VHS and Betamax You Have Recently Rented

[Devon Malcolm]

It's October so obviously I'm mainlining horror right now. Some of the notables:-

Good Boy (cinema)

The concept is a solid one and is well executed but if you look past that it's just another haunted house horror film with nothing that stands out about it. Lovely dog, though, and only about 70 minutes long so it's not all bad.

Bring Her Back

It's alright. It's not a patch on Talk to Me due to being yet another fucking A24 horror film about trauma and grief and having nothing new to say on them. Some really good gore though and Sally Hawkins being amazing as always.

Silent Night, Deadly Night (all of them!)

This is a decent franchise. The first one is good and the second one is terrible (it's mostly a recap of the first one) and while I didn't care for the third one, the fourth and fifth are a good laugh and have nothing to do with the rest of the series. It helps that Brian Yuzna was involved in them, I love that guy.

Graverobbers (1988) (YouTube)

One of those isolated independent horrors you got loads of in the 80s where nobody involved made anything else of note, and yet it's excellent and you wonder why. Excellent black comedy about a weird town and funeral parlor, really recommend this.

Grave Robbers (1989) (Prime)

Not to be confused with the above, this is a Mexican film about some grave robbers who disturb an undead bloke on the search for revenge. REALLY gory and it looks excellent, too. Just as good as its near namesake.

Something Wicked This Way Comes 

Would have scared the shit out of me as a kid so obviously it's really good. Who knew Jonathan Pryce could be such a scary bastard? Really, really good.

MaXXXine

Shite. This series is crap. A waste of a superb cast and Mia Goth, as usual, elevating something she's too good for. That girl needs an agent who doesn't hate her. Fucking retire, Ti West.

Door (Shudder)

Japanese home invasion thriller that slowly builds up tension in its first half and then really goes for it in the second. Liked this a lot.

The Prowler 

One of my favourite slashers. The setting, pacing and vibe of the whole thing is just perfect and there's a section in the middle that's almost like a suspense thriller rolled into it. The ending is spot on as well.

The Devil's Bath 

Austrian, so you know it's going to be really depressing and hard to watch. Folk horror, so you know it's going to be even more so. Excellent - the same directors made Goodnight Mommy, which is also very good.

Brooklyn 45 (Shudder)

Another shite Shudder original. I don't know why they bother, they've got no better at their own releases. Just give us some good old stuff.

[davertfnewman]

Does anyone ever use the James Whale Bake Sale YouTube channel as a suggestions pile for stuff to watch? Quentin Tarantino talking about stuff like Mask of Satan/Bloody Sunday got me giving it a quick look the other day.

[SuperBacon]

50 minutes ago, Devon Malcolm said:

It's October so obviously I'm mainlining horror right now. Some of the notables:-

Same. I'm really trying!

I watched The Babysitter: Killer Queen and really enjoyed it. Thought Emily Alyn Lind was great, as was Ken Merino every time he appeared on screen. Not as good as the first but enjoyable.

Thanksgiving 

Just utter, utter shite. Some inventive kills, but a dreadful film (didn't realise it was an Eli Roth film until the credits rolled) The only highlight was one of the leads screaming the line *Spoiler it incase anyone wants to be surprised* 

Spoiler

THERE WILL BE NO LEFTOVERS THIS YEAR which got a good laugh from me

Imaginary 

Quite enjoyed this psychological spooky one about a stepmum and her increasing alarm at her daughters imaginary friend. The lead and the two kids are good, and it got several chills out of me, and was suitably scary. About twenty minutes too long though.

I also rewatched The Blair Witch Project which I did enjoy. It always makes me laugh when I watch it that I dragged my Dad to see this at the cinema* a man who despises any type of horror film, and who just loves straight up action films. He hated it.

*first time I saw it though was on a blank VHS pirate copy with handwritten label, which really added to the vibe I must admit.

[Devon Malcolm]

I also went to see One Battle After Another and what I will say is that it's Anderson's best film since There Will Be Blood. That said I also didn't think that much of it overall, aside from the long Benicio Del Toro scene in the middle. Great cast but it's too long and is centrist bullshit.

[Weezenal]

I want to watch the chase scene again. 

[davertfnewman]

Watched Goodfellas for the first time today. Flies by even though it's well over two hours. Great music that sticks in your head. The cast, other than Ray Liotta obviously, aren't ever in it too much. Follows that as things get more tense in Henry Hill's life, the pace builds until it reaches a climax and then quickly ends. Shows that the life he was in, as hard as it is to get out of, wasn't the one he should be in. Good film.

[Gus Mears]

The original Nosferatu. Brilliant. Not sure how I haven't ever bothered before. Rated PG nowadays and probably fairly, but I would have absolutely cacked myself if I'd watched this as a child

[RIDDUM_N_STYLE]

5 hours ago, Gus Mears said:

The original Nosferatu. Brilliant. Not sure how I haven't ever bothered before. Rated PG nowadays and probably fairly, but I would have absolutely cacked myself if I'd watched this as a child

Rewatched it myself the other day, it’s an incredibly shot film and the make up effects on the character will forever have that creep factor, it’s my second favourite version of the Dracula story, in between the Universal and Hammer movies

Watched the anthology film Screamtime earlier about a couple and their friend who watch a trio of movies, one about an old Punch and Judy puppeteer who goes psychotic after being tortured by his wife and stepson, the second was about a wife driven crazy by the spirits living in her house and the third about two brothers who plan to rob a pair of elderly women who believe fairies live in their garden

Its middling stuff and it’s a British ensemble with two surprising names, Jonathan Morris who was in 80’s sitcom Bread, plays the stepson in the first tale and David Van Day of Dollar and Bucks Fizz fame is one of the brothers in the latter story

[cobra_gordo]

Savoy Cinema Mystery Horror Film night. Savoy cinema had an event on Friday night where they screened a mystery horror film, my daughter suggested we go and any excuse to hang out with the eldest watching scary films is fine by me. £6.75 a ticket including either a drink or a popcorn so it was pretty busy, a good range of ages from people in their 40's and 50's down to a family that had brought their definitely-not-15-yet daughter along, plus a group of about ten 15 or 16 year old lads that were just being nobheads- slamming the doors, running about, being gobby, fucking about playing videos on their phones during the adverts. We weren't sat too close so it was a mild annoyance at best for us and they were only really memorable for how they acted later on.

All we knew going in was it was a 15 certificate, 2 hours long, not a new film but a "hidden horror gem". We'd been speculating all week what it could be, my group chat with my mates was full of suggestions like The Exorcist or The Shining and whilst they're definitely gems they're not hidden ones. I considered Midsommar or Hereditary as they're the right sort of length but maybe too recent? The atmosphere during the trailers was great as we were all waiting in nervous anticipation.  And then the BBFC card came up. I'll spoiler tag everything, see if you can guess the film.

Spoiler

Holy fucking shit, here we go. I don't think I've ever experienced a reaction like it in a cinema. The teenagers in the audience, including the nobhead lads all sort of went "Huh" in unison and there was mumbling as they clearly hadn't so much as heard of the film, let alone seen some 20 year old low budget, non-franchise horror. The older folk and the horror heads actually cheered. The excitement and general atmosphere went through the roof. This is a film I saw in the cinema when it first came out, I've seen maybe a dozen times since and still rattles me and catches me of guard in places with the jump scares. There was a random guy sat next to me on his own and we turned to each other and just burst out laughing, knowing what was about to happen, particularly a famous moment about half way through. I turned to my daughter, who claims to like horror but when we watched Smile at the cinema spent the whole time with a coat over her face, and who had never seen this film, to tell her that she might be in for a bad time. I'd suggested to my wife a few months back that we should watch this with our oldest two and she said no chance. She also told me when we got home that she's never been so thankful to have not tagged along on one of my and my daughters random adventures. In the cinema I was giggling like an idiot and genuinely had the shakes due to excitement/ having chugged a can of Monster so I didn't fall asleep. By now my daughter is laughing at me and shaking her head because her dad has become a giddy idiot. She still doesn't know what's coming. This is going to be fucking brilliant and I can't wait.

5 minutes in to the film there's a pretty brutal moment that comes out of nowhere that caught half the audience of guard. There are horrified noises, the odd "Jesus fucking christ" and more giggles from me and the lad in the seat next to me. There's another jump scare out of the blue during a daylight scene early on so there was an air of tension before the film even properly gets going. There's a bit of shit CGI early on but what do you expect for something fairly low budget from 2005. Generally though the film really holds up and looked beautiful in this restored version.

I've checked my watch, we're getting to the half way point. The tension has ramped up, we've had a fair bit of stress and gore already and I'm eagerly looking around when

Spoiler

the night vision video camera comes out. And then this bit happens.

The cinema fucking erupted. More screaming, some from genuine shock and terror, some of which were from clearly freaked out teenage boys. I, like the idiot I am, punched the air when my daughter freaked out. Just a moment of actual joy seeing people experience what I feel is a really iconic moment for the first time. God I love films like this. The mad thing is there's still another hour to go and it's the most visceral, intense hour imaginable coupled with a brilliantly opposing relationship between the two main characters.

There's blood, there's fighting, there's tension and a real skill in how you're getting used to the brutality and becoming desensitised to it when it then cuts to another character and the stress and not knowing what's coming resets and you're back on the edge of your seat again.

The ending is also iconic.

Spoiler

We got the proper UK ending. The USA version ends as Sarah gets to the car and there's one last jump scare and then cuts to black whereas the proper version famously cuts back to Sarah inside the cave and you realise she's still stuck down there and the noises from the creatures suggests they're closing in. The yanks thought it was too bleak, I think it's perfect for a film that is seriously claustrophobic for a good chunk of the runtime.

I had to resist clapping when it ended because I'm not a weirdo.  I had a great chat with the random next to me and it was as nice to share an experience like that with a total stranger as it was to share it with my daughter. The nobhead lads walked out in silence with their heads down like they'd just walked away from a car accident. My daughter loved the film. She said she thought it was really good but seriously scary although she said she enjoyed herself, in part due to how much fun I was having. She also loved the cast and found it really refreshing. I could genuinely watch it again, I've been on such a high ever since. Can't wait for the Savoy to do it again next year.

Edited October 27, 2025 by cobra_gordo
Spelling

[SaitoRyo]

The Only Thrill

After watching (and greatly enjoying) Sam Shepard and Diane Keaton in Crimes of the Heart, I thought I'd watch them again in this. 

I loved it. It's a slow-burning drama/romance that spans three decades. Shepard plays a small-town second-hand clothes store owner who has an affair with Keaton after his wife becomes comatose. They drift in and out of each other's life due to circumstances both in and out of their control. Who doesn't want to see Sam Shepard and Diane Keaton go to the movies and then go for a coffee or a beer and talk about those movies? I know I do.

At the same time, their children (from different relationships) have something similar going on. The kids are played by Robet Patrick and Diane Lane, who are also really good in this. A nice hidden gem with a typically tremendous performance by Keaton, who just about broke my heart with one of her line deliveries. 

The Georgia Peaches

Made-for-TV hicksploitation movie about a family of moonshine runners, country music singers and stock car racers. Pretty blatant Dukes of Hazard ripoff fare that was made as the pilot for a proposed series that evidently never got off the ground. It was alright, featuring all the bar brawls, crashes and other familiar scenes you expect from this sort of thing. I've seen a lot worse.

[Mr_Danger]

One Battle After Another

Loved this. Wanted more Benicio Del Toro but that’s par for the course with him. There’s some scuttlebutt online that Sean Penn’s character is a grotesque caricature of Vince McMahon but I disagree. I’d say it’s a fairly accurate is somewhat toned down portrayal.

[SuperBacon]

Sorry, Baby

Of course I loved it, can't see me watching a better film this year to be honest, and Eva Victors performance was stunning.

I'm not sure it'll be one I revisit a million times, just because it's quite heavy (like Aftersun, All of us Strangers) but it'll stay with me for a long time.

[Devon Malcolm]

1 hour ago, SuperBacon said:

Sorry, Baby

Of course I loved it, can't see me watching a better film this year to be honest, and Eva Victors performance was stunning.

I'm not sure it'll be one I revisit a million times, just because it's quite heavy (like Aftersun, All of us Strangers) but it'll stay with me for a long time.

Yeah, it's my favourite of the year so far as well. Incredible that this was their debut as well, instantly goes down as one of the greatest debuts of all time.

[Carbomb]

On 10/25/2025 at 7:37 PM, Devon Malcolm said:

I also went to see One Battle After Another and what I will say is that it's Anderson's best film since There Will Be Blood. That said I also didn't think that much of it overall, aside from the long Benicio Del Toro scene in the middle. Great cast but it's too long and is centrist bullshit.

This is one of my biggest bugbears about pretty much all television and film, and quite a lot of mainstream literature - whenever any time is given to any kind of revolutionary or even remotely socialist narrative, no matter how sympathetically the leftie character is portrayed, it always comes down to some "oh-so-reasonable", self-fellating, centrist liberal glurge, trotting out the usual tropes pinning all socialist or communist politics to the excesses of the USSR, China, or North Korea.

EDIT: I enjoy The West Wing, but fuck me, is it self-congratulatory pap.

Edited October 28, 2025 by Carbomb
Quinton Fortune

[LaGoosh]

Happy Gilmore 2

A weird one. It's filled to the brim with nostalgia for the first film but I don't really feel like the first one was a film people were hugely nostalgic for. It brings back pretty much everyone from the original film to an insane degree. Did anyone on Earth remember the guy who repossessed Happy's house in the first film and then need to see him again in the second? There's absolutely loads going on in the film and not much of it makes a huge amount of sense but as someone who grew up with the "classic" Sandler movies on regular rotation I probably gave it more leeway than it deserved. It's a pretty terrible film with some awful cameos but it got almost 5 genuine laughs out of me and I didn't hate it enough to turn it off so as far as Netflix slop goes it was acceptable I suppose?

Edited October 29, 2025 by LaGoosh