October/Halloween/Horror Recommendations

2smiggy

also watched 'Totally Killer' on prime last night. Enjoyed it. An easy watch. Bit of a back to the future/scream mash up. 7.5/10

dubstepper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121213101#Comment_121213101

I thought it was pretty weak overall. I did like one of them about the god of technology. Overall I thought the other VHS movies were better. I think that one is made by Shudder and it does feel quite cheap.

Fysh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121259358#Comment_121259358

It wasn't made by Shudder, but it seems they've distributed the last 3 films. It does fit their wheelhouse I suppose :) I watched V/H/S 94 previously and thought it was OK, if a bit similar to some of the previous shorts in the series. I haven't seen '99 yet - if you've seen it, what did you think of it relative to the rest of the series?

I didn't think '85 looked any cheaper than previous films in the series, and tbh given the conceit there's an argument that looking too polished would work against it.

I read an article interviewing the creators where they talked about the ways they achieved the look of each short, and it's pretty interesting - some of them used obsolete kit to film on, others ran their footage through iterations of copying to, then from, VHS. One of the directors even boasted about how upset their DP was with the end result, which does feel to me like fetishising an aesthetic a bit too much, but I can't fault the commitment to the theme...

Having said all that, if it didn't work for you me talking about what cameras they used isn't going to make a difference. I do think that the god of technology one was the most interesting one in terms of its premise, but I'd be torn between that and the police one for best overall.

dubstepper

The VHS aesthetic obviously underpins the whole style of the series but I found this one more draining to watch. It felt like there were more cuts, and poorer quality or perhaps I was just tired :) I actually didn't see 99, I must have missed that. I really like the first couple and also '94. This outing lacked scares for me, at least to the level of the others. I do agree the police one was quite good too. The first couple of stories were not that good though (the cult and the mexican one).

dubstepper

Couple I have watched recently:

• Talk to me. Kids playing with talking to the dead. Few enjoyable scares.
• Infinity pool. Not a straight horror but really good. Surreal and nightmarish. Brandon Cronenberg certainly is influenced by his father.
• Rob Zombie's Halloween remake. I enjoyed it. Obviously not anywhere near the original but very few movies are.
• Relic. Somewhere between horror and a movie about living with aging and alzheimers. Slow burner but plenty of scares near the end.
• Insidious: The red door. Haven't seen many in this series but this was ok. Can't say where it ranks compared to it's predecessors.
• The House of the Devil: Ti West. Old style haunted house with the innocent babysitter. Enjoyed it.

Fysh

I got along to a screening of Nosferatu in a church with a live score accompaniment last night. I've seen the film several times before, but I think this is the first time I've seen the unrestored, belts-along-in-60-min 24fps version. Must admit it felt a bit rushed compared to what I remember of it, and skimming through my DVD copy there are quite a few scenes missing too. The main thing I missed was the tinting, though - it adds a lot to the film's atmosphere. On the plus side, there's definitely something about watching it in a church that adds to the atmosphere, and the live score was a nice addition.

Homelander

Watched Totally Killer on Amazon last night as it was the exact vibe I wanted for a quiet Sunday wind-down.

It's daft and hammy but really charming, not an instant classic but a very easy watch. Kiernan Shipka is very good and there's a few decent laughs.

People who like movies like Happy Death Day and Freaky would definitely enjoy it.

Fysh

Since it was mentioned upthread I stuck on The Dead Zone, as I haven't watched in at least a decade. It was an interesting watch - Walken really is vital to making the thing work, making you care about Johnny despite there not being much to the character. Martin Sheen is also great in his scenes, with Stillson feeling very recognisable given the last few years of US politics.

The direction, for the most part, doesn't feel particularly like a David Cronenberg film, and the score in particular feels straight out of a middling drama. The pacing and structure, as in the book, are weirdly episodic.

I remember thinking that this was one of the better King adaptations when I first watched it - but it's definitely no competition for The Mist, Gerald's Game or the Castle Rock series by my measure. It's not bad exactly, but it's a weird middle ground where it uncomfortably balances King's writing and Cronenberg's direction in a way that doesn't show off either particularly well.

Fysh

Bringing things back around to Mr Carpenter, I decided to revisit Cigarette Burns, his contribution to the Masters of Horror series. I think, of the latter-day Carpenter output, it's a contender for the best work. It's not written by Carpenter nor does it have one of his synth scores, but it has a compelling atmosphere and feels like its events could be happening alongside any of Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy.

It's not without its flaws, admittedly - the film-within-a-film scenes aren't as good as I would like given the context, and there's a repeated use of "sudden noise and 'shocking' image" that actually makes the images less shocking. But these are relatively small things.

silliussoddius

Stir of Echoes starring Kevin bacon, got buried under the success of The Sixth Sense but it's a very creepy thriller in it's own right.

buried

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121274762#Comment_121274762

"The direction, for the most part, doesn't feel particularly like a David Cronenberg film, and the score in particular feels straight out of a middling drama. The pacing and structure, as in the book, are weirdly episodic."

"Weirdly episodic" Exactly. This is the main thing for me Fysh, and what holds the creepiness of it for me, it is literally a demented horror soap opera, executed in the exact same vein as 'Twin Peaks' did a decade later, Lynch obviously took serious cues from this work.

Stillson is obviously demented, and like you said, a recognisable and frightening call to the politics of the present, but Sheen's performance, for me anyways, is just like the best of any horror output, real but absolutely outlandishly hilarious to go with it.

gmisk

Lot of decent horror stuff on all4 or whatever they are calling it these days!

thegame983

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0856288/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_7_tt_8_nm_0_q_inside

Do it.

Fysh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121279288#Comment_121279288

It's funny you mention Lynch, as I was wondering if I was reading too much into it thinking of the tonal register of Twin Peaks - that weird swerve from soap opera to dead guy in a bathtub and back that's easy to attempt but hard to pull off.

And yeah, thinking about it a bit more, while Sheen's character doesn't get as much screen time as Walken's, the performance is vital to making you care about how things play out.

Fysh

In a complete swerve from my last few horror viewings, I got an itch to revisit Todd And The Book Of Pure Evil, a very silly Canadian horror-comedy series with a tone that's like Ash Vs Evil Dead if it were set in high school, taught by teachers like Miss Perky from 10 Things I Hate About You. I'm 3 episodes into the first season and it remains endearingly stupid and funny.

It's not easily available in the UK or Ireland legitimately - if you have a VPN it's available on Amazon in some countries. I ended up picking up the R1 DVDs on a trip to Canada a few years back.

Wailin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121279461#Comment_121279461

Where can this be streamed?

thegame983

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121291152#Comment_121291152

Not sure re: streaming. I did find this if it helps

https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/inside-2007

(I torrented the movie personally)

Wailin

Got it on YouTube 👍

Spon Farmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121279136#Comment_121279136

STIR OF ECHOES is a great movie.

I watchED CHILD’S PLAY for the first time last night. Entertaining as hell. The VFX are great.

I also watched THE VISIT. Great stuff too. S few scenes had me looking over my shoulder and under the bed. I love when a horror triggers that.

eightieschewbaccy

Frailty, Starring and directed by the late Bill Paxton. It's basically a crime movie where a serial killer claims to be acting as the hand of god.

Wailin

Talk to Me - on Netflix. Very enjoyable once it gets going. Acting and Cinematography are top notch. Recommended.

Man Vs ManUre

Infinity Pool is a decent modern day horror. Mia Goth very sexy in it.

Man Vs ManUre

Watched Censor on Film 4. Wasn’t great to be honest.

Fysh

I really liked Censor, but I think it's aimed at a quite specific audience and you have to be in the right mood for it.

tom1ie

If you want to have the crap scared out of you watch threads.

Job done.

I’ll warn ya though it’s pretty horrific.

Silverdream

The Conjuring

Alien

That TV series lately on Netflix Midnight Mass is worth a watch, also the Exorcist TV series too

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302620#Comment_121302620

Agreed: it was aimed squarely at those old or interested enough in the Giallo, Video Nasties era of when VHS exploded in Britain; it wasn't that great in the first place but much of its appeal I'd say would come down to what the viewer brought to it.

Plus, Berbarian Sound Studio executed the idea a little better imo

Potatoeman

When evil lurks, an Argentinian horror. It’s an interesting twist on possession movies and almost like a zombie movie. It’s extremely violent in places so not for the squeamish also subbed if that’s an issue. I really enjoyed it.

Fysh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304124#Comment_121304124

I saw a rec for this elsewhere as well and it sounds good - where did you watch it?