@Magician I saw Belko Experiment a few years ago mostly as James Gunn wrote it. Yeah it's alright and I can't really find fault with it but I can't really put it over any other Battle Royale-esque movie either with in particular Series 7, The Hunger Games and The Hunt standing out alot more to me. Oh and The Circle, I really liked how they show people's logic when deciding on who to kill.
Sadly, tonight's movie was another stinker, Rigor Mortis. I had a recording on tape off of the TV of Mr. Vampire when I was a kid, absolutely played the ***** out of that movie, just loved it. When I heard there was a modern take on the Jiangshi I was hype AF. Sadly, while the visuals are really striking in this movie, it might be the most impenetrably incoherent movie I've ever seen. That includes some weird ass art films I have watched in my time.
I watched Hocus Pocus 2, I wasn't expecting much but I wanted to watch something I could vaguely pay attention to whilst I work out. One thing I didn't get is why is there no Thora Birch or Venessa Shaw in it? Not having any of the original kids seems like a miss and they are both still working. Chuck them in with a cameo and then you can start to build the cinematic Hocus Pocus Universe!
After a month of nothing worth checking out at the cinema there's now Smile, Amsterdam and The Woman King out. Decisions, decisions...
Today's movie was a good one, called 'The Stylist', based on a 2016 short of the same name. The same person directed both (this is their feature debut), however, I understand they had writing help for the feature version.
It definitely feels like an expanded short rather than a true feature and I do think some of the pacing decisions and general minimalism of a lot of it might be off putting for some. However, I just thought Najarra Townsend's central performance was so strong and while it isn't exactly scary, the movie is one of the most intensely deeply anxiety inducing I've seen in quite a while.
I think I still prefer the 80s Maniac and the 2012 remake, but this one features a unique female perspective and a redhead bombshell at the centre of it all so it more than justifies its reason for existing for me.
Weekend movies (just copied my Letterboxd reviews). Starting up on some spooky stuff for the season.
End of Evangelion (Blu-Ray)
Disappointed that I couldn't give it as high a score as the series, but I ultimately don't think it's a satisfying end to the story.
From what I can gather this takes place during the events of the last two episodes of the series (which took place inside protagonist Shinji's head in a more abstract form as the studio depleted their budget), with the movie showing what's going on in the actual physical world during the events.
Without getting into too much spoilery territory, the first half is fairly strong and features a tense, large scale military assault with with some cool (& sometimes greusome) action with the protagonists on the ropes. The second half features some stunning animation with a lot of trippy (& outright weird) moments, but it ultimately doesn't tell you anything that the series doesn't, IMO. We still get the general gist of what Shinji chooses, but there's absolutely no followup to show how or if the extended cast/world at large is able to move on (which I thought was sort of supposed to be the point). Honestly the world still ends up looking more f***** than at any other point in the series (I think I actually prefer the seemingly more open ended finale of the series).
Trailer:
The Slumber Party Massacre (Tubi)
Teen slasher flick that sees a wild eyed psychopath dressed head to toe in denim terrorize a group of high school girls with a foot long power drill.
First watched it last October & remember enjoying it, so decided to seek it out again and it was just as good the second time around. It doesn't seem to do anything particularly fresh (in fact some shots seem directly "inspired" by Halloween), but it does a great job of hitting all the typical notes well (very gratuitous nudity, brutal slayings, fun fakeouts, etc.) all in a brisk runtime if under 90 minutes. Will definitely become a yearly regular for me.
Trailer (couldn't find an HD one):
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
Not sure if this makes more sense here or in another thread, but just watched the MCU special 'Werewolf by Night' and boy howdy, what a banger! This is not only the most interesting thing the MCU has done in ages, but it might also very well be one of the best things they have ever made.
So funny to me because the last thing I watched from the MCU was Thor Love and Thunder, a movie which - no hyperbole - is one of the worst films I have ever finished. Then they ask a composer to tap into the basically untouched horror side of Marvel, (meaning there are no past templates to use here for reference and guidance), and to also make a homage to classic Universal Monster movies and just turns around and absolutely blasts it out of the park.
@Pizzamorg I enjoyed it but I can’t say I enjoyed it anymore than any other MCU show/movie though.
I was disappointed that with all the talk of it being horror and having a more adult age rating that it still felt light.
It did do something I’ve wanted Marvel to do since Guardians of picking up these great characters/ideas which didn’t take off as a comic and the give them a second chance in series/movie format since people will watch it regardless now because of the Marvel name, like Guardians who were pretty unknown at the time but are huge thing now. Hopefully there will be more of Man Thing and Elsa Bloodstone.
@Pizzamorg I enjoyed it but I can’t say I enjoyed it anymore than any other MCU show/movie though.
I was disappointed that with all the talk of it being horror and having a more adult age rating that it still felt light.
It did do something I’ve wanted Marvel to do since Guardians of picking up these great characters/ideas which didn’t take off as a comic and the give them a second chance in series/movie format since people will watch it regardless now because of the Marvel name, like Guardians who were pretty unknown at the time but are huge thing now. Hopefully there will be more of Man Thing and Elsa Bloodstone.
I guess it all depends on expectation. I had none going in and never expected in a MCU production to see a dude get his guts sliced open, the blood spray onto the camera and then stay there dripping off the frame. Hell, a lot of pure horror werewolf movies don't deliver those kinds of goods. We're like one stage removed from Sam trying to pull the Sarge's guts out.
Watched Young Frankenstein. I have an HD mp4 of it. I also started working my way through Simpsons Treehouse of Horror. I have mp4's of 1-11, 15, 20, 23, 25, 27.
@Pizzamorg You're not wrong but I think you’re overselling the violence as alot of it is movie magic to make you think it was there, the fighting is still more WWE than UFC. I wasn’t specifically talking about the violence when I said it was light, I meant overall as this is still popcorn entertainment rather than something more weighty and mature.
@Pizzamorg You're not wrong but I think you’re overselling the violence as alot of it is movie magic to make you think it was there, the fighting is still more WWE than UFC. I wasn’t specifically talking about the violence when I said it was light, I meant overall as this is still popcorn entertainment rather than something more weighty and mature.
Yeah maybe. I dunno.
I guess I just feel so beaten down by the modern MCU, I am just getting over excited at seeing them try something. Like would I be wowed by the content here as much if this was like 2018 MCU times? Probably not. But when everything is beige for so long, it doesn't take much to excite you.
I put together an MCU ranking on my Letterboxd and realised that three of the bottom 10 are all from 2022 (it includes shows and movies).
In my top 10, I do have some more recent stuff, but it is all the weirder stuff. The only movie post 2018 in my Top 10 is Shang-Chi. And again, this was less a piece of Full MCU and again MCU showing they could apply their formula to something different make it work.
And like even at its worst, I am not sure really anyone is challenging the MCU, either. I remember watching The Batman earlier this year that was getting loads of praise and thought it honestly sucked. It was badly made, grimdark yet toothless, really dated and Pattinson sucked (and I don't even just irrationally hate him because he was in Twilight).
Like if my choice is beige MCU or ropey edgelord DC projects, give me Werewolf By Night another ten times over.
@Eagly do you need backstories though? For all of those Marvel fans who don’t actually read comics it would have ruined it as you’re made to think they are hunting Werewolf By Midnight despite not saying it only to turn out its Man Thing and the Werewolf is someone else. The characters are easy enough to understand from what was given and the over explaining because the audience is the lowest common denominator in Marvel does my head. Just make the characters and plots interesting enough so you want to think and work it out for yourself!
I'm also watching horror movies pretty much every night leading up to Halloween. Most of the time they're just background stuff like Friday the 13th, nightmare of elm st, etc. But I did watch the new hellraiser which was pretty good, despite changing just about everything from the original. For the rest of the week I'll probably just put on some more background noise until Friday when Halloween ends comes to peacock. Really excited for it.
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