Horror Movies

[Sparhawk]

Evil Dead
AWiL
H2
Ft13-2

Evil Dead for the shock and awe value.
I didn't think AWiL was a great movie, but the SpEfx were incredible. The first change and Griffin Dunne's character wasting away was very effective.
H2 was a solid movie, but I remember AWiL having more of an impact on me just because of the effects.

All good choices.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

is this a remake? Wasn't there a horror movie previously called Wrong Turn? With like Eliza Dushku or something.

 

[returnofjakedog]

is this a remake? Wasn't there a horror movie previously called Wrong Turn? With like Eliza Dushku or something.

Apparently it is a reboot. Before this they actually made 6 Wrong Turn movies in the franchise. Unfortunately it is the standard series law of diminishing returns as the quality in general went downhill as the series progressed (several were just basic crap). Note that Stan Winston (fxs on Terminator, 3 Jurassic Parks, Predator, Aliens, etc.) produced the original.

The first movie was pretty decent. Some good kills, and the hillbilly killer brothers were good. However they decided to keep only the smallest of the mutant hillbilly brothers alive so we got 3-finger as the only killer to appear in all of the movies. But the info on this new addition lists the hillbilly killers as boar skull, deer skull, ram skull, and wolf skull.

Mike P. Nelson is directing. He did The Domestics, which I never saw (someone give us a heads up on it if they have).

A big part of the theme of the movies was that the brothers were mentally f'd up from the inbreeding, but they had very thick skulls and bone structure, and were very strong. They don't show any of the new ones in the preview and are indicating that there is a political message (all of the previous movies in the franchise were simplistic killer hillbilly family movies with basically no additional depth to the story). Also the preview has an extreme emphasis on traps, which were in all of the movies but the amount shown here seems to be moreso. This all has me a bit concerned.

It isn't a high quality classic franchise so even a just decent entry would put it near the top. So who knows?

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

is this a remake? Wasn't there a horror movie previously called Wrong Turn? With like Eliza Dushku or something.

They are rebooting it.

Wrong Turn Reboot Trailer Arrives, Hillbilly Killers Return to Theaters for 1-Night Only

Saban Films has released the first trailer for the Wrong Turn reboot which brings the terror back to the woods.

movieweb.com

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Apparently it is a reboot. Before this they actually made 6 Wrong Turn movies in the franchise. Unfortunately it is the standard series law of diminishing returns as the quality in general went downhill as the series progressed (several were just basic crap). Note that Stan Winston (fxs on Terminator, 3 Jurassic Parks, Predator, Aliens, etc.) produced the original.

The first movie was pretty decent. Some good kills, and the hillbilly killer brothers were good. However they decided to keep only the smallest of the mutant hillbilly brothers alive so we got 3-finger as the only killer to appear in all of the movies. But the info on this new addition lists the hillbilly killers as boar skull, deer skull, ram skull, and wolf skull.

Mike P. Nelson is directing. He did The Domestics, which I never saw (someone give us a heads up on it if they have).

A big part of the theme of the movies was that the brothers were mentally f'd up from the inbreeding, but they had very thick skulls and bone structure, and were very strong. They don't show any of the new ones in the preview and are indicating that there is a political message (all of the previous movies in the franchise were simplistic killer hillbilly family movies with basically no additional depth to the story). Also the preview has an extreme emphasis on traps, which were in all of the movies but the amount shown here seems to be moreso. This all has me a bit concerned.

It isn't a high quality classic franchise so even a just decent entry would put it near the top. So who knows?

My review for The Domestics: Horror Movies

 

[returnofjakedog]

My review for The Domestics: Horror Movies

Lol! Not only have I seen it but I apparently also reviewed it!

Gawd damn brain!

 

[returnofjakedog]

My review for The Domestics: Horror Movies

Well, both of us gave The Domestics high marks (imdb ratings are 5.7 so it is a lower overall) so it gives me a bit more hope for the Wrong Turn reboot.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Lol! Not only have I seen it but I apparently also reviewed it!

Gawd damn brain!

As you said... The bar is set very low for this movie to succeed. Honestly if I were trying to become a horror director, this would be a very easy catapult.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Well, both of us gave The Domestics high marks (imdb ratings are 5.7 so it is a lower overall) so it gives me a bit more hope for the Wrong Turn reboot.

It appealed to our inner lunatics.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

But the info on this new addition lists the hillbilly killers as boar skull, deer skull, ram skull, and wolf skull.

Is it bothering anyone else that it is utterly moronic to believe that anyone could see through a deer skull? I know this isn't the first time its been used, but c'mon! Deer have monocular vision... The eye sockets are towards the side of the head. Meaning whomever is wearing that damn thing would need to be lookin like a mutated version of Sloth from the Goonies with eyes on their temples just to see through the damn thing.

I mean just look at that movie poster again and imagine trying to see out those eye sockets lol.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

I will say, knowing that there are two more Halloweens coming in that timelines is bittersweet. I am happy that there will be more movies, but part of the suspense with each new Halloween movie is not knowing if THIS is the time they get him. Obviously we know for sure he won't die in the next movie as a 3rd is already known. Cliffhanger will be less cliffhanger-y? Or I wonder if they it will be like a 2 parter. Like Halloween Kills ends suddenly with no closure so there is an immediate place for Halloween Ends to pick up on.

I mean we all know he is unlikely to die in any of them, it's just one of those things... I think you guys get what I mean.

 

[returnofjakedog]

I've been rewatching some old "classics" in recent months. Most recently I watched The Stuff and Night of the Creeps. I might do a synopsis review later (no time at the moment) but just wondering if anyone has seen either of these cult favorites.

 

[Sparhawk]

I've been rewatching some old "classics" in recent months. Most recently I watched The Stuff and Night of the Creeps. I might do a synopsis review later (no time at the moment) but just wondering if anyone has seen either of these cult favorites.

The Stuff had potential, but lousy writing kind of doomed it.
I remember Garrett Morris in that.

NotC was an aliens/zombies movie. Linnea Quigley, maybe? I don't remember this one too much.

Probably won't be much longer before we get a 'Videodrome' style horror movie using social media to brainwash folks.
Although, give the election, this may have already happened........ I'll show myself out!!!!

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

The Stuff had potential, but lousy writing kind of doomed it.
I remember Garrett Morris in that.

NotC was an aliens/zombies movie. Linnea Quigley, maybe? I don't remember this one too much.

Probably won't be much longer before we get a 'Videodrome' style horror movie using social media to brainwash folks.
Although, give the election, this may have already happened........ I'll show myself out!!!!

I recently thought about someone remaking Brainscan from 94, anyone remember that movie? With Edward Furlong? I don't remember it being awful, but I was super young when I saw it.

 

[Sparhawk]

I recently thought about someone remaking Brainscan from 94, anyone remember that movie? With Edward Furlong? I don't remember it being awful, but I was super young when I saw it.

I knew he was in something before T2, but never saw that one.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

I will say, knowing that there are two more Halloweens coming in that timelines is bittersweet. I am happy that there will be more movies, but part of the suspense with each new Halloween movie is not knowing if THIS is the time they get him. Obviously we know for sure he won't die in the next movie as a 3rd is already known. Cliffhanger will be less cliffhanger-y? Or I wonder if they it will be like a 2 parter. Like Halloween Kills ends suddenly with no closure so there is an immediate place for Halloween Ends to pick up on.

I mean we all know he is unlikely to die in any of them, it's just one of those things... I think you guys get what I mean.

I feel ya! I was pretty disappointed when they announced both movies at once because of this. Basically taking away any element of surprise or curveballs sotospeak... Just gonna be pure Michael carnage! Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but from a writers standpoint that seems like it’s a handicapped script.

 

[returnofjakedog]

I watched Night of the Creeps (1986) the other day, which is a cult "classic" from producer Charles Gordon (Die Hard 1 and 2, Field of Dreams, Waterworld, etc. Sadly Charles passed away on Halloween of this year) and director Fred Dekker, who directed and wrote or co-wrote this, Monster Squad, Robocop 3 and episodes of Tales From the Crypt. Some other writing only credits include Demolition Man, The Predator, Lethal Weapon 4, House, and House 2: The 2nd Story. He often collaborates with Shane Black in his script writing.

Onto the movie!
Things open on an alien space ship where 2 of the aliens are chasing a 3rd alien down a corridor. The alien being chased sends a container out into space just before he gets blasted by the other two. We see the container plumet towards Earth.
Quite frankly, the practical fxs can be quite good in this movie but some are obviously restrained by the budget. The aliens here are one of the weaker parts as they look like a cross between a pissed off baby and ET. But whatever.

A black and white scene commences where a 1950s guy goes to make out point with his girlfriend. He goes to investigate a metorite they see crash in the distance, leaving his gf alone in the car listening to a radio broadcast about an escaped mental patient murdering people. Boyfriend had a slug jump out of the space debris and into his mouth, while gf gets offscreen killed by axe-wielding maniac.

Cut to 1986: Chris (who most people know as the actor who played the bug-eyed redhead son Rusty in National Lampoon's Vacation) and his paraplegic buddy J.C. are a couple of high school geeks who are starting college. Chris immediately falls in love at first sight with Cynthia, despite her already having a stereotypical douchy fratboy bf. This makes the two geeks rush a frat to get her attention(?). They are pledge tasked with stealing a dead body but instead end up defrosting the 1950's alien infected bf who for some reason was being kept in the university lab for the last 27 years I guess?? The "zombie" then kills a lab worker and escapes.
Horror icon Tom Atkins (Halloween 3, Creepshow, The Fog, Maniac Cop, etc) pops in as a police detective tasked to investigate the break in and murder. He has a history with the situation as his ex-gf was the 50's chick killed by the ace murderer.
From there Chris, J.C., and the Detective spend the movie fighting the spreading alien slug infection, which gets a bit out of hand. This climaxes in a bunch of zombified fratboys attacking the sorority they were having a mixer with. Lots of gore and alien slug attacks ensue leading up to a climactic battle to contain the situation.

This movie was a bit of a surprise in the sense that it got decent to good reviews from the critics but it bombed at the box office and disappeared, only to very slowly pick up momentum as a cult favorite over the years.

The good:
*Tom Atkins is a scene chewing beast (as always) as the police detective. His highlights include general short-tempered badassery, being crispy-fried, and saying "Thrill me!" over and over. It is one of his best roles and the movie could be recommended on his b-movie performance alone.
*The practical fxs, which can look cheap at times and are sometimes covered by quick cuts, are cool and fun! The many exploding/collapsing heads and bodies are pretty awesome.
*The homages to the horror genre are many. Not only are shots and troupes used quite a bit, but the characters names are from noted horror directors:
-Chris Romero, J.C. is James Carpenter Hooper (a double reference!), Cynthia Cronenberg, Tom Atkins is Detective Cameron. Other police officers include Det. Landis, Sgt. Rami, and Officers Craven and Bavi.
*The douchy frat zombies are pretty funny. Oblivious Cynthia breaking up with her zombified bf is a good laugh.
*I personally really liked the ending. Fairly dark for what is essentially a zomcom.

The bad:
*The acting, other than Tom Atkins, is generally average to "meh". Rusty isn't a strong protagonist imo.
*The storyline is a bit convoluted. For example: The escaped psycho ax-murderer from the beginning never enters into the story again. I guess it was just a reference to the old urban legends of teenagers getting killed at make out point but it would have been better served to leave it out and follow the alien slug infected bf until his capture would have worked better.
*Budget limitations.

Also for note is the the aforementioned protagonist Chris/Rusty from N.L.'s Vacation is played by Jason Lively, big brother to the much more famous and better looking Blake Lively!

All in all, a worthwhile watch for fans of 50's or 80's b-movie horror. I'll go 6.5 to 7 out of 10 range.

 

[Sparhawk]

Just watched Better Watch Out on Amazon Prime.
Lots of good twists to the ol' babysitter/home invasion motif.
Some good horror elements.

Some groan moments, but the clever writing made this enjoyable.
Worth a watch.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

Tried being festive and watched Black Christmas this weekend, holy hell what a disaster. I knew it would be bad going in but it wasn't fun bad.

They tried way to hard to give the movie meaning or to create motives/backstory. It barely made sense and didn't contribute much. They honestly should have just dumbed it down and made it a mindless slasher film. That alone probably bumps the movie from a 3 to a 5.

Also, I'm not a huge gore guy but half the deaths occur off screen and usually just involved a caped character grabbing someone before the screen cut.