Movies: Horror Movie Discussion

[Blackhawkswincup]

Ghoulies (1985) - 2/10
A son of a cult leader summons little demons for some reason. This is so terrible that, halfway through, I just wanted it over with and skipped through most of the second half until the end. The ghoulies are barely in it and barely do anything. I (like probably everyone else) always assumed that this was a Gremlins rip off, but it started production at the same time and was released afterward only because the filmmakers ran out of money and needed to scrape together more to finish it. Yeah, it's that low budget. Low budget can be fun, but this was just really bad.

Ghoulies II (1987) - 4/10
The ghoulies terrorize a rural carnival. This is one of those rare sequels that's better than the original, quite a bit better, in fact... though that has a lot to do with the original being awful. It's still stupid, but at least it's somewhat fun and the carnival setting is interesting. Even though the original wasn't a rip off of Gremlins, this sequel smartly took some cues from it by giving the ghoulies a lot more screen time and making them more evil. They spend most of their time in the horror walk-through attraction, where guests mistake them for animatronics, even when they're torturing their victims, who are also assumed to be part of the show, which was somewhat amusing. Unlike the original, which I had forgotten about, this one brought back some memories and nostalgia of watching it as a kid. It's not a good movie or anything, don't get me wrong, but it's the most watchable and best of the franchise.

Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to College (1990) - 3/10
The ghoulies are summoned to a college campus and kill a few co-eds. This one drops most of the horror and goes full comedy. The ghoulies now act like the Three Stooges and even talk, which is cringy. They're also less evil and spend half of their time spying on naked girls. They're even relegated a bit as the story is more about a rivalry between fraternities for which one can pull off the best pranks. Because of that, it feels sort of like a Revenge of the Nerds movie, but with ghoulies thrown in. It's watchable, but really lame.

Ghoulies IV (1994) - 3/10
A police detective has a jewel that a cult leader wants. Someone thought that it was a good idea to re-visit the subject of the original movie... and do it without any ghoulies. That's right... Ghoulies IV has no ghoulies in it, unless you count the inserted clips from the original. It does have two trolls (little people in really bad costumes), like the original, but they're friendly, funny trolls. In fact, come to think of it, this movie has no blood, gore, nudity or even a swear that I can remember, so it might've been made for TV. It all sounds really awful, and it is, but at least it has a few jokes and I found it more watchable than the original, which is to say that at least I didn't fast forward through the second half.

Well, that was a somewhat unpleasant marathon. The second was worth seeing again, but I didn't need to see the rest, especially when I had better horror movies I could've watched the day before Halloween. In fact, I'm realizing that this is probably more of a comedy franchise than a horror franchise. Oh well.

Your being very, very, very, very generous to Ghoulies III and IV IMO

 

[OzzyFan]

I really disliked Men, which is why I didn't recommend it. I haven't seen Barbarian because it's not on streaming yet, but it's on my radar.

Prey for the Devil comes out this month! Finally


Same, I keep wondering what is it I’m missing? Because people keep talking like it’s a must see

I loved Crawl, shame it seems to go unnoticed

Men is unique. I wish I could find Kihei's review on it, but search engine isn't being helpful. Here's my review I found at least, edit: found Kihei's review too:

Men (2022) Directed by Alex Garland 7B

Director Alex Garland (Ex Machina; Annihilation) has cooked up a horror movie that will not be to everybody's taste, but it will make for an utterly jaw-dropping experience for those who do see it. Harper's (Jessie Buckley) husband has recently committed suicide after she has rejected him for good reason. Traumatized but hardly helpless, she escapes to a centuries-old house deep in the English countryside where she can stroll in the woods and hopefully find some peace of mind and regain some equilibrium. However the small village is populated with a number of male characters (all played brilliantly by the same actor, Rory Kinnear--a clever way of making a point) who are, to say the least, unsettling in one way of the other. These include a chummy groundskeeper, a weird vicar, a naked man, a stoic bartender, and a truly strange boy. Each seems to possess a different brand of chauvinism or menace, and they appear to have targeted Harper for abuse. Those bucolic walks in the woods aren't quite what they are cracked up to be either.

Dylan Roth of The Observer describes this movie as "an unsettling drama about the cultural pathology that holds women responsible for the actions of men, focused not so much on how it feels but what it does [to women]." The movie goes well beyond the usual lengths to address its theme. Its conclusion, a sustained sequence of body horror that is, let's say, unique, but is worth the price of admission...that is, if you don't mind visiting a disturbing place and perhaps finding your limits of tolerance for watching body horror sequences. Elsewhere Men is deliciously atmospheric and creepy. While Men makes its point about the brutally destabilizing nature of male violence, physical and psychological, I am not at all sure what the very ending actually means, only that you have to see it to believe it. It is the stuff straight out of the worst nightmares.

Men (2022)
2.75 out of 4stars

“In the aftermath of a personal tragedy, Harper retreats alone to the beautiful English countryside, hoping to have found a place to heal. But someone or something from the surrounding woods appears to be stalking her. What begins as simmering dread becomes a fully-formed nightmare in visionary filmmaker Alex Garland's (Ex Machina, Annihilation) feverish, shape-shifting new horror film.”
A good psychological horror film about trauma, guilt, grief, toxic masculinity, and biblical/religious metaphors. It’s definitely eerie, dream-like, keeps you on your toes, creative at times, and has a touch of body horror. That said, it’s not as effective as it wants to be, is a bit too on the nose at times, and a bit too abstract at other times, if that makes sense. Last but not least, the very very very absolute ending (moments prior deliver very well with an excellent payoff) is a bit of a let down. A good swing and final product for Garland, but likely his weakest work nonetheless.

 

[Osprey]

Men is unique. I wish I could find Kihei's review on it, but search engine isn't being helpful. Here's my review I found at least, edit: found Kihei's review too:

Men (2022) Directed by Alex Garland 7B

Director Alex Garland (Ex Machina; Annihilation) has cooked up a horror movie that will not be to everybody's taste, but it will make for an utterly jaw-dropping experience for those who do see it. Harper's (Jessie Buckley) husband has recently committed suicide after she has rejected him for good reason. Traumatized but hardly helpless, she escapes to a centuries-old house deep in the English countryside where she can stroll in the woods and hopefully find some peace of mind and regain some equilibrium. However the small village is populated with a number of male characters (all played brilliantly by the same actor, Rory Kinnear--a clever way of making a point) who are, to say the least, unsettling in one way of the other. These include a chummy groundskeeper, a weird vicar, a naked man, a stoic bartender, and a truly strange boy. Each seems to possess a different brand of chauvinism or menace, and they appear to have targeted Harper for abuse. Those bucolic walks in the woods aren't quite what they are cracked up to be either.

Dylan Roth of The Observer describes this movie as "an unsettling drama about the cultural pathology that holds women responsible for the actions of men, focused not so much on how it feels but what it does [to women]." The movie goes well beyond the usual lengths to address its theme. Its conclusion, a sustained sequence of body horror that is, let's say, unique, but is worth the price of admission...that is, if you don't mind visiting a disturbing place and perhaps finding your limits of tolerance for watching body horror sequences. Elsewhere Men is deliciously atmospheric and creepy. While Men makes its point about the brutally destabilizing nature of male violence, physical and psychological, I am not at all sure what the very ending actually means, only that you have to see it to believe it. It is the stuff straight out of the worst nightmares.

Men (2022)
2.75 out of 4stars

“In the aftermath of a personal tragedy, Harper retreats alone to the beautiful English countryside, hoping to have found a place to heal. But someone or something from the surrounding woods appears to be stalking her. What begins as simmering dread becomes a fully-formed nightmare in visionary filmmaker Alex Garland's (Ex Machina, Annihilation) feverish, shape-shifting new horror film.”
A good psychological horror film about trauma, guilt, grief, toxic masculinity, and biblical/religious metaphors. It’s definitely eerie, dream-like, keeps you on your toes, creative at times, and has a touch of body horror. That said, it’s not as effective as it wants to be, is a bit too on the nose at times, and a bit too abstract at other times, if that makes sense. Last but not least, the very very very absolute ending (moments prior deliver very well with an excellent payoff) is a bit of a let down. A good swing and final product for Garland, but likely his weakest work nonetheless.

I thought that it was too unsubtle (ex. the apple in the garden, the birthing scenes) and was put off by its theme. If you reversed the genders and the title, the film would be condemned, not acclaimed. I would've given it a 3/10, but ultimately didn't review it because I didn't want to get into a debate over it.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Night of the Living Dead (Romero, 1968) - Watched that with a few teens tonight. Not a lot to add to everything that's been already said about that film, just a horror monument, done with subtlety and intelligence. If you take out that Vanilla stuff, Romero had an amazing run from 68 to 78 (from Night to Dawn), a 10 year run that must be among the best ever from any horror directors. 8.5/10

 

[Twisted Sinister]

For me basically yes. My favorite series is the Halloween series and I saw it at an age way younger than I should have. As a kid I wasn't able to recognize how bad a movie like Halloween 5 was, so despite it's flaws I have a lot of nostalgia for it.

That said, I have grown extremely fond of the Friday the 13th series over the years. The last few summers I have rewatched most of the Paramount (1-8) movies. Definitely trashy movies, but I find the (Paramount) movies to be relatively consistent in enjoyment quality. But gun to my head, I'm still choosing the Halloween franchise.

Even though I own the DVD Boxset (and have for at least a decade) and own all of the movies on digital, it wasn't until last year that I finally sat down and watched the later Nightmare on Elm Street movies. (I had seen 1-3 and New Nightmare multiple times and like/love all four of those movies).

I was not a fan. I disliked The Dream Master; it's a fan favorite, but for me it was a chore to get through. The Dream Child was also not good, but I liked the atmosphere and enjoyed it slightly more than part 4. Freddy's Dead was easily one of the worst mainstream movies I've ever seen; it makes Jason Goes to Hell look like The Shining.

That's the long way of saying that I objectively view the Halloween and Nightmare series as being similar in that they both have very high highs, but also very low lows. But the nostalgia factor of Halloween softens its bad points for me.

Interesting. Have to say my thoughts are quite different.

Nightmare is the first series I was exposed to. Luckily, it was Dream Warriors, which is actually one of my favorite movies. I think 1, 3 and 7 are legitimately great movies. To me, 4 and 6 are ok (Freddy's Dead is basically a comedy honestly), 5 is bad, and 2 is so atrocious I usually skip it in my series rewatches.

For Halloween, I'd say only the first one is legitimately great cinema. 2, 4, 6, and 7 (check out the producer's cut if you haven't) I found enjoyable enough. 5 is bad. 8 is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. I haven't seen the two new ones because I'm tired of all the muddling with continuity. Maybe I'll get to them at some point

As for Friday, I saw Friday 3d shortly after Dream Warriors. I feel a lot of them are a consistent level of decent, with 4 being the best and 8 being particularly bad. 9 is a loopy-ass movie and X is hilarious.

Nightmare wins out for me here. Nostalgia may play a tiny role, but I do really think the great films are the best ones and the bad ones... well, aren't as bad as Halloween Resurrection

 

[OzzyFan]

Nightmare Before Christmas....

Halloween movie, Christmas Movie, both, or none?

 

[Satans Hockey]

Nightmare Before Christmas....

Halloween movie, Christmas Movie, both, or none?

It was released before Halloween and I believe the director said it's a Halloween movie but I think most people consider it to be both since it works to watch during either time.

 

[PK Cronin]

Nightmare Before Christmas....

Halloween movie, Christmas Movie, both, or none?

Jack is bored of Halloween and wants to try something new, so he replaces Santa and tries to deliver presents on Christmas Eve. I think that makes it more of a Christmas movie because Jack is taking over Santa's job at Christmas, even if he ultimately realizes that his mistake.

 

[MMC]

Anyone see Terrifier 2? The first one on Netflix was actually one of my favorite horror movies I'd seen in awhile, creeped me quite a bit and I hear the 2nd is even more batshit with how graphic it is.

 

[Deleted member 28548]

Highly recommend checking out Barbarian. Best viewed without watching the trailer and going into it without knowing much if anything about it if possible. Plot wasn't overly complicated and the acting performances, story line, dialogue and pacing were all well done. Some fantasticaly violent scenes and imagery here. Its execution is brilliant with some genuinely shocking and disturbing moments. Brutal. Really effective ominous musical scores. Whoever handled the sound in this one did an outstanding job.

Enjoyed the first 3/4 of Men before it went off the rails with a sharp veer into really unsettling imagery/ambiance that normally I'd embrace, but in this one it was just too out there even for me and I usually gravitate towards that.

Smile was much better then the original trailer alluded to. Initially had no desire to see it, but heard so many positive things about it from various people who saw it that I checked it out and was well entertained. Lead actress is Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgewick's daughter and she did a great job with her performance. Ending was fantastic.

Still need to see Ti West's Pearl and the ensuing third part of the trilogy Maxxxine. X was one of my favorite horror movies this year and I hear Pearl is well done as well. I try not to miss A24 movies as they tend to routinely deliver in spades.

 

[Deleted member 28548]

Few months old now but still highly recommend checking out The Black Phone if you haven’t seen it yet. Perfect casting highlighted with some fantastic performances from the film’s two younger stars Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw as well as another solid outing from Ethan Hawke. Director Scott Derrickson who gained a lot of acclaim for Sinister delivers his best movie yet. Pacing, sound design, choreography, and overall storyline were handled quite well. One of the better horror movies released this year. The acting in this one contributes to it being an even better movie then it otherwise would have been with different casting decisions. Chemistry between brother and sister characters was convincingly terrific. Extremely satisfying ending. Madaleine McGraw’s performance in particular is a real standout.

 

[Deleted member 28548]

Another one of my favorites from this year. Came from out of nowhere and the movie exceeded all of my expectations. The mother character was played perfectly and young star Siiri Solalinna turns in an admirable performance here. Finnish psychological body horror at its finest. Underrated little horror film.

 

[Deleted member 28548]

This one came out two years go and a lot of people may have slept on it since it wasnt a big release, but anyone looking for a really twisted and entertaining thriller with horror elements should check this one out. Well directed and the ending is quite possibly one of the craziest/most over the top outcomes imaginable. Hidden gem for sure. Its chilling and diabolical conclusion elevates it instantly to must see status for fans of this genre if you dont mind disturbing situations. Some genuine wtf moments here. Not for the timid content wise.

 

[Osprey]

Chopping Mall (1986) - 6/10

A group of young people (including Kelli Maroney from Night of the Comet and Barbara Crampton from Re-Animator) have a sleepover in a shopping mall the same night that new security robots go haywire and start killing everyone that they see. It was filmed in the same mall as Commando and the robots look a bit like Johnny 5 from Short Circuit with the behavior of RoboCop. They go around shooting up the stores, causing massive amounts of damage, and, after killing each innocent person, say "Have a nice day" in their robotic voices. It's absurd, but the movie doesn't take itself very seriously. A character even says at one point, "I guess I'm just not used to being chased around a mall in the middle of the night by killer robots." I also liked the energetic 80s synth soundtrack. Indoor shopping mall, killer robots, slasher genre, synth soundtrack... it doesn't get much more 80s than that. It's one of the more enjoyable 80s B movies that I've seen... and I hadn't even heard of it until the other day. It can be streamed for free on the Roku Channel and Tubi.

Terror Train (1980) - 5/10

A class of med students (including Jamie Lee Curtis) celebrate New Year's Eve on a train, but someone starts killing them one by one. It was pitched as "Halloween on a train" and what better way to make one of the first Halloween copycats than by casting Laurie Strode, herself? The "killer on a train" premise is one that I've always liked and this adds another interesting twist in that the killer always dons the costume of his latest victim. I didn't find it nearly as suspenseful as Halloween, though. Ironically, there isn't much terror on this train until the final 10 minutes. For most of the movie, no one realizes that they're in danger and the killer just suddenly appears and finishes off victims quickly and quietly (and pretty gore free). Also, the identity of the killer was a huge letdown. I wanted to like the movie because a horror movie on a train sounds cool, but it tried to be a serious horror and mystery and fell flat for me in both respects.

Trapped Alive (1988) - 4/10

Three escaped convicts and two party girls get trapped in an abandoned mine where a cannibal hermit eats them one by one. It's another cool premise, but this slasher doesn't have much else going for it, unfortunately. The dialogue, acting and direction are all really bad. According to IMDb, most of the principle actors hadn't acted before and a couple haven't acted since. The kills are few and not very interesting or gory. The cannibal isn't scary and there's no atmosphere or suspense, either. For the majority of the movie, much like in Terror Train, the characters don't even realize that they're in danger and just talk and argue about other things and two even get flirtatious. They do this while sitting and standing around nicely lit studio sets made to look underground, giving it the look of a TV episode. It would've been straight to video, except that it took 5 years (until 1993) for a distributor to pick it up and put it on VHS. It's that bad, but at least some parts were mildly amusing because they're so bad.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Chopping Mall (1986) - 6/10

I need to watch this again - I've become a little wary of it because... well, look at that guy's filmography - I remember kind of liking it for a silly z-movie (not going as far as ranking it among the most enjoyable ones though, it's no Dead Heat!).

 

[Osprey]

I need to watch this again - I've become a little wary of it because... well, look at that guy's filmography - I remember kind of liking it for a silly z-movie (not going as far as ranking it among the most enjoyable ones though, it's no Dead Heat!).

Chopping Mall was enjoyable for me mostly because it's set entirely in a mall and reminded me of other 80s movies. It was just nostalgic, as well as a pleasant surprise, since I hadn't heard of it before.

You said to look at that director's filmography, so I did. I see The Hills Have Thighs, The Devil Wears Nada, Busty Coeds vs Lusty Cheerleaders, House on Hooter Hill, The Breastford Wives, Bare Wench Project and Busty Cops. Which one makes you wary?

 

[izzy]

This one came out two years go and a lot of people may have slept on it since it wasnt a big release, but anyone looking for a really twisted and entertaining thriller with horror elements should check this one out. Well directed and the ending is quite possibly one of the craziest/most over the top outcomes imaginable. Hidden gem for sure. Its chilling and diabolical conclusion elevates it instantly to must see status for fans of this genre if you dont mind disturbing situations. Some genuine wtf moments here. Not for the timid content wise.

Honestly, the movie was pretty average but the ending was f***ing wild

i almost think they came up with that ending and just wrote a movie backwards in order to get to that one scene

 

[Deleted member 28548]

Best Horror Movies of 2022: New Scary Movies Ranked Best to Worst

Best horror movies of 2022 according to rotten tomatoes.

 

[Satans Hockey]

Best Horror Movies of 2022: New Scary Movies Ranked Best to Worst

Best horror movies of 2022 according to rotten tomatoes.

I thought X was absolutely awful and I have no idea why it's on so many top movies of the year lists for horror. The 70s vibe and sound is good in the movie and that's about it for me. Didn't even find it remotely scary and thought the make up work for the old woman was terrible.

 

[Deleted member 28548]

I thought X was absolutely awful and I have no idea why it's on so many top movies of the year lists for horror. The 70s vibe and sound is good in the movie and that's about it for me. Didn't even find it remotely scary and thought the make up work for the old woman was terrible.

Its funny, John Campea who usually shares the same tastes in movies as I do hated the movie and walked out of it right away. I thought it was well done, but a lot of other people I know had polar opposite reactions to this one.

 

[93gilmour93]

Anyone see Terrifier 2? The first one on Netflix was actually one of my favorite horror movies I'd seen in awhile, creeped me quite a bit and I hear the 2nd is even more batshit with how graphic it is.

I really want to see this also. Big fan of the first one and when I hear about people passing out and puking in the theatre watching part 2 it must be a good one

Last time I heard of stuff like this happening was when the original Exorcist movie came out

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

I really want to see this also. Big fan of the first one and when I hear about people passing out and puking in the theatre watching part 2 it must be a good one

Last time I heard of stuff like this happening was when the original Exorcist movie came out

Oh you missed a few... You just need one people passing out or vomiting to try and make a marketing campaign out of it - now it seems this one's heating up, but many have tried - and that ploy is pretty much as old as cinema itself!

 

[KingsHockey24]

If you haven't seen it yet I highly recommend the 2003 Texas Chainsaw Massacre film. Super gritty and dark. Awesome cast as well!

 

[Deleted member 28548]

‘Barbarian’ Sets HBO Max Release Date

Really enjoyed this one. On HBO/Max tomorrow. Recommend you skip reading the third paragraph in the article that talks about the plot and go in with as little knowledge as possible for maximum effect.

 

[Deleted member 28548]

Guillermo Del Toro's Cabinet of Curiousities also premiers tomorrow on Netflix.