noiseredux Presents THE MONTH OF HORROR (2015) (remake)
Re: noiseredux Presents THE MONTH OF HORROR (2015) (remake)
This halloween will be hard to forget. Last night a couple of friends got together to watch some films, we saw dark shadows (now imm seeing some reviews and people didn't like it? i tought it was fun) and two Tim Burton shorts, Vincent and Frankenweenie. Also my best friend became my girlfriend... so yeah i think it would be hard to forget this halloween.
noiseredux wrote:I don't lend shit and I don't borrow shit.
Re: noiseredux Presents THE MONTH OF HORROR (2015) (remake)
Re-Animator
Re-Animator depicts a few short days in the life of Dan Cain, a medical student studying to be a brain surgeon at a local Miskatonic University. One day Dean Halsey introduces Dan to Herbert West, a new transfer student recently arrived from Switzerland, where he left under bizarre circumstances. West is a strange character; he’s obnoxiously serious, keeps to himself and, thanks to his habit of antagonizing certain teachers, had gotten the reputation of a troublemaker. None of this seems to matter to Dan too much, as he allows West to become his roommate. But after Dan’s cat turns up dead he not only finds out why West is so secretive, but also gets pulled into his new roommates unorthodox and dangerous experiments.
Especially dangerous considering the stuff in that vial actually was highly toxic.
Adapted from the early parts of a series of short stories by H.P. Lovecraft, Re-Animator is as amusing as it is gory. It’s filled with copious amounts of dark humor, thanks in part to the filmmakers collaborating extensively with real-life pathologists in order for the look and feel of the corpses to be as accurate as possible. Most of the material is played almost completely straight, and the dry, witty banter between characters is a welcome refreshment from a lot of the more self-referential humor more commonly used today.
So tell me doctor, now that I’ve chopped your head off, how do you feel?
Considering the subject matter, the film relies on copious amounts of blood and gore. Heads are squeezed until they pop, there's some improper use of a bone saw, heads are chopped off, zombies run amok…oh yes, here there be blood. Some of the effects used do come across as a bit ‘dated’ today, but the focus on practical effects and clever camera tricks means that many of the set pieces still pack quite a punch, and are far more visceral than most of what you’d see with today’s reliance on CGI. Add in the knowledge that the budget was limited to a little less than a million dollars, and the things they were able to pull off become even more impressive.
I mean, come on, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s body double couldn’t have been cheap.
The film works so well, in part, thanks to its wonderful characters. Jeffrey Combs is impressive as West and his often serious and flat delivery meshes surprisingly well with a character so obsessed with his one overreaching goal that he’s willing to do anything to achieve it. The other characters are equally as notable. David Gale makes a wonderfully sinister villain, and Bruce Abbot is a great straight man, adding a bit of believable weight to an otherwise very quirky cast.
I’d mention the cat, but its performance fell apart a bit at the end…heh heh…heh…I’ll see myself out.
Overall, Re-Animator is quite impressive and a film that more than deserves its cult status. The film moves along at a good clip, but not so fast as to sacrifice too much of the characters, which the cast does a great job of fleshing out (heh). The practical special effects are impressive and the cinematography not only complements the films creepy atmosphere and eerie tone, but the camera also pulls double duty with slight trickery to help accentuate the effects. There’s more than enough blood to satisfy the gore hounds out there (and probably just enough sex/nudity too) and the frenzied, over the top finale ties everything together just about as perfectly as could be expected. Diehard Lovecraft fans may be upset by all the changes from the source material, but considering the caliber of other Lovecraft adaptations, Re-Animator probably preserves the spirit of its source material better than many of its contemporaries. If you in any way enjoy 80s horror films, this is not one to be missed. I’m kind of shocked it took me this long to see it.
Re-Animator depicts a few short days in the life of Dan Cain, a medical student studying to be a brain surgeon at a local Miskatonic University. One day Dean Halsey introduces Dan to Herbert West, a new transfer student recently arrived from Switzerland, where he left under bizarre circumstances. West is a strange character; he’s obnoxiously serious, keeps to himself and, thanks to his habit of antagonizing certain teachers, had gotten the reputation of a troublemaker. None of this seems to matter to Dan too much, as he allows West to become his roommate. But after Dan’s cat turns up dead he not only finds out why West is so secretive, but also gets pulled into his new roommates unorthodox and dangerous experiments.
Especially dangerous considering the stuff in that vial actually was highly toxic.
Adapted from the early parts of a series of short stories by H.P. Lovecraft, Re-Animator is as amusing as it is gory. It’s filled with copious amounts of dark humor, thanks in part to the filmmakers collaborating extensively with real-life pathologists in order for the look and feel of the corpses to be as accurate as possible. Most of the material is played almost completely straight, and the dry, witty banter between characters is a welcome refreshment from a lot of the more self-referential humor more commonly used today.
So tell me doctor, now that I’ve chopped your head off, how do you feel?
Considering the subject matter, the film relies on copious amounts of blood and gore. Heads are squeezed until they pop, there's some improper use of a bone saw, heads are chopped off, zombies run amok…oh yes, here there be blood. Some of the effects used do come across as a bit ‘dated’ today, but the focus on practical effects and clever camera tricks means that many of the set pieces still pack quite a punch, and are far more visceral than most of what you’d see with today’s reliance on CGI. Add in the knowledge that the budget was limited to a little less than a million dollars, and the things they were able to pull off become even more impressive.
I mean, come on, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s body double couldn’t have been cheap.
The film works so well, in part, thanks to its wonderful characters. Jeffrey Combs is impressive as West and his often serious and flat delivery meshes surprisingly well with a character so obsessed with his one overreaching goal that he’s willing to do anything to achieve it. The other characters are equally as notable. David Gale makes a wonderfully sinister villain, and Bruce Abbot is a great straight man, adding a bit of believable weight to an otherwise very quirky cast.
I’d mention the cat, but its performance fell apart a bit at the end…heh heh…heh…I’ll see myself out.
Overall, Re-Animator is quite impressive and a film that more than deserves its cult status. The film moves along at a good clip, but not so fast as to sacrifice too much of the characters, which the cast does a great job of fleshing out (heh). The practical special effects are impressive and the cinematography not only complements the films creepy atmosphere and eerie tone, but the camera also pulls double duty with slight trickery to help accentuate the effects. There’s more than enough blood to satisfy the gore hounds out there (and probably just enough sex/nudity too) and the frenzied, over the top finale ties everything together just about as perfectly as could be expected. Diehard Lovecraft fans may be upset by all the changes from the source material, but considering the caliber of other Lovecraft adaptations, Re-Animator probably preserves the spirit of its source material better than many of its contemporaries. If you in any way enjoy 80s horror films, this is not one to be missed. I’m kind of shocked it took me this long to see it.
-
prfsnl_gmr
- Next-Gen
- Posts: 12410
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 10:26 pm
- Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Re: noiseredux Presents THE MONTH OF HORROR (2015) (remake)
Last Thursday, my wife and I watched:
Stake Land (2010). In it, a pandemic of vampirism has decimated the earth's population, and a young man travels north with the help of a seasoned vampire slayer. The film ends up being a something of a cross between Blade, Night of the Living Dead, and The Road Warrior, and despite its premise, it is very well-scripted and well-acted. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and I definitely recommend it. (It is currently streaming on Netflix.)
On Halloween, my wife and I watched:
Freddy vs. Jason (2003). The title pretty much says it all for this one. Freddy fights Jason, and some teenagers (who look more like 20-something adults) get caught in between them. Freddy and Jason are easily the most likeable characters, and it is hard not to root for them. The film also has some incredibly cool imagery, and it plays up the mythology surrounding each monster very well. I just wish that it had been more fun and that the fights had been choreographed a bit better. As it is, I can't really recommend it as anything more than a not entirely unpleasant diversion. (Some of the early-00s culture and fashion really show their age in this film, however, and they are starting to look as ridiculous as fashions from the 70s, 80s, and 90s.)
prfsnl_gmr's 2015 LIST OF TERROR!
.....
That is it for my 2015 month of horror! The films went out with a bit of a whimper, but I really saw some solid horror movies this year (despite entering the month with low expectations). The Town That Dreaded Sundown, Burnt Offerings, Oculus, Starry Eyes, and Cure were the standouts this year, and they all now rank among my favorite horror films. (Cure was particularly awesome.)
My Halloween was also a lot of fun, and I am exhausted today. I attended a neighborhood party on Friday; I organized a large community event on Saturday (which included five bands and a parade); and I took my children trick-or-treating on Saturday night. My neighborhood really gets into this holiday, and I had an absolute blast. (My children did too...They also took home enough candy to last them a year.)
Finally, thanks to Ack, Jagosaurus, Luke, Michi, Noise, and everyone else for making this such a great thread. IMO, this is one of the coolest things we do here, and I really enjoyed reading everyone's contributions!
Stake Land (2010). In it, a pandemic of vampirism has decimated the earth's population, and a young man travels north with the help of a seasoned vampire slayer. The film ends up being a something of a cross between Blade, Night of the Living Dead, and The Road Warrior, and despite its premise, it is very well-scripted and well-acted. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and I definitely recommend it. (It is currently streaming on Netflix.)
On Halloween, my wife and I watched:
Freddy vs. Jason (2003). The title pretty much says it all for this one. Freddy fights Jason, and some teenagers (who look more like 20-something adults) get caught in between them. Freddy and Jason are easily the most likeable characters, and it is hard not to root for them. The film also has some incredibly cool imagery, and it plays up the mythology surrounding each monster very well. I just wish that it had been more fun and that the fights had been choreographed a bit better. As it is, I can't really recommend it as anything more than a not entirely unpleasant diversion. (Some of the early-00s culture and fashion really show their age in this film, however, and they are starting to look as ridiculous as fashions from the 70s, 80s, and 90s.)
prfsnl_gmr's 2015 LIST OF TERROR!
That is it for my 2015 month of horror! The films went out with a bit of a whimper, but I really saw some solid horror movies this year (despite entering the month with low expectations). The Town That Dreaded Sundown, Burnt Offerings, Oculus, Starry Eyes, and Cure were the standouts this year, and they all now rank among my favorite horror films. (Cure was particularly awesome.)
My Halloween was also a lot of fun, and I am exhausted today. I attended a neighborhood party on Friday; I organized a large community event on Saturday (which included five bands and a parade); and I took my children trick-or-treating on Saturday night. My neighborhood really gets into this holiday, and I had an absolute blast. (My children did too...They also took home enough candy to last them a year.)
Finally, thanks to Ack, Jagosaurus, Luke, Michi, Noise, and everyone else for making this such a great thread. IMO, this is one of the coolest things we do here, and I really enjoyed reading everyone's contributions!
Re: noiseredux Presents THE MONTH OF HORROR (2015) (remake)
Well, I didn't contribute much, so here is an email I sent to an old friend to make up for it...prfsnl_gmr wrote: Finally, thanks to Ack, Jagosaurus, Luke, Michi, Noise, and everyone else for making this such a great thread. IMO, this is one of the coolest things we do here, and I really enjoyed reading everyone's contributions!
At the Halloween fundraiser one of the first attendees was a woman in her sixties with a black and white dress, and a gorgeous blue purse that was rather large. Short blonde hair and rather diminutive. Couldn't figure out her costume, but then the light when on over my head. So I walk over to her, point my figure at her and in my Joker voice (practiced on it for day, which drove mle nuts and I still kind of fall into those inflections at times) and say "Oh how very clever. It took me a while but I totally get Hillary". She replies "excuse me?". I laugh loudly and say "Your costume; Hillary Clinton". She looked appalled and responded "I'm not in costume".
I was telling Emily about the exchange, and someone who was eavesdropping came up and said "My friends and I also thought she was Hillary".
Bonnie...Bonnie is married to my pal Wade, and she is a perfect 10. She dressed as Warhol's Monroe, and Wade went as Warhol. Bonnie did not recognize me, and apparently she never knew I wasn't a south paw. Thinking she would recognize me, I walked over to her and said "Well aren't you quite the piece of art?". She SCREAMED! Bonnie asked "How did you do your hand?", to which I answered "This is my hand". She actually asked to touch it, which for some reason freaked her out. I know this for a fact as Bonnie said "You are freaking me out". I continued to smile at her every time we crossed paths. Not my first round at the freak out rodeo, and while it's super rude the fucks I give are zilch.
Also saw her at the after party, where I did card tricks for a group of around twenty. Nothing fancy, just "is this your card?" and "The ace is the heaviest card, I'll make it go from the top to the bottom"...easy stuff. But the big one was "Guess which hand?". I'd take a bottle cap, place it in my right hand, knock my hands together, and ask which hand it was in. But I'd do head games with them such as "Now I know what you are thinking...The obvious choice would be my left hand, as that would be a trick. But why would I place it in my left hand when it is that obvious..." and so on. Not a single person got it right, and I did do-overs for at least a half hour.
There was one lady dressed as a certain little red headed orphan at the museum. I walked over to her, and while turned away from me, tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and gave me a quick "YELP!". Calmly, in my stupid Joker voice I asked "Ohh, shh shhh shhh. Annie, are you okay? Are you okay? Are you okay Annie?". Saw her at the after party and she also told me how I freaked her out, and then proceeded to feed me shots of fireball whiskey. At least six, and I had already been drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon all day long. Which ties into the people doing coke in the bathroom.
There were at least six, thirty something pampered professionals snorting lines in the bathroom at the after party. Still in character, I walked in and of course were a bit rattled as their hands were in the cookie jar. I murmured "Don't mind me, carry on". I was asked "Wanna bump?", I told them "Very kind, but I will politely decline". I walked into a stall and then proceeded to have the explosion of diarrhea that only Pabst can provide. And the stall walls provided some poop echo that filled the entire bathroom, and dear was it loud and awful. In less than a second I heard at least two of the guys scream "JESUS!" and then heard the sound of people flooding the bathroom as if a bomb was going off. Well, from a certain point of view a bomb did go off.
My neighborhood has some of the most trick r' treaters in the city of Greenville, and I kid you not when I say that kids come in hay rides, so sometimes twenty in a row. I got tired of opening the door, closing the door, repeat. So, I sat on my stoop, still, staring directly across the street. I probably turned away thirty children and adults if not more just by sitting there. I got "Oh hells no", "Huh'uhs", "No. NO no no.", and my favoite "I ain't going up there. He could be real, but he could be a dummy"...to which I laughed and said "Joke is on you, I'm both" which made the group run while screaming.
All my friends think it is weird, because it kind of is, but each year I give out boxes of Count Chocula, Frankenberry, and Boo Berry cereal to kids who either have a kick ass costume or they are super polite. One kid, probably three or four asked me "Can I please help you with your hand?". That kid got a box. One kid was dressed as Elvis, and as I dropped the candy in his bag he lifted his glasses and said with a smirk and with an Elvis voice "Thank you. Thank you very much." Box of cereal.
I've got to say, the older the person, usually the dumber they are about the hand stuff. Kids ask questions like "Are you okay?", "Do you need help?", "Does that make you sad?"...They are kids and are inquisitive. Also they're cute, doe eyed, sympathetic, and at times worried. Teenagers don't know any better so they usually ask "What is wrong with your hand?" to which I'll usually ask them "What's wrong with your hair/teeth/nose, etc." the usual targets. But adults. Jesus. I had more than one person ask to "touch it", and I also got a few "Ewws", and "Gross". My skin is thicker than rhino hide (figuratively of course), but it blows the mind to think adults, successful adults can be completely unaware of how their comments could crush others. Ya don't go around pointing out how someone else is different.
Moving on...
While holding the door open at the museum for a group of about six forty-somethings that were too cool to dress, one uttered "It's cold as fuck". The temperature was hovering at around 67-70. In character I asked "What the hell is your thermostat set to?". He said "Obviously you aren't from the south". "Nah, actually made in Chicago". The twat then said "More like shit-cago". This comedian. I laughed as loud as possible, pointed at the nozzle and shouted "Stop the party! We have a comedian over here! You! You! You are so funny. HEY GUYS! YOU HAVE GOT TO HEAR THIS GUY'S JOKES. Now do you write your own material? Cause You are going places. Have you auditioned for SNL? Who is your agent? I know a guy in Las Vegas that would love to have your talent of wit and remarkable intelligence". -at this point he and his "crew" were walking away and entering the museum. I followed, hand over his head pointing at him shouting "EVERYBODY! This guy has jokes! Gather around! He's hilarious! Ask this marveling wonder who will never leave this city to tell you a joke!".
He left shortly afterward. I was hoping for a confrontation, as I had so many more aces in my back pocket. Stuff like "You going to run to Mommy and Daddy?", "You want to talk to my boss? Please do. Good luck getting a volunteer fired".
I forgot what else is on my list...
Oh yeah! After a day of yard work, my last chore was to fill our bird feeders. I poured a handful of sunflower seeds into my palm, turned on my mobile to listen to Kero Kero Bonita (shut up, she's great) and stayed still. My arms were crossed at my sides, and about ten minutes later a little squirrel jumped up and ate from my hand. Now squirrels in Chicago do this all the time as they are basically domesticated, but this was a first for me. Their nails are sharp as a razor blade, it was quite uncomfortable, but it was so cool to have this little dude who couldn't weigh more than a pound sitting in my arm destroying my handful of seeds.
I think that covers it.
_______________________________________________
^That actually doesn't cover it, but it is more than enough.
Re: noiseredux Presents THE MONTH OF HORROR (2015) (remake)
This was a really fun month, movie-wise. There were a lot of highs (Re-Animator). There were a lot of lows (Origins...*shudder*) and there were a couple very unexpected surprises (Town That Dreaded Sundown, The Butterfly Room).
But even with some of those lows (and they were pretty low), it was still a pretty good month. I watched a lot of interesting movies I hadn't before and reading everyone else's write-ups has given me lots of new things to look for
....
Except for maybe a few movies Ack watched...No offense, Ack.
But even with some of those lows (and they were pretty low), it was still a pretty good month. I watched a lot of interesting movies I hadn't before and reading everyone else's write-ups has given me lots of new things to look for
....
Except for maybe a few movies Ack watched...No offense, Ack.
I look forward to this thread every year and enjoy reading through everyones movie, TV and gaming thoughts (though there seemed to be more of the former, rather than the latter this year), as well as the pictures of the costumes and the pumpkins. It really warms my punctured, horror loving, little heartprfsnl_gmr wrote:Finally, thanks to Ack, Jagosaurus, Luke, Michi, Noise, and everyone else for making this such a great thread. IMO, this is one of the coolest things we do here, and I really enjoyed reading everyone's contributions!
Re: noiseredux Presents THE MONTH OF HORROR (2015) (remake)
None taken. I knew when I set out on this that I'd be tracking down some of the worst entries in some crappy franchises(ie. Carnosaur and Amityville). But I definitely recommend checking out Silent Night, Deadly Night, the Basket Case trilogy, and the Prom Night series(particularly 2 and 3). I'm debating whether I'll do a theme next year or just watch whatever I can find.
Anyway, October is my favorite month of the year, partly because I love watching Fall kick into high gear but also because I genuinely love horror and Halloween. I look forward to my horror movie marathon every year with building excitement, and I look forward to sharing and talking about horror-themed media with all of you guys.
And I'm glad someone else finally watched Stakeland!
Anyway, October is my favorite month of the year, partly because I love watching Fall kick into high gear but also because I genuinely love horror and Halloween. I look forward to my horror movie marathon every year with building excitement, and I look forward to sharing and talking about horror-themed media with all of you guys.
And I'm glad someone else finally watched Stakeland!
-
prfsnl_gmr
- Next-Gen
- Posts: 12410
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 10:26 pm
- Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Re: noiseredux Presents THE MONTH OF HORROR (2015) (remake)
Ack wrote:And I'm glad someone else finally watched Stakeland!
It is actually a really good movie, but I think that it is held back a bit by its somewhat ridiculous title.
Re: noiseredux Presents THE MONTH OF HORROR (2015) (remake)
there's something scary about this for sure
-
BogusMeatFactory
- Next-Gen
- Posts: 6770
- Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 3:16 pm
- Location: Farmington Hills, MI
- Contact:
Re: noiseredux Presents THE MONTH OF HORROR (2015) (remake)
pyo pyo pyoTSTR wrote:there's something scary about this for sure
I love how this robot has ICQ. Is that even a thing!?
-I am the idiot that likes to have fun and be happy.Ack wrote:I don't know, chief, the haunting feeling of lust I feel whenever I look at your avatar makes me think it's real.