[EphelDuath666]

though I do prefer the birthing and finale of the orginial version.

and I'm totally with you on that

[JuZ]

I am probably in the minority from most people I talk to as I actually liked the first installment more.

absolutely not. Alien is unquestionably better than Aliens

Without a shadow of a doubt.

Interesting. Most of my friends must be idiots then.

I was feeling a bit nostalgig, so I decided to give Evil Dead a spin once again. Even though it's totally crappy from acting to effects, it's still weirdly entertaining.

[Octillus]

I was feeling a bit nostalgig, so I decided to give Evil Dead a spin once again. Even though it's totally crappy from acting to effects, it's still weirdly entertaining.

Because it's one of the best

Interesting. Most of my friends must be idiots then.

Actually, the question of "Alien or Aliens" is one of the most divisive in terms of which is better. Some of my friends say the first, whereas others say the second. Personally, while I do prefer Aliens, I recognize it would not be what it is without Alien, which is in my opinion one the greatest films ever made.

I was feeling a bit nostalgig, so I decided to give Evil Dead a spin once again. Even though it's totally crappy from acting to effects, it's still weirdly entertaining.

Because it's one of the best

Word!

[JuZ]

Interesting. Most of my friends must be idiots then.

Actually, the question of "Alien or Aliens" is one of the most divisive in terms of which is better. Some of my friends say the first, whereas others say the second. Personally, while I do prefer Aliens, I recognize it would not be what it is without Alien, which is in my opinion one the greatest films ever made.

My two cents - I love so much of Aliens. But it is what it is - James Cameron's Hollywood take on Alien. Still, probably my favourite Cameron movie. The panicked bursts of gunfire, the screeching cries of Alien drones being ripped apart, Bill Paxton desperately losing his shit, the hiss of the pilot light on Ripley's flamethrower, the foreboding bleep of the motion sensors. It's all tattooed on my brain.

But Alien is just such a bloody classic, it can't be topped. Genius.

[EphelDuath666]

gonna add some place holders here and just mention the movies I watched and then add my thoughts later, just so I don't lose track. Got a cold right now and can't concentrate too well

edit: OK I'm gonna give it a try...

The Bride of Frankenstein
Way more weird and crazy than the original Frankstein movie but just as much fun. This one actually seemed to be intentionally funny. Karloff again did a very good job playing Frankenstein's monster, managing again to sometimes make you laugh at the monster's awkwardness and at the same time making you care for its fate. The monster's bride just doesn't really have a lot of screen time unfortunately.

The Omen
An absolute classic and although it might not be as terrific as The Exorcist, The Omen does not need special effects to create an atmosphere and scares that are similar to The Exorcist's, which is quite an accomplishment. Part of that is certainly due to the great performances of the cast, including Harvey Stephens playing one hell of a creepy kid. Damien doesn't need to puke green goober etc. , I just look at him and think "jeez, that kid gives me the creeps!". So like Sean already said, this one does deserve its classic status!

Hellraiser: Inferno
Although I've said often enough that there's not been a great Hellraiser sequel after Hellraiser 2 I'd still say there's at least been one decent sequel if you take it for what it is. Yes, Hellraiser Inferno may not be a classic Hellraiser movie, in fact it feels much more like a Silent Hill movie. But if you consider its budget and the fact that the makers of this movie at least tried to do something different to keep things fresh then this movie does work. It's not perfect by any means and there's a couple of odd moments that I could have lived without (the whole cowboy poker club scene, for example) but I really like the fact that this movie looks at the whole Hellraiser story from a different perspective.

Dog Soldiers
There's not a whole lot to be said about this one. The story is rather simple. A group of soldiers is on a training mission in the woods and encounters a bunch of werewolves and then tries to survive. Yeah, it's pretty basic stuff but it's also kinda fun. The special effects are mostly hand made which is always a big plus and they are actually quite nicely done. And there's plenty of blood and guts, that's for sure!

Lord of Illusions
This is the third full length movie which Clive Barker directed and at the same time also his last. If you've seen Hellraiser and Nightbreed then you know what you're in for. Plenty of weird shit, lots of blood and disgusting make-up effects. Daniel von Bargen (who recently shot himself in the head) does a terrific job playing this completely insane cult leader with magical powers and his make-up in end....gives me the creeps. If there's one thing Clive Barker is perfect in moviewise then it's creating seriously fucked up visuals. Scott Bakula does a decent job playing a cop who is drawn to the occult trying to uncover the mysteries behind a secret cult which wants to destroy the world. So yeah, if you enjoy Barker's work then you'll enjoy this one too.

also, if you love Clive Barker you should try to find his short film 'The Forbidden'. You'll see Barker dancing around naked like a bunny on speed while he has a massive boner...and that scenes is about 5 to 10 minutes long. Believe me, you'll never get that image out of your head again ever.

Sleepy Hollow
This is one of my most favorite Tim Burton movies. Actually it might just be my favorite Tim Burton movie. I just love this one from start to finish. The movie sets are just absolutely beautiful to look at, I love the costume design, the wonderfully grotesque characters, the dark but fun story and just the overall look of the movie. You can think of Johnny Depp whatever you want, love him or hate him, but he does a great job playing really awkward characters and Ichabod Crane is no exception. The only downside was that the DVD I own really looks crappy. I'm gonna have to give this one the BD uprade that it deserves

Lockout Kind of Escape From New York rip off, one man sent to rescue presidential hostage from maximum security prison. Except in space. And this one sure doesn't have what it takes to be cult classic either... If there is one good thing to say about this, it's probably the fact that I have seen worse films than this

Just got finished watching "Chronicle". Definitely one of the very best super-hero films I've ever seen and without a doubt the best "found footage" film I've viewed. A loner, a wannabe philosopher and the high school darling find an object that seemingly grants them fantastic powers. Then of course the whole "with great power" deal kicks in and by Christ does it ever, Uncle Ben would certainly not approve. Excellent psychology at work in the story telling and the mechanics of how the movie is actually filmed is a joy to behold.
Might be my movie of the year.

It is a little dark though, so I reckon I have to watch "Kung-Fu Hustle" now in order to balance the equation.

Since it's been a while from last viewing, I Am Legend was movie of choice for the evening. And this was version with alternate "happy" ending. They actually are doing research now to cure cancer with viruses, so how knows... This movie may be more realistic than they bargained for. Also, original story is recommended reading, differs from movie quite a bit (don't they always...).

[JuZ]

Since it's been a while from last viewing, I Am Legend was movie of choice for the evening. And this was version with alternate "happy" ending. They actually are doing research now to cure cancer with viruses, so how knows... This movie may be more realistic than they bargained for. Also, original story is recommended reading, differs from movie quite a bit (don't they always...).

Yep, classic book. I was disappointed with many aspects of the movie, but that was no big surprise once the name Will Smith was attached. I do remember loving the german shepherd (I'm a sucker, our family used to show shepherds back in the day). And some of the shots of the abandoned city etc. were pretty slick. That one moment where he follows the dog in to the dark was the only creepy moment, which is ridiculous considering the potential.

Since it's been a while from last viewing, I Am Legend was movie of choice for the evening. And this was version with alternate "happy" ending. They actually are doing research now to cure cancer with viruses, so how knows... This movie may be more realistic than they bargained for. Also, original story is recommended reading, differs from movie quite a bit (don't they always...).

Yep, classic book. I was disappointed with many aspects of the movie, but that was no big surprise once the name Will Smith was attached. I do remember loving the german shepherd (I'm a sucker, our family used to show shepherds back in the day). And some of the shots of the abandoned city etc. were pretty slick. That one moment where he follows the dog in to the dark was the only creepy moment, which is ridiculous considering the potential.

The Last Man on Earth (with Vincent Price as Robert) was the best version. Creepy and atmospheric.

Last few horror movies.

10/16: Tonight's film was Dario Argento's Suspiria. I watched the sequel to this last year, Inferno, and other than that the only Argento I've seen is "Opera." In a lot of ways, my review of Suspiria will be much the same as last years for Inferno. Argento, as a legend of the horror genre, makes a helluva beautiful film. The movie is surreal in the richness of the colors Argento uses, with every scene awash in neon pink, green, blue, etc. It's almost anti-German Expressionism; the sets look other worldly in color rather that black and white, and that's where Argento's horror lies. There, and in the soundtrack, which is blaring and maddening. Almost too much at times, but I think that's hat Argento intended. The story of a coven as coven is pretty convoluted and whacky, but it works far more successfully than that in Inferno. The final scene is pretty freaky and bizarre, and I really dug it. Still, not as good as as Opera, but a good, different, surreal offering from Argento. 8/10

10/17: Well. From Dusk Till Dawn is sufficiently bizarre, what I would really expect no less from a Tarantino/Rodriguez collaboration. Half abduction/heist-y movie and half vampire flick, the movie follows two brothers (Tarantino and Clooney) who are on a crime spree across Texas. They eventually come upon an ex-preacher and his two children, who they rope in to driving them across the Mexican border. They eventually come upon a lovely, middle of the desert drinking with the name Titty Twister, wherein the strippers and bikers reveal themselves in about the span of two seconds to be vampires. Yeah. As a friend of mine aptly put it, "you can really see where Tarantino's writing ended and Rodriguez's begins." Too true. The dialoge and lead-up to the sudden vampire discovery feel extremely Tarantino with their dialoge and the characterizations of Tarantino and Clooney, and vice versa for Rodriguez in the cheesy B-horror of the ending. What I really see this movie as is almost a treatment for Grindhouse, the B-movie throwback masterpiece (in my opinion) from Tarantino and Rodriguez. This movie pulls both of their tastes and attempts to squish them into one film--which I did enjoy, but I was left feeling that I wished both had enough space to breathe on their own and tell their own story. I wanted to see what would happen with Tarantino's character being a complete nutjob, for example, and was instead left with him being killed by, and subsequently becoming, a vampire. Which was hilarious and I loved it, but still-- what would happen if Tarantino and Rodriguez's films were complete? I guess that's what Grindhouse gives, a space for both to breathe. However, for the experiment this was as a stepping stone to Grindhouse I did really enjoy it and it's one of a kind in how it does unashamedly act as two different movies in one. 8.5/10

10/19: My film for today was John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness. When looking back on all the films I've watched this month I noticed a glaring omission: John Carpenter. I saw a midnight showing of The Thing last weekend but decided not to count it as I had watched it last year. Prince of Darkness I hadn't heard of before, but I saw it was Netflix and figured I'd watch it. And after seeing it... why is this not a more popular horror movie? It uses the traditional tale of Satan or the Anti-Christ and gives it a totally weird, Carpenter twist. In the film the anti-god as it comes to be called exists as a green fluid under a church. A group of physicists and a priest attempt to stop the fluid from becoming fully realized as a being and releasing it's father, the true anti-god, from it's prison. It's twisted, and so very Carpenter. The way people become evil zombie-like creatures by having fluid projectiled via mouth into their mouth is disgusting and, frankly, awesome, as is the way mirrors are used (without giving anything away) at the end of the film. All of that, plus a cameo by Alice Cooper as a homeless demonic zombie creature, makes for a damn good spin on the Satan returning tale, and further reiterates why I love Carpenter so much. 9/10

10/20: This is kind of a cop out, but for today's film I watched Rocky Horror Picture Show. Just as last year, I saw it at the Guild with a live audience. Which is truly the only way to see it. It's a blast to watch, Tim Curry rocks, and it's just a fun show. Beyond that, you probably know everything about it already. Apparently I was a shitty Eddie though... and yeah, probably. Again, I won't rate it, seeing as how the experience is really what gets all the rating.

10/21: For today's film I watched Joel Schumacher's film Blood Creek. This is some convoluted movie about a Nazi obsessed with the occult coming on orders from Hitler to inspect a stone that a family in the countryside has found. He believes the stone to be the key to immortality, and uses it to make himself into some sort of zombie Nazi creature and is able to do the same with other beings. In present day a man is captured by this Nazi zombie fellow and manages to escape, bringing his brother with him for revenge. Honestly, the whole plot is so jumbled together and nonsensical I couldn't even concentrate on some of the things that had potential to be interesting, i.e. Hitler's actual well documented obsession with the occult. The scares are pretty cliche and ridiculous, and Schumacher has some obsession with filming horses running around--I think literally a quarter of the movie is shots of horses running around for no apparent reason. Couple that with a pretty crappy modern shoot um up story results in a pretty shoddy horror film. You want Nazi zombies, go watch Dead Snow. 4/10