Eephus
Footballguy
Double SF for Sci-Fi and San Francisco. I walk past locations from that movie almost every day and see a lot of weirdness that could be explained by pod people.
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Double SF for Sci-Fi and San Francisco. I walk past locations from that movie almost every day and see a lot of weirdness that could be explained by pod people.
El Floppo
Footballguy
Yeah...I saw Subway (and Betty Blue) when it first came out. Silly but fun visual movie. I haven't seen it since and always felt it would be one that wouldn't hold up from its already medium bar in my memory. But I'm interested now.
I saw Spaulding Grey speak a couple times before and after Cambodia. Really enjoyed that movie- for both Grey and Demme's pacing. I always told my kids at the beach...the sea is a *****- you can play in her, but never with her.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
I meant San Fran but yeah a nice 2 for 1 phrasing I didn’t even realize I landed on
Eephus
Footballguy
I enjoyed Subway enough to recommend. It isn't as artfully composed as Diva but there's always a lot of action from director Luc Besson. The plot is ridiculous but that's not a disqualifier as long as everything moves along. I'm also a big fan of public transit and the Paris Metro in particular which gets featured as a world of possibilities in the film.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
Going to mostly be posting in the horror thread this month, but wanted to post a couple damn good classic horror movies that I watched last night in here: The Body Snatcher and I Bury the Living. Body Snatcher I rented, but the other is on Prime. Both worth checking out if you haven't seen them and are looking for a 40s/50s horror for the month.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Finally watched Blonde. I don’t think it’s quite as terrible as many critics said. It had some really strong qualities. For those that have seen The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, you can imagine how good Blonde looks. It’s absolutely incredible visually. Multiple aspect ratios, “film stocks”, color and B/W, etc. It is visually stunning and quite complex. However it has some fatal flaws that damn it:
1. There are 2 running storylines about her MIA dad and unborn babies. They are so clunky that you can’t believe this isn’t a student film. They should have been totally edited out. We get it, she may have had daddy issues.
2. It is truly all one note. The title should have been The Abuse of Marilyn Monroe. Just one character after another enters her life and sexually, physically and mentally abuses her. There is no joy here, just assault.
3. It’s almost 3 hours. That’s a really long time to watch a doomed person being treated horribly. Where was the editor?
The director has quite an eye and Anna De Armas nails the role (despite some slips of her Cuban accent). She captures the spirit of Norma Jean so purely. I just wish the construction had more focus and the purpose was more than just humiliation.
1. There are 2 running storylines about her MIA dad and unborn babies. They are so clunky that you can’t believe this isn’t a student film. They should have been totally edited out. We get it, she may have had daddy issues.
2. It is truly all one note. The title should have been The Abuse of Marilyn Monroe. Just one character after another enters her life and sexually, physically and mentally abuses her. There is no joy here, just assault.
3. It’s almost 3 hours. That’s a really long time to watch a doomed person being treated horribly. Where was the editor?
The director has quite an eye and Anna De Armas nails the role (despite some slips of her Cuban accent). She captures the spirit of Norma Jean so purely. I just wish the construction had more focus and the purpose was more than just humiliation.
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KarmaPolice
Footballguy
Oh, it's stupid.
It also looked great, especially in 3D and that's the only way I would suggest watching it. I tried a rewatch a month or so ago at home and it's a rough watch if you have to focus on plot more.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
Ilov80s
Footballguy
The first hour was a bit of a slog with all the narrative they have to deliver- they were starting to lose me but the 2nd half is so well done. Do the new super hero CGI movies look as good as Avatar? The 3D worked so well and everything looked quite tactile. I was impressed and entertained. I will likely see Way of Water just to see where Cameron has taken the technology.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Nice, I am a big fan of the site. Great way to track and organize movies, get recommendations, etc.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
I am not big on 3D, it's mostly gimmick. Only seen a few in the theater, and Avatar was by far the best. I will probably see the new one because of my theater experience with the first, despite thinking the movie itself is not great.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Yeah, I haven't seen a 3D movie since before Avatar originally came out and always walked away finding it lame. Based on all the hype, I assumed Avatar would be the best version of 3D ever done. It certainly impressed me. Have their been 3D Marvel movies? How many movies are done in 3D?
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Eephus
Footballguy
I saw Rogue One in 3D and I think one of the MCU films.
It's been a gimmick since the 50s. Of the old 3D movies, I've seen Creature From the Black Lagoon, House of Wax and Dial M for Murder. The coolest effect I've seen is the paddle ball man from House of Wax. It does nothing to advance the story. The director Andre de Toth only had one eye.
www.youtube.com
It's been a gimmick since the 50s. Of the old 3D movies, I've seen Creature From the Black Lagoon, House of Wax and Dial M for Murder. The coolest effect I've seen is the paddle ball man from House of Wax. It does nothing to advance the story. The director Andre de Toth only had one eye.
House of Wax 3D - 1953 - Paddle Ball
HD UPDATE!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFndIrfEJl8This is the paddle ball scene from the original House of Wax in 3D from 1953 (film transfer). This is...
www.youtube.com
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Yeah I always felt it was a gimmick but IMO it wasn't a gimmick in Avatar. It was the movie. Is the 3D in the Marvel and SW movies so deeply embedded?I saw Rogue One in 3D and I think one of the MCU films.
It's been a gimmick since the 50s. Of the old 3D movies, I've seen Creature From the Black Lagoon, House of Wax and Dial M for Murder. The coolest effect I've seen is the paddle ball man from House of Wax. It does nothing to advance the story. The director Andre de Toth only had one eye.
House of Wax 3D - 1953 - Paddle Ball
HD UPDATE!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFndIrfEJl8This is the paddle ball scene from the original House of Wax in 3D from 1953 (film transfer). This is...
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
@Ilov80s - a cheesy link HERE put a quick list of ones that look to be shot in 3D.Yeah I always felt it was a gimmick but IMO it wasn't a gimmick in Avatar. It was the movie. Is the 3D in the Marvel and SW movies so deeply embedded?I saw Rogue One in 3D and I think one of the MCU films.
It's been a gimmick since the 50s. Of the old 3D movies, I've seen Creature From the Black Lagoon, House of Wax and Dial M for Murder. The coolest effect I've seen is the paddle ball man from House of Wax. It does nothing to advance the story. The director Andre de Toth only had one eye.
House of Wax 3D - 1953 - Paddle Ball
HD UPDATE!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFndIrfEJl8This is the paddle ball scene from the original House of Wax in 3D from 1953 (film transfer). This is...
Eephus
Footballguy
It makes sense that animated films dominate the list. It's easier to render in 3D than it is to film.
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
Wasn't planned but of the 5 DVDs I picked up from the library, 3 of them had Daniel Stern.
Caught up with these classics the other day.
---------------------
Breaking Away
City Slickers
Diner
----------------------
Watched Diner and then City Slickers and didn't notice that I still had Breaking Away cued up for the weekend.
Must have been a subconscious marketing on some level, lol.
I enjoyed each of them.
Just love Diner. It is really good if you haven't seen it in awhile.
City Slickers is light-fair but fun enough.
Breaking Away is a much better sports movie then I realized and did you know that ELLIS from Die Hard plays the heavy frat rat lead in this movie.
"Hans, Bubbe, I'm your white knight."
Caught up with these classics the other day.
---------------------
Breaking Away
City Slickers
Diner
----------------------
Watched Diner and then City Slickers and didn't notice that I still had Breaking Away cued up for the weekend.
Must have been a subconscious marketing on some level, lol.
I enjoyed each of them.
Just love Diner. It is really good if you haven't seen it in awhile.
City Slickers is light-fair but fun enough.
Breaking Away is a much better sports movie then I realized and did you know that ELLIS from Die Hard plays the heavy frat rat lead in this movie.
"Hans, Bubbe, I'm your white knight."
jdoggydogg
Footballguy
Ahhhh I didn't know it was filmed in SF. Where in SF?
jdoggydogg
Footballguy
I liked Avatar despite how ridiculously corny it is. But I don't think it's controversial to say it's by far the most incredible 3D movie made in the last several years. Most 3D movies are lazily ported from 2D. But the care that went into Avatar's 3D is pretty remarkable.
krista4
Footballguy
I watched this on a plane last week. It's embarrassing to cry on a plane while watching a movie about a shell.* In fact I'd say it was the most embarrassed I've felt since I also cried on a plane watching The Muppet Movie.
*It isn't a sad movie, but emotionally uplifting. Loved it and want to watch again soon...but not in public.
Gr00vus
Footballguy
I watched Solomon and Sheba (1959) the other night (Tubi). Not good. A doomed production once Tyrone Power (who was the original Solomon, and also a co-producer for the film) died doing a fight scene with George Sanders during filming. They had to redo the whole thing with Yul Brynner replacing Power and it looks like everyone was mailing it in at that point. There's not much to the story, and what there is wasn't very compelling.
Casting George Sanders as Adonija was just bizarre - I get he's supposed to be older than Solomon, but they went too far in the older direction. I just couldn't buy him as a macho warrior, he had near zero physical presence, and there was no point at which I thought he could actually take Brynner in a fight, which really eliminates any tension between them because that's all the character has to offer.
Gina Lollobrigida is a stunner, and since nobody really knows where Sheba actually was, I guess it's acceptable to cast her as it's queen - her attempt to work out of an Italian accent wasn't super jarring. Her hairstyle was distracting though. I don't know if they were teasing out her own hair or that was a wig, but I just kept wanting somebody to restyle it throughout the film. Her sheer physical beauty was probably the best thing about the film, your eye is unconsciously drawn to her in whatever scene she occupies.
Though they attempted to make this a biblical epic kind of thing, the multiple battle scenes really suffered from a paucity of extras and really bad fight staging.
The dialogue was average to poor throughout.
Brynner's hair piece did a great job.
Skip it, there are other, better Lollobrigida vehicles to see.
Casting George Sanders as Adonija was just bizarre - I get he's supposed to be older than Solomon, but they went too far in the older direction. I just couldn't buy him as a macho warrior, he had near zero physical presence, and there was no point at which I thought he could actually take Brynner in a fight, which really eliminates any tension between them because that's all the character has to offer.
Gina Lollobrigida is a stunner, and since nobody really knows where Sheba actually was, I guess it's acceptable to cast her as it's queen - her attempt to work out of an Italian accent wasn't super jarring. Her hairstyle was distracting though. I don't know if they were teasing out her own hair or that was a wig, but I just kept wanting somebody to restyle it throughout the film. Her sheer physical beauty was probably the best thing about the film, your eye is unconsciously drawn to her in whatever scene she occupies.
Though they attempted to make this a biblical epic kind of thing, the multiple battle scenes really suffered from a paucity of extras and really bad fight staging.
The dialogue was average to poor throughout.
Brynner's hair piece did a great job.
Skip it, there are other, better Lollobrigida vehicles to see.
Eephus
Footballguy
Solomon and Sheba was the final film directed by King Vidor who'd had a long Hollywood career dating back to the silents. He reportedly didn't like the film either.
Bluesbomber
Footballguy
I watched Hunted. Benicio Del Toro and Tommy Lee Jones fighting, killing and making smart talking people look stupid...two thumbs up.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Wow didn’t realize Vidor lasted that long. Incredible longevity. The Big Parade in ‘25 seems to be cited as the first blockbuster war film.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Back to my Shocktober Film Fest
5. Cat People (‘42) I’ve seen this before and was hoping it would make more of an impression on me the second time. I get that this was low budget and they get a lot of credit for identifying that not showing is scarier than showing. However, it still doesn’t do much for me. Not a bad movie but just a little underwhelming given the reputation.
6. The Haunting (1963) Another rewatch of a movie that I was disappointed in the first time. This time the rewatch was well worth it. My first time I saw it, was not long after reading the Shirley Jackson book and the liberties the movie took disappointed me. On the rewatch with properly calibrated expectations, I really enjoyed The Haunting. It’s almost a melodrama more than a horror. Repression, closeted homosexuality, trauma. All done under the guise of a haunted house and interestingly directed by Robert Wise in between West Side Story and The Sound of Music.
7. An American Werewolf in London (1981) First time watch. The monster effects are cool but almost none of the comedy worked for me. It wasn’t lame or stupid, I just didn’t get the humor.
8. Frankenstein (1931) A staple of the season. An easy breezy watch full of atmosphere. Never disappointed with old Dr. Frank.
5. Cat People (‘42) I’ve seen this before and was hoping it would make more of an impression on me the second time. I get that this was low budget and they get a lot of credit for identifying that not showing is scarier than showing. However, it still doesn’t do much for me. Not a bad movie but just a little underwhelming given the reputation.
6. The Haunting (1963) Another rewatch of a movie that I was disappointed in the first time. This time the rewatch was well worth it. My first time I saw it, was not long after reading the Shirley Jackson book and the liberties the movie took disappointed me. On the rewatch with properly calibrated expectations, I really enjoyed The Haunting. It’s almost a melodrama more than a horror. Repression, closeted homosexuality, trauma. All done under the guise of a haunted house and interestingly directed by Robert Wise in between West Side Story and The Sound of Music.
7. An American Werewolf in London (1981) First time watch. The monster effects are cool but almost none of the comedy worked for me. It wasn’t lame or stupid, I just didn’t get the humor.
8. Frankenstein (1931) A staple of the season. An easy breezy watch full of atmosphere. Never disappointed with old Dr. Frank.
Eephus
Footballguy
A late-period William Friedkin film. It's in my queue after my Friedkin mini-binge last month.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
The Big Parade is great -- it looks ahead of its time with the scale. That may be the only King Vidor movie that I've seen.
Eephus
Footballguy
Vidor finished shooting The Wizard of Oz after Victor Fleming left the production to direct Gone with the Wind. Vidor's work on the sepiatone Kansas scenes (including "Over the Rainbow") was uncredited.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
The Crowd is probably Vidor’s crowning achievement. The Champ is also quite a good sentimental film. If I had to round out his imaginary Mt Rushmore, I would go Stella Dallas which is one Stanwyck’s best performances.
Eephus
Footballguy
Northwest Passage with Spencer Tracy is an entertaining adventure yarn shot in gorgeous three-strip Technicolor. It's racist by modern standards but less so by the standards of 1940 or 1759.
Eephus
Footballguy
I did a mini-binge of four films directed by Bob Rafelson who passed away earlier this year. Rafelson was a key figure in the New Hollywood movement that happened outside of the major studios in the late 60s-early 70s. His career peaked during this period and his reputation isn't as great as some of his contemporaries but he had a lasting impact by making Jack Nicholson into a big star.
Head (1968) is a sketch comedy/musical starring the Monkees. It cleverly deconstructs the band's image in a style with elliptical recurring bits that reminded me of Monty Python. I thought the humor held up pretty well but your mileage may vary. Rafelson also wrote the movie along with Nicholson.
Five Easy Pieces (1970) is Rafelson's most famous film. It's a tale of alienated characters that captured the spirit of their times. Nicholson and Karen Black are both terrific but I probably liked this one the least of the four.
Stay Hungry (1976) is probably best known today for launching the acting career of Arnold Schwarzenegger (although he'd appeared in other movies previously). It's a comedy set in Birmingham, Alabama about a young businessman trying to buy a gym so his company can develop the land. Jeff Bridges delivers a typically laid back performance as the businessman and Sally Field plays his love interest. They and a colorful cast of characters populate a universe where anything can happen. The plot bounces along unpredictably, everybody gets a great scene or two and Rafelson manages to say something about class with more humor than he did in Five Easy Pieces.
Mountains of the Moon (1990) was a very pleasant surprise for me because I never heard of it before my dive into Rafelson's work. It's a period piece based on Richard Burton and John Speke's 1857 expedition to discover the source of the Nile. Mountains of the Moon is an epic tale of endurance but it works on a more personal level exploring the friendship and rivalry between the explorers. It's a beautiful film shot mostly in Kenya by the great cinematographer Roger Deakins. The story stumbled a bit in the second half but I was fully invested in the characters by then.
Of the four, I'd only seen Head before and that was 40 years ago. I was very impressed by Rafelson's work. He struck me as an actor's director frequently working in long takes without much in the way of kinetic camera movement or editing. His visual style isn't flashy; he's more interested in telling the story. Rafelson was a credited writer on all four of the scripts and all the protagonists share a kind of restlessness that propels their stories. Of the big 70s filmmakers, Rafelson is probably the most simlar to Robert Altman but Rafelson is a more efficient storyteller. There's never the sense that a scene is going on too long in Rafelson's films. They transition quickly and sometimes abruptly to the next thing. I'll probably watch his The King of Marvin Gardens and The Postman Always Rings Twice at some point but I'm moving on to some horror before Halloween.
Head (1968) is a sketch comedy/musical starring the Monkees. It cleverly deconstructs the band's image in a style with elliptical recurring bits that reminded me of Monty Python. I thought the humor held up pretty well but your mileage may vary. Rafelson also wrote the movie along with Nicholson.
Five Easy Pieces (1970) is Rafelson's most famous film. It's a tale of alienated characters that captured the spirit of their times. Nicholson and Karen Black are both terrific but I probably liked this one the least of the four.
Stay Hungry (1976) is probably best known today for launching the acting career of Arnold Schwarzenegger (although he'd appeared in other movies previously). It's a comedy set in Birmingham, Alabama about a young businessman trying to buy a gym so his company can develop the land. Jeff Bridges delivers a typically laid back performance as the businessman and Sally Field plays his love interest. They and a colorful cast of characters populate a universe where anything can happen. The plot bounces along unpredictably, everybody gets a great scene or two and Rafelson manages to say something about class with more humor than he did in Five Easy Pieces.
Mountains of the Moon (1990) was a very pleasant surprise for me because I never heard of it before my dive into Rafelson's work. It's a period piece based on Richard Burton and John Speke's 1857 expedition to discover the source of the Nile. Mountains of the Moon is an epic tale of endurance but it works on a more personal level exploring the friendship and rivalry between the explorers. It's a beautiful film shot mostly in Kenya by the great cinematographer Roger Deakins. The story stumbled a bit in the second half but I was fully invested in the characters by then.
Of the four, I'd only seen Head before and that was 40 years ago. I was very impressed by Rafelson's work. He struck me as an actor's director frequently working in long takes without much in the way of kinetic camera movement or editing. His visual style isn't flashy; he's more interested in telling the story. Rafelson was a credited writer on all four of the scripts and all the protagonists share a kind of restlessness that propels their stories. Of the big 70s filmmakers, Rafelson is probably the most simlar to Robert Altman but Rafelson is a more efficient storyteller. There's never the sense that a scene is going on too long in Rafelson's films. They transition quickly and sometimes abruptly to the next thing. I'll probably watch his The King of Marvin Gardens and The Postman Always Rings Twice at some point but I'm moving on to some horror before Halloween.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Shocktober update pt 3
9. The Omen ('76) I actually hadn't seen the entirety of The Omen before. I think when I was in my horror/slasher middle school phase, we rented this but turned it off because it was too slow. Needless to say, my patience is much greater at 40 as is what I am looking for in a horror movie. This was genuinely a well made and well acted film. Gregory Peck and Lee Remick add a real gravitas that horror films rarely get. This along with The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby make for quite a stellar big budget trio of Satanic religious themed horror films.
10. Poltergeist ('82) It was maybe my earliest non B/W horror film memory and it was the scariest thing I'd seen in my life. Revisiting that impression 30ish years later, I see why it spooked me so perfectly as a kid but as an adult, this movie isn't likely to offer many scares. It feels safe and has a Spielberg touch that left me never actually feeling in danger.
11. The Blob ('58) The epitome of a 50s B picture only this one stars Steve McQueen as one of the oldest looking teens ever to lead a movie. The FX are hilarious and when they switch to miniatures, it could not be more obvious. The scene of the teens fleeing the crowded theater is well done and feels like a classic horror scene. The theme song rules. I am sure some will say it's a Cold War metaphor but honestly it just seems like a low budget movie about a killer blob.
12. A Return to Salem's Lot ('87) The acting in this
Tara Reid as a child vampire bride, Samuel Fuller as an ex-NAZI turned vampire hunter,Old Hollywood stars with ties to films like Gone with the Wind and Around the World in 80 Days and a plot about a race of super capitalist vampires. This is a sequel to the King book/movie in name only. Despite being an awful movie, it's awfully entertaining.
13. The Curse of Frankenstein ('57) I had to get at least one Hammer movie in here. This is one of the more serious Hammer movies before they became total schlock. Was this the first big Hammer Horror hit? Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee are great as is the vibe, costumes, sets, etc. No real scares here, just relaxing Halloween campy vibes.
9. The Omen ('76) I actually hadn't seen the entirety of The Omen before. I think when I was in my horror/slasher middle school phase, we rented this but turned it off because it was too slow. Needless to say, my patience is much greater at 40 as is what I am looking for in a horror movie. This was genuinely a well made and well acted film. Gregory Peck and Lee Remick add a real gravitas that horror films rarely get. This along with The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby make for quite a stellar big budget trio of Satanic religious themed horror films.
10. Poltergeist ('82) It was maybe my earliest non B/W horror film memory and it was the scariest thing I'd seen in my life. Revisiting that impression 30ish years later, I see why it spooked me so perfectly as a kid but as an adult, this movie isn't likely to offer many scares. It feels safe and has a Spielberg touch that left me never actually feeling in danger.
11. The Blob ('58) The epitome of a 50s B picture only this one stars Steve McQueen as one of the oldest looking teens ever to lead a movie. The FX are hilarious and when they switch to miniatures, it could not be more obvious. The scene of the teens fleeing the crowded theater is well done and feels like a classic horror scene. The theme song rules. I am sure some will say it's a Cold War metaphor but honestly it just seems like a low budget movie about a killer blob.
12. A Return to Salem's Lot ('87) The acting in this
Tara Reid as a child vampire bride, Samuel Fuller as an ex-NAZI turned vampire hunter,Old Hollywood stars with ties to films like Gone with the Wind and Around the World in 80 Days and a plot about a race of super capitalist vampires. This is a sequel to the King book/movie in name only. Despite being an awful movie, it's awfully entertaining. 13. The Curse of Frankenstein ('57) I had to get at least one Hammer movie in here. This is one of the more serious Hammer movies before they became total schlock. Was this the first big Hammer Horror hit? Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee are great as is the vibe, costumes, sets, etc. No real scares here, just relaxing Halloween campy vibes.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
Pffft.. Only 13 scary movies for month, rookie? 
j/k - I know they aren't your jam to begin with, so I'm surprised you have that many in.
I think from my adventures in the genre this month I've realized I don't really enjoy mainstream slashers much anymore, and most of the movies I've liked the best that were new to me were 60s and earlier.
Looking at my letterboxd diary, it looks like the ones at the top for the month are : Eyes Without a Face, The Body Snatcher, and The Stepfather.
j/k - I know they aren't your jam to begin with, so I'm surprised you have that many in. I think from my adventures in the genre this month I've realized I don't really enjoy mainstream slashers much anymore, and most of the movies I've liked the best that were new to me were 60s and earlier.
Looking at my letterboxd diary, it looks like the ones at the top for the month are : Eyes Without a Face, The Body Snatcher, and The Stepfather.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
I'm also doing research to do more Noir-vember with you this year seeing how much I was liking the genre before horror month hit. I would love to get to several that are new to me, but will probably kick off the month exploring my 4K of Double Indemnity.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
Watched the 4K UHD Criterion of Double Indemnity this past weekend. It has probably been 20 years since I watched it, but it was as great as I remember the movie being. Still need to explore the bonus features.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
I am going to hit my target of 31...I think. I enjoy the older horror movies a lot more than the stuff from the 80s on because I am not really into tons of gore and well I guess I don't actually like my scary movies to be all that scary. Eyes Without a Face is a classic. I need to rewatch The Body Snatcher. I didn't really like it on first watch. Directed by Robert Wise, starring Legosi and Karloff. That should be a slam dunk. I am guessing I just wasn't in the mood or was distracted watching it the first time. Sounds like I need to keep an eye out for The Stepfather as well. Is that the 80s movie?Pffft.. Only 13 scary movies for month, rookie?
I think from my adventures in the genre this month I've realized I don't really enjoy mainstream slashers much anymore, and most of the movies I've liked the best that were new to me were 60s and earlier.
Looking at my letterboxd diary, it looks like the ones at the top for the month are : Eyes Without a Face, The Body Snatcher, and The Stepfather.
Hell yeah, love it. I absolutely planning a Noirvember "film fest" for next month. Maybe I will drop a playlist of what I am planning to watch since I have been mapping these out ahead of time but just posting as I watch.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
I am going to hit my target of 31...I think. I enjoy the older horror movies a lot more than the stuff from the 80s on because I am not really into tons of gore and well I guess I don't actually like my scary movies to be all that scary. Eyes Without a Face is a classic. I need to rewatch The Body Snatcher. I didn't really like it on first watch. Directed by Robert Wise, starring Legosi and Karloff. That should be a slam dunk. I am guessing I just wasn't in the mood or was distracted watching it the first time. Sounds like I need to keep an eye out for The Stepfather as well. Is that the 80s movie?Pffft.. Only 13 scary movies for month, rookie?
I think from my adventures in the genre this month I've realized I don't really enjoy mainstream slashers much anymore, and most of the movies I've liked the best that were new to me were 60s and earlier.
Looking at my letterboxd diary, it looks like the ones at the top for the month are : Eyes Without a Face, The Body Snatcher, and The Stepfather.
Hell yeah, love it. I absolutely planning a Noirvember "film fest" for next month. Maybe I will drop a playlist of what I am planning to watch since I have been mapping these out ahead of time but just posting as I watch.
I could just be that I am really not too familiar with very many horror movies from the 60s or before besides the main heavy hitters that most have probably watched. I also have a bias that I think older classics are going to be a big too G and not remotely creepy or try to push any boundries, so it could have just been that I just liked the basic idea of the movie. Also, I seem to really like B&W movies when I am high for whatever reason.
The Stepfather is from '87. It looks like it's on Shudder, Kanopy, Peacock, and AMC+ if you have any of those. I think you would like it, and would say it's probably more on the lines of a thriller than horror. Just a great, creepy performance from Terry O'Quinn. Not sure I said it in here or the horror thread, but it also still works as a allegory for resistance to change from the good ol' values of the day.
That would be awesome. Not sure you saw my post in one of the threads about Pure Cinema Podcast? They are through the New Beverly Theater and some of the pods are about what's showing there, but a lot are talking about genres and listing movies they recommend. Most of the time they dig pretty deep and I have been introduced to several good movies I've never heard of before. The downside is, sometimes they are so off the beaten path that they aren't even available to stream, even as a rental. The reason I brought it up was episode # 9 from 2017 was Neo & Noir. They each picked 5 neo-noir movies and paired them with a classic noir. I only listened a little bit, and was probably going to listen tomorrow when I had a pen handy to write any that popped up. My blindspot is still huge with the genre, so I figured I am also all set with picking out a few more of the Color in Noir and Japanese Noir Collections on the Criterion Channel, and assumed they would also have a new one added at the beginning of the month. Wouldn't mind a couple from 2010 on as well to mix it up.
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
If you grab a handful of movies and binge-watch you lose perspective and don't give attention especially to a movie that you've never seen before.
Add, if a movie is labeled Horror/Comedy doesn't mean anything. Take a movie, especially the first viewing without preconceptions or expectations or you will feel that you need a quota of what you consider comedy with satisfying belly laughs to tick off an internal list because you came in with an expectation.
There is a reason why a 45-year-old movie still has sway, and it isn't only due to ground-breaking makeup practical special effects that are still considered the best of its genre.
The underground scene is one of the all-time best. First, NO SOUNDTRACK but the sound effects make that scene a classic beginning with the transitional sound of screeching train brakes into the isolated traveler. His footsteps, coin dropped into a vending machine, all safe and mundane... then the diegetic sound of a growl being taken out of his world to the presence of the werewolf who begins out of view, into a chase with leading to the exceptional sound transition into the zoo scene.
An American Werewolf in London is the only horror movie that I love. Truly love it above any of the derivative excremental boring shock/scare flotsam void of value on any level.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
I don't know if I binged watched it. It was the only movie I watched that night. I gave it attention, it was definitely entertaining and I enjoyed it. Like you said, for being considered one of the all time great comedy horror movies and directed by Landes, I was perhaps expecting something else. I tend to not like comedy and horror merged. I don't care for The Army of Darkness films at all. The practical effects were great and it's probably the best werewolf movie I've seen (not the highest bar there) but it wasn't special to me. I wish I had seen it 25 years ago, I am sure I would have enjoyed it more. My think my biggest complaint is actually the leads. I am not a fan of Dunne or Naughton. The movie for me worked in spite of them.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
How do you binge watch 1 movie? I assume Bracie is accusing us of watching too many movies in the month and not digesting them properly?
Anyway, I think I am a little bit more in @Ilov80s' camp. I didn't think AWiL held up quite as well as a few of the other 80s horror movies I watched in Sept. I agree a large portion of what makes the the movie memorable is the soundtrack (but I don't watch movies for their soundtracks) and the F/X, of which a lot is the main transformation scene. For me the movie is better in the first half than the last. Mandatory viewing for the genre, especially the werewolf subgenre since there are hardly any good ones there, but probably not in my personal top 20 or so anymore.
I also think I largely agree with 80s agree about the Evil Dead movies. I feel I am in the minority that likes the first the best. After that, they are fun movies, but ones that I would prefer watch with a group vs. anything that I would normally seek out to watch at home.
Anyway, I think I am a little bit more in @Ilov80s' camp. I didn't think AWiL held up quite as well as a few of the other 80s horror movies I watched in Sept. I agree a large portion of what makes the the movie memorable is the soundtrack (but I don't watch movies for their soundtracks) and the F/X, of which a lot is the main transformation scene. For me the movie is better in the first half than the last. Mandatory viewing for the genre, especially the werewolf subgenre since there are hardly any good ones there, but probably not in my personal top 20 or so anymore.
I also think I largely agree with 80s agree about the Evil Dead movies. I feel I am in the minority that likes the first the best. After that, they are fun movies, but ones that I would prefer watch with a group vs. anything that I would normally seek out to watch at home.
The Man With No Name
Footballguy
If any of you Noir fans get it, Movies! Network has Noir Thursdays and has for a long long time. One Good one I've seen before is on tonight - "Each Dawn I Die", with Cagney and Raft
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
I found this post interesting, first off because it's a sequel and one very similar to the first. Then I was trying to think about what other horror was out there at that time besides the Halloween 4s of the world. I didn't verify dates, but Hellraiser, Near Dark, Prince of Darkness, The Stepfather, and some others around that time. But then that list screams more of video rental and cult following than what would be in the theaters for very long. So I get what you are saying there.
Eephus
Footballguy
Evil Dead II had better production values and more over-the-top humor than the first. I probably was overstating its cultural significance but it seemed like something out of the ordinary in 1987.
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
People need to categorize and label, especially movies. American Werewolf in London was and still is difficult for people to cleanly place in one box. I love the complexity as it does not fit into one clean genre and saw a review labeling that as 'COMIC UNEASE' which I find highly amusing.
The rule for greatness of a movie is one or two great memorable scenes making American Werewolf in London a classic. The first could be the circling attack on the Moors but I love the slow-burn build-up of the disorienting montage dream sequences leading to possibly the best jump-scare of the double-bluff false waking. Fantastic.
The second, is the first encounter with Jack and the hyper realism of his appearance along with the terrifying truth that he reveals to David. It is the best scene of the entire film, positively mesmerizing and the key to the entire story is in that scene and it delivers in full.
The next is the iconic transformation scene which volumes have been written, each detail analyzed and dissected. Obviously classic, nuff said.
I went over the incredible underground scene already.
Where you dislike the characters, I instantly identified with them and their glib, sarcastic patter. It was exactly how me and my best friend would riff off each other at that time and the movie perfectly captures 'that look' of 1980 with the hair and puffy coats, it's like time travel.
Even with a low budget and a first-time script written by a teen aged John Landis who wrote it on-the-side while working on the film Kelly's Heros in Europe after he witnessed gypsies warding off evil with spells and how it compelled him into writing his script, and even how he 'let' his second unit have free reign to make the Nazi-dream sequence that doesn't come close to the other special effects with the cheap masks the film easily has four or five great scenes making it without a doubt an all-time classic.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
@Bracie Smathers love your enthusiasm and knowledge on the film. I certainly will watch it again in the future years. It certainly may grow on me. Just sometimes a movie strikes you a certain way and sometimes it doesn’t.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
I think you are spot on. It really struck a chord with a certain audience. Probably a similar audience that went onto make and enjoy the 90s indie movement. Like they say how everyone who listened to The Velvet Underground started a band, I think everyone who loved The Evil Dead 2 made movies. It was a total video store darling recommended from movie nerd to other movie nerds.
