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All Things Horror Thread


TheSurgeon

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Halloween II (horror channel)

Been years since I watched this, and always found it disappointing. Wondered if i was missing anything and thought it was worth checking out again. It's definitely not great, and veers closer to a Friday 13th film than a Halloween one. The inventiveness of the murders actually lets it down - Michael's spent his entire life in an asylum but knows how to operate a hydrotherapy pool and kill someone with air-bubbles in syringes? 

Looking back, the decision to make Laurie his sister takes away a lot of the frightening aspects. Because now, this couldn't happen to anyone, and none of us could be Laurie - he's after her specifically. Imagine how much more scary it would be if he was just going after her in hospital purely because she got away. This is a being that just will not stop until you are dead.

The one scene that really stands out is when Laurie hides in the car, then the concussed guy comes in and slowly passes out. It's genuinely confusing and weird and you're absolutely with her for it. It's a genuinely great scene.

Also reminded me just how good Jamie Lee Curtis is in both films. She's as underwritten in this one as everyone else, but the second she becomes the focus, the film starts to make sense. She conveys her emotion and fear so well. I can't think of another performance in a slasher film that comes close. No wonder they only make Halloween films that work when she's the focus. Admittedly, I had an enormous teenage crush on her because of the first film, so I'm not unbiased.

 

The Velvet Vampire (shudder)

This is a 1971 exploitation film, made by a Roger Corman student called Stephanie Rothman. It's all about a bisexual vampire seducing a couple, and it's not exactly subtle. It's clearly made on the budget of a weekly shop, so not much happens. 

I liked it far more than I was expecting - it's slow, soft and sensual, and has a different feel to most from the time. It's made by a woman, centred around the women, and as much about women's desires as men. So the sex and nudity come across as far more about intimacy and comfort than they do in most films like this. Celeste Yarnell, in the lead, is fantastic - an eerie, gorgeous performance. You can see why they're both falling for her. Sadly, the rest of the cast is crap, cast purely for their looks.

It also has a surreal quality that I liked a lot. For a vampire film, it's mostly set in the day (and in the desert), and visually, it concentrates on these bursts of red and yellow. Some of it is almost zero-budget Lynchian, and other parts are just imaginative. There's a dream sequence, and all they've done is put a bed and a mirror in the desert, but it really works. It's a shame the upload on Shudder isn't the restored version that's apparently been done, as it's a gorgeous looking film in places. Just check out the images below.

Don't get me wrong - this isn't GOOD by any means. It's slow-moving, awkward, and most of the performances are terrible. But it does have something, and it seems like a really promising start for a film-maker with no budget.

Sadly, Stephanie Rothman didn't get many more opportunities. She made exploitation films (with some feminist aspects) to try and break in, but a combination of being a woman and working in exploitation actually worked against her. It's a real shame, because she definitely had something.

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Velvet Vampire 4.jpg

Edited by Chris B
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Watched through some of the pile of horror/B movies I picked up recently over the weekend

Nightmares - Decent little anthology film, the segment with Emilio Estevez playing an arcade obsessed teen was the standout

Nightmare Sisters/Murder Weapon/Deadly Embrace - Bunged these three together as they were in one Blu-Ray set and star Linea Quigley, Michelle Bauer and Brinke Stevens. Nightmare Sisters sees the 3 play socially awkward sorority sisters who get possessed and turn into sex crazed vampire demons who naturally get their kit off a lot, Murder Weapon (Quigley and Stevens star in this) is a sort of Scream style meta slasher about two sisters who have been in an institution and upon release hold a party for all their exes, who then mysteriously get taken out one by one while Deadly Embrace stars Bauer and Qugley and adds Ty Randolph as a lonely housewife who falls for her gardener hired by her cheating rich husband

The Beast With 1,000,000 Eyes/Deadly Mantis - Your typical cheesy bog standard 50s B movies, nothing much else to say really

Also watched Videodrome for the first time on Netflix this afternoon, fuck me that is one trippy movie but I enjoyed it and Debbie Harry is and absolute goddess in it

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12 hours ago, RIDDUM_N_STYLE said:

Nightmare Sisters/Murder Weapon/Deadly Embrace - Bunged these three together as they were in one Blu-Ray set and star Linea Quigley, Michelle Bauer and Brinke Stevens. Nightmare Sisters sees the 3 play socially awkward sorority sisters who get possessed and turn into sex crazed vampire demons who naturally get their kit off a lot, Murder Weapon (Quigley and Stevens star in this) is a sort of Scream style meta slasher about two sisters who have been in an institution and upon release hold a party for all their exes, who then mysteriously get taken out one by one while Deadly Embrace stars Bauer and Qugley and adds Ty Randolph as a lonely housewife who falls for her gardener hired by her cheating rich husband

I bought this set a couple of years ago, and have never watched it. Are they any good?

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Tenebrae_-_Film_1982.jpg

Tenebrae - First time watch of this last weekend. I'm not really familiar with Italian horror, having only watched Zombi, and Demons 1/2, but thought I needed to start watching some Fulci/Argento. Still not sure what I thought about it, I think I need to give it a second watch before I comment.

Any thought on Tenebrae?

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I think Italian horror and giallo is an acquired taste. Took me a few films to get into it but I really love the style of it now. I really liked Tenebrae - it's not quite my favourite Argento (Deep Red for me, Clive) but I'd say it's pretty representative of his work before he went shit.

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11 minutes ago, Devon Malcolm said:

I think Italian horror and giallo is an acquired taste. Took me a few films to get into it but I really love the style of it now. I really liked Tenebrae - it's not quite my favourite Argento (Deep Red for me, Clive) but I'd say it's pretty representative of his work before he went shit.

Totally agreed with this, and I really like the genre.

Two good entry points to Italian horror might be:

1 - Suspiria. Great soundtrack, weird-as-fuck movie, with lots of outrageous stuff going on.

2 - Stagefright: Very silly, but with some inventive stuff happening in it, and a killer in a massive owl mask. As it goes on, it goes from over-the-top horror to slower tension and surreal visuals. It's old-fashioned enough to be a decent bridge movie between American slashers and Italian horror.

.stagefright1-620x337.jpg.4e7d6fe7b15030b4410322c932332439.jpg

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I was always amused that Bobby Rhodes appeared in Demons 1 as Tony, and despite being killed in the first movie he appeared in the 2nd as Hank the gym guy. He essentially played the exact same character, except in a pair of shorts and a vest.

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2 minutes ago, David said:

I was always amused that Bobby Rhodes appeared in Demons 1 as Tony, and despite being killed in the first movie he appeared in the 2nd as Hank the gym guy. He essentially played the exact same character, except in a pair of shorts and a vest.

you'll love the Hatchet trilogy :)

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4 minutes ago, David said:

I was always amused that Bobby Rhodes appeared in Demons 1 as Tony, and despite being killed in the first movie he appeared in the 2nd as Hank the gym guy. He essentially played the exact same character, except in a pair of shorts and a vest.

Before the IMDb boards were detonated, he used to pop in to the Demons forum pages and answer questions from fans. He seems like a lovely bloke, one of those actors who was genuinely chuffed by how fondly remembered he is. He popped up in an action film I watched last week called The Last Hunter (also Italian) and it was great fun.

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2 minutes ago, Devon Malcolm said:

Before the IMDb boards were detonated, he used to pop in to the Demons forum pages and answer questions from fans. He seems like a lovely bloke, one of those actors who was genuinely chuffed by how fondly remembered he is. He popped up in an action film I watched last week called The Last Hunter (also Italian) and it was great fun.

Yeah, doesn't he also have a stellar reputation on the convention circuit? I'm sure I've heard nothing but good things from those who've met him. 

6 minutes ago, TheSurgeon said:

you'll love the Hatchet trilogy :)

I'll need to look it up, cheers!

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11 minutes ago, David said:

Yeah, doesn't he also have a stellar reputation on the convention circuit? I'm sure I've heard nothing but good things from those who've met him. 

I believe so. You tend to get that with so many of these horror film character actors. Pretty much everyone on that Friday the 13th documentary came across well too, just pleased to be a part of something so many people like.

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Just now, Devon Malcolm said:

I believe so. You tend to get that with so many of these horror film character actors. Pretty much everyone on that Friday the 13th documentary came across well too, just pleased to be a part of something so many people like.

The few that I've met in person have been awesome. Kane Hodder, Bill Moseley, and Michael Berryman in particular. All really respectful and great with their fans.

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