The Silver Screen

Sun Aug 30, 2015 11:36 pm

Penwrite wrote:Today we lost a film great. Farewell, Wes Craven. Thanks for such classics as A Nightmare On Elm Street and Scream.

The Elm Street movies are the only ones of those old slasher movies that i actually liked. the extra supernatural element of killing you in your dreams separated it from all the other "unstoppable brute attacking you" movies. RIP Wes.

Saturn381 · Post by **Saturn381** » Mon Aug 31, 2015 4:12 pm

Just came back from seeing Shaun the Sheep Movie, and it was great!

Radio Blue Heart · Post by **Radio Blue Heart** » Wed Sep 02, 2015 1:44 am

RandomGeekNamedBrent wrote:
Penwrite wrote:Today we lost a film great. Farewell, Wes Craven. Thanks for such classics as A Nightmare On Elm Street and Scream.
The Elm Street movies are the only ones of those old slasher movies that i actually liked. the extra supernatural element of killing you in your dreams separated it from all the other "unstoppable brute attacking you" movies. RIP Wes.

First Christopher Lee and now Wes Craven. The horror fandom has lost a lot of legends this year. Wes's movies have brought me an infinite amount of joy. I'm definitely going to watch some of his movies today to remind me of the good times.

CosmicCoyote · Post by **CosmicCoyote** » Wed Sep 02, 2015 11:01 am

Radio Blue Heart wrote:
RandomGeekNamedBrent wrote:
Penwrite wrote:Today we lost a film great. Farewell, Wes Craven. Thanks for such classics as A Nightmare On Elm Street and Scream.
The Elm Street movies are the only ones of those old slasher movies that i actually liked. the extra supernatural element of killing you in your dreams separated it from all the other "unstoppable brute attacking you" movies. RIP Wes.
First Christopher Lee and now Wes Craven. The horror fandom has lost a lot of legends this year. Wes's movies have brought me an infinite amount of joy. I'm definitely going to watch some of his movies today to remind me of the good times.

It's funny - the article I first read concerning Wes Craven had an article linked to the side titled "Wes Craven comments on the passing of Christopher Lee." It's funny, I didn't even think about the fact until I saw that.

But yeah, a sad summer for the silver screen with the loss of both of them.

Penwrite · Post by **Penwrite** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 12:14 pm

In lighter news, this looks way better than it has any right to be.

http://thisisinfamous.com/new-krampus-t ... christmas/

Saturn381 · Post by **Saturn381** » Sat Sep 12, 2015 7:52 pm

Just came back from seeing A Walk in the Woods, and it was pretty good.

Penwrite · Post by **Penwrite** » Tue Sep 15, 2015 1:12 pm

First trailer for The Jungle Book looks dang good.

http://thisisinfamous.com/disney-releas ... ngle-book/

Radio Blue Heart · Post by **Radio Blue Heart** » Sat Sep 26, 2015 8:26 am

I've been watching a lot of movies lately. Since I got my new job I have a lot more disposable income to expand my movie collection.

I recently watched "Grizzly", an awesome "Jaws" imitator about a giant grizzly bear terrorizing a national park.

I found a copy of one of my favorite films, "Lifeforce", on Laserdisc of all formats.

I also got a replacement copy of the film "Scarecrows" which is one of the best American horror films of the 1980s. Its about a group of mercenary thieves who steal Three-million dollars and hijack a plane. After one of their group tries to parachute out with the money, the other come after him and get stranded at an old farm with an abnormally large amount of scarecrows around it. It turns out the scarecrows are actually the re-animated corpses of the farms owners and their victims.

Saturn381 · Post by **Saturn381** » Sat Oct 10, 2015 9:31 pm

Just came back from seeing The Walk, and it was great!

Douglas Collier · Post by **Douglas Collier** » Sat Oct 10, 2015 9:45 pm

I saw The Martian today - it was great!

Lots of science stuff and lots of macgyvering solutions to problems.

IdleCurator · Post by **IdleCurator** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 5:23 am

Saturn381 wrote:Just came back from seeing Shaun the Sheep Movie, and it was great!

I also loved it, I love stop motion animation and I loved Wallace and Gromit, my family and I have been watching the Shawn the Sheep series for a while now and I am glad the film went up and beyond.

Penwrite wrote:First trailer for The Jungle Book looks dang good.

It does although I hope it does better than every other attempt on Disneys part to make a live action version of a classic movie.

Radio Blue Heart · Post by **Radio Blue Heart** » Thu Oct 15, 2015 8:23 am

I finally saw Lucio Fulci's "Manhattan Baby". Its easily one of Fulci's weakest films but I still liked it. Its about a girl possessed by an Ancient Egyptian demon from a cursed necklace her father found while on an archaeological dig in Giza. All sorts of mayhem ensue when it starts to exert its power. I inspired me to watch "The Pyramid" and "Dawn of the Mummy" again. Not the best films in the world but some of the only horror films with an Ancient Egyptian theme.

I have also had a strong desires to watch some Hammer movies. I have seen their version of "The Mummy", "Horror of Dracula", "Dracula, Prince of Darkness", "The Satanic Rites of Dracula" and "Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter". I have copies of "The Vampire Lovers", "Frankenstein Created Woman" and "Countess Dracula" on order.

I finally saw "REC" after putting it off for so long and I was indeed very impressed by it.

I also got a copy of Tobe Hooper's "The Funhouse". Its been a while since I saw it and its still good.

I got copies of "Pumpkinhead", "Suspiria" and "Tourist Trap" for my friend Hunter. I hope she likes them.

CosmicCoyote · Post by **CosmicCoyote** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 10:19 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGbxmsDFVnE

Don't mind me, my fanboy is just leaking.

Penwrite · Post by **Penwrite** » Mon Oct 19, 2015 10:42 pm

CosmicCoyote wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGbxmsDFVnE

Don't mind me, my fanboy is just leaking.

*frothy-mouthed screaming*

IdleCurator · Post by **IdleCurator** » Tue Oct 20, 2015 2:56 am

CosmicCoyote wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGbxmsDFVnE

Don't mind me, my fanboy is just leaking.

Pray to it. Bow to its glory

Ok then Guys and Gals I went and watched 007 Spectre today and I really liked it....although I did think that it was beautifully made with many amazing scenes however I thought that the villain was lacking in many ways. I much prefered skyfall.
I was so hyped up for this pure evil organisation after seeing the opening theme song and its amazing visuals followed by the massive meeting room scene, but in the end they just wanted to....have complete survailence of the world....

I thought it seemes rather weak in the villain departement but otherwise a great film.

Saturn381 · Post by **Saturn381** » Sat Oct 31, 2015 7:36 pm

Just came back form seeing The Martian. and it was great!

Radio Blue Heart · Post by **Radio Blue Heart** » Sat Nov 07, 2015 8:08 pm

I just saw a documentary called "Electric Boogaloo", a documentary about the rise and fall of Cannon Films. In the 80s Cannon was a big independent film studio run by two Israeli cousins. Most of there output was crap made for the sole purpose of making money. They did make some horrendously awful movies but they also produced some true gems like "Runaway Train" and "Barflies", as well as some classic cult films like "X-Ray", "Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2" and my person favorite film "Lifeforce". It interesting to see how it came to be and how it ultimately collapsed.

I watched a collection of Ed Wood movies. Its the first time I have seen "Night of the Ghouls" which went unreleased for over 30 years because they could not pay the bill for the developing lab, and the documentary "The Haunted World of Ed Wood".

I still have a pile of movies that I need to watch.

Saturn381 · Post by **Saturn381** » Sat Nov 07, 2015 8:53 pm

Just came back from seeing The Peanuts Movie, and it was great!

Radio Blue Heart · Post by **Radio Blue Heart** » Sun Nov 08, 2015 4:21 pm

I just saw the trailer for the film "Trumbo". Oh man! I need to see this movie! Dalton Trumbo is one of my favorite writers! He wrote the novel "Johnny Got His Gun" and directed the subsequent film adaptation. He also wrote films like Stanley Kubrick's "Spartacus" and "Roman Holiday". This is an important film because this man was blacklisted and imprisoned for simply having an opinion.

On the other end of the spectrum, I saw "Absurd" from director Joe D'Amato and star/writer George Eastman (real name Luigi Montefiori) in a semi-sequel to their previous film "Anthropophagus: The Beast". I say that because even tho there is no direct connection between the two films, Montefiori plays a very similar character. Its about a priest pursuing a man who, as a result of some cruel experiments, is both violently psychopathic and has the ability to regenerate from most any injury. Its essentially an imitation of John Carpenter's "Halloween" but it is one of Joe D'Amato's best films.

I just ordered another filmmaking documentary call "Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau". As the title states, its about how the 1996 film adaptation of H.G. Wells's novel "The Island of Dr. Moreau" turned into one of the most troubled productions ever and one of the worst films ever made. Richard Stanley was a hot new director from his works making documentaries, short films, music videos and his classic films "Dust Devil" and "Hardware". His dream project was an epic adaptation of Wells's novel but studio interference destroyed it.

Saturn381 · Post by **Saturn381** » Sat Nov 14, 2015 9:21 pm

Just came back from seeing Spectre, and it was really good.

SuperStar · Post by **SuperStar** » Sun Nov 15, 2015 9:07 am

I just watched a sort of old(late 90s) film, The Truman Show. I must say. I LOVED it. It's such an interesting and amazing film. Has anyone else seen it?

Post by **Hlaoroo** » Mon Nov 16, 2015 5:59 pm

Yes, I have in English class. We had to analyse gender stereotypes and product placement in it. It's certainly an interesting movie that gets you thinking.

Punchy · Post by **Punchy** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 5:39 am

Watched UHF, that movie is hilarious.
but, everything is hilarious at 3 am....
Still, it was a good movie. You should go watch it.

Radio Blue Heart · Post by **Radio Blue Heart** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 3:08 pm

Just watched the documentary "Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau" and WOW! What a documentary. I love learning about filmmaking and this is what happens when it goes horribly wrong. Its also a warning to young up-and-coming filmmakers of what traps to avoid.

Richard Stanley is a South African-born British filmmaker who directed two excellent films called "Hardware" and "Dust Devil" as well as numerous short films, documentaries and music videos for bands like Fields of the Nephilim and Public Image, Ltd. His dream project was to a film adaptation of one of his favorite books, H.G. Wells's "The Island of Dr. Moreau". But a combination of conniving studio executives, bad weather and belligerent actors turned his dream project into a nightmare. He was fired shortly into principal photography and replaced by John Frankenheimer who proceeded to wreck the film further, rewriting it over and over, and the massive egos of Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer delaying the production. A film intended to be shot in six weeks took six months to complete and became one of the worst films ever made.

In a way the film is amusing because of the outrageousness that went on, but at the same time it is poignant and sad because it broke Stanley's heart and he has not made a feature film since. Its the story of a man who had his dream project degenerate into a nightmare. The film that could have been would have been amazing from the script readings and concept art in the film.

Also I watched the horror film "X-Ray" (also known as "Ward 13", "Hospital Massacre" and"Be My Valentine, Or Else..."). It was ok by slasher films standards by nothing to really write home about.

IdleCurator · Post by **IdleCurator** » Wed Nov 18, 2015 5:19 am

Hlaoroo wrote:
SuperStar wrote:I just watched a sort of old(late 90s) film, The Truman Show. I must say. I LOVED it. It's such an interesting and amazing film. Has anyone else seen it?
Yes, I have in English class. We had to analyse gender stereotypes and product placement in it. It's certainly an interesting movie that gets you thinking.

So did I except my English class watched it for Philosophy (and the teacher was bored).
It was a very good film. I loved it. It was very unique.

Saturn381 · Post by **Saturn381** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 4:39 pm

Just got back from seeing Mockingjay – Part 2, and it was really good.

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Sun Nov 29, 2015 2:15 am

I rewatched REC (the spanish film they based quarantine on) and I gotta say, though it isn't high art or anything, man it's a really cool use of the found footage gimmick. The news team angle makes it totally plausible for the camera to keep rolling at the expense of safety (it's their job/ an award winning story if they survive) and it does a really good job using one location (an apartment building) in ways that keep the movie from being stale but also makes it feel confined, which really adds to the horror as the safe spaces in the apartment building dwindle. The fact that the movie essentially happens in real time (I think the camera turns off a few times but not very often and never with the impression of a lot of time passing)really adds to the sense of dread. It's a great example of using a sub genre to tell a story in a unique way instead of using it as a gimmick to make a lame movie seems cool. Great ending too.

I also love how it uses cops and fire fighters as a large part of the cast, that allows it to get away with some heroics from the characters without it feeling forced. I don't want to spoil anything but the cops and fire fighters play the protector role in the group for big parts of the movie and I really like that. Just a little screen writing thing I noticed as I was watching it.

GameCobra · Post by **GameCobra** » Sun Nov 29, 2015 9:42 am

Forgot to mention that i saw the Peanuts movie this Wednesday. It was salso awesome. loved the animation and the Charlie Brown antics. too much Red Baron, though, but it wasn't bad either. Definitely recommend seeing it for old time comic and Charlie Brown fans.

deepskycyan · Post by **deepskycyan** » Sun Nov 29, 2015 11:10 am

GameCobra wrote:Peanut movie

This confused me more than it should have.

GameCobra · Post by **GameCobra** » Sun Nov 29, 2015 11:36 am

deepskycyan wrote:
GameCobra wrote:Peanut movie
This confused me more than it should have.

Peanuts. :3

Radio Blue Heart · Post by **Radio Blue Heart** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 7:57 pm

I watched "Alan Quartermain and the Lost City of Gold", the sequel to (and filmed back to back with) "King Solomon's Mines", starring Richard Chamberlain. It was bad. So bad it could not even be entertaining for being bad. Everything that could go wrong with a movie did go wrong and its blatantly racist against Africans.

I obtained a copy of "The Battle of Algiers" which is one of the most important films ever made. Its about Algeria's war of independence against French colonial rule. It even stars the leader of the NLF as himself. This is not just a historical film but also an important political film because it shows how an insurgency works and how to fight against it.

I really want to see "Krampus". Ever since this Austrian tradition had been introduced to North America it has been embraced with a passion. He is the Anti-Claus.

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Thu Dec 03, 2015 1:50 am

I'm a bit skeptical of Krampus, it seems like it might just be cashing in on the audience who isn't into christmas films, I hope it has a story that's better than "LOL look at this lame rich family getting killed so scurry". The PG-13 rating doesn't bode well for me. In something like this that wants to be a monster movie I feel like you gotta let the monster be scary and doing that while keeping it pg-13 isn't easy (which isn't to say it's impossible, the copy of Jaws I picked up is rated PG because apparently these Days that level of blood and monsters isn't seen as excessive so it might pull it off)

Penwrite · Post by **Penwrite** » Thu Dec 03, 2015 2:29 pm

Krampus' director did amazing work with Trick 'r Treat, so I'm pretty optimistic.

Saturn381 · Post by **Saturn381** » Thu Dec 03, 2015 11:03 pm

Just came back fathom events screening of Rifftrax's Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny, and it was hilarious!

Radio Blue Heart · Post by **Radio Blue Heart** » Fri Dec 04, 2015 9:42 am

Penwrite wrote:Krampus' director did amazing work with Trick 'r Treat, so I'm pretty optimistic.

Seth wrote:I'm a bit skeptical of Krampus, it seems like it might just be cashing in on the audience who isn't into christmas films, I hope it has a story that's better than "LOL look at this lame rich family getting killed so scurry". The PG-13 rating doesn't bode well for me. In something like this that wants to be a monster movie I feel like you gotta let the monster be scary and doing that while keeping it pg-13 isn't easy (which isn't to say it's impossible, the copy of Jaws I picked up is rated PG because apparently these Days that level of blood and monsters isn't seen as excessive so it might pull it off)

I am cautiously optimistic. Seth brings u the good point that most PG-13 rated horror films do indeed suck. Watered down for mass consumption. I have never paid good money to see a PG-13 rated horror film in theaters.

But, Penwrite also make a point about this film's pedigree. Micheal Dougherty's "Trick r Treat" was probably the best Halloween-theme horror film since John Carpenter's "Halloween".

I have the day off, so I am going to see an 11:00 showing. I should have most of the theater to myself.

Fri Dec 04, 2015 7:05 pm

keep in mind Krampus is a horror comedy. It may be relying more on the comedy than the horror to make it worth watching. it may be good comedy and alright horror instead of good horror

Radio Blue Heart · Post by **Radio Blue Heart** » Fri Dec 04, 2015 8:43 pm

Well, I saw "Krampus" this morning. I liked it but I didn't think it was that special. Not as good as "Trick r Treat", that's for sure.

Combining horror and comedy is a strange beast. You have to put the humor in at the right moments or it defuses any potential scares.I actually wish that they had made an R rated film of it and given us some gore and violence. Some of the elements were just silly, like Krampus's living gingerbread cookies, while some were incredibly disturbing, like the jack-in-the-box monster. Jokes would come in the middle of a horror scene, sometimes jokes not even worth making, and destroy what could have been some genuinely creepy scenes.

The monster are very cool, especially Kramus himself, leaping from rooftop to rooftop with his curled horns, cloven hooves and creepy Santa mask. The scenes with the killer toys reminded me of "Demonic Toys" and "Dolls", while the snowbound setting echoed of "The Thing" or "Horror Express".

One thing I loved about it was how much I sympathized with the character of Max. I can relate to having the holidays ruined by demented white-trash family members, who stress out your parents and tease you remorselessly. It also taught me the importance of family and tradition. Love them because you never know if a pagan demon from Austria will murder them in front of you.

If you liked movies like "Killer Klowns From Outer Space" or "The Monster Squad" you might like this.

IdleCurator · Post by **IdleCurator** » Mon Dec 07, 2015 8:04 am

I also saw MockingJay part 2, as an avid fan of the book series I thought this was a very faithful adaptation that improved upon the source material. President Snows' speech in the rose garden was amazing.

A little while back I watched a movie called Self/Less, I was very surprised at high good it was. It had a really strong story and I could even justify the villains actions. My favourite villains are ones that have better motives than "I will destroy/take over the world just because!".

I can't wait for Captain America Civil War and Zootopia. I am not too hyped for the new Star Wars. I was when the first teaser emerged but the excitement has died down quite a bit.

Penwrite · Post by **Penwrite** » Tue Dec 08, 2015 1:28 am

Aww, come now, there are plenty of good PG-13 horror movies. Insidious, The Ring, The Others, The Gate, 1408, Critters, Tremors, just off the top of my head. Plus if we want to go even lower there're Jaws and Poltergeist, both PG movies.

Liam · Post by **Liam** » Tue Dec 08, 2015 5:48 pm

Those are old movies for the most part.

Today entry-level horror in form of PG13 movies a lá Gremlins aren't made. Krampus is an outlier.