Seen and not seen's, recommendations and queries on top films in general.

[aububs]

yeah that set is bananas

and expensive, i will not be buying it

[Bruitiste]

I really wanted to see the documentary and just took the plunge and ordered the whole box.  Too many intriguing things in there to pass up.

[ConcreteMascara]

Camp Blood VII @ The Mahoning Drive-In - the below films were all presented projected from original 35mm reels. They did not all age gracefully but it hardly mattered. My friends and I were able to make it two of the 4 days and it was a hell of a time.

9/4/21
The Slumber Party Massacre - [dir. Amy Holden Jones, 1982] - My second viewing, I enjoyed it a lot more this time around. I knew insane gore wouldn't be part of it, so I was disappointed. Instead you get a level of fun and silliness that reminds me of Pieces at times, although never that bizarre and baffling. But the killer and his weapon are still pretty silly. I also appreciate that the female characters have that feel of real characters, instead of insubstantial sketches. Or at least more than many slashers. A movie better suited to watching with friends than alone. The print we saw was pretty damaged, with the image being almost entirely amber in color.

Scream for Help - [dir. Michael Winner, 1984] - Easily the most baffling film of the weekend and maybe my favorite. This falls between after-school special, Last House on the Left and erotic murder mystery. Almost like a trash version of a Twin Peaks subplot The acting is all over the top, especially the lead teen character whose obsession with uncovering the misdeeds of her step-father gets all sorts of people killed and maimed. Her suspicions are correct but the collateral damage, whooo boy. Early highlight is when her friend gets hit and killed by a speeding car. Also there's a lot of pretty hardcore sex including full muff shots. And then there's the music composed by John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin which is some of the most overblown shit I've ever heard. I was laughing my ass off throughout this thing. I'd highly recommend this little obscure gym  

9/5/21
Silent Rage – [dir. Michael Miller, 1982] – A sorta-kinda slasher with Chuck Norris as the lead. Never been a big Chuck Norris fan but he was surprisingly fun and charming in this. There’s a fun and very superfluous scene about halfway through where he kicks the ass of an entire biker gang in a bar that’s very entertaining with really competent action stunts. The weirdo sci-fi, surgeons playing god plot that creates the main bad guy is weird and dumb but kinda fun, but their un-killable experiment does do a lot of rampaging. The biggest issue with this movie is the pacing and run time. It is a 103 minutes when it could have easily been edited into a tight 90 minutes. Also there’s a major missed opportunity for a one-liner at the end. Chuck Norris throws the badguy down a well. He then slowly walks up to the well to peer down into it to confirm the badguy is there. He should have said either “Well….” Or “Well, well, well…” . It’s a tragic waste.

10 to Midnight – [dir. J. Lee Thompson, 1983] – This one was a blast! The level of Dirty Harry right-wing maximum force cop bullshit, coupled with awesome performance from the serial killer and goofy dating sub-plot made for a hell of a romp. I guess this movie has a bit of reputation and I’d say it’s earned. Again, a few minutes could’ve been shaved to keep the narrative tighter but I really have no major complaint. One I’d watch again and soon.

Jason X – [dir. James Isaac, 2001] – the only Jason film I have not seen, but I can’t say I’ve really seen it now either. Right before the movie started a fog settled in at the drive-in which didn’t lift even after the movie was over. So it was incredibly difficult to discern what was happening, made worse by the films aversion to any kind of normal lighting. I thought this was the sillies Friday the 13th film, even more so than Jason Goes to Hell, which I liked a lot more than I should have.

[ConcreteMascara]

9/18
Malignant - [dir. James Wan, 2021] - I originally had no interest in this movie but after watching the "Half in the Bag" episode on it I knew I had to see it in the theaters. Truly it's one of the dumbest and most outrageous "horror" films ever put out by a big name director for a big studio. The script is painfully bad, the acting at least as bad. The set design is absurd and nonsensical. The lighting is ridiculously dark. The plot itself makes no fucking sense. And all of this coalesces into one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Everyone in the group I saw it with was howling with laughter. I was brought to literal tears. It's a top-tier good-bad movie. The best unintentional comedy of the year. And seeing it in theater with a bunch of people who felt the same way was the icing on the cake.

9/26
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master - [dir. Renny Harlin, 1988] - Didn't have high hopes for this one but damn if it isn't nearly as good as Dream Warriors. It's too bad they couldn't get Patricia Arquette back, but the replacement wasn't the worse ever. One the movie switches leads 1/3rd of the way in I was nervous it'd totally fall apart, and while the new girl isn't as good it stays on the rails. We're happily treated to a lot of dead teens and some fucking gruesome gore effects, and also a bitchin score. I don't really understand how the lead defeated Freddy but that's really the last important part. Definitely recommend this one, especially if you're a fan of Dream Warriors.

Skinner - [dir. Ivan Nagy, 1993] - Picked this up during the Severin mid-summer sale, and wow, this is some weird shit. Like a derivative love child of Silence of the Lambs and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Ted Raimi as a serial killer who skins prostitutes is a lot of fun. Whenever he really gets to ham it up the movie shines. Even more fun/absurd/hilarious is Traci Lords as the former victim "hunting" down Skinner, but so fucked up on heroin she's rendered almost completely ineffectual. While she manages to follow Skinner around the forgotten corners of LA, she inexplicably never follows him all the way home. I guess if she did the movie would be over in 10 minutes. Instead she stumbles around in a haze for 95% of the film. I don't know if Traci Lords had cleaned herself up at this point, or if the just filmed her during drug binges. Either way her performance is great/terrible. And then there's Ricki Lake who is just adorable as the put upon spouse. Most of the gore effects in this look a little too silly for my taste but there's a fair amount. It's a weird fragment of '90s psycho-sexual horror that's worth watching but won't set your world on fire.

Strip Nude For Your Killer - [dir. Andrea Bianchi, 1975] - Haven't seen this in over a decade but I remembered it as an exceptionally sleazy giallo and damn if it didn't live up to the memory. Edwige Fenech is a fucking peach in this film, but her boyfriend Carlo is such an incredible asshole. He has his moments of charm but mostly he's forcing himself on women, choking and slapping them and doing it all with a smile. Like something out of Jamie Gillis porno. The kills are fairly violent and gory, there's tits a plenty and the score is the right kind of swinging. Certainly no masterpiece, but definitely eazy-sleazy fun to enjoy.

[Theodore]

I am usually very suspicious regarding hyped / top-10 series and movies but the Squid Game looks very fine to me. I would prefer a different end though, a definite one. This one leaves it wide open for a second season ... and i dont think there are much more to be said in the story.

[aububs]

incredible

[Atrophist]

I am usually very suspicious regarding hyped / top-10 series and movies but the Squid Game looks very fine to me. I would prefer a different end though, a definite one. This one leaves it wide open for a second season ... and i dont think there are much more to be said in the story.

I was sceptical at first, but I have to admit this was much better than I expected. I believe the writer/director has no definitive plans for a second season, but given the massive hype and success it seems practically inevitable.

[ConcreteMascara]

Friday
The Exorcist III - dir. William Peter Blatty, 1990 - I watched this for the first time about 10 months ago expecting something ok or even just dumb fun but was basically blown away when it turned out to be an excellent movie. This time, knowing it was excellent and knowing the plot I was able to focus on all of the little details as the story unfolds. There are so many little hints towards the final reveal sewn right into the whole film, but you'd never figure out the mystery in advance on first watch. I do want to watch the rough cut of the original ending badly, need to get that Shriek Show bluray that has it. The FX heavy ending of the theatrical cut is not without it's charm but I could easily imagine this with the original talkier and bleaker ending. All in all, definitely one of my favorite movies I watched in 2021.

Saturday
Burial Ground - dir. Andrea Bianchi, 1981 - This was my second view of Burial Ground as well, but this time with my buddy. What wonderful trash this is! And the Severin blu-ray looks great too. I'm so glad all these trash films get such wonderful transfers, what an age we live in! This was a perfect movie to eat wings and eat enchiladas to.

Se7en - dir. David Fincher, 1995 - I can remember watching this for the first time as a kid and being non-plussed, expecting something more hardcore. as an "adult" I've come to enjoy Se7en more with each viewing but it definitely wears the mark of the edgy '90s throughout. I noticed it especially when our mains get to John Doe's apartment. I forgot how much of a movie serial killers apartment it is, especially the neon red cross above the bed. come on. Still it's nice to watch something that's well written, well acted and with the budget to match the vision. Too bad the vision comes with so much color correction.

Superstition - dir. James W. Roberson, 1982 - Well this movie is not well written, well acted, or well funded. This is trash, but again, supremely enjoyable trash. I originally watched this a couple of years ago and thought it was okay but on second viewing, I was fucking loving it. The gore is fucking good, especially that loose circular saw scene, but also kids die, women are drowned, heads are microwaved... it's got the goods! Every time it starts to slow down it jerks you back with some kind of violence. The only real complaint is the [near ?] complete lack of nudity. Like come on, show me some witch titties or something. The other minor quibble is the score, it's pretty bleh. The main theme is a re-purposed version of some other theme or popular song but I couldn't for the life of me figure it out. It's driving me crazy so if you know please tell me! Anyway, big recommendation here for this delightful piece of Canadian trash.

[absurdexposition]

The Exorcist III - dir. William Peter Blatty, 1990 - I watched this for the first time about 10 months ago expecting something ok or even just dumb fun but was basically blown away when it turned out to be an excellent movie. This time, knowing it was excellent and knowing the plot I was able to focus on all of the little details as the story unfolds. There are so many little hints towards the final reveal sewn right into the whole film, but you'd never figure out the mystery in advance on first watch. I do want to watch the rough cut of the original ending badly, need to get that Shriek Show bluray that has it. The FX heavy ending of the theatrical cut is not without it's charm but I could easily imagine this with the original talkier and bleaker ending. All in all, definitely one of my favorite movies I watched in 2021.

Been meaning to see this for a minute and finally got around to it yesterday. Incredible atmosphere - I was rather transfixed by it. I guess I watched the theatrical cut. I wasn't aware there were so many differences between that and the director's cut. Seems like the DC is an entirely different beast and I'll be tracking it down for an eventual rewatch. Really this was great, though. Dare I say I like it more than the first one?

[tiny_tove]

First time I watched it I was asking myself why I was watching it, then slowly it grew on me and it's still one of my fave horrors of that era.

[ConcreteMascara]

The Exorcist III - dir. William Peter Blatty, 1990 - I watched this for the first time about 10 months ago expecting something ok or even just dumb fun but was basically blown away when it turned out to be an excellent movie. This time, knowing it was excellent and knowing the plot I was able to focus on all of the little details as the story unfolds. There are so many little hints towards the final reveal sewn right into the whole film, but you'd never figure out the mystery in advance on first watch. I do want to watch the rough cut of the original ending badly, need to get that Shriek Show bluray that has it. The FX heavy ending of the theatrical cut is not without it's charm but I could easily imagine this with the original talkier and bleaker ending. All in all, definitely one of my favorite movies I watched in 2021.

Been meaning to see this for a minute and finally got around to it yesterday. Incredible atmosphere - I was rather transfixed by it. I guess I watched the theatrical cut. I wasn't aware there were so many differences between that and the director's cut. Seems like the DC is an entirely different beast and I'll be tracking it down for an eventual rewatch. Really this was great, though. Dare I say I like it more than the first one?

Glad you enjoyed it! It's a different beast than the original Exorcist, but for my taste I admittedly like it better although I deeply admire the technical aspects of the original. Both movies have such great performances, but seeing George C Scott old and screaming is extremely pleasurable. And then there's Brad Dourif... so kinda hard to beat that combo.

[ConcreteMascara]

Tuesday
Jackass 3D - [dir. Jeff Tremaine, 2010] - decided to watch this after listening to a podcast about the history of Jackass. I think I must have seen parts of it in my drinking days but the memories are wrecked. Either way this was exactly what I needed after a brutal work day. Crazy stunts, disgusting shenanigans and lots of laughter. I was laughing my ass of even though I was watching it alone and sober as a Judge. I think I still prefer the first movie but I also haven't seen that in almost 20 years so it's hard to say.

Wednesday
The House That Jack Built - [dir. Lars Von Trier, 2018] - I kept think this movie was 3.5hrs not 2.5 so I kept putting off watching it because who has time like that. I was pleasantly surprised by how icky I felt by the middle of the movie. The "family" sequence was especially brutal but the "Simple" sequence afterwards wasn't much better. I thought Matt Dillon excelled at being a shallow, egotistical, narcissistic psychopath. Kudos to him for making the character so unbelievably grating and unlikeable. Reminded me of James Dornan in The Fall, such an awful fucking dickhead who thinks he's god gift. Also Bruno Ganz as Virgil? Wonderful, even if Trier is using a German to play an Italian. Overall I really enjoyed the film. I had a few quibbles and it's definitely not a film for all tastes, but I like it and was glad I took the time. I'd even watch it again.

[tiny_tove]

Hooked on very demented Australian series LUNATICS by Chris Lilley. My kind of humor.

[ConcreteMascara]

this past weekend was good to me, I had a lot of time to soak of up some spooky films, even if some of my viewing were a bit distracted. wound up watching a lot of vampire stuff, which isn't my usual fare but was enjoyable nonetheless.

Saturday
The Torture Chamber Of Dr. Sadism - [dir. Harald Reinl, 1967]
I hadn't even heard of this one until a few days before I watched it. Just happened to see a trailer online and it demanded a watch ASAP. I'll say up front my knowledge of pre late 70s horror is pretty limited. I typically expect less or no gore, less violence, less nudity, but I also try to keep an open mind. What I'll say for this movie is what it lacked in tits and gore it made up for in atmosphere. It's positively dripping with Gothic German vibes, like a dark fairy tale. Maybe half of the movie is the main characters getting to the castle but that journey is some of the best parts. Specifically there's a sequence where there are corpses and limbs coming out of the trees like some bizarre garden of limbs. And then the castle itself, which is really just underground ruins, is filled with scorpions, vultures, snakes, skulls, candelabra and best of all, these awesome knock off Hieronymus Bosch paintings. What a setting! My only complaint is the extremely limited screen time for Christopher Lee who basically makes anything better, but I would watch this again in a heartbeat.

Sunday
The coldest day of autumn so far, so it was a wonderful excuse to work and watch movies for most of the day...
Black Sunday - [dir. Mario Bava, 1960] - I've watched this a few time since I picked it up about 8 years ago and each time it rises in my estimation. When compared to some of the other films I watched this weekend it's surprising how much more violent and brutal, for the time, Black Sunday is. The first few minutes of the movie really are the highlight, such an excellent sequence. Again, the atmosphere here is just insane and keeps the slow parts from dragging things down. Also, things never fall into camp territory which I appreciate. There are a fair amount of corpses by the end too. There's a beautiful earnestness or something like that at work, or maybe that's just my rose tinted glasses. Either way, it's a perfect movie for the Halloween season.

The House that Dripped Blood - [dir. Peter Duffell, 1971]
I'm trying to get more into British horror and so I give this one a shot and what a fucking romp! Normally I fucking hate anthology movies but this is that format done right. All of the stories are tight, they have nice little twists, and the last one had me laughing out loud at several points. I don't think any actual blood drips in the film tho. There's no gore and the violence is very minimal, but despite being a gore-hound it really didn't bother me. My only two complaints are some extra money should've been spent on the props and I especially wish the figures in the spooky wax museum looked less absurd, but its a minor thing.

Vampires - [dir. John Carpenter, 1998]
My buddy and I have been threatening each other with this movie for years now and we finally decided to pull the trigger. To my shock this was way less shitty than I thought. At any point this could've gone into the campy and silly but to the movies credit it never does, even at its most absurd. I always enjoy watching James Woods be James Woods and he does that well here. Side note, his head is fucking huge compared to his shoulders. There's a good amount of gore, the action sequences are competent and sometimes pretty good, the pace is surprisingly brisk at times for Carpenter, and there's some effective humor. The script is ok for what it is, not laughably bad but could've used some work. There's a weird use of dissolves in some scenes that's very unnecessary but sort of interesting from a WTF perspective. And the score is unsurprisingly enjoyable. If the movie had a better villain and one who didn't look like a cross between Brandon Lee as The Crow and Slade Craven from Turbulence 3, it could've really been elevated. As it stands the badguy is just dull as hell. Oh didn't I mention Sheryl Lee shows up to play a battered sex worker? This one is pretty fun. Definitely worth a watch once.

Vampyros Lesbos - [dir. Jesus Franco, 1967]
This is a movie I've been hearing about since I first started watching b-movies and the like however many years ago. I mean that title and that cover, it definitely piques my curiosity. Yet 20 years later I'm only just now watching it. I think the only other Jes Franco film I've seen is Venus in Furs, so I can't compare other than to say I think I prefer Venus in Furs over this one, although my last viewing was 10+ years ago. Anyway.... extremely hot Soledad Miranda and les hot Ewa Stromberg get naked and kiss in a variety of extremely gorgeous interior and exterior sets in Turkey. A psychiatrist slaps the shit out of his patients. A jilted female ex screams a lot. A boyfriend looks befuddled. The music is wonderful. The sound design gets real weird. A big ass pin gets shoved in an eye.  The script is laconic, the pace is lethargic, but it all works most of the time because the images and sounds are so damn enjoyable. Not an everyday film, but a movie you should watch once, even if it takes you 20 years to get around to it. Final note, the Severin blu-ray I have looked fucking stunning.

[absurdexposition]

Vampyros Lesbos - [dir. Jesus Franco, 1967]
This is a movie I've been hearing about since I first started watching b-movies and the like however many years ago. I mean that title and that cover, it definitely piques my curiosity. Yet 20 years later I'm only just now watching it. I think the only other Jes Franco film I've seen is Venus in Furs, so I can't compare other than to say I think I prefer Venus in Furs over this one, although my last viewing was 10+ years ago. Anyway.... extremely hot Soledad Miranda and les hot Ewa Stromberg get naked and kiss in a variety of extremely gorgeous interior and exterior sets in Turkey. A psychiatrist slaps the shit out of his patients. A jilted female ex screams a lot. A boyfriend looks befuddled. The music is wonderful. The sound design gets real weird. A big ass pin gets shoved in an eye.  The script is laconic, the pace is lethargic, but it all works most of the time because the images and sounds are so damn enjoyable. Not an everyday film, but a movie you should watch once, even if it takes you 20 years to get around to it. Final note, the Severin blu-ray I have looked fucking stunning.

Vampyros Lesbos is certainly not the best Franco and I guess its heightened cult status can be accredited to the title alone. I rewatched it a couple months ago after like 5 years expecting to appreciate it more after being 30+ films deep into Franco but that wasn't the case and if anything it solidified my previous comment.

Venus in Furs is more deserving of the attention it gets. His sweet spot sort of begins around here (69-70). But the greatest stuff is all 73-74 imo. Some recs off the top of my head if you have interest: Eugenie de Sade (1973 - Soledad Miranda's finest), The Obscene Mirror (1973), A Virgin Among the Living Dead (aka Christina, Princess of Eroticism) (1973), Lorna, The Exorcist (1974), The Perverse Countess (1974). Things get more complicated later but there are still some excellent ones to check out in the early/mid-80s like Macumba Sexual (1983), Bahia Blanca (1984), Night Has a Thousand Desires (1984), Faceless (1987). And of course any fan of classic horror owes it to themselves to see The Awful Dr. Orlof (1962) which is just a straight up good movie.