Author Topic: Shocktober Group Marathon 2018  (Read 31128 times)

smirnoff

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 26251
    • smirnoff's Top 100
Re: Shocktober Group Marathon 2018
« Reply #140 on: October 24, 2018, 08:30:20 PM »
How scary was it for you from 0 to 10?

Bondo

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 23082
Re: Shocktober Group Marathon 2018
« Reply #141 on: October 24, 2018, 09:32:17 PM »
Like 2? I wasn’t invested in the reality of the world enough to fret about harms. Nor does it do cheap jump scares, which while cheap are scary in the reflexive way. This just had a couple gross sights.

1SO

  • FAB
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 36129
  • Marathon Man
Re: Shocktober Group Marathon 2018
« Reply #142 on: October 25, 2018, 12:12:55 AM »

Cult of Chucky (2017)
"Let me explain something to you. I am a vintage, mass marketed children's toy from the '80s,
standing right in front of you, holding a very sharp scalpel."


I have now completed Don Mancini's portion of the Child's Play saga (so far.) Seven films all written by him, the last three of which he directed. The series doesn't go out on a high note, with too many characters brought back, not to tie up loose ends but set up a larger universe. I didn't even realize this film was ending because everything was left unresolved. The hook this time is Chucky has decided to expand his empire by possessing a posse of dolls, as well as a few humans. Returning to the series are Andy from movies 1 and 3, Nica from the last film and Chucky's wife Tiffany Valentine, along with her real-life counterpart Jennifer Tilly. The main setting is a mental hospital, which is both tired and disrespectful. Also the gleeful murder spree is more violent than it needs to be.

Despite the unsatisfying entry, the Chucky films have been far more interesting to watch that slasher counterparts Jason and Michael Myers, about on par with Freddy. I've enjoyed watching Mancini gain confidence as a writer while locking in on the right balance of terror and comedy. The first movie is pretty good and the sequels Curse and Bride of Chucky are neck-in-neck for the best of the series.
Rating: ★ ★

- Gory

Knocked Out Loaded

  • Elite Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1914
  • I might remember it all differently tomorrow.
Re: Shocktober Group Marathon 2018
« Reply #143 on: October 25, 2018, 05:35:19 AM »
I know that this maybe is slightly off topic here and better suited for a thread in itself, but I also feel that the subject matter fits here just as good. If the thread creator, or a moderator, wants to remove this, feel free to do so.

Writer John Ajvide Lindqvist (author of Let The Right One In) recently was interviewed in the newspaper we subscribe to and the article was wrapped up with his Top 5 Horror Scenes:
  • They're coming to get you, Barbara!
    The appearance of the first zombie in Night Of The Living Dead was the starting signal for an invasion that has lasted for 40 years.
  • This isn't a man!
    Hardly any movie has had greater influence on the modern horror genre than Halloween.
  • What is your pleasure, Sir?
    Lemarchand's cube was introduced in Hellraiser.
  • Before you die, you see the ring.
    "The only time a jump scare literally has got me to bounce in the cinema seat. I also hold the reamake of The Ring superior to the original."
  • Look what she made me do!
    "The only movie that has made med scream out loud in a cinema."

Extraordinary (81-100˚) | Very good (61-80˚) | Good (41-60˚) | Fair (21-40˚) | Poor (0-20˚)

Sam the Cinema Snob

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 26795
Re: Shocktober Group Marathon 2018
« Reply #144 on: October 25, 2018, 11:48:48 AM »
Despite the unsatisfying entry, the Chucky films have been far more interesting to watch that slasher counterparts Jason and Michael Myers, about on par with Freddy. I've enjoyed watching Mancini gain confidence as a writer while locking in on the right balance of terror and comedy. The first movie is pretty good and the sequels Curse and Bride of Chucky are neck-in-neck for the best of the series.
I've wanted to get to the Chucky franchise but hearing it's on-par with the Nightmare series definitely bumps up my interest. For some reason I generally expected it to be beneath Friday the 13th series quality.

1SO

  • FAB
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 36129
  • Marathon Man
Re: Shocktober Group Marathon 2018
« Reply #145 on: October 25, 2018, 12:30:49 PM »
A Brief History of Chucky:

Child's Play (1988) (D: Tom Holland, W: Don Mancini, John Lafia, Tom Holland)
Humble Beginnings with mild thrills and mild laughs.
★ ★ ★ - Okay

Child's Play 2 (1990) (D: John Lafia, W: Don Mancini)
Strange the let the OTHER writer direct this by-the-numbers sequel. No scarier than a jack-in-the-box, and not that funny.
★  ★

Child's Play 3 (1991) (D: Jack Bender, W: Don Mancini)
Mancini's script is there, but hack director doesn't get the joke. Treats Chucky like any human-sized slasher.
★  ½

Bride of Chucky (1998) (D: Ronny Yu, W: Don Mancini)
After a long break, Don Mancini takes a Producer credit and puts Chucky on the right path. A perfectly cast Jennifer Tilly and fun kills by Ronny Yu (Freddy vs. Jason).
★ ★ ★ - Good

Seed of Chucky (2004) (D: Don Mancini, W: Don Mancini)
Mancini isn’t a strong director his first time out lacking the scares, surprise or tension needed for a horror film. The script here is his most comedic, too much so, with way too many meta jokes, most of which don’t land.
★  ★

Curse of Chucky (2013) (D: Don Mancini, W: Don Mancini)
While Seed is a bad film by itself, as part of the series it's cool to see Mancini learn from his mistakes. This Chucky is slightly less funny and a lot more scary. Folds some new characters neatly into Mancini's overall vision.
★ ★ ★ - Good

Cult of Chucky (2007) (D: Don Mancini, W: Don Mancini)
I've read some other opinions that were more favorable because it's clear that Mancini is doing whatever he wants. It's like how Mitch Hurwitz never tried to make Arrested Development more accessible. You were either on board or you're not. It's unusual to see a slasher that's not corporate product or a bunch of fan service.
★  ★


While that's not a majority of positive recommendations, there's a personal touch to the series that reminds me of what James Gunn was doing with Guardians of the Galaxy.

Antares

  • Godfather
  • *****
  • Posts: 5013
Re: Shocktober Group Marathon 2018
« Reply #146 on: October 25, 2018, 05:23:06 PM »
Eyes Without a Face (1960) 65/100 - Had the pacing not been so painfully slow, I probably would have rated this higher. Pierre Brasseur is just a bit too stiff in his portrayal, and it doesn't help the screenplay a bit. I think with a different actor, one less pondering in his performance, and this would be a great film. Another thing that was annoying was the music that played every time Alida Valli was hunting for subjects. It seems too much a coincidence, that it wasn't lifted as a motif, from The Third Man.


- Slightly Scary
« Last Edit: October 26, 2018, 10:59:16 AM by Antares »
Masterpiece (100-91) | Classic (90-80) | Entertaining (79-69) | Mediocre (68-58) | Cinemuck (57-21) | Crap (20-0)

Knocked Out Loaded

  • Elite Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1914
  • I might remember it all differently tomorrow.
Re: Shocktober Group Marathon 2018
« Reply #147 on: October 26, 2018, 04:04:19 AM »
The Forest (Jason Zada, 2016)

Sara's twin sister Jess is a teacher working in Japan. Jess goes missing and the leads are pointing in the direction of the Aokigahara forest on Mount Fuji, which is a very popular spot for suicide attempts. Sara immediately leaves for Japan and from there the logic leaves the movie just as fast. The story is thin, the acting dismal, the scares are cheap and the forest is very green.

10°

- Slightly Scary
Extraordinary (81-100˚) | Very good (61-80˚) | Good (41-60˚) | Fair (21-40˚) | Poor (0-20˚)

Antares

  • Godfather
  • *****
  • Posts: 5013
Re: Shocktober Group Marathon 2018
« Reply #148 on: October 26, 2018, 10:58:46 AM »
Pharaoh's Curse (1957) 45/100 - Found this on TCM on demand, and it was a complete waste of an hour of my life. Only really worth watching to look at Ziva Rodann, who was an amazingly beautiful woman. Incredibly slow, and not one scare that would even give you a shiver or shudder.


- Safe for Sandy
Masterpiece (100-91) | Classic (90-80) | Entertaining (79-69) | Mediocre (68-58) | Cinemuck (57-21) | Crap (20-0)

Antares

  • Godfather
  • *****
  • Posts: 5013
Re: Shocktober Group Marathon 2018
« Reply #149 on: October 26, 2018, 01:10:44 PM »
Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter (1974) 62/100 - More campy and comical than scary, you can feel Hammer is on the downside of their popularity and creativity. The lead, Horst Janson is painfully boring and has no screen presence to speak of. Maybe with someone who could actually act, or maybe wield a sword, this could have been much better. And although Caroline Munro is hypnotizing to look at, she has virtually no talent whatsoever. She's eye candy, pure and simple. It's the peripheral character actors that give this film any credibility at all.


- Slightly Scary
« Last Edit: October 26, 2018, 04:26:26 PM by Antares »
Masterpiece (100-91) | Classic (90-80) | Entertaining (79-69) | Mediocre (68-58) | Cinemuck (57-21) | Crap (20-0)

 

love