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October/Halloween/Horror Recommendations

El Duda

Its October which means Halloween is fast approaching, so I've decided to watch through all the horror films I've bought over the years but not got round to watching.

I'm looking to compile a list which is a mix of essential horror and lesser known greats. Any input is much appreciated.

So far on my watch list...

Films I own on blu-ray/DVD but haven't watched yet;

The Devils Backbone
Salems Lot
Videodrome
Candyman
Evil dead trilogy
Confessions (horror?)
Ichi the Killer
Shrooms

Recommendations from over the years;

The Brood
You're Next
Possession
Audition
Purge 2

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bladespin

Man Vs ManUre wrote: »

Am a big horror fan but 1 film I would struggle to watch a 2nd viewing is the human centipede. Not because it’s a bad film, it’s not and it’s a true original. But it’s just so extreme, depraved, horrific and hard to watch. I haven’t watched any of its sequels.

The sequels are just bad, the first one wasn't brilliant IMO but the story was so far out there I completely forgot how basic it was, good choice though, if that doesn't creep you out not much will!

mrcheez

Man Vs ManUre wrote: »

Am a big horror fan but 1 film I would struggle to watch a 2nd viewing is the human centipede. Not because it’s a bad film, it’s not and it’s a true original. But it’s just so extreme, depraved, horrific and hard to watch. I haven’t watched any of its sequels.

Try watching Seed

Probably the most disturbing flick I've ever had the misfortune to see, if anything for the intro alone.

Padraig Mor

Jurgen The German wrote: »

Watched the remake of The Hills Have Eyes last night for the first time since it came out. For my money up there with the best as far as modern day remakes go. Visceral, bloody, some super make up effects, the only thing that annoyed me was the CGI for the full body burn scene. If you are going to do FBB then keep the camera at a distance, going up close to see skin blistering but doing so with very noticeable CGI is jarring and completely renders the scene redundant. Still, an enjoyable enough slice of meanness.

Yeah, great show with an admirable streak of genuine nastiness rarely seen these days. Like the Evil Dead remake it displays a surprising commitment to make the characters suffer.

Maniac was similarly unexpectedly good too, and well worth watching.

adox

Man Vs ManUre wrote: »

Am a big horror fan but 1 film I would struggle to watch a 2nd viewing is the human centipede. Not because it’s a bad film, it’s not and it’s a true original. But it’s just so extreme, depraved, horrific and hard to watch. I haven’t watched any of its sequels.

Ah it’s just awful. Really garbage imo.

Jurgen The German

Man Vs ManUre wrote: »

Am a big horror fan but 1 film I would struggle to watch a 2nd viewing is the human centipede. Not because it’s a bad film, it’s not and it’s a true original. But it’s just so extreme, depraved, horrific and hard to watch. I haven’t watched any of its sequels.

The Human Centipede is one of the most disappointing pieces of garbage I've ever seen. Maybe I'm desensitized but there is nothing shocking whatsoever about it. Part 2 on the other hand (the uncut version) is a different beast altogether. Infinitely nastier, meaner, gorier and as such much more enjoyable than its predecessor. Havnt watched the colourised version yet.

mrcheez

Jurgen The German wrote: »

The Human Centipede is one of the most disappointing pieces of garbage I've ever seen. Maybe I'm desensitized but there is nothing shocking whatsoever about it. Part 2 on the other hand (the uncut version) is a different beast altogether. Infinitely nastier, meaner, gorier and as such much more enjoyable than its predecessor. Havnt watched the colourised version yet.

Aye, part 2 was good. Part 3 was more of a comedy iirc

Wailin

Watched Willow Creek last night after hearing about it here. Really enjoyed it, even the slow bits before the camping trip. Another Blair Witch Project rip off, but very decent and good performance from the two leads, especially the girl.

p to the e

bladespin wrote: »

Hostel, for any adventurer's out there.

A friend of mine, who's not a horror/gore fan, got up and left at the "eye " bit. He nearly got sick.

bladespin

p to the e wrote: »

A friend of mine, who's not a horror/gore fan, got up and left at the "eye " bit. He nearly got sick.

Thought the 'leg' bit was worse tbh

mrcheez

https://youtu.be/zn7DMJ_vCYs

https://youtu.be/qzCXqWpdE58

A few oldies but goodies. Sometimes the low resolution and low budgets of 70s horror makes them more visceral

Don't Go To Sleep gave me a phobia about looking under my bed for years after when I was a kid.

"Maaaaaaaryyyyyy"

bladespin

Love Stephen King's The cat's eye too, great pulpy scares, good for a watch party imo.

Bit dated maybe but love it still.

El Duda

Been away but managed to watch a few more...

The Ritual - 7/10

A group of middle aged Brits decide to go for a walk in the woods and cross paths with an ominous presence. Ended up enjoying this a lot. Good performances from Rafe Spall and Sam Troughton. It has a thick atmosphere of dread and there's a set-piece early on that freaked me out a lot. You know a horror film is doing its job properly when you need to watch something comedic afterwards for some levity before bedtime.

It ends up a bit silly and there is missed opportunity with Arsher Ali's character. There are a few others who are also massively underwritten. The script probably needed another draft or two. The first half is certainly stronger than the second but its a definite thumbs up.

Magic (1978) – 6.75/10

A young Anthony Hopkins plays an aspiring magician who is struggling to make a connection with his audience. The introduction of a ventriloquist’s dummy helps him to bridge the gap, but we don’t know where the performance begins and ends. As a film about an evil doll, you immediately think Childs Play but this is more comparable with Psycho. Hopkins brilliantly portrays mental deterioration of someone who isn’t equipped to deal with fame. His ‘relationship’ with Fats the dummy is the highlight of the film.

This could’ve been great if it had just been a bit scarier. It’s entertaining enough though and it features a good supporting role from Burgess Meredith. I found myself chuckling away to some of the outdated 70’s misogyny. Lots of references to women being ‘just a pair of jugs’ etc…

Happy Death Day – 5.5/10

Groundhog Day without any originality, charm or likable actors. A non-descript, generic blonde protagonist teams up with budget Andrew Garfield to try and solve the mystery of why she keeps being killed and reliving her birthday. The film sets up way too many red-herrings and seems to think it is being clever. None of the twists and turns are surprising or witty.

I’d suggest you just watch Groundhog Day or Edge of Tomorrow again and avoid this.

Has there ever been a great, scary doll film? (Please do not say Annabelle)

Mike Guide 69

El Duda wrote: »

Been away but managed to watch a few more...

The Ritual - 7/10

A group of middle aged Brits decide to go for a walk in the woods and cross paths with an ominous presence. Ended up enjoying this a lot. Good performances from Rafe Spall and Sam Troughton. It has a thick atmosphere of dread and there's a set-piece early on that freaked me out a lot. You know a horror film is doing its job properly when you need to watch something comedic afterwards for some levity before bedtime.

It ends up a bit silly and there is missed opportunity with Arsher Ali's character. There are a few others who are also massively underwritten. The script probably needed another draft or two. The first half is certainly stronger than the second but its a definite thumbs up.

Magic (1978) – 6.75/10

A young Anthony Hopkins plays an aspiring magician who is struggling to make a connection with his audience. The introduction of a ventriloquist’s dummy helps him to bridge the gap, but we don’t know where the performance begins and ends. As a film about an evil doll, you immediately think Childs Play but this is more comparable with Psycho. Hopkins brilliantly portrays mental deterioration of someone who isn’t equipped to deal with fame. His ‘relationship’ with Fats the dummy is the highlight of the film.

This could’ve been great if it had just been a bit scarier. It’s entertaining enough though and it features a good supporting role from Burgess Meredith. I found myself chuckling away to some of the outdated 70’s misogyny. Lots of references to women being ‘just a pair of jugs’ etc…

Happy Death Day – 5.5/10

Groundhog Day without any originality, charm or likable actors. A non-descript, generic blonde protagonist teams up with budget Andrew Garfield to try and solve the mystery of why she keeps being killed and reliving her birthday. The film sets up way too many red-herrings and seems to think it is being clever. None of the twists and turns are surprising or witty.

I’d suggest you just watch Groundhog Day or Edge of Tomorrow again and avoid this.

Has there ever been a great, scary doll film? (Please do not say Annabelle)

Child’s Play???

El Duda

Not particularly frightening though. Plus, it was only a 15!

This scene though i spuppose...

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CastorTroy

Don't think the age rating matters.
Poltergeist is PG or 15 as well and even contains a creepy clown doll.
Or even Coraline, which is a kid's film, is as creepy as they come.

Think Child's Play is the scariest doll film I've seen. All others are more slasher or comedic like Puppet Master.

mrcheez

bladespin wrote: »

Love Stephen King's The cat's eye too, great pulpy scares, good for a watch party imo.

Bit dated maybe but love it still.

yeah I hated pigeons after seeing that

El Duda

This one was great...

You're Next - 7.75/10

On the surface it looks like it will be just another home invasion slasher, but Adam Wingard is an inventive director and he flips some of the tired genre tropes on their head.

If you find modern slashers infuriating because of idiotic protagonists and invincible killers, this is the antidote. It's very well paced and extremely violent though it gets slightly more tongue-in-cheek by the end.

El Duda

Few more...

The Stuff – 5/10

A shoddily put together B-movie that doesn’t seem to know whether to adopt a farcical tone or to try and take things seriously. Given the films absurd plot about an addictive food product that brainwashes consumers, this was ripe for a more comedic/satirical approach. The films biggest problem is how scrappily put together it is. Poorly synced dialogue, abrupt editing, lame effects etc… This is a tacky mess that could’ve been fun. Brian Yuzna’s Society did this whole thing a lot better. Enough is more than enough of The Stuff.

Pet Sematary (1989) 4K - 5.9/10

This was my first exposure to any iteration of Stephen King's classic story. It is widely regarded as his scariest book, so I was looking forward to this. Unfortunately, I think this adaptation is almost completely outdated. It is creepy in places, but it's let down by flat direction and mediocre performances. Fred Gwynne's 'Jud Crandall' is by far the highlight of the film. I'd seen his spoof on South Park but had no idea it was from this film. Without his inclusion this would've been a miserable watch.

Tenebrae – 8.5/10

Finally got around to watching this classic Dario Argento Giallo murder mystery. Much like Suspiria, this is visually striking and ultra-stylistic filmmaking. Goblin provide another brilliant score and know how to accentuate a set piece. I love ‘whodunnit’ films and I thought I had this one worked out; I was completely wrong. It keeps twisting and turning right up to the bat**** finale. Christopher Walken was considered for the lead role but they ended up using Anthony Franciosa who is superb. The highlight of the film was the ferocious dog chase scene. I looked to my left and my pet Labrador was just as transfixed as I was.

One thing in Tenebrae that was a bit distracting was the bad audio syncing with the dialogue. In some scenes it's horrendous!? What's the deal?

[Deleted User]

The Nightingale is worth a watch, Ultra violent horror with an Irish tint!

3 from Hell - sequel to The Devils Rejects. Pretty damn violent too, and while not as good as the first one it delivers on a pretty tight budget, three people from hell.

El Duda

Deleted User wrote: »

The Nightingale is worth a watch, Ultra violent horror with an Irish tint!

The new Jeniffer kent film? (Babadook follow up)

[Deleted User]

El Duda wrote: »

The new Jeniffer kent film? (Babadook follow up)

The very same

CastorTroy

October movies so far included Halloween (2018), Candyman, Happy Death Day 2U, Hocus Pocus and Sleepy Hollow.

Will watch 1 or 2 more tomorrow but as it is past midnight I'll just leave this here. (Warning: Don't watch while wearing a Silver Shamrock mask)
(Also contains strobing type effect)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIHUv2ooG38

briany

Watched WNUF Halloween Special (2013) last night and really enjoyed it.

The premise is that it's 1987 and follows a reporting team from a small-town American TV channel as they go on a live Halloween investigation of a house with a dark past and an allegedly ghostly present. In many ways this is similar to the British mockumentary, Ghostwatch, but has elements of comedy in there, mainly because of the corny faux-ads that come on in between programme 'segments'. The makers of the film did an excellent job of making this look like it's from 1987 and it the visuals have that VCR, recording of a recording of a recording quality. And although it has comedy elements, the dark house seen through the grainy picture lends a rather creepy atmosphere. I'd say to give this one a watch of you're looking for something a bit different tonight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5iCF2Ltjlk

Sugarlumps

Goosebumps 2 - Really entertaining flick.

[Deleted User]

Anyone ever see the House series?
Its so bad but used to scare the **** outta me when I was 10

johnny_ultimate

I often see the House series mentioned, but it only just reminds that House (Hausu) is the greatest horror-comedy ever made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ_Yo06kIIA

El Duda

Last year I watched halloween on DVD. This year I watched it on 4K. The difference is huge. Obviously the picture quality was brilliant but the thing that really surprised me was the sound. You could hear Mike Myers freaky breathing so much more clearly. It properly creeped me out.

4K is so so good for restorations of old films. The Alien one in particular looks insane.

Man Vs ManUre

El Duda wrote: »

Last year I watched halloween on DVD. This year I watched it on 4K. The difference is huge. Obviously the picture quality was brilliant but the thing that really surprised me was the sound. You could hear Mike Myers freaky breathing so much more clearly. It properly creeped me out.

4K is so so good for restorations of old films. The Alien one in particular looks insane.

I quite liked the rob zombie Halloween 1 and 2 films from a few years ago also. They were vicious.

mrcheez

I saw Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejects recently on Shudder and it's very good... typical ott violence of course!

Also Mandy starring an insane Nicolas Cage ... slow moving initially but watch it just to see N Cage's crazy eyes

Sugarlumps

mrcheez wrote: »

I saw Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejects recently on Shudder and it's very good... typical ott violence of course

In my opinion this film is dire, lame plot - acting if you can call it that. His wife is atrocious.