Movies: Last Movie You Watched and Rate it | {Insert Appropriate Seasonal Greeting Here}

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Bomb City - (2017)

This is the Outsiders meets the Misfits on a Saturday Night, with the upsetting truth that it is based on real events.

Believe it or not, Amarillo, Texas wasn’t very accepting of the punk scene in the late 90s, and this lack of tolerance fatefully leads to tragedy and a mind numbing lack of justice.

I highly suspect events in this film were skewed agt the Socs, but that doesn’t change what happened was f***ed up beyond reason.

This film didn’t get to me like it should have, and I can’t put my finger on exactly why, but it did prompt me to research the real events.

Having more details filled in definitely got to me, and drove home how society loves to punish those who don’t conform to their ideals of what “normal” is.

Had the pendulum swung the other way, there is zero doubt in my mind about the verdict that would have befallen one of the punks.

 

[kihei]

Vortex (2022) Directed by Gaspar Noe 7B

When I read that French provacateur Gaspar Noe (Irreversible; Enter the Void; Climax) was going to make a film about dementia starring Italian horror maestro Dario Argento, my first reaction was, "Whoa, boy, this movie might set a record for sensationalist excess." I couldn't have been more wrong. Vortex is a naturalistic study of a couple in old age, both with declining health issues. Old age is the horror here and it needs no embellishment. Noe uses a split screen technique throughout the movie. One camera discretely follows the old man (Argento) around; another follows the woman (Francoise Lebrun). While the old man has serious heart issues, he is still at least partially engaged in the world. However. the old woman is drifting further into dementia fast. Unfortunately, she is still a licensed doctor and can write her own prescriptions. Their lives are now a wretched circle of hell, one that gets more interesting for the viewer when their middle-aged son, himself an addict, arrives on the scene and tries to help. Vortex is a worthy companion piece to Michael Haneke's Amour, another movie that focused on an elderly couple barely coping with the tribulations and humiliations of mortality. The film is easily the most restrained, dare I say tasteful, work by Noe that I have seen. Vortex is also among the very best movies of his career.

Sidenote: Vortex has one of the most beautiful and natural evocations of death that I have ever seen at the movies. The brief moment seems so pure and so obvious that I was amazed no other director hadn't thought to employ it before now.

subtitles


Best of 2022

1) Decision to Leave, Park, South Korea
2) No Bears, J. Panahi, Iran
3) Hit the Road, P. Panahi, Iran
4) Aftersun, Wells, UK
5) Everything Everywhere All at Once, Kwan/Scheinert, US
6) Vortex, Noe, France
7) The Eternal Daughter, Hogg, UK
8) Official Competition, Cohn/Duprat, Spain
9) Mad God, Tippett, US
10) Holy Spider, Abbasi, Denmark

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

October means horror season for me. Not that I don't watch horror movies at other times of year, but I certainly do so more intently for the next 27 days or so. Here's what I've started with so far.

Planet of the Vampires. The title, pops of 60s appropriate gore and presence of horror maestro Mario Bava qualify it as horror, though the actual movie is more sci-fi fare, like a slightly spooky epsiode of classic Star Trek. (Not that I get too hung up on these lines. Things can be more than one thing). Bava can create a compelling atmosphere in his sleep and he takes some of his horror tricks — smoke, use of color, cavernous sets — and deploys it well here. The actual movie though is, if you'll forgive the pun, a bit lifeless. Stiff acting and a passable story that's said to be an influence on Alien. It's the sort of movie that would catch your eye if it were playing on a tv in a cool bar.

Wolfen. Of the trio of early 80s lycanthropic horror (alongside The Howling and An American Werewolf in London) this is easily the least, but there's still a few things I really enjoyed about this tale mysterious murders in New York. The "wolf vision" visual stuff still works on me as a flashy touch. Albert Finney is a good, grumpy cop. Gregory Hines and Tom Noonan jump out in good supporting roles. The story juggles a lot more than you might expect, but I think it mostly works. A well made, though perhaps unremarkable thriller.

Dream Demon. Never heard of this until it popped up on the Criterion Channel's 80s Horror Collection. British flick about a young woman about to get married, but she's hounded (no pun, I swear) by pervasive nightmares that are becoming progressively more real. I dug it! Again the acting didn't do much for me (though there is a young Timothy Spall being effectively creepy) and I couldn't totally recount the actual story. But dreams are tough subject matter. I find they're often too literal or too cliche when put on screen. Not here though, there's a constant unsettling otherness to the dreams that really works. It isn't exactly scary (one in fact is LOL funny) but it's all out of sorts enough to work.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Next of Kin. Years ago I watched an entertaining documentary about the "Ozpolitation" movement of genre pics cranked out of Australia in the 70s and 80s. I made a list of the movies I wanted to track down. This ... was not on it. I don't remember if it was actually in the documentary, but having seen it now I'd be shocked if it wasn't. And if it wasn't, it's a bad exclusion.

I quite enjoyed it. A young woman inherits the old folks home her mother used to run. But something isn't quite right, as these things often are. I could see some dismissing it as a slow burning neither fish nor fowl creation. Bit of a ghost story, maybe a slasher. I see that muddiness as a positive though. Director Tony Williams didn't do much else and that's a bummer because he shows off just enough Kubrick/Hitchcock camera tricks and striking visuals (the man floating outside the window, the blood fountain) here to make you want more. What he does give is pretty fun. Slow (not in a bad way) for the first 60-70 minutes it really ramps up in the closing third. Would make a nice thematic and stylistic double feature with The Shining as another movie about a character working through trauma in a mysterious abode.

 

[Osprey]

Speaking of 80s Ozploitation, I watched one last week...

Fair Game (1986) - 6/10

A wildlife sanctuary owner (Cassandra Delaney) is terrorized and hunted by three bored kangaroo poachers. Eventually, she fights back in this Australian revenge thriller that's impressively low on plot and character development. The creeps' motives appear to be nothing more complex than boredom and it wasn't until the end credits that I even learned that the lady's name is Jessica. At least there's a lot of action, as a majority of the movie is them chasing her around the Outback. It was never boring for that reason and it's shot pretty well by cinematographer Andrew Lesnie. 15 years before he did The Lord of the Rings trilogy and won an Academy Award, he was filming a half-naked woman tied to the front of a truck. It seems like a lot of filmmakers start out in trashy B movies. This is certainly that, but it held my attention with its pacing and visuals. Speaking of which, the actress is most famous for marrying John Denver a couple of years later, and, as soon as you see her, you wonder how a guy like him got a girl like her. It's like the boy in high school whose mom cuts his hair and who eats lunch by himself going to the prom with the homecoming queen. I guess that it shows that any nerd can get the girl of his dreams if he just becomes one of the most beloved songwriters and singers of all time. Another of the movie's claims to fame is that it's apparently one of Quentin Tarantino's favorites and partly inspired his Death Proof... which, come to think of it, also has a scene with a human hood ornament. My score is a little generous, but the movie delivers what it promises... and who doesn't appreciate a good, punny title?

 

[Chili]

Wild Boys of the Road-1933

Set in the Great Depression, two young friends set out on the road leaving their families who have fallen on hard times. The life & dangers of making your way, riding the rails from town to town with many others also on tough times. Frankie Darro in the lead is excellent, shades of Douglas Fairbanks with his athleticism (especially his skit at the end). One heads up, there is a disturbing scene near the middle of the story. Memorable film, nice blend of drama, action and some bum slapping humour. A footnote after filming, the Director William Wellman married the leading lady Dorothy Coonan.

Man on the Moon-1999

Biopic of Andy Kaufman. Wasn't really a fan of his but had to laugh the first time I saw him doing the Mighty Mouse routine on Saturday Night Live. Jim Carrey channels the character so well, hard to imagine any other actor in the role. Courtney Love is vgood too. Some stuff is grating, the wrestling, the alter ego Tony Clifton but that's who the real life guy was like. Love the R.E.M. title tune. Good film.

Five Easy Pieces-1970

A favorite, it has aged nicely. After decades of the production code censoring films, this one showed things that many directors had been forced to remove. A highlight: The Greek belly dancer, Helena Kallianiotes (living in Jack Nicholson's guest room at the time), is hilarious in her small role as a hitchhiker. Jack as a restless soul. He's given up on his would be pianist career to roam. Great cast and a story that still feels real.

 

[Pink Mist]

House / ハウス (Nobuhiko Obayashi, 1977)

With a plot that’s mostly nonsensical, I’m not even going to bother to try to explain it. House is an absurdist horror-comedy film that is off the walls bananas. Basically, if you took one of your weird silly nightmares and made a film about it, that is House. Actually, a good plot description is a bunch of teenagers drop acid and visit their grandma’s creepy old house. The film throws just about everything at the wall in an absolutely chaotic filmmaking style. We have freezeframes, archival footage, reverse footage, odd colour footage, Kungfu fighting, evil cats, and the melody My Chemical Romance plagiarized when writing Welcome to the Black Parade. I can’t say I love the results, at least compared to some of the lavish reviews I see people give to it calling it a masterpiece, but if I ever was in the mood to throw on a film to put on the background while drunk and hanging with some buddies, this is probably top of the list.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Speak No Evil. It’s almost like Larry David made a horror movie. This isn’t exactly funny but so much of the tension is wrung from deeply awkward social interaction. While David turns all that unease into laughs, this makes it terror. I have some logical quibbles with the movie — I know part of the point is how passive and non-confrontational the protagonists are BUT the awkward aggressiveness of the antagonists doesn’t strike me as a great STRATEGY exactly in terms of getting what they want. That’s fairly minor though for an otherwise painfully effective and memorable movie. Would pair well with The Vanishing for several reasons.

Terrifier. When I use the term masturbatory I usually mean the filmmaker really really really wants you know how smart and talented they are. When I say it here, I literally mean I think the writer-director is sitting behind the camera and just cranking himself raw. I have a large range of tastes and try not to be too snotty about things but there’s a certain strain of horror movie that is nothing but juvenile bro-y titlation. “Bro, BRO what if we did THAT!” Aggressive high fiving ensues. This is that type of movie. The gore is well done — I’ll give it that. But it’s all extremity and nothing else. It’s not smart. It’s not funny. It’s not sexy. It’s not emotionally engaging. The only emotion I felt was anger at my friend who made this recommendation. Outside of my general personal disdain, there are plenty of aesthetic things I didn’t care for as well. The whole sheen of digital is often visually off putting to me. Definitely was here. Art the Clown is a stupid name and the performance lived up to it.

 

[Babe Ruth]

(Stephen King's) Cat's Eye (1985)

Watched this one on Tubi. It reminded me a lot of the early '8os Twilight Zone movie. It's a condensed anthology of 3 basically surreal/ironic stories. All of them had very mild horror elements. And the 3 tales are loosely connected by a mysterious, traveling cat. Has a young Drew Barrymore.
This is one of those hangover movies I probably saw one Saturday afternoon on the WB network and mostly forgot about. Good nostalgia tho.

 

[Pink Mist]

Ninjababy (Yngvild Sve Flikke, 2021)

Rakel (Kristine Kujath Thorp) is a free-spirited woman and graphic designer in her late 20s who spends much of her free time living in filth, partying, drinking too much, using drugs, and having risky sex. After feeling off for a while, her roommate suggests she takes a pregnancy test and she discovers she is over six months pregnant resulting from a hook up with Dick Jesus – a deadbeat that has nothing good going for him other than an incredible penis. Six months in too late to get an abortion, so her life crash as she comes to the realization that she will have to give birth and either become a mother or give up the baby for adoption. Oh, and meanwhile her baby communicates to her through an animated character called Ninjababy. Ninjababy weaves the fine line between drama and comedy incredibly well. Maybe it caught me in a mood but I there were multiple scenes that caused me to actually laugh out loud, something that is fairly rare for me. Despite the lightness of the comedy, it maintained its emotional weight for its subject matter of abortion and forced motherhood. The lead played by Kristine Kujath Thorp is incredibly good in this and is able to match the tone of film perfectly with her character of someone with childish immaturity who is forced to mature quickly. The film also blends animation and film effectively and not in a way that feels forced or tacky. I wasn’t expecting to like this film as much as I did – its kind of Sundancey and quirky in the same vein as Juno – but the charm from the lead performance is inescapable and there is a lot of depth under the surface.

 

[shadow1]

Children of the Corn (1984) - 4/10

After an accident, a young couple searches for help in a town taken over by a cult of children.

Based on a Stephen King short story, Children of the Corn stars Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton as Burt and Vicky, a couple relocating to Seattle for Burt's new job. When driving through rural Nebraska, a child jumps in front of the couple's car and they can't avoid hitting him. Upon further investigation, they realize the victim had already been critically wounded, and the two head into town to search for help and answers. What they don't know is a demonic cult is hunting for the blood of anyone above the age of 18...

Children of the Corn is a movie I had wanted to see for a while. It has a catchy title and some street cred from being a Stephen King Adaptation, and I remember seeing it's memorable red VHS cover at my local video rental store growing up.

Unfortunately, I just listed off most of the movie's positives - and they have nothing to do with what occurs on the screen. I found Children of the Corn to be flat out boring at times, especially the scenes which only featured the Children. I didn't find these antagonists to be developed very well. Sure, they're saying evil things, but who cares? They aren't scary.

The scenes with Burt and Vicky are more tolerable, but I find their actions to be highly suspect. Yes, they want to find help after discovering the dead child. But it quickly becomes clear that the town they're searching is abandoned with no working phone. Nothing is keeping them there, so why don't they get back in their car and drive away? Because the movie would be over, that's why.

I did like the main theme of the film, but otherwise, I found Children of the Corn to be sadly forgettable. You'd think it would be interesting to watch Pre-Terminator fame, but she is sadly just a damsel in distress most of the runtime. I cannot believe this movie spawned nine sequels and a remake, and am slightly curious about those, but I'm not sure how much I want to torture myself.

 

[Zeppo]

Children of the Corn (1984) - 4/10

I was trying to figure out if this was a pun of some sort... The Invisible Man? This Is Not a Film? The White Ribbon? But no, I'm just using the light theme. Thanks for reminding me there's a dark one.

 

[shadow1]

I was trying to figure out if this was a pun of some sort... The Invisible Man? This Is Not a Film? The White Ribbon? But no, I'm just using the light theme. Thanks for reminding me there's a dark one.

I was going to change it to red and decided against it, I must've chosen the wrong color... it looks like the normal text on my screen. D'oh!

 

[OzzyFan]

Possession (uncut version) (1981)
3.50 out of 4stars

“A woman starts exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior after asking her husband for a divorce. Suspicions of infidelity soon lead to more dark secrets unveiling.”
An excellent arthouse psychological horror drama thriller whose bizarre style of delivery brings to visible light the internal hysteria of a destructive and disbanding relationship. Adjani is tremendous in her role, for which she won best actress at Cannes for, and Neil and the rest of the cast are also great in their turns. The movie is the antithesis of subtle. It’s a powerful experience that treads the line of going over the top but never crossed it for me. This is one of the rare films where real emotions and motives and selves are honestly expressed endlessly. And when dealing with possession and/or love, this strong rollercoaster of feelings and actions, while done in some surreal manners, are believably felt. And while there are many themes and interpretable things going on in the film, on a grand scale the film for me is about the true incompatibility of arguably all long term relationships, especially when the growth of a family is involved. Aside from the obvious fact that no 2 people perfectly match each other, as evidenced by disagreements and arguments/fights on and off throughout relationships or even the more appropriate option for aged couples being compromise or submission(“picking one’s battles” even), their internal wants and needs do change and/or habituation leads to disinterest/indifference of their situation. And this can be from any possible reasoning. Acceptance of one another as a whole is not the same as fulfillment of each other’s needs and desires on an evolving scale, especially when at the end of the day one may be physically/mentally unable to or one’s image/knowledge/feelings of a person may prevent that solution from being possible. Humans are incredibly complex beings that deeply and absolutely may never be genuinely understood on independent levels, especially when the majority aren’t even self aware or knowing of themselves accurately.

Edward Scissorhands (1990)
3.20 out of 4stars

“An artificial man, who was incompletely constructed and has scissors for hands, leads a solitary life. Then one day, a suburban lady meets him and introduces him to her world.”
A great fantasy drama romance that is essentially a stylish wonder-filled reimagining of the Frankenstein story mashed with Beauty and the Beast, with a fairy tale-esque delivery. I know Burton is known for his captivating style, but this film just naturally felt a level or two above his usual level. It features an incredibly enchanting tale and a movingly restrained performance, arguably peaks for Burton(behind the camera) and Depp respectively. It’s genre mashed, part comedy, part romance, part drama, and most obviously part fantasy/sci-fi. Quite interestingly, like most “strangers in a strange land” tales, Edward is more of a Rorschach test for everyone he meets in town, how they treat and react to him says more about them than does his neutrally unaffecting introverted self. And while subtle, Depp bleeds emotion of the internal things and struggles going through Edward throughout the film. Of fun note, the bushes are Rorschach tests for Edward himself too (more so than his other “canvases”). Obvious themes seem to be tolerance, isolation, and self-growth or evolution from expression and/or coming out of one’s comfort zone.

Soylent Green (1973)
2.75 out of 4stars

“In a densely overpopulated, starving New York City of the future, NYPD detective Robert Thorn investigates the murder of an executive at rations manufacturer Soylent Corporation. With the help of elderly academic Sol , Thorn begins to make real progress -- until the governor mysteriously pulls the plug. Obsessed with the mystery, Thorn steps out from behind the badge and launches his own investigation into the murder.”
A great sci-fi dystopian mystery thriller that’s an odd mix of smart progressive ideas, very odd attire choices, and an iconic ending/twist. It’s thoughts, especially given it’s release time, on overpopulation, pollution, global warming/greenhouse effects, euthanasia, global shortages, food control, home energy, and rich/poor living conditions is noteworthy. Heston’s conductor hat, handkerchief, and clothing is funnily striking for a detective, and a few of the other choices are very disco-y or avant-garde, like the football helmeted police crew. I won’t ruin the twist for those that haven’t seen it, but it’s memorable. Altogether, Heston carries the film well, comical fight scenes, serious investigation, and all.

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)
2.30 out of 4stars

“A wealthy heiress’s close encounter with an enormous alien in his round spacecraft causes her to grow into a giantess, complicating her marriage which is already troubled by a philandering husband”
A so bad it’s good campy sci-fi horror that is a decent short fun watch at ~65minutes. There’s some purposely comical stuff, but there’s also a lot of ironically comical stuff. The dialogue, the “slapstick”, the hilariously dated special effects, the characters, the story, there’s a good amount to enjoy going on, albeit nothing must see though.

 

[Babe Ruth]

Bomb City - (2017)

in the late 90s..

I highly suspect events in this film were skewed agt the Socs, but that doesn’t change what happened was f***ed up beyond reason.

Having more details filled in definitely got to me, and drove home how society loves to punish those who don’t conform to their ideals of what “normal” is.

the verdict..

I appreciate you mentioning this one, I watched it on Prime.
I was anticipating a story bias (you referenced), that it would be told as: snarling, bigoted jocks murder innocent, choir-boy punk. But I thought it was pretty balanced. Starting with the scene in the diner, it showed that both cliques were willing participants in escalating tensions. And I thought the movie made a deliberate effort to not show the punks, or jocks, as being all good or all bad. Ultimately the movie was about the murdered punk (Brian), so he was humanized the most, but..
*semi spoilers*
I thought a manslaughter conviction was fair but the (non)punishment was a shameful miscarriage of justice.

The movie did give Marilyn Manson a platform at the end.. to give his overstated take on how punks were still outcasts in the late 90s.. but there was almost nothing countercultural left in punk at that point. Dyed hair, tattoos, left wing politics etc were all largely normalized by then (& are completely mainstream now). Go to a PTA meeting & you'll see even soccer moms with tattoos & purple hair etc. But in this individual case, it's hard to disagree with Manson. Who Brian was, likely denied him adequate justice.
And social commentary aside, I thought it was a decent watch. I rate it a 5 (10 point scale).

 

[shadow1]

One Missed Call (2003) - 4/10

A group of friends begin receiving voicemails from their future selves, with audio of their death.

Ko Shibasaki stars a Yumi, a college student whose friends begin dying around her in mysterious fashion. After getting a voicemail of her own dated two days in the future, Yumi teams up with Yamashita (Shinichi Tsutsumi), a detective who has been studying these bizarre deaths after one of them claimed a family member. The two work together to find who, or what, is tormenting them...

One Missed Call is based on a Japanese novel of the same name and it is directed by Takashi Miike, who's famous for ultra-violent horror films like Audition (1999) and Ichi the Killer (2001). Here, Miike gives us a bleak, slower horror-mystery that is largely devoid of gore.

In fact, it's too slow. Way too slow. One Missed Call has a very plodding opening act, and just when you think the movie has built momentum during a good horror set-piece midway through, the pacing shifts back to neutral.

In fact, the plot shifts completely - a supernatural horror first half is replaced by a fairly convoluted detective story in the second half. The latter half in particular was a chore to get through, thanks to the continued slow pacing and unbelievable conclusions the characters are able to come to while investigating.

One Missed Call does have a good premise, but a film can't survive on premise alone. The horror scenes were few and far between, with the ring tone of Yumi's cell phone serving as a beacon to creep the audience out. The problem is her phone rings constantly, so you stop associating it with any amount of dread pretty quickly. It also needs to be said - this plot is clearly derivative of Ringu.

Overall, One Missed Call was a shockingly dull horror experience. It did have a few decent moments peppered in it along with occasional dread early on, but that's the best I can say for it. The terrible detective story that culminates in a silly ending undoes any positive strides by the film's first half.

 

[Pink Mist]

Titanic (James Cameron, 1997)

With James Cameron in the news a bunch right now with the upcoming Avatar sequel, and having seen a highly decorated epic from the 1990s, The English Patient, the night before, I decided to sit down and watch another epic from that decade that I hadn’t seen in its entirety before, Titanic. Obviously I’m aware of its influence and have seen parts of the film before, but I had never watched it from front to back, just clips out of context or in isolation. I think the film mostly works, using the doomed love story of a lowly poor boy and an upper-class girl engaged to marry to tell the tragedy of the sinking of the Titanic – DiCaprio and Winslet have great chemistry and I probably didn’t even need to mention that. Cameron does an incredible job capturing the ecosystem of the ship with the different compartments and atmospheres between classes on the ship, and the production design and visuals are outstanding. I also love the tonal and stylistic shift from romance to disaster horror film when the inevitable happens. Where I think the film falters is the decision to tell the present story about Rose aged 101 telling the story – I don’t see the point of it other than for a cheap laugh when she describes her sexual encounters to her audience. As well Billy Zane’s character is cartoonishly bad. A lot of hokeyness, as to be expected by an Oscar bait film, but is genuinely enjoyable and watchable and I was never bored despite its lengthy runtime.

 

[Babe Ruth]

Titanic (James Cameron, 1997)

..love the tonal and stylistic shift from romance to disaster horror film when the inevitable happens. Where I think the film falters is the decision to tell the present story about Rose aged 101 telling the story – I don’t see the point of it..

Yeah.. it was basically two different stories/genres. And both the disaster movie & the romance, were well done. I think that formula made it appealing to both male & female audiences. I like Titanic, even tho it was kind of embarrassing for me to admit it back in the 9os, but..
It's been a long time, but I think they had old Rose narrating, because they needed her to reveal (and determine) the fate of the unique diamond.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Anyone see Tar thus far? It's Todd Field's first film in sixteen years and seems to be getting rave reviews.

 

[shadow1]

From Beyond (1986) - 6/10

Two scientists create a device in order to experience a sixth sense, but accidentally open a portal for horrible monsters from another world.

Based on an H.P. Lovecraft short story, From Beyond stars Jeffrey Combs as Dr. Crawford Tillinghast, who's assisting Dr. Edward Pretorius (Ted Sorel) in developing a device known as the Resonator. The purpose of the device is to expand normal human perception; a sixth sense. However, after getting the Resonator to work, the pair discover turning the machine gives the ability for hideous creatures to leave their world and enter ours. To quote Dr. Pretorious, "Something's coming..."

Eventually, Dr. Katherine McMichaels (Barbara Crampton) and police officer Bubba Brownlee (Ken Foree) become involved, and work Crawford to determine if he's crazy or is telling the horrifying truth.

Directed by Stuart Gordon, From Beyond is a stylish horror film; it's extremely gory, while simultaneously being sexualized. The creepy sci-fi concept is very strong, and the movie sucks you in right away. It's a relatively short film (86 minutes) and a very easy watch.

However, it's very clear that this was originally a "short" story. Even with a brisk run time, the plot is stretched pretty thin and starts to get repetitive towards the middle of the movie.

Still, From Beyond is a film I recommend, as long as you don't mind style over substance. Its nightmarish, graphic visuals mostly cover up what the film is lacking in the plot department.

 

[Chairman Maouth]

Blonde (2022)

Netflix

My review:

I deleted this piece of shit movie after watching the first 10 minutes - 9 minutes later than I should have.

 

[Osprey]

Blonde (2022)

Netflix

My review:

I deleted this piece of shit movie after watching the first 10 minutes - 9 minutes later than I should have.

So, you're saying that the first minute is worth watching? I'm intrigued.

 

[OzzyFan]

From Beyond (1986) - 6/10

Two scientists create a device in order to experience a sixth sense, but accidentally open a portal for horrible monsters from another world.

Based on an H.P. Lovecraft short story, From Beyond stars Jeffrey Combs as Dr. Crawford Tillinghast, who's assisting Dr. Edward Pretorius (Ted Sorel) in developing a device known as the Resonator. The purpose of the device is to expand normal human perception; a sixth sense. However, after getting the Resonator to work, the pair discover turning the machine gives the ability for hideous creatures to leave their world and enter ours. To quote Dr. Pretorious, "Something's coming..."

Eventually, Dr. Katherine McMichaels (Barbara Crampton) and police officer Bubba Brownlee (Ken Foree) become involved, and work Crawford to determine if he's crazy or is telling the horrifying truth.

Directed by Stuart Gordon, From Beyond is a stylish horror film; it's extremely gory, while simultaneously being sexualized. The creepy sci-fi concept is very strong, and the movie sucks you in right away. It's a relatively short film (86 minutes) and a very easy watch.

However, it's very clear that this was originally a "short" story. Even with a brisk run time, the plot is stretched pretty thin and starts to get repetitive towards the middle of the movie.

Still, From Beyond is a film I recommend, as long as you don't mind style over substance. Its nightmarish, graphic visuals mostly cover up what the film is lacking in the plot department.

I saw this a little while back and wasn't quite sure where to rank it. I think you nailed it really well. It's definitely no Re-Animator, and felt undercooked, but enjoyable for what it is, especially if its style and visuals are one's "schtick". I've been flirting with throwing Dagon on my to watch list, but From Beyond has tempered my expectations and Dagon's spot on that hierarchy.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

I saw this a little while back and wasn't quite sure where to rank it. I think you nailed it really well. It's definitely no Re-Animator, and felt undercooked, but enjoyable for what it is, especially if its style and visuals are one's "schtick". I've been flirting with throwing Dagon on my to watch list, but From Beyond has tempered my expectations and Dagon's spot on that hierarchy.

I might prefer From Beyond to Re-Animator by a hair - if not, they're real close (both 7/10 movies for me) - but I understand that the mixture of kink, cheese and body horror might be a little much for most. I think Dagon is the more accomplished of Gordon's Lovecraft cycle films (in that it feels like something from Lovecraft, at last), a little less fun for sure, and with some bad effects, but a very underrated film.

 

[shadow1]

I saw this a little while back and wasn't quite sure where to rank it. I think you nailed it really well. It's definitely no Re-Animator, and felt undercooked, but enjoyable for what it is, especially if its style and visuals are one's "schtick". I've been flirting with throwing Dagon on my to watch list, but From Beyond has tempered my expectations and Dagon's spot on that hierarchy.

I might prefer From Beyond to Re-Animator by a hair - if not, they're real close (both 7/10 movies for me) - but I understand that the mixture of kink, cheese and body horror might be a little much for most. I think Dagon is the more accomplished of Gordon's Lovecraft cycle films (in that it feels like something from Lovecraft, at last), a little less fun for sure, and with some bad effects, but a very underrated film.

My horror card is going to get revoked... I'm ashamed to admit I've never seen Re-Animator.