Horror Movies

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Assuming these are Jason, Myers, Freddy, and Leatherface... all being slashers, this makes sense. BUT what are your horror movie mount rushmore characters?

Trying to take from different categories, I would go...

Myers - slasher
Regan - supernatural/paranormal
Alien - monster
Jack Torrance - Psychological

Controversial opinion incoming... But if we're talkin slashers, then gimme Ghostface over Leatherface. The Sawyer/Hewitt family killed more people than he did in those movies... Just sayin!

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

Horror Movies

sportshoop.la

Cool.

I still have not seen the Evil Dead remake, problem is that no one is streaming it right now. Don't Breathe was pretty decent from what I remember though.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

Controversial opinion incoming... But if we're talkin slashers, then gimme Ghostface over Leatherface. Thomas Hewitt's family killed more people than he did in his movies... Just sayin!

Number of victims does matter, but would you say that Ghostface is a bigger icon than Leatherface overall?

Fun fact: I am a horrible parent lol. I was scrolling through facebook and found a picture that had most all the icons on there side by side... and both, my 8yo and my 5yo can name all of them. Lol.

I have never let them watch the movies yet though, only trailers.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Cool.

I still have not seen the Evil Dead remake, problem is that no one is streaming it right now. Don't Breathe was pretty decent from what I remember though.

If you need streaming website recommendations then send me a PM... That is, if you're ok with the pirating world.

edit: DId you happen to check out the silhouette in the new movie poster chin?

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Number of victims does matter, but would you say that Ghostface is a bigger icon than Leatherface overall?

Fun fact: I am a horrible parent lol. I was scrolling through facebook and found a picture that had most all the icons on there side by side... and both, my 8yo and my 5yo can name all of them. Lol.

I have never let them watch the movies yet though, only trailers.

Very debatable honestly. I think Leatherface typically wins that debate because he was a trailblazer.. Sellin TCM as non-fiction was a big draw back then and nobody had the means to investigate the truths so audiences were FAR more gullible.

My eldest kid can't even watch Goosebumps without getting upset about the Slappy ventriloquist doll. So I've got a ways to go before he's conditioned enough to take on the likes of Chucky lol. Some day though... some day

 

[returnofjakedog]

Underwater (2020)


Been a minute since we've explored the underwater neo-creature genre. Older classics like The Abyss (1989), DeepStar Six (1989), Leviathan (1989), The Rift (1990), Deep Rising (1998) or The Cave (2005) come to mind. Unless you want to open the discussion up to sharks, crocs, etc. Underwater wasn't a bad watch, but it was a rather pedestrian effort.

The horror/thriller elements in this movie were rather weak. It's filled with plenty of well-executed jumpscares to make it a decent enough watch, but it lacks suspense. And some of the effects were rough, especially for cgi. The sequencing is fast-paced and littered with fast-cut scenes, which prevents us from appreciating much more than merely the action. I think a lot of suspense and drama was removed due to that.

Unfortunately they used very little effort to flesh out the characters other than driving the plot using their job skills, and the creatures weren't a strong enough antagonist to distract us from that, so in the end these characters end up seeming like cattle. The writers give brief tragic backstories (dialogue driven) in an attempt to make you care about these characters but it just fails to sustain itself for any length of time.The actors weren't too bad though, even though the script was weak. There were many times where some of the dialogue was lost due to other sounds of the film, but luckily this wasn't an issue that detracted any plot points. TJ Miller provided some decent off-the-cuff humor but it was short-lived.

Overall it was an ok watch with decent production values, but the story itself was lackluster and none of the action produced anything memorable. The setup & aftermath were displayed as news reports in newspapers. So it takes somewhat of a leap of faith to connect some dots. Thankfully it wasn't necessary since the movie didn't really implore you to connect anything meaningful.

Action thriller that lacks suspense & story... 5/10

Good write-up. Some solid points.

*I thought that the creatures themselves were kinda cool, but that the cgi had some "rough patches" (as it typically still does. Maybe in another 10-15 years they will perfect it?). Overall I thought they were decent but couldn't help but think that blending in some practical stuff would have really improved them.

It isn't the cgi or the fast-cuts alone that is an issue with modern day horror, but the combination of both being overused. It is a Catch-22 situation where they go full cgi for budget reasons, realize it isn't quite "realistic" enough, then try to cover it by making fast-cuts (which are often also just jump scares) to cover it up, which almost always makes things a mess.

The audience wants to see the monsters. Many movies make you wait, and IF done right it can build suspense (a big IF).

An example of how to shoot a creature scene: The xenomorph in Alien (yeah, I'm back on Alien. Surprised?) was so great because they had such a great design down to small details, and were able to hold close up shots for several seconds on it. Combined with the sets (all the water!) and the lighting, this is incredibly effective.


To emphasis the point, also in Alien they have Dallas crawling through the vents scene where he stumbles into the waiting open arms of the xenomorph:


Now this scene is still incredibly effective as they take their time building up the situation, we are at least somewhat invested in the Dallas character, and we empathize with the remaining crew members. But this scene is also criticized, maybe the most criticized of the movie, for that fast-cut jump scare, and the xenomorph not looking as good as in the rest of the movie.
It is highly forgivable for me as I think that Scott had backed himself into a corner as they could execute the lighting as he does in other scenes (dark tunnel with no light sources possible behind the creature, extremely confined space, black creature with black wall behind it etc). However this probably the only time in the movie that Scott does this. Underwater (and too many other modern movies) lived and died with the cgi/fast-cut combos. These need to be moderated or they lose their impact.

Another prime example is werewolves. Werewolves are hard monsters to make work effectively on-screen (depending on the type of werewolf) so modern movies often turn to cgi, which isn't perfected so it doesn't always look great, so they cover that with the fast-cuts.

People want to see the horror at some point. There are exceptions to this and building tension by making you wait a bit is commendable. But particularly in monster movies, we want to the the slimey, hairy beast mangle people and rip off some limbs, and we want to see it. Underwater just didn't show us enough of that.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Good write-up. Some solid points.

*I thought that the creatures themselves were kinda cool, but that the cgi had some "rough patches" (as it typically still does. Maybe in another 10-15 years they will perfect it?). Overall I thought they were decent but couldn't help but think that blending in some practical stuff would have really improved them.

It isn't the cgi or the fast-cuts alone that is an issue with modern day horror, but the combination of both being overused. It is a Catch-22 situation where they go full cgi for budget reasons, realize it isn't quite "realistic" enough, then try to cover it by making fast-cuts (which are often also just jump scares) to cover it up, which almost always makes things a mess.

The audience wants to see the monsters. Many movies make you wait, and IF done right it can build suspense (a big IF).

An example of how to shoot a creature scene: The xenomorph in Alien (yeah, I'm back on Alien. Surprised?) was so great because they had such a great design down to small details, and were able to hold close up shots for several seconds on it. Combined with the sets (all the water!) and the lighting, this is incredibly effective.


To emphasis the point, also in Alien they have Dallas crawling through the vents scene where he stumbles into the waiting open arms of the xenomorph:


Now this scene is still incredibly effective as they take their time building up the situation, we are at least somewhat invested in the Dallas character, and we empathize with the remaining crew members. But this scene is also criticized, maybe the most criticized of the movie, for that fast-cut jump scare, and the xenomorph not looking as good as in the rest of the movie.
It is highly forgivable for me as I think that Scott had backed himself into a corner as they could execute the lighting as he does in other scenes (dark tunnel with no light sources possible behind the creature, extremely confined space, black creature with black wall behind it etc). However this probably the only time in the movie that Scott does this. Underwater (and too many other modern movies) lived and died with the cgi/fast-cut combos. These need to be moderated or they lose their impact.

Another prime example is werewolves. Werewolves are hard monsters to make work effectively on-screen (depending on the type of werewolf) so modern movies often turn to cgi, which isn't perfected so it doesn't always look great, so they cover that with the fast-cuts.

People want to see the horror at some point. There are exceptions to this and building tension by making you wait a bit is commendable. But particularly in monster movies, we want to the the slimey, hairy beast mangle people and rip off some limbs, and we want to see it. Underwater just didn't show us enough of that.

Well said. I agree with everything.

Practical fx is way better. Even though the writing kind of went down the drain 1 too many times I was always blown away by the fx team that did The Walking Dead series. I know it’s absurdly costly to do that stuff and it presents lots of difficult filming hurdles but the end result is so much better. I could watch a movie like Bite over Underwater any day of the week.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

Very debatable honestly. I think Leatherface typically wins that debate because he was a trailblazer.. Sellin TCM as non-fiction was a big draw back then and nobody had the means to investigate the truths so audiences were FAR more gullible.

My eldest kid can't even watch Goosebumps without getting upset about the Slappy ventriloquist doll. So I've got a ways to go before he's conditioned enough to take on the likes of Chucky lol. Some day though... some day

When I was young, Slappy freaked me out too lol, but nothing freaked me out more than Pennywise from the 90's IT.

Funny enough, apparently my kids have seen Childs Play (2019) when visiting with their Grandpa lol. He doesn't care, of course he let me watch NoES, Ft13th, Halloween, etc... as a kid so I probably should have known better. Just wasn't aware that he redboxed it at the time.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

If you need streaming website recommendations then send me a PM... That is, if you're ok with the pirating world.

edit: DId you happen to check out the silhouette in the new movie poster chin?

Nice subtle homage to the original. Is this a remake or a reboot?

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Nice subtle homage to the original. Is this a remake or a reboot?

I haven’t looked into it yet.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

Best horror movie of each year since 2000... you agree, which one's do you disagree with?

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

Forgot to post this from a few days ago.

Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight.

It is a Polish film on Netflix with english dubbing... I probably should have turned it off because the dubbing is awful. The story as a premise is meh, the story as it unfolds in dumb. It is chalk full of tropes and cliches and I really don't feel like talking about it any more lol. It is not good.

3.5 out of 10 for some semi-decent cinematography in certain points and for some nice Polish boobs.

 

[UVA_Guy81]

Number of victims does matter, but would you say that Ghostface is a bigger icon than Leatherface overall?

Fun fact: I am a horrible parent lol. I was scrolling through facebook and found a picture that had most all the icons on there side by side... and both, my 8yo and my 5yo can name all of them. Lol.

I have never let them watch the movies yet though, only trailers.

Me personally, I'd say Leatherface is a bigger icon than Ghostface. I feel like Ghostface probably was more iconic for anyone that's a teen to maybe someone in their 40's while Leatherface spans a much bigger range of people aware of him.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

Very debatable honestly. I think Leatherface typically wins that debate because he was a trailblazer.. Sellin TCM as non-fiction was a big draw back then and nobody had the means to investigate the truths so audiences were FAR more gullible.

My eldest kid can't even watch Goosebumps without getting upset about the Slappy ventriloquist doll. So I've got a ways to go before he's conditioned enough to take on the likes of Chucky lol. Some day though... some day

Me personally, I'd say Leatherface is a bigger icon than Ghostface. I feel like Ghostface probably was more iconic for anyone that's a teen to maybe someone in their 40's while Leatherface spans a much bigger range of people aware of him.

To me personally, Ghostface is more iconic. But as I posted a few weeks ago, I just watched the original TCM for the first time recently and I had a lot of problems with it. I can understand it being a classic and iconic in the genre though. I knew about Leatherface since I can remember even though I only saw the film recently (of course I did watch the McConaughey one as a kid)

So personally, I agree with Face, but I know a lot of enthusiasts would pick Leatherface strictly based on his cemented status in horror history.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

Little rant here... I just rewatched Split and...

1. For the life of me, how was McAvoy not even nominated? What a travesty the Oscars are. He was excellent.

2. I have only seen Glass once and I remember not liking it as much, but it has been pointed out to me that it is much better on a rewatch, so I will have to do that soon.

3. The ending of Split, tying it all together still put a smile on my face even though I knew about it.

4. Since Glass wasn't as well received, I wonder if that will put a damper on Shyamalan's ability or willingness to expand on it, I haven't looked into any of that. I am on record since the first Avengers (2012 I think) with friends anyway that I thought someone needed to make their own superhero universe. Something original, something unique that no one had expectations of or knew about, things that didn't come with hardcore nerds discussing what is canon and not - no offense if you are one of those and yes that extends to the Star Wars and Star Trek people too.... something refreshing. This could be it. I just hope he takes the time to write it out and develop it. It would be such a shame for this potential universe to end with Glass, especially given how Glass ended. Also, it could be set up with ATJs character having abilities too.

5. @FaCe-LeE-uS and Split just barely broke the top 10 for you? Are you trying to fight me bruh? Lol.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Best horror movie of each year since 2000... you agree, which one's do you disagree with?

Solid list. I'm 50-50 on it.

2000. American Psycho
2001. The Others
2002. The Ring
2003. 28 Days Later
2004. Shaun of the Dead
2005. The Descent
2006. The Host
2007. REC
2008. The Strangers
2009. Drag Me to Hell
2010. Insidious
2011. You're Next
2012. The Cabin In the Woods
2013. The Conjuring
2014. The Babadook
2015. The Witch
2016. Raw
2017. Get Out
2018. Hereditary
2019. Us
2020. The Invisible Man

Agreed on: 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2018,

Disagree on : 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020

My picks:
2001. Jeepers Creepers... Outlandish but brilliant creature feature. Acting was ok, but I could watch this movie any day of the week.
2006. Silent Hill... Way ahead of its time honestly. The Host was a great movie, but not my favorite.
2007. 1408... Tough year. I would also choose 30 Days of Night or The Mist over REC. But REC was fantastic.
2008. Let the Right One In... Way better story & horror effect. The Strangers was a solid movie though.
2009. Pandorum... Easy choice for me.
2013. Mama... Not as good of a cast, but I liked the story & cinematography better. The cgi isn't as good, but better story.
2014. It Follows... So simple yet so fantastically effective. Id also take The Guest over Babadook.
2015. Clown... Eli Roth's best work. I love this movie. The Witch is the best folk horror that I've probably ever seen though.
2016. The Autopsy of Jane Doe... Criminally underrated film. I haven't seen Raw yet but it looks great. The Conjuring 2, Split, Don't Breath, or Friend Request are also strong contenders here.
2019. Ready Or Not... I adore everything about this film.
2020. #Alive... Best Z flick I've seen in quite some time. Death of Me & The Hunt were solid contenders. I had too many issues with The Invisible Man.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Little rant here... I just rewatched Split and...

1. For the life of me, how was McAvoy not even nominated? What a travesty the Oscars are. He was excellent.

2. I have only seen Glass once and I remember not liking it as much, but it has been pointed out to me that it is much better on a rewatch, so I will have to do that soon.

3. The ending of Split, tying it all together still put a smile on my face even though I knew about it.

4. Since Glass wasn't as well received, I wonder if that will put a damper on Shyamalan's ability or willingness to expand on it, I haven't looked into any of that. I am on record since the first Avengers (2012 I think) with friends anyway that I thought someone needed to make their own superhero universe. Something original, something unique that no one had expectations of or knew about, things that didn't come with hardcore nerds discussing what is canon and not - no offense if you are one of those and yes that extends to the Star Wars and Star Trek people too.... something refreshing. This could be it. I just hope he takes the time to write it out and develop it. It would be such a shame for this potential universe to end with Glass, especially given how Glass ended. Also, it could be set up with ATJs character having abilities too.

5. @FaCe-LeE-uS and Split just barely broke the top 10 for you? Are you trying to fight me bruh? Lol.

Fantastic movie... And I could watch it 1000x over. But if we're bein honest it was carried by McAvoy's performance. That isn't a detriment to the final product by any means, but if I'm stackin it up to other movies of that decade... Yea it barely makes the list. Strong decade of movies.

Wasn't even the best movie of that year. Maybe not even top 2. The Autopsy of Jane Doe & The Conjuring 2 were better. Fight me.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

To me personally, Ghostface is more iconic. But as I posted a few weeks ago, I just watched the original TCM for the first time recently and I had a lot of problems with it. I can understand it being a classic and iconic in the genre though. I knew about Leatherface since I can remember even though I only saw the film recently (of course I did watch the McConaughey one as a kid)

So personally, I agree with Face, but I know a lot of enthusiasts would pick Leatherface strictly based on his cemented status in horror history.

I was askin myself this yesterday... If you were to encounter one of these dudes alone in their movie setting, which one would scare you the most?

Leatherface hands down. If I had the choice between being chased by a chainsaw, dismembered & having my face worn as a novelty mask OR merely being stalked & stabbed to death... Yea I think I'd rather be stabbed to death.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Forgot to post this from a few days ago.

Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight.

It is a Polish film on Netflix with english dubbing... I probably should have turned it off because the dubbing is awful. The story as a premise is meh, the story as it unfolds in dumb. It is chalk full of tropes and cliches and I really don't feel like talking about it any more lol. It is not good.

3.5 out of 10 for some semi-decent cinematography in certain points and for some nice Polish boobs.

Wrote this some time ago:

Nobody Sleeps In the Woods Tonight (2020)... English-dubbed slasher film. Pretty typical slasher makeup with Wrong Turn vibes. Lots of character stupidity & idiotic moments but a fairly easy throwaway watch for mindless entertainment. They had a decent character arc for the protagonist, but it was underdeveloped & the rest of the mindless plot just overwhelms that dramatic aspect. The entire cast is written in as a shitshow so don't expect much. And yes, there is a sex scene with frontal nudity for those that want that added motivation to watch it lol.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

Fantastic movie... And I could watch it 1000x over. But if we're bein honest it was carried by McAvoy's performance. That isn't a detriment to the final product by any means, but if I'm stackin it up to other movies of that decade...

Well I didn't think any of the actors were bad, it's just one of those movies that if the lead does it right, they will outshine everyone in the movie 1000 fold annnnd McAvoy did it right lol.

Yea it barely makes the list. Strong decade of movies.

Wasn't even the best movie of that year. Maybe not even top 2. The Autopsy of Jane Doe & The Conjuring 2 were better. Fight me.

I do not see the greatness in The Autopsy of Jane Doe, I thought it was ok, but no more than average. And it is hard for me to argue with The Conjuring 2 as I love that movie... with that said, McAvoy should have still received a nomination at minimum for Best Actor, they could've kicked Garfield's ass off the nomination list.