General Horror Films & TV Discussion Thread

[RedJed]

You gotta watch Vulgar if you're doing a clown week. It's awful and unsatisfying but Dante is good in it.

I'll give it a look! I also am planning to check out Clown film that Jon Watts of the recent Spiderman trilogy did about a decade ago.

And likely finishing off with a rewatch of Killer Klowns from Outer Space too.

I still have All Hallows Eve and Terrifier to check out before I go see the sequel on next Thursday.

Everything IT is off the table for this run though. Just not enough time as I'm planning on starting into all of the Halloween films again, one a day starting tomorrow until the new one hits on Oct 13 in the IMAX.

 

[Valeyard]

Vulgar is much more sleazy than scary, but I'd call it horror all the same. Real life potential horror gets me much more than anything paranormal. It's bad, but as far as clown movies go it certainly isn't very good.

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

Tonight, on Shudder, they had a secret screening. They aired a movie without telling anyone what it was, and it ended up being the new Dario Argento film, Dark Glasses. It's not released in the US in theaters in NY and LA until, I believe next weekend, and officially debuts on Shudder on Oct. 13. If you're a fan of his old movies, when they were good, this is a return to form. Such a great watch with a top tier score. 2022 continues to be one of the best years for horror in a while.

 

[RedJed]

So my weekend haul.....and what a haul it was.....

I did check out Vulgar, well maybe 2/3 of it. I still have to finish it, but I agree it's more horroresque than anything. VERY dark film that was filmed very quickly it felt like, really weird tone to this. I'm intruiged to finish it as I have no fucking idea where things go after a few significantly shocking moments in it. Man, Kevin Smith looks like a big ole deuche in this minor role he has in this.

Clown: This was pretty wonky and unique, I will give it that. At times, the shit falls off the rails at times and I don't know if I would full out suggest this one, but it is certainly against the grain and the gore factor is certainly there. They made the most out of a concept (dude puts on an old clown suit and becomes possessed by it, and can't take off the costume) I was shocked could take the turns it did, as well as bringing a mythos to it all. Kinda shocking Jon Watts wrote and directed this, and then went on to the Spiderman trilogy.

Trick R Treat: Saw this in the theater yesterday, great revisit. This holds up so well, and I hope they get their shit together for a sequel. I was at a horror con over the summer with a few of the actors (including the kid who played Sam) and they suggested we will see something within the next few years as a follow up.

Spirit Halloween - The Movie: I expected a total fucking mess here and what happened? Kinda the opposite. Reminded me so very much of Goosebumps in many ways, tonalty wise particularly. Just an easy watch that wasn't too scary but just fun for all ages. Basically, these kids sneak into a Spirit Halloween store (very clearly an old Toys R Us store they used) overnight to explore the store, cause general debauchery. It turns kinda into a haunted house type adventure as shit gets weird when an evil spirit enters the store (Chris Lloyd) and morphs into various costumes (and I would assume all of these costumes are conveniently avaliable at Spirit Halloween stores) and haunts the kids, tries to steal one of the kids bodies for a full resurrection of sorts. Yes, there is bad acting all over the place here, and yes the effects have moments of complete weirdness to it, but I thought it was kinda fun and had the so bad its good vibe to it.

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

I wasn't interested in that Spirt Halloween movie, but that sounds like fun!

@RedJed there's some good news on the Trick 'r Treat front (which I watched again this weekend at home, and it's still awesome. Having a special needs child, the bus scene hit me even harder, though.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1576457719644651522

 

[RedJed]

I wasn't interested in that Spirt Halloween movie, but that sounds like fun!

@RedJed there's some good news on the Trick 'r Treat front (which I watched again this weekend at home, and it's still awesome. Having a special needs child, the bus scene hit me even harder, though.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1576457719644651522

Yah if that Spirit Halloween movie is playing near ya, I would say give it a look with the kids!

And thats great news, hopefully they do a theatrical run this time around! I bet the numbers for TrT this month will be decent enough to where a green light happens soon after I am thinking. When I saw it yesterday, there was well over 10 people in the theater, and showings are happening all month

 

[HarleyQuinn]

@RedJed there's some good news on the Trick 'r Treat front (which I watched again this weekend at home, and it's still awesome. Having a special needs child, the bus scene hit me even harder, though.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1576457719644651522

This is one of the few movies I try to watch every Halloween so great news!

 

[SFH]

I'm going to spam this thread with my October 2022 horror movie binge reviews from my social media. I mostly keep spoilers out:

October 2022 Horror Binge Movie 1: “The Black Phone” (2021) –

Spoiler

There are two sure fire ways to get my attention with film. Tell me a comedic actor is doing a serious role or tell me a likeable actor is playing a villain. Ethan Hawke is hard to dislike (for me) so when I saw the trailer I was very excited. Calling this “Split” meets “It” would be too simplistic. But let’s get that out of the way real quick. The aesthetic of the room and behavior of the killer gives some “Split” vibes without involving 23 personalities. The original short story heavily borrowed from “It” including a clown get up, which was changed for the film (and, well, King’s son wrote it). Ethan Hawke plays his role to near perfection. The main protagonist, Finney, is a familiar archetype in film but unique enough to not be a copycat character.
The film is set in the 1970s and while the majority of it is in a closed set single room, the pieces of narrative that occur in the open world look perfectly in the 1970s. From a pop culture standpoint, I’m usually pretty “meh” on 1970s aesthetics but I have to tip my hat to the filmographer and set designing team on this. It wasn’t a grand slam design like “Licorice Pizza” (2021) but it was as close as you’re going to get for a period piece horror (Also, you need to rent “Licorice Pizza” when spooky season is over, it’s trippy).
The horror and supernatural aspects are well done without really being too overtly explained. There are some bits of exposition between characters about plot details I’d rather not spoil, but otherwise a bulk of it is left to viewer interpretation.
I do have one matter of critique for the film, but it again goes into spoiler territory. From the trailer we learn one of the characters dreams about details of the crimes. I found that this specific story aspect was too easily accepted by some characters while too harshly dismissed by others.
At the end of the day, however, this film was fantastic. It was just scary enough to qualify for my horror binge and also told a good story without having to rely on too many horror tropes. Further, Tom Savnini worked on the killer’s outfit so you know there’s some talent that went into making this.
Thumbs up to Ethan Hawke and the main child actors. I’ve been saying this a lot lately, but the future of acting is in good hands. I’m lukewarm on a lot of the other adult characters and thankfully they mostly existed to move the plot along and didn’t get in the way of the master class Hawke taught. Otherwise, the film was 95% bad guy versus children in a way that’d make the Dream Warriors proud. HIGHLY recommend!

October 2022 Horror Binge Movie 2: “1922” (2017)

Spoiler

Was this supernatural or psychological? Maybe it was both! I’m not too clear. What I do know is this was a masterful film.
By coincidence only, I selected this movie after seeing it on Netflix. It’s a period piece and it’s in the horror genre. Be still my history loving horror heart.
We meet a family that lives on a corn farm in Nebraska and I’m already waiting for the son to start a cult within the first minute of his introduction. He does not start a cult and I have to make a note to rewatch a film that will scratch my child cult itch. The film is told in reflective narration by Thomas Jane (Deep Blue Sea, 1999) as Wilfred James. He is writing a letter of confession that is longer than R. Kelly’s song. The James parents are at odds on how to move forward with life after the inheritance of some farmland. Wilfred wants to be a farmer but his wife Arlette (the always stunning Molly Parker, fight me) wants to move to the city and live that life. This plot point should resonate for anyone that has had to break off a relationship on the basis of differing long-term goals. This film is a reminder to square that away well before you’re married and have a 14 year old son.
We quickly learn that Wilfred is kind of a manipulative sociopath and concocts a plan to ensure no one leaves the farm. He only succeeds by about 33% before it falls apart. Things happen that might be a product of the supernatural or it might be the product of his mind. Another reviewer drew a parallel to Poe’s “The Tell Tale Heart “And I can’t disagree with that comparison. The film also features a bit part from the always detestable Neal McDonough (seriously, this man is a great actor if you need someone to annoy your audience).
In a film where there are no heroes, there are also no happy endings. Instead, we need to evaluate it on the merits of the story and production. It’s a work by King and thankfully it seems they kept the cocaine away from him when writing a screenplay for it and let the co-screenwriter helm the directing. The funding for the cinematography felt on part with contemporary films. The setting of 1922 and the subsequent years rural America looked accurate to my understanding of the period. The acting was believable. The character development for the leads made sense in the context of a psychological thrill ride. The real scary stuff was done in a well-timed manner and it was masterfully crafted in how they made the audience wait for the slop to hit the fan. This was not a warm and fuzzy feeling film. Even if you would argue to disqualify it as a horror, don’t come into this movie looking for all that mushy fuzzy warm stuff. This movie has winter scenes that will have you shivering right along with the characters. Like, I'm pretty sure I saw Jon Snow and Samwell Tarley lurking in the background, it was that cold.
There is enough gore to make the average viewer uneasy but restrained enough to not be gratuitous.
My final thought is to say, major trigger warning: If you have an aversion to rats, skip this film, just trust me. Otherwise, I’m annoyed that this movie is 5 years old and this is the first time I watch it. FOR SHAME!
Two movies into the 2022 binge and so far, two winners!

October 2022 Horror Binge Movie #3: “1BR” (2019):
The end of this review will contain a spoiler, content warning, and trigger warning. I can review the movie without revealing it but at the same time there are scenes that some viewers need to be mentally prepared for.

Spoiler

The film introduces us to Sarah as she moves across the country to start a new life in Los Angeles and comes upon an apartment complex with a very friendly community. I briefly read the Netflix synopsis and checked the cast on IMDB before diving in, and noticed that they list the movie in the “escapism” subgenre of horror. The movie doesn’t beat around the bush and quickly unveils why it qualifies for that descriptive term. It’s close to being a suburban version of “Midsommar” which is interesting as both films were released within a month of each other.
The movie is steeped in psychological horror and many of the plot points and villain motivations are derived from behavioral psychology, so I was definitely on board. While there are some elements of gore, violence, and death, that’s not the main device in this narrative. It’s a movie that lives and dies on the ability to make you sympathize with the protagonist’s feelings of isolation, despair, and inner battle against assimilating or fighting while outwardly trying to say what the antagonist wants to hear. Whereas its contemporary escapist film, “Midsommar” starts with a group that gets smaller until the final reveal, this film begins with Sarah and centers around Sarah.
For the most part, this film had heavy feelings of an independent film with good equipment and resources. The shots were clean, the effects were realistic, and it didn’t feel cheap. The cast at first glance was full of actors unknown to me. I was able to learn that this was the director’s first film.
It’s quite enjoyable to see someone make their first movie and even better when the movie is good. I love the boldness it takes to invest time and money into a creative endeavor like film and I applaud the rookie filmmakers that accomplish their goals, even when the movie stinks. My biggest point of contention is when a new or independent creator is benefitted by a generous budget and then wastes it on creating garbage. With “1BR” we are given a film that I would recommend to most movie fans, especially most horror fans. It’s not perfect, but it has more strengths than weaknesses. Stop reading this review right now if you want to avoid spoilers as I’m about to list vague plot points for people that may have triggers.
This movie contains graphic depictions of crucifixion type violence, suicide, and animal cruelty. If any of these topics will upset you in a fictional setting, do not view this movie.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

I'll probably end up posting a list of movies watched at the end. Majority may be on Friday nights/Weekends if I'm not into the football games.

With that said, I watched Friday the 13th: Part 2 last night on AMC and Beetlejuice on Freeform for the 892nd time this year alone just prior to that.

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

Usually I just watch movies whenever I get the chance. I watch horror year round, like we all do, so it's just another time to watch them. I never try to watch as many as possible, but I'm changing things up this year and watching as much as possible. I started on 9/30 with Trick 'r Treat to kick it off. So far my list is:

9/30 - Trick 'r Treat
10/1 - Dark Glasses (Shudder secret screening)
10/2 - The Haunting (my favorite horror movie that I watch every year)
10/3 - Puppet Master
10/4 - The VVItch
10/4 - The Ring
10/4 - The Witchfinder General
10/4 - Trick 'r Treat (x2 on AMC)

 

[RedJed]

I've gotten into the Halloween movies again, figured I would watch them all before Ends on next Thursday. So far I'm only to part 3 but damn, the more I rewatch Season of the Witch the more I like it. And the more I rewatch part 2, the more I strongly dislike it besides the last maybe 20 minutes or so. And obviously the original is still such a classic, so simple yet so meticulous in it's execution.

I also checked out All Hallow's Eve last night, this was the first film featuring Art the Clown of Terrifier fame. Kind of a kooky and crazy film that was a bit rough around the edges, but decent.

 

[Youth N Asia]

If they would have dropped the Halloween 3, and just called the movie Season of the Witch it would be so much better thought of by horror fans.

I’ll rewatch the original this month. Maybe even 2018. I’m not going back to Kills.

 

[AA484]

So far I've watched:

28 Days Later
Alien
Day of the Dead
Original War of the Worlds

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Working my way through a re-watch of Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 and there's some great scenes in this as baffling off the wall as it gets.

 

[Brooklyn Zoo]

Working my way through a re-watch of Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 and there's some great scenes in this as baffling off the wall as it gets.

Hellbound is severely underrated, maybe just as good as the first, and firmly establishes that the cenobites aren’t good or bad, but neutral, doing their duty (before ruined in future sequels)

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

The new Hellraiser movie dropped today on Hulu, and it's fucking GREAT. The best one since the original, and might be better (I need to re-watch the original again).

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

Usually I just watch movies whenever I get the chance. I watch horror year round, like we all do, so it's just another time to watch them. I never try to watch as many as possible, but I'm changing things up this year and watching as much as possible. I started on 9/30 with Trick 'r Treat to kick it off. So far my list is:

9/30 - Trick 'r Treat
10/1 - Dark Glasses (Shudder secret screening)
10/2 - The Haunting (my favorite horror movie that I watch every year)
10/3 - Puppet Master
10/4 - The VVItch
10/4 - The Ring
10/4 - The Witchfinder General
10/4 - Trick 'r Treat (x2 on AMC)

10/5 - Sinister
10/5 - The Changeling
10/6 - Halloween
10/7 - Hellraiser 2022

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Started up Midnight Club on Netflix... solid stuff. I'm liking the interslicing of stories with the main plot and it can be surprisingly gruesome without being over-the-top gory.

 

[Valeyard]

Pet Semetary holds up kind of but I wish King had gotten his way and they cast Bruce Campbell.

 

[Super Leather]

My Halloween month watchlist so far:
- Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1988)
- X (2022)
- Frankenstein (1931)
- Black Sunday (1960)
- The Mummy (1932)
- Arsenic & Old Lace (1944)
- Cash on Demand (1961)
- Dracula (1931)
- Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
- Elvira's Haunted Hills (2002)
- Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

This year's main priorities are getting through my Universal monster movies and a Hammer Studios DVD set. Keeping it classic this time around.

 

[Brocklock]

Hellraiser was just okay to me. Something just was missing. It definitely lacked the grit and grime of the first two. It also was way too long at two hours and I didn't find Riley to be a very interesting protagonist. But the gore and cenobite design was cool and the movie looked fantastic. The Pinhead voice kind of didn't work for me but was unique and still interesting. I think the first two are much better and the Frank/Julia plot was way more engaging than Riley.

It's still the fourth best movie in the series and much better than the other sequels. It's just the first two are great and Hellraiser 3 is a trash classic.

 

[AA484]

More to add:

Original Friday the 13th
Smile in theaters
The Hunger
Original Invasion of the Body Snatchers
The Mist

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Caught the original Children of the Corn. Still okay, kind of lacking in the blood/gore you would've hoped to see more of (esp. in the opening scene). The two leads have good chemistry and overall it's fine. I feel like this is one of the movies Stephen King was thinking of when he directed Maximum Overdrive himself.

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

10/5 - Sinister
10/5 - The Changeling
10/6 - Halloween
10/7 - Hellraiser 2022

10/10 - The Monster Squad

 

[RedJed]

Ended up checking out Terrifier 2 last week and WOW, what to say about this crazy and fucking bonkers adventure.....it clocked it at two hours and 15 minutes. That was really my main gripe with this....a shock value horror like this is better fit in more of a 90 minute to maybe 105 minute runtime.

Other qualms is that I felt like there was too many characters here to develop, some should have been cut completely out of the story. As it went, most of the qualities of the first Terrifier (which I really still like) such as a singular area for the story and really a pretty straight forward narrative....this was the total opposite. Too much was happening in too many directions. It was a much more robust story that really wasn't necessarily coherant at times, but there was a really strong protagonist (first film didn't have this) character that brought a larger mythos into things, making this a long term story being told in a sense. Lots of things weren't explained here, but I think it's clear that is what the next film will be more towards. That was a bit tough to accept by the time this one finished, because some things made no fucking sense.....but then again this is gonzo slasher horror here we are talking about. What was odd about this (and what some may find refreshing) is there was many tones of a fantasy movie here too mixed within things. And a strong level of homage towards, it felt like, Nightmare on Elm Street 3. Many crazy dream sequences and Art the Clown is turning into the second coming of Freddy without the one liners.

That out of the way, the kills and gore factor was through the fuckin roof here, at times I had to even turn my head as it was unsettling at times. Feel like in some ways I am getting kinda too old for the brazen and kinda hateful kills and gore and there was plenty here to go around for sure.

 

[Valeyard]

Sixth Sense doesn't work for me as any kind of horror movie anymore but holy shit Toni Collette is great. Steals everything she touches.

Donnie Wahlberg should get some credit too for being the most frightening character in it, too. First like ten minutes remain the most compelling of the movie to me because he seriously brings it.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Sixth Sense doesn't work for me as any kind of horror movie anymore but holy shit Toni Collette is great. Steals everything she touches.

Donnie Wahlberg should get some credit too for being the most frightening character in it, too. First like ten minutes remain the most compelling of the movie to me because he seriously brings it.

I've appreciated Haley Joel Osmont's acting more on re-watches and stuff like the poisoned girl & hanging bodies have a much darker tone to them IMO after knowing it going in.

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

It's been a few years since I've seen Sixth Sense, and I need to change that, but it has some absolutely frightening scenes, especially for a PG-13 movie. There are still some questions about the plot, even if you know the rules M. Night set up. Other than that, it's pretty great, and I think I'm going to add it to my list to watch this month.

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

10/10 - The Monster Squad

10/11 - Night of the Living Dead
10/12 - The House of Haunted Hill
10/12 - Curse of The Blair Witch (a short "documentary" about the Blair Witch Project and the events surrounding the movie)

 

[Youth N Asia]

Barbarian hits HBOMAX on October 25th.