicca as it is currently organized was developed less than 100 years ago. These story tropes have existed in film and literature longer than the religion has. It is a bit disingenuous to compare most presentations of witchcraft in media to stereotypical or prejudiced portrayals of other religions and or ethnic groups in that those are purposefully made to disparage those groups.

On the other hand there are a lot of terrible presentations of the modern religion, groups being used as the "monster of the week" on various cop shows and the like, which I totally understand taking issue with.

Due to the events of The Salem Witch Trials and The Spanish Inquisition, much of The Old Religion was lost and had to be rebuilt in the form of the modern incarnation of Wicca. However, the rule of "Do no harm" and "The Law Of Three" are fragments which have been a part of the Craft since its earliest inception 5000 years ago. The sacrificing of animals is a long honored tradition in many religions and cultures, including Christianity (ever celebrate Christmas without a Christmas Ham or Goose?). Certain Pagan deities may have required human sacrifices (those of Ancient Greece, or the Norse Gods for instance), but it was never a practice of true practitioners of The Craft.

Incidentally, a warlock is not the proper term for a male witch. Male witches are simply called witches. The term "warlock" is derived from a word in an ancient tongue (Aramaic I think, though it may be something else), meaning "traitor". During the Inquisition, some members of the Church would study confiscated Books Of Shadows in order to learn enough of The Craft to be able to pass themselves off as witches. Then they would go out and try and find covens of true witches. Once they were trusted enough to be invited into the coven, they would learn the identities of all the members and then turn them in to the authorities. When the heretics were executed, the false witch would travel to a different town and start the process all over again. Eventually word got out, and the covens would be on their guard for these "warlocks". Because the Church is very male dominated, these false witches were all men. Then when the common folk heard that these "witches" were called "warlocks", they thought the term referred to male witches. However, to a witch, being called a warlock is the equivelent of calling a Jew a k!k*, or a black person a n!**er.

Just a little history lesson for you there.

BTW, Wicker Man was made in the 1970's, much less than 100 years ago. Whatever "Pagan" rituals they may have researched for the film likely came from more modern forms of Wicca, which does make the film prejudiced against us.

 

[TheDreamMaster]

STOP IT!
[YT]fFENgb2zOn4[/YT]
It's time...

Best ending to any Halloween film. People don't give 3 enough credit, its always "Why isn't Michael Myers in it?" As much as I love the entire series (except RZ's entries), Michael never did anything half as creepy as anything in Part 3 in any of the sequels that followed it.

 

[JOlsen]

I'm watching Friday the 13th Part 6 and.... someone is a James Bond fan.... WTF.

 

[Ant-manic]

I'm watching Friday the 13th Part 6 and.... someone is a James Bond fan.... WTF.

are you talking about the opening; where he does the slow walk and turn with his machete?

 

[Thundarr]

are you talking about the opening; where he does the slow walk and turn with his machete?

I do believe that's what he is referring to, yes. I've watched the movie with the feature length comentary and the director even said that it was a nod to the Bond films.

 

[JOlsen]

Very much so. It just took me out of the film how odd it was.
Watching part 7 now.

Edit: Oh god... telepathy

 

[Thundarr]

Very much so. It just took me out of the film how odd it was.
Watching part 7 now.

Edit: Oh god... telepathy

Well it was only the opening credits. I wouldn't go so far as to say it takes me out of the film entirely, as the whole movie was kinda done tongue in cheek.

The whole telekinesis thing from Part 7 made me roll my eyes though.

 

[zeroapoc]

I'm looking forward to this one.

 

[Ant-manic]

Well it was only the opening credits. I wouldn't go so far as to say it takes me out of the film entirely, as the whole movie was kinda done tongue in cheek.

The whole telekinesis thing from Part 7 made me roll my eyes though.

when i was young, i thought that it was supposed to be a crossover between two movies (like 'Carrie' or something).

 

[jonathancrane]

Here is an interesting bit of trivia; perchance some of you in the industry could help me locate the Holy Grail of Horror? Dennis Etchison wrote a draft for Halloween IV. Few details have emerged, except that the premise was that Haddonfield had banned the observation and celebration of Halloween, following the the events of the preceding two films. However, their efforts to suppress the holiday fail, and the Shape returns, like one's worst impulses.

Anyone who has read his fiction or novelizations of Carpenter's films (he's usually credited as Jack Martin,) know that he is a damn good writer; heck, even King gave a shout out to him in Danse Macabre. I thought I would share this rare nugget of information and see if anybody had discovered anything on their own. If, by some token you have it or some information leading to it, PM to me -- I have been searching for it many years and I would hate to have them as fruitless as the search for a complete copy of London After Midnight.

 

[Thundarr]

when i was young, i thought that it was supposed to be a crossover between two movies (like 'Carrie' or something).

According to the behind the scenes featurette, they actually wanted Part 7 to be Freddy vs Jason. But because the two companies (Paramount & New Line) couldn't come to an agreement, they decided to make a thinly veiled Jason vs Carrie story (just with the name of the telepath being changed from Carrie White to Tina Shepherd).

 

[TheDreamMaster]

Picked up Hatchet III on Blu Ray today. Hoping its still good, as I really loved the first two.

 

[Thundarr]

Here is an interesting bit of trivia; perchance some of you in the industry could help me locate the Holy Grail of Horror? Dennis Etchison wrote a draft for Halloween IV. Few details have emerged, except that the premise was that Haddonfield had banned the observation and celebration of Halloween, following the the events of the preceding two films. However, their efforts to suppress the holiday fail, and the Shape returns, like one's worst impulses.

Anyone who has read his fiction or novelizations of Carpenter's films (he's usually credited as Jack Martin,) know that he is a damn good writer; heck, even King gave a shout out to him in Danse Macabre. I thought I would share this rare nugget of information and see if anybody had discovered anything on their own. If, by some token you have it or some information leading to it, PM to me -- I have been searching for it many years and I would hate to have them as fruitless as the search for a complete copy of London After Midnight.

I'm not sure, but I think that script was redone and became Halloween VI: The Curse Of Michael Myers. At the very least, they share the element of Haddonfield banning the celebration of Halloween due to the events of the previous four films.

 

[jonathancrane]

@Thundarr:

True. I suspected elements of it were cannabalized for other installments, but, again, since it was Etchison, I want to read the sequel that never was...

 

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

I just saw Evil Dead. I like that it was its own thing but paid tribute to some of the moments from the the trilogy, even having the Classic in a scene. For a horror remake, not bad, liked the gore.

 

[Ant-manic]

According to the behind the scenes featurette, they actually wanted Part 7 to be Freddy vs Jason. But because the two companies (Paramount & New Line) couldn't come to an agreement, they decided to make a thinly veiled Jason vs Carrie story (just with the name of the telepath being changed from Carrie White to Tina Shepherd).

that's quite interesting...and disappointing.

 

[zeroapoc]

I just saw Evil Dead. I like that it was its own thing but paid tribute to some of the moments from the the trilogy, even having the Classic in a scene. For a horror remake, not bad, liked the gore.

I thought it was great. But I also Jane levy.

 

[Thundarr]

@Thundarr:

True. I suspected elements of it were cannabalized for other installments, but, again, since it was Etchison, I want to read the sequel that never was...

You could check to see if Etchison has his own website. He may have posted his original script on there. Or there could be an email address where you can ask him to send you a PDF.

I went on a similar quest to find contact info on comic/cartoon writer Buzz Dixon. I had heard that he had written a movie treatment for Thundarr The Barbarian way back when the show was still on the air, and I wanted to read it (still do), if only to compair it with my own script. I haven't been very successful, but you might have better luck.