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Author Topic: Shocktober Group Marathon 2017  (Read 42425 times)

Bondo

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Re: Shocktober Group Marathon 2017
« Reply #130 on: October 12, 2017, 10:25:56 PM »
XX (2016)

The first two of four parts in this collection are definitely more on the side of conceptual horror rather than visceral. To some degree it had me thirsting for something a bit more overtly spooky/gory, but then it turned out the second half delivered that and I was missing the first two. It may or may not be relevant that this anthology specifically assembles female writers and directors, and three of four put a mother character in the center of the story. It isn't heavy in metaphor, being less about ideas than trying to isolate a certain emotion to capture strongly in the limited time for each story. The last one felt like it might be headed for something about white/male privilege but it lifted its foot off that particular pedal. Ultimately nothing quite standout quality but also avoids the sheer lows in some other horror anthologies.

C+

Junior

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Re: Shocktober Group Marathon 2017
« Reply #131 on: October 13, 2017, 11:41:09 AM »
Scary Godmother Halloween Spooktacular

In 2004, somebody threw enough money together to make an hour-long tv movie based on what I understand is a kid-lit book series called Scary Godmother. They didn't have a whole ton of money so the CGI looks pretty terrible and the animation has a rigidity that is aesthetically off-putting to say the least. But the story is pretty good (a young cousin who is the subject of her older cousin and his friends' bad Halloween prank is taken to a Halloween party by her witchy Scary Godmother and learns that monsters are just pretty cool people that might look a little scary but are gentle at heart) and there's some clever stuff both visually and in the dialogue that keeps this from being only worth a watch if you're nostalgic about it.

Most of the fun comes from the twists put on the standard monsters at the party. The Werewolf is a celebrity-obsessed old man, the adult vampires are old-school royalty while their son is just a pretty normal kid except he says "I'd live" instead of "I'd die" when protesting something he doesn't want to do. The only thing that kinda felt off to me was the "skeleton in the closet" who is played with an Ed-Wynn-esque gay voice that just hits the wrong tone (with a few adult oriented jokes that also miss the mark). The kids who were pranking the young cousin spend much of the movie arguing with each other outside and though their segments aren't as fun or inventive as the party stuff, the dialogue is a cut above what you'd expect from something like this. If you can stand their weird dead eyes (the eyes in this thing are almost entirely inconsistent, so strange), they're pretty fun to watch. The end, where the party guests scare the mean older kids, is a fun payoff from what the rest of the film sets up.

B- (fun, but nothing you absolutely need to seek out)
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1SO

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Re: Shocktober Group Marathon 2017
« Reply #132 on: October 13, 2017, 11:55:41 AM »

Supernatural (1933)

Frequently recommended to me because it stars Carole Lombard and Randolph Scott and is from the director of White Zombie. Disappointment comes from illogical plot where female death row maniac who laughed maniacally all through her trail after confessing to murdering her three lovers is actually framed by someone else, though we constantly are shown how strong her hands are. Anyway, she ends up possessing Lombard who is about to become the killer's next victim, or she may enact revenge from beyond the grave. 65 minutes spent on what felt like leftover pieces of other screenplays. Doesn't even have any good spooky atmosphere. Lombard's pretty good.
Rating: * *

- Safe for Sandy

DarkeningHumour

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Re: Shocktober Group Marathon 2017
« Reply #133 on: October 13, 2017, 12:03:57 PM »
I'm curious, how many people do you know who are knowledgeable enough about 30s horror to recommend things like this?
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1SO

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Re: Shocktober Group Marathon 2017
« Reply #134 on: October 13, 2017, 12:15:10 PM »
I'm curious, how many people do you know who are knowledgeable enough about 30s horror to recommend things like this?
Personally, that number keeps dwindling, but there are a number of websites where people still look for and watch these older movies.

oldkid

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Re: Shocktober Group Marathon 2017
« Reply #135 on: October 13, 2017, 06:00:02 PM »
Actually, 30s and 40s horror might be a good marathon for me next Shocktober.  Sounds like fun.  One of my favorite horrors of all time is from 1926, A Page of Madness.
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1SO

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Re: Shocktober Group Marathon 2017
« Reply #136 on: October 13, 2017, 09:25:31 PM »

Julie (1956)

The lowest budget ever put behind a Doris Day film, and it's shocking how cheap the film looks. It opens with her husband attempting to kill them both because he's insanely jealous. She quickly, easily forgives him and I was already checked out because I don't believe she would stay. Then she learns he's a murderer and now she tries to escape. The bulk of the film has her on the run with the jealous husband right behind. He's played by Louis Jourdan acting mostly bored, so there's no tension in him coming after her. (The only thing duller than Jourdan is the title.)

The final third sets up a very interesting situation, something that would've made for a great episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Day is a stewardess working on a flight and her husband manages to sneak on board. The film still doesn't make the most of this situation, but I could imagine some great suspense with the stewardess and pilots trying to figure out how to deal with this human bomb on the plane.
Rating: * *

- Safe for Sandy

1SO

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Re: Shocktober Group Marathon 2017
« Reply #137 on: October 14, 2017, 12:11:54 AM »

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)

Had I known this was André Øvredal's follow-up to Trollhunter I would've gotten to it sooner. Has some of the same closed room mystery as Pontypool with the always excellent Brian Cox and the uneven Emile Hirsch working methodically on a corpse that's bursting with clues. (I would love to watch the documentary on the steps that lead to Olwen Catherine Kelly taking the part of Jane, which requires her to lay completely naked on a table while her expression becomes increasingly sinister, like a horror film Weekend at Bernies.) It has a few jump scares, but it also has some real scares and the mystery is constantly intriguing even though the story comes a little unglued towards the end. Also with Ophelia Lovibond, who played The Collector's companion in Guardians of the Galaxy.
Rating: * * * - Good

- Scary




Buried (2010)

That Ryan Reynolds, he's a really good actor. I'm not talking academy awards, but he puts on an excellent one man show. Director Rodrigo Cortés keeps it visually interesting while only occasionally indulging in trick wide shots. Most of the time, it's quite claustrophobic. It reminded me of Locke (and to a lesser extent All is Lost). Tom Hardy is the better actor, but I think this maybe the better film. ...it's close.
Rating: * * * - Good

- Slightly Scary
« Last Edit: October 22, 2017, 12:59:21 AM by 1SO »

Sandy

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Re: Shocktober Group Marathon 2017
« Reply #138 on: October 14, 2017, 11:08:39 PM »
Julie (1956)
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Rating: * *

- Safe for Sandy

How come I get all the lame movies! :D

1SO

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Re: Shocktober Group Marathon 2017
« Reply #139 on: October 15, 2017, 12:01:50 AM »
It's just a trend right now. Besides The Man They Could Not Hang, here are some Safe for Sandy movies from my Hidden Horrors:
The American Scream
Nightmare
Quatermass and the Pit
Dying Room Only
Seance on a Wet Afternoon
Coherence
The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll
« Last Edit: October 15, 2017, 12:04:05 AM by 1SO »

 

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