Rate the last movie you've seen

[EvilNed]

It's surprisingly good, isn't it? It's essentially the Italian answer to Last House on the Left (but with most of it taking place on a train, and eventually ending up at a lovely home - and without any of the tonally incongruous 'comedy bits' with bumbling coppers and toothless chicken farmers and the like) ... actually, it's kind of an obscure 'alternative Christmas movie' as it takes place around that time. Yes, it was very, very good. But like a Haneke film, it's something you don't really just pop on, sit back and enjoy. It was disturbing and hard to get through. As I said, I was expecting a giallo, I don't know why. It's just what I'd imagined it'd be. The fact that the american cover art makes it look like a rip off of Tombs of the Blind Dead didn't help me figuring out what I was gettign into. As soon as I realized that it was a rape revenge film (which implied that there would be some kind of comeupance due) helped me make my way through it. But damn, yeah. It's been awhile since I saw an italian film make such an impact. One interesting fact I think contributed to the feeling of dread was that early on they show the surgeon operating on a patient. Some fairly realistic slicing is shown in close ups. I'm all for gore but I think everyone can agree that it's easier to watch someone get eaten by zombies, since it's so fantastic in nature, than someone getting realistically sliced open in a surgical manner. It's a pain we can relate too. Speaking of relating to pain; My next film was Profondo Rosso, which I hadn't seen before. Believe it or not. A solid giallo with all the stuff we love about Argento done really well, and some of the stuff we don't like about Argento thrown into the mix. I'll start with the good. The sets and design. I had no idea that Art Deco had such a resurgance in Italy in the 1970's but watching these giallos make it all the more apparent. This film in particular shows off some really tasteful Neo-Art Deco apartments and houses that are really a beauty to behold. The music too is great, good old Goblin. Argento also has a way to make characters interesting with small quirky traits, especially in his giallos, that help make them stand out. Other observations include that most of the murders felt as if they really, really hurt. There's a commentary on the Arrow Bluray that I watched. Maybe I'll give it a go. People's teeth bashed against furniture, scolding water... The killer felt kind of morbid. The somewhat recurring theme of having the killer suffer at the hands of an elevator is present as well, a repeat from Cat O'Nine Tails (my favorite Argento giallo). Drawbacks include Argento's ineptitude at shooting action. He can create suspense and a sense of art. Most of his shots are beautiful. But his action, wether it be a chase scene or somebody climbing their way down a run down building exterior, is just not exciting at all. It starts to show here but we all know it goes full apeshit in Phenomena and Opera, 10-12 years later when Argento starts adding pop music to scenes where it's not fitting at all. Inferno suffers from some of this too... The music just doesn't match the tempo of the film. Also, for a giallo, it was quite long. 2 hours and 10 minutes. I was never bored but to be honest all that comedic stuff in the relationship between Daria and David Hemmings could have been cut. Italians aren't funny.

[MinionZombie]

Yes, it was very, very good. But like a Haneke film, it's something you don't really just pop on, sit back and enjoy. It was disturbing and hard to get through. As I said, I was expecting a giallo, I don't know why. It's just what I'd imagined it'd be. The fact that the american cover art makes it look like a rip off of Tombs of the Blind Dead didn't help me figuring out what I was gettign into. As soon as I realized that it was a rape revenge film (which implied that there would be some kind of comeupance due) helped me make my way through it. But damn, yeah. It's been awhile since I saw an italian film make such an impact. One interesting fact I think contributed to the feeling of dread was that early on they show the surgeon operating on a patient. Some fairly realistic slicing is shown in close ups. I'm all for gore but I think everyone can agree that it's easier to watch someone get eaten by zombies, since it's so fantastic in nature, than someone getting realistically sliced open in a surgical manner. It's a pain we can relate too. Speaking of relating to pain; My next film was Profondo Rosso, which I hadn't seen before. Believe it or not. A solid giallo with all the stuff we love about Argento done really well, and some of the stuff we don't like about Argento thrown into the mix. I'll start with the good. The sets and design. I had no idea that Art Deco had such a resurgance in Italy in the 1970's but watching these giallos make it all the more apparent. This film in particular shows off some really tasteful Neo-Art Deco apartments and houses that are really a beauty to behold. The music too is great, good old Goblin. Argento also has a way to make characters interesting with small quirky traits, especially in his giallos, that help make them stand out. Other observations include that most of the murders felt as if they really, really hurt. There's a commentary on the Arrow Bluray that I watched. Maybe I'll give it a go. People's teeth bashed against furniture, scolding water... The killer felt kind of morbid. The somewhat recurring theme of having the killer suffer at the hands of an elevator is present as well, a repeat from Cat O'Nine Tails (my favorite Argento giallo). Drawbacks include Argento's ineptitude at shooting action. He can create suspense and a sense of art. Most of his shots are beautiful. But his action, wether it be a chase scene or somebody climbing their way down a run down building exterior, is just not exciting at all. It starts to show here but we all know it goes full apeshit in Phenomena and Opera, 10-12 years later when Argento starts adding pop music to scenes where it's not fitting at all. Inferno suffers from some of this too... The music just doesn't match the tempo of the film. Also, for a giallo, it was quite long. 2 hours and 10 minutes. I was never bored but to be honest all that comedic stuff in the relationship between Daria and David Hemmings could have been cut. Italians aren't funny. 1) NTM - yeah, that American art is decidedly misleading - very bizarre. I know what you mean about detailed surgical scenes in movies - what really gets me is scalpels or sharp blades slicing into skin (remember that blood test scene in The Thing? Ugh ... that moment there's a weird, almost leathery, sort of 'squeak' as the blade slices through the thumb ... ... that's such a wince-inducer for me *shivers*). Gore that's 'out there' - the sort of thing you'd never witness or experience - rarely turns my stomach. I enjoy it as a horror fan, but it's the little details and the more 'skin crawling' ideas that really get into your head. You've gotta be in the mood for some of these films, no doubt, to feel the right vibe and 'enjoy' them, otherwise you and the film end up being on separate wave lengths. 2) Profondo Rosso/Deep Red - you'd not seen it before? Interesting. It's a good one. I've seen it twice, both times in the "Director's Cut". I assume you've got the more recent Arrow Video release - the single disc version? I got the three disc limited edition that came out prior to that (the single disc came out after the 3-disc had sold out), which had the soundtrack on CD as well as two cuts of the film: the original (shorter) international release and the longer Director's Cut. Comparing the two versions, there's numerous things in the extended version that I would miss (comparison of the two versions HERE), but then again I quite enjoyed the 'battle of the sexes' stuff (most of that is removed from the shoter cut, which is 21 minutes shorter - so if you find that version it might be the incarnation that you'd prefer). I would agree that 2+ hours is too long for a giallo. 90 minutes, 100 minutes tops, is about right in most cases, but I suppose with Deep Red Argento was looking to 'go grand' with it having already done more focused giallos like The Bird With The Crystal Plumage (excellent) and Four Flies On Grey Velvet (I've still not seen that one yet, but really want to). Like you say, the stylings of the film are exceptional (for more 'art deco giallo', check out the neo-giallo flick "The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears"), and yeah - the bit where the dude goes teeth first into that stone/marble fire place is one of those full-on 'wince moments'. I thought the 'steamy bathroom' sequence was really well done, much like the follow-up scene in the bathroom as Hemmings does his bit of detective work.

[EvilNed]

No, I'd never seen it before. It was the sole missing piece in my Argento giallo collection, at least if you don't count anything produced after 1989 as giallo. (Haven't seen much of his modern stuff) Except for Opera, which I seem to recall being pretty damn good, I own them all on either DVD or BluRay (yes, the single disc Arrow release). But I can't remember much about them except that The Bird with the Crystal Plumage was the first giallo I ever saw, followed by Cat O'Nile Tails and then Tenebre. Opera came much later and I only saw Four Flies on Grey Velvet in the last year or so. I can't remember much from the Bird or The Flies honestly, because they both strike me as pretty generic as far as giallo go, but often that's exactly what you're after isn't it? As for The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears, I've actually seen it. Or... half of it. I put it on but couldn't make it through. An excercise in visuals but there wasn't much in it that made me want to keep looking. I was bored to tears about halfway through. I also made an attempt at watching Amer, the directors previous film, but couldn't stomach it either. Amazing visuals but... Dull. No plot. By the way, I visited Argento's shop last time I was in Rome. It was named after Profondo Rosso. It was a small shop with lots of halloween costumes and some books written by Luigi Cozzi. I bought one which goes in depth about all the Italian horror films produced during the era. If I ever went back, I'd buy the one on Giallo too. I recently bought these Giallo and are going to plough through them during the holidays; Five Dolls for an August Moon, Bloodstained Shadow and A Blade in the Dark. Anyway... Finding myself a bit on a italian Bluray roll, I recently finished watching: Zombie Flesh Eaters 2. The 88 films release. Real good fun. It's one of the dumbest films out there, both in plot development and dialogue, but it is fun. I love how they just happen to find a crate of weapons. Then when they come dragging it to the hotel, you can hear someone say off screen: "They found a crate of weapons, by the looks of it!" and that's all there is to say about that. The zombies are equally crazy. They shamble and slowly drag themselves toward their foes, but once they're within leaping range they pounce at them, usually from absurd hiding places (like a kitchen cabinet, or just from under the grass you've been standing on for two minutes). It's like the zombies all go and hide, waiting for any would-be victims to arrive and when they're within grabbing (or wrestling) range they jump out at you. - - - Updated - - - And one more... Torso. As I was going through gialli I remembered I'd watched 30 minutes of this about a year ago, liked what I saw but for some reason or other didn't finish it. I started over tonight. Decent giallo but nothing that really rocked my world. Too much focus on boobs and too little on being a giallo. Also any giallo where there's no real mystery involved is never gonna be one of the greats in my book. Sure all the doll imagery was a nice touch, but this one of those where "it's all explained in the end" and up to that point it's just a killer killing people. No mystery.

[MinionZombie]

No, I'd never seen it before. It was the sole missing piece in my Argento giallo collection, at least if you don't count anything produced after 1989 as giallo. (Haven't seen much of his modern stuff) Except for Opera, which I seem to recall being pretty damn good, I own them all on either DVD or BluRay (yes, the single disc Arrow release). But I can't remember much about them except that The Bird with the Crystal Plumage was the first giallo I ever saw, followed by Cat O'Nile Tails and then Tenebre. Opera came much later and I only saw Four Flies on Grey Velvet in the last year or so. I can't remember much from the Bird or The Flies honestly, because they both strike me as pretty generic as far as giallo go, but often that's exactly what you're after isn't it? As for The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears, I've actually seen it. Or... half of it. I put it on but couldn't make it through. An excercise in visuals but there wasn't much in it that made me want to keep looking. I was bored to tears about halfway through. I also made an attempt at watching Amer, the directors previous film, but couldn't stomach it either. Amazing visuals but... Dull. No plot. By the way, I visited Argento's shop last time I was in Rome. It was named after Profondo Rosso. It was a small shop with lots of halloween costumes and some books written by Luigi Cozzi. I bought one which goes in depth about all the Italian horror films produced during the era. If I ever went back, I'd buy the one on Giallo too. I recently bought these Giallo and are going to plough through them during the holidays; Five Dolls for an August Moon, Bloodstained Shadow and A Blade in the Dark. Anyway... Finding myself a bit on a italian Bluray roll, I recently finished watching: Zombie Flesh Eaters 2. The 88 films release. Real good fun. It's one of the dumbest films out there, both in plot development and dialogue, but it is fun. I love how they just happen to find a crate of weapons. Then when they come dragging it to the hotel, you can hear someone say off screen: "They found a crate of weapons, by the looks of it!" and that's all there is to say about that. The zombies are equally crazy. They shamble and slowly drag themselves toward their foes, but once they're within leaping range they pounce at them, usually from absurd hiding places (like a kitchen cabinet, or just from under the grass you've been standing on for two minutes). It's like the zombies all go and hide, waiting for any would-be victims to arrive and when they're within grabbing (or wrestling) range they jump out at you. - - - Updated - - - And one more... Torso. As I was going through gialli I remembered I'd watched 30 minutes of this about a year ago, liked what I saw but for some reason or other didn't finish it. I started over tonight. Decent giallo but nothing that really rocked my world. Too much focus on boobs and too little on being a giallo. Also any giallo where there's no real mystery involved is never gonna be one of the greats in my book. Sure all the doll imagery was a nice touch, but this one of those where "it's all explained in the end" and up to that point it's just a killer killing people. No mystery. "Amer" and "The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears" - yeah, fair to say they have paper thin plots (especially Amer), but I found them quite arresting ... but you are right, there's very little meat on the bones beyond the exceptional visuals. "Five Dolls For An August Moon" - one of Bava's lesser films (he was denied the opportunity to fully re-write the script to his liking), but it's solid generally. The frequent cut backs to the meat locker are rather humorous. "Bloodstained Shadow" - that's a good one, and really atmospheric. "A Blade in the Dark" - not spectacular, but a solid latter day giallo. The bathroom scene got it in trouble with the BBFC in the video nasty days IIRC. "Torso" - I suppose that one leans more towards slasher territory than murder mystery territory. I recently re-watched it and thoroughly enjoyed it again. It's very preoccupied with sex, to be fair, but there are some good scenes with Suzy Kendall - e.g. the mirror/sun bit, and the newspaper/key bit, where the heroine gets to show off a bit of ingenuity. The reveal of the killer is a bit underwhelming, and Martino has done better gialli, but I dig it.

[EvilNed]

"Torso" - I suppose that one leans more towards slasher territory than murder mystery territory. I recently re-watched it and thoroughly enjoyed it again. It's very preoccupied with sex, to be fair, but there are some good scenes with Suzy Kendall - e.g. the mirror/sun bit, and the newspaper/key bit, where the heroine gets to show off a bit of ingenuity. The reveal of the killer is a bit underwhelming, and Martino has done better gialli, but I dig it. I agree that both of those moments are nice. The whole final act is kind of neat. But that's the problem, I guess. Most of the film seems pretty irrelevant to the conclusion of it. The film is divided into two acts; One in Rome, presenting the academic surrounding of the girls and then the trip to the countryside where the rest of the film takes place. The setup doesn't sit well with me as I don't really feel much of it gets any payoff.

[EvilNed]

Friday the 13th Part 3, Continuing my trek through these films. I remembered this one as more impressive. It really is just a retread of part 2, which again is just a retread of part 1. This is probably where the series is at it's most formulaic. With the exception of the hockey mask and the horrible 3D effects, there's nothing noteworthy here. As a kid I had a censored VHS copy of this with much of the gore cut out. It was nice to see it uncut all these years later. There's alot of stuff the filmmakers try to poke right infront of the camera, just for the same of the 3D. It get's a bit contrived. Also the special effects are bad. As a kid I preferred this over Part 4, but now I'm starting to think Tom Savini is what'll help me enjoy 4 over 3.

[EvilNed]

Friday the 13th Part 4, Retread of all the same stuff. I don't think these films are meant to be watched within the same year of each other. I like the effects however. Tom Savini shines.

[MinionZombie]

Friday the 13th Part 4, Retread of all the same stuff. I don't think these films are meant to be watched within the same year of each other. I like the effects however. Tom Savini shines. I love the fourth one. I dig how it picks up later the same night as #3 - so you see the aftermath of the massacre, cops, paramedics and all - and the characters stand out quite nicely in this one. They feel more real than in past films and I actually care about some of them (i.e. don't want to see them die/am sad when they die). Savini's gore effects rock, and it's still in the 'classic look and sound' of F13th.

[EvilNed]

Quite a few since last post; Friday the 13th Part 5 Sue me but I prefer this one over 3 and 4. It's not better by awhole lot but at least there's something new in it. New setting and plot. Some people don't like it because Jason isn't in it, but to be honest Jason isn't "Jason" until he's undead anyway. Which brings me to... Friday the 13th Part 6 The best one. It came right in that golden era of horror films that was 1984-1986 from when most classics we remember from the 80's got released. This is the ONLY Friday the 13th film with an unfolding narrative (except maybe 10). All others are just a setup followed by a killing spree. It's also the FIRST (if not the only) Friday the 13th film that has a B-plot. The A plot revolves around Tommy Jarvis trying to stop Jason and the B-plot revolves around the sheriff trying to capture Tommy. Lot's of humour, neat soundtrack, cool 80's horror visuals and plenty of cheese. It's not trying to take itself too seriously which I think is a good thing at this point in the franchise. The Blood on Satan's Claw Lots of potential in this one. Some genuinley creepy stuff like the devil skin that spreads to its victims. Sometimes I feel as if it loses focus and the script could really have been rewritten one or two times to make some things much more clear than they are, as well as upplaying some of the vague moments which are what's creepy in this film. What happened to the girl in the attic? Was she the one who turned into the devil? Why'd they kill Mark? Night of the Comet Real 80's cheesefest but very entertaining to watch. You can tell it's low budget because the sets are few and even an abandoned Los Angeles would have desolate cars and bikes littering the main streets. That radio station they take cover in is more classy than most clubs I've been too. It loses focus in the third act. Not only are the evil "Think Tank" group underdeveloped but their underground facility is extremely easy to infiltrate AND sabotage. They should have either had more of a place in the film or not been apart of it at all. The same goes for the zombies. They're presented as a big threat but they're barely in it at all. Lots of neat ideas but trying to pull off too many of them. Fright Night Always a pleasure. A well executed film with great casting, soundtrack, visuals, effects and plot.

[MinionZombie]

Quite a few since last post; Friday the 13th Part 5 Sue me but I prefer this one over 3 and 4. It's not better by awhole lot but at least there's something new in it. New setting and plot. Some people don't like it because Jason isn't in it, but to be honest Jason isn't "Jason" until he's undead anyway. Which brings me to... Friday the 13th Part 6 The best one. It came right in that golden era of horror films that was 1984-1986 from when most classics we remember from the 80's got released. This is the ONLY Friday the 13th film with an unfolding narrative (except maybe 10). All others are just a setup followed by a killing spree. It's also the FIRST (if not the only) Friday the 13th film that has a B-plot. The A plot revolves around Tommy Jarvis trying to stop Jason and the B-plot revolves around the sheriff trying to capture Tommy. Lot's of humour, neat soundtrack, cool 80's horror visuals and plenty of cheese. It's not trying to take itself too seriously which I think is a good thing at this point in the franchise. 1) I'm one of those who doesn't like the 'fake Jason' angle. I'm fine with him being resurrected from the dead (in #6) - it's still Jason, he's just undead now. However, Part 5 does have a hell of a lot of kills in it (the most, or nearly the most, in the entire franchise IIRC - twenty-something). There's a sleazer vibe to it, as well (lots of boobs), but considering the director had previously done Savage Streets as well as adult movies this is hardly a surprise. The last of the 'classic look' F13th flicks, too. There's some really barmy moments in that movie, which are quite fun, but it has grown on me generally after a couple more viewings. It's still quite low down on my list of all F13th movies, but initially I hated it - but have warmed up to it more since. 2) F13th Part 6 is one of my favourites, too. The tone of it is excellent, the soundtrack, the story, the humour - it breathes fresh life into the franchise and is a stand out entry. I've seen that one countless times. It's a hell of a lot of fun. Ned - if you've not already seen the extensive "Crystal Lake Memories" documentary (inspired by the expansive book of the same name), then check it out. Lots of interviews and behind the scenes footage covering the entire franchise (remake and FvJ included) - from the same people who did the excellent docs on the ROTLD and ANOES franchises.

[bassman]

Trolls - decent enough as far as kids movies go, I guess. It's definitely no Pixar effort, but okay enough for one viewing and the kids liked it. Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children - I went into this having not ever heard of the books it's based on. It's PG13, but it's got some seriously scary and icky moments. Generally I'll allow my younger kids to watch PG13 movies and everything is fine, but this one kinda crosses the line a bit too much and gave my youngest nightmares. After Tim Burton's previous children movies, I wasn't expecting that. But other than thay, it too was just an "okay" movie. I certainly won't be seeking it out for another viewing. I don't think it made enough at the B.O. for the sequels to the other books to be made, either....

[ProfessorChaos]

Hacksaw Ridge i'm sure many of you have seen the previews and whatnot, but for those who haven't, it's the story of desmond doss, a seventh-day adventist who is firmly against violence, killing, or even carrying a weapon. he enlists as a medic in the army during the second world war, gets a ton of shit from his fellow soldiers and superior officers during the lead-up to his deployment, and eventually deploys to the pacific and earns the medal of honor for his bravery while saving dozens of lives on okinawa. some terrific action sequences and very graphic imagery....and the story itself and the man's commitment to his beliefs and convictions is truly inspiring. 10/10, highly recommended....buying this one on blu ray for sure.

[Neil]

Hacksaw Ridge i'm sure many of you have seen the previews and whatnot, but for those who haven't, it's the story of desmond doss, a seventh-day adventist who is firmly against violence, killing, or even carrying a weapon. he enlists as a medic in the army during the second world war, gets a ton of shit from his fellow soldiers and superior officers during the lead-up to his deployment, and eventually deploys to the pacific and earns the medal of honor for his bravery while saving dozens of lives on okinawa. some terrific action sequences and very graphic imagery....and the story itself and the man's commitment to his beliefs and convictions is truly inspiring. 10/10, highly recommended....buying this one on blu ray for sure. So Mr Gibson did good then! I plan on catching this at the cinema!

[EvilNed]

Night of the Creeps I've seen it before but giving it another whirl. It's alright and does alot of things right. In the end what it lacks, tho, is action. It's a rather slow burner with not nearly enough horror action going on. For a film that's clearly meant to be somewhat of a charming and chilling rollercoaster there just isn't enough of the latter. There's plenty of stuff that could have been axed in the script and given way to more zombie action. Like the whole alien wraparound thing. Pointless.

[Moon Knight]

Night of the Creeps I've seen it before but giving it another whirl. It's alright and does alot of things right. In the end what it lacks, tho, is action. It's a rather slow burner with not nearly enough horror action going on. For a film that's clearly meant to be somewhat of a charming and chilling rollercoaster there just isn't enough of the latter. There's plenty of stuff that could have been axed in the script and given way to more zombie action. Like the whole alien wraparound thing. Pointless. I still dig it. It's got Tom Atkins!