Movies: Horror Movie Discussion

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Anyone have thoughts on the Phantasm series? I've never gone past 1 & 2.

Rewatched 1 recently and was reminded how much I love it. I know it's considered a classic, so I wouldn't say it's underrated exactly, but it never seems to get quite as much love as a lot of others. Great work on a low budget. Coscarelli clearly throws every idea he had into the blender with it, but it still works. Dope score too.

I remember digging 2 when I was younger, but haven't seen it in decades. Never watched the others.

Same! Never saw anything past 2 (I don't think I was aware there was more), but they were quite fun.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

I want to beat Blackhawkswincup to something and I watched the last one last night, so...

Child's Play (1988) - 7/10 - This was both terrifying and original in 1988. There's something really basic about the fear that we have for things like dolls coming alive. It's harder to take the original seriously nowadays, especially with how campy some of the sequels were, but I think that it's still effective and I'm not going to judge it for not totally holding up. I just remember being chilled to the bone seeing it in 1988. Fun fact: Roger Ebert gave it 3 out of 4 stars.

Child's Play 2 (1990) - 6/10 - It's not as terrifying, but it adds more humor and a toy factory. It's a step down, but still a fun sequel.

Child's Play 3 (1991) - 4/10 - The military academy setting at least changed things up a little, but the shtick started to get old. Don Mancini, himself, said that he was running out of ideas.

Bride of Chucky (1998) - 5/10 - Chucky gets a female sidekick. This entry marked the turn towards comedy and parody. I kind of detest that change of direction, but I have to admit that this film was kind of entertaining. I can't say that I liked it, but it's hard to dislike something that makes fun of itself.

Seed of Chucky (2004) - 3/10 - Ok, I stand corrected. I can dislike something that makes fun of itself. This one ratcheted up the absurdity and comedy and went too far, becoming stupid. Glan (what kind of name is that?) is a really creepy looking (in a bad way) doll that travels to Hollywood to find his parents, but Chucky is disappointed in his son's sweetness and innocence and tries to teach him the ways of being evil. Enough said.

Curse of Chucky (2013) - 7/10 - The franchise returns to its horror roots. I really liked this one. It was ingenious to put the heroine in a wheelchair, as that makes her a lot more vulnerable, especially to a 3-foot doll. This is easily the 2nd best in the franchise and actually stands as a pretty good horror film in general. Fun fact: the heroine is the daughter of Brad Dourif (the voice of Chucky since the original).

Cult of Chucky (2017) - 5/10 - This one picks up after the last one, but slips a little back into the comedy and "hard to take seriously" elements that defined 'Bride' and 'Seed'. There's even a twist/cameo that directly links to those films and suggests that these last two are part of that continuum and not as much of a reboot as we might've assumed. It's really not bad, but was disappointing after how good 'Curse' was. It was nice to see the guy who played Andy in the first two Child's Play return and have a fairly sizable role, though.

Child's Play (2019) - 4/10 - This is pretty much a remake of the original, but, notably, the first entry in the franchise to be made without Don Mancini's involvement and the first to not be about a possessed doll. Instead, Chucky is simply a high tech doll that learns to be bad as part of its AI. His motives never really seem evil, just misguided, like an algorithm run amok. That ends up making him not very scary. He's also not that funny. The funny bits of the movie tend to be jokes added in that have nothing to do with the doll. If the doll known for being evil and funny is neither, what are you left with? It was also a bit too conspicuous that the movie was trying to copy Stranger Things by having the plot turn into four diverse 13-year-olds (a white boy, a redhead girl, a black boy and an overweight boy) teaming up to stop Chucky. A lot of people seem to like this entry, but I didn't.

In retrospect, it strikes me that the Child's Play movies range from bad to good, but not from awful to great like some of the other horror franchises do. There isn't that "great" entry like the original "Halloween" or "A Nightmare on Elm Street," but there isn't that one awful entry with no redeemable qualities like "Halloween Resurrection" or "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare." Even the worst, "Seed of Chucky," has a "so bad it's good quality" and can be enjoyable if you're in the right mood for it.

Can't rank these, I've seen 1 & 2 and that was it for me and I will never watch one again!

 

[Osprey]

Can't rank these, I've seen 1 & 2 and that was it for me and I will never watch one again!

That's a bit surprising, considering that you're a horror buff (named Violenza Domestica, even). Then again, I can also understand it, especially if you watched the first two in the last 20 years or so. I probably wouldn't be a fan if I didn't have memories of watching the first few at a much younger age. The first one, particularly, holds a place in my heart because it was the first R-rated movie and first horror movie that I saw at the theater. My dad misread the start time of another movie and took us to the drive-in an hour early, so I got to see the last half of a movie that he otherwise wouldn't have taken me to. Whoever decided to schedule a PG/PG-13 movie on the same screen as and after an R-rated horror movie wasn't really thinking things through, but I wasn't complaining.

Anyways, if you change your mind, you might care to give at least Curse of Chucky a try. It's actually a well-made modern horror movie, IMO, and something that I think might appeal to some people who aren't exactly fans of the franchise.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

That's a bit surprising, considering that you're a horror buff (named Violenza Domestica, even). Then again, I can also understand it, especially if you watched the first two in the last 20 years or so. I probably wouldn't be a fan if I didn't have memories of watching the first few at a much younger age. The first one, particularly, holds a place in my heart because it was the first R-rated movie and first horror movie that I saw at the theater. My dad misread the start time of another movie and took us to the drive-in an hour early, so I got to see the last half of a movie that he otherwise wouldn't have taken me to. Whoever decided to schedule a kid-friendly PG movie on the same screen as and after an R-rated horror movie wasn't really thinking things through.

Anyways, if you change your mind, you might care to give at least Curse of Chucky a try. It's actually a well-made modern horror movie, IMO, and something that I think might appeal to some people who aren't exactly fans of the franchise.

Oh I wasn't crapping on the whole thing, I've seen and enjoyed worse than these. Just never worked for me, kind of like the (cheapo) Puppet Master series.

 

[Osprey]

Annabelle Comes Home (2019) - 6/10 (Liked it)

The Warrens acquire the Annabelle doll and lock it in a glass cage in their basement, but, unbeknownst to them, it doesn't stay locked up. It takes place almost entirely in the Warrens' home and gives fans the closer look at the basement artifact room that they've been wanting and that's only been teased in the Conjuring movies. The story is a little weak and basically comes down to being about babysitting in a haunted house (i.e. a little bit Halloween, a little bit Amityville), but the execution mostly makes up for it. The acting is pretty good and mostly comes from three young actresses, since the Warrens appear only at the start and end. Like all Conjuring movies, it relies on quietness and creepiness punctuated by jump scares. I hate jump scares, but something dawned on me while watching. What makes the Conjuring movies so effective is that you know that there will be jump scares, so you're continually on the edge of your seat, expecting them at any moment. In other words, at least these movies use them for a greater purpose and toy with the audience by holding them back as long as possible. Maybe that's why I tolerate them in this franchise when they irritate me more in other horror films. Anyways, I liked the movie and consider it a good end to the trilogy. It's not quite as good as 'Creation', which had a stronger setting and story, but it's still a lot better than the 1st Annabelle and better than a 3rd entry in a horror franchise should be.

 

[tardigrade81]

Watched High Tension. Damn it’s gory. Wow

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Watched High Tension. Damn it’s gory. Wow

Doesn't work that well on repeted viewing, but a pretty interesting film nonetheless.

 

[tardigrade81]

Doesn't work that well on repeted viewing, but a pretty interesting film nonetheless.

I never even really heard of it before. A friend told me about it. Gives Rob Zombie movies a run for their money in the gore amount

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

I never even really heard of it before. A friend told me about it. Gives Rob Zombie movies a run for their money in the gore amount

Generated some interest into French gritty horror films for a while. Martyrs (IMO pretty bad) and À l'intérieur (interesting film even though not as neatly conducted or mastered as Haute Tension, and it has Béatrice Dalle so you can't lose there) are the more well-known of that post-HT wave.

 

[Juve]

I wish they would make more Satanic movies similar to the Omen.

 

[whatsbruin]

Watching john Carpenters "The Thing" right now. I'm not into gore Horror, but I really like this movie.
Holds up well over time.

 

[tardigrade81]

I wish they would make more Satanic movies similar to the Omen.

Agreed. Omen was awesome.

 

[Juve]

Agreed. Omen was awesome.

The Omen and The Exorcist are my favourite horror movies. I just find there is a lack of satanic type movies and any possession type movies are completely laughable.

 

[tardigrade81]

The Omen and The Exorcist are my favourite horror movies. I just find there is a lack of satanic type movies and any possession type movies are completely laughable.

Agreed! There have been a few low budget ones on Netflix that were awful.

I also like Exorcism Of Emily Rose. Got mixed reactions but thought it was good.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

The Omen and The Exorcist are my favourite horror movies. I just find there is a lack of satanic type movies and any possession type movies are completely laughable.

I've said it before, but Amityville II: The Possession, is a top-10 all-time horror film for me. Directed by Damiano Damiani (coolest director's name ever), it was - as far as I know - his only attempt at an american film, and it kind of ruined his career for some reason. Damiani was a very respected genre-film director (mostly crime/mafia movies), with a few highbrow notes to his filmography (La Noia for example, my favorite of his). He got to direct Tommy Lee Wallace's first screenplay, and watching the film, you can feel the battle between screenwriter and director. The screenplay is dull and dumb, it's both kind of a remake to the first film, and kind of a rippoff of The Exorcist. Damiani is a great director, and he didn't care at all for this film, he just wanted to sign something unique, so he worked around the screenplay - he managed to take out some crap (stuff ripping off The Shining), and most of all, added some very dark material: incest, abuse, and scary effects (he invented himself a device to create some of the acrobatic shots - something that clearly caught the eyes of Sam Raimi). Some of it was just too much for the MPAA (the husband raping his wife, the incest scene going into even weirder territories), but the very dark european feel is still there. It's still a film that somehow "goes too far".

Edit: and that Schifrin score might be my favorite horror film music.

 

[Osprey]

Halloween (2018) - 4/10 (Didn't like it)

I wanted to like this, but was disappointed. I had hoped that a 2018 Halloween might have a more substantive plot than an 80s sequel, but it didn't. At least the 80s sequels had likable protagonists, but Laurie Strode is not likable in this. I don't mind her being scarred by the past, but better writing and a better performance might've allowed us to feel for her. I didn't feel anything for her and Curtis seemed to me to mostly mail in her performance. Not a whole lot made sense. Why was Laurie so scared for 40 years and why did Michael hunt her down if they're no longer siblings (a plot element from the first sequel that was thrown out)? Also, why didn't Laurie tail the bus (with an arsenal in her car) to make sure that Michael was transferred successfully? She parks outside long enough to see the bus pull out and then goes "Welp, time to go home"? You could also ask why she lived nearby the facility if she was that scared of the man inside, but if it was to keep an eye on Michael and be ready for him, it makes the decision to not tail the bus even more mystifying. Finally...

Spoiler

The final girl trope is one thing, but are we really supposed to buy that the only characters to survive being face to face with the killer and defeat him are the girl, her mother and her grandmother? That almost sounds like a joke making fun of the trope. It just felt contrived and done for reasons other than good storytelling.

The Void (2016) - 4/10 (Didn't like it)

A group of strangers is trapped in a hospital by hooded cultists and abominations. This low budget horror film feels inspired by John Carpenter early on, like a mashup of Assault on Precinct 13 and The Thing. I wish that it had stayed that way. It just starts getting weird halfway through, with characters having visions and being teleported around, among other things, and I had trouble following it. I'm still not completely sure what the plot is or how it links from scene to scene. The practical effects (lots of tentacles and grotesque, inhuman bodies) are good and reminded me a lot of The Thing, but there isn't anything close to the same level of story to support them. The characters have little depth and the acting is pretty B-movie-ish. If you're really into body horror, you might want to check it out for that, but, otherwise, I wouldn't recommend the movie.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

If you guys are looking for a movie in that genre of horror may I suggest



or



Frankly I find Exorcist III to be better then Exorcist

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Frankly I find Exorcist III to be better then Exorcist

Well that's a crazy ass thing to say (I like your guts!)

It just shows how great a writer William Peter Blatty is. The film is an adaptation of his (pretty good) novel Legion and it has not much to do with The Exorcist. I don't know exactly when they decided to add the Exorcist stuff in order to sell it, but the fact that he made it work is a feat in itself. I like the film too, but you're talking crazy!

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

I find The Exorcist to be overrated and frankly boring

Also I don't see much appeal in the The Omen

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Well that's a crazy ass thing to say (I like your guts!)

It just shows how great a writer William Peter Blatty is. The film is an adaptation of his (pretty good) novel Legion and it has not much to do with The Exorcist. I don't know exactly when they decided to add the Exorcist stuff in order to sell it, but the fact that he made it work is a feat in itself. I like the film too, but you're talking crazy!

To answer my own question -

Unsatisfied with the film’s loose ties with the first Exorcist, Morgan Creek demanded significant rewrites and additional photography. To bear the title of The Exorcist, they felt the movie needed an effects-heavy exorcism sequence instead of the quiet, talky ending Blatty shot. They wrote a new character, a priest played by Nicol Williamson, into the third act. What’s more, Morgan Creek executives also demanded that Jason Miller (the actor who played Father Karras in The Exorcist) appear as Patient X. The reshoots would be expensive and arduous, especially due to Jason Miller’s declining health. Some of his performance would be accomplished with an uncredited double in lookalike makeup. Blatty wasn’t happy about any of this, but it happened anyway.

The History of ‘The Exorcist III’​

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

To answer my own question -

Unsatisfied with the film’s loose ties with the first Exorcist, Morgan Creek demanded significant rewrites and additional photography. To bear the title of The Exorcist, they felt the movie needed an effects-heavy exorcism sequence instead of the quiet, talky ending Blatty shot. They wrote a new character, a priest played by Nicol Williamson, into the third act. What’s more, Morgan Creek executives also demanded that Jason Miller (the actor who played Father Karras in The Exorcist) appear as Patient X. The reshoots would be expensive and arduous, especially due to Jason Miller’s declining health. Some of his performance would be accomplished with an uncredited double in lookalike makeup. Blatty wasn’t happy about any of this, but it happened anyway.

The History of ‘The Exorcist III’​

The entire Exorcist series of films have some of the more interesting backstory/behind-the-scenes of any horror series.

Has anyone seen the dueling Exorcist prequels from a few years back?
https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3438624/tale-two-exorcist-prequels-one-better/

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

The entire Exorcist series of films have some of the more interesting backstory/behind-the-scenes of any horror series.

Has anyone seen the dueling Exorcist prequels from a few years back?
https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3438624/tale-two-exorcist-prequels-one-better/

I've seen both, but don't remember much of any... Really forgetable films.

 

[MinimaMoralia]

Has anyone mentioned ‘Last Shift’ yet?
Bit of an indie horror flick, rookie cop has to cover a precinct with a dark past overnight. Avoids gratuitous gore and generic jump scares, and really nails the gradual build up of dread to a more or less satisfying twist ending.

Or The Autopsy of Jane Doe. Gotta love the modern flicks that nail the creep factor.

 

[Osprey]

Oculus (2013) - 5/10 (Didn't like or dislike it)

Siblings (Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites) confront a mirror that they believe is haunted and led to the deaths of their parents when they were kids. This is definitely a horror movie, but it also has elements of a psychological thriller that reminded me a bit of Shutter Island. Is the mirror actually haunted or could they be imagining it? That was a very clever, fresh angle to add. Unfortunately, I think that an opportunity was missed to explore it a bit further. If it had been a little more psychological and a little less cliche horror, it might've been a standout film, IMO. Also, while initially a little jarring, the frequent flashbacks make more sense as the film goes along and end up making for quite a unique story structure, where the flashbacks get more frequent and longer as it goes along, building up to the tragedy 12 years earlier, until the film is half flashbacks and half current scenes.

On the more negative side, it was hard for me to exactly follow along with what the siblings were doing and the rules that they were following. Spending time with a deadly mirror just to prove that it's deadly seems to me to make about as much sense as seeing if someone tries to kill you to prove that they're a serial killer... and the alarms reminding them to eat and drink felt pretty pointless, as well. This is a film that I think could've used another screenplay draft.

On the positive side again, the film has a nice feeling of tension throughout. Not a whole lot is happening most of the time, but director Mike Flannigan makes it interesting, anyways. Also, it has the redhead from Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, who maybe over-acts a little, but who cares? Finally, while it may not be for everyone, I really liked the ending, which is a bit of a jaw dropper. I really appreciate when a film ends in a way that I couldn't predict.

All things considered, the film has a number of things going for it, but is also a mixed bag and a bit of a missed opportunity. I liked several elements of it, but I'm not sure if I actually "liked" the whole package. That said, I'm glad that I watched it and I would still recommend it if you like "smart" horror films or psychological horror films, since there aren't many of either of those to begin with. BTW, it was just added to Netflix this month.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Black Christmas remake 2.0 has been getting thrashed by horror fans and absolutely bombed at box office

'Jumanji 2' Roars to $60M Opening While A24's 'Uncut Gems' Delivers Studio Record Debut - Box Office Mojo

Right behind Jewell is Universal and Blumhouse's Black Christmas, a remake of the 1974 holiday horror, and it was only able to muster an estimated $4.4 million from 2,625 locations. While this isn't the worst wide release for Blumhouse ever, it is the second worst wide release for a Blumhouse feature debuting in over 2,000 theaters behind 2015's bust Jem and the Holograms. And while the film entered the weekend with a 43% score on RottenTomatoes, horror films can typically withstand poor reviews, but audiences seemed to agree, giving the film a "D+" CinemaScore. Of the opening weekend crowd, 54% were female and 57% were aged 25 or older.

Internationally, Black Christmas opened in 37 international territories including France, Spain, Germany, Australia and the U.K. & Ireland for a weekend total of $3.1 million. France led the way with a $421k debut followed by a $379k release in the UK. The film will launch in Russia and Mexico next weekend.

The movie looked terrible and giving away plot (A stupid plot at that) via trailer also was dumb

Amazing they managed to make people appreciate the crappy remake from a few years ago. I mean it was awful but it sounds like a masterpiece compared to this