What was the last movie you've seen?

[J T]

I'm about to go see the new Ghostbusters!

[J T]

So I watched the new Ghostbusters on Friday, the original on Saturday, and am giving you my thoughts on Sunday.

I've tried to keep out spoilers, but since people can be particular about their definition of spoiler, I'll put it behind spoiler tags anyway:

I had a lot of fun at the new movie. It's not as great as the original, but that is a high bar to reach. It's an odd show in that it is banking on you having loads of nostalgia for the original, while also expecting you to be ok with a lot of changes. It pays homage to the original many times throughout the movie with references that the fans will understand. If you see a hotdog stand rumbling for example, you know what is about to happen. At the same time, there are major changes and this is an alternate timeline Ghostbusters that acts as if the events of the first two movies never happened. So it's giving a lot to fans, while also asking fans to accept that a lot of things are different now.

I didn't mind all the modern updates, though I know they upset some fans. I like the new twists, personally, and think they keep this movie from feeling like too much of a rehash. My primary concern is that I didn't think the comedy writing was particularly good, though it did have its moments. Despite that, the show is so well cast with such great comedic performers that it makes up for a lot of the weaknesses of the jokes themselves. Kate McKinnon really stole the show any time she was on screen. She has a sly quirkiness to her with a restrained enthusiasm that makes it feel like she is having the time of her life without letting it all boil over. With her funky hair and goggles, she visually seems the most like a new Egon Spengler, but she has the detached, jovial sarcasm of Bill Murray (though with her own unique flavor to it) which makes her a bit more like Peter Venkman. Leslie Jones's character, much like Winston Zeddemere from the original, is still the non-scientist add-on character, but I feel she is such a boisterous performer, that she really pulls her way to the foreground to become an essential Ghostbuster and more than just a token black character (not that I don't see Winston as essential. One of my favorite lines of the original is when he says "When somebody asks you if you are a God, you say YES!". More than just about any other comedian I can think of, Leslie Jones can do A LOT even when given a little. She's a performance focused comic rather than a witty joke focused comic. I would love to see what she does with better material, but she still pulls the laughs with what she was given. Melissa McCarthy's character is also fun. She's scrappy and silly and doesn't give a damn about her reputation: she's there to find ghosts and have fun doing it. Kristen Wiig, I like well enough, but I've never found her to be as laugh out loud funny as the rest of the cast.

The one thing the new movie has on the old one is the flourishes to special effects that are now possible with CGI. The proton packs have much better looking firepower than before, apparitions more realisticly float in, and nothing moves with the silly looking claymation of the old demon dogs, though the puppet versions of those dogs are still the stuff of nightmares. Some of the practical effects of the original outshine the new CGI stuff though. I love Stay Puft, the hell beast dogs, as I mentioned, the library cards blown out of the flying cabinets, and the moment when the street cracks open are all examples of practical effects in the original beating out CGI of the new. The actual props in the new one are really cool though. I love all of the science lab equipment. The new ghost catching weapons they have conjured up are all cool.

So, it's a fun movie. It's a departure from the old Ghostbusters, while also being an homage, so this is bound to both delight and frustrate fans at various moments. It's a fun movie though, with great pacing that kept it from ever losing momentum. While it certainly isn't as good as the original, it's definitely an enjoyable addition to the franchise with a funny cast who looks like they are just having a blast donning the jump suits and proton packs.

[prfsnl_gmr]

On Saturday, my wife and I watched:



Deathgasm (2015). It is a horror-comedy film about a heavy metal band that accidentally summons a demon that does to people in their town what demons do to people on the cover of heavy metal albums. It is from New Zealand - home to almost all great horror comedies - and it is consistently funny and insanely gory. (It ends up playing a lot like Peter Jackson's Dead Alive.) We both really liked it, and I highly recommend it to at least a few members of our forum. (I also recommend, however, turning on closed captioning. The actor's have thick accents, and I appreciated the film's witty dialogue more once I turned them on.) Also, it is available for streaming on Netflix; so, many of you will be able to watch it instantly.

[Ack]

I was wondering how Deathgasm compared to Dead Alive. Thanks for the head's up, it's one I've been interested in since it came out.

[bacteria]

Saw the Alice return to Wonderland film (with Johnny Depp) - enjoyed it, preferred it to the first film (which was also good). Worth seeing.

[prfsnl_gmr]

We've been on a horror kick recently, and last night, we watched:



Darling (2015). It is delightful indie-horror film in beautiful black. Be warned, however, the movie gets all of its scares from acting, ambiguity, atmosphere, flash cuts, shot composition, and sound editing. It is very slow-burn; there is no big reveal; and not everyone will appreciate it. I, however, thought it was incredibly cool.

Finally, it is currently streaming on Netflix; so, those of you with the service can watch it instantly.

[J T]

Darling sounds right up my alley. I am going to have to check that out.

Speaking of slow burn horror, have you seen the French version of The Returned (aka Les Revenants)? It is a TV series that is also streamable on Netflix. It is not-jump-scare or super-gore based horror. Instead, it is largely psychological and supernatural horror that maintains a relentless creepiness and unsettling feeling that stays with you even after you turn the screen off. I am in the middle of the season right now. I don't want to say much other than that because it is a show that is best to watch when you do not know what to expect. I recommend it whole heartedly though if you can appreciate a slow burn and unraveling mystery to your horror.

[Exhuminator]

It was a hot as hell weekend and we refused to go outside unless absolutely necessary, so we watched a lot of movies. Here's what I saw this weekend with one sentence reviews:

Sabotage (2014)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabotage_(2014_film)
Above average action flick with a plot that keeps you guessing and hyper detailed gore.

Blades of Glory (2007)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blades_of_Glory
A better sequel to Zoolander than Zoolander 2 was.

House on Haunted Hill (1959)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_on_Haunted_Hill
A true horror classic with excellent pacing and a fun plot that holds up all these years later.

Maggie (2015)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maggie_(film)
An underrated apocalyptic drama with a surprising amount of heart and an ending most won't expect.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Darling sounds right up my alley. I am going to have to check that out.

Speaking of slow burn horror, have you seen the French version of The Returned (aka Les Revenants)? It is a TV series that is also streamable on Netflix. It is not-jump-scare or super-gore based horror. Instead, it is largely psychological and supernatural horror that maintains a relentless creepiness and unsettling feeling that stays with you even after you turn the screen off. I am in the middle of the season right now. I don't want to say much other than that because it is a show that is best to watch when you do not know what to expect. I recommend it whole heartedly though if you can appreciate a slow burn and unraveling mystery to your horror.

Yes!!! My wife and I loved every minute of that show. I have recommended it repeatedly on the forums, and I am glad someone else has finally watched it.

[samsonlonghair]

House on Haunted Hill (1959)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_on_Haunted_Hill
A true horror classic with excellent pacing and a fun plot that holds up all these years later.

I love this one. I re-watch it every couple of years. Tons of low budget fun. Vincent price is the coolest cat ever.

The 1999 remake gets tons of hate, but I think it captures the same spirit of spooky fun as the original. I think the audience changed over the forty years in between. Modern audiences want a "real" horror movie (whatever that means) to scare them. What's wrong with spooky fun?